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I did a review of Sunshine a while back and touched upon what I think throws a lot of people... it's not exactly sci-fi.

They hired physicist Prf. Brian Cox as a consultant for the movie, and he kept telling them no when they wanted to do something outlandish.
He also helped in writing some of the aesthetics of the movie as well, like helping with the ship design, and the technology needed for the movie's mission.
Basically Sunshine is sci-fi-sci-fact.

Cox also goes into a long speech in the movie commentary about super-symmetrical particles that would cause the Sun to die so rapidly.
His influence on the movie's in-universe science is most noticeable during the establishing shots and scenes at the start.
It's very accurate, understated, and I think it tends to push people out of the movie because they're expecting a far-out actiony sci-fi blast'em up.

Cillian Murphy also based his character directly on Prf. Brian Cox as well, even his mannerisms and facial expressions.



I enjoyed Sunshine when I saw it, but remember little about it.


Watchmen is an admirable attempt to bring to the screen a dense work that doesn't lend itself easily to adaptation, but I found a lot of Snyder's choices obvious or awkward.



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I haven’t seen either one and have no desire to see them.

I’m getting really worried my number 1 isn’t going to show.
Number 1 is for sure out for me. Number 2 and 3 is growing worry with me.



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The truth is in here
I almost tend to prefer my choices showing up early on a list since if they don't I start to worry none of them will appear at all. So far there haven't been any, though The Diving Bell And The Butterfly was a close call.



In particular, I think of Sunshine as one of the films that showed the next generation of filmmakers what they could do with something less than a blockbuster budget. The sense of scale and scope it generates with so little is kind of amazing.
I have always admired it for the way that it portrays the dynamics between the characters. These are all people who went on a mission knowing they might not (probably wouldn't?) survive, and they are committed. Evans' character, who is seen as being abrasive, repeatedly shows his commitment to the mission, even at times to his own detriment, such as when he
WARNING: spoilers below
insists that Murphy's character is more important to the mission and thus gets the space suit when they have to jump between the ships, or when he repeatedly goes into the freezing water to unjam the mechanism
.

I think that it captures, like you say, a lot of scale and scope, and it also helps you feel what these characters must be feeling in terms of both a sense of urgency and a sense of vulnerability.



I have always admired it for the way that it portrays the dynamics between the characters. These are all people who went on a mission knowing they might not (probably wouldn't?) survive, and they are committed. Evans' character, who is seen as being abrasive, repeatedly shows his commitment to the mission, even at times to his own detriment, such as when he
WARNING: spoilers below
insists that Murphy's character is more important to the mission and thus gets the space suit when they have to jump between the ships, or when he repeatedly goes into the freezing water to unjam the mechanism
.

I think that it captures, like you say, a lot of scale and scope, and it also helps you feel what these characters must be feeling in terms of both a sense of urgency and a sense of vulnerability.
Yes, totally agree. This is actually something I loved when I first saw it but completely left my mind until you mentioned it.

I think, if we just read the screenplay, we'd think the characters are a little on the thin side. That they feel reasonably vivid is a testament to the intangible and surprising benefits that come with casting really, really well, and Sunshine is definitely filled with really talented people. Deep interactions and reactions can be just as good or better than deep character backstories or nuance, or whatever single aspect of good character writing is nowadays being confused with good character writing in total.



I think, if we just read the screenplay, we'd think the characters are a little on the thin side. That they feel reasonably vivid is a testament to the intangible and surprising benefits that come with casting really, really well, and Sunshine is definitely filled with really talented people. Deep interactions and reactions can be just as good or better than deep character backstories or nuance, or whatever single aspect of good character writing is nowadays being confused with good character writing in total.
Agreed. The cast feel incredibly solid and real, and I was a big fan of Yeoh's understated role as the person in charge of the living oxygen recycling system.

One of my personal associations with this film is that I was driving from DC to Iowa (or Iowa to DC?) which I usually did in one go. But for some reason I was checking into a hotel at like 1am. I have a duct-tape wallet (still ticking! Since 2002!) with a picture of Cillian Murphy on it from 28 Days Later. (My sister made me the wallet after we saw the latter film in the theater). The clerk at the hotel was like, "Is that Cillian Murphy?" and I said, "Yeah, it's a shot from 28 Days Later." And he said, "He's in that new movie, Sunshine, with Rose Byrne. Have you see it yet?" And I had and we geeked out about it in that way you do when it's the middle of the night and you're slightly delirious.



I've been busy all day with the family and then a podcast interview, hence my lack of presence

Anyway, some quick thoughts on each... I really liked Sunshine, but I'm one of those that was a bit turned off by the third act. But it's been 10+ years since I saw it, and I've read several readings and analysis about it that make me think I might appreciate it more now. Some day I will rewatch it.

As for Watchmen, a bit of a lengthier story, but I had never read the graphic novel nor seen the film until 2019. Back then, an online friend (was it you, @ThatDarnMKS?) recommended me to read the graphic novel, so knowing how much praise it gets, I checked it out and ended up reading it twice in a month. For someone who's not that much into comics, that's quite something. I still think it is one of the most impressive pieces of entertainment I've seen or read.

With that said, when I saw the film, I found it extremely overwhelming. Not only because it failed to capture the scope of the novel, but also because it pretty much missed the whole point of it, especially in a key character like Rorschach. This is a tidbit from my review...
"Despite Snyder's apparent appreciation of the source material, the way he adapts it indicates there seems to be a misunderstanding of the general themes and goals of the comic book, which range from a general deconstruction of the traditional superhero by presenting them all as flawed individuals and not 'uber-cool bad-asses' to a misrepresentation of the motivations, the psyche, the nature of some of the main characters, most notably Rorschach. On the contrary, Snyder seems more interested in portraying kick-ass heroes and extreme violence with little of the subtlety and nuance of the novel."
You can read my full review here. Sure, I know we're not reviewing the novel, but even if I take the film at face value, the performances are uneven or downright bad, especially Malin Åkerman; and there's an issue with pacing and flow from one setpiece to the other, which feels kinda clunky.
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As for the hints, they're always bound to be guessable. That's why they are hints. If we wanted to make them "unguessable", then I would just post a random word from the script and let you all pelt me with guesses I know some of you expect them, and even asked for them, others don't like them, or simply don't want them... some of you liked the change I did last night of using excerpts from reviews, while others thought it was dumb. At the end of the day, there's no way to make you all happy, so I will just carry on the way it was planned, and keep throwing them out. I will continue to find ways to keep it varied (not just rhymes and poems) and maybe a bit harder, but then again, there's always the possibility of someone guessing them because, well, that's the point of a hint



Why not have a spin-off thread purely for the hints and people's guesses? Those that want that aspect can still enjoy it, those that don't can just stay well away from that thread. It can be a bit difficult to parse out both the hints and any guesses when in the same thread as the countdown if one likes to read what everyone says about the countdown entries.

Merely a thought.



Why not have a spin-off thread purely for the hints and people's guesses? Those that want that aspect can still enjoy it, those that don't can just stay well away from that thread. It can be a bit difficult to parse out both the hints and any guesses when in the same thread as the countdown if one likes to read what everyone says about the countdown entries.

Merely a thought.
Or just spoiler-text both the clues and guesses?



movies can be okay...
My list so far...

4. Funny Games (2007) not placing anywhere
13. Mother (2009) placed at #96
22. Almost Famous (2000) placed at #90
25. Irreversible (2002) not placing lol

Decided to add my #4 and #25 since they have a "Rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes, and according to @Thief everything that's left on the list is at least "Fresh"

Overall, seen 4/14
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"A film has to be a dialogue, not a monologue — a dialogue to provoke in the viewer his own thoughts, his own feelings. And if a film is a dialogue, then it’s a good film; if it’s not a dialogue, it’s a bad film."
- Michael "Gloomy Old Fart" Haneke



My list so far...

4. Funny Games (2007) not placing anywhere
13. Mother (2009) placed at #96
22. Almost Famous (2000) placed at #90
25. Irreversible (2002) not placing lol

Decided to add my #4 and #25 since they have a "Rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes, and according to @Thief everything that's left on the list is at least "Fresh"

Overall, seen 4/14
D'oh! Maybe that was a bit too much for my part to say but we're way too early in the list, so I heartily ask you all to not reveal anything from your list, even if you're positive it won't place.

(Not a jab at you, really)



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Yeah I thought we couldn't unveil anything until set in stone. Okays list disqualified! (Unless he chose films the same as me, in which case, totally acceptable!)



Critics




Critics thoughts on #88, Sunshine...



It currently has a 77% Certified Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 7.2/10 score on IMDb (with 243,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★ and said:
"The interactions are the weakest elements in "Sunshine," which is strongest when it focuses on the sheer enormity of the mission and its consequences."
Meanwhile Steven Rea, of the Philadelphia Inquirer, gave it ★★½ and said:
"At a certain point, like a dying star about to pop into eternal nothingness, the movie can't be seen as anything -- it just implodes."
As for our MoFo reviewers, @Yoda said:
"It is not a revolutionary film, but its watchlike precision is evident throughout, and it runs a clinic on what disaster films ought to be like."
On the other hand, @Optimus said:
"Overall I didn’t enjoy Sunshine. It left quite an uneasy feeling in me that I can’t quite explain. It was just a very strange and unusual movie that I haven’t experienced before. I did like the musical moments and some of the visual stuff, but that’s about it. I think this movie is kind of like marmite. If you like it then like it, but if you hate then you hate it. And judging by a lot of reviews their isn’t much of a in between."



Critics




And critics thoughts on #87, Watchmen...



It currently has a 65% Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 7.6/10 score on IMDb (with 530,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★★ and said:
"It’s a compelling visceral film — sound, images and characters combined into a decidedly odd visual experience that evokes the feel of a graphic novel. It seems charged from within by its power as a fable; we sense it’s not interested in a plot so much as with the dilemma of functioning in a world losing hope."
Meanwhile Kaleem Aftab, of The National, said:
"The failure of this very faithful adaptation highlights the fact that to capture the spirit of a comic book, a film must do more than bring a collection of still frames to life."
As for our MoFo reviewers, @The Rodent said:
"Next to Nolan's Batman, it's close to being one of the best hero type films. Hard to get into to start with due to not being a 'regular' Superhero movie, but give it a go, it's simply a lot of fun with flashy effects backed up by a fantastically original story."
On the other hand, @Holden Pike said:
"It's a spectacle, to be sure, but I don't think it's much more than that. Certainly better than the visual-only exercise of 300, but considering the source material not as much as it should have been."



Yeah I thought we couldn't unveil anything until set in stone. Okays list disqualified! (Unless he chose films the same as me, in which case, totally acceptable!)


For what it's worth, it *is* in the rules on the Preliminary Thread...

No peeking! Anyone who reveals their submitted list before the countdown has ended will be disqualified.
But I'm sure it was an inoffensive mistake with no malice. Right, Okay?




Awards




The awards received by Sunshine...

  • British Independent Film Award for Best Technical Achievement
  • Nominated to several Satellite, Empire, and film festival awards.


As for Watchmen, it won...

  • Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film
  • Saturn Award for Best Costume (Michael Wilkinson)
  • Saturn Award for Best Special Edition DVD Release (Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut)
  • Scream Award for Best Comic Book Movie