MovieMeditation�s Diary Reviews // �Come and meditate with me!�

BANNED

08-07-17

Yeah it was this book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manson-His-.../dp/0802130240

Completely self serving and full of lies and contradictions but i actually think this would work better as a Tarantino film than what actually happened.

cricket

Registered User

08-07-17

Rumored actors so far are Lawrence, Robbie, and Pitt. I would guess Pitt for Manson and one of the girls for Tate. I can dig that.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-07-17

Originally Posted by Camo

Has there been any news on whether he's going serious or his usual comedic route with the Manson Murders? I can actually see it working if the murders are a brutal turn in tone in the last 20 minutes or whatever with the rest of it focusing on all of the New Age Mystical, Summer of Love BS him and his followers practiced.

No, I don't think so. I would actually love if Tarantino went a little more serious again - he was never all-in-all serious - but he went really dark with Hateful Eight. I would love a more Reservoir Dogs approach in tone. But I guess, when you really look at it, all his movies have funny moments and a general undetone of amusing dialogue or subtext. So yeah, I don't know... I trust he knows what he's doing. And it's a real event, so maybe he'll sharpen up and do it proper... Then again, he also made Inglourious Basterds.

- I should really read more books and that one sounds great...

Originally Posted by cricket

Yea it seems like with every movie he comes out with, one or more actors end up with a career defining role. Maybe not his Westerns, but that's only because some of those actors already had their big moments in his previous films.

Indeed. But I mean, even Sam Jackson delivered something new with his role in Django... So it's not all the time the old timers are giving typical textbook roles that usually defines them, like it was the case with Hateful.

But yeah, could be cool to see him find another treasure like that of Waltz...

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Camo

BANNED

08-07-17

Originally Posted by cricket

Rumored actors so far are Lawrence, Robbie, and Pitt. I would guess Pitt for Manson and one of the girls for Tate. I can dig that.

According to wiki Margot Robbie is Tate.

Camo

BANNED

08-07-17

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

- I should really read more books and that one sounds great...

It's not great mate, don't want to give you the wrong idea haha. It's not very well written and it has rambling recollections from Manson about drug trips and sex he had 20 years earlier or whatever. It was just oddly hilarious at times. Wouldn't rec it to anyone. I'd read Helter Skelter if you're interested in reading about Manson as that's an objective look at him and his crimes, not a self serving portrayal from himself.

Okay

movies can be okay...

08-07-17

Originally Posted by cricket

Tarantino's first three are my favorites and in the exact release order. I wish he would get back to the crime genre, and I don't mean comic book type nonsense like Kill Bill.

I will not tolerate any Kill Bill slander

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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

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-07-17

Originally Posted by Camo

Haha, yeah I got that. I just thought it sounded weirdly lowkey great.

Now that we were kinda on the topic... who, anyone alive, would y'all like to see star in a Tarantino flick?

cricket

Registered User

08-07-17

There was a thread once similar about who should star in Tarantino's Hateful Eight. He's so great at bringing actors back from the dead or bringing them more into the spotlight. I'd like to see Kevin Costner and Viggo Mortensen.

cricket

Registered User

08-07-17

Maybe Eddie Murphy in a big comeback, or Tommy Hanks playing way against type. The possibilities are endless.

Swan

CIA Spook

08-07-17

Originally Posted by cricket

Maybe Eddie Murphy in a big comeback, or Tommy Hanks playing way against type. The possibilities are endless.

Eddie Murphy should play Charles Manson in Tarantino's new flick. It will be a revolutionary performance!

Camo

BANNED

08-07-17

Not really got an answer. I'd like to say some of my favourites like Joaquin or Day-Lewis but then some of my favourite Tarantino performances are from people i don't like much elsewhere; Michael Madsen, John Travota, etc or people i've never seen anywhere else like Waltz and Eli Roth haha. I'd just like him not to stick to the same crew too much, i think that works for PTA alot but Tarantino suits working with different people in my opinion.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-07-17

I'd LOVE to see Tom Hanks as a sadistic evil person in a QT movie...

Javier Bardem would be great. I mean, Anton Chigurh from No Country could already have been a Tarantino character tbh...

How about THE MAN, Denzel in a QT flick? Would be ****ing great. Johnny Depp would be ideal too.

Out of modern actors, Tom Hardy could be interesting... shame we never saw Daniel Day-Lewis in a Tarantino flick, since he has now retired.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-07-17

Btw, thanks for the discussion, guys. If only that happened more often - and here I mean anywhere - on the forum. I mean, it does, there are threads I just don't visit much, which boosts plenty of discussion, but sometimes those threads are also mostly games or HoFs - threads very relevantly active more of the time. Sometimes even the smaller threads can gain a great debate out of nothing and despite how that usually happens totally coincidently, usually they also happen that way because we do seek out parts of the discussion ourselves - by merely posting a simple reply...

- Hopefully some of y'all will stay with me for these last few entries.

I only got, like, 15 movies left IN TOTAL to post in here and this thread will finally go to a well deserved rest... for good.

Beatle

BANNED

08-07-17

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... current day count
79 .......................... 72
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March 5th

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

This was a fun satirical piece of filmmaking with some good performances all around... I must admit I actually hoped for more from this one, but it kind of pulled it home towards the end. At times it was like it wasn�t sure if it should go all-in with the jokes and satirical references, but when it did it sure worked great. This was definitely my type of movie, only a lesser version of it though, but there were quite a few great moments in it. I have seen this �type� of film done before and better, but I have always had a soft heart for wacky voiceovers and hilarious or frightening character studies. Thank you for �Thank you for Smoking�, Jason Reitman, it is a fine film indeed�
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Well,here I am, MM, you were starting to sound desparate, so I have no heart to let my favorite mofo down.

Don't worry, from now on it'll be just like starting over.

And we'll be rocking all over the world.

I saw it on TV in recent years.and I like it, I like it, I liiiike it, here we gooOOO rockiOK.

I really did like it, Aaron Eckhart is one of the most likeable guys out there. It really is hillarious!

Michael Jordan plays ball, Chalsen Manson kills people, I talk. Everybody's got a talent.

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

March 7th

The Graduate (1967)

As I said back when I was just about to watch it: this is probably one of the biggest movies that I have had on my watchlist for ages without ever actually watching Dustin Hoffman is an amazing actor, so that obviously had me interested enough on its own, but also the fact that I have seen so many classic scenes from the film by now I feel like I already know and love it before even watching it. And I was kind of right, because I absolutely loved this film... It is not perfect, but there is many groundbreaking things about it and it sort of holds a good balance between controlled and lively filmmaking. What I mean is, that the film hasn�t got a problem being smart and witty while also pulling of some interesting and inventive shots and frame-compositions.

I think the story it wanted to tell was extremely interesting though quite obvious at times, but overall you just have such a fun time with it that you don�t care whether or not it departures from what it set out to be � or that it wants to have more fun than what it should be �allowed to�. This already stands as one of my new favorite films, I think, and I can�t wait to watch it again some time.
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Have you ever checked my profile? Then you know what to expect in the countdown. This is the first time that that bloody F*ckin hollywood has recognized the world changing due to the man in my avatar. So, you can say he made it, in an insane way. I afraid I still don't get the point though. Mrs. Robinson thought him so insufficient for her daughter that she seduced him herself? Is this upper/lower class thing?

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March 9th

The Imitation Game (2014)

This is the definition of Oscar-bait if you ask me. A historical piece of filmmaking about a real-life genius who experiences problems in his life, which are all told quite obvious or in a melodramatic way, but still manages to succeed in life in some way and become famous later on so this type of movie can be made. I honestly don�t feel like writing much about this film, it is just forgettable and following a typical kind of structure that you have become tired of with time� Benedict Cumberbatch was good but not amazing in my opinion, and the writing seriously won an Oscar? Well, okay then�

[/quote]

I'm not gonna go AGAIN about the foscars. They can all go and f* themselves. fhollywood fagssholes!

This is the one about Alan Turing, Spookie. (I don't know if you'll ever read this though, because you play so much games (which is completely OK..

)) He deserved much better than this.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-08-17

"15"
MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
The year is no spelling mistake
total movie count ........... viewing day count
289 .......................... 347
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December 14th

�� 2008 ��
BOLT
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.48

REWATCH
Bolt, boulder,
bodacious...

Still searching for a certain type of magical lightning to strike the studio of Disney, �Bolt� is the latest film in the can of movies ranging from career defining to canned dog food. Yes, you guessed it, this film is far more of the latter than the former, even though �Bolt� does boost some evolutionary visuals and pretty impressive and exciting action sequences throughout. And that is what I basically take away from this movie that isn�t straight up take-away trash � the action scenes and the solid animation sells the experience, though the simple, safe-bet storyline and cuddly character compilation makes this a film that fails to impress all that much, ultimately still ending up awfully forgettable and disposable when it all comes down to it�

�Bolt� sports ancient basics of plot presentation and moral compensation, which have been brought back to life by a lightning stroke and roams the movie media in a modern-day setting. You can�t teach an old dog new tricks and �Bolt� seems to be a poof of that saying. There is nothing really new to be found here and the tired old tropes are more tiring than ever. The finding one�s true self, staying true to oneself, trust in oneself, be brave and bold in life is all so old that the importance of it feels lessened here. I�m aware that these themes are basically timeless and are to find in every other kids� movie out there. But it isn�t so much about the morals being old, the presentation is simply not interesting enough to feel refreshing. �Bolt� isn�t completely unoriginal and parts of it feels fun and exciting enough on their own merits, but as a whole, this movie is hollow and hardly worth writing home about.

The voice-work is solid though and that helps sell even the most monotone characters in the movie and thereby the interactions between said characters. I can�t deny a few fun scenes indeed does rise from the whole jargon about this �superhero� dog on the run, who thinks he�s invincible. It may have sounded like I really hate this movie, but I don�t, I just don�t find it anything special other than the fact that it might be the best and most complete Disney have felt outside their Pixar-projects � a company you definitely don�t want to compare the studio with quite yet, since the solid animation suddenly looks dull next to a ground-breaker like �Wall�E�, which saw release the same year�

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Camo

BANNED

08-08-17

Liked Bolt alot more than i thought i would. It looks like some crappy direct to video film but it was actually alot of fun.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-08-17

Originally Posted by Camo

Liked Bolt alot more than i thought i would. It looks like some crappy direct to video film but it was actually alot of fun.

Yeah, you basically sum up my opinion there as well, more or less...

I liked it more than I thought and it was actually quite fun in the end. Better than I thought it would be.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-08-17

"14"
MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
The year is no spelling mistake
total movie count ........... viewing day count
290 .......................... 348
__________________________

December 15th

�� 2009 ��
THE
PRINCESS
AND THE
FROG
�� animation ��
DISNEY CLASSIC no.49

REWATCH
What the frog is this?
I can't even...

So, �The Princess and the Frog� saw the return of the rough, two-dimensional drawing style that was once a poignant piece of art in cinema, but has now been deemed too time-consuming and costly to be worth the hard work, which have made both animators and audiences agree to the betterment of three-dimensional, computer-animated films for a foreseeable future and most likely indefinitely in the long run. But for critics, film lovers and fans out there, who admire and love the atmosphere and impressive, illustrative images that comes with hand-drawn animation, �The Princess and the Frog� was hailed as a royal return to Disney�s old drawing style and ageless storytelling�

But sadly, both the first and second time I saw this movie, I was disappointed in its mediocracy. People seemed to love it, especially because of the classic callback it was and the bold choice of a black female lead, but for my bucks this film failed to leave an impression on me with its generic and almost forced feel that it had to it. I was never really engaged in the story, the characters were both flavorless and often all too familiar, while the musical numbers never stroke my soul or caught my ear, like Disney does best, safe for the song �Almost There� � which was even accompanied by a beautiful and different animation style � while �Dig a Little Deeper� also had its moments, though with the same generic animated approach that I just wasn�t feeling. And I like jazzy, upbeat music inspired by the setting itself and the Motown era, but there was something that just wasn�t clicking right.

Plenty of popular animated movies nowadays, not only Disney, seem to search for style that has this same kind of generic, bouncy and almost torturous tacky tempo within the plot and animation, to make it certain that children�s brains are kept busy, because apparently, their attention span is deemed too damn short to follow a dramatic story that boosts life beneath the story and within the characters and timeless themes. It just becomes too much for me sometimes and �The Princess and the Frog� is a fine example of me almost being alienated because of this, though not to the same extent as say, �Home on the Range�, which is an awfully excellent example of that. Anyways, �The Princess and the Frog� is more a turd than a toad and less torturous than it is merely strenuous, but by all means, it isn�t bad, just rather bland and too busy to be spellbindingly beautiful and too stupid to be intelligently idiotic�

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MovieMeditation

Friendo.

08-09-17

"13"
MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
The year is no spelling mistake
total movie count ........... viewing day count
291 .......................... 350
__________________________

December 17th

�� 2015 ��
STAR WARS
T H E__F O R C E__A W A K E N S
�� sci-fi ��
EXTENDED REVIEW

(swoosh swoosh sound)
(heavy breathing)

After the success of rebooting �Star Trek� into an actioner of astronomical proportions, J.J. Abrams was pitched to pen and direct the decade-overdue return of another gigantic galactic hit of a film franchise, �Star Wars��

A force-fanboy himself, Abrams was going to hold something very precious and personal between his hands, endangering the possibility of not elevating the entertainment and upping the ante beyond familiar fan territory and bloated blockbuster banalities. Growing up with the prequel trilogy myself and very much liking � although not outright loving � the long-running franchise, I will hopefully leave you with a review more objective than subjective; at least on a non-fanboy level, so to speak.

Just like always, the whole world was gathered at every cinema, at every corner, like the gigantic event this franchise has always been and always will be � because, and you guessed it, the force was extremely strong with this one. As for me, I danced willingly to the star dust myself and did everything possible to cut myself out of the �Wi-Fi community� and go into hiding until the premiere in my country; like a hobo going sight-seeing in a billion-dollar estate. I didn�t really use my phone, my computer or stuff like that, so being surrounded by technology without touching it was very weird � even regular old newspapers were a thing to avoid at work and the likes. Anyways, the day came where I had my ticket for a trip to the closest IMAX theater in the pleasant company of me, myself and I and the three of us were all very excited to see this movie. The hype was real and as soon as the famous text crawl came crashing onto the screen more epic than ever before, I felt the force� against my pants. Okay, not really, but I�m sure someone had their lightsaber out during this fanboy moment.

But honestly, despite being fine with what I saw, I left the theater without ever really feeling like I had seen a proper �Star Wars� movie. Even the prequels were closer in tone, though tone deaf in everything else, especially dialogue, but let�s leave it at that. My point is, this seventh �Star Wars� entry had flown fatally close to the sun � or sum � of all my fears. Abrams is a fanboy alright, and it shows, as he shoots the film like he would wield a lightsaber for the first time � swinging it around, making awesome sounds and colorful visuals along the way, but forgetting what it is actually for � killing things, leaving an impact and setting something at stake. Also, he didn�t even seem to understand what �Star Wars� was all about either � at least not from an �inside perspective� � even George Lucas, weird as he is, has commented on this and I agree. J.J. Abrams is a Jedi in training and he really isn�t judgmental enough or even wise enough with the source material. Though, clearly, Disney definitely also mixed their magical fairy dust with the sci-fi star dust as well, so Mr. Double-J here isn�t the only person with their hands in the cookie jar� jar� Oh I�m sorry, did I stutter?

So, is �Star Wars: The Force Awakens� a bad film? No, not in my book, but you can read the film like a book though, and except for �that one scene� you don�t really get much for your money�s worth � at least not if you came for more than (and not as a result of) the several references and homages throughout � serving this up as a fan service at its fullest; kleenex, lubricate and all. �Force Awakens� has a grittier approach than its predecessors, but the plot is painfully familiar, the characters are mostly very bland compared to the originals, and the overall feel is a clear-cut copycat that comes off like a hairball in your throat when the pleasure strokes are the farthest away from actual strikes of genius as they possibly could be.

As mentioned, the movie can be gritty at times, but Abrams� handling of �the force� and feel for the universe is almost laughably childish and the aftertaste is like coffee with too much cream and sugar. Sure, they had to regain their reigning super-power as the science-fiction staple that they are � and do so by playing it safe and feeling the groundwork first before finally continuing such a heavy franchise like this � because moving ahead with the speed of light or going in the wrong direction could cause another clash between fans and filmmakers leading to yet another fall for the universe. I respect that and I understand that.

I can enjoy �Force Awakens� for classic entertainment, yet still it leaves me with such a weightless feeling that I struggle to find anything of importance worth returning to. Sure, it looks good, sounds good and the nostalgia can make you feel good, but those elements can�t elevate a movie like this above story, dialogue and characters � especially not when at least one of those, if not all, was all-important to the first film. And like a lot of modern blockbusters, the movie feels like a set of singular set-pieces hanging in a thin thread, rather than one continuous story, which I feel also brings the movie down a few notches.

�The Force Awakens� operates as a space spectacle rather than a space opera and the magical feeling of melodramatic heroism and chivalric romance seems to have taken a backseat to all the fancy action, with a tempo and tone, which just doesn�t resemble much of what made �Star Wars� work to begin with. There is plenty of homages, references and winks at the audience, but throwing it into the movie is not the same as building it into the movie � actually implementing it into the story or even structuring said story around these elements. Abrams� �Star Wars� is more like a modern �Star Trek� film or modern blockbuster that just happens to take place in the same universe as the other films in this franchise. As I said, I can enjoy it for the entertainment and it is a fairly fun ride, but the disappointment is just too strong with this one� I�m sorry.

Ending on a little side note here, because with all that said, after watching �Rogue One� I might have to reconsider the placement of this crowd pleaser after all� and that might be a little bit higher than it was the case with my first viewing. But for now, though� it was just fairly good fun and my rating here will be of my initial viewing, even though this review is sort of a mix between two viewings.

+

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TheUsualSuspect