Oh, I didn't vote for The Two Towers, for whatever that's worth. But the films are genuine epics, lovingly crafted, and I'm so happy they exist.
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Out of interest, do we reckon Inglourious Basterds is gonna make it?
We shall see but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for Basterds.
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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
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Oh, and it's not tomorrow's pair, but there's a pairing coming up that made me laugh out loud when I saw it.
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To be charitable, I don't think you made a mistake: a lot of the wide battle shots are mostly CGI. It's just that they have a lot of practical effects in all the other shots. It's also relative, in that they had way more practical effects than they "had to," and far more than cheaper faux epics do today.
I also give them points because this is very much a case of a new technique spawning a lot of cheap imitators, which I think maybe rebounds back on the original over time. Specifically, they created a rudimentary battle AI called MASSIVE to simulate armies fighting without having to animate each one individually, which was fairly revolutionary at the time, even though that kind of thing seems to be in every movie now.
But yeah, they spent so much time and love on sets, and matte painting, and forced perspective and all that, which is why stuff like the size differences look so smooth and natural: because they didn't take the "easy" way out, at least in those regards:
I also give them points because this is very much a case of a new technique spawning a lot of cheap imitators, which I think maybe rebounds back on the original over time. Specifically, they created a rudimentary battle AI called MASSIVE to simulate armies fighting without having to animate each one individually, which was fairly revolutionary at the time, even though that kind of thing seems to be in every movie now.
But yeah, they spent so much time and love on sets, and matte painting, and forced perspective and all that, which is why stuff like the size differences look so smooth and natural: because they didn't take the "easy" way out, at least in those regards:
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I don't think so. Feels like Pulp only to me.
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Oh, I didn't vote for The Two Towers, for whatever that's worth. But the films are genuine epics, lovingly crafted, and I'm so happy they exist.
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Interesting. At no point would I ever insinuate that the use of CGI means that less work goes into a film. I can only guess at the amount of man-hours (person-hours?) spent on it. Just personal taste really.
Anyway, all that said, I think it's probably particularly important to use a lot of practical effects to depict fantastical things. Films like these arguably need to go the extra mile to make them feel grounded in some kind of reality, and to Jackson's credit, he definitely did a lot of that.
My first memory of these films, actually, is some very old 10-minute behind the scenes video where they talk about some of those effects (maybe a year and a half before the film's release). I remember thinking how real it all looked. My family and I probably watched that clip several times, in part because it was all we had of the film at the time. But I remember that almost as vividly as I remember seeing the first film for the first time.
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I agree. I rewatched them for the first time in a long time early 2020. Might have actually been my first time rewatching all 3 in a row. I was surprised how well they held up and how much I loved just being in the world.
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Two fine films.
The LOTR trilogy is generally epic and at least one of them belongs on here, so I'm happy to see Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers as one of today's reveals. It's been some years since I've seen them so I'd be hard pressed to say which I prefer .... sounds like a reasonable excuse to revisit them in the near future I guess
Schindler's List is Spielberg at his best imo, nice to see it leap up relative to where it placed last time.
Seen: 49/60 (Own: 21/60)
Faildictions (Eternal vsn 1.0):
40. Stalker (1979)
39. La Strada (1954)
The LOTR trilogy is generally epic and at least one of them belongs on here, so I'm happy to see Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers as one of today's reveals. It's been some years since I've seen them so I'd be hard pressed to say which I prefer .... sounds like a reasonable excuse to revisit them in the near future I guess
Schindler's List is Spielberg at his best imo, nice to see it leap up relative to where it placed last time.
Seen: 49/60 (Own: 21/60)
My list:
Faildictions (Eternal vsn 1.0):
40. Stalker (1979)
39. La Strada (1954)
If a Speilberg ever showed up on my list, it would have been "Schindler's List". Loved the film, hatred the subject matter, if that makes sense.
Going back to the age old argument here. For my list preferences, I saw these as one film, split three ways. Same with Kill Bills and Linklater's Sunrises series. So none of these types made my list.
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46/60 films seen
Going back to the age old argument here. For my list preferences, I saw these as one film, split three ways. Same with Kill Bills and Linklater's Sunrises series. So none of these types made my list.
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My Craptastic List:
46/60 films seen
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No votes here.
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Fair enough. Even if you weren't saying that, I think it would be a valid critique, not wanting lots of CGI in a film. And while it may be a lot of man-hours for somebody, I wonder if maybe it can be a lot less work for the director, specifically, and a lot more on things that are reducible and interchangeable with non-cinematic things. But as you say, personal taste. It might be an interesting discussion, and maybe one where my intellectual conclusions are very different from my gut-level reactions.
Anyway, all that said, I think it's probably particularly important to use a lot of practical effects to depict fantastical things. Films like these arguably need to go the extra mile to make them feel grounded in some kind of reality, and to Jackson's credit, he definitely did a lot of that.
My first memory of these films, actually, is some very old 10-minute behind the scenes video where they talk about some of those effects (maybe a year and a half before the film's release). I remember thinking how real it all looked. My family and I probably watched that clip several times, in part because it was all we had of the film at the time. But I remember that almost as vividly as I remember seeing the first film for the first time.
Anyway, all that said, I think it's probably particularly important to use a lot of practical effects to depict fantastical things. Films like these arguably need to go the extra mile to make them feel grounded in some kind of reality, and to Jackson's credit, he definitely did a lot of that.
My first memory of these films, actually, is some very old 10-minute behind the scenes video where they talk about some of those effects (maybe a year and a half before the film's release). I remember thinking how real it all looked. My family and I probably watched that clip several times, in part because it was all we had of the film at the time. But I remember that almost as vividly as I remember seeing the first film for the first time.
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Oh, and it's not tomorrow's pair, but there's a pairing coming up that made me laugh out loud when I saw it.
Kung-Pow! Enter the Fist
Milk
If you can't see the overlap, then you haven't watched the greatest (arguably) kung fu flick of all time! WEEEEOOOH WEEEEEOOOOH WWEEEEEEEEE *hrrrrrrrchk*
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"My Dionne Warwick understanding of your dream indicates that you are ambivalent on how you want life to eventually screw you." - Joel
"Ever try to forcibly pin down a house cat? It's not easy." - Captain Steel
"I just can't get pass sticking a finger up a dog's butt." - John Dumbear
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Out of interest, do we reckon Inglourious Basterds is gonna make it?
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For shame. I would have also expected Reservoir Dogs at least, then Inglourious Basterds almost certainly, and maybe Django Unchained
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Just rewatched the extended versions of all 3 LOTR movies over the New Year period.
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Sorry for sounding like a broken record, Like both but neither ever were making my list. Schlinders List no doubt is a very good film but Ive never had any desire to revisit it and thats not down to the subject matter. All the LOTR movies to me, are good Sunday afternoon films, lying in front of the fire, hungover. Ive only 4 shown up from my list so far, not quite as confident as I once was that they will all show.
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Last edited by the samoan lawyer; 01-05-21 at 12:28 PM.
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I can't really comment much on Two Towers because I was bong brained at the time it was on, and really just remember fragments. I remember being entertained enough though. But opposable thumbs would have been enough to entertain me at the time. Ultimately, Lord of the Rings is just not for me, even if I can recognize the skill and craft that went into it, as well as all of the condensing Peter Jackson had to do with the books to make it something cinematically comprehensible. Maybe, if the entire series took place in Hobbitville, and Frodo just sat around eating food and smoking a pipe, I probably would have been super on board. Like a Middle Earth Jeanne Dielmann. Unfortunately, he finds stuff to do, and hangs out with a bunch of characters whose names all sound the same to me. Yes, I'm prejudiced against elves. Unapologetically.
Schindler's List would be Spielberg's greatest if not for the blockbuster cypher that is Close Encounters. Weirdly, for a man of suffering for many years from sugar induced Peter Pan Syndrome, Schindler almost feels like the movie he worked his entire career towards. It's the culmination of all his skills he learned peddling kiddie fare, to somehow articulate the misery of the Holocaust about as clearly as anyone ever has on screen. His ability to stay focused on an array of fascinating central characters, insert fragmented anecdotes of periphery characters as punctuation marks, give us a history lesson, show off an array of cinematic tricks, and be as human as he ever would before or since, the film is a miracle. I wrote it off for a number years after first seeing it, seeing it as a really competent, even a fairly effective attempt at adulthood filmmaking by Spielberg. A rewatch a few months ago shattered that underestimation. It's a masterstroke. Visually, cinematically and emotionally devastating. But also funny. And life affirming. And rage inspiring. And, most incredibly of all, really really entertaining, even as it makes you contemplate whether this planet is even worth being on anymore....didn't make my list though. I think Blood for Dracula took its spot.
Schindler's List would be Spielberg's greatest if not for the blockbuster cypher that is Close Encounters. Weirdly, for a man of suffering for many years from sugar induced Peter Pan Syndrome, Schindler almost feels like the movie he worked his entire career towards. It's the culmination of all his skills he learned peddling kiddie fare, to somehow articulate the misery of the Holocaust about as clearly as anyone ever has on screen. His ability to stay focused on an array of fascinating central characters, insert fragmented anecdotes of periphery characters as punctuation marks, give us a history lesson, show off an array of cinematic tricks, and be as human as he ever would before or since, the film is a miracle. I wrote it off for a number years after first seeing it, seeing it as a really competent, even a fairly effective attempt at adulthood filmmaking by Spielberg. A rewatch a few months ago shattered that underestimation. It's a masterstroke. Visually, cinematically and emotionally devastating. But also funny. And life affirming. And rage inspiring. And, most incredibly of all, really really entertaining, even as it makes you contemplate whether this planet is even worth being on anymore....didn't make my list though. I think Blood for Dracula took its spot.
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