MOVIES 2017

@Imperious:

Unlike Hitler’s panzers, who he told to stop and wait to allow the British army to escape. Amazing that they can dress this up as a triumph.

They did that with Pearl Harbor. Remember that cook shot down 300 Japanese planes and single highhandedly sunk 2 carriers, then the two lover boys totally destroyed Japan with the Doolittle raid. Thats payback for sinking our fleet!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sounds like you actually managed to make through the whole length of the film, which I could not.

Went to see Alien Covenant over the weekend. Re-watched Prometheus beforehand.

Alien Covenant was a moderate disappointment. About 50% I really liked and 50% I thought was been-there-done-that Alien. The more I watch Prometheus, the more I enjoy the intricacy and multi-layered themes. Alien Covenant didn’t tell the story I thought it was going to. It wasn’t all bad, just not what I was expecting or hoping for.

I think it is still worth watching, especially if you want to see where Ridley Scott goes from here. David Fassbender was excellent again.

I will say that the scene you reference may not be what you think. I am not certain the direction they were trying to go with it, but I don’t feel as though it was meant to be, at least, primarily homosexual. There are a number of ways to look at it. It also wasn’t as gratuitous as you described.

If that sways you at all. I am trying not to reveal anything that may be unknown prior to watching.

Well the link I clicked on to see it said “Alien series will have first gay kiss” or something like that - so I suppose I was pre-biased…

@Der:

Well the link I clicked on to see it said “Alien series will have first gay kiss” or something like that - so I suppose I was pre-biased…

Yes, I certainly understand. It was uncomfortable to watch, but for more than one reason. It was also brief. Again, fwiw…

@Der:

I’m a huge alien fan, but seeing the two flaming gay guys giving each other a big sloppy kiss in one of the trailers really put me off. Hollywood keeps shoving the gay lifestyle at us in almost every movie and TV show now, far out of proportion to the actual percentages in the population, even when it has nothing to do with the plot. Personally it makes me sick. I’m not going to pay admission for that.

would you accept that a heterosexual kiss would make a homosexual sick? or is this a majority-has-it-right thing?

the gay lifestyle??? what does this movie show that can be remotely associated with a “gay lifestyle”? what is a “gay lifestyle” as compared to a straight life style? how would the straight lifestyle have looked in Covenant vis a vis the gay lifestyle?

then, have you ever complained of a heterosexual kiss in a movie that actually had nothing to do at all with the plot, in the sense of comparatively as important as it was or was not in Covenant?

then, the out of proportion thing. so I guess this is the first gay couple anywhere in Alien? Proportionally, what is more the reality, 0% homosexuals, or this one couple?

The way I worded the statement I made above was pretty inflammatory alexgreat - I apologize for that. I removed it. I personally don’t enjoy watching gays kiss or supporting it - so I will not be paying to see the movie. Everyone else has the right to feel and do what they want.

@Der:

The way I worded the statement I made above was pretty inflammatory alexgreat - I apologize for that. I removed it. I personally don’t enjoy watching gays kiss or supporting it - so I will not be paying to see the movie. Everyone else has the right to feel and do what they want.

fair enough!

Oh mah gawd!

Next thing we know they’ll be showing people kissing who aren’t even cousins!

@Flashman:

Oh mah gawd!

Next thing we know they’ll be showing people kissing who aren’t even cousins!

Was closer than cousins, if you catch my drift.

“Prometheus” supplied enough motivation for me to not see the follow up. Talk about a movie that couldn’t keep from crawling up its own backside.

@frimmel:

“Prometheus” supplied enough motivation for me to not see the follow up. Talk about a movie that couldn’t keep from crawling up its own backside.

How so? I thought Prometheus was a mess the first time I saw it, but got more out of it with each re-watch, until now I actually enjoy it.

Well think about all the reasons it was a mess to you before you watched it so many times you figured out a way to do the writer’s work for them. Start with the black goo that is whatever the plot needs it to be.

I will grant though that Ridley Scott may on some level be one of the greatest directors ever. While he has to bear some responsibility for that complete and utter turd of a script it is the most polished execution of a horrible script I’ve ever seen. The dude knows how to shoot and edit a movie.

@frimmel:

Well think about all the reasons it was a mess to you before you watched it so many times you figured out a way to do the writer’s work for them. Start with the black goo that is whatever the plot needs it to be.

I found it mostly a mess because I didn’t understand it. Initially I chalked that up to me being very new to the Alien franchise at the time. (I had watched Alien once before.) But clearly that isn’t the only reason. There is also significant lack of exposition on events, which made it hard to watch the first time, but, after re-viewing, the film is fully understandable. Though I will say watching Alien and absorbing the Mother-Ridley-Ash relationship is key to fully understanding Prometheus. The heart of each film, from Alien to Prometheus to Covenant is the ominous Weyland Corp. - Xenomorph dynamic.

I do think there were convenient plot devices, like the black goo, which (as expected) serves the same function in Covenant. Other information is never clearly defined, like Charlize Theron’s character Meredith Vickers and her motivations. She has a subtle arc, but is a high profile person of little consequence.

However after watching multiple times, I appreciated the subtlety of the story and the elements that are present but not said out loud. Rather they are whispered, implied at or left completely unsaid. This feels very natural and adds to some of the mystery of the plot by not outright telling the audience. Certainly that is a hindrance for people who will only watch the film once. To me it feels like a very intelligent movie because it doesn’t pander with simple explanations. It even attempts to explore religion and philosophy with varying degrees of success. I thought that was refreshing, since most science fiction films today are more concerned with apocalyptic events and lasers than intellectual concepts.

For the record, Prometheus seemed to be a riff on a concept that (far as I know) Star Trek pioneered back in 1993 on The Next Generation episode “The Chase”. I am not sure how familiar Scott or Damon Lindelof were with it, but the premise is almost identical. Interesting that they went with such a grand plot only to serve as backstory for a particular sci-fi movie monster.

@frimmel:

I will grant though that Ridley Scott may on some level be one of the greatest directors ever. While he has to bear some responsibility for that complete and utter turd of a script it is the most polished execution of a horrible script I’ve ever seen. The dude knows how to shoot and edit a movie.

This may be true.

Pasted below, please find a fact sheet confirming that the worldwide rights to MIDWAY from The Mark Gordon Company, directed by Roland Emmerich, have been acquired by Bona Film Group. Please let us know if you have any questions.

WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO FEATURE FILM “MIDWAY”
FROM THE MARK GORDON COMPANY, TO BE DIRECTED BY
ROLAND EMMERICH, ACQUIRED BY BONA FILM GROUP

·        Bona Film Group will lead the investment on renowned director Roland Emmerich’s next epic feature, MIDWAY, based on the true story of World War II’s Battle of Midway, for The Mark Gordon Company (MGC), it was announced today in Cannes.

·        In addition to investing in the film, Bona will distribute the film in China, and retains its worldwide distribution rights, excluding the U.S. Wes Tooke wrote the script for the project, which Bona’s Yu Dong will produce with Emmerich, MGC’s Mark Gordon and Matt Jackson, along with Harald Kloser.

·        MIDWAY is based on the true story of the Battle of Midway – a turning point in the Pacific theater of World War II. The story follows the real soldiers and aviators who pulled off the unbelievable to turn the tide of the war.

·        MIDWAY continues MGC and Emmerich’s successful working relationship, having together produced previous films including THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and 2012.

·        The deal marks a new level of engagement for Bona’s international business development.

·        Yu Dong, the founder, president and CEO of Bona, has overseen the production of more than 260 films produced and is one of the most senior filmmakers in China. Bona has previously funded such films as Emmerich’s INDEPENDENCCE DAY: RESURGENCE, THE MARTIAN, X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, ALIEN: COVENANT, and WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, among others.

·        A globally distinguished and visionary director, Emmerich’s credits include INDEPENDENCE DAY and INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, 2012, and 10,000 B.C., among many others. He and Kloser are represented by CAA and Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman.

·        Tooke’s credits include serving as a writer and producer on USA Network’s Colony and Amazon’s upcoming series Jean-Claude Van Johnson. He is represented by WME, Rain Management Group and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols & Adler.

·        Josh Clay Phillips will oversee the project on behalf of MGC.

·        CAA brokered the deal and will represent MIDWAY’s U.S. distribution rights.

@Imperious:

Pasted below, please find a fact sheet confirming that the worldwide rights to MIDWAY from The Mark Gordon Company, directed by Roland Emmerich, have been acquired by Bona Film Group. Please let us know if you have any questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ

Well, when this flops it’ll be mostly Chinese money going down, I guess.

@LHoffman:

I do think there were convenient plot devices, like the black goo, which (as expected) serves the same function in Covenant. Other information is never clearly defined, like Charlize Theron’s character Meredith Vickers and her motivations. She has a subtle arc, but is a high profile person of little consequence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmwyWerz5KI

@Flashman:

@LHoffman:

I do think there were convenient plot devices, like the black goo, which (as expected) serves the same function in Covenant. Other information is never clearly defined, like Charlize Theron’s character Meredith Vickers and her motivations. She has a subtle arc, but is a high profile person of little consequence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmwyWerz5KI

Ha, nice.

The Half in the Bag episode was one of the first things I watched after seeing the movie. I agree with their take on Covenant, except I would recommend watching it if you are into the series. It was definitely better than Aliens or Alien 3.

And Mike shares my opinion on Prometheus. Jay to a lesser extent. That it got better and more understandable after watching it a second or third time.

But I cannot say enough good things about Mike, Jay and RLM as a whole. They are a voice of reason in our nutso world.