#<- guy that actually enjoys scorsese

[james-silenthill]

Ohhh I've god to figure out my very own batman verse

[lesbiancolumbo]

at the end of the day, i hate scorsese because of the principle of the thing - that we would never, ever, in a million years ever, treat a woman of his stature the same way. we just don’t! she would never have the longitude of his career (“she’s so old! why doesn’t she let newbies have a chance already!”), if she formed a niche of storytelling she would get lambasted for it (“she only tells the same story every time! do something different!”), if she only told stories about women she’d be accused of being a mean feminist who hates men and if she made films mostly about men she’d be accused of “not being a girl’s girl” (whatever that means lol), y’all would have crucified her for making killers of the flower moon and i know it and i know you know it too. do i actually hate martin scorsese? no. i think he’s fine. he made one movie that i enjoy (and then conspicuously never made another movie again! 90s one hit wonder martin scorsese! whatever happened to that guy!). but i hate him because he’s a symbol of the insane sexist double standards that continue in the industry and prevent women from thriving the way we allowed him to thrive. that’s all. nothing more. also, and crucially, i DO NOT LIKE HIS FILMS!!!!!!

[thenookienostradamus]

As someone who likes Roger Eggers' work very much, can I ask what is the reason for your disapproval? I am genuinely curious

Haha it's mostly because of 'The Lighthouse,' but there is something inexplicable about his work that just rubs me the wrong way. I actually enjoyed 'The Witch,' so I dragged my wife to see 'The Lighthouse.' Omg I was so embarrassed the whole time. It was a tedious exercise in first-year-film-student tropes. And while I realize it's meant to portray the madness of men without the tempering (sanity-preserving?) influence of society and women, the whole tone struck me as uncomfortably misogynistic (there's a mermaid with a mer-vag! the lighthouse is my poor lonely penis!). I admit I didn't see 'The Northman,' but Eggers loves legends. The way he puts them across, though, isn't a way that brings them near or humanizes them. He doesn't have a filmmaking scalpel, he has a filmmaking cudgel.

Admittedly, I'm also insanely picky about Dracula adaptations (and vampire films in general) because it's my favorite book. I don't like the 'classic' 1932 Tod Browning Dracula with Bela Lugosi, even though I like Browning's other work. 'Freaks' is amazing. The 1922 'Nosferatu' is still, in my opinion, the best Dracula adaptation. It's already been 'remade' once in 1979; luckily by Werner Herzog, who is completely insane, yes, but also a stunning filmmaker who understood the assignment. I don't trust Eggers' heavy hand with the themes underlying the Dracula mythos. He may get the plague/fear of foreigners/generally taboo sexuality bits, but I have little hope of seeing a subtle treatment of the inherent loneliness of monstrosity that was generously underlain in the text by poor Bram Stoker's terror of self as a queer guy who had the misfortune of being both Catholic and Victorian.

Are there extraordinarily unsubtle treatments of vampirism? Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm a fan of the 1992 'Bram Stoker's Dracula,' even though it runs roughshod over subtlety. It knows what it is, though, and leans into the campy factor. As does the 1974 'Blood for Dracula,' etc etc. In my mind, Eggers takes himself far too seriously as a "major filmmaker" to lend either nuance or high camp to the mythos. It's just going to be spectacle that people will nonetheless fall all over because he's a big name. Film critics go nuts for him in the same way that they go nuts for Martin Scorsese, who hasn't cranked out a good film since 1993.

Sorry, that was stupidly long-winded, but I feel pretty strongly about the whole thing. Needless to say!

[elhnrt]

Actually to your point about feudal era japanese movies 👀 I started watching Rurouni Kenshin. It's not feudal but I love that period of transition. I did try to actually was Shogun but I was too busy to quite sink my teeth into it so it went back on the watchlist. Have you seen it and would you recommend it? The other films I know that are famous in the states are Kurosawa movies but I always feel a bit apprehensive since there's too many braindead filmbro takes on those... I want to watch them but I'm scared lol. A lot of my references actually come from Chinese period dramas because that is what is most easily accessible and familiar to me but I know it's not the same.

-no comment on rurouni kenshin. haven't read or watched it but i do know about the author's felonies. -i watched 4eps of shogun and it was fine. really liked the scene where the girl choked out the guy fucking her. could have used better lighting, but would recommend. -i'm going to put on MY filmbro hat (because sorry. i am a filmbro (sigma). comes with the territory) and say it's a bit of a reductive take to call the widespread enjoying of renowned director akira kurosawa's, inspiration to ingmar bergman and werner herzog and andrei tarkovsky, works as 'braindead filmbro takes' because 1. i guarantee you they are only talking about seven samurai, which isn't even his best film imo and 2. there is a reason why he is so highly regarded not only in the west but worldwide. it's the same kind of thing about people who call scorsese and kubrick enjoyers 'filmbros'. they are prolific because these directors are objectively good. the issue arises when people can't disseminate between what makes these movies good versus just flexing their film 'knowledge'. important to note. taxi driver is my favorite english language film. but not because travis bickle is my idol about rising up against the quote unquote scum of society. -but i am having a laugh to myself imagining average film guy going "EPIC SAMURAI MOVIE" and not being able to talk about the other two and a half hours of the runtime let alone any other kurosawa work -therefore: why be scared of these wieners -cn period dramas are great fun, not something i can comment on in particular since it's mostly a passing fancy to me, and most of my cn period stuff is just kung fu movies but these all, like you said, are not the same at all as the tokugawa shogunate or sengoku period. probably different fighting styles too. now i'm in a wiki rabbit hole about this. dog bless

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Joe and Cherry with an s/o who is a monster at playing casino games?

Joe

Thinks it’s pretty cool.

Joe is a big fan of classic, American Scorsese films. Like Casino or Goodfellas. So the glitz of casinos and gambling as always been of interest to him, even if he doesn’t gamble himself.

They go to a casino on vacation, so Joe can ‘live his dream’, and that’s where he finds out about their skills at poker and card tables. They also have a knock for roulette.

Winning the money is cool, but Joe really just likes the excitement of winning.

He himself is actually very bad at casino games. He has the luck of a broken horseshoe when it comes to it, but he likes living vicariously through s/o.

They have a pretty big stack of chips to enjoy the rest of their vacation in style.

Cherry

Cherry is into some shady stuff. His opener is literally him getting a briefcase full of money from guys in suits. So of course he’s been to an underground gambling casino before.

He would be more interested in traditional Japanese gambling saloons, however. Not the tacky flash of American casinos.

Games like high stacks mahjong or kitsune bakuchi are more of interest to him as they actually take skill verses dump luck.

He doesn’t play often. Unless he knows he can win. And he can’t bring Carla in because that’s obviously cheating.

He’s not surprised that s/o is good at these games. One of the things he loves most about them is their calculating nature. Assessing the risks and making the best outcome possible.

The money is also nice as they can make a substantial little nest egg in one night. Not that he needs the money, since his business is doing well, but you can never have enough right?

[powderblueblood]

I just finished Logan Lucky and it was definitely my kind of movie! can you recommend any other movies you think are good? I'll watch any genre pretty much and I totally trust your taste in media

Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I mean you came to the right place, this is my favourite topic of all time forever

Sticking to the fun crime vibe, here are some favourites of mine off the top of my head if you like the art of the con!!

The Oceans Eleven Cinematic Universe naturally, the greatest trick Steven Soderbergh ever pulled, and he didn’t even direct Oceans 8

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which is the only reason I am any good at dialogue (honourable mention to The Nice Guys as well)

Paper Moon

Raising Arizona

After Hours (+ Goodfellas for a Scorsese double bill for hot people)

The Long Goodbye (Elliott Gould version)

Seven Psychopaths

Buffaloed

SPECIFICALLY Now You See Me 2 for the Lizzy Caplan of it all

The Pick Up Artist (1987) is actually by no stretch a good movie but like. It just came to mind and there’s just something about pre Hollywood teeth Robert Downey Jr

[georgiapeach30513]

Very controversial opinion because I know how some people feel about the Russo brothers:

Their films outside their big four marvel films : TWS, civil war, infinity war, and endgame - some are questionable. I watched cherry and I was like….are these even the same guys who did those other movies???

But. One thing I really believe, and you mentioned here before:

The Russo brothers can pull an amazing performance out of Chris E. He is their muse and they are his. it’s clear to ME that he is very probably their favorite. Even during TGM you could 1000% tell the Russos lived for Lloyd. They knew it was a six franchise so Lloyd was one and done but if they could they would have had Chris as six. And we know this.

They were able to pull something out of him rarely other directors besides bong joon ho, rian Johnson, and Danny Boyle were able to. I’m actually going to add David Yates to this because I’m still convinced Pete Brenner in PH was one of his most poignant performances of recent memory. He was underused but David got something out of him. I disagree with critics.

Anyways - back to Russos. They got Steve and Lloyd out of him. I know people poo poo the action comic book stuff because it’s not awards worthy or Martin Scorsese and Leo but seriously?

Are yall CE fans or Leo fans?

I really think people ought to start looking at the actor they Stan/fan and stop wanting to put him in a book with another actor.

Nobody knows if and or what he will do next. But I do think it’s a good sign that the Russos were able to repeatedly direct Chris into a version of himself that’s not only memorable, but iconic.

That’s why I’m totally ok if for some reason in the future, he does end up working with the Russos again.

Super super bold statement: you can call me delusional all you want but if there were a pair of directors that could actually pull an Oscar worthy performance out of CE, it would be Joe and Anthony Russo. I’m serious.

TBC, Im not saying the Russos are ever going to make any awards worthy content nor that they’ll work with Chris again or that Chris wants to do that or anything. I’m just saying, their connection is unique and mutually beneficial/special.

We do not know if Chris’ dinner with the Russos will result in a project. We don’t know what was discussed, or why they met. They are friends. But let’s assume it was work related. The next project they’re casting for isn’t even action. Let’s not forget the work the Russos did on Community. They can do some great work. I just feel in recent years they became all flash and no substance. So that Amazon project isn’t pure action. it is about cryptocurrency.

I was talking to someone this morning on discord about the whole damn comparison thing, it’s tired and old. Sebastian and Chris get compared all the time because Steve and Bucky. Sebastian clearly wants to be a critical darling. He takes risks and makes award baiting movies. That is what HE wants with HIS career. Chris wants to make more popcorn flicks. Do not come at me. There is nothing wrong with that. It is HIS career, and that is what HE wants. It’s like comparing Brad Pitt to Tom Cruise. Does Tom still have a great career? Does he make popcorn flicks? Has he pretty much stuck to popcorn flicks with some random critically praised movies? Yes. Now look at Brad’s career, early on Brad was making award baiting movies. Legends of the Fall, Seven Years In Tibet, A River Runs Through it. And he has continued to do that. But does that make either actor better or worse than the other? No, it doesn’t. Do they still have careers to this day? Yes, they do. So can we squash comparing actors to actors? Instead compare Chris work to his other work?

I get a bit annoyed that Chris continues to work with the same people all the time, but doesn’t Leo work with Scorsese all the time? I just hope whatever his next project is something he is passionate about. I hope he enjoys the time he has on set, and the people he’s working with. And I’ve got my fingers crossed for something, and I hope that the rumbles and mumbling as I’m hearing about February are true. So let’s see.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: November 5, 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023)

There's so much in here that's absolutely amazing; just infuriating, brilliantly acted, beautifully shot material that hits so incredibly hard. Sadly, it all lives within a sluggish, insanely overlong, tediously repetitive package. Yes, I understand some of this - especially the repetitive nature of the late second act - is done on purpose to highlight just how terrible what these people were doing was. The thing is, it would've been perfectly successful in getting this point across should these moments be cut in half. Lily Gladstone is a pensive, emotionally piercing revelation. Leo is a one-trick pony, but his commitment to the bit is damn impressive. And De Niro delivers a calculated, nuanced performance seething with a self-righteous, evil sense of entitlement. The rest of the cast consists of either highly effective or unfortunately wasted minor characters. There's somehow no room for anything merely 'good' in the bunch. I really think Thelma Schoonmaker should've put her foot down in the editing room. She very clearly caved to Marty's stubborn vision, and it muddied up the flow of her editing, which is normally one of the main things that really makes a Scorsese film kick. The screenplay is just too faithful, and too dedicated to honoring every single one of the moving parts in this story. Eric Roth really needed to put his foot down and trim out some of Marty's fat (but knowing Roth as a writer, he was very likely just as much the problem). Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography, Jack Fisk's production design and Robbie Robertson's music were perfection. No notes. Cut an hour and this would be a stone-cold masterpiece. - 7.5/10

Talk to Me (Danny & Michael Philippou, 2023)

Damn. This was fantastic. Now I'm pissed I missed it in cinemas. A super creepy and perfectly executed premise fueled by surprisingly good performances and genuinely terrifying moments, throughout. Love that it never heavily relies on jump-scares. Love how brutal these spirits get. Love the hopelessness of the third act. - 8.5/10

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Steven Caple Jr., 2023)

This is a movie that exists. Three years from now, I might not remember that it exists, but it does. It exists. The action and dialogue are annoyingly childish, but hey, these are movies based on toys, so whatever. Anthony Ramos should not be starring in movies. He's a painfully lifeless actor it hurts to look at him (which is why I waited for video for this one, I even opted for DVD for the resolution was lower). That's mean, I know, but I don't care, I'm still scarred by having to see him play a creepy ass child in Hamilton. - 3/10

A Haunting in Venice (Kenneth Branagh, 2023)

Definitely my favorite of Branagh's Poirot films. This one actually nails the mood and atmosphere of the story. Branagh smartly takes advantage of the set design with effectively utilized wide shots throughout, and the cast never becomes distracting in their stardom. 7/10

Golda (Guy Nattiv, 2023)

Helen Mirren is really good. So is the makeup. The rest? Not so much. This definitely feels the victim of a director with no clear vision for how they should tell this story. But hey, Helen Mirren is really good. - 4/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[zalrb]

So I saw this tweet:

https://x.com/logankenny1/status/1716391512307576945?s=46&t=jR-79KdUQuYpe1B06LLy9g

And it refers to this tweet:

https://x.com/vesperlynds/status/1716278778911989818?s=46&t=jR-79KdUQuYpe1B06LLy9g

And i guess I just wanted to know what your thoughts are? Personally idk if this is true because I’ve never noticed something like this while watching any movie. But thinking back to the Wolf of Wallstreet specifically, I don’t think it’s true for that movie just because I specifically think he elevated Jonah Hills performance. But I’ve also never seen him outside of a Scorsese movie so that could just be Scorsese knowing how to direct him.

It's funny because I hadn't seen these tweets but I had an inkling of what they were going to be about before I read them and I have to say that I have never gotten the impression that he elevates other people's performances the only exception being -- and it's funny because it's the only time I've ever thought he had chemistry with a scene partner -- Kate Winslet. I can see the collaboration there and while Winslet got all the praise for Revolutionary Road, I thought his performance overtook hers despite the fact that I also thought they were collaborative.

But I also don't think he's ungenerous either. It's more like I've gotten the impression that other people have to meet him with the same energy or bigger energy, more gravitas, and not kind of shrink in the Leo-ness of his acting and then they can do something together. So for instance for Wolf of Wall Street, they knew Margot was right for the part when in the audition, she's not cowed by Leo, she gets in his face, and I think she slapped him which wasn't scripted and she thought she blew it but they were like no this is what we need. For Jonah, I don't think he elevated his performance but I remember the first time I watched it and not knowing how to feel about the movie was because I thought they were both acting in different movies, I thought Leo was acting like he was in a drama and Jonah was acting like he was in a comedy. When I watched it again I realized that it worked that way and that Jordan is actually a pretty funny character ("I'm a master diver, do you hear me? A MASTER DIVER) but Leo's humour, to me, got cowed by Jonah's natural ability to be funny and it felt a bit like competing forces but Wolf of Wall Street is actually a perfectly calculated chaotic mess of energies that work.

For The Departed, he's with heavy hitters, he's with Jack Nicholson, he's with Martin Sheen and then Mark Wahlberg has his own big energy so we're not sucked into the Leo-ness of his acting. I wonder if that would've been true if he had more screen time with Matt Damon who I've said is kind of just a guy.

The Aviator, I mean he goes toe to toe with Cate Blanchett, but it's Cate Blanchett, she has gravitas, she has poise, he has to meet her energy.

I'm also very aware that so far I'm only naming Scorsese movies, lmao.

But when you have something like Gatsby, I mean granted it's Gatsby, but do you even remember who else is in the movie or is it just Leo and a Lana Del Rey song?

And that also requires thinking about the roles he chooses because it's more than just being the lead. You have something like Inception, JGL, Elliot Page, Cillian, they all hold their own but they're all characters who are sort taking point from Leo's so their energies are going to be a bit different, Tom Hardy -- I really feel like this is the only Tom Hardy role I actually enjoy -- matches his energy but he's pretty much the only one.

Catch Me If You Can, his character is supposed to be larger than life, he's a teenager giving the FBI a run for their money so he has to exude a certain energy but when I think of Catch Me if You Can, I almost forget Tom Hanks is also in it because Leo and his performance take up so much space and I don't even necessarily mean that his performance is so good it blows everyone else out of the water, it's like what that first tweet said, there's no space or air around him, he takes that all up and I don't think Tom's energy matched that even if he's supposed to be a more understated character.

I don't know if any of that makes sense, lmao.

[runesinthenight]

For everyone who is enjoying the Goncharov(1973) discourse on this hellsite, might I recommend a book.

Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves.

It has a very similar vibe to a lot of these posts. And it's very enjoyable. It's about a guy names Johnny putting together a book which was written by a guy named Zampanò which is a commentary on a documentary called The Navidson Record. The documentary is about the house Navidson and his family moved into which starts to break the laws of space and physics, resulting in a seemingly endless hallway off of their living room.

The Navidson Record does not exist.

There are a bunch of references in the book, about half of which don't exist.

Shit gets weird fast. It's a wild ride but a fun read. It is about 700 pages long but some of those pages have literally 1 word on them as the actual text gets funky starting somewhere around the second third of the book. I've never read another book quite like this one.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. If you're enjoying the unreality of Martin Scorsese's 1973 film Goncharov, give it a read.

[agentnico]

Most Anticipated Movies 2023

Though the COVID pandemic can still be referenced within the film realm as the recent Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery does, the movie industry itself has now seemingly fully recovered from those lockdown days and we now get to enjoy the full might of Hollywood and indies yet again. As such 2023 is proving to be a stacked yet for movies. There’s a lot of them! So many! Many of which will most likely be crap, but here I am listing the ones I am most excited for. Again, come end of 2023 and prepped for disappointment for a lot of these, but as of right now I am full of hopes and dreams! So, in no particular order...

HONOURABLE CURIOUS MENTIONS: Oppenheimer, Next Goal Wins, The Old Way, Wonka, Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning: Part One, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

John Wick: Chapter 4 - It simply doesn’t get better than seeing Hollywood sweetheart the beautiful Keanu Reeves plays an unkillable hitman who is able to kill a man with a single pencil or a book or any item at his disposal, let alone give him a gun. Those headshots then come at the speed of a Call of Duty pro-player! So obviously I want to see what’s next for Mr Wick.

Killers of the Flower Moon - Let the Brendan Fraser renaissance continue! It’s been absolutely adorably awesome seeing him back and looking so happy and pleased to be appreciated for how amazing he is! I mean, yes Killers of the Flower Moon also happens to be a new crime drama from one of cinema’s greats Martin Scorsese featuring a cast including Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert de Niro, but honestly I’m just happy seeing Fraser getting solid work again. Go get them tiger! 

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre - Technically this was originally slated as an early 2022 release, however due to distribution issues it has been moved a year later. Regardless, Guy Ritchie always makes slick gangster flicks, with his recent The Gentlemen being especially cool and badass, so I’m willing to see Ritchie continue making these types of films as many times as he wants, as long as his dialogue stays sharp and Hugh Grant keeps saying “Darling” during every appearance.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie - Setting aside the controversial lack of effort that Chris Pratt is putting into that Mario voice, this animated effort from Universal and Illumination is actually looking surprisingly enjoyable. The animation looks great and there are some great nostalgic call backs to the games, and even the voice cast (aside from Pratt) are all sounding great. That Bowser voice from Jack Black - woah!! Can’t wait to hear more of that! 

Napoleon - Ridley Scott is doing a movie about Napoleon, and Napoleon himself is played by Joaquin Phoenix. Great director, superb actor, an integrally interesting historical figure at the narrative centre... what’s not to be excited for!

Knock at the Cabin - M. Night Shyamalamalamalamadingdong is back with another plot twist. Look, M Night is very hit-and-miss, and when he’s great he’s great, but when he’s bad he’s bad in a fun way. His last film Old was filled with plot-holes, inconsistencies and ridiculous narrative choices, yet I had a ball watching it and pointing out all the obvious foreshadowing. And then Shyamalan is also responsible for The Happening, which, well, happened. Anyway, new Shyamalan film - gimme gimme gimme!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Before James Gunn fully takes over the running of DC films (though he already took Henry Cavill as Superman away from us the monster!!!) he still has one Guardians film from Marvel left for us. And though I was not a fan of Vol. 2, the recent Holiday Special has reinstated my hope in this ragtag space-travelling group of outcasts, and Gunn himself has been on a roll with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, so they’ve got this. Also Rocket has an otter girlfriend in this one so I’m ready to witness some animal loving. 

Barbie - Okay, so it’s okay for a guy to look forward to a Barbie movie?? What’s so wrong with that?? It’s not weird! I don’t have a thing for dolls if that’s what you’re thinking. Nope, in fact I am more hoping that similar to how The Lego Movie managed to take a famous toy and create a superbly meta entertaining movie classic, Barbie shows promise to also go against conventional genre tropes and do something different weird. At least judging from that 2001: A Space Odyssey piss-take of the teaser, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have created something real unique. Also Ryan Gosling as Ken.....either the greatest casting choice or the worst decision ever. We’ll see...

Renfield - Nicolas Cage is a worldwide treasure, and one thought that him playing himself in a movie was the craziest thing yet. Nah, now he’s playing Dracula. Yep, THE Nicolas Cage is playing THE Count Dracula! And this time he really is a vampire!

Cocaine Bear - It’s a bear that’s high off it’s tits on cocaine and is going on a murderous rampage whilst trying to get more cocaine. I don’t need this to be a good movie. I don’t need it to win any awards. I just want there to be bears, I want there to be cocaine, and ideally those two to be connected for the entire time. What’s more is this is based on the real life story of a 175lb black bear who ingested a duffel bag of abandoned cocaine in northern Georgia in 1985. I mean yes that bear died fairly quickly, but in the movie they’ve evidently taken some creative choices (and definitely the correct ones!!) and instead this bear is simply killing everyone left and right and being high as a kite. And from that recent trailer from the very first appearance you can tell that this bear is on cocaine. That is all I want. 

[mayachroniquecinema]

2

HIzma HamidFollow19 JUNHello! I'm studying Film and Creative Writing and would love to get into writing screenplays professionally some day.I mostly write silly stories, articles and short film screenplays, but I have some ideas bubbling away for some cool feature length films too. I'm a big fan of David Fincher, Spike Lee and Guillermo Del Toro."WHATS IN THE BOX?!?!!?" -Se7en (Fincher, 1996) 100% one of my favourite scenes of all time, the perfect tragic ending.  Like Reply Bookmark Report

LCLaura CarterFollow18 JUNI’m curious to find out if I’m cut out to be a screenwriter. That’s my interest in this course. Like Reply Bookmark Report

KRKigudde RogersFollow18 JUNHello i am Rogers a writer and director i have done both in my first project so i need more work toajor in directing Like Reply Bookmark Report

ASAndy Rey Singh MatosFollow17 JUNHi I am a writer and an artist I am here for curiosity and love for learning. Most memorable line dialog in a film: My reign has just begun - Emilia Clarke Daenerys Targaryen in Game of thrones - that scene repeats itself in my head over and over again and i don't even know why Thank you(edited) Like Reply Bookmark Report

PSPriyanshu SharmaFollow17 JUNHey Everyone,I'm an engineering student and self proclaimed film enthusiast. Screenplay seems to be a very crucial part of any movie or film and thus I am extremely curious about it's nuances.My Favorite segment from a film is from the movie called Moneyball, the last scene when Brad Pitts Character is driving on a highway listening to a CD of his daughter singing a song and calling him a loser in jest. Like Reply Bookmark Report

Maria BakerFollow16 JUNHey all!I'm a journalist and wannabe filmmaker. I'm pretty much new to screenwriting but have been writing novels and stories so hope that helps, ha!I really love the works of Jordan Peele, Wes Anderson and Edgar Wright.One of the most memorable lines is from The Dark Knight (and no I didn't try to copy Jordan haha, I just love Batman!): "Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Like Reply Bookmark Report

JRJordan RoweFollow15 JUNHi there, i am new to screenwriting I hope in the future to write a script for a high profile film/tv show that people will enjoy for years to come! My favourite film of all time is The Shawshank redemption and my favourite director is Martin Scorsese. The most memorable line in the film of the top of my head right now is from The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan, when Joker says "do you want to know how i got these scars?"  Like1 Like 1 Reply Bookmark Report

ETEkaterina TzvetkovaFollow13 JUNHi there! I'm a recent graduate of the Contemporary Media Practice course, I don't have much experience in Screenwriting, but I'm willing to learn. My favourite directors and screenwriters are Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino. The most memorable line of a movie on the top of my head right now is "I'm simply not there" (American Psycho, 2000).  Like Reply Bookmark Report

Jay TelfordFollow13 JUNHi, I am entirely new to screenwriting, but I have always had a fascination with it.My favourite genre tends to be sci-fi and fantasy, however, I do not limit myself to box office movies. I have enjoyed many direct to TV movies, and TV series.If you were to ask me what my all-time favourite movie was, then it would have to be Planet of The Apes (1968), and it is from that same movie that my favourite line of dialogue comes: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!" This line is significant because by using the derogatory terms "filthy paws" and "stinking ape," Taylor (played by Charlton Heston) challenges the apes' belief in their own superiority and highlights the injustice of their treatment of humans. However, when the line is taken within the context of the wider themes of the movie, it becomes evident that Taylor is not actually challenging the apes themselves, but rather the prejudices and assumptions of the audience, and their treatment of their fellow man. It is a line that I come back to repeatedly in one form or another, while creating profiles for my game characters.That line, and Heston's portrayal of Taylor has been a lifelong inspiration. Like Reply Bookmark Report

André BarreiraFollow13 JUNHey I'm André, I'm from Portugal and want to learn how to write a screenplay. My favorite movie is Pulp Fiction and my favorite directors is Quentin Tarantino. I hope I can learn to write a good screenplay^^ Like Reply Bookmark Report

Angela HolmesFollow09 JUNHey everyone, I'm Angie. I'm an actor and writer looking to gain more skills in creating screen scripts. I'm also a self-published author, so I'm not totally new to characters and story, but it's always good to learn and keep practicing! One of my favourite movies is the classic Casablanca, which I think has some of the best lines of dialogue ever, and I don't just mean the most quoted ones! Like Reply Bookmark Report

BCBrendan CairnsFollow07 JUNI'm Brendan, I love film for these reasons, creating worlds that people feel uncomfortable in. Ones that may leave you with a question or many. Attempting to understand parts of film or what a creator has intended are the conversations I enjoy having, and I tend to see these conversations open up other parts of humans minds, expanding them, changing them even.My goal is to allow for these spaces, to have people think about the multi layered ideas within scripts and uncover them together like finding treasure.I am inspired by people like Jordan Peele, Keegan Michael Key, Christopher Nolan and Boots Riley. Things in there movies dont make sense until you think further on the idea, One of my favorite endings to a movie is from Inception. "will they wont they", "was its real or".... "When is it the dream and when is it reality?"I continue to beg this question. Like Reply Bookmark Report

HSHASSAN SEPHAVANDFollow06 JUNI hope that in this course we can learn with each other's help and take responsibility for each other in learning and teaching. Thank you for your cooperation. Like Reply Bookmark Report

HSHASSAN SEPHAVANDFollow06 JUNThat is a good idea Like1 Like 1 Reply Bookmark Report

Danielle TavaresFollow06 JUNHello everyone! I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And I'm doing this course because I write short stories and books, so I believe it1ll help me better develop them. Like2 Likes 2 Reply Bookmark Report

MOMorenike OkeniyiFollow06 JUNHey, I am Mo from Nigeria. I am a Literature Teacher who wishes to improve my knowledge so I can be in tune with the latest trend in film making. Like Reply Bookmark Report

ELElvire LarFollow05 JUNHi, I'm not a writer nor a storyteller, but I'm looking forward to learning the basics of writing on dialogues, stories, feelings… Like Reply Bookmark Report

ANAbinav NarayananFollow02 JUNHello everyone, I'm Abinav, an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin Madison majoring in communication arts (Film, Tv and Radio Track). Films have always had a profound impact on me right from my childhood till now. Damien Chizelle is one of my favorite screenwriters right now. His work teleports the viewer to a different world altogether. Some of my favorite dialogues are from Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.  Like Reply Bookmark Report

AvAnurag vFollow03 JUNHey Abinav, Damien Chizelle and Christopher Nolan are two of my favorite directors. I am passionate about film direction and I wanted to learn screenwriting as it'd strengthen my storytelling. Let's connect if you are open to collaborating on writing screenplays. Instagram - anurag_vallamsetty Like Reply Bookmark ReportMLYour reply. 0/1200

NyNiranjana yogeshFollow03 JUNHey, I am Niranjana! I work as a social media executive at an advertising agency. Screenwriting is a hobby that I am hoping to develop in the next few years along with my full-time job. I have a few script ideas but am unable to fully develop them into a proper script. Hoping to better my skills through this course :)My favorite quote would be, 'It's difficult to accept the difference between who you are in your head and who you are in the world', from The Kid Detective (2020).

[thefandomjournalist]

How To Diagnose Marvel Movie Brain Rot

In an opinion piece by Martin Scorsese at The New York Times on Marvel movies, he said “In the end, I don’t think they’re cinema”. In our modern world, superhero films are more popular than ever. And no company is better known for their superhero films than Marvel Comics. Almost everyone you know has seen a Marvel film. When Infinity War came out, the world rejoiced. Batman who? Superman who? Ironman is the new Man of Steel. But have you caught the bug? Have you started to hold these films as a baseline for what a good superhero, nay, good movie should look like? If so, you may be beginning to have your mind clouded by the Avengers Infection.

So here are 5 ways for me to help you find out if you have been infected with Marvel Movie Brain Rot.

You believe Black Widow was a well written character

Despite what the films and fan made material made you think, Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow, was not a well written female character. The first Avengers film doesn’t even pass the Bechdel test. For the uninitiated, that is whether a film has two female characters who have a single conversation not about men. So, not a good look there Avengers films.

You think the Avengers were all friends

It’s not your fault, it’s a misunderstanding of source material. It’s fine to like superheroes and not care about their source material, but you must do so with the understanding that your perception of the characters are not accurate.

You didn’t like Batman v Superman because no one told jokes

There is not liking certain kinds of movies, and there’s thinking one franchise should define the genre. Scorsese says “What’s not there is revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger. Nothing is at risk”. Marvel movies, at this point, have a formula. Some guy, usually a white guy, gets bestowed with power and a mission. They tell jokes. End. The rest of cinema, even in superhero films, can be very different.

Black Panther and Shang-Chi are the only major nonwhite films you know

Black Panther and Shang-Chi are good movies. They are enjoyable, respectful, and arguably make more of an attempt at art than the rest of Marvel’s catalog. But there are worlds of Black, Asian, Latin, Russian, and any other country you can think of with rich film history. If you’ve only seen these two films from this culture, then your filmography worldview is very small.

You think Endgame was the height of cinema

Scorsese says, “All the same, they(marvel movies) lack something essential to cinema: the unifying vision of an individual artist.” Endgame was a monolith film built from a decade of stories, CGI techniques, famous actors, and too many cooks. It is impossible to identify an artist's single unique vision in Endgame, and that's not good.

It’s not bad to love things. Whether Marvel, DC, Harry Potter, or any other problematic fav, you deserve to enjoy bad media. What isn’t okay is letting your favorite things cloud your judgement of actual quality. I’m all for living bad shit, but you gotta remember that bad movies are still bad. And I’m begging use some reading comprehension.

[clapperboardtalk]

TAXI DRIVER (1976)

Taxi Driver (1976): Where De Niro Goes Psycho in a Filthy Paradise

Strap in, cinephiles, for a dive into the grimy underbelly of 1970s New York with Martin Scorsese's neo-noir masterpiece, Taxi Driver (1976). Buckle up, this ain't your grandma's road trip.

Plot twist: This ain't your typical noir detective. Meet Travis Bickle (De Niro, channeling his inner psycho like a boss), a Vietnam vet and insomniac extraordinaire who navigates the city's moral abyss as a cabbie. Think neon lights, seedy characters, and enough urban grime to make a sanitation worker cry. As Travis spirals deeper into sleep deprivation and existential angst, the line between vigilante justice and, well, just plain crazy starts to blur faster than a disco dancer doing the hustle.

Genre bender alert! While Taxi Driver checks the neo-noir boxes (think shadows, femme fatales, and morally ambiguous choices), it throws in a healthy dose of psychological thriller, making you question Travis' sanity along with his cab fare sanity. Don't expect a clear-cut good guy vs. bad guy fight. Here, the darkness lurks within, and it ain't afraid to party.

De Niro's performance? Forget five stars, give him the whole Milky Way. The man embodies Travis' descent into madness with chilling brilliance. You see the sleep deprivation etch itself onto his face, hear the paranoia drip from his words, and witness the simmering rage finally boil over. It's a masterclass in acting, leaving you both terrified and oddly sympathetic.

The cinematography? More like grime-atography. Scorsese paints a portrait of New York City as a living, breathing organism, pulsating with neon fever and moral decay. The gritty close-ups, the claustrophobic car interiors, and the dizzying nighttime streetscapes all serve to amplify Travis' psychological turmoil. It's like watching a fever dream come to life, and honestly, it's kind of beautiful in its own twisted way.

Sound and music? Buckle up for an aural assault (in the best way possible). Bernard Herrmann's iconic score is a symphony of saxophones and brooding strings, perfectly capturing the film's unsettling atmosphere. The dialogue crackles with tension, and the sound effects - from screeching brakes to muffled gunshots - plunge you deeper into Travis' chaotic world.

Themes? Think alienation, violence, and the thin line between sanity and madness. Taxi Driver doesn't shy away from exploring the dark side of humanity, questioning the impact of societal decay and the potential for redemption. It's a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, making you ponder your own place in this crazy, mixed-up world.

My verdict? Four out of five stars. This film is a cult classic for a reason. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for a cinematic experience that punches you in the gut and lingers in your mind, Taxi Driver is your ride.

Bonus trivia: Did you know Robert De Niro actually drove a cab for a month to prepare for the role? Talk about method acting! Also, the film had a budget of $1.9 million and raked in a cool $28.6 million at the box office. Now that's what I call a profitable descent into madness.

So, hop in Travis' cab, but be warned, the destination might be darker than you expect. Enjoy (or don't)?

[greensparty]

Movie Reviews - Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie / Master Gardener

A few weeks ago I attended the 2023 Independent Film Festival Boston and as is always the case, I sometimes don’t get to see some films they are screening because there’s too many other films or events at the same time. Kind of a good problem to have. But among those films I didn’t get to catch are two that I got to review this week. Lucky me!

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

One of the biggest stars of the 1980s was hands-down Michael J. Fox. The Canadian-raised actor came to Hollywood and completely ran with the role of Alex P. Keaton on TV’s Family Ties (NBC 1982-1989). In the Reagan 80s, young Republicans loved him and thought he was there guy, but then liberals loved Fox because it seemed like he was making fun of the GOP. In the end, everyone loved him! But through his knack for comic timing, it lead to leading man roles in movies like Teen Wolf, The Secret of My Success, and most notably as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy (one of my favorite trilogies ever)! He tried to show his range as a dramatic actor in Light of Day, Bright Lights Big City and Casualties of War, which I actually liked and was impressed by, but it seems audiences wanted Fox to do comedy. After trying movies that were hit or miss, he returned to TV with Spin City (ABC 1996-2001). It was around 1998 that Fox announced he had been living with Parkinson’s Disease since 1990. Since then he has slowed down his acting, but has shined with appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Rescue Me. Now at age 61, Fox is getting the documentary treatment from Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) with Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.

movie poster

Fox tells his own story about his career and life. As with any good biopic of a Hollywood star, it intercuts various clips of his work. But it also intercuts with fly-on-the-wall moments of Fox working with his physical therapist, spending time with his family and introspective interviews. There are also some “re-enactments” interspersed. I say “re-enactments” because they are different than most re-enactments you would see on A&E or such, these are more over-the-should or from afar stand-ins for Fox heading to a set, doing a stunt or getting ready for a big event. 

Guggenheim has addressed serious topics in a lot of his docs, but even with Waiting for Superman about the education system, he interspersed clips of TV shows. He actually is very pop culture-savvy if you look at some of his films like It Might Get Loud or the U2 doc From the Sky Down, he truly loves entertainment. Here he is making a pop-culture soaked doc that is also delving deep into a man facing the realities of a debilitating disease. The fact that Fox is easily one of the most well-liked entertainers of all-time (seriously, find me anyone who has had a bad word to say about him?) makes you care for the subject that much more. But there’s also a nostalgic element as I’m thinking back to all of the great roles I remember enjoying him in as a kid and now he’s coming to grips with his health and future. It is surprising to see a director like Guggenheim delve into “re-enactments” and normally I don’t care for them, but here I actually thought it worked.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is available on Apple TV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/still-a-michael-j-fox-movie/umc.cmc.njewt06q05vqbgp6w42pqb0l/

4 out of 5 stars

Master Gardener

Paul Schrader wrote one of the greatest movies ever made with 1976′s Taxi Driver. The combination of Schrader’s writing, Martin Scorsese’s directing and a powerhouse performance from Robert De Niro made that one of my 15 Favorites of All Time. Schrader’s entire filmography of both writing and directing is about tortured and haunted men, i.e. Raging Bull, The Mosquito Coast, Affliction, and Auto Focus just to name a few. But it was his late career comeback First Reformed that truly blew everyone away, resulting in his very first Oscar nomination for screenwriting (which is astounding to me). He followed that up with The Card Counter (my #5 Movie of 2021). Now he’s back for what’s being called the third in his tortured men in a room trilogy (seems there’s been a lot more than just three, but who’s counting), with Master Gardener opening this week after numerous film festivals.

movie poster

Joel Edgerton stars as Narvel, a horticulturalist of an estate owned by wealthy dowager Norma Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver). Narvel oversees the gardening and his staff. Norma asks that he take on an apprentice, her troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell). Things change once she begins working on the property. I’m going to try and avoid spoilers as much as I can, but Narvel has a dark past that comes to light with Maya.

This movie is going to be (hell, it already is) polarizing. Some might embrace the layered and nuanced performances, others are going to have issues with the class warfare and interpretations therein. Here is my take: in the very beginning of the film as Narvel is sitting in a room writing in his journal / narrating, and it almost felt like Schrader self-parody to see this motif again. But when the movie loses its way, stay with it - Edgarton truly is mesmerizing. There is a lot more exposition and blatant dialogue, more so than I’ve recalled in Schrader’s previous films. The three main actors are fantastic and that needs to be said. But the biggest problem I have with this movie is that it had the misfortune of following First Reformed and The Card Counter. In contrast with those two, this felt so much lesser. Schrader is a master storyteller of tortured souls, but this felt like been-there-done-that. There are definitely some inspired moments...but you have to, well, wait for this garden to grow to get there. 

For info on Master Gardener: http://www.magpictures.com/mastergardener/

2.5 out of 5 stars

[aceofwands]

I posted 9,706 times in 2022

That's 5,221 more posts than 2021!

12 posts created (0%)

9,694 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mandaloriandy

@snoozingcat

@sunriseseance

@tinsnip

I tagged 1,766 of my posts in 2022

#stranger things - 358 posts

#the orville - 205 posts

#steddie - 196 posts

#cackles - 157 posts

#spoilers - 127 posts

#ds9 - 112 posts

#goncharov - 101 posts

#unreality - 88 posts

#wheeze - 47 posts

#leverage - 46 posts

Longest Tag: 134 characters

#also the authors notes where the characters would 'talk' to the author and complain about what they were being made to do in the story

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I unironically love that in the span of a few weeks we've gone from a cringe revival designed to ward off Twitter refugees, to genuine welcoming posts teaching them the ins and outs of reblogging/tagging/the etiquette, to creating a batshit faux film complete with poster and a goddamn musical theme for a meme (Goncharov) that's spreading across our dashes like a fucking virus. If that doesn't just sum this place up 😂

14 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

#4

I started this after I 'finished' Don't Give Up On Me (the McShep vid that I shared last week) and didn't get super far with it back then, but was inspired to go back to it and have basically spent the whole week working on it. No one's more surprised than me that it's done :'D

Anyway, I've described this as Rodney according to Rodney - so everyone who enjoys his manic little bastard energy is gonna have a blast with this :'D

Feel free to give it a kudos on AO3 here.

22 notes - Posted January 11, 2022

#3

The Orville season 3 is now on Disney+

If any of you have thought, hmmm, what on earth is that wacky Seth McFarlane sci-fi show everyone's been raving about for the past 10 weeks? (the first two seasons were already on there)

First of all, it's not Family Guy in space, I promise. It's like contemporary 90s era Star Trek with a sprinkle of workplace dramedy (though it was originally billed as a comedy by Fox). The cast of characters are all delightful and lovable. The SFX for both makeup and the CG is fucking spectacular. But most importantly, the writing is clever and the stories are well told - the characters and their dialogue are relatable and believable, and the stories deal with so many contemporary issues - everything from religious fanaticism to social media, slavery to suicide, populist leaders to trans rights.

This is a world in which humans still enjoy getting hammered and know pop culture - but also one which is completely committed to the idea of a world without capitalism, where Earth came together with other alien worlds to form a planetary Union for shared advancement and protection and cultural exchange. (And unlike Trek which is often handwavey about it, they actually go into this lore properly!)

It's optimistic, goofy, funny, but also not afraid to pull any punches and made us all cry at least once an episode in season 3.

Season 3 was the best season yet, but each of those episodes was built onto the foundation established in the first two seasons. So please, give it a chance - go in knowing you're getting goofy Star Trek that starts a bit too comedic and needs a bit of time to find its space legs. But I promise, if you stick with it, you're in for a hell of a ride and some absolutely incredible sci-fi.

In conclusion: do you love found family? Do you love optimistic space explorers? Do you love wacky adventures?

Watch The Orville!

24 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

#2

seen some folks suggesting Goncharov is the latest escalation to ward the Twitter refugees away, but I gotta respectfully disagree

Goncharov is the equivalent of you and your cousins putting on a 'play' for all your parents when you were 8

we're just trying to show off for our new audience

could your old social media site do this??? I don't think so! [pulls a fully formed fake 1973 Scorsese film out of someone's knock off boots like a magician wielding a bouquet of fake flowers]

26 notes - Posted November 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Finally finished the McShep vid I started back in June during my SGA rewatch. Can't believe it's taken this long for me to make a vid about my two favourite idiots in love <3

Feel free to give it a kudos on AO3 here.

93 notes - Posted January 6, 2022

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