Oh I'm sorry, Did I Break Your Conversation........Well Allow Me A Movie Thread by S&T

I agree about the Pines end credits macbk.

I like Leo, love the choices he makes. Never does a crap action/adventure flick for the sake of making a $$$. Always puts out a solid effort but he doesn't deserve an Oscar for WOW... No way...

Funny story about Clooney, ever the practical joker. Ish is hilarious, especially since Damon didn't find out about it until waaay after thev fact...
 
Just caught this piece on Al Jazzera about The Bechdel Test so I looked it up







http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/



The piece I saw also showed a graph that movies that failed the test more times than not grossed a hell of a lot more money than movies that did pass the test. Here's the site with the movie list

Of course I then looked up the black version of this:
http://racialbechdel.tumblr.com/thetest
http://racialbechdel.tumblr.com/
http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/10/after-bechdel-test-i-propose-shukla-test-race-film

There's also the Russo test for LBGT
 
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I had a professor who talked about that and it almost blew my mind when he explained it.

Once you start to think about it, it's shocking how many movies fail the test... and not even big budget blockbusters or comedies aimed towards men.. but tons of movies fail.
 
Seems like Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes and The Help are the only movies that do pass the test.
 
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It's such a weird thing about what passes and all the ones that fail. I really don't think it'd hurt a movie and it might even help some movies that failed this test if they used the names females to talk or argue about something that has nothing to do with the male protagonist.

Now I'm not saying directors/screen writers should make movies with this test in mind but it is so odd and weird to me how little qualify.
 
The Bechdel test! That was the name of thing. I knew what it was before but I forgot the name. I came across a few more before but those names are lost as well. My Professor last semester told me of another ‘test’

Before I explain the test I think I have to provide some background information. Laura Mulvey is a film theorist who wrote an essay in ‘73 called Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Pretty much explaining that early cinema and much of today’s cinema is from the “male” gaze. The protagonists are typically male, women aren’t and that they are to be looked at. For instance the famous shot from the movie Weird Science when the kids are looking at Kelly in the shower and they tilt up the camera



Women aren’t the leads and when the male is they are only to be looked at and part of the background. Another example is when guys talk about the heist or game plan why are they in a gentleman’s club? With strippers and ladies walking in the background. Extreme example is in a Clockwork Orange with the milk bar have women as furniture, literally objects. Mulvey got mad, made another essay called “You don’t know what is happening do you Mr. Jones? Allen Jones (person she is referring too) is the original sculptor of the “women as furniture” art pieces and Kubrick wanted the real ones but money and time couldn’t let him so he made his own versions for Clockwork.



So with all that being said, Mulvey says women are in the movies to make sure men keep their roles (as manly men) and don’t lose their D, literally. Men among men for such a long time would get homo erotic real fast, which some people say why not? Not to be gay in particular but at least focus on homo-social bonds. But to get in the spotlight for women the camera has to flip, looking at the guys body and what not. Showing that women have sexual desire as well, but since Hollywood is male driven they are always brought down. The women are either punished or thought to be a monster for sexual desire. Tarantino actually commented on this in a movie he cameod in. Kelly McGillis is seen a monster (of Top Gun)



So the question or challenge is 
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can you think of an important female character that has sexual agency and is not 1) punished for it or 2) considered a monster. Almost everyone in my class had to think of many famous movies where she didn’t have to be the main lead but consequences had arose from the desire. I found it difficult.

My professor said so far there have been only 2 pure cases of this. Elaine from Seinfeld and one other woman but I forgot.

I had to go back to my school notes lol for this so it’s all butchered and take with many grains of salts lol. My professor explained this better and I tried to leave out many extraneous details.
 
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Lawrence in Winters Bone?

Foster in Silence/Lambs???


Nope, nevermind, no 2nd woman with a name.
 
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Any of you guys ever watch The Lovely Bones? Is that worth viewing? Just had an idea for a story and I realized it was the same concept as Bones (except with a parent dying and watching over the child), but I never saw the movie or read the book, so just curious if it's worthwhile.

You're talking about the movie with Mark Wahlberg? I liked it, it's worth seeing.
 
honestly I haven't checked out Girls enough to know if Lena's character matches it, sorry.

and CP I don't know if you were responding to me as well but I don't know either
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place beyond the pines was ok. not a movie i would watch again. if im sitting a home on a friday night i wont be like 'oh, im putting on place beyond the pines'.
 
So I saw wolf of wall street and was a bit underwhelmed. The movie felt like greatness once the FBI was going after him though. Leo destroyed the role. He basically carried the movie. I've honestly just never got a classic vibe from any Scorsese movie that wasn't violent. I still like it a lot just probably had too high expectations. Jonah hill was great as a weirdo. I think I just wanted a bit more substance. The second half was much better I liked it alot. Leo did very well playing a real piece of **** but giving him some good qualities as well.

Her... I loved this movie. So many feels and thoughts were had. makes you question consciousness, identity, relationships. I loved how the future didn't have flying cars and ridiculous clothing.
 
Stick a fork in 2013 and I, we're done. A surprisingly solid year. My top 20 with rambling..

First, the pool of films I saw this year:
12 Years a Slave
2 Guns
A Good Day to Die Hard
All Is Lost
American Hustle
Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d'Adèle)
Blue Jasmine
Captain Phillips
Don Jon
Drinking Buddies
Elysium
Ender's Game
Enough Said
Fruitvale Station
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Gangster Squad
Gravity
Hangover Part III
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Iron Man III
Kick-*** 2
Lee Daniels' The Butler
Man of Steel
Mud
Nebraska
Now You See Me
Oblivion
Pacific Rim
Pain & Gain
Parkland
Prisoners
R.I.P.D.
Rush
Saving Mr. Banks
Spring Breakers
Star Trek Into Darkness
The Bling Ring
The Dallas Buyers Club
The Great Gatsby
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Iceman
The Kings of Summer
The Past (Le passé)
The Spectacular Now
The To Do List
The Way, Way Back
The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolverine
This is the End
Thor: The Dark World
Warm Bodies
We're the Millers
World War Z

Top 20
20. Fruitvale Station - MBJ is one of my favorite rising stars and he really shines in this flick. Looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

19. Nebraska - A tad of a deviation from his usually more somber films, Alexander Payne's story about a father and son was very good. I couldn't help but think of my own experiences with my dad while watching it.

18. The Kings of Summer - A relatively simple concept, but well executed. Every kid has dreamt of moving out of their home and living with their friends, and this was a really clever look at that idea.

17. Captain Phillips - Though Tom Hanks' character was the central focus, it was really Barkhad Abdi's Muse who was the true captive. Great example of a well written balance between the protagonist and antagonist.

16. American Hustle - I'm not a huge fan of David O'Russell, but this ensemble piece is really fun. Solid performances all the way around and just downright funny.

15. Mud - So much to love about this movie. Great performances by Matthew McConnaughey and Tye Sherridan. Tight story with really engaging characters.

14. Gravity - Though the story is light (pun intended), the overall excellence in the production of this film cannot be ignored. And any movie that can make Mark Kermode (of the BBC) recommend a 3D viewing has to be doing something right.

13. Blue Jasmine - Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins are enough of a reason to watch this film.

12. The Great Gatsby - I'm not a Baz Luhrmann fan by any stretch of the imagination, but this film was surprisingly good. A very enjoyable adaptation of the Fitzgerald novel.

11. The Past (Le passe) - If you liked the Iranian film, A Separation, you'll enjoy this one. I expected more from Bérénice Bejo, but the two male leads really held their own.

10. Prisoners - There were definitely better films this year, but it's rare that I really enjoy a great mystery. Very good performances all the way around. Great cinematography and kept me at the edge of my seat.

9. The Spectacular Now - Heartbreaking and thoughtful, Miles Teller deserves a lot of kudos. Though predictable, the script was very well done.

8. The Way, Way Back - There's really no justification for this being so high, other than the fact that Sam Rockwell is one of my favorite actors and he really shined in this one. A great balance of drama and comedy. My favorite of the "coming-of-age" films this year.

7. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - I don't care if this was based on a "young adult" novel, this is one of the better sci-fi films to be released this year. Dare I say, The Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy.

6. The Wolf of Wall Street - If anyone had forgotten how great of an actor Leo is and how superior Scorsese is as a director, this is a friendly reminder.

5. Rush - So disappointed Ron Howard wasn't recognized more for this movie. My favorite films of all time always include a great adversarial relationship and there's none better than Lauda and Hunt. Daniel Brühl was great and Hemsworth was solid.

4. 12 Years a Slave - With much respect to Chiwetel and Lupita, the true star is director, Steve McQueen. So gut wrenching and beautifully shot.

3. The Dallas Buyers Club - The McConnaisance continues and this time with an Oscar worthy performance by Jared Leto. A really fascinating story about the early stages of pharmaceuticals and H.I.V.

2. Her - Any other year and this would have been tops. I couldn't help but marvel at the creativity of the script. One of the reasons I absolutely adore the science fiction genre. I can't give enough praise to Scarlett Johansson's work as Samantha.

1. Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d'Adèle) - One of the best films I've seen in years. Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos were absolutely fearless. Direction by Abdellatif was so organic and just incredible. So much love, joy, pain and heartbreak in one film. Only one more month before it's released by Criterion.
 
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