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Originally Posted by Murmer99
I had a feeling this would be the outcome when you showed interest. I myself dislike most superhero films... aside from most related to batman (which is one of my strongest obsessions to this day). It is a bit hard to recommend some to you because I'm not sure what you've seen up to this point. I'd say all three spiderman films are worth a watch... even though I'm not particularly a fan myself. I've enjoyed every batman to some degree with the exception of Batman & Robin (truly one of the worse films ever made). Usually I'm more patient with a movie, but I couldn't finish this one. I could've... but I knew halfway into it that I'd think it's shit either way.
my main quarrel with superhero movies is that majority seem to aim for the same thing. A very mundane and typical illustration about how the main character became the "hero" he's supposed to be... for what? more than half of the movie! filled with misplaced action sequences that strictly attempt to appeal to the masses rather than trying to do something fresh. The art direction in a lot of the batman films cannot be touched by anything when it comes to this genre. Compelling atmosphere, best group of characters, best writing (again... not so much with schumacher). And with Nolan's recent films... despite being overdone (I remember seeing it in theaters and thinking the film would never end and that it'd just be filled with more sub plots), it's actually really impressive to consider how some of the action scenes were pulled off without relying heavily on computer animation. The scene with the joker driving the giant truck and having the entire thing flip over from the back side of it straight forward was actually done in real life... though obviously not entirely the way you see it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vqx...eature=related He's usually challenging himself to go beyond the stuff he's done previously. That's why I like him a lot and his work.
Hopefully he successfully executes with The Dark Knight Rises |
Thanks for the recommendations. It's weird that I've still not seen a single Batman film. It's not that I've been avoiding them, just that I never seem to be around when they're on or ever feel motivated enough to seek them out, but I really do need to see at least a few.
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7/10
despite the rating, I sort of have a strong connection to this film. It has its dull moments, but I love the "dreamlike" quality it has. The opening shot of the dead body floating in the pool is still one of my favorite images. And William Holden.. how many great movies has he been in? everything I've seen him in so far has been good/great. Stalag 17, Network, Dark Past, Sunset Boulevard. This has often been mentioned as one of David Lynch's favorite movies.
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I have a real fascination with that whole Hollywood gothic thing and I'd say Sunset Boulevard and Mullholland Dr as perhaps its two most perfect expressions. The dreamlike quality you mention is spot on, and seems to tie in with a sense held both by Wilder and Lynch of Hollywood as an idea or state of mind, as much as a place. Never having been to Hollywood myself, I can really relate to that whole 'Hollywood state of mind' thing. It's street names, etc, have a real mystery for me that obviously transcend their actual reality. But it's not simply a rose tinted mystique. It's hard to explain. More like a massively bittersweet and perverse affection for a place I only know about through watching movies and reading books about it. I see you're from Death Valley, so I imagine you must have a slightly more grounded take on the whole thing.