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What Movies Have You Seen Lately?
| August 1st, 2015 at 12:27:22 AM permalink | |
| rxwine Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 189 Posts: 18764 |
Just rented this one. It was maybe a little slow paced, but I liked the story. I'm not sure if the sequel will be as good unless they can come up with some less obvious plot lines than a robots vs. humans which looks to be where they could easily go with a sequel. I would certainly enjoy more less conventional ideas like this movie. If they can't get the original director, it could end up as a cheap action adventure movie with a sci-fi theme. No like. You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really? |
| August 4th, 2015 at 1:25:53 PM permalink | |
| odiousgambit Member since: Oct 28, 2012 Threads: 154 Posts: 5112 | Saw "Moon" recently. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/ Wow, I have to give the movie credit for covering a topic I knew nothing about, HE-3, its fusion potential, and its conceivable mining potential on the moon. I actually watched the entire movie thinking they were talking about tritium, H-3, since I knew they have discovered water on the moon. Ironically, the water discovery was in Sept. 2009 while the movie was released in July 2009. In the movie they are in fact mining a type of Helium, and indeed it is possible enough can be found on the moon to be useful. Google it. As for a plot, interesting wrinkles here vis a vis "2001: A Space Odyssey". There's a nosy computer just like HAL, you see. There's also this fear science fiction writers have about clones and duplicates ... In the imdb page see 'goofs-factual'. Interesting. Not mentioned but striking to me was that when showing things on the Moon's surface, there are signs of lower gravity, but in the main station, it's normal Earth gravity, obvious from the first scene where a normal exercise machine is being used. Clearly this is on purpose and we are to understand that they've figured out how to do that. But if they can do artificial gravity by late in our century, holy cow, what else can they do? I guess it's necessary suspension of disbelief time? maybe too hard to do in 2009 what they were able to do in the movie "Gravity" - show gravity altered for an entire movie. I wonder though if total weightlessness is easier to show than just Moon-level gravity. I think they knew they should include the time delay in conversations with Earth that would have been realistic, but just decided the audience would rather not be bored with such delay. Ironically, there is so little of live communication, it wouldn't have been a problem. Go figure, aren't we used to time delay with TV news? AND I URGE YOU NOT TO READ FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO WATCH IT. Probably knowing HAL 9000 would be evoked, the plot teases us a bit into thinking 'here we go again' with a computer given a lot of control that turns evil. But this one, GERTY, has been programmed to be two things: to be a total help and aid to the sole human running the place, and to be cooperative to that guy too. It actually can be talked into doing things, as the "help and aid" function seems to be an overall imperative. But it also slavishly sticks to the best interests of the private company that runs the mines; this includes lying to cover up the truth about things. SPOILER GOES PRETTY FAR NOW. It turns out that this company has decided that it is going to handle the problem of replacing the sole human needed by using what used to be called duplicates in some old science fiction. In the movie, they used the term clone a lot, I will use both terms. But if these were true clones they would have had to start producing them in a remarkably effective, long, secret, and expensive program. Anyway, by a mistake, a clone rescues the original guy who's injured in an accident outside. It's hinted at one point the injured man is a clone too, otherwise the movie pretty much has him be the original 'Sam' before clones. Interestingly, you realize it may not matter to the reality of it whether or not he too is a clone. The movie does a good job getting you to think about these things, it's good science fiction with this theme of what is reality to a duplicate anyway? Memories are implanted in these clones, and they too think of themselves as the original Sam with complete memory of family, etc. The interplay with the two Sams is really good. Two duplicates at the same time, nope, not supposed to happen. The movie is worth seeing just for this, and goes into it way past the simple idea that the duplicate would want to kill the original. Would it? It is not explained anywhere why two actors for Sam are in the credits, I have to guess that some scenes used two actors playing Sam where one face was not seen. Otherwise IMO clearly it is one actor, using special effects. There are numerous duplicates stored away in a secret section ready to fill in for a current one who might die. In fact, Moon duty is surefire deterioration in health, something that would be likely in reality. And Sam-1 has been tricked, apparently, into thinking 15 years is 3 years; part of the time he is put into a type of hyperbaric chamber they call IIRC a pyrogenic chamber. We are led to believe this allows for a lot of mischief by the mining company . Live communication has been shut down, there's a lie about why, but Sam finds out it's 15 years by sneaking a live call in to his home, finding out his wife is dead and his daughter is 15 instead of about 3. In any case, he figures out this is the plan. While telling him he will be going home in 3 years, the current guy works until he is used up and dies, then they fire up a duplicate. No point in me going into the ending, if you don't want to see the movie check out the summaries at imdb. Too diabolical to really buy, but overall worth seeing IMO I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me] |
| August 6th, 2015 at 4:51:19 AM permalink | |
| terapined Member since: Aug 6, 2014 Threads: 73 Posts: 11804 | I saw Moon Its very well done I also recommend Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World" |
| August 25th, 2015 at 4:34:32 PM permalink | |
| Ayecarumba Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 89 Posts: 1744 | I recently saw Guy Ritchie's, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." starring Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill. I wasn't a big fan of the mid-60's TV show with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, so I don't know how well the current production captures the best or worst parts of the original. As a stand alone film, it is apparent that the crew worked very hard to make sure the the sets, props and costumes captured the "mod" times. It looks fabulous. However, the beautiful mohair exterior hangs on the "Twiggy" thin bones of a story that ties a series of elaborate chase sequences together with a few snippets of witty dialogue. There is a real sense of 60's atmosphere, just as there was a "steampunk" Victorian England vibe in Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes", but it doesn't save the film from appearing to be an excuse for the director to take a studio paid $75 million dollar vacation in the Italian Riviera. I give it four computer discs out of ten. 2015  image from thehollywoodnews.com 1965  image from dailygrindhouse.com Who doesn't want that cool gun? Unfortunately, it was the best part of the movie. |
| August 25th, 2015 at 5:33:16 PM permalink | |
| terapined Member since: Aug 6, 2014 Threads: 73 Posts: 11804 |
I was never a fan of the Man from Uncle. The 4 spys from that era I prefer Serious with humor- James Bond and John Steed Funny - Maxwell Smart and Derek Flint Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World" |
| August 25th, 2015 at 6:36:31 PM permalink | |
| Ayecarumba Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 89 Posts: 1744 |
Get Smart is the best spy show ever on television (movies... not so much. Remember, "The Naked Bomb"?). My favorite character was Bernie Kopell's "Sigfried"  |
| August 25th, 2015 at 6:54:32 PM permalink | |
| rxwine Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 189 Posts: 18764 |
As an adult I enjoy "Get Smart", but as a kid, I was much more fascinated by the intrigues and strangeness of Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner". I don't know that it holds up now. You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really? |
| August 25th, 2015 at 7:02:05 PM permalink | |
| terapined Member since: Aug 6, 2014 Threads: 73 Posts: 11804 |
The Prisoner was a masterpiece. (except for the weird ending) I was a huge fan. Superb writing. Who is number 1? Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World" |
| August 25th, 2015 at 7:19:41 PM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
Remember "Get Smart, Again!"?
Conrad Siegfried: Shtarker, this is KAOS. We don't 'Yippie-yo-ka-yah' here. Shtarker: Forgive me, I know we don't 'Yippie-yo-ka-yah' here. Conrad Siegfried: Occasionally a strained 'Yahoo' is alright. Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
| August 25th, 2015 at 7:23:06 PM permalink | |
| rxwine Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 189 Posts: 18764 |
You are Number 6. I am not a number, I am a free man! You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really? |