Finally saw Nightcrawler. It was good, I enjoyed it...but I don't think it will stay with me very long

Whiplash

This is one hell of a ride. This movie is about being a good drummer, and yet felt like an action thriller the whole time. I was on the edge of my seat during most of the music sequences. J.K Simmons kills it as the band leader. Most of the time he's like the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket but there are a few scenes where you get a bit more of what he's about....and then they turn that around so that you don't know what to actually believe about the guy. It's just an incredible performance. Miles Teller was wonderful as well, as the student who just desperately wants this man's approval and will stop at nothing to become the best.

The direction is fast paced, with quick cuts during the music sequences where you see the blood sweat and tears all over the equipment, and feel the intensity of how hard these guys work to make the music sound effortless. If I ever hear one of those 2 main songs in real life (Whiplash or Caravan), I don't think I'll enjoy it as much as feel intense anxiety.

I loved this movie from the first scene to the crescendo of its climax (pun intended), and if you haven't seen it yet, you are missing out.

Interesting, didn't know that. FTR I don't think Lolita is really a bad movie. A bit of a bore maybe, but I'm grading it on a very steep curve.

A related sidenote: I finally caved on a Kubrick bluray box-set (the newly released Masterpiece Collection) earlier this week and it arrived yesterday. I have to say the Stanley Kubrick Remembered documentary that was included was very good and informative and gave great insight into certain areas of his life that I'd never seen/heard about before (the bits of his estate that you see are really magnificent). I'd rate it above A Life in Pictures. The Stanley Kubrick In Focus thing (where other directors discuss his influence) was also good, albeit rather slight. William Friedkin in particular was hilariously lavish in his praise at certain moments. And I almost flipped off my TV when Nolan came on and said the thing that always amazes him about SK's movie is his faith in the audience. Of course.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Borderline offensively stupid. About 30 min too long with some (gender) politics, and the meta angle they try for never really takes off. Fun, but not enough to get away with that stuff.

I liked that movie, but I get why some people don't like it. It's got a really bleak tone, there's no closure, some of the things that make McCarthy great just don't translate well into film. If you walked in expecting a typical action/crime thriller, you'll be disappointed.

You might give The Counselor a watch; it's got a similar style.

Hi Loungers, I'm running an Academy Awards Prediction Sheep and thought participants in this particular thread might be interested in playing. All you need to do is PM me a list with your answers. Reveal will take place during the broadcast tomorrow night. Thanks for playing!

Im unsure about what to watch tonight, is it gonna be Gone Girl or Whiplash? What yous recommend?

Whiplash

No Country for Old Men

Mike Nichols told him precisely that he was walking into a disaster.

Birdman wasn't even nominated for editing and lost the EDDIE. Probably because the way it was shot did most of the editor's job (no net).

Before the Directors Guild Awards, Linklater and Boyhood were slight favorites for BP and BD. It's now been reversed in most books I checked.

Birdman's a heavy favorite for cinematography, imo. Which would make it the fifth time someone has been awarded* BC in back to back years.

Whiplash ftw.. ****ing great movie

I haven't read NCFOM but read a synopsis and it seems like Carson Welles is expanded on a bit. Not sure if it was this thread or the last one, but I asked about a line which always confused me in the movie where Carson and the boss have a conversation about how many stories the building they are in is. It's a very strange and seemingly out of place conversation. Apparently in the book it's expanded on that the elevator does not normally go to the boss's level, and it's impossible to get to that floor without a special code or something. This also explains the scene right before Chigurh kills the boss he takes the stairwell and blows the lock off the door. I guess it's just a bit of an easter egg for book readers.

I've tried to read the book but wtf at the lack of quotation marks.

haha cormack doesn't use much punctuation ever.
but he's prolly the greatest living American author so you should give him another chance.

I don't mean he's a bad writer. Being a good writer hardly means he's right. He gets on my nerves though.

I'm not in a great position to judge who is the greatest living American author, but I think it's more like maybe he's a very good writer and right up your alley. I mean, Thomas Pynchon is a great writer, but quite different. I enjoyed Toni Morrison back when I had to read her in college. Very good writer, but different subject matter/audience.

The Road was a freakin' page turner and definitely left an impression, so there's that. I just don't like the message. You can analyze Star Wars almost the same way, though I don't think it's serious in SW, so it doesn't bug me.

ya I can def understand how he could rub ppl the wrong way and I wasn't saying he was good because he doesn't use punctuation etc just that if that was only thing that turned you off you should give it another go.
he's def right up my alley, only book I like better than ones from him is the count of monte cristo unabridged, which is a perfect book imo.

The great IBeDrummin is holding a prediction sheep for tonight's Academy Awards for those interested.

Whiplash

Only Lovers Left Alive 2013

★★★★½

A fine piece of art, which makes up for a lack of narrative by giving us rich characters and themes. This has several themes, but the most obvious one is how art can sustain the spirit, when all else has gone. Hiddleston and Swinton are mesmeric and superb as the lovers who love down through the centuries, who are supported by both their memories (or nostalgia at least) and by what they do in the here and now.

Most intriguing is the back-story they hint at... for example all the vampires seem to be English, and they talk about past days when bodies floated in the Thames, yet they take pains to avoid even stopping over at London... Why?

Would definitely like to see more of this world. Clearly more Anne Rice than Twilight, thank goodness.

My Oscar guesses:

Picture: Birdman
Director: Linklater
Actor/Actress: Keaton, Moore
Supp Actor/Actress: Simmons, Arquette
Orig/Adapt Screenplay: Boyhood, Imitation Game

Still feel like Birdman/Boyhood split the picture/director oscars, not sure which way tho. Still seems like a close race, and from what I read Grand Budapest has actually got a lot of dark horse potential (ugh).

my post/explanation is shaded by my having read the book.
it goes into alot more detail wrt that whole situation.

I will get the book read.


Got to watch the latest Hunger Games tonight not particularly looking forward to it.