Giant Epic tale of a Texas cattleman and his family.

I'm gonna get blasted for this but, oh well.

First of all, I just couldn't buy Rock Hudson as a Texas cattle baron. It just didn't work for me. And, I've never really understood the appeal of James Dean. The rest of the cast was fine and the story was OK but it just didn't live up to the accolades for me.

I lived in Texas pretty much all my life and the stereotypes here seemed really over the top.

The movie tried to tackle racism but that plotline seemed sort of clunky and forced.

I didn't hate it. In fact, I'm glad I watched it. I just didn't think it was the epic that it is recognized as being.

Giant was adapted from a book by the same name written by pop novelist Edna Ferber. When the book was published, Texans had the same wtf reaction. Ferber lived in NYC most of her life. I don't know whether she ever visited Texas.

Giant seems kinda silly to me, although I always enjoy looking at Elizabeth Taylor.

I'm reading Farther and Wilder: The Lost Weekends and Literary Dreams of Charles Jackson, Blake Bailey's biography of The Lost Weekend author. Very interesting life, closeted gay drunk, friends with a lot of famous people. He championed F Scott Fitzgerald back before it was cool.

edit: lol I meant that for the book thread! Lost Weekend is a great movie though, Billy Wilder ftw. Best Picture winner even, although parts of it didn't age that well to be fair.

Man, when I was a kid I LOVED this movie. Has posters of it on my wall and everything.

Saw it a few years ago, and it did not age well at all. So I understand where you're coming from.

I've never actually sat thru the entire James Dean movie...

I have recently rediscovered The Chase with Jane fonda, Robert Redford and Marlon brandon... I love that movie for a Southern hot and sticky sweaty story

I just started reading this book. It is really good. Lumet can explain things in a way that I can understand.

I've always thought of filmmaking as a visual process, but there has to be a correlation between being good at filmmaking and being good at explaining things.

There definitely is. The best directors that I have worked with are ones who can explain simply and clearly to the actors crew what they want. And they do know what they want. That's another, often ignored skill set - knowing what you want.

watched zodiac for like the 10th time and loved it just as much as the first time.

it really might be perfect, i can't think of a single thing i don't like or think should've been changed/removed.

I thought Rebel Without a Cause was mandatory school viewing (it was for me at least) . sort of like how The Great Gatsby is mandatory school reading at some point.

Never read or heard of The Great Gatsby before the movie was released and I studied literature in Uni...

What We Do In The Shadows Here's another movie I probably would never have heard of if not for this forum. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

****ing hilarious from beginning to end.

Some great lines throughout.



lol

For us it was Herbie and Ghost and Mr. Chicken...

The only good James Dean movie is East of Eden.

Jason Bourne, I fell asleep towards the end but don't feel like finishing it. IDK if I just wasn't in the right state of mind but while watching it I kept thinking this is pretty much the same movie as the others. He doesn't know who he is, he's trying to find info, Govt is out to get him.

Not worth finishing. First three are GOAT. Last one is terrible.

Yeah, I haven't thought of that movie since I saw it this summer...

it is NOT just like the others.
it was like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the crystal skull: a total ****ing abortion and embarrassment to a legendary franchise.

absolute ****ing trash.

as most people know I adore the Bourne films and I even love the 4th one.

haven't been so disappointed in a film ever. I had my reservations as it was the first one not written by the gilroys, but I put my faith in greengrass and he took a giant dump on my heart.

Breaks my heart to read The Arrival, which is a Charlie Sheen movie from 1996. Arrival is the masterpiece from one of the finest working filmmakers, Denis Villeneuve. Bow to your sensei.

Shameless plug here. Every episode on my podcast we have a Movie Club where my buddy picks a movie I haven't seen, we watch it and discuss it during each podcast. Here's our selection below. All first time viewings for me. link to podcast if you're curious.

What did you think of Cold in July, Cro? Man, I loved that film.

Arrival was good but I think it is getting too much acclaim. Off the top of my head I'd say I enjoyed Sausage Party and Hell or High Water more.

Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of my favourite active directors though.

Recent watches:

Captain America: Civil War: meh.
Blood Father: reminded me of the good side of Mel. I liked this despite its predictability.
Cast Away: the original The Martian. Still good.
Imperium: liked this one.
Star Trek: Beyond: worst of the new Star Treks by a country mile IMO.

I love THE Arrival...

So this. Just saw Arrival and its hands down the best film of the year. It does everything the god awful Interstellar tried to do. Unlike Interstellar, Arrival is smart, poignant, beautiful and fillled with humanity.

Do not miss this in theatres.

P.S. I can't pass up another opportunity to point out Interstellar has a top three all time terrible ending.

Didn't realize Arrival was adapted from Ted Chiang's classic short story "The Story of Your Life". Seeing the trailer I thought of that story, which I read maybe 14 or 15 years ago. Not sure if I'm going to reread the story before seeing it, I don't remember much of the plot. Hope more Chiang stories get made into movies, he's great.

One of the better films I've seen in the last few years. Breaks my heart that it flew under the radar. It's a must-see. Great performances all-around, with a narrative that builds steam throughout the runtime. When they think you can't take anymore, they add another element that kicks your ass. It's freaking badass. There's a shot of Sam Shepard early in the film with a storm behind him, god damn that **** is my jam.