Odd thought of new movies.

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CineMaven
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by CineMaven »

What an interesting train of thought, Masha. I have a friend who won't go to the movies to watch a character drama ( "I can watch that on DVD." ) But he will go to the movies to see a big blockbuster. For me, going to the movies is where my attention become laser beam, whether with something like "Silver Linings Playbook" or with "Gravity." Interesting food for thought. I'm hoping a good director just wants to tell an interesting story.
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mrsl
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by mrsl »

.
Cinemaven:

You said: "I'm hoping a good director just wants to tell an interesting story." The important word there is 'director'. I've mentioned before that many movies today do not show people in full form, but only head shots. That could be why so many people are drawn to Downton Abbey, since many of the scenes show the person or persons in a full body shot. If you watch today's movies, you will see nearly all dialog is exchanged in head shots only from one character to another. e.g. when two people are sitting at a table and talking, the initial frame shows them at the table, but afterwards you rarely see the table again, only their faces as they speak. It's not that I'm so crazy about tables, but showing only the faces isolates the frame so much that they may as well dispense with any location shooting, and do it all in a single setting as the old silents were done. Unless there is a heavy dramatic scene, there is little use for a director nowadays, but more for a dialog coach. I haven't seen any 2013 movies, but I see my impressions clearly in 2012 movies.
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RedRiver
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by RedRiver »

I must wonder if the future will have a more distinctive split between those who create grand spectacles for widescreen televisions and directors who create intimate personal dramas for iPhones and their ilk.

Most likely. I can't even keep up with the rapid changes in technology. I go with the oldest thing available. I'm not even convinced the wide screen format is any better than the box type. I recently bought a wide screen. What else is out there? When in Rome...
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Lomm
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by Lomm »

I think that distinctive split has always been in place since the advent of the spectacle action blockbuster. I see what you're getting at, but I don't think the smaller screens of phones and tablets will be a factor any more than they have been in the past.
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by RedRiver »

I wouldn't watch GULLIVER'S TRAVELS. If Gulliver is only two inches tall, the Liliputians will be dots!
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by RedRiver »

lighter and thinner

I definitely won't argue with that. My old set took two people to lift it!
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Lucky Vassall
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by Lucky Vassall »

I'm more concerned about what the trend to Internet TV and movies might do to story-telling.

The new always brings change, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but usually a little of each.

There's a wonderful line in "Inherit the Wind" that sums up the problem beautifully. (From memory):

"All change comes at a price. Sometimes I think there's a man behind a desk who says, 'Mister, you can have the telephone, but you lose the right to privacy, the charm of distance. Madam, you can have the vote, but you lose the right to hide behind a powderpuff. Mister, you can conquer the air, but the birds will lose their wonder, and the clouds will smell of gasoline."
[size=85]AVATAR: Billy DeWolfe as Mrs. Murgatroid, “Blue Skies” (1946)

[b]“My ancestors came over on the Mayflower.”
“You’re lucky. Now they have immigration laws."[/b]
[i]Mae West, The Heat’s On” (1943[/i])

[b]:–)—[/b]
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RedRiver
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by RedRiver »

That's a beautiful sentiment, Lucky. I'm all in favor of technological progress. But the more we gain, the more we lose. Do we really need to text somebody who's in the next room?
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Lucky Vassall
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by Lucky Vassall »

RedRiver wrote:That's a beautiful sentiment, Lucky. I'm all in favor of technological progress. But the more we gain, the more we lose. Do we really need to text somebody who's in the next room?
Thanks for the kind words. "Inherit" is full of great quotes.

As long as we don't text somebody who's in the next car!

:–)—
[size=85]AVATAR: Billy DeWolfe as Mrs. Murgatroid, “Blue Skies” (1946)

[b]“My ancestors came over on the Mayflower.”
“You’re lucky. Now they have immigration laws."[/b]
[i]Mae West, The Heat’s On” (1943[/i])

[b]:–)—[/b]
Pinoc-U-no(se)[/size]
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by Rita Hayworth »

One thing about New Movies is CGI - Computer Generated Imagery in Movies and that alone makes wonder why they are doing this these days. To me, its fake and I just can't imagine anyone in my own age bracket wants to watch a CGI movie. This one Odd thought of new movies that irks me.
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Lucky Vassall
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Re: Odd thought of new movies.

Post by Lucky Vassall »

Rita Hayworth wrote:One thing about New Movies is CGI - Computer Generated Imagery in Movies and that alone makes wonder why they are doing this these days. To me, its fake and I just can't imagine anyone in my own age bracket wants to watch a CGI movie. This one Odd thought of new movies that irks me.
I'm afraid you may have answered your own question. They aren't making movies for adults anymore. In fact, Steven Spielberg may be to blame with his invention of the weekend blockbuster: "Jaws," that is. I can hardly wait until I enter my second childhood and can start going to the latest releases again!

:–)—
[size=85]AVATAR: Billy DeWolfe as Mrs. Murgatroid, “Blue Skies” (1946)

[b]“My ancestors came over on the Mayflower.”
“You’re lucky. Now they have immigration laws."[/b]
[i]Mae West, The Heat’s On” (1943[/i])

[b]:–)—[/b]
Pinoc-U-no(se)[/size]
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