[OFF TOPIC] Movies & TV Series Thread

[thiago_simoes 1,359]

On 02/02/2020 at 13:13, Olympian1010 said:

It’s not really a superhero show though. To be fair, you’re giving an opinion to something you haven’t watched. While there are superhero elements, there is much more to the show. It makes statements on race, police brutality, questions if good guys are good, has awesome music, awesome action, and it’s arguably the best written show of all-time.

That's the point: they add a lot of important themes on a superhero show. I can't stand them. I will never buy into the illusion if there are superheroes. I'm confident it's a good show for those who want to watch it, but unfortunately I don't.

[Olympian1010 7,470]

I’ve now finished my second category of Oscars nominations: Animated Short.

 

Again, this is another category where the level is high, the scripts are diverse, and the nationalities are all over the place. There were 92 films shortlisted for the Oscars, which is ridiculous. Based off the 4 (out of 5, “Memorable” is unavailable currently) shorts I’ve seen, I can tell why. All of 4 of the shorts bring attention to major social issues. 3 of the films were directed by women . Here’s my review, scores, and ranking.

 

Dcera (Daughter)

Spoiler

Such an interesting take on stop motion films. I don’t even want to think about the amount of camera work and time it took to make this. It should low key be nominated for the cinematography award in my opinion. The use of sound in this is unique, but actually quite a common theme at amongst this year’s nominees. Using ambient sound seems to be a trend for sure. The intricacy of the craftsmanship that went into the stop-motion dolls is just pure art. Everything about this film says Eastern Europe. This isn’t the film in this category that explores the difficulties of the father-daughter relationship, but this one is less direct, and I like that more. It really takes you the whole film to truly understand the relationship between the father and daughter. The father has always been there, but just not when the daughter needed/wanted him to be. The symbolism behind the bird is interesting as well. Birds often represent pride, or this case, death before triumph. I like how the filmmakers show us both the daughter’s perspective, and then the father’s. It’s interesting that we can also clearly see the father’s emotions through the daughter’s perspective, and the daughter’s emotions through the father’s perspective. This was by far the best film to capture emotion. That song at the end is both beautiful and haunting like death itself. I love the use of “advance” filming techniques for this film, and it’s something worth note.

 
Sister

Spoiler

At first, I was like “how was this nominated?” However, that ending twist made it all worth it. Here I am expecting a normal “brother annoyed by sister, but then comes to love her before she dies”, but then Song really delivers. It’s all a lie, just like all the Chinese propaganda she grew up on. It’s a direct and gutsy challenge to the One Child Policy, and quite frankly, I love it.

 

I wasn’t a huge fan of her stop-motion figures. They were a bit “messy” and “simple” for me. I do like that she used low-budget techniques to create her figures though. The animation was all done very well. It’s the one film that actually relies more on the dialogue than the action. It made me think of my relationship to my sister, and how similar it was to the fake one. I too, wouldn’t give it up for anything, so the ending hit me hard.
 

I didn’t think this film has the strongest score either. I think this is a great start to a long career, but it shouldn’t win this years award I’m afraid.

Hair Love

Spoiler

This was the first film I watched. I thought nothing could beat it, and then I watched the other nominations. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t hold up against the others. I love the social commentary on black hair, and masculinity, but it just isn’t as complex, or as beautiful as the other films. I know many friends who went through similar hair issues, so the film would be highly relatable to American audiences though. I think people will also like the depiction of what it means to be a “man’. I did like that the mom had lost her hair, so the daughter’s hair was the one thing she had left, and her sidekick was the one to step in and “save” her passion. This was the least “serious” film in tone, so it was quite enjoyable. The score matched the tone which is always nice. I’m not a huge fan of the animation style they went with unfortunately. I prefer a cleaner animation, and these “grainy” films just don’t do it for me. Story wise, it was the hardest hitting, but I think it has a chance nonetheless.

Kitbull

Spoiler

Honestly, I expected to hate this one. I actually found myself rather enjoying it. The cat’s character matches my cats perfectly, so I know it’s 100% authentic. I like that the stereotype of aggressive pitbulls being challenged. I actually felt sorry for the dog, and I’m someone who hates pitbulls. Both the emotional and physical sides of abuse were discussed, and I really enjoyed that perspective on the matter. I though the animation of the physical abuse was spot on as well. The animation itself again wasn’t in a style I liked, but I found myself being able to overlook it this time. The film features a black/white couple at the end which was a nice touch. I liked they way they showed that dogs shouldn’t be feared solely from looks. Overall, this film was highly enjoyable.

Scores: 

Dcera 10/10

Sister 8/10

Hair Love 7/10

Kitbull 9/10

Memorable - x -

 

Personal Ranking: 1. Kitbull 2. Dcera 3. Sister 4. Hair Love 

[vinipereira 3,047]

45 minutes ago, Olympian1010 said:

Personal Ranking: 1. Kitbull 2. Dcera 3. Sister 4. Hair Love 

 

My ranking is very similar, but I thought the best was the one you didn't watch: 1. Memorable; 2. Kitbull; 3. Daughter (Dcera); 4. Hair Love; 5. Sister.

 

I think Hair Love will win although we can all agree it's not really the best short here. Would prefer Kitbull (and given that it's produced by Pixar, it might have a shot).

 

[Olympian1010 7,470]

9 minutes ago, vinipereira said:

 

My ranking is very similar, but I thought the best was the one you didn't watch: 1. Memorable; 2. Kitbull; 3. Daughter (Dcera); 4. Hair Love; 5. Sister.

 

I think Hair Love will win although we can all agree it's not really the best short here. Would prefer Kitbull (and given that it's produced by Pixar, it might have a shot).

 

Hair Love will win just to prove the Oscars aren’t racist, which is a shame since the other nominees are just as diverse in many cases. 
 

Where did you see Memorable, I can’t find it anywhere (I’d love to see it)

[Olympian1010 7,470]

Buttigieg is looking like he might be a shock challenger tonight.

 

We’re seeing the biggest generational divide of all. Sanders has 5% support from 60 years and older. Biden has 5% from 45 years and younger. Buttigieg has about 25% support amongst both.

[Olympian1010 7,470]

4 minutes ago, Olympian1010 said:

Buttigieg is looking like he might be a shock challenger tonight.

 

We’re seeing the biggest generational divide of all. Sanders has 5% support from 60 years and older. Biden has 5% from 45 years and younger. Buttigieg has about 25% support amongst both.

Whoops, wrong thread 

[vinipereira 3,047]

1 hour ago, Olympian1010 said:

Where did you see Memorable, I can’t find it anywhere (I’d love to see it)

 

"Memorable" was available on Vimeo for quite some time but it isn't anymore (probably because it's part of the annual "Nominated Short Films" selection that is showing in selected US theathers right now).

 

Of the 15 short films nominated across the 3 categories, I didn't watch only one: the documentary "St. Louis Superman", which sadly isn't available anywhere.

 

[Olympian1010 7,470]

2 minutes ago, vinipereira said:

 

"Memorable" was available on Vimeo for quite some time but it isn't anymore (probably because it's part of the annual "Nominated Short Films" selection that is showing in selected US theathers right now).

 

Of the 15 short films nominated across the 3 categories, I didn't watch only one: the documentary "St. Louis Superman", which sadly isn't available anywhere.

 

I can’t find that one either.

[Olympian1010 7,470]

I’ve already decided which film I’d award the animated feature film award to. I don’t want it to go to Disney/Pixar/etc. since all there films (save Coco) have the same copy and paste plot. I don’t want to the award to go to a sequel or remake. I don’t respect films that don’t push the envelope. So, I already knew I would award “I Lost My Body” the award. I just finished watching it, and I quite liked it thankfully. It’s a bit short for a feature film, but I didn’t take away from the story too much. I wasn’t really feeling it at first, but it’s a film that grows on you. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t watching it in the native language since Netflix automatically played the English version, so that might have taken away from it a bit. Overall, I though the idea was rather creative, though the ending could have been much better. I don’t like soft endings, and it actually made the hand feel pointless. Story wise, the pacing was good, the plot was interesting, and the film had a nice flow to it. I liked the order they presented things in, and I liked the darkness of the story since most animated films generally deal brighter themes. Overall, “I Lost My Body” scores a 7/10 (which is pretty good for an animated film, since I generally hate them all)

 

My Ranking for Best Animated Feature Film: 1. I Lost My Body 2. Make Something Original Disney

[Olympian1010 7,470]

Fourth category down. I’ve never really been a fan of the Oscars Beast Original Song category, since the songs generally have very little to do with the films themselves. Nothing really changed my opinion this year. Without further ado, here’s my personal scores and ranking.

 

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” - Toy Story 4

Vocals: 9/10

Lyrics: 6/10

Beat (Instruments): 9/10

 

“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” - Rocketman

Vocals: 8/10

Lyrics: 8/10

Beat (Instruments): 8/10

 

“I’m Standing With You” - Breakthrough

Vocals: 9/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Beat (Instruments): 8/10

 

“Into The Unknown” - Frozen 2      Sidenote: This song weirdly reminds me of the 2016 YOG Opening Ceremony

Vocals: 10/10

Lyrics: 9/10

Beat (Instruments): 7/10

 

“Stand Up” - Harriet 

Vocals: 9/10 

Lyrics: 10/10

Beat (Instruments): 8/10

 

Personal Ranking: 1. “Stand Up” 2. “I’m Standing With You” 3. “Into The Unknown” 4. “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” 5. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”