What films did you watch today? V2

[oxley]

Originally Posted by Gutter

Prometheus
http://i49.tinypic.com/f03dpu.jpg

[Heathen]

The American Scream -- 8.5/10; This documentary about house-haunting Halloween celebrants didn't shy away from the psychological aspects of their shared obsession.

Originally Posted by The Revelator

Memento

...or as I, having watched the chronological version and fully realized how its original skewed chronology was a character-relative gimmick used to run the movie, like to call it "To-men-mo."

[Se7en Sins]

Originally Posted by The Revelator

Memento - 10/10

hates gonna hate

Flight - 9/10

[Deadly Fiend]

Originally Posted by The Bear Jew

Battle Royale 10/10
21 Jump Street 8/10

Agreed on the scores, great flicks.

[The Revelator]

Originally Posted by Heathen

...or as I, having watched the chronological version and fully realized how its original skewed chronology was a character-relative gimmick used to run the movie, like to call it "To-men-mo."

I've heard this argument a billion times. Anybody who claims that it is bad because played in order it is a bland film has completely missed the point. All of that that is wonderful, but the film is NOT played out in chronological order and as a result is NOT bland. It is about the very backward nature of the structure itself. A movie isn't necessarily about the story and characters, it is about form and function. Memento is a brilliant piece of architecture. It twists convention and gives the very sense of uncertainty, confusion, and helplessness that the lead character is facing.

Call it a gimmick all you want, Memento is a fucking brilliant movie that takes a relatively simple story and makes it so much more. Even simple stories have a lot to tell an audience.

[Heathen]

Originally Posted by The Revelator

I've heard this argument a billion times. Anybody who claims that it is bad because played in order it is a bland film has completely missed the point. All of that that is wonderful, but the film is NOT played out in chronological order and as a result is NOT bland. It is about the very backward nature of the structure itself. A movie isn't necessarily about the story and characters, it is about form and function. Memento is a brilliant piece of architecture. It twists convention and gives the very sense of uncertainty, confusion, and helplessness that the lead character is facing.

Call it a gimmick all you want, Memento is a fucking brilliant movie that takes a relatively simple story and makes it so much more. Even simple stories have a lot to tell an audience.

I'm waiting for the movie that uses 3D as effectively as Memento used its gimmick. I enjoyed Memento for what it was, a character study whose form matches the protag's plot-driving feature, but let's not crown this a 10 based on that. Now that I think about it, the mimicking of the protag to his case study was rather obvious and a tad clumsy, and I now recall that the movie ended in its chronological middle, so I shall change its title to "To-me-men."

[The Geek]

The Company of Wolves (1984)-8/10

[Machine Gun Zombie]

Originally Posted by The Revelator

I've heard this argument a billion times. Anybody who claims that it is bad because played in order it is a bland film has completely missed the point. All of that that is wonderful, but the film is NOT played out in chronological order and as a result is NOT bland. It is about the very backward nature of the structure itself. A movie isn't necessarily about the story and characters, it is about form and function. Memento is a brilliant piece of architecture. It twists convention and gives the very sense of uncertainty, confusion, and helplessness that the lead character is facing.

Call it a gimmick all you want, Memento is a fucking brilliant movie that takes a relatively simple story and makes it so much more. Even simple stories have a lot to tell an audience.

Now you see, that's implying that anyone who doesn't care for the film doesn't understand that. I do view Memento as gimmicky. However it's not a bad film. It's excellently acted and very well produced, but if it weren't for the reverse chronology it wouldn't have the status and affection it has as it is. The payoff of the narrative is pretty much at the beginning of the film (which is really the ending of the story) leaving no real satisfaction for the end of the film. And even then the final moment of the chronology isn't THAT big of a payoff. It does a great job at telling it's story the way it wants to, and it's very well made, it's just that to me I can't help but think that the story is just bland and unsatisfying without the gimmick of the storytelling method. I mean I even liked Insomnia much better than Memento

Now you take a movie like Pulp Fiction. The out of order chronology is also a gimmick there too, but even if you put that film in complete order, the scenes that made the movie so awesome are still there, and the characters are still a joy to watch. It would lose a part of it's charm sure, but the content that people love would still be there. Memento just doesn't have that to me.

[CountOrlok]

Originally Posted by oxley

I don't. People don't know how I got my misses, nor do I.

Tell you what but, it's her looks that is saving her ratty bitch ass from being booted.

Post pics or stfu.

[The Revelator]

Originally Posted by Machine Gun Zombie

Now you see, that's implying that anyone who doesn't care for the film doesn't understand that. I do view Memento as gimmicky. However it's not a bad film. It's excellently acted and very well produced, but if it weren't for the reverse chronology it wouldn't have the status and affection it has as it is. The payoff of the narrative is pretty much at the beginning of the film (which is really the ending of the story) leaving no real satisfaction for the end of the film. And even then the final moment of the chronology isn't THAT big of a payoff. It does a great job at telling it's story the way it wants to, and it's very well made, it's just that to me I can't help but think that the story is just bland and unsatisfying without the gimmick of the storytelling method. I mean I even liked Insomnia much better than Memento

Now you take a movie like Pulp Fiction. The out of order chronology is also a gimmick there too, but even if you put that film in complete order, the scenes that made the movie so awesome are still there, and the characters are still a joy to watch. It would lose a part of it's charm sure, but the content that people love would still be there. Memento just doesn't have that to me.

I would argue that the final moment is a HUGELY satisfying moment.

Spoiler Below

The entire twist of Leonard's past is revealed. The true nature of his being is finally understood. Up until this point, the viewer has no real sense of Leonard's motivations or true intentions throughout the rest of the film. Before the end, we think that Sammy's story is his motivation. It is only through learning that Leonard is Sammy that we understand how everything makes sense at all. Also, this is how it is shown that Leonard is creating his own purpose in life.

EDIT

I've seen Pulp Fiction's chronological edit and it is fascinating. These two films are on two completely different levels, so I have a hard time comparing the two.