192 replies to this topic

[Steve Sensible]

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

What a complete dud of a movie. Crazy and yet no fun whatsoever, lavish and self-indulgent, yet cheap-looking.

The good: the Ghost Rider FX are for the most part much better than the first movie. The inky black smoke works particularly well - you can almost smell it. On the other hand the Blackout effect doesn't work at all. It's like a bad 1970's video effect.

The bad: pretty much everything else. Particularly Nic Cage's performance. People have really got to stop indulging this idiot and make him earn his pay-cheque once in a while. Some of the action scenes are just bizarre, and not in a good way. GR gets hit by a guided mortar round at one point, and when the explosion clears he's just left spinning in mid-air. It's head-scratchingly stupid.

[garjones]

Interesting. HBO shows always have boobs, but penis is a bit rarer.

The Wire had Omar's cock on display a few times.

Actually I do feel that some of the HBO / Showtime output is reminiscent of 70s British TV, you know when the cop would get interrupted at night so his girlfriend could wander across screen starkers and head to the bathroom. They have recently been allowed to add the nudity so feel they have to shove some into every episode if possible.

[Nicholas Taggart]

The Wire had Omar's cock on display a few times.

James Purefoy had a full frontal scene in Rome. Which reminds me of this, which seems relevant

Movie star JAMES PUREFOY has upset directors of gritty TV drama ROME by refusing to bare all for scenes in the second series of the show. The dashing VANITY FAIR star, who plays MARK ANTONY in the drama, stripped off for a bathing scene in the first series but insists he'll only disrobe if it's absolutely necessary - and not just to win ratings. He says, "There were directors who were disappointed that I didn't get buck-naked... I would just go, 'Why? Tell me the reason. What does it add to the character now that we haven't already got?' "One of them said, 'Oh, I just want to show he's relaxed.' "(I said) 'We know he's relaxed! How much more relaxed could I possibly be? No, you just want to see my c**k in rehearsal. I'll show it to you now, shall I..? We don't have to show it in front of millions of people.'" But Purefoy admits he had no problems with his full-frontal nude scene in the first season of Rome - because he felt disrobing was relevant. He tells Out magazine, "It was really right for the character somebody who's naked talking to somebody who's clothed, is normally the weaker of the two... not in that situation, it was very clear who had the status - the naked man. And that says a lot about the man."

http://www.contactmu...rectors_1018351


I feel mildly embarrassed to be watching Game of Thrones during most of the nude scenes. The rest of the show is usually so good but those scenes make me feel like I am watching something written by 13 year old boys.

[garjones]

I feel mildly embarrassed to be watching Game of Thrones during most of the nude scenes. The rest of the show is usually so good but those scenes make me feel like I am watching something written by 13 year old boys.

Yes I mean I'm not prudish and they can be in the altogether all the time if need be but that repeated disrobing scene by the female characters especially often screams gratuitous. I suspect like in the UK a decade or two after they were allowed it first they'll grow out of it.

It's really noticable in late 90s and early 2000s UK shows where they loosened up on the f-word it was used everywhere all the time. In early QI episodes you can see it and it's been phased out now to no detriment to the programme.

[Scott Wilkinson]

It's really noticable in late 90s and early 2000s UK shows where they loosened up on the f-word it was used everywhere all the time. In early QI episodes you can see it and it's been phased out now to no detriment to the programme.

Well it did start off at 10pm on BBC4 . . . that kind of language wasn't going to be tolerated on BBC1 at 2030 . . . which wasn't really its natural home . . .

[al-x]

Hello:

Speaking of full frontal, when OZ was on HBO, there was a scene
with a guy full frontal and this porn star saw the episode and fell in
love with him. Her agent got in touch with his agent, they met and
in time they got married. True Story.

Anyway... This Avengers movie was great and it got me wondering
about Iron Man 2. I haven't seen it yet so I am asking is it any good
on DVD?


Al...

[Paul F]

Saw Moonrise Kingdom, which I loved. Possibly my movie of the year so far. Up there with The Royal Tenenbaums as far as Anderson goes for me. (Of course, if you hate Anderson's other movies, this won't change your mind.)

It's a very intricately constructed movie, where you can see every shot has been completely thought out; you could probably write an essay on almost any shot in terms of colour palette, framing and movement. Beautiful looking movie.

Definitely one I want to see again.

[Nicholas Taggart]

I really want to see that movie.

Speaking of full frontal, when OZ was on HBO, there was a scene
with a guy full frontal and this porn star saw the episode and fell in
love with him. Her agent got in touch with his agent, they met and
in time they got married. True Story.

What a romantic story.

[Ian Smith]

I'm watching True Romance. Such a great movie, definitely Tarantino's best.

[Ogul]

I feel mildly embarrassed to be watching Game of Thrones during most of the nude scenes. The rest of the show is usually so good but those scenes make me feel like I am watching something written by 13 year old boys.

Did you see the SNL sketch making that exact point?

Anyways, nudity on HBO and Showtime is nothing new, it's not really something they're likely to "grow out of" any time soon. They're just trying to justify their existence as a paid cable channel, especially in this day when basic cable has shows that use all the vulgar language they want, and even some occasional light nudity. They have to push the boundaries of what FX and AMC can get away with.

[steveuk]

I'm watching True Romance. Such a great movie, definitely Tarantino's best.

His best movie is one someone else directed? I'm not sure he'd appreciate that...

I like it a lot, but 'Reservoir Dogs' is still my favourite, and there are great things in all the others too.

[Nicholas Taggart]

I'm watching True Romance. Such a great movie, definitely Tarantino's best.

I agree. Great movie.

Did you see the SNL sketch making that exact point?

Nope, never saw it

Anyways, nudity on HBO and Showtime is nothing new, it's not really something they're likely to "grow out of" any time soon.

I don't think they are going to grow out of it either. Dream On had a load of nudity and that was ages ago.

They're just trying to justify their existence as a paid cable channel, especially in this day when basic cable has shows that use all the vulgar language they want, and even some occasional light nudity. They have to push the boundaries of what FX and AMC can get away with.

I don't think having nudity just for the sake of nudity is really pushing any boundaries. It is a juvenile idea of what pushing boundaries means. In the case of Game of Thrones it is often incredibly goofy.

Makes me glad Mad Men is on AMC as I think it would be hurt by HBO's insistance on putting stuff like that in their shows.

[Paul F]

Nope, never saw it

http://gawker.com/5902076/snl-explains-the-nudity-in-game-of-thrones

[Ogul]

I don't think having nudity just for the sake of nudity is really pushing any boundaries.

I'd agree, but it's not so much about pushing artistic boundaries as it is giving the people what they paid for.

[Nicholas Taggart]

http://gawker.com/59...game-of-thrones

Hah, that seems about right

I'd agree, but it's not so much about pushing artistic boundaries as it is giving the people what they paid for.

They should watch Starz instead. They do that way better.

[Ian Smith]

His best movie is one someone else directed? I'm not sure he'd appreciate that...I like it a lot, but 'Reservoir Dogs' is still my favourite, and there are great things in all the others too.

It's not meant at a dig at his directing, but of his movies it's the one i can watch over and over again.

Plus you have to love the Hans Zimmer theme tune.

[Rory Abel]

Step Brothers - such a weird movie but I did laugh a lot.

[Chris D]

His best movie is one someone else directed? I'm not sure he'd appreciate that...

I like it a lot, but 'Reservoir Dogs' is still my favourite, and there are great things in all the others too.

Reservoir Dogs is probably my favorite from him as a director, but I might actually prefer True Romance and Natural Born Killers to anything he's directed after that. Although it's been years since I've seen Natural Born Killers and I have a feeling it didn't age well. I do think that Tarantino has some problems editing his movies. All his movies after RD are at least a bit overlong (some are incredibly overlong).

[Will Carper]

I feel like True Romance and Killers* are kind of average compared to Basterds or Kill Bill. Even Death Proof. They felt too safe compared to the kind of things I like about Tarantino films.

*This one tries really hard, but, still... Oliver Stone's just not that great a director, imo. I think my favorite movie by him is U Turn.

[brucegray666]

Even Death Proof

Oof! That's pretty damning - I thought Death Prof was painfully terrible.