Topic: The Movie Thread

@Ralizah Superman 2 is fantastic! It's more in the vein of Superman The Movie though.
It was shot primarily by Richard Donner back to back with the first film, but a fall out with the producers led to them hiring another director to re-shoot enough of the film so that they didn't have to give him credit. There is a 'Donner Cut' of Superman 2 with some interesting changes to the theatrical release, but it's actually not quite as good, or fun.

From there the producers (bearing in mind, that despite the excellent end product of Superman The Movie, the Salkinds were basically only interested in having a cash cow) felt that comedy was the way to go so hired Richard Pryor for Superman 3 thinking that he'd ad-lib his was through filming; he was a big fan of Supes so he stuck to the script religiously. Superman 3 is far from awful though - it's just corny, and hammy - and wonderful for it. It's actually a better film than Superman 2 in many ways - and harbours my favourite scene ever committed to film.
As an aside, I highly recommend seeking out the original treatment for Superman 3. The Salkinds initially wanted an epic to rival the first film and came up with an absolutely bonkers plot involving Supergirl, Braniac and time travel to medieval England!

Superman 4, is a bit of a shame. The rights to Superman had slipped and ended up in the hands of the dreaded Canon production company. While the story (by Reeve) is rather worthy, on paper - it really could have been quite something. But Superman on a shoestring budget was never going to work.

@FullbringIchigo Returns is a shame. While it was nice for Singer to try to continue the series with a soft reboot - it is largely as close to a remake of Superman The Movie as he could've gotten to. I really like the aesthetic, the cast, the effort and John Ottman's work with Williams' theme is exemplary - but even in 2006, 'Superman lifting things' wasn't really enough. He should've gone with Braniac as a villain.

@Jaz007 The Prophecy series is brilliant viewing!

@RogerRoger

@RogerRoger Scott Bakula said the same of Quantum Leap in his Chaos on the Bridge interview.

@RogerRoger Not the snap - just the crushing weight of always being at work.

@RogerRoger yeah, I've seen it. I prefer Chaos on the Bridge, though you get the sense that there's massive amount of unused footage from those interviews - also because it confirms what I'd long suspected: Avery Brooks is crackers!

Who can argue with two of the best cover versions going?! (Rocket Man, Common People)

@KALofKRYPTON @RogerRoger he wasn't always like that though, maybe he's ill?

@FullbringIchigo 'Eccentric' is probably a better word - but bonkers/crackers/a pork pie short of a ploughman's all fit.
He could be I suppose, but I suspect he's always been like it.

Speaking of 2001, this is extremely interesting. I've never read the book, but have leaned the way Kubrick (apparently) puts it here.

SPOILERS, obviously
https://io9.gizmodo.com/this-may-be-stanley-kubrick-himself-e...

@RogerRoger I loved.Lois and Clark, it was one of my favorite shows growing up. I remember a few years ago Netflix had all the seasons to stream and I just binged on them. I really liked the actor they had for Luthor it was just a shame that they had a disput over his contracted and he left after the first season.

I even liked the nod that CWs Supergirl gave the show by casting Dean Cain as Kara's "earth" father.

@KALofKRYPTON I love Superman 2. Its amazing when Superman turns up outside the window.

"General Zod would you care to step outside?"

Amazing.

Recently Ive watched a few films. Alien in HD, Rocky 4, Sherlock Gnomes and Creed.

Alien in HD is fantastic. Its funny seeing the tech Scott thought would be in the future. All blinking lights and cigarettes.

@themcnoisy I watched Alien about two years ago for the first time, after playing Alien Isolation, and I coudn't see what all the fuss was about. All I could think of was Red Dwarf when the alien made its dramatic entrance. There just seemed to be a complete lack of tension and it came across as boring. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind, would it benefit a second viewing?

@crippyd I'd give Alien another go. I saw Aliens first as a kid, so by the time I actually saw Alien - I was expecting to be 'wowed' in some way. It wasn't until I sat and tried it again in my early teens (by which time I was really in to horror films) that I really appreciated Alien. I've always felt the genuine tensions were always between the crew - they really give off a very real work clique vibe.

@themcnoisy Classic! There's one shot in the Donner Cut that is one of my favourites - when the Kryptonians storm The White House and General Zod starts using an M16 for lolz. haha

Alien is one of the greatest movies of all time in my opinion. Yes its slow as they introduce us to the characters, the world etc. It does take a long time to get to the point of a 'fully grown' Alien. I don't know if its lost its impact now but when I first saw it, there wasn't the internet to ruin what the final Alien looked like and iconic scenes weren't spoiled. The tension built for me but then I watched it when it was the only Alien movie. The tech wasn't that out-of-date either and the special effects still looked impressive - it is nearly 40yrs old now and an incredibly influential movie. That though could also work against it too if you are coming to it now for the first time...

The reason Aliens was more Action orientated was because Cameron couldn't improve or outdo the shock, horror or mystery (his-words) of the first so he made it an Action, roller-coaster ride.

@KALofKRYPTON I'll give it another go at some point.
@BAMozzy I'm not sure if my expectations were set on the high side or I was thinking it might be a different kind of film, IDK, or that I'm too heavily influenced by more modern blockbuster style films, it just didn't hit my buttons. Its not like I've not experienced 'old' stuff before (I was 2 or 3 when this was released), so I'm quite used to the older stuff.

@crippyd You did say you'd played Isolation first. That is a markedly different atmosphere and far more tense experience than watching Alien that could easily have coloured your expectations of the film.

@KALofKRYPTON Yeah, I played the game first and that was what prompted me to watch the film to see where the inspiration came from.

@crippyd I was referring more to the fact that being so inspirational and copied, parodied etc, that you lose that 'tension' and build up because its so expected or known about. That 'edge' it had that really set it apart from anything else is common-place now. The only other Sci-fi that looked 'lived in' and with more working class characters was Star Wars but this was far more 'adult'. These aren't Military personnel - they are the equivalent of the crew of a shipping tanker whose job it is to transport resources from one place to the next. Not saying there is anything wrong with that profession but they are 'everyday' people doing an 'everyday' job - not highly trained military with an array of weaponry or end up answering a distress signal and coming across a life-form they had no records of and billions of miles away from help.

This was groundbreaking and as I said, incredibly influential - so much so that it has been copied and parodied many times. As you said, the first thing you thought of was Red Dwarf but back in 79, there was no Red Dwarf or Parody to lessen that tension or impact, there were no copy cats who did this to desensitize you. Its perhaps akin to going back and playing Goldeneye and wondering why it was so highly regarded because 3D FPS has been done better now, better camera's, better aiming, better movement, better visuals but at the time I remember being amazed at how good the characters were, how life-like they were to the actors etc. Movies are different I know but the point is, that some don't have the impact because what set them apart then, is not unique now

Alien is an elegantly-designed and almost perfect little movie from beginning to end. And, yeah, easily one of the most influential and iconic horror/science fiction films of all time. In terms of the script, pacing, effects, direction, sound design, set design, etc. it established the standards to beat all around.

It's a masterpiece. One of those films we'll be pointing to in 100 years as one of, if not the preeminent example of its genre.

@BAMozzy You make some excellent points and I think I missed your meaning a little from your previous post, sorry about that. I think that a second viewing with a little adjustment of my own attitude (?) towards it. I agree with you that the main plot beats for that film are so well known that I think it did lose the impact and also I don't think the effects (while groundbreaking at the time) have held up particularly well to the ravages of time.
Maybe, as @KALofKRYPTON said, that being fresh off Isolation that has also had a detrimental effect to my enjoyment of the film as I think I was expecting a similar atmosphere even though they are completely different mediums.