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well why not
Feb 10, 2009




Trainwreck also deals with destructive behaviour albeit in a full on comedy.


got any sevens posted:


This was an excellent movie, it didn't take the easy routes but the plot twists didn't feel forced either. Kind of reminds me of Seven Psychopaths in some ways.

This is high praise and has me very interested.

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GoldStandardConure
Jun 11, 2010

I have to kill fast
and mayflies too slow

Pillbug
The standout scene in this movie was Oscar stomping around in the playground while Gloria looks on in horror. Anne Hathaway sold that scene so well, and just making a person stamping their feet in the dirt that horrifying is impressive.

SuperMechagodzilla
Jun 9, 2007

NEWT REBORN

MisterBibs posted:

One of the things that isn't really touched on too much is that When he's about to trash the city for the last time, Oscar is actively listening to the reactions from Seoul. I feel that in that moment, his plan on attacking the city isn't to get back at Gloria, but to get some sort of reaction out of someone. He had stopped being cheered or feared.

Not actually; the film is based entirely on the bad "Soul" pun.

Only Hathaway is struck by the magic lightning. Sudekis has no power of his own; he can only feel powerful by influencing and manipulating Hathaway. Attacking the city of Soul is always specifically an attack on Hathaway's Seoul, so she does some Seoul-searching to cleanse her Seoul, and so-on.

This is why the Kaiju aspect of the film is incoherent and narratively inert. Nobody notices that the monster and robot are mass-produced action figures from the 1990s, or that the monster is blatantly miming a phone call. For the film's conceit to work, the entire population of South Korea (if not the entire world) must be more ignorant than Hathaway's character, because they are nothing more than extensions of her character.

The only escape from the solipsism is in the minor joke that Sudekis has his own tiny Seoul, that provides him with Seoul food.

duz
Jul 11, 2005

Come on Ilhan, lets go bag us a shitpost


Alamo Drafthouse has been pushing this movie pretty hard and I couldn't be less interested. Until I read the spoilers about the third act. Now that i know what the movie's theme is, I'm interested to see it. The trailers certainly were good at burying the lede.

Maxwell Lord
Dec 12, 2008

I am drowning.
There is no sign of land.
You are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand.

And I hope you die.

I hope we both die.


:smith:

Grimey Drawer
See I think there's a bit of subtle commentary here even if it isn't developed much- the movie is about two Americans who have trouble appreciating the effects their actions are having half a world away. South Korea is being terrorized because of their drama.

Granted SK is a developed nation so it's not quite the third world exploitation analogy it could be, but it is an odd wrinkle.

MisterBibs
Jul 17, 2010

dolla dolla
bill y'all
Fun Shoe
No, i think Gloria understands/appreciates that her drunken drama is loving poo poo up; from the first time she drunkenly falls down on she knows people are at risk. Thing is, Oscar doesn't care.

Like, weird thing about Gloria and Oscar's drama is that Gloria isn't a doormat in the 'relationship'. Unlike a lot of real toxic relationships, she knows things are toxic and she wants to leave. But she can't because of a strange situation.

MisterBibs fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Apr 28, 2017

I, Butthole
Jun 30, 2007

Begin the operations of the gas chambers, gas schools, gas universities, gas libraries, gas museums, gas dance halls, and gas threads, etcetera.
I DEMAND IT

MisterBibs posted:

No, i think Gloria understands/appreciates that her drunken drama is loving poo poo up; from the first time she drunkenly falls down on she knows people are at risk. Thing is, Oscar doesn't care.

She understands, but also doesn't stop drinking. She care ("cares"?) but doesn't do anything of meaningful change to stop it happening.

MisterBibs
Jul 17, 2010

dolla dolla
bill y'all
Fun Shoe

I, Butthole posted:

She understands, but also doesn't stop drinking. She care ("cares"?) but doesn't do anything of meaningful change to stop it happening.

I got the impression that she stops drinking relatively quickly - she says something about not having drank for a few days when that comes to a head. I don't think most of the "you told me last night" lines from Oscar were intended to be seen as honest.

Snowglobe of Doom
Mar 30, 2012

sucks to be right

glam rock hamhock posted:

also I think the hair thing was just about giving Gloria ticks that would be reconizble when she was a monster. I'm not sure if she does the hair thing as the monster but it just generally establishes her as being the type to do that sort of thing which is emphasized more with the head scratching thing

DC Murderverse posted:

also it's where she got struck with lightning the day her and Oliver went into the area that would become the park for the first time and she saw him crushing her project. I think that also has something to do with how spacey she is.

Yeah she did it when she was walking through the park the second time and talking to her boyfriend and she later sees a video of the monster copying her nervous tic on her laptop. Gloria got hit by the lightning on the top of her head, Oscar got hit on his forehead and has a scar there in the present day.

MisterBibs posted:

No, different area of the head. She got lightninged on the top of her head, had nothing to do with the sides of her hair.

She definitely scratches the top of her head as a nervous tic, she has an entire discussion about it with Oscar when she first goes to his bar and how it makes her look like a monkey scratching itself. It was also made really clear in a teaser poster

MisterBibs
Jul 17, 2010

dolla dolla
bill y'all
Fun Shoe
Reading is a skill. I'm not talking about the nervous tick she has on the top of her head that the movie explains, I'm talking about the nervous tick of her pulling on her hair that is visually repeated, but never paid off.

Snowglobe of Doom
Mar 30, 2012

sucks to be right

MisterBibs posted:

Reading is a skill. I'm not talking about the nervous tick she has on the top of her head that the movie explains, I'm talking about the nervous tick of her pulling on her hair that is visually repeated, but never paid off.

It indicates that she's nervous and insecure. She also chews her fingernails repeatedly and a bunch of other tics. It's called 'acting'.

Riptor
Apr 13, 2003

here's to feelin' good all the time
My friend lives in Russia currently and apparently the title there translates to "My Girlfriend is a Monster". Its impressive how wildly that title misses the entire point of the movie at least two times over

Snowglobe of Doom
Mar 30, 2012

sucks to be right
The new trailer has a few spoilers that the other trailers managed to avoid so people might want to avoid it if they haven't seen the film yet

The MSJ posted:

Speaking of spoilers, the new Colossal trailer spoils something big from early in the movie.

https://twitter.com/SheIsCOLOSSAL/status/857275730136363008

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat

Riptor posted:

My friend lives in Russia currently and apparently the title there translates to "My Girlfriend is a Monster". Its impressive how wildly that title misses the entire point of the movie at least two times over

I dunno, it works pretty well as an ironic title.

Femur
Jan 10, 2004
I REALLY NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP
I saw this, and I am surprised it's universally liked here, because I thought it was rather pointless. At first, I found Hathaway's character interesting because I don't see a lot of movies portraying a haggard alcoholic woman spiraling down, and this didn't either. The guy seems to be the alcoholic, and shes pretty much good and fine person who turned her life around immediately and wasn't struggling with inner demons or anything that battle with addictions are often portrayed as. Alcoholism did not prove to be a big deal.

Some of yall compare her to the cool girl, how so? I only know the term from Gone Girl, and the heroine in that was awesome and had to stoop down because of society. I didn't feel like Hathaway was under any such pressures.

The nice guy thing is valid if you read it that way, but I just saw it as he is the alcoholic, so I was disappointed in the kanji stuff only served to tell a basic domestic violence story, that seems more personal than existential like other people dying, and the alcoholism being superseded by dickhead since childhood guy.

jivjov
Sep 13, 2007

But how does it taste? Yummy!
Dinosaur Gum
Speaking of Alamo Drafthouse, that's where I saw the film, and I was vaguely uncomfortable after having one of the Colossal themed drinks off the menu after the film spent so much time on alcoholism. It seems almost a little tone deaf on behalf of the theater

SuperMechagodzilla
Jun 9, 2007

NEWT REBORN

Femur posted:

I saw this, and I am surprised it's universally liked here, because I thought it was rather pointless. At first, I found Hathaway's character interesting because I don't see a lot of movies portraying a haggard alcoholic woman spiraling down, and this didn't either. The guy seems to be the alcoholic, and shes pretty much good and fine person who turned her life around immediately and wasn't struggling with inner demons or anything that battle with addictions are often portrayed as. Alcoholism did not prove to be a big deal.

[...]

The nice guy thing is valid if you read it that way, but I just saw it as he is the alcoholic, so I was disappointed in the kanji [sic] stuff only served to tell a basic domestic violence story, that seems more personal than existential like other people dying, and the alcoholism being superseded by dickhead since childhood guy.


Pretty much. The film is that on an accelerated timeline because it's about Hathaway as a former alcoholic who (for the bulk of the runtime) is actually just afraid of admitting defeat - that her job sucks and so-on. "If I lose this lovely job, it'll crush my Seoul." Hence the ending, where her really crazy plan is to just quit both jobs and go on a vacation to South Korea.

The point that Soul is specifically Hathaway's Seoul is vital. You can't really flip things the other way around or else you get some nonsense about how 9/11 is a metaphor for a bad relationship or something. As a film about a disaster, it simply doesn't work.

Femur
Jan 10, 2004
I REALLY NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP
Oh, so it's just a change if you aren't happy type deal.

But we don't really see that her present sucks, just that her past isn't as great as as she remembered. And her past is the source of her power/soul. How does that work?

Femur fucked around with this message at 02:20 on May 1, 2017

Riptor
Apr 13, 2003

here's to feelin' good all the time
how do we not see that her present sucks? She's unemployed, recently fired, and the movie begins with her boyfriend booting her out of their shared apartment because of her drinking problem

Spacebump
Dec 24, 2003

Dallas Mavericks: Generations
Loved this movie. It's a tragedy Skull Island will make more money than this. The third act was excellent. I also love that people were making memes in film of an international tragedy. Great bit of writing. That is absolutely something that would happen if giant monsters somehow attacked a city irl.

Spacebump fucked around with this message at 04:33 on May 1, 2017

DC Murderverse
Nov 10, 2016

"Tell that to Zod's snapped neck!"

jivjov posted:

Speaking of Alamo Drafthouse, that's where I saw the film, and I was vaguely uncomfortable after having one of the Colossal themed drinks off the menu after the film spent so much time on alcoholism. It seems almost a little tone deaf on behalf of the theater

this is actually hilarious. Like making a cocktail called The Lost Weekend (which actually is a thing that involves Rum and a hint of Absinthe, which actually sounds very interesting). When I worked a movie theater bar we occasionally had to do something similar, and while we never had something this ironic, we had a whole list of cocktails themed after Obvious Child that were all wildly inappropriate. (the actual name we settled on, the Plan C, was just on the other side of the line, which is good because I was very proud of it)

actually, upon further research, one of the cocktails is literally called "The Most Irresponsible Thing" which sounds like they knew what they were doing after all. But also they have deals on 6 can PBR buckets which I think means they want people to drink along with the movie.

Taintrunner
Apr 10, 2017

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
This movie was fantastic, holy hell. Anna Hathaway did an amazing job acting, and it was so nice watching an original movie with a healthy amount of depth, subtext, and genuine comedy. This is probably going to be this year's Hell or High Water for me.

Saw it at the NYC Alamo and will definitely be seeing every movie I can there from now on, it was simply a fantastic experience.

jivjov
Sep 13, 2007

But how does it taste? Yummy!
Dinosaur Gum

Taintrunner posted:


Saw it at the NYC Alamo and will definitely be seeing every movie I can there from now on, it was simply a fantastic experience.

This is absolutely the correct response to having seen your first Alamo film.

I'm mad at myself for missing out on getting Thursday tickets to GotG 2 at my Alamo.

Vintersorg
Mar 3, 2004

President of
the Brendan Fraser
Fan Club



I didn't even know this was coming out so soon and only found out on Friday as a co-worker wanted to see The Circle and I was like: no, don't. So I check the listings and see this movie.

I went in expecting a funny send up of kaiju films and walked out having my senses hosed with. What a crazy turn. The entire theater stopped laughing once Oscar goes into a nutso jealous rage.

Snowglobe of Doom
Mar 30, 2012

sucks to be right
If people do want a recent parody of the kaiju genre I can recommend Big Man Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRny1wok0Ao

Although I guess most of the people in this thread will have seen it already

DLC Inc
Jun 1, 2011

SuperMechagodzilla posted:

Pretty much. The film is that on an accelerated timeline because it's about Hathaway as a former alcoholic who (for the bulk of the runtime) is actually just afraid of admitting defeat - that her job sucks and so-on. "If I lose this lovely job, it'll crush my Seoul." Hence the ending, where her really crazy plan is to just quit both jobs and go on a vacation to South Korea.

The point that Soul is specifically Hathaway's Seoul is vital. You can't really flip things the other way around or else you get some nonsense about how 9/11 is a metaphor for a bad relationship or something. As a film about a disaster, it simply doesn't work.


you're reaching so far over a name pun that you might as well be sticking your arms into Seoul

Vintersorg
Mar 3, 2004

President of
the Brendan Fraser
Fan Club



Snowglobe of Doom posted:

If people do want a recent parody of the kaiju genre I can recommend Big Man Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRny1wok0Ao

Although I guess most of the people in this thread will have seen it already

The ending is one of the best things put to film in history.

got any sevens
Feb 9, 2013

by Cyrano4747

MinibarMatchman posted:

you're reaching so far over a name pun that you might as well be sticking your arms into Seoul

Well why else did they pick Seoul instead of Tokyo, the usual kaiju city?

Franchescanado
Feb 23, 2013

If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment

Grimey Drawer
Lots of reasons: Tokyo the obvious choice and the movie tries to defy expectation; it's more easily identifiable, so it's harder to fake; it's more expensive to film there; South Korea is in the news more; etc.

SuperMechagodzilla
Jun 9, 2007

NEWT REBORN

got any sevens posted:

Well why else did they pick Seoul instead of Tokyo, the usual kaiju city?

Not only does every aspect of the film match the pun, they even make a point of Hathaway pronouncing "soul" the same way in one scene.

Drunken Baker
Feb 3, 2015

VODKA STYLE DRINK

Spacebump posted:

Loved this movie. It's a tragedy Skull Island will make more money than this. The third act was excellent. I also love that people were making memes in film of an international tragedy. Great bit of writing. That is absolutely something that would happen if giant monsters somehow attacked a city irl.

Hahaha. I wrote a wee story about a Kaiju attack and that's what I did too. Photoshops of Hulk Hogan being a standout.

I was really on the fence about seeing this but this thread has pushed me into seeing it.

Guy Mann
Mar 28, 2016

by Lowtax

got any sevens posted:

Well why else did they pick Seoul instead of Tokyo, the usual kaiju city?

South Korea's film industry has a really good working relationship with American filmmakers. There are a lot more co-productions between America and South Korea than there are with Japan, more South Korean directors who go on to have successful careers in America, more South Korean movies films that are successful releases and/or get remade in America , etc.

SuperMechagodzilla
Jun 9, 2007

NEWT REBORN

Guy Mann posted:

South Korea's film industry has a really good working relationship with American filmmakers.

That's not the point. The point is to isolate the 'kaiju movie-within-the-movie' and make sense of that.

We have a film where South Korea is unwittingly crushed by an oblivious monster who looks suspiciously similar to North Korea's infamous kaiju Pulgasari.

Not-Pulgasari apologizes for his mistakes, and everyone loves him, but then he's struck down and killed by an rear end in a top hat (American?) war machine. America attacks South Korea, but Not-Pulgasari reemerges 'more powerful than you can possibly imagine' - as a ghost.

SuperMechagodzilla fucked around with this message at 20:06 on May 4, 2017

axelblaze
Oct 18, 2006

Congratulations The One Concern!!!

You're addicted to Ivory!!

and...oh my...could you please...
oh my...

Grimey Drawer
As vague as you're trying to be, you should probably spoiler tag some of that

Franchescanado
Feb 23, 2013

If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment

Grimey Drawer
Pulgasari has one of the most hosed-up productions of any movie I've ever heard of in the history of film.

edit: In case anyone is curious

SuperMechagodzilla
Jun 9, 2007

NEWT REBORN

glam rock hamhock posted:

As vague as you're trying to be, you should probably spoiler tag some of that

Eh, sure.

But anyways, for example: Mothra is an aboriginal proto-Christ figure expressing Japanese ambivalence towards globalization in the early 1960s - a fascination with primitive communism as an escape from the postwar 'economic miracle'.

It's unclear what the Monster and the resulting conflict in South Korea are all about in this film, unless you talk in extremely nonspecific terms - like it's bad that people die or something.

wdarkk
Oct 26, 2007

Friends: Protected
World: Saved
Crablettes: Eaten

Franchescanado posted:

Pulgasari has one of the most hosed-up productions of any movie I've ever heard of in the history of film.

edit: In case anyone is curious

I kind of want there to be a spy thriller about the making of Pulgasari, but I feel like after The Interview nobody would finance it.

mousku
Jun 2, 2011

got any sevens posted:

Well why else did they pick Seoul instead of Tokyo, the usual kaiju city?
Maybe they wanted to distance themselves from the most obvious Godzilla themes, since Toho actually sued the film at one point. I think they even had a poster with Godzilla and Mazinger Z photoshopped in when Vigalondo was trying to raise money for this project.

Edit. Yeah, according to the A.V. Club article about the lawsuit, the film was supposed to be set in Tokyo.

The company that owns Godzilla is suing Anne Hathaway’s kaiju movie
(Images in the article are slightly spoilery)

mousku fucked around with this message at 14:21 on May 6, 2017

GonSmithe
Apr 25, 2010

Perhaps it's in the nature of television. Just waves in space.
That article is from 2 years ago, I'm pretty sure the lawsuit got thrown out because it actually has nothing to do like Godzilla and doesn't look like him.

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wdarkk
Oct 26, 2007

Friends: Protected
World: Saved
Crablettes: Eaten

GonSmithe posted:

That article is from 2 years ago, I'm pretty sure the lawsuit got thrown out because it actually has nothing to do like Godzilla and doesn't look like him.

There was a settlement where the Colossal people agreed to distance themselves from Godzilla a little and Toho agreed to not bother them anymore.

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