Posts by David Price5

Keith Kelly3 said:I partially agree. It’s totally wrong for people to assume everything from Hollywood's Golden Age is some kind of masterpiece—there were plenty of bad movies back then, too. For me, the Dracula from Van Helsing doesn't even touch the '31 version, and the same goes for the werewolf and Frankenstein stuff. At the very least, the acting is better. I will give you this: Van Helsing has a certain undeniable charm when you're watching it...

OT—everyone was hyping up the ending of Van Helsing like it was some massive twist, but after Kate Beckinsale died, I just didn't care. Though, she was 😍

My issue with those old horror flicks is the overacting. I suppose modern method actors have spoiled my tastes. If you can find it, try looking up a documentary on how they filmed Van Helsing. There are some great bloopers...

Andrew Roberts3 said:So, looking back at the movies I’ve binged lately, I keep coming back to *I Am Legend* starring Will Smith. Honestly? The movie is solid. Even though it takes massive liberties with the original book, it doesn't even bother me that much... it still works. But man, they absolutely butchered it at the very end by forcing this stupidly optimistic happy ending on us. It felt so cheap! The whole thing would have been infinitely more powerful—way more impactful, really—if the writers had just had the guts to stick to the actual ending from the book. Seriously, if you haven't read the novel by Richard Matheson yet, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy right now. It is absolutely top-tier stuff...

There is actually an alternative ending out there. You might be able to find it on YouTube. It isn't identical to the book, but it's quite good too.

lonesailor6 said:Off-topic, for a moment... apparently C. Lee told Jackson that he would walk off the set if they didn't film that specific chapter from the book, though he ended up staying after all...

On-topic... regarding AI—the ending was utterly pointless for me, though I'd still give the film a decent 7/10
just plain foolish 😂😂🙏🙏 (the original plan was for Daniels and Carrey to board a bus together, but the studio rejected the idea)
Knowing—what a shame, considering how strongly the film began its journey

Actually, that would have made it worse. They just have terrible luck...

William Morris2 said:Sunshine.

Did the camera bother you at the end as well?

Look, Van Helsing is a terrible movie, but I honestly had a blast watching that glorious trash.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it trash. Are we going to label the old classics by Lugosi or Karloff as trash too? Van Helsing was simply a modern tribute to those monster movies from the 40s and 50s. The special effects have evolved, but the core essence remains exactly the same.

Richard Wilson4 said:Ever sat through an awesome movie—one you’re actually vibing with—only to have the ending totally kill the mood? Like, those last ten minutes just fall flat against everything else?

For me, the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was a real letdown...

It dragged on way too long, felt super melodramatic, and they completely skipped over all that stuff happening in the Midwest after the hobbits get back. That part was easily my favorite bit of the book, even if it was quick...

The movie itself is a masterpiece, though. It sucks they messed up the finish like that.

But honestly, if they had kept that ending, the studio could have just churned out sequels like "Hobbit's Revenge" or "The Hobbits Strike Back." 😁Sure, the ending was long and a bit sappy with all that singing, but considering how many years they spent working on this project, they probably could have stretched it out a bit more...

Sabaa As follows:
I can certainly focus on studying my speech before tomorrow, even if I don't understand a single word of French!😬

I didn't mean it that way. I was actually referring to the potential depth of the dialogue—specifically how much more meaningful the characters' conversations could be once you already know the plot.

Kate Wilson said:I really struggle with subtitles when I watch foreign films.
My English is great, so I get absolutely horrified by terrible translations—sometimes they even miss the entire point of a scene. When I'm watching a movie in a language I don't speak, I can't help but wonder how much nuance I'm losing by being at the mercy of the translator.

That is why I usually wait for a second viewing. Once you already know the plot, you can focus more closely on the actual dialogue.

Summer Blockbusters (1991)

In most cases, people just download those movies online first, and only once they're sure the quality is actually decent do they go ahead and order them from a site...

rapidorca6 said:What are some great summer-themed movies, like Into the Blue or Fool's Gold?
Just looking for something relaxing—ocean vibes, vacation moods, perfect for this time of year.😁

I'm not talking about the big hits this season like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I want films where the characters have zero responsibilities or schoolwork to worry about.

It’s hard for me to get into movies where everyone is wearing heavy jackets in this heat.😁

after Sunset (2004)
I'm not sure if it's technically summer, but the vibe is definitely there.

Surf's Up (2007)
Fandango (1985)-no ocean, but still feels like a getaway.

rustyscout34 said:I agree. If there wasn't money in it, they wouldn't be churning them out so aggressively. It feels like interest in original stories is actually picking up lately. You can see it everywhere, from the IMDb message boards to general discussions online. The internet really changed the game by making information so accessible and instant. Now, if only they would stop flooding the market with those unnecessary remakes.

If high-speed broadband hadn't become standard in the States, we probably wouldn't have even discovered the greatness of Asian cinema...

rustyscout34 said:I've never understood those synchronization issues, nor do I get the people who watch them... perhaps it's just lazy subtitling, who knows.

It is easy for us to say when we have grown up surrounded by such films. We have simply become accustomed to it. Personally, even when watching Hollywood movies, I prefer having English subtitles enabled just to see how certain words are spelled.

rustyscout34 said:In my opinion, the worst category has to be remakes of Asian horror films (why on earth would anyone do that?). Not only do they often turn out laughably bad, but many viewers watch them without even knowing an original exists. On the flip side, there are the extremists who hold prejudices; even when they know an original exists, they wait for the American remake—I honestly can't wrap my head around their reasoning.

This mostly applies to Americans, though. We should consider things from their perspective. They are simply used to consuming so much of their own cinema. It likely makes sense to producers too, seeing as they churn them out constantly. Perhaps with an increase in the number of nominated foreign films, interest in non-American cinema will finally grow among them. You can certainly see this trend reflected in the comments on the IMDb boards.

Paul James62 said:So I shouldn't get my hopes up too high regarding 👍
. The main thing is that it's entertaining for a first viewing.

I'm a huge fan of the Resident Evil series. I can't even count how many dozens of times I've played through the first three games... yet I still don't want to watch this. To be honest, the poor audio synchronization really bothered me.

Paul James62 said:I haven't seen it yet, but I'll likely catch it later today.

There are quite a few trailers on YouTube that look really promising.

Has anyone seen this animated film? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

It was decent enough for a first viewing. However, I doubt I’ll ever feel the need to watch it again.

Of course it’s always going to be more difficult; you have to actually read the material and then process what you've read.

For me, my mood and the time of day are the biggest factors when deciding what to watch. Sometimes I get a sudden craving for horror movies and binge them all week, and other times I won't touch one for an entire month. I generally try to steer clear of heavy dramas in the evenings.

briskbison41 said:I caught the trailer at AMC Theatres the other day, and honestly, it looks pretty solid. Since it’s been quite a while since I sat down for anything starring James Caviezel, I’m actually looking forward to this one hitting digital.
I had a hunch the producers behind "Lord of the Rings" were involved😁, because as soon as the trailer popped up, the vibe felt eerily similar.

@Anthony Smith3 - Heh, you just reminded me that I still haven't gotten around to watching Pathfinder, and if I recall correctly, you were the one who suggested it (🤔)

Well, I don't think it's quite that much like LOTR. Just imagine 13 Warriors with slightly more tech (though there will be less of it)... it's more like Beowulf meets A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court meets Halo.

Morgan Rodriguez57 said:I guess I wasn't quite right when I called "Against the Wall" my favorite movie... 🙂

Well, one single thing doesn't make the whole season. Since about 90% of our TV programming is in English anyway, we shouldn't be surprised. At least a huge chunk of us can understand English because of it, even if it's just passive listening..

silentpilot6 said:Maybe I just don't connect with the characters' names, and honestly, I sometimes find all those Asian actors look pretty much alike to me.😁

It really just comes down to getting used to it. If you keep watching, you'll start remembering them. I struggle with memorizing names too, if I'm being honest.

briskhound2 said:Look, Bay's mostly doing those 15-20 million dollar flicks right now, mainly just producing, but still... Even back when we were talking about Tony Scott, he was a total Jerry Bruckheimer's protégé who was used to massive budgets, yet he eventually pivoted to shoot "True Romance" for basically peanuts—he kind of bounces between commercial stuff and indie projects (both directing and producing), which is something Bay hasn't quite mastered yet, though he's slowly drifting into that territory. I think I read somewhere that he’s actually willing to walk away from Transformers 3 because he's just totally fed up with it all. Now, Jackson pulled off a miracle with The Lord of the Rings—hats off to him—but "King Kong" already showed signs of having much bigger ambitions than actual substance. Then you've got Sam Raimi, who jumped from trash horror straight to Spider-Man, and squeezed in "The Gift" and Simple Plan in between... so yeah, transitions happen, but it's a hell of a lot harder when you built your reputation on relatively hollow blockbusters and then try to pivot to making something... "quality." Even Lynch (since I'm bringing him up) got burned once by high production values and moved toward more personal films after he already had the name and the critical acclaim. Who knows how the story would've ended if "Dean" had actually become a hit along the lines of Star Wars...

Honestly, anyone can be a producer these days. Half the actors in Hollywood have their own production companies. We just have to accept that most directors make movies they actually enjoy, in their own style. For Bay, this project is likely just as significant as Match Point was for Woody Allen. He doesn't just churn out movies for no reason. He lands one blockbuster every two years. Is that really considered too many? :-)

I plan to put together an analysis one day to see exactly how many genuine blockbusters are produced annually...

briskhound2 said:Look, Bay has his strengths, sure, but I wouldn't quite label him just a "craftsman"... When he's handling independent projects—which, so far, has mostly been in a producer role—he shows a real knack for turning out stuff that actually holds up quality-wise (like that remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)... And while his movies are definitely visual spectacles, he always tries to sneak a bit of his own DNA into those big, flashy frames. The first thing that jumps out at me is his use of the "rotating shot"—he can take a totally static scene and inject some actual life into it... Sadly, though, his creative spark still seems stuck on the surface level, purely visual. Maybe if he stepped away from the massive producers and those bloated Hollywood budgets for a bit...

Directors rarely change their ways. People tend to stick to their specific genre and style. It's true that many talented filmmakers started with tiny budgets before moving up to the big leagues, but they just don't go back. I highly doubt Samuel L. Jackson will start making movies on a $1–$2 million budget again..

I could bet that Bay would find it much easier to secure $200 million from producers by simply promising a movie full of robots and explosions than finding $10 million for a small drama. To be honest, they might even turn him down for the smaller stuff..