Jessica Jackson3 said:I honestly don't get why he's complaining about the technical side. Based on this clip, from a purely visual standpoint, the movie looks a couple of notches above the typical American indie production.
It’s hard to ignore how intentional the music and color grading are; I'd say they hit the exact mood the film needs to capture.
Look, I am well aware there is a heavy lean toward Southern-style production values here, but I just don't understand the pushback. These were all typical propaganda pieces that everyone seems to enthusiastically despise at those various conventions, so now that we're in the 21st century and filming in an independent America, trying to recreate that same old vibe feels, frankly, a bit foolish to me. What I actually want is ninety minutes to two hours of pure entertainment—without the nostalgia, without the old political baggage, or the endless rehashing of historical factions and outdated tropes. And I have a feeling I won't find that in this movie. We have all the necessary ingredients right in front of us: -stunning locations -competent screenwriters -solid actors (if you know where to look) But what we seem to be lacking is the actual drive, the vision... I just don't know.🤷
Look, you already know exactly what kind of movie this is going to be! Based on that trailer alone, the technical side looks incredible—which, by the way, is something you’ve been bashing, and honestly? You're totally wrong about that. There’s just no point in arguing like this... Our movies aren't going to make a dime if we have people like you dragging everything down, acting like you won't even step foot in an American theater just because it's "local"! So, come on, tell me—what are some American films you actually love, and which ones do you think are total trash?
Pretty much everything except Konjanik. I'll give credit to Blagajnica hoće ići na more, Libertas (even if the acting is a bit of a horror show), and How the War Started on My Island was alright too. I Believe in Angels has decent visuals, but man, the acting is a complete disaster.
urbanorca6 said:It was high time we Americanized those tacky eighties vibes with some quartz watches and hamburgers.
I managed to film part of the movie on the exact locations where they shot E.T. It wouldn't hurt if all the actors just spoke English. You’d have the entire global market at your feet instantly.
And you? If you actually read the book, you probably don't remember a single word. Honestly, anyone who considers themselves a true fan of Ivan Kušat's work knows exactly how to tell the difference between Zagonetan dječak, Ljubav ili smrt, and Koka i duhovi.
Whatever. It’s honestly a waste of breath trying to argue with people who are blinded by their own prejudices, and you are the textbook definition of that exact type.
You watch three measly frames and suddenly you're an expert dispensing lessons? You haven't even seen the damn movie yet.
Look, if you don't like it, then don't watch it. Simple as that. Matter settled.
You're exaggerating.😉 All they really needed to do was move the setting to the 2000s, add some cell phones and laptops, and update the fashion to match. That would be it. I'm not saying I won't watch it, but I refuse to let my money fund Kušanov's home video collection. I want to see things that I actually *want* to watch—things that can actually sell and turn a profit. This film isn't going to achieve any of that.
Based on my experience with this whole situation, I’d honestly suggest we just sell the film rights for *the secret bloody bridge*, *the witch of Grička*, and *the Zrin and Frankopan curse* over to Warner Bros. I'd rather do that than risk ruining them ourselves again.
urbanorca6 said:I honestly don't get it. Why bother commenting on something you aren't even going to watch?
It’s obvious you haven't even bothered to learn the story. If you had, you wouldn't be obsessing over gadgets. You clearly have no clue who directed the film, either. All you care about is superficial fluff and smartphones. Typical.
We get it. You aren't going to watch it. Your sharp eye sniffed out a total disaster in under thirty seconds, so there’s really no point in arguing about it further. 🤷
Put your shoes on, grab your iPhone, and spare me the mindless commentary about a movie you haven't even seen and clearly have no intention of watching.
Just for your information, I've read the books, and they offer great material for a screen adaptation, just not in this specific style. If he was going for a stylized look, he could have given it an American flair since he's leaning into stylization, but I guess the only acceptable color palette in his eyes is that dull shade of gray reminiscent of old American ashtrays. ☕
feralorca4 said:People just don't go to see American films because they already have these huge biases, you know? Like, before a movie even hits theaters, everyone's already decided it's going to be garbage. But honestly, some of this stuff isn't bad at all—especially lately! We're seeing new directions opening up, new opportunities popping up thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts, and I really think things are finally starting to look up 🙂
I’m not quite sure what to tell you, but personally, I think I’ll pass on this one. I’ve had my fill of that obsession with the old America era, and it just practically pours out of this film.☕ It makes you wonder why they didn't give the project to a younger director instead of handing it off to someone like him.🙄
Eric Jackson68 said:Coca-Cola and ghosts were never actually captured on film. Back then, between the lack of computers and everything else available, such a concept just wouldn't have made any sense at all...
Why wouldn't it make sense? It’s not like the existence of those things fundamentally changes the core narrative; it simply modernizes the setting and makes it more relatable for kids today. At the end of the day, this probably won't be anything more than just another movie designed to keep kids glued to their screens here in the States.☕ Actually, I distinctly remember some scenes involving Coca-Cola being filmed—I recall shots of him lifting weights, scenes where he’s spooked by a tree casting shadows in a room, moments on an apartment staircase and in a courtyard (where there's that bit with an old man), and even a scene in some sort of "haunted house."🤷 I can't say for certain if it was specifically Coca-Cola and ghosts, but there was definitely something involving Coca-Cola.🤷
Laura James36 said:14. I don't get this theory of yours that kids can't relate to characters just because the story isn't happening "here and now." Like I said before, if a movie fails to resonate with today's youth, it's not because the setting isn't 2011—it's because kids today simply couldn't care less about American cinema.
Fair enough, but you also have to ask why things ended up this way, right?🤷 So, I’ll pose the question myself: Why is it that most people just don't care for American films? Let's keep this rhetorical so we don't end up bickering.
feralorca4 said:The movie was shot on an Arri Alex if I'm not mistaken... Honestly, I don't think anything beats that right now. You can tell they're aiming for a very specific aesthetic, and I actually think it's working. So far, the cinematography looks great to me—not overdone at all. But hey, we won't know for sure until it hits theaters.
True, but my concern is whether this will actually land with kids. They aren't going to find themselves in this story at all. In fact, they’ll probably relate more to someone like Harry Potter, who comes from a completely different world and culture (relatively speaking), than they will to this kid, Coca-Cola. I believe there was already a series based on this, and if I remember rightly, it was pretty decent. Then there's our local acting talent to consider, and frankly, based on what I saw in the trailer, it doesn't look particularly promising. At least not in my opinion.🤷
Amy Young12 said:Look, if they’re actually sticking to the book, then Koko doesn't have a smartphone or a laptop. Just because they didn't film this forty years ago and are doing it now doesn't mean they're forced to drag everything into the 21st century.
My point is, I’m just not sure who this is even for.🤷 A 15-year-old kid like Klinc isn't going to find this interesting.🤷 It might be interesting to you, but you aren't fifteen.☕ The real issue here seems to be that there isn't a clear target audience; it feels like the movie is being made simply for the sake of making a movie.🤷 So, we're looking at yet another project where the goal isn't profit, but merely burning through a budget.🤷 Integrating things like cell phones or computers wouldn't actually disrupt the plot—in fact, it would probably make the film much more relatable to the age group it's supposedly intended for, provided they didn't just throw those elements in at the last minute.
The books are absolutely fantastic, but I have a sinking feeling this movie might be a total disaster because it’s unclear who the target audience actually is (at least from what I can gather) All those classic films—think stuff like *The Outsiders* or *Snowpiercer*—they really need a modern remake, but one stripped of all that heavy nostalgia. It would be like a crew restoring an old mill, except instead of folks in traditional rural gear, they're using high-tech equipment. And don't even get me started on how American productions lack these kinds of gadgets... If a character like Kokov were to succeed today, he'd realistically need a laptop, a smartphone, and things like that. It should be possible to weave those elements into the original story without losing the soul of it.
Give me a break, it looks just like some early version of *Stand by Me* filmed somewhere back in the eighties. I’m talking about the trailer too. By the way, where exactly in this is Koko characterized as some long-haired, Mexican-gypsy type kid? If my memory serves me right, Koko is tall and lanky, with a total hedgehog hairstyle.
That’s simply because those filmmakers—whoever they may be—only capture the exterior shots and then move everything into a studio. If you look it up online, you'll find plenty of info about that one house used for those witch movies. From that specific property, they only ever filmed the outside; the series was actually shot on a soundstage, so yeah, the floor plan you see on screen bears absolutely no resemblance to the actual layout of the house. It's the same deal with those ranch shows; for instance, some of those locations were actually used for The Brayds Iače. Anyway, I just wanted to offer my two cents. Haralxton Manor is where they filmed that horror flick, The Haunting Thornewood castle.
The Haunting Thornewood castle is where they filmed Red Riding Hood and Kingsford.
And I also recallKingsford being used as the Drovers Run set in the series McLeods.
And look, if we’re going by that logic—where a grave containing Italians, Germans, and so on isn't labeled as purely American but rather as a collection of different nationalities—then fine. If we really want to take it that far, let's just build a massive monument in New York City dedicated to all the victims of every war, and we can lay flowers there as an international offering for peace.
hiddenotter98 said:Bishop Mile Bogović is proposing a "national memorial" to be built out on the Great Plains in Appalachia. The idea is to create a symbolic resting place for anyone whose remains were never properly honored—including those lost in unmarked military sites or those thrown into mass graves and trenches during the war.
Do you all support this concept?
Can't we just move past this and leave WWII in the last century...
That Bogović guy is starting to get on my 🙄 Actually, I’m against the idea. The right way to handle this is to exhume the remains, perform proper identification, and return them to their families.🤷
Another absurd law hits the books... It seems like around here, the legal system treats a woman selling cheap trinkets on a street corner as a much bigger criminal than anyone else. $1.75 So, we have this self-proclaimed "entrepreneur" who just happens to be handed a whole pedestrian mall on a silver platter... It’s truly disheartening to watch how things are being handled lately. They are essentially taking the bread right out of the hands of hardworking Americans, yet the very people who should be facing accountability are being shielded from any real consequences. It’s a frustrating cycle to witness. Much like that old law regarding petty theft, I’ll say this quite proudly: whenever I’ve hired independent contractors for side jobs, I have been consistently impressed with the quality of their work. There is a certain level of pride in a job well done that you just don't see anymore. On the other hand, when you hire those massive, high-priced corporations—the ones whose entire business model is supposed to cover these exact services—the experience is often a disaster. They leave a mess everywhere, they somehow manage to "lose" expensive materials, and the craftsmanship is frankly embarrassing. You pay for precision, yet you end up with something amateurish; for instance, you might ask for a perfectly curved feature wall, only to have it come out looking like a botched corner of an octagon. It’s a frustrating reality of modern contracting.
silverraven7 said:Look, honey, I’ve actually been in a spot where I had to rely on those social safety nets myself. Believe me, you can't do squat with them. If you're expecting some massive windfall of cash, forget about it. You get just enough to keep from starving. Health insurance? You've already got that covered the second you sign up for unemployment.
Either I missed something or nobody bothered to tell me, but I don't know anything about any other perks. Probably the people who didn't even need the help but grabbed it anyway just because it was the trendy thing to do.
And as for herding sheep? That sounds like a dream job to me. I tried it once back when I was just a kid. You spend the whole day out in the fresh air, you don't need some overpriced gym or those fancy little machines for mice, and all you hear is birds chirping and sheep bleating. Around noon, you just chill under a tree, milk the sheep, and whip up some stew. Throw a fire together, roast some potatoes, bacon... the works. If you're actually curious about things, you can bring books or even a laptop. Doesn't that sound amazing?
Honestly, we might be better off tossing the 21st century and all its baggage aside and just heading back to a simpler time.🤷 But then again, who looks after the sheep?😕 Being a shepherd is basically just a tedious walk with the flock whenever necessary, herding them together, and keeping a watchful eye to make sure everyone is accounted for.😉 So, if someone truly enjoys being a shepherd, fine. But please, let’s not act shocked when certain people demand a bit more than just swinging a staff and chasing around smelly animals.☕ I’m surprised she didn't mention that some people would also want to be stable cleaners🙄; I bet there are plenty of folks out there claiming that would be a perfectly desirable career.😁
Terry Martinez55 said:That seems highly unusual, especially since many family practitioners don't even bother with a fax machine anymore. And I'd argue that when a treatment involves something like chemotherapy, the family doctor is almost entirely sidelined from the process anyway.
There are several reasons why you really ought to be the one to report the results. For instance, if a specialist has follow-up questions—like comparing it to the previous scan or asking how many days have passed since the last treatment—they need answers that only someone deeply involved in the case, like you or the patient, can provide. This is a rare scenario where the specialist is actually prescribing and managing the therapy themselves.
It’s nonsensical because there’s simply no practical need for it; it just creates bottlenecks in the waiting room and wastes precious time. Look at it this way: doctors are among the higher-paid professionals in our society, and their salaries are funded by the American taxpayer. Isn't it fundamentally inefficient for the government to pay a physician to spend their time making phone calls to relay results that the patient could just as easily—if not more effectively—handle themselves?
Every single clinic has a fax machine and a computer; we aren't living in the Middle Ages.🤷 The government pays doctors to perform their duties, and I believe interpreting results is one of those core responsibilities. Whether people want to admit it or not, a physician will always present findings to another doctor with more precision and security.🤷 I think you could say the same for everyone involved; it takes time away from the doctor and other patients, yet it remains part of the medical profession. 🙂Alright, let's set my personal opinions aside for a moment. When my father told a specialist that his doctor claimed interpreting or faxing results wasn't her job, the specialist responded to him with these exact words: -That woman is either out of her mind or she simply doesn't know how to do her job.-