bush_cheney2004 Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) Successful propaganda system much? Don't feel too bad....you guys are still suckers for an old empire Queen in fancy hats. Now go back and watch yet another repeat episode of "The Big Bang Theory"...from America. Edited May 24, 2015 by bush_cheney2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Je suis Omar Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 And still the delusion goes on and on and on and on and ... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 As for Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was ok. My favorite aspects of it were James Spader as the voice of Ultron, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, particularly in the down-time scenes when they're just hanging out. Thor, God of Thunder, is a fearsome sight to behold. But Thor, good-natured bro, is a guy I'd love to have a beer with. I think the scene where the Avengers unwind at a party and take turns attempting to lift Thor's hammer as a drinking game was my favorite in whole movie. The action sequences were generally quite exciting as well. I did feel like some parts of the movie dragged. The part of the film where they rest and regroup at Hawkeye's home was kind of dull and didn't really feel like it went anywhere. I also wasn't really feeling the romance between Natasha and Dr. Banner, and the time the movie spent with those two together generally felt kind of wasted. I don't think it was wretchedly awful like Tauriel the elf and Kili the dwarf in the Hobbit movies, but it wasn't great either. I liked Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, and was less enthusiastic about the Vision. For some reason I had assumed the Fox "X-Men" franchise had the rights to the Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch characters, particularly given that Quicksilver appeared in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" last year. -k "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" was basically "The Avengers" but bigger. More characters, more explosions, more easily dispatched henchmen (henchrobots?), more of everything except plot and characters. I guess if you have a money-printing formula, there's not much reason to change it up, but I really felt like I saw this film a couple of times before. God help me, though, but I still had a blast watching it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 I guess if you have a money-printing formula, there's not much reason to change it up, but I really felt like I saw this film a couple of times before. God help me, though, but I still had a blast watching it. For sure. It's easy to forgive them for recycling the formula when the result is so much fun. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 For sure. It's easy to forgive them for recycling the formula when the result is so much fun. -k But even here, the seams are staring to show. There's what, 9 more of these frickin' things to go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Just saw Fury Road! I loved it! My heart rate was about doubled during the road battle sequences, and I had to remind myself to breathe at times. Tanya, on the other hand, fidgeted the whole time and got us angry glares when she kicked the seat in front of us; I was just about ready to sell her to Immortan Joe. So annoying. I think I will probably go see it again, but in a bigger theatre in 3d this time, and by myself. All of the action sequences were great, but the battles featuring the war rig were the best thing ever. I liked that they did very little exposition, revealing the setting with a "show, don't tell" philosophy. Immortan Joe's citadel put a whole new meaning to the phrase "human resources". Icky! That was one of my quibbles with the movie... if people are commodities and flawless breeding females are the most precious commodity, how did Furiosa end up as a top lieutenant? It seems more likely that she'd have been groomed from childhood to be like Splendid and the other "brides", not drive war machines. Anyway, that's minor. I loved the sheer visual spectacle. I loved the sheer lunacy of it. I am really looking forward to more. I might have to go back and watch the original movies again to try and figure out the significance of the imaginary kid who kept showing up. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkman Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I saw Fury Road last night and checked the Rotten Tomatoes rating before hand. My jaw dropped at the 98% rating and chose it over the latest Dwayne Johnson movie. Wow. This was a pretty good movie that the ad campaign didn't do any justice to, IMV. I've gotta agree with Kimmy, it was a spectacle of a movie and was well worth watching. I'm trying to remember what the earlier Mad Max movies were like, if I recall the Tina Turner "Thunderdome" wasn't so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 All of the action sequences were great, but the battles featuring the war rig were the best thing ever. I liked that they did very little exposition, revealing the setting with a "show, don't tell" philosophy. Immortan Joe's citadel put a whole new meaning to the phrase "human resources". Icky! That was one of my quibbles with the movie... if people are commodities and flawless breeding females are the most precious commodity, how did Furiosa end up as a top lieutenant? It seems more likely that she'd have been groomed from childhood to be like Splendid and the other "brides", not drive war machines. Anyway, that's minor. I would assume, due in part to her age versus that of the "brides", that Furiosa is sterile, being born prior to the "Pocalypse".... I loved the sheer visual spectacle. I loved the sheer lunacy of it. I am really looking forward to more. I might have to go back and watch the original movies again to try and figure out the significance of the imaginary kid who kept showing up. -k In my opinion, if Miller intends to keep Fury Road (and the sequels) in the existing canon, Fury Road would fit in between the original movie and Road Warrior...... As to the imaginary kid, I would assume we'll learn more in future films, but (if following the canon) it can't be his child (from Jesse) killed by Toecutter's gang, as he was a he...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Miller already said that Fury Road takes place after the other movies. The flashbacks are from the earlier films. One of the flashbacks even includes Toecutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Miller already said that Fury Road takes place after the other movies. The flashbacks are from the earlier films. One of the flashbacks even includes Toecutter. Where did he say that? One major flaw, if true, is that this: has its demise in Road Warrior.........with the only other produced V8 Interceptor going to Ford heaven with the Knightrider at the wheel in the first Mad Max......As said in Road Warrior, it was "the last of the V8s".........but in Fury Road: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 To add, flashbacks to Toecutter could coincide with a Mad Max----Fury Road----Road Warrior----Thunderdome timeline..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Furthermore, could this fellow from Thunderdome: Be a 15-20 year older former Immortan Joe "War Boy"???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Sorry, I remembered incorrectly how Miller described it. He said it's a revisiting of the world. This article says that it's clearly not a prequel, which seems to be the case with the flashbacks. Miller says the previous films have no clear chronology (thought Mad Max obviously comes before the others), which to me suggests they exist prior to the new film. Anyway, it's pretty irrelevant to this film anyway. Mad Max is a vehicle, no pun intended, for situations that are the real story behind the film. The character himself wasn't ever particularly important in the stories, save for the first movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Right, link. http://www.slashfilm.com/is-fury-road-a-sequel/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Sorry, I remembered incorrectly how Miller described it. He said it's a revisiting of the world. This article says that it's clearly not a prequel, which seems to be the case with the flashbacks. Miller says the previous films have no clear chronology (thought Mad Max obviously comes before the others), which to me suggests they exist prior to the new film. Anyway, it's pretty irrelevant to this film anyway. Mad Max is a vehicle, no pun intended, for situations that are the real story behind the film. The character himself wasn't ever particularly important in the stories, save for the first movie. I would think his intent would mean this new generation doesn't have to see the previous movies to "get this one" (Think Fear and Loathing and Where the Buffalos roam)........ As to no clear chronology, here to I would assume his intent is that dates and timelines blur. I remember (in the 80s) Miller speaking to his intended time line between the first three movies, with Mad Max and Road Warrior suppose to span ~5 years between each story, and Thunderdome taking place ~15-20 years after the events of the first movie. Captain Walker left "Planet Earth", per the "Tel", in 1999 to go into the wasteland for example, which clearly doesn't align with present day (like Star Trek timelines)......hence a blurring. And I disagree about the character's importance.........I think the common theme is of an unintended hero, who due to his on personal loss, has replaced "hope" with survival. All the while, Max interweaves himself with those that still have a faint hope for humanity but are lacking in ability .....thats when Max falls in their laps and gets them there through his own self sacrifice...... No, I think the characters are important to the story, much like an old Western, but Miller doesn't waste time on inane background...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 The characters are important, Max is not. Max is there as a plot device to tell a larger story. He finds himself in situations with other characters that are far more important than he is in the films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 The characters are important, Max is not. Max is there as a plot device to tell a larger story. He finds himself in situations with other characters that are far more important than he is in the films. I would think the common plot device of all the movies is the black juice needed for survival........As to importance, the other characters would be dead sans the interjection of Max, hence Max is of the utmost importance to all the stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GostHacked Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Latest I watched was 'Only God Forgives'. The critics have no clue what they are talking about, IMDB gives it a rating of 5-6.... Ryan Gosling Vithaya Pansringarm, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1602613/ Quite artsy in the colour scheme and location settings. One of the more intense films I have seen in some time. I've seen Drive, that was also directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, and thought it was quite good. For some reason his directing reminds me of Ridley Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I would think the common plot device of all the movies is the black juice needed for survival........As to importance, the other characters would be dead sans the interjection of Max, hence Max is of the utmost importance to all the stories. Agreed....that is the single underpinning and minimalist theme that I find most appealing. Additional plot elements can even lead to distraction. It's all about the Max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 The characters are important, Max is not. Max is there as a plot device to tell a larger story. He finds himself in situations with other characters that are far more important than he is in the films. And I disagree about the character's importance.........I think the common theme is of an unintended hero, who due to his on personal loss, has replaced "hope" with survival. All the while, Max interweaves himself with those that still have a faint hope for humanity but are lacking in ability .....thats when Max falls in their laps and gets them there through his own self sacrifice...... I think that's the essence of it. At the start of the movie, he tells us: "Once, I was a cop... a road warrior looking for a righeous cause. As the world fell, each of us in our own way was broken... I am the one who runs from both the living and the dead. Hunted by scavengers. Haunted by those I could not protect.... A man reduced to a single instinct: survive." He's rather animal-like at this point. He communicates in grunts. He even gets put in a cage and a muzzle. Survival is everything. When he meets Furiosa, they're like a pair of dogs fighting over a single bone, and he's prepared to leave them all to die in the desert. Their alliance is based on mutual survival. Somewhere along the ride he becomes emotionally involved in Furiosa's mission. I think the little thumbs-up he gives Splendid is the first time we see that he's not just in it for himself anymore. Maybe Furiosa reminds him of himself before all of the humanity was beaten out of him. When she says "redemption", that strikes a chord with him. When Furiosa's dreams are crushed, his words of wisdom to her are: "Hope is a mistake, you know?" He might be reminding himself that as well as telling her. Chiding himself for allowing himself to get himself caught up in their fool's errand. But later, he makes a decision that's opposite of everything he's been preaching. It's kind of like Columbus's epiphany in Zombieland: "Of course. It had to be a clown. And it had to be Wichita. For me to finally understand that some rules are mad to be broken." Rule 17: Don't be a hero. Max is a man of few words, but he's not just a vehicle to tell a story around. He's an evolving character with conflict of his own that is awakened through his interaction with Furiosa and the brides. He's searching for meaning. He's struggling with a question: if survival is all you're living for... are you really living? Nux too. When we meet him, all he wants is a death that will get him to Valhalla. But it turns out that he too is looking for more. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 He's an evolving character with conflict of his own that is awakened through his interaction with Furiosa and the brides. -k But that's just it. He doesn't evolve. The primary conflict in the story is not his own and would go on without him. To say that he's necessary to their survival, so the story about him is like saying the other women were necessary for their survival so the story is about them. Max travels around and runs into these situations, but the story is never really about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 For instance, you could give an entire synopsis of the plot to Road Warrior, Thunderdome, and Fury Road without even mentioning Max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I think that's the essence of it. At the start of the movie, he tells us: "Once, I was a cop... a road warrior looking for a righeous cause. As the world fell, each of us in our own way was broken... I am the one who runs from both the living and the dead. Hunted by scavengers. Haunted by those I could not protect.... A man reduced to a single instinct: survive." He's rather animal-like at this point. He communicates in grunts. He even gets put in a cage and a muzzle. Survival is everything. When he meets Furiosa, they're like a pair of dogs fighting over a single bone, and he's prepared to leave them all to die in the desert. Their alliance is based on mutual survival. Somewhere along the ride he becomes emotionally involved in Furiosa's mission. I think the little thumbs-up he gives Splendid is the first time we see that he's not just in it for himself anymore. Maybe Furiosa reminds him of himself before all of the humanity was beaten out of him. When she says "redemption", that strikes a chord with him. When Furiosa's dreams are crushed, his words of wisdom to her are: "Hope is a mistake, you know?" He might be reminding himself that as well as telling her. Chiding himself for allowing himself to get himself caught up in their fool's errand. But later, he makes a decision that's opposite of everything he's been preaching. It's kind of like Columbus's epiphany in Zombieland: "Of course. It had to be a clown. And it had to be Wichita. For me to finally understand that some rules are mad to be broken." Rule 17: Don't be a hero. Max is a man of few words, but he's not just a vehicle to tell a story around. He's an evolving character with conflict of his own that is awakened through his interaction with Furiosa and the brides. He's searching for meaning. He's struggling with a question: if survival is all you're living for... are you really living? Nux too. When we meet him, all he wants is a death that will get him to Valhalla. But it turns out that he too is looking for more. -k Exactly, and much the same can be applied to both Road Warrior and Thunderdome..........in all three films, the "leather clad loner" is interposed on a struggling group.......As you suggested, at first Max's sole goal is survival with no thought to others, be it getting a tank of gas from the settlers in Road Warrior, escape from Joe's gang in Fury Road and the return of his camels and truck in Thunderdome..... Then in all three movies, through happenstance in reaching his sole goal, Max is sidetracked and is then on the receiving end of the would-be rescued's assistance...The Gyro Captain rescuing him from the wreck, Furiosa rescuing him from his impending return to the blood bank and Savannah Nix finding him near death in the desert......In return, when faced with the option of returning to the wasteland alone or those in need, Max sacrifices himself to help the others reach their goals, with no reward other than a slight glimpse of humanity to tide him over when he returns to the wasteland alone...... I agree, Max is a very complex character...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek 2.0 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 But that's just it. He doesn't evolve. The primary conflict in the story is not his own and would go on without him. To say that he's necessary to their survival, so the story about him is like saying the other women were necessary for their survival so the story is about them. Max travels around and runs into these situations, but the story is never really about him. Would the Settlers have first found the tanker, then been able to return it to their settlement, then successfully used it as a decoy without Max? Would Furiosa have been able to fend off Joe's gangs without Max? Would the lost tribe been able to find Tomorrow-morrow land without Max's help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msj Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 I agree, Max is a very complex character...... Out of curiosity, do you read books or plays? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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