Susano Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Ah, Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films. SFX may be slicker today, but his stop-motion animation had a special magic. Tom Baker's blue-eyed Arab evil sorceror in Golden Voyage is a hoot. But overall I think I preferred The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad more. I'm a sucker for Cyclopses. I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out which game supplement mentioned a race of cyclops with horns on their heads and goat-like legs. And obvious nod to Harryhausen's work in several movies. [edit] Found it. Pathfinder Bestiary, page 52 Here's the specific passage: "Ancient records, the oral traditions of other giantish races, and the scattered accounts of tribal natives of the southern jungles speak of much larger, more primal “great cyclopes,” imposing titans with shaggy legs and a massive horn above an inquisitive eye." Yeah, totally a Harryhausen reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? 2001. There are some bits of this that are really disturbing ... Before that film, you had to be on a controlled substance to see some of those images. It's definitely a thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling, experience. 2001 also set the bar in terms of sci-fi special effects. Its realistic depiction of future space travel is still unsurpassed to this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Ah, Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films. SFX may be slicker today, but his stop-motion animation had a special magic. Tom Baker's blue-eyed Arab evil sorceror in Golden Voyage is a hoot. But overall I think I preferred The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad more. I'm a sucker for Cyclopses. I've always enjoyed these films. I'll rate them higher than alot of the new stuff Hollywood puts out today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja-Bear Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Been watching Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series. As for movies, saw Ong Bak 3 which might have made more sense if I watched (2) first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? 2001 also set the bar in terms of sci-fi special effects. Its realistic depiction of future space travel is still unsurpassed to this day. Agree. I saw the film many years ago (just after year 2000 or so) and was astounded by the SFX. In many ways the SFX from that film is as modern as CGI is today. Additionally I though the SFX on 2001 was better in places than the SFX on Star Wars trilogy from the 70s/early 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Millions Like Us (1943) a British WW2 film about a young shy homebody girl gets called up to work in the factories assisting the war effort. During her new life she meets fellow girls from different parts of Britain in similar circumstances. The ladies get told that they are making parts for the aircraft and although the part they are making may seem minor, in the larger scheme of things it is helping the RAF to keep flying. the young lady protagonist meets a young shy insecure Scot who joins the RAF and they get married and *spoiler* he dies. The one thing that really got to me was the emotion within the film. That is that this film was made during WW2 to assist the war effort and give credence to the ladies in the factories doing the jobs that up until then the men did. I know about this from the history books, but to see it illustrated and acted out as a document from the period was really moving. That emotion connection that films like this and the songs of Vera Lynne actually contributed to war effort in tangible ways. More so this film, as it was about an ordinary young lady, illustrating what was occurring all over the country--as the film says "Millions Like Us". The characters in the film are resolutely ordinary, and therefore all too believable - Fred (Gordon Jackson), the RAF pilot that Celia meets, marries and tragically loses, is no dashing hero but a shy, awkward youth barely out of his teens. This is the point emphasised by the film's title - the war won't be won just by the elite (Churchill's "the few"): everyone has a contribution to make, and that insignificant-looking aircraft component might mean the difference between life and death for a pilot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? moby dick and the mighty mightor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John T Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Just finished watching the movie version of Quatermass and the Pit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I'm working my way through "Dexter," I just hit season 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I was looking up something else and I saw something I remembered from my childhood (and some few that I missed): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Merantau, and The Raid: Redemption. Indonesian action films. Cinematic Pentjak Silat in all its brutally efficient glory. The latter is probably one of the most violent martial arts flicks I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Merantau' date=' and The Raid: Redemption. Indonesian action films. Cinematic [i']Pentjak Silat[/i] in all its brutally efficient glory. The latter is probably one of the most violent martial arts flicks I've ever seen. Thanks for the tip. Pentjak Silat is, indeed, brutal and I'd love to see more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Before that film, you had to be on a controlled substance to see some of those images. It's definitely a thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling, experience. 2001 also set the bar in terms of sci-fi special effects. Its realistic depiction of future space travel is still unsurpassed to this day. Agree. I saw the film many years ago (just after year 2000 or so) and was astounded by the SFX. In many ways the SFX from that film is as modern as CGI is today. Additionally I though the SFX on 2001 was better in places than the SFX on Star Wars trilogy from the 70s/early 80s. The special effects in 2001 were largely done by Douglas Trumbull, who also did effects for Silent Running, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He came up with the Slit Scan process, which involved long exposures with both moving artwork and a moving slit in a dark material to create the weird effects of the Stargate sequence (and many '70s ads). He also developed Showscan, a 70 mm film process which shot at 60 frames per second. He had hoped that Brainstorm would be filmed in it (and rumor has it that the "brainstorm" sequences were), and acted as the film's director. Showscan is mainly used for ride films, as it doesn't produce noticeable flicker--meaning that the video looks more real. Back in the '80s, the Caesars Omnimax* had a Showscan festival, and my experience with watching it was that it became more "real" to me than current 3D techniques, and without glasses and without headaches (the brain seems to automatically adjust to the depth queues within the 2D Showscan film). Kubrick also wanted the computer displays in 2001 to look futuristic, and achieved this by running a number of film projectors in back of the displays. He gave us flat panels with sharp color and contrast using this technique. By comparison, the 1984 sequel, 2010, used video monitors, which look increasingly dated, given the obvious glass curve of the screens, and limited colors. Interiors on the Discovery sometimes also look like painted plywood in the sequel, especially in the pod bay. While 2001 looks glorious on Blu-Ray, 2010 didn't fare nearly as well. Back on thread, I'm almost finished with Season 2 of Star Trek: DS9. JoeG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? The special effects in 2001 were largely done by Douglas Trumbull' date=' [/quote'] Kubrick also was a technique called front projection (i think that is the name of it) sort of like a early green screen technique. does that gel with what you know about the 2001 SPF? I have Close Encounters of the Third Kind but have not watched it as yet. Back on thread, I'm almost finished with Season 2 of Star Trek: DS9. JoeG Just about to start watching North by Northwest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? moby dick and the mighty mightor Ah, part of that quick-and-dirtily made, but wildly entertaining spate of 1960s Hannah-Barbera superhero cartoons, that made my childhood Saturday mornings so much to look forward to: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio, Shazan, Herculoids, Samson and Goliath, and of course the guy I'm using as my avatar. No moralizing messages or pasteurized action, just colorful E-vil menaces and inventive and frenetic butt-kicking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Ah' date=' part of that quick-and-dirtily made, but wildly entertaining spate of 1960s Hannah-Barbera superhero cartoons, that made my childhood Saturday mornings so much to look forward to: [i']Birdman and the Galaxy Trio, Shazan, Herculoids, Samson and Goliath[/i], and of course the guy I'm using as my avatar. No moralizing messages or pasteurized action, just colorful E-vil menaces and inventive and frenetic butt-kicking. amen to that they don't make super-hero cartoons like that anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Immortals. Disappointing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Just finished watching the movie version of Quatermass and the Pit. I saw that under its American release title, Five Million Years To Earth -- the Quatermass character didn't have much name recognition in the US at the time. The original BBC serial was one of the earliest examples of the "ancient aliens influencing human evolution" sci-fi trope. The movie is intelligent, well-written and -acted, with good production values. It's decidedly eerie, as much horror as SF. I remember those Martian corpses in the ship in particular really freaked me out as a youngster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Ah' date=' part of that quick-and-dirtily made, but wildly entertaining spate of 1960s Hannah-Barbera superhero cartoons, that made my childhood Saturday mornings so much to look forward to: [i']Birdman and the Galaxy Trio, Shazan, Herculoids, Samson and Goliath[/i], and of course the guy I'm using as my avatar. No moralizing messages or pasteurized action, just colorful E-vil menaces and inventive and frenetic butt-kicking. Huge fan of the period. But, please tell me that you've seen this: I smiled with the wonder of a small child -- and then needed to explain who Space Ghost was to my girlfriend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I saw that under its American release title' date=' [i']Five Million Years To Earth[/i] -- the Quatermass character didn't have much name recognition in the US at the time. The original BBC serial was one of the earliest examples of the "ancient aliens influencing human evolution" sci-fi trope. The movie is intelligent, well-written and -acted, with good production values. It's decidedly eerie, as much horror as SF. I remember those Martian corpses in the ship in particular really freaked me out as a youngster. I need to watch that again. Roy Baker directed so many amazing things (in addition to this film). He showed the same skill with some of my favorite episodes of "The Avengers", "The Saint" and with the incredibly wacky Hammer/Shaw Brothers crossover "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Trollhunter -- a great and fun combination of horror, comedy, folklore, and action. I liked it a great deal and for such a low-budget film, the troll effects were quite effective, and unlike some people, I could accept the odd appearance of the trolls and not find them silly or laughter inducing. Of course, it might help that I've seen some Norwegian art of trolls, as well as the books Gnomes and Giants, and have a basic understanding of what a Norwegian folkloric troll would look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? i saw it first class Huge fan of the period. But, please tell me that you've seen this: I smiled with the wonder of a small child -- and then needed to explain who Space Ghost was to my girlfriend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? the adventures of tintin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Kubrick also was a technique called front projection (i think that is the name of it) sort of like a early green screen technique. does that gel with what you know about the 2001 SPF? I have Close Encounters of the Third Kind but have not watched it as yet. Just about to start watching North by Northwest. Yes, I seem to remember some front screen projection used during the beginning sequences (on the African plains), and to a certain extent for part of the stargate sequence. It was a finicky technique until better screen material was available. The Sean Connery movie, Outland, used a lot of front-screen projection for their effects. The way front-screen works, there's a projector on set that shares the same axis as the camera. It projects whatever image is necessary on a reflective material (3M makes a screen that works best with this, from what I've read), and the trick is making sure that the projector isn't so bright as to overwhelm the other elements in the scene. JoeG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Trollhunter -- a great and fun combination of horror' date=' comedy, folklore, and action. I liked it a great deal and for such a low-budget film, the troll effects were quite effective, and unlike some people, I could accept the odd appearance of the trolls and not find them silly or laughter inducing. Of course, it might help that I've seen some Norwegian art of trolls, as well as the books [i']Gnomes[/i] and Giants, and have a basic understanding of what a Norwegian folkloric troll would look like. I thought it was brilliant. The internal logic of the movie was perfect. And... The final troll/giant blew my face off my face. He was so out-of-scope with anything I expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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