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G r a v i t y

RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
edited 2014-03-03 13:31 in General Discussion
Just about the best movie ever? I don't know but I really liked it. I've actually watched it three times now in the last two days. Very intense, very human, not at all a "space movie" (though the space stuff is beautiful) . I highly recommend it.
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Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-01-08 19:20
    Weird. I hated it! Next to The Ipcress File (which I slept through twice) and Pulp Fiction ('can't stand John Revolta), it ranks near the bottom of my must-see-again list. The special effects were great -- 'saw it in 3D, too, But the overall premise and storyline suffered, IMO, along with the science. For example, everything at a given altitude orbits at the same velocity. Stuff doesn't just go whizzing past unless it's coming from the opposite direction; otherwise it would seek a higher altitude. Moreover, I thought the female lead was weak and that her portrayal was sexist. Sigourney Weaver would've been a much better choice, a la "Preditor." Her take-no-prisoners attitude would have been perfect for this film. And George Clooney was just a clown. What was he even doing among the cast? I'll give it two stars -- at most.

    -Phil
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2014-01-08 19:38
    Dam...
    '
    I was really looking forward to see that one!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-08 19:50
    Haven't seen Gravity yet, but still want to. Especially now, 'cuz I love a good open debate with my hero PhiPi.

    As for erco's Christmas flick recos, Despicable Me 2 (DVD) was fabulous, Man of Steel (DVD) disappointed mightily, and there is not enough money or robots to make me suffer through Anchor Man 2.
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2014-01-08 20:23
    I want to see Gravity in 3D on Blu-ray, $40 is a little steep but I want to test out all this UV hype.

    I finished watching House Season 8 over the holidays. Now that the show is gone I have to find another show, maybe The Universe on Amazon Prime.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-01-08 21:25
    I recommend Lilyhammer on Netflix. Only 16 episodes, and it's a hoot! Here's the premise: NY Italian mob boss rats on his friends, is offered witness protection by the FBI, chooses Lilihammer, Norway. Imagine the culture clash. Hilarity ensues.

    Per erco's rec, it's Despicable Me tonite! (It better be good.)

    -Phil
  • ErlendErlend Posts: 612
    edited 2014-01-08 23:26
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    ... chooses Lilihammer, Norway. Imagine the culture clash....

    -Phil

    No, they're all mafia up there ;)

    Erlend
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-01-09 00:50
    Clooney is pretty much useless in this movie, his part could have been played by anyone and no one would notice. As a matter of fact, he was kind of annoying. Fortunately he's pretty much gone after the beginning. The technical issues/scientific inaccuracy, well, it is a Hollywood movie after all, and I kind of expected those.

    One thing of note, there are very few actors in this movie and all but one are gone after the first 30 minutes. I can't say I was a Sandra Bullock fan before seeing this story, but I am now. If you don't like Sandra Bullock, you won't like this movie.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2014-01-09 08:11
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    Weird. I hated it! Next to The Ipcress File (which I slept through twice)

    I liked The Ipcress File. I was in hospital once with Guy Doleman, one of the stars of the film; we got on quite well. He was suffering from alcohol-related brain seizures. He had lots of interesting stories about his acting career.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-01-09 09:31
    Pulp Fiction ('can't stand John Revolta),
    Funny, I despised Travolta until this. Plus, ya gotta love Tarentino and his out there style. Did you see Django?? Anyhow, I do not like when movies stray too far from reality if the movie is suppose to be about something real. Some times the special effects go overboard and do not match what is real.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-01-09 15:13
    Gravity isn't the best film ever...

    That would be 'The PinchCliffe Grand Prix' (Got to love a car with a V12 in front and a gas turbine in the back... )

    Now, the good news is that Gravity isn't the worst film ever, either.
    It was beaten by 'Love, Angels and Airwaves'... barely...

    Lilyhammer...
    The place is actually named Lillehammer.

    Ipcress file.
    This movie is a MUST SEE.

    Other movies that people need to see is:
    A Clockwork Orange.
    Charlie Chaplin's The Kid
    Metropolis (No, it doesn't have anything to do with the flying Mary Sue)
    Suicide Mission (Norwegian title: Shetlandsgjengen. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049808/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shetland_bus )
    Casablanca
    The first Taxi movie. (The french comedy. Trust me, it's good... )
    Robin Hood: Men in tights...
    Lawrence of Arabia
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-01-09 15:20
    Gadgetman wrote:
    Lilyhammer...
    The place is actually named Lillehammer.
    But the series is called "Lilyhammer."

    -Phil
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2014-01-09 17:06
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote:
    For example, everything at a given altitude orbits at the same velocity. Stuff doesn't just go whizzing past unless it's coming from the opposite direction; otherwise it would seek a higher altitude.

    They could wiz by if they were in elliptical orbits...
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-09 17:21
    Well, the trouble with movies is that they are so subjective.

    Far more importantly, I'm sure we're all in agreement that the best ice cream flavor is vanilla.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2014-01-09 17:36
    erco wrote: »

    Far more importantly, I'm sure we're all in agreement that the best ice cream flavor is vanilla.

    Yup, as long as it is covered in hot fudge.
  • ElectrodudeElectrodude Posts: 1,658
    edited 2014-01-09 17:46
    W9GFO wrote: »
    They could wiz by if they were in elliptical orbits...

    But then how did they manage to hit them every 90 minutes? They should have missed almost all the time. Also, wouldn't the chain reaction (which wikipedia says can actually happen) distribute momentum enough so everything would just fall into the atmosphere?
  • Hal AlbachHal Albach Posts: 747
    edited 2014-01-09 18:15
    Even though there was some major and minor bending and violations of scientific principles, Gravity was a movie for entertainment. Politically, I and the two major stars are worlds apart (pun intended) but the acting and dialogue drew me into the story and I was able to see past the imperfections and actually enjoyed this movie. Watching Sandra climb out of her space suit was delightful. And the last 15 or 20 minutes of the film are memorable enough for me to want to go and see it again. I may be getting on in years, but I still have a child-like wonder and fascination for movies like this, which, for me, makes going to the movies an enjoyable outing.
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,107
    edited 2014-01-09 21:46
    Weird. I hated it!

    It's probably heresy for a member of SAG-AFTRA to admit this, but I hated it, too. It was the most self-indulgent piece of cinematic fluff I've seen in a long time. Thankfully, as a member of SAG, I didn't have to pay to see it -- though I can't get those two hours back.

    For those that want to see it, the movie is beautifully shot. The dialog: total Smile. Sandy's performance: Not her best. George's performance: Also not his best.

    I think I, like many, was hoping the second wave of debris would kill everyone and we could get out at the 15-minute mark.

    Of the screeners I've received for SAG voting "12 Years A Slave" is best and Chiwetel Ejiofor deserves the Golden Globe, SAG Award, and OSCAR. Just my opinion.
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,107
    edited 2014-01-09 21:53
    I finished watching House Season 8 over the holidays. Now that the show is gone I have to find another show, maybe The Universe on Amazon Prime.

    If you like cranky British doctors, check out "Doc Martin." It's a British dramedy that has some wonderful characters (save the 1st season receptionist -- thankfully, she's out after one season). Netflix and Amazon Prime have five of the six series. There's a streaming channel called Acorn.TV that has the latest series at all. Acorn is only $5/month and I find myself watching a lot of British TV before going to bed (currently enjoying a show called "The Vicar of Dibley" -- which is also on Netflix and Amazon).
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-01-09 22:46
    JonnyMac wrote:
    It's probably heresy for a member of SAG-AFTRA to admit this, but I hated it, too.
    Thank you, Jon! My friends think I'm too critical. But with that, coming from a film professional, I feel vindicated!

    -Phil
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-01-10 01:00
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    But the series is called "Lilyhammer."

    -Phil

    Yes, and?

    The series is named like that because that's the way it was pronounced way back when it was announced that Lillehammer was chosen to host the 1994 Winter Olympics.
  • MoskogMoskog Posts: 554
    edited 2014-01-10 01:05
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    But the series is called "Lilyhammer."

    -Phil
    I do think the name Lilyhammer came from a lady that was an inhabitan of the city of Lillehammer back in 1994. She, Lilly Hammer (a common Norwegian name) got famous because of the similarity of the name of her city. This was well used by norwegian and international press the days before the olympic itself got all the focus on tv's and newspapers all over.

    I'm glad you like the series, Phil, even though they put some of us Norwegians in a strange light, my personal favourite is Torgeir!
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2014-01-10 21:40
    Oh my! I just watched Gravity. U n b e l i e v a b l e !

    I will say that the last two or three minutes were very believable. Aside from that the extent of the technical inaccuracies is astounding. I'm not going to even bother trying to list them they are so numerous. It's only replay value will be to point and laugh at the stupid stuff I missed the first time through. ...and I like Clooney and Bullock.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-01-10 21:59
    W9GFO wrote:
    ... and I like Clooney and Bullock.
    I do, too. But not together, and definitely not in this movie.

    Oddly enough, Neil deGrasse Tyson -- of all people -- did not find the numerous scientific inaccuracies all that objectionable. I guess if you can blind yourself to the premises of any drama, it can turn out to be entertaining. I'm just not capable of turning off my critical mind, I suppose.

    -Phil
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2014-01-10 22:18
    I am capable. It's fiction. In fiction, we can do anything we want and the world works any way we want it to.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-01-11 03:48
    It's Hollywood movie after all. It was not presented as a documentary or scientific production. To be honest, my expectations regarding the technical accuracy of the physics and science weren't all that high, I watched it solely for the entertainment value and was not disappointed. The "believability" was orders of magnitude better than other movies such as Iron Man or the Avengers for example.
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,934
    edited 2014-01-11 04:16
    potatohead wrote: »
    I am capable. It's fiction. In fiction, we can do anything we want and the world works any way we want it to.

    My problem with this is these sorts of films appear to be trying to portray a real "what-if?" scenario. A what-if needs to at least try to follow a plausible plot. On that simple basis they make me quite angry at times. They are just wasting a perfect opportunity to actually tell a good story. There have been far too many utter rubbish films like this in the last decade or so.

    PS: It's so bad that films that aren't trying to be real are doing a far better job than ones that should be: Predator seemed way more plausible than Jurassic Park for example. Avatar is light years more plausible than Armageddon!
  • Mike GMike G Posts: 2,702
    edited 2014-01-11 04:44
    I'm a fan of Lilyhammer too. I recognized Steven Van Zandt from his music career which got me watching.

    I feel a strong attraction to checkout G r a v i t y given the loved it hated it reviews.
  • Don MDon M Posts: 1,652
    edited 2014-01-11 05:09
    Go see "The Wolf of Wall Street" instead.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2014-01-11 09:06
    RDL2004 wrote: »
    It's Hollywood movie after all. It was not presented as a documentary or scientific production. To be honest, my expectations regarding the technical accuracy of the physics and science weren't all that high, I watched it solely for the entertainment value and was not disappointed. The "believability" was orders of magnitude better than other movies such as Iron Man or the Avengers for example.

    The difference is that those movies were based upon comic book characters, not actual plausible scenarios. I always expect to see technical errors or omissions, I understand they are sometimes necessary to advance the story. The bit where Clooney releases himself to "save" Bullock was beyond absurd, it was not necessary to the plot at all. The opportunity to be rid of Clooney in a realistic manner was available just moments before.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-01-11 09:10
    W9GFO wrote:
    The opportunity to be rid of Clooney in a realistic manner was available just moments before.
    The opportunity to be rid of him even sooner should have been taken by the casting director. :)

    -Phil
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