Renfield ...

uwe · August 21, 2023, 09:21:59 AM

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for Nicolas Cage AND for Dracula, but this quirky little movie was such a hoot I cannot fathom why it box office bombed ...

It's lovingly written (with good knowledge of the source material), paced and performed. Even the awkward love story is cute. Lots of slapstick gore, you have to have a stomach for that.

Pilgrim · August 21, 2023, 10:44:10 AM

I look forward to seeing it. Renfield was an interesting character in the Stoker book.

And I confess I get a kick out of Nick Cage. Say what you will about his film choices, when he takes on a role he commits to it 100%. That level of conviction takes him a lot farther in those roles than most actors would get.

uwe · August 21, 2023, 12:36:45 PM

Nicky's choice (or his management's choice) of films gives new meaning to the term abysmal, he's absolutely fearless in associating his name with unadulterated junk. But I still like his acting, not that he is really that varied, but other great actors aren't either. And Cage does his 'floundered everyman' (sort of an unsettling/slightly unhinged Tom Hanks with dark blotches in his past), which sums up 90% of his roles, well. His Dracula is camp Grand Guignol overacting at its finest and a heartfelt tribute to Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. He looks like he had an absolute ball doing it.

Basvarken · August 21, 2023, 01:11:27 PM

Young Tom Yorke could never have dreamt his song would once be the sound track of Horror/Slapstick movie

westen44 · August 21, 2023, 03:45:35 PM

Quote from: Basvarken on August 21, 2023, 01:11:27 PM
Young Tom Yorke could never have dreamt his song would once be the sound track of Horror/Slapstick movie

I doubt if Trent Reznor ever thought that his song "Hurt" would ever be taken over by Johnny Cash, either. Reznor has stated that the song isn't really his anymore.

uwe · August 21, 2023, 04:05:55 PM

Quote from: Basvarken on August 21, 2023, 01:11:27 PM
Young Tom Yorke could never have dreamt ~~his~~ that Albert Hammond's song would once be the sound track of Horror/Slapstick movie

Fixed it for ya! Thom "thievin'" Yorke, the man who closes an eyelid on what belongs to others!

And don't tell me that the I-III-IV-iv chord combination is so prevalent, "it's just a coincidence". Following a major I with a major III (and not a minor iii) is extremely rare as it's not in line with harmony theory. Before Creep I (thought I***) had heard that chord change only in one song: The Air That I Breathe.

***Though to be fair, I've now learned Space Odditiy features it too, Bowie was always inventive with chords. And knowing Thom Yorke, he was probably more of a David Bowie than a Albert Hammond/Hollies listener.

But I bet Rob is gonna defend Yorke, because he thinks Radiohead is cooler than perennially unfashionable Albert Hammond or the Hollies.

Basvarken · August 21, 2023, 04:26:00 PM

Are you trying to lure us into another Deep Purple thread here?

uwe · August 21, 2023, 04:37:34 PM

If you insist

..., here at 02:30:

It's not quite the telltale I-III change, but - harmonically more standard - I-iii, yet close ...

Not a chord change Purple would do often, they tended to write in minor not major keys. Woman From Tokyo was an exception, but still didn't feature the I-iii change, that only came in via interpolating Buddy Holly.

Satisfied? That took some digging.

Basvarken · August 21, 2023, 04:50:01 PM

Not even close. You're only scratching the surface

uwe · August 21, 2023, 05:05:59 PM

gearHed289 · August 22, 2023, 08:08:45 AM

Wow, I didn't even know about this movie. Looks like something I would totally enjoy.

uwe · August 22, 2023, 10:41:15 AM

It flopped big time - go figure.

If stuff like this is to your your taste, you'll be highly entertained!

Pilgrim · August 22, 2023, 01:21:44 PM

My tastes in movies are a bit different than the 15-35 year olds. I enjoy some of those movies like Renfield, and am not interested in Spiderperson 35 and other formula stuff. Although I admit that I did enjoy Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds does a smart-ass better than most.

Incidentally, I saw Oppenheimer and really enjoyed it, but I had a lot of trouble understanding the dialogue. The levels on much of it were low and I struggled to make out low conversations. The biggest problem for me is that I could NOT understand the last line, which was very important. What I thought I heard didn't make any sense. The real last line was "I believe we did" which made more sense.

Ken · August 22, 2023, 01:33:25 PM

Speaking of Spiderperson movies, I thought the animated Into the Spiderverse was pretty excellent.

uwe · August 22, 2023, 01:51:45 PM

Oppenheimer is still on my list. I love Cillian Murphy's (under)acting. He was brilliant in Peaky Blinders.

I saw the Barbie movie - the first ten minutes are spectacularly funny, insightful and well-paced. And then the movie loses steam big time. I'm fine with the feminist message, but it is so underdeveloped and superficial. And Gosling is great when he's well-cast, but he's just not a credible Ken to me. Ryan Reynolds would have had that role cut out for him. Gosling OTOH method-acts Ken (who is a male moron initially) - if such a thing is possible.

I think the core flaw of the movie is that they wanted to give adults something to think about, but not puzzle little girls as part of the audience too much. That was an ambitious endeavor for sure, but they failed IMHO.