Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Empire's 50 Best Films of 2014
Options
Comments
-
-
when was the last truly great 100% original film released, ive seen well over 1000 films in my life probably more than 2000 really but i never kept count (who wouldOn the contrary, just because people like them doesn't make them good.
Marvel are fast becoming the cinematic equivalent to Call of Duty to me. Only very very superficial differences between them with the same story telling formulas and generic direction. The samey action climaxes of Captain America and Guardians nearly put me to sleep.) but i find every film you watch can always draw a comparison or two to another film, in one way or another, originality is dead,
marvel is generic, in a very obvious way, but they have a certain audience that they play to and they know it, thats why its a multi billion dollar franchise, most film makers cater to their audiences, people Tarantino and Wes Anderson have their audiences that they make their films for, their films can draw massive comparisons when put side by side to each of their previous films, but still manage to keep things fresh over a 20 year period, marvel is just a bigger organisation than a single director, simple as,0 -
-
-
I'm not asking for 100% originality, I'm asking for something genuine that doesn't feel like it's just an overly box ticking exercise for the fans. I've seen close to 2000 films now and I am often finding new experiences and fresh voices despite there being a bare minimum of stories out there. With Guardians it had so much potential to break out of the mold that Marvel has set but it's just the same old BS in a new coat really. Part of me would have preferred if Guardians of the Galaxy was an out and out disaster instead of the boringly acceptable film that it is.when was the last truly great 100% original film released, ive seen well over 1000 films in my life probably more than 2000 really but i never kept count (who would) but i find every film you watch can always draw a comparison or two to another film, in one way or another, originality is dead,
marvel is generic, in a very obvious way, but they have a certain audience that they play to and they know it, thats why its a multi billion dollar franchise, most film makers cater to their audiences, people Tarantino and Wes Anderson have their audiences that they make their films for, their films can draw massive comparisons when put side by side to each of their previous films, but still manage to keep things fresh over a 20 year period, marvel is just a bigger organisation than a single director, simple as,
I'd point to Edge of Tomorrow as a film with a unique premise (in the action sci-fi genre at least) that that was directed with a real wit and sense of fun.0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
I'm not asking for 100% originality, I'm asking for something genuine that doesn't feel like it's just an overly box ticking exercise for the fans. I've seen close to 2000 films now and I am often finding new experiences and fresh voices despite there being a bare minimum of stories out there. With Guardians it had so much potential to break out of the mold that Marvel has set but it's just the same old BS in a new coat really. Part of me would have preferred if Guardians of the Galaxy was an out and out disaster instead of the boringly acceptable film that it is.
I'd point to Edge of Tomorrow as a film with a unique premise (in the action sci-fi genre at least) that that was directed with a real wit and sense of fun.
yeah true it was a box ticking exercise, but there's also originality in each film, these are stories that have been around for decades, so they already come in a fairly tight universe to begins with, GOTG i thought was so fun cause ive never heard of them before, i never read comics i watched mainly the DC and Marvel cartoons as a kid, so Guardians was completely new to me, and being honest now that ive seen it 3-4 times i do see the similarities it has to other marvel films, but so what, its not really that surprising, all these characters are going to have to co-exist in the same universe, one created by a group of probably 10-20 people nearly 60 years ago, so originality is gonna be sparse,
even as good as EOT was its still not original, its adapted from comics just like GOTG, its 3-4 different ideas tied into one, it was extremely enjoyable and very well made and acted film, but still it 3-4 different ideas stitched together very well,
im surprised you liked this and not GOTG, id probably say i loved both equally, both were funny and witty in places, and serious when the need came, the only difference is that EOT has no lead in films that it can draw comparison to, and as similar as GOTG is to other marvel films, if it was **** people wouldn't just flock to see it,
it was a very well received film, i dont recall any scathing reviews towards it, it ranks high on critical and public rating sites, even higher that captain america 2, which i thought was a better film,0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Funny you brought up them all trying to exist in the same universe and that's one of my big issues. There doesn't seem to be a great standalone movie yet for me because they all have to answer for and set up each other. There's something very labored and contrived about it all, as if it's done with release dates in mind to secure box office and nothing else. Rocket and Groot were the highlights of the film for me but I found Pratt and Saldana kind of dull tbh.yeah true it was a box ticking exercise, but there's also originality in each film, these are stories that have been around for decades, so they already come in a fairly tight universe to begins with, GOTG i thought was so fun cause ive never heard of them before, i never read comics i watched mainly the DC and Marvel cartoons as a kid, so Guardians was completely new to me, and being honest now that ive seen it 3-4 times i do see the similarities it has to other marvel films, but so what, its not really that surprising, all these characters are going to have to co-exist in the same universe, one created by a group of probably 10-20 people nearly 60 years ago, so originality is gonna be sparse,
even as good as EOT was its still not original, its adapted from comics just like GOTG, its 3-4 different ideas tied into one, it was extremely enjoyable and very well made and acted film, but still it 3-4 different ideas stitched together very well,
im surprised you liked this and not GOTG, id probably say i loved both equally, both were funny and witty in places, and serious when the need came, the only difference is that EOT has no lead in films that it can draw comparison to, and as similar as GOTG is to other marvel films, if it was **** people wouldn't just flock to see it,
it was a very well received film, i dont recall any scathing reviews towards it, it ranks high on critical and public rating sites, even higher that captain america 2, which i thought was a better film,
I'm not trying to claim that Edge of Tomorrow is the best that the cinema has to offer but that it has just enough freshness to stand apart from the blockbuster crowd. I love how the plot, character development and action direction are completely in sync with each other, doesn't feel like it's been directed by committee at all.0 -
-
-
Funny you brought up them all trying to exist in the same universe and that's one of my big issues. There doesn't seem to be a great standalone movie yet for me because they all have to answer for and set up each other. There's something very labored and contrived about it all, as if it's done with release dates in mind to secure box office and nothing else. Rocket and Groot were the highlights of the film for me but I found Pratt and Saldana kind of dull tbh.
I'm not trying to claim that Edge of Tomorrow is the best that the cinema has to offer but that it has just enough freshness to stand apart from the blockbuster crowd. I love how the plot, character development and action direction are completely in sync with each other, doesn't feel like it's been directed by committee at all.
yeah with the big intertwined universe things do get complicated, why didn't Thor call SHIELD for help in Thor 2, where were the other avengers to help out in Captain America 2, but unfortunately this is just something that is just gonna have to be accepted going forward, and if you cant sell yourself on that then you wont enjoy the movies as much as they expect you too, ive no doubt ill reach that point at some stage over the next few years myself,
funny that you say EOT wasnt directed by commitee, cause thats what producers do, they tell everyone what to do, they control how the movie is made, how it plays out, the director and writers adapt to their view, and EOT had 15 producers, compared to GOTGs 10 producers,
but yeah even though both are equally entertaining for what they are, EOT did come across as the fresher feeling film, like i said GOTG did start to feel more similar to it sister films after 4 or so viewings, i havent watch EOT that many times, but i cant see it happening for it, but thats what you get with franchises, but the franchise will keep us entertained for years to come, maybe they might surprise us less if they dont adapt, but if the gravy train starts to dry up theyll have to do something,0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
a bazooka clearlyThe_Valeyard wrote: »Wha???
It has a talking ape,
On horse back,
With dual machine guns!!!
What more do you want?? 0 -
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 29,123 CMod ✭✭✭✭
Join Date:Posts: 27836
The 'it was a bad year for film' arguments make me break out into an involuntary twitch
Every single year there are dozens of brilliant films released. Pretty much without fail. The only variable is that some years will inevitably have a higher cluster of 'masterpieces', just through sheer chance. But taking into account the whole cinematic spectrum - consider it one entity, not disparate sections - there is never, ever a shortage of great films to track down.
Seriously, writing up my favourite films of the year (thread a few down from this one: http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057347558) and I realised I'd easily make a top 30 or 40 of the year without any hassle, and all those films would be totally worthy of inclusion. Hell, there's a dozen or more significant films I've missed out on that Im dying to finally get around to. I've found the same the last number of years, and expect the same in 2015.
Which brings me to...MisterAnarchy wrote: »How does one find the "right" movies because that seems to be the hardest problem now.
A little bit of effort is all it takes
Pick up Sight & Sound every month. Read the likes of Slant, The Dissolve, Little White Lies - they're constantly flagging worthwhile releases of all shapes and sizes. Their end of year lists always tend to throw up hidden gems too.
Take risks. Don't just stick with favourite directors or genres.
Keep track of the films generating buzz at festival season - most major serious film sites run blogs covering them, and very often the likes of Cannes help indicate what you can expect for the rest of the year.
Join Letterboxd, and follow lots of different people. Use the watch list feature to easily note films that sound interesting so you can track down when they become available.
Simply check out what's playing at the Lighthouse, IFI or the Irish film festivals, even if you don't have immediate access to them. Browse the latest releases on iTunes to see what's out. Follow arthouse distributors like Dogwoof, Masters of Cinema, Second Run, Third Window, Arrow, Artificial Eye, Soda Pictures on Twitter to see what they're releasing.
Don't settle for what the multiplex is showing. Order DVDs and BluRays, take advantage of video on demand to find the films if you're not near a cinema showing them. Join your local film club - most major towns in the country have them (check out Access Cinema's website).
I genuinely struggle to keep track of everything worthwhile or interesting that's out, and I feel like I have a pretty much constant stream of films I want to track down. It's all about building a varied and vibrant list of resources. Get into that habit, and the great films will start coming to you because you simply cannot avoid them 0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOyJqGtP-wU
Advertisement