Film forum off topic/random chat thread

Agent Coulson · 27-05-2020 8:40pm

Agent Coulson wrote: »

If any actor could get it done it is one who worships aliens and loves to do his own crazy stunts.

I would watch the sh1t of this if it gets made.

Out Of This World! Tom Cruise Plots Movie To Shoot In Space With Elon Musk’s SpaceX

https://deadline.com/2020/05/tom-cruise-movie-shot-in-outer-space-elon-musk-spacex-unprecedented-in-hollywood-1202925849/

Doug Liman signs on to direct it.

Doug Liman To Direct Tom Cruise In Outer Space-Shot Movie Collaboration With Elon Musk & NASA

Doug Liman will boldly go where no film director has gone before. Liman plans to accompany Tom Cruise on the action adventure film to be shot in outer space that is being mounted independently (for now) and involves Elon Musk’s Space X and NASA. Liman, who directed Cruise on the movies American Made and Edge of Tomorrow, and who separately directed such hits as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity, Go and Swingers, is eager to re-team on this first of its kind project, I’m told.

This is not some loose attachment. Liman and Cruise hatched this whole thing together, with Liman writing the first draft of the screenplay and producing along with Cruise. Deadline revealed on May 4 that Cruise was planning this feat, to actually travel to space in a craft to shoot the film, and the scoop hung out there until NASA confirmed its participation a day later.

https://deadline.com/2020/05/doug-liman-tom-cruise-outer-space-movie-elon-musk-nasa-1202943591/

CastorTroy · 27-05-2020 9:32pm

Fysh wrote: »

I was genuinely upset by the Twilight Zone one - I had a notion that people had died during the production, but was not expecting to be shown the footage of the accident that killed them. I would've appreciated at least a warning, frankly.

Landis came across as a world-class bellend, IMO - blathering about "being immortalised in film" at Morrow's funeral as though that's any comfort for a family that's been bereaved because of his insistence on putting a notion of realism ahead of safety for his cast and crew. Between that and paying the child actors under the table so that they wouldn't be on the books, I was stunned that he got to make as many subsequent films as he did.

Was difference in attitudes about how to proceed as well. like the director of Poltergeist 3 wanted the movie to be shelved after Heather O'Rourke's death but the studio wouldn't let it happen. Then you have The Crow and Twilight Zone both continuing because it's what they would've wanted. I know they both gave their life for the job while Heather died from health problems
But I would only believe that with the Crow as it seemed to be a passion project for Brandon, but from the way they talked about Vic Morrow, he was only there because he was afraid of not having work and being forgotten.

I'm sure it's been asked many times before but I wonder how the Crow would've done if that hadn't happened. And I wonder what kind of career Brandon would've had. Unfortunately it's always going to be a case of what could've been.

pixelburp · 27-05-2020 9:39pm

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Doug Liman signs on to direct it.

Doug Liman To Direct Tom Cruise In Outer Space-Shot Movie Collaboration With Elon Musk & NASA

https://deadline.com/2020/05/doug-liman-tom-cruise-outer-space-movie-elon-musk-nasa-1202943591/

Huh. I'm no astronomer, amateur or otherwise but I'd seriously question what "outer space" constitutes here. I genuinely don't believe for a second Tom Cruise will be allowed break the Kármán line (100km) which would be the bare minimum for "outer space". The famous "Vomit Comet" that Ron Howards Apollo 13 used is probably the more likely scenario here than Cruise _actually_ going into space (along with cameras and crew).

... Then again, it is Cruise...

CastorTroy · 27-05-2020 11:15pm

For any Harry potter fans here, there is currently an ongoing reading of the first book online. 7 chapters so far with Daniel Radcliffe, Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Fry and others
https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters

Also on Spotify

JohnFalstaff · 29-05-2020 11:42am

Shane Carruth, director of Primer and Upstream Color, has posted a concept trailer on vimeo for his long-gestating passsion project, A Topiary:

https://vimeo.com/23608364

Carruth is one of the most interesting film-makers working inside the Hollywood machine today. I really hope he gets this film made.

CastorTroy · 30-05-2020 1:19pm

Following the posts in another thread about banned films, I saw that Child's Play 3 was on The Horror Channel last night.
I remember that was the film that started the Video Nasty thing after it was supposedly linked to Jamie Bulger's murder.
I remember the image of copies of Child's Play 3 burning and the film was pulled from shelves.
I remember renting it from a place that clearly didn't care about that

Tony EH · 30-05-2020 2:52pm

The "Video nasty thing" came long before 'Child's Play III' and the Jamie Bulger case. That was just a Tabloid hunt in the wake of the case in 93. The Daily Mirror trumping itself as some sort of moral guardian. There was no evidence that the kids ever even saw 'Child's Play III'. It was just a convenient thing to hook a crusade on.

The actual video nasties bill from the Conservatives happened in 1984 though and was a much bigger event.

CastorTroy · 30-05-2020 6:34pm

Yeah I just remember the big deal at the time. The case was all over the news while the tabloids gave the likes of Child's Play 3 the treatment they give video games today.

pixelburp · 31-05-2020 10:25pm

Looks like UK TV and film production could restart as early as July; regular temp screening among other measures:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/may/31/the-batman-among-movies-given-go-ahead-for-restart-of-uk-filming

Sad Professor · 11-06-2020 6:45pm

https://twitter.com/_juliannemoore/status/1271093436872101888

This is some ghastly sh*t! As someone I follow said, I miss when being a left wing Hollywood actor meant they were a communist.

Tony EH · 11-06-2020 6:48pm

"Unless white America acknowledges its privilege"

This kind of gibberish needs to stop. It's wealth privilege, not white privilege. Plenty of whites in America have fuck all too.

BTW, absolutely none of those actors would know what left wing was if it bit them.

xtal191 · 11-06-2020 7:14pm

Sad Professor wrote: »

https://twitter.com/_juliannemoore/status/1271093436872101888

This is some ghastly sh*t! As someone I follow said, I miss when being a left wing Hollywood actor meant they were a communist.

https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/1271122686165516288

p to the e · 12-06-2020 10:27am

Here's Brian Kennedy trying to stay relevant.

https://twitter.com/KennedySinger/status/1267631229802774535

FunLover18 · 12-06-2020 1:06pm

Tony EH wrote: »

"Unless white America acknowledges its privilege"

This kind of gibberish needs to stop. It's wealth privilege, not white privilege. Plenty of whites in America have fuck all too.

The video is cringe but white privilege is a problem. Amy Cooper wasn't using wealth privilege against a poor man - Christian Cooper is a writer who has written for Marvel and Star Trek. She was using her white privilege against against a black man.

Wealth dispersion is also a problem, dont get me wrong.

Tony EH · 12-06-2020 1:28pm

FunLover18 wrote: »

The video is cringe but white privilege is a problem. Amy Cooper wasn't using wealth privilege against a poor man - Christian Cooper is a writer who has written for Marvel and Star Trek. She was using her white privilege against against a black man.

Wealth dispersion is also a problem, dont get me wrong.

The problem when someone says "white privilege" is that you tar everyone who's white, when there are millions of white people living without the perceived privileges that some say they have.

Using racism to highlight racism isn't going to win one any favours.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-06-2020 2:17pm

Tony EH wrote: »

The problem when someone says "white privilege" is that you tar everyone who's white, when there are millions of white people living without the perceived privileges that some say they have.

Using racism to highlight racism isn't going to win one any favours.

American society was built on white supremacy, so was the British Empire. White privilege exists and every single one of us benefits from it, and most of us indirectly contribute to it, even if we don't realise it.

pixelburp · 12-06-2020 2:24pm

Is this even news? Hollywood actors are an insular, well-meaning but often bewildered crowd mutated by an industry that idolises their status. Not like their sanctimony, however legitimate in a broader global context, wasn't adequately skewered 16 years ago with Team America.

pixelburp · 12-06-2020 2:29pm

Getting back to actual Film news, Paul King will not be returning to direct Paddington 3; he'll still be in the credits as Executive Producer, but that's a fairly hands off title IMO

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/paddington-3-paul-king-110745608.html

Great that there might even BE a third movie, but King was definitely part of the magic that made the last 2 (and especially the sequel) work so well.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-06-2020 2:42pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Getting back to actual Film news, Paul King will not be returning to direct Paddington 3; he'll still be in the credits as Executive Producer, but that's a fairly hands off title IMO

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/paddington-3-paul-king-110745608.html

Great that there might even BE a third movie, but King was definitely part of the magic that made the last 2 (and especially the sequel) work so well.

I'd be a bit sceptical about a 3rd one now. King wrote or co wrote the first 2 as well, so assuming he's not involved in that side either it could be a completely different beast.

Mr Crispy · 12-06-2020 4:16pm

Yeah, the first two were lovely fun. I hope they choose wisely when picking his successor.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-06-2020 4:23pm

Mr Crispy wrote: »

Yeah, the first two were lovely fun. I hope they choose wisely when picking his successor.

I'm going to try to keep an open mind, never forget George Miller made Mad Max and Babe, so anything's possible.

FunLover18 · 12-06-2020 6:03pm

Tony EH wrote: »

The problem when someone says "white privilege" is that you tar everyone who's white, when there are millions of white people living without the perceived privileges that some say they have.

Using racism to highlight racism isn't going to win one any favours.

I see your point of course but even poor white people enjoy white privilege and are less likely to be harassed and discriminated against than their black or minority counterparts. White privilege isn't an act or intention, unless you're someone like Amy Cooper who uses it you your advantage to try get someone arrested for simply asking you to put a leash on your dog. When people talk about acknowledging white privilege it's not about admitting you're a racist or anything like that, it's simply about acknowledging that because you're white you will benefit more from society.

FunLover18 · 12-06-2020 6:05pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Getting back to actual Film news, Paul King will not be returning to direct Paddington 3; he'll still be in the credits as Executive Producer, but that's a fairly hands off title IMO

https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/paddington-3-paul-king-110745608.html

Great that there might even BE a third movie, but King was definitely part of the magic that made the last 2 (and especially the sequel) work so well.

A shame because he also had a hand in writing the first two. I guess it really depends on who they get to replace but fingers crossed because there is a lot to live up to.

Tony EH · 12-06-2020 6:22pm

FunLover18 wrote: »

I see your point of course but even poor white people enjoy white privilege and are less likely to be harassed and discriminated against than their black or minority counterparts. White privilege isn't an act or intention, unless you're someone like Amy Cooper who uses it you your advantage to try get someone arrested for simply asking you to put a leash on your dog. When people talk about acknowledging white privilege it's not about admitting you're a racist or anything like that, it's simply about acknowledging that because you're white you will benefit more from society.

I don't think there are many people who wouldn't think that being born black or minority in certain countries doesn't come with some downsides. Regardless of that, though, using decisive phrases as the one in question does nothing to further efforts in garnering support.

When you make something about colour, it only drives a wedge into things.

This should be more about pointing the finger at power structures and the people who make those structures, as they are the ones who are responsible for circumstances never changing.

Pointing fingers at someone who's dirt poor and screaming "white privilege" because of an immutable characteristic they possess doesn't help. Not even in the slightest.

It ends up only creating more division.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-06-2020 6:45pm

Tony EH wrote: »

When you make something about colour, it only drives a wedge into things.

This should be more about pointing the finger at power structures and the people who make those structures, as they are the ones who are responsible for circumstances never changing.

If you're talking about the UK, or the US especially, then those structures are inherently racist and they have been designed that way and maintained that way by white people. White people in power, white people voting for them.

Tony EH · 12-06-2020 6:52pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

If you're talking about the UK, or the US especially, then those structures are inherently racist and they have been designed that way and maintained that way by white people. White people in power, white people voting for them.

Black people don't vote?

It's only whites voting for whites?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-06-2020 7:01pm

Tony EH wrote: »

Black people don't vote?

It's only whites voting for whites?

Voter suppression in predominantly black (and Latino) communities is rampant in the US. It goes right back to the 1870s and continues today. Why do you think Trump is so against the mail ballots? The state of Georgia wiped 600000 people off the voting register in 2017. In 2018 they blocked 50000 from registering, 70% of them were black.

Tony EH · 12-06-2020 7:09pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Voter suppression in predominantly black (and Latino) communities is rampant in the US. It goes right back to the 1870s and continues today. Why do you think Trump is so against the mail ballots? The state of Georgia wiped 600000 people off the voting register in 2017. In 2018 they blocked 50000 from registering, 70% of them were black.

How is that the fault of every white person?

That's exactly what I mean when I say that this is a "wealth privilege" and not a "white privilege".

It's more about the wealthiest staying the wealthiest and securing their place at the top of the food chain at the expense of those on the lower rungs, and that includes poor people of all colours.

Making that the target, rather than every white person, which is what the term "white privilege" does in reality, would of better use in garnering support for a cause to further emancipation or empowerment.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-06-2020 7:21pm

Tony EH wrote: »

How is that the fault of every white person?

That's exactly what I mean when I say that this is a "wealth privilege" and not a "white privilege".

It's more about the wealthiest staying the wealthiest and securing their place at the top of the food chain at the expense of those on the lower rungs, and that includes poor people of all colours.

Making that the target, rather than every white person, which is what the term "white privilege" does in reality, would of better use in garnering support for a cause to further emancipation or empowerment.

Probably best we leave it there

The Black Oil · 13-06-2020 10:52am

This is a pretty unfiltered letter from some Black screenwriters, with everything that's been going on. https://www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/the-guild/inclusion-and-equity/Dear_Hollywood_June_12_2020.pdf

FunLover18 · 13-06-2020 3:17pm

Tony EH wrote: »

I don't think there are many people who wouldn't think that being born black or minority in certain countries doesn't come with some downsides. Regardless of that, though, using decisive phrases as the one in question does nothing to further efforts in garnering support.

When you make something about colour, it only drives a wedge into things.

This should be more about pointing the finger at power structures and the people who make those structures, as they are the ones who are responsible for circumstances never changing.

Pointing fingers at someone who's dirt poor and screaming "white privilege" because of an immutable characteristic they possess doesn't help. Not even in the slightest.

It ends up only creating more division.

The celebrities in the video were responding to the current upheaval in America. The upheaval is specifically about colour and how black people are being mistreated and discriminated "because of an immutable characteristic they possess". No one is making it about colour, it is about colour.

Tony EH · 13-06-2020 3:45pm

The term "white privilege" is divisive, accusatory and flat out unhelpful.

jill_valentine · 13-06-2020 8:06pm

Tony EH wrote: »

The term "white privilege" is divisive, accusatory and flat out unhelpful.

It is the only useful way to describe the dynamic at play. Telling people who experience inequality that to describe what's happening is divisive is silly.

There's no moral judgement built into having white privilege. It's not a sin to have it. The danger is in pretending you don't, or that it doesn't exist at all.

All we're asked to do is be mindful of it and its effects.

p to the e · 19-06-2020 10:47am

For anyone that was a fan of the documentary "King of Kong", Billy Mitchell has to be one of film's greatest baddies.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/06/guinness-reinstates-billy-mitchells-donkey-kong-pac-man-records/

The Black Oil · 19-06-2020 9:43pm

Ansel Elgort of Baby Driver and Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old.

Details are awful.

https://screenrant.com/ansel-elgort-accused-sexual-assault-underage-girl/

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 19-06-2020 11:05pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

Ansel Elgort of Baby Driver and Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old.

Details are awful.

https://screenrant.com/ansel-elgort-accused-sexual-assault-underage-girl/

That guy has always been really creepy. I've seen several interviews with him where he just came across as a total creep.

CastorTroy · 20-06-2020 12:11am

Have never seen Baby Driver and not familiar with him, but looking at what he's done she was probably a fan of Divergent and he took advantage of that. Unfortunately, going by the way he talked to her, it seem like she was the first
I do have to point out the one from West Side Story is 19 and would've been 18 when it was filmed, going by the dates on Wikipedia so I think Screenrant were just saying she was 17 to try and draw the comparison to the girl.

20-06-2020 11:20am

The Black Oil wrote: »

Ansel Elgort of Baby Driver and Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old.

Details are awful.

https://screenrant.com/ansel-elgort-accused-sexual-assault-underage-girl/

Really disgusting stuff, wonder what this means for the West Side Story remake. Looking at the cast it seems like it's a lot of unknown actors and this would probably have been a big break for them.

Agent Coulson · 21-06-2020 8:27pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

Ansel Elgort of Baby Driver and Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old.

Details are awful.

https://screenrant.com/ansel-elgort-accused-sexual-assault-underage-girl/

His reply.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBrc56ABpWn/

pixelburp · 30-06-2020 9:17am

If I wasn't already convinced Disney might be evil, the "Disney Research Studios" released what is the most convincing Deep Fake technology I've seen to date; the possibilities for illegality or abuse is endless. Always thought these Deep Fakes were a little creepy and worrying, and the quality of fakery with Disney's own is troubling IMO.

Of all the technological Pandora's Boxes out there, this feels like the one with the most sociological or ideological danger attached. If we think "Fake News" is a problem now, imagine a world where any enemy of the state, or political rival can be demolished by a convincing fake like this. Someone like Putin could just destroy any of his rivals with a simple video them saying or doing anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yji0t6KS7Qo

Sad Professor · 30-06-2020 12:58pm

Ugh, I hate this face swapping stuff. I'd ban if it I could.

pixelburp · 30-06-2020 2:13pm

Sad Professor wrote: »

Ugh, I hate this face swapping stuff. I'd ban if it I could.

It may yet be; feels like enough of a bleeding edge technology to need legislation so misuse can be handled. Simple libel and defamation cases would presumably need a context for the malicious use of Deep Fake tech, notwithstanding the obvious potential for political chicanery.

Tony EH · 30-06-2020 3:15pm

Yeh, got to agree. I find all of this deep fake stuff quite worrying, despite being fascinating. The potential for spoofery of the worst kind is incredibly high.

It'll come to pass where you simply will not be able to trust a photograph or a video at all.

mikhail · 30-06-2020 6:48pm

Tony EH wrote: »

Yeh, got to agree. I find all of this deep fake stuff quite worrying, despite being fascinating. The potential for spoofery of the worst kind is incredibly high.

It'll come to pass where you simply will not be able to trust a photograph or a video at all.

Photoshop has meant you can't really trust a photo for a long time.
Putin+rides+a+bear.jpg

We seem to have survived that as a society, and presumably video manipulation will be similar. Still, it will be used in malice, and it will do harm.

cdgalwegian · 01-07-2020 1:58pm

Tony EH wrote: »

I find all of this deep fake stuff quite worrying, despite being fascinating. The potential for spoofery of the worst kind is incredibly high.

It'll come to pass where you simply will not be able to trust a photograph or a video at all.

'The camera never lies' feels just quaint now.
There's a bit of a paradox here though. Supposedly, in the 'post-truth' world, it's about controlling the narrative; objective truth is a side-issue. So veracity shouldn't really matter.
In this context, there's a clever line in Hulu's 'The Great'; 'The first lie wins'. Couple that with the saying 'A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on', and the court of public opinion can be easily swayed. After all, the first casualty of media wars, as well as gossip, is the truth.
Feckin social media, and the speed it can foster all that. Down with that sort of thing.

CastorTroy · 01-07-2020 3:37pm

Yeah, when I saw the BttF video with Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr, I thought it was really them. So if it got better, it'd be scary. Though looks better quality than digital actors or deaging.
But could they use it to cover Henry Cavill's moustache?

pixelburp · 01-07-2020 3:45pm

mikhail wrote: »

Photoshop has meant you can't really trust a photo for a long time.
[...]
We seem to have survived that as a society, and presumably video manipulation will be similar. Still, it will be used in malice, and it will do harm.

As already remarked, a convincing lie, however definitively debunked, is as powerful as the strongest truth. Doctored photographs are as old as the medium itself - for example those famous shots of Stalin's inner circle shrinking, as those out of favour "disappeared" - but there's something different and game changing when it's video, and a convincingly "real" human speaking on camera. There's a greater verisimilitude at plat, one that has contrived to bypass the Uncanny Valley and is ripe for manipulation.

CastorTroy wrote: »

Yeah, when I saw the BttF video with Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr, I thought it was really them. So if it got better, it'd be scary. Though looks better quality than digital actors or deaging.
But could they use it to cover Henry Cavill's moustache?

The answer is yes, someone already did and yup, it looks better

In defence of the FX house they were unlikely to have been given the time or money to do a good job:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5exUEnpViUs

pixelburp · 02-07-2020 9:03am

On a lighter note and things I never even realised; did you know Warner Bros. produced 4 seasons of a Blazing Saddles sitcom, but intentionally never aired it, just to bypass Mel Brook's attempts to retain the rights of the Blazing Saddles IP? Needless to say the footage presented in the video below is awful stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmpFypaGkKE

CastorTroy · 02-07-2020 10:42am

These days a show that actually airs mightn't even make it half a season.
The fact they made 4 seasons is a bit mad. Maybe they would release it to tie into a sequel.
And back then, were there any shows that had black leads in a mostly white cast?

I know the 94 Fantastic 4 film was made for licensing reasons as well. Any other attempts like these?

silverharp · 02-07-2020 7:38pm

CastorTroy wrote: »

These days a show that actually airs mightn't even make it half a season.
The fact they made 4 seasons is a bit mad. Maybe they would release it to tie into a sequel.
And back then, were there any shows that had black leads in a mostly white cast?

I know the 94 Fantastic 4 film was made for licensing reasons as well. Any other attempts like these?

There is an animated Star Wars comedy series that has never been aired (I think), nearly 40 episodes. It got tied up for reasons that wouldn't interest me enough to remember:pac:

Film forum off topic/random chat thread

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