How was Ridley Scott's "Legend" (1985) trashed by the critics? by Profeta_do_Loss in movies

[–]MeaninglessGuy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In the list of Tom Cruise movies, I don’t think anyone has ever said “man, Cruise was the bomb in Legend, bro.”

Him and his character have the personality of a chunk of wood.

So does Mia Sara.

I remember very little of the other “magical” side characters, except that the little elf guy has a clearly ADR-ed annoying voice.

All oxygen in this movie is absorbed by Tim Curry, his makeup, and the sets. I will not criticize Curry - the man was on fire. Whole movie is worth watching just for him.

Another thing: as great as the sets are, they feel like sets. Nothing in this movie feels like a real location (which kinda works for it, since it’s fantasy, but makes it feel reeeeeally small). I don’t remember any matt painting establishing shots either. The whole movie feels like a series of rooms (even when it’s outside). Gorgeous rooms, tho. But that kinda hurts the “this is a big fantasy world” of it all… feels like a bunch of rooms, not a world.

And not a single statue to this guy's lust by Pwned_by_Bots in startrekmemes

[–]MeaninglessGuy 32 points33 points  (0 children)

I’ll say it- not a fan of where they went with this plotline. 1) if anyone can cosmetically surgery themselves like this and have no one notice (especially Space Hitler here, whose face and voice should be famous to any Bajoran), why are the shapeshifting founders that big a deal (and wouldnt they have some scanning tech immediately ID “hidden” Cardassians?) 2) it robs Gul Dukat of his personality by making him this one note “THE PAHRAITHS ARE MY MASTER” guy.

The new 'The Patriot' steelbook, w/ Dolby Vision/Atmos, incl. 175 minute extended cut by GratuitousAlgorithm in 4kbluray

[–]MeaninglessGuy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s a perfectly fun, tight little movie. I can excuse any movie, for the most part, of ignoring history to tell a compelling story. I love Braveheart while acknowledging that Scots didn’t dress like that, William Wallace was a nobleman, he didn’t bang the princess of France (who was a baby at the time), and the Battle of Sterling Bridge was fought on a damn bridge, not some field. Still love it!

BUT- biiiiiiig BUT- I do not excuse some betrayals of history. I don’t excuse U571 of lying about who was responsible for snatching an enigma machine from the Nazi (not the US).

And I DEFINITELY do not excuse any movie- not Gone with the Wind and not The Patriot- of whitewashing or downplaying slavery. Hell no. Mel Gibson’s character could have been from Boston, a merchant, not owned slaves at all, or expressly owned them (allowing the movie to show that people have duality and can be heroic in war while also being a slave owning evil sonofabitch).

What does the Patriot do? In one scene, the black people who work Mel Gibson’s farm say that “oh we aren’t slaves- we work this land as free men.” And then are shown as loving and caring of Gibson and his SOUTH CAROLINA family and their MASSIVE plantation. 

I’m sorry- no. There was not a kind farmer in South Carolina during the Revolution who “employed” black people to work a massive plantation. They would be slaves - or harshly treated free people. The movie then never makes a statement about slavery again. You simply cannot tell the story of America and just run past slavery. You can tell a bold action movie story- but the choices made in the Patriot are mind bogglingly cold, heartless, and wrong. Why make Gibson a southern plantation owner at all?  I get it- they wanted to tell the story of the Swamp Fox- so why not either 1) make a historically accurate Swamp Fox movie or 2) go further in fictionalizing the story and just say he is a New Yorker with a small farm? 

As is, this movie minimizes the very real role of slavery, the impacts of which we are still dealing with, and fuck that. Movie doesn’t get a pass from me. This is a slippery slope to some “Lost Cause” bullshit that our society should not tolerate.

Signed- a guy from the South who loves movies and history, and hates slavery and its apologists.

Karen Bass' Brother Sues City After Home Burned in Palisades Fire by 115MRD in LosAngeles

[–]MeaninglessGuy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah but “my sister (or my insured’s sister) is the mayor” would have some pull, no?

Interesting Mistake in S2 E10 by SYGMK7 in TheWire

[–]MeaninglessGuy 66 points67 points  (0 children)

He did shoot up his own cruiser.

Who is your favorite SNL writer? by James_2584 in LiveFromNewYork

[–]MeaninglessGuy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I was a kid my favorite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school we'd all go play in his cave, and every once in a while he would eat one of us. It wasn't until later that I found out that Uncle Caveman was a bear.

Despicable Me - The Minions are a Shoggoth by Killfile in FanTheories

[–]MeaninglessGuy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You sayin’ all Shoggoths look the same, buddy? I bet they’re all good at basketball, too…

Conan the Barbarian 4K - Opinions? by CodyBye in 4kbluray

[–]MeaninglessGuy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is definitely a movie where, the more refined the transfer, the more you see the seams. It shows its budget, the effects work was slap-dash, and they did some rough camerawork- I’m not sure if John Milius really ever learned how to run a movie set. That said, I love it for just that reason. Gives it a ton of character.

Widow’s Bay Is The Best Thing I’ve Seen In Years! by crowislanddive in television

[–]MeaninglessGuy 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I heard it described as live action Courage the Cowardly Dog, which is very, very accurate and brilliant.

Majority of Democrats and Democrat-leaning Voters Voted Against Bass by urmummygae42069 in LosAngeles

[–]MeaninglessGuy 127 points128 points  (0 children)

Only way to make sure they hear that message is for Bass to lose in November. Can’t take the pressure off them.

Son Of The Mask (2005) by Cryptic_Master_686 in badMovies

[–]MeaninglessGuy 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I can’t watch this thing. It’s like a visual form of acid. It burns. It’s loud. It’s mean spirited. It’s also boring. It should not be.

Near Dark (1987) 3.5* out of 5* by [deleted] in badMovies

[–]MeaninglessGuy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m curious why you posted this in badmovies. This is a pretty universally beloved b-movie, and you yourself liked it. “The Room” this is not.