Thursday 15 June 2017

Alternate Best Actor 2003: Alex Frost in Elephant

Alex Frost did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Alex in Elephant.

Not since Gerry have I seen such attention to the detail of walking slowly, here though the film ups the ante by including jogging and eventually even some driving.

One of the random individuals the film focuses on doing nothing for awhile, is Alex Frost as Alex, proving Gus Van Sant's impressive imagination when it comes to naming characters similair to when he referred to both leads of Gerry as Gerry. Oh wait though this film rides on the trivialization of a horrific event through the use of artistic pretension though it is as meaningless as Gerry. Now before one mentions, oh don't you see Van Sant's saying that there is no logic or message to be taken from violent acts, that's not really true evidenced by his scenes that focus on the killers where they engage in playing violent video games, plan their crimes, and kiss one another since it is a film by Gus Van Sant. There is an indicator of a violent reaction to their hollow lives, though naturally in a rather hollow fashion. Now the leader of the two is Alex played by Alex. We get to spend some time with him as he plays piano, but more importantly as he walks slowly around from one place to another. You see that is the most essential element of every life, slow walking, could you imagine life without walking, I'm quite sure life is defined solely by the walks we take. Oh, wait I'm writing about this performance right now, eh I don't know after watching the film I think I'll take a walk, I'll be back in ten minutes.....

What a walk. Hey wait a minute is this an ensemble film, or is Frost lead, I don't care. Anyways back to Mr. Frost again. Well see his performance is very dull and detached. Well this may seem the style of a killer but I could describe most of the performances as also dull and detached. I mean when we see the shooting start the photographer student casually takes a picture, is he too a psycho killer??? No probably not but there is nothing distinctive about what Frost does since almost everyone else is more or less in the same malaise. This even includes when the killing starts and Frost walks from scene to scene as though he is walking to class, I mean show some respect to walking man! Frost's work is indifferent as everyone else is making it so his work in no way stands out, he's also just sort of there. Hey hold on though what about that kissing scene, oh wait he's pretty blasé about that too, never mind. Okay maybe I'm being a bit unfair here, what about his line deliveries, well they're pretty amateurish, though obviously that was Van Sant's intention right, because I really hate those performances that come off like real people or at least engaging in some way. Well eventually through all that pivotal walking we reach a conclusion where Alex corners two students and plays a game to decide which one to shoot first. Frost wakes up to become a psycho killer in this scene, he'd be chilling I suppose if there was any consistency here.  In the scene though Frost becomes a far more active and excited sort ill-fitting to all that he did previously in his performance, but hey if you're not going to care most of the time stay not caring. All I ask for is a little consistency. Eh I'm tired, I think I'll take a walk.

167 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Holy Fuck. :)

Louis: I knew you'd hate this movie. :)

Louis: Ratings and thoughts on Deulen and Robinson.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: This must be the worst Non-Oscar/Non-Wiseau performance you've ever had to review.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: God, I love your informal reviews. :)

Charles H said...

Holy shit. This not only might be my biggest disagreement with you, but one of my favorite reviews from you.

Robert MacFarlane said...

lol

Luke Higham said...

Louis: As well as your sarcasm. :)

RatedRStar said...

Charles: Thanks for the birthday wishes

Louis: Oh dear lol this was a quick review so, its basically just an amateur non actor performance?

I had completely forgotten that Van Sant directed this.

Luke: I am expecting Louis to make quick work out of Daniel Wu as well.

Charles H said...

1. Thornton
2. Dobronravov
3. Girard
4. Bruhl
5. Frost

RatedRStar said...

Richard Roeper had Elephant on his top ten best films of 2003, says it all really lol.

1. Thornton
2. Dobronravov
3. Bruhl
4. Girard
5. Frost

Luke Higham said...

Siskel >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Roeper

Calvin Law said...

Charles: A good request. Always good to see different opinions on this blog, and always good to have a hilarious review.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Agreed.

Charles: I'm pleased you took it well. :)

Louis: Is Van Sant now your least favourite director of all-time.

Charles H said...

Calvin: Agreed, no doubt about it.

RatedRStar said...

Alex Frost is a pretty awesome name though lol.

Charles H said...

I love the name too, lol

Álex Marqués said...

I haven't seen this, but Mike D'Angelo rated this film 0 out of 100, that's quite something.

Álex Marqués said...

By the way, this review was hilarious.

Omar Franini said...

1. Thornton
2. Dobronravov
3. Bruhl
4. Girard
5. Frost

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I think Crowe would be the perfect antidote after this review.

Charles H said...

I agree with Luke.

Calvin Law said...

I thought Elephant was an interesting film personally, but it didn't entirely work for me.

Frost looks a bit like a slightly rounder faced JGL in that pic, or is it just me.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I knew you'd hate this. In hindsight, while I'd go slightly higher for Frost, I still kinda agree with everything you wrote.
Also, I can't believe Ebert rated this 4 stars.
Louis: Your top 10 films of the 2000s decade.
Please review Crowe next :)

Charles H said...

Not only did Ebert give it a high rating, but it won multiple awards at Cannes.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Are you now even more concerned with Trevorrow at the helm of Episode IX.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Well, let's just hope the rest of the performances won't disappoint :)
I'll probably check out The Return tomorrow, along with Good Bye Lenin.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: Girard's the only one I could see going below a 4. But who knows, he might still review Duvall.

Omar Franini said...

Charles: Elephant is the only movie that have won both the Palme d'Or and best director at Cannes

Anonymous said...

I was expecting this rating since you don't like Van Sant. Great review, by the way.
1. Thornton
2. Dobronravov
3. Bruhl
4. Girard
5. Frost
Louis: Your thoughts on the This is Katana scene and the Blah Blah scene in Suicide Squad.

Charles H said...

omar: True! Quite an achievement for the film.

Omar Franini said...

Tahmeed: I agree with you, there were other movies more deserving like Dogville, The Barbarian Invasions, Uzak or Swimming Pool

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Omar and Charles: While I found Van Sant's direction quite good, I don't think it deserved either accolade.

Deleted my original comment due to the grammatical error :P

Calvin Law said...

I would ADVISE not getting killed by her...

Kinnaman's line deliveries in Suicide Squad are all-time terrible.

Álex Marqués said...

Barton Fink won both awards before Elephant, and it won Best Actor as well.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Given that he directed Jurassic World, I am SO worried.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: The Book Of Henry is even worse, by all accounts. After seeing Wonder Woman, I wish they'd just delay it and give the job to Jenkins.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Yeah, Jenkins would do great. I don't know about you, but I'm still saddened by Carrie Fisher's death.

Omar Franini said...

Alex: I can't find the exact year but i think in the late 90s at Cannes introduced the rule in which a movie can only win a single big award (Palme, Grand Prix and Jury Prize). But a movie can win multiple "minor" awards, like acting and screenplay or acting and director (like You Were Never Really Here this year). And since then only Elephant has won Best Director and the Palme.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I still am too, because it would've been great to see scenes between her & Driver, that's if they didn't interact in TLJ. It's certainly put the writing team in a hole.

Luke Higham said...

I feel sorry for Watts, Tremblay and Norris being involved in that supposed piece of garbage.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Oh, and happy birthday to you and Daniel.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Thank you. :)

Anonymous said...

Duvall should have been reviewed instead of Frost. That's a great performance from him. Even Costner was decent. Open Range is very underrated.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: If Duvall only gets a 4.5, then I have no problem with him not being reviewed, but Louis' better off leaving Girard to the end.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: If Frost wasn't requested, yet somehow managed to get in, I'd agree with you.

Charles H said...

Well i apologize for making a more worthier performance miss out, i actually thought Louis would like Frost a bit more. But nonetheless this review was priceless.

Luke Higham said...

Charles: No need to apologize, this review was a great birthday present. :)

Charles H said...

Luke: :)

Álex Marqués said...

You don't have to apologize Charles. And thanks for making that clear, omar! :)

I think the last episode of Fargo was the best of the season. What do you think?

Giuseppe Fadda said...

What is your ranking of Van Sant's movies?

Luke Higham said...

Giuseppe: I'm looking forward to that ranking. I wonder if he hates Elephant more than Gerry. To Die For should be his #1.

Charles H said...

Hopefully he likes Elephant a tad more than the dreadful Gerry.

Luke Higham said...

Everyone: Your 5 favourite voice actors.

Mine are:
Mark Hamill
Kevin Conroy
Harry Shearer
Sam Witwer
Troy Baker

Luke Higham said...

And special mention to Tony Jay.

Anonymous said...

Luke: I think I'll give you my top ten in no particular order.
Mel Blanc
Frank Welker
Kevin Conroy
Mark Hamill
Jim Cummings
Peter Cullen
Steve Blum
Nolan North
Scott McNeil
Brian Drummond

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I'll give North a mention. I love Nathan Drake, David in The Last Of Us, his Penguin's pretty good and he was good as Desmond Miles.

Luke Higham said...

and the legend himself, Mel Blanc.

Anonymous said...

Luke: What about favorite voice actresses?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I could only name any of the Disney Princesses, Villains or anyone associated with The Simpsons. I tend to forget who the voice belongs to, because they don't get as much work as the men.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Let me ask you this: Who do you prefer as the voice of Superman: Daly or Newbern?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Newbern. His is more powerful to me. And I really like his work when we see the darker side of Superman.

Anonymous said...

Luke: You don't like Daly? For me, I like them equally.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Daly's terrific, he has a lighter voice which fits Superman slightly more, but on the whole I prefer Newbern.:)

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Also, I've played Injustice 1 and am about half-way through 2.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Daly always sounded deeper than Newbern to me.

Luke Higham said...

I haven't seen the Daly series in 15 years, so forgive me. I'm more used to Newbern's voice and had to check a voice comparison video to answer your question, which wasn't the best idea.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Now that I've watched it again, you're right. I still prefer Newbern though.

Anonymous said...

Nolan North's also pretty good as Deadpool.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Deulen - 1.5(Basically the same as Frost for me but his overt psycho moment actually came off almost as goofy despite the setup.)

Robinson - 2.5(Marginally better to me but still has that similair sort of awkwardness to his performance)

I wouldn't say of all time since his "mainstream" films can be at least okay.

Well given I already hated his personal project, did not care for his "Big" project, and now it seems he's made another bad film, yes I'd say it's very concerning.

Tahmeed:

1. In Bruges
2. The Lord of the Rings (I'll Cheat)
3. Zodiac
4. The Assassination of Jesse James
5. Mulholland Drive
6. The Proposition
7. Memento
8. Inglourious Basterds
9. Children of Men
10. Master and Commander

Anonymous:

As Calvin mentioned the line delivery involved with Flagg makes that all time horrible clunky exposition as written, truly something out of this world in terms of its badness. Of course it also goes down as such a horrible character introduction, but it is made all the worse through Harley's cringe inducing "joke".

The blah blah is just an excellent example of how wrong Leto is in his approach as the joker, and not wrong in a good way. He's oddly laughable, in the wrong way, with his take on the Joker being the "invader of personal space", it doesn't help though that everyone else overacts the scene to no end.

Giuseppe:

1. To Die For
2. Good Will Hunting
3. My Private Idaho
4. Milk
5. Psycho
6. Elephant
7. Gerry

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I've yet to see his work as Deadpool.

Troy Baker's the best VG actor currently going.

I've been a huge fan of Witwer since The Force Unleashed and his work as The Emperor and Darth Maul is fantastic.

Harry Shearer's the most consistent Simpsons cast member.

Conroy's hands down the best Batman in any medium and Hamill's work as The Joker might be my fvourite of all-time.

Anonymous said...

Luke: It's shame that Conroy and Hamill aren't as good as they used to be in the DCAU.

Luke Higham said...

*Favourite

Anonymous: It doesn't surprise me, the enthusiasm won't always be there and playing the same roles after 20 years can get tiresome.

Anonymous said...

Luke: What would you like more: a Flash, a Superman or a Green Arrow game from Rocksteady?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Superman, all of the previous games have been utter trash including the infamous N64 game.

I'm not sure how Flash would work.

I can't see them doing Green Arrow. He's less marketable than about 7-8 DC heroes.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Well, they could do something like this for Flash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrtwUQXuSXY
And if they do Superman, they should make him as strong as he was in the DCAU and create different types of enemies (Livewire thugs, Parasite thugs, Lex robots, Parademons~9 for him since.

Anonymous said...

*(Livewire thugs, Parasite thugs, Metallo thugs, Lex robots, Parademons) since it takes only like one punch to knock down normal thugs.

Anonymous said...

Louis: How would you have improved the Bane episode in BTAS?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Well for starters get rid of that terrible design for his mask. Although it would have been difficult to replicate the Knightfall storyline, Bane at least should have been a two parter to build him up as the mastermind as well as the brute as he was in the comics. The series simplified him far too much making him just a steroid using hitman.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What about a better voice for Bane? That would have helped IMO.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Agreed.

Unknown said...

After watching both Elephant and Goodbye Lenin, I feel more confident than ever for my previous prediction!

Speaking about over 4 stars performance in this lineup, I strongly believe Thornton gonna get a 5 and took the win here :))

Calvin Law said...

Love how Louis is adding in beautiful screenshot after beautiful screenshot. That Memories of Murder silhouette, beaut.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Shame, I can't see it myself. I could only see Skyfall and the last one was 2001.

He should switch the background image per year.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Nevermind, I could see it on the home page. :)

Luke Higham said...

He'll probably use the final shot from The Duellists and the burning oil derrick from There Will Be Blood.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: agreed.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: what do you think of the prospective John Wick television show focusing on the Continental?

Michael McCarthy said...

1. Billy Bob Thornton
2. Daniel Brühl
3. Ivan Dobronravov
4. Rémy Girard
5. Alex Frost

Luke Higham said...

Michael: Could I have your ratings on Thornton, Bruhl, Dobronravov, Girard and Frost with quick thoughts.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I'll switch mine slightly.

1. Thornton
2. Bruhl
3. Dobronravov
4. Girard
5. Frost

Luke Higham said...

2. Bruhl
3. Dobronravov

mcofra7 said...

1. Dobronravov
2. Thornton
3. Bruhl
4. Girard
5. Frost

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Hurricane Neddy (Simpsons).

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your top 10 one scene wonders in films, and also, your rating for Darlene Cates in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: Cates is a 4.5.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I saw The Book of Henry. I haven't been this disgusted by a movie since The Lovely Bones. Just entirely reprehensible.

Luke Higham said...

Robert: Your thoughts on the cast. And who would you rather have direct Episode IX.

Charles H said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robert MacFarlane said...

Luke: Jaden Whatshisface is actually good, though straddled with the least believable character since Gus from Fault in Stars. Watts is TERRIBLE. The rest don't matter.

Robert MacFarlane said...

As for Episode 9, Kathryn Bigelow.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Tahmeed:

1. Montgomery Clift - Judgment At Nuremberg
2. John Carroll Lynch - Zodiac
3. Dean Stockwell - Blue Velvet
4. Matthew McConaughey - The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Donald Sutherland - JFK
6. Alec Baldwin - Glengarry Glen Ross
7. Charles Fleischer - Zodiac
8. August Diehl - Inglorious Basterds
9. Tsutomu Yamazaki - Red Beard
10. William Hurt - A History of Violence

Luke:

The episode in terms of conception is flawed as it is defined for its random unnatural shock to the system while in no way paving for any real growth in the series. The episode though is saved by at least being hilarious using the concept particularly in the town made house tour, Flanders's angry ravings, or Homer's "interrogation" of him.

Anonymous said...

Louis: So, who would you cast as Darkseid and Brainiac in the DCEU?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Well since he's probably going to be purely CGI anyways I'd say just get Michael Ironside. Damian Lewis for Brainiac.

Luke Higham said...

RIP John G. Avildsen

Calvin Law said...

RIP Avildsen

Louis: Your top 5 Jimmi Simpson acting moments?

Charles H said...

RIP Avildsen.

Michael McCarthy said...

Luke: To reiterate, I've seen most of these films pretty recently so I'm not set on all of their ratings.

Thornton: 4.5/5 (Not everything about the film worked for me since it's irreverence is a tad dated. I can say that Thornton had me laughing in practically every scene he was in. This is because he doesn't really play for "comedy", he just portrays a realistically abrasive man reacting to various comedic situations. His characterization is just so perfect that just watching him asking kid after kid what they want for Christmas is comedic gold. What makes this really special though is the pathetic undercurrent to the man that exists in his behavior. While they only go into his past a little bit, Thornton I would say does a lot to suggest that something or somethings from his past have hurt him deeply and caused him to act the way he does. Also he manages to avoid making "For God's sake, it's Christmas," sound as corny as it could have sounded through such an earnest realization of his character's growth.)

Bruhl: 4.5/5 (It's interesting that he went on to play so many cold and shifty characters in Hollywood because here he gives out such a genuine warmth. I feel like this role is trickier than it seems, because Alex I feel could have come off as either excessively naive or just annoyingly stubborn. Bruhl finds the perfect balance though in portraying Alex's ruse as something he's put a lot of thought into that he firmly believes is the safest and kindest way to handle his mother's condition. In addition to that, he's just infinitely charming and endearing and adds just the right amount of lightness to his plot in a way that always lets the audience in on the fun. He doesn't overplay it though, so as not to compromise on the more somber moments which he delivers on fully.)

Dobronravov: 4.5 (Very solid mostly reactionary performance. While I found the film interesting, I felt that Lavronenko would have done well to add some variety to his performance, perhaps a bit more warmth or at least haplessness. Dobronravov manages to play off of this constant gruffness quite well however, in matching it with a constant suspicion regarding his father. He portrays Ivan as a boy who hates bullies with a passion, but isn't quite strong enough to stand up to them yet. Then during the pivotal moment where Ivan must find his courage, Dobronravov totally succeeds in showing that everything his father have put him and his brother through have led him to this moment.)

Girard: 3 (I didn't care for the film all that much in that the direction seems to be in conflict with the writing and performances. The material is extremely theatrical, which the cast plays into, but Arcand seems like he's going for something more low key. Girard unfortunately is not an exception to this, and I found that for most of the film he was either playing the grumpy old father or the aged romantic, neither of which he really brings anything new or particularly interesting to and usually going far too broad. He does have some good moments though, usually when he is only sharing the screen with one other person, such as when he is saying his final goodbyes. In these scenes his performance becomes much more cinematic and the character feels more honest, although I can't say they completely salvage the performance.)

I haven't seen Elephant, and at the moment I don't really plan to.

Calvin Law said...

The more I think about Brühl's performance the more I love it/think about inserting it into my lead lineup.

Michael McCarthy said...

Also just wanted to throw this in, I think Christopher McQuarrie could do a great job with Episode IX.

Charles H said...

Bruhl is pretty damn good for me. But my 2003 line-up is pretty stacked so he wouldn't make it in my top 5.

Charles H said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the "Killer Croc's Goofy Running" scene from Suicide Squad.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Changing my predictions again:

1. Bruhl
2. Thornton
3. Dobronravov
4. Girard
5. Frost

RatedRStar said...

RIP John G. Avildsen

I will change one final time

1. Thornton
2. Bruhl
3. Dobronravov
4. Girard
5. Frost

JackiBoyz said...

Will change mine quickly..

1. Thornton
2. Brühl
3. Dobronravov
4. Girard
5. Frost

Omar Franini said...

1. Thornton
2. Brühl
3. Dobronravov
4. Girard
5. Frost

Luke Higham said...

Michael McCarthy: Your Ratings and thoughts on Russell Crowe & Paul Bettany in Master and Commander, Johnny Depp in Curse Of The Black Pearl and Sean Astin in The Return Of The King.

Luke Higham said...

My Top Ten Prediction

1. Crowe
2. Lang
3. Min-Sik
4. Duvall
5. Thornton
6. Bruhl
7. Bacon
8. Bettany
9. Depp
10. Dinklage

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Just read Depp's reappraisal, I am extremely glad :)

Luke Higham said...

YESSSSSSS!

Luke Higham said...

I'll put Depp in 7th.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Luke: I wasn't even aware that Depp had already been re-evaluated, and I thought he was going to be upgraded to a 4 at the most. I'm overjoyed :)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I do wonder, how those original commenters would have reacted if Depp was originally a 4.5 xD.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: I wasn't aware either until you mentioned it, but tried to be as optimistic as I could. There's no way I would've put him really high, since no performance aside from Crowe in Gladiator has ever gone up 2 points.

Luke Higham said...

I'm sure Sage would accuse Louis of being on crack or some other bullshit.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your ratings and thoughts on the cast of The Curse Of The Black Pearl.

Luke Higham said...

I really do think Crowe's coming next.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your favourite Depp performance. Ed Wood or Curse of the Black Pearl.

Calvin Law said...

Damn that's a huge leap in his rating.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Jack Sparrow's introduction.

Anonymous said...

John Smith:

1. Dobronravov
2. Thornton
3. Bruhl
4. Girard
5. Frost

Michael McCarthy said...

Luke:

It's been a while for Crowe and Bettany, I'm not sure I could give comprehensive thoughts on them but at the moment I'd say they're both 4.5's for me.

Depp's a 5 for me, there's very little I could say about him that hasn't been said already. He gives probably one of the most original performances of all time and is consistently fascinating and entertaining to watch.

Astin's also a 5 for me. He does a perfect job of being the heart of this all-time great adventure film, and what I think is under appreciated about his performance is that he has a lot of lines that on paper are extraordinarily cheesy, but that he manages to sell. The ones that come to mind at the moment are " Not asleep...dead!" and "I can't carry it for you, BUT I CAN CARRY YOU!" the latter of which honestly pumps me up every time I see it, because Astin makes it so true to the endlessly loyal friend that Sam is.

Luke Higham said...

My Fives for 2017 so far

Best Picture
Logan
Get Out
Wonder Woman

Best Actor
Hugh Jackman
Michael Fassbender
Could possibly put Kaluuya up in future

Best Actress
Dafne Keen

Best Supporting Actor
Patrick Stewart

Best Supporting Actress
Allison Williams

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the casts of Twisted Nerve and Who's That Knocking At My Door.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the art direction of A Clockwork Orange.

Omar Franini said...

Louis: your top 10 female one scene wonder?

Anonymous said...

Wow, another 4,5 for Depp.
Luke: I prefer his work in Ed Wood. I wish Burton made more movies like those.

Deiner said...

I just watched this movie and I still don't know how to really feel about it. I got really annoyed at the redundant scenes of people walking. But I agree with Louis' rating of Frost. He simply didn't make an impression on me.

This is really silly but I remember when Louis first covered 2003 almost 7 years ago and I didn't know much about films and performances (I still don't tbh), so I felt slightly embarrased when he only gave 3 points to Depp's performance in Pirates of Caribbean because I thought he was perfect. His change of mind makes me feel good about my younger self ha ha ha.

Deiner said...

Oh, and if that had been Louis' original reaction, Sage Slowdive would've set himself on fire and boycotted this blog ha ha ha. Btw, I really miss that guy's blog.

Luke Higham said...

Deiner: I think he does still have a blog, but hasn't updated in more than 2 years.

Luke Higham said...

I must say, I'm happy as hell that the blog has ran as long as it has and getting reviews regularly, because normally authors tend to lose interest after 2-4 years.

Luke Higham said...

Deiner: And Fritz is still going, though he reviews actress performances at random.

Deiner said...

Luke: yes, that's why we all agree that Louis is awesome!

Luke Higham said...

Deiner: The best film reviewer IMO. :)

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your top 10 Nicolas Cage acting moments.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your updated top 5 Depp moments.

Charles H said...

I'm glad Depp got the massive upgrade. I'd probably give him a 4.5 or 5.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'm happy to see Depp upgraded. Perhaps an original sin of a performance, but dammit if it still isn't thrilling to see what Jack Sparrow was like on first impression.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

The upgrade's more than deserved, I frankly think Depp's performance is one of the most entertaining performances I've ever seen, yet it's so much more than that as well.

RatedRStar said...

Gonna go back and play Kingdom Hearts II again, explore the Pirates level =D.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Is anyone here a cricket fan? While football is my favorite sport, I love watching cricket just as much,even if it doesn't have the same excitement with domestic leagues

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: I'd rather play it than watch it. ODI or T20 are fine but find test matches really boring.

I'm more likely to watch Rugby and Tennis over football.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Luke: I agree, I find test matches commercially unfeasible to be honest. You have to have a crazy amount of free time or money to watch a Test in its entirety xD.
As for football, I support Chelsea and Barcelona.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund for me.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Have you heard "Lose Yourself" by Eminem from the film 8 Mile? If so, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

Also, everyone, your favorite non-film songs from the 2010s decade. Mine would be-

"Take Me to Church" by Hozier
"Somebody that I Used to Know" by Gotye
"The A Team" by Ed Sheeran
"Some Nights" by Fun
"Someone Like You" by Adele
"Grenade" by Bruno Mars
"Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake
"******** Perfect" by Pink
"Counting Stars" by OneRepublic
"All of Me" by John Legend

Robert MacFarlane said...

Tahmeed:

"The Mother We Share" by CHVRCHES
"Lights" by Ellie Goulding
"Some Nights" by fun.
"Somebody That's I Used to Know" by Gotye
"Ain't It Fun" by Paramore
"Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men
"Hearts Like Ours" by The Naked and Famous
"Chandelier" by Sia
"Green Light" by Lorde
"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

Charles H said...

Tahmeed: I guess it would be:

"All We Needed" - Craig David
"Ain't it Fun - Paramore
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk
"Dangerous Woman" - Ariana Grande
"Chandelier" - Sia
"Believer" - Imagine Dragons
"Lights" - Ellie Goulding
"Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran
"We Are Young" - Fun
"Take Me to Church" - Hozier

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Robert and Charles: Great choices, I like or love all of the songs that you guys mentioned.

While the music industry's shift to more..EDM beats and simpler, asinine lyrics does piss me off to a certain extent, you can still find great music if you look hard enough.

RatedRStar said...

Top ten, ill just put the first ten that come into my head =D.

Faster - Within Temptation
Exs & Ohs - Elle King
Crystals - Of Monsters and Men
Hard Times - Paramore
The Beginning - One ok Rock
Victorious - Panic! at the Disco
Circles - Pierce the Veil
Bros - Wolf Alice
Bones - Young Guns
Room to Breathe - You Me At Six

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

RatedRStar: I've only heard "Victorious" from that list, but I'm keen to check out more of your recommendations :)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Would you consider upgrading the following performances-

James Cromwell in LA Confidential
Any of the official nominees for '52 Supporting Actor
Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda
Charlie Chaplin in City Lights

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the Stonecutters song (Simpsons).

Charles H said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Simpson:

1. Hurdy Gurdy Man - Zodiac
2. William reveals his love to Dolores - Westworld
3. Logan attack Dolores - Westworld
4. "You will call HER!!!" - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
5. "Bump it" - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Charles:

Not the best idea to suggest Croc is a better suit for water when it looks so awkward when he just gets into water. It's a terrible scene as it reveals the shortcomings of the makeup as well.

Anonymous:

As usual for Kubrick the art direction is stunning here and in this film particularly pivotal for creating the odd sort of dystopia the world is. In this it takes the most gaudy elements of 70's interior decoration and turns it up to a off-putting eleven with its overuse of yellows, oranges. Outside of that, such as the stage, the prison, and under the bridge where the design is minimalistic yet so effective as it is just slightly off that makes it most unpleasant. Again all purposefully so and therefore a job very well done.

Omar:

Beatrice Straight - Network
Claire Trevor - Dead End
Carolyn Jones - The Bachelor Party
Vivica Fox - Kill Bill Vol. 1
Elsa Lanchester - Bride of Frankenstein
Kyoko Kagawa - Red Beard
Merle Oberon - The Private Life of Henry VIII
Jo Van Fleet - Cool Hand Luke
Uta Hagen - The Boys From Brazil
Vanessa Redgrave - Blowup

Anonymous:

I believe I've covered Cage before.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Ed Wood is still my favorite.

Perfect introduction for the character really as it is such a terrific representation of Depp's own subversion as he comes in so triumphantly to reveal he's technically barely getting by yet somehow still makes it without losing a step.

Twisted Nerve:

Bennett - 3.5(Bennett's performance changes from incredibly effective to rather ridiculous from scene to scene sometimes in the same scene. There are times where he truly is disturbing particularly when he goes for the childlike regression others though he plays up the psycho act a little too much for its own good. It's a good performance overall I'd say but certainly inconsistent.)

Mills - 3.5(A rather limited part at times however she delivers in portraying her earnest curiosity with Bennett's character, that effectively switches to becoming just a genuine horror with the last act.)

Foster - 3.5(Foster's quite good actually as he manages to make his character really a proper fool yet does it in a way that's surprisingly endearing. As there is this certain simplicity that he brings to his ruder moments that somehow makes them hit a little softer, and in turn make his later scenes surprisingly affecting.)

Whitelaw - 4(Just a spectacular acting job in what could have been such a simple one note and frankly ridiculous part as the undersexed mother type. Whitelaw never makes her role feel like just a type though as she finds such humor in the act but also manages to connect to a real place. She plays the right low key interest and fascination that she actually gradually builds to make her eventual flirtation work.)

At My Door:

Keitel - 4(The film itself is rather fascinating to see Scorsese experimenting with style and ideas he would eventually better realize in Mean Streets then perfect in Goodfellas. What works the best though are actually his scenes where he's not trying to figure out his voice. Those being the depiction of the central relationship. This in part because of Keitel terrific lead performance as he manages to capture such an easy reality with his work. Even as the story becomes more dramatic Keitel keeps such a genuine style in revealing the character's frustrations in continuing the relationship.)

Bethune - 4(She's also terrific with Keitel as the two do strike up such a natural chemistry with one another that makes you invested in their relationship even as the film messes with it somewhat whenever it breaks for a scene of Scorsese trying something out. When Bethune and Keitel are together it works though as they are so genuine even when it turns melodramatic they make it feel so natural that it is actually rather moving.)

My opinion on Rush hasn't changed. I'd give both Knightley and Bloom are three there for the reasons mentioned in Depp's review.

A hilarious chant to be sure that is entertaining with its lyrics as it is slightly rousing in a way through its dramatic chant. It is best with the animation though that way one can truly appreciate the line about Steve Guttenberg.

Tahmeed:

I have, but I just am not really a fan of rap in general.

Maybe McLaglen and Cheadle.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Is the next review coming shortly.

Luke Higham said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

The list is not ordered.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'd actually go 4 for Bloom. I thought he showed more charisma in the first movie than... well, any other movie he's been in.