BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

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mkaroly
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#76 Post by mkaroly »

For me, BLADE RUNNER is one of Scott's best films (along with ALIEN). As I have aged I agree that the "Is Deckard a Replicant?" doesn't work as well as Deckard as a human being, a washed-up film noir type cop who has seen better days, who through his contact with Roy and the Replicants discovers the real value of life. That is the "big theme" I got out of the film: that it is an incredibly moving reflection on the value of life - Roy's "tears in the rain" speech at the end gets me every time. I also like the whole created meets Creator journey in the film as I feel that's a very powerful moment in the film. That DVD box set is an incredible package and I still enjoy watching all the cuts of the film despite now favoring the "Deckard is a human being" direction of the movie. I was just talking about this film with someone I work with - he didn't like it much (and had never seen it before); I was gushing so much about it I think he is going to watch it again...lol...

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Paul MacLean
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#77 Post by Paul MacLean »

AndyDursin wrote: Great point, 100% on target, and while it's also one of my favorite movies, I also agree with you David, it has "issues." It's why I still prefer the theatrical version with the at-times cringe inducing Ford narration and tacked on ending -- without it, the movie has a whole slew of other problems, including a narrative that makes even less sense.
The people who praised the removal of the narration were of course people who had already seen the film, so the "ambiguity gaps" had already been filled-in for them -- by the very narration they so despised!
AndyDursin wrote:As brilliant as he might be, Roger Deakins isn't Jordan Cronenweth, you know Vangelis won't be scoring it, and Scott's not directing it -- so the trip down "memory lane" for this sequel is puzzling to say the least. I'll be happy if it turns out to have a relevant point, but I'm not holding my breath on that angle.
I feel compelled to defend Roger Deakins as at least equal to Jordan Cronenweth -- and Cronenweth had Ridley Scott driving his work on the film (Scott very obviously dictates exactly how his pictures should be photographed -- compare The Duelists to anything else Frank Tidy ever shot). Still, I think Michael Seresin would have been the better choice (since his innate style is closer to the "Scott look").

But I don't have high hopes for this movie either. I too doubt Vangelis will be on board (and even if he did score BR 2, he might decide he doesn't want the score released!).

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AndyDursin
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#78 Post by AndyDursin »

BTW when I said Deakins isn't Cronenweth I did not mean he is not as good a cinematographer. That's not at all what I meant. My point is that he is not the guy who shot Blade Runner. That's all. Different DP different style. Good point about Scott dictating the look but he isnt directing the film either! Plus Vangelis won't be scoring the film so that also will be a stylistic departure in a negative sense :(

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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#79 Post by AndyDursin »

One of the analysts I read now has BvS finishing with $345 million domestic.

That is barely better than MAN OF STEEL (with several years inflation almost negating the difference) and lower than DEADPOOL.

Hard to consider that a victory for WB or this franchise. Are they REALLY going to go through with the AQUAMAN movie?? SHAZAM?!?! lol. Good luck with that.

DavidBanner

Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#80 Post by DavidBanner »

This is why I suggested they hold back on the other franchise movies as much as possible.
Get Snyder out of there. Rethink the concept.
If they've already gotten in too deep with Suicide Squad, then do the frantic reshoots and dump it as soon as possible.
Not sure what they do about Wonder Woman, but I'd take the least worst option at this point.

The thing is, they will still make their money back on this first movie. But they won't be seeing the 2 billion dollar gross worldwide they were hoping for, or even the 1 billion they would need to indicate that there was mass interest in the concept. And there's a very very strong likelihood that the other movies will bomb hard enough to erase any profits they eke out from BS.

The dead giveaway will be when we start hearing about adjustments in the executive ranks at WB...

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AndyDursin
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#81 Post by AndyDursin »

Exactly, that's what the casual viewer who looks at the gross and goes, "the reviews didn't matter, it's making a fortune!", don't understand.

MAN OF STEEL did "alright" but they're not cranking out these movies to just be "alright." It's why they scrapped MAN OF STEEL 2, reconfigured it as this movie and threw Batman in there to boost the gross and get the JUSTICE LEAGUE plan in motion.

The reality is that -- the reviews on this movie didn't matter at the outset. People were going to go and see Batman and Superman in the same movie regardless and check it out for themselves. This wasn't some obscure X-Men character like Deadpool -- we're talking BATMAN and SUPERMAN in the same movie for the first time, ever! OF COURSE it was going to open huge...but that doesn't mean anyone actually likes it.

What we're seeing though is the nightmare scenario for WB: people hate it. It's dropping like a stone. It's going to end up doing basically the same biz as MAN OF STEEL and it really puts them in a weird place, where they're obviously still going to make this JUSTICE LEAGUE film because they've invested so much, but that "master plan" of a decade of DC Comics movies seems to have some major question marks (needless to say).

I bet we're not going to end up seeing these spinoff standalone films -- they may have slotted the dates, but does anyone think WB wants to crank out one GREEN LANTERN sized flop after another, which is almost certainly what SHAZAM and CYBORG will end up being? WONDER WOMAN is in the can (Chris Pine! can't wait!) and I guess AQUAMAN is happening but beyond that...all bets are off IMO.

The biggest issue is that the failure of BvS may not be felt with this film -- it'll be felt with the next one. And the one after that. They won't open as big, they won't make as much money. That's the fallout from the movie that the near-sighted folks who don't see the forest for the trees don't see. Just because you open huge and get people into the theater doesn't mean they're going to come back.

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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#82 Post by AndyDursin »

From analyst Gitesh Pandaya on Twitter --
Source tells me #BatmanvSuperman heading to 3rd wknd drop of 60% to about $20M. Cume to reach $293M after SUN. May not hit $340M.

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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#83 Post by John Johnson »

London. Greatest City in the world.

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Paul MacLean
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#84 Post by Paul MacLean »

Finally sat down and gave this one a look. I actually found it unexpectedly watchable. Not great by any means, but watchable -- for a Zack Snyder movie at least. I agree with all your points, Andy, especially...
AndyDursin wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:28 am -Once the movie got past the 9/11 imagery and post-MAN OF STEEL fallout, the film worked reasonably well as a comic book film.
I found that to be in extremely bad taste. It's one thing for popular entertainment to acknowledge the world we live in, but to reproduce one of the blackest moments in US history in order to make a comic book movie seem "relevant" is disgusting, and unacceptable.

I also found the script convoluted. What exactly is Mark Zuckerberg -- oops, I mean, Lex Luthor -- doing in that scene where he retrieves General Zod's corpse and mixes his blood with it? And seriously, the best thing they could come up with as the "big threat" at the climax of the film, is a CGI troll straight from LOTR?

AndyDursin wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:28 am -If it's not the worst score ever written...it's pretty close
That scene where Bruce Wayne finds the photo of Wonder Woman from WW I and that awful electric cello starts playing is a serious contender for worst cue ever written. Apart from the fact that "theme" does nothing to express Wonder Woman's character (and nothing dramatic at all, really, beyond "sounding cool"), why is Zimmer using an "action cue" in a scene where there's no action?

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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#85 Post by AndyDursin »

That scene where Bruce Wayne finds the photo of Wonder Woman from WW I and that awful electric cello starts playing is a serious contender for worst cue ever written. Apart from the fact that "theme" does nothing to express Wonder Woman's character (and nothing dramatic at all, really, beyond "sounding cool"), why is Zimmer using an "action cue" in a scene where there's no action?
Image

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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#86 Post by mkaroly »

UGH! Never liked Yanni...lol...but I would take him over Zimmer's garbage any day!

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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#87 Post by AndyDursin »

LOL I posted that in agreement with Paul, of course. I had to look hard to find a GIF of Yanni, but Paul and I laugh about that all the time...his Live from the Acropolis special aired literally every weekend on PBS while I was in college back in 93-94.

His genuflections, flowing hair, smile and ONE FINGER ON THE KEYBOARD are forever etched in my memory! :lol:

mkaroly
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#88 Post by mkaroly »

AndyDursin wrote: Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:00 am LOL I posted that in agreement with Paul, of course. I had to look hard to find a GIF of Yanni, but Paul and I laugh about that all the time...his Live from the Acropolis special aired literally every weekend on PBS while I was in college back in 93-94.

His genuflections, flowing hair, smile and ONE FINGER ON THE KEYBOARD are forever etched in my memory! :lol:
He has the same "joy of music" expression on his face for anything he plays! Lol...show some range dude! Life is not all about happiness and joy - there are other emotions...express them! Lol! :lol: :lol:

At least John Tesh would have a serious look on his face every now and then from what I recall.

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Paul MacLean
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#89 Post by Paul MacLean »

But you have to agree that Yanni's music is so much better suited to Far and Away than John Williams'! :roll:


mkaroly
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Re: BATMAN V SUPERMAN - "Solemn...No Fun"

#90 Post by mkaroly »

Paul MacLean wrote: Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:46 am But you have to agree that Yanni's music is so much better suited to Far and Away than John Williams'! :roll:

Lol...I categorically and vehemently reject that assertion! :lol:

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