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emilyginNYC
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Classic film but a tad off
Different things characterize a Kubrick film: cold style, a languorous deep camera, intellectual humor. But for me, all of these pale compared his primary concern: investigating who the narrator is.
He hated 'Sparticus' and struck out to do intelligent work. His collaboration with Brando failed, so he bought 'Lolita,' the most adventurous narrative literary experiment til then. It featured a narrator who is obsessed, possibly mad and surely not to be trusted. Kubric (rather radically) translated that layered presentation into the POV of Quimby, who assumes multiple characters, either driving or populating Humbert's worlds.
He would later hit paydirt in '2001' with the idea of three battling narrators (human, machine, alien) for control over what we see. And later with 'Orange' about a film that indocrinates itself through film.
Along the way, he tried this: four narratives all provided by Sellers. The idea was that each man imposed or reported his own reality and you really wouldn't know which to trust. Our man Peter broke his leg though and the whole thing shifted, but it was changing character throughout based on other accidents as well. Yes, I know there is a story, but it really doesn't matter. In fact it matters so little it changed every day, and so did the tone of the film.
Scott turned out to be comically stronger than guessed. The president morphed into someone less fey, the pie scene (which was to be a Marx Brothers tipoff) failed.
So I see this as minor Kubrick, a failure of what he intended. It is a great Sellers film for the Von Braun/Ed Teller bit, and for that it is appreciated. But if you want to see a master succeeding at something only he seems to be able to do, you'll need to look elsewhere.
The Islands (2019)
It was a really good movie but with some inaccuracies........
Technically you do not have to talk about this film, costumes, cuts, performances -everything perfect - with a special highlight for gorgeous Hawaii cinematography. This looks like a $30 million film and has a sweeping storyline. It deserves a Best Picture nod.
The inaccuracies I noticed were just the fire dancers which came a few years later down the road and the Captain's outfit which was more mid-1800's than early 1800's. But my friend got angry at my harping on this and said I should be so lucky to pick up a camera and shoot a movie myself which I can't so I abdicate on this. It is easy to criticize the work of another without realizing I could never even come close to this.
Also, it's not a documentary. It's a feature film. Overall, it was a very special film and I noticed many people outright weeping. I'm not religious at all, but I did reflect seriously on God after. I give this a solid 8 and it's definitely one of the best films of the year. Even better than 'The Irishman' believe it or not.
The Walking Dead (2010)
Great show
Two years ago....I would give this show a 10 of 10. Lately the writers have slowed things down, focused on side-bar stories and fillers. They are now changing direction totally away from the comics as well.
Some changes were great....but why the slow pace and unfulfilling episodes? Yes the first couple of episodes were great......but its been a snails pace dragging down hill since then. I hate it when shows lose steam. I mean......follow the comics if you are having a hard time making it seem more interesting.
And the last thing.....both in the comics.....and the TV show.....there is never any light at the end of the tunnel. Light meaning......some progress on a cure or identifying how this happened in the first place. Just goes on and on and on.....even in the comics....or at least the first 100 books that I read.
Please......give us some rewards at the end of every episode or two......it is almost the season break.....time for another damn cliff hanger....on a slow season.