[Wind Chaser]

One evening we were playing some board game and I placed her in a position that required her to make just 1 move - she had no other choices by the rules of the game.  After she looked at the board for what felt like 24 hours, I reached out and moved her piece.

I've been in that situation too... 

[restrav]

I think this is officially known as golden age-ism.  Next thing you know, you'll be telling us how music was so much better in the past, and how society in general has been in decline

I do agree that the Academy Awards seems to have been usurped by politics and money, so you can't really look to them like you could in the past.  On the other hand, there's been some amazing films over the past 10 years:

Zero Dark Thirty
Looper
Ex Machina
Blade Runner 2049 (although I haven't seen this one yet)
Nightcrawler
Gone Girl
Nocturnal Animals
Whiplash
Tree of Life
Mad Max: Fury Road
John Wick
Black Swan
Arrival
Antichrist
Skyfall
Clouds of Sils Maria
Into the Abyss

All within the past 10 years, and there's a ton of stuff I haven't even seen because I've been so busy watching older films these past 10 years (to catch up on my film history).  Don't get me wrong, there are some great, great films in the past.  And there's also a lot of crap in the past.  In fact I'd say the ratio of great movies to mediocre and crap movies out about 1 in 10.  Which adheres to Sturgeon's Law pretty well 

Lol wow. That list though. I mean ofcourse it is subjective but that is variant the last of the worst movies if the last ten years.

[Tyson]

Lol wow. That list though. I mean ofcourse it is subjective but that is variant the last of the worst movies if the last ten years.

Well then you have to provide your list of best movies in the last 10 years.  Which will then give me the opportunity to call your choices the worst movies of the past 10 years.  See how that works?  Of course it's all subjective. 

But my broader point still stands - if you sit down and write out your best/favorite movies of the past 10 years, you're forced to conclude that the past 10 years have been pretty good, and we're not in a general decline in movie quality. 

[restrav]

Well then you have to provide your list of best movies in the last 10 years.  Which will then give me the opportunity to call your choices the worst movies of the past 10 years.  See how that works?  Of course it's all subjective. 

But my broader point still stands - if you sit down and write out your best/favorite movies of the past 10 years, you're forced to conclude that the past 10 years have been pretty good, and we're not in a general decline in movie quality.

I can't make a list now but "in bruge" would be on my list and might crawler would be to of the worst next to antichrist and mad max. It doesn't really get worse than mad Max. Unless your count bollywood

[Tyson]

I can't make a list now but "in bruge" would be on my list and might crawler would be to of the worst next to antichrist and mad max. It doesn't really get worse than mad Max. Unless your count bollywood

See, and any movie staring Colin Farrell is automatically disqualified because I find his eyebrows so distracting.  I keep watching him in otherwise-good movies (like In Bruges or The New World) and keep hoping that I won't feel like "Colin Farrell's Eyebrows" are the real stars of the movie.  But I just can't. 

But arguing about the merit of any particular movie is besides the main point.  The main point is that there HAVE been great movies during the past 10 years, even if we don't all agree on what they were

[S Clark]

See, and any movie staring Colin Farrell is automatically disqualified because I find his eyebrows so distracting.  I keep watching him in otherwise-good movies (like In Bruges or The New World) and keep hoping that I won't feel like "Colin Farrell's Eyebrows" are the real stars of the movie.  But I just can't. 

But arguing about the merit of any particular movie is besides the main point.  The main point is that there HAVE been great movies during the past 10 years, even if we don't all agree on what they were

Tyson, c'mon man.  Eyebrows??  How can you not like "Crazy Heart"? 
Movies are soooo subjective.  Some adore every thing Terrence Malick does.  Some can't stand the guy.  Mad Max.. wife loved it. It bored me.   

[Tyson]

Tyson, c'mon man.  Eyebrows??  How can you not like "Crazy Heart"? 
Movies are soooo subjective.  Some adore every thing Terrence Malick does.  Some can't stand the guy.  Mad Max.. wife loved it. It bored me.   

Seriously!  Malick is my 2nd favorite director after Kubrick and I can't even watch The New World because of stupid Colin Farrell 

[Rob Babcock]

Tyson, c'mon man.  Eyebrows??  How can you not like "Crazy Heart"?

I forgot that one!  Honestly an instant classic IMO, truly brilliant.  I'm not a country music fan but the music was superb as well.

[Rob Babcock]

I am one of those who felt the new BladeRunner 2049 was too slow paced.  Out of respect for other's opinions, I followed a suggestion and last night I watched Sicario.  A fine movie, but again in a few places it was too slow paced for me.  Now stay with me here - this all reminds me of a girlfriend I lived with over 40 years ago.  She was quite bright, getting her BA in 2 1/2 years.  But she was a strong analytical, needing to look at all sides of any situation.  I am close to the opposite.  One evening we were playing some board game and I placed her in a position that required her to make just 1 move - she had no other choices by the rules of the game.  After she looked at the board for what felt like 24 hours, I reached out and moved her piece. This resulted in our biggest fight ever.  This is probably why some of us loved the pacing of 2049 and others felt it dragged. These thoughts occurred to me while watching Sicario.  Not so much a matter of right vs wrong but the conflict of different personalities.

Yeah, very true.  I think a film should be the length it needs to be to tell the story it needs to tell.  As the scene in Amadeus where Mozart was criticized for using "too many note" it should have the exact amount required.  But I can readily acknowledge that pacing is subjective.  Mood comes into play as well.  Sometimes you're in the mood for prime rib while sometimes you just want a quick bite from the drive thru at McDs.

[S Clark]

Seriously!  Malick is my 2nd favorite director after Kubrick and I can't even watch The New World because of stupid Colin Farrell 

I know.  That's why I specifically mentioned him.  I don't like his stuff... at all.  To be more clear, I'll never waste another minute of my life watching one of his films, or re-watching trying to find out what I missed that others found so wonderful.  Some like California cabs, some like Bordeaux.  I like Rioja.   
But, we do agree on Kubrick.

[Tyson]

I know.  That's why I specifically mentioned him.  I don't like his stuff... at all.  To be more clear, I'll never waste another minute of my life watching one of his films, or re-watching trying to find out what I missed that others found so wonderful.  Some like California cabs, some like Bordeaux.  I like Rioja.   
But, we do agree on Kubrick.

Yep, I adore the fact that Malick has more or less done away with plot (and even character) in his latest films and is pretty much making cinematic poems.  Others cannot freaking stand that. 

To keep the thread tenuously on target, I liked Villeneuve's previous movie, Arrival, for exactly that reason as well - it wasn't just about what happened & who it happened to.  It was also about the 'feel' of the experience.  Freaking loved that.  But for people that don't like that aspect, I can see why they find that movie too long and pretentious. 

As I read more and more of this thread, it makes me more and more excited to see BR2049.

[EdRo]

The wife and I liked B.R.2049. We watched it Saturday night. I don't want to jaw on and on about it. We both felt that it was well done.

[WGH]

Enemy by Villeneuve is close to a cinematic poem, a dark moody one at that. Nothing much happens but the tension keeps building, stay away from this film if you want action. I read a bunch of reviews after seeing the film and the only conscientious is that nobody can agree what the film is about. And I never once noticed Jake Gyllenhaal's eyebrows. 

[Rob Babcock]

More and more I'm drawn to films that make me feel something.  Not in terms of being maudlin or overly sentimental but having a quality that connects with the human condition.  You don't even need humans for that, just humanity.

[wushuliu]

I think this is officially known as golden age-ism.  Next thing you know, you'll be telling us how music was so much better in the past, and how society in general has been in decline

I didn't say the last decade plus sucked, I just disagreed with the term 'golden age'. As in peak creativity, output, originality, and redefining a genre. I don't think it's controversial to call the 70s to early 80s the golden age. Stylistically, just about every film you watch now is built on that foundation, from Coppola to Lucas to Spielberg to Allen to Friedkin to Cassavetes to Altman, etc. And to keep things on topic - Ridley Scott.

I do think the last 15 years have been a golden age for comedy.

[wushuliu]

I'm pretty bored with Malick though. Still think Thin Red Line was a misfire (a gorgoeus one though).

[Tyson]

I didn't say the last decade plus sucked, I just disagreed with the term 'golden age'. As in peak creativity, output, originality, and redefining a genre. I don't think it's controversial to call the 70s to early 80s the golden age. Stylistically, just about every film you watch now is built on that foundation, from Coppola to Lucas to Spielberg to Allen to Friedkin to Cassavetes to Altman, etc. And to keep things on topic - Ridley Scott.

I do think the last 15 years have been a golden age for comedy.

Interesting.  I don't disagree that the level of quality and innovation in the 60's and 70's was astonishing (it was).  I don't think movies got worse in modern times.  But I do think television got better.  Its only a "golden age" of television now because television mostly sucked through most of history.  All the top talent back in the day wanted to avoid TV and do movies instead.  You'd never have caught someone like Fincher, an a-list hollywood director, coming out with TV series work. 

I'm curious what you feel are the best comedies.  Do you mean movies, stand up acts, or TV series?  I do have some favorite TV comedies - Mozart in the Jungle, House of Lies, The Good Place, The Office, Parks & Rec, Bored to Death, Better Call Saul - all are great.  Movies, meh I'm kind of drawing a blank.  Keep in mind I really dislike Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughn so that cuts out a pretty big swathe right there.  For standup, I really like Bill Burr, Hasan Minaj, Louis CK, Bo Burnham and Iliza Shlesinger. 

[jriggy]

Interesting.  I don't disagree that the level of quality and innovation in the 60's and 70's was astonishing (it was).  I don't think movies got worse in modern times.  But I do think television got better.  Its only a "golden age" of television now because television mostly sucked through most of history.  All the top talent back in the day wanted to avoid TV and do movies instead.  You'd never have caught someone like Fincher, an a-list hollywood director, coming out with TV series work. 

I'm curious what you feel are the best comedies.  Do you mean movies, stand up acts, or TV series?  I do have some favorite TV comedies - Mozart in the Jungle, House of Lies, The Good Place, The Office, Parks & Rec, Bored to Death, Better Call Saul - all are great.  Movies, meh I'm kind of drawing a blank.  Keep in mind I really dislike Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughn so that cuts out a pretty big swathe right there.  For standup, I really like Bill Burr, Hasan Minaj, Louis CK, Bo Burnham and Iliza Shlesinger.

Tyson,
For shows check out Baskets, Better Things and You’re The Worst. Louis CK is writer/producer for the first two. The third is an acquired taste but has gotten better and better and weirder. All character based ‘comedy’ but either dry or tragic.
For stand up check out Ari Schafer. He also had a show called This Is Not Happening that featured other comics telling stories.
And it takes a while but it was fun finding out why people like David Leterman and Jerry Seinfeld think that  Norm McDonald is a genius comedian.
I’ll check out Iliza’s special today, maybe Judah’s new release also...

[ketcham]

I have been wishing to see this movie for sometime.  I was 10 when I saw the original in the theater and took me only 20 years to understand it.  Interesting how as I evolved I understood more layers of the movie. 

Humbly, albeit subjective, the sequel resonated with me and I found it very cerebral and with its own layers with a completely different perspective that I am sure will have different meanings for me down the road if I re-see it again.  It was not drawn out at all but told a story eloquently.

I'd say better than the first and being only two of four people in the theater, unlikely to be showing for long.

[mgsboedmisodpc2]

Watched Blade Runner(1982) Final Cut no voice over a few days ago..This movie had 5 bad guy replicants to retire and  4 good guy cops characters to learn about and 4 creative scientist to learn about and lovely detailed scenes to enjoy, like the cycling scene.