General Movies Thread

[ResidentSeagull]

Seeing Buzz in a new art style gives me anxiety for some reason.

And this is coming from someone who hasn't watched a single Toy Story.

[Escavalien]

I don't know why people make a big deal about so-called "unkillable" slashers? If they survive a beheading, then we can talk about their immortality. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0220506/faq "How does Michael Myers return after having his head chopped off in 'Halloween H20'? It is briefly explained that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) killed the wrong person (a paramedic) on Halloween night by chopping off his head, thinking it was Michael Myers." WTF? Take the mask off before doing so, then.

It was supposed to be the actual Michael but the producers didn't want him to ever die so that by proxy the franchise never dies. Laurie's actress Jamie Lee Curtis was only coming back if she got to tell the story she wanted (which includes killing Michael) so they compromised, she got what she wanted in Halloween H20 and then the very next movie the producers can asspull that oh no it was someone else. This of course means she wouldn't want to act in the next movie so they killed her off in the starting scene with some really garbage writing overall (like her being put in an insane asylum after killing an innocent man under the mask).

For all intents and purposes Michael is indestructible though that's usually the weakest of his movies. The ones where he's treated more like a mysterious force that you could imagine stopping but he's just working in the shadows and stalking too smartly to be caught and stopped are the ones where he's genuinely scary as opposed to just being an indestructible iron man.

- - - Updated - - -

I came here to check if anybody said anything about Halloween Kills but ended up just finding that post from February, heh.

[ResidentSeagull]

I heard it was very contentious among people. Did you enjoy it?

[Escavalien]

Not really. What set some of the Halloween movies apart from the slasher imitators that spawned after the original Halloween was the attempt to do suspense in some way or the other. The original one made you always aware of where the killer was but you were anticipating the moment he would do something, and the 2018 movie was basically a thriller more comparable to stuff like Zodiac or Se7en because of the characters trying to track him down. This one was just a cheesy murder highlight compilation from start to finish, there was no suspense. Even suspense aside there's no interesting characterization to give emotion to the scenes, and by the time you get to the end the very little interest that one character managed to generate turns into nothing because of how that character gets handled in the ending. Kind of the equivalent of ordering an entire menu at a restaurant but everything ends up bland and tasteless but the dessert was kind of good! Except then someone steals your plate before you get to enjoy it.

[Mattias]

So I just got back from [s]Space Lawrence of Space Arabia[/] Dances with Sandworms Dune. That is definitely a Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie. I enjoyed it, but it was very very slow, and just sort of stopped, rather than end on any real note of importance. I'd say that unless you're a big fan of the book, maybe wait until part 2 comes out and then see them both in the same week. If you're ass can handle sitting for that long, at least.

So I have a bunch of questions for the people who read the book, so in no order:
- I know spice comes from the worms, so how did people have spice enough to operate these huge space shipping empires before they found Arakis? And if they had other sources before, why is Harkonen so rich from having it under his stewardship?
-I like how the forcefields mean that most fights are close combat, but those shields seem to be plot armour. Jason Momoa's character (Duncan, I think?) has a fight with like twenty guys and he's killing them in one blow, but they're just hitting his shield. Does he have a fighting style of something where he slows down his blows before he hits to bypass them? If so, why hasn't the Emperors personal stormtroopers figured out this basic idea?
-I get that the "I didn't kill them, the desert did" is a big end run around lie detector people, but did you not plan out for when they ask you immediately after "when was the last time you saw them?".
-Chief Space Nun/Concubine really thinks that threatening Paul is a good idea, when if she succeeds in her test, he's going to have a negative opinion on her entire order because of it?
-Also Paul really flip flops on his motivations. In like ten minutes he goes from angry drunking at his mother for making him a freak because he doesn't want to space jihad and become Emperor, then when he first meets the freemen after escaping he's all "I'll be the space pope, just help me"
-How has Harkonen, who has ruled the planet for 80 years, not yet figured out that he doesn't need to send in troops to attack a desert place, he can just drop a huge thumper and let the worms kill anyone in the area?

Unfinished/10.

[pinetree]

It's been a long time since I read it but I think I can answer some of these. I'm sure some bigger fan will correct me later if I misremember anyway.

The spice is used in space travel to get the pilots high and their mind super-sensitive so they can handle guiding the ship through space, it's not actually fuel.
They used AÍ to do it before but the machines revolted so now AÍ is banned and Spice is the only thing holding the space empire together.

Everyone knows they have to slow down to hit through the shield. It's just difficult to do in a real fight and Duncan is that much better than them, yes.

The Harkonen can't use a thumper on the capital because they built that massive shield-wall that blocks the worms from it.

[aldeayeah]

Also Paul really flip flops on his motivations. In like ten minutes he goes from angry drunking at his mother for making him a freak because he doesn't want to space jihad and become Emperor, then when he first meets the freemen after escaping he's all "I'll be the space pope, just help me

That's the film's biggest flaw IMO. At that point in the books Paul was not nearly as convinced. Without going deep into it, book Paul only became like that after a timeskip, years of Fremen inculturation, some personal tragedy, and an epic instance of spice overdosing.

The one calling the shots in the book equivalent to the final scene was Jessica, who was actively exploiting the Fremen superstitions to earn a place for her and Paul in the tribe. But the script writers diminished her role to give Paul an "early leadership" moment. Terrible terrible choice. My least favorite part of the movie by far.

How has Harkonen, who has ruled the planet for 80 years, not yet figured out that he doesn't need to send in troops to attack a desert place, he can just drop a huge thumper and let the worms kill anyone in the area?

That only works in open desert, but all permanent human settlements are in rocky, non-wormy areas (including the Fremen sietches)

Also, that wouldn't be very effective against the Fremen because they're guerrilla fighters, plus another reason not quite revealed yet in the first film.

Spoiler:

Many Fremen are trained to ride sandworms. That was what Liet was trying to do right before her death scene in the film, and the real purpose of those hooks/picks she had. You can see a worm rider at the very end of the film when they go to the sietch after Jamis dies.

[aldeayeah]

chief Space Nun/Concubine really thinks that threatening Paul is a good idea, when if she succeeds in her test, he's going to have a negative opinion on her entire order because of it?

She's playing bad cop to Jessica's good cop

Also she doesn't know he's the one, their original plan called for one more generation of breeding before the messiah was born

Also she's taking out on Paul her anger about Jessica's disobedience in not birthing a female
Also Paul scares her. A lot.

Also tough love is part of the standard BG indoctrination process

Also Jessica was a loyal member at that point and they relied on her to keep Paul in check

Also the BG have ways to make people obey regardless of their will

Also she didn't expect Paul would grow to be such a powerful prescient in the wilderness of Arrakis outside their influence

Also, even if she'd had been nicer, a prescient Paul would see through the order's plans and goals anyway, so why bother

[Mattias]

Also, even if she'd had been nicer, a prescient Paul would see through the order's plans and goals anyway, so why bother

Ok that makes sense.

Also tough love is part of the standard BG indoctrination process

Ok, but how is this still a test? Some people must have taken out their anger on the frail old woman the minute they were no longer under direct threat.

I
They used AÍ to do it before but the machines revolted so now AÍ is banned and Spice is the only thing holding the space empire together.

Ok so they didn't start with spice, that explains how the only real source for it is some backwater world. I was wondering how you build an interstellar empire when you say travel is impossible with spice, when the only place it occurs is so undeveloped.

[aldeayeah]

Ok, but how is this still a test? Some people must have taken out their anger on the frail old woman the minute they were no longer under direct threat.

Gaius is no frail old woman. She could probably kick the ass of everyone in the Atreides household in a 1v1 fight.

[Mattias]

Cool.

It's just a bit weird that for as long as the movie is I still come out with all these small lore questions, yet they still take (what feels like) way too long on establishing scenery shots.

Like, they say Spice is so ships can get interstellar travel, but all the travel we see in the movie look to be from these giant warp gates in orbit around the planets. Is that just a style thing? Or do they only need Spice to travel to undiscovered planets?

[pinetree]

Their ships fold space but it's not just an easy teleport, you need to navigate safely through folded space. And for a human to do that they need the prescient effects of spice.

- - - Updated - - -

And frankly considering the focus of the narrative for part 1 and 2, I consider establishing shots of Arrakis vastly more important than the intricacies of space travel.
Knowing spice is needed is enough, though I do think they should've stressed its singular importance more.

[Mattias]

Okay that's a really cool method of space travel.

[aldeayeah]

Like, they say Spice is so ships can get interstellar travel, but all the travel we see in the movie look to be from these giant warp gates in orbit around the planets. Is that just a style thing? Or do they only need Spice to travel to undiscovered planets?

That warp gate thingy was a mothership, those are described as ridiculously big in the book too

[Mattias]

I'm guessing they basically connect one ship to any other in the network?

[aldeayeah]

Afaik they were fully autonomous

The giant coke cans could freely fly around the universe

[aldeayeah]

they still take (what feels like) way too long on establishing scenery shots.

Absolutely, but don't worry, they not only neglect the lore, but also the characters and the plot!

[Mattias]

You know, the plot is actually presented pretty well. Or at least the overt politics part. The whoresnuns goals I have no idea, other than being the standard Vizer 'power behind the throne'. And the shippers are barely mentioned and I assume just want more space cocaine.

Aside from Paul and his Mother constantly ping ponging characterization all over the place, everyone else was easily established.

Actually, is there even an Emperor? Or should I be expecting a 40k thing where they're been dead for a long time and everyone around just pretends so they can keep power?

[SpoonyViking]

...Sorry, Matias, but you're making me think the movie did a terrible job of presenting some important things.

[SeiKeo]

Otoh that is the best newbie Dune take I've seen yet