that comes under world-building imo
all casting in this is meta casting fishburne is minor stuff
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:12 (four years ago) link
I only saw the first JW movie last week. The action is hilariously brutal.
― . (Michael B), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:16 (four years ago) link
I always feel like a cop for suggesting these films might actually be better without the tedious bits but yeah it all comes under “world building”. I believe it was our skot who said “ppl love rules I guess”
― milkshake chuk (wins), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:24 (four years ago) link
well look fanfic is demonstrably an evil in this world, not all world-building or expansion is that and some of it is good but mostly its terrible
theres enough good about the wicks not to dwell tho
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:30 (four years ago) link
having the inciting incident of these movies being the murder of the world’s most adorable puppy is maybe the best plotting decision in cinema history imo
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:31 (four years ago) link
not because i hate puppies but because it means whatever carnage wick unleashes is 140% justified
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:32 (four years ago) link
it absolutely matters, yeah
i cant even remember how the line is delivered in the first one or if im just imagining it but the main dudes incredulous "you shot john wicks DOGGGGGGG?" when he discovers why his entire org must fall is a good mood setter for the entire series.
yeah ridiculous and yeah funny but also sorry you all have to die and nobody has to care thats the way it is bub
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:36 (four years ago) link
these movies are, i think, the very best keanu vehicles because he’s a really gifted physical actor and they are stripped of almost everything which gets in the way of letting him move
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:42 (four years ago) link
yeah, sure they dont even let the poor bugger stop afaict
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 07:50 (four years ago) link
The second one's background/world-building were never going to live up to the whole sequence of John Leguizamo sipping on a Scotch looking weary, "he killed John Wick's dog" "oh," O'Riley from Oz as henchman all cross cut with Wick breaking up concrete to get to his guns and coins.
― Greta Van Show Feets BB (milo z), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:16 (four years ago) link
cant see that as world building
thats just setting a comeuppance
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:19 (four years ago) link
the worldbuiiding, such as it is, works because it’s inherently kinda silly and cartoonish, ie a good backdrop for the ultraviolent looney tunes of the action sequences
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:20 (four years ago) link
it works as far as it does because its surrounded by excellence
if the execution(s) or keanu were any less superb then it would drag the movie down into just another cynical nerd/completionista exploitation flick
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:22 (four years ago) link
Lovejoy's hotel for assassins concierged by Cedric Daniels is definitely a place I would stay
― Captain ACAB (Neil S), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:24 (four years ago) link
it is p much the job i see him quitting the cessmire of major crimes for, def
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:24 (four years ago) link
cynical’s an interesting word to bring up in this context - are these the least cynical action movies of recent times? like, the whole thing is an exercise in the joy of motion more than anything else - it’s like the olympics but with more neon violence and less shocking corporate corruption
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:25 (four years ago) link
they are very lean, which i think is at least aligned to non-cynical, in that you have to add in elements to get cynicism (among other things)
all centres on keanu, rly. you cam project a lot, or nothing, onto his casting/role/performance
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:29 (four years ago) link
keanu is very lean too
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:31 (four years ago) link
Tbh it’s only in the second one that the bad stuff drags the fun stuff down - the fucking barter system of hogwarts assassin guild or whatever should have as little time spent on it as possible because it’s embarrassing shit however you deadpan it. I only saw it once but it felt like 20 long minutes at a time of that stuff between action scenes when I was in the cinema. The version of jw2 that’s 90 minutes long may well be lean Still up for pt 3 obv
― milkshake chuk (wins), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:44 (four years ago) link
david lean six sigma thats how good this is gonna be
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 09:22 (four years ago) link
smdh at first one; needed a shower after
if this is satire, it forgot to be satirical
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 10:57 (four years ago) link
is it satirical?
i wouldn't have said so.
knowing, but not winking.
if you cant appreciate it for what it is then i think abe had a line for you to use as a future guide
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 10:58 (four years ago) link
Started re-watching 2 last night - I think my favorite bit is when Keanu arrives in Rome and the proprietor of the local Continental asks him if he's there to kill the Pope. When the answer (after a long pause) is no, the guy smiles and says "OK then - enjoy your stay" and hands him his room key. Cracked me up in the theater; still funny now.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:19 (four years ago) link
All of the septuagenarians in my gf's family are psyched to see 3 this weekend, q: will I need to see 2 first in order to follow the intricacies of plot
― Have you ever had a dream that you um you had your you you could you (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:27 (four years ago) link
the proprietor of the local Continental asks him if he's there to kill the Pope
yeah this was genuinely hilarious
― Simon H., Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:28 (four years ago) link
also just noticed that JW2 and JW3 feature, respectively, a genderfluid and non-binary primary cast member, which is neat!
― Simon H., Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:43 (four years ago) link
if this is romcom, it forgot to be rom or comif this is a musical, it forgot to have songs if this is documentary, it forgot to be a record of real-life events captured contemporaneously
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:46 (four years ago) link
neither of these movies are satire my god
i do like to think of them as a horror movie franchise from a retired horror movie monster's perspective
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:50 (four years ago) link
(Only barely tangentially related but have you seen Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, Brad?)
― Have you ever had a dream that you um you had your you you could you (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 12:55 (four years ago) link
as a teen beach party movie starring frankie avalon and annette funicello, it’s a real failure iirc
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 13:09 (four years ago) link
TBF and IMO, the failing of most films is that they are not teen beach party movies starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
― Have you ever had a dream that you um you had your you you could you (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 13:12 (four years ago) link
well, yeah
― michael keaton IS jim thirlwell IN ‘foetaljuice’ (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 13:13 (four years ago) link
ol, yes see 2
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 13:54 (four years ago) link
fwiw i didn't think the first one was satire. just crap.
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 15 May 2019 13:57 (four years ago) link
How about the first one, is that necessary for the other two? I think the only way I could watch this with my partner would be to skip the puppy murder.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:03 (four years ago) link
look
i cannot in any faith recommend anyone to not see john wick
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:08 (four years ago) link
insofar as plot matters youd have to seem em all in order but happily.....prob plot is a nice-to-have in these movies
****SPOILERS*******SPOILERS*******SPOILERS***
John Wick 3 as the 2016 election/Pro-Bernie propaganda
--The high table is the democratic party, obsessed with rules and norms to their own detriment--The adjudicator is Hillary, a seasoned professional fighting a broken system just trying to keep everything normal.--John Wick is Bernie Sanders, the rogue veteran, a little old but still a scrapper. He's already got the young fighters obsessed with him (Zero), but has to win over older voters who are set in their ways/routines (Anjelica Huston) and the women who still claim fealty to the high table (Halle Berry)--Visiting Berrada was the DNC kneecapping him in the primaries--Winston is Trump, whose only concern is himself and maintaining status/money/power and his HOTEL--Lawrence Fishburne and his crew are the mobilized lower class electorate who is going to help Wick and Bernie rise to victory in Part 4 (2020)
― dragged across concrète (Whiney G. Weingarten), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:38 (four years ago) link
wheres biden
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:39 (four years ago) link
sorry, meant to post that to the twin peaks thread with a fuller theory that it itself is a 2020 allegory
― deemsthelarker (darraghmac), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:40 (four years ago) link
This was so violent it was almost hallucinogenic at times.
― Simon H., Saturday, 18 May 2019 02:25 (four years ago) link
The least of the three but only really cause the last 10 minutes is a bit enh
― Simon H., Saturday, 18 May 2019 02:29 (four years ago) link
― gbx, Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:05 (four years ago) link
seeing this tomorrow at 10:00. ANTE MERIDIEM!!
― husserl gang (rip van wanko), Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:08 (four years ago) link
also i would posit that the excessive world-building in this one is Bad -- the first is the best because it's just about a retired assassin going after a spoiled brat for killing his dog
― gbx, Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:23 (four years ago) link
Debating whether or not I'll see this in the theater. All I know is, after having one guy dispatch basically dozens if not hundreds of highly skilled assassins in the previous two movies, what idiot assassin would try to take him on in John Wick 3?
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:25 (four years ago) link
quite a few it turns out
(spoiler a lot of people try to kill john wick)
― gbx, Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:25 (four years ago) link
It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy in this ridiculous world. They will never run out of assassins because apparently half the world is an assassin.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:26 (four years ago) link
spoiler-light, incomplete list of things I greatly enjoyed in this one, in no order
dogshorsesknife museumHalle BerryMark DacascosLance Reddickall that glass"I get it"
― Simon H., Saturday, 18 May 2019 03:34 (four years ago) link
One half of the couple behind me hit her partner with her purse and walked out after Wick stabbed that guy slowly in the eye
alas, twas not meant to be
JW4 motivated me to rewatch part of the Ip Man series, but unfortunately, the one streaming service that I have that had Ip Man 3 only had the dubbed version. whoever made that choice should be in the hague
― mh, Monday, 3 April 2023 14:31 (eleven months ago) link
Enjoyed the first two, but the third was just headshot after headshot and it felt a bit uncreative, and eventually wince-enducing.
― Chuck_Tatum, Monday, 3 April 2023 14:35 (eleven months ago) link
xpost still baffled at why they put Mike Tyson in that one. he didn't really add much to the movie even though I liked it a lot
― hootenanny-soundtracking clusterfucks about milking cows (Neanderthal), Monday, 3 April 2023 14:36 (eleven months ago) link
saw this over the weekend for my first return to theaters after 3 years, loved it thoroughly (with one minor-ish caveat I will mention below).Some random thoughts that haven't been brought up yet:-Loved the weirdly specific in joke stunt casting of having the infamous Berghain door man play Klaus, the sadistic dude who helps Wick get into Wick-verse Berghain.-Overheard sequence was the highlight for me. I assumed it was a clear Hotline Miami reference, but interviews indicate it was based on another video game called Hong Kong Massacre, which all reviews describe as a Hotline Miami clone. Still, someone in production seems to have connected the dots to Hotline Miami because the soundtrack for this one was clearly very influenced by it.-Finally, I love Scott Adkins and was hyped to hear he was in this, but the decision to put him in a fatsuit and to make him a Fat Bastard style gross big dude felt a tad too cartoonish (for this very cartoonish franchise) and also more than a bit fatphobic. I spent the first couple minutes he was on screen trying to figure out if it really was Scott Adkins, then when I realized that it definitely was him, I was wondering why they cast him for this role instead of just getting a huge dude who could fight to do it instead. The fight itself was great, but in light of recent discourse around The Whale among other things, I feel like this aspect will age quite poorly and I'm kind of surprised to not see more objections to it online, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places. Also, tbf, my fiancee works at a hospital unit with patients who have eating disorders so we might be more sensitive to these kinds of things than most. Still overall, this ripped and I am excited to see it again soon.
― Judi Dench's Human Hand (methanietanner), Monday, 3 April 2023 15:16 (eleven months ago) link
I saw this yesterday and was just about to post my incredulity that no one had mentioned there's a 20 min scene in the movie where john wick fights fat bastard
― Bongo Jongus, Monday, 3 April 2023 15:18 (eleven months ago) link
this is the first wick movie I've seen in theaters, usually I've played these movies in the background when I cook or something so I can tune out when it gets boring, and I guess I've never paid attention to them. I took the edible in an afternoon showing route, and had a very nice time having a moviegoing experience, sitting in a theater etc., but I found this to just have a really racist vibe, idk how to describe it. It felt like a racist rape-forward perfume ad about customer service, but that's just my review of the vibe of it.
― Bongo Jongus, Monday, 3 April 2023 15:26 (eleven months ago) link
The Sacré-Coeur stairs sequence is everything.
― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 9 April 2023 22:50 (eleven months ago) link
Really is!
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 9 April 2023 22:53 (eleven months ago) link
I'm in the minority, but Bill Skarsgård delivered the laffs as purported arch-villain: serpentine, emotionally supported by Géricault canvases, aware that he's way over his head but (almost!) able to bring it off.
― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 9 April 2023 22:56 (eleven months ago) link
loved rina sawayama in this, sad she wasn't in it more. they kinda made it seem like her and jw would team up to whup some ass
― flopson, Sunday, 9 April 2023 23:01 (eleven months ago) link
i was confused by skarsgard's accent--was it intentionally like a french-african thing?
― flopson, Sunday, 9 April 2023 23:03 (eleven months ago) link
The confusion helped his performance: a kid pantomiming a marquis
― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 9 April 2023 23:07 (eleven months ago) link
ftr I didn't stick around for post-credits. I had an Easter brunch to hit and it was already late.
― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 10 April 2023 00:30 (eleven months ago) link
I liked Skarsgård but watching the staircase sequence felt like as much of a slog as it was supposed to be for the characters, and I don't accept that that was the intent.
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 10 April 2023 00:36 (eleven months ago) link
Anyway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4GmiggFXRI
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 21:28 (eleven months ago) link
I thought this was great, especially the sound design. Very specific about where bullets and casings were hitting and landing.
There's something about the Wick movies, where they take themselves very seriously but ... maybe not totally seriously? They're pretty untethered to any sort of reality by this ridiculous but inspired concept of a global underground secret society of stylish and superhumanly trained hitmen and assassins, hiding in plain sight and bound by rules and honor and ancient codes of conduct, let alone Wick himself, an unstoppable, indefatigable force that leaves behind literally hundreds of bodies in prominent places around the world over the course of, what, a week or so? I'd love to see the headlines.
Someone put the four-movie death count at 439, most of which come at the hands of Wick. I love how even after leaving behind a bloody trail of the best-trained (would-be) killers, still more fodder come out of the woodwork to try to take him on. Like, sure, he just killed 400 people single-handedly, but hey, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take!
Oh, and fuck a post credits sequence. If it's important, put it in the fucking movie, which was already (checks watch) plenty minutes long.
I've never seen any of the Fast and Furious movies, are they at all like this? They just always seemed dumb to me.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 21 April 2023 19:18 (eleven months ago) link
f&f are far worse imo
― flopson, Friday, 21 April 2023 23:57 (eleven months ago) link
I really wanted to see Wick in the theatre but had to walk out when it started because it was painfully loud. I was hoping it was just the previews but nope. Am I just getting old? This was the first time I’ve been to the cinema in 4 yrs. We checked a decibel measuring app and it was as loud as jet engines.
― just1n3, Saturday, 22 April 2023 00:45 (eleven months ago) link
This is fun but Bill Skarsgard weird accent is just bad bad bad.
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 23 May 2023 13:08 (ten months ago) link
*Skarsgard's
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 23 May 2023 13:09 (ten months ago) link
Skarsgård's
― mh, Tuesday, 23 May 2023 20:14 (ten months ago) link
mh otm
― least said, sergio mendes (sic), Wednesday, 24 May 2023 00:53 (ten months ago) link
i realize i am uncharacteristically late to the John Wick 4 party you guys <3 Full operatic mode! whole-ass epic! oh and YES we are climbing the darkened stairway to heaven and when we get there hold on to your butts because we’re duelling under a SKY that looks like a goddamn Titian painting cannot love this series enoughi love this one SO much the color stories, the fact that they are mixing all these weapons in these fight sequences so harmoniously and still finding ways to catch my breath w the choreography or even just whimsical situational settings like the Arc De Triomphe traffic fight that shouldnt work but do! ughamazing so happy
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 27 May 2023 06:45 (ten months ago) link
donnie yen’s fight sequences in this are so great, i love the way he moves. he’s so quick, and with the cane/sword it was like he was tap dancing sometimes? lol
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 27 May 2023 06:57 (ten months ago) link
Just came across this amazing photo on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FxIR9qcXsAAxemj.jpg
― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 28 May 2023 00:40 (ten months ago) link
N.B.: the shirt is fake, but there is an argument being made that the movies represent the five stages of grief, so there's gonna have to be one more...
― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 28 May 2023 00:41 (ten months ago) link
oh god please no
― poster of sparks (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 31 May 2023 01:38 (nine months ago) link
I thought part five was reported as in development just a day or two ago ...
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 31 May 2023 02:22 (nine months ago) link
yup. I'm just extremely anti the bad and wrong "stages of grief" framework.
― poster of sparks (rogermexico.), Friday, 2 June 2023 19:17 (nine months ago) link
Stahelski and Reeves have not changed their position on another one, regardless of what the head of Lionsgate says while promoting spin-offs
― serving bundt (sic), Friday, 2 June 2023 21:17 (nine months ago) link
getting very weary now of people tacking coherent narratives on top of this series, it’s *supposed* to be a big dumb wishlist of cool shit they wanted to see in an action movies & stahelski really hasn’t changed his statements to that effect over the years … overthinking it makes it so much lamer stages of grief lol FOH
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 2 June 2023 22:36 (nine months ago) link
It’s coherent in that Wick’s dedication to honour, rules and revenge only create death and misery around him (leading to his choice at the end of 4) — but this is explicitly the fundamental narrative engine of the series, not a dazzling revelation found only in masters-level analysis of hidden messages
― serving bundt (sic), Friday, 2 June 2023 23:05 (nine months ago) link
exactly
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:01 (nine months ago) link
I heard there might be shooting and kicking in part 5, but at this stage I think that's just a rumor.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:09 (nine months ago) link
The five stages of kicking and shooting.
five stages of fucking your shit up
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:29 (nine months ago) link
five stages of tactical fashion
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 3 June 2023 00:30 (nine months ago) link
five stages of gun-fu
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 3 June 2023 01:16 (nine months ago) link
Wait, this Finnish sort of WWII-set Wick movie came and went already?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGbr-aAnKTo
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 8 June 2023 21:11 (nine months ago) link
Watched SISU tonight - it’s totally OTT, gory as fuck, kinda funny, definitely fun.
― just1n3, Saturday, 10 June 2023 04:16 (nine months ago) link
I thought it was pretty slight. He's basically a superhero and there isn't enough impressive fighting technique or quality spectacle to make it feel substantial. Wish I hadn't bothered.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 10 June 2023 20:00 (nine months ago) link
i’ve been down a Buster Keaton rabbithole lately & read a great interview w Chad Stahelski and critic Dana Stevens (author of Keaton bio “Camera Man”) about the silent film/Keaton parallels in John Wick https://slate.com/culture/2023/03/john-wick-4-keanu-reeves-buster-keaton.html
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 15 June 2023 02:47 (nine months ago) link
Some woman in the seat across from me on the airplane watched this twice in a row so, so did i. Worked without any sound obviously
― calstars, Tuesday, 5 September 2023 22:48 (six months ago) link
the stairway scene with the falling definitely had its parallels
― mh, Wednesday, 6 September 2023 00:19 (six months ago) link