Quote from: BedrockBrendan;973851She plays pretty good vampires as well.

She does indeed. Personally, I found Shoot 'em up to be over the top fun that wasn't out to mock the genre, itself or its audience. But everyone's got an opinion.

Quote from: Spike;973849Isn't that the one where he kills a dude with a carrot?   Strange... I'm pretty sure it was laughing at someone at that point.  I mean, I got it: They were having fun and something to do with Looney Toons, and I didn't hate the movie but I also didn't love it.

It had the carrot kill in it. That was a surprisingly uncomfortable scene to watch as I recall (something about a carrot going through your mouth and out the back of your head). I don't know if the carrot was an allusion to loony toons or just an excuse for him to get in a one liner about eating your vegetables. But I remember the movie being entertaining.

In terms of self awareness it does depend on how its done for me. Done well it can be great. I really like Kung Fu hustle and that is pretty self aware (and also happens to have a lot of loony toons stuff as well). Same thing with Kill Bill. If they are still trying to make a good movie that is entertaining in its own right, it can be good. I just see a lot of self aware movies and shows that use self awareness as shorthand for 'deep' or 'smart'. And when it feels like the makers are shitting on the source material because they consider it low brow or something, it annoys me a bit.

Kung Fu Hustle is an amazing film, but Shoot 'em Up had way to many wink and nod moments.  It felt like it just had to sit on that fourth wall and scream "Don't take this seriously!" every five minutes.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;973880Kung Fu Hustle is an amazing film, but Shoot 'em Up had way to many wink and nod moments.  It felt like it just had to sit on that fourth wall and scream "Don't take this seriously!" every five minutes.

I definitely would agree that Kung Fu Hustle is a far better movie. Enjoyed Shoot 'em Up though I wouldn't ever put on the same level as Kung Fu Hustle. Shoot em Up was a movie I watched once, liked and don't need to see again. Kung Fu Hustle is a movie I want to watch every couple of years or so. But Kung Fu Hustle has a lot of its own nod and wink moments. I do think it is a lot less jarring and done with more affection than Shoot em Up in the way it does it (when Stephen Chow breaks the forth wall it almost pulls you in more). A lot of that might just be that Clive Owen isn't as skilled at comedy.

I think Clive Owen is a fantastic classical actor, but he doesn't have any depth outside of that.

Meh. Kung Fu Hustle was ok, but a bit too mainstream.  I'm more into Shaolin Soccer...

/Hipster Spike

Quote from: Spike;973926Meh. Kung Fu Hustle was ok, but a bit too mainstream.  I'm more into Shaolin Soccer...

/Hipster Spike

Hopefully Hipster Spike drowns in his latte and the real spike returns soon.

Those are both good movies. I think pretty much everything I've seen from him I've enjoyed. The stuff he has been directing but not starring in lately has been pretty cool too. I agree with some of the sentiment you are expressing here (if I catch your meaning). One of my pet peeves though is people people getting snobby about these kinds of genres which I think makes potential viewers feel like there is too much of a buy in or secret language to get into them (i.e. they want to say they liked Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, but don't want people to make fun of them because it is too mainstream or built on earlier works). These movies are meant to be fun and/or moving, not feel like homework.

I actually didn't have a hidden meaning. I just like Shaolin Soccer a bit more than I like Kung Fu Hustle, though I do like both films.  I think Shaolin Soccer is a bit better constructed, narratively, and I think it has a bit more heart.

Quote from: Spike;974112I actually didn't have a hidden meaning. I just like Shaolin Soccer a bit more than I like Kung Fu Hustle, though I do like both films.  I think Shaolin Soccer is a bit better constructed, narratively, and I think it has a bit more heart.

Sorry, misunderstood the Hipster tag. I liked Shaolin Soccer too. It is hard for me to pick between them though as they are so different.

Have you seen his movie King of Comedy? That one has a little more heart as well.

Quote from: Spike;974112I actually didn't have a hidden meaning. I just like Shaolin Soccer a bit more than I like Kung Fu Hustle, though I do like both films.  I think Shaolin Soccer is a bit better constructed, narratively, and I think it has a bit more heart.

I haven't seen that one. I honestly just dismissed it after the 90's glut of movies that had to combine stuff like ninja and surfing or kids sports.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;973893I think Clive Owen is a fantastic classical actor, but he doesn't have any depth outside of that.

He was good in Croupier and some other movie I saw a long while back. Personally I thought he'd have been a better Bond than Daniel Craig, who I don't care for, but then again presumably he'd have been at the mercy of the same awful scripts they've had post- Casino Royale. What a lost opportunity to start over and make the books in sequence and try to stay true to them this time.

Quote from: Dumarest;974239He was good in Croupier and some other movie I saw a long while back. Personally I thought he'd have been a better Bond than Daniel Craig, who I don't care for, but then again presumably he'd have been at the mercy of the same awful scripts they've had post- Casino Royale. What a lost opportunity to start over and make the books in sequence and try to stay true to them this time.

Agreed on the Bond films. CR was great, the others got progressively worse until by the last one not a single person actually seemed to want to be paid to do it.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;974200I haven't seen that one. I honestly just dismissed it after the 90's glut of movies that had to combine stuff like ninja and surfing or kids sports.

It is completely the opposite of those kinds of movies. It is definitely worth checking out. His style of comedy is difficult to nail down, but tends to have a lot of unpredictable slapstick, sudden seemingly illogical shifts and word play (which doesn't always translate but Shaolin Soccer was meant for an international audience). He is both a good actor and physical performer. It is on Netflix right now. I would say, if you have access, give it 30 minutes to win you over. I think it is also worth renting on Amazon.

King of Comedy is great but different in style to Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. Love them all.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;974240Agreed on the Bond films. CR was great, the others got progressively worse until by the last one not a single person actually seemed to want to be paid to do it.

Is Craig officially out now? I don't really follow movie news. I've  seen probably five movies in the theater in the past six years and don't read any entertainment magazines or web sites.

Casino Royale was good even though I don't really like the lead. Quantum of Solace bored me.  Skyfall actively annoyed me.  Spectre I chose not to see since the two before it I thought sucked and I figured it'll be on TV eventually. I used to dislike River Moore in the role...let me say the new era of Brosnan and Craig almost made me nostalgic for Moore. I did like Timothy Dalton and thought he played Bond closest to the novels.

Honestly,  though, I find it annoying how they take the book and short story titles and then discard the actual stories in nearly every case. Quantum of Solace. A View to a Kill. I'm surprised they didn't just call Skyfall Risico and Spectre The Hildebrand Rarity, given the track record.

Eh, it's probably obvious I am a fan of the novels ( and the RPG by Victory Games) and frustrated by idiots discarding over a dozen very serviceable plots and characters and situations for no apparent reason and instead making bad movies full of endless explosions and stunts. Not to mention the clumsy attempts at femmes fatale with idiotic names they seem think are Fleming- style. They  could easily be faithful to the books and short stories and, making one film every 2- 3 years, maintain the franchise for decades. I'd even welcome original stories that stayed in character and fit the mold. Oh well. At least they toned down the stupid science fiction gadgets after Brosnan's run.