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The Rail of Tomorrow

post #1 of 22
6/21/08 at 6:25pm
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Hey folks, just joined up. Here's the first entry, on the benefits and drawbacks of CGI in filmmaking.

http://chud.com/articles/blogs/728/C...viemaking.html
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post #2 of 22
6/21/08 at 7:32pm
Hey, really good write up. I agree with you 100%. I'll admit I miss the old days, but I also totally embrace what can be done with these tools. Most people don't hate CGI, they just hate bad, unnecessary, and lazy CGI. When the mixture is utilized correctly...movie magic.
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post #3 of 22
6/23/08 at 2:16am
I loved that when it took me a visit to Digital Domain's site to discover that the street scene after the cab murder was all CGI. And now Fincher's pushing it further with Curious Case...

As for Crystal Skull, I didn't welcome seeing Indy with an obvious green screen. It's visually jarring firstly because we've never seen the character been involved in CGI set pieces. And secondly, it cost $180 million or so to produce. so why does it look so terrible? ILM didn't fuck up with Master and Commander. Davy Jones is the most realistic CGI character ever. So why can't they make ants look real? ILM, far too hit and miss for a company at the head of effects development.
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post #4 of 22
6/24/08 at 10:41am
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That really is the shame of it...I mean, it's Industrial Light and Magic. They're supposed to be the industry standard, and they do very often deliver less than amazing work.

Here's the latest post. Just a small reaction to the Warner releasing The New World extended cut. This week's main piece should be posted by the end of the week; it'll be a consideration of the two Hulk movies, because, you know, there aren't enough of those articles already.

I just found out that Warner Home Video is releasing a 172-minute Extended Cut of Terrence Malick’s The New World.

I should make one thing perfectly clear – I love Terrence Malick, and seeing The New World for the first time was a profound turning point in the way I look at movies. Never met the man, but he is a rare case of an artist who has had such a profound impact on the way I view cinema and even the way I view the world that I love him for it. If that sounds silly, well, then so be it, but if a film or director or some form of art hasn’t had that level of impact on you…be open to it. For those who know what I mean…you know what I mean.

Read the rest HERE.
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post #5 of 22
6/25/08 at 2:10pm
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Latest post, a consideration of the two Hulk films that have come out in the last five years.

It’s kind of strange to see the sudden surge of critics tripping over themselves to say how much they love (and have always loved) Ang Lee’s Hulk. I mean, maybe they were there in 2003; I wasn’t tuned into critical movements at the time. But I kinda doubt it, because for the past five years, the film’s received nothing but hate, and I never thought it really got its fair shake until now.

At the most basic level, Hulk is exactly what comic book fanboys and film critics wanted – a summer blockbuster that was thoughtful, character-centric, and executed with some level of artistry. But of course, nobody really wants that. Better to have Hulk Smash.

Or is it?

Read the rest HERE.
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post #6 of 22
7/1/08 at 11:47am
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Latest post...relatively light this time around, just sort of about how hard it is to not get excited about some of these movies.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about superhero movies lately. It’s almost impossible not to. Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk showed Marvel still has it in ’em. Hellboy and The Dark Knight are just weeks away from release, and the reviews/reactions are pouring in everywhere between favorable and “these films are unbelievable,” and, well…at least the reviews are good this time.

Because the superhero film is in desperate need of revolution. Well, maybe not desperate…they’re still box office gold, so studios will continue to finance them, but creatively they leave a lot to be desired. Even once you move on from the origin story, we pretty much know the beats the sequel will play to – more or less the model Superman II set up. Even Spider-Man 2, in my opinion the finest superhero film ever made (so far), played to very familiar beats; it just made them new and exciting and had a love story worth caring about (I’m a romantic).

Read the rest HERE.
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post #7 of 22
10/5/08 at 7:17pm
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Well...three months off, but I'm back. Hopefully this is worth reading, despite its lack of timeliness.

“Show, don’t tell” is one of those things that gets pounded into your head in all avenues of creative writing, but especially in film school. The idea behind the mantra is that it’s better to convey information (exposition, facts, character, anything) visually than to state it outright. First, it lets the audience piece it together on their own, making the result more satisfying. Second, explaining things (especially character) often comes off very contrived. Third, in film (and this is an article pertaining to a film) visuals are usually quicker, and much more efficient. Fourth…stating things outright is really easy, and it pays to do things the hard way sometimes.

“Show, don’t tell” is also a reductive way to approach material and severely limits what can be accomplished with strong dialogue.

Read the rest HERE.
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post #8 of 22
10/5/08 at 7:50pm
I really enjoyed your piece on TDK. I did my own writeups on both Hulk and Dark Knight. A lot fluffier than yours, but I think we're on the same page.

I look forward to reading your blogs.
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post #9 of 22
10/13/08 at 11:58pm
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Thanks for the comments, Erix. I dug your pieces; way to bring the enthusiasm, even in the negativity.

Latest post - review of Eagle Eye. Late to the party? You bet I am. But hopefully you'll all jive with the spoilers in the second half because of that.

The gravest offense – and I mean this sincerely – is that DJ Caruso has no concept, none at all, of how to film a car chase. And there are a fair amount of car chases in the film. I’m actually pretty tolerant, even supportive, of handheld, messy action sequences – if you pay attention and frickin’ focus, the action in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and especially The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum makes sense. It fits together. It really, really does work once you get in the rhythm of it. Eagle Eye tries to do the same sort of thing, and it’s pretty clear the film wouldn’t exist in many ways if not for The Bourne Ultimatum (in case you haven't noticed, this film rips off a LOT of other films), but Caruso doesn’t have it.

Read the rest HERE, and be mad along with me that I missed a screening of Synecdoche, New York.
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post #10 of 22
10/17/08 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 
No new post today. Midterms were last week and I'm so far gone. This next week'll be chock-full of updates, though, as I have screenings for Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Slumdog Millionaire, and (assuming I can figure out where the hell I put the pass) Pride and Glory. I'll also be seeing W. tonight, Body of Lies early tomorrow (lack of any sort of positive word be damned!) and hopefully City of Ember sometime as well (see previous comment about lack of positive word). I'll try to review them all during the course of next week to make up for my utter failure today.

I also have a presentation next week on The Big Sleep, so I'll probably do a little write-up for that, as it'll be on my mind.
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post #11 of 22
10/22/08 at 10:01pm
Thread Starter 
Latest post, a review of Slumdog Millionaire, the best film of the year (so far).

Some days, there’s a movie that deserves all the praise you could yell and yell and yell about the film, but that just seems like hyperbole. But I went and stood in line for over an hour (gotta love free preview screenings) when I was dead tired based solely on positive reviews, so if this in any way makes one person go see this film, I’ll hyperbole the shit out of it.

Read the rest HERE.

Other notes...Zack and Miri Make a Porno is exactly what you expect it to be, which for me makes it fantastic. I loved the shit out of W., thought it was a real return to form for Oliver Stone. And God dammit, why the hell did I see Body of Lies? I'm an idiot.
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post #12 of 22
10/27/08 at 9:35pm
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"Select a detail from a movie...it should not be obviously symbolic, and the purpose to which you put it should not be the filmmaker's obvious intention. Follow this detail wherever it leads and report your findings. Your goal is to propose a new way of understanding the movie you discuss."

The ensuing insanity begins HERE.
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post #13 of 22
11/15/08 at 3:01am
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40% Off Criterion DVDs! My own personal Top 10 Criterions!
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post #14 of 22
12/23/08 at 3:10pm
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Review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (in short - mixed reaction, leaning positive)
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post #15 of 22
7/25/09 at 10:32pm
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My Life in Anamorphic Widescreen: Elizabethtown

A reflection on Cameron Crowe's much-despised film, one I happen to love dearly, nearly four years after its release.
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post #16 of 22
8/9/09 at 11:37pm
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Infants and Their Formula - A consideration of the current trend to reduce fully-grown adults to children, and why the victims can't get enough.
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post #17 of 22
8/14/09 at 8:57pm
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Review of District 9. In short...if this is considered a masterpiece, then we're in trouble.
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post #18 of 22
8/19/09 at 12:41am
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Apparently Netflix colorizes some of their movies.
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post #19 of 22
8/22/09 at 6:13pm
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Scorsese's latest film bumped from Oscar season to dumping ground? Good.
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post #20 of 22
8/22/09 at 9:42pm
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Leading box office analyst is right, but is somehow saying it's a good thing for adults to enjoy films based on their titles.
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post #21 of 22
9/3/09 at 8:46pm
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In spite of the studio system's total inability to create an exciting action movie, this summer wasn't too bad after all.
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post #22 of 22
10/12/09 at 6:12pm
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Review of A Serious Man.
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