Bad cinematography - Page 2

I had the same reaction to 'Murder in the First', Mangy.  It was over-directed to the point of complete distraction.

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Originally Posted by Doc Happenin 

No, no, In Time looks fabulous because I'm totally gay for JT. No, it was some...horror movie? Cop thriller? God, it looked fucking terrrrrrible.

Abducted.

Quantum of Solace sticks out to me. Maybe it's the editing primarily, but the film just isn't shot well. The annoying camera tricks during action kill the movie. The same with Battle:LA. When did Directors stop knowing how to shoot action?

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Originally Posted by Renn Brown 

Do people have inner-ear problems or something that makes canted angles that big of a deal? I didn't especially like Thor, but it wasn't filmed sideways for chrissakes. Severely overblown issue. And the John Adams miniseries is gorgeous. Beautiful show.

Yeah, Thor didn't bother me in this regard.  The only movie I can think of where I found the effect seriously off-putting was Doubt.

and again, Art wins the internetz.

It didn't bug me that much since I enjoyed the movie, but I did find the dutch angles in Thor annoying because they just felt pointless.  It looked like I had shot the movie myself!!!!  (I tilt the camera needlessly when I take photos... hehehe)

Quantum of Solace had gorgeous cinematography and great shots of action.  It was the editing choices that bugged the shit out of me.

EDIT: Damn your awesomeness, Art!  Your Chewer Power Level is now equal to miiiiiiiine!!!

I'm distracted by overused visual tics that serve no purpose. Unless being able to see up Loki's nostrils was a way to give us insight into the character; if that's the case, I apologize.

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

 

Now that's a sideways-filmed movie! Whoever put that gif together must be a sharp dude.

I hate the way late model Tony Scott movies look. Shit like Man on Fire and Domino. It's seriously green shit.

The waaaaayyy overhyper editing just amplifies how shitty those movies look. 

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Originally Posted by Walker 

I hate the way late model Tony Scott movies look. Shit like Man on Fire and Domino. It's seriously green shit.

 

The waaaaayyy overhyper editing just amplifies how shitty those movies look. 

I think it works for MAN ON FIRE. There's a seedy grimness to the story, and the film reflects it in its very look. I also don't think it qualifies because you're never left wondering what happened or not understanding some action. Scott keeps the geography of the action very clear, despite all the jump cuts.

I'm not a fan of Scott's "Skeevy perfume commercial" visuals, but I think his biggest crime is his ADD-riddled editing style. I smell a "Bad Editing" list starting soon!

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Originally Posted by MichaelM 

 

I think it works for MAN ON FIRE. There's a seedy grimness to the story, and the film reflects it in its very look. I also don't think it qualifies because you're never left wondering what happened or not understanding some action. Scott keeps the geography of the action very clear, despite all the jump cuts.

 

If his look weren't so washed out looking, I'd agree with you. Man on Fire is nowhere near as offensive as Domino is, but it still has that processed grim look to it. 

Which, considering the setting of the movie, you wouldn't need to work to hard to convey. No need to turn Tijuana(right?) into a Nike commercial.

The problem with watching a 3D film full of Dutch angles is it makes you want to tilt your head, and when you do the 3D effect is compromised. I didn't see the faux-3D version of Thor, but Branagh's shot choices were bizarre enough flat.

Okay, here's a sacred cow: It's inexcusable how murky, contrasty and over-saturated Return of the Jedi is, especially when you compare it to The Empire Strikes Back. Vader's just a black blob half the time.

I wasn't expecting anything exceptional visually from Cyrus, but it would have been nice to see the actors' eyes. And I don't know if it was the cinematographers' fault or the editors', but the decision to punctuate every reaction shot with an Office-style half-zoom was maddening. Just let the actors act!

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Originally Posted by dynamotv 

Fucking Hook. Never has a Spielberg movie looked so cheap.

God, this. All the diffusion in the world couldn't hide the multiple shadows in those 'exteriors'.

I'm not a fan of his bleach-bypass period either. It worked for Ryan but was absolutely wrong for Minority Report.

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Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

 

Madness on THE KING'S SPEECH. I don't think Hooper deserved the Oscar, but is framing and shot choice there really helped to elevate the material.

 

Exactamundo. The King's Speech was shot and directed brilliantly.

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Originally Posted by darkraven28 

And I'm glad to see so many people bringing up AVP-R. Talk about a movie where you can't appreciate even a single second of action, gore, blood, slime, attack, horror or anything else.

 

I know filmmakers or fans when they say things about a movie like, say, Aliens, they tend to say that James Cameron never gave you a clear view of the Aliens and that that was part of its strength. And that's pretty true. The cinematography in Aliens never kept you comfortable because you couldn't quite tell what things were, but they were at least lit to give you good hints of what you were looking at and later full views as the film went on. AVP-R, by comparison, is a movie without a cent in its light budget and ultimately with no money shots. Requiem, indeed.

Yeah, keeping things in shadows is fine, but there can't be shadows without a light source SOMEWHERE. Shadow does not equal lights out and pitch black. Plus, guys like Ridley Scot and James Cameron understand the importance of silhouette, composition, contrast, and motion (all which are tools that can be used to instill fear and portray characterization). You can't detect any of those elements without ANY light.

See Scott's original (Carpenter's THE THING or even Marshall's more recent THE DESCENT) for how much/little to reveal and where to place that lighting. The chest-burster scene takes place in a well lit dining room for crying out loud. And it's creepy as hell.