What was the last movie you've seen?

[Ack]

In my opinion, the best comic book adaptation released was Road to Perdition. It features spectacular actors in roles that at times venture far from their typical stomping ground (Jude Law in particular), a wonderful soundtrack, and some of my favorite cinematography to appear in the medium.

Does it have some problems? Yes, and I will point some of the more glaring ones out if you like. But it also features a story that resonates with me, so even though I've had to analyse it to shreds at work, I still love it.

[dsheinem]

In my opinion, the best comic book adaptation released was Road to Perdition. It features spectacular actors in roles that at times venture far from their typical stomping ground (Jude Law in particular), a wonderful soundtrack, and some of my favorite cinematography to appear in the medium.

Does it have some problems? Yes, and I will point some of the more glaring ones out if you like. But it also features a story that resonates with me, so even though I've had to analyse it to shreds at work, I still love it.

Agreed - I place it in my top 3-4 comic book adaptations easily. Excellent film.

[Retrodude]

And what would make your lone review of the film more valuable than those of the many critics who review films professionally?

Well, for one thing, I'm not so arrogant as to think I'm smarter than everyone else (as many critics, especially online critics, seem to be). Seriously, I would love to get paid to watch movies all day, but when people say it's "not a real job", they're right. The Transformers series made a gazillion dollars despite the critics hating it and Frankenweenie and Hugo both flopped despite the critics loving them, so it seems the critics have zero effect on whether a film does well or not and when they approve of a film that does well, that seems to be the exception, not the rule. If that's the case, then you have to ask yourself, what good are you doing? Really, what is your contribution if it fails to do what it's intended to do? It's gotten to the point that if the critics hate a film, I assume I'll like it and 9 times out of 10, that's the case and I'm obviously not the only one.

[dsheinem]

And what would make your lone review of the film more valuable than those of the many critics who review films professionally?

Well, for one thing, I'm not so arrogant as to think I'm smarter than everyone else (as many critics, especially online critics, seem to be). Seriously, I would love to get paid to watch movies all day, but when people say it's "not a real job", they're right. The Transformers series made a gazillion dollars despite the critics hating it and Frankenweenie and Hugo both flopped despite the critics loving them, so it seems the critics have zero effect on whether a film does well or not and when they approve of a film that does well, that seems to be the exception, not the rule. If that's the case, then you have to ask yourself, what good are you doing? Really, what is your contribution if it fails to do what it's intended to do?

@ "intended to do"

film critics aren't evaluating a film for its popularity, they evaluate it for its artistic merits. protip: lots of popular stuff in every entertainment medium is artistically vapid.

if you really think writing film criticism is an easy job that entails little more than watching movies all day and shitting something out, you have no idea what good critics do.

[fastbilly1]

In my opinion, the best comic book adaptation released was Road to Perdition.

Second best, the best is The Rocketeer. It is everything a comic book should be - Stupid hero, crazy physics, bad guys who look like they came from Dick Tracey, Hidden Nazi radios, jetpacks; and made for one excellent movie.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I'm curious: what did you think of The Man Who Wasn't There? I ask since you often mention being a noir fan...

I actually saw that movie in theaters when I was in college. (I am also one of the few people in the world who saw The Big Lebowski in theaters more than once.) I thought it was very good, all of the characters were compelling, and I loved the beautiful black-and-white cinematogaphy. I have since come to appreciate the film noir genre a lot more, however, and I think that I would probably like and respect the film a lot more today. (I also think that I would be better able to catch the film's references to other movies in the genre.) It is on my Netflix queue for a second viewing, but I have yet to convince my wife to watch it with me. (The black-and-white cinematography would look great on my HD CRT, but the only Coen Bros. film my wife enjoys without reservations is Fargo... )

As an aside, if you - or anyone else on the forum - is looking for a great, under-rated film noir, I highly recommend The Big Sleep (1946) and Kiss Me Deadly (1955). If you don't mind subtitles, I also highly recommend Rififi (1950) and Branded to Kill (1967), although the latter is more of a Yakuza film than a film noir. (In my experience, however, most Yakuza films are merely film noirs with the Japanese gangsters.) All of them are very "modern" and great gateways to the genre.

EDIT: My wife loves the public-domain film noir Kansas City Confidential (1952), which is interesting because she hates Reservoir Dogs, the Quentin Tarantino classic it inspired. (I thought it was OK but felt that I should throw that one out there too.)

[Retrodude]

lots of popular stuff in every entertainment medium is artistically vapid.

That might be true, but it seems to me like you're arguing that if a film has no artistic ambitions, that makes it inherently worthless. You are 100% wrong. Most films aren't trying to be anything more than simple entertainment, so judging them by some completely made up artistic standard is not only unfair, it makes you sound pretentious. Personally, I judge films comparatively. The Green Hornet for example. Not quite as good as, say, Meet The Parents, but much, MUCH better than just about any Adam Sandler movie I could name.

[Ack]

As an aside, if you - or anyone else on the forum - is looking for a great, under-rated film noir, I highly recommend The Big Sleep (1946) and Kiss Me Deadly (1955). If you don't mind subtitles, I also highly recommend Rififi (1950) and Branded to Kill (1967), although the latter is more of a Yakuza film than a film noir. (In my experience, however, most Yakuza films are merely film noirs with the Japanese gangsters.) All of them are very "modern" and great gateways to the genre.

EDIT: My wife loves the public-domain film noir Kansas City Confidential (1952), which is interesting because she hates Reservoir Dogs, the Quentin Tarantino classic it inspired. (I thought it was OK but felt that I should throw that one out there too.)

Tell your wife to get better taste! I kid, I kid.

Anyway, I too enjoyed The Big Sleep and Kiss Me Deadly. I would highly recommend Pickup on South Street, and the first person film Lady in the Lake, which is another film take on Phillip Marlowe, the main character in The Big Sleep.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Anyway, I too enjoyed The Big Sleep and Kiss Me Deadly. I would highly recommend Pickup on South Street, and the first person film Lady in the Lake, which is another film take on Phillip Marlowe, the main character in The Big Sleep.

Thanks! I have not seen either, but I will definitely be on the look out for them.

My favorite take on Phillip Marlowe, however, is probably in Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973). I am hit-or-miss with that director, but I loved that film and cannot recommend it enough. (Also, it is available for streaming on Netflix; so, anyone with the service can watch it instantly!)

[Ack]

Anyway, I too enjoyed The Big Sleep and Kiss Me Deadly. I would highly recommend Pickup on South Street, and the first person film Lady in the Lake, which is another film take on Phillip Marlowe, the main character in The Big Sleep.

Thanks! I have not seen either, but I will definitely be on the look out for them.

My favorite take on Phillip Marlowe, however, is probably in Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973). I am hit-or-miss with that director, but I loved that film and cannot recommend it enough. (Also, it is available for streaming on Netflix; so, anyone with the service can watch it instantly!)

I love The Long Goodbye! Elliott Gould absolutely nailed it in my opinion. Robert Mitchum somehow ended up with the role after him and made versions of Farewell, My Lovely and a remake of The Big Sleep. Personally, I feel Mitchum was too old for the role by the 1970s, and The Big Sleep is nowhere near as good as the Bogart one, but Farewell, My Lovely did very well.