General Action Discussion

[lunapark]

figured it was appropriate to check in on the new thread while I'm catching up on last night's Bleach (woohoo, the end of filler is in sight!)

And I've only seen 1 of the Best Picture nominees - hoping to see Social Network and Toy Story 3 on DVD soon (must finish Tudors first...)

[MegaNaraku]

Indeed, finally that Bleach filler is about over. Also, i saw Toy Story 3 with my gf because she wanted to see it.....though I didn't really like it that much.

[Foley_is_Good_149]

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Top_Gun wrote:
Wow, I saw...three of the movies nominated for anything. A new record!

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It's okay. I'm picking up your slack. Zero.

Of course, I may have seen... five movies last year. I think it might have been that many, but I'm not sure.

[PestilenceTheUnholy]

Wow, I've seen all of 1 of those. Iron Man 2 to be exact. Shows you what I've been doing.

[Nevada-Rocca]

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Metatronda wrote:
2011 OSCAR NOMINATIONS




Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois - Now that I have Netflix, this is the first thing I'm watching.
The Illusionist (Sony Pictures Classics) Sylvain Chomet
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Lee Unkrich



Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3

True Grit
Winter's Bone

Need to watch these eventually.

[Poke_Nirvash]

Only 2. Social Network and Tangled. It's a shame that some of my other favorites from this year (Kickass and Scott Pilgrim) didn't make it.

[DangerHikky]

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Poke_Nirvash wrote:

Only 2. Social Network and Tangled. It's a shame that some of my other favorites from this year (Kickass and Scott Pilgrim) didn't make it.

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I was seriously expecting SP to get a nod in at least some of the technical categories...

But, c'est la vie.

Oh yeah, I mentioned it last week during FMA but did Roy sound different to anyone else or did I just forget what Willingham sounds like?

[Metatronda]

Travis is playing Roy noticeably more loosely now. Early on in the series he was trying to play him more like Roy from the first anime, which works alright early on for the stuff both series have in common and but doesn't really work as well beyond the Lust fight. Brotherhood's Roy is a bit smoother, a bit more coy, a bit more debonair and cheeky compared to the first anime's version, who had more of a sternness and anger to him. Travis seems to be playing into those traits a bit more now than he was earlier.






Tonight on One Piece, a new day dawns on Upper Yard, and with it comes a battle renewed. The Shandians redouble their efforts and launch a second invasion of God's Land, while the Straw Hats split up and separately search for both treasure and a means of escape. For Almighty God Enel, however, all this is little more than a game. A survival game, to be precise. In His infinite wisdom, Enel declares the results of his gambit before it even begins. Will His prediction come to pass? Will the Straw Hats be able to safely navigate the jungles of Upper Yard? Can the Going Merry make it to the White-White Sea without divine interference? Enel's Survival Game begins tonight in episodes 168 to 172!

[mgangel1124]

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Metatronda wrote:
Travis is playing Roy noticeably more loosely now. Early on in the series he was trying to play him more like Roy from the first anime, which works alright early on for the stuff both series have in common and but doesn't really work as well beyond the Lust fight. Brotherhood's Roy is a bit smoother, a bit more coy, a bit more debonair and cheeky compared to the first anime's version, who had more of a sternness and anger to him. Travis seems to be playing into those traits a bit more now than he was earlier.

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And Angel finds it all kinds of sexy.

[DangerHikky]

Ah, yeah, he sounds a bit younger, I guess that might be from just playing him more easy-going then.

His voice isn't as angry and powerful sounding as I remember.

[lithium_green]

Gonna repost my Awards picks here cause I'm sure most of you guys didn't already see them in the Babbling thread.  I'll also probably make my changes in here, as I made some since yesterday.  This is easily the most wide-open contest I can remember.

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Metatronda wrote:
2011 OSCAR NOMINATIONS

Best Actor

Javier Bardem in "Biutiful" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Colin Firth in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
James Franco in "127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight)


Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeremy Renner in "The Town" (Warner Bros.)
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)


Best Actress

Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole" (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight)
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine" (The Weinstein Company)


Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom" (Sony Pictures Classics)


Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
The Illusionist (Sony Pictures Classics) Sylvain Chomet
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Lee Unkrich


Art Direction

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit


Best Cinematography

Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Matthew Libatique
Inception (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Danny Cohen
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit (Paramount) Roger Deakins


Best Costume Design

Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Colleen Atwood
I Am Love (Magnolia Pictures) Antonella Cannarozzi
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Jenny Beavan
The Tempest (Miramax) Sandy Powell
True Grit (Paramount) Mary Zophres


Best Documentary Feature

Exit through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land


Best Documentary Short

Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang


Best Editing

Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter Paramount Pamela Martin
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Tariq Anwar
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Jon Harris
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter


Best Foreign Language Film

Biutiful Mexico
Dogtooth Greece
In a Better World Denmark
Incendies Canada
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Algeria


Best Makeup

Barney's Version (Sony Pictures Classics) Adrien Morot
The Way Back (Newmarket Films in association with Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Image Entertainment) Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
The Wolfman (Universal) Rick Baker and Dave Elsey


Best Original Score

How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) John Powell
Inception (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross


Best Original Song

Coming Home from Country Strong (Sony Pictures Releasing (Screen Gems)) Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
I See the Light from Tangled (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
If I Rise from 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman


Best Animated Short

Day & Night (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo A Magic Light Pictures Production Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let's Pollute A Geefwee Boedoe Production Geefwee Boedoe
The Lost Thing (Nick Batzias for Madman Entertainment) A Passion Pictures Australia Production Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) A Sacrebleu Production Bastien Dubois


Best Live Action Short

The Confession (National Film and Television School) A National Film and Television School Production Tanel Toom
The Crush (Network Ireland Television) A Purdy Pictures Production Michael Creagh
God of Love A Luke Matheny Production Luke Matheny
Na Wewe (Premium Films) A CUT! Production Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143 A Swing and Shift Films/Union Pictures Production Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite


Best Sound Editing

Inception (Warner Bros.) Richard King
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
Tron: Legacy (Walt Disney) Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
True Grit (Paramount) Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
Unstoppable (20th Century Fox) Mark P. Stoeckinger


Best Sound Mixing

Inception (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
Salt (Sony Pictures Releasing) Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
True Grit (Paramount) Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland


Best Visual Effects

Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Warner Bros.) Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter (Warner Bros.) Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
Inception (Warner Bros.) Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Iron Man 2 (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment, Distributed by Paramount) Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick


Best Adapted Screenplay

127 Hours (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
True Grit (Paramount), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter's Bone (Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini


Best Original Screenplay

Another Year (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter (Paramount), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception (Warner Bros.), Written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler


Best Director

Black Swan (Fox Searchlight), Darren Aronofsky
The Fighter (Paramount), David O. Russell
The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company), Tom Hooper
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), David Fincher
True Grit (Paramount), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen



Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

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[IstariErangua]

I really need to get back on watching movies, I've only seen maybe three of the things that have been nominated for...well, anything this year. Sad, really. I used to see almost everything, and then multiple times at that. I've been come a slacker even in my recreation. 

[Top_Gun]

I've sort of figured out over the years that I'm just not a massive fan of film as an overall entertainment medium. I find it difficult to keep my attention on something non-interactive like that for a solid two or more hours; it has to be something that I'm already a fan of, or be some sort of really cool sci-fi or fantasy premise, to really get me hooked. Hell, I even have to work at hour-long TV shows, which is the main reason why I never watched the last season or two of Lost. It's so much easier when you're dealing with something like anime, when you can plop down in your chair for twenty minutes or so and be done an episode.

(The fun thing is, I can sink hours into a book or a video game, but I think that's because both of those media require active consumption You have to create a mental picture of everything that's going on and control the action respectively, so you're always engaged by it as a matter of course.)

[mgangel1124]

Do anime films just cancel each other out then?

[DangerHikky]

I think anime just provides you with easier escapism because it's already removed from reality by being animated.

I don't really like escapism too much, I like things that I can relate strongly with and feel mirror my life in some way, which is why 9 times out of 10, you make me choose between anime or film, I'ma pick film...

Unless it's some kind of fantasy premise.

[IstariErangua]

Just because a film is set in the real world doesn't stop it from being escapist. By watching it, you're suspending your belief and entering into the world of the film, even if only the plot, since the world is the same as hours, and continuing to believe for those two hours that the bank robber or businessman or whatever is really doing what they're doing on screen. Many people choose genres of film, literature, or what have you because they feel some connection to it, and the fact that they can relate somehow aids in the suspension of belief. You're still an escapist, Hikki, you just have a specific preference to the medium. 

[DangerHikky]

You seem like you're getting defensive about me calling it escapism.

I'm just saying that animation is further removed from reality and aids in the separation between your reality and the one you're watching. But alright, I will amend my statement about not liking escapism too much, because I suppose investing yourself in any sort of fictional story constitutes that. I'm just saying from TG's tastes, and what he's professed to liking and not liking, it seems like what he looks for in his entertainment is something vividly separated from real life. He's also admitted to enjoying escapism as well, so what are you really defending here?

I disagree with what you're saying though.

I don't really immerse myself in films when I watch them, but I'm by no means passively watching them either... I sort of see the technical aspects, the writing, the performances, the usage of the soundtrack and the actual story, the characters and their struggles side by side. It's... hard to define how I view films.

I can be moved by them to the point of tears, more often than not, because I find them to either be beautiful or because they stir something in me that reminds me of my own life. But I don't believe the things going on on the screen are happening, despite the fact that I am compelled by the story.  I can never fully remove myself from reality enough to be fully enveloped in the world of the film, which is why I dislike high fantasy to such an extent. Especially quest driven ones with a one track destination. I prefer things driven by the characters' own motives as opposed to external forces.

Animation is harder for me to feel a really good connection with, especially in the case of anime, because of how fantastical it is majority of the time. And yes, the fact that it is animated separates me even further. Anime like Honey and Clover have a good heart to them and are based in the real world despite using SD reaction faces and what not, and anime like Monster use a fairly realistic style, real place names and characters that could easily be real people, which helps me connect with that. Animation like Up or Toy Story are rely deeply on striking a chord with the viewer's personal experiences, that's what I like to get out of my entertainment, something that forces introspection on my part to empathize with it. So yes, it does distract me perhaps from the boredom of my own life momentarily, but it also forces me to focus on aspects of my life to really appreciate it.

Which isn't to say I can't enjoy things that don't do this. Monster and The Third Man, two of my favourites from their respective mediums are not things that particularly touch on feelings from my own experiences. The merits here are their strong writing, characters and overall production. With these I'm doing as I mentioned before, I'm viewing them as both the finished product but also seeing everything that went into making them so incredible. They're simply well crafted enough to be thoroughly compelling. They take place in our world with people who could easily exist, which keeps me connected enough to the characters to be able to empathize with their struggles. Despite the fact that occurrences in the two are not occurrences of daily life, there's a strong enough real-world connection to keep me interested.

So yes, alright, I do like escapism. But I like to keep my feet on the ground... in this world.

(For the record, this isn't a diss to people who like fantasy.

If you like fantasy, I don't care, that's your tastes, you're welcome to them. I'm just stating my own personal views on what I like to get out of my entertainment.)

[Foley_is_Good_149]

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IstariErangua wrote:
By watching it, you're suspending your belief and entering into the world of the film, even if only the plot...

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Unless you're me.

Joking aside, I'm usually more willing to accept things in fantasy because they are, by definition, fantastic. The very premise asks me to leave behind my notions of reality. I'll be much more critical of science fiction or something set in the "real" world when they make outlandish claims. Sometimes Often I'll see something in a SciFi Original movie, and find myself picking apart why it was complete hogwash, then I'll catch myself and remember, "but wait... it's a SciFi movie," and I'll laugh about it.

Ang: Your Lan Fan and May icon is adorable.

Added a bit.

[Top_Gun]

The escapism may be part of it, Hikki, but regarding movies specifically, I think it's much more about the length. I mean, I have the same trouble getting through a lot of anime movies, albeit not as much as live-action films. I just have trouble sitting down for two hours and being a passive viewer; outside of my usual fandom stuff, it takes something like Inception, which actively engages me mentally, to keep me fully engrossed. The difference with anime is that you get that viewing experience broken down into 22-minute chunks, so by the end of a single episode, I'm not feeling any drag. (That's kind of why I usually don't marathon series, too.) And though it may be a bit of a paradox, looking at things the other way, I'm not really convinced that your standard two-hour movie is well-suited to telling really in-depth stories...it's just not enough time. I mean, when you look at any movie adapted from a full-length novel, even one as long as Lord of the Rings, there's a lot of stuff that has to be left out due to time constraints. You get much more freedom when you have something like that novel, or a full-fledged 26-episode TV series, to allow the plot to grow and develop.

And I think it's interesting what you said about viewing animated media as being more on the escapist side of things, because I personally feel that I'm able to relate better to animated characters than their live-action counterparts. That very sense of abstraction you mention allows me to view the characters as actually being themselves, instead of just seeing Actors A and B playing certain roles. And while I may take notice of particularly-good animation sequences or something like that, I'm usually drawn enough into the work that I never step back and consider all the minutiae, like you describe when you watch a live-action film. I'm able to dive headlong into the characters and their story. I think that's the main reason why I'm actually fairly willing to watch something along the lines of a personal drama in anime, whereas I'd have absolutely no interest in sitting through something like The Social Network, no matter how good it may be. I just wouldn't get drawn in like that.

(Also, something mirroring my life would involve a guy sitting in front of a computer for three hours straight. And no one wants that.)

[DangerHikky]

The thing about movies is most of the best ones are sort of like a snapshot of a moment than a whole epic.

That's how they work best.

I don't WANT to know every detail of everything. Citizen Kane is a perfect example of this. We get a good, strong look at the life of this man, and feel we've learned enough to know him, but not so much that it just drags and becomes tedious.

I think you misunderstood my explanation of my film viewing process though... It's really hard to explain...

I'm not seeing it solely as actors playing roles, it's like some sort of amalgamation where I'm experiencing the characters and actors as some kind of separate but connected existance. It's not like "OH THAT BRAD PITT FIGHTIN' NAZIS, SO GOOD." Or whatever, it's... weird. I dunno how else to describe it than I already have, but I'm not sure that fully conveys how my brain works when I'm watching movies. I believe the characters and their struggles, but at the same time I take notice of the performances? I'm not sitting there, objectively watching the film and looking for certain shots, but my brain is taking notice of the work behind it.

I can understand your point of being more invested with the characters in something like anime for personal drama, but at the same time, I feel like majority of anime, I mean, on the whole, doesn't handle personal drama as well as films do. That's personal opinion though. It probably does help to have the characters existing with no reference point for an existing human being so that their own struggles seem more independent and real to them, especially if you're the type that has difficulty differentiating characters from actors in live actions films.  But, at the same time, there's still a voice to that character, and that factors into my whole subconscious rating of performances while buying characters thing, so it's not really that much different except for the fact that the characters are drawn by someone rather than played by someone.

Because tl;dr and so many tangents I took in this rant, I took out a good chunk and will condense it as follows:

I've encountered many more wonderful films than I have anime, I guess.

There's no standard bar of quality rating everything, but the more I can relate, the better I find it. Sure, basics like how good it looks, how amazing the performances are, etc. factor in a good deal, but in the end it's the job of what I'm watching/reading to make events that aren't happening feel realistic to me. Movies just do it better for me.

Just the way I relate to things.

[Metatronda]

There's more talent in film, both in sheer numbers of people and the diversity they bring to the medium, than there is in anime. Of course, this stands to reason as cinema is a global art while anime is, by definition, the province of one nation. So for every good anime, there's about 52 good films.

That's pretty much the whole of it.

[Metatronda]

Meanwhile, GAME NEWS!

Meet the Sony NGP!



It does near-PS3 level graphics at 960x544 res on a 5-light OLED multitouch screen. Also as a multitouch pad on the back.
Dual analog sticks (sticks, not nubs)
Flash based game carts (no more UMDs)
Three motion sensors: gyroscope, accelerometer, electric compass
Bluetooth, Wifi, and 3G connectivity **All SKUs will include Wifi, but only one SKU at launch will include 3G...see also: iPad**
Trophy support and other PSN functionality
Plays PSP games, PSP minis, PSOne Classics, videos, and comics from the Playstation Store
Built-in GPS
It is LARGER than the PSP-3000
Battery life likely similar to 3DS

Launching 2011

Here is Uncharted NGP being playtested live.

NGP game reel



Playstation Suite announced. Allows Playstation content, including PSOne Classics, to run on Android devices.

Meanwhile, over on the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 front, Sentinel and Hsien-ko finally officially confirmed.

Direct Feed Final Fantasy Versus XIII DDL

Oregon Trail launching on Facebook on February 2. I hope it lets me know when my friends have dysentery.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? launching on Facebook on February 9. World Almanac presumably replaced by Wikipedia.

[mgangel1124]

Oh you guys and your video games. I'm gonna go back to knitting.

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Metatronda wrote:

Oregon Trail launching on Facebook on February 2. I hope it lets me know when my friends have dysentery.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? launching on Facebook on February 9. World Almanac presumably replaced by Wikipedia.

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Now those are things I can play.

[spring]

why did nayru lock this thread for size? muse said that they dont need to lock threads for size anymore.

unless its a persona prefrence or soemthing? ah no biggy big threads are slow anyways or so heard lol.

so yay anime! of which i dont even watch on [as] anymore! welllll i glance at it occassionaly. wait are they still on filler in bleach?

and ive only seen one movie on that list, black swan. what about fantastic mr fox? finally got around to seeing that is that like last year or something? i rather liked that movie lol.

[DangerHikky]

Seeing as Nayru locked about 3 threads the same day, I'd reckon they're still doin' size locks.

Or maybe they're not and no one told Nayru.

*shrug*

Anyway, yeah, Fantastic Mr.Fox was last year.

*coughcoughLast year was a much stronger year for filmscoughcoughcough*

The best picture noms are better this year though... no Blind Side.

I think the Bleach filler is actually ending this week? Maybe next week, but it's almost over.

I've pretty much stopped watching too, save for coming back from Brotherhood now that Greedling is in the hizzouse.