In a world...
August 4, 2013 1:38 PM Subscribe
It’s been hailed as a “bone-crushing 6 minutes of awesome” by Adweek and “so spot-on, you’ll want to watch it twice” by Crushable. Slate calls it the “epic movie mashup to end all movie mashups” and Canada.com dubs it the “greatest, most epic movie trailer ever made.” Thing is, it’s not actually a movie trailer. It’s lots and lots and lots of movie trailers. [via Time]
This is basically what the trailer to Cloud Atlas was.
(SUCH a good movie. And the book was even better.)
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:59 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
(SUCH a good movie. And the book was even better.)
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:59 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Yeah, that was terrible. Seen the trailer for The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty though? Top notch.
posted by gwint at 2:15 PM on August 4, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by gwint at 2:15 PM on August 4, 2013 [11 favorites]
And the movie list.
I couldn't stop watching it because...well, that was a shitload of eye candy.
Even though I knew it wasn't for a real movie, I kept waiting to find out what it was about. And then it occurred to me that there was a whole lot of death and destruction, explosions and mayhem. We sure love that stuff, don't we? Kind of sad, actually.
posted by ashbury at 2:17 PM on August 4, 2013
I couldn't stop watching it because...well, that was a shitload of eye candy.
Even though I knew it wasn't for a real movie, I kept waiting to find out what it was about. And then it occurred to me that there was a whole lot of death and destruction, explosions and mayhem. We sure love that stuff, don't we? Kind of sad, actually.
posted by ashbury at 2:17 PM on August 4, 2013
And Cloud Atlas was a unintelligible mess, unless you'd read the book, and then it was just a poorly executed version of a perfect novel.
posted by gwint at 2:17 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by gwint at 2:17 PM on August 4, 2013
“epic movie mashup to end all movie mashups”
ohplease ohplease ohplease
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 2:17 PM on August 4, 2013 [8 favorites]
ohplease ohplease ohplease
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 2:17 PM on August 4, 2013 [8 favorites]
In a world where one man's lawn is his kingdom, he dares to shout: GET. THEE. OFF.
posted by gwint at 2:19 PM on August 4, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by gwint at 2:19 PM on August 4, 2013 [11 favorites]
a whole lot of death and destruction, explosions and mayhem.
I REALLY need to talk to the kid about the stuff he's involved in!
that said, thanks for the movie list, ashbury, there are a lot there that I've not seen....
posted by HuronBob at 2:20 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I REALLY need to talk to the kid about the stuff he's involved in!
that said, thanks for the movie list, ashbury, there are a lot there that I've not seen....
posted by HuronBob at 2:20 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
While I'm not interested in watching most of those movies on their own, I would love to sit back and let this movie wash over me, like Koyaanisqatsi.
posted by Bugbread at 2:25 PM on August 4, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by Bugbread at 2:25 PM on August 4, 2013 [5 favorites]
Soooo.... basically every American movie made since 9/11 is about 9/11, emotionally speaking.
posted by Mercaptan at 2:26 PM on August 4, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by Mercaptan at 2:26 PM on August 4, 2013 [9 favorites]
Today... we are montaging the apocalypse!
posted by oulipian at 2:29 PM on August 4, 2013 [21 favorites]
posted by oulipian at 2:29 PM on August 4, 2013 [21 favorites]
Mercaptan: "Soooo.... basically every American movie made since 9/11 is about 9/11, emotionally speaking."
Nah, disaster epics have been around since forever, it's just that 1) computer graphics have upped the scale of what can be depicted in a disaster epic, and 2) ever since 9/11, when Americans see a big disaster, they think "Oh, hey, that must be a reference to 9/11!"
posted by Bugbread at 2:29 PM on August 4, 2013 [8 favorites]
Nah, disaster epics have been around since forever, it's just that 1) computer graphics have upped the scale of what can be depicted in a disaster epic, and 2) ever since 9/11, when Americans see a big disaster, they think "Oh, hey, that must be a reference to 9/11!"
posted by Bugbread at 2:29 PM on August 4, 2013 [8 favorites]
Probably... it is a bit of a Rorschach test. For my American-ness.
posted by Mercaptan at 2:32 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by Mercaptan at 2:32 PM on August 4, 2013
Near the end of the trailer where there's a big traffic jam on a highway and then you see a jet coming down sideways? What movie was that from?
Today... we are montaging the apocalypse!
Speaking of that line from Pacific Rim, when he said that I was disappointed that a giant shark didn't appear from nowhere and swallow him whole.
posted by fuse theorem at 2:34 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Today... we are montaging the apocalypse!
Speaking of that line from Pacific Rim, when he said that I was disappointed that a giant shark didn't appear from nowhere and swallow him whole.
posted by fuse theorem at 2:34 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
fuse theorem: That would be Knowing.
Complete list of all films.
posted by Mercaptan at 2:36 PM on August 4, 2013
Complete list of all films.
posted by Mercaptan at 2:36 PM on August 4, 2013
Probably... it is a bit of a Rorschach test. For my American-ness.
Or your qualifications to be a 13-year-old American boy. I dunno; not made for me. If the ideal is fast-cut mayhem, explosions, destruction, lack of emotional connection, robots, monsters, and violence given emotional oomph by computers and a manipulative score of rising fear and anxiety, I'm probably not going to the movies for another 10 years.
My 9-year-old thought it was cool.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:38 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
Or your qualifications to be a 13-year-old American boy. I dunno; not made for me. If the ideal is fast-cut mayhem, explosions, destruction, lack of emotional connection, robots, monsters, and violence given emotional oomph by computers and a manipulative score of rising fear and anxiety, I'm probably not going to the movies for another 10 years.
My 9-year-old thought it was cool.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:38 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
I hate to be grumpy old man here, but when I watched it yesterday I thought the point was, "virtually all of today's movies are interchangeable crap that don't interest me."
As for "you'll want to watch it twice," I almost turned it off halfway through, but stuck it out only because of all the raves. I want those six minutes of my life back.
posted by pmurray63 at 2:41 PM on August 4, 2013 [19 favorites]
As for "you'll want to watch it twice," I almost turned it off halfway through, but stuck it out only because of all the raves. I want those six minutes of my life back.
posted by pmurray63 at 2:41 PM on August 4, 2013 [19 favorites]
MonkeyToes: I meant it was a Rorschach Test for my American-ness because I watched it and saw 9/11-inspired messages in these films from the last 10 years. In the sense, that the Martian invasion/red planet movies of the 50's were about the fear of the spread of Communism. Not that it connected to me emotionally.
posted by Mercaptan at 2:45 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by Mercaptan at 2:45 PM on August 4, 2013
I think the whole "let's blow up entire cities" thing really took off in 1996, with Independence Day, followed by Deep Impact and Armageddon. There were a few volcano city destruction movies, too, but I can't remember their names.
posted by Bugbread at 2:56 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by Bugbread at 2:56 PM on August 4, 2013
All this does is remind me that most blockbuster movie trailers are awful pieces of sound and fury signifying nothing, and that most of the movies these trailers are for are also awful pieces of sound and fury signifying nothing.
I really liked the most recent trailer for Gravity, mostly because they had the audacity to stick with a single shot for the entire trailer. No surprise that it's from the same guy who directed Children of Men, then.
posted by chrominance at 2:58 PM on August 4, 2013 [6 favorites]
I really liked the most recent trailer for Gravity, mostly because they had the audacity to stick with a single shot for the entire trailer. No surprise that it's from the same guy who directed Children of Men, then.
posted by chrominance at 2:58 PM on August 4, 2013 [6 favorites]
Also: we've gotten to the point now where destroying entire cities means basically nothing. Pacific Rim used Tokyo as a boxing ring for robots and lizards. The Avengers explored the concept of New York City as a pinball machine. Apparently Man of Steel straight up destroys the population of a small country. And for what? Everything lands with the impact of a balled up wad of paper. Massive spectacles of destruction have become old hat, and without any real emotional resonance to back them up, they also create gaping black holes where the movie's climax should be.
posted by chrominance at 3:02 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by chrominance at 3:02 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
White guy White guy White guy White girl White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy
Thanks for the reminder of why I haven't seen any Hollywood products for more than a decade.
Hollywood's more than ever a fantasy land. Heroes aren't just one color.
posted by Borborygmus at 3:04 PM on August 4, 2013 [12 favorites]
Thanks for the reminder of why I haven't seen any Hollywood products for more than a decade.
Hollywood's more than ever a fantasy land. Heroes aren't just one color.
posted by Borborygmus at 3:04 PM on August 4, 2013 [12 favorites]
Dude, Idris Elba was totally in there.
posted by Ndwright at 3:08 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Ndwright at 3:08 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
This great. Now i don't have to watch a trailer for a summer blockbuster ever again because this pretty much covered it all.
Free time, here I come!
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 3:14 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Free time, here I come!
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 3:14 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Anybody who believes they need x minutes of their life back after watching a video on MetaFilter is obligated to let us know what noble and worthwhile endeavor (presumably not including the further reading of MetaFilter) they would have spent those x minutes on, had they not so cruelly been led astray.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:20 PM on August 4, 2013 [18 favorites]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:20 PM on August 4, 2013 [18 favorites]
It must be hell dreaming up new ways to impress jaded 12 year old boys.
posted by davebush at 3:24 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by davebush at 3:24 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Bleah. Sorry, this was too much like what I call an "omnibus trailer" for a studio -- Hey! Watch other movies from our studio, even if they're actually nothing like what you're watching now! -- or their dreadful cousin, the Blu-Ray promo trailer -- Hey! You! Watching this Blu-Ray! You should really try Blu-Ray someday, when you're finished watching this Blu-Ray!. I routinely skip over those.
And mostly, while I like a bit of spectacle to be sure, I detest empty spectacle. These are often movies I have no intention of seeing, and if anything, the trailer reinforces that determination.
posted by dhartung at 3:25 PM on August 4, 2013
And mostly, while I like a bit of spectacle to be sure, I detest empty spectacle. These are often movies I have no intention of seeing, and if anything, the trailer reinforces that determination.
posted by dhartung at 3:25 PM on August 4, 2013
Note that the "complete list" is just the complete list of video... the audio at 5:19, for example, is from Southland Tales, and not mentioned on the link.
I love random inclusion of various movies that are actually interesting -- The New World, The Fountain, and so on...
posted by lewedswiver at 3:30 PM on August 4, 2013
I love random inclusion of various movies that are actually interesting -- The New World, The Fountain, and so on...
posted by lewedswiver at 3:30 PM on August 4, 2013
This movie would pass it's Save The Cat compliance certification with ease, I feel.
posted by Artw at 3:33 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Artw at 3:33 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
And Cloud Atlas was a unintelligible mess, unless you'd read the book, and then it was just a poorly executed version of a perfect novel.
Still wrong! It was a poorly executed version of a decent novel whose centerpiece was a poorly executed version of Riddley Walker.
posted by kenko at 3:48 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Still wrong! It was a poorly executed version of a decent novel whose centerpiece was a poorly executed version of Riddley Walker.
posted by kenko at 3:48 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Chrominance is right: Gravity has a great trailer, but this one, like most real trailers, is a piece of shit. It's all about hitting beats and resonating with existing visual/emotional cliches. It has no cohesiveness, no vision, and (I think tellingly) communicates nothing about the film itself.
I despise modern trailers, and this is a great demonstration of why that is the case.
They clearly work for a certain kind of movie searching for a certain kind of audience, but I don't like it one bit.
That isn't to say that this trailer isn't a work of skill and creativity. It is to say, though, that it participates in a value system for trailers that I don't much appreciate.
posted by jsturgill at 3:52 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
I despise modern trailers, and this is a great demonstration of why that is the case.
They clearly work for a certain kind of movie searching for a certain kind of audience, but I don't like it one bit.
That isn't to say that this trailer isn't a work of skill and creativity. It is to say, though, that it participates in a value system for trailers that I don't much appreciate.
posted by jsturgill at 3:52 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
Watching this, I'm reminded by just how amazing it is to be living in a new Golden Age of television.
posted by Flashman at 3:56 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 3:56 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I despise modern trailers, and this is a great demonstration of why that is the case.
I think that might be the point.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:56 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think that might be the point.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:56 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I meant it was a Rorschach Test for my American-ness because I watched it and saw 9/11-inspired messages in these films from the last 10 years.
I do not consider it a coincidence that you can trace both the aspirational fantasies of teenage boys and those of a militarized, post-9/11 America in this mega-trailer.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:06 PM on August 4, 2013
I do not consider it a coincidence that you can trace both the aspirational fantasies of teenage boys and those of a militarized, post-9/11 America in this mega-trailer.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:06 PM on August 4, 2013
> Pacific Rim used Tokyo as a boxing ring for robots and lizards.
Because I love Pacifim Rim so much for ability to be a big action movie but one that actually has much more depth to it than other big action films, I have to point out:
1) It's primarily in Hong Kong that they fight.
2) It's a giant robot vs giant monster movie, cities are meant to be the arena for that.
3) Which is why I love del Toro so much: "I don't want people being crushed. I want the joy that I used to get seeing Godzilla toss a tank without having to think there are guys in the tank... What I think is you could do nothing but echo the moment you're in. There is a global anxiety about how fragile the status quo is and the safety of citizens, but in my mind—honestly—this film is in another realm. There is no correlation to the real world. There is no fear of a copycat Kaiju attack because a Kaiju saw it on the news and said, I'm going to destroy Seattle. In my case, I'm picking up a tradition. One that started right after World War II and was a coping mechanism, in a way, for Japan to heal the wounds of that war. And it's integral for a Kaiju to rampage in the city."
posted by mrzarquon at 4:15 PM on August 4, 2013 [12 favorites]
Because I love Pacifim Rim so much for ability to be a big action movie but one that actually has much more depth to it than other big action films, I have to point out:
1) It's primarily in Hong Kong that they fight.
2) It's a giant robot vs giant monster movie, cities are meant to be the arena for that.
3) Which is why I love del Toro so much: "I don't want people being crushed. I want the joy that I used to get seeing Godzilla toss a tank without having to think there are guys in the tank... What I think is you could do nothing but echo the moment you're in. There is a global anxiety about how fragile the status quo is and the safety of citizens, but in my mind—honestly—this film is in another realm. There is no correlation to the real world. There is no fear of a copycat Kaiju attack because a Kaiju saw it on the news and said, I'm going to destroy Seattle. In my case, I'm picking up a tradition. One that started right after World War II and was a coping mechanism, in a way, for Japan to heal the wounds of that war. And it's integral for a Kaiju to rampage in the city."
posted by mrzarquon at 4:15 PM on August 4, 2013 [12 favorites]
Wow. I could cope with about thirty seconds of that.
Now I know how the goose feels when the funnel's pushed in.
posted by Devonian at 4:22 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Now I know how the goose feels when the funnel's pushed in.
posted by Devonian at 4:22 PM on August 4, 2013 [4 favorites]
Fuck! I'm having a seizure.
posted by capnmarrrrk at 4:24 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by capnmarrrrk at 4:24 PM on August 4, 2013
A veritable CGI-gasm...
posted by jim in austin at 4:25 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by jim in austin at 4:25 PM on August 4, 2013
A rule of thumb for non-Canadians : if canada.com tells you you're going to like something, smile and nod and run in the other direction.
posted by mannequito at 4:29 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by mannequito at 4:29 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
> a whole lot of death and destruction, explosions and mayhem. We sure love that stuff, don't we? Kind of sad, actually.
On the other hand, we can have our fix without actually having to explode or destroy anything, how awesome is that?
posted by Tom-B at 4:32 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
On the other hand, we can have our fix without actually having to explode or destroy anything, how awesome is that?
posted by Tom-B at 4:32 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
... and if you want emotional resonance with your sci-fi, you can always go watch Robot and Frank, it explores actual future themes appearing in our horizon now, robots as caretakers for the elderly, the fate of libraries... also no cgi whatsoever, a simple cardboard robot suffices.
posted by Tom-B at 4:42 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Tom-B at 4:42 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
CGI : The Movie
posted by fullerine at 4:43 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by fullerine at 4:43 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
Devonian is right, it's Hong Kong, not Tokyo. My bad.
posted by chrominance at 4:44 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by chrominance at 4:44 PM on August 4, 2013
I can't believe no one linked to the relevant Onion article.
posted by Apocryphon at 5:00 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Apocryphon at 5:00 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I thought you meant this Onion article. (I also thought I probably hadn't seen a single one of those movies, but I did watch Avatar.)
posted by LeLiLo at 5:18 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by LeLiLo at 5:18 PM on August 4, 2013
CGI : The Movie
WRITTEN BY NO ONE
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:33 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
WRITTEN BY NO ONE
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:33 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I hate to be grumpy old man here, but when I watched it yesterday I thought the point was, "virtually all of today's movies are interchangeable crap that don't interest me."
My thoughts were similar, but more along the lines of "Wow, I am no one's target demographic."
posted by looli at 6:08 PM on August 4, 2013
My thoughts were similar, but more along the lines of "Wow, I am no one's target demographic."
posted by looli at 6:08 PM on August 4, 2013
So I'm the only person getting a "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" thing out of this trailer?
posted by Bugbread at 6:14 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by Bugbread at 6:14 PM on August 4, 2013
I'm going to attempt to machete my way through this particular thicket of compressed snark to say that firstly: that was put together cleverly, but mainly: god damn CG is amazing these days.
Step over what it's applied to, and just think of the amount of work that has gone into the construction and artistry of most of those shots. The algorithms and techniques people had to invent before you could even start to think about using those tools to make something.
posted by lucidium at 6:16 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Step over what it's applied to, and just think of the amount of work that has gone into the construction and artistry of most of those shots. The algorithms and techniques people had to invent before you could even start to think about using those tools to make something.
posted by lucidium at 6:16 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I enjoyed this a lot because, as a collage artist, I have an growing fascination with the art of editing, which really speaks to me. But because I haven't seen a lot of these movies I just kept imagining that every time there was a reaction shot to something about to happen, a sharknado appeared. HINT.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:38 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by Room 641-A at 6:38 PM on August 4, 2013
I came in to say that 'Trailer 2' of Gravity is the single greatest trailer ever made too.
Really, I don't know how you get a movie beyond it. That's awesome on its own. I have never been more excited for an upcoming Sandra Bullock movie.*
-----
*Speed 2 excluded.
posted by mazola at 6:42 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
Really, I don't know how you get a movie beyond it. That's awesome on its own. I have never been more excited for an upcoming Sandra Bullock movie.*
-----
*Speed 2 excluded.
posted by mazola at 6:42 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
White guy White guy White guy White girl White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy
I was literally thinking this exact thing, Borborygmus. With limited exceptions, over the last 10-15 years there seems to be a hell of a lot of cinematic flight to places real or fictional where nonwhite people and women can be omitted or subjugated during the story. I'm sure someone has to have written about it.
posted by cashman at 6:44 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was literally thinking this exact thing, Borborygmus. With limited exceptions, over the last 10-15 years there seems to be a hell of a lot of cinematic flight to places real or fictional where nonwhite people and women can be omitted or subjugated during the story. I'm sure someone has to have written about it.
posted by cashman at 6:44 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Near the end of the trailer where there's a big traffic jam on a highway and then you see a jet coming down sideways? What movie was that from?
That plane crash scene is from "Knowing"
posted by hwestiii at 6:46 PM on August 4, 2013
That plane crash scene is from "Knowing"
posted by hwestiii at 6:46 PM on August 4, 2013
I wish I hadn't watched that trailer for Gravity. Feel like I've seen the whole film now. (Although it is fantastic)
posted by panaceanot at 7:39 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by panaceanot at 7:39 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
One way of looking at this is that it is in effect the most expensive 6 minutes of footage in history. The Apollo 11 landing included.
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:15 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:15 PM on August 4, 2013 [3 favorites]
I wish I hadn't watched that trailer for Gravity. Feel like I've seen the whole film now. (Although it is fantastic)
Well, I know how you feel but I think this will be ok.
Most trailers give you rapid-fire edits of all the 'good bits'. They condense the whole movie and essentially ruin any surprise. Gravity gives you one long, important scene. I'm guessing it's not the climatic scene, but even if it is, there's an entire movie that I have no idea what it will be or where it's going to go. The tone is set and that's all I know. That's great.
posted by mazola at 8:30 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Well, I know how you feel but I think this will be ok.
Most trailers give you rapid-fire edits of all the 'good bits'. They condense the whole movie and essentially ruin any surprise. Gravity gives you one long, important scene. I'm guessing it's not the climatic scene, but even if it is, there's an entire movie that I have no idea what it will be or where it's going to go. The tone is set and that's all I know. That's great.
posted by mazola at 8:30 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Step over what it's applied to, and just think of the amount of work that has gone into the construction and artistry of most of those shots. The algorithms and techniques people had to invent before you could even start to think about using those tools to make something.
Even the highly-realistic CGI still leaves me cold. I keep wishing they'd just use animation instead, because then my brain isn't always going "Is that real or...no, wait, it's got that CGI sheen, it's fake, ugh," and just says "Nope, not real, ignore in favor of story." There's more emotion in, say, this handmade crankie than in the whole of your average summer movie.
posted by emjaybee at 8:32 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Even the highly-realistic CGI still leaves me cold. I keep wishing they'd just use animation instead, because then my brain isn't always going "Is that real or...no, wait, it's got that CGI sheen, it's fake, ugh," and just says "Nope, not real, ignore in favor of story." There's more emotion in, say, this handmade crankie than in the whole of your average summer movie.
posted by emjaybee at 8:32 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
I wish I hadn't watched that trailer for Gravity. Feel like I've seen the whole film now. (Although it is fantastic)
That is a beautiful trailer but it's hard for me to imagine how the premise holds up for a full-blown film. It seems sort of like Open Water except in outer space.
posted by fuse theorem at 8:41 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
That is a beautiful trailer but it's hard for me to imagine how the premise holds up for a full-blown film. It seems sort of like Open Water except in outer space.
posted by fuse theorem at 8:41 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mercaptan: "fuse theorem: That would be Knowing"
Also known as the most depressing movie ever, which we're supposed to feel ok about because
(SPOILERS)
a few kids and bunnies survive while all of Earth and humanity perishes in an inferno.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:55 PM on August 4, 2013
Also known as the most depressing movie ever, which we're supposed to feel ok about because
(SPOILERS)
a few kids and bunnies survive while all of Earth and humanity perishes in an inferno.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:55 PM on August 4, 2013
emjaybee: "Even the highly-realistic CGI still leaves me cold. I keep wishing they'd just use animation instead, because then my brain isn't always going "Is that real or...no, wait, it's got that CGI sheen, it's fake, ugh," and just says "Nope, not real, ignore in favor of story.""
I'm willing to bet there's a huge amount of CGI you've never even noticed, in many, many movies. The majority of CGI is not the flash stuff you see here, it's small subtle stuff you don't notice at all.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:56 PM on August 4, 2013
I'm willing to bet there's a huge amount of CGI you've never even noticed, in many, many movies. The majority of CGI is not the flash stuff you see here, it's small subtle stuff you don't notice at all.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:56 PM on August 4, 2013
So it's official: Idris Elba is the new Samuel L. Jackson?
also: Our family has always held that the best part of the Super Bowl is the new commercials. So trailers are the best parts (most money spent parts) of movies. Welcome to full circle. I'd love to see this, in all it's bombastic glory, in a movie theater.
posted by djrock3k at 9:25 PM on August 4, 2013
also: Our family has always held that the best part of the Super Bowl is the new commercials. So trailers are the best parts (most money spent parts) of movies. Welcome to full circle. I'd love to see this, in all it's bombastic glory, in a movie theater.
posted by djrock3k at 9:25 PM on August 4, 2013
Reminded me of Modern Humorist's movie cliché theater montage
posted by destro at 9:32 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by destro at 9:32 PM on August 4, 2013
Step over what it's applied to, and just think of the amount of work that has gone into the construction and artistry of most of those shots.
The craft involved in these shots is amazing, but the artistic merit of most of them is close to nil.
posted by MartinWisse at 10:01 PM on August 4, 2013
The craft involved in these shots is amazing, but the artistic merit of most of them is close to nil.
posted by MartinWisse at 10:01 PM on August 4, 2013
White guy White guy White guy White girl White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy White guy
This is weird. Is there some sort of optical illusion involving repeated words that make these lines appear to tilt down? I've looked at the original and the commented version of this and it still looks weird compared to the rest of the posts.
posted by etaoin at 10:12 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is weird. Is there some sort of optical illusion involving repeated words that make these lines appear to tilt down? I've looked at the original and the commented version of this and it still looks weird compared to the rest of the posts.
posted by etaoin at 10:12 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
MartinWisse: "The craft involved in these shots is amazing, but the artistic merit of most of them is close to nil."
I think that a lot of the stuff shown in that trailer was really beautiful, really tremendous artwork. However, 1) people have gotten really used to that style of art, and therefore no longer find it impressive, and 2) people are mixing up what they're actually seeing on-screen with the movies those things come from. So if there's a stunning tableau, an amazing city-scape, a beautiful monster, but the scene comes from a shitty, boring movie, we say "there's no art there". But that's like seeing the inside of some rich asshole's house, seeing amazing paintings on the wall, and saying "these paintings suck because they're in this asshole's house".
posted by Bugbread at 10:16 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think that a lot of the stuff shown in that trailer was really beautiful, really tremendous artwork. However, 1) people have gotten really used to that style of art, and therefore no longer find it impressive, and 2) people are mixing up what they're actually seeing on-screen with the movies those things come from. So if there's a stunning tableau, an amazing city-scape, a beautiful monster, but the scene comes from a shitty, boring movie, we say "there's no art there". But that's like seeing the inside of some rich asshole's house, seeing amazing paintings on the wall, and saying "these paintings suck because they're in this asshole's house".
posted by Bugbread at 10:16 PM on August 4, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also known as the most depressing movie ever
Really? For me, a movie has to be some sort of decent to provoke an emotional response. Knowing was marketed with plan crashes and cities being obliterated, yet the film has maybe two minutes of that combined with later day Cage-emotings, a half assed 'mystery,' and 'scary others' straight out of a third rate M. Night film. 90 minutes of moping.
Now that other Nicolas Cage film that came out roughly the same time (where he could see the future but only a minute or so in advance) that was fun. Stupid, idiotic fun, especially the climax where you see all the possible ways Nicolas Cage could die. Honestly, that's one of the more inventive uses of precognition, thrown away in a bad movie. That kind of waste belongs with the Gun Katas (Oblivion) and the ghost-recreation of events in Ghost Ship. Great ideas, totally wasted.
posted by Ghidorah at 10:23 PM on August 4, 2013
Really? For me, a movie has to be some sort of decent to provoke an emotional response. Knowing was marketed with plan crashes and cities being obliterated, yet the film has maybe two minutes of that combined with later day Cage-emotings, a half assed 'mystery,' and 'scary others' straight out of a third rate M. Night film. 90 minutes of moping.
Now that other Nicolas Cage film that came out roughly the same time (where he could see the future but only a minute or so in advance) that was fun. Stupid, idiotic fun, especially the climax where you see all the possible ways Nicolas Cage could die. Honestly, that's one of the more inventive uses of precognition, thrown away in a bad movie. That kind of waste belongs with the Gun Katas (Oblivion) and the ghost-recreation of events in Ghost Ship. Great ideas, totally wasted.
posted by Ghidorah at 10:23 PM on August 4, 2013
Needs more Firefly, in particular at around 4:00 Mal/Wash saying "No/Yes...No/Yes" as Serenity descends to the planet through the Alliance/Reaver chaos.
But really my favorite mashup trailer is the Mistborn "mood" trailer, if for the small hope that it gives me that such a movie is going to get made.
posted by A dead Quaker at 10:59 PM on August 4, 2013
But really my favorite mashup trailer is the Mistborn "mood" trailer, if for the small hope that it gives me that such a movie is going to get made.
posted by A dead Quaker at 10:59 PM on August 4, 2013
The craft involved in these shots is amazing, but the artistic merit of most of them is close to nil.
Careful, that's the sort of talk that will trigger a "are video games art?" discussion bloodbath.
posted by Apocryphon at 11:05 PM on August 4, 2013
Careful, that's the sort of talk that will trigger a "are video games art?" discussion bloodbath.
posted by Apocryphon at 11:05 PM on August 4, 2013
"My 7 year old's video game could do that"
posted by Bugbread at 11:11 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Bugbread at 11:11 PM on August 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
Videogames can be art, but cutscenes will always be fucking garbage.
posted by Artw at 11:30 PM on August 4, 2013
posted by Artw at 11:30 PM on August 4, 2013
There is no fear of a copycat Kaiju attack because a Kaiju saw it on the news and said, I'm going to destroy Seattle.
False sense of security, check. Back to the lab...
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:40 AM on August 5, 2013
False sense of security, check. Back to the lab...
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:40 AM on August 5, 2013
I think they used all the cyan and all the orange.
I am going to take some dramamine and read a book now thank you
posted by louche mustachio at 2:58 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
I am going to take some dramamine and read a book now thank you
posted by louche mustachio at 2:58 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
I wish I hadn't watched that trailer for Gravity.
I wish I hadn't heard that trailer for Gravity. I fear Sandra Bullock may scuttle this mission.
posted by wensink at 5:01 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
I wish I hadn't heard that trailer for Gravity. I fear Sandra Bullock may scuttle this mission.
posted by wensink at 5:01 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seattle isn't even coastal - the tsunami/Kaiju/whatever would have to work its way right up the sound. Stupid movies.
posted by Artw at 5:53 AM on August 5, 2013
posted by Artw at 5:53 AM on August 5, 2013
It's easy to say that CG doesn't look real, but on the one hand you just don't notice when it does, and when it's obviously not I've sort of gone past being bothered by it and back to appreciating how nice it looks. Like the game The Last of Us, for example - it often gets close to realism, but it's basically always beautiful.
That Gravity trailer is fantastic, and I think it's almost entirely CG.
posted by lucidium at 6:13 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
That Gravity trailer is fantastic, and I think it's almost entirely CG.
posted by lucidium at 6:13 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
I may be a simpleton, but even though I had no interest in seeing most of the original movies... that supercut was thrilling.
posted by psoas at 6:56 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by psoas at 6:56 AM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm impressed by the color matching between cuts. It feels pretty good.
posted by hanoixan at 7:02 AM on August 5, 2013
posted by hanoixan at 7:02 AM on August 5, 2013
I feel that the people complaining about this are missing the point. Yes, a lot of the movies featured are crap, but that was some pretty sweet editing. And he used scenes and audio from I don't know how many movies to create a story. And sure, one could use to argue that Hollywood is pooping out the same crappy, CGIed out the ass, formulaic, piec-of-shit movie. But, and I'm no editing expert, that was great editing.
posted by Epsilon-minus semi moron at 7:05 AM on August 5, 2013
posted by Epsilon-minus semi moron at 7:05 AM on August 5, 2013
I'm willing to bet there's a huge amount of CGI you've never even noticed, in many, many movies. The majority of CGI is not the flash stuff you see here, it's small subtle stuff you don't notice at all.
Oh, certainly. It's mostly when you know something is not possible without CGI (like Gollum, or blowing up New York) that sort of force you to acknowledge that you must be seeing CGI, and then I can't help trying to see if anything on-screen is not CGI, and then I'm not in the story anymore.
Pre-CGI you either got animation/effects that were obviously unreal, cleverly done with mechanical props and lighting, or filming that worked around showing you things directly, and forced you to use more imagination. The latter kept me engaged in a way a giant, nearly-real spectacle doesn't.
In other words, it's hard for me to describe why puppet Yoda is more engaging than CGI Yoda. Maybe it's just me being old-fashioned. Maybe it's that puppeteers can wring a real performance out of the limitations of felt that computer animation resists. Even with Gollum, while Andy Serkis gave a magnificent performance, there was always something about Gollum being real-but-not-real-enough that made him jarring.
posted by emjaybee at 9:33 AM on August 5, 2013
Oh, certainly. It's mostly when you know something is not possible without CGI (like Gollum, or blowing up New York) that sort of force you to acknowledge that you must be seeing CGI, and then I can't help trying to see if anything on-screen is not CGI, and then I'm not in the story anymore.
Pre-CGI you either got animation/effects that were obviously unreal, cleverly done with mechanical props and lighting, or filming that worked around showing you things directly, and forced you to use more imagination. The latter kept me engaged in a way a giant, nearly-real spectacle doesn't.
In other words, it's hard for me to describe why puppet Yoda is more engaging than CGI Yoda. Maybe it's just me being old-fashioned. Maybe it's that puppeteers can wring a real performance out of the limitations of felt that computer animation resists. Even with Gollum, while Andy Serkis gave a magnificent performance, there was always something about Gollum being real-but-not-real-enough that made him jarring.
posted by emjaybee at 9:33 AM on August 5, 2013
And he used scenes and audio from I don't know how many movies to create a story.
Objection, Your Honor! Assumes facts not in evidence.
posted by jsturgill at 11:53 AM on August 5, 2013
Objection, Your Honor! Assumes facts not in evidence.
posted by jsturgill at 11:53 AM on August 5, 2013
It's pretty disturbing to 55 year old me, who went for twelve or so years without seeing a movie in a theater and then started binging on everything they were throwing out there, that I did not need to be told what movie a single moment of that trailer contained. I've seen every single one of them.
Midlife Chrysler moment here folks.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 3:57 PM on August 5, 2013
Midlife Chrysler moment here folks.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 3:57 PM on August 5, 2013
Can people stop repeating the white guy white guy thing because it's making my eyes go funny thanks.
posted by Grangousier at 4:07 PM on August 5, 2013
posted by Grangousier at 4:07 PM on August 5, 2013
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posted by Sys Rq at 1:48 PM on August 4, 2013 [15 favorites]