Captain America: The First Avenger coming January 10, 2012

[RVR II]

http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/captain-america-first-avenger

I will be flying back from Mexico that day and will get it that evening

[RVR II]

[NRRork]

I completely forgot a Captain America movie had come out. I think I've gotten so sick of comic book movies that my brain is starting to not recognize their existence. And it's Captain America, that's about the least interest you can generate from me before getting into the territory of superheros whose movies I would see just for the sheer irony of it.

I *AM* looking forward to the Rifftrax, though! ^_^ I think they do an especially good job dressing down these big, stupid, half-assed blockbusters.

[Raefire]

I *AM* looking forward to the Rifftrax, though! ^_^ I think they do an especially good job dressing down these big, stupid, half-assed blockbusters.

The funny thing is, this was actually a good movie. Probably the 3rd best Marvel movie behind X-Men 2 and Iron Man.

[NRRork]

I *AM* looking forward to the Rifftrax, though! ^_^ I think they do an especially good job dressing down these big, stupid, half-assed blockbusters.

The funny thing is, this was actually a good movie. Probably the 3rd best Marvel movie behind X-Men 2 and Iron Man.

Well, I'll find out in a couple days, I suppose. That's what happened with Iron Man. I wasn't that interested in it, but when I watched it for the Rifftrax, I found that I actually liked the movie as well.

The same thing happened with Casablanca, but that was just because I'd never gotten around to seeing it before the Rifftrax. I already knew that was a famous movie and topped a lot of Greatest Films of All Time lists. ^_^

[stansimpson]

I think I've gotten so sick of comic book movies that my brain is starting to not recognize their existence. And it's Captain America, that's about the least interest you can generate from me before getting into the territory of superheros whose movies I would see just for the sheer irony of it.

Nerd World Problems, man.

I was just thinkin yesterday what would be 12-yr-old me's reaction to the state of cinema now. Marvel & DC comic book movies go mainstream, and filmmakers of some of the highest caliber would be spending literally hundreds of millions of dollars on each property. Not to mention all the crossovers, the fact that most releases are big news stories (so much so that even Grandma may have actually seen a "Thor" movie that wasn't incompetent). Oh, and how about an Oscar nod or two? Sounds like you won't be content until the Coen brothers start adapting God-knows-what-cuz-good-versions-already-exist. I'll check my cynicism at the door, NRRork, and enjoy the glut of mainstream geekdom. ::drops mic, walks off soapbox::

[D.B. Barnes]

I thought Captain America was well done. It was certainly entertaining. I wouldn't quite put it on the same level as Iron Man, but I wouldn't even come close to calling it a stupid, half-ass blockbuster. There's so many comic book movies nowadays, that there's bound to be plenty of worthless garbage. Thankfully, there's also some high-quality product being produced.

[Watchman]

Sounds like you won't be content until the Coen brothers start adapting God-knows-what-cuz-good-versions-already-exist. I'll check my cynicism at the door,

You should do the same for the Coen brothers.

[stansimpson]

Sounds like you won't be content until the Coen brothers start adapting God-knows-what-cuz-good-versions-already-exist. I'll check my cynicism at the door,

You should do the same for the Coen brothers.

Is that directed to me or NRRork?

If me, then I must confess I only picked them because they're so highly praised by cinema snobs lately. I give them a 50% batting average. For every "Fargo" and "No Country For Old Men", there's a "Ladykillers" and "Intolerable Cruelty".

[Darth Geek]

*snobby voice*If I want to take advice from a cinema snob, I will take advice from The Cinema Snob, thank you very much.

Now excuse me, I'm off to watch Caligula.

[Watchman]

Sounds like you won't be content until the Coen brothers start adapting God-knows-what-cuz-good-versions-already-exist. I'll check my cynicism at the door,

You should do the same for the Coen brothers.

Is that directed to me or NRRork?
If me, then I must confess I only picked them because they're so highly praised by cinema snobs lately. I give them a 50% batting average. For every "Fargo" and "No Country For Old Men", there's a "Ladykillers" and "Intolerable Cruelty".

To you, Stan. I like you, you're a friendly face here, but the Coen scapegoating seemed a bit... well, requiring further explanation.

So is your issue really with the Coens, or does it arise from your negative association with these snobs you've encountered?

I'm a huge Coen fan; even if their recent stuff hasn't done much for me I still cherish enough of their films. Shouldn't "snobs" be the ones saying that the Coens sold out after Barton Fink? [Or would those be hipsters?   ] Actually, I do remember encountering people back in the day who viewed Fargo with a semi-sellout mentality; that's the film that got me into the Coens! Point being, I always associated snobs more with elitists than populists. I can't see people being "snobbish" about Intolerable Cruelty or True Grit, whereas I picture the ultimate snob saying "It all went downhill after Blood Simple" or saying "no one gets it" about the Coen-scripted Raimi-directed Crimewave. "If you don't laugh at Crimewave, go watch Saving Silverman or American Pie 2."

Ladykillers is the only one I consider completely unenjoyable. The saving grace of Intolerable Cruelty was Wheezy Joe. I didn't laugh much up to then, but when he made his grand exit I was chocking with laughter for a ridiculously long time.

So, yes I feel your 50/50 ratio is slightly ungenerous. I'd place it more 80/20.

I love Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo & No Country For Old Men.
I very much like The Big Lebowski & The Man Who Wasn't There.

And you also have to factor in Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man & True Grit.

Do you really rank half of these films as low as The Ladykillers?

If so, I can agree to disagree. Just want to make sure we're using the same equations for our ratios.

I'll tell you a couple of filmmakers that I can't help but find sullied by snobs: Paul Thomas Anderson & David Lynch. I like cult/horror films, & sometimes I get bugged by the anti-genre snobbery of the arthouse crowd. I never saw the Coens as part of this, both they & their friend Sam Raimi were irreverent in their own ways.

[stansimpson]

I guess I could've just as well said Kurosawa or Bergman, but now that I've opened a mini-Pandora's box, I'll explain in more detail.

To me, a lot of the Coen bros are about expectations. When you're coming off of "Fargo", of course "Big Lebowski" is gonna perplex you and possibly disappoint. "Burn After Reading" is a letdown after "No Country For Old Men". Of course, not until these movies can be seen as their own can they truly be appreciated (so very hard to do). That's where the 50/50 comes from. I didn't know what to expect the first time I saw BAR. But watching it again, I'm able to appreciate it for what it's trying to do. If they were to make a comic book movie, I guarantee you it would not be what you're thinking it would be. That's their greatest strength and their greatest weakness... for my own (broad) taste, as it were. But I'll concede your 80/20 allotting proper time to develop.  Hmm... Can't help thinking this should be relegated to a non-Captain America thread.

Also, DG, I was trying to slip a "thankyouverymuch" in that post. Couldn't find a place without feelin crowbarred. You picked it up nicely tho.  

[D.B. Barnes]

Hmm... Can't help thinking this should be relegated to a non-Captain America thread.

Allow me to get this back on topic.

Spoiler

[stansimpson]

Hmm... Can't help thinking this should be relegated to a non-Captain America thread.

Allow me to get this back on topic.

Spoiler

If you're trying to further derail the topic D.B., just say "The Dark Knight was a great movie." I've seen that discussion derail more topics than all the politics and religion comments combined.

[D.B. Barnes]

Hmm... Can't help thinking this should be relegated to a non-Captain America thread.

Allow me to get this back on topic.

Spoiler

If you're trying to further derail the topic D.B., just say "The Dark Knight was a great movie." I've seen that discussion derail more topics than all the politics and religion comments combined.

It's actually difficult to keep track of what's derailing what right now. Star Trek threatened to derail the Indiana Jones thread, Sherlock Holmes derailed the Star Trek thread, the Coen brothers derailed the Captain America thread, and Mel Brooks derailed the Dark Knight Rises thread. I'm looking forward to Jersey Shore eventually derailing the Doctor Who thread.