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Mann is wildly overrated
by Stifler's Mom
Jun 29th, 2009
10:14:12 AM
and Public Enemies doesnt look very good. Looks WAY too digital for a period film.
one concession
by Stifler's Mom
Jun 29th, 2009
10:19:27 AM
Heat is pretty damn good.
48 hours to go!
by Stuntcock Mike
Jun 29th, 2009
10:23:11 AM
Can't wait.
We need a Thief DVD that isn't a disgrace
by Samuel Fulmer
Jun 29th, 2009
10:29:52 AM
How about the original cut (that doesn't have slow-mo footage sped up to jerky silent movie proportions) and a picture that doesn't look like a 5th generation VHS dub.
Mann kicks ass
by Kief_Ledger
Jun 29th, 2009
10:33:10 AM
He really knows his shit, doesn't he?
Heat is one of the greatest films ever made
by Kief_Ledger
Jun 29th, 2009
10:33:46 AM
in my opinion
Needs more GIANT PIG
by GIANT_PIG
Jun 29th, 2009
10:35:15 AM
GIANT PIG!!!
Do The Previous Films Not Exist?
by Aquatarkusman
Jun 29th, 2009
10:36:21 AM
The ones with Laurence Tierney and Warren Oates as the leads?
Only a poster with a name like Stifler's Mom
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 29th, 2009
10:40:16 AM
would think Michael Mann was overrated.
Cool interview Capone
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 29th, 2009
10:41:09 AM
Don't suppose you got time to ask Mann about a potential release of 'The Keep' on DVD?
P.S. Are There No Homely Actors in Hollywood?
by Aquatarkusman
Jun 29th, 2009
10:42:14 AM
Crudup as Hoover may be inspired casting, but Hoover, even in the 30s, looked like a lawn gnome. http://www.dillingermuseum.com /purvis.html
If 'Public Enemies' is better than 'The Insider'
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 29th, 2009
10:42:18 AM
then we're really in for a treat.
IRON MAN 2 Spoiler! HERE http://tinyurl.com/cpb87z
by Stanbee54321
Jun 29th, 2009
10:45:16 AM
The Insider is one of the best-acted, most engaging
by CreasyBear
Jun 29th, 2009
10:49:13 AM
movies I've ever seen. The pacing and directorial choices in that movie are amazing. But when Mann in this interview delved into the meticulous intricacies of his characters and how he would tell the story, I couldn't help but remember Miami Vice. Who directed that boring, laughable wreck?
M.Mann is my favorite director, LOTM & Heat especially
by Stormwatcher
Jun 29th, 2009
10:49:29 AM
I even love Miami Vice. That was my favorite show growing up in the 80's and I wanted so bad for the movie not to be like Dukes of Hazzard or Starky & Hutch, I wanted a real Miami Vice in modern time, and he gave us that. And being the huge fan of the show that I am it was 100% faithful, underboss dies, big boss escapes, Crockett getting his dick in the way of the job, Tubbs given little to do. Great music, I mean, great, great, music in that flick but I am an apologist, Last of th Mohicans and Heat are really my two favorites. Such great movies. Thank you Micheal!
The best film of '09 I've seen so far
by Fuckles
Jun 29th, 2009
10:51:03 AM
I caught a screening of it last Thursday. I thought it was Mann's mostly tautly paced film since "Manhunter" and Depp's best performance since "Fear & Loathing." What I expected was another Mann crime film (no complaints here), but what I got was old-fashioned gangster-pic and an evolution for Mann as a filmmaker. Don't toss this away because of the Viper cinematography - see it on the big screen! It plays differently - trust me! Personally, I thought it looked gorgeous and in scenes when Spinotti would push the gain on the aperture and create a very grainy image, it thought it added tension to the scene. What I was surprised most by the film were the comedic moments. Where Mann's previous films had humor that came from the characters' macho posturing (and that's not a slight on Mann), this film had actual comedic moments that work very well (i.e. the first movie theatre scene - "Look to the left....look to the right.") And, of course, the shoot-outs are fucking awesome!!! The film is peppered with tons of quality characters actors in the background (Bill Camp is awesome as Nitti and I didn't even recognize Stephen Dorff) and other recognizable faces as well (Emilie de Raven is in it and she doesn't even have a line). And, once again, Cotillard (who blew my mind in "La Vie En Rose") delivers a strong performance that really nails the audience by the end. All of this builds to a finale that goes beyond narrative structure and becomes a comparison piece about what the "gangster picture" means today in comparison to what it meant during Hollywood's Golden Age (you'll know the scene when you see it). I know I'm gushing, but fuck it, I'm not a critic. I love movies. And I LOVED this movie. I highly recommend "Public Enemies." Mann knocked this one out of the park and I pray that this is recognized come Oscar time. And - on a side note, props to Samuel Fulmer - YES, the world needs a better "Thief" DVD. The ghosting issues with that "remastered" transfer is a total disgrace.
Mann's comments
by earl of sandwich
Jun 29th, 2009
10:59:10 AM
I've seen the movie, and it's funny to read Mann's comments about getting inside Dillinger's head. About the only complaint I have about the movie is that I wasn't as engaged with the characters as I was expecting to be. It's not like Heat, where before you know it you're 45 minutes into the film and you are caring for not only the principles (on both sides of the law) but their wifes & girlfriends just as much. I just never felt that connected to the characters. I was totally engaged in the movie, I just wasn't really feeling it for anyone person over another. For Mann's fans though, Public Enemies IS great. Good solid pacing, amazing camera work, good to great performances (Cotillard is particularilly great in the last half). But I think a lot of people are gonna walk out of the theatre being reminded of Miam Vice, and for most people that's not a good thing.
Puvis and Johnny.
by Mr Soze
Jun 29th, 2009
11:02:58 AM
They never really meet until the end.
re: Earl of Sandwich
by Touche_Douche
Jun 29th, 2009
11:22:11 AM
I am a big fan of SOME of Mann's movies and Miami Vice is not one of them. Is it really close to that style? I'll be bummed if it is. I would prefer Heat/LOTM Mann myself.
Heat= 170 min. movie that feels like 90 min.
by Kief_Ledger
Jun 29th, 2009
11:27:36 AM
I watched it the other night in preparation for Public Enemies, and that movie flies by. It has great pace to it and flows beautifully. Very excited for Public Enemies, and Miami Vice isn't a bad movie.
CAPONE can we get an interview with Stephen Lang please!!
by standundermyumbrella
Jun 29th, 2009
11:29:49 AM
He's only one of the leads in the biggest geek movie of the year you know!
Mann's Movies
by snaps_provolone
Jun 29th, 2009
11:41:38 AM
I've seen Heat, parts of The Insider, Ali, Collateral & Miami Vice. The man (no pun intended) does great work. He definitely tackles the same themes a lot (crime, cop vs. robber, set against cities, the forbidden love interest, etc.) but he does them well. Collateral is in my top 10 of the decade, I love that movie. It's not perfect, but it's great. Miami Vice sucked, though. Way too serious (mojitos make me laugh now), and all over the place). Heat, however, was also great. Regarding Public Enemies, I can't wait. I've lived in Chicago my whole life, and I know they filmed a ton of it here last summer. So seeing Mann tackle Chicago in the 30s is going to be awesome.
Heat is one of my favorite movies
by richievanderlow
Jun 29th, 2009
11:44:38 AM
.. and I can't wait for public enemies.. Mann is at his best with these kind of movies.
since nolan and CHRISTIAN BALE don't do commentary
by ironic_name
Jun 29th, 2009
11:48:50 AM
I'd like mann's of the dark knight.
Heat
by TheNewDirector
Jun 29th, 2009
11:51:46 AM
absolutely my fav. film of all time, it's just a perfect movie in every aspect, characters, sub-characters, dialogue, tension, music, and of course the greatest set piece in film history, the bank heist and aftermath, cannot wait for P.E.
Crime Story Movie
by Samuel Fulmer
Jun 29th, 2009
11:56:55 AM
One reimaginemakeboot I'd be totally behind, as long as Mann directs of course.
Michael Mann is widly underrated!
by Evangelion217
Jun 29th, 2009
11:57:59 AM
A master of his craft, and one of the greatest American filmmakers of the last 30 years.
Douche
by earl of sandwich
Jun 29th, 2009
12:09:28 PM
I make the comparison to Miami Vice mainly because I think people were expecting a ton of pink shirt clad, Jan Hammer backed action. Instead Mann made a MODERN version of the TV show, without the 80's nostalgia that in my opinion would have ruined the movie. In terms of Public Enemies, I have a feeling that the majority of people heading in this weekend will be expecting a Johnny vs Cristian action spectacular, and that's NOT what this movie is. As Fuckles rightly praises, the shoot outs are fucking awesome, but the scenes in between the action have that patience and "feel" that only Mann can bring (ala Miami Vice) and that just rubs some people the wrong way.
Capone,
by dancetothebeatofthelivingdead
Jun 29th, 2009
12:25:57 PM
Thanks again for the tickets for the screening; one of the best movies of this terrible summer and it definitely IS Mann's best movie since Heat.

I did have a couple problems with it though. It really played around with history and the facts too much, anyone who knows a little bit about Dillinger will be put off by some of the decisions here.

Also, it didn't FEEL like Chicago.

Blues Brothers, Thief, Untouchables, heel, even Dark Knight really felt like Chicago, Public Enemies had some great sets and utilized the Biograph and Union Station well, but a lot of the sets felt like movie sets and seemed a little to antiseptic I guess is the word.

It was cool that Mann showed up for the screening and he seemed nice enough. My buddy was an electrician on the set for the entire shoot, and from his stories I gather that Mann is the biggest prick in the world, constantly screaming, "I'm Michael Mann, I shouldn;t have to wait or anything."

It's funny that you mentioned Gibson's, I know someone who was working there the night that Depp, Mann, and co. were there recently and Depp left their waiter a $4000 tip on a $4000 bill, pretty cool.

All in all, I'm with you, I can't recommend this movie and Moon enough to wash away the taste of this awful fucking summer at the movies, this is a great movie with unfuckingreal shootouts. All the acting is perfect and the sets and wardrobes and action are very realistic.
One main question wasn't asked...
by ZoeFan
Jun 29th, 2009
12:44:15 PM
Why digital and not film? Especially with the setting of this film.
CharleTM'78
by dancetothebeatofthelivingdead
Jun 29th, 2009
01:57:50 PM
I'll answer that for ya', The movie was filmed in digital and it is very obvious. Much like everything else filmed in digital everything looked like a movie set instead of looking like a setting.

The key is that the movie is so good and so engaging that the presence of digital filming is forgotten.

I don't know about this one...
by fassbinder79
Jun 29th, 2009
01:58:43 PM
I like most of Mann's filmography with the exception of Miami Vice. But let's be honest the digital look he has chosen to use for his recent films has got to go. I HATE it. It looks like a bad Sega CD game and the performances don't come off real but rather silly because the digital enhances the bad acting. Mann is underrated as a director. No question. But he's also staring to make some questionable films. I'm also really disappointed with Depp as an actor ever since he did Pirates Of the Carribean.
Re: CharlesThomasMathews1978
by Fuckles
Jun 29th, 2009
01:58:57 PM
Honestly, I thought it looked great - but keep in mind that I lean towards that look anyway (I work in industrial video and docs so HD is my flavor). The Thompson Viper was CCD chips in it so there is definitely light streaking which I liked. The image also has some striking contrasts to it - the blacks are BLACK and like Mann says in the interview, the key lights just "fall off" in a lot of the shots and, oddly enough, it reminded me of Gordon Willis' work in "The Godfather" where it's more about what's not lit as opposed to what is exposed. Yes, there are scenes with HEAVY amounts of grain which can be jarring - but it's Mann and Spinotti pushing the latitude of the Viper which I greatly appreciate. I was reminded of the rooftop scenes in the beginning of "Miami Vice" where the characters on the roof are exposed as well as the clouds in sky......AT MIDNIGHT!!!!! I've never seen that before and would have thought it was impossible until I saw it there. "PE" has moments like that too. Mann is redefining what cinematography is and he's doing it with the camera (like the good ol' days) and not with the digital intermediate which is all the rage in cinema everywhere. I appreciate it. But the real question is: does it add or take away from the story? Well, it certainly DOES NOT take away from it and I felt that the graininess added some immediacy to some of the tense-filled scenes. Never did I think that it looked "too digital" or not appropriate for a period piece. Listen, bottom line, it's an acquired taste, you'll either like it or look beyond it or hate it. But if anyone is curious, just see the damn movie. The directing, acting, and sound design are so fucking amazing that it should bring any audience to get over that it looks like "video." Now, truth be told, I saw a 35mm print, which adds even more grain in the transfer process. I want to see it projected digitally, but since all of those screens are being manipulated by either "Up," "Ice Age 3," or "Transformers 2" I don't think I'll get a chance to see it that way. But since the Viper shoots at native 2K, I think the real test will be Blu-Ray (which is native 2K as well). The image, I believe (I could be wrong), has to be up-ressed to 4K for a 35mm transfer so it, I think, is not the most accurate example of the native image. I think "Miami Vice" (also shot on the Viper) looks incredible on Blu-Ray so I assume "PE" will as well. Hey, everyone has different tastes.....
Great interview
by Omar B
Jun 29th, 2009
02:01:24 PM
Michael Mann's an amazing talent, I've loved all his work so far. If ever Nolan were to leave the Batman franchise Mann would be the dude to top him.
Fuckles
by fassbinder79
Jun 29th, 2009
02:01:27 PM
That was a real overstatement on the how the blu ray for Miami Vice looks. Incredible? I don't think so. And I'm not saying that because I didn't like the film. All the night shots looked grainy as hell (and not in a good way). And the explosions effects shots near the end looked much worse because of the digital I think.
great interview but....
by krod
Jun 29th, 2009
02:03:45 PM
where is the keep dvd?
A quick search online shows me...
by fassbinder79
Jun 29th, 2009
02:04:48 PM
...I wasn't the only one who thought the blu ray transfer was piss poor either: http://bluray.highdefdigest.co m/1448/miamivice2006.html "Even more video-esque looking than 'Collateral,' 'Miami Vice' has the chintzy veneer of a 'Cops' episode -- it's like bad reality TV in high-definition." That sounds about right. Please, Michael Mann! Go back to 35 mm!
The best HD film I've seen released on blu ray/hd-dvd:
by fassbinder79
Jun 29th, 2009
02:06:04 PM
David Fincher's Zodiac.
Re: fassbinder79
by Fuckles
Jun 29th, 2009
02:24:24 PM
I agree with you, that Zodiac HD release is one of the best ever - great transfer for a beautifully shot film. Ironically, Fincher shot both "Zodiac" and "Benjamin Button" on the Viper - but he's doing it because the Viper has 4:4:4 uncompressed color space which makes it perfect for special effects (and we both know that Fincher's films, even "Zodiac," are very effects-heavy). Fincher wants a traditional film look where his special effects can be integrated seamlessly. Mann is going in a totally different approach. The graininess of "Miami Vice" has nothing to do with the BR transfer but the graininess of how it was shot. His recent HD work with Spinotti and Beebe have been about getting maximum exposure with as little studio lighting without compromising the depth of field. The BR disc accurately represents that and I, for one, like it. I totally understand why you and others don't and, hey, different strokes. But, a common mistake that I see in BR and DVD reviews is complaints of a grainy image that the reviewer is too quick to assume happens in the compression/transfer to disc process. That's kind of the Achilles heel of BR reviews. Without a side by side reference to the 35 print, in can be easy to mistake the grain of the film stock from the grain from the compression. "Miami Vice" was a native 2K film that was mastered on a native 2K disc so the compression, other than the encoding process, was little to none. Your problem isn't with the BR transfer, but with the way the film was shot. I remember the complaints when the BR for "Eyes Wide Shut" came out - people said it was too grainy. But it had nothing to do with the transfer and everything to do with the film stock that Kubrick and his DP shot it on. But, whatever, this is neither here nor there. I like how it looks. You don't. And you're in the majority. But this isn't a pissing match for me, it's just a difference of opinion.
I saw Heat last night again
by m_reporter
Jun 29th, 2009
02:36:31 PM
The film is a fuckin' masterpiece. I can't wait to see Public Enemies.

Haven't read the interview, don't want to be spoiled too much (although I am familiar with Dillinger's life), but I bookmarked it for a read after I see the film.

Two best director's alive: Mann and Malick
by HoboCode
Jun 29th, 2009
02:41:04 PM
I should rewatch Heat
by animas
Jun 29th, 2009
02:54:17 PM
saw it in the theater and don't remember liking it.
Michael Mann = Professional
by otm shank
Jun 29th, 2009
03:04:12 PM
Good thing death took Daley's father away so that one of the greatest films of all time could be made....The Blues Brothers!
Public Enemies is cliche and predictable
by maxbrown
Jun 29th, 2009
03:35:20 PM
I saw Public Enemies 6 months ago at a test screening, and from the looks of the reviews I've been reading, not much has changed. I'm sure that Mann fans will find things to like about it, but for me and the other 6 people I saw it with, it was a completely predictable period-drama. Absolutely nothing new here. Don't get your hopes up.
Bullshit.
by CENOBITE
Jun 29th, 2009
03:40:36 PM
The HD filming was fine. It gave the film a documentary quality. It reminded me of Saving Private Ryan with the realism and intensity of the gunfire... you feel you are there. I didn't know it was shot in HD when I went to see it and it didn't bother me.
Titanic was predictable too...
by CENOBITE
Jun 29th, 2009
03:42:01 PM
but then again I am educated in history.
CENOBITE
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
03:46:14 PM
You get this threads dumb ass award
I know you are...
by CENOBITE
Jun 29th, 2009
03:47:32 PM
but what am I?
Don't worry, CENOBITE.
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
03:59:17 PM
lockesbrokenleg gets that award just about everyday.
I can't wait for this film.
by kikuchiyoboy
Jun 29th, 2009
03:59:52 PM
I have a feeling this we'll be the summer film I've been waiting for.
may I offer this up as a salve
by CENOBITE
Jun 29th, 2009
04:14:09 PM
http: //tinyurl.com/nqc4z3 Bonjour!
Mr. Nice Gaius Shit. Looks like Gods Gift to AICN
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
04:20:56 PM
talk backers is back.
Hard to find?
by pax256
Jun 29th, 2009
04:24:13 PM
Impossible to find. The Keep is not on dvd anywhere and can only be found on used vhs. I dont blame Mr Mann I think its Paramount. Not the first time that studio has held on to flicks for years on end. Cmon Paramount this aint Disney just put it out already!
Ya indeed Kwiz and Krod...
by pax256
Jun 29th, 2009
04:29:38 PM
Why avoid a question for the closest thing to a Genre movie Mann has ever done?
Oh look, it's lockesbrokenleg. Gods gift to AICN...
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
04:35:25 PM
...loser spammers is still here. He never leaves.
I saw this movie last Thursday at at pre screening
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
04:37:27 PM
It was decent. Long and slow. I'm sure it will get 100 Oscars.
100 Oscars, eh?
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
04:38:31 PM
That's brilliant.
Anything else to add to that in-depth review?
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
04:41:22 PM
How was the acting? Was it historically accurate? Did you find it predictable? What are your thoughts on the HD? Can you conjure up enough words to make a paragraph?
The acting was all right. The action scenes were
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
04:45:52 PM
well staged, Johnny Depp will probably get nominated for an award. There is a lot of machine gun flare in the movie. I forgot you needed to write a 100 paragraph review in these tiny boxes.
"...a 100 paragraph review..."
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
04:51:49 PM
No, but I am amazed that you seem incapable of offering nothing more than a Twitter-style post on the subject.
And all you seem to do is hurl insults at people
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
04:55:04 PM
Fucking douchebag.
Stephen Lang played a mean Babe Ruth.
by Sal_Bando
Jun 29th, 2009
05:00:22 PM
Good good actor. I agree there.
MrGeyser-
by Sal_Bando
Jun 29th, 2009
05:01:54 PM
-the Giant Robots movie is well worth your time. You'll like it(and hate yourself in the morning for it), fact is I plan on seeing it TWICE. Yes.
I'm sorry if you think I'm being hard on you, lockes.
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
05:02:13 PM
But all you seem to do is spam the Talkbacks. ALL of them. It's like when you used to be skywalkerfamily - you never offered up anything worthy of discussion. Even if you did, no one cared anyway because you were too busy posting drivel someplace else. Why do you suppose that is?
Sal_Bando
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
05:05:07 PM
What's up you crazy bastard!

I have yet to see the Giant Robots Movie Number 2. I was a little dismayed by some of the critical and trustworthy Talkbacker response. But if it at least offers a rock em' sock em' time, then I'll have to get to a big screen soon. I'm sure I've seen worse, right? Well, I hope I have.

GAUIS YOU ARE A SHIT!!!
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
05:05:20 PM
All you do is follow me around! GET A FUCKING LIFE! You don't own the fucking site SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!
Hope it's good but not sold on the HD look.
by Orbots Commander
Jun 29th, 2009
05:11:27 PM
Well, with this I at least won't need to 'leave my brain at the door' because 'it isn't Shakespeare'.

My brain is really getting annoyed with me for being left at the door so often this summer.

Oh, grow up, lockes!
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
05:13:16 PM
No one follows you around and no one thinks they own the site! Dummy!!!

Seriously. Grow some fucking balls and learn how to deal with yourself. You can start by taking your own advice: "GET A FUCKING LIFE!". Personally, I recommend that you get off the computer for a day or two and try going outside. Personally, I recommend you enroll in a basket weaving class...or maybe a pottery seminar. Try something constructive that allows you to channel your Twitter-like energies more effectively.

Best of luck, lockes!
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
05:14:48 PM
Smell ya later, bro!
Lol
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
05:16:38 PM
What's this thread about again? Gauis keeps talking about shit, but I can never figure out what the douchebag is talking about. He sure seems angry.
Mr. Nice Gaius
by Kief_Ledger
Jun 29th, 2009
05:25:24 PM
Welcome back. It's good to know you're hear, hunting down the twats that the squander the potential hilarity of talkbacks.
hear=here
by Kief_Ledger
Jun 29th, 2009
05:26:14 PM
get a FUCKING EDIT FUNCTION!!!!!
Political maneuvering
by bioforge
Jun 29th, 2009
05:38:29 PM
Love how Capone keeps crapping on about the war while Mann just keeps the focus on the actual story. The dude is tough.Can't wait to see the flick.
Big Robots Too is like the first one.
by Sal_Bando
Jun 29th, 2009
05:50:16 PM
Pretty much. You DO have: More Robots, More OF the robots, and there is a whole lotta robots Hitting each other goin' on. You will, of course, have trouble telling who did what to do--that last fight w/ Optimus and Pointy there was a bit TOO chaotic for even me-but...

well trust me. The idiotic parts w/ the gay dogs, the pot-brownie Mom etc-that's all over and done w/ in the first 40 mins, and it's more or less just Family Guy stuff.

Believe me. I also laughed at Chip and Dale there, though they ARE--ummmm, Unfortunately Designed, shall we say. But the audience got a kick outta'em, so-there ya be. The movie has enough neat parts to it for me to reccommend it.

The funniest idiot blooper? They're in the Smithsonian, in DC, right, and then no sooner bust thru a back door-they're smack in the middle of a plane boneyard in the Mojave. OF COURSE THEY ARE.

It's a Mikey Bay movie.

Oh and the little Joe Pesci/Buscemi bot? he's a riot. Well I liked him anyways.

It's the same shit as the last one. Put your brain on hold and just enjoy the Robotses doing their things. You can't say Bay didn't give the audience what it said it wanted. He did.

Oh I love the Insider.
by Sal_Bando
Jun 29th, 2009
05:53:22 PM
THAT is a GREAT movie. Crowe's best acting, bar none. Love it.
Didn't people put their brains on hold back when Star Wars
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 29th, 2009
05:55:48 PM
came out? Most critics hated it, but audiences loved it. And it's still fucking around.
Molosar on Blu-ray now!
by Gorgomel
Jun 29th, 2009
06:02:50 PM
bring on THE KEEP in hd!
i dont think ill like this
by TheExterminator
Jun 29th, 2009
07:29:05 PM
just doesn't look right to me
Now that's a Michael Mann interview
by drturing
Jun 29th, 2009
07:50:13 PM
fucking awesome Capone, always wish this guy would talk more because he speaks in reverent detail about things most filmmakers would never even consider.
Kief_Ledger
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
08:20:41 PM
Ha! Thanks man. Have you seen this kid, lockesbrokenleg? What a totally pointless tool. I just took a look at the Billy May's Obit Talkback and saw all of his utterly stupid fake death posts. It's like he thinks he's funny but doesn't understand why he doesn't get any laughs.
Last of the Mohicans gets forgotten too much
by BadMrWonka
Jun 29th, 2009
08:21:55 PM
that movie is PHENOMENAL...the use of the landscape, the music, the detail in every set and every costume. just brilliant. everyone goes to Heat, but for my money, Last of the Mohicans is the better film.
Sal_Bando
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 29th, 2009
08:24:27 PM
Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. I've got some discount-style tickets. I'm thinking I'll use those to check out the Bayhem Bots. I admit, I'm not above watching Optimus Prime kick some ass. Plot or no plot.
Crime Story is one of my very favorite shows
by CherryValance
Jun 29th, 2009
08:45:50 PM
Ray Luca was the bomb, and it's why I became I huge Dice fan. Okay now I'm gonna read the interview. :)
Fuckles
by fassbinder79
Jun 29th, 2009
08:46:38 PM
The only reason I made a point of saying what I did about the transfer is because I buy a lot of movies. And I buy a lot of blu ray movies. And the only thing I have to go on before I make a purchase in deciding whether I'm going to drop 30-40 bucks on a blu ray are reviews or comments on message boards about the quality of a film's picture quality. I can't obviously buy every film that gets released in an hd format so the comments that I read online about the quality is what helps me make my choice in taking the risk. I have read quite a few comments on these message boards about the quality of a specific dvd or blu ray being great quality and then discovering that its total ass. I just want to let people know my thoughts so that don't get burned as I have. Shit is too expensive right now.
ALI is a really underrated movie
by gamus
Jun 29th, 2009
09:09:56 PM
one of the most visceral cinema experiences i've had was watching Ali. The poor reviews were incomprehensible. Hopefully Public Enemies is in that vein and not like the macho offensive Miami Vice.
I'll bet the Bale's pores have tiny
by CherryValance
Jun 29th, 2009
09:30:54 PM
little baby Jesuses in them. Right? Can't wait to see for myself. I plan on going as soon as possible.
fassbinder79
by Hellbastardo
Jun 29th, 2009
09:31:53 PM
whoa ! You pay full msrp for those blu-rays ? Maybe i'm just used to wal-mart prices
MIchael Mann is my number one draft pick to direct the next Batm
by bishopfan85
Jun 29th, 2009
09:44:13 PM
And the dream casting of course would be Johnny Depp as The Riddler along with Mickey Rourke playing Clayface along with Angelina Jolie being introduced as Selina Kyle (possibly not becoming Catwoman until the very end).
yet another interview when someone refuses to ask Mann about
by BillboeFett
Jun 29th, 2009
10:19:40 PM
THE KEEP

DVD coming? Blu-ray? Anything? Why all the delays.. blah blah.

WHERE THE FUCK IS THE KEEP????????
by BillboeFett
Jun 29th, 2009
10:29:48 PM
this movie is going to suck!!
by one_guy_from_andromeda_
Jun 29th, 2009
10:50:55 PM
Mann hasn't done anything good since Heat. Although i may catch it just to see depp, he's a pretty sexy guy
I think the "Miami Vice" director's cut is very good.
by blakindigo
Jun 29th, 2009
11:36:50 PM
Not played for camp; the way it dramatizes the world of Miami undercover vice cops; the brutality of the gunfights and treacherous nature of the environment. There are some sketchy scenes like the explosion at the trailer (bad composite) and bits that might have been sharpened, but it's a damn good movie.

I wish Mann would shoot with the RED Camera, because I'd like to how 4k resolution might play with in low-light situations.
the phrase "on the lam" is like a hundred years old
by BadMrWonka
Jun 29th, 2009
11:42:15 PM
and has nothing to do with that dude. just FYI. do not write "on the lamb", you will look like an idiot.
CharlesThomasMathews1978
by blakindigo
Jun 29th, 2009
11:47:37 PM
Do you believe Friedman's accusations? Personally, I've never heard of the "I got fired because of Scientology" defense, but that might be a first.
I hear you CTM1978
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
12:22:40 AM
I guess it's just some weirdness running around.

What do you think of the current uses of HD photography in studio pictures? Any thoughts on David Fincher's use of the Viper in contrast to Michael Mann's?
Christ, what's wrong with calling it Technoscope?
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
01:12:26 AM
That's not aimed at you CMT1978.

Didn't Lucas shoot 3-perf on "THX-1138"? That film looked gorgeous. Anyway, many people seem primed for the new RED EPIC which shoots 5K. I don't know how that will look.

My only problem with HD is the aforementioned strobe effect and when someone shoots into light. The latitude seems…off somehow.

A quick question, have you ever read "The Big Picture" by Edward Jay Epstein? It's a great companion to Biskind's "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls."
CTMW1978 you fuckin fool
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
01:28:54 AM
digital has yet to surpass the contrast ratio of film. until it does, it's still going to be in service. it takes just as much care and time to light for HD as it does film. you're talking out of your ass. the difference between film and hd is a choice, and you use the right tool for the right job. likewise, it's been 9 years since episode 2 and it still looks like a bullshit cgi fucking cutscene from a videogame to me.
PLUS YOU ABUSE ALLCAPS AND ARE WRONG ABOUT FINCHER
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
01:31:29 AM
can you tell me why the opening scenes in new orleans could not have been shot on film? can you tell me what is continually used in benjamin button that you're generally told not to do in hd?
Red is bullshit
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
01:32:59 AM
it's just another fucking camera with the marketing dept of a sunglasses manufacturer behind it. it has massive problems thus far in post which yes will be worked out but don't make anything revolutionary or better. and 5k is stupid, there are hardly any 4k screens in the world as it is.
drturing
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
01:36:11 AM
Please, give the info—no need to attack the dude. You've definitely got my attention with your second question.
Don't agree about RED, I know too many people
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
01:38:35 AM
who haven't had problems. All the reported 'tech issues' don't seem to be an issue with the firmware updates.

What's the problem with downconverting to 4K?
HD vs FIlm, a pointless argument
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
01:43:31 AM
naturally lit streets at night with lighting depth 12 blocks away. to capture that on film at night would've required massive amounts of night flood lighting for city blocks, and would thus have a sort of high key ambient illumination that doesn't read as true as it does in the film. benjamin button also has a lot of backlighting, which generally dps have shied away from terrified of doing so on HD. i'm just saying, there's all sorts of applications that run both ways. this continual argument that one is better than the other is silly and pointless. both can do what the other does, but there are a few things that each one excels at (you couldn't shoot collateral on film but you couldn't shoot days of heaven on HD) as Mann notes, the reason you should choose one for the other is in service to what you're creating. and who cares if it's cheaper. why should everything being cheaper mean it's better. fuck if i were making a movie i'd want all the vendors and crew members and cool companies like kodak to be getting paid top dollar like they deserve. the funniest thing about benjamin button is that having seen it both as a film print and the bluray direct from source the muddy film prints made the film look better and hid a lot of the effects work's seams.
blakindigo
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
01:47:47 AM
and what were those people delivering their Red shot projects on? any new format has a clusterfuck of new pipelines to navigate. I'm just saying, all those who jumped into the Red sold on its revolutionary bring costs down filmmaking didn't realize that they needed to budget twice as much as before in post. And why pay for 5k equipment - a marketing gimmick that makes something sound cool - when it's pointless. the Red is just like any other camera - it has good points, bad points. great sensor, and yeah it retains more information than previous digital formats in blown out highlights, but still not as good as film (and your optics are just as important and more expensive). this idea that the Red is going to change filmmaking is bullshit. shooting a film on Red is not going to get you the name actor you need to get the studio to commit all the money to build sets and feed people and have parking permits etc etc...
here's what matters
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
01:50:02 AM
check out this 42 second short film by chris milk shot on his new digital stills camera the canon 5d. It ain't the camera or the format, it's what you do with it. http://vimeo.com/4155700
Fascinating drturing…
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
01:56:50 AM
I NEED a Blu-Ray player… I agree that for a Studio picture there's no real budgetary reason why one is 'better' than the other; for low/no/micro budget features it might mean the difference between finishing the movie or not.

I thought 'Zodiac' was remarkably well shot (God Bless you Harris Savides) and I saw that projected digitally. I'm anxious to see "Public Enemies" digitally also, but Mann's techniques are much closer to documentary at times (lots of hand held close ups).

I did get to see Peter Jackson's short film shot on the RED ONE and it looked quite good, but the more done with it, the more experimentation done in the format, the better it is for the consumer.

I also see people shooting with the Nikon D90 and the Canon 5D Mark II, with some pretty impressive results.
The RED isn't the saviour of indie filmmaking—
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
02:04:46 AM
that IS hyperbole and marketing. But, I've seen a project cut in FCP (granted they were using a Mac Pro with minimum 6GB of Ram and had a sweet G-Raid set up) and the final output was rendered at 2K for HDCAM-SR. Obviously, it wasn't someone's $500 feature, it was a short, but the workflow was generally smooth.
Leave the 'S' man alone, CTM1978…tsk, tsk…
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
02:28:49 AM
Let the man stick with tradition if he wants to; it doesn't make him any less of an artist than someone who refuses to use water-based oil paint over linseed.

Bad judgement on the other hand…
again you're totally misinformed
by drturing
Jun 30th, 2009
02:29:00 AM
film can't improve further? is that why Kodak are replacing their flagship 35mm color stock with a new one that has hundreds of improvements and a wider latitude of exposure than HD?

Let's go even further. Do you know why Spielberg likes film? Because the length of takes and rhythm of mag changes brings a certain pace to a shooting environment that every few takes gives him and the actors time to think about what they're doing. Likewise his editor isn't deluged with hours of material that's unecessary.

As for the directors of tomorrow, they also are probably more influenced by Call of Duty or Halo than by Transformers 2. God help us all.

drturing
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
02:35:05 AM
Look at someone like Colin Levy of "Peerless Productions"—he's still in college and will be directing the next Blender animated short. He's been making short films for years. H
Levy was even on Digg.com's front page—
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
02:42:17 AM
—for a short he did in his senior year of high school(?). Don't sleep on the young ones, they don't have the same film vs digital baggage as their mentors. That also doesn't mean they idolize Bayhem or video games, they just grew up with them.

Our generation of 'cinemacentric' folk might prefer film, but we didn't grow up with user–friendly gear and immediate access to information. Hell, Apple's Color is pretty amazing and it used to cost $20K. Same with the $11K compositing app Shake.
i dont know if anyone else notied..
by richardphilip
Jun 30th, 2009
03:08:43 AM
.. but moriarty still comes under the titles of an aint it cool news reviewer on rotton tomatoes?http://uk.rottentomat oes.com/m/10009526-public_enem ies/
the rez digital will have to have in order to compete with film
by BillboeFett
Jun 30th, 2009
04:41:45 AM
Above 6256x3520.

Fine grain film with a good lens will record about 160 lines per mm, so if 35mm film is 22mm wide that times 160 is 3520 lines. One thing you should have in mind is that image resolution on a camera can not be measured in pixels, for some reason since digital cameras became popular people started thinking that image resolution is measured in mega pixels.

Most HD-camcorders used for movies these days have 1920 pixels per width, in recorded lines that is most likely less than 1500, there are some 4k pixel wide cameras but the resolution will still probably be less than 3000 lines.

Even if digital censors in the coming years gets higher resolution than film there is one problem, lenses also limit the resolution and that limit has been reached already with film.

And DrTuring makes a great point--the contrast ratio on digital, even the "5k" sucks ass. All the digital movies are all too much in the "grey"... not enough contrast, not enough rich deep blacks, bright whites. Not enough shadow. You're losing beautiful pictures for convenience so an actor can do many more takes in a shorter amount of time.

That's only if HD must emulate film, BillboeFett
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
05:17:19 AM
Films dynamic range is unmatched at the moment, especially watching a properly timed print that's being projected. A/B rolling between digital and film is instructive, because the limitations of both mediums become obvious. The most successful digital pictures (in terms of image quality and contrast, chroma and luminance) are 3D animated features that are projected directly from the Hard Drive. There is no digital–to–photochemical conversion for release prints, only those released for the non-digital screens.

Considering it's 2009 and a number of films have been shot digitally has grown ("Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans" was shot with the Panavision Genesis—surprised the hell out of me), it's only a matter of time before higher quality acquisition sensors and lenses are manufactured—as they are already being tested now.

I don't know if I agree that the 'contrast ratio on digital…sucks ass,'due to the number of times films have intercut between both formats ("Wanted,""Superman Returns") seamlessly for the most part. I didn't see "Knowing" but, I'd like to see the image quality on that picture, as the trailers looked fine to me.
"…and the number of films that have been shot"
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
05:18:44 AM
Last of the Mohicans
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 30th, 2009
05:48:32 AM
is an incredible piece of filmmaking. One of the last great outdoors movies, before everything was shot in a fucking box. Great score too.
kwisatzhaderach, LotM is sublime…
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
05:54:13 AM
Photography, pacing, music, it's a beautifully designed movie. And, the performances—!
blakindigo
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 30th, 2009
06:10:15 AM
The whole movie is just beautiful. Mann was clearly influenced by Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, particularly the shot of the bridge reflected in the water.

And you're right, Day-Lewis is magnetic in the film, and Madeleine Stowe is heartbreakingly beautiful. It's a film that just soars!

bishopfan85, you fucking genius.
by Stuntcock Mike
Jun 30th, 2009
06:29:24 AM
Mann's Batman = Me buying several tickets. Count me in.
Mann is a legend
by RobFromBackEast
Jun 30th, 2009
06:46:36 AM
Loved Public Enemies, but The Insider is still his best movie. He hasn't made a bad movie since The Keep.
Has a workprint or uncut version of "The Keep"
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
06:48:37 AM
been released anywhere?
blakindigo
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 30th, 2009
06:55:43 AM
There are deleted scenes somewhere on youtube, I remember seeing a different ending with the girl rescuing Glaecken from the keep. This really need a DVD release, the score by Tangerine Dream, production desing by John Box and cinematography by Alex Thompson are all incredible.
The Keep alternate ending
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 30th, 2009
07:05:37 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =zoHldOn-i9E&feature=related
Michael Mann is the Man..
by RighteousBrother
Jun 30th, 2009
07:13:18 AM
if you don't like him well....well that's just too bad.
WTF?! Where did that alternate ending come from?!
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
07:18:32 AM
Damn, it's even widescreen! Thanks for the post kwisatzhaderach!
Capone baiting Mann
by rainbowtrout1265
Jun 30th, 2009
09:10:01 AM
"Love how Capone keeps crapping on about the war while Mann just keeps the focus on the actual story. The dude is tough.Can't wait to see the flick." Yeah, I noticed Capone trying to get Mann to go off on some liberal rant about the "war on terror". I was reading, thinking "oh Christ, here we go again" but Mann kept his attention on the film. And it sounds ecouraging that there may be a fairly evenhanded treatment of Hoover.
blakindigo
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 30th, 2009
09:26:27 AM
Here's the opening 6 minutes in widescreen too, pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =DbGjIQSqpMc

So no balls to ask him how he could fuck up the Miami Vice movie
by IndyCollector
Jun 30th, 2009
10:08:16 AM
He was the executive producer of the TV show for fuck's sake!!!!
His movies R GREAT. He doesn't know how to end them!
by Mennen
Jun 30th, 2009
10:15:09 AM
The end of HEAT SUCKED. But I loved the movie.
IndyCollector
by kwisatzhaderach
Jun 30th, 2009
12:12:20 PM
Miami Vice is a terrific film. Mann should be appluaded for not going down the piece of shit route that the makers of Starsky and Hutch took. Miami Vice was a serious drama for adults, and one of the best films of 2006, in fact probably my joint favourite along with United 93.
About the HD...
by Blue_Demon
Jun 30th, 2009
12:45:08 PM
When I saw the trailer in the theater, I knew it had not been shot on film because the whites looked over-saturated. Especially the muzzle flashes. I hope they fixed that.

This looks like one great movie, though.

kwisatzhaderach, CTM1978 RE: Miami Vice
by blakindigo
Jun 30th, 2009
01:54:16 PM
I'm in complete agreement.
The Chicago Feel
by AsimovLives
Jun 30th, 2009
02:15:15 PM
Can anybody describe and explain to me what is this special thing about Chicago that makes it so special and unique among other major american cities, and why anybody from Chicago will not be mistaken for anyplace else?
rainbowtrout1265
by AsimovLives
Jun 30th, 2009
02:19:56 PM
An evenhanded telling of J. Edgar Hoover is to say he was a gay and mulato hypocrite who persecuted blacks and gays, and he turned a police force into his own fieldfom where he abused his powers for political gains, while also providing cover and collaborating with the Mafia, while throwing sand to the eyes of the public with his stunts on catching bankrobbers who, onthe grand scheme of things, were really unimportant criminals who were doing no major hamr to the economy, but whose captures provided catchy headlines to fill his ego and desire for self-promotion.

Any evenhanded portait of J. Edgar Hoover would show the human monster he really was.
Miami Vice is underrated
by AsimovLives
Jun 30th, 2009
02:46:18 PM
While it's hardly as great as Heat, it's still a pretty solid and good movie, certainly way above the blokcbuster average we are getting this days.

And contrary to legend, Heat was not that well and unanimously heralded and embraced as it is today. Back in the day, the reception for the movie was quite mixed, some people even complaining about it being nothing but an elephantine exercise of tyle without substance. Yeah, once upona time, Heat didn't had the staus of modern classic it has today. In many ways, the movie almost flopped on it's inicial theatrical run in USA at least (made better bank overseas). So, Heat is a movie that grew in popularity and acceptance and recognition. A similiar thing might happen with Miami Vice as well.
Filming movies in HD - shitty
by lockesbrokenleg
Jun 30th, 2009
03:56:22 PM
They end up on DVD looking way worse. Look at TDK on DVD, it looks like shit.
No, MIAMI VICE is underrated in its shittiness.
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 30th, 2009
04:04:21 PM
It's one of Mann's few clunkers and it will never achieve the popularity, acceptance, or recognition of HEAT. All one has to do is re-watch it to see that none of the characters have the same level of depth or motivation and that the plot doesn't even come close to HEAT's labyrinth complexity.

But here is the main reason why MIAMI VICE is garbage:

"I'm a fiend for mojitos."

'Nuff said.

One single phrase makes a movie bad?
by AsimovLives
Jun 30th, 2009
05:45:43 PM
What great fucking insight! Small wonder bullshit like JJ's Star Trek gets mistaken for a good movie this days. Movie geeks are no longer the guardians of cinema, they are their enemy number one!
lockesbrokenleg
by AsimovLives
Jun 30th, 2009
05:47:11 PM
I have TDK on DVD, and it looks great. Either you bought a pirate copy of TDK and got dupped, or you better get prescriptions.
AssimovLives
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Jun 30th, 2009
07:02:36 PM
No, one single phrase does not necessarily make a movie bad. However, it is a shining example of why that movie is a total misfire.

Uh, STAR TREK has nothing to do with the mediocrity of MIAMI VICE. Nice try at diversion though.

And movie geeks are lame and increasingly out of touch with reality. Deal.

it's already 147 on imdb's top 250
by Maniaq
Jun 30th, 2009
07:59:10 PM
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt11 52836/

has it even come out yet?

On The Lam origin
by Zeds Dead Baby
Jun 30th, 2009
08:45:38 PM
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ Transwiki:On_the_lam
that Keep extended ending clip is by me, btw
by BillboeFett
Jun 30th, 2009
09:54:14 PM
I'm pewburrito on youtube. I have the entire movie in widescreen, remastered, with the extended ending in as seamless branching.

I got the alternate ending in 4x3 format (someone taped it off public television in the 80s on VHS) and I painstakingly tried to color-time it to the widescreen copy of the movie I have. That was a bitch and a half.

Still isn't perfect but thats the best I could do. I had to make a decision to show the extended part in a pillarbox format to preserve the 16x9 aspect of the main movie.

If you get a chance, check out my LOTR battle music video on there as well. It's kinda old and dated but I'm proud of it.

I'm standing up in love of MIAMI VICE the TV show!
by BillboeFett
Jun 30th, 2009
10:23:54 PM
I've rewatched the entire series and I can honestly say it fucking kix massive ass.

Who was an up and coming writer at the time who now runs Law & Order? Dick Wolf--he wrote some of the best eps of Miami Vice.

I'm able to put aside the 80s pastel clothes and music (some of the music is cool) and just enjoy the show.

They hardly ever get the bad guy, lots of people died, it was very dark. Twists, turns, intricate plots.

Killer production, and very, very good, believable acting.

It broke ground with the flashy editing and camera style cut to music--the MTV video style that everyone borrowed and is kind of out of style now but was very big for the last 30 years.

Here's some notable actors that got their start on MIAMI VICE.

Ving Rhames, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Jimmy Smits, Pam Grier, Willie Nelson, Gene Simmons, Ted Nugent, Frank Zappa, Phil Collins, James Brown, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Dean Stockwell, Brian Dennehy,

more notable actors who were on MIAMI VICE the TV show
by BillboeFett
Jun 30th, 2009
10:28:07 PM
Dennis Farnia, Stanley Tucci, David Strathairn, Liam Neeson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Ed O'Neill, Michael Madsen, Ian McShane, Bill Paxton, Luis Guzman, Kyra Sedgwick, Esai Morales, Terry O'Quinn, Wesley Snipes, John Turturro, Melanie Griffith, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Tommy Chong, John Leguizamo, Richard Belzer, Penn Gillette, Glenn Fry, Sheena Easton, etc. etc. Keep in mind barely any of these people (save the musical artists) were famous or popular then.

Kickass show. Ignore and put aside the 80s fashions and music and just enjoy it. Watch any couple episodes between season 2 and 3 and tell me it doesn't rock.

I'll suggest 3 episodes for MIAMI VICE to give you a start
by BillboeFett
Jun 30th, 2009
10:40:50 PM
and you can watch the 3 and decide if you like the series or not

. You can watch all seasons (I believe) on HULU and of course there's torrents.

1.) Season 3, Episode 11 – Aired: 12/12/1986

Forgive Us Our Debts

New leads persuade Crockett that a man he put on death row might be innocent, but a campaign-conscious DA is reluctant to help.

2.) Season 3, Episode 4 – Aired: 10/17/1986

Walk Alone

Tubbs poses as a con to expose prison guards who are extorting drugs from inmates, and killing those who refuse.

3.) Season 4, Episode 1 – Aired: 9/25/1987

Contempt of Court

By scaring the jury into a mistrial, a mobster hopes to buy time to find and silence the witness Crockett is protecting.

Great work Billboefett...
by pax256
Jul 1st, 2009
01:41:09 AM
Seen your posts on imdb as well hope itll work eventually on the studio... wish theyd at do something with such properties like maybe let companies like Anchor Bay work on it. But like Blade Runner it seems it can take decades before they move on them... insane and I dont get the eccentricity that keeps movies out of public view for such long periods like that. I get the Disney business model of not flooding the market and undermining interest but seriously they at least let their films out on a regular timely basis. Paramount is outright run by incompetents.
Excellent Billboefett
by blakindigo
Jul 1st, 2009
02:55:21 AM
Thank you…
pax256, why why why - THE KEEP
by BillboeFett
Jul 1st, 2009
03:08:20 AM
After years of promises (Martin Blythe at Paramount), delays, and we still don't have the Keep, it basically comes down to one or more factors:

Mann doesn't care enough to do any work on it, Paramount doesn't think it will be profitable, and/or doesn't want to do it without Mann's participation (which they already told me was one reason for a delay).

Here's the problem though: a NEW re-master WAS indeed done, and has been seen on some cable systems such as in Australia.

The color-timing has been redone, spots, flecks, and dirt have been removed (I have the laserdisc), even some shots have been re-framed (more image in the frame), etc.

BillboeFett
by kwisatzhaderach
Jul 1st, 2009
08:22:48 AM
Thanks for posting 'The Keep' ending - great stuff. Wasn't there a DVD release planned a couple of years ago that was mysteriously pulled?
Oh, and rewatching 'Miami Vice'
by kwisatzhaderach
Jul 1st, 2009
08:23:58 AM
right now. Up to the point where Crockett takes Gong Li to Cuba on the speedboat with Moby's One of these Mornings playing. Fucking amazing film. Anyone who thinks Star Trek is better is clearly talking out of their ass.
"On the lamb" - ha ha. WRONG!
by catlettuce4
Jul 1st, 2009
09:00:06 AM
Such ignorance - it's on the LAM. As HL Mencken wrote " Its origin should be obvious to anyone who runs over several colloquial phrases for leavetaking, such as 'beat it' and 'hit the trail'. The allusion in 'lam' is to 'beat,' and 'beat it' is Old English, meaning 'to leave.' During the period of George Ade's 'Fables in Slang' (1900), cabaret society delight in talking slang, and 'lam' was current. Like many other terms, it went under in the flood of new usages of those days, but was preserved in criminal slang. A quarter of a century later it reappeared."
That rocked that Mann came to our screening!
by Whtshark
Jul 1st, 2009
09:17:28 AM
Thanks so much for that.
I'm a fan
by fivezero
Jul 1st, 2009
11:39:34 AM
Michael Mann isn't totally amazing, but he sure as hell doesn't disappoint. I've never disliked a MM movie. Heat is a near perfect film for me. Miami Vice is a violent & sexy romp. His current film style with all the music and aerial shots and slick faux realism get me excited for film in general. Seeing a criminal period piece in that style has me fucking falling over myself to get to the theater.
Johnny Depp is too pretty to be John Dillinger
by Orionsangels
Jul 1st, 2009
11:44:09 AM
terrible.
by Ralph Hinkley
Jul 1st, 2009
12:28:58 PM
I loved Heat.
I thought The Insider was brilliant.
I saw a test screening of Public Enemies about 3 months ago and it was BOOOORING. Just a waste of time.
FUCKING GREAT INTERVIEW!
by Lornsorrow
Jul 1st, 2009
01:10:35 PM
MANN is one of the greatest directors of all time. Period. Looking so damn forward to Public Enemies!
kwisatzhaderach
by blakindigo
Jul 1st, 2009
01:19:20 PM
Why compare a popcorn fantasy film like "Star Trek" to a police procedural like "Miami Vice"?

kwisatzhaderach
by blakindigo
Jul 1st, 2009
01:19:22 PM
Why compare a popcorn fantasy film like "Star Trek" to a police procedural like "Miami Vice"?

Damn. What's with the double posts? EDIT BUTTON?!
by blakindigo
Jul 1st, 2009
01:19:55 PM
hey harry
by IndianaPeach
Jul 1st, 2009
01:38:37 PM
where is your public enemies review???? chomping at the bit over here.
'Iron Man 2' Storyline HERE http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:46:04 PM
http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
'Iron Man 2' Storyline HERE http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:46:07 PM
http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
'Iron Man 2' Storyline HERE http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:46:09 PM
http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
'Iron Man 2' Storyline HERE http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:46:09 PM
http://tinyurl.com/mkwyu5
Jessica Biel In Talks To Join 'Thor' !!!!
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:52:16 PM
http://www.slashfilm.com/
Jessica Biel In Talks To Join 'Thor' !!!!
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:52:19 PM
http://www.slashfilm.com/
Jessica Biel In Talks To Join 'Thor' !!!!
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:52:19 PM
http://www.slashfilm.com/
Jessica Biel In Talks To Join 'Thor' !!!!
by Stanbee54321
Jul 1st, 2009
01:52:20 PM
http://www.slashfilm.com/
Mann does not have contempt for his audience
by Samuel Fulmer
Jul 1st, 2009
03:11:25 PM
Therefore no racist robots in Public Enemies.
Billboefett
by pax256
Jul 1st, 2009
03:47:06 PM
Im starting to wonder maybe its the business model? As in they dont want to release their entire library to dvd all at once because itll almost certainly mean diminishing sales over the long term and thus affect their stock price... I expect bluray releases to be roughly evenly sparsed over a 10 maybe even 20 year period. IMO The Keep would actually sell well because of Mann and Mckellen specifically. Also maybe fans who want complete collections of Byrne and\or Prochnow... The movie had a great cast... Id see it sell a cool 100 000 copies worldwide easily.
blakindigo
by kwisatzhaderach
Jul 1st, 2009
04:34:35 PM
It was Mr Nice Gaius that brought up Star Trek whilst saying Miami Vice was mediocre.
kwisatzhaderach—My bad
by blakindigo
Jul 1st, 2009
05:12:26 PM
kwisatzhaderach—which cut of "Miami Vice" are you
by blakindigo
Jul 1st, 2009
05:13:41 PM
watching? I prefer the director's cut myself.
This movie is racist and misogynistic!
by SnowDogs
Jul 1st, 2009
05:33:36 PM
Well, probably not, but it makes as much sense as Harry's TF2 review.
The finest filmmaker working today
by twogunjames
Jul 1st, 2009
06:10:09 PM
Mann really threw down the gauntlet here and said "I challenge you to make GOOD films again" to all of hollywood. The acting talent is there, the money is there. We just need to separate marketing and storytelling. Story first, marketing forth. or fifth. Right now marketing is first, and that's killing my favorite storytelling medium.
The Keep
by Danger Mouse
Jul 1st, 2009
07:08:08 PM
Does anyone else remember "The Keep" While some aspects are very dated it was a very moody and original film with some great performances and VERY well shot!
Did you just compare Miami Vice and Alien?
by MattmanReturns
Jul 1st, 2009
08:26:09 PM
Alien is a classic. I wouldn't even remember Miami Vice if not for some talkbackers that bring it up now and then. Alien has wonderful buildup and interesting characters, and I've never actually met anyone who called it "boring," though who knows, I wouldn't be surprised to hear a comment like that on AICN. Miami Vice, on the other hand, bored me to tears. Colin Farrell's character AND the plot were about as interesting to me as watching flies fuck.
Is the interview worth reading?
by Flip63Hole
Jul 1st, 2009
08:30:17 PM
I skipped through it, didn't see any compelling questions. Oh well, I'm sure Mann will do plenty more to support the film...
I loved Miami Vice
by JTStarkiller
Jul 1st, 2009
08:49:53 PM
But I can see why others didn't. Really looking forward to Public Enemies. Seeing it this Friday.
Lol, Miami Vice and Alien
by lockesbrokenleg
Jul 2nd, 2009
02:17:38 AM
Yeah, let's compare a movie based on a TV show to a a movie that was created as cash cow to the Star Wars audience.
Uh...
by dogstardude
Jul 2nd, 2009
02:50:39 AM
TDK wasn't shot on HD. Wally Pfiester did it on Super 35mil and with some some scenes on 2 70mil iMax cams. The whole film was done on good old fashioned celluloid. So obviously you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
Let's compare a big, shiny toy/tv show/cash cow
by blakindigo
Jul 2nd, 2009
02:17:34 PM
to a movie—er, waitaminute, I believe CTM1978 is writing about, mood, pacing and naturalistic performances. He's not comparing the source material, how well it translated to the screen or the idiom it's presented in.

That's all the time we have for another fine game of YOU'VE MISSED THE POINT.

Thank you for playing…
Oh yes, ;let's diss a popular franchise loved by
by lockesbrokenleg
Jul 2nd, 2009
03:27:00 PM
millions. Meanwhile, Public Enemies sucked shit.
Miami Vice ruled -- Mann never holds back
by ScreamingPenis
Jul 2nd, 2009
03:33:31 PM
I always wondered if the guy getting shot in the foot at the end of Miami Vice was Michael Mann's way of paying homage to the huge LA bank robbery (possibly inspired by Heat) where the robbery was ended by a similar foot shot. The robbers were wearing bullet proof vests in that instance. Ask him next time.
lockesbrokenleg, you're fucked up
by MattmanReturns
Jul 2nd, 2009
05:26:42 PM
You're defending one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. Loved by millions? Yeah, loved by millions of children (that's why the movie did so well). Now, I'll admit I actually enjoyed Transformers 2, because I was high and the movie was so retarded that it was hilarious. But I'd never defend that piece of shit.
Dude, you're high right now
by lockesbrokenleg
Jul 3rd, 2009
12:01:01 AM
You think Miami Vice is hot shit.
He'd NEED to be high to enjoy "Transformers 2"
by blakindigo
Jul 3rd, 2009
01:46:55 AM
Wait, why is this still being discussed on a thread about Michael Mann?

Back to the topic at hand.
yeah, enjoy your fucking Public Enemies movie
by lockesbrokenleg
Jul 4th, 2009
01:12:41 AM
while you can. A fucking ICE AGE 3 movie beat it out at the box office. Most of these god send critics are slamming it.
film vs digital
by BendersShinyAss
Jul 4th, 2009
07:48:10 AM
9 years since episode 2??

Today i went to the shop and asked where the film isle is. the woman looked at me and paused "........film??" she said.... and she didn't say it like "why would you want film?" she said it like "What the hell is that?"

The argument of digital vs film is now totally subjective. Digital is at a terrific level right now. you shoot interlaced and it'll look SHIT. but shoot progressive and you have the potential to have a dynamite looking image.

but it's not about the stock - it's about the lens and the eye behind that lens.

film is not dead yet. it still looks a fuckload better. but it's ditial capture of that film frame which makes the two compliment each other so well.

Film is the king. Digital is the royal palace

That digital streaky blurr
by BendersShinyAss
Jul 4th, 2009
07:51:51 AM
It's actually something which can be avoided by shooting shutter speed 60-120 ... and lower (low light) and that video look really comes thru.

and hurts the show if you ask me. pulls me right out every time.

A note on speilberg
by BendersShinyAss
Jul 4th, 2009
07:59:53 AM
He may still shot film, but his film is developed straight to HD and all post is done as such.... THAT'S why Crystal Skull doesn't look as good as the old film. those old films were all negs and cuts and splices and prints of prints - ie generational loss - but film is of such a calibre that it just looks great when you work with it in such a way. Digital holds a little too much detail sometimes for my liking.

films shot on HD and released on film prints need to be transfered BACK to HD FROM the master film print..... then it'll look champion

I need help on this one! SPOILER ALERT
by My_IQ_is_135
Jul 4th, 2009
11:43:01 AM
At the end, they say that Melvin Purvis died by his own hands. Does that mean he committed Suicide or something. Call me stupid on this one, but I need to know.
It wasn't THAT great Caponi.
by Sal_Bando
Jul 4th, 2009
03:05:49 PM
It was a pretty good movie if a bit flat at times. But worth your time sure.
It's a 30's-set movie...
by Baryonyx
Jul 4th, 2009
06:07:32 PM
...which is filmed in HD in such an obvious HD way as to make it look like it was shot last week. Why?
I love Miami Vice, the tv show
by CherryValance
Jul 4th, 2009
10:30:50 PM
I don't understand still why they didn't call the movie and characters something else 'cause I didn't think it was anything like the show. And I thought Julia Roberts was on "Crime Story" as some girl who got molested or raped and her mom killed the guy? Something like that. Mike Torillo was always getting caught up in some chick's drama.
Dangermouse (re The Keep)
by Fish Tank
Jul 5th, 2009
09:52:51 AM
DEFINITELY remember it. Loved it at the time. Very moody, used a h3ll of a lot of backlighting, and was a very cool concept (based on a book I believe). Scott Glenn was at his bad-assiest in that as well (and those eyes). Plus it had Jurgen Prochnow. However, like most films of my early years, the memory is WAY better than the actual film. Starts out great, then just bogs down and makes little sense. I watched it again about 10 years ago, and I was sadly dissapointed. A vampire killing Nazis should have made for an exciting movie, but it really wasn't great. The Tangerine Dream soundtrack didn't help either. I LOVE Mann, and think he's a God, but try rewatching it if you can find it (on VHS) and I'm sure you'll see what I mean.
re: my_1q_is_135
by palimpsest
Jul 5th, 2009
02:59:35 PM
Purvis shot himself with the gun given to him by the FBI on his retirement. Initially ruled a suicide, it's since been stated that Purvis died as a result of an accidental discharge.
re: Baryonyx
by palimpsest
Jul 5th, 2009
03:10:29 PM
Mann's decision is simply this: id he wanted to make a 30s set movie using only 30s technology and stylistic / commercial / cultural constraints, he could have done. You'd have ended up with a stagey movie shot in black and white in academy ratio, with little camera movement with adherence to the Hays Code. Because he's making a movie for contemporary audiences, he's using the technology and stylistic considerations of the moment to give the film immediacy and relevance; colour, widescreen format, handheld camera, HD, CGI, practical effects, English and French actors in supporting roles and so on. Just a modern take on an old story. There's no point doing a more classically faithful version of the movie because a) that's been done before in 1945 and 1959, and film versions, each using stylistic and technical tropes of the time of release already exist in the John Milius and Lewis Teague versions from the 70s. There's also an early 90s TV movie with Mark Harmon, though I haven't seen that one, so can't comment. Doubtless in 20-30 years' time there'll be another re-telling which will use 3D or brain implants or whatever else is around at the time.
"Digital holds a little too much detail"
by BillboeFett
Jul 5th, 2009
03:42:42 PM
"Digital holds a little too much detail sometimes for my liking"

is what BendersShinyAss said. Ok, fine. Does real life also look too detailed for you? I would suggest you get some glasses and make sure the lenses are really fogged up and never clean them.

And when you watch a movie on TV, rub a thin layer of grease or vaseline over the screen--that should make things less crisp and clear and remove some resolution.

Problem solved.

HD vs. Film....
by snakecharmer
Jul 5th, 2009
07:11:50 PM
FIncher shoots in HD but his movies look a lot better than Manns. Mann insist on shooting his hd with a different shutter than gives the streaks. I dont know why?
Saw it, loved it
by MattmanReturns
Jul 5th, 2009
09:17:41 PM
Didn't seem slow to me at all. I thought it felt very realistic and not over dramatized. I even liked the digital cameras, even though I have had reservations about this sort of thing in the past. It gave the film a sense of urgency. Depp gives a very subtle, nuanced performance, and Bale is a fucking remorseless terminator in this thing. Oh and tommy guns have NEVER sounded as good as they do in this film. Fuck anybody who prefers Transformers 2 to this. I'm talking to you Locke. You're fucking ridiculous and should be ashamed of yourself.
"Absorbing?" Don't you mean boring as shit?
by gruntybear
Jul 6th, 2009
10:11:09 AM
It was typical Michael Mann. A couple of well-shot action set-pieces surrounded by an undercooked plot and an overuse of slow-mo. Johnny Depp played Johnny Depp and Christian Bale once again demonstrated his total inability to act. Why not just call the "Billie" character "Ornamental Cypher" and be done with it? Not worth a second look.
THE TWO DILLINGERS: DEPP VS OATES
by uberman
Jul 6th, 2009
04:39:19 PM
I just saw PUBLIC ENEMIES. Good Film, not great. It's already fading from memory, however, despite some great detail to accuracy and a couple fantastic shoot outs. Depp was very good but I did not totally buy him as Dillinger. The real Dillinger had a pug nose, cleft chin and looked like he could be a hard ass when he wanted. Depp was just...too pretty to play an hardend con. HOWEVER, Warren Oates played Dillinger in a 1973 film (probably made to cash in on the interest in Bonnie and Clyde). I still remember parts of it, but I totally recall Oates as owning the role of Dillinger so much that he WAS Dillinger. That movie was, if memory serves me, a better picture than this one. That being said, this one is still very good. BTW: Dillinger never said anything as he lie dying on the sidewalk. Nada. Zip.
Verbage
by Reckoner
Jul 7th, 2009
01:02:50 PM
You are entitled to that opinion, but I disagree. I think the one scene it is most beneficial to is Little Bohemia. It felt absolutely real. This is because the HD allows real lighting of the night to be the primary light source, not fake "movie-lighting". This makes the scene feel even more authentic.
I agree with Reckoner
by flickchick85
Jul 7th, 2009
03:04:27 PM
Getting rid of the "digital look" would hurt the film, not make it better.
Heat did Ok initially, Miami Vice has 68% Fresh on Rotten Tomato
by Stormwatcher
Jul 7th, 2009
05:42:42 PM
Sorry boyz, but 68% positive with almost 100% positive on the Top Critics does not make a 'SAVAGED by CRITICS' Heat did like 75million in its initial run and few people were hot for it till video. The same won't happen for Miami Vice, sadly but that movie is a very solid flick and in no way sullies or goes contrary to Micheal Mann's work. Just watched Manhunter again this weekend, damn fine film.
HD--Could be bad for actors.
by drewlicious
Jul 7th, 2009
06:34:29 PM
Or at least their vanity. Johnny Depps makeup was visible at times.
MattmanReturns
by lockesbrokenleg
Jul 7th, 2009
06:35:08 PM
You are a fucking movie snob. You also confuse opinions with facts. The fact is that PUBLIC ENEMIES is a boring piece of shit.
MIAMI VICE WAS FRIGGIN TERRIBLE BAD
by uberman
Jul 7th, 2009
06:40:12 PM
Just pure crap in every concievable way. What a total washout on what should have been a lock.
Locke
by MattmanReturns
Jul 7th, 2009
07:45:13 PM
WTF? It's all opinion. Public Enemies has a fresh rating on rotten and exit surveys gave it a B... therefore "boring piece of shit" is certainly not a hardened fact. Even the people who didn't like it don't seem to hate it as much as your faggy Optimus Prime loving ass. It's not like I'm defending Batman and Robin here.
You say it's all opinion, then you go and cite RT
by lockesbrokenleg
Jul 7th, 2009
08:30:41 PM
Lol, you are an ass.
You say it's fact, but discount RT
by MattmanReturns
Jul 8th, 2009
12:35:43 PM
I was merely countering your statement of "fact". We can go on all day like this Locke. Your circular trollish logic is boring me.
It's disappointing.
by Fortunesfool
Jul 9th, 2009
03:02:41 AM
Easily Mann's worst film (I liked Miami Vice though). The film is lacklustre and never really engages on any level and the digital photography looks terribly out of place in a period setting. Seriously underwhelming for a Michael Mann film.
This film looked like ass.
by Two
Jul 9th, 2009
01:03:59 PM
I'm a huge proponent of digital, but a lot of this film looked like cheap, soap-opera, 30fps craptastic video. That does NOT make it look "real," it makes it look cheap, and low-budget. I've seen some great digital I'd say rivals film, and *some* of this movie looked okay, but large chunks looked like my cheap HD camcorder and a Home Depot light. Terrible shame, and distracting as hell from the otherwise admirable performances/plot.
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