Great Scott: an overview
We have definitely amused ourselves in doing this particular set of reviews. It was fascinating to see the Scotts’ style over a few (um, four) decades.
Final thoughts:
A: not one I’ll rewatch endlessly, but beautifully constructed.
Ridley – Blade Runner (1982)
Tony – Top Gun (1986)
A: I will never ever think this is as good a film as all those 80s boys think it is. 30 min of awesome flying; the rest is stupid love story.
Tony – Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
Tony – Crimson Tide (1995)
Tony – Enemy of the State (1998)
Ridley – Gladiator (2000)
Ridley – Robin Hood (2010)
A: as above.
The Martian
The final in our Great Scott! reviewing adventure.
The Martian
Ridley (2015)
A: Basically this is our reward for getting through the others. We saw it twice in the cinema…
J: Mars has never been rendered more beautifully.
A: or realistically. I love that this is not the first mission, but well into the history of Martian exploration.
I also love the banter. And that the Commander is definite in her commitment to safety because THAT’S HOW IT SHOULD BE.
J: If this was really a NASA mission that whole conversation about aborting or not would not happen.
A: I think being on a different planet is going to have an impact on attitudes to command structures.
I love the cinematography of the storm.
J: Yup, it does a really good job of intense and frenetic without being shaky cam or hard to watch.
A: There’s a touch of the ‘do we sacrifice everything for one man’ but I like the grim reality of … no, of course you don’t. Continue reading →
Robin Hood (2010)
Getting through Great Scott!
Robin Hood
Ridley (2010)
A: And so we come to the only film on our list that neither of us has seen. This promises to be interesting. I have an abiding fascination with Robin Hood: both visually (I will quote the animated version at you; I don’t care if you disapprove of my adolescent love of the Costner version) and academically (Stephen Knight’s history is awesome). So… I’m a bit scared.
J: In ye olde times …
A: Yikes look at that font.
So, 12th century eh. Blanchett already being forceful, with a bow? I’m pleased. A flaming arrow!
J: More ye olde times …
A: Robin Longstride, eh? That’s different. But it’s still Richard not-so-lion-heart’s time. AND we’re actually on crusade with Rusty! (wait, not crusade – this is France, surely, with Richard more interested in running French bits than his English territory)
J: So basically it’s Gladiator … gosh I hope it’s not as slow. I wonder if they will show the archer’s paradox… slow motions arrows n all. Continue reading →
Spy Game: further thoughts
My beloved says that the whole movie is about the woman. And from a plot point of view, that’s true; Pitt’s character is all about saving her, and she’s the reason for the break-up of the bromance (uh, maybe this is part of my problem with it…).
The more I thought about Elizabeth Hadley, the more I realised that she is a sexy lamp. While she has apparently done some things, they mostly happen off-screen. At best, she’s a sexy lamp with a post-it note to assist with passing on some information. She’s a MacGuffin – only there to give the (male) characters something to argue about and then go get. She has zero motivation of her own within the plot, she has zero agency, she has next to no character development.
… and this is why it will never be a favourite movie.
Spy Game
Spy Game – 2001 – Tony Scott
J: We’re entering into risky territory tonight for both of us. Me because I’ve always rated Spy Game among my favourite films, but perhaps have never watched it critically… Alex because she ‘hates Spy Game’ and always refuses to watch is with me… until this project dictated… Someone is going to walk away with their tail between their legs.
Fight….
A: I haven’t seen this in… ten years? All I remember is that I loathed it. I don’t even remember why, now, but I’ve been avoiding rewatching it for all these years. And now I’m going in. The things I do. Maybe things will have changed. Maybe there will be tears. Continue reading →
Enemy of the State
Enemy of the State
Every … now and then… my beloved and I are watching a film by either Ridley or Tony Scott. We’re watching in chronological order. There are, of course, spoilers.
Tony: 1998
J: Straight into the action – with the same credits sound effect as Top Gun.
A: I haven’t seen this in ages… is it pre-2001? Yes, 1998. Because whoa, the whole thing about spying on American citizens… feeling very apropos.
J: Oh the poor Goldie.
A: Given that I’m also currently obsessed with Person of Interest, this is feeling a bit surreal. Urgh surveillance state.
Watching the credits and wait what? Jack Black is in this?? I had forgotten that!
Lisa Bonet, you are awesome. Will Smith, you look sharp as a lawyer, but I’m a bit worried about the dealings you two appear to be having.
Video player! And a mafioso… uh, mob… in a kitchen. Seems a bit old-fashioned frankly. Oh and now we have a mini video cassette player in the woods. Naw, 90s.
J: Love a good ops center… ‘Call it a training Op’ …. Duh …. Continue reading →
Great Scott presents: Crimson Tide
Crimson Tide
Tony: 1995
Every fortnight (ish)* my beloved and I are watching a film by either Ridley or Tony Scott. We’re watching in chronological order. There are, of course, spoilers.
A: The captain of a US nuclear missile sub is as powerful as the president of the US or Russia? Really?
J: Ok – A proper movie tonight – Simpson / Scott.
A: the setting: a Chechen ‘rebellion’ and Russian government has been suspended… civil war in Russia, basically. OOH Cuban missile crisis analogy. And starting with a kids’ birthday party is NEVER a good sign, man. Never.
J: Dramatic opening, rain, political intrigue … heavily armoured base…
A: The CO (Cranky Gene Hackman) interviewing a new XO (Serious Denzel)… already possible cracks appearing (former raising an eyebrow at the year at Harvard…) – and then jokes from other officers about the captain going through XO. That’s what we call BODING. Continue reading →
Great Scott: Beverley Hills Cop II
Tony: 1987
Every fortnight (ish)* my beloved and I are watching a film by either Ridley or Tony Scott. We’re watching in chronological order. There are, of course, spoilers.
*Haven’t sourced Bladerunner yet. We will get there, promise. And fortnightly it ain’t…
For the record, yes we did watch Axel Foley’s first outing in Beverley Hills Cop right before watching number II – it only seemed right.
A: thoughts on BHC 1: I would watch the heck out of a Taggart/Billy buddy cop movie; I would watch a film about Serge any day of the week; I love Eddie Murphy’s laugh. A black lead detective, a black boss policeman, and an interracial BFF seems very progressive for 1984. Also, THE MUSIC.
J: First notes of the music, is this Top Gun or Beverley Hills Cop II ?
A: Opens with an ice queen! I adore her style. Continue reading →
Great Scott! presents: Top Gun
Tony: 1986
Every fortnight (ish)* my beloved and I are watching a film by either Ridley or Tony Scott. We’re watching in chronological order. There are, of course, spoilers.
*Yeh… not so much with the fortnight(ish)… but we ARE still committed to it!
(Of course, this is not actually chronological. But that’s because it turns out Bladerunner isn’t on iTunes, so now we need to source that. THEN we will be back to chronological.)
It should be noted that this is one of J’s favourite movies Of All Time, whereas A consistently and constantly disses it whenever it gets mentioned.
A: The opening music is very cool. It builds a lovely level of suspense. I even like the opening on the aircraft carrier; the music matches beautifully. This movie has the opening of a truly awesome film. (Context: I grew up wishing I could have been a pilot in WW1 or 2 with Biggles and his crew, ignoring the whole ‘you’re a girl’ aspect.)
J: Tobacco graduate filters, steam catapults, jets, slow motion footage. AFTERBURNERS. Jets doing unnecessary aileron rolls at takeoff. This is the film that made me fall in love with Tony Scott’s cinematography.
A: A plane takes off and KENNY LOGAN AW YEH DANGER ZONE. LOTSA planes taking off and braking and men looking serious. (cue some serious couch dancing)
J: All the aerial footage was all shot on super 35mm film from the jets and it still looks fantastic if a little gritty on blu-ray Continue reading →
Great Scott! presents: Alien
Ridley: 1979
Every fortnight (ish) my beloved and I are watching a film by either Ridley or Tony Scott. We’re watching in chronological order. There are, of course, spoilers.
General thoughts:
I love the music, and the lack of music is quite stark in a number of these scenes – when they’re looking through the cabinets and the only sound is their footsteps, it really enhances the creepy-factor. And I love the graphics – the planets are gorgeous.
They have such bulky space suits – they seem peculiarly un-futuristic, but then the whole aesthetic is that it looks remarkably familiar for all that it’s set a long way in the future.
I really like the way the characters physically deteriorate. Ripley has a massive bruise on her cheek; Lambert is grimy and sweaty and distraught. Parker is sweating. Ash, though, continues to look calm. BECAUSE ASH IS CREEPY.
The cinematography is marvellous and it’s a delight to watch. Intimate, for all it’s set on a huge spaceship.
Randomly Yours, Alex 