Last movie watched...

[pictsy]

I love designing imaginary maps - there's something really satisfying about it.

I've been thinking about doing it on commission, but I need to do tests to see how long it takes so I can charge accordingly.  I've been practising topographical style maps and a realistic satellite type style.  They are really satisfying and relaxing to create, but have been time consuming.  Maybe I should post some stuff in Creative Commons.

[Link Prime]

I actually have enough on my plate pursuing other artistic endeavours at the moment.

Any new 2000AD related pieces?

No.  I've been doing fantasy map designs and I'll be going back to designing paper miniatures for gaming.

Our loss!

[CalHab]

Two films this weekend:
Damsel a 2018 western by the Zellner brothers (on Netflix), and starring David Zellner, Mia Wasikowska and Robert Pattinson. I'd never heard of this or the Zellners and decided to give it a shot. It has surreal elements which it doesn't quite pull off and that just seem a bit derivative of other, better films. My wife successfully predicted the plot after about 15 minutes, which was also an issue. It's just.... not particularly good. Wasikowska and Pattinson play their roles well enough, but they are paper thin.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (on Amazon Prime). It took me a bafflingly long time to get round to this considering how much I love In Bruges. The central performance from Frances McDormand is outstanding, but the rest is just a bit baggy and ill defined. What is the purpose of Peter Dinklage's character? The redemption arc for Sam Rockwell's character is ridiculous and the casting of Abbie Cornish as Woody Harrelson's wife is jarringly weird. The problems with the film have actually made me think about In Bruges again, and the problems it has. With all that being said, Three Billboards is a good, well made film. But it's far from the tour-de-force that the reviews at the time suggested.

[pictsy]

Any new 2000AD related pieces?

No.  I've been doing fantasy map designs and I'll be going back to designing paper miniatures for gaming.

Our loss!

I would be more likely to carry on doing 2000AD related stuff if the art comp on the forum was still around.  The replacement comp is too large scale for me.  The low stakes and small scale with the forum comp made it a lot of fun to participate.  I miss it and I don't see it coming back, either.

[Jim_Campbell]

I would be more likely to carry on doing 2000AD related stuff if the art comp on the forum was still around.  The replacement comp is too large scale for me.  The low stakes and small scale with the forum comp made it a lot of fun to participate.  I miss it and I don't see it coming back, either.

Not wanting to derail the film thread (I'll start a fresh one if there's any interest) but I've been toying with the idea of an unofficial "Art Sketch" competition for the forum.

Two reasons for the "Sketch" thing — 1) I don't want to steal any of the official comp's thunder, and 2) with the old forum comps, the long deadline ended up with perfect being the enemy of, well, finishing anything for a lot of people... so I wondered if there'd be any interest in an informal competition with a short deadline and a time limit* on the actual work so people (well, me, for a start) wouldn't perpetually blow the deadline.


*Obviously, this would require a certain amount of good faith on the part of the participants.

[Bolt-01]

Sketch posting is about all I might be able to work for these days. Well interested.

[The Legendary Shark]

I'm in.

[Smith]

JFK. It last over 3 hours,but it sucks you in so much you don't really notice it.

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah a new art comp would be tops.

[Jim_Campbell]

Yeah a new art comp would be tops.

A new thread about this will be along in the morning, to thrash out some details while avoiding further derail of the movie thread...

[The Legendary Shark]

Arctic. Mads Mikkelsen tries to survive in the Arctic wilderness after his 'plane crashes.

I love tales of survival and endurance. I love tales of the wilderness. I love Mads Mikkelsen.
And I love this film.

[radiator]

2021 is out of the gate with 2 smashes:

Promising Young Woman
Feels like a real breath of fresh air, and the arrival of a really strong new cinematic voice in writer/director Emerald Fennel. Amazing cast led by the always excellent Carey Mulligan, a banging soundtrack, gorgeous art direction and a brutal, no holds barred twisted tale that stays in your mind for a long time afterwards. Fantastic stuff.

News of the World
Unfortunate title and some slightly oddly-paced sequences aside, this is an extremely well-made and likable Paul Greengrass/Tom Hanks Western (reteaming after their collaboration on Captain Phillips). It's arguably a little formulaic and predictable, but I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish and the ending left me [spoiler]grinning from ear to ear and honestly a little teary-eyed[/spoiler]. The young girl who plays the co-lead is astonishingly good and is one to watch for the future.

[pictsy]

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I have never understood the appeal of this film, but I thought I'd give it another shot.  I still don't understand the appeal of this film.  I always thought Ferris was incredibly selfish in his actions, if not his words.  Horribly manipulative and opportunistic.  I am left with the impression that his friends supposed "best day of his life" will end up being the worst when Daddy comes home.  The rest of the stuff I've never found funny.  Is it the structure that is good?  The fourth wall break?  The irreverence?  I simply don't get it.  Thinking about it, I didn't get Better Off Dead either.

I'm running out of ideas for films to watch.  I don't really know what I'm in the mood for.  That usually means something light, dumb, but fun and entertaining... and that I haven't watched within the last year.  Or science fiction.  I may have to do some research.  I'm tempted to rewatched Hardcore Henry soon.  Only seen it once before.

[radiator]

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
I'm running out of ideas for films to watch.  I don't really know what I'm in the mood for.  That usually means something light, dumb, but fun and entertaining... and that I haven't watched within the last year.  Or science fiction.  I may have to do some research.  I'm tempted to rewatched Hardcore Henry soon.  Only seen it once before.

Some recent(ish) Hidden(ish) Gems I'd recommend:

Dolemite is My Name
Cop Car
American Animals
Anna & the Apocalypse
The Kid Who Would Be King

I'd also recommend the new HBO documentary about Tiger Woods. I couldn't care less about golf, but I found it riveting.

[Recrewt]

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I have never understood the appeal of this film, but I thought I'd give it another shot.  I still don't understand the appeal of this film.  I always thought Ferris was incredibly selfish in his actions, if not his words.  Horribly manipulative and opportunistic.  I am left with the impression that his friends supposed "best day of his life" will end up being the worst when Daddy comes home.  The rest of the stuff I've never found funny. 

Well, each to their own but Ferris is a very funny film to me.  Its the little things that crack me up like the teacher with the incredibly boring voice and then all the faces of the pupils!   

On the face of it, he is an incredibly cocky person who seems to always 'get away with it' but given that the whole movie is about him trying to help out his depressed friend, I don't know if I'd call him incredibly selfish.