27 thoughts on “Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 077: Need for Speed (2014) and Diana (2014)”

1. Have you watched the original Korean film Oldboy and its Hollywood remake? I would love to hear your reviews on them. Thanks!

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   • Hi Rhardo!
     We’ll get both “Oldboy” movies covered for you within the next couple of episodes, probably Ep. 079… (I’m sorry for the slow response; I believe you’ve asked this before… My apologies.)

     And perhaps I can get some of my sissy co-hosts to review them with me! Thanks for your request. Consider it done!
     Jason

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     • Thanks for considering this, Jason. Although these films might not be for daddies out there who are very particular with moral issues and all. But if you’re the type of viewer who’s open to dark and twisted storylines, then you’re good… otherwise I would suggest not to watch them. Thanks!

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       • Yes, thanks for the heads-up. I know Josh and I are familiar with these films. (Indeed, “Oldboy” shouldn’t be for any daddies who have daughters! ha ha)

         But yeah, I think Andy will be OK, albeit disturbed. I think Karl would be the one to flip out a little.

         Josh and I are horror guys, so for better or for worse, we’ve pretty much seen it all by now. Listen for our reviews coming up soon!

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         • Can’t wait! Wohoo!

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         • Big fan of the original and always interested in Spike Lee. Looking forward to seeing the remake and discussing these.

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2. Wow, thanks for the shout-out Jason! I guess I just thought the melancholy was handled well by the Coens. It’s pretty hard to create a movie with a character thats near impossible to like and have your audience all ears for the entire film at the same time. I believe they pulled it off. While Inside Llewyn Davis may have lacked a likable protagonist and much of a narrative, I think they made up for it in atmosphere and beautiful music. And in my opinion, there is much more to take away from it. I may not agree with you but darn it do I respect you. As for a hostage film… Have you ever seen A Perfect World? Directed by and starring the great Clint Eastwood. Kevin Costner gives a great performance in that one. Its also a rare movie with a decent child actor.

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   • I’m a huge fan of A Perfect World. Great, under-appreciated movie.

     Haven’t seen ILD yet, even though I’m a massive Coen fan, just because the singer/songwriter world, especially in that era, doesn’t appeal to me aesthetically, but I’m sure I’ll get around to seeing it.

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3. Jay and Andy… i don’t know what to put it exactly here… people should know about “Need For Speed” regardless if you play games or not! like you should know about tomb raider regardless!

   And if you know anything about need for speed at all, you would realize this is the hardest game yet to convert into movie… the game series has been made and produced by different companies since 1994 and most of the game do not have a storyline at all! This means extra challenge for the movie – it doesn’t matter the movie plot, the audience (at least those who played the games) won’t have the sense of relation to the characters and set-ups…

   and I didn’t know who Aaron Paul is because I didn’t watch Breaking Bad… as matter of fact, i could recognize none of the boys in the movie except Michael Keaton… and the girl look like young Goldie Hawn in her 20’s … also you are right, the movie trailer was terrible – it failed to make the movie interesting in almost all perspective…

   also because you like the lead actor is not the right reason to go and support a movie… I honestly think Aaron dude overacted a few scenes and the characters are all rather 1 dimensional – and the black dude, crazily resourceful for the convenience of the quick plot… besides all that, this movie is about DRIVING and it is fun. It is well executed and it does pick up the scene theme of the driving tracks from some game episodes… and it is about the show-off of the prestige vehicles … on that aspect I’d say this movie is better than majority of the ones from games.

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   • and for your information, if you ever are interested in see what the games are like after finding the movie interesting, “NFS – Most Wanted” would be a good one to start with.

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     • I would almost argue the fact that the game doesn’t have a storyline would make it one of the easier adaptations considering the material (i.e. car racing, throwaway characters, etc.). But its easy to see it your way as well. I believe the hardest had to have been Mario Bros. They obviously had trouble adapting that one, resulting in the so-bad-its-good 90’s version featuring Hoskins and Leguizamo (as brothers!)

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       • i think making movies from a game where there is no plot or lead memorable character is harder. sure you have the freedom to create anything you want and have little restrictions, but you also don’t have the familiarities and reference points … which is what the audience go to the film basing on the game in the first place. it is easy to see why people would be excited if a tomb raider movie is made or Max Payne is on screen, but for movie like NFS it is easy to say ah it is just a car movie they use the name of the game to sell more tickets.

         in order for this type of movies to be passable the movie needs to carry out the real game spirit, which is harder if you ask me… the writer needs to know his craft and director needs to love the game. and the movie needs to be GOOD. tomb raider moives however, just need a big jug girl walk around in that tank shirt outfit.

         Both Max Payne and Tomb Raider movies sucks by the way.

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   • Why is liking the lead actor not a valid reason for supporting a film, Que?

     Wasn’t Resident Evil the most successful video game to movie translation? Not familiar with the games and don’t like how they handled zombies generally, but I REALLY liked the 3rd movie.

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     • Financially I’d say you have to be right Josh. It’s pretty funny though that not a single film based on a video game has gotten a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the closest a game film has come is Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within at 44%. Rounding out the top 5 on RT are Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. That’s a pretty depressing top 5 and seriously disappoints me, cause there are some great games getting ready to be adapted that should really make great films but I don’t know if I should get my hopes up or not. Games being adapted in the next few years: Assassin’s Creed (Michael Fassbender rumored to star), Metal Gear Solid, Uncharted and The Last of Us. All have serious potential, I so hope they start getting them right.

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4. Quick notes:
   Blue Jasmine is great! I doubt that I’d ever want to see it again, though…
   My 5 year old son really liked Turbo…there’s also a TV series that’s streaming on Netflix…
   Hostage films? The Rescuers!

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   • I’m going to have to try Turbo with my kids. Loving all of the Blue Jasmine love.

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5. I admit to having preconceived notions about movies going in, but I disagree with Jason’s comment that this is the justification about the critic-audience divide on Need for Speed. It definitely played into it, but consider the fact that people who willingly pay to see a movie like Need for Speed will most likely not be disappointed by it (or very many movies at all). Critics are typically not part of the Need for Speed demographic, therefore inspiring the 69% audience vs. 24% critic turnout.

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   • Great points.

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6. is it true that you guys haven’t done Veronica Mars? what are we waiting for? come on and get on it guys! 🙂

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   • Veronica Mars is a day and date release so you guys are welcome to see it in my theater. I watched it last week and liked it but I was a big fan of the series (and Kristen Bell).

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   • Trying to catch up with the series, but I can’t wait to see the film.

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7. Jay: Interesting to hear your point about the Coen Brothers. I disagree strongly regarding a couple of the films you brushed aside as being “lesser” lights in the Coen constellation, but I’ve had that same experience, where some of their stuff just doesn’t do it for me. They’ve made more than enough masterpieces to deserve their reputation, and I usually find something to enjoy even in the films that leave me cold. There’s no escaping the fact, however, that I’m not always picking up what they’re putting down. There are a couple of significant gaps in my Coen-ology (films I need to get to eventually), but for me, the list looks like this, in descending order of awesomeness:

   BEST OF THE BEST (Confirmed masterpieces)
   True Grit
   The Hudsucker Proxy
   No Country for Old Men
   O Brother, Where Art Thou?
   Fargo

   FUN STUFF
   The Big Lebowski
   Raising Arizona
   The Ladykillers

   EH
   Burn After Reading
   Intolerable Cruelty

   MEH
   The Man Who Wasn’t There
   A Serious Man

   BLIND SPOTS (Haven’t seen ’em [yet]; listed alphabetically)
   Barton Fink
   Blood Simple
   Inside Llewyn Davis
   Miller’s Crossing

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   • I’d agree with Cody. Once you’ve made a handful of masterpieces, you’re allowed some duds. My list would play out as follows, Cody. In rough order.

     CLASSIC CINEMA
     Fargo
     No Country for Old Men
     The Big Lebowski
     O Brother, Where Art Thou?
     Miller’s Crossing
     Barton Fink
     Raising Arizona
     The Hudsucker Proxy
     True Grit

     DECENT
     The Man Who Wasn’t There
     A Serious Man
     Blood Simple
     Burn After Reading

     DUDS
     Intolerable Cruelty
     The Ladykilliers

     BLIND SPOT
     Inside Llewyn Davis

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8. Okay, this might be running two or more shows comments together, if that’s the case, sorry if I make no sense. I totally agree that action scenes are the boring part of movies. Specifically the 2nd Transforners film like Karl said, this must have been the last show. And on Non-Stop (again last show) isn’t having people react in a post 9-11 way just due diligence or realism? Also last show I think, John Cusack, I don’t think he’ll ever be Best Actor material or anything but I like the guy and a lot of the films he makes. I love Being John Malkovich, Grosse Pointe Blank and Identity. I just like High Fidelity. I hate 1408 though. I have to watch this Cinemania film. I want to know how many films you guys have seen cause you seem very anal. I’ve seen a lot of films but I don’t think I have these crazy habits. I think going to the bathroom and cleaning glasses is just common sense though. The only crazy commonality I have is that during the Best Picture Showcase I was debating eating something light like Subway cause I didn’t want to feel bad, but I realized it was actually more likely to disturb my stomach than say pizza which I’ve built up an immunity to over the years. So I had pizza. More to come.

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   • I think his performance in Being John Malkovich is Oscar material. I also love his performances in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Shadows and Fog, Bullets Over Broadway, The Thin Red Line, and The Frozen Ground. Grosse Point Blank, High Fidelity, and Runaway Jury are a lot of fun. And then there is all of the classic comfort food from the 80s.

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9. Jay, I think you’re being unfair to critics to say that because they don’t like something that hoards of moviegoers like, they must have made up their minds before seeing the film. Without seeing it, I’m convinced it is completely stupid and more of the same. It’s like if Fast and Furious were in the hands of Michael Bay. Kudos for the effects being practical (or not practical if you think about it) but some people just don’t like dumb action. I don’t. You like it better than I do. Although I’ll say I do have a soft spot for superheroes. But I know crappy films when I see them, like X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And one of the problems you listed with the film was somebody said “the night” so and so died. And you said it was during the day… Did you see evidence of the time exactly or what? Cause even though it’s daylight I say all the time things like “let’s meet at 6 Friday night.” Just curious.

   Hostage movies: love Inside Man and John Q. I didn’t love either but I guess in their own way Argo or The Town are, both are fine though. Actually Gone Baby Gone is an amazing movie that sort of applies. I guess Affleck always has to have hostages. I’m curious as to each of your thoughts on Cellular?

   On the Cinemania note, Jason have you seen For the Love of Movies? I liked it, you might find it interesting. Sort of a history of film criticism. http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1241707/

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   • Love all of your hostage movie picks, Hammer. Dog Day Afternoon is the classic pic pick, I think. And what about that Mel Gibson movie Ransom? Wasn’t that a good one? Or maybe I am confusing it with Payback.

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