Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with movie

Good mystery movies to watch?

jsturgill — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:44:31 -0800

I'd like to get some good mystery movie recommendations from the 80s on. It's OK if they veer toward the thriller, like Michael Clayton, ridiculous like Ford Fairlaine, noirish like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, or are a more standard outing with a strong, interesting, well developed detective lead like Zero Effect. Drawing room mysteries totally A-OK too. Super bonus points if I can stream them now on Hulu plus or Netflix.

Looking for a specific Tarantino quote

frimble — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:38:59 -0800

Quentin Tarantino, in an interview, said something along the lines of, "The medium that I work in is the audience's emotions." I think that the interview was relatively recent, either about Inglourious Basterds or Django, and it may even have been referenced on Metafilter, but now that I'm looking for it, I can't find it. So, did he actually say something to this effect? If yes, where did he say it and what was the actual statement?

Is a California LLC the right way to go for a film production company?

drjimmy11 — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:47:21 -0800

I'm going to be producing a low-budget feature film, and hopefully more in the future. I'm considering setting up a company via LegalZoom or similar and just want to know if there are any "gotcha"s before I start. It will obviously be a small company, with the only principal being me, and no employees except freelancers hired to work on the films(s). My main goal is just to protect myself from personal liability in the event of a lawsuit, though I also think maybe it might help us in being able to hire interns for course credit. And I'm sure there are other reasons which I'm not thinking of.

I was considering going through a lawyer, but the referral I got flaked, so I figured this might be something I could do myself. I just want to make sure:

a) LLC is the logical choice for this sort of company

and

b) there are not any issues I'm missing. I am aware of, and prepared to pay, the $800 minimum tax per year charged by the state.

and

c) Legalzoom is a good resource to do this myself.

Thanks!

Why can't you kick back to the backers?

donajo — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:11:51 -0800

I just heard a radio interview with Zach Braff about his Kickstarter film project. It was mentioned that it is illegal for him to share the film's profits with his Kickstarter backers. Why is that?

Documentary about a man representing himself in a lawsuit?

ErWenn — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:47:39 -0800

A friend of mine is trying to remember the name of a documentary they once saw and Google has failed them. I'm forever touting the skill and speed with which the AskMe community solves dilemmas like these, so don't fail me now! Here's what she asked me: I saw a documentary about a man who was representing himself in a lawsuit or series of lawsuits -- I think the government had filed them against him for sending threatening letters. Something about defending his land and eminent domain... He had a wife that he met in a foreign country. She was a lot younger than him and she moved to the US and married him. They were both chain smokers and used a plastic fork as a cigarette holder. They lived in a trailer that was a mess and full of document boxes of his "research" for his case. And they had a few big dogs.

Movie reference for Sacred Hoops

philosophistry — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:57:40 -0800

What movie had a reference to Sacred Hoops? Some young man said his favorite book was Sacred Hoops, and some girl made fun of him. It was like Orange County, Rock Star or Office Space, but was not one of those movies.

The best submarine movies?

Mwongozi — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:00:10 -0800

I love submarines. Please recommend some great submarine movies! I recently watched "Up Periscope" and "The Hunt for Red October" and thoroughly enjoyed both. Please recommend some more!

Upstream Color Explanation

mnemonic — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:45:28 -0800

What is the significance of the unhappy couple (wife is hospitalized) midway in the movie Upstream Color?

Movie ID: What movie is this screenshot from?

lrnarabic — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:25:43 -0800

What movie is this screenshot from? Thanks in advance...

I remember a scene from a movie, but not the movie.

DeltaForce — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:01:57 -0800

Help me identify this scene from a movie. I remember a girl talking about another very beautiful girl who shows up at their high school graduation in a short white dress. Basically all the fathers couldn't stop looking at her.

That's it. I think it's a relatively popular movie, with a relatively well-known actress, that is perhaps from the 90s or 80s.

I give up. What is the name of this Japanese movie?

dcrocha — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:50:09 -0800

I once watched a Japanese movie on a flight but can't for the life of me remember its name. It is about a mysterious Chinese investor trying a hostile takeover of a large Japanese car maker. A retired legend of the Japanese car industry is brought back from retirement to try and save the company from being sold to the Chinese dude.

Can anyone help to identify this half-remembered fever dream of a movie?

Potloaf — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:22:16 -0800

One night in Atlantic City, me and three other drunk, high, exhausted bachelor party gamblers went to our hotel room and ended up watching a program that may have just been some sort of shared fever dream. It was also in Spanish. DETAILS:
A woman is being chased by a guy who we think might be a spy. At one point, she's being chased in a mall, and manages to successfully hide by instantly applying for (and receiving) jobs at various places, such as the Hot Dog on a Stick. She also hides from him by receiving skating lessons at the ice rink. However, she consistently screws up her identity, and finally she is confronted by the spy in the ice rink.

She escapes by distracting him with the power of her dance moves.

We haven't been able to figure this out for over three years. Help!

Name that movie - thriller about man goes into past

jamnbread — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:02:26 -0800

I'm trying to think of a movie where a man is having an affair with another woman. During one of the encounters while he should be watching his child, the child accidentally dies I think by falling into a pool. After feeling grieved, he goes through some sort of cave in a park and goes back in time and can make things right again. Apparently, there's something weird about the new neighborhood he's in (spoilers so I won't say more). Anybody know what the movie is called?!

What's this movie: genetic engineering gone wrong, set in an office

flutable — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:00:41 -0800

I saw a trailer a while (1,2 years?) ago. The plot had something to do with either a company or research project that had gone wrong. Genetically messed-up creatures and people were roaming around inside an office block. In the trailer, a guy is at the photocopier, and a large, human-faced spider thingy creeps up behind him. I can't recall whether this was a Hollywood movie or an indie production. I can't even recall whether it was supposed to be funny or not!

It's definitely not Splice. Gattacca didn't have any spiders in it.

Any ideas? It's one of those "I can't sleep til I find out what it's called" situations!

Roger & Me & who else?

Edna Million — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:14:37 -0800

What are the best movies about class struggles? I'm looking for the best films that depict class struggle.
To narrow down that huge category, I'm looking for films in which economic issues are the subject of the film. Nonfiction/documentaries are preferred, as are North American films (though if you're enthusiastic about a fiction film from elsewhere, by all means tell me about it)! I'm thinking of films like Roger & Me, or Strike.
Big bonus points for films that include violence by/against animals (not for my pleasure!! For my interest in the intersections between class-based and species-based violence).

Looking for examples of a literary trope translated to a visual medium

Lucinda — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:53:09 -0800

Sometimes in a novel, you will have Character A and Character B. Fast forward to the big twist that Character A and Character B ARE THE SAME PERSON! Obviously this doesn't work when the novel is adapted for the screen, and I'm looking for examples of adaptations that had to deal with this, and how they dealt with it, and any sort of critique of how it was dealt with in the movie/television show. (Spoilers of all sorts inside) I'm aware of Game of Thrones, Marathon Man and A Kiss Before Dying.

Making small movies with special effects on a tight budget.

digividal — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:12:38 -0800

A see people use a harness to hold the camera to eliminate jerking, up and down sideways Is there a way to get the same effect on a smaller budget? Or an inexpensive harness for a rather smallish light weight camera. Making special effects, like a robot walking around would add amusement to the deal. I have a program called FxGuru on my phone, which can add some limited special effects and I like that. But I would like just a little bit more control. Hi there,
So I have wanted to make a few small movies for fun.

Mostly I want to learn more about it, gain an understanding
of the process, and see if my friends and I can have a bit of fun.

I have the hardware I think, camera, computer, memory cards etc.
A friend of mine has access to Adobe Premier Elements that we can use.

I have two questions:
1)
In most behind the scenes footage, cameras go on rails or something like that,
or the person has a "harness" that eliminates the "jerking, up and down"
of movement.

Is there a way to get the same effect on a smaller budget? Or an inexpensive
harness for a rather smallish light weight camera.

2)
Making special effects, like a robot walking around would add amusement to the deal.
I have a program called FxGuru on my phone, which can add some limited special effects
and I like that. But I would like just a little bit more control.

I know Blender is out there, as is AutoDesk and Lightwave but I am not smart enough
to use them, and for the commercial ones I dont have the money either. I cant really
start with a clean slate, Id prefer to start with a fully rendered robot I can control.

Is there such a thing as FxGuru delux type program for mac or pc?
A bunch of shrink wrapped fx that can be applied to existing footage?

Fun Springtime Movies!

Mrs. Pterodactyl — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 06:48:32 -0800

Looking for a fun spring movie to watch on Easter. Every Easter we have a delicious brunch and watch a movie and we’d like some suggestions. It should be something light and fun but not stupid; we’ve often gone with musicals, Pixar movies, or something with Audrey Hepburn. Things that have worked well in the past include My Fair Lady, Up, and Roman Holiday. For logistical reasons, whatever movie we pick either needs to be available to rent off Amazon instant video or to stream on Netflix. Our plan this year is to watch Ratatouille but we’re looking for other suggestions as well. Thanks!

What font has been used in onscreen text of Zero Dark Thirty?

amar — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:46:25 -0800

The other day I was watching the movie and like the font. First I thought it's TNR then I thought maybe some Sans but I couldn't figure out. I loved the clean spacious fonts. Which one was it? IS there any way I could find out such info without asking anyone? Maybe if I have original DVD/BR file or so, the text must have been inserted/embedded somewhere after the film was shot.

Mortarboards hurt when they fall

saysthis — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:23:36 -0800

Looking for movies with a classic graduate cap toss: the speech is over, the plot comes to a pleasing conclusion, and then everybody, preferably the whole school, takes their hats off and tosses them in the air, in slo-mo. The sky is blue, it's a stock photography moment. What are movies or TV shows with this oh-so-cliche scene?

Cheerleaders don't always get what they want!

phytage — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 06:24:59 -0800

C-Budget "Horror" flick that may have been hosted by Elvira circa 1985 High school guy may have instigated an Indian curse and dead people from the local cemetery are awakened. A young cheerleader appears and teen guy falls in love with her but does not know she is dead. In fact, I do not believe that she is aware of her own death... She ends up taking him to her house and they discover that someone else now lives there...and it is 30 or so years since she has been alive. Culminating with a hard choice to save the town from the evil zombies but lose the girl. It seems that every one of the other reanimated grave yard inhabitants are flesh eating zombies???
Have you seen this movie?

Please help with identifying a low budget horror movie?

99percentfake — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:36:43 -0800

Hazy recollections: A group of young adults move into a snowbound cabin as part of an experimental reality television show. They come to realize that sicko voyeurs are betting on who will die next or who the last survivor will be. I also seem to remember:

There was a female actress who went out of her way to be an exhibitionist because she thought she'd get attention from being on the show.

At some point, one character hacks a phone and discovers how they are on a website....but it is a secure website not available to the public.

Even as things go wrong, they can't leave the cabin because of the snow and isolation.

The last character alive is a man. At the end, the "evil coordinators" show up. The surviving man thinks he has "won" but they unceremoniously kill him off (perhaps something about tying up loose ends).

It was a low budget movie without established stars. If I had to guess, it was probably made five to fifteen years ago.

I'd appreciate any suggestions that fit most of the criteria. Thank you for reading!

Legal/accounting advice for filmmakers

drjimmy11 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:04:52 -0800

I'll be shooting a feature film in L.A. later this year, and I need some advice about how to handle the business side. I'm hoping that somewhere there's some sort of low-budget service that provides help to people who are new to the process. I know I'll need to set up a production company, and I don't really know how to do that. I'm sure there are "walk yourself through it" guides online, but I'd prefer to talk to a real human being who can go over all the tax and legal in-and-outs. (I am aware of the minimum tax of $800/year in CA)

Additionally, I'd ideally like to get some advice about payroll and how to handle that. We'll be using and paying SAG (union) actors, which means we're required to do "real" payroll.

I'd also like to know what making this movie will mean for me (and my equally inexperienced investors) tax-wise. Finally, I'm sure there are a ton of legal and financial issues that I haven't even thought of.

I realize this is sort of two different things (lawyer and accountant), but I'm hopeful there's some kind of low-cost service/person somewhere in L.A. who walks new filmmakers through all these business hurdles. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

The hell movie had bamboo slips?

kafziel — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:16:34 -0800

What movie used these things? I have a strong memory of seeing a movie sometime in the past few years, pretty sure it was live-action and pretty sure it was fantasy of some sort, where instead of paper, people wrote with paintbrushes on wooden slats that were tied together and then rolled up like a scroll. What movie was this? Mighta been a TV show, but ... ugggggh. I can't remember. Help?

Where to find a cinematographer for an indie feature film?

drjimmy11 — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:04:11 -0800

We're shooting a low-budget feature and are having trouble finding a cinematographer/DP. Where else can we look (details inside)? The film will have a budget in the low six figures, if that. We'll probably shoot on a high-quality video camera like the Red Epic or similar. We need to find someone who can DP it for $250-300/day, at the most. We'll be shooting in Los Angeles, in late 2013, with a "regular
' feature film schedule (25-30 shoot days, 5-6 days/week over a month).

I know the right person is out there because we've come close to finding him already, but we need to broaden our search. We've had 100s of submissions via Craigslist, and some of them are good, but the few that have been good enough, we haven't been able to make it work, timing- or money-wise.

Places we've looked:
Craigslist, mostly (gigs and paid jobs section)
our personal networks
alumni list of our producer's film school
randomly trolling reels on Vimeo

Things we've considered but haven't tried yet:
mandy.com (does anyone still use this site?)
Production Notices/Staff Me Up

Things we've ruled out:
Students (I doubt they'd be able to take an entire month off school to do the shoot)

Things we don't want to hear:
"You'll never find anyone for that price, you need to lower your standards." No. I'm 100% certain the right person is out there.

Any other ideas of where to search would be very welcome. Our goal is to find someone who is an artistic fit- not really interested in the types that lead with what equipment they own, or brag that they shot 20 movies last year. Thanks for your help!