much of a muchness, want of a wanting

the fall is another movie with fancy costumes and scenery, much like the cage and mirror mask. it seemed even more contrived than the others, being nothing but an excuse to show off the costumes and scenery. the framing story even comes out and says that the pretty parts won't hold together because the narrator really doesn't care about the story.

by contrast, iron sky, orlando, and even goldmember have plots and characters, and the pretty costumes are just part of making the movie look good. (just sticking to my list from the loncon3 costuming panel, which leaves out plenty of good movies.)

still, the fall might be worth seeing if you really like costuming... just fast forward through the framing story.



i re-watched mad max after doing some mind-numbing work today. i'm rather surprised how little there the movie has. even though it was made after jaws and star wars, the plot is glacial, the soundtrack has sledgehammer subtly, and the "good part" is just the last 18 minutes of the film, with the bit that everybody remembers in the last couple of minutes. see also: the suck fairy.

so i'm a bit surprised anybody bothered to make a sequel. OTOH, the setting and protagonist were now in place, and people did seem to like the end, so why not?

still, i can't really recommend it. which, since i just recommended a contrived costuming showpiece, does seem rather damning.