Ultra long movies

[krtek a houby]

I feel like I'm promoting Vue by repeatedly mentioning that they've added one for some performances in the UK That might well have been the source of his ire. Often you have to get permission to show with an interval if it's not a film festival.

But I'm told that some countries in Europe - outuside thre UK and Ireland - do have intemissions for some long films, and apparently it's not uncommon in other parts of the world. Which countries do it, I'm not sure of (though I'd bet India does, and possibly Poland), but in any case it does happen.

Toho is our regular cinematic outlet, but yet to experience an intermission. And we've seen a lot of movies that approach or surpass the 3 hours mark.

On the plus side, the adverts and trailers running up to the main feature don't go on forever. 10 or 15 minutes max.

 

[Orang Utan]

If anybody has need to pee often, there’s an app to tell you when the best time to go for a wee is during recently released films. It’s called RunPee - there’s an app for owt!

 

[Dr. Furface]

I thing the longest film I sat through without once feeling bored was Once Upon A Time In America. At home obvs, never making it through that length at the cinema without a piss and smoke break

I saw that a couple of times in cinemas, but it had an intermission, like other long films did back then - I'm thinking of Heavens Gate and The Right Stuff too. Although my bladder was a lot more efficient back then.

Apparently VUE cinemas are showing the new Scorsese one with an intermission.

 

[Dr. Furface]

If anybody has need to pee often, there’s an app to tell you when the best time to go for a wee is during recently released films. It’s called RunPee - there’s an app for owt!

I heard about this ages ago but forgot the name of it, so thanks!

 

[Sue]

Kermode talks about this on his Killers of the Flower Moon review. Basically there's a cinematic length and a 4 part series length; films are getting caught between the 2 - basically what's your story and how long do you need to tell it?

Saw this yesterday and I'm in complete agreement. It's neither fish nor fowl -- too long for a film and would've certainly been better a bit longer as a TV four-parter with more background on the Osage, more detail on the family relationships and what the whole 'restricted' thing was all about. It also even looks like one of those big American miniseries C4 used to screen.

I also really didn't believe in the central relationship -- Molly may have thought Ernest was handsome but surely she was way too smart to get hitched to him. And I thought the Scorsese bit at the end was a bit cringe.

So, best thing Scorsese's done in a while but imo that's not hard. It's fine but certainly not great.

 

[krtek a houby]

Saw this yesterday and I'm in complete agreement. It's neither fish nor fowl -- too long for a film and would've certainly been better a bit longer as a TV four-parter with more background on the Osage, more detail on the family relationships and what the whole 'restricted' thing was all about. It also even looks like one of those big American miniseries C4 used to screen.

I also really didn't believe in the central relationship -- Molly may have thought Ernest was handsome but surely she was way too smart to get hitched to him. And I thought the Scorsese bit at the end was a bit cringe.

So, best thing Scorsese's done in a while but imo that's not hard. It's fine but certainly not great.

The book suggests she did indeed love him. Unfortunately real life relationships are often terrible mismatches/abusive etc.

Imho, the ending was meta, like Scorsese was admitting that no production, including his own, can do justice to the true story and that the Osage had their story told by white men and was very much simplified and made palatable to the audience

 

[Sue]

The book suggests she did indeed love him. Unfortunately real life relationships are often terrible mismatches/abusive etc.

Guess it's a failure of the film that that doesn't really come across/seem plausible.

Imho, the ending was meta, like Scorsese was admitting that no production, including his own, can do justice to the true story and that the Osage had their story told by white men and was very much simplified and made palatable to the audience

Spoiler

I read it as more 'shit, we need to wrap this up quickly'.

 

[WouldBe]

Not just long, emulsionally draining too

No CGI either - all done in-camera with matte

Sounds good, I’ll see if it’s on Prime

Can we gloss over the puns?

 

[DaveCinzano]

Can we gloss over the puns?

No need to cut in

 

[petee]

Holocaust documentary

I own it, watched it over 4 nights. riveting stuff. lots of extras too in the DVD box.

my favorite movie is 3h, 25 m

https://www.criterion.com/films/300-andrei-rublev

 

[Jeff Robinson]

The book suggests she did indeed love him. Unfortunately real life relationships are often terrible mismatches/abusive etc.

Imho, the ending was meta, like Scorsese was admitting that no production, including his own, can do justice to the true story and that the Osage had their story told by white men and was very much simplified and made palatable to the audience

Guess it's a failure of the film that that doesn't really come across/seem plausible.

Spoiler

I read it as more 'shit, we need to wrap this up quickly'.

Both interpretations are correct I think!

 

[hitmouse]

Very very rarely watch new films in the cinema, but saw Killers tonight and liked it, impressively not boring given that running time. Glad I saw it in the cinema, it'd be fucking unwatchable at home imo, or at least you'd just have to treat it like a series and break it up over about 4 different nights. Not a big fan of long films but have also seen the Falls, and might as well mention Celine and Julie Go Boating here, which I also saw in the cinema (not at the time of the original release). And I suppose there's also DAU, that soviet Synechdoche New York thing?

 

[tony.c]

I don't usually go to see new films in the cinema either, but I'm getting two free Vue tickets a month from Sky VIP, so I'll probably go more now.
I went to see Napoleon this morning. It's 2 hours 38 minutes. I usually like war movies so as this one had some good battle scenes I liked it. The love interest with Josephine was interesting too.
Good film which didn't drag at all.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s probably something I’d like but never been able to watch longer than ten minutes of it.

 

[Elpenor]

2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s probably something I’d like but never been able to watch longer than ten minutes of it.

Cinema is key for a film like that, partly for the overall experience but also no outside distractions

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

ghandi was the longest I have seen, and there was an interval for us teenage students dragged along by a woke teacher

 

[Mattym]

I don't usually go to see new films in the cinema either, but I'm getting two free Vue tickets a month from Sky VIP, so I'll probably go more now.
I went to see Napoleon this morning. It's 2 hours 38 minutes. I usually like war movies so as this one had some good battle scenes I liked it. The love interest with Josephine was interesting too.
Good film which didn't drag at all.

There'll be a 4hr extended edit, when released on (I think) Apple TV. We go to see it on Sunday.

 

[hitmouse]

Cinema is key for a film like that, partly for the overall experience but also no outside distractions

Seconding this, thinking about the difference between my experience watching Flower Moon in the cinema and my attempts at watching Tar at home (tried about twice but never made it more than about ten minutes in) is pretty striking.

 

[krtek a houby]

Cinema is key for a film like that, partly for the overall experience but also no outside distractions

I first saw it on the television over 40 years ago and was transfixed. My parents were not impressed, having seen it when it was originally released.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. Was blown away by the film maybe more than Star Wars.

Probably seen 2001 6 or 7 times over the decades. We went to see the cinema rerelease (maybe 10 years ago) and it was lush. Music, interlude and wonderfully presented.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Seconding this, thinking about the difference between my experience watching Flower Moon in the cinema and my attempts at watching Tar at home (tried about twice but never made it more than about ten minutes in) is pretty striking.

Yeah but in the cinema you don't get the option to press pause. It's either see it through or forfeit the ticket fee.

 

[Elpenor]

I first saw it on the television over 40 years ago and was transfixed. My parents were not impressed, having seen it when it was originally released.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. Was blown away by the film maybe more than Star Wars.

Probably seen 2001 6 or 7 times over the decades. We went to see the cinema rerelease (maybe 10 years ago) and it was lush. Music, interlude and wonderfully presented.

I don’t doubt your experience and that’s how I recall watching films for the first time in the 90s

However 40 years on watching the same film on TV you have hundreds of other channels, thousands of other films available almost instantly, a mobile phone / internet for entertainment too so it’s very easy to be distracted.

 

[krtek a houby]

I don’t doubt your experience and that’s how I recall watching films for the first time in the 90s

However 40 years on watching the same film on TV you have hundreds of other channels, thousands of other films available almost instantly, a mobile phone / internet for entertainment too so it’s very easy to be distracted.

The only distraction (for us) when watching a film on television is having to pause it to go toilet or answer the door.

We go to cinema relatively often and love the lack of distraction we got when trying to watch films in many London cinemas.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

I baulked at Toni Erdmann's two and three-quarters hours before it started, but I wasn't bored for a second. Even weirder when the premise is basically 'an eccentric bloke is estranged from his grown-up daughter'.

Similar with Drive My Car I was sceptical about the need for 3 hours, but it really was perfectly paced.

I can do long films if they're a bit contemplative, repetitive even - can't hack it without a break if there's too much action.

Also - comfortable seats are not always your friend in these circumstances.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

No CGI either - all done in-camera with matte

Are you sure? This film is from 2016. These days most matte work (even in-camera to print) is done digitally in some from and is therefore technically CGI.It was also shot digitally anyway, so you could say the whole film was 'computer generated imaginary' . . or were you just going to gloss over that?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Can’t work out whether a pun flew over your head or not
Actually a pun just flew over mine

 

[Elpenor]

The only distraction (for us) when watching a film on television is having to pause it to go toilet or answer the door.

That’s impressive discipline - but for many people, not least those who are glued to their smartphone, there’s far more distraction close at hand

 

[krtek a houby]

That’s impressive discipline - but for many people, not least those who are glued to their smartphone, there’s far more distraction close at hand

Dunno why anyone would be using a phone during a film unless they absolutely had to.

At the pictures or at home.

 

[Elpenor]

Dunno why anyone would be using a phone during a film unless they absolutely had to.

At the pictures or at home.

Short attention spans innit

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah but in the cinema you don't get the option to press pause. It's either see it through or forfeit the ticket fee.

Yeah, but I reckon that's why these super long films are more watchable in the cinema, not having that option gives you more focus. Fwiw, I got through Flower Moon without needing the toilet, and that was after having a cup of coffee beforehand and everything. Think I did see someone bringing a pint into the cinema, which just seemed like asking for trouble with that length.

 

[krtek a houby]

Short attention spans innit

tldr