First Man (2018) (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie too - the IMAX exclusive preview I saw before Mission: Impossible over the summer sold me. Got my tickets for the IMAX showing at 10:30pm tomorrow night!

 

[Tino]

Me too. Seeing the noon IMAX showing on Friday.

 

[Tino]

I think Chazelle is a pretty lousy filmmaker, but the subject matter is of great interest to me, so I’ll probably bite the bullet and see it.

Really??

Whiplash? La La Land?

I understand if you didn’t like those films but why do you think he’s a “lousy” filmmaker?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Really??

Whiplash? La La Land?

I understand if you didn’t like those films but why do you think he’s a “lousy” filmmaker?

I didn't think those films were particularly well made, hence, the "lousy". Maybe it was an overly harsh assessment, but the bottom line is that I haven't enjoyed any of the films he's made before, and felt actively irritated by them while watching. It takes a special kind of movie to actually annoy me while watching it as opposed to just leaving me indifferent to it.

edit: When I first read the news that First Man was being directed by him, I was feeling a little dismayed that a subject of such rich interest to me was being handled by a filmmaker whose work had annoyed me as much as it did. It was a similar feeling to having one of your favorite songs covered by a singer you can't stand. But I'm going into my screening tomorrow with the hopes that I enjoy this movie significantly more than his other ones. I think it may help that he wasn't the author of the screenplay here, as I think much of what annoyed me in his other films was built into the writing, and that no director could have fixed that. Josh Singer has written some films and shows that I've previously enjoyed, so I'm hoping that First Man is more balanced.

I really want to love it.

 

[Tino]

Fair enough.

To be honest when I saw that comment quoted I said to myself “There’s no way Josh said that.”

But I get it. You and I usually agree so I guess I was a bit taken aback since I think he’s an extremely talented filmmaker.

Oh well. Hope we both enjoy the film.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think it was probably a more emotional and knee-jerk reaction from me than was necessary. I'll easily agree it was not my finest comment.

I just care too much about my outer space stuff

 

[Jake Lipson]

Our IMAX is at the AMC theater which has lousy wheelchair seating in every auditorium except the IMAX one. I have not been there since February for Black Panther, after which I discovered the extent of how bad the remodel was.

I could still go there for the IMAX and see this -- and honestly I am very tempted to do so -- but I'm so upset with AMC as a company that I don't wish to support them. I'll probably just go in the biggest screen at my other local theater.

But I'm tempted.

 

[benbess]

Seeing it in IMAX soon. Even my wife wants to see this one.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Majestic. Uneven. Glorious. Frustrating.

Those are the words coming to mind as I await my train home from an IMAX presentation of the movie. There are flashes of brilliance, and yet, many more instances that come across as clunky. Some movies feel effortless; this one felt labored.

It’s worth seeing, and definitely at an IMAX laser location with a 1.43:1 screen if you can get to one. It’s never not worth watching. But it’s never the grand slam that you want it to be.

In terms of overall tone, it’s closer to The Right Stuff than Apollo 13, but it’s much more remote and aloof than The Right Stuff.

 

[Nelson Au]

Interesting. When I saw the ads for this film some months ago, I thought really? I was wondering where this was coming from. The 50th anniversary is next year. Then I see it’s based on a book. Still, in my mind The Right Stuff, Apollo 13 and Hidden Figures we’re very good to great films about the space program. I love space too. I lived through that era as a little kid.

Last night I also heard the Fresh Air interview with Chazelle. It had not really sunken in that he directed this film until a few days ago. I’ve only seen one of his films, La La Land. I’ve only seen it once, I liked the score. But I’m not sure when I want to see it again. So it was good to hear the Fresh Air interview. It gave me a sense of where his point of view was, what was he trying to tell. Until this film, I felt From The Earth to the Moon tells the same events. And does it very well. So the interview did a good job to help me understand it’s really about Armstrong and his point of view of this experience of being the first man on the moon.

I’ll look forward to seeing this film. I hope it will be as enjoyable and rewatchable as Apollo 13 is. Somehow, from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be a very different thing.

I’d add Gravity to that list of films too, but that is a work of fiction while the others are based on real life events.

Interesting Josh, a lousy director. . I think he got a lucky break with a couple of films that resonated with the audience. But he might not be able to maintain that, we’ll see. The only film I’ve seen from him is La La Land as I said. From strictly a story point, I can get it. It’s a real crap shoot if you make it in Hollywood and he tells that story well there. It paints an awful image of life in that world trying to make it. Something I’ve seen as a friend tried to make it there as a writer. The visuals on the other hand are terrific. It’s a wonderful fantasy. But I’ve only seen it once, on blu ray. So I could see it again, one day.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Nelson, that reminds me - I haven’t seen From The Earth To The Moon in forever. I’d love to see it again. Time to go shopping!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Nelson, that reminds me - I haven’t seen From The Earth To The Moon in forever. I’d love to see it again. Time to go shopping!

Talk about a holy grail that I would love to have on Blu-ray.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Majestic. Uneven. Glorious. Frustrating.

Those are the words coming to mind as I await my train home from an IMAX presentation of the movie. There are flashes of brilliance, and yet, many more instances that come across as clunky. Some movies feel effortless; this one felt labored.

It’s worth seeing, and definitely at an IMAX laser location with a 1.43:1 screen if you can get to one. It’s never not worth watching. But it’s never the grand slam that you want it to be.

In terms of overall tone, it’s closer to The Right Stuff than Apollo 13, but it’s much more remote and aloof than The Right Stuff.

Once this movie filmed with IMAX cameras?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Once this movie filmed with IMAX cameras?

The lunar sequence at the end of the movie was. Maybe 5-10 minutes in total, but it’s very effective.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The lunar sequence at the end of the movie was. Maybe 5-10 minutes in total, but it’s very effective.

Yeah, I'm trying to balance is this film worth my 75 mile round trip to the nearest IMAX theater without Dolby Atmos to watching it on a 70 foot screen with Dolby Atmos just down the street from me.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Yeah, I'm trying to balance is this film worth my 75 mile round trip to the nearest IMAX theater without Dolby Atmos to watching it on a 70 foot screen with Dolby Atmos just down the street from me.

See it locally first. I don’t know that the movie as a whole is worth a 75 mile round trip.

 

[Patrick Sun]

So, imagine if Terrance Malick directed “First Man” and you kinda get the feel for the melancholy tone of the film. Worth seeing if you like space history stuff.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Majestic. Uneven. Glorious. Frustrating.

Those are the words coming to mind as I await my train home from an IMAX presentation of the movie. There are flashes of brilliance, and yet, many more instances that come across as clunky. Some movies feel effortless; this one felt labored.

It’s worth seeing, and definitely at an IMAX laser location with a 1.43:1 screen if you can get to one. It’s never not worth watching. But it’s never the grand slam that you want it to be.

In terms of overall tone, it’s closer to The Right Stuff than Apollo 13, but it’s much more remote and aloof than The Right Stuff.

I enjoyed this movie a lot more than you did. I was really into it and I judge how much I like a movie by how many times I look at my phone for the time. Not once did I look at my phone. Perhaps seeing it in early afternoon with a fresh mind gave me a different perspective than you? I had little knowledge of Neil Armstrong before seeing this film or maybe I just forgot some personal stuff about him. A complex man indeed and he was the right choice to be the first man.

 

[Tino]

Majestic. Uneven. Glorious. Frustrating.

Those are the words coming to mind as I await my train home from an IMAX presentation of the movie. There are flashes of brilliance, and yet, many more instances that come across as clunky. Some movies feel effortless; this one felt labored.

It’s worth seeing, and definitely at an IMAX laser location with a 1.43:1 screen if you can get to one. It’s never not worth watching. But it’s never the grand slam that you want it to be.

In terms of overall tone, it’s closer to The Right Stuff than Apollo 13, but it’s much more remote and aloof than The Right Stuff.

I think I liked it less than you did Josh. I was really disappointed.

It was so slow and laborious. I actually nodded off a few times during the first hour.

Ryan Goslings performance is so low key it was distracting. And jeez does Buzz Aldrin come off as a jerk portrayed in this film.

Gemineee?

It’s a noble effort but I just could connect with the film or the emotions it was trying to convey until.....

The last half hour.

That’s when the film came alive for me and reached the powerful majestic heights I wished it achieved more often. It is a tremendous last act. And worth seeing in IMAX if you can.

Still worth seeing but it is my least favorite of the space race trilogy so to speak.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Buzz Aldrin's reputation as kind of a jerk has been known for a while.