Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Ford v Ferrari (2019)

This is topic Ford v Ferrari (2019) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-15-2019, 05:37 PM:

CINEMA: Regal Warren East, Wichita, KS
AUDITORIUM: 14, SEAT: G15
PRESENTATION:Warren GRAND auditorium with standard slope seating
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None [Cool]

RATING: Three stars (out of four)

THE PLOT: “Dude, we should totally race.” :HA HA HA HA! Your company doesn’t have a racing program!” “Will you race me for a BIG MAC?” “Uh, have those even been invented yet?” “Probably not.” “Maybe you should try inventing a race car first.” “Golly. Wackiness would certainly ensue.”

Behold, we have the story of performance legend Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles and how they ended up helping the unbelievable dicks at Ford compete in the 24 Hours at LeMans against Ferrari.

The script is solid (liberties are taken of course), the supporting cast is good, but the visuals are great. While some of the action may look video gamish, mostly it makes you think of classic racing movies of the era.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-17-2019, 12:07 PM:

I just saw this movie at a local Mystery-Meat-X presentation that has Dolby Atmos (with some economizing on the Top surrounds). Which, by the way...what is with the LED lights on the speakers? Really?

I think Sam hit the nail on the head. It is a fun movie with plenty of in-the-driver's-seat car stuff (with decent sound to back it up). I'm sure the family and friends of Ford VP Mr. Beebe will be upset that he is made the requisite villain to fight against the infallible heros Shelby and Miles. However, some of that is to be expected to make the story interesting and to give the crowd someone to root for. It isn't that there isn't some truth there (e.g. the orchestrated finish for FORD) but things are a bit more exaggerated for the purpose of storytelling.

There shouldn't be too many spoilers here as the movie is based on true events but like most every movie, it is a dramatization so don't do your book report based on what information you get here. As an example, they show the debut of the Ford Mustang but in no way tie Lee Iacocca to it despite it being the car he championed for his division. Lee is, instead grouped with the bumbling Ford executives that should owe everything to Shelby, when it comes to Ford and racing. Fun for the movie but not exactly true to life. Again, truth is sprinkled in there, just not played out completely truthfully.

The movie does harken back to a time when muscle cars and racing was a thing before regulations and attitudes of the people changed. These cars were pretty impressive beasts!

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-17-2019, 01:25 PM:

I personally hate it when studios release movies with different titles in different parts of the world, but I can understand why.

The movie is released here as "Le Mans '66". I somehow suspect that was the original title, but apparently, they decided that only Europeans know about Le Mans or they speculated that many Americans would remember the corporate infighting between Ford and Ferrari at the time?

quote:
“Will you race me for a BIG MAC?” “Uh, have those even been invented yet?” “Probably not.”

Pretty close. The Big Mac was invented in 1967 [Razz]

quote: Steve Guttag
I just saw this movie at a local Mystery-Meat-X presentation that has Dolby Atmos (with some economizing on the Top surrounds). Which, by the way...what is with the LED lights on the speakers? Really?

Was it AMC's interpretation of Dolby Cinema, with the disco-neon-lightning extravaganza they turn off during the show? Or did the LEDs stay on on the speakers during the show?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-17-2019, 01:44 PM:

They stayed on just through the previews...they were off for the feature. However, the side surrounds "back-lighting" cast a heavy red glow on the screen! In the Annapolis area, Exit signs are green and the location of the exits in this auditorium actually has no green glow on the screen. The red glow was self-inflicted. They don't light up the first set of side surrounds but the next set was sufficient to wash out the left/right sides of the screen to about ¼ of the way in. Very poor showmanship.

I also didn't mention that the high-gain screen (silver) caused a poor evenness of illumination so all days appeared to be overcast as it was only bright in the middle.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 12-10-2019, 07:08 PM:

CINEMA: Alamo Drafthouse, Downtown Los Angeles
AUDITORIUM: 5, SEAT: C4; matinee $15, parking $6 validated.
PRESENTATION: mystery meat but great-looking digital on a perfectly MASKED screen! Yeah!
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: Uncomfortably loud. It's been years since I've said that about a theater, so it's a nice problem to have. A lot of horn honk in the mids made it too edgy, otherwise might have been tolerable.
RATING: Three stars (out of four)

Not going to add much to the plot discussions, already been covered quite well. Really appreciated a great combination of heart-pounding action, character development, and even some sincere emotional tugs. The cast struck us as extremely strong and consistent. Was disappointed in the amount of profanity, some of which seemed realistic to the personalities, but some seemed gratuitous and unnecessary. Won't be taking my parents or kids to see this. Kinda a bummer since we lived minutes from some of this action in those years.

This was our first chance to visit Alamo since it opened. All of the 12 rooms in the facility are 50 recliners and under, but the wall-to-wall screen was quite commanding from the middle row. This was the most comfortable and non-sleep-inducing recliner I've sat in at a theater. The little bit of food and service was great, if you don't mind movie theater prices for them. I wanted my guests and I to have a compelling visual and sonic experience, and it certainly was that and more - absolutely first rate in quality.

The all-gender open restrooms were a bit off-putting. They are bluntly divided into "Urinals" and "Toilets." I'm sorry, but as politically correct as it is to try to ignore/erase gender these days, I will never be comfortable with the idea that it's OK to be taking a dump next to a lady. And in this context, all women are ladies whether they deserve the title or not.

The decor is retro-mondo-chic classic/independent/modern/edgy cinema posters and such. (Sorry for my struggle to find precise words.) Whereas Arclight tries to make their decor more broadly "fine arts" (i.e., high quality but relatively traditional), this place seems to have an appeal to upwardly mobile millennials and their successful thirty-something business partners.

Arclight is going to need some projector upgrades to keep up with this, sorry to say. But they CARE about presentation and they are cheaper, plus no distracting waiters. So pick your poison.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-11-2019, 10:56 AM:

quote: Marcel Birgelen
Was it AMC's interpretation of Dolby Cinema, with the disco-neon-lightning extravaganza they turn off during the show? Or did the LEDs stay on on the speakers during the show?

The latest Dolby Cinema @ AMC installations appear to be doing away with the LED lights in the speakers. The new-ish one in Colorado Springs (a former Big D screen in a former Carmike location) has none of the LED lights in the speakers. The look is more toned down; still lots of matte black, but some blue border LED lighting on the side walls is the only visually loud touch. I don't think they re-used much of anything from the previous Big D room, everything was very green.

In the Dolby Cinema @ AMC locations I've visited that were equipped with the LED-enhanced Christie Vive speakers (I think that's what they are) the LEDs are usually shut off soon after the previews begin. They're not supposed to be turned on at all during the show.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 12-23-2019, 07:11 AM:

The wackiness that has ensued here is that this, sadly, is one of Sam's last posts (second-to-last).

RIP Sam. I never met you, but you and your entertainingly insightful posts will be missed. Dang, the place won't be the same.

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 12-23-2019, 12:24 PM:

Its funny how you can miss a person you have not even met. RIP SAM