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Post by Beach Boys Fan on Jan 21, 2019 8:09:28 GMT -5
I'd like to recommend to you, Leni, the 1933 film adaptation since you liked Disney cartoon "Alice In Wonderland" (me too, Alice is my fave Disney girl character) - to me, it's the best film adaptation, features nicest sweetest Alice. Many talents starred in it, such as Cary Grant, Edna Mae Oliver, Gary Cooper, Roscoe Ates (who starred in cult 1930s film "The Freaks"). You may enjoy seeing it too, some cool psychedelic-looking characters there, Cheshire Cat is as subtly frightful as in Disney. Plus Humpty-Dumpty. Etc. If you're Peter Sellers fan, you may check the 1970s film adaptation, the Alice is by Fiona Fullerton.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2019 5:04:54 GMT -5
I thought there was a fictional hero(in)es topic but maybe I'm thinking of PSF (or a certain blog).
@iluvleniloud: You've said (somewhere) that Han Solo is a favourite fictional hero of yours. I was reminded of this film recently and was curious to know what you think of it. (Maybe you've discussed it already and I missed it.)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2019 5:51:31 GMT -5
I thought there was a fictional hero(in)es topic but maybe I'm thinking of PSF (or a certain blog). @iluvleniloud : You've said (somewhere) that Han Solo is a favourite fictional hero of yours. I was reminded of this film recently and was curious to know what you think of it. (Maybe you've discussed it already and I missed it.) I hate to disappoint you John, but I am not a huge fan of Star Wars, especially the new Disney releases. My thoughts on them can be summarized thusly: The original trilogy (OT) is a mess. An enjoyable, iconic mess which I have found nostalgic memories of, but it was all a happy accident. The first movie was going to be terrible (different story, then Luke was gonna be a dwarf and Han Solo a frog-like alien, the title crawl was gonna give a meticulous history of the galaxy, they were called Jedi Windu of the Bouush or some such nonsense, etc). Its thanks to Lucas' director friends as well as his crew (Gary Kurtz, Ralph McQuarrie, etc) that the story got ironed out so well. And even then, the first cut of the film was slower, plodding and has been described as a disaster by all accounts. His wife Marcia Lucas went back in at the eleventh hour and re-edited it to be more fast-paced and fun. That's why she won an oscar for the film--its only oscar--because everyone in Hollywood knew she saved the film. Anyway, it's a fun popcorn movie that struck a nerve with audiences who were sick of all the cynical arty films of the 70s. It's a thrilling adventure but in my opinion, overexposure and its deleterious effect on Hollywood (end of director-driven movies, start of the blockbuster era) leave it with a mixed legacy today. Empire Strikes Back is one of my all-time favorite movies. It takes every character as well as every piece of the mythos and expands on it. Darth Vader isn't a one-dimensional bad guy, he's Luke's father who turned to the dark side. This makes Luke's invincibility as the hero suddenly in question, and leaves him conflicted about how to proceed in his training since his enemy is family and his mentors lied. Leia goes from just being a spunky princess to a great leader who's the last to leave the Hoth base. But she's also vulnerable and nurturing with Han, which is an aspect of her character we never saw before. Han has matured so much he throws himself into a blizzard essentially on horseback to save Luke. With subtle looks, Harrison Ford is able to communicate sadness and brotherly affection towards Leia and Luke--it's some of his best acting. I love his character arc in particular as he's able to outrun the whole imperial fleet but his past sins (represented by Boba Fett and Lando's betrayal) catch up with him and doom everyone. He's a great tragic character, and it's this Han Solo who's one of my favorite movie heroes. ROTJ is an embarrassment which has only grown in stature because the prequel and sequel trilogy are so bad. After ESB was made by a team of experts, this time Lucas scaled back and took a heavier reign of the set due to ESB going overbudget. ESB was supposed to be opening the door for 3 or 4 more movies, but by the time filming wrapped, everyone (especially Harrison Ford) were so sick of this series that they agreed to wrap it up in the next installment. That's why ROTJ feels like 3 different movies/plots thrown together--because it is. The plot to save Han makes zero sense since it involves getting everyone kidnapped. So what if Jabba agreed to trade Han for the droids--they would have just left C3PO and r2dr there? What if Leia saved Han--they just leave the droids AND Chewie there? What if Luke was having a bad day and lost the Rancor fight or the sail barge fight went wrong--now not only do all the men die, but Leia is basically a sex slave to the worst people in the galaxy. The ewoks suck. Han and Lando never properly reconcile so the latter's betrayal has no weight anymore. It ends with a teddy bear mosh pit. Boo. The flaws of the Prequel Trilogy are pretty extensively covered online by now. I particularly recommend the Plinkett reviews, which at this point are more revered than the films themselves and practically a part of star wars lore in their own right. Essentially it's bad acting, bad directing and writing from Lucas, uninspired camera work and too much cgi. Episode 1 takes place too far ahead and nothing really happens in it, so it shouldn't have been made and hampered the pacing for the rest of the trilogy. Some of the plotlines set up, like Sifo Dyas tampering with the Jedi archives, are never resolved. It makes no sense to leave Luke with Anakin's family if he knew he had a kid on the way. It makes no sense for Anakin not to follow up properly investigating Padme's supposed death. Obi-Wan and Yoda just giving up after one fight each is weak and cowardly. The whole thing needed a real writer. The sequel trilogy is an exploitative, uninspired cash grab nothing more and nothing less. TFA is just a nostalgia pandering, overhyped, overrated piece of garbage. I hated it when it came out and everyone treated me like a pariah and a spoil sport for it. But you know what? A year...two years later, everyone I knew largely came around to my way of thinking. Since it's literally a beat for beat remake of the first movie, once the "wow" factor of a new Star Wars wears off, the movie has nothing to offer anymore. It has no legs to stand on. There have been books worth of video essays on YouTube detailing all the flaws of TLJ. I didnt see it because I had no interest, but I have heard the plot summaries and honestly I dont think I missed much. It was full of plot holes, insulting fans, meta humor that dilutes the drama and "subverted expectations" which ruin the story Abrams set up--as bad as that story looked to be. All the insulting of fans online from Lucasfilm execs and director Rian Johnson doesn't help. I haven't seen the spin off films, Rogue One and Solo. Again, I just had no interest after the insulting lack of imagination that was TFA. I hate the idea that every character now has to have a prequel trilogy or whatever. Han wasn't that interesting of a guy before he met Luke and Leia. He was a petty lowlife smuggler who worked for a fat giant slug. He was not this great wild west outlaw. Him loving another woman ruins his meeting Leia--the clear impression given there is that, while he may pick up a chick here or there at the bars and brothels, before the events of the first film he was never in love before. What makes his character interesting is that meeting these two inspired him to be a better man, and put his life on the line twice in ESB alone to keep both of them safe. Also, I hate how the stupid Kessell Run is now played seriously as a part of Star Wars cannon. A parsec measures distance, not time, so saying you made some relay in 12 parsecs is meaningless. As it was scripted and portrayed in the first film, Han was just bullshitting Luke and Obi-wan. And if you look closely, Obi-wan raises an eyebrow as he's throwing out this garbage because he knows Han's full of shit. But they're in a rush and don't have time to be choosy, so they go with him anyway. That's my comprehensive thoughts on Star Wars. I hate it. The vast majority of the films are overrated junk that people only like because of nostalgia for the OT--which itself is far from perfect. I hate Rey the Mary Sue, I hate Kathleen "Force is Female" Kennedy the sexist SJW, I hate the losers who make trailer reactions and blindly support this crap just because of the name. The original film was fun, and ESB managed to be a masterpiece that transcended the goofiness of its predecessor. From there it was all downhill.
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Post by bittersweetsanity on Jan 26, 2019 6:17:27 GMT -5
1. Pink Floyd The Wall (1982)
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
3. The Exorcist III: Legion (1990)
4. Psycho III (1986)
5. Alice/Neco z Alenky (1988)
6. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
7. Love and Mercy (2015)
8. Manhunter (1986)
9. Fade to Black (1980)
10. Der Fan/Trance (1981)
Most recent film i saw was the new Halloween, which was ok but nothing special. Treads the same ground but not as well as other entries like H6: The Curse of Michael Myers and Rob Zombie's.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2019 7:50:35 GMT -5
I hate to disappoint you John, but I am not a huge fan of Star Wars, especially the new Disney releases. My thoughts on them can be summarized thusly: Thank you! I'll read this as soon as I find the time.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2019 17:27:49 GMT -5
I hate to disappoint you John, but I am not a huge fan of Star Wars, especially the new Disney releases. That's my comprehensive thoughts on Star Wars. I hate it. The vast majority of the films are overrated junk that people only like because of nostalgia for the OT--which itself is far from perfect. I hate Rey the Mary Sue, I hate Kathleen "Force is Female" Kennedy the sexist SJW, I hate the losers who make trailer reactions and blindly support this crap just because of the name. The original film was fun, and ESB managed to be a masterpiece that transcended the goofiness of its predecessor. From there it was all downhill. You don't disappoint me, Cassandra (that would take some doing!). I've only seen the original film and like you I thought it was fun. If The Empire Strikes Back were to turn up on TV, I'd watch it on your recommendation but that's as far as my foray into Star Wars would go. I did enjoy reading your review though.
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Post by Beach Boys Fan on Jan 28, 2019 18:52:54 GMT -5
1. Pink Floyd The Wall (1982)
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
3. The Exorcist III: Legion (1990)
4. Psycho III (1986)
5. Alice/Neco z Alenky (1988)
6. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
7. Love and Mercy (2015)
8. Manhunter (1986)
9. Fade to Black (1980)
10. Der Fan/Trance (1981) Most recent film i saw was the new Halloween, which was ok but nothing special. Treads the same ground but not as well as other entries like H6: The Curse of Michael Myers and Rob Zombie's. Interesting that "Psycho 3" is your favorite. Usually people don't like sequels. I did see it as well but didn't think much about it. Then again, it's better than that epic fail with Norman's-friend-inherits-motel plot starring Bud Cort and the other film with Vera Miles being actually his late sister's then-boyfriend's widow and their daughter suspecting mother playing tricks at Norman to revenge.
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Post by bittersweetsanity on Jan 28, 2019 20:08:51 GMT -5
i luv the off-kilter, kinetic style of III. Some vivid cinematography and an awesome score by Carter Burwell.
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Post by dumbchops on Jan 28, 2019 20:58:27 GMT -5
I really was a legitimate fan of Star Wars. I saw the first film at a drive-in when I was 5 years old. I do want to point out that Rogue One was a good movie. However, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi was sooooo bad that I can't even think about Star Wars any more, at least for now.
With that in mind, here are 10 of my LEAST favorite movies in no particular order:
01) Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (see above) 02) Jack And Jill (and other Adam Sandler movies) 03) Faces Of Death (and all the sequels) 04) Pete's Dragon (old version - we left the theater after 20 minutes) 05) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978 disaster movie) 06) Eyes Wide Shut (as Kubrik's last film, I want to like it but I still can't figure it out and the pacing is so slow) 07) The Beach Boys: An American Family (especially the 2nd half) 08) All of those Halloween and Friday the 13th movies (grouped together) 09) Drawn Together: The Movie (kind of killed the show for me) 10) The Hobbit: Battle of the can't remember the rest of the title, it was such a let down after the first 2 movies and LOTR series (best part of the movie was the first 12 minutes, then it just drags on and on and on and on)
Honorable mention: Popeye (starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2019 9:27:46 GMT -5
On the topic of bad movies, I've got a few things to say.
In terms of movies I saw in the theater, Hancock (where Will Smith plays a superhero) is the worst movie I've ever paid money to see in the cinema. It's the only movie I ever wanted to walk out of (but I couldn't because my friend didn't want to leave.) It was a fascinating premise--a renegade bad boy superhero--but it doesn't do anything interesting with it. I hated how ~20 minutes in they're already reforming him, making him wear a cape and act normal. But what really destroys it is the twist that his reformer/advocate's wife is actually his...partner (?)...from another life, also has powers etc. That twist was so stupid I turned to my friend and said "this sucks, let's hit the arcade." And from there, it just got worse and worse. Never have I seen a screenplay with so many terrible, obvious plot holes and continuity flaws. One scene Hancock and the girl are sisters, then the next scene she calls him her husband, then they're angels... One scene she grabs him and throws him out her own window. Then another scene they're fist-fighting through NYC. But then suddenly in the climax they can't use their powers near each other anymore and as a result Hancock can't fight the random loser with a gun who serves as our final antagonist. It's a terrible, TERRIBLE movie. It's the worst kind of terrible, where it's not so bad it's good, it's just dreary boring and insultingly thrown together.
However, the most disappointing movie I ever saw in a cinema was Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I loved the first two--I saw them as my generation's Star Wars. I vividly remember watching the first with my best childhood friend and having a blast. I remember that summer it was the only movie anyone talked about, me and my friends would pretend to be Jack Sparrow and Barbossa sword fighting by the pool...it's a movie that's synonymous with my childhood. Pirates 2 I saw with that same best friend, and while obviously not as good, I loved it and the twist at the end left me dying for more. Pirates 3 I didn't see with my best friend like the first two. I remember something felt off in the first scene and it just kept getting worse--the singing, killing the kracken without a fight, a pirate government, making Elizabeth the Pirate King for no reason, all the double-crosses that made everyone feel like a jerk, the stupid telescope gag, a bunch of Jack Sparrows running around, giant Calypso, "it was just good business..." (fuck you.) I hated it, but all my friends loved it because "wowz, so much action!!!1!"/"the cgi was so coolz!!11!"
2007 was a really big year for me in a lot of ways. I'd started getting interested in classic movies the year before, and made a point to seek out stuff like The Godfather, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone With The Wind, etc to watch. So by the time the summer of 2007 came around I could recognize how flawed a lot of these stupid summer blockbusters really were. Sure, the effects were cool and they had action...but the characters weren't developed, the plots were full of holes and they insulted the audience's intelligence. When my friends gobbled this shit up and treated me like I was a martian or hipster (trying to be cool by being "above" what's popular) for pointed out the flaws. It really drove a wedge between me and my friends and made me feel like I couldn't relate to them. I just liked good movies and wanted to share that interest with my friends but they wouldn't give them a chance because "ew it's black and white."
I watch a lot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and enjoy so-bad-it's-good cinema so I've seen a lot of classic bad movies--Manos, Troll 2, The Room, Plan 9, etc. I don't think so bad it's good movies count as the worst. They entertain, if not the way their creators intended, and ultimately that's the most important thing. However, watching MST3K introduced me to Monster A Go Go which I think objectively speaking is probably the worst movie ever made. It's boring, incomprehensible and the final twist is probably the most audience-insulting moment ever in a motion picture.
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Post by kds on Jan 30, 2019 9:45:02 GMT -5
Bad Movies.....where do I start. In no particular order whosoever.....
Batman and Robin (1997) - It's hard to believe the franchise went from brilliance to.....well....this in just a few years. The campiness of this movie is often credited for the serious tone in the Christopher Nolan Batman franchise. Also earns the title of worst movie I ever paid to see.
Every Saw movie after Saw III - The only reasons that Saw movies continued to hit theaters after the logical end for the franchise were that they were cheap and they were profitable. But, in order to make five additional films, they had to go back and tinker with the timeline of the first three. The results were a messy timeline and a franchise that went from smart horror to a slightly classier version on Final Destination
Let's Be Cops - This "comedy" was so bad, my wife and I stopped watching it 30 minutes into it.
Dumb and Dumber Too - Speaking of unnecessary sequels, this one, 20 years after the original comedy, turns two lovable dummies into really unlikable guys over two mostly laugh free hours.
Suicide Squad - After seeing Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, I can't say my expectations were high for this one. Billed as a fun romp, the movie takes itself far too seriously for what is it, and I'm not sure if I can think of a worse casting decision than Jared Leto as The Joker. Will Smith tried his damnedest, but couldn't rescue this turkey.
The Grinch (2000) - This movie took everything that's great about the classic book and cartoon and mucked it up. Credit where credit it due, it's visually great. But, giving the titular character a backstory which painted all the Whos down in Whoville as assholes seemed to miss the point of the story.
Titanic - What should've been an epic movie about a real life tragedy was instead turned into teenage lovestory fodder.
Twilight - Speaking of teenage lovestory fodder, the first Twilight, which I was subjected to while my wife and I were still dating is easily the worst movie I've ever seen. Poor storytelling. Zero character development. Wooden performances from the cast.
Alice Through the Looking Glass - Tim Burton's 2010 movie wasn't exactly a work of art, as Burton has sort of become a parody of himself. But, it has its moments, and was entertaining. This lackluster sequel however was beyond saving.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2019 10:01:11 GMT -5
kdsIn regards to both Titanic and Avatar I have yet to see the appeal. I've tried to like Titanic but it just feels so sappy and manufactured. I also hate the little moments like "Picasso? He won't amount to a thing!" where you can almost see the director behind the camera going "see! it's ironic because Picasso WILL amount to something!" I hate movies that rely on cgi as the sole reason they're good, and I think the Navi in Avatar look hideous. Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland should have been a match made in heaven. If he'd just adapted the damn books it would have been great. Instead they used a terrible script that tries to be shoehorn Wonderland into Lord of the Rings/every modern fantasy ever, complete with a prophecy, chosen one and evil monarch. I hate everything about it.
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Post by kds on Jan 30, 2019 10:07:39 GMT -5
kds In regards to both Titanic and Avatar I have yet to see the appeal. I've tried to like Titanic but it just feels so sappy and manufactured. I also hate the little moments like "Picasso? He won't amount to a thing!" where you can almost see the director behind the camera going "see! it's ironic because Picasso WILL amount to something!" I hate movies that rely on cgi as the sole reason they're good, and I think the Navi in Avatar look hideous. Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland should have been a match made in heaven. If he'd just adapted the damn books it would have been great. Instead they used a terrible script that tries to be shoehorn Wonderland into Lord of the Rings/every modern fantasy ever, complete with a prophecy, chosen one and evil monarch. I hate everything about it. Had Tim Burton made Alice ten years earlier, I'm convinced it would've been far better. I saw Titanic in theaters in 1997, thinking it was just a movie about....you know....the Titanic. I hadn't read any reviews going in, though if I had, I might've saved myself three plus hours.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 23:23:57 GMT -5
"La La Land", 2016 film starring talented Emma Stone & bland Ryan Gosling. Thumbs down to the film. Never mind it got music scenes - hate them - it looks like tries to be fresh but tbh, it's carbon copy. 0.5/5. I generally hate movies that are obvious Oscar bait and/or all about Hollywood jerking itself off. You're a city of shallow, privileged assholes with a dirty history of abusing stars (Judy Garland), screwing over idealistic Directors/Writers, using Hollywood accounting to fuck people out of money, sexually abusing women and children... I mean, do I need to keep going? And then these limousine liberals talk about climate change while flying around in private jets, wag their finger at the rest of us for not meeting their social standards while pretending they've solved the world's problems by making Star Wars about a girl, or nominating Black Panther for Best Picture. The mantra of these kinds of movies like La La Land are "yeah, we make people's dreams come true and tell great stories!" but especially in the last two decades, you really don't. You make shitty remakes and franchise sequels long after they have any artistic merit whatsoever. In a slew of mindless Superhero films and live action Disney cartoons, the fact that maybe 10 or less decent films come out at all is more of a glitch in the system than everything. I love the art of filmmaking, but I hate Hollywood.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2019 23:16:12 GMT -5
Lately we've watched some movies for the first time--particularly East of Eden and The Great Race.
The former was a somewhat unusual story and bastardization of a Steinbeck novel (though he apparently liked the film.) It's notable for being one of the three starring roles James Dean ever had before his unfortunately sudden passing. It's basically a modern retelling of the Cain and Abel story from the Bible, with Dean playing the troubled son who doesn't get along with his father.
It goes without saying Dean is great. It's a role that's very similar to the one he played in Rebel Without a Cause (which I've seen hundreds of times by now and is a favorite.) But to give some spotlight to the less remembered cast mates...
I love the way the dad is portrayed. He's not evil, and you can see where he's coming from at times. He says hurtful things to Cal (Dean) but apologizes immediately and tries to talk it out. He tries to impart morality via the Bible but it comes off as very heavy-handed and patronizing. Some of the things he chastises Cal over (throwing ice out a window, stealing some coal-loaders' chute) are justified but some of them (trying to pay his dad back) aren't. He's not one-dimensional but you just want him to get the stick out of his ass and appreciate the way his son is trying to do right. At the risk of oversharing, their dynamic reminded me a lot of myself and my dad.
My favorite scene in the movie though is this one between Cal and Abra (Julie Harris.) Abra starts off as Aron's (the "good" son) girlfriend but over time gets more attracted to Cal. This scene struck me as really cute because it comes after Cal throws a ton of his dad's ice out a window, and I saw it as her way of showing that she understands him even if nobody else does. It basically sums up the theme of the movie that sometimes we do "bad" things with good intentions, and that kids act out because they don't feel appreciated. It's a quick and somewhat understated scene but says a lot more than most romantic moments in movies do, in my opinion.
As for The Great Race, well it;s pretty similar to It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (a favorite from my childhood, thanks to my mom.) And it has one of my favorite underrated actors in it--Jack Lemmon. I've seen a lot of Jack Lemmon movies and never have I been left unsatisfied by a performance of his. I prefer him in comedic roles, like Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple. But he does well in serious roles too, like The Fortune Cookie and The Days of Wine and Roses. Similarly to SLIH, Tony Curtis may play the lead, but it's Jack Lemmon who steals the show.
My favorite part though, were the title cards. It really makes you feel like you're seeing a big live action cartoon extravaganza or cinematic carnival attraction. I've yet to see anything else like it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2019 23:53:03 GMT -5
Several movies I just stumble upon on cable TV while channel surfing. They might not be considered classics but they are very entertaining. Here are a few of them:
- A Perfect Murder (Michael Douglas, Gweneth Paltrow)
- Unlawful Entry (Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta, Madeleine Stowe) - Internal Affairs (Richard Gere, Andy Garcia) - The Edge (Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin)
- Unfaithful (Diane Lane, Oliver Martinez, Richard Gere) - Mississippi Masala - (Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury) - Carlito's Way (Al Pacino, Sean Penn) - Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter) - Heat (Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino) - Fatal Attraction (Michael Douglas, Glenn Close) - Bugsy (Warren Beatty, Annette Benning) - Glengarry Glen Ross (Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Al Pacino)
- The Hitcher (Rutger Hauer) - Miami Blues (Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh)
- Jungle Fever (Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra) - Sudden Impact (Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke) - Tony Rome (Frank Sinatra) - The Dirty Dozen (Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas) - Death Wish (Charles Bronson) - Breezy (William Holden, Kay Lenz)
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Post by B.E. on Feb 22, 2019 0:17:20 GMT -5
And it has one of my favorite underrated actors in it--Jack Lemmon. I've seen a lot of Jack Lemmon movies and never have I been left unsatisfied by a performance of his. I prefer him in comedic roles, like Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple. But he does well in serious roles too, like The Fortune Cookie and The Days of Wine and Roses. Similarly to SLIH, Tony Curtis may play the lead, but it's Jack Lemmon who steals the show. Any love for John Gustafson? I was a kid when the 'Grumpy Old Men' films came out. I remember they were among the first VHS I purchased. I've gotten into the habit of watching the first one once a year. Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as this is when the film is set. For some reason, it never gets old!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2019 0:48:05 GMT -5
And it has one of my favorite underrated actors in it--Jack Lemmon. I've seen a lot of Jack Lemmon movies and never have I been left unsatisfied by a performance of his. I prefer him in comedic roles, like Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple. But he does well in serious roles too, like The Fortune Cookie and The Days of Wine and Roses. Similarly to SLIH, Tony Curtis may play the lead, but it's Jack Lemmon who steals the show. Any love for John Gustafson? I was a kid when the 'Grumpy Old Men' films came out. I remember they were among the first VHS I purchased. I've gotten into the habit of watching the first one once a year. Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as this is when the film is set. For some reason, it never gets old! I haven't seen that one yet, but I'll certainly keep an eye out for it. Basically, I first saw Some Like It Hot about 4 years ago when I was coming out of the closet and a lot of its humor and scenarios actually applied to me. Watching that was a way of poking fun at myself and the new experiences everything entailed. I liked it so much I checked out a bunch of other Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder movies over the course of that Summer. It's to the point where, anytime I think back to that period in my life, some of the first images that come to mind are from SLIH and The Odd Couple. Despite a lot of the drama going on in my life at that time, I have fond memories of that summer Nowadays, for the most part, my girlfriend and I just watch "new" movies based on what's free On Demand and Netflix. It just so happened these two particular films in my previous reply happened to be available and we saw them for the first time these last few days. If there's something in particular we really want to watch we'll seek it out online--and I guess that's what I'll do for Grumpy Old Men.
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B.E.
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Post by B.E. on Feb 22, 2019 1:13:59 GMT -5
@iluvleniloud Of his earlier work, I've only seen The Apartment and The Odd Couple. I look forward to changing that! Netflix is a bust, but it appears I'll be able to watch a few on Amazon Prime.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2019 1:22:46 GMT -5
@iluvleniloud Of his earlier work, I've only seen The Apartment and The Odd Couple. I look forward to changing that! Netflix is a bust, but it appears I'll be able to watch a few on Amazon Prime. Yeah unfortunately Netflix has lost a lot of its appeal. I still keep it out of inertia and because thus far it still has enough new stuff for background noise when I need it. I hope you have fun checking out the rest of his filmography on AP though!
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Post by Beach Boys Fan on Feb 22, 2019 10:21:48 GMT -5
As for The Great Race, well it;s pretty similar to It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (a favorite from my childhood, thanks to my mom.) And it has one of my favorite underrated actors in it--Jack Lemmon. I've seen a lot of Jack Lemmon movies and never have I been left unsatisfied by a performance of his. I prefer him in comedic roles, like Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple. But he does well in serious roles too, like The Fortune Cookie and The Days of Wine and Roses. Similarly to SLIH, Tony Curtis may play the lead, but it's Jack Lemmon who steals the show. My favorite part though, were the title cards. It really makes you feel like you're seeing a big live action cartoon extravaganza or cinematic carnival attraction. I've yet to see anything else like it. Ha, you see films I'd seen. Cool. ''The Great Race'' is entertaining, I like Jack Lemmon in double deal casting - villain and daft good-natured prince. Jolly convincing. Besides, Jack's better-looking than Curtis. Next, this film features Peter ''Columbo'' Falk, didn't frankly expect to see him playing bad guy's servant-like sidekick. Funny role. I'd cast somebody else to Natalie Wood but she's fine. My fave scene is when they befriend Prince near the movie's ending, 2 Lemmons replace each other, each wicked plan Lemmon thinks up to destroy Curtis - fun stuff. Seen ''Days Of Wine And Roses'' as well - not good subject but good film. Lee Remick did fantastic in it. Bette Davis would agree; she stated the single actress she wouldn't be against losing Oscar that year (she'd been nominated too) is Lee Remick. She and Lemmon really shined in it. Btw, iirc these 2 films were directed by Blake Edwards, ''Breakfast At Tiffany's'' fame. Seen ''The Apartment'' - nice, with cool ending and the scene in which he, Lemmon, sifted spaghetti with tennis racket (good lifehacking tip); when dances to the music in his house; tries funny-looking hat and turns back with funny grin to get Shirley Maclaine character tell him if it fits him.
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2019 1:34:00 GMT -5
Was watching Oliver! tonight and noticed an adorable detail I wanted to share. I had to record it and upload myself because nobody's got the scene in isolation online.
This is from the scene where Bill Sykes and Nancy have kidnapped Oliver away from his new guardian. Sykes becomes convinced Oliver ratted about their criminal operations and decides to beat the confession out of him.
Notice how at 1:03 Dodger rushes in to get Oliver out of there as soon as Bill Sykes is distracted. Not only that, but from 2:13 you can see Dodger with his arm wrapped around Oliver, both as a gesture of comfort and protectiveness. It just shows how for all his burglaries and corruption by Fagin, Dodger had a good deal of compassion in him. The song he sings to Nancy earlier in the film, as well as the way he reacts in an earlier scene when Sykes hits her are also proof of this. That's how you write an interesting multi-dimensional character.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2019 7:11:32 GMT -5
Seen nice fam films - "Candleshoe" (w/ young Jodie Foster, David Niven, Helen Hayes) & "Beauty & The Beast" (w/ Emma Thompson, Emma Watson (Belle), Josh Gad, Ian McKellen etc). Respectively 5/5 & 2/5. I hate those live action Disney movies. It really pisses me off the bias that animation is lesser than live action, that it's only for kids, etc. It's sad that Disney is both ashamed of its own heritage and so greedy it'd remake its own timeless classics for a cheap payoff. No one will ever watch these new versions in 5 years time, while the originals are still beloved 20 and in some cases 70 odd years later.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2019 7:36:29 GMT -5
Another round of movie discoveries last night.
First is Inherit the Wind, a dramatization of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. This is the best scene, one of the top courtroom cross-examinations ever made.
For me the film has several qualities that appealed to me (besides just the aesthetics of a well-made movie.) I'm a huge political science buff and William Jennings Bryan is one of the more fascinating candidates in our history. The 1896 election is actually my favorite in US history due to the fact that both candidates were decent, qualified men and their campaigns focused on modern issues (labor v business as opposed to slavery and expansionism) and modern tactics. Bryan was a firebrand speaker who was, as I understand it, the first man to really go all out and campaign on his own behalf (the etiquette of the early 1800s was to pretend you didn't want the job.) So to see a clear Bryan stand-in portray the man's less savory religious fundamentalism intrigues me. I appreciated the end where he wants to read a "brief" speech that span dozens of pages. The way everyone ignores him was a great metaphor for Bryan's loss of political influence and blow to his reputation after the actual trial.
But beyond that, this movie really spoke to me because I grew up Catholic all my life and eventually turned away from it. Now I'm estranged from my dad who's a Biblical literalist who doesn't approve of my lifestyle. The part in this film where the fiery preacher and Bryan both alienate Scopes' fiancee really hit home with me. Part of me also would love to show my dad this monologue.
I first saw Cool Hand Luke about 8 years ago and only just got around to rewatching it now. Honestly, the first time I watched it years ago I didn't like it all that much. The ending was effective and made me feel reverent but before then it was like nothing happened.
This second time though, I appreciated it a lot more. It's not this big dramatic film with a lot of action or a dynamic plot. It's just a simple, realistic portrayal of someone who's kind of drifted through life and made a mistake. Luke isn't a bad person he just doesn't know who he wants to be. All he knows is he doesn't fit in with the authoritarian structures of society, symbolized here by the prison guards. Even so, he's content to just have fun and be a free-spirit until he's punished based on the belief he *might* runaway. (I see this as a symbol of unjust laws, the way schools and even most jobs treat people like they're criminals before they've even done anything wrong.) Once I started looking at things this way, and had the life experience to relate to it, I enjoyed the film.
My favorite scene is Luke's final monologue in the Church, though I couldn't find it online. As a stand-in, here's the climax of the movie. On the old IMDb forums, there was a poster who swore up and down that the original version of the film had Luke getting hit on the head multiple times before he gave up and broke down, as opposed to just once as seen in the version today. I could never find any corroborating evidence of this claim and it's possibly just someone misremembering. But I want it to be true. One of my misgivings about the film is Luke's spirit breaks too easily considering the entire story up to this point has been showing how resilient he was. A scene of him getting bopped on the head until he gave up would perfectly mirror the earlier scene where he's boxing and wouldn't stay down, earning the other prisoners' respect. As is, his meltdown comes too quickly to be as effective as it could and should be.
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B.E.
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Post by B.E. on Feb 26, 2019 22:18:55 GMT -5
Another round of movie discoveries last night. Last night I discovered Alone In Berlin (2016) on Netflix. It's about a working-class German couple who protest Hitler by writing postcards and leaving them in public places around the city during WWII. It's an interesting, thought-provoking film. Think about how oppressed this couple were to have to resort to this form of protest. That despite the inevitable futility and consequence of such an act, they were still driven to do it - to express themselves. I'm hesitant to say more and spoil the movie for anyone. After watching, I decided to read up a little more on the background. The couple's real names were Otto and Elise Hampel. In 1947 a German author fictionalized their story. This film is based on that novel (which was translated to English in 2009). It's interesting to note the differences between the true story, the book, and the movie, but again, I'm hesitant to spoil the story! This brings me to Inherit The Wind (1960). I decided to re-watch this tonight (I had only seen it once many years ago). What immediately struck me was the similarities, in theme (freedom of thought / expression), between these two films. I love the line by Bert, in response to Rachel's plea for him to apologize, "Tell them... if they let my body out of jail, I'll lock up my mind?!” Speaking of Rachel, I was really impressed by Donna Anderson. I loved her performance. Fredric March was also great. I thought Spencer Tracy overacted at times. Also, it was cool to recognize Noah Beery Jr this time around - I know him from the '70s tv show "Rockford Files". But beyond that, this movie really spoke to me because I grew up Catholic all my life and eventually turned away from it. Now I'm estranged from my dad who's a Biblical literalist who doesn't approve of my lifestyle. The part in this film where the fiery preacher and Bryan both alienate Scopes' fiancee really hit home with me. Part of me also would love to show my dad this monologue. What I really liked about the scene where the preacher damned Bert, despite Rachel's pleas, is that even Brady recognized how overzealous the preacher had become. He showed compassion for Rachel and preached for forgiveness. It's not right away that we realize that Brady became overzealous himself and took advantage of Rachel's trust in order to attempt to win the case. There had been a lot of alluding to the friendship between Brady and Drummond, so there was reason to believe that there was more to Brady's character. I did find it a little heavy-handed how they portrayed Brady to be such a gluttonous eater. Although, maybe that's historically accurate, for all I know. A few random thoughts: 1) There were a lot of good one-liners! 2) My favorite part of the clip you posted begins at the 6:13 mark when the lawyer objects and demands to know the reason for Drummond's questioning. Brady says the reason is that Drummond wants to destroy everyone's belief in the bible and God, but Drummond responds, "That's not true and you know it! The bible is a book, it's a good book, but it's not the only book." I love that, but that's a far cry from what I suspect the original response was (which included Darrow calling out "bigots and ignoramuses"). If it's true that the one exchange inspired the other, then they certainly improved it. 3) Unsurprisingly, I liked the ending. That Drummond embraced both books.
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