Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Once Upon A Time In America

Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

Once Upon A Time In America

Old 06-19-03, 09:59 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: nowhere
Posts: 520
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Once Upon A Time In America

Is Once Upon A Time in America any good?
Old 06-19-03, 01:20 PM
  #2  
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Right Behind You
Posts: 4,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yes
Old 06-19-03, 01:28 PM
  #3  
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 4,049
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Another yes.
Old 06-19-03, 01:54 PM
  #4  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: "Sitting on a beach, earning 20%"
Posts: 6,154
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Yes it is not.
Old 06-19-03, 04:18 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 818
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I dunno.
Old 06-19-03, 04:21 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Rypro 525's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: a frikin hellhole
Posts: 28,264
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
if you want better thoughts click here
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...ime+in+america
(no spoilers)
Old 06-19-03, 04:29 PM
  #7  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Lompoc, CA
Posts: 11,536
Received 10 Likes on 10 Posts
I haven't seen it since its original release.

At the time, I thought it was just as great a huge-scale gangster epic as anything by Coppola or Scorcese...

I might not think the same now. Like so many Italian epics, it's very slow... But Woods and DeNiro are excellent...
Old 06-19-03, 05:38 PM
  #8  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Madison, WI ("77 square miles surrounded by reality")
Posts: 30,012
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
It's not good, it's great.
Old 06-19-03, 10:04 PM
  #9  
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Right Behind You
Posts: 4,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by adamblast
I haven't seen it since its original release.

At the time, I thought it was just as great a huge-scale gangster epic as anything by Coppola or Scorcese...

I might not think the same now. Like so many Italian epics, it's very slow... But Woods and DeNiro are excellent...
When you say Coppola, are you making reference to the incredibly slow paced Godfather trilogy? At least Scorcese keeps it moving fairly well and doesn't strive for a 3 hour running time. I'd say Once... is up there with the Godfather in terms of quality. Why I had never heard of the movie until I saw it at Target is something I just don't understand.
Old 06-20-03, 02:50 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: San Diego
Posts: 531
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Once Upon a Time in America is one of the most underrated films ever, imo. Definitely a must see, if not a must buy.
Old 06-20-03, 07:58 AM
  #11  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Chicago
Posts: 8,158
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally posted by lesterlong
Why I had never heard of the movie until I saw it at Target is something I just don't understand.
When the movie was released in the US in 1984, Warner Brothers thought that the 229 minute length was excessive. They reedited the film, taking out about an hour and making it chronological. Apperently, what they released was unwatchable: it made no sense, characters appeared and disappeared seemingly at random, key expository dialogue and key scenes were removed etc. The movie was so carefully constructed that the inclusion of every scene in the original is essential to understand what's going on. Making even slight changes (let alone a major overhaul like WB did) would make the movie incoherent.

Because of this, the film has had an awful reputation here in the states. It flopped both in the theaters and critically. Then it faded from everyone's radar screen. Add the fact that it took WB so damn long (this was on of the more sought-after titles, IMO) to come out with a version of the film on DVD and it's not hard to see how many people haven't really heard of it.
Old 06-20-03, 04:36 PM
  #12  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Actually, they cut 90 minutes from the film. A tragedy.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.