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The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

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The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Old 02-27-13, 08:34 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by Trevor
^ But remember that this is the "easy" Challenge, so sunset is fine. In fact, you can even start an item before sunset, but it has to end after sunset by at least one second. So if you have any 4 hour epics to watch, you can start tomorrow early afternoon!
Maybe finally break out Return of the King, seeing as I watched the first two during the Academy Award Challenge
Old 02-27-13, 11:24 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by Mister Peepers
I wouldn't call Memento much of an action film either.

I also wouldn't call Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior the best of anything. That was one of the biggest disappointments I've had in a long time. I heard about the guy doing his own stunts, which sounded good. Then the movie turned out to basically be awful editing, awful music, a showcase for the guy to do his martial arts, a sliver of plot which has holes and loose ends that make up more of the plot than the actual plot itself.

And then I watched the sequel and died...
Oh. I do hope I disagree* - they're (all three!) available free to me through Amazon, so I was going to have them count for the film+sequel checkmark.



*Although I already had a feeling I might not enjoy them...
Old 02-27-13, 11:32 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by ntnon

For Mid-Un-Non-Challenge, I found Chai Lai on Amazon and thought it sounded too amusing/ghastly to wait for. The chase at the start was pretty well done, the pseudo-homages to - popular culture's take on - the Charlie's Angels-style of fighting/dancing (in underwear, towels) is bizarre, but overall as a spoof and film it isn't awful...
I know the challenge hasn't started yet, but in case anyone was thinking about watching Chai Lai during the month, I thought I'd just say that it is really odd, but overall fairly reasonable. It began - for me - as light comedy, thinly plotted action, and by the end had become utterly-surreal madcap spoof with machine guns and martial arts.

How many other films, spoof or not, where the plot involves some kind of magic earth-saving pearl, ends with a Charles Townsend-type tell his fiancee "Beware of the step, you crazy-eyed woman" before ordering his Angels off to hunt for Bin Laden...?!

And just like Charlie's Angels (never had), there was the ubiquitous man-dressed-as-a-woman* and an extremely-stupid cross-eyed sidekick....!

I was very pleased to see outtakes over the end credits, too.

*Interestingly, and maybe ironically, one of my abiding memories of a later Charlie's Angels episode does indeed feature a cross-dressing character. I remember wondering almost immediately why no-one mentioned this, until the final plot revealed that the mysterious criminal woman was, in fact, a MAN!!
Old 02-28-13, 06:15 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

I realize that we already have a pretty large list of actors on the checklist but I'd like to add Samuel Jackson if we could. He is listed in 54 action movies on IMDB and 42 crime movies (I'm sure there is a lot of overlap there).
Old 02-28-13, 08:00 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by orlmac
I realize that we already have a pretty large list of actors on the checklist but I'd like to add Samuel Jackson if we could. He is listed in 54 action movies on IMDB and 42 crime movies (I'm sure there is a lot of overlap there).
Sounds good got me! But that reminds me, I don't think I ever updated the last set of good suggestions. On the road, will add them all tonight.
Old 02-28-13, 09:55 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by ntnon
Oh. I do hope I disagree* - they're (all three!) available free to me through Amazon, so I was going to have them count for the film+sequel checkmark.



*Although I already had a feeling I might not enjoy them...
Hope you do get more out of them. Netflix also has the trilogy, which is how I saw the first two. My wife was visiting her parents in Japan when the first one came out and she said it was really big over in Asia. Probably the biggest disappointment for me in years. I know I'm not expecting much when I watch something direct to video but this sounded like the opposite of that category.

I do plan on not watching the 3rd one. Ignoring my feelings of the first two, I have an alarm that goes off when there's a film and one guy has a ton of credits. Things like that usually don't turn out well and this sounds like no exception.

Tony Jaa: Starring/Director/Writer/Producer/Action Choreographer/Action Director

I'd recommend The Man with the Iron Fists over Ong Bak 3. It's not the best movie either but you'll get more out of it. I still had to shut my brain off to not get super annoyed by all the rap, how about 1/3-1/2 of the movie just drags along, and how I picture the director like a little kid at a candy store trying to get everything he can but in this case, it's him trying to fit in everything he can think of that would look cool but ends up being way too much with the end result being that all the cool things are trying to fill in for all the other places the film is lacking.

I completely forgot this challenge starts tonight. It's been a long week but I have sundown at 6:00. I have absolutely nothing planned on what I'm going to watch.
Old 02-28-13, 10:10 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Trevor's post with the 25 Best Action Adventure films on Netflix got me to thinking about doing a series of lists for this thread, like:

25 Essential Samurai Movies
25 Essential Kung Fu Movies
25 Essential Hong Kong Action Movies
25 Essential Hollywood Crime Movies
25 Essential European Crime Movies
25 Essential Police Thrillers
25 Essential Film Noir
25 Essential Westerns
25 Essential Swashbucklers
25 Essential War movies

Maybe not my favorite or most entertaining in each genre, but the ones that represent the genre best and remain essential viewing.

I'll post the first list later today (not sure what it will be).

Any other action genres of interest?

Thanks.
Old 02-28-13, 12:09 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Alright I have a question about whether a movie fits. Does the movie Flight with Denzel Washington fit? I only ask because IMDB only lists it as drama. Thanks for the help and best of luck to everyone in the challenge!
Old 02-28-13, 02:17 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by mcline87
Alright I have a question about whether a movie fits. Does the movie Flight with Denzel Washington fit? I only ask because IMDB only lists it as drama. Thanks for the help and best of luck to everyone in the challenge!
It has one big action-y sequence, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as an action flick.
Old 02-28-13, 02:35 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by Jeffy Pop
It has one big action-y sequence, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as an action flick.
Thank you. I was thinking that but wanted to check anyways! Can't hurt to try.
Old 02-28-13, 03:05 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Recommended Viewing, List #1

25 Essential Hollywood Crime Films
(Movies with gangsters/criminals as protagonists)

PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) dir.: Mervyn Leroy. Star: Edward G. Robinson.
LITTLE CAESAR (1932) dir.: William Wellman. Star: James Cagney.
SCARFACE (1932) dir.: Howard Hawks. Star: Paul Muni.
ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938) dir.: Michael Curtiz. Star: James Cagney.
THE ROARING 20S (1939) dir.: Raoul Walsh. Stars: James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart.
HIGH SIERRA (1941) dir.: Raoul Walsh. Star: Humphrey Bogart.
WHITE HEAT (1949) dir.: Raoul Walsh. Star: James Cagney.
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950) dir.: John Huston. Star: Sterling Hayden.
THE KILLING (1956) dir.: Stanley Kubrick. Star: Sterling Hayden.
AL CAPONE (1959) dir.: Richard Wilson. Star: Rod Steiger.
ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE (1967) dir.: Roger Corman. Star: Jason Robards.
BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) dir.: Arthur Penn. Star: Warren Beatty.
THE GETAWAY (1972) dir.: Sam Peckinpah. Star: Steve McQueen.
THE GODFATHER (1972) dir.: Francis Coppola. Star: Marlon Brando.
THE GODFATHER, PART II (1974) dir.: Francis Coppola. Star: Al Pacino.
DILLINGER (1973) dir.: John Milius. Star: Warren Oates.
MEAN STREETS (1973) dir.: Martin Scorsese. Stars: Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro.
STRAIGHT TIME (1978) dir.: Ulu Grosbard. Star: Dustin Hoffman.
SCARFACE (1983) dir.: Brian de Palma. Star: Al Pacino.
JOHNNY HANDSOME (1989) dir.: Walter Hill. Star: Mickey Rourke.
GOODFELLAS (1990) dir.: Martin Scorsese. Stars: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci.
RESERVOIR DOGS (1992) dir.: Quentin Tarantino. Star: Harvey Keitel.
TRESPASS (1992) dir.: Walter Hill. Stars: Bill Paxton, Ice T.
PULP FICTION (1994) dir.: Quentin Tarantino. Stars: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson.
JACKIE BROWN (1997) dir.: Quentin Tarantino. Stars: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson.
Old 02-28-13, 03:21 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by Trevor
^ But remember that this is the "easy" Challenge, so sunset is fine. In fact, you can even start an item before sunset, but it has to end after sunset by at least one second. So if you have any 4 hour epics to watch, you can start tomorrow early afternoon!
I wasn't planning on starting tonight because I have a few Netflix DVDs my brother dropped off for me to watch and/or send back (a couple have been sitting here for a while) and I wanted to get those out of the way.

Well, I looked a couple of them up on IMDb on the off chance they'd qualify, and whattyaknow, they did. So I can kill two birds. Then I decided to look up Haven (because I need to watch this past season to clear up my DVR some) and see that IMDb categorizes it as "Crime" (makes sense since the main characters are cops), so I now have a goal for this Challenge.
Old 02-28-13, 03:52 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Well, I won't be starting tonight as I'm committed to a get-together with some friends, but I'm already lining up stuff to watch. I'm intending to use this as the excuse I need to work my way through my series set of "John Woo's Once a Thief".
Old 02-28-13, 04:06 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
Recommended Viewing, List #1

25 Essential Hollywood Crime Films
(Movies with gangsters/criminals as protagonists)

PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) dir.: Mervyn Leroy. Star:Edward G. Robinson.
LITTLE CAESAR (1932) dir.: William Wellman. Star:James Cagney.
Mother of Mercy! Is this the end of .... Tom Powers????

Nice list Ash. There are quite a few I haven't seen especially the later ones. I was thinking about including some classic gangster films this time around so I'm glad you started with this topic.
Old 02-28-13, 05:53 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Not going to be able to get off to the start I wanted tonight but I'll hit up a few trailers while cooking dinner and hopefully a movie and an episode of Game Of Thrones Season 2 later!
Old 02-28-13, 06:11 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

My daughter wanted to watch a 3D film tonight, and I let her choose, actually forgetting that the Challenge had started. Luckily for me, she chose Tron Legacy, which I'm hoping qualifies. Will check after the film, and might make it a double feature with John Carter 3D too.
Old 02-28-13, 10:17 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Is the checklist over on the list thread finalized? I know that it was mentioned that it needed to be updated... Thanks!

Almost forgot that it started tonight-thought about it earlier today but with one thing or another, it slipped my mind. I've been working on watching a TV series I picked up the other day. It came scratched so I was trying to make sure that it played before my return period ran out. So far so good, but have a feeling it'll be awhile before I finish as it doesn't qualify for this challenge.

Still thinking I'm going to focus on Bond-I have the all but Never Say Never Again (even Bond Girls, though that was an inherited title!). I also picked up Treasure of the Sierra Madre which I've never watched before from the library. I plan on focusing on Bond, like I said, but taking breaks here and there so I don't get too bored with it all. Want to watch the Dark Knight movies sometime this month, too.
Old 02-28-13, 10:37 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Was able to start tonight after dusk. Just a couple of TV shows and a smattering of trailers. Picked up Sector 7 on blu a few days ago, I'll probably plug it in this weekend. Try to work in episodes from Wild Wild West, Man From Uncle, MacGyver and The Avengers (1961-69) too. And more Round the Twist (the plan is to burn off series 2 for this challenge).
Old 03-01-13, 01:48 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Got off to a spectacular start! As planned, I brought out my Bond 50 box set and watched You Only Live Twice. After grading a couple of papers and putting together a quiz, I indulged in a film noir double feature with Crime in the Streets and Armored Car Robbery.

When I was an undergrad, I really got into James Bond and borrowed a lot of films from a friend. Instead of starting from the beginning, I watched my friend's favorites. Now, I'm working my way through them from Dr. No to Skyfall. I hadn't seen You Only Live Twice before, and it is probably my least favorite of the Connery films (probably due to the yellow-face and silly space plot). However, the action is fast and steady, and Connery is so incredibly suave. The climax was fantastic and riveting, unlike Thunderball's underwater scenes.

Crime in the Streets and Armored Car Robbery are part of one of the WB film noir box sets, and both are quite good (though not as "noir-y" as I would have liked). Crime is one of those "kids-gone-bad" films in the vein of Angels with Dirty Faces but with a bit more psychology worked into character motivations. There are some fun performances, and it may win the award for most unintentionally homosexual scene for the beginning bit of gang violence (it's gayer than West Side Story). Armored is a great little heist/police procedural film with zero character development and lots of shooting. Not much to say about it except there are some great shots and despite an obvious forgone conclusion, it held my interest.
Old 03-01-13, 06:04 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Recommended Viewing for Action Challenge / List #2

25 Essential Police/Private Eye Movies (Hollywood)
(Crime films with cops, FBI men, private eyes as the protagonists)

G-MEN (1935) Dir.: William Keighley. Star: James Cagney.
BULLETS OR BALLOTS (1936) Dir.: William Keighley. Star: Edward G. Robinson.
THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) Dir.: John Huston. Star: Humphrey Bogart.
THE BIG SLEEP (1946) Dir.: Howard Hawks. Star: Humphrey Bogart.
THE NAKED CITY (1948) Dir.: Jules Dassin. Stars: Barry Fitzgerald, Don Taylor.
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950) Dir.: Otto Preminger. Star: Dana Andrews.
THE BIG HEAT (1953) Dir.: Fritz Lang. Star: Glenn Ford.
KISS ME DEADLY (1955) Dir.: Robert Aldrich. Star: Ralph Meeker.
BULLITT (1968) Dir.: Peter Yates. Star: Steve McQueen.
COOGAN’S BLUFF (1968) Dir.: Don Siegel. Star: Clint Eastwood.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) Dir.: William Friedkin. Star: Gene Hackman.
DIRTY HARRY (1971) Dir.: Don Siegel. Star: Clint Eastwood.
SHAFT (1971) Dir.: Gordon Parks. Star: Richard Roundtree.
SERPICO (1973) Dir.: Sidney Lumet. Star: Al Pacino.
THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) Dir.: Robert Altman. Star: Elliott Gould.
MAGNUM FORCE (1973) Dir.: Ted Post. Star: Clint Eastwood.
FAREWELL MY LOVELY (1975) Dir.: Dick Richards. Star: Robert Mitchum.
PRINCE OF THE CITY (1981) Dir.: Sidney Lumet. Star: Treat Williams.
48 HRS (1982) Dir.: Walter Hill. Stars: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy.
LETHAL WEAPON (1987) Dir.: Richard Donner. Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover.
ROBOCOP (1987) Dir.: Paul Verhoeven. Star: Peter Weller.
DIE HARD (1988) Dir.: John McTiernan. Star: Bruce Willis.
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) Dir.: Jonathan Demme. Star: Jodie Foster.
IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993) Dir.: Wolfgang Petersen. Star: Clint Eastwood.
THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (1996) Dir.: Renny Harlin. Stars: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson.
Old 03-01-13, 06:54 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

^

The only one of those I own is Robocop. On another note, didnt get off to the start I wanted to last night, just one episode of MASK. I tried to watch more, but just wasn't feeling tv for some reason, so couldnt get into the mood to watch tv. I just felt off last night for some reason.
Old 03-01-13, 09:30 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Like others I am going to break out my Bond 50 BD set and start from the beginning.
Old 03-01-13, 11:53 AM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Unless I'm misunderstanding, the wrong thread has been stickied. We want the list thread stickied, not the discussion thread, right?

Last edited by coyoteblue; 03-01-13 at 05:29 PM.
Old 03-01-13, 12:20 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Originally Posted by coyoteblue
Unless I'm misunderstanding, the wrong thread has been stickied. We want the list thread stickied, not the discussion list, right?
Yeah, the wrong thread got stickied.
Old 03-01-13, 01:38 PM
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Re: The 2nd Annual DVDTalk Action/Adventure/Crime/Mystery Challenge - March 2013

Just a quick question about 1 of the checklist items. It deals with rating of Hayes Approved. Would that be the same as films that have a rating of Approved on IMDB? If not where can I find list of movies with Hayes Approved rating. Thanks

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