Fictional films that make for good primers
09-20-19, 08:18 AM
#1
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Fictional films that make for good primers
I came across this article about Swimming with Sharks, the 1994 super-dark comedy starring Frank Whaley and Kevin Spacey. In a nutshell, Guy (Whaley) is a newly hired assistant to studio exec Buddy Ackerman (Spacey), who turns out to be incredibly selfish, cruel, and a sociopath of the highest order (the bosses from Horrible Bosses have nothing on this dude). Guy gets pushed beyond his limits and winds up taking revenge on Buddy in pretty dramatic fashion.
The above article had this rather interesting bit from the film's writer/director:
Having seen the film, I never thought anyone would ever think of using it as some sort of primer or instruction video. But then, I've never lived or worked in Hollywood so my perspective is obviously different than folks who do.
My question is which fictional movies do you think would make for a good introduction to or instructional video for a particular field, industry, hobby, etc? For instance, if you wanted oil rig workers to learn how to become astronauts, maybe you'd show them Armageddon (perhaps not the best example, but it makes the point).
The above article had this rather interesting bit from the film's writer/director:
Originally Posted by George Huang
It does sort of frighten me that people see the film as a primer... It was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not a how-to — but I still had agents and managers and producers calling me and saying, ‘Hey, can I get a copy of the film? We want to show it to our trainees.’ They were using it for instruction.
My question is which fictional movies do you think would make for a good introduction to or instructional video for a particular field, industry, hobby, etc? For instance, if you wanted oil rig workers to learn how to become astronauts, maybe you'd show them Armageddon (perhaps not the best example, but it makes the point).
09-20-19, 09:04 AM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
West Point shows war movies like Platoon and The Sands of Iwo Jima to cadets and has them critique what was done right and done wrong.
There is no movie that shows what I do for a living. It would be terribly boring.
There is no movie that shows what I do for a living. It would be terribly boring.
09-20-19, 09:29 AM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
My first out of college job experience was almost exactly like Boiler Room. I even told my boss to watch it and thought it was crazy that he hadn't done so. Boiler Room is a great movie but working at a company like that was fucking miserable. I quit in a week.
I don't know much about being a courtroom lawyer but the few lawyers I do know say that My Cousin Vinny is one of the more realistic depictions of the legal process in any courtroom movie.
I don't know much about being a courtroom lawyer but the few lawyers I do know say that My Cousin Vinny is one of the more realistic depictions of the legal process in any courtroom movie.
09-20-19, 10:00 AM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Office Space?
09-20-19, 11:57 AM
#5
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
I remember there was some uproar about To LIve and Die In L.A. when it came out saying it was a tutorial on counterfeiting. In the Line of Fire seems like a pretty good tutorial on how to be an assassin (except for the part about calling up the Secret Service and badgering them)
09-20-19, 04:23 PM
#6
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Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
If they were using Swimming With Sharks.. then I'd imagine The Devil Wears Prada would fall along similar lines.
09-20-19, 04:36 PM
#7
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Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Star Wars...How NOT to build a Base of Operations.
JAWS...Always have the right size boat.
Kill Bill vol 1&2...Make damn sure she is dead.
JAWS...Always have the right size boat.
Kill Bill vol 1&2...Make damn sure she is dead.
09-20-19, 06:55 PM
#9
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Day of the Jackal, 1973. How to create a false identity, how to avoid a nationwide police dragnet, how to set up a political assassination.
09-20-19, 10:00 PM
#10
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
JFK (1991) - how to cover up a conspiracy to assassinate a president.
09-21-19, 01:36 AM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Léon: The Professional
For aspiring, young hitpersons.
For aspiring, young hitpersons.
09-21-19, 09:20 AM
#12
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
This isn't a movie, but the Star Trek: TNG episode, "The First Duty" is used at certain military academies to teach the honor code.
09-22-19, 05:16 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Ferris Bueller is a primer on skipping school. It's a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school.
09-22-19, 05:47 PM
#16
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Pulp Fiction: Gun Safety.
The above clip show the need for trigger discipline and muzzle awareness.
The above clip show the need for trigger discipline and muzzle awareness.
09-23-19, 09:31 AM
#18
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Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
I’ve got a good one. Stand By Me is a primer for IT. The smaller, non supernatural story still contains most of the themes of the larger piece.
It’s also a pretty good model for what a friend should be. Caring, understanding, forgiving, encouraging, happy to share, and ready to stick with you through tough stuff. And always ready with a “Your momma joke”.
It’s also a pretty good model for what a friend should be. Caring, understanding, forgiving, encouraging, happy to share, and ready to stick with you through tough stuff. And always ready with a “Your momma joke”.
09-23-19, 10:23 AM
#19
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
How to make Sanuki udon noodles, from UDON (Japan; 2006) 
Jump to 0:38:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/23RR4peRXSw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanuki_udon
Jump to 0:38:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/23RR4peRXSw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanuki_udon
Last edited by Brian T; 09-23-19 at 10:30 AM.
09-23-19, 02:23 PM
#20
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Some great suggestions here. Just watched Leave No Trace, so I picked up a few pointers on living in the forest. The film was a bit light on detail, though, so I would probably last one or two nights at most.
Didn't Axel use a banana? Or was that the second movie?
Didn't Axel use a banana? Or was that the second movie?
09-23-19, 09:05 PM
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Both those scenes are in the first one. Nick Danger is referring to another scene where Axel waits through a green light only to gun it when it turns red to lose the tail.
Coming from a career in law enforcement, I can say that End of Watch is a pretty damn realistic depiction of police life.
Coming from a career in law enforcement, I can say that End of Watch is a pretty damn realistic depiction of police life.
09-24-19, 11:21 AM
#23
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Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
Incel and Future Mass Shooter Rage Primers
JOKER
Taxi Driver
Falling Down
JOKER
Taxi Driver
Falling Down
09-25-19, 12:19 AM
#24
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Fictional films that make for good primers
I run a daytime talk show and the Rachel McAdams movie “Morning Glory” is shockingly accurate on how these shows can work. They use a lot of the correct terminology and except for a few things you can’t really do (like you can’t get out of a car and immediately be doing a live remote for a TV show) it really does show what it’s like to work in that industry.
