Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
01-07-20, 01:38 AM
#26
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
When I was in high school, I was very moved, and angered by the injustice depicted in the movie Priest (1995). Years later, I read Roger Ebert's review of the movie https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/priest-1995 . Not being a Catholic, I didn't understand how the confessional is supposed to work. In a the movie, a father goes into the confessional to tell the priest that he is sexually abusing his daughter. The priest is frustrated, because he is required to keep what is said in confessional secret. He's angered that the rules of Catholicism won't allow him to be gay, but they will protect a man who is raping his daughter night after night. In Ebert's review, he attacked this portion of the movie, pointing out that the purpose of the confessional is to repent for your sin. The fact that the father in the movie isn't asking for forgiveness, and in fact brags he will continue to rape his daughter, means the priest has no obligation to protect his secret and should go to the police. The fact that he does not do so, means he's either a fucking idiot, or the movie is a bunch of contrived nonsense. After reading that, I felt embarrassed for thinking this was a serious movie.
01-07-20, 06:56 AM
#27
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Maybe not the sequels (although I still kind of enjoy The Secret of the Ooze), but the original 1990 Turtles movie is fantastic. Really pretty ahead of it’s time if you ask me and holds up amazingly well. One of the better comic book movies before they were a common thing. The story is good, the tone is actually fairly serious but has a bit of humor mixed in, and the Turtles themselves look fantastic. The Henson costumes look far better than the abominations we got from the newer Turtles movies by Nickelodeon.
01-07-20, 01:24 PM
#29
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I remember loving Gladiator when it was in theaters, and the first release of the DVD was one of my most played . In fact, I think that movie and The Matrix were the two that really sold people on the format back in the day (i.e. it was one of the first titles people got when they purchased their players, or inspired people to get players). While I still enjoy it as a "guy" movie along the lines of something like Scarface or Top Gun, it started to lose its luster for me once it won Best Picture. I liked the movie, but knew it was not that level of material.
As far as Fight Club. Yes I loved that movie as a teenager but as an adult I have serious problem with its themes. And while some might say its a cautionary tale. I think the movie spends more time glamorizing terrorism than anything.
01-07-20, 01:35 PM
#30
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Same here. At least with the first one. As a kid I always liked The Secret of the Ooze best. Probably because it’s more kid friendly and has more comedy and stuff. I liked the first one too as a kid, but didn’t watch it quite as often. I owned all three on VHS, which was sorta rare to actually have official tapes versus just ones taped off tv or watching them on tv, but the second definitely got the most play. I’ve definitely grown to appreciate the first film more over the years though. Crazy to think this year is actually the 30th anniversary of the original film.
01-07-20, 01:46 PM
#31
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I will also defend Fight Club as an extraordinarily well put together movie. The acting, the writing, the editing, even the FX. I've watched this movie many times over the past 20 years (!!!) and it's still a great flick. But I do think there's a lot of disaffected youths that saw how "cool" Tyler Durden was and didn't follow it through to what happens to him. They don't get the lesson that they should find an answer somewhere in between being an office drudge and being a terrorist. Sure, you can help change society. But Project Mayhem ain't the way.
Still love that movie. Hilarious and extremely well made through and through.
01-07-20, 01:52 PM
#32
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
This is where I'm at. But it is with the franchise as a whole.
01-07-20, 01:54 PM
#33
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I can't look at Star Wars in my movie collection and not be disgusted with what it has become under Disney.
The following 2 users liked this post by devilshalo:
IBJoel (01-07-20),
Sonny Corinthos (01-11-20)
01-07-20, 02:43 PM
#35
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I hope to acquire the Despecialized editions this year.
01-07-20, 02:50 PM
#36
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I think any teen film from the 80's that I grew up with, as they don't resonate with me now as an adult. It is not to say the movies are worse than I remembered, it's just the problems the characters are going through really doesn't jive with me at an older age. A movie like 'The Breakfast Club' was such a huge part of my youth because we can all relate to one of those characters (I played sports so I related to Emilio Estevez and how he treated a nerd like Anthony Michael Hall as he always had to put an act among his jock friends). We had a Judd Nelson at our school who put on this 'cool guy' act, but he came from a really bad family, and of course we all know a Molly Ringwald Princess in our class. I watch 'The Breakfast Club' now and it's still funny as hell, but I really can't relate to the teen angst in the 2nd half of the film. The same goes for 'Stand By Me' as it's one of the best movies of the 80's (very underrated), and I was the exact age of those guys who went on that journey and also related to their teenage problems at the times. But now I watch it as an adult and I just can't connect with them on that same level anymore. Not to get off topic but 'The Wonder Years' would be a perfect show that I loved as a kid, but I probably couldn't watch today for the same reasons.
But despite that, I can still feel the right amount of teen angst. Last year I watched the movie Eighth Grade, and I thought it perfectly captured that awkward time at the beginning of your teens where you and your friends are getting older and becoming interested in adult things, but still have a foot planted firmly in childhood. A whole bunch of memories (not all good) came flooding back.
It will be interesting to see how kids of today will feel about movies like Eighth Grade in about 30 years. Of course, I'll probably be dead by then.
01-07-20, 02:50 PM
#37
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: True North Strong & Free
Posts: 23,251
Received 2,217 Likes
on
1,513 Posts
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
American Beauty- It’s a movie that I really liked when it came out. And I thought the performances were universally great. It felt sort of revolutionary for a Best Picture winner in 2000 - like it was really shanking things up. But it really hasn’t aged well, and not just because of Kevin Spacey. It feels very homophobic and archaic twenty years later. The new thinking that 1999 was maybe the best movie year ever has really hurt its reputation.
01-07-20, 03:03 PM
#38
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In the straps of boots
Posts: 28,009
Received 1,188 Likes
on
838 Posts
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Fight Club is a film that was a perfect encapsulation of the attitudes of a significant subsection of men at the precise time it was made, with that pre-9/11 GenX angst. That movie would be entirely different if made 10 years or 20 years later. That goes for a lot of movies, but rings very true for this one.
While the movie has some issues, and is clearly a product of its time, it's also a fantastic representation of how self-centered people are.
In the film, dare I say, Marla is the only remotely admirable character (and that's a bit of a stretch as it is...), and much like Skylar in Breaking Bad, audiences (mostly men) kind of hated her for no good reason, especially if they over-sympathized with Jack and Tyler. I've never been Ms. Carter's biggest fan or anything, but looking back at that flick... Damn. What a complex role she had to play, putting up with all of "Tyler's" bullshit.
Also, I loved the Watchmen movie at the time, but looking back, I'm not sure it's that great, if even good. I need to rewatch it, but I don't think Snyder captured Moore's intent in the same way that, IMO, the TV series does.
While the movie has some issues, and is clearly a product of its time, it's also a fantastic representation of how self-centered people are.
In the film, dare I say, Marla is the only remotely admirable character (and that's a bit of a stretch as it is...), and much like Skylar in Breaking Bad, audiences (mostly men) kind of hated her for no good reason, especially if they over-sympathized with Jack and Tyler. I've never been Ms. Carter's biggest fan or anything, but looking back at that flick... Damn. What a complex role she had to play, putting up with all of "Tyler's" bullshit.
Also, I loved the Watchmen movie at the time, but looking back, I'm not sure it's that great, if even good. I need to rewatch it, but I don't think Snyder captured Moore's intent in the same way that, IMO, the TV series does.
01-07-20, 03:18 PM
#39
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Ah, I still like American Beauty. Hell, I still use one of Lester's quotes in the workplace.
"Lester, do you have a minute?"
"For you I've got five"
"Lester, do you have a minute?"
"For you I've got five"
01-07-20, 03:21 PM
#40
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
American Beauty- It’s a movie that I really liked when it came out. And I thought the performances were universally great. It felt sort of revolutionary for a Best Picture winner in 2000 - like it was really shanking things up. But it really hasn’t aged well, and not just because of Kevin Spacey. It feels very homophobic and archaic twenty years later. The new thinking that 1999 was maybe the best movie year ever has really hurt its reputation.
01-07-20, 04:31 PM
#41
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I love Planet of the Apes but over the years, Charlton Hestons acting has really begun to grate on my nerves. I actually enjoy the other movies more now just because he isn’t in them.
01-07-20, 05:19 PM
#42
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Not to mention the movie treats middle America, so like 95% of the country, like a dysfunctional mess. The only characters that were even remotely sane were the gay couple, which is fine but coming from a Hollywood screenwriter, who also happens to be gay, feels a bit condescending.
01-07-20, 08:09 PM
#43
DVD Talk Hero
01-07-20, 08:32 PM
#44
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Not to mention the movie treats middle America, so like 95% of the country, like a dysfunctional mess. The only characters that were even remotely sane were the gay couple, which is fine but coming from a Hollywood screenwriter, who also happens to be gay, feels a bit condescending.
The following users liked this post:
IBJoel (01-08-20)
01-08-20, 01:52 AM
#45
01-08-20, 06:29 AM
#46
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I don’t disagree. It’s the only one I have a poster for hanging in my media room.
Last edited by dex14; 01-08-20 at 08:48 AM.
01-08-20, 08:30 AM
#47
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
01-08-20, 08:31 AM
#48
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Fight Club is a film that was a perfect encapsulation of the attitudes of a significant subsection of men at the precise time it was made, with that pre-9/11 GenX angst. That movie would be entirely different if made 10 years or 20 years later. That goes for a lot of movies, but rings very true for this one.
While the movie has some issues, and is clearly a product of its time, it's also a fantastic representation of how self-centered people are.
While the movie has some issues, and is clearly a product of its time, it's also a fantastic representation of how self-centered people are.
01-08-20, 01:25 PM
#49
Administrator
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I don't entirely agree, but I was shocked at how much less I was digging the original in my series re-watch. Ford and Guinness are holding that thing together, and then Fisher helps out when she drops the accent.
01-08-20, 02:21 PM
#50
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Fight Club is a film that was a perfect encapsulation of the attitudes of a significant subsection of men at the precise time it was made, with that pre-9/11 GenX angst. That movie would be entirely different if made 10 years or 20 years later. That goes for a lot of movies, but rings very true for this one.
While the movie has some issues, and is clearly a product of its time, it's also a fantastic representation of how self-centered people are.
In the film, dare I say, Marla is the only remotely admirable character (and that's a bit of a stretch as it is...), and much like Skylar in Breaking Bad, audiences (mostly men) kind of hated her for no good reason, especially if they over-sympathized with Jack and Tyler. I've never been Ms. Carter's biggest fan or anything, but looking back at that flick... Damn. What a complex role she had to play, putting up with all of "Tyler's" bullshit.
Also, I loved the Watchmen movie at the time, but looking back, I'm not sure it's that great, if even good. I need to rewatch it, but I don't think Snyder captured Moore's intent in the same way that, IMO, the TV series does.
While the movie has some issues, and is clearly a product of its time, it's also a fantastic representation of how self-centered people are.
In the film, dare I say, Marla is the only remotely admirable character (and that's a bit of a stretch as it is...), and much like Skylar in Breaking Bad, audiences (mostly men) kind of hated her for no good reason, especially if they over-sympathized with Jack and Tyler. I've never been Ms. Carter's biggest fan or anything, but looking back at that flick... Damn. What a complex role she had to play, putting up with all of "Tyler's" bullshit.
Also, I loved the Watchmen movie at the time, but looking back, I'm not sure it's that great, if even good. I need to rewatch it, but I don't think Snyder captured Moore's intent in the same way that, IMO, the TV series does.