Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
01-08-20, 02:24 PM
#51
Political Exile
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I didn't like particularly like the cliffhanger ending back when the movie first came out. Having to wait 3 full years to find out what happens to Han, then the next movie resolve it in the first 15 minutes?
01-08-20, 03:09 PM
#52
DVD Talk Hero
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.
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IBJoel (01-08-20)
01-08-20, 05:53 PM
#53
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Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Why do you think Fight Club is tied to a particular time? Young men always think that way. I work with a guy who's a 3-percenter. The 18-25 demographic is always fertile ground for a call to violence and simple solutions, and that call is usually made by someone with ulterior motives.
01-08-20, 07:21 PM
#54
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
01-08-20, 09:45 PM
#55
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
My issue with Watchmen as a movie was it felt like a re-enactment of what was on the page more than a cohesive flick. Nothing really came to life in it for me.
That doesn't entirely make sense I guess, but they're two different mediums, if I wanted a digital comic I would have watched that instead.
That doesn't entirely make sense I guess, but they're two different mediums, if I wanted a digital comic I would have watched that instead.
01-08-20, 10:27 PM
#56
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Did anybody ever hold Watchmen (the movie) in high esteem? It didn't get good reviews or do big box office. As far as I was concerned it was unremarkable except for a fantastic opening credits and the absolutely perfect casting of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach
01-09-20, 08:32 AM
#57
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
My issue with Watchmen as a movie was it felt like a re-enactment of what was on the page more than a cohesive flick. Nothing really came to life in it for me.
That doesn't entirely make sense I guess, but they're two different mediums, if I wanted a digital comic I would have watched that instead.
That doesn't entirely make sense I guess, but they're two different mediums, if I wanted a digital comic I would have watched that instead.
01-09-20, 09:09 AM
#58
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Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
But Rich nailed exactly why the film doesn't hold up, I think, especially the long-ass Ultimate cut. I love the original material, and it's cool that so much of it was brought to the screen... but it feels... soulless.
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IBJoel (01-09-20)
01-09-20, 12:31 PM
#59
Administrator
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
My issue with Watchmen as a movie was it felt like a re-enactment of what was on the page more than a cohesive flick. Nothing really came to life in it for me.
That doesn't entirely make sense I guess, but they're two different mediums, if I wanted a digital comic I would have watched that instead.
That doesn't entirely make sense I guess, but they're two different mediums, if I wanted a digital comic I would have watched that instead.
*Not intending to debate their merits, simply their existence and clash with the original story's intent.
01-09-20, 12:44 PM
#60
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I imagine that the coolness factor was caused by executive meddling. Who is going to convince the big bosses at Warner to make a superhero movie about a bunch of characters that nobody can identify with, one of whom doesn't even bathe?
01-09-20, 12:50 PM
#61
Administrator
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I would agree, were it not for the rest of Snyder's ouvre. And he got his start directing music videos.
01-09-20, 02:19 PM
#62
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I like Watchmen, but I can see where people are coming from in that it pretty much is a direct adaptation of the graphic novel, and doesn’t add a lot to make it work as the best film.
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IBJoel (01-10-20)
01-09-20, 03:17 PM
#63
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Most importantly, look at how much world-building is done. The sets, the costumes, the casting, the iconic score. It all works. Nobody would call The Philosopher's Stone the best Harry Potter book, but like Star Wars it does a remarkably great job at world building, setting up the chess board for later moves.
I won't argue that Empire is a better movie, but Star Wars was a real achievement, worthy of all the praise and success it had. Obviously that isn't the case for the PT or ST.
01-09-20, 03:57 PM
#64
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Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Of course Star Wars is the better movie. Empire wouldn’t even exist if Star Wars didn’t hit it out of the park. And it most assuredly did. Great locations in the desert. A really great feel about everything on Tatooine. The great Alec Guinness. And it’s funny. There’s real laughs and joy in Star Wars. That’s something that is often overlooked. The genre hybridization is still astounding even today.
01-10-20, 12:43 AM
#65
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I found the Blu-ray for Poltergeist II and now want to sell it or give it away.
The special effects where they get zapped into that vortex or storm near the end is horrible.
The old guy Julian Beck was the only thing I remember about it and at the time I thought it was a scary movie.
The special effects where they get zapped into that vortex or storm near the end is horrible.
The old guy Julian Beck was the only thing I remember about it and at the time I thought it was a scary movie.
01-10-20, 01:07 PM
#66
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I think every John Woo directed American action movie has aged poorly. I used to like his style but now it all looks too ridiculously over-the-top.
01-10-20, 01:37 PM
#67
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Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Face/Off holds up. The script was just the right amount of silly to marry with his style.
01-10-20, 08:00 PM
#68
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Of course I’ve always thought Face/Off was too over the top to be enjoyable. I’ve also always preferred Broken Arrow over Face/Off because it wasn’t so ridiculous.
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tanman (01-12-20)
01-10-20, 08:51 PM
#69
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
I blind bought Face/Off a few years back because it was cheap. Maybe it’s because I didn’t see it initially, but yeah it’s pretty damn stupid. It’s not horrible to the point of being unwatchable, but I definitely wouldn’t call it a favorite either.
01-10-20, 10:48 PM
#70
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Face/Off is just 90's action excess with two of the biggest early 90's stars and just wallows in it all. I haven't seen it in ages but even back then it was corny as hell.
Braveheart is one of my favorite movies.
Sad to see all the mentions.
Braveheart is one of my favorite movies.
Sad to see all the mentions.
01-11-20, 09:08 AM
#71
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
All this besmirching of Face/off needs to stop right now! This is a movie that has Nicolas Cage playing John Travolta playing Nicolas Cage and vice versa. It has a high security prison where the inmates wear magnet boots and are forced to listen to the calming sounds of nature. It has peak Gina Gershon in a weird, incest-y relationship with her brother. It's John Woo's only American movie that fully realizes his Hong Kong aesthetic before moving into full on self parody with MI2. And it had this scene:
We should be so lucky to get a movie like Face/off every once in a while, warts and all. But instead, I guess we get to enjoy sitting through the same Marvel movie every 3 months for the next 20 years.
We should be so lucky to get a movie like Face/off every once in a while, warts and all. But instead, I guess we get to enjoy sitting through the same Marvel movie every 3 months for the next 20 years.
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Brack (01-11-20)
01-11-20, 10:05 AM
#72
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Batman Forever gets my vote. Back in 1995, I loved this film. I tried watching it last year and didn't even make it to the halfway point. I guess I didn't realize back then how silly and over the top the movie was compared to the Christopher Nolan films. Forever and Batman and Robin look and feel like a rehash of the 1966 Batman TV Show.
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IBJoel (01-13-20)
01-11-20, 10:25 AM
#73
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
Believe it or not , I actually once held the first American Pie movie in high regard when it was released in the summer of 1999. I think it was just because the style sex comedy I had watched on cable as a young teen had been missing for a long time and then this came out and recaptured the spirit. Going back to the early days of DVD, I remember getting this one close to when it came out. Because VHS was still the dominant brand at the time, many people in my apartment complex (housing mostly college students) came over to see my player and guess which movie everyone chose to watch time and time again? Two years later, I sold it.
01-11-20, 10:32 AM
#74
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Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
All this besmirching of Face/off needs to stop right now! This is a movie that has Nicolas Cage playing John Travolta playing Nicolas Cage and vice versa. It has a high security prison where the inmates wear magnet boots and are forced to listen to the calming sounds of nature. It has peak Gina Gershon in a weird, incest-y relationship with her brother. It's John Woo's only American movie that fully realizes his Hong Kong aesthetic before moving into full on self parody with MI2. And it had this scene:
https://youtu.be/PDnW5XxjwI8
We should be so lucky to get a movie like Face/off every once in a while, warts and all. But instead, I guess we get to enjoy sitting through the same Marvel movie every 3 months for the next 20 years.
https://youtu.be/PDnW5XxjwI8
We should be so lucky to get a movie like Face/off every once in a while, warts and all. But instead, I guess we get to enjoy sitting through the same Marvel movie every 3 months for the next 20 years.
01-11-20, 01:47 PM
#75
Re: Movies That You Once Held Above Others...But Not Anymore
When I was much younger I thought Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey was better than Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. When I grew up I picked up on the more nuanced humor of Excellent Adventure and come to realize that Bogus Journey was a tad dumbed down and gimmicky (though still a solid movie).
Also, I held Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as my favorite Trek movie. As I've gotten older, I much prefer the gentle humanity of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. (though Wrath is ultimately still the greatest Trek movie of all)
Also, I held Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as my favorite Trek movie. As I've gotten older, I much prefer the gentle humanity of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. (though Wrath is ultimately still the greatest Trek movie of all)