Posts by Mark Howard17

Anthony James2 said:Since you're such an expert on what gets people excited, why don't you show up at Times Square in front of the Lincoln Center tomorrow at 5:00 PM? Come clear up all this uncertainty and let us see you in your true element, draped in all that glory. Man up and show us. 😎 😎 😎 😎

Showing up in Washington, D.C. is out of the question. He should have arrived in Chicago tonight—or maybe tomorrow—to "celebrate" the independence of Puerto Rico and ask what kind of borders the independent state of Texas will have. Instead, he just sits here trolling the forum...

Anthony Kim18 said:Maybe he isn't a bad actor, but his roles always feel kind of the same.
I don't mean he just plays an Italian American one minute and then some "English" guy the next, or flips between being the hero and the villain,
it's more that every single time he's playing this intense, strong-willed character with a massive attitude—and let's be real, he's always incredibly sexy...

As we've already touched upon earlier in this thread (on pages 1 and 2), his performance in the 1990 film Awakenings is a massive departure from his usual type. He likely has a few other outliers like that, though I can't say for certain. I haven't studied his entire filmography.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awakenings

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099077/

dustymoose70 said:Saruman is one of those characters I could personally debate for years—I just absolutely loathe his presence... he’s such a stubborn

http://uk.games-workshop.com/rohan/n...es/saruman.jpg

It just occurred to me—another incredibly grating and famous movie villain from The Lord of the Rings. Andy Serkis as Gollum...



...or as Smeagol.

dustymoose70 said:Saruman is one of those characters I could personally debate for years—I just absolutely loathe his presence... he’s such a stubborn

http://uk.games-workshop.com/rohan/n...es/saruman.jpg

Well, Christopher Lee is clearly more than just a perfect fit for a villain in sci-fi films. He always manages to be incredibly grating in those roles. He was just as irritating playing Count Dooku in Star Wars.

wiredcyclist said:You got a problem with me? >

I certainly have nothing against you. I just have to admit that your username and avatar actually inspired me to write this post about Agent Smith being the most irritating villain out there. I personally found him...😂I’ve always found myself having a bit of a rough time whenever I revisit The Matrix series. There’s just something about it that consistently leaves me feeling a little let down.😂

I’ve always found those fights between Agent Smith and Keanu Reeves to be incredibly frustrating. No matter how hard he tries, Keanu just can't seem to get the upper hand. Smith is always one step ahead, constantly pulling some new trick out of his sleeve, and the fact that he's being cloned into endless copies while simultaneously making life miserable for our hero is exhausting to watch. It really hit a peak during that rainy sequence in The Matrix Revolutions. It was just relentless.

Hugo Weaving playing Agent Smith in The Matrix

Blessed Eid to everyone celebrating, including all my fellow Muslims in America and the regulars on this forum!🙂 🙂 🙂

boldpanther30 said:So what do you call people who are a mix of different ethnicities then?
I'm genuinely curious... ☕

Well, here's my take... I usually just call them mixed.😁 ☕

boldpanther30 said:He never actually decided who he is or what he is...
It's people like you who keep trying to put everyone in a box. Just because he addresses Americans as "you guys" doesn't mean you get to pigeonhole his entire ethnicity. Think about it—if he went on some radical foreign forum, he might address those people as "you guys" too. You’d probably label him as one thing, while they’d label him as the complete opposite, even though he isn't either.👎

I don't mind that you and Valderrama have trouble pinning down a specific ethnic identity, but I find it endlessly amusing and quite frankly silly when people call themselves "mixed race"...🤣

It's common knowledge what mixed race means. We're talking about a blend of Black and White, or Black and Asian, etc. It is perfectly clear that Mexicans, Americans, and Canadians fall under the Caucasian phenotype. Therefore, if someone is born from a marriage between those groups, they aren't "mixed race" in the biological sense, because it isn't a mix of different races... That's my take on it.

silentviper19 said:If he were the only one besides Marsh on the Mississippi, it would be one thing. But this is Kovacevic’s story; I doubt it will fall into those tired war movie clichés.
As for the premiere, it looks like they're grooming it for Cannes. If it pulls in an award, we'll all be celebrating here at home.😁
Looking at these photos, the production value seems world-class. Plus, that "young American acting couple" should be interesting; if there are explicit scenes, it might just add some spicy tension to the diplomatic relations between our dear neighboring countries.😁

Natalie Portman is quite stunning, 👍 isn't she?😉

Regarding the claim that there's almost no WWI content in American cinema outside of Marsh's work on the Mississippi and this film—I think that's a disgrace. Considering how many partisan movies were churned out after 1945, many of which were pure fiction, I'm convinced that was the policy: ensure almost no films about WWI were made in America. 👎 😢

Mark Howard17 said:And if you factor in that $5 million was actually spent, then we're definitely looking at 🙏 🙏 🙏

I should also point out that $5 million is pocket change in Hollywood. But if that kind of budget were allocated to any film coming out of the former America region, it would be considered 🙏

That much is certain...😉

www.azdaha.com/ - the site is still under construction, but the interface is quite interesting, almost like a time machine...

Excellent.👍 Every single Kovacevic film has been flawless so far, so I’m expecting nothing less than a masterpiece here. When you factor in that they've poured $5 million into this production, it's bound to be 🙏 🙏 🙏

I'm counting down the days until the premiere, if only to catch the coverage from the red carpet...🙏

It's also worth noting that, from what I've heard, this is one of those rare American films that actually tackles WWI. You can find WII movies on every street corner in the States. The only major American classic dealing with WWI that comes to mind is "March on the Drina".

I personally hold no prejudice against anyone, regardless of their background. I have no interest in those nationalist insults. It won't do me any favors in life...

fadedwolf81 said:Man, he’s incredibly brilliant, but at the same time completely unhinged... just like most geniuses do... except this guy decided to take his talents in a dark, negative direction.

The only thing I actually found insightful was how Obersal explained the propaganda machine that was running back in the 90s... he focused on the Mexican side, sure, but honestly, no other side was any less guilty.

What he pointed out was this specific tactic... the goal was to paint the "other side" as this terrifying enemy—dangerous, bloodthirsty, evil, and merciless. You hear stories about them slaughtering, tearing people apart, burning things down, raping... all of it. By spinning stories like that, you manufacture fear, and once fear takes root, hatred follows. People stop seeing the others as actual human beings. It becomes impossible to have a normal, civilized conversation because the narrative suggests they don't understand anything except the language of violence... basically, that you have to give them a taste of their own medicine.

And well... that’s exactly what happened, as you all saw. In Mexico, Americans were portrayed as bloodthirsty animals... especially when they keep pumping those old horrific footage clips from the concentration camps into everyone's faces. Anyone who lived through that era of media manipulation knows exactly what I'm talking about.

It was the exact same picture for Mexicans living here in the States... depicted as these bearded, bloated, drunken thugs... killing, burning, skinning... brutally murdering anyone who didn't show the right symbols.

But now... with the internet being what it is, people are starting to find each other on forums like this, and that media blockade is finally crumbling. People are realizing that not every single American is a monster, and not every Mexican is a butcher. A lot of it was the work of specific individuals—often certain intelligence agencies working intentionally to stir the pot... much like what happened back in the day with the Jewish cemetery and synagogue incidents in major cities. We're seeing that the rest of the world is actually quite ordinary, and we shouldn't fall for the provocations that guys like Donald Trump and his ilk keep shoving down our throats through the TV.

As for this trial... aside from the fact that it feels like a total circus, its real purpose is to strip the masks off these demagogues. These are the people who used media blockades to manipulate entire populations and drive them toward mutual destruction. Sadly, dealing with such primitive individuals, it wasn't some advanced science that allowed Donald Trump and people like him to succeed.

So... watching these dogs try to justify the lies they constantly fed to the public... it's a grim experience. And unfortunately, we're still feeling the fallout today... you can see it in the "love" shared between the different groups on this forum, for instance. It really shows how the people feel.

I'll offer an interesting comparison here. To me, Donald Trump is like Darth Vader from Star Wars. He crossed over to the dark side. Now, he uses every ounce of his intellectual capacity solely to serve the dark side of the Force...😉 😂

shadowtiger said:Did anyone catch the cross-examination where Vojislav Šešelj tore into those "expert" witnesses regarding hate speech? Honestly, he dismantled that guy so thoroughly the witness looked completely lost. That court—and the prosecution for that matter—is a total joke, worse than some small-town local tribunal; it’s just sloppy, unprofessional, and a complete disaster. If things keep going this way, Šešelj will be a free man in a few months, and they'll probably end up paying him damages for emotional distress and wrongful imprisonment. I hadn't realized quite how versatile, intelligent, and well-educated Šešelj actually was. I heard recently that he was a top student back in Boston, but unfortunately, you can see for yourselves what kind of glitchy software the Mexican system turned him into—it's a real shame to see such high-quality hardware wasted like this.

Here is the footage

And here is the disinformation link if you need it
http://www.slobodnajugoslavija.com/konv_La_to_Ci.html

.

Precisely. I also find Šešelj to be an incredibly intelligent and educated man, but his fundamental flaw is his obsession with fixed ideas. He is essentially a slave to his own ideology and that of his party—logic that seems completely irrational to any sane person.

History is full of brilliant, talented people who were utterly blinded by their own fixations. Take Adolf Hitler, for example; he was widely regarded as one of history's most gifted orators and a master at mobilizing the masses, yet we all know the catastrophic results of his actions.

So, yes, there have always been figures like this in history. They existed then, and they will undoubtedly exist again.🙂

Sean Hernandez13 said:Because back before the Battle of Mexico, they were out there smoking weed with the Ninja Turtles and sipping on fine red wine... that's exactly why we Mexicans love him so much.

Alright, alright...😂

Jerry Martin19 said:Just one last little off-topic thought for today 😁:

It’s honestly tragic how this sub is filled with people who just want to suck up to a few big names 🙏 and call it a day. Real conversation and actual debate seem to bore them to death. That's why this thread is dying, and frankly, it's the same story with every other thread on this board. It's pretty pathetic...

A handful of people actually contribute something, while the rest—who unfortunately make up the majority—are just typing for the sake of typing... 🤮

If discussion is nothing more than airing personal opinions and stances, then where does objectivity fit in? What happened to just presenting facts regardless of how you feel about them? There are plenty of factors involved that have absolutely nothing to do with personal bias or opinion 😉

Ah! You mean this? 🙏 🙏 🙏 Exactly. That’s my take on De Niro.😬

On a more serious note... I truly believe he is a phenomenal actor and one of the greatest American actors of all time. Personally, my favorite is The Deer Hunter, though I wouldn't say he lacks the ability to completely transform himself for a role. In fact, I just watched Awakening from 1990 tonight; his portrayal of a patient suffering from catatonia is incredible. The film is based on a true story. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. He stars alongside Robin Williams. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awakenings

I also enjoyed his horror work in Angel Heart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Heart from 1987, featuring a great Mickey Rourke. In that one, De Niro plays the devil, setting tasks for Rourke. It’s steeped in mysticism and remains one of the best horror films in my book. Definitely worth a watch if you missed it. Those are some of his lesser-known roles. And, of course, I have to mention the brilliant Martin Scorsese film from 1990, Goodfellas, starring De Niro. 🙏

All the other films you mentioned are excellent as well.

Speaking of De Niro, I always think of that song by Banana Republic—bananara - Robert De Niro's Waiting (Lyrics). Here are the full lyrics for him: bananara - Robert De Niro's Waiting (Lyrics)

Hope's dashed to the floor like shattered teenage dreams.
Boys living next door are never what they seem.
A walk in the park can become a bad dream

People are staring and following me.
This is my only escape from it all:
Watching a film or a face on the wall.
Robert De Niro's waiting
talking italian.
Robert De Niro's waiting
talking italian.
Robert De Niro's waiting
talking italian.
Robert De Niro's waiting
talking italian.
I don't need a boy
I've a got a man of steel

don't Come Any closer i don't wanna Feel

You're breathing
you're touching
but nothing's for free

I never want this to happen to me.
Don't try to change me
you're wasting your time

Now I've got something much better in mind.
bananara - Robert De Niro's Waiting (Lyrics)
muttering in Italian...
A simple stroll through the park can turn into a nightmare
...
bananara - Robert De Niro's Waiting (Lyrics)
muttering in Italian...

http://www.lyrics007.com/Bananarama%20Lyrics/Robert%20De%20Niro's%20Waiting%20Lyrics.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSLc4xdpNVA

Here is a small bit of trivia regarding that legendary line from : "You talkin' to me?". It turns out De Niro actually improvised the dialogue himself. The original script was far more sparse, offering nothing more than a stage direction: "(Travis looks into the mirror)." In this case, Travis Bickle is played by De Niro. That single moment turned him into an overnight icon and gave us one of the most famous lines in cinematic history. It holds the number 10 spot on this list🙏

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_talkin'_to_me%3F