Posts by rapidbear20

rapidbear20 said:Right... the rules of attraction! But... I could've sworn I read somewhere that it was by Gus van Sant...

Probably just me getting mixed up...

lonelynx16 said:You're definitely thinking of Rules of Attraction, which was actually directed by Roger Avary... not Gus...

Right... the rules of attraction! But... I could've sworn I read somewhere that it was by Gus van Sant...

Gus van Sant is absolute top-tier👍. You know, that movie about college students and messy romance? There’s this one scene where the guy is hooking up with one girl while his mind is totally elsewhere on another... honestly, it hits hard. And then there's that part where a girl takes her own life and nobody can even wrap their heads around why. It’s just such a deep, layered piece of filmmaking. Does anyone remember the title?

Herbie... an actual car with a soul...

quietdriver3 said:And besides that, all the movies you listed take place in America, where there was a war, which ties back to the war theme again, so it's kind of repetitive, right? 🙄

Come on, man... what am I supposed to say? You're just waiting for me to say "yeah" so you can laugh and call me an idiot...
Sure, there was a war in America, but that's over and done with. My point was that some directors just lack any real imagination and end up leaning on wartime tropes because they don't know what else to do with a script. That's all I was getting at.

Honestly, there's no point in us going back and forth about which movies are masterpieces and which ones suck. Everyone's got their own taste, their own perspective, and their own way of seeing things. That goes for me, for Eric Jackson68, and yeah, even for you, quietdriver3...

When it comes to Bepa, let's be real—the movie isn't anything groundbreaking or particularly easy to wrap your head around...

Eric Jackson68 said:It’s truly fascinating how you were so hesitant to point out anything bad (why is 😕 ), yet suddenly I'm expected to provide the list of good ones. I can rattle off quality films quite easily, though I have a nagging suspicion you’ll never actually admit to the absolute garbage you've been watching over the last seven years. But fine, if we're playing this game: Witness, Live and Dead, What Iva Recorded on October 21st, 2003, Under the line, Trešeta, Karaula, Armin, and that lovely night in Split (go ahead, try to trash those—once you've exhausted your list of "bad" movies, I'll happily continue with the masterpieces).

The movie that actually left an impression on me was Matanić's "I Love You."
With Witness, the whole war theme is front and center, and honestly, I think American audiences have seen way too much of that lately... we've got a massive amount of partisan films, and local war movies have just become tedious. Don't try to tell me it's good... it's basically about how the war started on my island. Then there's that silly one—I can't remember the title, maybe something about Ogres?—with those riders who howl while charging at each other, some kind of knight or cavalry thing. And then there's the one where Navojec and Goran Višnjić play soldiers on opposite sides. For me, just like for a lot of people, Battle of Neretva is the big one.
I haven't seen Lives & Dead.
What Iva Recorded is just some family social drama she shot on her own camera... nothing special.
Under the Line is a social drama, nothing out of the ordinary, and again, it ties back to the war since the father is a veteran...
Trešeta is a film about islanders organizing a game of cards... the only interesting part is the directing style, with those screens showing things like spades and clubs...
Karaula... war, war, and more war... a bit of a dumb plot because the guy declares martial law just so his wife won't find out... doesn't matter if the soldiers end up getting wrecked or not.
Armin... nothing special.
That Lovely Night in Split... it's okay, I guess.
Something someone might actually consider a quality film is the one with Goran Višnjić playing a guy who ends up marrying an American... the story is a bit goofy, and the happy ending is pretty cheesy... why does it have to end with a wedding?
There's also this one film with a blond actor playing a pilot who gets stuck in enemy territory... it's a pretty solid movie, though I don't think it's American, even if they speak a little English in it...

Everyone has different tastes and opinions, but the fact remains that so many directors sprinkle at least a few details of the war storm into their movies...

Eric Jackson68 said:Well, it looks like my response to this is going to be just as ridiculous as this conclusion, which probably would have flown seven years ago. "Did they not accept you into school?"

Look, I haven't even bothered trying to get into the Academy. To me, an Academy should be a place that pushes people toward raw creativity, not one that forces them into a cookie-cutter mold.
As for the Academy Awards, Eric Jackson68, look at movie covers or posters—they slap those little gold statues on there as if they're the ultimate yardstick for quality. I hate to break it to you, but that’s just how the world decided to grade things, and I didn't make the rules. Personally, I think it's a pretty mindless way to judge art; just because a director or an actor hasn't snagged an Academy Award doesn't mean they aren't incredible...

It’s hard to top someone like Stanley Kubrick, and Alfred Hitchcock made a mountain of movies... you know? They're probably legends to most viewers, but when you look at film juries, Oscar winners, or people who don't really know their stuff, I'm not so sure how much weight they actually carry in those circles...

Some people see an Academy Award as a massive personal achievement, while others see it as nothing more than a huge marketing win...

And speaking of American cinema, come on—give me a list of a few American films that you think can actually stand toe-to-toe with the real heavyweights...

Here we go again, talking about American cinema. Honestly, let me tell you why most of the stuff coming out of the States lately just misses the mark... First off, the vast majority of these movies are clearly being made for the older crowd—people staring down retirement or already sitting in rocking chairs. Second, it feels like everyone is obsessed with rehashing war stories; you know the drill, it’s always either the son of some fallen soldier or they just throw in random military gear in the background to give it that "gritty" feel. Third, everything is made by following a stale formula; all these films are just cookie-cutter clones of one another. Fourth, some filmmakers are just chasing a paycheck, so they cram in gay characters and other trendy elements that traditional Americans tend to push back against. For those of us who actually bother watching the real masterpieces, it’s obvious that this fourth point is nothing more than a blatant cash grab.

Sure, these movies are produced by Academy graduates, but think about it this way: if you follow a recipe perfectly every single time, you might be a decent cook, but you’re never going to blow people's minds. You really wow an audience when you take that recipe and actually innovate to make it better...

So, my vote? Down with the Academy!!!

Eric Jackson68 said:Unrecognized auteurs? Give me a break. Maybe Kubrick was flying under the radar during his early stuff, but Hitchcock wasn't even in the same ballpark. He was widely celebrated, period.

And what about the Academy Awards, man? None of them actually walked away with the gold trophy...

lonelynx16 said:Look, you don't need a fancy degree to make great movies! Honestly, most directors who actually contribute anything meaningful to the art of cinema never even stepped foot in a film academy, so I don't think it's even worth mentioning them in this context. Take Tarkovsky, for example—he did graduate from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and ended up being one of the absolute greats, but that was strictly because of the mentorship he received, the specific people he crossed paths with at that school, his refusal to compromise, and just pure, unadulterated talent... Academies tend to put people in boxes... mostly...

Around here, it feels like most directors are just mere technicians, which is why our movies often feel like they were mass-produced on an assembly line. It’s not like there aren't talented people out there ready to shatter that status quo; the problem is that if you didn't go to the right academy, you simply don't get the opportunity... or you end up getting squeezed by financiers who have zero respect for artistic freedom...

Maybe my response is a bit off-topic, but what about Hitchcock and Kubrick? They were visionaries whose genius ideas weren't always immediately embraced by the mainstream—just watch Full Metal Jacket and everything will click for you.

Man, Michael Moore, the guy with the signature cap... I haven't actually sat down with SICKO yet, but I've caught *Crazy Arms* and *Fahrenheit 9/11*... honestly, they're pretty solid documentaries.

But after scrolling through your posts, I’m left wondering how doctors in America can have the nerve to just screw people over like that... where did the Hippocratic Oath go?

I totally blanked on Robert De Niro being in that American Express commercial... looking at the whole thing now, I can't help but wonder why some car hasn't just run him over yet!!!😂

Chris Hall47 said:I’m recalling yet another absolute bottom-feeder

Percy - The Green Mile


Shot at 2007-07-26

Goddammit, seriously...🙂

Man, looking back at that fiancé of Rose's in Titanic—that total creep who gave her that necklace... honestly, if I had somehow ended up being an actor on that set, I would’ve greased the entire deck with soap and left a gate unlatched just so he could slip right off the ship like a piece of trash going down a sewer pipe!