It was easily one of those rare cinematic experiences that just sticks with you. Everything clicked perfectly—the pacing, the acting, that massive plot twist, and the antagonist...
Ben Affleck plays the oblivious husband perfectly, while Rosamund Pike is absolutely chilling as Amazing Amy. She’s basically evil given human form.
Seven might be technically better, but it didn't hit me quite as hard the first time around. Joker and Panic Room were good, too.
Craig and Mara were solid in the remake, though they aren't anywhere near Noomi Rapace's level.
As for Fight Club, I unfortunately had the ending spoiled before I even sat down to watch it.
And honestly, it hits even harder when you watch it at seventeen...
To me, this movie is primarily about growing up and finally owning your own actions.
At its core, you could describe the film as a satire of that era. Every single character is miserable. They all commit these acts and then just sweep them under the rug immediately after. Take Mrs. Robinson, for instance; she had a child and rushed into a marriage without any real love. That kid is basically the byproduct of pure irresponsibility. Then there’s Benjamin, who is just completely lost in time and space. Pair those two together—young and old, good and evil, experienced versus naive, married versus single—and you have a recipe for disaster. It happens because nobody stops to think about the fallout if someone actually finds out. You've got Ben's parents already mapping out his entire life without ever bothering to ask him what he wants.
And then we have Elaine, who is arguably the most normal person in the whole thing. Relatively speaking. Though, even she is an eighteen-year-old who decides to get married only to bolt from her own wedding... 😁
The best part is how the ending suggests that both Ben and Elaine are right back where they started: lost. That look they share after the escape—that "Now what??" expression—is legendary.
I don't doubt they'll find a way to scrape by, but there's really no telling what their lives will look like given how reckless they've been.
Adam King6 said:Man, remember that Ronaldinho goal? The one where he just stood there and hammered it from like 20 yards out without any run-up? He was playing for Barcelona back then. It was like he didn't even have a plan for the ball, so he just decided, "Yeah, let's just score." 🙂
Chelsea in 2005, plus that Ronaldo goal from his Barca days when he danced through two defenders—pretty sure it was against Valencia.
Work in progress: - this isn't a definitive list, just a few favorites that could potentially make the final cut
Bergkamp vs Argentina '98 World Cup - As a massive diehard fan of the Oranje (especially during the 90s), this goal, along with the entire match against Argentina, remains permanently etched in my memory. The whole sequence is pure poetry—89 minutes gone, extra time looming, then Edwin van der Sar finds captain Frank de Boer, who delivers a millimeter-perfect 65m pass with that sharp left foot to Bergkamp. Dennis, being Dennis, settles the ball with such elegance, Ayala lunges, and then—cold-blooded execution! The Dutch commentator captures the delirium perfectly.
Rivaldo vs Valencia '99 La Liga - A bicycle kick from 20 meters out, right when it was tied 2-2 during an epic battle for the Champions League. Goal! A hat trick for Rivaldo, and Valencia gets sent packing from the UEFA Cup.
Mandžukić vs Real Madrid '17 Champions League - Regardless of my personal bias, it was a once-in-a-lifetime goal. The ball stayed airborne the entire time without ever touching the grass. Mandžo is one of the rare few to score in Champions League finals for two different clubs.
Van Persie vs Spain '14 World Cup - Easily one of the top five headers ever. To head Casillas back with a flick from 20 meters after a flawless assist... mindblowing.
Zidane vs Bayer Leverkusen '02 Champions League - You don't need much science when you have masters like Solari, Roberto Carlos, and Zizou on the pitch. An all-time great strike, scored with his weaker foot.
van Basten vs Russia '88 - Something that has been seen and analyzed 1,988 times.
CR7 vs Porto '08 Champions League - A projectile in every sense of the word.
CR7 vs Juventus '18 Champions League - Ten years later, it would be a sin not to mention it.
Pele vs Sweden '58 World Cup - For me, the best goal ever scored in a World Cup final. Pele is the best.
Carlos Alberto vs Italy '70 World Cup - The second-best goal in World Cup finals history. And look at that—those Brazilians doing it again. It’s the definition of teamwork, cooperation, reading the game, and sheer quality.
Bressan vs Barcelona '99 Champions League - For a 3-3 equalizer in the 90th minute against what was then the Netherlands Barca. You could see from the nosebleeds he was aiming for the far corner.
Zlatan Ibrahimović vs England '14 Friendly - People love him or hate him, but only special players pull this off. Ibra has certainly flirted with surreal goals before, but this might be his finest.
Zlatan Ibrahimović vs Italy '04 Euro - Once again, that Swedish Ibrahimović. A goal that indirectly knocked the Azzurri out of the Euro.
Borgetti vs Italy '02 World Cup - Poor Italy, someone always seems to score a wonder goal against them. This time it was Borgetti, a goal unlike anything I've ever seen before or since.
Bale vs Liverpool '18 Champions League - A bicycle kick in a Champions League final? 'Nuff said.
Del Piero vs Borussia Dortmund '97 Champions League - Making a Champions League final at just 20 years old? 'Nuff said. That was arguably Juve's strongest generation, specifically the squad from '95-'05.
Robben vs Manchester '10 Champions League - A perfect cross followed by even more perfect finishing from Robben.
Drogba vs Bayern Munich '12 Champions League - It might not be the kind of goal that gives you immediate "wow" factor, but just think about the context. You're down 0-1 in the 88th minute of a Champions League final, you've only had one corner the whole match, the cross comes straight in, and now you have to redirect it toward the goal against Neuer. Not only did Drogba redirect it, but he tucked it right into the corner of Neuer's net. Unforgettable.
Šuker vs Denmark '96 Euro - Just mentioning Šuker and Rivaldo in the same breath probably gives Schmeichel a headache and adds years to his age actually.
Messi vs Real Madrid '11 Champions League - Some people see this as some massive feat, but for Messi, weaving through five or six defenders just feels routine. This time it was against Real, against Mourinho, against the crowd, and against Casillas—all finished off with the right foot.
Messi vs Canada '14 World Cup - Personally, this is my favorite Messi goal. It perfectly illustrates how little effort he needs to cause absolute chaos. He starts at the center circle, Mascherano feeds him, he finds space, dances past two defenders, hits the post, and the ball bounces in. Short, sweet, and clinical.
Ilie vs Colombia '98 - Better known as the Romanian Cobra.
Those are just the ones that immediately popped into my head, though there are plenty more.
Brenda Taylor13 said:Honestly, there’s zero point even debating this... Maradona's goal against England—where he just snatched the ball in his own half and danced through half their entire squad—is already etched in stone as the greatest goal ever. I mean, think about it! That goal has everything you could possibly want: it happened on the biggest stage, in a high-stakes knockout match, against a massive opponent, delivered by an absolute legend in the middle of a legendary solo run... plus, it happened in the exact same game as the most controversial goal in history. Seriously, plenty of huge, decisive goals have bits and pieces of that magic, but nothing hits every single note quite like that one. So, the "greatest goal ever" was decided ages ago, and nothing since has topped it.
Obviously, that goal is easily in the top 5 or 10 of all time, considering the venue, the opposition, and the sheer technique. BUT—and it's a massive "but" for me—that entire match will always be remembered for that huge scandal (call it a refereeing error or Maradona cheating, take your pick). If that other goal had actually been disallowed, we probably wouldn't have even seen the second one. Even the England players themselves weren't 100% dialed in after that chaos. Regardless, the goal remains legendary, right up there with Messi vs Getafe.
So, here’s the deal: The whole point of football is simple—scoring goals. In your opinion, what is the greatest goal ever scored? There are piles upon piles of legendary, surreal strikes out there, so let's try to pick the absolute best.
RULES: 1. Everyone submit their own top 15 all-time goals list. 2. Every entry on the lists will be scored. 3. Scoring works like this: 1st place gets 15 points, 2nd gets 14, down to 15th getting 1 point. 4. I picked the number 15, but let's aim for somewhere between 10 and 20 total entries. 5. Out of the 15 spots, a single player can only have a maximum of 3 goals represented. 6. Voting runs from today, September 2nd, through the end of the month, September 30th. 7. When you post your list, include the details: who scored, who they scored against, the year, and the tournament. 8. Vote based on your own reasoning for why those specific goals deserve a spot. 9. If you have any questions, just shoot me a PM. 10. Anyone being disrespectful to others will be banned by the moderators. 11. Once the final list is out, there’s no editing allowed.
Just take a look at the lineup of women Cage has shared the screen with throughout his career😢in leading roles Holly Hunter, Cher, Maria Conchita Alonso, Bridget Fonda, Elizabeth Shue, Monica Potter, Genevieve Gabor, Meg Ryan, Carla Gugino, Catherine Keener, Patricia Arquette, Angelina Jolie, Teri Hatcher, Diane Kruger, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Claire Foy, Amber Heard, January Jones, Nicole Kidman, Vanessa Hudgens...
And don't forget adding absolute legends like Meryl Streep, Ellen Burstyn, and Shirley MacLaine to that list.
1. Matchstick Men (2003) - This is Cage at his absolute wildest as the con artist Roy Waller. It’s a flawless performance. You can really see all those nervous tics and that frantic energy coming through perfectly.
2. Face/Off (1997) - He manages to play the hero, the villain, and everything in between here. Personally, I was more drawn to him during those first 30 minutes playing Castor Troy, though he’s just as good as Sean Archer.
3. Bad Lieutenant (2009) - - I have to agree with the crazy guy in the post above. Cage absolutely kills it as this broken, selfish, drugged-out, and completely corrupt cop. And apparently, being that kind of trash still gives you the luxury of choosing between Eva Mendes and Fairuza Balk.
"If you actually want to be a great actor, you have to start acting like a criminal—you’ve got to be willing to break the rules and constantly hunt for the next big challenge," he says.
Nicolas Cage
The charismatic actor with those heavy, weary eyes was actually born Nicholas Kim Coppola. Being the nephew of the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, he always felt like his last name was more of a weight than an asset. He’s mentioned before that he had to change it just to break free in his own way and prove he could actually make it in Hollywood on his own merits. Since he’s a massive comic book nerd—he’s even said they’re basically the modern version of mythology—it makes sense that he looked to that world for inspiration. He took a cue from one of the Marvel heroes, Power Man (Luke Cage), and that’s how we ended up with the name Nicolas Cage.
His childhood was anything but easy. Growing up in Long Beach, California, he dealt with a lot of instability; his mother was frequently hospitalized due to severe depression, and those constant family crises eventually tore his parents apart. Between that divorce and the usual teenage rebellion, he spent most of his adolescence feeling lost and like he didn't quite fit in anywhere. He actually started out studying acting, but he ended up dropping out of school early. By seventeen, he was working the popcorn machine at a cinema in Fairfax. At the time, he was pretty discouraged, convinced that selling snacks was the ceiling for his career in the film industry, but things shifted when his uncle Coppola stepped in to help him out.
His film career kicked off back in 1983. He landed a role in his uncle's movie, Rumble Fish, and actually proved he could deliver. It turned out he had genuine acting chops, though people couldn't stop making jokes about his name. To move past that, he changed it and headed to an audition for Valley Girl, where he snagged the lead. Playing a troubled punk rocker earned him his first real paycheck—about $5,000—and effectively laid the groundwork for his entire Hollywood career.
Following that, in 1984, he teamed up with his good friend Matthew Modine for *Birdy*, an Alan Parker war drama exploring how the Vietnam War left its mark on American soldiers. He actually went as far as knocking out one of his own teeth just to make the performance feel more authentic. From there, he moved into roles in *Peggy Sue Got Married* and then *Moonstruck*. In that last one, he shared the screen with Cher, which really served as his first genuine breakout hit at the American box office.
Cage once remarked that Hollywood couldn't quite figure him out—whether he was actually an actor, a complete lunatic, or just one of those eccentric characters he played on screen. He’s always had this slightly offbeat, wild image that sets him apart. You can really see that specific brand of weirdness and his unique sense of humor shining through in movies like Raising Arizona and Wild at Heart. He basically cemented his cult status during the filming of Vampire's Kiss, specifically because he actually ate a live cockroach. Honestly, that isn't even the first time he's done something totally unhinged on set; he’s notorious for improvising, which I imagine drives his fellow cast and crew absolutely crazy.
He kept leaning into comedies, which eventually led him to take a part in Andrew Bergman's Moonstruck (1992), where he shared the screen with Sarah Jessica Parker. Not long after that, he pivoted toward heavy drama in Mike Figgis's Leaving Las Vegas, playing an alcoholic writer on a path toward suicide. It was a hell of a shift. His performance there was incredibly subtle and layered; he managed to weave this unexpected warmth and sense of humor into a pretty dark character. That role ended up snagging him the Oscar for Best Actor in 1995.
After picking up his Oscar, Cage decided to pivot his whole image, rebranding himself as an action lead. By knocking out three massive blockbusters back-to-back, he basically carved out a spot in that heavyweight tier alongside guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Harrison Ford. He kicked things off in 1996 with *The Rock*, playing this high-strung FBI agent who teams up with the only guy ever to break out of Alcatraz—played by Sean Connery—to save millions of innocent lives. From there, he jumped straight into *Con Air* in '97, and later that same year, he tackled *Face/Off*, where he and John Travolta get caught up in that intense, high-stakes game of identity swapping and psychological warfare.
After that, he took a breather from the action flicks to star in the romance 'City of Angels' (1998), before diving back into intense thrillers the same year—think 'Snake Eyes', the dark but legendary '8mm' (1999) by Joel Schumacher, and Martin Scorsese's 'Bringing Out the Dead' (1999). By the early 2000s, he landed a massive hit with 'Gone in 60 Seconds', featuring Angelina Jolie, though he hit a bit of a slump shortly after with projects like 'The Family Man' (2000), 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' (2001), and 'Windtalkers' (2002), which didn't exactly win over critics or audiences.
He really found his footing again with Spike Jonze's comedy-drama 'Adaptation', where he played a fictionalized version of real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (along with an imaginary twin brother) struggling to turn a bestseller into a script. That performance earned him his second Oscar nomination in 2002. Interestingly, that same year he tried his hand at directing with 'Sonny', though the critics weren't exactly kind to it.
In 2004, he stepped into the shoes of Ben Gates for the blockbuster 'National Treasure', embarking on a high-stakes treasure hunt. The following year, he played Yuri Orlov in 'Lord of War', portraying an arms dealer traveling the globe while running from both external threats and internal demons. While the film itself was polarizing, everyone agreed his performance was top-tier. He also picked up praise for the comedy-drama 'Matchstick Men' (2005) and pulled at a lot of American heartstrings in the 2006 drama 'World Trade Center'. That same year, he appeared in a remake of the 1973 classic 'Dirty Harry', playing a cop investigating a disappearance.
2007 turned out to be a pretty big year for Cage. Even if the critics weren't fully on board, both of his major releases seemed poised to crush it at the box office. In 'Ghost Rider', he plays a skeleton riding a motorcycle to collect sinner souls, and in his follow-up, 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets', he returns to familiar territory for another wild adventure.
On the personal side, he’s been married three times—first to Patricia Arquette, then to Lisa Marie Presley, and now to Alice. He has a son, Kal-El, born in 2005, who will eventually get to hang out with his older brother, Weston Coppola Cage, from his relationship with Kristina Fulton. --------------------------------- Source: http://www.filmski.net/dossier/363/nicolas_cage
[B]Whether you despise him, adore him, think he’s a hack, or view him as some kind of clownish caricature—you just can't deny the man's raw talent. When he's actually dialed in, there isn't a role on the planet he can't absolutely crush. The real issue is that he hasn't been truly "in the zone" for about 15 years now, barring a few standout performances.
In your opinion, what is the absolute best performance of Nicolas Cage's career?[/B]
quietharbor50 said:What’s actually dangerous isn't just the calorie deficit; it's the math. When someone claims they're eating "the absolute bare minimum" but their idea of three slices of bread somehow fails to add up to 1,000 calories, they aren't just undercounting—they're completely delusional about the numbers.
Larry Phillips72 said:Then they clearly don't know how to do basic math. Given that level of activity, anything under 2,000 calories would be a total mistake.
Trust me, there’s a math error somewhere in here. Four slices of whole wheat toast come out to about 266 calories—that's based on the 100g serving size listed on the box. That’s basically my daily bread allotment. Once I add everything else up, I’m landing somewhere between 500 and 1,000 calories a day.
I know it’s risky and honestly pretty minimal, but like I said, I'm not working right now. I can't bank on burning off a ton of calories at the office like I used to.
Alright, you're hitting the gym, which is a good start, and your goal is weight loss...
To get where you want to be, it really just comes down to a caloric deficit—meaning you have to consume fewer calories than your body burns...
Since you've added cardio into the mix, you actually have a bit more breathing room with your food intake...
The list of what you eat doesn't tell me much because you haven't mentioned quantities; you've just listed types of food...
1. Figure out the total calorie count for everything. Personally, I wouldn't drop below 2,000, especially since you're quite active. If you can lose weight while eating more than that, even better, because it gives you more fuel to make progress.
2. What you eat post-workout depends on what you ate earlier in the day—basically, how much wiggle room you have left in your daily limit. But since you're doing both weights and cardio, it would be OPTIMAL to hit some protein and maybe some...
Just fruit and yogurt won't cut it. I’d aim for a solid meal with higher protein content. Fruit is fine—you could have two or three pieces—but again, it all circles back to your total daily calories...
So, there isn't a simple answer. It's a bit more complex than that.
Thnx for the response and the advice. Let's put it this way: I've been sticking to under 1,000 calories a day since I started training. I've cut bread down to an absolute bare minimum—just two or three slices of whole wheat at most per day. I didn't specify amounts before, but I was trying to say I barely eat anything to stave off hunger. I should also mention I eat a fair amount of soup. Like I said, I'm capping it at a maximum of 1,000 calories a day.
My plan for the next three or four months is to ramp up the intensity on the treadmill. Right now, I'm at a 9 incline and 5 speed; next month I'll bump it to 9 incline and 5.2 speed. In March, I'm aiming for 9.5 incline and 5.2, and by April, I want to hit 9.5 incline and 5.5 speed.
Hey everyone, fellow fitness enthusiasts and people who actually care about staying active.
So, here’s the deal: I’ve put on about 22 pounds and it needs to come off. I hit the gym starting February 1st and I’ve been training based on my current fitness level and whatever my body can handle when it comes to strength work.
I set up a meal plan with three meals a day. Breakfast at 11:00 AM, lunch at 3:00 PM, and dinner at 7:00 PM.
I’ve cut out pizza, fast food, McDonald's, sweets, alcohol, coffee, and soda.
The menu is pretty standard. I don't follow a hyper-specific diet plan, but I make sure to include carbs, protein, and fats. It’s mostly eggs, grits, canned tuna, chicken, turkey, and rice—though I’ll occasionally have a sandwich with some deli ham, salami, or cheese. I figure having those twice a week won't kill me. Naturally, the portions are much smaller now. Sometimes it feels like I’m barely eating more than a single bite.
I head to the gym after dinner, about an hour later, around 8:00 PM.
I start with strength training first—hitting arms, legs, chest, back, and so on. Then I move into an hour of cardio via power walking. I start at a 9.0 incline and 5.0 speed. It’s a solid workout; it isn't overly taxing, but it burns roughly 800 calories. I stick to this routine Monday through Friday, take Saturdays off, and use Sundays for a light jog.
My main question is: what should I be eating after a session like that? For the first three days, I just had two oranges and a glass of yogurt, but today I grabbed a protein bar. That’s roughly 200 calories.
For me, there’s only one true, original Jumanji from 1995.
Anything else is just an insult to a timeless classic. Jumanji was my entire childhood. Anyone who grew up in the 90s knows this was the absolute gold standard—right up there with Home Alone or Dumb & Dumber...
But the real power of Jumanji lies in all those unsettling questions left hanging since '95. What actually *is* Jumanji? Where did it come from? How many people played it before? Can you actually die inside the game? Did Kirsten Dunst's character die during the match? If everyone dies, who is left to finish the game? Does that hunter, Van Pelt, realize he's just a part of the game? Why is it that only the kids can hear the game's sound? Can the board itself be destroyed? And so on, and so forth...
Then, of course, there's the legend, Robin Williams. Even the rest of the original cast was perfectly balanced.
The Avengers are definitely three steps ahead of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
They just work better—they're more fun, carry more drama, and actually have a cohesive structure. On the flip side, you've got Star Wars episodes 7 through 9, which aren't necessarily bad movies, but you can tell the whole thing was a bit of a mess from the ground up.
The reason so many people are bashing this new Star Wars saga is simply because it doesn't come close to the original trilogy. But honestly, it shouldn't try to. That original run is one of a kind, and it's pretty ridiculous to tear these apart just because they don't match the quality of The Empire Strikes Back.
It’s honestly tough to pick a definitive winner, but if I had to crown his most flawless and impactful work, it would be JFK (1991). It’s a movie without a single flaw, and let’s be real—that subject matter is incredibly dangerous territory to tackle, especially when you're actually filming it.
I’d also throw No Way Out (1987) into my top two, mostly because it features one of the most gut-wrenching twists I've ever seen on screen, along with Mr. Brooks (2007), which features an absolutely brilliant 180-degree shift in a purely evil antagonist.
Then there’s the rest of the heavy hitters: The Untouchables, Dances with Wolves, and A Perfect World (which is underrated, don't @ me). You can't forget the sleeper hits like Black and White, Revenge, and Silverado, or his sports dramas, specifically Tin Cup and the better of the two, Bull Durham. In my opinion, he really hits his stride when he's playing in political thrillers or Westerns with a political edge.
