Posts by driftingowl27

Richard Howard2 said:So, looking at all this... why do people in movies always act like "alternative" is automatically better than "mainstream"? Is there some unwritten rule? What's the logic there?

It’s because once you realize that "mainstream" stuff is basically built on a massive pile of recycled templates, there's a pretty high chance most of it is going to be exhausting, predictable, and just plain boring.

That doesn't mean "alternative" stuff is free from tropes or that it's inherently good by default, though.

Dante said:If you treat Apocalypse Now Redux like some obscure underground flick, sure, maybe I'd call it interesting. You don't really need to "get" underground cinema to appreciate it. But looking at it this way? It’s just a massive blockbuster that flopped hard.

Honestly, I would have loved it if someone actually told me I was wrong and walked me through what makes this movie good. As it stands, my honest impression while watching it? Total indifference.

Let me break it down for you. 🙂

First off, this Redux version is completely unnecessary. It just breaks the flow and drags in elements that add absolutely nothing to the story.

Second, Apocalypse Now is an underground movie by definition because it was funded by one of the iterations of Coppola's Zoetrope studio—basically his own money. So, if you don't call it underground, it's at least indie. 😉

Third, there's something fascinating about how the film works; the whole journey is spent using M. Sheen to imagine just how much of a monster General Kurtz actually is. Plus, the war itself is portrayed as this inevitable, senseless, and utterly idiotic thing.

You call it an anti-climax; I call it the most powerful Brand appearance in cinema history.
Man, for me, it lived up to the terrifying expectations of the characters, building that dread from the very start until the moment he finally shows up.
Maybe it's because that half-lit scene with that heavy monologue (Horror, horror ....) actually made my blood run cold. 🙂

BTW, I watched the original version on 35mm. 🙂

2+2=5 👋

Quote : Originally posted by briskmarlin59
Dammit, it's not Black Star, it's Dark Star... there you go, lonescout2, you passed the quiz. 😁

John Carpenter—this was basically supposed to be his senior thesis project, just a short film, but he ended up stretching it out into this wild, passionate parody. It’s a total legend. I actually remember seeing it on NBC back in the day. 😁

Nicole Baker said:Nah, but I’m always down to film some tits, I'm not exactly known for being stingy...

Same here... sometimes my friends give me these weird looks (like when I play the latest Xiu Xiu 😁), but other times they seem pretty happy with my taste (like my Velveta 🙂 compilation)
jebiga... 😁

So, what exactly are you studying over at the Film Academy?

redowl90 once said:We all know those people—you know exactly who I mean—the types like Blue Eyes or Mickey Legend who basically refuse to acknowledge anyone exists unless they’re directing masterpieces. For them, if it isn't Aki Kaurismäki, Luis Buñuel, François Truffaut, Andrei Tarkovsky, Pedro Almodóvar, Fritz Lang, or Rainer Werner Fassbinder, then it's just not real cinema. Period.

I mean, sure, you could survive without any of them. You’d make it. But let's be real—without guys like Pavlovic, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Akira Kurosawa, or Moodysson? Yeah, life would get a whole lot harder. 😉

redowl90 says...
Look, Mickey, for God's sake, tell me—why on earth was that movie so incredibly boring?

Because let's be real—it’s not like the movie is personally reaching out to me or anything. I mean, figuratively speaking, redowl90. 😉 Give me something actually worth my time, then. I mean, sitting through nearly three hours of this? Please. Honestly, I think I’d have a much better time just watching a Julia Roberts rom-com where she runs around being frantic and showing off a little more skin for 174 minutes straight. At least that wouldn't be such a slog. 😢 🙂

redowl90 said:And hey, look, if you actually want to know who my top actors are, just ask... but I’m telling you right now, neither Robert De Niro nor Al Pacino even make my top five. 😉

All those "beloved" classics are fucking overrated, honestly. It’s just that too many people refuse to open their eyes—or their brains—to anything that doesn't fit their narrow little worldview. They're stuck in these rigid ways of thinking and can't handle a different principle or approach if it actually challenged them. 😉

"So, what are your all-time favorite movies?"

The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption, and Citizen Kane.

"And who are your favorite actors?"

Robert De Niro and Al Pacino...

🙂 (to set the stage 🙂 )

Anyway, back to that painfully boring slog, Heat.
What’s the deal here? We’ve got Robert De Niro, who's nowhere near his creative prime, and Al Pacino, who isn't exactly firing on all cylinders either.
Then we have—and I'll admit this—an incredible technician in Michael Mann, who basically just proves he’s a master at telling a standard "cops & robbers" story through incredibly polished technical execution.

The point (redowl90, if that doesn't make sense, feel free to ask 😉 ), is that people are being sold total garbage, and they're buying it hook, line, and sinker. Everyone picks the exact same "favorite" movies, everyone loves the same actors, and when you bundle all that together with an excellent technician, suddenly it's hailed as a masterpiece!🙂 (for dramatic effect 🙂 )

Yeah, seriously... it's boring as hell... like some new Kaurismäki flick playing at the local Cinema, which is just absolute nonsense...🙏

Michelle Howard2 said:Miami, look, with all due respect, you’re full of it if you think Heat is trash. I would happily watch "trash" like that any day. And probably a few times over.

P.S.
Miami, if you actually thought De Niro and Al Pacino were never on set together for Heat, go watch it again. There's a killer scene where they're just grabbing coffee and talking. You can practically see the sparks flying off both of them... Don't undermine your own authority with surface-level stuff like that. 😉

Ugh, Michelle Howard2, where are you even coming from with that... 😘

As for Heat, it's an overrated mess. You've got everything from those baroque, try-hard, "look what I can do" Mann edits to that "I'm such a huge star" acting both of them push through the entire movie...
Mann really found his groove with The Insider... clearly he learned from his own mistakes 🙂

And that bit about them never being on set? That's confirmed info. One of the film's producers let it slip while he was drunk giving a guest lecture at my old college, a year before I even started there. 🙂
Obviously, for reasons that are impossible to fathom. 🙄
BTW, do you honestly think nobody ever had the idea to cast them together after they peaked in The Godfather? 😉
Body doubles, clever camera angles, and makeup work wonders 🙂

lebowski said:There’s actually some brains behind that Miami persona, just like a lot of people have pointed out to me before.

There's always been a certain chemistry between us, baby... 😳 😁

redowl90 said:Or maybe I just completely misread the situation (as per usual)?

You definitely misread it. As usual. But hey, you managed to take one for the team, so I guess we'll call it even. 🙂

copperdriver15 said:Alright, give me some movie recommendations where the acting is absolutely bottom-of-the-barrel. And please, if you can, try to actually explain *why* it’s so bad. I need the breakdown.

Let's just say... that absolutely horrific "Analyze that." 🙂
What on earth happened to De Niro?
So, the guy basically just switched to autopilot, hasn't he? And honestly, that’s exactly how these corporate drones have been coasting through life for years.
Let me clear something up here: Every actor basically has two main paths when it comes to actually breathing life into a role and adding nuance to characters that, on paper, are nothing more than dead letters.

Look, first things first: an actor actually has to *feel* the script. It’s not enough to just recite lines like some robot programmed to read. They need to live in that headspace so they can deliver an emotionally believable performance. That way, when you're watching, you don't feel like you're seeing someone "acting"—you get the impression that everything they're doing is just a natural, organic extension of the character on screen.
It’s just fucking brutal and exhausting, honestly. And man, De Niro used to be so damn good at this kind of thing back in the day... 😢

Then there’s the other way to look at it. Most actors basically spend decades building up this massive reservoir of raw emotion. Eventually, they don't even have to break a sweat to tap into it; they just pull from that same well to play a role or spin a dozen different variations on the same old themes. They can even push themselves into those total, over-the-top extremes—you know, "Analyze that."

De Niro hasn't had the willpower to actually give a powerhouse performance in years. Honestly, he’s just missing a genius director and a real partner to push him. And before anyone even thinks about bringing up that absolute garbage, Heat—just so we're clear, those two were never even on set together.
It’s actually pretty wild how the same director managed to briefly drag Al Pacino’s career straight into the gutter with *The Devil's Advocate*. Honestly, that movie was basically the absolute rock bottom for him.
If only it had been Russell Crowe on the other side. 🙂

Absolute masterpiece. Honestly, this might be the best thing the Coen brothers have ever put out. Everything about it just hits perfectly: the script, the direction... and the cinematography? Absolutely brilliant!!!!
Plus, the way they play around with those film noir tropes is top-tier—even better than in L.A. Confidential.
Do yourself a favor and watch it. 🙂

casualotter21 said:She is just soooooooo cuuuuuuuute!!!

Well, she's also a total babe... 😎 🙄

Man, if she actually shows some skin, I’m definitely watching that at least three times... 🙂

How many people they've fleeced... they could have used that money to digitize half of Africa 🙂

driftingowl27 said:First Salma Hayek starts rocking the mustache, and now J. Lo’s got a backside looking like Bigfoot's!!

I mean, that’s just how people dress these days 🙂

Anyway, I honestly think Coppola could do a killer job editing her butt out of frame—considering he hasn't actually made a decent movie in over 20 years. 🙂

The thread has taken a complete turn into the realm of pure imagination, thanks to all the contributors 🙂

Richard Howard2 said:I guess I'm finally officially cool

Butter! 🙂

Richard Howard2 said:Give me a break...

Oh, so you think you're actually cool now? 🙂 😁 😁 😁

Yeah, sure, you'll be "cool" right after you sit through Star Wars for the hundredth time... no biggie...😉