Look, honestly, I’m still not even sure if we actually rented Rocky IV that day. Maybe we did, maybe we didn't; maybe my old man just felt like watching a movie. It doesn't matter. What matters is that Rock wasn't what showed up—it was THAT movie. Or rather, the movie set in some hospital where everyone just talks, and the one where that big Indian rips out the water valve and chucks it through the window. If Rocky had been at the Blockbuster instead and I’d watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, maybe it would have told me something about America, about society, about conformity, or the repression of the individual. Maybe I could have drawn a line between Orwell's Big Brother and Ken Kesey's Big Nurse. But it wasn't. All I remember is that Indian, and only because he ripped out that water valve. Even back then, I knew it wasn't easy to rip something like that out and throw it out a window. Though, if anyone could do it, it was that massive Indian. And to me, that guy was more important than the nurse. And that Indian was mute. My old man told me that Indians aren't the only ones who are mute. He said plenty of people are mute too—they could speak if they wanted to, but they just won't. I just told him I had gym class tomorrow. And Philip told me Rocky IV would be on Netflix, so there was no point in renting it. ... ...Years later, in the distant future, I tried to wrap my head around One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by looking at all the social and political subtext, and suddenly that damn nurse started to mean something to me. I thought I was being pretty smart, until one day I read that Ken Kesey never even saw the Miloš Forman film because he lost his mind over how they messed up his Indian—since he was supposed to be the lead, but you can't tell from the screen. ... So I went to my old man and asked if he remembered that movie we watched, "the one in the asylum," and told him that the Indian was actually the main character because he ripped out that water valve. I told him it was Ken Kesey. Then my dad started acting weird and asked me who on earth Ken Kesey was, if he was one of those Beatnik drug types, and said he'd send all of them to work at a local quarry.
Well, then I asked him about the boy, and he told me he was just some regular guy..... 😁
dustyscout53 said:I don't get it. Where's the action? Where are the bodies?
...that documentary is basically like those Japanese horror flicks, like The Ring... people die just from watching the movie, specifically the ones who were actually in it... you missed that part... you getting it now?😁
I think the biggest issue here is that Leb brought up the Beats but completely left out Jack Kerouac. That's the real problem. Kerouac was basically the messiah of the Beat Generation—he wasn't just chasing a high; he was out there driving across the USA. He was the real deal, staying focused and not getting bogged down by the system. The only reason Leb ignored him is because he's a homophobe. ...if anyone suggested Leb hadn't actually read On the Road, they'd just call him an uneducated bigot. ..as it stands, he's just a bigot...😬
Just caught this recently and I honestly don't know what to make of it... maybe I just heard too much hype and expected something else entirely. Anyway, it's an interesting watch—fast-paced, witty, light, and doesn't take itself too seriously... ...that nightclub scene, specifically the part with Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals, is definitely the standout moment...
The rule is simple: if it hit theaters in the States this year, it counts. That’s the only fair way to judge, since everything released overseas usually doesn't land in our local multiplexes until halfway through next year. There you go. Besides, Musa was actually acting in films this year...
.Dogville .Lilja4ever .Talk to Her .Kill Bill .Irreversible
Movies that were close, but didn't quite crack the top 5... ..Mystic River ..Bowling for Columbine ..The Ring ..Rules of Attraction ..Matchstick Men ..Oh, and maybe Two Towers
1.Movie list ..honestly can't imagine how things worked without this one..
Post of the year:
1.In the One take and Russia topic about virgins by Dante ..mostly because his take was so convincingly delivered (even though I totally disagree)...
User of the year: A. Liberatore B. Robert Cooper41 C. Kozz --------------------- *Dante, newcomer, PBE, Zhabotinsky...
Special category award for the thread that surpassed everything else with its pure nonsense and sheer amount of wasted time; the winner deserves nothing more than a round of laughter and a massive pile of rotten eggs thrown at the mastermind behind it
This Is Spinal Tap is a legend, sure... but for me, Crowe’s Almost Famous takes the top spot. That movie is basically a love letter to rock and roll and the whole culture surrounding it. And honestly, even those singles aren't that far off from rock—you've still got Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden in the mix... it's a bit more pop, but close enough.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell the mars volta - de loused in the... hot hot heat - meke up the breakdown the strokes - room on fire a perfect circle - 13th step The White Stripes - Elephant ....
Fine, let’s just go with whatever Richard Hernandez13 says, provided we get a few big Hollywood blockbusters out of the deal... but who cares. The rule is simple: if it hit US theaters this year, it counts. (I don't know why Justin Patel and the rest of them care if a movie came out last year when it only actually made its US debut this year)
Alright folks, we’ve got about twenty days left in the year... just giving you some time to think if you haven't already. In short: give me your top five movies of the year. Whatever moved you, broke you, or made you laugh... be subjective, be objective, I don't care. The rule is simple: the movie had to hit US theaters or release on streaming/Blu-ray this year. Though, since most of you probably binged everything the second it dropped, you might already have your favorites lined up. ... ..so... go ahead. I'm holding out for Kill Bill and Little Miss Sunshine before I make my final call.
The real question is how they even survived months out at sea... I mean, once a cannon fires and clears the deck, survival is basically just pure luck at that point. Beyond that, for as long as I can remember, we haven't seen this kind of gritty realism in seafaring stories... You know, the classic romanticized version where ships sail toward each other, a few broadsides are exchanged, maybe a couple of guys get wounded, and then everyone just gets drunk and goes hunting for treasure.😁 Honestly, the direction is way stronger than the actual script... plus, seeing it from the perspective of a "ghost ship" adds such a cool layer. The movie would’ve lost so much impact if it kept switching back and forth between the British and the French.
Total number of movies? Honestly, I have no clue! I track my theater trips, and it’s usually about 40 a year... this year is looking to be around 40 as well. Plus there's everything on streaming, friends' collections, and Microsoft, which I don't even bother counting...
Dante said:Just rephrasing an old topic here. I'd much rather hear about movies you actually love instead of just what you hate. Sure, it's harder to be sincere about why a movie works than it is to just trash it. Since we're all here to find good stuff, let's talk about a classic you either just discovered or finally went back to see.
...it's true though. Tearing something down has always been easy. Actually praising something and explaining why? That's where people struggle... Plus, it makes sense—when you praise a movie, you're basically saying you found a piece of yourself in it. You're sharing a bit of your own taste. Trashing a movie doesn't require any effort at all.. ... ...And regarding classics... honestly, I'm almost afraid to watch certain old movies that meant a lot to me growing up. I don't want to risk being disappointed by them. Though, I did rewatch Paris, Texas recently, and it blew me away (it’s from the 80s, so who knows if it counts as a "classic" yet...).