Looking at this lineup, it’s pretty obvious that the 70s might just be the absolute peak of American cinema. Back then, the directors were truly calling the shots—it was about their vision, not just what some producer wanted to push through. Honestly, it would be just as impressive to see a list of all the films that missed out on an Oscar. But man, looking at this specific selection, picking a single winner is almost impossible...
Now this is an interesting topic! It’s one of those subjects that's been pretty much forgotten lately, so it’s great to see it being brought back to life. I’ll throw out a couple of examples for the group: - Brian De Palma: I've already mentioned Mission to Mars (total Sci-Fi flop—honestly, probably his absolute worst) and Wise Guys (a crime comedy that I actually find quite charming, even if the critics mostly tore it apart). - Walter Hill: Brewster's Millions (his only real foray into comedy, and honestly, it's one of my favorite movies from the 80s, though I don't see people giving it much credit).
To be honest, I wasn't expecting much—I actually didn't care for The Royal Tenenbaums at all despite that incredible cast, and even Rushmore missed the mark for me—but for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I absolutely loved this one. Maybe it was because of Bill Murray (who is easily one of my favorites), or perhaps it was the rest of the cast (Willem Dafoe stands out above the rest), or maybe just the vibrant cinematography, that quirky sense of humor, or the soundtrack choice... honestly, who knows? Either way, I've already watched it a couple of times and I’d happily dive back in again.
Does anyone happen to know where this was filmed? I know they shot parts of it in California, but I can't quite pin down the specific town—specifically for that final scene at the end of the movie.
A lot of people probably won't agree with me on this one, but in my book, this is easily Spike Lee's absolute best work. Honestly, even more than the actual plot, it’s that thick, palpable atmosphere and the sense of melancholy—you could practically cut it with a knife—that really makes it. It's all about what's happening between the lines. The cast is just phenomenal—we're talking about some of the defining actors of their generation here (Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman), plus Barry Pepper delivers what is arguably his best performance ever. Even Rosario Dawson and Anna Paquin feel like essential parts of the story rather than just there for show, and Brian Cox proves he can be absolutely brilliant in roles that aren't villains (since he seems to play the bad guys most of the time lately). Truly one of the standout films released since the turn of the millennium!
Stribor Kusturica is actually the older brother of the Krivokapić brothers. Anyway, I wasn't really feeling this movie. To me, the plot felt a bit thin and the character development was just too naive—it didn't quite land for me—plus, Emir Kusturica leans way too hard into those slapstick, burlesque elements.
redowl90 said:Even though you started out by blaspheming against The Thin Red Line and Magnolia, I actually have to agree with what you wrote here. Or rather, I’ll only agree regarding The Man Who Wasn't There, which I personally found pretty tedious despite the gorgeous cinematography. And instead of Barton Fink (which I haven't seen), I'd put Miller's Crossing in that mix.
Man, I don't know—I actually think this movie is one of the absolute best things the Coen brothers have ever done. The acting is just top-tier (there are six or seven standout performances!), the twists are super solid, and there are just so many iconic moments—like when they say, ''Look in Your heart!''. I could go on forever!
Here are a few of my personal takes: I definitely fall into that camp of people who think The Thin Red Line and Magnolia are just plain boring. The Conversation is actually a pretty boring movie—but honestly, that’s a far cry from saying it isn't good! I still keep a copy in my collection, though. I honestly feel like I could watch The Remains of the Day over and over again—it’s one of those absolute gems that just never gets old! Every single time I sit down to watch it, I find something new to appreciate; it’s just so deeply engaging and stays interesting no matter how many times it rolls around. I watched All the President's Men recently—and man, it was a bit of a slog for me! You know, I’ve seen some polls floating around where people have actually crowned The Exorcist as the greatest horror movie of all time—and honestly? I think they've got a point. It isn't just empty jump scares; there's real substance there. I feel like Lost in Translation is honestly kind of Boring—it just drags for me—but I have to admit, the lead actors are enough to pull you through it. Citizen Kane has one of the absolute best endings in cinema history—hands down! Honestly, I have to agree—Alexander is just a terribly boring movie. You really need some patience when it comes to watching for Rublev—honestly, even I found it pretty Boring back when I was a teenager. The Crying Game is anything but a boring movie! I have to say, Mean Streets didn't exactly blow me away—even with all the massive amounts of praise I've been reading about it lately... Legends of the Fall is easily one of the most boring movies I've ever sat through...
Let's make one thing clear right from the jump—we aren't here to talk about those low-budget B and C movies. In this thread, let's stick to the heavy hitters—only the famous works by legendary directors and acclaimed authors. For instance: I have to admit, I was really looking forward to diving into Jim Jarmusch's work, but honestly? Both Dead Man and Broken Flowers felt pretty Boring to me—just couldn't quite get into the groove of them, despite my high expectations! When it comes to the Coen brothers, they really seem to have this binary way of working—it’s either an absolute blast or a total slog to sit through. Personally, I think Barton Fink and The Man Who Wasn't There fall squarely into that second category... definitely more of a "tough watch" than a fun night at the movies! Great Anti-recommendation: Half Nelson: Even though some big-shot critics have hailed this one as a masterpiece—some even ranking it among the top 10 films of the decade—it’s honestly such a drag. It’s just incredibly Boring. That being said, Gosling really did nail his part.
It feels like pretty much everyone has brought up the heavy hitters here—the remakes that actually work! In my book, you can't talk about successful updates without mentioning Ocean's Eleven (which I honestly think holds its own even better than the original), Cape Fear, and Narrow Margin. And hey, I’m totally on board regarding The Big Sleep, though I have to admit—I’ve always felt that the Hawkes version has a bit more edge to it. Alright, here are my top three picks for the absolute worst remakes ever made: Regarding *Breathless*—honestly, it feels like people usually go after movies that have a rock-solid plot when they decide to do a remake. But trying to take a classic like Godard's masterpiece and give it a modern makeover? That just felt completely pointless from the jump. Given how much soul was in the original, I can't say I'm surprised the result turned out exactly how we all expected it to. Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this lately—the original *Get Carter* was all about that raw, thick atmosphere, you know? It had a certain soul to it. But that remake? Man, it was just terrible. Even with a massive lineup of big-name Hollywood stars thrown at the screen, it just couldn't capture the magic. All those celebrities can't save a movie if the vibe is totally missing! I really thought the remake of *Diabolique* was going to be a winner—I mean, looking at that casting, it felt like such a slam dunk! Especially when you consider the two lead actresses; they were absolutely perfect for those roles. But honestly, that’s pretty much where the potential ended. It just didn't land for me. The atmosphere feels way thinner than it should, lacking that real sense of dread, and then there's the ending... they basically smoothed everything over to fit those typical Hollywood standards, which totally kills the impact. Such a missed opportunity!
My personal take: - Robert De Niro as Max Cady in Cape Fear is absolutely chilling, though if I'm being honest, he goes a bit over the top—Robert Mitchum was actually much more subtle in that same role back in the original version. - In Awakenings, he might also be overacting just a touch, but hey, playing a character dealing with illness was enough to snag him an Oscar nomination from the Academy. What’s truly surprising about that movie, though, is how understated and poised Robin Williams' performance is—something that became pretty rare later in his career. - For a total 180 in terms of roles: Sleepers shows off his ability to play a "normal" guy with a really grounded, measured performance. - Meet the Parents is such a fun comedy where almost everything lands perfectly, including De Niro's part—it was arguably his first real foray into classic comedy. - Now, Hide and Seek? That was a complete miss for me—just an unnecessary addition to his filmography. - Greetings feels like one of those early Brian De Palma projects that has a bit of a student film vibe to it—kind of reminiscent of certain gritty indie movements you see in cinema—similar to Hi, Mom (though the latter is definitely the better film). - You can't forget the Rupert Pupkin character in King of Comedy; those scenes he has with Jerry Lewis are just as hilarious as they are uncomfortable (the irony is that Jerry Lewis is actually incredibly restrained in this one). Summary: Even with a few instances of overacting and some lackluster movies, Robert De Niro remains one of the greatest actors of all time.
Here’s a pretty wild bit of trivia for you—Donald Sutherland actually experienced clinical death while they were filming this movie. It got so serious that they even called his wife at the time, telling her she needed to head over to the US to collect his remains. The director, Brian G. Hutton, also helmed that classic war epic Where Eagles Dare starring Eastwood, and get this—one of the assistants working on Kelly's Heroes was actually John Landis! Honestly, I couldn't agree more with the sentiment that we need way more movies like this on TV nowadays.
I remember watching this movie when I was about ten years old—it was one of those late-night Tuesday broadcasts on TV, probably around 10 PM—and man, certain scenes from it actually gave me nightmares! I missed the first few minutes because I wasn't paying attention, but after catching it a few more times, I realized just how solid of a film it really is. Gregory Peck is incredibly convincing here; it’s arguably his only true turn as a classic villain. And yeah—just to add to that—Jerry Goldsmith is easily one of my favorite film composers. He crafted so many iconic musical themes, though he only took home an Oscar once (for The Omen). I can't tell you how many times I've been mid-movie, thinking, "Wow, this score is incredible," only to find out it was a Goldsmith piece.
Regarding the awards haul, Rush actually picked up a Golden Globe (for his role in the TV movie) and an Emmy, though if you check IMDb, it mentions Hopkins was also in the running for a Palme d'Or at Cannes. It’s highly likely that in the US, the film went straight to television. I’m guessing they decided it didn't have much commercial appeal—which honestly feels weird given the casting and the director involved. Personally, I think Rush was the perfect choice—not just because of the acting caliber, but because the physical resemblance is spot on (there were even moments in Shine where he reminded me of Sellers). As for Hopkins, I’d definitely recommend checking out his earlier stuff—like the low-budget Dangerous game (a super cliché theme, but handled in such an innovative way) and the thriller Blown Away, which stars Jeff Bridges, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, and Lloyd Bridges. There was even talk about Spacey being the next Clousot. In the new Pink Panther, Martin's partners are two actors who might actually have been better fits for Clouseau—Kevin Kline and Jean Reno.
When it comes to the undisputed king of cinematic suffering, you really can't top Mel Gibson. Honestly—it’s like he’s being tortured in pretty much every single movie he stars in! Take Lethal Weapon, for example—he’s right in the thick of it. And if you ask me? It almost looks like he actually enjoys the chaos—the guy is a total masochist! In *Payback*, he basically just lets the villains put him through the wringer—totally plays along with their torture—just so he can pull off a massive sting and catch them all off guard. It's such a calculated move! So, look—it’s totally fine that William Wallace refuses to shout "mercy" in *Braveheart*; honestly, that actually works perfectly within the context of his character. But when he spits out that painkiller serum Sophie Marceau gave him? Now we’re getting into territory that feels like a massive overstatement. As a director, you can really see his obsession with scenes of intense torture—I mean, we’ve already talked about Braveheart, but he leans even harder into that vibe with Passion and Apocalypto. When it comes to depicting torture on screen—not just in general, but even when you look at the global landscape of cinema—I honestly think the series Unforgiven holds the absolute top spot. It’s just in a league of its own!
Knight Moves It felt like it was shaping up to be a solid thriller, but as the runtime dragged on, the quality just tanked—and honestly, the ending was such a bad ending, totally predictable and unconvincing. Now that I’m actually thinking about it, when was the last time we saw a decent movie featuring Lambert?
Mad Dog At first glance, it really had those Tarantino vibes—maybe even leaned a bit more toward Miller's Crossing. They definitely nailed the casting, throwing a ton of big names into some pretty interesting roles. Characters are dropping left and right, but there's always someone new and even more magnetic stepping in, which keeps things moving until about halfway through. But then, right at the climax, they kill off probably the most compelling character in the whole cast. From that point on, the pacing just falls off a cliff, and the second half of the film is, frankly, a bit of a snooze fest.
Personally, I’ve always been more drawn to Letters from Iwo Jima. While Flags of Our Fathers has a solid premise—that core idea is definitely there—it just feels like it lacks a certain drive, and the way it handles the characters felt a bit cold to me, if I'm being honest. With Letters, I felt much more connected to the characters—even though they're stuck in such a hopeless situation—and that's saying something, since I always have that recurring struggle with Asian films where I can't tell the characters apart! Now, Clint Eastwood—who I think is a Republican, if I recall correctly—takes this cynical stance toward American patriotism and all that sappy sentimentality in both movies. It's a trap that I feel Spielberg didn't quite manage to escape in Saving Private Ryan. In Letters, there are very few Americans among the cast, and when they do show up, they're mostly portrayed in a negative light. I can't think of many similar examples in American war movies right now, even though there are plenty out there that take the opposite approach.