Posts by holloweagle12

Just walked back in from the theater.

It was a fantastic documentary—honestly, it took me until the credits rolled to realize how much I’ve missed watching stuff that actually interests me without being some massive Hollywood blockbuster. Plus, there's nothing like catching something in your own language.

To be fair, I can't even remember the last time I sat down to watch a documentary on the "big screen," and man, it was such a blast.

For me personally, this hit a little harder than your average doc because I’ve actually known the main guy, Tulju, since I was a kid. I haven't seen him in maybe twenty years, but honestly? He hasn't changed one bit.

The whole thing plays out like a dark comedy—huge props to Ivona for directing this. It’s definitely not a fluke that it picked up all those awards at international festivals; we really have something to be proud of here. 👍

I highly recommend this to any real cinephile looking for a breath of fresh air. There are a few scenes—like the one where a character talks about his failed suicide attempt—that are absolutely going to become cult classics.

So, I head over to this video rental shop here in Washington, D.C. about two months ago—standard polite greetings, the whole bit—and I say to the clerk:
The Big Lebowski.
She’s just staring at her computer screen, telling me it doesn't exist. Apparently, since it hasn't been dubbed into American English—well, she clearly hasn't heard of it—so I suggest she try searching for The Dude.
She types away again, still insisting it's not there. She tells me, "No, seriously, nothing. I tried under b, l, and even v."

It’s such a bummer because my wife hasn't seen it yet, and it's an absolute classic—but I honestly can't wrap my head around how a place like this wouldn't have it. In a last-ditch effort, I ask her to search for The Big Lebowski specifically. She looks at me with this pure, "why is this guy bothering me?" expression, chewing her gum aggressively, and while she's typing, I catch a glimpse of her monitor sitting there at an angle. I couldn't believe my eyes—the girl was actually searching under the names of the video store employees. 😁 😍

Does anyone know a more clueless retail worker out there?
Randal from "Clerks" isn't even in the running here; this level of incompetence is reserved for real people. 😉

This movie feels like one of those polarizing ones—where half the audience will swear it’s a masterpiece while the other half just rolls their eyes because, let’s face it, it’s pretty mindless.

My wife, for instance, is definitely in the eye-rolling camp...😍

If you happen to remember Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure or Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey—and I only have these fuzzy, hazy memories from my younger, more rebellious days, but I’m fairly certain they were classics—this hits a similar note.

Just... slightly different...😛

(If the producers had actually possessed some guts and hadn't meddled so much in post-production—which was clearly the case here—this could have been an absolute knockout.)

IMDB

Scott Sanders2 said:You can't even put this movie in the same conversation as Ryan. Production-wise, Ryan was flawless, but it wasn't really an anti-war film nor did it dig deep into the actual mechanics of combat—it was more of an action drama wrapped in American kitsch.
The film in this thread belongs to an entirely different category... I wouldn't say it was gripping while I was watching it, but it succeeded brilliantly in conveying the core themes of the book, which still feel relevant today regarding the relationship between warfare and the media... the peak is, of course, that quote at the end:

James Bradley: "I finally came to the conclusion that he maybe he was right maybe there are no such things as heroes maybe there are just people like my dad, I finally came to understand why they were so uncomfortable being called heroes. Heroes are something we create, something we need. It's a way for us to understand what is almost incomprehensible, how people could sacrifice so much for us, but for my dad and these men the risks they took, the wounds they suffered, they did that for their buddies, they may have fought for there country but they died for there friends. For the man in front for the man beside him, and if we wish to truly honor these men we should remember them the way they really were the way my dad remembered them."

Especially in our society, where the word "hero" is constantly being exploited and politicized for every possible agenda, this quote makes the film essential viewing for anyone who doesn't grasp how "heroes" are manufactured or what their true motivations actually were...

Ultimately, I'd say Clint Eastwood crafted a phenomenal film that people might discuss while it's still in theaters, but I doubt anyone will walk out of the cinema with empty heads like they did after Ryan, where all that remained was just the impressive visual spectacle...

I'm right there with you. 👍

I’d also throw in that the mainstream media has mostly just ignored the film, probably because Clint did such a killer job calling out those hypocritical "anti-war" movements—the kind that, back in 1944 and even today, hide behind the "we're for peace" slogan to basically advocate for the US staying out of the tribal infighting of "savages" on other continents.
Who among us actually knew—aside from the folks who are looking for it—that "public opinion" in America back in 1944 was largely for pulling troops out of the combat zones because everyone was just "tired of the war"?

Clint showed the true face of the Hollywood liberals and the media establishment—and that's exactly why they're giving him the cold shoulder. They aren't stupid; they know exactly who this movie is really talking about.

Hats off to you, Clint Eastwood. 😘