Three somewhat obscure movies, everyone should see

[Lefty]

The main thing that I don't care about in movies are those that rely on special effects to keep the audience interested. I much prefer unique and unusual plots and clever memorable dialog.   

For example, In Bruges was a million times better to me than Avatar was, though Avatar probably had a production cost a million times higher than In Bruges. I cannot remember one piece of dialog from Avatar, but In Bruges was chock full of great memorable lines from start to finish. 

[deepthroat]

I'm not a big drama fan, but that doesn't mean I don't watch and sometimes really enjoy dramas. I really like Pac-Man's description, that although having a shorthand understanding of what types of films I generally enjoy makes selection simpler, I don't "nail that to the mast" and reject anything that doesn't fit into the boxes I've decided are my favorites.

With that said, I had a friend who went to see Saving Private Ryan with a buddy in a large theater when it was on first run.

At the end of the showing, when the credits came up and there was not a dry eye in the house, my buddy stood up and said loudly to our mutual friend "Wow, I thought there'd be more laughs."

I still chuckle every time I think of that story.

[Hefe]

Yeah.... One of my friends said he was disappointed after watching "Dancing with Wolves" cause he thought it would be a musical.

[seven]

I can't wait for your opinion of Django. I thought I must see it but I wasn't expecting something so entertaining. It's a completely Over-The-Top outrageous parody of a western that brings all the elements of so many western classics & hurls them onto the screen in a manner that took my breath away. It's terrific in parts, dumb in others, in many ways it is a complete travesty that western purists should arguably reject. But I found it marvelously entertaining & for that, I forgive it of everything else.

 

 

 

Not hard to understand at all. I didn't think I was writing that I'm right & everybody else is wrong. Sorry if I gave that impression. Now go see Django, it's terrific. 

No worries.  Problem is, nowadays going to the theaters in the west is nothing like in Los. You get cellphones ringing, a bunch of loud teenagers commenting and talking through the movie. Recently a man who was disturbed by a group of  teenagers politely asked them to be quiet and show some respect to the rest of the paying audience. He got his nose broken by said fine young men. Its much nicer going to the theaters in Los, but then you have to settle for either  Ironman or Avengers.

[seven]

 Avatar was, though Avatar probably had a production cost a million times higher than In Bruges. I cannot remember one piece of dialog from Avatar, 

Thank you for that. I thought i was alone thinking Avatar was too hyped. It was more boring  3 hours than the Titanic remake.

[deepthroat]

Thank you for that. I thought i was alone thinking Avatar was too hyped. It was more boring  3 hours than the Titanic remake.

All sizzle and no steak. I actually was looking forward to it, and remember I enjoyed it at the time, but have no interest in watching it again and no recollection of the plot beyond "looking for minerals flying on dragons kicking bad guy ass."

Sort of like trying to make a meal out of cotton candy. Tastes good at first but not very nutritious.

[JaiDee]

I torrented Avatar when it came out just because it was so popular, but never played it; that was 3 years ago so I am quite sure I won't ever see it now and I'm not too bothered about that.

 

   Hefe mentioned "Raising Arizona", which I would agree was a very rare funny comedy.....those Coen brothers usually do very good work and insert some comedy into most of their stuff, 'Fargo' included.  The Big Lebowski and Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? also of course. I wasn't all that sold on Burn After Reading, despite the great cast.

 

One more they did which is actually pretty funny and also has one of my favorite actors of all time; 'Intolerable Cruelty' with George Clooney and an in-her-ultimate-prime Katherine Zeta Jones.  If you guys haven't seen it I'd recommend it, if for no other reason than to realize just how lucky Michael Douglas actually is.

 

            Lefty mentioned 'In Bruges'; I haven't seen it yet because I don't care at all for Colin Farrel, I think he is just a smug SOB along the lines of a Robert Downey Jr.  But I know I have it on one of my HD's, I think I will watch it some day based on the recommendations here.

[Lefty]

Yeah.... One of my friends said he was disappointed after watching "Dancing with Wolves" cause he thought it would be a musical.

Speaking of this movie, which I saw when it first came out and liked very much, I found out last year there is an extended cut version which I had not seen or heard about before. The extended cut must have had at least an extra 30 minutes and it was almost like seeing a new movie. If you enjoyed the theatrical version, I recommend finding the extended cut and watching. Most of the time I think is added into the front of the movie when Coster first arrives at his post out in the middle of nowhere. Also it shows what was going on there before his arrival and led to his finding it deserted when he arrived. The theatrical I think was 181 minutes, which is still pretty long, but the extended or director's cut is 236, so that is almost an hour longer. There is also a 224 minute version mentioned on IMDB. 

 

To make the topic of DWW lb forum appropriate, there was the one Lakota version of a transgender or gay with the boy named Smiles A Lot. He was sure a cutie. 

 

Anyway, if seeing the director's cut appeals to you, I did find it on torrents. So, that is an option if you do not wish to buy it. 

[Lefty]

Thank you for that. I thought i was alone thinking Avatar was too hyped. It was more boring  3 hours than the Titanic remake.

The thing too about Avatar was the basic plot. It was basically the American west of the 1800s, set far into the future. We had the white settlers coming  in hoards and destroying and taking the land from the indigenous people who had lived there for thousands of years just fine.  Tired old plot with a bunch of fancy special effects added to appeal to people who want mindless entertainment IMO. The only reason I went to see it in Pattaya was a ladyboy I knew at the time, wanted to see it. I cannot even remember which one now. 

[JaiDee]

 The only reason I went to see it in Pattaya was a ladyboy I knew at the time, wanted to see it. I cannot even remember which one now. 

 

 I hate to keep beating a dead horse,  but I think that is the way a LOT of us have seen these completely foolish flicks over the years.  We suffer through silly movies we would never watch on our own because we are with an LB and they like movies with a lot of bells and whistles and special effects, etc.....

 

   Can't say I really blame them though; have you ever seen a Thai soap opera?

[seven]

TThe only reason I went to see it in Pattaya was a ladyboy I knew at the time, wanted to see it. I cannot even remember which one now. 

Of course. And my company had already seen it but she wanted to see it again.

[seven]

I  'In Bruges'; I haven't seen it yet because I don't care at all for Colin Farrel, I think he is just a smug SOB along the lines of a Robert Downey Jr.  But I know I have it on one of my HD's, I think I will watch it some day based on the recommendations here.

Its a good clever movie. I can't stand Farrel either, but Gleeson is the star in this one.

I like Downey Jr though, but Farrel is in the same C-league as Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds.

[thaibound]

I like all different types of films...

 

I like comedy, I like adventure, I like action, I like sci fi, I like drama, I like westerns and I like the tweeners...Those that kinda sorta don't fit in one or the other category or fit in several...

 

I like to be entertained...I like to be wowed...At times I like to be made to think a bit and most of all, I like to laugh and I like to cry...

 

I guess that I'm kinda sorta like Woody Allen in Play It Again Sam when his soon to be ex wife tells him as she is leaving him, "That's because you're one of life's great watchers."  I suppose that I too am more of a watcher than a doer...

 

And least we all forget...It's a business...It's an industry...Every time a film is made it is intended to make money...That means that they don't make films for a select few...They make films for a select many...

 

They make films to make money...Not to make art...That they do on occasion make art...Is incidental...

 

 

i love this thread.

and  i love the movies.

although in truth i really dislike most movies.

but that's like disliking most people. there are so fucking many of them out there the idea of liking all of them, or even most of them, or even one particular subset of them, is, to me, ludicrous. simply not feasible. so get over it. but don't stop looking for --and appreciating -- the exceptions...

and i very much agree with this quoted post by Kahuna.

but that is not to say i agree with him elsewhere.

fact is, i have met no one with whom i have found consistent consensus with regard to determining whether a movie is "good" or "bad" -- not even myself.  which is why i go see so many of them. i don't need the excuse of an lb on my arm to go see some giant adventure film.  truth is, i could  unabashedly include several so-called 'action-adventure' films in my personal "top twenty". which would also include comedies and westerns and sci-fi fantasies and biographies and documentaries and melodramas and "tweeners" of every sort. the only difficulty i'd have would be giving any order to the 40 films i'd have tied in 10th place.    

 

although i confess my personal top twenty pieces of music would be blatantly --and forever -- devoid of opera, country-western disco, issan rock, and rap, i can not so easily exclude any genre from a list of my favorite movies.

 

because the movies are magic. and while i understand that many people choose to pre-select their viewing options based upon the cast or the director or the subject matter or the damned starting time for that matter, in the end those factors will never determine a film's  'goodness/badness'. imagine if you will a film directed by the great arthur penn, screenplay by the great lillian hellman based upon a play by the great horton foote, and starring a cast of greats including robert redford, marlon brando, jane fonda, e.g. marshall, and robert duvall. is there any movie-lover out there who doesn't know those names and wouldn't jump at the chance to see that movie? well, don't. it's called 'the chase'. it was made in 1966. and it *sucked*.

 

instead, see some of the movies recommended here, be they obscure or hollywood mega-hits. and please don't fall into the easy trap of trashing all hollywood films as though they were all one and the same simply because they cost a lot of money and were made by people who spend their entire lives making movies. now and then hollywood makes a movie as great as any obscure little art film you're likely to find anywhere. now and then. and 'now and then' is about all i ask out of anything these days.

 

i was going to name a few comedies to "prove" that some are truly funny. and name a few sci fi films to "prove" some are truly moving, but....i'm not proselytizing for anyone or anything here. i have the feeling that if you didn't already love the movies -- maybe even as much as i do -- you wouldn't be spending your time reading this thread in the first place.

 

so don't allow your preconceptions to limit your horizons. as i have learned over the years with regard to another interest we all have in common --  'now and then' they can be just as beautiful even if they don't have tits.

 

[Lefty]

 I hate to keep beating a dead horse,  but I think that is the way a LOT of us have seen these completely foolish flicks over the years.  We suffer through silly movies we would never watch on our own because we are with an LB and they like movies with a lot of bells and whistles and special effects, etc.....

 

   Can't say I really blame them though; have you ever seen a Thai soap opera?

Just bits and pieces of their soaps. I try to not pay much attention when one comes on. Actually Avatar was easier to sit through than the other time I let a lb talk me into taking her to a movie. It was a Thai movie with ghosts, and a love story I think. That one was tough. She kept asking me if I was liking it ok, and of course I smiled and pretended I did.

 

On the other side of the coin I took two different lbs and one gg with me over 3 of the 4 times I went to watch Inglourious Basterds at Avenue Mall. I think it was there for a month at least and I would go about once a week.  I don't remember who 2 of them were, but one was Sonya from Linda Bar. She is IMO highly intelligent, and I'd guess fairly well educated compared to most of peers. She seemed like she really enjoyed it and the way she reacted to some of the things in the movie led me to believe she understood what was going on.  She also said as we were leaving that she did like the movie. 

[Lefty]

Its a good clever movie. I can't stand Farrel either, but Gleeson is the star in this one.

I like Downey Jr though, but Farrel is in the same C-league as Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds.

I'm not a fan of Cooper or Reynolds, and I've not seen enough things with Farrell that are memorable to me in a negative way, but if I were to judge him by In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, he's on my A Team for sure. The best lines in In Bruges IMO though, were from Ralph Fiennes. Farrell won a Golden Globe for best actor for In Bruges, which is pretty cool. I guess that is sort of a minor league version of the Oscar, but still a fine achievement, 

[dixon cox]

I just watched Django Unchained and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That 2 hours and 45 minutes passed way too fast.

 

Both Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz were sensational and I would definitely watch it again in the future. I am not a big fan of western style movies but that element almost went by unnoticed because the story and dialogue were so captivating. I honestly did not consider it overly violent or containing excessive 'N' word usage either, no more than numerous other movies or TV series I've seen. Loved it.

[SiamSam]

Good for you DC. I concur completely with your reaction. 

[pacman]

Praise indeed from two gents whose opinion I value. Rather than running out of steam, I think QT has made his best film yet with Django. I hear that some folks are avoiding it because of the reported violence & the subject matter but as I wrote previously, I found it all rather cathartic. Seeing such swift justice delivered so graphically made me feel good.

 

But that's just me. I await the opinion of Seven & others. Not everyone likes Django, some reasoned debate would be welcome.

[pacman]

Its a good clever movie. I can't stand Farrel either, but Gleeson is the star in this one.

I like Downey Jr though, but Farrel is in the same C-league as Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds.

 

Colin Farrell's reputation has been poisoned by the press with all the reports of his brattish behaviour. But he seems to have settled down & he's not a bad actor. He's not my favourite by any means but he's good in this & he was good in Seven Psychopaths. The world will always need someone to play the role of the hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, irascible Irishman. We have not seen the last of Colin.

 

I agree with Seven that Brendan Gleeson was terrific in In Bruges. He was the star in The Guard where he played the bumbling cop with delusions of grandeur. The Guard is a nice way to pass the time. Not cinematic genius but one of those lovely Irish movies that will have you smiling. It's not another Waking Ned Devine but it has the same feel about it. And if you have seen Ned, that is quite a compliment.

[pacman]

i love this thread.

and  i love the movies.

although in truth i really dislike most movies.

but that's like disliking most people. there are so fucking many of them out there the idea of liking all of them, or even most of them, or even one particular subset of them, is, to me, ludicrous. simply not feasible. so get over it. but don't stop looking for --and appreciating -- the exceptions...

and i very much agree with this quoted post by Kahuna.

 

I am not going to parse TB's post because I agree with him. The only thing I wouldn't agree with him is his stance against Opera. And to a lesser extent, some Rap music. With the emphasis on SOME.

 

And yes I am aware of the complete disparity in my choice of music (along with everything else I like) but it comes from having an open mind. I don't put limits on what I may like until I have at least tried it. And I also agree with Kahuna's post, he always nails the situation.

[JaiDee]

 I don't put limits on what I may like until I have at least tried it.

 

      Well, don't you think that applies to everyone, paccers? 

Except for teenagers or young people in general; anyone who has reached our age has pretty much heard every style of music there is and has watched every genre of movie, have weeded out the stuff they don't like, and are left playing and watching the ones they do like. I think that's pretty common.

 

   A little off topic, but what do you think of death metal?  Go to Youtube and fire up some bands like Jungle Rot or Dying Fetus, or even more mainstream metal bands like Hatebreed or Sepultura, groups I have been listening to for years.  If you can play that stuff and enjoy it as much as you enjoy techno, rap, country and opera then you are a true renaissance man. :)

[JaiDee]

Back to obscure movies, these are 2 from the 80's which I could still watch and enjoy today.

 

 "No Way Out", the first breakthrough movie for Kevin Costner; he stars as a naval officer working under the secretary of defense played by Gene Hackman. If you like spy movies, this one will be right up your alley.

 

"No Mercy",  Richard Gere and Kim Bassinger ..... Gere, who really is a fine actor, plays a hard-ass Chicago cop going down to Louisiana to get revenge for the killing of his partner. Gets a little carried away towards the end but still worth 2 hours of your time.

 

   Both movies highly recommended if you have yet to see them.

[pacman]

      Well, don't you think that applies to everyone, paccers? 

Except for teenagers or young people in general; anyone who has reached our age has pretty much heard every style of music there is and has watched every genre of movie, have weeded out the stuff they don't like, and are left playing and watching the ones they do like. I think that's pretty common.

 

It most certainly does not apply to everyone. If only it did! The world is full of people who see blind prejudice as some sort of virtue. Ask them if they would go see the Bolshoi Ballet, they would reply "definitely not" as if they that marks them as superior to those who enjoy it. Ask them to sit through one of Shakespeare's plays & they would scream as if they had to swallow poison.

 

And it's not only music & theatre that their blind prejudice guides them. Ask them if they like Indian food. Or Thai food. Or any type of food that wasn't served up to them as a child. I knew a guy who in 50 visits to Italy had never eaten in an Italian restaurant. He went when I took him & to his utter surprise, found he loved it. Ask these people to watch NPR or the equivalent in their country & they will boast they have never switched it on. Here in Oz the ABC is the government funded broadcaster in the mold of the BBC. Half the population regularly boast they never seen it. Never even turned it on! And without it, TV would be unbearable for me.

 

It goes on & on. There are so many who present the illusion of being modern & tolerant but when you scratch the surface, they are bigoted & despising of anything that makes them uncomfortable & think outside their insular existence.

 

 A little off topic, but what do you think of death metal?  Go to Youtube and fire up some bands like Jungle Rot or Dying Fetus, or even more mainstream metal bands like Hatebreed or Sepultura, groups I have been listening to for years.  If you can play that stuff and enjoy it as much as you enjoy techno, rap, country and opera then you are a true renaissance man. :)  

 

I did. I watched all four bands you nominated. Jungle Rot I watched Blood Ties, Rise Up & Revolt & Life Negated. Dying Fetus I watched Your Treachery Will Die With You, Shepherds Commandment & Stop At Nothing. Sepultura I watched Roots Bloody Roots & Hatebreed I watched Destroy Everything. I quite liked that last track, it had a bit more rhythm. Or something.

 

I hope that's a sufficiently diverse collection to qualify me to comment on their musical gifts. To be honest all those tracks could  have been recorded by the same band. There were not great differences in styles, particularly in the gutteral vocals so favoured in their various appeals to their disaffected audience. I consider them to be a logical progression from bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, etc. They are not, IMO, sufficiently talented to represent any major musical breakthrough. The derivative nature of their primal sound strikes a chord (bad pun) with their head banging followers but it is hard to sit through several hours of it without indulging in mind altering substances. That's my opinion & is no reflection on JD & anyone else who likes this stuff. In the end, their music is not bad but it's not great either. It is loud for the sake of being loud & it is designed to alienate anyone not into their scene. And that's fine by me. I was a music rebel once with my Uriah Heep & Black Sabbath & jimi Hendrix & Led Zep & Yes albums. I still like to hear it occasionally but I am more excited when I am introduced to something completely new.

 

I neither like it nor hate it to answer JD's query. I place it on the same level as C&W, another genre that does nothing for me. I am not a dedicated Opera lover either but I have had some wonderful nights out at the theatre being treated to some wonderfully entertaining songs & singers. Rap, techno, house, etc, they have their place & some of it is bloody good. e.g. Eminem, when he's good, he's excellent. I am no renaissance man but not for a want of trying. 

 

Footnote: While I was going through that stuff on Youtube, some of my preferences were showing in among the list of tracks on the right hand side of the screen. There was Mozart with his Piano Concerto # 16 & Rossini with his William Tell overture & I pondered apologising to those long departed composers for this rude interruption.  

[pacman]

I saw Zero Dark Thirty this week. It's a very long & detailed account of how the CIA tracked down Usama Bin Laden. It's centred around Agent Maya played by Jessica Chastain. The movie claims to be based on actual events in which case, Agent Maya can take the credit for the find of the century. She's one determined woman.

 

Jessica does her justice & is a worthy contender for Best Actress. The film itself gives an interesting insight into what happened behind the scenes. I enjoyed the minutia of what the CIA did but this would not be the perfect date movie. It is nominated for Best Picture but I would be surprised if it wins. Pleased but surprised.

[Jimslim]

Anyone see that movie about a really big shark that eats holiday makers off an island ? 

 

I don't want to spoil the plot but the chief of police , a shark expert and a salty ol' sea dog go out on a barely seaworthy vessel to try and kill it .

 

Can't remember the name It'll come to me eventually .