GET OUT!Taxi Driver
*runs*
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
I really didn't like Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard. It's one of those films my culturally savy / somewhat pretentious uncle recommends me as a must-see classic and I'm sure it seemed really fresh, cool and all in the 60's. Now it's just cringe-worthy. Shades, a smoke and a pose doesn't really cut it anymore. It's the film equivalent of The Doors' music. Empty posturing.
Also didn't like Blow Up by Michelangelo Antonioni for the exact same reason. There seems to be nothing going in this film other than chasing some now outdated definition of "cool".
The few films I've seen by Jacques Tati. Haven't watched them all, but the ones I have do nothing for me. These have also aged badly. Not funny at all to me. It's a bit like Benny Hill, just less pervy.
Agree fully. Laughably bad in fact.
Also didn't like Blow Up by Michelangelo Antonioni for the exact same reason. There seems to be nothing going in this film other than chasing some now outdated definition of "cool".
The few films I've seen by Jacques Tati. Haven't watched them all, but the ones I have do nothing for me. These have also aged badly. Not funny at all to me. It's a bit like Benny Hill, just less pervy.
Agree fully. Laughably bad in fact.
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Absolutely love that film because it tries so hard to make you hate it with its sheer ugliness. Sets, music and costumes are all hideous which is completely intentional and really captures the crass elements of 80's culture and the hollowness of consumerism and material gain. Great flick.
Avatar was crap, apart from the jaw dropping visuals it's dances with wolves in space.
Thank you! Finally. I find it hilarious that dreams, one of the most abstract things are reduced to set organic fully formed worlds in this supposed 'masterpiece'. Added to that in this hypersexualized world there is literally no distraction in the form of sex or the dreamers desire.
You and the entire population of India buddy. You're not alone.
I'd add "The French Connection". The most mediocre best picture winner I've ever seen. Apart from that chase scene I'd rather pick my feet in Poughkeepsie. I think 'The Untouchables' was a very average movie. No to mention a complete lie because it was not Ness but Frank Wilson, a taxman who caught Capone.
Just asking. How old were you when you saw it. Because there are movies that younger audiences sometimes don't get. I know I didn't get 'Blood simple' and 'Magnolia' when I was younger.Taxi Driver
*runs*
Around 19/20 I think...I saw it late at night after waiting for my friend for a couple of weeks (we were supposed to watch it together)
I don't remember it very clearly because of that (I must have finished it by 3am or something), but I just couldn't get his whole 'mission'.
He was going to clean up New York by killing everyone in that building? He was pushed over the edge because he was already too crazy for his girlfriend who then ran from him? He sprayed bullets all over and he got a hero's reception? I just couldn't believe much of it. And he's easily the least identifiable lead of any film I've ever seen.
See this is the other thing that gets me about Inception. All these people who think it was somehow deep or complicated/intelligent just because it was about dreams and had actors with serious looking faces.
It didn't particularly require you to switch your brain on to understand what was happening. It didn't really even matter if you didn't understand what was happpening because most of the suspense was based around people shooting guns at each other and stuff exploding.
The Blues Brothers?
One of my favourite films too.
Back on topic, I think most Gus van Sant films are extremely overrated. I especially loathe Good Will Hunting.
Noooooooooo?The Matrix. My go-to example when it comes to overrated films.
I think that's kind of the point of the film. Travis is surrounded by women he can't have. He's trying to rescue women, who don't really want to be rescued. He thinks a good date is a trip to a grindhouse/porno theater. He's basically a psycho so yes of course he is not someone you can (or should) relate to. It's about a guy who is a wreck mentally. In the opening moments he says he's a 'Nam Vet, clearly affected but yet has a yearning for violence. He's a guy who is comfortable with porn but ambivalent towards sex. He says he hates the 'scum' of the city yet prefers to work at night time when the scum are out and about. The disturbed state is also evident in the first shot, the taxi emerging from the fog with a booming soundtrack that gives way to Bernard Herman's lighter melody, then its loud again. In the end we see him go off the rails but technically he wants to stop Keitel who is whoring out a teenage Jodie Foster, so really he's a good guy right?
The whole thing is sort of an individual vs society type movie. Sometimes I find repeat viewings (not totally but little bits) are helpful.
All fanboys are the same. If you don't like what they like you must be - (a) a hipster who's too cool for school (b) a fecking idiot.
I watched it and had pretty much the exact same reaction as you. I was so confused by how weird the ending was that I actually ending up googling it only to find out you're not meant to sympathise with the main character or his actions at the end. Its meant to make a point about vigilantism where the main character is celebrated because he lets out his psychotic rage on terrible people when in reality his original target was a political figure. I completely missed that and so it came across like the exact opposite where this psycho gets a happy ending for no reason.
Top Gun - if you consider it a classic.
Do agree that the Godfather is perhaps overrated, the acting is great but the pace and length just bored me.
Do agree that the Godfather is perhaps overrated, the acting is great but the pace and length just bored me.
Steve! You're back!
I absolutely love Amadeus too. F. Murray Abraham as Salieri is fantastic, the film in general is wonderful.
I don't care if it's not historically accurate, chiefo, I love the film & wish it was a novel, tbh.
Can't agree with you on The French Connection but yeah, The Untouchables seemed to be De Palma's attempt at portraying a wholesome, honourable man (which is quite funny, since Ness himself was a big boozer and divorced a few times), but it all falls flat on its face since the scenes with his family are really badly handled as well as the dead girls mother coming into the office to plead for justice.... eurgh. De Palma was never known for heartfelt, authentic moments really. And yet I can't completely hate it since it has some great scenes and a score from Ennio Morricone.
You oversimpliffy things in this,imo. If the movie was all about shooting guns and stuff exploding, it would be another Die Hard / Rambo (both great btw).
Yes it does have those stuff, but the core is about concepts like shared dreaming, corporate espionage planting ideas into and extracting data from sub conscious. Quite new at least not popular concepts in film making. This actually has a 'new concept' and intelligent story line.
Titanic - Yawnfest. The climax was a bit interesting and the only redeeming feaure was (nude) Kate Winslet.
fecking love Forest Gump
You bunch of dicks
You bunch of dicks
This.
I know it isn't a movie but I'd just like to add that The Simpsons is shit.
I'm really not convinced that Titanic is a classic, it made a lot of money, but fecks sake, everyone knows it sinks.
Neither do I, it's a great film in and of itself.I don't care if it's not historically accurate, chiefo, I love the film & wish it was a novel, tbh.
Would be a great novel, I agree.
The Great Mass in C minor is so well represented in that film, but I'll post a link in the classical music thread (to lure folk over).
I second Breathless. In fact not much of the new wave has aged very well. I also nominate Terence Malick's films, which have steadily got worse since Badlands. I disagree with Haddock on The French Connection but, if we on the subject of Hackman, I've never found The Conversation quite lives up to the hype.
Breathless is mentioned above, which I agree with. La Dolce Vita a bit too, both directors have done far far better, though this is becoming more common thought anyway.
Agree on La Dolce Vita. Its modern day equivalent, La Grande Bellezza, bored me to tears - films about ennui are not entertaining (see also Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere"). Sorrentino has done better films which received less acclaim.
I'm curious what do you see in the French Connection? I see a good cops and robbers movie with a great chase scenes that may have been a good movie for it's time but no where near being a great movie. It's a good genre movie at best but hardly one that has retained it's relevance. There are no fleshed out characters we can see (Popeye comes closest) and even the plot is hardly Chinatown or LA Confidential.
I have seen just one of his movies. "The Thin red line" which was superior to "Saving Private Ryan", I saw both in the American consulate screening, back to back with a few ex American Soldiers , every single one said 'The Thin red line' was better which shocked me. I implore anyone reading to watch that movie.
I liked French Connection's gritty 70's New York setting and some of the chase scenes, not much else really.
It's been a long while since I saw The French Connection so I'll have to come back to you...As for Malick, the impressionistic, disjointed style irritates me, despite the beautifully framed shots. It gets worse with every film as he seems beyond any editorial control.
Alien. or Aliens. I can't remember which one I watched, but it was terrible.
Taxi Driver
*runs*
Watch it again. Just a question, how old are you? I didn't get it the first time as well, I was a lot younger.
Shut yo mouth!
It's easy to tell, did the humans have feck all weapons, or big guns, grenades and a tank?
If you mean Aliens (the sequel) then I agree wholeheartedly. If it's the original, then I can't agree at all.
In the original I especially love the dense atmosphere. To me it's among the best sci-fi films ever made. Then fecking James Cameron gets to do the sequel and turns the whole thing into some 80's action heavy dudebro shooter fest with terrible "banter" etc. The Aliens that used to be this scarce powerful presence are all over the place and get mowed down by the dozens. feck yeah!
Sure, Randall. Not WUMing at all.
What's to love about it? Name one single thing.
A good thread, is a good thread forever.
Philosophy.
Philosophy.
The ping pong for one.
“My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know when you're going to need to shut the feck up talking shit about an awesome film.'" (Gump, F. 1981).
From those descriptions, it was probably the first one. I remember it being very dark and dull. But I generally dislike all sci-fi.
To all those who have mentioned Malick: piss off!