Off-Topic Saturday: At The Movies

Posted: February 11th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 75 Comments »

No Eagles news to report on.  I’m busy watching draft tape.  Mixing in some free agency study as well.  Someone a month or two back requested that I write something about movies.  That’s also a subject I’m passionate about, so why not.

First, a bit about my background and tastes.  I grew up worshiping the tough guys of the 1970s:  Clint Eastwood, James Caan, and of course Charles Bronson.  It was mostly war movies, action movies, or comedy for me until high school.  I watched Apocalypse Now and The Wall a couple of weeks apart and my mind hasn’t been the same since.  That was my first real introduction to films instead of just movies.

I took a few film classes in college and learned to appreciate writing, cinematography, sound, and the nuances of the cinema.  I also began to watch the films of Stanley Kubrick.  I’d seen The Shining and Full Metal Jacket previously, but watched them simply as a moviegoer and took them at face value.  Both were excellent on that level, but Kubrick is so much more than that.  Every little detail of his films has meaning.  I watched A Clockwork Orange everyday for a week after first seeing it.   Don’t worry.  I didn’t become a movie snob.  My favorite films of all time are Clockwork and Dazed and Confused.  I do love serious dramas, but still enjoy watching low brow comedies (EuroTrip) and simple action movies (The Shooter).

Enough about me.  Let’s talk about some movies.  Rather than cover a specific type, I’ll just write about a variety of them.

Wet Hot American Summer – A terrific comedy that isn’t as well known as it should be.  Paul Rudd is hilarious as the camp stud and total jerk.  Chris Meloni (from Law & Order SVU) plays a cook that has some serious issues.  For those of us who know him from Oz and SVU, it is amazing how funny he is in comedy roles.  Marguerite Moreau is so hot as Katie, the camp babe.  Really, really funny movie.  Great news for fans of WHAS…just announced that a sequel is in the works.

Breaker Morant – Australian film from 1980.  This is set in the Boer War and is about the bogus court martial of some Australian soldiers by the British Army.  Jack Thompson is brilliant as the defense attorney who surprises everyone with the case he presents to save the lives of his clients.  But is that enough?  Very similar to Paths of Glory, the Kubrick classic WWI court martial drama.  Breaker is more of an actors film.  I love the feel of the film.  Very basic sets.

The Believer – Ryan Gosling’s best work as an actor.  He plays a self-loathing Jew who has become a neo-nazi.  This is a highly intense drama with a mix of action, romance, and lots of religious elements.  I think it is criminally underrated.  Great performance by Gosling.  Has some very powerful moments.

Go – I used to be obsessed with Katie Holmes.  And then she married the wrong Tom.  Jerk.  Katie isn’t going to win any acting awards, but she looks unbelievable in this movie.  And she is perfect for the role.  Go is about different groups of people and the events that intertwine their lives.  Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf are freaking hysterical.  The guys who go on the Vegas trip are also great.  And Timothy Olyphant is very good as the drug dealer who goes from creepy to almost likeable.

Taps – There was a reference to Taps in the last episode of The Simpsons.  Millhouse was throwing stuff out a 2nd floor window and yelling “It’s beautiful”.  That was Tom Cruise at the end of Taps, except that he was firing an M-60.  This is the story of a military academy that is going to be shut down, much to the dismay of the cadets.  They get frustrated and decide to take matters into their own hands.  Cruise plays Captain David Shawn.  His “soldiers” are called Red Berets, based on their headgear.  As a kid, I wanted nothing more than to jump into the movie screen and be one of his Red Berets.  Timothy Hutton is the main star.  Sean Penn is his roommate and is great as the level-headed, straight as an arrow cadet.  His follow-up role was Jeff Spicoli.  Just the freaking opposite.  Not sure how the movie holds up over time.  I watch it every few years, but love it so much that I can’t give an unbiased opinion.

Everyone Says I Love You – Trying to pick out a Woody Allen movie to talk about is like choosing a favorite member of Gang Green.  I’m a huge Woody Allen fan.  This is somewhat of a musical, but is also very funny.  Amazing  cast:  Alan Alda, Ed Norton, Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman, and Tim Roth as an ex-con.  The scene where Roth comes to dinner is absolutely hysterical.  Simple, but highly enjoyable.

Scanners –  David Cronenberg’s classic is a combination of horror/sci-fi/drama.  It really defies description.  The movie is best known for the scene where the head explodes.  It is an awkward movie that won’t be for all tastes, but it is worth watching.  Cronenberg is a master of atmosphere and creepiness (Dead Ringers).  Michael Ironside is absolutely great as Darryl Revok.

Hudson Hawk – At the time this came out, it was being sold as a Die Hard type movie – edge of your seat action.  My buddy saw it and said to go, but to make sure I understood it was a comedy.  I was the only person in the theater.  And I loved it.  It was a terrific comedy.  Andie MacDowell is very hot, but is also really good in her role as a  nun and art expert.  I crack up when she’s drugged and being interrogated and says “I feel like a dolphin who’s never tasted the melted snow.”  Richard Grant gives one of the greatest over the top speeches in the history of cinema.  Here’s one line of it,  “If Da Vinci was alive today, he’d be eating microwave sushi, naked, in the back of a Cadillac with the both of us. ”  Bruce Willis is really good as Hudson Hawk, bringing the right combination of personality and comedy.  And you have to love any movie where there is a team of CIA agents named after candy bars.

Go to IMDB if you want any more details on the movies.

If you guys like this, I can do it again on another quiet weekend.  If you hate it, I’ll just blame Juan Castillo.


75 Comments on “Off-Topic Saturday: At The Movies”

  1. 1 Liam Garrett said at 4:45 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    “Hudson Hawk” was a disaster! And if Juan wasn’t so in over his head, he wouldn’t have let you line up so close to that movie, Tommy!

    (And don’t even get me started on why the Hell Lurie hasn’t suspended your Netflix account, yet!)

  2. 2 Liam Garrett said at 4:50 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    (Writing that made me feel like a commenter at Bleacher Report or GCobb. I think I might have to create a fake Disqus account for an alter-ego that comedically flames other commenters in that over-the-top asshole style. -I’ll make sure it’s funny if I do.)

  3. 3 Liam Garrett said at 4:54 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Also, Tommy, ever watch a bootleg cut of Kubrick’s long-lost directorial debut, “Fear and Desire”? I downloaded it a while ago, but I haven’t watched it yet. Any thoughts?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_and_desire

  4. 4 Anonymous said at 5:01 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Fear and Desire debuted on TCM back in December. I copied it to DVD and will watch after the draft. Want to be able to watch it with a completely clear head and to just relax and enjoy it. Only Kubrick film I’ve not seen (aside from his short projects).

  5. 5 Anonymous said at 5:54 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Just saw Allen’s latest film and found it very enjoyable and yet I couldn’t help but marvel at how he essentially makes the same romantic comedy every time but that it’s still entertaining even though you can predict the outcome. It may not be great art, or have the charge his earlier comedies had or his thrillers still have, but there is something to be said for consistency if it’s well done.

  6. 6 Kammich said at 7:09 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Umm, Tommy… we’re officially blood brothers. Behind “The Big Lebowski,” Wet Hot American Summer is my favorite comedy of all time. I used to judge potential friends by whether or not they liked that movie. Shallow? Yes. But incredibly effective. “You’ve cast a level-5 charm spell on me, Alexa!”

    “I’m gonna go fondle my sweaters. What? No. I said fondu cheddar. Fonduuuu cheddar.”

    I love the discussion of movies. I have two real hobbies in life. Sports are 1a, movies are 1b. I am a sophomore in college and took a semester of film theory last year, and its becoming a potential career avenue for me. I’ve watched movies longer than I’ve watched football. I can talk about both subjects for days and days. My father raised me on films like “Jaws,” “American Werewolf in London” and “Escape from New York”… all around the age of 6 or 7.

    I’m an adamant believer in the power of the supplementary parts of filmmaking: cinematography, score, editing. You mention a guy like Kubrick, and not only was he a singularly brilliant mind as a director, but he surrounded himself with premiere ancillary talent. Look at Douglas Trumbull’s special effects on ‘2001’–they STILL hold up 45 years later. Listen to Wendy Carlos’s musical score and all of the accompaniments that she chose for “A Clockwork Orange,” and it elevates the film to another level. And don’t get me started on John Alcott’s cinematography for “Barry Lyndon.” That film was shot using entirely natural, period-authentic light… and its one of the most beautifully-shot films ever. All hail Kubrick.

    As I said, this is a dangerous topic for me. I am by no means a “film snob,” because I still routinely watch movies like “The Toxic Avenger” and “Captain Ron” and thoroughly love them. But if we start talking shop about movies, I may never leave.

  7. 7 Anonymous said at 7:16 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Not only does Kubrick use period-authentic light in Barry Lyndon but he seems as if he uses period-authentic time: watching it, one is painfully aware of the slowness of days passing.

  8. 8 Kammich said at 7:25 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Kubrick was a master at xenophobia. Perhaps it stems from him being a native New Yorker who essentially “chose” London as his new home, later in life. He has an uncanny understanding of social and cultural barriers and how they can be twisted and exploited.

    Kubrick is pretty much the GOAT, in my book. Greatest Of All Time.

  9. 9 Anonymous said at 7:14 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Thanks for the post. I haven’t even heard of most of those films. I will check them out when I get the chance though.

    A Clockwork Orange is great. It had the opposite effect on me. I wasn’t crazy about it the first time I saw it, but after watching it every other year, I’ve seen the light. Kubrick films are long and slow, and it takes the average brain a longer time to understand them. Orange is a great book also.

    Dazed and Confused is also great. It reminds a lot of American Graffiti, just a decade later. I wish high school was that fun for me. Same reason Saved by the Bell is the greatest show of all time, I wish I was Zack Morris.

    I have a habit of ranking stuff, like favorite bands or best cereal. Cocoa Pebbles is currently number one by the way. Anyways, here is my top 100 list for anyone that gives a damn. I’m 29 and grew up watching many of these. First 5 in order.

    1. The Goonies (1985)
    2. Back to the Future (1985)
    3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
    4. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
    5. North by Northwest (1959)
    6. The Strangers (2008)
    7. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
    8. Bad Santa (2003)
    9. Catch Me if you Can (2002)
    10. Cast Away (2000)
    11. Meet the Parents (2000)
    12. Dark City (1998)
    13. Meet Joe Black (1998)
    14. The Big Lebowski (1998)
    15. The Truman Show (1998)
    16. The Wedding Singer (1998)
    17. Vegas Vacation (1997)
    18. Kingpin (1996)
    19. Braveheart (1995)
    20. Friday (1995)
    21. Heat (1995)
    22. Heavyweights (1995)
    23. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
    24. The Professional (1994)
    25. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
    26. Groundhog Day (1993)
    27. Hocus Pocus (1993)
    28. Jurassic Park (1993)
    29. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
    30. Robin Hood Men in Tights (1993)
    31. Rudy (1993)
    32. The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)
    33. The Fugitive (1993)
    34. A River Runs through it (1992)
    35. Forever Young (1992)
    36. Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    37. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
    38. The Rocketeer (1991)
    39. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
    40. Ghost (1990)
    41. Honey I shrunk the Kids (1989)
    42. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
    43. Road House (1989)
    44. Beetlejuice (1988)
    45. Bloodsport (1988)
    46. Coming to America (1988)
    47. Dirty Dancing (1987)
    48. The Lost Boys (1987)
    49. Raising Arizona (1987)
    50. The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
    51. Better Off Dead (1985)
    52. Clue (1985)
    53. Weird Science (1985)
    54. Greystoke (1984)
    55. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
    56. The Karate Kid (1984)
    57. The Neverending Story (1984)
    58. A Christmas Story (1983)
    59. Risky Business (1983)
    60. The Outsiders (1983)
    61. Vacation (1983)
    62. ET (1982)
    63. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    64. The Blue Lagoon (1980)
    65. The Blues Brothers (1980)
    66. Being There (1979)
    67. Star Wars (1977)
    68. Carrie (1976)
    69. Freaky Friday (1976)
    70. The Omen (1976)
    71. Jaws (1975)
    72. American Graffiti (1973)
    73. Aguirre the Wrath of God (1972)
    74. The Godfather (1972)
    75. Duel (1971)
    76. The Million Dollar Duck (1971)
    77. The Omega Man (1971)
    78. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
    79. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
    80. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
    81. The Party (1968)
    82. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
    83. Wait Until Dark (1967)
    84. The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
    85. It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
    86. The Great Escape (1963)
    87. Dr. No (1962)
    88. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
    89. West Side Story (1961)
    90. Ben Hur (1959)
    91. The 400 Blows (1959)
    92. The Long Hot Summer (1958)
    93. Vertigo (1958)
    94. The Killing (1956)
    95. The Red Balloon (1956)
    96. The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
    97. Roman Holiday (1953)
    98. Treasure Island (1950)
    99. Bringing up Baby (1938)
    100. Dead End (1937)

  10. 10 Kammich said at 7:24 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Wow, kudos for the high ranking of “The Strangers.” I don’t think I’d have it that high, personally, but I loved it. Great theater experience. Great build of tension and a good payoff. Why the hell has Bryan Bertino not directed a “Halloween” sequel yet? Perfect man for the job. You should check out a french film that was supposedly the influence for The Strangers, called “Ils(Them).” Very creepy. Also, there is a recent Argentinian film called “Kidnapped” that was very scary and very similar to The Strangers.

    High five for “The Big Lebowski.” I’ve seen that movie way too many times. I went on a binge around age 17 where I literally only drank white russians and quoted the dude for an entire summer. Great summer, by the way.

    Road House? Absolutely. Only grown ass MEN watch that movie. Required viewing.

    I’m one of those people who very indignantly ranks “The Godfather” over “Godfather II.” I never understood the people who try to say the sequel is better. It doesn’t have Santino Corleone, dammit!

  11. 11 Anonymous said at 7:30 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Only my top 5 are in order. Rest are just chronological.

    I wish I was as cool as the Dude. I’m actually more like Donny.

    Godfather 2 with De Niro in Italy is Masterpiece level. I thought the present day stuff was lacking though. Still a good movie just not as good as 1.

    I was blown away by The Strangers. Newest film to make my list. I tell you I was scared in the theater. I have to check out those foreign films.

  12. 12 Anonymous said at 7:28 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Love your list. Haha.

    Some movies just make you feel good to watch on slow days, like The Goonies.

  13. 13 Anonymous said at 4:16 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    Best movie of all time my friend!

  14. 14 Anonymous said at 11:07 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Wow I saw Hocus Pocus…..Vinessa Shaw….jail bait but I have no shame.

  15. 15 Anonymous said at 4:14 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    Vinessa Shaw. Yeah baby. She’s also in another chidren’s classic, Ladybugs. The famous scene where she runs to Brandis while Everly Bros. music is playing. She was only a teen at the time but so was I so it’s all good.

  16. 16 Kammich said at 7:19 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Love the Cronenberg mention. Great director, one of my faves. He went on a run from the late-70s to the early-90s that is chock-full of genre classics. Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly(an all-time favorite), Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch… and he’s actually carved out an entirely fresh career recently with really well-made dramas like “A History of Violence” and “Eastern Promises.”

    John Carpenter is one of my all-time favorites. I grew up watching the guy’s work and it carved out exactly the type of film fan that I am. “Halloween” is my 2nd favorite film of all time(behind “Fight Club”), and movies like “Escape from NY,” “The Thing” and “Big Trouble in Little China” are all probably in the top 10. If you can’t tell yet, I’m a bit of a “genre” nut(horror and sci-fi, mostly).

    Love the Coen brothers. Love most of Spielberg’s catalog. Scorsese goes without saying, the dude just doesn’t make bad films.

    I’ve broadened into foreign cinema lately, and found some really great films. South Korea makes some fantastic movies. If you’re not averse to subtitles, South Korea’s finest are the closest to a modern-day Kubrick as you may find. Films like “Oldboy,” “Thirst,” “Memories of Murder,” “J.S.A.,” “The Host,” “Mother,” “The Good, The Bad, The Weird,” “I Saw the Devil,” and “A Bittersweet Life” are all fantastic films that have come out of South Korea in the last decade.

    Alfonso Cuaron is a fantastic director that started out internationally. His “Children of Men” is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Another foreigner, Nicolas Winding Refn, has become a personal fave with movies like “Pusher,” “Bronson,” “Valhalla Rising” and the recently wide-released “Drive”… all great shit.

  17. 17 Anonymous said at 7:46 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Nothing pretentious about Mallick. Very thoughtful and contemplative films. No easy reads. Not unlike Russian director Tarkovsky.

  18. 18 Kammich said at 7:50 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Agreed! People get touchy about his forced narration from peripheral characters. I’ve heard a lot of people say that he relies on narration because he’s not a strong storyteller. I say bullshit. I think he just has a unique vision and voice.

    “Badlands” is probably my favorite film of his(with the affore mentioned “Days of Heaven” being the prettiest one to look at), but even his worst output(“The New World,” in my opinion) is better than half the shit that is released every year.

    A solemn, contemplative, visually-arresting filmmaker. I’ve so happy to see him coming out of his shell and putting a ton of movies into production, considering he used to produce them at a clip of about 1-every-10-years, lol.

  19. 19 Anonymous said at 10:07 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Love Malick.

    Drive was really good. Very Michael Mann-esque.

  20. 20 Anonymous said at 11:01 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Dude you mention John Carpenter and don’t list The Fog with Adrienne Barbeau…..shameful. Also, don’t forget Prince of Darkness, pretty creepy and weird movie.

  21. 21 Kammich said at 12:47 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    Adrienne Barbeau… probably my first exposure to artificial boobs. Gotta credit her for that.

    “Prince of Darkness” is awesome. Part of the supposed “Apocalypse Trilogy” with the classic “The Thing” and the underrated “In the Mouth of Madness.”

    Worst mistake? I forgot “They Live.” The alley streetfight between Rowdy Roddy Piper and Keith David is legendary. “I came her to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum.”

  22. 22 Anonymous said at 7:51 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    They Live. Shhh man I forgot about that one. Saw it in the movie theater and the line by roddy was classic. I still remember cackling in the theater at the ending when roddy had successfully revealed to the world that They Live and that one dude realized he was having sex with one the aliens for lack of a better word.

  23. 23 Anonymous said at 7:27 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    As the father of a 7-year-old, the only movies I see are made by Pixar or Dreamworks.

  24. 24 Kammich said at 7:29 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    God bless Pixar. I have a 4-year old nephew, and he loves Pixar films. They deliver legitimately well-made films. I cry every time I watch “Up.” Probably because of Michael Giachinno’s crushing score.

    I thank God for Pixar because its a temporary reprieve from Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob. *shudder*

  25. 25 Anonymous said at 7:33 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Absolutely agree. Pixar movies are always a good bet when going to the movie theater. My daughter and I are dying to see “Brave.”

  26. 26 Anonymous said at 7:31 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    One of the better “grown up” movies I’ve seen lately is “Hanna.” I loved everything from the soundtrack to the actors (Eric Banna) to the story.

  27. 27 Kammich said at 7:33 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Yes! Badass raised-as-a-weapon type of story. The director, Joe Wright, makes some really beautiful but (honestly) somewhat boring period pieces like “Atonement,” so it was really cool to see him bust out and make a hardcore action flick. “Run, little piggy!”

  28. 28 Anonymous said at 7:43 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Oh snap! I didn’t realize that was the same director. No wonder he was so good with the relationships between the characters in Hanna.

  29. 29 Liam Garrett said at 8:03 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    It also reaffirmed that Cate Blanchett is the best actress on film. Period. She can do everything, and she inhabits a character as deeply yet more effortlessly than Daniel Day-Lewis (which I know is saying quite a lot). The movie ended up being too abstruse and opaque for its own good, but it was so bad-ass and occasionally moving, I still loved it.

  30. 30 Kammich said at 3:23 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Blanchett is like a fine wine, too… just getting better looking with age. She is definitely a hell of an actress.

    Daniel Day Lewis is the boss hog, though. I would pay $8 to watch that guy paint a fence for 2 hours, because it would probably be the most moving display of painting you’ve ever seen.

  31. 31 the guy said at 8:28 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    I also have Netflix, and here are some of the movies I’ve really enjoyed lately:

    * 50/50 (best movie I saw from last year)
    * The Guard (hilarious Irish buddy cop comedy, with Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson)
    * Everything Must Go (Will Ferrell as an unemployed alcoholic living on his lawn)
    * Warrior (two working class brothers meet in MMA title fight)
    * Margin Call (a look at the beginning of the financial crisis, great cast)
    * Crazy Stupid Love (one of the rare few romcom-type movies guys can like, with Steve Carell)
    * Kontroll (Hungarian dark comedy about subway ticket checkers)
    * Win Win (great little indie style comedy about high school wrestling)
    * Hanna (already discussed)
    * Cedar Rapids (comedy about naive small town guy at a conference in the “big city”)
    * Four Lions (hilarious and dark look at the most incompent British terrorists possible)

    Plenty of other good ones, but these really stood out to me of all the movies I’ve recently watched.

  32. 32 Anonymous said at 9:00 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    I’m going to Netflix “The Guard.” I love Don Cheadle. Thanks!

    I wasn’t sure about “Crazy Stupid Love,” so maybe I’ll give it a try now.

  33. 33 the guy said at 11:45 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Can’t recommend “The Guard” highly enough. Funny and well made.

  34. 34 Anonymous said at 10:05 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Cedar Rapids wasn’t all that funny, but was very enjoyable. Good movie.

    You guys have me interested in Win Win and Hanna.

  35. 35 the guy said at 11:51 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Agreed about “Cedar Rapids”. I look at it really as a comedy-drama. Not nearly as funny as movies like “The Guard” or “Four Lions”, but about on par with “50/50”, “Everything Must Go”, “Crazy Stupid Love”, “Kontroll”, and “Win Win”. I also liked that it captured the feel of a convention.

  36. 36 Anonymous said at 11:20 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    I think you’ll like Win Win. Paul Giamatti playing a very likeable guy for once in his career (not that I didn’t like his character in Sideways).

  37. 37 Anonymous said at 9:47 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    3 words: Hard Rock Zombies

  38. 38 Joe Hinchliffe said at 10:12 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    What? No mention of “This is Spinal Tap”?! ha ha
    I know you’ve seen it, Tommy, as I’ve noticed you quote it a time or two! Good stuff. I went to music school, BTW, which means this movie was watched at least once a year.

  39. 39 Anonymous said at 10:38 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Didn’t want to focus on just the obvious movies. Tap is one of my all time favorites. Derek Smalls is the Derek Landri of the band.

  40. 40 Joe Hinchliffe said at 10:43 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Anytime you can mention Derek Smalls and Derek Landri in the same sentence, I think that just about says it all!

  41. 41 Anonymous said at 10:15 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Movies for me are all about directors. I didn’t mention them that much in this post. Wanted to save that for another one. So many greats to talk about. I feel like I could write a book about Kubrick alone.

  42. 42 Kammich said at 3:26 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Directors are the connective tissue of the movies I love. My friends think I’m weird, because if someone brings up a movie, the very first question I ask is “who directed it?” Don’t care about the star, don’t care about a trailer… I wanna know who directed it.

  43. 43 Furt said at 11:09 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    Great posts, Great movies, gotta throw Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Goodfellas in here!

  44. 44 Anonymous said at 11:59 PM on February 11th, 2012:

    2 classics.

  45. 45 Anonymous said at 1:09 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    I really enjoyed Drew Barrymore’s debut behind the camera in “Whip It”. Also “Repo! The Genetic Opera” is a strangely enjoyable futuristic dystopian musical. So weird it works.

  46. 46 Anonymous said at 8:54 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    I still remember watching Dr. Strangelove for the first time alone in my college dorm room on a 13″ TV at 3:00 in the morning, and I was mesmerized. My Fair Lady can GO SPIT!

    Not movie related, but close enough: the Sci-fi channel has been running a lot of Twilight Zones recently. It’s amazing how well most of them hold up. The credits for Louis C.K.’s show always remind me of the Twilight Zone and Rod Serling (created by…. written by…. produced by…. narrated by….). Those two guys are/were involved in every aspect of those shows.

  47. 47 Kammich said at 3:00 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Looove the Twilight Zone. Have seen nearly every episode of the 30-minute run(some of the hour-longs were hit-and-miss for me). There are a ton of episodes that still truly resonate, not only in scares, but as social commentary.

    My favorite episode still has to be “The Howling Man.”

    Also love “Louie.” Great stuff.

  48. 48 Anonymous said at 9:27 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    My favorite…the gladiator and no country for old men

  49. 49 Kammich said at 3:01 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    The ending of “No Country For Old Men” always held it back from pure greatness, for me. I know that the Coens were simply following the ending from McCarthy’s book, but it just doesn’t work on film for me.

    Javier Bardem is absolutely unreal in that movie. Anton Chigur is one of my favorite on-screen villains of the last 10 years.

  50. 50 Anonymous said at 9:47 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    Let me throw some in no particular order:

    Unforgiven-All time Clint Eastwood in my opinion. I can watch that forever and Gene Hackman was awesome in that.

    Seven- Brad Pitt Morgan Freeman Forget about it, Freeman should’ve been nominated for something, and Spacey was great in his small role. Pitt was good, don’t want to leave him out because I’m jealous or something like that.

    Rocky 1- Goes without saying.

    Maybe I could put together a documentary about a day in the life off an Eagles blogger and fan. Film Tommy as he prepares for the week’s game, watches the game and then his after write-up.
    Wow, I may have something there, I see an award written all over that.

  51. 51 Kammich said at 3:20 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    “Se7en” defies logic for me, because for all intents and purposes, the ‘surprise’ ending should render it nearly unwatchable on repeat viewings. Most movies with that big of a shocker at the end usually only stick with you for the ending, and the ending alone. And yet “Se7en” stands up from opening credits to end credits. Just a fantastic movie. And one of my all-time favorite ending lines:

    “Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.”

  52. 52 Anonymous said at 9:01 AM on February 13th, 2012:

    I agree with you about surprise endings making most movies unwatchable, but not this, I can watch this over and over. The edited version that they play on regular tv is horrible and it should be watched only on dvd or a pay movie channel. That’s why you rarely see it on regular tv, they cut so much out, probably like a 1/4. Maybe more. Think about it, a movie that is over 2 hours long closer to 2:15, is shown on regular tv cut to two hours WITH commercials. Why in the world did they bother?

  53. 53 Anonymous said at 10:40 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    PFF graded lofton terrible in coverage. Not sure the eagles would b interested if he is a liability in coverage.

  54. 54 Alex Karklins said at 10:59 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    This is a great idea for offseason discussion! For what it’s worth, here is a list of my top 50 films that I put up on Mubi (formerly The Auteurs), a film fan site: http://mubi.com/lists/my-top-50-films–2 but something like that can never be definitive.

    Yojimbo (and its companion film Sanjuro) convinced me that Toshiro Mifune is the ultimate movie badass. Eastwood, Bronson, and Swayze are just pretenders.

    Dead Ringers is probably my favorite Cronenberg; makes my skin crawl every time.

    Gillo Pontecorvo’s Battle of Algiers is quite possibly the best film ever made about terrorism and counter-terrorism (and the perils of both). If you haven’t seen it, please do. They continue to screen this film in the Pentagon, and it was made back in 1966. Remarkably realistic.

    I agree with Arby’s comparison of Malick and Tarkovsky; both make beautiful films that move at a glacial pace (which isn’t always a bad thing). My favorite Tarkovsky is Stalker, with Solaris a close second.

    And for your viewing pleasure, an animated Taxi Driver gif:
    http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lce2v5RdkQ1qe0eclo1_r3_500.gif

  55. 55 Kammich said at 3:05 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    I love both versions of “Solaris.” I didn’t see how Soderbergh could remake it without being derivative, but it really swept me away. A stronger film visually, IMO, than Tarkovsky’s… but Tarkovsky’s is superior everywhere else.

    I’ve always wanted to see “Battle of Algiers.” I believe it just recently got its first release on Blu-Ray, which has lead to a renaissance in its popularity. Really need to track that one done.

    That is a cool site. I’ll have to try to make a list on there, but I’m afraid I’m a bit to scatterbrained. My tastes also rely heavily on the “mood” that I’m in. Ask me for my favorite movies of all time in October, and I’ll give you a list of 30 slasher films, haha.

  56. 56 Alex Karklins said at 6:00 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Soderbergh has some serious cojones as a film maker. His version of Solaris was really good, but I’m still partial to the original.

    The Criterion edition of Battle of Algiers has some really amazing bonus features and several documentaries. Totally worth buying, IMO.

    Mubi is a fun site, and you can make as many lists as you want; it’s a great place to discover new films from around the world, with a pretty knowledgeable community of users, as long as you can put up with the occasional film douche. I’ve had an account there for about three years, and I find it to be the best place for information about independent/international films, as well as mainstream Hollywood stuff and classics.

  57. 57 Anonymous said at 11:23 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    Can’t believe there’s no mention of The Usual Suspects or Reservoir Dogs.

  58. 58 Alex Karklins said at 11:35 AM on February 12th, 2012:

    Well, there is now! I love both of those films and can watch them over and over. Great ensemble acting.

  59. 59 Kammich said at 3:06 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    You gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?

    Reservoir Dogs is STILL my favorite Tarantino(although I’m a big fan of the highly underrated “Jackie Brown”).

  60. 60 Matthew Butch said at 12:36 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    I forgot how good Taps and Go are. Sure they aren’t great movies, but they are quite enjoyable.

    Have you seen the Fighter? Wahlberg and Bale are awesome brothers in this movie.

  61. 61 Kammich said at 3:07 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    If you liked “The Fighter,” check out “Warrior.” Very similar premise but set in the MMA world. I’m not even an MMA fan, but the movie floored me. Incredible, emotionally moving film that is really about the relationship between a father(Nick Nolte) and his two sons(Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy).

  62. 62 Anonymous said at 1:00 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Three more that would fall into the cult classic bin:

    Starship Troopers: Awesome campy comedy. Doogie Howser!

    Observe and Report: Taxi Driver as a black comedy. Same director works on Eastbound and Down

    Moon: Just saw this. Sort of a Castaway in space with Sam Rockwell carrying the entire movie pretty much by himself.

  63. 63 Alex Karklins said at 1:39 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Starship Troopers is a lot of fun. Paul Verhoeven is a very sneaky satirist who did a great job of sending up Robert Heinlein’s militaristic worldview in the book.

    Moon was also really good and I think Sam Rockwell is a very talented actor. Have you seen Confessions of a Dangerous Mind? Rockwell does a great job channeling Chuck Barris.

  64. 64 Kammich said at 3:16 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Couldn’t agree more re: Verhoeven. I feel like he never really got the credit he deserves. The original “Robocop” balances so many genre conventions between comedy, horror, action, sci-fi, faux documentary, etc… and it all works like a charm.

  65. 65 Anonymous said at 1:52 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    ST’s was good. Dina Meyer and Denise Richards were gorgeous. Clancy Brown as great as the drill instructor.

    Moon was very weird, but enjoyable. I love awkward sci-fi. I haven’t seen Silent Running in a long time.

    O & R I wasn’t so keen on. I went in expecting light hearted comedy and it wasn’t that. Maybe I’ll re-watch it.

  66. 66 Anonymous said at 1:59 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Observe and Report definitely suffers from expectations. It was marketed as a big budget comedy and Paul Blart had just come out.

    But For my money, it has several classic scenes. The sequence when Ronnie is doing his psychiatric evaluation? Awesome.

    Or when Michael Pena takes him to the dark side : “Sometimes I drink from volcanoes.”

    “Hey man. How’s your dick hangin? Low I hope.”

  67. 67 Kammich said at 3:14 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    God bless you, my man. Observe and Report is an all-time fave of mine. I saw it twice in the theater and probably 10 times since then on DVD.

    Both times I saw it in theaters, people walked out in droves. They were all expecting “Paul Blart.” Instead, like you said, they got Taxi Driver. Michael Pena just kills every minute of screen time. “YOU CAN’T CATCH ME!”

    The slowmotion streak, set to the cover of the Pixies “Where is My Mind?” Just legendary. “Are you alright?” “Physically? Yes. Psychologically? NO!!!”

    “Why the fuck would I want to blow up a Chik-fil-a? Its DELICIOUS!”

    “Yeah, I party like that every… 4 to 6 hours as needed.”

    I could go on all day.

  68. 68 Kammich said at 3:16 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    “Moon” was awesome low-budget Sci-Fi, and Rockwell kills it. It was the directorial debut of Duncan Jones, aka David Bowie’s son. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with his follow-up “Source Code,” which was much more vapid and forgettable.

  69. 69 Jimmy Kempski said at 1:25 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    Wet Hot American Summer is one of my favorites. One of most underrated movies of all time.

    “Throw the ball… Yes!”

  70. 70 Anonymous said at 9:58 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    I just went to Best Buy and saw Wet Hot American Summer in a 4 pack teen comedy collection for $5. I’ve never seen it but figured why not after reading this post today.

  71. 71 Jimmy Kempski said at 6:50 AM on February 13th, 2012:

    About 7-8 years ago, it used to be on Comedy Central EVERY DAY. As in, you pretty much couldn’t get away from it. I’d turn on Comedy Central, and it’d be there. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it from start to finish (in that order), but I’ve seen it in its entirety at least a dozen times… if that makes any sense. It’s very “Anchorman” in that regard. The story doesn’t matter (there really isn’t one anyway). You can just put in on at any part in the movie and you won’t have missed anything.

  72. 72 Kammich said at 5:48 PM on February 13th, 2012:

    “Anchorman” is a good comparison for Wet Hot American Summer, good call. Ensemble comedy that just goes for raucous, bugnuts, nonsensical comedy bits in spite of essentially no cohesive story whatsoever.

    I saw “Anchorman” in the theater with my sister, and we were literally the only 2 people laughing. I was dying throughout that entire movie, nearly in tears. The people in the theater with us just hated it. Fortunately, it seems to have grown into a huge cult hit, much like “Wet Hot American Summer.”

  73. 73 Anonymous said at 7:45 PM on February 12th, 2012:

    I can’t believe any of you guys have mentioned “The Score” starring Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Edward Norton. Three great actors in peak performances. I’d argue it’s the best heist flick ever made. Brandon and De Niro are great and it’s a blast seeing the young Norton hold his own. Plus, Angela Bassett plays the classy, foxy love interest. Watch this movie, you can thank me later.

  74. 74 Steven Dileo said at 11:11 AM on February 13th, 2012:

    I can’t wait for your next off topic post- Pornos!

  75. 75 Anonymous said at 10:18 AM on February 14th, 2012:

    Why would that be off topic?!