Movies we're supposed to say are good

tylercheribini

Deusexmachina wrote: »

Okay, I will take up that challenge! It is one of the first films to explore the impacts of vietnam on the US soldiers(PTSD) and American society. It had a brilliant core group of young actors for whom this film made them stars - De Niro, Streep, Walken, Cazale.
The wedding scene may be over long but it is also a fantastic celebration of youth, family and relationships in a small town in Nowhere USA - whose innocence was about to be destroyed by the war.
The war and torture scenes are visceral and gut wrenching. The russian roulette scene is tragic and shows the American viewer 'this is what we do to our young men when we send them off to fight in foreign lands and then scorn them for fighting'.
A brilliant score, and rich cinematography. Nothing out of Hollywood in the last 10 years comes anywhere close.
A masterpiece.

I appreciate it as a film but like the majority of U.S war films (Vietnam in particular)its hegemonic trauma politics are dodgy as fook.

Irish Guitarist

I'm not going to go through 27 pages to see if someone has mentioned it already but I thought Walk The Line was terrible. As someone who knows what June Carter Cash looked like I couldn't take the incredibly annoying Reese Witherspoon seriously. I can't get my head around the fact that so many people think she did a great job. Joaquin Phoenix was a lot less annoying but I just can't look at him and be convinced he's Johnny Cash.

Peatys

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I'm not going to go through 27 pages to see if someone has mentioned it already but I thought Walk The Line was terrible. As someone who knows what June Carter Cash looked like I couldn't take the incredibly annoying Reese Witherspoon seriously. I can't get my head around the fact that so many people think she did a great job. Joaquin Phoenix was a lot less annoying but I just can't look at him and be convinced he's Johnny Cash.

Don't watch the Fassbender version of Steve Jobs so!

PlaneSpeeking

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I'm not going to go through 27 pages to see if someone has mentioned it already but I thought Walk The Line was terrible. As someone who knows what June Carter Cash looked like I couldn't take the incredibly annoying Reese Witherspoon seriously. I can't get my head around the fact that so many people think she did a great job. Joaquin Phoenix was a lot less annoying but I just can't look at him and be convinced he's Johnny Cash.

Saw it as I absolutely love Johnny Cash.

Agree with every point there.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I'm not going to go through 27 pages to see if someone has mentioned it already but I thought Walk The Line was terrible. As someone who knows what June Carter Cash looked like I couldn't take the incredibly annoying Reese Witherspoon seriously. I can't get my head around the fact that so many people think she did a great job. Joaquin Phoenix was a lot less annoying but I just can't look at him and be convinced he's Johnny Cash.

He was too pretty boy for me.

Young Johnny Cash was a gruff, tough, hard faced country boy.


Not a teenage heart throb like Phoenix.

Franz Von Peppercorn

tylercheribini wrote: »

I appreciate it as a film but like the majority of U.S war films (Vietnam in particular)its hegemonic trauma politics are dodgy as fook.

What was it frankie Boyle said?

Franz Von Peppercorn

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

He was too pretty boy for me.

Young Johnny Cash was a gruff, tough, hard faced country boy.


Not a teenage heart throb like Phoenix.

There’s no way of getting exact resemblances in movies. Actors don’t have to look exactly right.

Lorelli!

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

He was too pretty boy for me.

Young Johnny Cash was a gruff, tough, hard faced country boy.


Not a teenage heart throb like Phoenix.

I thought it was well cast. Its a pretty good match in fairness..

https://www.google.ie/search?client=ms-android-h3g-ie&biw=320&bih=222&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=vjCJW5itHeSagAaak7KoAQ&q=joaquin+phoenix+johnny+cash+&oq=joaquin+phoenix+johnny+cash+&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3..0l2j0i30l2j0i24.1457.6404..6802...1.0..0.500.2368.0j13j5-1......0....1.........0i67.FumtwVK0XXk#imgrc=7GJaMSoNRnzbIM:

DEFTLEFTHAND

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

There’s no way of getting exact resemblances in movies. Actors don’t have to look exactly right.

I know but I just felt that they could have gotten somebody who fitted the mold better.

Somebody with harder features.

quickbeam

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I’m not much of a fan of Star Wars but..

It’s nothing like Flash Gordon except there’s stuff happening in space.

Never seen any version of Flash Gordon so can't comment. I always thought Star Wars was much more a rip off of Lord of the Rings myself...

The young orphan hero - Luke / Frodo
The elderly magical father-figure that advises/inspires from beyond the grave - Obi-Wan / Gandalf
The heroic fighter guy with a dodgy past they meet in a bar (Mos Eisley / Prancing Pony) that marries in to royalty (Leia / Arwen) - Han / Aragorn-Strider
The comic relief side-kicks - C3PO & R2-D2 / Sam, Merry & Pippin

Even the Star Wars trash compactor monster, snakey thingy was reminiscent of LotR Watcher attack before they enter to mines of Moria.

Of course the Star Wars films came before the recent LotR films, but all those scenes and characters were in the books which were out long before Star Wars.

quickbeam

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

He was too pretty boy for me.

Young Johnny Cash was a gruff, tough, hard faced country boy.


Not a teenage heart throb like Phoenix.

River maybe was a teenage heart-throb. Joachin never really was, surely. Or am I just very out of touch with what's hot now?

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

You are mistaken.
Look at how cool it is?????????

Utter cringe.

Fox Hound

Deadly Prey....I really dont get what all the fuss is about

Deusexmachina

tylercheribini wrote: »

I appreciate it as a film but like the majority of U.S war films (Vietnam in particular)its hegemonic trauma politics are dodgy as fook.

It was the very opposite of 'hegemonic trauma politics'. It was a indictment of US hegemony.

Still, well done on using the big words an' all.

RayCun

Deusexmachina wrote: »

It was the very opposite of 'hegemonic trauma politics'. It was a indictment of US hegemony.

er, no.

as someone upthread said,

The russian roulette scene is tragic and shows the American viewer 'this is what we do to our young men when we send them off to fight in foreign lands and then scorn them for fighting'.

There's a long list of US movies that are about how terrible it was to be sent to fight in Vietnam.

**** all US movies about how terrible it was to be in Vietnam and get the **** bombed out of you by Americans.

Deusexmachina

RayCun wrote: »

er, no.

as someone upthread said,


There's a long list of US movies that are about how terrible it was to be sent to fight in Vietnam.

**** all US movies about how terrible it was to be in Vietnam and get the **** bombed out of you by Americans.

The film was anti-war. It was about the loss of innocence. The Hunter was a symbol for the US military machine destroying innocent people (the Deer) and how this destroys the perpetrator (US Military) as much as it does the victim (Vietnamese). Symbolised again by Christopher Walkens character at the end.

I dont know what your jaded cynicism is about? Its a brilliant film.

RayCun

I agree that it's a great film.

But can't help notice that (like practically all US movies about Vietnam), it is about how terrible it was for the Americans in Vietnam - poor boy soldiers that they were - and nothing about how terrible it was for the Vietnamese getting shot, bombed, and napalmed by those poor boy soldiers.

or, as the previous poster said

I appreciate it as a film but like the majority of U.S war films (Vietnam in particular)its hegemonic trauma politics are dodgy as fook.

lmimmfn

Your Face wrote: »

Inception.

I'm with you there, everyone raving about( all over the media ) it when it came out. I like movies that turn what's real on its head like the first Matrix movie( the others are utter crap ) and are a little thought provoking in the what if sense but Inceptions level crap, need to go a level deeper etc. cmon and then the ending, spinning top thing grrrr, is he still in a dream jez.
I've watched it twice and still don't think its good

Deusexmachina

RayCun wrote: »

I agree that it's a great film.

But can't help notice that (like practically all US movies about Vietnam), it is about how terrible it was for the Americans in Vietnam - poor boy soldiers that they were - and nothing about how terrible it was for the Vietnamese getting shot, bombed, and napalmed by those poor boy soldiers.

or, as the previous poster said

I dont want this to be about politics. However, I think you are being very unfair. The film was about the destruction of war and violence - to both sides. It was an indictment of war.

As was Platoon (remember the rape and slaughter scenes in the vietnamese village) and as was Full Metal Jacket (less successfully) and Apocolypse Now.

tylercheribini

Deusexmachina wrote: »

Still, well done on using the big words an' all.

If they are "big words" I worry for you.

Deusexmachina

tylercheribini wrote: »

If they are "big words" I worry for you.

Jaysus, I had to look up a few of them. 'Hegemonic'?? You dont hear that very often down the local.

tylercheribini

RayCun wrote: »

I agree that it's a great film.

But can't help notice that (like practically all US movies about Vietnam), it is about how terrible it was for the Americans in Vietnam - poor boy soldiers that they were - and nothing about how terrible it was for the Vietnamese getting shot, bombed, and napalmed by those poor boy soldiers.

or, as the previous poster said

I agree, also the depiction of the Viet-Cong and urban dwellers subscribes to the worst of one dimensional,ativistic, Oriental-Other stereotypes that the West have been peddling for centuries.

tylercheribini

Deusexmachina wrote: »

Jaysus, I had to look up a few of them. 'Hegemonic'?? You dont hear that very often down the local.

You can dazzle them next time then with your new word of the day.

Deusexmachina

tylercheribini wrote: »

I agree, also the depiction of the Viet cong and urban dwellers subscribes to the worst of ativistic, Oriental-Other stereotypes.

Everything on Boards these days is either about race, sexuality or gender.
Can it not just be a good war movie?

tylercheribini

Deusexmachina wrote: »

Everything on Boards these days is either about race, sexuality or gender.
Can it not just be a good war movie?

I already stated that I can still enjoy it as a movie, not "triggered"

Deusexmachina

tylercheribini wrote: »

You can dazzle them next time then with your new word of the day.

I am going to order 'atavistic other orientals' from the Lotus Flower take away tonight too.

RayCun

Deusexmachina wrote: »

I dont want this to be about politics. However, I think you are being very unfair. The film was about the destruction of war and violence - to both sides.

How many named Vietnamese characters are there?
How many lines do they get?
Is there a long scene set at a Vietnamese wedding?

Same with Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Casualties of War, Born on the Fourth of July... the list goes on and on.

They are movies about how awful the Vietnam war was for Americans.
60,000 US soldiers died in Vietnam.
Over a million Vietnamese people died.

Naturally, movies made by Americans are more concerned with American deaths but still - the Vietnamese people were absolutely pulverized by the war, but they are usually reduced to background figures in an American tragedy.

kunst nugget

tylercheribini wrote: »

I agree, also the depiction of the Viet-Cong and urban dwellers subscribes to the worst of one dimensional,ativistic, Oriental-Other stereotypes that the West have been peddling for centuries.

So, in essence, the film isn't woke enough?

CowGoesMoo100

Black Panther

Deusexmachina

RayCun wrote: »

How many named Vietnamese characters are there?
How many lines do they get?
Is there a long scene set at a Vietnamese wedding?

Same with Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Casualties of War, Born on the Fourth of July... the list goes on and on.

They are movies about how awful the Vietnam war was for Americans.
60,000 US soldiers died in Vietnam.
Over a million Vietnamese people died.

Naturally, movies made by Americans are more concerned with American deaths but still - the Vietnamese people were absolutely pulverized by the war, but they are usually reduced to background figures in an American tragedy.

Nah. There are many scenes showing the murder and destruction of vietnamese people and property.

I doubt there are many Vietnamese movies sympathetically depicting the tragic loss of young American boys lives in the Mekong delta.

RayCun

It's like the Bechdel test.

It's completely possible for a movie to be really good, and fail the Bechdel test. There are some stories that don't lend themselves to having two female characters talk to each other about something other than men. I don't insist on only watching movies that pass the test.

It becomes a problem when 90% of movies don't pass the test (but almost all of them pass the inverse test, features two male characters talking to each other about something other than a woman).

One Vietnam movie that is all about American suffering - sure, could still be great.

Every Vietnam movie is about American suffering - ****s sake.

RayCun

Deusexmachina wrote: »

Nah. There are many scenes showing the murder and destruction of vietnamese people and property.

Yeah, either background or antagonists. Either way, not the people we are supposed to identify with.

CowGoesMoo100

Any action movie ever starring a female playing the lead role.

Deusexmachina

RayCun wrote: »

Yeah, either background or antagonists. Either way, not the people we are supposed to identify with.

I'm 52, 5 foot 11, 14 stone, bald, white as snow, freckly.......I would find that challenging

kunst nugget

RayCun wrote: »

It's like the Bechdel test.

It's completely possible for a movie to be really good, and fail the Bechdel test. There are some stories that don't lend themselves to having two female characters talk to each other about something other than men. I don't insist on only watching movies that pass the test.

It becomes a problem when 90% of movies don't pass the test (but almost all of them pass the inverse test, features two male characters talking to each other about something other than a woman).

One Vietnam movie that is all about American suffering - sure, could still be great.

Every Vietnam movie is about American suffering - ****s sake.

Have you watched any Vietnamese films about their experience of the War?

Also, I'd get the feeling that if an American director tried to present the experience of the Vietnamese people during the war, they'd be pilloried for cultural appropriation.

Deusexmachina

Deusexmachina wrote: »

I'm 52, 5 foot 11, 14 stone, bald, white as snow, freckly.......I would find that challenging

I'm also available ladies....

kunst nugget

Deusexmachina wrote: »

I'm also available ladies....

You'd love them long time?

tylercheribini

kunst nugget wrote: »

Have you watched any Vietnamese films about their experience of the War?

Also, I'd get the feeling that if an American director tried to present the experience of the Vietnamese people during the war, they'd be pilloried for cultural appropriation.

Oliver Stones Heaven and Earth is a good shout and I dont recall him being "pilloried" for it,of course it didn't do very well at the box office. Clint Eastwood was critically lauded for Letters from Iwo Jima, depicting the world war two's battle from Japanese soldiers point of view, it is possible.

splashuum

Black Panther

lmimmfn

RayCun wrote: »

How many named Vietnamese characters are there?
How many lines do they get?
Is there a long scene set at a Vietnamese wedding?

Same with Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Casualties of War, Born on the Fourth of July... the list goes on and on.

They are movies about how awful the Vietnam war was for Americans.
60,000 US soldiers died in Vietnam.
Over a million Vietnamese people died.

Naturally, movies made by Americans are more concerned with American deaths but still - the Vietnamese people were absolutely pulverized by the war, but they are usually reduced to background figures in an American tragedy.

In Vietnam they call it the American war, not so fun fact in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city at the Vietnam War remnants museum they have dozens upon dozens of malformed fetuses in jars showing the impact of Agent Orange on fetuses, absolutely shocking.
American movies only ever show the American side, while the Veterans were treated badly it's everyone sided.

mickrock

Debbie Does Dallas.

Badly directed, amateurish acting, poor cinematography. I've seen it multiple times but it has little merit.

ohnonotgmail

CowGoesMoo100 wrote: »

Any action movie ever starring a female playing the lead role.

you will have to pries my Cynthia Rothrock movies from my cold dead hands.

RayCun

CowGoesMoo100 wrote: »

Any action movie ever starring a female playing the lead role.

Haywire

DavidLyons_

justback83 wrote: »

DavidLyons_ wrote: »

The Shape of Water was utter dog sh1t (and I say that as a fan of del Toro). Showered in awards despite it being a boring, cliched pile of manipulative sh1t

Hated Ladybird and Call Me By Your Name too. Just don’t get the hype around these unoriginal overrated stories.

Most of the stuff the vile Meryl Streep appears in turns my stomach yet she is so loved by many. Ruins good stuff like The Deer Hunter and Doubt for me.

American Beauty must be the most overrated film of all time. Boring rubbish.

Hate stuff like Chicago and Moulin Rouge. Cannot understand their appeal. Cringeworthy drivel.

What the hell do you like?!!!!!!

You joking or do you think those are the only three films ever made??

tylercheribini

RayCun wrote: »

Haywire

Id almost expunged that trainwreck from my memory, god that was awful.

Off topic because I love it but Manchester by the Sea is a really beautiful film.

CowGoesMoo100

CowGoesMoo100 wrote: »

Any action movie ever starring a female playing the lead role.

Not even Alien? The Long Kiss Goodnight? The French movie Nikita? Run Lola Run?

Conor Bourke

Oh I’d forgotten about Ladybird. Didn’t hate it but found it dreadfully underwhelming considering all the hype about its score on rotten tomatoes etc.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Off topic because I love it but Manchester by the Sea is a really beautiful film.

In a classic case of judging a book movie by it's cover, I avoided watching that because the promo poster looked rather grim. I'm avoiding grim lately, which means there's few movies I can bring myself to watch.

Can't remember the last comedy I really loved.

tylercheribini

lmimmfn wrote: »

In Vietnam they call it the American war, not so fun fact in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city at the Vietnam War remnants museum they have dozens upon dozens of malformed fetuses in jars showing the impact of Agent Orange on fetuses, absolutely shocking.
American movies only ever show the American side, while the Veterans were treated badly it's everyone sided.

I visited that musuem, very depressing.As one vet declared in a famous vietnam doc, Hearts and Minds,more Americans died a year in road accidents than in the war, the Vietnamese lost millions of mainly civilians and due to the use of chemical weapons and unexploded ordnance by the U.S,continue to be plagued by the conflict to this day. There is absolutely no comparison in the losses suffered by both sides.