What Is The Last Film You Watched?

[Jeff 10]

You realise the dialogue is purposefully cheesy? The movie is a satire; a given considering, its director.

Well obviously I'm not as familiar with the director or the film as some of you are. Though I don't deny you are correct about the film being a satire, that seems like an easy way to avoid the need to write compelling dialogue or hire talented actors. It's more difficult to pull off something serious than something cheesy.

[John Crichton 4]

Starship Troopers is great cheese and great satire. Sure, the leads other than the wonderful Mr. Patrick Harris could have been recast, but it was a big summer flick IIRC, what can you do?

John- who wants to read the book too. The local library seems determined not to get a copy.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

They sucked his brains out.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Kick Ass a some time fun some times repugnant film.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

You realise the dialogue is purposefully cheesy? The movie is a satire; a given considering, its director.

Well obviously I'm not as familiar with the director or the film as some of you are. Though I don't deny you are correct about the film being a satire, that seems like an easy way to avoid the need to write compelling dialogue or hire talented actors. It's more difficult to pull off something serious than something cheesy.

I think you just need to watch more Verhoeven films to understand him better. He's made some great serious films, but coming from Holland and its attitudes, as well as his experiences in the Hague in WW2 certainly have a big influence on him thematically and stylistically, to the point where his films are very European in many ways, and almost inevitably critical of some of America's policies, be it filmic or military.

Plus, his films always have tits.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

You realise the dialogue is purposefully cheesy? The movie is a satire; a given considering, its director.

Well obviously I'm not as familiar with the director or the film as some of you are. Though I don't deny you are correct about the film being a satire, that seems like an easy way to avoid the need to write compelling dialogue or hire talented actors. It's more difficult to pull off something serious than something cheesy.

I'd say its as difficult to make cheesy work

[Morlock 11]

Meh, Starship Troopers is made out to be far more edgy than it really is. It is not well-written, not well-acted, plays like a blunt and dry piece of satire forced on top of a terrible B movie. As much as it can be analyzed, I don't find watching it to be nearly as compelling as Basic Instinct or Total Recall.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

Meh, Starship Troopers is made out to be far more edgy than it really is. It is not well-written, not well-acted, plays like a blunt and dry piece of satire forced on top of a terrible B movie. As much as it can be analyzed, I don't find watching it to be nearly as compelling as Basic Instinct or Total Recall.

....speaking of which, I caught "Total Recall" on telly, last night. It's just 2 whole hours of Schawzenwhtshisface shooting people, and it's BRILLIANT!!!! Michael Ironside is superb. "See you at the party, Richter!".

[A24 4,331]

Paul Verhoeven

Got to love the guy!

[Jay 37,352]

Away We Go

Funnier and better than I was expecting. Liked it a lot. Maggie Gyllenhall just kills in any movie she's in. Love her.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I loved it as well. Definitely underrated, but I know Morlock will say different.

[Jay 37,352]

Its a movie I'll definitely watch again when I'm having a kid someday

[Morlock 11]

I loved it as well. Definitely underrated, but I know Morlock will say different.

The first film where I totally got the criticisms against Mendes. Absolutely hateful movie.

Meh, Starship Troopers is made out to be far more edgy than it really is. It is not well-written, not well-acted, plays like a blunt and dry piece of satire forced on top of a terrible B movie. As much as it can be analyzed, I don't find watching it to be nearly as compelling as Basic Instinct or Total Recall.

....speaking of which, I caught "Total Recall" on telly, last night. It's just 2 whole hours of Schawzenwhtshisface shooting people, and it's BRILLIANT!!!! Michael Ironside is superb. "See you at the party, Richter!".

Actually, I think the movie succeeds largely on the basis of its screenplay, which is a really terrific construction.

Saw Michael Apted's Amazing Grace (2007) again. Amazingly square film, very melodramatic, yet quite satisfying, as well. Excellent cast, looks nice, has some fun. Arnold's score however, didn't work for me at all. He's either too big or too non-descript throughout.

Also saw Spartacus (1960), largely because I was sick of hearing about the damned box I can't afford. Still one of the better epics, though I daresay it may have been even better if Anthony Mann had stayed on as director. His scenes are very good, and he showed in El Cid tremendous talent in crafting a bona-fida epic. But Kubrick ain't too shabby here, and there are some great scenes in there. Really gave me a taste to watch Rome again (and reminded me that I still haven't seen I, Claudius). The score is tremendous, though I think I may at the moment still prefer El Cid.

[Jeff 10]

I watched Temple of Doom the other day. We had a discussion on this board a few months ago about how unbelievable the events of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were, specifically the waterfall, vine swinging, the nuclear blast, etc. See that discussion here. We were discussing "plausible realism" and how the events in TOD were more believable.

After watching TOD again, I have to say that the absurd events of that movie rival what was in KOTCS. Although TOD is definitely a classic, the first twenty minutes or so are laughable. Jumping out of a plane, sledding down a mountain on a raft, falling off a cliff into a river, etc. - to me that is no less absurd than being propelled a mile in a refrigerator and was executed no more convincingly. So while I can understand why some (most?) people think KOTCS is far below the original trilogy, I don't think you can use "plausible realism" as a reason. The vine scene could have worked if it was executed differently - as it was, it was just annoying. (Nothing else in KOTCS bothered me that much.)

I just had to get that off my chest.

All that aside, my appreciation for TOD increases with each viewing. It definitely goes down a different path than Raiders or Crusade, which is one of the reasons it is so interesting. I'm still not a big fan of the incessant gross-factor. The gag gets a little old. Willie doesn't bother me too much. Short Round is my hero. The soundtrack is magnificent.

[Brónach 1,302]

I love The Temple Of Doom. It feels like a fun comic brought to life.

Yeah, I agree - Dr Jones' adventures are suposed to be like that, it's all in execution that the exageration might help and elevate the story or not.

For example, the plane jump & cliff scene is fun, but it annoys me that they reused the idea again in KOTCS.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The thing is, TOD is absurd in all the best ways. KOTCS is just insulting. Airplane raft stunt sequence vs. Indiana Jones' fridge in nuclear explosion. Aside from some weird rear projection effects and the plane explosion, it's a very well executed scene, I think. The notion of an inflatable raft with three people in it dropping down onto a mountain is a lot easier to swallow than a fridge exploding in a nuclear blast, flying two miles through the air, crash-landing and miraculously opening up after being magically sealed during all of these shenanigans to let Indy out to face a silly ass CGI varmint. The vine-swinging isn't absurd, it just looks that way. It's like something out of a cartoon. It may feature the weakest special effects in the series for that type of stunt work. When the hell did they ever not do that sort of thing for real? And KOTCS gets worse and worse. The CGI alien is the lowest point of the series.

[Jay 37,352]

The thing is, TOD is absurd in all the best ways. KOTCS is just insulting. Airplane raft stunt sequence vs. Indiana Jones' fridge in nuclear explosion. Aside from some weird rear projection effects and the plane explosion, it's a very well executed scene, I think. The notion of an inflatable raft with three people in it dropping down onto a mountain is a lot easier to swallow than a fridge exploding in a nuclear blast, flying two miles through the air, crash-landing and miraculously opening up after being magically sealed during all of these shenanigans to let Indy out to face a silly ass CGI varmint. The vine-swinging isn't absurd, it just looks that way. It's like something out of a cartoon. It may feature the weakest special effects in the series for that type of stunt work. When the hell did they ever not do that sort of thing for real? And KOTCS gets worse and worse. The CGI alien is the lowest point of the series.

THIS

[Wojo 2,453]

Thank Heaven It's Saturday?

[Datameister 2,042]

Those antics in TOD are every bit as laughably unbelievable as their counterparts in KOTCS. I much prefer the sort of action we see in Raiders - it's believable, but it still has that old serial flavor to it. TOD had me flabbergasted with how bad it was compared to Raiders...by KOTCS, I knew not to expect much, so I had a reasonably fun time.

In real life, what's the difference between jumping out of a plane on a raft with inflated edges and attempting to survive a nuclear blast in a lead-lined fridge? You end up as either a very cold bloody mess on a snowy mountainside or a very hot bloody mess inside a scorched fridge. Either way, you're dead. At least the scene in KOTCS had a somewhat more convincing explosion in it.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

You're dead wrong and it's well known you have a personal vendetta against TOD, so your opinion is moot.

We can just agree that Raiders is the best one.

[Datameister 2,042]

Wait...did you just say that because my opinion about a film is different than yours, it's worthless? Fascinating!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

You don't have a sensible opinion when it comes to Temple of Doom.

[Datameister 2,042]

I didn't know there was such a thing as a sensible opinion when it comes to taste in films. But again, your argument seems to be that because my opinion is so radically different than yours, it's invalid. I find that a curious argument.

[Wojo 2,453]

Arguing over the survivability of rafting down a mountain by airplane, or being the only fridge -- nay, the only large piece of debris at all -- to be launched by a nuclear explosion is fucking pointless.

These stunts occur in a film franchise where...

---A golden box disintegrates people who look at it

---A man can remove people's hearts with his bare hands while they survive

---Stones with diamonds inside that glow and get hot

---A man sticks a pole into the front wheel of a motorcycle, causing it to flip over its handlebars (disproved on Mythbusters)

---A cup of water can turn one man into a skeleton

---Another cup of water can heal an otherwise fatal bullet wound, and set off a booby trap that collapses Petra

---Gunpowder becomes magnetic without being made of iron (or any metal at all, unless you count the potassium in KNO₃)

---A skull made of crystal is both magnetic and powerfully suggestive to animals

---Aliens exist

What else...

[Datameister 2,042]

---A golden box disintegrates people who look at it

Once you've created the whole universe, I'd imagine liquifying a Nazi or two wouldn't be that difficult...

---A man can remove people's hearts with his bare hands while they survive

---Stones with diamonds inside that glow and get hot

Hey look, it's TOD! Feel the wrath of my vendetta!

---A man sticks a pole into the front wheel of a motorcycle, causing it to flip over its handlebars (disproved on Mythbusters)

Sure looks cool, though...

---A cup of water can turn one man into a skeleton

---Another cup of water can heal an otherwise fatal bullet wound, and set off a booby trap that collapses Petra

See both of the above comments...

---Gunpowder becomes magnetic without being made of iron (or any metal at all, unless you count the potassium in KNO₃)

Next you'll tell me lasers don't make zapping sounds in space! What are you on?

---A skull made of crystal is both magnetic and powerfully suggestive to animals

My skull's like that...isn't yours?

---Aliens exist

Duh.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I didn't know there was such a thing as a sensible opinion when it comes to taste in films. But again, your argument seems to be that because my opinion is so radically different than yours, it's invalid. I find that a curious argument.

It's not your fault. Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story.

[Datameister 2,042]

It's not your fault.

True - I can't claim responsibility for any faulty wiring I might have in the part of my brain that measures the objective quality of films. Think I could get a parking placard for that?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I think you could use some serious enlightenment when it comes to Temple of Doom.

[Datameister 2,042]

I'd love to enjoy it more, sure. Maybe if you tell me my opinion is invalid enough times, that'll happen!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

None of your arguments convince me that TOD is anything but great entertainment. That's all. Your anti-TOD sentiments just sort of get absorbed by my eyes and rejected by my brain. None of them really seem to add up as anything beyond "I don't like this." That's great and all for you, but what does it matter to me?

[Datameister 2,042]

Cool, I'm happy for you! Well, except for the part about you not being able to accept another person's opinion being so radically different from yours, and yet equally valid. But hey, we've all got our own unique mental handicaps, don't we?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

And you've still not convinced me. Rather, you resort to personal attacks. I was right to begin with.

[Jeff 10]

Those antics in TOD are every bit as laughably unbelievable as their counterparts in KOTCS. I much prefer the sort of action we see in Raiders - it's believable, but it still has that old serial flavor to it. TOD had me flabbergasted with how bad it was compared to Raiders...by KOTCS, I knew not to expect much, so I had a reasonably fun time.

In real life, what's the difference between jumping out of a plane on a raft with inflated edges [free-falling for 12 seconds!] and attempting to survive a nuclear blast in a lead-lined fridge? You end up as either a very cold bloody mess on a snowy mountainside or a very hot bloody mess inside a scorched fridge. Either way, you're dead. At least the scene in KOTCS had a somewhat more convincing explosion in it.

I have no personal vendetta against TOD but I think Data has made quite an objective assessment here. The truth is, the effects in TOD were simply not as convincing as most of what you see today (I know that's hard for a true fan to hear). That doesn't diminish the value of the film, that's just a fact (actually, I enjoyed the raft scene in TOD more than the waterfall scene in KOTCS - it's still a fun scene, just not "reasonably plausible," which was the point of my post above).

Before I watched it again, my memory was foggy and I remembered it being better than it was. I think if you watched it again on a big screen TV you'd see what I mean.

Leaving objectivity aside, my personal opinion is that if KOTCS had been released in 1984 and TOD in 2008, fans of the trilogy would have been much kinder to KOTCS and would have much more negative to say about TOD. I think its the heartstring factor at work.

[Henry B 50]

What makes the feats in KotCS so offensive is the lack of tension. A lot of critics pointed this out, but more than just a problem I see it as what singularly ruined the film. We always knew Indy was going to survive in the previous films, but thanks to good filmmaking we were tricked into believing he might not. In KotCS, the situations are so far fetched and, more importantly, drawn out, that it turns into a joke. I have no problem with Indy going over a waterfall in an armored car. A second waterfall, maybe pushing it -- okay, what? A third, even bigger waterfall? It's like the filmmakers push us to the breaking point of believability, then deliberately push us over it. The lack of music in these scenes and stupid gags like the CGI prairie dogs only further alienate the viewer. Now, the bar fight in Raiders wasn't scored, but it didn't need music. The laws of physics weren't being stretched; it was just a good old bar fight, set with the beautiful ambience of the fire.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Those kind of "if the movie had been released years ago" arguments rarely amount to anything. Do you really think Lucas and co. would have come up with a movie like KOTCS in the 80s? Do you REALLY think a flick like TOD would ever be made today? Frankly, I don't think any of the involved parties could come up with anything remotely resembling how TOD came out in 1984. Just think right off the bat all the things that would be MIA in a 1980s KOTCS: old Harrison Ford with strange performance, Shia, CGI, the time period, etc. It likely would have turned out drastically different. So let's never go there. I can usually respect people's opinions, but as I alluded to in my earlier post, it seems Data has some kind of personal vendetta against the Temple of Doom. I can admire the passion, but you're entirely misguided.

In regards to the tension, overall the movie is BORING. Contrast with Temple of Doom, which is loud, exciting and with a 30 minute finale of action, adventure, romance, chases, etc. as opposed to standing around in a cave or something looking at the walls and a resolution that means nothing to the audience. I didn't care about anything that was happening, be it the skull or the aliens or even what's-his-name flying away, or whatever the hell happened.

[Jeff 10]

Those kind of "if the movie had been released years ago" arguments rarely amount to anything. Do you really think Lucas and co. would have come up with a movie like KOTCS in the 80s? Do you REALLY think a flick like TOD would ever be made today? Frankly, I don't think any of the involved parties could come up with anything remotely resembling how TOD came out in 1984. Just think right off the bat all the things that would be MIA in a 1980s KOTCS: old Harrison Ford with strange performance, Shia, CGI, the time period, etc. It likely would have turned out drastically different. So let's never go there. I can usually respect people's opinions, but as I alluded to in my earlier post, it seems Data has some kind of personal vendetta against the Temple of Doom. I can admire the passion, but you're entirely misguided.

In regards to the tension, overall the movie is BORING. Contrast with Temple of Doom, which is loud, exciting and with a 30 minute finale of action, adventure, romance, chases, etc. as opposed to standing around in a cave or something looking at the walls and a resolution that means nothing to the audience.

I think you're missing my point from the 2008 vs. 1984 thing. I'm not remarking on the effects or production or anything. I'm simply pointing out that the mere order in which movies in a series are released, as well as the length of time that has elapsed since you first saw it, can affect your perception of its quality.

I think your opinion is completely valid and I understand each point of it, and in many cases I agree with you. The main argument I'm making is that the "reasonable plausibility" of events in a film alone do not equate to or disallow enjoyment of the film.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

KOTCS has far worse problems than lack of believability. I just find the nuclear explosion fairly insulting.

[Datameister 2,042]

And you've still not convinced me. Rather, you resort to personal attacks. I was right to begin with.

I'm not attempting to convince you of anything right now; I'm engaging in absurd, amusing banter because I stopped taking the conversation seriously as soon as you told me my opinion was "moot" on the basis of being different from yours. You tell me my opinion is invalid and condescendingly imply that it's not my fault I'm completely unable to accurately judge the worth of a piece of art...but then I make a joke about said accusations, and it's a personal attack? You're making it harder and harder for me to take this conversation seriously, man!

[Wojo 2,453]

KOTCS has far worse problems than lack of believability. I just find the nuclear explosion fairly insulting.

Oh, good, is that all? Poor you. At least we know you're not Russian. Then you might have bigger reasons to find insult, like how a troupe of Boris and Natasha Soviets infiltrate the most secure American military installation during the height of the Cold War -- and blow a wonderful opportunity to cripple the U.S. from within -- before they head to the South American jungles to slaughter the natives and look for aliens.

Yes, a nuclear explosion tossed refrigerator is so much more demeaning to humanity.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

They invade a warehouse with a magnetic alien corpse. That's also never explained. I can't find fault with the writing in regards to them not attempting to cripple the U.S. (with what, the Ark?) when I have no idea why they're there to begin with.

[Wojo 2,453]

They invade a warehouse with a magnetic alien corpse. That's also never explained. I can't find fault with the writing in regards to them not attempting to cripple the U.S. (with what, the Ark?) when I have no idea why they're there to begin with.

The Ark was an Easter egg for only the audience to see in the warehouse. We are never told if Indy knew which "top men" got to work on it, though the movie takes place about 20 years after he raided Tanis. Whether this group of Soviets would know what the Ark is if they saw it is also unclear.

We can just agree that Raiders is the best one.

How can you just put your foot down and say shit like that when you demand explanation for the opening scene of KOTCS?

Raiders starts out with, again, no explanation. Indy is in the Peruvian jungle in 1936 with a group of no-name guides looking for an idol in a temple that is never explained. We know it's a dangerous place and that his rival never returned from seeking it. Furthermore, after both of Indy's guides are dead and the Hovitos are chasing him, he runs to an airplane with only one spare seat. What if either guide had survived? Would he have had to walk out of the jungle, with all those dangerous natives? If the temple was in walking distance of a village or town, I think somebody could have brought in a bulldozer to dig the idol out and bypass the booby traps.

Bah, Raiders has no explanation. It sucks.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I don't agree with that.

The opening scene of KOTCS is apparently relevant to the plot, but what we learn from plot development is that it was basically unnecessary. Not like the opening of Raiders which is the end of some other adventure that we are joining in the nature of a serial. But aside from the plot holes, as I said before, KOTCS has far worse problems. I don't find the story or any of the characters agreeable. It's not just an "aliens" thing or lack of explanation or believability. For instance, there is a darkly humorous quality to the nuke scene that I appreciate, but it's absolutely a terrible scene. There is a difference to me between riding an object out of the plane, the Ark's magic and other fantasy elements and exploding in a nuclear blast from inside of a refrigerator. Even in the context of the movie, I can't buy it. It feels more like making fun of the material.

[Jacob 0]

In real life, what's the difference between jumping out of a plane on a raft with inflated edges and attempting to survive a nuclear blast in a lead-lined fridge? You end up as either a very cold bloody mess on a snowy mountainside or a very hot bloody mess inside a scorched fridge. Either way, you're dead. At least the scene in KOTCS had a somewhat more convincing explosion in it.

[Delorean90 42]

What makes the feats in KotCS so offensive is the lack of tension. A lot of critics pointed this out, but more than just a problem I see it as what singularly ruined the film. We always knew Indy was going to survive in the previous films, but thanks to good filmmaking we were tricked into believing he might not. In KotCS, the situations are so far fetched and, more importantly, drawn out, that it turns into a joke. I have no problem with Indy going over a waterfall in an armored car. A second waterfall, maybe pushing it -- okay, what? A third, even bigger waterfall? It's like the filmmakers push us to the breaking point of believability, then deliberately push us over it. The lack of music in these scenes and stupid gags like the CGI prairie dogs only further alienate the viewer. Now, the bar fight in Raiders wasn't scored, but it didn't need music. The laws of physics weren't being stretched; it was just a good old bar fight, set with the beautiful ambience of the fire.

They not only stretched out the waterfall scene--they deliberately played it for laughs! I laughed the first time I saw it, but in hindsight, the last chunk of the film could've really stood to have that be a legitimate tension point (I don't know if action scene is quite the term for it). There's too little going on between the waterfall scene and the skeleton chamber to just make it a laugh (the encounter with the warriors should've been a legit action set piece, but it just ended up being a short run down the stairs--think about how much better it would've made things if the sequence had some good action choreography, and had the warriors in hot pursuit when they get to the obelisk? Dang, now we've got something going.

I still maintain that I enjoy the film, but I think that they had the right basic building blocks for a more successful final act, but they could've used those building blocks much more effectively.

[King Mark 3,631]

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Batman Forever.

Looking back on it now, it's not quite as bad as I remembered it. I think the following film might have coloured my memory of it somewhat. A bit of a disappointment for me at the time that Burton didn't continue after the second film, but I've made my peace with it. I've always loved the 1960's Batman, so what's not to like about this?

One line I can't wrap my head around is Bruce telling Alfred that he's never been in love before. Dude, did Vicki and Selina not count? Or is this another bizarre disconnect from the first two films? You tell me, wah!

[Datameister 2,042]

Jacob...I take it back. It only seems unrealistic, even though it's apparently plausible.

[A24 4,331]

Hotel Rwanda: I suppose people are moved because of the dramatic events but the movie itself is far from special. The direction was severely lacking and felt like it was made by the first TV director they could find. The added value of Schindler's List lies in the masterful way the story is told. With Spielberg's film, you don't even need to follow the story to be impressed with the presented scenes. 3/10

Alex

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

Hotel Rwanda: I suppose people are moved because of the dramatic events but the movie itself is far from special. The direction was severely lacking and felt like it was made by the first TV director they could find. The added value of Schindler's List lies in the masterful way the story is told. With Spielberg's film, you don't even need to follow the story to be impressed with the presented scenes. 3/10

Alex

Personally, I preffered "Shooting Dogs", which had one very big advantage over "Hotel Rwanda": John Hurt.

[Romão 2,274]

Batman Forever.

Looking back on it now, it's not quite as bad as I remembered it. I think the following film might have coloured my memory of it somewhat. A bit of a disappointment for me at the time that Burton didn't continue after the second film, but I've made my peace with it. I've always loved the 1960's Batman, so what's not to like about this?

One line I can't wrap my head around is Bruce telling Alfred that he's never been in love before. Dude, did Vicki and Selina not count? Or is this another bizarre disconnect from the first two films? You tell me, wah!

It really isn't that bad, in fact I think it's one of the movies that has best captured the childhood enthusiasm of being a super hero. It's not a particularly good Batman movie, but it might be the best movie made in the Marvel spirit, so to speak. Some of it is extremely silly and over the top, but I do love the sequences in which this movie dares to take itself seriously. And it truly has tremendouns cinematography, it's a comic book brought to life. And the score is the best music ever composed for the character although, again, might not be the best "Batman music" in terms of tone.