Movies i've never seen because.....

[Troll2fan]

Here are some that I have zero interest in.

Gone With the Wind
Casablanca
It's a Wonderful Life
Singing in the Rain
Amadeus
Ben-Hur

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by L.J.

Do know some about what Stone has been through. Sure he doesn't feel like killing is cool with what he went through in Vietnam. Have read about the film and listened to people talk about it. Just never has been one for me. To me it comes across like Scarface. Well acted a good script just don't like the way that lifestyle is portrayed in Scarface.

NBK is the exact opposite of glorifying psychopathy. It's an utter damnation of modern society -- oh to imagine if it had been made in the social media age! -- and how the complete absence of social, moral, and ethical structures leads directly to what Mickey and Mallory become and do. The title is essentially ironic, as although M&M are certainly psychopaths and were thus born that way, the media glorification they receive is not due their condition but to the condition of the American society.

I mean, think about it. How many people know who Casey Anthony is, or, at least, who she was while her trial was going on? I'll bet it was a higher percentage of Americans than could name their representative in Congress. Or Jodi Arias?

It's a prescient piece of work, giving a precise picture of exactly where American media culture and obsession with murderers and their trials was headed.

As to Scarface, I'd also disagree with that interpretation. Just because Tony Montoya has become a cultural icon of sorts that doesn't mean that the film itself is presenting him as such. Again, it says more about American society than it does the film's narrative. If anything, it's a story of greed and gluttony leading to the ultimately tragic downfall of an extremely flawed individual.

Tony lived "The American Dream" in that he became obsessed with consumption and acquisition and power. Although hardly any would say this outright, those are the foundations upon which this "American Dream" concept is built. Get all you can no matter the cost, consume as much as you can no matter the cost, acquire as much power as possible no matter the cost to those around you. Rinse and repeat.

Now, whether or not one agrees that the "American Dream" is comprised of those ideals, whether out in the open or hidden in code-words, that's what Scarface is about: A flawed, but not necessarily fatally so, individual becomes consumed by the very dream he is pursuing and it leads to a loss of self and, in the end, the loss of his very life.

tl;dr -- I don't believe that either film glorifies what some say they do, but just the opposite: they condemn the society that creates these monsters.

[Talleyrand]

Originally Posted by BluNatureFilms

I like mafia films, 70's era films, and love Coppola movies, but I can never finish either Godfather 1 or 2. Tried several times to get into them. Just don't understand the universal praise or love for them. Acting is good but nothing else holds my attention. Just don't get it.

Wow. That's actually amazing. To be a fan of Coppola in general, of mob films in general, and 70s films in general, but not the Godfather?? Congratulations, you may be literally the only person with that opinion (note: not sarcasm or intended to be mean; I am genuinely surprised and impressed).

Originally Posted by John Klein

And I was just about to recommend Weekend and Blue is the Warmest Color to you too, damn it.

Yeah the only Weekend I need is from Godard and as for BITWC, I'm pretty sure if I was in the mood for that, someone like Viv Thomas does it better than Abdellatif Kechiche. That being said, I am a hypocritical piece of shit who will in general watch a film about lesbians, for instance I thought Carol was pretty good.

Originally Posted by L.J.

Grew up watching westerns and looked up to actors portraying cowboys like Eastwood, The Duke, and Bronson. That's why I won't watch Brokeback Mountain.

Putting John Wayne in the same sentence as Eastwood and Bronson

Originally Posted by ArmyOfDarknessAW

You don't like movies with a happy and lighthearted relationship? They can't all be Blue Valentine.

Well played No, I in general, I incidentally am also uninterested in that, and would rather they all were Blue Valentine. (Attempt at joke: Furthermore, just for the sake of trying to do a triple entendre, I am also genearlly uninterested in films with a "stupid" relationship at its core, I guess Dumb & Dumber being an example?)

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Sorry, but if you quit NBK 15 minutes in then you are hardly in a position to comment on its thematic foundation. If you think that Oliver Stone made a film that glorifies psychopaths and needless killing -- given everything he's been through as a human being -- then you need help.

Oh come on. I agree with what you're saying, but you honestly can't understand why someone would take it that way? Even people who watch the whole thing often have that as a complaint, justified or not. If nothing else, the amount of alleged copycat crimes would indicate a lot of psychopaths and needless killers took the film as an endorsement.

Anyways, I prefer the original ending, although the theatrical is pretty dark in it's own way. Although what I would prefer even more would be some kind of combination of both:

[Show spoiler]If Mickey & Mallory did escape, and had a family, and THEN the entire family was murdered, not by Owen, but some random serial killer who took down entire families, in the style of the first BTK murder. THAT would have been something.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Oh come on. I agree with what you're saying, but you honestly can't understand why someone would take it that way? Even people who watch the whole thing often have that as a complaint, justified or not. If nothing else, the amount of alleged copycat crimes would indicate a lot of psychopaths and needless killers took the film as an endorsement.

But how psychopaths interpret something isn't really necessarily relevant to how the rest of us interpret it.

Anyways, I prefer the original ending, although the theatrical is pretty dark in it's own way. Although what I would prefer even more would be some kind of combination of both:

[Show spoiler]If Mickey & Mallory did escape, and had a family, and THEN the entire family was murdered, not by Owen, but some random serial killer who took down entire families, in the style of the first BTK murder. THAT would have been something.

You are one sick puppy. Has anyone ever told you that?

[Packerfan75]

I haven't seen a new comedy or horror movie in a long time solely based on their content. I always check the ratings first and it's full of profanity, lewdness, nudity and/or gore, forget it. I won't enjoy it. That counts out Deadpool as something I won't see even though I like comic book films. I also don't like racial movies since they only stir up anger and other negative feelings. Most everything I see is action/adventure, sci-fi/fantasy or animated. PG-13 and below.

[Talleyrand]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

[Show spoiler]NBK is the exact opposite of glorifying psychopathy. It's an utter damnation of modern society -- oh to imagine if it had been made in the social media age! -- and how the complete absence of social, moral, and ethical structures leads directly to what Mickey and Mallory become and do. The title is essentially ironic, as although M&M are certainly psychopaths and were thus born that way, the media glorification they receive is not due their condition but to the condition of the American society.

I mean, think about it. How many people know who Casey Anthony is, or, at least, who she was while her trial was going on? I'll bet it was a higher percentage of Americans than could name their representative in Congress. Or Jodi Arias?

It's a prescient piece of work, giving a precise picture of exactly where American media culture and obsession with murderers and their trials was headed.

As to Scarface, I'd also disagree with that interpretation. Just because Tony Montoya has become a cultural icon of sorts that doesn't mean that the film itself is presenting him as such. Again, it says more about American society than it does the film's narrative. If anything, it's a story of greed and gluttony leading to the ultimately tragic downfall of an extremely flawed individual.

Tony lived "The American Dream" in that he became obsessed with consumption and acquisition and power. Although hardly any would say this outright, those are the foundations upon which this "American Dream" concept is built. Get all you can no matter the cost, consume as much as you can no matter the cost, acquire as much power as possible no matter the cost to those around you. Rinse and repeat.

Now, whether or not one agrees that the "American Dream" is comprised of those ideals, whether out in the open or hidden in code-words, that's what Scarface is about: A flawed, but not necessarily fatally so, individual becomes consumed by the very dream he is pursuing and it leads to a loss of self and, in the end, the loss of his very life.

tl;dr -- I don't believe that either film glorifies what some say they do, but just the opposite: they condemn the society that creates these monsters.

Well said and I completely agree.... However, as I said above, it's not exactly difficult to see why someone would take it the other way, in either case.

[zorbonaut]

Originally Posted by Troll2fan

Here are some that I have zero interest in.

Gone With the Wind
Casablanca
It's a Wonderful Life
Singing in the Rain
Amadeus
Ben-Hur

Gone with the Wind and Casablanca are highly overrated but you have to watch It's a Wonderful Life at least once.

Trust me.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Well said and I completely agree.... However, as I said above, it's not exactly difficult to see why someone would take it the other way, in either case.

Thank you.

And although I agree that it's not disappointing that some people do interpret them that way, it's also disappointing.

[Talleyrand]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

But how psychopaths interpret something isn't really necessarily relevant to how the rest of us interpret it.

True. And seeing how they blamed everything from Doom to the Matrix in those days (i.e., movies and games and stuff that litearlly no sane person could possibly interpret as encouraging real life violence*) would indicate that the hysteria was unfounded.

*And even if something "encourages real life violence" does it? I mean really? Last time I checked, DVD players don't have mind control functionality.

Originally Posted by AaronJ

You are one sick puppy. Has anyone ever told you that?

Well, you just now I just feel like that would be the perfect combination of endings.

A lot of things would be better with nasty, oblique endings like that, imo.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

True. And seeing how they blamed everything from Doom to the Matrix in those days (i.e., movies and games and stuff that litearlly no sane person could possibly interpret as encouraging real life violence*) would indicate that the hysteria was unfounded.

*And even if something "encourages real life violence" does it? I mean really? Last time I checked, DVD players don't have mind control functionality.

Well, since I've gone region-free I do find myself yelling out random phrases in German every now and then!

Well, you just now I just feel like that would be the perfect combination of endings.

A lot of things would be better with nasty, oblique endings like that, imo.

Yeah, I mean I like your idea actually. It's totally F'ed up, but doesn't mean it wouldn't have been cool.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Well, since I've gone region-free I do find myself yelling out random phrases in German every now and then!

Which reminds me, what was the one you got? My 30 Days of Night Zavvi steelbook got here and I wonder if I should just buy the region A blu-ray or just wait a little for a region-free player.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by John Klein

Which reminds me, what was the one you got? My 30 Days of Night Zavvi steelbook got here and I wonder if I should just buy the region A blu-ray or just wait a little for a region-free player.

I got a Sony S1200. I won't lie that I basically got it because it was inexpensive. I haven't had any technical problems with it so far, it's worked great on my Region A and Region B discs.

My only complaint is that it's made sort of cheaply, it's very light. It sort of freaks me out after my old Samsung which was kind of tank-like.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o03_s00

[LinkMaster64]

I try to stay away from movies with violence for the sake of violence.

Like Punisher: War Zone for example, it could have done without the gore.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I got a Sony S1200. I won't lie that I basically got it because it was inexpensive. I haven't had any technical problems with it so far, it's worked great on my Region A and Region B discs.

My only complaint is that it's made sort of cheaply, it's very light. It sort of freaks me out after my old Samsung which was kind of tank-like.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o03_s00

That looks like my shitty ass blu-ray player... I should probably check if it is.. everything is the same look wise.

If it is, then I'm screwed. My player is garbage with it requiring me to unplug its power cable and plug it back in just so it can start up.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by John Klein

That looks like my shitty ass blu-ray player... I should probably check if it is.. everything is the same look wise.

If it is, then I'm screwed. My player is garbage with it requiring me to unplug its power cable and plug it back in just so it can start up.

Thankfully, I haven't had any troubles like that or anything so far.

*crosses fingers*

But like I said: I bought it because it was inexpensive.

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by LinkMaster64

I try to stay away from movies with violence for the sake of violence.

Like Punisher: War Zone for example, it could have done without the gore.

Same here; I still haven't seen the extended cut of the 2004 film. The idea of Frank forcing Jimmy to kill himself just seems like overkill (pardon the pun). I know Frank's all about vengeance (no matter how he rephrases it), but why not just have Jimmy confess to the cops, so at least his friend's blood isn't on Frank's head?

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Thankfully, I haven't had any troubles like that or anything so far.

*crosses fingers*

But like I said: I bought it because it was inexpensive.

I had to replace my player a few weeks ago, because the old one's disc tray kept sticking. It still works, but getting the tray open when its empty can be a challenge. Interestingly enough, it almost always ejects fine after the movie's over...weird...

[Monterey Jack]

95% of live-action musicals, just because the idea of grown adults randomly bursting out into song (and perfectly-choreographed dance) never sits well with me. I can tolerate musicals in animated form, but in live-action, they rub me the wrong way.

I did enjoy Sweeny Todd and Little Shop Of Horrors, though.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

95% of live-action musicals, just because the idea of grown adults randomly bursting out into song (and perfectly-choreographed dance) never sits well with me. I can tolerate musicals in animated form, but in live-action, they rub me the wrong way.

I did enjoy Sweeny Todd and Little Shop Of Horrors, though.

Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by Race Bannon

It's a great film but the shark looks too fake that it almost makes it not hold up.

Older movies have fake special effects, but they covered for them better. Jaws has the production values of a Star Wars era movie, but a big fake shark.

That's the reason the movie works...precisely because the damn shark wouldn't work most of the time.

And great white sharks kind of look "fake" in real life. Dead eyes, like a doll's eyes...they don't seem to be livin'.