Unpopular Movie Opinions: Part III

[moreorless]

Its still by far the best Alien film after the first two even if I don't think its close to as good as them.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Damon1281

You just listed many of my reasons for loving this movie. The unglamorous death of Newt and the, let's face it, forgettable Hicks. The only person to root for is the one that is doomed. And the best actor meets his demise fairly early in the film. Bad luck just follows Ripley around and there wouldn't be any Alien movie without that feature. This movie represents the most logical end to the story. To kill the Alien, Ripley must die. Of course, some people want her to be the horror equivalent of Captain Marvel and that's fine, I just love that this movie didn't follow that feel-good mess that James Cameron loves to make.

Fine enough, we agree to disagree.

[Martoto]

Oppenheimer would have been better if it had just been Murphy, Damon and Downey Jr in one room, with Safdie, Pugh, Blunt, Conti and a few others coming and going. And just dramatising key conversations that might have taken place in that setting.

Apart from one or two nice shots of New Mexico, I though the production was largely redundant. They literally could have gotten away with an establishing shot of a few wooden temporary buildings and would have had the same impact, story wise.

I'm not trashing Oppenheimer. It's still a good film. While it was all absolutely necessary for it to be Nolan's film, it's mostly unnecessary for what the film actually achieves, in my view.

[scarletlion]

Originally Posted by Martoto

Oppenheimer would have been better if it had just been Murphy, Damon and Downey Jr in one room, with Safdie, Pugh, Blunt, Conti and a few others coming and going. And just dramatising key conversations that might have taken place in that setting.

Apart from one or two nice shots of New Mexico, I though the production was largely redundant. They literally could have gotten away with an establishing shot of a few wooden temporary buildings and would have had the same impact, story wise.

I'm not trashing Oppenheimer. It's still a good film. While it was all absolutely necessary for it to be Nolan's film, it's mostly unnecessary for what the film actually achieves, in my view.

I thought it was largely bad. I love Benny Safdie but his accent was so bad it took me out of the film. Was he supposed to be Hungarian? He sounded like someone pretending to be a Russian bad guy in a comedy sketch.

Cast overseas actors in overseas roles FFS!

[Cinemaniac]

The 2nd half of "Full Metal Jacket" > the 1st half of "Full Metal Jacket."

[Cardboard_killer]

The whole of Full Metal Jacket < the parts of Full Metal Jacket.

[BudBaxter]

Originally Posted by Robbie The Robot

I kind of wish it was titled Ripley instead of Alien 3.

If it was made today, I've no doubt that would be the title.

[spider-neil]

Originally Posted by BudBaxter

If it was made today, I've no doubt that would be the title.

Ripley! Ripley! They mostly come out at night...mostly.

[iap738]

Originally Posted by Doc Samson

The Departed > Infernal Affairs

My unpopular opinion is that The Departed isn't aging well and the dialogue reeks of "trying so hard to be cool" or "trying to make every line a one liner" that is takes me out of the experience.

[wonderer99]

Originally Posted by Damon1281

You just listed many of my reasons for loving this movie. The unglamorous death of Newt and the, let's face it, forgettable Hicks. The only person to root for is the one that is doomed. And the best actor meets his demise fairly early in the film. Bad luck just follows Ripley around and there wouldn't be any Alien movie without that feature. This movie represents the most logical end to the story. To kill the Alien, Ripley must die. Of course, some people want her to be the horror equivalent of Captain Marvel and that's fine, I just love that this movie didn't follow that feel-good mess that James Cameron loves to make.

This. All this! The Hicks and Newt thing has been argued into the ground but their deaths are so pivotal to Ripleys story and are what makes Alien3 so incredible. Their funerals are one of the most beatiful scenes in sci fi.

And I say this as someone with THIS avatar!

[Batmon77]

Liking Alien 3 shouldnt be unpopular anymore.

Time has passed and its curve ball to the franchise isnt as jarring as it once was to the general public.

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Hell, sometimes I stop the original films 10 minutes before the end. I can't handle those last second downer endings.

I always watch the last scene first. That way I know beforehand how it comes out. And it's helpful in case I die too.

[mwynn]

If the Alien series would continue everyone on the Betty has to die but Ripley. Her ultimate arc is to defeat the Alien(s) and then lose everything.

[moreorless]

The Exorcist being called "the scarcest movie ever" I think mis sells it quite a lot. Most obviously I think its more doom laden drama most much of its runtime but even when the actual possesion stuff happens I don't think its really focused on just being outright scary, the demon is not apocalyptically evil like the Gemini killer in the 3rd film, its more a nasty disrespectful little scumbag which plays against the seriousness of the rest of the film.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Batmon77

Liking Alien 3 shouldnt be unpopular anymore.

Time has passed and its curve ball to the franchise isnt as jarring as it once was to the general public.

Maybe so. But is that because the entire franchise is off the radar due to weak film entries and a general "no one cares" anymore feeling towards it? The Alien IP and Terminator IP are in a similar state: Two mostly agreed upon all time great films and then everything after those first two films. Like night and day differences in quality.

Guess they’re still going to try and get some YA based TV show off the ground though. Okee dokee.

Originally Posted by moreorless

The Exorcist being called "the scarcest movie ever" I think mis sells it quite a lot. Most obviously I think its more doom laden drama most much of its runtime but even when the actual possesion stuff happens I don't think its really focused on just being outright scary, the demon is not apocalyptically evil like the Gemini killer in the 3rd film, its more a nasty disrespectful little scumbag which plays against the seriousness of the rest of the film.

I agree. This is one of my favorite films too. But, the scariest movie of all time sales pitch is misguided. Doom laden drama is a great way to put it. The film piles on the dread and the gloom. The devil messing with Karras's by imitating his mother’s voice is extremely upsetting. But it isn’t scary per se. The sound effects, the hell that Chris McNeil is going through, etc. that’s what makes the film so powerful.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

I always watch the last scene first. That way I know beforehand how it comes out. And it's helpful in case I die too.

Smart.

[Martoto]

I watch the first scene last. That way the hero always lives and I leave the cinema knowing that nothing bad is happening or could happen.

[scarletlion]

Originally Posted by iap738

My unpopular opinion is that The Departed isn't aging well and the dialogue reeks of "trying so hard to be cool" or "trying to make every line a one liner" that is takes me out of the experience.

Correct, it's Scorsese's worst film, the dialogue is laughable and the ending is so cringeworthy it makes my toes curl. Infernal Affairs is by far the better film.

[moreorless]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

I agree. This is one of my favorite films too. But, the scariest movie of all time sales pitch is misguided. Doom laden drama is a great way to put it. The film piles on the dread and the gloom. The devil messing with Karras's by imitating his mother’s voice is extremely upsetting. But it isn’t scary per se. The sound effects, the hell that Chris McNeil is going through, etc. that’s what makes the film so powerful.

I tend to think its not "the devil" even if it claims so but rather the middle eastern spirit we see at the start. To me the intension seems less to make it the "ultimate enemy" and more to have it be this petty disrespectful thing, something that tries to belittle the seriousness of the drama of Karras and McNeil are going though.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by moreorless

I tend to think its not "the devil" even if it claims so but rather the middle eastern spirit we see at the start. To me the intension seems less to make it the "ultimate enemy" and more to have it be this petty disrespectful thing, something that tries to belittle the seriousness of the drama of Karras and McNeil are going though.

Right, not the devil but actually Pazuzu. This entity gets off on the misery of the lead characters. So well done.