Jacob's Strive For 100 Favorites [Archive]

JacobKyon

12-29-14, 11:48 PM

Full List

Toy Story 2 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228433#post1228433)
Toy Story 3 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228442#post1228442)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228446#post1228446)
Scream (1996) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228549#post1228549)
The Dark Knight (2008) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228613#post1228613)
Aliens (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228631#post1228631)
Predator (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228657#post1228657)
Watchmen (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228685#post1228685)
Back to the Future (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228745#post1228745)
Jurassic Park (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228763#post1228763)
The Fly (1986) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228771#post1228771)
V For Vendetta (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228919#post1228919)
Fight Club (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228936#post1228936)
The Incredibles (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228947#post1228947)
Liar Liar (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228952#post1228952)
Die Hard (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228969#post1228969)
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1228990#post1228990)
Death Note (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229007#post1229007)
Death Note: The Last Name (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229028#post1229028)
Casino Royale (2006) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229038#post1229038)
Hard Candy (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229044#post1229044)
Tropic Thunder (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229061#post1229061)
Alien³ (Assembly Cut) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229070#post1229070)
Iron Man (2008) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229185#post1229185)
The Cabin in the Woods (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229220#post1229220)
A Few Good Men (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229374#post1229374)
Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229797#post1229797)
The Terminator (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229960#post1229960)
Alien (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1229965#post1229965)
Spider-Man 2 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1230554#post1230554)

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 12:19 AM

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/Andy_zps75191c72.jpg
#1 - Toy Story 2

Directed by John Lasseter
Released on November 24, 1999
Starring Tom Hanks as "Sheriff Woody" and Joan Cusack as "Jessie"

http://i.imgur.com/E3xHE7M.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/clwyw3J.jpg
http://www.thatfilmguy.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Toy-Story-2.jpg
http://s001.youpic.su/pictures/1279126800/08411d50fad53da9814ab660baa586df.png

If there's a movie that made me feel great to be a kid again, it's any of the Toy Story movies.

I've always enjoyed Pixar movies, but only The Incredibles and all three Toy Story movies were able to make me feel exhilarated no matter how many times I watch them, and only Toy Story 2 was able to engage me both intellectually and entertainingly. Toy Story 3 came very close, but Toy Story 2 just had so many great moments that one-upped the first movie that I'm, as Syndrome put it, "still geeking out about it!"

Arcanis

12-30-14, 12:34 AM

Toy Story 2 is my favorite of the trilogy. They went in a much heavier direction than the first one and it worked out perfectly for them.

Sexy Celebrity

12-30-14, 12:36 AM

I'm flattered. This looks like my new Top 100 threads.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 01:06 AM

http://24.media.tumblr.com/41b3bccf7e783fb64f8d264781a30b12/tumblr_mu5mfsXZCX1sq4jpeo2_1280.jpg
#2 - Toy Story 3

Directed by Lee Unkrich
Released on June 12, 2010
Starring Tom Hanks as "Sheriff Woody" and Ned Beatty as "Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear"

http://wallpaper.ultradownloads.com.br/286946_Papel-de-Parede-Sunnyside-Toy-Story_1920x1080.jpg
https://adreamer49.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/toy-story-3-15.jpg
http://popgoestheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/toy-story-incinerator.jpg
http://images.blu-ray.com/reviews/3455_5_1080p.jpg

Toy Story 3 had me asking one question - what the hell happened? In a good way, of course.

Sure, Toy Story 2 had some dark moments that dealt with some mature subjects, but not only did Toy Story 3 include a prison break and a bitter version of Toy Story 1 Woody, that incinerator was such a terrifying scene as both a metaphoric and (somewhat) literal representation of a trip to Hell. I asked myself each time I watched that scene if I was really watching an animated feature that children would be watching.

But to dismiss Toy Story 3's quality as consisting of merely its darker elements is a gross understatement to Pixar's talent. The ending was arguably the greatest part of the movie as it concluded the trilogy.

And let's not forget Pixar's audacious message to children - nothing lasts forever, including your childhood.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 01:49 AM

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abkmLIzNDe8/maxresdefault.jpg
#3 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Directed by James Cameron
First Released on July 1, 1991 (Century City, LA)
Starring
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as the "Terminator / T-800"
- Robert Patrick as the "T-1000"
- Linda Hamilton as "Sarah Connor"
- Edward Furlong as "John Connor"

http://i.imgur.com/1mdNf.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/pyCGdUl_zps63ad164f.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/Miles_Dyson_with_Original_Arm_zpsb16f8596.jpg
http://www.nerdlikeyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/terminator_2_ending_scene_by_dyadyaborya-d4kfs9w.jpg

Terminator 2 was one of the very first movies I watched that nourished me philosophically and fueled my adrenaline at the same time. And that's hard to do for blockbusters these days. They're either too shallow or too dry. It's tough to keep a good balance. But T2 managed to become a classic, with just about every of your uncles and grandfathers remembering the epic send-off of the Terminator with his thumbs-up and the emotional "I know now why you cry" that were the cause of man-tears.

It also became my template for measuring good sequels, as T2 manages to one-upped everything of the first movie, though it's arguable which one had the better message.

hello101

12-30-14, 03:57 AM

I love all the listings so far. Great movies.

Captain Spaulding

12-30-14, 05:11 AM

Toy Story is my favorite animated movie and, in my opinion, the best of the trilogy. Toy Story 2 is also great. Toy Story 3 was a little bit of a disappointment for me, but I still think it's a very good movie.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is awesome. Possibly the best sequel ever made.

christine

12-30-14, 05:57 AM

Great start! Carry on saying a bit about why you've chosen the film, makes it so much more interesting.:)

honeykid

12-30-14, 11:58 AM

I'll be back.... To ridicule these films later. :D :p

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 12:12 PM

http://i.imgur.com/mQc4ErX.jpg
#4 - Scream (1996)

Directed by Wes Craven
First Released on December 18, 1996 (LA premiere)
Starring Neve Campbell as "Sidney Prescott"

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/Untitled2_zps1ad2ae9f.png
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/Untitled_zps76a536fc.png
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/Untitled3_zps084bba5f.png
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/Untitled4_zps86f2dff3.png

Admittedly, while searching for screenshots for the movie online, I realized that the film has not dated that well for me, and it just isn't as exciting for me as it was back then for the first couple of viewings. But that's how thrillers work; they excite you the first time, but after several more viewings, you start to get tired of the twists that you already knew, and they ceased to be that interesting anymore.

That being said, I can't deny that Scream remains one of my favorite movies of all time, even if it's no longer among my Top 10 (or even Top 20). People grew up with Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Michael Myers; I grew up with Ghostface, in the meta-age of horror movies, where everyone tries to be a clever hipster. It was fun laughing at Randy Meeks' in-jokes from the movie, movie references that only a select few would understand. It was like being in the "Cool Club," even if in the end, we are only really "hipsters".

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 02:05 PM

http://viewerscommentary.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/the-dark-knight-batman.jpg
#5 - The Dark Knight (2008)

Directed by Christopher Nolan
First Released on July 14, 2008 (NY)
Starring Christian Bale as "Bruce Wayne/Batman" and Heath Ledger as The Joker

http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2008_the_dark_knight_024.jpg
http://theredlist.com/media/database/settings/cinema/2000-2010/the-dark-knight/004-the-dark-knight-theredlist.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/it/3/3d/The_Dark_Knight_-_Trailer_3.jpg
http://www.superiorpics.com/movie_pictures/mp/2008_The_Dark_Knight/2008_the_dark_knight_032.jpg

I love superhero movies. They'd always take place on such a grand, epic scale - and you couldn't get more grand or epic than The Dark Knight.

After Terminator 2, there weren't that many movies that excited me the same way "The Empire Strikes Back" or "Aliens" would excite an '80s kid, 'entertaining but intelligent movies', as I had called them. But when "The Dark Knight" came along, I was just a kid enjoying movies again. Sure, Pixar did its job animation-wise, but among live action movies, The Dark Knight redefined the ideal movie I would want to watch, the kind that I could thoroughly enjoy.

And let's face it, The Joker stole the show, and not just because of Heath Ledger's fate, bless his soul. My childhood had always been chaotic, so I grew up as a person who would have fun watching the destruction and the manipulation of The Joker, toying and mocking the social order of "normal people". He was my kind of hero, as twisted as that might sound.

And of course, The Dark Knight worked effectively as a sequel. Much like "Terminator 2" and "The Empire Strikes Back", the movie improves upon the concepts dealt with in the first movie, challenging the ideals of the characters set in the first installment, and raises the stakes higher than they were ever before.

christine

12-30-14, 02:17 PM

Like The Dark Knight. The Scream films are not for me

Citizen Rules

12-30-14, 02:28 PM

Good looking thread!

I've only see one of these films T2...I love that film, it's powerful...darn good Sci-Fi.

T2 is also historical as it was one of the first times a woman was portrayed as a tough muscular kick-ass character. It even influenced society, after that movie women became more into body building and being/looking tough. I don't really like a woman who has bigger muscles than me;) But you can blame the tough girl image on T2

seanc

12-30-14, 02:37 PM

I know it has become in style to hate on The Dark Knight at this point, but I have seen it three or four times at this point and still think it is fantastic.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 02:38 PM

T2 is also historical as it was one of the first times a woman was portrayed as a tough muscular kick-ass character. It even influenced society, after that movie women became more into body building and being/looking tough. I don't really like a woman who has bigger muscles than me;) But you can blame the tough girl image on T2
Well, muscular, yes, but the true power-girl image actually originally comes from my next entry... ;) I have all the love for Linda Hamilton though.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 02:45 PM

http://www.movpins.com/big/MV5BMjIyMTIyOTQ2OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDA0ODEyMw/still-of-bill-paxton,-sigourney-weaver,-michael-biehn,-lance-henriksen,-jenette-goldstein,-paul-reiser-and-william-hope-in-aliens-(1986)-large-picture.jpg
"I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do NOT wanna f*** with me."

#6 - Aliens

Directed by James Cameron
Released on July 18, 1986
Starring Sigourney Weaver as "Ellen Ripley" and Carrie Henn as "Rebecca "Newt" Jorden"

https://viewerscommentary.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/aliens-ripley-and-newt.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X333j3wiqig/Th1EEUj-GII/AAAAAAAAAc8/r1IfG9gyl7c/s1600/aliens1.jpg
http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/aliens2-badcall.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/blade-runner-art-aliens_zpsb972f0eb.jpg

Let's face it, you can't have a list of mainstream blockbusters without mentioning Terminator 2 or Aliens.

This was so much fun. Even if the visuals are a bit old, the script has not dated much, and it's still as entertaining today. So many one-liners came about from this movie, and much like its counterpart that would be released a year later, "Predator", it's a clever idea that pits a bunch of badasses that would have normally kick ass had this been any other action movie. Unfortunately for Hudson and the others, it was not.

Most of all, James Cameron gave us the Hamilton of the '80s, the OG power-girl whose motherly instinct kicks all kinds of Xeno-ass.

"Get away from her, you b****!" 'Nuff said.

Citizen Rules

12-30-14, 02:48 PM

Good one! I love Aliens, lots of fun, lots of thrills and lots of creative scenes too.

honeykid

12-30-14, 03:10 PM

:facepalm:

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 03:13 PM

:facepalm:

What's wrong, kid? My favorites bothering you? ;)

hello101

12-30-14, 03:14 PM

Honeykid, why don't you like Aliens? Die Hard is action (you like that), Aliens is better action.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 03:22 PM

http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/02/05/predator_wide-19e3f02848c8cbfa1a58aff659d468904922f9db.jpg
#7 - Predator

Directed by John McTiernan
Released on June 12, 1987
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as "Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer" and Peter Cullen as "The Predator"

http://i.imgur.com/1iDr2or.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5ngwTqWjz4/T9N6cgwGHJI/AAAAAAAAAs0/V0-lqM3vBmg/s1600/8%5B1%5D.jpg
http://nasen75.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/predator_dutch_billy.png
http://timsfilmreviews.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/predator-predator-scream.jpeg

By the '90s, you couldn't mention the Alien franchise without also talking about Predator. Much like Jason and Freddy were the icons of slasher movies, Alien and Predator became the face of alien sci-fi horror movies.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the man back then. The ultimate badass muscular champion. Naturally, this called for a worthy challenge that would make him run for his life like a puny rabbit, and the Predator was it. Whereas Ripley was a vulnerable woman rising to badassdom, Dutch was a badass whose manhood was challenged in the ultimate sport.

It's just so unfortunate that the best Predator movie would become the last good one. Predators was decent, but Adrien Brody was definitely no Arnold.

honeykid

12-30-14, 03:25 PM

Aliens is ****ing terrible. Actual crap. Horrid, one dimensional characters, lousy dialogue and I can't stand Sig Weaver in this. Also, Newt. The most annoying character ever created. Ever. Ever. I honestly can't think of a single thing I like about the film. Even Kubrick films, whilst cold and boring, are pretty to look at.

:yup:

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 03:26 PM

hello101

12-30-14, 03:28 PM

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 04:05 PM

http://static.tumblr.com/4165df31b765418af3772486640f8ce0/dbvyre1/SRmmz21g7/tumblr_static_who_watches_the_watchmen.jpg
#8 - Watchmen

Directed by Zack Snyder
First Released on February 23, 2009 (Leicester Square, London)
Starring
- Jackie Earle Haley as "Walter Kovacs / Rorschach"
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as "Edward Blake / The Comedian"
- Billy Crudup as "Jon Osterman / Dr. Manhattan"
- Malin Åkerman as "Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II"
- Patrick Wilson as "Daniel Dreiberg / Nite Owl II"
- Matthew Goode as "Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias"

http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/watchmen.jpg
https://www.wodumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/JEFFREY-DEAN-MORGAN-as-The-Comedian-in-Warner-Bros.-Pictures-Paramount-Pictures-and-Legendary-Pictures-action-adventure-Watchmen-distributed-by-Warner-Bros.-Pictures.-TM-The-Smiley-Company.-Photo-courtesy-of-Warner-Bros.-Pi-19.jpg
http://www.fxguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/09Mar/watchmen/vietnam.jpg?62f061
https://noisefromthebasement.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/explosion.jpg

Continuing my love for superheroes, I couldn't continue the list without mentioning the deconstruction of superheroes, Watchmen.

I'll admit, I don't really like Zack Snyder's works that much. In fact, the film still felt too flashy and superficial compared to the source material. Snyder plays with these big themes, metaphors, and symbolic images, but they don't feel as alive as they did in the pages of the graphic novel, ironically.

That being said, I still enjoy the movie a lot, and more than just as a popcorn movie too. It's brilliant and intelligent, mostly due to the quality of the source rather than any talent Mr. Snyder might had, and as faithful an adaptation as you can get with comic book movies.

honeykid

12-30-14, 04:14 PM

So I'm guessing you take nicely to Alien 3 or didn't you get that far? :(

For a long time I felt that Alien 3 was the best one. I've come to like Alien more than I did over the years, but I'm not sure which I'd pick as I've not see Alien 3 in forever. Alien 4 was bad, but still not as annoying as Aliens and I've not bothered with Alien V Predator because I've never found the 'versus' thing of any interest at all.

Does The Watchmen have the worst sex scene in the history of cinema?

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 04:16 PM

Does The Watchmen have the worst sex scene in the history of cinema?

I have no idea. I don't watch (nor appreciate) that many sex scenes in movies. Unless it's porn, of course.

honeykid

12-30-14, 04:19 PM

Is that because you mainly watch kids films? :p:D

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 04:20 PM

Is that because you mainly watch kids films? :p:D

Ah ha ha ha, oh, you're just full of laughs. No. :rolleyes:

I actually hate many kids films.

honeykid

12-30-14, 04:25 PM

hello101

12-30-14, 04:25 PM

I haven't watched Watchmen but I remember there being a lot of controversy at the time of its release about some guy's wangydoodle (code for you know)?

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 04:29 PM

You may well do, but most of what you've posted so far are kids films. :confused: Toy stories, superheros? Even Predator and Aliens are, basically, young teenage boys films which, at my age, is kids. I'm not putting you down for it.
Well, I consider "kids films" a little more G-rated than that, but if we're going by your definition, then yeah, I guess you could say I watch a lot of "kids films", and I see nothing wrong with that. :suspicious:

I haven't watched Watchmen but I remember there being a lot of controversy at the time of its release about some guy's wangydoodle (code for you know)?

Yep, there was, not that I really remembered when I first watched it... It certainly wasn't the most impressionable thing I've seen by the time I was 18. :p

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 05:06 PM

http://sliptalk.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/19041724/backto1.jpg
#9 - Back to the Future

Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Released on July 3, 1985
Starring Michael J. Fox as "Marty McFly" and Christopher Lloyd as "Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown"
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/maxresdefault_zps1a4ec7a2.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/9f268292-1c9d-49cc-9922-e5cc79fa6db0_zpsdeec2a18.png
http://2014.sensoria.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/back-to-the-future-.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rn50J.jpg

Another fun movie I could just sit back and enjoy.

This was one of my earliest movies when I started to take movie-viewing seriously... or at least, more seriously than before. I'd watch all the big mainstream classics like Star Wars, Aliens, Ghostbusters, and Back to the Future.

This movie had so many fun, memorable moments that I could rewatch this quite a few times and still go, "Hey, that was a pretty good movie."

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 05:37 PM

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71qQORglklL._SL1500_.jpg
#10 - Jurassic Park

Directed by Steven Spielberg
Released on June 11, 1993
Starring
- Sam Neill as "Dr. Alan Grant"
- Laura Dern as "Dr. Ellie Sattler"
- Jeff Goldblum as "Dr. Ian Malcolm"
- Richard Attenborough as "John Hammond"

http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/pquyhnE9XxHOZqpFS2V6vzt0Dry.jpg
http://www.playmountain.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Jurassic-Park-19934.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fisiRS3lbXE/UwEpNO9_vLI/AAAAAAAAfXc/BX8DtWH_Z4E/s1600/JurassicPark_206Pyxurz.jpg
http://yeartwo.cinema52.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/RaptorDoor.png

Before I came across any Star Wars, Terminators, time-traveling DeLoreans, or Xenomorphs, there was only one major mainstream blockbuster for me, and this was it.

I've always loved dinosaurs as a kid (and which kid didn't?), and many years after, revisiting memories of this classic was still a pretty enjoyable experience, mostly due to the nostalgia of role-playing as the T-Rex and raptors.

Unfortunately, it'd be the last movie Spielberg has made that I could truly enjoy as I meet other great talents like Nolan, Fincher, and Tarantino.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 05:59 PM

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc77/BBMTC/f0ca4533-b8c9-4d46-b98a-d500cf328f80_zps89a78820.jpg
#11 - The Fly (1986)

Directed by David Cronenberg
Released on August 15, 1986
Starring Jeff Goldblum as "Seth Brundle" and Geena Davis as "Veronica "Ronnie" Quaife"

https://cinemanation.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/the-fly-jeff.jpg
https://static.yts.re/attachments/The_Fly_1986_1080p/Screenshot_012_large.png
http://darkenedscreens.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/jeff-goldblum-as-seth-brundle-in-the-fly.jpg
http://static.rogerebert.com/redactor_assets/pictures/52d3eea64206c5142c000003/TFY_10.jpg

Speaking of Goldblum, there was this '80s horror movie that I remembered liking a lot for its fun monstrous transformations... and for how depressing the story was. Whenever I want to make myself feel awful, I'd tune into this movie.

While I was rewatching it a couple of months ago, I also realized how light-hearted (aside from the baboon) the movie was at the beginning. If I was watching it for the first time, I'd have thought it's supposed to be a romantic drama, with some mix of sci-fi in it.

Boy, that sure escalated quickly.

Sexy Celebrity

12-30-14, 06:02 PM

The Fly.... I might have to put that on my own current countdown next. Good movie.

Zotis

12-30-14, 06:15 PM

Aliens, Scream, Terminator 2, Jurrassic Park, Toy Story 3... Sorry, but I can't condone any of these.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 06:30 PM

Aliens, Scream, Terminator 2, Jurrassic Park, Toy Story 3... Sorry, but I can't condone any of these.

Okay, whatever. I don't recall needing anyone's condoning for my taste.

Sexy Celebrity

12-30-14, 06:31 PM

Okay, whatever. I don't recall needing anyone's condoning for my taste.

Tell him to go to Hell.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 06:34 PM

Tell him to go to Hell.

That's a good idea, but I'm just waiting for him to tell me to my face that my taste is ****, and I'll know the kind of person he is.

Sexy Celebrity

12-30-14, 06:34 PM

Well, he can't see your face, so basically he already did that.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 06:36 PM

Well, he can't see your face, so basically he already did that.

I mean posting the exact quote, "Well, you have a **** taste." :)

gbgoodies

12-30-14, 06:38 PM

Back to the Future and Jurassic Park are two of my favorite movies too.

I also love Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It's easily the best of the Terminator series.

Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 are both great movies, but I still think the first Toy Story is the best of the series.

I like The Dark Knight, but mostly for Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker. The story is okay, but without Heath Ledger, I doubt the movie would be the classic that it's become.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 09:38 PM

http://zingrevolution.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/V-for-Vendetta-v-for-vendetta-27694420-1920-1200.jpg
#12 - V For Vendetta

Directed by James McTeigue
Written by The Wachowski Brothers
Released on March 17, 2006
Starring Hugo Weaving as "V" and Natalie Portman as "Evey Hammond"

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http://i.imgur.com/c94IFaH.jpg

I was 16 years old when I came across my second movie based on an Alan Moore work (the first was "From Hell", but I didn't like that movie much). Back then, I didn't know who Moore was, but years from then, I'd come to appreciate his stories very much.

I could never get into the graphic novel of this movie though, as it was too dry for me, considering it's a political thriller. This was one of the few cases where I'd prefer the adaptation over the source material, even if I do agree that the actual movie is a shallow 'flash and bang' compared to the novel, perhaps even more so than Watchmen. V For Vendetta carries a great concept of freedom and authoritarianism, but it never really felt like an art piece resonating whatever message the graphic novel had; instead, it merely felt like a really great action movie.

Not that I've got a problem with that. The quotes are great, the message is true, and it rarely had a boring moment for me.

seanc

12-30-14, 09:48 PM

V For Vendetta gets a little love around here. I was very indifferent to it but have not seen it since the theater.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 10:06 PM

http://www.abc.es/abc-nacional/multimedia/201312/16/media/1999-club-lucha--1406x900.jpg
#13 - Fight Club

Directed by David Fincher
Released on October 15, 1999
Starring Edward Norton as "The Narrator" and Brad Pitt as "Tyler Durden"

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If you ask me, what is the movie I've rewatched the most, I'd either name you The Incredibles (which I've rewatched over 50 times in the theater when it was released), or Fight Club.

Funny story about Fight Club is that... it related to me, a lot. Kind of. See, I had to deal with existential nihilism a handful of times in the past few years, and whenever I was in that mood, I'd watch Fight Club and reminded myself that life would be okay even if it's pointless.

Of course, the whole point Tyler Durden was trying to make was for people to be free without reliance on social norms, which was kinda contradictory of me back then to rely on the movie to guide me - and boy, did it become my guide, for a while. It almost became religious in a way. But that's what happens when people have an existential crisis... I guess.

Anyway, it was a fun movie to rewatch. The message it holds rings especially true in the modern world, where consumerism is higher than ever, and that made it even more fun to rewatch just to see the irony of it.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 10:29 PM

http://www.movpins.com/big/MV5BMjIxMjEyMDQ4NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjE1ODkyMw/the-incredibles-(2004)-large-picture.jpg
#14 - The Incredibles

Directed by Brad Bird
First Released on October 27, 2004 (London Film Festival)
Starring
- Craig T. Nelson as "Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible"
- Holly Hunter as "Helen Parr / Elastigirl"
- Sarah Vowell as "Violet Parr"
- Spencer Fox as "Dashiell Robert "Dash" Parr / The Dash"
- Jason Lee as "Buddy Pine / Syndrome"

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http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/276/8/3/the_incredibles_by_chow11-d81hybu.jpg

I think I remember The Incredibles' script by heart. Everytime I rewatched it, I'd start spitting out the lines before the characters do.

Of course, when I rewatched it 50 times in the theater, it was all just to get another glance at Violet Parr... Come on, I was 14 when the movie was released. It was perfectly normal to have an infatuation on an animated character at my age. :blush:

I remember writing a lot of fan fiction revolving round this movie, even years after my initial viewings. Boy, before Toy Story 3 came along, The Incredibles was something really special to me. :) And it probably still is.

seanc

12-30-14, 10:31 PM

Hard for me to believe someone watched something in the theater 50 times. That being said The Incredibles is fine.:D

Sexy Celebrity

12-30-14, 10:42 PM

I really hope people don't actually go to the movies to see something 50 times. That could cost hundreds of dollars and I just don't think it's worth it.......

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 10:49 PM

http://m.cdn.blog.hu/mo/movietank/image/liar-liar.png
#15 - Liar Liar

Directed by Tom Shadyac
Released on March 21, 1997
Starring Jim Carrey as Fletcher Reede

http://www.imagozone.com/var/albums/filme/Liar%20Liar/Amanda%20Donohoe%20_146_.jpg
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I'll admit, it's pretty difficult for some people to enjoy Jim Carrey's sense of humor. It's slapstick, which means a number of people might find it stupid. But damn, did this movie make me laugh.

In fact, most of Jim Carrey movies just didn't seem all that great to me. The Mask was okay, Yes Man was Yes-Meh, and Ace Ventura was horrible as far as the critics knew. But Liar Liar just seems to be the only one that made me laugh, most probably due to the slapstick style of comedy, as I did enjoy the Mr. Bean TV series a lot as well.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 10:49 PM

I really hope people don't actually go to the movies to see something 50 times. That could cost hundreds of dollars and I just don't think it's worth it.......

I had a fortune for a while back then. I liked Pixar a lot, and I felt, "Why not? I'll support it."

gbgoodies

12-30-14, 11:04 PM

I agree with you about Jim Carrey and Liar Liar. Most of his movies don't do much for me either, but Liar Liar is the best of his movies.

If you haven't seen it, you should give Bruce Almighty a try. That's another Jim Carrey movie that's pretty funny.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 11:11 PM

If you haven't seen it, you should give Bruce Almighty a try. That's another Jim Carrey movie that's pretty funny.

Yep. I've seen it. But the second-half of the movie felt kinda dragged on, so it won't end up on my favorites.

I have to admit, it's a pretty damn fun movie though.

Zotis

12-30-14, 11:20 PM

Okay, whatever. I don't recall needing anyone's condoning for my taste.

I'm just trying to say I don't like those movies with a bit of tongue in cheek.

I condone Watchmen and V for Vendetta though. :up:

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 11:27 PM

I'm just trying to say I don't like those movies with a bit of tongue in cheek.

Heh... Sorry for my overreaction then. :p I just tend to be on my guard a lot with movies I enjoy because I know a lot of them aren't necessarily AFI material, and people might pick on that.

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 11:38 PM

https://benlanesreviews.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/die-hard-8.jpg
#16 - Die Hard
"Yippee-ki-yay, motherf***er."

Directed by John McTiernan
Released on July 15, 1988
Starring Bruce Willis as "John McClane" and Alan Rickman as "Hans Gruber"

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Poor McTiernan. After his last movie, Basic, back in 2003 (which was a critical failure), he seemed to disappear from filmmaking. In fact, I'd rarely hear of his name unless it's associated with either Die Hard or Predator, two movies with such a clever scripting that left me wanting more from him... until I found out that he didn't write the script for either of those. Ah well.

The director aside, Die Hard is such a fun movie like Aliens and Back to the Future. It has quite a number of elements that made it fairly interesting, including Theo, whose lines, though few, were so much fun.

Theo: "So Kareem rebounds, right? Feeds Worthy on the break, over to A.C., to Magic, then back to Worthy! Right?"
[Karl shoots and kills the desk guard with a perfectly timed aim]
Theo: "BOOM! Two points!"

And of course, there were the one-liners from Bruce Willis that could beat Arnold's catch-phrases, the remorseful cop sub-plot with Al Powell, and the excellently portrayed main antagonist, Gruber himself, probably one of the most memorable antagonists of mainstream cinema. Just these little things that make it a fun overall experience for two hour and 12 minutes.

gbgoodies

12-30-14, 11:43 PM

Yep. I've seen it. But the second-half of the movie felt kinda dragged on, so it won't end up on my favorites.

I have to admit, it's a pretty damn fun movie though.

Yeah, Bruce Almighty is not as good as Liar Liar, but it's one of Jim Carrey's better movies. I think the first half is better than the second half because the second half becomes more of a "message" movie, but in the first half, he's still trying to figure out what's happening.

I love the scene when he holds his hand behind his back and asks Morgan Freeman how many fingers he's holding up. :laugh:

JacobKyon

12-30-14, 11:47 PM

I think the first half is better than the second half because the second half becomes more of a "message" movie

Yeah, I kinda got the message, but I felt it didn't work with the movie, especially with a Jim Carrey comedy movie. The Truman Show, on the other hand, worked beautifully with the message because the message flowed fluently, but the message in Bruce Almighty just felt kinda forced. And preachy.

I love the scene when he holds his hand behind his back and asks Morgan Freeman how many fingers he's holding up. :laugh:
Oh yeah, that was a lot of fun. But I think my favorite scene was when he split his soup into half. God, I laughed my ass out of that one.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 12:16 AM

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#17 - Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion

Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and Yukihiro Miyamoto
Released on October 26, 2013
Starring
- Aoi Yūki as Madoka Kaname
- Chiwa Saitō as Homura Akemi
- Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe
- Ai Nonaka as Kyoko Sakura
- Eri Kitamura as Sayaka Miki

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https://deluscar.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/karoshi-mahou-shoujo-madoka-magica-movie-3-hangyaku-no-monogatari-bd-720p-aac-a6d0b7b1-mkv_snapshot_01-39-42_2014-05-05_22-32-50.jpg
Here we go. The anime weebness (weeaboo-ness) begins.

I don't have a lot of anime movies that I thoroughly enjoy. TV series, yes, but not that many full-length movies. Of the few I do enjoy, they were spawned from the TV series, rather than being original movies, such as Madoka Magica.

My relationship with Madoka Magica began around the time I took anime seriously, say 2010, maybe? I was seeking a depressing anime title, and Madoka Magica did the job for me - because being a magical girl is suffering. :cool:

Also, Sayaka best gurl, no matter what the haters said. :mad: She was terrific in Rebellion.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 12:59 AM

http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/d/e/a/death-note-desu-noto-death-note-09-01-2008-17-06-2006-27-g.jpg
#18 - Death Note

Directed by Shūsuke Kaneko
Released on June 17, 2006
Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara as "Light Yagami" and Kenichi Matsuyama as "L"

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http://www.xjaymanx.com/xjaymanx_2007/Images-toybox-2009/xjaymanx_0210_death_note_1_0015_1280.jpg
As any self-respecting anime fan knows, live action adaptations of anime series suck, much like movie adaptations of video games. That's why when Death Note came around, I was rather satisfied, as I loved it much more than the TV series. Light was more human and more relatable instead of that dull sociopath in the series, and it felt like it probed the social commentary part of the story a little bit deeper than the anime. Just a little bit.

Also, it's always so much fun watching Light playing god.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 01:35 AM

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#19 - Death Note: The Last Name

Directed by Shūsuke Kaneko
Released on October 28, 2006
Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara as "Light Yagami", Kenichi Matsuyama as "L", and Erika Toda as "Misa Amane"

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Much like the first movie, it was lots of fun watching the manipulation of human lives portrayed here. Inside, I just wanted Light to win because it was so entertaining watching his scheming. The sequel also deals with the social issues much more than the first one, even though that's not saying much.

Furthermore, that ending resonated with me quite well on an emotional level, mostly thanks to Tatsuya Fujiwara's great performance. This was something that never really occurred to me while watching the anime's ending. Moreover - no Near (a boring character from the TV series)! L gets the whole spotlight, as he should.

Oh, and I almost forgot - that Dani California theme song at the start of the movie! What a great song to get you excited for the rest of the film.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 02:04 AM

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#20 - Casino Royale (2006)

Directed by Martin Campbell
First Released on 14 November 2006 (London)
Starring Daniel Craig as "James Bond", Eva Green as "Vesper Lynd", and Mads Mikkelsen as "Le Chiffre"

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In the old days, I've never really enjoyed that many Bond movies. They were often too shallow for me, focusing on plot-centric scripts rather than character-centric ones. I only liked Goldeneye back then, because of its grittier tone and its story focusing on Bond's character development.

But then, 9/11 happened, and the producers of the James Bond movies felt that the "flash and bang" of the old days were a little inappropriate, so they decided to go somewhere grittier. It was the best decision ever made for the Bond franchise, just a shame that it took a terrorist attack and hundreds of lives to make it happen.

There were many great set-pieces in the movie that were just brilliantly made. Each scene of the movie was entertaining on its own. From the very beginning, the black and white homage to the original Casino Royale was already a nice touch. And after that, a series of deconstructions began to take place, knocking and mocking the old cliches of Bondom ("Do I look like I give a damn?"), and actually fleshing out Bond's character nicely as a good movie would.

Because let's face it, before Casino Royale, most Bond movies just weren't very good movies.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 02:18 AM

http://www.movpins.com/big/MV5BMTYwNjA2NjgzN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjI3NjUzMw/still-of-ellen-page-in-hard-candy-(2005)-large-picture.jpg
#21 - Hard Candy

Directed by David Slade
First Released on January 21, 2005 (Sundance)
Starring Ellen Page as "Hayley Stark" and Patrick Wilson as "Jeff Kohlver"

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http://mobileanger.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/hard-candy-254.jpg
My first introduction to Ellen Page was either between this or Juno. Either way, she certainly did impress me as an actress.

And of course, a fun twisted tale like this would naturally end up on my favorites list.

Camo

12-31-14, 02:32 AM

Zotis

12-31-14, 02:32 AM

Heh... Sorry for my overreaction then. :p I just tend to be on my guard a lot with movies I enjoy because I know a lot of them aren't necessarily AFI material, and people might pick on that.

Can I pick on you for Deathnote? :D

Excellent choices with PMMM and Hard Candy though!

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 02:37 AM

Hard Candy was fun? Maybe it was just me but the subject matter, and the incredibly obvious twist made me want to turn this off and i'd certainly never watch it again. Also what was special about Ellen Page here? I've always thought that Ed Norton in Primal Fear was the most overrated; apparent underground performance but Page in this takes the cake imo.
Each to his own.

Also, please be reminded, everybody, not just Camo, that there is a reason I didn't put any ratings here. This isn't a "Hey, I think these movies are the greatest movies ever made" thread, but rather, a "Hey, these are the movies I personally enjoy - whether or not you like them is irrelevant to me."

Can I pick on you for Deathnote? :D
I know, I know, the original anime was highly acclaimed and blah blah blah. I still prefer the live action version. :p Unless of course, you think Death Note is crap altogether, which, eh, I could agree to some extent.

Arcanis

12-31-14, 02:41 AM

I like every movie that you've listed so far that I've seen to one degree or another (even Aliens, which I find highly overrated). While it's safe to say that your tastes are a lot more mainstream than mine tend to be, we seem to like a considerable many of the same films beyond that.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 02:45 AM

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 02:50 AM

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/still/tropic_thunder14.jpg
#22 - Tropic Thunder

Directed by Ben Stiller
Released on August 13, 2008
Starring
- Ben Stiller as Tugg Speedman
- Robert Downey, Jr. as Kirk Lazarus
- Jack Black as Jeff Portnoy
- Brandon T. Jackson as Alpa Chino
- Jay Baruchel as Kevin Sandusky
- Tom Cruise as Les Grossman

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http://www.propbay.com/attachments/original/11355d1389972252-les-grossman-s-tom-cruise-gold-dollar-chain-glasses-display-tropic-7.jpg
From the very beginning when the movie played those faux commercials? I knew I was in for a fun ride. And boy, what fun.

Admittedly, the trek through the jungle did get a bit dull, and there weren't enough Les Grossman moments, but aside from its minor flaws, I had plenty of laughs at the film's mockery of celebrities and actors alike. Also, Robert Downey Jr.'s performance was just such a fun to watch as well.

Zotis

12-31-14, 02:51 AM

I know, I know, the original anime was highly acclaimed and blah blah blah. I still prefer the live action version. :p Unless of course, you think Death Note is crap altogether, which, eh, I could agree to some extent.

It's a bit of both. I don't like the manga, anime, or live-action, but the live-action is by far the worst. It's like a B movie with no-name actors. They do it a lot with live adaptations of anime.

I could understand if you like it, but quality has got to come into play at some point even for personal favorites. Doesn't it?

Well, for me personally I do try to spend a good deal of time focusing on the quality of what I watch.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 02:53 AM

I could understand if you like it, but quality has got to come into play at some point even for personal favorites. Doesn't it?

Well, quality is subjective, pertaining to personal perspectives IMO. I didn't find the two movies to be B-movies at all, and I could spend all day arguing about it, or just shrug it away and say, "I guess it's just a matter of personal taste."

Camo

12-31-14, 03:04 AM

I understand that these are your personal favourites; it's the main reason i love looking at other peoples lists because i know there will be picks i love and hate, but is my opinion actually irrelevant to you? Would you not be better just posting this on IMDB were you can choose to read the comments or not, since other peoples input isn't valued at all?

Maybe i'm being a bit melodramatic, but first impressions are important to me.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 03:16 AM

I understand that these are your personal favourites; it's the main reason i love looking at other peoples lists because i know there will be picks i love and hate, but is my opinion actually irrelevant to you?

Sigh. Fine. I'll entertain you.

No, Hard Candy didn't want to make me turn off the movie. I found it more exciting, actually, that I knew what was coming, considering it's a child hunting an adult for once. And no, Ellen Page's performance didn't seem unimpressive to me, probably because I've rarely seen child actors who could portray a pedophile-hunting/castrating little devil as well as she did. Maybe because I haven't seen that many pedophile hunters.

See? It's a matter of perspectives. Ignorance is a kind of bliss.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 03:22 AM

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oJpHlvnWbQk/T2JiZFwhDiI/AAAAAAAAAZI/F4vl0zFVmno/s1600/36.jpg
#23 - Alien³ (Assembly Cut)

Directed by David Fincher
Written by many, many people
Released in 2003
Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley and Charles S. Dutton as Dillon

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When I watched Alien³ as a kid, I've never really thought of it as more than just an entertaining monster-flick. Then, as I re-explored the Alien franchise over the years, I found out about all the religious undertones put into the script, how much darker the movie drafts were.

Alien³ certainly has its flaws, much like 90% of the favorites on this list, if not all of'em... but there's just something I really like about the concept of this movie. I love seeing characters suffer in stories, having their ideals challenged, having insurmountable conflicts. Conflicts in stories are fun.

Newt might be annoying to some of the more cynical people, but it wasn't the idea of Newt's fate that intrigued me, but the idea of Ripley losing everything she loved, and being sent to this hellhole. It was a bold move few mainstream sequels would dare to pull. And I love my movies with balls.

Zotis

12-31-14, 03:35 AM

Well, quality is subjective, pertaining to personal perspectives IMO. I didn't find the two movies to be B-movies at all, and I could spend all day arguing about it, or just shrug it away and say, "I guess it's just a matter of personal taste."

Actually, quality is by definition objective. The only thing that is subjective is our perception of quality. But to be fair I didn't give the Deathnote movie a chance. I watched like 5 minutes of it and I could tell right away I wouldn't like it so I turned it off. But I would have given it more of a chance if the acting was better.

I think I'll just cut the commentary from now, considering the attention I'm getting.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

WE WANT COMMENTARY!!!
WE WANT COMMENTARY!!!
WE WANT COMMENTARY!!!

http://rationalwiki.org/w/images/3/33/Protest.gif

Hard Candy was fun? Maybe it was just me but the subject matter, and the incredibly obvious twist made me want to turn this off and i'd certainly never watch it again. Also what was special about Ellen Page here? I've always thought that Ed Norton in Primal Fear was the most overrated; apparent underground performance but Page in this takes the cake imo.
I want in on this too. I had fun with Hard Candy, but what was the obvious twist? That he wasn't really castrated? Well, I think it sounds like the same complaint I've heard about The Village. It wasn't even a twist. It was obvious because it was supposed to be obvious. Could that be a possibility? But besides that, the acting was great. I enjoyed seeing two actors play off each other like that. There was a lot of strong emotion, and I never once got the impression that they were obviously just acting. I was totally engrossed in the movie to the extent where I didn't notice the acting because it flowed naturally. Well that and I wasn't honing in on the acting intentionally. Is it possible you were being a bit too critical when you first watched it and you may need to watch it again?

Camo

12-31-14, 03:59 AM

Godoggo

12-31-14, 04:07 AM

I'm with Camo on Hard Candy. I felt at one point like I was sitting in on an acting class.

Gatsby

12-31-14, 04:12 AM

I've never heard of Hard Candy lol. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Zotis

12-31-14, 04:39 AM

It's inconsequential Gatsby, but it's not an obscure film.

Arcanis

12-31-14, 04:42 AM

I recently gave Alien 3 a rewatch after seeing the Movie Defense Force episode featuring it. Although not great, it really is an underrated film (especially within the context of its franchise) that takes the narrative (and Xenomorphs) to its logical extreme.

Zotis

12-31-14, 04:44 AM

I always thought the obviously obvious twist was that it was Ellen Pages friend killed by the main character her death was mentioned multiple time in the first hour, but whatever flew over your head would work just as well Zotis :p .

No that wasn't a twist. That was something you were supposed to realise about half way through the movie, if not sooner. But the movie did force you to deduce it rather than stating it plainly. At a certain point it started to take for granted that you had figured it out. Some people were actually in the dark for a while (but those people also didn't realise by the movie's end that he wasn't actually castrated).

Also, Godoggo, why? *cries*

Camo

12-31-14, 05:21 AM

No that wasn't a twist. That was something you were supposed to realise about half way through the movie, if not sooner. But the movie did force you to deduce it rather than stating it plainly. At a certain point it started to take for granted that you had figured it out. Some people were actually in the dark for a while (but those people also didn't realise by the movie's end that he wasn't actually castrated).

Also, Godoggo, why? *cries*

So what is the new definition of twist, and outside of that what did Hard Candy have going for it at all. Ellen Page was fine in it i guess, but lets face it she didn't have a fancy/terrible accent like Ed Norton in Primal Fear. Or a half decent storyline and/or twist like Ed Norton in Primal Fear :p . Both were terrible and very similar imo ;) .

hello101

12-31-14, 05:31 AM

Rep for Tropic Thunder, Alien 3 and Liar Liar (which is indeed Carrey's best movie).

Godoggo

12-31-14, 05:51 AM

Zotis

12-31-14, 06:11 AM

So what is the new definition of twist, and outside of that what did Hard Candy have going for it at all. Ellen Page was fine in it i guess, but lets face it she didn't have a fancy/terrible accent like Ed Norton in Primal Fear. Or a half decent storyline and/or twist like Ed Norton in Primal Fear :p . Both were terrible and very similar imo ;) .
Well a twist is a rapid and unexpected change. So if something is expected it's automatically disqualified. Don't you agree?

Also, Primal Fear may have a similarity in it's plot, but the feel and quality of the two movies are very different. The acting in Primal Fear is really mediocre. I think Hard Candy has way better acting.

Zotis

12-31-14, 06:16 AM

Sorry, Zotis. I just didn't like Hard Candy very much. My main problem with it is that I just didn't find it very believable. Not the premise, but the characters. It's been awhile since I've seen it but once scene in particular struck me as especially amateurish. The two characters are talking back and forth and every acting choice and expression was telegraphed so strongly that it completely took me out of the movie and instead I became hyper aware of two actors playing a role. Like I said before it felt very actor classery.

The story could have been an interesting one but I was too aggravated by the characters that I kept finding every implausibility. Things that are easily overlooked and forgiven when you are invested in the movie. Once again, it's been awhile so I can't remember exactly every detail of what happened but something struck me as off about the ending and also about what happens during the non-castration castration.

I'm having trouble picturing what you're saying. I have had similar sensations where I suddenly became hyper aware that it's just actors acting, but I think that can happen in any movie. Also the ending was the best part. Everything came together. But one thing I really enjoyed about Hard Candy was how you had to deduce a lot of what was going on. They would say things, but not quite spell them out. So you actually had to put a few pieces together. I talked with quite a few people who didn't really get what was going on, and the ending confused them.

Captain Spaulding

12-31-14, 09:49 AM

You're moving through this thing pretty quickly, Jacob. Most members post two movies, then wait like five months before including anymore. :laugh:

PMMM? Did Guap hijack your account? ;) Just kidding. I haven't seen it, nor the Death Note movies.

I didn't care much for Hard Candy. Alien 3 isn't terrible, but it's a significant drop in quality from the first two in the series, both of which I love. Not a fan of Watchmen either.

Everything else on your list I like to varying degrees. Predator is one of my favorite action movies. The Fly is my favorite Cronenberg. Tropic Thunder is hilarious.

The fact that The Dark Knight is considered one of the top five movies of all time on IMDB means it's enormously overrated. Hearing that it's "the greatest movie ever made" by so many fanboys has made me resent it a little bit. I miss the days when superhero films didn't take themselves so seriously, but overrated or not, The Dark Knight is still a great movie. I think it falls apart in the last act, but everything leading up to Joker's arrest is pretty awesome.

Jurassic Park is a great blockbuster, but I haven't seen it in forever. I just recently re-watched the Back to the Future trilogy -- I don't have the nostalgia for it like most do, but it's a fun and entertaining movie. V for Vendetta is good, although I've only seen it once.

Fight Club is another movie that I find ridiculously overrated. I don't hate it, but I'd rank most of Fincher's other films ahead of it. Casino Royale is my second favorite Bond, but I've only seen one Bond movie pre-Goldeneye. The Incredibles is very good. Die Hard is awesome, even if it isn't a personal favorite.

Jim Carrey was one of my favorite actors when I was a kid. By the time Liar Liar came out, though, I was starting to grow out of favor with him a bit, so I didn't enjoy it as much as Dumb and Dumber, The Mask or the Ace Ventura movies. I still think Liar Liar has several funny moments, though, and it's better than just about any other comedy he's made since then, although I do quite enjoy Me, Myself and Irene.

Anyways, good job with your list so far. Keep the movies and the write-ups coming. Just please stop being so sensitive to people's comments. :)

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 10:46 AM

and the write-ups coming.

No thanks. I don't see why I should explain myself to anybody. You guys can say whatever you want about my favorites.

Zotis

12-31-14, 10:54 AM

But that's half the fun Jacob.

I've been noticing a lot of people randomly like PMMM. I saw a guy on the subway watching it on his phone. And I keep seeing it in other places and on random people's clothing.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 10:55 AM

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2008/04/IronMAnHEader1.jpg
#24 - Iron Man (2008)

Directed by Jon Favreau
First Released on April 14, 2008 (Sydney)
Starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Terrence Howard as Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane

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Superhero stories are a funny thing. Many people find them to be silly, stupid, and whatever high-browed terms the elitists could pull out of their asses. And yet, they are celebrated worldwide by geeks, nerds, and just adults who know how to have fun. In some cultures, they are even considered to be religious. In others, philosophical.

Now, Iron Man (2006) certainly isn't either of that. I've seen and loved my share of superhero movies way before Marvel decided to pull a cinematic universe together, my prior favorite superhero movie being Spider-Man 2. I'm not going to say Iron Man has the best story or even the most enjoyable entertainment any man could have, but it's undeniable that I had a very good time watching a man firing rockets and laser-beams in a robotic suit while firing wise-cracks that would make Tobey Maguire jealous (something he should've done as Spidey).

And as a comic book fan, that ending scene with Nick Fury still gets my nerdgasm going sometimes.... if only the promised "Initiative" wasn't as much of a flawed travesty as it turned out to be.

seanc

12-31-14, 10:57 AM

I love Iron Man. You probably won't be seeing it in my 100, but it is in my top three or four superhero movies ever. Good choice.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 11:41 AM

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwrzQCNPmPI/UmF_HGIQowI/AAAAAAAAC2E/96jzqVz6VXc/s1600/tcitw1.png
#25 - The Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard
Written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon
First Released on March 9, 2012 (South by Southwest, Texas)
Starring Kristen Connolly as Dana Polk

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After Scream, there weren't any meta-movies that entertained me the same way. No in-jokes that I could laugh at, no mockery of the horror genre, and the "Scary Movie" franchise was a little too dumbed down for me.

Then along came a Cabin in the Woods. I'd certainly not think of it today as the greatest piece of writing ever birthed to man, but I had a pretty good time, and I haven't had as good a time getting those little in-jokes ever since the '90s.

Also, you've gotta admit, that montage of movie monsters in the third act was loads of fun.

Arcanis

12-31-14, 12:14 PM

Iron Man was at the tail end of my top 100 last year and ended up just outside of it this year. I was sad to see it go.

Cabin in the Woods is an easy favorite of mine. It is hands down the best horror comedy I have ever seen, and [I]that's[I] saying something!

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 12:16 PM

Welp, that's it. I've ran out of favorites. Probably won't add any more for a long time to come. I even had to squeeze in The Prince of Egypt just now, but I decided it was not "favorite" enough to be on my list.

Captain Spaulding

12-31-14, 12:16 PM

No thanks. I don't see why I should explain myself to anybody. You guys can say whatever you want about my favorites.

That's lame. I don't care which movies you consider your favorites. The most interesting thing about these lists is hearing the person's reasons for including it as a favorite. It isn't about explaining yourself or justifying your selections. It's just about opening up and sharing that part of yourself. It lets us get to know you in a way. I enjoyed hearing about your personal connections to Fight Club and The Incredibles and the other movies you listed. If you're going to take offense every time someone gives their opinion, why share your list at all?

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 12:18 PM

If you're going to take offense every time someone gives their opinion, why share your list at all?

I don't know. Why does anyone do anything at all? I guess I'm just passing through the motion. Bored, I guess.

And besides, by the time I reached Death Note, I was really just squeezing in something to say even though there was nothing much to say other than, "Eh, I like it."

honeykid

12-31-14, 01:21 PM

Well, it says "strive's for" in the title, just keep striving, Jacob. :) When you find a new film that you're really excited about, add it. :)

I have vague recollections of being in my late teens/early twenties (as I believe you to be) and I can remember how much I took to heart the films I loved. Yeah, it can be annoying and it can even hurt to hear what some people think of what you love, but if you put it out there, some of us are going to say our piece. It might be constructive or it might be petty, but you've no control over that, so just answer the ones you feel like answering. If you don't want to, then don't. We have no control over that. I'd love you to keep saying why you love/like the films you do. For me, that's the best part. I've not read too many because if I'm not interested in a film I don't usually bother, but when I'm in the mood to do so, I'll come back and read through them. I might even + rep the ones where I like what you've said, even if I hate the film. :D

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 03:49 PM

I have vague recollections of being in my late teens/early twenties (as I believe you to be) and I can remember how much I took to heart the films I loved. Yeah, it can be annoying and it can even hurt to hear what some people think of what you love, but if you put it out there, some of us are going to say our piece. It might be constructive or it might be petty, but you've no control over that, so just answer the ones you feel like answering. If you don't want to, then don't. We have no control over that. I'd love you to keep saying why you love/like the films you do. For me, that's the best part. I've not read too many because if I'm not interested in a film I don't usually bother, but when I'm in the mood to do so, I'll come back and read through them. I might even + rep the ones where I like what you've said, even if I hate the film. :D
I've written my thoughts on Alien³, Iron Man, and Cabin in the Woods. Read as you will. :|

honeykid

12-31-14, 04:00 PM

I've managed to dodge everything Cabin In The Woods related since its release. One day I'll get around to seeing it and, hopefully, it won't be spoilt. Although, the knowledge that there's something to spoil does, in itself, spoil things as I know to look out for something.

I did read your thoughts on Alien3 though, so thanks for adding those. :) I don't think being cynical has anything to do with Newt being annoying, though I'm certainly cynical so maybe it's true. I recently heard a clip of The Babadook, which is something I thought I might like to see. However, even in the clip I heard the kid was really starting to annoy me. :D Just his voice was enough, much like Newt.

JacobKyon

12-31-14, 04:16 PM

http://i.bnet.com/blogs/a-few-good-men.jpg
#26 - A Few Good Men

Directed by Rob Reiner
Released on December 11, 1992
Starring Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, and Demi Moore as Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway

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I was born in Singapore, which means I was required to serve conscription. And trust me, stereotypes about "those military types" are more accurate than you'd think, even if they aren't as black-and-white as you see here, in this movie.

The army. It can really drive a man crazy. Some folks would even use it as an excuse, "to protect and serve God and country," as they say. I have little love for the army. So, when a little tale like this comes along, as flawed as it might be, am I satisfied? Of course I'm godd*** satisfied. It talks about the code army men follow. It talks about the traditional values your more senior military men would still follow today, regardless of moral obligations. In fact, just ask how those Muslims feel about the CIA.

Yes, I can't handle the truth. In fact, I wouldn't even want to look at its face save I lose my appetite for the rest of my life.

Politics aside, it was a darn good acting by Tom Cruise, one of the few I actually enjoy.

Godoggo

12-31-14, 04:44 PM

I'm having trouble picturing what you're saying. I have had similar sensations where I suddenly became hyper aware that it's just actors acting, but I think that can happen in any movie. Also the ending was the best part. Everything came together. But one thing I really enjoyed about Hard Candy was how you had to deduce a lot of what was going on. They would say things, but not quite spell them out. So you actually had to put a few pieces together. I talked with quite a few people who didn't really get what was going on, and the ending confused them.

I wasn't confused by the ending, I just didn't care for it much. Actually, I would have preferred it to be a little bit more ambiguous.

It doesn't happen to me in every movie though. I'm not especially hard on actors. There are a few of them that I am not particularly fond of their style, but generally I find it pretty easy to forget who they are and just enjoy the character they are portraying. I've never had that experience so strongly as I did with Hard Candy where I felt everything that went in to making a movie rather than just experiencing a story. I don't know if that makes sense so I'll do a drawing analogy. Someone at my level draws and you can see what I tried to do to make the eyes look a certain way or what tools I used. I am at a level where you can still see the process of how I am trying to draw because my skills aren't developed. Where as someone really skilled draws something and your just looking at the picture and experiencing the picture and it's making you feel something. The process is forgotten. The first part is how Hard Candy was for me. I could see what they were trying to do and how they were trying to do it. I wasn't experiencing the movie as a seamless creation. The acting and in some cases the direction choices were apparent and telegraphed and it took me out of the story and made the characters unbelievable. Like the difference when you see a play on Broadway vs. one you see at your hometown at the local theater.

JayDee

12-31-14, 10:08 PM

Very nice list you've got going Jacob. :up: In fact at times it was like you were mirroring my own list with the likes of Toy Story 2, Terminator 2, Back to the Future, Predator, Jurassic Park, Die Hard and Iron Man

Zotis

01-01-15, 12:30 AM

I wasn't confused by the ending, I just didn't care for it much. Actually, I would have preferred it to be a little bit more ambiguous.

It doesn't happen to me in every movie though. I'm not especially hard on actors. There are a few of them that I am not particularly fond of their style, but generally I find it pretty easy to forget who they are and just enjoy the character they are portraying. I've never had that experience so strongly as I did with Hard Candy where I felt everything that went in to making a movie rather than just experiencing a story. I don't know if that makes sense so I'll do a drawing analogy. Someone at my level draws and you can see what I tried to do to make the eyes look a certain way or what tools I used. I am at a level where you can still see the process of how I am trying to draw because my skills aren't developed. Where as someone really skilled draws something and your just looking at the picture and experiencing the picture and it's making you feel something. The process is forgotten. The first part is how Hard Candy was for me. I could see what they were trying to do and how they were trying to do it. I wasn't experiencing the movie as a seamless creation. The acting and in some cases the direction choices were apparent and telegraphed and it took me out of the story and made the characters unbelievable. Like the difference when you see a play on Broadway vs. one you see at your hometown at the local theater.

I know what you mean, but I can't see that about Hard Candy. It's been about five years since I saw it, but I had a really good impression. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the acting. I thought both of them did a good job portraying emotion. I think Tom Cruise is an actor who usually feels like he's just acting and doesn't often come across as authentic. But I've never felt that way about Ellen Page. Juno was the only movie of hers that I didn't enjoy, but not because of the acting.

JacobKyon

01-01-15, 12:34 AM

It's a shame about Tom Cruise. I want to like him as an actor, but his acting chops just don't give me many reasons to like him. I don't really like it when I'm reminded of the actor rather than the character the person is playing. Jim Carrey is guilty of this too, since he plays Jim Carrey almost every movie.

JacobKyon

01-01-15, 05:02 AM

http://www.reelgood.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/superman-reelgood.png#27 - Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman

Directed by Kevin Burns
Released on June 20, 2006
Narrated by Kevin Spacey

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I don't normally enjoy watching documentaries, of which there are only two titles I could sit down and have fun: "Batman Unmasked: The Psychology Of The Dark Knight", and this Superman doc.

I was sitting down, having lunch just now, and I remember watching a documentary that had this awesome opening, with Superman's theme music playing, and Kevin Spacey setting that hopeful, inspiring atmosphere for the movie. I'll admit, I'm more of a Batman fan. That said, there's something about these idealistic boy scouts that I love a lot, whether it's Captain America or the Man of Tomorrow himself. Their uncompromising will to do good just kind of inspires me, and listening to that theme music, while recounting the tale of how two poor but humble American boys created the pop culture phenomenon just excites the comic book nerd in me.

Another thing that I love about this doc is George Reeves. This documentary was the first time I really learned what happened to him. I've heard of his tale a couple of times before, heard him being mentioned in the Hollywoodland trailer, but I've never really learned what happened. And when I finally did, I think I loved the character all the more, and I grew a profound respect for George. The fact that the Man of Steel died was supposed to be an insulting irony to all the little children who loved the TV show, but I just found it all the more fascinating.

It's just a shame that this doc wasn't created much later, because I did feel that it was almost a commercial for Superman Returns. Had it been created after the release of the movie, I wonder if all those praises and positive remarks for the franchise would remain existing. Ah well.

And yeah, admittedly, this might be the first entry on this list that I'll admit to be a guilty pleasure. :D

hello101

01-01-15, 05:17 AM

nice

JacobKyon

01-01-15, 11:05 AM

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#28 - The Terminator
"You're terminated, f***er!"

Directed by James Cameron
Released on October 26, 1984
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese, and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor

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There are two movies which I couldn't believe I haven't added to this yet, one of which is this movie. Thanks for telling me, guys. :(

The Terminator, the love story across time. What a classic. What else can be said about this little gem? In the few hours that Kyle and Sarah had together, they loved a lifetime's worth. End scene with a storm coming, and you have a standalone sci-fi love story that could have done just as well without its sequel, with many hailing it as a way better movie than T2.

I remember being impressed by the metaphoric storm at the end of the movie when I revisited the movie several years ago, when I grew old enough to understand and appreciate filmmaking techniques. There were also many other classic moments in this movie of symbolism that made this film stood above its sequel, such as the red eye of the Terminator fading out as it "dies out", and I realized, this is a must-see movie for any sci-fi fan.

I guess you shouldn't have any trouble guessing which is the other film I forgot to add. ;)

JacobKyon

01-01-15, 11:24 AM

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#29 - Alien

Directed by Ridley Scott
Released on May 25, 1979
Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and Bolaji Badejo as The Alien

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I believe this movie requires no introduction. It's an instant classic as it teaches everyone that in space, no one can hear you scream... whatever the hell that means.

If The Terminator was considered a much better film by some people, then Alien was definitely considered a far more superior film by most people. This was the one that started it all. Unlike its more flashy sequel, this was the one that began the horror of the rape undertones, the art house classic that pits one surprising female survivor against a hostile alien. Whereas Aliens was an exciting popcorn blockbuster, Alien was the true Oscar-worthy entry.

I still prefer Aliens though. ROFL

Zotis

01-01-15, 11:25 AM

Oh yes! Alien!!

hello101

01-01-15, 12:36 PM

Alien and The Terminator are both in my top ten, luv you.

honeykid

01-01-15, 12:40 PM

I like The Terminator more than T2 (which I still like quite a bit) but they both start to bore me by the end. T2 more than the first, though.

Your write up for the Superman documentary was my favourite so far. :):up: Unlike you, I love documentaries and I'll watch a documentary about stuff I'd never watch as a fictional film, such as Superman.

Arcanis

01-01-15, 12:55 PM

That's a geat stretch of movies right there, especially the last two.

cricket

01-01-15, 01:11 PM

Holy crap, you're flying through this almost sexy style

Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
Wasn't able to get into any of the Toy Story movies

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Great, but I don't love it the same as I did when it first came out

Scream (1996)
Only saw it once under bad circumstances and liked it a good deal. I need to see it again

The Dark Knight (2008)
Very good but my least favorite of the trilogy

Aliens
One of my very best favorites

Predator
Awesome!

Watchmen
Haven't seen, but I want to

Back to the Future
Great movie, one of the most easy to enjoy movies ever made

Jurassic Park
Plenty of fun

The Fly (1986)
Another favorite of mine

V For Vendetta
Very good, underrated

Fight Club
Didn't care for it the first time, liked it a lit the second time, think I'll like it even more next time

The Incredibles
Excellent

Liar Liar
Not a favorite, but an above average comedy

Die Hard
Huge favorite of mine

Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion
I would give this a shot if it wasn't so long

Death Note
Death Note: The Last Name
Never heard of those

Casino Royale (2006)
Pretty much like every Bond for me; I enjoy it, but not as much as I had hoped

Hard Candy
I liked it, but it was disappointing for me

Tropic Thunder
Unique, funny, and memorable

Alien³ (Assembly Cut)
Saw it once, at the movies when it came out, and I didn't like it

Iron Man (2008)
Loved it

The Cabin in the Woods
Just decent for me

A Few Good Men
Pretty awesome

Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman
Not familiar with this

The Terminator
Big favorite

Alien
Another favorite

JacobKyon

01-02-15, 03:55 AM

For my 30th entry, I want to do something special to me.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3k1gORDTYHo/UpNRE1Ep81I/AAAAAAAABws/1AuDIVtvAww/s1600/h390.png
#30 - Spider-Man 2

Directed by Sam Raimi
First Released on June 25, 2004 (Lithuania, EU)
Starring
- Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
- Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
- James Franco as Harry Osborn
- Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus

http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/emma-rose-part-2-spider-man-2-vs-amazing-spider-man-2-after-10-years-what-s-the-verdict.jpeg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q80/trungcang/h2/vlcsnap-2013-06-16-03h49m13s232.png~original
http://yuq.me/users/23/782/D7xISY6M51.png
http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2004/06/Spider-Man2Header2.jpg
I've been meaning to put this one off because I wasn't a big fan of Raimi's incarnation of the web-slinger, even if I'm a big Spider-Fan myself. Unlike other superhero stories like Watchmen or V For Vendetta, I grew up with Spider-Man, and he is still my favorite superhero of all time, despite the decline in the comics' story quality. I could talk to you all day about the web-head.

But when it comes to Raimi's Spidey, I'm just not that enthusiastic about his trilogy than I was years ago. Tobey Maguire doesn't wise-crack, he's too nerdy to be relatable as a modern day Spider-Man (most would think of him as a nobody in today's world, in fact, not even as a loser), and Raimi's scripting is just so campy and cheesy, especially the first movie which had the most stupid moments in cinematic history, and not even entertaining-campy like the Evil Dead series. If anything, I hold the animated TV series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, in a higher regard, as it was obviously more well-produced (a TV cartoon more well-produced than a movie trilogy; man, that's just pathetic). I understand that it's Raimi's style to be campy, but his Spider-Man just didn't work for me, since I have read stories that were taken far more seriously in the comics (Kraven's Last Hunt and The Death of Jean DeWolff to name a few) than... whatever this is.

That being said, Spider-Man 2 is an unique exception, and it really is. Despite the camp, Raimi did one thing correct - he focused more on the 'Man' than the 'Spider'. Spidey's like a confused Superman who doesn't know how to use his powers, someone who has a life. An Average Joe like you and me. Hence, by giving him the character conflict that Raimi did in Spider-Man 2, it became a very entertaining watch for a huge fan like myself, despite Kirsten Dunst's annoying character. The whole rivalry between Peter and Harry, the whole "sins of the father" sub-plot with Harry stepping into his father's shoes, it all really hearkens back to the classic stories I read from the '70s and '80s.

And I guess that's all it really has going for, nostalgia. Despite being named one of the best sequels ever made, despite it one-upping the first movie, I think it's merely a good by-the-book technical achievement for Raimi, in that it might be worth a study for amateur film students, but it doesn't impress me much today, even if it might serve as a guilty pleasure when I'm in the mood. Nevertheless, I'll always hold it in a much higher regard than both of Marc Webb's hipster reboots, and that speech by Rosemary Harris about holding on one second longer will always have a special place in my heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVX-cUJGdxs

honeykid

01-02-15, 11:58 AM

I thought the first Spiderman film was good and I liked the script. Made a change to have a decent script for a superhero film. Hated the sequel. Everything I feared would be in the first one. Of course, that's the one the fans really like, which is probably why I'm not a fan of these stories/characters/films and they are. :D

JacobKyon

03-24-15, 03:07 PM

Of course, that's the one the fans really like, which is probably why I'm not a fan of these stories/characters/films and they are. :D
It's funny though, because everything I hated about generic superhero films like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, they are overshadowed by the things I do like in Spider-Man 2, things that have also appeared in other movies, like character development, themes of sacrifice, great speeches about perseverance, etc. Just saying.;)

Anyway, relax, I didn't come back after all this time just to argue... Well, technically, 'argue with you guys'. No. Today, I'm here to use this thread as a place to talk about one of the films listed here in my favorites... Alien³. Why did I suddenly bring up this movie again, during now of all times? Well, recently, I got into a heated debate on YouTube - no surprise - over this film, in the comment section of Decker Shado's review of the flick. Naturally, neither Decker nor the YouTube commentators at large were particularly happy about this film, and that's fine because it's just their opinion. But when they started to rank this film as the worst abomination in the entire Alien franchise? Well, that's where I had to say something, because with Alien: Resurrection and Prometheus considered, and if you count the two horrifying (in the wrong way) Alien vs. Predator movies... yeah, I don't think so.

Their biggest complaint was, you guessed it, the death of annoying Newt and boring Hicks! (in the voice of a sarcastic Ricky Gervais) Ladies and gentlemen, please give these people a round of applause, for they've came up with the most overused misconception of all why this movie was bad! :D

Sigh.

You know what bothers me the most? "This movie was made for cheap shock value". Really? Oh my god... Did they even know what was going on before they made that comment? Or did they just base their seemingly objective opinion based on face value and their 'feelings'? I mean, did they even read the original draft, and the director's notes and interviews on what the original story was supposed to be? If you claimed that this movie was a potentially great story turned into a colossal failure, I could definitely agree with you at that, even if not till such an extreme extent, but "shock value"? Lazy? Really?

Oh my god. :rolleyes:

So, what the original drafts were going for, as most of you should already be familiar by now, being more experienced in film than I'll ever be, is that Ripley is supposed to feel like she's in purgatory paying for her sins. Everything she loved was deprived from her, and she's suddenly dropped into a wooden planet where monks are repenting, and that demonic xenomorph is still haunting her despite taking everything she loves away from her. If that doesn't drive a person crazy enough to think that she's being punished in an inescapable fate, I don't know what will.

Now, will that kind of plot induce apathy in the audience, however? Yes, naturally. But whether if that kind of thing is good or bad is up for a subjective debate, since art is subjective by itself... You know what I mean. Please don't argue with me about semantics. :p Anyway, despite the idea of an inevitable fate being apathy-inducing, it could have been potentially great as well, considering that Terminator 3's ending was considered by some to be much better than people gave it for.

"We are meant not to avoid the apocalypse, but to survive it." Something like that.

The fate is inescapable, yes, but so is the concept of death. That doesn't stop people from living, however. In the face of an inescapable fate, Ripley decided to take down the Alien Queen with her. That's a glorious story, if I've heard any.

And yet, you have this one dude here on YouTube that claimed that there are holes with my argument (before proceeded to disabling me from being able to reply to him, real mature), so I'm open to clarification what kind of holes there are to this thought of mine. *shrugs* I'm not pissed off that there might be logical fallacies with my argument, I'm just pissed off he disabled my replying capabilities before I was able ask him about those fallacies. I digress. YouTube being YouTube, after all.

Overall, I feel that Newt and Hick's deaths were ultimately more crucial than people have given credit for. Ripley must suffer, so that she could ultimately be freed. Notice how, when she fell, she took a posture that's almost like an angel. Just saying. I've always had a knack for symbolic imagery like this, and Alien³ was the ultimate symbolism in the Alien franchise thus far of how cruel fate can be, but also how one woman could still fight it till the bitter end.

MovieMeditation

03-24-15, 03:17 PM

I just caught up with what I was missing. Some great films here, and even if some aren't in my eyes, it's always fun to follow a favorite list! :up:

honeykid

03-24-15, 04:58 PM

Newt and Hicks being dead are part of what makes part 3 so good. :D

JacobKyon

03-24-15, 05:39 PM

Newt and Hicks being dead are part of what makes part 3 so good. :D
I didn't really mind Newt and Hicks, to be honest (Michael Biehn was pretty badass, despite his character being a generic grunt). Aliens was a glorified action movie with good character writing for ONE character (Ripley), but that's fine with me 'coz I had fun. However, the fact that the fanboys outraged over the deaths of two not so well-written characters (Newt was practically a walking plot-device), it just shows how credible Internet fanboys really are.

Thursday Next

03-24-15, 06:42 PM

I like Hicks and Newt, I like Aliens, and I like the idea of the three of them living happily ever after. But I also like Alien3, and I don't mind that it completely screws over Aliens' happy ending. I think you're right when you say that it is Ripley in purgatory (or hell, maybe), battling to survive and redeemed in the end by her sacrifice. I like that there's a different tone to all of the first three Alien movies.

JacobKyon

03-25-15, 10:38 AM

The Plague of Superhero Movies
Sigh. Another day, another rant against ignorant fanboys...

Look, I loved superheroes - past tense - I really did. They used to have such potential to tell rich stories in the books, such as political thrillers, existential crisis, religious debates, or even just a little humble Aesop. But you know what? Enough is enough! Superhero movies suck!

Sigh. I just... I just had to get that out of the way. Sorry.

Yes, I know I'm being incredibly biased and generalizing with that statement. It's just me venting, blowing off steam. No, not all superhero movies suck, but there remains an underlying problem that everyone seems reluctant to address whenever I come across these YouTube comments. Superhero movies have become a genre in itself, with their own cliches so distinctive that they've became as much a genre as the horror genre, the bottom-feeder of all movie genres nowadays.

First and foremost, let's talk about the main reason I'm here - character deaths. This often happens in superhero stories, and it's been addressed by Cracked recently, the main reason why my current rant exists in the first place, because the comment section just pisses me off with their illogical evaluations, not to mention a thorough disrespect for the movie medium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWpQeJNxiNQ
I understand the idea of an opinion, but claiming that "characters deaths being cheap bluffs" is somehow okay because they are "superhero movies" is really insulting to my intelligence. Yes, this happens a lot in comic books - but these are not comic books! These are movies! When you adapt a story from one medium to another, the general idea is that you follow the rules of that medium!

And you know what the funny thing is? It's not even a rule that's restricted within movies only! It's a storytelling trope that's considered a cliche in all forms of stories, be it literature, movies, video games, and even comic books! It's called "Deus ex Machina", and it's generally agreed that this is one of the weakest way of telling a story, considering that it's a contrived plot-device that rescues a character for the sake of progressing a plot. It's lazy, and it loses tension the more times you do it! How is "losing tension in the story" a subject of opinion?! HOW?! It's a writing technique, for Christ's sake!

Sigh. Pardon my French. It's just... so insulting, these fanboys. God, I'm getting a headache.

You know, it's been ongoing for many years now, my gradual detest for superhero movies. I mean, after Iron Man 2, if Winter Soldier didn't come along, I would have given up much sooner. But it's just ridiculous, the kind of mentality these superhero movies are breeding in movie-goers. I actually want to watch Citizen Kane, and Casablanca, and other great movies that you people watch instead of watching these casual mainstream movies after talking to these people. I mean, really, movies as a medium have excellent storytelling throughout history, and somehow, superhero stories, one of the lowest denominator in the realm of stories, is going to change that history of tradition?

But you know what's the worst part? They are 'entertaining' to people... whatever that means. Transformers was entertaining too, I guess. Whenever I mention that franchise, people would say, "Oh, but superhero movies are critically acclaimed!" No, it's not! Except the few exceptions like Guardians and Winter Soldier, 7 or 8 out of 10 times, you'd have a generic storyline about some superpowered hothead beating the crap out of bad guys! This is Bond movie material! It's as shallow as that! I'm surprised there isn't a super villain stroking a cat on his lap!

And because of these poorly conjured excuses, people are going to keep paying for these bad movies, and what's going to happen to actually good movies like Birdman, Whiplash, and Nightcrawler (coincidentally titled after comic book superheroes) in the future? Sure, they are fine now, but with Marvel announcing 20 movies per year or decade, who knows what's going to come for the movie industry in the future. Am I, as a movie fan, going to have to deal with these casual movie fans who thinks that the best movie ever was Guardians of the Galaxy? Seriously? Screw that! I'm going to watch The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption!

And you know, it isn't just character deaths. It goes far, far worse than that. Do you know that certain people are saying "It's okay to have an entire movie composed of one-liners"? I mean, sure, an action movie that's stupid do that every now and then, granted, action movies being a genre on its own, but with the filmmakers recently commenting on how "superhero" isn't a genre, the results are surprisingly different from their hypocritical views. You don't see one-liners in drama movies, or romance movies. You get punchlines in comedies, sure, but one-liners that make the characters look cool? That's a trope that's present mostly in action and superhero movies, and it gets terribly annoying after a while. And really, which writing guide online will tell you that "one-liners for the sake of one-liners" is a good thing? Is that even a real storytelling technique?

Of course, it doesn't end there. Generic character archetypes are okay too, because they are adapting from the same generic source that's the books themselves. So we are no longer telling a good story; we are selling promotional movies for the comics. Got it.

It doesn't end there, no. Generic storylines about the hero saving the day. When uh, who's that guy... *Googles* Joseph Campbell, that's right. When good ol' Jo' came up with the monomyth technique, you know what some writers said? They said that it's a dangerous technique that shouldn't exist, because it makes writers think that they should just follow a formulaic pattern with this so-called 'Hero's Journey' instead of creatively making their own stories. You know who supported 'The Hero's Journey'? The same guy who made the Star Wars prequels, George Lucas himself. Yeah, that's right. In terms of superhero movies, there exists a very formulaic pattern that repeats itself very often. The hero meets villain and defeats him, the end. Yes, I know that there are exceptions, hence the use of the word 'often' not 'always', but generally, the storyline often goes like that. And that's just lazy writing.

There are plenty more cliches out there in the superhero genre (yes, I'm going to call it that from now on), such that these movies have become a plague that's almost as bad as slasher movies. Worse than slasher movies, however, they make money. That's the terrible part. Also, critics are starting to appreciate them as real movies, when there were standards to follow. In fact, there have always been standards in the realms of literature, iron rules on what trope is bad, what storytelling technique is ineffective in conveying tension and emotion, etc. Let's not let a bunch of teenage superhero nerds ruin that for us.

Thank you.

Edit:
In case my speech didn't get to you, hopefully, a second opinion will:

http://www.toplessrobot.com/2014/04/7_reasons_why_superhero_movies_are_the_pits.php

Some of the comments are worth reading too.

Also, yes, this kind of insistence on you getting the point means that my war on superhero movies has officially started. I'll grab every source of evidence I can get if I have to prove that superhero movies are abominations that need to be put down like a rabid dog.

seanc

03-25-15, 12:19 PM

+rep for the rant because I love a good rant, but a couple points of contention. The first might be a bit of a contradiction because I was just saying in another thread how I would like to see higher stakes in superhero movies. While that is true I do also understand that these movies have basically become the action flicks of our generation. If you took them away you would be likely to say where have all the action movies gone. I say all that to say the action movies of the 80's and 90's were not high stakes either. We basically knew how things were going to play out before the first scene. Many people like this style of story, I personally mostly find it boring. Unless you can find a way to get me into the characters. Nolan did this in a wonderful way for me and Marvel does an adequate job for my tastes, occasionally knocking it out of the park. So while I agree in part, in other ways I actually prefer this new generation of action films.

The second point that disagree with and have talked quite a bit about around here. Is that somehow these films are killing cinema. On this point I couldn't disagree more. I think that there is more then enough room for everyone in the pool. Movies are consistently breaking records every year. Yet Oscar season is still overflowing with films to choose from. There are tons of independent films being made every year and we have more ways to access them then ever. Some people will always only go to see a couple movies in the theater a year, some will only watch the smaller films, and some will partake in everything. It is the way it always has been and probably the way it will be for many many years.

honeykid

03-25-15, 12:26 PM

My advice is to stay above the bottom half of the internet. That, or turn them into art. :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTZmDPhJ5NM&list=PLSri4mUN3jsLstNYnMih_XVYS0MkjwWeZ

JacobKyon

03-25-15, 12:35 PM

@Seanc Yeah, I know I overreacted there, somewhat. It's just that I couldn't get my point through so many people that it's became a frustration for me.

Anyway, yes, some of these Marvel movies have some stakes... somewhat, except for Loki not dying, Coulson not dying, Fury not dying, Tony Stark not actually struggling with alcoholism like he did in the comics, the Guardians of the Galaxy saving the world with the power of friendship... never mind.

I guess there are some stakes and tension in your perspective, and I'll respect that. I just feel that they are playing it quite safe, aside from a few very exceptionally rare moments that take place in a single movie, maybe every 2-5 years. Yeah... Okay, I'm being snarky and annoying, sorry. But I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that point.

On that note though, it does remind me that there are more than just Marvel superhero movies out there, like Fox's X-Men franchise, which I do agree that there are considerable stakes that aren't too predictable... even if everyone was saved in the end of Future Past as Bryan Singer single-handedly wiped out Brett Ratner's mistakes. Darn it, I'm being snarky again. Sorry. :p

Fox shows promises, especially with the upcoming Fantastic Four movie that actually looks like a movie in general, not a superhero movie. That's all I'm asking for. A single movie that doesn't remind me that I'm watching a superhero movie with superhero cliches. The capes and deus ex machina are getting old, folks, almost as old as YA movies (The 50 Twilight Hunger Games of Grey, though I guess 'Shades' is 'mommy-porn').

On the point of killing cinema... That's a good point. I guess I was just being reactionary towards the onslaught of Marvel movies coming out. It's honestly a bit intimidating. Hopefully, you're right, and this would be a passing phase that doesn't affect movies in general anymore than slashers and YA movies do.

@honeykid
Hah... That's sound advice. lol

JacobKyon

03-25-15, 01:01 PM

Okay, now, see, this is an interesting story and concept, and not because it has some film festival logo attached to it. This genuinely looks like an interesting story, in terms of stories and literature in general. Exploring new territory with the zombie genre has always fascinated me, and this looks like a very character-driven movie.

Too bad Marvel couldn't hope to do the same because they are too busy making money. :p
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ5Vz8qE8R8

Captain Spaulding

03-25-15, 02:24 PM

http://www.worldwidehippies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/tumblr_m7kthysG6C1qcb143o1_500.gif

JacobKyon

03-25-15, 04:47 PM

http://www.worldwidehippies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/tumblr_m7kthysG6C1qcb143o1_500.gif
Considering that I'm the "Mainstream Dude" whose favorite movies are T2 and Aliens, not some elitist movies like 2001 or Twelve Angry Men... yeah, I think I'm pretty lighthearted. :p

Mr Minio

03-25-15, 05:03 PM

Wow! The trailer is awesome. I hope they use music like this in the movie as well. The Grey for example uses beautiful music that enhances the experience. The music from the trailer reminded me of this film for some reason. I like the zombie theme and, of course, Arnie is super cool. This is a movie I might enjoy!

Gideon58

03-25-15, 07:21 PM

JacobKyon

03-25-15, 09:54 PM

I don't think it's that confusing. There's a lot to take in for sure, but it wasn't convoluted, considering that the themes do relate to each other to form a big picture and tell a single story, which is the abandonment both Woody and Jessie felt. The themes of immortality conveyed by Stinky Pete (living forever behind a glass case) was just another part of that argument on whether if toys are better off without their owners. It's all one big philosophical discussion, but a coherent one at that.

The third one actually manages to deliver the concluding punchline to that discussion by amplifying Stinky Pete's point of view up to eleven through Lots'o.

There were not really that many unnecessary parts, aside from the scenes inserted for comedic purposes. Scenes that were made for dramatic purposes were all connected in one way or another, which is something quite amazing for a trilogy, as not many creative teams were able to achieve that in movie trilogie

JacobKyon

03-26-15, 09:46 AM

Continuing my campaign on the criticism of superhero movies, here's another article I found that I thought was rather interesting, so I felt like sharing it with you guys:

http://whatculture.com/film/10-problems-marvel-cinematic-universe-nobody-seems-acknowledge.php

I think my favorite point made by the article was this:

"I’ll quote Roger Ebert’s review of Thor: “Here is a film that is scoring [77%] on Rotten Tomatoes. For what? The standards for comic book superhero movies have been established by Superman, The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man. In that company, Thor is pitiful.”

I've shared Roger's view on the skewed perspective for a while now, ever since Guardians of the Galaxy was given its 'top-notch' and 'superb' rating. And you know, it's not just Guardians, which can be excused for being very funny, but even movies like Thor and Thor 2 get a free pass from movie-goers, being described by many as "it was a good movie".

Really? I could understand if you tell me it's a "mediocre" or "average" movie, as opposed to "a ****** movie", but "a good movie"? I mean, I would even take "it's an okay movie". Just saying. I'm flexible.

Meanwhile, horror and slasher movies, with equally shallow plot but nevertheless entertaining, have continued to receive the sledgehammer blow of 20% or 30% ratings as they've always had, despite some of them being more rich in storytelling than Generic Archetypes of the Galaxy. Hm. That's peculiar, huh?

Food for thought.