The 27th General Hall of Fame

That one baffles me

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By being Indiana ******* Jones, that's how!

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Funny, I didn't expect that word to get censored so you're probably all imagining a word that's worse than the one I actually used.

Compound word with one word starting with a G and the other one starting with a D?

Yeah, censoring that just makes people assume it was an F bomb.

As to the "glaring story problem" in Raiders, for the record I was more bothered by the images of Mayim Bialik that kept popping up in my head than by the fact that she was technically right. I used to watch that show all the time and her character Amy was a big reason why I stopped watching. Couldn't stand her.

Now I'm far more bothered by the U boat thing.

Anyway, was too tired to watch Temple of Doom last night but may watch it tonight. I've always loved it the most of the Indy movies. Then again maybe I'll watch Last Crusade instead and save the best for last. (And no, I shall not be watching Crystal Skull.)

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The best post on this thread!

I'm sure they did but could they find her? They followed Indy to get to her. It kind of reminds me of what John Doe said to the detectives in Seven when Mills told him they would have caught him eventually : "Oh really? So what were you doing? Biding your time?"

correct.

A/ People who point out glaring story problems are the worst, aren't they?
B/ If it was "glaring" we would've noticed it in 1981
C/ I'd even argue that it's not a problem at all. Given what happens to the ark at the end, the futility of it all seems to be the theme anyway. So maybe Lucas gets the last laugh after all.

Didn't they already have Marion's father journal, and knew where to find her? Don't remember. Anyway, I don't really care about the "theory" one way or the other.

The story problem posed by Big Bang Theory is not a story problem. Even if this adventure ultimately adds up to a big MacGuffin, and nothing is changed, how does this actually have any bearing on how the story functions? Is this somehow not a story worth telling simply because all the Nazi's would have all died anyway? He should have just stayed home? It's ridiculous nit picking and, even though I didn't watch this particular television show, I feel the characters of The Big Bang Theory are maybe not meant to be turned to for their cultural insight.

Let's for a moment consider that the story of Raiders of the Last Ark is completely factual. Indiana Jones is a real guy, and every event in the films plot happened exactly as it did in real life. Now, would or would this not be a story worth telling? Or should we expect him to just keep it to himself because, in the end, it turns out he might as well have just stayed home? And if that is what you think, is it possible you've maybe lost sight of what the value of storytelling even is?

All I know is if I was sitting around a dinner table while Indiana Jones was telling this story, and someone sitting next to me complained their time listening to it was wasted because 'the Nazi's would have opened the ark anyway', I'd immediately change seats.

...and now for something completely different.

The Secret of Roan Inish -

This is one of the first hidden gem movies I ever watched, and after having not seen it for a few years, it remains a favorite. Hidden gem could describe every movie directed by John Sayles, who I'm surprised isn't better known since I haven't been disappointed by any of his movies that I've seen. With Men With Guns, Limbo, and this movie, he's proven to be an expert at stories about endangered communities for the special way he depicts what they do to survive and the typically cruel forces that marginalize them. This one's exquisite beauty, magical qualities and how it emphasizes the power of storytelling make it my favorite such exploration.

Cinematography can make or break a movie as much as its direction, which is why the great Haskell Wexler deserves as much credit for how good this movie is as Sayles. Besides the way he films coastal Ireland's natural charms, I like how the intimacy of his camerawork shows how small this world is. It’s also a nice touch that nearly every shot is filmed at Fiona's diminutive height for how it lets us see this world through her eyes and stresses how hard it is for her to convince everyone that her story about her missing brother Jamie is true. Speaking of stories, every character has one to tell, and luckily, Sayles and company never forget that this is a movie and not a book. With their crossfades, sepia tones, etc., the stories are as pleasing to see play out as they are to hear, and each one proves how useful stories are at carrying on cultural and family traditions. Being caught between two worlds is another recurring theme, and the many instances of it from Jamie's place in the seal and human worlds to the community's place in Ireland and the England that threatens to erase its uniqueness are expertly interwoven. The secret sauce in all of this, though, is in the whimsy and laughs. How it makes you wonder if the seagulls and seals are collaborating with little to no special effects deserves credit, as does the genuine humor, which finds its peak in the surprise that the grandmother - the most traditional and devoutly religious member of the family - wants to believe Fiona the most.

While this movie is a favorite, there are still things in it that raise an eyebrow. Coastal folk may be a stern and salty lot, but the performances are tad stiff on the whole. As for the stories, as involving as they may be, there are scenes like the first one with Tadhg that make you wonder if they rehearse them since some are a little too perfectly composed. Also, the selkie's marriage didn't exactly end well, but even though it was a different time, the movie should have called out her husband for essentially holding her hostage. It still earns its hidden gem status and proves that John Sayles is one of America's best indie directors. It's always a shame when a community withers away, especially as a result of forces that do it willingly. That they can be preserved by someone as innocent, uncynical and hopeful as Fiona is refreshingly optimistic.

HUGE fan of Big Bang, so I got a big kick out of the clip.

I need to get another up on the board, and with the recent Demons reviews, I do believe I'll be going with that one in the next few days.

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Speaking as someone who gave Raiders a 7/10, I don't care about "the nazi's would've died anyways" criticism at all. Jones wasn't aware of this until the end of the film, so to his perspective, his presence was necessary. It just seems like nitpicking to me.

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i did not like Raiders at all but that was not one of the issues lol. very smooth-brained idea of what's required for a story tbh.

To be fair, I doubt I would've have noticed it either if I hadn't remembered that Big Bang Theory episode (just like I didn't think about the U boat issue until Torgo pointed it out) but it's one of those things that's planted in my head now and can't be undone.

Regardless, my biggest issue with the movie is - and always has been - that I just don't find it nearly as exciting or as amusing as its sequels. Also Ford was way hotter in Temple of Doom.

There's a deleted scene where Indy uses his whip to hang on to the periscope on the submarine when it dives under water.

It's explained at around the 7:10 mark in this video:

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OPEN FLOOR.

I remember reading the comic and getting that extra bit of info about Indiana Jones tying himself to the submarine's periscope with his whip, but I used to think to myself, "Hey, don't submarines dive deeper than that?" It always bothered me - but having seen a few submarine-based movies in the interim I'm getting the feeling that they only do those deep dives to escape detection, and that they otherwise sail like normal ships - on the surface it takes less energy and fuel, and is easier to navigate.

One thing that still bothers me though is the trap in the cave at the start. "Stay out of the light." How does that work? What kind of thing did these natives build where some kind of movement in a beam of light sets off a spear trap? Or is there some guy sitting in the cave looking out of a hole just waiting - for years and years - looking and waiting, staying alert - looking at his light beam, until somebody wanders by and he hits his trap button. At night that trap doesn't even work at all.

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Also, in episode 2F09, when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is a magic xylophone, or something? Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder!

Thunder Road (2018)


What an awkward film, and not in a positive way. Jim Cummings's portrayal of this annoying idiot gives me the feeling of some high-school kid forced to act in a school project. He feels totally out of place before the camera, yet still, the director Cummings feels the need to have him in practically every single frame. There's nothing funny here, just a general embarrassment for the people involved.

I honestly don't know if this is going more for drama or comedy, but neither aspect is working. Drama is ruined by the lack of relatable characters and an aura of incompetence. The only ongoing joke in the film is Cummings acting like he can't, and I don't find it particularly funny. It's one of the most egoistic actor-directed films I've ever seen, and the main effect for me is actually starting to dislike Cummings as a person.

In short, most likely the worst film I've seen this year, and I dearly hope it'll have the last place on my ballot cemented. Sorry for the bashing.

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So you . . . . loved it?

Or at least appreciate the sweet, sweet gift of an easy last place!