JayDee's Movie Musings

Aw Mark. Something about that sentence makes it just about the saddest thing I've ever read.

That sums it up quite nicely.

You're not going to let this go for a while are you?

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Dammit I take back my response to the review. Why write like several paragraphs when I could've just said

Sorry, I was desperate to use that clip.

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#31 on SC's Top 100 Mofos list!!

Sorry you didn't like it JayDee. I am so looking forward to having my second viewing in the next week or so. I will post all my thoughts on my 100 thread so I won't write a paragraph here. I will say I think it's a funny thing about emotional manipulation. I feel as if movie fans we are okay with it if it works for us, but condemn it when it doesn't. I am not saying whether that is right or wrong because I slam plenty of films for being manipulative, it is just an observation. I wonder if anyone else agrees.

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Letterboxd

Meh, I won't hate on you for your review of Magnolia. The biggest complaint about the film is that it's too much of everything: too long, too contrived, too pretentious, and too forced. I could start arguing with you and launch a huge counteroffense, but I'd be fighting a losing battle. You've said your thoughts on the film, elaborated on them and I respect that.

Now, post a review of a film you really liked, so I can trash it.

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Oh you're in luck Brod. My 90s season has taken a little detour into me revisiting some of my favourite action films of the decade; something I'd been planning on doing anyway for my new top 100 list. And as we've seen before (Speed, Point Break, my infamous Van Damme season) big, dumb action flicks are something I have a great fondness/weakness for. So I'll be throwing plenty of ammunition your way.

Who in their right minds would trash Speed?

Plot - Caster Troy (Nicholas Cage and also kind of John Travolata) and Sean Archer (John Travolate/Nicholas Cage) were never exactly likely to be the best of friends, what with Caster being a criminal and Sean an FBI agent. When Troy kills Archer's son however this becomes a deadly, hate-filled feud that rumbles on for six years. Even when Archer finally catches up with Troy and leaves him in a coma things between them have not come to an end. Before being caught, Caster and his brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola) had planted a bomb in downtown Los Angeles. In an attempt to find out the bomb's location from Pollux, Archer undergoes a radical and experimental facial transplant operation which switches his face for that of Troy. Having learned of the bomb's location it seems like the mission has been a success but things take a horrific turn for Archer. Caster Troy unexpectedly wakes up from his coma, forces the doctor to give him Archer's face and then kills everyone who was aware of Archer's transformation. Taking Archer's place, Caster now has the power of an FBI agent and Archer seems likely to be forever trapped in prison. Or something like that! I'm sure I've probably gotten confused in there somewhere.

If you're looking for a prime example of the great excesses that were to be found in the action genre throughout the 90s, you are unlikely to do any better than John Woo's Face/Off. Its concept is truly ludicrous. Its performances are so over the top that they end up in the stratosphere. And its action sequences are taken to ridiculous extremes. It's a film which actually has a bit of sci-fi vibe to it. Obviously you have the initial scenario which at the very least is certainly infringing on being science fiction, but then you've also got the faintly futuristic-feeling prison that Castor and his brother are sent to, what with its magnetic boots and all. As a setting and a scene the stretch is prison is actually pretty awesome.
Anyway let's just get this out of the way right up front. In terms of its whole premise Face/Off is absolute nonsense of the highest order! I mean even today, more than 15 years after the movie came out and scientists are only just beginning to get a real grip on facial transplants. And yet here they can switch people's faces so that it's impossible to tell the difference and that it doesn't leave a single bruise or scar; no healing required. So yes, absolute hogwash! But who cares? This is an overblown John Woo action film we're talking about. Why are you looking for logic? And I bet there are people out there who disparage this for being nonsensical trash, and yet they rave about artistic fare like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, completely overlooking the absurdity of the memory wiping technology which is central to its story. Anyway, once you get past the sheer incredulity of its premise you'll realise that it actually opens up a whole host of delicious prospects. And not just in the action sense; it allows for some interesting situations for its characters. For example it's really quite creepy watching Castor interact with Archer's family after the switch, and Travolta tackles these moments with an apparent relish; the intimacy with Archer's wife and the slimy bonding with his daughter. While in contrast Archer seems to adopt some of Castor's darker tendencies. While you could argue that it's for the greater good, while in prison he does instigate an escape and an ensuing riot which results in the deaths of several of the prison guards. He even comes to feel a sympathy and a connection with some of Castor's criminal associates. And as you would expect from such a set-up the film does also exploit this switcheroo for snatches of humour.

Of all the actors out there, particularly those who have won an Oscar, there are few who have a more polarizing effect on audiences than Nicholas Cage. Over the years he seems to have been both celebrated and derided in equal measure. And he's not like most polarizing figures who seem to split people into two separate camps; those that love him and those that hate him. It seems that everyone is capable of both loving and hating him, depending on the film and his performance. For the most part I'm a hater, not a lover but when I do love him it's usually in films like this. These kind of outlandish films suit his exaggerated style. The ticks, mannerisms and sheer weirdness that he brings to just about every one of his performances can often ruin a film, but they can excel in fare like this; larger-than-life films where his eccentric acting choices feel at home. And in an attempt to keep up with his manic stylings, Travolta seems to be having an absolute ball once he makes the switch over to the Castor Troy persona. I find him to be terrifically entertaining as he sneers his way through proceedings. I think that both men do a really nice job of representing the switch and inhabiting each other's characters. For example I feel that Cage does it very well following the switch when he is essentially Cage playing Travolta playing Cage. As Castor Troy he is pure unadulterated evil, but when he becomes Sean Archer it's the same act but you can see that it is forced and put upon.

Face/Off opens in very grand, operatic style and immediately informs you of the kind of experience you're in for. The film kicks off with a flashy, stylistic sequence which depicts the death of Archer's son at the hands of Castor Troy. Right away Woo's direction is in full force here; very slick, showy and creative. The action then moves on six years and we find that Archer is still hunting Castor. So far we've already seen the fairly unsubtle nature of Woo, next up its Cage in a bombastic introduction where we find him dressed as a priest and acting in a spectacularly maniacal fashion. It then delivers a fantastic action sequence which is so large and thrilling that it would normally be fit to close most action films. Here however it acts merely as a little warm-up for all of the chaos that is to follow. It sees Castor attempting to escape in a plane as FBI agents tear after him in SUVs down the runway. Archer then commandeers a helicopter and instructs its pilot to use it to stop the plane. The chase results in an absolutely explosive crash into an airport hangar.

And from then on Face/Off pretty much sticks with the nature it has already set out. It is fast-paced, overblown and on occasion downright goofy all the way to the end. There's a great little moment which I feel neatly captures that goofiness. After just arriving at the hi-tech prison Archer is confronted by another prisoner who thought he had got wasted. Trying to put on the kind of show that Castor would, Archer asks him if he wants “to see what wasted really looks like little man.” Cue high-pitched, camp calls of “ooooh!” from the nearby inmates. They act like damn high school kids! Oh and almost forgot, during the opening exchanges I think the costume design for Caster Troy is awesome, really helping to create this ridiculously extravagant character. We see him sporting a dark red suit, wearing large and ostentatious jewellery, showing off a flashy dragon money clip before revealing the pair of gold plated guns he keeps holstered. The character is just so incredibly vile and despicable; he's fantastic!

All of John Woo's trademark flourishes are on show here - his affinity for slow motion, the flamboyant choreography, his avian fetish, the highly stylised and violent action, characters going back to back, strong use of reflections etc. And they all come together to create some wonderfully thrilling set-pieces including numerous chaotic, violent shootouts and the concluding boat chase. I've always gotten a kick out of his character's fighting style in terms of leaping from side to side, firing guns in mid-air etc. There's a ridiculous and hilarious moment where during a shootout Nicholas Cage for no reason whatsoever does a forward flip, staying in the exact same spot, before resuming firing. All in all Face/Off certainly adheres to the classic archetypes of a John Woo flick.

Conclusion - It may not exactly be the most intelligent film that Hollywood has ever produced, and yes it may feature a couple of glaring plot holes, but come on, who really cares?! Face/Off is just ridiculously good fun, with some great action and two actors who seem to be having an absolute blast with such a preposterous concept and outrageous characters.

Got to love classic over the top action movies! And Face/Off is one of them! Sometime you just want to turn off the brain and be entertained! And this is one of those movies! Excellent review!

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

I like Face/Off, but not as much as I used to, it hasn't held up as well for me as the two other films in the unofficial Nic Cage action trilogy... The Rock and Con Air. But yeh, like you say, fun stuff

was already a fan of John Woo before Face/Off came out and while it was a basic, get-to-know project for american audiences showcasing a lot of woo's previous tricks it is, as you said, "ridiculously good fun," which I'm guessing had a lot to do with the hollywood camp influence. And, cage does excel in the outlandlish character of Castor Troy. I always enjoyed the shoot-out with "Over The Rainbow" playing. TRUE Woo scenario.
I do get a kick out of this movie but it always makes me want to go "back to the well" and dig out one of Woo's movies from China, like Killer or Hard Boiled.

Excellent review btw

Loved Face/Off at the time. Def one that needs a re-watch though.

Oh well stick around then, you may be interested in what's coming up.

Thank you very much ed. And welcome to the thread.

Sounds good man, I know BBC show all three now and again and I know the other two were on fairly recently, like last couple of months, so looking forward to see if you reviewed any

Before my next action film of the 90s here's a little catch-up of micro musings to clear the backlog. These are from my season of easy watches that included the likes of Alien Nation, The Hidden, Planet Terror etc











Scanners has two fantastic moments in it; the first occurs in the film's opening moments and the second in its closing moments. In between them however I didn't find a great deal to truly love here. Those two moments however, particularly the first, really are quite awesome. The first is the moment that everyone knows. Even if you've not seen the film you've probably seen or heard about the exploding head. Both it and the finale are stunning examples of special effects work. That however is about the only instance where we are able to see any real effect of the scanning process. The rest of the time it is left to the actors to gurn maniacally to show they are either scanning or being scanned. The rest of the film just felt very predictable and staid. Performances throughout the film are pretty much exclusively hammy and overwrought with only the ever-awesome Michael Ironside really hitting the mark. It was a shame then to find how little he was actually in the film.









I found this film really quite similar to Vanishing Point in a way, except that it handles the existentialism in a lighter way, ensuring the film feels a lot breezier. It's a really simple little film which most captures your attention as a great car film. It's got a couple of really cool muscle cars and a number of excellent moments of high speed racing and carnage. The performances certainly aren't born out of the Actors Studio, but through a combination of the dialogue and the characters they do have a good bit of punch to them. The characters themselves may be fairly one note but they're quite good fun. Peter Fonda supplies a good deal of energy as the adrenaline-junkie daredevil, Larry Rayder. As the titular Mary, Susan George is suitably annoying at times in a loud and trailer-trash like fashion, but at quieter moments shows a sensitivity and a naivety in her eyes. While Vic Morrow greatly entertains as the obsessed sheriff on their tail. The film also features a really quite shocking finale which came out of nowhere and really threw me for a loop. A nice little flick








A cheap but effective little horror-thriller this one. It's suitably trashy throughout, really delving into the excessive and over-the-top fears that people hold about things like small hick towns and satanic believers, playing them up to their most gaudy and far-fetched natures. The film is quite slow to get going but once it does I thought it was a fun ride. Once the group witness a human sacrifice and get chased by the cultists however then the film really picks up. They are terrorised by the cult members who leave threatening notes and snakes in their camper van and kill their dog. It does a really nice job of creating a massive sense of paranoia so that every person they see and every look in their direction feels threatening. Essentially the film is very much in the form of films like Duel and The Hitcher, except that instead of a singular pursuer you've got a whole posse of them. And the big car chase that it all leads up to is pretty awesome. The cast are all solid and likeable. With me being a big fan of the classic sitcom, MASH, it was a particular treat to see Loretta 'Hotlips Houlihan' Switt in a major role. I think this may actually be the first thing I've ever seen her in outwith MASH. Race With the Devil also has a very notable and memorable ending; it's quite the shocking twist. I'll admit though that it is completely ludicrous and makes no sense whatsoever but for the initial 10 seconds until I realised that I thought it was awesome, and it does remain quite cool. While the film may take a while to get going I was able to find a lot of fun in this little flick. Though I will admit I'm not entirely sure why I liked it so much and I'm unsure how much replay value there is here.








What a disappointment this one was! I first heard about it years and years ago and ever since then had really high hopes for it, given my love for a good cult flick. But man were those hopes ever dashed! It starts off brightly enough with a really nice breezy nature, and I liked how the deserted LA cityscape was realised with its interesting, eerie red glow. Very quickly however it descends into an extremely slow and uneventful experience, where we find our characters doing nothing but hanging around a radio station, arguing over boys and going on a shopping spree. I don't know if this act was meant to be taken seriously or if it was going for spoof-like laughs that with the world going to hell all around them these girls are concerned with such trivialities. Either way I found it extremely flat. The film does pick up a little however with a shootout in a shopping mall, and a fun little ending. The acting is fairly ropey throughout, although Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney still prove to be quite likeable regardless. The biggest problem with the film in my eyes would certainly have to be its lack of budget. As a result of it we barely get the opportunity to see the zombies whatsoever, and it annoyed me that they clearly couldn't afford cars for the production. It makes sense that there are no people on the streets as they have all been wiped out but what about the cars they left behind? There's barely a single one to be seen in the whole city of LA.

Watched Scanners the other night... seen it before when I was younger but it seemed extra boring this time round.

Haven't seen the others.

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Yeah was really surprised as I was watching it about how big a cult favourie it is for many people. As I said two moments aside it was really rather dull and I think I've been a bit too kind with my rating actually.

Look at all of these reviews!