Films Worth Viewing Year 3

[zymurg]

"Clueless"_- Amy Heckerling-1995

Heckerling is perhaps best known for "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" which began the careers of several major stars including Sean Penn, "Clueless" made money (12 million budget-56 million US gross) and was well reviewed. It spawned a brief lived TV show, 25 years later it is barely remembered.. I think this is a decent film, but it hasn't aged well. Heckerling wrote the script; it is loosely based on "Emma". I recently watched Greta Gerwig's" Little Women" which is another attempt to adapt a classic to the "modern" day. That film seemed to me to be well made, but I lacked an emotional connection. "Clueless" tried to create it's own little reality. It used a language peppered with new words, a new slang. The new slang spilled over into teenage parlance of the day. Of course that means it was hip for a few minutes of time. Some of the humor works today, some doesn't. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) was expected to become a star, but she didn't. That was her fault and not the film's. This is a clever film, that has it's good and bad points. Some of the role players particularly Wallace Shawn and Dan Hedeya are excellent. There are some memorable lines: "As If;" "You see how picky I am about my shoes, and they only go on my feet;" and "Why should anyone listen to you; you're a virgin who can't drive."

There are some solid laughs, so it is a marginal recommendation.

 

[Palatine]

It's a funny movie. An early Paul Rudd sighting as well. One of my favorite bits is, Cher comes to the Pismo Beach Disaster Relief Drive carrying a pair of skis. She looks at camera and says, "Some people lost everything, that includes sporting equipment."

 

[zymurg]

"The Killer"-John Woo-1989

This is a landmark film. It established Woo as the top director in Hong Kong, and it opened up many opportunities in Hollywood. Among Woo's Hollywood films are: "Payback", "Windtalkers",and "Mission Impossible 2." "Hardboiled" is another excellent film starring Chow Yun Fat. Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" made Chow Yun Fat a major international star. When :The Killer"was made he was a big star in China, but he was known as romantic leading man. He wanted to make this film because it would broaden his range. He forced his studio, Golden Princess, to help fund the film. Typically Hong Kong films had short shooting schedules, around 45 days. This film was scheduled for 90 days, but it ran over. The final shootout in the church took 36 days to film.

Woo is a film nerd. He is familiar with films from all over the world. His initial influence for this film was Jean Pierre Mellville"s "Le Samourai." When Woo discusses the film he identifies a host of other influences:Sergio Leone, Martin Scorcesse, Sam Peckinpah, and Jacques Truffaut. He conceives of his shooting scenes as ballets.
Of course he has his own signature touches the use of two guns and pigeons.

Woo writes most of his films. On this occasion he began shooting with only a treatment. He wrote the dialogue while shooting. Music is very important important. He listened to the score and then plotted the action sequences. He put earphones on his cameraman so that he could get the rhythm right.

The film opens in a church. Ah Jong (Chow Yun Fat) is sitting alone staring ata statue of the Virgin Mary. It looked tome as if the statue had a tear running down her cheek. Nobody else mentions this, so I'm probably wrong, but it seems like such a great foreshadowing that it should be true. A man sits down beside him. He is his mentor Fong Sei (Kuy Chou). He is a triad elder. He provides Ah Jong with weapons and the details of his jobs. He asks Ah Jong if he is a believer; he replies that he likes the church because it is quiet. This job is a hit on a man high up in the Triad.

This first major takes place in a club. The target is playing cards in a private back room. During the shootout, he shoots across the face of a singer, Jenny(Sally Yeh). She loses her sight, and the killer wants to help her. This becomes a full blown romance. Ah Jong wants to have Jenny to have surgery to regain her sight. Ah Jong frequents the club where she performs. He wants to protect her. One night after closing, she is attacked by toughs. Ah Jong intervenes,

The final major character is a police inspector Leu Ying (Danny Lee). He is street savvy and he acts outside the norms. He is the first to identify Ah Jong as a professional killer. During the course of the film they become unlikely allies and then almost brothers. Ah Jong runs afoul of the Triads; he wants to give up killing and make a new life with Jenny. Of course this doesn't work out.

There are some interesting touches. Ah Jong plays the harmonica, shades of "Once Upon a Time in the West." There is an assassination at the famous five dragons boat race. Ah Jong rescues a young girl shot in the shootout following the race. He takes her to the hospital.

The body count is 120, and Ah Jong never gets his happy ending. The final shoot out takes place in the church where we first met Ah Jong. The statue of the Virgin Mary is destroyed by gunfire. My only criticism is that there is one too many shootouts. Most observers don't share that opinion. Highly recommended; the DVD extras on the two disc ultimate edition are well worth viewing. Woo is a great craftsman. This is a must see for action fans.

 

[zymurg]

"Gilda"-Charles Vidor"1946

There is an excellent restoration available for free streaming at 123 movies go.tv. The restoration was done by the UCLA film school. Let's start with the misconceptions. I thought that King Vidor and Charles Vidor were one and the same person; they aren't. Rita Hayworth often complained the when men met her they thought Gilda, and all they got was Rita Hayworth. In the famous strip scene, all she removes is her long gloves. This often classified as a film noir; I don't think that it is. This film achieved almost cult status. Rita Hayworth was a major star, and this is considered her best film. Hayworth was a great dancer. She was Fred Astaire"s favorite partner. She is one of the few dancers who co-starred with both Astaire and Gene Kelly. The most famous song in the movie: "Put the Blame on Mame" is sung by Hayworth, but another voice was added. Hayworth who had spent months working to improve her singing, never forgave those involved.

The plot is a hot mess. We begin with Johnny Farrell (Glen Ford) playing dice with American Sailors in Buenos Aires. He is a crooked gambler and a con man. No explanation is offered for his being in Argentina at the end of WW ll. He is being robbed of his winnings when Ballon Mudson ( George Macreedy-in an excellent performance) intervenes with a cane which conceals a sword. Ballon owns a casino (gambling is illegal in Buenos Aires), and he hires Johnny to run the casino/nightclub. This is successful, but Ballon goes away and returns with a wife, Gilda. Of course Johnny and Gilda have a past. Johnny is immediately put in an impossible situation. He has affection for Ballon, a bromance before its time. Gilda seems out of control, she continually flirts and perhaps more with a series of men. Her motives are not clear.

There is a classic McGuffin. Ballon was in business with Nazi expatriates. He was given patents, and the goal was to gain a monopoly of a strategic resource, tungsten. When the war ended, the Nazi's wanted their patents back.
The Germans attempt to regain their property violently. Ballon is presumed dead. Johnny is the executor of the estate and Gilda is the beneficiary. The Germans are unrelenting, but the whole process has been observed by a detective (Joseph Callela) who has been tasked with uncovering the corruption. Johnny and Gilda marry. The marriage is never consummated. This led to imputations of homosexuality, not proven in my mind. The ending seems tacked on by the critics.

The photography is excellent. The performances are crisp. In my opinion this film has not aged as well as other noirs. This was a huge financial success for Columbia. Glenn Ford co-starred with Rita Hayworth in several other films. Hayworth remained a top star for a decade. Her last major film was "They Came to Codura" another convoluted work. For all its faults, this is still worth viewing primarily for the performances particularly Hayworth's.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Clueless" was also an early sighting of Brittany Murphy, although she's almost unrecognizable in the film. I didn't realize it's barely remembered. It's still on TV now and then and I see clips of it mixed into various forms of media. I thought it was iconic enough for its time that its legacy would live on.

 

[zymurg]

"Black KKKlansman"-Spike Lee-2018

There is a lot to like in this film. The historical underpinning is obviously provocative, a Black undercover policeman posing as a Klansman and getting away with it seems like total insanity. Many of the criticisms belabor the fact that the film isn't an historical documentary. Ron Stallworth really did the job, but the film makes some major detours from the historical record. The white twin wasn't Jewish; the Black female student character was an amalgam of several real persons. In real life Stallworth wasn't a college graduate when he joined the Colorado Springs Police Department. In real life Ron Stallworth did have an Afro.

The major characters are well drawn. An argument can be made that the Klan characters are cardboard images of real persons. However, the depiction of David Duke is historically accurate. He didn't realize that Ron Stallworth was a black cop until 2006. The Klan really did show "The Birth of a Nation" at meetings. The film is really from Stallworth's point of view. I really liked the banquet scene. The "Organization" was the thinnest of masks for the Klan. The members saw themselves as "real Americans."

Most of the film was shot in and around Ossining, New York. We know that name because in is the home of Sing Sing. I wonder if Spike was making a subtle comment? How about we are all prisoners of racism? I bring this up because Lee is often criticized for being blatant. One might want to look at it from Ron Stallworth's point of view. Is it possible to be both a proud Black Man and an undercover police officer?

The film opens with Dr. Kennebrew Beauregard (Alec Baldwin) making a film extolling the virtues of White Nationalism. Of course Baldwin played Trump on SNL. Then we have the scene where Jerome Turner (Harry Belafonte) is telling of his horrible experience witnessing the ritual burning after partial dismemberment of a mentally dumb young black man after his conviction on a rape charge to the Black Students Union. Finally, the film ends with documentary footage of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 1917. We also get to see Trump's comments. Is it possible that Spike Lee can be obvious and subtle in the same film?

The film was nominated for many Oscars; it won for best adapted screenplay. It won the second award at Cannes, Grand Prix. The Palme D'Or is the first prize. It made decent money. John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace were more than solid in their roles. There is some real humor. I think Lee did a solid job avoiding a polemic. Very highly recommended.

 

[zymurg]

"The Deer Hunter"-Michael Cimino-1978

What happened to Michael Cimino? "Heaven's Gate" was a legendary failure, but he never came back. We are left with "The Deer Hunter" a three hour film with three acts. It was controversial when it came out, people walked out of screenings at various film festivals. It was nominated for nine Oscars and won five including Best Picture and Best Director. Looking back at this film today is a journey to the past. The first act set in Clairton, PA. gives us the back story. Three young men decide to enlist in the airborne infantry in the Viet Nam. They all work in a steel mill. The opening mill scenes are excellent. There is almost no dialogue. We meet the three young men: Mike, Steve, and Nick on their last weekend before laving for Viet Nam. Their high school yearbook pictures are on the wall of the VFW. Steve (John Savage) is getting married. His marriage and reception take up over 50 minutes of screen time.

Mike (Robert DeNiro ) leads a group deer hunting after the reception. Mike believes that the only way to kill a deer is with one shot. Mike promises to bring Steve and Nick (Christopher Walken) safely home from Viet Nam. There is one telling scene in this first act where Mike attempts to interact with a Green Beret at the VFW bar. He refuses to talk. The reception is a collage of off kilter partying. Mike avoids the dance floor. Nick dances with Linda (Meryl Streep). She catches the bouquet, Nick proposes.

George Dzunda ((John) and John Cazale (Stan) are worthy characters. This was Cazale's last film; he was dying from lung cancer. It is worth mentioning that Clairton has a large Russian American population. The marriage takes place in a Russian Orthodox Church. The film was all shot on location. The Viet Nam portions were shot in Thailand. The rest of the film was shot on various midwestern locations except for the deer hunting scenes which were shot in Washington state.

The Viet Nam section opens with Mike on the ground in a village taken by the NVA. One NVA soldier drops a grenade into a hiding place where villagers are cowering. The blast kills them. Mike gets up and using a flamethrower kills the NVA soldiers. A US helicopter appears with Stan and Nick n board. The there is a jump ahead to an improvised Viet Cong prison camp. The Viet Cong force the prisoners to engage in Russian roulette.
Mike figures our a plan to escape. Instead of a single shot, the revolver will have three bullets. The plan works but Steve is wounded. When a helicopter tries to rescue them, only Nick makes it aboard. Mike carries Steve to safety.

We jump ahead to Mike's homecoming. Years have passed; it is 1975. The town prepares a welcome for Mike. He slips into town to meet Linda. The remainder of the film deals with Mike's attempt to bring his friends home as he promised. Mike has become the Green Beret he tried to engage in the first act. He brings Steve back from a VA Hospital minus two legs and an arm. Nik proves to be more of a problem; he is still in Nam. He went AWOL years before. He is a professional Russian roulette player. Mike is forced to return home unable to save his heroin addicted best friend. After Nick's funeral a group of friends meet in the bar.

As the credits roll we see a scene from the reception which looks like "The Last Supper." The film still has an impact today, and it was the first of a series of films which delved into Vietnam, but unlike most its focus was not so much on the war as on what it did to the three key participants. One is broken physically, the second is broken mentally, and the third finds it difficult to come home. Mike is unable to shoot a deer.

Despite some real problems; this is a major film. It is not pleasant or uplifting viewing, but it is memorable.

 

[Waquoit]

Despite some real problems; this is a major film. It is not pleasant or uplifting viewing, but it is memorable.

For sure. I only saw it once when it came out, I never forget his drawer full of "socks".

 

[zymurg]

"The Best Years of Our Lives"-William Wyler-1946

This is one of those rare instances where the studio system came up with a true cinematic treasure. The basis forthe film was an early novel by McKinley Kantor. Robert Sherwood, one of the real greats, adapted the novel. Gregg Tolland did one of his best jobs behind the camera. The film has a more realistic tone than most 40's films. This was one of Wyler's three directing Oscars., his reputation was second only to John Ford. Wyler like some his most talented contemporaries spent the war as an Army filmmaker.

We are all familiar with the term "The Greatest Generation," They survived the Great Depression and won World II. Now they were coming home. They brought the War with them when they returned. Homer Parrish (Harold Russel) was a sailor who lost both his arms when his aircraft carrier was bombed. Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) was a B 17 bombardier who had terrible nightmares. Al Stephenson (Frederick March) was a banker turned infantry top kick who has a major drinking problem. What will happen to them when they try to put the war behind them? I am trying to avoid making them representative cutouts. The characters are well drawn.

Harold Russell was an actual amputee with no acting experience. He won two Oscars, one for Best Supporting Actor and a special Oscar for an uplifting performance. Homer Parrish has two problems; he wants people to treat him normally; he doesn't want pity. Then he wants to marry the girl he left behind. One of the best scripted scenes is where Homer invites Wilma (Kathy O'Donnell) to see his nightly routine. When he takes off the harness which holds his two artificial arms, he is almost totally helpless. He needs help to put on the harness, he can't even open a closed door without his artificial hands. When Wilma leaves, she carefully leaves the door ajar.

The concluding scene is Homer and Wilma's wedding. It takes place not in a church, but in Wilma's home. When Homer places the ring on Wilma's finger, we see the artificial hands (claws) performing the task. Each returning vet has problems. Al gets his job back at the bank; in fact he gets a promotion. He becomes vice president in charge of small loans. Al is going to oversee GI loans for the bank. The government guaranteed half the loan, the bank put up the other half. Al wants to make loans for returning G>I.s without collateral. Or rather their collateral is their service. I should mention Myrna Loy who plays Al's wife, Milly. I am surprised that this performance didn't receive an Oscar. Subtle elegance is how I would describe it.

In many ways Fred Derry is the most troubled returnee. He was a soda jerk before the war, His skills as a bombardier don't seem to fit the emerging post war economy. He is forced to take a job back at the drugstore. His wife had known him for less than three weeks before their marriage. She (Virginia Mayo) represents the Dear John faction. One of the memorable scenes finds Fred Derry climbing into the nose of one of dozens of bombers being scrapped. The plane's name is Round Trip, but there is a question mark between the two words.

Let me mention two other performances; Theresa Wright plays Al's daughter who falls in love with Fred. Hogy Carmichael plays Butch, Homer's bar owning and piano playing uncle. The film was a critical success and a popular success. I couldn't find a free streaming service. This is one you should not miss,

 

[zymurg]

Deliverance-John Boorman-1972

The original poster said something about the weekend they didn't play golf. The novel by James Dickey came out in 1970. Warner's acquired the rights; Dickey wanted Sam Peckinpaugh, but he was thought unreliable and a budget buster. Boorman made a pitch and he got the directing job. Big stars like Brando were rumored, but the budget was too small. Boorman disliked using a second unit, so basically the crew for much of the movie consisted of Boorman, the cinematographer Wilhelm Zgismund, a sound man, and a couple of grips. Boorman worked with Dickey on the script and he served as producer. The four principal actors: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronnie Cox did almost all of their stunts. This was the first movie for both Cox and Beatie, Boorman found them by scouting regional theaters. The cast worked together for two weeks learning skills like canoeing and archery.

James Dickey was a well known poet; he later became poet laureate. "Deliverance" was his first novel. Dickey was on location at the beginning of the shoot. He was often drunk and abusive. There is a rumor that he broke Boorman's nose and knocked out five teeth. He came back to play the sheriff at the end of the shoot. The film was shot in sequence and all on location. Voight later said that Boorman saved his life and then spent the next three months trying to kill him. The film had no real budget for special effects. What we seen on screen is what the actors did.

Four friends ( Lewis (Burt), Ed (Jon), Bobby (Ned), and Drew (Ronnie) set off on a weekend adventure. They leave on Friday and they will be back in time to watch the NFL Sunday afternoon. They are going on a canoe trip down a river which will soon vanish. A Dam will flood the river area. The forest, river, and the homes of a few country locals will vanish forever. Atlanta will have more, and cheaper electrical power. Lewis is the leader of the group.
He is a seasoned outdoorsman; he hunts with a bow. In real life only Ned Beatty had experience camping and canoeing. This theme of the loss of the unspoiled had been done before by Elia Kazan in "River Wild." This was something that James Dickey felt deeply. He felt the need to "get out of the man world" and go back to nature.
Lewis wants to go white water canoeing because it is there. Of course he expects to shoot and kill something with his bow.

I returned to this film after many years. My strongest memory was "Dueling Banjos" the famous theme. Of course it is a duel between a guitar and a banjo. Dean plays a guitar when they stop to get gas and to arrange to have their cars driven to a small town where they plan to end their canoe trip. Dean sees a young boy holding holding a banjo. He appears unfocused; in the Southern parlance of the time he is slow. He can play the banjo; he and Dean go back and forth in a duel/duet. He doesn't respond when Dean attempts to talk to him. The gas station owner dances to the music. (That wasn't in the script.)

Things happen on the trip down river. Dean dies in the river. Two mountain men are shot and killed by arrows. When Ed finally returns home to his family, he wakes up from a nightmare where he sees a hand rising upfrom the lake. The name Deliverance has always puzzled me. It seems as if it should be Biblical. Ed was forced to assume the leadership when Lewis broke his leg. Is he like Moses who delivers the Israelites from Egypt but never really reaches the Promised Land? This is an excellent film, and it holds up quite well. There is no free streaming that I could find. My highest recommendation.

 

[zymurg]

"The Quiet American"-Phillip Noyce-2002

Graham Greene is one of the major novelists of the 20th century. This is the second screen version of this novel. The first starred Michael Redgrave and Audie Murphy. Don't bother to look for this version. The novel came out in 1955; the film in 1958. Interestingly, both versions were shot on location in Viet Nam. The film is set in 1951 and 1952. I promise not to go total nerd, but perhaps a little background will prove valuable. The Viet Minh under Ho Chi Minh had begun a conflict against the Japanese occupiers. The French returned after WWII. Now the conflict was between the French and the Viet Minh. We are at the beginning of the Cold War. The Communist push had taken over in Eastern Europe, but the Marshall Plan and NATO had stopped the advance into Western Europe. The end of WWII marked the beginning of the end of colonialism. India became independent in 1947; that required partition into two countries, India and Pakistan. There were ethnic and religious divisions in the French colonies in South East Asia. Three separate nations, Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam emerged. Viet Nam like Korea was divided politically rather than ethnically. Both Viet Nam and Korea had substantial Christian populations.

Korea had been historically subordinate to China and or Japan. Viet Nam was in China's sphere of influence. China intervened in the Korean War. There was a fear among Western countries that this was the beginning of a major Communist push in Asia. The United Nations stepped in on the side of South Korea. Meanwhile the French were struggling to hold the Viet Minh at bay. The United States was looking for a way to establish a native non-Communist regime in Viet Nam. Early on in the film a veteran expatriate British journalist, Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is discussing Viet Nam with a recent American arrival, Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser). Pyle believes that the Vietnamese should be free, they should have the liberty to choose their leader. Fowler replies that the Vietnamese would choose Ho Chi Minh.

The film opens with the murder of Pyle. Fowler is both narrator and protagonist. Pryle is a second protagonist, In addition to their political disagreements; they are in conflict over their love for Phuong (Tin Hai Yen Do). She and Fowler have been together for two years. Fowler is married to a Catholic in England who won't give him a divorce. The political and romantic conflicts are intertwined.

This is beautifully filmed on location. The characters are complex and well acted. This justly considered one of Caine's best performances. The young actress portraying Phuong has a difficult role. Her beauty gets her onstage as a credible love interest of two men. She is trapped; when her father (a university professor) died; she and her sister had to make their way in the world. The situation in Saigon is dangerous. What will happen to her if the Viet Minh come to power? Does she love either of these men? My intuition is that she loves fellows, but Pyle is her better ticket out. Fellows is no bargain he has sent out only three stories to his paper in the past year. He smokes
opium. He relies on his assistant, Hinh (Tzi Ma) for contacts and info. He doesn't want to return to England so he takes a risky trip to the front line. Brendan Fraser is more than credible in his role. The major glitch is the responsibility of Greene. He is supposed to be a very recent Harvard graduate attached to the US medical program. Late in the film it turns out that he is actually a CIA agent who not only speaks fluent Vietnamese, but is running a secret aide program to a rogue Vietnamese general. Whatever you think of the CIA; they wouldn't put an inexperienced agent running such an important program. Fellows should see through the cover. He knows that his assistant is in with the Viet Minh.

Very highly recommended. This film is a massage for the brain cells, but still is compelling viewing.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

did brad pitt ever make a film worth viewing?
i certainly think so.

 

[nwhoopfan]

did brad pitt ever make a film worth viewing?
i certainly think so.

Spy Game is probably one of his lesser known films, but I think one of his best. Troy is a big spectacle that has its moments. Mr. and Mrs. Smith was entertaining. 12 Monkeys was certainly something different. There's a few off the top of my head.

 

[dbmill]

did brad pitt ever make a film worth viewing?
i certainly think so.

Spy Game is probably one of his lesser known films, but I think one of his best. Troy is a big spectacle that has its moments. Mr. and Mrs. Smith was entertaining. 12 Monkeys was certainly something different. There's a few off the top of my head.

"Burn After Reading", which ranks very highly on my list of favorite Coen Brother movies.

 

[HuskyHawk]

did brad pitt ever make a film worth viewing?
i certainly think so.

You think so or don't think so? He has made tons of great movies. I disliked him when he was young. Didn't like him in "A River Runs through it" and my law school roommate went to high school with him and didn't have nice things to say. Since then, he's mostly been superb.

Seven
Ocean's 11, 12 and 13
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Snatch
12 Monkey's
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Meet Joe Black

Very few bad movies on the list
Complete List of Brad Pitt movies - IMDb

 

[8893]

You think so or don't think so? He has made tons of great movies. I disliked him when he was young. Didn't like him in "A River Runs through it" and my law school roommate went to high school with him and didn't have nice things to say. Since then, he's mostly been superb.

Seven
Ocean's 11, 12 and 13
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Snatch
12 Monkey's
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Meet Joe Black

Very few bad movies on the list
Complete List of Brad Pitt movies - IMDb

I think he's another one like Tom Cruise who is always basically playing a different version of the same character, which is pretty close to what he's like in real life.

Your roommate would certainly know, but I get the sense that he's a lot like a cross between the characters he played in Thelma & Louise and True Romance.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Snatch

Doh! How did I miss that one? Could call.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I think he's another one like Tom Cruise who is always basically playing a different version of the same character, which is pretty close to what he's like in real life.

Maybe mostly true, but his characters in 12 Monkeys and Snatch definitely don't fit the mold.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I don't love it, but Fight Club has to be one of Pitt's more acclaimed and notorious roles.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Very few bad movies on the list
Complete List of Brad Pitt movies - IMDb

I was going by memory, but looked at the list now. Moneyball is high on the list of his best movies/performances, I forgot about that one.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think he's another one like Tom Cruise who is always basically playing a different version of the same character, which is pretty close to what he's like in real life.

Your roommate would certainly know, but I get the sense that he's a lot like a cross between the characters he played in Thelma & Louise and True Romance.

Don't get the comparison to Cruise really. I think Jack Nicholson is that way, basically always playing "Jack Nicholson as...". But Pitt maybe gets labeled with that because his characters are always handsome men. But Pitt has been in a lot varied roles. @nwhoopfan brought up Moneyball where he plays against type. And Mickey the Pikey boxer in Snatch is one of the greatest characters in movie history. I thought he was great in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

 

[8893]

Don't get the comparison to Cruise really. I think Jack Nicholson is that way, basically always playing "Jack Nicholson as...". But Pitt maybe gets labeled with that because his characters are always handsome men. But Pitt has been in a lot varied roles. @nwhoopfan brought up Moneyball where he plays against type. And Mickey the Pikey boxer in Snatch is one of the greatest characters in movie history. I thought he was great in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

I haven't seen Moneyball or Snatch. No reason, just haven't seen them.

I thought OUATIH was fine but I didn't get the hype about it or his performance--again another one that I suspect is a lot like how he really is.

My Cruise comparison was meant to suggest that neither one of them is particularly known for his range, unlike, say, Christian Bale for example.

 

[Dove]

Do Porky's

 

[Kolumbo]

You think so or don't think so? He has made tons of great movies. I disliked him when he was young. Didn't like him in "A River Runs through it" and my law school roommate went to high school with him and didn't have nice things to say. Since then, he's mostly been superb.

Seven
Ocean's 11, 12 and 13
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Snatch
12 Monkey's
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Meet Joe Black

Very few bad movies on the list
Complete List of Brad Pitt movies - IMDb

Legends of The Fall. I didn't see it when it came out but I think that was one of his biggies. I like the Ocean's movies and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. He was good in Deadpool 2 (I just found out he was in it)

 

[HuskyHawk]

I haven't seen Moneyball or Snatch. No reason, just haven't seen them.

I thought OUATIH was fine but I didn't get the hype about it or his performance--again another one that I suspect is a lot like how he really is.

My Cruise comparison was meant to suggest that neither one of them is particularly known for his range, unlike, say, Christian Bale for example.

He's not Tom Hanks. But then he hasn't really stopped looking like Brad Pitt. You need to see Snatch.

Cruise is on a whole different level though. Forget the character names and you can imagine that Joel from Risky Business, was also the football player in All the Right Moves. Then, after using his prostitution business to get into Princeton, he leaves after freshman year and becomes a Naval Aviator, code named Maverick in Top Gun. After that experience he decides to leave the military and becomes a pool shark in The Color of Money. Wanting out of that life he heads to the islands and woos Elizabeth Shue (because who wouldn't) as a bartender in Cocktail. He decides to go to law school, and winds up working for the mob in The Firm, so quits that, rejoins the military as a JAG in A Few Good Men. Seeing his varied experience as a pilot, lawyer, pool shark and bartender, plus knowledge of the prostitution business, an intelligence agency recruits him and he becomes Ethan Hunt in countless Mission Impossible movies.

I skipped a lot of movies, good and bad, but that could all be one guy! Same guy. Even his turn trying to kill Hitler seemed like the same guy, maybe Joel's dad.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Do Porky's

funniest thing i saw/heard today. bravissimo!

legends of the fall is a favorite. so too is 'less than zero' though his role is tiny/cameo as it was one of his first. for me, indelible from minute one.
little tommy cruise just plain stinks.

 

[zymurg]

"The Last of the Mohicans"-1920, 1936, 1992

Oh ye of little faith welcome to a journey filled with cases of postus interuptus, but which is purpoted to reveal the meaning of sedition, details of the first known example of biologic warfare, the reason why in the '92 film the principal character is named Nathaniel Poe, and the differences between Mohican and Mohegan.

All three versions are "based" on James Fennimore Cooper's novel. Cooperstown is named not for the famous writer, but for his father. I didn't bother reading the novel because I've read it before. and because I wastedtime tracking down Mark Twain's "The Literary Offenses of Fennimore Cooper. All three films deal with the events of 1757 at Fort William Henry near Lake George. After a short siege (10 days?) the British and Colonial troops under Col. James Munro surrendered to the French and Indians under General Montcalm. What happened afterwards is a matter of historical controversy. Whether they were killed in the fort or on the trail away from the fort is only one of the points of disagreement. The best current guess is somewhere between 80 and 140 were killed after surrender.
At the time it was believed over a 1.000 were filled. The deaths were blamed on the Huron allies of the French. In the force of 7,000 there were approximately 2,000 Huron warriors. In the 1920 film an intertitle reads: That night to the everlasting shame of our civilization covetous white men sold firewater to the Hurons, debauching the red men with drunken orgies." This propaganda colored the reactions primarily to the Native Americans. Montcalm's reputation took a hit, but this to many British confirmed the savagery of Indians the Hurons in particular. No one was more affected than General Jeffrey Amherst. He became commander of all British forces in North America. In the British-Indian war (Pontiac's War) of 1763 which began as soon as the 7 Year's War ended. Amherst had blankets infected with the smallpox virus distributed to the Indians. This was the first known act of biologic warfare.

The 1920 film was not the first film treatment of the story. It was the first full length treatment. It was selected by the Library of Congress for Preservation, YouTube has several versions available to stream for free. Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur share directing credit. Brown is a classic director known for films as diverse as Greta Garbo's Anna Christie, National Velvet, and Angels in the Outfield (1954). He was Tourneur's Assistant. He took over when his mentor became sick or was injured.

Postus Interuptus

 

[ClifSpliffy]

"The Last of the Mohicans"-1920, 1936, 1992

Oh ye of little faith welcome to a journey filled with cases of postus interuptus, but which is purpoted to reveal the meaning of sedition, details of the first known example of biologic warfare, the reason why in the '92 film the principal character is named Nathaniel Poe, and the differences between Mohican and Mohegan.

All three versions are "based" on James Fennimore Cooper's novel. Cooperstown is named not for the famous writer, but for his father. I didn't bother reading the novel because I've read it before. and because I wastedtime tracking down Mark Twain's "The Literary Offenses of Fennimore Cooper. All three films deal with the events of 1757 at Fort William Henry near Lake George. After a short siege (10 days?) the British and Colonial troops under Col. James Munro surrendered to the French and Indians under General Montcalm. What happened afterwards is a matter of historical controversy. Whether they were killed in the fort or on the trail away from the fort is only one of the points of disagreement. The best current guess is somewhere between 80 and 140 were killed after surrender.
At the time it was believed over a 1.000 were filled. The deaths were blamed on the Huron allies of the French. In the force of 7,000 there were approximately 2,000 Huron warriors. In the 1920 film an intertitle reads: That night to the everlasting shame of our civilization covetous white men sold firewater to the Hurons, debauching the red men with drunken orgies." This propaganda colored the reactions primarily to the Native Americans. Montcalm's reputation took a hit, but this to many British confirmed the savagery of Indians the Hurons in particular. No one was more affected than General Jeffrey Amherst. He became commander of all British forces in North America. In the British-Indian war (Pontiac's War) of 1763 which began as soon as the 7 Year's War ended. Amherst had blankets infected with the smallpox virus distributed to the Indians. This was the first known act of biologic warfare.

The 1920 film was not the first film treatment of the story. It was the first full length treatment. It was selected by the Library of Congress for Preservation, YouTube has several versions available to stream for free. Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur share directing credit. Brown is a classic director known for films as diverse as Greta Garbo's Anna Christie, National Velvet, and Angels in the Outfield (1954). He was Tourneur's Assistant. He took over when his mentor became sick or was injured.

Postus Interuptus

'This was the first known act of biologic warfare.'
puh-leeze. any student of ancient, say, sumer to emperor augustus, history, swims in tales of biological warfare.
'There are numerous other instances of the use of plant toxins, venoms, and other poisonous substances to create biological weapons in antiquity.'
History of biological warfare - Wikipedia, but i'll cut you some slack and assume that you meant 'This was the first known act of biologic warfare in this conflict.'
and oh, neither they, nor anyone else is a 'native american.' they are accurately labeled 'First Nations,' cuz, you know, dna, the alaskan landbridge, dna,.... did i mention dna?

 

[storrsroars]

"The Last of the Mohicans"-1920, 1936, 1992

The 1992 version cannot be discussed without mentioning the impact of the score, IMHO. That it didn't even get an Oscar nomination was absurd. This article, on the film's 25th anniversary, explains some reasons why it didn't get nominated, and why the score has endured as one of the best ever.

 

[zymurg]

This is quite an excellent film, but it strangely deviates from the novel. The film uses different tints to evoke moods. The single most memorable shot forme is the closing scene. We see Uncas' raised burial pier. Instead of having Hawkeye as a principal character, he is shoved to the background. Uncas (Alan Roscoe) is the hero. In other film versions Uncas pursues the blonde Munro daughter, Alice. Here Uncas and Cora (Barbara Belfore) are love interest. The most recognizable name in the film, Wallace Beery, plays Magua, the Huron who is always the primary evil foil.
In this version there is a vile traitor Captain Randolph (George Hackathorne). He not only has designs on Cora; he reveals to Montcalm that the British guns on one wall don't work. This information leads to the meeting of the respective leaders and to Munro's surrender.

Marcel Tourneur is the father of Jacques Tourneur a noted director of horror films in the40's. Marcel Tourneur was active directing in France during Vichy government. There is an extensive write-up on IDMb for those interested. I had never seen this film before my current effort. The acting is only adequate to good, but the photography is wonderful. The hint of inter-racial sex is pretty shocking.

The story was filmed in both French and German. With the arrival of sound there was renewed interest in filming this story. There was a serial made; I saw this many years ago, but I didn't bother to search it. In1936 with George Seitz directing and a Phillip Dunne screenplay, the film was re-made. This time it follows more closely the novel.
It is set in 1757 in the middle of the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France. There were battles in Europe, India, the West Indies as well as North America. The 36 version opens in London. George II ismeeting with key ministers including the great commoner ,William Pitt, and Marlborough.

interuptus