Saving Private Ryan Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon The Untouchables The Magnificent Seven ------------------------------ Comedy you've probably never seen before but should: "Shall We Dance" - Japanese, but available at a video store near you with subtitles!
Great point. Some of his movies are true classics. Annie Hall, Love and Death, Bananas are among my personal favorites. He had a few clunkers too. But always something worthwhile in them all. Sleeper too was a classic. As was All You Wanted to Know About Sex (wierd and a bit inconsistant, but very outrageous. Especially at the time it was released). For some reason, when I first saw What's Up Tiger Lilly, I was hysterical. Tried to watch it again fairly recently, and it did nothing for me. Must have been the drugs at the time On second thought, I think that movie might have been made before drugs were invented. In any event, there is no denying Woody Allen is a comic genius. (No Optional777, but close). I would add that he is so prolific that I know I probably have not seen even half his flicks. I think living out west for so many years put me in a place his movies did not get much time (if any) in theatrical release. They didn't promote the movies out there, so I was often completely unaware of them....to the point it wouldn't register to my brain if I saw a title on the shelf at Blockbuster. If you are not in a big city (I was in Boulder for a long time), you are not in Woody Allen country. Probably fair to say that if you are not in NY, you are not in his demographic area of promotion and release. I know Chicago and LA must get box office receipts, but I would venture to guess mostly from transplanted New Yorkers (so many of us). Also, pretty ethnic. I wonder if his movies ever get shown at all in theatres in places like Utah and Idaho, etc. Very doubtful. Can you picture the locals yukking it up at a Woody Allen movie in some small town in Nebraska? (yeah, they plan their Saturday nights around catching the newest Woody Allen movie. So they rush the waiter in the finest Chinese restaurant, or Kosher deli in those towns........"hey, can you bring us a check quickly please? And wrap the rest of my pastrami sandwich and kasha varniskas to go....we are running late for that there New York Jewboy movie playin' at the Scott's' Bluff Cinemax") Peace, rs7
to play a rearden: saving private ryan -- apart from the opening scenes, this movie is a total joke. crouching tiger -- what exactly was the point of this laughable screen play? strip away the make up (which reduces to corny dialogue, cornier story) and your left with an average (if pretty to look at) martial arts flick. what really sickens me is the way the critics fawned over it like it actually had any substance.
Actually, if I am not mistaken, Crouching was a modern 'eastern flavored' rendition of a Shakespeare play. If William doesn't know substance I don't know who would. As for the dialogue, there is a huge culture / language barrier to cross. To appreciate the dialogue I think you would need to read the sub-titles and have a basic understanding of the culture. Besides, who needs 'substance' when you have a beautiful Asiatic woman flying thru air and kicking some guys ass? As for Private Ryan, the last scene is where it's "at". Spielberg is the master of building a story only to dump it on your head at the very end. He got me in Empire and he got me here as well... PEACE
hey Trane... (Not mentioned yet) & I think one of the all time greatest action/drama movies much less the 1990's is HEAT w/ Deniro & Pacino. This movie has an unbelievable cast job. THe soundtrack is way out there with the likes of William Orbit & Moby. Michael Manne has an uncanny ability to creat such realism in the plot. That movie has everything down pat from the M.O. of the LAPD to Deniro's crew, etc. One other great great movie that many people have not seen that is actually very close to the capital marketplace is "Rogue Trader." If you have not seen this, I would highly recommend a trip to Blockbuster. It did very well in Europe, but not here. I think Gladiator was also well done from a historical perspective.
The worst, most overhyped piece of shit film I have ever been duped into spending money to see was The Blair Witch Project...Not really in the spirit of the thread, but Rearden Metal's post about overhyped movies brought up this memory
Actually, I had never really thought about Woody Allen's audience until RS7 just mentioned it...Had always considered him to be a classic filmmaker, and one who had a strong audience...But then I realized that many of his films do a very low gross to domestic audiences, relatively speaking...I think Allen definitely appeals to an overeducated and urban audience...
fwiw, my personal favorites in no order are: Casino Pulp Fiction The Princess Bride Monty Python and the Holy Grail True Lies Unforgiven Goldfinger Austin Power Terminator 2 The Spy Who Loved Me Indy Jones trilogy Star Wars Trilogy The Cotton Club Caddyshack Total Recall Little Mermaid A Clockwork Orange Legend of Drunken Master Iron Monkey II The Crow Blade Runner (+game) Hellraiser series Demolition Man Toy Story Fast Times at Ridgemont High Annie Hall Trading Places Tomb Raider (+games) Tombstone Heavy Metal 7 Samurai Heat Aliens Swashbuckler LA Confidential Cool World Pirates Who Framed Roger Rabbit Risky Business Full Metal Jacket Groundhog Day Scrooged Platoon Matrix Wizard of Oz Vanilla Sky Blazing Saddles Scarface Carlito's Way George Carlin live TV: Lexx Buffy I Dream of Jeannie Love Boat Fantasy Island Get Smart Shogun Wild Wild West J-Pop: morning musume, soko ga shiritai etc Worst: anything with tom hanks (except bachelor party), all romantic comedies, all "chick flicks", and anything rated a"feel-good movie of the 90's" lol. Agree re other overrateds in list above. Give me "Commando" over "You've Got Mail" anyday. I've probably forgotten a few, it's late. You can probably tell a lot about someone by the movies they like. Of course my wife's list is opposite mine (her favorite movie = "When Harry Met Sally". sigh.) ken
A few of my favorites not mentioned so far: Jeremiah Johnson Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life Nixon Gandhi The Cell Hunt For Red October Logan's Run (lol )
Rearden, I think I like the movie, because I got the Okie Doke. Synger dangled a carrot in front of my face and I was not sharp enough to see his angle. It reminds me of Roshomon, in that the second go-round it is virtualy a different experience. Reminds me a lot of this card trick... "Mind Reader" PEACE