Eephus
Footballguy
I kind of liked it but I'm in a complaining mood.And I'm one of the only people here who likes the movie.
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FBG Movie Club: We're Getting the Band Back Together: Metallica vs Nina Simone Movie Docs (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ilov80s
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Eephus
Footballguy
I also thought it was kind of weird to end the movie to Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm". Crowe knows music well enough to know it's not a love song. "Now there’s a wall between us/ something there’s been lost /I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed" is the opposite of a happy ending.
krista4
Footballguy
Good points about the misuse of the music. Shockingly, I haven't watched this movie in a while so had forgotten how bad it was.
Osaurus
Footballguy
Well, I can say that no one in the film reminds me of the two people Crowe spent his time with, other than agents being d!cks. It's like he found out what he wanted but just had Cruise in mind no matter what. I don't see any way Cruise could pull it off.
And I'm one of the only people here who likes the movie.
rockaction
Footballguy
I can comment on Jerry Maguire without the benefit of the rewatch. I've seen it several times. I liked it, with caveats.
I'm unsurprisingly with Eephus in that I don't believe in Cruise's character is ever believable, from the time he leaves the office upon quitting to the "you complete me" scene. It's too artificial for me. Life is messier than that. Something about Jerry doesn't point to anything -- any moment, really -- where we're let in on the catalyst which changes his outlook on life. He quits a sharky job to work by himself. In the same field of sharks. We know, as an audience, that's going to require more sharkiness than allowed. Entrepenuers go out on their own for many reasons, but we're never given a reason to believe that his is one of conscience. It's that he gets pissed his client was stolen and switched to another agent. That's when he finds a conscience? We're also supposed to believe that he loves other people's children, but we're never given any evidence that points to a backstory or a disposition for such a relationship with the child. So the movie fails Cruise in the writing or the editing of it. And why does he love Zellwegger? We're asked to take all these things never explained nor demonstrated as givens.
And that's a major quibble, but if we're to take things as a given, I'm willing to give the movie that benefit. What the movie gets right is Jerry's relationship with Rod and Rod's relationship with his family. That sort of stuff, where for all our flawed natures you see selfless people acting selfless, just seems just in keeping with nature and societal arrangements. There's no true pain in their relationships, rather both selfishness and selflessness align quite believably. And that's what people remember about the movie. They rip on how corny the obvious forced nature of Cruise and Zellwegger, but through the movie's own devices, we're allowed to believe in Rod and his full flowering and Hollywood ending.
And that's about it. I should watch High Flying Bird, but that is unlikely.
I'm unsurprisingly with Eephus in that I don't believe in Cruise's character is ever believable, from the time he leaves the office upon quitting to the "you complete me" scene. It's too artificial for me. Life is messier than that. Something about Jerry doesn't point to anything -- any moment, really -- where we're let in on the catalyst which changes his outlook on life. He quits a sharky job to work by himself. In the same field of sharks. We know, as an audience, that's going to require more sharkiness than allowed. Entrepenuers go out on their own for many reasons, but we're never given a reason to believe that his is one of conscience. It's that he gets pissed his client was stolen and switched to another agent. That's when he finds a conscience? We're also supposed to believe that he loves other people's children, but we're never given any evidence that points to a backstory or a disposition for such a relationship with the child. So the movie fails Cruise in the writing or the editing of it. And why does he love Zellwegger? We're asked to take all these things never explained nor demonstrated as givens.
And that's a major quibble, but if we're to take things as a given, I'm willing to give the movie that benefit. What the movie gets right is Jerry's relationship with Rod and Rod's relationship with his family. That sort of stuff, where for all our flawed natures you see selfless people acting selfless, just seems just in keeping with nature and societal arrangements. There's no true pain in their relationships, rather both selfishness and selflessness align quite believably. And that's what people remember about the movie. They rip on how corny the obvious forced nature of Cruise and Zellwegger, but through the movie's own devices, we're allowed to believe in Rod and his full flowering and Hollywood ending.
And that's about it. I should watch High Flying Bird, but that is unlikely.
The Man With No Name
Footballguy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Need to make sure those 2 are still available. Discussion will be on 3 weeks from last Monday.
prosopis
Arizona Chupacabra
The blue makes it super hard to read but I think it says The Great Escape and Stalag 17
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yep, I’ll update everything tomorrow but we are doing somewhat of a Memorial Day theme with movies highlighting POWs during WW2. Though these aren’t ultra serious movies, they are ultimate guy movies with plenty of humor and hi jinx.
May Memorial Day Movies:
The Great Escape: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson. Allied prisoners of war plan to escape from a German camp during World War II.
Stalag 17: American soldiers try to find the informant among them after a failed attempt to escape a German POW camp. Written and directed by Billy Wilder and featuring the Best Actor winning performance by William Holden.
[both of these are on Prime]
Due 6/15
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krista4
Footballguy
The Man With No Name
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
Steve McQueen Steve McQueen
When I was a little boy I wanted to grow up to be
Steve McQueen Steve McQueen
The coolest doggone mother scratcher on the silver screen
I'd drive real fast everywhere no one would ever catch me
And I'd kick your ### if you pissed me off so be careful what you ask me
And I'd never have an empty bottle or an empty bed
And as cool as Paul Newman is I bet Steve could whup his head
When I was a little boy I wanted to grow up to be
Steve McQueen Steve McQueen
The coolest doggone mother scratcher on the silver screen
I'd drive real fast everywhere no one would ever catch me
And I'd kick your ### if you pissed me off so be careful what you ask me
And I'd never have an empty bottle or an empty bed
And as cool as Paul Newman is I bet Steve could whup his head
Don Quixote
Footballguy
The Great Escape just starting on TCM. I’d live watch, but my son has commandeered the TV for the 100th straight day.
ETA: TCM does have a really good lineup today. Dirty Dozen, Battle of the Bulge, and The Best Years of Our Lives up in a row after The Great Escape. I recorded Wings last night too.
ETA: TCM does have a really good lineup today. Dirty Dozen, Battle of the Bulge, and The Best Years of Our Lives up in a row after The Great Escape. I recorded Wings last night too.
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wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I would agree. It has some major flaws but the dogfighting scenes still hold up and the overall production value is tremendous. There is one camera shot that zooms in through like 7 different tables at a nightclub and right to a close up of the protagonist that is one of the best shots I’ve ever seen.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
“The Best Years of Our Lives” about to start on TCM. Perfect for Memorial Day. Off to Boone City.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Probably the finest American studio film ever made and a movie every American should see. I wish it would get a proper Criterion or special anniversary blu ray restoration and release.
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Don Quixote
Footballguy
It could definitely use that. I first watched it after hearing about it through you and/or others on this board a year or two ago. Incredible movie that seems way ahead of its time in its treatment of PTSD.
krista4
Footballguy
I know you and I have talked about this one before. One of my all-time favorite movies as well.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Agreed. It has such a beautiful POV on all the characters and is able to balance all the components so well. It would be really easy to make that movie overly patriotic, overly dramatic and really one note. This thing has so many layers and is exquisitely filmed.
Yep, a perfect movie. Weird case too where it won Best Picture and is on the AFI top 100 but I feel like it's not that well known or well seen. I admit to thinking based on the name and the length that this was going to be a bloated melodrama. Within 5 minutes, I was totally captivated. By the time it got the bedroom scene with Homer and Wilma, I was sobbing.
Eephus
Footballguy
Cinematographer Gregg Toland deserves a shout out for his work on The Best Years of Our Lives. Toland also shot Citizen Kane and The Grapes of Wrath. His technique isn't flashy but the deep focus photography, composition and lighting help to balance the melodrama and naturalism of the film.
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Don Quixote
Footballguy
I watched Wings this weekend, and agree with the takes here. Some incredible shots and scenes. Effects are amazing for a 1927 movie. Story is a bit weak though.
I'd probably put The Big Parade above it, as far as American WWI silent movies go (if that's a narrow enough criteria of films to rank).
Osaurus
Footballguy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Looks like I am the lone vote that hasn't seen either?
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
And if I read the room correctly, most in here aren't going to bother with HBO max? I have been pleasantly surprised by their mix of movies - especially since they have the TCM/Criterion deal and have a good mix of older movies. I will probably be suspending my Criterion subscription and plowing through what I can on HBO to save money.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I need to look into. I have HBO and HBO Go through my cable provider. Maybe I’ll switch if they get it through the Fire Stick.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
It wasn't a seemless roll out for sure. Seems like some people automatically got upgraded and some didn't. Not sure about Fire Stick. I know they aren't on Roku, so I had to hook the Xbox back up to the big screen so I could watch some stuff. I just dropped the HBO add on to prime (super clunky to find stuff on that), and just downloaded the app for Max.
So far I have about 50-60 things in my queue for max. I don't feel like I ever had more than 20 on NF.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
how many subscriptions y'all got?! as a pensioner, i resented having to pay 3figs/mo to have any live news/sports in my house (being outside a broadcast area) and resent possibly more that the streaming end of media isnt even trying to centralize. just like ticket stuff (sports/music) did a gen ago, y'all are being played and i dont know why everybody so easily puts up with it. /rant
Ilov80s
Footballguy
It seems to me if you had HBO you get HBO Max. It’s just a rebranding with way more stuff (TCM library, Criterion Collection). I have Prime, NF, Hulu and HBO but it’s all shared with friends. We each pay for one and share log-ins.
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Don Quixote
Footballguy
It looks like it is available to stream on Chromecast, but not Fire Stick. I think I have a Chromecast in the closet somewhere (found the Fire Stick easier, and the remote makes it easier for my wife and I to tag team my 4 year old’s video of the moment while trying to work and show him different options on the screen versus just casting).
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I do have a chromecast and just stream it from my phone to the tv with the CC. Picture quality is really good.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I have 4 currently and pay for 3
NF, Prime, and now HBO Max. We have Prime anyway, so movies was a bonus. So I think total its < $40 month, which was less than our cable/satellite bill.
the trade off is 0 sports. I also agree that we are being played and it gets worse as the companies hoard their products more so it causes people to have more and more subs.
I have posted many times how crappy the product is for most of these. Agere with 80s, that so far HBO seems the best b/c of the old movies + having the best shows consistently
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wikkidpissah
Footballguy
this is only a begging point of mine because, in the early 90s, i spent a lot of time on national talk radio trying to drum up interest in a Fan's Union (ETA: i was addicted to cocaine then, so outlets for talking were kind of a necessity) to be a factor on strikes & ticket prices. i was a union guy, helped unionize Albq's county hospital system while Reagan was busting unions elsewhere, and thought that consumer unions were the natural next step. nope. it simply amazes me, now that the innerwebs makes organizing so easy, that people havent seized the op to make consumers as powerful as content/service providers.. ok, NOW /rant...I have 4 currently and pay for 3
NF, Prime, and now HBO Max. We have Prime anyway, so movies was a bonus. So I think total its < $40 month, which was less than our cable/satellite bill.
the trade off is 0 sports. I also agree that we are being played and it gets worse as the companies hoard their products more so it causes people to have more and more subs.
I have posted many times how crappy the product is for most of these. Agere with 80s, that so HBO seems the best b/c of the old movies + having the best shows consistently
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Don Quixote
Footballguy
I need to figure out something to reduce my costs. I’ve got the Comcast-Xfinity Digital Preferred Plan through cable company that I signed up for a long time ago, which includes HBO, Showtime, and The Movie Channel. I’ve also now got Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+. Maybe I do the HBO Max and then drop the HBO, Showtime, and The Movie Channel tier (I can’t remember last time I watched Showtime or The Movie Channel anyway).
I did like when everything was in one place on cable. Now my son asks for a train show/videos, and I have to go three different app/inputs until I find what he wants (which lately, and I’m sure you’d appreciate, has often been videos of the New Mexico Rail Runner on YouTube).
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
OK but, if he's getting excited about Belen, i'd consider some kind of medication...
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
We need this album draft to end so I can get back on track with this.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I’ve seen The Great Escape before, but I’ve never seen Stalag 17. I got about halfway through Stalag 17 last night. I was saying in another thread recently that Billy Wilder’s comedies still hold up great. The “Animal” character is making me realize that there are some exceptions to that rule, but I understand second half of the movie has a bit less focus on him.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
it's always bold to portray those who do noble things as less than noble (we could shonuff use a LOT more of it today), but it was especially bold back then. and we forget that millions of people with an almost animal lack of sophistication were converged on our front lines in the first two World Wars. my bff is a photographer and darkroom wizard whose specialty was re-negging old family photographs for better printing. 30 years ago he & his wife started a sideline of helping GIs make 50th anniversary scrapbooks of their personal war photographs and memories from WW2. some of the stories they heard about the behaviors of hicks & guttersnipes let loose upon the world would curdle your drawers. so while "Animal" may have been superfluous "comic" relief in Stalag 17, it's probably closer to actuality than you might think.
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Don Quixote
Footballguy
Fair point on it might be closer to reality than I might think. It seemed a bit over-the-top vaudeville type hijinks to me, and wasn’t sure it fit in with the rest of the movie (and Wilder’s usual style). But Wilder may have just been keeping it consistent with the play that was written by former POWs (and it looks like Strauss also played Animal in the stage version, and Lembeck as Shapiro too).
