Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (4 Viewers)

[Kenny Powers]

caught "drive" the other night. meh. not a bad film by any stretch but the plot/script was kind of a mess. i appreciate the nod to the late 70's-early 80's style panache. it wasn't entirely aping but it didn't add much to the film. the film still felt a little hollow.

Yes. I know this movie is a darling of the the critics. But I can't get past the fact that the director didn't really help his actors here. Especially Cranston. In Breaking Bad gives a performance that rivals practically any good film role. In Drive, he sounds like a first time actor. That does not reflect well on the director.

be fair: the script wasn't doing anyone any favors. i was really surprised that albert brooks got an oscar nomination for that role, for example. perlman is a hammy actor to begin with but,in a role so underwritten, he's forced to chew scenery to make an impression. gosling did the smart thing and kept cool mostly. cranston was just a poor choice for the role. i could see him killing in the role that brooks had. i say all this while freely admitting how much i really adore Albert.

I see what youre saying, but I loved the film anyway. I think Brooks got more accolades than usual/anticipated for this because it was such a surprising role for him. He's never even an antagonist, let alone a ruthless, moneygrubbing mobster who cares about no one but himself and kills even acquaintances with no regard for life. I thought he was very good, but not Oscar worthy.

Not directing this at you, but Ive heard numerous people say it in threads here (including this series of quotes) about Cranston. I didnt have a problem at all with him. He did quite well with how his character was intended to come across I thought.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Agree with all of that. I think there's a lot of style in Drive. I loved the photography. Just think it's a very flawed movie. For noir, I prefer any of these films over drive:The Last SeductionAfter Dark, My SweetA Simple PlanBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead Blood Simple

i'm not sure i think of "drive" as noir but i guess that is what passes for it these days. of those you listed, i have seen and enjoyed most of those. "a simple plan" is maybe the most underrated of them. "seduction" might be the juiciest. "before the devil..." might be the most disappointing but still is good. i haven't see "after dark, my sweet" but it's in my queue. is it streaming on netflix or disc only?

I havent seen After Dark My Sweet (just looked on Netflix, its not streaming), but Before The Devil Knows Youre Dead is hands down my favorite on this list. I consider that one of the most underrated of last decade.Besides Drive and BTDKYD, its been awhile (10+ years?) since Ive seen the rest. With that in mind, Id only very loosely call any of these noir, with the exception of Last Seduction.

 

[cosjobs]

Adequate and at times noteworthy.

Pretty much my goal in life

 

[cstu]

Haywire.Mildly entertaining. Fight scenes were terrific but the movie is a bit muddled and nothing special. Lacks the "slick" scenes this genre has to have. Gina Carano is a find though. Seems born to be in a Fast and Furious movie. Will be seeing a lot more of her I imagine.While watching was trying to figure out why E. McGregor has a career. About as vanilla as you can get.2.5 out of 4 stars.

Not great, but the fight scenes were good enough to make me think she has a bright future. She can't act all that well, but that never stopped people like Van Damme and Norris.For reasons that McGregor gets work, see The Ghost Writer. He's not spectacular, but he's very good in certain roles.

The movie went downhill fast from that opening scene, which by the way was one of the best I've seen.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Adequate and at times noteworthy.

Pretty much my goal in life

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Glengarry Glen Ross - 7.5/10

You know, at first I didn't think I liked it. It definitely exceeded my effenheimer quota for a movie.

Wha? Seriously? For me, whether it's a profane comedian or a profane movie, I think it all comes down to the quality of the material. A bad movie sucks with zero profanity, and a great movie isn't affected by 1,000 cuss words. People complained constantly about the swears in Deadwood, and I found that perplexing. #1, the language was 100% appropriate, and #2, while people obsessed over the cuss words they were missing out on some of the greatest dialogue ever written for the screen.

I finally saw this, and I've been surprised to find out all the mentions of profanity in this film on wiki, imdb, and in here, as I thought the dialogue from start to finish was so natural that I didn't notice anything inordinate about the profanity at all. Great, great film.

From what I recall, totally agree with that sentiment. I dont remember much profanity at all.

Then I think you were not paying attention. The f-word and its derivatives are uttered 138 times.

The s-word and its derivatives are uttered 50 times.

During the production, the actors referred to this film as "Death of a F'n' Salesman".

 

[netnalp]

Glengarry Glen Ross - 7.5/10

You know, at first I didn't think I liked it. It definitely exceeded my effenheimer quota for a movie.

Wha? Seriously? For me, whether it's a profane comedian or a profane movie, I think it all comes down to the quality of the material. A bad movie sucks with zero profanity, and a great movie isn't affected by 1,000 cuss words. People complained constantly about the swears in Deadwood, and I found that perplexing. #1, the language was 100% appropriate, and #2, while people obsessed over the cuss words they were missing out on some of the greatest dialogue ever written for the screen.

I finally saw this, and I've been surprised to find out all the mentions of profanity in this film on wiki, imdb, and in here, as I thought the dialogue from start to finish was so natural that I didn't notice anything inordinate about the profanity at all. Great, great film.

From what I recall, totally agree with that sentiment. I dont remember much profanity at all.

Then I think you were not paying attention. The f-word and its derivatives are uttered 138 times.

The s-word and its derivatives are uttered 50 times.

During the production, the actors referred to this film as "Death of a F'n' Salesman".

I don't notice it if it fits the characters. It's like Scarface, the cursing in that doesn't bother me at all.

 

[netnalp]

I didn't mind Wolverine and have never understood the hate.

My boys are 10 an 11 and are just getting to the age where I can start watching some of the movies with more violence in them. The first time we saw this they loved it. 10 and 11. Yeah, its fun, but it definitely is not a "good" movie.

Can't believe some of the movies I loved at that age like "The Last Dragon" I watched that many times on HBO as a kid.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Red Rock West is another in the genre that's good.

Haven't seen this in years but I remeber really enjoying this movie. Cage and Hopper at their best as is the supporting cast. Nice action and some good twists and turns. Sort of Tarintinoesque in feel, imo.

I remember it being derivative of Blood Simple - but still worth watching.

 

[jdoggydogg]

I prefer X-Men Last Stand over First Class.

Last Stand at time plays fast and loose with X-Men canon but First Class pretty much completely ignores it. And while Fassbender is great in everything he does and McAvoy is solid enough everyone else is a boring mish-mash of random and uninteresting characters.

I think the storyline for Last Stand also flows better and makes more sense, particularly when viewed in the light of the first two films.

I wouldn't call either of them great films, nor would I call them bad, but as a lifelong fan of the X-Men, Last Stand >>>>> First Class.

ETA: Although I must add that Hugh Jackman's cameo on First Class was probably the best scene in any of the films. #### off!

Ignoring the canon aside, First Class is just a far better movie I mean, I am a comic book fan since way back in 1975. But I'd rather watch a good movie that rewrites the canon than a bad one that adheres to said canon.

Last Stand was too loud and never lived up to it's own hype. First Class allowed fro more character development which added a level of tension Last Stand wanted to achieve but didn't come close to pulling off.

Last stand was like watching Muppets From Space. Bad.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Haywire.Mildly entertaining. Fight scenes were terrific but the movie is a bit muddled and nothing special. Lacks the "slick" scenes this genre has to have. Gina Carano is a find though. Seems born to be in a Fast and Furious movie. Will be seeing a lot more of her I imagine.While watching was trying to figure out why E. McGregor has a career. About as vanilla as you can get.2.5 out of 4 stars.

Not great, but the fight scenes were good enough to make me think she has a bright future. She can't act all that well, but that never stopped people like Van Damme and Norris.For reasons that McGregor gets work, see The Ghost Writer. He's not spectacular, but he's very good in certain roles.

Agree with you, disagree with Daywalker. McGregor is an adequate actor. I dont think he's very good, but he's hardly bad. IMO, he's never had a great performance, but he's helped carry some very good films (Big Fish, Shallow Grave, Nightwatch, A Life Less Ordinary), but also had complete duds when cast as a lead (The Island, Eye of the Beholder). Then there's the great ones like Black Hawk Down and Trainspotting were he puts in roles that standout in very good ensemble casts, but on the other hand he's also had his share of decent movies but does nothing to elevate them (Men Who Stare At Goats, Star Wars I-III, Velvet Goldmine, Cassandra's Dream).Adequate and at times noteworthy.

I thought he was really good in Velvet Goldmine. Then again, so was everyone else.

 

[jdoggydogg]

caught "drive" the other night. meh. not a bad film by any stretch but the plot/script was kind of a mess. i appreciate the nod to the late 70's-early 80's style panache. it wasn't entirely aping but it didn't add much to the film. the film still felt a little hollow.

Yes. I know this movie is a darling of the the critics. But I can't get past the fact that the director didn't really help his actors here. Especially Cranston. In Breaking Bad gives a performance that rivals practically any good film role. In Drive, he sounds like a first time actor. That does not reflect well on the director.

be fair: the script wasn't doing anyone any favors. i was really surprised that albert brooks got an oscar nomination for that role, for example. perlman is a hammy actor to begin with but,in a role so underwritten, he's forced to chew scenery to make an impression. gosling did the smart thing and kept cool mostly. cranston was just a poor choice for the role. i could see him killing in the role that brooks had. i say all this while freely admitting how much i really adore Albert.

I see what youre saying, but I loved the film anyway. I think Brooks got more accolades than usual/anticipated for this because it was such a surprising role for him. He's never even an antagonist, let alone a ruthless, moneygrubbing mobster who cares about no one but himself and kills even acquaintances with no regard for life. I thought he was very good, but not Oscar worthy.

Not directing this at you, but Ive heard numerous people say it in threads here (including this series of quotes) about Cranston. I didnt have a problem at all with him. He did quite well with how his character was intended to come across I thought.

Cranston's far too eager in Drive. I blame the director for that. It's like they were going after a cheesy 1950s character actor.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Agree with all of that. I think there's a lot of style in Drive. I loved the photography. Just think it's a very flawed movie. For noir, I prefer any of these films over drive:The Last SeductionAfter Dark, My SweetA Simple PlanBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead Blood Simple

i'm not sure i think of "drive" as noir but i guess that is what passes for it these days. of those you listed, i have seen and enjoyed most of those. "a simple plan" is maybe the most underrated of them. "seduction" might be the juiciest. "before the devil..." might be the most disappointing but still is good. i haven't see "after dark, my sweet" but it's in my queue. is it streaming on netflix or disc only?

I havent seen After Dark My Sweet (just looked on Netflix, its not streaming), but Before The Devil Knows Youre Dead is hands down my favorite on this list. I consider that one of the most underrated of last decade.Besides Drive and BTDKYD, its been awhile (10+ years?) since Ive seen the rest. With that in mind, Id only very loosely call any of these noir, with the exception of Last Seduction.

No one's seen After Dark, My Sweet. But it's worth a rental. Bruce Dern, mother####er.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Agree with all of that. I think there's a lot of style in Drive. I loved the photography. Just think it's a very flawed movie. For noir, I prefer any of these films over drive:The Last SeductionAfter Dark, My SweetA Simple PlanBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead Blood Simple

i'm not sure i think of "drive" as noir but i guess that is what passes for it these days. of those you listed, i have seen and enjoyed most of those. "a simple plan" is maybe the most underrated of them. "seduction" might be the juiciest. "before the devil..." might be the most disappointing but still is good. i haven't see "after dark, my sweet" but it's in my queue. is it streaming on netflix or disc only?

I havent seen After Dark My Sweet (just looked on Netflix, its not streaming), but Before The Devil Knows Youre Dead is hands down my favorite on this list. I consider that one of the most underrated of last decade.Besides Drive and BTDKYD, its been awhile (10+ years?) since Ive seen the rest. With that in mind, Id only very loosely call any of these noir, with the exception of Last Seduction.

No one's seen After Dark, My Sweet. But it's worth a rental. Bruce Dern, mother####er.

If you're hardcore, check out the Laughing Policeman. Decent 70's schwag.

Never saw it.

 

[Daywalker]

Contraband.

Insultingly bad. Nothing worse then lazy storytelling. Was hoping for a decent popcorn flick like Shooter.

 

[Worm]

La Casa Muda (The Silent House, original version)

Settled in to watch this on HBOGO last night. For those who have never heard of it, the entire film was shot in one continuous shot. 78 minutes of continuous footage is pretty impressive no matter what the film, but for a horror/thriller film that depends on some really specific timings to produce the scares and tense moments, it's amazing. This film is worth watching just for the production value. The main actress is not top shelf, but does a pretty darn good job considering her role and the way the film was shot. Entire cost for the movie was about $6,000.

So, for the first 95% of the movie I was in love. Then...

Spoiler

...they throw in a plot twist. Not just any plot twist. A plot twist that completely invalidates everything you've watched up to that point in the movie. Ugh.

I wouldn't say it completely ruined the move for me, but it turned a five star movie that I would probably rave about into a 3 star movie that is mostly worth watching for the production value of the first 70 minutes.

There is an American remake but I don't think it's continuous shot, and I don't know much about it.

 

[saintfool]

Cranston's far too eager in Drive. I blame the director for that. It's like they were going after a cheesy 1950s character actor.

he's played and/or written as a character akin to walter brennan.as i said, i liked the film but certainly didn't love it. the script was really lacking.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

 

[Chaka]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

You couldn't have missed the mark further if you tried.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

Seemed like bad slapstick comedy. Not sure what I'm missing.ETA: And I really don't care about "board cred"

 

[cstu]

caught "drive" the other night. meh. not a bad film by any stretch but the plot/script was kind of a mess. i appreciate the nod to the late 70's-early 80's style panache. it wasn't entirely aping but it didn't add much to the film. the film still felt a little hollow.

Yes. I know this movie is a darling of the the critics. But I can't get past the fact that the director didn't really help his actors here. Especially Cranston. In Breaking Bad gives a performance that rivals practically any good film role. In Drive, he sounds like a first time actor. That does not reflect well on the director.

be fair: the script wasn't doing anyone any favors. i was really surprised that albert brooks got an oscar nomination for that role, for example. perlman is a hammy actor to begin with but,in a role so underwritten, he's forced to chew scenery to make an impression. gosling did the smart thing and kept cool mostly. cranston was just a poor choice for the role. i could see him killing in the role that brooks had. i say all this while freely admitting how much i really adore Albert.

I see what youre saying, but I loved the film anyway. I think Brooks got more accolades than usual/anticipated for this because it was such a surprising role for him. He's never even an antagonist, let alone a ruthless, moneygrubbing mobster who cares about no one but himself and kills even acquaintances with no regard for life. I thought he was very good, but not Oscar worthy.

Not directing this at you, but Ive heard numerous people say it in threads here (including this series of quotes) about Cranston. I didnt have a problem at all with him. He did quite well with how his character was intended to come across I thought.

Cranston's far too eager in Drive. I blame the director for that. It's like they were going after a cheesy 1950s character actor.

Simply a poor casting choice. The role would have been fine with someone else but he wasn't believable.

 

[saintfool]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

how do you feel about mel brooks films in general? "young frankenstein" do anything for you?

 

[SmoovySmoov]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

Seemed like bad slapstick comedy. Not sure what I'm missing.ETA: And I really don't care about "board cred"

Did you watch the edited version on CMT, or the original?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

how do you feel about mel brooks films in general? "young frankenstein" do anything for you?

Haven't seen Young Frankenstein. Robin Hood and Spaceballs were okay but they're still in the same boat. Seems like whoever does all the current Teen/Scary movie stuff was stealing Mel Brooks' shtick. FYI, I pay little attention to who writes/directs the movies.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

Seemed like bad slapstick comedy. Not sure what I'm missing.ETA: And I really don't care about "board cred"

Did you watch the edited version on CMT, or the original?

It was unedited. Not sure which channel it was on. AMC maybe?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

Whoa.

 

[Socrates11]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

Your sense of humor has passed away.Thoughts and prayers.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

Your sense of humor has passed away.Thoughts and prayers.

And a laurel and hearty handshake to boot.And anyway, What did you expect? "Welcome, sonny"? "Make yourself at home"? "Marry my daughter"? You've got to remember that these he's just simple mailman. A person of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know...

 

[SmoovySmoov]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

Seemed like bad slapstick comedy. Not sure what I'm missing.ETA: And I really don't care about "board cred"

Did you watch the edited version on CMT, or the original?

It was unedited. Not sure which channel it was on. AMC maybe?

If it was on cable, it was edited. You missed a lot in translation. I can watch it when it's on cable and still enjoy it, mainly because I know the movie word for word from beginning to end, but watching it for the first time edited is definitely not the way to enjoy it.

 

[saintfool]

Haven't seen Young Frankenstein. Robin Hood and Spaceballs were okay but they're still in the same boat. Seems like whoever does all the current Teen/Scary movie stuff was stealing Mel Brooks' shtick. FYI, I pay little attention to who writes/directs the movies.

Most of Brooks' work is very broad comedy. "Young Frankenstein" is probably his best, imo. I don't much care for "Blazing Saddles" but I understand that it works for a lot of people.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Haven't seen Young Frankenstein. Robin Hood and Spaceballs were okay but they're still in the same boat. Seems like whoever does all the current Teen/Scary movie stuff was stealing Mel Brooks' shtick. FYI, I pay little attention to who writes/directs the movies.

Most of Brooks' work is very broad comedy. "Young Frankenstein" is probably his best, imo. I don't much care for "Blazing Saddles" but I understand that it works for a lot of people.

I'm sure there'd have been some laughs in it had I watched the whole thing. My expectations were high. I was expecting an excellent movie with lots of laughs. Instead I found a rapid-fire attempt at humor which I really don't typically like. 1 good joke every 5 minutes is better than 5 attempts and only one hitting. So, I've had Dr. Strangelove for a long time and haven't watched it yet... hopefully it isn't the same type.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

So, I've had Dr. Strangelove for a long time and haven't watched it yet... hopefully it isn't the same type.

Strangelove is more satire and should be watched with the mindset of the times (i.e. the Cold War).

 

[Dr. Awesome]

Headhunters. A fantastic Norwegian film about an executive at a headhunting agency who moonlights as an art thief. He discovers a man he's trying to recruit inherited a painting worth approximately $100 million dollars and tries to steal it before it can get authenticated. The man he's stealing from was a former special forces badass who specialized in security. Things of course don't go as planned. It's not a great movie but it is a very good one. A few things tie up too cleanly but overall this is easily one of my favorite movies on the year. I recommend skipping the trailer but if you need that little push

92% RT

 

[saintfool]

So, I've had Dr. Strangelove for a long time and haven't watched it yet... hopefully it isn't the same type.

it's very funny if you like satire and black humor. as an older film you have to be aware of its comic sensibilities.

 

[Copeman]

Contraband

Not bad, but not great either. Liked the plot, it is original enough, but there was something missing. I like Ben Foster, but his talents are gone to waste in this. Walberg was typical Walberg, good enough for this type of movie. Beckinsale is so hot. Ribisi was good as a bad guy, but seemed almost too comical to pull it off. He wouldn't scare anyone irl. Anyways, decent action, but not enough of it. Some parts of the plot kinda had me .

3.2/5

 

[jdoggydogg]

Contraband.Insultingly bad. Nothing worse then lazy storytelling. Was hoping for a decent popcorn flick like Shooter.

Shooter is Predator compared to Contraband.

 

[jdoggydogg]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

It's a bit of zeitgeist. Pretty raw stuff given the year it came out.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

I see you got a lot of abuse for this but I kind of agree in that I rarely laughed in Blazing Saddles, too slapstick for my tastes as well. As far as "classic comedies" go, I found Airplane! and Caddyshack to still be very funny even today, Blazing Saddles not so much.

 

[Chaka]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

Seemed like bad slapstick comedy. Not sure what I'm missing.ETA: And I really don't care about "board cred"

Did you watch the edited version on CMT, or the original?

It was unedited. Not sure which channel it was on. AMC maybe?

Well there's your problem.Well one of your problems at any rate.

 

[Chaka]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

NATM and Epic Movie and the like make fun of genres with one unrelated joke after another and don't really care about much else. They're the Family Guy of films.Blazing Saddles is certainly slapstick (right down to a pie fight, no joke) but it is also one of the most biting social commentaries ever to make its way to the big screen. That part is entirely lost unless you are watching an unedited version of the film which, due to the increasingly large politically correct stick our society has up it's ###, I don't know if they even show on pay channels anymore. It really contributes to the humor of the film as well. So the AMC or any other basic cable version is pretty much worthless.

 

[wikkidpissah]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

Understandable. Reminds of when, in the 70s, a minister friend & i took his youth group to a revival house to see Duck Soup & Night at the Opera. They were all, "Those jokes are so old!" and we were indignantly "Where do you think they came from?!". Surprise is a huge element of comedy and time filters that out. Fact of life. I recommend to any others who've yet to see it that they watch some Richard Pryor (co-writer & Brooks's intended Bart) standup beforehand, cuz his rhythms are all over this.

 

[Chaka]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

It's a bit of zeitgeist. Pretty raw stuff given the year it came out.

It's even more raw by today's standards IMO. No way does a film like that get greenlit in today's Hollywood.

 

[jdoggydogg]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

:woosh:The sound made when all board cred rushes out as if in a vacuum.

Seemed like bad slapstick comedy. Not sure what I'm missing.ETA: And I really don't care about "board cred"

Did you watch the edited version on CMT, or the original?

It was unedited. Not sure which channel it was on. AMC maybe?

Well there's your problem.Well one of your problems at any rate.

Yeah, editing that movie makes it a lot less funny.

 

[jdoggydogg]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

It's a bit of zeitgeist. Pretty raw stuff given the year it came out.

It's even more raw by today's standards IMO. No way does a film like that get greenlit in today's Hollywood.

No chance.

 

[jdoggydogg]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

NATM and Epic Movie and the like make fun of genres with one unrelated joke after another and don't really care about much else. They're the Family Guy of films.Blazing Saddles is certainly slapstick (right down to a pie fight, no joke) but it is also one of the most biting social commentaries ever to make its way to the big screen. That part is entirely lost unless you are watching an unedited version of the film which, due to the increasingly large politically correct stick our society has up it's ###, I don't know if they even show on pay channels anymore. It really contributes to the humor of the film as well. So the AMC or any other basic cable version is pretty much worthless.

A buddy of mine watched an edited version on TV once. While they edited out #######it, they did not censor the N word. WTF?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

It's a bit of zeitgeist. Pretty raw stuff given the year it came out.

It's even more raw by today's standards IMO. No way does a film like that get greenlit in today's Hollywood.

No chance.

Unless the roles were reversed and it starred Chris Rock and the Wayans brothers. Then it's gross $200m.

 

[Chaka]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

Understandable. Reminds of when, in the 70s, a minister friend & i took his youth group to a revival house to see Duck Soup & Night at the Opera. They were all, "Those jokes are so old!" and we were indignantly "Where do you think they came from?!". Surprise is a huge element of comedy and time filters that out. Fact of life. I recommend to any others who've yet to see it that they watch some Richard Pryor (co-writer & Brooks's intended Bart) standup beforehand, cuz his rhythms are all over this.

I get this logic but I can't explain why people like me appreciated (loved actually) films Duck Soup & Night at the Opera even though they were over 30 years old when I first saw them.Maybe there is a certain point in their teens when most of them have been exposed to enough things to find them familiar but not enough to realize that almost all entertainment is derivative and therefore see everything as a ripoff or copy of something else.I can watch Duck Soup today and still LMMFAO and I still LOL at more recent comedy releases like Wag the Dog, In The Loop or The Dictator. Which are all descendents in the Duck Soup family tree. Don't see why others have trouble with that.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

So I tried watching Blazing Saddles the other day. Heard that it is one of the best comedies ever . Turned it off after a half hour when I realized it was on par with Epic Movie or Not Another Teen Movie.

I see you got a lot of abuse for this but I kind of agree in that I rarely laughed in Blazing Saddles, too slapstick for my tastes as well. As far as "classic comedies" go, I found Airplane! and Caddyshack to still be very funny even today, Blazing Saddles not so much.

The 'abuse' was completely expected and pretty standard for disagreeing with the consensus in this thread. Agree with Airplane! and Caddyshack. Just watched Caddyshack for 192nd time (give or take) last weekend and still laughed.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Listening to the

from Run Lola, Run right now.GD that's a cool, cool movie.