Your Dark Secrets of Film

Connery's Toupe said:

Thou shalt not be derided for this. I enjoyed it , too. I was in the grip of a breakdown at the time. But, hey, I still enjoyed it.

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"Meesa gotsa fans!"

The Man said:

"Meesa gotsa fans!"

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...in the grip of mental trauma. Heesa gotta fans.

I liked Terminator 3.
I thought Alien was boring.
I liked Phantom Menace, but hate Attack of the Clones.
I thought Ghost Rider was okay.
I liked Bad Boys 2.
I thought Alien 4 was better than 3.

Chaplin's never quite done it for me. Same with Hawks. Just leave me cold most of the time. And while I like Hitchcock, I can't connect emotionally with his characters.

Heresy, I know, but I don't quite swallow the line about film being a visual medium. It is, sure, but the words have to count for something. Of course, this sentiment comes from being a theatre person.

Attila the Professor said:

Chaplin's never quite done it for me.

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I can agree with this, but I think that goes with my thing about silent movies.

Niteshade007 said:

I can agree with this, but I think that goes with my thing about silent movies.

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I share your thing, mostly. Sitting through <I>Greed</I> was one of the more painful movie experiences I've had.

I do like Harold Lloyd though.

The Man said:

Empire... is on another level entirely.

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Yup it's the best movie ever... IMO.

Niteshade007 said:

I just saw the original Star Wars movies for the first time a month ago. I haven't bothered with the prequels.

...

Although I love older films, especially from the studio era, I can't stand silent films. Yes, I know that it was the beginning of cinema, but one look at those over dramatic faces and I want to turn off the TV.

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Coming from you, these two particularly surprise me - not what I'd have expected at all.

(That's not a judgment, just an observation! )

Crack that whip said:

Coming from you, these two particularly surprise me - not what I'd have expected at all.

(That's not a judgment, just an observation! )

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Really? Why do you say that?

Given a choice I would rather rewatch Caddyshack than any other movie (even Indy)

I like Fletch 2 better than Fletch, i think.

I think Friday the 13th 1 to 4 is just one big GREAT movie, the others sucked.

I’ll throw out some more due to the sheer boredom I currently am facing:

I will never understand how Casino Royale was so popular. I thought it was ridiculous and incredibly anticlimactic. Bond’s allowed to be extremely far fetched. I also believe he can get away with camp and corn. But testicle torture? Am I supposed to take this seriously? The big villain build up to…nothing? Someone else just walks in and offs him? I find it immensely overrated. If this is closely based off the Ian Fleming book, which I have not read, then I think the book sucks!

I think Heath Ledgers Joker is incredibly overrated, especially for the fact that we’ve technically not even seen the film yet. I’m tired of bandwagon followers bashing Jack Nicholson’s portrayal just because it’s trendy to like a dead guy that looks more like the Crow then the Joker. Whilst I don’t dislike him…best Joker ever? I think not…

I really feel the Revenge of the Sith is just as bad as the other prequels. I’ve never understood how people put it above them when I found little to no difference. It’s just as cringe-worthy.

I actually don’t loathe Ewoks. Nor do I hate Gungans. I actually sympathize with the amphibious bastards, they’re permanently scarred by the buffoon that is Jar Jar Binks. The entire species has been severely wounded just by association. They’re not all like that, but then no one especially bothers to take the time to know. Capt. Tarpals was awesome!

I really think T2 just isn’t all that. I much prefer the original. Far more drama and depth. Terminator was a profound dystopian horror film, now it’s been demoted to mindless action flick material. We’re watching Rambo with robots. The typical sludge you’ll see on USA and TNT! Big pass for me! I appreciate the revolutionizing effect, but otherwise I want my Arnold to be villainous! I don’t get the hype whatsoever.

I currently feel that Iron Man was the best film of the summer thus far. I'd give second place to the sadly ignored Prince Caspian.

MaxPhactor23 said:

If this is closely based off the Ian Fleming book, which I have not read, then I think the book sucks!

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You should read it. It's great. You don't know Bond until you've read Fleming's novels, which are much better than the half-assed film franchise.

MaxPhactor23 said:

I think Heath Ledgers Joker is incredibly overrated, especially for the fact that we’ve technically not even seen the film yet.

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How can it be overrated if we haven't seen the film yet?

agentsands77 said:

You should read it. It's great. You don't know Bond until you've read Fleming's novels, which are much better than the half-assed film franchise.


How can it be overrated if we haven't seen the film yet?

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I've been considering giving them a try, but then if they're anything like Casino Royale...I won't enjoy them much. I'm not opposed to giving them a try though. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. As for Heath, how isn't he? People are jumping the gun like mad, claiming he's the best Joker ever made. I see it constantly. You've not heard it all...? You presented my question, just how do they know?

MaxPhactor23 said:

I've been considering giving them a try, but then if they're anything like Casino Royale...I won't enjoy them much. I'm not opposed to giving them a try though. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

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They're grittier and darker than the majority of the Bond films, with a more serious bent. Fleming's CASINO ROYALE shares many elements in common with the film, but there are enough that they're different on that they're very different experiences. But things like the testicle torture are in the book (but the book plays it differently - there's no humor, and it's just a brutal, chilling chapter, and one of the best passages in any thriller I've ever read). If that's not your cup o' tea, then you'd do best to stay away. But they're great, classic thrillers that are much more interesting than the fluffy and dumb cinematic Bond.

MaxPhactor23 said:

As for Heath, how isn't he? People are jumping the gun like mad, claiming he's the best Joker ever made. I see it constantly. You've not heard it all...?

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Sure I have. And I've also read the reviews, which are absolutely ga-ga over his performance (even Devin of CHUD.com, who famously dislikes BATMAN BEGINS, called his Joker the definitive Joker of all time).

MaxPhactor23 said:

You presented my question, just how do they know?

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They don't. But likewise, you don't know that he's not the greatest Joker ever.

agentsands77 said:

They don't. But likewise, you don't know that he's not the greatest Joker ever.

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Oh I do already know that. The fact that he doesn't look much like the Joker already doesn't make him the greatest to me.

MaxPhactor23 said:

Oh I do already know that. The fact that he doesn't look much like the Joker already doesn't make him the greatest to me.

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No, you don't really know that. Because when things are seen in context, individual reaction to them can change. Sometimes a great deal. Your lack of appreciation for Ledger's Joker's appearance might soften a bit upon seeing the film, or on the other hand, it might become stronger. But you can't tell without having seen the film itself.

Max's reminded me of one: Jack's Joker is overrated as all hell. It was Jack Nicholson playing Jack Nicholson. He was constantly "on", constantly being a big clown, and the Joker should be more than that, and so far Heath is delivering that from the trailers I've seen/reviews I've read. The first trailer alone put him above Jack's act in '89 Batman. That said, Mark Hamil will always be THE Joker to me, as Kevin Conroy will always be Batman whenever I read the comic.

-A Clockwork Orange SUCKS. Yeah, what goes around comes around. I get it. It still sucks. Its was dark and creepy just for the sake of it.

-Boba Fett is the coolest Star Wars character. Yeah, he doesn't do much and gets owned by Han Solo without looking, but that armor, that ship, and the EU novels I've read where he kicked Darth Vader's ass always top my list.

-Death Proof was boooooring. Chicks talking for a hour, Kurt Russell shows up to steal the show, gets owned by annoying chicks at the end. WTF?

-Casino Royale aint THAT great. Its good, yeah, but it can be kinda boring. Also, **** the Living Daylights. Timothy Dalton is a terrible Bond.

-The Matrix > any LOTR movie.

-Army of Darkness is more entertaining than 90% of films that come out nowadays.

-and most importantly, The Last Crusade is better than Raiders of the Lost Ark, for now and forever.

I think Shock Treatment is better than The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Crusade>Raiders said:

-A Clockwork Orange SUCKS. Yeah, what goes around comes around. I get it. It still sucks. Its was dark and creepy just for the sake of it.

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I sort of agree. I find it to be one of Kubrick's worst and an embarrassment to the novel.

Crusade>Raiders said:

-A Clockwork Orange SUCKS. Yeah, what goes around comes around. I get it. It still sucks. Its was dark and creepy just for the sake of it.

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The point of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE was not "what goes around comes around."

agentsands77 said:

No, you don't really know that. Because when things are seen in context, individual reaction to them can change. Sometimes a great deal. Your lack of appreciation for Ledger's Joker's appearance might soften a bit upon seeing the film, or on the other hand, it might become stronger. But you can't tell without having seen the film itself.

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Well then let me rephrase then. I strongly suspect I'll never consider him the best version of the Joker. This is due to the already blatant (yet admittedly superficial) physical differences. Plus I’m particularly concerned that he’ll not be as humorous as I believe he should be. I don’t buy that crap people write about him only finding his own gags funny, them not actually being funny. I’ve been laughing with the Joker for decades. Granted it’s very dark comedy, but it’s a level of charismatic humor nonetheless. I’m not getting as much as I want from Heath. I’ve seen some…but the tagline reigns ironic. Why the hell is Joker so serious? I want the Joker (personality and all) and not some shmuch in wanna-be clown make-up. Jokers murders don’t define the character. Whilst I don't dislike Heath either, I think anyone that proclaims this to be the greatest Joker in the history of Batman...hasn't read many comics. That's my take as of right now.