Netflix Streaming: Getting Your Eight Bucks Worth

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bullet3: Nov 8, 2011

Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (original, not the awful remake), is one of the all time best movies of the 70s, and also one of the most influential.

Its cynical tone and general type of plot were a big inspiration on what Die Hard ended up being, and the idea of color-code-named bad guys was taken and used in Reservoir Dogs.

The actors are all fantastic too, and it's just such a well paced, economical thriller.

And of course, pretty much the best theme song to any movie ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-WYm9nl32Q

# ? Oct 5, 2012 07:35

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# ? May 30, 2024 11:08

bullet3: Nov 8, 2011

Also this thread reminded me to re-watch Buckaroo Banzai, and I think it actually plays a lot better on second watch. Once you understand what's going on, it's a pretty well structured, extremely fun sci-fi adventure. Very quotable too.

I think Dr.Who fans in particular would really dig it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii9n8CMpLMk

# ? Oct 5, 2012 09:26

Zero Karizma: Jul 8, 2004; It's ok now, just tell me what happened...

bullet3 posted:

Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (original, not the awful remake), is one of the all time best movies of the 70s, and also one of the most influential.

Its cynical tone and general type of plot were a big inspiration on what Die Hard ended up being, and the idea of color-code-named bad guys was taken and used in Reservoir Dogs.

The actors are all fantastic too, and it's just such a well paced, economical thriller.

I agree on all points. And Hector Elizondo's Mr. Grey seemed to be a direct influence on Tarantino's Mr. Pink and Mr. Blonde.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 14:35

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD: Sep 14, 2007; everything is yours

Zero Karizma posted:

What does happen to him then? It's left ambiguous, but I'd say it leans a bit closer to that direction.

Steve Burns is very "straight" in both senses of the word, the timidity of Pacino in this movie is second to none, even compared to acting next to giants in stuff like Scarecrow and And Justice For All. The central pull of that character is that clearly, he finds something appealing in the subculture. Like Joe Spinell's cop character, he's not "made" anything by "exposure", nobody's forcing him to blackmail transvestites into giving him handjobs or whatever it is he gets up to. However, the pressure to perform as a masculine and decidedly heterosexual man in the role of both a citizen and a cop (stereotypical "macho" profession and not coincidentally, stereotypical erotic power fantasy) leads to a tension. By the end of the movie this tension is repudiated by Steve Burns in the most dramatic way. He's "back to normal" because he exorcised his stray from normality. Note how he has no explanation for how they catch him in the hotel, for example. He's not frightened of these new feelings, he's tormented by them. He represses them.

The "going native" story often has the hook of irresistible temptation and losing yourself in a part of you that you didn't realize existed. The idea that "exposure to the subculture" turns you into a depraved killer is the conservative viewpoint of this film that is far too simplistic for what Friedkin actually depicts. In no way does he equate the men in the subculture with the killer - much like his other films he directly equates the protagonist and antagonist. As you can see by the killer being dispatched of almost a little too easily, you can see he's no match for Steve Burns at any rate, who pursues and takes out his target with no backup.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 15:14

RoughDraft2.0: Mar 8, 2007; We really like your car, Mrs. LaRusso.

hypersleep posted:

I'm not really into video games (loved them in the 80s and 90s, but my interest took a sharp dive after high school), but I just finished Indie Gamer: The Movie and it was really good. I'm sure anyone who's had an interest in video games at any time in their life would enjoy it.

That said, it's interesting to see how emotionally unstable some of those guys are. Any time they talk about emotions or the pressure they feel, you can see deep seated emotional issues manifesting in their speech and behavior. It's too bad, because it kind of confirms some of the stereotypes about nerdy gamers, but that's probably not a topic for this thread.

I share your halfhearted interested in games, but I had to turn this one off after giving it about 30 minutes. The producers were a very unappealing type of douche--particularly the guy who wore his Fez to an awards show. I know the characteristics of a person who would find himself that amusing, and I don't want know any more about such a person.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 16:09

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD: Sep 14, 2007; everything is yours

Even Trekkies has more compelling weirdoes than Indie Game The Movie. Almost everyone in that movie needs to be teargassed.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 16:29

forever whatever: Sep 28, 2007; Hitting the wall.

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

words about Cruising

This was an interesting post, thanks. I watched this online twice in the past month and even bought a poster for it for my new apartment. I thought it was a really interesting film. Reading about it, it seems that it got a lot of criticism from the gay community when it came out for portraying the gay lifestyle negatively. I didn't get that at all, besides making a portion of New York City cops seem homophobic. Which is probably accurate. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good crime film.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 16:49

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD: Sep 14, 2007; everything is yours

forever whatever posted:

This was an interesting post, thanks. I watched this online twice in the past month and even bought a poster for it for my new apartment. I thought it was a really interesting film. Reading about it, it seems that it got a lot of criticism from the gay community when it came out for portraying the gay lifestyle negatively. I didn't get that at all, besides making a portion of New York City cops seem homophobic. Which is probably accurate. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good crime film.

You have to remember that this is a time where there are practically no mainstream depictions of gay lifestyle whatsoever and then movie comes out and it's about a murderous leather man. You can definitely read it as gaysploitation. At the same time, I never get the sense that Friedkin is at all uncomfortable with the subject matter, gay men aren't freaks or aliens in this movie. The subculture is depicted as just that.

I always think of it as a giallo, but you could honestly call it an erotic thriller if you so chose.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 17:31

snoot: Jun 8, 2006; danger lurks everywhere

Indie Game the Movie is great, the Team Meat guys in particular make it worth watching. I'd've thought a lot of people could relate to them as they seemed decent guys, not as precious as some other devs.

Is Make Believe still up? Worth watching for the dad telling the anecdote about being upstaged by his four year old son, and is obviously still bitter... nice!

# ? Oct 5, 2012 19:35

Tonsured: Jan 14, 2005; I came across mention of a Gnostic codex called The Unreal God and the Aspects of His Nonexistent Universe, an idea which reduced me to helpless laughter. What kind of person would write about something that he knows doesn't exist, and how can something that doesn't exist have aspects?

Confession Time:
I used to like the first mission: impossible movie. I'd even admit outloud and without shame that I liked it. However, with time that enthusiasm for honesty died down. Somewhere around mission impossible 3 and the katie holmes/scientology thing, I wanted to disavow any knowledge of that statement.
However, after re-watching the first movie on netflix, I must say I'm ready to admit it openly again. I liked the first Mission: Impossible movie, and Tom Cruise is the best part about the drat thing!

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:11

Jose Oquendo: Jun 20, 2004; Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie

What the hell, dude. It's a great movie and there's no reason to be ashamed to like it or Tom Cruise. There is no doubt that Tom Cruise is loving insane. However, he is a fantastic actor. Earlier this year I went through and watched his entire filmography. Even in the shittiest poo poo movies he was in, he was NEVER the weakest part of the movie or anywhere close to the reason for a movie being bad. He gives every role his all. I eagerly await any Cruise movie.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:17

Zero Karizma: Jul 8, 2004; It's ok now, just tell me what happened...

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

words about Cruising

Well I'm convinced. Looks like time for a rewatch!

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:28

The Leck: Feb 27, 2001

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

You have to remember that this is a time where there are practically no mainstream depictions of gay lifestyle whatsoever and then movie comes out and it's about a murderous leather man. You can definitely read it as gaysploitation. At the same time, I never get the sense that Friedkin is at all uncomfortable with the subject matter, gay men aren't freaks or aliens in this movie. The subculture is depicted as just that.

I always think of it as a giallo, but you could honestly call it an erotic thriller if you so chose.

I've seen both Cruising and Dressed to Kill mentioned as "the first American giallo", and while it's been quite a while since I've seen either of them, I think they both have a decent claim on it. I'm certainly itching to watch both again just thinking about it. Also, from some past discussion of Cruising, I saved a post of yours for the next time I got around to watching it:

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

a great many of these italian murder mysteries, nonsensical and nonlinear as they may be, commonly feature antagonists that express themselves through their crimes. they fixate on details, they prolong suffering, they reach climax by committing ritualistic murder. in giallo auteur dario argento�s words: �nothing is more appealing than the death of a beautiful woman.� the nearest thing in america to the giallo is the slasher film, both prominently concerned with annihilating young women in infinitely depraved ways. there have even been literate homages to the genre, notably hitchcock�s lurid frenzy and the powerful, chilling henry: portrait of a serial killer. the common criticism of these genres is that they occupy a space just below pornography, reveling not just in violence, but a kind of violent repudiation of sexuality where debased psychopaths become moral avengers. in these films, some bystander is inexorably drawn into the world of the offender, ostensibly investigating these shocking crimes but, really, losing his or her identity to the obsessions of another. it is no wonder, then, that many of these films end with the protagonist being revealed as complicit in or responsible for these crimes. few genres come with such a damning autocritique of its audience.

william friedkin has the puzzling reputation of an embattled director who has had his career nearly ended by a couple of legitimately excellent films. the first of these is sorcerer, a sweat-drenched remake of wages of fear, was a massive flop that earn well deserved acclaim until years after it slunk out of theatres. watching it now, it is thoroughly modern, much like the french connection and the exorcist, so unlike the bloated blockbusters of the era. it�s difficult to imagine critics ignoring how tense, well acted and lean this film is, but tellingly, it�s earned it�s current reputation as an equal to other overlooked thrillers like the killing and manhunter. cruising is the second of these films, coming under heavy fire on both ends � from the nascent gay rights movement for depicting nastier elements in gay nightlife subcultures and from social conservatives for depicting any aspect of homosexual life whatsoever. al pacino, for a time, infamously refused to acknowledge the film for reasons unknown. it also failed critically and commercially, for years considered an unsavory novelty.

much like sorcerer, however, cruising is an unqualified success to modern eyes, no need for a �cult� modifier. this is a film of all rough edges. as the audience, we follow the narrative as uneasily as pacino�s alternate universe frank serpico. if the fringes of the narrative weren�t so entertaining, it might be easy to see how some uninterested viewer could knock this film for being meandering and confusing. most films don�t have the germs and the cripples on the soundtrack. most films don�t have a fisting scene as a minor detail in a tableaux of depravity. most films don�t have al pacino taking amyl nitrate and jerking around on the dancefloor like he�s being riddled with bullets. the case to be made for this movie is inevitably concerned with the small details, the side characters, the narrative ellipses. consider the cameo by powers boothe as a leatherwear shop owner, explaining to the naive detective the finer points of the hanky code. consider the scenes in the park � like some dark fantasmagoria new york as seen in the warriors or the wiz, at home in either movie, really, with a night-time hangout in the park revealing a balmy open-air market for anonymous sex.

this doubles as a completely valid criticism for this piece, for any genre movie with distasteful subject matter (murder, not homosexuality). it can be argued that it reduces gay life to sexual fetish and fixation, or that it makes being homosexual synonymous with such deprivations as participation in prostitution, reckless and promiscuous sex or sadomasochism. it�s easy to take the narrow view and view cruising as a condemnation, a square�s journey into some sexual orient that leaves him warped forever. it could be said that steve burns �goes native�, observing, then mimicing, then becoming � the confusion in the narrative is a consequence of shedding away the standard thriller plot. when burns masterfully ensnares the killer, it almost happens too quickly, as though the resolution of the murder mystery is a subplot. indeed, during the final confrontation with the killer, the emphasis is placed on how easily burns preys on his suspect and how well he has ingratiated himself into the lifestyle. the arrest itself is a gag, a double entendre � a reversal of burns� s&m awakening ends with an incomplete sexual encounter, an intrusion of the duty on the desire.

this also makes the ending somewhat unambiguous. burns� relationship with his gadfly neighbor is platonic, but still bothersome because it directly interrogates his sexual identity. riffing on the generic �deep cover� trope of the protagonist struggling with his assumed identity, there�s no mistake that the neighbor is murdered directly following the arrest of the killer. there is no question whatsoever who the second killer is. what is actually ambiguous is what personal need it satisfies for steve burns. is it to expunge any traces of lingering doubt; literally, a violent reassertion of his heterosexuality? is it to exorcise this thoroughly unpleasant experience? it certainly seems that way as he stares at himself in the mirror, shaving and scrubbing himself clean of his alter ego? steve burns might the old steve burns or a new man. steve burns plus something. steve burns who has reconciled himself with a piece of his personality he might not have never discovered on his own. it could the ultimate aim of his specific fantasy or, more likely, the release of a frustrated tension that had been building for duration of the film. it�s important to note that steve isn�t repulsed by what he sees at all, what he finds repugnant is his own temptation. hell of a metaphor for the time it was released.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:30

wormil: Sep 12, 2002; Hulk will smoke you!

One religion is as wacky as another if you're an outsider, who cares about that, I like Tom Cruise anyway.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:34

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD: Sep 14, 2007; everything is yours

Thanks, The Leck. I still agree with myself there but I didn't want to wootle my own tootle. I could say that stuff more plainly.

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:37

Dr Monkeysee: Oct 11, 2002; just a fox like a hundred thousand others; Nap Ghost

Joe Don Baker posted:

What the hell, dude. It's a great movie and there's no reason to be ashamed to like it or Tom Cruise. There is no doubt that Tom Cruise is loving insane. However, he is a fantastic actor. Earlier this year I went through and watched his entire filmography. Even in the shittiest poo poo movies he was in, he was NEVER the weakest part of the movie or anywhere close to the reason for a movie being bad. He gives every role his all. I eagerly await any Cruise movie.

I just showed Collateral to a friend of mine a couple weeks back and he said nearly the same thing after it was over. "I don't care how batshit he is, Tom Cruise is a great actor!"

# ? Oct 5, 2012 23:45

Parachute: May 18, 2003

Monkeyseesaw posted:

I just showed Collateral to a friend of mine a couple weeks back and he said nearly the same thing after it was over. "I don't care how batshit he is, Tom Cruise is a great actor!"

I don't think I've ever seen him phone in a performance, and Collateral is definitely no exception.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 00:23

Ishamael: Feb 18, 2004; You don't have to love me, but you will respect me.

I really enjoyed Indie Game: The Movie. I think anyone who works in a creative field can relate to their stress. Edmund comes across the best, as a truly nice guy who wants to make something great. The other guys are all more damaged, but they make for interesting doc subjects, certainly.

The guy from Braid seemed to be added as a token, though. I know they wanted the "already done and successful" guy in there, but he didn't have much to say.

EDIT:

RoughDraft2.0 posted:

The producers were a very unappealing type of douche--particularly the guy who wore his Fez to an awards show. I know the characteristics of a person who would find himself that amusing, and I don't want know any more about such a person.

You do realize that he was making a game called "Fez", right?

Ishamael fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Oct 6, 2012

# ? Oct 6, 2012 01:25

Slackerish: Jan 1, 2007; Hail Boognish

I love it how people don't give much second thought to admiring someone like Roman Polanski or Lars Von Trier but freak out over liking Tom Cruise just because of his wacky religious beliefs. Cruise is a fantastic actor.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 01:29

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD: Sep 14, 2007; everything is yours

Ishamael posted:

You do realize that he was making a game called "Fez", right?

To be fair if you find out more about Phil Fish it's not likely you'll be convinced he's less of a boring douchebag.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 01:30

Queer Salutations: Aug 20, 2009; kind of a shitty wizard...

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

To be fair if you find out more about Phil Fish it's not likely you'll be convinced he's less of a boring douchebag.

That's what makes Indie Game so great though! Making Phil Fish a sympathetic person you could actually root for is quite an achievement.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 01:50

der juicen: Aug 11, 2005; Fuck haters

Cruise is awesome in Mission Impossible III, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the loving best villain ever.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 02:21

I AM GRANDO: Aug 20, 2006

Slackerish posted:

I love it how people don't give much second thought to admiring someone like Roman Polanski or Lars Von Trier but freak out over liking Tom Cruise just because of his wacky religious beliefs. Cruise is a fantastic actor.

What did Lars Von Trier do?

# ? Oct 6, 2012 03:04

Truther Vandross: Jun 17, 2008

Jack Gladney posted:

What did Lars Von Trier do?

Be weird as gently caress

# ? Oct 6, 2012 03:29

Tumble: Jun 24, 2003; I'm not thinking of anything!

sportsgenius86 posted:

Be weird as gently caress

Seriously weird. Dude makes movies where women graphically cut off their own clits and a guy gets his penis bashed in to the point where he cums blood. And people seem to hold him in high regard. Tom Cruise doesn't do those things at all!

# ? Oct 6, 2012 03:59

X-Ray Pecs: May 11, 2008; New York
Ice Cream
TV
Travel
~Good Times~

Jack Gladney posted:

What did Lars Von Trier do?

# ? Oct 6, 2012 04:06

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

Tumble posted:

Seriously weird. Dude makes movies where women graphically cut off their own clits and a guy gets his penis bashed in to the point where he cums blood. And people seem to hold him in high regard. Tom Cruise doesn't do those things at all!

Yeah, Tom Cruise just fronts for an organization that brainwashes and possibly kills people :v:

Expiring soon:
Earth Girls Are Easy, a movie that you will likely only enjoy if you like the sound of either of these two things: Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayans being silly aliens, or Geena Davis being flustered and (because she's Geena Davis) awesome and adorable.
Tape, a Richard Linklater drama.
Mr. Fix It, apparently not a great movie, but it stars David Boreanaz of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fame, so if you're like some of my friends and you have a crush on him (say, you want to jump his Bones) then I guess here's a movie for you.

And... pretty much nothing else of note expiring in the next few weeks, it seems.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 04:18

Pick: Jul 19, 2009; Nap Ghost

Thanks for pointing out that the old Pelham 123 was up. I'd wanted to see the original for a while and didn't know Netflix had it.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 04:26

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

Pick posted:

Thanks for pointing out that the old Pelham 123 was up. I'd wanted to see the original for a while and didn't know Netflix had it.

You'll enjoy it, it's a awesome film.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 04:58

Farbtoner: May 17, 2011; by Y Kant Ozma Post

RoughDraft2.0 posted:

I share your halfhearted interested in games, but I had to turn this one off after giving it about 30 minutes. The producers were a very unappealing type of douche--particularly the guy who wore his Fez to an awards show. I know the characteristics of a person who would find himself that amusing, and I don't want know any more about such a person.

I'm relatively into games and having spent literally years having these people and their oversized personalities be held up on a pedestal by the indie gaming community and games journalism in general soured me on the film, unfortunately. After 4 years of the Braid guy being heralded as a genius that makes Games That Matter and Phil Fish being showered in awards and prize money years before he actually had a finished game to show off it was hard to approach the movie as anything but further freakshow douchiness.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 05:23

mod sassinator: Dec 13, 2006; I came here to Kick Ass and Chew Bubblegum,
and I'm All out of Ass

Tonsured posted:

Confession Time:
I used to like the first mission: impossible movie. I'd even admit outloud and without shame that I liked it. However, with time that enthusiasm for honesty died down. Somewhere around mission impossible 3 and the katie holmes/scientology thing, I wanted to disavow any knowledge of that statement.
However, after re-watching the first movie on netflix, I must say I'm ready to admit it openly again. I liked the first Mission: Impossible movie, and Tom Cruise is the best part about the drat thing!

No need to be ashamed, Mission Impossible is a great movie IMHO too. The 90's were a fantastic time for action movies and this was one of the better ones.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 08:56

der juicen: Aug 11, 2005; Fuck haters

Welp, watched Slither. It's up there with Cabin in the Woods in how entertaining it was, and funny to boot.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 10:52

Nihonniboku: Aug 11, 2004; YOU CAN FLY!!!

forever whatever posted:

This was an interesting post, thanks. I watched this online twice in the past month and even bought a poster for it for my new apartment. I thought it was a really interesting film. Reading about it, it seems that it got a lot of criticism from the gay community when it came out for portraying the gay lifestyle negatively. I didn't get that at all, besides making a portion of New York City cops seem homophobic. Which is probably accurate. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good crime film.

Apparently there were about 40 minutes cut out from the movie that were deemed to be too controversial. James Franco, being the oddball he is, decided he wanted to recreate those cut minutes. So, he has collaborated with a gay porn director, and created this: Link.

Nihonniboku fucked around with this message at 15:45 on Oct 6, 2012

# ? Oct 6, 2012 15:41

kaworu: Jul 23, 2004

Nihonniboku posted:

Apparently there were about 40 minutes cut out from the movie that were deemed to be too controversial. James Franco, being the oddball he is, decided he wanted to recreate those cut minutes. So, he has collaborated with a gay porn director, and created this: Link.

Jesus, what a fantastic trailer. That, in and of itself, is a fascinating piece of video. It's really rare to watch something like that which I respond to on so many different levels - intellectually, artistically, sexually, aesthetically, creatively... My only fear is that the actual film won't be anywhere near as crazy-intense as that trailer.

edit: Yeah, I just watched that again, goddamn. That clip oozes as much as raw, filthy, unfettered male sexuality as... I don't know... A Hidden Cameras concert. That's saying a lot.

kaworu fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Oct 6, 2012

# ? Oct 6, 2012 16:09

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD: Sep 14, 2007; everything is yours

Nihonniboku posted:

Apparently there were about 40 minutes cut out from the movie that were deemed to be too controversial. James Franco, being the oddball he is, decided he wanted to recreate those cut minutes. So, he has collaborated with a gay porn director, and created this: Link.

Yeah, the self-indulgent art thesis on another movie is coming back in vogue about 15 years after Van Sant's Psycho.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 16:38

WeaponX: Jul 28, 2008

Jack Gladney posted:

What did Lars Von Trier do?

-Make really tasteless Hitler jokes, then act indignant about it
-Extremely cruel treatment of his actresses

# ? Oct 6, 2012 16:57

VaultAggie: Nov 18, 2010; Best out of 71?

der juicen posted:

Welp, watched Slither. It's up there with Cabin in the Woods in how entertaining it was, and funny to boot.

This. I watched it last night and it was really funny and even managed to be creepy at the same time.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 17:26

TrixRabbi: Aug 20, 2010; Time for a little robot chauvinism!

Vampire's Kiss seems to have hit instant under the radar. It really is a must see for anyone who has ever doubted Nicolas Cage's ability to be the most entertaining man on Earth.

Oh, and it looks like Mulholland Dr. too. It's a good October.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 20:45

hypersleep: Sep 17, 2011

Can't believe I waited this long to watch Hobo With A Shotgun. Totally over the top and entertaining as hell.

# ? Oct 6, 2012 22:24

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# ? May 30, 2024 11:08

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

hypersleep posted:

Can't believe I waited this long to watch Hobo With A Shotgun. Totally over the top and entertaining as hell.

Never cheer for a man armed with a flamethrower or work the graveyard shift at the hospital in Slumville.

And the soundtrack rocks...

# ? Oct 6, 2012 23:25

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Cinema Discusso > Netflix Streaming: Getting Your Eight Bucks Worth

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