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FANTASTILICIOUS FUN FOR FILM FANS 089: your top 10's of 2020 and most anticipated films of 2021?

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  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,635
    Spot on, @patb.

    I've had people complain to me how "boring" - yes, the B-word was used! - they felt The Exorcist and Halloween were because, get this, "nothing happens for at least an hour". I'd say A LOT happens in the first hour: characters, situations, places are all set up for the ultimate pay-off later on, tension is built, the first eerie moments can be experienced, ... I suppose what those people meant was that no-one got chopped in pieces Hostel-style in the first 5 minutes (and every 5 minutes after that.)
  • patbpatb
    edited July 2015 Posts: 4,602
    it crossed my mind perhaps that's way Alien (1979) worked so well, it had the slow build up that was more representative of the 70s with special effects that were cutting edge but not cgi, the same could be said for Jaws (1975) as the tension is built up as you cant actually see the enemy. Plus, Star Wars still had it's fair share of people just sitting around, talking with a relatively slow pace to give the audience the chance to get to to know the characters. Must not generalise as I watched Breakfast Club last night which is obviously an 80s classic and its just teenagers talking (dialogue heavy and long scenes). I dont think you could sell Breakfast Club to a producer now, imagine how the pitch would work?
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,635
    I agree, @patb. Alien does have a rather slow build and yes, that is EXACTLY one of the (many) reasons why the movie manages to grab us by the balls when the tension is turned to eleven.

    Funny thing, by the way, is that general consensus seems to be that Aliens moves a lot faster but actually, it doesn't, at least not during the first half of the film. There's a sense of urgency and the constant promise that something will happen soon, but the first time we actually see an alien is very much comparable to when we first see the alien in the '79 movie. Perhaps Ripley's dream at the start of Aliens is enough to feed the suggestion that we get into the monster horror so much faster.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    patb wrote: »
    My gut reaction is that 70s movies, as a trend, expected more form the audience and could not go for the quick bang of CGI. I watched All The President's Men a few weeks ago. I loved it. But my wife could not believe how slow it was. Its a movie for grown ups with no quick cuts or gimmicks. You have to give it all your concentration plus, of course, an amazing cast. If the same movie was released this year, it would really struggle. The audience dont have the patience anymore IMHO
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I agree, @patb. Alien does have a rather slow build and yes, that is EXACTLY one of the (many) reasons why the movie manages to grab us by the balls when the tension is turned to eleven.

    Funny thing, by the way, is that general consensus seems to be that Aliens moves a lot faster but actually, it doesn't, at least not during the first half of the film. There's a sense of urgency and the constant promise that something will happen soon, but the first time we actually see an alien is very much comparable to when we first see the alien in the '79 movie. Perhaps Ripley's dream at the start of Aliens is enough to feed the suggestion that we get into the monster horror so much faster.
    I think one major factor in those films ist that they grab you in every scene. At least if you are open for it, and don´t expect, as @DD put it, people chopped to pieces right away. In ATPM, I was so hooked from the moment on in which Dustin Hoffman walks by the editor´s window. Such presence! The same goes for Alien. No Hoffman there, but the shots in the beginning of the interior of the ship, man, and then the talking helmets!
    I appreciate that films got quicker in general, but I´m afraid many filmmakers do that merely because they don´t manage to inject the film with gravitas. It´s probably also due to the audience getting used to certain styles, like for instance Leone said he put in graphic violence because otherwise people would get bored. Which didn´t keep him from giving master classes of suspense right from the start of some of his films.

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Godfather, The Aristocats, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, Herbie etc. With a variety of good films like that, what s not to love? Did I mention Alien?
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    There is no doubt in my mind that the 60's was the greatest decade ever in cinematic history. Followed by the 50's.
    But as this is a thread that shows its love for the 70's I can give you some of my favourite movies that are from that decade (in no particular order).

    Star Trek The Motion Picture 1979
    as a Trekkie I had to catch up with the "old" stuff eventually when I first discovered Trek in 1987. Contrary to the common opinion that the first Trek movie is the second to worst of all Trek movies I love it. I love how slow the first half of the movie builds up the story and shows in great detail how Kirk gets his re-modelled Enterprise back.

    Bedknobs and Broomsticks (the uncut version) 1971
    I can't tell you how big a fan I am of Angela Lansbury and I absolutely love the Sherman Brothers who composed the music for this movie as well as for Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang just to name some of the most famous.

    Funny Lady 1975
    needless to say Funny Girl may be my favourite movie of the 60's, I love musicals and stuff like My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly or Mary Poppins makes the sun rise for me even on a dreary rainy day.

    Family Plot 1976
    Alfred Hitchcock was the best director ever and to this day no one even comes close.
    This movie, his last, is strangely one of my favourites. I gets criticised a lot but I absolutely love the black humour and Karen Black!!

    The Way We Were 1973
    Did I mention how big a fan I am of Angela Lansbury, yes? Ok, now guess what, I'm an even bigger fan of Doris Day....ha...ha....got you! Barbra Streisand makes my Top 3 actresses of all time complete.
    This movie has broken my heart many times. When I saw it the first time circa 1985 (age 11) I fell madly in love with Barbra.

    That's it for now ;)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited August 2015 Posts: 23,635
    <center><font color=#E9AB17 size=6><b>071
    </b>For which performance would you give Samuel L. Jackson an Oscar? Or do you think he's not worthy?</font>
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Snakes On A Plane
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    Samuel L. Jackson is cool and everything, but I can't think of a genuinely Oscar-worthy performance he has given.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,635
    I can think of two.
    1) Pulp Fiction. I really think he was EXCELLENT in that one. (Jackie Brown comes close.)
    2) A Time To Kill
  • TuuliaTuulia
    Posts: 2,081
    I could easily think of several people who'd deserve one far more than he does. I quite like him, but off the top of my head I can't think of anything that would have made me think he should get an Oscar.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    His best movies are all not Oscar material.

    My favourite Jackson movies (where he played the lead or one of the leads)

    1. The Long Kiss Goodnight (by far my favourite)
    2. Snakes On A Plane (yes, I know...but I love it)
    3. Shaft
  • TuuliaTuulia
    edited August 2015 Posts: 2,081
    ^^ I haven't seen Snakes On A Plane. The other two, yes, Long Kiss almost by accident - and it was quite entertaining from what I remember, and saw Shaft for Bale. An ok movie. (Jeffrey Wright was great in that one, btw, and the score was by David Arnold, for those interested.)
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I can think of two.
    1) Pulp Fiction. I really think he was EXCELLENT in that one. (Jackie Brown comes close.)
    2) A Time To Kill
    I agree about Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown. Apart from that, I tend to agree with @BAIN123 and @Tuulia.

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Django Unchained.

    He was a great Octopus in The Spirit, but was mostly himself there as usual.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,694
    He should have won an Oscar in 1993 for one of the most bad-ass line deliveries of all time: 'Hold on to your butts!' in Jurassic Park.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,635
    @DaltonCraig007, ... and he could smoke liberally in that film. :p How times have changed. ;-) When he tried to reboot the system en nothing happened, I love his response. "Uhm..."
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    DaltonCraig007 wrote: »
    He should have won an Oscar in 1993 for one of the most bad-ass line deliveries of all time: 'Hold on to your butts!' in Jurassic Park.
    Shame on me, how could I ever forget that!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited August 2015 Posts: 23,635
    I'm surprised there's so little praise for what he did in Pulp Fiction. ;-)
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    He was great in PF.

    "I will walk the Earth."
    Terrific line and delivery.
  • Crazysoul95Crazysoul95
    Posts: 3,336
    I love his line in Kingsman to the swedish primeminister or whoever she was. "Tough shit, bitch"
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited August 2015 Posts: 11,189
    As much as I love Pulp Fiction, I think it's far too knowingly "geeky" to be genuinely considered for an academy award. Maybe it's my snobbery but I'd include Samuel L. Jackson in that statement.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,635
    I'm baffled! :p

    "Ezekiel 25-17"??? :-)
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,694
    The only performance from L Jackson that I honestly could see garner some awards was 'The Sunset Limited', a HBO tv movie directed by Tommy Lee Jones,a 90 minutes conversation between Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L Jackson, based on Cormac McCarthy. If you haven't seen it, please do, it's wonderful.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited August 2015 Posts: 12,837
    He deserved an Oscar for Pulp Fiction. Amazing performance. He fits Jules so perfectly, it's one of those parts where I really can't imagine anyone else playing him and coming at all close to what Sam achieved in the role.

    I think he's a brilliant actor with a pretty interesting filmography, he's got some great performances as really varied characters behind him but he doesn't get as much respect as he should because he seems to take any gig that's offered to him (can't blame him though with the paychecks he gets) and he's become kind of typecast.

    I think he's definitely still got it though, he showed with his unnerving performance in Django that he's still a great actor. Think his performance in Kingsman deserves a mention too, he was very funny in that, and he was great in Die Hard 3, had really good chemistry with Bruce Willis. Good in Jackie Brown too.

    But yeah in terms of Oscars, Jules in Pulp Fiction definitely, still his best role and fully worthy of an academy award imo. I think he'll probably get the honorary Oscar at some point in the future won't he? He deserves to anyway.

    Looking forward to seeing him in the Hateful Eight as I think QT brings out the best in him.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited August 2015 Posts: 11,189
    Can't argue about Sam's excellent performance in that scene.

    "AND YOU WILL KNOW MY NAME IS THE LORD...WHEN I LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEE"

    Ok, I've just looked at the Oscar nominations for 1994. I didn't know JT was nominated.

    Seems a bit unfair in that case that SLJ wasn't.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Be it as it may, I'm eternally grateful to Jackson for giving me Snakes On A Plane :D
    My wife is absolutely horrified by snakes, if one appears only for a split-second in a movie she's up the wall scared sh**less, now imagine what a terrific experience it was (for me) to have her watch Snakes with me >:) >:)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,635
    I might even throw in Die Hard With A Vengeance. Zeus was terrific!
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited August 2015 Posts: 15,694
    - I told you park avenue is always jammed!
    - I didn't say park avenue, I said through the park!
    - McClaaaaaaaane!!
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited August 2015 Posts: 11,189
    I think the issue wth SLJ in relation to Oscar's is that, as @Thunderfinger said, he never seems to be playing a character THAT different from himself.

    Whether he's a hitman, a policeman or a shop owner he often seems to be loud, pissed off and coarse. We always love hearing him swear in that distinctive voice of his for example. He's like Tom Cruise in that he's entertaining but we usually see HIM rather than the character.
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