list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Falling Down on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Falling_Down/11098/default.aspx Title: Falling Down
Year: 1993
Director: Joel Schumacher
Plot: It's just not William Foster's (Michael Douglas) day. Laid off from his defense job, Foster gets stuck in the middle of the mother of all traffic jams. Desirous of attending his daughter's birthday party at the home of his ex-wife (Barbara Hershey), Foster abandons his car and begins walking, encountering one urban humiliation after another (the Korean shopkeeper who obstinately refuses to give change is the worst of the batch). He also slowly unravels mentally, finally snapping at a fast-food restaurant that refuses to serve him breakfast because it's "too late." Running amok with an arsenal of weapons at the ready, Foster -- also known as "D-FENS" because of his vanity license plate -- rapidly becomes a source of terror to some, a folk hero to others. It's up to reluctant cop Prendergast (Robert Duvall), on the eve of his retirement, to bring D-FENS down. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 12
Number of Lists: 37
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:24:30 GMTFalling Down1993Joel SchumacherIt's just not William Foster's (<a href="/players/P____88134/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Douglas</a>) day. Laid off from his defense job, Foster gets stuck in the middle of the mother of all traffic jams. Desirous of attending his daughter's birthday party at the home of his ex-wife (<a href="/players/P____32030/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Barbara Hershey</a>), Foster abandons his car and begins walking, encountering one urban humiliation after another (the Korean shopkeeper who obstinately refuses to give change is the worst of the batch). He also slowly unravels mentally, finally snapping at a fast-food restaurant that refuses to serve him breakfast because it's "too late." Running amok with an arsenal of weapons at the ready, Foster -- also known as "D-FENS" because of his vanity license plate -- rapidly becomes a source of terror to some, a folk hero to others. It's up to reluctant cop Prendergast (<a href="/players/P____88530/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robert Duvall</a>), on the eve of his retirement, to bring D-FENS down. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide12Tag Target (>10)37633http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t04029sydug.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Falling_Down/11098/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/hautecritique/archive/2009/7/14/43045.aspx Post By: hautecritique
Post To: The Haute Critique on Spout
Post Date: 7/14/2009 3:01:57 PM
Body: I can’t say that Up was a bad movie. It was, in many ways, good. When Chicken Run came out, it was 90%+ on the Tomatometer. Over the years I’ve noticed this across the board. Animated movies can be very high (with a few exceptions). Waiting for Up, we saw trailers for two horrible looking animated features. Up, however, didn’t look horrible. The Pixar/Disney film looked great. The styles, shapes, shading and color were fantastic. They’re not done with a realist’s eye, but with true inspiration. And the writing! It was nail on the head. When they needed a sad beat, it was at their finger tips (failed at child-birth, forcing your wife needlessly up a death march of a hill to give her a poignant present, killing her before she reaches to bow on the box, a boy whose douche bag father’s new woman berates him for longing for paternal acceptance). If they needed cute, oh, that came out of thin air. Baby chicks, Seth Rogen in dog form (seriously cute)… And the Tomatometer shows it. Another 90+ for Disney/Pixar. Most of their pictures are in that range. Places usually reserved for Best Picture Nominees. Are these production companies the greatest motion picture artists of a generation? Since Beauty and the Beast danced across a psychedelic chandelier with Oscar, can they do no wrong? Beauty and the Beast (1991) – 93% Aladdin (1992) – 91% The Lion King (1994) – 92% Toy Story (1995) – 100% Antz (1998) – 95% Toy Story 2 (1999) – 100% Chicken Run (2000) – 98% The Incredibles (2004) – 97% Ratatouille (2007) – 97% Wall-E (2008) – 97% Up (2009) – 97% I think that the format and style lends itself to a low bar. Leaving Up, we re-conjure the part of the film we like and, if we laugh some, check. If we are sad, another check. Shed a tear? Check plus. Laugh with that tear still on our cheek and awards season isn’t that far off. The child in us does a little victory dance. Up seems to try a little too hard for that tear. Defeats are brutal and relentless, and they are executed with a sadistic exuberance. If this were recreated in live action it would be beyond disturbing. Early on we would watch the main character start as a darling little boy and build a beautifully charming life with the love of his life. After she passes, THE MAN comes and tries to squeeze our ideal grandfather out to make way for some horrible tenement. The plucky hero, courageously stands up for his heart. Picture Ernest Hemingway or the Dos Equis guy in your head. Then, a couple of construction goofballs (think Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez) accidentally knock over his mail box. Suddenly plucky old man goes all Falling Down on the guy. The cartoon naturally softens the violence, but the fall from grace becomes too realistic and breaks the spell. Plus Leads to this: Click here to view the embedded video. Of course, he is booked, tried in a court of law, found guilty, and forced out of his home, by Agent Smith from The Matrix, no less. If it is so obvious that these situations are just previous motion picture archetypes playing twister on a story board somewhere at Pixar or Disney, why such hard charging positive reviews? It has to be that victory dance. The appeal of a dog telling us the reason he fell asleep next to us on the couch was because he loved us. What kid doesn’t love that? One issue with Up is that this well honed vernacular seems too technical. Technical can be beautiful, and often has been for Pixar. Up, however, lacks the pitch perfect balance that turns something technical into what the french call technique. I can’t wave you off seeing Up. In fact, I can guarantee you will see something you like. And, maybe that is enough. (But, I prefer Miyazaki.) No related posts. Originally posted on:The Haute Critique
]]>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:01:57 GMThautecritiqueThe Haute Critique on Spout7/14/2009 3:01:57 PMI can’t say that Up was a bad movie. It was, in many ways, good. When Chicken Run came out, it was 90%+ on the Tomatometer. Over the years I’ve noticed this across the board. Animated movies can be very high (with a few exceptions). Waiting for Up, we saw trailers for two horrible looking animated features. Up, however, didn’t look horrible. The Pixar/Disney film looked great. The styles, shapes, shading and color were fantastic. They’re not done with a realist’s eye, but with true inspiration. And the writing! It was nail on the head. When they needed a sad beat, it was at their finger tips (failed at child-birth, forcing your wife needlessly up a death march of a hill to give her a poignant present, killing her before she reaches to bow on the box, a boy whose douche bag father’s new woman berates him for longing for paternal acceptance). If they needed cute, oh, that came out of thin air. Baby chicks, Seth Rogen in dog form (seriously cute)… And the Tomatometer shows it. Another 90+ for Disney/Pixar. Most of their pictures are in that range. Places usually reserved for Best Picture Nominees. Are these production companies the greatest motion picture artists of a generation? Since Beauty and the Beast danced across a psychedelic chandelier with Oscar, can they do no wrong? Beauty and the Beast (1991) – 93% Aladdin (1992) – 91% The Lion King (1994) – 92% Toy Story (1995) – 100% Antz (1998) – 95% Toy Story 2 (1999) – 100% Chicken Run (2000) – 98% The Incredibles (2004) – 97% Ratatouille (2007) – 97% Wall-E (2008) – 97% Up (2009) – 97% I think that the format and style lends itself to a low bar. Leaving Up, we re-conjure the part of the film we like and, if we laugh some, check. If we are sad, another check. Shed a tear? Check plus. Laugh with that tear still on our cheek and awards season isn’t that far off. The child in us does a little victory dance. Up seems to try a little too hard for that tear. Defeats are brutal and relentless, and they are executed with a sadistic exuberance. If this were recreated in live action it would be beyond disturbing. Early on we would watch the main character start as a darling little boy and build a beautifully charming life with the love of his life. After she passes, THE MAN comes and tries to squeeze our ideal grandfather out to make way for some horrible tenement. The plucky hero, courageously stands up for his heart. Picture Ernest Hemingway or the Dos Equis guy in your head. Then, a couple of construction goofballs (think Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez) accidentally knock over his mail box. Suddenly plucky old man goes all Falling Down on the guy. The cartoon naturally softens the violence, but the fall from grace becomes too realistic and breaks the spell. Plus Leads to this: Click here to view the embedded video. Of course, he is booked, tried in a court of law, found guilty, and forced out of his home, by Agent Smith from The Matrix, no less. If it is so obvious that these situations are just previous motion picture archetypes playing twister on a story board somewhere at Pixar or Disney, why such hard charging positive reviews? It has to be that victory dance. The appeal of a dog telling us the reason he fell asleep next to us on the couch was because he loved us. What kid doesn’t love that? One issue with Up is that this well honed vernacular seems too technical. Technical can be beautiful, and often has been for Pixar. Up, however, lacks the pitch perfect balance that turns something technical into what the french call technique. I can’t wave you off seeing Up. In fact, I can guarantee you will see something you like. And, maybe that is enough. (But, I prefer Miyazaki.) No related posts. Originally posted on:The Haute Critique http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/26/37694.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/26/2008 5:01:30 PM
Body: Black Friday is a scary time for shoppers in any given year. The crowds, the lines, the difficulty finding parking — all these and more are common annoyances on the day after Thanksgiving, as millions upon millions of Americans begin the Christmas season by making a run for the shopping malls and department stores in hopes of finding the best bargains. This year, of course, the economic downturn will make the day even worse than usual. The stores may be desperately holding the biggest sales we’ll ever witness, but lowest prices aren’t quite low enough for those who are broke or bankrupt. So, you may stay home this Friday. Perhaps you’ll at least make some minor online purchases, because you’re a patriotic, consuming American and it’s kind of like an unofficial holiday in our capitalist democracy. But don’t not go out to the mall simply because of the craziness potentially happening on its many floors of fashion and furnishings. You mustn’t be frightened of the crowds. Just recall any or all of the following ten movie scenes and by comparison you’ll think your Black Friday errands are like a stroll in the park. 10. Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Sinbad in Jingle All the Way (1996) Maybe in the past there were physical fights for Cabbage Patch Kids or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but in the age of the Internet, there are easier ways of tracking down hot items on your kid’s wish list. So, while this sequence depicting two fathers’ desperate attempts to locate a Turbo Man toy is ridiculously exaggerated and despicably malicious for its time, it’s now even farther from likelihood and even less possible to sympathize with or relate to. 9. Beethoven shops for keyboards, Genghis Khan tries out baseball bats and other historical figures experience 1980s mall culture in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1988) Obviously you don’t think you’ll be running into such oldies as Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc or Billy the Kid, but there could be some relatively ancient folks out and about Friday. And they may not be familiar with such newfangled presents as iPods and Blu-ray. But give the Grannies a break, because they haven’t yet mastered Amazon.com and its not like they’re causing too much ruckus. Unlike Joan and Genghis. 8. Madison learns English at Bloomingdales in Splash (1984) Maybe it is plausible for a mermaid to pick up the local language by watching a few hours of television. How are we to prove otherwise? But wouldn’t she have some kind of an accent if she were used to communicating with high-pitched shrieks? Whatever, it’s obviously not the movie for such questions regarding believabilty. Here’s the more important thing to consider: of all the yelling and screaming going on at the shops this Friday, nothing will be as bad as Madison’s pronunciation of her real name. Also, I bet modern TV screens aren’t as easily shattered. 7. Neo-Nazi salesman at the Army Surplus store in Falling Down (1993) It’s true that many salespersons and cashiers are slow, rude, incompetent or all of the above. But thank goodness there aren’t actually a lot of sexist, homophobic neo-Nazis helping you as you buy shoes. As much as you think you’ve experienced the worst employee ever hired by a retail chain, chances are it wasn’t as much of an inconvenience as it was for William Foster (Michael Douglas) to have to deal with this “sick asshole.” 6. Technicolor fashion show in The Women (1939) This scene is so unnecessary to the film’s plot that it was easily removed for some modern screenings. Mostly it seems just to serve as a showcase for costume designer Adrian, whose fashions are displayed in Technicolor, while the rest of the film is presented in black and white. For the film’s characters to wear any of those outfits, they would have appeared too bold and sexy for their time (it would be like in Pleasantville). Imagine shopping in a store where the clothes aren’t even in the same color spectrum as the world you live in? Okay, in some stores it does seem like that’s the case, but nowhere near as bad as this. 5. Bizarre fashion show in True Stories (1986) And despite its dismissal of physics, the parade in The Women is nowhere near as bad as the fashion show in this bizarre film from Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. There’s not even anything that can be said for this scene other than that we should all be thankful the kids aren’t wearing anything quite so ridiculous. Even some of the stuff at Hot Topic seems more normal in comparison. 4. After hours shopping spree in Modern Times (1936) One great fantasy for all good, consumerist Americans is the empty-store scenario. Whether it’s the end of the world (a la Night of the Comet and 28 Days Later) or simply after hours (Mannequin; El Crimen Ferpecto), the dream is somewhat the same: free reign on all the goods in the store, from food to fashion to roller skates. And for a poor little gamin in Modern Times, it’s like a heavenly shopping spree, even if none of the items are to leave the department store when the fun is over. However, as much as you might hope you had the stores all to yourself on Friday, be thankful that you’re obeying the rules and laws and therefore won’t be arrested when the shopping’s done. 3. Mall car chase in The Blues Brothers (1980) Good thing there’s a quick shot of a Toys “R” Us customer asking a cashier for a Miss Piggy doll or this scene wouldn’t really have anything to do with shopping. It would just simply be a chaotic car chase through a shopping mall. Of course, the destruction could still read as a destroying of the idea of capitalism, just as a similar reading is made about the mall fight in Jackie Chan’s Police Story, as well as any other such mall-set action scene, of which there seemed to be plenty in the materialistic 1980s. As fun as it seems, and as frustrated you might get on Friday, please don’t drive your car into any stores. 2. Zombies go shopping in Dawn of the Dead (1978) This movie is not just some horror flick about people trapped in a mall, threatened by a terrorizing enemy. That’s Chopping Mall. Or the Dawn of the Dead remake. No, this is a satire of consumerism, and all those zombies are representative of the folks you’ll be encountering on Black Friday. But at least they won’t try and eat you. Probably. 1. Richard Pryor is reduced to property in The Toy (1982) Kids are really spoiled these days, even more than they were twenty-six years ago, but no matter how hard it is to imagine what to get the boy who has everything, don’t even think of asking an African-American man if you can buy him for your son. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:01:30 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/26/2008 5:01:30 PMBlack Friday is a scary time for shoppers in any given year. The crowds, the lines, the difficulty finding parking — all these and more are common annoyances on the day after Thanksgiving, as millions upon millions of Americans begin the Christmas season by making a run for the shopping malls and department stores in hopes of finding the best bargains. This year, of course, the economic downturn will make the day even worse than usual. The stores may be desperately holding the biggest sales we’ll ever witness, but lowest prices aren’t quite low enough for those who are broke or bankrupt. So, you may stay home this Friday. Perhaps you’ll at least make some minor online purchases, because you’re a patriotic, consuming American and it’s kind of like an unofficial holiday in our capitalist democracy. But don’t not go out to the mall simply because of the craziness potentially happening on its many floors of fashion and furnishings. You mustn’t be frightened of the crowds. Just recall any or all of the following ten movie scenes and by comparison you’ll think your Black Friday errands are like a stroll in the park. 10. Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Sinbad in Jingle All the Way (1996) Maybe in the past there were physical fights for Cabbage Patch Kids or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but in the age of the Internet, there are easier ways of tracking down hot items on your kid’s wish list. So, while this sequence depicting two fathers’ desperate attempts to locate a Turbo Man toy is ridiculously exaggerated and despicably malicious for its time, it’s now even farther from likelihood and even less possible to sympathize with or relate to. 9. Beethoven shops for keyboards, Genghis Khan tries out baseball bats and other historical figures experience 1980s mall culture in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1988) Obviously you don’t think you’ll be running into such oldies as Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc or Billy the Kid, but there could be some relatively ancient folks out and about Friday. And they may not be familiar with such newfangled presents as iPods and Blu-ray. But give the Grannies a break, because they haven’t yet mastered Amazon.com and its not like they’re causing too much ruckus. Unlike Joan and Genghis. 8. Madison learns English at Bloomingdales in Splash (1984) Maybe it is plausible for a mermaid to pick up the local language by watching a few hours of television. How are we to prove otherwise? But wouldn’t she have some kind of an accent if she were used to communicating with high-pitched shrieks? Whatever, it’s obviously not the movie for such questions regarding believabilty. Here’s the more important thing to consider: of all the yelling and screaming going on at the shops this Friday, nothing will be as bad as Madison’s pronunciation of her real name. Also, I bet modern TV screens aren’t as easily shattered. 7. Neo-Nazi salesman at the Army Surplus store in Falling Down (1993) It’s true that many salespersons and cashiers are slow, rude, incompetent or all of the above. But thank goodness there aren’t actually a lot of sexist, homophobic neo-Nazis helping you as you buy shoes. As much as you think you’ve experienced the worst employee ever hired by a retail chain, chances are it wasn’t as much of an inconvenience as it was for William Foster (Michael Douglas) to have to deal with this “sick asshole.” 6. Technicolor fashion show in The Women (1939) This scene is so unnecessary to the film’s plot that it was easily removed for some modern screenings. Mostly it seems just to serve as a showcase for costume designer Adrian, whose fashions are displayed in Technicolor, while the rest of the film is presented in black and white. For the film’s characters to wear any of those outfits, they would have appeared too bold and sexy for their time (it would be like in Pleasantville). Imagine shopping in a store where the clothes aren’t even in the same color spectrum as the world you live in? Okay, in some stores it does seem like that’s the case, but nowhere near as bad as this. 5. Bizarre fashion show in True Stories (1986) And despite its dismissal of physics, the parade in The Women is nowhere near as bad as the fashion show in this bizarre film from Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. There’s not even anything that can be said for this scene other than that we should all be thankful the kids aren’t wearing anything quite so ridiculous. Even some of the stuff at Hot Topic seems more normal in comparison. 4. After hours shopping spree in Modern Times (1936) One great fantasy for all good, consumerist Americans is the empty-store scenario. Whether it’s the end of the world (a la Night of the Comet and 28 Days Later) or simply after hours (Mannequin; El Crimen Ferpecto), the dream is somewhat the same: free reign on all the goods in the store, from food to fashion to roller skates. And for a poor little gamin in Modern Times, it’s like a heavenly shopping spree, even if none of the items are to leave the department store when the fun is over. However, as much as you might hope you had the stores all to yourself on Friday, be thankful that you’re obeying the rules and laws and therefore won’t be arrested when the shopping’s done. 3. Mall car chase in The Blues Brothers (1980) Good thing there’s a quick shot of a Toys “R” Us customer asking a cashier for a Miss Piggy doll or this scene wouldn’t really have anything to do with shopping. It would just simply be a chaotic car chase through a shopping mall. Of course, the destruction could still read as a destroying of the idea of capitalism, just as a similar reading is made about the mall fight in Jackie Chan’s Police Story, as well as any other such mall-set action scene, of which there seemed to be plenty in the materialistic 1980s. As fun as it seems, and as frustrated you might get on Friday, please don’t drive your car into any stores. 2. Zombies go shopping in Dawn of the Dead (1978) This movie is not just some horror flick about people trapped in a mall, threatened by a terrorizing enemy. That’s Chopping Mall. Or the Dawn of the Dead remake. No, this is a satire of consumerism, and all those zombies are representative of the folks you’ll be encountering on Black Friday. But at least they won’t try and eat you. Probably. 1. Richard Pryor is reduced to property in The Toy (1982) Kids are really spoiled these days, even more than they were twenty-six years ago, but no matter how hard it is to imagine what to get the boy who has everything, don’t even think of asking an African-American man if you can buy him for your son. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Games/Re_Movies_for_Animals/598/33190/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 7/28/2008 5:00:18 PM
Body: I had a ferret who loved the movie Salo. I think he's living with his mom now--we've lost touch as of late. My dogs love Puppy Love, only because they love to make snarky comments about how tacky Karen Pryor is. They're such smart-asses. I know for a fact that all opposums dig Falling Down and Do the Right Thing.
]]>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:00:18 GMTSmooth_JMovie Games7/28/2008 5:00:18 PMI had a ferret who loved the movie Salo. I think he's living with his mom now--we've lost touch as of late. My dogs love Puppy Love, only because they love to make snarky comments about how tacky Karen Pryor is. They're such smart-asses. I know for a fact that all opposums dig Falling Down and Do the Right Thing. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/6/8/30885.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/8/2008 11:44:31 PM
Body: These may not be the greatest titles of all time, but they're the right movies for right now The summer is starting, vacations are being planned, station wagons are being packed but all you can think of is sitting down in your favorite chair and zoning out in front of the tube. These are for you. Falling Down (1993) – Some people remember Joel Schumacher as the director that tried to ruin the Batman movies, some remember him much loved generation X classic, The Lost Boys. I choose to think of him as the director of this gem of an action/drama/dark comedy. This movie is perfect for the beginning of summer because one of the most memorable images is that of Michael Douglas’ sweat beaten body stuck in traffic with no air conditioning. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) – I think of Fargo and No Country for Old Men as the Oktoberfest special batch from the Coen brothers’ brewery. This movie would be slightly diluted microbrew. It may not have as much flavor, but you know it’s from the same brewery. And in the middle of a hot summer, you may actually prefer a “less filling” blend of Ethan and Joel. Jaws (1975) – This is definitely not my favorite Spielberg film. Most days I would rather sit through Empire of the Sun, Schindler’s list or Munich. But for obvious reasons, everyone should watch this one right before their trip to the beach. Stolen Summer (2002) – This film is the first product of the Project Greenlight venture and it received mixed reviews. It is a bit more heavy on the emotional spectrum than the rest of my June picks but it begins in the summer and I liked it. It’s my list and I can do what I want with it. Gidget Goes To Hawaii (1961) – Why not?
]]>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:44:31 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/8/2008 11:44:31 PM These may not be the greatest titles of all time, but they're the right movies for right now The summer is starting, vacations are being planned, station wagons are being packed but all you can think of is sitting down in your favorite chair and zoning out in front of the tube. These are for you. Falling Down (1993) &ndash; Some people remember Joel Schumacher as the director that tried to ruin the Batman movies, some remember him much loved generation X classic, The Lost Boys. I choose to think of him as the director of this gem of an action/drama/dark comedy. This movie is perfect for the beginning of summer because one of the most memorable images is that of Michael Douglas&rsquo; sweat beaten body stuck in traffic with no air conditioning. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) &ndash; I think of Fargo and No Country for Old Men as the Oktoberfest special batch from the Coen brothers&rsquo; brewery. This movie would be slightly diluted microbrew. It may not have as much flavor, but you know it&rsquo;s from the same brewery. And in the middle of a hot summer, you may actually prefer a &ldquo;less filling&rdquo; blend of Ethan and Joel. Jaws (1975) &ndash; This is definitely not my favorite Spielberg film. Most days I would rather sit through Empire of the Sun, Schindler&rsquo;s list or Munich. But for obvious reasons, everyone should watch this one right before their trip to the beach. Stolen Summer (2002) &ndash; This film is the first product of the Project Greenlight venture and it received mixed reviews. It is a bit more heavy on the emotional spectrum than the rest of my June picks but it begins in the summer and I liked it. It&rsquo;s my list and I can do what I want with it. Gidget Goes To Hawaii (1961) &ndash; Why not? http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_movies_that_take_place_within_24_hours/190/27113/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 4/8/2008 10:57:40 PM
Body: 1. Planet Terror2. Magnolia3. Falling Down4. Jacob's Ladder? sort of5. 25th Hour
]]>Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:57:40 GMTleeroy711Top 54/8/2008 10:57:40 PM1. Planet Terror2. Magnolia3. Falling Down4. Jacob&#39;s Ladder? sort of5. 25th Hour http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/12/6/22588.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 12/6/2007 12:14:41 PM
Body: Most of the time, when a villain utters the phrase "You and I, we're alot alike" to the hero, it's cliche. Never is that line spoken in this film, but the theme is very much there, and it's true - both characters are "obsolete" in their fields, but Douglas' character has broken, while Duvall's has maintained his sanity. This film is a FANTASTIC character study, with many levels of subtlties buried in the script. You may often times find yourself cheering for Douglas' character, until you realize he's taken it too far (as in the burger joint scene), and it becomes frightening, almost sad - you can see the misery this sociopathic person is in. Joel Schumacher has taken a lot of heat in recent years as a terrible director (and believe me, I won't defend those particular films - they're awful), but this film alone ought to allay anyone's doubts as to his mastery of craft. Definitely in my top 20 of all time.
]]>Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:14:41 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog12/6/2007 12:14:41 PMMost of the time, when a villain utters the phrase &quot;You and I, we&#39;re alot alike&quot; to the hero, it&#39;s cliche. Never is that line spoken in this film, but the theme is very much there, and it&#39;s true - both characters are &quot;obsolete&quot; in their fields, but Douglas&#39; character has broken, while Duvall&#39;s has maintained his sanity. This film is a FANTASTIC character study, with many levels of subtlties buried in the script. You may often times find yourself cheering for Douglas&#39; character, until you realize he&#39;s taken it too far (as in the burger joint scene), and it becomes frightening, almost sad - you can see the misery this sociopathic person is in. Joel Schumacher has taken a lot of heat in recent years as a terrible director (and believe me, I won&#39;t defend those particular films - they&#39;re awful), but this film alone ought to allay anyone&#39;s doubts as to his mastery of craft. Definitely in my top 20 of all time. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmspotting/Re_Top_5_Fight_The_Power_Movies/304/13541/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Filmspotting
Post Date: 7/9/2007 4:45:11 PM
Body: Brazil. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. The Shashank Redemption. Catch-22. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Falling Down. Gattaca. I Stand Alone. The Fugitive.More when I think of them... maybe.
]]>Mon, 09 Jul 2007 20:45:11 GMTRisseladaFilmspotting7/9/2007 4:45:11 PMBrazil. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. The Shashank Redemption. Catch-22. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Falling Down. Gattaca. I Stand Alone. The Fugitive.More when I think of them... maybe. http://www.spout.com/blogs/beatmeoutofme/archive/2007/6/30/12664.aspx Post By: beatmeoutofme
Post To: beatmeoutofme Blog
Post Date: 6/30/2007 12:37:13 AM
Body: After seeing this movie in bits and pieces randomly over time I finally sat down and watched it all the way through. This movie is very good. The acting and dialouge takes on an almost corny aspect at times. A slight over dramatic to it but with a sence of realism. I think they do this to emphasis peoples quarks. This guy has lost his mind. Wanders the streets of LA not allowing anyone to treat him with anything but mutual respect. The movie has a social/political statement thats amplified by the fact that "d-fence" is a guy who worked for a defence company building bombs during the cold war and was fired because he wasnt "economicaly viable." At times it can be funny. Over all it has a nice pace to it gets right into the story. Michael Douglas does a very good job in this role. Its one of those movies where you have to decide if you like the bad guy or not. Most people will find it hard not too.
]]>Sat, 30 Jun 2007 04:37:13 GMTbeatmeoutofmebeatmeoutofme Blog6/30/2007 12:37:13 AMAfter seeing this movie in bits and pieces randomly over time I finally sat down and watched it all the way through. This movie is very good. The acting and dialouge takes on an almost corny aspect at times. A slight over dramatic to it but with a sence of realism. I think they do this to emphasis peoples quarks. This guy has lost his mind. Wanders the streets of LA not allowing anyone to treat him with anything but mutual respect. The movie has a social/political statement thats amplified by the fact that &quot;d-fence&quot; is a guy who worked for a defence company building bombs during the cold war and was fired because he wasnt &quot;economicaly viable.&quot; At times it can be funny. Over all it has a nice pace to it gets right into the story. Michael Douglas does a very good job in this role. Its one of those movies where you have to decide if you like the bad guy or not. Most people will find it hard not too. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2007/6/6/10266.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2007 12:53:00 PM
Body: Falling Down (1993) At time when it was politically incorrect to do so, Joel Schumacher made a move about a white, middle-class man. All the man wants to do is get home for his daughter’s birthday party. And therein lies a story. Although this is an excellent movie, I cannot imagine most people being interested in it. Female (yes, half the population)—you might really object. One of the best scenes in the movie is when a level-headed police officer interviews the protagonist’s ex-wife. She’s wondering whether her restraining order prohibits her husband from coming within 100 feet or 100 yards. Did her husband drink? Of course not. Did he do drugs? Definitely not. Did he hurt the little girl? He’d never think of it. Did he strike her? Never, but he sometimes looked peculiar. So he is divorced and unable to see the love of his life, his daughter, and the second love of his life, his ex-wife. In a superb example of editing, the camera remains on the wife and on the police officer, just resting there in silence, inviting the audience to make of it what they will, and hinting that this was a divorce based on slim grounds, that this was a divorce that might have fostered the vary problem it was trying to avoid. I should add that the wife of the detective on the case uses her emotional insecurities to bully her loving husband. Yet the most sympathetic and likeable character in the movie is the young female cop who ends up working the case. Are you non-white? You could be offended. This guy insults Koreans. When he asks for change for the phone, the shop owner refuses unless he buys something, but a can of Coke is 85 cents which will not leave him a quarter change, and soon the friction escalates to where the protagonist is saying that if Koreans come to America they should have the respect to learn English, and then that the Korean is price gouging his (poor) customers. Chicanos are also insulted. When he apologizes for accidentally trespassing on their gang territory, they refuse to listen to reason and try to steal his brief case. After he beats them off with a baseball bat, they try to gun him down in a drive-by shooting—and miss. Yet when a Nazi army surplus store owner interprets this activity as wonderfully racist, our protagonist is disgusted. Teenager? You’ll probably be unable to identify with it. He has all the time in the world for no one but children, precisely the people who will not watch this film. Rich and successful? You’ll have a devil of a time identifying with a guy who was fired from his job designing missiles at the defence plant and has been unable to land work in a month. Like the young black guy picketing in front of the credit union, he is “not economically viable.” Never known—or forgotten—what traditional American values are? You’ll wonder what all the fuss is about. This dude wants people to be polite. He wants things to be not corrupt. He wants prices to be fair and people to be reasonable. He thinks that marriage should be forever. He thinks that plastic surgeons are worth no more than people who defend the country. He thinks that fathers should be able to see their daughters. He is, in short, out of control! And he’ll get no sympathy from most who see this movie. If you are outside the narrow demographic for this movie and you can still empathize with the main character, you are to be congratulated for making an impressive artistic leap because the movie does not give you a lot of help in bridging the gap. At some time in his catastrophic attempt to get home to his daughter’s birthday party, he crosses the line from righteous indignation to what might be called nervous breakdown. Spout.com has erroneous “tags” such as “insanity” and “rampage” and “makingyourownrules.”. But there is also the tag “nervous breakdown,” and that is a pretty good guess as to how this guy ends up. What else are you going to call it? Some people would say he snaps right at the first of the movie when he leaves his crappy car stuck in a sweltering traffic jam caused by road construction that does not actually have to be done. In contrast, I’d put the point quite late in the game—certainly when he crosses the elite golf course and taunts the nasty old geezer who tried to hit him with a golf ball as the old guy lies on the fairway fighting heart problems. The protagonist knows and says that somehow he has passed the point of no return. But labelling him is terribly important, because if we can say he cracks and goes on a rampage, then we have dismissed him and all the injustices he rails against. We would then judge the movie on how good the rampage was, and it was tepid. But if we say this is a highly educated, fine, upstanding, middle-class American who wants to attend his daughter’s birthday party, then we have to take seriously the obstacles he encounters to reaching that seemingly simple goal. One of the obstacles is himself. No, this is not revealed when he trashes the Korean’s deli, or when he beats the thugswith a baseball bat, or when he continues his so-called rampage. His mother says he has changed, sometimes sitting at the dinner table shoveling in food as if he were a machine. The root of his problem is revealed subtly—and he sees it—when he is watching a home video of him, his wife, and his daughter at an earlier birthday. He is saying, in effect, that his daughter will damn well get on the rocking horse and enjoy it because it is her birthday and this is what kids enjoy on their birthdays. So maybe it’s not even a nervous breakdown. It’s an ordinary, fine, upstanding American guy with a small character flaw. Other character flaws such as murdering children in their beds, gunning down people in drive-by shooting—these are generally not so bad in modern America in this movie. But he is just a little bit rigid on how people should behave—they should speak English (ouch), be polite (ouch), not lord their wealth over others (ouch), value children (ouch), and on and on. This rigidity for old-fashioned values is his Achilles heal. Michael Douglas is superb in the lead role, Barbara Hershey is perfect as his ex-wife, and Robert Duvell is flawless as the hen-pecked desk sergeant involved in his pursuit. Although this film was nominated for a Golden Palme at Cannes, it received mediocre reviews at home. That is no surprise. As pointed out above, it would appeal readily to a very small demographic. Furthermore, who wants to have their country relentlessly criticized as not being what it once was and claims to be? Of course, critics, even if they realize it, cannot say this is the reason they don’t like the film. Rhetorically, the best strategy for disgruntled critics would be one that acknowledges some strength in the movie but then trashes the movie for some other—maybe spurious—reason. For example, you could say, as Allmovie does, “The denouement is not nearly as spectacular as its build up,” (no support given) and then downgrade it from 5 out of 5 stars to 3 or “neutral,” thus neutering the film. But to a minority of viewers, the movie’s question will remain a burning one: Just what should it take for a man to get home?
]]>Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:53:00 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog6/6/2007 12:53:00 PMFalling Down (1993) At time when it was politically incorrect to do so, Joel Schumacher made a move about a white, middle-class man. All the man wants to do is get home for his daughter&rsquo;s birthday party. And therein lies a story. Although this is an excellent movie, I cannot imagine most people being interested in it. Female (yes, half the population)&mdash;you might really object. One of the best scenes in the movie is when a level-headed police officer interviews the protagonist&rsquo;s ex-wife. She&rsquo;s wondering whether her restraining order prohibits her husband from coming within 100 feet or 100 yards. Did her husband drink? Of course not. Did he do drugs? Definitely not. Did he hurt the little girl? He&rsquo;d never think of it. Did he strike her? Never, but he sometimes looked peculiar. So he is divorced and unable to see the love of his life, his daughter, and the second love of his life, his ex-wife. In a superb example of editing, the camera remains on the wife and on the police officer, just resting there in silence, inviting the audience to make of it what they will, and hinting that this was a divorce based on slim grounds, that this was a divorce that might have fostered the vary problem it was trying to avoid. I should add that the wife of the detective on the case uses her emotional insecurities to bully her loving husband. Yet the most sympathetic and likeable character in the movie is the young female cop who ends up working the case. Are you non-white? You could be offended. This guy insults Koreans. When he asks for change for the phone, the shop owner refuses unless he buys something, but a can of Coke is 85 cents which will not leave him a quarter change, and soon the friction escalates to where the protagonist is saying that if Koreans come to America they should have the respect to learn English, and then that the Korean is price gouging his (poor) customers. Chicanos are also insulted. When he apologizes for accidentally trespassing on their gang territory, they refuse to listen to reason and try to steal his brief case. After he beats them off with a baseball bat, they try to gun him down in a drive-by shooting&mdash;and miss. Yet when a Nazi army surplus store owner interprets this activity as wonderfully racist, our protagonist is disgusted. Teenager? You&rsquo;ll probably be unable to identify with it. He has all the time in the world for no one but children, precisely the people who will not watch this film. Rich and successful? You&rsquo;ll have a devil of a time identifying with a guy who was fired from his job designing missiles at the defence plant and has been unable to land work in a month. Like the young black guy picketing in front of the credit union, he is &ldquo;not economically viable.&rdquo; Never known&mdash;or forgotten&mdash;what traditional American values are? You&rsquo;ll wonder what all the fuss is about. This dude wants people to be polite. He wants things to be not corrupt. He wants prices to be fair and people to be reasonable. He thinks that marriage should be forever. He thinks that plastic surgeons are worth no more than people who defend the country. He thinks that fathers should be able to see their daughters. He is, in short, out of control! And he&rsquo;ll get no sympathy from most who see this movie. If you are outside the narrow demographic for this movie and you can still empathize with the main character, you are to be congratulated for making an impressive artistic leap because the movie does not give you a lot of help in bridging the gap. At some time in his catastrophic attempt to get home to his daughter&rsquo;s birthday party, he crosses the line from righteous indignation to what might be called nervous breakdown. Spout.com has erroneous &ldquo;tags&rdquo; such as &ldquo;insanity&rdquo; and &ldquo;rampage&rdquo; and &ldquo;makingyourownrules.&rdquo;. But there is also the tag &ldquo;nervous breakdown,&rdquo; and that is a pretty good guess as to how this guy ends up. What else are you going to call it? Some people would say he snaps right at the first of the movie when he leaves his crappy car stuck in a sweltering traffic jam caused by road construction that does not actually have to be done. In contrast, I&rsquo;d put the point quite late in the game&mdash;certainly when he crosses the elite golf course and taunts the nasty old geezer who tried to hit him with a golf ball as the old guy lies on the fairway fighting heart problems. The protagonist knows and says that somehow he has passed the point of no return. But labelling him is terribly important, because if we can say he cracks and goes on a rampage, then we have dismissed him and all the injustices he rails against. We would then judge the movie on how good the rampage was, and it was tepid. But if we say this is a highly educated, fine, upstanding, middle-class American who wants to attend his daughter&rsquo;s birthday party, then we have to take seriously the obstacles he encounters to reaching that seemingly simple goal. One of the obstacles is himself. No, this is not revealed when he trashes the Korean&rsquo;s deli, or when he beats the thugswith a baseball bat, or when he continues his so-called rampage. His mother says he has changed, sometimes sitting at the dinner table shoveling in food as if he were a machine. The root of his problem is revealed subtly&mdash;and he sees it&mdash;when he is watching a home video of him, his wife, and his daughter at an earlier birthday. He is saying, in effect, that his daughter will damn well get on the rocking horse and enjoy it because it is her birthday and this is what kids enjoy on their birthdays. So maybe it&rsquo;s not even a nervous breakdown. It&rsquo;s an ordinary, fine, upstanding American guy with a small character flaw. Other character flaws such as murdering children in their beds, gunning down people in drive-by shooting&mdash;these are generally not so bad in modern America in this movie. But he is just a little bit rigid on how people should behave&mdash;they should speak English (ouch), be polite (ouch), not lord their wealth over others (ouch), value children (ouch), and on and on. This rigidity for old-fashioned values is his Achilles heal. Michael Douglas is superb in the lead role, Barbara Hershey is perfect as his ex-wife, and Robert Duvell is flawless as the hen-pecked desk sergeant involved in his pursuit. Although this film was nominated for a Golden Palme at Cannes, it received mediocre reviews at home. That is no surprise. As pointed out above, it would appeal readily to a very small demographic. Furthermore, who wants to have their country relentlessly criticized as not being what it once was and claims to be? Of course, critics, even if they realize it, cannot say this is the reason they don&rsquo;t like the film. Rhetorically, the best strategy for disgruntled critics would be one that acknowledges some strength in the movie but then trashes the movie for some other&mdash;maybe spurious&mdash;reason. For example, you could say, as Allmovie does, &ldquo;The denouement is not nearly as spectacular as its build up,&rdquo; (no support given) and then downgrade it from 5 out of 5 stars to 3 or &ldquo;neutral,&rdquo; thus neutering the film. But to a minority of viewers, the movie&rsquo;s question will remain a burning one: Just what should it take for a man to get home? http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/party/MemberTagFilms.aspxparty
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