list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Gladiator 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/Gladiator/138393/default.aspx Title: Gladiator
Year: 2000
Director: Ridley Scott
Plot: A man robbed of his name and his dignity strives to win them back, and gain the freedom of his people, in this epic historical drama from director Ridley Scott. In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus (Russell Crowe) is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences. His battle skills serve him well, and he becomes one of the most famous and admired men to fight in the Colosseum. Determined to avenge himself against the man who took away his freedom and laid waste to his family, Maximus believes that he can use his fame and skill in the ring to avenge the loss of his family and former glory. As the gladiator begins to challenge his rule, Commodus decides to put his own fighting mettle to the test by squaring off with Maximus in a battle to the death. Gladiator also features Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, and Oliver Reed, who died of a heart attack midway through production. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 104
Number of Lists: 102
Number of blog posts: 16
Number of discussion threads: 16
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 20:14:16 GMTGladiator2000Ridley ScottA man robbed of his name and his dignity strives to win them back, and gain the freedom of his people, in this epic historical drama from director <a href="/players/P___110579/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ridley Scott</a>. In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius (<a href="/players/P____93538/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Richard Harris</a>) throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus (<a href="/players/P____15959/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Russell Crowe</a>) is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus (<a href="/players/P___199220/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Joaquin Phoenix</a>) ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences. His battle skills serve him well, and he becomes one of the most famous and admired men to fight in the Colosseum. Determined to avenge himself against the man who took away his freedom and laid waste to his family, Maximus believes that he can use his fame and skill in the ring to avenge the loss of his family and former glory. As the gladiator begins to challenge his rule, Commodus decides to put his own fighting mettle to the test by squaring off with Maximus in a battle to the death. Gladiator also features <a href="/players/P____34894/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Derek Jacobi</a>, <a href="/players/P____52655/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Connie Nielsen</a>, <a href="/players/P____33391/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Djimon Hounsou</a>, and <a href="/players/P____59280/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Oliver Reed</a>, who died of a heart attack midway through production. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide104Tag Target (>10)10216164http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t61459pu1xc.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Gladiator/138393/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Overrated_Movies/190/40434/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: bailey822
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 2/12/2009 9:52:49 PM
Body: I agree completely about Goodfellas. I love Scorsese, but this was no Godfather. Shakespeare in Love was another one that didn't exactly deserve all that critical acclaim...it was basically a romantic comedy with lots of expensive costumes. [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. [/quote]
]]>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:52:49 GMTbailey822Top 52/12/2009 9:52:49 PMI agree completely about Goodfellas. I love Scorsese, but this was no Godfather. Shakespeare in Love was another one that didn't exactly deserve all that critical acclaim...it was basically a romantic comedy with lots of expensive costumes. [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Overrated_Movies/190/39479/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: flair
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 1/13/2009 5:56:38 PM
Body: [quote user="pippin06"] [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. [/quote] leeroy, I think you are harsh on Scorsese, and he didn't only make those three flicks prior to the Departed. In the land of overrated for Scorsese, I submit Gangs of New York and The Aviator. I hate them, and they were nominated a million times for a million awards (and were some in the long line of Scorsese's no-Oscar curse). Though, I totally agree with Gladiator (also doesn't hold up to repeat viewings) and Shakespeare in Love. I was hot when the latter won Best Picture thanks to the alpha-campaignig of the Weinsteins. Saving Private Ryan is a much better film, and I personally and generally prefer romances to war movies any day, but come on. And now I see why Shawshank might be considered overrated Ok, I concede on that point, but I'm with leeroy on Amelie. [/quote]
]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:56:38 GMTflairTop 51/13/2009 5:56:38 PM[quote user="pippin06"] [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. [/quote] leeroy, I think you are harsh on Scorsese, and he didn't only make those three flicks prior to the Departed. In the land of overrated for Scorsese, I submit Gangs of New York and The Aviator. I hate them, and they were nominated a million times for a million awards (and were some in the long line of Scorsese's no-Oscar curse). Though, I totally agree with Gladiator (also doesn't hold up to repeat viewings) and Shakespeare in Love. I was hot when the latter won Best Picture thanks to the alpha-campaignig of the Weinsteins. Saving Private Ryan is a much better film, and I personally and generally prefer romances to war movies any day, but come on. And now I see why Shawshank might be considered overrated Ok, I concede on that point, but I'm with leeroy on Amelie. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/7/39219.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/7/2009 5:00:47 PM
Body: It’s only a couple of short weeks before the 2008 Oscar nominees are announced, and the internet is abuzz with prognostications. One hotly debated topic is whether or not Wall-E can pull off a Best Picture nomination, or even a win. It would be the second animated film to be nominated in the category, after Beauty and the Beast, which got the honor before the Animated Feature prize existed. Will the stodgy old Academy seat Wall-E at the kid’s table, giving it an easy win in the animation category, or will it be allowed to play with the big boys? A best pic nomination for Wall-E would be a rare honor for animation in general, but it would also be a long over due rarity for another reason: Wall-E would only be the second best pic nominated film in the history of the Oscars to be set in the future. The only one to date is A Clockwork Orange. When you consider how many nominees are period pieces (I didn’t care to count), this represents a massive bias on the part of the Academy. It’s clear that they love the past, but they hate the future. What would the history of the Academy Awards look like if the Hollywood elite wasn’t terrified of speculative fiction? Below, seven movies about the future that should have been nominated for Best Picture: 1. Metropolis The first Academy Awards, held in 1929, gave honors to films produced in both 1928 and 1927, so this should have at least been nominated. Of course the nomination process was rather primitive back then, and American audiences probably wouldn’t have been familiar with German films such as this, but for the purpose of revisionist history, we’ll say it got snubbed. There’s something very 20th century about Art Deco skyscrapers and class conflict, but Metropolis‘ depiction of 2026 still feels relevant today. The film laid the ground work for countless sci-fi tropes, including sexy female androids (see #5). 2. On The Beach This 1959 post-apocalyptic drama stars Gregory Peck as the captain of a US submarine stationed in Melbourne. Set in the near future of 1964, nuclear war has wiped out the rest of the planet, and it’s only a matter of months before the wind brings the deadly radioactive fallout to Australia. The film is a beautiful meditation on the inevitability of death, featuring a solid performance by Ava Gardner, and the most melancholy work by Fred Astaire I’ve ever seen (he does not sing or dance). On the Beach was nominated for both Best Score and Best Editing Oscars, and director Stanley Kramer won a BAFTA. 3. 2001: A Space Odyssey Kubrick’s masterpiece wasn’t completely snubbed; it received four Oscar nominations, with a win for Visual Effects. But the fact that it didn’t get a Best Picture nomination is criminal. The film is consistently listed on top 100 movie lists, and breaks the top ten on plenty of them. It’s clear that something went very wrong that year. Perhaps the snub can be blamed on the fact that the film was so far ahead of its time, that many people just didn’t get it. Pauline Kael said it was “a monumentally unimaginative movie.” 4. Solaris This 1972 Russian science fiction film is just as cerebral as 2001, and perhaps an even deeper plumb of the human psyche. The Palme d’Or nominated film, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, follows the story of psychologist Chris Kelvin as he ventures to a distant space station, orbiting the water-covered planet Solaris. The station has fallen into disarray, and Kelvin soon figures out why. An apparition of his dead wife appears, apparently created by Solaris using Kelvin’s brain waves. The film is slow and introspective, and is one of those rare gems of science fiction that transcends the trappings of the genre. It should have at least been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film; instead, it wasn’t nominated for anything. 5. Blade Runner For some, saying that Blade Runner was one of the five best films of 1982 is stating the obvious. Perhaps the blending of sci-fi and noir seemed at the time to be nothing more than a cheap genre gimmick. But the enduring quality of Blade Runner makes it clear that it deserved more than the two nominations in received for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. The snub of Blade Runner is perhaps the best way to prove the Academy’s bias toward the past, when you consider that Ridley Scott’s 2000 film, Gladiator was not only nominated for Best Picture, but it won! I repeat, Gladiator won Best Picture, while Blade Runner was not even nominated. Which did you think was the better movie? 6. Brazil Terry Gilliam’s dystopian black comedy might have had a shot at few Academy awards if Gilliam hadn’t burned every bridge in Hollywood as he made it. The film operates in the dystopian mold cast by 1984, with a healthy dose of dark humor and fantasy. It’s one of the most egregious examples of a studio re-cutting a film and essentially destroying it in the process. Fortunately, Gilliam’s cut is readily available on DVD now, but the director’s trustworthiness in Hollywood is still highly suspect. Gilliam is one of those filmmakers who, no matter how good a movie he makes, will never be welcomed into the inner sanctum. Still, Brazil deserved a Best Picture nomination. 7. Children of Men When the 2006 Best Picture nominees were announced, you may have heard a faint stream of cursing on the wind. That was me. I know that people tend to win Oscars when they’re “due,” which easily explains why The Departed took home the top prize, but the fact that Children of Men wasn’t even nominated is just silly. It was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, which is the Academy’s way of saying, “Wow, this movie is incredible, but it’s about the future, so let’s only honor that one really long take near the end.” Bullshit. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:00:47 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/7/2009 5:00:47 PMIt’s only a couple of short weeks before the 2008 Oscar nominees are announced, and the internet is abuzz with prognostications. One hotly debated topic is whether or not Wall-E can pull off a Best Picture nomination, or even a win. It would be the second animated film to be nominated in the category, after Beauty and the Beast, which got the honor before the Animated Feature prize existed. Will the stodgy old Academy seat Wall-E at the kid’s table, giving it an easy win in the animation category, or will it be allowed to play with the big boys? A best pic nomination for Wall-E would be a rare honor for animation in general, but it would also be a long over due rarity for another reason: Wall-E would only be the second best pic nominated film in the history of the Oscars to be set in the future. The only one to date is A Clockwork Orange. When you consider how many nominees are period pieces (I didn’t care to count), this represents a massive bias on the part of the Academy. It’s clear that they love the past, but they hate the future. What would the history of the Academy Awards look like if the Hollywood elite wasn’t terrified of speculative fiction? Below, seven movies about the future that should have been nominated for Best Picture: 1. Metropolis The first Academy Awards, held in 1929, gave honors to films produced in both 1928 and 1927, so this should have at least been nominated. Of course the nomination process was rather primitive back then, and American audiences probably wouldn’t have been familiar with German films such as this, but for the purpose of revisionist history, we’ll say it got snubbed. There’s something very 20th century about Art Deco skyscrapers and class conflict, but Metropolis‘ depiction of 2026 still feels relevant today. The film laid the ground work for countless sci-fi tropes, including sexy female androids (see #5). 2. On The Beach This 1959 post-apocalyptic drama stars Gregory Peck as the captain of a US submarine stationed in Melbourne. Set in the near future of 1964, nuclear war has wiped out the rest of the planet, and it’s only a matter of months before the wind brings the deadly radioactive fallout to Australia. The film is a beautiful meditation on the inevitability of death, featuring a solid performance by Ava Gardner, and the most melancholy work by Fred Astaire I’ve ever seen (he does not sing or dance). On the Beach was nominated for both Best Score and Best Editing Oscars, and director Stanley Kramer won a BAFTA. 3. 2001: A Space Odyssey Kubrick’s masterpiece wasn’t completely snubbed; it received four Oscar nominations, with a win for Visual Effects. But the fact that it didn’t get a Best Picture nomination is criminal. The film is consistently listed on top 100 movie lists, and breaks the top ten on plenty of them. It’s clear that something went very wrong that year. Perhaps the snub can be blamed on the fact that the film was so far ahead of its time, that many people just didn’t get it. Pauline Kael said it was “a monumentally unimaginative movie.” 4. Solaris This 1972 Russian science fiction film is just as cerebral as 2001, and perhaps an even deeper plumb of the human psyche. The Palme d’Or nominated film, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, follows the story of psychologist Chris Kelvin as he ventures to a distant space station, orbiting the water-covered planet Solaris. The station has fallen into disarray, and Kelvin soon figures out why. An apparition of his dead wife appears, apparently created by Solaris using Kelvin’s brain waves. The film is slow and introspective, and is one of those rare gems of science fiction that transcends the trappings of the genre. It should have at least been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film; instead, it wasn’t nominated for anything. 5. Blade Runner For some, saying that Blade Runner was one of the five best films of 1982 is stating the obvious. Perhaps the blending of sci-fi and noir seemed at the time to be nothing more than a cheap genre gimmick. But the enduring quality of Blade Runner makes it clear that it deserved more than the two nominations in received for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. The snub of Blade Runner is perhaps the best way to prove the Academy’s bias toward the past, when you consider that Ridley Scott’s 2000 film, Gladiator was not only nominated for Best Picture, but it won! I repeat, Gladiator won Best Picture, while Blade Runner was not even nominated. Which did you think was the better movie? 6. Brazil Terry Gilliam’s dystopian black comedy might have had a shot at few Academy awards if Gilliam hadn’t burned every bridge in Hollywood as he made it. The film operates in the dystopian mold cast by 1984, with a healthy dose of dark humor and fantasy. It’s one of the most egregious examples of a studio re-cutting a film and essentially destroying it in the process. Fortunately, Gilliam’s cut is readily available on DVD now, but the director’s trustworthiness in Hollywood is still highly suspect. Gilliam is one of those filmmakers who, no matter how good a movie he makes, will never be welcomed into the inner sanctum. Still, Brazil deserved a Best Picture nomination. 7. Children of Men When the 2006 Best Picture nominees were announced, you may have heard a faint stream of cursing on the wind. That was me. I know that people tend to win Oscars when they’re “due,” which easily explains why The Departed took home the top prize, but the fact that Children of Men wasn’t even nominated is just silly. It was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, which is the Academy’s way of saying, “Wow, this movie is incredible, but it’s about the future, so let’s only honor that one really long take near the end.” Bullshit. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Overrated_Movies/190/36924/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 11/3/2008 10:59:21 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. [/quote] leeroy, I think you are harsh on Scorsese, and he didn't only make those three flicks prior to the Departed. In the land of overrated for Scorsese, I submit Gangs of New York and The Aviator. I hate them, and they were nominated a million times for a million awards (and were some in the long line of Scorsese's no-Oscar curse). Though, I totally agree with Gladiator (also doesn't hold up to repeat viewings) and Shakespeare in Love. I was hot when the latter won Best Picture thanks to the alpha-campaignig of the Weinsteins. Saving Private Ryan is a much better film, and I personally and generally prefer romances to war movies any day, but come on. And now I see why Shawshank might be considered overrated Ok, I concede on that point, but I'm with leeroy on Amelie.
]]>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:59:21 GMTpippin06Top 511/3/2008 10:59:21 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. [/quote] leeroy, I think you are harsh on Scorsese, and he didn't only make those three flicks prior to the Departed. In the land of overrated for Scorsese, I submit Gangs of New York and The Aviator. I hate them, and they were nominated a million times for a million awards (and were some in the long line of Scorsese's no-Oscar curse). Though, I totally agree with Gladiator (also doesn't hold up to repeat viewings) and Shakespeare in Love. I was hot when the latter won Best Picture thanks to the alpha-campaignig of the Weinsteins. Saving Private Ryan is a much better film, and I personally and generally prefer romances to war movies any day, but come on. And now I see why Shawshank might be considered overrated Ok, I concede on that point, but I'm with leeroy on Amelie. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Overrated_Movies/190/36917/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 11/3/2008 6:19:24 PM
Body: [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous.
]]>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:19:24 GMTleeroy711Top 511/3/2008 6:19:24 PM[quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. Amelie [/quote] Boooooooooo!!! I love this one and everything else by Juenet. The rest of the list I can't disagree with but mine would look more like: 1. Platoon - Hamburger Hill was better........... trust me. 2. Goodfellas/Casino/Taxi Driver - I didn't really get into a Scorsese film until The Departed. These others were OK, but that's about it. If it weren't for Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese would be the most overrated director. 3. Shakespeare In Love - this was when I stopped watching or caring about the Oscars 4. Gladiator - see No. 3 - And I actually liked Black Hawk Down better for a Ridley Scott film. 5. Shawshank Redemption - This one was clever but c'mon. No. 1 on IMDB's top 250 list is just ridiculous. http://www.spout.com/groups/Heroines_in_Hollywood/Re_The_List/647/36465/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: rjsprague
Post To: Heroines in Hollywood
Post Date: 10/17/2008 4:22:15 PM
Body: I'd like to add Ridley Scott's Gladiator to the list because of the role of Connie Nielsen as the emperor's sister, Lucilla. I found it interesting when her father says to her in confidence "If only you had been born a man." He wished she could be the emperor after him instead of Commodus because he recognized her superior political abilities, emotional maturity, and character virtues. All this in comparison to her delinquent brother who had obvious incestual tendencies. I personally enjoyed her role because it showed the difficulties that woman faced even as, or perhaps especially due to, her high status. Of course there is balancing the intricacies of handling her mentally deranged brother whose ego has been heavily inflated by his recent rise to power, protecting her son, and trying to prevent Rome from being destroyed by her inept brother who is only worried about whether the people love him or not. Ultimately I don't think the character of Lucilla was nearly wise or shrewd enough. Probably because I've watched the movie too many times. Regardless it is an excellent film, and the female heroine is worthy of our praise, no matter how flawed she may appear.
]]>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:22:15 GMTrjspragueHeroines in Hollywood10/17/2008 4:22:15 PMI'd like to add Ridley Scott's Gladiator to the list because of the role of Connie Nielsen as the emperor's sister, Lucilla. I found it interesting when her father says to her in confidence "If only you had been born a man." He wished she could be the emperor after him instead of Commodus because he recognized her superior political abilities, emotional maturity, and character virtues. All this in comparison to her delinquent brother who had obvious incestual tendencies. I personally enjoyed her role because it showed the difficulties that woman faced even as, or perhaps especially due to, her high status. Of course there is balancing the intricacies of handling her mentally deranged brother whose ego has been heavily inflated by his recent rise to power, protecting her son, and trying to prevent Rome from being destroyed by her inept brother who is only worried about whether the people love him or not. Ultimately I don't think the character of Lucilla was nearly wise or shrewd enough. Probably because I've watched the movie too many times. Regardless it is an excellent film, and the female heroine is worthy of our praise, no matter how flawed she may appear. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_October_6_Revenge/625/35952/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Tizzy
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/6/2008 7:06:19 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] Well since probably my favorite film focusing solely on revenge was mentioned (She-Devil), I'm gonna have to go ahead and list those that pale in comparison. Jaws: The Revenge - The first Jaws is incredible, but not really about revenge. The fourth installment, with revenge blatantly placed in the title, is a great little B-movie that increased my fear of sharks and has made me vow to myself to never get on a floatation device that gets dragged behind a boat: cause you know great white sharks love that shit. I was recently able to see Machine Girl which was insanely gory and loaded with laughs. Premise: a young school girl gets revenge by attaching a Gatling gun to her amputated forearm and killing the bullies that picked on her and her brother. A Nightmare on Elm Street is more or less a revenge flick about Freddy killing the kids of those who killed him. Carrie gave mousy nerds in high school hope of becoming telekinetic and getting revenge on all those snot nosed cheerleaders and jocks. Death Becomes Her is all about revenge between two woman that continues throughout their entire lives. Dick presupposes that Deepthroat was just getting revenge on Nixon. Election is yet another meditation on revenge set in high school. Pick Flick or suffer the wrath of Reese Witherspoon! Friday the 13th. No explanation needed. Gladiator Maximus is all up on getting revenge. Hackers spends half the film getting revenge on those that dare to mess with computer nerds and their porn. Hard Candy was a very twisted revenge thriller. Jawbreaker and Mean Girls focus on big breasted teens plotting each others demise. Overboard has a lowly carpenter getting revenge on a bitchy debutante by surreptitiously making her into his wife and the father of his children when she gets amnesia. Rushmore has fantastic moments of revenge between Max and Mr. Bloom. The "Non-Fiction" part of Storytelling has a great bit of revenge at the end. The First Wives Club is a guilty pleasure about scorned ex-wives getting revenge on their husbands that left them for younger women. The Incredibles centers around Syndrome getting revenge on super-heroes. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? is some classic screen legend revenge. Lastly, Wild Things. Great B-movie with acts of revenge and lesbian trysts around every corner. [/quote] I see your Jaws: The Revenge, Mercurial, and raise you one Revenge of the Nerds. I'd also like to throw Heathers into the mix of teenage revenge movies, with very dark consequences.
]]>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:06:19 GMTTizzyWeekly Theme10/6/2008 7:06:19 PM[quote user="mercurial"] Well since probably my favorite film focusing solely on revenge was mentioned (She-Devil), I'm gonna have to go ahead and list those that pale in comparison. Jaws: The Revenge - The first Jaws is incredible, but not really about revenge. The fourth installment, with revenge blatantly placed in the title, is a great little B-movie that increased my fear of sharks and has made me vow to myself to never get on a floatation device that gets dragged behind a boat: cause you know great white sharks love that shit. I was recently able to see Machine Girl which was insanely gory and loaded with laughs. Premise: a young school girl gets revenge by attaching a Gatling gun to her amputated forearm and killing the bullies that picked on her and her brother. A Nightmare on Elm Street is more or less a revenge flick about Freddy killing the kids of those who killed him. Carrie gave mousy nerds in high school hope of becoming telekinetic and getting revenge on all those snot nosed cheerleaders and jocks. Death Becomes Her is all about revenge between two woman that continues throughout their entire lives. Dick presupposes that Deepthroat was just getting revenge on Nixon. Election is yet another meditation on revenge set in high school. Pick Flick or suffer the wrath of Reese Witherspoon! Friday the 13th. No explanation needed. Gladiator Maximus is all up on getting revenge. Hackers spends half the film getting revenge on those that dare to mess with computer nerds and their porn. Hard Candy was a very twisted revenge thriller. Jawbreaker and Mean Girls focus on big breasted teens plotting each others demise. Overboard has a lowly carpenter getting revenge on a bitchy debutante by surreptitiously making her into his wife and the father of his children when she gets amnesia. Rushmore has fantastic moments of revenge between Max and Mr. Bloom. The "Non-Fiction" part of Storytelling has a great bit of revenge at the end. The First Wives Club is a guilty pleasure about scorned ex-wives getting revenge on their husbands that left them for younger women. The Incredibles centers around Syndrome getting revenge on super-heroes. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? is some classic screen legend revenge. Lastly, Wild Things. Great B-movie with acts of revenge and lesbian trysts around every corner. [/quote] I see your Jaws: The Revenge, Mercurial, and raise you one Revenge of the Nerds. I'd also like to throw Heathers into the mix of teenage revenge movies, with very dark consequences. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_October_6_Revenge/625/35951/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/6/2008 6:45:27 PM
Body: Well since probably my favorite film focusing solely on revenge was mentioned (She-Devil), I'm gonna have to go ahead and list those that pale in comparison. Jaws: The Revenge - The first Jaws is incredible, but not really about revenge. The fourth installment, with revenge blatantly placed in the title, is a great little B-movie that increased my fear of sharks and has made me vow to myself to never get on a floatation device that gets dragged behind a boat: cause you know great white sharks love that shit. I was recently able to see Machine Girl which was insanely gory and loaded with laughs. Premise: a young school girl gets revenge by attaching a Gatling gun to her amputated forearm and killing the bullies that picked on her and her brother. A Nightmare on Elm Street is more or less a revenge flick about Freddy killing the kids of those who killed him. Carrie gave mousy nerds in high school hope of becoming telekinetic and getting revenge on all those snot nosed cheerleaders and jocks. Death Becomes Her is all about revenge between two woman that continues throughout their entire lives. Dick presupposes that Deepthroat was just getting revenge on Nixon. Election is yet another meditation on revenge set in high school. Pick Flick or suffer the wrath of Reese Witherspoon! Friday the 13th. No explanation needed. Gladiator Maximus is all up on getting revenge. Hackers spends half the film getting revenge on those that dare to mess with computer nerds and their porn. Hard Candy was a very twisted revenge thriller. Jawbreaker and Mean Girls focus on big breasted teens plotting each others demise. Overboard has a lowly carpenter getting revenge on a bitchy debutante by surreptitiously making her into his wife and the father of his children when she gets amnesia. Rushmore has fantastic moments of revenge between Max and Mr. Bloom. The "Non-Fiction" part of Storytelling has a great bit of revenge at the end. The First Wives Club is a guilty pleasure about scorned ex-wives getting revenge on their husbands that left them for younger women. The Incredibles centers around Syndrome getting revenge on super-heroes. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? is some classic screen legend revenge. Lastly, Wild Things. Great B-movie with acts of revenge and lesbian trysts around every corner.
]]>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:45:27 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme10/6/2008 6:45:27 PMWell since probably my favorite film focusing solely on revenge was mentioned (She-Devil), I'm gonna have to go ahead and list those that pale in comparison. Jaws: The Revenge - The first Jaws is incredible, but not really about revenge. The fourth installment, with revenge blatantly placed in the title, is a great little B-movie that increased my fear of sharks and has made me vow to myself to never get on a floatation device that gets dragged behind a boat: cause you know great white sharks love that shit. I was recently able to see Machine Girl which was insanely gory and loaded with laughs. Premise: a young school girl gets revenge by attaching a Gatling gun to her amputated forearm and killing the bullies that picked on her and her brother. A Nightmare on Elm Street is more or less a revenge flick about Freddy killing the kids of those who killed him. Carrie gave mousy nerds in high school hope of becoming telekinetic and getting revenge on all those snot nosed cheerleaders and jocks. Death Becomes Her is all about revenge between two woman that continues throughout their entire lives. Dick presupposes that Deepthroat was just getting revenge on Nixon. Election is yet another meditation on revenge set in high school. Pick Flick or suffer the wrath of Reese Witherspoon! Friday the 13th. No explanation needed. Gladiator Maximus is all up on getting revenge. Hackers spends half the film getting revenge on those that dare to mess with computer nerds and their porn. Hard Candy was a very twisted revenge thriller. Jawbreaker and Mean Girls focus on big breasted teens plotting each others demise. Overboard has a lowly carpenter getting revenge on a bitchy debutante by surreptitiously making her into his wife and the father of his children when she gets amnesia. Rushmore has fantastic moments of revenge between Max and Mr. Bloom. The "Non-Fiction" part of Storytelling has a great bit of revenge at the end. The First Wives Club is a guilty pleasure about scorned ex-wives getting revenge on their husbands that left them for younger women. The Incredibles centers around Syndrome getting revenge on super-heroes. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? is some classic screen legend revenge. Lastly, Wild Things. Great B-movie with acts of revenge and lesbian trysts around every corner. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/19/35323.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/19/2008 5:01:43 PM
Body: Sometimes I really wish David Bordwell’s blog permitted comments. Mostly it’s better that it doesn’t, but the man’s last post has made me want to discuss the art of movie titles for a whole week now. And it didn’t help that coinciding in time with Bordwell’s post was another one of those sidebars in Entertainment Weekly pointing out some new movies with misleading titles. Yes, Lakeview Terrace does sound like a period romance, as do many other badly titled films (Elizabethtown and Wicker Park come to mind). This weekend also sees two new movies employing the method of borrowing song titles, which are typically not appropriate (Ghost Town seems more like a horror western hybrid, while My Best Friend’s Girl actually fits its plot). Well, fortunately for me (and hopefully you), I can bring the discussion over to SpoutBlog, though not quite as in depth as Bordwell. I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation in the comments section regarding the more general topic of movie titling, but for now I’ll kick things off with a list of what I find to be the most interesting movie titles of the past decade. It’s been a time when studios and filmmakers have been very loose with ill-fitting and overlong titles, as well as some that are too plainly literal (Snakes on a Plane), but the following selections have the benefit of featuring clever, well-chosen and more meaningful monikers. All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre) (1999) This Pedro Almodóvar film has a very telling title, one that goes along with Bordwell’s acknowledgment of titles that speak for the character. Yet the character spoken for here is Esteban, the kid who dies in the beginning. Or does he? The title actually refers to a story Esteban has written for school and is inspired by the film All About Eve, which he has just watched. Esteban doesn’t so much die in the film as he does in his own story, which is depicted within the film. Also, the word “Mother” in the title doesn’t so much refer to his actual mother, Manuela, as it does his (made-up) transvestite “father”, Lola, who we learn all about. Amores Perros (2000) Although improperly translated as “Love’s a Bitch,” that phrase does at least apply on some level to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film. As does the more acceptable translation of “Love is Dogs,” which references the film’s canine companions, each of which parallels its owner. But there is also another translation that’s more like “Goodness Wretchedness,” referring to a phrase on the film’s website that basically translates as “If your story turned out well, put it down to ‘amores.’ If bad, put it to ‘perros.’” The fact that you can interpret the meaning of the title multiple ways, and therefore you can interpret its meaning to the film multiple ways, is the reason that it was so important to release the film in the U.S. with its original Mexican title. The Perfect Storm (2000) Although the title comes from Sebastian Junger’s book, the name took on a whole new meaning for the film, which is, in my opinion, completely about the attempt to perfectly create a storm on a computer. Sure, there’s a plot within the film, too, but nothing more attended to than the perfectly rendered storm. In fact, the film’s storm may have been too perfect-looking, as the film lost the Visual Effects Oscar to Gladiator. While the title was clearly not intended for such purpose, and I had planned to ignore titles that inadvertently become more ironically meaningful upon release (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed; Disaster Movie), I think the filmmakers at least meant to produce a spectacular storm more than a good story, so I believe it more qualifiable for the list at hand. Shanghai Noon (2000) This title doesn’t necessarily add anything to the meaning of the film nor does it really have multiple layers of meaning by itself. But it features the most cleverly punned title of the last ten years, in my opinion. The sequel’s title, Shanghai Knights, isn’t too bad, either. But just as the movie isn’t nearly as good as the original, neither is the title. Adaptation (2002) This title may actually be my favorite of all time due to its consisting of only a single word, which can be lent to the film in a multitude of ways. The title refers to the adaptation of a book to a film, the adaptation of a plant to its environment, the adaptation of a screenwriter character to his assignment, the adaptation of the same character to the events of his environment and, finally, the adaptation of the film itself to fit the mold of a certain kind of film that fares well in the present environment of the movie biz (ironically it’s this adaptation in the end from a smart film to a silly action movie that fails in execution, even though the joke more fittingly works perfectly on paper). Bad Company (2002) Even awful movies can have titles with multiple meanings, and this lame Joel Schumacher effort is a good example of such. Because “Company” means the CIA in addition to companionship, the title may refer to any of the following: an incapable member of the CIA (Chris Rock’s character); an incapable CIA in general (this was a time when the organization was called into question); a defective spy or untrustworthy spy; or simply the bad buddy team-up of Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock (diegetically and extradiegetically). The same title had been used previously for a bad 1995 movie dealing with the CIA, so its multilayered usage here was not that inspired, but it is nevertheless a good title, in my opinion, and perhaps it will one day be put to better use. National Treasure (2004) The same goes for this movie, which should have and could have been a lot better. The title, which is a well-played mix of figurative and literal meaning and seems more thoughtful than most blockbuster Hollywood titles, would have you believe there was once some smarter writing to be found within the film itself. Shaun of the Dead (2004) For a short while, I thought the title of this comedy didn’t really appropriately fit the film’s story. Shaun isn’t of the dead, I reasoned, because he never “dies.” I accepted the title, though, because it was a nice play on the title Dawn of the Dead. Eventually I decided that it does indeed fit, because the general theme of the movie is that Shaun has been living his life as if he were a zombie. Before the real zombies show up, the “dead” of the title refers to all the people living in this spiritless way, Shaun included. Yet while the rest of these “dead” become undead creatures, Shaun proves that he is capable of living more fully and is able to survive the (allegorical) outbreak. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai loves to play with the idea of Hong Kong’s transition from British territory to Chinese (which occurred in 1997), and the title partly refers to the final year in which Hong Kong is allowed self-regulation before becoming fully integrated into mainland China in 2047. In the film, the numerical title literally references both a hotel room and the future year, which is employed in a science fiction story being written by the main character. Some people also like to interpret the title as reading “two-oh-four-six” meaning “to owe for sex.” Though there are prostitute characters in the film, this meaning is less likely the intention of Wong. But the additional interpretation makes for a richer title anyway. There Will Be Blood (2007) Why not retain the title of Upton Sinclair’s source novel, “Oil!”? Well, besides all the changes made to the story, it could be because Paul Thomas Anderson’s new title has more possible meanings. The word “Blood” in the title may refer to the actual oil, or the blood shed for the oil (as in drilling accidents then and wars now), or family, especially actual blood relatives (of which there aren’t actually many in the film). Mostly, though, the title allows for and acknowledges a connection between the film’s setting and the current events it appears to be commenting on. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:01:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/19/2008 5:01:43 PMSometimes I really wish David Bordwell’s blog permitted comments. Mostly it’s better that it doesn’t, but the man’s last post has made me want to discuss the art of movie titles for a whole week now. And it didn’t help that coinciding in time with Bordwell’s post was another one of those sidebars in Entertainment Weekly pointing out some new movies with misleading titles. Yes, Lakeview Terrace does sound like a period romance, as do many other badly titled films (Elizabethtown and Wicker Park come to mind). This weekend also sees two new movies employing the method of borrowing song titles, which are typically not appropriate (Ghost Town seems more like a horror western hybrid, while My Best Friend’s Girl actually fits its plot). Well, fortunately for me (and hopefully you), I can bring the discussion over to SpoutBlog, though not quite as in depth as Bordwell. I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation in the comments section regarding the more general topic of movie titling, but for now I’ll kick things off with a list of what I find to be the most interesting movie titles of the past decade. It’s been a time when studios and filmmakers have been very loose with ill-fitting and overlong titles, as well as some that are too plainly literal (Snakes on a Plane), but the following selections have the benefit of featuring clever, well-chosen and more meaningful monikers. All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre) (1999) This Pedro Almodóvar film has a very telling title, one that goes along with Bordwell’s acknowledgment of titles that speak for the character. Yet the character spoken for here is Esteban, the kid who dies in the beginning. Or does he? The title actually refers to a story Esteban has written for school and is inspired by the film All About Eve, which he has just watched. Esteban doesn’t so much die in the film as he does in his own story, which is depicted within the film. Also, the word “Mother” in the title doesn’t so much refer to his actual mother, Manuela, as it does his (made-up) transvestite “father”, Lola, who we learn all about. Amores Perros (2000) Although improperly translated as “Love’s a Bitch,” that phrase does at least apply on some level to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film. As does the more acceptable translation of “Love is Dogs,” which references the film’s canine companions, each of which parallels its owner. But there is also another translation that’s more like “Goodness Wretchedness,” referring to a phrase on the film’s website that basically translates as “If your story turned out well, put it down to ‘amores.’ If bad, put it to ‘perros.’” The fact that you can interpret the meaning of the title multiple ways, and therefore you can interpret its meaning to the film multiple ways, is the reason that it was so important to release the film in the U.S. with its original Mexican title. The Perfect Storm (2000) Although the title comes from Sebastian Junger’s book, the name took on a whole new meaning for the film, which is, in my opinion, completely about the attempt to perfectly create a storm on a computer. Sure, there’s a plot within the film, too, but nothing more attended to than the perfectly rendered storm. In fact, the film’s storm may have been too perfect-looking, as the film lost the Visual Effects Oscar to Gladiator. While the title was clearly not intended for such purpose, and I had planned to ignore titles that inadvertently become more ironically meaningful upon release (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed; Disaster Movie), I think the filmmakers at least meant to produce a spectacular storm more than a good story, so I believe it more qualifiable for the list at hand. Shanghai Noon (2000) This title doesn’t necessarily add anything to the meaning of the film nor does it really have multiple layers of meaning by itself. But it features the most cleverly punned title of the last ten years, in my opinion. The sequel’s title, Shanghai Knights, isn’t too bad, either. But just as the movie isn’t nearly as good as the original, neither is the title. Adaptation (2002) This title may actually be my favorite of all time due to its consisting of only a single word, which can be lent to the film in a multitude of ways. The title refers to the adaptation of a book to a film, the adaptation of a plant to its environment, the adaptation of a screenwriter character to his assignment, the adaptation of the same character to the events of his environment and, finally, the adaptation of the film itself to fit the mold of a certain kind of film that fares well in the present environment of the movie biz (ironically it’s this adaptation in the end from a smart film to a silly action movie that fails in execution, even though the joke more fittingly works perfectly on paper). Bad Company (2002) Even awful movies can have titles with multiple meanings, and this lame Joel Schumacher effort is a good example of such. Because “Company” means the CIA in addition to companionship, the title may refer to any of the following: an incapable member of the CIA (Chris Rock’s character); an incapable CIA in general (this was a time when the organization was called into question); a defective spy or untrustworthy spy; or simply the bad buddy team-up of Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock (diegetically and extradiegetically). The same title had been used previously for a bad 1995 movie dealing with the CIA, so its multilayered usage here was not that inspired, but it is nevertheless a good title, in my opinion, and perhaps it will one day be put to better use. National Treasure (2004) The same goes for this movie, which should have and could have been a lot better. The title, which is a well-played mix of figurative and literal meaning and seems more thoughtful than most blockbuster Hollywood titles, would have you believe there was once some smarter writing to be found within the film itself. Shaun of the Dead (2004) For a short while, I thought the title of this comedy didn’t really appropriately fit the film’s story. Shaun isn’t of the dead, I reasoned, because he never “dies.” I accepted the title, though, because it was a nice play on the title Dawn of the Dead. Eventually I decided that it does indeed fit, because the general theme of the movie is that Shaun has been living his life as if he were a zombie. Before the real zombies show up, the “dead” of the title refers to all the people living in this spiritless way, Shaun included. Yet while the rest of these “dead” become undead creatures, Shaun proves that he is capable of living more fully and is able to survive the (allegorical) outbreak. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai loves to play with the idea of Hong Kong’s transition from British territory to Chinese (which occurred in 1997), and the title partly refers to the final year in which Hong Kong is allowed self-regulation before becoming fully integrated into mainland China in 2047. In the film, the numerical title literally references both a hotel room and the future year, which is employed in a science fiction story being written by the main character. Some people also like to interpret the title as reading “two-oh-four-six” meaning “to owe for sex.” Though there are prostitute characters in the film, this meaning is less likely the intention of Wong. But the additional interpretation makes for a richer title anyway. There Will Be Blood (2007) Why not retain the title of Upton Sinclair’s source novel, “Oil!”? Well, besides all the changes made to the story, it could be because Paul Thomas Anderson’s new title has more possible meanings. The word “Blood” in the title may refer to the actual oil, or the blood shed for the oil (as in drilling accidents then and wars now), or family, especially actual blood relatives (of which there aren’t actually many in the film). Mostly, though, the title allows for and acknowledges a connection between the film’s setting and the current events it appears to be commenting on. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/8/28/34499.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 8/28/2008 1:41:20 PM
Body: Neil Marshall's buddies: "Hey Neil, 28 Days Later, Escape From New York, The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome kicked ass." Neil: "Hell yeah, they did!! I should make a movie like that." Neil's buddies: "That would be @$#@$@ sweet!!" (or mint or what ever those brits say). ****** 20 minutes later ******** Niel: "Ok, screenpay's done." ****** pulls out steno pad in which he's scribbled down a makeshift storyboard/amature comic book. "Here it is" Neil's buddies: "Where the hell did the midievil knights come from?" Neil: "I really liked Gladiator too!" Neil's buddies: "Mint!! It seems to be missing something though. What could it bee?" Neil: "I've got it! This movie needs more decapitations and cannibalism." Buddies: "Awesome!!!!!!" Ok, so don't get the wrong impression. I really liked this movie. It was a hell of a lot of fun. I think the unoriginal aspects of this film were much more of an homage than a rip-off. So, If you liked those previously mentioned movies but want to see something with better explosions, faster cars and better looking women, check this one out.
]]>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:41:20 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog8/28/2008 1:41:20 PMNeil Marshall's buddies: "Hey Neil, 28 Days Later, Escape From New York, The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome kicked ass." Neil: "Hell yeah, they did!! I should make a movie like that." Neil's buddies: "That would be @$#@$@ sweet!!" (or mint or what ever those brits say). ****** 20 minutes later ******** Niel: "Ok, screenpay's done." ****** pulls out steno pad in which he's scribbled down a makeshift storyboard/amature comic book. "Here it is" Neil's buddies: "Where the hell did the midievil knights come from?" Neil: "I really liked Gladiator too!" Neil's buddies: "Mint!! It seems to be missing something though. What could it bee?" Neil: "I've got it! This movie needs more decapitations and cannibalism." Buddies: "Awesome!!!!!!" Ok, so don't get the wrong impression. I really liked this movie. It was a hell of a lot of fun. I think the unoriginal aspects of this film were much more of an homage than a rip-off. So, If you liked those previously mentioned movies but want to see something with better explosions, faster cars and better looking women, check this one out. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
Number of films tagged: 816

Number of people who tagged: 313

Number of times used: 1454

]]>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:30:46 GMT8163131454Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/war/MemberTagFilms.aspxwar
Number of films tagged: 6177

Number of people who tagged: 179

Number of times used: 608

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:16:35 GMT6177179608Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/murder/MemberTagFilms.aspxmurder
Number of films tagged: 8748

Number of people who tagged: 157

Number of times used: 831

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:42:29 GMT8748157831Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/revenge/MemberTagFilms.aspxrevenge
Number of films tagged: 5189

Number of people who tagged: 145

Number of times used: 489

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:41 GMT5189145489Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/overrated/MemberTagFilms.aspxoverrated
Number of films tagged: 152

Number of people who tagged: 106

Number of times used: 240

]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:37:37 GMT152106240Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/violence/MemberTagFilms.aspxviolence
Number of films tagged: 952

Number of people who tagged: 82

Number of times used: 240

]]>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:34:09 GMT95282240Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/intense/MemberTagFilms.aspxintense
Number of films tagged: 162

Number of people who tagged: 81

Number of times used: 249

]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:07:45 GMT16281249Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/favorite/MemberTagFilms.aspxfavorite
Number of films tagged: 85

Number of people who tagged: 62

Number of times used: 127

]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:22:58 GMT8562127Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Guilty-Pleasure/MemberTagFilms.aspxGuilty-Pleasure
Number of films tagged: 102

Number of people who tagged: 61

Number of times used: 152

]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:55:42 GMT10261152Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/epic/MemberTagFilms.aspxepic
Number of films tagged: 63

Number of people who tagged: 58

Number of times used: 104

]]>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:08:37 GMT6358104Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/violent/MemberTagFilms.aspxviolent
Number of films tagged: 97

Number of people who tagged: 57

Number of times used: 153

]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:28:06 GMT9757153Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/politics/MemberTagFilms.aspxpolitics
Number of films tagged: 698

Number of people who tagged: 54

Number of times used: 194

]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:07:45 GMT69854194Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/corruption/MemberTagFilms.aspxcorruption
Number of films tagged: 1236

Number of people who tagged: 47

Number of times used: 108

]]>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT123647108Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fight/MemberTagFilms.aspxfight
Number of films tagged: 490

Number of people who tagged: 47

Number of times used: 86

]]>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:40:14 GMT4904786Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hero/MemberTagFilms.aspxhero
Number of films tagged: 638

Number of people who tagged: 43

Number of times used: 141

]]>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:55:16 GMT63843141Tag