list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Goonies 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/The_Goonies/13845/default.aspx Title: The Goonies
Year: 1985
Director: Richard Donner
Plot: Leonard Maltin wasn't alone when he noticed similarities between Goonies and the 1934 Our Gang comedy Mama's Little Pirate. Adapted by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg, the film follows a group of misfit kids (including such second-generation Hollywoodites as Josh Brolin and Sean Astin) as they search for buried treasure in a subterranean cavern. Here they cross the path of lady criminal Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey) and her outlaw brood. Fortunately, the kids manage to befriend Fratelli's hideously deformed (but soft-hearted) son (John Matuszak), who comes to their rescue. The Spielberg influence is most pronounced in the film's prologue and epilogue, when the viewer is advised that the film's real villains are a group of "Evil Land Developers." The musical score makes excellent use of Max Steiner's main theme from The Adventures of Don Juan, not to mention contributions by the likes of Richard Marx and Cyndi Lauper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 156
Number of Lists: 132
Number of blog posts: 14
Number of discussion threads: 13
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:38:15 GMTThe Goonies1985Richard DonnerLeonard Maltin wasn't alone when he noticed similarities between <a href=/films/13845/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Goonies</a> and the 1934 Our Gang comedy <a href=/films/173703/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Mama's Little Pirate</a>. Adapted by <a href="/players/P____85595/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Chris Columbus</a> from a story by <a href="/players/P___112325/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Steven Spielberg</a>, the film follows a group of misfit kids (including such second-generation Hollywoodites as <a href="/players/P_____8657/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Josh Brolin</a> and <a href="/players/P_____2649/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Sean Astin</a>) as they search for buried treasure in a subterranean cavern. Here they cross the path of lady criminal Mama Fratelli (<a href="/players/P____58676/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Anne Ramsey</a>) and her outlaw brood. Fortunately, the kids manage to befriend Fratelli's hideously deformed (but soft-hearted) son (<a href="/players/P____46532/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Matuszak</a>), who comes to their rescue. The Spielberg influence is most pronounced in the film's prologue and epilogue, when the viewer is advised that the film's real villains are a group of "Evil Land Developers." The musical score makes excellent use of <a href="/players/P___112635/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Max Steiner</a>'s main theme from <a href=/films/492/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Adventures of Don Juan</a>, not to mention contributions by the likes of Richard Marx and <a href="/players/P____98866/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Cyndi Lauper</a>. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide156Tag Target (>10)13214133http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u35900zzbkc.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Goonies/13845/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/6/39158.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
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Post Date: 1/6/2009 4:00:59 PM
Body: Criterion, who had already shown the Wes Anderson love with their Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic discs, announced back in 2007 that they were going to be putting out an edition of Bottle Rocket. This was met with much joy, especially because the previously released version, which came out back in 1996, was about as bare bones as you could get. The only real special feature it could claim was widescreen on one side of the disc, and full screen on the other. Big whoop. The new version, which just came out in late 2008 has a ton of features, and is available in both standard and Blu-ray editions. But it also contains one of the single most sour notes ever hit in an Anderson DVD. It’s so extremely painful that it makes the package almost worth avoiding. Just to be fair, here’s a list of everything the new edition of Bottle Rocket includes: a new digital transfer, approved by Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack Commentary track from Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson The Making of Bottle Rocket documentary with interviews from the actors, director, and producer James L. Brooks, directed by Barry Braverman The original 13 minute Bottle Rocket short film Eleven deleted scenes Storyboards and location photos Photographs by Laura Wilson The Shafrazi Lectures, No 1: Bottle Rocket, a sort of scholarly lecture about the movie Murita Cycles a 1978 short film from Barry Braverman Altogether, that’s a lot of Bottle Rocketry for anyone. But the biggest draw for most people will be the new transfer, and the commentary from Wilson and Anderson, who also wrote the film. You think they’d have some interesting insights into the making of this film. After all, Wilson and Anderson have known each other since college, and have collaborated on several films together. Instead what you get is a sleepy commentary from Wilson, with Anderson constantly prodding him and desperately trying to add some value to the track. At one point Anderson asks Wilson if he got the suggested questions or topics that were sent to him, in case they ran into long silences on the commentary, to which Wilson replies, “No. What questions?” Unfortunately, it ends up sounding like someone from Criterion called them that morning, and said “Oh, we need to record you guys in about two hours.” Both Wilson and Anderson sound pretty much bored by the entire process, and there are several moments where vast expanses of silence pass by like icebergs in the night. Even if they ran out of stuff to talk about from Bottle Rocket, couldn’t they just shoot the breeze? No funny stories from the set? No anecdotes about all the Wilson brothers? No, instead you get stuff like Wilson saying to Anderson, “Hey, isn’t that your hair in that shot?” Why not just feature Anderson by himself? He did a great solo job on The Royal Tenenbaums commentary. I don’t know much about the history of DVD authoring, so I’m not sure if there’s ever been a time when a DVD producer has gone back to the talent to say “I’m sorry, this just isn’t usable. Can you guys try that again?” The only commentary that comes to mind that is this inexplicably bad is from The Goonies, when Sean Astin has to leave in the middle because he had to attend a dinner with Joe Pantoliano. No kidding. The other extras on the disc almost make up for this, particularly the eleven deleted scenes. There’s a scene called “Temple Nash Jr.” where Dignan, Bob, and Anthony are asking all kinds of gun questions of a redneck gun nut. It’s hilarious enough to be a standalone short film. Most directors comment on deleted scenes, but sadly Anderson doesn’t chime in on why these were cut. I’m assuming it must have been for time. The Wilsons’ mother Laura, a professional photographer, took photos during the making of the short film and during its Sundance run, and also documented the crew’s initial meetings at Columbia Studios. These are shot in black and white, and they look terrific. There’s something about young Wes Anderson with his shock of Eraserhead hair that smacks of an Ivy League prep school, even though he was born and raised in Texas. Plus, seeing the pure joy on both Anderson and Wilson’s faces as they jump Toyota-commercial style off of the Columbia steps is a treat. The only bad thing about the doc The Making of Bottle Rocket is that it’s only 26 minutes long. Filmmaker and longtime friend of the Wilson/Anderson set Barry Braverman gets pretty much everyone involved in the film on camera, and the best quote comes from James Caan, who says about his experience working on the movie, “Well, it was like three days. It was like being in the left hand corner of the Hollywood Squares or something.” There are some great remembrances in this that aren’t in the commentary track, and it’s also been shot in high-def widescreen as well. It’s too bad they couldn’t have made this feature length. Also included on the disc is a short film from Braverman, this one made in 1978. It’s called Murita Cycles, and is about Braverman’s father who ran a bicycle shop on Staten Island for years, and Wilson and Anderson both said it was one of their inspirations for the Bottle Rocket short. It’s a touching look at an eccentric guy who goes from normal father to packrat kook and is documented and interviewed by his son. The Shafrazi Lectures, No 1: Bottle Rocket is an 11-minute, very strange discussion of the film from Tony Shafrazi, the owner of the Shafrazi Gallery in New York. He’s the artist who spray painted “KILL LIES ALL” on top of Picasso’s “Guernica” in the Museum of Modern Art in 1974. It’s a near-incoherent praise of the film, and he compares it to films like East of Eden and Breathless, while displaying scenes on sheets of paper that he’s holding up in a dark room. It’s hard to decide if it’s sincere or not, since they including fake Charlie Rose style interviews from “The Peter Bradley Show” on the Tenenbaums disc. It’s almost worth watching just for the sheer bizarre factor. “I don’t like all this serious stuff,” Shafrazi remarks at one point. There’s one other special feature nearly as painful as the commentary, but for different reasons. That’s an anamorphic test scene that was shot when they considered shooting the movie in the widescreen Panavision format. It looks completely gorgeous, and would have made Bottle Rocket even prettier than it already is. Granted, it’s a fairly perfect movie by my standards, but the movie geek in me yearns for a non-existent widescreen version of this to get unearthed sometime. Maybe in an alternate universe. DVD booklets are not always worth remarking on, but this one includes Dignan’s complete 75-Year Plan along with essays from James L. Brooks and Martin Scorsese, all done in Dignan’s handwriting, which I assume is from illustrator Ian Dingman. If I admit that I’m giving serious consideration to scanning and framing the 75-Year Plan, then at least I’m on the first step to recovery from Anderson addiction. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/6/2009 4:00:59 PMCriterion, who had already shown the Wes Anderson love with their Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic discs, announced back in 2007 that they were going to be putting out an edition of Bottle Rocket. This was met with much joy, especially because the previously released version, which came out back in 1996, was about as bare bones as you could get. The only real special feature it could claim was widescreen on one side of the disc, and full screen on the other. Big whoop. The new version, which just came out in late 2008 has a ton of features, and is available in both standard and Blu-ray editions. But it also contains one of the single most sour notes ever hit in an Anderson DVD. It’s so extremely painful that it makes the package almost worth avoiding. Just to be fair, here’s a list of everything the new edition of Bottle Rocket includes: a new digital transfer, approved by Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack Commentary track from Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson The Making of Bottle Rocket documentary with interviews from the actors, director, and producer James L. Brooks, directed by Barry Braverman The original 13 minute Bottle Rocket short film Eleven deleted scenes Storyboards and location photos Photographs by Laura Wilson The Shafrazi Lectures, No 1: Bottle Rocket, a sort of scholarly lecture about the movie Murita Cycles a 1978 short film from Barry Braverman Altogether, that’s a lot of Bottle Rocketry for anyone. But the biggest draw for most people will be the new transfer, and the commentary from Wilson and Anderson, who also wrote the film. You think they’d have some interesting insights into the making of this film. After all, Wilson and Anderson have known each other since college, and have collaborated on several films together. Instead what you get is a sleepy commentary from Wilson, with Anderson constantly prodding him and desperately trying to add some value to the track. At one point Anderson asks Wilson if he got the suggested questions or topics that were sent to him, in case they ran into long silences on the commentary, to which Wilson replies, “No. What questions?” Unfortunately, it ends up sounding like someone from Criterion called them that morning, and said “Oh, we need to record you guys in about two hours.” Both Wilson and Anderson sound pretty much bored by the entire process, and there are several moments where vast expanses of silence pass by like icebergs in the night. Even if they ran out of stuff to talk about from Bottle Rocket, couldn’t they just shoot the breeze? No funny stories from the set? No anecdotes about all the Wilson brothers? No, instead you get stuff like Wilson saying to Anderson, “Hey, isn’t that your hair in that shot?” Why not just feature Anderson by himself? He did a great solo job on The Royal Tenenbaums commentary. I don’t know much about the history of DVD authoring, so I’m not sure if there’s ever been a time when a DVD producer has gone back to the talent to say “I’m sorry, this just isn’t usable. Can you guys try that again?” The only commentary that comes to mind that is this inexplicably bad is from The Goonies, when Sean Astin has to leave in the middle because he had to attend a dinner with Joe Pantoliano. No kidding. The other extras on the disc almost make up for this, particularly the eleven deleted scenes. There’s a scene called “Temple Nash Jr.” where Dignan, Bob, and Anthony are asking all kinds of gun questions of a redneck gun nut. It’s hilarious enough to be a standalone short film. Most directors comment on deleted scenes, but sadly Anderson doesn’t chime in on why these were cut. I’m assuming it must have been for time. The Wilsons’ mother Laura, a professional photographer, took photos during the making of the short film and during its Sundance run, and also documented the crew’s initial meetings at Columbia Studios. These are shot in black and white, and they look terrific. There’s something about young Wes Anderson with his shock of Eraserhead hair that smacks of an Ivy League prep school, even though he was born and raised in Texas. Plus, seeing the pure joy on both Anderson and Wilson’s faces as they jump Toyota-commercial style off of the Columbia steps is a treat. The only bad thing about the doc The Making of Bottle Rocket is that it’s only 26 minutes long. Filmmaker and longtime friend of the Wilson/Anderson set Barry Braverman gets pretty much everyone involved in the film on camera, and the best quote comes from James Caan, who says about his experience working on the movie, “Well, it was like three days. It was like being in the left hand corner of the Hollywood Squares or something.” There are some great remembrances in this that aren’t in the commentary track, and it’s also been shot in high-def widescreen as well. It’s too bad they couldn’t have made this feature length. Also included on the disc is a short film from Braverman, this one made in 1978. It’s called Murita Cycles, and is about Braverman’s father who ran a bicycle shop on Staten Island for years, and Wilson and Anderson both said it was one of their inspirations for the Bottle Rocket short. It’s a touching look at an eccentric guy who goes from normal father to packrat kook and is documented and interviewed by his son. The Shafrazi Lectures, No 1: Bottle Rocket is an 11-minute, very strange discussion of the film from Tony Shafrazi, the owner of the Shafrazi Gallery in New York. He’s the artist who spray painted “KILL LIES ALL” on top of Picasso’s “Guernica” in the Museum of Modern Art in 1974. It’s a near-incoherent praise of the film, and he compares it to films like East of Eden and Breathless, while displaying scenes on sheets of paper that he’s holding up in a dark room. It’s hard to decide if it’s sincere or not, since they including fake Charlie Rose style interviews from “The Peter Bradley Show” on the Tenenbaums disc. It’s almost worth watching just for the sheer bizarre factor. “I don’t like all this serious stuff,” Shafrazi remarks at one point. There’s one other special feature nearly as painful as the commentary, but for different reasons. That’s an anamorphic test scene that was shot when they considered shooting the movie in the widescreen Panavision format. It looks completely gorgeous, and would have made Bottle Rocket even prettier than it already is. Granted, it’s a fairly perfect movie by my standards, but the movie geek in me yearns for a non-existent widescreen version of this to get unearthed sometime. Maybe in an alternate universe. DVD booklets are not always worth remarking on, but this one includes Dignan’s complete 75-Year Plan along with essays from James L. Brooks and Martin Scorsese, all done in Dignan’s handwriting, which I assume is from illustrator Ian Dingman. If I admit that I’m giving serious consideration to scanning and framing the 75-Year Plan, then at least I’m on the first step to recovery from Anderson addiction. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/12/38295.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/12/2008 12:00:31 PM
Body: Earlier this month, Production Weekly reported that Alex Cox and David Lynch would begin shooting their Repo Man sequel, titled Repo Chick, next month. Fifteen years after the release of the first movie, Cox revealed that it’s a timely revisit, as the new movie will “unfold against the background of the credit crunch and the subprime mortgage crisis in the US, where repossessions of homes, cars and other forms of property is at a new high.” Coupled with the recent announcement that John Carpenter is producing a remake of his own They Live, the news of a second Repo Man film has us wondering what other ‘80s cult classics should appropriately be remade or revisited now that the economy is shit again. Depending on your definition of “cult film” (many people call Ghostbusters a cult classic), some of the selected films may not be fitting for that term. Regardless, the following ten movies, if redone today, would have definite relevance to these troubled times. Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981) With unemployment on the rise, and homelessness sure to increase, it’s time for Hollywood to break out the ol’ Capra-esque stories of bums hitting the big time. Some films, such as Trading Places and Down and Out in Beverly Hills, don’t need to be touched. But this forgotten yet somewhat beloved movie could use a redo. Alan Arkin stars as an unemployed baseball player who may have a new job in the minors if he can only raise the money to get across the country. Fox could remake this story without retaining the title or the profession (though what’s more American Dream-like than baseball player? Capra employed the same idea in Meet John Doe), so as not to associate the new film with this ancient box office disappointment. Eating Raoul (1982) We recently spotlighted this “gold standard for black comedies” on a Thanksgiving-related list of cannibal movies. But it fits here as well. A couple in need of money ends up killing people and selling the corpses for cash. While the original film has the human meat sold to a dog food company, it might be even a greater gag in this financial crunch to have it feed the homeless. Or, better yet, in the U.S. Capitol’s cafeterias. The Survivors (1983) The opening premise alone will have the recently laid off feeling better about their own firing. One guy (played by Robin Williams) is let go by a parrot, while another (Walter Matthau) loses his business when it blows up. From there, anything goes with the remake as long as it still shows desperate measures resulting from unemployment. As a buddy movie, though, it’ll be worthwhile to pit a financial layoff with a blue-collar layoff. Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) Don’t say it makes no sense to remake a sequel without remaking the original. Nobody cares about the first Breakin’. Besides, Electric Boogaloo is the one that features the cliché plot involving a greedy real estate developer wanting to tear down a community center. And evil real estate developers and bankers ought to be making a comeback. Rappin’ (1985) If nobody wants to touch the sacred icon that is Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, then here’s another hip-hop movie involving an evil real estate developer. Despite a similar cheesiness, it’s not nearly as celebrated, or remembered. A remake could right all the wrongs of the original, especially with regards to the rhymes. The Goonies (1985) Hardly a cult classic, sure, but it does have the feel of one, especially to all those people who take trips to Astoria, Oregon, just to visit the film’s locations. Anyway, more evil real estate developers here, and more kids trying to save the day. Rather than truly remake the movie, which would be met with disapproval, and rather than completely bypass the reunion sequel that’s been talked about for so long, Warner Bros. ought to make a separate remake-type sequel titled The Goonies Too. The new movie will simply follow another group of kids on another adventure that will similarly stop the impending foreclosure of their homes. One Crazy Summer (1986) Yeah, yeah, more greedy real estate developers. But this one involves saving the house of an old man who nobody in the audience cares about. And a regatta. Actually, without the warped genius of Savage Steve Holland and without John Cusack in the lead, a remake of this comedy would be pointless, even if relevant. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time Hollywood made a pointless remake, right? The Money Pit (1986) It may not technically be a cult classic, but it’s so rarely celebrated for its good qualities (like the excellent scene involving a cataclysmic sort of Rube Goldberg machine) that it deserves to be here. Plus, few plots are more relevant to the subprime mortgage crisis than one involving a couple (played by Tom Hanks and Shelley Long) that finds a deal on a new home that’s too good to be true. Wisdom (1986) If a cult classic requires only a cult of one member, then Wisdom is a cult classic. And since every economic recession needs its own Robin Hood movie, this is ripe for a remake (never mind Ridley Scott’s forthcoming Nottingham). Repo Man star Emilio Estevez wrote, co-directed (with Robert Wise) and co-starred (with Demi Moore) in this Bonnie and Clyde tale of a pair of bank “robbers” who bomb bank file cabinets in order to erase records of loans and mortgages, thereby helping out the struggling debtors. This time, though, it’s key that the main characters don’t get killed. Hiding Out (1987) Jon Cryer stars as a stockbroker on the run from mobsters he’s cheated. Does he flee to Florida and join an all-girl band? No, he shaves off his beard and magically becomes a teenager again. Then he reenrolls in his cousin’s high school and falls in love with a young girl who’d probably get him in worse trouble than he is already in. A remake of this film could be more depraved, more American Psycho than Some Like it Hot, by having the protagonist on the run from the government rather than the mob (he’s guilty of insider trading or some other form of Wall Street corruption), and his unlikable traits would extend to his multiple affairs with minors while pretending to be a high school student. And this time, it’s key that the main character does get killed. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:00:31 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/12/2008 12:00:31 PMEarlier this month, Production Weekly reported that Alex Cox and David Lynch would begin shooting their Repo Man sequel, titled Repo Chick, next month. Fifteen years after the release of the first movie, Cox revealed that it’s a timely revisit, as the new movie will “unfold against the background of the credit crunch and the subprime mortgage crisis in the US, where repossessions of homes, cars and other forms of property is at a new high.” Coupled with the recent announcement that John Carpenter is producing a remake of his own They Live, the news of a second Repo Man film has us wondering what other ‘80s cult classics should appropriately be remade or revisited now that the economy is shit again. Depending on your definition of “cult film” (many people call Ghostbusters a cult classic), some of the selected films may not be fitting for that term. Regardless, the following ten movies, if redone today, would have definite relevance to these troubled times. Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981) With unemployment on the rise, and homelessness sure to increase, it’s time for Hollywood to break out the ol’ Capra-esque stories of bums hitting the big time. Some films, such as Trading Places and Down and Out in Beverly Hills, don’t need to be touched. But this forgotten yet somewhat beloved movie could use a redo. Alan Arkin stars as an unemployed baseball player who may have a new job in the minors if he can only raise the money to get across the country. Fox could remake this story without retaining the title or the profession (though what’s more American Dream-like than baseball player? Capra employed the same idea in Meet John Doe), so as not to associate the new film with this ancient box office disappointment. Eating Raoul (1982) We recently spotlighted this “gold standard for black comedies” on a Thanksgiving-related list of cannibal movies. But it fits here as well. A couple in need of money ends up killing people and selling the corpses for cash. While the original film has the human meat sold to a dog food company, it might be even a greater gag in this financial crunch to have it feed the homeless. Or, better yet, in the U.S. Capitol’s cafeterias. The Survivors (1983) The opening premise alone will have the recently laid off feeling better about their own firing. One guy (played by Robin Williams) is let go by a parrot, while another (Walter Matthau) loses his business when it blows up. From there, anything goes with the remake as long as it still shows desperate measures resulting from unemployment. As a buddy movie, though, it’ll be worthwhile to pit a financial layoff with a blue-collar layoff. Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) Don’t say it makes no sense to remake a sequel without remaking the original. Nobody cares about the first Breakin’. Besides, Electric Boogaloo is the one that features the cliché plot involving a greedy real estate developer wanting to tear down a community center. And evil real estate developers and bankers ought to be making a comeback. Rappin’ (1985) If nobody wants to touch the sacred icon that is Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, then here’s another hip-hop movie involving an evil real estate developer. Despite a similar cheesiness, it’s not nearly as celebrated, or remembered. A remake could right all the wrongs of the original, especially with regards to the rhymes. The Goonies (1985) Hardly a cult classic, sure, but it does have the feel of one, especially to all those people who take trips to Astoria, Oregon, just to visit the film’s locations. Anyway, more evil real estate developers here, and more kids trying to save the day. Rather than truly remake the movie, which would be met with disapproval, and rather than completely bypass the reunion sequel that’s been talked about for so long, Warner Bros. ought to make a separate remake-type sequel titled The Goonies Too. The new movie will simply follow another group of kids on another adventure that will similarly stop the impending foreclosure of their homes. One Crazy Summer (1986) Yeah, yeah, more greedy real estate developers. But this one involves saving the house of an old man who nobody in the audience cares about. And a regatta. Actually, without the warped genius of Savage Steve Holland and without John Cusack in the lead, a remake of this comedy would be pointless, even if relevant. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time Hollywood made a pointless remake, right? The Money Pit (1986) It may not technically be a cult classic, but it’s so rarely celebrated for its good qualities (like the excellent scene involving a cataclysmic sort of Rube Goldberg machine) that it deserves to be here. Plus, few plots are more relevant to the subprime mortgage crisis than one involving a couple (played by Tom Hanks and Shelley Long) that finds a deal on a new home that’s too good to be true. Wisdom (1986) If a cult classic requires only a cult of one member, then Wisdom is a cult classic. And since every economic recession needs its own Robin Hood movie, this is ripe for a remake (never mind Ridley Scott’s forthcoming Nottingham). Repo Man star Emilio Estevez wrote, co-directed (with Robert Wise) and co-starred (with Demi Moore) in this Bonnie and Clyde tale of a pair of bank “robbers” who bomb bank file cabinets in order to erase records of loans and mortgages, thereby helping out the struggling debtors. This time, though, it’s key that the main characters don’t get killed. Hiding Out (1987) Jon Cryer stars as a stockbroker on the run from mobsters he’s cheated. Does he flee to Florida and join an all-girl band? No, he shaves off his beard and magically becomes a teenager again. Then he reenrolls in his cousin’s high school and falls in love with a young girl who’d probably get him in worse trouble than he is already in. A remake of this film could be more depraved, more American Psycho than Some Like it Hot, by having the protagonist on the run from the government rather than the mob (he’s guilty of insider trading or some other form of Wall Street corruption), and his unlikable traits would extend to his multiple affairs with minors while pretending to be a high school student. And this time, it’s key that the main character does get killed. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/3/37896.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/3/2008 3:00:52 PM
Body: It’s more difficult to be convincing as a real person when acting on film than on the stage. The camera can get closer and your image ends up projected many times larger than life size. So, despite giving a Tony Award-winning performance as Richard Nixon in the theater version of Frost/Nixon, Frank Langella was not initially thought of as worthy to reprise the role in Ron Howard’s movie adaptation of the play. Part of it was that he’s not a big name, but another reason was that he looks nothing like Tricky Dick. Ultimately, Langella did get the part, and while he doesn’t resemble the former president, he apparently does a bang up job in the role. But the transition could easily have been as awkward as Ralph Bellamy’s reprisal of his Tony-winning portrayal of Franklin Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello. In the film version of that play, Bellamy’s vocal impersonation comes off more like a Scottish brogue (he sounds exactly like Sean Connery, in fact) than FDR’s signature “Locust Valley lockjaw.”  Instead, Langella is on track for an Oscar nomination, and is sure to join the following actors who also gave convincing performances as world leaders. As a handicap, SpoutBlog has limited the selections to modern era leaders whose real persona exists on film/tape and are therefore more easily comparable to actors’ representations. 10. Anthony Hopkins as President Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995) The performance is exaggerated almost to the point of out-doing Dan Hedaya’s comedic portrayal in Dick, but Hopkins’ Nixon isn’t the failure that many reviews criticized it as. The art of a convincing portrait is not so much about presenting an exact likeness as it is about expressing a perspective, and Oliver Stone’s employment of Hannibal Lecter as the (then) most hated president brought the viewpoint across right away. It may not be Hopkins’ best Oscar-nominated presidential performance (that would be his John Quincy Adams in Amistad), but it is one of his most spectacular accomplishments. 9. Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush in W. (2008) Stone surprisingly went a different way with his latest presidential biopic (which was not, as has been claimed, the first film about a sitting president; see #6). Brolin is much less a caricature than was expected, and the actor even welcomes sympathy from Bush-haters. It’s not necessarily an exact impersonation; it’s better. Brolin makes the role his own while also doing some requisite aping, and it’s a performance that should garner him an Oscar nomination next month. 8. James Brolin as President Ronald Reagan in The Reagans (2003) Like son, like father, though instead of appropriately portraying the elder Bush (he might have done as well as James Cromwell in W.), Josh Brolin’s father plays that president’s predecessor in this made-for-TV biopic. He looks a little silly in the role, but James Brolin does an excellent job with the voice and the overall execution of the actor-turned-leader’s public persona. The conservatives may have hated the movie, but the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences were convinced enough to nominate Brolin for an Emmy Award. 7. Jerry Haleva as Saddam Hussein in The Big Lebowski (1998) Sometimes professional impersonators are the most perfect people to play figures on the big screen. Unfortunately, people like Queen Elizabeth look-alike Jeannette Charles (The Naked Gun; European Vacation, Austin Powers in Goldmember) aren’t famous enough or talented enough actors to carry a whole film like The Queen. The late Haleva made a career out of portraying the Iraqi dictator, appearing prominently in such comedies as Hot Shots!, Hot Shots! Part Deux and Jane Austen’s Mafia! But it’s his silent performance in The Big Lebowski that works best (though his lisped Hussein in the Hot Shots! sequel is hilarious). Even Hussein’s own sons could have made the mistake of thinking it was the real dictator up there on the screen. 6. Bruce Greenwood as President John F. Kennedy in Thirteen Days (2000) Back in the 1960s, President Kennedy got to be part of the casting process for Warner Bros.’ depiction of him in the WWII drama PT 109. His selection of Cliff Robertson was fine, but if he’d been alive long enough to also assist the production of Thirteen Days, he would have surely agreed with the casting of Bruce Greenwood. The actor doesn’t look much like JFK in this non-biopic about the Cuban Missile Crisis, but to agree with Kevin Costner, Greenwood is Kennedy in the film, only bettered by Steven Culp as RFK. Too bad Costner has to be in there at all. As usual his talent for accents is atrocious, but at least he didn’t bother attempting to play the president. Greenwood was definitely deserving of an Oscar nod for his portrayal, but apparently only one presidential role (Jeff Bridges in The Contender) was enough for the 2001 Supporting Actor race. 5. Gary Sinise as President Harry S. Truman in Truman (1995) The problem with famous actors portraying well-known real-life figures is that the audience more than likely sees the actor first. It’s a problem with most of the portrayals on this list, and it’s certainly true for Gary Sinise in the role of Truman. He looks just like Gary Sinise with some necessary prosthetics. And his voice is distinctly his own, too, despite an attempt at the accent. Yet the performance is engaging enough to make the viewer forget all that and become adequately convinced enough to accept Sinise as the president with the difficult task of ending World War II through drastic measures. 4. Bruno Ganz as Adolph Hitler in Downfall (2004) It’s easy to play Hitler; just don the signature mustache and you’re good to go. Ganz went above and beyond, though, to not just convincingly represent the Nazi dictator but also to capture his thought-non-existent humanity. His voice is perfection and his overall performance is astounding. Had the three-dimensionality of the portrayal not been so controversial, Ganz could have garnered an Academy Award nomination. 3. Edward Hermann as President Franklin Roosevelt in Annie (1982) A lot of actors have attempted FDR, from Bellamy in Sunrise at Campobello to Kenneth Branagh in Warm Springs (and let’s not forget Jon Voight’s laughable turn in Pearl Harbor), but nobody else is as good as Hermann, who played the four-term president in two TV movies prior to reprising the role in this screen version of the lovable Broadway musical. The only reason he deserves more credit here than for his two Emmy-nominated portrayals is because in Annie he joins in to sing “Tomorrow” with the li’l titular orphan, and that’s believably something the real FDR would have taken much pleasure in. 2. Michael Sheen as Prime Minister Tony Blair in The Queen (2006) Langella and his Frost/Nixon costar, Michael Sheen, are equally being recognized for their performances in that film. But a couple of years ago, Sheen was upstaged by the Oscar-winning Helen Mirren in The Queen. Still, despite his lack of a deserved nod from the Academy, he was highly acclaimed for his portrayal of Tony Blair, a role he’d already perfected in the British TV movie The Deal (from the same writer-director pair as The Queen). And the performance rushed him to the top ranks of acting talent, allowing him to be unquestionably worthy of reprising his stage role as David Frost and easily thought of as a front-runner for the Oscars this time around. 1. Martin Sheen as President John F. Kennedy in Kennedy (1983) Sheen was so good as JFK in this TV miniseries that in The Goonies “Mouth” (Corey Feldman) confuses the president for the actor on a 50-cent piece. And well, Mouth, as Cyndi Lauper sings on the soundtrack, “What’s good enough for you is good enough for me. It’s good enough. It’s good enough for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:00:52 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/3/2008 3:00:52 PMIt’s more difficult to be convincing as a real person when acting on film than on the stage. The camera can get closer and your image ends up projected many times larger than life size. So, despite giving a Tony Award-winning performance as Richard Nixon in the theater version of Frost/Nixon, Frank Langella was not initially thought of as worthy to reprise the role in Ron Howard’s movie adaptation of the play. Part of it was that he’s not a big name, but another reason was that he looks nothing like Tricky Dick. Ultimately, Langella did get the part, and while he doesn’t resemble the former president, he apparently does a bang up job in the role. But the transition could easily have been as awkward as Ralph Bellamy’s reprisal of his Tony-winning portrayal of Franklin Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello. In the film version of that play, Bellamy’s vocal impersonation comes off more like a Scottish brogue (he sounds exactly like Sean Connery, in fact) than FDR’s signature “Locust Valley lockjaw.”  Instead, Langella is on track for an Oscar nomination, and is sure to join the following actors who also gave convincing performances as world leaders. As a handicap, SpoutBlog has limited the selections to modern era leaders whose real persona exists on film/tape and are therefore more easily comparable to actors’ representations. 10. Anthony Hopkins as President Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995) The performance is exaggerated almost to the point of out-doing Dan Hedaya’s comedic portrayal in Dick, but Hopkins’ Nixon isn’t the failure that many reviews criticized it as. The art of a convincing portrait is not so much about presenting an exact likeness as it is about expressing a perspective, and Oliver Stone’s employment of Hannibal Lecter as the (then) most hated president brought the viewpoint across right away. It may not be Hopkins’ best Oscar-nominated presidential performance (that would be his John Quincy Adams in Amistad), but it is one of his most spectacular accomplishments. 9. Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush in W. (2008) Stone surprisingly went a different way with his latest presidential biopic (which was not, as has been claimed, the first film about a sitting president; see #6). Brolin is much less a caricature than was expected, and the actor even welcomes sympathy from Bush-haters. It’s not necessarily an exact impersonation; it’s better. Brolin makes the role his own while also doing some requisite aping, and it’s a performance that should garner him an Oscar nomination next month. 8. James Brolin as President Ronald Reagan in The Reagans (2003) Like son, like father, though instead of appropriately portraying the elder Bush (he might have done as well as James Cromwell in W.), Josh Brolin’s father plays that president’s predecessor in this made-for-TV biopic. He looks a little silly in the role, but James Brolin does an excellent job with the voice and the overall execution of the actor-turned-leader’s public persona. The conservatives may have hated the movie, but the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences were convinced enough to nominate Brolin for an Emmy Award. 7. Jerry Haleva as Saddam Hussein in The Big Lebowski (1998) Sometimes professional impersonators are the most perfect people to play figures on the big screen. Unfortunately, people like Queen Elizabeth look-alike Jeannette Charles (The Naked Gun; European Vacation, Austin Powers in Goldmember) aren’t famous enough or talented enough actors to carry a whole film like The Queen. The late Haleva made a career out of portraying the Iraqi dictator, appearing prominently in such comedies as Hot Shots!, Hot Shots! Part Deux and Jane Austen’s Mafia! But it’s his silent performance in The Big Lebowski that works best (though his lisped Hussein in the Hot Shots! sequel is hilarious). Even Hussein’s own sons could have made the mistake of thinking it was the real dictator up there on the screen. 6. Bruce Greenwood as President John F. Kennedy in Thirteen Days (2000) Back in the 1960s, President Kennedy got to be part of the casting process for Warner Bros.’ depiction of him in the WWII drama PT 109. His selection of Cliff Robertson was fine, but if he’d been alive long enough to also assist the production of Thirteen Days, he would have surely agreed with the casting of Bruce Greenwood. The actor doesn’t look much like JFK in this non-biopic about the Cuban Missile Crisis, but to agree with Kevin Costner, Greenwood is Kennedy in the film, only bettered by Steven Culp as RFK. Too bad Costner has to be in there at all. As usual his talent for accents is atrocious, but at least he didn’t bother attempting to play the president. Greenwood was definitely deserving of an Oscar nod for his portrayal, but apparently only one presidential role (Jeff Bridges in The Contender) was enough for the 2001 Supporting Actor race. 5. Gary Sinise as President Harry S. Truman in Truman (1995) The problem with famous actors portraying well-known real-life figures is that the audience more than likely sees the actor first. It’s a problem with most of the portrayals on this list, and it’s certainly true for Gary Sinise in the role of Truman. He looks just like Gary Sinise with some necessary prosthetics. And his voice is distinctly his own, too, despite an attempt at the accent. Yet the performance is engaging enough to make the viewer forget all that and become adequately convinced enough to accept Sinise as the president with the difficult task of ending World War II through drastic measures. 4. Bruno Ganz as Adolph Hitler in Downfall (2004) It’s easy to play Hitler; just don the signature mustache and you’re good to go. Ganz went above and beyond, though, to not just convincingly represent the Nazi dictator but also to capture his thought-non-existent humanity. His voice is perfection and his overall performance is astounding. Had the three-dimensionality of the portrayal not been so controversial, Ganz could have garnered an Academy Award nomination. 3. Edward Hermann as President Franklin Roosevelt in Annie (1982) A lot of actors have attempted FDR, from Bellamy in Sunrise at Campobello to Kenneth Branagh in Warm Springs (and let’s not forget Jon Voight’s laughable turn in Pearl Harbor), but nobody else is as good as Hermann, who played the four-term president in two TV movies prior to reprising the role in this screen version of the lovable Broadway musical. The only reason he deserves more credit here than for his two Emmy-nominated portrayals is because in Annie he joins in to sing “Tomorrow” with the li’l titular orphan, and that’s believably something the real FDR would have taken much pleasure in. 2. Michael Sheen as Prime Minister Tony Blair in The Queen (2006) Langella and his Frost/Nixon costar, Michael Sheen, are equally being recognized for their performances in that film. But a couple of years ago, Sheen was upstaged by the Oscar-winning Helen Mirren in The Queen. Still, despite his lack of a deserved nod from the Academy, he was highly acclaimed for his portrayal of Tony Blair, a role he’d already perfected in the British TV movie The Deal (from the same writer-director pair as The Queen). And the performance rushed him to the top ranks of acting talent, allowing him to be unquestionably worthy of reprising his stage role as David Frost and easily thought of as a front-runner for the Oscars this time around. 1. Martin Sheen as President John F. Kennedy in Kennedy (1983) Sheen was so good as JFK in this TV miniseries that in The Goonies “Mouth” (Corey Feldman) confuses the president for the actor on a 50-cent piece. And well, Mouth, as Cyndi Lauper sings on the soundtrack, “What’s good enough for you is good enough for me. It’s good enough. It’s good enough for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2008/10/30/36804.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 10/30/2008 1:16:57 PM
Body: The Monster Squad Man is this one ridiculous. I'm fascinated by some of these 80's adolescent comedies. Its hard to believe some of the stuff would be put out by Hollywood in a movie aimed at this audience anymore. I mean a lot of the stuff is not what they would call politically correct nowadays. Watch for the actor who plays Wayne from The Wonder Years call one of the kids from the Monster Squad a "faggot" for instance. I think it goes even beyond some of what you'd see in The Goonies, which this movie most likely was trying to recapture some of the success from. Also look on the special features from the new DVD to see Tom Noonan who plays the Frankenstein monster in his makeup speaking as if he were the actual monster who is also an actor. It's slightly funny in a sad way. Rating: 3/10
]]>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:16:57 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog10/30/2008 1:16:57 PMThe Monster Squad Man is this one ridiculous. I'm fascinated by some of these 80's adolescent comedies. Its hard to believe some of the stuff would be put out by Hollywood in a movie aimed at this audience anymore. I mean a lot of the stuff is not what they would call politically correct nowadays. Watch for the actor who plays Wayne from The Wonder Years call one of the kids from the Monster Squad a "faggot" for instance. I think it goes even beyond some of what you'd see in The Goonies, which this movie most likely was trying to recapture some of the success from. Also look on the special features from the new DVD to see Tom Noonan who plays the Frankenstein monster in his makeup speaking as if he were the actual monster who is also an actor. It's slightly funny in a sad way. Rating: 3/10 http://www.spout.com/groups/Grew_up_in_the_80_s/Re_fave_star_in_the_80s_that_are_out_of_the_radar/38/36325/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Ravie13
Post To: Grew up in the 80's
Post Date: 10/14/2008 8:26:39 PM
Body: Whatever happened to Kerri Green - star of LUCAS and GOONIES? Apparently she does the rare television show appearance (Law & Order, ER).
]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:26:39 GMTRavie13Grew up in the 80's10/14/2008 8:26:39 PMWhatever happened to Kerri Green - star of LUCAS and GOONIES? Apparently she does the rare television show appearance (Law &amp; Order, ER). http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_October_13_Just_One_Day/625/36297/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/14/2008 2:55:59 PM
Body: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three - one of the best action/thriller/comedy movies ever made. A lot of it takes place in almost real time. 12 Angry Men - another one that's almost in real time, so certainly within a day. Magnolia - the EPIC of one day films. Clerks. - he was supposed to have that day off High Noon - also almost real time Kids - I think this was just one day. It feels like it. Rope - real time My Dinner with Andre - real time Most movies based on classical theater will take place within 24 hours since this was one of the ancient restriction of good theatre. Time, space, and subject were all supposed to be remain the same. More Linklater films - Before Sunrise / Before Sunset / Slacker These come up under one night I think Night of the Living Dead Goonies Die Hard Escape from New York Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
]]>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:55:59 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme10/14/2008 2:55:59 PMThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three - one of the best action/thriller/comedy movies ever made. A lot of it takes place in almost real time. 12 Angry Men - another one that's almost in real time, so certainly within a day. Magnolia - the EPIC of one day films. Clerks. - he was supposed to have that day off High Noon - also almost real time Kids - I think this was just one day. It feels like it. Rope - real time My Dinner with Andre - real time Most movies based on classical theater will take place within 24 hours since this was one of the ancient restriction of good theatre. Time, space, and subject were all supposed to be remain the same. More Linklater films - Before Sunrise / Before Sunset / Slacker These come up under one night I think Night of the Living Dead Goonies Die Hard Escape from New York Harold &amp; Kumar Go to White Castle http://www.spout.com/groups/Natsukashi/XIII_The_Monster_Squad/592/34346/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: Natsukashi
Post Date: 8/25/2008 2:54:19 PM
Body: The Monster Squad (1987)Directed by: Fred DekkerWritten by: Shane Black and Fred DekkerStarring: Andre Gower as Sean CrenshawRobby Kiger as PatrickBrent Chalem as Horace (The Fat Kid)Michael Faustino as Eugene Tagline: “Call them for a monster-ous good time!” By: Jason Plissken Pre-Screening Memories: I haven't seen The Monster Squad since I was in high school, but since it had “Monster” in the title, it was required viewing. I would scour the TV listings every week, checking for what creatures would be featured for the week. This one sounded like the Mother Lode, in that it featured all the classic monsters from Universal Studios: Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The movie came out in 1987, but I didn't see it until it came on HBO about a year later. My memories of the film are pretty vague but I did learn a number of things from watching it: I remember the movie was corny but still able to keep my attention. There were several little details about the kids in the film that I wanted for my childhood: to battle monsters as a young kid, a really cool treehouse (that was two-story, no less!), and a neighborhood girl like Patrick's sister (played by Lisa Fuller, which was really the height of her film career, unless you count Teen Witch). I thought that it was really cool that the main character, Sean Krenshaw (played by Andre Gower), was able to watch a nearby drive-in movie from his roof. I could not have cared less if I could not hear the dialogue, just watching it would have been enough to occupy me. I could do the whole Mystery Science Theater 3000 thing, I suppose, and make up my own dialogue. I remember Fat Kid declaring that the "Wolf man had nards." Childish, I know, but 'nards' is just a funny word. It was the first time I heard sex referred to as "dorking."Again, I was a kid, these things were endlessly fascinating to me. I remember a World War II bomber loaded with Dracula's coffin in thebeginning. At the time, it seemed perfectly plausible for the ancient tomb of Nosferatu to circle over middle America for no apparent reason whatsoever. I remember having a fondness for the film in the way it handled its leads, not treating them as typical “Hollywood” kids, in much the same way that “Stand By Me” and “The Goonies” seemed to. They never seemed to talk down to their targeted audience. Will the exclusive “Monster Squad” still allow membership to Jason now that he's an old guy? Find out in the podcast here: download it here.
]]>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:54:19 GMTusesoapNatsukashi8/25/2008 2:54:19 PM The Monster Squad (1987)Directed by: Fred DekkerWritten by: Shane Black and Fred DekkerStarring: Andre Gower as Sean CrenshawRobby Kiger as PatrickBrent Chalem as Horace (The Fat Kid)Michael Faustino as Eugene Tagline: &ldquo;Call them for a monster-ous good time!&rdquo; By: Jason Plissken Pre-Screening Memories: I haven't seen The Monster Squad since I was in high school, but since it had &ldquo;Monster&rdquo; in the title, it was required viewing. I would scour the TV listings every week, checking for what creatures would be featured for the week. This one sounded like the Mother Lode, in that it featured all the classic monsters from Universal Studios: Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The movie came out in 1987, but I didn't see it until it came on HBO about a year later. My memories of the film are pretty vague but I did learn a number of things from watching it: I remember the movie was corny but still able to keep my attention. There were several little details about the kids in the film that I wanted for my childhood: to battle monsters as a young kid, a really cool treehouse (that was two-story, no less!), and a neighborhood girl like Patrick's sister (played by Lisa Fuller, which was really the height of her film career, unless you count Teen Witch). I thought that it was really cool that the main character, Sean Krenshaw (played by Andre Gower), was able to watch a nearby drive-in movie from his roof. I could not have cared less if I could not hear the dialogue, just watching it would have been enough to occupy me. I could do the whole Mystery Science Theater 3000 thing, I suppose, and make up my own dialogue. I remember Fat Kid declaring that the "Wolf man had nards." Childish, I know, but 'nards' is just a funny word. It was the first time I heard sex referred to as "dorking."Again, I was a kid, these things were endlessly fascinating to me. I remember a World War II bomber loaded with Dracula's coffin in thebeginning. At the time, it seemed perfectly plausible for the ancient tomb of Nosferatu to circle over middle America for no apparent reason whatsoever. I remember having a fondness for the film in the way it handled its leads, not treating them as typical &ldquo;Hollywood&rdquo; kids, in much the same way that &ldquo;Stand By Me&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Goonies&rdquo; seemed to. They never seemed to talk down to their targeted audience. Will the exclusive &ldquo;Monster Squad&rdquo; still allow membership to Jason now that he's an old guy? Find out in the podcast here: download it here. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_August_18_Fat_Kids/625/34104/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/18/2008 5:36:31 PM
Body: After recently watching The Goonies for the umpteenth time, I was reminded how children of a more rotund nature are more often than not prevalent motif in films. Typically without anything more than being chubby, these characters are included because, well, fat kids are funny. I know, I know, but being that I was a fat kid myself, I do recognize the inherent comedy in it as much as Hollywood and the rest of the world apparently does. With that said, where's the beef? Undoubtedly one of the worst films portraying fat kids was surprisingly one of my favorite films as a kid: The Monster Squad. The fat kid, who is referred to simply as "Fat Kid" throughout the movie, typifies this kind of character that we see so often: always eating something, says stupid things and sporadically farts and/or belches at inopportune moments. Similarly, as mentioned above, The Goonies features the lovable "Chunk" who yet again is forced to endure embarrassing jokes from his friends (i.e the Truffle Shuffle) and is always complaining that he's hungry. The movie that actually scared the crap out of me and got me to start eating less and change my ways as a kid was the filmic adaptation of Lord of the Flies in which the fat character "Piggy" is constantly ridiculed and tormented by his svelte classmates and eventually meets a harrowing fate at the bottom of a cliff. One of the grossest instances has to be in Stand By Me when the story of "Lard Ass" is told. Lard Ass enters a pie eating contest and to get retribution against the townsfolk that ridicule him daily decides to down a bottle of castor oil beforehand so that the dozen or so blueberry pies he devours are eventually expelled all over the spectators. Lastly, we have Angus. I love this movie about the prototypical fat kid, who against all odds, actually wins out in the end and strikes a blow against fat kid haters everywhere. There are countless more, but I'll let all of you expound on this week's theme for a bit. So, like me in a game of dodgeball, I'm out!
]]>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:36:31 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme8/18/2008 5:36:31 PMAfter recently watching The Goonies for the umpteenth time, I was reminded how children of a more rotund nature are more often than not prevalent motif in films. Typically without anything more than being chubby, these characters are included because, well, fat kids are funny. I know, I know, but being that I was a fat kid myself, I do recognize the inherent comedy in it as much as Hollywood and the rest of the world apparently does. With that said, where's the beef? Undoubtedly one of the worst films portraying fat kids was surprisingly one of my favorite films as a kid: The Monster Squad. The fat kid, who is referred to simply as "Fat Kid" throughout the movie, typifies this kind of character that we see so often: always eating something, says stupid things and sporadically farts and/or belches at inopportune moments. Similarly, as mentioned above, The Goonies features the lovable "Chunk" who yet again is forced to endure embarrassing jokes from his friends (i.e the Truffle Shuffle) and is always complaining that he's hungry. The movie that actually scared the crap out of me and got me to start eating less and change my ways as a kid was the filmic adaptation of Lord of the Flies in which the fat character "Piggy" is constantly ridiculed and tormented by his svelte classmates and eventually meets a harrowing fate at the bottom of a cliff. One of the grossest instances has to be in Stand By Me when the story of "Lard Ass" is told. Lard Ass enters a pie eating contest and to get retribution against the townsfolk that ridicule him daily decides to down a bottle of castor oil beforehand so that the dozen or so blueberry pies he devours are eventually expelled all over the spectators. Lastly, we have Angus. I love this movie about the prototypical fat kid, who against all odds, actually wins out in the end and strikes a blow against fat kid haters everywhere. There are countless more, but I'll let all of you expound on this week's theme for a bit. So, like me in a game of dodgeball, I'm out! http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_29_Locked_Up/625/33587/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/5/2008 6:35:27 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"]Some from my youth that scared the crap out of me are Flowers in the Attic, The People Under the Stairs, Carrie and The Goonies. All films about sick and twisted parental figures locking their children in various small, dank rooms of their house. An American Crime, with poor little Juno getting brutalized in a basement by all the neighborhood children and caretaker, could also go into this category.[/quote] Well then we will have to go even further and look at one of my absolute favorite films, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. The real life story of a boy who was locked up from birth. So isolated that he never even saw another human being until he was a teenager. He didn't even know anyone other than himself existed or had ever existed. Until he was suddendly approached by the person who was probably his captor and taught one phrase and brought to the middle of a town in Germany. Remember, it's a true story! I love these stories about these children. It's an exploration of what makes us truely human.
]]>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:35:27 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme8/5/2008 6:35:27 PM[quote user="mercurial"]Some from my youth that scared the crap out of me are Flowers in the Attic, The People Under the Stairs, Carrie and The Goonies. All films about sick and twisted parental figures locking their children in various small, dank rooms of their house. An American Crime, with poor little Juno getting brutalized in a basement by all the neighborhood children and caretaker, could also go into this category.[/quote] Well then we will have to go even further and look at one of my absolute favorite films, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. The real life story of a boy who was locked up from birth. So isolated that he never even saw another human being until he was a teenager. He didn't even know anyone other than himself existed or had ever existed. Until he was suddendly approached by the person who was probably his captor and taught one phrase and brought to the middle of a town in Germany. Remember, it's a true story! I love these stories about these children. It's an exploration of what makes us truely human. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_29_Locked_Up/625/33392/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/1/2008 11:30:35 AM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] Some from my youth that scared the crap out of me are Flowers in the Attic, The People Under the Stairs, Carrie and The Goonies. All films about sick and twisted parental figures locking their children in various small, dank rooms of their house. An American Crime, with poor little Juno getting brutalized in a basement by all the neighborhood children and caretaker, could also go into this category. [/quote] Well now, along those same lines, you can't forget a film by one of my favorite directors. Jim Sheridan's My Left Foot was incredible. It's based on Christy Brown's (who spent his first years hidden from his ashamed and confused family in a crawl-space) autobiography. If you're in the mood for a tearjerker that's simultaneously triumphant and inspiring............ there you go.
]]>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:30:35 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme8/1/2008 11:30:35 AM[quote user="mercurial"] Some from my youth that scared the crap out of me are Flowers in the Attic, The People Under the Stairs, Carrie and The Goonies. All films about sick and twisted parental figures locking their children in various small, dank rooms of their house. An American Crime, with poor little Juno getting brutalized in a basement by all the neighborhood children and caretaker, could also go into this category. [/quote] Well now, along those same lines, you can't forget a film by one of my favorite directors. Jim Sheridan's My Left Foot was incredible. It's based on Christy Brown's (who spent his first years hidden from his ashamed and confused family in a crawl-space) autobiography. If you're in the mood for a tearjerker that's simultaneously triumphant and inspiring............ there you go. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
Number of films tagged: 12478

Number of people who tagged: 338

Number of times used: 1480

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT124783381480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
Number of films tagged: 609

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]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:10:58 GMT609317942Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
Number of films tagged: 816

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]]>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:30:46 GMT8163141454Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
Number of films tagged: 1087

Number of people who tagged: 253

Number of times used: 1342

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]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:49:02 GMT319111460Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/overrated/MemberTagFilms.aspxoverrated
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]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:37:37 GMT152106240Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Cool/MemberTagFilms.aspxCool
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]]>Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:20:50 GMT10397188Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/teenagers/MemberTagFilms.aspxteenagers
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]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:49:03 GMT22895368Tag