Weekly Theme

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

unclefestering — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:56:29 GMT

mercurial:

I know a lot of people didn't care for it, but I really liked Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks...The whole plot has been done a hundred times, but the cast of losers trying to rob a bank by building a tunnel from their fake cookie shop next door is just pure comedy.

I agree that this is a much underrated film. What I love is that in most heist movies the crooks are all such experts in each of the fields needed to pull the heist off (the sharpshooter in Le Cercle Rougecomes to mind), but here they are all such inept bunglers you can't believe that they won't get caught before the crime starts. It is fun watching Woody Allen subvert all the rules of the heist movie.

I don't think I saw anybody mention Ronin, but I think that that is a great political thriller twist on the traditional heist movie. The interplay between Robert Deniro and Jean Reno is great. I also love how Sean Bean plays against type in this movie.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

leeroy711 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:33:51 GMT

I loved the "heist" idea in The Salton Sea. These tweekers were gonna get rich off of Bob Hope's stool sample.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

leeroy711 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:32:05 GMT

Risselada:

And Sexy Beast is just good fun as well.

That's one of my favorites by far. Although, contrary to most other heist film, the heist in this one is definately not what makes this one good.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

SkyPilot — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:38:20 GMT

Ocean's 13 is a heist movie with a social conscience, and that makes it my favorite.

Favorite heist scene? Gotta be The Dark Knight, seeing the Joker ensure he's the only surviving robber.

Heat has two really gripping heist scenes (the money truck and the bank). The bank heist explodes into one of the most intense & realistic action sequences I've ever seen.

I didn't like Before the Devil Knows You're Dead very much, but it includes a heart-wrenching scene of a heist gone wrong.

I don't recommend The Bank Job. SpoutBlog writer Stephen Boone watched it with ex-cons in a halfway house. Their perspective is pretty interesting.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

mercurial — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:31:57 GMT

Another film that not a lot of people like that I happen to is Jackie Brown. It just barely fits into the theme but I thought it was a fairly clever film with a bunch of big name actors that don't really overshadow one another. The "where's the money, oh there it is, wait no, its there" conclusion to the movie is simple and works (for me at least).

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

mercurial — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:25:24 GMT

I know a lot of people didn't care for it, but I really liked Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks. Sometimes Woody can be a little grating in his films, but teamed up with Tracey Ullman they are incredibly hilarious together. The whole plot has been done a hundred times, but the cast of losers trying to rob a bank by building a tunnel from their fake cookie shop next door is just pure comedy.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

mercurial — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:21:58 GMT

One of my favorite heist / robbery scenes has to be in Boogie Nights. The part of the film when Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly) have become desperate cokeheads and follow Todd (Thomas Jane) to a rich guy's (Alfred Molina) home that they are trying to swindle out of a lot of money. Already high, they sit freaking out at the sight of Molina's character running around half naked, a gigantic Nortorious B.I.G. clone bodyguard and a skinny Asian boy throwing firecrackers around the living room. It all culminates with the Night Ranger song "Sister Christian" and bullets flying. Hilarious.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

Risselada — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:37:53 GMT

For some good heists gone awry you can't forget White Heat. And even better The Killing! Also an inspiration for Reservoir Dogs.

And Sexy Beast is just good fun as well.

I'm not sure if you would consider The Taking of Pelham One Two Three a heist film, or more of an elaborate ransom/getaway situation. But it has the same excitement as a heist film, and is one of the best.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

unclefestering — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:42:32 GMT

I always loved Going in Style. It is a great movie with Art Carney, George Burns and Lee Strasburg as three retirees who decide that they don't want to be the old geezers just sitting on the park bench yelling at the kids anymore. Even though they have never been criminals before, they decide to rob a bank and live off the money.

The joy they get out of plannig and committing the robbery is great. It transforms them from the shadows that they were into fuly realized people again.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

digitalconquest — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:23:33 GMT

THE STING

LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

THE BLUE-EYED BANDIT

BLOODY PAYROLL

THE EYE OF THE SPIDER

A MAN TO RESPECT

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

Dr_Gor — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:31:43 GMT

Some of my favorite heist films of all time...

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

The Sting

The Train Robbers

Kelly's Heroes

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Charley Varrick

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

NakedLunchRadioShow — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:02:06 GMT

Ashpahlt Junlge needs a mention - it is one of the best if not best heist films of all time!

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

leeroy711 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:30:57 GMT

rjsprague:

I really liked that one with Clive Owen. I know that's not very descriptive, but I can't seem to remember the name of this film. I recall it had Denzel Washington in it as well, and I think Jodie Foster who was also good in Contact. Anyway I enjoyed the method that the robbers used to complete their thievery.

That's Inside Man - A Spike Lee joint. I really liked this one too. It was a very smart movie.

Re:Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

rjsprague — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:19:24 GMT

I really liked that one with Clive Owen. I know that's not very descriptive, but I can't seem to remember the name of this film. I recall it had Denzel Washington in it as well, and I think Jodie Foster who was also good in Contact. Anyway I enjoyed the method that the robbers used to complete their thievery.

I also enjoyed the Italian Job, even if it probably wasn't very good(also a remake). I vaguely recall having an amused feeling about the way they accomplished the heist.

I feel that Mission: Impossible should also be given some credit as a modern remake with some exciting thievery, and one that I remember vividly from my younger years.

I never realised how many movies are rehashed over and over on the big screen until started looking at more films. I should probably watch the originals of some of these films.

Weekly Theme for September 8: The Heist

leeroy711 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:34:58 GMT

This one is pretty self explanatory. What's your favorite heist movie. What's your favorite heist scene.

Last week, I watched Melville's Le Cercle Rouge. Which had an incredible jewelry store robbery.

I think the original Thomas Crown Affair had one of the most inventive ideas for a heist ever. The list goes on and on. Guy Ritchie's fist two films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) , and Snatch both have something to do with elaborate thievery. The Usual Suspects, Ocean's Eleven and Inside Man are some other good examples. And, you can't forget Bottle Rocket as a great example.

Also, filed under the: "Classics I have no excuse for not seeing yet" is Rififi. Most concensus says is the greatest heist film ever. Well, I will be making every attempt to watch this one before the week's over.

This should be a huge list. What I'm most interested in is which actual movie has the most intelligent and elaborate heist. I've read that France actually temporarily banned Rififi because they were concerned that the scene could too easily be used as a "how to" guide. What do you guys think?