Movies You Might Enjoy

Off Topic
221

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:
You’re right in that all I know of rb is how he interacted with me as well as his posts in other threads. Regardless of what your personal opinion is, his behavior here is how I’m judging him. So I’m having fun to make the day pass a little faster.[/quote]

What ‘posts in other threads’, exactly? That jpick86 smart-ass called me the “PX of movie threads” (I’ll take that as a compliment) yet Big Kahuna announces himself as "the movie critic that T-Nation deserves ",plagiarizes an article on Die Hard movie tropes, then immediately gets called out on it ; you produce a boring - ass response to the Japanese Unforgiven (“Why should I watch it?”), I’m still the bad element.

[/quote]

My response to your attempt at coming across as sophisticated by tossing in Japanese version of Unforgiven may bore you simply because it disagrees with your implied statement that it’s better than the original; but you gave no substantial reason why I should waste my time with it.

Like I stated before, I won’t be tripping over myself to go watch it.

[/quote]

You said that “foreign remakes” aren’t worth your time. It’s OK to remake a movie if you don’t know it’s a remake, and clearly you didn’t know about Yomjimbo, Seven Samurai, or their contribution to Western cinema to make those comments in the first place …

P.S. The Unforgiven remake is not set in feudal Japan.

P.P.S. Apologies to you and jpick86 for polluting another movie thread.
[/quote]

That’s ABSOLUTELY NOT how I feel about foreign remakes. It’s CERTAIN remakes that does little or nothing to set itself apart from the original.

[/quote]

The issue here is that there can’t be a Japanese remake of a classic modern western -not based on a Japanese movie- when American adaptations of Japanese movies are considered classics.

222

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:
You’re right in that all I know of rb is how he interacted with me as well as his posts in other threads. Regardless of what your personal opinion is, his behavior here is how I’m judging him. So I’m having fun to make the day pass a little faster.[/quote]

What ‘posts in other threads’, exactly? That jpick86 smart-ass called me the “PX of movie threads” (I’ll take that as a compliment) yet Big Kahuna announces himself as "the movie critic that T-Nation deserves ",plagiarizes an article on Die Hard movie tropes, then immediately gets called out on it ; you produce a boring - ass response to the Japanese Unforgiven (“Why should I watch it?”), I’m still the bad element.

[/quote]

My response to your attempt at coming across as sophisticated by tossing in Japanese version of Unforgiven may bore you simply because it disagrees with your implied statement that it’s better than the original; but you gave no substantial reason why I should waste my time with it.

Like I stated before, I won’t be tripping over myself to go watch it.

[/quote]

You said that “foreign remakes” aren’t worth your time. It’s OK to remake a movie if you don’t know it’s a remake, and clearly you didn’t know about Yomjimbo, Seven Samurai, or their contribution to Western cinema to make those comments in the first place …

P.S. The Unforgiven remake is not set in feudal Japan.

P.P.S. Apologies to you and jpick86 for polluting another movie thread.
[/quote]

That’s ABSOLUTELY NOT how I feel about foreign remakes. It’s CERTAIN remakes that does little or nothing to set itself apart from the original.

[/quote]

The issue here is that there can’t be a Japanese remake of a classic modern western -not based on a Japanese movie- when American adaptations of Japanese movies are considered classics.
[/quote]

For some people there’s this cross-cultural hypocrisy.

I can see past that and judge a movie on its own merit and form my OWN opinions.

I’m not one to give knee-jerk love to any American remake of an Asian film. But I won’t automatically ignore any potential it may have.

I’m not one to give knee-jerk love to any Asian remake of an American film. But I won’t automatically ignore any potential it may have.

From preliminary research, I don’t think the Japanese remake in this particular case does anything exceptional to set itself apart.

223

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:
you produce a boring - ass response to the Japanese Unforgiven (“Why should I watch it?”), I’m still the bad element.

[/quote]

And you won’t even own up to your juvenile vote for the remake. LOL

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]Pantherhare wrote:

Gonna have to take issue with your characterization of Unforgiven. Hackman’s character, Little Bill, was not a caricature. He was an ostensibly decent guy who just wanted to build his own house but was a shitty carpenter. He believed in law and order but could take it too far. And he was a real tough guy, not a made up one like English Bob. If he were a caricature, he would have been the corrupt sheriff who was irredeemably evil. But instead he was a guy trying to keep order in his town who had an unfortunate temper. Easily a protagonist in another movie (a cop who plays by his own rules – see Russell Crowe in LA Confidential) but Unforgiven instead makes him a powerful antagonist.

And yes, you’re supposed to sympathize with Clint and Freeman’s characters. Generally audience members like pulling for the protagonist. But they were far from pure. Freeman’s character fucks whores even though he’s married, Munny has killed women and children. And they’re killing men for money, men who didn’t actually kill anyone (one of whom is pretty remorseful about the way his friend acted).

Can you tell that I think Unforgiven is a great movie?

Proposition was a decent movie, the director has problems with pacing and sticking to his narrative.
[/quote]

STFU and watch the Japanese remake of Unforgiven starring Ken Watanabe:

[/quote][/quote]

Yeah, let’s ignore all the reasons why you should watch it .[/quote]

You gave your reasons. I was unimpressed. As stated just a minute ago, I may change my mind but remain skeptical. [/quote]

That’s just being snobby. It’s A-OK to watch The Magnificent Seven but not The Seven Samurai. The former is a foreign remake.

224

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]MinotaurXXX wrote:

[quote]roybot wrote:
you produce a boring - ass response to the Japanese Unforgiven (“Why should I watch it?”), I’m still the bad element.

[/quote]

And you won’t even own up to your juvenile vote for the remake. LOL

[quote]roybot wrote:

[quote]Pantherhare wrote:

Gonna have to take issue with your characterization of Unforgiven. Hackman’s character, Little Bill, was not a caricature. He was an ostensibly decent guy who just wanted to build his own house but was a shitty carpenter. He believed in law and order but could take it too far. And he was a real tough guy, not a made up one like English Bob. If he were a caricature, he would have been the corrupt sheriff who was irredeemably evil. But instead he was a guy trying to keep order in his town who had an unfortunate temper. Easily a protagonist in another movie (a cop who plays by his own rules – see Russell Crowe in LA Confidential) but Unforgiven instead makes him a powerful antagonist.

And yes, you’re supposed to sympathize with Clint and Freeman’s characters. Generally audience members like pulling for the protagonist. But they were far from pure. Freeman’s character fucks whores even though he’s married, Munny has killed women and children. And they’re killing men for money, men who didn’t actually kill anyone (one of whom is pretty remorseful about the way his friend acted).

Can you tell that I think Unforgiven is a great movie?

Proposition was a decent movie, the director has problems with pacing and sticking to his narrative.
[/quote]

STFU and watch the Japanese remake of Unforgiven starring Ken Watanabe:

[/quote][/quote]

Yeah, let’s ignore all the reasons why you should watch it .[/quote]

You gave your reasons. I was unimpressed. As stated just a minute ago, I may change my mind but remain skeptical. [/quote]

That’s just being snobby. It’s A-OK to watch The Magnificent Seven but not The Seven Samurai. The former is a foreign remake. [/quote]

Wrong.

I first watched the Magnificent Seven when I was a kid, loved it, and didn’t give it another thought.

Lo and behold, I eventually found out it was based on The Seven Samurai. Curious, I watched that, didn’t quite appreciate it first but on the second viewing, was impressed.

Not too long later, I saw Magnificent Seven again (it’s one of those movies that’s on somewhere) thinking it’ll be superficial. To my surprise, it stood on its own legs pretty damn well.

As for the Japanese remake of The Unforgiven, I asked around to people I RESPECT, watched a few trailers, and read some reviews. Based on that, my gut tells me to NOT put it at the top of the list.

You apologized earlier for polluting another movie thread and now you’re just finding ways to argue. That’s cool. With each and every post you make, you’re just confirming what myself, jb, and most likely many others already think.

225


Nordwan is a 2008 German film based on actual events.

The year is 1936. Nazi propaganda machine seeks heroes to conquer the Eiger, a 13,000 foot mountain in the Swiss Alps. It was first summited in 1858. However, the most difficult section - and therefore the most coveted - is the unclimbed north face.

(For the uninitiated, in mountaineering the obvious prize is to reach the top before any other human being. Usually, this is done by finding the least difficult line. Once a mountain has been summited, climbers value difficulty and style above all else. For example, having a guide basically hold your hand while you breathe into an air mask as you trudge up Everest isn’t shabby; yet it’s not nearly as impressive as the soloist who takes a more dangerous route without supplemental oxygen.)

Two German climbers, Toni Kurtz and Andi Hinterstoisser (for whom the famous traverse on the Eiger would later be named), both serving in the military at the time, take up the challenge. If you’re not familiar with the Eiger’s history, it’s best to avoid any research as this will spoil the ending.

Yes, Kurtz and Hinterstoisser were soldiers in the Third Reich. However, they were mountaineers first and foremost. Viewers who are unable to appreciate this distinction may want to look elsewhere.

There’s been some criticism that Nordwand could and should have stayed more faithful to historical accuracy, mainly the romantic side story which some argue is superfluous. It’s the eternal question: how much artistic license is excessive? I feel the screen writer and director achieved an effective balance.

I’ve watched several mountaineering films: the comic-book entertaining Eiger Sanction, the dreadful K2, the silly Cliffhanger, and the unintentionally hilarious Vertical Limit.

Without question, Nordwand is a film that genuinely respects climbers and the mountain.

Writing and acting are first rate. Cinematography is superb.

German with English subtitles.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 84%

MinotaurXXX rating: 4.25 minotaurs out of 5

226


Drive is a 2011 neo-noir action based on a 2005 novel by James Sallis.

On the surface, it has all the ingredients for just another car chase movie. Handsome hero works as a stunt driver by day and get-away driver at night. Hero meets lovely young neighbor and befriends her. Palpable sexual tension between them. The neighbor’s husband eventually returns home from prison, and manages to get himself into trouble with a very bad crowd. Hero must call upon his courage, integrity, and driving skills.

How does Drive differ from similar movies that treat the viewer as a lobotomized observer of a video game? Hossein Amini’s screenplay constructs a solid foundation. And then there’s the director.

Nicolas Winding Refn, who directed the arrogant and barely comprehensible Valhalla Rising, exerts more self control this time around. The end result is intelligent yet not elitist, poetic yet not over bearing. Indeed, Cannes Film Festival awarded him with the 2011 Best Director award.

Ryan Gosling gives a believable performance and it’s no coincidence some critics compared him to a young Steve McQueen. Carey Mulligan, with a rare ethereal beauty, shows why she won the sought-after role for Daisy Buchanan in the Great Gatsby remake. Albert Brooks surprised and impressed me in a decidedly non-comedic role. Ron Perlman displays a journeyman consistency, though admittedly his character is the least complex, giving him little to work with. Bryan Cranston, better known as Walter White in Breaking Bad, is an actor’s actor.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

MinotaurXXX rating: 4.25 minotaurs out of 5

227


In my write up for Drive, I stated Ron Perlman didn’t have much to work with for his character.

Well, that’s not the case in Hand of God. Perlman portrays a judge whose moral compass doesn’t always point in the right direction. To make matters worse, recent tragedies caused a mental breakdown. Dana Delaney, sexy as ever, portrays his wife.

This is the pilot episode directed by Marc Forster, whose other works include Quantum of Solace and World War Z.

I could give a more detailed synopsis but I won’t. As I’ve stated before, some reviews give too much away and dilutes any elation you may feel when discovering a gem.

If Hand of God gets picked up, it might turn out to be your next guilty pleasure.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: n/a

MinotaurXXX rating: to be determined