4263 replies to this topic

[Mike in STL]

Jake Gyllenhaal has come a long way since "Bubble Boy." Didn't even know he was in that. 

[NewMarketSean]

Waiting for Philomena to start. Kind of wish I was seeing the new RoboCop. Actually doesn't look that bad.

[Pedro Cerrano]

New RoboCop and Monumens Men are both sub-par.

[Dupin]

Anyone seen The Lego Movie yet?  I'm thinking about checking it out this week.  I normally skip animated features these days, but I've heard outstanding things.

[JeremyStrain]

Anyone seen The Lego Movie yet?  I'm thinking about checking it out this week.  I normally skip animated features these days, but I've heard outstanding things.

 

I'm taking the girls to see it tomorrow morning. Was supposed to go Friday, but the snow messed things up.

[SportsGuy]

I just want to know how a guy who does a movie podcast has yet to see the Godfather and just saw the Goonies. Bob, come on man!

[BobPhelan]

I just want to know how a guy who does a movie podcast has yet to see the Godfather and just saw the Goonies. Bob, come on man!

I'm working on it! My co-host borrowed my godfather trilogy bluray so I plan on watching it when he gives it back.

Btw, I think I'm seeing the Lego movie tomorrow.

[NewMarketSean]

Philomena - excellent. Dench is great as always and the limited times I've seen Coogan left me unimpressed with him but he's also great in this. I really appreciated the understated tone of the movie...didn't get too mushy when it very well could have. ****

 

RoboCop (1987) - re-watched this last night. One of the best 80's action films and probably the most violent. They just don't make them like this anymore. And if you haven't read the Paul Verhoeven article on Grantland, check it out. Now. ****

 

A Good Day to Die Hard - re-watched this. The first time I watched the Theatrical Version this time I did the Extended Version which is basically a joke since the Extended Version is actually shorter than the Theatrical. Not much changes, but they removed Mary Elizabeth Winstead from the film completely. The car chase was longer but it was already too long and stupid. I don't think the film is as bad as many critics made it out to be but it's easily the worst Die Hard film. All logic, tension and character from any of the previous films are turned down to a minimum. The film looks and sounds good, but aside from using scenes from the film to demo your home theater there is very little re-watch value. I wish I knew how to use a film editor app because I do think I could edit together a version of this movie that while still the weakest film in the series, would lessen the suckiness of some of it. First change -- remove all mentions of "I'm on vacation after the first one". **

 

And ranking all the Die Hards...

 

Die Hard ****

Die Hard 2 ***

Die Hard With a Vengeance ***1/2

Live Free or Die Hard ***

A Good Day to Die Hard **

[BobPhelan]

Pretty much agree with those ratings but the newest one would get * or *1/2.

Just got back from The Lego Movie. A ton of fun. My daughter was singing "everything is awesome" the whole way home. 8.5/10

[NewMarketSean]

Pretty much agree with those ratings but the newest one would get * or *1/2.

Just got back from The Lego Movie. A ton of fun. My daughter was singing "everything is awesome" the whole way home. 8.5/10

 

I was being generous with the extra half star. But I liked the bit with the car trunks and I thought the end did start to actually feel a little bit like a Die Hard film.

[Markus]

'80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Way to be creative there Hollywood.
 

7. "The Monster Squad" (1987)

 

So help them if they end up making this and muck it up.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I'll never understand folks who think Vengeance is better than Die Hard 2.  Die Hard 2 is just a cut under the first one, IMO.

[NewMarketSean]

I'll never understand folks who think Vengeance is better than Die Hard 2.  Die Hard 2 is just a cut under the first one, IMO.

Then you don't understand me.

 

I think Vengeance is a cut below the first one.

 

DH2 was too vulgar and not as creative as DH or DHWAV. 

 

Plus it had a pretty lame villain compared to Hans and Simon Gruber.

 

I do still love it though.

[NewMarketSean]

'80s Movies Forever: 20 Remakes in the Works

Way to be creative there Hollywood.
 

 

So help them if they end up making this and muck it up.

3 remakes from the 80's were released this past weekend.

 

2/3 of them flopped and the one that did well did well because it likely hit with black audiences and Kevin Hart is having his 15 minutes.

 

Buzzfeed had a great article that showed how all the 80's remakes have done...and all but a small few have not even outgrossed the original when inflation is taken into account. Pretty shocking when you consider the amount of theaters there are now compared to back then and the money spent on advertising.

 

I do think there is a place for remakes in Hollywood -- you just need to go back further than the 80's. People in their 30's remember the 80's and people over 20 have at least seen most of the hits from that decade.

 

These movies are 1) still good and worth watching over and over and 2) not far enough removed from the public awareness to remake them.

 

So good riddance. I hope this weekend showed Hollywood that they're forcing shit on us that we have shown time and time again that we don't want!

[Markus]

Also, throw me in the camp that thinks Vengeance is better than DH2.

 

The only part of Vengeance I really didn't like was when they showed the flashback to DH and Gruber falling just so the out-of-the-loop audience could put 2 and 2 together.  And when McClane says  "I know the man, I know the family."  That line just seemed a bit corn-ball to me.

[Dupin]

Outside of 21 Jump Street, I can't think of a good remake off the top of my head.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Then you don't understand me.

 

I think Vengeance is a cut below the first one.

 

DH2 was too vulgar and not as creative as DH or DHWAV. 

 

Plus it had a pretty lame villain compared to Hans and Simon Gruber.

 

I do still love it though.

 

Col. Stuart was lame?  He crashed a damn 747 out of spite!

 

Don't get the non-creative line at all -- it's the same principles that made the first Die Hard so good, one man against an army, trapped in a locale, out-gunned, even the cops working against him, etc etc.  It took an already great formula and made something new out of it.  And the whole "blue clips vs. red clips" to discover that John Amos' character was bad was pretty awesome.

 

Vengeance and the whole "let's run around New York" thing plus the constant racial bickering got a tad tiresome.  Plus the end fight where he somehow "discovers" the location of the bad guys on an aspirin bottle is totally lame.

[NewMarketSean]

Col. Stuart was lame?  He crashed a damn 747 out of spite!

 

Don't get the non-creative line at all -- it's the same principles that made the first Die Hard so good, one man against an army, trapped in a locale, out-gunned, even the cops working against him, etc etc.  It took an already great formula and made something new out of it.  And the whole "blue clips vs. red clips" to discover that John Amos' character was bad was pretty awesome.

 

Vengeance and the whole "let's run around New York" thing plus the constant racial bickering got a tad tiresome.  Plus the end fight where he somehow "discovers" the location of the bad guys on an aspirin bottle is totally lame.

We can agree to disagree.

 

I was about to mention the plane crash in my first post. Great scene. But the reaction to such a horrible event is swept under the rug pretty quickly.

 

I love everything about DHWAV. Sam Jackson's best performance outside of Pulp Fiction. Great supporting cast. Great villian. Great setting. I do agree the end was a little lackluster.

[Mike in STL]

Also, throw me in the camp that thinks Vengeance is better than DH2.
 
The only part of Vengeance I really didn't like was when they showed the flashback to DH and Gruber falling just so the out-of-the-loop audience could put 2 and 2 together.  And when McClane says  "I know the man, I know the family."  That line just seemed a bit corn-ball to me.

I actually saw Vengeance before any other Die Hard because it came out when I was about 10 years old and my dad rented it from a video store (whatever that means). The flashback of Hans, I had no idea what that was at first. Vengeance was better then DH2.

[NewMarketSean]

I actually saw Vengeance before any other Die Hard because it came out when I was about 10 years old and my dad rented it from a video store (whatever that means). The flashback of Hans, I had no idea what that was at first. Vengeance was better then DH2.

The same thing happened with me and Rocky. Saw Rocky IV before any of the others. The flashbacks made me feel there was this epic saga that I'd come in too late on. It's a unique way to discover a film series that way. I think the childhood discovery is what makes the movies so special.

 

As for my first time seeing Die Hard, spent the night over a friend's house when I was 11-12 in 1990-1991- probably like 8 kids. We all watched DH1 and then they all fell asleep. DH2 started immediately on the tape after the first one ended and I Stayed up and watched the whole thing, back to back.

 

It's also strange coming into a series, so when you watch them all for the first time they all feel very seamless. But then the sequels that come after your entry point, they all kind of feel off. DHWAV feels like a legit DH film, it was directed by McTiernan after all. LFODH and now AGDTDH they both feel off. Maybe it was the way they were written and filmed...but the "Die Hard" feel of these films has waned with each sequel.