Movies that surprised you... - Page 3

LoneStarSpur · 11-05-2003, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moviemuse

Playing By Heart. I love that movie, and so do most of the people I know who have seen it, which unfortunately isn't many. Great film, though.

That looks pretty cool. We'll have to check it out...wifey and I are always looking for movies to see that we've never heard of.

-Randy

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kchamber · 11-05-2003, 09:05 PM

Akira. A few years back the Sci-fi channel showed science fiction anime movies in the morning on Saturdays. I sort of got in a habit of watching them, like they were my new Saturday morning cartoons. The problem was they were all really bad, with the same kind of poorly executed apocalyptic, pre-apocalyptic, or post-apocalyptic plot. Then one Saturday they show Akira, and I realized this was the movie all those others ones wanted to be. It made sitting through all those others worthwhile. I know most people here haven't seen it, because I posted its synopsis in the Plot game and no one recognized it.

Talk to Her (Habla con Ella) I went into the theater with barely an idea what it was about, but now it's one of my favorites from last year.

Zhora · 11-05-2003, 09:07 PM

Thanks for the reminder about Akira. I bought it a long time ago and keep forgetting to watch it. Glad to know it's a good one.

I'll watch it soon.

eldee · 11-05-2003, 09:40 PM

[quote=LoneStarSpur]

Thanks! I guess I could have used that handy dandy search function I've read so much about.

"Streets of Fire" with Micheal Pare, Diane Lane and Willem Defoe in his first role....QUOTE]

That was his first major role. I believe the first movie Willem Defoe was in was a vampire movie with Catherine DeNerve (sp) and David Bowie. Willem didn't last long in that one.

chirospasm · 11-07-2003, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moviemuse

Playing By Heart. I love that movie, and so do most of the people I know who have seen it, which unfortunately isn't many. Great film, though.

I'd have to second that one

One of (if not the best) ensemble cast movies I've seen . . . Sean Connery, Gillian Anderson, Jon Stewart, Madeleine Stowe, Dennis Quaid, Angelina Jolie, Ryan Phillipe, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Anthony Edwards, Gena Rowlands . . . .

Trust me, you know everyone in the movie!

nausicaa · 11-09-2003, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kchamber

Akira. A few years back the Sci-fi channel showed science fiction anime movies in the morning on Saturdays. I sort of got in a habit of watching them, like they were my new Saturday morning cartoons. The problem was they were all really bad, with the same kind of poorly executed apocalyptic, pre-apocalyptic, or post-apocalyptic plot. Then one Saturday they show Akira, and I realized this was the movie all those others ones wanted to be. It made sitting through all those others worthwhile. I know most people here haven't seen it, because I posted its synopsis in the Plot game and no one recognized it.

Oh my god, kchamber! Excellent choice!

Not many people have the open-mindnessness (or the taste

) to recognize good Japanimation. Akira definitely ranks among my favourite movies of all time.

A question: Have you had the the chance to catch "The Animatrix"? It's a series of gritty, fast-paced sci-fi vignettes written by the Wachowski brothers (of "The Matrix") and directed by some of the best Japanime artists in the business (i.e. like the guy who made Cowboy Bebop). I strongly recommend it for the following reasons: 1) you get to see some truly fantastic and innovative visuals - both CG and hand-drawn; 2) you get to know more of the backstory behind "The Matrix" itself; 3) C'mon, admit it - it sounds like (and is!) a way cooler movie than the stuff that's playing in the theatres right now. I mean, c'mon - "Love Actually"? "Elf"? Bleeech.

Good anime is underrated in general, I'd say. I mean, yeah -people may have heard of Miyazaki's phenomenal "Spirited Away", but who's heard of Kon's masterful and poignant "Millenium Actress" (recently released under Dreamworks SKG), outside of festival circles? Or his earlier film "Perfect Blue"? Studio Ghibli may ring a bell or two, but how about Gainax? Ergh.

I guess one of the problems is that anime is usually made into TV series, not movies, and most are too graphic or too manture or just too plain wierd for North American tv audiences, at that. So if you want to catch them in North America, you'd have to actively search for them in your local comic store or subscribe to the Cartoon Network. Since most people don't, that doesn't make anime very accessible. The end result is that people miss out Gundam, Vampire Princess Miyu, Battle Angel Alita (Gunm), Record of Lodoss War, Neo Genesis Evangelion, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Serial Experiments Lain, Love Hina, etc, etc. The fact that my favouite series - "Vision of Escaflowne" - did get aired by Fox turned out to be a double-edged sword: they totally butchered it through senseless editing.

And even the animated movies that do find North American distributors aren't played very widely; I doubt your average Joe has heard of "Princess Mononoke" or "Ghost in the Shell", fer 'sample - such a shame, IMO. :mad

Sorry. Rant off.

Er...other underrated movies: "Empire of the Sun", "Big Night", "Tampopo", "The Killer", "What Time is It There?", "Aguirre: The Wrath of God", "La Haine", "Il Postino", "Crimes and MisDemeanors", "Eat Drink Man Woman", "El Mariachi", "I am Cuba", "I Shot Andy Warhol", "Whale Rider", "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters", "Ran", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Shaolin Soccer", "Burnt by the Sun", "Prisoner of the Mountains", "Kolya", "Touch of Evil", "Quiz Show", "Ikiru", "Requiem for a Dream", "Smoke", "Slam", "The Sweet Hereafter", "Spider", "Gods and Monsters", "Central Station", "Do the Right Thing", "My Dinner with Andre", "Shall We Dance?", "Rabbit-Proof Fence", "Hamlet" (Branagh's version), "Shower", "The Last Emperor", "The Piano", "The Limey", "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia", "The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy", "Say Anything", "Unbreakable", "The Man on the Moon", "Battle Royale", "Punch-Drunk Love", "Fiddler on the Roof" (don't laugh :mad), "Being John Malkovich", "Shaft", "Ghost World", "American Psycho", "The Royal Tennebaums", "28 Days Later", "Kill Bill"....okay, this is getting way ridiculous.

G'night.

kchamber · 11-11-2003, 02:41 AM

To me all anime seems both underrated and overrated, depending who you ask. I hate when people think that either you're a fan or you're not, with no middle ground. I don't like getting lumped in with the kiddies watching DragonballZ just because I mention I like anime. It's stupid when people think I'm weird for liking a movie that made more money than Titanic in Japan. On the other hand, I roll my eyes when I hear about people going to Kill Bill just 'cause it has an anime-style flashback.

It's not even a genre. It can be any genre. It's just a variation on the medium.

I haven't seen the Animatrix yet. I'll get around to it eventually. I haven't seen Revolutions yet either, but that's by choice. I enjoyed Miyazaki's works (especially My Neighbor Totoro), Perfect Blue, Ghost in the Shell (it had great ideas, but I believe the filmmakers made it cryptic to hide their own uncertainty of what they were saying). The adult swim stuff on Cartoon Network is hit-and-miss (while typing this I'm watching FLCL, possibly the most incomprehensible show ever). Most of the others you listed I haven't seen, but want to.

MasterOfPuppets · 11-11-2003, 03:21 AM

Dragonball is gross, and Feature Length anime are gross IMO.. I'll take series' any day... Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, PoT.. that's the s***

but anyway.. movies that surprised me..

MEMENTO..

I didn't want to see that movie at ALL... then I saw it.. and I was like........................ wow

LoneStarSpur · 11-13-2003, 09:02 AM

about Memento

Very interesting movie and Guy Pearce is a great actor.

-Randy

Zhora · 11-13-2003, 02:14 PM

If you guys liked Memento, you might also enjoy Christopher Nolan's earlier movie, (I think it was his directorial debut), Following.

After having watched Memento, I found it really interesting to watch Following looking for similarities and differences between the two films. I think they are both quite excellent.

11-05-2003, 09:05 PM	#22
kchamber FORT Fan Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 197	Akira. A few years back the Sci-fi channel showed science fiction anime movies in the morning on Saturdays. I sort of got in a habit of watching them, like they were my new Saturday morning cartoons. The problem was they were all really bad, with the same kind of poorly executed apocalyptic, pre-apocalyptic, or post-apocalyptic plot. Then one Saturday they show Akira, and I realized this was the movie all those others ones wanted to be. It made sitting through all those others worthwhile. I know most people here haven't seen it, because I posted its synopsis in the Plot game and no one recognized it. Talk to Her (Habla con Ella) I went into the theater with barely an idea what it was about, but now it's one of my favorites from last year. __________________ Tugboats and arson. That's all I ever get from you guys.

11-11-2003, 02:41 AM	#27
kchamber FORT Fan Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 197	To me all anime seems both underrated and overrated, depending who you ask. I hate when people think that either you're a fan or you're not, with no middle ground. I don't like getting lumped in with the kiddies watching DragonballZ just because I mention I like anime. It's stupid when people think I'm weird for liking a movie that made more money than Titanic in Japan. On the other hand, I roll my eyes when I hear about people going to Kill Bill just 'cause it has an anime-style flashback. It's not even a genre. It can be any genre. It's just a variation on the medium. I haven't seen the Animatrix yet. I'll get around to it eventually. I haven't seen Revolutions yet either, but that's by choice. I enjoyed Miyazaki's works (especially My Neighbor Totoro), Perfect Blue, Ghost in the Shell (it had great ideas, but I believe the filmmakers made it cryptic to hide their own uncertainty of what they were saying). The adult swim stuff on Cartoon Network is hit-and-miss (while typing this I'm watching FLCL, possibly the most incomprehensible show ever). Most of the others you listed I haven't seen, but want to. __________________ Tugboats and arson. That's all I ever get from you guys.

11-11-2003, 03:21 AM	#28
MasterOfPuppets caught by the window Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: In a van down by the river!!!... watching the Canucks on my 3" TV Age: 23 Posts: 433	Dragonball is gross, and Feature Length anime are gross IMO.. I'll take series' any day... Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, PoT.. that's the s*** but anyway.. movies that surprised me.. MEMENTO.. I didn't want to see that movie at ALL... then I saw it.. and I was like........................ wow Last edited by Zhora; 11-11-2003 at 02:37 PM.

11-05-2003, 09:07 PM	#23
Zhora Smiling again... Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Back in the city Yippee! Posts: 3,704	Thanks for the reminder about Akira. I bought it a long time ago and keep forgetting to watch it. Glad to know it's a good one. I'll watch it soon.

11-05-2003, 09:40 PM	#24
eldee FORT Fogey Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 7,545	[quote=LoneStarSpur] Thanks! I guess I could have used that handy dandy search function I've read so much about. "Streets of Fire" with Micheal Pare, Diane Lane and Willem Defoe in his first role....QUOTE] That was his first major role. I believe the first movie Willem Defoe was in was a vampire movie with Catherine DeNerve (sp) and David Bowie. Willem didn't last long in that one.

11-13-2003, 09:02 AM	#29
LoneStarSpur Very Proud Grandpa! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA Age: 54 Posts: 590	about Memento Very interesting movie and Guy Pearce is a great actor. -Randy

11-13-2003, 02:14 PM	#30
Zhora Smiling again... Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Back in the city Yippee! Posts: 3,704	If you guys liked Memento, you might also enjoy Christopher Nolan's earlier movie, (I think it was his directorial debut), Following. After having watched Memento, I found it really interesting to watch Following looking for similarities and differences between the two films. I think they are both quite excellent.