love

Author Topic: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies  (Read 11517 times)

Thor

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 6535
    • KTQ
Re: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies
« Reply #40 on: August 20, 2008, 02:07:33 PM »
I'm glad F for Fake was mentioned as a DIY film - for me, it can never get mentioned enough.

But if you have that top 5, please don't overlook The Apostle. Robert Duvall wrote the script in the 1980's and spent years getting turned down by studios before eventually financing the film with $4million of his own money, producing, directing, starring and doing a duet with Emmy Lou Harris for the soundtrack! His acting performance is incredible.
Wanting for Thor what Thor wants for Thor.

Big C

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 241
  • Duke, let's go do some crimes.
Re: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies
« Reply #41 on: August 20, 2008, 03:06:31 PM »
One thing this show did bring is the fact that Adam and Matty really have to do a top 5 Man Crushes list. I know Sam was opposed to it but the whole " I would do anything Steve McQueen wanted me to" exchange really put it over the edge. Also in response to the posts about The Getaway references, check out the "shoot your way out of a hotel" scene from John Woo's A Better Tomorrow II. Mr. Woo loves cribbing from Peckinpah's playbook.
Wake up son. I'll be taking these Huggies and whatever cash you got.

Adam

  • Administrator
  • Elite Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4572
    • Filmspotting
Re: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies
« Reply #42 on: August 20, 2008, 04:01:13 PM »
One thing this show did bring is the fact that Adam and Matty really have to do a top 5 Man Crushes list. I know Sam was opposed to it but the whole " I would do anything Steve McQueen wanted me to" exchange really put it over the edge.
This comes up on Friday's show actually.
Follow Filmspotting on Twitter at http://twitter.com/filmspotting

Listen to Filmspotting at https://www.filmspotting.net/ and on Chicago Public Radio (91.5 FM)

With fronds like these...

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 530
    • I'm on Twitter...
Re: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies
« Reply #43 on: August 21, 2008, 03:39:35 PM »
... if you don't watch that hotel scene, or watch McQueen traveling through small Texas towns with a satchel full of money and not at least think of No Country, I'd say you're either crazy or being disingenuous.
You're not giving Peckinpah enough credit. That raw violence functions just as much as a critique of the men who live by these means.

I plead neither of those. There's evidently similarities in the setting, but McCarthy's plot (and the Coens' film) is immeasurably more complex and challenging, certainly than Peckinpah's execution of The Getaway (IMHO!). I cared about every character in No Country (yes, even Chigurh), down to the smallest walk-on, because the performances and direction were so strong. I actually stopped caring about Steve McQueen quite early because he was so unlikeable and at the same time incompetent (so let's agree to disagree)...!

I do agree that Peckinpah does critique raw violence in Straw Dogs, where the almost-cowardly Dustin Hoffmann ultimately resorts to bloody and terrible violence, and there's no macho glory in it. But it just feels different to me in The Getaway, and not in a good way.

Adam

  • Administrator
  • Elite Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4572
    • Filmspotting
Re: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies
« Reply #44 on: August 21, 2008, 04:35:24 PM »
... if you don't watch that hotel scene, or watch McQueen traveling through small Texas towns with a satchel full of money and not at least think of No Country, I'd say you're either crazy or being disingenuous.
You're not giving Peckinpah enough credit. That raw violence functions just as much as a critique of the men who live by these means.

I plead neither of those. There's evidently similarities in the setting, but McCarthy's plot (and the Coens' film) is immeasurably more complex and challenging, certainly than Peckinpah's execution of The Getaway (IMHO!). I cared about every character in No Country (yes, even Chigurh), down to the smallest walk-on, because the performances and direction were so strong. I actually stopped caring about Steve McQueen quite early because he was so unlikeable and at the same time incompetent (so let's agree to disagree)...!
I don't disagree with anything you say. And I don't disagree that McQueen is unlikeable... that's just not a problem for me. That actually makes me like the movie more.
Follow Filmspotting on Twitter at http://twitter.com/filmspotting

Listen to Filmspotting at https://www.filmspotting.net/ and on Chicago Public Radio (91.5 FM)

With fronds like these...

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 530
    • I'm on Twitter...
Re: #223: Tropic Thunder / Man on Wire / Getaway / Movies About Movies
« Reply #45 on: August 21, 2008, 04:54:35 PM »
Hurray! It just didn't do anything for me.

Can't wait for tomorrow's show. I'm a huge fan of many of Steve Coogan's characters (especially Alan Partridge and The Day Today), but haven't seen much of him in a while.