Author Topic: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 395701 times)

Beavermoose

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2020 on: September 10, 2014, 11:28:40 PM »
Who Framed Roger Rabbit VS Rain Man

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way," says the alluring, fantastically proportioned, Jessica Rabbit in one of the key scenes in the movie.
Which leads us to the questions: What makes us who we are? Are we all just drawn that way? Products of our surroundings, of our sociocultural systems?  Is there such a thing as free will? Roger Rabbit, although stuffed with wacky antics, meta humour and demonstrating a love of old hollywood cinema, is padded with vague existentialist ideas and cultural critique. The toons immortality for example is topic of interest. What value does a life have when it cannot be ended? Would we all just be dropping anvils on each others heads if we we're immortal?
Despite the semi-facetiousness of this first paragraph. I do think that there is much more depth to this film than most people give it credit for. Not only were its visuals revolutionary at the time, the world building for this movie is fantastic and the way the effects are integrated in so many creative ways its a real treat to watch. I remember watching this as a kid and getting so scared by judge doom in those final few scenes that I couldn't watch the end. Re-watching it now I have to give Zemeckis credit for making the judge such a frightening character and upping the stakes in those final scenes. Those crazy eyes and that golden rotary saw arm will forever be stuck in my memory.

Rain Man
A somewhat by the numbers tale about family, self-realization, becoming a better person and all that jazz. Rain Man's main strength, and I have to give credit to Levinson and the performers for this, is that it manages to derive humour from a mentally ill person without ever feeling exploitative. Cruise is at his cruisiest and Hoffmann has his once in a lifetime performance as the, maybe a bit too silly, autistic Raymond.
I have to admit that I also do really enjoy the fact that this is a road movie, the whole literal journey, emotional journey allegory just seems to be something that works really well and allows for both dynamic visuals and storytelling. And of course the scenes in Vegas are fantastic as proven by the many parodies.

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I've never been much for ranking movies. At this point in the brackets all the movies that we are reviewing are at the least very good in my book and so ultimately when choosing between two of them it really comes to personal preference or nostalgia or some single scene that stands out above the rest. For me its the ambition, uniqueness and of course the nostalgia that puts this movie over the edge.

Verdict: The Rabbit moves on. If my bracket partners agree.

edit: added some spoiler tags
« Last Edit: September 11, 2014, 08:08:50 AM by Beavermoose »

1SO

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2021 on: September 10, 2014, 11:55:32 PM »
Great write-ups and you made the right decision, but that Roger Rabbit photo is a major spoiler. I remember the first time I saw the movie, never thinking the toon that killed Eddie's brother was going to come back. I certainly didn't think it was the Judge, who didn't have the eyes or the voice Eddie remembers.

Bondo

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2022 on: September 11, 2014, 12:14:02 AM »
BRACKETS!!!

I have both films rated 4/5 in my most recent viewings so I'd be happy enough either way.

Beavermoose

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2023 on: September 13, 2014, 10:37:22 PM »
I really hope that we can get more people to finish up this bracket!

Bondo

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2024 on: September 13, 2014, 11:08:40 PM »
I'm still waiting on another assignment.

maņana

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2025 on: February 15, 2019, 10:17:39 PM »
We can do this. I know it.
There's no deceit in the cauliflower.

Beavermoose

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2026 on: February 15, 2019, 10:41:07 PM »
 ;D Holy crap, it's been almost 5 years!

Bondo

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2027 on: February 15, 2019, 10:51:36 PM »
I was just thinking about this. Like the 90s FE bracket has been creeping along but this one just peaced out.

smirnoff

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2028 on: February 15, 2019, 11:15:52 PM »
Collective realization that none of the films from the 80s are as good as we remember?

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #2029 on: February 16, 2019, 01:01:37 PM »
*American films