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Author Topic: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 395871 times)

maņana

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #240 on: August 28, 2009, 09:10:06 PM »
I never really liked Blazing Saddles.   
I didn't make it past the first twenty minutes.  No real desire to try to see the rest.
Then you missed the ridiculously stupid ending when the characters from Blazing Saddles run on to other movie sets. I guess it's a clever fourth wall break for its time, but it's so unfunny. 
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jbissell

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #241 on: August 29, 2009, 12:54:01 PM »
I haven't seen it in a long time, but I still think of Young Frankenstein as good, not sure if it actually holds up. I saw Spaceballs a while ago and it wasn't as good as I remembered but it had its moments and I liked Rick Moranis a lot.

Spaceballs is so CINECAST!ing horribly unfunny.

maņana

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #242 on: August 29, 2009, 01:01:25 PM »
I haven't seen it in a long time, but I still think of Young Frankenstein as good, not sure if it actually holds up. I saw Spaceballs a while ago and it wasn't as good as I remembered but it had its moments and I liked Rick Moranis a lot.
Spaceballs is so CINECAST!ing horribly unfunny.
Yeah, I agree, but Rick Moranis is good, and the Spaceballs home video bit was cute. But yeah, Mel Brooks has just generally not aged well at all.
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Bill Thompson

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #243 on: August 29, 2009, 01:38:53 PM »
I found Spaceballs to be funnier than most of Brooks' material, unfunny at times, uneven on the whole, but still pretty funny.

skjerva

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #244 on: August 31, 2009, 01:05:20 AM »

Verdict

If this match-up were between History of the World Part 1 and a kick in the balls, I would move a kick in the balls on to round two. Power and Water moves on because... I dunno.... if you are on mushrooms or something it might actually be worth watching. Also it's shorter.

But look on the bright side, if you draw P&W in round two it won't have anything to live up to.

great write-up, sorry you had to shit through that crap (i hope i get P&W next round :) )
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skjerva

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #245 on: September 13, 2009, 01:22:32 PM »
They All Laughed
1981, Peter Bogdanovich
versus
Gremlins
1984, Joe Dante

They All Laughed - silly
Gremlins - surprising



So, Ben Gazzara plays a ladies man, John, makes sense, eh?  He picks up a hot 23 year old cabbie and develops an odd relationship with her, he has another attractive young ex that conflictedly pines for him, then he lands an old Audrey Hepburn character that brings nothing to the film.  John works with Charles (John Ritter) as detectives.  Ritter plays Charles just as we'd expect him to - the naive straight-guy [hello Cera and Bateman] with lots of "body comedy", and yeah, it doesn't really work watching him fall over and bump into things every few minutes.  There is some other detective dude that looks like some character in a Miyazaki film, he has the massive head of curly hair, roller skates, picks up ladies at will, wears sunglasses, and smokes the dope.  The men more or less snoop on ladies, but the ladies are pretty up on stuff, too (well, probably more than the guys).  The dialog is pretty bad, tries for some witty, quick exchanges, but they come off just stilted; other times the dialogue is just bad.  I have a feeling there might be something worthwhile about the pic, but it escapes me...i guess the way it moves through The City is kinda nice.  The film feels like a bad Altman, and I don't really like Altman.



I probably haven't seen Gremlins since it was released and had no real memory of it, it really surprises me that this is a PG film, scary and some pretty gory kills for a kid-flick.  I never associate this one with good cultural criticism, but the film ends on the lazy message delivered by the Grandfather, something about the stupid Americans not responsible enough to deal with the Other; tied into that, there is also the critique of consumer culture and money grubbing.  There are some cool shots, mostly close-ups of the creatures.  At 1:45 the movie is about 30 min too long.  It is still pretty darn entertaining and won't mind revisiting it soon, I'm not sure I get the raving love for it, but it is pretty good and easily makes it by They All Laughed.  Sorry rouj, why do you like this one (or did you just want to see it in for some other reason)?



i'll take another number
« Last Edit: September 14, 2009, 09:44:44 AM by skjerva »
But I wish the public could, in the midst of its pleasures, see how blatantly it is being spoon-fed, and ask for slightly better dreams. 
                        - Iris Barry from "The Public's Pleasure" (1926)

roujin

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #246 on: September 13, 2009, 02:12:52 PM »
or did you just want to see it in for some other reason)?

Yeah, this.

skjerva

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #247 on: September 14, 2009, 09:41:58 AM »
or did you just want to see it in for some other reason)?

Yeah, this.

like?
But I wish the public could, in the midst of its pleasures, see how blatantly it is being spoon-fed, and ask for slightly better dreams. 
                        - Iris Barry from "The Public's Pleasure" (1926)

Colleen

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #248 on: September 14, 2009, 10:10:33 AM »

 it really surprises me that this is a PG film, scary and some pretty gory kills for a kid-flick.  



As I recall, people at the time were pretty horrified too.  It was the gore in this movie and in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that led to the development of the PG-13 rating.

skjerva

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Re: 1980s US Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #249 on: September 14, 2009, 10:12:34 AM »

 it really surprises me that this is a PG film, scary and some pretty gory kills for a kid-flick.  



As I recall, people at the time were pretty horrified too.  It was the gore in this movie and in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that led to the development of the PG-13 rating.

i forgot this would have been pre PG-13, thanks for the history lesson :) 
But I wish the public could, in the midst of its pleasures, see how blatantly it is being spoon-fed, and ask for slightly better dreams. 
                        - Iris Barry from "The Public's Pleasure" (1926)