Poll

Which of these is your LEAST favorite?

Alien
1 (3.6%)
Aliens
1 (3.6%)
Brazil
1 (3.6%)
City of God
2 (7.1%)
A Clockwork Orange
3 (10.7%)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1 (3.6%)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
2 (7.1%)
Die Hard
0 (0%)
The Godfather
0 (0%)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
0 (0%)
Goodfellas
2 (7.1%)
The Graduate
5 (17.9%)
Jaws
1 (3.6%)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3 (10.7%)
Pulp Fiction
0 (0%)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
0 (0%)
Schindler's List
0 (0%)
The Silence of the Lambs
0 (0%)
Sunset Blvd.
0 (0%)
Toy Story
0 (0%)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
6 (21.4%)

Total Members Voted: 28

Author Topic: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?  (Read 12795 times)

Antares

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2011, 08:24:03 PM »
1. Star Wars is fantasy, not science fiction.

It's actually science fiction fantasy so it still counts as science fiction. I've heard your statement before and I don't buy it.

2. You ever considered taking another look at Close Encounters? It's not my #2 film of all time for nothing. The plot is very simple, but the arc of the plot is far from simple. It's a complex drama about a man yearning for something more in his life, more even than his beautiful family. His journey to discovering that is fraught with obstacles both external and internal, and along the way he actually hurts his family. Plus, a simple narrative does not have to be a negative. Close Encounters uses the power of visuals, editing, sound and music to create an identifiable reality for its characters and then introduces real awe and wonder within those confines. It's a beautiful film and it's far more complex than mere bright flashing lights and special effects.

For you maybe, but not for me. I don't care for films that are steeped in special effects. I have tried re-watching many times in last 30 years, but every time I do, I feel my intelligence is being insulted. You mention the music, OK I'll bite. If these aliens can traverse through space for light years, don't you think that they would have the ability to monitor our transmissions? Wouldn't they be able to come up with a make shift attempt at one of the more popular spoken languages? No, they use a few musical notes and are so giddy at their success, they decide to have a free form space jam. I was on the floor laughing at that scene.
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Bondo

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2011, 08:25:28 PM »
I'm assuming that is the original Dawn of the Dead and not the remake, so it is the one I haven't seen.

A Clockwork Orange
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Jaws
Die Hard
Schindler's List
Toy Story
City of God
The Godfather
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Pulp Fiction
Alien
The Graduate
Aliens
The Silence of the Lambs
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Brazil

Sunset Blvd.
Goodfellas


1. Star Wars is fantasy, not science fiction.

This may be the most absurd thing you've ever said. It takes place in space, thus it is science fiction.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2011, 08:28:48 PM by Bondo »

Antares

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2011, 08:31:02 PM »
Spielberg did an aliens kill people movie. It was called War of the Worlds, and that movie suffers from more of the problems you are describing.

It just proves to me that Spielberg is the B-movie blockbuster king. I've been saying it for years, he's a modern day P.T. Barnum.

The reason that the aliens in Close Encounters are all lovey dovey and they return all the people is, well, partly because of the actual plot of the film, but also because Close Encounters is a story about hope and belief and wonder and discovery.

I just had a South Park flashback, you know, when they lampooned Doug Henning and the wonder of reading.

And the final 20 minutes of Close Encounters are fine for kids, in fact I'd love for my future kids to watch that film and that sequence one day, but they show is far more controlled and operatic than you are giving credit. It's a bravura squence of not just flashing lights, but a symphony of colours and sounds and music that swell and burst to elicit a strong emotional response. Brilliant filmmaking.

Answered in my previous post.
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Antares

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2011, 08:35:16 PM »
1. Star Wars is fantasy, not science fiction.

This may be the most absurd thing you've ever said. It takes place in space, thus it is science fiction.

I've actually heard this stated before, and by someone whom I've discussed many a film with and wholeheartedly respect their opinion. But I've called him on it too, it's just a whitewashing of the fact that Star Wars is a B-movie plot at its core.
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Bondo

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2011, 08:36:13 PM »
You keep using B-movie like it is a bad thing.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2011, 08:37:42 PM »
What FroHam is saying is that Star Wars has more fantasy tropes than sci-fi. Yes, the setting is sci-fi, but when you look at the tropes of the genre, it isn't in line with most sci-fi flicks.

Bill Thompson

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #16 on: March 30, 2011, 08:38:05 PM »
Terrible
18) The Graduate
17) Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Good
16) Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Great
15) Jaws
14) Schindler's List
13) The Silence Of The Lambs
12) Die Hard
11) Toy Story
10) Alien
Master Work
9) One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
8) Who Framed Roger Rabbit
7) Goodfellas
6) Sunset Blvd.
5) Aliens
4) The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
3) Dawn Of The Dead
2) A Clockwork Orange
1) The Godfather

Antares

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #17 on: March 30, 2011, 08:39:17 PM »
You keep using B-movie like it is a bad thing.

It's only a bad thing when people think it's loftier than that. I love B-movies, but I call a spade a spade.
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Bill Thompson

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #18 on: March 30, 2011, 08:39:48 PM »
What FroHam is saying is that Star Wars has more fantasy tropes than sci-fi. Yes, the setting is sci-fi, but when you look at the tropes of the genre, it isn't in line with most sci-fi flicks.

It actually has many of the same tropes of classic science fiction, so what you're saying really isn't true.But, it's really a tomato/tomato thing, fantasy and science fiction are so close to one another in so many ways and overlap often.

Antares

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Re: 1SO's Final Group: Which is Your LEAST Favorite?
« Reply #19 on: March 30, 2011, 08:40:24 PM »
Terrible
18) The Graduate
17) Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Ah...the cavalry comes over the hill. Thanks Bill
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