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That’s a very entertaining book, but it’s hamstrung by the fact that she’s hellbent on portraying him as a talentless dweeb. I’m not saying that he’s flawless (she did mention that Roger Avary didn’t get his share of the credit for Pulp Fiction’s success, which is—by various reports—true), But—and bear in mind that my memory is rusty since I read the book many years ago—she acts like Tarantino stabbed them in the back by disowning the film....which I don’t blame him for, because the film is WAY less nuanced than a typical Tarantino project and, is totally over the top and generally sucks (in my humble opinion). Tarantino only has a story credit—Oliver Stone rewrite the script as a satire because he’s so deft with light, topical humor (that’s my snarky asshole side right there)—and I think NBK pales in comparison to any Tarantino film (except maybe Four Rooms, but that film is such a train wreck it’s at least fun to watch). To make a long story short (too late), while the book is undeniably entertaining, Hamsher is so bitter at points that she is an unreliable narrator. Plus she went on to produce Apt Pupil, a Bryan Singer film (which has it’s OWN giant bag-of-worms scandal behind it) that also fucking sucked. i am interested to see what his final project will be. I was kinda hoping for an R-rated Star Trek. Hell, give him the reins for a Star Wars spin-off.

You can probably thank the Twilight Zone movie for the decline in big crazy practical stunts and effects. Apart from Jackie Chan's team of course. But he has also broken every bone in his body and is uninsurable. As for cocaine, all I know about it is it's apparently a hell of a drug. I am more of a weed and mushrooms guy. God I wish I had some mushrooms, is what I'm saying

During this quarantine, I’ve had time to dig into this question (most recently watching movies like The Blues Brothers and Tango & Cash) and confirm what I’ve always felt: practical effects just feel more visceral and less dated. Even if they are badly done, they have a tangible quality that, say, the rampaging gorilla in Rampage does not. I’m not saying CGI isn’t effective when it compliments practical effects (Christopher Nolan does this exceptionally well), but watching the bonkers stunt choreography in The Blues Brothers (or the insane set design in Tango & Cash)is more exciting than most modern day action flicks. I also thinK most 70s/80s action flicks benefitted (not health-wise, but meaningless spectacle-wise!) from the fact that people were coked out of their gourds the whole time, which added to the sheer package of insanity. It’s harder to convey that vibe through computer effects (unless the results are Birdemic or Sharknado). Totally unrelated sidebar: My problem with Stranger Things’ 80s nostalgia is that it doesn’t feel like the Duffer Brothers are doing coke off of every possible surface. It’s set in the 80s but doesn’t feel very 80s. It feels like a sanitized theme park ride. OK, that’s the end of my pandemic-inspired self-important post that also blatantly ignores the harmful effects of cocaine (I prefer snorting glue/huffing paint myself). Feel free to disagree/call me on my bullshit!

Practical. I'm happiest with CGI when it's used sparingly.

For a dramatic play adapted from the stage (meaning musicals are excluded), this is probably my favorite example. The performances translate brilliantly to the screen, and unlike many theater directors, Kazan seemed to have a strong understanding right from the start about how camera angles and movement can inform the drama. To me it feels "cinematic" despite the stagebound origins. Given that it also serves as a kind of milestone, contrasting the "New Hollywood" acting style of Brando with the older style of Leigh (and both of them being excellent in the movie, and the contrast of styles serving the themes of the piece to boot), I think it's certainly worthy of a spot in the Top 100.

All I've found was that it was basically written and submitted to the film company after he found success with Reservoir Dogs, so it should have seemed like a sure thing it would have been made, I'm guessing it was a bit too off-brand for what a studio was thinking a comic book movie should have been at that time. If you want an interesting read on Hollywood at that time regarding QT movies, check out Killer Instinct by Jane Hamsher, one of the producers of Natural Born Killers. It basically details how they got the original script for a steal because it was right before Reservoir Dogs premiered and all of a sudden they found themselves holding the hottest script in town once that movie was a hit and every studio was trying to buy any and all scripts he touched. Also if Tarantino does stick to his claim of retiring after his tenth film, I'd want either him or a film historian to publish a book on all of the films he wanted to make and/or talked about making but never got far into the process for, because that could easily fill 300-400 pages with how many things he's talked about doing over the years.

People who live in brass houses shouldn't throw trombones.

It definitely sounds like a Bible verse. Matthew 7:20 says "By their fruits you shall know them," in which fruits is often translated/connotated as "deeds." So "heroes are what heroes do." Doesn't answer how this shows up in the movie, unless you want to get really psychoanalytical. After all, the movie heroes try REALLY HARD to prove themselves as heroes. The line about "heroes in the 80s" is LITERALLY repeated twice. Like the actual footage is repeated. There's some kind of trauma the movie is working through, or to put another way, the movie is an attempt to answer some implicit question of their existential being, something that can only be answered by doing ACTIONS and by doing them in the most ACTION-Y way possible. Of course, that doesn't answer the resulting tautology in that it's defining doing heroism because you're being a hero, rendering it essentially meaningless, but maybe that's why Ace Hunter wears a headband so his brain doesn't explode.

About the vehicle's self-destruct, it was mentioned in the movie. After the first cargo plane gets hit and has to return (1:18), there some banter about calling someone's girlfriend and then they'll have to leave their toys behind. Someone over the comms gives the command to set all equipment to self destruct.

About the Deeds Not Words, it sounds like a great special forces motto but a little googling shows that it was first used as a women's movement in 1903. I also saw it as some medical fraternity's slogan.

it's 100,000,0000,0000,000x better

For the record, I’ve never seen QOTD and would 100,000,0000,0000,000% rather watch that than a Transformers movie.

you guys are focusing on the wrong thing