NathanGordon

I haven't seen it in probably twenty years. Point still stands; aliens should not have 3.5 inch floppy drives.

This was actually a decent little thriller/heist film, and Cage wasn't totally phoning it in this time. Not an incredible movie, but better than 90% of whatever else he's made the last few years.

I can't believe this wasn't already a thing, but here's every single time June says "Gyeubee" during the Gooby episode. I would add captions if I knew how.

Welp, you know what they say: if you want something done, Gooby yourself.

These were also aliens that were apparently running DOS or a Win 3.1 compatible operating system on their computers which Jeff Goldblum was able to write software for... meaning it also used ASCII characters... implying the aliens knew how to use the alphabet... grumble grumble...

Voice actors in Japanese anime long ago achieved a level of respect for their craft that Western cinema has only figured out in the last decade or so. Subs vs dubs have been the longest standing debate in fandom since forever. The Disney dubs have generally been excellent. In the past, the genre was on part with your average kung fu flick, memorable more for hilarious line readings than actual dialog.

Ooh, I forgot about this. I saw a trailer for it at least six months ago; I imagine it's been delayed forever since this has been such a tentpole kind of year for kid's movies. It looks incredibly dull and I don't see them bringing anything fresh to the "my asshole dad is now my pet" microgenre that Disney perfected decades ago. "Kids love this Grump Cat youtubes, eh? What if we made a movie with -- they want how much for the cat?! Just get me that queer who does impressions on Letterman, my six year old eats that shit up."

Why not literally anything else? WHY A CRAB? If this story took in Maine or on the coast at a fish & chips pub, sure, that might be charming. This movie gives us multiple other possibilities for SMG's magic: her mom's earrings, the Dan Aykroyd guy at the market, a dormant witchy ability, the power of love, paranoid schizophrenia, etc. Literally anything else would make just as much, if not more sense than a crab. The dead mother seems like the easiest connection to make, and would add an emotional layer to the story. Her Jedi-ghost could watch over her at the end, smiling fondly at the crab. BOOM, better movie.

It was very "We want it to sound like Lisa Loeb or Sixpence None The Richer, but cheaper."

but gastropods aren't crustaceans :/

Yes, this bothered me so much! Why is Amanda Peet such a horrible person that she doesn't deserve a boyfriend? Why does the magic crab take that away from her? Bad romantic comedies do this thing where the two lead's romantic love is at the expense of everyone else; in reality this would be incredibly selfish behavior. The film totally drops Amanda Peet after the argument in the restaurant (which, again, is caused by magic and not her own actions), except for a brief mention of "oh, she's probably fine." What if she isn't? What if she's drinking herself to death alone in her apartment? What if this breakup pushed her over the edge into a crippling depression?

My favorite bit of dialog from this movie: I think the implication is that she preferred geometry? Or that math is hard because she's a girl? Is it really a surprise that anyone knows how to make a paper airplane? It's like being amazed that your date can count to ten without using his fingers.

I kind of enjoyed this movie in spite of the crimes it commits against proper book care and handling. I think it's aiming for the same creepy, Satanic, European atmosphere that Italian giallo used to do so well in the 1970s, or films like Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now. The story is nuts though, and ends up getting mired in its occult nonsense. My favorite detail is the fact that not only is Lucifer signing his illustrations (why???), but that he uses the initials LCF, which stands for.... Lu-ci-fer, I guess. The film acts like this is some deep secret, instead of just being pants on head retarded.

I'm pretty sure this is all just for funsies and not actually binding or setting precedent in any way. I see it not as a list like the BFI top 100, but as a conversation about the qualities that make not only a great film but an important one. I recall that most forum commenters here agreed that Boyz In The Hood is barely technically competent, while at the same time being a seminal work that captured the cultural zeitgeist of the time. To me, this discussion of message, intent, context, and influence is a worthwhile endeavor and one missing from most contemporary film criticism. I agree with what bri-witched said. They Live's thematic impact isn't lessened by a pro wrestler's one liners or a ten minute fight scene. People have brought up The Matrix as a comparison, and not only is that film weakened by its subsequent franchising, but it's bogged down in freshman level philosophizing that does it no favors. They Live is incredibly direct in its messaging; advertising says OBEY, politicians and newscasters are aliens taking over the planet, even the paper money admits THIS IS YOUR GOD -- as blunt and scathing an indictment of our society as you'll find in a Reagan era Hollywood action movie.

Right? There's at least a dozen scenes of people literally jizzing their pants -- because Buffy's cooking is just that good. If you haven't seen Simply Irresistible, it sounds like I'm making a joke. I am not.

What if I told you that your voice is also an instrument?

Oh wow, I hadn't even listened to the mini episode yet when I picked Rockford Files! I guess that settles it. I was going to pick that, but I couldn't find the shorter version used on the show. It's so rad! Another one I just remembered is the Knight Rider theme. I'm surprised this hasn't had a huge resurgence in popularity, given the love for Kavinsky/Drive/synth stuff in general. No fun making here, I think Rockford is great. Simon & Simon is no Hardcastle & McCormick. It sounds like Bobo Kenny Loggins.

That's my point though. Pretty much all you can do is describe the movie and say "that was weird"; next scene, "this didn't make sense either", repeat. Everything is nonsensical and bad in it, in a charmless way that is kind of immune to scrutiny due to its cheapness and incompetence.

Tell me the Rockford Files theme isn't totally kickass: I long ago accepted Cameron H as our de facto forum representative. I can only hope that his salary reflects the admiration we have for his C&O service. ... Simply Irresistible is an insipid, stupid movie, from what I remember. It's weird because there's no real conflict or drama at all, just Buffy wearing a shitload of lip gloss and inexplicably falling for some random businessman.

Serious answer - Beau Travail Joke answer - Buffalo '66 Also: how have they not done a Michael Mann film yet? Skip his later films like Heat or The Insider, go straight to Manhunter or Thief.

say that to my face and not on the internet, motherfucker

Never read the bible, huh?

I can't wait for the Buffy fans to show up and defend this turd.

Like what? Everything you can say amounts to "Wow, that made no sense. Why is this happening?" while describing what is on screen. I guess I feel like this would be punching way down below your weight class. It's not even shooting fish in a barrel, it's like making a bazooka out of fish and using it to shoot skyscrapers made of fish.

I think we had a Neil Breen thread already but I'll say it again: although Fateful Findings is very entertaining for bad movie enthusiasts, I don't think it would be a good episode for the podcast. It's totally incompetent in every possible way, with none of the charm of Tommy Wisseau. Literally every single choice made in Fateful Findings -- whether it's dialog, acting, cinematography, sound design, or writing -- makes no sense, full stop. There is barely any continuity from one shot to the next, much less from scene to scene. It's so obviously one man's vanity project, but made with no money and less skill than even Birdemic. What do you say about it? Everything is shitty and incomprehensible in it for every single second. I honestly don't think there's a lot to say beyond "that was bonkers".