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Quasar Sniffer

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Posts posted by Quasar Sniffer

  1. Posted

    On 12/2/2018 at 9:02 PM, RyanSz said:

    Rocky II in a way continues the story of what actually happened to the guy that Rocky is based on, who tried to turn his fame from both his fight with Muhammad Ali and this movie into a cash grab, and only became more destitute in the end, so much so he was reduced to freak show fights to earn a living like when he boxed a bear, I would have loved to see Rocky do,  although they did recreate Wepner's fight with Andre the Giant by having Rocky fight Hulk Hogan in Rocky III. Though they went for a happier ending in the film for the reasons that have been stated, it is a big step up from one of the original endings for Rocky which saw him die in the ring because his body couldn't handle the onslaught of a world class athlete. Also if you haven't watched the movie Chuck, starring Liev Schreiber as Chuck Wepner, do so as it's a great biopic about a man who's story we all know because it belongs to someone else at this point.

     

    I was fortunate enough to see CHUCK in theaters! And yes, I agree, it was a great biopic and Liev Schreiber was absolutely perfect as Wepner.

    These ROCKY movies: I love them!

  2. Posted

    8 minutes ago, grudlian. said:

    My main problem with Rocky II is that Rocky wins. It works emotionally but is this even plausible? The first movie works because Apollo is basically expecting an exhibition. He hasn't properly trained. He's not the mentally.

    But could Apollo the heavyweight champion go into Rocky II against a nobody and realistically lose? I admit I don't know anything about boxing but is there a real world analogue to this at all? Anything even close to this happening?

    My thoughts on his victory is that age caught up with Creed, which is why his fight with Drago was so ill-advised in IV (he was so passed his prime at that point, he was bound to get hurt against a killing machine like Drago). Part of why I love the mythology about the two Rocky/Creed matches is that the two never fought each other at their prime; with Rocky reaching his zenith in his fight with Creed in II just as Creed was losing a step or two. By IV, Rocky has become Captain America or something, so logic no longer factors into his ability to match fists with other boxers. That's part of the fun of it, but it's never going to be as emotionally engaging.

  3. Posted

    3 hours ago, RyanSz said:

    That's sort of why I have 1 and 2 of each series bouncing between each other, because of how well the character arcs mirror each other. If any of the Rocky film were to be called boring it would be V because it really isn't a boxing movie so much as a family drama, topped with a horrible street fight at the end. 3-4 are the uber 80s versions of the series complete with friendship beach runs, robots, and taking down the Soviet Union, while Balboa mixes the family drama of V with the heart and boxing of I. Stallone plays the character, based on Chuck Wepner, to a T and it's in that first movie you see as complete a movie as you can see, especially from a first time writer. Creed II is surprisingly good, especially after how incredibly the first was, basically blending elements of Rocky II-IV, but making it unique in that it isn't just a Rocky/Adonis story, but also a Ivan/Viktor story, where the viewer gets this incredible ying-yang type story where in essence Viktor is playing the same role Rocky did in the first two Rocky films, albeit as the aggressor in the coupling.

    I love everything about this post, and I love every Rocky and Creed movie except, you guessed it, Rocky V. That movie, I think, is unnecessarily lambasted, but it's still the weakest of the series by far.

    I actually have mixed feelings about Rocky II because I kind of feel like they go too far into making Rocky the butt of jokes, like the film turns him into someone who is clinically mentally disabled, who can't fend for himself. Recently, however, I've been re-evaluating a lot of movies that I have not seen in quite some time (LOTR and Susperia being prominent examples), and since it's been probably a decade since I've seen Rocky II, I think it is time for a re-watch. I will hold off on actually ranking them until that happens.

    • Like 3

  5. Posted

    On 11/13/2018 at 5:27 PM, Elektra Boogaloo said:

    Zouks is doing a Q&A following LONG DUMB ROAD today in NYC at 7:10 (I can't go but if any of you can, the HDTGM twitter says there are tickets still available). I wonder if the Gerard Butler movie is showing at that theater too because I bet he wants to see it.

    My dream is to have Zouks co-star with Butler in either a GEOSTOOOOOORRRRRM or Den of Thieves sequel. So for that, EVERYBODY on this board has gotta see Long Dumb Road. Let's make it a hit, people!

  6. Posted

    This is in response to what @ol' eddy wrecksand @gigitastic were saying about the possibility of no one attending Rose's funeral, a la Gatsby. I think this film could have definitely ended on a more realistic note if they showed her funeral, being celebrated and lauded by her fans. Although this movie clearly takes place in a world much closer to 1979 than 1969 (despite the art on the tour plane), people STILL adore the dead rock stars from the late 1960s. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, hell, even drunk poet shithead Jim Morrison has people still leaving flowers on his grave. I think it would have been bittersweet to see Rose die FEELING alone and unloved, but with her music reaching so many people, enriching their lives, and continuing to do so long after her death. Hell, this town would probably build a museum or a tourist attractoion dedicated to her home and where she died within a year. Sure, it would be a cash grab (with the manager selling her likeness rights maybe?), but it would bring people who love her together.

    Play this at Rose's funeral?

     

    • Like 4

  8. Posted

    Christmas Inheritance? How about Christmas Hereditary? A sequel to the hit horror film, starring Toni Collette's floating head?!?

    giphy.gif?cid=3640f6095be0c484695a39676b

     

    As for movies with thankfulness and family as the overriding themes, how about Road House because I am just thankful that movie exists? I forgot to mention it in the Favorite Moments thread because... it's almost beyond mentioning, I love it so much. Thank fucking God that movie got made. I feel about it the way I want to feel about the Fast and Furious movies (because it's way way better).

    • Like 4

  9. Posted

    Sorry for the late post dudes and dames, but I wanted to give myself enough time to think about this sort of thing. ONWARD!

    What was your first episode of HDTGM?

    I don't quite remember the first episode I listened to, but I know it was very early because I made the conscious decision to go back and revisit all the ones I hadn't listened to and the only one I had missed was 'Burlesque.' I am old, but not as old as possible.

    Favorite catchphrase?

    "WHAT'S UP JERKS?!" is something that runs through my head QUITE FREQUENTLY. I love it. And "what's it's mission?!?!" crippled me with laughter when I heard it the first time. I think I was at the gym. People must have thought I was going into cardiac arrest. I just stopped breathing I was laughing so hard.

    A clip or moment that you'll always remember? (timestamps are nice )

    Trying to suss-out what happened during 'Sleepaway Camp' will always be hilarious to me. I remember watching that movie and enjoying the insanity of it but not really being bothered by the total lack of logic. Listening to the episode though, it hit me pretty hard how it makes no fucking sense, and hearing the hosts trying to make sense of its madness both made me laugh and question reality.

    The episode you revisit the most

    Honestly, I don't revisit episodes much. I have so many things to listen to or watch, I don't have time to revisit old episodes of anything. If I have run out of podcasts in my queue, I'm listening to an audiobook or some prog metal band from Finland or something. 

    The movie that you loved or hated watching

    Liked: Con-Air, Sleepaway Camp, The Room, Action Jackson, Miami Connection, and Time Cop are all stand-outs to me. Any time an insane movie moment can get Jason to become enthusiastic and gleeful, I am all about it. Also, Running Man and Hercules in New York because Schwarzenegger. Johnny Mnemonic because Keanu.

    The experience watching 'Nothing But Trouble' was particularly unpleasent, both because it's fucking gross and because I have a lot of affection for Dan Aykroyd. Nothing makes you feel uncomfortable like watching someone you enjoy do something disgusting. 'After Earth' was both nonsensical and fucking boring. 'Night in Heaven' was a recent entry in the "this is uncomfortable" canon.

    How HDTGM fits into your weekly routine

    I usually like to listen to this at night after I get home from work or running errands. I need something calming in my brain after dealing with, you know... people all day, and this hilarious bit of cinephilia podcasting helps me process the end of the night.

    What the show has meant to you after all these years or any other sappy stuff

    I love movies and I love podcasts. SHOCKING, I know, right? But this podcast, along with you wonderful folks on the forums, have helped educate me about how to talk in an auditory medium about a visual medium. It's not exactly easy. Like a lot of people posting here, my mental health issues have been rather rampant in my own brain throughout the timespan I have been posting here, so it is an absolute joy to find a place on the internet that is positive and encouraging, that increases me knowledge of film, makes me a more discerning film viewer, and gives me something to smile about every time I come here. Thank you all.

    Pertaining to that, I have recently done guest spots on several film podcasts I admire (if any of you follow me on Twitter, you are probably aware of my incessant posting about them) and I think my ability to converse on those podcasts is directly related to how I am able to converse with YOU PEOPLE and, from listening to HDTGM proper, how to keep things entertaining when TALKING about a visual medium.  Spiraling from those podcast appearances, I recently had the opportunity and privilege to perform/speak at an event at the Alamo Draft House in Brooklyn called Kevin Geeks Out. It's a monthly show of a rotating subject and, for October, it was shock rock. I chose to discuss my love for Rob Zombie and his film 'The Lords of Salem,' an act I would not have had the confidence to do without the film discussion bootcamp that was HDTGM and the boards. THANK YOUS WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

    rob on screen.jpg

    • Like 6

  11. Posted

    9 minutes ago, gigitastic said:

    I was thinking about something along similar lines: How do you think the non white cast of performers were treated? This movie was made during Segregation. I'm sure they were paid less than the white singers because black performers routinely were. Doubly so for black female performers.

    Do you think because it's a film set people were (there is no nice way to put this) less racist assholes? Because they were more used to dealing with different people and were tolerant/ not racist douchebags?  Or did the black performers just stuck together and didn't interact with anyone?  Was the set segregated and if so how much? 

    I think that is a good question, especially because part of the reason conservative Americans were so against rock n' roll in the 1950s and 1960s was that black and white kids where, HORROR OF HORRORS, dancing together! At the same show! Maybe even touching! So if part of the reason for rock n roll's popularity, and the vitriol against it, was the natural integration of its audience, maybe that was the same with the performers as well? I know Elvis gets a lot of (deserved) flack for stealing from black artists, but that was also because he legitimately loved black music and loved singing with those artists.

    • Like 8

  12. Posted

    I might have a more in-depth take on Raiders in me somewhere, but it's something that is so ingrained in my cinematic DNA that I could never hope to communicate how much I love this film. To me, the the way Raiders of the Lost Ark makes me feel, that is how movies should be*. It's why the art form means so much to me.

    So for now, let me just say listening to Pauline Kael's review just about gave me a fucking aneurysm.

     

    *Side Note: I certainly don't mean I want ALL movies to be like Raiders. It's just that for me, Raiders and Last Crusade are sort of Peak Cinema, the way Hitchcock was for the directors of the French New Wave or Howard Hawks was for John Carpenter.

    • Like 2

  15. Posted

    On 10/16/2018 at 10:09 AM, taylorannephoto said:

    Ruby was my favorite winner of the show and when it was announced that he would be following the show to Channel 4 she released her feelings about him on Twitter, and let's just say they were not favorable so ever since I've been salty towards him.

    After a bit of googling, I see Ruby (whom I love) called him a "peacocking manchild."

    Seems about right.

    • Like 2

  18. Posted

    2 hours ago, gigitastic said:

    Mary Berry is such a delight. Everyone on the show (but Paul) was.  Honestly I'd watch Mary, Sue, or Mel go grocery shopping or any other mundane task because they are all pure sunshine in human form

    100% and I will cherish Mary Berry for the rest of my life. I do love Paul on the show as well because he clearly loves baking, just the way he gets his hands into dough in Masterclass when demonstrating anything. It's just like seeing someone who's found what they were put on this Earth to do. He definitely has an inflated opinion of himself, but he's also never cruel or vindictive to the contestants. He just says, "this is not good, you could have done better," "this is good,""this is a disaster," or "I would serve this at my restaurant." He's an honest authority... on a fucking reality show.

    My name is Quasar Sniffer and I will take ANY GOD DAMN OPPORTUNITY to talk about the Great British Baking Show. So my go-to topics are.... Batman, Star Wars, Star Trek, and bakewell tarts. Don't get me started!

    • Like 4

  19. Posted

    Forgive a personal recounting (and mostly a reposting from my Letterboxd review) but ohhhh boy, I have a history with this movie. I just wanted to share this here because this podcast provided part of the impetus for me to revisit 'Fellowship of the Ring.'

    When it came out, I loved it, and I have wonderful memories of seeing the trilogy over the holidays with friends and family, of reading Tolkien's writing and reflecting on it with the films. But almost immediately after 'Return of the King's came out, I began to turn away from them. By the time I was 22 or 23 it would be accurate to say I hated them. I thought they were an oversimplification to the point of bastardization of Tolkien's themes and characters, I thought they turned the wonder of Middle-Earth into a carnival showcase of CGI buffoonery.

    Even then, however, I would be conscious of how... disappointed I was that I felt that way. I loved each and every cast member and believed each actor was cast perfectly for his or her role. I was in awe of the art direction, the set design, the locations, and the music, so what the hell was my problem? I suppose I made it easier on myself by focusing my antipathy purely at the visage of Peter Jackson, that his writing and direction was so wrong-headed that it sunk the entire saga for me. I couldn't even say he was inept, which would have been easier to forgive. He clearly executed his vision for the films as he saw fit, perfectly recreating his version of Middle-Earth, but that version revolted me to the point where I found the Lord of the Rings movies far more unwatchable than movies I objectively knew were far worse.

    Recently, however, I have been re-evaluating films that I feel I have been getting in my own way of enjoying fully, from Horror to French New Wave to Anime. I have also been thinking a lot about Tolkien's work, about the way he intertwined his own lore with pagan mythology, with Christian imagery, and with the English experience of fighting and coming home from World War I. So because I love Middle-Earth so much, and with the knowledge of my own fallibility becoming more apparent with every film I revisited, I enlisted the help of one of my dear friends, someone who loves both the movies and the books with unabashed enthusiasm, and I watched the extended version of 'Fellowship of the Ring' for the first time in probably 12 years. I don't know what ingredients changed in me or how precisely my tastes shifted, but I loved almost every second of the experience. Everything that I was conscious of being "good" while still being averse to the films as a whole, I was able to enjoy as part of the whole experience. I'm sure part of it was the company, that I was privileged to share the film with someone I care about, but it's also indicative of how a person's personality can change over that time, how art can help us reflect back on our own selves and our lives. I know my twenties were not TOTALLY lost to cynicism, but I am thankful I have both great art and great friends in my life now to help me see the world for the beauty that it has, especially when that world is Middle-Earth.

    And because, fuck it, I had such a good time with this film, and wanted to immortalize the moment I re-entered Middle-Earth with my friend (me, on the left with the weird face, him with the beard), here is us being nerds:

    127680103_jesseandi.thumb.jpg.5c20fd6991bf5c6ab05088e318f12f1e.jpg

    • Like 3

  20. Posted

    5 hours ago, WatchOutForSnakes said:

    BTW, the better of the Jimmy Stewart Christmas Movies is easily The Shop Around the Corner. Love, love, LOVE that one. 

    Although The Shop Around the Corner is indeed a fantastic movie, I think It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite Jimmy Stewart movie and my favorite Jimmy Stewart performance. It really hits my Golden Ratio of being a 90% dark parade of human misery with a 10% juicy center of hope and optimism. At least I would never say I like any Stewart movie of performance better than It's A Wonderful Life.

    ANYWAY, Meet Me in St. Louis is one of those Landmark Films that I have never seen, so I am excited for this one!

    • Like 5

  22. Posted

    I think what turned me against this movie was that it murdered a Star Trek character. One of the humpback whales the titular meg rips apart is named "Gracie." In the CLASSIC film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the Earth is assaulted by an alien space probe that seems to be emitting sounds and songs not heard since, in this Star Trek timeline, whales went extinct. In order to communicate with this strange device, the intrepid crew of the Enterprise goes back to the late 20th Century to retrieve a humpback whale and hopefully save Earth. They arrive in San Francisco and... borrow a pair of humpbacks and bring them to the future where the whales converse with the space probe and convince it to stop murdering our planet, thus saving Earth. What were those two whales named? George and GRACIE! This is no coincidence, and The Meg has the gall to dump this heroic cetacean's bloody corpse in front of us like its the punchline to a joke. FUCK YOU, The Meg.

    http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/George_and_Gracie
     

    Cetacean_ad.jpg

    • Like 2

  23. Posted

    Dolphins are also notoriously... amorous and sexually aggressive. They're basically wet Harvey Weinsteins with the speed of Usain Bolt and the strength of J.J. Watt. NO THANK YOU. But Stephen Speilberg never made a perfectly terrifying movie about them and they make cute clickity-clack noises so I guess people think they are adorable.

    • Like 5

  24. Posted

    21 hours ago, taylorannephoto said:

     in my mind, it's the real world aspects as well. I compare it a lot to The Witch, which a lot of people got PISSED at because they said "nothing scary happens," but in my mind the unnerving aspect of watching this family turn on each other and lose themselves to the witch is absolutely scary. Jump scares shouldn't be what makes something into a horror film imo.

     

    giphy.gif

    Man, I love The VVitch. Put that on my AFI Top 100 list. Also, when we're talking horror films not on this list, The Exorcist, but that's a whole different discussion

    • Like 4

  25. Posted

    The most unbelievable aspect of this movie is that a woman from a magical fantasy land travels to New York and, by all accounts, spends a day and a night homeless in the Big Apple and falls in love with our world. Inconceivable.

    Really though, I am like Cam Bert in that I wasn't really feeling this one. While Amy Adams is an amazing beam of light, I just wasn't charmed by Giselle the way the rest of the... world was when this movie came out, not to mention the other characters in the movie. I also saw James Marsden and Idina Menzel as two people who have been trying their best all their lives, when it comes to career and relationships and in the context they know those things. Then get roped into this magical bullshit and end up losing their respective fiances. What about a movie where Prince Charming/Edward, whose nature is trying his best, learns there is more to love that familial responsibilities and fulfilling of political duty, and where Idina Menzel learns to bridge the gap between her and her fiance's daughter (which I never really understood)? You had these two characters so wrapped up in the practical concerns of their respective realities that they forgot how to best experience their relationships. There is room for real growth there. Maybe the chaos caused by Giselle in our world could help them both realize that, and Giselle could realize that sometimes True Love takes real work, and that Happily Ever After doesn't come automatically with marriage. Instead, Giselle believes in True Love just like she did at the beginning and now so does Patrick Dempsey, whom she met 36 hours ago. Yay?

    • Like 3
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