Recommend a movie

[thecolorsblend]

Get Back is incredible and it could be my favorite movie. I love how you see things unfold naturally, with the guys just being themselves. If such a project was made today it would all be planned out and the songs already written, with a pretence of authenticity. But the guys just had the balls to make something happen in the studio from sheer inspiration and confidence in their ability.

Billy Preston is amazing in this. He would've fit in as a fifth member pretty seamlessly. His playing on Don't Let Me Down is sublime. I've known all the stories about this time period but it's something else to see it play out over six hours in pristine quality. Just look at Billy go here, and John's voice is just the best. Such raw emotion and grit. Lots of moments of wit from him too - I dig how you can tell he's out of it at times, but when it's time to really get down to business, his genius is there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=385eTo76OzA&list=RDMMWr-mY6qrvx4&index=3

I'm at 16:22 in the first episode. Basically, the band members are just hanging out and jamming "I've Got A Feeling". They smile at each other, cut up, tell jokes, improv obscene lyrics, etc. They're basically just having a good time.

It's an interesting moment before all the bs that you already know is coming. It's funny that when it was just about the music, they seemed to get along with each other just fine. But when you throw in entertainment industry complications, THAT is when things go sideways. It does a lot to shine a light on just how important Epstein was in terms of keeping the band focused on the songs while someone else took care of the business stuff.

I can understand that Epsteins don't exactly grow on trees. But still, you sort of have to wonder how things might've played out if either Epstein hadn't died or if the band had found a suitable replacement for him. Now, some things weren't meant to last forever. And when you think about it, it's a minor miracle that the Beatles lasted as long as they did. Even so, you have to figure that they might've had at least another two or three years (and an equal number of albums) in them if they could've found a realistic replacement for Epstein. The fact that they didn't probably hastened their demise.

[The Dark Knight]

Epstein was the glue that allowed the Beatles to simply write their music without distraction. Things would've been different if he lived, and perhaps there would've been a couple more albums. But I couldn't see them ever being long term rockers like the Rolling Stones. There were too many strong personalities who wanted to be independent, and those urges would've risen eventually even with Epstein. Just because Epstein was beloved when he died didn't mean he always would have been. People learn new things and change.

George Harrison as part of Anthology questioned Brian in terms of pure deal making and finances. As he said, "Brian didn't get very good deals on anything. For years EMI were giving us one old penny between us for every single and two shillings for every album. If we had known in 1962/3 what we know now, or even what we knew in 1967, it would have made a real difference."

Lennon seemed like he hated The Beatles at times in his post career, but his desire to move on preserved the myth. I can't help but think he had that mindset central to his thinking, even if the idea of a reunion even happening was remote due to personality clashes. There's a brief clip of John walking through Central Park in 1980 talking to a bunch of kids. They ask when The Beatles are getting back together. He walks away and flippantly says "tomorrow, tomorrow." The four members always had that extremely potent ace up their sleeve that could always be played regardless of how much time passed. Provided all four remained alive.

[thecolorsblend]

I love the cold hearted brilliance of using their family name and leaving them in the dust.

To revisit this briefly (man, I still love The Founder!), one thing everyone should admit is that the McDonald brothers didn't walk away emptyhanded.

In 2022, $1 million is a lot of money... but it's not THAT much money. If you get bought out for $1 million today, yeah, you're probably getting shafted.

But back in 1961, the average American income was $6,000. $1 million was enough to live 166 years on. The brothers did just fine.

[thecolorsblend]

I think I've said here and there that I've been moving away from superhero films for a few years now.

Where I've landed (in part) is horror movies. And I'm LOVING the old school Universal Monsters. I've been checking them out here and there for a year now and by now I've seen quite a few of them. Yes, some are better than others.

But what I enjoy is how the filmmakers swing for the fences in making the effects shots the best they can be with Thirties technology. The effects are rarely perfect. But they're amazing considering when they were created.

Lugosi's Dracula is probably my favorite of the bunch. But many of them are enjoyable.

Anyway, if you have taste for almost one century old films, you could do a lot worse than check out the Universal horror movies. They hold up!

[The Dark Knight]

I love the cold hearted brilliance of using their family name and leaving them in the dust.

To revisit this briefly (man, I still love The Founder!), one thing everyone should admit is that the McDonald brothers didn't walk away emptyhanded.

In 2022, $1 million is a lot of money... but it's not THAT much money. If you get bought out for $1 million today, yeah, you're probably getting shafted.

But back in 1961, the average American income was $6,000. $1 million was enough to live 166 years on. The brothers did just fine.

It goes beyond the brothers and their existence. The real pain is felt throughout the generations of that family, knowing how much they could've had today - but don't.

[thecolorsblend]

Predator (1987). I could explain why I'm recommending it. Or I could just allow the Critical Drinker to do it for me.

I rewatched Predator last week. Honestly, it seems to get better with age for me. I always liked the movie. But in 2022, the straight shot of testosterone, big biceps, bigger guns, GET TO THE CHOPPA, the (mostly) well developed and well written characters and the shifting genres are all more appreciated because there's no way in hell this movie would get made in this way today.

I can't imagine that anybody on this forum has never seen Predator. But if you haven't seen it, see it. And if you have seen it before, see it again for the first time because it HOLDS UP.

[Silver Nemesis]

Yep, you can't go wrong with the original Predator. It mixes the action-packed machismo of The A-Team with the gory sci-fi horror of Alien and ties it all together with a plot that is essentially a modern day retelling of the Beowulf myth. It marked the beginning of director John McTiernan's phenomenal winning streak as one of Hollywood's top action directions, positioning him career-wise to take on Die Hard (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) and The Thirteenth Warrior (1999) – the latter of which is also based on the Beowulf legend.

Predator was a great star vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger, who in 1987 was the ideal casting choice to represent humanity's champion against the titular alien. The creature effects by Stan Winston hold up brilliantly, and it's one of the few sci-fi horror films from that era that doesn't rip off the creature designs from Ridley Scott's Alien or John Carpenter's The Thing. The cinematography's great, the story makes excellent use of the jungle location, and Alan Silvestri's score is unforgettable. It's one of the ultimate 'guy movies'.

[thecolorsblend]

I guess I'm rolling with McTiernan for a while.

Anyway. Die Hard (1988).

The fact that McTiernan directed Predator and then moved straight into Die Hard invites comparison. I can't prove it. But I have to wonder that McT wanted to stay fundamentally inside the action genre. And yet, he wanted to switch things up as much as possible.

Predator had multiple protagonists; Die Hard rly only has the one.

Predator's lead protagonist was an action star with an extensive pedigree; Die Hard's lead protagonist... well, he's not that, exactly.

Predator's antagonist is an otherworldly alien with (initially) incomprehensible motives; Die Hard's antagonist's motives are only too understandable.

Predator featured only one antagonist, ultimately; Die Hard features multiple antagonists.

Predator's antagonist is meant to be a physical threat for the hero to overcome; honestly, Die Hard's main antagonist isn't a direct physical threat to the hero. Dangerous, yes. But ultimately, no match.

But I suppose that stuff is just scenery. What makes Die Hard work for most people is the fact that McClane is an everyman. Yes, he's a cop. Yes, he's tough. But he's not superhuman. And his feet are made absolutely of clay. He has marital problems, his Irish temper sometimes gets away from him, sometimes he says the wrong thing at the worst possible time. And yet, McClane is an incredibly brave and ingenious man who rises above his fear, ultimately, to save his wife from certain death.

Along the way, he loses sometimes, he suffers, he takes damage. This isn't the invincible Arnold Schwarzenegger from Commando laying waste to everybody in sight. This is a New York cop fighting WAY above his weight class against a group of men who won't think twice to put a bullet in his head. And while they never manage to do that, McClane suffers extensive physical injuries that are likely to keep in traction for a few months... if he somehow survives the night!

The closest the movie comes to striking a false note is when banged up and bleeding Karl emerges from the rubble for one final shot at McClane. I can't help thinking that in the hands of lesser filmmakers, it would've been McClane who, in a move that was already cliché by 1988, took out the bad guy. But no, it was Powell who takes Karl out, saves McClane and redeems himself after his horrible mistake earlier in his career.

It takes brains to give even a relatively minor character like Powell an arc that powerful. For one brief moment, Powell has to face his absolute worst possible nightmare. Worse, he has only a split second to react. If he gets it wrong again, or worse yet, if he doesn't save the day... I honestly don't think Powell would have the strength to carry on. If you know what I mean.

Anyway. For a movie that was intended to be a fluffy, popcorn-filled follow up to Predator, Die Hard has considerable strength and heart. It's a classic for me in ways that Predator probably never will be. I mean, I love Predator. But I've ALWAYS owned a copy of Die Hard.

So, as with Predator, I can't imagine that any member of this message board has never seen Die Hard. But if you haven't, see it. And if you have seen it, well, see it again for the first time.

[The Dark Knight]

Inspired by colors, I watched Predator again for the first time in a while last night.

What stuck out to me was how much I liked the militia compound sequence. Why?

The explosions are fantastic. Some of the best you'll see in an action movie. Really powerful and satisfying. And this works on a few levels. It shows the audience these soldiers are not to be f**ked with. They stomp their foes with ease, and nothing really bothers them in the heat of combat. So when they're expressing fear and concern later on, you know things are very serious. Also, I dig the knowledge that the Predator is watching everything unfold. He knows these are violent people.

The opening scene with the helicopters flying into the jungle is underrated. Long Tall Sally creates a excitable, energetic feeling, and when the radio is turned off, the mood changes to business. Really effective edit. There's a lot to like about this film with things that don't even involve the title character, namely the pacing, mood and dialogue.

I'll add Arnold had the sense to keep his Predator resume one and done - and not just in terms of quality control. Alien encounters are gold dust rare, especially surviving them. It works for John McClane to run into terrorists but I couldn't buy the same miraculously happening to Dutch over and over. And even worse, having Dutch hunting down Predators on his own accord would be a disservice to his character. He was lied to and thus placed into a situation he didn't want to be in. But through sheer will and ingenity he got himself out.

I'll watch Die Hard again soon and give my thoughts. But it goes without saying, it's an action classic in terms of concept and execution. These are the types of movies that are close to my heart. I grew up watching them as a kid and I'll continue watching them for the remainder of my life.

[thecolorsblend]

I couldn't buy the same miraculously happening to Dutch over and over. And even worse, having Dutch hunting down Predators on his own accord would be a disservice to his character. He was lied to and thus placed into a situation he didn't want to be in. But through sheer will and ingenity he got himself out.

I've mentioned my growing disenchantment with sequels in the past. While I accept the fact that Predator is a movie franchise at this point, for me, it's a one-time thing. Dutch and his friends get lured into the jungle, some stuff goes down, Dutch barely prevails, the end. I don't need anything beyond that.

Whatever his reasons might've been, I think Schwarzenegger did the right thing in declining sequels. I'll add that if he'd done something similar after the first (or the second at the latest) Terminator film, my overall appreciation for those movies would probably be a lot higher.

Aside from that... yeah, I'm with you. But to avoid derailing the discussion here, I might give you a shout out in the Recommend A Movie thread where we pick this discussion back up.

To continue with this, I rewatched Argo the other night. The Affleck movie.

It's basically the story of how a CIA agent exfiltrated some American diplomats/staff from the embassy in Tehran during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980.

It's just a thriller film. No agenda, no "messaging", just the story of a brave man defying some pretty overwhelming odds to do the right thing. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it, tbh. Figured you might enjoy the movie, if you haven't seen it before.