Jingus Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Picket Fences was awesome. It wasn't didactic, it wasn't TELLING us how to live our lives; it presented every possible argument from all sides. Over and over again, the characters' choices were questioned from all different angles. And whenever the show copped out on something, it often tried to go back later and fix or re-address it. Like one time they did a Terri Schiavo-esque episode about a comatose girl on life support; they ended up pleading cowardice and having her just magically wake up. As if realizing that sucked, later on the show did another episode about a different comatose person, and this time they followed the story all the way to its logical end and forced everyone to make the hard choice. Also, the show was just a CLINIC of great acting from an awesome cast, with consistently good performances even from consistently not-so-good actors like Costas Mandylor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Picket Fences was awesome. It wasn't didactic, it wasn't TELLING us how to live our lives; it presented every possible argument from all sides. Over and over again, the characters' choices were questioned from all different angles. And whenever the show copped out on something, it often tried to go back later and fix or re-address it. Like one time they did a Terri Schiavo-esque episode about a comatose girl on life support; they ended up pleading cowardice and having her just magically wake up. As if realizing that sucked, later on the show did another episode about a different comatose person, and this time they followed the story all the way to its logical end and forced everyone to make the hard choice. Also, the show was just a CLINIC of great acting from an awesome cast, with consistently good performances even from consistently not-so-good actors like Costas Mandylor.The episode "Buried Alive" is just an amazing tour de force of acting. No crazy court case or big time topic. It was just a family and friends hashing out their issues during dinner. It's fantastic . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Comedian Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I did not realize until recently that Kelley was the son of former Hartford Whalers coach Jack Kelley and wrote Mystery Alaska.That movie RULES. Best hockey movie ever made not named Miracle. Excuse me? I believe there was a little franchise called The Mighty Ducks. They might have something to say about the matter! Slap Shot, for cryin' out loud... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Nothing wrong with Slap Shot . It's really good. But it ain't as good as the other two movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I didn't love Miracle and this is the controversial opinions thread so there ya go. Miracle was ehh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeball Wizard Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I did not realize until recently that Kelley was the son of former Hartford Whalers coach Jack Kelley and wrote Mystery Alaska.That movie RULES. Best hockey movie ever made not named Miracle.Excuse me? I believe there was a little franchise called The Mighty Ducks.They might have something to say about the matter! They do have something to say about it, unfortunately that something is quack, quack, quack, quack, quack quack etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I didn't love Miracle and this is the controversial opinions thread so there ya go. Miracle was ehhWere you around for the 1980 Olympics? If not, I could understand your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMN Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I don't know how controversial it is, but Nancy Botwin is the most unlikable main character in the history of television. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 One that I found myself thinking about for some reason:I hated "Taken." It was a jingoistic pile of crap. Every single non-American character in the film was a racist caricature and every single one was a bad guy. It was all us vs. them. The whole lesson was, "don't let your pretty white daughter travel to one of those dirty foreign countries. Filthy foreigners will kidnap her and sell her into the sex trade and their horrible foreign officials will even be in on it." So the viewer is taught to hate the film's non-Americans and then cheer for the American good guy as Liam Neeson (joke's on you! He's not from here!) brutally dispatches them in a parade of torture porn. Just a disgusting, vile movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomAct Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I thought the whole reason we all liked Taken was for the absurdity and awesome lines from Neeson. I don't think anyone with any sense tricked themselves into thinking it was a great movie. I love it, but not for it's artistic merits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggulator Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I was unemployed for a spell a few years ago and really down in the dumps. I visited with my parents for a few days for a badly needed change of scenery.My dad's favorite genre of film is "Revenge." Any sort of thing involving revenge he loves. He loved Taken despite his strident stance against child abuse. I didn't see Taken.My parents asked me if I wanted to go see Taken 2 with them. Their treat. When you're unemployed and 34 and your parents ask you to go see Taken 2, you just go. I had faith that I would one day find rewarding employment and look back at this dark day as one of the funniest moments of my life.I am really glad I went. Taken 2 was something else. People lobbing grenades without any repercussions in modern day Istanbul really makes me want to go visit the city. It was completely ridiculous but super entertaining.My favorite moment came at the end of the movie.SPOILER!The family unit all go out for ice cream sundaes. Her boyfriend-type is late. They all ordered vanilla. But they ordered strawberry for him. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spritenaut 32 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I did not realize until recently that Kelley was the son of former Hartford Whalers coach Jack Kelley and wrote Mystery Alaska.That movie RULES. Best hockey movie ever made not named Miracle. Excuse me? I believe there was a little franchise called The Mighty Ducks. They might have something to say about the matter! They do. They're saying "Watch those other hockey movies mentioned. They're really good. I don't think Miracle is the best hockey movie ever made. The real-life story is exceptional, but I thought the movie was just a bit better than average, I'd probably go with Mystery Alaska, with Slap Shot second. And count me in for the Practice/Picket Fences fan club. I've liked very little of what he's done since, but Kelley was in a zone during that period. I was a huge Picket Fences fan back then (and still am; actually have the run on DVD and watched it recently) and the Practice was amazing during it's first couple years. As kids go, how could anyone hate Zach? Especially when Holly Marie Combs as his bratty/precocious older sister was right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I don't think Miracle is the best hockey movie ever made. The real-life story is exceptional, but I thought the movie was just a bit better than average, I'd probably go with Mystery Alaska, with Slap Shot second. I can live with those rankings. Miracle connects with me on a really deep level because of the real-life story. I was just shy of 8 years old at the time and my dad had just bought a new TV "for the Olympics". It was a really, really big deal in my house. And the movie captures that era and that feeling perfectly. It really nails it. And it features the most authentic hockey action of any movie ever. They hired actual hockey players and then filmed them playing games to create the hockey scenes. And it has this amazing scene: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Overlooked in this discussion of hockey movies: Goon. Terrible name and misleading trailers hide what is a really, really good look at the life of a minor league hockey enforcer. And it's semi/mostly true. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I didn't love Miracle and this is the controversial opinions thread so there ya go. Miracle was ehhWere you around for the 1980 Olympics? If not, I could understand your opinion. I wasn't born yet...no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Magnificent 7 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 The whole lesson was, "don't let your pretty white daughter travel to one of those dirty foreign countries. Uh, France? Paris, France? In a film produced by a Frenchman, co-written by a Frenchman and directed by a Frenchman, made in France? Methinks you read a bit too much into the movie there, chief. It was a harmless action revenge picture with some Albanian bad guys, which they purposely probably chose because most people can't unfortunately find Albania on a map. I work with an Albanian and even he liked Liam Neeson punching Albanians in the throat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I don't know how controversial it is, but Nancy Botwin is the most unlikable main character in the history of television. I had to look up who that is. Are we talking deliberately unlikable (like Buffalo Bill or Archie Bunker or Frank Burns) or not (jerry seinfeld)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Comedian Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Overlooked in this discussion of hockey movies: Goon. Terrible name and misleading trailers hide what is a really, really good look at the life of a minor league hockey enforcer. And it's semi/mostly true. Goon was great. Seann William Scott in general is a fairly underrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 What? No love for Youngblood??!! For shame! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Comedian Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I've actually never seen Youngblood but the late great Ed Lauter as a hockey coach is enough to put it on my short list of things to look for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 What? No love for Youngblood??!! For shame! It's decent enough but not in the class of the others already mentioned. It does get big bonus points for naked Cynthia Gibb though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 What? No love for Youngblood??!! For shame! It's decent enough but not in the class of the others already mentioned. It does get big bonus points for naked Cynthia Gibb though. Hockey movies don't have a Chariots of Fire in their midst. so pretending like their is such a thing as a classier hockey movie is silly. Slap Shot is Bad News Bears for ( or more obviously for) adults. Miracle is Sports Cliche 101. We are united in naked Cynthia Gibb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 When you're unemployed and 34 and your parents ask you to go see Taken 2, you just go. This is the most important and wisest thing that has ever been written on the board. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydneybrown Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Methinks you read a bit too much into the movie there, chief. It was a harmless action revenge picture with some Albanian bad guys, which they purposely probably chose because most people can't unfortunately find Albania on a map. Or the screenwriters had just seen Wag the Dog. Which, if you're a screenwriter, is never a bad idea. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Miracle is Sports Cliche 101. True story though. So "Sports Cliche 101" or not, it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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