Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

SEPT 2016 MOVIE DISCUSSION THREAD


RIPPA

Recommended Posts

So of course back in my vacation I watched a grand total of one movie and that was The Intern

I enjoyed it for what it was until the fucking left turn it made for the ending. 

I am also always amused at Nancy Meyers version of the world. Like the one where New York City NEVER has traffic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, RIPPA said:

So of course back in my vacation I watched a grand total of one movie and that was The Intern

I enjoyed it for what it was until the fucking left turn it made for the ending. 

I am also always amused at Nancy Meyers version of the world. Like the one where New York City NEVER has traffic

I saw the very end of that movie and the music and the images were so much like a  drug company commercial It was physically painful. I don't think there's any way anyone could convince me to give the rest a chance. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Training Day: I watched this film again. Of course, it's great. Denzel going mental and cutting promos on everyone is never not amazing. 

But you know what I think this film's main problem is? It's Ethan Hawke's character. He's just too naive and innocent going into it. To the point you spend the first half of the film simply rolling your eyes at him. Did he not ask around about Alfonso before applying for the job? Did he not hear the rumors? And, yeah, I'm sorry an LAPD cop, even a rookie one, should not be as shocked as Jake is at a co-worker being unnecessarily rough with a suspect in the ghetto. Sad? Yes. Surprised? Not ever. (Dude, you're in the LAPD. That's what's you guys are, like, famous for.)

On The Shield, everyone at the barn knew Vic wasn't quite on the level. They weren't stupid. They just didn't realize how bad he actually was. That's what they should have done with Hawke's character: "OK, I know you guys break some rules but, hey, if it's for the greater good, I'll deal with it--Wait, what the fuck, you're committing blatant armed robbery and murder in broad daylight?"

And let's not even get started on someone who wants to undercover with the Narc squad and doesn't realize he might have to do drugs occasionally as part of the cover. Heck, even I know that. Does he not read books or watch movies on the subject?

What stops it being a classic movie: You never quite get over the fact that your hero is a bit of an idiot. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Reed said:

Training Day: I watched this film again. Of course, it's great. Denzel going mental and cutting promos on everyone is never not amazing. 

But you know what I think this film's main problem is? It's Ethan Hawke's character. 

YOU KNOW WHERE YOU AT, FOO~!

I can excuse a lot when it comes to Training Day because it is a great movie.  It is supposed to be more of a fable than an actual real life story, anyway. 

The good that Jake does has consequences and the evil that Alonzo does has consequences.  

It only takes Training Day a couple of hours to school you on causality.  Something the Matrix franchise beats you over the head with for over four hours..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, RIPPA said:

So of course back in my vacation I watched a grand total of one movie and that was The Intern

I enjoyed it for what it was until the fucking left turn it made for the ending. 

I am also always amused at Nancy Meyers version of the world. Like the one where New York City NEVER has traffic

I thought I was the only once that noticed that. 

It is funny how in Mr. Robot where all of the characters that aren't FBI use mass transit or are chauffer driven if they re rich, but everyone in The Intern operates their own motor vehicle in the worst city to have a car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, J.T. said:

YOU KNOW WHERE YOU AT, FOO~!

I can excuse a lot when it comes to Training Day because it is a great movie.  It is supposed to be more of a fable than an actual real life story, anyway. 

The good that Jake does has consequences and the evil that Alonzo does has consequences.  

It only takes Training Day a couple of hours to school you on causality.  Something the Matrix franchise beats you over the head with for over four hours..

As a fable, Training Day works amazingly well.

But then I listen to the Antoine Fuqua's commentary and he's all: "This film was meant to be as realistic as possible!"

And,it's  like, no. Just no. No cop ever could have went into that situation as silly and naive as Jake does. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Reed said:

And,it's  like, no. Just no. No cop ever could have went into that situation as silly and naive as Jake does. 

Based on the history of the LAPD and the rampant police corruption around the country since the 70s, that's a bit of a reach. Everything isn't like Colors. When the second MOVE raid happened in 1985 and a bunch of West Philadelphia almost burned down, you think every cop was in on the fuckery that was going down? There was two white cops that went against the corruption and testified against cops clearing murdering unarmed people and the negligence of the city of Philadelphia. You know what happened next? They got "Nigger Lover" spraypainted on their lockers for their troubles. All they did was say what happened that wasn't caught by the news cameras. Philadelphia at the time was as corrupt as Los Angeles and one of the most violent places in America in the 80s, but it got overshadowed by Los Angeles and Miami (see: Arthur McDuffie).

As much as you get the people that are extremely knowledgeable about their surroundings, you do get your doe eyed people hoping to just do their job. Also, turns out some of them aren't complete monsters like a good number of the rest.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, J.H. said:

I remember reading in Time back in the 80s that 90% of the New Orleans police force actually had criminal records. Of course I grew up in NYC, where there was NEVER any police corruption...

James

 

I imagine everyone then walked around looking like Nick Nolte in Q&A and going to different street corners and telling transvestites, "I pitch, you catch." 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

you do get your doe eyed people hoping to just do their job.

But that's essentially the problem with the Jake character for the first half: He's too doe eyed. He's too naive. There's a difference between innocence and sheer ignorance. 

As The Shield points out: There are good cops. Many of them. But even the good cops know full well there are bad cops.  

Jake, meanwhile, seemed to be wandering into that day thinking LAPD cops breaking the rules was the craziest thing ever.  

And it doesn't work. Not quite. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, J.H. said:

Of course I grew up in NYC, where there was NEVER any police corruption...

I remember reading that, in 2014, the NYPD police museum adamantly refused to showcase Frank Serpico's gun and badge.

Gee, I can't think why. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Reed said:

But that's essentially the problem with the Jake character for the first half: He's too doe eyed. He's too naive. There's a difference between innocence and sheer ignorance. 

As The Shield points out: There are good cops. Many of them. But even the good cops know full well there are bad cops.  

Jake, meanwhile, seemed to be wandering into that day thinking LAPD cops breaking the rules was the craziest thing ever.  

And it doesn't work. Not quite. 

You are watching a different movie from a lot of other people. I think you've been inundated with too many gritty cop shows and movies to understand that there are delusional cops on both sides of the coin. You're trying to measure reality with one other show when there are a bunch of shows that oppose that in addition to actual...you know...reality. You're using The Shield to look at a film that was written in 94/95 and based off of the experiences someone had growing up in South Central and talking with his cop friends. So unless you're in David Ayer's mind and know for a fact his experiences and testimonies he received are false, you have to take that up with him. However, based on your responses, you're unable to provide several non Shield related, IRL examples that combat my real life examples (I can keep going for days) that destroy your notion that the movie isn't "realistic" (keep in mind, it is a movie still) as possible.

Shit, we don't have go that far back in time in these examples. Take a look at San Francisco and Milwaukee now. You have the police chiefs and other top ranking law enforcement officials coming out and saying there is no police corruption in the middle of ACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS over the last five years or so that say otherwise. Plus, you have people in the community that can attest to that. It is not like a bad PR bit. People are actually convinced this is true. In that case of Sheriff David Clarke and Edward Flynn, there is clear dissension in the ranks.

My point is that while you are trying to paint Jake as Opie from Andy Griffith, there are clearly countless examples of people who are able to look at something as trying to do good police work when there is a completely opposite definition in someone else's opinion. We can't act like Christopher Dorner was something that never happened, and you had other cops backing a lot of what he was saying. You can go in thinking you're not going to be surprised and come out still completely surprised.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Shield comparison is important because the show is, essentially, a spiritual successor to Training Day. Shawn Ryan admitted as much. The series would have never gotten the green light if Training Day hadn't been so successful.  They deal with very, very similar themes.

Why I think The Shield is slightly better: It doesn't present the "good cops" as innocent little lambs, like Training Day does. Nah, they are (somewhat) aware of what is going on around them. Dutch was a bit of a loner and never fit in. But even he knew: Stay the hell away from Vic.

Because word gets around about guys like Alfonso and Vic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, Reed said:

The Shield comparison is important because the show is, essentially, a spiritual successor to Training Day. Shawn Ryan admitted as much. The series would have never gotten the green light if Training Day hadn't been so successful.  They deal with very, very similar themes.

Why I think The Shield is slightly better: It doesn't present the "good cops" as innocent little lambs, like Training Day does. Nah, they are (somewhat) aware of what is going on around them. Dutch was a bit of a loner and never fit in. But even he knew: Stay the hell away from Vic.

Because word gets around about guys like Alfonso and Vic.

Except my argument isn't about the Shield though or why it's better. You laughed at Fuqua saying it's as realistic as possible. I said your take on that is a reach (and it is as I proved through several real life examples). The Shield is a fictional TV show. In reality, there are countless examples of people like Jake Hoyt for better and for worse in same way there are countless examples of people like Alonzo Harris (although probably not as cartoonish or devilish as Denzel's portrayal at certain points). You can find them throughout history. Moreover, there isn't one set interpretation of a good cop or bad cop or how they about the other side let alone one creed or motto. If there was, every depiction in film and TV would be damn near the same.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • RIPPA pinned this topic
On 9/2/2016 at 2:09 PM, Reed said:

But then I listen to the Antoine Fuqua's commentary and he's all: "This film was meant to be as realistic as possible!"

The dude started his career off directing music videos, so I take his comments about realism with a grain of salt.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, J.T. said:

The dude started his career off directing music videos, so I take his comments about realism with a grain of salt.

Wait, you can't direct music videos and know about realism? There are a bunch of folks that started that way. Dude, David Fincher was doing Madonna videos. Like not worn out by various athletes and celebrities quite yet era Madonna videos.

HE DID JERMAINE STEWART'S WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF!

Also, Michael K. Williams did the choreography for Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love video. MOTHERFUCKING OMAR!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also

WAITAFUCKINGMINUTE

You realize like 80 to 90% percent of major black movie directors started that way probably because they had to. People were trying to have F. Gary Gray and John Singleton direct even mid size projects before they did music videos? 

THE FUCKING HUGHES BROTHERS~!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Wait, you can't direct music videos and know about realism?

Not if you are Fuquoa because he isn't really interested in realism. 

The realism of The Equalizer and the upcoming Magnificent Seven states my case for me.  They are / will be kick ass movies to be sure, but those fucking things are nowhere near grounded.  Nor should they be, because balls to the walls Fuquoa puts asses into movie seats for a fun night at the theater.

The stuff he told to in that interview about wanting to make Training Day as realistic as possible was AF buying into his own artistic bullshit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, J.T. said:

Not if you are Fuquoa.  The realism of The Equalizer and the upcoming Magnificent Seven states my case for me.

1. Also, who or what the fuck is Fuquoa? Is that available at Whole Foods?

2. No, it doesn't.

3. That doesn't make your statement less retarded and asinine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have been on my Ignore List for quite some time, bro.  I only looked at one of your post out of morbid curiosity.  The rest of your bullshit is still blissfully collapsed since you don't seem to put your troll wig on unless I post something.

Enjoy screaming at the sky by yourself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, J.T. said:

You have been on my Ignore List for quite some time, bro.  I only looked at one of your post out of morbid curiosity.  The rest of your bullshit is still blissfully collapsed.

Do you see this one?

JesseLeePeterson.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...