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Weird Science

The best John Hughes film, hands down.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The best John Hughes film, hands down.

fixed that for you

I also love Dark Fate. Flawed middle bit, but I think it does some really interesting things that were very refreshing in the post MCU-isized movie landscape. I'd give any amount of money to see a slightly gutsier director's cut.

I think the first Austin Powers movie deserves a place in the pantheon right next to Naked Gun. I know it's well loved enough, but the characters catchphrases getting beaten to death around the time means it doesn't get full credit for how well written it is. I also think Austin's speech to Dr Evil about finding his place in the modern world as good a love letter to old vs new James Bond movies as you will find.

 Gitzbitah wrote:
Speaking of comedies of the times- I give you the greatest sports comedy ever made. Blades of Glory! It's got everything- Will Ferrell as an over the hill sleazy rockstar figure skater sex addict, Napoleon dynamite as his squeaky clean rival, and Amy Poehler and Will Arnett as their incestuous villians. It is whirlwind of pageantry, wit and idiocy.

Even some of the throwaway sight gags are terrific, like the JFK/Monroe skate routine.

I thought of another one. This movie bombed at the box office big time, but I absolute love Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

Yes, I get that the Lonely Island and Andy Samberg are an acquired taste, but that movie was fething hilarious.

And I just bought the 9th Fast & Furious film on Blu-Ray. Come at me!!!

 Ahtman wrote:
H.B.M.C Why must you disappoint me?

It was made very clear in the OP that this thread was not to be used to gak on the things people like. It's very. Very. Very. Very. Hard not to immediately go "But that suuuuuuuuuuucks!" to what some people are saying here, but I'm sticking to it.

Of course if someone attempts to defend Dumb & Dumber 2 I won't be able to control myself. Only one of two movies I've ever just stopped watching before I got even half-way through.

 gorgon wrote:
I'd have to put the original The Longest Yard up as the greatest sports comedy ever. I think it kinda created the template.

Never seen The Longest Yard, but I have seen the British soccer remake with Vinnie Jones, Mean Machine. I thought that was fun.

Ohman wrote:
I would go so far as to say that Conan The Barbarian is the best fantasy movie ever made. Better than Excalibur, The LOTR Trilogy, The Harry Potter movies, The Neverending Story, Willow, Narnia, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Jason And The Argonauts or any other movie you can think of.

I'm not going to go so far as to say it's better than LOTR, but Conan does have the benefit of possessing one the greatest movie soundtracks every put in a film.

And written by same guy who would go on to make the simply outstanding soundtrack to Starship Troopers.

 gorgon wrote:
But wow, only Snyder could create something so divisive. Is it feminist...or something terribly misogynistic? Is it in some *weird* way...both? I'm sure there were scholarly papers written about that one, as insane as that sounds. The one thing I do find interesting about it is how many people didn't get it. I don't mean the message -- again, that was confusing as heck -- but instead what was going on with the story and its three levels of reality and all their implications.

That's what I mean when I say that there's so much going on in that film, and the different levels of reality all playing out, and the character archetypes, and the mixed fantasy, sci-fi, anime, steam punk and WWI/WWII aesthetics... and the mixed music tracks (I know I've said it before, but that movie's soundtrack is just incredible - it made a Bjork song cool! Who does that???). The film has so much stuff in it, and I felt like so many people just engaged with it on a purely surface level, and that's why it gets a bad rap.

 LordofHats wrote:
Me when I realized I saw Jurassic Park in theatre the day it came out. A few more years though and I can start complaining about the young people today and all their young people problems!

I saw it in the theatre for my 10th Birthday.

Get off my lawn, yer damned kids!

GI Joe, Rise of Cobra

Destro’s dodgy “Scohttish” accent aside (do better, Eccleston, I know you can), it’s daft fun. Granted as the cartoon never aired in the U.K., at least not to the best of my knowledge, I’m perhaps not as invested as an American chum might be. But remains a fun film.

I mean, it’s based on a long running toy line, and stays, well…kinda grounded in its own way. I’d certainly argue it hits nearer the mark than the Transformers movies. As some brain bubble gum it’s perfectly competent.

Oh, apart from “he’s Scottish, so it must be Celtic”. There is no Celtic language. You’re thinking of Gaelic. Irksome.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

Never seen The Longest Yard, but I have seen the British soccer remake with Vinnie Jones, Mean Machine. I thought that was fun.

I liked it too. Just for the idea of making Jason Statham a goalkeeper it deserves to be watched .

I actually saw them all, the original movie was nice while the remake starring Adam Sandler was terrible. But maybe it's me as I can't stand Adam Sandler.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
GI Joe, Rise of Cobra

Destro’s dodgy “Scohttish” accent aside (do better, Eccleston, I know you can), it’s daft fun.

The sequence in Paris makes it worth the price of admission alone...

I can get behind Sucker Punch. Outside of pretty I generally pick up on different themes when I watch it which probably have to do with watching it once every 5+ years or so. I've been in a different place in my life each time and each time it's interesting in that span. Pretty neat actually looking back at it. And it's been like 4ish years so maybe time for a rewatch.

I'll also accept GI Joe Rise of Cobra. It was actually really fun. To bad they totally bombed out the second one.

Also in response to someone saying that the stereotypes in Eurotrip were offensive to Europeons the point was missed. I agree that they're egregious but like another poster pointed out it's a play on how non-travelling AMERICANS see Euro's and it's a laugh at americans, not europe. Even down to making fun of the one person in the group who is constantly trying to NOT have a stereotypical view of europe.

Sucker Punch is one I admire the cinematics on, but will freely admit to just not getting it.

But hey, it’s got Emily Browning in it, so it definitely can’t be all bad.

Yes I have seen Sleeping Beauty.

Might give it another spin. Sucker Punch I mean.

I remember a reviewer speculating that the script writing for GI Joe consisted of giving a bunch of the action figures to a room full of 8-year olds and just writing down what they did. This was not a criticism.

Normally I hate stupid movie physics, but GI Joe just blasts right through to the other side and is just stupidly, ridiculously awesome.

I mean that's basically how the script for Lego Move 1 and 2 were made right?

I’ll allow it! Especially for movies based on toy lines!

Yeah, that first GI Joe movie was tons of fun.

It wasn't great but it wasn't that bad. It was what a kid would think of the military: secret underground (or underwater) bases, code names, cool vehicles, one man army attitudes, ect.

Best part of a review I saw for that film was basically "If you take your kids to see this, do not go home afterwards. Take them to a park or something and let them get all their excited energy out on some climbing equipment before going home!".

 H.B.M.C. wrote:


Sucker Punch - Yes. I really like Sucker Punch. It has an outrageously incredible soundtrack (the song mixes are phenomenal), great action, and tells a very interesting story.

I will second this one. And I'll add that it tells this interesting story in an interesting (to me) way.


I'll add The Fifth Element, and the Blade Runner films.

Fifth Element is, as most of us nerdy types know, a pretty heavy story that's told in a fairly light and almost whimsical way (I mean c'mon, the cutsey elephant thing in Gary Oldman's office??, the priests assistant dude?). It's got good dialogue, action sequences, and the story is pretty well self-coherent all the way through.

The first Blade Runner film, from what I've read was not well reviewed when it came out in the early 80s. It has since become regarded as a sci fi masterpiece. That it was panned by reviewers is mostly why I'm putting it on the list, as I'm sure most of us have seen it. . . . a few times.

Blade Runner 2049, I dont care what anyone else says, its an excellent film and it carries on the tradition of the first film, without trying "too hard". It doesn't act like a reboot, nor does it insult old-timers intelligence by over explaining every little thing for new audiences. Visually it works as well as the first film does, while also adding a bit more depth to the world.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
GI Joe, Rise of Cobra

That's the one with the sinking ice, isn't it?

Mmm, when your movie science is so bad that anyone who's had a cold drink can refute it...

It was heavy water ice. Yeah. Good ol' naturally occurring heavy water ice...

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I'll add The Fifth Element, and the Blade Runner films.

That isn't a hill: you're on flat ground; you're surrounded by people supporting you.

 Ahtman wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I'll add The Fifth Element, and the Blade Runner films.

That isn't a hill: you're on flat ground; you're surrounded by people supporting you.

may be. . . but the OP mentioned films that were panned/reviewed poorly, or maybe didn't do well in the box office. Which applies here.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

And I just bought the 9th Fast & Furious film on Blu-Ray. Come at me!!!

Lol, there's liking "bad" movies, and then there's encouraging the poor behavior at studios. You're feeding their habit and you should feel ashamed


I gave up on that franchise when they had an airplane taking off on the same runway for like 45 minutes, or however long that interminably long scene is. I did enjoy the first 3 well enough for what they were tho

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I'll add The Fifth Element, and the Blade Runner films.

That isn't a hill: you're on flat ground; you're surrounded by people supporting you.

may be. . . but the OP mentioned films that were panned/reviewed poorly, or maybe didn't do well in the box office. Which applies here.

If you want to try and travel back in time several decades and argue with people in the past that go for it but in the moment we are currently in and can have the discussion they are not remotely hated or disliked (in general). It really isn't a "hill to die on" so much as disagreeing with critics from so long ago many have passed away. When you have people arguing the merits of honest-to-god POS films (and I mean that in the best way) coming in with "I like [universally loved thing]" doesn't really fit just because it wasn't as loved in the past.

Speaking of genuine POS films, Super Mario Brothers. I can’t even rate it on a good/bad scale—if it’s on I will watch it. Every scene is a treasure.

Similarly, the Masters of the Universe live action film is pretty great as a collection of sci-fantasy spectacle and scenery chewing scenes. As a film or He-Man adaptation? Probably not so great.

Is Flash Gordon widely beloved or just so well known a cult/so-bad-it’s-good film that it feels widely beloved?

I’ll also die on the hill that Krull is a fun, imaginative fantasy (sci-fantasy?) film, and more fantasy films should try to emulate it rather than Lord of the Rings. Adventure is easier to achieve than epic.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and Superman 4. I don’t care how cheap the effects or silly the choreography; give me more Nuclear Man on a rampage and terribad humor.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is the most rewatchable Star Trek movie. It’s so flawed yet so ambitious, so different from what came after it, and so rooted in its time, that it transports me every time I watch it. I love Wrath of Khan for being better written, deeper and more exciting, but I will sit there and think about the TMP or Phase 2 that could have been an hour after that film has ended.

I think I need to rule out Cult Movies, as they already have their exponents, usually for good reason.

Has anyone seen Intacto? I think it got dubbed as Intact at some point, but it's just one of those movies I thought was fantastic that every time I bring up I have to convince people I didn't make up.

Toy Soldiers, a movie staring Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, and Louis Gossett Jr.


A movie where a hobbit, Wessley Crusher, and the guy from the Iron Eagle movies take on a Die Hard like situation at an all-boys private school.

Really good movie for 1991, and one I recommend.

I was always surprised at the time that Toy Soldiers never got a sequel or anything as, from what I recall, it did really well at the time. It's just one of those films that, for whatever reason, never made it into a regular Christmas re-run slot and so has steadily vanished from memory.

It didn't do anything wrong, it just wasn't stand-out-enough or franchised enough or just didn't get lucky enough.
Heck the other approach is something like Land Before Time films that steadily led into a TV series that then just went quiet. Though I'm led to understand it never fully died, it just stopped being a "Top" shop and slipped into the background, but did keep going for quite a long time.


Heck the intro with the laser 3D printer took me years to really understand what's going on with it (now that I own a 3D printer and all - but it doesn't have lasers....)

I think it got trumped by Class of 99 (?), killer robot teachers and Malcolm McDowell > Wil and Co

 AnomanderRake wrote:
Star Trek: Nemesis. Often held up as the worst Star Trek movie, and I know bad reviews killed the franchise for a while. I know they killed Data, I know they forgot about the transporters in the shuttlecraft, but the music's top-notch, the acting and the story are in the finest traditions of the franchise, the effects in general and the climactic space battle particularly are gorgeous, and to me it made a far better actionized interpretation of Star Trek than any of the reboots.

One comment I saw on Nemesis that always stuck in my mind (no idea how accurate it is) was "By all means go see Nemesis, just bear in mind that this is a movie written by and for fifteen year old boys...every scene is written on the principle of "Wouldn't it be SO COOL if THIS happened?!""

My own nomination is the two Charlies Angels movies with Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore. Totally nonsensical, the whole thing runs on rule of cool...but it's just plain fun. The sequel is a bit weaker, but benefits from Demi Moore munching the scenery as the villain.

 Turnip Jedi wrote:
I think it got trumped by Class of 99 (?), killer robot teachers and Malcolm McDowell > Wil and Co

Ah Class of 1999. Pam Grier as as a cyborg killer. Ir also had Stacey Keach iirc.

Constantine

A genuinely awful interpretation of the source material.

But…push past it and you have a genuinely decent movie with a pretty solid story. Good SFX for its era, slightly ropey but still enjoyable acting from the two leads, with The Baddies effortlessly upstaging them - though admittedly that is totally bonus points in my Idiot’s Book Of Scoring Movies.