Tropical Island Movie Draft Thread - ROUND 20 FINISHED!!!

[LoungeLizard]

Big Lebowski (1998)

The Dude abides.

I nearly picked Lebowski with my last pick as I was in full comedy mode. Great character played by Bridges and I really liked Goodman in this as well. Nice pick.

 

[Warhawk]

Here I am going to take:

Demolition Man (1993)

Now, this is definitely not the best movie ever made, but it is one of my guilty pleasures.

For those unfamiliar with this movie (wiki):

Although the initial scenes are set in Los Angeles circa 1996 (which was three years in the future at the time of the movie's release), most of the film is set in the year 2032, where San Angeles — created from the joining of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and the surrounding metropolitan regions following a massive earthquake in 2010 — has become a peaceful, sanitized city (portrayed as an Anti-Utopia).

Simon Phoenix (Snipes) is incarcerated in a "cryoprison" — which keeps its prisoners cryonically frozen in suspended animation — as a sentence for his activities as a crime lord in 1990s Los Angeles. He escapes during a parole hearing and soon thereafter embarks on a reign of terror throughout the city of San Angeles. Because police officers no longer know how to deal with violent criminals, supercop Sgt. John Spartan (Stallone), aka "The Demolition Man", is paroled from the cryoprison for the purpose of apprehending Phoenix.

The film depicts a future society in which crime and violence are rare and seen as remnants of the 20th century.

Hints are dropped throughout the movie that the United States underwent a period of anarchy before it was stabilized. In particular, Taco Bell is the only restaurant available, because it won the "Franchise Wars".

It is explained that anything deemed "bad for you" is now illegal, including alcohol, caffeine, contact sports, non-educational toys, meat, spicy and unhealthy food, table salt and tobacco. Firearms can only be seen in museums. Physical contact was recognized as causing the spread of disease and is now seen as unusual. "Sex" is no longer a physical act for the same reasons, and even kissing is not condoned. Instead, "Vir-Sex" is performed by using sex simulators worn on the participants' heads to replace physical intercourse. Procreation is carried out in a laboratory; abortion is illegal, but so is pregnancy (without a license).

It's funny as heck in parts, especially with Stallone and Sandra Bullock interacting as police officers from different eras (1996 vs. 2032). She is flipping hilarious mangling phrases she's "read up on" from Stallone's era:

Lenina Huxley: Let's go blow this guy.
John Spartan: Away! Blow this guy *away*!
Lenina Huxley: Whatever.

Lenina Huxley: He's finally matched his meet. You really licked his ***.
John Spartan: That's *met* his match and kicked... *kicked* his ***...

And the pansy 2032 cops trying to deal with Wesley Snipes as an ultraviolent crime lord is fun to watch as well.

I think I just get a kick out of the whole environment and society they created for this film - perfect for inserting a little Stallone/Snipes violence. Of course it is contrived, but that is still part of the fun.

Nice to have Denis Leary and Benjamin Bratt to round out the cast here as well.

And one of my favorite scenes plays off the friendly rivalry between Arnie and Sly as action heroes:

Lenina Huxley: I have, in fact, perused some newsreels in the Schwarzenegger Library, and the time that you took that car...
JohnSpartan: Hold it. The Schwarzenegger Library?
Lenina Huxley: Yes. The Schwarzenegger Presidential Library. Wasn't he an actor when you...?
JohnSpartan: Stop! He was President?
Lenina Huxley: Yes! Even though he was not born in this country, his popularity at the time caused the 61st Amendment which states...
JohnSpartan: I don't wanna know. President...

Nice that this was still available for my island!

 

[Bricklayer]

Well crap on that one -- was going to be a late round sleeper for me maybe. But late round like 15+ so guess it wasn't going to last. Its fun thoguh.

 

[Warhawk]

Well crap on that one -- was going to be a late round sleeper for me maybe. But late round like 15+ so guess it wasn't going to last. Its fun thoguh.

I thought you might go after it, but didn't know when....

 

[tradepeja]

Haha, I loved Demolition Man. You got it right, definitely the quintessential guilty pleasure.

 

[C Diddy]

Big Lebowski (1998)

The Dude abides.

LOL I love that movie. Great pick!


Nobody ****s with the Jesus!

 

[atxrocker]

lebowski almost made my list too. nice pick.

 

[Warhawk]

lebowski almost made my list too. nice pick.

Never seen this one either.

 

[AleksandarN]

This movie was a head of it time. Who new what the future gives but this film is pretty accurate. I bet 50 years from if we continue our global trend. This film will be pretty prophetic. Still this his best work. I am so glad their making a 4th one.


Mad Max 1980

 

[Löwenherz]

I mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean was the first summer blockbuster in a decade I was even more excited about when I left the theater than when I went in.

This was the one from a decade earlier:

Jurassic Park - 1993

I have so many fond childhood memories of this movie as the summer of '93 to me really was the summer of Jurassic Park. Pure action/adventure rollercoaster bringing some of my favorite dinosaurs to life on the big screen. (still bummed there was no ankylosaurus though)

It even spawned month-long childish debates among my cousins and friends as to whether dinosaur cloning using amber-preserved DNA and ostrich eggs was possible. You know, like in Stand By Me, the debates that seem incredibly important at the time.

Now that I'm bringing Jurassic Park to my island, I'll always be able to relive that summer with the T-Rex.

 

[Bricklayer]

Well even though certain people did not bother to PM me, *ahem*, I can tell by the draft board that I am up next, so I'm going. And since I am going, I've decided to finally take my twice delayed selection sure to confuse and dismay:

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Bet you did not see that one coming, eh?

Basically I needed a chick flick. And to those who say "pooh pooh, you never need a chick flick", no, I beg to disagree. At some point during your decades long stay sitting around on your lonely crappy island watching such uplifting fare as Schindler's List and Apocalypse Now, you are going to remember that there used to be more to life. That there used to be members of the opposite sex, and that the interaction with them was one of the joys of life that you will never experience again. And you are eventually going to want to experience that again, even if its vicarious. Now some might come up with the answer of bringing along a porn or two, but as that is not allowed...I needed a chick flick (as in a romance). And I could not think of a better less cheesy way to go about it than by tapping into this Oscar nominated and quite beautifully done Jane Austen flick.

 

[Warhawk]

Basically I needed a chick flick. And to those who say "pooh pooh, you never need a chick flick", no, I beg to disagree. At some point during your decades long stay sitting around on your lonely crappy island watching such uplifting fare as Schindler's List and Apocalypse Now, you are going to remember that there used to be more to life. That there used to be members of the opposite sex, and that the interaction with them was one of the joys of life that you will never experience again. And you are eventually going to want to experience that again, even if its vicarious. Now some might come up with the answer of bringing along a porn or two, but as that is not allowed...I needed a chick flick (as in a romance). And I could not think of a better less cheesy way to go about it than by tapping into this Oscar nominated and quite beautifully done Jane Austen flick.

That's why I have T2 in there. Or maybe Demolition Man. Close enough, isn't it?

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

Um...Brick's PM to me lost some characters during the transmission or was written in partially in invisible text...I hope I got the gist of his message correct...

Completing my 1-2 punch of movies I expected nothing from and ended up having hit me square in the face...I was invited to go see this (read: dragged)

Before Sunrise - 1995

I may be classified as belonging to the group of people this movie has touched because they've experienced something similar and the Delpy and Hawke characters depicted something so ordinary yet familar. Or, in the group of cynical people who want to experience a rich meeting like that but don't believe it happens, then vicarious opportunity ends up being inviting because it makes you want to believe. I dunno maybe it was both and as a result this movie became an instant favorite. Like The Game, this movie forced the characters (and me by extension) to get lost in the moment but for different reasons. And it's nice to be reminded that enjoying something good for what it is and not spending so much time thinking about external circumstances that you can't control is also good. Um, sorta like if one was stuck on an island forever with a bunch of movies... Oh, and another one that Linklater got right...

 

[bdouble013]

At some point during your decades long stay sitting around on your lonely crappy island watching such uplifting fare as Schindler's List and Apocalypse Now, you are going to remember that there used to be more to life.

Hey now, Schindler's List is a story of redemption. Certainly not indicative of any of the finer things in life, but it has an uplifting ending!

Now Silence of the Lambs on the other hand...

 

[Jerryaki]

Here I am going to take:

Demolition Man (1993)

he doesn't know how to use the three seashells!

 

[tradepeja]

I need to lock up my Western category, and why not take a top 5 western ever. And a pretty historically correct one at that.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - 1969

There is nothing not cool about this movie. Robert Redford and Paul Newman in their prime portray he most legendary pair in American West history and immortalize them in this classic film. Not only is there a surplus of (for the most part) historically accurate action scenes, but the movie is choked full of top notch comedy and excellent dialog. I will make one confession though, I hadn't seen this movie till about a year ago when my Western Frontier professor showed it to the whole class of ~100 on the last two days of class. Far and away the best film I've ever watched while in class.

 

[LoungeLizard]

Brick's chick flick pick nearly made me go with one of my own, ultimately I decided to add another comedy to my roster.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High - 1982


The funny thing is that the first time I saw this movie was in the late 90's, which I think made it all the more funny with all of its eightiesness. Who doesn't know a Jeff Spicoli? Who didn't have a Linda Barrett in their High School? And yes that is oscar winner Forest Whitaker as the football stud Charles Jefferson. Add Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage to the Oscar winning actors in this film. I'm sure they all list this movie at the top of their resumes. Anyhow, this movie is just fun to watch.

 

[AleksandarN]

Fast Times at Ridgemont High - 1982


.

Damn that was the one movie I thought would be aviable latter on.

 

[Jerryaki]

sorry for the lag time. too lazy to think much so i'll just continue the trend of chick flicks with, IMO, the best one of the lot:

sliding doors - 1997

really good acting by all involved (especially gwyneth, doing a very likeable english accent), and i thought the story and the way the two timelines are interwoven together was just excellently done. if i had to have one chick flick on the island, this would be it.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Jerryaki, did you PM NoBonus that he's up next? This thread seems to be moving much slower than the other ones.

 

[Jerryaki]

yep, PM'ed after my pick.

 

[Bricklayer]

No Bonus is studying for a pesky little 3 day exam called the bar. Probably taking Kaplan courses I would imagine, which are all day affairs designed to grill an impossible amount of information into your head over the space of 6 weeks. If his head does not explode I am sure he will pop up sooner or later.

 

[NoBonus]

NoBonus Picks: Jaws (1975)

I select Jaws (1975). This movie fits in as a disaster movie and a thriller. Doubly, if I am on a tropical island, what movie could possibly be more terrifying? This Steven Spielberg gem is a classic, an absolute classic and should have been picked up long before now... another steal for me! Also, since this film is pre-CGI, the special effects are still special... and terrifying.

Sorry about using a lot of clock, I am back from my excursion and will be more on top of the draft (like before).

 

[D-Mass]

Next pick is...

The Truman Show - 1998

This movie was really Jim Carrey's first attempt at a dramatic role, although the movie has a decent amount of comedy in it as well. He was great and won the Golden Globe for best actor that year. After winning the award he was snubbed by the Oscars with no nomination at all...don't know if he'll get a good chance like that again. Ed Harris was excellent as well, getting nominated for an Oscar and winning the Golden Globe for best supporting actor. The concept of the movie was great, and Peter Weir did a good job of building the story so as not to give away too much too early. Great film.

 

[Bricklayer]

That one surprised me -- I thought it was an idiotic concept when I heard it, and was well and tired of Carrey's mugging as a "comedian" by that point. But then I got dragged to it as part of a summer internship program, and it was really quite good. Carrey was a revelation, and his struggle was both intriguing and inspiring (if a bit silly at times).

 

[Löwenherz]

Next pick is...

The Truman Show - 1998

This movie was really Jim Carrey's first attempt at a dramatic role, although the movie has a decent amount of comedy in it as well. He was great and won the Golden Globe for best actor that year. After winning the award he was snubbed by the Oscars with no nomination at all...don't know if he'll get a good chance like that again. Ed Harris was excellent as well, getting nominated for an Oscar and winning the Golden Globe for best supporting actor. The concept of the movie was great, and Peter Weir did a good job of building the story so as not to give away too much too early. Great film.

Very interesting pick. I always thought this movie came out just a tad early, slightly before the Reality TV craze really hit its stride. If it came out now I wonder if it would be more well received.

Oh, and NoBonus, Jaws has given me a very pronounced galeophobia. If that movie was on my island I'd be spending all my time in the palm trees at the island's center.

 

[D-Mass]

That one surprised me -- I thought it was an idiotic concept when I heard it, and was well and tired of Carrey's mugging as a "comedian" by that point. But then I got dragged to it as part of a summer internship program, and it was really quite good. Carrey was a revelation, and his struggle was both intriguing and inspiring (if a bit silly at times).

On the last day of school we will often have a movie day for our junior high kids. I try to show them things they've likely never seen before rather than show them things they've seen 25 times already. I always show The Truman Show and it's one of the few movies that my students clap for at the end (although during the whole thing they ask, "when is Jim Carrey going to be funny?). They absolutely love it. If you haven't had a chance to see it, check it out...

 

[NoBonus]

Very interesting pick. I always thought this movie came out just a tad early, slightly before the Reality TV craze really hit its stride. If it came out now I wonder if it would be more well received.

Oh, and NoBonus, Jaws has given me a very pronounced galeophobia. If that movie was on my island I'd be spending all my time in the palm trees at the island's center.

galeophobia, good word!

 

[Bricklayer]

My only problem with the excellent Jaws is that thx to TBS/TNT I have already seen it, or parts of it, 1621 times, and am not sure I want to add another few thousand during my half life marooned on an island.

P.S. RIP Roy Schneider -- makes you feel old

 

[Jerryaki]

Next pick is...

The Truman Show - 1998

nice pick, wasn't sure if it was going to go.