No, I did not forget to send a PM, thanks.
Soo...assuming the time is correct, I think it's time to pounce on my pick:
Blazing Saddles
I needed a good western on my island. This will do.
Mel Brooks has a way of dealing with societal issues. I didn't understand it as much then as I do now. Oh, and Mel had a way with flatus.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
Chinatown (1974)
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The perfect noir. There isn't one single flaw in this movie, to the point that hurts. Great actors, great characters, a plot interesting enough to keep your attention but not overly complex. But the thing that I love the most in this movie is the feeling of subtle creepiness that grows stronger every minute up until the truth is finally revealed.
For my next film I select Ghostbusters (1984).
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Probably the single-most watched film from my childhood and littered with so many quotable quotes I don't even know if I could pick a favorite. With so much great material in the original, it's such a shame they never made a sequel.
Trailer below (not like you need it...)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
I created this picture to represent my feelings regarding your most recent pick.
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Pale Rider - 1985
" ... And Hell followed with him"
This is about the point Eastwood started getting accolades as an actual artist/director.
The classic Western elements are present as Eastwood's gruff and gritty "Preacher" takes care of the riffraff in town with monosyllabic sentences and a gun.
But as a precursor to themes of regret and redemption seen in Unforgiven's William Munny, this Man with No Name is slow(ish) to reach for the side iron - choosing instead to first attempt a peaceable solution to issues.
... OK so they're half-hearted and doomed from the onset, especially when his mysterious and presumably dark past catches up with him. But he does help a guy to his horse and suggest ice as a remedy after hitting him in the crotch with a sledgehammer ... so it's like, art and stuff.
I also love the chilly and barren atmosphere of the high Sierras in which the movie is set. It perfectly complements the Preacher's demeanor of cold, harsh, gritty, but with a certain majestic quality as well.
Have to say I am majorly surprised by the respective tastes in films by posters. I hated Warriors when I watched it, and I won't go any further in displaying my dislikeness (for lack of an actual word, or overly harsh word). Not my job to complain about picks, so it's fair enoughJust not to my taste!
PS. I didn't think Ocean's 11 was impressive in an artistic or story-telling manner. However, nor did I think it was a poor film. I just thought it was an interesting flick to entertain once and nothing more. Want to make it clear that I don't think these are poor picks; just not to my particular taste. There's been far worse picks so far IMO, so I don't want to come across as trying to sabotage or influence. I'm sure many of my films are utterly boring to some.
I would have gotten to it eventually as well. I will probably nab a movie better for my island's vote total instead of it, but worse for my island's entertainment quotient.
I've purposely not said a lot about anyone's picks in this draft, even my own. Not out of fear of offending anyone, because I think everyone knows this is all about personal tastes, but because I'm trying to play it close to the vest. There's been a ton of picks so far that I just don't get, for whatever reason, but that's why this is fun to me. There are also a few movies picked that I've never seen, and so will be adding to my queue. Either way, I'm just trying to build an appealing and varied list as best I can, and see what happens. More than anything else, it will be representative of me, rather than pandering for votes. I bet everyone else feels the same.
I should note again that there was a 1997 Showtime version of this movie which I liked every bit as much as the original, maybe even more. Almost identical, and with a cast just as decorated (Jack Lemmon, George C. Scott, James Gandolphini, Courtney B. Vance, Edward James Olmos etc.). I'm going to take the classic just because more people have seen it, but if the two versions were sitting there right on a shelf next to each other I might very well pull down the more modern version.
I think the best way to describe Ocean's Eleven is witty. The line that best sums the movie up is when Rusty is telling Linus how to handle his meeting with Benedict, and he tells him: "Don't use seven words when four will do. Don't shift your weight. Look always at your mark but don't stare. Be specific but not memorable, be funny but don't make him laugh. He's got to like you then forget you the moment you've left his side. And for God's sake, whatever you do, don't, under any circumstances..." and then he leaves him (and the audience) hanging. The cast and the dialogue were done very well, everyone seemed to fit, the wardrobe was awesome, and the little easter eggs (like Rusty always eating) gives you something else to have fun with. I might have taken it a little high, but I wanted it, so I took it.
#&^#!
Sorry folks. Completely my fault for the timeout. [excuses]Was out of town this weekend but still had internet access, I was just very busy and forgot to check on the draft in the moments I had a connection. It also doesn't help that when I've done these drafts on another site we always skip weekends.[/excuses] At one point last night driving home I remembered about the draft, and then last night I had a dream that I had timed out. So you can all feel good that this failure has weighed heavily on me.
So according to rule #5 I can make up my pick now. Despite some nice recent picks (Ocean's 11 was on my list and Gods Must be Crazy is genius), my timeout didn't affect me. At this point I'm looking for a little more action. It's a bit strange to take the same lead in this pick as in my last one, but I really enjoyed this movie so oh well...
The Bourne Identity (2002)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/
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tick, although later round Rnd 15 type tick![]()
Ocean's 11 is just fun. I wouldn't have picked it, but its witty and a bit clever and it achieved what it was trying to do. Who cares if it's high art?
Witty is a good word for it. I think of that one as a good example of clever, as well, in the sense that it's the kind of movie that looks a hell of a lot easier to pull off that it really was. I'm a huge fan of Ocean's Eleven, would have taken it in the later rounds if it had still been available, but I could never honestly call it a great film. However, it is without a doubt great at being the type of film it wants to be. And the casual/cool vibe it achieves isn't easy, as seen by the number of films that have gone in that direction and failed miserably.