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Harry's DVD PICKS AND PEEKS Does The Third Week of March 2007 - Rocky -- W.C. Fields -- Lovecraft -- British Sex!!!
Hey folks, Harry here with the third Tuesday of the month’s selection of DVDs for us all to collectively look at. As usual – I have Amazon links – use them or don’t. Matters not to me. This is a very nice selection of really great films – and some of the worst films of all time. You’ll see when you get into this week’s list. Here ya go…
March 20th, 2007
ROCKY BALBOA
AICN and Talkbacker Favorite son, Sylvester Stallone’s stunning closer to the ROCKY franchise has finally hit DVD. And Stallone has done a knock out job on the DVD giving us a Commentary, an alternate ending, deleted scenes, boxing bloopers (that hurt), making ofs and the shooting of the final fight. Oh and the CG fight. It’s a damn good dvd for a wonderful film. This absolutely deserves to be added right alongside the original 4. Sly is on the otherside of the world right now shooting JOHN RAMBO – and I can’t wait to learn more on that film as well. This is a must own.
BLOOD DIAMOND
I’m a huge fan of Ed Zwick’s work. One of the first advanced screenings I saw as a hungry film fan was his movie, GLORY – and I’ve been with him ever since. He’s had films that didn’t quite fulfill their promise, but his worst films are still better than most filmmakers out there. This, however, is not one of his worst. This is a very satisfying and dramatic tale that is superbly acted out by Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and the gorgeous Jennifer Connelly. After the film – which after watching THE DEVIL RODE ON HORSEBACK – it shows you the horrors that take place in Africa, when the world turns its collective backs on a region. This isn’t new. One of my favorite films on this subject is Rod Taylor’s THE MERCENARIES (aka DARK OF THE SUN) directed by the wonderful Jack Cardiff – and still not available on DVD dammit. Anyway, this is the two DVD special edition. What’s so special? Well, you’ve got Zwick’s commentary. There’s the documentary that tracks a diamond from the ground to the store where you buy it. There’s featurettes on Leonardo’s training for the film, Jennifer Connelly on female journalists in war zones and Zwick on the siege of Freetown scene. This is a powerful film worth checking out.
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED – Season Two
A couple of weeks ago, my nephew and I enjoyed a 13 episode marathon thanks to this DVD. That this series was cancelled is a travesty. Each and every episode is a delight. The coolest part is… for us advanced comic geeks – it gave me a chance to pull out some classic Silver Age comics to give my nephew background on characters like the Shining Knight – or my old serial for SPY SMASHER – which every good kid should know. This was a fantastic season of animated bliss for comic lovers – and if it be true that Warners is attempting a Justice League feature – using the creative talent behind this series would be a step in the right direction. The possibilities would be unlimited.
ERAGON
Box looks cool doesn’t it? The beginning and end of Fox’s grand Inheritance Trilogy. This turd sank quickly as the public flushed on sight. That said – when grand ambitions fail as miserably as this – I love to check them out on DVD and the bigger the edition the better. I saw a truly shit stained film during SXSW, an indie that I really wanted to walk out on – but the one thing that kept me in my seat was – the morbid curiousity regarding the Q&A, where the Director would most likely be asked to explain himself. --- Well this 2-Disc edition has more extras then you’ll know what to do with. You’ll have a detailed pitch featurette explaining the entire Inheritance trilogy. Seriously – I don’t think there has ever been a shittier movie with more pomp about how they made it. It has seemingly endless features. I don’t recommend purchasing it. However – when the fools that do buy this, realize their bad luck and take it to a second hand shop – and it hits $3, check it out. OR – just put it in your rental queue.
THE WILD WILD WEST – 2nd Season
How can a TV show kick the living bejeesus out of a grotesquely budgeted Hollywood nightmare? Check out the second season of THE WILD WILD WEST. This show has more wit and sense of fun and just pure Badassery than any moment of that nightmarish Jon Peters envisioned trash heap of celluloid. But this is pure, this is awesome, this is fun. The color is gorgeous, the music cool and Robert Conrad and Ross Martin are aces. The guest stars of the episodes include Victor Buono, Boris Karloff, Ida Lupino, Carrol O’Connor, Ricardo Montalban, John Astin and many many more.
BATMAN BEYOND – 3rd Season
I loved this series, and was genuinely excited when Boaz Yakin had brought on Paul Dini and Alan Burnett to develop and script a live-action version of BATMAN BEYOND. Sadly, that fell apart – but the original episodes are still here to kick ass. This was such a completely different and fun series for the great minds behind the classic BATMAN animated series… which I wish would have continued FOREVER. Including my fave episode of BATMAN BEYOND ever – the two part THE CALL. This is another in a long line of DVDs in my DC animated collection!
W. C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 ( THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE / NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK / YOU’RE TELLING ME! / THE OLD FASHIONED WAY / POPPY )
I love W.C. Fields. He was one of the great personality comedians in history. I love his hats, his noise, his snarl and I love that he reminds me of Burgess Meredith’s Penguin on the Adam West BATMAN tv show. Here you get an absolutely exciting selection of funny as hell W.C. Fields’ work. I’ve only see NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK, which is a hilarious film biz parody. The others I’ve only ever heard about, which is what makes this set so damn exciting to me. They’ve also got a vintage 1965 television retrospect on Fields’ career which is always neat. I love vintage docs on actors – they’ve just got a sense of playfulness about them that we don’t get these days. Universal did a great job on the first set.
NAKED CITY – Criterion Collection
One of the greatest detective films, one of the most awesome films to use the location of NEW YORK – and a powerful and stark tale. If you are familiar with Jules Dassin’s BRUTE FORCE, this was the next film – and by all means – it was every bit the artistic and cinematic success that you’d hope for it to be. It feels like a documentary, until it isn’t – and the closing narration is perhaps the single best closing line of narration ever. The film isn’t filled with the biggest names, but it is loaded with character actors I love like Paul Ford, Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur O’Connell. Criterion has done another bang up job on this one, even as I wait with baited breath the release of their BRUTEFORCE in April. Disc – get here now! NOT to be missed!
The Michael Shayne, Private Detective Collection Vol 1 ( MICHAEL SHAYNE, PRIVATE DETECTIVE / THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T DIE / SLEEPERS WEST / BLUE, WHITE, AND PERFECT )
I haven’t seen a single one of these. I’ve just never had the opportunity to, but 1930’s and 1940’s Detective yarns are a fave of mine, and I have had one-sheets and lobby cards on all of these and always wanted to find out more. That said – it is a very well regarded series – and this is a chance to discover an honest to goodness “new to me” 40’s Detective. That said, I know Lloyd Nolan’s work very well. He was in films forever – and is one of those faces you’d recognize instantly as a fan of movies… or denture commercials from the 80s. Meanwhile in BLUE, WHITE AND PERFECT – George Reeves has a pre-SUPERMAN role – so that’d be fun to check out. Like I said – this is a roll of the dice shot at a particular fetish area of mine from the forties. Fox Home Video has provided lots of extras on this set – which I can’t wait to check out and discover something new, that is very old.
RE-ANIMATOR
If you don’t know RE-ANIMATOR – what the hell is wrong with you? Anchor Bay has gone above and beyond on this DVD – including you’re your own Hypo-neon green highlighter!!!! Now here’s a film that absolutely needed every ounce of love and care that Anchor Bay put into it. This is an early fave of the year for me in the DVD arena. There’s a 70 minute documentary on the making of. There’s separate interviews with Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, Dennis Paoli and Richard Band. Deleted scenes, extended scenes, storyboards, the screenplay, the original Lovecraft story, stills, multiple commentaries. For you lovers of RE-ANIMATOR – this is the best present you could hope for. For those of you that have never seen it – prepare to discover a masterpiece of cult horror. Now get out and read more H.P. Lovecraft – it’s good for the soul!
THE ED WOOD COLLECTION – A SALUTE TO INCOMPETENCE
Ok – you’ve seen Tim Burton’s ED WOOD – but here’s the real thing. The most charmingly awful films in history, the work of Edward D Wood Jr. You get, GLEN OR GLENDA, JAIL BAIT, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER, THE VIOLENT YEARS, NIGHT OF THE GHOULS and finally… PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. You get all of these for like $9. This is a great set for that Grade Z film party that you’re aching to throw. You know – where you have your friends dress up in the worst possible versions of authoritative costumery. Worst cop, surgeon, detective, alien leader, vampire goddess. You know – that sort of thing. And you eat the worst foods – like SPAM, BEEF JERKY, PEZ, etc… And you drink bad beer – and… well you get the idea.
MASTERS OF HORROR - PRO-LIFE
BANNED FROM WAL-MART!!!! Do your part to protest WAL-MART!!! Also written by some crotchety old fart at AICN and his fiercely attractive, magnificent example of the human form, writing partner. It’s Moriarty’s take on Abortion… even as he was having a baby. SO WEIRD. Some love it, some hate it. Some hate it without seeing it. Don’t be one of those bastards! Plus you can hear Moriarty on the commentary with John Carpenter and someone named Scott Swan.
THE CARE BEARS MOVIE
Guys had THE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE – Chicks had THE CARE BEARS MOVIE. We guys like to think ours was better, but we didn’t have a sequel movie, Care Bears did. I took my baby sis to see this fucker, back in the day. It’s unbearably cute! I’ve never been able to shake the notion, that Care Bears were invented by Satan to replace God’s cherubs. And I believe that till this very day. However, chicks dig this movie. Not all chicks, but some very cute ones – and if you happen to have this in your video collection – you’ll probably score. I did. Btw - the following is not on this DVD, but M.D. sent it to me tonight - and it's very appropriate!
JULIA
Saw this at the World Premiere at the VILLAGE THEATER here in Austin – with Jane and Vanessa there. Now the ALAMO VILLAGE. This is a wonderful film about a playwright doing some fun anti-nazi stuff. The performances by Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave are awesome. This is a mostly forgotten film that deserves to be rediscovered.
MILPITAS MONSTER
This film was made as a High School movie in 1975, where everyone is who their characters are – but it’s a giant monster movie. It’s hokey as hell, but if you love amateur attempts at feature filmmaking from a bygone era – then this is a jewel for you. It’s literally one of the worst movies ever made, but watching the kids playing with effects, camera movement and all the tricks is very fun. It’s quite ambitious – just hokey as well.
WIFE SWAPPERS
Did you always hate that Ang Lee didn’t commit to the Wife Swapping scene in THE ICE STORM? Well – here’s the seventies sexploitation for you… and they all have English accents! BONUS! Not a great one, but definitely a fun one.
THE BLACK PIRATE
A Terence Hill, Bud Spencer PIRATE MOVIE?!?!?!?! Where the fuck has this been my entire life? The single most exciting film of the week. I bet this thing is awesome! Anybody seen this? I’ve seen the Douglas Fairbanks BLACK PIRATE many times, it kicks ass. But never even heard of this one. What a joy to have to look forward to! Just in case you don’t know who these guys are, they’re the geniuses from the TRINITY westerns. Very curious to see this one!
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Yes.
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Sweet! ;)
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All it takes to win over the aicn crowd is to log on and kiss there asses and then shoot up steroids!
guess bryan singer shouldve done the same so you morons wouldve all gone in droves to see superman.
shouldve gotten hulk hogan to play lex luthor ahahaha im so funny.
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gives good head - snuff said.
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"ROCKY BALBOA - This absolutely deserves to be added right alongside the original 4"
I assume that should read the original THREE, and five seeing as Rocky IV SUCKED!
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Yes it did suck it should be called russias gotta eat 4.
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Yes it did suck it should be called russias gotta eat 4.
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Can't wait to see it! Don't know why I missed it in theatres. Oh well . . . DIGIMON HANSOLO ROCKS!!
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All profits of this DVD sale go toward his HGH addiction!
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What's next? "Angelo Provolone", the self-important sequel to "Oscar"?
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You said it. But still, Rocky V has its moments. Like the flashback when Mickey gives Rocky the necklace. Those two minutes were pretty good.
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It certainly hasn't aged well and now plays like a music video on steroids, and the boxers are more like superheroes, but take the replign machine back to 1986. Everyone thought it was cool, and it was. How DARE you!! And as for Sly getting caught in Australia with muscle enhancers, who cares? He's Sylvester Stallone. He could kill a baby with his bare hands live on TV, and I'd still love him
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Last time I checked the guy isn't about to break Hank Aaron's record. 99% of the population don't have the genetics to get the body he had in Rambo and Rocky IV. It's just impossible. Check out his physique in the first two Rocky movies. Now he is 60 and he's gotta take his shirt off again for a movie. Fucking-A he's going to take steroids before doing that.
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I don't know anything about McWeeney's opus but it looks like an "It's Alive" ripoff.
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how about if he's wearing boxing gloves and it was a one hour tape delay...would you still watch him kill a baby?
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They kept playing up Reanimator as being a Lovecraftian movie, but when I saw it I just about walked out. This has nothing to do with Lovecraft and they haven't ever made a decent movie from one of his stories. About the only one worth watching was this amateur made movie which was a silent version of "Call of Cthulhu". That's pretty pathetic, that a bunch amateurs can make a more compelling Lovecraft movie than Hollywood. Stuart Gorden should NEVER be allowed near a Lovecraft story ever again because he just doesn't get it. If you like Reanimator and think it's a great movie, that's fine...just understand that HP Lovecraft's story had about as much influence on it than Stephen King's original story did with "Lawnmower Man".
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Thanks for another version of Re-Animator I guess.
Where is FROM BEYOND? -
just updated. I seem to remember the story being about a med student that finds a formula to re-animate the dead (It has been about 15 years since I read it so I am more than prepared to be wrong). Granted the rest of the film departed from Lovecraft- but it is still a fun dead movie.
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Harry what was the name of the truly shit stained indie film you wanted to walk out on?
Go on tells us -
Holy crap has it realy been that long!!! Jesus I remeber going to the Casa Linda Theater here in Dallas with my best friend and my sisters to watch that thing. Now its a gay bingo night hang out wow realy makes ya think.
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Oh, come on. Who DIDN'T read it like that?
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It's a poorly made boring film. I'll bet you liked it not so much because Stallone did that talkback series for you but because you saw it in a theater full of anxious Rocky fans who cheered everything and it was a great night at the movies. But, Harry, when you pop that DVD in and watch it for the movie it really is you're gonna fall asleep or fast forward 'til you hear the familiar about-to-kick-ass theme. And when you do...I'll be there. Waiting. (Uhhh...I don't know what that means. *REDACTED*)
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When does that come out?Can't wait for Blood D. and the ReAnimator! Good flick!
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An actress at the absolutely height of desirability. No, these Stuart Gordon movies AREN'T Lovecraft, but they are GREAT 80's fun.
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Seriously? You're not a true fan. LBT XII came out in February. Yeah, you didn't see that one coming, did you?
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typos suck. Think I gotta go turn on my 'Resinator!' ;^)
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I think part five is the 3rd best one, after 1 and 6. Its far more realistic and dramatic than parts 3 and 4. Are you just on the bandwagon with everyone else, or do you have genuine reasons for hating it?
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Bud Spencer doesn't even have a huge part in it. But if you are a fan and haven't seen it, then you should take a look anyway.
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...that it is 20 years later more worth watching than the old Transformers movie. Hey, at least the story makes sense!
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...feature an unedited version of Wood's "masterpiece", Glen Or Glenda? I had to sell the old DVD when I learned that it cut out several scenes that are on the VHS tape! Ah well, snips and snails and puppy-dog tails...
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Mar 20, 2007 10:52:18 AM CDT
Micheal Bay to direct Care Bears live action movie
by allpowerfulwizardofoz
going to be rated "R" for retarded.
lol ;-)
With that said I can't wait for Transformers! Mindless action of robots blowing shit up. Count me in. -
HA-HA-HA
PUPPY-DOG TAILS!
*Cue burlesque music* -
A new day...is begun.
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Is it May 8th ALREADY?
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IS THAT IT SUCKS! All of you starfucking worshipers who fell all over yourselves trying to get a virtual tuft of Stallone's hair in his Q&A talkbacks can go fuck yourselves. The movie sucked ass and the sellout ending was an embarassment to the series. Maybe Sly should have spent more time making the movie not suck nuts than kissing your fucking asses with bullshit Q&A sessions and pandering DVD extras. Fuckign Eragon was a masterpiece compared to this cash in for and againing egotistical Hollywood has been.
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are what I think makes it an amazing movie... It is Stallone's love poem to Philadelphia and being a working class schlub who has to battle for everything at every point in their life. That was a beautiful movie. The 'Rocky' stuff I could take or leave...
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If you hate it you don't get it. It makes a perfect double feature with RAMBO - FIRST BLOOD PART 2 as delicious action flick Reagan era propaganda. You can enjoy them on the surface or you can marvel at and be amused by their disregard of subtlety. ROCKY and ROCKY BALBOA are the best films in the series; no doubt about that. But ROCKY III and ROCKY IV are the ones I watch compulsively.
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The best parts of the movie for me were the ones outside the boxing ring. I enjoyed the fight, but it wsn't the highlight of the movie for me. My favorite scene of all was his talk with his son outside the restaurant. I wept like a woman. I loved it.
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Oh yeah, I've never seen a Rocky film. Does that make me a bad person?
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What are you on about? Seriously.
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that's right. Rocky should be considered a trilogy: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky Balboa.
Rocky Balboa isn't even in Rocky III! Nothing of the character from the first two films is in that piece of shit.
Rocky IV is good, but it doesn't belong in the trilogy, it's a superhero movie. And it works for what it is, but it doesn't belong.
Rocky V isn't a good movie, but really, at least Stallone was playing Rocky again and not whoever that whiny little bitch was in Rocky III.
The Rocky Trilogy:
Rocky I
Rocky II
Rocky Balboa
perfection. -
You got the Care Bears as a DVD pick but not Casino Royale?
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Quote me!
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The entire fight was one giant ad for that online gambling website.
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When the fuck is that coming out. P.S. I f-n loved the Transformers cartoon movie it rocked out with its cock out!!!
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Thanks for the Wild Wild West plug. I'm an old fart, so I have fond memories of watching it with my brother Friday nights. Does this include the great Michael Dunn as Dr. Loveless? To bad the movie screwed it up SO badly, and TBS/TNT run it to the ground.
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See Harry's rave last week.......
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It absolutely IS Lovecraft. Lovecraft is one of my favorite authors of all time, and the movie takes the original premise of the story and expands on it, which you ABSOLUTELY have to do. The story is all of 4 pages long. It would be a 2 minute movie if they adapted the EXACT story.
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cheers Eddie I think what he was getting at though is all the head on a tray nonsense in the latter stages. Could be wrong (or even have the wrong film, as it is a while since I have seen it)
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I remember movie critic goddess Pauline Kael really enjoying this, ya gotta love her for that...Ebert loved it too.
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Can't say I liked it; I'm as pro-choice as a man can get, but I found that show's whole concept flawed from the get-go. It was too simplistic. If, instead of it clearly being a demonspawn from the start, there had been some confusion as to whether the baby she was carrying was demonspawn or the Messiah, heightening the tension and uncertainty, then I would have liked it better I think. Ron Perlman gave a very committed performace in that show; it should have been possible to root for him at some level.
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I think the actual translation for the movie you are refering to is "Watch out, here we come". I agree, best spencer-hill movie, just amazing. Are you from Argentina? (just curious because of the name)
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now before I get anyone in full on hater mode, I just have to ask.
I have seen all the rocky films and I love them ( well maybe not #5) but i just never got around to seeing tha last one in the theater. from what i have heard though it is great closure on a character that many of us have grown up with.
I dunno about it though. I mean the idea of a man of someone of stallones age getting back in the ring and fighting one more time, kinda didnt really do it for me. I might be in the mojority on this one but was there really any need for this one to be made or was it one last paycheck for stallone off of one of his most memorable roles?
with all that said Ill prolly rent it soon and give it a once over, but Im curious as to WHAT it is that made this film so good.
you may commence with the hating now
that is all
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Yeah I wanna know.You really wanna know? I WANNA KNOW!!!
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YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE ..... something or other, I forget.
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and full of head.
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Not bad when you consider it only had a $24 million budget.
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Great director,even better cinematographer.Dead at 89.He will be missed.
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Now that ROCKY BALBOA is here on DVD, when and what is the site going to do to commemorate the Q&A marathon? At the very least, place a permanent toplink on the main page, with a new introduction and all of the questions formatted to one page, in a print-friendly version without Talk Back.
While I have your attention, any news for us on who the next cool guest will be? I don't know who's masochistic enough to want to submit to 200 geek questions...on second thought, I've just read REBEL WITHOUT A CREW, so I know Rodriguez is masochist enough. I don't know if Tarantino is game for it, but you're friends, so I bet that he'll do it if you ask, Harry. So, an AICN presents GRINDHOUSE Double Bill Q&A with Tarantino and Rodriguez for 100 questions each...how 'bout it, Headgeek?
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ROCKY B isn't really a bad movie at all. It's got some good stuff here and there. It really seemed like a TV movie for most of the way, but a GOOD TV movie at least. It's nice to see Stallone do something that isn't completely cringe-worthy and for my money, Burt Young as Pauly is one of the greatest supporting characters in movie history. "I DON'T SWEAT YOU!" As for the rest of the Rocky flix: Rocky 1=classic. Rocky II: Watch it again. Outside of the fight, the only watchable parts of this movie are Rocky in the caveman suit and Pauly, of course. Overrated. Rocky III: It degraded the character and yet it is one of the most watchable, quotable, enjoyable flicks ever. Rocky IV: Not quite as good as III, but unintentionally funny as hell. Rocky wins the Cold War and James Brown lives in America. Rocky V: Blocked from my memory, except for some Pauly scenes. Rocky Balboa: A nice trip down memory lane, not much new ground here. But it's got lots of Pauly and even the aged Spider Rico, so it can't be all bad. All in all, the Rocky saga bats about .500, which is a decent average.
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I remember hearing they filmed 3 or 4 different ending, which one do we get on the DVD? I want it to be the one where Rocky wins! :)
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IT MUST BE MADE.
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I enjoyed both Care Bears films, but the sequel made no sense at all. In the first film they find the completely undiscovered Care Bear Cousins, in the sequel they're all in Carealot as babies with no explanation as to how they got separated.
Also, I can't watch the first film without finding Mickey Rooney as Mr Cherrywood disturbing. I just get this vibe that the character is touching those orphans when the lights go out at night... -
The long-awaited follow-up to OVER THE TOP. It must be made.
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and it's great that the DVD has all those extras instead of doing a barebones version and making us buy a "Special Edition" again in six months.
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I watched that movie once when I was 5 or something. Only thing that I remeber was that the boat seemed huge. Other than that I think it was just your typical Spencer/Tracy movie.
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We are all going to age and be put aside by society. It's a very personal movie for Sly. If you don't get it, you're fucking dummer than Jack Black. This film is more about aging with grace and pride than boxing.
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Don't believe me? Check out the series. Brilliant stuff.
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Read review here http://liamstarwatcher.com/eragon.html
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"in a print-friendly version without Talk Back". ..... The hell you say, sir! Half the enjoyment of that whole deal was the slobbering man-love (yes, from me too) for Sly in the TBs and the immediate verbal execution of the few haters who dared state anything to the contrary. A rare moment in TB history and one well worth preserving as well.
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Just asking?
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You, sir, are absolutely right. There's I+II and Balboa. Period. Rocky III is like a gaylicious 80's TV ad for diet-coke. That scene with Rocky + Apollo running at the beach in slomo wearing too short clothes.....give me a fuckin' break!!!
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The trinity films are a adrunken great time but i had to say fuck that to the $22.00 price tag for a movie that should be found at the checkoutline at the grocery store for under$6
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exactly! that scene and all of "Rocky"s wimpering and whining is all I see when I think about that movie. I can understand people enjoying that movie like they enjoy any cheesy over-the-top 80's piece of shit, just for camp value ("Over The Top"?). But it has no place in the true Rocky Trilogy. Rocky Balboa isn't even in the film, there's just a guy there who happens to be named "Rocky" who has no link whatsoever to the real Rocky Balboa.
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I love that film. You mentioned some of the actors, but one of my favorite actors in it is Ted De Corsia, who plays the killer, Garzah. There's a scene in his apartment near the end of the film that still packs a punch (literally!) today. Audiences back in 1948 must have been cleaning out their pants after that scene hit its crescendo...talk about gritty! Anyway, its a superior thriller with gorgeous NYC locations that I can't WAIT to check out on my LCD monitor. PS I love the narration too, as corny as it is, I find it somehow endearing..."eat and run buddy!"
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Yeah, it really IS that good. When it came out in theaters I never thought I'd say this...but the hell with it: I'm buying the dvd. Its just too heartwarming a movie to not buy, and every time Stallone is onscreen I had a huge grin on my face. The guy is like a living special effect...I got excited everytime he was onscreen. Hope you like it as much as I did.
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I can understand the dislike for Rocky's character shift from lovable loser to SuperBoxer in III and IV, but again, I must bring up that Rocky 2 is barely watchable except for 4 things: the fight sequence, Rocky mumbling his way through cuecards that he can't read dressed as a caveman, the run up the stairs, and Pauly. That's about 35 minutes of screen time, which doesn't equal a good movie. The whole Adrian subplot and (which is almost an hour of the movie) is dull dull dull. You can't compare this to the character study of ROCKY BALBOA, because that's revisiting a character in his twilight. ROCKY II is the same old Rocky with a few different issues, and the issues are boring. ROCKY III, shallow and empty as it may have seemed, was almost a solid 90 minutes of entertainment. Mindless brain candy? Yeah. But they can't all be KRAMER VS KRAMER. Rocky III may have been unnecessary and cheesy but it was GREAT. Thunderlips: GREAT. Clubber Lang: BEYOND GREAT. Pauly: ALWAYS GREAT. Training with Apollo: strange but also, GREAT (the awkward man-hug on the beach is both insanely stupid and glorious at the same time.) Mickey dying: well, not great, but a logical dramatic point. for all the dumbness of the movie (Adrian basically says Rocky is washed up for the first 70 minutes, the robot, the fact that Rocky is now sculpted out of steroids and marble) it's still miles more watchable than RII. If you asked 100 people their opinion, I'd say 90 of them were more likely to leave the channel on III than II, unless the climactic fight from II was on at that moment...and you know what, the fight from III is still better, because it's so wonderfully cheesy. "AIN'T SO BAD! AIN'T SO BAD! Y'ain't so bad! YOU AIN'T NOTHIN!" Eye of the Tiger, dammit.
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I saw it last night for the first time and i have to say I loved every min of it!
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Brav fucking O! Now I like Rocky II. But i have to agree with you III is just so much fun! also when ever i think of rocky III the awkward man-hug is first thing i think of.
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...let me just say that, yes, it is at times virtually unwatchable and wretched -- BUT! It has one redeeming moment which allows it to continue existing and being worthy of my Sly love: "Get up! Get up you sonofabitch! Cuz Mickey loves ya!"
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and HP might not approve, but it sure as hell IS his story, just made more gonzo. You can lie about it not being anything to do with his story, pally, but since we have both the movie AND the story (it's a PDF on the DVD) we can compare. Now From Beyond, that one takes liberties... it's very very faithful to the original, telling its full story, then the opening credits begin...
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Because they met the Care Bear Cousins, unlike the second one, which implies that they grew up together. WTF.
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Severely underrated flick. Great adventure, awesome action, cool movie star acting, and Jennifer Connelly walking around in T-shirts in hot, sunny weather. Plus, it's socially relevant. Yay!
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I can't believe I'm the only one waiting for this fantastic Rossolini film
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Nuff Said
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Disc_Announcements/The_Matrix_Trilogy_Comes_to_HD_DVD/533 -
Dont forget to pick that up too. Nerds 1-4
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You're forgetting the proposal at the zoo "I was wonderin' if you wouldn't mind gettin' married very much" and the wedding "condominiums? I never use 'em" Priceless Rocky moments from Rocky II. You can like Rocky III for being a cheesy 80's movie all you want, but that only solidifies that it's a shitty movie and doesn't belong in the real series. Rocky isn't a series of campy 80's cheese flicks, it's a series of films about a man dealing with the ups and downs of life. That's why Rocky III & IV just don't belong. They're completely outside of the real Rocky universe. I hold firm to my statement that the real Rocky Trilogy is Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky Balboa.
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I respect your opinion. Disagree that it's a bad movie. The thing about Rocky turning whiny is essential, because as champ, he became a millionaire, spoiled and coddled, and lost a part of himself. By the end of the movie, he's grown into himself again. He's whining and scared in the first two acts because he doesn't know how to deal with success and loses both his father figure and the title--badly--in the same night. Rocky breaks, and it's not written perfectly but a lot of it is logical. Maybe YOU don't need Rocky 3 but as a boxing fan, I know what happens much of the time when a heavyweight wins a title. He gets rich, and if he loses his focus, he gets soft, and then he'll usually get his ass kicked. That ass kicking defines a real champion, because either you come back from it or you slither away. Rocky comes back and establishes not only is he a poor slob who made good; he is one of the great champions. I love debating the classics. Maybe I should do some work now.
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I don't know where you got your numbers, but you're painfully wrong. Here are the international box office grosses;
Eragon: $243,461,792;
Rocky Balboa: $147,157,248;
Nacho Libre: $99,253,364;
Pan's Labyrinth: $77,429,540;
The Fountain: $14,056,401;
You're off by $94,434,761. That's quite an error. As far as the relationship of box office receipts to quality of film, just remember that War of the Worlds, The Day After Tomorrow, Night at the Museum, and Madagascar all made over $500 million worldwide. Receipts don't equal a quality product. -
while my bro Saw Desperately Seeking Susan and a plot. My late mother brought me to see the Care bears movie. Jeremy Iron trying to describe magic to eragon must be one of funniest things I have seen this year, hilarious. unlike some around these parts I will check out films which are given " bad name" on this site like night at the mueseum. Which I liked. Rocky was predictable and transparent. Rocky is great. his reason for doing one more seemed soley that 5 sucked. If you want to know how tought Australia has become under John Howard. If you dont vote you 2000 australia. Howard's far right party is also going to ban EU duty Free from 31 march, someone should have told sly about Oz's draconian drugs laws. $110,000 dollar fine or 5 years in prison.
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was so bad a movie, that i had to srop watching. awful, appalling, wretchedly unfunny. It stank. I will avoid him from now on.
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You will think bay is a genius.
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