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Post by guttersnipe on Dec 26, 2021 16:10:15 GMT -8
You know, last time I watched T2 was after a long day sightseeing in Kaohsiung, and it happened to be on TV next as I wound down, so I unexpectedly watched the whole thing and reminded myself of the strength of that mirror scene. Not only a terrific bit of practical SFX, a great character detail that suggests John's future leadership qualities, but especially because it gives some levity to a film that's almost constantly in motion for over two hours. As for Star Wars, man, I'm not even sure Lucas can or will settle on whatever version of his films is supposed to be the best; "definitive" would seem to be a fluctuating term bound in perpetuum.
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Post by Jeremy on Dec 26, 2021 20:07:05 GMT -8
I don’t remember which version of T2 I watched (I think it was the original, as I expect that’s the version that plays on cable). Fair to say I typically prefer the original cuts over the extended versions, although there are exceptions (does Justice League count?). Ah yes, the scenes with the USO girls. Good times, good times. (The plantation scene is also quite interesting.) I change my position. By all means, watch Redux instead. Ah, well that definitely settles it…
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Post by ThirdMan on Dec 26, 2021 20:27:34 GMT -8
Redux has Playboy boobs, Jeremy. What was I THINKING, recommending the original over that?!
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Post by guttersnipe on Dec 27, 2021 4:30:12 GMT -8
Actually, that does settle it: Final Cut. It retains the plantation scene and omits the Bunnies one, and is the cleanest print available of a film of towering audio-visual power. Think of it as the Goldilocks choice; the centre can hold.
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Post by Jeremy on Dec 27, 2021 8:29:04 GMT -8
I recall that I actually did hear from another critic that the Final Cut represents the perfect balance between the original and Redux. However, I may have seen your comment a bit late, as I just finished watching the original cut. (For context, Redux is on Netflix and the original cut was briefly available as an on-sale rental, so either was an easier viewing option for me than the Final Cut.)
So, thoughts on the film itself: The fact that it managed to hold my attention for the majority of its run means that it is very likely one of the top 5 best war movies ever made. It looks great, boasts excellent performances, and delves into the horrors of war - both physical and psychological - in ways that deliver striking messages without holding the viewer's hand along the way. It's also very character-focused in a way that hooked me more than a lot of other war films I've seen.
I have a handful of issues, none of which are particularly glaring, but worthy of mention. The film's middle act did feel a bit bloated, perhaps in part because I could tell early on where the story was headed and was growing impatient to get there. (That may help explain why I was skeptical about checking out any three-hour-plus version.) The dim lighting during the last half-hour was a bit frustrating, even if I see what Coppola was going for - I would have preferred Brando's character to be cloaked in just a little less shadow, the better to be absorbed by his performance.
And the last issue - which is certainly not the film's fault - is that after hearing so many of the film's famous lines be quoted and parodied over the years ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning," "The horror... the horror..."), they felt a little unnatural coming from the original source. But that's the problem with a lot of widely renowned movies, and I don't hold it against the film itself. Plus, I was surprised to learn - after all these years - that a certain Pinky and the Brain episode was inspired by this film (particularly the depictions of Col. Kurtz and the wackadoodle Dennis Hopper character). So that was pretty amusing.
If I do watch this film again, I'll probably go for the Final Cut. Might find it too long, but it could also be more absorbing. Anyway, very good film.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Dec 27, 2021 10:33:39 GMT -8
Speaking of Dennis Hopper wackadoodles, Jer, what's your opinion of The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down? I watched it over the weekend. It's very good, I gotta say! Also very funny in the way that action movies used to be funny. I guess Keanu's himbo what is acting shtick is technically a demerit but he's pretty good here.
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Post by ThirdMan on Dec 27, 2021 13:30:50 GMT -8
And the last issue - which is certainly not the film's fault - is that after hearing so many of the film's famous lines be quoted and parodied over the years ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning," "The horror... the horror..."), they felt a little unnatural coming from the original source. Yeah, that scene in BtVS's Restless with Xander and Principal Snyder was a pretty funny parody of the Brando scene (the fact that he was called Snyder is also rather funny in retrospect).
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Post by ThirdMan on Dec 27, 2021 13:35:22 GMT -8
Speaking of Dennis Hopper wackadoodles, Jer, what's your opinion of The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down? I watched it over the weekend. It's very good, I gotta say! Also very funny in the way that action movies used to be funny. I guess Keanu's himbo what is acting shtick is technically a demerit but he's pretty good here. Don't, under any circumstances, watch the sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control. The characters try to keep a cruise ship from slooooooooowly crashing into a pier (LOL). It's got one of many wackadoodle performances from Willem Dafoe, but it's best avoided.
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Post by Jeremy on Dec 27, 2021 14:52:58 GMT -8
Speaking of Dennis Hopper wackadoodles, Jer, what's your opinion of The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down? I watched it over the weekend. It's very good, I gotta say! Also very funny in the way that action movies used to be funny. I guess Keanu's himbo what is acting shtick is technically a demerit but he's pretty good here. I like it a lot, and often refer to it as the gold standard for nonstop action movies. (Although it's rivaled in this feat by Tony Scott's similarly great Unstoppable.) It's also key to understanding Keanu's '90s transition from comedy star (the Bill and Ted series) to action hero (the Matrix films), and Speed runs the gamut of his talents better than either of those other franchises. I've never seen Speed 2 (which Reeves didn't even return for), but I blame it for continually making me mix up Dennis Hopper with Willem Dafoe. You'd think I'd have figured out the difference since one of them has been dead for ten years, but you'd be wrong.
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Post by guttersnipe on Dec 27, 2021 15:19:35 GMT -8
I wish I had a similar reason for often getting Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens mixed up, but it's really just because I'm a massive racist.
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Post by guttersnipe on Dec 31, 2021 13:26:37 GMT -8
Joking aside, it should be relatively easy to tell Hopper and Dafoe apart. Dennis Hopper played the vicious, infantile psychosexual ersatzfather who gets shot in the head in David Lynch's Blue Velvet, whereas Willem Dafoe played the vicious, infantile psychosexual ersatzfather who gets shot in the head in David Lynch's Wild At Heart.
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