Simple random film questions: Have you ever demanded your money back in the theatre and why?

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Comments

  • Respectfully disagree to the utmost with the mentions of The Magnificent Seven (not yours, @Mendes4Lyfe) and A Fistful of Dollars. Both very fine westerns, but Seven Samurai and Yojimbo dwell in another realm of filmmaking entirely. Yojimbo especially with its anachronistic jazzy score, unexpected spaghetti western vibe, and batsh*t insane bad*ssery from Toshirō Mifune.
  • edited May 2017 Posts: 7,507
    bondsum wrote: »
    jobo wrote: »
    I will have to disagree there. The swedish version is miles better in my opinion!
    Yes, I too prefer the original Swedish production over the glossy US remake. It's also better, in that they at least resolve the trilogy with two more movies, even though these were TV productions and not released at the cinema,

    Total Recall, I like the look of the new one, but miss Arnie, Stone and Ronny Cox. One thing I never particularly liked about Paul Verhoeven's version was the shoddy effects and sets. The remake was a vast improvement in the production department, but alternatively fell well-short in the casting and general story department, and worse, it seemed to drag in the third act.

    I also disagree about Planet of the Apes. The first two starring Heston and James Franciscus are still the best.

    The one's I think that are better are 3:10 To Yuma; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; The Thing; Scarface, and possibly True Grit, though I still prefer John Wayne over Bridges.


    The whole trilogy was not released at the cinema? I strongly recall watching all of them in the theater... hm... Maybe it was released only in Scandinavia? Both nr 2 and 3 are great entries that hold their own as a full film at least!
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,132
    1958's Dracula is my favourite version even though it doesn't follow the book at all. Other choices would be Ben-Hur and Cleaopatra.

    Can't think of anything else for the moment. I usually despise Hollywood remakes of European work but I must admit I have yet to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    edited May 2017 Posts: 4,585
    Gettler wrote: »
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. David Fincher, Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara. Great atmosphere, acting, music. What I love about the film is the details. Every time I watch the film I catch something new. I read the book first in anticipation for another Fincher Film, and, despite the changes they made, it was a faithful adaptation. Better than the Swedish version, which I watched a few years later.
    Now another reboot is in the making...hmm...

    I thought Fincher's version was superior, too. BUT...

    Does this count as a remake? Because the original material is a novel. So we're basically seeing two separate adaptations of the same source material. To me, that doesn't count as a remake. That's like saying that Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet is a remake of the previous versions. Or that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings is a remake of the 70s animated version.

    I think a remake can only occur with an original story or a film adaptation of a little known novel/play.

    What do others think?

  • TripAces wrote: »
    Gettler wrote: »
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. David Fincher, Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara. Great atmosphere, acting, music. What I love about the film is the details. Every time I watch the film I catch something new. I read the book first in anticipation for another Fincher Film, and, despite the changes they made, it was a faithful adaptation. Better than the Swedish version, which I watched a few years later.
    Now another reboot is in the making...hmm...

    I thought Fincher's version was superior, too. BUT...

    Does this count as a remake? Because the original material is a novel. So we're basically seeing two separate adaptations of the same source material. To me, that doesn't count as a remake. That's like saying that Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet is a remake of the previous versions. Or that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings is a remake of the 70s animated version.

    I think a remake can only occur with an original story or a film adaptation of a little known novel/play.

    What do others think?

    True. Which is why John Carpenter's The Thing, which is often regarded as a remake, should perhaps not be seen as such. It in fact shares more in common with the story it was adapted from—Who Goes There?—than it does with the '50s adaptation The Thing From Another World.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited May 2017 Posts: 7,132
    TripAces wrote: »
    Gettler wrote: »
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. David Fincher, Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara. Great atmosphere, acting, music. What I love about the film is the details. Every time I watch the film I catch something new. I read the book first in anticipation for another Fincher Film, and, despite the changes they made, it was a faithful adaptation. Better than the Swedish version, which I watched a few years later.
    Now another reboot is in the making...hmm...

    I thought Fincher's version was superior, too. BUT...

    Does this count as a remake? Because the original material is a novel. So we're basically seeing two separate adaptations of the same source material. To me, that doesn't count as a remake. That's like saying that Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet is a remake of the previous versions. Or that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings is a remake of the 70s animated version.

    I think a remake can only occur with an original story or a film adaptation of a little known novel/play.

    What do others think?

    In that case Ben-Hur doesn't qualify as a remake because it is also based on a book. Futhermore, no historical movie would qualify because they are inspired by real events.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,040
    Dracula and Nosferatu as well as Frankenstein films also wouldn't apply if movies adapted from novels are excluded. Though I admit I wouldn't know where to draw the line.
  • edited May 2017 Posts: 6,844
    j_w_pepper wrote: »
    Dracula and Nosferatu as well as Frankenstein films also wouldn't apply if movies adapted from novels are excluded. Though I admit I wouldn't know where to draw the line.

    With literary adaptations I think the question becomes: is the "remake" drawing more influence from the literary source or is it drawing more influence from the film that it's purportedly remaking?

    In the case of John Carpenter's The Thing, the film shares more in common with the literary source than it does with Howard Hawks' The Thing From Another World. (Although John Carpenter himself is a big HH fan and probably would even call The Thing a remake himself.)

    Whereas in the case of Nosferatu, the 1922 film deviates enough in style and in story from Stoker's Dracula that it becomes easier to call Herzog's 1979 Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht a remake. The film clearly borrows elements and ideas from Murnau's Nosferatu that were not present in the novel.

    In this same light, you'd be hard-pressed to call Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula a remake of the Bela Lugosi version because what did Coppola's film borrow from Bela's that was not present in the novel (aside from the "I never drink...wine" line, which appears to be a requirement for any and every Dracula film that ever has been or ever will be made ;) )?

    Yet another example might be the very recent American Ghost in the Shell remake. But what exactly was the film remaking? The author of the manga was credited—and sure, characters and ideas from the manga made their way into the 2017 film—but whole scenes and cinematographic ideas were lifted from original elements in the 1995 anime, and the creator of that work was not credited.

    At the end of the day, I think one has to look at what specifically is being borrowed from where.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,040
    Well, yes, the Nosferatu movies, notably the Murnau one, do deviate from the Dracula novel in places. This is because the estate of Bram Stoker wouldn't sell the rights to the production firm, and so they changed the name of the vampire and the story here and there to avoid trouble - which didn't work out as desired. Stoker's estate prevailed in court because the judges found the film to be still far too much of a copy of the novel, ordered the production company (which promptly went bankrupt) to pay damages, and also ordered all copies of the movie destroyed. We only know Nosferatu today because a single copy miraculously survived in the U.S., and every copy in circulation today derives from that one.

    The story is part of the extras on the Murnau Foundation's Masters of Cinema Blu-ray, but to avoid plagiarism of my own, here's a link: https://plagiarismtoday.com/2011/10/17/dracula-vs-nosferatu-a-true-copyright-horror-story/

    So it appears that deviation from the book is not really what sets the Nosferatu movies apart from Dracula. Rather, a lot of the tweaks that Murnau & Co. inserted for copyright reasons also found their way into other vampire movies, including some referring to Dracula - such as the idea of the vampire perishing from exposure to daylight.

    On the other hand, I'm also reluctant to consider a modern-time, current (as of 1979) technology movie like the Herzog version a real remake, after 57 years, when the original was a silent movie that relies much less on storytelling than on experimental, expressionist black-and-white cinematography, which really sets it apart from the modern Herzog version. I like both, but Murnau's stands out (with only slight hyperbole) against almost any film ever produced, and while I like Herzog/Kinski as well, they're a distant second here.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Interesting contributions, folks!

    Here's another question:

    Thoughts on the Matrix relaunch?
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,040
    You digress.
  • Posts: 15,122
    Nothing. I never sat through a full Matrix movie. Never got into it, never understood the appeal.
  • I'm afraid I know virtually nothing about the Matrix relaunch. Is there any news apart from that it's happening?

    These are my thoughts on the Matrix films:

    The Matrix: Somewhat overrated (or least was for a long time), but it has its place in science fiction cinema and visual effects innovation history

    The Matrix Reloaded: Some of the most brilliant action committed to film. Ever. Wonderful kick back and enjoy/home entertainment demonstration movie.

    The Matrix Revolutions: Garbage.

    The Animatrix: The best Matrix film. A few of the segments were just okay, but the overall concept and execution—aces.

    Am I craving more Matrix? Not particularly. But the world has a lot of potential, especially as exhibited by The Animatrix. There's a lot they could do if they do it right. Far greater potential in the Matrixverse than there is any number of other franchises/properties that are getting revamped.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    See above.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited May 2017 Posts: 4,520
    I whant more complete Bluray Trilogy boxset with the missing extra's of disc 8, 9 and 10 of UE dvd set and booklet (see spoiler tag to see what is missing).
    The Matrix is missing:
    The Roots of The Matrix (two features with screentime of 120 minutes) from disc 8 of UE.
    The Zion Archive & Rave Rave (With Storyboards,draws and Pictures.) from disc 10 of UE

    The Matrix 2 is missing:

    The Burly Man Chronicles (95 minutes) from disc 9 of UE.
    Pre-Production (32:30), Alameda Shoot (15:30), Australia Shoot (7:45) Easter Egg features from disc 9 of UE.

    The Hero's Journey (3:50) Names (4:18) The Holy Grail (2:00)
    Interpretations (4:40) Nanotechnology (1:17) Modular Reconfigurable Robots (1:51) Future Technology (1:09) Other Easter Egg Features from disc 9 of Regio 1 UE who not be avaible on R2 version.

    The Zion Archive & Rave Rave (With Storyboards,draws and Pictures.) from disc 10 of UE

    The Matrix 3 is missing:

    The Zion Archive & Rave Rave (With Storyboards,draws and Pictures.) from disc 10 of UE.

    The Animatrix and all the extra's from that animated movie. Disc 7 of UE.

    Over all missing:

    Booklet with notes of directers and information about all 3 movies.
    Dutch subs on the commentary.

    I like to see that there updating the earlier disc with Dutch subtitels for commentary tracks and update Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track to DTS-HD MA 7.1 and removing the Portugues and Spanish DD 2.0 tracks and The Media of The Matrix and at those 3 missing dvd's who already include The Media of The Matrix. In this example it wil be 6th disc and can easly be released as 3 slimcase set with every movie his own case with BD and one of three dvd's. If it be possible and cheaper to update earlier disc to DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 7.1 and at Dutch subtitels with commentary and at 4th BD disc with missing material then it is even better.

    I never seen last two movies and first movie 2-3 times. It is stil a goal of me to understand the movie and better release stay on my wishlist for a whyle.

    Of course it always can be worse, we stil need Bluray collection of Superman movies (Super 1-5), by prefer with all extra's of earlier 13 disc dvd set and not released 14th disc. It take 5-6 years before Warner release Batman Box in The Netherlands after UK. But for the Batman set using Uk discs with Dutch subs. With Superman Box there must do more work inspecialy on first four movies,. I prefer 3 English soundtracks: DTS-HD MA 5.1, the original mono or stereo tracks and mabey also DD 5.1 in 640.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,589
    I loved the trilogy..well just the first two. Wasn't overly keen on the third one especially the last hour. I wanted another one only because I didn't like how they ended it.
    
    
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Favourite Denzel Washington movie?
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Man on Fire

    Very close to my #1 Denzel film: Safe House, The Equalizer, 2 Guns, The Magnificent Seven, Crimson Tide, American Gangster, Inside Man, Deja Vu, Unstoppable.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    GLORY

    Has anyone seen Licence To Kill?
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    @DaltonCraig007, is The Equalizer worth my time?
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2017 Posts: 15,718
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @DaltonCraig007, is The Equalizer worth my time?

    Did you like Keanu Reeves killing a lot of Russians in 'John Wick'? If so, you'll enjoy Denzel Washington doing the same in 'The Equalizer'. Bonus: Instead of getting revenge for his dead puppy, Denzel wants revenge for Chloe Moretz getting roughed up by these damn Russians.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    OK! Gotta watch that one then. :) John Wick is brilliant and Chloe is one of my favourite actresses.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2017 Posts: 15,718
    @DarthDimi 'Equalizer' also features a song from 'Heat':

  • Posts: 3,336
    Training Day. I think
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Cool! At the moment, I'm still seeing images of HEAT flashing by but I'm now even more inclined to watch this film. Thanks for the tip! :)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    MALCOLM X, FLIGHT
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Personally, I've always taken a liking to THE HURRICANE. Interesting and stimulating anti-racism pamphlet.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    edited May 2017 Posts: 4,585
    Flight.

    True story: I was on a flight that took off in bad weather--we probably should not have--and the turbulence was the worst I have ever encountered. It was JUST LIKE THIS:



    There were a few gasps and yelps with each drop. In any case, one guy in back shouted, "Is Denzel Washington flying this plane?" There was a round of laughter which helped break the tension.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Autch man, that must have been quite a tense ride. ;-)
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,803
    MAN ON FIRE is my favorite Denzel Washington film.

    And I am not a Tony Scott fan, this movie just really clicks. Always enjoy Denzel Washington, this strikes a chord.
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