Wednesday, April 4, 2012

F This Movie! - F Everything!

Patrick and Doug sit down for another free association show in which they discover the year's worst movie (so far), discuss movie characters' jobs and introduce the Best/Worst game. Prepare to be Silverstone'd with nerd juice.



Download this episode here. (34.9 MB)

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Discussed this episode: The Blues Brothers, Wrath of the Titans, 50/50, Friends with Benefits, 8 Million Ways to Die

25 comments:

  1. Funny, last night I watched "New York Stories" on Showtime Showcase (the movie's HD premiere before its May 15th Blu-ray debut) for the first time. As you guys were mentioning her I too was thinking that Rosanna Arquette is one sexy-looking lady (circa 1989). It helps Martin Scorsese shoots the hell out of her (particularly Rosanna's feet) and she's the muse to Nick Nolte's troubled painter. BTW, if you haven't, you should check out this trilogy of short movies by Scorsese ('Life Lessons'), Coppola ('Life with Zoe') and Woody Allen ('Oedipus Wrecks') in "NYS." They're all fascinating misfires but you get to learn/see what Martin and Francis were doing the summer before "Goodfellas" and "The Godfather Part III" consumed their lives. Sofia Coppola's entire film career also makes a lot more sense after seeing Coppola's segment.

    The only director whose CGI work I actually like is the one doing his darnest to disguise it (or to fully exploit it in amazing show-off pieces): David Fincher. From the Winklevoss twins being played by one actor and the Ivy League campuses shown without looking fake in "The Social Network" to the architecture of San Francisco in the 60's/70's in "Zodiac," and from the show-off camera during explosions and the plane crash sequence in "Fight Club" to the "Rebecca"-inspired shots of the snow-covered house in "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," Fincher gives purpose and reason to using CGI and isn't afraid to hide it (as opposed to most movies making the use of CGI their selling point) when it will benefit the narrative. Haven't seen the "Harry Potter" movies though, maybe these films do the best work of integrating CG and storytelling in Hollywood to date?

    I love Nikki Finke ("Deadline" rulz!). Yes, she's a negative person who actively roots for/against people/movies/TV shows/studios/networks she hates (her feud with Jeff Zucker while he ran NBC to the ground is classic), but she's smart enough to not let her bias affect the accuracy of the 'news' portions of 'Deadline' (i.e. the TV articles by Nellie Andreeva, the business coverage by David Lieberman, the movie industry coverage by Mike Fleming, etc.) while keeping her own artciles packed with facts that back her snark. And, unlike the pretend-to-like-you kiss-ass press coverage other media fall over themselves to offer, you cannot accuse Nikki Finke of being a phoney. She wanted "John Carter" to bomb (and frankly so did I until I saw it) but she was at least upfront about it, unlike other outlets' negative coverage masked under the pretense of journalistic impartiality.

    Up until 6-7 years ago I was a gamer (not hardcore but somewhere in-between that and Patrick! :-P) but then, one week, it just hit me that I couldn't (and didn't want to) keep up with the rat race that was chasing the graphics/gameplay high of the next big thing. I turned back to the vast library of systems/games I had acquired (dating back to the SNES/Genesis 16-bit era) and decided that these and the new handhelds (PSP, Nintendo DS and 3DS, etc.) would be plenty to keep my now-dormant gaming jollies amused. Except for golf games (so sue me, I'm a PGA addict... go Jim Furyk!), the occasional hit ("Uncharted") and compilation of old classic games I couldn't tell "Gears of War" apart from the latest "Modern Warfare/Call of Duty" sequel.

    But giving up games made me re-discover my semi-dormant love for movies (old and new) that had been kept in check by gaming. And, since my XBox 360 could support an HD-DVD drive and my PlayStation 3 came with Blu-ray, my gaming systems became my HD movie players. That's when I discovered DVDVERDICT, CriterionForum.org and, years later, 'F This Movie' (through the Verdict's front page). The rest, as they say, is history. :-)

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    1. Outstanding, Ross.

      Nikki Finke is too convinced of her own influence as a tastemaker, and should maybe shut up. There is a world of difference between being "honest" and being "awful."

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  2. I've just started listening to this (at work -shhh) and had to quickly comment - I've got my new business card:

    Sol O., Not Your Average Idiot Internet Troll

    Either that or:

    Sol O., Above-Average Idiot Internet Troll

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    1. ^^^ I'm just shocked there are Chipotle restaurants in IL/Chicago. I thought Chipotle was only in NYC and AZ.

      If we're the above-average and intelligent crowd, what's the real internet world like out there? Hold me Sol O.! ;-)

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    2. We have Chipotle here in Alabama, too. Two within 10 minutes drive of each other. Better than that, we have FOUR Best Buys in Birmingham, and two Johnny Rockets. A bevy of riches.

      Delete
  3. I wanna play the Best/Worst game! Here is mine.

    Rob Reiner
    Best: When Harry Met Sally (1989)
    Worst: North (1994) or Alex & Emma (2003)

    Spike Lee
    Best: Do the Right Thing (1989), Jungle Fever (1991) or Malcolm X (1992)
    Worst: Girl 6 (1996) and She Hate Me (2004)

    John McTiernan
    Best: Die Hard (1988)
    Worst: Rollerball (2002)

    Philip Kaufman
    Best: The Right Stuff (1983)
    Worst: Twisted (2004)

    Ron Howard
    Best: Parenthood (1989) or Apollo 13 (1995)
    Worst: The Da Vinci Code (2006) or The Dilemma (2011)

    Brian De Palma
    Best: Carrie (1976), Scarface (1983) or The Untouchables (1987)
    Worst: The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), Mission to Mars (2000) and The Black Dahlia (2006)

    Gus Van Sant
    Best: Good Will Hunting (1997)
    Worst: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994) and Psycho (1998)

    William Friedkin
    Best: The French Connection (1971), The Exorcist (1973) or To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
    Worst: Jade (1995)

    Stephen Frears
    Best: Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
    Worst: Mary Reilly (1996)

    Barry Levinson
    Best: The Natural (1984), Rain Man (1988), Bugsy (1991) and Wag the Dog (1997)
    Worst: Toys (1992), Sphere (1998), Envy (2004) and Man of the Year (2006)

    Oliver Stone
    Best: Platoon (1986) or Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
    Worst: Alexander (2004)

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    1. It's awesome that you want to play, but the game doesn't work as well when you pick two or three movies for each! The whole point is to pick just ONE. That is what makes it the HARDEST GAME EVER. But we love your enthusiasm, and I can't really disagree with any of your choices.

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  4. John Woo -
    Best: Hard Boiled
    Worst: Windtalkers

    Only because I haven't seen Paycheck or Hard Target.

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  5. Zack Snyder-

    Best: Sucker Punch
    Worst: Sucker Punch

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  6. That was the most entertainingly drawn out 10 minute "two sentence" talk on 50/50, Doug.

    (And I'm right there with you on 500 Days of Summer, an exceedingly entertaining movie that I have no qualms in loving.)

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  7. Now, playing the game as well:

    James Cameron
    Best: Terminator 2
    Worst: True Lies

    Michael Bay
    Best: The Rock
    Worst: Bad Boys II

    Quentin Tarantino (ugh, tough choices)
    Best: Kill Bill
    Worst: Reservoir Dogs, I guess

    Michael Mann
    Best: Heat
    Worst: Miami Vice

    George Lucas
    Best: American Grafitti
    Worst: Attack of the Clones, no question, also the worst Star Wars movie by a mile.

    Doug Lyman
    Best: Go
    Worst: Swingers

    Coen Brothers
    Best: Fargo
    Worst: Hudsucker Proxy (which is just fine, and caveat that I've never bothered to see the Ladykillers remake)

    John Landis
    Best: Blues Brothers
    Worst: Oscar

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  8. With you on MOST of your picks, Joseph, although you and I differ on Miami Vice (which I really like), Swingers and Oscar, which I think is sort of an underrated comedy. Not GREAT, of course, but I think John Landis is at least 2/3 successful with what he was trying to do. And I do think it at least has personality, which is more than can be said for Beverly Hills Cop III. Thanks for playing!

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    1. To be fair, I've skipped a lot of the terrible-looking Landis, like Stupids and BB 2000 (which I still bought the soundtrack for since the music is still awesome; who knew Joe Morton has serious pipes?)

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  9. Great show, Patrick and Doug. I really dug the change of pace and the break from format. These meandering episodes are my favorite. And yes, during the Peter Berg discussion, Patrick said someone was waiting for him to say "The Kingdom," and that person was me. Don't we all associate Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner with the Middle East?

    When Doug was talking about his Watching Trailerz with Doug column, he said something along the lines of "which no one reads." I try to avoid most trailers like the plague these days because they show the entire effing movie (which can sometimes work in your favor), so I don't often read the column, but I miss my weekly dose of Doug. I propose a second column! I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more Doug. To live up to his lady loving image, I propose...Titty Talk with Doug! Each column Doug could highlight his favorite nude scenes. I'm just saying, I'd read it. Listen. I feel like this was the column Doug was BORN to write.

    This week marked yet another conversation about the dismal state of movies, which I heartily agree with. It's just really, really hard to get excited about anything at all these days, at least for me. I just wish more thought and quality were going into the movies that are coming out. I hope it turns around soon, because I'm losing enthusiasm for current movies pretty quickly, and it sounds like I am not the only one. If Wrath of the Titans was even worse than Clash of the Titans, we're doomed. Doomed, I say!

    I'm really excited that Amazon Instant Video has come to the PS3. I didn't even realize, but that is definitely something I want to check out. Amazon Prime is a good deal for me because I buy tons of books and older movies, and the occasional game. BTW, in case anyone cares (no one cares) I consider myself a casual gamer. I play about 3 hours a week, but then there are weeks I don't play at all. I certainly don't chase the latest titles, that's a young man's game. Games like Dragon Age and Assassin's Creed do make me happy, though.

    Also, thanks to this episode, I have a name for my band. "Joseph Gordon Levitt Needs to Stop It" will be playing at a venue near you soon! Unless that title was already used for a My Chemical Romance song, in which it would have been called Joseph Gordon Levitt (Nds 2 Stp It!) The 4th Level No Kick Remix. Our first radio single will be a rock version of the theme song from Hey Dude.

    Better watch out for those man eating jack rabbits, and that killer cacti,

    -Heath

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    1. ^^^ 'Boredom is a disease, and Doug's titty talk is the cure' :-D I don't think I'll ever erase from my mind (who'd want to?) the image of Doug in his sexual positions watching the edited-for-everybody Reelz Channel version of "A Few Good Men." You have Amazon Prime on your bedroom PS3 for heaven's sake, use it. ;-)

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    2. I'm hosting my in-laws this week, so I'm a little out of commission. Just saw your comment, Heath -- thanks for the kind words! Doug's Titty Talk, eh? Hmmm ... oooh. Ah, hmmm. Yeah. Yes!

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  10. OK, it's Good Friday and I'm bored at work (everybody else has the day off because they're Catholic). I'll play Best/Worst:

    MARTIN SCORSESE:
    Best: GOODFELLAS (not as easy a choice as I thought)
    Worst: WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR (also not easy, and had to go back to '67 to find one)

    AKIRA KUROSAWA:
    Best: IKIRU (timeless and universal)
    Worst: DERSU UZALA (Good Lord, is this boring!)

    ANDREW DAVIS:
    Best: UNDER SIEGE
    Worst: CHAIN REACTION (what happened?)

    BARRY SONNENFELD:
    Best: GET SHORTY
    Worst: RV (again, what happened?!?!)

    ANDRZEJ ZULAWSKI:
    Best: POSSESSION (masterpiece!)
    Worst: ON THE SILVER GLOBE (unwatchable)

    JOE JOHNSON:
    Best: THE ROCKETEER
    Worst: JURASSIC PARK III (better than the prequels though, which is not saying much)

    ROBERT BRESSON:
    Best: A MAN ESCAPED
    Worst: (after 10 min. of wracking my brain realizing all the man's movies are masterpieces) THE DEVIL, PROBABLY

    F.F. COPPOLA:
    Best: APOCALYPSE NOW (I know, the horror! :-P)
    Worst: JACK (OK seriously, WHAT HAPPENED?!?!)

    RIDLEY SCOTT:
    Best: ALIEN
    Worst: HANNIBAL

    TONY SCOTT:
    Best: SPY GAME (Redford and Pitt save it)
    Worst: DOMINO (ADD, meet OTT)

    MICHAEL MOORE:
    Best: ROGER & ME (as relevant now as when it came out in '89)
    Worst: CANADIAN BACON (stick to documentaries Michael)

    WOODY ALLEN:
    Best: MANHATTAN (this was super-tough, four/five films could have easily gone here)
    Worst: SMALL TIME CROOKS (Woody's too old for this shit)

    DARIO ARGENTO:
    Best: DEEP RED
    Worst: THE CARD PLAYER

    STANLEY KUBRICK:
    Best: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
    Worst: FEAR AND DESIRE

    FRITZ LANG:
    Best: THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE
    Worst: SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR

    CHRIS COLUMBUS:
    Best: ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (haven't seen any "Harry Potter" movies though, so...)
    Worst: BICENTENNIAL MAN

    MICHAEL CIMINO:
    Best: HEAVEN'S GATE (very underrated)
    Worst: THE SICILIAN

    JOHN CARPENTER:
    Best: (fuuuuuuuck, so many choices!) THE THING
    Worst: (easy) MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN

    J-L GODARD:
    Best: WEEK END
    Worst: (FUUUUUUUUCK!) FILM SOCIALISME

    JOE DANTE:
    Best: THE HOWLING
    Worst: THE 'BURBS

    JOHN HUSTON:
    Best: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING ('75)
    Worst: WISE BLOOD ('79)

    DAVID CRONENBERG:
    Best: THE FLY ('86)
    Worst: FAST COMPANY

    FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT:
    Best: JULES AND JIM (again though, so many choices)
    Worst: THE SOFT SKIN (boring, toothless)

    OLIVER STONE:
    Best: JFK
    Worst: U TURN (pointless and mean)

    KENJI MIZOGUCHI:
    Best: SANSHO THE BAILIFF (brutally moving, incredible)
    Worst: SISTERS OF GION (overrated)

    STEVEN SPIELBERG:
    Best: MUNICH (it was this or "Raiders" so I flipped a coin)
    Worst: HOOK

    THE COEN BROS.:
    Best: FARGO
    Worst: INTOLERABLE CRUELTY (haven't seen "The Ladykillers")

    GEORGE A. ROMERO:
    Best: DAY OF THE DEAD (3rd in the 'good' DEAD trilogy)
    Worst: DIARY OF THE DEAD (2nd in the 'why??!!' DEAD trilogy)

    BRIAN DePALMA:
    Best: THE UNTOUCHABLES
    Worst: WISE GUYS (though SNAKE EYES wants a word with it outside)

    PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON:
    Best: THERE WILL BE BLOOD
    Worst: MAGNOLIA (ambitious but so pretentious and dull its borderline-unwatchable)

    YASUJIRO OZU:
    Best: LATE SPRING (a perfect movie)
    Worst: GOOD MORNING (still a charmer)

    QUENTIN TARANTINO:
    Best: JACKIE BROWN
    Worst: DEATH PROOF (as part of "Grindhouse" it's OK, but on its own it kind-of drags)

    ALFONSO CUARON:
    Best: A LITTLE PRINCESS
    Worst: SOLO CON TU PAREJA

    MICHAEL MANN:
    Best: THIEF (the movie "Drive" wishes it were as cool as)
    Worst: ALI (the world's greatest boxer deserved better than a Will Smith Oscar bait biopic)

    OTTO PREMINGER:
    Best: BONJOIR TRISTESSE (two words: Jean Seberg)
    Worst: SKIDOO (so bad it's "MST3K" good)

    ALFRED HITCHCOCK:
    Best: (so much to choose from) PSYCHO
    Worst: THE PARADISE CASE

    ROMAN POLANSKI:
    Best: THE PIANIST
    Worst: THE NINTH GATE

    TIM BURTON:
    Best: BATMAN RETURNS
    Worst: PLANET OF THE APES (total shit)

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    1. I strongly agree with the majority of your picks - enough so that I'm not even going to bother playing the game - but I do take issue with your Tony Scott "best" pick - his actual best being TRUE ROMANCE (though to be fair that movie's greatness might be due entirely to the strength of Quentin Tarantino's writing - i.e. it's a great movie IN SPITE OF Tony Scott).

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    2. Thanks dude. I like "True Romance" but you're right, it's more a function of its writing/acting than its directing that gives the movie an edge. It really feels like Tony was along for the ride pointing his camera at things. And "Spy Games" is a legitimately good movie, one that Scott directs with some visual restrain because he knows people will at least see it because Redford and Pitt are in the cast. It's movies he almost knows nobody will watch (again, "Domino") or will be seen by indifferent audiences that would have come regardless of who directed ("Days of Thunder") that the so-special 'what the hell am I looking at?' Tony Scott aesthetic is reserved for. :-)

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    3. Nope. Sol was right. It's True Romance.

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  11. I believe it is The ParadiNe Case.

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    1. ^^^ The moment I clicked 'submit' I knew I'd screwed-up the spelling, sorry. You're such a teacher JB, gravitating toward the one spelling mistake and ignoring the 100's of other titles spelled correctly. Don't flunk me prof!

      And choosing a 'best' Hitchcock is such an embarrassment of riches: "Shadow of a Doubt," "Notorious," "Sabotage" (a personal favorite), "To Catch A Thief," "North by Northwest," etc. In the end though Norman Bates and 'mother' win because B&W = timeless. :-)

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