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piln
High Emperor
Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK |
Anyone else like these?
I'm at work and bored out of my skull, so I've been browsing EBay for DVDs. After ordering a ridiculous number of Chinese & Japanese films, I suddenly remembered I've never seen All The Presiden't Men, which is a film I've been wanting to see for ages (no idea why it just popped into my head). Had a search for it, and inadvertantly stumbled accross loads of depressing '70s movies that I really, really like. Am I supposed to actually enjoy this stuff?
Blue Collar - hilarious in the first half, which just makes the second so much more of a downer. One of my favourite films.
The Conversation - I found the "twist" a bit hard to swallow, but still a great film. Depressing.
The China Syndrome - a bit cheesy, relatively speaking (although nothing on the 24-7 cheddar-fest that is today's Hollywood), but I still love it. Jack Lemmon was brilliant. Not a terribly happy ending.
The Parallax View - plenty of faults, but still manages to be absolutely brilliant. Check out that brainwashing video. And what an ending! Unbelieeeevably depressing. And cynical. Why do I like it?
Can anyone recommend more of this type of film, so I can enjoy more evenings of unease, paranoia, distrust in my fellow man, etc.? |
Thu May 06, 2004 12:30 am |
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elkston
High Emperor
Joined: 21 Sep 2002
Posts: 691
Location: North Carolina, USA |
Plin,
"The Conversation" and "The Parrallax View" are two of my favorite 70s flicks. I own them both on DVD.
Regarding "Parrallax..." --- did you actually get and understand what the 'twist' was. A lot of people miss out on what the movie was *really* about . They are confused about what Parralax corp. is really doing.
Other good "downer" 70s flicks:
Taxi Driver, Soylent Green, and Obsession
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All shall hear the words of Karras...the words of Karras |
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Thu May 06, 2004 2:17 am |
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RPG Frog
Blade Runner
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 748
Location: the Matrix |
Parallex View is trippy as hell.
Just watched Soylant Green the other day. Good stuff!!!
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Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities…there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars…Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand…to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet. - Robert E. Howard |
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Thu May 06, 2004 3:30 am |
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piln
High Emperor
Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK |
quote:
Originally posted by elkston
Regarding "Parrallax..." --- did you actually get and understand what the 'twist' was. A lot of people miss out on what the movie was *really* about . They are confused about what Parralax corp. is really doing.
Erm... I think so... there may be more to it than this, if so then it has gone over my head... feel free to tell me your thoughts on the film, I've watched it so many times that I'm unlikely to figure out anything new on my own! 
Spoiler:
I forget the character names... Beatty's character's assumption is that Parallax corp. is recruiting nutcases to carry out assassinations, but what they are really doing is identifying people with all the right characteristics to make a convincing scapegoat - so they (or whoever is involved in a deeper conspiracy) bump off their target, then kill the recruited nutcase and are able to convincingly pin the whole thing on him.
- does that sound right to you, or is there more that I've missed? |
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Thu May 06, 2004 10:52 pm |
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Cm
Sentinel of Light
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 5209
Location: Missouri USA |
@piln, you have to see Solent Green. It may be one of the best of the ones mentioned. It is a must see for that type of movie.
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=Member of the Nonflamers Guild=
=Member of Worshippers of the Written Word=
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Fri May 07, 2004 1:48 am |
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piln
High Emperor
Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK |
You're right, cm, I do need to see it. I think I might have seen it when I was really young and so don't remember it too well, but I do know what it's about. I kind of like some of those bizarre '70s sci-fis... I do like Andromeda Strain, even though I am fully aware that it is incredibly boring (I like the MESSAGE! at the end, very subtle, I don't think!  ), and I kinda like THX1138 too, and I love Dark Star. |
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Fri May 07, 2004 1:56 am |
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elkston
High Emperor
Joined: 21 Sep 2002
Posts: 691
Location: North Carolina, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by piln
Erm... I think so... there may be more to it than this, if so then it has gone over my head... feel free to tell me your thoughts on the film, I've watched it so many times that I'm unlikely to figure out anything new on my own!
Spoiler:
I forget the character names... Beatty's character's assumption is that Parallax corp. is recruiting nutcases to carry out assassinations, but what they are really doing is identifying people with all the right characteristics to make a convincing scapegoat - so they (or whoever is involved in a deeper conspiracy) bump off their target, then kill the recruited nutcase and are able to convincingly pin the whole thing on him.
- does that sound right to you, or is there more that I've missed?
Yes, you got it! That describes it perfectly.
Spoiler:
A brilliant twist if you ask me. Rewatching the first scene of the movie after knowing this is pretty interesting. The snafu with the waiters makes sense.
A lot of comments I've seen on various boards and the USENET seem to think that Beatty getting shot at the end was just a result of them catching onto him -- or perhaps discovering his true identity. The larger connection that they were *always* recruiting fall-guys and only using the same "regulars" to do the real assisnations is not made
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All shall hear the words of Karras...the words of Karras |
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Fri May 07, 2004 3:08 am |
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xSamhainx
Paws of Doom
Joined: 11 Sep 2002
Posts: 2192
Location: San Diego |
Clockwork Orange will make you raise an eyebrow now and then, if youre looking for that sort of thing. If youre looking for 70's sci-fi Logan's Run, and Damnation Alley were a couple of my faves. One I didnt see 'til like a year ago was a post-apocalyptic animated film called A Boy And His Dog. Basically, it's about a boy in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that can sorta-telepathically communicate with his dog. Seems pretty straightforward as a guy post-apocalypse-that-can-talk-to-his-dog can be, then it takes a weird turn to the bizarre. Theres some fallout shelter wackos that have a seeming paradise below, but all is not as it seems... There is some slight 70's everpresent sexual content, I dont know what rating youre going for here, but you might not want to sit down and watch it with Mama Piln on Mother's Day or anything ='.'=
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“Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.”-Mark Twain |
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Sat May 08, 2004 11:56 am |
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Jaz
Late Night Spook
Joined: 20 Jan 2002
Posts: 9708
Location: RPGDot |
Soylent Green and Logan's Run are two of my faves, too. If you like pessimistic 70's SF in general, you should also try Silent Running, Phase IV and ZPG (Zero Population Growth) which made it into my all-time favorites now that I remembered it.
In terms of not-quite-pessimistic, but very neat 70's SF movies, try Westworld and Futureworld.
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Jaz |
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Sat May 08, 2004 5:56 pm |
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Remus
Overgrown Cat
Joined: 03 Jul 2002
Posts: 1657
Location: Fish bowl |
Few interesting titles came to mind:
Directed by
Sam Peckinpah (1971)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068473/
A trip to quiet & remote rural for holiday turned into bad nightmare, facing maligned locals, unexpected violence & murders...
Directed by
John Boorman (1972)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068473/
Disturbing look at human nature, the violence; psychological disconcerting...
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Sun May 09, 2004 7:31 am |
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RPG Frog
Blade Runner
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 748
Location: the Matrix |
quote:
Originally posted by Jaz
Soylent Green and Logan's Run are two of my faves, too. If you like pessimistic 70's SF in general, you should also try Silent Running, Phase IV and ZPG (Zero Population Growth) which made it into my all-time favorites now that I remembered it.
Logan's Run is also one of my faves. I really hope they DONT do a remake of this movie like the rumors are hinting at. 70s flicks like Logan's Run are cool...because they were made in the 70s.
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Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities…there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars…Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand…to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet. - Robert E. Howard |
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Sun May 09, 2004 8:33 am |
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