Second Cousin Once Removed Of Film Poll: XVII

[Ocicat]

Last week Citizen Kane couldn't quite beat out the geek factor that is Empire.  But this is the last poll Empire will be in - it will either be beaten, or be retired. 

This week's new films are a bit low on geek factor and heavy on more mainstream popularity.  The random pick this time included both IMDB's #1 and #2 top rated movies of all time.  And the other's aren't shabby either.  Fight!

[lowky]

Well I enjoyed Shawshank, and what can you say about a classic like the godfather.  I voted for sixth sense.  I think Empire was better, but voting for it is like voting for an independent candidate in the US presidential election, wasting your vote. 

[stePH]

I can't consider Shawshank or The Sixth Sense even remotely in the same league as the others.  Shawshank was a decent adaptation of King's story, but otherwise nothing special.  The Sixth Sense hangs entirely upon the twist at the end, and even so I think it a mediocre film that I wouldn't watch a second time -- though it was better than Signs.

Though I thought The Godfather was a great film (only slightly diminished by its sequels), and watching Oz every year on TV was an essential part of my childhood, I voted Empire.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

I can't consider Shawshank or The Sixth Sense even remotely in the same league as the others.  Shawshank was a decent adaptation of King's story, but otherwise nothing special. 

NOTHING SPECIAL!!!   (Words fail... visions crumble... the ground opens wide...)

Okay, I know that "mileage may vary", and I'm not really upset or trying to convince you that you are a big, unfeeling, heartless, brainless .... um, scratch that last bit....

But seriously, there are a very few movies that I point to as all-time favorites, and would be willing and able to defend with references, quotations, and anecdotal evidence of the life-changing impact they had on me.  One is The Fisher King, and the other is Shawshank Redemption.

I don't suppose you want my life story (though the tale of Ketchup Girl might make a good Pseudopod... as would most of my dating life), but I was profoundly moved by that film.  The root of it -- "Get busy livin', or get busy dying" -- was brought into sharp focus for me by the events of the rest of the story; and the parallels I discovered later between being unjustly sent to prison (which hasn't happened to me) and being ground down by a lousy stint in the military (which has) were close enough that the film actually worked to help me survive that experience.  I knew guys like Brooks (the old man that hung himself after being paroled from a 40+ year sentence), and I knew guys like the guards (had to salute some of them and call them sir, though I would have preferred smacking them with sticks).  And I realized I had to be smart, and bide my time; stay focused on my Zihuatanejo.

This was the first slam-dunk, no question about which one I'm voting for poll in the whole series, but I see once again, I am alone.  *sigh*  Just me and Ron Paul on prom night, again.

[DDog]

I went with the Wizard of Oz. Of the only other two I've seen, I haven't seen ESB in a very long time (maybe I should fix that) and haven't voted for it yet, and Sixth Sense was fine but it wasn't one of the greats. Plus, I can't turn down a movie that not only was excellent in its own right, but spawned Wicked to boot.

[stePH]

I can't consider Shawshank or The Sixth Sense even remotely in the same league as the others.  Shawshank was a decent adaptation of King's story, but otherwise nothing special. 

NOTHING SPECIAL!!!   (Words fail... visions crumble... the ground opens wide...)

Okay, I know that "mileage may vary", and I'm not really upset or trying to convince you that you are a big, unfeeling, heartless, brainless .... um, scratch that last bit....

But seriously, there are a very few movies that I point to as all-time favorites, and would be willing and able to defend with references, quotations, and anecdotal evidence of the life-changing impact they had on me.  One is The Fisher King, and the other is Shawshank Redemption.

Hey, I loved the novella ... it was easily the best of the four in Different Seasons.  The movie just didn't quite capture it for me -- Stand by Me was a better adaptation out of the same book.

[DKT]

No contest this week, I guess.  ESB all the way for me.  Although I think the others are great, amazingly crafted films. 

[Darwinist]

I can't consider Shawshank or The Sixth Sense even remotely in the same league as the others.  Shawshank was a decent adaptation of King's story, but otherwise nothing special. 

NOTHING SPECIAL!!!   (Words fail... visions crumble... the ground opens wide...)

Ditto.  Shawshank was amazing.  It hit me more that ESB.  Really tough vote...... I thought all were excellent.

[Russell Nash]

I really like Shawshank, but it's not over the top special.  I see TAD's personal connection to it, but I don't have that.  It is a film I can sit down and watch whenever it's on and in whichever language it's in.  I think that's more because it's so comfortable to watch.  But it just doesn't have any greatness in it.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

I can't consider Shawshank or The Sixth Sense even remotely in the same league as the others.  Shawshank was a decent adaptation of King's story, but otherwise nothing special. 

NOTHING SPECIAL!!!   (Words fail... visions crumble... the ground opens wide...)

Okay, I know that "mileage may vary", and I'm not really upset or trying to convince you that you are a big, unfeeling, heartless, brainless .... um, scratch that last bit....

But seriously, there are a very few movies that I point to as all-time favorites, and would be willing and able to defend with references, quotations, and anecdotal evidence of the life-changing impact they had on me.  One is The Fisher King, and the other is Shawshank Redemption.

Hey, I loved the novella ... it was easily the best of the four in Different Seasons.  The movie just didn't quite capture it for me -- Stand by Me was a better adaptation out of the same book.

Did you ever see "Apt Pupil"?  I haven't... just that you reminded me of it... I didn't care for the story as much as I did the others in that collection, and I was surprised that they turned it into a film.  Hasn't clawed its way up the Netflix queue, yet.

[stePH]

Did you ever see "Apt Pupil"?  I haven't... just that you reminded me of it... I didn't care for the story as much as I did the others in that collection, and I was surprised that they turned it into a film.  Hasn't clawed its way up the Netflix queue, yet.

"Apt Pupil" was an okay story.  The less said about the film, the better.

[Simon]

Wont be voting for any more of these...

George Lucas for fucks sake, and not only that but half a George Lucas film...  And not only that, but after 3 weeks of a bloody Spielberg/Lucas collaboration.

Like going to a jazz festival and finding you're the only one not wearing a Kenny G t-shirt

[Alasdair5000]

Sixth Sense for me.  It's still, with the possible exception of Unbreakable, the smartest, most dialled back movie he's done and the final scene just breaks my heart.  Plus, I really, really like it when I get wrong footed by a movie:)

[DKT]

Did you ever see "Apt Pupil"?  I haven't... just that you reminded me of it... I didn't care for the story as much as I did the others in that collection, and I was surprised that they turned it into a film.  Hasn't clawed its way up the Netflix queue, yet.

"Apt Pupil" was an okay story.  The less said about the film, the better.

What?!?!  I LOVED Apt Pupil.  It wasn't the novella, but that was okay with me.  Ian McKellan scared the hell out of me in that movie and Brad Renfro was pretty disturbing. 

[Tango Alpha Delta]

Like going to a jazz festival and finding you're the only one not wearing a Kenny G t-shirt

Ha!  Do they make Freddie Hubbard t-shirts?

I'd opt out, too, but a) my favorite movies wouldn't get any votes, and b) I already shot my mouth off in another thread about how important it is to vote. 

[stePH]

"Apt Pupil" was an okay story.  The less said about the film, the better.

What?!?!  I LOVED Apt Pupil.  It wasn't the novella, but that was okay with me.  Ian McKellan scared the hell out of me in that movie and Brad Renfro was pretty disturbing. 

It could get somewhat dull if we all agreed on everything, wouldn't it? 

[Darwinist]

ESB continues to dominate.  Is there a movie out there that could beat ESB considering most of us voters are sci-fi geeks? 

[Simon]

I like to think in my darkest heart that one of the below could kick its ass:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Gattaca
Solaris
The Thing
Aliens

But to be honest, I doubt it... 

[DKT]

"Apt Pupil" was an okay story.  The less said about the film, the better.

What?!?!  I LOVED Apt Pupil.  It wasn't the novella, but that was okay with me.  Ian McKellan scared the hell out of me in that movie and Brad Renfro was pretty disturbing. 

It could get somewhat dull if we all agreed on everything, wouldn't it? 

Hell no! 

I like to think in my darkest heart that one of the below could kick its ass:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Gattaca
Solaris
The Thing
Aliens

But to be honest, I doubt it... 

Not for me, at least.

[Darwinist]

I like to think in my darkest heart that one of the below could kick its ass:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Gattaca
Solaris
The Thing
Aliens

But to be honest, I doubt it... 

Maybe 2001.   Never saw The Thing but I liked the others - including both versions of Solaris.  But I don't think the bottom four on the list could pull it off. 

[Bdoomed]

Fight Club should have won way back...

[Simon]

The Thing...  Now *that* is a John Carpenter movie...

We haven't had nearly enough Carpenter on this list yet.

[Darwinist]

The Thing...  Now *that* is a John Carpenter movie...

We haven't had nearly enough Carpenter on this list yet.

I'll have to add to the NetFlix list.  Not sure how I missed seeing it before.  Is it by chance about those crazy little dudes from Cat In The Hat?   

[Ocicat]

I like to think in my darkest heart that one of the below could kick its ass:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Gattaca
Solaris
The Thing
Aliens

But to be honest, I doubt it... 

2001 already had it's chance, it went down back in week 8, and lost to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  Actually it was third, with Blade Runner also getting knocked out.

Gattaca and Aliens, and The Thing are on the list, but won't get a chance to knock out ESB, since it's being retired.

Solaris isn't on the list.  I disliked the original Russian version (and doubt enough people have seen it), and never saw the recent American version.  Do folks think either one deserves a spot?

[Darwinist]

Solaris isn't on the list.  I disliked the original Russian version (and doubt enough people have seen it), and never saw the recent American version.  Do folks think either one deserves a spot?

No.  I don't think either one has a chance.

I'll have to look back at the original 2001 vote.  I wonder how close it was. 

[DKT]

Fight Club should have won way back...

Actually, yeah, I almost considered voting for that one over Empire. 

But really, it's as much nostalgia for me as it is being a great story (ESB was the first movie I ever saw in a theater at the age of 3.  I was born in the year of the original SW).  I can't count how many times I've seen that movie...

[Tango Alpha Delta]

I like to think in my darkest heart that one of the below could kick its ass:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Gattaca
Solaris
The Thing
Aliens

But to be honest, I doubt it... 

As long as the criteria is as squishy as "which one did you like the best", I would vote either Aliens or The Thing over ESB...  of course, my opinion of Star Wars has severely suffered since about 1999.
Maybe 2001.   Never saw The Thing but I liked the others - including both versions of Solaris.  But I don't think the bottom four on the list could pull it off. 

[stePH]

This may be heresy, but I thought 2001: A Space Odyssey was utter toss.  A film should not require reading the novelization in order to be comprehensible.  Kubrick made many fine films, but that was not one of them.

as to the rest:
The Soderbergh Solaris was a good film; I haven't seen the one by Tartovsky.  I've heard that it's both long and slow-moving so I haven't been able to work up the time and inclination to sit through it yet.

Loved Carpenter's The Thing; haven't seen the earlier version.

Gattaca suffered from the overly long introduction IMO, but was otherwise an intriguing story.

Aliens was a fun popcorn action movie -- not as good as the creepy horror of the original.

[Ocicat]

Tartovsky's Solaris is indeed long and slow moving.  Really slow - and this from someone who adores 2001. 

Solaris lost me when there was about a 10 minute segment of driving through a "futuristic city",  but it's really just downtown Tokyo of the early 70s.   *yawn*

[Tango Alpha Delta]

This may be heresy, but I thought 2001: A Space Odyssey was utter toss.  A film should not require reading the novelization in order to be comprehensible.  Kubrick made many fine films, but that was not one of them.

as to the rest:
The Soderbergh Solaris was a good film; I haven't seen the one by Tartovsky.  I've heard that it's both long and slow-moving so I haven't been able to work up the time and inclination to sit through it yet.

Loved Carpenter's The Thing; haven't seen the earlier version.

Gattaca suffered from the overly long introduction IMO, but was otherwise an intriguing story.

Aliens was a fun popcorn action movie -- not as good as the creepy horror of the original.

Except for Solaris (which I haven't seen in either version), and the fact that I have yet to see a Kubrick film I liked, you and I are in agreement on all points!  I thought since I usual find myself contradicting you, and feeling badly about it later, that I should take the opportunity to celebrate this Moment of Harmony. 

[stePH]

Except for Solaris (which I haven't seen in either version), and the fact that I have yet to see a Kubrick film I liked, you and I are in agreement on all points!  I thought since I usual find myself contradicting you, and feeling badly about it later, that I should take the opportunity to celebrate this Moment of Harmony. 

[DKT]

This may be heresy, but I thought 2001: A Space Odyssey was utter toss.  A film should not require reading the novelization in order to be comprehensible.  Kubrick made many fine films, but that was not one of them.

as to the rest:
The Soderbergh Solaris was a good film; I haven't seen the one by Tartovsky.  I've heard that it's both long and slow-moving so I haven't been able to work up the time and inclination to sit through it yet.

Loved Carpenter's The Thing; haven't seen the earlier version.

Gattaca suffered from the overly long introduction IMO, but was otherwise an intriguing story.

Aliens was a fun popcorn action movie -- not as good as the creepy horror of the original.

Hrm.  I find myself agreeing with you for the most part. 

Except that a couple of weeks ago I saw about an hour's worth of 2010 (it's been years since I last saw it) and wanted to head-butt the television.  I'd definitely go for the incomprehensible over that terrible dialogue/characterization. 

[Russell Nash]

This may be heresy, but I thought 2001: A Space Odyssey was utter toss.  A film should not require reading the novelization in order to be comprehensible.  Kubrick made many fine films, but that was not one of them.

as to the rest:
The Soderbergh Solaris was a good film; I haven't seen the one by Tartovsky.  I've heard that it's both long and slow-moving so I haven't been able to work up the time and inclination to sit through it yet.

Loved Carpenter's The Thing; haven't seen the earlier version.

Gattaca suffered from the overly long introduction IMO, but was otherwise an intriguing story.

Aliens was a fun popcorn action movie -- not as good as the creepy horror of the original.

Hrm.  I find myself agreeing with you for the most part. 

Except that a couple of weeks ago I saw about an hour's worth of 2010 (it's been years since I last saw it) and wanted to head-butt the television.  I'd definitely go for the incomprehensible over that terrible dialogue/characterization. 

The first time I saw 2001 was on the largest pre-Imax screen in DC (I forget the name of the theater).  On such a screen with the great sound system it was something to see.  I didn't get the ending, but I loved it all the way up to the baby.

[stePH]

... the fact that I have yet to see a Kubrick film I liked...

Well, for me there's Doctor Strangelove, and ... um ...    Okay, I was stretching a bit when I said "many".

[eytanz]

... the fact that I have yet to see a Kubrick film I liked...

Well, for me there's Doctor Strangelove, and ... um ...    Okay, I was stretching a bit when I said "many".

What about A Clockwork Orange?

[stePH]

... the fact that I have yet to see a Kubrick film I liked...

Well, for me there's Doctor Strangelove, and ... um ...    Okay, I was stretching a bit when I said "many".

What about A Clockwork Orange?

Okay, that was a fair adaptation of Burgess' novel (or all but the last chapter of it, anyway  ).  And I thought The Killing was a decent crime caper piece, and Full Metal Jacket is worth seeing just for R. Lee Ermey's performance if nothing else.  But the only one I can say I truly loved was Strangelove. 

[Tango Alpha Delta]

... the fact that I have yet to see a Kubrick film I liked...

Well, for me there's Doctor Strangelove, and ... um ...    Okay, I was stretching a bit when I said "many".

What about A Clockwork Orange?

Okay, that was a fair adaptation of Burgess' novel (or all but the last chapter of it, anyway  ).  And I thought The Killing was a decent crime caper piece, and Full Metal Jacket is worth seeing just for R. Lee Ermey's performance if nothing else.  But the only one I can say I truly loved was Strangelove. 

I've actually never seen ACO; so many people have urgently pressed me to watch it, that my reaction has been to avoid it like the plague.  (I enjoyed the book, but I find it a lot easier to take violence in print than in film.) 

FMJ was great, and I did like it, which runs counter to my usual opinion of "war movies".  (Aside: our basic training flight voted the line "What is that, Pyle, a jelly doughnut?" as our flight slogan.  Such pride.)

I appreciated Dr. Strangelove, but couldn't summon anything like the utter devotion to it that everyone else seems to have for it.  It is this disparity that makes me shy away from ACO.

2001, as other mentioned before me, was visually stunning, but too austere for my tastes.  Like everything I've read by A.C. Clarke, it was great and grand, but left me cold.

Eyes Wide Shut was just an agonizing slog, like I'd imagine a Universal Studios Tours ride through a pristine replica of set of the sewers of Paris would be.  You go in expecting to see and smell and feel the dankness, and instead you get a distant sanitized, plastic version with nothing happening.  Even Tom Cruise wasn't Tom Cruise Crazy enough in that one.

And don't start me on the Shining...  the "dramatic tension" created by what seemed like a full 10 minutes of a kid on a Big Wheel (tm) riding through the hotel bracketed by the terrifying words "Tuesday" and "Wednesday"... Jack Nicholson growing increasingly angry that Shelly Duvall can't act... Scatman Caruthers getting "axed" a lot of questions by an overly-cute "Eight is Enough" reject...

But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong. 

[stePH]

And don't start me on the Shining...  the "dramatic tension" created by what seemed like a full 10 minutes of a kid on a Big Wheel (tm) riding through the hotel bracketed by the terrifying words "Tuesday" and "Wednesday"... Jack Nicholson growing increasingly angry that Shelly Duvall can't act... Scatman Caruthers getting "axed" a lot of questions by an overly-cute "Eight is Enough" reject...

I'm with you all the way on The Shining.  I hate that one almost as much as 2001 -- it also breaks my "shouldn't require the viewer to read a book" rule.

[Russell Nash]

But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong. 

Winner of the obscure quote for this thread award.

[Darwinist]

But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong. 

Winner of the obscure quote for this thread award.

Is Miller doing any TV stuff anymore......other than his regular appearance on O'Reilly's show?