Author Topic: Film Poll: The Final Battle!  (Read 16738 times)

Ocicat

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on: August 13, 2008, 05:57:05 PM
This is it!  The film's poll's final showdown!  Out of 120 movies, two are left competing to win the Escape Artist's Favorite Film Award!  Coveted, that.  Very coveted. 

In just the finals rounds Star Wars has defeated Fight Club and it's own spawn - The Empire Strikes Back.

Raiders beat Blade Runner and then squeaked past The Princess Bride by just one vote.

Voting will last for two weeks, so that everyone gets a chance to be heard.



Talia

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Reply #1 on: August 13, 2008, 06:09:16 PM
Aw jeez. This is tough.



wintermute

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Reply #2 on: August 13, 2008, 07:05:25 PM
Aw jeez. This is tough.
No, it really isn't.

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Russell Nash

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Reply #3 on: August 13, 2008, 07:17:11 PM
I've re-watched both recently and I find Raiders to have aged better. 



eytanz

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Reply #4 on: August 13, 2008, 07:45:17 PM
I've re-watched both recently and I find Raiders to have aged better. 

I entirely agree.



Roney

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Reply #5 on: August 13, 2008, 08:20:35 PM
Much as I love both, to some extent Star Wars will always be the mental yardstick against which I measure the cinema experience. There's still only one chord that I instinctively expect to hear following the 20th Century Fox fanfare.



DKT

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Reply #6 on: August 13, 2008, 08:37:34 PM
Much as I love both, to some extent Star Wars will always be the mental yardstick against which I measure the cinema experience. There's still only one chord that I instinctively expect to hear following the 20th Century Fox fanfare.

My thoughts, exactly.  It's not really much of a choice for me.


CammoBlammo

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Reply #7 on: August 13, 2008, 09:18:40 PM
Harrison Ford must be feeling very pleased with himself right now.



eytanz

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Reply #8 on: August 13, 2008, 09:29:18 PM
Harrison Ford must be feeling very pleased with himself right now.

I'm sure he is.

Not entirely sure this poll has anything to do with it, though.



Ocicat

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Reply #9 on: August 13, 2008, 09:30:15 PM
Harrison Ford must be feeling very pleased with himself right now.

Obviously, Ford and Lucas own our souls.



Windup

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Reply #10 on: August 14, 2008, 04:26:44 AM

A tough call but -- Raiders it is.  And it's Spielberg, not Lucas, who owns my cinematic soul.... 

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Reply #11 on: August 14, 2008, 04:34:54 AM
  Good lord, it's like making my childhood battle itself to the death....

  I think I may be biased by having watched all the IJ movies most recently, and I feel like some sort of a traitor, but I have to go with Raiders. The opening sequence alone is one of the greatest pieces of film I've ever seen.

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stePH

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Reply #12 on: August 14, 2008, 01:19:17 PM
Quote from: Ocicat
Which movie do you like best?  Which should win the entire film poll?

That's two different questions there, Chief.

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Ocicat

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Reply #13 on: August 15, 2008, 11:10:58 PM
Quote from: Ocicat
Which movie do you like best?  Which should win the entire film poll?

That's two different questions there, Chief.

True.  Deal.



stePH

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Reply #14 on: August 16, 2008, 06:17:47 AM
Quote from: Ocicat
Which movie do you like best?  Which should win the entire film poll?

That's two different questions there, Chief.

True.  Deal.

Dealt!  :)

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Russell Nash

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Reply #15 on: August 16, 2008, 10:08:25 PM
Having thought about it some more, I, think the real reason Raiders finally won out is that Spielberg hasn't felt the need to mess with it.  The reflection of the snake is still there.  The melting of the heads hasn't been improved.  Lucas seems almost ashamed of the original. 



stePH

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Reply #16 on: August 17, 2008, 09:49:30 PM
Having thought about it some more, I, think the real reason Raiders finally won out is that Spielberg hasn't felt the need to mess with it.  The reflection of the snake is still there.  The melting of the heads hasn't been improved.  Lucas seems almost ashamed of the original. 

Star Wars leads 14/9 as I type this.

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Russell Nash

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Reply #17 on: August 17, 2008, 10:01:33 PM
Having thought about it some more, I, think the real reason Raiders finally won out is that Spielberg hasn't felt the need to mess with it.  The reflection of the snake is still there.  The melting of the heads hasn't been improved.  Lucas seems almost ashamed of the original. 

Star Wars leads 14/9 as I type this.

I meant in my opinion.  I don't much care what you guys think.



Bdoomed

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Reply #18 on: August 17, 2008, 10:27:39 PM
thats the spirit!

I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds?  Six pounds? Seven pounds?


stePH

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Reply #19 on: August 17, 2008, 11:21:29 PM
Having thought about it some more, I, think the real reason Raiders finally won out is that Spielberg hasn't felt the need to mess with it.  The reflection of the snake is still there.  The melting of the heads hasn't been improved.  Lucas seems almost ashamed of the original. 

Star Wars leads 14/9 as I type this.

I meant in my opinion.  I don't much care what you guys think.

Well, I voted Raiders too.

Lucas is like a pet dog you've had since it was a puppy.  Years ago it was a great companion, now it lays about and piddles the rug when it's not wrecking your furniture, but you're still too fond of it to put it out of your misery.

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Ocicat

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Reply #20 on: August 18, 2008, 03:00:04 AM
Lucas is like a pet dog you've had since it was a puppy.  Years ago it was a great companion, now it lays about and piddles the rug when it's not wrecking your furniture, but you're still too fond of it to put it out of your misery.

Bwhahaha!  I wonder if we'll ever manage to convince him that his behavior just isn't cute anymore...



stePH

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Reply #21 on: August 18, 2008, 03:49:00 AM
 :D

Full disclosure: I copped that from Jeremy "Toastyfrog" Parish's review of Episode I, though I can't remember the exact words he used ... something to that general effect.  Might have been something about farting and smelling up the room all the time too.

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oddpod

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Reply #22 on: August 19, 2008, 06:07:27 PM
NONONO!!!!
i wont do it!
i carnt do it
you carnt make me!!!
kill me insted, kill me!

card carying dislexic and  gramatical revolushonery


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Reply #23 on: August 19, 2008, 07:55:44 PM
Raiders... is the better movie.  Star Wars has had a huge impact on the way many people see science fiction, but as a film, as a story, Raiders... is superior. 

Part of my opinion is based on the fact that Raiders... did not need sequels (although I am glad that they did a good job with Last Crusade, though Temple... and Kingdom... should never have been made).  Certainly, the Star Wars trilogy can be viewed as one large 3 act play (composed of 3, 3 act plays which appeals to symmetry), however, even when viewed as such, they are a mish-mash of conflicting sub-plots, story inconsistancies, overly complex character interaction, uneven direction and acting and rests on a backstory not clearly thought out. 

Raiders... on the other hand (despite some rather obvious flaws) is nicely self contained.  The backstory is nicely summed up in the first 20 minutes; we learn all we need about Jones and his world quickly without resorting to long and tedious exposition (unlike Star Wars) in a wonderfully concieved and directed action sequence.  The story hangs together much better and makes wonderful and appropriate use of pulp and adventure genre cliche.  You know there is going to be a jilted woman, because there is always a jilted woman in this sort of story.  The story and the film play to the audience's expectations while remaining fresh and interesting.  The direction is great.  There is inspired use of static shots and close-ups to imply movement, emotion and detail reminescent of pulp comics and old film serials.  All around, Raiders of the Lost Ark is a great film that has not only aged well, but continues to impress on every viewing.

That said, Star Wars will probably win.

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Ocicat

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Reply #24 on: August 25, 2008, 01:49:11 AM
Looks like Star Wars is going to win it... I'm not particularly surprised.  If nothing else, it's just so formative for an entire generation (and more) of SF fans.  Even though, of course, it's not really Science Fiction.  But I do think it's a great movie all on it's own... and the greatness probably owes more to Campbell then to Lucas.  The Hero's Journey is simply and well presented, amid a background that just can't help but be fascinating.  The other thing that still impresses me about it is the "used future" look, something he let go of in the newer movies.