Serious Movie Discussion

[StillinKansas**]

Originally Posted by Southern71

Fuck yourself dicklick.

Not funny here--try the OT forum...

[strangelov]

Originally Posted by Bullitt68

On the whole, I like the Lethal Weapon films better than the Die Hard series, but in a contest between Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, it is no contest.

Die Hard>Lethal Weapon.

Totally agreed. As individual films I like the wittiness and (I have to make up a word here) copiness of the Lethal Weapon movies, but Die Hard takes the cake as a series.

Lethal Weapon is the personanongrata of cop movies, with a twist. The rapport between Riggs and Murtaugh is fantastic. Hell the names Riggs and Murtaugh are fantastic. They balance each other out like sweet and sour. Also, Lethal Weapon's soundtrack vastly dwarfs Die Hard. Nothing like the horn and guitar solos to really touch you. That's the glue that holds the whole movie together and to not take it so damn seriously. Although, I do rather like the Christmas music found in the first two movies (it's just the first two right?). I paid homage to this very thing in a little gangster movie I made with my friends when I was 16. To sum it up - It was in black and white; everyone died, and as the camera pulled away White Christmas played as it faded to black and the five person credits started to roll up the screen. *wipes tears from eyes*

Anyways...

Die Hard, as a whole series, is a tighter piece of work. McClain is the imperfect hero, as was Riggs, but isn't as insane. Riggs was insane - McClain was ballsy. McClain didn't have a death wish, well at least IMO. He is just a down and out cop who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, but luckily for everyone else, he is the right guy for the job. As said in the movie, he is a buckaroo. He was never special forces, like Riggs. He isn’t the world’s greatest shot, like Riggs. He just goes head first into everything he does. McClain is a wrecking ball. Riggs was a precision instrument. We never see much of McClain’s personal social interactions. We don’t seem him at the police station yucking it up. We don’t see his captain belittling him. Nothing distracts us from his field performance. This really solidifies him, to the viewer, as an out right loner.

The Die Hard series wins it for me because McClain never really changes. His life never really improves. Everything ends okay in one move, and in the next we find him alone and disgruntled. In Lethal Weapon, Riggs calms and settles down in the later movies (kind of). He is still a bit edgy, but not the same man as the start of the series. I personally didn't care for this transition, though I do understand it. Murtaugh is too stable to be relevant in this comparison. He is after all, a family man. Die Hard is about the unrewarded, lonely, imperfect hero. It never steers away from this and that's why it's my favorite. McClain lives his life as it is. Always stuck in the same place; only getting older, never getting better. He’s almost like a comic book character in that regard.

*takes breath*

[StillinKansas**]

^

Strange...been waiting for you and Bullitt to interact on film appreciation...

[strangelov]

Originally Posted by Southern71

I'm not going to read through 132 pages to see if anyone's called you out on your bullshit. However, if you don't work in the film industry, you're just a fan, and technically you don't know jackshit about 'film'.

"people who know what a producer does"

What kind of producer? You realize there are dozens of different types of producers on a film right? They all do different things, but I'm guessing you're speaking about the Executive Producer title: Jerry Bruckheimer, John Peters, JJ Abrams etc. Even then with those guys, their personal involvement on a project varies with whoever you're dealing with.

I can't stand it when someone has appreciation for a handful of indie films, and all the sudden they act like they are Film instructors from USC.

I actually work in the film industry, and I would never be as condescending as you are about other's opinions on film. It's art, there is no objective 'good' or 'bad', there is only your opinion.

I work in the film industry too and I say you sound like a total jackass.

[Three Gun Fish]

Originally Posted by strangelov

Totally agreed. As individual films I like the wittiness and (I have to make up a word here) copiness of the Lethal Weapon movies, but Die Hard takes the cake as a series.

Lethal Weapon is the personanongrata of cop movies, with a twist. The rapport between Riggs and Murtaugh is fantastic. Hell the names Riggs and Murtaugh are fantastic. They balance each other out like sweet and sour. Also, Lethal Weapon's soundtrack vastly dwarfs Die Hard. Nothing like the horn and guitar solos to really touch you. That's the glue that holds the whole movie together and to not take it so damn seriously. Although, I do rather like the Christmas music found in the first two movies (it's just the first two right?). I paid homage to this very thing in a little gangster movie I made with my friends when I was 16. To sum it up - It was in black and white; everyone died, and as the camera pulled away White Christmas played as it faded to black and the five person credits started to roll up the screen. *wipes tears from eyes*

Anyways...

Die Hard, as a whole series, is a tighter piece of work. McClain is the imperfect hero, as was Riggs, but isn't as insane. Riggs was insane - McClain was ballsy. McClain didn't have a death wish, well at least IMO. He is just a down and out cop who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, but luckily for everyone else, he is the right guy for the job. As said in the movie, he is a buckaroo. He was never special forces, like Riggs. He isn’t the world’s greatest shot, like Riggs. He just goes head first into everything he does. McClain is a wrecking ball. Riggs was a precision instrument. We never see much of McClain’s personal social interactions. We don’t seem him at the police station yucking it up. We don’t see his captain belittling him. Nothing distracts us from his field performance. This really solidifies him, to the viewer, as an out right loner.

The Die Hard series wins it for me because McClain never really changes. His life never really improves. Everything ends okay in one move, and in the next we find him alone and disgruntled. In Lethal Weapon, Riggs calms and settles down in the later movies (kind of). He is still a bit edgy, but not the same man as the start of the series. I personally didn't care for this transition, though I do understand it. Murtaugh is too stable to be relevant in this comparison. He is after all, a family man. Die Hard is about the unrewarded, lonely, imperfect hero. It never steers away from this and that's why it's my favorite. McClain lives his life as it is. Always stuck in the same place; only getting older, never getting better. He’s almost like a comic book character in that regard.

*takes breath*

And Riggs also makes eyes at dogs.

[strangelov]

Originally Posted by StillinKansas

^

Strange...been waiting for you and Bullitt to interact on film appreciation...

I know, I've been a bad person. I pop in from time to time, but not on any regularity. I do lurk this thread and Bullit's film series. I have found them quite enjoyable.

I do need to contribute more, but honestly I've just been a bit burned out lately, but that's an entirely different story.

[pinoy ninja]

Originally Posted by Bullitt68

Not that I know of, and to be honest, I hope they don't. I don't want Bruce Willis to go the Stallone route and continue playing McClane into his sixties.

Die Hard has four films, Lethal Weapon has four films, Rambo has four films. I say four's enough for all of them. They all had great trilogies, then they decided to go back and make another when all of the characters were older, and now, I say put them all to rest.

i agree but i thought the new rocky and rambo films were great.

[StillinKansas**]

Strange:

Even though I don't care much for either series, I do agree with some of the characteristics that Bruce Willis brought to the character.

When Willis first became famous, he was very annoying to me: cocky asshole comes to mind. Some of the "DieHard everyman" qualities won me over in films like Pulp Fiction, Fifth Element and Unbreakable.

[strangelov]

Originally Posted by Three Gun Fish

And Riggs also makes eyes at dogs.

lol - Riggs


I should have also mention that Riggs is one of the few "action" heros (if you can call him that) that actually used BJJ. Didn't he arm bar or triangle choke (can't remember) Gary Busey?

[pinoy ninja]

Originally Posted by strangelov

lol - Riggs


I should have also mention that Riggs is one of the few "action" heros (if you can call him that) that actually used BJJ. Didn't he arm bar or triangle choke (can't remember) Gary Busey?

he used a triangle choke. i believe one of the gracies were the fight choreographer.