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ERASER: 2/10
That Schwarzie thing. I was prepared to be entertained. I've even enjoyed some Steven Seagal films. ERASER however, had me open-mouthed with awe. I could not believe how garbage it was. I mean, I can suspend disbelief like everyone else, but to see Schwarzie hanging out a plane, about to be sucked into the engine, making the engine explode by throwing a chair into it, losing his parachute but managing to fly (literally) down to catch it and put it on, but then the baddies turn the plane round and chase him, and he gets all tangled up in the plane, and he falls a billion feet down to the ground but then, ten feet from death his safety parachute opens and he lands on top of a car and.... no, don't let me go on. I don't even know why I'm giving this a 2. Maybe because it's so bad it makes you keep watching in a state of spellbound disbelief? Not as bad though as CHARLIE'S ANGELS. That gets a 3/10 because that one really does transport you onto another level of existence (you know, when you're like "Whaaaaaaaaat.....?" the whole time.)
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2010 - 8:06 AM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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Saturday Night Fever - 2/5
Wow. Finally saw this movie after years of waiting, and was left very disappointed. It looks like it's going to be a flashy and fun movie about dancing and funky music. Instead, it's a dark, dreary (sometimes even depressing) movie filled with unlikeable characters. The film oozes atmosphere, which I like, and the Bee-Gees soundtrack is great. (I say that as someone who normally doesn't care for disco.) And one could clearly see that Travolta was destined for stardom. But the rest of the movie is just not particularly good. Very disappointing.
I saw this for the first time last year. I didn't get why it was so great. The BeeGees songs gave it energy and made it tolerable, but the story was clunky and boring. Staying Alive was even worse. Thank God It's Friday is where it's at for disco films of that period.
Ah, you kids... I guess you just had to be there, which can be said for a lot of films. This film was amazing for its time from a number of perspectives. The Bee Gees were on fire, disco was king and this was a disco film in the sense that it addressed a lifestyle that was part of that scene, John Travolta was extremely popular and quite a charismatic figure at the time. He learned the steps and did the thing very well. It was dark, disturbing also in places, as it aspired to be more than "Beach Blanket Bingo" on the disco floor. It doesn't hold up well now, unfortunately, in a cultural landscape completely different from its day, but that does not diminish the impact and importance of the film in the context of its own time and place. It's not a film I would really recommend to anyone today, but I would have trouble recommending a lot of films I value (e. g., "Easy Rider") to young people with no clue about the times and issues from which they (the films) were born.
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2010 - 12:43 PM
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By: |
Michael24
(Member)
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Ah, you kids... I guess you just had to be there, which can be said for a lot of films. This film was amazing for its time from a number of perspectives. The Bee Gees were on fire, disco was king and this was a disco film in the sense that it addressed a lifestyle that was part of that scene, John Travolta was extremely popular and quite a charismatic figure at the time. He learned the steps and did the thing very well. It was dark, disturbing also in places, as it aspired to be more than "Beach Blanket Bingo" on the disco floor. It doesn't hold up well now, unfortunately, in a cultural landscape completely different from its day, but that does not diminish the impact and importance of the film in the context of its own time and place. It's not a film I would really recommend to anyone today, but I would have trouble recommending a lot of films I value (e. g., "Easy Rider") to young people with no clue about the times and issues from which they (the films) were born.
I certainly understand that. I have no problem viewing films from before my time or from a different cultural landscape. Sometimes I welcome that and find it interesting to view something from a time I missed out on. It's like a window into the past. I did like the music and Travolta's performance. I guess I was mostly just disappointed by the fact it wasn't a "Beach Blanket Bingo" type of thing, which is what it always looked like to me from the clips I'd seen. Like I said, just a fun, funky movie about music and dancing. The fact that it was actually rather dark and almost depressing just sort of took me by surprise, and I was sitting there like, "Well . . . that's not what I expected." LOL!
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2010 - 1:24 PM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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Ah, you kids... I guess you just had to be there, which can be said for a lot of films. This film was amazing for its time from a number of perspectives. The Bee Gees were on fire, disco was king and this was a disco film in the sense that it addressed a lifestyle that was part of that scene, John Travolta was extremely popular and quite a charismatic figure at the time. He learned the steps and did the thing very well. It was dark, disturbing also in places, as it aspired to be more than "Beach Blanket Bingo" on the disco floor. It doesn't hold up well now, unfortunately, in a cultural landscape completely different from its day, but that does not diminish the impact and importance of the film in the context of its own time and place. It's not a film I would really recommend to anyone today, but I would have trouble recommending a lot of films I value (e. g., "Easy Rider") to young people with no clue about the times and issues from which they (the films) were born.
I certainly understand that. I have no problem viewing films from before my time or from a different cultural landscape. Sometimes I welcome that and find it interesting to view something from a time I missed out on. It's like a window into the past. I did like the music and Travolta's performance. I guess I was mostly just disappointed by the fact it wasn't a "Beach Blanket Bingo" type of thing, which is what it always looked like to me from the clips I'd seen. Like I said, just a fun, funky movie about music and dancing. The fact that it was actually rather dark and almost depressing just sort of took me by surprise, and I was sitting there like, "Well . . . that's not what I expected." LOL!
Actually it was Cryogenix' comments that prompted my observations about SNF as a film best appreciated in the context of its times. I can certainly understand not enjoying the film, from any number of viewpoints. Cryogenix didn't see why anyone thought it was good, and I just wanted to kick in my two cents on that point, not to be critical or argumentative. That it was not a fun film, we can all agree!
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2010 - 3:57 PM
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By: |
joan hue
(Member)
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Good points on Saturday Night Fever. I loved it, but it really was a very dark, depressing movie in a way. The dancing was amazing, but it was a movie that commented on people "going nowhere." Bee Gees lyrics really backed up parts of the story and themes.
"I'm going nowhere; somebody help me," were key lyrics. Two love songs had important lyrics. "More than a woman to me." "Keep me warm in your love."
I thought Travolta was great as were the guys who played his buddies and the one sad overweight girl. This was a coming of age story using disco as a center piece. I hated the
actress who played his dancing partner. I thought she was terrible at acting. I did love her lines when she was eating with him. While she was acting condescending and putting on airs, we saw that she was as big a loser as the others. Travolta mentions that Romeo and Juliet were by Shakespeare's, and she says, "No, Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet." Yikes.
Guess I'm a sucker for coming of age stories. Some of these stories center upon war, or rock and roll, or death, or drugs, and this one centered upon disco.
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I don't care for these rate the movies things, but I will say that I just saw four great movies in a row, all Swedish. They included the Millennium trilogy, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - each one terrific for completely different reasons.
And then Let The Right One In, a superb film in every way.
All four movies, BTW, have great scores.
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Posted: |
Jul 25, 2010 - 10:15 AM
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By: |
joan hue
(Member)
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Good points on Saturday Night Fever. I loved it, but it really was a very dark, depressing movie in a way. The dancing was amazing, but it was a movie that commented on people "going nowhere." Bee Gees lyrics really backed up parts of the story and themes.
"I'm going nowhere; somebody help me," were key lyrics. Two love songs had important lyrics. "More than a woman to me." "Keep me warm in your love."
I thought Travolta was great as were the guys who played his buddies and the one sad overweight girl. This was a coming of age story using disco as a center piece. I hated the
actress who played his dancing partner. I thought she was terrible at acting. I did love her lines when she was eating with him. While she was acting condescending and putting on airs, we saw that she was as big a loser as the others. Travolta mentions that Romeo and Juliet was by Shakespeare's, and she says, "No, Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet." Yikes.
Guess I'm a sucker for coming of age stories. Some of these stories center upon war, or rock and roll, or death, or drugs, and this one centered upon disco.
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