tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7326358948508003102..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Movies with great beginnings and disappointing middle and endingsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68456750308441515782016-03-02T15:00:53.516-08:002016-03-02T15:00:53.516-08:00"And finally, TOUCH OF EVIL..."
Touch ..."And finally, TOUCH OF EVIL..."<br /><br /> Touch of Evil is a brilliant movie. Nothing disappointing about it. Nobody Will Read Thishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03435587585058495930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58421068689468617162015-12-12T11:35:24.490-08:002015-12-12T11:35:24.490-08:00Gangs of New York for good and all.Gangs of New York for good and all.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07565574614810210380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11769596198525246392015-12-02T16:30:46.722-08:002015-12-02T16:30:46.722-08:00Loosehead: There's a great message behind SPR,...Loosehead: There's a great message behind SPR, no question, and the ending is definitely very moving, too. I just think the opening was so shocking, so explosive, that it was very hard to follow. I also think casting Hanks as a grizzled, broken soldier was a mistake. The scene where the troops are shocked to learn that he was a school teacher back home fell flat for me because that's exactly how I think we all imagine Hanks already. That said, when I try and scrub that image from Hanks from my mind, the film worked much better. (As I said, it reminded me of THE SEARCHERS in that regard -- I found it tough to buy Wayne as a bitter broken man, too.)<br /><br />Pat: Thanks!Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63558198505748910812015-12-01T12:42:45.807-08:002015-12-01T12:42:45.807-08:00No Country for Old MenNo Country for Old MenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1331567822854250542015-12-01T10:13:22.489-08:002015-12-01T10:13:22.489-08:00The knife fight at the end of SPR (particularly th...The knife fight at the end of SPR (particularly the end of the knife fight) is the thing that affected me the most.. even now, years later. I remember the beginning as being intense, and virtually nothing about the middle, but I remember that ending fight pretty clearly. Ugh.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04514127184704002111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8097504782239822232015-12-01T09:19:50.309-08:002015-12-01T09:19:50.309-08:00From Jan:
I absolutely agree with you on "S...From Jan: <br /><br />I absolutely agree with you on "Saving Private Ryan": the group of men the story follows were a collection of clichés. So I don't consider it--as so many do--the greatest war film of all time. To everything that Andrew said on 11/30/2015 at 7:28 a.m.: ditto. I'm so delighted to find that I'm not the only one who thought SPR was overrated; I was beginning to think I was. I actually liked "The Thin Red Line" a lot more. <br /><br />And I also agree with halojones-fan about "Flight." I thought it would have been a much stronger movie if it had ended with him walking into the hearing and had left the outcome unknown. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35106867256197161872015-11-30T21:10:41.438-08:002015-11-30T21:10:41.438-08:00"WALL-E". Adventures on Trash Earth wer..."WALL-E". Adventures on Trash Earth were really interesting. Adventures in Generic SF Spaceship were much less so.halojones-fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473935330204075559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6417849268304958532015-11-30T21:02:34.155-08:002015-11-30T21:02:34.155-08:00Flight would have been so much better if they'...Flight would have been so much better if they'd cut the airplane sequence through the movie rather than all up front.<br /><br />Also the movie makes a lot more sense when you realize it's just a big ad for AA. That's why they put so much emphasis on "act of God", which is a huge part of AA.halojones-fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473935330204075559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65841021832051082742015-11-30T21:00:43.483-08:002015-11-30T21:00:43.483-08:00Sure, you don't want to be gonzo from start to...Sure, you don't want to be gonzo from start to finish, but it is also true that when eating supper we don't eat the pie *first*.halojones-fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473935330204075559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65631013703428716672015-11-30T18:23:23.767-08:002015-11-30T18:23:23.767-08:00The task of finding the real Private Ryan and send...The task of finding the real Private Ryan and sending him home was given to a single chaplain, not a rifle company (they were a bit preoccupied with the German army in the days following D-Day). I suppose market research indicated that people didn't want to watch Tom Hanks give last rites and ask "Have you seen Private Ryan?" for two and a half hours. So, a standard war story was created. I agree about the weak ending, which perhaps parallels the end of SCHINDLER'S LIST, where the people he saved and their descendants walk past Oskar Schindler's grave. But SPR didn't earn it. <br /><br />I thought BEING JOHN MALKOVICH had a terrific beginning and middle, and no idea how to end.Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45158119146703815862015-11-30T16:58:48.464-08:002015-11-30T16:58:48.464-08:00Isn't this about poorly established characters...Isn't this about poorly established characters being insufficient to keep the audience engaged once the story or the conflict is in progress? Spielberg is indeed a serial offender in this regard. Movies that DON'T fizzle out have memorable characters that we quickly feel strongly about, not ones that might as well be wearing numbered football jerseys.blogwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362291687463326731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76765754297709236972015-11-30T12:28:50.012-08:002015-11-30T12:28:50.012-08:00@ Blinky:
"OK then, how about movies that ha...@ Blinky:<br /><br />"OK then, how about movies that had great beginnings and GOT EVEN BETTER? Is there even such a thing?"<br /><br />The freshest example on my mind would be AMERICAN HUSTLE, which grabs you with its intensity of plot and character from the opening, and never lets you go. I know that the movie is considered overrated by some (ahem), though I happen to think it's one of the best movies of the past decade at least.Frank Beansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45927859601775442292015-11-30T12:01:31.539-08:002015-11-30T12:01:31.539-08:00Strongly agree about FULL METAL JACKET--that must ...Strongly agree about FULL METAL JACKET--that must be the most watched-the-first-20-minutes-but-ignored-the-last-hour movie ever made. I think every guy of my generation (Gen X) has the whole Lee Ermey drill Sergeant sequence practically memorized.<br /><br />Also agree with the commenter who pointed out STRIPES--although it was extraordinarily solid and consistent for at least an hour, the whole Europe thing seemed tacked on. My theory has long been that the movie was supposed to end with the basic training "razzle dazzle" sequence, but when it came to filming it the writers realized (or, more likely, were told by the studio) that it wasn't long enough for a feature film, so they hastily added the silly Europe part. Still, all in all, it doesn't ruin the movie--it just pads it out and detracts from some of its poignancy.Frank Beansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75748652650590115002015-11-30T11:06:42.191-08:002015-11-30T11:06:42.191-08:00For me, Super Troopers comes to mind.
That openi...For me, Super Troopers comes to mind. <br />That opening. The meow scene. The car chase. brilliant. <br /><br />Rest of the movie, meh.<br /><br />Roger Cliftonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83181982159203017872015-11-30T10:38:11.909-08:002015-11-30T10:38:11.909-08:00Touch of Evil does have the terrific ending, with ...Touch of Evil does have the terrific ending, with Marlene Dietrich, as a Mexican hooker, walking away saying "Adios" in a German accent. Neummsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78011278384771297962015-11-30T09:46:14.333-08:002015-11-30T09:46:14.333-08:00OK then, how about movies that had great beginning...OK then, how about movies that had great beginnings and GOT EVEN BETTER? Is there even such a thing?blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55963120436251334032015-11-30T07:55:52.733-08:002015-11-30T07:55:52.733-08:00A lot of movies these days careen downhill fast ri...A lot of movies these days careen downhill fast right after the opening credits. And it's tempting to say "The Phantom Menace," but that turned into a $200 million episode of "Big Bad Beetleborgs" just a few minutes in (or maybe it sucked immediately, but it took a few minutes for my high hopes to wear off. I'm not watching it again to find out). But I think my wife and I would both agree that the ultimate example of a movie that started with a really interesting premise and production design and later crashed like the Hindenburg was "A.I." Best part was when the android kid declared, "I'm not a robot!" so he could post on this blog. <br /><br />To Johnny Walker: You might also check out the movie "The Fighting Sullivans." It's based on the true story of five brothers who were all killed at once when the ship they were serving on together was sunk. That helped inspire the Sole Survivor Policy.Pat Reederhttp://www.hollywoodhifi.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27063814046417163092015-11-30T07:28:26.118-08:002015-11-30T07:28:26.118-08:00I'm thankful for this conversation about SPR. ...I'm thankful for this conversation about SPR. I have had people glare at me in stunned silence when I told them that I thought SPR was overrated.<br /><br />But I also believe the final battle scene was just as powerful (though on a smaller, more intimate scale) as the D-Day opening. By then we knew the characters, and watching them get picked off was a terrible punch in the gut (the fundamentalist sniper getting blown up in the tower; the knife fight, while the reporter guy watches and can do nothing; etc.). I would say the movie had a brilliant beginning and ending, but the middle was mush.<br /><br />And we might be forgetting that the beginning of the movie was not D-Day. It was a Hallmark card movie of an old man visiting a cemetery, along with his perfect suburban family, with Coplandesque music playing in the background. I found it very contrived and off-putting. Same with the ending - "Earn this," and then you find out the old man was Ryan. When Matt Damon was giving his speech to Tom Hanks about his upbringing, I just wanted him to shut up. Sorry, now I'm rambling...Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26924369822698520092015-11-30T07:12:50.586-08:002015-11-30T07:12:50.586-08:00In fairness, Saving Private Ryan was not about the...In fairness, Saving Private Ryan was not about the D Day Invasion. If the movie had not opened with that scene, it still would have been a great story. And if you think nothing else happened, then you missed a whole lot of the movie. I still get cold chills thinking about one of the scenes. It left an indelible impression on me. Frankly, the first 15 minutes was so overwhelming, if it had lasted much longer I would have had to leave the theater. <br /><br />I suppose it might be fair to say that the opening scene set you up to think it was going to be a different kind of movie, like watching Bruce Willis get shot, blown up, and beat up constantly through one of the Die Hard movies. But then again, if you thought it was going to be another Die Hard movie and were disappointed that Tom Hanks didn't get shot enough or blown up, you should stick with Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and Fast and Furious franchises, and stay away from anything that smacks of actual history. McAlvienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60865066463938328742015-11-30T07:04:09.483-08:002015-11-30T07:04:09.483-08:00"The World's End" (starring Simon Pe..."The World's End" (starring Simon Pegg) starts out with a ton of potential. Pegg plays an entertaining but pathetic man child, one of those guys who was never able to emotionally move on from the glory days of high school. After a failed suicide attempt he decides maybe he can relive the past by fast-talking his four middle-aged high school pals into a reunion of sorts. It's a strong character setup. But then the town gets overrun with blue-blooded body snatchers and the movie ends with a worldwide apocalypse brought about by aliens. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously which makes you go along for the ride, yet the situations are ridiculous enough that it undermines what could have been a powerful character piece.<br /><br />"The Dark Knight Rises" starts with a high-adrenaline kidnapping on a plane that keeps you on the edge of your seat and introduces us to a villain is genuinely terrifying. But the movie never really gets back to that level of thrill.<br /><br />Cedricstudiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06281239965682009232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71846751040301057352015-11-30T05:41:44.432-08:002015-11-30T05:41:44.432-08:00A spritely opening scene with Scarlett on Tara'...A spritely opening scene with Scarlett on Tara's porch in GONE WITH THE WIND, and then it all goes to hell for almost four hours.Barry Rivaduehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02398166395997803552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6118950707505645212015-11-30T05:21:12.977-08:002015-11-30T05:21:12.977-08:00Johnny Walker
If you hadn't specifically heard...Johnny Walker<br />If you hadn't specifically heard of the policy, I'm not surprised you didn't know about it, and I can understand in today's world why it would have seemed an absurd, Disney-like notion. I wonder how many Americans don't know about the policy, even though one of Abraham Lincoln's most famous documents is "Letter to Mrs. Bixby", which he wrote on hearing that she had lost all 5 of her sons in the Civil War. The unofficial ( and then official) "Sole Survivor Policy" is thought to have been invoked over the years largely because of that letter, or at least it used to be cited at such times. With today's media, we rarely even hear about such noble actions being taken, let alone any historical reference to a President expressing gratitude to a mother who "had laid so great a sacrifice on the alter of freedom." Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4003421055478099682015-11-30T04:43:41.891-08:002015-11-30T04:43:41.891-08:00Can't understand people saying Saving Private ...Can't understand people saying Saving Private Ryan was awesome for 20 minutes, then "meh" for the rest of the film. After the end of the opening battle there are at two scenes I cannot watch and have to either leave the room or fast-forward past. Am I wrong that the whole idea of the film, apart from making money for all concerned which I don't think was paramount in Spielbergs mind, was to give those who are too young to really appreciate what all these pensioners went through, and also why they often are unable to talk about it - the "Earn this" message to the everyman Ryan, representing the millions they saved.<br />As far as I am concerned, Spielbergs greatest success with this movie is to make the audience (me, certainly) feel physically ill when you know the final battle in the village is about to happen, and you are about to be put through it all again. The grinding of metal as the tanks approach is something that makes me queasy to this day, and I understand in part what they must have felt.Looseheadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72487110223881342832015-11-30T03:25:29.734-08:002015-11-30T03:25:29.734-08:00@Diane D - Thanks for letting me know about that! ...@Diane D - Thanks for letting me know about that! I looked it up and there was indeed at least one case during WWII where a family had a brother sent home after the loss of his other siblings, and others where the parents successfully petitioned. Amazing to know. Thanks for sharing that. (I wouldn't be surprised if lots of the other aspects of the story were taken from real life -- but that part was always the bit I struggled with the most).Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13086939028445362188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74519018941261643372015-11-30T00:31:00.893-08:002015-11-30T00:31:00.893-08:00Touch Of Evil has an even more impressive unbroken...Touch Of Evil has an even more impressive unbroken shot in the middle of this "disappointing" film.The planting of the dynamite in the bathroom. Enuff with the taking shots at Chuck and OW's weight. As someone mentioned, it's still mostly illusion then. He did Man In The Shadows the same year for comparison.Bill Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06041905291496937729noreply@blogger.com