Worst reason movies have never been better (in 1997)

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Kevin Spacey

oh

Judge Dredd killed the comic book adaptation

lol this being ILX there's sure to be a big contingent of votes for Albarn here

Betcha whoever wrote this never thought open hatred of Molly Ringwald would become such a bad look, life comes at you fast.

Natalie Portman turned 16 in 1997, btw.

98. Heartfelt tributes to Don Simpson

What magazine is this from, Alba? Empire?

Neon Magazine. I used to read it a lot in the late 90s.

I think it lasted for 2 years

I voted Michael J Fox, but then checked his wikipedia page and he apparently didn't disclose his Parkinsons till 1998, so that sort of lets them off the hook, I guess? I can't remember if there was a general awareness at the time that there was something going on with him, or if this is just because a film of his tanked.

Ah, it's because he was in Spin City on the television. That's why.

Kevin Spacey was good during this period, sure.

No

I love Fairuza Balk, Richard E Grant, Rene Russo, Chow-Yun Fat and Michael Caine. But I also love five of the six cast members of Friends and would watch anything with Lisa Kudrow in it. Voted “Other” (Fake Plastic Trees)

xp Well, he was good at playing Kevin Spacey regardless of the role.

I don't know what that means.

I think hes saying hes a bad actor

Yes, but specifically he acted the same regardless of the role.

Yes, but specifically he acted the same regardless of the role.

― can i play with march madness?

That's fine -- that's Hollywood star acting (Wayne, Cooper, Julia Roberts, etc.)

He was solid at projecting menace. He peaked quickly, though: 1995-1997. A terrible lead.

I'm not sure why I care, lol. I'm sorry. Carry on!

Spacey is good in Glengarry Glen Ross

Spacey is good in Glengarry Glen Ross

Vote for "other."

I find the entries about Grisham and King pretty funny, were they expecting them to kick the bucket or, like, just stop writing new novels to adapt films from? To be fair no-one has adapted any Grisham book in quite some time.

I like the Lone Star mention

Michael J Fox unlikely to trouble large screen for long time
Molly Ringwald’s continuingly negligible screen profile
Whoopi Goldberg’s acting career imperilled
Mysterious yet welcome vanishing of John Hughes-type movies

Spacey was good in L.A. Confidential and ... that's kinda my limit with him.

Demi moore gag is rude but funny

"life on Mars is discovered"

What a scoop

The Michael J. Fox dig feels unnecessarily snarky even without his diagnosis being made public (so, what Eric said, basically).

I'm not really sure what else to say, though. I suppose if you think 1997 represented the height of commercial filmmaking, this list will speak to you.

Spacey’s affect works really well for Seven as well. But general opinion of him itt otm.

the Natalie Portman one got my vote, gross.

i saw Spacey in a production for Moon for the Misbegotten once. he was way over his head, didn't understand his character

my cousin saw him in the London tour/production of The Iceman Cometh: said he was fantastic, hung out with fans outside doing Jack Lemmon impressions and presumably checking out the boys.

Natalie Portman turned 16 in 1997, btw.

― Alba

This was my first thought - she was still a kid when this was written. I don't even rate her as an actress but this is the whole 'countdown to Charlotte Church' gross objectification thing.

I hate Kevin Spacey

Face completely passed me by. The BFI seems to think it was okay:
https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/watch-cult-classic-5-face

The basic concept makes it sound like the least appealing film ever. Albarn also co-wrote the music for Antonia Bird's next film, Ravenous, which is one of the very few historical superhuman cannibalism dramas with Robert Carlyle in it. It strikes me as one of those ahead-of-its-time films, like Unbreakable.

Point 18 dates this article to the tiny, tiny window in the mid-1990s when the studios tried to make Laserdisc a thing again. I remember the THX Star Wars reissues were re-released on Laserdisc and for a brief period - perhaps just eighteen months or so - people were willing to spend money on importing Laserdiscs. But by the time that magazine was published (February '97) DVD had already come out in Japan, so Laserdisc didn't have much time left.

Point 85 implies that there won't be any studio-killing flops in the future, which is probably true - I can't think of a film that did so poorly it destroyed a studio - but the likes of John Carter and Pluto Nash and Mortal Engines did lose a tonne of cash. They don't seem to have anticipated ballooning budgets and marketing costs and the dominance of franchises.

And point 33 dates this to the time when Crash was a highly-regarded David Cronenberg film, not hamfisted Oscar bait. Point 32 to the time when Robert Downey Jr had not yet made a comeback.

I have fond memories of The Thomas Crown Affair, entirely because of Rene Russo. I find this whole thing depressing because I remember the late 1990s and something about it felt perfunctory.

this is the whole 'countdown to Charlotte Church' gross objectification thing.

otmfm

This thing vacillates between Maxim-style horniness and then like "I'm so glad we don't have to see Demi Moore's 'baps' anymore"

I mean this kind of writing was everywhere through like....maybe early to mid 2010s? thinking of trash like Stuff Magazine.

basically "itm a strange journalist asks if you saw the ass on that one"

This thing vacillates between Maxim-style horniness and then like "I'm so glad we don't have to see Demi Moore's 'baps' anymore"

I think the writer is very particular about the kind of baps he wants to see. Nothing trashy like those of Demi Moore, who should have gone straight to 'vengeful psycho hag' like Sharon Stone, and missed her decline.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

It's not exactly unheard of for a misogynist to both revel in sexual objectification and shame any woman who is upfront about her sex appeal.

Blade Runner sequel months away

technically correct

So what are the big German comedy movies of 1997?

Buddy road trip "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Praxis Dr Hasenbein" featuring the great Helge Schneider, animated movie Kleines Arschloch and, of course, Ballerman 6:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVR8yJjnhjI

Danke! I can watch and then poll.

There was another German buddy comedy from around that time, the name of which is bugging me for years. It was about two teenagers who are just out of juvie and go on some high jinks including some scenes about taking part in a circus too. Anyone know what movie this is?

Can't remember how comic it is, but Peter Welz's Burning Life matches some of that, mainly the circus part IIRC.

Its not that one. The two main characters were teenage boys.

Helps to know these keen insights were printed in Neon, a magazine published monthly for a whopping 26 months before quietly expiring.

With cursed recurring sections like "What's Your Favorite Chevy Chase Movie?" and "Graham Linehan's Filmgoer's Companion," it's a miracle it lasted that long.

So what are the big German comedy movies of 1997?

Would also mention cop comedy Die Musterknaben, Das Leben ist eine Baustelle (featuring a dubbed Ricky Tomlinson) and heh... Funny Games as an example of dark Austrian comedy.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Face completely passed me by. The BFI seems to think it was okay:
https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/watch-cult-classic-5-face

The basic concept makes it sound like the least appealing film ever. Albarn also co-wrote the music for Antonia Bird's next film, Ravenous, which is one of the very few historical superhuman cannibalism dramas with Robert Carlyle in it. It strikes me as one of those ahead-of-its-time films, like Unbreakable.

― Ashley Pomeroy, Thursday, 23 March 2023 19:27 (eleven months ago) bookmarkflaglink

just watched FACE on mubi, it sucks a LOT (inc.wrenching climax soundtracked to longpigs "on and on" followed by gene "london can you wait", 1997 eh)

ravenous is i believe a good deal better somehow (like not trying to squeeze value out of a ronan bennett script abt crims amok and socialism awry)