Solo4114
Master Member
Exactly. It's a gimmick for the sake of gimmickry, and it's so obvious that the writers are patting themselves on the back for being clever. Even when it's executed abysmally.
Things you're tired of seeing in movies
- Thread starter Joosh
- Start date
Exactly. It's a gimmick for the sake of gimmickry, and it's so obvious that the writers are patting themselves on the back for being clever. Even when it's executed abysmally.
JLeezy23
Sr Member
The group objectives, where each part of the objective has requirements and each member has exact knowledge about everything needed. Say theres 8 people doing a big job, a very difficult job, that has 8 very hard steps. Then boom it so happens that each step is each member's specialty! (Fast & Furious movies come to mind right away)
Or like at the beginning of a movie, a guy mentions he took a 4 day class 10 years ago about something random and non-relevant at the moment, then that exact skill is totally required later in the plot.
Or like at the beginning of a movie, a guy mentions he took a 4 day class 10 years ago about something random and non-relevant at the moment, then that exact skill is totally required later in the plot.
M. Night Sham seems to have built a career from that cheap trick.
Solo4114
Master Member
Yes, and many, many people deride his work for it.
you can count me as an early "derider."
People were calling him the "new Spielberg" (cover of Newsweek 2002) when I started casting stones for being formulaic. Back then I don't recall anyone agreeing with me.
It's especially irksome because the man has had every opportunity to evolve as a storyteller, but it seems he's played the same song for years - just with different instruments.
Bigdaddy
Master Member
When 6th Sense came out I really enjoyed it, and the "twist" did take me by surprise, then came Unbreakable, again I enjoyed it, not just for the twist, but I thought (and still do) it was a well made film, interesting camera work, and a completely different take on a "super hero" story. After that...:facepalm WTH happened to that guy? Signs? The Village? The Happening? They were all sooooo bad, (never finished The Village) I decided not to bother with his stuff anymore. A few years later The Last Airbender was released, my whole family are big fans of the cartoon so I really had no choice but to take my daughter for her birthday, she was 9 or 10 and "forced" herself to like it! :lol Funny thing is now that she's going on 12 she put the DVD in the give-away box for the 2nd hand store (still watches the cartoon 
)
So I guess what I'm tired of seeing is M. Night's name, in the credits.
)So I guess what I'm tired of seeing is M. Night's name, in the credits.
That's about the same time I started to notice, too.When 6th Sense came out I really enjoyed it, and the "twist" did take me by surprise, then came Unbreakable, again I enjoyed it, not just for the twist, but I thought (and still do) it was a well made film, interesting camera work, and a completely different take on a "super hero" story. After that...:facepalm WTH happened to that guy? Signs? The Village? The Happening? They were all sooooo bad, (never finished The Village) I decided not to bother with his stuff anymore. A few years later The Last Airbender was released, my whole family are big fans of the cartoon so I really had no choice but to take my daughter for her birthday, she was 9 or 10 and "forced" herself to like it! :lol Funny thing is now that she's going on 12 she put the DVD in the give-away box for the 2nd hand store (still watches the cartoon
So I guess what I'm tired of seeing is M. Night's name, in the credits.
Believe it or not I do like the director. He has good energy and doesn't appear to get drunk on effects. I respect that he still wants to tell a story and, it seems, he does so within schedule and within budget. His name is still a box office draw and he's good at finding interesting premises. From a studio perspective he must be a reliable and consistent moneymaker. From the business aspect he's a sure thing.
I wonder if he's just riding the formula and deliberately avoiding artistic risks. In his shoes I can see myself maintaining a healthy personal/family life and accepting my place as a "B" filmmaker to pay the bills. The guy does have talent and opportunity but his films still come across as unpolished to me. Maybe my disappointment has always been about that. If he was a lousy filmmaker it would be easier to dismiss.
But, now that I think about it, I can imagine why I might do the same in his shoes.
Heck, I don't even know the fella so I could be completely wrong. He seems like a nice guy, though.
Jon Kelley
Active Member
When 6th Sense came out I really enjoyed it, and the "twist" did take me by surprise, then came Unbreakable, again I enjoyed it, not just for the twist, but I thought (and still do) it was a well made film, interesting camera work, and a completely different take on a "super hero" story. After that...:facepalm WTH happened to that guy? Signs? The Village? The Happening? They were all sooooo bad, (never finished The Village) I decided not to bother with his stuff anymore. A few years later The Last Airbender was released, my whole family are big fans of the cartoon so I really had no choice but to take my daughter for her birthday, she was 9 or 10 and "forced" herself to like it! :lol Funny thing is now that she's going on 12 she put the DVD in the give-away box for the 2nd hand store (still watches the cartoon
So I guess what I'm tired of seeing is M. Night's name, in the credits.
Never saw Sixth Sense, but did enjoy Unbreakable (I've often been compared to the Willis character - but water isn't my Kryptonite...)
But, the single best twist I've seen in any form? The Prisoner, "Many Happy Returns." (No, I'm not going to explain. Go watch it - it's good. I'm talking about the old serial from the 60s, with Patrick McGoohan. Very well done all around, the whole story is a twist, if you watch it...)
p51
Sr Member
One thing about any movie where a fighter plane is straffing something, the bullets hit in exact lines, neatly spaced. n real life. the pilot fires a burst, and guides the planes sights into the area he's trying to hit. They go beyond the target and then back, and often around as the pilot tries to get things lined up while firing.
Seriously, look up video of strafing from WW2, you can see plenty of them on youtube from the gun cameras, and you'll never see a neat, straight line from the bullet impacts.
Ever.
Seriously, look up video of strafing from WW2, you can see plenty of them on youtube from the gun cameras, and you'll never see a neat, straight line from the bullet impacts.
Ever.
Reelo
Sr Member
Who are you?
The new Number 2.
Who is Number 1?
You are number 6.
I am not a number! I am a free man!
Love that show, but I've never seen all of it...
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Bear
Sr Member
I've gone through all of these and can't remember if this was posted.
The big long, dragged-out, choreographed fight scenes between the bad guy and the good guy at the end of a movie. (expendables 1 & 2 anyone).
eg: Expendables 2, Van Damme walks up to Stallone with an empty gun and says "I'm out of bullets", then pulls out a knife. Why didn't Barney just shoot him? (ala Raiders of the Lost Ark)(and Barney did still have ammo in his gun).
The big long, dragged-out, choreographed fight scenes between the bad guy and the good guy at the end of a movie. (expendables 1 & 2 anyone).
eg: Expendables 2, Van Damme walks up to Stallone with an empty gun and says "I'm out of bullets", then pulls out a knife. Why didn't Barney just shoot him? (ala Raiders of the Lost Ark)(and Barney did still have ammo in his gun).
The obligatory "rally the troops" speech at the beginning of battles by the star of the movie.
They all sound the same, with declarations regarding "seizing your destiny/doing deeds that will echo in eternity/fighting for "fah-we-dommm"!!
This includes "Braveheart", "300", "Gladiator", "Troy", "The Lord of The Rings movies", and many, many, many, many others...
They all sound the same, with declarations regarding "seizing your destiny/doing deeds that will echo in eternity/fighting for "fah-we-dommm"!!
This includes "Braveheart", "300", "Gladiator", "Troy", "The Lord of The Rings movies", and many, many, many, many others...
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Jon Kelley
Active Member
KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE! A classic of raunch...
wickedpaul
New Member
Please guys, don't take this personally but for me it's : The Stars and Stripes!
Seriously, we know we are watching an Hollywood movie, we don't need the flag waving in the background (or literally THE background) EVERYTIME the main character makes an important speech! I do get the patriotic image and all but it's been used and re-used and (IMO) over-used!
Seriously, we know we are watching an Hollywood movie, we don't need the flag waving in the background (or literally THE background) EVERYTIME the main character makes an important speech! I do get the patriotic image and all but it's been used and re-used and (IMO) over-used!
Actually I've always had the sense that the opposite was true... that Hollywood habitually uses the flag simply to underscore political irony in satire or drama. As a rule, blatant displays of patriotism are uncommon and unpopular in Hollywood.
If the flag is portrayed in a positive light nowadays I feels it's more of a deliberate statement against the existing Hollywood bias. I rarely see this at all.
Maybe I'm out of touch but can you give some recent examples?
Solo4114
Master Member
Eh, I think it can be used multiple ways. Sometimes it's ironic and poking fun at excessive patriotism. Sometimes it's very gung-ho and entirely serious.
In the poor uses of it, it's so over-the-top and patriotic-er-than-thou that it becomes irritating. But then again, you also have to consider the context in which it occurs, like in Michael Bay or Devlin/Emmerich style films where everything is dumb and over-the-top anyway. In that case, I don't think it's so much the use of the flag or patriotic symbolism that's objectionable, but rather just the beat-you-over-the-head-because-you're-a-moron level of contempt for the audience that the films seem to have.
In the poor uses of it, it's so over-the-top and patriotic-er-than-thou that it becomes irritating. But then again, you also have to consider the context in which it occurs, like in Michael Bay or Devlin/Emmerich style films where everything is dumb and over-the-top anyway. In that case, I don't think it's so much the use of the flag or patriotic symbolism that's objectionable, but rather just the beat-you-over-the-head-because-you're-a-moron level of contempt for the audience that the films seem to have.
As you state there are multiple intellectually objectionable elements of those films. In that case copious "flag-waving" would be the least of my complaints.
When I was an undergrad at UC Berkeley, as with many of my colleagues, I probably had a natural disdain for any unambiguous display of US patriotism. For me "flag-waving" was a pretty naive statement at a time of dubious international and domestic policy. After graduating I lived in Europe for a while and in the West Indies for an even longer while - admittedly somewhat embarrassed about my nationality.
To make a long story short my years abroad ultimately made me appreciate the virtues of the USA more than ever - especially regarding treatment of ethnic/cultural/socioeconomic minorities - of which I am one. I mention this as a personal epiphany and I'm not going to try to push it on anyone else. My point is that I don't feel as repulsed about seeing a little flag-waving from time to time in films anymore. For me it's actually sometimes refreshing. I don't expect everyone to feel the same.
(If my 1980s self would be completely disgusted if he knew how I felt today). I'm not saying that the US doesn't have problems or that I necessarily agree with policy, but I think the system is a lot better than folks recognize.
Yet I do understand there's a point where it can be unquestionably overdone in a film. Maybe I haven't seen some of the more gauche portrayals to which you refer. Maybe it's because I generally avoid Michael Bay films.
Solo4114
Master Member
Yeah, I honestly don't see over-the-top patriotism outside of films where you'd expect to see over-the-top patriotism (like, the Mel Gibson "Patriot" movie). I think if you avoid that general style of film, you won't really run into it in films very often. I mean, you'll see a flag-draped coffin in military movies or the occasional spy thriller, but it's not, like, "GO AMERICA!!! AMERICA IS THE BEST!!!!" or whathaveyou. It's usually something worked into the story.
I mean, look, if you watch a film like, say, Act of Valor, you go in expecting a certain degree of militarism mixed with patriotism. But, hey, you knew that going in. It's not exactly directed by Oliver Stone, ya know? But outside of that and the Michael Bay strain of filmmaking, I don't see it all that often.
Now that I think about it I recall that Bond films of the 60s-70s did a fair share of it themselves. Remember the Union Jack parachute in The Spy Who Loved Me? I actually thought it was a great touch to a classic Bond opening.
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