Things you're tired of seeing in movies

[Riceball]

Watching Reacher last night, I'm reminded of the classic trope of the ex-military officer who's super good at what they do because they're an ex-military officer. Of course, this is ignoring that they're shown doing all of the sorts of things that are normally done by an NCO, not an officer. It would be nice if movie/TV writers learned that military officers are not necessarily that good at doing whatever it is the unit they re in command of does. That's not to say that there aren't receptions of that they're incompetent, but their job is leadership, to command and lead their unit, the subject matter experts are the enlisted folk they command, particularly the NCOs. Take Reacher, in the show, they show that he personally went out and did ops on his own, as a Major. Not only is that not how any unit operates, MP or another, and definitely no Major as the CO of an MP unit would be doing that kind of thing.

 

[dascoyne]

I've seen much lower belts beat black belts at tournaments many times. There's a difference between experience and knowledge. Some black belts have both and others are just there for exercise.

I would definitely fall into the latter category. I took taekwondo for a few years a good while ago and eventually worked my way up to 1st degree black belt, but I never competed; not in sparring or even in forms. I might have been able to compete in forms but I'm certain I would have had my butt handed to me in sparring since I'd likely be going up against people who had been doing this for far longer than I have, and were younger and in better shape than me since I was in my late '40s when I started. I was most certainly there for the exercise more than anything and had absolutely no illusions about being some martial arts master, despite having made it to black belt.

Female Fitness Kickboxer vs. Female Kickboxer - See if you can tell which is which.

 

[greenmachines]

Female Fitness Kickboxer vs. Female Kickboxer - See if you can tell which is which.

Looks to her coach first. Definitely the winner spends her time in the ring not the gym. But the other sure took a beating before going down, not a sissy for sure.

 

[dascoyne]

Looks to her coach first. Definitely the winner spends her time in the ring not the gym. But the other sure took a beating before going down, not a sissy for sure.

That is probably where the fitness comes in.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I would definitely fall into the latter category. I took taekwondo for a few years a good while ago and eventually worked my way up to 1st degree black belt, but I never competed; not in sparring or even in forms. I might have been able to compete in forms but I'm certain I would have had my butt handed to me in sparring since I'd likely be going up against people who had been doing this for far longer than I have, and were younger and in better shape than me since I was in my late '40s when I started. I was most certainly there for the exercise more than anything and had absolutely no illusions about being some martial arts master, despite having made it to black belt.

Nothing wrong with that. I didn't compete as much as I wanted to so I probably fall more into that category as well. I stopped competing when I got serious about football in highschool. I wasn't going anywhere with that, so while it was fun I should have also stuck with competing in TKD.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Someone should start a thread called “Things I Miss In Movies…”

My first entry would be great opening titles and theme music:

 

[batguy]

Nothing wrong with that. I didn't compete as much as I wanted to so I probably fall more into that category as well. I stopped competing when I got serious about football in highschool. I wasn't going anywhere with that, so while it was fun I should have also stuck with competing in TKD.

With what we are learning about concussion effects, you might wanna be glad you didn't get too far with HS/college football. A lot more guys get the brain damage than get the fame & fortune.

 

[AJK001]

Someone should start a thread called “Things I Miss In Movies…”

My first entry would be great opening titles and theme music:

It wasn't a movie but I liked the opening credits of Star Trek Enterprise.

 

[somerset fox]

Just back from Mission Impossible Final Reckoning and oh look, another US President played by a stoic, strong woman of colour. Seems to be de rigeur these days, following hot on the (high) heels of G20.

Sorry Hollywood, no matter how much subliminal suggestioning you make, Michelle Obama is not destined to be the President any time soon

 

[batguy]

Just back from Mission Impossible Final Reckoning and oh look, another US President played by a stoic, strong woman of colour. Seems to be de rigeur these days, following hot on the (high) heels of G20.

Sorry Hollywood, no matter how much subliminal suggestioning you make, Michelle Obama is not destined to be the President any time soon

Umm . . . last year there was a black female candidate in the presidential race. It was a close race where the lead swapped back and forth. The movie's producers had to pick an actor at some point. Hollywood is a blue-leaning town. This isn't hard to figure.

 

[greenmachines]

well, that pretty much sums up what I don't want to see in movies anymore, Hollywood's opinion.....

 

[Richard Baker]

Nobody knew if Johnny Carson was a Democrat or Republican, nor his personal leanings socially. He said his job was to entertain America, not just half of it.

Personally I am so tired of actors confusing popularity for wisdom. Just because they starred in a movie does not mean they know anything- they are literally a person hired to pretend they are somebody else, reading words somebody else wrote and to do it in a way that somebody else has determined.

 

[batguy]

The casting choice wouldn't look like an "opinion" right now if the race had gone the other way. It would look like realism.

I get the argument that a more generic president actor would have been safer. But, whatever. Not everything is intentional propaganda.

What qualifies as a "generic POTUS"? We've already had a black president for two terms. We've had two female candidates in the last decade. I think black female actors are plausible casting choices now, just in the generic sense.

Okay, I'm done commenting on this.

 

[greenmachines]

The casting choice wouldn't look like an "opinion" right now if the race had gone the other way. It would look like realism.

I get the argument that a more generic president actor would have been safer. But, whatever. Not everything is intentional propaganda.

What qualifies as a "generic POTUS"? We've already had a black president for two terms. We've had two female candidates in the last decade. I think black female actors are plausible casting choices now, just in the generic sense.

Okay, I'm done commenting on this.

This brings up a truly funny coincidence.... probably the wrong word... that when you imagine "who would play" and then insert a name, you get this huge range of possibilities and endless opinions from the convo

BUT

If you say "who would play" and insert Ralph Macchio.....

the answer, universally, is: Ralph Macchio

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

People having conversations while driving and they stop looking where they're driving for 30 secs. I watched a show where a girl was driving a city bus and looked away for a full 30 secs...

 

[batguy]

People having conversations while driving and they stop looking where they're driving for 30 secs. I watched a show where a girl was driving a city bus and looked away for a full 30 secs...

That bugs me too. A realistic look-away is 2-3 seconds. If the driver wants to keep looking away longer then they will start darting their eyes back and forth.

There is lots of bad steering in those in-car scenes too. In real life drivers make pretty slow & deliberate steering inputs.

Old classic cars required more steering movement though. They used bigger steering wheels with slower gearing. It was to reduce the driver's manual effort back before steering was power-assisted.

 

[greenmachines]

People having conversations while driving and they stop looking where they're driving for 30 secs. I watched a show where a girl was driving a city bus and looked away for a full 30 secs...

That would be the lady that got Harold Crick.....

 

[joberg]

People having conversations while driving and they stop looking where they're driving for 30 secs. I watched a show where a girl was driving a city bus and looked away for a full 30 secs...

Unless you're driving there

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Unless you're driving there

The best were The Dukes of Hazzard…but for the opposite reason..

Even as a kid I noticed that the screen would show them traveling down a straight road but Luke or Bo would be erratically turning the steering wheel back and forth…

Holy hilarity…

 

[batguy]

The best were The Dukes of Hazzard…but for the opposite reason..

Even as a kid I noticed that the screen would show them traveling down a straight road but Luke or Bo would be erratically turning the steering wheel back and forth…

That's not quite as far off as you might think.

1969 chargers had pretty slow steering gears. This clip from the first season shows the Duke boys driving for real (no projected backgrounds yet). Look at 0;55 and 1;12. John Schneider isn't really doing sharp turns in those shots but he is still doing a lot of wheel movement.

Other trivia:

At 1;25 they do a very iconic General Lee jump for the first time. It was re-used several more times in the series and the opening credits.