Latest Updates - Dennis Hopper

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

Still a powerful race relations / gangs- cop movie, which I suspected had aged badly, but really hasn't at all... Except the soundtrack is severely dated, which is otherwise the only thing that takes you out of the movie.

But a truly great dramatic story, nevertheless.

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Comment by jakal68 ●:

[YouTube Video]

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

More than meets the eye?

I have only just gotten around to watching this, after all these years, and I know exactly the reason why:

It's that thing which often occurs in movie world, where a "pair" of movies are released at, or around the same time, concerning the same subject matter, and to the naked eye (according to judgements made about the trailers before having watched them) appear to be essentially the same movie, with two studios evidently racing to get their take on it out first...

Armageddon and Deep Impact, or indeed, this, and of course: The Truman Show.

(there can be only one! :)

As such, that latter pretty much blew this clean out of the water, as a movie about a man who's life becomes the object of national, or global attention through the, then emerging format of dreaded "Reality Television" phenomenon, and how it was poised to fundamentally alter the cultural landscape at that time, as well as distorting the very concept of "reality"...

...Some pretty heavy stuff, and tremendously fertile ground for film-makers to explore in anticipation of those burgeoning events, and perhaps with a ready audience, eager to explore through movies like EdTV and The Truman Show, the possible implications, as well as their own anxieties about what was to come.

But I'm disappointed with myself that I didn't give this due attention at the time, as it does have very much it's own story, and concepts to play with, as well as having a lot of key distinctions in the story it tells, and how it tells it:

Truman is the subject from birth, and doesn't know he's a participant, Ed is already a grown man, and is entirely conscious of what is happening, having volunteered to be the star of his own show, for one... which show a different facet of the phenomena and tells a different story:

How does fame alter "reality", both the reality he experiences as opposed to previously, and how does it, in turn, alter him, and affect those around him?

It deals more directly with the issue of the rights of that individual when he pushes back, and has other sub-textual themes equally important (and today, much more prominent than when this was released!): The intelligent and enterprising female TV exec, who creates the show, is marginalised and pushed aside once it becomes successful by the Male TV big boss who assumes the credit.

But aside form these weighty concepts, this is very entertaining, and gets more so as it goes... Rob Reiner is great as the overbearing insufferable TV exec, but in particular: Martin Landau as the wheelchair bound step-father has some of the most killer - funny lines in the movie, and he delivers them with razor sharp perfection:

"I need a pee...

(scoots off to the toilet in mobility scooter)

....wish me luck"

:)

Solid 7 rating, pushing toward and 8.

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

:)

Indeed, will have to make a list sometime of my favourite 90s movies!

Meantime, enjoy:

[YouTube Video]

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Comment by alexlincs:

@Magic Marmalade I couldn't agree more. Tony Scott reels in the pretentiousness that plagues Tarantino's later films. I still think he has the midas touch, but his latest films are just way too long. I also agree it's one of the best 90s films.

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

"You're so cool... You're so cool... You're so cool..."

I think this is actually one of my favourite "Tarantino" movies now, definitely my favourite Tony Scott movie, and certainly one of the top ten nineties movies for me.

I've watched it so many times since release, and it just keeps getting better every time.

Of course, at least half of this would be "cancelled" according to today's standards of social acceptability, especially the sublime Walken / Hopper scene, but that's where the authenticity of the characters lies.

Not sure if this is one that Tarantino has now "disowned" (not being 100% him), but I believe he is still pretty pissed about Natural Born Killers, in any case, far be it for me to advise a movie making God on movie taste, but he would be dead wrong on both counts.

For his brilliant, and uniquely Tarantino style, shone through the prism of Scott and Stone's (respective) directorial, and movie making talents offers something unique, and a more magical mixture than he alone could achieve, in this case. I know he wanted the story structure for this to be different, in order to leave questions that are only later, more progressively revealed as the movie goes on, but this linear structure works just fine for me.

Following Clarence and Alabama (Slater and Arquette) as they meet, and fall in love after a whirlwind "Romance" (Clarence aptly Surnamed: Worley) and marriage, which opens a mafia / drug world / gangland sized can of worms, before venturing off on on a road trip / scam / gambit, and meeting a brilliant array of characters along the way, is an absolutely exhilarating ride, and a joy to behold.

And as well as the hauntingly memorable theme by Hans Zimmer, which sweetens the the whole affair, there's an excellent Chris Isaak tune on the end credits to send you away happy: Two Hearts.

(This song is now burned into the most difficult to reach parts of my brain at present, having watched it again! :)

A stunner... And a must see.