• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Movies that Nailed it

calamity

calamity

Privileged
Supporting Member
DP Veteran
Monthly Donator
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
160,900
Reaction score
57,844
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Centrist
Ok, by "nailed it," I am referring to films which perfectly capture something. It could be a suspense film that had you on the edge of your seat, an actor who perfectly portrays a role, a setting that captures the scenes exactly as you would have imagined it, or perhaps just a movie that leaves you wishing it never came to an end.

One such film for me was "Dazed and Confused," a hokey film about high school life in the mid to late 70's. Dumb as the film was, it perfectly captured that era. I was there, and we certainly all dressed exactly like that, and all of us wore our hair like it too. My wife at the time even said that one of the "stoner" characters looked exactly like me in the high school era pictures in my parent's photo album.

The issues and the behavior portrayed in the film was spot on. As too was the innocence of being bad: burning a few doobs and listening to some jams or knocking down a few beers at an outdoor party. It seems quaint when we think of the harsher realities facing kids trying to have "fun" in the world today.

lol..we even had a friend who was just like the Mathew McConaughey character, a twenty-something who for one reason or other still hung out with high school kids. He even drove us to school everyday in the year or two before we all finally got our own licenses. We payed by supplying the weed. So, in a way, he got up early to get a free high. And, we gladly paid the toll in order to not be stuck with the nerds on the bus. :)
 
calamity said:
Ok, by "nailed it," I am referring to films which perfectly capture something. It could be a suspense film that had you on the edge of your seat, an actor who perfectly portrays a role, a setting that captures the scenes eaxaclty as you would have imagined it, or perhaps just a movie that leaves you wishing it never came to an end.

One such film for me was "Dazed and Confused," a hokey film about high school life in the mid to late 70's. Dumb as the film was, it perfectly captured that era. I was there, and we certainly all dressed exactly like that, and all of us wor our hair like it too. My wife at the time even said that one of the "stoner" characters looked exactly like me in the younger pictures in my parent's photo album.

The issues and the behavior portrayed in the film was spot on. As too was the innocence of being bad: burning a few doobs and listening to some jams or knocking down a few beers at an outdoor party. It seems quaint when we think of the harsher realities facing kids trying to have "fun" in the world today.

lol..we even had a friend who was just like the Mathew McConaughey character, a twenty-something who for one reason or other still hung out with high school kids. He even drove us to school everyday in the year or two before we all finally got our own licenses. We payed by supplying the weed. So, in a way, he got up early to get a free high. And, we gladly paid the toll in order to not be stuck with the nerds on the bus. :)
Click to expand...

Dazed and Confused is like my favorite movie of all time...lol... Another one: Napoleon Dynamite, for the same reason. :)
 
Since I just saw Logan and it's fresh in my mind that's what I'll comment on. The movie nailed the timeless theme that we are required to die in order to pass the baton to the next generation. It's a dark movie, but brutally efficient in its message.
 
calamity said:
Ok, by "nailed it," I am referring to films which perfectly capture something. It could be a suspense film that had you on the edge of your seat, an actor who perfectly portrays a role, a setting that captures the scenes exactly as you would have imagined it, or perhaps just a movie that leaves you wishing it never came to an end.

One such film for me was "Dazed and Confused," a hokey film about high school life in the mid to late 70's. Dumb as the film was, it perfectly captured that era. I was there, and we certainly all dressed exactly like that, and all of us wore our hair like it too. My wife at the time even said that one of the "stoner" characters looked exactly like me in the high school era pictures in my parent's photo album.

The issues and the behavior portrayed in the film was spot on. As too was the innocence of being bad: burning a few doobs and listening to some jams or knocking down a few beers at an outdoor party. It seems quaint when we think of the harsher realities facing kids trying to have "fun" in the world today.

lol..we even had a friend who was just like the Mathew McConaughey character, a twenty-something who for one reason or other still hung out with high school kids. He even drove us to school everyday in the year or two before we all finally got our own licenses. We payed by supplying the weed. So, in a way, he got up early to get a free high. And, we gladly paid the toll in order to not be stuck with the nerds on the bus. :)
Click to expand...

I like "Groundhog Day".

The key scene in the movie is when Andie McDowell asks Bill Murray, "So this is what you do with eternity?"

Of course, we all live our own little re-occuring Groundhog Day every day.

We all actively avoid the striving and betterment that Bill Murray eventually embraces.

Since the first time I watched this film, I could have learned how to play the piano.

Sadly, I still have no clue what to do with all of those keys...

"Ah, Bartleby. Ah, humanity."
 
_Sal said:
An old one I still love is The Usual Suspects

Keyser Söze

the final twist is wonderful every time

Click to expand...


I remember that film. Yeah, it was well done. Spacey played it perfectly.
 
Cardinal said:
Since I just saw Logan and it's fresh in my mind that's what I'll comment on. The movie nailed the timeless theme that we are required to die in order to pass the baton to the next generation. It's a dark movie, but brutally efficient in its message.
Click to expand...

I've seen the promos, but I wan't sure it was for me, since I am not an X-men guy. Thanks for the insight. I may give it a shot and try to find a stream for the film later today.
 
calamity said:
I've seen the promos, but I wan't sure it was for me, since I am not an X-men guy. Thanks for the insight. I may give it a shot and try to find a stream for the film later today.
Click to expand...

It's surprisingly character-driven and it has a clean narrative. For the first time ever in the X-Men franchise, Patrick Stewart is finally given the opportunity to break out the actings skills he's normally known for. It's completely unlike the previous movies where the only reasonable reaction to seeing him on screen is "Oh look, it's Patrick Steward playing Professor X." :|
 
I love a good coming of age movie. Dazed and Confused definitely nailed that feel. Two other movies that nailed it in that regard were Breakfast Club and Stand By Me.

I identify most with Stand By Me because I had a group of friends like that. And while we never found a dead human body, we took some similar epic adventures and were always on the look out for the older kids that wanted to torture us. I need to watch that movie again.

Not a movie, but the TV show Stranger Things nailed the feel of being a kid in the 80s more than any other one I can think of.
 
Network

Frightening how close it is to reality now.
 
- Apollo 13. I watched that movie so many times I knew almost every line from memory. Later on I found a real-life documentary and it was like watching the movie again. Ron Howard got so many details right that it's just staggering. Right down to them having to "fit a square peg into a round hole" when borrowing CO2 cartridges from the LEM.

- Saving Private Ryan. I've read multiple sources that say the opening D-Day scene was by far the most accurate portrayal of war, and in particular of that day, than any other movie ever.

- Full Metal Jacket. Especially the boot camp part. R. Lee Ermey started on that movie as just a consultant, until he made an instructional video that changed Stanley Kubrick's mind. Practically all the dialog in the boot camp scenes was either written or ad-libbed by Ermey. Very cool story to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom