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strangenstein's Replies
I’m praying for you.
I saw it on its initial run (I was in my early 20s), and while I liked it, I was disappointed in how much of the terror from the original had been lost. Plus, as another post mentioned, this is the one where Freddy became a wiseacre. The series would keep making money, but the fear factor was never the same again.
Completely agree. I remember seeing the original in the theater back in ‘84, and believe me when I say it was scary. There was a strong sense of dread, and the film expertly walked that twilight area between dreams and reality. Nobody knew for sure what was real and what wasn’t, and that’s a big part of the original’s terror (and charm).
The third film told us right up front — THIS IS A DREAM SEQUENCE!! — and that robbed so much of the power. Mix in Freddy becoming a wiseacre and you have the beginning of the end. Of course, they’d still milk it for several more films, but the bloom was off the rose.
Aaah, just another young pup who needs fast editing and lots of CGI. JAWS was, and still is, very frightening.
I much prefer the movie, but the book is not without merit. Here are a few comparisons between the book and movie I’ve thought about over the years:
Brody...much more likable in the movie version.
Ellen...much more likable in the movie version. Her book version dreams of living in high society, which leads to the affair.
Hooper... no contest, the movie version is much better. In the book he’s a rich, arrogant twerp who gets what he deserves. Movie audiences cheered when his character surfaced at the end.
Quint...this may be a toss-up. His character is basically the same in both, but the book doesn’t have the sublime Indianapolis soliloquy. His death is by drowning in the book, but it’s still unsettling. I give the nod to movie Quint, but book Quint is still solid.
The shark...both the book and movie do a good job of making the shark appear omniscient. I say it’s a toss-up.
Chrissy’s death...both are horrifying and heartbreaking, but I’ll give the nod to the book version for two reasons: first, there’s a quick line about the shark swimming past her underwater, and it’s so big it lifts her just a bit. That’s where her terror begins to set in. The second reason is because of how she realizes she’s been attacked. Reaching down to feel her foot, and finding only the nub of bone is chilling.
The ending...I know I’m in a minority, but I prefer the shark’s death in the book.
Kintner attack...this is a toss-up for me. They’re both horrific.
Old man/estuary victim...these are two different attacks, but the estuary victim is easily more horrific than what’s mentioned in the book about the old man.
Suspense/terror...they’re both frightening, but the book has a lot of extraneous nonsense that slows down the story. All the shark scenes in the book are well done, but the movie makes them even more powerful.
It’s hard for younger moviegoers to fully understand the terror that JAWS unleashed. The movie tapped into something primal.
I watched it last night for the first time and really enjoyed it. The story was interesting, the cinematography was good, and the killings were brutal.
I think the movie suffers because it got stuck with the “remake” label, which is incorrect. It can’t even really be called a sequel. To the movie’s credit, it creates its own world. Give it a shot and decide for yourself.
I’m with you about it being unsettling. By this time in the series the ground rules had been established, and while the movies weren’t cartoonish, they certainly weren’t realistic. However, his screams of being killed were haunting. I remember seeing this in the theater in ‘84 and his death took me by surprise.
Abbott and Costello were already stars on radio and Broadway, but that routine made them MOVIE stars. They had perfect timing. Listen for Lou’s ad lib about what time it is.
While I don’t agree with you, I do get where you’re coming from. I find Home Alone excruciatingly unfunny, but understand that so many find it a classic. My wife and I saw Christmas Vacation on its opening weekend in 1989 and the roar of laughter was deafening. In fact, we went back to see it 4 or 5 more times because many of the funniest lines were drowned out by laughter. And, yes, people laughed at the slapstick.
It’s hard to tell what people will like. The world would be a pretty dull place if we all thought and felt the same way.
Just watched it and still loved it. Those phone calls alone are worth the price of admission.
Amen, amen, and amen. This movie is way too long, packed with too many characters we don’t care about, and filled with ridiculous action set-pieces.
It deserves a higher rating. I found it to be highly suspenseful, and it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. The original is a solid movie, but is mainly remembered for the creepy opening; after that it’s a police procedural. This remake maintains the suspense throughout.
Why do so many non-Christians feel the need to bash Christian films, even if they haven’t seen them? Simple. Darkness cannot exist where there’s light. Those living in (spiritual) darkness cannot exist when the light of Jesus shines on them. Something has to give. I would go so far as to say they don’t know why they feel the need to bash these films, all they know is something is unsettled inside them.
If Neal hadn’t brought him home, the storyline arc wouldn’t be fulfilled, and I don’t think the movie would be nearly as loved and cherished as it is today. Yes, the movie is a comedy first and foremost, but John Hughes wanted to also make a point about hearts changing and softening.
I remember seeing this in the theater back in 1987, and I laughed so hard during the Owen scenes I couldn’t catch my breath. I was leaning to the right, with my right arm across my stomach. The girl I was with, who I married a few years later (we’re still married), was also laughing during that scene, but she really lost it at the frozen dog shot. We quote this movie all the time.
One more thought about the laughter: I also remember the AUDIENCE laughing a lot, especially at the underwear scene.
Amen, and amen. The folks claiming to be anti-fascist are the ones shutting down all free speech and expression. Talk about jack-booted thugs.
This is a beautiful, beautiful short film. J. Carrol Naish’s transformation from curmudgeon to a soft-hearted man is amazing. I just can’t see the Hollywood of today making something like this.
<i>Clearly Michael believes this since he never runs, even after Laurie, his main quarry</i>
This is exactly what always scared me about The Shape: He never runs, but he always manages to catch up to his prey.
There are so many great scenes, but my favorite is Steve Martin’s son asking him if he can come to work with him, so then they can see each other every day.
Roxanne is an amazing movie, and it’s certainly in Mr. Martin’s top five. I’d place Parenthood and Planes, Trains and Automobiles ahead of it. L.A. Story would be at number four, just after Roxanne, with The Jerk rounding out his top five.