March 10, 2004

Once were warriors

Rented Once Were Warriors last night, and saw it (again) last night. I saw it when it first came out, and remember sitting, kind of silent and stunned, as the credits rolled. With the hard-hard almost violent rock music playing over the end titles, rock mixed with Maori sounds, stamping feet, heavy heavy drums and wailing voices. So friggin' powerful. You just sit there and stare at the screen. At least that was my response.

I knew it was wrenching. Forgot how much.

There's a reason why most reviewers put this film in their "Top 100 Films of All Time" lists.

Roger Ebert said, in regards to the two main actors, Temuera Morrison and Rena Owen, "You don't often see acting like this in the movies. They bring the Academy Awards into perspective."

So true.

Acting that raw, that good, that unforgiving, that relentless is rare. It raises the bar for other actors, definitely. Stop being so damn safe.

Had nightmares last night.

Rena Owen's final speech, standing in the wind by her car, talking to Jake ... My God. It's so powerful you just sit there, stunned.

"Our people once were warriors..."

Powerful unforgiving relentless film.

Tonight I should watch something like Blue Crush or Bring it On or Blast from the Past to balance things out.

Posted by sheila
Comments

Try Super Troopers - relentlessly funny movie.

Posted by: Dan at March 10, 2004 1:29 PM

I have never heard of Super Troopers. Am I a loser?

Posted by: red at March 10, 2004 1:31 PM

No. When it came out the advertising made it look like a Police Academy clone and I think lots of folks avoided it because of that; I know I did.

But it is hysterical. Just watch the opening scenes and you'll know what I mean.

Posted by: Dan at March 10, 2004 1:35 PM

I absolutely will, Dan. Thank you.

Posted by: red at March 10, 2004 1:35 PM

People forget that the first Police Academy movie wasn't actually all THAT awful, at least compared to the nine thousand sequels that inexplicably followed.

Did I just actually publicly say that?! I'm not saying it was actually in any way good or anything.

Posted by: Dave J at March 10, 2004 2:26 PM

Dave j-

HAHAHA

I actually liked the first Police Academy as well.

And yes, you did just publicly say that. But don't worry. I won't tell anyone.

Posted by: red at March 10, 2004 2:27 PM

It's cool Dave. I confessed to liking Dirty Dancing here. This website somehow draws these truths out of us...

Posted by: Dan at March 10, 2004 2:44 PM

HAHAHA

No shame in that kind of stuff. None at all.

Or. Maybe there's some shame. I recall "Don't even try Chips" with horror.

Posted by: red at March 10, 2004 2:46 PM

Super Troopers is worth quite a few laughs, but Hot Shots Part Deux remains my favorite stupid comedy.

Posted by: Bill McCabe at March 10, 2004 3:41 PM

Good call, Bill. But my all-time is still Zoolander.

Now, let's all point and laugh at Dave J...

Posted by: Emily at March 10, 2004 4:04 PM

I just can't pass up this exchange:

Arab bad guy (played by "the one armed man"): "I see you are no stranger to pain."

Col. Walters: "I've been married...twice."

I have to admit I wasn't a fan of Zoolander, the funniest bits were in the trailer.

Posted by: Bill McCabe at March 10, 2004 4:10 PM

"...the funniest bits were in the trailer."

Isn't that practically always the case?

Anyway, Hot Shots Part Deux was fun, but the Zucker Brithers never even came close to equalling their original masterpiece, Airplane!. OK, maybe Top Secret, just for the sake of watching Val Kilmer make a complete fool of himself.

Posted by: Dave J at March 10, 2004 6:21 PM

Mine is Apocalypse Now. Who could forget Robert Duvall as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore saying I love the smell of Napalm in the morning. The smell, you know that gasoline smell. Smells like victory.

Posted by: Jim at March 10, 2004 9:29 PM

Top Secret rocks. The last time I saw it I was in high school, but I remember totally digging it

Posted by: red at March 11, 2004 10:08 AM

I appreciate Airplane, Hot Shots, and even the first Police Academy (The rest sucked, with the exception of the one with the Bones brigade)

I couldn't sit through super troopers.

If you want classic comedy, go rent 'Kentucky Fried Movie'. It's a throwback, but the Zuckers did it right after airplane, and the jokes they got away with in there still slay me to this very day. Including such classic lines as:

"Take him to Detroit!"

Posted by: Wutzizname at March 16, 2004 12:02 PM