Saturday Evening Movie Thread [moviegique]: Hundreds of Beavers

How often do we see a movie that is exactly what it says on the tin? Since mainstream movies aren't all named "Soulless Crap", those are out. But it's long been a practice in the indies to name your movie something you can't really live up to. The odds of exaggeration go up exponentially when there's a number in the title. Two Thousand Maniacs? More like two dozen maniacs. A Million Ways To Die In The West? Fifteen, tops! (It affects music, too! "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover" has about four or five ways, depending on how you count. Shrinkflation was really bad in the '70s.)

Beaver count in Hundreds of Beavers? Literally hundreds. You lose track, there are so many. But the movie, knowing how often the audience has been betrayed, toys with us at first, giving us a couple of beavers here and there along with a lot of raccoons, bears, wolves, and other furry, skinnable critters, before the third act reveal.

But let us begin at the beginning.

Now THAT is a movie poster!

Ryan Brickson Cole Tews plays Jean Kayak, a furrier in the frontier days of the country, and in the movie's setup, we see that he is a great grower of apples—and a great purveyor of applejack, to which he finds himself in thrall. His drunkenness causes him to lose his factory and apple groves, to say nothing of his reputation, and he must find another way to survive in the perpetual winter of Wisconsin (or possibly Michigan).

He attempts to trap animals for food and fails miserably, but ultimately ends up teaming up with The Master Fur Trapper, who teaches him all the tricks. When The Master meets an untimely demise, he strikes out on his own, trading with The Merchant, who runs his shop exactly like one you might find in a computer role-playing game. A knife is one penny, a rope is two pennies, a pipe is three beavers, and so on.

Did I say "like" a video game? I mean...EXACTLY THE SAME AS.

In this way, our hero "levels up" and captures more and more pelts of various sorts.

But what he really wants is The Merchant's daughter, and The Merchant demands hundreds of beavers in order to purchase an engagement ring.

But while Jean Kayak has been struggling to get ahead in the wolf-eat-dog world of fur trapping, the beavers have been making their own, possibly sinister, plans. (Even in retrospect, I'm not sure the industrious beavers were exactly villainous. It's more a collision of world views.)

Will Jean Kayak survive the frontier? Will he get the girl? Will he be able to survive hundreds of beavers?

If the little clues didn't tip you off Hundreds of Beavers (which is fun to say and type) is a comedy, brought to you by the masterminds that made Lake Michigan Monster. Without a lot of money, and with a lot of resourcefulness and creativity, Tews and director/co-writer Mike Cheslik have created a new, old kind of comedy.

The lovely Miss Graves skins a beaver. (She's also a proficient pole dancer!)

Filmed in black-and-white (in part to hide the low-budget) and "silent" (in terms of having almost no dialogue), HoB uses the tropes and gag mechanics of the silent era and Looney Toons, then blends them with video game tropes, and non-stop, wall-to-wall gag which hit way more often than not.

I mean, by the time you're registering that a joke didn't quite hit, there have been two others that did. And, almost shockingly—because who remembers how to do comedy these days?—a lot of times, the joke that only got a little smile out of you comes back later in different forms, funnier each time it comes back.

Like The General or The Gold Rush (which it cannot help but evoke), or a Road Runner cartoon, the movie trains you in its comedic language. For example, there's a gag involving a wolf whistle, which inexplicably summons an enraged woodpecker. OK, kind of cute in context, but not hilarious. As the movie goes on, Jean Kayak finds himself repeatedly tormented by said woodpecker, but ultimately finds a way to exploit this mechanism to his advantage.

On trial for beaver crimes.

It's so ingrained that by the end of the movie, you're just laughing at the whistle itself. A month later when seeing a different film, I poked my head into the theater showing HoB, heard the whistle, and laughed without even seeing what was on screen. (And the theater was about 2/3rds full.)

My only complaint, if I had to make one, was that it was slightly too long, in particular a very video-game-y segment in the third act.

But this is a quibble. I haven't seen a new movie this funny in years and I don't expect to see another until these guys do a follow-up.

Made on a budget of $200,000—apparently the various costumes cost $10K each!—it has broken $300K at the box office, playing week-after-week—three months as of today, in fact—playing in about a dozen theaters nationwide. It's the sort of film you drag your friends to.

Tews is perfect, as he was in Lake Michigan Monster, and Wes Tanks (as The Master Fur Trapper) and Doug Mancheski (as The Trader) are great in their roles. A special shout-out to Olivia Graves as Kayak's love interest, who enjoys tormenting her suitor. This is a tricky role just because we're rooting for Tews and she's making his life hard, but in a charmingly ridiculous way.

Another point of interest is Luis Rico, who plays The Indian Fur Trapper, and whose part is laden with classic Amerind movie tropes. I'm not foolish enough to believe we've gotten past our cultural madness, but it was sure nice to see a bunch of "injun jokes" that people were laughing at, without a single dudgeon being raised on high.

If you're not fortunate enough to be living near one of the dozen theaters it's in, it is available for streaming on Amazon and Apple, and will be available for purchase in a few weeks.

This is also as close to a "general recommendation" movie as I get these days. You almost have to be anti-comedy to not be able to appreciate this. Heck, you could be anti-comedy and just appreciate the craftsmanship here. The writing—the sheer effort that must have gone into packing in hundreds of gags—is admirable just as a work of art.

Plus, it's a Christmas movie!

Other Films Of Note:

Chocolat (198: Not the 2000 Johnny Depp/Juliet Binoche romance but a "slice of life" memoir about French Cameroon in the '50s. Beautifully shot with a competent (and good looking) cast, but not a lot to say for itself.

Late Night With The Devil: Breakout horror hit of the year, this "found footage" film stretches (and even breaks) the boundaries of the genre to provide a very compelling experience.

Remembering Gene Wilder: A fun documentary narrated by Wilder, and hitting the highlights of his career. A lot of smiles with the mandatory memento mori end.

Arcadian: Nicolas Cage indulges his agent, who wrote this thinly plotted horror which makes less and less sense the more you think about it.

Le Samourai (1967): Classic French noir about a hitman with a code, complete with made-up quote from the Bushido. Hard-boiled inspiration for every filmmaker dabbling in noir ever since.

The Teacher's Lounge: Moral uncertainty plagues a German school, leading one teacher (a Pole) to an increasingly tenuous career position. Fine acting and buildup puts the writers into a corner they don't dare try to get out of in this Oscar-nominated film.

Chinatown (1974): The fiftieth anniversary of the Best Picture Oscar-winner that reminds you that Jack Nicholson used to put out some amazingly subtle performances before becoming a caricature of himself, and Roman Polanski could direct a great film, no matter how big a creep:

The Pianist (2002): We're in-between the 20th and 25th anniversary, making me wonder if this isn't part of a(nother) push to rehab Polanski by reminding us that, even as recently as 2002, he could direct a hell of a film. Adrien Brody's breakout role.

Woman in the Dunes (1964): The highest rated film I've seen in the past year (with an 8.5 on IMDB), this tells the story of an entomologist trapped in a pit with a woman for two-and-a-half hours. I don't think I "got" this one.

The Taste of Things: I loved this movie about a 19th century French gourmand and his lifelong chef/lover. The first hour-and-a-half is mostly cooking, but it slows down after that a little. Juliette Binoche looks rather good naked even at sixty.

Perfect Days: Wim Wenders gives us a story of a peaceful, happy toilet cleaner in Japan, whose life is touched by the chaos in others', but only just. A drama for people who don't like drama.

Amelie (2001): Jeunet's classic love-song to Paris is as charming as ever—a rare film where the heroine is a coward, or is overcoming her cowardice—and even more remarkable in its resemblance to A Christmas Story. That is to say, it was a nostalgic film at the time, and of a time that is so far gone, nary a trace remains.

With a little searching, you can find HoB posters for "Reservoir Dogs", "Sleepless In Seattle", "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and many others.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 08:03 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 I got the dates confused, is why I didn't post three weeks ago.

Fortunately, you can STILL catch 100s of Beavers!

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 07:31 PM (asXVI)

2 Movie Sign!

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:31 PM (Cp1vk)

3 Obligatory: 'Nice beaver!'

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 07:32 PM (di6C2)

4 The ONE beaver joke NOT in the movie!

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 07:33 PM (asXVI)

5 "The Pianist (2002): We're in-between the 20th and 25th anniversary, making me wonder if this isn't part of a(nother) push to rehab Polanski by reminding us that, even as recently as 2002, he could direct a hell of a film. Adrien Brody's breakout role."

Too bad he liked to drug and sodomize 14 year old girls.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 07:34 PM (di6C2)

6 We shall rule the world! Wait...we already do. Never mind.

Posted by: Hundreds of Beavers at April 27, 2024 07:34 PM (mH6SG)

7 ||Too bad he liked to drug and sodomize 14 year old girls.

Seriously. But it wasn't "rape-rape".

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 07:35 PM (asXVI)

8 Is it on a streaming service yet?

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:35 PM (Cp1vk)

9 It's on Apple and Amazon, as noted.

Bluray out next month, I believe.

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 07:42 PM (asXVI)

10 The Pianist is a woman's movie. I know because I think it's kind of weird, but my wife loves it.

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 07:44 PM (q3gwH)

11 It's another movie, like Amelie, where the main character is essentially a coward.

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 07:45 PM (asXVI)

12 10 The Pianist is a woman's movie. I know because I think it's kind of weird, but my wife loves it.
Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 07:44 PM (q3gwH)

Ok, it's not the ... Holly Hunter(?) one where she is married to the abusive douche and he... cuts off her fingers? (Am I remembering that right?)

This is the holocaust one, right?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 07:46 PM (di6C2)

13 Time stamp is all wrong but
Good evening everyone

Posted by: Skip at April 27, 2024 07:46 PM (fwDg9)

14 The MLB channel ran the original Bad News Bears last week. I watched it and was not in the least surprised that they cut Tanner's famous racist line about "Jews, N****rs, Sp*cs and now girls"

Coincidentally, TCM ran it also and I recorded it but have not watched to see if they also cut it.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:47 PM (Cp1vk)

15 Watched Cross of Iron on YouTube this week, hadn't seen it in maybe 30 years

Posted by: Skip at April 27, 2024 07:48 PM (fwDg9)

16 5 Of course the same is true of Don Henley (except she died) but evidently Polansky said no to the next request made of him

Posted by: MAxIE at April 27, 2024 07:49 PM (twxj3)

17 16 Evidently Henley is still protected

Posted by: MAxIE at April 27, 2024 07:49 PM (twxj3)

18 || This is the holocaust one, right?

Yeah, the Hunter one is "The Piano".

Immortalized on "The Critic" as "The Slide Whistle".

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 07:51 PM (asXVI)

19 Amelie was not a coward. She was quirky and damaged by a misfortunate upbringing by a broken spinster father.

So much more appealing than the cunnty American girl bosses of today.

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at April 27, 2024 07:52 PM (wBaIH)

20 Watched Cross of Iron on YouTube this week, hadn't seen it in maybe 30 years
Posted by: Skip

That is a really un-Peckinpah movie. Except for the violence. But James Coburn was so cool.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:53 PM (Cp1vk)

21 16 5 Of course the same is true of Don Henley (except she died) but evidently Polansky said no to the next request made of him
Posted by: MAxIE at April 27, 2024 07:49 PM (twxj3)

I remember there was a molestation thing on Henley, but did not know she died. OD? Kind of like that california pol (Buck?) who had all those male minority prostitutes die of meth overdose like it was a particular kink?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 07:54 PM (di6C2)

22 Evening.

This guest blogger seems somehow...familiar to me. I seem to recall him from times long gone. But the memory is hazy, as if peering through dense fog.

Posted by: Robert at April 27, 2024 07:56 PM (SsmcB)

23 I always kind of hated the Eagles anyway.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 07:56 PM (di6C2)

24 Evenin'

Checked the trailer out for 'Hundreds of Beavers'. I will have to watch that at some point. I think Amazon was mentioned as having it.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 07:56 PM (ErLti)

25 Another week with no mention of the greatness that is Summer School starring Mark Harmon. Sad.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at April 27, 2024 07:56 PM (u73oe)

26 Time for Svengoolie, Trilogy of Terror tonight. Gotta grab a beer & some peanuts. Enough of the Internet for the weekend.

Posted by: Bob at April 27, 2024 07:57 PM (YiqZD)

27 Kind of like that california pol (Buck?) who had all those male minority prostitutes die of meth overdose like it was a particular kink?
Posted by: Aetius451AD

Schiff, currently running for the Senate in California, paid $7.5 million to a teenage boy to keep him quiet. My first thought was "Where'd he get $7.5 million?"

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:58 PM (Cp1vk)

28 Schiff, currently running for the Senate in California, paid $7.5 million to a teenage boy to keep him quiet. My first thought was "Where'd he get $7.5 million?"
Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:58 PM (Cp1vk)

One thing that is remarkable is how high the concentration is of gay dudes is as statistically vs society at large. Makes the current thing of everything is gay and lets groom kids not so surprising.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 08:00 PM (di6C2)

29 The only Polanski film I've seen more than 4 times is The Ninth Gate.

It's a personal favorite.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:01 PM (XV/Pl)

30 || Amelie was not a coward. She was quirky and damaged by a misfortunate upbringing by a broken spinster father.

Those two things are not exclusive.

Raymond (the glass man) calls her a coward, mildly at first, then in an end-of-second-act rant. It's what causes her to finally act and overcome her cowardice, at least somewhat.

Up till that point, she's a coward.

Szpilman (The Pianist) is also a coward, but it's how he survives. His circumstances are such that he either hides and lies, etc., or he dies.

They're both cases where cowardice is relatable.

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 08:02 PM (asXVI)

31 I always kind of hated the Eagles anyway.
Posted by: Aetius451AD

I was always indifferent. And then during early covid when ESPN had nothing to offer they showed an Eagles concert. They'd brought in Vince Gill to replace somebody.

Now, I'm not a big country fan but I knew that Gill was a really big deal in country music. Yet there he was, just a member of the band. And he did great! That impressed me.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:02 PM (Cp1vk)

32 27 Kind of like that california pol (Buck?) who had all those male minority prostitutes die of meth overdose like it was a particular kink?
Posted by: Aetius451AD

Schiff, currently running for the Senate in California, paid $7.5 million to a teenage boy to keep him quiet. My first thought was "Where'd he get $7.5 million?"
Posted by: Blutarski

His FiL is George Soros? I think I saw he's married to a Soros spawn.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 08:02 PM (ErLti)

33 I'm not a comic book mover guy but I just started watching Spider-Man Far From Home. It's got a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating so what the hell.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 08:02 PM (dOnWV)

34 Speaking of Beaver. A nice lady reads the book called, "Brenda's Beaver Needs A Haircut". She's hilarious! LOL!

Link goes to YouTube.
https://tinyurl.com/bdhnbsfk

Posted by: thatcrazyjerseyguy now with twice the crazy at April 27, 2024 08:03 PM (iODuv)

35 I hated the ending of The Ninth Gate. WTF happened???

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 08:05 PM (dE511)

36 Henley wrote "Dirty Laundry" about the journalist that kept chasing him down about the allegations. It'll always be a good song.

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 08:08 PM (q3gwH)

37 || Another week with no mention of the greatness that is Summer School starring Mark Harmon. Sad. ||

Good lord, man. It never ends!

That said, the "horror" sequence at the end of the film is pretty interesting. It was the first big movie role for Kirstie Alley and introduced the world to Courtney Thorne-Smith.

I'll probably do "Late Night with the Devil" next time, tho'.

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 08:08 PM (asXVI)

38 @35

>>I hated the ending of The Ninth Gate. WTF happened???

Corso Opens The Ninth Gate and Walks Through, what happens on the other side is left to the imagination.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:08 PM (XV/Pl)

39 33 Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 08:02 PM (dOnWV)

I think the best comic movies were the series on Netflix most especially the Daredevil ones....

Season One fights Daredevil

https://youtu.be/DDUg7uvtdrk?si=s6iQTqSgrYioHTmF

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:09 PM (X0I7i)

40 Summer School was a decent movie.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 08:09 PM (di6C2)

41 Last week TCM ran Apocalypse Now Redux with about 40 minutes of stuff originally left on the cutting room floor.

I know that Brando showed up morbidly obese and they shot around his fatness as much as possible, but I came to the conclusion that he was just miscast. We could probably think of a dozen actors that would have been at least no worse then Brando with much less on set drama.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:10 PM (Cp1vk)

42 It went way off the script from perez riverte

The thing i wonder which the book by wasson didnt answer was where did they get the script for chinatown from

Btw another project polanski wanted to adapt was pompeii which was sort of chinatown 79 Ad

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:10 PM (PXvVL)

43 Happy to see you back, movigique!

Posted by: TJM's phone at April 27, 2024 08:10 PM (GBKbO)

44 36 Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 08:08 PM (q3gwH)

Let he who has not had a coked up naked 16 year old dead in their bed cast the first stone...

//Ted Ed Edward Theodore Kennedy

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:10 PM (X0I7i)

45 I went to movies to see Summer School

Posted by: Skip at April 27, 2024 08:11 PM (fwDg9)

46 41 Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:10 PM (Cp1vk)

Robert Shaw

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:11 PM (X0I7i)

47 Saw the first installment of the recent “Dune” yesterday while on an airplane . You have to know “Dune” to appreciate “Dune”.

Posted by: javems at April 27, 2024 08:12 PM (xgBZ9)

48 Yes brando was terribly miscast kurtz was supposd to be a composite of rheault and tony poe one waa the green beret major the other the laos spymaster

Both would be more dynamic characters

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:12 PM (PXvVL)

49 @38

>>@35

>>I hated the ending of The Ninth Gate. WTF happened???

>>Corso Opens The Ninth Gate and Walks Through, what happens on the other side is left to the imagination.

The ending of The Ninth Gate is how I wished the ending of No Country for Old Men Ended.

It should have ended when Chigurh leaves the house after killing Carla, he wipes his boot and looks out and the film should have faded to black.

Instead we got another twenty minutes and couple of false endings before they mercifully ended the film.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:13 PM (XV/Pl)

50
Teenage boy, eh? How teenage are we talking about, 19 or 13?

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 27, 2024 08:13 PM (MoZTd)

51 48 Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:12 PM (PXvVL)

Coppola changed a lot of the meaning of the story by hate writing about nam instead of neo-near slavery...

that said I think Robert Shaw could have played Kurtz better.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:15 PM (X0I7i)

52 49 Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:13 PM (XV/Pl)

Either the fade to black you suggest or the current ending works, I think showing Chigurh being just as much at the mercy of random chaos as his victims was a good choice.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:16 PM (X0I7i)

53 50
Teenage boy, eh? How teenage are we talking about, 19 or 13?
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 27, 2024 08:13 PM (MoZTd)

My question: what did he pay 7.5 mil to keep quiet?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 08:17 PM (di6C2)

54 @51

>>that said I think Robert Shaw could have played Kurtz better.

He could have played him as a combination of Mr. Blue and Quint.

That would have been interesting.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:17 PM (XV/Pl)

55 Yes shaw would have made a good kurtz
Kurtz was effective likes hessler in battle of the bulge

Milius tried to salvage the script

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:17 PM (PXvVL)

56 Maybe stacy keach he like to play characters on the ragged edge

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:18 PM (PXvVL)

57 50 Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 27, 2024 08:13 PM (MoZTd)

Henley's was a chick and there is a good chance Ed Buck probably killed a black kid in his mix.

Both share a (-d) after their names.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:18 PM (X0I7i)

58 56 Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:18 PM (PXvVL)

Keach would have still been just a shade young, Duvall could have pulled it off but you would have lost Kilgore which was the living embodiment of the 1st of the 9th.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:19 PM (X0I7i)

59 Yea, movie thread.

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 08:20 PM (lCWOD)

60 Kind of like that california pol (Buck?) who had all those male minority prostitutes die of meth overdose like it was a particular kink?
Posted by: Aetius451AD

Schiff, currently running for the Senate in California, paid $7.5 million to a teenage boy to keep him quiet. My first thought was "Where'd he get $7.5 million?"
Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 07:58 PM (Cp1vk)

Has Schiff never heard it been said? Never get caught with a dead girl or a live boy.

Posted by: Robert at April 27, 2024 08:20 PM (x8aFQ)

61 @52

>>Either the fade to black you suggest or the current ending works.

I think sometimes showing that evil wins is compelling.

There aren't many films that do that. At least American Films.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:20 PM (XV/Pl)

62 Thanks, TJM! I'll be around till they kick me off or, more likely, I forget which day I'm supposed to post.

I seem to do that every year-and-a-half or so.

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 08:21 PM (asXVI)

63 No it doesnt work without duvall kilgore is supposedly based on roy hoffman switf boar commanders

I was thinking of keachs role in the 9th configuration

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:21 PM (PXvVL)

64 T - 13 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/live/mA6znO7TrvQ

Posted by: Ciampino - Spacey Space at April 27, 2024 08:21 PM (qfLjt)

65 Saw "Alien" on the big screen for the umpteenth time this afternoon. The showtimes page said it was the 45th Anniversary 4K version with bonus documentary, but it was just the 1979 version, although the visuals and sound were much crisper. Bastards.

Still awesome.

There was a preview for "Alien: Romulus", which looks like a teen slasher movie with flyin' facehuggers. Eh, I'll probably see it.

"Deadpool and Wolverine" could be hilarious.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at April 27, 2024 08:22 PM (FkUwd)

66 My favorite YouTube reviewer of old movies, and cutest thang you ever saw, just dropped a new review.

Night Of The Living Dead

https://youtu.be/Tn4312pSQqc

Posted by: Robert at April 27, 2024 08:22 PM (x8aFQ)

67 that said I think Robert Shaw could have played Kurtz better.
Posted by: sven

I didn't want to mention this, but I also thought Martin Sheen was a bit miscast. I thought that Christopher Walken would have been better, but I don't think he was a bankable star at that point (1979?)

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:22 PM (Cp1vk)

68 You need a combination of audacity with a touch of madness

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:23 PM (PXvVL)

69 63 Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:21 PM (PXvVL)

Roy Hoffman and John B Stockton of the 1/9CAV Bullwhip 6

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:23 PM (X0I7i)

70 That said I think Robert Shaw could have played Kurtz better.
Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:15 PM (X0I7i)
----

Gilbert Godfrey.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at April 27, 2024 08:23 PM (FkUwd)

71 Yes sheen was perhaps two old he was nearly 40 and only a captain

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:24 PM (PXvVL)

72 @68

>>You need a combination of audacity with a touch of madness.

Children!!
--
Harry Powell

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 08:25 PM (XV/Pl)

73 Chad just pulled a Bill Cosby on Karen Black at the drive-in.

Trilogy of Terror on Svengoolie.

Chad was the real life hubby of Black.

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at April 27, 2024 08:25 PM (ufFY8)

74 Yes but did he though

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (PXvVL)

75 Some people wouldn’t be happy if they had hundreds of beavers.

Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (NxC5+)

76 67 Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:22 PM (Cp1vk)

Coppola's choices show he was REALLY enjoying the SEA lifestyle....he originally cast Keitel then scratched him for Sheen but I think neither of them really got what the role should have been.

Willard was an immoral person who feared he was amoral and wound up becoming moral by the end of his arc.

I think DeNiro or Walken either one could have pulled it off as could have a directable Ford.

Problem is filming was in 76 and 77 and Walken and Ford were not main character actors at that point.

Willard was supposed to be a grey man who held some menace and was ruthless when seeing a mission through....Sheen never captured that.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (X0I7i)

77 75 Some people wouldn’t be happy if they had hundreds of beavers.
Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (NxC5+)

A Surfeit of Beaver

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 08:28 PM (di6C2)

78 Brando was the weakest character
Duval was best
The boat crew were all good

Posted by: Skip at April 27, 2024 08:28 PM (fwDg9)

79 Some people wouldn’t be happy if they had hundreds of beavers.
Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (NxC5+)

If you have seen one, you want to see them all.

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at April 27, 2024 08:28 PM (ufFY8)

80 Kurtz. Hmm...

Christopher Lee?
Edward Woodward?

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 08:30 PM (q3u5l)

81 Lee Van Cleef as Col. Kurtz? (shrugs) He sure could do menacing really well.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 08:30 PM (ErLti)

82 "Apocalypse Now" is another movie that would benefit from Muppetization.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at April 27, 2024 08:30 PM (FkUwd)

83 Keitel might have worked he was ex marine in lebanon before he got into acting

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:31 PM (PXvVL)

84 80 Kurtz. Hmm...

Christopher Lee?
Edward Woodward?
Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 08:30 PM (q3u5l)

Lee would perhaps be too MUCH menace.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at April 27, 2024 08:31 PM (di6C2)

85 The boat crew were all good
Posted by: Skip

I thought Chef was the most memorable (can't think of his name. Fredrick Forrest?). I didn't recognize Laurence Fishburne he was so young.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:32 PM (Cp1vk)

86 John Cassavetes as Kurtz?

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 08:32 PM (ufFY8)

87 I take it a new Garfield movie is coming soon, from billboard

Posted by: Skip at April 27, 2024 08:32 PM (fwDg9)

88 Hundreds of Beavers should be another name for Catholic High School Girls in Trouble

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 08:33 PM (ENQN6)

89 I finally watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but I still don’t understand the end with Sutherland doing his meme face.

Posted by: chris+opher at April 27, 2024 08:33 PM (dSco/)

90 67 that said I think Robert Shaw could have played Kurtz better.
Posted by: sven

I didn't want to mention this, but I also thought Martin Sheen was a bit miscast. I thought that Christopher Walken would have been better, but I don't think he was a bankable star at that point (1979?)
Posted by: Blutarski

Walken was in 'The Deer Hunter'. Around the same time I think (78?, 79?).

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 08:33 PM (ErLti)

91 John Cassavetes as Kurtz?
Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt

Holy cow, that would be great!

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:34 PM (Cp1vk)

92 You need someone psycho and charismatic for Kurtz.
Mostly charismatic.

Jim Jones is unavailable.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 08:34 PM (ufFY8)

93 Nice Beaver

I just had it stuffed

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 08:34 PM (ENQN6)

94 Well been up since 3am, if had a little 20 minute nap, so time to call it.
Hope everyone has a great evening

And don't eat too much popcorn

Posted by: Skip at April 27, 2024 08:36 PM (fwDg9)

95 90 Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 08:33 PM (ErLti)

Apocalypse Now was in development hell from 74 with limited DOD backing in 75 for principal photography in 76 and reshoots in 77....

The movie about the movie is in some ways a better story and I love the movie.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:36 PM (X0I7i)

96 Albert hall, yes he had the authority that morgan freeman would later have

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:36 PM (PXvVL)

97 82 "Apocalypse Now" is another movie that would benefit from Muppetization.
Posted by: All Hail Eris at April 27, 2024 08:30 PM (FkUwd)

Fozzie bear as Kilgore
Charlie dont make jokes
Do you want to do standup
Or do you want to fight

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 08:37 PM (ENQN6)

98 I can see Cassavetes doing Kurtz.

I can also see Richard Widmark. YMMV.

It's been eons since I've seen it, but I think there was a pretty decent TV production of Heart of Darkness with Karloff in the role.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 08:37 PM (q3u5l)

99 finally watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but I still don’t understand the end with Sutherland doing his meme face.

The Nicole Kidman version was better because of the nice gray sweater too thing she wore.

Sutherland was taken over, and recognized that the woman was not of the body. Hence, the face and screech.

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at April 27, 2024 08:37 PM (ufFY8)

100 Yes they had to go with marcos with real igorot cannibals as the tribesman

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:37 PM (PXvVL)

101 Miss Piggy as Kurtz

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 08:38 PM (ENQN6)

102 The ending to body snatchers doesnt make sense

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:38 PM (PXvVL)

103 Sutherland was taken over, and recognized that the woman was not of the body. Hence, the face and screech.||

The studio insisted on the "optimistic" ending for the '50s version. By the '70s we had embraced our nihilism.

In the book, the aliens give up because earthlings are too big a pain in the ass.

Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 08:39 PM (asXVI)

104 Sutherland was taken over, and recognized that the woman was not of the body. Hence, the face and screech.
Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at April 27, 2024 08:37 PM (ufFY

-----------------------------
Ah, OK, thanks. Movie was better than I expected.

Posted by: chris+opher at April 27, 2024 08:39 PM (dSco/)

105 I thiught sutherland has escaped the pods

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:39 PM (PXvVL)

106 Just called up Invasion of the Booty Snatchers

Ill go make popcorn

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 08:40 PM (ENQN6)

107 102: The pod aliens win, humans lose. The End.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 08:40 PM (ErLti)

108 102 The ending to body snatchers doesnt make sense
Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:38 PM (PXvVL)
-------------------------------
OK, so it's not just me.

Posted by: chris+opher at April 27, 2024 08:40 PM (dSco/)

109 Some people wouldn’t be happy if they had hundreds of beavers.
Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (NxC5+)

If you have seen one, you want to see them all.
Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at April 27, 2024 08:28 PM (
There is iron in the words of anchorbabe fashion cop.

Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:41 PM (NxC5+)

110 When was he captured

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:41 PM (PXvVL)

111 Gonzo and his chickens doing the Suzie Q Helo action would be ho lee fook

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 08:41 PM (ENQN6)

112 92 Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 08:34 PM (ufFY

None of the actors played these military intelligence types as soldiers, nor even the stone cold corporate men in the actual "Heart of Darkness."

They played emo Hollywood interpretations of peacenik caricatures of soldiers.

The character of Kurtz as penned was a person being groomed to be a 3 star minimum and so long as he not screwed the pooch would have been in line to run NATO and measure d*cks with Ivan in EUtopia at some point.

Instead Kurtz went into "I want to DO something rather than BE someone" mode and go fight in Asia, and seeing the failure of doctrine he decided to streamline the matter and out crazy the Vietcong.

Brando never quite convinced me that he would allow Kurtz the moral certainty the character HAD to have felt and he never sold me on the inspirational nature that beguiled dedicated SF guys like Scott Glenn's character to get streamlined and "go downtown."

Sheen when I rewatched the Redux cut struck me as playing the same character his son played in Platoon to a degree.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:42 PM (X0I7i)

113 Remembering Gene Wilder: Gene Wilder's home was to be auctioned/torn down - Elon Musk bought the place because...Gene Wilder. (He's not sentimental, really) Later when he divested himself of property he sold the home with the stipulation that it not be destroyed.

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 08:42 PM (lCWOD)

114 92 You need someone psycho and charismatic for Kurtz.
Mostly charismatic.

Jim Jones is unavailable.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 08:34 PM (ufFY

You just described Nicholas Cage.

Posted by: Splunge at April 27, 2024 08:43 PM (oBPoz)

115 These are not the beavers you are looking for.

Posted by: Obi Wan Beaver Scout at April 27, 2024 08:43 PM (klJTj)

116 The studio insisted on the "optimistic" ending for the '50s version. By the '70s we had embraced our nihilism.
Posted by: blake

That's what I've always thought. I like the 50's version, hated the 70's. There was one in the 90's that took place at an army base that was also optimistic at the end. I can't remember the Kidman version.

Someone here said the 50's version was not the original ending. It ended with Kevin McCarthy running through traffic trying to warn people. It was an allegory (?) of communism.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:44 PM (Cp1vk)

117 115 These are not the beavers you are looking for.
Posted by: Obi Wan Beaver Scout at April 27, 2024 08:43 PM (klJTj)

The Beaver Wars begun they have.

Posted by: Yoda Beaver at April 27, 2024 08:44 PM (ENQN6)

118 This isn't a real movie, right? This is just "Moviegique learned Photoshop but not in time to get this post out on April 1." Right? Right?

OK, OK, I'll search and see if it's real.

Posted by: Splunge at April 27, 2024 08:45 PM (oBPoz)

119 Steve mcqueen played these type of roles

Interesting spradlin had been in oil business before coppola found him for godfather and apocalypse

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:47 PM (PXvVL)

120 The real officers that punched tickets up to nato did little if anything

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:48 PM (PXvVL)

121 Interesting spradlin had been in oil business before coppola found him for godfather and apocalypse
Posted by: Miguel cervantes

And very successful from what I've heard.

From Oklahoma

*puffs up chest*

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:48 PM (Cp1vk)

122 I want a Heart of Darkness set in the original 19th century Congo.

Do it with Polish actors speaking English.

LOL

Posted by: Joey Conrad at April 27, 2024 08:49 PM (ufFY8)

123 119 Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:47 PM (PXvVL)

McQueen and Newman both had the acting chops for either Willard or Kurtz but both filmed "old" for Willard....

either one could have done a neat Kurtz though.

Willard should have been 29-33 years old looking.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:49 PM (X0I7i)

124 Braenyard -- that's not in the documentary. I suppose it might have been at some point, but ol' Muskie has more enemies these days.

|| OK, OK, I'll search and see if it's real.

HundredsOfBeavers.com

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 08:50 PM (asXVI)

125 Liked all three versions of Body Snatchers; have to admit, though, I'd love to see one that used the book's finish -- probably way too much to hope for. I don't count the Kidman/Craig version because it was so bloody boring I fell asleep during it (and how do you make boring with that source material?), and didn't buy into a single frame of what I saw; some day maybe I'll try it again.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 08:50 PM (q3u5l)

126 122 Posted by: Joey Conrad at April 27, 2024 08:49 PM (ufFY

I give you comrade detective...my guiltiest pleasure of the last year....

https://youtu.be/60P5qYQEuIw?si=OKvattTd107wg9tK

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:50 PM (X0I7i)

127 || The Beaver Wars begun they have.

I'm tellin' ya, it's just fun to make absolutely clean beaver jokes.

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 08:50 PM (asXVI)

128 Biggest beaver I ever saw was a DeHavilland single engine. It was slick, topped out at 100 true.

Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:51 PM (NxC5+)

129 55
' shaw would have made a good kurtz'

I think he had died by the time Apocalypse Now was filmed. It was very close.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 27, 2024 08:52 PM (roH4R)

130 Liked all three versions of Body Snatchers; have to admit, though, I'd love to see one that used the book's finish -- probably way too much to hope for. ||

To do it now, I think it'd have to be a period piece.

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 08:53 PM (asXVI)

131 A better performance them brandi then

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:53 PM (PXvVL)

132 99% of any movie role of any actor are interchangeable and wouldn't effect the movie at all. There are a few actors who can make the movie. Very few and even most of them can be subbed out by someone else in 50% of their movies.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 08:54 PM (dOnWV)

133 I give you comrade detective...my guiltiest pleasure of the last year....

https://youtu.be/60P5qYQEuIw?si=OKvattTd107wg9tK
Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:50 PM (X0I7i)

I am firing that bitch up right after Svengoolie (unless Julie Newmar is on Batman).

A nice break after the first season of Jack Ryan.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 08:55 PM (ufFY8)

134 132 99% of any movie role of any actor are interchangeable and wouldn't effect the movie at all. There are a few actors who can make the movie. Very few and even most of them can be subbed out by someone else in 50% of their movies.
Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 08:54 PM (dOnWV)

Can't wait to see Whoopi Goldberg as Wolverine.

Posted by: Splunge at April 27, 2024 08:56 PM (oBPoz)

135 In my opinion Full Metal Jacket was the best VN era ground movie until We Were Soldiers Once And Young.

Posted by: Eromero at April 27, 2024 08:56 PM (NxC5+)

136 Yes the fourth one was incomprehendible the third was with gabrielle anwar

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:56 PM (PXvVL)

137 129 Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 27, 2024 08:52 PM (roH4R)

He died in 78 but he would have been ill during filming, that said I think he would have kept schedule better than Brando did.

AN came out in 79 because a lot like Star Wars it was saved in the edit....unlike Star Wars which was saved by a metaphorical commando team of old guard B movie western editors burning the candle at both ends Coppola essentially litigated every editorial cut.

I think Shaw would have reduced the need for the massive edits because I think he would have left a more coherent performance....

it is an interesting thought experiment, with a better Kurtz I think AN would have been out in 78.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:56 PM (X0I7i)

138 It was horror movie viewing week and a half or so...

1) Watched "Late Night With the Devil" - basically it's what happens when ~~Johnny Carson~~ Dick Cavett tries to up his ratings by interviewing a possessed girl.
Shenanigans ofthe unpleasant kind ensue.
Very well-done with a neat climax that kind of blows your mind in the same way That Sadako did when you first saw her climb out of the well in "Ringu" Streaming for "free" on Shudder.

2) "Arcadian" - we liked this one better than moviegique. some nice scares, Nick Cage as sober-minded Dad, and original freaky-deaky monsters that just makes the climax a bunch of fun.

3) "Disappear Completely" - a Spanish horror movie that just wants to creep you out, and does its job. An asshole news photographer will do anything to get a picture, but after breaking into the house of a dead man who was eaten alive by rats, he finds that he's been cursed.
The curse causes him to start losing each of his five senses, he has less than a week to find out who cursed him, how he was cursed, and how to break the curse before he completely loses all contact with the world around him. Very well made, great acting, streaming now on Netflix.

Posted by: naturalfake at April 27, 2024 08:56 PM (eDfFs)

139 Thats straight from the multiverse

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:57 PM (PXvVL)

140 Method was sn sxcuse not to follow the script

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:58 PM (PXvVL)

141 Hundreds of Otters.

Posted by: River Otter at April 27, 2024 08:58 PM (SYTee)

142 In my opinion Full Metal Jacket was the best VN era ground movie until We Were Soldiers Once And Young.
Posted by: Eromero

I think I agree with that completely.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 08:59 PM (Cp1vk)

143 Coppolas megalopolis seems to similarly eccentric not in a good way

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 08:59 PM (PXvVL)

144 Jacket seemed to focus on war is hell but to what purpose

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 09:01 PM (PXvVL)

145 Kidman version, boobs:

LOL

https://www.poffysmoviemania.com/invasion-2007/

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at April 27, 2024 09:01 PM (ufFY8)

146 It wasn't really a good movie but The Green Berets is only VN war movie that made me choke up.

Peter-Son ! Peter-son! Have you seen my Peter-son?

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 09:02 PM (dOnWV)

147 4) "Infested" - not very good French horror movie about killer spiders in the ghetto. Got great reviews by critics I guess cuz of its politics. The spider action is very weak. And they use the same jump scare again and again. Acting not good.

"Arachnophobia" did it much better decades ago.

Posted by: naturalfake at April 27, 2024 09:02 PM (eDfFs)

148 It was faithful to the novel also it was set before the war was fully underway

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at April 27, 2024 09:03 PM (PXvVL)

149 Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard, but had to be replaced when he had a heart attack just prior to filming.

Posted by: Idaho Spudboy at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (i6N8Y)

150 Does anybody remember Pan's Labyrinth?

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (ufFY8)

151 149 Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard, but had to be replaced when he had a heart attack just prior to filming.
Posted by: Idaho Spudboy at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (i6N8Y)

Was not that a requirement for the film

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 09:05 PM (ENQN6)

152 moviegique --

Yep, it would have to be a period piece. Still like to see it, though.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 09:05 PM (q3u5l)

153 149 Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard, but had to be replaced when he had a heart attack just prior to filming.

Posted by: Idaho Spudboy at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (i6N8Y)

I thought Sheen had the heart attack. Or did they both?

Posted by: davidt at April 27, 2024 09:05 PM (SYTee)

154 I finally watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but I still don’t understand the end with Sutherland doing his meme face.
Posted by: chris+opher at April 27, 2024 08:33 PM (dSco/)

The main theme of the movie is conformity.

Posted by: Robert at April 27, 2024 09:05 PM (bGQZ9)

155 Does anybody remember Pan's Labyrinth?

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (ufFY

I liked it except they of course made the commies the sympathetic side.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (dOnWV)

156 Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard, but had to be replaced when he had a heart attack just prior to filming.
Posted by: Idaho Spudboy

Really? I've never heard that but it makes sense. I think I remember that Sheen suffered a heart attack during filming. Tough role, I guess.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (Cp1vk)

157 LOL

https://www.poffysmoviemania.com/invasion-2007/
Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop
-----------------------'

And Body Snatchers was an allegory of communism.

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (lCWOD)

158 149 Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard, but had to be replaced when he had a heart attack just prior to filming.
Posted by: Idaho Spudboy

That's too bad. He'd been way better than Sheen. Martin Sheen was ok in the role. Keitel would have been much better.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (ErLti)

159 Tough role, I guess.
Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly
---------------------

Snif, yeah, a lot of lines.

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:07 PM (lCWOD)

160 And Body Snatchers was an allegory of communism.
Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (lCWOD)

Certainly a lot of pod people out there now.
Not even hiding it.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 09:07 PM (ufFY8)

161 And Body Snatchers was an allegory of communism.
Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (lCWOD)

Now do Bidenomics

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 09:08 PM (ENQN6)

162 153 149 Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Captain Willard, but had to be replaced when he had a heart attack just prior to filming.

Posted by: Idaho Spudboy at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (i6N8Y)

I thought Sheen had the heart attack. Or did they both?
Posted by: davidt

Sheen had a mental breakdown during filming due to a failing marriage. Not sure about the heart attack part.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:08 PM (ErLti)

163 155
'made the commies the sympathetic side.'

That's a red flag for a bad movie.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 27, 2024 09:08 PM (roH4R)

164 >> Biggest beaver I ever saw was a DeHavilland single engine. It was slick, topped out at 100 true.
Posted by: Eromero

Bet it had a big radial on it that dripped all the time.

Posted by: Aviator at April 27, 2024 09:08 PM (HQ9Sl)

165 149 Posted by: Idaho Spudboy at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (i6N8Y)

My understanding was Keitel was simply replaced and SHEEN had the heart attack during filming.

Coppola went almost as abusive to the cast of AN as Kubrick got on Duvall in "The Shining" and that is not mirth.

Keitel Interview on the matter....

https://youtu.be/kdj8qTXosqs?si=TBoOxOtZ8vFgymzb

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 09:08 PM (X0I7i)

166 Does anybody remember Pan's Labyrinth?
Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 09:04 PM (ufFY

Del Toro's masterpiece.

Posted by: Robert at April 27, 2024 09:09 PM (bGQZ9)

167 The 'Experts' keep trying to make the commies the 'good guys' in The Spanish Civil War. There weren't any good guys in The Spanish Civil War.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:09 PM (ErLti)

168 'made the commies the sympathetic side.'

That's a red flag for a bad movie.
Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 27, 2024 09:08 PM (roH4R)

Well, the military were cast as the villains, if I recall. Could have been either side (civil war, after all), but commies gonna commie.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at April 27, 2024 09:10 PM (ufFY8)

169 167 Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:09 PM (ErLti)

Eh I'd back the nationalists every day and twice on Sunday....

the commies were real pieces of work that left the NKVD in awe at their perfidy.

Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 09:10 PM (X0I7i)

170 I finally watched Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but I still don’t understand the end with Sutherland doing his meme face.
Posted by: chris+opher at April 27, 2024 08:33 PM (dSco/)

DS had been taken over by the Space Beans.

He was pointing and screaming in the Space Bean "Hey, there's a human bean. Get her!!!" manner.

So, the woman was doomed.

FIN

Posted by: naturalfake at April 27, 2024 09:10 PM (eDfFs)

171 Sven,
I'd never back the commies with anything. That just makes the other side 'better' by default.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:12 PM (ErLti)

172 Netflix Suzume had a Miyazaki-vibe that I liked alot.

I don't think I understood some of it, not being Japanese, but it was entertaining and well-animated.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at April 27, 2024 09:12 PM (lhenN)

173 Fun fact about "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

You know there's a version where humanity wins and the pods are defeated? Can you guess which version?

Answer: The original novel by Jack FInney.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 27, 2024 09:12 PM (CHHv1)

174 2) "Arcadian" - we liked this one better than moviegique.
--

You know, I didn't dislike it. It just falls apart when Cage goes unconscious.

---

Does anybody remember Pan's Labyrinth?

---

Sure! Part of del Toro's Spanish War trilogy, and the best of the three.

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 09:13 PM (asXVI)

175 The original Snatchers was intentionally made as an anti-communist movie. There were some sane people in Hollyweird back then.

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:13 PM (lCWOD)

176 ZOMBEAVERS!

Posted by: nurse ratched at April 27, 2024 09:13 PM (+UZHh)

177 Really? I've never heard that but it makes sense. I think I remember that Sheen suffered a heart attack during filming. Tough role, I guess.
Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 09:06 PM (Cp1vk)

That's what I remember from an article on how difficult it was to make the movie. I could be wrong.
I also remember reading that the helicopters belonged to the Philippine Army, who required them to have their "US" markings washed off at the end of every day's shooting.

Posted by: Idaho Spudboy at April 27, 2024 09:14 PM (i6N8Y)

178 173 Answer: The original novel by Jack FInney.

Yeah, mentioned up there at 103.

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 09:14 PM (asXVI)

179 osted by: Eromero

Bet it had a big radial on it that dripped all the time.
Posted by: Aviator
--------

Dripping beavers are the best.

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:14 PM (lCWOD)

180 I'm watching the 4K of "Batman and Robin." I'm sure I don't have to tell you about this film. A question, though.

Everyone was livid about the Bat-nipples. How come no one cared about the giant breasts in Arnold's costume? I mean, they're RIGHT THERE from the beginning.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 27, 2024 09:15 PM (CHHv1)

181 173 Fun fact about "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

You know there's a version where humanity wins and the pods are defeated? Can you guess which version?

Answer: The original novel by Jack FInney.
Posted by: BeckoningChasm

Someone mentioned the book above. I guess the aliens gave up because humanity is really fucked up and too much trouble. That would have been amusing ending anyway.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:16 PM (ErLti)

182 "Arcadian" - we liked this one better than moviegique.
--

You know, I didn't dislike it. It just falls apart when Cage goes unconscious.

Yeah, i get that they wanted to emphasize the kiddos in the story, but-

Cage has a screen presence that none of the youngsters possess.

Not sure the movie fell apart so much as Cage wasn't active to give the story/action/ proceeding dramatic heft until the end.

Posted by: naturalfake at April 27, 2024 09:17 PM (eDfFs)

183 Hellboy 2 had Tolkein-esque elves that were noble, strange and tragic. It put Del Toro on the map to follow Peter Jackson. As it ended up, Jackson directed The Hobbit as well, but Del Toro left his mark in a positive way.

If you are on audible, you can get the Andy Serkis narrating LOTR and The Silmarillion.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at April 27, 2024 09:17 PM (lhenN)

184 When I'm on the toilet, I make a screech the same as Donald Southerland pointing there.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at April 27, 2024 09:18 PM (lhenN)

185 I can play The Arcadian.

Posted by: Weird Al at April 27, 2024 09:20 PM (SYTee)

186 And starring Jerry Mathers

Posted by: Montec at April 27, 2024 09:20 PM (tpjlM)

187 Guilty pleasure but my favorite Cage movie was Valley Girl. The soundtrack part of the reason.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 09:21 PM (dOnWV)

188 Houston Tx has gangs killing girls for sacrifice.

Is that on you Replacement Bingo Card?

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 09:21 PM (ENQN6)

189 175 The original Snatchers was intentionally made as an anti-communist movie. There were some sane people in Hollyweird back then.
Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:13 PM (lCWOD

Watching people I thought were sane respond to Covid made me think of that movie. It was like watching their brains get snatched by hostile alien forces.

Posted by: Emmie at April 27, 2024 09:22 PM (Sf2cq)

190 I'm watching 'The Black Phone' now. Madeleine McGraw won a horror award for her performance. I'm not a fan when kids curse in movies but her dad is an alcoholic that beats her. Tense scene. She curses like a sailor at some cops and her prayers are pretty profanity laced.

Brother gets kidnapped by the Grabber. Put in a room. Phone is there. Dead victims call amd help him try to escape. Good movie. Not horribly scary.

Madeleine's sister Violet was the child star in M3GAN. Not horribly scary. Good movie. Both in sequels.

I was on IG till last year and followed some of my favorite Disney actresses simply to not be pissed off all the time. Madeleine has such a sweet family. There was a great video where they finally got a dog and surprised Violet. She just cried over and over .Oh my God!' Both girls...horror movie stars.

Posted by: Stateless at April 27, 2024 09:22 PM (jvJvP)

191 In Finney's book, the pods leave because Miles & Becky have thrown away a chance for survival, destroying some of the pods instead. The pods basically decide this planet's too hostile and rise into the sky and gone. (If memory serves -- haven't read it in quite a while.) Yeah, doing it now would have to be as a period piece like moviegique said, but I'd like to see that finish.

I'd like to see a better-done version of Heinlein's Puppet Masters too.

But I'm not gonna hold my breath.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 09:23 PM (q3u5l)

192 Bloody Beavers is a bad British fur trapper movie.

Posted by: rhennigantx at April 27, 2024 09:23 PM (ENQN6)

193 Is it on a streaming service yet?
Posted by: Blutarski

You can't put Hundreds of Beavers on a streaming service.

They'd dam it up!

Posted by: mikeski at April 27, 2024 09:26 PM (DgGvY)

194 What's the matter #11?

I got a pain.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 27, 2024 09:26 PM (XV/Pl)

195 Symbolic of America

https://shorturl.at/dfpG6

Posted by: Braenyard at April 27, 2024 09:27 PM (lCWOD)

196 They'd dam it up!
Posted by: mikeski

I recently watched a documentary about beavers.

Best dam documentary I've ever seen!

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 09:27 PM (Cp1vk)

197 Oh, I saw 'Manifest West' this week. The house is being redone. I'm drinking beer and watching more movies than I have in a decade. I usually watch kids shows because no blacks screaming racism and no gays. Well....older shows.

Anyways, 'Manifest West' was pretty good. Lexy Kolker was in there. She was in 'Freaks' when she was 7. Main characters in both movies. Great actress. Her sister Ava was i there too playing a bad girl which was great because she's the sweetest young woman.

Family moves off the grid, but the mother is bipolar, government people get involved, crap goes down. Good until the last 5 minites where the kids blame the Dad. Lot of anti-government stuff...or liberal versions of it.

Biggest plothole is the government peopke didn't get help for the bipolar mother. But government....

Posted by: Stateless at April 27, 2024 09:29 PM (jvJvP)

198 The Pianist was a key entry in the film world of the aughts.

Key. Get it?

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at April 27, 2024 09:30 PM (bo7UB)

199 Key. Get it?
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43)

I used to play piano by ear.

Now I use my hands.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 09:32 PM (Cp1vk)

200 A movie about Buc-ee’s taking over the world?

Posted by: Catch Thirty-Thr33 at April 27, 2024 09:32 PM (uTTG7)

201 I think Captive State is a very underrated aliens take over earth movie. John Goodman stars.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 09:34 PM (dOnWV)

202 Hundreds of Beavers

TJM is playing with fire...

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 27, 2024 09:35 PM (llON8)

203 Key entry?
Dam it up/dam documentary?
Play by ear?

This place is sick and demented and warped. I love it...

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 09:35 PM (q3u5l)

204 Platoon captured the sounds, music, and firebase life well. Stone was a vet and presumably in the big fight at the end of the movie in Tay Ninh Provence, 1968. I had a drinking buddy who was in that fight and he said it was pretty dodgy until the gunships arrived. Other than that the movie didn't impress me.

Full Metal Jacket was about Marines. Unknown quantity to me.

Gardens of Stone shows barracks life pretty well. James Earl Jones was a pretty credible 1st SGT

Posted by: javems at April 27, 2024 09:35 PM (xgBZ9)

205 Not sure the movie fell apart so much as Cage wasn't active to give the story/action/ proceeding dramatic heft until the end.||

Well, that's a HUGE part of it. We also felt they knocked him out to give the kids a showcase (and also the low-budget thing where the star is only around for a day of shooting).

But while he's not there to drive things forward, you start to notice how nothing makes any sense.

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 09:40 PM (asXVI)

206 Pan's Labyrinth have me the best/worst dreams I've ever had.
"I think it's kind of funny, I think it's kind of sad..."

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 09:40 PM (q3gwH)

207 D'oh!

*moviegique* is playing with fire.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 27, 2024 09:41 PM (llON8)

208 I enjoyed "We were soldiers once", Mel Gibson's Vietnam movie.

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 27, 2024 09:42 PM (q3gwH)

209 Canadian Beaver...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sekLEG8xsOs

Posted by: davidt at April 27, 2024 09:44 PM (SYTee)

210 Pan's Labyrinth have me the best/worst dreams I've ever had.
"I think it's kind of funny, I think it's kind of sad..."
Posted by: Tom Servo

Pan's is a commie cartoon with no plot.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 27, 2024 09:46 PM (IG4Id)

211 They should assign the Chinatown script in English classes instead of any of the post-modern nonsense currently assigned. Despite being an exercise in commie cynicism, it's as about a perfect script as one can write. That and Robocop.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 27, 2024 09:48 PM (IG4Id)

212 That and Robocop.
Posted by: weft cut-loop

Plus Used Cars.

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 09:49 PM (Cp1vk)

213 I've said it before but I hated Robocop.

Except for Nancy Allen. She filled out that uniform nicely.

Posted by: Robert at April 27, 2024 09:52 PM (bGQZ9)

214 Except for Nancy Allen. She filled out that uniform nicely.
Posted by: Robert

I'd buy that for a dollar!

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at April 27, 2024 09:53 PM (Cp1vk)

215
Except for Nancy Allen. She filled out that uniform nicely.

Posted by: Robert

She was all out in that shower scene too

Posted by: BifBewalski at April 27, 2024 09:54 PM (MsrgL)

216 211

'an exercise in commie cynicism'

Go with Robocop then. I don't think students are being shortchanged on commie cynicism. It's as pervasive as air at this point.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 27, 2024 09:56 PM (roH4R)

217 Oh yea, Nancy Allen.

(ponders back fondly)

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 27, 2024 09:58 PM (ErLti)

218 Mmmm. Nancy Allen.

She gave a star turn in Animal House.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at April 27, 2024 09:59 PM (bo7UB)

219 Nancy Allen was in that stinker with Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons with robot spiders.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 09:59 PM (dOnWV)

220 Not to take it away from Nancy Allen, but I think it was Karen Allen in Animal House, and Cynthia Rhodes (?) in Runaway with Selleck & Gene Simmons.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 10:01 PM (q3u5l)

221 Nancy Allen is 73 and looks like your stereotypical grandmother.

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 10:02 PM (dOnWV)

222 Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 10:01 PM (q3u5l)

Cynthia Rhodes . Thanks. She was better looking .

Posted by: polynikes at April 27, 2024 10:03 PM (dOnWV)

223 ONT NOOD. ... and there dies my super insightful response... like tears in the rain.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 27, 2024 10:04 PM (IG4Id)

224 I just watched a RiffTrax movie that had a chance to be epic (in a B-movie sort of way) but fell short. The movie was "Hangmen" and for a moment it was about a college kid whose father was a secret agent. But, naturally, the agency turned on the father, and came after the Kid as well. Kid received a message just before the agents came for him, and sought the help of one of his father's old teammates: a special-forces burn-out who worked (and lived) at a junk yard. And if it had stopped there, it could have been epic. College Kid and the Junkyard-Commando verses the evil government agency... It could have been a team-up on par with Zap and Troy...

Alas, the movie wanted to cram in a bunch of other, far less cool characters. And it kept the very-bland father around as a major character. So, the movie ended up being so much less than it could have been....

Posted by: Castle Guy at April 27, 2024 10:07 PM (Lhaco)

225 Willard was supposed to be a grey man who held some menace and was ruthless when seeing a mission through....Sheen never captured that.
Posted by: sven at April 27, 2024 08:27 PM (X0I7i)

I think Willard was broken and hiding it, and Kurz made him choose between facing himself or dying.

As for casting, Brando was supposed to be the arrogant and powerful;y charismatic figure he had been in earlier films, but as he was physically, they just made him the insane figurehead of an insane movement
It turned into a cartoon, like a lot of "major" films, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 27, 2024 10:08 PM (D7oie)

226 || Except for Nancy Allen. She filled out that uniform nicely.

I never thought that much of her on-screen, but she showed up to a screening of "Robocop" we went to, and damn, she was charming af. 65 or no.

Even more surprising was Mary Woronov. She always played hard-asses but in person? Rowr.

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 10:17 PM (asXVI)

227 Thanks for stopping by, guys!

Posted by: blake (moviegique) at April 27, 2024 10:18 PM (asXVI)

228 227,

Thanks for the thread. Always a pleasure.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at April 27, 2024 10:27 PM (q3u5l)

229 Thanks for the great movie post this evening. But did Chinatown really win Best Picture?

Posted by: Dagwood at April 27, 2024 10:29 PM (CC0N1)

230 That said, the "horror" sequence at the end of the film is pretty interesting. It was the first big movie role for Kirstie Alley and introduced the world to Courtney Thorne-Smith.

I'll probably do "Late Night with the Devil" next time, tho'.
Posted by: blake at April 27, 2024 08:08 PM (asXVI)

Star Trek II? Was Kirstie Alley not in that?

Posted by: Catch Thirty-Thr33 at April 27, 2024 10:33 PM (uTTG7)

231 Still watching 'The Black Phone' and basically it's a guy who kidnaps teenage boys. The film evades everything with Finn telling the Grabber that if he tries to touch him, he'll scratch his face.

But Ethan does portray the Grabber as a gay. I'm a little surprised this wasn't protested more.

Great movie. Love Madeleine...

Posted by: Stateless at April 27, 2024 11:12 PM (jvJvP)

232 As good as We Were Soldiers was, read the book if you haven’t. It’s even better and more depressing if I’m honest.

I was in tech school and they were going to show it to us, I lamented to the cadre that I hadn’t read the book yet. “Read it anyway; the movie is a third of the book.” I’m happy I took their advice.

Posted by: Catch Thirty-Thr33 at April 27, 2024 11:12 PM (uTTG7)

233 But did Chinatown really win Best Picture?
---

No, you're right. It lost to Godfather II. I thought it was sandwiched between I & II, but that was the sting.

Funny, because I would've sworn walking over the "Chinatown" star on Hollywood Blvd a million times. (There's a series for all the best picture winners.)

---
Star Trek II? Was Kirstie Alley not in that?
---
She wasn't the romantic lead. I guess it's not a "minor" role in ST2.

----

Posted by: moviegique (buy my book!) at April 28, 2024 02:44 AM (asXVI)

234 You gotta love the Temptations. This is good shit any way you want to look at it.

Posted by: Mr. Bone at April 28, 2024 03:05 AM (pDQ/8)

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