The NZA Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 3 fucking classics, 2 of which ive recently seen in blu-ray and were glorious. i mostly wanted this thread to talk about not just effects/visuals but how thematically & otherwise, these flicks have aged like fine wine - i thought about putting Aliens down but it feels more action-heavy than the others, certainly on the table though. Blade Runner - only a few years ago did i realize the profound effect this one had; it all but created neo-noir, and japanese game developers (Kojima so hard) took/still take from this constantly. Binary Domain comes out next month from the Yakuza team, and that's just the most modern lovenote to this one. The visuals literally have no reason for looking as fantastic as they do for a film from fucking 1982, but so many themes here on identity...i could watch this one every year. Alien - i wanted to do a thread on how amazing watching 1 & 2 again last week was, and how i see what Fincher & Whedon wanted with 3 before the studio fucked with it, but killing bishop & hicks offscreen was such bullshit and i cant even get into 4 again (sorry ryan, might try before Prometheus just to lower the bar though), and how i keep talking to LL that Ripley should've been adopted as the greatest hero of modern feminism or something, because goddamn. but despite how 2 was an absolute classic (and amazing summer blockbuster action flick) that Halo and so, so many other franchises owe their existence to, 1 was tense enough to be categorized in horror, i think - giger set pieces, isolation and complete shock (LL was right - not just the belly-bursting, but also finding out this dude was an android), and some fantastic scenes from the director's cut showing Ripley's transformation to a badasss, just so good. I knew Metroid was a love-letter, but ship props and shit from 1979 are present today in Mass Effect and tons of others. I really think this one can't be oversold. The Thing - the other day baytor was saying some of the effects look dated, and i haven't seen it super-recently or in a high def format so that's entirely possible too. even so,the tension this one creates is something i've seen emulated/tried for countless times since and it's never hit the high notes this one does - if i had to rate my favorite endings to films of any genre, i still think this one would be top 10, if not top 5. it conveys all the right info without treating the audience like it needs excess exposition to get it, as well. it's a really tough call for me, personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelogan Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 All great films, hard decision. I went with Bladerunner, because it isn't as reliant on special effects for me. I just...like that fuckin' film, and I'd still like it if it were done with shadow puppets (director's cut 53). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunkerSeed Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I'll go for Blade Runner because we're talking about aging and influence, although it also might be my favorite of the three, though they're all incredible films. One of my favorite things about Bladerunner is that it's one of the few sci fi movies where the future is presented as neither a Dystopia or a Utopia, it's just a more lit up, more crowded and more littered version of what we currently have. The vision of the future brought up here along with the question raised by the subject matter really make this one stick. I also love how restrained it is. A lot of these big ideas are never explicitly talked about and it plays out so much just like a detective procedural, but there are so many ethical questions that are unanswered (and for that mater unasked) that a lot is left with you when the film is over. Also, go Ridley Scott for making two of these. The guy sure knew how to get production design right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Really the only effects that look dated are the ones toward the end with what I refer to as "the pillar of dog" and it's still pretty good looking all things considered, there's just a couple of parts where you go "I am watching claymation" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) (LL was right - not just the belly-bursting, but also finding out this dude was an android), That was me that said that. I was thinking of other classic sci-fi flicks that could be on a poll asking about how well they've aged. 2001: A Space Oydessy is still visually impressive when you remember is was made almost 10 years before Star Wars. I haven't seen The Terminator in years, but I suspect that has aged pretty well. It's more comedy than sci-fi (I'm looking through imdb's top rated sci-fi movies), but Back to the Future has aged really well considering how the movie is about how much had changed in the world between 1955 and 1985. Original Planet of the Apes...still great, but calling it dated is probably fair. Let's just way it wouldn't be the film to convince Lindsay that there were good films made before she was born. Edited January 23, 2012 by Reverend Jax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 you sure? i was so certain that was lindsay...oh wait that's right, you said it was your dad's point right? my bad yeah, i considered Terminator here for a bit - highly influential, prolly ages well, and like Alien, thematically/otherwise different than the classic action blockbuster it got as a sequel too (ironically, all 3 films referenced here are Cameron's work). If id've seen it more recently it might've made the cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 you sure? i was so certain that was lindsay...oh wait that's right, you said it was your dad's point right? my bad 's alright. Being confused for Lindsay is the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Anyway, Terminqtor is also like Alien in that the followed up a cool sequel that kind of took the property in a new direction with a poorly conceived or poorly executed third film and doubled down with another poor fourth entry. Also, they took their time between sequels (Alien: 1979, 1986, 1993, 1997; Terminator: 1984, 1991, 2003, 2009). Though I admit I dug the Terminator TV series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortiis558 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I am going to go with Alien(s). If the second one is allowed than definately. The first was good, but for me Aliens is where it is at. Bladerunner has a timeless story, but I think all in all it is starting to show it's age now. The Thing I think is the weakest of the 3. It has aged well, but I think it's influence is felt the least these days. But they have all been emulated and have influenced so much, that now a days it is hard to tell what influenced what exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the division of joy Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Alien(s) also for me. I love all 3(4) though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortiis558 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I dig 3, plus 3 was the first R movie I ever saw in theaters. My parents promised me if I got an A on this project I had to do for school they would take me to see Alien 3 when it came out. It wasn't Aliens by any stretch, but for what it was it was good, and I really liked the ending even though they killed off Ripley (sort of). Plus seeing a real life Bishop at the end was cool. 4, it is ok. I'll watch it but it wouldn't be the first one I grab if I am wanting an Alien fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the division of joy Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I was talking about loving The Thing, Blade Runner and Alien when I said I love all 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortiis558 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 lol oh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keth Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I feel like an idiot for not having seen Blade Runner before.... I'll have to watch it before making a judgement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I voted for The Thing because unlike the other two movies on this list there's only one version of the movie (with the exception of a 4 second clip of "Very Superstitious" replaced with something with less legal red tape) you have to wade through like 5 different versions of Blade Runner with 5 very different messages that nobody can agree on and Alien has the regular or unrated cut. I'd say the race is closer with Alien and The Thing but at the end of the day The Thing's monsters hold up better than the original alien costume and it's made in such a way that there's still suspense even when you've seen the movie because there's no way of knowing what is or isn't happening to the characters when we're not watching them, I feel like something's going on when we're not watching in The Thing I don't get that same feeling from Alien. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiffytee Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 im gonna guess that terminator 1 won't fare so well because of the clamation effects. bladerunner is definitely the winner here though. check out Space Oydessy (as confusing as it seems to be) too as jax mentioned. those 2 have to be the best aging as technology and film goes. btw someone needs to start a space oydessy explanation thread - mabye our resident philosopher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 oh, no no no - Junker was there when i first saw it and broke it down like science. he's the one you want for that task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I would argue that Robocop and Starship Troopers could go in this poll. The only thing that dates Robocop is the ED-209 effects which still look pretty snappy for their age. The message, if anything, has only gotten more valid. As for Starship Troopers, it's very obvious Verhoeven didn't skimp on the Effects budget. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 i remember Troopers being fun, and a bunch of people telling me the book or something was way more serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Starship Troopers the movie is a satire about fascism, propaganda, and warlike mentality. Starship Troopers the book is a totally serious fascist propaganda about how communists are subhuman monsters that must be destroyed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keth Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Watching Starship Troopers now and it still looks crazy good. I've also spotted a young Hank from Breaking Bad and Gabriel from Walking Dead. Has Verhoeven done anything lately worth watching? I'd love to see him direct more stuff like this and Robocop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 damn, i always tease gunsmithx about how the starship troopers movie >> the book (never read it, haha) but as a huge EDF fan i've meant to revisit that one for ages now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifter Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Starship Troopers has a couple of Direct to Video sequels that are far more kampy- third one even brought back Van Dien, a kick-ass CGI Cartoon Series that ended way too soon, and a couple of CGI Anime that look awesome in the clips I've been able to view on youtube. I've also read that there's also a pre-Verhoeven anime from back in the 80s but I've only see a couple of stills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NZA Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 i love when i look a few posts up and we totally talked about the starship troopers book a few years back 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keth Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Ha that's actually how I found the thread. It was meant to continue that discussion, rather than just start a ST thread by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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