tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post4221976895537373866..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Olympus Has Fallen (2013) vs. White House Down (2013)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11733486447583189372014-06-14T10:44:46.635-04:002014-06-14T10:44:46.635-04:00Gordo -
I'm just noticing your comment now! ...Gordo - <br /><br />I'm just noticing your comment now! Yeah, I can't disagree. As liberal as I am with some things, I'll also be the first to say no group should be off-limits.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-55828345527636446152014-03-11T13:52:57.287-04:002014-03-11T13:52:57.287-04:00It is a serious problem for Hollywood. All the pla...It is a serious problem for Hollywood. All the plausible bad guys - the ones Collin mentioned - are taboo. After the IRS scandal we will probably no longer see rogue government agents either. So we get mysterious neo nazis and the military-industrial complex (which during all past reductions in defense spending conducted exactly zero coups). In the 1990s we got several movies featuring Serbian terrorists which is silly because, well, we haven´t encountered any. In fact they used Serbs or South Africans and now mainly comic book villains because it is <i>safe</i>. It´s just harder to root for the good guys when they are up against tobacco industry death squads. <br /><br />Apparently in the current movie Non-Stop the bad guy is the whitemale son of a 9/11 victim. I haven´t seen it. It may be ok, but the supposed cliche (it´s the muslim!) would actually be more shocking these days. <br /><br />By the way, is Morgan Freeman really in everything now? Why is he never the villain? He must be crowding out lots of talented actors.El Gordonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-48914610618056486822014-03-08T07:39:08.018-05:002014-03-08T07:39:08.018-05:00Collin -
Not bad. :-) And as I said above, Woods...Collin - <br /><br />Not bad. :-) And as I said above, Woods manages to give his character a little more depth than you'd otherwise have in a movie like this. <br /><br />As for the villains, I don't think Hollywood is in a rush to do Middle Eastern bad guys (for a variety of reasons). So it would have to be the Russians, since China is too valuable in the movie marketplace to offend. (See: the <i>Red Dawn</i> <a href="http://screenrant.com/red-dawn-villains-china-north-korea-schrad-106177/" rel="nofollow">remake.</a>)<br /><br />There are plenty of dumb movies I like, but <i>White House Down</i> wasn't one of them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-50343255102060754492014-03-07T11:51:45.590-05:002014-03-07T11:51:45.590-05:00A most interesting analysis.
Olympus Has Fallen w...A most interesting analysis.<br /><br />Olympus Has Fallen was much better and made my Top 10 2013 Film list. I eagerly await the sequel - London Has Fallen.<br /><br />White House Down is little more than a dumb Obama Admin. propoganda film... but d--- it!! I had so much fun watching it. It was a guilty pleasure for me. <br /><br />Here's what that film should have been about:<br /><br />James Woods is the main character - head of the Secret Service and having served since the Nixon administration. He has become bitter and disillusioned with the way the country is being run and where it is headed. His wife has divorced him and married a member of the political opposition and his daughter has disowned him. He is not well-resepcted among the White House staff or among the Washington elite due to his principled and traditionalist outlook. Even the president holds contempt for him. It's his last day on the job and he has to train the first female Secret Service agent.<br /><br />Then, a group of Iranians, aided by the Chinese and Russians, take over the White House by brute force. Now in control of the nation and the government, the invaders begin consolidating their gains and co-oordinating with their backers. Woods, badly injured in the initial attack, and his protege break away and must accomplish three things - survive each other, survive the attack and the multiple turncoats in DC, and find a way to reclaim the capital and the nation.<br /><br />Constructive criticism is welcome. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00608625547096317677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-77161256778345021202014-03-05T21:51:44.034-05:002014-03-05T21:51:44.034-05:00Ironically, a friend of mine just mentioned Primar...Ironically, a friend of mine just mentioned <i>Primary Colors</i> the other day. I had completely forgotten about that film - I must make a point to track it down one of these days.<br /><br />To answer your question, I don't know. (Though I'm sure plenty of folks could find a message in <i>Dave</i>.) Of the two movies mentioned above, the latter pushes a message, though I'd hardly call it that: it's just cliches, pitting a dove president against hawkish enemies - nothing we haven't seen before.<br /><br />I've been asking the question in your final line about lots of movies. For instance, what happened to kids' sports movies? Where is <i>The Sandlot</i> for this generation?! :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-7619608190471407512014-03-05T20:53:23.279-05:002014-03-05T20:53:23.279-05:00Ugh. While I could handle Olympus, neither of the...Ugh. While I could handle Olympus, neither of these are worth the price of admission. <br /><br />One note: I have to wonder why we have to have Presidential movies that push a real-life political agenda. I mean - yes, there are times when Presidential movies have to focus on a political theme, especially when they're dealing with real-life characters (the excellent "Lincoln" and the oft-forgotten but excellent "Primary Colors" come to mind), but they don't always have to be political. My 2 favorite movies about Presidents really focus less on political themes and more on who the guy is. Air Force One is a great example where you have a strong President and a strong movie with almost zero real-life politics. The other is... Dave. You never know what party the President (or Dave) is - just that the President is a jerk and Dave is a good guy who wants to help the homeless, get people working and off welfare, and balance the national budget. <br /><br />Where, oh, where have these films gone?5minutesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-7591051228911567662014-03-05T19:22:42.123-05:002014-03-05T19:22:42.123-05:00tryanmax -
I'm in! (Maybe John Milius can wr...tryanmax - <br /><br />I'm in! (Maybe John Milius can write and direct it. He's a huge TR fan, having directed <i>The Wind and the Lion</i> and TNT's <i>Rough Riders</i> movie.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11635070485844093082014-03-05T19:13:19.390-05:002014-03-05T19:13:19.390-05:00Of course! Bigfoot is a big deal now. Roosevelt: I...Of course! Bigfoot is a big deal now. <i>Roosevelt: In Pursuit of Sasquach</i>. After his wife and mother die on the same fateful day, TR goes on a lifelong global pursuit of the real culprit: The Yeti. His hunt takes him around the world, from the Dakotas to Cuba to the wild savannahs of Africa, his secret obsession all the while masked by his ambitious politics. tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-82499832307390262922014-03-05T17:52:39.289-05:002014-03-05T17:52:39.289-05:00KRS -
Whedon is neck-deep in Marvel. But I'd...KRS - <br /><br />Whedon is neck-deep in Marvel. But I'd pay to see it if Brad Bird directs!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-4969845150144035272014-03-05T17:51:43.411-05:002014-03-05T17:51:43.411-05:00Scott -
Re: the Secret Service, it seems that th...Scott - <br /><br />Re: the Secret Service, it seems that the only way to heighten the hero in these movies is to make everyone else incompetent. If I recall, the Secret Service guys in <i>Air Force One</i> do a semi-decent job killing bad guys and protecting Ford on the way to the plane's (fictional) escape pod.<br /><br />These movies are, for the most part, still playing by the <i>Die Hard</i> playbook: cocky hero, ally on the outside, asshole bureaucrat, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-90728142000318422132014-03-05T17:49:00.818-05:002014-03-05T17:49:00.818-05:00tryanmax -
Perhaps they can be inspired by this ...tryanmax - <br /><br />Perhaps they can be inspired by <a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/trunk/861/teddy-roosevelt-vs-bigfoot/" rel="nofollow">this print</a> and make <i>Teddy Roosevelt vs. Bigfoot</i>!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-48106932559514093972014-03-05T17:01:22.532-05:002014-03-05T17:01:22.532-05:00ScottDS -
Teddy Roosevelt Whups the Klingons! (2...ScottDS - <br /><br />Teddy Roosevelt Whups the Klingons! (2015)<br /><br />I would PAY to see it.<br /><br />If Whedon directs.KRSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-14444395829393955632014-03-05T16:56:17.713-05:002014-03-05T16:56:17.713-05:00If they can make a movie about Abraham Lincoln: Va...If they can make a movie about <i>Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter</i> then I demand <i>Teddy Roosevelt vs. the Werewolves</i>.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-32592426408618687652014-03-05T16:14:29.495-05:002014-03-05T16:14:29.495-05:00I've seen both movies and Olympus Has Fallen w...I've seen both movies and Olympus Has Fallen was a fine action movie, both Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart are great in it (for this type of movie). Overall I didn't mind it at all and as ScottDS mentioned I really appreciated that they allowed the kid to be rescued and not be used later as a hostage which I was expecting, that was nicely done. <br /><br />I saw White House Down a few months later and was less then impressed, they went full cliche with the father/daughter relationship (dad is out of touch and not respected by his opinionated child who knows everything, dad manages to save the day and win the respect of the child...). Channing Tatum is find in his role but Jamie Fox ruined anything good about the movie, he is too young and hip to be president and the scene with him in the limo was just so much shit I nearly turned it off. <br /><br />Neither movie is a must see or would have much rewatchability, but if I was doing nothing and Olympus Has Fallen came on I might watch it, but I would not re-watch White House Down. <br /><br />And I want one of these type of action movies to have a few more credible characters, in the start the bad guys are super competent and the good guys suck ass. Then the hero comes in and kills everyone by himself and he and maybe one person on the outside (who isn't running the show) who believes him and offers as much help as they can. I want the good guys (Secret Service) to be somewhat credible in the beginning, taking out some bad guys and a few of them to even live and work with the hero to help save the day for a change. <br /><br />Scott.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-5312953283927726792014-03-05T16:08:37.027-05:002014-03-05T16:08:37.027-05:00Guilty as charged. :-)Guilty as charged. :-)PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-79438561419462173452014-03-05T16:01:03.408-05:002014-03-05T16:01:03.408-05:00Pike -
So it was you that all my female friends ...Pike - <br /><br />So it was you that all my female friends were chatting about on Facebook last year? :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-60883021436227371962014-03-05T15:52:45.678-05:002014-03-05T15:52:45.678-05:00Channing Tatum. So over him, especially after that...Channing Tatum. So over him, especially after that summer I spent working as his body double on "Magic Mike."PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-42168194501415089542014-03-05T14:03:49.892-05:002014-03-05T14:03:49.892-05:00Andrew -
I agree with KRS - movies with presiden...Andrew - <br /><br />I agree with KRS - movies with presidents aren't necessarily bad, but making the president an action hero strains credulity (and I don't care what party the president belongs to!). <br /><br />(Teddy Roosevelt is a possible exception.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59809644509272783752014-03-05T13:58:03.327-05:002014-03-05T13:58:03.327-05:00BTW, "And this time, it's personal" ...BTW, "And this time, it's personal" -- LOL! Nice! :DAndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-26556741042803972192014-03-05T13:57:24.791-05:002014-03-05T13:57:24.791-05:00To me, it's pathetic writing. It's an att...To me, it's pathetic writing. It's an attempt to make a movie seem more important by putting the most important person on the planet to it. Basically, rather than giving you a story and characters that interests you, they try to force you to care by giving you a character you already understand.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-64132983750833343632014-03-05T13:48:08.905-05:002014-03-05T13:48:08.905-05:00Scott, I'm back!
"And this time, it'...<i>Scott, I'm back!</i><br /><br />"And this time, it's personal." :-)<br /><br />Michael Bay, of all people, mentions in the <i>Armageddon</i> commentary that he hates seeing presidents in movies. (He uses the Clinton effects in <i>Contact</i> as an example.)... <br /><br />...yet <i>Armageddon</i> features the president, but he's played by an unknown character actor and you barely see him. He's more of a "presence" to quote Bay.<br /><br />But then he goes and mentions Bush and Obama in the <i>Transformers</i> films (along with a Bush stand-in in the first film), so who knows?<br /><br />Maybe it's one of those things that's too real: we all know who the president is, there are countless documentaries on the White House, the Secret Service, etc... so there is a HUGE amount of disbelief that must be suspended right off the bat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-34301808890985268132014-03-05T13:39:36.248-05:002014-03-05T13:39:36.248-05:00Scott, I'm back! I have tried to avoid both f...Scott, I'm back! I have tried to avoid both films actually. The people involve with Outhouse Down offend me and I'm not willing to give them the chance to sucker punch me anymore. And on the other one, I'm with those above who are sick of films that involve attacks on the president or the president turning into a super hero or whatever. The whole idea is too fake.<br />AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-44471352231383385372014-03-05T11:46:08.757-05:002014-03-05T11:46:08.757-05:00KRS -
I don't disagree - the exciting aspect...KRS - <br /><br />I don't disagree - the exciting aspect of these movies is seeing how bad guys infiltrate these secure locations and then it's like, "Well, now what?" <br /><br /><i>Seven Days in May</i> is certainly a classic, and I must recommend the HBO film <i>Path to War</i>, also directed by John Frankenheimer. It stars Michael Gambon as Lyndon Johnson and a host of familiar faces (Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Bruce McGill, etc.). It's not an action or conspiracy film at all - just guys sitting around a table debating Vietnam for a couple hours. It's excellent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-8566367661577662432014-03-05T11:40:28.475-05:002014-03-05T11:40:28.475-05:00Voz -
Yeah, Flynn's passing was quite unexpe...Voz - <br /><br />Yeah, Flynn's passing was quite unexpected. Agreed about <i>Olympus</i> being better, but look what I was comparing it to!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-19660323599311011022014-03-05T11:39:34.983-05:002014-03-05T11:39:34.983-05:00Jed -
I've read a few of Flynn's books, ...Jed - <br /><br />I've read a few of Flynn's books, though I don't remember which ones. I've described them to friends as "right-wing porn... the good kind!" :-)<br /><br />Every few months, I read about a Mitch Rapp movie and I'm sure there's one in development somewhere, but other than that, I've got nothing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com