tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post2931083621323533225..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Guest Review: Backdraft (1991)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-38378368734039906722014-01-30T12:07:40.825-05:002014-01-30T12:07:40.825-05:00I see what you are saying. If there is anything &...I see what you are saying. If there is anything "Ronny" it might be that he keeps it simple. Maybe too simple?Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-85874792439624802062014-01-30T08:14:05.996-05:002014-01-30T08:14:05.996-05:00Kosh -
I don't think it's a crime either...Kosh - <br /><br />I don't think it's a crime either, and he does make entertaining movies. There's just something a little less personal/identifiable when it comes to Howard's movies. I suppose I'll never be able to put my finger on it.<br /><br />I guess it's the difference between, "See that shot? That's a signature Spielberg thing" versus, "Oh, Ron Howard directed this?" There's no right or wrong here. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-33181799963967184152014-01-30T00:49:03.402-05:002014-01-30T00:49:03.402-05:00Some movies have depth and make you think and othe...Some movies have depth and make you think and others are just pure entertainment. Backdraft and Armageddon fit into the latter and when I want something relatively light, these are the movies I turn to. Spielberg was at his best making these (Raiders). I don't think it is a crime that Howard isn't Kubrick. His movies are some of the most entertaining out there. <br /><br />That said, I agree with everything you wrote here. Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-1177984642339136922014-01-29T22:13:14.582-05:002014-01-29T22:13:14.582-05:00boo.boo.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-3066626815939940052014-01-29T22:11:58.669-05:002014-01-29T22:11:58.669-05:00tryanmax -
According to Wikipedia, the theme par...tryanmax - <br /><br />According to Wikipedia, the theme park attraction closed in 2010.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-71388608512822389402014-01-29T22:10:55.600-05:002014-01-29T22:10:55.600-05:00KRS -
Other than Louis C.K. and Seinfeld (who is...KRS - <br /><br />Other than Louis C.K. and Seinfeld (who isn’t exactly “edgy”), I don’t follow the standup scene. I imagine some folks just want to see where the boundary is (which is human nature), while others want to break it. I could care less, so long as it’s funny. If they’re not funny, it doesn’t really matter.<br /><br />I love the Dean Martin roasts! The infomercials for the VHS collections were practically appointment viewing for me, and one day I’d like to get Time-Life’s complete DVD boxset. (Said the 31-year old!)<br /><br />As I mentioned above, the lack of smoke has been pointed out - it’s just one of those necessary “cheats.” And I didn’t think it painted firefighters in a bad light, but your mileage may vary.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-89749840836477099532014-01-29T22:07:30.404-05:002014-01-29T22:07:30.404-05:00Pike -
That's why I have zero sympathy for p...Pike - <br /><br />That's why I have zero sympathy for people who complain about standup material, including the person who called out Tracy Morgan for a perceived anti-gay comment. I just want to tell those people to f--- off. (And I'm pro-gay marriage, dammit! They need people like me!) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-67575994689207936732014-01-29T22:05:42.790-05:002014-01-29T22:05:42.790-05:00Andrew -
Apparently, my reviews are fodder for ba...Andrew -<br /><br />Apparently, my reviews are fodder for bad jokes. Between you and Mike's pun earlier... sheesh! :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-66364573837226955162014-01-29T22:05:08.759-05:002014-01-29T22:05:08.759-05:00Andrew -
It’s an interesting thing, isn’t it? At...Andrew - <br /><br />It’s an interesting thing, isn’t it? At least Ron Howard has (had?) some spark to begin with. There are countless workman directors who simply come in, do the job, and go home. They’re not household names, they don’t win awards, but they turn in reasonably solid work. It’s been that way since the beginning.<br /><br />Ever hear of Jack Smight? He directed countless TV shows back in the day, along with movies like <i>Midway</i>, <i>Airport ‘75</i>, and <i>The Illustrated Man</i>. And when was the last time he was ever mentioned anywhere?<br /><br />They can’t all be Spielberg-famous. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49445351970509403692014-01-29T20:23:18.476-05:002014-01-29T20:23:18.476-05:00It burned down. ;-P
Just kidding.It burned down. ;-P<br /><br />Just kidding.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-48605207407422660882014-01-29T20:21:37.127-05:002014-01-29T20:21:37.127-05:00I got nothing to say about Howard. I remember real...I got nothing to say about Howard. I remember really enjoying <i>Backdraft</i> when it was a new release. Haven't seen it since. But the Backdraft attraction at Universal Studios' theme park was amazing! I can still remember feeling the intense heat of the fireballs mere feet away with only a steel guardrail between me and it as if I'd just been there. I remember watching a behind-the-scenes show on that attraction prior to seeing it. The engineering involved - to allow an audience to witness awesome pyrotechnics safely at only an arm's length, not to mention the rapid reset time - truly a feat of ingenuity. Does anyone know if that attraction is still there?tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-69067044325997914012014-01-29T16:44:33.853-05:002014-01-29T16:44:33.853-05:00I'm off to work - I will respond to everything...I'm off to work - I will respond to everything later tonight! :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-8978345013163335482014-01-29T16:05:07.378-05:002014-01-29T16:05:07.378-05:00I saw Backdraft when it came out and had a hard ti...I saw Backdraft when it came out and had a hard time getting past the lack of smoke during the fires. Sometimes, such an obvious fault is a speed bump that takes you right out of the story. I remember being amazed at the list of talent in a movie that didn't seem to deliver the goods - even for the time, it was trope-tastic. Also, I didn't think that it showed much respect for firefighters, but it's been 23 years, maybe I'd think better of it now. Maybe not.<br /><br />Scott, speaking of people taking offense, I remember a while back watching a Dean Martin roast of Sammy Davis, Jr. that was, shall we say, resoundingly racially irreverent. Sammy was laughing into tears and gave as good as he got. One of the funniest things I've ever seen, but no one would dare tell a single one of those jokes today. None of them were trying to be mean-spirited and weren't taken so - Sammy knew them all personally - which is why those roasts really worked and were so much better than the pitiful insult fests we see today.<br /><br />Oddly, our comedians today like to be known as "edgy" and only have to drop the f-bomb repeatedly to achieve it - where does that come from?<br /><br />Too bad people today can't show a little class.KRSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11579319017577750812014-01-29T16:01:49.911-05:002014-01-29T16:01:49.911-05:00That Hope and Carson comment reminds of an intervi...That Hope and Carson comment reminds of an interview with John Lovitz a few years ago, when he faced the backlash from the tolerant crowd about being even marginally critical of Obama.<br /><br />He mentioned a show he had done material that some gays in the audience took offense to. They asked him "Do you think this is some kind of joke?"<br /><br />Long Pause.<br /><br />(Lovitz voice:) Uh yeah.................did you happen to see the sign that said "comedy club" on the way in? Don't think you could miss it.PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-15577869400437263842014-01-29T15:58:59.332-05:002014-01-29T15:58:59.332-05:00Scott, I definitely don't feel it to the same ...Scott, I definitely don't feel it to the same extent with Spielberg. Yes, his films have become less daring and more generic, but they don't have the same sense of being manufactured. Spielberg at least always tries to do something original and inventive in his films. Howard seems to have lost his spark of creativity.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-63624442191217091152014-01-29T15:08:06.397-05:002014-01-29T15:08:06.397-05:00Jed -
I know. I would also argue that, if Bob Ho...Jed - <br /><br />I know. I would also argue that, if Bob Hope and Johnny Carson were doing their respective acts today, every syllable they uttered would be analyzed and people would take offense left and right, since that's just the world we live in today. (Nothing wrong with pissing off both sides, though!) :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-17116817855269507082014-01-29T11:02:22.336-05:002014-01-29T11:02:22.336-05:00Scott - I really didn't mean it as an argument...Scott - I really didn't mean it as an argument, nor would I argue that people from both the left and right get offended by almost everything or anything with which they disagree. Actually, you just underscored the point I was making. As a kid, guys like Bob Hope or Carson could poke good natured fun at presidents and get away with it because it was, in fact, both even handed, and good natured. And he didn't dwell on it. Politics and religion have historically been the two topics to avoid at neighborhood cocktail parties because people can get to heated about them. Hell even the old nightly news casts back in the day tried to appear unbiased. For a variety of reasons, that has all changed. People go out of their way to spout politics. And while those who take a higher road (e.g. praise but don't criticize) are better than the flame throwers, my preference is for celebrities who don't indulge themselves. One of the things I liked about Dylan and Jerry Garcia when they were young is that they didn't actively engage in politics.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-51637651036321102142014-01-29T10:21:52.575-05:002014-01-29T10:21:52.575-05:00Gypsy -
Thanks for the kind words! The "car...Gypsy - <br /><br />Thanks for the kind words! The "carpenter" line wasn't mine - check out the link I embedded to Grantland's piece for more of that author's take on Howard's style (or lack thereof).<br /><br />I ran out of room before I could mention <i>Ladder 49</i> - I've never seen it but I know of it. I'll have to make a point of watching it now and perhaps I should've waited so I could compare the two. (My next review is actually another comparison - watch for it next month!)<br /><br />[sigh] Another insightful piece by BH. ;-)<br /><br />As for the portrayal of blue-collar types, there are no doubt many variables (the studio once again under-estimating their audience). But TV seems to be filling that void at the moment. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-90813149565250312762014-01-29T09:59:38.432-05:002014-01-29T09:59:38.432-05:00P.S.
I rember back at Big Hollywood a few years a...P.S. <br />I rember back at Big Hollywood a few years ago some guy got on a rant about how Hollywood hatesanyone with a masculine job,anyone who risks themselves to save others,etc. Back draft was the movie he used to make his point because Scott Glenn's character was an arsonist. <br />He watched that whole movie and that was the only thing he got from it.<br />Tsk Tsk<br />GypsyTygerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-31240977332959347632014-01-29T09:43:12.542-05:002014-01-29T09:43:12.542-05:00"In a world where there aren't enough mov..."In a world where there aren't enough movies about firefighters, this one will have to do... at least until someone directs a better (and better written) one,<br />MY MAN! Stop what you are doing (No really,stop what you are doing. That wasn't figurative, it was literal) and go watch Ladder 49.It's funny that this was reviewed today. Ladder 49 was on yesterday and I went to Amazon and compared reviews of the two movies, as well as making my own comparison.<br />This was a well written review,and I think your description of Howard as a better carpenter than most was the best description of him so I've read so far.<br />Backdraft was weakened by the soap opera plot about William Baldwin working in J.T. Walsh's office and you're right - Jennifer Jason Leigh did just look bored. The reason I like it as much as I do is the performance of Kurt Russell at the center of the film. There's a scene at a party where a drunken Russell starts a fight. Scott Glenn gets ahold of him and shakes him and says "Stephen,do you ever wonder why you're stuck at Lt?" Russell,completely without irony,looks back at Glenn and says "No." That scene completely sums up the character.<br />I like the fact that blue collar guys are portrayed as heroic. The "you go, we go" thing was nobly portrayed and the scenes of men against fire were demigodlike. Just look at the poster for the movie that tops this review,<br />Backdraft certainly has it's faults but in my humble opinion they are outweighed by it's strengths. <br />But seriously.go watch Ladder 49. As well as you write it would be interesting to read your thoughts about a comparison of the two.<br />GypsyTygerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-12558051541238102392014-01-29T08:05:16.057-05:002014-01-29T08:05:16.057-05:00Jed -
I would argue that even "in your face&...Jed -<br /><br />I would argue that even "in your face" could go a few different ways. You have celebrities who can praise Obama without necessarily bad-mouthing the other side... and then you have people whose sole MO seems to be badmouthing the other side.<br /><br />But sadly, we live in a world where all you have to do is mention Obama in a sentence (without complaining) and you're branded a Socialist. Or express even a modicum of sympathy with a conservative viewpoint and you're labeled a racist.<br /><br />I was talking about this with Andrew recently: Bill O'Reilly sent one of his goons to Sundance where he tried to stir the pot by asking celebs about Obama, Benghazi, etc. On one hand, they mock certain celebs because of their opinions, but then they go ahead and mock the ones who simply declined to give their opinions. And they just assume everyone there is liberal, even guys like Philip Seymour Hoffman who, to the best of my knowledge, has never really talked about his politics in public. <br /><br />Can't have it both ways!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-91232584399948090202014-01-29T07:52:23.357-05:002014-01-29T07:52:23.357-05:00Dave -
Captain Kirk kinda died twice in Star Tre...Dave - <br /><br />Captain Kirk kinda died twice in <i>Star Trek Generations</i>, but the first time he was merely in the Nexus (ugh, that movie). :-)<br /><br />Given that Widen isn't exactly on the A-list of screenwriters, one could assume that: a.) <i>Highlander</i> was a fluke (not unlike the original <i>Star Wars</i> with Lucas' writing skills)... or b.) he's just not that good and it takes a director more skilled than Howard to make the pages come alive.<br /><br />Widen apparently tried something similar in the late 90s with the quickly-cancelled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_77" rel="nofollow">TV series <i>Rescue 77</i></a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-14200438671068174512014-01-29T07:45:45.654-05:002014-01-29T07:45:45.654-05:00Backdraft is, as you say, very entertaining and hi...<i>Backdraft</i> is, as you say, very entertaining and highly watchable despite breaking absolutely no new cinematic ground. How much more satisfying it would have been to discover that the mad bomber actually worked for the alderman, who was trying to silence his cronies, and then framed Adcox (or any of the firefighters, maybe even Stephen himself). Stunts and explosions aside, what we got instead was a toasted [rimshot!] cheese sandwich. There were tons of little moments that seemed to be there for no other reason than we were watching a movie. I'd forgotten that it was written by Widen, who did a much better job with <i>Highlander</i>. It was as though he'd just read a book that said "here's what you need to put in a movie to make it good and stuff", so we get the training montage, the sibling rivalry, the over-eager sidekick, etc. About the only thing you didn't see coming was Stephen's death. Since he played his own father, Kurt Russell has the distinction of dying twice in a movie. The only other time I remember that happening was Pat Roach in <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> and Jack Nicholson in <i>Mars Attacks!</i>.Dave Olsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-21763142776777000032014-01-29T07:43:52.682-05:002014-01-29T07:43:52.682-05:00Andrew -
Corporate's a good way of putting i...Andrew - <br /><br />Corporate's a good way of putting it. Spielberg's later movies feel that way, too, but not to the same extent. I guess it's a matter of "going corporate" yet retaining enough vision and creative spark to make your work stand apart. <br /><br />Take the Robert Langdon movies (please!)... anybody could've directed them. There is nothing about them that screams, "Ron Howard!" And there's nothing about Ron Howard that screams, "He must have made those movies!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-91729353201836402362014-01-29T07:41:41.527-05:002014-01-29T07:41:41.527-05:00Mike -
My reaction to that title.
:-)Mike - <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thingsnerdslike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/picard-facepalm.jpg" rel="nofollow">My reaction</a> to that title.<br /><br />:-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com