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Eric the Marxist

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    CoolEric's Cool 25: My Most Meaningful Films

    in Archived Lists and Countdowns

    Posted

    21 hours ago, vc2002 said:

    WOW that's a lot of animation films.

    Speaking of which...

    #12

    Finding Nemo

    Directed by Andrew Stanton

    "Fuck you, Dory"

    Finding_Nemo.jpg

    Box Office: $380.8M Domestic Lifetime, $936.7M WW

    IMDB Summary: After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.

    Why it's so Meaningful to Me: A lot of old-timers on the forum may not know this, but for a kid growing up in the 2000s, Finding Nemo was easily one of the most defining childhood films for my generation. I was about 5 when it came out, so my memory is rather fuzzy, but I do remember that the film being popular was a severely gross understatement. Every single kid watched it, and every single kid loved it. We talked about all of the cool chase scenes, we quoted all of the iconic lines, we talked about all of our favorite characters; it was a gigantic touchstone to the average 2000s kid.

     

    And much like the other important relic of 2000s kids media I mentioned in the #15 slot, my family went nuts over it. Everyone in the family absolutely loved it for its colors, its characters, its story, its comedy, its adventure, its heart, its sense of fun, and everything else that makes it so good. To this day, we still quote lines from the movie with one another, and it's still regularly watched to this day. Much like any good family film, Finding Nemo is well aware that to leave a long-lasting impression, it can't talk down to kids, and make each element just as entertaining for a grown adult as it would to a child (well, except to grumpy, old grouches, like Baumer :ph34r:), and each sequence is well aware of that fact, putting the audience in wonderfully crafted scenes that only the masters of Pixar can bring.

     

    If anything, I'd dare say that Finding Nemo is an almost perfect movie. I know that it's a bold claim, and nostalgia could be a part of this reasoning, but I do genuinely feel that. Every single sequence and character, as well as its pacing and tone is so masterfully handled, successfully giving out danger, laughs, joy, tears, heart, and wonder all in one glorious package. It's so perfectly paced, edited, and written that taking or adding anything would severely damage its quality. More recently, whenever I rewatch the film, I go in saying to myself, "Okay, this is the one where I notice something off. It'll still be good, but I'm taking off my rose-colored glasses, and I'll find something to complain about". And yet, that still hasn't happened. It's still just as funny, just as exciting, and just as memorable as my first viewing. If your movie is still able to be just as masterful and impressive to me, an 18 year old, as when I first saw it when I was 5, then you're pretty much amazing in my book.

     

    Finding Nemo defined a generation, it's a huge soft spot for the family, and it's a perfect movie. What more do you really need?

    • Like 7

    Frozen II | Nov 22 2019 | 2nd Most Profitable Movie of 2019. Disney does it again! | Documentary series coming to D+ June 26

    in Box Office Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, cannastop said:

    I wonder when Disney is actually going to release Frozen 2. Will it be 2019 or 2020? They already have the Thanksgiving Wednesdays of both years reserved, according to BOM. Will it come immediately after Gigantic? Will any of these choices affect gross?

    It's so obviously gonna be 2019.

    Disney's building the Frozen franchise bit by bit every year.

    2013: The movie

    2014: Once Upon A Time 

    2015: Frozen Fever

    2016: Frozen: Live at the Hyperion and Frozen Ever After

    2017: Frozen: The Christmas Special

    2018: Frozen on Broadway

     

    They keep giving the fans a new thing every year in different shapes and forms, each one bigger and better than the last. If some new major Frozen thing comes out each and every year, then the sequel's a definite, as where else can you really go?

    • Like 5

    2016 100M Films - 30 down, 6 to go! (Passengers Played The Long Game)

    in Box Office Discussion

    Posted

    The Obvious

    Conjuring 2

    ID:R

    Tarzan

    Ghostbusters

    Trek

    Bourne

    Suicide Squad

    Pete's Dragon

    Mag 7

    Storks

    Strange

    Fantastic Beasts

    Moana

    Rogue One

    Sing

    Passengers

     

    The Likely

    Bad Moms

    Sausage Party

    Sully

    Deepwater Horizon

    Miss Peregrine

    Girl on the Train

    Trolls

    Billy Lynn

    La La Land

    Patriots Day

    Silence

     

    The Longshots

    Ice Age

    The Founder

    Snowden

    The Accountant

    Birth of a Nation

    Jack Reacher

    Inferno

    Assassin's Creed

    CoolEric's Cool 25: My Most Meaningful Films

    in Archived Lists and Countdowns

    Posted · Edited by CoolEric258

    #13

    The Lion King

    Directed by Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers

    "Remember who you are."

    The_Lion_King_poster.jpg

    Box Office: $422.8M Domestic Lifetime, $968.5M WW

    IMDB Summary: Lion cub and future king Simba searches for his identity. His eagerness to please others and penchant for testing his boundaries sometimes gets him into trouble.

    Why it's so Meaningful to Me: In hindsight, The Lion King is a pretty ridiculous idea. Take hundreds of elements from many Shakespeare plays, in particular Hamlet, MacBeth, and Henry IV, put it in a family film with talking animals, have a cast consisting of Darth Vader, Mr. Bean, Ferris Bueller, that guy whose in every Broadway play, and that kid from Home Improvement, and add in songs created by Elton John? Yeah, it sounds like something that would crash and burn, and even Disney felt the same thing. During the film's production, Pocahontas was being made in conjunction, and most of the top dogs in the animation and writing department were focusing on all of their resources on that film, while Lion King was more or less the "B-movie", the one that was just going to do alright critically and financially compared to the big dog.

     

    Obviously, that hasn't happened, and it has endured as a modern classic, and a childhood favorite of many, including myself. Most people know me as a huge Disney geek, and Lion King, very much like Aladdin, was a huge part in my love for the company. I watched it plenty on VHS, but when it was rereleased on DVD in 2003, this was easily something that was rewatched over and over and over again.

     

    But what puts this above Aladdin on this list is its overall theme on responsibility and the importance of the past. Coming from someone who more often than not wants to run away from problems, as well as someone who self-loathes himself whenever I make a mistake, this message really hits close to home. It's basically telling the viewer that not only should you be defined by your past, but it's important to learn from that past to better yourselves and take your rightful place to be who you truly are and who you are supposed to be. It really clicked with me when I saw the movie a couple years ago, as a teenager trying to find his own place and connection to who I am and who I want to be. It works as a strong allegory of coming of age, and it's done exceptionally well thanks to its memorable characters and gorgeous animation. Just the ending as Simba climbs up to Pride Rock, and accepts his place and who he's supposed to be makes this film terrific, and in all honesty is one of the best endings to any movie I've seen, and perfectly illustrates the power of destiny, self-discovery, and self-acceptance.

     

    For being important to me as a kid, as a teenager, and very likely as an adult, The Lion King holds a special place to my heart.

    • Like 4

    The Flash | June 16 2023 | Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton | We’re stoping the count at a Nice 69% RT (it’s 72% For Real) | Please Remember that Your Enjoyment Of The Film is Not Based On Others Opinions And To Be Nice To Each Other

    in Box Office Discussion

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Chaz said:

    Batman: The Animated Series

    Justice League / Unlimited

    X-Men: The Animated Series

    Spectacular Spider-Man

    Superman: The Animated Series

    Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

    Young Justice

    Spider-Man '94

     

    These are the comic book shows that matter. 

     

     

    No love for Static Shock or Teen Titans? :(

    • Like 1

    Weekend Estimates (Page 92): Pets 103.2M (biggest OW ever for an original movie) | Tarzan 20.6M | Dory 20.3M | M&D 16.6M

    in Numbers and Data

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, ThatOneGuy said:

     

    When Popstar comes out on DVD, then that's gonna be it.

     

    until then I'm stuck with the spongebob movie.  don't judge me or I will unleash the power of being a goofy goober amongst you.

     

    In all honesty though, I grew up way too fucking attached to spongebob and I can't fucking stop myself from watching the movie every week.  it's like a drug.  Send help

    It's fine. Spongebob is life!

    giphy.gif

    • Like 1

    Weekend Estimates (Page 92): Pets 103.2M (biggest OW ever for an original movie) | Tarzan 20.6M | Dory 20.3M | M&D 16.6M

    in Numbers and Data

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, nilephelan said:

     

    Right, because who can forget the wonders of Summer 2014.  

     

    Or the magic of July 2013 when such awesome movies like The Lone Ranger, Grown Ups 2, Pacific Rim, RIPD, Red 2 and Turbo were incredible blockbusters.  

     

    Your memory is being selective.  

    Summer 2014 being bad? What'chu talkin' bout, Phelan?

    That season had Neighbors, DOFP, Edge of Tomorrow, Fault in Our Stars, 22 Jump Street, HTTYD2, DotPotA, Get on Up, and Guardians of the Galaxy, all in one glorious package. Add in some decently fun movies like Lucy and Purge: Anarchy here and there, and that was a pretty solid summer, IMHO.

    • Like 8

    Box Office Theory's Most Anticipated Films

    in The Speakeasy

    Posted

    12 hours ago, trifle said:

    1. Passengers

    2. Star Trek

    3. Red Sparrow

    4. Moana

    5. Fantastic Beasts

    6. Mrs. Ps Home for Peculiar Children

    7. Guardians 2

    9. Rogue One

    10. Kingsman 2

     

    Sorry, you can't put Red Sparrow on there. Your list can only go up to next year, which means the limit to how far you go is Despicable Me 3/The House/Uncharted.

    CoolEric's Cool 25: My Most Meaningful Films

    in Archived Lists and Countdowns

    Posted

    #14

    The Witch

    Directed by Robert Eggers

    "Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?"

    THEWITCH_TEASER_03_halfsize.jpg

    Box Office: $25.1M Domestic, $40.3M WW

    IMDB Summary: A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.

    Why it's so Meaningful to Me: Now this is probably the hardest movie to write about, not only because it came out this year and there are people that haven't seen it, so spoilers are a no-no, but because this is a film that is able to have many different interpretations depending on who you ask. In its message, some found it to be propaganda for Satanism, but what I got out of the film was that it was an attack on religious extremism, and sharing the dangers that it causes to people that follow that route.

     

    For those who don't know, The Witch follows a Puritan family in Massachusetts who are exiled from their hometown and are forced to have their barn be in a secluded forest, far from civilization. In that time, a supernatural force from Satan comes to lay down a terrible curse upon their farm, resulting in the family tearing each other apart, and accusations that the eldest daughter Thomasin, played wonderfully by Anya-Taylor Joy, who I'm sure will quickly become one of the best young actresses working today in a few years, is a witch.

     

    While there are so many admirable things about the film, such as its gorgeous cinematography, its phenomenal acting, and its well-developed script, I feel that what it really tackles best is its themes of religious extremism.

     

    While I myself am not a religious person, and consider myself a Christian in name only, I'm also well aware of its importance to many people, as it has defined history and helps in keeping many people happy and sane. But one problem that I have with all religions is extremism.

     

    Many people consider this film to be a promoter of Satanism, and while that element is found in the film, particularly in its ending, what really grabbed me to this film was its look at a family using their religion as a scapegoat and a way to blame one another. The father in particular goes especially cruel, willing to tear down the relationships he has with his children just to keep himself and his wife safe. And the reason why the father would do this is because of his affiliation with God. The only answer to any problem he has is to pray and believe that all of his actions is what God would want him to do. He refuses to believe in Thomasin's denial, which leads to the entire family going crazier and wilder, leading to a rather unique ending, which I won't spoil for those that have yet to see this feature.

     

    Seeing how the two parents interact with their world and their affiliation with Christianity very much reflects the religious fundamentalism and mass hysteria found in that time period, but oddly enough, it also translates into a rather timeless message. Nowadays, in a world of religious extremists that either take the word of what they follow to absolute extremes and the threats they cause in people's livelihood, whether it be acts of discrimination or flat-out terrorism, it seems fitting that a movie like this is released today, to tell us that we haven't improved from centuries ago, and we should do better in not letting our beliefs and deities cloud us from being respectful and wonderful people. It works even better, as it stigmatizes Christianity, a religion known for its preaching of love and kindness, and supports Satanism, an occult group that supports what is considered the root of all evil, showing how religious followers come in multiple spectrums for any conceivable religion one can think of.

     

    I'm not sure if this was Robert Eggers' intended moral or idea, but that's what I got out of it, and I'm thankful for Eggers' wonderful film, and I can't wait to see what his next film will be.

    • Like 2
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