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Eric is Quiet

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    CoolEric's Cool 25: My Most Meaningful Films

    in Archived Lists and Countdowns

    Posted

    #11

    The Dark Knight

    Directed by Christopher Nolan

    "See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve."

    Dark_Knight.jpg

    Box Office: $534.9M Lifetime Domestic, $1B WW

    IMDB Summary: When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight injustice.

    Why it's so Meaningful to Me: I already shared this story on Baumer's "50 Most Important Films" list, but I need to reiterate it once again in order to explain my appreciation for this film.

     

    So in the summer of 2008, I was about 10 years old. My mom wanted to take me and my brother out to the movies. And for whatever reason, my Mom chose The Dark Knight. I'm not exactly sure why, since she doesn't care about comic book movies, but I guess it was just a case of nothing really appealing out, and good reviews swaying her towards it. Regardless, we went out to see it. I didn't know anything about this movie, outside of it being a Batman movie. Now I wasn't the biggest superhero movie fan as a kid, but there were some that I watched and enjoyed. I liked the Spider-Man movies, and I liked the Fantastic Four movies. So going in, I expected something along the lines of those movies. Films that had some moments of seriousness, but a good sense of fun and bounciness.

     

    That wasn't the case. Boy that wasn't the case. Keep in mind also that as a kid, I was a humongous scaredy-cat. I was easily frightened, but for movies that did scare me, like Harry Potter or Pirates of the Carribean, I at least knew that the happy or cool or funny scene would come shortly. But happy scenes in this movie didn't happen. There was always an intense action scene. There was always a huge explosion. There was always the Joker, frightening the bejeezus out of me. It completely blindsided what I thought comic book movies were like, and it was really something that hit my nerves for weeks.

     

    And yet, this is arguably a huge milestone for me. A couple of years after the movie, I actually began having interest in the lore of Batman. For some reason, I really wanted to know more about the Joker and Two-Face and Alfred and all of the other characters. This resulted in me playing and later loving the Arkham series of video games (which btw, if you haven't played yet, go do yourself a favor, and experience some true masterpieces!), and I absolutely adored Tim Burton's take on the Caped Crusader, loving its creativity, acting, and direction. Hell, by that time, I actually began gaining more interest in comic book movies. I loved the backstories and the personalities these characters had, and it plays into a part of why I'm obsessing over Suicide Squad and Doctor Strange. (Of course many of them connect to other genres and subjects I love, so that might have helped.)

     

    The Dark Knight is also what I consider to be my first "adult" movie. Of course it's PG-13, and kids younger than me when I first saw it were able to enjoy it (boy, do I envy their bravery!), but this is the first film to really tackle mature subjects in a way that talked more to adults than kids. It talked of anarchy, crime, corruption, escalation, human choice, and other themes and topics that didn't get much attention from the likes of Dreamworks or Disney. It was my first exposure to these ideals, even though a lot of it flew over my head, since I was 10. But nowadays, as a young adult, I appreciate movies like Dark Knight. I like films with intensity. I like films with grit. I like films that talk about major important functions and values of life. The Dark Knight may have scared me, but it also toughened me up, and told me that there's more to movies than just silly cartoon characters or dopey comedians, and I'm thankful for my mom for taking me to the movies to see it. I don't know whether I'd love movies as much as I do now without watching it.

     

    Although ironically, I still haven't seen The Dark Knight in its entirety since the first time I saw it in 2008, nor any of the other films in the Nolan Batman trilogy...maybe that'll change soon. ;)

    • Like 4

    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.

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