Okay, explain it to me, please. What is the point of the film? Talking down to me is just kind of a lame thing to do. directorik and 2001 have both mentioned specific reasons why they like the film (and both are valid reasons). But you're just kinda calling me stupid, in not so many words. Wouldn't you prefer to have an intelligent discussion on the film?
Spielberg's "Duel"
- Thread starter firemedic096
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Okay, explain it to me, please. What is the point of the film? Talking down to me is just kind of a lame thing to do. directorik and 2001 have both mentioned specific reasons why they like the film (and both are valid reasons). But you're just kinda calling me stupid, in not so many words. Wouldn't you prefer to have an intelligent discussion on the film?
I thought I was halfway through it. It turns out I was about 80% through it, and I was bored out of my mind. Sorry. I simply had to step away from it. Up until that point, my viewing was entirely uninterrupted, no commercials, no surfing the net. Frankly, this movie is lucky that I returned to finish viewing it. Dude, I'm a purist; I watch movies the way they are meant to be seen, as much as I have the power to.
Honestly, I think our disparity of opinions on this movie can be attributed to a generational thing. directorik mentioned that the film is "terrifying". In youtube interviews I found, of both director and screenwriter, they both talk about the movie like it's intended to be a thrill-ride. If you grew up in the right time, appearantly, this movie is thrilling as shit. I didn't grow up in that time. I'm of the MTV generation. We tend to like stuff that flies at us at lightning speed. I'm not saying one is better than the other, only that they're different. I didn't find any of the action in "Duel" to be terrifying, not one bit. It's probably an age thing. I dunno, that's my best guess.
And therein lies the problem. Everything in Duel was a real performance; no CGI, real stunt people performing real stunts. Pacing is another issue; you "youngins" can't stop and smell the roses. And, a swipe at your education, you don't dig deeply into the subtleties; the MTV pacing doesn't allow for it.
But at its core is your life experiences from the era in which you grew up. Some of us still remember "Duck and Cover" drills in grammar school. Yup, it was always in the back of your mind that the Soviets could drop a nuke on us at any time. Viet Nam was still a bleeding wound. Real fighting wars were a regular occurrence in the Middle East. The Weather Underground was setting off bombs around the country. The paranoia level was very high. The '70's were a great time for gas lines, survivalists building hideouts in the mountains and post-apocalyptic films.
David Mann is an everyman, you don't need to know much; in fact, character development takes away the feeling the you could be the victim (Dennis Weaver played a lot of those types of parts so the identification was easy). The truck is very Hitchcockian, an everyday object that becomes a menace; even the small bits of safe and normal have now turned on you.
Different strokes Funkster, that's all...Speaking of strokes, I had read the original short story in a Playboy I'd swiped from my older brother's room. The hard part(sorry) for me when watching the movie on TV a year or so later with my dad in the room, was not to prematurely ejac--(sorry again, I'll stop it now)--umm, was to not say something in advance along the lines of "Wait'll ya see the rattlesnake farm"...
But to this day, I find the film, and story, fascinating. Weaver's character has a boring job. he's kind of a milktoast. And there he is one day, doing nothing special in his boring way, and for some bizarre reason that's never explained, this truck comes after him....No real reason given. Nothing ever explained. Just a truck. Must have a driver, I suppose, but we never see him...Or her...Maybe in an alternate film universe, Thelma & Louise didn't blow up the idiot's tanker, and instead, they stole it and started terrorizing ramdom dudes.
Very Hitchockian indeed....I'm not sure what my reaction would be if I watched it again. After reading your thoughts, I probably won't...I loved it then. I might not now. Some things are best left alone.
Midnite
But to this day, I find the film, and story, fascinating. Weaver's character has a boring job. he's kind of a milktoast. And there he is one day, doing nothing special in his boring way, and for some bizarre reason that's never explained, this truck comes after him....No real reason given. Nothing ever explained. Just a truck. Must have a driver, I suppose, but we never see him...Or her...Maybe in an alternate film universe, Thelma & Louise didn't blow up the idiot's tanker, and instead, they stole it and started terrorizing ramdom dudes.
Very Hitchockian indeed....I'm not sure what my reaction would be if I watched it again. After reading your thoughts, I probably won't...I loved it then. I might not now. Some things are best left alone.
Midnite
I'm like half the age of CF and think most modern commercial films are terrible, so I don't think that's the issue.
By half the age I mean I'm 23 to his 34 but you know what I mean =]
By half the age I mean I'm 23 to his 34 but you know what I mean =]
I haven't seen The French Connection, but I would say that The Graduate has aged really well. It's a favorite of mine. You really have to see it. And after that you need to re-watch Wayne's World 2 and finally get some more of the jokes.
Midnight Cowboy is definitely slower and much darker, but it's a fantastic film. Don't watch it while you're drunk or you'll lose interest. Also, an interesting note, The Graduate and then Midnight Cowboy were Dustin Hoffman's first two film roles. He really showed his chops right away, imo.
Indeed, but there was also a lot more opportunity to do so back then. Neither of those pictures would even be considered by a studio today. An indie might produce them, but they'd probably never achieve wide distribution.
Acting chops, 21st Century style: Can you run? Can you scream? Can you throw a punch? Do you look good in spandex? You're hired.
LOL. True that.
I always thought Midnight Cowboy was an indie film. It sure feels like one, at least.
Oh, and in case anyone is under some false impression of where this line comes from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c412hqucHKw
I always thought Midnight Cowboy was an indie film. It sure feels like one, at least.
Oh, and in case anyone is under some false impression of where this line comes from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c412hqucHKw
I ended up watching "Midnight Cowboy". I rather liked it, actually. Dustin Hoffman's performance was incredible, and Joe Buck is a great character. Dare I say -- the first MILF-Hunter? Lol.
I can't believe it was Rated-X. Wow, standards have changed.
I can't believe it was Rated-X. Wow, standards have changed.
LOL. True that.
I always thought Midnight Cowboy was an indie film. It sure feels like one, at least.
Oh, and in case anyone is under some false impression of where this line comes from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c412hqucHKw
BTW, that cab slipped through security - that shot was not planned. Hoffman ad-libbed the line and the insurance line without breaking character, which only goes to prove his talent and one of my favorite aphorisms:
A craftsman knows how to avoid mistakes,
An artist knows how to use them. - Randy Thom, Sound Designer
That was Hoffman's story, but according to Schlesinger on the making-of doc the line was scripted and the cab driver was a day player. DH's version is more romantic - he is a method actor, after all - but I tend to believe the director's version.
No, that would be Hoffman in The Graduate.
Ah, yes, of course. Next on my list.
Three more faves from my 70's collection, if you're interested:
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Chinatown
The Conversation (that one's especially for Alcove )
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Chinatown
The Conversation (that one's especially for Alcove
)
Anyone who doesn't like Duel is:
A. Oblivious to movies
B. Doesn't understand movies
C. Can't pay attention long enough to watch a movie
D. all of the above.
Just an opinion.
Now, on a more serious note, do you really try to figure out the reason for a movie? Do you go that far into "depth" on things? Because really, it doesn't sound like you sit down and try to enjoy watching a film as a viewer.
Come on man, Duel was a great film with realistic everything, which is how a movie should be made.
A. Oblivious to movies
B. Doesn't understand movies
C. Can't pay attention long enough to watch a movie
D. all of the above.
Just an opinion.
Now, on a more serious note, do you really try to figure out the reason for a movie? Do you go that far into "depth" on things? Because really, it doesn't sound like you sit down and try to enjoy watching a film as a viewer.
Come on man, Duel was a great film with realistic everything, which is how a movie should be made.
But that is one of the hardest things to do when you are in a creative or performance industry - to completely disengage your "chops" and become a pure "uneducated" audience member. Objectivity is very difficult to accomplish; it takes as much discipline as it does to be an "ace" at whatever it is that you do. It is even more difficult when it is your own material.
After years I have - for the most part - achieved that objectivity with work other than my own. With my own work it takes a break of anywhere from a few minutes to a day or two.
Darn it, they're onto me! Though redundant your insults may be, your witty retort strikes me to the core.
You sure have figured out a whole lot about me, based on my opinion of one movie. And I didn't go that in-depth, at all. My comments were all about the surface of the movie, which is to say my comments were about nothing. Because that's what's on the surface -- nothing. There's no story. There's just a dude getting chased by a truck.
Grand Upper, you insulted my intelligence earlier in this thread, yet so far have refused to explain to me what it is I'm missing. aceofspades, I'll ask the same of you. If I'm so dense, please, dumb it down for me. What is this deep meaning in "Duel" that I am missing?
Everyone else who's taken part in this thread has been happy to chalk it up to "different strokes". And that's how it should be. Just cuz I don't like what you like, that doesn't mean I'm an idiot.
Maybe you should consider an intelligent answer to my question, and keep the insults to yourself. If you can't do that, you've only made yourself look incredibly inept, as a human being.
is there an "objective" evaluation routine you go through before deciding whether you liked something or not?
I'm just trying to imagine how such a process would look like.
"Ok I just listened to this song, let's think about it whether I like it or not.
Interesting, sophisticated guitar playing, very nice catchy chorus, yet this unoriginal 4/4 time bored me to death, and standard tuning? are you kidding me? it's 2010 for chrissakes. I mean come on, get inventive! so altogether yeah, I almost kinda liked it"
If someone does not LIKE a movie, then he or she does not LIKE the movie, and a discussion won't make him or her like it. Arguing about taste is really a waste of time. You can of course tell us that this movie is important for the history of cinema, or tell us other good reasons why you consider this movie "good" (as most of the other people here actually did), but the only thing you can achieve by discussing that film is that the person who does not like it acknowledges its "objective" quality or importance BUT that does not make her/him like the film.
so please, if you want to argue for something don't call those people who do not share you opinion idiots.
Well, on a positive note, me and bhikkhu are on the same side! Thanks for gettin my back, bhikkhu. This is bigger than when Eminem and Elton John sang a duet!
Before you know it, bhikkhu will be asking me for spoilers for the next "Avatar". Here's your first:
Okay, just having fun, but I think this discourse highlights an important point. bhikkhu and myself couldn't be farther from each other, on numerous opinions related to this art, and yet he and I have always kept a civil, intelligent exchange of ideas, and that is a very healthy thing to do.
Anything less than that is, well, less than that.
Before you know it, bhikkhu will be asking me for spoilers for the next "Avatar". Here's your first:
Neytiri is pregnant!!!
Okay, just having fun, but I think this discourse highlights an important point. bhikkhu and myself couldn't be farther from each other, on numerous opinions related to this art, and yet he and I have always kept a civil, intelligent exchange of ideas, and that is a very healthy thing to do.
Anything less than that is, well, less than that.