Because I am an American exceptionalist, there is no doubt in my mind that the world was a better place when Hollywood stood atop it as planet Earth’s greatest soft power weapon, boldly broadcasting a powerful American culture to the World and daring them to beat us at our own game.
A personal favorite is the now seldom-seen Waterhole #3. The plot was thinner than a parking lot puddle and there were wall to wall offensive gags (but that was an era of comedic offense. Cf. Don Rickles). Thing was, it was funny and light, and I miss funny and light.
I'd like to see The Wind and the Lion and The Man Who Would Be King as a double feature. Both are Westerners dealing with tribals, at first condescendingly and then with more respect but without apology. Both have John Huston involved. Both have Sean Connery involved.
And this for you MFW: Brian Keith has the best portrayal of an American president ever in Wind and the Lion.
Let's see what you can do with John Hughes' magnum opus, "The Breakfast Club." You can focus on John Bender, but the arc of Mr. Vernon or even Carl the Janitor--with his Rosencrantz/Guildenstern amount of dialogue in the entire film--work, too.
So many good points made, my favorite is there is no Tension in modern action movies. People run through hails of bullets, have knock down drag out fights without a mark left on them, the guys in Predator were all beat up and exhausted. Even the good modern Marvel movies had tension and danger in them.
You could do Aliens too? Diverse in many ways without losing it's core themes of bravery, survival and family.
I thought the Tim Allen comedies, especially "For Richer or Poorer" and "Jungle 2 Jungle," were very good and not at all P.C. Also "Ghostbusters," with its EPA bureaucrat antagonist. And "My Cousin Vinny," a comedy of manners that shows real affection for the South and features the best-ever "dead-on balls accurate" Southern accent of Fred Gwynne, a New Yorker. Yankees almost never get the Southern accent right.
Gotta do "Die Hard". Irrespective of whether it's a Christmas movie or not (but it is), it's got way WAY more going on than just some "dumb action movie."
George MF W, great commentary! You forgot to mention one of the secret sauces -- the epic music in these films! Case in point (another Arnold movie): https://youtu.be/5ZY2mRG5mzg?feature=shared&t=67
Listening to this intro music makes you wanna bow up, nut up, and suit up ready to go mano-a-mano against the toughest mf’ing linebacker on the opposing team! (Although “your results may vary” against that proverbial linebacker, lol, but damn are you juiced up feeling like an unstoppable force ready to take on an immovable object! That is the essence of the manly struggle.) This is epic “walk-in” music. I can guarantee that if you close your eyes, and listen to only a few bars of music to any of the greatest blockbusters of all time, you’ll instantly recognize it and connect it to a movie. Music has a direct line to the things that move the soul. Today’s directors should be reminded of this. Also, the storytelling and character development in the original Conan is so much better than the dud-of-a-Conan-remake starring Jason Momoa. There’s a trick a fellow screenwriter once told me: every 8 minutes, ya gotta try to have a beginning-middle-and-end in the storytelling; it’s one way to keep the audience glued to the story — tricky, but doable. Anyways, good luck, and thanks again for this Predator commentary!
Emperor of the North
I miss Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen and anything directed by John Sturges.
A personal favorite is the now seldom-seen Waterhole #3. The plot was thinner than a parking lot puddle and there were wall to wall offensive gags (but that was an era of comedic offense. Cf. Don Rickles). Thing was, it was funny and light, and I miss funny and light.
The Wild Bunch
I'd like to see The Wind and the Lion and The Man Who Would Be King as a double feature. Both are Westerners dealing with tribals, at first condescendingly and then with more respect but without apology. Both have John Huston involved. Both have Sean Connery involved.
And this for you MFW: Brian Keith has the best portrayal of an American president ever in Wind and the Lion.
Casablanca and Maltese Falcon. Saving Private Ryan.
Let's see what you can do with John Hughes' magnum opus, "The Breakfast Club." You can focus on John Bender, but the arc of Mr. Vernon or even Carl the Janitor--with his Rosencrantz/Guildenstern amount of dialogue in the entire film--work, too.
Sean Connery and Michael Caine: "The Man Who Would Be King".
The first movie exec that reads this article and takes it to heart will get a blockbuster...
Water Hole #3! How delightful. Great Roger Miller soundtrack. Sweet yellow, sweet yellow, sweet tangerine gold…
So many good points made, my favorite is there is no Tension in modern action movies. People run through hails of bullets, have knock down drag out fights without a mark left on them, the guys in Predator were all beat up and exhausted. Even the good modern Marvel movies had tension and danger in them.
You could do Aliens too? Diverse in many ways without losing it's core themes of bravery, survival and family.
I thought the Tim Allen comedies, especially "For Richer or Poorer" and "Jungle 2 Jungle," were very good and not at all P.C. Also "Ghostbusters," with its EPA bureaucrat antagonist. And "My Cousin Vinny," a comedy of manners that shows real affection for the South and features the best-ever "dead-on balls accurate" Southern accent of Fred Gwynne, a New Yorker. Yankees almost never get the Southern accent right.
Gotta do "Die Hard". Irrespective of whether it's a Christmas movie or not (but it is), it's got way WAY more going on than just some "dumb action movie."
George MF W, great commentary! You forgot to mention one of the secret sauces -- the epic music in these films! Case in point (another Arnold movie): https://youtu.be/5ZY2mRG5mzg?feature=shared&t=67
Listening to this intro music makes you wanna bow up, nut up, and suit up ready to go mano-a-mano against the toughest mf’ing linebacker on the opposing team! (Although “your results may vary” against that proverbial linebacker, lol, but damn are you juiced up feeling like an unstoppable force ready to take on an immovable object! That is the essence of the manly struggle.) This is epic “walk-in” music. I can guarantee that if you close your eyes, and listen to only a few bars of music to any of the greatest blockbusters of all time, you’ll instantly recognize it and connect it to a movie. Music has a direct line to the things that move the soul. Today’s directors should be reminded of this. Also, the storytelling and character development in the original Conan is so much better than the dud-of-a-Conan-remake starring Jason Momoa. There’s a trick a fellow screenwriter once told me: every 8 minutes, ya gotta try to have a beginning-middle-and-end in the storytelling; it’s one way to keep the audience glued to the story — tricky, but doable. Anyways, good luck, and thanks again for this Predator commentary!
How about the Chuck Norris characters? A little Dutch with a touch of Rambo.
RRR hearkens to the 80's blockbuster - it's the action movie Hollywood used to make - and needs to make again.