Movies Talk Member Posts
Ed001's Profile
Current Avatar:
Ed001's Posts and Other Poster's Replies To Ed001's Posts
To Ed001's last 5 rumours posts
To Ed001's last 5 rumour replies
Ed001's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Ed001's rumours posts
20 Jun 2023 15:30:30
If you are looking for a really good action movie, then I highly recommend Extraction 2. The first one was good too, but this is even better.
1.) 27 Jun 2023 23:47:02
Oh yeah Ed01. The one-long-fluid scene, whatever they are calling it, they just brought it to the next level in this one. it is just action from start to finish. story-wise, I like the first more than this, but that is not me saying it in a bad way. this one is a bad-ass action movie. they should make another one. they should!
01 Jul 2019 16:13:39
Top 10 Rappers Turned Actors
These days it is normal to see rappers everywhere on TV and in movies. There is even a TV show with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart of all things. Nowadays it seems to be as normal for actors to turns to rapping, but I am not going to include Drake and his ilk. This is those who were rappers first and then became actors, though I have not bothered with the obvious one, Will Smith, as he was more of a comedy act than a rapper before turning to comedy acting. That is not meant to be an insult, as his music was fun, before he grew up and lost Jazzy Jeff, who was the real musician of the two.
10. Ice-T
You can't discuss the old school rap without Ice-T being involved in some respect. His track 6 'N The Morning was one of the inspirations for NWA and he was one of the first 'gangsta rappers'. While he missed out on a role in Colors, instead providing the title track for the film, he finally made a breakthrough in the classic movie New Jack City. Since then he has rarely picked up good roles but his acting talents are clearly limited. He does deserve respect as a trailblazer for rap as well as rappers moving into acting.
9. Ludacris
His acting career is a bit like his rapping, big on earnings but lacking in substance. Roles in the Fast and Furious movies have kept him in the public eye but he never seems to make a bigger step into better, more challenging roles. Difficult to know if he can actually act or not as no one really has to do any of that in those films.
8. LL Cool J
One of the first rappers to break into the mainstream with his music and also with his acting. 'Ladies Love Cool James' has become very well established as an actor these days on TV and in film, though he has never reached the point where he has become a star lead in a film, unlike his music.
7. Eve
In the days before female rappers just sold purely on their looks and rapping about sexuality, there were rappers like Eve, who, mostly, had something to say. Though I am sure the fact she is good looking helped her career, it was not about showing the most flesh, it was about telling stories with her rhymes. She has not really broken into the mainstream as an actor, but she has had a fair few roles and, like with her rapping, has shown she is more than just a pretty face.
6. Method Man
The Wu-Tang Clan were a phenomenon in rap and Meth was the face of the Clan to most people. He then went on to massive success in a duo with Redman, before breaking into acting, though not with the same degree of success. Or even close to it. He just beat out Rza, also of Wu-Tang, who mainly is involved with making the kind of martial arts movies that gave the group their name.
5. 50 Cent
Somehow this guy made it huge, though he can barely speak or rap properly, his first album was one of the biggest debuts of all time. While he quickly faded into the background musically, he has never made it out of the background in acting, as he lacks any discernable talent for that either. He is mostly in the kind of B-movies that would have gone straight to video in the old days.
4. DMX
For a short period he was the biggest star in rap, blazing a trail and standing out above others in his crew, such as Eve, who he brought through to prominence. A series of films, mainly martial arts, for a while saw his star rising in movies too before his addiction issues destroyed his career.
3. Common
He seems to be someone who has become better known for his acting than his rapping, where he started out under the name of Common Sense, before dropping the Sense. Presumably because having sense ruins any chances of a career in Hollywood. Never seems to be the lead but tends to have a major role in almost everything I watch, or so it seems.
2. Queen Latifah
She deserved the apellation of Queen for her part in the early days of rap, when she took charge of her Flavor Unit records, as well as making music. She has since moved into acting with a similar degree of success. Never the biggest star but always making her own path, doing her own thing the way she wants to do it.
1. Ice Cube
One of the biggest stars in the rap game, a prolific writer who was the lead in NWA before splitting off and going solo and creating a huge career for himself, even if everything he has done since his first couple of albums is always going to get negatively compared to those early days. First appeared in the classic movie Boyz N Tha Hood and since then he has become a well known face in Hollywood films as well as writing, directing and producing his own stuff too.
1.) 01 Jul 2019 17:12:36
Method Man is in The Wire and his greatest scene is the following.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rWuJ3eD6Qc
I loved to hate Cheese in the Wire, so that means he did a bloody good job acting his part.
{Ed001's Note - I know he has had a few parts but it is not the same league as he was in musically. He would be leading major Hollywood movies if he had made the same level as an actor.}
2.) 01 Jul 2019 17:19:41
To be fair Ed, his acting in The Wire was very good, but that's because he basically played himself from the 90s.
{Ed001's Note - I wasn't having a dig at him mate, it was more just pointing out how huge his success was in rap.}
3.) 01 Jul 2019 22:54:37
This is a good list Ed01.
I only remembered watching DMX in one film though. It has Jet Li in it, if I'm not mistaken. Forgot the title, but I felt it was quite embarassing for him given how tiny his role was in that film.
I like Ice Cube, especially in his comedy films. He's a bit different compared to other black actors in comedies; stone cold bad-ass. But it works really well in those comedies, IMO.
{Ed001's Note - DMX was in a few with Segal as well as a couple with Jet Li.}
4.) 02 Jul 2019 05:06:11
Sorry I got mix-up Ja Rule with DMX. Ja Rule wasn't even in any Jet Li films. I remember now, it was Steven Seagal's, not Jet Li's.
{Ed001's Note - oh yes Ja Rule was a DMX copy, so easy mistake to make.}
5.) 02 Jul 2019 14:49:32
I know you're not having a dig Ed, I was just stating that he was good in The Wire, because he basically played himself from the 90s. I was the one having a dig xD lol.
{Ed001's Note - isn't that pretty much what everyone did in that show?}
6.) 02 Jul 2019 18:14:43
Without going into a 6million word essay, some of them did more or less play themselves. However, a lot of the cast were British, Irish or raised in Britain. Such as Dominic West(JimmyMcNulty) Idris Elba(Russell "Stringer" Bell) Aiden Gillen(Mayor Tommy Carcetti), Michael Hyatt(Brianna Barksdale) and Clarke Peters(Lester Freamon) who has lived in England most of his life.
{Ed001's Note - I was kidding mate.}
7.) 02 Jul 2019 20:02:13
Yeah a lot of the "street" actors just played themselves but that gave it more authenticity. It still remains the best tv series made.
8.) 02 Jul 2019 22:08:14
We should probably get back on topic Mort, before we both write pages upon pages of what makes that show so good.
So on topic, didn't Xzibit do a couple of movies? I know he did "pimp my ride" and a ton of memes came out from it. Such as this one.
[img]https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/000/048/800px-Sup_dawg.jpg[/img]
9.) 03 Jul 2019 16:19:53
The only ll cool j film I can think of is the one with a shark in where he plays the chef. He was actually the best actor in it.
{Ed001's Note - The Hard Way as well - Michael J Fox led it I think. Old film now and one of his first. He has done a few others as well but I can't think of them. Deep Blue Sea was the shark one, just came to me then.}
10.) 03 Jul 2019 16:35:05
I've just realised who LL Cool Jay is, he's the guy from NCIS New Orleans, right?
{Ed001's Note - I have no idea, never seen it. I know him from when he was the rapper that made the Kangol hat cool.}
11.) 03 Jul 2019 17:02:27
That's it Deep Blue Sea. Entertaining B movie fodder watching idiots make dumb decisions. Your favourite actor Sam L. J. makes a small appearance, you could say a bite size cameo.
And yeah ll cool j is in one of the ncis series, think its L.A. but they all pop up in the other series as well usually when they launch a new franchise. CSI used to do the same, have a cross over case to launch the new show.
21 Jun 2019 17:22:48
Top 10 Worst Male Actors
I have left out loads that barely register as actors, ones that are not getting lead roles in big movies, and limited this to ones who have, at some point in their career been what we would consider big stars. Oh and I left out Arnie as I don't think what he did could ever be considered acting! It does make me wonder just how good some of their films could have been if they had a decent actor taking their roles.
10. Tom Hanks
I have never understood how this guy has become such a big star. He simply does not know how to act. It is the same in every film, he is playing the same person each time. It is never even an interesting person, he just makes every scene he is in tedious to watch. Luckily he is not in many films that I watch.
9. John Travolta
Something about this man turns my stomach, I have no idea why, but I find his very presence in a film repugnant. There is something about him that makes my skin crawl and I suppose I am judging him on that rather than his acting.
8. Christian Bale
For some reason he has won awards, but I do not get it at all. His best performance was when half his face was hidden behind a mask as Batman, but he was god-awful during the Bruce Wayne scenes. I have heard he is a method actor, but his method is not working!
7. Keanu Reeves
Probably the most wooden actor of all, but at least he tends to limit his roles to those that require little more than a raised eyebrow. That is his saving grace from being much higher up the list, he seems to realise his huge limitations and try not to overtax himself.
6. Johnny Depp
A crap actor who makes crap films. I am just glad he makes so few movies I have even the slightest passing interest in watching. I just hope he keeps it that way!
5. Nic Cage
It's not what you know or how good you are, it is about who you know or, more correctly, who you are related to. Having Francis Ford Coppola has given him a very decent career, as he certainly has not got his roles on talent! He is like a paid driver in motorsport, he brings money to the production, so he will continue to get employment.
4. Paul Walker
I know you are not supposed to talk ill of the dead, but I was choosing the 10 actors I hate watching the most, so I was not going to miss him out just because he will not be making any more films. He was just a pretty, blonde Keanu Reeves.
3. Mark Wahlberg
It is said that men are shallow and that actresses are picked purely on their looks, but this list shows that male actors are just as much picked for the wrong reasons. Still it shows that a past of racially motivated violence is not a stop to a successful career, well not when you are good looking with a six-pack anyway.
2. Vin Diesel
I really do not get it. What does this guy offer? He is the modern day Arnie, with nothing other than an accent and a big build to bring to a role. Talent and charisma are clearly optional in Hollywood.
1. Jesse Eisenberg
Can someone explain to me what it is about him that gets him big roles, because I have no idea. His performance as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman is amongst the worst I have ever seen in any film. A truly terrible actor.
1.) 21 Jun 2019 18:44:58
Yep agree with the top 3. Nic cage mid 90s was good, keanu in bill and ted, Johnny depp in fear and loathing not bad in them parts. The rest i agree with.
Christian bale is crap, don't see the hype, even as batman he was the worst thing about it, thankfully the stories and other actors made it good.
{Ed001's Note - I couldn't stand Cage at any time, did good films but he was terrible in them. Never seen fear and loathing but would have no interest in watching it if Depp is in it as I know it will be crap. I loved Bill and Ted but it was not exactly acting skill that made those films!}
2.) 21 Jun 2019 20:04:34
Yeah I suppose your right.
The film's qith nic cage, face off, con air, the rock, loved them all but admitedley they were good stories, or maybe just guilty pleasure films.
3.) 21 Jun 2019 20:06:58
they are good films, just in spite of him
4.) 22 Jun 2019 10:10:55
I would add Dwayne Johnson in it if it's a longer list. And maybe Jordan Peele too.
{Ed001's Note - first one I defo agree with but not sure on the second as I have only seen him in one film.}
5.) 22 Jun 2019 10:24:40
Yeah Ed. Come to think of it again, maybe it isn't fair as me too only seen Peele once in Keanu. He was so bad that I think he should just stick with making movies instead.
{Ed001's Note - it was a comedy and overacting is a part of that.}
6.) 22 Jun 2019 12:33:28
Similar if the list was longer perhaps others such as Kevin hart, Jason statham, Henry cavill and probably many more.
{Ed001's Note - there are certainly plenty to pick from that are crap!}
7.) 22 Jun 2019 14:22:55
Mid 90s Cage films were entertaining but despite him. I do enjoy most wahlberg films. And Statham ones. But I think its more that there action films and how much acting do you need in an action film?
A lot of others nominated also fall in the action category.
Two I'd like to put forward are Will Smith (always the same cocky arrogant character) and jim Carrey who just overacts, thinks he's funnier than he is and never knows when to stop.
Look forward to the actresses list Ed.
{Ed001's Note - I agree on the the first 3, the films are not the issue, they have done some good stuff but it doesn't mean they are talented.
Good point on Will Smith, but I don't tend to watch his films to be honest and the same with Jim Carrey as I can't stand him.}
8.) 22 Jun 2019 16:25:16
I would have to disagree on will Smith just because i think his performances in I am legend, pursuit of happiness, ali, concussion are actually very good with some real range and the odd heart wrenching team, then you have some of the more actiony ones as well like independence day, I robot, comedic roles like hitched and then a blend of both with men in black
{Ed001's Note - all of them films are dire, well except maybe Concussion as I haven't seen it.}
9.) 22 Jun 2019 16:51:27
Each to their own in terms of film, none of them are in my top list of films, although all mine of comic book based movies probably and the matrix ect but I think they are at least decent probably 5-7s in the random out of 10 numbering which I have just made up in my brain and has no measurable scale of course. However I still think there is enough in the performances there regardless of the quality of the films for him to avoid being in the worst category
10.) 22 Jun 2019 16:35:23
No I avoid Carrey unless he happens to be in something I want to see which is rare.
Will Smith has done some alright films. But lately I find he's becoming a caricature.
Cages' films were more down to help s co-stars and good writing not his acting. I find the same with Statham and Wahlberg.
Re Travolta I think its his eyes.
11.) 24 Jun 2019 14:39:15
I may be in the minority here but I like Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump is a good movie, and I like toy story (which is just his voice so maybe that helps) but I'd agree that he does play very similar roles, i.e. Captain Phillips and the one about the plane crash landing in the river (I forget the title) but again I enjoyed both movies.
12.) 25 Jun 2019 17:24:38
Cast Away was a good movie from Tom Hanks.
14 Jun 2019 21:27:21
Top 10 Martial Arts Films
After Deependra suggested it, and realising I had no articles close to finishing, I thought I would do a quick top 10 of films. I decided to go with martial arts films as they are the ones I have seen most of, large parts of my life have probably been lost watching them. I did want to narrow the field a little, by trying to pick only one film by each star, ie only one starring Jet Li, one by Jackie Chan etc. Though I did allow ones that they starred in but alongside others, such as the series of films Jackie Chan did with Sammo Hung and Yuen Baio, as they were not just Jackie Chan movies.
It was difficult to pick just 10 and I am pretty sure if I picked it again another day I would pick a different 10, other than the top 3 or maybe 4. Even the order of those top 3 might well change on another day, but that is the fun of these kind of lists, when people remind you of the things you missed off!
10. Triple Threat
A new film I only saw recently, so it is fresh in my mind, which might be why I have chosen it, but the cast helps. Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen and Iko Uwais (star of The Raid) as the good guys taking on a crew of baddies which includes Michael Bisping, Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White. It is not going to change the world or make you think, but it was good entertainment with some of the best martial arts actors around up against Scott Adkins and Michaels Bisping and Jai White.
9. Mr Vampire
A Chinese martial arts film that is fun as well as full of action. In fact, in a lot of respects it is as much a comedy film as it is a martial arts one. It is the first film Ricky Lau directed and, sadly, Sammo Hung's only involvement was as a producer. However it is a good film, though when I saw it in Cantonese I was capable of understanding a lot of it without the subtitles, not so sure how good it would be dubbed or relying solely on subtitles like I would have to now, as it has been probably 30 years since I heard any Cantonese! However, like most martial arts comedies, most of the jokes are not from the dialogue, so I would hope it would still be just as enjoyable.
8. Ninja Assassin
The story is awful, the plot is terrible, but, despite the lead being just an old K-Pop star called Rain, the fight scenes (though ludicrously over the top) make this film for me. I grew up with a ninja obsession and anything with ninja in the title I will have a look at (though Ninja Immovable Heart is to be avoided at all costs!), so I am already biased towards it. Add in Sho Kusogi and I am a happy boy (as ninja films always bring out my inner child). Ridiculous film but I love it anyway.
7. Rumble In The Bronx
There had to be a Jackie Chan movie in the list and it could have been one of any number of them really, though I plumped for this one in the end. Not sure why, I mean I love it, but then I love lots of his films, but this is the one that always comes to mind when I think of a typical Jackie Chan solo film. Crazy stunts, slapstick comedy, fun fight scenes and, in the middle of it all, Jackie Chan just manages to make it all work, no matter how silly the piece of scenery he is using to fight with is.
6. Legend Of Fong Sai Yuk
Similarly to Jackie Chan there are a large number of Jet Li films I could have picked, though I was particularly torn between this one and Kiss of the Dragon. It helps that you know Jet Li is actually a fantastic martial artist in real life, rather than just a martial arts actor. That gives him an edge as he can actually act as well. I love the stories of Fong Sai Yuk anyway, but having them brought to life by Jet Li is something that really appeals to me. Unusually for Jet Li there is more humour in this film (and the sequel) than he is associated with.
5. Wheels On Meals
Put Jackie Chan, Yuen Baio and Sammo Hung in a film and I am happy. So many of their films together are great fun, if not masterpieces. The three just work so well together and bounce off each other brilliantly. It is just a shame they no longer make films as a trio. Hollywood has its buddy movies but they do not come close to comparing to the brilliance of these three as a group in my mind.
4. Warrior
Just a good film with an excellent performance by Tom Hardy, with far more substance than the usual martial arts movie. It is a film that you do not need to be a martial arts fan to appreciate, as it actually has a decent story that tugs on the heartstrings, for those that actually have a heart.
3. The Raid
A simply sensational rollercoaster ride of martial arts action from Indonesia starring Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim (who is also in the excellent martial arts TV show Warrior). The story is not great, basically it is Game of Death turned up to 25 out of 10, but it delivers in the action stakes and has some of the best fight scenes ever filmed. The combination of a Welsh director and Indonesian film does not sound appetising but it works.
2. Ong Bak
The film that announced Tony Jaa to the world outside of Thailand and boy did he emerge with a bang! The fight scenes are brilliant, Jaa took the martial arts genre to a whole new level with this film but it is the stunts he does, with no use of camera trickery or wires, that really do take the breath away and make you say 'Wow!' The problem is, when your first film is this good, how do you ever match it, let alone better it? What it did show is that you do not need huge budgets and massive amounts of special effects to make a brilliant film.
1. Enter The Dragon
It could not be anything else at number one really could it? The incomparable Bruce Lee lights up the screen with a charisma no one has ever come close to matching. I used to watch this film so often I knew the dialogue off by heart, but I still will stop to watch it again any time it is on TV. This film is the reason I fell in love with martial arts and it still stands up as a great film. It also had Sammo Hung in, losing a fight to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan in a blink and you'll miss it moment as he got punched by Bruce Lee in one of the fight scenes. And I do mean punched, Bruce Lee felt so guilty that he kept him on set for the entire shoot and ensured he got paid for each day he was there, when he had only been meant to be in one scene. There are some people who still believe that it was getting punched by Bruce Lee that launched his career! One thing that this has made me realise is that I missed out the film based on one of Bruce Lee's martial arts instructors, Ip Man! Donnie Yen's best film and it should be in the top 5 in this list, but I would then want to move around the bottom half, so I am just going to leave it and hang my head in shame for forgetting to put it in.
{Ed001's Note - ok Deep, you asked for it mate!}
1.) 15 Jun 2019 05:59:17
Nice list ed.
Glad the raid made it on, great film.
I'm surprised mortal kombat or street fighter never made the list
🤣
{Ed001's Note - thankfully I had forgotten those films. I know it is hard to believe a list of martial arts films could be complete without JCVD though. He is a legend in his own pint glass after all and very adept at annoying stunt men into kicking his arse in nightclubs.....}
2.) 15 Jun 2019 10:17:47
Thanks ed1, you're just too awesome
{Ed001's Note - I would argue but you are so obviously right it would be wrong to dispute it!}
3.) 15 Jun 2019 17:42:10
I actually really liked mortal kombat when I was a kid.
Bloodsport was one of van dammes best.
{Ed001's Note - Bloodsport may even be the best film he did, though one he did fairly recently is probably better. Where he wakes up and finds out they have taken a body part. Or the one where he is a butcher is not too bad either. I can't remember what either are called.
I did a top 10 on the TV site as I had them in my mind while doing this list, it is amazing how many other TV shows and films come to mind the minute you finish one list!}
4.) 16 Jun 2019 09:33:09
Triple Threat has been in Netflix, and I never had an interest to watch it. Mainly because of Tony Jaa. His recent films are quite bad. One of the worst is XXX Return of Xander Cage. Now it's in your list, I'll definitely give it a try.
{Ed001's Note - I agree he has not lived up to Ong Bak since, but he has been making the mistake of trying to make it in Hollywood on their terms, rather than letting them come to him. Jackie Chan made the same mistake as well and ended up in the Cannonball Run films.
Triple Threat is him leading, rather than him being the bloke to do flash stunts and then get his arse kicked by the good guy in embarrassing fashion ala Fast & Furious. Defo a better film than those.}
5.) 16 Jun 2019 17:51:52
Reading it I thought Rumble would be the Jackie film. Was expecting some Donnie especially Ip Man. Easily done though. Maybe we can have a series. Readers do there own lists, top tens.
{Ed001's Note - I am hoping others will add their own lists Mort1.}
6.) 16 Jun 2019 18:17:55
I get the time I'll put something together. Wouldn't be MA films though.
{Ed001's Note - even better if it is something different.}
7.) 16 Jun 2019 19:52:27
Top ten Keanu Reeves films?
{Ed001's Note - can you find 10 good ones?}
8.) 16 Jun 2019 20:23:54
I'm struggling to think of ten if you discount sequels.
{Ed001's Note - I can only think of two, though I am sure everyone else will add The Matrix on top of that. Personally I thought that film was abysmal.}
9.) 16 Jun 2019 22:21:08
I liked Ong Bak, thought the fight scenes were very well choreographed. Another one I liked was Unleashed with Jet Li, it's the only MA film I've watched that I thought had a genuinely decent story to it. Most of the MA films have mythical or just ridiculous stories, but Unleashed felt more real.
{Ed001's Note - you thought it felt more real? OK, I worry for your idea of reality now!}
10.) 16 Jun 2019 23:08:46
What I mean is it's not something that's totally ridiculous. He's basically a brainwashed slave that eventually wants to be free from his mobster boss. I'm not saying the fighting is realistic or anything like that, because we've got UFC which shows what real fights look like lol. I just mean the idea is more real.
11.) 21 Jun 2019 17:22:39
I would not class the UFC as real, the rules are set up to favour grappling over striking as it was initially set up to showcase how good BJJ was. Street fighting, when your life depends on the outcome, is totally different and much more brutal. In UFC you are fighting to win rounds, so you don't put full force into each punch or kick, you have to have something left for the next round. In real life people are living or dying and so put everything behind every punch and kick.
26 Nov 2018 04:03:03
Is anybody excited, or even bothered, about the Bumblebee movie? I was not in the slightest bit excited, then I watched the trailers and now I am 100% certain I will be avoiding it. Never an idea that excited me, I am not a fan of the character, even when I was a kid who loved Transformers, but the treatment they have done looks to have made it even worse than I thought it would.
1.) 26 Nov 2018 04:35:33
I easily get excited from trailers, and yes I am excited after watching both the trailers :D
{Ed001's Note - really? But they were terrible. It comes to something when John 'More Wooden Than Keanu Reeves And Mark Wahlberg Put Together' Cena comes out of it looking like the best actor in the film....}
2.) 26 Nov 2018 06:08:41
The only film I watched Cena in it was The Marine. And I kinda enjoyed it though. Haha.
{Ed001's Note - my daughter went through a phase where she was into wrestling, luckily she grew out of it once she reached double figures. Unfortunately it meant I saw a lot of Cena as she liked him a lot. His acting is awful, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a film with him in though, after all Keanu Reeves has done some great films, despite being unable to act. Nic Cage is another who has been in good films. It just means that the films are watchable in spite of them being in it, rather than because.}
3.) 26 Nov 2018 08:24:52
Good point. I won't argue on that Ed.
{Ed001's Note - can you imagine how good some of their films would have been if they could act? Con Air, for instance, with Denzel Washington would be an incredible film.}
4.) 28 Nov 2018 17:36:31
No Ed. The accent, the lines, and the hair; no one can beat Nic's in that. Denzel as Poe in Con Air would be a disaster.
{Ed001's Note - but the accent is terrible. As for the lines, anyone could deliver them, the lines are excellent, Denzel's timing is far better so would probably deliver them even better.}
5.) 09 Dec 2018 21:25:44
And another of your faves Ed. Wahlberg is average but I always enjoy his films. Peak Nic Cage was always entertaining.
{Ed001's Note - was Cage entertaining or was he just lucky because of who his uncle was and so got great roles that made it easy? I mean Arnie was terrible as an actor but some of his films were great. That was not because of him, it was in spite of him.}
6.) 10 Dec 2018 10:27:42
No I totally agree with you Ed. I think he was lucky in having those family connections in the industry that helped him to get very good roles in well written films. As you said the scripts were great particularly in Con Air and The Rock and 90% of actors out there could have given better performances. I also think in those films he was greatly helped by his co-stars. Sean Connery in the Rock and Malkovich et al in Con Air. I'm just saying that I found the films entertaining. His performances are ok, but the quality of the films with those scripts an other actors are a large part of it. The same point stands for Wahlberg, again a limited actor but I enjoy the films he does but again he's carried by his co-stars, for example Shooter or Two Guns.
Yes Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't the best actor but no one ever sat down to watch his films for the acting. Smart chap, knew what he could an couldn't do an got top dollar.
Cinema though is entertainment and all entertainment goes for the lowest common denominator. Look at the expendables series. A lot of the old 80-90s action stars with a varied range of acting but a big success because no ones going for the acting.
Yet very good actors out there get over looked for roles or awards.
{Ed001's Note - I just wonder how good would those films have been with good actors in the roles?}
7.) 10 Dec 2018 10:43:18
That's an interesting what if topic. Who would you have cast instead of Cage? You said Denzel for Con Air. I'm trying to think who was around in the mid 90s who could act. Seems like slim pickings.
{Ed001's Note - good point I had not thought about the context of the time, just a what if it was him instead. You have me wondering now, who was about at the time?
Though, on the subject of what ifs, could you imagine Chuck Norris in the role? Would have only been a short film then though as he would taken them all down in the first few minutes!}
8.) 10 Dec 2018 11:38:16
Yeah would be 50 minutes of set up and 15 minutes of action.
I'm struggling to think of who was around back then.
{Ed001's Note - must be our age mate, only I can't think of anyone either! Or maybe it was because Cage got all the juicy roles so no one else had a chance to shine at the time??}
9.) 10 Dec 2018 12:54:17
Yeah Will Smith was just making the jump from tv with films. Stallone and Arnold obviously but neither seem to fit. Tom Cruise was starting off the MI franchise. And beyond I'm struggling.
{Ed001's Note - what was Denzel doing then? He must have been old enough to be around then? What about the guy who played Apollo Creed? What did happen to him? He did Action Jackson and then vanished.}
10.) 10 Dec 2018 14:29:36
Yeah Denzel was doing something, wasn't he name dropped in con air? When they're loading the convicts an Cusacks giving a bit of bio on each of them? Ving Rhames character, Cusack says he wrote a book in prison and they're talking to Denzel about the movie?
11.) 10 Dec 2018 14:32:20
Yes on this clip https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H8GfCfpUnQ0 so Denzel was around.
{Ed001's Note - bloody hell yes. I had forgotten about that. There we go then, slip Denzel into all the decent roles wasted on Cage, Cruise and the like and away you go!}
12.) 10 Dec 2018 20:14:20
Not Keanu reeves then ?
{Ed001's Note - depends, in Bill and Ted he was excellent. Shame he is crap in everything else.}
13.) 10 Dec 2018 20:35:10
I just find him wooden in everything. Worse than Cage.
{Ed001's Note - he is terrible, probably the worst actor of recent years.}
14.) 10 Dec 2018 20:54:32
He's like got two expressions. Confused and bored.
{Ed001's Note - are they really different? I thought he just had wooden and more wooden.}
15.) 10 Dec 2018 22:08:01
He raises his eyebrows on confused an looks a bit more vacant.
16.) 04 Jan 2019 20:37:09
Bruce Willis, tom cruise, they were around.
{Ed001's Note - I really don't like either, though they have both made some good films, and a couple of great ones too.}
18 May 2020 09:49:09
I love Taika Watiti, brilliant fella as well as a great director. Can do comedy action superbly well. One of the best around imo.
I am surprised by Wyred's review of Star Wars, I had to watch it to see what he was on about and I think it just shows he is not the hugest Star Wars fan (like our very own Ed007 for example). Healing has always been in Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker was looking to learn it to save his mother, for example. It was a big part of the Knights of the Old Republic game (which friends of mine say is the best RPG game ever made though I have never played it myself) with healers such as Jolee Bindo and Visas Marr a huge part of Star Wars 'lore'.
It is not done by someone who has no idea about Star Wars, quite the opposite. They have included things clearly to appease the obsessive fans at the expense of building the narrative around the characters. After the racist backlash they had aimed at Rose Tico, I think they just wanted to get all the knobhead fans onside by including as many nods to Star Wars lore as they could.
And for me it doesn't really work because of it. Much as I love that kind of thing, and grew up reading the comics and books so love Star Wars, I would rather they did it well, as Mando did in the series. They didn't and it ended up with a film that rushed through too many storylines to tie it all up and then dallied on a boring, needless ending that dragged on.
21 Jun 2019 20:06:58
they are good films, just in spite of him
21 Jun 2019 17:22:39
I would not class the UFC as real, the rules are set up to favour grappling over striking as it was initially set up to showcase how good BJJ was. Street fighting, when your life depends on the outcome, is totally different and much more brutal. In UFC you are fighting to win rounds, so you don't put full force into each punch or kick, you have to have something left for the next round. In real life people are living or dying and so put everything behind every punch and kick.
01 May 2018 20:29:23
I have just seen Infinity Wars and it is a fantastic film. When it finished I was left surprised it was over as it didn't seem to have been on long, I couldn't believe it when I looked at my watch and realised it was over 2 hours long. It absolutely flew by. But what can you say without it being a spoiler??
13 Mar 2017 03:31:50
Did you really enjoy the first two X-Men movies? I am surprised at that! I am also surprised you think Wolverine is a shallow character, I would take it from that you have not read the comics? He has a lot more to offer than the films ever got into. In fact they cut out huge portions of his story and deliberately made him more shallow in his origin films. That was a mistake for me.
I am glad you agreed on Caliban, who was receiving rave reviews but I never understood that as he was ok like, but nothing special.