Board 8 Watches and Ranks Road Comedies - The Rankings!

Wow what a run from Millers! Did not expect it to be widely liked here but we were in near unanimous agreement (other than Mythiot). I remember thinking it looked incredibly bad from the trailers and then it happened to be on some streaming service a couple of years ago. Put it on mostly as background noise but I got into it and it's one of my favorite road trip movies now. Very happy for it to get the coveted bronze medal!

Also I'm shocked I was almost right that I was going to be the highest ranker at 6 and then it still wound up in third place because most people were just one or two spots below me.

Very fitting top two, too.

Predicting Thelma & Louise for the second place spot.

Totally expected to hate Millers, and yet I loved it pretty much from the opening scene onward. Truly a gem in this rankings topic.

Blaziken posted...

Predicting Thelma & Louise for the second place spot.

I feel like it's almost guaranteedbut I could be wrong

Predicting whatever Suprak doesn't predict for the Hail Mary though

PAYOUTS! Practically everyone crossed the border and made money off Millers.

ODDSBOARD:

(2013)
+700 Thelma & Louise (1991)
+1000 Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

LEADERBOARD:
1) Suprak $10450 (+500 College Road Trip, +650 Are We There Yet?, +500 Road Trip, +200 Any other movie: Father Figures, +200 Any other movie: Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, +2000 Stranger Than Paradise, +1000 The Bucket List, +200 Any other movie : Dumb & Dumber, +1000 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, +650 Rat Race, +1000 Planes, Trains and Automobiles, +200 Any other movie: Bad Trip, +600 Tommy Boy, +600 Smokey and the Bandit, +650 Wristcutters: A Love Story, +500 Were the Millers)
2) Johnbobb $9650 (+500 Road Trip, +800 Due Date, +2000 Father Figures, +2000 Stranger Than Paradise, +850 National Lampoons Vacation, +650 Rat Race, +1000 Planes, Trains and Automobiles, +600 Tommy Boy, +750 Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, +500 Were the Millers)
3) Karo $6200 (+650 Are We There Yet?, +500 Road Trip, +800 Lost in America, +1000 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, +700 Pee-Wees Big Adventure, +600 Tommy Boy, +750 Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, +650 Wristcutters: A Love Story, +500 Were the Millers)
4) Exdeath $6100 (+750 Wild Hogs, +500 Road Trip, +800 Due Date, +800 Lost in America, +1000 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, +650 Rat Race, +1000 Planes, Trains and Automobiles, +500 Were the Millers)
5) Inviso $5300 (+500 Road Trip, +200 Any other movie: Father Figures, +200 Any other movie: Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, +2000 Stranger Than Paradise, +600 Tommy Boy, +650 Wristcutters: A Love Story, +650 Dog, +500 Were the Millers)
6) Fortybelow $3600 (+500 Road Trip, +2000 Father Figures, +600 Tommy Boy, +500 Were the Millers)
7) Great Paul $3350 (+650 Are We There Yet?, +500 Road Trip, +800 Due Date, +650 The Great Race, +700 Pee-Wees Big Adventure)
8) Mythiot $500 (+500 College Road Trip)
8) Lopen $500 (+500 Road Trip)

THE HOUSE WON ON:

• +600 The Cannonball Run (1981)
• +2000 Paul (2010)
• +1000 The Muppet Movie (1979)
• +1500 Sideways (2004)

+1000 Little Miss Sunshine

+700 Thelma & Louise

Predict Little Miss Sunshine for one final payday.

putting my odds on (2013)

(gimme Thelma)

CORRECTED ODDSBOARD:

+500 Thelma & Louise (1991)
+1000 Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

wow and now taking 200 from my earnings

vegas rigged

Johnbobb posted...

wow and now taking 200 from my earnings

vegas rigged

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b4bd6658.jpg

I picked LMS to be #1 from the beginning, but I'm going to guess it for next to protect my precious 6th place

I'll take Thelma & Louise

Ill switch to guessing Little Miss Sunshine for second place, cause no reason not to.

2. Thelma & Louise (1991)
Inviso - 2
Suprak - 2
Johnbobb - 4
Karo - 5
plasmabeam - 5
Mythiot - 6
darkx - 14
Rotten Tomatoes ranking - 9 (86%)

Inviso - Its usually a good sign for a movies quality when it makes me sit down (on a couch, rather than in front of my computer, no less) and just watch it. No distractions, no internet or video games to occupy me while Im still doing my best to pay attention. This movie hooked me very early on, if only by the strong initial characterization of Thelma as this put-upon housewife with an absolutely AWFUL husband. But the film quickly establishes its theme as these two women, just looking to get away from their humdrum lives for a few days, suddenly find themselves at the mercy of a male-dominated world and general toxic masculinity in all its forms. The slow burn as they stop caring so much about appearances, and just grow and experience freedom that theyd never felt beforeit makes you root for them as characters, even though theyre obviously criminals.
Also, despite having two main characters, I appreciate the fact that the movie allows them to switch from strong to vulnerable and back again. It couldve been so easy to have a lead role and a subservient side character, but instead you get Louise kicking things off by killing a wannabe rapist, then Thelma gets laid and robbed in that order, so she robs a convenience store to make back that money. And the power dynamic just keeps shifting back and forth until you realize that these women are both growing stronger together, and theyre equals despite starting out in a clear dominant/submissive pairing. The ending is great, if only because it allows them to keep their newfound freedom, right up until the end of all things. I really enjoyed the film as a result of all of this.

Suprak - B+
Oh man, did I need this one. I forgot movies could be entertaining for a while. I was on a streak of absolutely abysmal movies here. I didnt exactly keep count but I think it was something like 46 terrible ones in a row, and 45 of those were just Wild Hogs. But this is an actual movie! Youve got this really good cast and story and actual themes and messaging. It feels like something you would go into a theater and watch and enjoy and discuss. Instead of something that plays on TBS after 1AM after everyone with good decision making skills had already fallen asleep.
Its also a different kind of road trip comedy and not just because it is a female led road trip, which is apparently shockingly rare based on the list put together here. But it definitely feels like it has its own style, which was refreshing because theres something like 10 movies on this list that definitely kind of all glob together. It has its own voice and feels like a unique approach to the road trip comedy format. Wellcomedy? Comedy? I dont know how many comedies start with attempted rapes and end in suicide, but I still think this counts. Sarandon and Gershaw are both funny in this, as is a lot of the supporting cast, and there were definitely parts here that made me laugh. Like when her husband picks up the phone and is just like hello without yelling at her and she hangs up immediately and is like he knows, thats solid comedic timing and writing, and there are a bunch of parts like that in the middle that are fun even considering the relatively heavy way things start and end.
I do think it is a little heavy handed at times, and there are parts where the writing dips to the sort of thing youd find in a feminist writing 101 class in college, done by someone who didnt understand the assignment and is basing most of their ideology off of Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill. I mean there is a scene in this movie where the gooey lump of a trucker literally yells you bitches from hell! as his rig explodes in the background which is kind of fun imagery but also feels straight out of a revenge porn fantasy. The helpful cop also came off as corny and inauthentic to me and Im not even quite sure what purpose he really served here other than to serve as a moderate voice of reason and communicate themes when Ridley Scott was afraid we might miss them. Aw these women have had it against them their whole lives! Yeah, like, we know. I kind of wish he was around to explain other scenes in movies to us heavy handedly. Like if at the end of The Godfather when the door closes and theyre looking back if he just popped into the side and was like wow he has really shut himself into that world, and by extension shut you out of his life.
Minor complaints aside though, this is a well put together movie all the way and I enjoyed almost all of it. It perhaps captures the freedom offered by the open road better than any other movie on this entire list, and even though theyre on the run from the police and the entire system is out to get them, I feel like this is one of the road trips that is actually the most fun. You see what Gershaw is stuck in at the start of the film and know what Sarandan went through by the end, so the actual trip is a great contrast to what theyre stuck in outside of it. So many other films on this list get comedy from the fact of how completely unbearable it is to be stuck with someone in a small space for a long period of time, but this is one where characters are throwing their hair back and living their lives and yes, occasionally robbing a convenience store because sexy Brad Pitt broke their brain and stole their money. So great cast and writing, and then on top of that there is this energy and vibe to the movie that just works for me. It isnt just an enjoyable movie it is a genuinely good one. Well made and well edited and smart outside of some occasional clumsy writing. And it does an amazing job of defining the genre for me without relying on the same stale tropes you see in a lot of these.

Johnbobb - Thelma & Louise is extremely solid from start to finish. I don't think there was ever really a moment that I wasn't on the side of the anti-heroines, which is always a big achievement for a movie told from the perspective of the criminals. The only thing I didn't really care for was the ending. I mean I wouldn't rather see them arrested or the unrealistic ending of them just getting away without trouble, but I think there were a better medium than just cutting to white.

Karo - Two beleaguered housewives take a cross country vacation together and things escalate quickly, to put it mildly.
Hollywood has a long standing issue with making deep or interesting female characters, but that is thankfully not the case here. Both of our protagonists are fully realized people who develop over the course of the film, and do so without any major male characters starring alongside them. I particularly like how the innocent girl at the start eventually transforms into the primary instigator of their various activities.
It has an incredibly feminist viewpoint for a movie this old, not to mention turning this tired sausage fest of a genre upon its head in just about every way. Another strong outing from acclaimed director Ridley Scott that is well worth seeing.

plasmabeam - The first half of T&L is incredible. Tight script, great performances, excellent character growth. I have nothing but good things to say about this movie up to and including the scene where Thelma robs the convenience store.
Afterward, however, the plot spins its wheels, as if theres nothing left for the gals to do other than wait for the inevitable confrontation with the police at the end. The lewd trucker subplot is silly, and its explosive conclusion is played up to be a BIG MOMENT when in reality its a low- stakes gag with some preachy dialogue. Then you have that dragged-out joke with the bicyclist blowing smoke into the cop carthat felt like a deleted scene that someone forgot to cut.
Its a shame that the last 40 minutes didnt have more meat to them, because T&L wouldve easily been my #1 if the story maintained its momentum. Overall, its a fun and engaging movie with an iconic ending, and Thelma and Louise themselves are probably the two best characters in this entire project.

Mythiot - [no write-ups]

darkx - So amazingly this was the first time Ive actually seen this movie all the way through after years and years of hearing that its one of the most hysterical movies ever made and I kinda didnt think that was the case? I mean, there are funny moments for sure (the best one easily being Thelma robbing the convenience store, followed by when they tie up the cop and leave him in his own trunk and everything that plays out as a result of that) but its mostly a drama about stuff that really isnt funny. Two women in varying degrees of toxic relationships set out for a girls weekend and end up killing a man who tried to rape one of them; believing that a judge/jury wont buy that it was in self-defense, they go on the run and encounter all kinds of horrible men to the point where they refuse to trust the one man who actually believes their story and tries to help them, ultimately at the expense of their own lives. There were definitely parts where I was laughing but I also felt kinda bad about it. Overall I think the movie just left me feeling more sad than anything that this movie was made over 30 years ago and so much of the content is still relevant today. Its a well-made movie and the two main characters are both very well-done, not to mention an iconic ending that gets referenced everywhere, but for what my Mom once described to me as the female Dumb and Dumber , I was expecting something much different and really dont know how to feel about the jarring contrast between expectation and reality. Maybe after a rewatch someday Ill appreciate this one more.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Johnbobb - 1
Karo - 1
Inviso - 3
Mythiot - 3
plasmabeam - 6
darkx - 10
Suprak - 11
Rotten Tomatoes ranking - 6 (91%)

Johnbobb - No movie was ever going to touch this one. I think realistically, "road comedies" don't work without some kind of drama, because otherwise you're just trapped for 2 hours in a car with people you don't like, which is literally the whole idea these road trip comedies are based on. Little Miss Sunshine is funny, it's extremely funny to the point of being downright absurd, but every family member is interesting and flawed and suffering in unique and different ways. Every member of the family has unique, established dynamics with every other member of the family, and they're all compelling. Everyone gets time to shine, everyone matters, and everyone would be entirely lost without one another. I've watched this movie 3 or 4 times now and it gets better every time. Also, does Beth Grant ever get to play somebody that isn't just the worst?

Karo - An eccentric family mast make an impromptu road trip to Cailfornia when their youngest child is accepted into a beauty pageant and many hijinks ensue.
The characters are the heart of this movie, and despite their weirdness it always feels to me like they could be real people. No single character ever monopolizes the story, this is about a family and they all share some degree of importance throughout the film.
It deftly hits the sweet spot of that kind of weird dark humor I enjoy, and does it again and again. (grandpa's) in the trunk of our car! :3 Priceless.
It is just like a little ray of sunshine. An often strange and morbid ray of sunshine, but sunshine nonetheless.

Inviso - This movie is SO weird and SO awkward, and I kinda love it for that. You have a cast of eclectic personalities who all feel so bizarre in their mannerisms, yet they also all feel fully fleshed out as unique individuals, and it makes for really compelling character drama. The family itself is small enough that you can have little interpersonal relationships with each duo: Richard is obnoxious about winning at all costs, and he forces that upon his daughter when she wants to be a beauty queen, but also on his angsty teenage stepson; Edwin is crass and obnoxious, EXCEPT when it comes to Olive, who he encourages at all costs; Sheryl is just trying to be the glue of the family, even though everyone elses problems make it so SO hard for her; and of course Frank is a saint, coming back from a suicide attempt to be the sounding board for the familys woes, and leaving them all smiling.
Also, for the all the awkward situations they find themselves inand it does have a very standard something goes wrong and causes problems with the car plot that a lot of this list has hadthe ending is amazing. It starts out SO creepy, with the pageant being all pedophilic and applauded for that, only for Olive to come on-stage and start stripping and twerking to Superfreak. They weaponize the awkwardness of the moment, and its hilarious to see the stage moms getting upset when theyve been willing to parade their daughters around in bikinis. Its such a memorable conclusion, and it really capped off the movie by giving this group of abrasive family members something to come together and bond over. It was very sweet as a result.

Mythiot - [no write-ups]

plasmabeam - Fun cast of well-drawn characters, lots of memorable scenarios, and an ending that took me through a ton of sharp emotions. Overall a great movie. My only major gripe is that scene where they get pulled over by the cop, and he lets them go because of the dirty magazines. That scene was such a cop out, and I wouldve loved to have seen the characters pull off something clever to get back on the road.

darkx - This movie was tough for me to rank. On one hand, its not the kind of film I would generally watch for enjoyment, and there were a lot of things I didnt enjoy about it. Aside from the fact that, for a comedy, the laughs were too few and far between, the father is one of my least-favorite types of people ever and his moment of redemption at the end doesnt even remotely compensate for how much I hated him for 95% of the film. Being perhaps the most famous film ever about child beauty pageants, it doesnt do nearly enough to address the criticisms of the practice. Constant horns blaring trigger me so there was a stretch of the film where I was actually physically uncomfortable and having it go on during Dwaynes meltdown actually activated sensory overload for me and I had to cover my ears. On the other hand though, I can appreciate how well-made this film is. The cinematography is great, the acting is phenomenal from every single member of the cast, and the music is fitting at every single moment. This is going to sound bad, but I actually finally started to get invested in the film after the grandfather died. It had nothing to do with the event, its just that thats when the film really started to ramp up. The laughs became a little more frequent, we saw some amazing development in the characters, not just on their own but with each other. Olive comforting Dwayne, and Dwayne and Franks relationship finally blossoming were highlights of the film for me. The finale with the whole family getting on stage and dancing was great. So yeah, kind of a mixed bag for me. Its probably not something Ill watch again, at least not for a long time, but I am glad I saw it.

Suprak - B-
I usually finish a movie, rank it, and then do the write up, but Im writing this up first because Im not entirely sure where Im going to place it. It is a very difficult movie for me to rank because while I think it is definitely well made, it just is not a very enjoyable film to watch. I know this is a very highly regarded film and I remember seeing this when it came out and enjoying it at the time. I havent watched it in over 15 years now, but I was actually looking forward to another viewing of this because I had good memories of it in my head. And then I saw it and I was like wait, thats the movie? This somehow reached the esteemed status of making it to my favorite movies on my college Facebook? How?
Im going to start with what I didnt like about it and get more positive as I go on. I get the ending. Like as a concept. The family spends all this time fighting but then they come together in the end and jump up on the stage and its this huge mess but its their mess and theyre all in it together. But I dont think they pay off is what the movie thinks it is, at least in terms of comedy. It is sort of a sweet conclusion to an overall bleak film, but it also feels like it is what the movie is building up to and the climax here is sort of underwhelming. This isnt even the only mid 2000s movie I can think of where the climax is an underwhelming dance scene, which is the weirdest part. And it is creepy that you have an adorable Abigail Breslin doing a borderline strip tease and its played for laughs when it really isnt all that funny. And then you have the pedophile erupting is applause and then that scene earlier where Alan Arkin is talking about how young [explicative that Im not sure we can post on GameFAQs] is the best [explicative that Im not sure we can post on GameFAQs] and now Im just feeling gross. It feels clumsy to me, and overlong, and isnt as funny as it seems to think it is.
Also, there are some characters here I just dont like and Im not quite sure the film nails the arc, or at least does it in a way that feels kind of unsatisfying to me. Paul Dano is an unsufferable [redacted] and has quite possibly the most punchable face in the history of punchable faces. Hes a dumb, angsty teen doing insufferably dumb angsty teen stuff, and the film seems to treat him like a voice of reason when hes not. At least to me, he comes off like the film is trying to paint him as this cool guy at the end, when he literally was going on the worlds dumbest vow of silence not ten minutes before. It sort of is this underlying problem I have with the ending, where Im not sure these characters really earned the ending they got. It is supposed to be this show of them all coming together, but I wasnt really on board with a happy ending. Like the dad almost breaking Abigail Bresdin from wanting her ice cream ala modey is just such a mean scene and I dont care if he has second thoughts about her winning at the very, very end Im not ready to forgive him. Most of the cast here is genuinely unlikeable, which is sort of the point but also they didnt do enough to make them un-unlikeable by the point we were supposed to be cheering for them.
While Im having some HOT TAKES I suppose I should crank this all the way up to spicey and say I dont think Alan Arkin deserved an academy award for this. This? He won best supporting actor for this? Which of his six lines (acted exactly in the way Ive seen him act in like five different movies) pushed him over the top here? In 2007 Javier Bardem won for Anton Chigurh and 2008 Heath Ledger won for the Joker and in 2009 Christopher Waltz won for Hans Landa, and in 2005 Alan Arkin won for grumpy grandpa. Like, hes fine and mostly pretty good in this, but if you gave me two guesses for this person who won a best supporting role award for this, Alan Arkin wouldnt have even crossed my mind as a distinct possibility.
Which brings me to the good stuff, and Abigail Breslin is phenomenal in this. Like, she makes the whole damn movie almost by herself. This has to be one of the best performances by an under ten year old ever. She makes this whole movie, and it is the kind of film that just doesnt work without her. She is, quite literally, the sunshine of this film. The little bright spot in this sea of darkness and seeing her keep this dysfunctional group of weirdos together is oddly captivating. Her acting is great, and shes the one thing here that really works for me. I thought Steve Carrell is really good as well, but Abigail Breslin is in a league of her own. This is a really good cast overall, and while I had complaints about the story I really think all of the actors here are doing a great job with the script.
So, it is a mostly good movie that does mostly good things. I feel like it is a bit overloved, and this very much does feel like film festival bait that thinks it is very smart and isnt afraid to let everyone know it. I do not think it is that funny, which isnt a huge problem. But I dont think it is that funny when it is trying to be funny, and thats a bigger issue. We have a really strong cast and some good moments and I did get some warm fuzzies from some of the scenes even if I think it misses the mark on the ending a bit. I do like it even if I dont like it as much as I thought I did. There are some really good things here and a fantastic cast, but theres also a fair bit of stuff I feel like it fumbles too.

Lol I actually had to edit another write-up besides Johnbobb's (this time it actually would not let me post the word I redacted and I had no idea it was still a banned word on GameFAQs... probably because it's generally considered far more taboo in Europe than here in America).

PAYOUTS! JB, Karo, and Exdeath all walk away from the table as winners.

But congrats to Suprak on his enshrinement in the Vegas Hall of Fame!

Vegas Hall of Fame:

• * 2010s Horror: Inviso
• * ABCs of Death: Tom Nook
• * Organized Crime: fortybelowsummer
• * Satire: Pokewars
• * Animated Movies 4: Johnbobb
• * Road Trip Comedies: Suprak

FINAL ROAD TRIP LEADERBOARD:
1) Suprak $10450 (+500 College Road Trip, +650 Are We There Yet?, +500 Road Trip, +200 Any other movie: Father Figures, +200 Any other movie: Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, +2000 Stranger Than Paradise, +1000 The Bucket List, +200 Any other movie : Dumb & Dumber, +1000 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, +650 Rat Race, +1000 Planes, Trains and Automobiles, +200 Any other movie: Bad Trip, +600 Tommy Boy, +600 Smokey and the Bandit, +650 Wristcutters: A Love Story, +500 Were the Millers)
2) Johnbobb $10150 (+500 Road Trip, +800 Due Date, +2000 Father Figures, +2000 Stranger Than Paradise, +850 National Lampoons Vacation, +650 Rat Race, +1000 Planes, Trains and Automobiles, +600 Tommy Boy, +750 Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, +500 Were the Millers, +500 Thelma & Louise)
3) Karo $6700 (+650 Are We There Yet?, +500 Road Trip, +800 Lost in America, +1000 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, +700 Pee-Wees Big Adventure, +600 Tommy Boy, +750 Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, +650 Wristcutters: A Love Story, +500 Were the Millers, +500 Thelma & Louise)
4) Exdeath $6600 (+750 Wild Hogs, +500 Road Trip, +800 Due Date, +800 Lost in America, +1000 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, +650 Rat Race, +1000 Planes, Trains and Automobiles, +500 Were the Millers, +500 Thelma & Louise)
5) Inviso $5300 (+500 Road Trip, +200 Any other movie: Father Figures, +200 Any other movie: Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, +2000 Stranger Than Paradise, +600 Tommy Boy, +650 Wristcutters: A Love Story, +650 Dog, +500 Were the Millers)
6) Fortybelow $3600 (+500 Road Trip, +2000 Father Figures, +600 Tommy Boy, +500 Were the Millers)
7) Great Paul $3350 (+650 Are We There Yet?, +500 Road Trip, +800 Due Date, +650 The Great Race, +700 Pee-Wees Big Adventure)
8) Mythiot $500 (+500 College Road Trip)
8) Lopen $500 (+500 Road Trip)

THE HOUSE WON ON:

• +600 The Cannonball Run (1981)
• +2000 Paul (2010)
• +1000 The Muppet Movie (1979)
• +1500 Sideways (2004)

The correct winner, you love to see it.

Thanks for running it Darkx!

Yeah thanks for running this! I always like doing these as it gives me excuses to watch movies I'd otherwise not watch. At least half of these were brand new to me so that's always a lot of fun.

Until next time, all.

Planning out the next list:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80670684

Bump because I still need to read some of these write-ups.

Final Outlier Rankings:
plasmabeam - 237
Inviso - 201
Mythiot - 189
Suprak - 179
darkx - 173
Karo - 152
Johnbobb - 144

Congrats to plasma for winning most interesting list in a laugher. I feel like Inviso always wins these so this has to be an upset! Johnbobb just barely beats out Karo for most boring list. darkx falls to the middle of the pack after leading the group for most of the project.

I plan on trying to do similarity scores here soon too. I've just been lazy!

Suprak_the_Stud posted...

Johnbobb just barely beats out Karo for most boring list.

oh good at least I won something

Suprak_the_Stud posted...

Congrats to plasma for winning most interesting list in a laugher. I feel like Inviso always wins these so this has to be an upset!

We have Tommy Boy to thank for this!

You should've just liked it like a normal person!

Honestly of all of them, I'm most surprised We're The Millers did well. I thought that was going to get panned by everyone. Good job with that one ranking crew.

I recently got recommended an article of 15 well-known movies that are extremely difficult/impossible to find legally (physical or digital/streaming) and The Cannonball Run was one of them, which explains why both Inviso and I said it was the hardest for us to find out of all the films on the list. For "well-known" movies I had actually never even heard of some of them, but a few other really notable ones that stood out to me were Dogma, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and the original Dawn of the Dead.

Suprak_the_Stud posted...

You should've just liked it like a normal person!

Honestly of all of them, I'm most surprised We're The Millers did well. I thought that was going to get panned by everyone. Good job with that one ranking crew.

I thought for sure that Millers would get wrecked by the Art Snob Brigade, but I'm glad it didn't. Fun flick.

KateMarsh posted...

I recently got recommended an article of 15 well-known movies that are extremely difficult/impossible to find legally (physical or digital/streaming) and The Cannonball Run was one of them, which explains why both Inviso and I said it was the hardest for us to find out of all the films on the list. For "well-known" movies I had actually never even heard of some of them, but a few other really notable ones that stood out to me were Dogma, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and the original Dawn of the Dead.

Did it give the reasoning for TCR being so hard to find? Seems strange, considering the movie spawned sequels.

tagging so I remember to read later.

Bump. Still catching up on these write-ups.

three pages down, seven to go.

KateMarsh posted...

Karo - The film's intended audience seems to be like middle-aged sommeliers or something?

Never had a glass of wine in my wife, yet I found all the wine stuff engaging.

KateMarsh posted...

Suprak - B-
Heres a question. Why the hell is Madsen interesting in Giamatti? He looks like, and I know this is a mean comparison, Paul Giamatti. He is this frumpy, lumpy balding mope who is a pretentious a****** when it comes to wine and cheated on his last wife. He spends the entirety of their entire date moping and being miserable. What part of any of this was endearing? She seems to exist solely for the fact we have someone to hope Giamatti ends up with, but they never show Giamatti actually being worth ending up with in the first place. I mean, you have that incredibly heavy handed scene where hes talking about grapes and hes very clearly talking about himself, which has to be one of the most heavy handed examples of symbolism Ive seen. But beyond that, what does he do to show himself being anything other than the loser he thinks he is? By the end, youre mostly hoping that Madsen ends up with Giamatti because you feel bad for Giamatti and just want there to be something nice in his life. But that isnt a good reason for Madsen to end up with him, and you feel nothing but pity for the women in this movie for ending up with either of these pathetic schlubs.

Didn't she recently get out of a serious relationship? I thought she was looking to rebound and Giamatti was someone she was comfortable with (and a fellow wine enthusiast).

You make some good points though. He's definitely punching above his weight class, and their chemistry was far from electric.

Almost caught up

Finally finish reading through everything. God, I love these topics. Thanks again, darkx, for running this thing.

May as well bump

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