"Magic" Mark Hurr
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Here, have some chili dogs
Now featuring half the brain that you do.
Posts: 16,603
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Post by "Magic" Mark Hurr on Jan 15, 2009 4:43:45 GMT -5
just saw it myself and I agree with a lot of the reviews. Rourke was great and so was Tomei. Definitely identify with their side story.
i was hooked all of the way through and i recommend to anyone who likes good movies period not just wrestling fans.
marked for every wrestler i recognized and just felt like the cast did award worthy work because it envoked the right emotions to put you in the movie especially with it's honesty.
movies like this go a long way in balancing out the turds that come out during the year.
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Post by G✇JI☈A on Jan 15, 2009 7:07:50 GMT -5
I tried to see it today but my nearest multiplex was not showing it. 12 screens but oh no that had to show Igor (Which I bet no one sees) and that crappy looking Will Smith film and the latest Kate Hudson attempt to expand her horizons by starring in another crap romantic comedy.
Saw Benjamin Button instead.
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Post by knockknockbraden on Jan 16, 2009 2:06:31 GMT -5
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Post by shiranui on Jan 16, 2009 11:02:52 GMT -5
I couldn't help but picture this song whenever we see Mickey backstage anywhere: I couldn't quite recall what the melody heard in those scenes reminded me of, that would be it. Thanks. Just saw the film, absolutely fantastic.
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Ram Jam
Trap-Jaw
Ooh Oui.
Posts: 362
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Post by Ram Jam on Jan 16, 2009 13:34:29 GMT -5
It's finally arrived in Houston. I have my tickets for a 10pm showing tonight. I keep glancing at the clock and I'm so excited that I think it's going backwards...
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Steveweiser
Dalek
Mickie Mickie You're So Fine... Hey Mickie!
THE GRAPS
Posts: 50,249
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Post by Steveweiser on Jan 16, 2009 16:13:33 GMT -5
Just got back from seeing it - very heartbreaking in a lot of ways, but also very touching, and they seem to capture indy wrestling pretty well. Personally not sure why ROH would book two 80s guys for a main event, but the fact it was ROH rather than a WWE knockoff made me feel a bit easier with it.
One thing I'd have liked is if they'd had shown why Randy had fallen on hard times, rather than showing the cuttings from his glory days and then going to him at the school gym. His relationships with Cassidy/Pam and Stephanie were also well written - for not being in the film all that much, Evan Rachel Wood played Stephanie really well, and you could understand the hurt she felt when Randy came back into her life, and then missed their dinner together.
Marisa Tomei was also amazing as Cassidy/Pam, but I couldn't help but notice that she looked like a 40-something Mickie James. That instantly made her hot to me, and I really loved what her character brought. Her role in the ending was pretty intriguing - did she abandon Randy, or was she coming to save him as he was about to pull off the Ram Jam?
As for Mickey Rourke, that guy was brilliant. One of my favourite bits was when he walked to the deli counter like he walked to the ring, it's pretty much the same thing except that there's no music, and the fans aren't cheering you as you come out. I also liked his match with the Necro Butcher, he wouldn't have looked out of place in CZW.
Not sure if it belongs in my favourite movies of all time yet, but repeated viewings may change my mind.
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Post by Evilution E5150 on Jan 16, 2009 19:28:55 GMT -5
i was kinda confused by the ending, i was hoping things sorta got resolved and as for pam "abandoning" randy when he went to the match i'd say it was more that she cared too much for him to watch him kill himself
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Post by Da (No Sold) 7-1-3 Itch on Jan 17, 2009 4:15:22 GMT -5
I still can't believe that such a great movie that is getting so much praise and love, is about pro-wrestling
SPOILER
Being that its a Darren movie, I kept thinking to myself throughout the beginning of the film, if he dies then I am gonna be pissed, he better not die, this is gonna suck if he dies but at the end, that last shot and then the song after the black screen was just perfect
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Post by Throwback on Jan 17, 2009 9:29:30 GMT -5
I just watched it. I thought it was really good. Strange ending though
Spoiler below
I still don't get why he put his thumb in the meat slicer
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The Lodger
Don Corleone
Wino is not pleased.
Posts: 1,394
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Post by The Lodger on Jan 17, 2009 14:09:57 GMT -5
It was hard for me.
I just watched it, and like most Aronofsky films, it'll take a while to sink in. The reason why it was hard is I had to balance watching it as a wrestling fan, and as a movie fan.
"Wow, this shot is so perfect, showing his broken down OMG IT'S CLAUDIO! and the way Rourke has become the character and HOLY **** IT'S NIGEL! the structure is fighting cliche while embracing the needs of the audience."
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Post by G✇JI☈A on Jan 17, 2009 18:59:25 GMT -5
Seeing it today. What Sucks I have to travel about an hour from where I'm to see it cause all the cinema's in my area are not showing it. I blame the School Holidays. F***ing family films hogging all the screens.
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Post by Throwback on Jan 17, 2009 21:00:48 GMT -5
I watched it from he comfort of my computer chair.
I thought it was great, but I felt the ending came out of nowhere and left me wanting more.
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Dragonfly
Unicron
...is no Barry Windham.
Posts: 2,501
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Post by Dragonfly on Jan 18, 2009 1:42:47 GMT -5
Fantastic movie. Maybe it's me, but Randy Robinson reminded me a lot of Tracey Smothers. I think it was due to the way Randy dealt with the fans. No matter what was going on, he was always there for them and genuinely appreciated their support. Smothers is the same way, at least the times that I've dealt with him. He's the type of guy who will go the bar afterward and talk to everyone who was at the show, be it wrestler or fan. It just makes it all the more tragic for me.
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Post by Solid Stryk-Dizzle on Jan 18, 2009 1:57:33 GMT -5
R-Truth killed the RAM!
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Post by Citizen Snips on Jan 18, 2009 9:34:02 GMT -5
7 out of 10. A good movie that didn't come close to living up to all the hype's it gotten. The ending really just fell flat.
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Post by Mr Potato God on Jan 18, 2009 12:23:43 GMT -5
I really don't get why some people don't dig the ending... Theres an old saying in story telling that its best to enter late and leave early.
I love that they didn't over explain the characters, I love that they left an open ending. I think that really engages me as a viewer and it gives the characters a life before and after the story that I am free to think about and make up for myself.
I think this negative response is due to the conditioning of Hollywood story telling that everything needs to be spoon fed. Its a real shame because I think that really kills the imagination.
As for why he punched the meat slicer, he's a wrestler not a philosopher. He acted on impulse out of frustration.
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Post by Citizen Snips on Jan 18, 2009 12:48:08 GMT -5
I really don't get why some people don't dig the ending... Theres an old saying in story telling that its best to enter late and leave early. I love that they didn't over explain the characters, I love that they left an open ending. I think that really engages me as a viewer and it gives the characters a life before and after the story that I am free to think about and make up for myself. I think this negative response is due to the conditioning of Hollywood story telling that everything needs to be spoon fed. Its a real shame because I think that really kills the imagination. As for why he punched the meat slicer, he's a wrestler not a philosopher. He acted on impulse out of frustration. It wasn't an "open" ending, though. Not seeing the end of the match and Ram's fate doesn't make it open, leaving questions for the audience would make it open. The only question involved was whether he lived or died. If he lived, he'd simply keep wrestling and living his empty life without his daughter or his stripper. That's why I felt it was a flat ending. Not only did they really rush through it (no stripper, then no daughter, maybe stripper, wrestle the biggest match in the last 20 years of his life, no stripper after all, off the top rope! all in about 15 minutes of screentime), but there was a lack of ambiguity or openess. He'd just simply go on living his sad life until he had a heart attack, either seconds, days or years after diving off at The Ayatollah. Once the movie was over, I had no unanswered questions or feelings. It's just "Well, that's the end of that tale" As for the knock at "Hollywood style" story-telling and "spoon-feeding" the audience, how does "The Wrestler" not fit into those definitions? The plot was completely straight-foward, the characters were all archetypes, it had none of the style of Arinofsky's previous films...but for the lack of star power, this movie could easily be placed into multiplexes.
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Post by Mr Potato God on Jan 18, 2009 13:26:58 GMT -5
I really don't get why some people don't dig the ending... Theres an old saying in story telling that its best to enter late and leave early. I love that they didn't over explain the characters, I love that they left an open ending. I think that really engages me as a viewer and it gives the characters a life before and after the story that I am free to think about and make up for myself. I think this negative response is due to the conditioning of Hollywood story telling that everything needs to be spoon fed. Its a real shame because I think that really kills the imagination. As for why he punched the meat slicer, he's a wrestler not a philosopher. He acted on impulse out of frustration. It wasn't an "open" ending, though. Not seeing the end of the match and Ram's fate doesn't make it open, leaving questions for the audience would make it open. The only question involved was whether he lived or died. If he lived, he'd simply keep wrestling and living his empty life without his daughter or his stripper. That's why I felt it was a flat ending. Not only did they really rush through it (no stripper, then no daughter, maybe stripper, wrestle the biggest match in the last 20 years of his life, no stripper after all, off the top rope! all in about 15 minutes of screentime), but there was a lack of ambiguity or openess. He'd just simply go on living his sad life until he had a heart attack, either seconds, days or years after diving off at The Ayatollah. Once the movie was over, I had no unanswered questions or feelings. It's just "Well, that's the end of that tale" As for the knock at "Hollywood style" story-telling and "spoon-feeding" the audience, how does "The Wrestler" not fit into those definitions? The plot was completely straight-foward, the characters were all archetypes, it had none of the style of Arinofsky's previous films...but for the lack of star power, this movie could easily be placed into multiplexes. See my review on the previous page. As for the issue of rushing the ending, that was the climax of the film. The whole thing builds up to the breakdown of all those relationships which is the motivation for him to get back in the ring. If he had time to digest all of those breakdowns, he might have been more rational. By editing all those events closely together, Aronofsky lets the audience in on the same feeling of rapid dissapointment in that Randy experiences. Again you're talking about plot, I think in terms of characters. This was not a plot film and was carried by subtext and character development. Its the subtle things that make the Wrestler such a great film. Watch it for the "psychology" not for the "chair shots".
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The Lodger
Don Corleone
Wino is not pleased.
Posts: 1,394
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Post by The Lodger on Jan 18, 2009 15:47:09 GMT -5
SPOILERS BTW
It's a character driven piece, through and through.
The importance of the ending was not what happened after he jumped off the turnbuckle, the ending was that he jumped off of the turnbuckle at all, that's the point. The action itself was the importance of the character, not the results. At first, I shared the view that I would've liked to have known what happened afterwards, but then I asked myself why?
Two possibilities, one he wins, but dies anyway, like we knew was going to happen, making another 5 or 10 minutes of him dying, stripper sad, daughter regretful, wrestling fans remorseful, etc. meaningless.
The other, he doesn't die, he wins and while he lost everything, at least he's still wrestling. That sounds kind of lame to me.
In my opinion, the movie ended when it needed to, anything after would've been extra curricular and ultimately would've dragged the movie.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2009 18:17:40 GMT -5
One thing I'd have liked is if they'd had shown why Randy had fallen on hard times, rather than showing the cuttings from his glory days and then going to him at the school gym. I thought they did that quite well by showing him getting his hair done, going to the tanning parlour, frequently paying for the private dances and the drinks while at the strip club. He was living a lifestyle he just couldn't afford to keep up. Just saw it there, really enjoyed it. Mickey was really convincing, and it's not hard to see why, he's been through it all himself. Bring on the Oscar.
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