Tag Archives: The Fighter

Podcast

MOV034: “Ain’t That A Little Honey?”

Can DeNiro really drive a taxi? What was your favorite DeNiro movie? Did Marky Mark send out Good Vibrations in The Fighter, or should he taken a dive? Can James Cameron save the people trapped in the Sanctum? And what do these three movies have in common? All these questions will be answered plus the boys discuss whether you really need a Netflix button on your remote on this “very special” 100th review episode of COL Movies.

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The Past: Taxi Driver (1976)

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Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodi Foster, Cybill Shepherd

Trivia:

  • De Niro worked as a cab driver for a month, pulling 12 hour shifts to prepare for the role.
  • Connie Foster, Jodi’s 19 year old sister had to play as Body Double for the then 12 year old Jodi for scenes that were too “Explicit” for her to be on set.
  • The Restaurant used in the movie is a real life cabbie hangout. The Belmore Cafeteria is on 28th and Part Ave South
  • The Girl Scorsese studied to prepare for the role of Iris played her friend on the street
  • The line “You talking to me?” was voted as the #10 movie quote by the American Film Institute, and as as the #8 of “The 100 Greatest Movie Lines” by Premiere in 2007.
  • Robert De Niro has claimed that the “You talkin’ to me?” scene was inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s banter with his audience at a mid-’70s gig
  • When Brian De Palma was attached to the project, he wanted Melanie Griffith to play Iris, but after two weeks of casting, both Griffth and De Palma were fired. Martin Scorsese replaced Griffith with Linda Blair. However, Blair also withdrew, and Scorsese later replaced Blair with Jodie Foster, but there were more than 200 applicants for the role. Scorsese said that Jodie had the ability to play a 12-year-old prostitute.
  • The story was partially autobiographical for Paul Schrader, who suffered a nervous breakdown while living in Los Angeles. He was fired from the AFI, basically friendless, in the midst of a divorce and was rejected by a girlfriend. Squatting in his ex-girlfriend’s apartment while she was away for a couple of months, Schrader literally didn’t talk to anyone for many weeks, went to porno theaters and developed an obsession with guns. He also shared with Bickle the sense of isolation from being a mid-Westerner in an urban center. Schrader decided to switch the action to New York City only because taxi drivers are far more common there. Schrader’s script clicked with both Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro when they read it.

Talking Points:

  • Anyone think that Rorschach from The Watchman might have been influenced by this character?
  • This movie was really “wet” was there a reason?
  • Do you think this movie is more social commentary for the times when it was made or just an interesting story?
  • Did anyone else think the music at the end of the movie.. the crane shot of the crime scene outside the hotel.. was a little over dramatic?

What We’ve Learned:

  • All the animals come out at night
  • In California, when two fags break up, one’s “got to pay” the other one alimony.
  • WE are the people is not the same as we ARE the people.
  • If a mob kills a stool pigeon they leave a canary on the body.
  • Porn Theatre is probably not the best place to take a date… well depending on the date..
  • women are like a union
  • Cybill Sheperd was really cute when she was younger.
  • OMG….Harvey Keitel was jacked in the 70s!
  • Only in NY can a cabbie almost kill a Presidential candidate, whack a bunch of mobsters, save a child prostitute and recover from a coma…then go right back to driving his cab!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Classic, this should be in your DVD Library.
Ray: If your into gritty modern film noir, its a must see. especially for De Niro’s performance.
Steve: Intriguing look into mid-70s New York and the issues faced by Vets returning from Vietnam. Well acted and very interesting characters. Definitely worth a look.

Intermission: Top De Niro movies
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The Present: The Fighter

Director: David O. Russel

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams

Trivia:

  • Mickey O’ Keefe is a Sergeant for the Lowell police department in massachusetts and was the mentor of “Irish” Mickey Ward
  • Art Ramalho’s gym is the actual Lowell West End Gym and not a set. This is in fact where Micky trained and is still a functioning boxing gym to this day.
  • Mark Wahlberg sent the script to Martin Scorsese in hopes he would direct, but he turned it down.
  • Wahlberg started training for the role back in 2005
  • Darren Aronofsky was attached to direct, but left to work on Black Swan

Talking Points:

  • Who do you think gave the best acting performance?
  • Was it just me.. or were there a lot of UGLY people in this movie?
  • The sisters…good, bad, or (and) ugly?
  • The different style of shooting.. out of the ring was more cinematic.. in the ring was very documentary style

What We Learned:

  • Mtv Girls are into 3 ways
  • Dude, its just easier to use the front door, mom knows your in there.
  • The fancy art film, isn’t always the best place to take your date.
  • If you’re a drug addict and someone calls you to do a movie about you…say no!
  • Witness the power of denial….

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Great movie. Unexpectedly enjoyable, must see in my opinion.
Ray: I went into this movie expecting to Hate it.. and I was really entertained.
Steve: Typically do not like this type of film, but I found myself really into it. It was engaging, almost like watching documentary. Definitely enjoyed and recommend it.

The Future: Sanctum

Starring: Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley, Christopher Baker

Trivia:

  • Based on the true story of co-writer Andrew Wight. He once went cave diving and became trapped with fourteen other people in a cave for two days. Their entrance collapsed and they had to look for another way out.

Talking Points:

  • Does James Cameron being attached to this film provide any draw or excitement for you?
  • Based on the trailer, do you think 3D will be good for it?

Summary:

The 3-D action-thriller Sanctum follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Freaks me out.
Ray: Not very excited to see this movie.
Steve: Doesn’t do a whole lot for me. Sets look really good, though…and I like the Australian accents!

Coming Attractions

The Past

The Present

The Future

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Podcast

MOV025: “Excuse Me Stewardess, I Speak Jive”

Jeff shows the love and Steve shows the Meh’s of Airplane! Why did Jeff walk out of Saw 3D? And are our sassy hosts interested at all with The Fighter? This and new on this brand new reel of COL Movies.

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The Past: Airplane! (1980)

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Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, Lorna Patterson, Robert Stack

Trivia:

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s role was originally to be played by Pete Rose, but he was playing baseball at the time of the filming, so the part went to Kareem. He was offered $30,000 to appear in the film, but he asked for $35,000 to buy an oriental rug
  • The film is mostly a parody of Zero Hour! (1957), a film that had a main character named Ted Stryker and such famous “not meant to be funny” lines like “We have to find someone who can not only fly this plane, but who didn’t have fish for dinner.”
  • “Stayin’ Alive” was sped up for the dance scene of the film. Permission from The Bee Gees had to be obtained to speed it up.
  • Nominated for 1981 Golden Globes Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy

Talking Points:

  • If this movie was made today, would it have gotten as good a reception post 9/11?
  • If this movie was released today as a new film, would it be well-received?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Don’t eat the fish on an airplane.
  • The white zone is for loading and unloading only. There is no stopping in the red zone.
  • The red zone is for loading and unloading only. There is no stopping in the white zone.
  • If you’re playing a guitar for a sick girl, watch where you’re swinging the guitar.
  • A polyester suit will always get you the girl on the dance floor
  • If the automatic pilot is failing, just blow him.
  • The doctor on the plane is the one with the stethoscope in his ears.
  • I like my coffee like I like my men.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: If you don’t own this yet, what is wrong with you?
Ray: Mindless, you either dig this kinda movie or you dont.
Steve: Definitely a sign of the times it was made in. I find parts funny, but not the whole thing.

The Present: Saw 3D (2010)

Director: Kevin Greutert

Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Dean Armstrong, Chad E. Donella

Trivia:

  • Kevin Greutert, along with writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, attempted a comprehensive rewrite of the script a week before filming.
  • Due to the slow 3D process, filming was completed in 9 weeks as opposed to the usual 6 weeks for previous installments
  • The garage trap was written for an earlier film in the series, but the producers felt it was “too disturbing” to show in a film. For an unknown reason they finally allowed it to be filmed.
  • Had to be submitted six times to obtain an “R” rating from the Major Motion Picture Association of America, to avoid an NC-17 rating.

Talking Points:

  • Why and When Did Jeff Walk out?
  • What was the point of the 3D in this film?
  • It is necessary to see previous movies to understand this one?
  • Do we really think this will be the “final” SAW?

What We Learned:

  • Plot, is pretty unnecessary apparently
  • Its apparently fairly easy for a known accomplice to a serial killer, and EX POLICE DETECTIVE, to sneak into a police station relatively unnoticed.
  • The makers of this film clearly wanted to go out with a bang.
  • Let’s hope this is the last Saw film.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: First movie I ever walked out of. At least I had my pizza and beer.
Ray: Although I say skip it altogether, if you’re going to see it don’t pay to see it in 3D.
Steve: I actually cringed at times. The stuff spraying at the screen is annoying.

The Future: The Fighter (2010)

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee

Trivia:

  • Matt Damon and Brad Pitt were previously attached to play Dick Ecklund, but the role went to Christian Bale.
  • Darren Aronofsky was previously attached to direct.
  • Michael Fassbender auditioned for a role.
  • Emily Blunt turned down a role.
  • Art Ramalho’s gym is the actual Lowell West End Gym and not a set. This is in fact where Micky trained and is still a functioning boxing gym to this day.
  • The big fight filmed in Lowell at The Tsongas Arena had over 200 “dummies” (props – not people) in the audience to help fill up the stands.
  • Christian Bale reportedly lost weight to achieve the very thin frame of Dickie Ecklund by eating very little. He even went missing for hours at a time in preparation for his role.

Talking Points:

  • Why would you go see this movie?

Summary:
Life story of boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward and his trainer brother Dick Eklund, chronicling the brothers’ early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Massachusetts through Eklund’s battle with drugs and Ward’s eventual world championship in London.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: It’s a boxer flick. I’m a little intrigued.
Ray: Meh.. not my kinda movie. all i can think of is this “Who’s gonna train me!?”
Steve: Not really into biopic kind of movies. Wahlberg looks good, but not interested.

Coming Attractions – Jeff

The Past

The Present

The Future

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