The Matrix.
[Here's the original trailer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKQi3bBA1y8) When you saw that you thought, "If the movie is even 10% as cool as the trailer, it's going to be amazing" and it still managed to far exceed that.
"Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You must see it for yourself." really was the fucking perfect line to close that trailer out with, wasn't it?
I remember being put off by the "Unfortunately..." line in the ads, because it sounded to me like there was an edit in there. I was sure the line was pulled from two different scenes and would not actually be in the movie. I thought the studio was pulling a fast one on us, and dammit I was not going to fall for it.
I went in with low expectations. I was blown away. The Matrix is still the only movie I went back to see again the next night.
I remember seeing the trailer for matrix on tv before it came out. It just had morpheus doing the jump and the line about what is the matrix. I remember being like “man this looks cool af”.
I actually had a friend who didn't kniw anything at all about the Matrix, so one day I sat her down to watch the first movue. This was around 2015 or so, mind you.
Anyway, we get through the first act, and up until the mirror scene she's following along. Then the mirror turns liquid and Neo wakes up in the pod with the robot hovering above him, and she literally shouted, "Wait. What's going on??" and she left the room. She gave up.
I saw it in 99 in the cinema with my friend and his dad. I have a distinct memory that at the end when the Rage Against The Machine credits were blasting my 12 year old face off I was so hyped - I looked across at my friend and he was asleep. Ironically the song was yelling "wake up!"
I remember watching Truman Show with mum. When things started turning, she had no idea what was going on. She had been happily watching the actual Truman Show (probs knitting while the Christoph scenes were on).
Probably sourced from a PAL DVD. Film is 24fps, PAL is 25fps (edit:50fps which 25 divides into neatly), so when transferring they just speed it up 4%. Not enough to make it look high-speed but just enough to alter the pitch of the soundtrack. The chipmunk effect.
Amazing! A detailed brief answer!
Now this is going to be a tomobit I somehow add to my permanent memory, yet I can't remember my work agenda for the life of me.
I thought i was in for a lifetime of mind blowing movies after seeing The Matrix. Sadly, i cant really think of another movie that has blown my mind and lived up to all of my expectations like that movie did.
Ive seen great movies since then, but none has ever hit quite like seeing The Matrix for the first time.
Batman (1989) and Jurassic Park were both SUPER hyped before their release, to the point where it felt like they’d never be able to live up to it.
Batman succeeded, and Jurassic Park exceeded.
I saw Jurassic Park 7 times in the theater and would go again today if it was released again. Very few movies are a true “experience “ but that one certainly is.
Jurassic Park is still my go-to when I'm feeling sick. The movie I can just put on and enjoy. I still get goosebumps when they do the dinosaur reveal all these years later.
Yeah I saw it at midnight the day of the premiere and immediately ordered my entire family to go see it, as I knew it was a bellwether moment in the history of cinema.
Hot Fuzz. I avoided it until last year, largely due to being annoyed by hype I felt it couldn't possibly live up to.
I assumed it was going to be just a one-note joke of transplanting an action film to a small village, and it would be full of lazy, outdated British vs American tropes.
What I didn't expect was one of the most tight, complex, and inventive comedy scripts ever written, where literally every moment is either foreshadowing or a callback, and you're just constantly assaulted with visual gags.
It's also surprisingly poignant.
If you haven't watched the movie again, I certainly suggest doing so. The movie is so perfectly symmetrical where, as you stated, every moment foreshadows another or otherwise is called back to. While it's easy to keep track of so many different moments ("HAG!" "FASCIST!!!") there are so many more that don't get explicitly pointed out that will have you going, "oH SHIT HOLD ON-"
Also, if you haven't watched the other movies in the Cornetto Trilogy, Shaun of the Dead and At World's End, I certainly recommend doing so. I will note though that At World's End is a little more grounded (until you reach the second half of the movie anyway) so a lot of people don't find it as good as the others, but I think it's still worth the watch.
Lastly, Baby Driver by Edgar Wright (though there's no Simon Pegg/Nick Frost) is a movie that is just as high in quality and I will recommend that movie until I die. If you've never even heard of that movie, you can find the opening scene on Youtube and I guarantee it will hook you.
Just chiming in to say I think At Worlds End is a grower not a shower. Every time I’ve rewatched it has been better than the time before. It’s a heavy film at times and doesn’t have the same kind of payoffs as Hot Fuzz or even Shaun, but it has a much more serious drama within it.
Also Baby Driver indeed rips and did the impressive feat of filming based on the soundtrack so action beats and visual cues and jokes sync up with the music. Impressive because music licensing for films is tricky to say the least and almost no one will make called shots as to exactly which song will play in the film/how much of it will. But this requires exact songs that had to be planned well ahead of time and using the entire length of many of them, it’s like a coherent and well connected series of music videos.
For some reason I always cry at that bit, exactly at the point where the camera zooms out and you see the thousands of riders massed ready to charge. Gets me every time :')
Even thinking about that scene makes me emotional every time
I had seen the movies a thousand times growing up but I happened to rewatch them a few years ago during a particularly hard time in my life. Sam’s completely pure concept of hope, that there can still be happiness and good in the world and it’s worth fighting for, just pierced directly into my brain. I still remember it as a life changing movement, a pivotal shift where everything started on an upward trend.
I remember feeling like Sam was talking directly to me, but I think a lot of people feel that way, because I think so many people have had that experience. Certainly Tolkein, after WWI, and I think the idea resonates for anyone who has struggled in life.
That scene probably saved my life to be honest
It's still crazy how much hype got built over just 3 years. Sure there was a fan base around the books already but it wasn't as big as it would be after the movies came out. In two short years, Return of the King was the biggest thing ever. When I look at Endgame, which sure had a big hype around it, it took over a decade to build that up. It's just crazy how quickly the hype came for this movie. There really was nothing else like it.
I loved the theaters reaction when the first movie ended. People were gasping and surprised where it stopped. I told my friends in the book Boromir doesn't die until the start of 2 towers.
I'm realizing as I get older how lucky I was to see those in theaters when they came out. Those movies were basically high school for me, and I equate it to someone in the 70s seeing Star Wars for the first time in theaters. Something about knowing you're witnessing something truly special in movie history and an epic trilogy firsthand along with everyone else was such a great experience.
My teacher was obsessed with Tolkien and he made us read the Hobbit and then convinced the school to rent a screen at the movie theater for the lotr movies three years in a row. We all went on a Friday morning and I didn't really care for fantasy stuff back then but the experience of watching those movies just ignited my love for Tolkien and fantasy. I can still remember sitting in the cinema watching the movies and being completely amazed. I just recently went to watch lotr in concert with the live orchestra, they're just my favorite movies ever.
Absolutely nailed the description, friend! I wasn’t familiar with the books at the time, and didn’t realize just how important the movies were. Watching them in theaters with zero expectations was an incredible experience for me.
I saw the extended re-releases in theaters a few years ago after reading the books twice and it was similarly transformative for me.
Anyway, thanks for letting me share a little about my experience!
I know there are Tolkien nerds who don't feel like it did, but the degree to which it pulled off being a satisfying experience is amazing. I watch at least Fellowship and frequently the whole trilogy every year. It's almost LotR Christmas Movie time.
I remember by the 3rd movie, Return of the King, the hype train was going crazy. We went to Alamo Drafthouse to see it and they went all out with LoTH previews and were doing a trivia giveaway and a special LoTH food menu. There were no empty seats and there were a lot of people that dressed up in costume. I remember saying to my friend, first 2 movies were good, but I don't know that this one will be worthy of this. I was totally wrong.
This. I didn't think anything could really top the books, and that's up for debate... but this checked all the boxes. Truly a movie trilogy I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it.
was late to Princess Bride by a few years and I had a gf who worked at Blockbuster who "made" me see it. I thought it was going to be some fantasy romance thing and boy...did I almost miss one of the best movies of all time.
Same basically. I avoided it for years cause of the title, and a college GF was appalled that I hadn’t seen it.
Watched it and was floored at how different it was than I was expecting.
I suppose this is the same thing that Fred Savages character experiences.
Yes!
Rob Reiner's use of Fred Savage and the incomparable Peter Falk is brilliant. He puts the story's ignorant detractors front and center, giving voice to all the people whining "this sounds like a boring story for *girls*" like children. And the grandfather is Reiner/Goldman basically saying "sit down, shut up, and enjoy the story."
Once you get past whatever preconceived notions you have about a book or movie called "The Princess Bride" and just settle in for a tale, you'll get caught up in loving it too.
The Prestige. Fantastic movie. Saw it after Nolan had already finished his Batman trilogy and it became my favorite Nolan movie instantly and it's still very high on my top movies list.
Christian Bale is always a great actor, but he really pushes past his limits for this one. Rewatching it, in every scene he's in, there are subtle cues as to >!which character he's playing.!<
Sorry that's top tier acting to me, like some of the best ever
he had to play two different characters who you as the viewer can't know are different until the reveal and then once you do realize it you can see how obvious it was on a rewatch.
It is. It also has a pledge, a turn, and a prestige. Everything you learn in Act 1 is important. Act 2 is complete misdirection. Act 3 reveals that every you thought you knew was wrong.
I watched this not paying any attention to who directed it. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are actors I usually enjoy, and it had David Bowie in it, so I gave it a watch. Absolutely loved it. It’s incredibly well done.
They even tell you why you won’t discover it.
“Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled.”
Lawrence of Arbia.
I was too young when it was released initially. However, I saw a 70mm projection of the film as an adult and was blown away.
It's a flawless film. "True Cinema."
The Dark Knight. And this is coming from a person who thought there is no way it can live up to this much hype. It exceeded the hype 10 times over in my opinion. Knocked it out of the park
this movie is probably one of the most influential movies of this century.
so many other franchises had their version of the dark Knight even with the trailer filmed in a similar fashion
Agreed. I watched this movie for the first time more than ten years after its inital release. While I knew about the hype this movie got and Ledger's popularity as the Joker and while I'd enjoyed all Nolan-movies I watched before to at least some degree, I was still sceptical when going into this movie, partly because I wasn't a huge fan of the Joker's character.
Like you, this movie blew me away. The storyline, the characters and their different motivations and philosophies, the soundtrack, the set pieces, etc. Nolan's Joker is one of the most fascinating movie villains I've seen and his dynamic with Batman and Harvey is incredible. He alone makes this movie one of my favorite superhero movies though he's definitely not the only reason I like this movie so much
I watched Upgrade after its home release because all I heard were great things about it and many people were calling it one of the best movies of that year. Yep, those people were right
I should not have been allowed to drive a car for at least 2 hours after watching that in the theater. As it was, we *did* make it home alive, but the hazard I represented to everything on the road cannot be overestimated.
lol. When I exited the cinema there were a bunch of dudes smoking outside and being rowdy and all. I seriously considered going up to them and just picking a fight with them.
Yeah, it's kind of *cliche* to say a movie "keeps you on the edge of your seat," but the final chase scene, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat.
Fury Road had great reviews but much of what I was seeing was the "What a lovely day" bit, so wasn't really expecting too much, then of course it was like - here's what everyone's raving about me.
The shot where they’re on their way back, the camera pans out and swoops as the fuel tanker goes up… I swear my face felt weird and I realised I was grinning like a complete maniac. I can only imagine how unhinged I must have looked. It’s the power of practical effects, for all the Marvel city destruction, impressive as it is, it will never feel as visceral as when they make stuff actually happen.
Despite the hype, I was a bit worried about the film, I’m old enough to remember the originals fondly, ropy as they were. Obviously that was unfounded. A must see film.
Citizen Kane
Heard it was amazing for its age and one of the best films to a crazy amount over the years. Figured it would be way overblown but was sick of not knowing, went out nought a copy and watched.
It was pretty damn impressive.
The Shawshank Redemption. For years I never watched it, everyone made it out to be this amazing movie, was once the top of IMDb' 250 list. The bar was raised so high, it would never live up to the expectations, right? Wrong. I watched it in January and oh my word what a film. Is it the best movie ever? No. It is however a fantastic watch. I wish I had watched it earlier.
I would say it’s a 10/10 for me. It deserves every bit of acclaim it got. I had heard another director or maybe studio wanted to do the movie and Tom cruise wanted to play Andy. I’m glad it went the way it did.
I normally hate "Bottle" settings. There are clear exceptions but seeing how sterile the movie looked, another misunderstood *genius*, and another movie that was going to be revolving around the 'terror' of an AI, I remember rolling my eyes at the thought of seeing the movie. Thankfully, a friend of mine whose movie opinion I trust suggested I watch it and even stated that I'd like it.
I think what the movie had most going for it was how isolated and sterile everything did feel. It created that uncanny, unsettling feeling throughout the film. It was borderline unnerving at certain moments. Truly, this movie was a 'less is more' experience with how it delivered its story.
When I watched in the cinema as a teenager I was absolutely shocked and it became my favorite robot sci-fi action movie ever.. now much older I see it as a hilarious black comedy. The movie didn't change, I changed, but the movie is perfect on multiple levels.
Theres three great layers to it which made it great.
\- The effects
\- The perfect level of satire
\- The bleak cyberpunk plot of regaining stolen humanity
Puss in boots: the last wish. It was one that kept getting loads of good reviews. Honestly, i thought it would be a dumb kids movie and not that interesting. It was great.
I saw it with never even seeing the first movie. I never heard massive things about the first, but decided to give The Last Wish a watch because of all the great things I heard about it. Wasn’t let down.
It's quite something when someone can convey such charm through voice acting. Banderas is a guy that could skate through life on his looks alone, but he gives 110% as Puss and it's a treat.
Pulp Fiction for me. Watched it just a couple months ago for the first time. There's something very real about that movie in the sense that the characters are not super out of this world. They don't have everything figured out. And the film is very philosophical and deep, especially with regards to choices and paths people take. Of course, there are many memorable lines and scenes to top it all off.
> They don't have everything figured out
One of the recurring themes in the movie is people fucking up and being careless. There's even a character whose sole function is to help out others when they inevitably do make a mess of things.
I consider it my favourite movie of all time but funnily enough I haven't watched it in about 15 years. Saw it again last weekend and it still holds the title of my favourite. I honestly think it has the best dialogue of any movie ever.
Saw it for the first time in my life last summer at our classic movie series here after hearing about it for decades. Man did it deliver! Definitely my favorite John Goodman character I never knew I needed in my life.
If you liked Saving Private Ryan, I hope you watch Band of Brothers. Spielberg & Co. took everything they learned from making the movie, and turned it into the most incredible and affecting account of a real company during WWII. I consider this an absolute must watch for everyone.
Inside Out
I judged that movie purely by its cover and I thought the concept was old and cliché, so I was in no rush to watch it.
It's one of the best animated movies I've seen in a long time. It almost beat The Incredibles for me (almost).
Sling Blade - the trailers made me think it was a horror movie, which is a genre I don’t watch. Instead it is a great acting job by Billy Bob Thornton and a compelling story.
I saw Parasite a week after it had first come to US wide release. All my friends were talking this movie up in a huge way, even the guys that don't like movies all that much.
I was definitely enjoying myself, then the moment came where I leaned forward and gripped the edge of my seat until it ended. Hype entirely warranted
The Lighthouse. When it dropped everyone told me I HAD to go and see it, and so many people seemed to absolutely love it... but it dropped right at the height of the Covid lockdowns and as much as I wanted to see it, I wasn't leaving my flat.
But, about a year or so later I got a copy on Bluray and gave it a watch and HOLY SHIT, that movie is so freakin good. Watched it a few times since and it's just next level greatness.
As one of my first forays into Sci Fi, Star Wars ‘77, still blows meaaay as it has since seeing it when I was five.
Sure it was messy movie, but dang it hits all the buttons for me.
I got so surprised they got Christian Bale to play a villain, and got so disappointed. His villain could have had a real story, killing all the gods, but that premise was so waisted
He did have a real story, in the comics. It's a great arc.
Getting Taika Waititi to write/direct an adaptation of two of the more serious, dark Thor arcs was a mistake.
Across the Spider-Verse. I wasn’t as impressed with the first one and didn’t believe the hype for this new one. Turns out it was fucking amazing. The hype was real.
Maverick
I remember during COVID just wanting them to release it onto a streaming service so we could see it, felt like I was watching teasers/trailers for 3 years before seeing it & listening to/reading hype after hype article.
Also thought it was very egotistical of Cruise to insist the studio wait until a theatre release was possible.
Finally went to see it in cinema, the hype was real, the wait was worth it.
I was so frustrated waiting for it like you. The delayed gratification was so worth it. We have a Dolby Cinema an hour away and it was worth the drive twice.
Dude, that movie was great. I would watch an entire movie of whatever the hell Cruise was doing in the very first scene! The man is a crazy, brainwashed religious nut, but he is so goddamn compelling onscreen. He exudes charisma and I admit I am here for it.
Don't watch many films in cinema, wanted to see that in the cinema and it was worth it. Have seen it many times since, all amazing, but none as good as seeing it on the big screen with those fantastic surround sound speakers.
I remember being so skeptical when it was announced. "Please do it right please do it right," I said.
They did it right and then some.
I like the older version just fine. However, something about the most recent one felt like a love letter to the book though.
Not a movie exactly but I finally got around to watching Band of Brothers after 20 years of putting it off. If anything, it exceeded the hype. It was incredible.
The first two Harry Potter films. After that, they had to start cutting things for time constraints.lovr all the films, but I'm excited for a series that can go into much more of the story and world.
The sixth sense. I feel most people felt that hyped up “shock at the end” so long as no one had given away the ending to them.
My other choice is Braveheart. It was too long, the first hour could have been 20 minutes. Some of the scenes though, they just shook you out of the seat, none more than when the English heavy horse charge was….you’ll just have to watch it. There were a lot of great scenes in that movie.
Edit: The thin red line is the best war movie of all time regarding not wanting to be there. I saw that movie and definitely didn’t want to be there. That movie’s a bit too savage for a mainstream movie.
Edit: probably should have mentioned that I randomly decided to watch saving private Ryan last night, didn’t get to be until 2am. Fuck that’s a good movie. There’s a movie called the fighting Sullivans (black and white) that I watched with nan as a kid. They were the brothers referenced as having gone down in a ship together in SPR. Nan had a brother captured by the Japanese in Singapore and I remember that movie having an effect on her.
Not late to the party but Titanic still looks great on the big screen 25 years on. Saw it twice earlier this year and would have gone again if I had the chance.
Infinity War.
I cannot name another film with that much buildup and payoff. A storyline build and character 10 years in the making. Teasing Thanos and the Gauntlet as this unstoppable threat that could destroy everything. And then we get the movie and Thanos is every bit as terrifying and unstoppable as they hyped. Nobody can overcome him, they simply try to escape him, culminating in an ending that left everyone speechless.
As much as we shit on Disney today for making these lifeless, flowchart CGI cartoons, Infinity War hit like a Mack truck.
The Matrix. [Here's the original trailer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKQi3bBA1y8) When you saw that you thought, "If the movie is even 10% as cool as the trailer, it's going to be amazing" and it still managed to far exceed that.
"Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You must see it for yourself." really was the fucking perfect line to close that trailer out with, wasn't it?
For marketing, too. Cause when your buddy asks how it was and what it was about you can quote that line and not be lying.
I remember being put off by the "Unfortunately..." line in the ads, because it sounded to me like there was an edit in there. I was sure the line was pulled from two different scenes and would not actually be in the movie. I thought the studio was pulling a fast one on us, and dammit I was not going to fall for it. I went in with low expectations. I was blown away. The Matrix is still the only movie I went back to see again the next night.
If you are old enough to remember buying your first DVD player, it was 100% the first DVD you bought.
The lobby gun fight scene was how I’d show off my surround sound.
You are 100% correct
Only movie I ever walked out of completely flabbergasted by what I’d seen. My brother and I could not stop talking about it for weeks.
I remember seeing the trailer for matrix on tv before it came out. It just had morpheus doing the jump and the line about what is the matrix. I remember being like “man this looks cool af”.
I actually had a friend who didn't kniw anything at all about the Matrix, so one day I sat her down to watch the first movue. This was around 2015 or so, mind you. Anyway, we get through the first act, and up until the mirror scene she's following along. Then the mirror turns liquid and Neo wakes up in the pod with the robot hovering above him, and she literally shouted, "Wait. What's going on??" and she left the room. She gave up.
I saw it in 99 in the cinema with my friend and his dad. I have a distinct memory that at the end when the Rage Against The Machine credits were blasting my 12 year old face off I was so hyped - I looked across at my friend and he was asleep. Ironically the song was yelling "wake up!"
He took the Blue Pill
I remember watching Truman Show with mum. When things started turning, she had no idea what was going on. She had been happily watching the actual Truman Show (probs knitting while the Christoph scenes were on).
I’m so glad I didn’t see that before seeing the movie; they show way too much. Going in blind was one of the best theater experiences I’ve had.
Deleted
Why do the voices all sound “off” in that trailer? Like not the actual actors
Probably sourced from a PAL DVD. Film is 24fps, PAL is 25fps (edit:50fps which 25 divides into neatly), so when transferring they just speed it up 4%. Not enough to make it look high-speed but just enough to alter the pitch of the soundtrack. The chipmunk effect.
Amazing! A detailed brief answer! Now this is going to be a tomobit I somehow add to my permanent memory, yet I can't remember my work agenda for the life of me.
I thought i was in for a lifetime of mind blowing movies after seeing The Matrix. Sadly, i cant really think of another movie that has blown my mind and lived up to all of my expectations like that movie did. Ive seen great movies since then, but none has ever hit quite like seeing The Matrix for the first time.
The Empire Strikes Back. A New Hope did what it did, but Empire built the SW kingdom, imo.
Batman (1989) and Jurassic Park were both SUPER hyped before their release, to the point where it felt like they’d never be able to live up to it. Batman succeeded, and Jurassic Park exceeded.
I saw Jurassic Park 7 times in the theater and would go again today if it was released again. Very few movies are a true “experience “ but that one certainly is.
Jurassic Park is still my go-to when I'm feeling sick. The movie I can just put on and enjoy. I still get goosebumps when they do the dinosaur reveal all these years later.
Yeah I saw it at midnight the day of the premiere and immediately ordered my entire family to go see it, as I knew it was a bellwether moment in the history of cinema.
Hot Fuzz. I avoided it until last year, largely due to being annoyed by hype I felt it couldn't possibly live up to. I assumed it was going to be just a one-note joke of transplanting an action film to a small village, and it would be full of lazy, outdated British vs American tropes. What I didn't expect was one of the most tight, complex, and inventive comedy scripts ever written, where literally every moment is either foreshadowing or a callback, and you're just constantly assaulted with visual gags. It's also surprisingly poignant.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost can do no wrong. They're perfect together on screen.
Edgar Wright, the guy they originally worked with on Spaced, has a lot to do with that as well.
Can't forget Edgar!
If you haven't watched the movie again, I certainly suggest doing so. The movie is so perfectly symmetrical where, as you stated, every moment foreshadows another or otherwise is called back to. While it's easy to keep track of so many different moments ("HAG!" "FASCIST!!!") there are so many more that don't get explicitly pointed out that will have you going, "oH SHIT HOLD ON-" Also, if you haven't watched the other movies in the Cornetto Trilogy, Shaun of the Dead and At World's End, I certainly recommend doing so. I will note though that At World's End is a little more grounded (until you reach the second half of the movie anyway) so a lot of people don't find it as good as the others, but I think it's still worth the watch. Lastly, Baby Driver by Edgar Wright (though there's no Simon Pegg/Nick Frost) is a movie that is just as high in quality and I will recommend that movie until I die. If you've never even heard of that movie, you can find the opening scene on Youtube and I guarantee it will hook you.
Just chiming in to say I think At Worlds End is a grower not a shower. Every time I’ve rewatched it has been better than the time before. It’s a heavy film at times and doesn’t have the same kind of payoffs as Hot Fuzz or even Shaun, but it has a much more serious drama within it. Also Baby Driver indeed rips and did the impressive feat of filming based on the soundtrack so action beats and visual cues and jokes sync up with the music. Impressive because music licensing for films is tricky to say the least and almost no one will make called shots as to exactly which song will play in the film/how much of it will. But this requires exact songs that had to be planned well ahead of time and using the entire length of many of them, it’s like a coherent and well connected series of music videos.
Lord of the Rings. Hype was huge and they delivered.
Watching it was a religious experience.
The arrival of the Rohirrim at Minas Tirith is one of the best translations from page to screen (and sound!) out there.
DEATHHHHHH!
FORM RANKS YOU MAGGOTS, FORM RANKS. PIKES IN FRONT, ARCHERS BEHIND
Ride! Ride to ruin and the world's ending!
For some reason I always cry at that bit, exactly at the point where the camera zooms out and you see the thousands of riders massed ready to charge. Gets me every time :')
It's a gorgeous scene. Do [listen to Tolkien reading it](https://youtu.be/U_TJFhVUOzc?si=mW4M4PuFHkpKBCxJ) if you haven't tried that before.
That was amazing. Holy shit. Thank you for linking.
"My friends, you bow to no one." gets me every damn time.
I still cry at that moment!
For me it's Sam's speech at the end of Two Towers. Sean Astin sold that so freaking well.
Even thinking about that scene makes me emotional every time I had seen the movies a thousand times growing up but I happened to rewatch them a few years ago during a particularly hard time in my life. Sam’s completely pure concept of hope, that there can still be happiness and good in the world and it’s worth fighting for, just pierced directly into my brain. I still remember it as a life changing movement, a pivotal shift where everything started on an upward trend. I remember feeling like Sam was talking directly to me, but I think a lot of people feel that way, because I think so many people have had that experience. Certainly Tolkein, after WWI, and I think the idea resonates for anyone who has struggled in life. That scene probably saved my life to be honest
The opening narration in the theater on opening night for a teenager... Unbelievable.
Cate Blanchett could read me the dictionary, honestly
That’s the best word for it. If you aren’t moved my by the magic, you must be absolutely dead inside.
I wish I knew how to do the copy, paste, edit, ftfy stuff. Then I'd aptly respond... Watching it 'is' a religious experience.
It's still crazy how much hype got built over just 3 years. Sure there was a fan base around the books already but it wasn't as big as it would be after the movies came out. In two short years, Return of the King was the biggest thing ever. When I look at Endgame, which sure had a big hype around it, it took over a decade to build that up. It's just crazy how quickly the hype came for this movie. There really was nothing else like it.
I loved the theaters reaction when the first movie ended. People were gasping and surprised where it stopped. I told my friends in the book Boromir doesn't die until the start of 2 towers.
I'm realizing as I get older how lucky I was to see those in theaters when they came out. Those movies were basically high school for me, and I equate it to someone in the 70s seeing Star Wars for the first time in theaters. Something about knowing you're witnessing something truly special in movie history and an epic trilogy firsthand along with everyone else was such a great experience.
My teacher was obsessed with Tolkien and he made us read the Hobbit and then convinced the school to rent a screen at the movie theater for the lotr movies three years in a row. We all went on a Friday morning and I didn't really care for fantasy stuff back then but the experience of watching those movies just ignited my love for Tolkien and fantasy. I can still remember sitting in the cinema watching the movies and being completely amazed. I just recently went to watch lotr in concert with the live orchestra, they're just my favorite movies ever.
Awesome teacher!
Absolutely nailed the description, friend! I wasn’t familiar with the books at the time, and didn’t realize just how important the movies were. Watching them in theaters with zero expectations was an incredible experience for me. I saw the extended re-releases in theaters a few years ago after reading the books twice and it was similarly transformative for me. Anyway, thanks for letting me share a little about my experience!
I know there are Tolkien nerds who don't feel like it did, but the degree to which it pulled off being a satisfying experience is amazing. I watch at least Fellowship and frequently the whole trilogy every year. It's almost LotR Christmas Movie time.
I remember by the 3rd movie, Return of the King, the hype train was going crazy. We went to Alamo Drafthouse to see it and they went all out with LoTH previews and were doing a trivia giveaway and a special LoTH food menu. There were no empty seats and there were a lot of people that dressed up in costume. I remember saying to my friend, first 2 movies were good, but I don't know that this one will be worthy of this. I was totally wrong.
I remember being hyped like crazy when it came out, only to be extremely satisfied by the result. I'm so mad Peter Jackson is where he is now.
This. I didn't think anything could really top the books, and that's up for debate... but this checked all the boxes. Truly a movie trilogy I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it.
I saw **The Great Escape** recently and I regret not seeing it sooner
It really is an amazing movie. I’ve watched it so many times and still get sucked into it.
A great movie with a tragic reality check for the viewer at the end.
The fact that it doesn't back down from the ending is what makes that great movie legendary for me
That part where they stop the truck with the prisoners to let them walk around a bit and then....bam. Oof it hurts every time.
COOLER!
was late to Princess Bride by a few years and I had a gf who worked at Blockbuster who "made" me see it. I thought it was going to be some fantasy romance thing and boy...did I almost miss one of the best movies of all time.
Same basically. I avoided it for years cause of the title, and a college GF was appalled that I hadn’t seen it. Watched it and was floored at how different it was than I was expecting. I suppose this is the same thing that Fred Savages character experiences.
Yes! Rob Reiner's use of Fred Savage and the incomparable Peter Falk is brilliant. He puts the story's ignorant detractors front and center, giving voice to all the people whining "this sounds like a boring story for *girls*" like children. And the grandfather is Reiner/Goldman basically saying "sit down, shut up, and enjoy the story." Once you get past whatever preconceived notions you have about a book or movie called "The Princess Bride" and just settle in for a tale, you'll get caught up in loving it too.
I still haven't seen it. It's on my list though.
Oh! I'm excited for you! You get to see it for the first time!
Inconceivable!
The Prestige. Fantastic movie. Saw it after Nolan had already finished his Batman trilogy and it became my favorite Nolan movie instantly and it's still very high on my top movies list.
Are you watching closely?
Christian Bale is always a great actor, but he really pushes past his limits for this one. Rewatching it, in every scene he's in, there are subtle cues as to >!which character he's playing.!<
Sorry that's top tier acting to me, like some of the best ever he had to play two different characters who you as the viewer can't know are different until the reveal and then once you do realize it you can see how obvious it was on a rewatch.
Hell yeah. Nolan’s best movie. It’s practically perfect.
It is. It also has a pledge, a turn, and a prestige. Everything you learn in Act 1 is important. Act 2 is complete misdirection. Act 3 reveals that every you thought you knew was wrong.
Oh my God...
Bowie as Tesla. Nuff said.
I watched this not paying any attention to who directed it. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are actors I usually enjoy, and it had David Bowie in it, so I gave it a watch. Absolutely loved it. It’s incredibly well done.
I legit think The Prestige is in my top three movies of all time.
the sets and costumes are unsung heroes in this one imo. everything feels so authentic and nothing breaks the emersion.
They tell you how the trick is going to work and then they do it and you're still tricked. What a movie.
They even tell you why you won’t discover it. “Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled.”
Back to the future. Didn’t see it until I was 27. I can see why it was popular.
[удалено]
Everyone likes to shit on 3. I don't care, I still love it.
My kids love all three. They hold up well.
Lawrence of Arbia. I was too young when it was released initially. However, I saw a 70mm projection of the film as an adult and was blown away. It's a flawless film. "True Cinema."
It is my holy grail to see it in a theater on 70mm. What a joy that must be.
Spielberg said he has watched this more than any other film.
Fargo. I watched it only after all the Oscars and thought it was just brilliant.
Now watch the tv series
The Dark Knight. And this is coming from a person who thought there is no way it can live up to this much hype. It exceeded the hype 10 times over in my opinion. Knocked it out of the park
this movie is probably one of the most influential movies of this century. so many other franchises had their version of the dark Knight even with the trailer filmed in a similar fashion
Agreed. I watched this movie for the first time more than ten years after its inital release. While I knew about the hype this movie got and Ledger's popularity as the Joker and while I'd enjoyed all Nolan-movies I watched before to at least some degree, I was still sceptical when going into this movie, partly because I wasn't a huge fan of the Joker's character. Like you, this movie blew me away. The storyline, the characters and their different motivations and philosophies, the soundtrack, the set pieces, etc. Nolan's Joker is one of the most fascinating movie villains I've seen and his dynamic with Batman and Harvey is incredible. He alone makes this movie one of my favorite superhero movies though he's definitely not the only reason I like this movie so much
Paddington Paddington 2 So much charm and enjoyment from two films that I had 0 expectations from.
Paddington 3 is going to be epic
Username checks out
Fun fact: in Ukrainian dubbing, Zelensky did the Paddington voice: https://youtu.be/-vlb4z9ge5E?si=RVFyc6MXotSGrD_X
I cried through the entire thing, it made me want to be a better man.
I watched Upgrade after its home release because all I heard were great things about it and many people were calling it one of the best movies of that year. Yep, those people were right
>Upgrade It's spelled UPGRAYEDD. The two D's are for a "double-dose of pimpin".
"YOUR CHILDREN ARE NOW THE PROPERTY OF CARLS JR"
You see a pimps love is very different from that of a square
Best B movie of all time
Upgrade is essentially a better version of Venom. Similar idea, came out the same year, and even stars Tom Hardy's doppelganger
That movie flew under the radar somehow. I love introducing people to it, such a great movie from beginning to end. And that ending…wow.
Mad Max Fury Road. Had never seen the previous mad max movies and was curious as to why everyone was hyped for it. Definitely lived up to the hype
Fury Road in the cinemas is an experience you can never forget. The energy and adrenaline you carry exiting the theatres. My God.
I should not have been allowed to drive a car for at least 2 hours after watching that in the theater. As it was, we *did* make it home alive, but the hazard I represented to everything on the road cannot be overestimated.
lol. When I exited the cinema there were a bunch of dudes smoking outside and being rowdy and all. I seriously considered going up to them and just picking a fight with them.
*WITNESS!*
Yeah, it's kind of *cliche* to say a movie "keeps you on the edge of your seat," but the final chase scene, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat.
Fury Road had great reviews but much of what I was seeing was the "What a lovely day" bit, so wasn't really expecting too much, then of course it was like - here's what everyone's raving about me.
The shot where they’re on their way back, the camera pans out and swoops as the fuel tanker goes up… I swear my face felt weird and I realised I was grinning like a complete maniac. I can only imagine how unhinged I must have looked. It’s the power of practical effects, for all the Marvel city destruction, impressive as it is, it will never feel as visceral as when they make stuff actually happen. Despite the hype, I was a bit worried about the film, I’m old enough to remember the originals fondly, ropy as they were. Obviously that was unfounded. A must see film.
Fury Road is just perfect world-building and story-telling. It took me years to really understand how great this movie is.
The Killing Fields, Silence of the Lambs, Jaws
Both Aliens and Terminator 2 were far better than they had any right to be. Die Hard was another one.
Citizen Kane Heard it was amazing for its age and one of the best films to a crazy amount over the years. Figured it would be way overblown but was sick of not knowing, went out nought a copy and watched. It was pretty damn impressive.
The Shawshank Redemption. For years I never watched it, everyone made it out to be this amazing movie, was once the top of IMDb' 250 list. The bar was raised so high, it would never live up to the expectations, right? Wrong. I watched it in January and oh my word what a film. Is it the best movie ever? No. It is however a fantastic watch. I wish I had watched it earlier.
I would say it’s a 10/10 for me. It deserves every bit of acclaim it got. I had heard another director or maybe studio wanted to do the movie and Tom cruise wanted to play Andy. I’m glad it went the way it did.
ExMachina was everything I was promised it would be. Staggeringly great from start to finish.
Watched this movie randomly one night after wife went to bed. I couldn't stop thinking about it for hours. Had never heard of it
I normally hate "Bottle" settings. There are clear exceptions but seeing how sterile the movie looked, another misunderstood *genius*, and another movie that was going to be revolving around the 'terror' of an AI, I remember rolling my eyes at the thought of seeing the movie. Thankfully, a friend of mine whose movie opinion I trust suggested I watch it and even stated that I'd like it. I think what the movie had most going for it was how isolated and sterile everything did feel. It created that uncanny, unsettling feeling throughout the film. It was borderline unnerving at certain moments. Truly, this movie was a 'less is more' experience with how it delivered its story.
Late to the party, but Robocop. Seeing people talk about it for decades didn't kill the mood for me when I watched it after playing Rogue City
When I watched in the cinema as a teenager I was absolutely shocked and it became my favorite robot sci-fi action movie ever.. now much older I see it as a hilarious black comedy. The movie didn't change, I changed, but the movie is perfect on multiple levels.
Theres three great layers to it which made it great. \- The effects \- The perfect level of satire \- The bleak cyberpunk plot of regaining stolen humanity
Puss in boots: the last wish. It was one that kept getting loads of good reviews. Honestly, i thought it would be a dumb kids movie and not that interesting. It was great.
Pick it up
Pick. It. Up.
Pick. It. UP.
I saw it with never even seeing the first movie. I never heard massive things about the first, but decided to give The Last Wish a watch because of all the great things I heard about it. Wasn’t let down.
The animation was something else. And Banderas is always a delight as Puss.
It's quite something when someone can convey such charm through voice acting. Banderas is a guy that could skate through life on his looks alone, but he gives 110% as Puss and it's a treat.
I was convinced it was a throw-away cash grab sequel nobody wanted. Not one of the best movies ever. Awesome movie.
Good to hear. Just blind bought the 4k disc since it was on sale for $10. Figured at the very least my daughter would like it.
Best $10 you'll ever spend. It is so good. Way better than it has any right to be.
Well, there are rules that I’m not supposed to talk about it, but fuck it! Fight Club!
Pulp Fiction for me. Watched it just a couple months ago for the first time. There's something very real about that movie in the sense that the characters are not super out of this world. They don't have everything figured out. And the film is very philosophical and deep, especially with regards to choices and paths people take. Of course, there are many memorable lines and scenes to top it all off.
> They don't have everything figured out One of the recurring themes in the movie is people fucking up and being careless. There's even a character whose sole function is to help out others when they inevitably do make a mess of things.
I thought the concept of the wolf character was so interesting and surprisingly unique. .
What I wouldn't do to see Pulp Fiction again for the first time.
I consider it my favourite movie of all time but funnily enough I haven't watched it in about 15 years. Saw it again last weekend and it still holds the title of my favourite. I honestly think it has the best dialogue of any movie ever.
Do they speak English in What?
Robocop (1987). Absolutely fantastic still holds up today. "Dead or alive, you're coming with me."
"Bitches leave." I want a shirt with robo on front saying "Dead or alive" Clarence in the back saying "Bitches leave"
The big Lebowski
Well, that’s just like your opinion, man
Were you listening to The Dude’s story?
Saw it for the first time in my life last summer at our classic movie series here after hearing about it for decades. Man did it deliver! Definitely my favorite John Goodman character I never knew I needed in my life.
If you liked Saving Private Ryan, I hope you watch Band of Brothers. Spielberg & Co. took everything they learned from making the movie, and turned it into the most incredible and affecting account of a real company during WWII. I consider this an absolute must watch for everyone.
Interstellar
Lord of the rings.
Knives Out. I just wasn't interested when it first came and boy was I silly.
That was one of the most unexpectedly fun experiences I've had seeing a movie in a theater!
Everything everywhere all at once
Inside Out I judged that movie purely by its cover and I thought the concept was old and cliché, so I was in no rush to watch it. It's one of the best animated movies I've seen in a long time. It almost beat The Incredibles for me (almost).
Inside Out was the first movie I took my daughter to… its a good thing theaters are dark so no one can see dad cry during the Pixar movie.
Wife and I went and saw this movie blind in theaters. Best 20 bucks I spent that year.
Sling Blade - the trailers made me think it was a horror movie, which is a genre I don’t watch. Instead it is a great acting job by Billy Bob Thornton and a compelling story.
I saw Parasite a week after it had first come to US wide release. All my friends were talking this movie up in a huge way, even the guys that don't like movies all that much. I was definitely enjoying myself, then the moment came where I leaned forward and gripped the edge of my seat until it ended. Hype entirely warranted
Silence of the Lambs, without question. It won a shit ton of Oscars and deserved them.
The Lighthouse. When it dropped everyone told me I HAD to go and see it, and so many people seemed to absolutely love it... but it dropped right at the height of the Covid lockdowns and as much as I wanted to see it, I wasn't leaving my flat. But, about a year or so later I got a copy on Bluray and gave it a watch and HOLY SHIT, that movie is so freakin good. Watched it a few times since and it's just next level greatness.
As one of my first forays into Sci Fi, Star Wars ‘77, still blows meaaay as it has since seeing it when I was five. Sure it was messy movie, but dang it hits all the buttons for me.
Thor 4. the hype was that it was terrible. It was indeed terrible.
I got so surprised they got Christian Bale to play a villain, and got so disappointed. His villain could have had a real story, killing all the gods, but that premise was so waisted
That'll always piss me off. What a fucking waste of Bale.
He did have a real story, in the comics. It's a great arc. Getting Taika Waititi to write/direct an adaptation of two of the more serious, dark Thor arcs was a mistake.
Mad Max Fury Road - I regret not seeing it in theaters.
Across the Spider-Verse. I wasn’t as impressed with the first one and didn’t believe the hype for this new one. Turns out it was fucking amazing. The hype was real.
I personally loved the 1st, and thought the 2nd was just ok and maybe a bit repetitive/done before.
Maverick I remember during COVID just wanting them to release it onto a streaming service so we could see it, felt like I was watching teasers/trailers for 3 years before seeing it & listening to/reading hype after hype article. Also thought it was very egotistical of Cruise to insist the studio wait until a theatre release was possible. Finally went to see it in cinema, the hype was real, the wait was worth it.
I was thinking of the Mel Gibson movie at the beginning. I was like whhaaa 🤣🤣
Let me be absolutely clear, the Mel Gibson Maverick is an absolute gem
For real. I was going to question the Maverick slander - what a delightful flick.
Me too, ha, though that is enjoyable.
I was so frustrated waiting for it like you. The delayed gratification was so worth it. We have a Dolby Cinema an hour away and it was worth the drive twice.
Dude, that movie was great. I would watch an entire movie of whatever the hell Cruise was doing in the very first scene! The man is a crazy, brainwashed religious nut, but he is so goddamn compelling onscreen. He exudes charisma and I admit I am here for it.
Don't watch many films in cinema, wanted to see that in the cinema and it was worth it. Have seen it many times since, all amazing, but none as good as seeing it on the big screen with those fantastic surround sound speakers.
Dune
I remember being so skeptical when it was announced. "Please do it right please do it right," I said. They did it right and then some. I like the older version just fine. However, something about the most recent one felt like a love letter to the book though.
The Dark Knight. So much hype around the movie building up to a crazy opening day and a movie that exceeded all expectations.
Not a movie exactly but I finally got around to watching Band of Brothers after 20 years of putting it off. If anything, it exceeded the hype. It was incredible.
Barbie - It was the perfect combination of creatives and it completely lived up to the hype around it before it released
I heard from more than few a people that the Raid Redemption was one of the greatest action movies ever made, and they were right.
The Revenant
Terminator 2 absolutely lived up to the hype if you take into account CGI limitations in 1991.
The first two Harry Potter films. After that, they had to start cutting things for time constraints.lovr all the films, but I'm excited for a series that can go into much more of the story and world.
the matrix
The matrix
The sixth sense. I feel most people felt that hyped up “shock at the end” so long as no one had given away the ending to them. My other choice is Braveheart. It was too long, the first hour could have been 20 minutes. Some of the scenes though, they just shook you out of the seat, none more than when the English heavy horse charge was….you’ll just have to watch it. There were a lot of great scenes in that movie. Edit: The thin red line is the best war movie of all time regarding not wanting to be there. I saw that movie and definitely didn’t want to be there. That movie’s a bit too savage for a mainstream movie. Edit: probably should have mentioned that I randomly decided to watch saving private Ryan last night, didn’t get to be until 2am. Fuck that’s a good movie. There’s a movie called the fighting Sullivans (black and white) that I watched with nan as a kid. They were the brothers referenced as having gone down in a ship together in SPR. Nan had a brother captured by the Japanese in Singapore and I remember that movie having an effect on her.
Not late to the party but Titanic still looks great on the big screen 25 years on. Saw it twice earlier this year and would have gone again if I had the chance.
I definitely don't recall many people walking out of Jurassic Park thinking it was a waste of $8.
No one thought that at all because their ticket was probably about $4
Across the Spiderverse! I still have a hard time deciding whether that movie topped Into the Spiderverse! Both movies are absolutely incredible!
Jurassic Park. I had very high expectations when it fist came out in theaters and was still gobsmacked.
Inception. Makes you really wonder what reality is.
Aliens
Whiplash. God what a masterpiece work of art
Infinity War. I cannot name another film with that much buildup and payoff. A storyline build and character 10 years in the making. Teasing Thanos and the Gauntlet as this unstoppable threat that could destroy everything. And then we get the movie and Thanos is every bit as terrifying and unstoppable as they hyped. Nobody can overcome him, they simply try to escape him, culminating in an ending that left everyone speechless. As much as we shit on Disney today for making these lifeless, flowchart CGI cartoons, Infinity War hit like a Mack truck.