The small things which ruin a movie....

Bicky · 24-04-2003 11:27pm #1

Does it bother anyone else when you see a good film but something unbelievable happens to ruin it?
It always seems to happen near the end so it is all that you can think about when you leave the cinema.
If anyone has any examples then you should post them here

I will get the ball rolling with a film i just seen tonight, phone booth. I actually really enjoyed it because farrell is in my opinion such an excellent actor. The scene which ruined the film for me is at the very end so this may be a

After they find the body of the pizza delivery guy they drag it out onto the street for farrell and the entire world, through the tv stations to identify? Could this really happen? This bugged me so much.

Also sutherland walking up, completely unnoticed and talking to farrell? Surely if it was so easy to approach the victim of the biggest news story in months he would be swamped by reporters?

Anyway that is my two cents and to be honest i think i am being a pedantic fool. But there are plenty more of you out there who are just like me.....

yossarin · 25-04-2003 9:45am

small children ? ones that talk in theatres.

Nemici · 25-04-2003 11:19am

those crazy rats that use mobiles in cinema's. I CANT TALK I AM IN THE CINEMA.

although I read yesterday that the savoy has a mobile phone signal blocker.

also hollywood endings where everything is wrapped up at the end and nothing is left to the imagination.

anthonymcg · 25-04-2003 11:31am

Originally posted by Bicky

After they find the body of the pizza delivery guy they drag it out onto the street for farrell and the entire world, through the tv stations to identify? Could this really happen? This bugged me so much.

Also sutherland walking up, completely unnoticed and talking to farrell? Surely if it was so easy to approach the victim of the biggest news story in months he would be swamped by reporters?

Anyway that is my two cents and to be honest i think i am being a pedantic fool. But there are plenty more of you out there who are just like me.....

Well technically neither of things would happen or could happen. U have to give a certain amount of leverage when it comes to exact reality in films that are supposed to depict real world situations. I don't mind stuff like that, I've got used to it really.

Hobbes · 25-04-2003 1:57pm

Originally posted by Nemici
although I read yesterday that the savoy has a mobile phone signal blocker.

Are jammers legal? IIRC blocking the phone signal will cause a mobile phone to try boost it's output to get a base station signal?

Tom · 25-04-2003 2:41pm

The small things which ruin a movie....

Tom Cruise

Bicky · 25-04-2003 6:46pm

I understand that a certain leverage must be given to depict a real life situation in a cut back context.
Fair enough the chances of a criminal mastermind having every detail perfect is unbelievable. How did he know the cops would be called?

Killing the delivery guy, hiding the gun and re-routing the telephone lines all imply he knew every step long before it happened.

All this is a stretch of the imagination but without it the film could not happen.
On the other hand is it too much to ask that

he identifys the body in the ambulance and he phones farrells mobile to give the final hey buddy your not all clear yet speach?

lyonsy · 25-04-2003 7:32pm

do ya think bombs really have bright red numbers on them counting backwards? wouldnt they be a lot more effective without them, or the red light that comes on when the bomb is armed and the green one when its safe.

Karl Hungus · 25-04-2003 7:46pm

Originally posted by lyonsy
do ya think bombs really have bright red numbers on them counting backwards? wouldnt they be a lot more effective without them, or the red light that comes on when the bomb is armed and the green one when its safe.

Ah, but how will the American audiences know that they are bombs without these wonderfull clichés?

lyonsy · 25-04-2003 8:17pm

This may be so but there are certain unwritten rules when it comes to bombs on tele.
When you cut the wire to the detonator, the timer will stop. You will not be able to do this, however, until only one second remains.
All wires have different colors, so the hero can easily differentiate them when he has to cut the right one.
Bombs detonated with microwave ovens always explode 2 seconds after the timer reaches 00:00 and the microwave oven beeps (ex. "Under Siege").
Explosions always happen in slow motion. When an explosion occurs, make certain you are running away from the point of detonation so the blast can send you flying, in slow motion, toward the camera.
A building that in real life would require several dozen carefully placed explosive charges for demolition, can in a movie be destroyed by a single bomb in a car trunk (see "Lethal Weapon III"). This bomb will cause no damage to any other building on the block.

kaimera · 25-04-2003 9:56pm

A building that in real life would require several dozen carefully placed explosive charges for demolition, can in a movie be destroyed by a single bomb in a car trunk (see "Lethal Weapon III"). This bomb will cause no damage to any other building on the block.

ehh...wasn't the Oklahoma bombing done w/a car bomb?
Damn destroyed the building.

Dun · 25-04-2003 11:43pm

Originally posted by Kaimera
ehh...wasn't the Oklahoma bombing done w/a car bomb?
Damn destroyed the building.

Yeah, but that was intended for the building, whereas most car bombs (I presume) are intended just for whoever's getting into the car.

Anyone using a computer in a film annoys me. Nobody uses a mouse, and everything comes up in big giant letters like

ACCESS DENIED

or some crap like that. Plus it's ever so easy to get to a login screen for the Pentagon or something from anywhere, it's just guessing the password that's problematic. Of course, after a few tries they always get it. Grrr. Try telling that to someone who's locked themselves out of their windows or hotmail account.

[CALIBUR] · 26-04-2003 1:29am

Originally posted by dun_do_bheal
Yeah, but that was intended for the building, whereas most car bombs (I presume) are intended just for whoever's getting into the car.

Anyone using a computer in a film annoys me. Nobody uses a mouse, and everything comes up in big giant letters like

ACCESS DENIED

or some crap like that. Plus it's ever so easy to get to a login screen for the Pentagon or something from anywhere, it's just guessing the password that's problematic. Of course, after a few tries they always get it. Grrr. Try telling that to someone who's locked themselves out of their windows or hotmail account.

god I hate that.

the words are big and fat and looks simple to use. Also someone is playing game they have to move with the joypad/joystick they have in there hands and the sound of lasers is so used when acting of playing game. thats way I hate hackers

Shinji · 27-04-2003 1:24pm

All wires have different colors, so the hero can easily differentiate them when he has to cut the right one.

I remember being vastly amused by the episode of Stargate SG-1 where O'Neill has to defuse a nuke, and opens the panel only to discover that all the wires are the same colour; he then proceeds to cut them at random, complaining loudly as he does about what a badly designed bomb this is

oneweb · 27-04-2003 1:54pm

As bad and unbelievable as (I thought) the storyline was in the Core, the bit where

The guy and the gal, at the end of it all, having placed the bombs (with a massive green countdown display on each) in the core and still at the centre of the earth, have 12 minutes left to their ultimate deaths from the explosions. And they just sit back. And wait. Yup. We're gonna die. Let's just wait.

Gah! You've got 12 minutes 'till ya die. You've got a member of the opposite sex sitting beside you. Dammit, even I would!!!

That bit just made the script a complete joke. (Well, it was that already).

Bicky · 27-04-2003 6:14pm

Thanks oneweb. Good contribution.
I got another one from another farrell film, The Recruit.

when they are transporting the "virus" out of the CIA headquarters she uses one of those keyring drives. Now i am no expert but you can get those with 1 gig on komplett for a few hundred squid so what would the CIA have? Yet still she has to break the virus up and bring it out in different parts? WTF does farrell not get slightly suspicious about this??/

I am not obsessed with farrell or anything, just these are the last two movies i have seen in the cinema.

Sev · 27-04-2003 6:17pm

The end of 'Contact'.

DMT · 27-04-2003 6:51pm

Originally posted by dun_do_bheal
Anyone using a computer in a film annoys me. Nobody uses a mouse, and everything comes up in big giant letters like

ACCESS DENIED

I'd love it if just once in a film or tv show, someone tried to hack a computer, have "ACCESS DENIED" come up, then crack the password and only to say:

"Ah crap, that was just the screensaver!"

karma kabbage · 28-04-2003 1:11am

really hopeless situations.... if a situation is just incredibly bad and stressful and everyone is miserable, and there is no way out of it...but then 5mins later in the movie it's all fine again. That annoys me!

Karl Hungus · 28-04-2003 1:18am

Hype...

That can very easily ruin a movie.

MiCr0 · 28-04-2003 9:35am

Originally posted by dun_do_bheal
Yeah, but that was intended for the building, whereas most car bombs (I presume) are intended just for whoever's getting into the car.

Anyone using a computer in a film annoys me. Nobody uses a mouse, and everything comes up in big giant letters like

ACCESS DENIED

or some crap like that. Plus it's ever so easy to get to a login screen for the Pentagon or something from anywhere, it's just guessing the password that's problematic. Of course, after a few tries they always get it. Grrr. Try telling that to someone who's locked themselves out of their windows or hotmail account.

so what would you rather see?
are you supposed to just guess whats happening?
should they go into great depth about the login system?

"Quick, i need a 10 feet of UTP cable and telnet"
"But what if they use ssh"
"Ok, download the latest version of putty"
"Whats the url again?"
"Do a google ffs"
"Ok i got it now - now what?"
"Dial in to AOL and lets h4X0r the pentagon"
"whats the phone number"
"01-2334434"
"Ok, i'm in - now what?"
"enter your dialup username and password"
"and that is?"
"haX0r and 2l33+"
"Ok, i'm in, how do i know i have access to their database"
"google again"

and on and on............

its a movie for god sake. they can't go into proper depth for everything, thats why its "a movie", not a documentry.............

Kai · 29-04-2003 9:25pm

The one big thing that always without fail ruins films for me is the bloody adverts ya see for a week before ya see the film.
Because of these stupid things i havent been surprised by any film in ages. And before one of you jumps to the whole "if it wasnt for adverts how would you know what film to see" cos that wont wash.
Imagine if you had gone to the cinema wondering whats this new film the matrix ? or i wonder will LOTR look any good.
Imagine the delight of seeing it without having known about the special effects and the main actors and storyline for 2 weeks because youve seen ads on TV.
I knew the storyline and the main scenes from nearly every film ive seen in the last 3-4 years from ads.

A story with a stupid ending is bad, watching a film for the first time and knowing the ending a mile away cos of the ads is a lot worse.

sceptre · 30-04-2003 12:58am

Originally posted by Frugu
Imagine if you had gone to the cinema wondering whats this new film the matrix ?

I did. And you're right - it helped.
(hadn't been to the flicks in about six weeks so hadn't seen any trailers at all)

Goodshape · 30-04-2003 1:34am

Originally posted by Frugu
Imagine if you had gone to the cinema wondering whats this new film the matrix ?

The only trailer I saw for the matrix was the super cool 'You can not be told...' teaser, which didn't give anything away. I know what you're on about though... I've never even seen Snake Eyes, but I can fu9king guarntie

gary sinese

did it.

Hollywood ending annoy me.

Bicky · 30-04-2003 2:22am

haha. Its true that it would be great to see a great film without any expectations. But how many bad movies would you waste your money on which you could have avoided if you had read a few critics views!

karma kabbage · 30-04-2003 2:40am

but.... expectations can make a movie... sometimes when you've heard nothing but pants about a movie and you go see it anyway, it completely proves 'em wrong. it's even better then

Dun · 30-04-2003 9:48am

Originally posted by MiCr0
so what would you rather see?
are you supposed to just guess whats happening?
should they go into great depth about the login system?

[..5 mins later..]

its a movie for god sake. they can't go into proper depth for everything, thats why its "a movie", not a documentry.............

Holy Mother of Rants Batman! Chill out!

Proper depth? Um, if they can show someone driving a car realistically without going into depth about;

-I am opening the door
-I am getting in
-I am putting the key in the ignition etc., etc..

Then why not show something more realistic computer-wise. Yikes, it's just a flipping opinion :rolleyes:

MiCr0 · 01-05-2003 8:55am

i was just proving my point
ever read the list of "things that always happen in movies"?

* you can always find a parking space in front of where you want to go
* you can always find a taxi, and you always pay with the first note that you pull out of your wallet

these are to make the movie intersteing and to not get bogged down with tediousness.

what would be a better system for a film when it comes to computer hacking?

some 14 year old running a script?
some 30 year old reading rfc's and writing a long and detailed script, which fails and fails.... and on and on

its a movie - chill out!!!

TomTom · 03-05-2003 1:39am

Movies that give hints that there will be twist or give obvious hints about certain charachters that turn out to be the culprits. Subtlely is best.

People that tell you "there is a savage twist near the end of the movie, you'll never expect it", well i will know dumbass.

Bad photgraph always takes from a film, no matter how good it may be. It gets so annoying watching a camera pan around when it does not need to and is hard on the eyes when in a cinema.

I'm tired so i'm cranky.

aine · 03-05-2003 5:52pm

Originally posted by Nemici
those crazy rats that use mobiles in cinema's. I CANT TALK I AM IN THE CINEMA.

although I read yesterday that the savoy has a mobile phone signal blocker.

.

those are to the best of my knowledge against the law... infringement of civil liberties or something like that!

Little inconsisitencies are what get my back up....like when you know that the life and soul has been edited out of the film! Gangs was a bit like that as far as editing went!

Clintons Cat · 03-05-2003 6:54pm

i really hated that bit in Gangs Of NY where it switched to doccumentary style to advance the plot.that totally broke the suspension of *Disbelief for me.

also any time an actor plays to the camera,yes we knew it was a movie thanks,

DiscoStu · 03-05-2003 7:07pm

Originally posted by MiCr0

"Quick, i need a 10 feet of UTP cable and telnet"
"But what if they use ssh"
"Ok, download the latest version of putty"
"Whats the url again?"
"Do a google ffs"
"Ok i got it now - now what?"
"Dial in to AOL and lets h4X0r the pentagon"
"whats the phone number"
"01-2334434"
"Ok, i'm in - now what?"
"enter your dialup username and password"
"and that is?"
"haX0r and 2l33+"
"Ok, i'm in, how do i know i have access to their database"
"google again"

and on and on............

That is the funniest thing ive heard all day. You are indeed l33t

as for things that ruin films, i have to say colin farell. i cant stand the guy, even in minority report.

Caesar_Bojangle · 03-05-2003 8:09pm

Seats, i'm 6ft6 so most cinema seats are just too damn small. I have to constantly fidget to get the proper level of pleasure for my ass. My ass is a nice ass though.

hells angels · 08-05-2003 12:11pm

people on these boards puttin in fúckin spolier's and ruining the whole film for the rest of us

Caesar_Bojangle · 08-05-2003 7:19pm

agreed, i'm going over to read the matrix review thread after this and if i find one spoiler in the thread, retaliation with be carried out against the offending party.

simu · 12-05-2003 2:25am

In US films, in particular:

All French ppl speak perfect English with a French accent amongst themselves, idem for other nationalities
This is especially silly when u have Nazis speaking English with a German accent to each other, seeing that they considered all other cultures to be inferior to their own.
Yes, I know most Americans don't like subtitles, but reading a few lines wouldn't kill them

Also, non-Irish ppl with rubbish Irish accents - get an Irish voice coach for advice!

Sex scenes:
Kissing is too clean, no spit, no tongues!
Nothing awkward ever happens unless it's central to the storyline - like no one ever mentions using a condom even though they're going to sleep with a complete stranger.
Nudity done too self-consciously - L -shaped sheets - reach up to the woman's chest but only to the man's waist, for example!
Sex, when shown, is just too well - choreographed - dosen't happen like that in real life!

rabbitinlights · 12-05-2003 11:41am

Having to pee.............
after drinking one of those way too big for one hand "large cokes"
It sits in my belly till about 20 min before the end then it wants out. so instead of missing anything you sit there dying, unable to think about the film. doing untold damage to your bowels. also you probably paid around 6euros for the pleasure of the drink!
Is this just me?

if it is im only joking.............

Mercury_Tilt · 12-05-2003 6:44pm

This post has been deleted.

The small things which ruin a movie....

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