Revisiting Shawshank

[-D-RocK-]

It's a beautiful film throughout.

 

 

 

However Dufresne's escape sequence, though dramatic, could not be possible in real life.

 

 

 

It is in my movie collection, which now consists of 14 DVDs.

[JohnnyBlaze]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Oct 11 2009, 01:53 PM)

I'll add my voice to the many TRF members who think this is one of the very best films of all time.  And yes, like many of you, I stop channel-surfing when I come across it on TV... and then watch it AGAIN.  Of course I know what's coming next, but I also know "what's coming next" is SO GOOD that I don't want to even run to the kitchen and miss it.  It's just so perfect in every way - as others have said, it's got a little of everything - and at its core it's a story of hope and redemption, a very important theme indeed.  I really can't find a single thing to criticize the movie about.  Far-fetched?  I don't think so. SPOILER:  I first saw it in the theater, and that scene where Tommy is explaining to the Warden in the prison yard that he (Tommy) has evidence Dufresne is innocent, and then what the Warden does about it... well, I can't fully describe my feelings in seeing that, but I know I was shocked and I felt very badly for Dufresne afterwards.  The novella by Stephen King was also very good; the filmmakers only changed a couple very small details, and otherwise remained faithful to King's story.  "Red," however, is not a black man in the novella, but an Irishman.  You'll remember in the movie Dufresne asks Red how he got that nickname, and Red answers "Maybe it's 'cause I'm Irish."  This was in keeping with the novella, but with African-American Morgan Freeman saying the line, it becomes sort of a little joke. A few things I JUST learned from IMDB: 1.  After the film gained popularity, Ted Turner sold the television rights to TNT, his own network, for much lower than normal for such a big film. Because it is so inexpensive to show, the film is broadcast on TNT extremely often.  (THAT explains it!) 2.  SPOILER:  Red describes Andy's dream as a "shitty pipe dream."  During his escape to live that dream, Andy crawls through the sewer pipe of the prison, literally a "shitty pipe."  (Never thought of that.  Clever!)  3.  Some of the people considered for the role of Andy Dufresne: Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner.  (Good actors, but I can't imagine any of them besting Tim Robbins' performance.)

Trivia points #1 & #2 are kind of interesting. (I like that kind of stuff.)

As for point #3...For me, Cruise & Costner are only good if they have the perfect role FOR THEM (I'm thinking Cruise in Magnolia and Costner in Fandango). Hanks possibly could've done as well or better because I think he's pretty much decent or better in anything he does. But having said that, Robbins did well as did everyone else. The actor who played the warden was an excellent villain and Clancy Brown (the Captain of the guards) is always good at playing an asshole

[Rush Cocky]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 10 2009, 07:10 AM)

Ok, I've seen this movie many times, last night being the most recent. This truly is one of the best movies of all time. Great story told amazingly well, absolutely incredible acting, nicely paced, interesting twiists - just a fantastic moving story of tragedy, humor, persistence, hope, redemption, etc.

Agree with this, and with everything that has been said in this thread.

 

I watch this movie every single time it comes on.

 

Doesn't matter that I've seen it 30 times already.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Rush Cocky @ Oct 14 2009, 10:32 AM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 10 2009, 07:10 AM) Ok, I've seen this movie many times, last night being the most recent. This truly is one of the best movies of all time.  Great story told amazingly well, absolutely incredible acting, nicely paced, interesting twiists - just a fantastic moving story of tragedy, humor, persistence, hope, redemption, etc. Agree with this, and with everything that has been said in this thread.   I watch this movie every single time it comes on.   Doesn't matter that I've seen it 30 times already. Sounds like you've become institutionalized.

[Sonatine]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 14 2009, 06:37 PM)

QUOTE (Rush Cocky @ Oct 14 2009, 10:32 AM) QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 10 2009, 07:10 AM) Ok, I've seen this movie many times, last night being the most recent. This truly is one of the best movies of all time.  Great story told amazingly well, absolutely incredible acting, nicely paced, interesting twiists - just a fantastic moving story of tragedy, humor, persistence, hope, redemption, etc. Agree with this, and with everything that has been said in this thread.   I watch this movie every single time it comes on.   Doesn't matter that I've seen it 30 times already. Sounds like you've become institutionalized. get busy watching

[Rush Cocky]

QUOTE (Sonatine @ Oct 14 2009, 03:13 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 14 2009, 06:37 PM) QUOTE (Rush Cocky @ Oct 14 2009, 10:32 AM) QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 10 2009, 07:10 AM) Ok, I've seen this movie many times, last night being the most recent. This truly is one of the best movies of all time.  Great story told amazingly well, absolutely incredible acting, nicely paced, interesting twiists - just a fantastic moving story of tragedy, humor, persistence, hope, redemption, etc. Agree with this, and with everything that has been said in this thread.   I watch this movie every single time it comes on.   Doesn't matter that I've seen it 30 times already. Sounds like you've become institutionalized. get busy watching .....or get busy dying.

[workingcinderellaman]

I loved the poster on the wall.

 

http://www.elite-view.com/art/Movie_Poster/Action_Adventure_Movies/28674~Raquel-Welch-Posters.jpg

[Xanadoood]

QUOTE (workingcinderellaman @ Oct 14 2009, 04:00 PM)

I loved the poster on the wall. http://www.elite-view.com/art/Movie_Poster/Action_Adventure_Movies/28674~Raquel-Welch-Posters.jpg

Raquel Welch is just such a classic hot chik. She is still quite stunning for her age.

[Sonatine]

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/122/019_1374~Marilyn-Monroe-Posters.jpg

 

As much as I liked the Raquel poster, I've always had a soft spot for Marilyn Monroe

[Turn Me On Dead Man]

Last week, I watched it for the first time. It's powerful, but a bit long.

Oh well, Morgan Freeman is in it. Need I say more?

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Sonatine @ Oct 13 2009, 05:29 AM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 13 2009, 01:11 PM) Some interesting information from a Roger Ebert review 5 years after the movie came out: "The Shawshank Redemption" premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 1994, and opened a few weeks later. It got good reviews but did poor business (its $18 million original gross didn't cover costs; it took in only another $10 million after winning seven Oscar nominations, including best picture). There wasn't much going for it: It had a terrible title, it was a "prison drama" and women don't like those, it contained almost no action, it starred actors who were respected but not big stars, and it was long at 142 minutes. Clearly this was a movie that needed word-of-mouth to find an audience, and indeed business was slowly but steadily growing when it was yanked from theaters. If it had been left to find its way, it might have continued to build and run for months, but that's not what happened. Instead, in one of the most remarkable stories in home video history, it found its real mass audience on tapes and discs, and through TV screenings. Within five years, "Shawshank" was a phenomenon, a video best seller and renter that its admirers feel they've discovered for themselves. When the Wall Street Journal ran an article about the "Shawshank" groundswell in April 1999, it was occupying first place in the Internet Movie Database worldwide vote of the 250 best films; it's usually in the top five." I recall the film "Blade Runner" was a real sleeper when it came out in 1982/3.   It wasn't until the advent of VHS and Laser Disc, plus a new Director's Cut, did a cult following grow to quite mammoth proportions.   And now, some 30 years on almost, Blade Runner is perhaps one of the most popular SF films ever made. I first saw Blade Runner in the theaters with a friend of mine when I was about 13. We were both bored out of our skulls.   Anyway, it's safe to say that after watching this movie many times, it grew on me considerably.   Not the best sci-fi movie of all time, but it's definitely top 10 in my book. The special effects were phenomenal for the time - groundbreaking even like Star Wars, Terminator 2, The Matrix, etc.       Some movies, like some great art, aren't "discovered" immediately...