Theme of the week: Movies that blew your mind

Jacqueline DiOrio 9 Feb, 2010 at 1:17am ET Article published in Life

Comments

1. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 2:22am chrisWhite "9% of the films were animated, and they were all probably submitted by UPSLynx"
2. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 7:25am Snarkasm Perhaps comedies and the like aren't on the list because you asked for movies that blew people's minds. Not many comedies do that for me. I don't think it's fair to say people on IC don't like comedies ("avoid the lighter fares") as much because they weren't represented on the "mind-blowing" list. Perhaps a "what's your favorite film genre" would answer that question, but this phrasing doesn't.
   
   I also like that "members seem to like their stories fast-paced, and action-packed," despite said adventure films only occupying 25% of the breakdown.
   
   I love the concept. What's this week's theme?
3. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 8:43am Obsidian If you asked us what our favorite movies were I think you would get some pretty different results. My answers certainly would have been different. I'm sure there are plenty of dumb comedy lovers here at Icrontic.
4. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 9:35am GnomeQueen That's a good point, which I hadn't really considered. Perhaps all of you would have had very different answers if I had asked for a favorite movie- though I do dare say that we still wouldn't have had many romantic comedies. But perhaps I shouldn't assume-maybe CB is chomping at the bit to inform me that "How to lose a guy in 10 days" is his favorite film.
5. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 9:40am Thrax Everyone's a critic.
6. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 9:42am Colgere

   Gnome Queen wrote:

   That's a good point, which I hadn't really considered. Perhaps all of you would have had very different answers if I had asked for a favorite movie- though I do dare say that we still wouldn't have had many romantic comedies. But perhaps I shouldn't assume-maybe CB is chomping at the bit to inform me that "How to lose a guy in 10 days" is his favorite film.

   
   LOL!
7. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 9:45am mas0n I like this "Theme of the Week" idea, nice work Jackie.
8. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 9:48am Colgere

   mas0n wrote:

   I like this "Theme of the Week" idea, nice work Jackie.

   
   Indeed, well done Jackie!
9. 
   9 Feb 2010 ~ 10:19am Kwitko The only comedy that would count as "mind-blowing" would be the mockumentary types, like Spinal Tap and CB4. Kentucky Fried Movie also comes to mind. Back in the day it was so over-the-top. Maybe now it's considered tame.
10. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 10:35am Cliff_Forster Who is Cliff_Forester? He sounds totally awesome.
    
    I'm sure he liked Sweeny Todd, he just was not so sure he should be laughing so much at murder and human pie.
11. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 10:50am Obsidian

    Cliff_Forster wrote:

    Who is Cliff_Forester? He sounds totally awesome.
    
    I'm sure he liked Sweeny Todd, he just was not so sure he should be laughing so much at murder and human pie.

    What else is there to laugh at?
12. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 11:17am GnomeQueen Ahh, sorry Cliff! I just got so excited about including your comments that my fingers slipped on the keyboard...in the same way...repeatedly! Please accept my dearest apologies.
13. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 11:37am Cliff_Forster

    Gnome Queen wrote:

    Ahh, sorry Cliff! I just got so excited about including your comments that my fingers slipped on the keyboard...in the same way...repeatedly! Please accept my dearest apologies.

    
    Don't apologize for giving me a great oportunity to be a wise ass.
14. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 12:00pm UPSLynx

    9% of the films were animated, and they were all probably submitted by UPSLynx.

    
    hahahahaha! I take that gladly!
    
    Awesome piece, loved it Jackie. Looking forward to next weeks.
15. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 12:38pm GHoosdum Well played.
16. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 10:43pm branmyson Whatever UPSLynx submitted I will second. I am working on my collection of Disney Classics as well as Pixar Films.
17. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 10:54pm Chip-Dapper

    branmyson wrote:

    Whatever UPSLynx submitted I will second. I am working on my collection of Disney Classics as well as Pixar Films.

    
    More like working on your collection of being a tremendous jerk.
    ...
    I mean, how have you been branmyson?
18. 
    9 Feb 2010 ~ 11:00pm NiGHTS I can't believe The Room didn't make this list.
19. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 12:57am UPSLynx Yeah do you believe that Chip? Branson just shows up here like he owns the place...
20. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 2:43am Chip-Dapper That's just branson, though. Dick at heart, dick for brains.
    
    I just hate that guy so much.
21. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 10:40am Grimnoc Branson, I've always defended you.
22. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 11:11am Chip-Dapper No. He hasn't.
23. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 10:20pm Chip-Dapper I'm sorry I said those things Branson.
    
    Please don't kill me.
    
    Put down the bull whip.
24. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 10:58pm CB Get you and your inside jokes to elsewhere, yokels.
25. 
    10 Feb 2010 ~ 11:39pm Thrax That doesn't even mean anything.
26. 
    12 Feb 2010 ~ 11:59am Jason Right off the top of my head, there are two films by Ingmar Bergman that had a really big impact on me: Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal) and Nattvardsgästerna (Winter Lights).
    
    They're probably too slow for most people, but there was something deeply contemplative and existential about them that really drew me in. That and I think they're both examples of great filmmaking.
    
    I'd also have to say that most of the animated films I've seen have been mind-blowing in various ways. Anything by Studio Ghibli, for example, is great. I've yet to see one of their films that hasn't impressed me. It's a seriously underrated genre, in my opinion.
    
    Other honourable mentions include Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man), Kontroll and Pi.
27. 
    12 Feb 2010 ~ 1:22pm Jason Oh, and I forgot to mention Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring).
28. 
    13 Feb 2010 ~ 12:51am BobbyDigi Brilliant!
29. 
    16 Feb 2010 ~ 8:52pm ardichoke Finally upgraded from the old 21" CRT I bought in college to an HD LCD TV. First thing I did was pop Dark City into my upconverting DVD player. I know it's not true high def but by god did it look amazing compared to what I'm used to.
30. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 11:51am Grimnoc Well...there are plenty of movies which, at least in part, "blew my mind" during the first viewing. So many in fact that it is way too hard to name them all.
    
    Instead I'll name a few movies that just blew. Or, "blew my mind" with how terrible they were.
    
    In no particular order, the first few that came to mind:
    Ultraviolet
    Natural Born Killers*
    American Beauty (though to a much lesser extent, basically the thing that saved it from the abyss was Kevin Spacey's character)
    The Happening*
    
    *Terri-bad
    
    **I realized right before I went to post this that some had listed American Beauty as their favorites. Sorry, I'm not trying to directly douche you. It's just that I genuinely dislike the film and believe that it is very, very bad in certain ways (and in other ways not so much). Sorry.
31. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 11:55am Chip-Dapper Douche bag.
32. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 11:55am Grimnoc Oh hey, wrong forum.
    
    Idiot.
    
    You think that Grimnoc guy would learn something every now and then.
33. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 11:56am Grimnoc To clarify, I was calling myself an idiot, not Mr. Dapper.
34. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 11:58am Chip-Dapper Waltzing right into this forum like a big-pants and all.
    
    Your audacity is astounding.
35. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 11:58am Grimnoc

    Chip Dapper wrote:

    Waltzing right into this forum like a big-pants and all.
    
    Your audacity is astounding.

    
    Yes.
36. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 12:07pm UPSLynx You guys are both smalltime.
    
    Oh man, Ultraviolet. I saw that film in theaters. I regret few things in life, but that is certainly one of them. It made it a little harder for me to enjoy Equilibrium.
37. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 12:14pm Chip-Dapper Well well well, if it isn't mr. big-pants himself.
    
    (tubleweed rolls across the dirt road)
    
    Did you ever see Southland Tales? To this day that stands as one of the absolute worst films I've ever seen.
38. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 12:29pm Grimnoc

    UPSLynx wrote:

    You guys are both smalltime.
    
    Oh man, Ultraviolet. I saw that film in theaters. I regret few things in life, but that is certainly one of them. It made it a little harder for me to enjoy Equilibrium.

    
    Yeah, the funny thing is I was going to go with you guys but was gone that night and after hearing how terrible it was I still went out and rented it months later.
39. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 12:31pm Grimnoc

    Chip Dapper wrote:

    Well well well, if it isn't mr. big-pants himself.
    
    (tubleweed rolls across the dirt road)
    
    Did you ever see Southland Tales? To this day that stands as one of the absolute worst films I've ever seen.

    
    Fortunately I wasn't yet in town when you rented it. Hey! Isn't that the guy who directed Donnie Darko? *wink* *wink*
40. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 12:36pm Chip-Dapper That fact had completely fled my mind, but now that you mention it, yes. The same guy behind Donnie Darko piloted the gelatinous monstrosity known as Southland Tales.
    
    That movie still gives me nightmares of story-telling methods just being flushed forever in place of its hackneyed approach.
    
    But I digress.
41. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 2:41pm Grimnoc But Mr. Dapper, who needs decent story-telling when one can simply throw around technological whizbangs until they rake in billions? Eh, eh?
42. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 2:58pm Chip-Dapper Not James Cameron.
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9iLjzf0AM4&NR=1
43. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 4:09pm chrisWhite Ultraviolet was beyond terrible, but the lighting and cinematography were very interesting. Anyway.
    
    In other news, Grimnoc needs to learn how to use the edit buttons. He posts two or three posts in a row way too often. Mr Dapper too, for that matter.
44. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 4:12pm Grimnoc

    chrisWhite wrote:

    In other news, Grimnoc needs to learn how to use the edit buttons. He posts two or three posts in a row way too often. Mr Dapper too, for that matter.

    
    False!
45. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 4:13pm Grimnoc

    chrisWhite wrote:

    In other news, Grimnoc needs to learn how to use the edit buttons. He posts two or three posts in a row way too often. Mr Dapper too, for that matter.

    
    Not true!
46. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 4:33pm UPSLynx And there it is.
47. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 5:19pm Kwitko This thread has been crapped out of existence.
48. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 6:06pm ardichoke You think Ultraviolet was bad? I need to get you all to watch Punk Rock Holocaust. Now THAT movie was bad!
49. 
    17 Feb 2010 ~ 10:20pm bindlestick If we're on to bad movies, I submit to you Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights. Maybe I didn't understand what it was supposed to be (rather, I'm certain I didn't), but I hated every second of that movie.
50. 
    18 Feb 2010 ~ 3:35am Chip-Dapper Valentine's Day was absolutely wretched.
    As was 2012.
    
    However, the winner of terrible movie spot number one will probably have to go to just about anything starring Brendan Fraser, particularly the upcoming and highly anticipated Furry Vengeance, in which Fraser pretends to be Kevin James.
51. 
    18 Feb 2010 ~ 12:00pm GHoosdum That looks bad, but I still contend that nothing compares to Battlefield Earth for worst movie ever.
52. 
    18 Feb 2010 ~ 1:42pm CB No, Steven King's The Stand was worse than all of those, because at 6 hours, it wastes more time than any other bad movie.
53. 
    1 Mar 2010 ~ 4:12pm GHoosdum Ahhh, I totally forgot about Primer. Great movie, totally made me think about time travel in a new way.
54. 
    1 Mar 2010 ~ 7:25pm cola What about 300 and The Dark Night?
55. 
    2 Mar 2010 ~ 7:09pm chrisWhite Both are two of my favorite movies (assuming you mean The Dark Knight), while masterpieces I wouldn't say either blew my mind.