“The Conversation,” “Rear Window,” “The Parallax View,” “Enemy of the State” and “Minority Report” are all quite good. I didn’t like “Disturbia” too much and I have not seen “The Lives of Others.”
The Chris Reeve one had its merits. I liked it. But see this version sometime. As with all Hitch’s best films, it’s more than worthy.
I think Hitchcock did this film with Grace Kelly for two main reasons. First, he was reportedly mesmerized by her. Second, he wanted someone in that role who was so luminous onscreen that she could effective lighten up the entire film, which otherwise would have been much darker and rather creepy.
But the concept is now screwed. How many of us answer our own personal phones everytime someone we like calls us, even when we are pectly free to do so?
Let alone someone or some organization we don’t care for.
Let alone an anonymous call.
Kudos for the “Screw You” era and attitude toward those who want our time and attention without having any right to either.
@f00l Yeah, I know what you mean. You have to watch the movie, though. The guy uses the phone booth regularly. It’s explained and makes sense (for the time period).
I love Minority Report. I watch it occasionally. I think it’s aged pretty well. They put a lot of research into the technology for that movie. Guess that’s why it doesn’t seem too outdated to me.
@RiotDemon It was on Hulu. I don’t have the service anymore or I would check to see if it is still available. It only had one season and it was cut short by three episodes, so they had to do a quick wrap up of the storyline. I still found it to be entertaining despite its mixed reviews.
@RiotDemon Yes, a good movie and hard to believe it was as long ago as 2002. Peter Stormare played the eye doctor and he was also one of the nasty crooks in “Fargo,” another great movie. Great scene with the car salesman going to OK it with his boss.
@ethansight “Sneakers” was the film that came to my mind also.
When my wife and I saw “Sneakers” in the theater, a younger couple sitting in front of us got up and left during the intense scene where Martin Bishop (Redford) broke into Cosmo’s (Kingsley) office – the room was heated to 98+ degrees and Bishop was trying not set off the motion detectors and you were afraid he was going to be caught at any second . I thought to myself, how could someone get up and leave during such an edge-of-your-seat moment? Oh well, to each his own I thought.
Well so help me, a few months later, the same couple sat in front of us when we went to see “The Fugitive”. Probably 2 hours into the movie, the girl asks her boyfriend, “Now which one is Devlin McGregor?” and he answers “The blonde guy, I think”. Devlin McGregor wasn’t a person, but the pharmaceutical company that the characters had been talking about the whole film. At that point, I think I understood why a movie about hi-tech espionage wasn’t their cup of tea.
@DrWorm I liked “Sneakers” and in fact saw it this week from Netflix, but it is not a “Rear Window” voyeur movie to me. Great story about the couple who likes to sit in front of you. I liked “The Fugitive” a lot too.
Minority Report isn’t really “about” surveillance, it just includes it as a plot device, and the only good thing about “Enemy of the State” is trying to figure out if Gene Hackman is playing the same character he did in “The Conversation.”
It’s been many years since I’ve seen The Conversation, but I voted for it because I remember I just happened on it while channel surfing and got sucked in.
Was the 1984 movie no good? Seems like it should be on the list… Or is that too obvious?
@katylava I thought it referred to the 1974 film with Hackman. What was the 1984 film? Or did you mean the film “1984,” which would be a good choice, although I don’t remember it well.
@macromeh I really liked “Following”, Christopher Nolan’s first stab at a “Memento”-like non-linear plot. For those that haven’t seen it but are interested, just be prepared that it was made on a shoestring budget, filmed in B&W with essentially only available light.
@DrWorm Apparently Nolan’s budget was about $6K. “Following” is currently available for streaming on Netflix. Only runs 1:09, so not a big commitment if someone wanted to check it out.
I was trying to recollect (without Googling) “What was that movie with Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez?” The joy of my revelation (oh, yeah “Stakeout”) was quickly replace with disappointment of remembering that it was kind of meh.
I think a lot of people haven’t seen The Conversation, but they really should. It’s an amazing movie, and you get to see Gomer Pyle’s girlfriend naked.
“The Conversation,” “Rear Window,” “The Parallax View,” “Enemy of the State” and “Minority Report” are all quite good. I didn’t like “Disturbia” too much and I have not seen “The Lives of Others.”
@andyw isn’t the plot of Disturbia similar to Rear Window? Been a while…
@RiotDemon Yes, you are correct
@RiotDemon As I recall, it is similar, but the acting is better in “Rear Window” and it has the 1950’s made-on-a-soundstage look!
@andyw
And it has Grace Kelly at her most insanely beautiful. Without her, the movie would have been a very dark tale.
@andyw
@andyw I only saw the version with Christopher Reeves.
@RiotDemon
The Chris Reeve one had its merits. I liked it. But see this version sometime. As with all Hitch’s best films, it’s more than worthy.
I think Hitchcock did this film with Grace Kelly for two main reasons. First, he was reportedly mesmerized by her. Second, he wanted someone in that role who was so luminous onscreen that she could effective lighten up the entire film, which otherwise would have been much darker and rather creepy.
@RiotDemon I have not seen the Reeve version; maybe I’ll catch up to it.
@f00l Luminous is a good description.
The Truman Show anyone?
@irishbyblood This is what I came here to comment. Jim Carrey should’ve gotten at least an Oscar nomination for that role.
@irishbyblood jqubed that would have been my vote too.
@growyoungagain Me too.
@jsh139 listening to Kiefer’s voice for over an hour is pretty damn good.
@jsh139 I totally forgot about this movie. I will have to watch it.
@RiotDemon
@jsh139
I’ve never seen that film and I want to.
But the concept is now screwed. How many of us answer our own personal phones everytime someone we like calls us, even when we are pectly free to do so?
Let alone someone or some organization we don’t care for.
Let alone an anonymous call.
Kudos for the “Screw You” era and attitude toward those who want our time and attention without having any right to either.
@f00l Yeah, I know what you mean. You have to watch the movie, though. The guy uses the phone booth regularly. It’s explained and makes sense (for the time period).
@jsh139 I watched the trailer and at the end when the phone rings my phone rang. I didn’t answer it.
@SSteve I love those creepy timings
‼️
@f00l it’s a great movie. You should definitely watch it.
@SSteve Good decision!
1971 The Anderson Tapes
@davea510 Also a good movie (Directed by the great Sidney Lumet) and with a lot of well-known actors. Garret Morris has one of his first movie roles.
Sliver? I haven’t actually seen it, so not saying it’s the best. Just tossing it in the mix.
eta: 12% on Rottentomatoes.
@KDemo I saw it a long time ago and did not think it was very good.
I love Minority Report. I watch it occasionally. I think it’s aged pretty well. They put a lot of research into the technology for that movie. Guess that’s why it doesn’t seem too outdated to me.
The moldy sandwich scene still sticks in my brain. Plus the actor that plays the eye doctor is great.
@RiotDemon Did you check out the TV show based on the Precogs?
@Lrok I missed it. Didn’t have tv at the time. I’ll have to try to find out how to watch it.
@RiotDemon It was on Hulu. I don’t have the service anymore or I would check to see if it is still available. It only had one season and it was cut short by three episodes, so they had to do a quick wrap up of the storyline. I still found it to be entertaining despite its mixed reviews.
@Lrok ah, never had hulu either.
@RiotDemon Yes, a good movie and hard to believe it was as long ago as 2002. Peter Stormare played the eye doctor and he was also one of the nasty crooks in “Fargo,” another great movie. Great scene with the car salesman going to OK it with his boss.
Sneakers.
@ethansight “Sneakers” was the film that came to my mind also.
When my wife and I saw “Sneakers” in the theater, a younger couple sitting in front of us got up and left during the intense scene where Martin Bishop (Redford) broke into Cosmo’s (Kingsley) office – the room was heated to 98+ degrees and Bishop was trying not set off the motion detectors and you were afraid he was going to be caught at any second . I thought to myself, how could someone get up and leave during such an edge-of-your-seat moment? Oh well, to each his own I thought.
Well so help me, a few months later, the same couple sat in front of us when we went to see “The Fugitive”. Probably 2 hours into the movie, the girl asks her boyfriend, “Now which one is Devlin McGregor?” and he answers “The blonde guy, I think”. Devlin McGregor wasn’t a person, but the pharmaceutical company that the characters had been talking about the whole film. At that point, I think I understood why a movie about hi-tech espionage wasn’t their cup of tea.
@DrWorm I liked “Sneakers” and in fact saw it this week from Netflix, but it is not a “Rear Window” voyeur movie to me. Great story about the couple who likes to sit in front of you. I liked “The Fugitive” a lot too.
Minority Report: another fantastic movie based on a Philip K. Dick story. Read it; it’s short.
Maybe not the best but Look is presented entirely through the view of security cameras. It’s interesting.
Eagle Eye wasn’t too bad, while we’re putting Shia LaBeouf movies up there…
@Charcoalwolfman That I’ve immediately came to mind. Look for the real life version titled “The NSA”.
@Charcoalwolfman totally forgot about that movie.
@RiotDemon The film by the way is just great //spammmmmmmm/ I personally watched it in good quality and you can advise it
@subor22 I can advise it? What do you mean?
@RiotDemon I think s/he means…
/image ppap guy
I have a Meh
I have a necropost
Necropost Meh
I have a Meh
I have a spam post
Spam post Meh
Meh necropost spam post Meh
Cc @thumperchick
@djslack I am going to have that song stuck in my head all weekend.
@djslack I figured as much… Just hoped they had something more clever to say in response, haha.
EdTV. Also wonderfully prophetic, albeit overly optimistic, about reality TV.
Minority Report isn’t really “about” surveillance, it just includes it as a plot device, and the only good thing about “Enemy of the State” is trying to figure out if Gene Hackman is playing the same character he did in “The Conversation.”
@curtw4 Especially since the young picture of him is a still from the Conversation.
It’s been many years since I’ve seen The Conversation, but I voted for it because I remember I just happened on it while channel surfing and got sucked in.
Was the 1984 movie no good? Seems like it should be on the list… Or is that too obvious?
@katylava I thought it referred to the 1974 film with Hackman. What was the 1984 film? Or did you mean the film “1984,” which would be a good choice, although I don’t remember it well.
@andyw yeah i meant why was the film “1984” not on this list.
@katylava @andyw I loved this book in high school. One of the few required reading books I could actually stand.
@RiotDemon The book was good. So is “Animal Farm.”
@andyw hated that one.
Anyone else like Following?
@macromeh I really liked “Following”, Christopher Nolan’s first stab at a “Memento”-like non-linear plot. For those that haven’t seen it but are interested, just be prepared that it was made on a shoestring budget, filmed in B&W with essentially only available light.
@DrWorm Apparently Nolan’s budget was about $6K. “Following” is currently available for streaming on Netflix. Only runs 1:09, so not a big commitment if someone wanted to check it out.
@macromeh Thanks!
Voted for The Conversation.
What does committing surveillance do to the one listening or watching?
Haven’t seen a bunch of these, tho.
I was trying to recollect (without Googling) “What was that movie with Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez?” The joy of my revelation (oh, yeah “Stakeout”) was quickly replace with disappointment of remembering that it was kind of meh.
Body Double was kind of a surveillance movie.
@walarney More of a peeping tom movie.
The best movie is the one you’ve seen. The only one you’ve seen, from that entire list: Minority Report.
@InnocuousFarmer this is how I feel about all the music threads. I actually saw 3 of the movies on this list.
I think a lot of people haven’t seen The Conversation, but they really should. It’s an amazing movie, and you get to see Gomer Pyle’s girlfriend naked.
@craigthom Being female, not exactly a selling point for me. But I suppose it’s better than seeing Gomer Pyle naked.
@moondrake It’s a great movie without a naked Lou-Ann Poovie.
It really is. It’s 45 year old tech, but the surveillance is still detailed and scary.
The truman show.