User:UltraEgoMajinVegeta/John Wick (film) - Wikipedia


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Gothic Nostalgia The Uses of Toxic Memory in 21st Century Popular Cultur Bacon, S. (2024). “But now, yeah, I’m thinking I’m back”: The All-Consuming Gothic Nostalgia in the John Wick Franchise. In: Bacon, S., Bronk-Bacon, K. (eds) Gothic Nostalgia. Palgrave Gothic. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43852-3_13 Print ISBN 978-3-031-43851-6

Online ISBN 978-3-031-43852-3

[1]

eBook Packages

page 197-198

At a deeper level, the film suggests that John Wick's return to his past is not only driven by external forces but by a subconscious desire to reconnect with that darker world. The narrative sets up this return as inevitable, beginning with a glimpse of the story's end, highlighting the sense of destiny tied to his journey. The film explores how John feels most like himself within the chaos of his former life, suggesting a Gothic inevitability to his path. His wife's death and the loss of Daisy become catalysts for his return to the violent existence he had tried to escape.

page 198-199

Wick's retirement is superficial, as his past is filled with violence and lacks any emotional or moral weight, while his new life, idyllic and guiltless, is rooted in nostalgic flashbacks to his time with his wife. The contrast between his nightmarish past and his dreamlike present reflects his internal duality, where his new life is a fragile fantasy that is inevitably shattered by the return of his violent history.

This tension between past and present is central to Wick’s story, as his idyllic life with his wife becomes an unattainable dream. The house he lives in and the puppy she left him symbolize the perfect future he yearns for but can never reclaim. Ultimately, Wick’s return to violence is not just a reaction to his loss but a reawakening of his true self, where the violence of his past comes flooding back, exposing the nostalgic illusion of his present. The franchise portrays Wick's journey as one of rediscovering who he really is, as his idealized future crumbles under the weight of his former life.

page 200


In John Wick, the past dramatically intrudes on John’s new life when a young mobster, Josef, becomes fixated on John's classic Mustang—a relic from his old life. A This violent act symbolizes the past reclaiming what it once owned, with the Mustang representing Wick’s previous life as a hitman. The death of Daisy—the final gift from John’s wife—destroys the last connection to his new life and shatters his attempt at moving forward. Wick’s resolve to leave his old ways behind collapses, and he returns to the violent world he once ruled.

The shift back to his former life is cemented when John unearths a chest of weapons and gold coins hidden beneath his house’s floor, signifying that his seemingly peaceful life was built upon the foundation of his violent past. His return to violence, while not sentimental, is familiar and inevitable, conforming to the classic notion of nostalgia as the need to return to the familiar in the face of loss. Wick's reawakening in this world is portrayed as both a return to his true self and a necessary confrontation with the past he can no longer escape.

page 200-201

necessity drives John’s return to violence, as he feels forced into action by external pressures. This necessity mirrors the common trope of mild-mannered characters being pushed too far—like The Incredible Hulk—and aligns with John’s Everyman status in the series. He reacts not out of personal choice but due to the pressures inflicted upon him, first by Josef and later by the powerful system of The High Table. This reflects the broader frustrations of people in the 21st century, where pressures of work, encroaching forces, and political decisions often provoke extreme reactions. In John’s case, necessity powers his violent retaliation, resonating with populist sentiments that demand swift action in the face of insurmountable challenges.

John’s transition back to his former life is seamless, demonstrating the ease with which he reassumes the violent skills of his past. Although retired, he retains muscle memory, instantly reconnecting with the physical and mental processes of his former profession, highlighting the pleasure and nostalgia associated with returning to familiar patterns. This return is fueled by Gothic excess, with John’s violent methods embodying a grotesque transformation of the bodies around him. His kills go beyond normal action scenes, pushing the boundaries of what the human body can endure, thus Gothicizing his enemies by rendering their bodies fragile, penetrable, and ultimately destroyed.

page 201-202
page 202-203

As the narrative unfolds, it hints at a much darker, almost occult underworld, epitomized by the Continental Hotel, where assassins and gang bosses meet under strict rules of honor. The hotel's manager, Winston, enforces these rules, and its concierge, Charon, symbolically ferries guests between the realms of light and dark, further reinforcing the Gothic duality.

This underworld is governed by "The High Table," and rules such as no violence within the hotel's premises underscore its chivalric, almost medieval, sense of honor. John Wick's violent return to this world becomes inevitable. The film blends Gothic elements like secret realms, codes of honor, and a collapsing of temporalities, creating a dream-like space where violence and death pervade.

page 204-205

The High Table, which governs this underworld, is portrayed not just as a secret criminal organization, but as a metaphor for the global elite who control the world through wealth and violence. In contrast, John Wick is framed as an authentic figure, representing natural honor, wronged repeatedly by this corrupt system. While The High Table enforces laws to benefit itself, John becomes the "Everyman" fighting back against this corrupt power structure. Despite this, John's character is just as Gothic as the world he inhabits, embodying both violence and the complexities of his dark past.

page 204-205

John exists in a liminal space between the present and the past. Even when he is physically in the moment, his mind is elsewhere, temporally porous, as his body reflects this detachment through its ability to endure punishment. The wounds he suffers are not merely physical; they represent the past constantly seeping into the present, transforming him. This kind of Gothic porosity intensifies as John progresses through the series, with his body and mind becoming more entangled with his traumatic past.

In a pivotal moment, as John watches a video of his wife on his phone, he passes out, only to wake up in a flashback to the day of her funeral. Here, layers of nostalgia unfold, as he reflects on his past with Helen while simultaneously thinking of earlier times. This creates a recursive loop of memory, suggesting that nothing in the film's narrative is fully "real." It’s possible that the entire story represents John’s subconscious attempt to process the trauma of Helen's death—or perhaps even older, unresolved traumas. Nostalgia becomes John’s way of existing in the world, as he remains perpetually trapped in a purgatorial state, unable to move forward.

According to professor Ann C. Hall, John Wick is a postmodern epic hero in a contemporary epic universe. She said the John Wick franchise satisfies five of the six requirements to be classified as an epic: the imposing hero is of national or international importance and legendary significance; the setting is vast; the hero conducts great deeds of valor or superhuman courage; the tale involves powerful forces; and characters speak in stylized ways. Hall believed it fails the requirement of objectivity because John is the protagonist and is generally presented positively.[2] Hall links the film's narrative to elements of Samurai lore, Russian folktales, and historical epics from Christianity, ancient Greece, Rome and the Mediterranean.[3] Wayne Wong wrote Stahelski and Reeves have collaborated throughout their careers with choreographers familiar with action in Kung fu films, such as Yuen Woo-ping and Tiger Chen, and that John Wick can be seen as a synthesis of Eastern and Western action styles.[4]


Owen R. Horton described John as "one of the deadliest and most brutal heroes in modern action cinema", but said unlike other contemporary action heroes, John regularly retreats to his soft side, which is defined by his love for his wife. This, Horton says, represents the conflicting multiplicities of manhood.[5][6]

According to critic Emanuel Levy, the central question of John Wick is whether John is a bad person who became good or a good person who has done bad things; and whether he can truly change or be redeemed.[7] Kolstad said even though John had left his former life behind, he remains in the outskirts of the city, sees a reminder of it every time he leaves his home, and does not truly escape its shadow.[8]

wick as reeves

Hall also analyzed John from the perspective of Reeves's personal life. She said the character and hero share many characteristics, and that in the vein of epic heroes, Reeves faced obstacles in his career but persisted with acting despite criticism; he faced personal trials of courage and loss that inspire his character and make audiences sympathetic to him.[9] Both professor Lisa Coulthard and author Lindsay Steenberg said Reeves's and John's personalities are almost interchangeable, sharing a similar mixed-race background, personal tragedies, professionalism, and an inherent likeability—all of which add authenticity to the character and film.[10]

Professor Sarah Thomas wrote that while The Matrix was a defining role for Reeves, it was not originally tailored specifically for him.[11] It was not until the 2010s that Reeves effectively established his own unique star persona, partly influenced by online discussions about his public image, which generated an almost mythical and malleable perception of Reeves.[12] Thomas argued that because the script for John Wick was reworked with Reeves in mind, his public image played a significant role in shaping and interpreting the character. This is in contrast to his role in The Matrix, where the character's meaning would likely remain unchanged with a different actor in the part.[11] According to Thomas, this alignment between Reeves's authenticity and image and the character of John Wick made it a perfect fit, as Reeves's persona filled gaps in the film's narrative.[13]


On an extradiegetic level, John is placed in a broader context, relating both to the genre he operates within and to the actor who portrays him. As the narrative unfolds, he increasingly assumes the role of an action hero, though he is portrayed as older and wearier than the typical genre archetype. This positions him alongside other iconic action figures like John McClane and John Rambo, who are similarly drawn into battles against overwhelming odds.[14] A common feature is the actors' age and their characters' ability to survive extreme physical punishment. Wick, like McClane and Rambo, sustains severe injuries, but what sets Wick apart is the volume and intensity of violence he endures. This creates a mythic quality around John, aligning him with characters like Eric Draven (Jason Lee) in The Crow (1994), who, like Wick, is portrayed as a revenant figure—someone who rises from the grave, driven by an unfulfilled quest. Wick's uncanny ability to survive fatal wounds lends credibility to the idea that he cannot die until his mission is completed.[14] John's seemingly supernatural ability to survive these injuries hints at an underlying death wish—his longing to be reunited with his wife, Helen. His subconscious drive toward death, however, manifests as a reckless disregard for his own safety rather than a direct desire for suicide..[15]


This purgatory is symbolized by John’s descent into the criminal underworld, which mirrors Dante's Inferno. His involvement with Viggo, D’Antonio, and The High Table takes him through ever-deepening layers of this underworld, each representing a further step away from the "heaven" of his life with Helen. Helen’s funeral, the film’s introduction to John’s purgatorial nostalgia, marks his first step back into this world. Here, he reconnects with Marcus, an old friend from his days as an assassin, a link to his past and the deeper levels of the underworld. The pull of the past becomes inescapable with the arrival of Josef, the son of Viggo—the very man who allowed John to leave the criminal life in the first place. Josef's actions drag John back into the underworld, symbolically making Viggo responsible for both John’s exit and his return. Josef’s death at John’s hands sets the stage for his journey deeper into this nostalgic purgatory, where the boundaries between past and present continue to blur, and the quest for redemption grows ever more elusive.[15]


These comparisons to McClane, Rambo, and Draven also emphasize the moral justification behind Wick's actions. In these narratives, the protagonists are typically seen as righteous, forced into conflicts not of their choosing, but bound by a sense of honor or duty. Audiences forgive their violence because it is framed as deserved or just. John's association with these figures strengthens the perception that he is justified in his violent actions, particularly as he often faces much younger adversaries. However, John's past as a professional assassin complicates his moral standing, and John Wick does not dwell on any guilt or remorse he may feel about this aspect of his life.[14]

Despite this morally ambiguous history, the audience's perception of John is shaped by the actor who plays him, Keanu Reeves. Much like Bruce Willis's off-screen persona influenced the character of McClane, Reeves's real-life reputation plays a significant role in how John is viewed. Reeves is widely regarded as a humble, kind-hearted, and down-to-earth figure, qualities that inform the audience's reading of Wick. His likability and good deeds outside the film industry elevate John's character, making his grief over his wife, his desire for peace, and the murder of his dog resonate on a deeper, more emotional level. The dog, a symbol of his lost life and love, serves as sufficient justification for John's violent actions in the eyes of the audience.[14] Iosef killing it unites the audience against him and anyone obstructing John's quest for revenge.[16]

Professor Scott T. Alison and Doctor George R. Goethal said while John has faults and is a ruthless killer, he does not have to objectively do good and his heroism is retaining his integrity against the unjust, violent criminal underworld.[17]


The final gift of the puppy Daisy, from his wife, symbolizes John's new beginning and the potential for hope, as well as serving as a continuing connection to Helen and a demonstration of John's softer side.[18][16] As John tells Vigo: "When Helen died, I lost everything. Until that dog arrived on my doorstep... I received some semblance of hope... an opportunity to grieve unalone... And your son... took that from me... Stole that from me... Killed that from me!"[19] However, when figures from his past invade his life and kill the dog, it symbolizes the destruction of the future he yearned for and forces him back into his former violent world.[18] At the conclusion of John Wick, John adopts a pit bull. Bacon said that, unlike Daisy, this new dog is not a symbol of grief but a fitting companion and solidification of John's transition back to a violent world.[20]

American Pie
Film score
ReleasedJune 29, 1999
GenrePop/Rock
Length46:02
chronology
American Pie
(1999) 		American Pie 2
(2001)


The film's soundtrack peaked at number 50 on the Billboard 200 chart.[21]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [22]

The following songs were included in the film but were not featured on the soundtrack:

Sequels and spin-offs

edit

[26] [27][28] [29] [30]https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-10-ca-32562-story.html [31]https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-01-et-manohla1-story.html [32]

smash hit
The term "smash hit" gets thrown around a bit too often, but this was truly a smash hit.[25]
milf

Even beyond the raw ticket sales, the film's cultural penetration was palpable. They may not have invented the term "MILF," but the use of it in relation to Stifler's mom certainly popularized it. [25]

phenomenon

pop-phenomenon original[33]

The original ‘American Pie’ was released in 1999 and became a cultural and commercial phenomenon, grossing more than $200 million worldwide and spawning a booming market for R-rated summer comedies. ‘American Pie 2’ and ‘American Wedding’ followed at two-year intervals.[26]

breakout roles

American Pie featured the breakout roles for many of its main cast, including Biggs, Elizabeth, Hannigan, and Lyonne.[26][34][25] Scott was considered the film's true breakout mainstream star, moving from working multiple day jobs to a full time actor,[31][34][30] though few of the cast were able replicate their successes outside of the American Pie series.[34]

Because of the buzz surrounding “American Pie” two years ago, Scott was offered a few WB shows. But he turned them down because he wanted to concentrate on movies. While waiting for the film to open, Scott worked at a law firm filing and fixing things and even sold food at the L.A. Zoo. He finally quit his day job when he got a small role in the thriller “Final Destination,” and he hasn’t looked back since.[30]

cultural influence

Comedies like "Road Trip" were made in an attempt to emulate this success. That's beyond impressive for a movie that was written in mere weeks by a first-time screenwriter. It feels a little fair to put some respect on this movie's name, even if many elements of it are outdated and questionable by modern standards. (No, broadcasting a girl via webcam from your bedroom for all to see is not okay. It's by no means an aspirational moral compass.)[25]

Modern Hollywood can stand to learn a thing or two from "American Pie," outdated though it may seem. For one, just because a genre is dead doesn't mean it has to stay dead. The sex comedy was virtually extinct, but one executive had the guts to try to bring it back. Most important of all, the instinct wasn't to reboot something that already existed. It was to make something new.[25]

So the question becomes: Which of the current stars will return for ”AP3”? Mena Suvari has already said that she’d be willing to come back. But even if Suvari’s game, there may be problems elsewhere. The original cast, including Chris Klein (who plays footballer-turned-chorus boy Oz), Eddie Kaye Thomas (Tantric mother-lover Finch), and Jason Biggs (flautist fan Jim), were only contracted to appear in a single sequel. ”Most of us had options to do the second one. No one has options to do the third one,” explains Tara Reid, who plays the elusive Vicky. ”It’d be a lot harder to get everyone back, I think.” Still, Reid holds out hope: ”If they did a good script and everyone came back, well, maybe [I would, too].”[27]


Despite his ease with playing comedy, Scott says he finds playing for laughs hard to do. “When I was out here trying to get a job, I hated comedy auditions,” he explains. “I was always more attracted to the inward, darker roles. Then I got ‘American Pie.’ [The film was released in 1999.] I thought that there was an opportunity to make him the guy you hate to love. I based him on 10 individuals I knew from school. I wanted to be real specific [with Stifler].”[30]

“American Pie,” he says, was pretty much “my first acting gig. I had a couple things [before that]. I had two lines on a TV show that you and I would never watch. I just felt like a paid extra. The only acting I did was auditioning.”[30]

[35]https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-29-et-hart29-story.html

behind-the-scenes documentary titled “Beneath the Crust, Volume One” is packaged with today’s re-release of “American Pie” on DVD. “Beneath the Crust, Volume Two,” featuring deleted scenes, comes with the newly repackaged “American Pie 2” DVD, also out today. Moviegoers who purchase either DVD can send for free tickets to see “American Wedding,” the third installment in the trilogy, when it opens Friday.[35]

The kicker: “American Wedding” comes out on DVD in December with a 3 1/2-hour “Beneath the Crust” retrospective, incorporating volumes one and two and covering everything anyone could possibly want to know about the making of the three movies.[35]

Aimed squarely at fans who can’t get enough of the lewd lore, “Beneath the Crust” gave filmmakers a chance to answer frequently asked questions, share stories, show clips and talk dirty if they feel like it. As for Universal Studios, adding uncensored “Crust” extras to “Pie 1” and “Pie 2” discs seemed like a smart way to coax additional revenue from the exploding DVD market.[35]


Adam Herz, who scripted all three movies, explained, “I wasn’t thrilled with the previous ‘American Pie’ editions. When I knew we were doing a third movie, one of the first things that jumped into my head was, ‘OK, let’s make sure the DVD is done right.’ It’s become a habit in the DVD industry to just show you B-roll fluff, where everyone they interview is going ‘I loved making the movie. Everything was great!’ We set out to do something that was the antitheses of that.”[35]

For “American Pie 2,” that meant being brutally frank about two major subplots dumped just weeks before the film’s release. In test screenings, Moore said women “hated” an infidelity story line involving Klein and Suvari, and the talent agreed. In one of his “Crust” appearances, Klein acknowledged that “I was moping around the whole movie,” while Herz confessed on camera, “I realized [the story line] might be good for ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ but there was nothing funny about it at all. I don’t know why I did it.”[35]


Of course, “American Pie”-style nostalgia has a flavor all its own. Harkening back to 1999, “Crust, Volume 1” features Eddie Kay Thomas wistfully recalling his character’s bout of diarrhea, which he describes as an homage to “Dumb and Dumber.” Thomas Ian Nicholas reminisces about his “tongue tornado” sequence with Tara Reid. Biggs revisits the kitchen in the Long Beach house where the famous pie fornication scene took place, dryly offering audio commentary on the alternate take that wound up on the cutting room floor.[35]

Biggs said, “The whole time we were filming ‘American Wedding,’ we had the DVD in mind as much as the actual theatrical release of ‘American Wedding.’ The [DVD] crew was always around with their video cameras, so we became comfortable with these guys and let our guard down. Consequently there was quite a bit of cursing. Especially on these three films, everyone takes more liberties than you would on other sets, just because of the subject matter.”[35]

“Crust” may turn out to be a multimillion-dollar marketing idea, but for Biggs, taking part in the DVD gave him a chance to speak to the “Pie” people who bought tickets and made him a star. “Fans are always asking us about what was going on behind the scenes. Doing ‘Beneath the Crust’ was really about taking this opportunity, while we were all together again on the set, to tell our stories from the first two [movies], and then let the cameras follow us around while we make ‘American Wedding,’ because you want to get some cool [stuff] from this one too. That was sort of the take on it.”[35]


[36]https://web.archive.org/web/20171226212245/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/movies/home-video-american-pie-is-warmed-up.html As DVD editions of a film multiply, so do permutations and tie-ins. For example, on July 29 Universal is to reissue American Pie and American Pie 2. With each disc, priced at $26.98 apiece, will come a free DVD called Beneath the Crust, with new behind-the-scenes material about each movie.[36]

The bonus discs were put together by the filmmakers, not the studio. The purpose is to promote American Wedding, the next chapter in the lives of the American Pie characters, which is to open in theaters on Aug. 1. Buy either of the Pie DVD's and along with the bonus disc you qualify for free admission to American Wedding, available through a rebate.[36]

Reissuing videos of older movies in a series to call attention to the newest is standard practice, but in this case there are already enough DVD editions of the American Pie movies available to make it difficult to release still others without some notable departures.[36]

American Pie, released in theaters in 1999, is available on DVD in an R-rated version and an unrated ultimate edition. The sequel, in theaters in 2001, has an unrated collectors' edition. All have commentaries by the stars (Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott and others) and the filmmakers.[36]

The Under the Crust discs add much more. We thought the materials for the first DVD's were weak, said Chris Moore, a producer of the films. We had a ton of added footage.[36]

legacy reception?

In the first movie high school seniors are intent on losing their virginity. In the second they are college freshman building on this experience. The 'American Pie' movies succeed where many other comedies aimed at the youth market falter: they manage to be both lewd and sweet, exploiting the natural prurience of young people, while implicitly comforting their raging anxieties, A. O. Scott wrote in The New York Times.[36]

page 25
  • original batman first film to break 100 million in first ten days of release, phenomenon, half a billion dollars, sixth highest grossing film ever
  • six months of principal photography began in september 1991
  • frenetic post production period, new effects shots being devices weeks before the june 19 nmational release
  • famed goahm backlot set at pinewood dismanteld and two batmobile prototypes in storage were called home
  • overseeing effects was visual effects supervisor michael fink
  • approximately ninety shots which because of budget and schedule concerns was reduced to about 78 shots within the first month of filming
  • principal wrapped at the end of february, effects shots started to be added until we ended up with about 115

the additional shots ranged from a new mminiature title sequence to an end shot devices to explain the fate of catwoman

  • digital wire removes would also require to eradicate any telltale signs of the work of physical effects supervisor chuck gaspar
  • effects included matte paintings, miniatures, CG, makeup effects, puppets and pyrotechnics
  • The scale required the work to be broken up among different houses, six major effects outfits, their sucontractors and the production offices at Dictel
26

prologue involved in-camera miniature and matte painting effects created by matte world, a company formed by alumni of the ILM matte department

  • preferred in-camera as no concerns about compositing different elements and having to fix the matte lines - matte world VE cosuperviros craig barron
  • cobblepot mansion a matte world miniature filmed with the camera eye floating in wintry fog and sleet through a wrought iron gate. Dubbed the "Citizen Kane" shot homaging a similar tracking shot of the grounds of Charles Foster Kane's Xanadu
  • effect combined separate gate and mansion models, photographic effects for aerial perspective and rear projection plate of a silhouetted figure in the window
  • Matte world cameraman Wade Childress' teenage daughter serving as photo double for cobblepot played elsewhere by Paul Reubens
  • To build cobblepot mansion and Wayne manor as well as other models, matte world brought in John Goodson and Howie Weed of renegate effects
  • The mansion built as a three sided twelfth scale model. Built out of high density construction board to effect the veneral rock solid look of the old house
  • Vacuform bricks and roof texture to detail the roof and face of the building, scuklpted somearchitectural detail out of clay so we could take a mold of it and cast up parts.
  • cherubs on the gate, found some cherubs at the right scale in a garden section of a local department store, even the right poe, modified them, chopped off hte arms and repositioning them, added some two-part epoxy to fill the scultpreu out a little bit and stippling them with an acrylic compound so they looked carved out of stone.
  • The gothic gate, used a photo-etched metal cast from a drawing executed by John Goodson's brother David, drew a wrought iron gate with some eleaborate scroll work around the world "cobblepot", goodson explained went to a company called Insight Designs and they took the artwork and transferred it to sheets of brass then acid-etched away everthing that wasn't exposed, High amount of detalil that would've taken much longer to do by hand.
  • gate na dmansion models place don their sides on separate but overlapping motion control tracks for filming. The rigging allowed hte foregrounf gate to pass under hte camera lens, moving faster toward hte camera than the mansion model toforce the illusion of depth. Triciky part of shooting the mansion was having aforeground object like the gate, motion contol camera operator Cameron Noble noted.
  • FAlling snow effects accomplsiedh as three separate passes exposed on the same piece of film. MOst of hte time snow is just optically added over hte top of a screene which works for static shots but moving shots you want to have the snow moving through the scene with the camera. All the separate layed passes where photogfraphed with the same motion control move so tha thte mid ground layer that was in focus became more anmd more out of focus as we moved past and through it. We also came up witha techniue of adding haze to suggest there was a mass of air between the lens and the mansion at the start of the move to create more contrast.
  • A process projector was place dbehind the camera to project snow onto a white four by eight foamcore sheet that was positioned between the mansoipn and the gate, we used hte same projector but moved the foamcore screen to three different positions for different snow exposre passes. Once hte motion control camera got into the black area between the snowflakes we just stopped it, took that card out and allowed the camera to move through where hte card had been. THe first pass was up front and close so that it was out of focus, the second pass was midground snow in focus falling behind hte gate and the final pass went out past the mode for the effect of background snow falling through the sky.
  • scene were cobblepots skulp past the old zoo with Penguin, a Matte World painting of hte park and city skyscrapers was filmed with a live action actrear projection plate of the cobblepots. Artist bill maher worked on two four by eight sheets of masonite creating a final eigtht by eight foot painting. The surface painted with the kind of fast drying acrylic paint often used in animation cel bacgrkounds incorporated
27
  • incportaed a rear projection window where mather woulkd tmatch the spider dead braches of the zoo treees the cobblepots passed in the live action plate.
  • The look of both the zoo and gotham city background had been meticulously planned to ensure the painting would match with the overall design of the movie. "Basically, we approach all of our shots by first doing eight-by-ten-inch production paintins that go through an approvla and art direction process. These production paintings establish composition and lighting of each shot. For the background buildings of Gotham City we were trying to create the look of new york-the tops of the buildings going up through haze and lighting up the sky. THe scene was similar to New Yorks scentral park with a wall of buildings behind the park area. Often we'd reate what we were doing to New York = gotham city is basically a gothic fabrication of new york gone wild.
  • Sinze hte old zoo featured a variety of odd pavillions which would be revealed in a later minuature flyover shot providing a bird-s eye view of the grounds, the logistics of the zoo painting were of particular concern. The relationship of the zoo pavilions was planned down to such details as entrances from the north gate or south gate Mather noted, there was some leeway in painting the pavilions because you dont really know what angle youre coming into for this particular shot. Because we wanted to showcase the zoo and gotham city and hte live action we had to come up with an arrangement of elements that would allow all things to read in the shot.
  • A tilt-down move and a vaseline filter moved in front of hte camera helped to wash out the background buildings and provide depth. Used to selectively mush areas. we had the buildings appear to be sticking through cloud tops as if the building lights wer esetting off this glow as they pierced through the clouds.
  • Noble - motion control a little too computerized, live action camear operators make subtle nmovements that he tried to replicate as inaccuracies to make it look more natural
  • 4-ward production would pick up the title sequence for hte baby carriages journey through the Gotham Sewers under the old zoo to the cavernous underground stadium of the parks abandoned arctic world attraction. The company recently worked on T2s unclear explosion.
page 29
  • philosophy of the sequence was literally a descent into the underworld and a perverse twist on the bliblical legend "onew of the things the prodction wnanted to parallel, strange enough, was the story of Moses floating through the reeds - 4 ward visual effects supervisor Robert Skotak. Motif was of this baby carraige floating downstream deeper and deeper into these catacbons and tunnels under Gotham City with shadow play suggestiong cathedral windows and gothic doorway shapes, before coming to rest in the arctic world lair.
  • This seuencve of shots was to give a very sinister and foreboding feeling, implying almost a religious conversion or baptism of this being into the underworld.
  • instead of reeds used protrusting tips of rusted rebar.
  • at the very end of the sequence the carraige enters into the live ation lair where the live action picks up.
  • originally consisting of only one shot of the carriage washing down a cascade of sewer water into the tunnel, hte title sequence was one of the major additions to the effects schedule after the wrap of principal potgraphy.
  • Like most of hte effects sequencees, the title sequence was first worked out in video storyboards, developing the moves on first before running by Burton.
  • miniature tunnels the production company had built for a batskiboat chase in a climactic sequence were reemployed for the expanded title sequence.
  • The tunnels, which had been built at a length of 120 feet to accomodate the high speed batskiboat model shots were recongifgred by 4 ward for use with a fulls cale and miniature carriage. The carriage was black and very sinsiter with a big belt around it suggesting something very nasty trapped inmside. the basket weave was made out of S'gette, similar to copper insulated wire sleeve that was interlaced by hand over a plexiglass body.
  • The tunnels would have been an average of thirty two feet across in real life; our minuiatre tunnels were eight feet across and just under eight feet high. We only build two thirds of the full round-the bottoms were flat and filled with about nine inches of water.
  • Tehe tunnel surfaces were coverd by vacuformed brick patterns and dressed out with moss and minuatre ladders made by the model team which included Jen Howard, Pat Denver, Doug Moore, and Ricc Ruskuski.
  • The tunnels were mainly constructed of a square stock streel that was weldded together with bendboard attached as abasic underusrface.
  • We spray-foamed all the cracks and aalso sealed the entire base of the tunnel to keep it water tight.
  • Matte artist Rick Rische handed most of the painting of the tunnels and dressings initially. For the title sequence our moel team did most of the repainintg themselves.
  • Special lighting schemes highlighted the black carriage as it floated along the murky, labyrinthine tunnels. Had an arm that boomed out over hte camera that three or four little reflectorized halogen lights aimed into the water createing a lot of specular highlihgtsin and around the black shape of the carriage, which was enough to separate it from the dark water. As the carriage went away, we craned down until it became silhouetted against hte lightness of the ditsant background.
  • since there was a bakground plate for the opening title with a flock of bats against the Returns title, the carriage sequence was shot in Vistavision to accommodate the compositing of the computer graphics bats created by Video Image associates.
  • A key shot along the carriages methodical journey was the baptism shot of the carriage floating toward camera through a waterfall. instead of the minuature carriage this shot utilized a full-sized one. If we were really close to the carriage, tis shot utilized a full sized one, if we were really close to the carraiage nad it was very in frame or coming directly at us we found it was easier to work with the full scale carriage. If the shots were big and wide we used the sclae model.
  • Modifications of hte minuiature tunnels were made so they could be used with the full isize carriage. We reworked the detailing pm tje ,omiatre timme; to create a larger brick pattern. For the batpsim shot the full scale carraige was on a track, for all the shots the carriage was either pulled along on a little sled by cables of mounted on an underwater track. They also wanted a sheeting effect with the water so we slit the top of the set and poured water from overhead onto a piece of sheet metal to spread it out. To add character to the splashing water we shout it at forty-eight frames per seccond..
  • The entire job was really an art direction challenge as oppose to heavy duty visual effects the real concern was mood, tone, texture, issues of separateing foregroun from background and the rght pacing of the movemvene tot work with what we understood to be a very atmospheric score.
  • Tricky shot involved the baby carriage flashing a shadow on the sewer wall that fleeting takes the form of a penguin silhouette. The question was how far to go with that, whether to make the shadow look literally like a penguin or just a submliminal suggestion. The idea is not that this shadow magically converts into a penguin its just a happenstance distortion across a convoluted surface.
  • We had our modeler Jim Towler sculpt a three dimension shape which had the carriagte on one side and a penguin shape on hte other. As we roateted it slightly the shadow would shift and morphy from the
page 30
  • carriage shape into the penguin shape. We could literally spin it around and play with different speeds of rotation of the sculpture and create an interesting interpaly on the wall because of course hte more bumpty the wall the more stretching and distortion would occur to the shadow.
  • We could hide the transaitiion of this rotation very subtle; so it wax vbery much logic drive as if the shapes of the wall were causing it.
  • The final choice was to keep the shape subliminatl.
  • The shadow of the carriage passes through a smooth area momentartily and it forms up into this bulbous shape witha break on it and then rocks back and fofrht adv reverts back to the carriage shape. It's noticeable but woul alsot have a sense of seeing if after you saw it leaving a little question in your mind.
  • (as the carrige washes up in the ruins of arctic world it is met by elder penguins who, in a twist on the story of baby tarzan being raised by the apes, nurture the deformed birdman to maturity.

goes the same for reliable sources that becoime unreliable if the information is in a list format.

And whether it is intentional or not, such a substantial oppose after meeting 99% of the requests, puts other editors off commenting, it's a death knell for a nomination in my experience and, as demonstrated with John Wick, any number of supports from long time editors doesn't matter in the face of a substantial oppose, especially one so long that no coordinator can possibly follow it all without a substantial investment of their personal time. Therefore, this needs to be addressed as a point of whether it is fair or not to oppose over this issue since it creates an insurmountable boundary between nominator and reviewer such that the oppose will never be overturned.

Before 

John Wick has been named by several publications and critics as one of the best action films ever made.[a]

After 

Some publications, such as Empire and Time Out, and critics including Stephanie Zacharek have listed John Wick among the best action films.[b]

In this scenario I downplayed the achievement considerably and eventually qualified it by naming the publications and added even more references and this was still deemed an extreme claim that could not be evidenced, resulting in an opposition that could not be overturned. It will be stated there were other reasons for opposition but nothing so completely insurmountable as having to ignore a wide variety of references giving an educated opinion.

Before 

In the years since its release, Seven has grown in esteem, receiving general critical praise, and being described by the British Film Institute (BFI) as a groundbreaking thriller.[54][55][56] In a 2015 interview, Walker said that he remained proud of Seven despite criticisms from some audiences.[57] In 2016, the BFI's retrospective on Seven identified it as a landmark serial killer film.[54] In the 2020s, MovieWeb and Stuff called Seven one of the most memorable and "quintessential" crime thrillers of the 1990s, representing a high point of the genre and filmmaking for the decade.[58][59] Assessments by NME and Collider wrote that Seven had an enduring appeal distinct from its contemporaries. This distinction is attributed to its bleak and seldom matched ending, as well as its stylized reality devoid of popular culture references or technological emphasis, ensuring it does not reflect any particular time or place.[60][61][62] Richard Dyer featured Seven in the British Film Institute's Film Classics series in 1999.[55][63] Seven was also highlighted by critic Roger Ebert in his series, The Great Movies, in 2011,[56] and it is included in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[64]

A 2014 poll of 2,120 entertainment industry professionals by The Hollywood Reporter ranked Seven the eighty-fifth-best film of all time.[65] In audience-voted polls, Seven has been listed at number 15, 30, and 37 on lists of the greatest films conducted by the publications Total Film and Empire.[66][67][68] Empire's 2008 poll of readers, Hollywood actors, and key film critics ranked Seven at number 134 on its list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time,[69] while Time Out's 2023 staff poll ranked it number 87.[70] 

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes offers a RT data approval rating from the aggregated reviews of RT data critics, with an average score of RT data. The website's critical consensus says: "A brutal, relentlessly grimy shocker with taut performances, slick gore effects, and a haunting finale".[71] The film has a score of 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 22 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[72]

After

In the years since its release, Seven's initial critical acclaim has endured.[56][54][55] Richard Dyer featured Seven in the British Film Institute's (BFI) Film Classics series in 1999.[55][63] 

In the 2010s both the BFI and Indiewire identified it as a landmark in the serial killer film genre.[54][73] In 2011, as part of his The Great Movies series, Ebert upgraded his original score for the film from three-and-a-half stars stars to a full four stars, lauding it as one of the darkest and most ruthless Hollywood productions, anchored by the stellar performances of Freeman and Spacey. Ebert concluded that while Seven may not delve into profundity or depth, its rich mythology and symbolism elevate its impact.[74][75][56] Discussing Seven in 2013, critics David Edelstein and Bilge Ebiri acknowledged the film's shortcomings in dialogue and plot predictability, yet praised its compelling portrayal of the city's grim atmosphere and Doe's macabre murders. Edelstein particularly highlighted the shootout scene between the detectives and Doe as one of the most chilling he had witnessed, attributing its impact to the vivid visual imagery and innovative camera angles.[76] A 2014 poll of 2,120 entertainment industry professionals by The Hollywood Reporter ranked Seven the eighty-fifth-best film of all time.[65] In 2015, writer Scott Beggs said Seven remained and would continue to be a powerful viewing experience that is further elevated by its unforgettable conclusion. According to Beggs, Seven's enduring appeal was because it is not solely reliant on its twist or revealing the killer's identity, but the detailed world in which it takes place.[77] That same year, Walker expressed his enduring pride in Seven, despite facing criticism from certain audiences.[57]

Reviewing Seven on its 25th anniversary in 2020, The Film Magazine wrote that it remained relevant and significant as a viewing experience, in part because of the core cast, horror elements, and its tasking of audiences to introspect on their sins.[78] Another anniversary retrospective by The Independent said that Seven remains celebrated for its twist ending, which is among the most well-known twists in cinema, and remained both influential on filmmaking and popular with audiences due to its storytelling, cast, and innovative use of psychological manipulation.[79][58] Writer Drew Dietsch described Seven as a landmark for film horror, citing its noir, decaying cityscape and philosophical contemplation on evil and justice. Dietsch wrote that Seven was as important to the genre and cinema of the 1990s as The Silence of the Lambs. He tempered his opinion, however, by noting that the sexual misconduct allegations made against Spacey in the intervening years had tainted the viewing experience and made some people hesitant to revisit Seven.[80]

In the early 2020s, MovieWeb and Stuff called Seven one of the most memorable and "quintessential" crime thrillers of the 1990s, representing a high point of the genre and filmmaking for the decade.[58][59] Assessments by NME and Collider wrote that Seven had an enduring appeal distinct from its contemporaries. This distinction is attributed to its bleak and seldom matched ending, as well as its stylized reality devoid of popular culture references or technological emphasis, ensuring it does not reflect any particular time or place.[60][61][62][77] Retrospectives in years since have continued to discuss Seven as iconic and one of the bleakest and best detective films in modern history, acclaimed for its harrowing visuals, deft blend of thriller and horror genres, and its ending.[81][82][83][84][85][86][87]

Filmmakers and critics have spoken of their appreciation for Seven including: Mark Burg,[88] Babak Anvari,[89] Rüdiger Suchsland [de],[90] Richard Kelly,[91], Jorge Ignacio Castillo,[92] Jacob Stolworthy,[93] Lars Ole Kristiansen,[94] and film curation organization, the T A P E Collective.[95]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes offers a RT data approval rating from the aggregated reviews of RT data critics, with an average score of RT data. The website's critical consensus says: "A brutal, relentlessly grimy shocker with taut performances, slick gore effects, and a haunting finale".[71] The film has a score of 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 22 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[72] In audience-voted polls, Seven has been listed at number 15, 30, and 37 on lists of the greatest films conducted by the publications Total Film and Empire.[66][67][68] Empire's 2008 poll of readers, Hollywood actors, and key film critics ranked Seven at number 134 on its list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time,[69] while Time Out's 2023 staff poll ranked it number 87.[70] Seven is also included in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die based on contributions from more than 70 critics.[64]

I argue that these claims were extensively sourced and cannot be described as contentious, and it needs establishing what the guidelines are here if one person can refuse to support or even just defer because they don't like the sources used despite them being reliable sources. This has now killed 3 nominations, John Wick twice, the second because everyone was waiting for Tompa to comment following their previous opposition, and Seven, and it's honestly killed any further interest I have in this area. I haven't touched a new article in 3 months when I was working on them consistently so a standard needs establishing one way or another and this needs to be the time and place.

act 1

The warrior Senua allows herself to be captured by Northmen slavers and taken from her homeland, Orkney, to Iceland, hoping to trace the source of the slavers and end them, freeing her people. A storm destroys many of the boats and throws Senua overboard; the tide takes her to the shore. As she navigates along the coast, Senua is haunted by voices only she can hear that alternately encourage her or stoke her fears, particularly the Shadow, the memory of her abusive father, and sees things that are not truly present. Senua defeats several surviving Northmen before severely wounding the slave master, Thorgestr. She takes him prisoner so he can lead her to his father, the goði of Borgarviki.

Along the way, they come across a raided settlement, which Thorgestr fearfully blames on the Draugar, a legion of feral, cannibalistic, and barbaric warriors. Senua investigates the village, reliving memories of Northmen attacks on her home, and follows a path to a Draugar encampment where she finds them butchering their captives. She sees one man, Fargrimi, tied up as a sacrifice and frees him. The Draugar are alerted and attack her as their captives begin fighting back. A Draugar summons Illtauga, a giant, who causes a rockslide that buries the camp, although Senua and Fargrimi escape and return to Thorgestr. Senua decides to free Thorgestr, sensing good in him, and the three travel to Fargrimi's settlement. He reveals he was captured by the Draugar while seeking help for his people as they are being stalked by Illtauga and are close to ruin. Illtauga causes earthquakes and confronts Senua, but the trio escape into a cave. Fargrimr explains that many years earlier, when the Askja volcano erupted, the walls between Midgard and Jotunheim were broken, allowing the giants into their world, and Thorgestr's people capture slaves to appease the giants as sacrifices. Fargrimr believes Senua is a seer because she can hear voices and instructs her to seek out the Hidden Folk, god-like beings who hide beneath the ground, who subject her to several tests to prove her worth. They tell Senua that when Askja blackened the sky and blighted the land, famine and conflict overtook the people. One woman, Ingunn, desperate to protect her infant sought out the Hidden Folk for help but it died and she sought power to survive from Askja, which turned her into a giant, Illtauga. Senua recovers the bones of Ingunn's infant and confronts Illtauga with her true name, freeing the giant who turns to stone cradling the infant. Seeing her victory, Thorgestr resolves to fight the giants and prevent any more sacrifices.

Senua, Fargrimr, and Thorgestr travel to Baroarvik for resources. Their leader, Astrior, agrees to help if they prove they can kill giants by killing Sjavarrisi, the giant who devastates their shores. The Hidden Folk tell Senua that, as a human, Sjavarrisi, was a good man, but the Askja calamity, the Draugar, and the slavers eventually overcame him with fear, leading him to betray Astarion's father and lead him into a fatal trap. When the settlers learns the truth they cast him out and he was swallowed by the sea, which turned his blood to brine and returned him to the shore as a giant. Senua uses this knowledge to learn his true name from Astrior: Saegeirr. Draugar attack the settlement and although they are defeated, Senua blames herself for their arrival and assumes responsibility for the settlers' deaths until Astrior reassures her. Senua, her allies, and Astrior's people lure Sjavarrisi from his cave where Senua confronts and absolves him, causing him to turn to stone.

Together, Senua, Fargrimr, Thorgestr, and Astrion head to the slavers' settlement, Borgarviki. Although they are relucant to travel to Jarnvior forest, in which they believe a malevolent force resides, Senua urges them forward. In Jarnvior, the group are separated and begin to succumb to fear and doubt, but Senua supports Fargrimr and Astrion and leads them out of the forest. They find a haunted Thorgestr waiting for them, who was shown a dark, unspeakable future. The group continues to Borgarviki, where Senua and Thorgestr go inside while Astrior and Fargrimr free the restrained slaves left outside as sacrifices. The goði refuses to listen to Thorgestr, and Senua deduces that his father does not want to kill the giants as their threat allows him to maintain control over his people. As the giant Tyrant approaches, and learning the slaves were freed, the goði captures Senua and attempts to sacrifice her, but Thorgestr confronts him.

The Hidden Folk reveal the Tyrant's story: following the eruption, one man remained calm and true, drawing followers to him and genuinely wishing to keep him safe. However, he saw their fear of the calamity made people trust and obey him, giving him power. Once the land healed, and his people became less dependant on him, the Tyrant, wanting to retain his power, created the giants, blaming them for earthquakes, violent seas, and blizzards, giving his people something new to fear. Returned to reality, Senua sees the goði kill Thorgestr and offer him as sacrifice. Senua swears to kill him, but Thorgestr reminds her of her words to him, that she has a choice, and killing him will simply let him be replaced. With his last breaths, Thorgestr reveals his father's name: Aleifr. Senua defeats Aleifr in front of his people, revealing his weakness and lies, turning his people against him. Senua prepares to kill Aleifr, tempted by the Shadow's offer of Aleifr's and her people turning to her for protection and in turn her being honoured, loved, and feared, but she rejects becoming like her father. She accepts the support of those she has saved and that she is not beholden to destiny.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout received critical praise, and was among the most critically acclaimed films of 2018, with 53 critics placing it among the year's top 10 films.[96][97][98] On the website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 97% approval rating from the aggregated reviews of 444 critics, with an average rating of 8.4/10, making it the highest rated Mission: Impossible film. The website's consensus reads "Fast, sleek, and fun, Mission: Impossible – Fallout lives up to the 'impossible' part of its name by setting yet another high mark for insane set pieces in a franchise full of them."[71][99] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 60 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[100] It also fared well with audiences. Those polled by PostTrak gave Fallout an 84% overall positive score with 65% recommending it, while CinemaScore reported filmgoers gave it an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, the highest response in the franchise.[99][101]

Richard Roeper and Stephanie Zacharek, among others, praised Fallout as one of, if not the best films in the franchise.[c] RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico and IndieWire's David Ehrlich described it as one of the best action films ever made, comparing it favorably to Die Hard (1988) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).[105][106] The action sequences were praised by critics such as Leonard Maltin and Peter Travers, particularly for the realism provided by Cruise performing his own stunts.[d] Writing for PopMatters, J.R. Kinnard said the closing action sequence in Kashmir set the new standard for extravagant action sequences, although Michael Phillips considered the violence in the sequence to be excessive.[e]

Writing for Salon.com, Matthew Rozsa found the narrative predictable but enjoyable.[116][103] Empire's Helen O'Hara and Screen Daily's Tim Grierson praised the introspection of the "captivating" moral dilemma concerning Hunt's dedication to preserving life and the greater good despite the personal costs to himself.[114][116][117] Writing for Time Out, Dan Jolin wrote that McQuarrie returning as director gave Fallout an evolved narrative continuity lacking in previous installments,[102] although Slate's Sam Adams criticized the seemingly improvisational nature of some scenes that left some narrative threads abandoned. In particular, Adams lamented "provocative" ideas that are posited and ignored, such as the villains' plans to bomb holy cities.[118] Critics such as James Berardinelli and Peter Bradshaw favorably compared the film and the Mission: Impossible series to the James Bond film series.[103][119][120] USA Today's Brian Truitt and Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty said Fallout's combination of exotic locations, espionage, and action had successfully established the series as the standard for international action-adventure films, and Cruise as the modern James Bond.[121][108]

Cruise was generally praised by critics such as Maltin and [122][109][103][107] primarily for his commitment to undertaking stunts, [113][116][102] making Fallout one of his finest mainstream works.[102] Despite his age, these reviews suggested that Cruise's stunt work was a significant aspect of the series' appeal. [113][123][124][122] Others, wrote that Cruise successfully embodied Ethan's world-weary cynicism yet unwavering determination to combat those who would harm innocents.[103]

Cavill's performance was described as "wooden" and uninteresting by some, such as Roeper and Tallerico, although others, [123][113]

including Roeper, wrote that this fit Walker's persona as someone lacking humanity, [103]


and his physical presence made him a suitable foil for Ethan.[123]

Phillips and O'Hara, among others, praised the returning cast of Rhames, Pegg, Baldwin, and Harris, while lamenting the film's focus on Ethan left little room to develop their characters.[f] Kinnard and Richard Lawson singled out Pegg and Rhames for making Cruise more relatable by association, but wrote that Pegg's humor and Harris's "delightfully wicked" portrayal were underutilized.[g]

Ferguson was praised by reviewers such as Grierson and Berardinelli for her smart, formidable, and captivating performance[117][127][128] and "palpable" romantic chemistry with Cruise,[119][127] despite her screen time being lower than in Rogue Nation.[126][129]

David Edelstein said that she upstaged the other cast as the franchise's standout character.[128] Kirby was also well received by critics such as Kenneth Turan for her captivating and engaging portrayal that provided some of the film's more interesting moments.[h]

In New York City, young ballet dancer Abigail is abducted by six masked criminals and recovered to a secluded upstate mansion. Before leaving, their leader Lambert orders them to guard Abigail for the next 24 hours, at which point they will receive an equal share of a $50 million ransom paid by her father. Instructed not to share identifying information with each other, and using aliases, the group consists of: Joey, a former Army medic and recovering drug addict; Frank, a former NYPD detective; Sammy, a thrill-seeking wealthy hacker; Dean, their sociopathic driver; Rickles, a former Marine sniper; and Peter, a dimwitted brute and mob enforcer.

Though reluctant to continue with the plan as she was unaware the target was a child, Joey is tasked with managing Abigail. Joey is sympathetic to Abigail, sharing she has a child of her own and, in turn, Abigail admits her father does not care about her and will not pay the ransom. Abigail apologizes for what will transpire during the night. Frank confronts Abigail at gunpoint for information, learning that her father is Kristof Lazar, a powerful, almost mythical crimelord.

After unsuccessfully flirting with Sammy, Dean enters the basement where he is attacked by an unseen assailant. Investigating his screams, Sammy finds Dean's decapitated corpse. The group realize that Lazar's legendarily violent enforcer Valdez must be inside the house and Rickles tries to leave, but the home's security system seals the property, preventing escape. While separately looking for a way out, Rickles is mutilated and killed. Frank orders Peter to beat Abigail for information but she transforms into a vampire, revealing she is Valdez. Frank shoots Abigail but her injuries instantly heal and the group flees in terror.

The group discusses how to kill Abigail using tropes of vampiric lore such as garlic, crucifixes, and wooden stakes. They find Abigail dancing with Dean's body and attack her her ballet skills, strength, and speed, allow her to easily overwhelm them. Joey suggests using a tranquilizer whick worked during the initial abduction and they successfully capture and subdue Abigail, though not before she bites Sammy on the arm.

Upon awakening, the centuries-old Abigail reveals that she arranged her own abduction through Lambert to bring the group together so she can kill them, as she knows their true identities and each has wronged her father. Joey deduces that Abigail has killed dozens of her father's enemies in aa failed effort to win his love. Abigail effortlessly escapes her confines and attacks Frank, but Joey rips wooden planks off a window to expose Abigail to sunlight, which severely wounds Abigail. With only hours before sunset, the group splits up to find an escape route. However, Sammy is transformed into a vampire thrall under Abigail's control and kills Peter. Abigail has Sammy attack Frank and Joey, forcing Joey to destroy Sammy with reflected sunlight.

Lambert lures Frank and Joey to the hidden security room, where he reveals Abigail turned him into a vampire years earlier for helping Frank avoid Lazar's wrath. Frank allows Lambert to turn him into a vampire so they can kill Abigail and Lazar together, but immediately betrays and kills him after. Abigail attacks Frank but he overpowers her and drains her blood, leaving her weakened. Trapped, Joey leaves a phone message for her son, apologizing for having been an absent mother for many years. Frank finds and bites Joey, intending to turn her into his thrall and have her kill Abigail and eventually her own son. However, Joey's transformation fails due to Frank's inexperience with his new abilities. Abigail and Joey team up to kill Frank, preventing Joey from becoming a vampire.

Abigail encourages Joey to leave and be present in her son's life, but Lazar arrives and threatens Joey. Abigail stands up to her father, saying Joey was there when she needed her and he was not. Although Lazar angrily rebuts her, he relents and allows the bloodied and battered Joey to leave.

cops for 16 years wife getting remarired cares but dislikes his childishness aunt dies and leaves him 40K

detective from the south side drowned and thrown off a building - killed by nskae

snake carrying 50k only give him 5 back

snake lures them into a trap

Ray Hughes and Danny Costanzo are two police officers working on Chicago's North Side, known for their wisecracking demeanors and unorthodox police methods, which get results in their various cases. One such case involves trying to bust up-and-coming drug dealer Julio Gonzales. After arresting Snake, one of Gonzales's associates, they convince him to wear a wire in order to get the necessary evidence to put Gonzales away.

When they approach the meeting place (a cargo ship) they find that Gonzales has acquired a large store of Israeli Uzi submachine guns. Snake is setting the detectives up, however, prompting the detectives to rush in by acting as though Gonzales was preparing to kill him. Gonzales reveals his ambition to be the Spanish "Godfather" of Chicago, but chastises Snake for letting the detectives get close, and Snake is shot dead by a subordinate. The pair look as though they will be killed, but two undercover DEA detectives in Gonzales's gang step in to make the arrest. In the ensuing gun battle, most of the gang escape, but Ray and Danny capture Gonzales.

realize they messed up

initially dislike it but come to Enjoy their time with women, fishing, weather

Back at the station Ray and Danny expect to be praised, but instead their captain chastises them for their sloppy work (as revealed by Snake's wire) and orders them to take a vacation. ..On vacation in Key West, Florida, the pair begin to question their career choice after the experience and decide to retire and open a bar. danny convinces Ray to use aunts money start wearing bulletproof vests

find julios car, get it towed, follow a kid to him but danny worried about the confrontation, wants yo be resoinsible though ray more impulsie

When they return to Chicago and inform the captain of their intentions, they find out that Gonzales has been released and is free on bail. Incensed, they vow to capture Gonzales before retiring, but by being a little more careful in the process. To add insult to injury, Captain Logan assigns them the additional task of training their replacements before they go. They must train detectives Anthony Montoya and Frank Sigliano, none other than the two undercover officers who saved them from being killed in the Gonzales bust.

they have some insight on julios operation. danny gets shot durinh a raid frtom friendly fitrr

get ihfo from one of them air shipmenyt (but this is a decoy)

chief prefers to use the haul for media than find julio upsetting the m both and givbes the credut ti the other guys a distraction from the main haul on another flighyt#

chase from the airport through trainyard and above ground train tracks smuggling cocaine disguised as trinkets

return to the informant and get hte rest

julio catches them during a stakeout and offers to clear the loan on the bar if they get the cocaine back for him but they refuse and dump car in a garbage truck

take julios impounded car and drive around local neighbourhoods so he will find them

although danny agrees to make the exchange in public, julio has captured all the guards and replaced them with his men in diguise. agrees to come alone Ray uses the window washesr rig to climb the side of the building and reach the roof without being seen.

luckiyl the other cops arrive havin followed them

ray and danny saves them by killin julio the 4 bond During one of the attempts to capture Gonzales, Ray and Danny confiscate a large shipment of cocaine coming from Colombia. In order to get it back, Gonzales kidnaps Danny's ex-wife Anna, whom he still loves and has been trying to reconcile with, and says he will trade her for his drugs; otherwise, he will kill her. Danny agrees, leading to the final confrontation inside the high-rise atrium of the State of Illinois Center. During the ensuing fight, Danny and Ray rescue their would-be protégés in a way similar to their own rescuing, and Gonzales is killed. Anna and Danny reconcile and he and Ray decide not to retire after all.

On May 28, 1976, the last day of school at Lee High School in Austin, Texas, the next year's group of seniors prepare for the annual hazing of incoming freshmen. The school's popular football quarterback, Randall "Pink" Floyd, refuses to sign a pledge dedicating himself to the team's success while avoiding drink, drugs, sex, and any other undesirable activities. When classes end, the incoming freshman boys are hunted down by the seniors and paddled. Fred O'Bannion delights in the hazing, chasing down freshman Mitch Kramer and his friends Carl Burnett, Tommy Houston, and Hirshfelder, although they escape when Carl's mother threatens O'Bannion with a shotgun. The freshman girls are rounded up in the school parking lot by senior girls, covered in various foods, soaked with water, and forced to propose to senior boys.

As day fades to night, O'Bannion catches Mitch outside his baseball game and violently paddles him. Pink takes pity on Mitch, recalling his own hazing as a freshman, and drives Mitch home, inviting him to come cruising with Pink's friends later that night. Plans for the evening are ruined when Kevin Pickford's parents discover his plans to host a large-scale keg party at their home, and cancel their holiday to prevent it.

As the night progresses, the various teenagers loiter around the Emporium pool hall, listen to rock music, cruise the neighborhood, and frequent a local drive-through restaurant. Pink and his friend David Wooderson, a man in his mid-20s who still socializes with high school students, pick up Mitch and head for the Emporium. Mitch is introduced to sophomore Julie Simms, with whom he shares a mutual attraction. While cruising again with Pink, Pickford, and Don Dawson, Mitch drinks beer and smokes marijuana for the first time. They drive through a neighborhood destroying mailboxes but are confronted by an irate resident brandishing a gun. The group barely escape after the resident fires at their car and return to the Emporium.

Carl, Tommy, and Hirshfelder leave their last junior high dance and are pursued by O'Bannion, and Hirshfelder is caught and paddled. Mitch runs into his friends and they plot their revenge on O'Bannion. Julie lures O'Bannion outside of the Emporium to paddle Carl but before he can, the boys dump paint on him and flee, causing a humiliated and enranged O'Bannion to leave.

Wooderson suggests an impromptu keg party in a field under a moonlight tower and word quickly spreads among the teenagers. The intellectual trio of Cynthia Dunn, Tony Olson, and Mike Newhouse decide to attend and embrace the experience of the last day of school. Mike makes a remark about tough guy Clint Bruno smoking marijuana and is almost attacked before Pink intervenes. Afraid the humiliation of cowing to Clint will remain with him forever, Mike returns and punches Clint and is beaten up until Pink and Wooderson calm Clint down. Fellow football player Benny O'Donnell confronts Pink about not signing the pledge, but Pink refuses to compromise himself by agreeing to their Coach's demands. Benny accuses Pink of being scared and reminds him the team is reliant on Pink as their star quarterback. Pink later shares a kiss with Mitch's sister Jodi, until she reminds him he already has a girlfriend. The party draws to a close as the beer runs out: Tony and Sabrina, a freshman he met during the hazing, leave together, Cynthia gives Wooderson her telephone number, and Mitch and Julie relax on a hill and kiss as the sun rises.

Pink, Wooderson, Don, and several other friends decide to smoke marijuana on the school football field. Wooderson advises Pink to live how he wants without concern for what is expected of him. Pink says he will reluctantly sign the pledge but hopes that he will not look back at these years as the best of his life. The police arrive and, upon recognizing Pink and Dawson, call their coach, who lectures Pink about his undesirable friends and insists that he sign the pledge. Pink says that he might play football next year, but he will never sign the pledge.

Mitch arrives home to find his mother waiting for him. She decides against punishment, but warns him about coming home late again. He retires to his bedroom, puts on headphones, and listens to "Slow Ride" by Foghat, as Pink, Wooderson, and their friends drive down a highway to Houston to buy tickets to an Aerosmith concert.

In New York City, neurotic and multiphobic Bob Wiley struggles spends his life in an almost constant state of panic. Exasperated by Bob's high-maintenance needs and invasion of personal boundaries, his current therapist quits his practice and refers Bob to the egotistical and controlling Dr. Leo Marvin, who believes his new therapy book, Baby Steps will make him a household name. Bob meets with Leo who gifts him a copy of Baby Steps and dismisses him in a rush as he is leaving for a month-long family vacation and will not return until after Labor day. Unable to cope without therapy, Bob contacts Leo's telephone exchange to find out where he is, but Leo dismisses him. Unable to cope without regular reassurance, Bob makes multiple calls to Leo's telephone exchange in failed attempts to deduce where he is staying, even pretending to be Leo's sister Lily, but Leo dismisses him. Bob eventually visits the exchange in person posing as a homicide detective investigating Bob's suicide and learns that Leo and his family are at Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.

Bob travels to Lake Winnipesaukee by bus, irritating the other passengers with his habits. After arriving he runs into Leo who agrees to call Bob at a local coffee shop if he buys a bus ticket home. The shop owners, the Guttmans, despise Leo because he outbid them for their dream lakeside home, and take Bob to Leo's property instead. Bob is introduced to Leo's family—his wife Fay, and children Anna and Siggy—who are charmed by his eccentric and fun personality, much to the uptight Leo's chagrin. Eager to get rid of Bob, Leo tells him to return to the city and take a vacation from his problems. Having never been on vacation, Bob takes the advice literally, remaining in Lake Winnipesaukee at the Guttmans'.

Bob unintentionally bonds with Leo's family, going sailing with Anna (after being tied to the mast to overcome his fears), and inadvertently giving Siggy the confidence to dive into the lake, which Leo had failed to instill for years. After Leo aggressively pushes Bob into the lake, Fay forces him to apologize and invites Bob to dinner. Bob accepts, oblivious to Leo's hostility and believing the experiences are part of his therapy and eventually throws away the tissues he uses to touch things as he overcomes his germophobia. A thunderstorm after dinner forces Bob to spend the night. Leo demands that Bob leave early the following morning before Good Morning America arrives to interview him about Baby Steps. The TV crew arrive early and, oblivious to Leo's reluctance, suggest having Bob on the show as an example of his book's successful influence. Leo humilitates himself during the interview by giving stilted and nervous responses whule Bob speaks highly of Leo, the family, and the book, inadvertently stealing the spotlight.

Infuriated, Leo attempts to have Bob institutionalized, but he is soon released after befriending the hospital staff. Forced to retrieve Bob, Leo abandons him in the middle of nowhere, but he quickly gets a ride back to Leo's while various mishaps delay Leo. A dishevelled and irate Leo returns after nightfall, but is happily surprised by the large birthday party awaiting him and the arrival of Lily. When Bob appears and puts his arm around Lily, Leo snaps and attacks him. While Leo is seemingly sedated, his family reluctantly ask Bob to leave due to Leo's irrational anger towards him.

A manic Leo sneaks out, breaks into the general store, and steals a large amount of explosives. He confronts Bob and takes him deep into the woods where he ties him up with the explosives, calling it "death therapy". Believing the explosives are a metaphor for his problems, Bob frees himself of his restraints and remaining fears. Bob reunites with the Marvins and praises Leo for curing him. Leo asks where the explosives are, as Bob says they are in the house, which promptly explodes into flames, to the Guttmans' delight. Leo is rendered catatonic and institutionalized.

Some time later, Bob marries Lily and, upon their pronouncement as husband and wife, Leo snaps out of his catatonic state and screams, "No!", but the sentiment is lost in the family's excitement at his recovery. A closing text reveals that Bob went back to school and became a psychologist, then wrote a best-selling book titled Death Therapy, for which Leo is suing him for the rights.

Attorney Walter Fielding and his classical musician girlfriend, Anna Crowley, learn that Walter's father, Walter Sr., has married a woman named Florinda and fled the country after embezzling millions of dollars from their musician clients. The next morning, they are told they need to vacate the apartment they are subletting from Anna's ex-husband, Max Beissart, a self-absorbed conductor who has returned early from Europe.

reluctant to get marred because of her past experience max wants to get back together

gets money from Benny popular star - child obnoxious, threatens to not like him anymore in exchange for the 200k

Through an unscrupulous realtor friend, Walter learns about a million-dollar distress sale mansion on the market for just $200,000. He and Anna meet the owner, Estelle, who claims that she must sell it quickly because her husband, Carlos, has been arrested. Her sob story and insistence at keeping the place in candlelight in order to save money "for the bloodsucking lawyers" distracts Walter and enchants Anna, who finds it romantic. They decide to buy it.


dust, electrical faults, crumbling ceiling, door falls out, bed broke, steps break, plumbing broken and puts out brown sludge invaded by racoons, leaking roof, mosquitos, trees fall over. bathfalls through the ceiling walter immediately gives up though anna remains optimistic

lecherous ARt carpenter brother plumber estimated the job at 2 weeks

vastly cheaper contractors

the shirks send their contrators, exccentiric, bikers, muscle men, and punks, mand midgets, demolish the house exterior

offers the sell the paintings she received in the divorce back to max for a cut down price

walter returns, everthing ripped out missed the permit man wants bribe walter becomes trapped in the floor and misses the permit guy anna has to get a truck back because he cant pick her up jealous of nmax chimney fals through the fire

four monhs later house in a better state, tensions are frayed, arguing more often stairs finally restored finally fix the water

cavalcade of mishaps ends up destroying the scaffolding

max continues to try and seduce her

When Walter visits Philadelphia anna finds herself unable to return to the house alone and goes out with Max.

As soon as Walter and Anna take possession of the house, it begins to fall apart. The entire front door frame rips out of the wall, the main staircase collapses, and the electrical system catches fire. Contractors Art and Brad Shirk summarily tear the house to pieces using Walter's $5,000 down payment, leaving him and Anna embroiled in bureaucracy to secure the necessary building permits to complete the work. Walter's continuing frustration at the escalating costs of restoring the house leads him to brand it a "money pit", while the Shirks continue to assure him that their work will take "two weeks".

The repair work continues for four months, and Walter and Anna realize they need more money to complete the renovations. She attempts to secure additional funds from Max by selling him some artwork she received in their divorce. Although he does not care for it, he agrees to its purchase.


He wines and dines her, and the next morning, when she wakes up in his bed, he allows her to believe that she has cheated on Walter; in reality, Max slept on the couch. Walter later asks her point-blank if she slept with Max, but she hastily denies it. His suspicions push her to admit that she did so.

walter knows she wasnt there because he called nad received no answer confesses to a barely awake walter who takes a moment to recognize and loses his mind

end up having an argument in front of the attentive workers after the fight dies down they both feel bad about it

max visits anna at the house

anna plans to leave the symphony to get away from walter and max, max admits they didnt sleep with each other, wanted her back but instructs her to tell him the truth, max also confronts walter and tells him he is throwing away a great women and will regret it for ever


finally the house is restored to its glory.

curly tells them that it wasnt an easy job but hte foundation was good and as long as it is, things can be fixed. the pair prepare to split but walter finally admits that while she slept with max he cannot be without her and she happily tells him she didnt and they kiss.

max conducts the orhcestra at their wedding attended by Walter's clients and the contractors

Due to Walter and Anna's stubbornness, their relationship breaks down. They vow to sell the house once it is restored and split the proceeds. This nearly happens, but he misses her and says he loves her even if she did sleep with Max. She happily tells him that in fact she did not, and they reconcile. In the end, they are married in front of the newly repaired house.

Meanwhile, Estelle and her husband/partner-in-crime, Carlos - now revealed to be con artists - resurface in Brazil, where they meet with Walter's father and new bride to sell them an old house they claim to have lived in for several years.

In Louisville, Kentucky, cab driver John Winger loses his job, apartment, and car in a single day through his own actions. Tired of his immaturity, his girlfriend also leaves. Realizing his limited prospects, he decides on a whim to join the Army and persuades his friend, language teacher Russell Ziskey, to join him. The pair visit a recruiting office and are swiftly sent to basic training.

Arriving at their base camp, they meet their fellow recruits including Dewey "Ox" Oxberger and their drill instructor Sergeant Hulka who takes a dislike to Winger's sardonic slacker attitude, often punishing the other recruits for his actions and turning the recruits against Winger.

The gruelling training leads Ziskey to demand that Winger get them out of the army.

After Hulka discovers that John and Russell have briefly gone AWOL, Russell confesses his mistake, but John keeps silent. Hulka orders Russell to scrub garbage cans for 24 hours and gives the rest of the platoon two weeks of KP duty. In the latrine, Hulka privately tells John that he will never make a good soldier and invites John to attack him. When John throws a punch, Hulka dodges and hits him in the stomach, then suggests that John think about the encounter.

That night, Russell catches John attempting to flee the base and stops him, angrily reminding John that it was his idea that they both enlist. Louise and Stella find them fighting and drive them back to their barracks without reporting them. John honors Russell's request for both of them to continue basic training.

As graduation approaches, Hulka is injured when the haughty and dull-witted self-serving Captain Stillman, the recruit company's commanding officer, orders a mortar crew to fire without first setting target coordinates. Later, members of Hulka's platoon sneak off base and visit a mud wrestling bar, where John persuades Ox to compete with a group of women. When MPs and police raid the club, Stella and Louise help John and Russell escape. The rest of the platoon are returned to base, where Stillman reprimands them for being arrested and threatens to report them to the base commander, General Barnicke, and make them repeat basic training.

, and he and Russell become romantically involved with MPs Louise Cooper and Stella Hansen

John and Russell have sex with Stella and Louise, then return to base. John motivates the disheartened platoon with a speech and begins preparing them for graduation. After a night of practice, they oversleep and wake up an hour late for the ceremony. They rush to the parade ground, where John leads them in an unorthodox but highly coordinated drill display. Impressed upon learning that they completed their training without a drill sergeant, Barnicke assigns them to a secret project he is overseeing in Italy.


bravo company Upon arrival in Italy, the platoon is reunited with a recovered Hulka and tasked with guarding the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle, an armored personnel carrier disguised as a recreational vehicle. Hulka assigns Johna nd Russellto guard it for the weekend due to his dislike of John, but the pair steal it to visit Stella and Louise, who are stationed in West Germany. When Stillman finds the vehicle missing, he launches an unauthorized mission to retrieve it, against Hulka's objections. Stillman brings a date to see it and finds out early.

Stillman inadvertently leads the platoon across the border into Czechoslovakia. Hulka jumps from their truck before the Soviet Army captures it, and sends out a radio distress call that John and Russell hear. Realizing that their platoon is in danger, John, Russell, Stella, and Louise take the EM-50 and infiltrate the Soviet base where the platoon is being held, and rescue them with aid from Hulka.

Upon returning to the US, John, Russell, Louise, Stella, and Hulka are hailed as heroes, and are each awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[i] Hulka retires and opens a restaurant franchise; John, Russell, Ox, Louise, and Stella are featured in various magazines; and Stillman is reassigned to a weather station near Nome, Alaska.

Advertising executive Neal Page is on a business trip in New York City two days before Thanksgiving, eager to return to his family in Chicago. An indecisive client causes Neal's meeting to overrun and he struggles to hail a cab to the airport during rush hour. Neal bribes a man to give up his cab but while he is disracted another man takes it. Neal eventually reaches LaGuardia Airport to learn his flight is delayed, While waiting, he meets the man who unwittingly stole his cab, talkative shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith. To his dismay, Neal is seated next to Del on the crowded flight to O'Hate International Airport.

A blizzard in Chicago forces the plane to divert to Wichita, Kansas with no alternative travel until the following day. Neal phones his wife Susan to inform her of events, but is unable to book a hotel room. An experienced traveler, Del has arranged one for himself and offers to secure one for Neal in exchange for him paying for the taxi there. During check-in, Neal and Del inadvertently switch credit cards and learn they have to share the last remaining room. Neal quickly becomes irritated by Del's messiness, eventually berating him. Del is emotionally hurt, saying that others, including his wife Marie, like him as he is. The pair reconcile and awkwardly share the bed. While they sleep, a burglar steals their cash.

The next day, with air travel still delayed, Neal buys them both train tickets to Chicago, with seats in separate cars. However, the locomotive breaks down near Jefferson City, Missouri, stranding its passengers in a field. Neal takes pity on Del struggling with his trunk, and they reunite, traveling on a crowded bus to St. Louis station, where Del earns cash by selling curtain rings as earrings to pedestrians. However, Neal accidentally offends Del over lunch by suggesting traveling they will travel faster alone, and the men part ways again.

At the St. Louis Airport, Neal rents a car, but it is missing when he gets to the lot. After a long and perilous walk back to the terminal, he vents his anger in a profane tirade at the rental agent to no avail. He attempts to hire a taxi but impatiently insults the dispatcher, who then punches him in the face. By chance, Del arrives at the scene in his own rental car and takes the dazed Neal with him. As they drive, they argue again, and Del nearly gets them killed overnight when he accidentally drives in the wrong direction on a freeway. As they compose themselves by the side of the road, Del's carelessly discarded cigarette sets the car on fire. Neal initially gloats, thinking that Del is liable for the damage, until Del reveals that he used it to rent the car after finding it in his wallet, causing Neal to punch Del.

With his credit cards destroyed in the fire, Neal barters his expensive watch for a motel room. Having nothing of value, Del waits outside in the charred, roofless car in frigid temperatures. Neal takes pity on Del and invites him to share the room. The pair share miniature liquors and laugh about the events of the past two days. The next day, the pair resume their trip in the burnt car, but the Illinois State Police impounds it for being unroadworthy. Del persuades a trucker to take them to Chicago, and they ride in the truck's refrigerated trailer.

At a Chicago "L" station, Neal sincerely thanks Del for getting him home, and they part ways with affection. As Neal rides a commuter train to his neighborhood, he recalls some of Del's odd comments and silences during the journey. It occurs to him that Del has not actually been trying to get home himself. Neal returns to the station, where he finds Del still sitting. Del explains that Marie died eight years earlier and has been living a transient lifestyle since. Neal decides to bring Del home for Thanksgiving dinner, and introduces his family to his new friend.

In 1953 Los Angeles, the LAPD is trying to positively redefine its public image following decades of corruption. Intelligent and career-focused sergeant Edmund Exley lives in the shadow of his legendary detective father whose murderer was never identified; Exley names the murderer "Rollo Tomasi", representing any criminal who escapes justice. Vain narcotics sergeant Jack Vincennes collaborates with tabloid journalist Sid Hudgens to perform high-profile celebrity arrests, while volatile officer Wendell White uses violence to interrogate and intimidate suspects.

White encounters Lynn Bracken, a prostitute resembling actress Veronica Lake, and former officer Leland Meeks, who work for millionaire businessman Pierce Patchett. Patchett operates Fleur-de-Lis, a clandestine prostitution ring featuring escorts surgically altered to resemble film stars; White begins a relationship with Lynn. After drunken officers beat inmates to avenge their injured fellow officers, Exley convinces the police chief, district attorney Ellis Loew, and police captain Dudley Smith to prosecute securely-pensioned officers to save the departments reputation and earn himself a promotion to detective lieutenant. He helps coerce Vincennes to testify, while White refuses to incriminate his colleagues and is suspended. White's partner Dick Stensland is fired for his involvement, turning White and other officers against Exley. Following the imprisonment of powerful gangster Mickey Cohen, Smith recruits White to frighten off criminals attempting to take Cohen's place. A spate of murders targeting Cohen's underlings leads to the disappearance of 25 lb (11 kg) of his heroin.

Exley investigates a massacre at the Nite Owl café, with Stensland and Fleur-de-Lis prostitute Susan Lefferts among the victims. The evidence leads Exley and Vincennes to arrest three African-American felons. Interrogation by Exley and White reveals the men have been raping a captive woman. White rushes to free the woman and executes her captor, planting evidence to imply the act was self-defence. The African-Americans escape the station and are killed by Exley in the ensuing shootout, closing the case and earning him a medal for bravery. However, unable to ignore inconsistencies in the case, Exley and White continue the investigation independently. White meets Lefferts' mother and discovers Meeks' body beneath the house. He interrogates Cohen's ex-bodyguard Johnny Stompanato who reveals Meeks was trying to sell the stolen heroin.

Hudgens and Vincennes orchestrates a homosexual tryst between struggling actor Matt Reynolds and Loew to create a scandal, but after Reynolds is found murdered, a guilt-ridden Vincennes joins Exley's investigation. Vincennes learns that Meeks and Stensland formerly worked together under Smith's command and had dropped an investigation into Patchett and Hudgens blackmailing prominent businessmen with photos of them with prostitutes. He confronts Smith who shoots Vincennes; his final words are "Rollo Tomasi".

The following day, Exley becomes suspicious of Smith after he enquires about "Rollo Tomasi", a name Exley disclosed only to Vincennes. Smith has White beat Hudgens, ostensibly to identify Vincennes' killer, and arranges for White to find photos of Lynn having sex with Exley, taken by Hudgens. Enranged, White leaves to confront Exley; the pair fight until they realize that their evidence implicates Smith. They deduce that Stensland killed Meeks for the heroin, and Smith planned the Nite Owl massacre to kill Stensland, before planting evidence to implicate the African-Americans. Exley and White interrogate Loew, learning Smith and Patchett are taking over Cohen's empire and coerced Loew's cooperation using photos of his tryst with Reynolds. Exley and White later find Hudgens and Patchett murdered.

Smith lures Exley and White into a remote ambush. Though badly wounded, the pair kill Smith's men and Exley holds Smith at gunpoint. Smith offers to mislead the approaching police and give Exley a further promotion, but Exley executs Smith to prevent him potentially avoiding punishment. At the station, Exley explains the evidence of Smith's corruption. However, the LAPD decides to protect their image by claiming Smith died a hero fighting gangsters, and award Exley a second medal for bravery. Outside city hall, Exley says goodbye to Lynn and White before they leave for Arizona.

The ceilings of the sex club in which the lust victim is murdered were lowered to make the space more claustrophobic, and wax was sprayed on the walls to give texture and to imply they are covered in bodily fluids. A former bank was used as the library and 5,000 books, which were supplemented with fiberglass replicas, were rented to fill the space. The shaking in Mills apartment, which is caused by a passing train, was created using gas-powered engines attached to the set. Walker's script extensively described Doe's home, whose windows are painted black for privacy and a drawer is filled with empty painkiller bottles to help Doe cope with frequent headaches.[133]

A scuba-like device was used to let Mack breathe while face-down in spaghetti.[133]

A fiberglass replica of Mack was used for the character's autopsy, featuring a deliberately enlarged penis; Fincher said after Mack spent so long in makeup for 30 seconds of screen time, he could "at least give him a huge cock".[133][134]

Leland Orser, who portrays the man who is forced to kill the lust victim, deprived himself of sleep to achieve a "deranged mindset"; his scene was postponed so he stayed awake another night.[133]

Pitt said he regretted not disrobing for a separate scene of Mills and Somerset shaving their chests to wear concealed listening devices. He disliked the public attention given to his body but later came to believe taking off his shirt off would have conveyed the growing partnership between Mills and Somerset.[133]

The set was wrapped in plastic to contain the insects.[133]

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/matt-barone/best-villains-movie-history https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/20-movie-villains-and-the-menacing-stories-they-tell/ https://movieweb.com/best-villain-evil-plans-movies/ https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-murder-mystery-movies/ https://ew.com/gallery/50-most-vile-movie-villains/ https://ew.com/gallery/25-best-villains/ https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-greatest-movie-villains-of-the-1990s-ranked/2900-2131/ https://movieweb.com/seven-movie-worth-watching-thriller/ (grown to be considered one of hte best" . enduring

thrillers
close
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best crime
reader votd
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  • i<ref name="TheRingerTruth"> ndeed, time has conferred a mostly rapturous critical consensus on Se7en highlighted by Richard Dyer’s 2008 BFI Classics monograph, / Most of the initial dissent against Se7en—Maslin’s review included—was rooted in the old shibboleth of style over substance.
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  74. ^ Cite error: The named reference LegacyEbert1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  75. ^ Cite error: The named reference LegacyEbert2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  76. ^ Cite error: The named reference VultureEdelBilge was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  77. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference FSRBeggs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  78. ^ Cite error: The named reference TheFilmMagazine was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  79. ^ Cite error: The named reference IndependentLegacy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  80. ^ Cite error: The named reference BloodyRetro was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  81. ^ Cite error: The named reference ColliderLegacy23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  82. ^ Cite error: The named reference NMELegacy23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  83. ^ Cite error: The named reference THRLegacy23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  84. ^ Cite error: The named reference HeadintheboxRinger was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  85. ^ Cite error: The named reference TheWrapLegacy23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  86. ^ Cite error: The named reference MovieWebLegacy23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  87. ^ Cite error: The named reference ColliderLegacy24 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  88. ^ Cite error: The named reference LATimesBurg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  89. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFIAnvari was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  90. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFISuchsland was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  91. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFIKelly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  92. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFICastillo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  93. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFIStolworthy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  94. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFIKristiansen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  95. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFITAPE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  96. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianCrit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  97. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBCOverallRecep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  98. ^ Cite error: The named reference MetaCriticTop10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  99. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Deadlineopening was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  100. ^ Cite error: The named reference Metacritic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  101. ^ Cite error: The named reference BOMproj was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  102. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference ReviewTimeOut was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  103. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference ReviewChicagoSunTimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  104. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewTimeCom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  105. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewIndieWire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  106. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference ReviewEbert was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  107. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewTheWrap was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  108. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewEW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  109. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference ReviewMaltin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  110. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewRS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  111. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewTHR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  112. ^ Cite error: The named reference BFIReview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  113. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference ReviewPop was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  114. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference ReviewEmpire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  115. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewChicagoTrib was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  116. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference ReviewSalon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  117. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewScreen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  118. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewSlate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  119. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewReelViews was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  120. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewGuardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  121. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewUSAToday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  122. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewChicagoReader was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  123. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference ReviewWAPO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  124. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewSightSound was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  125. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewSlant was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  126. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewVanityFair was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  127. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ReviewVillageVoice was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  128. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference ReviewVulture was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  129. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewTheTimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  130. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReviewLATimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  131. ^ "Wear of Decorations, Service Medals, Badges, Unit Awards, and Appurtenances". Army Regulation 670–1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia (PDF). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army. January 26, 2021. pp. 50–55. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  132. ^ "Order of precedence by category of medal" (PDF). Department of the Army Pamphlet 670–1: Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army. January 26, 2021. pp. 259–262. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  133. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Yahoo25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  134. ^ Cite error: The named reference FSR25Things was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).