American History X
 

One of my two favorite movies (Training Day). Just an awesome movie dealing with racism. Edward Norton and Edward Furlong are awesome in it I think... Directing is great too, I love all the flashbacks and the sequence of everything. It all just seems very real. I've probably watched this movie 30 times by now and love it every time. Norton's monologues and rants he goes on in the movie are awesome. It's a movie I think everyone should see.

Thoughts?

Pic related. It's the poster that hangs in my room.

http://www.impawards.com/1998/poster..._history_x.jpg

**** ending ruins the film.

No way dude, it makes it so much better. There's not always happy endings in life.

Apparently there was another ending filmed where Norton's character is seen shaving his head in the mirror again after Danny gets killed and then the movie ends. But I like this ending better.

They should have stuck with the original ending.

Are we having a thread for every film you deem a favourite?

American History X is pretty good, Edward Norton's performance is the difference from it being an okay film to a good one.

My bad. All these years I thought the point of message boards was to create topics to things that interest you and create discussion. :laughing:

but to answer your question... Maybe. Cause I'm not a movie person and I've already created threads regarding my two favorites. Dumb and Dumber may eventually work it's way into a thread as well.

I love Norton. But he was very average in AHX.

Very overrated movie. The performance by whoever played nortons younger brother was pretty good.

Edward Furlong. And I agree, it saved the movie.

Really? What do you like him better in? I think American History X is by far his best stuff... I liked 25th Hour a lot too though

Or talk about topics that are relevant to existing threads.

http://www.musicbanter.com/media/412...l-time-13.html

I thought he made the film a bit better myself, he hasn't been good in the 00s.
I think it was his last memorable performance.

Fight Club?

Always thought Fight Club was over rated. I like it, but it wasn't this awesome classic or anything. Norton's good in it, I don't like him in it as much as I like him in American History X though

We have a Training Day thread and an American History X thread, but one of the best films ever (well, certainly of recent times) doesn't have one.
We should make one! But apparently Fight Club is overrated.
A philosophical film exploring lots of different ideas mainly focused around consumerism isn't as good as a film whose message is - "racism is bad."
And I agree, Norton's performance in Fight Club shits over the one in American History X.

I concur.
Better than Training Day and AHX put together IMHO.

:laughing:

Fight Club has always been overrated. If you wish to simplify American History X to that short message, then go for it, but I don't think the movie was made to all of a sudden make everyone aware that racism is bad. But maybe you think that :usehead:

Anything that gets unanimous praise from everyone can be deemed as "overrated" but Fight Club was and is a cult film. It's not just something critics loved, it's a film that people loved.
Oh right, why was the film made then?
Other than to entertain, which it did. It did its job in that respect.

It's just a great movie telling a story of how race has influenced the lives of these two people inparticular. Great actors, great directing. I couldn't care less if you like it or not. I just think it's funny when people come into a thread like "OMG he made a thread about a movie!?!? In the Media section!!! Ahhh!!" ...and then they end up talking about the movie anyways lol.

Fight Club is a cult classic... I just don't consider it a great movie. It's not in my top 5 or top 10 movies.

You couldn't care less if I like it or not? Why did you make a thread about it to get a discussion going then, if you don't even care about other's opinions?

I merely asked if you were planning to make a thread on every second rate film you enjoy, if you are - I'll still give my opinion in them.

Yes, the film TELLS the story of how race influenced the lives of the characters.
But I didn't ask you to outline the plot, I asked about the message of the film.
The message is - racism is bad.

I don't fully remember it, I think I need a rewatch.
I just remember Edwart Norton's character completely changing his Neo-Nazi ways after sharing a laugh with a black man in prison.

Overall verdict: entertaining film, redundant message and nowhere near Norton's best as Fight Club's depth is incomparable to AHX.

It's much deeper than A Neo-Nazi changing his ways after chatting it up with a black dude in prison. Doesn't seem redundant at all to me and I think Norton's performance is way better (as is the movie) than in Fight Club.

I like American History X so much because it's telling a story in realistic fashion and it's directed as such. The people seem like real characters, its believable. And I like that in movies. And i've always been really interested in racial topics, I have some pretty strong views on different things. And the way the movie is directed, it just shows how so many things in society affect your outlook on racism and how it can become very misunderstood. So maybe that's part of why I am not a huge Fight club fan, because it's not a movie portrayed in a realistic way.

Watch The Believer and Romper Stomper. They're way better than American History X.

If American History X is Norton's last memorable performance, why are you saying that a later one of his performances was better than it? :confused:

I somehow doubt that, but I'll look them up and try to watch them sometime, thanks!

Realistic fashion? Neo-Nazi changing his entire belief system and assessing his values because he went to prison and shared a smile with a black man.
If only ever racist in real life could share a moment with a black guy...
It just wasn't realistic at all. But aside from that, films don't have to be realistic.

So you're not a fan of things portrayed in an unrealistic way?
One of the biggest artistic movements - surrealism.. wouldn't be one you'd like then.
Fight Club is extremely philosophical, it shows the anger and frustrations of living in a consumer society, it shows the duality inside of the narrator (expressed through Tyler) it shows things you wish you could do, but can't. And if you're displaying something like that, then it isn't going to be realistic. Exploring philosophical ideas is something you can't do in a completely realistic way, nor do you need to. It's an artform, it does NOT have to be like every day life.

Besides the idea of a load of grown men starting an underground fight club can't be totally impossible, as it actually happened because of the film...


Because I always thought American History X was late 1999, it was 1998.
Besides, his last good performance was in 25th Hour - despite him being quite bad in the 00s.

You should take your own advice and rewatch the movie. You're either trying to over simplify it because you are trying to make an argument (and make American History X look as bad as possible) or you just really don't remember the movie. Especially if that's all you think happened.

Obviously films don't have to be realistic, I just prefer them.

I'm not trying to make it look as bad as possible, since I've already said I like the film. :confused:

It was just a 'racism is bad' film, entertaining but not particularly thought provoking.

That's just the way it seemed. Like I said, maybe you just don't remember well or weren't really watching the movie all that closely. Because to simplify it and say a Neo-Nazi changed his entire thought process because of befriending a black man is really leaving out other things that led to his eventual change.

Yes I was watching the movie closely, I don't watch them and say stupid things like "oh, it wasn't very realistic so I don't like it that much"

I remember what I thought about the film when I watched it.
Surprisingly, re-watching a film I didn't find all that good isn't high up on my priorities. So I'll get round to watching it when I'm good and ready, I don't feel it's essential I rewatch it because I remember enough about it to have a valid opinion.
If I remember rightly his father was a racist, he picked up his ideals and was part of a gang, killed 2 black men who tried to break in his house, went to prison, befriended a black guy, didn't shy away from his friendship with the black guy, got raped in the showers because of that. Got out of prison, tried to stop his brother from going down the same path. - I really don't need to watch it again because I "don't remember it well or wasn't really watching the movie all that closely."

The message of the film: racism is bad.
You're telling me it has more depth to it, but you're not exactly explaining what depth it has? You just explained the plot "a movie telling a story of how race has influenced the lives of these two people" - I think I gathered that much.

So it's stupid to have a preference of realistic movies over non-realistic ones? preferences are stupid? Speaking of stupid comments... :rofl:

You brought up the rewatching of the movie so please keep that in mind before trying to be a smartass about it.

Agreed and to a lesser extent Alan Clarke's The Firm.

I would really like to see AHX director Tony Kaye's original version for the film as Norton (as he has been known to do a lot) took over the editing of the film which means that the original directors version may well have been eminently more watchable.

As Dankstra says though The Believer is so much better and a lot more subtler with a much smaller budget and has a much more believable story arc.

Yes, because that's what I said.
I said it was stupid to have preferences.
I said I watch things closely and try and understand them, before I dismiss them with comments like "it isn't realistic."
Watching a movie expressing ideals and philosophies and then saying you dislike it because it wasn't realistic enough.

I know I brought up rewatching it, because I don't revel in ignorance and I'd be willing to give it another chance - but it isn't on my list of priorities.
But you were trying to be a smart arse about it, by saying perhaps I didn't watch it closely enough or didn't remember it well - when I can quite clearly remember enough about it to form a valid opinion. You still haven't told me its supposed depth, you seem to believe it does have more depth than it actually does.

And just to lay to rest what you said before...
http://rateyourmusic.com/film_collec...ngStunt/r3.5/1
My rating of the film. 3.5/5 = decent.
But it doesn't have this depth you imagine it to have.
Racism is bad. The end.
I'm sure other films manage to explore it in a more indepth manner.

i really hated this. it kinda felt like a spike lee joint to me(i hate spike lee joints).

Too much slow-mo as well. Slow-mo is cheesy.

Seriously? Which of his movies have you seen? Spike Lee is known for his vibrant use of colors, having primarily black casts, and his use of humor. I really don't see any of those things going on in American History X.

Really? Do The Right Thing and Clockers are fantastic and even his mainstream The Inside Man was solid enough.