Falling Down (1993) Full Length Reaction

'Traffic' is a really good one, so is 'Wall Street' and 'Black Rain', and 'Romancing the Stone', 'The Ghost and the Darkness' and 'Fatal Attraction'.

JPDotCom23

+1 on An American President. Written by Aaron Sorkin.

Mike Fox

This is a dramatic movie, reaction channels have a difficult time with these.

Allen Bond

Great comment, BJ. Go set fire to a racoon or whatever else you have planned for today.

Jamie

King of Comedy is excellent, it's still dark but not to the degree Falling Down is.

Jason Scade

Nope.

BJ Stephens

An awesome Michael Douglas movie: “Traffic” (2000). Nominated for Best Picture Oscar. Won 4 Oscars including Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro). Also stars Michael Douglas, a young Erika Christensen (awesome), Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid.

Clay F

Yep, big time.

Clay F

BJ, to whom was your response directed?

Opti_Frog

Careful your prejudice is showing.

BJ Stephens

I second Phone Booth, great movie. And yes directors can have crap movies and still have great movies as his Batman Forever, which was a huge hit, and more so his Batman and Robin almost killed Batman until Chris Nolan came to the rescue. And please always say what you feel and don't worry if it angers some. We may disagree with you but to get actually mad is pretty petty.

Andrew Roach

Then you have Romancing the Stone as well. GOOD movie! Really fun.

Stephen Koehler

Basically America is this with Trump. Broken people making shit evil decisions based on a vague perception of persecution

Jamie

Wall Street (1987) and The American President (1995) are worth checking out if you want to see more Michael Douglas.

Scott Bergstrom

+1 for Romancing the Stone (1984) and Jewel of the Nile (1985). Michael Douglas in a more uplifting, comedic, Indiana Jones kinda way! Would also add Wall Street (1987) for his character Gorden Gekko (Greed is GOOD) as well as Black Rain (1989) and Basic Instinct (1992).

Major Peril

For Travis Bickle, no. And i haven't seen King of Comedy, so i can't comment on Rupert Pupkin.

Opti_Frog

Every professional is allowed to fail and have stinkers. Comes with the territory.

Over50Gamer

Basic Instinct and War of the Roses are good ones.

Edward korstanje

Musical fact: The heavy metal band Iron Maiden have a song about this. It's titled "Man on the Edge". The freeway is jammed, and it's backed up for miles The car is an oven and baking is wild Nothing is ever the way it should be What we deserve, we just don't get, you see A briefcase, a lunch, and a man on the edge Each step gets closer to losing his head Is someone in heaven? Are they looking down? 'Cause nothing is fair, just you look around Falling down Falling down Falling down Falling down Falling down Falling down He's sick of waiting, of lying like this There's a hole in the sky for the angels to kiss Branded a leper because you don't fit In the land of the free, you just live by your wits Once, he built missiles, a nation's defense Now he can't even give birthday presents Across the city, he leaves in his wake A glimpse of the future: a cannibal state Falling down Falling down Falling down Falling down Falling down Falling down

Zapp Rowsdower

Do you have sympathy for Travis Bickle? Or Rupert Pupkin?

Jason Scade

Amen! I would toss in War of the Roses too; great performances in all of those!

Ian Hunter (NewbieInOttawa)

I like that we are supposed to have conflicting emotions about D-Fens. One scene we’re supposed to hate him and the very next scene we’re cheering him on but stop and question if we are supposed to root for him. And then we have Prendergast who isn’t ambiguously moral. He’s the guy we root for. I remember watching this for the first time sometime in the mid to late 90s and thinking how D-Fens was a video game character who kept upgrading his weapons with each level he completed.

Andy Thomas

'Phone Booth' (2002) is a really solid single location thriller, highly recommended. As is 'Buried' (2010).

Jason Scade

'The Game' reaction is here on the channel. 👍

Jason Scade

🏆

Jason Scade

I can't get worked up about a director who gave us Batman and Robin (1997)

SnabbKassa

Lol what, someone said you must like this or else? Who gives AF what others think, you can't push an opinion on to someone, whether you liked it or not, that's cool

Mark McKeown

This is one of my favorite movies, so I was glad to see you react to it. I could tell you were tentative about being judgmental. I'm sorry you felt you couldn't express your raw opinion, but people are so judgmental these days it was refreshing to see someone remain calm & neutral. "I'm the bad guy?" There are so many ways to interpret this movie. Themes of society, the American Dream, entitlement, the individual vs the many, and many others subjects that go far beyond simple good/bad morality. David Lynch is a favorite director of mine, and I like his movies for the same reason I like this one: it makes me ask questions. Usually I feel what is being presented on screen is supposed to be judged literally, but here each scene can be interpreted many different ways. I don't know if the screenwriter has given interviews discussing this movie, but personally I find different subtexts everytime I watch it.

Noremac

Romancing the stone and Jewel of the Nile are great Michael Douglas movies

Brett Whittaker

Not going to deny that Falling Down is an entertaining movie, but i have little to zero sympathy with this Travis Bickle-lite. Another in a long line of privileged white movie characters with petty grievances who feels hard done by.

Opti_Frog

It did. The hero shot the villain.

Opti_Frog

When I saw this in the theatre back in the day, I thought i was going to see a comedy. Imagine my surprise at the dark turn it was. This is always a difficult movie to guage. Seeing William (D-Fens) go over the edge slowly is probably the hardest thing. He doesn't see himself as a bad guy. He just wants to see his daughter on her birthday. He did all the things society told him to do, played by the rules, but he still got screwed in the end. He was stuck and didn't know how to get what he needed out of life. In the end the stress did him in. He just let it get to him. Before he knew it, it consumed him. The point of no return he was talking about. When he finally realized he was the bad guy he knew he had to go out. It was either jail or the final choice he made. Truly unfortunate he didn't get the help he needed. Pendergrast has a story here too. Not taken seriously at his job, denigrated by his co-workers because he loves his wife. He also kind of let his wife run roughshod over him. But he loved her and was prepared to sacrifice it all to make her happy as you do for the one who loves you. Pendergrast got to a different breaking point as well when he finally yelled at his wife on the phone. It was an edge. Now Pendergrast may not have wanted to do what he did. He was a kind man and treated all with kindness, which in his hard nosed world didn't garner much respect from his peers. But in the end his instincts were right and perhaps if his peers had listened to the kind man, WIlliam might still be alive, his daughter might not have had to fact the prospect of finding out her daddy had snapped on her birthday. Adele is going to be tramautized for life, but in the end, William had some issues, which in the end were unresolved. It also goes to the adage where you should treat all with kindness because you have no idea what kind of day they might have had. IN the end the movie gave ma a lot to think about at the time it came out. It said, to me at least, that everyone is having a trying life and kindness is the key. Everyone has that one bad day, so make sure that you treat the world around you with love because hopefylly at least, that love will be returned.

Stephen Koehler

I've seen this movie quite a few times over the years.And i'm pretty much on the same page as you with this one...heartbreaking as well as scary....💔 .. If you haven't seen ~the game~ You should definitely check that out.I really think you will enjoy it ..🖖

bryon wilcock

This is a great movie. Someone recommended it to me, so I watched it blind. Ps another good thriller with Michael Douglas is Sentinel. Also starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Joeking

You recognized the director Joel Schumacher he made The Lost Boys. Another great film he made is Phone Booth 2002

Matt

Jen if you love Robert Duvall you must watch Apocalypse Now and The Godfather Part II. He is incredible in both.

David Murray

A great film starring Robert Duvall you could check out "The Apostle" 1997 he also wrote and Directed it 😊

Matt

I always felt sorry for him, but I never felt like what he was doing was right in any way. I understand how a person can snap like this, especially when they are already prone to violence to begin with. I do not so much enjoy watching him hurt and scare people, but what I enjoy is how riveting the story is told from all perspectives.

Vwlss Nvwls

Excellent reaction to a 90s masterpiece. Loved your reaction. 💜 D-Fens is tragic character, it's a sad movie. Despite his short-comings and issues I think D-Fens got a raw deal. Robert Duvall is subtlety superb in it (as he often is). The cheery girl at the burger place who served D-Fens is Michelle Pfieffer's younger sister. 1:06:40 Dickhead police captain urinates then immediately picks his teeth, then leaves WC without washing his hands. Nauseating. 1:34:10-ish When the strip-o-gram comes out for Prendergast, one of the cops says "Susie Q"... a reference to Apocalypse Now which also stars Duvall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqzG8ACX5Xw Further Michael Douglas; - Wall Street (1987) - The War of the Roses (1989 / caustic black comedy / dir by Danny DeVito) - Traffic (2000 / drama about the illegal drugs trade) - Romancing the Stone (1984 / dir by Robert Zemeckis) - Fatal Attraction (1987 / psy thriller, the ultimate bunny boiler movie) Further Barbara Hershey; - Tin Men (1987 / comedy-drama / two rival salesmen become involved in an ever increasing one-upmanship dispute) Further Duvall; - Godfather Part II (1974) - Apocalypse Now (1979) Duvall supporting role but is utterly iconic. For first time viewing of Apocalypse Now, I'd recommend the original version 153 min version and not the 'Redux' version. Further Falling Down-esque; - The King of Comedy (1982 / Dir by Scorsese)

Jason Scade

👍👍 Apart from with Anthon Chigurh. Don't even ask if there's much rain down his way.

Jason Scade

Friendly reminder, be cordial with folks you interact with during your day. You never know how close someone is to snapping.

Shawn C

Sheila was played by Dedee Pfeiffer, Michelle's sister 😆

Carlos Perez

Michael Douglas said this was his favorite role. I saw this in the theater, and I had no idea what I was in for, but I loved it just the same. It was so different, and unusual, but at the same time so real. I was also glad it ended the way it did.

Vwlss Nvwls

I think for the the saddest part of this movie is that while Douglas's character was definitely a flawed character, it's the idea that we live in a society that can push someone like that over the edge and break them with a hundred little blows until they become a danger to either themselves or others. By the way if people get upset that you don't see or think about a movie in the same way they do, just ignore them (though that's easier said than done). No one has the right to try to bully or harass someone to think a certain way.

BJ Stephens

The Ghost and the Darkness

Carlos Perez

I've only seen parts of this movie, maybe enough to qualify as the whole, but it's been so long. I should revisit this one with your reactions. Thanks for reminding me this movie exists!

Over50Gamer

DrewForward

This will be an interesting reaction. It will also serve to provide some good scenery in the background of Los Angeles. I think one thing that could be interesting, given the fires in LA recently, is to maybe do a poll on movies centered around showcasing Los Angeles and its landmarks and scenery. I can think of several off the top of my head that would definitely fit that bill that you haven't seen. Something of a tribute to the city and the people that have given us all these movies, a city which is now hurting a bit.

Astraeos

Been looking forward to this all week. One of the 90s best thriller/dramas. I made so much money on this back in the day. #Laserdiscs

Jason Scade

I made the mistake of watching this three weeks before I moved to LA. And then two months later the Northridge quake hit. 😟

Geoff S.