Shawshank Redemption

[lankyguy95]

Released twenty five years ago.

Not an interesting thread but fucking hell it's great isn't it? Story, writing, acting, directing, score - all amazing.

[madhair60]

s4c

[A Hat Like That]

When I first watched it, I was genuinely surprised as to why it was so highly rated. I am warmer towards it but its very much the Dadrock of good movies. Bunch of guys in their boot cut jeans using it to show that they 'get' movies.

Of course, the finale gave us this, which is grand.

[Old Nehamkin]

Yeah it's a wonderful film. More than any other Stephen King adaptation, I think it captures the pure, joyous brilliance of his storytelling at its peak. I've not seen it in ages but it was always the kind of film I would happily watch to the end when I came across it on TV. 

[bgmnts]

It's somewhere between The Running Man and Stand by Me when it comes to Stephen King short story adaptations.

[NJ Uncut]

It's better than the short story which had:

- Brooks only exists in passing. Mind you, so do lots of the other supporting cast
- The Tommy getting murdered subplot ain't in the book, Tommy just goes to another prison or free or something
- There's more than one warden over Andy's time and Norton crucially doesn't die
- Ditto the big screw, just retires or some shit
- Red is a whitey
- Andy's targeting by Boggs n that is a lot nastier, Red refers to packing stuff up your arse to stop the leakage
- No actual definitive meetup on the outside of Red and Andy - it's ambiguous

[sevendaughters]

- No actual definitive meetup on the outside of Red and Andy - it's ambiguous

The original ending of the film was Red on a bus looking for the box. No meeting. Studio demanded closure.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Stephen King adaptation

F**k my hat

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Absolute load of preposterous shit, not one believable second in it, and unequivocally the most overrated load of old bollocks of all time. If you even remotely like this film , you're a cunt, simple as.
( The contemporary Barry Norman advised on review rewrite. )

[Gulftastic]

Good film, with some smashing bits.

I always get slightly annoyed at how the water pressure in that pipe goes from a gushing torrent to a pathetic dribble after he smashes a hole in it.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's a good contemporary film and a well told story.

There's probably some horseshoe theory here where if you big it up too much or snobbishly shit on it too hard you're outing yourself as a dilettante.

[Deyv]

Yeah it's a great film. My dad hates it though! He's only seen up to that bit where that fella gets shot. Somehow he still knows how it ends! But I'll probably never watch Shawshank again, to be honest. I'll watch clips on youtube. Don't need to put up with the nasty parts again.
The bit where Andy's getting his head kicked in must've inspired too many rubbish bits in Red Dwarf 8 where the characters are being beaten up all the time. So I deduct a point from it for that alone. 9 and a half stars from me.

[DukeDeMondo]

My da was annoyed at me one night for I got properly putrid stinking drunk – million years ago, mind, back when I was capable of getting properly putrid stinking drunk without it meaning the end of the world – and to make up for it I bought him The Shawshank Redemption on DVD. £12. He stopped for petrol and I sauntered into the garage and it was up by the till so I bought it for my da to make up for the whole thing.

Shawshank Redemption for you, there. Bits of raspberries on my sleeve whatever the fuck.

He was raging. Och. For fucking Christ almighty, The Shawshank Redemption, next. Is your head cut? Are you simple on that bloody drink? It's on TV every other night of the shit sake week. £12 was mine anyway for you owe me £40 as fortnight.

A whole bloody carry on. Wish I'd never set eyes on it. It was only the shitty wee one disc version too. Big £12 sticker. I bought the 3 disc version when it came out for I wanted to learn all about the things that happened, but I still have the one out the garage kicking about somewhere. Underneath a pile of bloody White Queen Blu Rays or Rome. Rising Damp.

I like the film. It's good, I think.

The Green Mile is fucking horrible. The Shawshank Redemption is in a different sort of league altogether.

Used to be when students wanted you to know they were serious about these films they would tell you that they loved The Shawshank Redemption and Dead Poets Society, films they believed to be proper serious sorts of films. I like Dead Poets Society too.

Anyway then they started talking about Inception. I dunno what after that. Twin Peaks 3.

(I was about to post this and then it said wait, there's a new post so wait a minute, and there's Deyv talking about his dad and it looks like I'm just riding the wave but I'm not, it all happened by chance. Keep your da away from Shawshank at all costs, anyway, by the looks of things. Hide one or the other if both are about.)

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Yes, it's good. Perhaps it's just the time period in which it's set, but it's got a sort of stately, classic Hollywood sort of feel to it - while also being quite a violent film with lots of implied buggery.

More importantly, this is the perfect opportunity to dust off this old video thing I made (and never quite got around to finishing). www.youtube.com/watch?v=V64NzGisPgM

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

It's a fantastic movie, and those who criticize it are just contrarians mad that it is popular (obviously it is overrated).

[Ferris]

The original ending of the film was Red on a bus looking for the box. No meeting. Studio demanded closure.

In fairness, what a shit ending that would have been. I get it "oooh he has hope now that's all he ever needed" but fucking come on I've watched these cunts for 3 hours they'd better meet up on the outside and get married on that boat or whatever.

It's a fantastic movie, and those who criticize it are just contrarians mad that it is popular (obviously it is overrated).

This is true, it's a great film whatever it's faults.

[greenman]

It's a fantastic movie, and those who criticize it are just contrarians mad that it is popular (obviously it is overrated).

I mean to be fair I think any resentment comes from the other way, god knows how often I'v seen this film invoked on the net as "serious cinema" to someone decrying say a Marvel blockbuster, it fills the same kind of role as Nolan.

[kalowski]

It is very overrated.

Escape from Alcatraz is much better.

[checkoutgirl]

Released twenty five years ago.

Not an interesting thread but fucking hell it's great isn't it? Story, writing, acting, directing, score - all amazing.

There's a fair bit of backlash against this film being the second highest rated film on ImDb I seem to remember. Like people were annoyed about this overrated film. I quite like it but haven't watched it for at least a decade and have no desire to. I have no strong feelings for it either way. It's fine. Well crafted, bit corny maybe.

It is the source of my favourite piece of film review journalism ever though. Can't remember the reviewer or the film it referred to but I do recall Kermode referencing a guy who said about a film "there's a lot of Shawshank before you get to the redemption" beautiful. I occasionally look for reasons to use that phrase.

[checkoutgirl]

I've watched these cunts for 3 hours they'd better meet up on the outside and get married on that boat or whatever.

Three people think like that.

1. Americans.
2. Americans in test screenings.
3. American studio executives.

Oh and you. Now that I think about it the ending is a bit gay isn't it? I know that's not politically correct so apologies for that.

[greenman]

A quite straight forward sentimental drama having a straight forward sentimental ending never really seemed out of place to me, I mean its not really a classic Spielberging is it?

[madhair60]

It's a fantastic movie, and those who criticize it are just contrarians mad that it is popular

discourse

[MojoJojo]

- Red is a whitey

I've not really thought about it before but it's a bit wrong isn't? Prisons were segregated when it was set, and it seems likely Red would have been shanked. I don't think there are any other black characters.

I dunno, guess it's colour blind casting. Seems a bit wrong when it's hiding historical racism though. Guess the films not about that.

[madhair60]

"prison is no fairytale" except when there's no racism and you escape

[Chollis]

It's a fantastic movie, and those who criticize it are just contrarians mad that it is popular (obviously it is overrated).

Yeah.

Anyone who doesn't like this film is a cunt. It's like not liking dogs or something.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I've just asked my Dad what he thinks about it, and he said "Er, it's alright".

[madhair60]

Yeah.

Anyone who doesn't like this film is a cunt. It's like not liking dogs or something.

Haha no brain film fucker

[Chollis]

Haha no brain film fucker

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Haha no brain film fucker

Saw [Alien] first time last year. Not that good really.

[madhair60]

It wasn't that good, I don't know what to tell you

This actually happened