Anyone seen Boondock Saints?

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:12 am

You know sometimes (it doesn't happen very often) you go into your local Blockbuster and just pick up something that caught your eye but you have no idea about it.

Well I picked up Boondock Saints on DVD last week and watched it 4 times already. Absolutely fantastic Tarantino/Scorsese type flick with a controversial statement.

I love the religious angle with the Latin prayers and such. In fact I googled the movie name and it has many fans.

Its a modern classic, definately worth picking up.. especially if your Irish..

Its an oldie, made in 1999 I believe.. It didn't get a theatrical release due to some columbine shootings at the time.. Shame, it deserves so much credit.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... q=boondock

Neo Rasa · Post by **Neo Rasa** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:33 am

I remember seeing trailers for the theatrical release and everything, it got a pretty quiet home video release in the summer of 2000 instead. Fun movie, though it didn't hold up to repeated viewings for me. Great cast. The entire "serial crusher" scene is great.

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:56 am

Internet hype killed this one, as for a while everyone seemed to be gushing all over it (see: Donnie Darko, Equilibrium).

Personally I liked it more when Miramax released it the first time, as Pulp Fiction.

Post by **undamned** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:11 pm

An interesting watch, for sure. My roomate is a fan of it and had it in the house, so I watched it.
-ud

Jon · Post by **Jon** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:31 pm

sethsez wrote:Internet hype killed this one, as for a while everyone seemed to be gushing all over it (see: Donnie Darko, Equilibrium).

Personally I liked it more when Miramax released it the first time, as Pulp Fiction.

I guess that is exactly why I enjoyed it. I came knowing absolutely nothing about the movie (did it even see a theatrical release?) and ended up realy liking it. If it had been built up prior to my seeing it I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

Don't really see the Pulp Fiction comparision though.

Neo Rasa · Post by **Neo Rasa** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:36 pm

It's because Quentin Tarantino invented profanity and violence and is the most original director that's ever existed.

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:54 pm

Neo Rasa wrote:It's because Quentin Tarantino invented profanity and violence and is the most original director that's ever existed.

No, it's because in the 90s, Tarantino inspired everyone and their dog to start making crime flicks about amazingly cool criminals who all have infinitely quotable conversations and do everything in a stylized pseudo-gritty fashion. Independant films like this flowed like vomit from a drunk college student (it's safe to say I'm not a big fan of this little subgenre), and Boondock Saints was just the one that clawed its way to the top.

Tarantino might not have been the first one to do it, but that hardly matters. He's the one who inspired droves of talentless hacks to pick up their camcorders and cheap rented suits and make crime movies.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:19 am

sethsez wrote:Tarantino might not have been the first one to do it, but that hardly matters. He's the one who inspired droves of talentless hacks to pick up their camcorders and cheap rented suits and make crime movies.

I always thought the lawless P.I. movies of the 50's and 60's were what inspired modern crime movies. Tarantino didn't popularize crime movies, crime movies (even the one's with slick punchline delivering criminals) have been popular forever.

Honestly, it seems to me that Boondock Saints is much more in the tradition of "vigilante" films - for instance: Taxi Driver.

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:34 am

Jon wrote: I guess that is exactly why I enjoyed it. I came knowing absolutely nothing about the movie (did it even see a theatrical release?) and ended up realy liking it. If it had been built up prior to my seeing it I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

Exactly, that's the best way to enjoy a movie or anything in the media; no hype to cloud your judgment, no 30 seond trailers that (sometimes) give way too much of the story away, etc.

A friend of mine told me The BS was awesome 2 years ago, still haven't seen it myself. I'd probably like it.

I'd say Q.T. re-invigorated the crime drama.

Neo Rasa · Post by **Neo Rasa** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:19 am

Oh speaking of which, everyone should read this whole thing and see the documentary it's about:

http://ruthlessreviews.com/movies/o/overnight.html

Overnight review wrote:We're not yet out of October, but I'll make the call nevertheless -- I will not see a better film in 2004 than Mark Brian Smith & Tony Montana's brilliant documentary, Overnight. As an exploration of hubris and unrestrained ego, I've never seen a more blistering portrait, and I doubt I'll ever encounter a viler monster than self-proclaimed genius Troy Duffy. A Shakespearean villain who would have both Richard III and Lady Macbeth for breakfast, Duffy was Hollywood's new "Golden Boy" back in 1997, when his screenplay for The Boondock Saints sent movie executives scrambling for both dollars and superlatives. Given the opportunity of a lifetime (a generous contract to direct the film, as well as a record deal for his band The Brood), Troy lost it all not because of unfortunate circumstances or the cruelties of fate, but due entirely to his own bitterness, stupidity, arrogance, and unparalleled vanity. The film is both a document of a poor boy's rise to the top (the filmmakers were initially asked to chronicle a "star in the making"), and a complete meltdown that might have been perceived as tragic had Troy had an ounce of human decency. About fifteen minutes in, we know what's coming (Troy is a prick to everyone, especially the most powerful people in the business), but the ride down is never anything less than a laugh-filled, entertaining riot; the most glaring example of schadenfreude ever witnessed. I'd sooner trust my fate to Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Khan, Mao or Pol Pot than Mr. Duffy, the most putrid stain on humanity since the earth first cooled. I defy you to spend 81 more pleasurable minutes in the presence of something that isn't naked.

Hilarious stuff.

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:32 am

Andi wrote:I always thought the lawless P.I. movies of the 50's and 60's were what inspired modern crime movies. Tarantino didn't popularize crime movies, crime movies (even the one's with slick punchline delivering criminals) have been popular forever.

True, but you can't deny that a sudden torrent of them all being released a couple years after Pulp Fiction was just a coincidence. I didn't say he created the genre, but he certainly breathed new life into it for a few years. Pulp Fiction was an homage to the crime films of the 50s and 60s with a chic twist, but a good chunk of the movies that came out soon after were homages to Pulp Fiction.

A similar thing happened after Gladiator took home best picture and suddenly we got a flood of sword and sandals epics. Gladiator didn't create anything new, but you can bet your ass it's why we got a ton of them all around the same time.