ErikW Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 The Happiness thread got me thinking... what are you favorite downer movies? No Hollywood happy endings, just bleak, dark, sad, or depressing. In no particular order, off the top of my head, mine would be: Leaving Las Vegas, Requiem for a Dream, Happiness, The Center of the World. OK, LLV would be #1 if I had an order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhgtyre Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Apocalypse Now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Blood Simple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecutts Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Last of the Mohicans. I wept Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 I can think of a few. Of course we have: Requiem for a Dream, Happiness, Gummo, and Dead Man. But the real winner has to be Dancer in the Dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Fallen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted September 13, 2002 Share Posted September 13, 2002 Jacobs Ladder , End of Days, Gladiator & McCabe & Ms. Miller (Edited by Bigbadaboom at 8:23 pm on Sep. 12, 2002) (Edited by Bigbadaboom at 8:22 pm on Sep. 14, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted September 13, 2002 Author Share Posted September 13, 2002 Funny how we have different ideas of what makes a downer movie. I'm thinking of the whole thing, a lot of you are just thinking about the ending. Gladiator? Last of the Mohicans? You guys probably thought E.T. was a downer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
down0 Posted September 13, 2002 Share Posted September 13, 2002 "The Thing" (the remake with Kurt Russell. "The Bad Leutenant" (I know I spelled that wrong....French is like a whole different language). "Jacob's Ladder" and "Fallen" are very good choices, although I thought I was the only one that saw those movies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted September 13, 2002 Share Posted September 13, 2002 The Deerhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
et45 Posted September 14, 2002 Share Posted September 14, 2002 Light of Day,I don't know why Joan Jett has not done any more acting.She did a good job in this movie.The scene where she reconciles with her dieing mother is a real tear jerker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvinez Posted September 14, 2002 Share Posted September 14, 2002 What about Old Yeller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted September 17, 2002 Share Posted September 17, 2002 I'm a big fan of Jacob's Ladder. But like Eric said, it's interesting what "makes" a downer movie, because I wouldn't classify it as a downer movie - I really liked the ending. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
down0 Posted September 18, 2002 Share Posted September 18, 2002 You liked the ending? I like movies with ambiguous endings, but this one really flummoxed me. Do you think he died in 'Nam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted September 18, 2002 Share Posted September 18, 2002 S P O I L E R W A R N I N G I didn't seem ambiguous to me, though certainly until the end of the movie you have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on. He died in 'Nam, and everything in the movie between the first and last scenes was the dying fantasies shooting out of his brain as it shut down - which says something about just how amazing this guy's mind was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted September 18, 2002 Share Posted September 18, 2002 Spoiler W A R N I N G Yea, he was in near-death-limbo-land the whole time. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted September 18, 2002 Author Share Posted September 18, 2002 Holy shjt, I didn't get that at all when I saw Jacob's Ladder. Gonna have to rent it again. But I'm gonna have to hide behind my blankie during the dancing scene at the party; it's one of the scariest movie scenes ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted September 19, 2002 Share Posted September 19, 2002 Oh yeah. Scariest and sexiest. Elizabeth Pena, whoooo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
down0 Posted September 19, 2002 Share Posted September 19, 2002 That's the take I had on the movie, too. The fact that they had him and his buddies on some fun chemicals sort of clued me in to that. ditto on E. Pena. She was in another good movie, "Lone Star". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted September 19, 2002 Share Posted September 19, 2002 Saw it. Repeat my previous comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slik40 Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 Doubt I will find anyone who has seen this, but "L'ete Meurtrier" to me takes the cake. French films are the best for tradgedy, and this one was something else. Only highlight was Isabella Adjani....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 Try Betty Blue if you like downer French films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 I discovered Jacobs Ladder when I was 12 or something (maybe not that young, but it was a while ago). My mother had a fit when she saw it. I didn't get that whole pre-death thing either. Gotta stop by Blockbuster tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
down0 Posted September 22, 2002 Share Posted September 22, 2002 You might want to check out "Go Tell The Spartans" if you haven't seen that yet. Another Viet Nam war movie that's a bit of a downer, but has Burt Lancaster telling one of the great "war stories" of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneyokly Posted September 22, 2002 Share Posted September 22, 2002 Newest downer movie has to be "One Hour Photo''; should earn Robin Williams academy award nom., but made me want to throw my camera away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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