What were sure to be 10 terrible movies, turned out to be Anderson and Bryan’s TOP 5 PLEASANT SURPRISES. They’ll discuss why as you listen along.
[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/tfvpodcast/TFV_20130920_Top_5_Pleasant_Surprises.mp3]Download – Duration: 1:22:36
Featured Artist: Still Life
Click here for a list of films discussed in this episode.
The Film Vault 
not sure if this top 5 was ever done but top five night movies.movies that all take place in nighttime.
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Posted by lee | September 23, 2013, 7:41 PMWe were surprised by Scotty pilgrim because Michael Cera is usually terrible. And we aren’t all hipsters like you Logan.
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Posted by Joshua kimmel | September 23, 2013, 2:38 PMTo me, “Easy A” is a good example of this phenomenon. Who would’ve guessed that that movie would turn out to be as clever and well-written as it is? And Emma Stone is charming as hell in that movie. On the surface, it just seems like another stupid high school comedy, but I was pretty surprised at its level of quality.
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Posted by Chester | September 23, 2013, 6:59 AMFuck Limitless!
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Posted by Hashmeer | September 22, 2013, 7:37 PMI…I just…I don’t get it. Limitless legitimately has some of the worst writing of any movie I have ever seen. I FUCKING HATE that movie! Yet the hosts and the listeners see it as a pleasant surprise. What am I missing? This movie doesn’t just have plot holes, it has plot holes that completely contradict the entire premise of the film!! It is a BAD movie. That isn’t even opinion, I can justify it as fact. For instance: the scene with the loan shark. Cooper SPECIFICALLY states that he knows the guy is not someone he would just forget to pay back. And then he just FORGETS to pay him back like 10 grand after he makes a million bucks in like a day. But the movie is about a guy that uses all of his brainpower and can recall anything from memory! WTF!!!This is one of MANY unexplained bullshit plot holes. The writing is FUCKING AWFUL yet everyone likes this movie! Am I fucking crazy? What is the appeal, I must know! Because I genuinely do respect the Film Vault’s host and listener community…and this is not to say that I don’t have my own movies containing plot holes that I choose to ignore and enjoy anyway. Is it an ironic thing? Is it like a so bad it is good thing? I am honestly not trying to be a dick, but this movie is like my poster child for an awful movie… I don’t get it…HELP ME!!!!!!
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Posted by Kid D-Brock | September 22, 2013, 2:46 PMLimitless has one of the worst dues ex machina ending that I can recall. Some really good visuals but other than that, It’s a dumbed-down Flowers for Algernon with a (spoiler) happy ending.
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Posted by Hashmeer | September 22, 2013, 7:31 PMI didn’t hate the movie, but I definitely felt it was mediocre at best.
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Posted by Knot Wreally | September 22, 2013, 11:08 PMNo. You are not crazy and you have a right to your opinion.
One of the first lines of the film, in voiceover Eddie says, “For a Guy with a four digit IQ, it’s obvious that I missed a couple of things”. The pill increases your IQ, but it does not make you infallable. If so, everyone would have done what Eddie did and survived.
The main character Eddie was a very flawed man. The pill made him smarter but he still had those same flaws. One of Eddie’s faults was hubris or pride and overconfidence. This is why he hadn’t paid the loan shark back. He was too caught up in his new life and abilities.
This is one of my favorite movies, because after watching it you have to ask yourself: Knowing what I know right now, would I take the pill. It makes you questions your risk tolerance and value you place on IQ or the ability to think clearly!
Not too many movies, leave you with questions like this. IMHO, this is what art is supposed to do.
Groundhog’s Day is another favorite and it asks a similar question.
BTW: The cinematography was amazing in Limitless. The Fisheye shot down the street was amazing. The letters falling from the sky when he was writing was brilliant.
This movie was very cerebral and requires some life experience to appreciate.
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Posted by Jimmyk | September 26, 2013, 9:27 AMGreat show guys. I’m not interested in spewing hate. Just great show Anderson, Bryan, and Logan.
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Posted by Michael McParland | September 22, 2013, 1:01 AMDrop dumb-ass and bring on Logan. God does DA suck.
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Posted by Jac | September 21, 2013, 3:45 PMTwo of Anderson’s picks are new for a Top 5 list — ‘Limitless’ (2011) & ‘Happy, Texas’ (1999).
Two of Anderson’s picks are streaming on Netflix — ‘Happy, Texas’ (1999) & Get the Gringo (2012).
One title has joined the group of four-times-mentioned on a Top 5 list — Life of Pi (2012):
http://www.imdb.com/list/xuupjtme31U/
Recent additions:
— on 21-Sep: Happy, Texas (1999) from ‘Pleasant Surprises’
Episodes recently added:
— +2 added 6-Sep: Top 5 Pleasant Surprises (20-Sep-2013)
Recently added from the back catalog:
— by 21-Sep: The Kids Are All Right (2010) from ‘Rock Docs (Guest: Bobcat Goldthwait) from 22-Jun-2012[Bobcat’s #3] and also from ‘Oscar Locks 2010′ from 18-Feb-2011 [Anderson’s #1]’
Available until:
— 1-Oct: Wet Hot American Summer (2001) from: 21-Jun-2013 Breakup Scenes [selected as Anderson’s #4.]
— 1-Oct: Ride with the Devil (1999) from: 14-Dec-2012 American Actors Never Nominated for an Oscar [selected as Anderson’s # 4 for Jeffrey Wright as Daniel Holt.]
— 1-Oct: Eight Men Out (1988) from: 19-Aug-2010 Sports Films (Guest: Petros Papadakis) [selected as Anderson’s #4. ]
— 28-Sep: Rango (2011) from: 2013-02-22 – Oscar Locks 2013 [selected as Anderson’s #3 for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Gore Verbinski which won the Academy Award.]
Currently 673 films cataloged based on 145 episodes. 130 (19%) of the titles are streaming on Netflix.
Last check of 673 films on Sat., 21-Sep-2013.
Updates to streaming films are checked often. Latest update — Sat., 21-Sep 3pm EDT.
Ben
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Posted by Ben Cacace (@NYCbirder) | September 21, 2013, 12:41 PMThe greatest thing about Bryan is that he is very consistent. Consistently smug and very annoying. A person I know would be a thorn in my side if we worked at the same office. Bryan, learn your names — Lena “Headley” as you so smugly said (actress from Dredd) is actually Lena HEADEY. You smug fuck! 🙂
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Posted by Ben Cacace (@NYCbirder) | September 21, 2013, 10:39 AMWelcome to Obama’s America.
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Posted by Chet | September 22, 2013, 8:18 PMIt’s cool that you guys mentioned Dredd. Just recently, an online petition has started up in the UK to try and get the people involved to get back in the saddle to work on the (then) planned parts 2 & 3. I think if they had a second chance, they would do much better at the box office because the first one a) wasn’t really promoted that well and b) was primarily shown in 3D which, I’m quite sure. turned a lot of people away from seeing it in the theater.
Here’s to hoping they move ahead in making the sequels.
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Posted by Cory D. (@Voss451) | September 21, 2013, 4:27 AMGood call on Boiler Room. Definately a surprise on how much I liked it & still like it. Had the same experience with The Matrix in that I knew nothing about it except a movie poster I saw with Reeves & Fishburne that looked like a common sci-fi movie. I saw it on the midnight Thurs showing & was blown away just like everyone in the audience. Social Network is one of my favorite movies now but I never had a Facebook account & still don’t & never thought I would see the movie no less love it. Probably if it wasn’t for Fincher or Eisenburg’s involvement I still might have not seen the movie. Great show, never miss an episode, keep up the good work.
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Posted by jratm23 | September 21, 2013, 1:18 AMLet’s not overlook perhaps the funniest moment in Film Vault history. I will paraphrase Anderson’s line because ten hours have passed since I listened to this show. But Bryan’s response was Fucking. Epic.
Anderson: “I still can’t get past that ‘high concept’ thing, and now you’re bringing in the chemo, as usual.”
Bryan: “Here’s a high concept: A man gets cancer and must do a show with an asshole.”
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Posted by Michael P. Gowdy | September 20, 2013, 10:39 PMI agree completely! That made me laugh perhaps the most in FV history! BRAVO! It was so fast, too – Bryan was on-point. Love the show, gents!
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Posted by Jayson James | September 25, 2013, 10:28 AMI think you guys should start planning for a Snifftrack that is a horror movie for Halloween! Just a friendly suggestion 🙂
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Posted by NateSeven11 | September 20, 2013, 10:36 PMAlso forgot to mention about ‘Galaxy Quest’ one would believe it was originally filmed as an R (or at least PG-13). Toward the end, Sigourney Weaver says “Well, screw that!” but her mouth is very clearly saying “well fuck that!” There was swearing in the script, but all changed.
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Posted by LFC | September 20, 2013, 12:32 PM“High Concept” seems like a silly term to me. I feel like you could boil any movie in a “succinctly stated premise”.
People go into dreams to steal information.
Caretaker and family go crazy in an isolated hotel.
Man investigates the life and times of a wealthy newspaper mogul.
80’s kid is haunted by dreams about the end of the world.
Man with strange form of amnesia hunts for his wife’s killer.
Man forms club with best friend?
Kelso time travels with unexpected consequences.
Actually, that’s kind of fun. This may be my new party game.
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Posted by Paul Barber | September 20, 2013, 7:11 AMHigh concept is better thought of as a “What if?” scenario.
What if scientists could clone dinosaurs?
What if a teenager could go back in time to meet his parents when they were teens?
What if a asteroid like the one that killed the dinosaurs threatened humanity?
Most big budget movies that fail, fail because they either don’t have a “what if” or at least a not very good one.
What if a cowboy with a mask hung around the desert with Johnny Depp?
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Posted by Miguel | September 20, 2013, 8:51 AMHeh, Hit Girl.
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Posted by johnny queso | September 20, 2013, 6:22 AMFun show this week, very high concept.
May I suggest a future topic, “Top Five Films Recommended by People You Trust That Weren’t Good.”
Mine would be “This is the End.” Perhaps a bit too hyped up by the show, but I found the movie well below average. The “plot” was bare bones, the supposed funny scenes (Emma Watson, etc.) fell flat and were too short to have any real impact and the Jonah Hill scene you referred to many times, but did not spoil, was not funny at all. There is a funny reveal during the last third that gave me my only genuine laugh in the whole film.
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Posted by LFC | September 20, 2013, 5:31 AM