Joseph Gordon Levitt/Manic both rock my socks off (AKA Hey JMT)

[X]

Is there ANYTHING this beautiful bastard can't pull off perfectly? Finally got around to seeing Manic the other night and it blew me away, no idea why it took me so long to get around to watching it. As someone who was in and out of mental hospitals like those in the film as well as rehab and detention centers as a teenager, this film seriously hit close to home for me and really reminded me like no other film I've ever seen of the atmosphere and people you meet in those kinds of places.

And fuck, this scene right here? This awesome fucking scene? Dude I remember doing pretty much exactly this when I was sixteen in the Corkery Rehab Center, jamming the fuck out to I think As I Lay Dying on the shitty stereo we got to use once a day. We moshed and lost a bunch of "points" for it, but it was fun as all hell.



Plus that song "Headup" by the Deftones in that scene is fucking awesome. That whole movie is easily the best I've ever seen to depict a juvenile mental ward from my experiences. Also worth checking out is probably "It's Kind of a Funny Story", though it's not quite as good as Manic is.

Discuss how awesome JGL and Manic are. Do it, you know you want to.

 

[jmt225]

This was the movie that first turned me on to JGL. I saw one random day like 6 years ago on IFC and man... it blew me away.

I actually got Marquis to watch it a couple of years back and it's now one of his favorite films. It's not for everybody, but if you appreciate great acting, plus just want to dwell into what a psyche ward must really be like for teenagers with anger issues, then this is the movie for you.

X forgot to mention that Don Cheadle, Zooey Deschanel, and Fulton from the Mighty Ducks are in this and they're all fantastic.

 

[J-Dogg]

This movie is very interesting, might watch it soon enough, and the Deftones song now has me listening to their music X...thanks for opening my eyes to 2 things.

 

[X]

This was the movie that first turned me on to JGL. I saw one random day like 6 years ago on IFC and man... it blew me away.

I actually got Marquis to watch it a couple of years back and it's now one of his favorite films. It's not for everybody, but if you appreciate great acting, plus just want to dwell into what a psyche ward must really be like for teenagers with anger issues, then this is the movie for you.

X forgot to mention that Don Cheadle, Zooey Deschanel, and Fulton from the Mighty Ducks are in this and they're all fantastic.

Indeed, I practically made this thread just to tell these things to you. I think I saw it in your "Last 5 movies watched" a while back, remembered JGL was in it, then just popped it in and loved it. Everything about it was just so powerful man, I keep contemplating whether to go 4.5 or just full on 5 out of 5 for it, I can't make up my mind yet and my IMDB rating keeps jumping around from a 9 to a 10 and back.

I wish more films like these were made man. Because shit like this happens to alot more teenagers and kids than you'd think, and there should be more than only one or two flicks about issues like these. I loved how real everything in the film was though, there were no Hollywood endings and no quick fixes to anyone's problems in the film, and in the end things only seemed to get worse for everyone but you could see JGL and others realize that how they were dealing with their issues and feelings wasn't working anymore and that they wanted to start changing that (i.e. JGL's character returning to the hospital at the end of the film after escaping and running away after having beat up another character to the point of near-death).

I'm not convinced there is NOTHING JGL can't do man. Seriously. There's no role he can't do. Guy is a Golden God.

 

[X]

OH and I watched Mean Creek last night too JMT and loved that to pieces as well. Such a dark and harrowing film, but man, it was incredible to see young children and teenagers portrayed with such honesty and as beings with actual moral beings instead of just the one-dimensional cartoon characters children become in most other films. Hell of a fuckin' film and seriously got under my skin with the George character, Josh Peck was outstanding in that role. Totally laughed when I realized he was the fat kid from the Amanda Show and that he lost a ton of weight and wound up starring in The Wackness, had no fucking clue that kid was the same kid. Awesome.

 

[The Bearded One]

I added this to my Netflix Instant Queue a few days back after watching "It's Kind of a Funny Story" but I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" was actually really good I thought, but that might be because Emma Roberts, along with Alison Brie, is the love of my life.

 

[X]

I added this to my Netflix Instant Queue a few days back after watching "It's Kind of a Funny Story" but I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" was actually really good I thought, but that might be because Emma Roberts, along with Alison Brie, is the love of my life.

It was damn good, and funny story, I actually used to pal around with the dude that wrote the book the film was based on, Ned Vizzinni. I read his first book back when I was in high school (Called "Teen Angst? Naaaaah", awesome read) and emailed him back in the old AOL days and he wound up coming to speak at my school and shit. We used to get coffee and talk about Nirvana and all the great bands of the grunge scene and shit. Then I fell off the face of the Earth for a few years in my darker times, and I didn't even realize until I started to actually watch "It's Kind of a Funny Story" the other week that it was based on a book based on Vizzini's own experiences in a mental ward in New York. Which makes sense, since the main kid in the story is a carbon copy of the dude lol, same super prestigious high school in Brooklyn and everything. So glad he's getting that kind of mainstream attention now, he was always talented. I love when shit like that happens, makes me feel like I knew about the good shit before anyone else did! Haha.

Great flick though, yeah. I liked Manic more simply because it was a bit darker and more realistic. Plus, JGL. Oh JGL.

 

[JGlass]

Have you seen the trailers for 50/50 yet? Must. Fucking See!

 

[X]

Have you seen the trailers for 50/50 yet? Must. Fucking See!

Indeed, I was sold from the start just from the combo of JGL and Rogen. But mostly JGL. JGL could make me watch fucking anything.

Looks darkly funny in a Harold & Maude kind of way.

Starting to watch some short little recent flick called "Brotherhood" with a bunch of random people in it...here's the Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_(2010_film)


Looks intriguing. First 15 minutes so far are quite good.

 

[Барбоса]

The slide tackle in Brick earned my undying allegiance

 

[The Bearded One]

It was damn good, and funny story, I actually used to pal around with the dude that wrote the book the film was based on, Ned Vizzinni. I read his first book back when I was in high school (Called "Teen Angst? Naaaaah", awesome read) and emailed him back in the old AOL days and he wound up coming to speak at my school and shit. We used to get coffee and talk about Nirvana and all the great bands of the grunge scene and shit. Then I fell off the face of the Earth for a few years in my darker times, and I didn't even realize until I started to actually watch "It's Kind of a Funny Story" the other week that it was based on a book based on Vizzini's own experiences in a mental ward in New York. Which makes sense, since the main kid in the story is a carbon copy of the dude lol, same super prestigious high school in Brooklyn and everything. So glad he's getting that kind of mainstream attention now, he was always talented. I love when shit like that happens, makes me feel like I knew about the good shit before anyone else did! Haha.

Great flick though, yeah. I liked Manic more simply because it was a bit darker and more realistic. Plus, JGL. Oh JGL.

That's really cool. I've been thinking about picking up some his books since watching the movie, but it takes a lot for me to get motivated to read for some reason. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" really helped me get a better outlook on life after watching it because I'm just like the main character in the movie, someone who has battled depression for a long time despite having a good life. Depression is a crippling disease, but it's good to know it can be overcome, and that's the message I got. I'm going to watch "Manic" some time in the next few days. I've got to stop watching "Weeds" for long enough to watch something else.

 

[CH David]

Always have enjoyed Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Really started to pay attention more when I saw The Lookout a few years ago. Definitely need to get myself more acquainted with his other work as well.

 

[X]

That's really cool. I've been thinking about picking up some his books since watching the movie, but it takes a lot for me to get motivated to read for some reason. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" really helped me get a better outlook on life after watching it because I'm just like the main character in the movie, someone who has battled depression for a long time despite having a good life. Depression is a crippling disease, but it's good to know it can be overcome, and that's the message I got. I'm going to watch "Manic" some time in the next few days. I've got to stop watching "Weeds" for long enough to watch something else.

I keep meaning to try watching Weeds from the start again, seeing as the subject matter would seem to make this show appeal to me if anyone. I watched....I think it was Season 4? Not sure, I watched one season of the show when it was on Showtime, but it didn't really captivate me enough to come back for the next season. Probably because I never watched the first seasons to start with.

It was pretty funny though. And Mary Louise Parker is hot. I mean, it was good, I just wasn't blown away by it or anything.

Always have enjoyed Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Really started to pay attention more when I saw The Lookout a few years ago. Definitely need to get myself more acquainted with his other work as well.

You sure do. I would easily put him in the top five best working male actors today. Seriously. He's incredible and has such an awesome range.

 

[TSG]

So every movie/book I've seen here I feel the need to check out, and I will.

 

[Alex]

I want to see this and Hesher now.

 

[The Bearded One]

I keep meaning to try watching Weeds from the start again, seeing as the subject matter would seem to make this show appeal to me if anyone. I watched....I think it was Season 4? Not sure, I watched one season of the show when it was on Showtime, but it didn't really captivate me enough to come back for the next season. Probably because I never watched the first seasons to start with.

It was pretty funny though. And Mary Louise Parker is hot. I mean, it was good, I just wasn't blown away by it or anything.

Definitely watch it from the beginning. The ending of Season 2 is one of the craziest endings I have ever seen. I'm halfway through Season 3 and it's really good. You might have just started watching on a weak season. Wouldn't Season 4 align with the writer's strike from a few years ago? But it's one of those shows you have to watch from the beginning.

And Mary Louise Parker is very hot.

I watched "Manic" last night and it was great, but kind of disturbing in a way. Also, watch "Zero Day" if you already haven't. That is a creepy movie.

 

[X]

Definitely watch it from the beginning. The ending of Season 2 is one of the craziest endings I have ever seen. I'm halfway through Season 3 and it's really good. You might have just started watching on a weak season. Wouldn't Season 4 align with the writer's strike from a few years ago? But it's one of those shows you have to watch from the beginning.

And Mary Louise Parker is very hot.

I watched "Manic" last night and it was great, but kind of disturbing in a way. Also, watch "Zero Day" if you already haven't. That is a creepy movie.

It was disturbing, yeah, hence the realism. Which I love.

And damn, is everyone watching Zero Day these days or something? I watched it for the first time a few weeks back and loved it and then JMT promptly recommended it to me a few days ago, and now you have. Didn't think such a low-budget flick would have so many fans. Incredible film though, yeah.

 

[CH David]

I went to Best Buy hoping to find Manic or Brick, no such luck. Though I did get (500) Days of Summer. Loved it.

 

[X]

Aye, (500) Days of Summer is fantastic, but not on the level of Brick or Manic IMO.