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Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

210.0. "Robin Williams" by DSSDEV::RUST () Tue Jun 08 1993 18:12

    In a fit of organizational fervor, I've created this topic for the
    Robin Williams fans, and will move the appropriate replies here from
    the "Worst Films" topic. 
    
    -b
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210.1No argument hereVIA::LILCBR::COHENFri Jun 04 1993 13:3716
 >    Toys...yet again another flop for Mr Williams,has this man made a
 >            good movie.

	Really...  movies like:

		Dead Poets Society
		Good Morning Vietnam
		Moscow on the Hudson
		Awakenings

	Totally without value...   8^)

	

		    

210.2VAXWRK::STHILAIREwandering spiritFri Jun 04 1993 14:095
    Also, The Fisher King.  I think *most* of Robin Williams' movies have
    been excellent.
    
    Lorna
    
210.3I'm betting more are good than poor, but I'll reserve judgementTNPUBS::NAZZAROBoston Shootout - June 18,19,20!Fri Jun 04 1993 17:578
    My curiosity has gotten the better of me ...
    
    Can someone please post a list of Robin Williams' films?  I want
    to do a personal count of good vs poor films that he's made.
    
    Thanks.
    
    NAZZ
210.4Not to sway your vote or anything...ESGWST::RDAVISNot so genteel as real gentlemenFri Jun 04 1993 19:024
    I'm one of the dozen or so people who thought "Popeye" was a work of
    genius.
    
    Ray
210.57892::SLABOUNTYSomeoneLeftTheCakeOutInTheRainMon Jun 07 1993 16:3812
    
    >I'm one of the dozen or so people who thought "Popeye" was a work of
    >genius.
    >
    >Ray
    
    
    	So it sounds like everyone who saw it considered it a work of
    	genius.  8^)
    
    							GTI
    
210.629881::REILLYSean Reilly CSG/AVS DTN:293-5983Mon Jun 07 1993 17:023
    
    Popeye *was* a work of genius!  Never understood how this movie got by so
    unheralded.
210.7VIA::LILCBR::COHENMon Jun 07 1993 17:446
Maybe it was because I couldn't understand a single word anyone was saying
especially Williams...

		Bob 

210.8One Man's food,is another man's Poison44048::CREIDMon Jun 07 1993 22:478
    
    Wonders will never cease,i've found the half dozen people who go to
    these films with Robin Williams in it. By the way Awakenings was not
    too bad but not good enough to write home about.
    The rest should be laid to rest.
    Especially Popeye,which is no doubt sitting in a trash can outside
    the Disney Sudios.
    
210.93270::AHERNDennis the MenaceTue Jun 08 1993 12:248
    RE: .70  by 44048::CREID 
    
    >Especially Popeye,which is no doubt sitting in a trash can outside
    >the Disney Sudios.
    
    What did Disney have to do with it?  I thought it was a Robert Altman
    film.
    
210.10Directed By44048::CREIDTue Jun 08 1993 13:026
    
    RE.71
           well i'd admit when i'm wrong but i'm sure it was a Walt Disney
           Production,& Robert Altman was the director.
           What do other people think?
    
210.11Popeye wasn't a Disney flick, I don't believe.12035::MDNITE::RIVERSHey! Get away from dat thing!Tue Jun 08 1993 14:5717
    
    re .72  (I'm joining the fray)
    
    Popeye was weird, but not horrible.  A bit too slow paced for my
    liking, but I've seen slower, and I've seen lots worse.
    
    As for "the half-dozen people who'll go see a Robin Williams film",
    sir, I think you underestimate the numbers.  :)  Yes, he's had a few
    flops, but by and large, I believe movies that he's featured in (as
    opposed to appeared in) are reasonably successful.  
    
    Having not seen Toys as of yet, I'll withhold my judgement of that one.
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    kim
210.125235::J_TOMAOTue Jun 08 1993 15:093
    I thought Robin Williams was excellent in "The World According To Garp"
    
    Joyce
210.13he's cute, tooVAXWRK::STHILAIREwandering spiritTue Jun 08 1993 15:2422
    I thought Robin Williams was excellent in:
    
    The Fisher King
    Dead Poets Society
    Awakenings
    Moscow on the Hudson
    
    I thought he did a good job in Popeye, but the movie itself was nothing
    special.  I don't think anybody else could have done much better.
    
    I hated the movie Hook, myself, but I thought Robin Williams did a good
    job with it.  It was the movie itself that stunk, not Robin Williams.
    
    I thought he was the best thing about the otherwise boring Aladdin.
    
    I haven't seen Toys yet, so can't comment on that.
    
    All in all, though, I think Robin Williams is a very impressive and
    charasmatic actor.  I really like him a lot.
    
    Lorna
    
210.14Tutti de la ray(or was it Ray de la Tutti)58379::BAYNErelax folks, enjoy the showTue Jun 08 1993 16:594
    And let's not forget Robin Williamn off the wall performance in Baron 
    Munchausen.
    
    Shawn
210.15My fave!32198::KRUEGERTue Jun 08 1993 18:4810
    I love Robin Williams in anything he does, and that includes Popeye.  I
    think he's not only funny, and smart, but also sexy.  Yes, SEXY!!!  He
    has a way of looking into someone's eyes (whoever that female happens
    to be in whatever movie) and just sizzling.  Maybe some of his movies
    haven't been the best (I haven't seen Toys yet), but he's never bad in
    them.
    
    And I found "Awakenings" a movie to write home about and cry over.
    
    Leslie
210.16i noticedVAXWRK::STHILAIREwandering spiritTue Jun 08 1993 18:575
    re .15, yes, I think he's sexy, too.  (a *lot* of hair on his chest, in
    case you hadn't noticed!)  :-)
    
    Lorna
    
210.17I like chests without hair, myself...VMSDEV::HALLYBFish have no concept of fireTue Jun 08 1993 19:079
    He also did a good job in "Good Morning Vietnam", imho.
    
    I also liked "Popeye" and thought "Toys" was OK.  Williams is willing
    to take risks.  Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't.
    
    As I recall, George Raft didn't want to take a risk on "Casablanca",
    and eventually the part went to Bogart, who rarely turned down an offer.
    
      John
210.18GMV was the BEST!30188::LYONSTue Jun 08 1993 20:0513
    
    
    I liked him in Good Morning Vietnam the best.  This film showed that he
    is VERY Talented! and VERY versatile.  He was so "human" in this movie. 
    He was a shining star that was completely left untouch by what was
    happening around him.  I don't think anyone else good have done that
    movie.
    
    JMO
    
    Serena
    
    
210.19VAXWRK::STHILAIREwandering spiritTue Jun 08 1993 21:076
    Yes, he was good in Good Morning Vietnam, too, but I think my very
    favorite of all his roles is in Dead Poets Society.  I was almost ready to 
    stand up on my chair and yell "Oh Captain, My Captain!" myself!  :-)
    
    Lorna
    
210.20Williams shines (in very funny colours though)3131::PRIESTLEYTue Jun 08 1993 22:4113
    Williams has a habit of capturing your attention either with his
    lunatic antics or his offbeat sensitivity.  I loved Dead Poets Society,
    it was a really touching film, and Williams did a wonderful job.  He
    was outstanding in Good Morning Vietnam, and played Popeye as Popeye
    should have been played.  One movie he did a cameo in that is also
    worth a watch is Kenneth Brannagh's Dead Again, in which he plays a
    bitter, ex-psychiatrist/psychologist, lost his licensed when caught
    messing around with a patient, who is now working in or running a local
    market.  Williams went to Brannagh for a part in the film, and worked
    for scale pay and no credit.  Williams is a very good performer.
    
    Andrew
    
210.21Mork from OrkSSDEVO::WOESTEHOFFTue Jun 08 1993 22:557
  I'm surprised no one has mentioned Mork and Mindy. Sure it's not a movie,
  but it's funnier than anything on TV now. I'll watch a Mork and Mindy
  re-run any day.

  As far as his movies go, Good Morning Vietnam was my favorite.

	Keith
210.22Williams filmography....3600::LAVEYDr. Heckyll & Mr. JiveThu Jun 10 1993 21:3730
    Listing for Robin Williams in the Star Index in Maltin's '92 Movie and
    Video Guide has:

	Can I Do It 'til I Need Glasses? (1977)
	Popeye (1980)
	The World According to Garp (1982)
	The Survivors (1983)
	Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
	The Best of Times (1986)
	Club Paradise (1986)
	Seize the Day (TVM, 1986)
	Dear America (1987; voice only)
	Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
	The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989; uncred)
	Dead Poets Society (1989)
	Cadillac Man (1990)
	Awakenings (1990)

    Add to that, more recently:

	The Fisher King
	Dead Again
	Hook
	Aladdin (voice only)
	Toys

    (From what I've seen out of the above list, he scores eight hits and
    three misses....)

    -- Cathy
210.23One of his best effortsTNPUBS::NAZZAROBoston Shootout - June 18,19,20!Fri Jun 11 1993 15:3511
    I thought he was terrific in "Cadillac Man", a movie I feel was
    greatly underappreciated.  It introduced us to the wonderful Lori
    Petty, and provided a vehicle for Tim Robbins to showcase his talents.
    It also had Annabella Sciorra and  Pamela Reed in excellent supporting
    roles.
    
    Robbins showed Willims that he was "a no-sh*t kinda guy", a phrase I
    inadvertently added to my vocabulary!  ;-)
    
    NAZZ
    
210.24what hair?DELNI::YORSTONFri Jun 11 1993 17:0412
    RE: .16,   You mentioned about him having a *lot* of hair on his
    chest,,, which he is a very hairy guy.  But how many of you noticed
    that in Hook they shaved his chest and his back (I seem to remember
    him having a hairy back too??? maybe not)?  I noticed in the beginning 
    of the movie when they showed the scar on Peter Pans stomach he had hair
    there, and the when the kids painted his chest with a smiley face for 
    his sling-shot ride there was nothing...    
    
    As for Williams as an actor, I like him.  There hasn't been many
    movies that I've seen him in that I didn't like.  And I loved
    him in Mork and Mindy...  I don't think I could imagine anyone
    else playing Mork as well as he did.
210.25As boring as Woody Allen44038::CREIDFri Jun 11 1993 18:545
    
        Ok i was wrong about about the half dozen people who go to see
    Robin Williams films,how about a dozen people. 
      {2 of which are the staff in the cinema}
    
210.26poor youVAXWRK::STHILAIREwandering spiritFri Jun 11 1993 20:035
    re .25, oh, so you don't like Woody Allen either?  Well, now I see what
    your problem is.  It's simple.  You have bad taste, that's all.  :-)
    
    Lorna
    
210.27:-)(-:32880::LABUDDEDenial is not a river in EgyptFri Jun 11 1993 20:3412
    
    I think .25 is a Stallone/Arnold S./VanDamme type of movie lover. 
    
    If nothing gets blown-up, beat up, or f**-up, then the movie isn't
    good for them.
    
    
    Which shows you how much value their opinion has.
    
    Smiley face,
    
    -James       
210.28Attaboys/girls32198::KRUEGERMon Jun 14 1993 19:076
    That's what I like to see/hear: Robin Williams fans in legions, coming
    to his well-deserved defense!
    
    Long may we unite!!!
    
    Leslie
210.2944048::CREIDTue Jun 15 1993 07:2110
    
    RE.26/27
             whats this more hate mail,great stuff.Well its true i do hate 
      Woody's film but since this debate started i took the chance & hired 
      out The Fisher King as so many people seemed to be going on about it.
      Belive it or not,[as i can't myself] but i enjoyed it very much.
      By the way my taste in films are not limited to smash/bang,van-damme
      movies.
      Opinion's are like ***holes,everyones got one.
            
210.30And people keep telling me I look like him16913::STERN_TOTom Stern -- Have TK, will travel!Tue Jul 20 1993 00:0426
    I just saw this topic, and had to get in on it.
    
    I have seen most of his appearances, and while I have seen Robin
    Williams in movies that weren't very good, I have never seen him in a
    movie where he wasn't good.
    
    Well, maybe Toys...
    
    And I thought Popeye was the ultimate answer to the myth of the auteur
    theory.  We had a pretentious director (Altman;  I've never liked his
    stuff), a bad script, horrible songs (The only memorable song was "I'm
    Popeye the Sailor Man"), and a set designer who did too good a job at
    making Freehaven a miserable place.
    
    And it was still a fun movie, but the only saving grace was brilliant
    casting.  
    
    And anyone who complained that they couldn't understand what Popeye was
    saying, didn't understand the history of the character.  Robin
    Williams' "mumbling" was based on the original cartoons; the funniest
    part of the early Fleischer Popeye cartoons  was the ad-libs Jack
    Mercer would add sotto voce.
    
    I am definitely a fan.
    
    tom