MovieChat Forums > Runaway Train (1986) Discussion > ATROCIUS Movie

ATROCIUS Movie

posted 13 years ago by pcbluepunk
49 replies | jump to latest

I had to STOP watching this movie. And I NEVER do that. It was SO bad. I made it 40 minutes in, trying not to give up hope, but I had a number of other Instant Netflix movies that expire by March 1st... had to switch. ALL of the acting was bad. Well, maybe not Jon Voight's entirely, but the scar tissue on his eye ended up being the final straw. That and the horrible acting back at 'central.' I at least enjoyed seeing Danny Trejo and Tiny Lister's film debuts, but that was all I could take away from this movie. Anyone who wonders why Eric Roberts career never went far has only to look at this movie. One of the main points the director wanted to get across was that black men can be easily distracted by white women. Seriously, those were such unnecessary parts to have in the movie. Didn't even get to Rebecca DeMornay's appearance. Just bad bad bad. Save yourself the trouble of hating Eric Roberts and just skip this one. HOW could they have made this a 2 hour movie?

[–] pcbluepunk 13 years ago

Never mind about Jon Voight, he just went on a tirade about the reality of being free and having a pathetic job and I honestly think he was a better actor in National Treasure.

[–] filmmekker 13 years ago

I don't know what movie you saw but to me this film is a CLASSIC.

Open the door for Mr. Muckle!!

[–] Prismark10 13 years ago

Its good fun despite being slightly pretentious and rather different from Cannons usual output.

Its that man again!!

[–] LionInWinter 9 years ago

Number of times I've seen pretentious misused on an IMDb message board: 12 763

[–] stickley85 13 years ago

Really?That's why Jon Voight and Eric Roberts were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting actors in this movie at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.Jon Voight won a Golden Globe award for best actor.

[–] tinatin_g-2-935077 13 years ago

If this film is "So Bad" I am just wandering what is your standard of good movie?

This movie has been cultural milestone for many people, it is still unforgettable for me and I watched this film probably 15 years ago.

[–] samuri5 13 years ago

Wow. Stick to the shallow end. You'll be safer.

Here are some cute kitties to look at, then back to your Nick Jr., troll.

Open the pod bay doors, Hal.

[–] skydog_0 13 years ago

I recommended this movie to a friend of mine and he and his girlfriend hated it with a passion. They would have definitely agreed with you. To each their own I say but I think you're missing something in your life if you cannot appreciate what a great movie this is.

[–] stickley85 13 years ago

[–] peter_whitney 13 years ago

I'm guessing you liked Unstoppable more.

[–] jajceboy 12 years ago

What movie do you consider good? Did we watch the same movie?

I usually don't like action flicks, especially from the 80s, but this one was really good. In fact it was one of the best movie I have seen. It gave you great action scenes, while at the same time giving you something to think about. Not very many action movies do that.

And all three leads were great. DeMornay deserved an Oscar nomination as well as the other two, she was amazing the short time she was in the movie.
And of course both Voight and Roberts were amazing and deserved their nominations.

A great movie indeed. I don't know what standard you have when it comes to movies, but for me this is better than many of today's action movies.

[–] kevinis40 12 years ago

Run Away Train is one of my all time favorite movies. It was my introduction to John Voight. I used to reference it and actually can easily bring to mind the voice of Eric Roberts saying, "shoes I need shoes Manny". Sometimes I think it takes knowing some hard men like Voight's character to appreciate how on point Voight's portrayal of some such as Manny.

I found the setting of the film to be very convicing as well. The cold and the claustophobia left me feeling emphathetic for the two. There there was that unrelenting warden. Again a fine role. That role in particular I think maked a watershed in character types. I dont think prison movies ( not that the genre itself has seen much light) no longer protray wardens to be such driven men.Wardens now are all to often depicted as noble servents to the crimininal justice system. In Runway Train the warden's own personal demons are allowed to show. He is on edge as much as the convicts. Yet they are all on a man made devise that is in control. This all went toward creating the train itself as a character. The entire movie is a hard edged take on modern man. Finally I know didactisim falls for most...movies that preach to us often are dismissed as over-the top with messages. I suspect those who deem themselves already learned inevitable show thier ignorace when coming down on films with a message.

Making A Living Seeing

[–] MrBlondee 10 years ago

Beautiful post, and I agree completely.

As to the OP; Unstoppable would suit you better.

[–] Andy44 12 years ago

Well, it's better than your spelling.

It won't chip, peel, blister, crack, flake or rust in any way.

[–] colo118 12 years ago

Thought it was a great movie too. My only downside was some of Demornay acting.She was good most of the time but sometimes her acting seemed forced. I remember when Buck was shouting at Manny at the very end and we can see Demornay struggling for not laughting, u can see her crack a very little smile. She nearly killed the ending for me. Other than that, i thought it was a deep action flick.

[–] harmedandderangerous 12 years ago

Wasn't Atrocius the Roman Emperor in between the reign of Biggus Dickus and Nero?

[–] HurricaneKid 12 years ago

BluePunk, are you being serious????

This is a classic movie with a classic performance from Voight

[–] releasethedub 12 years ago

Jon Voight seemed to keep going in and out of puerto rican accent. Eric Roberts seemed to be playing the same character he played a few months earlier in The Pope of Greenwich Village(which was a quality movie), with about 20 less IQ points and a southern lilt. Hell, the movie just didn't go anywhere. Typically action movie of the period with huge plot holes, actually even more than most. I don't even think it is worth the time to give it a point by point critique. I watched it as part of an all night quadruple feature (The Hustler, The Color of Money, The Misfits and Runaway Train) and it doesn't even belong in the same league.

The Misfits 9+
The Hustler 9
The Color of Money 7-
Runaway Train 5

[–] icebergroses 10 years ago

Jon's accent is all over the map. Did Hanks ripped off his Forest Gump voice from Robert's "dumb--dumb" voice? This film has some problems. Having said that, I think it is still a cool movie filmed on location. I treasure and appreciate the older films that use real locations and real stunt men. No CGI.

16mm

[–] Nobody-27 8 years ago

I watched it as part of an all night quadruple feature (The Hustler, The Color of Money, The Misfits and Runaway Train) and it doesn't even belong in the same league.

No it does not. "Color of money" is light entertainment, not to be taken too seriously, and certainly not in the same league as Runaway Train and "The Hustler" is not too far off.

Besides, watching four films one after another shows you don't take your films seriously. No wonder you cannot appreciate a serious film like Runaway Train then. Film is not to be gulped like your fast food soda drink unless, of course, we are talking about light entertainment type of films, say, "color of money"...

[–] Sidewindr 8 years ago

Besides, watching four films one after another shows you don't take your films seriously. No wonder you cannot appreciate a serious film like Runaway Train then.

You absolute pretentious TWAT .. The number of films one watches back to back has nothing to do with one's opinion, perception or critique of a film. What is important is that one actually watches the entire film.

This movie was fairly average IMHO full of ham fisted acting and mediocre dialogue, it is by no means oscar or golden globe worthy and just goes to show what crap the oscars and golden globes actually are. I would not be surprised if Yoram and Menahem bribed their way into the globes and oscars ..

Golan-Globus were charlatans and only ever produced mediocre movies at best!!

[–] Nobody-27 8 years ago

Go back to school and ask for your money back.

How can you say that watching one film (2 hrs), or four in a row (7-8 hrs of non-stop watching) "has nothing to do with one's perception"???

Do you even know what "perception" is?

Do you know what "pretentious" is??? It's what you are - a person who places greater importance on their own opinion, and is trying to impress others with empty claims of superiority (or others inferiority) despite facts that prove them wrong and hence - inferior.

Golan-Globus? What does that have to do with anything?

Obviously, you judge films by the company that produced them, and by pretending to watch them for hours on end, back-to-back.

You should try studying and doing some homework instead of trolling around here. You need to grow a brain first before you can discuss film, or anything else, with grown-ups.

[–] Sidewindr 8 years ago

Go back to school and ask for your money back.

Zing! You really burnt me with that one..

How can you say that watching one film (2 hrs), or four in a row (7-8 hrs of non-stop watching) "has nothing to do with one's perception"???

Do you even know what "perception" is?

Ummm . Perception is how one perceives or sees something .. so if you watch a single 2hr film or 4 films back to back 7-8+hrs it SHOULD NOT alter ones perception of any of the films, the number of films watched in a row is irrelevant.

Do you know what "pretentious" is??? It's what you are - a person who places greater importance on their own opinion, and is trying to impress others with empty claims of superiority (or others inferiority) despite facts that prove them wrong and hence - inferior.

Pretentious is exactly how you are acting, trying to tell everyone else how they should perceive something when perception is purely subjective. I am simply saying that the number of films one watches back to back should have no effect on one's perception. I never tried to tell you or anyone else how you or they should perceive the film.

Golan-Globus? What does that have to do with anything?

Obviously, you judge films by the company that produced them, and by pretending to watch them for hours on end, back-to-back.

Production companies have a great deal to do with the quality and/or success of s film, in this instance they dictated almost everything from casting to script and direction.

You should try studying and doing some homework instead of trolling around here. You need to grow a brain first before you can discuss film, or anything else, with grown-ups.

Maybe you ought to do YOUR homework, a simple review of my posting history will reveal that I am in no way a troll and have contributed to many discussions over many years. I have been using IMDB since the early 90's, unfortunately I had to register a new account in 2011 after my old one was lost.

[–] Nobody-27 7 years ago

You couldn't have started using IMDB "since the early 90s" because IMDB was started in 1996.

And, since I cannot convince you that you are pretentious (what would it take?), I will explain that YES, your perception changes after watching films for hours on end. It is like driving for hours on end, which is the reason why it is illegal for truck drivers to drive for more than eight hrs in any 24 hr period (depending on country).

It is equally wrong to watch four movies in a row and then be allowed to have an "opinion". I know because I have done it. Once you watch a film, you need to give yourself some time to adjust to it, to digest it, to form an opinion, to even replay some scenes in your mind to see if they were done well... but if you just move on to next film, you are missing all that, and you don't have an opinion, only a superficial impression guided by current mood rather than quality of the film. People who torture themselves with hours of film-watching, end up in a bad mood all too easy.

And lastly, you can be a troll even if you have been doing it for decades.

[–] Sidewindr 8 years ago

Wasn't Atrocius the Roman Emperor in between the reign of Biggus Dickus

He has a wife you know, her name is Incontinentia Buttocks ... :D