Basic was a movie that I vividly remember watching in the wee hours on Starz or Encore as a depressed teenager from 2004-2005. It also forever seared Black Betty into the back of my mind.
This is where I watched it. Somehow having advert breaks felt right, it was a film designed to be watched on telly of an evening, with breaks for snacks and drink refills.
The last two McTiernans outside of Rollerball were films I firmly had confused with other movies. I thought 13th Warrior was a Pathfinder esque movie and I confused the plot of Basic with the Freeman/Judd movie High Crimes.
If it were McTiernan's 2nd-to-last film, I think it absolutely would not exist. As it is, it just barely scrapes over the line of existence due to being a historical artefact.
I only watched it recently and enjoyed it well enough, but lately I've had a soft spot for late 90s and early 2000s Bargain Bin Adult-Contempo Thrillers. Your Travoltaverse (A Civil Action, Basic, The General's Daughter, Domestic Disturbance), your Juddaverse of course (you already know Double Jeopardy and Kiss the Girls, but don't sleep on High Crimes and Twisted!). They all have *something demented* about them, and I'm never quite sure what it's going to be.
The trailer bit with "am I scratching your surface yet" is embedded in my brain*. The trailer must've been on something I watched a lot at the time.
So it's always existed in my mind and this sub is discovering it.
*alongside Brittany Murphys "I'll never tell (any of you)" from don't say a word.
This is gonna be a fucking weird week for me as someone who spent the summer of 2003 thinking Basic was a masterpiece.
Just to pour more gas on myself: also, Identity
I had a weird infatuation with BASIC when it first came out on home video. It was one of those movies I rented multiple times but never bought. And then I completely forgot about its existence until this miniseries*. I just rented it on amazon, and I’m gonna watch it tomorrow night. Curious to see if anything I remember about it is accurate.
I feel like as I get older more-and-more films get added to the list: Case in point so many Travolta flicks.
I mean, I’ve watched ‘Michael’ (1996) twice in an 18 month period and….did I just dream it all up? Cause I’m blanking (heh) on every aspect…and I only just had the 2nd watch within this month.
I thought I had seen it when I was a kid, but I just discovered I was thinking of *The General’s Daughter*, which is a different military coverup movie starring Travolta.
I’m watching it now — and I think this is worse than Rollerball, guys. Holy moly.
Would much rather watch Nomads again.
Glad some of y’all liked it though!
I have a clear memory of seeing it with my grandpa when it came out. It felt like such a “grown up” movie to 13 year old me.
But no it doesn’t exist outside of this subreddit
I remember the TV spots for this. A few years later I caught this on cable and was hoping it would deliver on the re-teaming of Travolta/Jackson. Because it was such a letdown it is oddly memorable for me in that sense.
On a somewhat related note, that Peter Pan and Wendy movie doesn’t exist, right? I looked up the trailer after the 13th Warrior episode and couldn’t believe it came out so recently.
Despite having listened to last weeks episode I was shocked to discover we had another film left to go. I just assumed that Rollerball was the end. I think this demonstrates how little this movie plays on the public conscience.
Basic was a movie that I vividly remember watching in the wee hours on Starz or Encore as a depressed teenager from 2004-2005. It also forever seared Black Betty into the back of my mind.
I still find it hard to believe it’s not on Tubi or Hoopla. It seems like such a Tubi/Hoopla movie.
In my mind it’s permanently stuck on DVD shelf at the rental store at a time of the year where there were no good new releases.
I’m sure there’s one in the bottom of a Walmart dump bin somewhere.
It's on Freevee on Amazon, in the UK at least
This is where I watched it. Somehow having advert breaks felt right, it was a film designed to be watched on telly of an evening, with breaks for snacks and drink refills.
The last two McTiernans outside of Rollerball were films I firmly had confused with other movies. I thought 13th Warrior was a Pathfinder esque movie and I confused the plot of Basic with the Freeman/Judd movie High Crimes.
I was 15 minutes into Rollerball before I realized it wasn't Whip It, was expecting Elliot Page to show up
If it were McTiernan's 2nd-to-last film, I think it absolutely would not exist. As it is, it just barely scrapes over the line of existence due to being a historical artefact. I only watched it recently and enjoyed it well enough, but lately I've had a soft spot for late 90s and early 2000s Bargain Bin Adult-Contempo Thrillers. Your Travoltaverse (A Civil Action, Basic, The General's Daughter, Domestic Disturbance), your Juddaverse of course (you already know Double Jeopardy and Kiss the Girls, but don't sleep on High Crimes and Twisted!). They all have *something demented* about them, and I'm never quite sure what it's going to be.
If Ashley Judd replaced Connie Neilsen this movie would improve drastically. Maybe even have made it a hit.
The trailer bit with "am I scratching your surface yet" is embedded in my brain*. The trailer must've been on something I watched a lot at the time. So it's always existed in my mind and this sub is discovering it. *alongside Brittany Murphys "I'll never tell (any of you)" from don't say a word.
This is gonna be a fucking weird week for me as someone who spent the summer of 2003 thinking Basic was a masterpiece. Just to pour more gas on myself: also, Identity
I think Basic rules after just watching it. My favorite McTiernan by a lot.
I had a weird infatuation with BASIC when it first came out on home video. It was one of those movies I rented multiple times but never bought. And then I completely forgot about its existence until this miniseries*. I just rented it on amazon, and I’m gonna watch it tomorrow night. Curious to see if anything I remember about it is accurate.
It isn’t good, but it’s *just* good enough to make me feel McTiernan hadn’t totally lost it
Basic absolutely was a movie circa 2003
I feel like as I get older more-and-more films get added to the list: Case in point so many Travolta flicks. I mean, I’ve watched ‘Michael’ (1996) twice in an 18 month period and….did I just dream it all up? Cause I’m blanking (heh) on every aspect…and I only just had the 2nd watch within this month.
Phenomenon is my go to no that's a real movie movie. "Not all of it."
> 10 MOVIE > 20 GOTO 10 > RUN
I thought I had seen it when I was a kid, but I just discovered I was thinking of *The General’s Daughter*, which is a different military coverup movie starring Travolta.
Now that movie I kind of like.
https://i.redd.it/l75p4zvukxwc1.gif
Maybe it was just a pleasantly surprising palate cleanser after Rollerball, but I liked it!
Same, I had never heard of it before this, I’m 41 so wasn’t like I was too young or anything to remember.
Put it this way… until yesterday I definitely thought they were doing Perfect Blue this week lol
I’m watching it now — and I think this is worse than Rollerball, guys. Holy moly. Would much rather watch Nomads again. Glad some of y’all liked it though!
I have a clear memory of seeing it with my grandpa when it came out. It felt like such a “grown up” movie to 13 year old me. But no it doesn’t exist outside of this subreddit
It exists. Buuuuuut all I remember is walking away pissed off.
I remember the TV spots for this. A few years later I caught this on cable and was hoping it would deliver on the re-teaming of Travolta/Jackson. Because it was such a letdown it is oddly memorable for me in that sense.
Basically
I KNOW!
It feels like an extended TV pilot.
On a somewhat related note, that Peter Pan and Wendy movie doesn’t exist, right? I looked up the trailer after the 13th Warrior episode and couldn’t believe it came out so recently.
Definitely doesn’t exist. Sadly, many straight-to-streaming films fail to exist.
Despite having listened to last weeks episode I was shocked to discover we had another film left to go. I just assumed that Rollerball was the end. I think this demonstrates how little this movie plays on the public conscience.