FAMOUS DIRECTORS CHECKLIST SERIES - Volume #168 - The Films of MICHAEL BAY

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7/1/05 at 4:37am

Jim_K
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THE FAMOUS DIRECTORS CHECKLIST SERIES - Volume #168 - The Films of MICHAEL BAY

Rank ‘em, rate ‘em, review ‘em or whatever.

MICHAEL BAY

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Transformers (2007)
The Island (2005)
Bad Boys II (2003)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Armageddon (1998)
The Rock (1996)
Bad Boys (1995)

Edited by Jim_K - 10/31/09 at 7:20am

The Movie Library

#2

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7/1/05 at 4:39am

Jim_K
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Out of

Seen 7

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Transformers (2007)
The Island (2005)
Bad Boys II (2003)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Armageddon (1998)
The Rock (1996)
Bad Boys (1995)

OWN

Edited by Jim_K - 10/31/09 at 7:25am

The Movie Library

#3

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7/1/05 at 5:34am

george kaplan
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MICHAEL BAY

Seen: 3
Like: 1
Own: 2*

Rank order:

The Rock (1996)
Armageddon (1998)
Pearl Harbor (2001)

* - my wife likes Armageddon. I still love her though.

"Movies should be like amusement parks. People should go to them to have fun." - Billy Wilder

"Subtitles good. Hollywood bad." - Tarzan, Sight & Sound 2012 voter.

"My films are not slices of life, they are pieces of cake." - Alfred Hitchcock"My great humility is just one of the many reasons that I...

#4

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7/1/05 at 5:43am

Steve Christou
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Location: Deepest Darkest London, England
Post Count: 12,304

[rant]"Now let's chew this iron bitch up!"[/rant]

The Island (2005)
Bad Boys II (2003)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Armageddon (1998)
The Rock (1996)
Bad Boys (1995)

I'll bet you're long since glad you dropped the "Great" moniker from your thread titles eh Jim?

Unlike some people posting on these threads, I can enjoy a good summer blockbuster at the cinema and than go home and watch Seven Days in May. I've seen 3 Michael Bay action flicks at the cinema, The Rock, Armageddon and Pearl Harbour. While I didn't think much of Pearl Harbour apart from the spectacular 40min attack sequence I did enjoy the other two. Eye-popping, ear-splitting spectacle, it's what the cinemas all about innit? Or is it really about two Frenchies sipping tea and chatting for 90mins?

Rankings

1)The Rock
2)Armageddon
3)The Island (2005)
4)Pearl Harbour
5)Bad Boys II
6)Bad Boys

Average Rating 3.5 out of 5

The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to ME.

#5

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7/1/05 at 5:55am

SteveGon
Steve Gonzales
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Seen Bad Boys and The Rock, both of which were passably entertaining, and Armageddon which has got to be one of the biggest shit piles ever made.

to infinity.

Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

#6

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7/1/05 at 6:21am

Steve Christou
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Post Count: 12,304

Oh dear not your cup of tea than Stevie? Not happy seeing Paris hit by a chunk of asteroid maybe? Well looking at the film titles in your sig file... I'm not surprised you hated it. We're a totally different species of film fan, I've never heard of any of them. I'd avoid War of the Worlds if I were you, or anything with loud noises.

The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to ME.

#7

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7/1/05 at 8:13am

Zen Butler
Zen K. Butler
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Location: Fullerton, Ca.
Post Count: 5,254

Quote:

Armageddon which has got to be one of the biggest shit piles ever made. to infinity.

Amen. Put a circle in the square. Ditto. Down with Michael Christou.

Bad Boys II (2003) 1/2
Pearl Harbor (2001) 1/2
Armageddon (1998) -1/2
The Rock (1996) 1/2
Bad Boys (1995)

#8

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7/1/05 at 8:33am

Walter Kittel
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Post Count: 3,024

I haven't been posting in these threads but I'll be happy to pile on.

The Rock

- The casting redeems this feature to a large degree.
Bad Boys

- mildly diverting entertainment.
Pearl Harbor

- Not sure why I viewed this after the next film in the list. (??)

Armageddon - Can I assign negative stars?

Amen to Steve G, and Zen. One of the worst films ever made. Truly awful in its manipulation of the viewer with absolutely no grounding in reality. A grotesque monstrosity that attempts to pander to its audience at every turn. Just a complete pile of crap whose only redeeming feature is its photography. Look up hack in the dictionary and you'll see a photo of Michael Bay filming this feature.

- Walter.

Fidelity to the source should always be the goal for Blu-ray releases.

#9

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7/1/05 at 8:33am

Bill McA
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Location: Hamilton, ON Canada
Post Count: 5,444

Rated from

to

Titles in RED are theatrical screenings

Michael Bay
Feb 17, 1965 -
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

(Own the DVD)
Transformers (2007)

(Own the DVD)
The Island (2005)

(Own the DVD)
Bad Boys II (2003)

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Armageddon (1998)

(Own the DVD...I bought it used before I ever saw the shite)
The Rock (1996)

(Own the DVD)
Bad Boys (1995)

Seen 8
Own 5

At least from the trailers, The Island looks like it might be good!!

Oh dear not your cup of tea than Stevie? Not happy seeing Paris hit by a chunk of asteroid maybe? Well looking at the film titles in your sig file... I'm not surprised you hated it. We're a totally different species of film fan, I've never heard of any of them. I'd avoid War of the Worlds if I were you, or anything with loud noises.

Christou's bash list:

1. Bill McA - check
2. Brook K - check
3. SteveGon - check
4. ?????

Edited by Bill McA - 10/24/09 at 6:35pm

#10

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7/1/05 at 8:51am

Steve Christou
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Location: Deepest Darkest London, England
Post Count: 12,304

Quote:

4. ?????

erm... Zen? Walter enjoyed The Rock and Bad Boys, and Billy owns a copy of Armageddon.

btw. I wasn't bashing, I was ribbing, big difference.

The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to ME.

#11

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7/1/05 at 9:51am

Zen Butler
Zen K. Butler
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Location: Fullerton, Ca.
Post Count: 5,254

Quote:

and Billy owns a copy of Armageddon.

and that means......what exactly? I flippin' own that garbage Armageddon Criterion also. Still hate the bugger

Mate, I agree too, if we're all gonna rate Michael Bay, we should all have a sense of humor. Armageddon though, is one of the few films that induces anger. I'm saving it(the disc) for the next crack-head who bumps his Hip-Hop at 6:00 a.m. at the gas station downstairs. I'm gonna take someone's head off with that disc; Master of the Flying Guillotine style.

#12

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7/1/05 at 10:20am

Brook K
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Joined: February 2000
Location: St. Louis, MO
Post Count: 9,094

1. The Island - B
2. Transformers - B
3. Armageddon - D

Own: 0

2002 Sight & Sound Challenge: 320 Last Watched: Make Way For Tomorrow

Last 8 Films Watched: The Big Red One: The Restoration - B+ / Porco Rosso - A / Vanishing Point - B+ / Public Enemies - C+ / Zombieland - B / Sorcerer - B+ / The Silences of the Palace - B+ / Bright Star - C

#13

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7/1/05 at 10:34am

Steve Christou
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Location: Deepest Darkest London, England
Post Count: 12,304

Quote:

and that means......what exactly? I flippin' own that garbage Armageddon Criterion also. Still hate the bugger

Yeah you're right. I think I've overstayed my welcome here, 2 or is it 3 months has been more than enough. I seem to have inadvertantly joined the wrong group of people, apologies to the posters I've rubbed the wrong way and sorry Jim, I've really enjoyed participating in your threads, but it's time for me to move on, adios amigo.

The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to ME.

#14

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7/1/05 at 5:15pm

Nils Luehrmann
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Post Count: 3,515

Don't feel bad Steve, not everyone hates Armageddon. Personally, I enjoyed it for what it was clearly intended to be - a fun summer action 'popcorn' big budget flick.

Anyone that saw this film expecting real science, Shakespearean dialogue, and Bergmanesque dramatics clearly should not be reviewing this film.

For that matter they shouldn't be going to the movies and should instead be helping NASA blow up comets...

US Spacecraft to Blow up Comet

Is the story in Armageddon far fetched? You bet, and I guess that's its charm. After all, aren't most Sci-Fi films farfetched - certainly the ones intended for pure entertainment. Just watch Forbidden Planet sometime.

For this type of film, an action packed summer blockbuster I'd give it at least 3 out of 5 stars.

(can't belive I got pulled into one of these 'director' threads on the basis of defending Armageddon from the critic lynch mob)

Admission Ticket... $7
Small Popcorn...... $3
Medium Soda....... $2

Seeing Branagh's Hamletin 70mm @ the great historicParamount Theatre...PRICELESS!

#15

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7/1/05 at 8:34pm

Justin_S
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Post Count: 3,571

Ratings on a scale of * to *****:

1: Pearl Harbor (2001) **
2: The Rock (1996) **
3: Armageddon (1998) *
4: Bad Boys II (2003) *
5: Bad Boys (1995) *

Own 0

DVD Collection

#16

Rating: 0

7/2/05 at 1:04am

Kirk Tsai
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Post Count: 1,418

Don't remember enough of Bad Boys to rank it.

Ranking:

1. The Rock
2. The Island
3. Transformers
4. Armageddon
5. Pearl Harbor
6. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
7. Bad Boys 2
Edited by Kirk Tsai - 11/28/09 at 11:47am

#17

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7/2/05 at 6:16am

SteveGon
Steve Gonzales
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Joined: December 2000
Post Count: 12,240

Quote:

Oh dear not your cup of tea than Stevie? Not happy seeing Paris hit by a chunk of asteroid maybe? Well looking at the film titles in your sig file...

Oh, I've nothing against summer blockbusters - I've been to the theater (a whopping) five times this year (to see Sin City, Revenge of the Sith (twice), Batman Begins and Land of the Dead) - but, well, just read Walter's post to summarize my feelings on Armageddon.

Quote:

I'd avoid War of the Worlds if I were you, or anything with loud noises.

I'm not too worked up over WOTW, but figured on seeing it anyway. But since ol' Tommy has turned into a pompous idiot lately (not to mention shagging Katie), I think I'll just skip it out of spite.

Quote:

Armageddon though, is one of the few films that induces anger.

Yes indeedy.

Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

#18

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7/2/05 at 6:54pm

John Milton
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Joined: December 2002
Post Count: 291

The Island (2005) - Story sounds interesting
Bad Boys II (2003) - 2/4
Pearl Harbor (2001) - 3.5/4 (Can't beat the attack scenes, plus it has Kate)
Armageddon (1998) - Decent popcorn flick
The Rock (1996) - Okay but gets tiring after repeated viewings
Bad Boys (1995) - Good despite having Tea Leoni in it

#19

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7/3/05 at 5:04am

SteveGon
Steve Gonzales
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Post Count: 12,240

Quote:

Bad Boys (1995) - Good despite having Tea Leoni in it

Some of us would consider that a redeeming feature.

Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

#20

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7/9/05 at 3:35pm

Ric Bagoly
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Joined: August 2002
Post Count: 3,994

1. Armageddon-not afraid to say that I LOVE this film, and most people I know in the real real world, who don't waste tons of free time on the Internet, feel the exact same way that I do! Ask ANY pretty girl on the street (if you can find one) who does not care less about fucking around on the Net, and more than likely she'll tell you the same thing. Personally, I ain't yet met a pretty girl who disliked Armageddon, so fellas, keep on being elitist snobs and shit on this film to feel better about yourselves, I'll keep on using it as a classic (and VERY reliable) "first date movie". :b

2. The Rock-very good

3. Bad Boys-not so good

\"You can\'t be the first, and you\'ll never be the last, but baby, you can ALL be next! Woooooooo!!!\"

#21

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7/9/05 at 6:41pm

Steve Christou
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Location: Deepest Darkest London, England
Post Count: 12,304

Quote:

Personally, I ain't yet met a pretty girl who disliked Armageddon, so fellas, keep on being elitist snobs and shit on this film to feel better about yourselves

Hey I remember this thread. So, what are you saying Ric, that our resident elitist snobs are so busy watching obscure foreign movies no ones heard off that they've long since forgotten about life's more erm physical pleasures?

While being an Armageddon fan can turn you into a babe magnet? hmmm interesting... well there is something to your theory, the last time I watched Armageddon was not by my choice but by the gorgeous German girl I'm currently involved with, something to do with Ben Affleck being in it methinks, when Affleck started sobbing near the end she kept going "aaaah" and "ooooh" and I felt like slapping her one.

The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to ME.

#22

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7/9/05 at 10:04pm

george kaplan
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Post Count: 13,064

Personally, I ain't yet met a pretty girl who disliked Armageddon

More precisely you've never met one who disliked it as far as you know. I doubt if the topic has been broached with every pretty girl you know. For myself, I know a number of pretty girls who hate Armageddon, one who likes it, and most with an opinion that I am unaware of. But certainly there are pretty girls who hate the film.

Of course, I can think of many horrendous films that certain pretty girls like. And that might be a good reason to watch them, and to say nice things about them in front of those girls. But it sure as hell ain't a good reason to actually have a positive opinion about those films, and I don't think people have those negative opinions cause they spend time on the internet, I think they express them here, cause there aren't any pretty girls they know personally, to be offended.

Of course as much as I dislike Armageddon, I'd rather watch it than Titanic any day of the week.

"Movies should be like amusement parks. People should go to them to have fun." - Billy Wilder

"Subtitles good. Hollywood bad." - Tarzan, Sight & Sound 2012 voter.

"My films are not slices of life, they are pieces of cake." - Alfred Hitchcock"My great humility is just one of the many reasons that I...

#23

Rating: 0

7/10/05 at 12:08pm

SteveGon
Steve Gonzales
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Joined: December 2000
Post Count: 12,240

Quote:

...so fellas, keep on being elitist snobs and shit on this film to feel better about yourselves...

No, I hate Armageddon because it SUCKS. It is a terribly insulting and pandering movie. I kid you not when I say I had to force myself to sit through it - I can honestly say I can think of very few good things, if any, to say about it. And I'm generally pretty liberal with my ratings.

Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

#24

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7/10/05 at 12:18pm

Steve Christou
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Location: Deepest Darkest London, England
Post Count: 12,304

Quote:

It is a terribly insulting and pandering movie.

Really? Didn't know this harmless summer blockbuster was so controversial, why is this film any more insulting than say Deep Impact or Meteor or Godzilla or Fifth Element or Star Wars or Spider-Man or War of the Worlds and on and on.

Quote:

And I'm generally pretty liberal with my ratings

What ratings? The only ratings I've seen of yours Steve are in your sig, after 3 months posting together on Jim's threads I still haven't got a clue what films you like or don't like, but going by your posts on this thread maybe I'm better off not knowing.

The flesh is weak, Johnny. Only the soul is immortal. And yours belongs to ME.

#25

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7/11/05 at 9:29pm

Rob Tomlin
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Location: SoCal
Post Count: 4,495

The Rock was entertaining enough.

I own Pearl Harbor on DVD mostly for demo material! :wink:

For ordinary men, it's a burning, fiery furnace.

#26

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7/25/05 at 10:06pm

ThomasC
Thomas
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Joined: December 2001
Post Count: 6,462

out of

Bad Boys

The Rock

Armageddon

Pearl Harbor

1/4
Bad Boys II

The Island

Ranking:

1) Pearl Harbor
2) The Rock
3) Bad Boys
4) Bad Boys II
5) Armageddon
6) The Island

#27

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7/26/05 at 4:43am

Mario Gauci
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Joined: January 2005
Post Count: 1,940

In order of merit (if so it can be described

):

1.Transformers (2007) ***
2.The Rock (1996) **1/2
3.The Island (2005) **1/2
4.Armageddon (1998) **
5.Pearl Harbor (2001) **

IMDB Reviews

#28

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7/26/05 at 7:58pm

Bill McA
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Location: Hamilton, ON Canada
Post Count: 5,444

UPDATED:

The Island (2005)

#29

Rating: 0

7/26/05 at 8:15pm

Elizabeth S
Elizabeth S
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Location: Hawaii
Post Count: 3,921

The Rock (1996)
Bad Boys (1995)
The Island (2005)
Armageddon (1998)

Seen the above, listed in order of preference.

#30

Rating: 0

7/26/05 at 8:27pm

RodneyT
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Post Count: 137

I happen to agree with those who posted here who enjoyed Armageddon. It ranks as one of my all time favourite films, not for any deep and meaningful dialogue but for the way a lot of stuff gets blown the hell up. isnt that what a summer popcorn flick should be about? Arnie-style dialogue and minimal character development + massive explosions and a complete disregard for the laws of physics?

Well, no matter what anybody thinks, I liked Armageddon, The Rock, and cannot wait to see The Island. Bad Boys II was by far the biggest crud pile I have ever laid eyes upon, followed exceedingly closely by Pearl Harbor. Except for the attack sequence, there was nothing in that film even resembling decent storytelling.

So, my ratings (not including The Island) are as follows:

1) The Rock ****
2) Armageddon ****
3) Bad Boys ***
4) Pearl Harbor **
5) Bad Boys II Nothing. Crud. Crap. Rubbish. Etc.

I once stood out from the crowd. Now, I am trying desperately to get back in.

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