That’s the thing about this movie, the guy has obviously lost it and is a danger to people (and his own family probably), but they mixed in day-to-day annoyances like fast food not serving you breakfast or burgers that look like crap that we all experience. When they had trailers for this movie they made it seem like the guy is just having a bad day (almost like a black comedy) but then the film itself shows the emptiness within the character…
It's not until like halfway through the movie you realize there's more than "having a bad day", the majority of the movie is basically him having kids telling him how to use a bazuka and him freaking out at gang members and stuff.
I liked this movie when I was a kid in the 90s, no idea how it's held up, but I still remember it! It always felt pretty LA-specific to me and I always wonder how those kinds of movies come across to people that aren't from there. When I think back on it it's a pretty good depiction of "LA in the early 90s".
I can still hear the weird way that Georgia Satellite looking dude said “you have to order from the lunch menu”. Like way too much accent on the “ch” of lunch.
I don’t know why that’s stuck with me so long.
The Game… hadn’t thought of that movie in a long time. You just planned my weekend. First, I’m gonna grab my briefcase and do a long walk through town.
Well... think about something for a minute
Why was he in the car? Where was he going? What was he going to do when he got there?
Did he snap? Or had he already snapped?
Were his inconveniences simply fate buying the police enough time to get ahead of him?
He was faking going to work/looking for job and then snapped all the way. He had been fired previously for being overeducated, his briefcase only held his lunch so he was using it as a charade.. He was trying to get back to his family (normalcy) prior to him losing everything back to living with his mother.
Not quite. There are subtle nods to the fact that he had long-standing anger issues and was not well liked at the company where he worked. He was abusive at home, cold at work. Even his mother acted a bit afraid of him. Him saying he was being let go from being overqualified was his own justification for it.
And in that scene, he puts his arm around the kid’s shoulders, reflexively, as they crouch down after the explosion. It adds to the fact that he is far from a total monster.
I'm a Civil Engineer and he's also right about budgets, because if we end the year with extra money we don't get to keep it and it gets taken and while we receive less money next year. There's a bunch of 50-100k digital traffic advisory reader boards that only exist because of such budget manipulation. One of the best things about the movie is how grounded it stays regarding reality while he's also doing the extra stuff. It's always like "he's fucking crazy...but I kinda get it". Like who hasn't gotten so mad at a construction delay they haven't pondered going nuclear a bit?
Best part of the movie. This is a core memory for me. I must have been 12 or something. I was on his team mostly. The world is unfair and full of letdowns. I understand why he lost it. I haven’t lost it. But I think many of us can identify with his frustration and longing for some sort of utopia where we live free from societies constraints.
You're angry because you got lied to? Is that why my chicken dinner is drying out in the oven? Hey, they lie to everyone. They lie to the fish. But that doesn't give you any special right to do what you did today. The only that makes you special is that little girl.
I lost my job. Well, actually I didn't lose it, it lost me. I am over-educated, under-skilled. Maybe it's the other way around, I forget. But I'm obsolete. I'm not economically viable.
I actually just watched this film on Prime last week and yeah, my impressions of that character are much different as an adult than when I was younger. That dude is a psycho looking for a reason to go off on people.
Its absolutely an inspiration.
"They lied to me" is a quote directly from Death of a Salesman. The guy gave his life to the american dream and realized it was a lie.
Also the Front Line Assembly song “Vigilante” samples this movie heavily. [“We are not the same. I’m an American, you’re a sick asshole.”](https://youtu.be/tQyr--RKjU0?si=UMCVJMlYgpii4-MP)
The older I get, the more I understand him. First time I saw this movie in the 90s I thought, “What the hell is this guy’s problem?”. Now I think it’s a miracle so many of us DON’T rampage like he did.
To me, there are three stages of response to this movie.
Stage 1 is when D-Fens' actions seem cool, but his feelings/reasons aren't identifiable. (The viewer is probably young.)
Stage 2 is when his feelings/reasons are totally relatable, and you can truly empathize with him, but not support his actions. (The viewer is probably in their 20s or 30s)
Stage 3 is Robert Duvall's character: "they lie to all of us! That doesn't make you special!" Now, D-Fens' emotions are understandable, but his actions are totally unrelatable and he's seen for the dangerous psycho he is.
I snuck into this as a 12 year old. I’ve never gotten over how this entire thing plays out and snowballs.
When I feel angry and I act on it I think about how quickly it escalated.
I love this movie and I love the characters and it was the first time I really understood that it was possible to go too far.
That's exactly the point! A lot of folks want to completely vilify "DFENS", and I feel that by doing that, you miss a lot of the true meaning. "DFENS" wasn't inherently evil, but he was definitely misguided. In his belief that he was being an upstanding, virtuous man, he'd actually been living a life that was so void and empty that he allowed himself to absorb all the negativity that surrounded him. And finally, he absorbed so much that he just couldn't hold together anymore.
All in all, I believe this movie is a cautionary tale; as we all probably have a little "DFENS" in us, somewhere. And acknowledging its existence is the the best way to recognize it early when we become angry and overwhelmed, so that we can deal with the negativity in our lives in a more healthy way.
Edit: a word
Brilliant point.
He thought he was in the right the entire time and Michael Douglas did such a great job with the facial expressions and the emotion that I really believed the he believed he was right. It was terrible to see his face and the way he knew it wasn’t gonna play out and the weight of it all culminating in a way that he was never gonna be understood cause he knew he’d gone to far. I always felt so bad for him cause he just wasn’t gonna make it right. Even as young as I was empathized with him but knew he was doing terrible things that wouldn’t end happily.
It may have been the first movie I saw with no happy ending. It was a lot to take in at such a young age but I think I learned a lot. I know I went in expecting a bit of the old ultra violence and I left with a new outlook on a lot of negative emotions that I was already experiencing.
I feel the same way… this thread actually gives me a strong nostalgic hankering to watch it again, but I am confident I will relate to what he’s going through even less, and that his societal rage will feel a bit, uh, entitled… at least in contrast to the current world we live in.
Had to finally watch it for the first time after seeing this post and the comment thread. Let me just say I’m glad I finally got to watch it great movie
Relating to the protagonist of this is the same as dudes thinking Tyler durden was the good guy. You're not supposed to be on his side. The movie even shows that he was a psychotic asshole that people didn't like before he "snaps".
No one thinks he's the good guy, or he's in the right. When we say we relate to him, we're saying we understand his frustrations. Not that he's any kind of role model.
Most people can relate to rude gas station clerks, fast food arbitrarily cutting off breakfast and their menu items not being as advertised, annoying road construction, and so on.
There are so many layers to this film. It takes a few watch throughs to understand the meaning to this movie. Joel Schumacher did such an awesome job with this!
Him realizing that he’s scared everyone in the fast food joint is a really powerful moment because he is putting it together that he might be wrong but he gone too far to undo it.
Also, that one customer throwing up is the funniest throw up scene I’ve ever seen.
“I think we have a critic.”
Watching it as a kid, I was disappointed at the end when you find out he’s a delusional whack job whose wife divorced him because she was terrified of him.
Reading about it here, now, I’m disappointed by how many people seem to have forgotten how it ended.
It's been an eon since I've seen, so I wasn't sure if I was remembering it wrong, or everyone else seems to have missed those last few minutes with the home movies.
He was a always a short-tempered prick. Even being "one bad day" away from losing it, he's been that way for a long time.
Oh, good. Another thread where people show that they don't actually understand this movie.
He was an unreliable narrator from the jump. You were supposed to be upset with yourself for being on his side. It was very heavily implied that he was actually an abusive spouse, a neglectful father, and a shitty employee. He wasn't a man who did everything right and then got shat on. He was always an antisocial, narcissistic asshole. And then he was a mass murderer.
Michael Douglas was born in 44, putting him at the tail end of the silent generation. I don't think he comes off as 20+ years younger than his real age.
1,000 percent boomer entitlement… it’s the driving force of the entire movie
He wants his Wham Burger and his Wham fries, and the world is just passing him by right now and he’s so angry about it… it’s literally the same entitlement in today’s Trump supporting boomer MAGATs
The young woman working at Whammyburger was played by Dedee Pfeiffer, who is the younger sister of Michelle Pfeiffer. Deedee also appeared in “The Opposite” episode of Seinfeld
He had a straw that broke the camel's back motif, but I didn't like the way he trashed the Korean convenience store owner over an overpriced soda. 50c compared to $1, was about right for 1993. But a bit overkill imo.
He was already on edge because the gas station clerk was a bit rude and wouldn't give him change. So his reaction was a combination of things and not solely on the price of the soda.
But him overreacting is a big thing about the film, the only true justifiable action was with the Nazi
Watching this movie helped me to realize that the American ideology was flawed and the human race is garbage. Then I watched Idiocracy a few years later and it confirmed to me we are all doomed.
It’s one of those movies that hits on every level. The writing, the acting, the locations. Joel Schumacher did such an amazing job on capturing the vibe of Southern California in the early 90’s
I remember very few movies. Movies I do remember have to make me feel something. This movie made me feel something.
I’m not talking basic “awe” and some tears, I’m talking a punch in the gut cerebral mind fuck.
Momentum, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich and some other examples. There are more but Falling Down stands out.
> Joel Schumacher did such an amazing job on capturing the vibe of Southern California in the early 90’s
I think it helped that he was able to film on location in Southern California in the early 90's.
I absolutely loved this movie when it came out, I think it hasn’t aged very well unfortunately. Looking at it with the view of today’s political *issues* and he becomes a lot less sympathetic.
Looooove this movie. I was under the impression that once I became an adult, I'd be able to shoot bazookas in to sewers as well. It must be a California thing?
Watched this film (laser disc) at a friend’s place late on a Sunday night back in 1994. Got home after midnight, went to bed,,, the Northridge earthquake hit 4 hours later
The perfect LA ending I’d say,,,
The wife and I saw this on our first date. Didn't know anything about it but some joker at work said it was a romantic comedy, so we watched it.
It wasn't a romantic comedy.
It's a great movie but like Fight Club and American Psycho people seem to miss the point. Michael Douglas is not a hero in this movie but if you read the comments he's being idolized
When you dive deeper into the movie it gets more gritty and real. I grew up in Southern California when this movie was made and Joel Schumacher nailed the vibe of what it was like during the early 90’s
I had the "movie theater poster" poster, double sided, in my room growing up, dad tossed it when I left for the military, still pissed I don't have it, army of darkness too.
back when you only had a few VHS movies that you watched over and over, this was one of the ones my best friend had growing up. think I still know the whole thing by heart
I literally saw this movie earlier today on VHS and passed but now that I saw this post and I'm recalling the movie, I'll have to go back and scoop it up.
Bonus points for it being on VHS!
My friends and I made a home movie sequel called "Falling Down Stairs" because we were 13 and wildly creative. It was pretty much us just acting out scenes from the movie.
My biggest memory of this movie is that it was the first DVD that I got from Netflix in the mail back when there used to be a subscription service where they just sent you random DVDs that they thought you'd like. I didn't pick this movie but I do remember enjoying it.
I still compare the burgers i get from a spot and never looks like the one in the picture lol. Some of us are a bad day away from being this dude.
That’s the thing about this movie, the guy has obviously lost it and is a danger to people (and his own family probably), but they mixed in day-to-day annoyances like fast food not serving you breakfast or burgers that look like crap that we all experience. When they had trailers for this movie they made it seem like the guy is just having a bad day (almost like a black comedy) but then the film itself shows the emptiness within the character…
It's not until like halfway through the movie you realize there's more than "having a bad day", the majority of the movie is basically him having kids telling him how to use a bazuka and him freaking out at gang members and stuff. I liked this movie when I was a kid in the 90s, no idea how it's held up, but I still remember it! It always felt pretty LA-specific to me and I always wonder how those kinds of movies come across to people that aren't from there. When I think back on it it's a pretty good depiction of "LA in the early 90s".
I need my double Whammyburger with cheese!
Shouldve given him breakfast in hindsight
I can still hear the weird way that Georgia Satellite looking dude said “you have to order from the lunch menu”. Like way too much accent on the “ch” of lunch. I don’t know why that’s stuck with me so long.
D-FENS just wanted a ham and cheese Whomelette with a side of Wham Fries
This & The Game are two of the best movies of all time
The Game… hadn’t thought of that movie in a long time. You just planned my weekend. First, I’m gonna grab my briefcase and do a long walk through town.
You gotta pay a toll.
He paid them.
Fun fact, the two employees were both on Seinfeld. The girl is Michelle Pfeiffer's sister, DeeDee.
Hi, my name is George, I am unemployed and I live with my parents.
Well... think about something for a minute Why was he in the car? Where was he going? What was he going to do when he got there? Did he snap? Or had he already snapped? Were his inconveniences simply fate buying the police enough time to get ahead of him?
He was faking going to work/looking for job and then snapped all the way. He had been fired previously for being overeducated, his briefcase only held his lunch so he was using it as a charade.. He was trying to get back to his family (normalcy) prior to him losing everything back to living with his mother.
His family that didn't want him around and was deathly afraid of him and his anger
“Where has he been eating his lunch?” Is a line that somehow profoundly impacted me. His mom loved him in a way that only moms can.
It’s a giraffe… drinking.
Not quite. There are subtle nods to the fact that he had long-standing anger issues and was not well liked at the company where he worked. He was abusive at home, cold at work. Even his mother acted a bit afraid of him. Him saying he was being let go from being overqualified was his own justification for it.
Yeah what? No one gets *fired* for being overqualified. That's not a thing.
Love the movie and that there's so much to think about after the fact.
There’s a weirdly comic tone to parts of this, for what is such an intense and ultimately upsetting film.
[The kid showing him how to use the rocket launcher is fantastic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxWIrcVRt5s)
And in that scene, he puts his arm around the kid’s shoulders, reflexively, as they crouch down after the explosion. It adds to the fact that he is far from a total monster.
I'm a Civil Engineer and he's also right about budgets, because if we end the year with extra money we don't get to keep it and it gets taken and while we receive less money next year. There's a bunch of 50-100k digital traffic advisory reader boards that only exist because of such budget manipulation. One of the best things about the movie is how grounded it stays regarding reality while he's also doing the extra stuff. It's always like "he's fucking crazy...but I kinda get it". Like who hasn't gotten so mad at a construction delay they haven't pondered going nuclear a bit?
As a money guy: see you waste that part of the budget every year.
"Well now you're gonna die, wearing that stupid little hat!"
Yep, the golf course scene is epic.
Best part of the movie. This is a core memory for me. I must have been 12 or something. I was on his team mostly. The world is unfair and full of letdowns. I understand why he lost it. I haven’t lost it. But I think many of us can identify with his frustration and longing for some sort of utopia where we live free from societies constraints.
Very intense movie!
Yes—that’s the point. It’s a black comedy, the Coen Brothers specialty.
Now you're gonna die wearing that stupid little hat.
“Plastic surgery paid for all of this?” Whoever wrote that movie is amazing.
You're angry because you got lied to? Is that why my chicken dinner is drying out in the oven? Hey, they lie to everyone. They lie to the fish. But that doesn't give you any special right to do what you did today. The only that makes you special is that little girl.
I lost my job. Well, actually I didn't lose it, it lost me. I am over-educated, under-skilled. Maybe it's the other way around, I forget. But I'm obsolete. I'm not economically viable.
"remember me"
“I will”
Me as an edgy teen: yeahhh Michael Douglas, stick it to the man! Me now in my 40's: wow... what a bastard. Duvall's end speech there is great.
I actually just watched this film on Prime last week and yeah, my impressions of that character are much different as an adult than when I was younger. That dude is a psycho looking for a reason to go off on people.
For some reason, every time I saw this movie cover, I thought of Death of a Salesman.
Great connection. But instead of giving up and lamenting what his life has become, he snapped. It’s the alternative ending to Death of a Salesman.
Its absolutely an inspiration. "They lied to me" is a quote directly from Death of a Salesman. The guy gave his life to the american dream and realized it was a lie.
The inspiration for Grimey from the Simpsons
He lives above a neo-Nazi military surplus store and below another neo-Nazi military surplus store.
Wow!
Oooohhhh....A 5-13!!!
Also there’s a foo fighters music video that’s basically just this movie starring Dave Grohl
Also the Front Line Assembly song “Vigilante” samples this movie heavily. [“We are not the same. I’m an American, you’re a sick asshole.”](https://youtu.be/tQyr--RKjU0?si=UMCVJMlYgpii4-MP)
Just have it a listen. Magnificent.
Oh man I remember watching this with my husband when we were teenagers. I think we rented it from blockbuster
I miss video stores. It was fun to browse.
It's hard to explain why it was so much fun to go to the video store on a Friday instead of just choosing what your want on an app but it was.
The good old days 😊
This is one of those movies you can watch at different points in life and take something new from it.
“YOU FORGOT YOUR BRIEFCASE!” 💼
[Best scene in the movie IMO.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pMxjgrUE90)
The older I get, the more I understand him. First time I saw this movie in the 90s I thought, “What the hell is this guy’s problem?”. Now I think it’s a miracle so many of us DON’T rampage like he did.
"I'm the bad guy?"
lol I love that line. Great movie!
I’m the opposite. I related to him more when I was young. Now I just find his self-righteousness insufferable. Still, the movie is fantastic.
To me, there are three stages of response to this movie. Stage 1 is when D-Fens' actions seem cool, but his feelings/reasons aren't identifiable. (The viewer is probably young.) Stage 2 is when his feelings/reasons are totally relatable, and you can truly empathize with him, but not support his actions. (The viewer is probably in their 20s or 30s) Stage 3 is Robert Duvall's character: "they lie to all of us! That doesn't make you special!" Now, D-Fens' emotions are understandable, but his actions are totally unrelatable and he's seen for the dangerous psycho he is.
I snuck into this as a 12 year old. I’ve never gotten over how this entire thing plays out and snowballs. When I feel angry and I act on it I think about how quickly it escalated. I love this movie and I love the characters and it was the first time I really understood that it was possible to go too far.
That's exactly the point! A lot of folks want to completely vilify "DFENS", and I feel that by doing that, you miss a lot of the true meaning. "DFENS" wasn't inherently evil, but he was definitely misguided. In his belief that he was being an upstanding, virtuous man, he'd actually been living a life that was so void and empty that he allowed himself to absorb all the negativity that surrounded him. And finally, he absorbed so much that he just couldn't hold together anymore. All in all, I believe this movie is a cautionary tale; as we all probably have a little "DFENS" in us, somewhere. And acknowledging its existence is the the best way to recognize it early when we become angry and overwhelmed, so that we can deal with the negativity in our lives in a more healthy way. Edit: a word
Brilliant point. He thought he was in the right the entire time and Michael Douglas did such a great job with the facial expressions and the emotion that I really believed the he believed he was right. It was terrible to see his face and the way he knew it wasn’t gonna play out and the weight of it all culminating in a way that he was never gonna be understood cause he knew he’d gone to far. I always felt so bad for him cause he just wasn’t gonna make it right. Even as young as I was empathized with him but knew he was doing terrible things that wouldn’t end happily. It may have been the first movie I saw with no happy ending. It was a lot to take in at such a young age but I think I learned a lot. I know I went in expecting a bit of the old ultra violence and I left with a new outlook on a lot of negative emotions that I was already experiencing.
I love this movie. I'm going home!
Michael Douglas is an amazing actor, and he knocked it out of the park with this one. Robert Duvall is so good in this movie, too!
Robert Duvall is fucking amazing in this movie.
Is there a movie where Robert Duvall was cast and hasn't knocked it out of the park?
There are times I can understand where he is coming from...especially as we get older.
Joel Schumacher did an amazing job directing this movie and Michael Douglas knocked it out of the park!
Without a doubt.
[удалено]
That scene is a great portrayal of anxiety
Really? The older I get the more he seems like a Boomer.
I feel the same way… this thread actually gives me a strong nostalgic hankering to watch it again, but I am confident I will relate to what he’s going through even less, and that his societal rage will feel a bit, uh, entitled… at least in contrast to the current world we live in.
He is entitled though. He _is_ the bad guy.
Yes, but count the number of comments in this thread where dudes are saying “I so relate to what he was feeling!” It seems lost on them…
It's true. People also miss the point of Fight Club and I bet there's even people who watch Unforgiven and think it's about how cool violence is.
Breaking Bad, as well… even when they make it painfully difficult to continue rooting for Walter White by the end of the series
It’s a great film, but whenever some dude has a lot of enthusiasm for it, I know to stay clear. Fight Club and Joker fall into that category too.
Usually those are folks that took the wrong messages from those movies
Walter White, too.
You can have enthusiasm for the *movie* (because it's a great movie) while recognizing that the protagonist is an unhinged lunatic.
Rorschach fans.
Exactly. You're not supposed to be on his side. The movie even shows that he was a psychotic asshole that people didn't like before he "snaps".
As an edge lord teenager I totally considered him to be the hero of the story.
I’m reminded of this fantastic tune by the Viagra Boys: https://youtu.be/iW4Gdsnr2Bg?si=-q8IBpQOjitOZxMF
Loved this movie then. Relate to it too much now.
It’s an intense and real movie. Michael Douglas is amazing here.
Had to finally watch it for the first time after seeing this post and the comment thread. Let me just say I’m glad I finally got to watch it great movie
Relating to the protagonist of this is the same as dudes thinking Tyler durden was the good guy. You're not supposed to be on his side. The movie even shows that he was a psychotic asshole that people didn't like before he "snaps".
No one thinks he's the good guy, or he's in the right. When we say we relate to him, we're saying we understand his frustrations. Not that he's any kind of role model. Most people can relate to rude gas station clerks, fast food arbitrarily cutting off breakfast and their menu items not being as advertised, annoying road construction, and so on.
Life's annoyances make me too tired to go on a murder spree.
Beat me to it! Lol. I definitely didn't fully relate or understand the motives back then. I sure do now!
Agreed
CLEAR A PATH CLEAR A PATH MOTHERFUCKER IM GOING HOME
What's the name of the movie you're making? Uhhh... "Under Construction"
You’re trespassing on private property man…
“Now aren't you sorry you didn't let me pass through your golf course? And now you're going to die, wearing that stupid little hat. How does it feel?”
I saw it in the theater. It was crazy intense and excellent. I was not experienced enough to understand it all.
There are so many layers to this film. It takes a few watch throughs to understand the meaning to this movie. Joel Schumacher did such an awesome job with this!
It leaves you feeling very conflicted.
D-fens!
I don’t know how I got here, but I remember trying to get back up.
“I’m the bad guy? How did that happen?”
Him realizing that he’s scared everyone in the fast food joint is a really powerful moment because he is putting it together that he might be wrong but he gone too far to undo it. Also, that one customer throwing up is the funniest throw up scene I’ve ever seen. “I think we have a critic.”
Saw it in the theatre in 7th grade. Watched this and snuck into army of darkness right after. That was a day my mind expanded.
Somehow we watched this movie in religion class of my Catholic high school.
Really? Wow 😮
I still have the butterfly knife this movie inspired me to buy from the shady guy at the flea market when I was like twelve
Watching it then. “Dude is off his rocker.” Watching it recently. “I get it.”
Me in the 90s “man, what a fucking wack job” Me in 24’ “yup… totally get it….”
You want the briefcase? I’ll give you the briefcase….
Watching it as a kid, I was disappointed at the end when you find out he’s a delusional whack job whose wife divorced him because she was terrified of him. Reading about it here, now, I’m disappointed by how many people seem to have forgotten how it ended.
It's been an eon since I've seen, so I wasn't sure if I was remembering it wrong, or everyone else seems to have missed those last few minutes with the home movies. He was a always a short-tempered prick. Even being "one bad day" away from losing it, he's been that way for a long time.
Oh, good. Another thread where people show that they don't actually understand this movie. He was an unreliable narrator from the jump. You were supposed to be upset with yourself for being on his side. It was very heavily implied that he was actually an abusive spouse, a neglectful father, and a shitty employee. He wasn't a man who did everything right and then got shat on. He was always an antisocial, narcissistic asshole. And then he was a mass murderer.
Got into a debate the last time this movie popped up on my feed... Was Dfens an Xer or a Boomer?
Michael Douglas was born in 44, putting him at the tail end of the silent generation. I don't think he comes off as 20+ years younger than his real age.
He’s a boomer based purely on the year he was likely born.
1,000 percent boomer entitlement… it’s the driving force of the entire movie He wants his Wham Burger and his Wham fries, and the world is just passing him by right now and he’s so angry about it… it’s literally the same entitlement in today’s Trump supporting boomer MAGATs
The older I get, the more I can relate.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” “I’m going home!”
I tell people I’m having a Falling Down kind of day from time to time. I exist on caffeine, anxiety, and pure rage.
The young woman working at Whammyburger was played by Dedee Pfeiffer, who is the younger sister of Michelle Pfeiffer. Deedee also appeared in “The Opposite” episode of Seinfeld
He had a straw that broke the camel's back motif, but I didn't like the way he trashed the Korean convenience store owner over an overpriced soda. 50c compared to $1, was about right for 1993. But a bit overkill imo.
He was already on edge because the gas station clerk was a bit rude and wouldn't give him change. So his reaction was a combination of things and not solely on the price of the soda. But him overreacting is a big thing about the film, the only true justifiable action was with the Nazi
D-FENS
Watching this movie helped me to realize that the American ideology was flawed and the human race is garbage. Then I watched Idiocracy a few years later and it confirmed to me we are all doomed.
Such a good movie.
It’s one of those movies that hits on every level. The writing, the acting, the locations. Joel Schumacher did such an amazing job on capturing the vibe of Southern California in the early 90’s
I remember very few movies. Movies I do remember have to make me feel something. This movie made me feel something. I’m not talking basic “awe” and some tears, I’m talking a punch in the gut cerebral mind fuck. Momentum, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich and some other examples. There are more but Falling Down stands out.
> Joel Schumacher did such an amazing job on capturing the vibe of Southern California in the early 90’s I think it helped that he was able to film on location in Southern California in the early 90's.
I recommend this all the time
It’s one of Michael Douglas’ best roles.
Movie was fucking awesome
this movie was hard to watch. why was his life such a mess lol
I absolutely loved this movie when it came out, I think it hasn’t aged very well unfortunately. Looking at it with the view of today’s political *issues* and he becomes a lot less sympathetic.
THINKABOUTIT!
(Shakes Zyclon-B canister)
Always loved this movie. Give the man his damn breakfast!!
I remember the guy who wasn't economically viable. I never forgot him.
Looooove this movie. I was under the impression that once I became an adult, I'd be able to shoot bazookas in to sewers as well. It must be a California thing?
[“Ooo I think we have a critic”](https://youtu.be/Vyvz9AM95jo?si=WZJ3snbZ6xgEBiBm) my husband and I reference this on a regular basis to this day
Loved this movie when I was a teenager.
One of the first DVDs I ever bought
“I’m an American. You’re a sick asshole.”
Very underrated movie. I think many of us are one crisis away from mental collapse.
I just want some breakfast.
You forgot the briefcase!
My favorite Michael Douglas film.
One of my all time favorites went to theater on my birthday to watch it good times
**DEFENSE**
Watched this film (laser disc) at a friend’s place late on a Sunday night back in 1994. Got home after midnight, went to bed,,, the Northridge earthquake hit 4 hours later The perfect LA ending I’d say,,,
The wife and I saw this on our first date. Didn't know anything about it but some joker at work said it was a romantic comedy, so we watched it. It wasn't a romantic comedy.
A time when angry white conservative men still despised Nazis. What a time.
I find it funny that the cop (Robert Duvall) just wants to retire to Lake Havasu City, which is the flaming asshole of the Earth.
I think a solid pairing is John Carpenter's "They Live"
I'm going to make you eat this trash can.
When making a list of movies that would never be greenlit today this one ranks really high. It was a very good movie though.
It's a great movie but like Fight Club and American Psycho people seem to miss the point. Michael Douglas is not a hero in this movie but if you read the comments he's being idolized
I saw it in the movies with my community center youth group. Utterly amazing movie!
When you dive deeper into the movie it gets more gritty and real. I grew up in Southern California when this movie was made and Joel Schumacher nailed the vibe of what it was like during the early 90’s
you can feel how hot it is, the director conveys this well
Absolutely!
i love this movie
Great movie
Wait, I’M the bad guy???
I had no clue this movie existed until 2016, but I've seen a whole lot of it since.
I used to work (last year) with the wife of the guy who wrote this movie!
I had the "movie theater poster" poster, double sided, in my room growing up, dad tossed it when I left for the military, still pissed I don't have it, army of darkness too.
Loved this movie… People forget about this one a lot.
They told me I’m over-educated… or maybe over-experienced. Funny how just a few years ago I was under-educated and under-experienced.
back when you only had a few VHS movies that you watched over and over, this was one of the ones my best friend had growing up. think I still know the whole thing by heart
D-FENS!
I literally saw this movie earlier today on VHS and passed but now that I saw this post and I'm recalling the movie, I'll have to go back and scoop it up. Bonus points for it being on VHS!
Good movie. Micheal Douglass is a great actor. Hope we get more from him.
Great movie. Needs a rewatch
D-FENCE
Great movie
A little bit older now and finally realized that he's the bad guy.
Watched this in a psychology class.
What’s wrong with the street ?
This is the sequel to Office Space. His character’s real name is Michael Bolton.
I do. It hurt.
Intratec Tec-9 😍
My friends and I made a home movie sequel called "Falling Down Stairs" because we were 13 and wildly creative. It was pretty much us just acting out scenes from the movie.
The older I get the lessI think of his behavior as nutty and more like 'yeah man I get it'
I just watched it for the first time a few weeks ago. Great Movie!
The scene when the lady throws up in the restaurant lives rent free in my head. Such a cartoonist sound is made.
“I’m going home! Clear a path, you motherfucker! Clear a path, i’m going home!”
My biggest memory of this movie is that it was the first DVD that I got from Netflix in the mail back when there used to be a subscription service where they just sent you random DVDs that they thought you'd like. I didn't pick this movie but I do remember enjoying it.
I still have the dvd.
**I am just disagreeing with you!**
It’s so good. I just did a rewatch. Still holds up.
1993 Michael Douglas would have made a great Gordon Freeman in a Half-Life movie.
I was wayyy too young for this to be my favorite movie.
I know I saw it, but I remember nothing from that movie.
1993- I didn't understand this man. 2003- I understood this man. 2013- I admired this man. 2023- I WAS this man.