In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:21Read transcript
- Ebert awarded four stars while criticizing the satisfying ending for abandoning deeper possibilities; Siskel's separate rating was three-and-a-half stars.
Categories & segments
What’s Aged the Best?
Score; undercover Jake; poster; period interiors; runaway premise
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:08Read transcript
- Aged best discussion begins with Scott's reported contractual drinking breaks, then praises Nitzsche's delayed score and Jake's undercover-producer scenes.
- Aged best: the avenging-angel refrigerator sticker, the poster, Ed Begley Jr.'s early role, Hollywood hotel apartments, Mast's apartment and Midwestern wallpaper. The period is praised as fertile fictional ground for disappearances.
- Trackdown is recommended as a related earlier film;1970 sfear narratives and limited missing-person infrastructure make the runaway premise effective. A joke qualifies any claim that finding people was uniquely difficult then.
- Schrader reportedly wrote this alongside Taxi Driver using an extreme drug-and-sleep routine. Adult-industry research and backlash over associating the business with snuff films are discussed; the panel says both church and industry disliked the film.
- A quotation from Schrader introduces Scott's unhappiness during production.
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
Jake before the Hustler billboard; distorted theater image
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:46Read transcript
- Great Shot Gordo: the distorted high-angle image of Scott losing his bearings and adult storefronts surrounding him convey immersion in the unfamiliar world.
- Great Shot Gordo selects Jake before the Hustler 'think pink' billboard: Los Angeles color contrasts with muted Grand Rapids.
The Big Kahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drink
Calvinist family dinners
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:16Read transcript
- Food award: the abundant Calvinist family dinners, turkey, sides and cake.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:55Read transcript
- Weak link: the ending, with explicit agreement.
What’s Aged the Worst?
Chaperones; Kristen casting; father-daughter discomfort; personal-ad job; Beatty’s demands
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:55Read transcript
- Aged worst: irresponsible chaperones and Jake's unusually calm response to the disappearance.
- Aged worst: Ilah Davis's casting and an uncomfortable father-daughter dynamic; sexual-abuse interpretations remain explicitly speculative rather than established story facts.
- Aged worst: the imagined unpleasant work of taking adult personal advertisements, although the sequence is intentionally comic.
- Casting what-if and aged worst: Warren Beatty reportedly wanted the missing daughter changed to a girlfriend, which the panel rejects as wrong for this story. His delayed Howard Hughes project is also discussed.
Casting What-Ifs
Warren Beatty; Diana Scarwid; Marilyn Chambers
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:55Read transcript
- Casting what-if and aged worst: Warren Beatty reportedly wanted the missing daughter changed to a girlfriend, which the panel rejects as wrong for this story. His delayed Howard Hughes project is also discussed.
- Casting what-if: The studio reportedly rejected Diana Scarwid; discussion then turns to casting Ilah Davis. The panel criticizes the rushed final father-daughter scene and argues Davis was not equipped for the rewritten demands.
- Recasting couch: Melanie Griffith could handle Kristen's later scene, but would seem less innocent initially. Marilyn Chambers reportedly considered for Nikki; the panel still praises Hubley.
Recasting Couch
Melanie Griffith as Kristen, with reservations
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:27Read transcript
- Recasting couch: Melanie Griffith could handle Kristen's later scene, but would seem less innocent initially. Marilyn Chambers reportedly considered for Nikki; the panel still praises Hubley.
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
Auditioning performers; Scott’s reveal debated
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:30Read transcript
- Overacting: Scott's 'turn it off' moment is debated as excellent acting; the auditioning performers, especially the man offering to show his stuff, are nominated.
Is There a Better Title for This Movie?
Keep Hardcore; The Pilgrim also praised
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:21Read transcript
- Better title: keep Hardcore for its double meaning and trailer impact. Original title The Pilgrim is also praised; a Big Dick Black revenge sequel is a joke.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:30Read transcript
- Most memorable quote: 'Turn it off.'
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Jake’s producer potential; Calvinism; revisiting the premise
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:30Read transcript
- Hottest take: Jake could have succeeded as an adult-film producer; another jokingly defends Calvinism's repression and redemption framework.
- Hottest take: borrowing this premise for 8 mmis acceptable after twenty years, and a modern internet version could work. Searching is offered as an existing computer-era counterpart.
Displaying discussions 4357 - 4368 of 7108 in total