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What has been Joel Silver's greatest contribution to cinema?

Poll Results: What has been Joel Silver's greatest contribution to cinema?

 
  • 45% (16)
    DIE HARD and DIE HARDER (he didn't produce WITH A VENGEANCE)
  • 0% (0)
    The LETHAL WEAPON franchise
  • 8% (3)
    The PREDATOR series
  • 8% (3)
    COMMANDO
  • 28% (10)
    The MATRIX Trilogy
  • 2% (1)
    His 1991 output of HUDSON HAWK, RICOCHET, and THE LAST BOY SCOUT
  • 2% (1)
    Produced a film in which Steven Seagal is sucked out of an airplane
  • 0% (0)
    Produced many horror films that nobody has seen more than once
  • 0% (0)
    Believed Jet Li would have good chemistry with hip hop sensations Aliyah and DMX
  • 2% (1)
    None of those, his greatest contribution is (to be stated in a post)
35 Total Votes  
post #1 of 17
11/11/05 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
I'm looking forward to seeing KISS, KISS, BANG, BANG (hopefully today) and with all that I have read about this flick there has been a lot of praise for Shane Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Val Kilmer. A film's producer doesn't tend to get much credit but I'm glad that Joel Silver essentially secured the money Shane Black needed and then left him alone to make the movie he wanted.

Jerry Bruckheimer is probably the biggest producer in show business, especially if you factor in his TV successes. I like some of the movies he has produced but I don't think he can touch what Joel Silver has been able to do over the last quarter century. Silver has produced a lot of junk over that time but that's the nature of the beast, his highlights far outweigh misfires like ASSASSINS, RICHIE RICH, and CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE.

I'll always be in debt to the guy for producing DIE HARD, but what I really like most about the guy is that he hasn't buckled under the PG-13-ization of movies and still makes films, whether they're good or bad, that don't pull their punches in the content department.
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post #2 of 17
11/11/05 at 6:34pm
Yeah, the guy deserves some love. I narrowly picked "The Matrix" over LW and DH, as I think "The Matrix" is a perfect film and I would watch the sequels, while flawed, over the inferior sequels to LW and to an extent, DH as well.

I think its interesting how he and Bruckheimer work with their directors. Bruckheimer has his hired guns like Dominic Sena, Simon West, etc. and Silver does the same with Bartowiak. But they both sort of get out of the way and let the talent work when they work with a Ridley Scott, the Wachowskis, Black, and McTiernan.
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post #3 of 17
11/11/05 at 6:46pm
Swimming with Sharks
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post #4 of 17
11/11/05 at 8:50pm
Finally bringing Dungeons and Dragons to the screen!!!

Yep, it sucked. But D&D, part 2 Wrath of the Dragon God is quite a bit better.
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post #5 of 17
11/11/05 at 9:29pm
I had to go with Die Hard but dammmn - that is such an impressive resume. Thank you, Mr Silver.
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post #6 of 17
11/12/05 at 4:17am
Commando is probably my favorite movie of all time (favorite being a movie that I can watch on loop and never get tired of). Nothing better than Auhnold giving a cheesey one-liner before he kills a bajilliion people.
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post #7 of 17
11/12/05 at 5:16am
Veronica Mars. Easily.

Though The Last Boy Scout is brilliant.
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post #8 of 17
11/12/05 at 5:43am
ROADHOUSE.

*Honorable mention to DEMOLITION MAN.
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post #9 of 17
11/12/05 at 6:37am
I never realized Joel Silver produced 48 Hrs, I guess he must've felt he could improve on the formula with LW.
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post #10 of 17
11/12/05 at 11:30am
Die Hard, easily (at least for me). But Last Boy Scout, Lethal Weapon, Matrix, Predator; all films I'm not likely to ever get tired of.
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post #11 of 17
11/12/05 at 1:48pm
Joel Silver's greatest contribution was being the inspiration for Rick Moranis's SCTV character "Larry Siegel."
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post #12 of 17
11/12/05 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
My favorite of the Joel Silver parodies is easily Saul Rubinek as Lee Donowitz in TRUE ROMANCE.

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post #13 of 17
11/12/05 at 2:26pm
Why not KISS KISS BANG BANG?

Seriously, it's that good.
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post #14 of 17
11/12/05 at 9:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameron Hughes
Veronica Mars. Easily.

Though The Last Boy Scout is brilliant.
I agree with every word of this post.
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post #15 of 17
11/13/05 at 5:55am
Streets of Fire, dude!

"You're dumb. And you're short."

All in all, not a big fan of his films since so many of them come across as mean-spirited and nihilistic when they're trying for dark comedy and satire. Demolition Man is most successful on that score.

I don't know if it's a contribution to cinema per se, but his efforts to preserve Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture deserve some respect.
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post #16 of 17
11/13/05 at 6:27am
I'd say his most underrated contribution has been Action the tv-series.
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post #17 of 17
11/15/05 at 7:08am
Sure, the MATRIX trilogy and the DIE HARD movies will probably have more staying power, and the two PREDATOR flicks will eternally live in my heart, but I've got to throw a sentimental vote the way of Silver's 1991 trifecta. Dose up on your favourite mood-enhancer, kill the lights and run THE LAST BOY SCOUT, HUDSON HAWK and RICOCHET (in that order) and you've got an ideal night in.

And if you're still awake when RICOCHET ends, put on ACTION JACKSON.
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