SCFZ

Polling the films of John McTiernan

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half* of the McTiernan films you've seen, up to a maximum of 8. So if you've seen 6 films, you can vote for 3, and if you've seen 20, you can vote for up to 8.

* If you've seen an odd number, you can round up when deciding the length of your ballot -- e.g if you've seen 7, you can vote for 4, and if you've seen 15, you can vote for the maximum of 8.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Friday, in seven days, whatever day that is

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

The Hunt for Red October
Die Hard
Predator
Rollerball

seen eight, actually don't care for most of them though that's often because of the material and not the director

Nomads
Die Hard
Predator
The Thomas Crown Affair


I'll add a fifth if needed, but probably won't make much difference unless there's a spot short.

I need to revisit Rollerball. When I saw it theatrically, I thought it was one of the sloppiest, most poorly made films I'd ever seen on the big screen.

Seen 10.

Die Hard
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Predator
The Hunt for Red October
The Last Action Hero

Seen 7

Die Hard
Die Hard With a Vengeance
Predator
The Last Action Hero

I can remember almost nothing of Medicine Man except that I was incredibly bored. I'd like to re-watch Red October at some point. Basic was sort of silly fun that I have no desire to ever watch again. I have a lot of good will towards McTiernan, but I think that's been earned almost exclusively by the first three movies on my list.

seen 6

hunt for red october
die hard
13th warrior (probably terrible but i thought the book was cool when i read it a long time ago and that helped the movie undoubtedly)

Great guy!

01. Rollerball (2002)
02. The 13th Warrior (1999)
03. Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)
04. Predator (1987)

McTiernan seen: 7

Seen 8

The Hunt for Red October
Die Hard
Predator
Die Hard with a Vengeance

seen 10.
1. Predator (1987)
2. Die Hard (1988)
3. The Hunt for Red October (1990)
4. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

seen 4

Die Hard
The Last Action Hero

Re-watched Last Action Hero, as it was the only one on my list I had not seen in a very long time. In some ways much much worse than I remembered it, but in a few ways better. Much of the meta-commentary on action films is signifcantly less clever than the movie thinks it is, but there a couple moments of inspired visual comedy. The scene where Schwarzenegger plays chicken in the real world, and watch an drably horrible car accident play out in the background genuinely made me laugh a lot harder than I expected.

I'll leave it on my list for now, but I imagine it could easily be knocked off if I re-watched a couple of the others I haven't seen in a while.

5

1. Hunt for Red October
2. Die hard
3. Predator

seen 2

PREDATOR!

who is john mctiernan

seen 6

Die Hard
The Hunt for Red October
Predator

Die Hard With a Vengeance
The Thomas Crowne Affair
The 13th Warrior
Predator
Rollerball

seen 2

Predator

no surprises at the very top imo, i probably would have guessed last action hero would fare better and the 13th warrior worse though.

we do have one problem that needs sorting: only 9 films got votes. mctiernan has only made 11, so we need to decide between the two films basic and medicine man which film will occupy the 10th slot. so if you've seen one or both, please post below if either of the following is true:

- you've seen both, and prefer one to the other (even if you don't like either) -- if this is true, please vote!
- you've seen one, and you think it deserves a vote

i've seen basic but do not think it deserves a vote, so i won't be voting (haven't seen the other film)


results
1. Die Hard (1988) — 30 pts
2. Predator (1987) — 22 pts
3. The Hunt for Red October (1990) — 20 pts
4. Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) — 16 pts
5. The 13th Warrior (1999) — 7 pts
6. Rollerball (2002) — 6 pts
7. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) — 5 pts
8. Nomads (1986) — 4 pts
9. Last Action Hero (1993) — 3 pts
10. Basic (2003) — 0.02 pts
10. Medicine Man (1992) — 0.01 pts

naturally if a late ballot solves the problem, that will override any other votes (and if greg was planning to vote for either if he made his ballot longer, which he was eligible to do, that would also override the miscellaneous votes)

i'd give medicine man a perfunctory vote, it might be laughable (i don't remember exceptionally well) but that's not the worst thing in the world

haven't seen medicine man, but i'd definitely give basic a vote

I've seen Basic and I think it deserves a vote.

okay, i'll declare this closed now -- basic beats medicine man by one vote for the tenth slot!

posted to letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-314/