MovieChat Forums > The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) Discussion > They don't make 'em like this anymore

They don't make 'em like this anymore

posted 7 years ago by PrimeMinisterX (8759)
31 replies | jump to latest

There's just something about mid-90s action movies that is inherently different from action films today. There's a whole aesthetic there that doesn't exist in movies today.

I think it's everything from the actual film stock, to the relative lack of green screen, to the reliance of practical effects over digital trickery, to the look and feel of the 1990s before computers and technology completely took over the world.

The Long Kiss Goodnight is certainly a great example of this.

I just rewatched this film last night and thought it was a hell of a lot of fun. Geena Davis was great in the lead and Sam Jackson did an excellent job as her partner/sidekick/comic relief.

It's a real shame that this film failed at the box office. The one-two punch of Cutthroat Island and Long Kiss Goodnight seemed to do real damage to Geena Davis's career. Things were never the same for her after that and it definitely killed her prospects to headline any more action movies.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I have never heard of it but might check it out

[–] Kowalski (76300) 4 years ago

WELL UNCLE HOWNOS...YOUVE HAD THREE YEARS...DID YOU CHECK IT OUT?🙂

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

I gave it a 7/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0116908/The-Long-Kiss-Goodnight/5bede236efa7ad38fee1d1e7/a-decent-90s-action-film

[–] Kowalski (76300) 4 years ago

VERY COOL...MAYBE MY FAVORITE DAM JACKSON WORK...DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE GEENA DAVIS WORK.

[–] CheekyMonkey (584) 5 years ago

For a 24 year old movie this holds up incredibly well... I agree, lots of fun...

Great premise, well executed... lots of action... highly entertaining and Geena Davis is convincing...

The only thing that dates this movie is this quote...

"Life is pain... You just get used to it..."

That kind of sentiment and theme is certainly from a more stoic, self-determined culture than our current one...

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 5 years ago

Glad to hear someone else out there appreciates this film. I recently showed it to a friend and he enjoyed it. He then showed it to his wife and she enjoyed it too.

And your point is well-taken about today's culture. Values that we once held high are now either trashed or are simply forgotten about.

[–] BigMom (2021) 4 years ago

I love this movie

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

It's a great film. Recently I showed it to a friend and he liked it enough to then show it to his wife.

Most people I talk to have never even heard of it, which is a shame.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 4 years ago

It is one of the only two films I like from Renny Harlan. Pretty good action flick. I, too, miss the the aesthetic of the decade.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

I haven't seen all of Renny's filmography, but of those I have seen I would say three are worth watching: Long Kiss Goodnight, Die Hard 2 and Deep Blue Sea.

Cutthroat Island I would also say is worth a watch as a curiosity, being that it was the film that sunk a studio.

[–] Kowalski (76300) 4 years ago

CLIFFHANGER AND PRISON ARE FUN FLICKS TOO.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

Oh yeah, I forgot about Cliffhanger.

I'd put it on the list too, even though I don't think it's a great movie overall. More like a movie that has its moments, like the big stunt where the guy goes from plane-to-plane. Apparently he was paid a million dollars to execute that maneuver.

[–] davodikum (6198) 4 years ago

Prison? I don't think I've seen who is in it?

[–] Turb (158) 4 years ago

Maybe thinking of The Rock. No action movies named Prison are coming to mind.

[–] davodikum (6198) 4 years ago

Nobody's ever accidenttly calling the rock prison

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

Also, The Rock isn't directed by Harlin.

[–] Kowalski (76300) 4 years ago

"The spirit of a long-dead prisoner returns for revenge, haunting the prison's new governor."

STARRING A BABY VIGGO MORTENSON....1987

[–] davodikum (6198) 4 years ago

Added to watchlist.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 4 years ago

The only Renny flicks I like at all are LKG and Ford Fairlane (I will give some small credit to Deep Blue Sea). I really hate everything else I've seen from him. Most of it was back in the days when I didn't pay attention to the director at all. I came to realize that all these potentially great movies that stunk were by the same guy.

I think he and Gina married right before or after LKG, IMMSMC.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

I noticed that his last two or three movies have been Chinese flicks. I wonder if that's just what he's doing now, selling his soul to Chinese studios to make whatever movies they want him to.

[–] Artisan (3464) 4 years ago

90's films are quite reliable, even the average ones are entertaining.

As I mentioned in the other thread as well, yes she is a woman but we don't get beat over the head with that fact. She just is female. No propaganda, no lessons we have to learn. She is also plausible as an assassin. In other films we get tiny women who don't look like they can even lift themselves yet are toting M60 machine guns.

A movie made for the sake of entertainment. Such a simple yet forgotten concept.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

I really think that the 90s were the best decade for movies. I've gotten some push-back for saying that but that decade gave us so many great movies, many of which are near and dear to my heart today. Even if we're just talking action/adventure movies, that would include movies like The Rock, T2, The Mummy, The Matrix, Face/Off, Starship Troopers, True Lies, Blade, Independence Day, Total Recall and, of course, The Long Kiss Goodnight. Neither the 2000s or 2010s can boast a line-up like that.

And you're right that back in the day we got movies that were just meant to entertain. If there were political motives, they were much more subtle. Now that shit is right in your face, all the time.

Now when we do get a film that's purely meant to entertain, like John Wick, it feels very refreshing.

[–] Artisan (3464) 4 years ago

I loved the Mummy films and The Rock, Con Air. Blast from the Past was awesome too.

Films since then have become more sterile, in part I think due to the actors themselves becoming more interchangable. Also an increased focus on franchises and reboots, they reboot films that are only a few years old now! How many more times do we have to see Spiderman!

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 4 years ago

Interestingly enough, the 90s were also a highwater mark for spec script sales. In fact, The Long Kiss Goodnight is the ultimate example of this, selling for over $4 million, which is still a record to this day. More info on that here:

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/shane-black-and-the-90s-spec-script-gold-rush/

So the 90s were definitely a time when original scripts were more appreciated and studios were more willing to take chances. As you say, now it's just a long train of remakes, reboots and reimaginings. It's no wonder then that Hollywood's output was so much better then than it is now.

[–] Artisan (3464) 4 years ago

I have been told that Hollywood tries to sell a lot to Asia and China now so that might explain the increase in Superhero type stuff lots of action little substance so language barriers don't have to matter.

I think people are kind of dumber now too, even when you try and discuss things on forums with them, you really have to spell things out. So I think scripts and plots need to be simpler. Characters more one dimensional.

[–] BeaSouth (3352) 3 years ago

I gotta tell you PMX, I took a look at it based on your recommendation on the Point of No Return page and I’m really entertained by it. It’s a quirky little movie where Davis plays two completely divergent characters in the same movie and is believable in both. Jackson is very good as well but it’s a character he’s done many times before. But I’m half way through and the movie is pretty damned good. Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check back in after I watch the second half tomorrow.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 3 years ago

Oh, awesome! I always appreciate it when someone goes by one of my recommendations and I also appreciate it when someone takes the time to check out this film.

You're totally right about Davis. She's great in the film and very convincing playing two polar opposite characters. This movie convinced me that she had what it takes to be an action heroine, but unfortunately it was a box office failure, and after the Cutthroat Island/TLKG double-whammy producers apparently decided they didn't want to see her in any more action roles. It's a shame, because I could've used a few more films with her wielding firearms and blowing shit up.

Give me your full thoughts once you've finished it. I look forward to hearing them.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 3 years ago

Well, did you finish it?

[–] BeaSouth (3352) 3 years ago

Spoilers for anyone else….
I did watch it all the way through. Sorry I forgot to get back to you. My thoughts are: (1) I really miss the 90s. Seemed like no one was uptight and you could make some racial / gender quips and everyone knew it was just kidding around and no one thought it some huge political statement when a black guy upstaged a white woman or vice versa (2) Sam Jackson was fantastic. He’s one of those actors who plays the same guy but you believe that’s really how he is (3) I heard there was an alternative ending where Jackson’s character died at the end and I’m very glad that’s not what happened here because you wouldn’t want this thriller to end on a downer note (4) Geena David was ridiculously hot and clearly got in great shape for the role (5) old school stunts were really good especially the ending for the bad guy. Thanks again for the recommendation and I look forward to your thoughts as well. I’d love to know any trivia you’ve heard about the movie.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8759) 3 years ago

I guess it's now my turn to apologize for the late response.

I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed the film. It's definitely something of an action hidden gem and it's a shame it didn't perform better at the box office when it was released. If it had it could've really sent Davis's career off into a different direction.

I agree with all of your points. Action films in the 80s and 90s were basically FORCED to do things practically because the digital technology just was not ready to do what it does today. This lead to better films. Sadly all-too-many filmmakers today rely on CGI to do what was once practical--CGI buildings and explosions instead of miniatures and real pyrotechnics, for instance--and the result is a sense of nothing being real, no stakes, and also no WOW factor at what's being seen on screen.

I also heard that about the ending and am glad they didn't go that route. He deserved to live and this is mostly a light, fun, feel-good action film.

Regarding trivia, you have perhaps looked at this, but if not there are quite a few items listed on IMDB:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116908/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv

Overall, I think that TLKG is a great, under-seen and under-appreciated action movie. It's a real shame it didn't make a bigger splash when it came out. The viewers deserved to see it, Davis and Harlin deserved credit for their work, and the studios deserved to cash in for greenlighting it. It's also a shame that Harlin, this once very solid action director, has seemingly now forgotten how to make a movie.

[–] Galilguy (2482) 3 years ago

I was lucky to see this in theaters and always enjoy re-watching every so often. It's a great action movie from the golden era where nothing was taken too seriously and practical effects ruled. The chemistry between Sam and Mitch also adds a layer of quality to this gem.