Falling Down Review - Off The Shelf Reviews 

One of Michael Douglas's best performances ever and one of my all time favourite films

D-Fense's day in Falling Down is literally the explaination for the Jokers "one bad day" comment.

I'm only 10 minutes into the review so this may still come up, but I always find the scene with the guy protesting outside the bank to be the most impactful. Both the protestor and Douglas are dressed the same, drawing parallels between them and the fate that awaits them. The message is so potent and relevant even now.

Such A SAD and powerful moment when Bill says "I'm the bad guy?" Just that look of bewilderment and sadness in his eyes when he's almost lucid and sees all the damage he's done. GREAT film.

I still can't believe this movie was directed by Joel Schumacher, a truly unique film.

Hollywood is so lame these days that you just couldnt make a film like this now

Great review fellas, of an underrated gem of a flick. Joel Schumacher has directed loads of good movies, it's a shame most people only seem to remember him for Batman & Robin, as he's a versatile director.

As bad as he was, to me, his wife played her part in his break down as well. Its one thing to want to get away from him, but to forcefully by law keep him away from his daughter was too far. By the end when the daughter smiled when she saw him, you can see that she cared for him and was not afraid or scared as though he was an abusive father. But the mother made sure he was completely out of her life. Even if she wanted distance between her ex husband, what she did in taking away his daughter with no visitation rights was in my eyes what made HER the "Bad Guy". It was her birthday for heavens sake and he was still not allowed to see her. Well done legal system, these are the "Monsters" you help create.

Thanks a million mates! I was one of the people requesting you to review Falling Down (sent request a few months ago), so glad to see you got around to it. Brilliant review as always!

great review, however, this movie is a reflection on society, and therefore society is the bad guy.

Guys, this is your best review to date.

A fine in-depth discussion of a still-relevant movie. It's fascinating that Falling Down can draw so many interpretations from so many people. It's exaggerated and over-the-top at times, but it's real enough that it pushes people's buttons. What I take away from it is in one of Prendergast's last lines: "You have a choice." You can stop yourself before you go too far. It's true that society is a pressure cooker: it's ugly, it's absurd, it rewards the wrong people, and it pushes our emotions to levels that we, as simple human beings, often cannot handle. Still, as much as we'd love to lash out in our frustration, the consequences, both societal and personal, are too severe to consider. The reason that Prendergast is right and Foster is wrong is that Prendergast takes responsibility for his lot, no matter how easy it might be to blame the world around him. I'm sure a lot of folks would like to cry and moan about having an asshole boss, jerk-off co-workers, and a bitchy wife, but Prendergast doesn't sit still and blame them for his troubles. He steps up. It's easy to admire Foster and root for him because he does what we only fantasize about, but we must also remember that his actions have doomed him. Even if he had made a different choice at the end of the film, there was no way things would be the same for him again.

This is one of my favorite movies from my teenage years, great review guys.

This movie has been a favorite of mine and I never put the song London Bridge is falling down and the title of the movie together. Ever. Until watching this review. How did I miss that?

13:28, what you just describe was "thought crime". D-Fense never hit the wife and she manages to not only divorce him but also kept him away from his daughter. Even good men or even mentally stable would go nuts if your ex-wife prevented you from your child over a flimsy accusation. Him being told off by his ex-wife and not allowed to see his daughter pushed him to a point of no return. And oh yeah, i highly doubt he would kill his wife and daughter. He just wanted to say his final good bye and prepared himself for "suicide by cop" and get the insurance money for his daughter.

I'm genuinely frightened by how much I relate to this movie. Not just the hot takes on consumer rights and traditional values, but just the sheer callous nature of the times. And the struggle of having motive placed on you that isn't there, simply from your mannerisms or tone of voice. There's just no empathy anymore, it seems. Nobody listens. Nobody cares. Nobody gives a shit about your mental well being until there's some kind of threat implied, and then they only 'care' in that they want you removed. Out of sight, out of mind. Back to business as usual. Having dealt with depression and anxiety all my life, I can sadly report that the only time anyone cared about it was when I said I felt suicidal at work. People sat with me and talked, actually seemed like I wasn't alone. And then once it was established that I wasn't gonna shoot up the place, they gave me a bunch of phone numbers to call and then pretty much booted me out. So I don't think this guy is in the right, but I get it.

Good review guys, looking forward to the next one.

That's some amazing wisdom Ian, about the 3 times you can lose your temper as a father!

Re-watched this last week actually, nice to see your take on it

I would posit that the “bad guy” is a lack of empathy.

I luv the construction scene-a little kid shows him how to fire a missle launcher. the things u learn from TV...

With this film and lost boys I will have respect for Joel Schumacher as a director.

Pendergrast : " FUCK you Captain FUCK you very much " best line to say to your boss EVER !

Yes!!! I have been waiting for someone to give this movie this type of review. Thank you guys.

Film is 23yr old at the time of this review. "we are talking 1993. We are almost talking 20yrs this film has been out for." As soon as that clock changed to the year 2000, time just sped up

when i watched it as i teenager, he was villain, now he is hero, one of few antiheroes that i can relate

A great opening...Wayne Fitzgerald did this. Paul Hirsch, the Oscar winner who cut this picture and he did a great job on "Falling Down." This is his only collaboration with Joel Schumacher. Most of the cast & crew who worked well on this picture. Released in March 1993 by Warner Bros/20th Century Fox.

Early 90s was a great time for movies set in LA, interestingly enough. Falling Down, True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction to name a few... granted, three of them can be attributed to Tarantino's involvement. :P

To paraphrase the Joker, all it takes for a good man to turn evil is one bad day

If this film doesn't make you think about life, in general... Nothing will...

Excellent review of this hidden gem! One of my favorite movies of all time. Great break down and analysis. Also, special shout out to Dedee Pfeiffer as the Whammy Burger girl - you can call me Ms. Fulsom if you like. Yes, that's Michelle Pfeiffer's sister!

Fascinating discussion about a fascinating movie. I think most adults who've seen it have struggled with those same conflicting thoughts. He appears to just want to do the right thing, and we get behind him and root for him. But he's clearly gone beyond the pale. To the point where he's not the least bit afraid to die (the drive-by scene), because he feels he's got nothing to live for. Btw, MD's personal favorite of his own films. ✌

cat people. Creepshow 2. Rosemary's baby. i would love to see a review from you two on one of these.

In regards to the fast food scene, it stuck in the corner of my brain every time I went to fast food joints. Every time the burgers were flat and pathetic. It wasn’t until the late nineties that fast food joints began improving the presentation of their food. Now it’s over the top with whipped cream and cherries on the shakes

Super in depth review. Great content, fellas!

Loved this (review & film) Keep up the great work guys !

I tip my hat to you good Sir.Enjoy your review of the selective films. Love both of you gents on your commentary and reflections. Serious but funny at the same time . Thank you again for your review.

Falling Down is one of my favourite movies from the 90's. I first saw it when i was in my teens and thought it was a great exploration of a guy having a bad day...a really bad day. Now i'm in my 40's i see Michael Douglas's character as a man who's life is completely pushed him over the edge into a mental breakdown with severe consequences for himself and everyone he comes into contact with on his travels. Great movie, great review. Cheers guys.

great juxtaposition analysis on Prendergast and Foster. one is fired, the other is resigning.. one wants to see his wife who doesn't want to see him, the other's wife wants to see him immediately.. one wants to go home, the other can wait to go home..

When this movie was released, it was a toned down version of the original script - they turned D-Fense into a clearly bad guy toward the end in order to turn this movie more "PC".

i saw this one night when I was about 12. spent the next few years trying to figure out what it was called so i could.watch it again. absolutely brilliant movie

The film is, in many ways, about the anger we carry inside ourselves and how we express it. how it is important to be able to assert yourself, to occasionally vent anger, and how if you fail in controlling it it will control you. How when you fail to reign yourself in, it can damage others, innocent bystanders blind sided by your rage. The world is a wild place, and it can drive you mad, and that's where the pleasure of the film comes in, identifying with the protagonist, living vicariously through him as he rages in the moments you wished to but did not. But how much is too much, and what is the price we pay for that rage? Michael Douglas is not the hero, nor is he entirely the villain. He's a man, with flaws, who fell to the power of his rage, unable to get back up.

I think a big point of this movie is showing that we can sympathize with Foster, but still recognize him as the bad guy

This is one of my fav movies. One of my fav movies of that year. My fav Michael Douglas movie. The older and older I get the more I understand him. My 2nd fav late Joel S film after A time to Kill. When he destroys the shop is one of my fav scenes.

Society is the bad guy. Foster decides to fight back against society which he believes has wronged him. At the same time Pendergast decides to fight within society's confines and does his duty as a cop to bring Foster, who has gone too far, to justice. This is truly an underated film. Perhaps one of the best movies in the last 30 yrs.

Prendergast had fallen down also. The death of his daughter had destroyed both him and his wife. He was in many ways no different to D-FENS.

Was asked to analyze this or two other movies for my exam in my Sociology course, went here to get some more perspectives, quite interesting!

4 days later I'm still watching off the shelf reviews quoting movie lines back to myself in a slight west country accent 😂

The real issue with the Coke can is not that it's overpriced. It's that he needs the change to call his ex-wife. One aspect of the movie I love BTW is how all the weapons he uses are just things he picks up along the way. Even the water gun at the end is his daughter's. None of it is pre-meditated. So it's really a sort of Anti-Hero's Journey.

Great commentary and review!

One of the best and most underrated movies out there! I catch it every now and again and each time I am left morbidly depressed but know I will watch it again next time the opportunity comes...

There's a shit load of traffic at a dead stop here in LA. It takes you up to an hour to travel 13 miles depending on the time of day.

This movie inspired the Iron Maiden song Man On the Edge which was on their 1995 album The X Factor.

I need to watch this tonight.

Excellent review! I thought the same thing about Predator 2 lol. This movie is amazing, everyone should check it out.

the Japanese Detective was played by a Korean actor, and the Korean store owner was played by a Chinese actor

I love these reviews so much.

Another spot on review and good precautionary word to teen and pre teen (?) potential audiences. You’re right. It’s a huge leap for a fully developed adult brain to go from empathy or sympathy to romanticism or full canonization of this very dangerous bomb of an unstable man, the actions of whom no one can predict thus the words ‘dangerous bomb’ Maybe we who have lived longer have experienced or witnessed at least the torture of a violence that while remaining within the law truly constitutes violence in the results of profound indecency of man towards his fellow man. And until it is an actual crime where punishment sneaks justice through, we can feel empathy without wanting to emulate this particular unraveling which will do nothing to right the wrong and instead damage societal awareness. Possibly punish individual awareness and delay societal awareness indefinitely. This isn’t something that young audiences are going to understand (hopefully not) and I’d be afraid that they would fail to see how this tortured man is enjoying absolutely none of it. Although only brilliant talent like a Michael Douglas’ could deliver lines in such a way that get a smile out of the decency in the audience as well as whatever other elements in them are moved. Enough said. I keep trying to un muddy it up . Anyway you guys are very good indeed

Can you guys do Johnny Mnemonic? There are only a few very low quality reviews out there and it's an underrated movie. I think you would liek it a lot

if he was fired a month before, where was he going every day when he left his mom's house?

OMG the first two chords in the video sound just like Anxious Heart from FFVII

I remember this being such a dark movie, but great. I always end up feeling bad for the main character.

Great review you guys!

Great video! I just watched this movie again. It really is a masterpiece. There is drama, dark humor, some light humor, things we can relate to day to day and ambiguity- yeah, Bill was a bad guy but he certainly had outside forces to assist making him that way. A lot of times he would have left people alone but people had to get in his face.

great review as always , love the T-shirt , is this a hint that BREAKING BAD may be reviewed soon , i know it would take up a lot of your time but i would love to see a season by season review , make it happen guys !!

Heartbreaking film. Nice review, guys. Thanks.

Wonderful movie with Michael Douglas as 'bad' guy (like in 'War of Roses' ?) at his best. I will miss all these wonderful actors of the late 20th century. Who will ever be able to replace them ? And i'm already missing the depth in today's movies.

I’ve gotta see this now, great review

Brilliant film and a great performance from Michael Douglas

Loved the ending

16:19 great observation I'm jealous that I didn't notice that myself lol

amazing review, you two rock

Saw this as a kid and it's been one of my favorite movies of all time.

Love this one. I saw it on Canal+ when i was 14 or 15 or so. Realy loved it straight away. Every time i hear the Iron Maiden song, Man on the edge. I see Micheal Douglas with a bat in LA.

You guys are fairly young. The one point you miss is that in that era, the stigma was 10 as strong as today for mental health problems, especially for men. It was a 'suck it up and carry on' society. It was rare for people to go for help until they reached that point of no return and still he'd have likely been jailed or put to the death penalty more often than having been put in a mental institution. This was also 10 years post Ronald Reagan who shut down most of the institutions. Most were awful places, but the alternative was that the mentally ill ultimately became the explosion of the US homeless population, and is still that way today.

The golfing curmudgeon's epitaph will read; "He died wearing a stupid little hat."

One of the best movies ever made... He is there original GTA character... This movie is just as relevant today as it was in the early 90s…

Michael Douglas is also amazing in David Fincher's "The Game."

Still waiting for under construction to hit theaters

Great job guys I enjoyed your review! Michael Douglas did an Oscar award performance!!!

May you please do a video for the Barbara Hershey movie the stunt man? Thanks

Would love to see a review of Christmas Evil, for Christmas. such a great and quirky film.

Who wrote the screenplay? Who ever wrote this very talented.

Finally saw this last night. Awesome movie but understandable why there was backlash and the fact no major studio wanted to take the risk based on the screenplay. Makes you wonder how many unique and provocative scripts are sitting in the Rejected pile. One thing seen in the bac ground, that always makes me laugh is the Sir Mixalot Baby Got Back litteral giant inflatable buttocks. Seen in the phone booth shoot up part. @16:30 I didn't realize that nice detail in terms of costumes. Dressing the bank protester in the same attire as D-Fens. As far as the Surplus store scene, I'd think a judge would rule either man slaughter, or 2nd degree murder.

I’d say there isn’t much questioning if Douglas is the bad guy even at the beginning. The convenience store scene is right near the beginning and Douglas is already being racist (it’s not ambiguous) and vandalizing a store because of the prices, I don’t really see a way to justify that without sounding like a maniac. And shortly after that he’s threatening his wife on the phone.

Has anyone told Gary he looks like a Hipster Patrick Stewart and your buddy has a real Kevin Smith vibe going on

I literally lucked out and found the special addition of this movie on DVD for $5 in Canada aka Manada

also can you do the british gangster epic" The Long Good Friday " ? , one of my fav movies of all time .

I love the scene where he criticizes the hamburger, and the whole fast food scene.

Great review fellas! 🎆

GUYS! Can you please review: session 9 & a Christmas story

Truly one of the best films of the 90s. Joel Schumacher was a great director.....It is a shame that Batman And Robin would forever taint his reputation, as the good films he had under his belt far outweighed the bad

Wasn't she also in predator 2,the detectives sidekick.

'Under Construction' should be made.

Can you believe, 2 'Corona' street boards inside the Chinese/Korean shop, wonder what does it mean ??

Hi guys, great review. I knew you'd see it for what it is, rather than hold Douglas' character up upon a pedestal ( like maybe some fans of De Palma's Scarface do). I know people who view Douglas' character as some kind of "hero" or "anti-hero" and they think the same way about Travis Bickle. I always thought of Bickle as a grey area "bad guy" of the piece, rather than some kind of white knight super hero who saved "innocent" Jodie Foster from the bad guys (who ARE bad of course). It's why I hold Taxi Driver in such high regard, as it's full of nuance and flawed characters across the board. To think of Travis Bickle, or anyone else in that movie (within obvious reason) as plainly, GOOD or BAD is to miss the point I guess. And Falling Down is very similar I feel. Have you guys seen the new Twin Peaks and all the mind-bending craziness that it brings with it? I'd love to hear what you made of it all and what you felt it meant to YOU, rather than someone trying to find an (impossible) "answer" to it all.

Another top review chaps, you are required cult viewing. If is was the 1980s you would likely have you own late night TV show on Channel 4! Keep 'em coming...

Best review I have seem in a while!

This film was right after the Roddie king trial.

Thanks for this great review, and I've subscribed to your channel. But one character point: If Michael Douglas' character worked for a defense contractor, doesn't it seem likely that he'd know how to operate a rocket launcher? Like we'd say Stark Industries is a defense contractor of a sort, and Tony Stark seems to have a basic knowledge of how his company's products work. But yes, great film. I was in college at the time it was released and saw it with an older friend, who characterized it as "Good concept, but poorly done." (I disagree).