As always I come to your reactions in equal measure for the filmic analysis and your unique snark. Barry Sonnenfeld also photographed Raising Arizona, one of my favorite Shanelle Riccio reactions to rewatch (especially the dye bomb scene). By the way, that "font choice" in the credits is Pablo Ferro's handwriting, as seen in his opening title sequences for Dr Strangelove (1964) and Stop Making Sense (1984).
@@AlanCanon2222 Don't forget Addams Family Values, which she did WAY before that one. She also did the original Addams Family but took it down. Still don't know why though.
In other words, a crowd of people panicking is one of the most dangerous things most of us might encounter. When there's a fire in a public building, way more people die because of the stampede than because of the fire.
Can we talk about how great Vincent D'onofrio's physical mannerisms are in this movie? He moves like you imagine a cockroach wearing a human skinsuit and hating everything about this planet would move. Even his violence is jerky, but looks believable. He's got a good balance of physical comedy and believable threat.
Everybody talks about how great he was as Wilson Fisk... I thought that character was terrible (though admittedly that was not his fault)... but yes, he's amazing in so many things aside from that.
Vincent D'onofrio studied for the role's unique physicality by watching bug documentaries and Peter Sellers' performance in Dr. Strangelove before discovering that basketball braces could help him achieve the desired effect. He is truly and underrated actor, he pulled that off well and made us believe he was a big bug in an Edgar suit.
For anyone who rewatches this/the actual movie, pay attention to how Edgar's face decays over the course of the movie since it's a dead body that's being worn. Really awesome little thing they did.
Simple stories are the reason I miss 90s movies. "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." Most famous quote from the movie.
Very true about simple stories. Modern prestige television has taught viewers that everything must have seven twists and plans within plans within plans.
When I was 7 my dad took myself and my brothers to the movie theater and we had to choose between this movie and Batman and Robin. We decided on Batman and Robin but when we got out dad surprised us by taking us to Men in Black. Only time doing a back to back feature in a theater and I’ll never forget it.
glad it wasn't the other way around lol, ended with a banger I had a similar experience with equally diverse quality films haha My parents took me to see Kazaam then we walk out and decided to go back in to watch the original Mission Impossible Blew my mind... good memories, i miss the 90s :)
I love how much this movie paid attention to detail as far as Edgar. The more time went on, the more decayed he got and stiffer he got. Because Edgar’s body was decomposing and going through rigor mortis.
This was one of my favorites growing up. The sequels are fun too. Wait until you see MIB 3. Linda Fiorentino who plays Laurel was in Dogma too. So happy you reacted to this one. Keep up the great work.
Just a note.. At the time Tommy Lee Jones was a much bigger star. Smith had done a TV show, an Indie (Six Degrees of Separation), an action movie from a then unknown music video director named Michael Bay (Bad Boys), and then a major role in the ensemble summer blockbuster 'Independence Day'. 'Men in Black' cemented summer as Big Willy's summer hit streak... And what made him the big star he became. Jones had been working well over 20 years, had won his first Oscar three years prior ('The Fugitive') and the secondary villain in a summer super hero film 2 summers before ('Batman Forever' as Two-Face).
@@bigbake132 true.. But that was expected to be huge..re teaming with the director of MIB.. amazing how that movie really has just vanished from the world though. Seems it never gets brought up anymore. Lol.
@@mcgilj1 Yeah I never hear about it either, probably for the best lol. I remember watching it a few times back in 99 and the early 2000's because I wanted to give it a few more chances but it never got any better.
@@bigbake132 I will give kudos to the fx... Salma Hayek is gorgeous.. And Kevin Kline did the best he could.. But yeah.. The less said about it the better.
Came to the comments looking for this. Will Smith got big because of the success of this movie and Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He could have ended up a TV actor and rapper and never made it as a movie top bill.
17:15 “Correct me if that’s not what those dumpling things were.” It literally says in the movie, “Do we have time to eat?” “I ordered you pirogies.” “Ahhh.”
Men in black was actually the 1st movie that I watched after reading a book on screenwriting and taking an interest in how movies were made. It was fascinating how so much of the movie's plot structure was so much like a lot of what the book was talking about.
Love the reaction! I'll forgive that you omitted my favorite line from this film, "Elvis is not dead. He just went home". Caught this at the cinema with my then-girlfriend. It was a pleasant surprise for us in how much we enjoyed it.
This film was absolutely groundbreaking in 1997. EVERYBODY saw this one in theaters, and EVERYBODY was talking about it. The fact that the ride still exists 26 years later at Universal Studios Florida says a lot about its popularity. Tommy Lee Jones was firing off his string of amazing performances in "JFK" (1991, his villainous turn in "Under Siege" (1992), Academy Award win for "The Fugitive" (1993), and playing Harvey Dent/Two-Face in "Batman Forever" (1995) , and was a very bankable star. He'd been acting since 1970 and had been nominated for two Academy Awards (winning one), three Golden Globe Awards (one win), two BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards (one win), and a SAG Award. Smith had been in five films total at this point in his career, most notably the Summer blockbusters "Bad Boys" and "Independence Day" in 1995 and 1996, respectively. I don't think Jones' agent had to push much for him to get top billing.
Shanelle i don't think you've done _Galaxy Quest_ have you? -I'm reminded because the "alien" who played the expectant father in MIB played a big role in it. It's a MUST watch
Back in those great times, this movie was one of the 'must-see flicks'. Several reasons: big names, revolutionary special effects, Will Smith outside the "Prince of Bel-Air" mansion (yes, he was in "Independence day" a year before). And the promotion for this movie was really heavy. Seeing it in a cinema was definitely an experience
3:10 The font was in tribute to the credits to Stanley Kubrick's Cold War satire, "Dr. Strangelove". You should react to that film, Shanelle. It's nutty and smart. 4:11 That's Sergio Calderon, who sadly passed away this week, as Jose. He was in "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End", but I know him best from the two-hour "A-Team" TV pilot, "Mexican Slayride".
I was lucky enough to watch this in the theaters back in 1997. It doesn't feel that long ago... And yeah, it was _the_ summer blockbuster for that year. Will Smith's accompanying song and music video got _tons_ of play on MTV and radio, there was a Saturday morning cartoon show on the WB, a massive marketing campaign that spanned at least a couple dozen different companies, etc. Box office-wise, it came in third after Titanic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The top 10 movies for 1997 also included Tomorrow Never Dies, Air Force One, As Good As It Gets, Liar Liar, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Fifth Element, and The Full Monty. The fact that a sci-fi action comedy managed to outperform that kind of lineup is a testament to its quality. It absolutely encapsulated the era it was made; an excellent combination of practical and digital effects, snappy dialogue, a surprisingly lighthearted story with a sense of optimism... God, I miss that decade sometimes.
The Men in Black" Is no joke an actual unexplained real world phenomenon where hundreds of people both civilian and government have witnessed men in black suits and sunglasses appear whenever something unexplainable/other worldly is witnessed/reported saying they are from an undisclosed agency but all known agencies claim to not know who or what they are. The myth of the MiB is what inspired the comic and these movies along with many other things it's a fun google.
38:57 ---- most times, the "goo" or slime is a methylcellulose base with coloring or thickeners.. I believe the Raft Creature in Creepshow II was done the same way.. (The parts where it was stuck to the actors or "consuming" them...) Though I did hear a set story that the actress in the water nearly drowned because part of the creature's construction was nylon / rayon / silk which became really heavy and tangled when waterlogged...
I love a glib fast-talker and stoic badass combo. The chemistry between Tommy and Will is so fun, and then you throw in Linda Fiorentino "She got this whole 'queen of the undead' thing going on..." 🤣🤣🤣 Every time K talks down to J or hands him a terrible job it makes me laugh.
Ive just recently started watching your content... out of all of the "first time seeing" reactors on UA-cam, you are the most knowledgeable about film making and really good at guessing what is about to happen... keep up the good work ❤
I was 12 when this came out. My mother, brother, and I saw it in the theater. Back then our local theater tickets were only $1.50 so we would go almost every Sunday and watch movies.
100% comfort food movie, every time if it’s on I usually stop and at least have it on for background noise while I’m working, all of the series is good especially the third one wow! , thanks Shanelle!
Personally, I found the second film a bit disappointing on first watching it (I found it a bit rushed) but I've enjoyed it more on rewatches. I agree that number 3 is pretty good. I'm not sure whether I've watched MIB International. I think I have but don't remember it at all.
22:49 - "That is pretty tiny ..." That's what she said. Shan, did the version you watch not have subtitles? Some scenes are supposed to, like K speaking Spanish at the start and the restaurant scene with the two aliens talking.
Men in Black was a comic by a small press company called Aircel in the 90, It partnered with another small company, Eternity Comics, before being bought out by Malibu Comics in 1994. Malibu was then bought by Marvel shortly after.
If you watched a legal copy, there would have been subtitles for the restaurant scene and known that it was full of unimportant diamonds, and that they were pierogi
35:11 - On that note: look up if you can find it the Barry Sonnenfeld episode of the TNT show The Directors. He talks about directing TLJ and having to tell him to play it straight.
Every single time I need to add more sugar to something, I quote this movie. "Give me. Sugar," *pause* "...In water." I love that Vincent D'Onofrio was cast here. Being six-foot-four and already imposing enough, add some prosthetics and have fun pretending you're a bug alien inside of an Edgar suit, and you've got an antagonist who has more than one note. D'Onofrio always does that-his villain roles are mesmerizing because he's just as interesting as the protagonists and he makes you pay attention. I love the forced nonchalance he tries to do in the exterminator truck.
1 Edgar/Bug = Vincent D'onofrio played Gomer Pyle in "Full Metal Jacket". 2. Tommy Lee Jones' roommate in college was Al Gore. 3. Jones has claimed that he's never had a part that he didn't love and doesn't have a job. Just a hobby that pays very well.🤑😁 4. "Congratulations Reggie........It' a squid".🤣 5. Tell me this wasn't a fun movie. I dare you.
yes, those are pierogi. there used to be a polish deli near me where an old dude that would crank them out by hand faster than you could follow, he’d been doing it for 50 years. yum!
27:56 - Nope, never even seen 'em before. Here in Argentina we got toll booths where cars line up and pay a cashier who raises the barrier so you can drive thru. I don't remember ever being on a toll road ever when I lived in the U.S. And me and my family took a road trip from Socorro N.M. all the way to Anaheim (yep, Disneyland).
I was in highschool when this came out. It was huge. Tommy Lee Jones was higher billed because he was a huge movie star. Will Smith was that rapper guy from Fresh Prince. This was the first movie of his domination of the summer box office in the late 90s, if I remember right.
My husband and I went to go see this in theaters when our son was about 18 months to 2 years old. We weren't too worried about his age since whenever we had gone to a movie with him before he had fallen asleep during the coming attractions and basically slept through the movie. This time we had brought our comfortable jogging stoller and it worked like a charm. That is until the scene where K looses his gun. It got loud during that scene and he woke up. People in the theater got a kick out of watching me try to watch the movie over my shoulder while I stood in front of my son to try to block his view until all of the giant bug stuff and shooting was over. It was hilarious in hind sight! He is 28 now!
I doubt you’ll read this, but just because I have to say it, the website for this movie was pretty awesome, bearing in mind that you had to dial in to AOL and spend minutes to load the main page of the website, just to go to other parts of the website, which also took minutes. That anticipation made it so much more enjoyable.
Thanks, Shanelle! 🕶 The Greek diner was a real place called *Florent* in Manhattan's Meatpacking District; it closed 15 years ago. A friend and I shot parts of a music video there. #ShanelleRiccio #BarrySonnenfeld #MenInBlack
Will Smith was in a summer blockbuster pretty much every year or quite a few years in the mid/late 90s. I grew up right in that period so saw them all in the cinema. Good times!
Always remember going to my old man's place back in the day when DVD was just starting out. He had MIB, The Matrix and Starship Troopers. All three were SOLID visually IMO.
MIB is one of the best sci-fi comedies ever made. If you want to get a clue about J's backstory, continue the series. If you like this, also check out Galaxy Quest, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Mars Attacks. The conversation on the park bench is absolutely classic! The FX were incredible and still hold up now, 26 years later.
The round layered building they climbed at the end of Will Smith's intro scene is the Guggenheim, across 5th Avenue from Central Park and just a few blocks up the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
One of the most awesome things about the build up to this film was just the perfect accident of the two lead's names. So they would just have a poster that showed Will captioned with Mr. Smith and another poster of Tommy captioned with Mr. Jones. The perfect anonymous last names for two men in black type of of characters. It was just serendipity.
One of the best days of my life was back in the early 2000's when I was signed up for a "joke a day" email. I was just thinking about man in black and that punchline "But this one is eating my popcorn". Then low and behold the whole joke was in my email.
My favorite subtle scene is when the little destruction ball is flying around how Zed doesn’t even look up or change expression as he casually evades it. I like this demonstration that even the bureaucrat in the office is this off the charts bad ass, but I also just like Rip Torn.
D’onofrio’s decaying body effects was added into the movie because Vincent had just finished filming a war movie and had lost a lot of weight before arriving on set of MIB. His skin was hanging loosely on his face, neck and other areas of his body. SFX then made Vincent look like his body is rapidly deteriorating throughout the movie
This is the second movie I saw on DVD (I saw it in the theater too). In addition to the special features, it was the first time you could watch VFX clearly frame-by-frame. I still remember discovering that the truck that the bug's ship crashes into is just a shell, there's nothing in the engine compartment (which you can see through to the explosion behind it for exactly one frame).
One of my absolute childhood favourites, me and my mother used to reference this movie all the time coughing up demands of sugar water in our best imitations. We rented this movie and I can remember the first time I watched it how excited I was, knowing it was going to be about aliens and starring Will Smith who I loved from Fresh Prince, like I remember those starting credits and just the anticipation I was feeling. Good times.
When it came out, I was working at Boy Scout camp in Maine. We were usually only allowed to take one night out per week, but could be pulled into other people's nights out if there were a reason. Each night out group needed two things: someone 18+ and a vehicle. As a 19yo with a car, I was pretty much guaranteed to be on any night out trips, and the movies theater about 30min away was about the only thing to go and do. Saw this several times, Air Force One at least once, and I'm not sure what else.
Academy Award for best makeup... enough said. Love this movie for the new take on our interaction on aliens. Oh, before i forget I think you remember the little pug from Armageddon Day when he attacks the toy Godzilla.
Hi Shanelle!!!😊 That big, tall, skinny, bald alien you've just seen in the restaurant was portrayed by actor Carel Struycken, or Lurch from the Addam Family movies in the early 1990's!!!!!😄
I liked to think of this movie as simple in much the same way as A New Hope is simple and refreshingly doesn't exhaust the premise by the end. Like gets no further than channeling the force to make one shot. Similarly, J gets in the deep end on a whole universe he's unprepared for. It's brisk, has a lot of texture, and makes you want more. Very nice reaction!
Yes, watched it in the theater with a few friends. This movie was the biggest movie at the time. It was all over ads, commercials and of course, the video was on MTV constantly! They had tie-ins with some fast food chains I think too, for all kinds of items.
I cant remember if I saw this one in theatres or not. That year I know I saw Mouse Hunt and the rereleased Star Wars Trilogy. I did see 2&3 in theatres though, and they were fun for sure. There was also an animated series after the first film.
This movie was HUGE in 1997. I was 13 , it was the first time I saw a movie twice in theaters it was that fun! $589 million at the box office world wide.
Chanelle you should do more popcorn movies. Your reactions are priceless and since so many of us grew up with these movies your predictions are fun without ruining anything. I found out this for you in regards to the slime. Hope it’s enlightening. Keep up the good reviews.
One of the best scenes is when the recruits are taking the written test. The test isn't on the paper, it's about adaption. Who thinks diffrently and aren't just a robot.
The really tall guy who meets the cat guy also played Lurch in the Addams Family movies. Also, like the original B&W Addams Family, both Lurches were on Star Trek. The Original show and The Next Generation.
MIB was a Marvel comic for about a year. It wasn't originally a Marvel comic, it was published by 2 other independent publishers until Marvel bought its second to last publisher, Malibu in 1990.
I'm watching on a small screen (laptop) but those sure looked like pierogis to me. Not surprising that Shan recognizes and loves Polish ravioli! =D I'm authorized to award you 25 honorary Polish points.🇵🇱🇮🇹
Alien coming out of the chest? Well ... I know at least two movies that had that thing happening. 17:19 You're correct. The question is, what was inside of them. The most popular ones would have white cheese mixed with the potatoes. There could be pierogi filled with the cabbage, or with the grind meat, or with the black berries ... The possibilities are almost limitless.
The font is the same font used in The Addams Family. Which was probably a style choice made by Barry Sonnenfeld! I always notice when I watch either movie😂
I was working at a mall at the time and the bus stop was outside the movie theater. I remember closing the store down and checking the posters while I waited for the bus. All the poster was was Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in costume, with the caption, "Mr. Jones, Mr. Smith, Men In Black". I was sold at first glance and wanted to see it with no more information than that, and I succeeded! And it was just as brilliant as I hoped.
Catch the Full-Length version here -- www.patreon.com/shanellericcio
I guess you'll have to watch the 2nd MIB to see if Tommy Lee Jones comes back or not
As always I come to your reactions in equal measure for the filmic analysis and your unique snark. Barry Sonnenfeld also photographed Raising Arizona, one of my favorite Shanelle Riccio reactions to rewatch (especially the dye bomb scene). By the way, that "font choice" in the credits is Pablo Ferro's handwriting, as seen in his opening title sequences for Dr Strangelove (1964) and Stop Making Sense (1984).
@@AlanCanon2222 Don't forget Addams Family Values, which she did WAY before that one. She also did the original Addams Family but took it down. Still don't know why though.
Watch all 3 MIBs. It's worth watching even if you don't react to 2&3.
Wearing pink while watching better black coordinate Sister
"A person is smart. People are dumb panicky dangerous animals and you know it." still one of the best lines in a movie
Because it's True!
What should I say...
Trust me, it's also one of the most accurate assessments of humanity.
In other words, a crowd of people panicking is one of the most dangerous things most of us might encounter. When there's a fire in a public building, way more people die because of the stampede than because of the fire.
I agree
Can we talk about how great Vincent D'onofrio's physical mannerisms are in this movie? He moves like you imagine a cockroach wearing a human skinsuit and hating everything about this planet would move. Even his violence is jerky, but looks believable. He's got a good balance of physical comedy and believable threat.
Yeah, he's my favorite part of the movie.
I honestly feel like I am that guy sometimes.
That was Vincent’s idea. The director was worried but went with it.
Everybody talks about how great he was as Wilson Fisk... I thought that character was terrible (though admittedly that was not his fault)... but yes, he's amazing in so many things aside from that.
He is so incredible as the Big in Edgar. His vocal ticks, physicality, and the way he uses his whole body to act. Amazing.
Vincent D'onofrio studied for the role's unique physicality by watching bug documentaries and Peter Sellers' performance in Dr. Strangelove before discovering that basketball braces could help him achieve the desired effect.
He is truly and underrated actor, he pulled that off well and made us believe he was a big bug in an Edgar suit.
For anyone who rewatches this/the actual movie, pay attention to how Edgar's face decays over the course of the movie since it's a dead body that's being worn. Really awesome little thing they did.
Simple stories are the reason I miss 90s movies.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." Most famous quote from the movie.
I always like the horses description (dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle)
And true....
Very true about simple stories. Modern prestige television has taught viewers that everything must have seven twists and plans within plans within plans.
covid proved that so much
When I was 7 my dad took myself and my brothers to the movie theater and we had to choose between this movie and Batman and Robin. We decided on Batman and Robin but when we got out dad surprised us by taking us to Men in Black. Only time doing a back to back feature in a theater and I’ll never forget it.
glad it wasn't the other way around lol, ended with a banger
I had a similar experience with equally diverse quality films haha
My parents took me to see Kazaam then we walk out and decided to go back in to watch the original Mission Impossible
Blew my mind... good memories, i miss the 90s :)
That is probably because your dad hoped you guys would have picked this movie
You have a really cool dad Kerry! :)
@@danholmesfilm the Shaq movie? 😂
@@READY_OR_NOTyes, best movie ever 😜
He used the same font for Addams Family as well. It's hand lettered by a designer named Pablo Ferro. (see mom, art school wasn't a waste of money!)
I love how much this movie paid attention to detail as far as Edgar. The more time went on, the more decayed he got and stiffer he got. Because Edgar’s body was decomposing and going through rigor mortis.
He wouldn't be going through rigor mortis, because that's a tightening of the muscles. The alien just took Edgar's skin.
@@brewdaly1873 O.K. The skin was drying out.
This was one of my favorites growing up. The sequels are fun too. Wait until you see MIB 3. Linda Fiorentino who plays Laurel was in Dogma too. So happy you reacted to this one. Keep up the great work.
Just a note.. At the time Tommy Lee Jones was a much bigger star. Smith had done a TV show, an Indie (Six Degrees of Separation), an action movie from a then unknown music video director named Michael Bay (Bad Boys), and then a major role in the ensemble summer blockbuster 'Independence Day'. 'Men in Black' cemented summer as Big Willy's summer hit streak... And what made him the big star he became. Jones had been working well over 20 years, had won his first Oscar three years prior ('The Fugitive') and the secondary villain in a summer super hero film 2 summers before ('Batman Forever' as Two-Face).
But then Smith did that awful Wild Wild West movie.
@@bigbake132 true.. But that was expected to be huge..re teaming with the director of MIB.. amazing how that movie really has just vanished from the world though. Seems it never gets brought up anymore. Lol.
@@mcgilj1 Yeah I never hear about it either, probably for the best lol. I remember watching it a few times back in 99 and the early 2000's because I wanted to give it a few more chances but it never got any better.
@@bigbake132 I will give kudos to the fx... Salma Hayek is gorgeous.. And Kevin Kline did the best he could.. But yeah.. The less said about it the better.
Came to the comments looking for this. Will Smith got big because of the success of this movie and Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He could have ended up a TV actor and rapper and never made it as a movie top bill.
17:15 “Correct me if that’s not what those dumpling things were.”
It literally says in the movie,
“Do we have time to eat?”
“I ordered you pirogies.”
“Ahhh.”
Didn't realize D'Onofrio played "Thor" mechanic in Adventures In Babysitting.
This film and Starship Troopers still hold up well, they both use a mix of practical and CG. Thanks for the reaction!
Do not be discouraged. You are playing a note that resonates with many. I appreciate your candid takes.
Men in black was actually the 1st movie that I watched after reading a book on screenwriting and taking an interest in how movies were made. It was fascinating how so much of the movie's plot structure was so much like a lot of what the book was talking about.
Love the reaction! I'll forgive that you omitted my favorite line from this film, "Elvis is not dead. He just went home". Caught this at the cinema with my then-girlfriend. It was a pleasant surprise for us in how much we enjoyed it.
My favorite line too! I also though do love K's recruitment explanation ending with "imagine what you'll know tomorrow."
This film was absolutely groundbreaking in 1997. EVERYBODY saw this one in theaters, and EVERYBODY was talking about it. The fact that the ride still exists 26 years later at Universal Studios Florida says a lot about its popularity.
Tommy Lee Jones was firing off his string of amazing performances in "JFK" (1991, his villainous turn in "Under Siege" (1992), Academy Award win for "The Fugitive" (1993), and playing Harvey Dent/Two-Face in "Batman Forever" (1995) , and was a very bankable star. He'd been acting since 1970 and had been nominated for two Academy Awards (winning one), three Golden Globe Awards (one win), two BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards (one win), and a SAG Award. Smith had been in five films total at this point in his career, most notably the Summer blockbusters "Bad Boys" and "Independence Day" in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
I don't think Jones' agent had to push much for him to get top billing.
Shanelle i don't think you've done _Galaxy Quest_ have you? -I'm reminded because the "alien" who played the expectant father in MIB played a big role in it. It's a MUST watch
Plus the Shaloub as Fred.
Awesome film, came out of the blue, took a chance, struggled in the beginning, became a cult classic! must watch hidden jem, high on the list!
@@Alcagaur1 Oh, YES!
Back in those great times, this movie was one of the 'must-see flicks'. Several reasons: big names, revolutionary special effects, Will Smith outside the "Prince of Bel-Air" mansion (yes, he was in "Independence day" a year before). And the promotion for this movie was really heavy. Seeing it in a cinema was definitely an experience
Especially as a child
Where the hell do those huge emojis come from?
Not to forget the song that went to #1 in many countries
Not sure the FX was "revolutionary"in MiB. I mean, this was four years after Jurassic Park. State-of-the-art, though.
As I recall, there were billboards erected well before the release that just said "MIB" and nobody knew what it meant until the movie was released.
My mom and I went to see this in the theater and had a great time. I think the simplicity of the movie is part of its genius.
agree!
3:10 The font was in tribute to the credits to Stanley Kubrick's Cold War satire, "Dr. Strangelove". You should react to that film, Shanelle. It's nutty and smart.
4:11 That's Sergio Calderon, who sadly passed away this week, as Jose. He was in "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End", but I know him best from the two-hour "A-Team" TV pilot, "Mexican Slayride".
Also, that font was used for Barry Sonnenfeld’s ADDAMS FAMILY movies.
I was lucky enough to watch this in the theaters back in 1997. It doesn't feel that long ago... And yeah, it was _the_ summer blockbuster for that year. Will Smith's accompanying song and music video got _tons_ of play on MTV and radio, there was a Saturday morning cartoon show on the WB, a massive marketing campaign that spanned at least a couple dozen different companies, etc. Box office-wise, it came in third after Titanic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The top 10 movies for 1997 also included Tomorrow Never Dies, Air Force One, As Good As It Gets, Liar Liar, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Fifth Element, and The Full Monty. The fact that a sci-fi action comedy managed to outperform that kind of lineup is a testament to its quality. It absolutely encapsulated the era it was made; an excellent combination of practical and digital effects, snappy dialogue, a surprisingly lighthearted story with a sense of optimism... God, I miss that decade sometimes.
The Men in Black" Is no joke an actual unexplained real world phenomenon where hundreds of people both civilian and government have witnessed men in black suits and sunglasses appear whenever something unexplainable/other worldly is witnessed/reported saying they are from an undisclosed agency but all known agencies claim to not know who or what they are. The myth of the MiB is what inspired the comic and these movies along with many other things it's a fun google.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." Truth
38:57 ---- most times, the "goo" or slime is a methylcellulose base with coloring or thickeners.. I believe the Raft Creature in Creepshow II was done the same way.. (The parts where it was stuck to the actors or "consuming" them...) Though I did hear a set story that the actress in the water nearly drowned because part of the creature's construction was nylon / rayon / silk which became really heavy and tangled when waterlogged...
I love a glib fast-talker and stoic badass combo. The chemistry between Tommy and Will is so fun, and then you throw in Linda Fiorentino "She got this whole 'queen of the undead' thing going on..." 🤣🤣🤣
Every time K talks down to J or hands him a terrible job it makes me laugh.
Ive just recently started watching your content... out of all of the "first time seeing" reactors on UA-cam, you are the most knowledgeable about film making and really good at guessing what is about to happen... keep up the good work ❤
Wow, thank you!
Men In Black was a comic that was originally published by a company called Malibu Comics, but Malibu was acquired by Marvel in 1994.
actually it was published by Aircel, in 1990, which had already partnered with Eternity Comics in 88, which was imprint of Malibu
I was 12 when this came out. My mother, brother, and I saw it in the theater. Back then our local theater tickets were only $1.50 so we would go almost every Sunday and watch movies.
Nice reaction Shanelle. The MIB comic was actually produced by Aircel Comics. They were purchased by Marvel in the mid 90s.
yeah, the back story you wanted is shown in "MIB 3".
100% comfort food movie, every time if it’s on I usually stop and at least have it on for background noise while I’m working, all of the series is good especially the third one wow! , thanks Shanelle!
Personally, I found the second film a bit disappointing on first watching it (I found it a bit rushed) but I've enjoyed it more on rewatches. I agree that number 3 is pretty good. I'm not sure whether I've watched MIB International. I think I have but don't remember it at all.
@@malcolmrowe9003 agreed, and international at least for myself wasn’t that bad but not near as good as 1 and 3
This movie is so good. Vincent D'Onofrio was fantastic as the bug.
I loved the line where the wife says, "I've never seen sugar do that."
22:49 - "That is pretty tiny ..." That's what she said.
Shan, did the version you watch not have subtitles? Some scenes are supposed to, like K speaking Spanish at the start and the restaurant scene with the two aliens talking.
Men in Black was a comic by a small press company called Aircel in the 90, It partnered with another small company, Eternity Comics, before being bought out by Malibu Comics in 1994. Malibu was then bought by Marvel shortly after.
If you watched a legal copy, there would have been subtitles for the restaurant scene and known that it was full of unimportant diamonds, and that they were pierogi
"Hire me."
They should! Your instincts about what the next lines should be are spot on . . .
35:11 - On that note: look up if you can find it the Barry Sonnenfeld episode of the TNT show The Directors. He talks about directing TLJ and having to tell him to play it straight.
The opening font reminded me of Dr. Strangelove, but I don't know if it influenced MIB.
Every single time I need to add more sugar to something, I quote this movie.
"Give me. Sugar," *pause* "...In water."
I love that Vincent D'Onofrio was cast here. Being six-foot-four and already imposing enough, add some prosthetics and have fun pretending you're a bug alien inside of an Edgar suit, and you've got an antagonist who has more than one note. D'Onofrio always does that-his villain roles are mesmerizing because he's just as interesting as the protagonists and he makes you pay attention.
I love the forced nonchalance he tries to do in the exterminator truck.
Late 90s was a great time for VFX. MIB, Titanic, What Dreams May Come and others all had the perfect blend of CGI and practical
The character arc and storyline in MIB 3 makes it one of my fav movies of all time.
Love your reaction 👌🏾🔥. Can’t wait for the men in black 2 reaction
1 Edgar/Bug = Vincent D'onofrio played Gomer Pyle in "Full Metal Jacket".
2. Tommy Lee Jones' roommate in college was Al Gore.
3. Jones has claimed that he's never had a part that he didn't love and doesn't have a job.
Just a hobby that pays very well.🤑😁
4. "Congratulations Reggie........It' a squid".🤣
5. Tell me this wasn't a fun movie. I dare you.
yes, those are pierogi. there used to be a polish deli near me where an old dude that would crank them out by hand faster than you could follow, he’d been doing it for 50 years. yum!
Rip Torn really makes this show work. "Could you explain why you thought little Tiffany had to die?"
27:56 - Nope, never even seen 'em before. Here in Argentina we got toll booths where cars line up and pay a cashier who raises the barrier so you can drive thru. I don't remember ever being on a toll road ever when I lived in the U.S. And me and my family took a road trip from Socorro N.M. all the way to Anaheim (yep, Disneyland).
I was in highschool when this came out. It was huge.
Tommy Lee Jones was higher billed because he was a huge movie star. Will Smith was that rapper guy from Fresh Prince. This was the first movie of his domination of the summer box office in the late 90s, if I remember right.
My husband and I went to go see this in theaters when our son was about 18 months to 2 years old. We weren't too worried about his age since whenever we had gone to a movie with him before he had fallen asleep during the coming attractions and basically slept through the movie. This time we had brought our comfortable jogging stoller and it worked like a charm. That is until the scene where K looses his gun. It got loud during that scene and he woke up. People in the theater got a kick out of watching me try to watch the movie over my shoulder while I stood in front of my son to try to block his view until all of the giant bug stuff and shooting was over. It was hilarious in hind sight! He is 28 now!
haha too good!! I might've been scared at this one at 2 😂
I doubt you’ll read this, but just because I have to say it, the website for this movie was pretty awesome, bearing in mind that you had to dial in to AOL and spend minutes to load the main page of the website, just to go to other parts of the website, which also took minutes. That anticipation made it so much more enjoyable.
Thanks, Shanelle! 🕶 The Greek diner was a real place called *Florent* in Manhattan's Meatpacking District; it closed 15 years ago. A friend and I shot parts of a music video there. #ShanelleRiccio #BarrySonnenfeld #MenInBlack
Frank being literally shaken down makes me laugh nonstop.
It's crazy to think they started filming LOTR just a year or so after this came out.
I love the look and feel and sound and attitude of the New York City of the '80s and '90s in this movie. Gorgeously done.
What did this movie have to do with the 80s?
@@TheDrag0nSlayer It's depiction of New York was flavored from the '90s and the '80s
Fun fact! The worm guys were speaking Huttese, the language Jabba the hutt speaks in Star Wars.
10:22 - LOL! That's why I love your videos, don't you ever change! 😂
Will Smith was in a summer blockbuster pretty much every year or quite a few years in the mid/late 90s. I grew up right in that period so saw them all in the cinema. Good times!
Yeah but 2 years later Wild Wild West was a huge flop
Perfect timing. Just watched this one with my younger son last night. Still fun.
Always remember going to my old man's place back in the day when DVD was just starting out. He had MIB, The Matrix and Starship Troopers. All three were SOLID visually IMO.
11:34 - Thanks for the "advanced warning" shan! 🤣
Uuhhgg… been so sick all week! A Shanelle reaction is exactly what I needed!…
yay! Thanks for coming by!
MIB is one of the best sci-fi comedies ever made. If you want to get a clue about J's backstory, continue the series. If you like this, also check out Galaxy Quest, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Mars Attacks. The conversation on the park bench is absolutely classic! The FX were incredible and still hold up now, 26 years later.
36:04 - At this point it should be called the "Barry Sonnenfeld font"! 🤣
I went to visual effects school at Universal Studios so I was in the park almost every day. I definitely went on that ride a couple of times.
"There's ALWAYS an Arquillian battle-cruiser"
Universal wisdom, that I've adopted into my life/worldview philosophy.
The wide-eyed Met was an actual New York Met - Bernard Gilkey.
The round layered building they climbed at the end of Will Smith's intro scene is the Guggenheim, across 5th Avenue from Central Park and just a few blocks up the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ugh this week... Thank god Shan uploaded today. And it's friggin MIB! Awesome. Love at ya Shanelle!
Im feeling it too!! weird week!
After watching MIB 3, this movie just hits different. It’s a perfect end and beginning.
One of the most awesome things about the build up to this film was just the perfect accident of the two lead's names. So they would just have a poster that showed Will captioned with Mr. Smith and another poster of Tommy captioned with Mr. Jones. The perfect anonymous last names for two men in black type of of characters. It was just serendipity.
One of the best days of my life was back in the early 2000's when I was signed up for a "joke a day" email. I was just thinking about man in black and that punchline "But this one is eating my popcorn". Then low and behold the whole joke was in my email.
My favorite subtle scene is when the little destruction ball is flying around how Zed doesn’t even look up or change expression as he casually evades it. I like this demonstration that even the bureaucrat in the office is this off the charts bad ass, but I also just like Rip Torn.
D’onofrio’s decaying body effects was added into the movie because Vincent had just finished filming a war movie and had lost a lot of weight before arriving on set of MIB. His skin was hanging loosely on his face, neck and other areas of his body. SFX then made Vincent look like his body is rapidly deteriorating throughout the movie
Yay!!!!
Review the rest!!!!
Such fun. 🧡
@1:55 "We'll tackle Barry"... Me, casually listening: "Wait, is this Police Academy? I thought we were doing MIB?" 😆
This is the second movie I saw on DVD (I saw it in the theater too). In addition to the special features, it was the first time you could watch VFX clearly frame-by-frame. I still remember discovering that the truck that the bug's ship crashes into is just a shell, there's nothing in the engine compartment (which you can see through to the explosion behind it for exactly one frame).
One of my absolute childhood favourites, me and my mother used to reference this movie all the time coughing up demands of sugar water in our best imitations.
We rented this movie and I can remember the first time I watched it how excited I was, knowing it was going to be about aliens and starring Will Smith who I loved from Fresh Prince, like I remember those starting credits and just the anticipation I was feeling. Good times.
When it came out, I was working at Boy Scout camp in Maine. We were usually only allowed to take one night out per week, but could be pulled into other people's nights out if there were a reason. Each night out group needed two things: someone 18+ and a vehicle. As a 19yo with a car, I was pretty much guaranteed to be on any night out trips, and the movies theater about 30min away was about the only thing to go and do. Saw this several times, Air Force One at least once, and I'm not sure what else.
Vincent really had such fun with this. I love this movie, this series, it's a great world.
@ 1:10 alien out of chest - my fav movie ref is _TOTALLY_ Spaceballs.
14:56 - Hmm, interesting. Now you got me thinking. I'm up in the air now as to which is most destructive. 🤔
Academy Award for best makeup... enough said. Love this movie for the new take on our interaction on aliens. Oh, before i forget I think you remember the little pug from Armageddon Day when he attacks the toy Godzilla.
Hi Shanelle!!!😊
That big, tall, skinny, bald alien you've just seen in the restaurant was portrayed by actor Carel Struycken, or Lurch from the Addam Family movies in the early 1990's!!!!!😄
I liked to think of this movie as simple in much the same way as A New Hope is simple and refreshingly doesn't exhaust the premise by the end. Like gets no further than channeling the force to make one shot. Similarly, J gets in the deep end on a whole universe he's unprepared for. It's brisk, has a lot of texture, and makes you want more.
Very nice reaction!
Yes, watched it in the theater with a few friends. This movie was the biggest movie at the time. It was all over ads, commercials and of course, the video was on MTV constantly! They had tie-ins with some fast food chains I think too, for all kinds of items.
I cant remember if I saw this one in theatres or not. That year I know I saw Mouse Hunt and the rereleased Star Wars Trilogy. I did see 2&3 in theatres though, and they were fun for sure. There was also an animated series after the first film.
18:48 - Well, off the top of my head, most vegetables Shanelle. Oh, and the Starbucks logo! 🤪
This movie was HUGE in 1997. I was 13 , it was the first time I saw a movie twice in theaters it was that fun! $589 million at the box office world wide.
I say we need more Shan-Shan dancing~
Chanelle you should do more popcorn movies. Your reactions are priceless and since so many of us grew up with these movies your predictions are fun without ruining anything. I found out this for you in regards to the slime. Hope it’s enlightening. Keep up the good reviews.
17:19 - I know, it hurts my italianosity! 😂 Also: yes, it's pierogi, they mention that just a moment ago. 😉
One of the best scenes is when the recruits are taking the written test. The test isn't on the paper, it's about adaption. Who thinks diffrently and aren't just a robot.
The font for the opening credits was done that way to look like stars with lines connecting them aka constellations aka like Orion
The really tall guy who meets the cat guy also played Lurch in the Addams Family movies.
Also, like the original B&W Addams Family, both Lurches were on Star Trek. The Original show and The Next Generation.
MIB was a Marvel comic for about a year. It wasn't originally a Marvel comic, it was published by 2 other independent publishers until Marvel bought its second to last publisher, Malibu in 1990.
I'm watching on a small screen (laptop) but those sure looked like pierogis to me. Not surprising that Shan recognizes and loves Polish ravioli! =D I'm authorized to award you 25 honorary Polish points.🇵🇱🇮🇹
ILL TAKE THE POINTS
Are these redeemable for pierogi? 🥹
Alien coming out of the chest? Well ... I know at least two movies that had that thing happening.
17:19 You're correct. The question is, what was inside of them. The most popular ones would have white cheese mixed with the potatoes. There could be pierogi filled with the cabbage, or with the grind meat, or with the black berries ... The possibilities are almost limitless.
The font is the same font used in The Addams Family. Which was probably a style choice made by Barry Sonnenfeld! I always notice when I watch either movie😂
27:13 - Well, all I can contribute to the conversation is: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was working at a mall at the time and the bus stop was outside the movie theater. I remember closing the store down and checking the posters while I waited for the bus. All the poster was was Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in costume, with the caption, "Mr. Jones, Mr. Smith, Men In Black". I was sold at first glance and wanted to see it with no more information than that, and I succeeded! And it was just as brilliant as I hoped.