FALLING DOWN (1993) | First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | He's Having The Worst Day!

[@NetAndyCz]

I think this is really underrated movie that got sadly misunderstood by many. It is a real gem.

[@TheCentralScrutinizerAgain]

like Fight Club. Reactors think it`s about a Fight Club, misses everything about the film.

[@mynameisnotearl4383]

*Agree 100%*

[@GeneralBuckNaked]

@MUSIC = LIFE..... Mannnn wtf are you talkin about guy? Wtf does Bieber have anything to do with this movie?

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

@@GeneralBuckNaked I think he's trying to imply people have bad taste but didn't really land. It's not an apples to apples comparison and art is inherently subjective anyways.

[@jsbrads1]

How can this be misunderstood? Everyone wants to shoot up the guy stopping you from what you want.

[@salsanchez4177]

Awesome movie! Several years ago I saw an interview with Michael Douglas. They asked him, looking back on his career, what movie he was most proud of. Without hesitation he answered 'Falling Down". He called it his most important and favorite role. He made the same comment in an interview in 2016

[@taoist32]

It’s relevant to this day. It encompasses almost everything someone could be going through.

[@ThePartisan13]

@@taoist32 This is accurate

[@justinfalzon6854]

He took part in the production end as well.

[@gregorygant4242]

@@taoist32 Yep, totall relevant even today . Like ,I did everything right , studied , good grades , no partying , drugs , etc etc. Got into med school, got my degree,and everything . Now I work, 60-70 hour weeks , barely get by , women and girls don't even look at me because I'm not a "high value " guy. I keep telling myself , what did I do wrong ? Should I have become a basketball player , a movie star,a celebrity, who earns millions and then become noticed by a woman to have a decent life , a wife, kids , a family , only then ? I keep asking myself , where did I screw up to end up , invisible to most in society ? Anyway , great movie and performance by Michael Douglas !

[@taoist32]

@@gregorygant4242 Well, we were all sold a bill of lies as kids. You can thank the adults in charge. Parents, teachers, education system, politicians.

[@josephD32]

Dude did everything everything society told him he was supposed to do, and when it came down to it, the rules of the world changed and he lost everything. Lost his wife, lost his job, lost everything that he was always told were his reasons to live. Then one day, he just... had enough of it.

[@Peter_Schiavo]

I think if he still had had his job or any job that allowed him to get on with life, he would have sucked it up for everything else in his life. Every social prop was taken from him.

[@josephD32]

@@Peter_Schiavo dude was unquestionably the villain of the movie (although the Nazi might've upstaged him on that because, well...), but he was also clearly a tragic villain. It didn't have to be this way, but then, if he did have his job, who's to say he doesn't shoot up the place or it becomes a hostage situation or whatever. Even if you can understand why, it doesn't change that he was unhinged.

[@HSR107]

"I'm the bad guy?" Yes. And make no mistake, he was always abusive, that's why he's divorced without visitation.

[@zardox78]

He sees the little girl in the car in front of him at 3:07 and then a few other little girls in rapid succession. Upon re-watch ya realize that these are not just random shots of people who happen to be making annoying noises. They're all little girls... and it's his daughter's birthday. That's the stressor. Up until then he's just agitated and uncomfortable. But that apparent barrage of reminders is what makes him freak out and leave his car. I think before that he was honestly just going to sit and eat his lunch in whatever spot he'd been doing so for the past few weeks.

[@billymuellerTikTok]

great observation - I thought he was just a Vietnam War veteran suffering from PTSD and having flashbacks

[@Ycekhold]

"One bad day is all it takes to reduce the sanest man alive to madness. That's how far the rest of the world is from where I am: just one bad day." -- Joker, _"The Killing Joke"_

[@amohotepv]

just so you know, the point of the killing joke is that the joker is wrong, because neither batman nor gordon snapped. Batman straight up tells him it's "just him"

[@MZ-bl6wg]

Single dad of 3 awesome daughters here, love the 2 babies rolling into the scene, I love those moments with my girls, missing them SO much while their with their mom

[@chrisgrove7829]

This movie had a lot to say. There’s a huge parallel between the Douglas and Duval character, but the big takeaway for me, was that you can choose to roll with things better and maintain hope and a positive outlook, so you don’t become the bad guy:) A healthy sense of humor also helps:) Thanks for reacting to this. Not a lot of reactions to this film:)

[@Mr-gg8ek]

Last time I looked there were only two.

[@matthewcaldwell6701]

A harsh unjust reality triumphs over a positive outlook a lot of the time and that's just the way it is for some people.

[@boomstickcritique902]

I think you have it right Douglas's character represents the people who are just tired of society always screwing them over but the movie also shows what happens if you strike back with hardcore violence you eventually turn into the bad guy it cants be avoided.

[@ImperativeGames]

Keep it together. Don't let them win ^^

[@Dularr]

Well to be fair. Duval character was very sympathetic. He made it to retirement and would get his pension. While Defense got laid off from his defense contractor job. His life was over. Given the time frame of the Watts riots. They could have made Duval character a racist, old cop forced to retire because his views are no longer tolerated in the police force.

[@FollowingGhost]

Lol now I just wait for the girls to walk in. The technical difficulties sign cracks me up every time. Always liked this movie

[@Madbandit77]

Me too...and the technical difficulties are fun too.

[@blueeyedcowboy8291]

I love the top where it has her pic and the phrase "Super..."

[@paulhewes7333]

the girls are awesome. remind me of mine when they were little...

[@RaduRadonys]

@@paulhewes7333 You too gave them phones and tablets and laptops when they were 3 yo to keep their faces in the screens and let you be at peace?

[@gustavoguerola1675]

Me too. Jajajajaja I missed the applause

[@McPh1741]

I remember renting this when it came out on VHS for family movie night. I was 15. I remember thinking at one point, "they're going to have to kill him. That's the only way this will end. Watching this movie as an adult, I find Michael Douglas' character very relatable. This is a guy who had so much crap piled on him- losing his job, losing his family, that he just snapped. It's as relevant now as it was then.

[@McPh1741]

@@jamesedleymusic It's been years since I've seen the movie. Was he abusive ordid he just have anger issues? I remember a scene where they were watching a home movie and he started to get angry.

[@SeaRaven227]

@@jamesedleymusic When your daughter is the only thing you have left and your ex-wife refuses to let you see her... you'd feel like threatening to kill her too.

[@remo27]

@@jamesedleymusic : Yes, he threatened to kill her over the phone. That being said there was a weaponized 'domestic violence' and divorce system that had already screwed him over. I should probably refer you to what happens to you if someone merely accuses you of DV : You can go to jail for up to several days (just on the accusation, not yet in any kind of court), immediately be kicked out of your home (yes, even if its just YOU on the lease or mortgage) lose all contact (at least temporarily) with any children, lose any guns, lose your job (some jobs will fire you for merely getting a restraining order issued against you even a temporary one, not to mention you could lose your job for not showing up for 3 or 4 days esp if this was a weekend occurrence) lose friends, esp mutual ones, oh, and on top of all that prepare to pay out the nose for lawyers. If the accusation was made in context of a divorce, look forward to a custody battle as well as a battle over child support (which can be impossible to pay if you lost your job). If you think 'pleaing it out' (in other words admitting guilt whether guilty or not) will cause the pain to stop, think again. There will be mandatory "DV" classes which you will have to pay for. You will PERMANENTLY lose some of your civil rights such as the right to own a firearm, and it doesn't matter how small the offense was. A grabbed shoulder (which causes a small bruise) is treated EXACTLY THE SAME in terms of penalties as a downright Daily Beatdown. You will have a permanent record, which must be (at least in some States, similar to a sex offender) divulged to all potential future partners , girlfriend, wife, or otherwise. At least you don't have 'living restrictions' unlike sex offenders, but since you are probably now considerably poorer, you are probably living with a buddy/parent (like DFENS was), living in a cheap apartment, or living in your car. I can understand how a mostly normal or even gentle person , falsely accused or even guilty (of the minor shit such as a grabbed shoulder or a shove) and put through all this could either become suicidal or homicidal. And all we see is the end result and then we say "Oh, they were crazy/evil anyway". Edited to add: I should also point out that all this can happen to you on NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER because 'verbal abuse' is included. As well as FEELING THREATENED. So yes, all someone has to do in my State of Maryland (as an example) is go before a magistrate and say they feel scared of their partner and it almost guarantees a TRO will be issued. If you think no one ever abuses this system, I have no idea what to say to you. DFENS was a victim of our deindustrialization but he was also a victim of our Family Law policies (many of which, incredibly, have been written by radical feminists). I'm not accusing the wife, by the way, I'm saying the 'system' chewed him up and spit him out. So yeah, he lost his family AND his sense of identity and thus the 'worst day of his life' as well as the Last Day of his life.

[@remo27]

@@jamesedleymusic I think , in the end, with his 'watergun stunt', he chose the side of the goodguys. I see him as more victim than villian and that is NOT condoning everything he did (though arguably the NeoNazi and the gang members were self defense and the golf guy died in part due to bad luck - cart in water - and in part due to being an asshole), but yeah, I understand how people can see differently. DFENS is no superhero or hero at all, really. He's just an otherwise normal man pushed beyond his limits. In the end I think the cop guy was wrong (about the murder or suicide those still remain amazingly rare given the amount of these domestic incidents), but it's still something you can make a case for or a case against. I do understand why this movie is popular but not mainstream. It's at least in part because it talks about issues the PTB in our society really really do NOT want discussed, such as the downsides to 'outsourcing' and 'deindustrialization' and policies and laws (some necessary) with good intentions pushed to the absolute absurd limits.

[@unknownsword9042]

@@jamesedleymusic As someone who has had their kids taken by the ex I can testify that wanting to hurt someone after they take your kids doesn't mean you wanted to before that happened.

[@paulahiggins4467]

The scene where the "economically unviable" man says "don't forget me" and Michael Douglas quietly nods says it all

[@bobcobb3654]

And then he forgot him and kept on marching to his ex-wife’s house with a bag full of guns.

[@santiago451]

I always thought the significance of London Bridge was that it's the very embodiment of something that's falling down, or falling apart. It's the physical representation of what's happening to Michael Douglas and, more importantly, to society as a whole. That's what we see for the entirety of the movie -- how society is crumbling at the seams from the rise in crime, bigotry, inflation, overpopulation, emphasis on norms and bureaucracy, and the basic inability to see people as human beings anymore. London Bridge, the quintessential representation of something made famous for falling apart, is the allegory to our ever more dystopian society. Robert Duvall's retirement, to then spend his remaining years by the bridge, is Man's acceptance of that downward spiral. It's a total surrender to the inevitability of our downfall. This is what Douglas and Duvall had in common, they'd both given up. You're right, Michael Douglas had a very specific plan for himself and his family -- his version of retiring and moving to Arizona -- his surrender to the inevitable. Robert Duvall recognizes that despair, just like he recognized his wife's neurosis in Douglas' mother. He sees what it has done to the protagonist, and that is why he later refuses to follow in his footsteps. Refuses to surrender and go to London Bridge. He refuses to give up on himself, finally standing up to his coworkers and his wife, and refuses to give up on humanity -- the city.

[@fenix6297]

I thought it was bit different. The constant reference to London Bridge being "moved stone by stone 5000 miles to Lake Havasu" always struck me as saying things being taken apart piece by piece until they ultimately come to rest in a place completely different from where they started. This is reflected in Douglas's character - he started as a person with a good job, beautiful wife, daughter - and as those things were lost to him "piece by piece" he started to lose hold. And then as the events through the movie happen, he deteriorates even further, culminating in his speech about the "point of no return" - where it is a farther trip to go back the way you came than continue as you are going. The downfall of society around him is merely a reflection of that - but it is the Douglas character, not society - that the London Bridge is referring to. That's always the way I saw it and the London Bridge metaphor.

[@RedLP5000S]

Excellent perspective.

[@AltCutTV]

There is also a further dual symbolism in that the London bridge most would think of / confuse it with ("Tower bridge") is hinged. While the old one that was "moved" is unhinged. The true nature of the reconstruction may also be symbolical. Though it seem a bit too far-fetched really. ;)

[@dancing_odie]

He did those gangsters a favor by taking their guns and preventing them from catching an illegals weapons possession charge. What a nice guy

[@IAmHumongous]

well, they already had a couple of murder charges so I don't know if the bag would have made much difference..

[@gutz1981]

"London Bridge is FALLING DOWN." That's the reason for the song theme in the movie.

[@Cau_No]

It took me 25 years and a reaction video commentary to notice that connection …

[@captcaveman4201]

The Daughter was soo happy to see her daddy on her birthday !!

[@justicejakober5506]

His character should have given up and went to jail. So he could watch her daughter grow up apparently he didn’t.

[@_Shadoh_]

Love this movie, saw it in the cinema when it came out, very impressive and tense. Michael Douglas really nailed it too.

[@reesebn38]

Love this movie. Saw it in the theatre opening day. I think it's smarter than people give it credit. My favorite scene is when the cops put the guy in the back seat (who is dressed like D-fens) and he looks at D-fens and say "Don't forget me." Makes me cry.

[@freespeechchampsusanwojcic2528]

D-FENS' speech at the end always gets me with its heart breaking reality "I did everything they told me to do... and I'm the bad guy?"

[@mauriciodelarosa2449]

The music in this scene makes it so very powerful. 🎺♥️

[@ryline666]

Don't cry

[@reesebn38]

@@ryline666 Sorry I have heart unlike some people. 😉

[@ryline666]

@@reesebn38You may have heart, kid, but the sensitivity level is off the charts.

[@BlueShadow777]

London Bridge was purchased by American (Robert P. McCulloch) in 1968. How true this is I don’t know but, apparently, there was a mix-up in which he actually thought he was buying (as was his intention) the more attractive Tower Bridge. Anyway, London Bridge was dismantled stone-by-stone, each brick location-numbered and shipped across to the USA where it was reconstructed in Lake Havasu, Arizona in 1971.

[@Tensen01]

It's completely not true. Refuted both by McCulloch AND the man who arranged the sale.

[@danh8804]

More people need to react to this. It's interesting to see how people look at it through 2020s eyes.

[@freespeechchampsusanwojcic2528]

Most takes on this movie by "2020s eyes" is all about how this movie is about white supremacy's dying grasp blah blah blah but none of the modern takes on it mention D-FENS' last speech of "I did everything they told me to do" and winds up losing everything. None of the modern takes mention the decay of our society, the media portrays an inclusive diverse America, but then the 92 riots in LA happened the shows the dark underbelly of American society filled with tension and animosity. This movie was over the top, but that's what makes its delivery of the message so effective.

[@gregorygant4242]

@@freespeechchampsusanwojcic2528 This is very relatable today. A lot of people do the right thing , go to school, good grades , stay out of trouble , go to college get a degree , the whole works. Only to get a job where they work 60-70 hour weeks , still barely get by , and get called losers by modern women and society because they aren't top 2 % "high value" males. And in the meantime , super rich,billionaire ,oligarch, crooks who own everything in society and are lusted after by modern women , while the average 9-5 , Joes , are invisible to them , are seen as bums . Great priorities and ideals in this "modern" world we live in now , terrific !

[@jaycup4176]

Same here!

[@habadasheryjones]

The fast food sequence takes on a much more tense, sinister tone. It wouldn't surprise me if people watched that scene thinking he'd just start taking out employees and customers. The dude is obviously crazy but his moral compass has also already bent so much that you wouldn't know what he'd do with that bag of guns in that restaurant on your first watch of this movie.

[@NecropsY1]

this movie was so ahead of its time - social commentary , satire , horror , action , alot going on but at its core just a good story

[@marcharley6465]

I saw this movie at a cinema when it was released. At the time, I was going through a really hard time with depression and anxiety. I lived in London, which had a lot of the same problems as D Fens encounters during his journey home through LA. The movie affected me very negatively but I later realised that it's because it's so relatable to anybody struggling with the pressures and strain of an urban existence.

[@TheHamburgerPrincess]

I’m an old person, I’ve never seen a KZbin video like this before, but it was kind of fun to watch this and feel like I was watching the movie with someone 😄

[@phantomzone2725]

It is amazing how Schumacher can do great thrillers. This one and Phone Booth are my favorites because he really knows how to make the story go even more intense through the time without making it over the top or stupid

[@SurvivorBri]

Michael Douglas has stated repeatedly that this is his all time favorite role. His character was relatable. Not someone you want to be inspired by but he showed many relatable moments. The narrative and the LA aesthetic was ahead of its time. The ending broke me because the detective was so set on retiring but then he realized that he couldn't end his career on such a tragic note.

[@mbd501]

I think he also decided not to retire, because he was re-energized as a cop by his successful day stopping a serious crime. He realized he had more police work in him.

[@alexkuball2593]

One of my favorite movies. The Whammy burger scene alone. The evolution of the character. Michael Douglas has a final form in his fatigues. The utter confusion in his voice when he realizes he has become the bad guy. Brilliant

[@Jackd-lz2hn]

This movie reminds me so much of my life without the murder. I'm 41 years old and I've lived my life trying to make everybody around me happy including my ex-wife and she leaves me for another guy and tells me on Father's Day

[@-M0LE]

Ouch Weve all been there now just make sure you do what you want with YOUR ONLY LIFE and see your lil ones as much as poss ignore her forever never get triggered either anger or upset it’s done dusted she’s someone’s else’s problem laugh at them and that

[@harrymarshall]

😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣😅🥳

[@lucianaromulus1408]

Super messed up. You deserve a woman who appreciates you, so to hell with her

[@christopherconard2831]

My divorce was finalized on Valentine's Day.

[@johnrife7134]

Well, I can't judge you because I don't know you. But we tend to paint ourselves in a good light. Maybe noting you did was wrong except for the woman you picked. You can't change her or what you did. The only thing you can do it remove negative people from your life and have some self reflection. Come to grips with what you may have done wrong and try to live a better life. Move on and let go the baggage.

[@SophiesDriver]

Love your "Technical Difficulties" even if they're unplanned. Your reaction was pretty good too! 😂

[@johnlocke9437]

Interesting to note how his level of weapon progresses over the runtime, like a video game.

[@chrisbfreelance]

Ha for sure.

[@hellsunicorn]

Honestly, if they haven’t done one already, they should do a D-Fens mod for Grand Theft Auto.

[@autowaagh99]

The older you get the more you can relate to this character in this movie.

[@auggiedoggie4968]

That's really frightening.

[@auggiedoggie4968]

@Jack Marcuson I have no idea what you're on about, but you're being weird.

[@curtismurphy6206]

That's a problem, bud. Seek help

[@josephD32]

There's a difference between 'relating' and 'emulating' someone. As long as you don't go on a rampage, you're good.

[@Hexon66]

@@josephD32 No, you're delineating between psychological and legal frameworks. Someone relating to the character may not be as felonious as emulating him, but they are certainly not okay.

[@MS.Marie82]

(Favorite stop) I like the bazooka and road construction scene scene partially because of the awkwardness and the humorous interaction between Michael Douglas and the kid giving him instructions on how to use the weapon. There was also just something strange but interesting about the contrast between the innocent kid unaware of the dangerous reality embodied by the man standing next to him. Maybe there was some symbolism there. The little boy had a simple part but I love how he delivered the line "cool" after the missile hits its target and Michael Douglas turns to look at him all puzzled like.

[@dlaszacs]

Michael Douglas is a great actor. I'm a big fan of his work. It's sad, but he's very relatable in this movie.

[@NetAndyCz]

Yeah, it makes me very uncomfortable, I have not done anything he did, and I am glad I have never been armed with gun when I was one minute late to get the breakfast menu:)

[@dlaszacs]

@@NetAndyCz Yeah I can relate to how how feels in most of his encounters. But I could never do what he did. No one is worth going to prison for.

[@coffee838]

@@dlaszacs most men can relate with him, we live in a degenerate, inflation ridden, multicultural society, we wouldnt have these issues without those main issues

[@DrGregoryHouseIT]

@@coffee838 Multicultural is an issue? Go get fucked.

[@coffee838]

@@Psychedelicgothicpink Cry about it, trash non human

[@lazyperfectionist1]

38:18 I think this home movie, at the very end, is the saddest part of the film. You can see, William Foster _was_ once, a happy, healthy, _family_ man. He was a good husband. He was a good father. Somewhere along the line, things just started to go wrong.

[@thamojster]

they dont really show it well in this reaction with how they had to edit it, but if you pay attention those movies reveal that there was this anger even then as he goes off on his wife a couple times and even he himself slowly seems to realize this before getting suprised by the cops, his wife even says earlier that he had a bad temper

[@ThePartisan13]

I'll never forget that entire sequence where the man is talking about not being economically viable. "Don't forget me".

[@bottlerocket3218]

Fun fact: Michael Douglas' character in this movie was one of the few fictional characters to ever appear on the cover of Newsweek.

[@TheNeonRabbit]

I remember this movie was pretty controversial when it came out because some people saw it as the "regular white guy" fighting back against the minorities and groups that are "ruining the country". They felt the characters D-Fens encountered were strongly reinforcing the worst negative stereotypes, the greedy Korean shop owner, The homeless moocher, the Hispanic gang-bangers, etc. Personally I thought the most despicable character was the White supremacist Army surplus shop owner.

[@tigerburn81]

That surplus store guy feels like a caricature of what a Hollywood writer secretly thinks most conservatives are. I mean, he was a like, a royal flush of bigotry complete with a Knot-Zee stuff.

[@falsenostalgia-shannon]

@@tigerburn81 That’s what they’re like here in Tennessee.

[@gator4458]

​@@falsenostalgia-shannon not true

[@ThePartisan13]

@@tigerburn81 Idk I've seen more than my fair share of conservatives that are pretty close to what you described.

[@sayjinpat4life]

D Fens and surplus store owner were the main negative people. The store was either greedy or selling things at an increase for higher taxes in that area. The Spanish hood dudes were just plan wrong that park is owned by the govt at the end of the day and doing a drive by is on the them. Cant shoot worth a damn. The manager putting his feet down no my more breakfast.

[@Salta0monte]

Have you ever heard the phrase "If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you"? That's referring to London Bridge. Some Americans went to London intending to buy the bridge called Tower Bridge, which is pretty spectacular. But they didn't know its name and bought London Bridge - which is not spectacular at all - thinking that was the name of Tower Bridge.

[@Cau_No]

That's probably what they thought first, too, when they heard that London Bridge has been moved to the USA.

[@waynebuckland7879]

No that's not the case. London Bridge was heading for disaster having been in that London climate too long. That is why they sold it and ensured that the new destination had the correct weather for it to last for ages more. That is why all the bricks were numbered and tagged to ensure perfection of reassembly.

[@Cau_No]

@@waynebuckland7879 That's the reason Britain sold it, but not necessary the reason the USA bought it … In this case, both accounts could be true …

[@duotronicnone4572]

It's been suggested that it was bought mistakenly, but no, they knew what they were buying. Just an urban legend. And the phrase "I've got a bridge to sell you" and similar, could be attached to any bridge, in fact, I've heard it mostly in connection with the Brooklyn Bridge, or sometimes just "a bridge in New York".

[@Tensen01]

That's a reference to a con in the early 20th century of people repeatedly selling the Brooklyn Bridge to unsuspecting investors, it has nothing to do with London bridge. Also the rest of your story is completely false as well. It was one guy and he knew it was London Bridge the whole time.

[@stevevanderslice2244]

That music when the little one wandered into the room was perfect! 🤣

[@p.phillips2090]

This movie has always made me cry and it did again watching this. He was not a bad person, just one who needed help. The part that got me the most was when the police officer asked if he had ever hit her and she said no. Yet she was behaving like he had. He was kept away from his daughter because he was going through something, and he just couldn't take THAT anymore. When his wife stopped running for a sec on The Pier, that showed that she knew he really wasn't a bad man. Sometimes good people just can't take anymore sh*t and it causes them to become someone else...if they don't get help.

[@BishopWalters12]

Michael won the Oscar for Wallstreet but this is his best movie and performance.

[@NecropsY1]

this was always his fav movie

[@fastertove]

I might even prefer him in The Game. As I recall, a similar great performance.

[@pjdexter168]

One of my all time favourite films... the irony of him saying at the end "I'm the bad guy" sums up the entire film

[@Ating5150]

In October 1992 I went on vacation to California (I'm from Europe) and we spent a day on Sunset Boulevard. After a while we came along this surplus army store and we paid it a visit to look for some pair of Levi 501 jeans (those were very popular in my country back then). When we came at the checkout we noticed a photo behind the counter of Michael Douglas wearing goovy glasses and a square flat haircut. The photo seemed to be signed by the actor as well, but we had no clue whatsoever. A few months later, when I was already back at home, we rented this movie and immediately recognized Michael Douglas from that photo and seeing him going into that store, made it all clear. So funny to know that I bought some pair of Levi jeans over there. :)

[@aldoushuxleysghost]

I remember watching this as a high schooler, wondering what this guy's problem is. As an adult, I know EXACTLY what his problem is

[@longago-igo]

Falling Down has one of the best Opening Sequences sound designs ever. I saw this in the theater upon release and greatness of the sound and visuals editing in the opening was readily apparent, setting the tone of the film brilliantly.

[@AD_Whitman]

I chuckled out loud with y’all when he said “now you’re gonna die wearing that stupid little hat. How’s it feel?”

[@christopherconard2831]

It could be worse. You could be killed by a guy in a stupid little hat. See Omar, The Wire.

[@AD_Whitman]

@@christopherconard2831 🤣🤣🤣

[@GeneralBuckNaked]

It only makes us laugh cuz he was being such a dick before that lol. The other old man was cool though. He just stood back like, "I dont have anything to do with this shit" 😂😂

[@ThePartisan13]

Even as he lay there dying he was saying it was HIS course.

[@calebhodson7421]

I loved the part when he stood up too the gangsters that pulled the knife on him. “You forgot your briefcase.” That was great. 😃

[@harleymax01]

I like when your kids come in and unintentionally interrupt your video. Makes me smile.

[@si.fairhurst131]

One of Michael Douglas best films, really enjoyed watching this reaction. You should check him out in " The Game" (1997), another great movie. Glad you learned about the London bridge situation

[@FireTiger941]

One of the best films ever made! Michael Douglas should have at least gotten nominated for an Oscar for his performance!

[@rhysbevan429]

For reference, the 1994 Academy Awards for Best Actor were: Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump as Forrest Gump (Win) Morgan Freeman - The Shawshank Redemption as Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding Nigel Hawthorne - The Madness of King George as King George III Paul Newman - Nobody's Fool as Donald "Sully" Sullivan John Travolta - Pulp Fiction as Vincent Vega

[@Tusc9969]

Kirk Douglas once said that Falling Down was his personal favorite of his son's work!!! He also defended the film against criticism and complaints that the film was "glorifying white racists" "In Falling Down he had the guts to play a prejudiced, middle-age nerd, He played it brilliantly. I think it is his best piece of work to date. Michael's character is not the `hero,' or `newest urban icon, He is the villain and the victim. Of course, we see many elements of our society that contributed to his madness.We even pity him. But the movie never condones his actions" ~Kirk Douglas

[@BishopWalters12]

I never understood that because he's not really a racist, he didn't target minorities and he killed that skinhead dude.

[@kevinfinnerty8414]

The director Joel Schumacher was Jewish and Gay. The only character who Douglas murdered was the Nazi. Anyone who thinks this movie glorifies White Racism or toxic masculinity is a complete moron.

[@Renegade2786]

I believe that this film showcase what a whyte man would look like when his whyte privilege doesn't cover to hardship in his life, but it still allows him to walk around without being messed with by law enforcement for the incidents he committed. Look how he attacked the Korean shop owner, shot a gangbanger in the foot and hold up a fastfood restaurant and he still able to walk out without fear of being arrested. Even the black man got arrested for simply protesting about losing his job, yet D-Fen isn't being arrested yet. Even the real racist in the shoe shop was willing to defend D-Fen when he found that the cops is looking for him and D-Fen was disguised that his racist piece of crap to be friend of his.

[@ralpha112233]

@@Renegade2786 His " white privilege " has nothing whatsoever to do with anything that happened. All the events you mentioned just showcase how incompetent or late to the event the police were. Do you think that the police should just instantly materialise at those scenes, as they obviously do in real life? "White privilege" doesn't extend to not being fired from your job after x amount of years. Or becoming disillusioned with yourself and society and how depression can eat away at your soul leaving you feeling empty and without purpose. "White privilege" is a modern made up stick used to beat upon a section of society that is told that it must not defend itself against the beating but just accept it because, reasons. Any other beating against any other section would be frowned upon and the person called out and corrected. Wrong is wrong. When you start making excuses for one group to take it's venom out on another with impunity then you're asking for trouble.

[@bonchbonch]

@@BishopWalters12 There's undeniably a racial angle to some of his encounters, like when he talks about how much money "his" country has given to the storeowner's country.

[@proutytyler1]

The cameos from your kiddos are always hilarious! Falling Down is probably my favorite Micheal Douglas film. I'm glad you got to experience it. It's honestly a pretty deep cut of a film.

[@FranzSanchez-ky9up]

Whoa, neither of you had seen this before?! I've been a fan of this film since I was a kid, weirdly enough. I'm not sure why I liked it so much back then... I think it was the outrageousness of it... As I get older it does resonate with me more. This film is still valid, but it would never be made in today's climate for reasons I think are pretty bogus... If anything, it seems even more relevant today. Geeky triva: the ditzy burger bar employe was played by Deede Pfeiffer... Michelle's younger sis.

[@agentooe33AD]

Michael Douglas is great in this movie. You should also check out him in Ridley Scott's Black Rain. That's a great movie as well.

[@crose7412]

@Agent OOE ...and 'The Game'.

[@Chrise501]

How about him and Sean Penn in The Game.

[@Chrise501]

@@crose7412 Lol I was just posting same movie. Great minds…that really was a crazy ass ride tho.

[@alanmike6883]

Love black rain

[@SJ-ty5rw]

Michael Douglas has said this movie is his favorite . I tend to agree it's probably his best performance . But also agree Black Rain was great as well .

[@orlandoruizjr3834]

Loved this reaction. I've been watching this since it came out in 93. It's my favorite Michael Douglass performance. Robert Duvall is terrific in this too. Joel Schumacher had a bad stigma after Batman & Robin, but he was an underrated director. The Lost Boys, The Client, Flatliners, A Time To Kill, and this film prove he was one of the great 80's and 90's filmmakers.

[@Cau_No]

And Schumacher apologized for the Batman movie, even he acknowledged it was a piece of batsh*t.

[@Madbandit77]

He also contributed to black cinema as a screenwriter (the original Sparkle, Car Wash and The Wiz).

[@orlandoruizjr3834]

@@Madbandit77 Don't forget DC Cab, 8 Millameter, and Phone Booth. He has my respect.

[@freespeechchampsusanwojcic2528]

Yeah, I think Schumacher had an element of Paul Verhoven's satire of culture, you can see that element in most of his films including Batman & Robin (like the Bat AMEX card, or soap opera triangle).

[@harveylee51]

@@Cau_No And well he should , maybe he was descending into cocaine psychosis when he made that piece of batshit !😆 forgiving that i won't forget that he had some very impressive movies to his name including this one of course one of my favourites of his it raises diffiicult questions and features a stellar performance from Micheal Douglas . keep 90'S movies alive CHEERS .🙏

[@barryholyoke5169]

I lived in LA at the time this movie was made. They got the vibe down eerilly correctly!

[@GeorgeEugeneBarrett]

That corner store scene is how I feel like acting when I go to the grocery store nowadays with this inflation.

[@christopherconard2831]

Movie trivia. The night before they hired her, the hairstylist for the movie watched Spartacus. It had Michael's father, Kirk, as the title role. She took his haircut and decided it would look good on him.

[@mrspoon6742]

During the reaction I assumed you both weren't enjoying it, but that probably speaks to the plot tension and Michael Douglas really making you feel it.

[@parker469a]

Yeah, not knowing how it ends leaves room for them to be very worried about how badly things could end. It has that "the hero dies" sorta energy to it or what they're really afraid which is the daughter dying. That one is always going to freak them out.

[@mrspoon6742]

@@parker469a When I first saw this I was perhaps 14 years old so I don't think I felt that anxiety for the daughter. It was interesting to watch people who are older and parents watch it for the first time.

[@jcarlovitch]

London Bridge is actually in Lake Havasu city. Robert McCulloch bought it from the British government which was replacing it with a more modern bridge and had it reconstructed in 1968 in Lake Havasu.

[@kathywhite9411]

Michael Douglas in one of his best roles. Love this movie!🙌 Btw, y’all’s girls keep stealing the show!😂 They’re adorable!❤️❤️❤️

[@windsorkid7069]

The "intermission " with your kids was great.

[@blueeyedcowboy8291]

The golf course scene cracks me up every time. "FIVE!" This movie is great, because he does things that we all have wanted to do to people that are assholes for the sole purpose of being assholes, but we don't because, well...psychopath and all.

[@kurdtpage]

And now you're gonna die. Wearing that stupid little hat. How does it feel?

[@zippo_muk9254]

*This movie is so relatable.* I wouldn’t blame someone for just losing their shit, especially the past two years

[@BrendanBeckett]

This was a hidden gem I found on VHS in high school that a friend told me about

[@miker.9138]

The guy who helps push the car near the beginning of the film is the screenwriter, Ebbe Roe Smith.

[@safespacebear]

I think this movie deserves way more attention than it gets. "I'm the bad guy?". Oof right in the feels

[@The_ZeroLine]

The kids sneaking in is the highlight. So adorable.

[@jasonbeatty831]

I love it when your kids make an appearance!

[@traceyreid4585]

Sooo relevant today! Many external social pressures pushing people to the limit who are just trying to have a peaceful life. Anybody at any point could break down, hence the title Falling Down

[@ericanderson8886]

What a great movie. Michael Douglas was the legend Kirk Douglas's son and starred in many great movies, including Fatal Attraction.

[@jamesfrench7299]

He well and truly escaped his father's shadow to succeed in his own right.

[@jannathompson2262]

Has anyone done Fatal Attraction yet??

[@AndyMmusic]

London Bridge is indeed in Lake Havasu, AZ. I've seen it. Buy it was not the only bridge over the Thames, but it was originally in London.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I have never thought of Falling Down as a "crime thriller"

[@Madbandit77]

It's part that and a satire that exposes societal conflicts (racism, sexism, homophobia, economics, environmental, city infrastructure, commercialism, etc.) It's a meld of "Death Wish" and "Network" (Duvall is also in that).

[@evanscott9473]

Aw, you guys have kids. They remind me of my daughters when they were younger. That's really sweet.

[@jamesfrench7299]

The only role where Michael Douglas is fully immersed in his character. You forget it's the actor and only see William Foster. I love that he considers it his favourite movie. Icing on the cake.

[@davidz3879]

One of the best films ever made.

[@diagastar7261]

Love this movie. A hidden gem some people havent seen.

[@jamesmarjan5481]

OH MY GOD YES!! I started another video and saw this thumbnail and immediately watched you guys!!! I grew up on this movie!!!

[@fzoid3534]

Easily one of my favorite movies of all times. Te whole atmosphere of the movie is crazy good..

[@amadeusagripino6862]

Ah, Falling Down, one of my favorites. My favorite bit was the scene where D-Fens witness a man protesting in front of a bank and being arrested.

[@anthonyzarate9807]

I really do not think he was going to kill his wife & daughter. I know for a fact he wasn't going to kill his daughter because he tells the detective that "you need to kill me so my little girl can collect the insurance". It is possible he was going to kill his wife though.

[@porgyt7177]

I agree, that by the time he was on the pier he realized he had no choice but to attempt police attempted suicide, but that was not his intention all along. When the cop questions him at the end what he Was going to do with his family, he responds with " I don't know what I was going to do". It certainly seemed like his original plan was just walk home and take back his life, then he got confronted by the first of many barriers/people that stood between he and home. From the moment of his first confrontation I believe it all became a series of problematic opportunism. He certainly had no plans to find a bag of guns in a car of a gang that tried to do a drive-by on him. I believe he actually just wanted shoes, he didn't expect to find the Neo-Nazi wacko. Sure, he made fun of the golfer as he died in his stupid little hat, but his intention was not to kill golfers, simply to cut across the course. Making his way home. "Clear a Path". Certainly by Midway through the movie, an original intention of just going home to be with his family, turned into knowing that you have killed people ,good or bad, and he probably wasn't going to be able to stay with his family among the living. So I feel that he did, at one point, have the intention to go home and rejoin his family, but in death. But at any time that could have actually changed... and certainly did when he was cornered on the pier. Thus the decision to go for police assisted suicide for insurance Became the best short-term goal.

[@NecropsY1]

was that maybe his plan all along, i like this film keeps him a grey character, hes not all good or all bad, hes a real person hes conflicted he wants to do good have a good life, but hes disspointed / mad and frustrated, and hes given up on a normal life, so hes very conflicted, something we can all relate to throughout our lives in this hecktic world - i know we have all had days like this - its like what would happen if we give in take a dark path- this movie really makes u think more then most movies

[@MaetMen]

Understandable that he wanted to kill his ex she was a real high tier cunt

[@AnonEyeMouse]

He was definitely going to kill them and himself. He just hadn't completely admitted it to himself. By the point of the pier confrontation, he knew he couldn't achieve that perfect end (in his eyes). Facing that final choice, prison or death, he chose death. Insurance doesn't pay out in that scenario, BTW. He's a broken, dangerous guy. Low Key racist, violent and judgemental, each encounter shows him a mirror. Reflects his own dark character back on himself until finally he is confronted. He's the bad guy, but he always was. His collapse just revealed it. Douglas and Schumacher have both commented on the reaction of test audiences to this film. They were scared. This guy is a monster, but people in the screenings stood up and cheered him. They created a menace and a threatening maniac and people acted like he was the hero. The reaction really worried them about copy cats.

[@MaetMen]

@@AnonEyeMouse how was he racist

[@cycobern]

Underrated Michael Douglas movie. There’s a bunch of interviews where they highlights his movie career and he often mention that Falling Down was his best performance and I agree with him.

[@cycobern]

Now, another one of his is The Game. Directed by David Fincher. Woah! Sean Penn plays his brother. The cinematography of that movie is so FINCHER-esque 😂

[@TheOdMan]

This was a huge movie for me in the 90's, watched it so many times in my early teens, still love it.

[@Verasoul]

Fun Fact: During shooting, the '92 LA riots broke out and interrupted filming.

[@waterbeauty85]

Another great choice that other KZbinr reactors have overlooked. You really do have the best patrons. Favorite stop was the surplus store. So many layers, and a major turning point.

[@tnetroP]

Yes London Bridge was moved to America. It was bought by an American entrepreneur who intended to make it a tourist attraction (which it is). But legend has it that he mistook London Bridge (which is just a regular bridge) for Tower Bridge (which is far, far more impressive and is the typical twin towered opening bridge most tourists think is London Bridge) and he bought the wrong one. So yes, London Bridge really was moved from London to America as a tourist attraction. But its inclusion in the film is symbolic and is related to the film title... There is a nursery rhyme about "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down" which at one point you hear in the background but in a weird and skewed way (signalling a descent into madness). There have been several bridges through history across the Thames in London called London Bridge. The nursery rhyme was about one of the older bridges a long time ago that literally fell down because it was left to fall into disrepair. The nursery rhyme dates from the 18th century. The title of the film "Falling Down" is about the main characters emotional state gradually falling into disrepair and falling down just like London Bridge once did (and hence the nursery rhyme being heard in the background and being a theme throughout the film). I'm not sure whether the story about the businessman mistaking London Bridge for Tower Bridge is true or not. But another aspect of the film which echoes the story is Michael Dougla's realisation at the end that he wasn't the person he always thought he was. He thought he was the good guy but at the end he's told he wasn't... "I'm the bad guy?" Excellent film.

[@shainewhite2781]

18:18, another hilarious scene in the movie! "I think it's out of order." Great line.

[@williammatthews693]

"London Bridge is in Lake Havasu!?!" That quote has gotta be on future merch in your store!

[@colormedubious4747]

After the dark humor in this film, you might enjoy the silly humor of a rather different early 90s film titled "Stay Tuned" which is basically a collection of TV show and commercial parodies tied together with a weird plot involving Satan, Hell, and Eugene Levy. It's worth the watch just for Chuck Jones' brilliant animation sequence.

[@McD5791]

Yeah, that would be a good shout - with the late, great John Ritter and Pam Dawber. One specific parody still cracks me up to this day (no spoilers, but if you know, you know..)

[@alanmike6883]

Iove that film. Took me a long time to get a copy with if it was a German import

[@paulieluppino1856]

Fun fact: In the ps2 videogame Tony Hawk: American Wasteland, there's a cameo of Bill Foster..... A random guy named Mr. D that blow up things with a rocket launcher.... (What skating has to do with rocket launchers?.... I don't know either).....

[@sjd5750]

Anyone remember the '71 made for TV movie directed by Steven Spielberg, "Duel"..regarded by many as the best TV movie ever made..I would love to see reactions to that one..Really good movie!

[@rhetteverette2406]

The fly is the first breaking point! It only gets worse from there on out in progressively worse freakout

[@theviciouschickenofbristol4779]

This movie is a gem. Almost no one reacts to it.

[@spacecatboy2962]

i feel the same way when they tell me i am 3 minutes late to get something from the breakfast menu.

[@jonbolton3376]

I love this film. Obviously towards the end it gets a bit creepy and sinister, but for the most part i see it as a comedy.

[@GregoryAlanBaileygamereviews]

D-Fens: "Donuts package of 6, how much"? Store owner: "Dolla Twell" WHAP! "Too much"! I love that part.

[@johnrife7134]

This movie is very relevant today.

[@brauliob]

So many people are, "Not Economically Viable."

[@fidel2xl]

What you just watched was one Hell of an awesome movie. The main character played by Michael Douglas can be interpreted in many ways...he's a guy who is obsolete. He's a product pf the 1950s/60s, and is obsolete in the 'modern' era of the 1990s. In the late 1980s/1990s, America saw Bluechip corporations like IBM etc for the first time laying off employees, whereas historically once you were employed by a large Bluechip corporation, it was a job for life wth an expected pension upon retirement. That culture of job security and job certainty was shattered in the 1980s/1990s...and the main character was an extreme example of that change. Contrast that with the detective who was retiring that very day per his own choice. Yes, his colleagues were treating him like he was obsolete and couldn't be taken seriously despite the intelligent contributions he was offering on a current crime spree. Regardless, the retiring detective was going out in his own way on his own terms...just like D-Fens.

[@fanatic709]

The London Bridge talk made me think of the first time I heard it was moved. An 80s movie called Terror at London Bridge. Now I know what to watch after this review.

[@thedarkestdawn1]

This was my very first Michael Douglas. It was love at first sight.

[@Mortismors]

This is hands down my favorite Michael Douglas movie.

[@Lugnut73]

me and my sister, and brother in-law are always quoting this film "they'll spit on your burger" or "clear a path you mothers, i'm going home!" one of my fav films. great reaction! 👍

[@Otokichi786]

I knew/know an Aeronautical engineer who had a career like "William Foster." He had a family, mortgage, and a good job with an aeronautical research company. Then the California tech meltdown happened, and it all went away. With the support of church and family, he sold the house and went looking for the "Silicon Prairie" in Texas. Last I heard, he washed up at Home Depot, "keeping his sunny side up." I remember a (sorta) similar movie, "The Swimmer" (1968), about a "river of pools."

[@excession3076]

"The Swimmer" starred Burt Lancaster. Good film and has quite a twist in the end. Can't remember it too well, but it's about a man who's trying to get home and he swims all the pools in the neighbourhood/gardens to get there.

[@-WEST-]

I'm a simple guy; I see a reaction video to Falling Down show up in my feed, and I watch it.