Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[innerSpaceman]

I hate movie trailers. Gave away just about every funny moment in Hancock, which was a cute film that would have been kinda hilarious had I not seen almost every joke in the trailer.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Either I haven't seen the full trailer or my sieve of a brain has forgotten it....I'm still up for Will Smith goodness :)

[Gemini Cricket]

I lost interest in Hancock when the movie started tanking on rt.com. (I know the best way to judge a film is to see it yourself and then decide but I'm broke! :) )

[innerSpaceman]

The problem with revealing trailers is that, even if you've forgot something consciously, almost any brain will react with recognition when presented with the supposedly forgotten stuff. You can still enjoy that stuff, but there's an element of meh to contend with.


* * * *

Actually, Gemini Cricket, the best way to figure if you'll like a film is to go by the opinion of friends whose tastes you share, and not by rotten tomatoes. This means, of course, rush to see anything I dislike!! ;)

[Alex]

My experience is that generally an overly revealing trailor (have you ever seen the trailer for Seven Samurai? It practically says "and at minute 67:23 so-and-so dies and then at minute 93:14 this other so-and-so makes this important decision") doesn't do anything to ruin a good movie for me.

But they do go a fair ways towards ruining borderline movies. It is especially a problem for me since I see so movies in the theater I will have seen the big trailers a half dozen times or more (I generally don't ever look at them online) by the time the movie is released.

[Snowflake]

So Facebook tells me

iSm and I are Best Friends on the movie compatability. (GC and me is no real surprise there)

BE and me, "run away fast" :D (me & Borneo, too)

and € are "soul mates"

Traci and I are a terrible match ;)

Howling with laughter!

I am dissapointed that LSPE and I are only casual buddies (GD, too) :(

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Facebook is full of it! SF, you and I like a lot of the same movies.

[Snowflake]

Facebook is full of it! SF, you and I like a lot of the same movies.

Just not the cruddy list of films they came up with.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I may, in fact, enjoy big-dumb-movies more than you. But the classics are still my bread-and-butter.

[Snowflake]

I may, in fact, enjoy big-dumb-movies more than you. But the classics are still my bread-and-butter.

I love big dumb movies, but some in the last decade are just not dumb enough for me! ;)

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I attended the closing night of Last Remaining Seats. Silent films at the Orpheum with my dad and two friends. FANTASTIC! Saw a Chaplin short, a Lloyd short and Buster Keaton's The Navigator, which is now one of my all-time favorite films, and may be my favorite romance.

Composer Robert Israel (love, love, love) played the Wulitzer. He was, per usual, The Awesome!

My heart is still on a cloud.

[innerSpaceman]

Ok, I gave The Women a second chance yesterday, and really enjoyed it. I can claim my gay card back now, thank you.


(Oh, except the final shot of Norma Sheerer of overthetop schmaltz nearly wrecked it for me)

[lashbear]

"There's a word for you ladies, but it isn't used in polite society... outside of a kennel" :D

[JWBear]

Good grief, dear... Your skin makes the Rocky Mountains look like chiffon velvet!

[Gemini Cricket]

Nancy Blake (to the Countess de Lave): Chin up, dear.
Miriam Aarons (to the Countess de Lave): That's right, both of them!


Here's a refresher course in a good number of lines. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX9Y40efqAY)

[Gemini Cricket]

Ok, I gave The Women a second chance yesterday, and really enjoyed it. I can claim my gay card back now, thank you.
Reinstatement... pending.
(Oh, except the final shot of Norma Sheerer of overthetop schmaltz nearly wrecked it for me)
Better save your cracks for your next thread, Dear.


:D

[JWBear]

"My johnny says he'd like to do her nails right down to the wrist with a big buzz-saw."

There are so many great lines, how does one choose?

[JWBear]

Countess DeLave: I never got a sou out of anybody except my first husband, Mr. Strauss. Oh he said the most touching thing in his will, I remember every word of it... He said "To my beloved wife Flora, I leave all my estate... To be administered by executors because she is an A-1 schlmiel."

[JWBear]

"Well, cheer up, Mary; living alone has its compensations. Heaven knows it's marvelous being able to spread out in bed like a swastika."

[JWBear]

"Oh, you remember the awful things they said about what's-her-name before she jumped out the window? There. You see? I can't even remember her name so who cares Edith?"

[Gemini Cricket]

"Thanks for the tip. But when anything I wear doesn't please Stephen, I take it off."

[JWBear]

"Why he's plum loco for you countess! He likes you even better than his horse! And it's such a blasted big horse too! "

[JWBear]

"Any ladle's sweet that dishes out some gravy."

[JWBear]

Exercise instructress: Arms flat. Crawl slowly up the wall...

Sylvia Fowler: The way you say that makes me feel like vermin.

Exercise instructress: That shouldn't be much effort. I mean, crawling up the wall.

[JWBear]

"Our new one-piece lace foundation garment. Zips up the back and no bone."

[€uroMeinke]

So Facebook tells me


and € are "soul mates"



And to think, without facebook we may have never known this - so what are we going to say to Lisa?

[Not Afraid]

You can have his soul, I get everything else. ;)

[innerSpaceman]

You can have his soul, I get everything else.
I was just scrolling by quickly and was, like, hey ... I don't remember that line from The Women.



Didn't realize we'd finally changed the subject. And I thought that wouldn't be allowed until every line in the script had been quoted.


;)

[Not Afraid]

Well, since I've only seen it once the only thing I can quote is "jungle red".

[JWBear]

Sorry. I'm better now.

[flippyshark]

Oh my Gawd! This is the best commercial ever! (I never use such superlatives in casual conversation. So, I really mean this!)

Ad for 'Kubrick Season" (http://http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2008/jul/03/channel4.television)

[CoasterMatt]

Dark City (http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/29/dark-city-directors-cut-dvd-finalized-coming-july-29th/) is coming in a Director's Cut DVD & Bluray!

I absolutely love this movie, but shouldn't this cover art be, um, DARK?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Oh my Gawd! This is the best commercial ever! (I never use such superlatives in casual conversation. So, I really mean this!)

Ad for 'Kubrick Season" (http://http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2008/jul/03/channel4.television)The link is a little wonky - click here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2008/jul/03/channel4.television).

Dark City (http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/29/dark-city-directors-cut-dvd-finalized-coming-july-29th/) is coming in a Director's Cut DVD & Bluray!

I absolutely love this movie, but shouldn't this cover art be, um, DARK?Total agreement, wtf?

[innerSpaceman]

Thanks for the fixed link, CP. That was cool.



* * * *

I have no problem with the Dark City cover art. What I do have a problem with is the entire concept of a "director's cut" that has no bearing on what the director may have originally wanted but couldn't achieve. I hate these 20-years-later, less talented old man revisions.


I love this movie ... but unless I learn that the new version is something along the lines of what Proyas always intended but the studio wouldn't allow, or some such .... I'm really not interested in buying it (though of course, I'll want to see it as a curiousity).


Does anyone know the lowdown on this? Vanity Project or long-lost-How-It-Should-Have-Been?

[CoasterMatt]

Does anyone know the lowdown on this? Vanity Project or long-lost-How-It-Should-Have-Been?
The first I'd heard of it was around 2005 - there were quite a few comments on the original DVD to the effect of "the studio didn't want this- so we did this".

[mousepod]

I'm looking forward to the Dark City Director's Cut, if only for the removed narration over the first 5 minutes of the film that spoils the entire major plot twist of the movie! Whenever I show it to people, I mute the film until that horrible tacked-on voiceover is over.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'd be interested in the Director's cut, actually, because I kinda felt the theatrical release was lacking. Nothing specific that I can recall, it's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember it being one of those where I felt that the idea was really good, but the execution didn't quite do it justice. I watched it twice and came away from it with the same feeling both times. I'd like to know if he could fix it anyway, cause it could be really awesome if he does.

[Not Afraid]

I haven't seen Dark City since it was released in theaters. I loved the look of the film but really never connected with the story. Of course, it was seen by me so long ago that I have no clue what my specific issues were. I'd be interested in seeing it again in a "improved"(?) version.

[innerSpaceman]

So far, the commentary says the only thing imposed by the Studio was the voice-over intro. Sigh, I really don't see the need for a Director's Cut to fix that (especially when the mousepod method will work just fine).

It's also mentioned that Proyas claimed at the time to have gotten 90% of what he wanted for the film. I guess that leaves a 10% improvement potential ... and I think there's something like 15 extra minutes. So I'll give it a fair shake.


I'm certainly looking forward to seeing it at least once, as I'm sure that will be very fun and interesting.

[CoasterMatt]

I always liked watching Dark City and 12 Monkeys together

[Gemini Cricket]

As it turns out, this weekend was a great weekend for movie watchin'.

A Star is Born - Judy Garland version. As it turns out, I have never seen this one before. I thought I had, but I guess I didn't. I liked it. It dragged in places and the still photograph sections were weird. AND there were 2 instances of the Wilhelm Scream in this flick. Two!

Waitress - Even though the sad events (Wiki entry on Adrienne Shelly's murder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Shelly)) surrounding this film kinda cast a cloud over the entire pic, I loved this film. What a fool the main character was not to live happily ever after with the doctor... but I get the moral... she didn't need a man to be happy...

Atonement - I liked this one. I didn't love it. It dragged in places. But now I know what LSPE's signature meant. lol! Brioni - what a turd she was. Not sure that Keira Knightley deserved a Best Actress nod. She wasn't that great, imho. James McEvoy... wow, he looked great in a wife beater.

Trainspotting - Everytime I see this film, I love it more and more. And more and more I want to sleep with Sick Boy.

To Kill a Mockingbird - A masterpiece. Gregory Peck is phenomenal.
:)

[CoasterMatt]

Let's see...

This weekend I watched The Incredibles, Journey To The Center of The Earth (the 1959 one with James Mason and Pat Boone), and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[innerSpaceman]

Hmm, I was busy over the weekend, but managed to kick it off with The Women, to regain my gay card, and Dark City because of this thread ... um, Yankee Doodle Dandy and 1776 with friends on the 4th. Hmmm, that's it. Yep, busy weekend.

[Moonliner]

I saw Hancock over the weekend. Meh, not bad not great. It did however bring up a question on the production side.

Why does it seem that every movie these days is made by some new production company or companies I've never heard of and will probably never hear from again?

For example:

Hancock was made by: Blue Light, Forward Pass, GH Three, Overbrook, Relativity Media and Weed Road Pictures.

Get Smart by: Mad Chance, Mosasic media group and others...

What's up with all these companies? Some of them don't even appear to have websites. Is there some sneaky tax reason for creating a new production company for each major movie?

[Ghoulish Delight]

I think it's the fact that everybody has a production company, so they all have to be credited. Tax purposes is probably a large part of it, as well as bragging rights, but while it used to be that a single production company would get investments from independent people, now each of those independent investors represents their own company.

That's my uneducated guess anyway.

[innerSpaceman]

Oh, that's right, I saw Hancock, too. Heheh, actually went to the movies once over the weekend.

It was cute. I mentioned that the trailer practically ruined my enjoyment of the film by giving away 99% of the humor. So I have to figure in that I would have laughed as much during the movie as I did during the trailer, and then the film comes out not half bad.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

That's my uneducated guess anyway.Another uneducated take - the big companies have a zillion small ones they go by. Right?

[Alex]

I imagine most of them are simply investment production companies or owned access to some important piece of the film's package. One of the ways the major studios hedge there bets is to get other people to pay for making them and the studios are involved more as distributors than creators. And to get people involved you give producer credits.

Forward Pass is Michael Mann's production company; there contribution might actually have involved production work.
I believe Relatively Media is just a financing production company so there contribution would be money.
Overbrook is Will Smith's production company; their contribution was Will Smith.
Weed Road Pictures is Akiva Goldsman's production company.


Don't know about the others.

[innerSpaceman]

I keep wanting to develop a computer based show system for my DVDs that will automatically skip the trailers, the menu, the THX logo ... and, almost more important, skip all but one of the studio/production company logos that introduce a film.

[BarTopDancer]

I finally saw Almost Famous. Loved it.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I keep wanting to develop a computer based show system for my DVDs that will automatically skip the trailers, the menu, the THX logo ... and, almost more important, skip all but one of the studio/production company logos that introduce a film.I would buy a copy of that software!

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm watching the Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice again. Judi Dench is such a b!tch in this one. I loooove her.
:)

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm watching the Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice again. Judi Dench is such a b!tch in this one. I loooove her.
:)
Forgive me, but I'm not done gushing. I love this movie. The rain scene, I looooove love love the "end my agony" rain scene.
<3 <3 <3

[innerSpaceman]

I had a dream with Judi Dench in it last night, and I woke up all thinking of YOU, G.C.

[Gemini Cricket]

I had a dream with Judi Dench in it last night, and I woke up all thinking of YOU, G.C.
How sweet! And, by the way, to quote Dame Judi: I've been plucked since we last met.
;)



Oofta! How could I have not watched the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice? I watched bits and pieces, but hadn't sat through it. It's wonderful! Is everyone in the Bonham-Carter family gorgeous? And the Mr. Collins in this version is just... ewww!

[Snowflake]

How sweet! And, by the way, to quote Dame Judi: I've been plucked since we last met.
;)



Oofta! How could I have not watched the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice? I watched bits and pieces, but hadn't sat through it. It's wonderful! Is everyone in the Bonham-Carter family gorgeous? And the Mr. Collins in this version is just... ewww!

Oh, but Mr. Collins needs to be Ew! (the actor portraying him was also a very wonderful Cicero in the HBO series Rome)

I love this version of P&P (and I do love the old MGM, too, with Greer Garson and the divine Mary Boland as Mother Bennett, "totering on the brink!")

[katiesue]

I love them both as well. hmm time to dust off the DVD's.

[CoasterMatt]

I just got KOYAANISQATSI and POWAQQATSI on DVD - time for some beautiful imagery and Phillip Glass audio mesmerism.

[Alex]

I had never seen those. Got them from Netflix about three weeks ago.

Put in Koyaanisqatsi. This is no exaggeration but I fell asleep four times before I had made it 15 minutes in.

I sent both of them back. It was like home hypnotism and not in a good way.

[mousepod]

I've seen both of these with live accompaniment by the Philip Glass Ensemble. The only place I've seen the third one is on my TV...

[CoasterMatt]

I've seen both of these with live accompaniment by the Philip Glass Ensemble. The only place I've seen the third one is on my TV...
I saw the first two with live accompaniment, too - I've missed out on seeing the third one, though.

[flippyshark]

Naqoyqatsi was tough going compared with the first two - not so scenic, much more concerned with the inner workings of technology. It also suffered in that it was the only one I was introduced to on a television set. The first two I saw in theaters.

I haven't revisited Koyaanisqatsi in a very long time, and wonder how it would hold up for me by now. I'll have to give it a rent. I saw Powaqatsi in a local independent theater, and I really enjoyed it, but the house I saw it with made audible noises of disenjoyment, including sarcastic snoring sounds, so that made the experience frustrating.

Another difference between the first two films - when I showed Koyaanisqatsi in Santa Fe back in 1984, most of the audience lit up. When I saw Powaqatsi, most of the audience were sipping Perrier and eating overpriced sandwiches. That might have had something to do with it.

[JWBear]

I had never seen those. Got them from Netflix about three weeks ago.

Put in Koyaanisqatsi. This is no exaggeration but I fell asleep four times before I had made it 15 minutes in.

I sent both of them back. It was like home hypnotism and not in a good way.

Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[Gemini Cricket]

Oh, but Mr. Collins needs to be Ew! (the actor portraying him was also a very wonderful Cicero in the HBO series Rome)

I love this version of P&P (and I do love the old MGM, too, with Greer Garson and the divine Mary Boland as Mother Bennett, "totering on the brink!")
Lady Catherine (Katherine?) is not nearly as bitchy in the 1995 version as she is in the 2005 version. But I daresay that Judi did a wonderful wonderful job.
:)

[Ghoulish Delight]

We re-watched Batman Begins last night. I tell you what, Dark Knight's got a lot to live up to. Begins is a great movie. I think it does an excellent job of carrying the "fear" theme all the way through, with characters and story that serves the theme and makes a point. It wasn't an overbearing message movie while still having a salient enough point to warrant grandiose comic book dialog and story (as in "your parents were perfect, captains of industry, level headed family folk, adored by all, sacrificed everything for a city that ultimately killed them and were happy to do so, and oh by the way supported the freaking underground railroad. Live up to THAT, douchebag!").

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Preliminary reviews are in on it, and word is that it's actually even better. On Metacritic (which I prefer over Rotten Tomatoes; RT gives you a % of people who deem it good or bad, Metacritic gives each review a % rating and averages them, so it's more accurate) it currently has a 97% - very few films ever get a number that good. (Surely it may go down, but it says something that Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Time all gave reviews rated 100% - otherwise known as "flawless.")

[mousepod]

Saw Hellboy II last night. Really enjoyed it. H didn't like it as much as the first - but still liked it a lot.

Worth the time and $.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Just BLOWN AWAY by Batman Begins last night. Everything I remember having issues with the first time seemed wonderful this time. For some reason I hated Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes the first time around but this time she seemed a pretty good fit. (Of course she's not in the next one, which is fine, I didn't love her.)

They did an incredible job of melding the seriousness with the grand scale of things. Nothing comes off as cheesy, even as over-the-top-ness is everywhere, and I'm cackling over whatever awesome gadgetry or death-defying moment seems totally believable within the realm of the film. Damn, that's some good action-filmmaking.

*crosses fingers*

[Tref]

I saw Hancock on Saturday and Journey to the Center of the Earth this afternoon (both at the Americana at Brand). I enjoyed them both, though JTTCOTE wins the weekend because of the great 3-D effects and a couple great jolts. Journey steals a lot from other films (Bill & Ted, Indian Jones, Jurassic Park) though it does it well, maybe even topping the originals a bit. Hancock has been criticised for its mid-point twist, though I had no problem with it whatsoever.

Tref sez, check 'em out.

[Alex]

Yeah, I don't understand why that seems to upset people (the Hancock twist, that is).

[€uroMeinke]

Saw The Naughty Girl (French 1956) for Bastille Day yesterday. Horribly flawed and yet perfect vehicle to launch Brigitte Bardot's career. Gratuitous swim scene to show her in bikini, dream sequences to include pirate costumes, Jail house tangos, and outfits blown away in gusts of wind. Lot's of physical comedy that could have been so much funnier with some better editing, wonderfully cliched detectives, talking of the best places to get Cassoulet. Still a delight to see Bardot's opening line of "meard."

[€uroMeinke]

Co0ntinuing my Brigit Bardot marathon I saw Voulex-vous danser avec moi (Come Dance with me) Much more delightful film with Serge Gainsbourg playing a role - French Sex comedey. murder mystery, midgets, transvestites, and Brigit Bardot - perfect film to drink a martini to...

Cheers
:cheers:

[CoasterMatt]

Anybody wanna see a screening of "Mamma Mia" this Saturday?

[mousepod]

Decided to finally tackle the "1000 Greatest Films" list from They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (http://theyshootpictures.com)

I've also included the movies on their latest "Must-see" list that arent' on the main list, which brings the total to 1035.

Tonight I watched 12 Angry Men.

If anyone wants to come by sometime and pick a movie off the list to watch (assuming that I have it or it's available at one of two very well stocked local video stores)... I'll make the popcorn.

[Gemini Cricket]

12 Angry Men is a cool film. Love it. One of my favorite Henry Fonda movies.
:)

[wendybeth]

Co0ntinuing my Brigit Bardot marathon I saw Voulex-vous danser avec moi (Come Dance with me) Much more delightful film with Serge Gainsbourg playing a role - French Sex comedey. murder mystery, midgets, transvestites, and Brigit Bardot - perfect film to drink a martini to...

Cheers
:cheers:

You weren't dictating this post to NA, were you? ;)

(Sorry- don't often catch you making typos).

:D

[Strangler Lewis]

12 Angry Men is a cool film. Love it. One of my favorite Henry Fonda movies.
:)

That and "Tentacles."

[flippyshark]

Is there anything on the list that isn't yet available on video? If so, that will end up being the one I most want to see.

Currently on top of my "need to catch up with it" list is Pather Panchali.

Tentacles - ah yes. Caught that on a rainy afternoon and laughed myself silly. Terrible, but I own it on DVD, and probably spin it once every three or four years. Nostalgia is a silly thing.

[CoasterMatt]

Saw a screening of "Mamma Mia" today - tons of fun!

Meryl Streep is awesome.

[Gemini Cricket]

I know I've gone on and on about these two films (avatars and all that too) but I m in love with A Clockwork Orange and Trainspotting. I just realized tonight that Trainspotting has an ACO homage in it. The Trainspotting boys are sitting in a club with writing on the walls just like in the milk bar in ACO.

I want to write a screenplay that hits hard like Trainspotting. The movie starts and within a few minutes, you know everything about the main characters. So very cool.

Think think thinky think think think...

:)

[alphabassettgrrl]

Saw Hellboy II last night. Not particularly deep, but it was highly entertaining. There's a very Star Wars feel to it, only done better than the trailer they showed for the new SW movie.

[flippyshark]

done better than the trailer they showed for the new SW movie.

Faint praise indeed.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Saw Mama Mia with CoasterMatt - enjoyed it. It's flawed but has great music. Weird to see James Bond singing. The direction is really terrible, though, which is a shame seeing as the great location they have. Some moments you groan and some are really fantastic.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I didn't mean the movie was bad- it wasn't. It was fun. I did notice a Star Wars feel to it, which was interesting.

The trailer for the new Star Wars, though, was awful. Maybe showing the trailer was why I felt the SW vibe in Hellboy. The new SW movie is animated and I am heartbroken. It looks horrid. Not to mention out of place in the series.

[flippyshark]

I agree that the new Star Wars film looks hopelessly dull and awful. Hellboy looks awesome from the trailers, but I doubt I'll get to it very soon. My movie budget this month will allow me to see Dark Knight and that's about it.

[mousepod]

I liked Hellboy II more than The Dark Knight.

[innerSpaceman]

:eek:

[BarTopDancer]

Loved Mama Mia.

[Snowflake]

Found this today, was not sure where to put it, sooooooo MMM is where it lands.

A cool video, side by side comparison of the car chase from Bullitt (THE car chase) and the actual locations used in San Francisco.

View it here (http://www.sparkletack.com/2008/07/01/bullitt-the-greatest-car-chase-ever-from-space/)

Much like the slow, meandering car chase of Vertigo, it moves around a fair bit. But this is pretty cool!

makes me want to add Bullitt to the netflix queue, I think I will!

[Gemini Cricket]

Saw Mama Mia with CoasterMatt - enjoyed it. It's flawed but has great music. Weird to see James Bond singing. The direction is really terrible, though, which is a shame seeing as the great location they have. Some moments you groan and some are really fantastic.

I, too, saw it with CoasterMatt. Thank you, sir. :)

You know, I completely agree with Bornieo on Mamma Mia!

Meryl Streep is wonderful. But at certain moments, even she couldn't save a couple of scenes she was in.

There are some really fun moments, but Act I was just a huge, rushed mess. Also, the cast screamed to much during this film. I understand that it was camp, but there's a way to successfully do camp. ie. Strictly Ballroom.

The scenery is amazingly beautiful.
:)

[Alex]

Let's see other than The Dark Knight, other recent viewings:

Mongol - This was nominated for Best Foreign Language film at last February's Academy Awards and was the submission from Kazakhstan. Though it was made by a Russian, funded from Germany, and mostly filmed in Mongolia. It is supposed to be the first film in a trilogy documenting the life of Temudjin, otherwise known as Genghis Khan. It's is a bit ponderous at times but beautifully photographed. I sometimes felt I was missing points of culture that were just assumed but overall I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to the future installments. The film is entirely in Mongolian (with, I think, some bits of Chinese) and subtitled.

Dawn of the Dead - The 2004 remake with Vingh Rhames. I'm not particularly a fan of the zombie genre and this one did nothing to change my mind. But I was being lazy on the couch and sat through it anyway.

Look Back in Anger - A 1958 UK film starring Richard Burton, Mary Ure, and Clarie Bloom. Essentially an early example of the "screwed up people behaving like screwed up people" genre of movie that I find so annoying. I just don't really have my empathy for people who wallow in their own ****.
Based on a stage play and not much was done to make it into a movie. Kind of felt like a rehearsal by Burton for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? though this movie doesn't have the snap or pacing of that one.

[Not Afraid]

The very first theater monologue I ever did was from Look Back in Anger.

[Gemini Cricket]

I ran into Steve Carell at a 7-11 just minutes ago. He was talking to some fans inside. He seems like a very nice guy. Kinda buff, too.
:)

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Saw Once. Very sweet, though it didn't blow me away. I have to say I watched the guy's guitar fingering more than anything during the music scenes. :) Very cute, very sweet, that's about it, though the music was very good. Not sure if I'll buy the music or not.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Saw Once. Very sweet, though it didn't blow me away. I have to say I watched the guy's guitar fingering more than anything during the music scenes. :) Very cute, very sweet, that's about it, though the music was very good. Not sure if I'll buy the music or not.

Loved the music more than the film, which felt like a very long music video in some places. There was that absolutely joyful scene where the musicians record their first song in the studio: LOVED. Also loved how the romance played out. Definitely recommend the soundtrack and their other albums...

[Moonliner]

So which movie is going to win more Razzies?

"Meet Dave" or this X-Files thing?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Love Guru

[alphabassettgrrl]

I hope X-Files isn't as bad as it seems. Gillian doesn't look like herself, which bothers me to no end, and even Mulder looks haggard. As noted on www.gofugyourself.com, they've killed off all the characters that people care about, so what's the interest in the movie?

I'll still see it because I'm a huge fan of Gillian but I'm not expecting much. ::sigh::

[innerSpaceman]

I'll see it because I was such a big X-Files fan (who wisely jumped ship just as it jumped shark), but it's getting some pretty poor reviews. Waaaa!

[Alex]

I'm playing hookie today and I'm probably going to go see (no, I'm not playing hookie to see it, it is just a way to pass some time).

[Alex]

Sadly, it is maybe just barely good enough that it should have been considered as a made-for-TV reunion movie.

Unless you have a serious need to know what happened with Mulder and Scully over the last decade I'd just let this one pass (I wouldn't even really suggest an eventual DVD rental).

[alphabassettgrrl]

I'm sure you're right. I'm just sad. Scully doesn't even look like herself these days.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I just read the premise for Meet Dave. Double-you Tee Eff???

[LSPoorEeyorick]

But have you seen the gigantic car that looks like Eddie Murphy's head?

[JWBear]

We just got around to watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets.












My Momma taught me that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

[Ghoulish Delight]

We just got around to watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets.



My Momma taught me that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.
.Two teenage girls, I believe in the presumed target market for that movie, babysat my niece while we went out to dinner one evening. They rented NT:BoS from my sister's Vudu box. We got back from dinner about 15 minutes before the movie was over. We said they could stick around to finish it. They practically jumped off the couch and ran for the door. I took that as a bad sign for the movie.

[Alex]

I got ripped a couple new ones for not saying anything nice about it in my MousePlanet review. One paragraph:

But I fear I may be doing a disservice to the movie by making it sound much more coherent and cohesive than it actually is. I have no doubt I'll have people write me to say, "It is just a stupid movie, lighten up! Just go with the flow!" When the movie is worth it I can certainly do that, but Book of Secrets so assaults the audience with stupidity and improbability that I have no desire to meet it halfway. In fact, I have no desire to meet it any fraction of the way. It is going to have to come to my house, clean up a bit, and make dinner first if it ever wants to experience my company again.

So I agree completely.

[JWBear]

What I don't understand, is how they can have done the research to include a few obscure historical references; but have been so bone-headedly stupid on everything else!

ETA: Several desks were made from the timbers of the HMS Resolute. One is in the Oval Office; the movie got that correct. A small ladies writing desk was made for Queen Victoria, but it's not in Buckingham Palace. It's at Osborne House (another of Victoria's homes), and is in no way, shape, or form a twin to the one in the White House.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Uncreative license.

[flippyshark]

Script research that can't even manage to get its ass to Wikipedia doesn't deserve to be called research at all. And contrived historical "facts" are really unimpressive when they are simply yanked from the screenwriter's sphincter.

Oh, and ever since The Wicker Man (21st Century "Not The Bees!" edition), I just can't watch Nicholas Cage anymore.

Tonight, I'm taking in Dark Knight and X Files: IW2B at the drive-in, weather permitting. I'm thinking the drive-in ambiance (mosquitoes, screeching kids in pajamas, dogs, horns honking, etc.) may detract from Dark Knight a bit, but may add charm to X Files, at least if the reviews are correct. (I was only a very occasional and casual viewer of the series, so i'm really only in it because its a double feature.)

[MouseWife]

I got ripped a couple new ones for not saying anything nice about it in my MousePlanet review. One paragraph:



So I agree completely.

There are too many uptight people over there. Not quite so many here. :p

I need to find the thread where some guy really got upset about RHCP doing the tunes for the two rides. I mean, it was like how some are saying {I received a forwarded multi-person email} that Obama is the anti-christ. :rolleyes:

[Gn2Dlnd]

I need to find the thread where some guy really got upset about RHCP doing the tunes for the two rides.

I could not, for the life of me, make this sentence make sense for me. On an off-chance, I highlighted and right-clicked RHCP, followed the "Search Yahoo for "RHCP" (http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=RHCP&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2)" link, and voila! That's what RHCP means and now I know what the two rides are.

So far, I have not received any Obama for Antichrist spams yet. I hope he runs, I've always hoped the Antichrist would be nice. If he does, do you think Hilary will want to be Vice-Antichrist?

[Alex]

Just for the record, I will accept evidence of Obama being the anti-Christ as evidence of the reality of the anti-anti-Christ. So if anybody seems to make a good case, please forward it to me.

[Gemini Cricket]

I have Fellowship of the Ring on while I work on stuff in my apt. I never get tired of this film. It's edited really well in places.
:)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Across the Universe

Loved it.

[Gemini Cricket]

Across the Universe

Loved it.
Hmm. I think I need to give it another shot. I saw it with CoasterMatt and Rose and I didn't care for it. I got what the filmmakers were trying to do, but I wasn't drawn into it. Maybe upon a second viewing?

Although, no second viewing will mend the ending in my head. I hated that they weren't together at the end. It was as if the producers and Taymor couldn't get them scheduled for the same shot at the end.

[innerSpaceman]

I thought that was very romantic, them on different rooftops but finally back together.


Across the Universe is one of those fascinating Love-It-Or-Hate-It movies. I love that i love it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

It's by no means perfect, but I thought they did a realloy fabulous job of not creating some literal visual transcription of the songs but rather took meaning from the songs and ran with it. The story is no Pulitzer-winner but good enough to hang everything together, and I thought most of the vignettes stood on their own as little mini stories. The whole thing felt like a good music album in movie musical form.

And I was prepared to hate it after the intro. I really disliked the bit of Helter Skelter at the front, but maybe if I see it again I'll get something different out of it.

[flippyshark]

Mostly loved Across The Universe. A few scenes made me cringe (Dear Prudence was way too literal, and silly, plus that character went nowhere, and the Mr. Kite sequence, oy) I thought the ending worked great, since by then I was blubbering like a teenager.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I liked Mr. Kite.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We never had a thread about Across the Universe? This board doesn't have boolean search. And there's no way I'm going to read this whole thread again, even though I would love to see others' impressions on this film.

Seriously, people - please start threads about individual new movies.

I thought it was great.

[innerSpaceman]

There was TONS of talk about Across the Universe when it was released. It's in THIS thread, if I'm not mistaken.

[JWBear]

I hated the Mr Kite sequence, as well.

[Gemini Cricket]

Visually, ATU was pretty. I really liked the draft exam sequence. I, too, liked Mr. Kite. But I wasn't moved by the movie. I kind of laughed when these actors started singing the Beatles' songs. I didn't find any of their portrayals to be as deep as the songs are. It felt like the director and the actors got together and said, 'Okay, now we're going to pretend to be hippies.' But because so many people I know adore this movie, I'm going to give it another shot...
:)

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

All Imax showings of Batman were sold out yesterday so we saw the X-Files instead. Loved seeing it at the Chinese because the theater is lush and the sound system unsurpassed. Enjoyed the film and seeing them together again despite the obvious plot holes and often bad and repetetive dialogue. I can understand why it has been poorly reviewed but it was still a fun date movie for 2 fans of the series.

[Alex]

My weekend movie watching reviews:

The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Embarrassingly awful. Would have made for an ok made-for-TV reunion movie but only because the standards for made-for-TV reunion movies aren't even as high as for regular series episodes. Not even as high as "we're in the middle of a contract dispute so we're flexing our power with the stars by showing them how much they rely on us for quality by not giving them any quality" episodes.

Unbreakable - Holds up well. I still love what Shyamalan was trying to do with this movie and it really emphasizes how full of himself he has become since.

For Whom the Bell Tolls - I've never understood the appeal of Gary Cooper. The man has a face and acting style like Teflon. Minutes after seeing him I literally can't remember what he looks like and two days after watching this if I try to picture him my memory just has a talking gray blob in it. The themes of manliness, death, and sacrifice are not well defined - at least not in comparison with the book. However, it did spart an interesting conversation with Lani about why it is bad that Jennifer Jones played hapa in Love is a Many Splendored Thing but that it isn't much bothersome that Ingrid Bergman plays a Spaniard here.

Mamma Mia! - Painfully bad at several points and very fun at several others. Pierce Brosnan can't sing but that doesn't match much. Though I wouldn't mind future opportunities to watch Amanda Seyfried running around in a swimsuit.

The King Is Alive - Dogma 95 has produced some interesting movies. This really isn't one of them. The story of some tourists lost in a Namibian-desert ghost town produces a few interesting scenes but is mostly just a slog.

[innerSpaceman]

Visually, ATU was pretty. I really liked the draft exam sequence. I, too, liked Mr. Kite. But I wasn't moved by the movie.
:)
I didn't connect with the characters in the same way I did the sort of similarly-gimmicked Moulin Rouge, for example. But I think Ghoulish Delight got nailed it best as a visual album watched and listened to with 60's/Beatles vignettes strung together by a connective-tissue-paper-thin story featuring appealing actors.

Interestingly, I love all the covers of the Beatles songs as they appear in the visual album of Across the Universe, but dislike them greatly as merely cover songs on the CD from that movie.


So the visual album style is unique and, imo, marvelous. It's not a film I can connect with in the same way as a conventionally plotted or executed musical ... its form is unique and its road to appreciation also unique, and perhaps a little more challenging.


But, sheesh, it's like 2 minutes between numbers ... and I enjoy every single one of the musical numbers, with a handful being fantastically excellent.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

There was TONS of talk about Across the Universe when it was released. It's in THIS thread, if I'm not mistaken.Like I said, I'm not rereading the entire thread, and there's no good way to search for the posts.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Like I said, I'm not rereading the entire thread, and there's no good way to search for the posts.
If you use the "search this thread" and search for Universe that should get you most of the discussion.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Post #2460 is where people who'd seen it start discussing it.

[mousepod]

Like I said, I'm not rereading the entire thread, and there's no good way to search for the posts.

The reviews start at post #2460.

You can go back a little and see the advance excitement, plans etc...

But that's pretty much the best place to start.

I think it got reintroduced again when it came out on DVD.

[Alex]

From a more global perspective searching

Keywords: taymor universe
Show Results As: posts
Show Posts From: 6 months and older
Search in Forums: Beatnik

Gets you a good round up of the relevant posts. Not perfect, no. The problem that seems to happen with anything other than the most mainstream of films is that we all end up seeing them at really different times. So the first person to see a movie starts a thread and it dies, then the next doesn't remember it, starts a new one, and it dies.

So people just start dumping all of them into a standing thread where at least there is more walk-up traffic.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I actually didn't think Mamma Mia was terrible in some places. I thought it was ridiculously camp in almost ALL places, and I found that enjoyable. I really disliked the stage production* but it really jived with me in movie form.

X-Files was surely flawed, but was entertaining to watch. Not the terrible mess it was made out to be - but better than some other procedural movies (Untraceable, I'm looking at you.) I didn't feel the excitement for it that I would've during the first several seasons - but after all, it did break my heart with the last few. It should be happy I gave it the time of day!

*I think is because I am generally frustrated at the lack of original musicals out there. Or lack of opportunity for original composers/lyricists. It came around on the heels of Smokey Joe's Cafe, Movin' Out and the like. Piecemeal plots strung along with existing music which doesn't do much to move the plot forward. For whatever reason, this did not bother me in the film at all, because it felt like a fun exercise in absurdism.

[Alex]

I don't think I had the barest glimmer of being entertained by The X-Files. Maybe it is bad expectations on my part but:

I wanted something bigger than

"maybe that guy is a psychic of some limited ability" and "ooh, a mad scientist"

But even what was given wasn't well told. It definitely isn't good (for a couple reasons) that the most interesting character in the movie is Amanda Peet.

[Gemini Cricket]

Now I have "Lay All Your Love on Me" in my head. I blame LSPE.
:D

[flippyshark]

So, even after thirty years, there are places where Monty Python's Life Of Brian (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/7530542.stm) is still banned. (Including NA's home, I presume.) Amusingly, the woman who played Brian's girlfriend in the film (completely starkers!) is now mayor of a little village where the ban is till in effect.

[CoasterMatt]

I had so much fun at Forbidden Zone last night... but I must say, I almost don't want "Forbidden Galaxy" to be made.

I finally got to personally thank Richard Elfman for making a movie that meant a lot to weirdos like me.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantonamo Bay

It was exactly as expected. Though it did have one scene with a lot of hot women with no pants. Worth a few bucks to rent if you like slapstick movies. Cameo (of course) by Neil Patrick Harris.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Oh. There's a "Search this Thread". I didn't know that. :blush:

[Prudence]

Saw Hellboy II yesterday. It appears to be several different movies smashed together, and not necessarily to good effect. It is apparently the chick flick of this year's superhero crop.

[NickO'Time]

Saw Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Uncensored. Funny, but not as funny as the first one.

[Alex]

My review of Swing Vote (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=sr080801as). There were things I liked in the movie (hopefully the Dennis Hopper anti-abortion ad shows up on YouTube). And both Kevin Costner and young Madeline Carroll give good performance; unfortunately they aren't really performances that go well together.

Tone is all over the place, and not in a good way and ultimately tears the movie apart.

[innerSpaceman]

It just occured to me that two Kevin Costner movies I like are not available on DVD in their theatrical release form (JFK and Dancing With Wolves.) I love these movies, but the "special editions" suck.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but Dancing With Wolves won the Oscar for Best Picture. How could THAT film not be on DVD??? Lame.

[Stan4dSteph]

It just occured to me that two Kevin Costner movies I like are not available on DVD in their theatrical release form (JFK and Dancing With Wolves.) I love these movies, but the "special editions" suck.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but Dancing With Wolves won the Oscar for Best Picture. How could THAT film not be on DVD??? Lame.It's Dances With Wolves (http://www.amazon.com/Dances-Wolves-Widescreen-Kirk-Baltz/dp/B00000F187/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1217603377&sr=8-10). Isn't that the version, or is there some minor tweak that doesn't make it authentic for you? It's the same running time as the theatrical release, according to IMDB.

[innerSpaceman]

Hahaha, yes, know the title of the movie you want and that might help. (Ugh, so little sleep last nite).


But, thanks. Actually, i've seen the theatrical version on DVD before, but always in pan&scan.


Cool beans. Heheh, find JFK for me, will ya?? ;)

[Gemini Cricket]

Couldn't sleep last night and stayed up and watched Red River. One of these days, I will go into a scene by scene analysis but this movie has a big-time gay subtext.
Also, Clift is wonderful eye candy to look at in this movie but boy he's a stiff actor (no pun intended). I mean, his face barely moves when he talks!
I love seeing Wayne playing the heavy. He does it well. It's one of three movies I can stand watching him in. The other two being The Quiet Man and The Searchers.

[Alex]

Funny, those last two are among my least favorite Wayne movies.

[Gemini Cricket]

Funny, those last two are among my least favorite Wayne movies.
Nobody's perfect.

[katiesue]

The Quiet Man is one of my favorite movies ever.

[Moonliner]

I just noticed "Red Dwarf" on the netflix view instantly queue. There goes my productivity for the rest of the day....

[Ghoulish Delight]

I just noticed "Red Dwarf" on the netflix view instantly queue. There goes my productivity for the rest of the day....
Oh, awesome. Of course, we've only got one more disc to go in the series.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Nobody's perfect.

And THAT is my favorite vintage comedy.

er, SLIH, that is.

[Gemini Cricket]

And THAT is my favorite vintage comedy.

er, SLIH, that is.
Love that movie.
:)


Right now, I'm working from home and have Goodfellas playing in the background. Love that movie! Scorsese's mom is brilliantly funny.
:)

[Gemini Cricket]

Goodness. I am a big fat sucker for the 'light the beacons' scene in Return of the King. Love the music during that sequence. Gets me all misty-eyed.

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, that part's awesome.



Not much in that movie is. But that's a great 2 minutes out of four hours.

[Gemini Cricket]

Not much in that movie is. But that's a great 2 minutes out of four hours.
Tinkle in my lemonade, why don't ya?

:D

[innerSpaceman]

Hey, i was agreeing with ya.


There's another good part coming up in 117 minutes. But after that, turn it off.

[Gemini Cricket]

I have a special place in my heart for all three films (extended and theatrical). They helped me survive three years of the Bush administration and three years of living in Monterey.
:D

[alphabassettgrrl]

Yeah, the 2nd Harold & Kumar wasn't as funny as the first.

[Gemini Cricket]

Goodness.
I just watched the end of Bullets Over Broadway and totally noticed a huge f*ck up! In the scene where Rob Reiner is yelling at John Cusack from his apartment window, you can totally see a C-Stand and a lighting rig in Rob Reiner's window. It's huge and obvious. lol! :D
Never saw that before.

[flippyshark]

Goodness.
I just watched the end of Bullets Over Broadway and totally noticed a huge f*ck up! In the scene where Rob Reiner is yelling at John Cusack from his apartment window, you can totally see a C-Stand and a lighting rig in Rob Reiner's window. It's huge and obvious. lol! :D
Never saw that before.

Maybe he was about to shoot some amateur porn in his bedroom?

I'll have to look for that. It's really a fun, clever movie.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Watch The Godfather this morning.

Believe it or not, it was my first time ever seeing it, though I obviously am familiar with a good portion of it from it's proliferation through pop culture.

I found it to be a 99% excellent movie. Powerful, well paced, a rare movie that I felt deserved to be 3 hours long.

However I found one major shortcoming that kinda bugged me. In a 3 hour movie, they couldn't find the time to make Michael's transformation from war hero all American boy to mafia Don make some sort of sense? I mean, sure it's obvious that he was driven to it by the attempt on pop's life. But we aren't shown the tiniest bit of that transformation. I think Michael has all of 3 lines of dialog between, "That's my family, not me," and, "I know, I'll shoot those two guys and become king of the underworld!"

[Moonliner]

I just saw that "Starship Troopers 3" is now out on DVD/Blu.

I think the most interesting thing about that is: There was A Starship Troopers 2?

I can't begin to imagine what kind of horrid this movie must be.

Although I did enjoy the original Starship Troopers even if it did mangle Heinlein's sublime concept of power armor. I'm a sucker for naked Denise Richards.

[innerSpaceman]

In a 3 hour movie, they couldn't find the time to make Michael's transformation from war hero all American boy to mafia Don make some sort of sense?
They certainly didn't want to telegraph the transformation, or the end would have been less powerful. I guess they might have erred in going too far with that ... but i haven't seen the film in a long, long time and won't be watching it any time soon. (Mafia movies freak me out ... um, these particular folks who lived in my home town and who's grandkids I played with freak me out even more.)



* * * * *

Ya know, if you cut out about half the stuff in the middle of the picture, Peter Jackson's King Kong is absolutely brilliant. I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the New York stuff that bookends the film, the sailing to Skull Island is brilliant, the stuff on the Island is fantastic through Kong's 1st appearance and from Jack's rescue of Ann onward.

There's really only that pesky middle part. Half of that stuff is very good, and the other half is godawful.


You tend not to think about it, but the New York segments are full of special effects. Jackson shows amazing restraint and demonstrates a keen ability to show just enough to tantalize, but not enough to induce growning. Yet he seems to lose all sense of that when dinosaurs are concerned. It's like two different people directed this movie.


Hmmmm, come to think of it, it's like two different people directed Lord of the Rings also. Maybe he's got a Smeagol problem.

[Gemini Cricket]

I've never read the Godfather novel. I wonder how Puzo handles the transformation.

[Alex]

The novel is very good.

Being able to handle the internal better it provides deeper insight into that aspect, but it is still a pretty abrupt change from "I want no part of this" to "Well, I have to help keep dad alive" then in Italy it all hardens.

What was cut out of the movie (to my recollection) is the giant vagina and all of the Las Vegas stuff and most of the Hollywood stuff.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I've never read the Godfather novel. I wonder how Puzo handles the transformation.
That was the first thing CP said too.

They certainly didn't want to telegraph the transformation, or the end would have been less powerful. Sure they didn't want to telegraph that he was going to become the new Don over Sunny, but they made no bones about the fact that he was now ready willing and able to kill for revenge. That leap was made with no insight into his character. One second he was a war hero who wanted nothing to do with the family business, the next he was putting bullets into criminals' brains.

It's not even like it would have taken much to fill that in. The motivation is straight forward, they tried to kill his dad. Just show something to let us know what he was thinking. Was it an easy decision? Did he struggle with it? Does he miss his identity as a hero or was it easy for him to let that go? There was just nothing that reconciled the guy who clearly wanted no part of the family business with the guy who concocted an elaborate high profile revenge killing.

Better see which library branches have the book.

[Alex]

One second he was a war hero who wanted nothing to do with the family business, the next he was putting bullets into criminals' brains.

Reading these comments (it has been years since I last saw The Godfather) one thing that maybe the book did that the movie did was work through the politics and logistics that meant Michael was the only one who had a chance of making the hit and how he came to that conclusion and accepted that this was to be his role and that it was a Rubicon that couldn't be uncrossed.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Reading these comments (it has been years since I last saw The Godfather) one thing that maybe the book did that the movie did was work through the politics and logistics that meant Michael was the only one who had a chance of making the hit and how he came to that conclusion and accepted that this was to be his role and that it was a Rubicon that couldn't be uncrossed.
Yeah, that wasn't handled well. They sort of addressed it and it was obvious that the reason he had to do it was that he was the only one who could easily disappear afterwards. But he was instantly on board, and actually came up with the plan, which just didn't make much sense from a guy who, to that point, had been presented as loyal to the family but entirely removed from the business.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I just saw that "Starship Troopers 3" is now out on DVD/Blu.

I think the most interesting thing about that is: There was A Starship Troopers 2?I saw the commercial for the ST3 disc on SciFi and had that exact reaction! When the hell did ST2 come out

[Ghoulish Delight]

It was straight to DVD.

[innerSpaceman]

And had a $5 budget (I've never seen it, but reportedly all the bug attacks happened in the pitch-black dark, so nothing was shown).

ST3 purportedly had a budget on par with the original ... but apparently no budget for a theatrical release. Straight to Video this time, too ... but at least I've heard of it this time.

[Gemini Cricket]

A little something from the upcoming Wolverine movie:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/photo_03_hires.jpg

Wow!

[innerSpaceman]

i dunno, i think Hugh Jackman looking a little long in the claw ....er, tooth.



Not that he's not still hot stuff .... but a shame there's always a record of famous hotties' hotter days.

[Gemini Cricket]

i dunno, i think Hugh Jackman looking a little long in the claw ....er, tooth.



Not that he's not still hot stuff .... but a shame there's always a record of famous hotties' hotter days.
Well, Wolverine was born in the late 1880's. So Jackman looking long in the tooth is appropriate.

[innerSpaceman]

Geek.

[Gemini Cricket]

Geek.
That's Mr. Geek to you, innerSpacestoodinlinefordaysforthecrappystarwarspr equelsman.

:D

[Alex]

Have they established in the movies he is that old? I can't remember, X3 kind of had me putting the whole series out of mind.

[JWBear]

A little something from the upcoming Wolverine movie:

:SNIP:

Wow!

Um... yeah... What he said. :snap:

[Gemini Cricket]

Have they established in the movies he is that old? I can't remember, X3 kind of had me putting the whole series out of mind.
Not really. From the first movie:
XAVIER
He also has accelerated healing
abilities - uncharted regenerative
capability, making his age impossible
to determine. He could very well be
older than I am.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Honey, there ain't nuthin' wrong with Hugh Jackman's looks! If you don't want him, get out of my way!

Besides, he's over 25, so I wouldn't exactly expect him to be at the top of your Hot List....

[mousepod]

The quandary: I have many "classic movies" on my list to watch - in the past few days, I've enjoyed Dreyer, Deren and Kurosawa - but I've just come home from Fry's with the "Starship Troopers Trilogy" blu-ray set. So... bathe in luxury or wallow in crap? Why am I leaning toward the latter?

[innerSpaceman]

You don't want me to answer that. ;)

[alphabassettgrrl]

Crap! Crap! Crap!

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Fvk the X-Men movies... A few years ago Marvel gave Wolverine a past when in fact his unknown past was part of the character's appeal, imho. Of couse the Wolverine Encyclopidea I co-wrote was canned before the W's otherwise you could've quoted that! :)

[Not Afraid]

Go to your TV and watch some Satyajit Ray.

[NickO'Time]

It just occured to me that two Kevin Costner movies I like are not available on DVD in their theatrical release form (JFK and Dancing With Wolves.) I love these movies, but the "special editions" suck.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but Dancing With Wolves won the Oscar for Best Picture. How could THAT film not be on DVD??? Lame.

Dances with Wolves was too me the last film that left me leaving the theater in awe.
I have it on DVD with a Special Edition from Korea. It has all the languages and has the Diary cover like the one in the film with the famous feather and with the Diary entries.

[JWBear]

Just saw Mummy 3. I think we can safely say that the franchise is now dead.

[Alex]

The Scorpion King 2 is coming out straight to DVD in a couple weeks. Then I think it's dead.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Aren't mummies undead?

[JWBear]

Aren't mummies undead?

Yes. "Undead" describes the state of the Mummy franchise perfectly.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I finally saw Hancock today. I thought it was a good super-hero film but bad, BADLY directed and shot. The whole film was, apparently, shot during a 8.0 earthquake. It, the direction, was incosistant, annoying and amature at best.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

If anyone is curiuos, "FInding Kraftland" is playing at the AMC Downtown Disney on Weds, the 13ths of August at 9:30pm.

[Morrigoon]

Interested and ticketed :) Who else is going?

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Interested and ticketed :) Who else is going?

I'm ticketed already. I think GC is still going also.

[CoasterMatt]

Just saw Mummy 3. I think we can safely say that the franchise is now dead.

Until they make an entire film about the Yeti Football League. :D

[CoasterMatt]

Also, I'd just like to point out, that Mummy 3 is beating Dark Knight in the important "international box office" - no accounting for taste, though.

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm ticketed already. I think GC is still going also.
I be going.
:)

[JWBear]

If anyone is curiuos, "FInding Kraftland" is playing at the AMC Downtown Disney on Weds, the 13ths of August at 9:30pm.

Hmmmmm... Sounds interesting....

[innerSpaceman]

Can't on a wednesday, bah. Eh, can't afford the gas anyway. Or the movie, for that matter.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Damn, if it were an hour earlier I'd be interested. Already had one late night this week

[innerSpaceman]

Finally saw "Crank" last night. Loads of fun. I didn't even mind the girlfriend, because that was just the point in the movie where they decided to lean towards ditzy humor. It wasn't just "her," it was everything about the plot and gimmicks going on around that point in time.


Anyway, that's the guy from The Transporter, no? He's the sexiest nearly bald man alive, and I'll watch him in just about anything. But they managed to pull off an extended skit about the Rush Craze and I loved it. (Heheh, robbing a convenience store for their supply of RedBull, and that type of thing.) Taut, funny, actioner with a tiny dollup of social commentary. Dig it!

[Alex]

Unfortunately they're making a sequel to Crank. This time a gangster steals his heart and he has to spend the movie constantly shocking himself to keep an an hoc artificial heart going.

No, I'm not making that up. I'm expecting it to be as lame in comparison as Transporter 2 was to the goofy fun of The Transporter (double crap, I just looked and see they are making Transporter 3, and also the horribly title The Brazilian Job, a sequel to The Italian Job).

And Jason Statham is one of those few guys where I'm willing to watch in crappy movies because he does it consistently well even if the movie remains crap.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Agreed, everything but the girlfriend. Her acting was unforgivably bad and her scenes (other than the one awesome scene, of course) just tripped the pace up too much for me.

But that's a relatively minor quibble amongst much goodness for a really well executed dumb fun movie.

[innerSpaceman]

Oh, and though I'm willing to watch him in anything, it does not mean I liked Transporter 2, or that I will fall for that again by automatically watching a sequel to one of his fun films. But if he's starring in an original story (albeit original in name only, since he's pretty much uber-typecast), I'll likely go along for the ride.


He's yummy.

[scaeagles]

please forigve my ignorance of Star Wars. I just found the most hysterical thing I have ever seen. Until today, I didn't know there was a creation called "The Star Wars Holiday Special". Apparently made in 1978, it revolves around Han Solo attmempting to get Chewbacca home for the Holidays.

If you dare..... (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clone_wars/news/1748982/2/total_recall_star_wars_the_tomatometer_strikes_bac k)

There's even an 8 minute clip you can watch.

[CoasterMatt]

Welcome to planet earth, mr. scaeagles ;)

The rest of us have been trying to FORGET that disaster (except for the animated bits)

[JWBear]

please forigve my ignorance of Star Wars. I just found the most hysterical thing I have ever seen. Until today, I didn't know there was a creation called "The Star Wars Holiday Special". Apparently made in 1978, it revolves around Han Solo attmempting to get Chewbacca home for the Holidays.

If you dare..... (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clone_wars/news/1748982/2/total_recall_star_wars_the_tomatometer_strikes_bac k)

There's even an 8 minute clip you can watch.

OMG! You've awakened repressed memories!

The voices say I have to kill you now...

[flippyshark]

Anyone with a need for self punishment can find the entire two hour Star Wars Holiday Special on Google Video. It's nearly impossible to watch, but, you might try viewing it in tandem with the funny folks at Rifftrax. (http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/star-wars-holiday-special) The Google file to which this track is synced includes all the commercials that aired during the broadcast as well. It's a terrifying trip back to the darkest heart of the Seventies.

[CoasterMatt]

I watched Cinema Paradiso last night- what a wonderful movie.

[Alex]

Just finished watching Slaughterhouse-Five. Love the book but boy what a rotten movie.

[€uroMeinke]

Awwww - I love that Movie (and the book)

[Alex]

Well, for me none of the power of the book came through in the movie and it just looked like a bunch of random nonsense with Valerie Perrine's boobs thrown in to distract you.

[€uroMeinke]

heh - yeah

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I watched Cinema Paradiso last night- what a wonderful movie.

Awww... yes, indeed. (I actually came down the aisle to the beautiful Morricone score!)

[CoasterMatt]

Awww... yes, indeed. (I actually came down the aisle to the beautiful Morricone score!)

If you get the chance, watch it in HD - they've done a beautiful job with the transfer, and it's the 1989 version, not the "director's cut/re-edit" thing that just about ruins the movie.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Saw Finding Kraftland this evening over at DTD's AMC theatre. Kraft was there and what a spaztic guy, though he wasn't the type of spaz that annoys but one that brings you into his world. The film was alot more of that I thought it would be - it was touching and very funny, but also very self-endulgant. It was alot of - "I have money and I blow it on anything I want and it makes me happy." Which is fine but it really shined a nice spotlight on my own looserness, which wasn't the nicest feeling to have.

It was funny to see Stacy from the WDW Top 10 programs that are piped into the hotels - she made an apearance at the screening.

If for nothing beyond the Disney geek factor, I think it should be viewed.

[Gemini Cricket]

I watched Cinema Paradiso last night- what a wonderful movie.
Cinema Paradiso is totally in my top ten favorite films of all-time. I even love the extended version. It explains a certain unresolved relationship that is hugely prominent in the first half of the theatrical version and then disappears completely in the second half.
Saw Finding Kraftland this evening over at DTD's AMC theatre. Kraft was there...
Bornieo and I disagree a little about Finding Kraftland. I enjoyed it immensely. And meeting Kraft in person was a hoot. Yes, the man has money, but if I had the money he had I would be doing the same things he did and buying some of the things he did. (And I know for a fact that CoasterMatt would be traveling around the world riding every single roller coaster ever made just like Kraft and his son did if he had the cha-ching to do it.) I found the movie to be less about his collections and more about him and his family. His relationship with his son is just wonderful. And it's a tear-jerker, too.
On top of everything else, I won a bobble head figure of Kraft and his son. He asked, 'Who's the big laughing guy in this section' meaning our section. I pointed at Mark. But he gave the bobble head to me, anyway. I think it had something to do with my tear stained face. Yes, I was moved. Movies move me. Yay! I'm going to keep the bobble head to remind me to find more joy in life.
:)

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

On top of everything else, I won a bobble head figure of Kraft and his son. He asked, 'Who's the big laughing guy in this section' meaning our section. I pointed at Mark. But he gave the bobble head to me, anyway. I think it had something to do with my tear stained face. Yes, I was moved. Movies move me. Yay! I'm going to keep the bobble head to remind me to find more joy in life.
:)

and I didn't fight you for it. ;) You need it more than I. :cheers:

[Alex]

Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder are both good action oriented comedies. Not great but plenty fun.

[Alex]

Just watched District B13, a French martial arts movie from a few years back.

Pretty standard, but if you liked the opening chase scene at the beginning of Casino Royale (the acrobat one through the African city) then if nothing else it is worth watching the first 20 minutes of this, which tops that. As it should since the star of the movie is the guy who invented pakour, the art of moving quickly through an environment that was put on display in that scene.

There's another pretty good one vs. many fight scene early but then things slow down.

But if you don't want to watch it all, here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01du2W6VJis) is the big scene from the movie. And here's a bonus video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x98jCBnWO8w&feature=related) of him doing various stupid things.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

fyi!!

FINDING KRAFTLAND will be screening on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 3pm at the Speilberg Screen at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA as an official selection at the Feel Good Film Festival

[Morrigoon]

This isn't technically a "movie" per se, but rather than start a separate thread for Netflix recommendations, wanted to just put a word in for a DVD series I loved and recommend:

The House of Elliott (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_House_of_Eliott_Series_1/70034684?trkid=222336&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=748498077_0_0)

Part period drama, part British soap opera, part textile pr0n. Really good chick show. It's about two formerly upper class sisters who fall on hard times when their dad dies, but they end up starting their own fashion house. Whole thing takes place in the early-1900's

[Gemini Cricket]

Rumor has it that Lucas is going to release 3D versions of Star Wars, Empire and Jedi theatrically. Did anyone hear this, too? iSm?

[innerSpaceman]

I've heard it as a rumor, nothing more.


Maybe he's waiting to see how many suckers will fall for a re-hash of Cartoon Network's Clone Wars (tho newly animated) released in theaters about a month before it airs on TV.

[mousepod]

I really liked the Cartoon Network version of Clone Wars.. in fact I liked it better than Episodes I & II (not that that's saying much) - I have no desire to see this new version... even if the NYTimes said "...it isn't the most painful movie of the year!".

[Gemini Cricket]

SW: The Clone Wars spoiler.
I hear Jabba the Hutt's son's name is "Stinky" and his wife has tattoos and speaks English with a bad accent. Really. I'm not making this up.

[innerSpaceman]

Clone Wars was way better than most of the prequels (I and III ... i have a soft spot for II). And that makes me kinda want to see this one. But not in theaters.

[lashbear]

This isn't technically a "movie" per se, but rather than start a separate thread for Netflix recommendations, wanted to just put a word in for a DVD series I loved and recommend:

The House of Elliott (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_House_of_Eliott_Series_1/70034684?trkid=222336&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=748498077_0_0)

Part period drama, part British soap opera, part textile pr0n. Really good chick show. It's about two formerly upper class sisters who fall on hard times when their dad dies, but they end up starting their own fashion house. Whole thing takes place in the early-1900's
If you like this, keep an eye out for the French & Saunders sendup of this series... it's a hoot !! (I think it was on the DVD "French & Saunders go to Hollywood") ... The original actresses appear in the spoof as well. :snap:

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Tropic Thunder was as good a satire as I've seen in a good long while. Pretty stunning just how much mocking of the modern studio system was allowed. Downey Jr. rocked the house, but everyone - even those I don't like as much - succeeded in making me like them tonight. Even Tom Cruise, who is a pretty good sport for appearing in a movie starring/written/directed by someone who's overtly mocked him in sketch comedy and somewhat indirectly mocked him in this very movie.

Pineapple Express had pleasing character development and scene work. It didn't work as well as an action comedy as, say, Hot Fuzz (or Tropic Thunder, for that matter.) But I still enjoyed it - despite not being much of a toker myself.

[flippyshark]

Saw Tropic Thunder tonight also. That was just tons of fun! I went in knowing very little, so the element of surprise and discovery was strong for me.

As for Clone Wars, ever since I heard that Jabba's son is named Stinky and Stinky has an effete, Truman Capote-ish uncle, my inner bad movie fan has kind of wanted to see it, but I can definitely wait until it's free on TV. Also, I overheard a kid, about twelve, commenting on Clone Wars as he left the theater: "That sucked wad." He and his friends looked glum.

[flippyshark]

Pineapple Express had pleasing character development and scene work. It didn't work as well as an action comedy as, say, Hot Fuzz (or Tropic Thunder, for that matter.) But I still enjoyed it - despite not being much of a toker myself.

So, it's the action movie Cheech and Chong should have made? (I don't know much about it, other than having seen Seth Rogan on The Daily Show essentially saying that his advice to young viewers was to drop out of school, smoke a lot of grass and write a movie about it. Also, it's technically impossible to be less of a toker than me, but I've enjoyed a lot of stoner cinema, for whatever reason. I probably covet the contact cool.)

If it's anything like Hot Fuzz, I'll probably enjoy it, but it's already on my wait to rent it list.

[flippyshark]

oh, wait, I do have one nitpick about Tropic Thunder. If you go see it, first of all, don't feel the need to wait through the credits. There are no cookies at the end. (That's the only reason I hung around. It seemed like the kind of movie that might have a post-credits gag of some kind, but no.) Secondly, don't stay for the credits, because, it does one very annoying thing. It replays, over a backbeat, some of the memorable lines of dialogue from the movie you just saw. I think this is a mistake. It comes off as self-congratulatory, like the filmmakers are running up to you and saying, "Oh! Wait, remember that part where Jack Black said ****?" "Oh, remember a few minutes ago when Ben Stiller said****? Wasn't that fvckin hysterical?" It left a bad taste for a movie I really enjoyed. Please, filmmakers, let me digest the experience myself. Don't tell me which lines you thought were the funniest. Okay, end of fervent nitpick.

[mousepod]

We saw Tropic Thunder this weekend as well. Haven't laughed so hard or often in a movie theater in quite some time. As a send-up, it certainly brought to mind Hot Fuzz. For me, another level of appreciation came from what I consider to be the redemption of Stiller and Black for me. They're comic actors that I so want to be funny, yet tend to disappoint so often. ...and Tom Cruise kicks ass again.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I know! I have heard some of the lines (and that song remix) over and over QAing the site we did for the movie (which rocks, by the way) but it was one of the rare films I've worked on that I somehow didn't read the screenplay or have to listen to the dialogue breakout or read the coverage or see the movie before it came out - and I found myself completely stunned at how much I was laughing, and at just how far they were pushing the boundaries - humor on steroids. TOTALLY worth your $12 bucks.

[Alex]

I really enjoyed Tropic Thunder but I didn't really laugh out loud that much. I also thought Jack Black was given little to do and until the end wasn't funny at all.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I kind of liked that about it. I don't often think he's as funny as he seems to think he is. I liked that he was too distracted by his character's plight to be canned - and by the time the end rolled around, his circumstances were naturally funny and he was funny in them.

[Tom]

Haven't laughed so hard or often in a movie theater in quite some time.

I second (or third? fourth?) this sentiment. I also thought that Jay Baruchel did a great job with the least showy role in the film. For me, the disappointment with Black was less with his performance than the fact that his character could have been dropped from the film with negligible impact on the plot. A rare misstep in an otherwise great script. I was also excited that for the first time, in my opinion, Ben Stiller as a director lived up to the promise of the Ben Stiller Show.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hmm. We were going to see Pinapple Express this afternoon. Now I'm wondering if we should see Tropic Thunder instead. Or maybe do a double feature...

[Tom]

We did the double feature yesterday. Definitely fun. I'd recommend seeing Tropic Thunder second if you do. Though who knows, as you do have some issues with the Tropic Thunder crew.

[blueerica]

I'd recommend Tropic Thunder over Pineapple Express, though if you've basically got the whole day open, I'd do a double feature.

Issues with the Tropic Thunder crew? Guess I don't read the boards as much as I once did...

At any rate, I don't think I've laughed that hard out loud at the movies without being totally high (and I'm sure I was annoying as **** that night... but let's not go there). Only trouble with the awesome lines is that the guys who kind of talked in that 'commentary kind of way' (you know, when people say awwwweeesommmmme at a good scene...) would repeat the best quips.

Normally, there comes a point where I've gotta shut them up or I start to get really pissed, but I was having so much fun I decided against it. For those who might find it amusing...

All I wanted to do was turn around, look him in the eye, and say "You never go full retard..." But, again, I didn't want a scene considering I was having so much fun.

[BarTopDancer]

I forget how much I love The Usual Suspects until I watch it.

I think it may be one of my favorite movies.

[CoasterMatt]

I'm gonna watch one of my favorite movies in a bit - Midnight Run (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095631/)
I don't remember this movie doing well, or much at all at the box office, but I can't help but laugh every time I watch it.
One of the best buddy pictures ever.

[flippyshark]

Actually, I think Midnight Run was a considerable hit back in the day. I sure enjoyed the heck out of it, but it's in the category of movies I'm afraid to revisit in case they don't hold up. (This is a long list.)

[Not Afraid]

I think I actually found a film I want to see in the Theater. Can you believe it's a woody Allen film? What is the world coming to?

[Ghoulish Delight]

We've just returned from said double feature. We did see P.E. first, which was a fine order. But I think both CP and I agree that P.E. has the edge for us. But then, we're definitely more the target audience than most around here so that's not too surprising.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels still ranks as the best stoner action movie. But Pineapple Express is an admirable addition to the American pot movie cannon.

Tropic was good, Stiller and Black didn't trigger the usual nausea. But I didn't love it for some reason.

If I see the trailer for Nights in Rodanthe one more time I may have to hang myself.

[Alex]

Watched Word Wars from Netflix. Another niche community documentary in the vein of King of Kong (80s arcade game players), Hands on the Hard Body (an endurance competition to win a truck), and Wordplay (crosswords) that I've watched recently.

The norm for the genre is to show them as oddly dedicated but still basically normal good people (though King of Kong does have its villain). None of that in Word Wars, the four elite Scrabblers followed are simply presented as losers. Kind of left a dirty taste.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Pineapple Express was so fun. I just adore Seth Rogen. James Franco was a capable enough counter for him, though I still feel like he's the luckiest not-so-fantastic actor around right now.

The stuff with those two was fantastic. The McLovin character third-wheel-guy was annoying and detracted a lot from the film. And the Asian Mafia was just not as funny as it seemed on paper. Everything else was hilarious though, and spot on for potheads.

Tropic Thunder met my somewhat high expectations. Downey was amazing, no matter what angle he was playing. Ben Stiller was happily sidelined while other great scenes rolled out, making this far less painful than it could have been. The Tom Cruise parts were funny, but I swear I was covering my face during some bits. In the end, it was pretty solid from top to bottom, more so than Pineapple.

Two movies in one day, woohoo! The only minus, as GD mentioned, is that you see way-too-long trailers twice.

[lashbear]

They replaced Wolf Creek with a lame-o Aussie comedy movie last night.. talk about chalk & cheese...

...but it was followed by Body Heat. William Hurt... Rowrrrr !!!

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Two movies in one day, woohoo! The only minus, as GD mentioned, is that you see way-too-long trailers twice.

Though unfortunately you only get to see the best ones once. I want to see TT again just to watch the Downey Jr. fake trailer!