Miscellaneous Movie Musings [Archive] - Page 3

Ghoulish Delight

07-03-2006, 08:32 AM

That one and 'Citizen Kane'. :)Citzen Kane is one of those that I might as well have seen. I've never sat and watched it beginning to end, but I've seen at least 80% of it over the years in various bits and chunks. It's on the queue because I do eventually have to view it in whole, but it none of it will really be news to me.

but what was more interesting was just the "wrongness" of it by contemporary standards.Same with Philladelphia Story. The movie starts with a man threating to punch his wife, only to show amazing restraint by just shoving her to the ground by her face. It then proceeds to show respectable people getting hammered. Though there was a message of "drinking is bad", it still showed some binge drinking in a humorous light, something you most definitely wouldn't see today. Oh, and there was the humorous dirty old uncle who liked to pinch girl's asses.

innerSpaceman

07-03-2006, 08:35 AM

It was so cool to see The Philadelphia Story at the cemetery. I'd seen the film dozens of times, but always by my lonesome. It's a fantastic comedy, and it was such a treat to finally see it with an audience.

Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!

Gemini Cricket

07-03-2006, 08:48 AM

Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!
And it's way better than the Kevin Costner one...

Snowflake

07-03-2006, 09:15 AM

Snowflake, cheesy and ancient as it is - - no movie's got anything on The Adventures of Robin Hood. Tops in its class - - in many ways unsurpassed to this day!

Did I call it cheesy? Not my intention! I agree with you 100% it is unsurpassed. As Mary Poppins would say, practically perfect! ;)

It is also one to be seen on the big screen. The first time I saw it, it was a sparkling new print off the nitrate negative and I sat for the first 10 minutes just awestruck by seeing true three-strip techinicolor for the first time.

Ponine

07-03-2006, 09:24 AM

Does anybody know whatever happened to the release of the Johnny Depp film The Libertine? I kept seeing trailers for it, even on TV for a while ... but, as far as I know, the movie was never released.

I would think Depp could be counted on nowadays for a decent opening weekend at least. Did this film come and go without a murmur, or did it get shelved at the last minute after a bunch was spent on TV advertising?
I saw The Libertine in the theatre.
A lot of very confused people left that theatre.

I think that Alex hit it dead on, it just didnt make it. Though it does come out this Tuesday for sale. Supposedly the behid the scenes making of extra is wonderful.

Not Afraid

07-03-2006, 09:51 AM

The "Calla Lillies" line is from Suddenly Last Summer, isn't it? (Which, is another of my favorite Hepburn films.)

Gemini Cricket

07-03-2006, 12:15 PM

The "Calla Lillies" line is from Suddenly Last Summer, isn't it? (Which, is another of my favorite Hepburn films.)
I don't know if she said it in SLS (it's been awhile since I've seen it) but she does say it in 'Stage Door'. Guaranteed. I've seen that movie at least 20 times. It's fabulous.
:)

Matterhorn Fan

07-03-2006, 10:56 PM

I keep seeing this thread's title as "Miscellaneous Movie Mushings."

Gemini Cricket

07-04-2006, 05:30 AM

I keep seeing this thread's title as "Miscellaneous Movie Mushings."
Me, too! :D

katiesue

07-04-2006, 08:47 AM

Me, three. And it makes me giggle every darn time.

Gemini Cricket

07-06-2006, 10:17 AM

Uh oh.

The splats are coming in for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pirates_of_the_caribbean_dead_mans_chest/)!

Not Afraid

07-06-2006, 10:24 AM

It's better be good. I'm driving to the deep south to see it!

Gemini Cricket

07-06-2006, 10:28 AM

You're seeing it in Alabama?

Not Afraid

07-06-2006, 10:32 AM

Yes, or so it seems.

There are places where I will drive at the drop of a hat. Then there are places that, byt some magical twist, just seem like they are so far away. The Valley - West Side is one of those places. South Irvine and Beyond is another. It's not so much the distance as it is the amount of traffic I usually encounter while driving there. The culprit is usually the 405.

Alex

07-06-2006, 10:36 AM

While I enjoyed PotC: DMC quite a bit (though it has some significant flaws), I think this one is critic proof. The audience at my screening absolutely loved it.

Gemini Cricket

07-06-2006, 10:40 AM

While I enjoyed PotC: DMC quite a bit (though it has some significant flaws), I think this one is critic proof. The audience at my screening absolutely loved it.
Are you reviewing it for MP?

Alex

07-06-2006, 10:42 AM

Yes. It'll run tomorrow along with my review of Once in a Lifetime (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/).

Gemini Cricket

07-06-2006, 10:44 AM

Yes. It'll run tomorrow along with my review of Once in a Lifetime (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/).
Cool.

Can you clarify what you mean by 'critic proof'? Are you saying that it's immune from neg criticism by the critics or that it's more vulnerable because it's a sequel?

Alex

07-06-2006, 10:51 AM

I mean that pretty much absolutely nobody will care what the critics have to say about it. They've already decided whether they'll see it or not. So it is pre-emptively critic proof.

I also think that the "critic consensus" will give the movie lower marks than the "general consensus." This is one of those big sloppy summer tentpoles where critics will tend to focus on the negatives (and they definitely exist) that most people won't even notice.

Alex

07-06-2006, 10:55 AM

Also, it is easy to predict a worse critical reception for this movie than the first. The movie is such that if you didn't like the first one then I think it is practically impossible that you'll like this one.

So, 45% of the "cream of the crop" critics at RT didn't like the first one. I'm pretty sure those 45% also won't like this one. Some percentage of the remaining 65% is going to have liked the first one but not the second one so the numbers are doomed to go down. That pretty much guarantees a "rotten" rating among the Cream of the Crop critics. So far the drop-off in the overall number is much lower than the drop-off among the top critics.

Gemini Cricket

07-06-2006, 11:18 AM

Got it. I understand. :)

Alex

07-08-2006, 12:53 PM

Watched two movies yesterday.

The first was the new documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? It is mostly about the life and death of GM's EV-1 all electric car but touches on the larger issue of altnernative fuel cars. While the movie admits that the market failure of the car is complex and has many causes it is obviously slanted towards blaming the car and oil companies for actively fighting campaigning against them. Normally, I am somewhat suspicious of such conspiracy theories (as one guy in the movie says "GM would sell you a car that ran on pig **** if enough people wanted to buy one") but it makes its case reasonably well. The interests the oil companies have in resisting all-electric cars is obvious but why would GM resist production if there was a profitable level of demand?

The movie never really makes the case that demand was sufficient for a major auto manufacturer to continue mass production (at its peak, GM was making only 4 EV-1s per day). So it is easy to accept that GM simply wasn't making enough money to continue production. But it is how they behaved towards the cars already built and in the hands of consumers that is eyebrow raising. They had never allowed outright purchase of the cars but only leased them. As the leases ran out, GM refused to release or sell the cars, repossessed them and then destroyed almost every single one of them (a few disabled ones ended up with auto museums). This despite more than enough demand for the vehicles already constructed and an offer of $1.3 million to buy the last 70 or so temporarily stored in a lot in Southern California. Ford, Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota, all did similar things with their full-electric models (remember the Th!nk? or the electric Rav-4?)

I'm not completely sold on the overarching story they tell in the movie but it is an interesting presentation.

The second movie was The Verdict from 1982. This is a Paul Newman when he was in that slightly awkward looking stage between extremely handsome young buck and extremely handsome old fogey. He plays a washed-up attorney that has given in to alcholism and self-loathing. When a case falls into his hands that both the defense and the clients want to settle he decides it is his final chance as self-redemption and proceeds against everybody's wishes. It is a legal thriller without much thrill and while there are some good things in it I'll probably have mostly forgotten it by the end of the month. An elderly James Mason plays opposing counsel and I must say that Mason may just have the best voice in all cinematic history; I just love listening to him. Jack Warden is also interesting in a completely straight role rather than the comedic curmudgeon he usually plays.

innerSpaceman

07-08-2006, 05:37 PM

I liked The Verdict. I think Paul gives it some heft and heart, and -yes- I can listen to James Mason read a menu and be satisfied.

:cool: I think I saw the movie a lfew times because it was playing with the very rare "Revenge of the Jedi" trailer.

Prudence

07-08-2006, 09:04 PM

Cadaverous Pallor

07-08-2006, 10:16 PM

So I just had the teevee on to some stupid edited for teevee movie as background noise and wasn't even paying attention until BT points out ....

Rimmer and Lara Croft, in the same movie.

I have to go lie down now.Having never seen a Tomb Raider movie, this is the first time I've wanted to watch one.

We coincidentally bumped Red Dwarf at Netflix today.

BarTopDancer

07-08-2006, 10:26 PM

I watched Supersize Me and Walk the Line today.

I enjoyed both of them. Supersize me was... eyeopening. Not for the reasons you would think, for I already knew that eating McDonalds 3 times a day for a month would be bad for you, but for how nuggets are made, and how much sugar is really in their (and all) fast food. It's sad that what are now kid sizes used to be the "small" adult sizes (which I already knew, it's still sad).

Walk the Line was amazing. I enjoyed the performances by both Reese and Joaquin. Joaquin's performance was more in-depth but his character had a lot more depth. We never learned about June's divorces or much about her before we were introduced to her.

€uroMeinke

07-09-2006, 12:09 AM

Just saw Repo Man again - I forgot how much I love this film, quirks and all - captures the 80s in a way I remember them, as a suburban white punk/New Wave Guy. I will buy this one the next time I see it, just so I can pick up on all the stuff going on in the background.

Motorboat Cruiser

07-09-2006, 01:58 AM

I recently watched two movies: "Flight Plan" and "Good Luck and Good Night".

Flight plan was not nearly as good as I had hoped. Without giving anything away, let's just say that the actor, Peter Sarsgaard, should never have asked to play that role. No amount of acting by Ms. Foster could undo the damage. I thought he ruined the film.

Good Luck and Good Night, on the other hand, was such a good film. David Strathairn did a wonderful job in the role of Edward R. Murrow. The film definitely made me wonder if we are currently watching history repeat itself, except this time, sorely lacking an Edward R. Murrow.

Gemini Cricket

07-09-2006, 04:47 AM

I watched 'The Matador' last night. I thought it was just okay. Greg Kinnear was good in it, I'm not a big fan of his but this was a good casting choice. But I never bought Brosnan as a smarmy hitman. There were interesting choices by the director in terms of color. Very vibrant colors throughout.

Also watched 'Murder My Sweet' and 'Telefon' this weekend. Both are kinda dated but still okay flicks.

CoasterMatt

07-09-2006, 08:30 AM

Yesterday, I watched Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, then followed it up with 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - my all time favorite Disney movie.

Alex

07-09-2006, 09:10 AM

Flight plan was not nearly as good as I had hoped. Without giving anything away, let's just say that the actor, Peter Sarsgaard, should never have asked to play that role. No amount of acting by Ms. Foster could undo the damage. I thought he ruined the film.

For me, the problem with Flight Plan was entirely in the script. I can accept horribly convoluted plots in caper films to achieve relatively minor ends. However, I absolutely hate when the bad guys are apparently blessed with omniscience to know the results, well beforehand, of dozens of random choices.

In other words, the plot was so stupid and unrealizable to remove any interest in the film.

€uroMeinke

07-09-2006, 09:16 AM

I watched 'The Matador' last night. I thought it was just okay.

You saw the wrong one, this (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0091495/)is the Matador you should see.

CoasterMatt

07-09-2006, 09:41 AM

You saw the wrong one, this (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0091495/)is the Matador you should see.
That would make a fun Cemetary screening movie.

Gemini Cricket

07-09-2006, 10:01 AM

You saw the wrong one, this (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0091495/)is the Matador you should see.
I'm such a dildo. I did see that one. Didn't put two and two together. What an awful weekend.
:D

Pedro is one of my favorite directors of all time.

BarTopDancer

07-10-2006, 10:02 PM

I just finished Fun With Dick and Jane. Great movie. The first credits rock too.

Netflix should be sending me:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fever Pitch
Shopgirl

Alex

07-10-2006, 10:18 PM

Tried to watch Sophie's Choice yesterday. Made it about 90 seconds into the movie. The first moment of Kevin Kline chewing scenery and I knew I just couldn't sit through it.

It immediately came out of the DVD player and back into the Netflix envelope. Maybe I'll try again some other time. I like Kevin Kline but he rubs my very soul (as if I had one) the wrong way when he plays characters in a certain way.

So I watched Terms of Endearment instead. I remember the brouhaha about it when I was a kid and can picture in my head the evening when my parents rented it. But I've never seen it myself. Not really the movie I was expecting. It almost seems to derive its soul reason to exist from the cruel joke of "well, we'll make you really like this person and then kill them just so you can feel some pain." As a character piece without any real message I enjoyed it.

Alex

07-13-2006, 05:45 PM

Just watched The Year of Living Dangerously.

It's good to be reminded that once upon a time Mel Gibson was an actor. Having recently seen Body Heat and now this and catching both Kathleen Turner and Sigourney Weaver I had to pause for a sexist moment to reflect on how aging is a differently cruel process for some people (especially considering that Weaver is 8 years older than Turner).

Anyway, a good subtle movie. Kind of touched on some of the same themes of journalistic responsibility and involvement that featured in the Sam Waterston portions of The Killing Fields. In fact, this movie and that might make for a very good pairing.

The brilliance of casting Linda Hunt (a white woman) as Billy Kwan (an Indonesian man) is amazing in its audaciousness. I'm sure it was all the buzz back in 1982 but I didn't realize it and it was very late into the movie before I realized it was Linda Hunt. I'd recognized the character as very feminine but it lent am amazing ethereal quality to an already bizarre characterization. Looking it up now I see Hunt won an Oscar and without checking the competition it seems thoroughly deserved.

Peter Wier shows a restraint that seems to have mostly abandoned him in recent years, willing to just let the camera linger without filling it with movement. But he showcases the ability to get the best from actors for which he is famous.

flippyshark

07-13-2006, 07:42 PM

That was during a time when Weir was way at the top of my list of favorite filmmakers. The Last Wave, Gallippoli, The Year of Living Dangerously and Picnic At Hanging Rock all spoke to me at that time.

Indeed, I ran both that and The Killing Fields at the movie theater I worked in within a year or two of each other, and they do complement each other nicely. I have both on old VHS tapes and would love to upgrade someday.

And yes, Linda Hunt did win supporting actress for the role of Billy Kwan, deservedly so.

Not Afraid

07-13-2006, 07:48 PM

I remember being in awe of Wier. We recently purchased The Last Wave but haven't watched it again. I wonder if my awe will still stand?

Damn, thinking about these films makes me miss The Balboa (or any of the Revival theaters). I saw many a film for the first time on the big screen including Wier and Hitch. Thak you lord for the Revival Cemetery. ;)

€uroMeinke

07-13-2006, 08:02 PM

Ah, the Year of Living Dangerously used to play constantly on ON TV back in the days when Lisa and I were cohabiting with my extended family. Must of watched 7 or 8 times, always completely mesmerized.

Gemini Cricket

07-14-2006, 05:55 AM

One of the only movies I can stomach with Gibson in it is 'Gallipoli'.

Peter Weir is a tremendous director.

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

07-14-2006, 12:06 PM

Watched an atmospheric and beautifully filmed horror movie (more psychological than most) called A Tale of Two Sisters. I recommend it for shots of the house alone. Dream living.

"Based loosely on an old Korean folk tale that has been filmed no less than five times previously, Kim Jee-woon's A Tale of Two Sisters twists the source material more or less beyond recognition, keeping the father, stepmother and two daughters from the original but abandoning much of the rest. Rather than a literal adaptation, Kim's version is a successful attempt to update the story to a contemporary setting retaining the scary, sad and touching elements of the original."

BarTopDancer

07-14-2006, 10:39 PM

Last night I watched Fever Pitch. Good movie. I love Drew Barrymore and JImmy Fallon.

I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tonight. First time I saw the re-make. I saw the original for the first time a few months ago. I like the re-make, I love Johnny in it. He is so talented. I didn't see an inkling of Jack Sparrow (CAPTIAN) though I'm thinking CatCF was made first. The first thing I though of though, with the dolls was IASW.

Motorboat Cruiser

07-15-2006, 12:33 AM

We watched "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" last night. I didn't think I would like it but I actually did. Maybe I'm just a sucker for courtroom drama but I thought it was interesting.

Alex

07-15-2006, 12:49 AM

Saw The Adventures of Robin Hood on the big screen tonight at the Stanford Theater in Palo Alto. There's so much that is hokey about it but the sense of just having stupid fun is enough to keep you rolling with it. Two people in the party hadn't seen it and they liked it too.

I'm going to try to get down there next month for a double bill of Only Angels Have Wings and Bringing Up Baby but we may be double booked for that weekend. I've seen both but they're both worth catching on a big screen.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

07-15-2006, 12:50 AM

Year of Living Dangerously is a great film. My Mom and her family lived thru that whole ordeal. They got out of Indonesia just like Gibson did without much but the clothing on thier backs. The score is wonderful too. Vangelis did the main theme when they're driving after curfew.

Gemini Cricket

07-15-2006, 03:21 AM

I watched 'Trainspotting' the recently. Love that movie. Great beginning to a film... It's a pre-famous Ewan McGregor flick. I also liked 'Shallow Grave' w/ Ewan.

BarTopDancer

07-15-2006, 08:49 AM

I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tonight. First time I saw the re-make. I saw the original for the first time a few months ago. I like the re-make, I love Johnny in it. He is so talented. I didn't see an inkling of Jack Sparrow (CAPTIAN) though I'm thinking CatCF was made first. The first thing I though of though, with the dolls was IASW.

Oh ya, I forgot to ask, were the endings different? I don't recall the scene where Charlie ripped into Willy Wonka in the remake or the dental scene in the original.

Freaky Tiki

07-15-2006, 01:53 PM

I saw Pee Wee's Big Adventure last night on TV land, I haven't see it in ages.

I enjoyed it.

Ghoulish Delight

07-15-2006, 02:42 PM

We watched a bunch of PeeWee too. Such a fantastic movie.

Also, in honor of its 20th anniversary, we finally unwrapped and watche dour copy of Blue Velvet. I had seen it when I was in college...and didn't remember a single moment of it. Hell of a movie. Question, though, for those who have seen it. Was it actually supposed to be a period piece, set in the 50s, or was it just supposed to be kinda 50's mood/style not actually set there? I feel like I remember something from one of the early scenes that explicitly put it in the 50's...but if so, the hair and wardrobe are so bloody 80s it's not even funny.

Not Afraid

07-15-2006, 02:57 PM

I never thought of Blue Velvet as a period piece. To me, it just takes place in Lynchian Time.

CoasterMatt

07-15-2006, 03:53 PM

PRETTY PRETTY!

Cadaverous Pallor

07-15-2006, 04:04 PM

Oh ya, I forgot to ask, were the endings different? I don't recall the scene where Charlie ripped into Willy Wonka in the remake or the dental scene in the original.Yes. Wonka's "character arc" wasn't in either the original book nor the first movie version. The story is called CHARLIE and the Chocolate Factory, not Willy Wonka and His Horrible Childhood. :rolleyes: Wonka's father and all that was completely added.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-15-2006, 04:05 PM

I never thought of Blue Velvet as a period piece. To me, it just takes place in Lynchian Time.That's what I thought too - kinda like John Waters movies.

€uroMeinke

07-15-2006, 04:10 PM

PRETTY PRETTY!

Well that just gave me a Barbarella Falsh back

Not Afraid

07-15-2006, 04:36 PM

Speaking of.....Barbarella is at the Aero tomorrow night.

Freaky Tiki

07-15-2006, 06:00 PM

I think this movie has been discussed already, but I just watched it.

I went out and rented The Producers, and I really enjoyed it. I've always been a fan of Lane and Broderick and the movie did nothing to change my opinion. The songs were catchy and a lot of the time I felt like I was either watching it on stage or watching a really old musical movie. Really good stuff.

flippyshark

07-15-2006, 09:03 PM

I agree, FT. The Producers did poorly in theatrical release, and a lot of critics complained that the performances were pitched too much "to the rafters," but it works just great on video, and I laughed out loud throughout. I suspect this will find a loyal audience on DVD. (I know I want to get a copy.)

I do adore the original, of course.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-15-2006, 11:54 PM

Here's my movie musing of the moment: I'm going to see Clerks 2.

I'm going to see Clerks 2, and it will suck. It will be a sucktastic suckfest. I know this for a fact, without having read any spoilers or looked at Kevin Smith's blog. Trust me, I know.

So why see it? We have to see it. We've been Kevin Smith fans since seeing Clerks on VHS and have seen all of his movies. Ok, maybe we didn't see Jersey Girl. Yeah, did not go to that. But we did actually rent Vulgar, which no one should have to do. We did it because we loved Kevin Smith.

Thing is, he's lost it. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was a broken promise. After he did Dogma he had said he was done with the "Jersey Trilogy", which already wasn't a trilogy at all. He had said he was putting Jay and Silent Bob away forever. Then, he pulled them out in Strike Back, and it was somewhat funny but mostly embarrassing. I mean, when you've shot your wad you've shot your wad, and having the Mark Hamill battle you with a lightsaber is far beyond short-scorching for Fan Boy Made Cash.

Why the loyalty? Why the bond? Who cares if he throws in another Rick Derris reference? Will you really laugh because the number 37 has been mentioned...again? Will you be able to forget that he exalted Lucas for Episode III and raised your expectations from nothing just so they could be even more shattered?

I see it all too well. Less funny than Strike Back. More embarrassing. Ten bucks (make it twenty, I've got a date) down the toilet and Citizen Kane remains unwatched in a Netflix envelope.

Even though it's all crystal clear, I'm going to do it. I'll feel odd if I don't. Loyalty manifests in such bizarre ways.

€uroMeinke

07-16-2006, 12:57 AM

Hmmm - not movie musing, but I had the same loyalty thing with Anne Rice - God I'm glad I finally broke from that habit or I'd be reading about Jesus Christ.

Not Afraid

07-16-2006, 01:00 AM

Ugh. I'm glad I broke the Anne Rice habbit.

And, in case anyone's not insulted enough:

I think crocs look like clown shoes
The Honda Element is a Clown Car and
I find Stephen King rather dull

innerSpaceman

07-16-2006, 08:33 AM

ok, we can take it about Stephen King and Honda, but more talk like that about crocs, missy, and I'm gonna have to talk to the owner about banning you.

oh.

Gemini Cricket

07-16-2006, 08:54 AM

Watched Madonna's 'I'm Going to Tell You a Secret' this morning. Meh. Too much Kaballah. Shrug.

Alex

07-16-2006, 09:23 AM

I had never heard of Crocs until I visited family over the 4th of July weekend. Turns out that in the two years since I last saw her my mother has adopted them as pretty much the only footwear she wears. They're hideous and remind me of the jelly sandals that were so popular among girls back in the '70s and once caused me to catch the backyard on fire.

Anyway, on the topic of movies. Lani and I drove up to the city last yesterday and saw the new crossword documentary Word Play. It is a lot of fun and well put together. It is built around the 2005 Crossword Championship in Stamford, CT, but does a good job of screen graphics, music, and editing to keep you involved during those times you're essentially watching a crowd of people do a crossword puzzle.

Near the end is a surprising bit of human drama that will have even the most competition averse people cringing in sympathy.

In terms of the mood it created I was reminded a lot of a documentary from 1997 called Hands on the Hard Body in which a group of contestants push themselves to physical limits to win a new pick-up truck. Lani initially said it reminded her of Spellbound from a few years ago which followed a group of contestants in the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee. I don't think that quite captured the same feeling because while you really rooted for the kids there was also a feeling of exploitation in some mof the stories. The rooting interest was tainted by a certain level of discomfort and voyeurism.

Anyway, if you're of a type to spend your movie theater dollars on documentaries I heartily recommend it. And if you haven't seen them, rent Hands on the Hard Body and Spellbound.

Gemini Cricket

07-16-2006, 02:50 PM

I've had 'Paradise Now' at home for so long it's gathering moss. R and I try to coordinate schedules to watch it and it never works out. I think I've had it out for a month now... Netflix makes its money off of people like us.
:D

scaeagles

07-16-2006, 06:17 PM

I rented and watched Sahara last night. I'm not picky about movies, but that was $4 and two hours I'll never have back. I was doing my best to endure, but when they use a 150 year old cannon to shoot down the helicopter of the bad guy.....I just couldn't take it anymore.

Gemini Cricket

07-16-2006, 06:28 PM

Ha ha. You saw 'Sahara'. :D lol!

wendybeth

07-16-2006, 06:42 PM

Just saw 'Nacho Libre' today- it was 'different'. I liked the guy who played Jack's sidekick- very funny in a disturbing way. I think they must have rounded up every weird looking Hispanic available for this flick, and a few freaky looking little persons as well. I think I liked the movie, but I'm not sure.

CoasterMatt

07-16-2006, 06:46 PM

I've got "Song Remains The Same" on right now...

I didn't know it was possible to make Led Zeppelin boring...

DreadPirateRoberts

07-16-2006, 07:13 PM

I've got "Song Remains The Same" on right now...

I didn't know it was possible to make Led Zeppelin boring...

You must be seeing it "unimpaired", I don't think it was intended for that state of mind.

CoasterMatt

07-16-2006, 07:17 PM

Up next - Oingo Boingo: Farewell (The neighbors will like this) :D

Alex

07-16-2006, 07:36 PM

Motorboat Cruiser

07-16-2006, 10:29 PM

I've got "Song Remains The Same" on right now...

I didn't know it was possible to make Led Zeppelin boring...

You're watching the wrong Led Zeppelin DVD. Get the DVD set that was released a few years ago. There are far better performances captured and it spans their entire career.

If you're into that sort of thing...

CoasterMatt

07-16-2006, 10:36 PM

I thought so...

I didn't get to watch Oingo Boingo - somebody borrowed the dvd, so I put on Stevie Ray Vaughn- Live at The El Mocambo

Now it's time for one of my alltime faves

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The Movie" :D

Motorboat Cruiser

07-16-2006, 10:38 PM

Now it's time for one of my alltime faves

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The Movie" :D

Ok, that is just wrong. The Bee Gees should not be singing Beatles songs.

CoasterMatt

07-16-2006, 11:41 PM

Cadaverous Pallor

07-17-2006, 04:05 AM

Cover tunes are just like movie remakes - usually unnecessary and often painful. :D

Gemini Cricket

07-17-2006, 05:32 AM

Cover tunes are just like movie remakes - usually unnecessary and often painful. :D
But one could say that Peter Jackson's 'LOTR' trilogy is a remake of those 70's 'LOTR' cartoons. :D

Sing with me...
"Frodo of the nine fingers..."

Moonliner

07-17-2006, 06:47 AM

That movie introduced me to the music of the Beatles, so I'm indebted.

Besides, I like Earth, Wind & Fire's rendition of "Got To Get You In To My Life", and of course, Aerosmith's rippin' version of "Come Together" :D

God, I'm old.

Sincerely,

Geezer who saw the Beatles live in concert (http://www.itsonlyrocknroll.com/catalog/auction_item.php?forcepa=1&unid=21133)..

Freaky Tiki

07-17-2006, 12:50 PM

Off topic maybe?

First, I bought a Zippo Lighter featuring the Beatles last night for the hell of it.

Later today I'm going to the home of a guy I work with and he's going to sell me a copy of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club band on vinyl for pretty cheap from what I understand...

um...carry on.

JWBear

07-17-2006, 04:40 PM

Forgive me for bringing this thread back on topic... But has heard about 300 staring Gerard Butler? Mmmmmmm...

http://sunny.zandalea.biz/300/300.htm

lizziebith

07-17-2006, 05:35 PM

Hubby and I had in our queue "Syriana" and "Munich." We watched them over the weekend, as it (the watching) seemed long overdue. The timing couldn't have been better (or worse) given the current meltdown in the Middle East. We feel an oppressive gloomyness that we haven't felt, since well, Sept. 2001. It's beyond despair...it's a sense of fatalism. I don't do this mood well. That and the black clouds overhead make my heart ache. People! Stop bombing each other!! :(

Gemini Cricket

07-17-2006, 06:11 PM

"Syriana" and "Munich."
Ugh, what a double feature! :eek:
Now you need to watch something totally loony like 'It's a Mad Mad Mad World' or something...

scaeagles

07-18-2006, 09:00 AM

I don't know if I am lookin forward to Lady in the Water or not. That being the soon to opening offering from Shyamalan.

I loved The 6th Sense. It is seriously the only movie I've ever seen that I had to rewatch immediately. I had to because I could not believe that he had really had no interaction with anyone except the boy. I just did not see it coming.

I even liked the much maligned Unbreakable. I loved Signs.

Then came The Village. I really wanted to like it. But I just didn't. I thought so much more could have been done with it. Not scary. Incredibly obvious.

So now comes the new one. So far reviews haven't been that good (OK, there are only five up on rottentomotoes with four not liking it). I want it to be good, but I'm doubting it.

Alex

07-18-2006, 09:39 AM

Shyamalan still has enough credit with me that I'll give anything he produces a try. I loved both The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Signs was pretty good but The Village was horrible in pretty much every way.

Combine Shyamalan with Giamatti (and Bryce Howard who was the only good tihng about The Vilage) and I'm definitely there. But if this one sucks then his credit is up.

However, I think he is great in that he is definitely making the movies he wants to make and that is to be respected. That doesn't mean the movies he wants to make will always be movies anybody wants to see, but it is still respect worthy.

Gemini Cricket

07-18-2006, 10:32 AM

Although I loved 'The Sixth Sense', I haven't been crazy about Shyamalan's other stuff. I've been watching his name get more prominent in each film ad, watching him promote himself in Amex ads, etc. I can't help but think that he's more ego than anything else.
I have a feeling 'Lady in the Water' is going to leave me dry...

LSPoorEeyorick

07-18-2006, 10:39 AM

Cover tunes are just like movie remakes - usually unnecessary and often painful. :D

Then you're not listening to the right cover songs. I hated covers until I listed to "Coverville," a podcast that specializes in finding ingenious re-envisionings of (mostly) pop tunes. Richard Cheese, for instance, has some excellent ones. Jonathan Coulton's "Baby Got Back" is incredible.

Not Afraid

07-18-2006, 10:57 AM

Yeah, I can name 10 fantastic covers off the top of my head, and there's much much more where those came from.

innerSpaceman

07-18-2006, 02:30 PM

Covers are not like sequels. Thousands of covers are fantastic, and it's one of the beauties of song that they can be adapted and performed in many wonderful ways ... some of which will do credit to the original version and others that, according to tastes, even surpass.

M. Night's got full faith and credit with me. The Village may not be his best, but I'm one who liked it very much. This puts him in a rare (um, party of one) film director category for me: I like every single one of his films.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-18-2006, 03:59 PM

Cover tunes are just like movie remakes - usually unnecessary and often painful. :DI said remakes, not sequels, and I said usually, not always. I have a few covers that I love - most notably, Frente's version of Bizarre Love Triangle - but most of the time, the original is the one and only for me.

flippyshark

07-18-2006, 04:00 PM

Just a thought - Will there ever be another thread devoted to a single movie or filmmaker (other than Pirates)? M. Night seems worthy of his own topic, to be sure. (My own views on him are conflicted as can be.) This particular thread is amazing, but, pretty daunting if a month from now I want to find out what people were saying about Peter Weir a while back.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-18-2006, 04:03 PM

Just a thought - Will there ever be another thread devoted to a single movie or filmmaker (other than Pirates)? Well, yes, all you have to do is start one.

€uroMeinke

07-18-2006, 04:10 PM

I kind of take this particular thread as a "what have you seen lately" sort, but I see Flippy's point - and I believe ISM had expressed similar concerns earlier. I'm not sure how you could control this as the nature of these boards sort of leaps about as our own unique synapse firings take us.

But for these ambiguous threads we could creat some caps (maximum post count) to keep them from getting too unwieldy - certainly many of the other boards do this. Granted our traffic is much more moderate, but perhaps this is ripe for discussion?

Matterhorn Fan

07-18-2006, 04:19 PM

Thread Pudding?

Flippy, meet the Search feature. It's right under the word "Swag" at the top of your screen. ;)

Alex

07-18-2006, 04:20 PM

You can do that (MP's cap was for system performances reasons and "moving on" was a secondary hoped for benefit that never arose) but in my experience you'll just end up with Miscellaneous Movie Musings II.

Matterhorn Fan

07-18-2006, 04:22 PM

But somewhere in there, some smart-aleck might title it Miscellaneous Movie Mushings.

Gemini Cricket

07-18-2006, 04:49 PM

I think we should discuss the fate of this thread. How about we start another thread about this thread? Ha ha. It matters not to me. I thought we needed a random thread about flicks. If we didn't we would have had about 50 threads about each individual movie... ;)

I'm a sucker for dog movies. I just watched 'Eight Below'. I thought it was okay. Kinda slow in places. It's my very first Paul Walker movie. He's hot. The dogs were absolutely beautiful. I teared up a couple of times. :)

innerSpaceman

07-18-2006, 05:05 PM

Oh yeah, I knew you wrote "remakes" and I meant "remakes" when the spirit of Lisa made me type "sequels." (actually I'm just unbelievablypostDisneylandbirthdayTired).

I'm gonna start an M. Night thread after Lady in the Water comes out. It won't be about one movie, but neither will it be about all movies. It will be a compromise thread.

Gemini Cricket

07-18-2006, 05:24 PM

It won't be about one movie, but neither will it be about all movies. It will be a compromise thread.
Yeah, imagine my 'Eight Below' thread. It would have had one post in it by me, three lines at most... Most likely no replies. Then it would disappear. Like the movie did. :D

Matterhorn Fan

07-18-2006, 06:11 PM

I would have responded to your "Eight Below" thread. This would have been my post:

They showed that on an airplane I was on recently, but I can't stand watching movies on airplanes, so I didn't watch it. I do like doggies, though.

But you didn't start that thread, so now you'll never know what I had to say about "Eight Below." :p

Alex

07-18-2006, 06:16 PM

Not sure if you meant disappear as in the movie bombed. But it didn't. Eight Below was the best performer this year for Disney before the summer big guns. Everybody was surprised how well it did.

It was definitely in the direction of a kids' movie but when the people were off the screen I was amazed how well they did with the dog stuff.

DreadPirateRoberts

07-18-2006, 07:31 PM

I liked 'Eight Below'. I don't see many movies though, so my judgement is probably suspect. Great scenery. I startle easily so I jumped about 5 feet out of my seat at one point in the movie.

wendybeth

07-18-2006, 08:39 PM

The leopard seal moment, DPR? :D

I liked the movie- Tori was a little pissed at me for not letting her know it was a sad movie in parts (like I knew?) but she liked it as well. Who couldn't love Snow Doggies?

DreadPirateRoberts

07-18-2006, 08:50 PM

The leopard seal moment, DPR? :D

Yeah that's the one. When I was a kid, the haunted mansion ghosts that popup used to scare the heck out of me. Probably not one of my best pirate qualities.

Moonliner

07-18-2006, 08:59 PM

My oldest is starting to chafe at the movie restrictions we put on him (not too violent, not too much sex, not too scary, etc...)

But he's officially a teen now so I suppose it's about time I loosened up a bit. So I rented him "Alien" to watch tomorrow. When he's home alone. In the dark creepy basement.....

:D

CoasterMatt

07-18-2006, 09:34 PM

I saw Alien, in a theatre, when I was 5 - I turned out perfectly normal :D

tracilicious

07-18-2006, 09:36 PM

You're evil Moonliner. :evil: I remember being so annoyed at my parents when I was 12 for not letting me see PG-13 movies. Little did they know that my sisters showed me Dirty Dancing when I was 8. Jurassic Park took a good week of convincing. Anyways...

I watched Final Fantasy Advent Children. This movie was cool if you've spent several hundred hours playing Final Fantasy VII (which, sadly, I have). It was uber-cool to see the characters come to life like that. Red XIII was awesome, as were Sephiroth, Aries, and Vincent. The others I could take or leave as far as that movie goes. They did a good job of sneaking in game references. The movie couldn't stand alone without the game though.

We've been netflixing all the Scrubs that are out. We're up to the middle of season 2. Such a great show. I love it.

Rented Motorcycle Diaries, but we've seen it before. I'm not sure that we'll watch it again as Michael is swamped with web design and I don't want to watch it alone. Spectacular movie though.

Crocs? Disgusting. Good for gardening, I imagine.

Song remakes can be wonderful. I love Postal Service Such Great Heights, but the Iron and Wine cover takes it to a whole new level.

Alex

07-18-2006, 10:03 PM

Prudence

07-18-2006, 10:11 PM

I wasn't officially allowed to watch R-rated movies until I was 18. Or The Electric Company. Mostly it was G movies only until out of elementary school.

On the one hand, that does mean that my dad took me to see Song of the South in the theater.

On the other, it also means I've seen Flight of the Navigator enough times to justify an insanity plea.

Alex

07-18-2006, 10:13 PM

Just now, 25 years later, it occurs to me that "Strip Off" is redundant.

€uroMeinke

07-18-2006, 10:27 PM

My friends dad took us to see Zardoz when it opened - My first R rated film - we were big on James Bond so it was a must. With all the topless women I think I had a sustained erection for the duration of the film

wendybeth

07-18-2006, 10:31 PM

Some of the scariest movies I ever saw were on network tv, and those gave me more nightmares than anything I saw in the theatre or drive-in. (NA, €uro and I had a convo about Trilogy of Terror when I was visiting- anyone else remember that?)

Alex, your parents showed great wisdom in not allowing you to watch the A-Team.

Alex

07-18-2006, 10:54 PM

Cadaverous Pallor

07-18-2006, 11:08 PM

Oh, I watched it anyway. I just wasn't allowed to.

I also wasn't allowed to steal the quarters out of my mom's laundry so that I could play Super Mario Brothers at the IGA all afternoon either. But I did that too.I suddenly want to see pictures of Alex when he was a kid, hanging out at the arcade.

Of course then I'd have to pull out my kiddie pictures and that might not be as fun. :blush:

Cadaverous Pallor

07-18-2006, 11:08 PM

And just for the record - my parents let me watch anything and everything.

tracilicious

07-18-2006, 11:36 PM

I was allowed to watch part of the Great American Strip-Off on the Playboy Channel when I was 7. Didn't really interest me one bit.

I was taken with my parents to see Poltergeist in the theater so I must have been 7 as well. That did affect me quite a bit. Scared the hell out of me for quite a while (I too had a big tree right outside my second story bedroom window). However, it was also the last time I was scared watching a movie. So I don't know if the impact was positive or negative.

Strangely, we were not allowed to watch A-Team.

Did they also take you to a really hilarious movie and thus you've never laughed again? Did they wear smilie face shirts all the time, thus your dislike for emoticons? Were you forced onto a roller coaster at the ripe age of 5, thus taking the thrill taken out of thrill rides forever? Suddenly the stoicism of Alex Stroup is explained. :p ;)

Strangely, I was allowed to watch the A-team. Yet Scooby Doo, Smurfs, and I Dream of Genie were off limits. :confused: My dad snuck in James Bond movies every time my mom left the house. I loved them when I was 8.

Gemini Cricket

07-19-2006, 06:31 AM

'Poltergeist' freaked me out as a kid. The face ripping part was too much for me. It made me gag. :D
My first rated R movie was 'Conan the Barbarian'. If I remember correctly.
:)

Moonliner

07-19-2006, 07:04 AM

And just for the record - my parents let me watch anything and everything.

But what kind of access did you really have to media? With Netflix, blockbusters, Internet, cable and Tivo I think my kids have access to a lot more mature material than kids of your generation. Plus the content has changed. When I was a kid the only thing I was "forbidden" to watch was the three stooges. There was no nip-tuck or WWF coming into your home on a daily basis. TV, even basic cable was for the most part not too bad for kids but I do think the relentless violence, hate and adult issues you see on shows like the Shield or SVU is not something kids need to see.

Gemini Cricket

07-19-2006, 07:10 AM

My family was one of the first people in Hawai'i to test out cable in our homes. We moved to a condo when I was 5 or so and had cable installed. Oceanic Cablevision.
My sister and I watched it non-stop. We had WTCG (now TBS) and HBO (which showed porn late at night) and others. My parents were never around so we figured out a lot about things by watching TV. We watched movies ('Suspiria', 'Play Misty for Me', 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' etc.) that went unexplained which in hindsight probably wasn't good for us.
(Now that I think of it, I may have seen my first X rated film before my first rated R film. IN fact, 'Conan' may not have been my first R film, it may have just been my first R film in the theatre...)

Moonliner

07-19-2006, 07:19 AM

Gemini Cricket

07-19-2006, 07:32 AM

HBO NEVER showed X-rated porn. Just the slightly naughty soft-core R-rated Immanuel type stuff. I remember the first time I went to a real x-rated theater. The part of the leading man was being played by a cucumber.
The one I still remember seemed to exceed R by a fingerbang and an oral examination... so to speak. But I'll take your word for it. Back then, I thought any prolonged nudity = X. ???

Moonliner

07-19-2006, 07:44 AM

The one I still remember seemed to exceed R by a fingerbang and an oral examination... so to speak. But I'll take your word for it. Back then, I thought any prolonged nudity = X. ???

NSFW

Did you REALLY see the finger thrusting in and out of the vagina? The moisture dripping out as the finger repeatedly plunged up to the third knuckle? Or did you see the hand making the motion with the view obscured by a leg or some other body part?

To be an X you need the P's - Penis and penetration. Up close and personal.

Gemini Cricket

07-19-2006, 07:57 AM

Did you REALLY see the finger thrusting in and out of the vagina? The moisture dripping out as the finger repeatedly plunged up to the third knuckle? Or did you see the hand making the motion with the view obscured by a leg or some other body part?

To be an X you need the P's - Penis and penetration. Up close and personal.
I wished I remembered the name of it. For a long time I remembered it because I told all of my friends in grade school and they were all 'Ooooh!' Anyway, she was on her back spread eagle at a doctor's office and he put his two fingers up. It wasn't a close up shot, it was a full shot. But I don't know if that matters or not. Anyway, she looked like she was enjoying it. Talk about a doctor's bedside manner!
I feel like I'm recounting a vivid childhood trauma to a therapist. "It was horrible. So very straight! Not a penis in sight..."
:D

Cadaverous Pallor

07-19-2006, 08:35 AM

But what kind of access did you really have to media? With Netflix, blockbusters, Internet, cable and Tivo I think my kids have access to a lot more mature material than kids of your generation. Plus the content has changed. When I was a kid the only thing I was "forbidden" to watch was the three stooges. There was no nip-tuck or WWF coming into your home on a daily basis. TV, even basic cable was for the most part not too bad for kids but I do think the relentless violence, hate and adult issues you see on shows like the Shield or SVU is not something kids need to see.I watched WWF for as long as I can remember. We got cable when I was 5, and my dad would watch softcore stuff on Cinemax and not mind if I watched with him. We were allowed as much TV as we wanted - we were allowed to stay up as late as we wanted on weekends - and my parents had no idea what we watched. None of this was questioned. I watched plenty of MTV and I believe I did ask my parents what a virgin was after seeing the Madonna video. My dad loves super violent and super scary movies and I watched everything with them. Don't tell me there weren't any violent, gory movies before 1990 - I've seen most of them! They never had babysitters, and we always went to bed late, so it's not like they saved anything to watch when we weren't around.

I'm not advocating this "parenting style" as I disagree with much of it now, but I still maintain that kids can handle a whole lot more than people realize. I also maintain that it's up to individuals to parent as they see fit.

DreadPirateRoberts

07-19-2006, 09:25 AM

I'm not advocating this "parenting style" as I disagree with much of it now, but I still maintain that kids can handle a whole lot more than people realize.

CP, what do you disagree with? I'm grappling with this right now. We let our 4 year old (at the time) watch Pirates I, and I was concerned about the scary scenes, but he had no problem with them. At his age, I wasn't allowed to go on the ride. I haven't seen Pirates II yet, and I'm not sure if he should or not, I guess I'll need to decide after I've seen it.

scaeagles

07-19-2006, 09:39 AM

I don't think there is any sort of formula. I have three kids with differing personalities and it must be a bit taylored to each of them.

As an example with DL attractions, my 12 year old, when 6, was afraid of the unknown (still is), but the attractions genuinely did not scare her. She'd go on something freaking out about it, get off and say something like "wow, that wasn't bad, it was cool" and want to go on it over and over. My current 6 year old isn't afriad of the unknown so much as he is genuinely scared when he gets off something and then doesn't want to go again. So with the elder, it is make her try it. With the younger it is think real hard if it will genuinely freak him out. My four year old fears nothing.

That translates into TV viewing as well wihin our family, within certain limits, of course.

Not Afraid

07-19-2006, 09:41 AM

Rides, attractions, experiences - I wasn't shielded, but I was fearless. Nudity and violence......I was SHOCKED the first time I saw at nipple on the big screen. I thought people were arrested if they showed that. (The film was Ryan's Daughter.)

Alex

07-19-2006, 05:18 PM

Just watched Fitzcarraldo without knowing anything about it other than being directed by Werner Herzog (which is why I've had it from Netflix for about 3 months and am only now watching it).

There are a couple visually interesting scenes that they actually did rather than using models. Which is a waste since I just assumed they were models anyway.

Kinski is always interesting to watch work. In looking it up I see that Jason Robards was originally supposed to play the role and boy would that have been a different result.

Not Afraid

07-19-2006, 05:27 PM

I love Fitzcaraldo. It was filmed in the jungles of Peru and in the town of Iquitos. I visited Iquitos few years after Fitzcarraldo was made, so I have a bond with it. I also love Klaus Kinsky (but that's more of a Nosferatu thing).

This film also heightened my appreciation of white linen suits.

Alex

07-19-2006, 05:32 PM

I mostly enjoyed the film except for two things:

1) It has all the bad things (in my opinion) about a Werner Herzog movie. I'm generally ok with slowly paced films but Herzog seems to feel that there is no reason to say nothing in 90 seconds when you could do it in 5 minutes. I could have done with few long shots of the boat cruising around a bend in the river.

2) The whole endeavor is ultimately rendered meaningless but him doing what he could have done from the beginning of the movie. I know that was much of the point, but still it made me feel like I'd watched 40 long shots of a boat going around a bend (metaphor!) for not good reason.

SacTown Chronic

07-19-2006, 05:35 PM

Couple years ago the kids and I were channel surfing when we came across Led Zepplin's The Song Remains The Same right when they were performing Stairway to Heaven so we stop to watch.

Well, Robert Plant was wearing some tight spandex and no underwear that day, tell you what. It was all outlined for the cameras: mushroom, shaft, balls. My how we giggled like schoolgirls (even Cat, the schoolgirl). Every movement or motion caused another fit of laughter from the immature SacTown Clan.

Good clean family fun.:snap:

flippyshark

07-19-2006, 06:23 PM

Alex, did (does) the Fitzcarraldo DVD include the amazing documentary Burden Of Dreams? That's a great example of the "making of" story being just as compelling, at least, as the finished film. Sure, Herzog could have used models, but he HAD to drag a boat over that mountain. It also includes footage of Robards performance before he left the production. Great stuff, right up there with Hearts of Darkness.

Not Afraid

07-19-2006, 06:26 PM

I forgot about Burden of Dreams! That was great.

scaeagles

07-19-2006, 07:40 PM

Back to Lady in the Water....it opens tomorrow and it is getting just slammed on. 10% on Rotten Tomatoes (only two good out of 21 thus far).

Do I see it and have Shyamalan ruined for me forever, or do I skip it and hope his next is better? Hate to enjoy his first three so much only to have him consistently throw out junk.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-19-2006, 08:00 PM

innerSpaceman

07-19-2006, 08:28 PM

did ... the Fitzcarraldo DVD include the amazing documentary Burden Of Dreams? That's a great example of the "making of" story being just as compelling, at least, as the finished film.
Ooooh, another in this category is the DVD of The Blair Witch Project. It's the commentary track that's just as, if not more, compelling as the feature. In fact, on the rare ocassions I watch this disc, I always choose the commentary over the movie.

The filmaking process was far more interesting, and almost scarier than the story that was filmed. They got three amateur actors, told them the general outline of the story, and then filmed them (and had them film each other) while they completely improvised.

The actors were left alone in the woods for days. Each morning, different actors would receive different notes about the direction their characters were to take in the story. They also awoke to all the scary crap the film's characters awoke to, experienced the same frightning stuff in the night, and one day had one actor simply disappear with no explanation. The actors eventually became completely sh!tscared, and their freaked out performances were not really "performances" in the usual sense at all.

It's one of the most interesting filmmaking stories ever told, and one of the rare times a DVD extra is arguably better than the feature film.

Alex

07-19-2006, 09:46 PM

No, the only real extra was a commentary by Werner Herzog but it put the disc back in the envelope without listening to that.

Alex

07-20-2006, 11:05 AM

Wednesday is solo movie night for me so I went and saw Nacho Libre (has to be something I haven't already seen and that Lani has no interest in).

It was horrible.

Gemini Cricket

07-20-2006, 11:35 AM

Wednesday is solo movie night for me so I went and saw Nacho Libre (has to be something I haven't already seen and that Lani has no interest in).

It was horrible.
Were ya expecting it not to be?
:D

CoasterMatt

07-20-2006, 11:49 AM

I've got The Black Hole on in the other room right now - I love the Overture before the widescreen presentation.

Alex

07-20-2006, 11:58 AM

Were ya expecting it not to be?

I hoped it might be decent. Napoleon Dynamite was a very mixed bag but there was some good stuff in it so I hoped that given more money director Jared Hess might show something.

And so far, except for King Kong, I've been happy with Jack Black pretty much every time I've seen him.

Matterhorn Fan

07-20-2006, 02:07 PM

I don't know why this thought came to me, but can anyone tell me what the dealio was with March of the Penguins?

I loved it, of course. It was beautiful, had wonderful script/narration, and there were penguins--how could it go wrong?

But at the same time, I've seen that documentary before. It's been done. So why all the hype with this one, I wonder?

Alex

07-20-2006, 02:37 PM

I don't know. I was a little underwhelmed with it myself, but simple lifecycle documentaries have been done so many times that they are hard to make interesting.

I think there were three factors here that made it successful in English:

1) It was beautifully shot. That was definitely a step up from your normal Animal Planet/PBS life cycle doc.

2) It did expose a quirk of nature with which most peole were unfamiliar and it just seems so odd. Simultaneously it seems an argument against natural selection and intelligent design. In other words, it reminds people that the world is sometimes stupidly wacky.

3) When it was redone for the U.S. market they completely changed the narration to be straight narration. In the original French version the narrators were the voices of the penguins (yes, apparently the penguins talked). I haven't seen both version but know people who have; apparently the original is kind of lame because of that.

mousepod

07-20-2006, 02:48 PM

Gemini Cricket

07-20-2006, 02:48 PM

I hoped it might be decent. Napoleon Dynamite was a very mixed bag but there was some good stuff in it so I hoped that given more money director Jared Hess might show something.
ND was going to be my next question for you. I liked ND a lot. I can't really explain why. It was so silly and offbeat that it just made me laugh. Maybe it was the mood I was in when I saw it the first time. The brother cracked me up.

'Penguins'... I liked it. But after seeing the 'Making of', I liked it even more. It was a huge undertaking to make this film. I do not envy those filmmakers at all. I enjoyed 'Murderball' also.

Gemini Cricket

07-20-2006, 02:50 PM

A quick update on my Hitchcock cycle. I've been watching all of the Hitchcock movies in chronological order and I'm up to Dial M For Murder.

Anyway, I had a "how the heck did I miss this one" moment last week when I saw Shadow Of A Doubt. Holy crap! What a fantastic movie!

OK... back to penguin talk.
I liked 'Dial M' a lot. Keep in mind that a couple of scenes in the film were shot in 3D. That was an added effect for people seeing it in the theatre back then...

scaeagles

07-20-2006, 02:50 PM

My 12 year old and I are going to ditch the wife and finally see Dead Man's Chest tonight. I'm just a bit behind the times.

wendybeth

07-20-2006, 09:46 PM

I agree that on the whole Nacho Libre was awful, but I loved the characters- just weird enought to keep my interest. Not Jack Black- he gets on my nerves a bit, but the others. I wouldn't pay to see it again, but I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would.

tracilicious

07-20-2006, 09:52 PM

A quick update on my Hitchcock cycle. I've been watching all of the Hitchcock movies in chronological order and I'm up to Dial M For Murder.

Next on the list: Dial N for Nonsense. :D

Alex

07-20-2006, 10:19 PM

I don't think he's watching Sue Grafton DVDs in chronological order.

tracilicious

07-20-2006, 10:28 PM

Lol, Alex, wouldn't that be a painful dvd fest. What would be worse is if they made The Cat Who series into movies. The Cat Who Baked a Quiche, The Cat Who Knitted a Sweater, etc. My mom was really into those. I read one when I was 13ish. Even then I could recognize crap. The cat moved a picture and the woman realized a neighbor was a pedophile or something.

Gemini Cricket

07-21-2006, 07:52 AM

I just have one word for M. Night Shyamalan:

"Narf!" ~ Pinky and the Brain

:D

Ghoulish Delight

07-21-2006, 08:08 AM

Oooooooh. It's the sled!

Gemini Cricket

07-21-2006, 08:29 AM

Yes, GD, that's what caused the demise of Ethan Frome's wife in the movie 'Ethan Frome'. Very astute. Mojo for you.
:)

scaeagles

07-21-2006, 08:37 AM

Well, I haven't yet seen Pirates. My 12 year old says "I don't want to go without mom!" and my wife said "I don't want to go without my daughter!" and we had no babysitter for the two younger, and my daughter is headed out on a camping trip with her Grandma tomorrow for a week so I'm still not going to be seeing it.

This may end up being a solo project.

Gemini Cricket

07-21-2006, 08:56 AM

Ha ha, Leo does it solo.

:D

Freaky Tiki

07-22-2006, 04:40 PM

Me and my brother decided to go to a movie today. It was between You, Me and Dupree, and Lady in the Water.

Unfortunately we chose Dupree. Maybe I should be less critical, or maybe I should read about movies more before I go to them. Because I could have sworn I read something that said that this movie was a comedy....

I honestly don't know what genre I'd put it in, but in my opinion, it wasn't funny enough to be considered a comedy, nor dramatic enough to be drama, nor thrilling enough to be a thriller, so on and so forth.

I don't know why I tricked myself into thinking Owen Wilson is actually funny all these years. I've never liked him now that I look back at it.

Bah Humbug!

innerSpaceman

07-22-2006, 06:10 PM

Hehehehe, and Lady and the Water is not quite a comedy, and not quite a thriller, and yes it's a bedtime story ... but has so much funny stuff that I almost want to call it a comedy.

But not quite.

Freaky Tiki

07-22-2006, 06:21 PM

If I could go back in a time machine...first I would see Back to the Future, because that would just be ultimate bragging rights, but then I would stop myself today and go to Lady in the Water.

Damn you Owen Wilson!!!

Freaky Tiki

07-23-2006, 06:03 PM

I'm driving, or riding techically, an hour to see Clerks II in a bit

I'm skeptical, but I've read nothing but good reviews, so I have hope for it yet.

BarTopDancer

07-23-2006, 07:01 PM

I couldn't make it through The Producers. I don't know if it was the heat or the movie.

I watched Shop Girl last night, it was really good.

innerSpaceman

07-23-2006, 07:47 PM

Confession: I never made it all the way through Clerks (I) and have never been a fan of Smith, and have no desire to see anything he's done.

Alex

07-23-2006, 09:15 PM

I'm a mediocre fan of Smith. I've seen everything he's made (other than Bill and Ted Strike Back, or whatever it is called). Most of it has moments I like and moments I don't like.

They're all pretty much near the mediocre line with Clerks and Dogma being on the better side and Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Jersey Girl slightly on the bad side. I actually liked Jersey Girl much more than most but then I'm not tied into the cult of Kevin Smith that was upset about him not making the type of movie they want from him.

Gemini Cricket

07-24-2006, 07:06 AM

I, for one, am amazed at how well 'POTC DMC' is doing. $35 mil this weekend. That's really good. It beat out 'Monster House', 'Lady' and 'Clerks 2'. It's already heading towards the top 10 all-time domestic...
Wow!

innerSpaceman

07-24-2006, 08:24 AM

Ugh.

Oh, and I saw Dogma and sorta enjoyed it.

Moonliner

07-24-2006, 12:21 PM

Freaky Tiki

07-24-2006, 12:36 PM

I REALLY enjoyed Clerks last night.

Smith has redeemed himself in my eyes....

Matterhorn Fan

07-24-2006, 02:24 PM

I hadn't even considered seeing Clerks 2. It looks like a "wait until it's on cable" movie to me, but I'm going ONLY on the TV ads I've seen, which look terrible.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-24-2006, 03:55 PM

Uma Thurman....

I read an article (http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/24/film.umathurman.qa.ap/index.html)today in which Uma talks about her new movie "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" and says "I love comedy and I've been wanting to do comedy forever".

Is it just me? I'd label both of the "Kill Bill's" plus "pulp fiction" as comedy.Nah, I'd go with "action" instead of "comedy" for those. The resolutions are not funny or lighthearted, and their focus is not comedic, though they include plenty of comedy.

innerSpaceman

07-24-2006, 06:47 PM

(wink)thanks again, Mousepod (wink wink)

Cadaverous Pallor

07-24-2006, 08:45 PM

Looks like :iSm: has a muscle spasm. Huh?

mousepod

07-24-2006, 11:41 PM

Finally watched Pirates last night with NA and €uro - I feel like I've waited years to finally see it.

My initial thoughts:
More slapstick than I expected.
The captain's facial hair was out of control.
The ships looked absolutely fantastic.
Cannibalism jokes are always funny.
The cursed treasure bit always was a nice touch.
The underlying futility and lack of romanticism of the pirates' lives was well presented.
In all - a slightly convoluted script, fun (if not great) acting, and beautiful cinematography.
It was clear that the filmmakers were fans of the Disneyland attraction and wanted to capture the spirit.
.
.
.
.
(wait for it)
.
.
.
.
.

I am, of course, referring to Roman Polanski's "Pirates" from 1986 starring Walter Matthau. For some reason, the only widescreen DVD presentation of the movie was on a giveaway on the cover of a Polish PC magazine. I finally got a copy on eBay a couple of months ago and was waiting for the right moment to watch the flick....

Not Afraid

07-24-2006, 11:47 PM

Man, that film just blows Disney's Pirate out of the water.

Or, maybe it just blows. ;)

wendybeth

07-24-2006, 11:56 PM

Now you'll have to treat NA to a viewing of 'Yellowbeard".:evil:

xharryb

07-25-2006, 10:02 AM

This may be kinda random, but what the heck... Inspired by a discussion elsewhere I did a bit of investigation. It appears that May 2007 is going to be an interesting month at the movie theaters. It's like a showdown of the 3's.

Release dates as they currently stand:
Spider-Man 3... May 4
Shrek 3........... May 18
POTC 3........... May 25

Freaky Tiki

07-25-2006, 12:48 PM

I'm kind of sick of the whole Shrek franchise...for me it's time has passed.

I saw Monster House last night...great movie! Scarier than I expected though, but it made it good!

Alex

07-27-2006, 01:36 PM

Ok, we all know that sequels tend to not be as good as the first film. We also know that remakes tend to not be as good as the original film.

So, what should we expect of a sequel to a remake? In this case I'm talking about The Thomas Crown Affair. Originally starring Steeve McQueen and Faye Dunaway and reasonably well remade with Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo.

A sequel has been announced, though Russo has not yet committed. The name of the sequel? The Topkapi Affair. That name may ring a bell because Topkapi is one of the great caper films of all times (part of a brilliant pair from Jules Dassin with Du Rififi Chez les Hommes being the other movie).

Is this just a coincidence in name? No, it is not. The sequel to the ramake of The Thomas Crown Affair will itself be something of a remake of Topkapi.

Unfortunately, if successful the next sequel will probably be The Killing Affair so that Stanley Kubrick can roll in his grave and power London.

This makes it a double-remake sequel. Just how high should our hopes be set for this one?

Gemini Cricket

07-28-2006, 08:49 PM

'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'... such a wonderful flick.
Love it.
:)

Not Afraid

07-28-2006, 08:52 PM

I always confuse that film with How to Marry a Millionaire.

mousepod

07-28-2006, 09:09 PM

Just came home from the movies. Saw Clerks II. Heather and I are big Kevin Smith fans (though we didn't dig Jersey Girl), so it is with a heavy heart that I say that we both deemed this film mediocre. The most basic flaw? No story. Not in a cool indie film no-story-but-really-a-story way like, say, Clerks, but just no story. So we were left to laugh at some predictably rude jokes, gaze upon the beautiful Rosario Dawson (while sadly acknowledging that her character was absolutely a two-dimensional plot device), and enjoying the performance of Trevor Fehrman, an actor that we have never seen before but look forward to seeing again.

Alex's review (in the single-post thread) pretty much nailed criticism I have of the acting (but what's a Clerks flick without Dante?).

After enjoying the Clerks Animated Series on DVD, I just wish Smith had done something more than just try to recapture the feeling of the original film. He's better than that.

Two stagnant stars.

innerSpaceman

07-28-2006, 10:42 PM

Sorry to go so ten posts ago, but I am agog that there are other people in the world who appreciate Roman Polanski's "Pirates" and find it an amazing fit with the spirit of Walt Disney's.

(drool) wide-screen DVD, hmpfhsllvvph ... the Depp sequel recently inspired a viewing of my crappy VHS panscan from the dark ages, bah. (/drool)

€uroMeinke

07-28-2006, 10:47 PM

Sorry to go so ten posts ago, but I am agog that there are other people in the world who appreciate Roman Polanski's "Pirates" and find it an amazing fit with the spirit of Walt Disney's.
Indeed and in follow-up research I discovered that Polanski was a big fan of the attraction and took people to ride it for inspiration for the film.

But could you imagine a Walter Matthau animatronic?

Maybe someday Disneyland Paris will open a Repulsion ride...

or better yet Bitter Moon in 4D

mousepod

07-28-2006, 10:51 PM

movie musing to come: €uro, your copy of Dr. C (you know what I mean) is in the mail.

innerSpaceman

07-28-2006, 10:53 PM

Prudence

07-28-2006, 10:56 PM

I'm still waiting for someone to send me Citizen Kane. :(

Although I've seen both Gentlemen Prefer Blonds and How to Marry a Millionaire.

€uroMeinke

07-28-2006, 11:00 PM

Um, great story there, €, but wasn't Polanski an indicted felon who could not set foot in the U.S.???

(He was stuck in France, I think, but the Parisian version of the ride had not been built yet.)

Yeah, I was wondering a bit about the timeline - and if the story as written may have been embellished - perhaps he encouraged those who still could, to go ride it in the states - or perhaps they took a trip to Tokyo...

BarTopDancer

07-28-2006, 11:02 PM

Bewitched was cute. I really like Nicole Kidman.

Alex

07-28-2006, 11:03 PM

My movie musing is this: Isn't Marilyn Monroe just about the most overrated product of Hollywood ever? Not a good movie in the bunch (yes, Some Like It Hot suffers horribly in my opinion because of her presence) when she is involved for more than 10 minutes except for The Misfits and that is, I think, made more interesting by the events surrounding the movie than the actual movie.

She was pretty though. But it also sucks that somehow she is the image on the DVD cover for Monkey Business. That's such an insult to Ginger Rogers.

Also, I'd like to point out, for those who don't like them, the futility of resisting generic threads. I created a separate thread for Clerks II and mousepod still posted his comments here.

€uroMeinke

07-28-2006, 11:07 PM

movie musing to come: €uro, your copy of Dr. C (you know what I mean) is in the mail.

Cool - of course, now I'll have to hunt down a copy of Café Flesh

€uroMeinke

07-28-2006, 11:08 PM

I will always love Marilyn in the 7-year itch and will have Champagne & Potato Chips in her honor whenever I view it.

mousepod

07-28-2006, 11:14 PM

Hey Alex, I didn't post in your thread because you put a spoilers tag on it. Since I'm not a fan of spoilers of a film I intend to see, I didn't read your post until this evening. I made the leap and assumed that I wasn't alone in my spoilerphobia, so in an effort to get the word out that the movie might not be worth the price of admission, I posted here. I referenced your thread so that others might look it up.

As far as Marilyn is concerned - I also don't completely "get" her - I'm not mesmerized by her on-screen presence, but most Hollywood sex symbols leave me puzzled and questioning my taste as it relates to the mainstream. Having said that, I love "The Seven Year Itch", though it probably has more to do with Billy Wilder than Miss Monroe...

Alex

07-28-2006, 11:15 PM

I don't think I would like The Seven Year Itch regardless of who was playing the Monroe character so I can't really say it is her fault I don't like that one.

It is just so contrived and feels like exactly what it is: a filmed stage production. But not in a good way.

innerSpaceman

07-28-2006, 11:16 PM

Also, I'd like to point out, for those who don't like them, the futility of resisting generic threads. I created a separate thread for Clerks II and mousepod still posted his comments here.
Hence the unplanned brilliance of my starting the M. Night thread once discussion about his films in this thread was nearly done.

Surprisingly, the general political thread that I thought would reign forever in the Daily Grind has seen better days now that some very serious political events are afoot.

So, it all depends...

Alex

07-28-2006, 11:17 PM

Hey Alex, I didn't post in your thread because you put a spoilers tag on it.

No problem, I have no problem with this type of thread and don't care if comments about Clerks II get posted in a half-dozen threads that aren't the one I started.

€uroMeinke

07-28-2006, 11:18 PM

No problem, I have no problem with this type of thread and don't care if comments about Clerks II get posted in a half-dozen threads that aren't the one I started.

Perhaps, though you did seem to need to post about that ;)

wendybeth

07-28-2006, 11:19 PM

€uroMeinke

07-28-2006, 11:25 PM

I think Marilyn was an adorable caricature of an idealised woman, but I still think dying young was the best thing that could have happened for her career. Is that really bad of me? She really had NOOOOOOO talent, just looks, and haven't we been fed enough of that sort of crap over the past few decades? (Mentally going over roster of male posters....)

Never mind- don't answer that.

Don't get me wrong! She was very cute, and even married a smart guy! But, come on, really- she couldn't act her way out of a strip club. Well, okay, she did, but not very well.

I think it was her caricature that made her - she became an icon of the ideal of the times. In her roles she seems tohave fun playing that out. In her real life, well - no wonder she offed herself. But her movies are Campy, and I can still have a lot of fun with that even if it isn't Bergman.

Alex

07-28-2006, 11:25 PM

Perhaps, though you did seem to need to post about that ;)

But only to have it be a mild poke at the someone who occasionally complains about this type of thread.

Another movie musing. Today I watched Choose Me from 1984. Stars Keith Carradine, Genevieve Bujold, and Lesley Ann Warren. It's some kind of parable about love and repression and just taking advantage of the moment when it happens. There are a couple very well acted scenes but I was mostly bored with the whole thing. Patrick Bauchau plays something of a heavy which was amusing to me since I only know him as Sydney from The Pretender.

Prudence

07-28-2006, 11:25 PM

Which one's the one on a cruise ship? That's Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, right? That one I watch for the other chick, who's way cool even if her name escapes me.

Alex

07-28-2006, 11:27 PM

The cruise ship is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Marilyn performs "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" in it.

Jane Russell is the other one, I presume.

Prudence

07-28-2006, 11:28 PM

oh yeah. (My brain is currently full of evidence rules and doesn't have space for movie titles.)

BarTopDancer

07-28-2006, 11:33 PM

I like Breakfast at Tiffanys.

And I'm not sure why, but I miss seeing George Peppard in stuff (yes, I know he died). That's probably one of the many reasons I TiVO the A-Team.

And I really hope this (http://imdb.com/title/tt0429493/) plot outline from IMDB is wrooooooong.

Four soldiers, who refuse to fight in the Iraq war because they feel the war is unjustified, go on the run and help people in trouble.. Better yet I hope the whole movie is scrapped.

innerSpaceman

07-28-2006, 11:44 PM

The poor-man's Marlyn, namely Jayne Mansfield, is in a fabulous movie called The Girl Can't Help It.

Hysterical Frank Tashlin pic, lots of early rock'n'roll bands doing famous numbers, even Julie London in a featured cameo, and her classic rendition of Cry Me a River featuring heavily in the story.

Oh, why oh why can't I find this one on DVD? It's an absolute classic!

Prudence

07-28-2006, 11:45 PM

ooooh! I've had that song stuck in my head for weeks! (probably due to listening to the CD over and over again.) It's not on DVD?

innerSpaceman

07-28-2006, 11:48 PM

Dunno, but I've never seen it. I had an old videotape that I taped off some pay channel about 15 years ago, but i lost it.

Say it with me now ... BAH.

mousepod

07-29-2006, 12:00 AM

They used to show The Girl Can't Help It on TCM (widescreen, no less), which is where I taped it. But it looks like amazon.co.uk has it on DVD for less than 13 bucks (plus shipping).

Alex

07-29-2006, 12:02 AM

Oh, why oh why can't I find this one on DVD? It's an absolute classic!

It is part of this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FKO3US/sr=1-1/qid=1154156227/ref=sr_1_1/104-7843369-9152713?ie=UTF8&s=dvd) Jayne Mansfield DVD collection. Here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IAQG8/sr=1-2/qid=1154156227/ref=sr_1_2/104-7843369-9152713?ie=UTF8&s=dvd) it is all on its own but it is out of print so the used copies are going for a fair chunk of change (just as much as for the collection)

The UK Version (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002IAQG8/202-7913877-9465449?v=glance&n=283926) is reasonably priced, though, if your player can play it.

mousepod

07-29-2006, 12:12 AM

Speaking of spoilers - I've seen several trailers multiple times over the last few weeks (I'd like someone to explain to me how trailers are selected - are they "attached" to a movie by the studio or the distributor? Are they selected by the theater? A combination?) - and I feel like I know everything I need to know about them and more.

I've had a copy of Kairo sitting in my "to watch" pile for over a year, and had very little idea of the several plot twists. Now that I've seen the trailer for Pulse, the American remake of the Japanese horror flick. I feel like I don't need to see either.

CoasterMatt

07-29-2006, 12:14 AM

Jayne Mansfield was way hotter than Marilyn imho... till she lost her head.

mousepod

07-29-2006, 12:17 AM

Jayne Mansfield was way hotter than Marilyn imho... till she lost her head.

Urban legend. But you get mojo anyway.

CoasterMatt

07-29-2006, 12:52 AM

Well, she wasn't decapitated, but part of her skull was ripped off, along with part of her cranium - but it was quick and painless :eek:

RStar

07-29-2006, 08:46 AM

The great ones always die in tragedy. Why is that?:(

My wife loves Danny Kaye so for her birthday last year I set out to get every movie he ever made. Some were out of print, some never printed, and all but two were not sold in stores. One was only sold for a short time on DVD, and was pulled from the shelves because someone purchased the rights and wanted to remake it. And that DVD was selling online for hundreds! I settled for the VHS copy:rolleyes: .

Point is, I got them all, even the non-released one and out of prints on eBay (the non-realeasted must have been recorded off of a pay channel on TV, the quality was fair. And yes, I know that makes it an illegal bootleg, but I was on a mission!). At times eBay can be your friend! The out of prints were used, but in good condition.

I also got her from eBay a nice 8 X 10, and framed it in a double mat with a signed check (cancelled by the bank, so I'm pretty sure it's authentic. Plus I researched his signature to be sure it matched). Made a nice piece that would have sold at Starabilias for like $800. I made it for under $50! ;)

innerSpaceman

07-29-2006, 08:55 AM

Danny Kaye's The Court Jester is one of my favorite movies of all time!

Nice Mission-Accomplished tale, RStar.

Alex

07-29-2006, 07:37 PM

The great ones always die in tragedy. Why is that?:(

I often wonder if the great die young or if it is just that the great that die young never get the chance to tarnish themselves. The best thing that ever happend for Monroe's popularity or James Dean's was likely dieing young. If Marlon Brando had died after On the Waterfront would he be idolized by everyone or just movie geeks as is currently the case?

I wonder what the general view of the Beatles would be if they'd never broken up and were still touring the world like the Rolling Stones. So, probably the smartest thing they ever did was breaking up.

BarTopDancer

07-29-2006, 10:51 PM

I really enjoyed Elizabethtown.

Motorboat Cruiser

07-29-2006, 11:30 PM

I watched 12 Angry Men today for the second time. God, I love this movie. To have an entire film basically occur in one room, with a very sparse score, and nothing to carry it along other than brilliant dialog and wonderful acting. No special effects, no exotic locales, no overbearing soundtrack. Just 12 people talking. And I was glued to the screen the entire time. Great stuff.

innerSpaceman

07-29-2006, 11:55 PM

^ yes, amazing that. It would have never been conceived as movie, of course. But is one of the best stage plays ever filmed. No stupid attempts to "open it up."

As for the Beatles ... i think their career could have gone on much longer. If simply the cream of all the solo albums had been gleaned for a few Beatles albums, those would have been some more great Beatles albums.

In the end, though, best that they did not make a mockery of themselves by pretending to be rockers into their 80's. Breaking up was indeed better than that. Of course, they also stopped doing live performances long before they broke up as a recording band, so I don't think the Rolling Stone analogy works very well.

Could they still have been producing good music into their elder years? Quite possibly. For instance, John Lennon's career was cut off just as it was getting good again.

But, yes, the breakup was a brilliant way to fix the magnificence and astounding growth of their music to a certain time period, with no chance for things to really go down hill - - the tragic arc of most artistic careers. Abbey Road is one of the best albums ever created. The End.

(or, as I should probably put it, And in The End, the love you take is equal to the love you make.)

Prudence

07-30-2006, 12:01 AM

Alex

07-30-2006, 09:10 AM

12 Angry Men is one of the few examples I can think of where simply filming the stage production works magnificently. I don't know why it does, but it does.

On the great dying young thing another example that occured to me this morning is Elizabeth Taylor. Can you imagine how built up she'd be by this point if we hadn't spent the last 40 years just watching her get old?

BarTopDancer

07-30-2006, 09:21 AM

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an amazing band who have been going for 10 years. But if they are rocking into their 80s (or 60s) it's not going to be a pretty sight.

I was just watching the video for Dani California

RStar

07-30-2006, 09:44 AM

Danny Kaye's The Court Jester is one of my favorite movies of all time!
Where else can you find such dialog?

The Chalice From The Palace

Hawkins: I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?

Griselda: Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace!

Hawkins: They *broke* the chalice from the palace?

Griselda: And replaced it with a flagon.

Hawkins: A flagon...?

Griselda: With the figure of a dragon.

Hawkins: Flagon with a dragon.

Griselda: Right.

Hawkins: But did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?

Griselda: No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!

Hawkins: The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.

Griselda: Just remember that.

Nice Mission-Accomplished tale, RStar.Why, thank you!

innerSpaceman

07-30-2006, 09:52 AM

My favorite bit is 'Oh the Doge'

Ghoulish Delight

07-30-2006, 11:00 AM

Horrah for the Court Jester. Fantastic movie indeed, had me in stitches.

We saw Home Fries last night. Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson, Shelly Duvall, Kaherine O'harrah, and everyone's favorite, Jake Busey (who is referred to as "Muldoon" in this household. Yay Stoned Age). Not a bad midnight watch. Kinda falls apart in the end in my eyes, the way Requiem for a Dream does in that they had a good idea that they just kind took too over the top. But definitely some enjoyable watching overall.

mousepod

07-30-2006, 07:03 PM

For the second Sunday in a row, I watched a bizarre Polanski flick that I hadn't seen before (see last week's Pirates comments). This time around, it was What?. Odd but very entertaining. Weird (very weird) sex scenes featuring Marcelo Mastroianni. I need a little time to let it all sink in before I offer a serious review. whew...
Only three Polanski flicks I haven't seen yet (and they are all since 1994). I need to see Bitter Moon again. It's the only one I hated on first sight. Maybe it needs second chance.

RStar

07-30-2006, 10:43 PM

Weird (very weird) sex scenes

Ok, got my attention!;)

Not Afraid

07-30-2006, 11:46 PM

There's something about Polanski and wierd sex scenes. "Here piggy piggy."

We watched "Hero" tonight. I've had it in the home queue for, literally, years and just got around to watchig it. It's one of the most visually beautiful films I've ever seen. I really loved it.

Stan4dSteph

07-31-2006, 06:11 AM

I was going to go to the movies this past weekend, but didn't end up going to see anything. I still haven't seen POTC 2.

Gemini Cricket

07-31-2006, 06:17 AM

I watched 12 Angry Men today for the second time. God, I love this movie.
I do, too. Love it.
Such a great cast, wonderful screenplay (from the play) and nice pacing. This film really moves. I have never had a chance to see this play, but I'd like to. In fact, I'd love to be in it. :)

'Hero' is fantastic. I liked it better than 'Crouching Tiger' and 'House of Flying Daggers'. It was beautifully shot.

mousepod

07-31-2006, 06:33 AM

Ok, got my attention!;)

Marcello, wearing only a tiger skin, crawling around on the floor, demanding "Tame me!" to a whip-bearing Sydne Rome.

Marcello taking an almost-naked Sydne to an empty beach, where he digs up a buried chest, out of which he takes a policeman's uniform. He cuffs her wrists and ankles together and "interrogates" her with a switch.

That's not to mention scenes like a couple who make love under a furry blanket shouting "Take it!" "Give it!" "Take it!" "Give it!" ad nauseum.

A very odd movie.

Did I mention that Polanski plays a character called Mosquito?

...and according to the New York Times review:
...it is so totally without redeeming social value that it should be protected...

innerSpaceman

07-31-2006, 07:12 AM

I find Polanski's weirdness to be a little too comical.

'Hero' is completely gorgeous and wonderful. ooooh, I think I'll watch that again soon. It's good for the soul.

scaeagles

07-31-2006, 07:12 AM

I'm a bit behind the times....I finally saw Pirates last night.

I liked it. A few things bugged me, but not enough to ruin it. I will say I found it to be much darker and not as funny as the first, but I still found it to be enjoyable.

Ghoulish Delight

07-31-2006, 08:00 AM

'Hero' is completely gorgeous and wonderful. ooooh, I think I'll watch that again soon. It's good for the soul.Yeah, saw this while we were in Alaska. Absolutely stunning, and what a great story. I think I liked it better than Crouching Tiger, but it's been a while since I've seen CTHD.

innerSpaceman

07-31-2006, 08:04 AM

i liked it a thousand times better than CTHD. The lyricism of the visuals, the structure of the tales within a tale, and each version of the tale with its own beautific color scheme, and the love story unfolding through different versions, and the hero's quest unfolding through it all, and the magic and the wonder and .... I rave.

mousepod

07-31-2006, 08:15 AM

Ohhh, the original versions of the Star Wars trilogy are due to come out on DVD at midnight on September 11th (into 12th), and I was planning on having a bonfire to burn the hated "uber-special edition" DVDs that came out a couple years ago. Because of the date, I intend to have a replica of the WTC as the centerpiece of the bonfire. Tasteless, I know ... but how can I resist when I already have a bonfire scheduled for that date??

Bad news, iSm. The new Star Wars DVDs being released are the special editions that we got last year. The original versions are going to be "extras" on each DVD - presented in a crappy, unremastered format (i.e. letterbox as opposed to anamorphic widescreen). If you want the correct original trilogy in a nice anamorphic widescreen, you still have to rely on fanboy DVDRs (I take it you know someone who might have a set they'd be willing to send you - just drop them a PM).

innerSpaceman

07-31-2006, 08:39 AM

Um, sorry but the fanboy copies that zapppop purchased for me at a hefty price become unplayable after 1 viewing. Not going down that route again.

I don't so much care if the DVD versions will be letterbox as opposed to anamorphic ... i'm not watching them on some huge screen. And if they look any crappier than the laserdiscs I currently have to resort to, I will be surprised.

It's all going to be worth it for the remaining doubters who will eat their flung-at-me words when the opening crawl has no episode name or number.

mousepod

07-31-2006, 08:47 AM

Not to nit-pick (too much), but Lucas is using the laserdisc masters to create the DVDs - so unless your LD player is in bad shape or the LDs themselves are rotting, it's going to be the same. As far as the crawl goes, it appears that they've just faked the opening crawl of the original by digitally removing the name and number from the first movie. This is not the version that you saw in the theater...

Gemini Cricket

07-31-2006, 04:01 PM

In honor of iSm, I'm going to watch 'Close Encounters'.
:)
I may just eat mashed potatoes while I do it.

Cadaverous Pallor

07-31-2006, 04:55 PM

As far as the crawl goes, it appears that they've just faked the opening crawl of the original by digitally removing the name and number from the first movie. This is not the version that you saw in the theater...Lordy! You're throwing barrels of gasoline on iSm's fire! Everyone run!!

mousepod

07-31-2006, 05:04 PM

Lordy! You're throwing barrels of gasoline on iSm's fire! Everyone run!!

You're right - I'm crazy to be wasting precious gasoline like that!

Gemini Cricket

07-31-2006, 05:40 PM

Couple of things:

1. Roy has a lot of stuff on his dashboard.
2. Barry's mom is a heavy sleeper.
3. A kid stands in the middle of the street near a blind curve and no one tries to get him off the road?
4. Roy reminds me of Steve. So does Dreyfuss' other character in 'Jaws'.
5. There are a lot of great actors in this flick.
6. The tanker that shows up in the Gobi Desert. Matte painting? Surely they didn't build that thing.
7. "Hurry, Brad, there are thousands of lives at stake." :D
8. If my kids hit me with a paddle, I'd ground them. Roy's kids are messed up. But hysterical. Remember when Spielberg movies had funny kids in them?

Okay, back to the movie...

Snowflake

07-31-2006, 06:07 PM

Looks like Scoop will be on my list this coming weekend. Still need to see Pirates.

I'm totally confuzzled about the Star Wars releases. Am I correct in reading the meaning that none of the first 3 are available on DVD as originally seen in the theatres? Only in the later Lucas futzed with masterings?:(

Gemini Cricket

07-31-2006, 06:55 PM

9. Teri Garr. Fantastic choice for this film.
10. Mashed potato scene. It's such a well done moment. The kid's reaction is priceless. Love it, love it.
11. I want to go to Devil's Tower in Wyoming.
12. Larry... this guy is this movie's red shirt Star Trek dude. Ha ha.
13. I never caught this before, but when Melinda Dillon hugs Roy at the train station, it's the hug he didn't get from his wife. What a great moment.
14. Lots of product placements in this film, but I won't get into it.
15. I haven't seen this one in a long time. I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time...

:)

innerSpaceman

07-31-2006, 07:03 PM

mousepod, I'm going to have to rewatch Empire of Dreams, the doc about the making of the Star Wars trilogy that first silenced my naysayers when it came out a couple years ago and featured the original opening crawl, with George Lucas admitting the whole episode thingy was made up post-StarWars, as was the storyline about Darth Vader being Luke's daddy.

I may have been too ecstatic at the time to make note if that opening crawl was a fake. The timing to the music is very particular, and I would know a fake if I watched it with a little less excitement rushing through my veins. But if that was the real thing, why would they now stoop to digitally recreating it incorrectly???