Miscellaneous Movie Musings [Archive] - Page 7

Not Afraid

01-11-2007, 10:02 AM

I'm so glad we hadn't seen the last of Peter O'Toole with his brief role in Troy that looked to be his swan song. He seemed so old, I didn't imagine he'd be doing much more acting. (Heck, I remember him already playing a washed-up old man way back in 1982's My Favorite Year ... which would have been his Swann song, heheh.)

But he's back on the screen in a film called Venus, and it's an utterly charming piece that I highly recommend. Of course, it would probably be worthwhile to see Peter O'Toole read a selection of menus, but this quirky tale of a (very) old gentleman's unlikely friendship with a brash young Brit (the daughter of his best friend's niece) is a good deal better ... and would be a fitting capper to O'Toole's stellar career - - if he weren't already working on a handful of other projects in various stages of production.

Be that as it may ... Venus is a gem. See it if you can.

(no subtitles!)

It is on my list - if it ever plays in more than one Santa Monica theater.

Strangler Lewis

01-11-2007, 10:42 AM

(Heck, I remember him already playing a washed-up old man way back in 1982's My Favorite Year

A few years before, he played a truly washed up old man in "Caligula."

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

01-11-2007, 01:00 PM

Blood Diamond is apparently not being given the glorious exhibition opportunity by a whole lot of people (i.e., it's a box office disappointment), but I don't know why.

Perhaps people aren't ready to regret their bling, yet.

.

Alex

01-12-2007, 09:56 AM

Blood Diamond is apparently not being given the glorious exhibition opportunity by a whole lot of people (i.e., it's a box office disappointment), but I don't know why.

It's a terrific actioner

I got around to it last night and I'm going to have to disagree. It was a decent genre picture but not a great one. The character development was pretty standard and the ultimate conclusion was apparent from the beginning.

I'm always uncomfortable when an action movie is set against the backdrop of an important social issue. When an entire societal calamity is reduced to an opportunity for one scumbag to rediscover his humanity.

It is very well made and obviously wants to be an important movie. If people see it and decide not to be consumers of diamonds then that is good. But it is easy for me to say that. I've never owned a diamond which made the decision, more than a decade ago, that I never would an easy one.

Plus, I'm tired of movies not being able to focus on the problems of Africa without giving the leads to white actors. I know the western journalist is frequently the avenue of inserting the audience into the story but I am tired of it. That is one thing I liked about Hotel Rwanda and I'm sure at some point some studio executive said "can we beef up the Nolte character into more of a lead?"

ETA: Oh, and I've been told by a linguist friend who knows the languages of those parts of Africa that Di Caprio's accent is pretty darn good. But it is also very distracting since you know it is fake.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

01-12-2007, 04:00 PM

For those in the neighborhood of the Aero :)

Friday, January 12 - 7:30 PM
Golden Globe Foreign Language Nominees
VOLVER (SPAIN), 2006, Sony Pictures Classics, 121 min. Dir. Pedro Almodovar
PAN'S LABYRINTH (MEXICO), 2006, Picturehouse, 119 min. Dir. Guillermo del Toro
Discussion in between films with directors Pedro Almodovar and Guillermo del Toro TBC

Alex

01-12-2007, 05:22 PM

They must be doing a roadshow, they did the same thing before a selected audience in a Universal screening room a couple days ago.

innerSpaceman

01-12-2007, 08:00 PM

The character development was pretty standard and the ultimate conclusion was apparent from the beginning.
Well, that didn't seem to hurt Star Wars. I'm not comparing the quality of the two; merely pointing out that standard character development and foregone conclusion often have little bearing on the quality of an action or adventure movie.

I'm always uncomfortable when an action movie is set against the backdrop of an important social issue.Hmmm, and I find it quite refreshing. Movies that focus on an important social issue are likely to end up being seen by far fewer people than more standard popcorn fare that plays against the background of an important social issue. Both such hypothetical films should be judged on their own merits as movies, but I am gladdened that more people will become aware of a social ill (and perhaps want to learn more about it) via the popcorn movie than from the arthouse flick.

Oh, and I've been told by a linguist friend who knows the languages of those parts of Africa that Di Caprio's accent is pretty darn good. But it is also very distracting since you know it is fake.
And why is that? Are you equally distracted by the likes of Meryl Streep or Cate Blanchett when they do work that involves a fake accent expertly imitated? How about when Nicole Kidman speaks with a perfect American voice in a film, despite her native Aussie accent Or why not be distracted by the simple fact that you know perfectly well movie star Leonardo DiCaprio is not the mercenary smuggler with a heart of gold?

To each his own, but if an accent is done well ... I don't see any legitimate objection to an actor performing a role that calls for one.

Did you like Blood Diamond at all as a film, Alex, or were your many judgments against its behind-the-scenes choices simply too great for you overcome?

innerSpaceman

01-12-2007, 08:01 PM

For those in the neighborhood of the Aero
Is there some reason you're posting this 30 minutes before this event, other than to mercilessly tease?

Not Afraid

01-12-2007, 09:39 PM

Is there some reason you're posting this 30 minutes before this event, other than to mercilessly tease?

And, to make matter ever worse for me, I get a phone call from AndrewP as he's on his way there.

Ghoulish Delight

01-12-2007, 10:21 PM

Is there some reason you're posting this 30 minutes before this event, other than to mercilessly tease?30 minutes, 4 1/2 hours, who's counting?

innerSpaceman

01-12-2007, 10:48 PM

yeah, sorry that.

I thought I'd gone all the way to the bottom of the page before responding to Alex, but apparently I hadn't. So it appeared to me Borneo's post was made while I was posting.

Why bother to check time stamps when I've got my own cockeyed observations to be fouled up with?

Anyway, it was only 30 minutes from when I saw the post - -

- - the cruel irony being that ... if I'd seen it 4 and half hours before the show ... I'd be still be at the Aero right now.

Le Sigh.

Gn2Dlnd

01-12-2007, 10:53 PM

You know what would be good? A pancake labyrinth. With some of that bacon from the other thread. :cakes:

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

01-12-2007, 11:32 PM

Well, after I posted it I checked Fandango and it was crossed out, so I suspect it was Sold Out! I didn't go... :( I suck.

Gemini Cricket

01-12-2007, 11:37 PM

Just got finished watching "American Beauty" again. I love this film. It's so good yet disturbing in places.
I watch this and feel like Annette Benning was just being herself in this role.
:D
Such a good flick.

Ghoulish Delight

01-13-2007, 01:11 AM

Well, after I posted it I checked Fandango and it was crossed out, so I suspect it was Sold Out! I didn't go... :( I suck.
Boy am I glad we didn't try to drive up to catch it!

Alex

01-13-2007, 08:14 AM

Well, that didn't seem to hurt Star Wars. I'm not comparing the quality of the two; merely pointing out that standard character development and foregone conclusion often have little bearing on the quality of an action or adventure movie.

I'm not a big fan of Star Wars, either.

Hmmm, and I find it quite refreshing.

I find it trivializing.

Both such hypothetical films should be judged on their own merits as movies, but I am gladdened that more people will become aware of a social ill (and perhaps want to learn more about it) via the popcorn movie than from the arthouse flick.

Not many more people, Blood Diamond is barely going to make it to $50 million and so far is doing almost nothing internationally.

And why is that? Are you equally distracted by the likes of Meryl Streep or Cate Blanchett when they do work that involves a fake accent expertly imitated?

I find it distracting when I am very familiar with a person's normal speaking voice is suddenly speaking with a strong accent. Why is that? I don't know, it just is.

For Leonardo Di Caprio I am very familiar with his normal speaking voice. For Meryl Streep that is true as well. That is not so much the case with most Australian and British actors since I generally only hear them talk in movies where they are masking their native accents.

It isn't fair, but for them it works in reverse. Hugh Laurie, whom I mostly know from House is distracting when I hear him interviewed with his normal accent.

Or why not be distracted by the simple fact that you know perfectly well movie star Leonardo DiCaprio is not the mercenary smuggler with a heart of gold?

To each his own, but if an accent is done well ... I don't see any legitimate objection to an actor performing a role that calls for one.

I don't know why. Why are you distracted by subtitles and I don't even notice I'm reading. Just the way it is.

And by no means am I saying an actor shouldn't do roles that call for accents. But when they do, some part of my brain is distracted in thinking about how good it is, how much work they put into it, listening for slip ups.

Did you like Blood Diamond at all as a film, Alex, or were your many judgments against its behind-the-scenes choices simply too great for you overcome?

It was an ok action movie. Very standard violence and advancement plot. There were interesting things around the edges. Extremely middle of the pack.

innerSpaceman

01-13-2007, 09:09 AM

I didn't mean to pick on you, Alex. Many people - me included - have a selective sense of where disbelief can be suspended. You're certainly not alone by being distracted by fake accents from a voice you know while accepting the playacting visage of a face you know. It's just an odd disconnect that I wanted to highlight.

Gosh, I used to freak out whenever I heard Jim Neighbors sing.

Ghoulish Delight

01-13-2007, 01:15 PM

It isn't fair, but for them it works in reverse. Hugh Laurie, whom I mostly know from House is distracting when I hear him interviewed with his normal accent. Heh, and I used to watch Hugh Laurie in Jeeves and Wooster, so when I started seeing commercials for House it weirded me out to no end to hear him speaking with an American accent. It's one of the reasons I've avoided watching House (that and medical dramas are intensely uninteresting to me).

innerSpaceman

01-13-2007, 03:25 PM

And yet, when most of us "playact," we put on a fake accent as one of the primary ways to differentiate to the desired persona. But when professional actors do it, it tends to stand out. I wonder why we don't allow them the most elementary trick of the trade.

Actually, I find women get a pass from me. Kidman's American or English accents, Blanchett's recent German-accented work, Streep's accents of every stripe. And yet DiCaprio's accent stood out to me. Fortuntately, having known some South Africans, I recognized it as a very passable job. But I think I let female actors get away with what I hold males' tongues to the fire for.

Alex

01-15-2007, 07:19 PM

Strangler Lewis

01-15-2007, 07:28 PM

Heh, and I used to watch Hugh Laurie in Jeeves and Wooster, so when I started seeing commercials for House it weirded me out to no end to hear him speaking with an American accent. It's one of the reasons I've avoided watching House (that and medical dramas are intensely uninteresting to me).

He and Stephen Fry were prominent in Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder series' as well. Laurie was also very American in the Stuart Little movies.

Those two have had varied creative careers as writers, actors and novelists that I think we'd all aspire to. Not to forget, in Laurie's case, sleeping with Emma Thompson.

Mousey Girl

01-15-2007, 08:20 PM

Nickolas and I half watched, half sped through Snakes on a Plane Saturday night. I only let out 2 blood curling screams. Poor Nick, when I screamed he jumped a foot off the chair. At one point he sent 2 sleeping rats airborn (we took out the girls for comic relief).

I timed it right, I was too tired to have nightmares.

MouseWife

01-15-2007, 09:15 PM

Watched Peggy Sue Got Married today.

I had never seen. Sadly, I wish that were still true. Could anybody have predicted a long career for Nicholas Cage based on this movie (and the one's he'd made to this point)?

Aw, I thought that movie was cute, years ago when I'd seen it. But, you are right on, no way would I have seen that for Nicholas Cage.

And, woman that I am, fan of Kathleen Turner that I am, it was a bit hard to swallow....

But cute. {I like how things in the past come back in the future/future in the past, like Back to the Future movies, fun to see who catches what while watching}.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

01-15-2007, 09:30 PM

Alex

01-15-2007, 09:32 PM

Yes it was, that and The Cotton Club the year before. Uncle Francis gave him both those roles. Then the next year came Raising Arizona.

wendybeth

01-15-2007, 10:35 PM

He and Stephen Fry were prominent in Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder series' as well. Laurie was also very American in the Stuart Little movies.

Those two have had varied creative careers as writers, actors and novelists that I think we'd all aspire to. Not to forget, in Laurie's case, sleeping with Emma Thompson.

It is so weird to see him go from the Prince Regent character to the House one- he's really is an amazing actor. (I have the entire BlackAdder series on DVD.:D )

CoasterMatt

01-15-2007, 10:56 PM

It was fun to see Hugh Laurie at Universal with a group of people who didn't believe it was really him because he was speaking with a British accent.

Strangler Lewis

01-15-2007, 11:54 PM

I think that was his first big role. I know one of his first was Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

I thought "Valley Girl" was his "next big thing" movie. Then "Birdy" was his first big serious movie. I thought it and he were terrible.

innerSpaceman

01-16-2007, 09:20 AM

Ok, so Cage was great in everything from Raising Arizona on. Go back and look at other great actors' earliest works. Sometimes the progression from crappy to outstanding is part of the awesomeness.

And Hugh Laurie, imo, gave the best acceptance speech at the Globes last night. His sardonic take on awards-season booty-gift overload was really funny. Perhaps not as drop-dead laugh-out-loud as Sasha Baron Cohen's speech, but Laurie's dry wit and appropos topic was more appreciated at this end.

.

MouseWife

01-16-2007, 09:35 AM

He was awesome in 'Raising Arizona'. :snap:

LSPoorEeyorick

01-16-2007, 10:29 AM

And Hugh Laurie, imo, gave the best acceptance speech at the Globes last night. His sardonic take on awards-season booty-gift overload was really funny. Perhaps not as drop-dead laugh-out-loud as Sasha Baron Cohen's speech, but Laurie's dry wit and appropos topic was more appreciated at this end.

Ditto on our end. Crass potty humor is always good for a laugh (and indeed, we did laugh) but "they smell of new-mown grass" is in more alignment with my taste.

.

Gemini Cricket

01-16-2007, 10:32 AM

I vote for Meryl Streep for best speech. She was wonderful.

Although, I'm happy for all the Brits that won last night.
:)

Alex

01-16-2007, 10:37 AM

Ok, so Cage was great in everything from Raising Arizona on.

I'm not a fan of Raising Arizona so I can't say that I am able to separate Cage from the rest. However, to that blanket statement I feel compelled to say:

Amos & Andrew, Trapped in Paradise, Snake Eyes, The Family Man, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and National Treasure.

I think he is very much a mixed bag as a performer.

Not Afraid

01-16-2007, 11:22 AM

Best Acceptance Speech by a Dramatic Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Acceptance Speech by a Completely Adorable Brit: Hugh Laurie

Alex

01-16-2007, 12:20 PM

I watched about 15 minutes of red carpet arrivals while eating dinner last night.

I could physically feel the brain cells dying.

Strangler Lewis

01-16-2007, 12:42 PM

I'm not a fan of Raising Arizona so I can't say that I am able to separate Cage from the rest. However, to that blanket statement I feel compelled to say:

Amos & Andrew, Trapped in Paradise, Snake Eyes, The Family Man, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and National Treasure.

I think he is very much a mixed bag as a performer.

Agreed. I even thought he was too over the top in "Leaving Las Vegas."

But I did like The Family Man.

Not Afraid

01-16-2007, 12:44 PM

I watched about 15 minutes of red carpet arrivals while eating dinner last night.

I could physically feel the brain cells dying.

I think that is why I enjoy the red carpet proceedings so much. It's total candy.

CoasterMatt

01-16-2007, 12:49 PM

I'd enjoy the red carpet proceedings much more with a paintball gun.

Alex

01-16-2007, 01:58 PM

I think that is why I enjoy the red carpet proceedings so much. It's total candy.

I can go along with that. So long as the candy is black licorice: vile and disgusting.

Motorboat Cruiser

01-16-2007, 02:26 PM

I find black licorice to be yummy and delightful. Granted, I'm well aware that I'm in the minority on that one. I even like the dutch salted black licorice, which even most black licorice lovers wince at.

Alex

01-16-2007, 02:36 PM

Then E! is a channel invented for you.

Gemini Cricket

01-16-2007, 02:41 PM

I'd like to say that Cameron Diaz looked scary last night.
:D

LSPoorEeyorick

01-16-2007, 02:43 PM

I'd like to say that Tina Fey looked tres swanky.

Alex

01-16-2007, 03:04 PM

My rundown of the 15 minutes:

Ryan Seacrest is stupid.
Tina Fey looked good.
When I saw Jennifer Lopez I asked Lani if she was pregnant before a slightly closure shot revealed it just wasn't a flattering dress from that angle.
Penelope Cruz is good looking. I remarked to Lani that when I was out drinking with some former coworkers last Friday there was a woman there who exactly had Cruz's face. But not the rest of the body.
Ryan Seacrest is stupid.
I don't care that Cameron Diaz and Justin Timerlake had instructions that they not end up anywhere near each other. It was obvious that Rainn <<mumble>> from The Office didn't care either.
I don't know who Dane Cook is but he seemed cool about his excitement at beings surrounded by people I do know.
Dr. Grey from Grey's Anatomy (I think she is doctor Grey but I've only seen the show half of once) looked very shiny.
Ryan Seacrest is stupid but it was amusing when he commented to one interviewee that it was very cold and she was wearing white and there was plenty of visual confirmation that said interviewee was indeed cold.

Then I lapsed into a brain-damage induced coma.

Prudence

01-16-2007, 03:50 PM

I have nothing to add except that I found this (http://youtube.com/watch?v=3rQeZbN5OM8)while searching youtube for Hugh Laurie's acceptance speech.

Oh, and it looked like Eva Longoria's dress was trying to give her a wedgie.

CoasterMatt

01-16-2007, 03:52 PM

It wasn't cold, it was just a bit nipply out :)

Gemini Cricket

01-16-2007, 04:18 PM

I'm watching 'Casablanca' while I job hunt on the internets. The scene where Rick lets the man win the roulette game so he and his wife can pay for their exit visas always makes me tear up. Love love this film. 2nd best film of all time.
:)

Cadaverous Pallor

01-16-2007, 04:56 PM

You guys watch the Golden Globes?? What a bunch of dorks! :eek: :p

All I can stand is the Oscars, and even then you won't catch me EVER watching red carpet, no matter who's accosting the celebs. ENDLESSPROJECTILEVOMIT.

:)

CoasterMatt

01-16-2007, 04:56 PM

If there was endless projectile vomit on the red carpet, I'd watch it.

LSPoorEeyorick

01-16-2007, 05:39 PM

I have no interest in the red carpet. That's why we didn't turn the TV on until the awards started.

Award season is like a sport for us. Tom and I make annual predictions for Oscar noms and winners (oscarwatch.com has a contest, and we have our own mano-a-mano contest, though we almost always pick the same winners independently of each other. Like minds.)

So we always watch the Globes because, for oscar-watchers, it is important for picking up signals (obvious ones, and subtle ones) about possible Oscar repercussions.

Plus, Hugh Laurie says things like "they smell of new-mown grass."

Not Afraid

01-16-2007, 06:24 PM

Gee, the Red Carpet is one of my favorite parts of these events. It's all about fashion - good and bad - baby.

LSPoorEeyorick

01-16-2007, 06:30 PM

CoasterMatt

01-16-2007, 06:32 PM

breast grabbing? I've gotta start watching the red carpet...

MouseWife

01-16-2007, 06:33 PM

I like to watch the red carpet to see what people are wearing and what they say~unscripted.

Plus, usually the people I am watching for don't end up winning so that is the only place I see them. :(

€uroMeinke

01-16-2007, 07:06 PM

I love the re Carpet but where was it last night? We were tuned to NBC and they just had the ADD preshow with Bindi daughter of Steve Erwin doing animal calls and looking like one of those carnival give-away trolls. I saw E had post show interviews - and what's the deal with a time delay for an event happening on the West Coast?

I want more Fashion - I never saw Penelope Cruz standing - Bah!

As award shows go though, the Golden Globes are one of my favorites since the actors are all drinking up a storm as they present - that makes for good theater.

Stan4dSteph

01-16-2007, 07:19 PM

I saw The Painted Veil over the weekend. Very good film.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

01-16-2007, 07:38 PM

My favorite part of the red carpet arrivals is watching the Hollywood "has-beens" in the background with the "Someone please interview me" look on thier face. Even worse is when they get brushed aside for someone who's more popular. Its the cynic in me, I guess...

innerSpaceman

01-16-2007, 08:12 PM

Oh, I enjoy looking at fashion. (See prior Tina Fey comment.) But I don't generally like the snarky interaction on the Red Carpet-- I'd rather look at the attire while they're onstage and nobody is asking who they're wearing (or grabbing their breasts.)
Exactly. I never watch the red carpet, and love to groove on fashion at the actual awards. LS and I should obviously watch the Globes together sometime.

As for watching the Globes at all, they used to be sooooo much better than the Oscars ... and now I just watch out of habbit. Before they became so mainstream, the actors all got liquored up and the acceptance speeches were awesome. Sasha Baron Cohen gave an inkling last night of how ribald half-a-dozen speeches would have been in the Globes heyday.

wendybeth

01-16-2007, 11:27 PM

I have nothing to add except that I found this (http://youtube.com/watch?v=3rQeZbN5OM8)while searching youtube for Hugh Laurie's acceptance speech.

Lol! Great clip, Prudence!:snap:

Gemini Cricket

01-17-2007, 11:32 PM

'Children of Men' = Wow.
I loved this film.'
It's gritty, it's powerful, it's just wonderful.

Word of advice: If you get motion sickness, I'd sit in the back of the theatre if I were you. A lot of this film is hand-held. I had to move back a bit...

Clive Owen. I love him so much.

The direction and the sound of this film is great.
:)

See it.

innerSpaceman

01-18-2007, 08:43 AM

Was it released at the end of '06 or not until '07? I thought it was the earlier, and I was shocked it got no Globes nominations. Maybe it was ineligible. Clearly one of the best movies of the year, whichever year it was released.

My pick of the week: The Illusionist with Edward Norton as a 19th Century magician / wizard. A romantic gem. It's on DVD. Rent it.

Gemini Cricket

01-18-2007, 10:16 AM

'COM' is listed as being released in 2006 per imdb.com. (Released on Dec 25, 2006 per boxofficemojo.com.)
Maybe it will get some Oscar noms?
Don't know.

I was thinking last night about how bleak the future is in this film. In fact, it was bleak in 'V for Vendetta' as well. But I guess there's no story if the future is just fine and dandy... but I guess it's fine in 'Meet the Robinsons'.

Alex

01-18-2007, 11:34 AM

My pick of the week: The Illusionist with Edward Norton as a 19th Century magician / wizard. A romantic gem. It's on DVD. Rent it.

I think there was some discussion of it here when it was theaters but I didn't like it at all. Mostly I found it extremely boring since the "surprise" of the movie was telegraphed from just about the beginning of the movie. Some movies with "surprises" are good regardless of whether they're blown but this is not one of them. Plus there was zero chemistry between Norton and Biel and Rufus Sewell is lame as is his standard.

The Prestige is vastly superior. I recommend renting that when it is on DVD and ignoring this one.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

01-18-2007, 11:38 AM

I saw "THE THIRD MAN" last night on DVD for the first time. A film I'd really rather have seen on the big screen. The photography was so wonderful and a small(er) screen doesn' tcut it. The music was very swanky and there was a small piece on the subject on the DVD. It was an obscure instrument that gained huge popularity overnight because of the film and it's theme. Orson was wonderful with what he had. I think the intro by Peter Bogdonovich said it best is Orson's part was a "Star part,' where they talk about him thru the whole film and we just get to see h im at the end. In retrospect it wasn't a great piece of acting by Orson, but the set up is what made it great.

9 bornieo's out of 10!

Alex

01-18-2007, 01:38 PM

Ghoulish Delight

01-18-2007, 01:56 PM

As I said before, I laughed a lot at Borat and simultaneously felt bad about it (and even worse when I found out that some of the sections I assumed were staged weren't).

This bit (http://www.newyorker.com/shouts/content/articles/061204sh_shouts) in the New Yorker well captures many of the things about Borat responsible for my ambiguousness on it.I would love to know exactly what was and wasn't staged and in what ways.

For example, seeing as they weren't arrested, I have to believe that the naked wrestling scene in the convention hall was staged. At the very least, they had things arranged with the hotel, and the attendees were aware that there would be something filming, but were kept in the dark/told something else about the nature.

I get the feeling that's the case for a lot of what we saw. People were told they were going to be filming and doing X, so they were prepared for some sort of filming process, but then Borat comes in and does something completely different than they were told.

innerSpaceman

01-18-2007, 09:07 PM

]This bit in the New Yorker well captures many of the things about Borat responsible for my ambiguousness on it.
Your ambiguousness?!?!?!?

I didn't see anything in that story to suggest ambiguity ... but rather only complete loathing and contempt for this film, and plenty of reason to never give the filmmakers one red cent of my money.

Alex

01-18-2007, 10:04 PM

Yes, I was simultaneously amused and appalled. Maybe conflictedness would have been a better word.

Alex

01-19-2007, 05:02 PM

Saw The Last King of Scotland, starring Forrest Whittaker as Idi Amin (and winning him the Golden Globe the other night).

It is a powerful performance by Whittaker. I've said in the past the actors playing real people start out at something of a disadvantage for me, but it helps that other than pictures I have absolutely no idea how Amin sounds when he talked, how he walked, or anything else about him.

But still, I handicap him a bit for it compared to other great performances last year where the actor had to create the character out of whole cloth.

It is a very interesting story. The post-colonial '60s and '70s are just generally interesting times, historically speaking, and the repercussions continue with us to this day.

But, for me, the films fatal flaw is something I mentioned when discussing Blood Diamond. That is the tendency to require that the problems of Africa be filtered through white eyes. It is inherited from the novel on which it is based, but the movie's protagonist is a fictional character (a Scottish doctor who serendipitously falls into Amin's favor) set among real events (though seemingly time compressed).

In the end, per the movie (which opens with the "based on real events" title) it is this white doctor who eventually escapes Uganda to reveal to the world what a horrible man Amin was (as opposed to the eccentric buffoon most thought him). This is something of a slap in the face to Henry Kyemba, Amin's black health minister who managed to defect and did all the revealing in his 1977 book A State of Blood.

I finally went to see the movie based on a strong recommendation from a friend. I've now talked a bit more with him and he had no idea that the main character is entirely fictional. He assumed that the movie was based on the man's memoir, not an award winning piece of fiction.

Finally, I have another gripe about the main character. He is presented as too much of a rube, beguiled by Amin's charm and completely unaware of the atrocities until sudden revelation and escape. So not only do we filter the story through the eyes of a white observer but we make him pure as well (pure through naivety rather than goodness, but nonetheless). To the extent that there was a real "Nicholas Garrigan" it was a white British military officer who gained Amin's trust and was much more complicit in the atrocities.

So, my final conclusion is: powerfully acted, slightly morally bankrupt, and victim to certain ugly tendencies in the Western view of Africa (it only matters if white people are involved).

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

01-24-2007, 12:05 AM

Well, I saw DREAMGIRLS tonight.

I really liked it - didn't love it. I thought Hudson did a nice job. I just wasn't a fan of the music. And I love the Mowtown sound and all the music from that era. This just felt like 2 white guys wrote it. There was very little soul in the music and I was a bit dissapointed in that. I think it was a bit too jumpy. Seems like it took place in the span of 20 years, I would say. I think the progression from what they were to what they became was just very spaztic.

Wasn't a big fan of Eddie Murphy in this. I see where he went, but I just kept seeing "Buddy Love" from the Nutty Professor films. But, I will say, and someone mentioned this on the radio, there is a scene where he's "finished" and he breaks out the coke - everyone in the room leaves and he just gives this very honest look to the CC character. IT was just a great look and I'm sure that's the scene we'll see on Oscar night.

Dreamgirls gets 7 bornieo's out of 10

innerSpaceman

01-24-2007, 08:43 PM

:iSm: Oddly enough, the movie I've been musing on lately is War of the Worlds :iSm:

I'm one of the twelve people on earth who actually like Steven Spielberg's version. I've heard many people complain they didn't like his take on the story. Personally, I thought the change from 50's scientist concerned about his new girlfriend to everyday citizen concerned about his young daughter was brilliant. That scientist stuff went out a long time ago, and it's not cool to portray gals as so helpless nowadays.

But besides that, I've heard complaints about the scenarios played out in the Spielberg film ... and I've wondered how much of that stuff was from the book, never having read it. The book has a reputation for being snoresville, so the next best thing would be the infamous 1930's Orson Welles radio broadcast that caused a public panic. Well, it just so happens the broadcast is a DVD extra on the recent release of the George Pal War of the Worlds. It was surprising to me in many ways.

First off, the segment that imitates a radio broadcast of Martian attack is less than 30 minutes long! A whole lot of people had to have tuned in 2 minutes late (to miss the announcement of fiction) and gone to the bathroom at the 15-minute mark (when there was a 2nd such announcement) and freaked out so much by minute 28 that they turned off the radio. Because after that point, the show shifts gears completely and becomes practically a monologue by Welles of a diary of one of the lone survivors. Unlike the radio broadcast portion, the much longer diary section is not in real time. Welles speaks of doing one thing one day, and two minutes later he's talking about a week later.

Frankly, this section is so boring, I couldn't listen to all of it. But in the parts I did hear, I gathered that much of what Speilberg chose as scenarios for the film were, in fact, either based on the original book or on the Mercury Players radio teleplay. There were the tripods crossing the Hudson river while refugees panicked boarding a ferry. There was the crazed dude in the abandoned house who spoke just about every line of Tim Robbins dialogue. Other scenarios - such as the suspenseful probe and Martian encounters in the abandoned house, and the world-gone-mad mob scene with our protagonists dragged from their cars - are right out of the earlier George Pal movie.

I think Spielberg's film ultimately has a great pedigree of influence from all the previous versions of War of the Worlds, and for that I admire it even more than I did as simply a great alien-invasion movie.

Anyway, sorry for a completely irrelevant post ... but that's the film I happen to be musing on. :p

Alex

01-24-2007, 09:30 PM

The Orson Welles version of the isn't particularly close to the book either.

Personally, I love the book and had never heard it describes as snoozeville (it is pretty tight and moves along pretty well). It's well worth a read, particularly keeping in mind when it was written.

I actually liked the Spielberg version too, for a conversion into an action movie. My only two major problems are:

1) His son lives. That was just stupid.
2) The ending, like the rest of the movie needs to be updated. When the book was written, germ theory was still relatively new and it was easy to imagine it as a cutting edge issue that would be overlooked by an invading species. That just isn't true any more; I understand the meaning that the means of their defeat is supposed to have but it is no longer appropriate unless they also don't update the rest of the story.

It is kind of like if a similar story had been written shortly after the development of radio technology and so it was cool at the time that we defeated them because the aliens were unaware that broadcast communication was possible. Then in 2006 we made a movie where everything except this was updated. In 1900 aliens that don't know about germs is a reasonable and clever ending; in 2000 they're just stupid aliends.

Otherwise it was an intense movie. But read the book, it isn't as bad as you've heard.

innerSpaceman

01-24-2007, 09:53 PM

I totally agree about the dumbness of the germ thing in this day and age, but it's one of those elements - I think - that if you leave out or change till it's unrecognizable, you're simply not telling "War of the Worlds."

I would have liked there to have been some gobbledeegook rationalization how a technologically advanced civilization could have overlooked some area of infectious danger ... but I suppose such convoluted exposition would have slowed the ending to a crawl.

Perhaps Tim Burton did it best by having mortality result from hearing the Indian Love Call. There's no way the Martians could have anticipated that!

:iSm:

Alex

01-24-2007, 10:15 PM

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what the solution would be that wouldn't completely pervert it, it'd still have to be something relativley passive on our part; our victory can only be serendipitous. The TV show just said "screw it" and used the set up and then went in a new direction.

But facing that, my view is you either just leave it on the table until you figure out how to get around it (as they tried to do with the equally silly plot point from the original that the invaders were from Mars) or you go back to basics and do the book and keep everything grounded in a thoroughly Victorian sensibility.

Of course, it is the modern-day stupidity of the conclusion to War of the Worlds that provides the humor of Mars Attacks!

innerSpaceman

01-24-2007, 10:19 PM

...the equally silly plot point from the original that the invaders were from Mars
Hahahaha, in the radio show, astronomers see the Martians launching from Mars minutes before they reach the Earth!!

Alex

01-24-2007, 10:26 PM

My movie viewing this weeks so far has been Moonstruck and The Big Easy.

I'd just like to say that movies in the '80s sucked.

Having somehow seen several early Nicolas Cage movies recently it truly is bizarre to me that Cage's "early career" isn't now known as his "career." I understand that the movie is meant to be operatic, particularly Cage's character, but it was just painful to watch. That said, it has two great scenes. One in the restaurant between Olympia Dukakis and John Mahoney and the other between Dukakis and Danny Aiello (who was really pleasant in this movie).

I'm pretty sure that in another couple weeks I won't remember that I even watched The Big Easy it was so forgettable. All I'll remember is what I already remembered about the movie. The best man at my first wedding tells that he learned about finger****ing from this movie and when he tried it for the first time (before actually having sex) it was quite a shock to him to learn what it felt like.

Alex

01-24-2007, 10:31 PM

Hahahaha, in the radio show, astronomers see the Martians launching from Mars minutes before they reach the Earth!!

I can't remember how it is in the radio show, but is it the same ships that they see launching minutes before they land? In the book, if I remember correctly, they discover the first aliens and that prompts them to see further ship launches from Mars.

innerSpaceman

01-25-2007, 09:31 AM

Although that could easily be the case (and is the assumption I made for sanity's sake), the radio show presents much more of a direct connection between launch-spotting and Here's Martian! They don't outright claim the newly arrived aliens are the same ones spotted leaving Mars a moment earlier, but the radio announcers make no effort to disuade their listeners from that absurd conclusion.

I have to say that anyone fooled by this 30-minute radio show was absolutely stupid enough to believe in two-minute travel between the two planets.

Oh, and though I haven't seen it in a long time ... I love Moonstruck.

Cadaverous Pallor

01-25-2007, 11:33 PM

Whadaya know? Over the Hedge really is better than its trailers and the current state of animal-laden computer-animated glut films led one to believe.Agreed. Very well put together. This is our first DreamWorks animated film and I was pleasantly surprised. Far beyond watchable - it was enjoyable. And pretty too!

Alex

01-25-2007, 11:39 PM

Gemini Cricket

01-26-2007, 01:09 AM

Just finished watching This Film is Not Yet Rated, a documentary about the MPAA and its rating system.

It is somewhat rough in its construction but is an interesting discussion of a force of evil among us (not that I'm taking sides).
I just watched this one too. I liked it. Very interesting doco. I recommend it. I hope a lot of people see this one.

I also watched 'Jesus Camp' as well. All I have to say is, "Wow!"
Good stuff. I recommend with one as well. It has to be seen to be believed.
:)

Ghoulish Delight

01-26-2007, 09:18 AM

Agreed. Very well put together.
Yeah, the storyline felt surprisingly non-contrived, and a good mix of gags vs. plot and other humor. My only knock against it was the turtle character. Anthropomorphized out of scale with the rest of the characters, and the running gag of him getting tossed around in ridiculous situations got old quick. I likes me some slapstick, but not when the character of interest is just a passive object being thrown from gag to gag.

This is our first DreamWorks animated film and I was pleasantly surprised. Far beyond watchable - it was enjoyable. And pretty too!

I agreed with you last night, but seeing this statement again this morning it suddenly occurred to me...duh, Shrek.

Snowflake

01-26-2007, 09:39 AM

POTC - Dead Man's Chest
I finally managed to start to watch this thanks to Netflix last night. May I say I was sorely dissapointed in what I've seen so far. Loads of effects, all the familiar faces, but not the least bit engaging for me. In fact, I turned it off right when Davey Jones showed up. I'm going to give it another shot sometime this weekend, but at first glance, visually stunning, but sorely in need of a cohesive script.

Color me grouchy this morning.

innerSpaceman

01-26-2007, 09:48 AM

Nope, I gave POTCII another shot recently. It's complete crap.

BoxOffice RecordBreaking Crap.

* * * * * *

It's been pretty much substantiated (as far as industry rumors go) that This Film is Not Yet Rated is at least partially responsible for the MPAA's recent overhaul of the ratings appeal system. Matter of fact, reps of the MPAA are at Sundance this week to meet with Indie filmmakers in crafting the details of the appeals process. New rules include the ability to reference previous films in making a case for a ratings change on a new film. (i.e., to paraphrase mousepod, if Dumbo can get a G Rating with a drunk-induced psychedelic episode, why am I stuck with an R?)

* * * *

GD and CP - - my fave Dreamworks animated movie is, I believe, their first ... Antz. I highly recommend it. (Warning: the ants are anthropomorphized out of all proportion).

Also, I'd have thought the two of you would surely have seen The Prince of Egypt. Tsk, tsk ... bad jews.

Ghoulish Delight

01-26-2007, 09:57 AM

GD and CP - - my fave Dreamworks animated movie is, I believe, their first ... Antz. I highly recommend it. (Warning: the ants are anthropomorphized out of all proportion).I don't have a problem with anthropomorphizing, I just thought that the turtle was more anthropomorhpized than the rest of the characters, so he stuck out like a sore thumb. He had a butt, for crying out loud. A human-style butt (when his shell was off). Even though a rather important plot/character point was all about his tail tingling, without his shell on he had two cheeks and a crack.

But the rest of the movie was more than good enough to make up for that one shortcoming.

Not Afraid

01-28-2007, 12:24 AM

wendybeth

01-28-2007, 01:21 AM

I agree, NA. I got the movie for Christmas and watched it one time. I didn't hate it, but I didn't feel compelled to watch it again.

mousepod

01-28-2007, 05:47 AM

Every year around this time, we try to watch as many of the Oscar nominees as we can. Of the 40 or so movies, we'd only seen eight, so this month is going to be jam-packed with mainstream movies.

Last night, we watched The Illusionist. Since is was nominated for cinematography, we decided that we would concentrate on the lighting and color palette of the film. On that level, the movie did not disappoint. The plot, for the first half of the movie, was predictable (and telegraphed), but the wonderful acting of Norton and Giamatti kept my attention. In the second act, the plot became less plausible, yet so much more interesting. While the Usual Suspects ending was slightly ridiculous, it was also entirely satisfying. Not a bad start for my catch-up month.

flippyshark

01-28-2007, 08:30 AM

I just saw Letters From Iwo Jima, which I found absorbing and impressive, and its two and a half hours flew by. The audience I was with (which looked to include lots of veterans) were audibly disgruntled for the first hour or so, apparently not realizing that this entire movie was going to be presented from the Japanese soldiers' perspective.

A few old men boo'ed the first couple of times the characters said anything about Americans. (The first mention, a man digging a trench turns to his friend and says, "This is a terrible island, we should just give it to the Americans." And then someone shouts Boo! Them was hardly fightin' words.) One group walked out halfway through.

For those who remained, I think they warmed to it. It's hardly anti-American, or pro-Imperial Japan. As such, it deserves favorable comparison to Das Boot.

War films are a magnet for cliche and melodrama, and this one is no exception, (a flashback involving a dog had me shaking my head - bringing in a dog for emotional impact is cheap) but mostly, Clint Eastwood keeps things understated and straightforward. Ken Watanabe, as commanding General Kuribayashi, is fantastic. (The movie is based, in part, on letters he wrote to his son.) Kuribayashi practically wears a halo here, he's so honorable.

I haven't seen Flags of Our Fathers, but I overheard audience members, at the end, saying that Letters From Iwo Jima was their favorite out of the two.

LSPoorEeyorick

01-28-2007, 09:59 AM

Has anybody else seen Venus?

Edited to add: I scrolled way up and saw that Steve had.

I love O'Toole-- and indeed, it is a fitting last performance (I assume it will be, anyway.) But the movie itself didn't reach me. I think perhaps it has to do with being generally disgusted that attraction to barely-legal really never goes away for most men.

(Yes, I do find it ironic that one of my favorite movies is Harold and Maude. I felt that had less to do with objectifying a child and more with falling in love with ideals. Nevertheless, sex between a youngin' and an octogenarian occurred in H&M, while it's only danced aroundin Venus.)

Anything with the girl-- whose performance did not interest me-- left me cold. Anything with his friends or his ex wife was a delight; Vanessa Redgrave was completely lovely and, I felt, mistakenly ignored for awards season. But then, that best supporting actress category is pretty chock-full this year.

Snowflake

01-28-2007, 10:00 AM

I watched "The Devil Weas Prada" tonight. What a terribl predictable film! Not that I wasn't entertained for the whole two hours, Streep is always fascinating to watch, the fashion was fun and Hathaway is very luminious, but - was that book REALLY as popular as I think it was and why?

I cna't tell you why, but I am 100% with you on the film, in fact, I could not watch to the end, I finally gave it up and want that time back, never gonna happen. :rolleyes: I love Streep, I think she is an American treasure, but totally wasted in this, no challenge for her and I was shocked at her nominations for it. It was a walk through performance, fun, but a walk through.

innerSpaceman

01-28-2007, 10:02 AM

Venus is for awesome. A sweet and wonderful and inspiring movie.

I seriously hope Peter O'Toole wins the Oscar. (I think he's likely to take it as a de-facto "lifetime achievement," if nothing else. But he merits it legitimately.)

innerSpaceman

01-28-2007, 10:05 AM

I, too, am SHOCKED Meryl Streep is nominated for best actress. And I am one who finds Devil Wears Prada a delightful piece of fluff. There's nothing wrong with it ... it's a comedy, and it's cute and it's funny.

But best actress? Um, no. There was no work for her at all in this role. And she really did not have a lead role, despite being the titular character. (heheh, I said "titular").

I don't know what the Academy might have been thinking, except that perhaps it's some sort of law that Streep must be nominated. (Frankly, she did a much finer piece of acting in Prairie Home Companion.)

Alex

01-28-2007, 10:54 AM

In the second act, the plot became less plausible, yet so much more interesting. While the ... ending was slightly ridiculous, it was also entirely satisfying. Not a bad start for my catch-up month.

The first part of the movie interested me. The second part is where it lost me completely.

Once they hooked reunited I suspected they'd fake her death. Once she was "dead" I knew they had and the rest of the movie was just a bore with that knowledge never even remotely called into doubt.

So far for me it has been a four-movie weekend. Two on DVD, two in theaters.

Saw Smokin' Aces on Friday. This is the new "aren't we hip" action thriller where a dozen hired guns are competing to kill Jeremy Piven in a Lake Tahoe penthouse. I love that the location was moved from the stereotypical Las Vegas to that little four casino cluster at the Nevada-California border on Lake Tahoe. Just gave it a nice low-rent feel that went with the mood of the movie. I suspect it was filmed there because Vegas would have been too expensive but nice nonetheless. There are definitely some good moments of the film but it really doesn't have any of the payoff you'd expect, the movie isn't much more than attitude and in this regard really reminds me of last year's mildly satisfying Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which also won a lot of points for style but negative points for story. One big surprise about the movie, which I didn't realize until hours afterwards is:

At no point in the movie do any of the competing assassins battle with each other. Also, I can't decide if killing Ben Affleck immediately after the set up is a sign of filmmaking bravado or a sign of the state of Affleck's career.

Finally, as much as the actor (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0004801/) might prefer otherwise, but after being the the photographer on Suddenly Susan and Bat Manuel on the shortlived live-action The Tick, you just can't sell being a hard-boiled assassin. Sorry.

Second up for the weekend was Little Children, my Oscar-nominated pick-up for the weekend. First of all, let me say that this movie has reinforced my belief that it should be federal law that Kate Winslett appear nude in all movies, at least one. There is a point in the movie where Winslett and Jennifer Connolley are compared purely on appearance and while I'll agree there was some competition before Connolley lost 30 pounds (10 of it from her boobs it appears) that is simply no longer true.

The performances are great, particularly from Winslet (a woman who is started to find herself inexplicably living the life of a suburban stay-at-home mom) and Jackie Earle Haley as a sex offender trying live in suburbia. So no complaints about those two nominations from me. Haley is particularly suprising as he is 45 years old and really hasn't had much of a career in front of the camera. Really, his most prominent role to date is as Kelly Leak in the many Bad News Bears movies when he was a kid. Prior to this year, his last non-TV movie was 1993's Maniac Cop 3, which I am sure we all remember fondly.

Unfortunately, while the performances are great the movie doesn't really do much. It is more of a painting, filling out the details of an at-first tranquil scene than a story. That isn't a bad thing by any means, but I'd categorize this as a "quiet little film" and a lot of people want more than that.

Then we came home and watched Alien vs. Predator. Last weekend we were in Reno and Lani saw an AVP slot machine which prompted her to say "I'd like to see that." So I added it to the top of the Netflix queue and she actually sat down to watch it yesterday (most of the time when she says I should get a specific movie from Netflix she takes weeks to get around to it). It sucked, but I'm guessing you all knew that. But I learned something about Lani, she knew a lot more about the mythology fo Alien and Predator than I did.

Then as a night cap I watched Cast a Giant Shadow finally, which I've had from Netflix for about a month now. Cast a Giant Shadow is a 1966 movie telling the story of Mickey Marcus an American officer who helped establish the new nation of Israel's military as a power to be reckoned with. It has some good dialogue (after being told he should go to Israel to help because he's Jewish: "I'm an American, that is my religion. The last time I was at Temple I was 13. I gave a speech and got 42 fountain pens. I don't have to go again, I have enough pens.")

It was interesting to watch, especially with another 40 years of futility since it was made (and 60 since the events depicted). I've always found Kirk Douglas to be a mixed bag as an actor but this is one of his better performances. Being a movie of the late '60s it also benefits from more realistic language while not yet going full bore into graphic violence.

innerSpaceman

01-28-2007, 11:16 AM

I hope I don't get in trouble with the mods for saying this, but I think Alex has ice water in his veins.

Firstly, imo, the point of The Illusionist was not it's mystery plot of "is it magic or fakery?" It's the romance of the story, no matter which plot point is true. mousepod alluded earlier to the unique art direction and cinematography of sepia-like imagery to evoke the time period and mood, and the sterling performances of Giamanni and Norton. I think Rufus Sewell was really good, too. Taken as a romance piece and not a mystery, I think the film turned out just perfect.

Secondly, the theme is the thing about Little Children, and not its lack of lots of plot. It's an exploration of adult immaturity and how that might -or might not- be grown out of or otherwise escaped. I'll agree with Alex that Winslet and Hailey were deservedly nominated for Oscars. But I must differ about the film as a whole. The script and direction are brilliant. It's a character piece, not a plot machine. That said, there is a distinct story being told, and a fascinating one - in this humble reviewer's opinion.

.

Alex

01-28-2007, 11:32 AM

I did not see any romance in The Illusionist. There was zero chemistry. There was only love because we were told that there characters are in love. And with the few people I've talked to about the film, none of them really mention the romance but rather how blown away they were by the "reveal." I certainly won't claim to be the most romantic guy in the world (and since most movie romance rings false, it is difficult for movies to so move me) but I felt absolutely nothing of this romance. For example, the passion (though not romance) between Brad and Sarah in Little Children is real and moving.

I also agree with you on what the theme of Little Children is, but I don't think it really goes anywhere with that theme. Rather it paints a picutre of people who realize that they've got issues of immaturity (primarily the desire for escapism) to deal with but doesn't show them actually dealing with them. That is all left (except for one character) for after the credits roll and over dinner Lani and I had a nice discussion about what we though Brad and Sarah did the next day.

But ultimately, in my view, it is a movie that asks a question, not one that answers a question.

I said "unfortunately" before saying the movie doesn't do much without appropriate clarification. I meant "unfortunately for its chances of being seen by many people" more than "unfortunatley because I think this is a bad thing." Little Children is simply not the kind of movie most people enjoy watching. I think they should, and I did, but they don't.

mousepod

01-28-2007, 11:51 AM

Today I will re-watch Bambi and attempt the direct-to-video sequel Bambi II. I will share my thoughts on my podcast. If anyone here wants to chime in... skype me (mousepod) or call me (714-408-7855).

As far as my earlier post on The Illusionist, to clarify: the entire concept was predictable. My problem with the plot of the first half was a result of the framing technique of the opening scene. Since it was clear who "she" of the first scene was within moments of the flashback beginning - I had a "get on with it" feeling that disappeared after the story "caught up" to the opening.

LSPoorEeyorick

01-28-2007, 11:53 AM

I'm actually with Alex on both counts.

I thought The Illusionist was-- much like a magician's act-- all flash and no substance. Very pretty to look at, but not at all emotionally involving. I also thought Norton's acting was woefully overstated.

Little Children had its moments, but it was uneven at best. Acting? Yes. Overindulgent? Indeed. An oops-we'd-better-wrap-this-all-up-neatly closure? Quite.

flippyshark

01-28-2007, 04:43 PM

I just finished watching Jesus Camp.

This was a depressing experience. Watching this group of bright, gregarious children being indoctrinated, emotionally manipulated, harangued and exploited made me queasy, the moreso because my own childhood included similar experiences. (Thankfully, not quite to this extreme)

The movie serves as an interesting litmus test. To me, it looked like an exposé, but its central figure, camp leader Becky Fischer, reportedly thought the movie was fair, and showed her operation in a good light. (She has, however, shut down the camp since as a result of vandalism and negative scrutiny engendered by the film.)

As an unblinking document of pathological faith, Jesus Camp has few equals. I realy hope there will be a follow up in a few years. I'd love to know how these kids do further down the line. Will they stay with this lifestyle? (This type of highly charged "spirit-filled' Christianity is emotionally exhausting, for one thing. These kids are pushed to tears again and again in the course of a week.) Will they start asking important questions? Will they rebel? I'd be curious to know.

Pastor Ted Haggard, y'know, the guy who bought some meth and didn't take it but got a nice massage, appears here, just months before his fall from grace. He comes off poorly, seeming arrogant and cynical when he talks to one of the kids. Also, there is a moment, comical in retrospect, when he turns to the camera and, with all the machismo of Liberace, says "This is a FABULOUS lifestyle!" (Millions of dollars, a luxurious mansion and sex and drugs on the side? I'm sure it is!)

Alex

01-28-2007, 06:24 PM

Just out of curiosity what would distinguish non-pathological faith from patholigical faith?

flippyshark

01-28-2007, 09:30 PM

Just out of curiosity what would distinguish non-pathological faith from patholigical faith?

I'd be tempted to say that all blind belief in irrational things is a kind of pathology, but that's painting with too broad a brush. I probably reached for the phrase here because it's one that I picked up back in my days as a moderate liberal Christian.

Pathological faith could be described as the type of faith that places additional psychological burdens on the believer, increasing anxiety rather than relieving it. This may involve;

- Forced accountability to a leader or hierarchy (as in the "discipleship" type ministries)
- Expectation of enormous commitment of time and resources (especially financial)
- Intolerance of questioning or independent thought
- Subjugation of personal identity
- Inordinate "Us vs. Them" mentality
- Ostracism or punitive treatment for those who deviate

These are just some elements that could distinguish an unhealthy faith or community, as opposed to those that espouse a more compassionate outlook, are less judgmental, or more community oriented. (Y'know, those wishy-washy mainline churches with their emphasis on "love.")

This is just a quick reply - this is obviously a huge topic.

Alex

01-28-2007, 10:05 PM

Yeah, but is it patholigical if it turns out that god is an asshole?

Anyway, not a religion thread.

Saw one and a half movies today. To fill out the Oscar ballot I hauled myself out to The Painted Veil. Of course, when I got home I remembered it hadn't actually been nominated for anything and I'm trying to figure out why I thought it had.

Oh well. The big reason for my reticence is that Edward Norton has just gone sour for me. Haven't liked him in his last several movies.

He's ok here, though he still feels miscast. Decent performances. Prettily flimed. But it just never connected to me. But the book never did either so I'm not surprised (significant changes from the book to the movie).

Tried to watch Don't Tell (La Bestia Nel Cuora), the 2005 nominee for best foreign language film from Italy. I've only made it about halfway through.

On this one the subtitles are killing me. Now, when I'm at all into a movie I don't even notice them, but when I'm not absorbed my eyes tend to wander. I get distracted by other things in the house.

LSPoorEeyorick

01-31-2007, 09:53 AM

I really enjoy being taken by surprise. The Last King of Scotland was not at all what I expected; the marketing-- and the award clips-- are not showing the depth and tone of the movie as much as they're showing a few key moments of Amin's fury. But in truth, the movie spent about two hours showing only Amin's charms; we only begin to see the cracks in the facade once the young doctor he dupes into acting as his advisor discovers Amin's heinous crimes for himself. I have never laughed more in a movie about a dictator. And this, I think, is an excellent choice. Dictators are able to take power because of their ability to trick people into believing they are worthy of following. This is, I think, rarely shown in films about leaders like Idi Amin. Whitaker's performance is the best male variety of the year, yes-- but sadly overlooked is the young doctor's performance; it's a tricky part and he handles it well.

We also saw Notes on a Scandal. I don't have much to say, as I thought it was a puffy melodrama not worthy of Oscar attention. I will say that it seemed strange to meet a character (Dench's) who was so terrible, so pathetic, and so lacking in complexity that Idi Amin seemed quite pleasant and layered in comparison.

LSPoorEeyorick

01-31-2007, 09:57 AM

In the end, per the movie (which opens with the "based on real events" title) it is this white doctor who eventually escapes Uganda to reveal to the world what a horrible man Amin was (as opposed to the eccentric buffoon most thought him). This is something of a slap in the face to Henry Kyemba, Amin's black health minister who managed to defect and did all the revealing in his 1977 book A State of Blood.

Thanks, Alex, I did not know that. And it would have made for a more interesting movie. Having been in the dark about everything but the fictional nature of Garrigan, I just enjoyed it at face value.

Ghoulish Delight

01-31-2007, 10:07 AM

We saw Junebug last week. We were both kinda ambivalent about it. I thought the characters were really "great" ("great" as in well portrayed, but horrible, horrible people). Contrary to Bornieo's assessment, it started out well then slowed to a painful crawl. It was really in need of an editor with the balls to tell the director, "You know, an extended establishing shot of a grassy field is a nice trick one in a while, but not the WHOLE DAMN MOVIE!" 3/4 of the way through, CP and I found ourselves spontaneously turning to each other and saying either, "Aaaaaaand action" as a scene started with some over-long still shot or, "Okay guys, scene's over, next scene please" as one ended with the same. It was figuratively every scene. I would have liked it a whole lot better had it been edited a bit more crisply.

Cadaverous Pallor

01-31-2007, 05:24 PM

We saw Junebug last week. We were both kinda ambivalent about it. I need to add that I'm already finding it forgettable, which is a bummer, because it could have been great. Wonderful concept, poor execution.

DreadPirateRoberts

01-31-2007, 09:16 PM

I know this is a little different, but I really enjoyed "Step Into Liquid". This is a surf film documentary from 2003, done by Dana Brown, the son of Bruce Brown who made "Endless Summer". If you need a change of pace, I highly recommend adding it to your netflix queue. It's really well done, and the footage of Cortez Banks (100 miles off the coast of San Diego) is spectacular. It does a good job of capturing the essence of surfing and its lifestyle.

I suggest watching Mickey's "Hawaiian Holiday" as the cartoon before the main feature.

CoasterMatt

01-31-2007, 10:10 PM

Step Into Liquid was filmed in 1080p, and looks FABULOUS.

Gemini Cricket

01-31-2007, 11:23 PM

I saw 'Venus' with NA and the Euro man tonight. I liked it. Peter O'Toole was amazing in it. He's a magnificent actor, I love him.
I think the Academy may just give him the Oscar for this. More so for the body of his work I think.
So very frustrated with the director of this film though. He recites Shakespeare and the entire monologue is focused on his co-star. Bleh. I wanted the camera to be fixed on him.

Not Afraid

01-31-2007, 11:28 PM

I couldn't take my eyes off of O'Toole the entire film. He was so wonderful to watch and incredibly expressive. Great film! I hope he gets the Oscar.

Alex

01-31-2007, 11:59 PM

Forrest Whitaker seems to have a lock on it but without having seen Venus I'm willing to defer to a non-impersonatin role.

innerSpaceman

02-01-2007, 12:10 AM

Ok, then I'll just have to get out to see Last King ... because Peter O' Toole was magnificent ... and I'm getting a little tired of these real-life immitator roles.

One thing I think Alex and I have agreed on is that these types of roles, with unknown quantities of impersonation mixed in with the performance, come into the game with a handicap.

So, I'll have to see Scotland, Volver, and I think Notes on a Scandal and I'll be the most "prepared" non-Academy voter I think I've ever been ... and that's not to mention I'm likely to see programs of the nominated live and animated short subjects. Sheesh!

Gemini Cricket

02-01-2007, 12:14 AM

Still need to see:

Notes on a Scandal
Babel
Blood Diamond
Volver
The Last King of Scotland
Half Nelson

LSPoorEeyorick

02-01-2007, 08:29 AM

We're done with the major noms. We just have to get to the lesser-known foreign and documentary films now. And the short films!

Also, I know that the "impersonation" performances come with a handicap for Alex and iSm, but it hasn't seemed to hamper AMPAS lately. O'Toole might have a shot, but Whitaker is highly favored at the moment.

Alex

02-01-2007, 10:50 AM

As far as it goes, they actually did a good job this year with only 3 of the 20 acting nominations going to characters that were real people: Idi Amin (Forrest Whitaker), Chris Gardner (Will Smith), and Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren).

Sorry for what follows, research bug popped up and I might as well share.

Last year it was eight out of 20 nominations: Truman Copote (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn), Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), Laura Henderson (Judi Dench), Lois Jenson (Charlize Theron), Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti), and Harper Lee (Catherine Keener).

The year before it was 8 as well: Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx), Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp), Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), Owen Brewster (Alan Alda), Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett), Tatiana Rusesabagina (Sophie Okenedo), and Clara McMillen (Laura Linney)

So, considering the relative paucity in this year's nominations, it is somewhat ironic that it is almost certain that th maximum number possible will win.

€uroMeinke

02-04-2007, 11:55 AM

Saw Rocky Horror Picture Show last night, for what must be the first time in 15 to 20 years. After getting over the personal Horror of realizing that I first saw the film when Morigoon was 1, I was amazed at how it has evolved over time.

Back in the day, we just saw the movie, threw rice, toilet paper, toast, and bantered with the film. Nowadays, there's an elaborate pre-show. Last night included a band, an animated short, previews for the Princess Bride, not to mention complete choreographed announcement and virgin ceremony all with their own sets of scripted call and responses. (honestly, this old-time was starting to wonder if they still watched the film) It seems the film now has every pause filled with some comment of other, many completely new to me. I'm still also not used to the on stage actors, which result in rules about throwing things on stage, though I did enjoy the stripper for the credits.

All in all still a fun show/experience, though the abundance of scantily clad 16-year olds did make me feel like a bit of a pederast, it's still something one should do at least once to see what all the fuss is about.

Alex

02-04-2007, 02:36 PM

Just saw Notes on a Scandal and it is a rock solid performance from Judi Dench.

I've now seen all five nominations for Best Actress and I would rank them (from top to bottom):

Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Kate Winslett - Little Children
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada

All moot of course, since Mirren will win in a landslide. It has been decreed.

Was less impressed by Cate Blanchett, though she does do a pretty good orgasm (if you ignore the fact that it is being provided by a 15-year-old). Bill Nighy continues to impress me with every appearance on screen. He doesn't have much time to do anything and still does more than you could fairly expect.

It is very unflinching and I am glad it doesn't romanticize any of the three relationships in the movie. Could have done without the final scene in the movie but pointless prologues seem to be all the fashion these days. People apparently just can't live without certainty as to what happens after the actual end of the story.

Ghoulish Delight

02-06-2007, 10:39 PM

Woohoo, another one off the AFI 100 list. Network.

That movie delivers. Save for Dunaway's performance (I'm sure I'm committing some sort of sacrilege, but sorry, she was bad) I thought it was damn near perfect. It tackles so many issues so well, and remains entirely relevant. Just outstanding.

What I want to know is, how many times has Lewis Black seen this movie, because his act might as well just be called an impersonation of Peter Finch's performance.

wendybeth

02-06-2007, 10:43 PM

I agree with your asessment of Network, GD. Great movie, still very relevant, and Faye Dunaway is only so-so in this. Truth be told, I can't watch her anymore- Mommy Dearest keeps popping up in my head every time I see her. I

Gemini Cricket

02-06-2007, 11:14 PM

"Why can't you give me the respect that I'm entitled to? Why can't you treat me like I would be treated by any stranger on the street?"

innerSpaceman

02-06-2007, 11:21 PM

Box Office Poison!

flippyshark

02-06-2007, 11:59 PM

Oy! I just watched Mommie Dearest recently. (It had been a while, and WOW, I had forgotten how overwhelming Ms. Dunaway was.) I was curious to hear John Waters commentary, but was surprised to find that for the most part, he defends the movie and Faye's performance. I can't quite agree with him, and yes, it will be hard to watch her in anything else without thinking of her shouting,"Tina! Fetch me the axe!"

Network is a remarkable film, though.

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

02-07-2007, 04:07 PM

I caught the last 40 minutes of Match Point. And I have no desire to see the rest. The unevenness of the performances alone might be enough to keep me away.

LSPoorEeyorick

02-07-2007, 04:10 PM

Aww-- you missed the only thing that I truly liked about the moment-- the set-up of the gimmicky "gravity" bit in the climax.

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

02-07-2007, 04:20 PM

I liked how the ring from the 1-sheet worked its way into the story in a way I wasn't expecting, but over all, blech bah boring.

innerSpaceman

02-07-2007, 08:14 PM

Wow, and I really liked that movie.

Well, not really really liked it. Just thought it was one of Woody Allen's better films.

Yeah, that's not saying too much, huh?

€uroMeinke

02-07-2007, 08:32 PM

I liked it too - though I confess Scarlett Johansen may have been a factor in my enjoyment

Not Afraid

02-07-2007, 08:37 PM

I enjoyed everything about it except for the couple who jabbered the entire way through it. They were trying to over-intellectualize a director who is already over-intelectualizing. SHUT UP AND WATCH THE FILM!

Alex

02-07-2007, 08:40 PM

I liked it as well. I'd be inclined to think it was just a reaction to finally getting a decent Woody Allen film after the last decade, but then Scoop stunk mightily.

Gemini Cricket

02-07-2007, 09:58 PM

I enjoyed Match Point. I thought it was one of his better films. EH1812, did you watch the entire thing eventually or just the 40 minutes you mentioned?

Gemini Cricket

02-07-2007, 11:09 PM

I love this name:
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
He directed The Lives of Others which was released today.
I haven't seen the film but his name is hilariously awesome to say.
:D lol!

NickO'Time

02-08-2007, 05:11 AM

I actually am looking forward to seeing Bridge to Terebithia this weekend. It was required reading at my private grade school back in 7th grade for me.:)

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

02-08-2007, 02:59 PM

I enjoyed Match Point. I thought it was one of his better films. EH1812, did you watch the entire thing eventually or just the 40 minutes you mentioned?

Just the 40. I'm really not a fan of JRM - aside from Velvet Goldmine I think he tends to deliver uneven performances: good in one scene, absolute crap in another. And SJ, who I love in some movies and am ambivalent in others, was equally on/off in this. I don't think seeing it from the beginning will change my opinion of their acting.

Granted, I like only a handful of Allen flicks. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed Melinda Melinda a great deal. I thought I might like Match Point more because it was supposed to be so different from his other films, and he was pleasantly absent. For similar reasons, I liked The Purple Rose of Cairo, as well. And The Sweet and Lowdown. I think he ruins his own films when he's in them for the most part. Scoop might have been okay if Allen was out of the pic and didn't direct his actors, SJ in particular, to speak just like him. I guess I just don't like her in his movies.

Alex

02-08-2007, 03:05 PM

I thought I might like Match Point more because it was supposed to be so different from his other films,

That's interesting. Among people who liked it, the only major complaint I heard was that it was very much like one of his other films (Crimes and Misdemeanors). I'm not much of a Johanssen fan so far, but did think she did a creditable job on this one.

Snowflake

02-08-2007, 03:10 PM

That's interesting. Among people who liked it, the only major complaint I heard was that it was very much like one of his other films (Crimes and Misdemeanors). I'm not much of a Johanssen fan so far, but did think she did a creditable job on this one.

I'm one of those, except I did not like Match Point very well when I saw it in the theatre. For me, it was contrived and predictable and Allen did the thriller thing much better in C's & M's. SJ seemed just annoying and petulant, as Nola. In real life, I find her to be a stunning creature gowned and coiffed as she is for the Disney campaign, but on film, meh.

I've not seen Scoop. Used to be I'd go see any Allen film as they came out, not so much any longer.

Gemini Cricket

02-08-2007, 04:28 PM

I think he ruins his own films when he's in them for the most part.
Have you seen Bullets Over Broadway? It's one of my all-time favorite Allen films. (And he's not in it.) ;)

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

02-08-2007, 04:56 PM

Have you seen Bullets Over Broadway? It's one of my all-time favorite Allen films. (And he's not in it.) ;)

I will check that one out. :)

Gemini Cricket

02-08-2007, 05:03 PM

I will check that one out. :)
If you need a copy I have one to borrow. :)

Okay, I guess this is the best place to confess this. And I just quoted someone just now who cut mousepod some slack for liking Debbie Gibson in the past. :D

High School Musical is on it's way to my house from Netflix.

Here, I'll post a :rolleyes: right here for everyone who just did the same. :D

I'm curious as to why this movie is such a big dang hit.

That is all.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

02-08-2007, 05:37 PM

Have you seen Bullets Over Broadway? It's one of my all-time favorite Allen films. (And he's not in it.) ;)

Whoo, GC and I agree on a movie? BoB is a scream! I need to get that on DVD but can never find it. :snap:

Snowflake

02-08-2007, 05:45 PM

Have you seen Bullets Over Broadway? It's one of my all-time favorite Allen films. (And he's not in it.) ;)

Great movie, this along with Radio Days is one of my all time favorites of Allen's films.

katiesue

02-08-2007, 05:58 PM

GC -Having seen High School Musical oh about 30 times, the regular version, the sing along version, the dance along version - DON'T OPEN THE ENVELOPE, RETURN IT AS IS ;)

Once was kind of ok, not so much after that. I mostly spend the whole time trying to figure out why Ashley Tinsdale's hair bugs me. It looks like bad Malibu Barbie hair. Are they extensions? Is it just too much hair spray? It doesn't move and it's quite un-natural. I do that while trying to resist the urge to snip Zack's bangs. How can he see?

I read somewhere today that they want to make High School Musical 3 a theatrical release. I sincerely hope that Madz will be over it by then and I won't have to watch.

innerSpaceman

02-08-2007, 08:32 PM

But it's a hit Broadway-bound show, too! And a DVD board game that I got for Christmas, how could it be bad??

Of Allen's post-personal-scandal films, I really and surprisingly liked Deconstructing Harry. And Allen's even in it!

Gemini Cricket

02-08-2007, 10:54 PM

I just got back from seeing Babel. Meh.
The acting in this film is great. The cast was marvelous. There were some really wonderful moments in this film.
But it's about a half hour too long and not as clever as they would like you to believe it is. And the movie needed to find a clever way to work more comic relief into this film. It could have benefited from it.
I liked it better than Crash and about as much as Magnolia.
2 and a half stars out of 5.

LSPoorEeyorick

02-09-2007, 08:23 AM

I'm glad I'm not alone on Babel. I just thought it was absolute crap. I'm at 1 star per 5.

Aud, as for Match Point-- there's a writing construct that made the rest of the movie worth sitting through; and opening that has to do with that ring useage climax. I liked that writing construct. I didn't like much else. (And aside from Ghost World and Lost in Translation, Johansen does nothing for me.)

And as for High School Musical, I admit I watched it once (the first time it aired) and once again with Tom to make fun of it. It's not particularly well-made but it has a nice message (don't pigeonhole yourself.) And because I don't have children, I didn't have to watch it ever, ever again so I don't have to feel the pain. Watch it once. It's fine.

SzczerbiakManiac

02-09-2007, 02:09 PM

Saw Rocky Horror Picture Show last night... it's still something one should do at least once to see what all the fuss is about.I wholeheartedly agree!

Did you see Midnight Insanity at the Queen Mary?

€uroMeinke

02-09-2007, 04:06 PM

I wholeheartedly agree!

Did you see Midnight Insanity at the Queen Mary?

That be the one

Alex

02-09-2007, 04:15 PM

Watched Radio Days, speaking of Woody Allen, today. That was a big lump of nothing. I know it is well regarded but other tham some interesting moments I'll have completely forgotten it by the time I sleep tonight.

€uroMeinke

02-09-2007, 04:21 PM

Aww - I loved Radio Days - even without Scarlett Johanesen

Alex

02-09-2007, 04:30 PM

For me it just seemed 90 minutes of Woody Allen saying "I have fond memories of childhood, which was essentially unremarkable and normal." I didn't find the actualy stories presented (either the family one or the radio ones) to be compelling in any way.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

02-09-2007, 09:50 PM

OMG. File under be careful what you wish for... Went to Target this evening and much to my surprise? Bulits Over Broadway on DVD. $10.

Oh yeah! Watching it now! :)

Alex

02-09-2007, 10:14 PM

Watched Destination Tokyo today as well. WWII propaganda piece (1942) starring Cary Grant as a submarine captain who sneaks into Tokyo Bay to provide intelligence for the first U.S. bombing runs.

I'm partial to submarine movies and this is an early one. It is interesting to see many of the conventions already in place as well as some amusing model work (it would seem the ocean is never more than about 200 feet deep).

Lani was not so amused when I repeated back to her what the movie had taught me about the Japanese people (did you know that they sold their girls off to factories when they turned 12 and because women were only good for working and babies the language doesn't have a word for love?).

Gemini Cricket

02-09-2007, 10:52 PM

€uroMeinke

02-09-2007, 10:54 PM

Heh - long ago PBS did a series on propaganda films including Triumph of the Will (Nazi) and Know the Enemy (American film about Japan). The later had lots of great misinformation about Japanese Culture.

Not Afraid

02-09-2007, 10:54 PM

I generally LOVE Woddy Allen films. His wit always amuses me. However, my favorite Allen film is Interiors, followed by Hannah and Her Sisters.

Gemini Cricket

02-09-2007, 10:56 PM

Haven't seen Interiors... I should check it out.

Not Afraid

02-09-2007, 11:01 PM

Take a Prozac before you do.

Snowflake

02-09-2007, 11:54 PM

Woody Allens I like:

Annie Hall
Manhattan
Hannah and Her Sisters
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Husbands and Wives
Bullets Over Broadway
Mighty Aphrodite
Everyone Says I Love You

Woody Allens I'm Meh About:

Zelig
Alice
Radio Days
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Love and Death
Sleeper

Woody Allen I Hate:

Shadows and Fog

For me, swap out Radio Days for Mighty Aphrodite and were good. My favorite part of Love and Death is the use throughout the film of Prokofiev's Lt. Kije Suite.

The music is always one of my favorite things about Woody Allen films, much humor, much irony in it. In Bullets Over Broadwa, it never fails to have me on the floor in , LMAO when Chaz Palmieri guns down anyone at the Hudson and the soundtrack is playing "Up a Lazy River"

Not Afraid

02-10-2007, 12:02 AM

I always love the music Allen uses as well. Manhattan shines with it and Hannah....has one of the most wonderful sountracks ever.

innerSpaceman

02-10-2007, 08:11 AM

Interiors is awesome. Deconstructing Harry is along the same vein, but without the necessity for Prozac.

Don't be put off by the pill-taking, though. Interiors is the superiors.

Gemini Cricket

02-10-2007, 03:21 PM

I watched Monster House today. I'm really kinda meh about it. It started out fun and then got kinda corny in the last third of the film.
Interesting idea, though.
I'm thinking it would have been a cooler film had it been a live action sfx fest.

Snowflake

02-10-2007, 06:07 PM

Legends of the Fall today. It was big, sprawling, nice James Horner score and Anthony Hopkins. A little long, but the scenary was gorgeous.

Gn2Dlnd

02-10-2007, 08:09 PM

I watched Monster Hose today. I'm really kinda meh about it. It started out fun and then I got kinda horny in the last third of the film.

I'm thinking it would have been a cooler film had it been a live action sex fest.

!

Gemini Cricket

02-10-2007, 08:12 PM

Okay, I just watched High School Musical.

I liked it.
:)

Even though it was like a Mormon Grease, sanitized and completely rated G, I thought it was fun.
The acting was so so and the story was all too familiar, but I thought it was good.

I don't know why Disney keeps giving Kenny Ortega projects after Newsies and Hocus Pocus, but I'll cut him some slack with HSM.

I can see why kids went nutty over it last year.

Sarcasm meters on:
I can't wait for High School Musical 2 and 3.
The name of High School Musical 3 is Haunted High School Musical, btw. lol!
:D

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

02-10-2007, 08:55 PM

Legends of the Fall today. It was big, sprawling, nice James Horner score and Anthony Hopkins. A little long, but the scenary was gorgeous.

Great movie. The score is wonderful. I listen to it all the time.

Julia Ormond - Whatever happend to her.

CoasterMatt

02-10-2007, 09:00 PM

I watched "GWAR: Live From Antarctica"

Alex

02-10-2007, 09:15 PM

I saw something about Julia Ormond a while ago. She married some activist guy and apparently has been spending a lot of time working on human trafficing issues. My sense was that she was more focused on that than acting.

(Though it may be that roles stopped coming so she shifted.)

MouseWife

02-10-2007, 10:06 PM

Okay, I just watched High School Musical.

I liked it.
:)

You'd have loved the bus ride I took with a load of 6th graders last year....on the way up we watched it more than once. On the way home, almost twice. Thank God I had a cd player and headphones and fall asleep easy and can't see without my glasses on. :D

But, what you really would have loved was how the kids got in to it. On the way home, one kid was getting up and doing the dance perfectly. I couldn't help but wonder how many times he'd seen the movie. But, it got the bus cheering and a couple of other kids got up and danced, too. That led the kids in to playing other games and so that was fun. But the movie, almost 3 times???? I am glad my son doesn't like it.

And did you mean 'Monster House'? I haven't heard of 'Monster Hose' but if it made you horny, I can imagine it isn't in the front aisles of Blockbuster?

Gemini Cricket

02-10-2007, 11:02 PM

Today was movie day for me. Wedding Crashers was good, too. It was funny. I laughed. Something about Owen Wilson cracks me up. He's hysterical. I've loved him ever since Bottle Rocket.

CoasterMatt

02-11-2007, 01:09 AM

Something about Owen Wilson makes me want to throw up.. Or shove icepicks into my ears. Yup, it's his voice that annoys me.

Gn2Dlnd

02-11-2007, 01:16 AM

Something about Owen Wilson gets me all melty.

Ghoulish Delight

02-11-2007, 01:25 AM

Not a movie per-se, but we just watched an "interview" with John Cleese. Some PBS production from a couple years ago where Cleese is introduced as "the reclusive 96 year old," and they purport to show his favorite sketches. They show some good rarely shown bits, and the new filler material with Cleese is great. He may be a total sellout at times, but he's still got it every once in a while.

innerSpaceman

02-11-2007, 09:12 AM

^ Lest we forget, now that he's in his twilight years, that John Cleese is the funniest man ever to be born on Earth.

€uroMeinke

02-11-2007, 10:04 AM

^ Lest we forget, now that he's in his twilight years, that John Cleese is the funniest man ever to be born on Earth.

...Next to Buddy Hackett

Eliza Hodgkins 1812

02-12-2007, 11:27 AM

Just saw Pan's Labyrinth for the third time, this time with the rents. Every bit as wonderful as it was the first two times I saw it. And they loved it, too. Made me happy.

Came home and decided to watch the parts of Match Point I missed, and it didn't make me like the last 40 minutes any more. Guess it's just not a pic for me.

blueerica

02-13-2007, 06:24 PM

The longest movie is "The Cure for Insomnia (http://www.answers.com/The%20Cure%20for%20Insomnia)," directed by John Henry Timmis IV in 1987. Running 85 hours in length, the film follows no plot. Instead, it consists of L.D. Groban (http://www.answers.com/L.D.%20Groban) reading his poetry over the course of four days inter-spliced with occasional clips from heavy metal (http://www.answers.com/heavy%20metal) and X-rated videos.Hmm... got that from a bluff game. Weird.

Not Afraid

02-14-2007, 10:45 PM

We went to see The Queen today - about time! Helen Mirin was gret and I just love Stephen Frears' style of film making. I found it very odd to see a film about subjects who are still alive and dealing with a period of time that is so recent. I kept wondering of the Royal Family had seen it. And, boy that Prince Phillip is a dick (at least he was protrayed as one.)

We also got to see Music and Lyrics. There was a talker aand general mouth-noise maker in the theater for the first, intended, showing of The Queen and he would NOT shut up (and he was asked to). I was getting ready to walk out anyways when Chris got a page from work, so we left the theater so he could call while I complained. I didn't get much response from the theater people so I just took our own initiatinve and walked into another theater. Music and Lyrics was just starting and ended just as the Queen was starting again, so we got to see both.

Music and Lyrics was charming. Hugh Grant is charming, hot, woderful, hot - well, you get the idea. It was a nice, fun film and the opening and closing credits are great fun. It wasn't as predectable as I thought it would be - which was my biggest fear. I even laughed out loud at a few of the 80's jokes. Hugh is a master of the self depricating humor. I could watch him all day long.

RStar

02-14-2007, 10:56 PM

thecorndogwalker

02-15-2007, 07:16 AM

yeah i went and saw the QUEEN last night, actually we had a nice dinner. we...

ooops wrong thread...

Gn2Dlnd

02-15-2007, 10:19 AM

Beg pardon?

The proper title is Commodore.

Toot!

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

02-16-2007, 04:04 PM

The Departed -

I saw the film last night - finally! Had to be the best Scorsese picture since Casino or even Last Temptation. The script was a bit weak in that you knew everyone's role and there were no real secrets. I think the story was more about the evolution of everyone and "how it happend." Jack was "Jack" but always great to see him on screen in this type of role. Marky Mark was good, but i expected more from him after his nomination. One of the best films of the year!

9 bornieo's out of 10

innerSpaceman

02-16-2007, 06:33 PM

Not to quibble ... but I don't recall any review ever getting less than 9 Bornieo's Out Of 10.

Is there anything you didn't like?

just curious. If you happen to simply be a generous film viewer and reviewer, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'm just wondering why there's 10 possible Bornieo's if only two of them get used.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

02-16-2007, 06:38 PM

I'm picky about what I review. The low "Bornieo" ratings are usually not worth talking about. :)

Here's some films that got low ratings:
- Hostel
- X-Men 3
- Miami Vice
- Jackass 2
- Clerks 2
- Taladega Nights

Alex

02-17-2007, 09:25 AM

Saw Venus last night and it overcomes a lot I didn't like (the score, the tired practice of opening the movie with the final shot, the first half hour trying too hard, to much mining of the "old people cursing is inherently funny") to become a very thought provoking film.

I'm still not sure what I think about it, though at the moment the dominant feeling is pity and I'm pretty sure that isn't as intended.

Anyway, despite a little bit of showboating in the first half ("oh, look me! ain't I ooooold?) Peter O'Toole is great. I'm still two actors short in the Best Actor category but both Whitaker and O'Toole easily trump DiCaprio in Blood Diamond and with the "real person" handicap, the choice goes over to O'Toole though both are amazing.

To me, though, the real stunner of a performance was Leslie Phillips as Maurice's friend Ian.

A couple random thoughts:

- Until I saw his name written at the end of the movie I thought his name was Morris, not Maurice. Stupid accents.
- When did Vanessa Redgrave start looking like Michael Caine in drag?
- When Maurice and Ian had tea in those posh environs (after climbing the long stairs) where was that? The movie seemed to assume you'd know; I didn't.
- Where did they go after that with the plaques on the walls for famous dead actors?
- The score and soundtrack were intrusive and while the songs by Corinne Rae (or whatever her name is) are more than fine, I didn't care for them in the movie.

Also watched Drugstore Cowboy last night. I'm not easily disposed to "drug movies" of any bent but enjoyed this one. One thing I found interesting for its filmic rareness is that when Dillon's character decides to go clean, it doesn't seem to have been all that difficult. Yes, the straight life was boring, but not difficult.

Stan4dSteph

02-17-2007, 10:01 AM

I haven't seen Venus, so I'm not sure about where the characters had tea. My guess would be either at Fortnum & Mason or Harrod's.

Not Afraid

02-17-2007, 11:39 AM

I assumed that tea was at at old haunt men's club from thei past. As for the church, I don't know but I'd be willing to scout around London for it. :)

Actually, if I could remember any of the names on the plaques, that might be a good research starting point.

Strangler Lewis

02-17-2007, 11:45 AM

Saw Venus
- Until I saw his name written at the end of the movie I thought his name was Morris, not Maurice. Stupid accents.

I guess you never saw the '80s Merchant/Ivory film "Maurice," based on the E.M. Forster novel and featuring Hugh Grant as a closet case, where the character's name was also pronounced "Morris."

Gemini Cricket

02-18-2007, 10:36 PM

Watched The Departed again tonight.
I predict:
Best Picture
Best Director
and
Best Adapted Screenplay.
:)

I love this film.

Snowflake

02-19-2007, 07:48 AM

Watched The Departed again tonight.
I predict:
Best Picture
Best Director
and
Best Adapted Screenplay.
:)

I love this film.

In my netflix queue, coming soon. Still on the big screens in SF, I think I had better see it there, to hell with netflix!

innerSpaceman

02-19-2007, 09:25 AM

Best Director, certainly. The "overlooked till now" factor is overwhelming in Scorcese's case. Too bad, because Greengrass pulled off a far better directorial feat.

Peter O'Toole might right the sentimental wave as well.

Ah well, I hardly look to the Oscars to determine the best of anything, and either of the two sentimental votes would be legitimate winners for their current works in any case.

Not Afraid

02-19-2007, 01:43 PM

While I still haven't seen King-Scotland, I really want Peter O'Toole to get the golden boy. I predict I will cry if he does.

Alex

02-19-2007, 04:29 PM

Gremlins was in the Under $5 bin at some store so I picked it up a few weeks ago.

Many good memories about this movie when I last saw it in 1985 or 1986. I remmeber loving it. It was funny and a little bit scary.

Yet more evidence that I was quite a retarded child. Not that I was wrong to be retarded when I was 11, but I wonder what my parents' excuse was.

katiesue

02-19-2007, 06:13 PM

We just got back from Music and Lyrics. Fluffy chick flick. Catchy tunes though. Sadly I may have to buy the album filled with faux pop songs almost all sung by Hugh Grant.

Alex

02-19-2007, 07:19 PM

Also saw Letters from Iwo Jima today. It's very well made. It continues to amaze me but Eastwood really may be our best commercial director going today.

That, despite its unique point of view, it really does boil down to a basic "pointlessness of war" storyline and doesn't really probe any original territory. But I really do admire the balls of Eastwood going to whatever honchos he has to go to and saying "I'm going to make a World War II movie, covering the same event I will have just covered in a different movie but from the Japanese point of view and I'm going to do it in Japanese."

I have to wonder if he just did it as an "in your face" to Rob Marshall who said it just wasn't feasible to do Memoirs of a Geisha in Japanese using unknown Japanese actors.

innerSpaceman

02-19-2007, 07:34 PM

Well, Ken Watanabe is hardly an unknown actor. And I'm frankly sick of all the ballyhoo about the film being in Japanese. Guess what, so are lots of Japanese films ... and it would have been just beyond stupid to make a gritty war film from the Japanese perspective with the cast speaking English ... in clippped British accents no less.

Letters was a fine film, but stereotypical galore ... whereas the Flags companion piece was, imo, shamefully overlooked - and far more interesting in perspective, story, and storytelling.

Alex

02-19-2007, 08:00 PM

Haven't seen flags yet. And the reason Marshall used Chinese actors was because they didn't think there were any Japanese actors with enough face recognition. Yes, Watanabe is somewhat known, but he's also barely in the movie.

And, I'm sorry, but I think it takes some artistic balls to make a movie in a language you don't speak. And I think those are precisely the artistic balls that Rob Marshall lacks (and if the studio insisted, he should have passed or at least insisted on Japanese actors). Why go with clipped British accents when you could go with clipped Chinese accents?

When you say stereotypical, do you mean stereotypical war movie or stereotyping of the Japanese? If the latter I found it more restrained than most and also pretty accurate in attitudes as I hear them second hand through Lani (who's father applied to be a kamikaze pilot). Say what you will, but the circumstances under which Saigo fled Suribachi is not something you'd see in an American war movie.

Haven't seen Flags yet so I have no problem with the thought that it is better than Letters (though you're the first person I know that has seen both that thinks so) and has been overlooked.

Personally, I'm still somewhat burned out on war movies and the reason I saw this one is because it is nominated for best picture (Babel is no longer playing anywhere near me) and because it was the only thing within 25 miles that I haven't seen and have any interest in (at the last minute I almost went to Ghost Rider instead).

I definitely would not put Letters in the top five for the year (The Queen was already on my list of the five that should be in line behind Children of Men and now Letters is back there as well.) Both Scorcese and Greengrass are more deserving for director (and I'm with you that Greengrass should have it, though I'm ok with Scorcese winning).

The screenwriting categories still continue to confuse me. Letters credits source material (the letters of General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe)) and is an original screenplay while Borat is mostly unscripted and is still an adapted screenplay. Anyway, Letters doesn't come out on top for this one, either as I'd give it to Pan's Labyrinth if I had my druthers.

Stan4dSteph

02-19-2007, 08:08 PM

Also saw Letters from Iwo Jima today. It's very well made. It continues to amaze me but Eastwood really may be our best commercial director going today.I was at the mall today, and thought I would check this out, except that it's no longer playing there! I was seriously pissed. Instead they're playing all kinds of worthless ****. I mean, Night at the Museum is still playing! WTF? Asshats.

Not Afraid

02-19-2007, 11:11 PM

We just got back from Music and Lyrics. Fluffy chick flick. Catchy tunes though. Sadly I may have to buy the album filled with faux pop songs almost all sung by Hugh Grant.

Good. At least I know there is someone else singing the Pop hit besides Chris and I.......over and over again.

katiesue

02-20-2007, 12:58 PM

Yay - I am not alone. Madz really wants the CD now so I'll be listening to it quite a bit I'm sure.

innerSpaceman

02-20-2007, 08:09 PM

Yes, Watanabe is somewhat known, but he's also barely in the movie.
Oh, heheh, I was referring to Watanabe in Lettters from Iwo Jima, forgetting that he was also in Memoirs of a Geisha. The latter was a frothy piece of period soap opera, so I competely forgive it for being in English. It was a confection. The war movie required much more realism.

And so...
those are precisely the artistic balls that Rob Marshall lacks... I don't think Marshall lacked balls at all. He (or the studio) simply knew the audience for Geisha ... quite different from the audience for a bitter war film.

When you say stereotypical, do you mean stereotypical war movie or stereotyping of the Japanese?
I mean the characters, actually. Though I grant their reality, for purportedly being based on actual letters, the Watanabe character could hardly have been more stereotypically noble samurai, and the humble Baker similarly so for the lowly infantryman with whom the audience is meant to identify.

Haven't seen Flags yet so I have no problem with the thought that it is better than Letters (though you're the first person I know that has seen both that thinks so) and has been overlooked.
I don't want to insult anybody by insisting they were wrong and I am right when it comes to "better," but Flags was far more ambitious and audacious in its storytelling, and I grant it more props for perhaps falling short of a loftier goal than I do Letters for nailing a more pedestrian goal.

Personally, I'm still somewhat burned out on war movies...
Which is why I can wholeheartedly recommend Flags of our Fathers (now available on DVD). It's not really a war movie, per se. It's NOT merely the American side of the battle depicted in Letters from Iwo Jima. The war scenes and battle stuff are sparing, shown fleetingly in flashback. Rather, it's the story of a happy, peppy war bonds tour, its ironies and creepiness in relation to the war it supported, and the toll both the tour and the public relations fraud of the iconic flag-raising image took on the men who participated.

.

Ghoulish Delight

02-21-2007, 10:58 AM

The other night we caught the bulk of Ken Burns' piece on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The man is just a master at what he does. I can understand why people might get bored as they are definitely long winded and formulaic. But I have to admit that I'm a sucker for it. I watched the entire Civil War series when it first aired, and much of the baseball one. This one was nice because it was self-contained. A single documentary rather than a long drawn out series.

In a city on the scale of modern day New York, it's easy to overlook the Brooklyn Bridge for the truly monumental marvel that it was. Burns did a magnificent job of presenting the enormity of the project, the impact on the city (and nation), and really illustrated why the bridge was such a talked about thing.

It made me really really happy that we're planning on being in New York later this year. It also made me want to see a whole lot of movies. Both informative like this documentary as well as movies featuring New York. So, to the NY folks here, give me the short list of "must see" NY movies (preferably not ALL Woody Allen).

And, for that matter, we'll need a similar list for Chicago. Anyone?

ETA: Oh yes, the documentary also had me thinking about how pathetic SoCal is. We have zero monuments. True, public works, spectacular monuments. And don't even THINK of calling the Hollywood sign a monument.

mousepod

02-21-2007, 11:20 AM

Off the top of my head, I'd recommend:
- the Ric Burns PBS documentary on NY is great, for one
- almost any Scorsese flick (Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, After Hours etc)
- Breakfast at Tiffany's
- Rosemary's Baby
- The Hot Rock

... I'm sure there are one or two more...

Motorboat Cruiser

02-21-2007, 12:02 PM

I also gotta recommend the Ric Burns documentary "New York" as well. I was pretty glued to the screen throughout. It's absolutely amazing. I would go as far as to say it's a "must see" before your trip.

Netflix has it, by the way.

Gemini Cricket

02-21-2007, 12:04 PM

Strangler Lewis

02-21-2007, 12:07 PM

Age of Innocence
Gangs of New York (both Scorsese)
King Kong (original)
You've Got Mail
Falling in Love
Stewart Little/Stewart Little 2
Eloise at the Plaza
New York Stories (Scorsese/Allen/Coppola)
Bowery Boys
Ghostbusters

BarTopDancer

02-21-2007, 12:16 PM

We have fancy HBO so I've been catching up on old fluff movies.

Date Movie - painfully stupid. I want those 2 hours back
Wedding Date - very cute. All things lead back to Air Supply.

innerSpaceman

02-21-2007, 08:03 PM

I have Half Nelson and Marie Antoinette sitting on the DVD player and don't have much desire to watch them any more. Weird how by the time you order it on Netflix to the time it gets to you how your mind can change.
Heheh, and I wondered why I even had Black Dahlia in my queue. I didn't even open it before sending it back. Primarily, though, because I'm ironically in a hurry to see Half Nelson before the Oscars on Sunday. Otherwise, it might have sat around for a few weeks before I decided I'll never have the desire to watch it.

I also hope to get Babel by Saturday. Not because I want to watch that piece of filth again (though my hating it almost ensures it will win Best Picture) ... rather because I want to demonstrate that its Oscar-nominated score is not original, but is note-for-note identical to an earlier score by the same composer. If I'm able to do the comparison, and if I'm right - - I'll try and post a link to the two identical music cues.

Not Afraid

02-21-2007, 08:09 PM

You bring Marie Antoinette right on over here so we can see it with you. OK? What time shall we expect you? ;)

€uroMeinke

02-21-2007, 09:01 PM

And, for that matter, we'll need a similar list for Chicago. Anyone?

Oprah?

Stan4dSteph

02-21-2007, 09:41 PM

And, for that matter, we'll need a similar list for Chicago. Anyone?Ferris Bueller's Day Off

They filmed at my friend's school in a suburb outside the city.

Alex

02-21-2007, 09:48 PM

My favorite Chicago-based movie:

Medium Cool

Runners up:

Risky Business (you can recreate the scene on the el near the end of the movie)

The Untouchables and Thief to balance out the mob movies on the New York City list.

Not Afraid

02-21-2007, 09:53 PM

No one does New York like Woddy Allen. Many of his film have the city as the most famous uncredited star.

It's funny Chicago doesn't bring much to mind. Episodes of ER are what I think of first. It's a fantastic city in it's own right. I wonder why that is? (Other than the fact that actors tend towards the right and left coasts.)

Prudence

02-21-2007, 10:13 PM

I can see the Brooklyn Bridge right now from the window.

We watched Marie Antoinette on the plane. My review:

The costumes were pretty.

That's about all the positive I can muster. I found the modern music to be really off-putting. There's so much amazing music from that time and they're playing Bow Wow Wow? Plus, it was boring. Really boring. Lots of lengthy shots of people emoting or something. Whatever it was they were doing. The whole thing was basically: scene opens. Uninspired and uninteresting vignette plays out slowly. Fade to black. Repeat until credits. I should have taken a nap instead.

Not Afraid

02-21-2007, 10:19 PM

I guess the Blues Brothers takes place in Chicago. Then there's Chicago.

LSPoorEeyorick

02-21-2007, 10:32 PM

Chicago... How about Chicago? Or The Untouchables? Or any other Capone-centered flick. The Blues Brothers. High Fidelity. Hoop Dreams. My Best Friend's Wedding. The Sting. Adventures in Babysitting.

New York... Godfather I and II. The Seven-Year Itch. Barefoot in the Park. An Affair to Remember, and its cheeseball protege, Sleepless in Seattle. Allen, duh, (Annie Hall's the best) but also much of Scorcese. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Breafast at Tiffany's is my favorite, though.

Gemini Cricket

02-22-2007, 10:48 PM

I just got back from seeing Letters from Iwo Jima. I was blown away. I enjoyed it immensely. I think Ken Watanabe was robbed. He should have been nominated for Best Actor. He was superb. There were many levels to his character and he played them all well.

If I had to rank the Best Pic noms best to worst, they'd be in this order:

The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Queen
Little Miss Sunshine
Babel

With that being said about Iwo Jima, I'd like to just say that I think the WWII film has been played out for the time being. I think there needs to be a break. especially a break from Spielberg's take on it.

Empire of the Sun
Schindler's List
Eyes of the Holocaust
Voices from the List
Shooting War
We Stand Alone Together
Price for Peace
Saving Private Ryan
Band of Brothers
Flags of Our Fathers
Letters from Iwo Jima
and the upcoming The Pacific War

All these films are Spielberg's take on WWII. He's diluting his take on the war by constantly focusing on it.

innerSpaceman

02-22-2007, 10:59 PM

Um, what did Spielberg have to do with Flags of Our Fathers or Letters from Iwo Jima? Was he an exec producer or something?

Even if so ... those films were the artistic vision of Clint Eastwood and no one else. (well, I suppose the writers, blah, blah)

Watanabe would seem great in a slasher film. He's got moxie to spare, and he's great in everything he does. Still ... Letters from Iwo Jima = standard war film (in Japanese) ... Flags of Our Fathers = not your father's war movie.

* * * * * *

Tonight I watched For Your Consideration. Let's just say ... Hollywood satarists should not turn the lens upon their own world. Least funny outting by the group who gave us Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.

(And .... it skipped ahead of the "long wait" movies on my Netflix queue, which means I will not be seeing Half Nelson before the Oscars on Sunday. Bah.)

Gemini Cricket

02-22-2007, 11:06 PM

If one thinks that the only vision you see on a film is the Director's vision, then someone's been watching movies wrong for a long, long time.
;)

innerSpaceman

02-22-2007, 11:22 PM

These were very, very personal films for Clint Eastwood. Not all films are "auteur" pieces ... but these two most certainly were.

Why did you list a dozen war films as "Spielberg's take on it"???

Bornieo: Fully Loaded

02-22-2007, 11:31 PM

I still need to see LEtters from Iwo Jima. It plays saturday night over at the Archlight. I might sneek over after the Swanking to catch it. :)

innerSpaceman

02-22-2007, 11:36 PM

OR .... we can re-enact it for you on Hollywood Boulevard, after cocktails at Musso & Frank!

We'll try to infiltrate the Green Zone west of Highland, and engage the Oscar Security Forces in mortal combat.

Hilarity Ensues!

Alex

02-22-2007, 11:43 PM

Dreamworks shared in the production costs for Flags and Letters (with Warner Bros.) and Spielberg's support may have helped get both movies made but Spielberg is listed as producer on half of the movies that come out of Dreamworks.

I'm sure his interest in WWII had much to do with him wanting Dreamworks to be involved, but if there is one thing people who work with him agree on, it is that Clint Eastwood makes the movie Clint Eastwood wants to make.

Also, the script was commissioned and written before Dreamworks or Spielberg were involved.

But yeah, Spielberg's interest in WWII is kind of like James Cameron's obsession with deep water.

Ghoulish Delight

02-24-2007, 11:33 AM

We finally saw Peter Jackson's King Kong last night. I enjoyed it quite a bit and regret failing to get motivated to see it in the theater.

That said, it had no right to be 3 hours long. IMO, for a movie to be 3 hours long, it better have a damned good reason. This one didn't. I wouldn't say there was anything "wrong" with the first 50 minutes, before they reach the island. But he could have told the same story in half that time. Same goes for the next 90 minutes while they were on the island. I probably would have been less critical of the length/pace of the island segment if I hadn't just sat through the first act which was a half hour longer than it needed to be. But it still could have been tightened up some (dumping the pointless side plot with the kid and his mentor would have helped).

But despite all that, I still enjoyed it.

And now I can't get Tom Waits' "King Kong" out of my head. They thought he was a monster. But he was a king

innerSpaceman

02-24-2007, 12:43 PM

It's been playing on HBO 17 times a day, so I've probably seen it 6 times (in unchronologically ordered segments) over the last month.

Yes, it's toooo long. So much absurd excess could be cut ... with the double effect of tightening the movie and eliminating some of the laughable stuff that takes you out of the film.

Delete brontosauri tumbling over each other to plunge off a precipice, tyrannosaurs swinging from vines, and inexperienced marksmen shooting giant insects from people's heads without harming people's heads.

Peter Jackson desperately needs a boss.

(Someday I hope to hear the Howard Shore score for the film that was dropped last minute. I like the score they ended up with, but it's a tad bit repetitive.)

flippyshark

02-24-2007, 02:12 PM

Yes, there is a wonderful movie trapped inside the bloat that is Peter Jackson's King Kong. Mind you, I've got the extended cut, which mostly compounds the problem, though I did like the added "river raft" monster scene. (I would have ditched the risible bronto-stamede and included this more suspenseful sequence.)

If I had nothing better to do, it would be tempting to assemble a leaner, meaner "phantom edit," but I imagine other fans have probably already done so.

One advantage to having this on video - I can break up viewings of it into three chunks.

Cadaverous Pallor

02-25-2007, 01:22 PM

I loved King Kong. I thought everything was necessary and was glad it included what it did. I'm a big fan of the original which I watched countless times as a kid. Jackson took all the best things about that movie and made them even better.

I know I'm in the minority here so I'll refrain from pounding the table (even if I did pound the table last night at the swanking).

innerSpaceman

02-25-2007, 02:22 PM

And in feeling Jackson 93% "took all the best things about that movie and made them even better" - I think that puts us in fair enough agreement that his King Kong remake was pretty darn good.

Gemini Cricket

02-25-2007, 02:29 PM

I loved the Empire State Bldg scene in Jackson's King Kong. It was wonderful.
But they were at King Kong Island a half hour too long and the ice skating scene with King Kong scooting around the ice on his a$s was too stupid for words. (I mean, he weighs how much?)

Alex

02-25-2007, 02:34 PM

innerSpaceman

02-25-2007, 02:48 PM

Yeah, that would be where the scalpel would best serve. I liked the Kong stuff on the Island, but most of the dinosauer (and giant insect) stuff would have to go.

My one exception ... the mano-a-dino between Kong and the (last standing) tyrannosaur would stay. As CP and I discussed last night, that segment - - the one which essentially duplicated the T-Rex scene in the orignal - - was the best bit of dino action in Jackson's remake.

Ghoulish Delight

02-25-2007, 02:51 PM

My only long standing complaint about Jackson's King Kong is just how horrible the dinosaur stuff on Skull Island was handled. I liked the stuff before the island and the stuff after the island. But most of the stuff on the island sucked.The dinosaurs were a bit heavy handed. I liked some of it, but a few things definitely triggered my gimmick alarm. Piles of brontosauri, t-rex swinging in vines. Just unnecessary. I like the idea of increasing the dino roles, he just went too over the top for my taste.

Cadaverous Pallor

02-25-2007, 03:58 PM

*pounds table* It was awesome, damnit!!!

LSPoorEeyorick

02-25-2007, 04:04 PM

I actually quite liked Kong. I remember being in the minority when it came out.

We're happy today! A good friend of Tom's took home the Cassavetes award (for best film with a budget under .5 million) at the Independent Spirit Awards last night! She produced Quinceanera, which I really enjoyed.

CoasterMatt

02-25-2007, 04:14 PM

I'm watching Smokey and the Bandit...

I loved this movie when I saw it at the drive in, and I still love it today.

Mousey Girl

02-25-2007, 05:06 PM

flippyshark

02-25-2007, 06:16 PM

I will NOT be buying Bridge to Tarabitia when it comes out on dvd. I wish I had been properly warned ahead of time. It is a good movie, but I don't do well with situations like that. It was not my idea of a good time.

I assume this means you found it to be a good adaptation of a very sad story? I read the book some years ago, and on that basis, decided to skip the movie until such time as I'm in the mood for a good cry. The trailers don't appear to set audience expectations for the emotional mill, do they?

Mousey Girl

02-25-2007, 06:17 PM

No, they didn't. I had never even heard of the book and went solely on the trailers. If I had know I could have been better prepared or not gone at all.

innerSpaceman

02-25-2007, 11:11 PM

I, on the other hand, am more interested in eventually netflixing it now that I learn it's a weepie.

Alex

02-26-2007, 12:25 PM

On a trip to Fry's on Saturday, Flags of Our Fathers and Babel DVDs were prominently displayed so on an impulse I bought both to round out my pre-Oscars nominee watching. I can't remember the last time I spent more than $10 for a single-disc DVD but both were $19.99. I'll do my best to avoid such impulse in the future.

Babel was very much a disappointment. There really aren't specific things that I can point to (other than the stupid Gael Garcia Bernal/Adriana Barraza) that came up short but it was too long, too self-important, and ultimately boring.

Flags of Our Fathers is indeed, as iSm says, a very worthy effort. It isn't so much a war movie as a post-war movie and as such my complaint it that it is overly padded by actual war stuff. Also the 20-minute epiliogue is just too much and very kludgy. I still prefer Letters from Iwo Jima but it is a slim thing and taken as a unit the two movies are an impressive endeavor by Eastwood.