Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Alex]

I thoroughly enjoyed Junebug, but it was definitely in the sense of being provided a window into lives I would hate to live.

[Mousey Girl]

I exposed Nickolas to the wonder that is SpaceBalls. He laughed a few times, but most of it went over his head. He and David went through a mess of old movie posters last night, the ones that actually hung in the theaters. One of them was for Spaceballs, so he wanted to see it. I enjoyed watching it again, but I'm not sure how much he enjoyed it.

[Gemini Cricket]

I saw "United 93". I liked it. I'm saying that in a pure filmmaking view. It's well done. I enjoyed the fact that these real people were not played by the likes of Gene Hackman, Jessica Alba and Nicholas Cage. It puts you right on that plane and doesn't let you go for 2 hours. The editing was superb.

Emotionally, I was blown away. I cried a couple of times. The scene where the passengers attempt to take back control of the plane is amazing. It's visceral and jarring.

Watching the bonus features is a must. Seeing the reactions of the families to the film and watching the actors meet them is wonderful.

One of the family members said that one of the biggest reasons to have this immortalized on film is so that no one forgets what happened. I agree. Granted, we'll never know everything but it's a great real time account of events of that day.

I also didn't realize how close they were to the ground for a good portion of the flight. Yikes.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I enjoyed the fact that these real people were not played by the likes of Gene Hackman, Jessica Alba and Nicholas Cage.

Not to mention that most of the real people who weren't on the plane were not only played by "unknowns," they were played by the actual real people who were the real people.

Far from that being a stunt, I found it a fantastic casting decision.

In the director's commentary, he points out that a wonderful alchemy occurred between the actors and non-actors ... in that the "non-professionals" started performing more like professional actors, and the professional actors started performing more like real people.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

In the director's commentary, he points out that a wonderful alchemy occurred between the actors and non-actors ... in that the "non-professionals" started performing more like professional actors, and the professional actors started performing more like real people.

The acting or non-acting in this film sold me. It was very convincing. When I watch a movie and people are supposed to be panicking, I want to see running, tears, screaming, veins popping, sweat, everything.

Although the movie was "meh" I thought the two kids in "Jurassic Park" were great in the panic scenes. Especially when they were reacting to CG dinos.

The panic in "Titanic" was "meh" to me. I wanted to see more.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I just saw Employee of the Month. Funny, but very typical of the underdog get the girl flick. Not one to go out of your way to see. Video or HBO is about all its worth. Some good laughs beyond what you see in the trailer.

I give it 5 bornieo's out of 10

[Gemini Cricket]

Here's the movies on NA's list that I haven't seen:


Antonia's Line
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Children of Paradise: Disc 1
Children of Paradise: Disc 2
City of God
Devdas
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Hard Eight
High and Low
House of Sand and Fog
Iggy & The Stooges: Live in Detroit
Lantana
Lumiere and Company
Malena
Memories
Open Your Eyes
Phone Booth
Pollock
Shadow of a Doubt
The Big Heat
The Cooler
The Day of the Locust
The Filth and the Fury: A Sex Pistols Film
The Libertine
The Red Violin
Thirteen
Tony Takitani
Trigun: Vol. 1: The $60,000,000,000 Man
Trigun: Vol. 2: Lost Past
Trigun: Vol. 3: Wolfwood
Trigun: Vol. 4: Gung-Ho-Guns
Trigun: Vol. 5: Angel Arms
Trigun: Vol. 6: Project Seeds
Trigun: Vol. 7: Puppet Master
Trigun: Vol. 8: High Noon
Two Women
Vanilla Sky
Vatel
What's the Matter with Helen?


LISA! You haven't seen "The Women"? I'm sorry. You get a big "F" on your movie report card. Save that one, we'll watch it together. I'll bring my DVD copy with me.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Here's the movies on NA's list that I haven't seen:
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Shadow of a Doubt

LISA! You haven't seen "The Women"? I'm sorry. You get a big "F" on your movie report card. Save that one, we'll watch it together. I'll bring my DVD copy with me.

I read it as TWO Women, GC. Different flick entirely. I think Lisa has seen The Women. That is a great movie party movie!

Lisa, no reason to see the Bridget Jones sequel. I caught it on cable some months back and could barely watch it. The original was so charming and cute. This was plain stupid and they showed everyone the money and they ran with that, but they should have run away from it. One of the top 5 of the worst films I've ever seen. I did not even find it to be a good bad film, nothing to recommend it.

Shadow of a Doubt, one of my favorite and one of the best dark Hitch films. I believe it was also Hitch's favorite of his films. Good performances all around and Joseph Cotten is marvelous (and at the time, so totally out of character for him) Also a very good bit with a young Hume Cronyn. Many thumbs up for this one

[Gemini Cricket]

Oops. You're right, Snowflake. I read it wrong. I take back the "F", Lisa.

[Gemini Cricket]

"Man of the Year" = 17% on RottenTomatoes. That's pretty bad.
The reviews are calling it a comedy, a thriller and a romantic comedy. It sounds like it has an identity crisis. Ugh. Robin Williams is turning into box office poison... just like his buddy Affleck.

Won't be seeing that one...