Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

Perhaps, because plastic is derived from oil, there was a message behind the choice of packaging. Paul Thomas Anderson probably wouldn't have made the movie if he didn't have strong feelings on the subject.

Meh. I'm still not buying it. There are ways to do packaging without it looking like that. Have you seen it in person?
The same reason I didn't buy An Inconvenient Truth. (That and it's price $24.95.) I have several DVDs that are made from cardboard. TWBB's packaging makes it look like a pamphlet.

[innerSpaceman]

Good friend as he is, I think I will buy TWBB to counter GC's (imo) insipid consumer argument. I'll stop short of buying movies with blatent product placement for the same semi-spiteful rationale, however.

[Alex]

DVD cases don't even remain in sight. As soon as I get them home the DVD goes into a small jewel case for cramming more storage into my TV cupbard. The actual DVD box gets stored out in the storage closet on our patio.

It would save me space and be better for me if they just sold the DVDs in Netflix-style envelopes (but I feel compelled to keep the boxes in case I ever want to sell or dispose of them).

Speaking of product placement, I was surprised by how much product placement was slipped into both Nim's Island and Leatherheads, two genre pics where it stood out a bit.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Good friend as he is, I think I will buy TWBB to counter GC's (imo) insipid consumer argument. I'll stop short of buying movies with blatent product placement for the same semi-spiteful rationale, however.

Interesting that you would buy it for that reason even without seeing it in person. iSm: the merry Mary who's quite contrary...


I stand by my position of product placement in movies. It's an eyesore.

[innerSpaceman]

No of course I won't buy it for that reason. But I do want it, so I'm going to examine the packaging carefully.

I remember being upset that the Simpson's Heads packaging was so shoddy it would fall apart after opening twice. If this appears to be the same, it likely would indeed affect my consumer decision.

The Simpsons offered regular packaging as an alternative, btw. A reasonable compromise, imo.

[Snowflake]

Okay, I have not gone back and read previous postings on There Will Be Blood. Thanks to Netflix I saw it last night.

Let me preface, I loved Paul Dano and Daniel Day Lewis. I did not love the film. I really thought it was a colassal bore. I did not get the EPIC nature of the film at all.

I loved the nuance at the very end in DDL's cry I'm Finished (in more ways than one). Paul Dano was, I think, creepier than Javiar Bardem in NCFM (which I loved as a film and will buy on DVD)

What am I missing here?

[innerSpaceman]

I think you're missing, perhaps, seeing it in a theater. Ugh, I miss too many movies that way ... and I know they suffer for it.

Or, it may not be your cup of tea.


Or, you may have really poor taste.




I don't think there was necessarily anything "epic" about it. It was just about some good themes of greed and vengeance and human personality disorders and the oil business of nastiness and the religion business of hokum and freakiness.

I thought it explored those themes with some facsinating, well-played characters, and interesting situations.

End.


Sorry you didn't get it. Eh, it just didn't work for you.

Too bad. Great film. Worthy of the many Oscar nominations it received and the critical raves it garnered.


In my most humble opinion.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Netflix

Shipping for Thursday: The Life of Brian (Blu-ray)

Ohhh goodie goodie gumdrops.

[Alex]

I loved the theme of conflict between religion and capitalism for control of society. I love that capitalism won and it wasn't shown as a gentle "good" victory.

I loved the performance from Day-Lewis. I loved the cinematography.


I did not love the Paul Dano performance. I thought it was really weak, especially when being forced to go toe-to-toe with Day-Lewis. I did not like the length, feeling it meandered too much and undercut its own story with a languid pace. Despite providing the resolution of the greater conflict, I though the final act was too over the top and too odd when viewed from the personal character perspective.

The end result for me was a lot of respect for Paul Thomas Anderson's vision as a filmmaker, amazement he got it made, and regret that he doesn't seem to have a filter on the worst of his excesses. In the end I left feeling "meh."

It has settled on me over the moths and I think my memory of it now is better than my experience of it was then.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I think you're missing, perhaps, seeing it in a theater. Ugh, I miss too many movies that way ... and I know they suffer for it.

Or, it may not be your cup of tea.


Or, you may have really poor taste.

Heh, you're prolly right.

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I don't think there was necessarily anything "epic" about it. It was just about some good themes of greed and vengeance and human personality disorders and the oil business of nastiness and the religion business of hokum and freakiness.

I thought it explored those themes with some facsinating, well-played characters, and interesting situations.

End.


Sorry you didn't get it. Eh, it just didn't work for you.

Too bad. Great film. Worthy of the many Oscar nominations it received and the critical raves it garnered.


In my most humble opinion.

I got all the themes, I thought the performances were top notch and I'll go on the limb, I loved bardem in NFOM, but I think I would have loved to see Dano get the nod at the Kodak, he truly deserved it. Then again, so did Tommy Lee Jones and Bardem (so a tough year). But, I still thought the whole thing was a bore. Meh, so I save myself a few bucks not buying, it's okay!