Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 121

Snowflake · 11-12-2006, 09:37 PM

Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies was on TCM and I caught it tonight. What a grave and shattering piece of anime this was. Very moving film, I wept.

Alex · 11-12-2006, 09:40 PM

I must admit I laughed a lot during Borat. But like iSm I am uncomfortable at people getting punked and made to look like fools. So I was pleasantly suprised that very few of the real people encounters resulted in them coming off looking like idiots. Yes, there was the racist guy and drunk frat boys making themselves look like fools.

But overall I think people responded to Borat within reason and generally with suprising patience. The southern society dinner had to be pushed pretty damn far (he called a prostitute over to dinner) before they kicked him out and based on the sudden turn of attitude between one cut and another I wonder if they realized they were being scammed or he did something provocative not shown.

But the funniest stuff was in the staged portions of the movie, or so I thought. I assumed that the opening and closing in the "Kazakh village" were scripted and staged but now I see that the Romanian village where they filmed it are claiming that they were tricked into acting like idiots and paid very little.

So, yes, it is a very, very funny movie. But I feel like a dirtbag for it.

I'm assuming that Pamela Anderson at least was in on the part that involved her.

Gemini Cricket · 11-15-2006, 11:59 PM

"Casino Royale"
I liked it. It attempts to make Bond more believable.
Daniel Craig is hot. Hot hot hot.

wendybeth · 11-16-2006, 12:03 AM

Eric and I are planning on seeing Borat with some other equally disturbed friends. From the advance press, I feel quite sure we'll like it.

I loathe 'reality tv' and all those punked-type shows, but for some reason this movie appeals to me. Maybe it was seeing Borat wrestle with Harry Smith.

innerSpaceman · 11-16-2006, 08:34 AM

Ooooh, how did you see a pre-release of CR, GC?

I'm really glad they've returned to the hot Bonds. Sorry, but Brosnon and Moore did nothing for me. James Bond needs to be smouldering.

Basically, I need to be stirred ... not skaken.

Gemini Cricket · 11-16-2006, 10:52 AM

I got the hook up from nirvanaman. A big mahalo to him.

It's not your conventional Bond. It's different. You'll see. But I was never a big fan of the hokey nature of Bond anyway... Daniel Craig's body is smokin'!

Some of the film is cheesy, but I liked it. Not a big fan of Brosnan and Moore either...

Edit to add: "Reinvention". That's the word I was looking for to describe it.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 11-16-2006, 11:12 AM

I saw MAN OF THE YEAR last night. Robin Williams as the president elect. I enjoyed the film. It wasn't the movie you were lead to belive it was in the previews, I think that was a turn-off. I thought it was a neat idea, great dialoge by Williams. All the acting was great and it was very funny. The downside was it was missing somthing. I think another "pass" at the writing stage would have been needed. Maybe the structure was weird. It was enjoyable. 7 1/2 Bornieo's out of 10

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. I heard this was a pretty good film and I thought it was just ok. Funny, interesting look at that whole side of that world. Well done. Acting was good. Just not a great movie for me. 5 Bornieo's out of 10

CRASH. Somehow I missed it in the theatres. Knew I wanted to see it because of its Best Picture win. I really loved it. Great acting. Well done all around. A group of stories that was interesting and kept my attention. It was melodramatic or preachy with the whole "race" issue. It was a complelling story about people - not explosions, car chases and four-minute soliloquies. Just about things people do and go thru. 9 Bornieo's out of 10

Ghoulish Delight · 11-16-2006, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

I saw MAN OF THE YEAR last night. Robin Williams as the president elect. I enjoyed the film. It wasn't the movie you were lead to belive it was in the previews, I think that was a turn-off. I thought it was a neat idea, great dialoge by Williams. All the acting was great and it was very funny. The downside was it was missing somthing. I think another "pass" at the writing stage would have been needed. Maybe the structure was weird. It was enjoyable. 7 1/2 Bornieo's out of 10

I've heard that there have been 2 opposing reactions to the movie, depending on what you expected/what you like. People are either saying, "I liked the parts where Robin Williams was being Robin Williams, but then it gets all politcal. Not enough Robin Williams," or, "Eh, it started out with Robin Williams being Robin Williams which I could have done without. Then it gets all political, which I dug, but with so much time wasted on Robin Williams, there wasn't enough political stuff."

Gemini Cricket · 11-16-2006, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

CRASH. Somehow I missed it in the theatres. Knew I wanted to see it because of its Best Picture win. I really loved it. Great acting. Well done all around. A group of stories that was interesting and kept my attention. It was melodramatic or preachy with the whole "race" issue. It was a complelling story about people - not explosions, car chases and four-minute soliloquies. Just about things people do and go thru. 9 Bornieo's out of 10

I disagree.

Not Afraid · 11-16-2006, 12:43 PM

I really liked the Bond film. Here's my caveat: I don't see a lot of action films, I LOVE Bond, I don't expect a tight story and plausible sequences, and I know all of the Bond films and his history to appreciate the little references.

Daniel Craig is a different sort of Bond. He's beefy, and muscled - almost too much so - but he's rough around the edges. He pulls off the suave but his athletic scenes are great and over the top.

There are few gadgets - but, remember, this is supposed to be EARLY Bond, just after his promotion. He gets much more emotionally involved that any other Bond except in OHMSS (the only film where he gets married). I can see how Bond developed from this point into the Bond we all know and love.

But, it definitely has a different feel to it. It's not as silly-gadgetey as all the rest and it is a lot more serious. If someone had told me that prior to the film, I wouldn't have thought I would have liked it. But, I really did.

Bond is one of life's great escapes and this film didn't disappoint. However, I can see why others don't or won't like it.

Thanks to NM for taking us along on this ride.

Edit: I do NOT like the Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) song but I LOVE the Dave Arnold takes on the Bond theme.

11-12-2006, 09:37 PM	#1
Snowflake lost in the fog Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 7,831	Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies was on TCM and I caught it tonight. What a grave and shattering piece of anime this was. Very moving film, I wept. __________________ Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde
	Submit to Quotes

11-12-2006, 09:40 PM	#2
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I must admit I laughed a lot during Borat. But like iSm I am uncomfortable at people getting punked and made to look like fools. So I was pleasantly suprised that very few of the real people encounters resulted in them coming off looking like idiots. Yes, there was the racist guy and drunk frat boys making themselves look like fools. But overall I think people responded to Borat within reason and generally with suprising patience. The southern society dinner had to be pushed pretty damn far (he called a prostitute over to dinner) before they kicked him out and based on the sudden turn of attitude between one cut and another I wonder if they realized they were being scammed or he did something provocative not shown. But the funniest stuff was in the staged portions of the movie, or so I thought. I assumed that the opening and closing in the "Kazakh village" were scripted and staged but now I see that the Romanian village where they filmed it are claiming that they were tricked into acting like idiots and paid very little. So, yes, it is a very, very funny movie. But I feel like a dirtbag for it. I'm assuming that Pamela Anderson at least was in on the part that involved her.
	Submit to Quotes

11-15-2006, 11:59 PM	#3
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	"Casino Royale" I liked it. It attempts to make Bond more believable. Daniel Craig is hot. Hot hot hot.
	Submit to Quotes

11-16-2006, 12:03 AM	#4
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	Eric and I are planning on seeing Borat with some other equally disturbed friends. From the advance press, I feel quite sure we'll like it. I loathe 'reality tv' and all those punked-type shows, but for some reason this movie appeals to me. Maybe it was seeing Borat wrestle with Harry Smith. __________________
	Submit to Quotes

11-16-2006, 08:34 AM	#5
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Ooooh, how did you see a pre-release of CR, GC? I'm really glad they've returned to the hot Bonds. Sorry, but Brosnon and Moore did nothing for me. James Bond needs to be smouldering. Basically, I need to be stirred ... not skaken.
	Submit to Quotes

11-16-2006, 10:52 AM	#6
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	I got the hook up from nirvanaman. A big mahalo to him. It's not your conventional Bond. It's different. You'll see. But I was never a big fan of the hokey nature of Bond anyway... Daniel Craig's body is smokin'! Some of the film is cheesy, but I liked it. Not a big fan of Brosnan and Moore either... Edit to add: "Reinvention". That's the word I was looking for to describe it.
	Submit to Quotes

11-16-2006, 11:12 AM	#7
Bornieo: Fully Loaded Lego Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Disneyland, USA Posts: 3,704	I saw MAN OF THE YEAR last night. Robin Williams as the president elect. I enjoyed the film. It wasn't the movie you were lead to belive it was in the previews, I think that was a turn-off. I thought it was a neat idea, great dialoge by Williams. All the acting was great and it was very funny. The downside was it was missing somthing. I think another "pass" at the writing stage would have been needed. Maybe the structure was weird. It was enjoyable. 7 1/2 Bornieo's out of 10 THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. I heard this was a pretty good film and I thought it was just ok. Funny, interesting look at that whole side of that world. Well done. Acting was good. Just not a great movie for me. 5 Bornieo's out of 10 CRASH. Somehow I missed it in the theatres. Knew I wanted to see it because of its Best Picture win. I really loved it. Great acting. Well done all around. A group of stories that was interesting and kept my attention. It was melodramatic or preachy with the whole "race" issue. It was a complelling story about people - not explosions, car chases and four-minute soliloquies. Just about things people do and go thru. 9 Bornieo's out of 10
	Submit to Quotes

11-16-2006, 12:43 PM	#10
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	I really liked the Bond film. Here's my caveat: I don't see a lot of action films, I LOVE Bond, I don't expect a tight story and plausible sequences, and I know all of the Bond films and his history to appreciate the little references. Daniel Craig is a different sort of Bond. He's beefy, and muscled - almost too much so - but he's rough around the edges. He pulls off the suave but his athletic scenes are great and over the top. There are few gadgets - but, remember, this is supposed to be EARLY Bond, just after his promotion. He gets much more emotionally involved that any other Bond except in OHMSS (the only film where he gets married). I can see how Bond developed from this point into the Bond we all know and love. But, it definitely has a different feel to it. It's not as silly-gadgetey as all the rest and it is a lot more serious. If someone had told me that prior to the film, I wouldn't have thought I would have liked it. But, I really did. Bond is one of life's great escapes and this film didn't disappoint. However, I can see why others don't or won't like it. Thanks to NM for taking us along on this ride. Edit: I do NOT like the Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) song but I LOVE the Dave Arnold takes on the Bond theme. Last edited by Not Afraid : 11-16-2006 at 12:52 PM.
	Submit to Quotes