Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 133

Alex · 12-18-2006, 12:52 PM

I haven't read the books. Strangely, "written by a 15-year-old" even if a precocious one isn't much of a selling point for me; the fantasy fans I know who have read it say it feels like it was written by a precocious 15-year-old. It's bad enough that most of the adult authors in the epic fantasy genre write like precocious 15-year-olds.

That said, I'll probably get around to these books before I ever pick up another Terry Goodkind (who writes like a precocious 8-year-old Rush Limbaugh) novel.

I was still somewhat interested in the movie since simplistic dragon stories play out better on film than on paper (why must I be cursed with the shame of liking Dragonheart?) but the 14% rating at RottenTomatoes disabused me of that. I'll catch it on Netflix in a few years.

Not Afraid · 12-13-2006, 11:37 AM

I wish Women on the Verge was available on DVD. I LOVE that film.

We watched Accident the other night. If you are a Dirk Bogard/Joseph Losey fan, see this film. The pacing would probably drive the MTV generation insane, but I loved it. Dirk Bogard was so wonderful - major crush going on here. The movie also starred a young Michael York.

LSPoorEeyorick · 12-13-2006, 11:41 AM

Laemmle's did a retrospective month and we caught Women on the Verge this summer. Delightful.

We loved Volver too. One of my favorite movies of the year, along with Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.

mousepod · 12-13-2006, 11:57 AM

Women on the Verge... is out-of-print in the US, but is available at amazon.co.uk for around $20... or you could just pick it up at HMV in March...

Alex · 12-13-2006, 12:02 PM

Watched Vagabond (French title: Sans Toit ni Loi), 1985, the other night.

There were some things in it that were interesting but for the most part when people denigrate the stereotypical French art house movie this is what they're talking about.

There is one great line in the movie though:

Quote:

By proving herself useless she is helping the system she rejects.

€uroMeinke · 12-15-2006, 10:53 PM

We've been watching a series of Dirk Bogarde pics, an interesting peak into British Cinema of the early 60's. Tonights feature was the Mind Benders, which had "brain washing" as a plot device. I recall how prevalent that term was growing up and how it seems to have faded from the current vernacular. The film was billed as "sci-fi" on the cover, but it was nothing of the sort - more psychological drama than anything else.

Gemini Cricket · 12-17-2006, 10:14 PM

Interesting... Mel's movie went from #1 last weekend to #6 this weekend. Awwww. Poor Mel.

Happy Feet seems to be the movie that won't die. Still doing well.

I expected Charlotte to do better than it did...

Alex · 12-17-2006, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Interesting... Mel's movie went from #1 last weekend to #6 this weekend. Awwww. Poor Mel.

Don't read too much into that. Apocolypto had a pretty standard 49% weekend-to-weekend drop. 1st to 6th isn't so much a sign of a huge dropoff as quite a few new movies opening this weekend.

Unless the movie completely tanks overseas he is still going to make a pretty penny.

Alex · 12-17-2006, 10:46 PM

Watched The Queen. Well acted but I can't really go along with Helen Mirren for best actress. First of all, I'm not keen on "impersonations" winning unless they are truly spectacular. Especially when 90% of the impersonation is being stoic.

I wrote this elsewhere but it captures why I'm ambivelant about the movie. I foresaw this problem but wanted to see it anyway because I'd heard such great things about Mirren's performance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me, somewhere else

The big problem is that it is a story I don't really care about. The fame of Princess Diana was, to me, a slightly more dignified version of the fame that Paris Hilton has. Yes, she was doubtless a better person than Hilton but both were famous simply for being famous. And to a large extent I found the outpouring of "global grief" for Princess Diana to be as tacky, outrageous, and inexplicable as I would if a similar thing were to happen following the sudden death of Paris Hilton.

So while watching the movie, that was part of the problem. I was at odds with the sentiment. I find the continued existence of the monarchy to be a weird form of political religion (either be a monarchy or be a republic but why pretend to be both?) so I don't personally invest much into the tradition and dignity of the institution. However, since the institution does exist, I find myself much more in the Queen's view of how Diana's death should be handled. Anyway, well acted but in the end it didn't give me any reason to care more about the events than I did when they were really happening. I remember quite clearly the day she died since it was a long evening of me whining to Lani that I wanted to go out as we had planned and her wanting to watch CNN all night.

LSPoorEeyorick · 12-18-2006, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Apocolypto had a pretty standard 49% weekend-to-weekend drop...

I'm sorry to be pedantic, here, but you keep spelling it Apocolypto and the editor in me can't hold it in anymore.

It's Apocalypto. Like Apocalypse Now. Apocalypto.

12-13-2006, 11:37 AM	#2
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	I wish Women on the Verge was available on DVD. I LOVE that film. We watched Accident the other night. If you are a Dirk Bogard/Joseph Losey fan, see this film. The pacing would probably drive the MTV generation insane, but I loved it. Dirk Bogard was so wonderful - major crush going on here. The movie also starred a young Michael York. Last edited by Not Afraid : 12-13-2006 at 12:31 PM.
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12-13-2006, 11:41 AM	#3
LSPoorEeyorick scribblin' Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: in the moment Posts: 3,872	Laemmle's did a retrospective month and we caught Women on the Verge this summer. Delightful. We loved Volver too. One of my favorite movies of the year, along with Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.
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12-13-2006, 11:57 AM	#4
mousepod You broke your Ramadar! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,635	Women on the Verge... is out-of-print in the US, but is available at amazon.co.uk for around $20... or you could just pick it up at HMV in March... __________________ "Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly" - Walt Disney
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12-15-2006, 10:53 PM	#6
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	We've been watching a series of Dirk Bogarde pics, an interesting peak into British Cinema of the early 60's. Tonights feature was the Mind Benders, which had "brain washing" as a plot device. I recall how prevalent that term was growing up and how it seems to have faded from the current vernacular. The film was billed as "sci-fi" on the cover, but it was nothing of the sort - more psychological drama than anything else. __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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12-17-2006, 10:14 PM	#7
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Interesting... Mel's movie went from #1 last weekend to #6 this weekend. Awwww. Poor Mel. Happy Feet seems to be the movie that won't die. Still doing well. I expected Charlotte to do better than it did...
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12-18-2006, 12:52 PM	#1
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I haven't read the books. Strangely, "written by a 15-year-old" even if a precocious one isn't much of a selling point for me; the fantasy fans I know who have read it say it feels like it was written by a precocious 15-year-old. It's bad enough that most of the adult authors in the epic fantasy genre write like precocious 15-year-olds. That said, I'll probably get around to these books before I ever pick up another Terry Goodkind (who writes like a precocious 8-year-old Rush Limbaugh) novel. I was still somewhat interested in the movie since simplistic dragon stories play out better on film than on paper (why must I be cursed with the shame of liking Dragonheart?) but the 14% rating at RottenTomatoes disabused me of that. I'll catch it on Netflix in a few years.
	Submit to Quotes