Miscellaneous Movie Musings - Page 13

Gemini Cricket · 05-24-2006, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

goddamnyouGC. You want me to ruin my new Mac?

What did I do now?

Not Afraid · 05-24-2006, 06:22 PM

You know very well what you did Mr. Cricket.

innerSpaceman · 05-24-2006, 07:55 PM

Oh, and I think someone should check the temperature in Hell, because Gemini Cricket and I both like 'Minority Report.'

( And I think it's just the two of us who do.)

Not Afraid · 05-24-2006, 07:57 PM

I didn't mind Minority Report. It was a Phillip K Dick novella first you know. That has to count for something.

mousepod · 05-24-2006, 07:59 PM

Just because I called it "shameless" doesn't mean I didn't like it. Count me in, too.

Gemini Cricket · 05-25-2006, 05:50 AM

Yay, iSm and I agree on 'MR'. But there have been films we've agreed upon in the past.

Speaking of disturbing imagery, the 'eye scene' in 'Minority Report' is hard to shake. Eww. It reminded me of a clip from the 'Andalusian (sp?) Dog' that is also hard to shake. Very disturbing.

I noticed that Spielberg has some shocking imagery in his films. The eye scene in 'MR', the slaves being dragged off the boat in 'Amistad', the heart in 'Temple of Doom', 9/11 references in 'War of the Worlds' etc.

Mousey Girl · 05-25-2006, 06:35 AM

ISM, I am wondering what your thoughts are after seeing King Kong.

innerSpaceman · 05-25-2006, 07:13 AM

Well, it could have been ok with a little trimming of the horrific over-the-top stuff. Cut away before the brontosaurisi all tumble over each other in a rolling ball of dino feet and tails. Cut away before T-Rexes are swinging on vines. Leave giant bugs menacingly approaching, but cut stuff where they suck human heads or where the boy who's never held a rifle manages to shoot insects off people's bodies without hitting men. That would be a start.

I love every moment in New York City during the Great Depression. There's something about the way it was filmed ... the comedic style, the art direction, the color timing that I found simply perfect.

(Ok, maybe the ice dancing part could go.)

I like how Ann Darrow manages to "tame" Kong and eventually come to feel affection for him. I like that Carl Denham is a madman moviemaker on the lam. I actually didn't hate Jack Black in the role, and I even sorta bought Adrien Brody as the quirky romantic lead, Jack Driscoll. Certainly, the re-enactment aboard ship of the old King Kong scene between Darrow and Driscoll illustrated how stilted the characters and performances were in the original movie.

But somehow the performance of Kong seemed better in the old one. Though technically superb and very expressionfull, I didn't really warm to this Kong like I did the little puppet with the constantly shifting rabbit fur at the hands of Willis O'Brien. This Kong seemed too much like a merely giant gorilla instead of some kind of, i dunno, tortured, quasi-human soul. Oh, I felt some pathos for him, and the Empire State Building scene was magnificently realized. But the character of Kong, and ultimately this film of Kong, fell flat for me.

I just don't understand the why of it. Technically subperb, visually gorgeous, but ... other than to prohibit the Jeff Bridges / Jessica Lange / Dino DeLaurentis travesty from being the last word on the subject ... I don't really see any compelling reason for this film to have been remade.

But, a few cuts of the absurdly silly stuff, and it's a downright ok movie. Certainly a better remake than Poseidon. This one did try to expand on the story's characters ... and that's gotta count for something..

Gemini Cricket · 05-26-2006, 09:03 AM

Wow. I was just looking at that top 10 moneymakers (domestic) at boxofficemojo.com:

1 Titanic Par. $600,788,188 --1997
2 Star Wars Fox $460,998,007 --1977
3 Shrek 2 DW $441,226,247 --2004
4 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Uni. $435,110,554 --1982
5 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Fox $431,088,301 --1999
6 Spider-Man Sony $403,706,375 --2002
7 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Fox $380,270,577 --2005
8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $377,027,325 --2003
9 Spider-Man 2 Sony $373,585,825 --2004
10 The Passion of the Christ NM $370,782,930 --2004

Wow. Nothing's going to touch 'Titanic' for awhile, eh? I remember it being successful but not that successful. Amazing.

scaeagles · 05-26-2006, 09:12 AM

I thought Titanic sucked. Hated everything about it.

Hated The Phantom Menace. (I didn't hate Revenge of the Sith....wasn't great, but I didn't hate it.)

Everything else on there I enjoyed, with the exception of Passion, which I have never seen.

05-24-2006, 06:22 PM	#2
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	You know very well what you did Mr. Cricket.
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05-24-2006, 07:55 PM	#3
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Oh, and I think someone should check the temperature in Hell, because Gemini Cricket and I both like 'Minority Report.' ( And I think it's just the two of us who do.)
	Submit to Quotes

05-24-2006, 07:57 PM	#4
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	I didn't mind Minority Report. It was a Phillip K Dick novella first you know. That has to count for something.
	Submit to Quotes

05-24-2006, 07:59 PM	#5
mousepod You broke your Ramadar! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,635	Just because I called it "shameless" doesn't mean I didn't like it. Count me in, too. __________________ "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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05-25-2006, 05:50 AM	#6
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Yay, iSm and I agree on 'MR'. But there have been films we've agreed upon in the past. Speaking of disturbing imagery, the 'eye scene' in 'Minority Report' is hard to shake. Eww. It reminded me of a clip from the 'Andalusian (sp?) Dog' that is also hard to shake. Very disturbing. I noticed that Spielberg has some shocking imagery in his films. The eye scene in 'MR', the slaves being dragged off the boat in 'Amistad', the heart in 'Temple of Doom', 9/11 references in 'War of the Worlds' etc.
	Submit to Quotes

05-25-2006, 06:35 AM	#7
Mousey Girl Just Me Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In The Flagon With The Dragon Posts: 2,437	ISM, I am wondering what your thoughts are after seeing King Kong.
	Submit to Quotes

05-25-2006, 07:13 AM	#8
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Well, it could have been ok with a little trimming of the horrific over-the-top stuff. Cut away before the brontosaurisi all tumble over each other in a rolling ball of dino feet and tails. Cut away before T-Rexes are swinging on vines. Leave giant bugs menacingly approaching, but cut stuff where they suck human heads or where the boy who's never held a rifle manages to shoot insects off people's bodies without hitting men. That would be a start. I love every moment in New York City during the Great Depression. There's something about the way it was filmed ... the comedic style, the art direction, the color timing that I found simply perfect. (Ok, maybe the ice dancing part could go.) I like how Ann Darrow manages to "tame" Kong and eventually come to feel affection for him. I like that Carl Denham is a madman moviemaker on the lam. I actually didn't hate Jack Black in the role, and I even sorta bought Adrien Brody as the quirky romantic lead, Jack Driscoll. Certainly, the re-enactment aboard ship of the old King Kong scene between Darrow and Driscoll illustrated how stilted the characters and performances were in the original movie. But somehow the performance of Kong seemed better in the old one. Though technically superb and very expressionfull, I didn't really warm to this Kong like I did the little puppet with the constantly shifting rabbit fur at the hands of Willis O'Brien. This Kong seemed too much like a merely giant gorilla instead of some kind of, i dunno, tortured, quasi-human soul. Oh, I felt some pathos for him, and the Empire State Building scene was magnificently realized. But the character of Kong, and ultimately this film of Kong, fell flat for me. I just don't understand the why of it. Technically subperb, visually gorgeous, but ... other than to prohibit the Jeff Bridges / Jessica Lange / Dino DeLaurentis travesty from being the last word on the subject ... I don't really see any compelling reason for this film to have been remade. But, a few cuts of the absurdly silly stuff, and it's a downright ok movie. Certainly a better remake than Poseidon. This one did try to expand on the story's characters ... and that's gotta count for something..
	Submit to Quotes

05-26-2006, 09:03 AM	#9
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Wow. I was just looking at that top 10 moneymakers (domestic) at boxofficemojo.com: 1 Titanic Par. $600,788,188 --1997 2 Star Wars Fox $460,998,007 --1977 3 Shrek 2 DW $441,226,247 --2004 4 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Uni. $435,110,554 --1982 5 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Fox $431,088,301 --1999 6 Spider-Man Sony $403,706,375 --2002 7 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Fox $380,270,577 --2005 8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $377,027,325 --2003 9 Spider-Man 2 Sony $373,585,825 --2004 10 The Passion of the Christ NM $370,782,930 --2004 Wow. Nothing's going to touch 'Titanic' for awhile, eh? I remember it being successful but not that successful. Amazing.
	Submit to Quotes

05-26-2006, 09:12 AM	#10
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	I thought Titanic sucked. Hated everything about it. Hated The Phantom Menace. (I didn't hate Revenge of the Sith....wasn't great, but I didn't hate it.) Everything else on there I enjoyed, with the exception of Passion, which I have never seen.
	Submit to Quotes