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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3426
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 23, 2007 - 06:40 pm: | 
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I'd have to see the documentary to comment any further, but still... does his celebrity persona (and the love/hate reaction it produces) make his point about health care any less valid?
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1181
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 23, 2007 - 07:56 pm: |
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C.J., No. But it does make it less entertaining (for me anyway). My favorite Moore sketch of all time was from TV Nation when he got Newt Gingrich to tour him around. Newt didn't know who he was and the result was hilarious as Moore kept tripping him up. He now has to fabricate his own irony to make a point (going to Cuba, etc.), when he used to be able to make his victims do it for him. It's a function of ENTERTAINMENT - not TRUTH. |
Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8537
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 23, 2007 - 08:26 pm: |
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Weird, I had exactly the opposite reaction to Moore's presence in Sicko...I thought he imbued it with an uneasily ironic poignance. Precisely because Moore is physically such a schlump everyman, carelessly overweight and clearly more junk food couch potato than fitness enthusiast, he stood in such stark contrast to almost everyone he interviewed both at home and abroad. Actually, for the first time I really saw Michael Moore as the more-average-than-average everyman he's always so pointedly rying to become...here was this living, breathing example of someone who, despite all his career good fortune, could easily face a health crisis that would put him in direct conflict with his HMO or private insurer. It made his larger point somehow stronger: that better basic health care should be available for every American citizen, not just genetically blessed, obsessively fit, or outrageously wealthy. Moore's tone throughout seemed less smart-ass and strident than usual...tainted by an abiding sadness over what his country deemed acceptable treatment for such basic health and welfare needs. At times, his very body language seemed to almost wail in despair..."there but for the grace of God go I."...as if any of these tragically unfair denials of service by the U.S. health care system could just as easily have been (or might someday be) his own.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Nicola_D (Nicola_d)
Key Grip
Username: Nicola_d
Post Number: 698
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 12:05 am: |
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C.J. (Thief): Moore's morbid obesity also struck me as ironic, and it was somewhat distracting in that regard. What was most evident from his presence in front of the camera, however, was his inability to interview any of the major American players in healthcare, both political and otherwise. I believe his notoriety has diminished his effectiveness as a journalist, at least to the extent he ever really was one... |
R_Kane (R_kane)
Production Assistant
Username: R_kane
Post Number: 168
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 12:57 pm: |
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He never was one.
He's a poseur, crusader, and clown. |
Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1182
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 03:44 pm: |
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Yes, Moore's unhealthy appearance is ironic, but I'm not sure how that helps sell his message or makes the film more entertaining.
This is similar to listening to Rush Limbaugh tell America his beliefs on the Drug War while he is buying Oxycotin illegally. He ended up looking silly and hypocritical.
My only point is that I think Moore has peaked as a documentary film maker. I'm not sure its a medium that will work for him anymore. |
Nicola_D (Nicola_d)
Key Grip
Username: Nicola_d
Post Number: 699
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 06:19 pm: |
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Tim: I don't totally get the analogy with Limbaugh, to be honest.
Regardless, I just don't think he ever made documentaries in the strictest sense of the term. Whatever he may be, and with all due respect to the Chuck Heston and the NRA, I still think Bowling for Columbine was a powerful, great film... |
Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1184
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 06:46 pm: |
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Yeah, it's a slightly dramatic (and poor) comparison! I was probably just trying to avoid appearing as if idealogy has anything to do with my reaction to his film. That said Moore is wagging his finger at the irresponsibility of the health care system in the US, when it would appear he can't manage his own health care.
It's a hard film to discuss without eventually focusing on Moore (as we are doing)...which I guess is part of my original point. |
Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3760
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 10:44 pm: |
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Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster (1964): Tilte creature arrives on Earth concealed within a gigantic meteorite, as fortold by a Venusian beauty (Akiko Wakabayashi, later to appear as a Bond Girl in the Japan-set You Only Live Twice), causing the larval offspring of the late Mothra to appeal to fellow monsters Godzilla and Rodan (a gigantic perodactyl) to pool their resources and take King Ghidorah down. Fifth film in the Godzilla series is the first to give more human characteristics to the Big Guy, as well as making him into more of a savior figure as opposed to the terrifying force of nature in his previous, Tokyo-smashing appearances. There's a modicum of heightened silliness, but Ghidorah is still miles away from the excruciating camp of the later 60's and early 70's Godzilla pics, and the title character is one of the neatest-looking monsters in the Toho lineup. Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeee-ONK. B
Don't make me run! I'm full of chocolate!
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3762
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 11:39 am: |
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Invasion Of Astro Monster (1965): Aliens from the recently-discovered Planet X make a plea to Earth to allow them to borrow monsters Godzilla and Rodan to help fight off King Ghidorah, who has been scourging the surface of their planet, but they then pull a double-cross and send all three brainwashed monsters back to Earth to soften the place up for an invasion. More colorful Toho rubber-suit fun, although the Big G doesn't get much smashy-smashy screen time until the last half-hour of the film. B
Don't make me run! I'm full of chocolate!
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AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2192
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 - 11:42 am: |
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Watched 36 again this time in my friend's dad's personal cinema (absolutely ridiculously amazing set-up, am totally jealous) and it is even better on the big screen. Liked it even more second time round. Auteil and Depardieu are brilliant. The score is the best of last year. If the US remake is half as good it'll be worth seeing. A |
Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8549
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 06:33 am: |
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Sunshine
What is something like this doing smack in the middle of the summer of 'sequel product from hell'? Don't they usually save headier stuff for late winter/early spring...or even mid fall?
The wisdom of releasing Sunshine right now aside, it represented a very welcome blast of vision and pizzaz, with a confidently eclectic approach, if not wholy original content. Despite echoes of Kubrick's 2001...Tarkovsky's Solaris...Scott's Alien...and even John Carpenter in Halloween or Thing-style stalking/marauding mode...Danny Boyle's lively mix of familiar elements with his audacious 'take no prisoners' technique, was just what ole Doc needed to see right about now. This strange cinematic concoction grabbed me almost immediately and held me riveted right through the final credit roll.
Even if the net effect was more viscerally engaging than metaphysically or existentially challenging, no matter...I just liked the feel of the piece. Its outre soundscapes and eccentric visual design and cutting alone made it a trip well worth taking.
Gotta see this one again before it leaves theatres...finally Zodiac has some serious competition for best of '07.
Big "WOW".
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1188
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 11:33 am: |
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doc...I'm going tomorrow (sunday) morning. Been wanting to see this one since I saw the trailer last month.
By the way, the music in the trailer seems almost identical to 28 Days Later. Is that just in the trailer...or the movie as well? It's an effective score...I was just surprised how similar it is. It seems like maybe like Burton and Carpenter have done Boyle is adopting a signature sound (sort of that power-violin thing)? |
Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8550
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 04:27 pm: |
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Yes Tim. John Murphy, who was solely credited with the music on 28 Days Later, is back but with contributors. The official music credit on Sunshine reads 'John Murphy with Underworld' - the latter comprised of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith. Underworld must have contributed something significant because, trailer aside, Sunshine had a much richer, stranger, more inventive and evocative sound design than 28 Days Later. So far it's the soundrack of the year.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Nicola_D (Nicola_d)
Key Grip
Username: Nicola_d
Post Number: 700
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 11:21 pm: |
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Sunshine: A handsome production, and although it drew elements from landmark sci-fi films already mentioned, it was directed with such flair that it felt fresh and original. Unfortunately, the inclusion of a psychotic character almost ruined the film for me, which I otherwise found quite plausible, even compelling, considering the stakes involved. I will never "look" at the sun in quite the same way. Three and one-half stars. |
Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8552
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 11:36 pm: |
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Quick addendum Tim...
I never saw a trailer for Sunshine before seeing the film...just some soundless clips on a taphouse monitor about a half hour before heading to the theatre. So after reading your post I checked out some Sunshine trailers on the 'Net, just to see what they did (or didn't do) with the music.
Whoa. Sonic shock. There was zero resemblence to any of the music in the actual film. For one thing, almost all of the trailers I saw used none of John Murphy and Underworld's score...in favour of (yet another) lift of Clint Mansell's 'summertime' theme from Requiem for a Dream (someone must really think that music is the perfect all-purpose accompaniment for anything indie-outre, such as the pursuit ending in One Hour Photo because I've heard it a lot, especially in previews). So in musical terms, Sunshine can't help but be a virgin experience for you, because nothing in the trailers I saw even approximated the eerie, unnerving, and tragi-contemplative feel of the actual score.
I'm always amazed when producers and distributors allow ad houses do this when creating trailers. On some level, it really does unusual fare like this a disservice, because it sets up such skewed audience expectations.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8553
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 11:48 pm: |
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I didn't love or hate that third act turn Nicola, because the story required some kind of human dramatic catalyst for everything "going to hell in a handbasket". I thought it was better that a 7 year mutated madman from the first expedition filled that role than a too-easy, too false reduction of one of the current crew members to a stop-at-nothing antagonist. So yeah, although that 3rd act plot element wasn't handled as adroitly as everything that had gone before, what had gone before was just so masterfully realized, how could any dramatic device live up it? With serial brilliance in scene after scene up to that point, it was enough that the protagonist(s) - and mission goal - were resolved with uncommon poetry and poignance.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Nicola_D (Nicola_d)
Key Grip
Username: Nicola_d
Post Number: 701
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 11:58 pm: |
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Doc: Yeah, catalyst indeed. Actually, as inexcusably derivative as it would have been, I kinda half-expected a second, climactic "HAL9000" moment, if you get my drift.... |
Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8554
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 12:12 am: |
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No doubt that would have been a groaner too Nicola...I don't think anything would have worked any better, or made much of a difference. The larger global stakes, and personal outcomes were clearly more important to Boyle, as they should be. So a little movie-movie maneuvring in a piece this consistently well imagined and staged throughout, was still okay by me...it's all that other great stuff which will draw me back anyway.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3427
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 02:27 pm: |
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Who da'thunk. Here I was thinking that Sunshine would be another crappy sci-fi crapfest like The Core or something along that line.
Anyway, last night I saw The Simpsons Movie and I can say I definitely enjoyed it. LOL'd several times, and chuckled/laughed almost the entire run. Despite almost half-a-dozen screenwriters involved, the plot is more coherent than lots of messy films that come around. However, that's not what people will come to see here (although it helps)... the thing is that the gags and the laughs are frequent and most of them hit it right, at least for me. They avoided to have a barrage of guest stars (which I initially feared) having only Tom Hanks in a brief-yet-hilarious appearance. And inside all the nonsensical gags, the film does manage to critique the government and society we know. The animation looked great too. I might add that I saw it in Spanish* and plan to see it sometime in English too. All in all, it was steadily fun, albeit with one or two small lapses. I give it a solid B+.
* I should add that the Spanish voice-actors have done an excellent job in impersonating the characters since the beginning of the series. Groening devotes a lot of time to make the translations as effective in Spanish as they are in English, and the talent of the voice actors and their improv talents help. That is to the point that lots of Latin people prefer to see the cartoon and the movie in Spanish instead of the English version (last night, the theater was packed) That said, about a year ago, there arose controversy when the Spanish voice-actors demanded a higher pay for their job more according to the pay that the English voice-actors were receiving (I've read the difference was abysmal, and they had been performing for 15 years/seasons). Thing is that Groening & Co. decided to switch dubbing co. and many people criticized the changes. That said, the new ones did a nice job although it was a bit distracting at first to get used to the new voices.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8555
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 04:05 pm: |
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The science in Sunshine was handled significantly better than in The Core C.J.. Despite a few moments of poetic licence {like the final descent into the corona of the sun which would have vaporized Capa instantaneously long before the sun's energy breached the vessel), overall Boyle used the underlying physics of such a mission to extraordinarily good effect...deriving edge of your seat suspense from something as simple as a sun shield slowly rotating into direct solar exposure.
Another reason why releasing this movie mid-summer was so baffling...it was H-O-T! So don't go unless the theatre is well air-conditioned.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Nicola_D (Nicola_d)
Key Grip
Username: Nicola_d
Post Number: 702
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 06:31 pm: |
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The Simpsons: I thought it was no better than a prolonged television episode, which really isn't all that bad. About three stars. |
Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1189
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 09:24 pm: |
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I think I'm generally in agreement with Doc on Sunshine. I can't decide if its as good as I believe it is, or if its simply surrounded by so much junk it looks like a gem in comparison.
One of the elements about it I liked was how Boyle was able to ebb and flow between action, hope, and dread. And on occasion, all three simultaniously. I don't believe this is easy to do and I don't think there are many directors that can get away with it (Spielberg may be the best).
There isn't much else one can say without SPOILERS so...I do not agree with many of the critics who found the last act, specificaly the inclusion of Pinbacker, to be a major or even minor flaw. I didn't see him as a plot device to introduce cheap action, but to add a dimension of conflict above Man vs. Nature. Clearly he had achieved some odd altered state where the laws of conventional physics no longer apply. If you read Stephen Hawkings book he arrives at a point where physics breaks down and he has no place left to go but 'god'. I believe that is where they were going with Pinbacker. Not that he was was literally God (in the religous sense), but that he represented the 'thing' just past our understanding of physics. And perhaps on a philosophical level you could argue that Pinbacker may have been acting in the best interest of the universe. Afterall we are certainly better off that asteroids hit the earth and wiped out the dinasaurs! End Spoilers. |
Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8558
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007 - 12:08 am: |
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Tim re:
quote:One of the elements about it I liked was how Boyle was able to ebb and flow between action, hope, and dread. And on occasion, all three simultaniously. I don't believe this is easy to do and I don't think there are many directors that can get away with it (Spielberg may be the best).
No, that certainly isn't easy Tim, which is one of the defining gifts of great directors: to be able to keep you in particular moment with all its complex possible responses, shifting seamlessly between drama, comedy, action...or, as in this case, "awe".
Among the best practictioners of this black art, Steven Spielberg certainly, but at the peak of his form, James Cameron could also pull off such breathtaking shifts...as, to a lesser degree, can Ridley Scott. Great directors rarely take a scene purely on face value.
As for your ***Spoilers*** about the metaphysical aspects of Sunshine, that was as good an explanation of Pinbacker's role as any I've read so far, but again, I think he was meant to be a mysterious, somewhat ambiguous antagonist. Boyle used him only as a dramatic device - a catalyst - for his key characters and struggle. Would the film have been stronger if we had learned more about Pinbacker's metamorphosis? Hard to say, but by the point in the film when he did appear, any religio-philosophical discussion would no doubt have trashed the pace. When I see Sunshine again though, I will definitely pay closer attention to his earlier garbled distress message, because I confess that I didn't listen close enough to all that on first pass.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1191
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007 - 11:39 am: |
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Oh, and Doc, you were right...the music/score in the movie was nothing like the trailer! Cracks me up when they do that (not in a good way). |
C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3429
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007 - 05:30 pm: |
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Bridge to Terabithia Great moving film. I was delighted. Grade: A-
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Son Of... (Docscribe)
Studio Mogul
Username: Docscribe
Post Number: 8562
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 30, 2007 - 11:12 pm: |
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Yes, it's a weird kind of cheat when they cobble together familiar music from a known film to promote a still unknown new release Tim. Although I loved Clint Mansell's score for Requiem for a Dream within the context of that film, and it wasn't used badly in the trailer for Sunshine, it really didn't capture the nifty 'feel' of this film, or the eccentric and inriguing way it was scored by John Murphy and Underworld. Basically, they created a trailer for a film that doesn't even exist! And by doing so, an element that could have been a promotional hook for some audience members - experiencing an inventive, evocative score - was totally ignored. A major missed opportunity IMO, because the soundscape of Sunshine, including its music, was a knock out.
"Just when you thought it was safe to go see another PotC movie: AWE (3)"
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3432
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 09:54 pm: |
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300 I don't consider it high art, and I was expecting a little more action on it after everything I had read about it... but I still enjoyed it a lot. Grade: B
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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this space for rent. (Kermie)
Cinematographer
Username: Kermie
Post Number: 2217
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 12:07 am: |
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Just saw "Dreamgirls" outdoors at the North Carolina Museum of Art -- btw, lb, they've started digging the big hole for the permanent Rodin collection building -- and while I had very little interest in seeing it, I really enjoyed it. And, whoo, Jennifer Hudson ... big voice! |
Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1195
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 10:57 am: |
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As far as graphic novels go (and specifically Frank Miller) I would take 300 over Sin City. My attention started to wane in Sin City - as the film shirted focus I thought it started to lose momentum. I think they were similar lengths, but 300 played as the tighter more cohesive story in my opinion. I also thought the visuals of 300 were more effective where as Sin City often played as gimmicky in appearance. |
kiwiboy (Lighthouse_boy)
Movie Star
Username: Lighthouse_boy
Post Number: 3210
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 04:19 pm: |
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not a big Rodin fan, Kermie, although I did go to the Rodin Museum in Paris to see "The Thinker" (plus he was friends with the 'majors' so there is a small but nice private art collection on view).
end of topic drift
I saw the Bourne Ultimatum which is, hands down, the best action film in years. It's an art film disguised as an action flick. Even Julie Stiles gets some quality on screen time!
Going to Ireland and not just to kiss that stone
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Yeah! (Sanboy)
Cinematographer
Username: Sanboy
Post Number: 2713
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 07:26 pm: |
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How're you not gonna be a big Rodan fan?!
Oh, Rodin.
Carry on...
Why is “abbreviation” such a long word?
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3765
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007 - 11:20 pm: |
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Doc:
quote:Yes, it's a weird kind of cheat when they cobble together familiar music from a known film to promote a still unknown new release.
I've said this many times before, but here we go again...the main reason so many movie trailers use music from other films is that the original score usually isn't recorded until late in the filmmaking process (sometimes literally weeks before the film hits theaters), and this is usually too late to include it in the film's trailers and TV spots, which have to be cut months ahead of the film's release date. Yeah, it can be annoying to hear a familiar musical riff in a trailer, but it's certainly preferable to hearing a bit of previous film music lifted almost verbatim within the actual movie (like the shameless plagarism of Eliott Goldenthal's marvellous Titus score in 300).
BTW, I'm back from vacation, and I'm eager to start seeing new movies again. 
Don't make me run! I'm full of chocolate!
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3433
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 05, 2007 - 12:07 am: |
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Tim
Re: 300 and Sin City
Well, other than both being based on Miller's graphic novels, I don't see there's much room for comparison, and they're not necessarily aimed to the same audiences. However, I think I can say I enjoyed Sin City slightly more.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1196
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 05, 2007 - 10:58 am: |
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CJ Really? I think they were aiming at the exact same audience. Fan boys who enjoy gratuitious blood n' breasts! I would say 300 is much more comparable to Sin City, than something like Gladiator or other sword and sandal epic.
MJ - that's a good explanation. I hadn't really thought of that. |
C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3434
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 05, 2007 - 12:05 pm: |
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Well, you have a point, but I still think they were different. Whereas Sin City follows the path of Pulp Fiction and its likes with its broken-down narrative, related storylines and ensemble cast, 300 goes after a more straight-forward "historical" path albeit with the same visual style.
Anyway, last night I saw The Last King of Scotland. After reading many people around here and at other websites, I was expecting a C average film, but I was surprised at how good it was. Certainly not flawless, but it was still a solid film. As fiction, the film is pretty darn good. However, as a historical film, therein lies its weakness. I wasn't as displeased with McAvoy's character as I've read some people around here, but I can see their point. Initially I thought that telling the story through his point-of-view was a good narrative tool to put us in the role of the population that might've been caught with Amin's charisma and not see his "brutal" side just like Garrigan... but I do think they should've delved more in the historical side of the story rather than fiction-motivated events. Still a pretty good film with great performances. Grade: B+
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1197
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 05, 2007 - 04:10 pm: |
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I certainly laughed during The Simpsons but I still walked out of the theater with the impression that the only value was seeing 90 minutes of commercial-free Simpsons (which isn't a bad thing).
I've been a fan since episode 1, so whether the TV show still has merit is besides the point. I just burnt out on it about 4 years ago anyway. For me this was a fitting conclusion to the series and it may be the last I see of Homer and the Gang (other than I suspect I'll watch the "final episode"). B |
AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2193
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 06, 2007 - 06:48 am: |
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I was bored by The Simspsons. I just felt they hadn't bothered coming up with anything to make this into a film rather than just an episiode - and for that reason it dragged badly after the half hour mark. Some of their normal episodes - particularly the movie spoofs like the James Bond one, Mary Poppins one or Cape Fear one - are more movie-like than this was, and would have sustained an 80 minute running time. I was surprised they didn't do a musical or a movie spoof or at least something clever like an intricate court case. This plot could have been dealt with in 23 minutes and would have been better for it. C |
C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3435
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 09:53 am: |
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Zodiac is much different than anything David Fincher has ever done. More paused and dialogue-driven, Fincher choses a more sober directing style, rather than his usual visual flare. Other than a few interesting shots here and there, Fincher does "little" with the camera and instead milks great performances from the cast. Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey, Jr. were particularly great, but the whole ensemble cast was excellent. Like Graysmith in the film, I found myself obsessively watching and wondering and waiting for a "satisfying conclusion". Great, great film. Grade: A
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3770
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 05:23 pm: |
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The Simpsons Movie: As a former hardcore Simpsons fan who has drifted away from the series over the past 7 or eight seasons, I found the movie to be a pleasant surprise. Not only did it deliver the biggest belly laughs I've gotten from these characters since about 1998, the film also reaffirmed the genuine sweetness underlying the creamy "cartoon" shell. Marge's videotaped message to Homer about halfway through the film nearly moved me to tears, all the more amazing considering the gleefully absurd circumstances that brought their marriage to such a precarious spot in the first place. While I still don't have any desire to start watching the show on a regular basis again, the movie reminded me of just why I fell in love with the series in the first place. B+
Oooooo, floor popcorn!
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AdamL (Adaml)
Cinematographer
Username: Adaml
Post Number: 2194
Registered: 08-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 06:07 pm: |
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quote:Zodiac... Great, great film.
And surely a big early favourite for the AFFA? Am I wrong in thinking this is total agreement thus far? |
C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3436
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 - 06:51 pm: |
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quote:And surely a big early favourite for the AFFA? Am I wrong in thinking this is total agreement thus far?
I'll have to revise my 2007 list so far, but I'm sure it's up there.
The more I think about the film, the more I like it. This is what filmmaking's about... with little bangs and hoopla but with great performances and an engaging script. Despite its length, the movie felt like a breeze. Fincher is batting 1.000 as far as I'm concerned.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1198
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 - 10:46 am: |
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The Good German (dvd)
Although I was intrigued by the experiment, and the first 2/3 of the story, there was something about Soderbergh's film that sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I just can't put my finger on exactly what it is.
I think it comes off as patronizing or condensending. Not towards the audience, but the "classics" it has molded itself on. It doesn't feel like a respectful homage, but a holier-than-though experiment. Soderbergh plays with the conventional norms of film making in the 40's just to prove he can?
When I watch a film like Casablanca (a movie I think Soderbergh used as a primary influence -down to the poster art work), it is not only a good film watching experience, but fascinating as archival evidence of how we made and watched movies at the time.
I would contrast The Good German with two other recent experiments that I think worked much better. The first is Brick which obviously tried to create its own unusual style by intentionally contrasting the dialogue of old film noir classics in a modern context, and the second is Grindhouse which was so clearly such a fan-boy homage that it's only goal was gratuitious fun.
This is a very rambling commentary! Am I way off base on this or did anyone else have a similar reaction? |
C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3438
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 - 11:14 pm: |
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Recently I caught on TV The Day After Tomorrow. Exaggerated, of course. But it still works to get its message through. Anyway, it was entertaining for a night's watch. Grade: B
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Tim (Tim)
Cinematographer
Username: Tim
Post Number: 1199
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 12:58 pm: |
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re: The Day After Tomorrow
The Irwin Allen tradition continues 3 decades later!
The good: I liked the fact this wasn't about Man vs. Nature in which some collection of goofballs figures out a way to conquer Mother Nature. I think it was a good move to just have humanity throw in the towel and just try to stay alive.
The bad: The scale between the major disaster events and the characters was completely out of wack. It's hard to have a movie about people and characters when the context is L.A., N.Y., getting destroyed. From the point-of-view of the camera the audience is just like a god watching all this unfold, and it is intermixed with these people in the middle of it.
This is why, to some degree, I think the limited FX capabilities of the 70's made those films better. It was easier to get involved with the characters when they were just wrestling with sinking boats or burning buildings. |
Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3772
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2007 - 10:10 pm: |
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Sunshine: Intriguing mix of sci-fi and disaster film (about a space mission to drop a bomb into the center of the sun and reignite it's dying core) falls apart in the slasher-movie inspired final reels, made worse by director Danny Boyle's maddening visual stylization of the film's boogeyman. All that blurry, shakey camerawork...if Boyle didn't want to clearly show the killer's face, there were countless better ways to depict that than the way he went. Oh well, for it's first two-thirds, Sunshine is a fairly intelligent piece of sci-fi, and the cast is uniformly fine, but one feels that a great film was missed by a considerable margin of error. B
Oooooo, floor popcorn!
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Mistress Misanthrope (Scully)
Production Assistant
Username: Scully
Post Number: 467
Registered: 06-2001
| | Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 12:47 am: |
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Every time I read the title Sunshine invoked here (in reference to the recent Danny Boyle film), this Ralph Fiennes-starring film is still the one that springs to mind first. I did quite like that one, BTW.
There are only 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Monterey Jack (Monty)
Movie Star
Username: Monty
Post Number: 3774
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 11:13 pm: |
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Premonition: Memento-ish puzzler about a woman (Sandra Bullock) who learns that her husband (Julian McMahon) died in a mysterious car accident...only to wake up the "next" day to find him alive and well. She manages to convice herself that what she experienced was a particularly vivid dream, but when she falls asleep that night, she wakes up the "next" day to find that her hubby is dead again. Huh? What? Intriguing premise is ultimately sabotaged by temporal illogic (if Bullock knows that, say, tearing the page out a phone book early in the week will trip her up later in the week, why doesn't she put the damn page back in the book, just to see what would happen?). Would have made a fine half-hour Twilight Zone or Amazing Stories episode, but even at 90 minutes, the film feels padded, with an ending that makes little sense (not to mention an unintentionally hilarious scene with Bullock insisting to open her husband's casket at the funeral, only to have it crack open and spill his severed head on the sidewalk!). B-
Oooooo, floor popcorn!
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C.J. (Thief)
Movie Star
Username: Thief
Post Number: 3439
Registered: 07-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 12:28 pm: |
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A Clockwork Orange, a finely acted and directed, quirky yet subtle film. I hadn't seen it before and I was impressed. I want to see it again though. Most of the cast was excellent and Kubrick was definitely a genius. So far I've loved all of his films.
JUST MARRIED! -- If you see me posting, my wife must be working.
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Yeah! (Sanboy)
Cinematographer
Username: Sanboy
Post Number: 2772
Registered: 05-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 01:41 pm: |
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Even Eyes Wide Shut?
Why is “abbreviation” such a long word?
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