response 120 of 348:

Jul 21 19:13 UTC 1999

Over the weekend I saw two movies:

South Park:   Extremely funny, assuming you aren't easily offended.

The Red Violin:  Cool, but a bit hokey and overly dramatic.

response 122 of 348:

Jul 22 22:43 UTC 1999

        I used to be violently against colorization until I saw an interview
with Ted Turner wherein Ted pointed out that colorization can be undone by
the viewer by simply turning down the "color" knob or slider on their TV.

response 124 of 348:

Jul 23 03:28 UTC 1999

        I would think that turning the color down on a colorized movie would
get you the B&W version of the colorized movie.  There could be difference
in shadow and light, as the new color would not always translate to the
original grayscale.

response 126 of 348:

Jul 23 15:26 UTC 1999

While it's possible to add colorization at the film level, if the colorization
is being done for home video, it's done at the video stage. As a result, there
aren't many colorized "prints" around.
 
And yes, tpryan, when you turn down the color on a colorized movie, you get
the black and white version of the colorized movie. Which is the black and
white movie. (If you were to make a copy of a color film onto black and white
stock, then there could be differences, because different black and white
stocks have different color sensitivity. But colorization only affects the
chroma, not the luminance.)

In fact, it's often the case that when a film is colorized, a new
film-to-video transfer is struck, and these often can be better than the
transfers that had been available before.

response 128 of 348:

Jul 23 17:20 UTC 1999

True enough: nowadays I really only see colorization on the pre-color episodes
of "Gilligan's Island", "The Beverly Hillbillies", etc. I'd be willing to
construct an argument that the artificial color harms the believability of
the greater Text, but that's going to have to be later.

response 130 of 348:

Jul 24 02:18 UTC 1999

Agree, a must see.  Oddly enough the 'actor' that portrayed "Gunnery
Sgt. Hartman" was no actor, but was in fact originally hired merely as a
'technical advisor'.  He was retired at the time.  Prior to his
retirement he worked as - you guessed it, a USMC "DI".  Art->Life
indeed.

I use the audio of "What is your major malfunction, numbnuts" as one of
the Winblows error 'sounds' and "Good night, ladies" as the shutdown
sound.  (I use "Good morning viet-nam" of Robin Williams as the startup
sound.)

R. Lee has appeared in many other roles since. all characterized by his
ernest attention to detail of the part - you don't get the sense that he
is in fact acting.  He is in fact not. One dimensional perhaps - one
wonders how he would play a 'love scene' but the fact remains, he is a
very good actor.

response 132 of 348:

Jul 25 18:14 UTC 1999

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS (C) -- I'm not sure what to
make of this movie.  As various reviewers have pointed
out, the culture it's supposed to be satirizing doesn't
exist except possibly in the imagiations of people who
don't know any better, so in that sense it has the
juvenile appeal that movies like Dr Strangelove have.
But despite that, it's a black comedy with some very
funny moments.  I'd recommend it to anyone who thinks
they might enjoy the spectacle of a beauty pageant
contestant dancing with a giant papier-mache crucifix
to the tune of "I Will Follow Him."  I laughed out loud
in a couple of spots.  I guess the folks in Minnesota
don't think it's so funny.

response 134 of 348:

Jul 26 02:18 UTC 1999

Just got back from seeing "The Haunting" and I agree with Remmers
review.  The special effects were fabulous, but the story needed 
some work... John (jazz) and I agreed that it should have ended
rather differently then it did (I won't tell you how we thought it
should end, rather spoils the movie).

response 136 of 348:

Aug 2 02:22 UTC 1999

DEEP BLUE SEA (B+) -- The mindless ferocity of
sharks is such a great subject for movies that it's a 
shame the best one was the first one.  The variation
this movie tries out involves some genetic alterations
that make the sharks intelligent instead of mindless.
What elevates the movie is its sense of humor.  The
characters are all cliches, and the fun lies in seeing
them torn sadistically to shreds.  If that sounds 
cruel, all I can say is you had to be there.  There's
also suspense, of the "How the hell are we going to 
get out of this one?" variety, some excellent effects, 
and a fine performance by Samuel L. Jackson, who seems
to get cast in these things (Sphere, Jurasic Park).
The climax of his inspiring speech to the other
characters sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

response 138 of 348:

Aug 2 02:43 UTC 1999

Saw SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT again
with my son, who wanted to see it again and can't
get in without an adult.  I was glad I went.  
This movie bristles with thorns.  Anywhere you 
touch it, there's something sharp enough to draw 
blood.  But just as behind such superficially 
"warm" movies as It's a Wonderful Life there 
sometimes lurks a cold manipulative contempt for 
the audience, South Park's prickly exterior masks 
a fun-loving creative impulse that deeply respects 
the audience and invites us to join its subversive 
cause.  The movie assumes that you are intelligent, 
that you aren't fooled by the pious crap that issues 
from the mouths of politicians and power-tripping 
"morality" crusaders, and that you might enjoy 
participating in the noble effort to lace their food 
with laxatives and lock all the bathroom doors. 
10 out of 10.

response 140 of 348:

Aug 2 04:15 UTC 1999

THE IRON GIANT

Good movie.  good insite into th bounds of prejudice and fear.

WILD< WILD< WEST  Only saw this becaus e it was free after watching the iron
giant.  I am very glad to say it is probably worth what we paid to see it.

response 142 of 348:

Aug 4 13:32 UTC 1999

If depraved filth is what you want to see, rent one of those porno tapes.
But if you want to see a towering, final artistic statement by a major
director, then could I have the porno tape?