response 174 of 323:

Nov 7 02:01 UTC 2000

I also agree about "High Fidelity"...I loved it.

AVOID BLAIR WITCH 2.  It was the first movie I ever walked out of.  Ugh.

response 176 of 323:

Nov 7 03:25 UTC 2000

Recently rented "Return to Me" with Minnie Driver and David Duchovny - very
enjoyable - a very sweet love story.  "Keeping the Faith" with Ben Stiller,
Edward Norton (who also directed) and Jenna Elfman - it was awesome - funny
and honest.  "The Patriot" - a not so well done Braveheart.  But Heath Ledger
is a hotty, so it's not all bad.

response 178 of 323:

Nov 7 15:43 UTC 2000

I loved the Patriot.  It was amazing, and when I saw it with my father, he
remembered watching an old tv show "Tales of the Swamp Rat" the same guy in
the Patriot.  Heath Ledger, however, I agree, is a hotty.

response 180 of 323:

Nov 7 20:17 UTC 2000

umm...duh *smacks herself on the forehead*  I have no idea why I said rat...

response 182 of 323:

Nov 8 05:49 UTC 2000

BW2 wasn't gory...just stupid and pop culture and annoying and...  ;-)

response 184 of 323:

Nov 12 08:44 UTC 2000

_Titus_ was amazing.  Simply amazing.

response 186 of 323:

Nov 12 17:07 UTC 2000

        I was throughly enjoying Monty Phython's "Life of Brian" last 
night on DVD.  So much more than "Meaning of Life" a few weeks ago.
Then upon watching the BBC (2) production "Life of Phython" (got it
on DVD at Broders) found that the Phython agreed that "Brian" was the
better movie in flow and telling a story and delivering their jabs
to society.

response 188 of 323:

Nov 12 23:03 UTC 2000

I watched _Labyrinth_ for the zillionth time last night.  I don't think I'll
ever tire of that movie.  =)

response 190 of 323:

Nov 13 04:32 UTC 2000

Yes, the play is Titus Andronicus, however the movie is simply called Titus.
I vaguely remember discussing this in my Shakespeare class an eon ago, but
I think I am going to read it again.  It wasn't one of the prof's favorites
and thus was shoved to the side quickly.  I really am glad that ASU went to
a Semester system (from a quarterly), so that they class has more time to
discuss more details of Shakespeare's works and the time period.

response 192 of 323:

Nov 13 09:00 UTC 2000

Saw _Red Planet_ its opening night on this past Friday.  At a sort of
odd theatre (whole other story that).  Anyway, it still had the
obligatory scene of a spacecraft entering orbit by accelerating. 
Sometimes I figure its just a good shot, other times I figure the
director has such a shot just to piss off folks like russ who demand
realism in a media that by definition is fiction.  Val Kilmer is the odd
hero, despite the fact that in real life he so pissed off his 'co-stars'
by his stunts that one in fact refused to even appear in the same scenes
with him - I will leave it up to the viewer of same to figure out whom.
(He apparently went so far as to snuff cigarettes out on various body
parts of extras and crew to see how far he could go...the brat)

Anyway, this was the counterpart to _Mission to Mars_ and although it
was finished before was held back for some reason.  Its the same fucking
movie, only with all 'ghosts' -caucasians ....sorta, only different, and
a lot, a whole lot more better.  It even has the same scenes, only a lot
better, a sure as shit lot better.  There is one other 'russ' style
quibble, a shot later where the 'lander' is still seen docked with the
'mother ship' but it only is maybe two seconds at best.  And it sure has
a heck of a lot more meta content and is no less a 'cliff hanger' than
its doppleganger.  Its a better do, but I sure wish the 'majors' would
get out of the habit of stealing each others ideas and simply put out
good films.  There is a lot more meaningless 'symbolism' in _Red Planet_
(wasn't that the title of a pulp SF author of some circulation?)  (and
having nothing to do with this plot)  (There is even an odd reference to
Clarke in that one character has the same sirname, and the same
job of one of his novels and flicks of note.) (Stupid clue - 2001)

To make matters worse at one point 'the (a) (one of a few) red shirt(s)'
(none wear, but the trekkies understand the reference) (It is a 'red
planet and thus they all are....only the idiots need this pointed out)
draws a circle in the dirt and drops a stone (the same one!) in the
center in a scene which is echoed back to in the future but with no
particular inclusive significance to tie it together.

In short it is a fine movie, much better crafted than its counterpart
from the opposing team and for some idiotic reason released when it was
for no particuarly good reason.  It could have been tighter with good
editing and had the cast to carry it off to become the SF counterpart to
_The Usual Suspects_ but instead is/was a good do in its opening, but
not successfull and is to be religated to the 7.99 bin at K-mart if it
comes out on video, if it does at all.  Such is the shame and the curse 
of those that hold back and only go for 'half measures'.  (And I only
manages to commit a half spoiler I think in posting this...)

response 194 of 323:

Nov 13 17:41 UTC 2000

        To be captured into an orbit, you have to decelerate, that is,
provide thrust against the direction of your travel, otherwise, you 
could continue past the planet.

response 196 of 323:

Nov 13 21:03 UTC 2000

_Red_Planet_ was one of Heinlein's books.  I remember reading it, but I
*don't* remember the plot.  I should track it down.