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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 241 responses total. |
johnnie
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response 184 of 241:
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Nov 22 11:47 UTC 1999 |
He's directed a bunch of music videos.
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mcnally
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response 185 of 241:
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Nov 22 16:58 UTC 1999 |
Yep, this is his first feature film, so far as I know..
You can see him acting in "Three Kings", where he plays the
ignorant redneck character..
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omni
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response 186 of 241:
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Nov 22 19:04 UTC 1999 |
Orson Bean has been busy being the cranky storekeeper on Dr Quinn, Medicine
Woman. I like has work.
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tpryan
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response 187 of 241:
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Nov 22 23:21 UTC 1999 |
If you only *listen* to Orson Bean, you hear Bilbo Baggins.
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bdh3
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response 188 of 241:
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Nov 23 07:03 UTC 1999 |
Anybody see the Y2K movie (on NBC)? I saw about 60 seconds total. One
scene where a large jet airliner lands sideways in about 150 feet on a
runway lit by emergency vehicles ("It worked for Lindburg" was the
line). And another scene where the 'hero' views the core of a nuclear
reactor with zero coolant and tells his daddy about it over a cellphone?
It got about a 10 share I think. Anybody actually watch the entire
turkey?
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omni
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response 189 of 241:
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Nov 23 07:30 UTC 1999 |
I don't watch dogs. (howl)
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johnnie
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response 190 of 241:
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Nov 23 14:19 UTC 1999 |
I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a comedy. I saw about the first
half. Another howler scene: Woman in labor, doctors and nurses huddled
around the fetal monitor, ready to do an emergency C-section 'cuz the
monitor indicated dire fetal distress. Turns out that the monitor was
made in New York (scene took place in Seattle), and so, since it had
already turned midnight in NY, the monitor was suffering from Y2K and
the fetus was not really in danger. ("Maybe the monitor is having a Y2K
problem?" "Impossible; it's not midnight yet!" "Wait! Where was the
monitor manufactured?") Problem: when discussing the baby's
heartbeat, camera focused several times on the monitor showing a fetal
heartbeat of 125 or so, which is worlds away from fetal distress.
The local (Grand Rapids) NBC station ran a disclaimer at the return from
each commercial break saying, "This movie is presented by NBC for
entertainment purposes. WOOD-TV8 is not responsible for it's content."
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mcnally
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response 191 of 241:
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Nov 23 17:15 UTC 1999 |
Wired News had a bit panning the movie which mentioned the interesting
factoid that apparently the "Edison Electric Institute" and "Independent
Community Bankers of America", presumably industry organizations
representing the power and banking industries, both appealed to NBC
affiliates to schedule alternative programming. (They must have been
concerned that the movie's ultra-realism would spark paniced rioting..)
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gull
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response 192 of 241:
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Nov 23 21:16 UTC 1999 |
I figured it'd be similar to their other made-for-TV movies, such as
"Earthquake in New York." (Short plot summary; an earthquake hits New York,
causing a tragic outbreak of bad acting.)
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mary
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response 193 of 241:
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Dec 1 21:08 UTC 1999 |
"Felicia's Journey" is a brilliantly written, directed and acted film
which lends an intimate view of the damage left from a childhood
gone terribly wrong. Bob Hoskins puts in the performance of the year.
Highly recommended.
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richard
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response 194 of 241:
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Dec 1 23:20 UTC 1999 |
note-- felicia's journey was I believe directed by Atom Egoyan, who
directed the Sweet Hereafter
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scott
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response 195 of 241:
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Dec 1 23:50 UTC 1999 |
Rented "Office Space" over the holiday weekend. Very funny, good take on
current computer cubicle hell jobs. Much funnier than the commercials for
it promised.
Also went and saw "Sleepy Hollow", the new Tim Burton movie. Good, gory,
stylish, but don't expect an airtight plot.
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remmers
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response 196 of 241:
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Dec 2 01:53 UTC 1999 |
Re resp:194 - Yes, "Felicia's Journey" is an Atom Egoyan film, and
displays the same visual flair as "Sweet Hereafter". I agree with Mary
about Bob Hoskins' performance. Try to catch this one in a theater; the
creative use of the wide screen to tell a story would be largely lost on
TV.
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bmoran
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response 197 of 241:
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Dec 2 14:30 UTC 1999 |
Saw Toy Story 2 Sunday night. Very good, I think it's a bit better than
the first one. Pat (now 8) sorta liked it, and cracked up over a few
parts. If you're worried about going by yourself, borrow a few kids and
have a good time.
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drewmike
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response 198 of 241:
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Dec 3 03:34 UTC 1999 |
My quick take on "Toy Story 2": While the first film was a revolution, this
one really only manages to be an evolution. But that's okay. In the last five
years, Lasseter & Co. have gotten a lot better at what they do. Buster the
Dog, for example, would have been unimaginable not too long ago. It's also
heartening to see that the story wasn't neglected in the mad dash for the
toys. (They certainly could have gotten away with paying it much less
attention. Just ask DreamWorks SKG.) And longtime followers of Pixar's work
will appreciate the nods to the other films in their canon--from the pairing
of the feature with their first short, "Luxo, Jr.", to the flashes of other
Pixar films when the characters channel surf, right down to the inclusion of
Geri as a toy rehabilitator. (I guess he plays chess on the weekends.)
On the downside, "Toy Story 2" was originally intended to be
straight-to-video, but was lengthened to be a feature. *Very* occasionally,
it feels it. And am I the only contemporary filmgoer who lacks the Randy
Newman Appreciation Gene? (Hey, Rand. I may not know where the line between
"signature style" and "self parody" is, but you done passed that thing a long
while ago.)
I give it... I don't know. An A-minus.
(Yeah, I know that wasn't exactly "quick".)
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mcnally
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response 199 of 241:
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Dec 3 05:43 UTC 1999 |
You're definitely *not* the only one who's genetically unable to
appreciate Randy Newman.
Lasseter's feature-length films have been the best computer-generated
animated films so far but I had more admiration for his short films --
the level of amazement they create is possibly just too much to sustain
througout a feature-length piece.. In my opinion his great genius
is the ability to imbue inanimate objects with human attributes and
feeling in what seems like a totally natural way.
The Lasseter work which impresses me most to this day is "Luxo, Jr." --
I could go through it frame by frame and still never understand how he
manages to give emotins and expressions to a pair of swing arm lamps
which are without any face or other human features. (I'm similarly
fascinated by the amount of expression Nick Parks can give to claymation
figures without mouths, but Lasseter is the master..)
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gull
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response 200 of 241:
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Dec 3 15:25 UTC 1999 |
I've loved "Luxo, Jr." ever since I saw it running as a short on
Nickelodeon. (This was back before they started running commercials, as
hard as that may be for some to imagine...)
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flem
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response 201 of 241:
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Dec 3 17:24 UTC 1999 |
_End of Days_: B. Not a bad flick, all told, so long as your
expectations are low. Just remember: Arnold Schwartzenneger plays a
role in it. That should put it in the proper context: comedy without
meaning to be. :) I don't remember making that many snide comments at
a movie, or laughing so hard at them, in a long time. :)
One particularly interesting point is that the guy who plays the
devil, the spelling of whose name I can't remember, was in _Stigmata_ as
essentially the opposite character. Very similar plots, similar kinds
of imagery (at least on the surface), but in this one he's the good guy
protecting the innocent female victim. IMO, Stigmata was by far the
better movie. It would make an interesting movie night someday to get
both of them and watch them back-to-back for comparison.
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mcnally
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response 202 of 241:
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Dec 3 22:53 UTC 1999 |
(I think you're talking about Gabriel Byrne..)
"IMO, Stigmata was, by far, the better movie.." Now *there's* something
you don't hear every day.
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flem
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response 203 of 241:
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Dec 4 00:24 UTC 1999 |
Well, I suppose... I liked it, though, probably better than most people
would, but still. :)
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mary
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response 204 of 241:
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Dec 4 10:44 UTC 1999 |
I've had a sweet spot for Schwartzenneger ever since "Conan the
Barbarian". I love that movie. So I'll probably see "End of Days"
before it's off the big screens.
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scott
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response 205 of 241:
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Dec 4 12:52 UTC 1999 |
Dammit, when is "Sixth Sense" going to drop to Fox Theater?
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mcnally
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response 206 of 241:
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Dec 4 14:45 UTC 1999 |
good question.. I've been wondering much the same thing..
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richard
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response 207 of 241:
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Dec 4 23:02 UTC 1999 |
"LIBERTY HEIGHTS"-- This is the fourth, and supposedly final,
installment in director Barry Levinson's acclaimed "Baltimore" series,
depicting life in Baltimore in the 1950's. The others, all great films,
were TIN MEN, DINER, and AVALON. This one is just as good.
It tells the story of a jewish nightclub owner, played by Joe Montegna,
who has to reconcile his occupation with the normal, religiously
grounded life he wants to provide his wife (played by Bebe Neuwirth of
Cheers) and sons. They live in the jewish community of Liberty Heights.
The film explores the racial and class issues that people of that era
lived with and dealt with daily. It is told through the eyes of
Montegna's youngest son, who is starting to understand how different the
outside world is from his protected, all-jewish society of Liberty
Heights.
Levinson (who also directed "Rain Man") is one of the best directors
working today and this series of films represents a deeply heartfelt
tribute to his childhood in Baltimore. If you loved Avalon or Diner or
Tin Men, you will love this film. It is a proper and just conclusion to
the series.
LIBERTY HEIGHTS **** (FOUR STARS-- ONE OF BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR)
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drewmike
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response 208 of 241:
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Dec 4 23:03 UTC 1999 |
(Total drift: I'm pretty sure "Luxo Jr." came out in 1986, and Nickelodeon
started running ads two years before.)
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