response 33 of 326:

Apr 2 14:32 UTC 2000

Another endorsement of "Sole Survivor" here.  Eerie little TV film from the
early 1970s.

response 35 of 326:

Apr 14 08:46 UTC 2000

Whatshername and I went to the now locally owned blacksplotation/'banger
movie theater that has had to compete with the new corporate owned
megaplex on 87th street - south side chicago.  Paid almost 20 bucks for
two tickets rung up a 'nocharge' as the ticket taker pocketed the money
- skimming of his employer.  Anyway, saw _Rules of Engagement_.  You
won't beleive you actually saw the Australian actor Guy Pearce unless
you read the credits.  Ben Kingsley must have had to make a house
payment or something - no other reason for him to stoop so low and for
so few and so shitty screen minutes (Ghandi panics, hides under a desk,
and commits perjury?).  Bottom line, try to see it during the 'cheap
tickets'.  Its an OK do, but barely OK.
Even though it is a 'USMARINE as Hero' it still has the 'government bad'
stench about it which is really surprising under 8 years of the
Clintonistas.  Hmm, maybe considering Somalia where US Troopers died for
no good reason because the then Sec.D. refused to send in tanks as
requested by the 'on scene' commanders on account it would be 'too
provocative' -maybe its not so far out that such as portrayed in the
film could actually occur...

Warning, potential spoilers:

I don't care what the politicians decide on 'rules of engagement' there
is no way in hell US Marines or any other US Military unit for that
matter is going to come under hostile fire without returning fire,
especially on taking KIAs.  It just ain't gonna happen.  (At least I
hope so...well, maybeso under a Clinton administration, but I trust
troopers will do the right thing regardless.)

Bullets fired up into a building from the ground will have ballistic
signatures indicating they were fired from the ground up.  Its called
forensics. You wanna know, you check it out, its gonna be there.

There is no way an NVA colonel is going to give testimony in a US Court
Martial and there is no way the US Marine prosecutor is even gonna know
about the NVA colonel in the first place.  Oh, it does lead to a nice
scene where one warrior exchanges mutual recongnition with another (its
called a 'hand salute' and has traditional meaning), but its not gonna
happen.

Minor quibble, I don't think you salute the back of a superior officer
who is walking in front of you, not to mention he is not likely to
return the salute.

The 'Nam flashback scenes had troopers wearing ALICE gear not issued
until some years later.

There were only 4 occasions where the 'surround sound' actually worked
and 3 of them were merely irritating.

In short, I think the film intended to be at least about 30 minutes
longer than was finally released and the 'summation' text at the end was
not satisfying as a replacement for, nor are the ending scenes.  A fine
cast wasted in a poor editing job.

Again, try to see it during a matinee where you don't have to pay full
price.  I give it about a 1-1/2 on a scale of 1-5.  Maybeso you should
even wait until you can buy the 'previously viewed' video  at the local
drugstore and save some money.

response 37 of 326:

Apr 14 23:09 UTC 2000

<DRIFT>
I can think of two situations to salute from behind:
1) Overtaking an officer, salute as coming abreast, and request permission
   to continue ahead (marching in step until permission is granted).  When
   the salute is returned and permission is granted, cut and march on.
2) As a conversation ends, start to salute, which the officer (rudely, in
   a breach of conduct) ignores and turns away.  Hold and cut, maintaining
   discipline and decorum.
</DRIFT>

response 39 of 326:

Apr 15 05:02 UTC 2000

"AMERICAN PSYCHO"-- movie of the Brett Easton Ellis novel (he wrote Less
Than Zero) that was a bestseller a while back, about a late 80's wall
street yuppie who gets so trapped in the superficiality and numbness of
his own existence that he goes mad and starts killing people.  IN a series
of grotesque and perverse murders, he is trying to force himself to feel,
not just feel pain, but just feel.  And tragically he cant, because he is
in the middle of a cold, heartless, materialistic society where all that
matters is money and status and who has the most expensive suits and most
stylish business cards.  The novel, and the movie, are a biting commentary
on the dangers of excessive ego-mania and materialism.   It takes place
int he  late 80's, at the height of the Reagan supply side stock market
boom.  But it could just as easily be today when people are, if anything,
more obsessively materialistic and ego-driven.  How close do we all come
to losing our souls in this culture.     AMERICAN PSYCHO ***1/2 STARS

response 41 of 326:

Apr 16 02:06 UTC 2000

"Topsy Turvy," the film about Gilbert & Sullivan and the writing of 
"The Mikado," returns for a brief 3-day run at The Michigan Theatre
starting Sunday.

response 43 of 326:

Apr 16 05:10 UTC 2000

Cool.  I need to see that.

response 45 of 326:

Apr 17 01:49 UTC 2000

Ali Larter is great.  She reminds me just a tiny bit
of Gina McKee, the Brit actress who played the 
wheelchair-bound woman in Notting Hill.  It's hard 
to take your eyes off her when she's in the shot.

response 47 of 326:

Apr 17 02:40 UTC 2000

Re Final Destination: 

For you cineastes into allusions and in-jokes, the
characters in Final Destination had last names like
Waggner, Browning, Chaney and Hitchcock.  There was 
a Lewton, too, which I had to look up.  It's a classy
movie, quite a bit better than the "just OK" eprom
gives in.  (But that's just my opinion.  I liked
the Beavis and Butthead movie, too.)

response 49 of 326:

Apr 17 10:59 UTC 2000

George Waggner directed "The Wolf Man" with Lon 
Chaney Jr. and Maria Ouspenskaya.

response 51 of 326:

Apr 21 23:28 UTC 2000

KEEPING THE FAITH (B-) - Not a bad movie, has some
very funny lines and physical comedy, but it's about
half-an-hour too long.  Also Jenna Elfman is *so* not
a native New Yorker.  No suspension of disbelief 
would've let me accept her in that role.  She doesn't
even try to sound the part.  Edward Norton is a little 
better, I guess, but really, of the major characters, 
the only ones who were convincing as New Yorkers were 
Ben Stiller and Anne Bancroft (nee' Anna Maria Italiano, 
but very good as a Jewish mother).

response 53 of 326:

Apr 25 16:03 UTC 2000

Saw "Romeo Must Die" on Friday, rather enjoyed it.  Decent martial arts 
flick, entertaining characters, okay plot. (though it's hard to respect 
the main black boss guy when the person next to you whispers 'If you 
give him a ponytail and paint him blue wouldn't he look like the genie 
in Aladdin?' at which point you think... nod... and then laugh cause 
she's right.)  Jet Li is cool, and Russell Wong's not bad either. (Only 
names I really caught...)

"End of Days" saw on video... not very good.  Special effects were fun, 
and Gabriel Byrne is always a pleasure to watch.

And I think that's all the movies I've seen recently...

response 55 of 326:

Apr 25 16:29 UTC 2000

We watched "End of Days" on video last night.  Personally, I
would have settled for the End of the Movie (the sooner the
better).

response 57 of 326:

Apr 25 17:03 UTC 2000

I'm watching Jacob's ladder.