response 69 of 327:

Jan 1 07:56 UTC 2003

Re #66:  Lighter side?  Abagnale's home life is depressing as hell.

response 71 of 327:

Jan 1 18:58 UTC 2003

Also went and saw Adaptation this week, after much "are we going? Are we going
_now_? Can we please leave already!" 

I swear it breaks every law of good writing, and even breaks most of the for
good film writing. The first half is more or less PAINFUL to watch, the second
half is just rediculous. The movie is absolutely _facinating_, but... 

When I get old and become a writing professor so that stupid undergrads can
attempt to take my job away from me, I'm going to recommend this movie. "Here
is everything you shouldn't do with a script, and I don't want to see it
unless you can do it better than he did". 

It's not a good movie, but it's definately Interesting.

response 73 of 327:

Jan 1 23:28 UTC 2003

Saw "Catch Me If You Can" today.  Most enjoyable Spielberg I've seen
in some time.  Continuously entertaining, with lots of deft, clever
touches, and a nice 60s period feel (even the titles).

Re #71:  By the time you're an old writing professor, "Adaptation"
will be an enshrined classic.  And anyway, you'll have tenure, so
your students can't take your job away from you.  Worst that can
happen is that they'll become your colleagues and you won't be
able to order them around anymore.  (This has happened to me...)

response 75 of 327:

Jan 2 01:27 UTC 2003

I bet you're right!

response 77 of 327:

Jan 2 02:50 UTC 2003

re #67: I don't look up the backgrounds of artists, actors, writers, 
etc. as a rule.  It happens that Polanski's crimes were widely 
reported, and so I remember them, and so I have a tendency to be turned 
off from interest in his work.

I generally don't know who directed the films I watch.  I don't know 
who directed the Lord of the Rings films, the Harry Potter films, or 
most any movies I've seen.  I got a copy of "Fiddler on the Roof", my 
favorite musical, but don't know who made it.  I don't know who made 
the Godfather movies, the Blues Brothers movie, or any of my favorite 
Disney movies.  I don't know what a director does, or a producer.  I'm 
not interested in the process of making movies, I just watch some 
movies and like some of what I watch.

Roman Polanski movies tend to be advertised as being made by Polanski, 
so it's easy to avoid them.  If I found out he made the Star Trek 
movies that I liked, or "Ice Age" (which my son just watched tonight 
and which I liked), I guess I'd have an interesting decision.  I 
probably wouldn't get rid of anything I already have, but I wouldn't be 
inclined to buy or rent more of those movies.

This makes me equivalent to Stalin?  Wow.  I'd say if you believe that, 
you have a tendency to hyperbolize.

response 79 of 327:

Jan 2 10:51 UTC 2003

Re #77:  Hm.  It takes many hands to make a movie, but the director
is in most instances the primary "author", so I tend to pay attention
to who the directors are.  For me, not knowing who directed the
Godfather films would be akin to not knowing who wrote "A Tale of
Two Cities" or "The Stand".  If I learn that a particular movie was
directed by David Lynch, John Dahl, Spike Jonze, Roman Polanski, or
Martin Scorsese (just to name a few examples), then I'll probably
go to see it.  This is not to say that every movie made by those
directors is automatically good, but I've learned that the director's
name is a better indicator of whether I'll like a film or not than,
say, what the critics think of it.

For a discussion of "film director as author", and why the role of
film director is different from that of a stage director, see
http://www.moderntimes.com/palace/director.htm .

response 83 of 327:

Jan 5 04:52 UTC 2003

"Die Another Day:"  No doubt my initial reaction is a little over 
enthusiastic...

The first hour is the best hour of James Bond film ever, with 
development and plotting that we've never seen in the series 
before.  After that it gets a bit silly, especially when the 
invisible car comes in, but overall I think it's the 
best Bond film in 30 years.

response 85 of 327:

Jan 5 10:23 UTC 2003

   What's the pseudonym used by directors who either don't want to
admit they made a film or want their name removed from the credits?

response 87 of 327:

Jan 5 13:54 UTC 2003

Over the holiday break I was able to get caught up
on recent releases.

Adaptations: Another brilliant example of blending
fact and fiction so well it's hard to tell the
boundaries.  But maybe that's the point.

LOTRTT:  Mostly for those who like cars blowing up
but on a grand scale with lots of chainmail.

Catch Me If You Can:  A fairly subtle touch for
a Spielberg film.  And the best part is it's all
true.

About Schmidt:  I liked it but suspect it will not
do well at the box office.  Not once word gets 
out it's a fairy slow character piece that gets
its humor from being searingly honest about dull
lives.

response 89 of 327:

Jan 5 16:59 UTC 2003

I suspect one "addition" is the scene where Abagnale looks 
though the window at the family life he never had.  That's sappy
enought to be pure Spielberg.

response 91 of 327:

Jan 5 18:55 UTC 2003

I havent seen the movie but I just finished reading the book. My copy 
has a nice interview with him about the movie. He does say that he 
would have rather his parents didnt divorce but he doesnt put a lot of 
emphasis on that. 

Anyhow, it is a really good read.

response 93 of 327:

Jan 5 20:12 UTC 2003

re #85-86: I believe it is Allan Smithee  (two 'l's)