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Grex > Cinema > #62: Grex goes to the movies-- the Spring Movie Review item | |
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| 25 new of 278 responses total. |
scott
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response 77 of 278:
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Apr 16 03:56 UTC 2004 |
I can't remember what the reference was. :(
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albaugh
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response 78 of 278:
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Apr 16 16:56 UTC 2004 |
Does "Space Truckers" have anything to do with Deep Purple's "Space Trucking"
or vice versa?
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mooncat
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response 79 of 278:
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Apr 30 00:07 UTC 2004 |
Recently caught a couple of rented movies.
Gothika- Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr., etc. Not a bad movie, I
thought it was pretty creepy in parts. I'd explain what it's about -
but I'm sure most people already know. I thought Ms. Berry did a great
job, her facial expression of 'I'm horribly confused and my world has
just crumbled' was great.
Second movie of the evening was "The Singing Detective" with Robert
Downey Jr (bit of a theme going on). This one didn't impress me so
much. Basically Downey Jr. is an author who yeara ago wrote a pulp
novel about a singing detective. The author now has this horrible skin
condition that has him hospitalized, his hands curled up and unable to
write/type. Half of the movie is played out in his mind as he relives
parts of his book- his meds and condition make it hard for him to tell
the difference between reality and his imagination.
Mel Gibson is in this movie, though it's kinda hard to recognize him
without his hairpiece. His character was a lot of fun. Though like I
said, overall I wasn't really all that impressed with the movie. Kinda
dragged in parts.
Also went to the theatre to see Kill Bill Volume 2. Was a ton of fun.
I enjoyed the gartuitous violence in the first movie, as well as
enjoying the change of pace for Volume 2. Uma Thurman and David
Carradine had fun performances. I think I may just end up owning these
two movies, or at least will definitely own the soundtracks (which I
really liked as well). See, in the second movie there's actually plot
development AND character conversation and more background
information. Amazing. ;) Overall though a lot of fun.
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mary
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response 80 of 278:
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May 7 02:13 UTC 2004 |
"Dogville" is a masterpiece. Doing more with less the director (with the
help of an amazing cast) takes a look at the nature of power. Or at least
that's my take on it. I'm still thinking about the film days later.
I had delayed reading Richard's review of the movie until after
I'd had a chance to see it. But I think the title is a tribute
to the community's dog. Richard, consider the opening scene about
the meaty bone and, of course, the very end. The dog was a significant
character.
And for something totally different but delightful, "Bubba Ho-Tep"
is now available for rent. Lordy, it's too good.
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richard
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response 81 of 278:
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May 8 02:46 UTC 2004 |
I thought the casting of James Caan at the end of "Dogville" was quite
deliberate. Caan's best known movie being the GODfather, and here he's
playing the one with the power, who is bestowing the power on his child and
letting his child make the choices.
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mary
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response 82 of 278:
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May 8 11:22 UTC 2004 |
You give away far too much information in your reviews, Richard.
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edina
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response 83 of 278:
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May 8 18:39 UTC 2004 |
Maybe - but between you and Richard, I'd still rent or see a film. You two
have good insights on movies.
I went with a group to see "Van Helsing" last night. It is so wonderfully
horrible.
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anderyn
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response 84 of 278:
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May 8 20:37 UTC 2004 |
I like spoiler reviews, myself. (I was very happy to read what happens in
Dogville at one review site, since it means I will NEVER go see it. Don't need
to go and be traumatized if there's enough spoilers.)
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scott
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response 85 of 278:
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May 8 21:51 UTC 2004 |
The slim possibility of being surprised is all that gets me through some
movies.
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richard
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response 86 of 278:
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May 9 02:04 UTC 2004 |
yeah but twila you went and saw "passion of the christ", even though you knew
what was going to happen and you knew it would be traumatizing to watch it...
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anderyn
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response 87 of 278:
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May 9 02:21 UTC 2004 |
It was not the same kind of traumatizing. I knew exactly where I would not
watch "Passion" (and I didn't at those points) and I wasn't sure I could sit
through it beforehand, but it ended up being "uplifting" because it did
dramatize the Passion very well and the very close following of the Gospels
also helped. I could detach from the "story" and tick off the Gospel verses.
YMMV.
And man's inhumanity to man (or woman, I definitely don't do rape movies) is
much more sickening to me than anything else.
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richard
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response 88 of 278:
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May 9 03:03 UTC 2004 |
SUPERSIZE ME-- This is the new documentary by New York filmmaker
Morgan Spurlock, about the epidemic of unhealthy eating habits in the
U.S. The specific targert of Spurlock's investigation is McDonald's.
It is pointed out that McDonald's says its food is healthy. So
Spurlock decides to test that claim himself. He decides that for one
month, thirty days, he will eat nothing BUT McDonald's food. For
breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for a month, he will eat only
super sized McDonald's meals.
So we watch as every day, Spurlock eats double quarter pounder value
meals and big mac value meals, and big n'tasty value meals, and filet
o'fish value meals and .etc We see him going in for breakfast and
having the McGriddles and the Egg McMuffins. And always the giant
sodas and giant fries.
As the month goes by, he gains twenty five pounds, suffers depression
and sickness, starts to smell, loses his sex drive, and starts to
seriuosly gross out his strict vegan girlfriend. Three weeks in, his
girlfriend and his doctor are looking at his health stats and begging
him to quit. But he vows to keep going for the whole month, because
this is McDonalds and McD's says their food is healthy and everyone can
eat their food.
In true Michael Moore style, Spurlock tries to call McDonalds
management, and tries to get an interview, to confront them with the
stats and ask why they continue to offer super sizes and say their food
is healthy. But of course, the corporate McD's people won't return his
calls.
We also are shown some of the history of super sizing. How what we now
know as the small sizes at McD's used to be the large sizes, and how
companies like McD's have spent billions in advertising to manipulate
people-- mostly kids-- to eat larger and larger sized portions. We see
obese kids eating huge portions of fries and quarts of Coke. We see
fat kids coming out of 7-11 with Double Big Gulp 64-oz cokes.
We are shown some alarming stats about the rising levels of obesity
among kids under the age of 18 in the U.S. The U.S. is the fattest
country in the world and is getting fatter. And it is all a result of
manipulative advertising, and the use of high levels of salt and sugar
in fast food. We see a group of kids shown pictures of famous people--
George Washington, Jesus Christ, George Bush-- and not recognizing any
of them. But they all immediately recognize the picture of Ronald
McDonald. They can't recite the pledge of allegiance from memory, but
they can recite various fast food ad jingles.
Spurlock, in between his McD's meals, visits school cafeterias, where
we see that the kids are often being fed pre-packaged sugary, starchy
food because its much cheaper than to cook anything fresh. And how
many schools are cutting back on P.E. classes because the principals
would rather have the kids in class studying for those standardized
tests that determine funding, than being out getting exercise.
We even get to see how they make Chicken McNuggets. After seeing this
movie, I never want to eat Chicken McNuggets again. In fact after
seeing this film, you won't want to eat at McD's again, or even eat
agalin at all. You certainly won't be able to eat without thinking
long and hard about your food and what is actually in it again. This
film is a eye-opener, a fine documentary. It is pointed out that
after "Super Size Me" showed at the Sundance film festival, McDonald's
did announce that they are phasing out super sizes) It is opening
nationally and I recommend "Supersize Me"
(p.s. Morgan Spurlock, the director/star, showed up when the credits
were rolling in the theater to answer questions. It wasn't any kind of
special screening, but he lives a couple of blocks away and he said he
wanted the exercise, as he's been trying to lose weight ever since
filming ended. He talked of how his vegan girlfriend put him on a de-
tox vegan diet after he'd gotten so fat from eating nothing but big
macs for a month. He looks a lot better in person than he did at the
end of the film when he was all bloated, so that diet must have worked.
He says he wants kids to start being educated to eat better and to eat
smaller portions.)
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klg
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response 89 of 278:
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May 9 03:13 UTC 2004 |
(Yet still another example where Herr richard takes an uncritical look
at an item that appears to confirm his perconceived notions without
attempting to learn any background as to the actions and underlying
motivations.)
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richard
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response 90 of 278:
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May 9 04:01 UTC 2004 |
klg why are you blaming me? this is was the filmmaker that came to those
conclusions. are you saying you never come to your own conclusions? or that
you somehow do more research than anyone else? how conceited can you get?
klg you are a narcissist!
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klg
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response 91 of 278:
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May 9 14:48 UTC 2004 |
(Herr richard's undies must be too tight. And he ought to look up
bigs words before he uses them.)
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twenex
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response 92 of 278:
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May 9 18:14 UTC 2004 |
Takes one to know one.
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realugly
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response 93 of 278:
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May 9 19:15 UTC 2004 |
This response has been erased.
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mcnally
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response 94 of 278:
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May 9 20:08 UTC 2004 |
re #93: I give it a thumbs down. The plot wasn't much and the ending
was completely predictable.
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klg
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response 95 of 278:
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May 9 20:42 UTC 2004 |
re: "#90 Herr(richard): klg why are you blaming me? this is was the
filmmaker that came to those conclusions. "
Oh come on, now, Herr richard!! You unequivically recommend the film
without so much as a word of critical comment. Don't disavow what you
said. Stand up like a man (figuratively speaking, of course).
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fitz
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response 96 of 278:
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May 9 21:50 UTC 2004 |
American Splendor: D
Portrays the empty, pathetic life of a would be cartoonist that strikes up
a relationship with Robert Crumb, based on their mutual interests in music
and dispair. This DVD was completely forgettable, which suggests the
possibility that I've surpressed an unpleasant 90 minutes of my life.
One warning should do: Crumb is NOT the disfunctional one.
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richard
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response 97 of 278:
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May 10 01:01 UTC 2004 |
re: #96...obviously you disagree with virtually every film critic in the
country, as American Splendor was a widely praised movie. I really liked
American Splendor, I thought it was a fine study of a dysfunctional person
trying to exist in a "functional" world, and coming to terms with life.
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mcnally
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response 98 of 278:
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May 10 06:15 UTC 2004 |
re #97: he's perfectly free to express an opinion on a movie whether
or not it agrees with "virtually every film critic in the country."
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klg
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response 99 of 278:
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May 10 11:20 UTC 2004 |
(Are you certain of that?)
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cmcgee
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response 100 of 278:
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May 10 12:27 UTC 2004 |
Reminds me of Chris Potter reviews in the Ann Arbor News. I could unerringly
spot movies I liked when he panned them. Most of the ones he was excited
about were ones I'd best avoid.
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remmers
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response 101 of 278:
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May 10 15:56 UTC 2004 |
Lots of movies that the critics praised I thought were stinkers. I did
enjoy "American Splendor", though. I'm a Robert Crumb fan from 'way back
but pretty much stopped following his career and underground comix
culture after the mid-1970s. "American Splendor" filled me in on later
developments that I managed to miss.
Re "Dogville": I'll second (third?) the recommendations above and add
that I think that the film owes much to Lars Von Trier's fellow-countryman
Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote some pretty dark fables of his own.
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