185 new of 292 responses total.
i would highly recomend a russian film, called 'repentance'. (well, translated as) a corrupt official dies in a village, and a woman with a grudge keeps digging up the corpse and leaving it all over town. it is an old movie.. you may not find it. it is superb.
Recent rentals: ONE FINE DAY (B) -- A decent romantic comedy, if you like that sort of thing. One little shock that made it more interesting for us was that a few scenes were shot in and directly outside of an Upper East Side dessert shop called Serendipity that we took the kids to a couple of weeks ago. Aaron ordered something called "Sundae, Bloody Sundae," which was dripping grotesquely with raspberry sauce and had a spring-loaded fake knife stabbed into it. Didn't see anyone being served one in the movie, though BRIDE OF CHUCKY (C+) -- Can't decide if I should recommend this one or not. It was kind of fun, but it was too cheesy for words. It has Jennifer Tilly, who adds a kind of cheerful nastiness. 36 HOURS TO DIE (B-) -- One of those ordinary-Joe-gets- revenge-on-the-mob movies. Not bad, not great.
Plunkett and Macleane: Frabjously good film(in a kind of dialogue-out- of-the-20th-century, last minute rescues and general we're-having-too- much-fun-to-bother-with-accuracy sort of way). Music by the person who did the score to Romeo+Juliet, and while not *quite* as amazing, it was very amusing to see them dancing an almost-minuet to something ressembling period music with a heavy beat. It may not be out in the states tho, but if it is, see it.
I just saw "Cookie's Fortune" and loved it!
Yeah, well, you and every other critic on the planet have it wrong.
"ELECTION"-- This is a funny satire on elections in this country. Matthew Broderick is a popular teacher/advisor to the student council at this high school, who is having a mid-life crisis. Reese Witherspoon (from Pleasantville) is one of those have-to-be-perfect and do everything types, who is running for student council president. She's also promiscuous and had an affair with one of the other teachers, causing that teacher to be fired. Broderick is paranoid and convinced he'll end up having an affair with her too if she is elected president, and ruin his marriage. He convinces this airhead jock to run against her. The jock's sister is a lesbian, and when her girlfriend dumps her for him and starts running his campaign, she enters the race too on an "abolish the student council and tell everyone to fuck off" campaign. So this movie is about a riotous student council campaign pitting miss perfect against the airhead mr. popular jock against the radical lesbian. Not too different from a presidential election. And poor Broderick, wallowing in self-pity over his midlife crisis and faltering marriage, is the referee. I wont give away anymore. This is a really funny satire, somewhat like "Rushmore" if you saw that, that has a lot to say. It is a commentary on the state of politics and relationships in our country. Good movie. I give Election 3 1/2 stars ***1/2.
I liked Cookie's Fortune so much I saw it again last night, with leeron.
I saw and liked Cookie's Fortune as well.
Not exactly an in-depth review. Why was it good? What's it about? Who's in it? Are there renegade ninja Teletubbies? 8-)
It's directed by Robert Altman, and the stars (working for some fraction of their usual rates, since it was a low budget film that they wanted to do, according to some article I read) included Liv Tyler, Glenn Close, Lyle Lovett, and a bunch of other people. It's a rather bizarre movie about an old woman who kills herself to be with her husband in Heaven, an extremely snobbish relative who makes the suicide look like a murder because, "nobody in this family commits suicide," and the subsequent murder investigation. Nope, no renegade ninga teletubbies. It's showing at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. None of the multiplexes around here seem to be showing it.
Others in the cast of "Cookie's Fortune" include Patricia Neal (wonderful as Cookie, the old lady who kills herself), Charles Dutton, and Julianne Moore. Unlike Mary, I basically liked it, although I'll admit the humor was a bit labored at times.
Highly recommended is "A Simple Plan". It's a amazingly well crafted film that reminded me some of Hitchcock, although instead of giving the audience slightly more information than the characters here we get a better view and a saner perspective. The acting is awesome. Each scene counts and nothing, not even the opening scene, is tossed-off. *****. Don't let folks tell you much about the plot first if you intend to see it. But do know it is intense, serious, violent, and most certainly for a mature audience.
I liked A Simple Plan, too. LOST AND FOUND (C) -- This movie is being criticized because David Spade's schtick is funny supposedly in small doses but not at feature length. That sounds like one of those lines everyone has made up and ready before they even see the movie. Almost any comedy schtick, including David Spade's, can sustain the yucks for 90 minutes. The problem with this movie is that Spade doesn't try to do that. Instead, he interjects all this material about owning an Italian restaurant and needing a loan to finish the new wing and his pretty Frenchgirl neighbor needs a shot of confidence so she can play her cello at Hollywood Bowl yada yada yada. Audience to David: Stick to the schtick, please.
Here's a spot quiz for you. Who are these people, and what do they all have in common? Emma Bunton Freddie Prinze Jr. Reese Witherspoon Keri Russell Melissa Joan Hart Carrie Henn Soleil Moon Frye Alicia Silverstone
Hmm... Young actors who are offsping of well-known actors? (Just a guess.)
Nope.
Big foreheads?
They're all blond(e)s?
There all actresses (or actors? I don't know who Freddie Prince is).
Emma Bunton: Baby Spice. Broke her ankle when she fell off her platform shoes. Freddie Prinze Jr.: Officially has the World's Weakest Detectable Connection to Tony Orlando. (Replaces Telma Hopkins.) Reese Witherspoon: Given name Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. One of the pivotal plot points in "Cruel Intentions" was whether the character played by Ryan Phillipe would be able to bed her; she eliminated much of this drama by revealing that she is engaged to him. And expecting. Keri Russell: "Felicity". Cover of "Yahoo", May 1999, wearing a toe ring. Melissa Joan Hart: "Sabrina the Putatively Still Teenage Witch". Admitted to "Details" that while playing "Clarissa", she was so afraid of losing her virginity that she wore leotards rather than traditional undergarments, to serve as a form of chastity belt. Carrie Henn: Played "Newt" in "Aliens". Likely received much name-based taunting as a child. Soleil Moon Frye: "Punky Brewster". Sister of another child actor with an even goofier name, Meeno Peluce. Became the poster child for breast reduction. Recently appeared on "Friends" as Joey's too-physical girlfriend. Alicia Silverstone: Nickname "Leesy". Poster child for "Toxic Boyfriend Syndrome": By having dated Adam Sandler, many guys who might want to go out with her would reconsider. (See also: Carmen Electra.) Commonality: All born in 1976.
Wow. We're not worthy, Muhammad. The odd man out, is Carrie Henn, who seems to have vanished. Aliens was her one and only movie. We know what all the others look like as 22- or 23-year-olds, but not her. I bow to your superior starlet erudition, Muhammad.
Among many others born in 1976... Joey Lawrence: Nothin' his love can't fix for you, baby... with the possible exception of his career. Giovanni Ribisi: Under the name "Vonni" Ribisi, played one of the neighborhood kids on "My Two Dads". Now Giovanni is to film and television what lecithin is to packaged food... he just keeps showing up everywhere. Danny Pintauro: Played Judith Light's son on "Who's the Boss". Later came out of the closet, neglecting that his left his career in there. Brice Beckham: Played Wesley on "Mr. Belvedere". Assumed to be heterosexual, though he's had even fewer acting jobs than his former ABC neighbor, Mr. Pintauro. Candace Bure (nee Cameron): Starred on Full House with the Olsen Twins. When they got too old to be cute, another pair of twin infants was added to the show. Shortly after its cancellation, she had a daughter of her own. Allegations of a talcum powder addiction remain just that: allegations. Liberty Butterfly Phoenix: Because every acting family dynasty needs its own Stephen Baldwin. Fred Savage: On "The Wonder Years", aged only slightly more gracefully than Jerry Mathers as the Beaver. Currently in hiatus from "Working"--the show hasn't aired since January, and with four episodes still unaired, NBC appears not to want to risk losing even more money beyond their 16-episode commitment. Will Friedle: On "Boy Meets World", with Fred's younger brother Ben. Thanks to the advent of HBO 2 and HBO 3 he now has even more opportunities to regret having made "Trojan War". Jeremy Miller: Appeared with Mrs. Bure's brother Kirk on "Growing Pains". Clearly casting directors remember the calibre of Mr. Miller's craft: He's worked twice in the '90s. Chris Demetral: Born in Royal Oak, Chris played Jeremy Tupper on "Dream On". Now shooting "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne", in the title role. No word whether his father in this show will also date a long series of women who doff their tops. Jaleel White: No comment. David Arquette's quieter, less spastic friend.
Last line should have been in reference to Lukas Haas. Got munged somehow.
How does one get addicted to talcum powder?
From ALWAYS being around babies, as the former Ms. Cameron has been.
Erik's my hero. <grins>
resp:128 on Carrie Henn, who as a child appeared as "Newt" in ALIENS: Not too long ago ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY did a feature on youngsters who had appeared in science fiction films & where are they now. I don't remember all the details, but Carrie Henn had left the movie business and has gone on to have a normal life somewhere.
I'm slipping: Out of all of them, I was kindest to Baby Spice. But only because she was first, and I hadn't gotten bitchy yet. I request a do-over... Emma Bunton: Baby Spice. On a British music show, fell off a platform shoe and broke her ankle. The culprit clearly had one more moving part than Ms. Bunton could handle.
Telling myself that if I didn't get out to see it tonight I was going
to miss seeing it in a theater, I spent the evening watching "A Simple
Plan" at Ann Arbor's 2nd-run theater..
[semi-spoilers follow..]
I'm not sure quite what to make of it.. On the one hand, it had several
things going for it:
+ it was very well made -- almost certainly the best that director
Sam Raimi has ever done.
+ the plot was nowhere near as predictable as an average suspense movie
and I hadn't had it spoiled before seeing the movie.
+ it featured better-than-average acting from principle leads
However, more than offsetting these things, as far as I was concerned,
was the cringe factor. Call me shallow if you must, but when I go to
a movie for entertainment I like ones where I can identify with one or more
of the characters. It's particularly distressing for me, then, when the
character (or characters) I've connected with starts doing painfully stupid,
even horrible things. Maybe it's great filmmaking to be able to twist the
viewer's empathy around and turn it against him, but it doesn't really make
for a fun evening..
I know plenty of folks who've liked the film, and I can see why they might
have done so, but I found it difficult and unpleasant. For me it was like
watching a car wreck in slow motion -- I wanted to reach out and stop it,
to change what was going to happen..
Lastly, it may be one of the strengths of the film that it doesn't
resort to a pat, "Hollywood" ending, but at least when you're privy to
a main character's similar descent in, say, a Russian novel, you know
that in the end there's going to be some sort of transcendant redemptive
moment where the "hero" will be healed by his suffering. Unfortunately
viewers can't expect that sort of consolation here -- there's no magic
ending to lighten the gloom from the rest of the film. I admire the
fact that the writers didn't choose to cop out with a happy ending,
but I left the theater a little too depressed for my money...
I'm still thinking about this movie. I wasn't looking to be entertained, which makes a big difference. This was the best film I've seen in a very long time.
I thought it was terrific, too. I also had some vague reservations about it. It did seem lacking something to me, although I don't know if it was anything as simple as an epiphany or a happy ending. I have to watch it again. Is it out on tape yet?
Saw "Matrix" for the third time last night... It still drew me in, and I still think it's a great movie... I'd even go again to see it...
Saw Matrix for the second time. Due to the drooling during this movie, I have decided to not make my opera cape, and I will instead, make the full length jacket. (Not vinyl or leather, but wool) There are approx. three versions of that jacket. Morpheaus, Neo, and Trinity wear them, one inleather, one in vinyl, and one of wool.
<nods> And I want the Morpheus version.... but I'll never get it. <le sigh>
I would have to get a new sewing machine, and learn how to work with leather. Please I can handle though.
if you liked "a simple plan", you'd love the "treasure of the sierra madre" with Humphrey Bogart. this is basically a modern era-set remake of that movie.
we don kneed no steenkeen badges
video recommendation. I rented the DVD version of "The Apostle". Wonderful movie with Robert DuVall as a charismatic southern minister whose deep faith conflicts sharply with his inner demons. Duvall has an amazing screen presence and is totally possessed by the character he is playing. He also wrote, directed and produced this film, and paid for it out of his own pocket when no studio would pick it up. The movie is about a minister who goes over the edge and assaults a man he believes to be having an affair with his wife. He hits the road, shedding his old identity and re-baptizing himself the Apostle E.F. and eventually tries for redemption by reviving a small church in the Lousiana backwaters. On the DVD version, you can watch the movie with an alternate soundtrack of DuVall doing commentary, talking about the actors, characters, and various scenes and what they meant to him; and talking about why he shot certain scenes in certain ways. There's also a "making of the Apostle" documentary, and the DVD doubles as an audio cd of the soundtrack so you can turn the tv off and just listen to the music from the film. I give "The Apostle" four stars. great film!
Editor's note: please = pleather.... tired and need sleep... (help me)
<ivynymph laughs out loud> It's interesting to read a recommendation of "The Apostle", which I would be almost willing to bill as the worst thing I've ever watched. I did, however, view "What Dreams May Come" this evening. It's a new release, according to my video store shelves, but I don't recall ever having heard of it. It's a shame I never did though, for it contains the artistic, visual brilliance I adore with touches of comedy, fantasy, and romance... I'd particularly recommend it for fans of that older film with superman and Jane Seymour. I can't recall the name right now, but it's something to do w/ time... Places in Time? <shrug> gems...
"Somewhere in Time" was the Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour movie. Photographed on Mackinac Island.
Swoony music by Sergei Rachmaninov: the 18th variation from his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the 1934 composition date of which becomes a plot element.
You mean that horrible, horrible movie they showed at TOP two years ago?
re #130: Did it bother you that Billy Bob Thornton is yet again typecast
in the role of a mentally deficient character? Sling Blade, A
Simple Plan, Primary Colors... (Okay, it was cheap, and now I owe
James Carville an apology.)
I have to admit that I, also, found some of the characters'
choices to be painfully stupid, and I was not impressed by the
conclusion of the film, which is rife with plot holes. It didn't
bother me that the ending wasn't happy, but it did bother me that
the ending was silly.
I rather liked the Mummy which we saw last night. Not a terribly original plot, and the characters were archetypes rather than finely-drawn individuals, but for what it is -- action adventure and plenty of it -- it's one fine movie. Very enjoyable. Probably the "Zorro" of this summer. (For the record, I like movies that have good guys/bad guys and pulp adventures.)
THE MATRIX (B) - The special effects are the best I have ever seen, and I've seen 'em all. The concept was a little too dorm-roomy for my taste. (Remember those earnest conversations in your sophomore year: "What if I'm just a brain in a vat, man? And all this is, like, being fed into my mind by a mad scientist or something?") I loved the actress who played Trinity. How many faces can survive such exreme close-ups?
( how many extreme close-ups of such faces can anyone survive?)
I just looked her up. Carrie-Anne Moss. Never heard of her. Turns out she was the female lead on a short-lived TV crime drama series in 1993 called -- are you ready for this? -- "Matrix." Talk about deja-vu.
"MATRIX"-- I'll give it two and a half stars. I thought the special effects were terrific, but that it didnt have much character development. I thought the complexity of the plot played against the development of much depth in the characters. It might make an interesting tv series though, where the characters *could* be developed. "NEVER BEEN KISSED"-- Former high school geek Drew Barrymore goes back to school as an undercover reporter and has a chance to re-experience school from a more mature and wordly perspective. Something Im sure we've all wondered what it would be like-- I didnt think this was particularly realistic though and thought the script was weak. (** two stars) (Note about "The Apostle" in response to earlier message...that movie is a character study so the story it tells is less important than how the central character evolves and reacts to the situations and people around him. In that respect its a lot like Martin Scorcese's "Taxi Driver". They are both great films, but if you are looking strictly for a story with a beginning and an ending and a plot, you wouldnt like them)
Saw "The Mummy" and loved it. It was funny, and had lots of action. The storyline wasn't original, but I'm not sure it was supposed to be. I didn't find any glaring errors in Egyptian mythology, so that was a plus. I found it to be a very enjoyable movie.
"The Mummy" is very much in the spirit of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- but without the memorable central character. They do a pretty good job balancing the "suspense/horror" and humor elements. If you like that type of movie, it's an A-, with a recommendation to see it in the theater.
thought the apostle was well acted, but a terrible film. at least as entertainment. i never evaluated it as art.
re #156: I find something inherently redundant in criticizing a Keanu Reeves movie because it doesn't have enough character development.. ..dude!
Well, I did find some nasty glitches in the Egyptian setting (BOOKS?! In Egypt? Eeeep! No. No. No. Scrolls. Yes. Books with clasps and locks? Never. And the fishnet draping on the "princess"? Sheah. Egypt might have gone for transparent linen, topless fashions, but I have *never* seen fishnet on anyone.... Those were the two that jumped up and bit me, but there were more. I still liked "The Mummy" a LOT.
#160...Keanu Reeves was much better in "My Own Private Idaho" where he played River Phoenix's gay lover who dumps him and goes straight-- of course beingmethod actors, Keanu and River Phoenix decided to play heroin addicts they had to *really* do heroin. Made for a great movie but of course neither, particularly Pheonix, ever really kicked the habit. great movie though.
That wasn't draping -- it was body paint. (That actress had her own, credited body painter.)
Yes, I figured that out after reading the book, but it still looked dippy. Yeesh. Fish net is NOT Egyptian, and really neither is body paint.
re #162- Reeves and Pheonix's character were male prostitutes, I wouldn't really just boil it down to "Pheonix's gay lover" both characters were bi as well.
Um... other and I burned damn near a whole evening building a special effect shot of the Michigan Stadium Jumbotron...
The Led Zepplin crashing into it?
nope. 'fraid at the current rate that would take several evenings...
help a help ?
re #167: now THERE's one for the blooper reel.
Video Review: A Bug's Life This is what I call a feel-good type of flick...or should I say, Flik? I throughly enjoyed this second outing from Pixar/Disney. I have to admit, however, I was quite skeptical at first. The commercials I saw led me to believe that ABL was just for kids, which is why I passed it up while in the theaters. But when it came to video, I thought I'd give it a go. After all, I really liked Toy Story, and I love watching comp. animation pieces. While the plot isn't new (how many are), it's the telling that makes it interesting. Basically, it's your small-town-being-bullied-and-needs- help kind of story. The main character, Flick (voice of Dave Foley), an ant with big ideas, but little support, goes off to "The Big City" in search of "warriors" to help him defend the colony against a gang of grasshoppers, led by Hopper (voice of Keven Spacey). Flik's search ends when he stumbles upon a group of performing bugs in a second-rate flea circus, who he mistakes for warrior bugs. They, in turn, mistake Flik for a talent scout. From there, things get quite interesting. Like Toy Story, A Bug's Life is repleat with familiar voices, including the return voice of John Ratzenberger, as the voice of P.T. Flea, the money-obsessed flea circus owner. Another noteworthy voice was that of Roddy McDowall, who played the ant, Mr. Soil. This was the last role Roddy played before his death in October of '98. Additional prominent voices included Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Princess Atta), Phillis Diller (The Queen), David Hyde Pierce (Slim), Denis Leary (Francis), Johnathon Harris (Manny), and Madeline Kahn (Gypsy). Now for the animation. Notice I left this for last. And I'm sorry to say it's not because I "saved the best for last." Don't get me wrong, it was well done; on a par with Toy Story, I'd say. But that's where the problem lies: It looked /too/ much like Toy Story. Whether this was intentional, I don't know. I was expecting new techniques, more details, greater detail. But it wasn't there. Most everything has a plastic look about it; Too many shiny surfaces where rough textures would'ov been more suitable. In Toy Story, this made sense, but when dealing with organic objects, you want them to /look/ organic. At least I do. I did like the way they rendered trees, grass, etc. On a scale of 1-10, to me, this one's a strong 9.
Interesting note: I haven't seen it, but I've heard the video version of 'A Bug's Life' wasn't panned and scanned, or letterboxed. They changed the computer rendering of the scenes to make them fit into TV's aspect ratio, instead.
I saw the Mummy yesterday. Rarely have I seen such an effective combination of humor, special effects, and action to make a bubblegum movie. It was very entertaining, particularly with Brendan Fraser's one-liners backing up computer animated undead. This movie is cotton candy, but it does what it does extremely well. It puts on a good show.
Star Wars, Episode I. The Phantom Menace. Ultimately, all film is subjective. This holds true from the pristine towers, the Godfathers and Casablancas and Citizen Kanes, to the dredges of Batman&Robin and Mortal Kombat Resurrection. It is always helpful to remind oneself of this. It holds true again for this Star Wars movie. If one walks into the theater expecting to see the dark drama of Empire Strikes Back, the heady enthusiasm of Star Wars, and the active fun of Return of the Jedi, one will be disappointed. It's rather difficult to combine three movies into one. However, this is not meant to be three movies in one. It is the opening act of a six movie cycle. Such a giant undertaking deserves a grand opening, and that is what it gets. This movie splendidly establishes an opening to a story that will ultimately lead us through two generations of Skywalkers. The foreshadowing in particular is superb, despite the dangers of overstatement provided when we already know how things end up. However, on that level it's like many other pieces of film or literature. What's so good about the Star Wars series? The effects, of course. In this film, they are brilliant. Once again, the boys from Lucasfilm have redefined moviemaking in their own image. The results are spectacular. Full armies, products of computers, fighting against each other without a second thought. An entire main character (Jar Jar Binks, who isn't exactly a deep character) is created and executed with perfection against the other main roles. Moviemaking will never be the same. This movie was a spectacular experience. Between the storylines and the effects, it is definitely worth seeing several times. I have no illusions about its standalone greatness, since on its own it would be good but not great. It does not, however, stand alone. Watch it for the visuals, or for the foreshadowing, or for the marvelous action choreography, but be sure to watch. It will blow your mind.
It is also all the special effects going on to create the background environment, including the action/movement in the background.
Since I didn't have any classes today, and since I was really trying to find something to help me postpone doing work for my physics classes, I stopped by Showcase and bought a ticket for an afternoon matinee showing of "The Phantom Menace" (apparently all of the hardcore cases had attended showings in the wee hours of the AM -- in any case I didn't have any trouble getting a ticket at the regular matinee price and my total wait in line was about 50 seconds..) My opinion: I liked it. I wasn't eagerly awaiting the movie, and my reaction to all the hype was that I was fully prepared to despise it, so it was with somewhat low expectations that I entered the theater. It turns out that Lucas very sensibly stuck with the formula that has worked so well for him in the past: corny space opera with eye-popping special effects. The movie was calculatedly manipulative and not particularly imaginative but it was fun enough to watch despite its limitations and apparently managed to please the crowd who shared the theater with me. As long as you haven't been living the past six months in anticipation of this film and as long as you realize that it's just another Star Wars movie (with all the limitations that that implies) you should have a fine time whiling away an afternoon or evening with it..
I'll be seeing The Phantom Menace on Monday evening with a bunch of people from work.
I was disappointed in it's focus more on being a children's film than
a children's film with subtexts to keep adults interested; outside of a few
references to the later movies, it was a very simple storyline with
one-dimensional characters but very pretty special effects. The original Star
Wars was, to some degree, a kid's film, but nowhere to the degree Phantom
Menace is.
Actually, I think that was a mistake/miscalculation by Lucas. The original Star Wars had a lot to appeal to kids, without catering or condescending to them. This film chooses to cater and condescend.
I was surprised how few people noticed it, to be honest.
_Phantom Menace_ had less sublety than a brick to the head.
The political message certainly wasn't subtle. 8^} I walked out wanting to club Lucas for manipulating me into loving a particular character (no give-aways from me to those who haven't seen it!). DEFINITELY stay through all of the credits, though, for the little kick in the belly afterward. And I was impressed by the music. Williams toyed with "The Imperial March" and came up with some great variations on the theme. Remembering that the point of the whole thing (besides $, of course) is FUN, go and have some. We did. (twice today)
Huh? What comes after the credits? I watched through what I thought was the whole credit reel and there wasn't anything notable at the end (at least not to my recollection..)
STAR WARS-- I thought it was good and delivered what it promised. The special effects may even have been overdone-- you dont want the effects to overshadow the real characters. Movie's biggest flaw is the kid who plays little Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd)-- his acting wasnt up to the rest of the cast. When you are casting the central character, you need someone who can convey emotional depth. Too bad they couldnt find another kid actor with a little more experience than him. I also wish they would have developed the Darth Maul character better, given him some dialogue and gotten into his motivations. Otherwise I enjoyed the movie, and thought it delivered what it promised *** 1/2
ref #182: After the screen goes green, there's an audio thing.
I should point out that, in my lowly opinion, regardless of what you think of the rest of the movie, Phantom Menace has one solid selling point. I holds in it one of the most stunning, awe inspiring, jaw-dropping-directly-to-floor combat sequences you will ever see. Easily one of the highlights of the series already, and it's a pity it didn't last longer. I only add this because I melted directly into my seat while watching it tonight on the big showcase screen. Oh my god.
I went to see "Trekkies" today at the Showcase. A documentary on
fandom put together and featuring Denise Crosby (Bing's kid).
If it interests you, see it qucikly, as I thing lack of audience
will see it wrap up it's theatrical release within two weeks.
For the Sat morning, 11am showing, I almost had a private showing.
Two other people did finally show up.
The Prices went to _Phantom Menace_ today. It was enjoyable, though some of the more conscious "echoes" of the earlier movies made me wince.
and we sat thru the credits and there was no green screen, no audio kick to the belly...
Bummer. Slap the manager.
One interesting thing I saw in the credits of TPM, was (some) digital effects by Michael Smith of Jaava the Hut.
the visual effects crew has fun, too. Look closely at the senate chamber scene. After the no confidence vote is called for you can see a delegation from ET's planet in the lower left corner. I'm dead serious.
eXistenZ is one of the best grossouts ever. I think for most scenes you could have your eyes closed and the sounds effects would be enough to make you cringe. The whole thing is fairly sensual in an olive oil and tarp kind of way.
On second thought, any oil would do.
I was truly stunned by "Phantom Menace" Saw it twice today (once with Jim and Michelle and once with Sarah and Matt) the combat scenes Steve mentioned were well done. It was neat to see people use the force to a full extent (not fumbling with it like Luke- who I do like...) Anyone else notice how similar Leia and Queen Amigdala look?
Do you realize that you can use the "force" just as well as they can?
Geez, Rane, get a life. You're clearly not really stupid enough to read everything literally, so why pretend to be? Of course she realizes that it's just a movie and they're all fictional characters. But, like many others, she's excited about the further development of a shared story-line that has given her and many others a great amount of innocent pleasure.
What #196 said. Yes they're fictional, but for all that, they're a lot of fun to watch on the big screen. I enjoy watching good guys and bad guys that have extraordinary powers, I like watching characters do things that they couldn't do in real life. <shrugs> The Jedi and the Sith are great types of characters. And I was pleased to see the two 'new' Jedi characters that Lucas developed.
Recent rentals: VELVET GOLDMINE (F) -- It's about something called "glam rock" or "glitter rock" and the you-cannot-possibly-imagine- how-boring people who make it and listen to it. I gathered that for a certain type of person, going to a live concert of this music makes them feel as if they're starring in an interesting version of their own lives. I also read somewhere that the movie is loosely based on the relationship between David Bowie and Iggy Pop. But the music, dear God, the music. It went on and on and on and on. STAR TREK INSURRECTION (B) -- A little drifty, but a lot of care went into the production. I liked it. THE EXORCIST (not rated) -- My son wanted to rent this movie after seeing THE EXORCIST 2 on cable. There's a new 25th anniversary edition out, with interviews, trailers, etc. But when we put it in the VCR, it made the VCR turn off immediately. You could turn it back on again, but it would turn itself right off. So there sat our VCR with The Exorcist permanently stuck inside it. Finally, my son, who has Nintendo-honed reflexes, managed to hit the "eject" button in the tiny gap of time between turning the VCR on and the VCR turning itself off, whereupon the tape slithered out and the VCR went back to normal. Oo-ee-oo.
Really, you'd rate Insurrection that highly?
"Velvet Goldmine" wasn't *that* bad.. I saw it this weekend too... I wouldn't call it a wonderful movie... but.... Hmm... The music was a bit weird though... But hey, Ewan MacGregor is in it... And dances around mostly naked during one scene (only mostly cause him pants are around his ankles...)
Re #196: just who is it that should "get a life"?
I rented "Asteroid" over the weekend, and regretted it. I was thinking I'd seen "Deep Impact" and this was "Armageddon", but I'd really seen "Armageddon" and was looking for "Deep Impact", and got this turkey instead. No characters, no plot, just an asteroid heading toward the Earth, with nothing anyone can do about it. At one point, I was ready to shout at the hapless cardboard people on the screen: "At least call the guys from Armageddon!"
Two other rentals: VERY BAD THINGS (B) -- It's like the frat-boy version of A Simple Plan. Not even black comedy. More like black farce. I enjoyed it, for some reason. PERMANENT MIDNIGHT (B+) -- Ben Stiller does the best impression of a drug addict's spiral into hell since Frank Sinatra in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (A). Marred by not enough plot, but it's based on an actual person's life so I guess that's to be expected.
Yes, "lives of quiet desperation" are due to their having "not enough plot".
Whatever. Btw, re Velvet Goldmine, if you like that kind of music, or if you were ever into the glam scene, the movie has to be heaven on earth. There's no arguing about tastes. But given my own tastes, yes I thought the movie was that bad.
As an alternative viewpoint on "Velvet Goldmine" from someone who *does* like glam music (or at least a substantial subset..), I'd give "Velvet Goldmine" a B- (on a good day) or C+. The music was good, the costumes remarkable, and there were not-very-subtly- disguised parallels to a number of real-life glam performers that were interesting only if you knew what they represented. But the plot was weak and confusing, the movie went on for far too long, and I got sick of (director) Todd Haynes playing with Barbie dolls about two minutes into "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story"
"Velvet Goldmine" really wasn't wonderful... When I saw the "Kurt Wild" character, and heard he was from Michigan, immediately I thought of Iggy Pop... It was an interesting movie... but I did have trouble following it sometimes...
excuse me, #196 et al: I saw 195 as a call to elevate ourselves to that level, not as a slam on the characters in a storyline. Lots of people (me, too) believe that we lack only understanding and training in that type of art. I don't know exactly what rane was after, here, but SHEESH! lighten up on the subject. Now, back to our feature...
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It was something in watching ST: Insurerection in the theature, with the screen nearly overwhelming the vision, and those broad "flying" camera scenes.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream." By Shakespearean standards, mediocre -- lots of liberties taken, cuts in the dialogue are not always seamless, many actors seem to have trouble with the cadence of the language. By Hollywood standards, quite nice -- entertaining, humorous, and very artistic -- the costumes, scenery, etc. are put together to make it a very *pretty* movie. I enjoyed it, and particularly liked the performances of Kevin Kline as Bottom, Rupert Everett as Oberon, Calista Flockhart as Helena, and some guy whose name starts with an "R", I think, as Peter Quince. Can't remember the name. The humor could be a bit subtler in places, but it was still an entertaining film. But I don't recommend it for those who are purists about Shakespeare.
I rather enjoyed watching Callista Flockhart stomp her foot and say "Oh Spite!" <grins>
video/dvd recommendation-- "THE SWEET HEREAFTER"-- this is a special, profoundly moving, albeit dark, movie about a small town in Canada where most of the town's kids are killed in a freak schoolbus accident. A laywer vists the town and tries to get the parents to channel their grief and anger into a lawsuit. The townspeople, most of whom lived through their children, now have to accept the cold reality of life without buffers and without illusions. They have to accept that life has changed *forever* and that they have gone from one existence to another; they are living in the "sweet hereafter". The lawyer, played by the excellent Ian Holm, is also grieving, over his dying drug-addict daughter, and in dealing with the townspeople, starts to realize what he has in common with the townspeople. Life, and this movie, is about surviving. Note that I bought the dvd version, which is excellent-- widescreen letterboxed version, with extras like interviews with the director and cast, an interview from PBS's Charlie Rose show with director Atom Egoyan, and the author of the book giving some readings and discussing the story. SWEET HEREAFTER-- ***** (five stars, a classic)
Pret a Porter: I'd seen it before, but we rented it again, and it was that much better knowing a few more British Actors (and having seen one of them, Richard E. Grant doing a BBC version of The Scarlet Pimpernel). But at any rate, it got me sketching again, and was generally a nice mostly brain-turned-to-stun evening.
any one else note any sendups of old scifi movies in Phantom Menace? I'm thinking of the scene where the Jedi uses the light saber to try to burn thru the door at the beginning, reminded me of the scene in Forbidden Planet where the Krell were doing the same thing, only this time the Jedi were the Krell:) Also saw some similarities to the way large objects and small hordes of people were used for graphic effect and the way they were used in Dune.
Phantom Menace was full of allusions. From the obvious (Ben Hur) to the subtle (aformentioned points). The invasion army in theed reminded me of shot from the Nazis invading in WWII. The ground battle looked very familiar, as well, but that was from a different era of wars. Lucas tips his hat to an awful lot of people in this one.
Absolutely loved "Notting Hill."
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It wasn't directed to your 'demographic.'
Hmmm. I woonder if that's why I liked Tea With Mussolini and didn't like The Phantom Menace. But then I did like The Matrix. Hmmmmm.
"Star Wars I" was okay. Nothing special. Lots and lots of computer generated stuff which left me feeling I'd watched an animated film with actors walking through. And I kept hoping Liam's character would simply put that obnoxious hyperactive rabbit-like thingie out of its misery. C-. "The Thirteenth Floor" is atmospheric but predictable. I mean, *really* predictable. They should have written in an obnoxious hyperactive rabbit-like thing just to keep us feeling something other than bored. D.
#221...hyperactive rabbit-thingie? Hey, just wait until episode II when Jar Jar turns to the darkside! People are unfairly knocking Jar Jar because he takes up C3P0's screentime
He's a fair amount more obnoxious than Threepio, but he doesn't hit the level of annoyance that I feel with the Ewoks. If he turned kinda serious in the next film, I'd be satisfied.
Heh, saw "Episode 1" again this weekend, and I *did* see the Wookiees and the ETs in the Senate scene, and did catch the 'oops' when Obi-Wan had the braid on the wrong side.
I keep hearing sound bites from the film (That Phantom Menance thingie), and Jar Jar *is* annoying, and I haven't seen the movie yet.
I rather like Jar Jar. <shrugs>
I liked Jar Jar as well.
I thought he was okay. Every movie needs comic relief. He could have had a less annoying voice, though...he has about the same vocal timbre as Roger Rabbit.
My cousin is already a member of the SEJJB (Society for the Elimination of Jar Jar Binks), but I think he's excessive. Jar Jar could be a lot worse. Still, with rumors of his appearance in the next film comes my faint hope that he'll be more mature and a slightly more serious character. One can dream, I guess.
My 13-year-old daughter loved Jar Jar. She laughed at everything he said and did. Consider that if you don't like Jar Jar, you are probably not part of the target market for all the Jar Jar items now on sale in toy stores.
This movie wasn't aimed solely at adults... So it makes sense to have a character like Jar Jar in it. The kids like him...
Well, then he could have been in the first hour for the kids and brutally killed in the second half, for the adults. I can compromise here.
I'd argue the movie wasn't aimed at adults at all ...
I thought the biggest flaw in Phantom Menace (we saw it last night) was the lack of any interesting characters. And Liam Neeson is the only actor who does a good job, I thought. Granted, most of the actors didn't have much to work with in terms of dialog, but I thought the woman (women? I never got that straight) who plated the queen was particularly bad. I don't know how she passed the screen test.
I've found a way to not be annoyed by Jar Jar's presence on screen...
And that way was? I rather thought the acting was pretty good. Especially with the way Ewan McGregor spoke... He sounded like a young Obi-Wan (given that we heard the older Obi-Wan speaking first.).
(To not put myself in a theater where Star Wars is playing.)
I thought the acting was fine except for the kid playing anakin skywalker. the other actors suffered from having characters not developed enough. Ewan McGregor doesnt have much to do as Obi Wan until the end of the movie. Natalie Portman's character wasnt developed much at all. Where are her parents? Why is she queen at 15? who *is* this person? given that she is the future mother of our hero Luke Skywalker, we deserve to know these things! Other nitpicks, why in the later movies does C3P0 not remember anything about the events of Episode I, or that he was built by Anakin? If his memory was wiped, why was he not re-told everything by R2D2, who obviously knows the whole story. And in Episode IV, we find Luke living on Tattoine with his uncle, clearly identified as his father's brother. Except now in Episode I, we are told he has no father, therefore how does he have an uncle?
He's got a mother, doesn't he?
I think it might be that Anniken has no father. Luke has no paternal grandfather. ..."plated the queen"... an interesting typo, brings up some strange images.
Re #238: I don't remember Luke's uncle being clearly identified as his father's brother. I suspect the "uncle" thing may just have been a euphamism.
..."plated the queen".. Is that something like the carbon freeze they did to Han solo in one of the later episodes? (Don't spoil it - I haven't seen it yet!)
It is almost certain that Owen and Beru are not related to Anakin. It was speculated that they could be related to Obi-Wan, but that has yet to be determined. Nothing has been changed in that respect, though. Further, the full bodies of knowledge of 3PO and R2 are never particularly established in the original movies. It's possible that they know everything, and possible that they know nothing. It really doesn't make that much of a difference. They don't need to talk about it all that much. It's part of how their characters work. Amidala was elected. This is firmly established in both the text and the film. Background isn't all that necessary. Heck, we have no established backgrounds on Chewie, Han, Yoda, Lando, or Tarkin. The only background we can really get on Luke and Leia is being established in the movies being made now. Amidala is neither suited nor in need of a background.
What Steve said. I had always heard that Owen was somehow a relative of Obi-Wan's and that's why Luke was there. Going by what books say... It wasn't uncommon for the droids to have their memories wiped after a certain ammount of time. Perhaps 3PO had his 'mind' wiped and therefore doesn't remember everything. Personally, I think R@ has a great deal of personality, some of those sounds he makes sound to me like droid swear words. <grins> Perhaps he does remember, but just isn't sharing that knowledge with 3PO. And remember- this is Episode 1, perhaps in 2 we'll get a lot more information on Amidala her election, or whatever else. This isn't exactly a stand alone movie- hence the title "Episdoe 1- Phantom Menace"
Who was the real queen - the lady-in=waiting or the one dressed up as the queen?
The "lady in waiting," obviously. She says it, and everyone believes it. And, in general, she gets more focus from the camera. There is some question about whether Amidala occasionally dons the make up herself, such as in the last scene. She throws a rather obvious affectionate smile in Anakin's direction, which makes you wonder. The other scene that could possibly involve that is the senate chamber scene, since it requires her to make an important decision that a bodyguard would likely not be trusted with. Other than that, the one in the makeup is the decoy.
there was a story on cnn last night about people complaining that Jar Jar is a racist caricature. They had some high mined Columbia professor making this case that Jar Jar's mannerisms were designed to emulate an effeminate/gay black man and that George Lucas is a racist. I think that guy is being a little TOO sensitive, if ya ask me!
He R2 sensitive.
I am amazed that R2D2 had a considerable service life *before*
the time of Episode 1. Pretty damm good design to be functional then
and ?forty, fifty? years later.
And we consider a three year old computer to be out-moded, a
ten year old one to be trash.
And I bet R2 never had an operating system upgrade.
Yes, but is R2 Y2K compliant?
I'm surprised no one's sued Lucas yet. The Gungan tribe, of which Jar
Jar was a member, displayed mannerisms, slang, and an accent common to
Jamaicans.
He didn't have an accent so much as he spoke Pidgin English.
I have not yet seen the movie, but I read that Jar Jar was "played" (voice, at least) by a guy who *was* from Jamaica. Re #247: I've read a similar complaint, that C3PO was the stereotype of an effeminate, meek, appearance-oriented, etc. gay man. Interesting to rewatch Episodes 5 and 6 with that theory in mind... it holds up fairly well, if you want to believe it, but is still kind of silly to my mind... Isn't this the movie item? Has anyone seen any *other* movies? I watched "Nobody's Fool" on video last night and I thought it was terrific. Everyone should see it. :)
OK,OK. Rented _Mask of Zorro_. Fun in a comic book sort of way, and Bandaras <sp> didn't stink it up too much. Rented _Very Bad Things_. A skewed little story told very well. You don't realize who the story is actually about until the last scene. Recommended.
Cinerama Holiday ---------------- Last Saturday (May 29th) Carol and I drove to the only Cinerama theater in America - the New Neon Movie Theater in Dayton, Ohio. Cinerama was a movie format created in the early 1950s, and is usually described these days as a precursor to Imax. A Cinerama camera contained 3 rolls of film, one pointed straight ahead, one to the left, and one to the right. Together they could see 146 degrees of a scene. The sound system had 6 channels. To display a Cinerama movie, therefore, a theater needs three projectors which are somehow linked together so they stay in sync, a curved screen, and at least 6 speakers. There are apparently only two such theaters in the world - one in England and one in Dayton. Only a few movies were filmed in Cinerama. The first was called "This is Cinerama", which began with a view from a roller coaster, and consisted of a lot of disjointed scenes designed to show off the medium. I think the most famous Cinerama movie was "How the West Was Won" with Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, and Jimmy Stewart. The screen manages to just about fill up your peripheral vision, which means the movie does a remarkably good job of making you feel like you're really there. That was the idea - the creator of Cinerama had previously designed a simulator for gunners in the air force during the war, using (I think) 6 projectors to make them feel like they were really in battle. Cinerama also has one huge advantage over Imax. Last I heard, Imax cameras were still so loud that it was impossible to record sound and film at the same time, so all Imax movies have the sound dubbed in afterward. Not so with Cinerama, which makes it possible to film dance numbers and all manner of musical shows which you couldn't possibly dub. After "This is Cinerama", the producers of Cinerama polled viewers to find out what kinds of things they'd like to see filmed in Cinerama. A large number of people said they'd like to see film of real and interesting places they could travel to vicariously. Thus the second Cinerama movie, "Cinerama Holiday", made in 1954. The print being shown at the New Neon is the *only* print of "Cinerama Holiday" left, and it is much deteriorated. Almost all its blues and yellows are gone; what's left is "vibrant pink-and-white." However, it is still sharp and clear, and the sound quality is excellent. "Cinerama Holiday" opens with a young couple from Switzerland (Beatrice and Fred Troller) arriving in St. Louis, Missouri, where they meet a hometown couple (John and Betty Marsh). The couples are real people, not actors. The filmmakers interviewed a lot of people before selecting them. They are young, good-looking, fun-loving types. John and Betty take the same plane back to Zurich (they are impressed that it only takes 18 hours to get there). Beatrice and Fred then travel through the U.S. while the Marshes visit Switzerland and France. Beatrice and Fred have definite ideas about what they want to see in America, and they want to see as much as possible. Fred's motor-scooter is lifted out of the plane and they head for the Wild West. First they stop off in Las Vegas for some gambling, floor shows, and lots of glittering lights. They are intrigued, because they say there is nothing like the one-armed bandit in Switzerland. Their trip across the West takes them zipping over rocky, deserty terrain on the motor-scooter, where they meet some "real Red Indians" -- full-blood Apaches who are also prosperous ranchers with names like Gus and Clarence. They finish their Western trip in comfort, watching the scenery go by from the Vista-Dome of the California Zephyr. In San Francisco the Trollers visit a folk club called The Tin Angel. On stage are Odetta, who went on to a career as a famous folk singer, and a lanky 23-year old from Michigan named Larry Mohr. The next year Larry would marry Jean Latimer (who can be seen in the front row in the scene at the club) and in December, 1955 (while Larry was in the army, stationed in France) they would have a daughter named Carol. Later he would go on to very successful career as a Political Science professor at the University of Michigan. Music is also the main event of their stay in New Orleans. Ardent jazz fans, they want to see the place where jazz was born. They visit an African American church service, and observe a funeral procession in which mourners and musicians walk solemnly from the cemetary through the streets. When the Saints Go Marching In takes on a stately, sad quality not usually associated with that tune. The New Orleans visit winds up with some hot jazz in a small club. In stunning contrast to the more exotic locations they traveled to, the Trollers go next to New England and a small-town harvest fair in Deerfield, New Hampshire, complete with livestock, hayride, and a Ferris wheel. (It seems a Cinerama camera is pretty portable, because the audience is treated to the view from a Ferris wheel seat--up and over we go!) You can almost smell the cider and the crushed autumn leaves underfoot. And they get a taste of American collegiate life at Dartmouth College, listening to the Men of Dartmouth singing traditional glee club choruses. The choices the filmmakers made are intriguing, I think. The movie really is an interesting look at some of the things that were going on in America in the early 1950s. For all its extraordinary aspects, it also gives a real taste of what ordinary life was like at that time--the clothes, the cars, the ways of speaking, the look of the cities. Because of the way the medium was hyped, I was expecting more glamor and more showing off. I'm glad they didn't just go for cheap thrills. Meanwhile in Switzerland, the Marshes have chosen to sit back and let Cinerama plan their vacation. It begins in St. Moritz, where John tries out the bobsled run. This is almost the only gratuitous Cinerama "thrill" scene in the whole film, and worth every penny, as the sled whizzes down the long course at hair- raising speed, down steep hills and around tight, high banked turns. For a tamer form of entertainment, the Marshes enjoy an outdoor performance of Holiday on Ice. (Figure skating sure has come a long way since the 1950s--no fast spins or overhead lifts, and very few jumps.) Then there's a lot of skiing, which (apparently) wouldn't have been complete without shots of ski-jumpers flying over the camera. This is followed by apres-ski featuring traditional Swiss fondue dinner and singalong. (The recipe for the fondue is in the program.) After that it's on to Paris. The experience of riding in a taxicab was never filmed quite like this, I think - it rivals the bobsled scene for excitement. Art Buchwald, then a correspondent for the Paris Herald-Tribune, makes a cameo appearance, long enough to tell the Marshes that if they don't enjoy Paris it's their own fault. They visit the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre, a private fashion show by a famous coutourier (not named) in a private home, and a show at L'Opera de Paris. Betty, after a long day, wants to go to bed, whereupon John leaves her (she's a bit huffy) to spend the night carousing with his old Navy buddies who are stationed in Paris. They see a spectacular Can-Can show. There are some lower-key scenes in Paris, too. The Marshes visit the graves of Napoleon and General Foch, and watch a very entertaining puppet show of Little Red Riding Hood. You can see and hear the audience of children as they are watching the show, and that makes it a lot of fun. They also get to visit a French home, and talk about the changes the war has made in France. It really is like being taken on a tour by interesting hosts. At the end the two couples meet back in New York (John and Betty take the Queen Mary, which is a sight to behold in Cinerama). Then they watch Cinerama film of planes landing on an aircraft carrier. This is a bit gratuitous, but the Trollers had asked about it at the beginning of a trip. We're told that the pilot whose jet we're in is making his first ever landing on a carrier, and that makes the experience a little scarier. The experience of watching the movie was enhanced a lot by the fact that the operators of the theater in Dayton really take themselves seriously as torchbearers for Cinerama. The owner and camera operator came out and talked to the audience a couple of times before the show, and showed a video of an interview with Fred Troller, made a few years ago, where he recalled the making of the movie. (He remembered Larry and Odetta, too.) We also saw a short film (without sound) made recently in Cinerama by some Australians - it was the first time anyone in America had seen it (John the owner wasn't even sure if he'd threaded the film in upside down or not until it appeared correctly on the screen). The newsletter of the Cinerama Appreciation Society is also available in the lobby. The current issue includes pictures of John & Betty Marsh and Leonard Maltin at a special gala showing in Dayton in 1997. The center projector is not enclosed in a booth - instead you can stand in the lobby and see the whole thing. It's huge, and so are the rolls of film. All in all the whole experience was a lot of fun. I encourage anyone who's interested to make the trip to Dayton (it's about 3.5 hours from Ann Arbor) to see a show. Info on upcoming attractions can be found at: http://http://www.neonmovies.com/cinerama.html
Mark, there is one minor nit. Well, two. There is a third theatre, Located in Los Angeles called The Cinerama Dome or some such. And there is one more movie, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World which was also filmed in Cinerama. I agree Cinerama should make a comeback.
My understanding from the CPS newsletter is that the Los Angeles theater, while built for Cinerama, doesn't currently have Cinerama projectors installed, though they're working on it and hope to be able to show Cinerama movies by summer of 2000. There's also a theater in Seattle, bought and restored by Paul Allen, which hopes to get Cinerama equipment next year.
The IMDB lists 10 movies filmed in Cinerama and one in Super-Cinerama: Best of Cinerama (1962) Cinerama Holiday (1955) How the West Was Won (1962) Lafayette (1961) Padrone delle ferriere, Il (1959) Scent of Mystery (1960) (Super-Cinerama) Search for Paradise (1957) Seven Wonders of the World (1956) South Seas Adventure (1958) This Is Cinerama (1952) Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, The (1962) (see http://us.imdb.com/SearchTechnical?Cinerama) "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is listed as being filmed in "Ultra Panavision 70 (anamorphic)", though one of the "printed film formats" is "70 mm (Super-Cinerama)". Maybe that means prints of the film existed which could be shown with 3 Cinerama projectors? I don't know. I don't even know if Super-Cinerama used the same 3-projector format as Cinerama. There are 14 other movies tagged as having Super-Cinerama prints; here's the list: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Battle of the Bulge (1965) Circus World (1964) Custer of the West (1967) Golden Head, The (1965) Grand Prix (1966) Greatest Story Ever Told, The (1965) Hallelujah Trail, The (1965) Ice Station Zebra (1968) It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) Khartoum (1966) Krakatoa, East of Java (1969) Last Valley, The (1970) Song of Norway (1970) It sure would be spectacular to see some of those in Cinerama...
NOTTING HILL (A-) -- An old-fashioned romantic comedy. Julia Roberts is very touching, despite some corny lines she has to recite. I've heard her say that she just stood there and made herself do it as best she could. It worked. Hugh Grant I can take or leave, but he's well-cast in this movie. The Welsh actor who plays Grant's "flatmate" is hilarious. Gina McKee, who plays the part of Grant's wheelchair-bound best friend, has one of those faces that looks maddeningly familiar. I don't think I've seen her in anything else -- it must be she reminds me of someone. She's a cross between Joely Fisher and Marisa Tomei, if you can imagine that. Mostly Joely Fisher.
I thought Notting Hill was hillarious, and also really liked it because a few of the locations it was shot in are places I know fairly well, and like a lot. Hampstead Heath, where Hugh Grant showed up to see Julia Roberts acting in a movie, and where I think some of the final park scenes ma also have been shot, is a few blocks from a house where I spent a month several years ago and is fairly close to where my parents live now. I haven't been to Notting Hill, but it looks similar enough to some other parts of London where I have been, and my parents were commenting that a friend of theirs who lives near Notting Hill kept seeing scenes from the movie being filmed while walking to the Underground.
Re the Cinerama discussion: Super-Cinerama was a projection format that used a single projector and a curved screen (not as deeply curved as the original 3-strip Cinerama screen, however). Unlike 3-strip Cinerama, it was not a photographic process per se. The films exhibited in Super-Cinerama were actually made in some other wide screen process -- such as Super Panavision or Ultra Panavision -- and reformatted to fit the Super-Cinerama screen shape. I'm glad to hear that the Neon Theater in Dayton is still showing Cinerama. Had hoped to make it down there a couple of years ago when they opened and showed "How the West Was Won", but never got around to it.
Thanks for that Info, John, I thought that might be the case, since none of those Super-Cinerama movies were mentioned in the newsletter.
Notting Hill was rather weak in dialogue, but Bella (the hauntingly familiar one) is amazingly beautiful.. it was cute, and mostly forgettable..decent costumes at times
Bella! I couldn't take my eyes off her when she was on screen, even when Julia was in the shot. She has a future, that one.
Yet one more Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace review: Like most everyone else it seems, I would have to rate this movie as "Good." The plot was thin, but I understand why. The characters were under-developed, which I don't understand why. And the effects were good, but not revolusionary. And as for Jar Jar...I haven't made up my mind about him yet. He's definitely annoying at times, but has a lovable quality about him. Things I noticed: It's been mentioned how Jar Jar's voice has a Jamacan accent to it, which I noticed. Did you also notice that the voices of the Trade Federation reps had oriental influences, both in voice and costume, at least I thought so. And Watto's sounded rather Russian. I'm just wondering why Lucus did this. Now about the Battle droids: Were these the most pathetic pieces of scrap metal you've ever seen? Take away their guns and they're useless. It's a good thing there were so many of them cuz they were getting sliced and diced like some tossed salad. The rolling ball droids were much more effective in a combat situation. While I wouldn't want to pay full price to see it again, I'll definitely catch it when it comes to the dollar theaters. And with the apparent sharp drop-off in attendees, that might be before Summer's out.
I saw it again last night, in one of the larger theaters at Showcase, and it wasn't sold out, but it was still pretty full. I'm not sure there's that much of a drop off in attendees, compared to other blockbuster movies I've seen this long after their release.
re #265- Someone else pointed out somewhere that there are limitations to the type of accent possible. <shrugs> also, yeah the droids were getting sliced and diced- but they were facing two Jedi. ;) (Even in the seen with the Gungans - however that's spelled - they weren't doing all that badly initially...)
Besides, they're the bad guy footsoldiers. Bad guy footsoldiers tend
to die left and right.
that's to make the one or two good guys look even more amazing and like, powerful and stuff. <grins>
All the Gungans had the same type of accent. Only Jar Jar was presented as being rather incompentent, and even he managed to be a successful diplomat. Yes, the slimy Trade Federation people were Japanese, taking orders from a greedy and slimy Englishman. I suppose you could argue that they were being anti-Jewish on the planet with slavery, but other than that, I can poke holes in most of the racism theories, although having watched it again I can see where the theories were coming from.
ACtually, I thought that the Trade Federation people were Chinese.
Rumors are flying that George Lucas is interested in Leonardo DiCaprio to play Kind Of Still Young Anakin Skywalker in the next Star Wars. Wow. Star Wars with Nardo in it? It's like they're trying to scientifically engineer a flick with the specific intent of keeping me away. All they got to do now is throw in Rosie O'Donnell in a bikini singing a Garth Brooks song and it will be compl
I liked Leo in "Titanic" and all... but as Anikan? ewwwwww.....
Did onyone catch "Touch of Evil" on cable the other nite? I found it to be an excellent film. Welles and Dietrich were amazing as was Heston. It is being shown on Encore this month. I highly advise you to tape it.
Had I known DiCaprio was going to die in Titanic, I would have gone to see it sooner, at the movies.
#272....actually Ive heard Anakin is going tobe played in the next two movies by Rick Schroeder (of NYPD Blue)...not that DiCaprio would be bad.
both of those old rumors have been succeeded in the past weeks.
I saw "Austin Powers - The Spy who Shagged Me" tonight. I haven't laughed so hard in quite a while. (except when listening to the Capitol Steps, but that's another story) Some of the old jokes from the first Austin Powers movie are back, but they're still funny, such as the bad guy who has a bad accident but lives through it. There was also some new stuff added, such as the "relationship" that led to Dr. Evil's son Scott. Dr. Evil's Mini-Me was also good. The fight scene was HILARIOUS, and there was one other really funny scene that had to do with the shape of Dr. Evil's rocketship. Overall I give this movie an A-
We finally saw "The Phantom Menace" last night. It's great to be the last one to see a hot new movie for the first time, because with little effort you can know every line of dialogue and every nuance of the entire movie. I am gifted, though. I ignored almost all of it, and so got to see the movie without reams of instructions as to how to interpret it. I didn't know who "Jar Jar" was. I didn't know about "Darth Mal". Such was "The Phantom Menace", that I still don't know much of what happens in the movie. It was just not very well put together. The story was bad, the characters were weak, and the connection to the rest of the Star Wars movies, as viewed by a casual movie watcher, was pretty feeble. My 8 year old, who has Star Wars Lego sets, and reads about Star Wars in kid's magazines, and heard all about the movie from his friends over the last 4 weeks, was able to fill me in on some of the details which were not present (or clear in some cases) from the movie. I don't see how anyone could avoid going to see this movie. I couldn't avoid it, not permanently. You've almost certainly seen it; the odds are about equal that you've seen it more than 5 times, versus having not seen it at all. And if you haven't seen it, you're more likely to avoid paying taxes this year than avoiding the movie. I do hope you enjoy it more than I did. I am now pinning my hopes of enjoying a new movie this summer on "Wild, Wild West". Which I will also see after everyone else has seen it, I am sure.
I expect I'll go see it someday. I've seen all the others.
Short Attention Span Review of "Austin Powers 2": They didn't try to cover new ground, but once they set their sights, they opened the valves full blast. If I'd directed it I would have trimmed about 7-10 minutes out. "Coffee Scene" = no ah ah. But before the opening credits were over, I'd laughed harder than I had all week, and it just kept on.
Yeah, I pretty much agree with drewmike; I enjoyed it a lot and could have lived without the "coffee scene".
Ah, but the coffee scene was the funniest part (IMHO).
The coffee scene was OK, could have been better. The "other" coffee tie in (the location of Dr. Evil's secret headquarters) was much better.
Re resp:274 - Didn't see "Touch of Evil" on cable, but I did catch it when the "director's cut" played at the Michigan Theater last year. I assume that Encore is showing the same version, which is a distinct improvement over the film as originally cut and released by the studio. In either version, it's a great film.
Fortunatly, it will get several repeats. Encore does things like this, and it was the director's cut. Lenny Maltin even introduced it.
Human Traffic- Don't know if it will be released in the states.. It's brilliant. It's about a group of friends and the club scene in Cardiff. Doesn't require *too* much thought, but generally takes you through the weekend. One of Alasdair's friends was an extra and appeared centre screen for a bit, and I managed to recognise a few places from when I visited in January. Highly reccomended
A Touch of Evil is a cool film, but so dated in so many ways. It is wild, seeing the use of the "high tech" portable recorder, given the changes in technology since 1958.
If you think that's archaic, you should see the telephone answering machine that Mike Hammer has in "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955).
For some reason, I have a spool or two of recording wire around here.
Tarzan - B+ -- By far, Disney's best integration of computer animation with
hand-drawn art. The story... oh, slightly more faithful to
the original than "Hunchback." The music? Are you a Phil
Collins fan? Don't expect any "best song" Oscars for this one.
(it's out already? I really need to relocate from this rock I've been hiding under.)
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