response 142 of 323:

Oct 12 22:04 UTC 2000

I think that they do that in the real movies too, mwg.  I hear a lot that it
might have been better if they had only, or hadn't cut...  I think if they
spent a little more effort to get some of the background, and less on the eye
candy, most movies would work well.  Take X-Men.  There were some very simple
things they could have done to it to make it synch more, but didn't.  Rejected
5 scripts, I believe it was (I believe anne will confirm/shoot this down if
I am incorrect) but using the excuse that 30 years was too much history to
get into a movie, they messed up a LOT of stuff.  

response 144 of 323:

Oct 13 14:10 UTC 2000

Heh, yes, X-Men went through a LOT of Script RE-Writers. <grrs> The 
original was probably excellent.

response 146 of 323:

Oct 14 05:58 UTC 2000

Whats-her-name and I watched _Bullworth_ tonight.  It was an interesting
film and interesting ambiance.  The weather was once again warm so we
had the windows open, the sound of the rap music from the cars on the
street below fit in well with the rap score of the film with the
counterpoint of singing and prayers (in mandarin) from the evangelical
chinese revival going on in nai-nai's apt. upstairs - she usually only
hosts the wednesday meeting of her own group and the friday meeting of
the whole 'tong' is usually someplace else.  Mary Wilson was upstairs so
it was a rare opportunity for us to view an 'adult flick' - due to
language in this case.  Its a pretty flick, but again, not one worth
having paid real money to see in the wide screen. (My sound system does
the score justice (5 speaker + subwoofer zenith 'home theater'.)  I
think I would rather have seen the Spike Lee version of the same film -
probably more biting and savage.  Most all the good scenes you've
already seen in the trailers.
(potential spoiler)













Near the end I commented that in test screenings they probably had Paul
Sorvino's character shoot him - and no sooner had I said it than bang
somebody did (presumably he).  We looked at each other and
whats-her-name said "The Raul Julia Rule"...silly me, I get more into
the flicks where as whats-her-name is more into the technical part.

Anyways, a good rental if most everything is already out.  It is sorta
ironic some of the points the movie sorta makes in spite of itself.  I
specially liked the 'lieberman' moment where Bullworth criticizes
hollywood elite for making crap movies, in somewhat of a crap movie made
by hollywood elites.

response 148 of 323:

Oct 14 17:01 UTC 2000

I've got a couple of movies on the way from Netflix.... The Andromeda Strain,
and War of the Worlds... I've never seen either.

Planet of the Apes is "out of stock".  Damn!

response 150 of 323:

Oct 16 15:53 UTC 2000

Uhhhh...no.

response 152 of 323:

Oct 16 22:00 UTC 2000

  I hope it's a musical, like the Simpsons' "Stop the Planet of the Apes, 
  Want to Get Off"  (..except that in light of the potential "Boogie Nights"
  connection maybe they should re-think the "I Want to Get Off" part..)

response 154 of 323:

Oct 17 18:10 UTC 2000

"Hey Hey we're the Monkeeeeees..."

response 156 of 323:

Oct 18 08:24 UTC 2000

I saw men in black on tv yesterday, and I remebered how much of an excellent
film it is. I also saw midnight run, with rober deniro in it, that is a
classic :)

response 158 of 323:

Oct 18 15:38 UTC 2000

Hm.  I liked Men in Black, but I like Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.  I liked
Something about Mary, but only the first few times through.  It wears thin
the more you watch it  But I was laughing HARD when I first saw it.

response 160 of 323:

Oct 20 22:47 UTC 2000

I finally got to the movies today for the first time in maybe
2 months.  Partly I've been busy but mostly there hasn't been
much out there that looked worthwhile.

"Contender" : Imagine "Advise and Consent", written to highlight
the plight of women in politics, and directed by Frank Capra.
Or at least Frank steps in at the end to tidy things up.
What was that whole bit about the President ordering food
to prove he could do it?

But Joan Allen did a nice job and I liked her character.
And it was nice to be back in a theater.  I hadn't 
realized how much I'd missed it.

response 162 of 323:

Oct 21 00:12 UTC 2000

  I also went to the movies last night for the first time in months.
  The film I saw was "Meet the Parents" and I found it to be much lamer
  than I was expecting it to be.  It wasn't *bad* but it was so utterly
  unoriginal and mostly unfunny that I very nearly walked out about 2/3
  of the way through because I really couldn't see any point in staying,
  as I could predict everything that was going to happen.

  If you're looking for a picture that combines obvious humor, overused
  wedding jokes, and Robert de Niro making kissy faces at a large cat,
  well, you're in for a treat.  Otherwise take my recommendation and leave
  after the previews for coming attractions are over -- it's not going to
  get any better.

  C-

response 164 of 323:

Oct 21 05:59 UTC 2000

"REQUIEM FOR A DREAM"-- you'll be hearing about this one around
the time oscar nominations come out.  Based on the novel of same name by
Hubert Selby (author of "Last Exit to Brooklyn), its a dark tale of lonely
people pursuing their dreams past the point of reality and paying the
consequences.  Ellen Burstyn plays a brooklyn widow who lives alone and
dreams of being a contestant on her favorite game show.  As if being on tv
will make her friends and bring her husband and son back.  But she's
overweight, and wants to be skinny for tv, so she starts taking
prescription dietpills (amphetamines).  Meanwhile, we see her son,
whose dreams of living the good life with his girlfriend are so strong,
that the only way he can live that dream is to be a drug dealer.  So he
and his friend,and his girlfriend all start spiraling down the path of
drug addiction.  And so does his mother.

The descent of these four normal people, whose worst crime is they dreamed
too many dreams and tried too hard to live them out, is both devastating
and terrifying.  Ellen Burstyn's performance as the mother, who makes
transformation from fat, kind old lady into anorexic, parnoid, amphetamine
addict is incredible.  and jared leto and jennifer connely, who play her
son and his girlfriend, whose love for each other causes them to dream too
much and go too far,are terrifictoo.  Marlon Wayans plays the son'sbest
friend, who starts dealing drugs with him, not for the money, but because
he's an outcast in his neighborhood and his dream is to fit in, to be
accepted (even if it is with the 'hood)

"Requiem for a Dream", a story of a world where dreams die, is a
harrowing, haunting, really great movie.  Warning though, it is dark and
disturbing and intense (just like "Last Exit to Brooklyn"), so its not for
everyone.  Its a movie you will think about for a long time.  ***** (five
stars-- best film of the year)

response 166 of 323:

Oct 23 16:04 UTC 2000

Saw a couple videos this weekend- "But I'm a Cheerleader!" "Modern 
Vampires" and "Down To You"

"Cheerleader" stares Natasha Lyonne as a young cheerleader whose 
parents and friends think she's showing signs of being a lesbian.  So 
she gets packed off to a 'reorientation' camp to learn how to be 
straight.  At the camp are two directors played by- Cathy Moriarty and 
RuPaul.  It was really rather funny, and silly- it is NOT meant to be 
taken seriously.  But was cute.

'Modern Vampires' stars Casper Van Diem, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Kim 
Catrall, Rod Steiger, Robert Pastorelli and Natasha Lyonne (Okay, so 
it's a really minor role but I was amused to see her in this because 
before this weekend I had no idea who she was and then she was in two 
movies in a row- and now from a webpage I find out she was in Detroit 
Rock City and American Pie)...  For a vampire movie- it was, well, 
pretty bad.  I was amused by it, and kinda liked some of the scenes and 
characterizations.  Van Diem (Dallas) did well- given the script, as 
did the woman playing Nico.  It was still pretty bad though, the 'good' 
Vampires take out the 'bad' ones and have a huge surprise for Dr. Van 
Helsing... <snickers> The soundtrack was decent, and overall I wouldn't 
object too strongly to seeing this silly movie again- with the right 
people.

"Down To You" staring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles. Romantic 
Comedy about two people who fall in love in college, the trials and 
tribulations they go through before breaking up- and their eventual 
reunion after they've both graduated from college and have grown up a 
bit.  Cute, funny, written by someone with *some* wit, Stiles is rather 
fun to watch, and Prinze does clueless well.  Overall, I rather liked 
the movie.