response 193 of 327:

Feb 3 15:55 UTC 2003

Saw "The Hours".  Brilliant, but very depressing.

response 195 of 327:

Feb 3 16:08 UTC 2003

It was still depressing.

response 197 of 327:

Feb 4 03:28 UTC 2003

We saw The Two Towers on Saturday, finally.  (NB:  I've been avoiding the
movie review items since the movie's release.  If I repeat what others have
said, I'll find out when I catch up. ;)

Most of the departures I could forgive on ground of translation to a different
medium.  I can't say that for:  the loss/disappearance of Aragorn, the sudden
change of mind that took Treebeard to Isengard (and, with such a sudden
change, where did all the other ents come from?) and the trip to Osgiliath.
Frodo and Sam really should have gotten to Cirith Ungol.  

Still, the scenery was beautiful.

response 199 of 327:

Feb 7 21:46 UTC 2003

I highly recommend Chicago to all on the BBS, fantastic musical work, acting
in high degree, and overall a great performance.  

response 201 of 327:

Feb 10 09:13 UTC 2003

Saw Gangs of New York, last night.
So, can anybody fill me in this part of history?
Cause I wasn't aware that a thing like this had occured during the Civ 
War

response 203 of 327:

Feb 10 16:27 UTC 2003

I think because everyone can relate to the movie, in some way.  And it's a
good movie for both men and women to see.

response 205 of 327:

Feb 10 17:03 UTC 2003

I thought her boyfriend was a totally plastic character - almost unnecessary
except as a prop and to provide dork inlaws. However they provided a little
humor as foils to the main characters and story. 

response 207 of 327:

Feb 10 20:04 UTC 2003

I thought the boyfriend character was dreamy. Sure a little "too good 
to be true" but I wouldnt say he was "plastic". 

response 211 of 327:

Feb 11 06:20 UTC 2003

re: a few items back-- Clees, "Gangs of New York" is about a very violent
time in New York City's history, the mid 19th century.  Basically the old
protestant/catholic conflict taking place over in England and Ireland came
over to NYC along with the new immigrants.  The old line protestants,
primarily descendants of British settlers, took exception to the great
wave of new Irish immigrants.  They saw the new Irish immigrants coming
over on boat after boat as lower class, and unwelcome.  And particularly
the Irish catholics.  The establishment at the time, embodied in the movie
by Daniel Day Lewis, saw America as the great protestant land, and did not
want catholics coming over to even have rights.  

The conflicts between the old guard, and people of other faiths, races,
and countries coming to this country and trying to gain acceptance and
freedom, defines the history of the U.S.  And New York City, by virtue of
its being the largest city and the arrival point for most immigrants from
Europe, was at the center of that struggle.  The struggle, as shown, was
in some ways more violent and pronounced in New York City than anywhere.
New York City was torn apart in the 18th and early 19th century with
battles, corruption, crime and bigotry brought over from Europe.  The city
was torched and much of it burned down more than once in that era.

But the point Scorcese is trying to make in the movie, and I think he
makes it well, is that the Civil War changed everything.  After the war,
everything changed.  Suddenly, everyone in New York City-- and the
country-- who had been feuding, had a common history.  Everyone had blood
shed now, people had died across all social, racial, ethnic, religious
barriers.  Finally, what everyone in this country had in common could
start to become more important than whatever differences they had.  Day
Lewis and DiCaprio are shown at the end ultimately realizing the futility
of their battle, that time was passing them by.  DiCaprio is shown in the
final scene at his father's grave, in the same cemetary as Day Lewis's
grave, and lamenting that nobody was going to remember who they were.  And
the final shot is the skyline of New York City, which from the civil war
forward changed forever, as people of the various classes/sects that had
been feuding finally started working together.  You see the NYC skyline
changing as that feuding, bitterly divided town became the greatest city
in the world, with diversity as it strength.  

response 213 of 327:

Feb 11 19:11 UTC 2003

Hell, the Irish are no longer mainstream - they are cool as hell at this
point.