response 47 of 290:

Jul 9 12:25 UTC 1998

I didn't see what was was all that great about KB's performance
in "L.A. Confidential" either, although she did win an Academy
Award (Best Supporting Actress) for it. I did like the film,
though.

Wasn't all that fond of "Smilla's Sense of Snow" -- story was
mildly intriguing as it developed, Smilla herself was an
interesting character, but the ending was hopelessly gimmicky.
People who both read the book (I haven't) and saw the movie
said that the social and cultural commentary that gave the
book interest was missing from the film.

Saw "Out of Sight", and it's fine entertainment, and also
director Stephen Soderberg's ("sex, lies, and videotape") first
big commercial success. George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez are
fine as the leads, there's an interesting and well-played array
of minor characters (Michael Keaton has a fun cameo, and I
didn't recognize Albert Brooks), and there's intriguing use
of flashbacks and color that are characteristic of Soderberg
(notice that almost every scene is predominantly one color --
there are yellow scenes, red scenes, and the scenes of inner
city Detroit in winter are appropriately drab and grubby-
looking). These Elmore Leonard adaptations all seem to have
a certain sameness about them though, and I prefer Quentin
Tarentino's treatment of a Leonard story in "Jackie Brown",
but "Out of Sight" is quite good, and I recommend it.

response 49 of 290:

Jul 10 23:53 UTC 1998

i saw 'gone with the wind' on the big screen.
<the non-PC parts made me uncomfortable>
but, the rest was wonderful. i had only seen it on tv before. the
big screen is incredible! there were so many details i missed
visually.. now i saw them.
the scene where scarlett is dressed in curtains and rhett turns
her hands over and is appalled--- her hands were actually
covered in huge callouses and blisters.
all the letters/correspondence were readable when shown.
lots more visable in the background too!
for those of you who have only seen it in tv or video... this is a must.

response 51 of 290:

Jul 12 07:54 UTC 1998

The "non-PC" parts?  Such as what?

response 53 of 290:

Jul 12 23:48 UTC 1998

not to mention the 'political meetings' were klan activities.

response 55 of 290:

Jul 13 10:24 UTC 1998

Agreed. If you want to see a PC movie, go see almost anything Disney. Who,
I note, has yet to (re-)release "Song of the South" because the're afraid they
might offend somebody. Anyone see that joke commercial for Disney's "Titey"
on SNL?

response 57 of 290:

Jul 13 13:28 UTC 1998

  I saw "Song of the South" as a child, and I even grew up with the Joel
Chandler Harris stories, and gee, I'm still a well balanced person. My views
are such that I think everyone has a right to a piece of the pie, no matter
where they come from beit Africa, or anywhere else.
  I learned some of my most basic life lessons from listening to Harris's Brer
Rabbit, especially "Brer rabbit and the Tar Baby" which has always been one
of my favorites. That one taught me that things sometimes *look* simple when
viewed on the surface, but are most always more complicated once you get into
them, and soon there is a point where you wish you had never saw it.

  I think disney lacks backbone, and courage. Because of PCism, we will lose
most if not all of our culture because someone somewhere might be offended.
Where does the book burning line form?

response 59 of 290:

Jul 13 17:08 UTC 1998

Why does Disney (studios) need backbone or courage when they are raking
in so much money? Most backbone and courage appears from among those
that give less high regard to money.

response 61 of 290:

Jul 13 20:54 UTC 1998

Nobody says you have to like or approve one person slapping another.  But
seeing it in a movie makes you uncomfortable?  Puh-leeze.  Label the character
violent or something, but deal with it.  And hearing 19th-century characters
using the term - gasp! - DARKIES - again, deal with it:  They did a lot worse
things in the 19th century.  But it's stupid to try and whitewash history by
making movies that PC-ize what really happened.

response 63 of 290:

Jul 13 21:22 UTC 1998

Re #61: Saying that seeing something in a movie makes you
"uncomfortable" isn't the same thing as saying that you think
such things shouldn't be in films, or that you can't "deal
with it". Reminders of the less savory historical aspects
of our interracial and intergender make me "uncomfortable"
too, I suppose. But I think we need those reminders.

It's interesting to read these defensive over-reactions to
what was a pretty innocuous statement on iggy's part.

response 65 of 290:

Jul 13 21:36 UTC 1998

I saw _Ghost In The Shell_ last night; great amime flick!  I'd read the
graphic novel before seeing the movie, which helped immensely in follwoing
the somewhat confusing storyline.  There were some good parts that got left
out of the movie, but there was some beatufiul eyecandy scenes in the movie
that the novel would've been hard-pressed to recreate.

response 67 of 290:

Jul 14 00:26 UTC 1998

Why should we be uncomfortable with depictions of racism, sexism, brutality,
or other -isms, if they are being depicted as part of life in an era in which
they were part of life?  Should we go back through all our historical fiction
and update it to eliminate all such references which might offend someone?

Please!  If you are uncomfortable with it, that's your own issue.  It doesn't
mean you're a racist if you are comfortable with such depictions.

response 69 of 290:

Jul 14 04:05 UTC 1998

Campus film groups live!  #1:
 
U. Mich's Center for Japanese Studies is hosting a Toshiro Mifune 
film festival.  Films will run Friday at 7 pm, Lorch Hall, beginning
Friday July 17 and continuing for six weeks.  Of particular 
interest to me is:
  RASHOMON: July 24:  1951 Academy Award, Best Foreign Film 
    -- one of those classics which I have never gotten around to seeing
  THE SEVEN SAMURAI:  July 31:  1954 Academy Award, Best Foreign Film
    -- an old favorite, one I want to drag my wife to see, though 
       she'll probably complain about how violent and macho it is.
       It's as long as "Titanic," so I hope Lorch Hall is air conditioned.
The Mifune film series is free.

response 71 of 290:

Jul 14 15:03 UTC 1998

I saw the movie "Anaconda" on video over the weekend.  It featured flat, 
indistinguishable characters, a plot with little direction and less 
interest, and expensive looking but unrealistic graphics.  I don't 
watch a lot of movies -- this may have been the worst I've ever seen.  
My 7 year old said after the movie that anacondas are constrictors, not 
pit vipers, and that the mouth of the snake looked more like that of a 
pit viper.  He mistakes cynicism for sophistication at times, but I have 
no reason to doubt his analysis.

He and I saw "Godzilla" again at the local $2 theater.  I still liked 
it.  Especially compared to "Anaconda".  I explained to my kid that the 
female lead deserved to be allowed to outgrow her past, but after 
leaving the guy without talking to him, then stealing his top-secret 
tape and exploiting her relationship to advance her career, she did not 
deserve any affection or respect from him.  As I told him "I wouldn't 
have her on toast".  He just liked the giant lizard.  He said it walked 
like a komodo dragon while it was underground.

My wife and I watched "Volcano" on Sunday evening on video tape.  I 
thought this could have been a lot more spectacular of a movie.  Not a 
lot happened that I find myself now, 2 days later, caring about or 
remembering very much.  It was much too tense for a 7 year old, with a 
few pretty ugly scenes of burned-up people, so I'm glad we watched it 
before the kids did.