response 49 of 112:

Jul 21 23:38 UTC 2003

"ALL THAT JAZZ"-- watched this on video yesterday, it had been a few 
years since I'd seen it previously.  This is the semi-autobiographical 
film from famed broadway director/choreographer Bob Fosse (creator 
of "Chicago" and numerous other musicals).  The movie is Fosse's 
fantasy of his own death.

The Fosse character, called Joe Gideon in the movie and played by Roy 
Scheider, is a workaholic broadway choreographer and film director who 
is a hard drinking, chain smoking, womanizer.  He is completely cynical 
and self absorbed and has never taken the time to really understand the 
women in his life, his ex-wife, his young daughter, his girlfriend.  
The movie shows him stressing out over his broadway play about to open, 
and a movie he's editing about a stand up comic (patterned on Lenny 
Bruce) who does a routine about the five stages of death (anger, 
denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance)

The movie intercuts Scheider's character going through these very 
stages, without knowing it, with the three women in his life, and 
alternate dream sequences where he's seen talking to the other woman in 
his life, the one that he's always known he'll end up with.  She being 
the beautiful Angel of Death, Jessica Lange.  As the movie goes along, 
we see Death (Lange) getting ready for him, taking off her veil, 
waiting for his arrival. 

This movie has some awesome musical sequences (Fosse's speciality after 
all)  Scheider's character has a heart attack shortly before the 
opening of his play and is subsequently seen in his hospital bed, 
hooked up to IV bottles and having open heart surgery.  And then you 
see him in his hospital bed, on a stage, watching a musical number done 
by the wife, girlfriend, and daughter.  

Finally, you see where Scheider's character gets to the last stage of 
death, acceptance, and stars in his own musical number, with all the 
people important in his life in the audience.  He and emcee Ben Vereen 
sing "Bye Bye Life, Bye Bye Happiness, I think I'm gonna die"  And you 
see the audience of his loved ones applauding, and he goes into the 
audience and hugs each of them goodbye, and you see him finally leaving 
the stage and going towards the Angel of Death, who has by now taken 
off her veil and is smiling and awaiting his embrace.

This is an amazing film.  Roy Scheider, who looks just like Bob Fosse, 
is great in this.  Fosse actually did die, eerily, sevearl years later, 
right before the opening of a big broadway play (his revial of "Sweet 
Charity") of a heart attack, just like the character in the movie.  He 
imagined his own death just right it seems.  All That Jazz is a GREAT 
movie IMO, I recommend it to anyone who has recently dealt with death.

response 51 of 112:

Jul 22 01:59 UTC 2003

I should see that movie again, Richard.  Thanks for the reminder.

We saw "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" this afternoon.  Fun,
fast-moving, intriguing movie.  They took some liberties with characters and
stories, but still did a good job.  I'll have to re-read some of the books.
Pure fantasy, of course.  

response 53 of 112:

Jul 23 07:00 UTC 2003

Went to one of the apparently pre-grand opening openings at the new
Border's Bookstore in chicagoland.  Down in the 'hood.  Built on a
parking lot and supposed to provide parking as part of the building
-they didn't but hey...overheard one discussion from a manager and
patron where bike parking was going to be provided, out back, taking
space in the parking lot...wonder how that works.  They are open 'till
11pm - wonder how long that will last.  Two of four stalls in the men's
room were already broke ("Out of order").  Right across the street from
the rail station, the news shack, the video store, and down the block
from the open late liquor store.  Like a delicate orchid transplanted
into a peat bog it was a nice "Ann Arbor moment" but I wonder what it
will become after it closes (pretty cheap construction I also noted as
it went up).  Anyways, bought a re-release of _Yojimbo_ on DVD for about
a third of the cost when I bought the VHS casette years ago as a x-mas
gift for my father.and almost bought a CD of _ELP's Greatest Hits_ from
the bargain bin except it rung up over twice the bargain price of the
impulse buy when it got to the register.  I said "thanks, good try" when
they offered to correct it.  Why I would pay 10 bucks for a CD of stuff
that I already own and could burn my own CD of my specific favorite cuts
if I would get off my ass and hook the damn phonograph up to the
computer...

Anyways, enjoyed _Yojimbo_ on DVD.  Apparently a new re-mastering from
original archive film it was well worth the price.  For those of you not
familiar it is the seminal work that directly resulted in two subsequent
hollywood fliks and was the inspiration of many more.  It features the
direction of one of the truely great dead directors and was the real
debute of another really great actor.  Toshiro, meet Bruce.

response 55 of 112:

Jul 23 14:39 UTC 2003

Re. #53: You won't get near the audio quality from an LP that you would 
from a CD.

response 61 of 112:

Jul 24 18:22 UTC 2003

Saw "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" with the beau yesterday. 
Not a great movie, but it was a lot of fun. Some of the lines just 
amused the hell out of me. One of my favorite characters was the 
Jeckyl/Hyde combo performed by Jason Flemmyng (I think that's how it's 
spelled) I liked him in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and his 
bit part in Mean Machine, so my liking him here wasn't a surprise.

some of the characters seemed a little flat- like Shane West's 
character. However, the fight scenes were fun to watch. Captain Nemo 
and Dorian Grey especially. :)

response 63 of 112:

Jul 25 17:43 UTC 2003

I saw LXG last night, and I'm with Anne.  Shane West seemed ill-equipped to
go up against the others.  Too young, to inexperienced . . .

LOVED Stuart Townsend though . . . yummy!  And the scene with Peta Wilson and
him battling was sexy as hell.  Jason Flemyng was great.  I loved his effects
for Hyde - it's what they should have been going for with "The Hulk".

response 65 of 112:

Jul 27 18:22 UTC 2003

Agora 62 <-> Cinema 57

response 67 of 112:

Aug 1 18:20 UTC 2003

re #62 and 63- isn't he though? He's right up there with Jason 
Statham. :)

It's pretty much been proposed that Shane West's character was only 
there to serve as sort of a living reminder of Quartermaine's dead son. 

And yeah, the Mina and Dorian scenes were oh so much fun. :) Dorian 
just oozed attitude and arrogance- such fun!

Haven't seen The Hulk, but I'll take your word on that, Brooke. We seem 
to have so many similar movie tastes anyhow. ;)

response 69 of 112:

Aug 9 16:24 UTC 2003

Actually, I enjoyed diCaprio; I thought it made a nice proof he was actually
capable of acting, but I hadn't seen any of his pre-Titanic work, either.

response 71 of 112:

Aug 9 21:47 UTC 2003

"The Swimming Pool" might be worth seeing just for the French country home
and surroundings.  But the ending was not at all worth the slow ramp-up. 
Bleh. 

"Adaptation" played with the same concept and pulled it off way
better.  

response 73 of 112:

Aug 11 18:16 UTC 2003

Saw American Wedding last night--pretty much exactly what you'd expect.
Laughed my ass off, and spent about the same amount of time hiding my face
because I couldn't bear to watch.