response 91 of 229:

Jan 20 13:21 UTC 2000

        Nowhere that I found believable, at least.  The ending was a bit
forced.

response 93 of 229:

Jan 24 01:16 UTC 2000

Wow.  I finally saw American Beauty.  It was wonderful.  Kevin Spacey never
ceases to amaze me.  So much one can take from it, too.

response 95 of 229:

Jan 25 19:14 UTC 2000

  Perhaps Leslie is thinking of Spike Jonze, who has a major role in
  "Three Kings".  He directed his first major picture this past year
  after years of shooting music videos.  The result was the very
  unusual (and quite funny) "Being John Malkovich".

response 97 of 229:

Jan 27 00:20 UTC 2000

Interesting interview with Tim Allen available at http://www.galaxyquest.co
m.
He's either a genuine SF fan or at least found somebody to give good answers
to the interviewer.

response 99 of 229:

Jan 27 12:48 UTC 2000

??

response 101 of 229:

Jan 28 04:50 UTC 2000

Re #98:  Click on the link with your middle mouse button to open the
page in a new window.  If your mouse hasn't got a middle button, install
Linux.

response 103 of 229:

Jan 28 05:50 UTC 2000

Ort, under Netscape on a mac, command-click the link.

There,w asn't that easy?

response 105 of 229:

Jan 28 17:27 UTC 2000

Ouch.  Ordinarily, I take Mr Cranky's reviews
with the grain of salt he (or they) want me to
take them with.  In the case of Bowfinger, however,
Mr Cranky drops the mask and delivers a straight
critique, with which I couldn't agree more:

"I'm basically used to the fact that, as an actor, 
Steve Martin is a smartass. For a comedian, this 
can be a gift, a necessity. Being a smartass as 
a writer, however, is something entirely different. 
Those of us who have achieved minimal notoriety can 
credibly retain a smartass perspective, because we 
can still look at the world through average eyes 
and offer our take on subjects big and small, rich 
and poor, without being hypocrites due to our social 
position.

"Steve Martin does not have this "luxury." He is a 
millionaire. He is a writer and a filmmaker who can 
write any book or get any film made merely by the 
power of his name. That Martin would choose to 
ridicule the caricature of low-budget filmmaking that 
is Bobby Bowfinger is the equivalent of Martin taking 
a stroll down Hollywood Boulevard and taking a warm 
piss on the first homeless guy he saw because said 
person offended his sense of aesthetics.

"In "Bowfinger," Bobby Bowfinger (Martin) has two 
thousand dollars, a bunch of bad actors, and wants to 
make a movie. He wants to make it with superstar Kit 
Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) but doesn't have his permission. 
So, he simply follows Ramsey around and films the movie 
anyway. He gets a look-a-like named Jiff (Murphy, in a 
dual role), a bunch of bad actors including Daisy 
(Heather Graham), Carol (Christine Baranski) and Slater 
(Kohl Sudduth), a screenwriter Afrim (Adam Alexi-Malle) 
and camera man and supplier, Dave (Jamie Kennedy).

"What does Steve Martin know about low-budget filmmaking, 
anyway? What does he know about misfits or about people 
who will forever fall short because they lack intelligence 
and talent? What does he know about actresses who have to 
sleep around to get what they want, other than having 
maybe slept with one? Why didn't Martin just make a comedy 
film about a quadriplegic's dream of competing at the 
Olympics in the 100-yard dash? He could have had hilarious 
scenes of the quad falling over in his electric wheelchair 
and being pinned on the hot asphalt for several hours. 
"Bowfinger" is a mean-spirited comedy trying to pretend 
it's silly and cute, which makes it that much more 
contemptible."

response 107 of 229:

Jan 29 00:52 UTC 2000

Re: #105 This guy saw another movie.  The character of Bowfinger is
passionate about film and nothing, not the lack of funding, acting talent,
or legal contracts will get in the way of his dream.  He face radiates
pride when the first screening ends to the applause of an appreciative
audience.  The scene where the Fed-Ex guy brings him his next "offer" is
precious beyond belief.  The Bowfinger character is a Hollywood hero.
In this movie Steve Martin isn't trying to mock Hollywood as much as
pay tribute to every director with a dream and not much else.

I like this film.

response 109 of 229:

Jan 30 02:06 UTC 2000

        I am glad I got the DVD of Muppets in Space.  I watched the movie
for the first time last night.  A lot of laughing out loud.  Laughed
more when I watched it again with the live commentary by the director,
Tim Hill, Gonzo, Rizzo and Kermit going on.

        Now, my Gonzo think film festival of 1999 films will be:
Galaxy Quest, Toy Story 2, and Muppets in Space--they have something
in common.

response 111 of 229:

Jan 30 05:48 UTC 2000

Watched _Rush Hour_ recently with Jackie Chan and some eddie murphy
wanabe along with some latina that used to have longer hair (hesche
appeal?).
Mary Wilson, Nai-nai, and I (while whats-her-name was in
californicatoria otherwise she's object to its rating).  The funniest
parts were Mary Wilson translating the mandarin dialog so I wouldn't
miss anything (those parts were subtitled).  Its the first Jackie Chan
movie I've seen and I suspect not the last.  It actually had an
interesting plot, good action, and the out-takes in the trailer were
hilarious.  I believe it is the second english film(tape) that nai-nai
has enjoyed (the first being a COPS 'best of' that she was amazed at -
the notion that the police would actually let the media follow along
with them and film things as they happened....)  (Mary Wilson loves
COPS)

response 113 of 229:

Jan 30 13:31 UTC 2000

I find those "cops" shows rather disturbing as well.  

response 115 of 229:

Jan 30 16:52 UTC 2000

Profiling is racist.