Movies Anyone?

[wingdesigner]

That'll be a couple of pages... Even our short list is long. For brevity's sake will omit the whys, just the whats.
Hunt for Red October
Dinner Rush
The Notebook
Monsoon Wedding
Return of Martin Guerre (French version)
Count of Monte Cristo (French & modern English versions--prefer French)
Dave
The American President
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Almost any Kate Hepburn flick including On Golden Pond
Anything w/Jack Lemmon
" " " " AND Walter Matthau
First three Indiana Jones Flicks
" " Star Wars Flicks
Star Trek movies w/original cast
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Spellbound (Indie flick about spelling bees)
Lantana
Pay It Forward
Any Pixar flick
South Pacific
Sound of Music
The Sting
The Holiday
Dance With Me? Japanese & English version w/Richard Gere/Susan Sarandon
Lorenzo's Oil
First Batman flick w/Jack Nicholson
Something's Gotta Give
First Wives Club
Romy & Michele's H.S. Reunion
That move w/Robert Redford where he plays a college professor
Fly Away Home
Tron
Lagaan
Any Jane Austin movie, even the Bollywood versions
The Full Monty
Any James Bond flick except the one w/the one-timer
Any Pink Panther flick
King Ralph
Planet Earth (OK, so not in theatres, but still stunning)
Almost anything with Chow Yun-Fat; Jodie Foster; Bruce Lee; Sean Connery (even Fire, Ice & Dynamite); Robin Williams (specially the serious stuff); Cate Blanchett; Hugo Weaving; Danny Aiello
Private Benjamin
Forrest Gump
Message in a Bottle
Some yacht racing movie with Jennifer from Dirty Dancing
Hang the Red Lantern
Hawaii & Shogun (made for TV mini-series)
That should do for the first couple of weeks!
Hudson Hawk
The Child (?) with Bruce Willis


As you can see they're all over the map--indies, action flicks, feel-goods, musicals, romance, "message" movies, etc. Hope there's a good couch and lots of healthy snacks on that island, & Faygo pop. OK, fruit juices too. No insects. Furred/feathered friends welcome. And maybe a couple of you people (ahem) to help w/the food crops...
Now, aren't you sorry you asked? (I am, cuz I keep adding to the list)

[wingdesigner]

I agree, WM, there are some movies that are a feast for the eyes, good content is only a bonus. (OK, so that's not exactly what you said, but it reminded me.) There was a movie in Spanish w/subtitles about women who lived in what looked like marginal desert, there were soldiers, ahhh I can't remember the name or actors or storyline but I know I liked it.
The Last Emperor
Under the Tuscan Sun
The Godfather I & II
Apocalypto
Braveheart
Elizabeth
the Lord of the Rings trilogy
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
A.I. (disturbing, dark theme but visually compelling images)

[wingdesigner]

Well, other than beating us over the heads with how similar the times and life of the Duchess of Devonshire were to her great (X-times) granddaughter, Lady Diana Spencer, it was a pretty good movie. Rafe Feinnes (sp?) was absolutely detestable from the first frame. I wouldn't bring the kiddies--there are implied rape scenes and sex scenes. Thought Mr. Gray was miscast, spousal unit thought the Duchess should have been played by someone other than Ms. Knightly. I didn't mind, but thought the makeup was horrible. I know the fashion of the times dictated that clownish makeup, but the colours used were too modern and stuck out, IMO. There was only one screen in town showing this movie and it hasn't been out very long. Guess that speaks for itself. I'm not sorry I saw it, but I'm less than enthusiastic for having seen it. Perhaps if I'd read the book...
If you like costume/loosely based historical dramas, you'll find this to your liking. It's rated PG-13, but IMO it's a "hard PG-13".

[webmaster]

A.I. is a wonderful movie. It didn't receive enough attention. Maybe because of the way it was marketed people expected something more uplifting. I'm not saying it was a downer, but that it's not the typical fluff where the camera freezes on happy faces clinking champagne glasses and the credits roll, know what I mean?

Saawariya
As [url=https://www.nickjr.com/article/assets/about_oswald/main.gif]Oswald[/url] says... Oh my gosh! I see you have Lagaan in there. I've heard of but not seen it yet. My wife and I liked Saawariya. There are one or two moments where cultural differences might make your eyebrows rise but there is magic in this movie. Check out the trailer over on the Netflix page:

https://www.netflix.com/Movie/Saawariya/70082643

Both leads are incredibly attractive and more importantly, charming. It's a measure of how much I enjoyed this movie that I was compelled to watch some of the musical numbers again (conveniently grouped on the disc) and then the "making of" documentary. A fun movie.

The Fall
Here's a somewhat offbeat film that has a lot of heart. Maybe it's not perfect but it has more heart than most movies out this year. It's called The Fall. Check out the Netflix [url=https://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Fall/70099619?trkid=222336]The Fall Trailer[/url]here. It received mixed reviews. I think it was misunderstood. It's imperfect but is beautiful in many ways that other movies never aspire to much less achieve.

[Sienna Dawn]

As you can see they're all over the map--indies, action flicks, feel-goods, musicals, romance, "message" movies, etc. Hope there's a good couch and lots of healthy snacks on that island, & Faygo pop. OK, fruit juices too. No insects. Furred/feathered friends welcome. And maybe a couple of you people (ahem) to help w/the food crops...
Now, aren't you sorry you asked? (I am, cuz I keep adding to the list)

I'm never sorry I asked for someone's favourite, and I'm happy that you have so many 'Favourite Things'... Thanks for reminding me of The Sound of Music! Also Forrest Gump. Two of my favs as well... and I keep adding to the list also too as well ...

Steel Magnolias (I know, no Oscar winning performances in this and most of the accents were horrible, but it was a slice of the South I've grown up in and love)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Paul Newman, rest his soul, was HOT in that movie!! And Burl Ives was great as Big Daddy, saying "You smell that son? I smell Mendacity in this room!")

OH! And speaking of a hot young Paul Newman... Long Hot Summer... ::swoon::

Borrowed Time (With Lionel Barrymore, he catches Death up his apple tree)

Shop Around the Corner (The original 'You've Got Mail', with Jimmy Stewart)

Did I mention My Fair Lady before? I think I did... my daughter adores that movie. Even when she was about 5 or 6 would run around the house singing "Just you wait 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!" Yes, she's a strange child.. like her Mom.

[wingdesigner]

Ahh, just about anything w/A.H.--she's such a feast for the eyes! Even after she "retired" and worked for UNICEF--look up "Elegance" in the dictionary and see her picture there. (It should be on Wikipedia, too, IMO)
Mendacity--sounds like a good name for a pet? (OK, if you're rolling on the floor laughing it's 'cause I've never seen Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and have no idea why everyone's laughing)

[Sienna Dawn]

mendacity n. , pl. -ties . The condition of being mendacious; untruthfulness. A lie; a falsehood.


(I'm *not* laughing... I promise! )


If you are a classic movie buff and get the chance, rent 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.' GREAT cast, Burl Ives, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor... just to name the *big* stars. The 'pet' in this case refers to Elizabeth's character Maggie... nicknamed "Maggie the Cat". Great movie.

Yes, Audry was the epitome of elegance and grace. She was indeed an Angel among us.

[wingdesigner]

This movie was taken from a book by the same author that wrote "The Notebook". This movie was not quite as good as "Notebook", but it also wasn't the tearjerker, either. That doesn't mean you should leave the Kleenex at home. Scott Glenn steals the show. His bad guys are good, but his good guys are better. There do seem to be many inconsistencies and, er, "transitional difficulties", but I don't want to be a spoiler, so I'll say no more and you can judge for yourself. Besides, I'm a professional nitpicker, so it's kinda hard to go against my "grain" so to speak.
Although it doesn't sound like it, I really did enjoy this movie. I'm a big fan of Diane Lane, and she came through as usual with a fine performance. Pay attention to the sets and background, there are some great artwork and furniture pieces. Look for the antique glass drawer pull on the wrong side... And for those in HI who may be reading this (spoiler alert) they make fun of Spam. Sorry.

[wingdesigner]

It's rated PG and I suppose the kids enjoyed it, but I did notice some of them losing interest about halfway through. Thought they could have done more with the script in the time they had, although it did not drag, which was a fear. Good sci-fi basis, but mostly seemed like a rip-off of Logan's Run, without Peter Ustinov, and crossed with a log ride from Cedar Point. However, Martin Landau was exceedingly good. I wish the rest of the movie rose up to his part. Not enough was made of Tim Robbins' character, I thought. There was some foreshadowing that was limp, too. But, it's one I'd take the kids to if it's still around when you read this. I'm betting the book is better. Lots of gaps in logic and scene-setting, but maybe I'm getting old. If it's in the second-run theatres, or you can catch a matinee--it's a pleasant 90 minutes or so. I wouldn't pay full price for it. Would make a good rental for home viewing.

[wingdesigner]

Saw the last half-hour of it on cable tonight. Looks like it would have been good, but I don't know that I could have withstood the tension building up to it. Was pulling out what little hair I have left when Robin Williams steals the kid from rehearsal! Gaaahh! If you want a feel-good movie to add to your list--this is it. Two thumbs up. Maybe even a big toe...

[SeaChanty]

The kid inside me says to remind everyone of the delights in "Nanny McPhee".

[Kenshin14435]

LOL
That was a pretty good movie. I'm still waiting for Hancock to come out........I want to buy it...........Great Movie

Take Care

[Sienna Dawn]

The kid inside me says to remind everyone of the delights in "Nanny McPhee".

The kid inside me LOVES Nanny McPhee!

[wingdesigner]

Bernie Mac (RIP) has been one busy fellow, post-mortem. Having said that, this movie was a typical sequel--not nearly as good as the first. Very few of the trademark references to other popular movies, leaning heavily on the jokes and music from the first (not fresh the second time around) movie. Penguins were hysterical in the first movie, not so much now. And a shark that makes it all the way inland to the Serengeti? OK, maybe an Asian walking carp. There were lots of adults and kids walking around, playing with their cell phones, etc., which in my book means the movie wasn't holding their attention. Although every time I see a cell phone light up or hear a spam in a darkened theatre I'd like to just shoot it right out of their hands. At least with the pagers one had to leave to take the call! (And they'd better be an emergency responder or obstretician!) Bottom line--OK, cute, liked the first one better.

SPOILER ALERT: don't read further if you don't want to know the storyline.*



*So, the flashback will be totally lost on the younger children, and us nitpickers did not see the "tattoo" of Africa in the first movie. And one of the scenes from the trailer is conspicuously absent from the movie. I guess one impending death scene is enough for young children...

[webmaster]

Anybody seen the new [url=https://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/startrek/]Star Trek Trailer[/url]? This movie looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

[wingdesigner]

Saw it last night for the first time. Our adopted son told me about it a while back but I didn't believe him. Is this allegedly based on Gene's notes, or just pulp fiction, as it were? Being a bit of a diehard, I have some serious reservations at this point. If the calibre of writing is not up to original ST standards there will be legions of fans howling for someone to be spaced. IMO. But then I'm a tough critic, anyway (if you hadn't noticed).

[webmaster]

If the calibre of writing is not up to original ST standards...

I read an interview with the director in the NYTimes and he said they're keeping the script as true to the original as possible. In the interest of hewing as close to the original Star Trek standards, they made sure to have Scotty breathlessly say his line about the engines not being able to take much more, a minimum of two hundred times during the course of the movie.

Seriously, though. It seems like they're after a serious approach to it, none of the cartoony aspects of Star Trek like Ricardo Montalban in the Wrath of Khan. WoK was a decent movie, but you know, the film becomes unintentionally humorous when Khan and Kirk are competing to see who could score new heights of overacting and be the hammiest. I know, I know, that's part of the fun of the series. But you can't pull that off with actors other than the original ones.

However this movie is exploring how they became the people we know them as, their backstory. Leonard Nimoy makes an appearance as the older Spock via a time travel sequence. It sounds like a more serious movie with lots of action in it, too. I'm excited about it.

[wingdesigner]

Got booted off before, so will try this again.
We all know Trekkies are a tough crowd and sticklers for detail, so let's hope they get their backstories straight or there'll be heck to pay. I presume there will be some webisodes or selected "leaks" to certain Beta fans for feedback. Too bad my buddy Lan isn't still around--bet he'd be high on the list.
Back to Shatner. Read somewhere that in his legitimate theatre days he was called upon as an understudy to take over in a Shakespearean play for one of the leads with very short notice. It was then he employed what became his trademark delivery of syncopated pauses, because he was struggling to remember his lines. Apparently the critics loved it, thought it was "fresh" and lauded him for it. And created a decades-long monster (although it was fun and fairly easy to imitate and lampoon) in the process. However, having only recently discovered Boston Legal I am impressed with the way he portrays his Denny Crain character--a whole generation has grown up not knowing the "original" Shatner; there's not a trace in this character. By far some of the best work he's ever done, IMO. James Spader and Candice (sp?) Bergen aren't shabby, either. What grabbed me as I was surfing at the top of the hour was the opening. Very reminiscent of West Wing and CSI:Crime Scene Investigators, what with a pronounced arc and crescendo, whereby one can actually count down from the final line(s) and "cue music"! Oooh, how fun! Also love the denoument or "balcony scene". Great, like I really need another couch potato excuse. All right, just hijacked this from movies to TV, but I couldn't resist opining about Mr. Shatner.

[webmaster]

He has a new talk show coming in December that promises no scripts, no cuts, no retakes, just William Shatner getting raw with his guests. Watched an amusing commercial about it last night.

Leonard Nimoy is one of his guests and at one point Nimoy reminds Shatner of how long he's been giving him advice and remarks he doesn't know how often he's taken it to which Shatner spreads his arms and says, "Look where I am..."

Just researched it. The series is called Raw Nerve. Here are some [url=https://www.biography.com/shatner/]Raw Nerve Videos[/url]. Be patient, takes a while to download some of them.

Looks...
Like...
Fun.

[wingdesigner]

Well, I guess if I'm home sick that day... The Tim Allen one looks interesting, but with my crappy speakers it's hard to tell what they're saying. The sound is really muddy. Maybe I'll upgrade them when I get a new monitor. But that's another thread... Thanks for the tipoff, though. Gotta get ready for "date night". Movie review to follow.

[wingdesigner]

First, saw a couple of "Raw Nerve" episodes. Better than I thought they'd be.

Now for the review.
Excellent performances by Rosario Dawson and Will Smith. Woody Harrell gives a great supporting performance. I cannot rave enough about this movie, however, I cannot say too much without giving it away. This movie will have you exercising your thinking and puzzling-out muscles all the way through. Smith's acting chops just get better and better. At some point you will need Kleenex, perhaps several. That point may come at different times for different folks, judging by what I observed around me. There are some funny moments to lighten the mood. One hot topic point (for me) was probably dismissed by most of the audience but like I said earlier, I cannot give it away as it is a major plot point (yet probably missed by 90% of the audience). One teeny continuity glitch involving Will Smith's chin, and that's all I'll say about that. Highly recommend this movie for mature teens and up. It's rated PG-13, but most early teens I know might find this too confusing and/or disturbing, IMO. I wish I could say more, but since it just opened today I don't want to give away the plot. I found some of the camera work a little disconcerting and distracting. Otherwise, go see this soon, because usually movies of this calibre don't last more than a couple of weeks. (Remember "Pay it Forward"?)

[webmaster]

Watched Chunking Express again for the whateverth time last night. Was touched by different parts than the first time I saw it. This movie speaks to me in different ways on every viewing. Good one to see once a year.

[wingdesigner]

WM, you might also enjoy "The White Countess". Directed by James Ivory of Merchant/Ivory fame (after Merchant's death), it has lavish cinematography. The title has a double meaning, and showcases the Redgrave sisters and Natasha Richardson together for the first/only time, I believe.

[wingdesigner]

When he's not being a goofball, I like Adam Sandler. Same goes for Ben Stiller (not in this movie but thought I'd opine anyway.) Not exactly "50 First Dates", but pretty good. I thought it was a cute premise and well done; but the editing was a little choppy. Take the kids or GKs. Nothing offensive. Guy Pearce does an admirable American accent, and Lucy Lawless is fun and funny.

Spousal unit doesn't do fantasy very well, so wasn't as delighted as yours truly. I also noticed some audience activity that wasn't there for Seven Pounds.

[Kenshin14435]

Has anyone seen "The Day the Earth Stood Still"??
It was an OK/Great movie. Somewhere in between.
The main character from Matrix was the alien in this movie. I think he played it well.
Also,
Has anyone seen "Valkyrie"??
It looks like an awsome movie but my dad pointed out that it would have been a great movie but the director completely messed it up by cutting out some really important parts like when "one eye"(aka-tom cruise....I don't know the name of the character he plays in the film)decideds they have to kill hitler. They leave that part out.
Has anyone seen it?

Take Care

[webmaster]

Valkyrie received a number of negative reviews, so I'm probably not going to watch it. You might want to consider putting that on your Netflix though. Some flicks are better on the smaller screen than on the big one, regardless what the critics say.

I'm glad you liked The Day the Earth Stood Still, I'm going to put it on my Netflix.

I can't watch Adam Sandler anymore. He's a ham, not as over the top bad as Jim Carrey though, another actor I can't bear watching. Sandler's boy-man thing worked well in The Wedding Singer, but it seems with a few exceptions he's been working on variations of the Boy-Man for the past decade or more. Even Jerry Lewis had good sense to move on from the infantalized male shtick. He's too old to do that.

Re the Bedtime Story movie, I took my daughter to the movies and watched back to back trailers for that and another movie about books/stories coming to life, [url=https://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/inkheart/]Inkheart[/url].

This is what's generally flawed in Adam Sandler movies: They're typically about Adam Sandler's character, usually growing up, not about an actual story or adventure. That there are kids in this movie is incidental and doesn't make it a family tale unless the bar has been lowered and all it takes to be family fare is to take a romance movie, add kids, and remove swear words, nudity and sexual situations. Here's a [url=https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-51,GGLD:en&q=bedtime+stories+trailer+site%3aapple%2ecom]synopsis of Bedtime Stories[/url]:

A family comedy about a guy (ADAM SANDLER), whose life changes when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.

Now compare that with the Synopsis for Inkheart:

Inkheart is a thrilling adventure that stars Brendan Fraser as Mo Folchart, a father who possesses a secret ability to bring characters from books to life when he reads them aloud.

But when Mo accidentally brings a power-hungry villain from a rare children’s fable to life, the villain kidnaps Mo’s daughter and demands Mo bring other evil fictional characters to life.

In an attempt to rescue his daughter, Mo assembles a disparate group of friends - both real and magic - and embarks on a journey to save her and set things right.

You see how Bedtime Stories is about Adam Sandler and his banal quest to find love/grow up/act his age, while Inkheart has an actual story?

Speaking of books coming to life, how about The Neverending Story, which actually has much to say about books themselves? Here's a [url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088323/]synopsis of Neverending Story from IMDB[/url]:

An unhappy boy is bullied by older youths and seeks sanctuary in a bookstore. The owner gives him a magic book in which he is able to follow the adventures of a boy who is everything he believe he is not, brave, strong, successful. He begins to understand that he is a part of the story and that the survival of the world about which he has been reading is in part up to him.

[wingdesigner]

OK, here we go on a tangent: Ofttimes early buzz will create similar movies and one "house" will rush production to be the first to the screen and get the early $$. Dante's Peak v. Volcano--Volcano was clearly the better for having taken its time; Deep Impact v. Armageddon--Liked Armegeddon for the action, but love Robert Duvall in anything, and the line "Well, look on the bright side--we'll all get high schools named after us." And that actress went on to West Wing. There were two "B" movies about the earth's crust separating, one from natural causes, one by a mad scientist. Two movies about going to the center of the earth to resuscitate it (not exploring--those were another two).

Back to topic: I will reserve judgment until I've seen Inkheart; but I agree to disagree w/you, WM on Adam Sandler. I thought he was OK in Click and Bedtime Stories (BS???--knew you'd like that). Not great, but tolerable.

I did see the remake of TDTESS and didn't care for it. There was a lot of deviation from the original in an effort to modernize it, I guess. The way destruction was going to be wrought was OK; but the ending was too predictable and not as suspenseful. Keanu Reeves played his character too much like others he's played. However, LOVED Kathy Bates. (As always. ) But the direction and editing were choppy; if one had not seen the original one would not necessarily follow this. My choice is for the original--"B" that as it may...

[webmaster]

Yah, don't get me wrong, I don't have high hopes for TDTESS, might be ok on video to pass the time, at best. Not vouching for whether Inkheart will be good either, just comparing the plots between the two.

Spiderwick Chronicles was a decent dvd movie, not sure if it was worth seeing on the big screen, same for some other movies with similar plots I've seen lately.

As far as similar movies coming out, I remember Altered States and Werewolf in London shared similarities, some of which had something to do with mixing of personnel during the development stages. Beyond that there are topical reasons why movies delving in similar scenarios come out ([url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Unconscious]Jungian Collective Uncounsious[/url]?).

Movies like Altered States and Werewolf could reflect a seventies hangover at the beginning of the eighties related particularly with drugs like cocaine. A party was ending regarding altered states, as well as political bad moons rising in Central America. Add Scarface and The Fly to the above list of movies and you have an interesting reflection of American anxieties at the time. Governments were in upheaval, idealogies were clashing close to home (liberation theology, Marxists in Peru, communist insurgencies in El Salvador and Nicaragua), Americans were in a time of change.

- Altered States (1980)
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- Scarface (1983)
- The Fly (1986)

Particularly with Sci-Fi and fantasy, alot of what makes it onto the screen (and literature and other arts) is deeply reflective of our times. Thus in the early eighties aliens were generally portrayed as benign but by the late eighties early nineties they were more commonly portrayed as downright evil and afterward, post 911, aliens are attacking our world to in order to annihilate it entirely.

It's not uncommon for movies to resemble a national anxiety or fascination. In this case (Bedtime Stories/Inkheart) it appears to be our capacity to shape and/or control our reality, fate and destiny and the slippery way it can escape our grasp. A very modern predicament what with the economy and other areas where our circumstances seem unshackled from our ability to control them.

[webmaster]

Oh, forgot to mention, saw Milk last week. Very good movie. I was a teen in San Francisco at the time and it resonated with me having been a witness to those events, watching Harvey's political rise and the Dan White political dramas and subsequent riots and all that. Beautiful movie, good story about a man who could bring together people of different colors and cultural backgrounds.

I teared up everytime he shouted into his megaphone, "I'm Harvey Milk, and I'm here to recruit you!"

[wingdesigner]

MIssed that--it was in very limited release here.
On a similar note (pun intended), I've noticed the similarities in soundtrack movies, especially actioners (as the wonks like to call them these days). The National Treasure and Pirates/Caribbean both have the heavy cello/bass string sections bump-bump, ba-da-bump-bump thing going (OK, so I can't read music, but I know what I hear ). Several others I can't think of offhand also use that same technique to convey majestic purpose or some such. I know soundtracks are manipulative and usually I don't mind. That's why I stick around for the credits, to see what music they've culled for the tracks; and to see if there's a tag at the end. Sometimes the same movie will have different tags in different theatres, I.e.: "Iron Man".
That is all (for now).

[wingdesigner]

Pretty good. I'm not a big fan of Shia LaBoef (sp?), but perhaps I haven't seen enough from him yet. I thought this started out borrowing from the Matrix, but later changed my mind to say it had heavy leanings on the Terminator series. Also, it only reinforces my opinion of what happens when one thinks one has succeeded in creating A.I. (You all know my opinion of 'puters) They do a pretty good job of masking what's going on until about 1/3- to 1/2-way through the movie. I did not know Billy Bob Thornton was in this and was pleasantly surprised, although there was a little twist at the end that I thought could have been set up better. Rosario Dawson is also in this--guess she's had a busy year. Not much blood (PG-13) but implied violence. All in all, I liked it and would recommend for an action flick.

[wingdesigner]

Another wonderful indie movie. Pacing is a little off but has a good ending. Just saw it again on cable. One of those "based on/inspired by" a true story things.

[wingdesigner]

Both are channel-surf stoppers.

DINNER RUSH--I may have reviewed this one already. Stars Danny Aiello, among others (can't say or I'll give away some of the plot twists). You do have to stick with this, it can drag, but sooo worth it. The ending is terrific.

(Speaking of Danny Aiello--enjoy all of his work, including Hudson Hawk, which I think is a hoot, even though the critics panned it)

THE FULL MONTY. What can I say? Yes, it's supposed to be a comedy, but it also deals with serious subject matter: unemployment (as does another movie--Kinky Boots), child custody/visitation, and other marital issues. The music is infectious, the ending will have you cheering (much like Greenfingers).

That is all.

[webmaster]

Thanks for the reference to Dinner Rush. That movie slipped past me somehow. I'll have to put it on the NetFlix.

Just watched half of PineApple Express. So far so good. James Franco, who also stars in Milk, gives a great performance as a dizzy pot dealer. Josh Grogen plays his usual character...

Ok, now it's time for me to geek out on my Chinese Kung Fu Soap Opera. I'm on the eighth (and last) disc. Gotta finish it. One of the best ones I've watched so far.

[img]https://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/MattoStar/Movie/Handsome%20Siblings/TheHandsomeSiblingsTheCom21109_f.jpg[/img]

Nicholas Tse

[img]https://image2.sina.com.cn/ent/d/2005-04-15/U102P28T3D703359F326DT20050415111037.jpg[/img]

Here's one of the funnier bits, when Dicky Cheung dons a short skirt and impersonates a servant girl in order to sneak into a household.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm6D6oyXgbQ#t=5m00s

(The sound and subtitles are off in the YouTube video but not on the actual DVD... annoying.)

[wingdesigner]

Where do you come up with this stuff? I'm surprised some of this even makes it to video/disc.

[wingdesigner]

Sorry, folks, too busy shoveling snow all day here in MI. Roads are dicey so no movie tonight. However, hope to make it out to see Kate Winslet double feature at the art house: Revolutionary Road, and The Reader. Stay tuned.

[webmaster]

Oh heck! I finished the series and was disapointed. The story was so good up until the final six or ten episodes. SPOILER ALERT: Don't read further if you intend to watch this series.

What ruined it for me is they starting killing off all the characters you cared about so that in the end there was only one person standing and everyone you ever cared about was dead. Why should I care about the movie at that point? Even the villain was killed off only to be replaced by a new villain.

What they should have done was keep the New Villain a mystery until the end, and plotted the film so the audience sympathized with that villain until at the end when it's revealed that the good person was really evil. Well, that's what the characters in the series believed so it makes sense to fool the audience as well. Now THAT would have been a shocking denouement.

[wingdesigner]

OK, now what are you talking about? That funky Chinese soap opera series or something else? (scratching head)

[wingdesigner]

Well, in spite of the sub-zero temps and amassed snow, enough is enough and date night was reinstated. Didja miss me? (Don't answer that.)

This is so much better than the trailers, and I thought the trailers were cute. We ended up getting in after the opening title sequence but I don't think we missed much. We had to sit way up front and look up the actors' noses, so that wasn't fun. However, even "up close", the chemistry between Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson is palpable. The way they play off of each other in scenes is a lesson in the way it should be done. The actress who plays the daughter getting married looks like she could be Mary Elizabeth Mastroantonio's (sp?) daughter! The character development was a little spotty, as if there were scenes edited out that mayhaps would have given some better continuity. The movie was shot in London and is a terrific supporting actor. There is a really cool suspension bridge with some fascinating history to it--look it up on line sometime. It made some travel mag's top 10 bridges list. Back to the story. Dustin Hoffman's character portrayal is superb. Emma Thompson captures the very essence of "bad date face"--it's almost hysterically funny, and yet sad at the same time.
I highly recommend it. Two thumbs up.



SPOILER ALERT:
It reminded me strongly of "An Affair to Remember", but without the maudlin ending.
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[wingdesigner]

Had heard bad things about this so waited until it hit the cheapie movie house. Well...not the best James Bond I've seen. I'd liken it to the ripoff "Never Say Never Again", but at least the female parts were written better. It departed from the formula of opening scene, graphic animation w/James Bond Theme, sexy background w/opening titles, body of movie, end titles. For purist fans, not acceptable. The graphic animation (logo, if you will)/theme did not come until the end titles and they fooled with the arrangement (music) too much. Not acceptable to this fan. Even the sexy opening title shot was tame, even for '60's standards. (Yawn.) Opening scene/act looked like it was borrowed straight from the last Transporter movie, and the whole storyline was ripped off from the George Lazenby/Pierce Brosnan transition pair. Oh, and intentionally or not, there was an obvious nod to/ripoff of Goldfinger.

Sadly, this movie has not carried on the Bond tradition as set up by Ian Fleming, even with adjustments for current political climate. Direction was choppy, editing worse, photography was downright irritating with all the quick cuts back and forth, a la MTV. I'd really like to give Daniel Craig a decent shot at "being Bond" in his own way, but this movie was not it. I like his other works outside this genre, but he didn't do himself any favours here. I was not convinced (in two movies) that he genuinely loved or had any chemistry with the Vesper character, as Lazenby's Bond did with the Countess. Granted, Lazenby was cheesy at best, but the script was better, and when Pierce Brosnan took up the role, he made it believeable and then let it go--we weren't whacked over the head with it for the rest of the movie.

So, I guess one could say I didn't like this movie. But, I wouldn't call it a waste of time and money; there were some interesting cars...