Movies Anyone?

[webmaster]

Rented "Terry Jones: Medieval Lives" and found it informative and funny. Good stuff. In it he explodes common perceptions of what it was like to live during medieaval times.

Rented a flick produced by Sony, which wants to crack the Indian market. So it's not really a bollywood flick, per se. It's called Saawariya. Lots of magical moments interspersed with a few head scratching cultural disconnects. Overall charming and if you're adventurous about what you watch and don't mind reading subtitles, this is an interesting choice.

Watched Sleeping Beauty for the first time and I have to say I think it's Disney's finest in terms of being able to stand the test of time. Snow White and Pinocchio, as charming as they are, are still too scary for some kids and have too many disturbing and inappropriate images for children (Snow White menaced by a dagger/children smoking cigarettes, etc.). No such problem with Sleeping Beauty.

[JennyC]

Interesting the things we see in children's movies as adults that we don't see as children. I remember being most disturbed as a child by the dragon scene in Sleeping Beauty; the huntsman with the dagger in Snow White didn't distub me then, though now it's surely creepy. Do you think the smoking in Pinocchio is a problem? It was an example of him being bad, and he got donkey ears for it, right? Vague memories here; I probably haven't seen that movie since the 70s.

What do you think of the original Fantasia? And Cinderella?

(I can talk old movies with the best of them, but I don't see new ones at all.)

[webmaster]

I enjoyed Fantasia as a child. Found it alternately disturbing and boring as an adult. The whole Sorcerer's apprentice scene where Mickey is homocidally chasing the broom around and they show the broom's head getting split by the ax is way beyond what any child should be exposed to, imo.

Cinderella is pretty benign. As I recall, there weren't any truly scary scenes and the most violent it became was the king menacing the duke with his sword. My daughter is a big fan of Cinderella and it seems pretty gentle. The songs are outstanding, too.

My three (now going on four) year old daughter enjoys National Velvet, Wizard of Oz, musicals with memorable songs- she flipped when she first saw parts of the The Music Man.

Speaking of old movies, The Black Legion was recently released on DVD so I rented it off NetFlix. It's a fine movie, powerful, especially if you enjoy watching Humphrey Bogart. He's pretty young in this flick, not yet famous, I think.

[opabinia51]

Speaking of children's movies, I really enjoyed watching the Incredibles with a little friend of mine a few years ago. It's amazing the things that adults pick up from movies that children miss.

[Chris McN]

I could never watch Bambi....

Cinderella was my girl when I was a kid, but 101 Dalmatians is my all time favorite children's movie (animated version, although I think Glenn Close's Cruella is a hoot)

When my oldest daughter (now on the cusp of 19) was growing up we were hooked on all of the Disney "princesses." I made all of her halloween costumes--Ariel, Jasmine, Esmerelda, Pocahontas. During the "Jasimine" phase, Kristen would wear the costume and the wig every day. I got so used to seeing her in the black wig that she started to look downright unnatural in her natural blonde hair!

I just came across this interesting website:
https://animatedheroines.com/
I'd forgotten about some of these great Disney female characters...

I recently saw ENCHANTED--Amy Adams is THE perfect princess!

[wingdesigner]

Movie reveiws--oh dear. There is a serious popcorn jones in this house and you may just have unleashed a monster. Saturday night is date night (when the spousal unit isn't working), are you up for weekly (almost) reviews? Or is this thread for oldies, like I've seen already?

[webmaster]

Weekly reviews would be great.

I'm in the middle of watching a new Jet Li/Andy Lau flick called Warlords. Jet Li won best actor award for this movie at the HK Film Awards last April. It's not out in the U.S. yet I think, so I had to buy it off eBay from an HK seller.

It's a war movie set in China a few centuries ago, chronicling the rise to power of three men and how their relationship changes as it grows more complex. So far so good.

[JPlovesflowers]

This doesn't fit the style already mentioned, but we just saw "August Rush" and it was wonderful. If you are a musician, you must watch it without your "musician's eyes". If not, it will drive you crazy...the most delightful film I've seen in many years.
JP

[Irie]

August Rush was an absolutely wonderful movie - I had to watch it twice! We watch a lot of movies and it is always great to see one that leaves you feeling good.

[Charlie MV]

nice guy.

[wingdesigner]

I must admit, when the first installment came out, I went with some trepidation. I had heard that C.S. Lewis was opposed to a movie being made of any of his works, because the animation and technology was so primitive and he didn't want a cartoon made of them. I think he would have been pleased with the first one, especially. I came away pleased with the script and jaw-dropping FX. Casting Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, and the voice casting of Liam Neeson as Aslan, along with the voice casting of some of the other characters was spot-on. It's been a while since I've read the Chronicles, and of course I can't find my copies now, but the sequel didn't seem to measure up. The FX were still astounding, the water looked like water, etc., but the storyline--well, it didn't seem to have the continuity of the first. It seemed rushed. That's not to say it wasn't worth the popcorn and admission prices; it was good entertainment. Just not exactly what I hoped for/expected. If they pick up the third book, I hope they do better with the screenplay/script.

[wingdesigner]

Storyline sooo ripped off from a Stargate SG-1 episode! If one is a huge Indy fan and doesn't care for content, then the movie is a rollicking good time. It was fun to see Karen Allen and Harrison Ford's chemistry kick in; for this writer it was the best part of the movie. Shia LeBeouf didn't do it for me--I miss River Phoenix. He had the young Indy down pat and would have been perfect in the part as his son. There were some good wisecracks and sfx, but the directing was uneven as was the storyline, editing and continuity choppy with some things left dangling. The final scene visual efx were disappointing for a director who has the entire universe of ILM at his disposal. The camera work for the stunts and miniatures were, however, quite convincing. One wonders why Cate Blanchett agreed to this role, however. Guess I was hoping for better.

[wingdesigner]

First half was slow, lots of sight gags. Second half really tackled some touchy issues, carefully over-farced (I made that up) to avoid offense. But, we were impressed with the subject matter and that Adam Sandler had the courage to tackle it. Noticed in the pre-release interviews he and the interviewer carefully avoided any mention that there was a serious topic involved in this movie. Hmm. We're not a big fan of teen boy locker room sight gags, and much preferred his performance in "Click", but overall, we appreciated the underlying message. That's all we can say w/out spoiling.

[collegechic]

Disney movies... Perhaps it's because I live in Orlando, grew up right next to the "magic" of Disney, aka Tourists, traffic, over priced areas. That I am now so disenfranchised by it. However I think the movies are alright for entertainment value, but they're nothing special. Almost all of Disney's "classic" movies were originally from the Grimm's collection of Fairy Tales. Which, incidentally, aren't original to the brothers even. They were a collection of folklore as to not lose the German culture during the crusades and the advent of Christianity, as well as when towns were becoming more distant. As far as Disney's portrayal, well I have an issue with that too. The stories at the time had to deal with teaching lessons to the family. Snow White for example, and others, taught about being good to your kids. In a time where it wasn't completely abnormal for parents to go out into the woods and leave their children due to hassle. But in the original Grimm version Snow White is less than innocent, you'll see at the end. The prince is kind of, creepy. And the evil lady is not a step-mother, but a mother. The disney movies weren't originally even marketed to children, but to adults, at least the really old movies. Not to mention the underling themes of witches are evil, step-mothers are bad, beauty is everything, it is okay to kill the evil or those less than human, and the emphasis on gender roles, the movies can create an interesting topic for discussion on their emphasis on a child's development. (Says the girl who watched them growing up. )

But, now that I've made myself out to be a wordy, hippie, liberal, feminist I do think the disney movies were a triumph for animation in America, and do have a fun entertainment value.

Onto other, more recent, movie reviews for everyone:

Don't mess with the Zohan - It's okay, a little long but some good laugh out loud moments. I wouldn't recommend paying 20 bucks for popcorn, you and your sweeties tickets, but when it comes out on DVD it'd be a good mindless movie to rent.

Kung Fu Panda - Very funny, and a great movie, I'd see it twice. Fun for the whole family.

The Happening - I haven't seen it, because I've heard it's a total waste of your life. Everyone walking out of the theatre was saying "I told you we should have seen something else." Has anyone here seen it and has an opinion? My boyfriend really wanted to see it, but we're holding off in light of reviews.

Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Okay, so I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who has yet to see it, but it's not your typical Indiana - a bit more sci-fi. But that's Lucas and Speilburg for you. It's a good movie, won't make you all warm and fuzzy inside like the old ones do, but I'd still recommend seeing it.

Iron man - Amazing, a very good and worthwhile movie. I went in expecting to be disappointed and was entertained and pleasantly impressed.


And that's all the movies I've seen. It's a lazy Sunday morning, and all I want to do is putz around on this forum

[wingdesigner]

Forgettable. Script was weak, casting looked like second choice except for the title character and supporting female lead. Full frontal male nudity--definitely earned it's R rating. Gratuituous (sp) use of ex-gang member, lots of unexplained bits, and oh yeah, several scenes where one can actually SEE the boom mike! Hellow! Looked like they wanted Will Ferrell and Hal Sparks or that guy from Kids in the Hall, but got some lookalikes instead because the first choices probably rejected the script. Well, it was at the cheapie movie house w/the great popcorn, and we were able to salvage date night this weekend, so all was not lost. There were some cute moments, a few laughs; but the Hawaiian sunrises and sunsets stole the show. Brought back some great memories.

[webmaster]

I saw Kung Fu Panda last week and agree it's a great family film (at least for my family).

I've never been enamored by Indiana Jones, not my thing so I'll wait until it's out on video.

Hmm... I watched Atonement last night and thought it was good. I wasn't crazy about the end, seemed like a cop out so as to have a sad AND happy ending at the same time. But good video to watch. I strongly recommend it.

I agree about Disney being less than perfect. I believe their hype surpasses reality. Was recently thinking about Disney and how they change the stories. I used to think that it was a bit of tampering but now I look at it more as updating the stories- especially in light of how gruesome some of the original tales were.

The older flicks like Dumbo are full of horrifying, racist, and inappropriate scenes. Snow White being menaced by a knife is over the top violent these days, and who the hell greenlighted the scene in Pocohontas where an Indian gets shot in the back point blank? Geez, what were the Disney animators smoking when they slipped that in? Murder by gunshot in a kids film??? It's appalling!

Which is why I appreciate films that manage to entertain an audience that is full innocence without stripping away a little bit of that innocence. Yes, The Little Mermaid is a love story, but it's quite innocent and charming, with excellent songs. Adults are going to have a hard time getting it because they are simply out of context. However watching it with my kid provides me with the context where I can enjoy it.

There are flaws in some of the Disney films, although there are others that set the benchmark of a greatness. There is magic at the heart of Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, the Aristocats, The Little Mermaid, the Lion King, Sleeping Beauty and, yes, despite one or two parts, even Snow White. To varying degrees and perhaps arguably, the songs are some of the most entertaining, witty, and delightful that have ever been put to film.

[wingdesigner]

A great indy with Danny Aiello and some surprising co-stars. If you find this in the local rental store or on cable, do take time to watch. It starts out a little slow (most indies do), but really takes off, has a great twist at the end and good closing shot. Danny Aiello is the owner of a New York City restaurant, it's dinner rush, and he has a whole host of things to deal with--can't say more or I'll spoil it. Worth a look. Grab your fav Italian take-out (with dessert) and curl up with it. BTW, this is not a "chick flick", and for certain scenes, I'd rate it an R, in case you have kids.

[Kenshin14435]

I went to go see WALL-E. For pretty much no words it was a great movie!!! It was hilarious!! The little cock-roach gets accidentally run over by WALL-E not once but twice. It was hilarious because each time it was flattened, after a couple of seconds it just POPS back to life. Although, theres a robot that is kinda freaky and over-runs that captain and locks him in his cabin(there is only one human CREW on board, and that is the captain). That robot has a freaky low voice. It reminds me of a movie that was a about a molestor and crap like that.(That was a really freaky movie, and no, it's not disney) But any way he had a really creepy voice. The robot reminds me of him. The movie can be kind of insulting but it is understandable. See, earth has been over crammed with trash. So what do they do? They invent a HUGE space cruise that carries at least a million people. It takes them one a 5 year cruise while the robots
(WALL-E) are compacting the trash into little cubes. Anyway the earth is only wupposed to be uninhabited for only 5 years, but project clean-up failed. So humans have been on a cruise for 700 years.(WALL-E is visited by EVE who is supposed to look for another planet that has plants, animals or humans on it, comes to earth to look for life. Of course, earlier that day WALL-E finds a plant.(He collects anything he finds interesting) He gives the plant to EVE who "scans" it and calls the calvary)
Anyway, after EVE confirms there is a plant on earth the captain tells the bridge robot(autopilot thing) to go to earth. The robot refuses due to a message from the president that tells everyone to go back to earth. This message was transmitted 700 years ago. So the captain tells the autopilot to go back but it refuses. It locks the captain in his room.
Anyway, back to the insulting part. Everyone on the ship is FAT. I mean fat fat. Not just over weight. These people have been on these chairs that have a screen virtual screen on them so all you have to do is command it to do something and it will have something brought to you(like a food shake(yes I said food shake. They eat through shakes instead of real food)) So these people got so lazy that their bone mass went down by 3/4ths.(It was kinda sad)It's kinda insulting to big people but kinda not. I mean they brought it on to themselves right?
Anyway, that's all I'm going to tell you. You'll have to go see the movie. Although, I don't see how the human aging factor comes into this. The people haven't aged one bit. They just got really fat(not to be offensive)
I highly reccommend it. 5 stars.
GO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wingdesigner]

If one is an avid or rabid fan, this movie is a treat for the senses. Great intro shots for the girls; great recap of the series; a great reunion. Yeah, I'm a fan. For anyone else it will drag on. It earns it's R rating so don't be bringing the kids. Jennifer Hudson was terrific! I had a choice of this or Wall-E, but figured SATC wouldn't be around much longer. Am happy with my choice--a good time was had by all. Noticed in the credits (yes, we stick around to read ALL of them); there were several Aiello's, and another "famous" name I've since forgotten--wonder if they're related?
That is all.

[webmaster]

Well... the humans were living and dying for 700 years in outer space. Because of a lack of gravity they started to lose bone mass over the centuries. This is an actual side effect of prolonged exposure to zero gravity, and in this case they were exposed to less gravity than on Earth. [url=https://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast01oct_1.htm]Here's a reference[/url]that explains how zero gravity will cause a loss of 1% of bone mass per month. It was explained in the movie, but really fast. So it was easy to miss if something else had your attention, easy in this movie.

I don't think it's meant to insult overweight people. It's a dig at what humanity has generally drifted towards as the culmination of civilization, which is to be entertained and be lazy about it. Not North American culture either, but a common human trait evidenced throughout history, witness the Romans etc. Jabba the Hut embodies this trait of infantile decadence.

The humans basically became big babies because of the coddling by the robots. They were born into that existence and conditioned to it. Remember the scenes of the babies being raised by robots?

Also take note that they were evidently no longer creating babies the natural way, as the humans no longer had physical contact with each other. Remember how startled they were to take the screens down and touch another human, as if they'd never touched one before?

I enjoyed Wall-e, it's unlike any other movie I've ever seen. Because it's in a class of it's own, you almost have to define it by what it's not. It's not a kids movie, it's not a sci-fi, it's not like Toy Story, it's not an arty flick...

[Kenshin14435]

I said that part about the isulting part because there were a few Big people in there(no offense......I'm a little overweight myself)that were shining and moaning aloud about how insulting it was. I didn't find it insulting though. It's the simple cause and effect saying. People were to lazy to stay fit so they got effected by it. Their prob, no mine. It was really annoyuing when the kept at it too. They just kept complaining. They were asked to leave after a while. You can complain to yourself all you want, just don't say it aloud. It's just annoying. How they reproduced I have no idea. But, as this isn't sex ed., I'm not going to talk about it.

[Kenshin14435]

LOL I went to go see HANCOCK yesterday. It was an awesome movie. Lots of action. Although, its not for young kids. There are ALOT of references to alcohol and TONS of cussing.
I give it five of five stars. GO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[webmaster]

Yah, read a review in the New Yorker, he's supposed to be the Charles Bukowski of super heroes. Looks interesting .

[Kenshin14435]

Who the heck is Chalres Buk-whoever??????????????

[wingdesigner]

As a fan of the original show and Don Adams I had my reservations going in (pun intended). Aside from a few forced quotes, I liked it very much. The backstory and depth of character they gave Max was quite enjoyable. I have to believe that Anne Hathaway really enjoyed a break from being a princess (yes, even in "Devil/Prada" she was still a princess) and getting to kick some ***.


Also saw Wall-e. Loved it, want to see it again to pick up on what I missed, especially in the background. Pixar at their best, in spite of Disney's influence.

[applestar]

Little late joining this conversation -- but here goes:

WALL-E : LOVED it! My kids do a great imitation of "Waaallleee" now. Run-over cockroach was funny (fact that Wall-E and his pet cockroach are the only ones left, in itself, is funny), Auto-pilot and the captain standing up was a 2001: A Space Odyssey reference. A bit ironic considering where we are technology-wise in 2008. A bit optimistic in the eco-recovery/agricultural renaissance as you watch the credits roll by (especially humorous in view of our own gardening trials and tribulations... )

Speed Racer : If you grew up watching the old series, it was a blast from the past (as the saying goes) True to the original story lines and format with the whiz-bang of the latest CG tech. Not recommended for people with an impending headache or who are sensitive to flashing lights.

I love Hayao Miyazaki movies -- just borrowed Castle in the Sky from the library, but My Neighbor Totoro is hands-down the best. Also, Howl's Moving Castle, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away. Despite some quite gruesome scenes (so this one's not for little kids), I really like Princess Mononoke too.

Just watched War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise) - again, too violent and scary for kids (a bit scary for me too) but the premise (not giving it away) is a good one that we should all remember.

BTW -- We always stay through the credits, too. Sometimes we whisper to people, "There's something at the end. You'll miss it...." and still end up being the only ones left. Movie review sites are starting to note the ones WITH end-of-credits Easter eggs now.

[wingdesigner]

OK, WM I give, too. Who is Charles Bukowski? I'm probably gonna kick myself when I get the answer.

[wingdesigner]

Another children's move one should not take children to see. Most kids were squirming, crying, pestering other people, everything but watching the movie. When they did, they were crying because of the violence and scary images during the fight scenes. The message was totally lost on them. I had the most fun guessing the voices of the actors. There was a message but even for adults it was hard to ascertain, IMO. The animation was not cutting edge (as compared to Pixar--I know, unfair comparison, or even Disney), and the product nod to HP at the end titles was . There were a few chuckles, but we were the only two laughing sometimes. Disappointing, I'd say.

[webmaster]

Charles Bukowski was a poet, short story writer and novelist who wrote during the fifties through the early nineties and died around 1994. As I understand it, his poetry sells more books than any other modern poet. Charles Bukowski is a post beat poet, however he is also not a part of any particular literary movement. In my opinion, he's a one-man literary movement.

[img]https://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/11/19/books/powe600span.jpg[/img]
Charles Bukowski on a French television program

His gravestone reads, Don't try.
Bukowski is famous for being a drunk living day to day on skid row in Los Angeles. While a lot of that is true, he was also a postal worker for ten years. But the drunk living in flop houses is more romantic and that's what he's usually associated with. Regardless, one thing that is true is that he was a habitual writer. He spent large amounts of time doing it. Not dreaming about it or practicing or going to classes, he just did it and did it every day and every night. He wrote so much that twelve years after his death there are still many many stories and poems that have yet to be published.

He submitted his work to numerous magazines and eventually was published in small then larger magazines and after a long time made a name for himself and became a countercultural hero. He remains a countercultural icon. Perhaps because of the topics of his writing, despite the profound nature of it, he really cannot be anything but outside of the cultural mainstream. Which is why many may not have heard about him despite decades of worldwide fame.

His writing featured drinking, horse racing, loose down and out women who could never be trusted to whom he sometimes extended the courtesy nonetheless, and the inability to reconcile himself to a life of meaningless work. Perhaps the subtopic to all that is finding meaning in all the above, finding the humor in the every day, and reconciling himself to a world that finds Elizabeth Taylor beautiful while he finds her hideous beyond words.

He was a writer
People associate Tom Waits with this kind of seediness but that's just an association. Tom Waits is not seedy, he just sings about it. Bukowski lived it, but the skid row period was just one small part of his overall life. He married and lived in the suburbs for a greater amount of time. While in his later years he did not live a seedy life, when you watch him on film, you get the feeling it's all in him, and understand it's authenticity. It's not a put on, what he writes about.

Although he was an alcoholic and rough around the edges and seemingly swore in every sentence he spoke and wrote, and was the furthest thing from "family friendly," he was incredibly profound.

[img]https://www.huntington.org/Information/images/buk.JPG[/img]


Some movies about or inspired by Charles Bukowski

https://www.netflix.com/Movie/Bukowski_Born_into_This/60033352

I highly recommend the first disc in this set:
https://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Charles_Bukowski_Tapes/70053591

https://www.netflix.com/Movie/Factotum/70035172

https://www.netflix.com/Movie/Barfly/60023852

it's ours

there is always that space there
just before they get to us
that space
that fine relaxer
the breather
while say
flopping on a bed
thinking of nothing
or say
pouring a glass of water from the
spigot
while entranced by
nothing

that
gentle pure
space

it's worth

centuries of
existence

say

just to scratch your neck
while looking out the window at
a bare branch

that space
there
before they get to us
ensures
that
when they do
they won't
get it all

ever.

[wingdesigner]

Wow. Thanks WM, I liked your choice of quotes. The quiet space he talks about is indeed a rare treasure, usually fleeting and fleeing before we barely realise it's there. I don't care for Hunter S. Thompson, but I might like this guy.

[webmaster]

Not a fan of Hunter S. Thompson either. He's always been a baby crying to be fed more more more, gimme gimme gimme. Self-centered and narcissistic to the end. He never seemed to mature past an adolescent conception of debauchery for it's own sake.

Hank on the other hand was more reflective, and disliked that hoo-hoo-shouting fist-pumping gonzo sloppy type. Check out the Bukowski Tapes, you'll see what I mean. I think his coolness is why he has a huge global audience that loves him, feels a strong affection for Hank. He's as opposite to HST as one can be, imo.

[wingdesigner]

Good to know. Goin' to a motorcycle rally this weekend (if my back straightens out) and in between kickin' tires I may head back to the hotel (where I camp) and look up some of those things. Or take an informal poll amongst fellow bikers. You just never know...

[wingdesigner]

Fun. Glad I saw it in 3D, though, cuz it probably would've dragged otherwise. Nothing objectionable, and there's a Prius (not my colour) in the first 10 minutes! Some geology jokes (I laughed ). Glad to see Josh Hutcherson getting something other than the bully roles; but I think they're still typecasting him as the "sensitive" kid. I believe he has the chops to be more, if he can get the scripts. There are some rip-off scenes (IMO) from Indy movies, but I don't want to spoil it. If you go see it in 3D, sit towards the center, about 4 seats in or more, if you can. Fun, fun. No, most of the scenes where they try to reconcile fantasy with reality, are themselves not realistic; but at least it gives geologists a boost. Brendan Fraser has been very active this year, has another movie out next month.

[wingdesigner]

Just watched it again on cable--can't believe no one else has posted on this one! Over here it was an Art House movie when it was released, and I believe was the breakout role for Clive Owen in the States. Of course, Dame Helen Mirren is fabulous. And do watch until the very end, if you haven't seen it, I won't spoil it for you. Am I gushing yet?

[wingdesigner]

Well, everything I've heard was true. RDJr. was indeed well cast, as was Gwynneth Paltrow. (sp?) Loved the repartee between the two in the beginning, but thought the script dropped the ball at the end; weakening her character's strength shown at the beginning. Forgot to look for Stan Lee until I saw the credits (darn), anyone know what scene he was in? I'm thinking either the reporters or the charity event. Loved the interaction with Jarvis and the other 'bots--very funny. Spousal unit said the tag was different this time than the first time--hmm--alternate tags? Glad I chose this over the Hulkster.

[webmaster]

Yah, Dark Knight was great. Kept me glued to the seat the entire time.

[wingdesigner]

Thanks, Sunnie! Now I remember, because I remarked to the spousal unit that Hef looked a lot better than that, and I wondered what he thought about that little spoof. Now I don't think it's mean spirited anymore. (shaking head) Duh, he mugged for the camera and everything--I have a gift for overlooking the obvious sometimes. Sigh.

[webmaster]

Saw Tropic Thunder this afternoon. Hilarious. Tom Cruise steals every scene he's in. I laughed, I cried. It has nothing to do with the triumph of the human spirit.

[wingdesigner]

Ohhhkaaay... I hope it's better than Pineapple Express. What a snoozer/loozer.

[wingdesigner]

What a hoot! (No, neither that word nor its derivatives were used in this film.) Much better than I expected, and quite funny. Humour was not really crude, the characters (many of them) were very nicely done by the respective actors (some of them second generation). Produced by Adam Sandler, and was surprisingly good for something with his hand in it. Well, maybe that was a little harsh, he has done some good stuff (Click). I went to see it because I'm a big fan of Girls Next Door and the episode where they were shooting the scenes just aired (some coincidence, eh?). Soo off we went not expecting much and were pleasantly surprised. Not a movie I'd take anyone under 18 to, and maybe it's rated R, but I don't remember. Language wasn't too bad, I don't remember hearing the f-word at all, but other "substitutions" were made. You will have to suspend believeability at some point, but if you can get past that, I think you'll really enjoy this and get some good laughs. The writers gave the lead character an hilarious device, which I won't reveal, but had some of the audience, including hard-to-please older teens, mimicking it on the way out. Four thumbs up (mine and the spousal unit's).