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A look or two at OCEAN'S 11!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... Recently my standard end of the year questions have begun regarding the Holiday Film Season. Personally, I would love have seen OCEAN'S ELEVEN moved to the spring, coupled with a great VEGAS cross-promotion, heaven knows Vegas could use the push! However, OCEAN'S ELEVEN really seems to be being sold short quite a bit. Sure we see ads about, but damn... This has one of the best A-list casts in ages with the number one director working today! Yet the anticipation from folks.... well just take a look at the poll on the front page... ROYAL TENENBAUMS is beating it still. Now I adore Wes Anderson's last film, but this is Soderberg that we're talking about! Well, I have to admit that Anderson's win in the poll brings a smile to my face, but a look of stunned surprise as well!
Hey Harry,
Longtime reader/fan here with news of a press screening of "Ocean's 11" last
night (11/27) in Westwood, CA. Most of the audience were young Hollywood
tikes -- agent assts. and Warner Bros. low lifes. And, oh yeah, some press
dudes, too.
The movie is slick yet still Soderbergy. Hand-held cameras, revelling in
the details of a major Las Vegas heist with well-drawn characters played by
well-heeled actor/stars. Everyone's having fun and it shows. Not in a Rat
Pack "let's only do one take and then get a steak" way, but in a "let's have
fun while we're on this set all day" way. Soderberg clearly held the reigns
and allowed Clooney to come off as Big Daddy when the cameras rolled.
Much more concise than the kitschy original, the story's much the same --
just more high tech and better paced. There are some slow spots -- after
the characters are introduced and before the heist begins. That section
drags although it does set-up everything to come afterwards. The heist
itself is fun galore and very well laid out.
Andy Garcia plays his part (casino owner Terry Benedict) with just the right
ooze factor. Even though he's nominally the good guy (having his money
stolen) we're all rooting for the "bad guys" who comprise Clooney, Pitt,
Damon, Cheadle, Reiner, Casey Affleck, Sonny Corleone's boy Scott Caan, etc.
Overall, the proceedings are as light as a feather. Upon exiting the
theater, the experience instantly begins to evaporate like a sweet dream.
"What just happened? Oh, yeah -- nice dream but ultimately forgettable."
In other words, it's a nice escapist heist fantasy. Don't go looking for
Steve McQueen coolness a la "The Great Escape".... but if you don't mind
blowing your hard-earned cash for a little light fare, this isn't a bad way
to spend a few slicks hours.
Keep up the great site, man. Until you the wind blows from my direction
again, I'll remain... C.K. Dexter Haven.And here is a second look...
Hey Harry,
Me here with my fist e-mail to you. I was lucky enough to get invited to
a media screening of Ocean's 11 last night in Westwood and I am
desperate to share my feelings over this film which I felt was utterly
fantastic. I will leave this brief and I won't include any spoilers as
there are so many twists and turns throughout the movie that any mention
of them will ruin it.
Well, where should I begin? This movie has everything that I am looking
for and I know that I am not the only one that feels this way. For the
guys there is Vegas, guns, gambling, Julia Roberts, explosions,
high-tech stealing and mission impossible style break ins. For the girls
there is Clooney, Pitt and a dozen other guys for them to look at.
The movie is funny, hilarious at points, exciting and never once did I
want it to end, unlike a couple of the more recent movies which were a
little too long. Ocean's 11 was perfect, except for the last five or six
minutes which slightly killed it for me but I can get over that. Just
killed the mood slightly. I can't say enough good things about this
movie. The cast was perfect. The humor was right on. The set-pieces were
fantastic. The score was great (I hardly even noticed it was there!).
Dialog was witty and sharp throughout, and there were enough plot twists
to keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Clooney is at his
suave, Out of Sight best, Pitt is well Pitt, Roberts looks great as
always, Damon is great, Eliot Gould and Don Cheadle (doing a hilarious
cockney accent attempt) steal every scene they are in, Andy Garcia is a
slimy and cool as ever, and last but not least Affleck and his side kick
are hilarious. Perfect casting and a great script to show them off plus
Soderberg at the helm makes for a fantastic movie.
The whole idea of the movie is totally unbelievable but I didn't care
and nor do I believe you are meant to. It is campy and cheesy at times
just like the original. Do yourself a favor and go see it. Definitely
one of the best films I have seen in a while.
P.s. sorry if I am rambling but I am at work and am trying to write this
without getting caught. Go see it, you won't be disappointed.
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Haven't really seen him for a while. Underrated, cool MF. He has great performances, Godfather III, Black Rain and the one where he was up against bad cop Richard Gere. Internal Affairs, I think it was called.
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I'm crazy, waiting for this movie... i love soderberg movies... including the one with clooney.
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I was at the very same screening... and I enjoyed it a lot more than you did. Very very fun film. It's a lot like a classic episode of the old "Mission Impossible" series. The chemistry between all the charaters is great. There's one silly little moment I liked when Brad Pitt is watching TV, and George Clooney, worried whether or not they have enough people for the heist, is talking to him. Pitt is completely oblivious, but Clooney keeps talking... "You think we need one more? You think we need one more. Okay, we'll get one more. Fine." Very fun film.
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i may not like her movies - at least not most of them, can't help but love "My Best Friend's Wedding", just because she's such a bitch and Cameron Diaz is oh so sweet... - but I have to agree it's HER and not HER MOVIES that draws crowds to movie theaters, wich means she's pretty likable and magnetic, even though not that attractive.
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I love hiest movies. The Great Escape is one of my faves of all time. I'm really excited to see this, great cast and director (except Julia Roberts). Blood Klot, I have to agree with you, I've never been particulary impressed by her talent or her looks. Methinks she's got a horsey-face. Plays the same role in every movie, sassy-cute smart girl, kind of the female equivalent of Kevin Costner's reluctant hero. Peace out beatches.
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Is our reviewer, C.K. Dexter Haven, the same person as frequent poster RogerOThornhill? (Both are the names of Cary Grant characters--The Philadelphia Story and North by Northwest).
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... she went up against Jurassic Park III. What is she? A freakin buck-tooth moron? I'll see it because of Sody, no more no less. Peace out couch potato.
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Then wouldn't that make her one of the best actresses?
Why the griping? -
do the commercials for this movie make it look like the kind of flick that would come on at 3 a.m., featuring a star-studded cast that includes George Kennedy, Pia Zadora, George Hamilton, and Charo? Just wondering. Too much stunt casting sinketh the ship.
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(No disrespect to the movie first off! Pitt is a genius, and I love Clooney!) Julia Roberts is the real thief, stealing that Academy Award from the one of most amazing roles in cinmatic history: Ellyn Burnstein in Requiem For A Dream! It sickens me to this day, and even though I like Julia Roberts, my faith in the Academy was destroyed!
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How the hell she got that award for her portrayal in Erin Brockovitz is beyond me. It made the Oscars out to be a farce. She is not an actor, she is just someone who was brought up off the street. She has as much acting talent as the rock group KISS in their brilliant Phantom in the Park film. She does not deserve to be in films like this, she is a disgrace to the whole of the film business because some people try their hardest in the job, others (Miss Roberts) do nothing. She is taking the limelight off good actors in this business and that is a pity. She is a SLUG for stealing that oscar off Miss Burstyn for which she will never ever be forgiven. Take a good look at your oscar Julia and everytime you do - remember that its not yours. Probably slept with one of the judges for it. Julia Roberts = talentless hack, always will be.
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Nov 29, 2001 12:15:37 PM CST
I thought Don Cheadle was in this. How come his name isn't o
by brooklyn bred
A friend of mines said Don Cee was in this revivng Sammy's role from the orriginal I disagreed because I've seen the movie poster but there was no mention of him.
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I am looking forward to this movie, despite the lackluster promotional campaign. I finally saw a decent trailer for O-11 when I went to see 13Ghosts. My prior interest had been fueled by the cast, which is filled actors who have rarely failed to deliver. A friend pointed out that the film may have have suffered from a clash of egos, fears which I doubted and the reviewer has laid to rest. I'll definitely be going to this opening weekend! AD out.
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Why can't you so-called fans ever get it right? oh, and the second review sent a spike across my plant-'dar.
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...and she is the one reason why I won't watch this otherwise promising movie, at least not in the theatre. I just can't stand her, in fact both her and the characters she usually plays. The last Oscar ceremony just amplified this feeling.
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Glad to see some of you guys fucking HATE Julia Roberts. The poor girl couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. As of last year, the Oscars have become a total sham; Roberts should've won the award for "Best Hack-tress", and Christ, Russell Crowe as best actor in Gladiator? The only good performance he's EVER put in was in Romper Stomper (oh, and the Insider, I guess). I am so damn sick of Julia Roberts. I would, however like to see Jennifer Connelley get some of the roles that Roberts gets. Maybe then I'd have the patience to sit through Erin Brockovich or My Best Friend's Wedding or Notting Hill or any of the STOOL that she has put out in the last few years....
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Nov 29, 2001 12:35:51 PM CST
Harry, you do realize that people can vote MULTIPLE TIMES from t
by carmillavondoom
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Nov 29, 2001 12:37:57 PM CST
Warner Bros. is doing the worst job of promoting this film that
by blue devil
I agree with Harry. The trailers and commercials Warner is doing for this film completely suck! Where is all the heist footage? How about some action? Instead, we get a bunch of shots of guys hanging out. Come on! You can't expect a film to compete with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Ali buy just throwing out some talent. Warners needs to start pushing the star wattage and the action! (geez, it took a foul up like this to bring me out of retirement)
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I too would like to be a member of the "I Hate Julia Roberts" fanclub. I find her acting is attrocious. I was appalled that she took Oscar home. And she looks like if she laughed really hard and threw her head back, she'd split wide open. Hate her. It's unfortunate that she has to appear in this flick 'cause I was so looking forward to it. Great cast, great director, looks like everyone's having fun in the trailers... then BAM. there's Julia taking up valuable screen time that could have gone to another, more talented actor... hate her.
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I found Julia's performance in Erin Brockovich to be worthy, and while Ellyn Burstyn's acting in Requiem was amazing, that sort of portrayal of perpetual anguish always numbs me, kind of like DiCaprio in Basketball Diaries. Soderbergh's an amazing, consistent director; there is obviously a reason he chose Julia for the role of Erin B. The problem is that 90% of her chosen roles are fluff crap. Maybe working with Steven again will do her some good. Nevertheless, I've never found her particularly attractive.
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Julias performance in Conspiracy Theory was *masterful* heh heh...
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That film was an all-around peice of crap. And she was absolutely pathetic (her character and her acting). YUK!
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Who cares? Marisa Tomei won the oscar due to Palance's drunkiness should I kiss her ass too? How about Damon and Affleck for *cough* *cough* " writing" " Good Will Hunting". Roberts is overrated and overexposed. The oscars are a joke!
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Nov 29, 2001 1:23:32 PM CST
ALL YOUR BASE ARE HAVING A BEER AND JUMPING ON THEIR SHARK WIVES
by durhay
spittle.
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I'm glad to see that my opinion on Ellyn Burnstein, and Julia Roberts caused some intellegent conversation. And I would also like to praise the man who thought Russel Crowe is nothing special. Real actors like Pacino, DeNiro, Norton, Pitt, Del Torro, and Spacey (in select films) deserve to take that best actor home. Not a talentless hack like Crowe. Screw the awards, I know who truly won!
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Julia Roberts SUCKS with a capitol S, K, C, U, S. I spell it backwords cause she sucks all the way around. SHe is NOT a good actress and she is NOT very attractive. With the eception of Flatlines I don't think she has EVER been in a good movie. I also agree that RUSSELL CROW isn't that good either. To the person who said she must be a good actress because she won an oscar: Get real. The oscars are a joke. The best actors RARELY get recognized. Look at last year. Crow won best actor for swinging a sword around while George Clooney was completly overlooked for O Brother. Ocean's 11 has a great cast. It's too bad Julia is in it. She's the weak link in an otherwise terrific cast.
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Just to be on topic - I hate Julia Roberts, blah, blah, blah, Clooney so cool, yap, yap, Never seen the original. Ok, now onto what I want to talk about.
We should have a separate talkback section on how lame the academy awards are. They ARE a damn farce, because nobody that actually deserves it hardly ever wins. Hmmm... in the 90's I can think of one or two movies that I believed should have won. Schindler's List and Braveheart. While I liked Forrest Gump and thought differently at the time, I now believe that Pulp Fiction should have won best picture that year. It was the better and more lasting film. Gump just seems a little sappy to me now, although it is a nice movie. American Beauty should have had it's ass kicked by Three Kings, Fight Club, or Election. Preferably Election. Same thing... I watched American Beauty when it came out and loved it, but now the whining and BS in that film seem kinda outdated. Anyway, where was I? Yeah, how about this... KUBRICK - Never won an Oscar... SCORSESE - Still waiting... HITCHCOCK - This is the biggest joke... WELLES - Not sure, but I don't think he's getting one anytime soon... Oh yeah, but Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Kevin Costner have all won before. Pretty sad, huh? And while I hate when the anguished drug addicted or retarded person performances are usually a dead-lock, I do think that Julia Roberts phoned in that goddamn Erin Brockovich performance, even though I liked the movie. Any one of those other actresses should have one over her. I haven't seen Burstyn in Requiem, but I'm sure she was as excellent as she always is. Alright, that's enough of a rant. -
Good Points SK909. I still cant get over those directors not winning it shows the Academy for what they are. But do yourself a favour and rent REQUIEM and watch a stunning and powerful peformance. I am just glad to see so many people here know Julia Roberts for what she truly is. Even her brother Eric must be in disbelief that she won an Oscar.
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after all eric roberts was nominated for best supporting actor once! also, JULIA (who has never been in anything but gems) deservered her oscar over the Burstyn (who only gave the best female performance in history).
oh, i will defend Russel Crowe though, he was EXCELLENT in the insider. -
She's a mediocre actor (at best) with a great smile and not much else. Ok, so she does have some amount of "star charisma," but that shouldn't be enough to win her an Oscar. Unfortunately, that is *always* enough to win any actor an Oscar. These awards are, for the most part, poor indicators of true excellence. Recent examples: Russell Crowe (ha!) in GLADIATOR, Gwyneth Paltrow (blech) in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (*sure* she gave a better performance than Streep that year), and, of course, Julia Roberts for you know what. Now to sit back and enjoy the inevitable, homophobic, talkback backlash (i.e. "all you shtiheads who hate Julllia Roberts are fagz").
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Hey, I'm one of the people that voted for THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (and, yes, I only voted once and only for one film), since the ROYAL TENENBAUMS is the fall film I legitimately have been looking forward to the most (Can't wait... such a huge fan (of Wes Anderson's films)!), though MONSTERS, INC. was a close second (not a big fantasy fan, though I have already bought my tickets for LOTR from movietickets.com). But, um, I'm sure that plenty of us that voted for the TENENBAUMS will also see OCEAN'S ELEVEN, seeing as how those of us that post messages on a movie-geek site tend to see more than one movie per season. I liked the trailer for this, especially how Brad Pitt is watching a CASIO EV-660 handheld television, the coolest looking handheld TV around. I get a big kick out of the fact that I carry around one of the "stars" of OCEAN'S ELEVEN in my jakcet pocket wherever I go (of course, I mean the CASIO TV, not Brad Pitt). _________________________________ Even as an Anderson fan, if I had to bet on which film will rake in more cash at the box office, it would be OCEAN'S ELEVEN, for the slightly higher wattage star power (George Clooney, Julia Roberts & Brad Pitt vs. Ben Stiler, Gwynyth Paltrow, Gene Hackman, the Wilson brothers, Danny Glover & Bill Murray), the weight of an Oscar-winning director (Steven Soderbergh, for those of you in Palm Beach County and Rio Linda) who got nominated twice in the same category in the same year *coughcoughbotherinbrocovitchandtrafficwerehighlyoverrated*, and the fact that Wes Anderson's films are comedies that aren't meant for the lowest common denominator American Pie crowd, nor the overly sentimental "chick flick" romantic comedy crowd. If I was betting (and I'm Canadian, so I'm not permitted to bet on that box-office gross prediction site, what is it called, "Bikkit" or something?), $100 million for OCEAN'S ELEVEN (good opening weekend, but then slaughtered by LOTR a week-and-a-half later), maybe $50 million for ROYAL TENENBAUMS (decent opening weekend, but opening even closer to LOTR, and will be squeezed out to the smallest screen in the multiplex).
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You have faith in the awards? Come on! Any organization that screws Kubric, has there head up there lower torso. He is the greatest director of time. The Best movies I sometimes agree with, American Beuty, Braveheart, but Gladiator? Come on! When does spending a butt load of money on a movie make it make it Best Film worthy? Should we give the award to Water World? And about Costner winning best actor, why must we screw talent for flash? I haven't seen Harry Potter, but people are calling it the best movie ever? Give me a break! Movies like Requiem For A Dream, Fight Club, and American History X (Norton's best performance) only stand a chance at smaller awards. I won't rest until Brad Pitt, and Norton have that silly little trophy! And how about Aronofsky for Best Director? The list goes on and on............
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The last thing that I paid to see that had her in it was Flatliners. I can't stand looking at her face, so I will never see this film unless they CGI her out and put someone in her place who has some appeal. I'm happy that most of her films are fluff so I haven't missed a thing. Please don't cast her in EPIII!!!!! Nothing can make me see a film with her in it!!!
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I like your comment about CGI'ing her out of the film. I personally like Julia Roberts, it was just my opinion that she didn't deserve that ward! What is EPIII?
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Nov 29, 2001 4:36:34 PM CST
The reason Tannenbaums is getting better ratings in the AICN pol
by superninja
I can't wait for Ocean's 11, but almost all of the trailers I've seen are dull. I seriously doubt the movie will be bad, but the trailers lacking. Then again, I can't recall a Soderbergh trailer blowing my mind in the past, so there you have it.
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uh... i said eric roberts was nominated for an oscar...ERIC ROBERTS!#$!$!!! i guess you didnt sense my sarcasm...
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Everyone knows that Julia Roberts movies are bad. Everyone knows that Jennifer Aniston movies are bad. The key is the math of who else is in the movie. Eg: Mark Wahlberg (good) + Jennifer Aniston (bad) = Rock Star (mediocre). The math for Ocean's 11 is promising: Soderbergh + Cheadle + Topher Grace + Pitt + J. Roberts = ?
Is that enough on the positive side to negate the all-powerful Roberts effect? Erin Brockovich seems to indicate that it is. (Soderbergh + Finney + Eckhardt was enough beat her!) I use these rules all the time- and I have to say they match up pretty well. Someday I am going to put actual numbers to people to see if I can predict box office. Of course that would also require a factor for the studio's ability to market effectively. It's amazing that I'm not an accountant.
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Well, your sarcasm, like your humble opinion, don't mean sh*t to me bud. I was asking if you were crazy, and then expressed my view on films, and then you had to talk sh*t. Pretty easy to do it over the net huh? Keep your little simple minded opinion to yourself, and I hope you feel like a big man typing and talking sh*t at the same time. Why don't you stick to what your best at, being a horrible movie critic. PS This is a forum for films, not sh*t talking, if you want that jump on some white power site bud.
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...i don't like soderbergh, and neither should any of you, i guess.
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office space (although not souly her own) was a great movie.
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"EPIII" is Episode III as in Star Wars. And Lost Highway is right. This talkback has some of the worst spelling and grammar I have ever seen. Some of you guys are in such a hurry to type such witticisms as "...has a beer and cheets...", "First", "...jumped the shark.", "Julia sucks!", etc. that you don't even take the time to construct decent sentences. At the very least try to make some sense. And for all you Julia haters, take heart. If this new "O's 11" is similar to the original than she probably isn't even in the film that much. "The girl" in the original was a minor role. Frankly, I don't hate Julia, I just haven't seen too many of her films. She mostly makes "Chick Flicks" and I'm not her target audience. As for this movie. I'm looking forward to it. I enjoyed the original and this one's got a really strong cast and a good director. Peace.
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Whenever I read these talkbacks, I wonder why I even read them. All you fanboys out there are a bunch of sheep who are scared to go against your other comic collecting buddies. The talkback started talking about whether or not the movie would be good, then it got to talking about how ugly and untalented Julia Roberts is. Come on. Im not going to say Julia Roberts is the best actress out there, but she is by far not the worst. You are also forgetting the fact that actors and actresses and directors and all types of hollywood people vote on the academy awards. So, obviously people who know how to make movies and what goes into them, as opposed to you guys who just sit in front of a computer, picked her as the best actress of the year. To whoever said she slept with a judge, one vote wouldnt make her win. Obviously many people thought she should win. And she is a thief? Explain to me how when others are voting for someone, when they win that makes them a thief. I do tend to agree that Ellyn Burstyn's performance was better last year, but dont say Julia Roberts' was awful. Also, you guys saying she is ugly. Come on, the woman is mildly attractive at the least. Reading talkbacks, you people only seem to think naked or underage women are good looking. Why dont you reserve judgement on her performance in the movie until you see it. Everyone can get better at their craft, so if you think she is so horrible, maybe she has gotten better.
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Julia slammed the original on Letterman recently. Like we should take her opinion on anything. Every interview I've seen, she acts like a flake. It may be fodder, but the dialogue is worth the watch. It's more entertaining than her love life.
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O Brother Where Art Thou? is a four star comedy. Can't wait for the Man Who Wasn't There.
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Calling Russell Crowe a talentless hack after movies like L.A. Confidential and The Insider? Are you kidding me? Say what you want about the movies but the physical, emotional and mental transition that man makes between movies is something to be awed. Just as Judi Dench won for Shakespeare in Love (after losing Mrs. Brown),
Crowe won for Gladiator after losing The Insider. If you haven't noticed yet, Oscar has a very strong pattern of rewarding consistent performers. Like it or not, Julia Roberts has been around a long fucking time. She makes movies that the majority of the country likes to go see. They may not be, in the grand scheme of things, noteworthy or groundbreaking, but someone has to make those movies because there is an audience for them. As far as Ellen Burstyn, you people need to get over Requiem For a Dream. It was neither groundbreaking or inciteful. Go watch Trainspotting...it negates everything about the former. Ellen Burstyn was aided constantly by the camera in that movie. Her scenes were created by multiple cuts, angles, lighting, sound and visual additives. I know that every fanboy on this site jerks off at the mention of that movie, but I am not alone when I say I thought it was OVERRATED. The last thing I need is someone preaching to me about the shitty effects of drugs as if it were a new concept. You want to question this...go ahead. But you better bring better arguments than "Julia/Russell are talentless hacks", because that kind of talk comes from someone who has no knowledge of movies. FREDDIE PRINZE JR. IS A TALENTLESS HACK. -
I read both reviews and maybe I'm wrong, but the 2nd reviewer seems to be a fake. The whole way the review is constructed, it seems it would only come from someone connected to the film. I don't think a real reviewer unattached without an interest in it would sound that way, especially the "for guys, it's got... for girls, it's got...." It's like a hack PR person. Real people just don't write like that.
Also, the end where he admits it's cheesy sounds like someone wanting to throw people off the track- people who might think he likes it just too much to be real.
Of course, I could be wrong. But I doubt it. I seriously doubt it. -
Worst Vectrex game ever!
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Travers' 2001 Top 10 List will be in the Rolling Stones issue on December 7th.
OCEAN'S 11 was #10 on his list. -
OCEAN'S 11 is #10 on the list. -
That Julia Roberts always dumps her boyfriends just about the same time she has a new movie brewing? What a Whore,Just how many guys has she fucked? Anyone else with a track record like her's would have been called a Slut and Whore. How does she get away with this? Soderbergh Movies are preachy and Pseudo-intellectual, With unrealistic situations and results. Every thing in his movies are hacknyed and Predictable. Shit i could tell exactly what was going to happen in that stinker of a flick Traffic. Baseball feild my ass. Midnight basketball anyone. The descent into crack hell by the precocious teenage daughter! What a load of shit, this guy produces.
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Traffic may have been predictable for you, but the dialogue of the script shines. The scenes in Mexico are authentic. An excellent portrayal. If you want realism, look no further.
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She IS a talentless hack. She has NO acting prowess, let alone basic competency, and isn't even THAT attractive. Teeth and face are too big, she's way too boney and skinny, nose's too small and has nothing else worth mentioning. She's got a decent smile, and that's IT. If this woman were working in England or somewhere in Europe, she'd be rounding up stray dogs for a living or something. Also, Vanisher's right. Soderbergh's recent films are too show-offy, and give off that "Look at me, I have a great command of lighting, and use hand-held cameras, I'm EVER-SO-COOL", while almost never making anything emotional. Soderbergh's "good"(and I use the term loosely)stuff is SL&V-which is worth watching only about once, due to the aforementioned lack of emotion, "King of the Hill" and "Out of Sight". Everything else the guy's made is too cold or all style and no substance, and yes this includes the hollow and dull "Traffic" The reason "Royal Tennenbaums" is more anticipated is because it's going to BE A BETTER MOVIE. Soderbergh oughta go back to Baton Rouge or needs to learn to make films that MEAN something. He's the Julia Roberts of directors, flashy and appealing, with no substance. Clooney, Pitt and Cheadle and Garcia are too good for this. Oh, and Matt Damon needs to stop wasting his talent.
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i never ever post on this site, but reading some of the talkback posts really got me annoyed. it's funny how some of you probably won't even give this movie a chance because it's just way too mainstream hollywood. some of you idiots are probably thinking,
"oh, big budget movie with some really big stars!!! gee, that sounds like it'll be way too popular. i'm going to go on this site and verbally bash some fine actors and a movie i haven't seen just because i think it's way cooler to be different and not see a movie that will be well-liked by the public. let's go see msome other pretentious, annoying artsy flick so that we can come back to aintitcool.com and let our own insecurties run wild. same thing with julia. let's all bash her because she's just way too popular. we're all going to try to be different and not love a household name because we all think that's cool."
give me a fucking break... you people need lives... if julia roberts wasn't as popular as she is today, you all would love her for it. fucking losers. -
Because damn she's a skanky whore! She spreads for everyone. My fav. moment with her was when Howard Stern asked her if after having sex with Liam Neeson, did she " walk like a cowboy" afterwards.
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I didn't buy Traffic on DVD only because it depressed me greatly. However, it's an excellent film. It's a realistic story told artfully. I enjoyed the color coding of the different storylines. The Mexico scenes felt hot and whitewashed. I've commented on that part earlier. The emotions of the Ohio based storyline filmed in blue, worked as well. The sadness crept onscreen as the drugs destroyed addicts and their families lives. Lastly, the reality of wealth and drugs, sober and straight forward. Steven Soderberg is worthy of attention. Traffic is a 4 star movie, I just can't bring myself to buy it.
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I usually just skim through the comments on the films I am interested in, and don't post. But frankly, this talkback has sunk to the lowest levels.
Ok, so you don't like Julia Roberts. Ok...got it. Don't care. But for the person who said she'd probably be a dogcatcher, I highly doubt it. I've had the opportunity to be in the same room with Julia a couple of times, and I can tell you, with the "star quality" she exudes, she's the type who would be noticed. It's almost like the biggest stars of the past. And dumb she's not. I was pleasantly surprised at how smart and funny she seemed. No, I've never met her personally. But her magnetism was tangible.
Having met George Clooney (who graciously posed for a picture with me after my 5th try to get past security), I found him utterly charming and kind. When I attempted to take a picture of George with my mom, the flash didn't work. He said, "Here, give me that darlin'" He then proceeded to fix the camera, and take another picture with her. This doesn't sound like a jerk who doesn't care about people.
As for Ocean's 11, I recently saw it at the ShowEast convention. And everyone there seemed to like it. I have to agree that it did seem to have a section that was a bit "draggy", but all in all, it was lots of fun. (And it was the 5th movie I had seen in 3 days, so...) The heist itself is pretty clever, and there are a couple of good twists as well. For Julia-Haters, her part is small.
I agree with the person who complained about the lackluster promotion. As a film exhibitor, I find this incredibly frustrating. But then, it's par for the course for Warner Bros. They seem to pick one or two movies per season and promote those into the ground, and leave the others hanging. Hopefully, since I have Ocean's 11 booked, I'll see an improvement in promotion. But I'm not holding my breath. They sent me one...count 'em ONE trailer for Oceans. So, I can't even promote it myself. SIGH!
For anybody who cares...a quick opinion on other films I saw at ShowEast:
Sidewalks of New York: Too self-important.
The Crush: I liked this one. But admit it's probably more of a chick flick.
I am Sam: A bit long, but Sean Penn's performance is one of his best. Michelle Pfeiffer's performance is adequate, but not her best, and Dakota Fanning (as Penn's daughter) is incredible.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Pretty good film, with worthy performances. Look for Richard Harris as the priest.
Kate and Leopold: This film seemed to get the best response. Even though it's a romantic comedy, the men seemed to like it as well as the women.
40 Days and 40 nights: Hmmm... I was a bit surprised that this was the last film shown. It's your typical teenage movie. It had some laughs, but is a bit raunchy. I have no desire to see it again.
I also saw a 26 minute clip for LOR. While it was action-packed, since we didn't receive any setup, it wasn't the segment-to- end-all-segments that I was expecting. I wasn't overly impressed, but really didn't see enough to form a true impression. I was a bit surprised that the director (in a film clip before the presentation) said he couldn't be there because they were still working on the film. Guess they better work fast.
Sorry to talk so long...just sharing... :)
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Nov 30, 2001 1:57:52 AM CST
Harry Goldfarb... how can i join this white power crusade?
by lronkoontz
hey what is the website for this organization? i would like to check it out.
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Nov 30, 2001 4:52:52 AM CST
I WILL BOYCOTT THIS MOVIE BECAUSE GEORGE CLOONEY'S CHIN IS T
by herzaaes56
nuff said.
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Nov 30, 2001 4:52:54 AM CST
I WILL BOYCOTT THIS MOVIE BECAUSE GEORGE CLOONEY'S CHIN IS T
by herzaaes56
nuff said.
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Nov 30, 2001 4:57:52 AM CST
NewYorkKid....Kevin Spacey DID win for the Usual Suspects.....
by herzaaes56
Isn't it funny when posters bitch sooo angrily about a wrong information. :)
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I don't get it. I practically fell asleep in out of Sight, and Traffic was..I dunno, just a 'nothing' movie. You know how some flicks just leave you cold, and you never get involved in them? This is what both these movies were like. Someone tell me what makes this dude such a 'great' filmaker, please.
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"LEARN TO FUCKING SPELL!! YOUR ENGLISH TEACHERS ARE DOING A HORRENDOUS JOB!" I Think you'll find it's AN horrendous highway. ;-)
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its entertaining, you're making harry rich.
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"every topic degenerates into LOTR vs. AOTC" .... my point exactly. For awhile it made me laugh... but now its so out of hand it seems to have its own life.
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hey, take it easy man, you started bitching about the grammar and spelling here, not me! i just come to read opinions and film news. guess the truth hurts, eh?
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What the fudge? What an overrated minger she is, uuugghhh (shiver)plus I cant actually remember any movie that I enjoyed with her in it. Except of course My Best Friends Wedding, and thats only coz Diaz totally stole the show from her
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Who cares about Julia Roberts? I want to know more about seeing Box Office Poison David Duchovny's schlong in that "full frontal" movie. Yeah, I know, it was in that Happy New Year movie, but it was too brief to really get a critical view of it. thank God he knows what his best feature is, finally! going to a David Dechovny picture is about as much fun as your hand pushed through a running boat propellor, but if his schlong is in it, I will definitely spring the two bucks to rent it. David finally has a part I look forward to seeing.
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If Paulie Shore won an Oscar, would that make him a good actor? Obviously not. I specifically AVOID movies with her in it because I actually have some personal problems with her unrelated to acting. I have called her the horse-faced-girl since pretty woman, and I have yet to see her in anything where she
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Gwyneth Paltrow is a better actress than Julia Roberts, and 'Shakespeare in Love' was definitely a better film than 'Shaving Ryan's Privates'. 'American Beauty' was a fine film. The best of '99? Well, it was up there. And
'Gladiator' was up there in 2000. 'Traffic' was last years most overrated film The academy's most insulting and ignorant act in recent years was the complete dismissal of 'Eyes Wide Shut'. Not a single nomination. Oh well. The real reason I'm here is to start making predictions for this year. I'm betting against 'FotR' for most of the top awards, simply because it's a little too close to 'Gladiator'. There have been a lot of really good movies this year, but few of them have been very commercial. Could 'A.I.' be a contender? 'Shrek' or 'Monsters Inc.'? Will great films no one has seen like 'Innocence', 'Ghost World', 'The Man Who Wasn't There' and 'Mulholland Dr.' get any respect? Or will 'Important' Hollywood films like 'Ali' dominate? Come to that, could Ridley Scott pull off a second sweep with 'Blackhawk Down', giving Jerry Bruckheimer the Oscar he thought he'd get for 'Pearl Harbor'? I watched 'Open Your Eyes' last night and liked it a lot. Maybe playing crazy and deformed in 'Vannilla Sky' will earn Cruise the Oscar the academy almost has to give him sooner or later. Then again, whatever else 'A.I.' is or isn't nominated for, that Osment kid's a little wonder tyke. Maybe he'll be taking home the gold. Then there's Thornton in 'Man Who Wasn't There'. Brother, he was good. Kidman in 'The Others'? Naomi Watts - a fresh face who steamed up the silver screen like no one else this year. But what do you people think?
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I just had the misfortune to click over here having sat through the dire talkback for Behind Enemy Lines, and here you are again. You seem to revel in being unpleasant to people, and if someone dissagrees with you, you HAVE to have a shot back at them. Again and again and AGAIN. Didn't you notice that EVERYONE thought you were being an asshole? Or are you trying to provoke people for fun? I just had to write because you've managed to put me in a bad mood. Go on have a crack at me or my spelling and bore the shit out of everyone some more.
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I agree that the Oscars are pretty crappy, especially last year - to the extent that when I try to recall the films that have won the best picture award in the past decade the last one I remember is Gladiator. It was just that forgetable for me and I still am lost that Traffic didn't win nor was Almost Famous not even nominated. But Julia Roberts a bad actress? Give me a fucking break. It's funny some of you actually even mentioned Conspiracy Theory - did you actually have to dig that deep into her filmography to name one film that you hated her in? Conspiracy Theory is a film that you forget even existed until you walk past it at your local video store. I mean if you want to bitch about her being a bad actress because of Conspiracy Theory go right ahead - but that's like me saying Al Pacino is a shitty actor cause I remember Cruisin'. As far as Erin Brockovich goes, I'm sorry but no matter what any of you say I just think you're in serious denial of a truly great performance. Do you want to compare her performance to Ellen Burnstyn's in Requiem for a Dream? Fine, go right ahead - but know that's a taste in preference and not a truly easy one to pick. Erin Brockovich is a light drama/comedy with performances where the actors need to stay completely believable and as realistic as possible - the type of people you'd normally run into at the grocery store. Requiem for a Dream is an in-your-face drug addicted drama where the actors start out normal so you care about them but then dwell into the depths of drug addiction where they go completely over-the-top and literally become insane. Both actresses did a beautiful jobs in both films but when you vote between the two you are choosing because of your preference. It's like What's Eating Gilbert Grape - both Johnny Depp and Leonardo Dicaprio give great performances but they are on completely opposite sides of the sprectrum. You may think Leo did a far superior job but I think you're insane to overlook Johnny Depp's performance as well. Or for a more current film, Made with Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn - Vaugn gets to go over the top where he's driving you insane where Favreau gets to stay subtle and take all the shit that comes at him. Choose what performance you think is better, go right ahead - but please don't deny that the other gave a great performance as well.
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I really didn't like Traffic. There was no plot continuity and the thing with the real obvious coloration differences between the storylines? Cool for about the first hour of that movie, after which point I found my inner Dieter making me yell: "Your format has become tiresome!" every time the scenes switched. And that thing with the final descent into drug hell of the little whitegirl being epitomized by her having sex with a black man? Hello? Not to mention that Del Toro (who has nothing wrong with him other than miscasting) was so obviously speaking with a Puerto Rican accent. It was like the casting guys just shrugged and figured all those "Mexcians" were just about the same. The whole storyline was a like an overwrought "very special episode" and the acting was extremely flat. Needless to say, Ocean's Eleven -- not on my to-see list this year. Even with the cast, I can wait for cable.
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First off if you don't like the woman or her movies that is completely your right. I just think that it is completely childish to call someone names. Also in my opinion I would like to know why it is okay for you to comment on her personal life and call her some horrible and ugly names and yet nothing about the actors in this movie who have had very active personal lifes. I don't see anyone calling George Clooney, Brad Pitt or Matt Damon( the male equivalent of slut or whore.) I say a person's personal life is there own business and who is anyone to judge. I mean is your past so clean and if you can say this about someone you don't know doesn't it make you wonder what people are saying about you.
Know the Oscars are finished get over she won(good for her) I mean there are plenty of actresses who won the oscar before her who I believe didn't deserve it like Helen Hunt but good for her. Need you people be so immature that you can't be happy for someone when something good happens to them. I saw the Ellen Burystn movie( sorry if I spelled her name wrong) it was okay a little too weird at times. However if she won I wouldn't negative by posting negative comments on a board on make up a childish club about hating her.
Thirdly people should know that hate is a strong word and you shouldn't use it as easily as I have seen on this site/board. Did she do something to hurt you or someone you love? I think you should be more carefully in choosing your words. Like I state in the beginning you don't like her totally your right but there is no reason to be mean.
In closing I just think it is truly cowardly and pathetic when people can't be happy for a person's good fortune.
P.S. Yes I am a Julia Roberts fan and any person who has a problem with that well tough. -
Soderberg cannot make a bad film. It is impossible for the man to do so. Anyone who disagrees should be boxed in the ear.
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During the first 15 minutes of the Oceans 11 movie when George is in Trumps Plaza, keep your eyes peeled for the good looking Atlantic City's Adopt-a-Pet television star, Don Anthony, walking with a Screen Actors Guild female beauty hand in hand. Don is in a couple of scenes and all his friends can't wait to see him.Don's wife Carolyn said it's ok as long as he doesn't take his work home with him.
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During the first 15 minutes of the Oceans 11 movie when George is in Trumps Plaza, keep your eyes peeled for the good looking Atlantic City's Adopt-a-Pet television star, Don Anthony, walking with a Screen Actors Guild female beauty hand in hand. Don is in a couple of scenes and all his friends can't wait to see him.Don's wife Carolyn said it's ok as long as he doesn't take his work home with him.
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i love requiem but ellen b's performance was better suited in the supporting category. julia was carrying her film and doing it superbly. she talked trash and she was pretty doing it. julia is no horseface, she's sexy, beautiful and has a mouth that can chew you (you know what i mean.).
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I work in the industry and I've seen OE11 already. It's bad and everybody I've talked to who's also seen it in Hollywood thinks it's bad, too. But here are the only two people in Hollywood who liked it. If it aint some Warner Brothers publicity people who wrote those reviews it must be George Clooney and Steven Soderburgh themselves.
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