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Euro-AICN: BlackHawk Down; Firecracker; Cicala; 51st State; LOTR; Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets

Published at:  Dec 11, 2001 12:00:07 PM CST

Father Geek Here...

As I explained in my intro to the Africa-AICN column,I'm running behind on posting my normal columns because of this past weekend's Butt-Numb-A-Thon, not only did the event have me, and Harry locked in a theater away from our keyboards for the better part of 2 days(Saturday & Sunday), but Harry and I were then confined to the AICN Screening Room at the Geek Headquarter's Compound most of the rest of the time on Thursday, Friday, and Monday hosting many of the out of state (and out-of-country) guests/attendees that flew in beginning Wednesday night with a visitor from New Zealand, another from Canada, several from Hollywood, and continuing through the early morning hours today. At one point we had 10 geeks (4 male 6 female) from the Minn./St.Paul area over for about 5 or 6 hours starting at 11am Monday. No sooner had they left than the owner of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Tim, showed up and we started planning next year's BNAT. Then about an hour later some attendees from Canada and California dropped in and the 8 of us talked and watched film until about 2am this morning(Tuesday).

Anyway that's the way its been here at Geek Headquarters for the last 5 days. I'll be all caught up by tonight... hopefully before Harry's actual Birthday B-Day Party this evening ...

Now here's our man in Rome, Robert, and his regular Euro-Column...



Hi people.

As with 99% of you, I’m looking forward to LOTR. Unfortunately, I will wait longtime, since the opening day here will be january, 18. Thus, Italy will be the last western european country to see the movie, which is probably a wrong decision, considering the buzz worldwide now.

Another reason I want to see LOTR soon is because of the huge disappointment I had with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone", which, IMHO, was much too faithful to the book. I know, many people liked it because it was VERY faithful, but I didn’t enjoy the first book of the series, whereas I started enjoying since the second book.

Moreover, I didn’t like the acting (Daniel Radcliffe is fairly good, but Haley Joel Osment would have been a perfect choice; Rupert Grint performance is poor; the adults seemed more interested in the money than in the movie), the F/X (the flying scenes were ridiculous) and the work done by Chris Columbus (it’s an understatement to say he is not among my favorite directors).

Anyway, while waiting for LOTR, I tried to follow the latest news of these two blockbusters. Moreover, this column has interesting information about Futurama, Tony Clifton, Robert Carlyle’s The 51st State and, last but not least, a great review of Ridley Scott latest Black Hawk Dawn. Enjoy…


Harry Potter
Chamber of Secrets Casting News

Madame Pince will be played by Sally Mortemore.
Manchester Online reports: " As soon as she finishes her stint at the Octagon in mid-January Sally is off to join the filming of the second Harry Potter film, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, in which she will play Madame Pince. "I'm so excited," she blurts out, "it's the sort of opportunity I just never thought would come my way. I've never really been up for a proper feature film, let alone something as big as Harry Potter. More information by clicking here: Just Click

Harry Potter has met his match in South Africa. A local
film about a witch doctor has achieved the seemingly impossible
feat of displacing Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone
from its pole position immediately upon release - as well as out-
performing Potter's opening gross of one week earlier.
http://www.screendaily.com/index.pl?6672

Conjuring a total of 475,000 tickets sold in France on its open-
ing day (Dec 5), Harry Potter has become the second
biggest opener of 2001 - behind another Warner release, French
comedy La Verite Si Je Mens 2 (503,000 admissions) - and
(despite or because of the hype), the eighth all-time biggest
opener.
http://www.screendaily.com/index.pl?6709


LOTR

If you are not too tired (can you really be?) of reviews, previews and special stuff regarding this movie, just take a look at the BBC Online by clicking here: Do It Now. You’ll get many interviews (including the director Peter jackson and the Ringbearer Elijah Wood), the trailer, a photo gallery and a guide to main characters.

From ShowbizIreland (http://www.showbizireland.com/)


Trainspotting's Robert Carlyle talks about his new movie, The 51st State, he made in Liverpool with Samuel L Jackson.

Q: Having made such an impression in Cracker all those years ago, here you are playing a fanatical Liverpool fan again?

A: "It's the second time I've played a Liverpool supporter. I'm very lucky actually, in the cities that I've been to and the teams that I've been affiliated with."

Q: But you seem able to ring the changes in the type of characters you play, does that make it hard for Hollywood to pigeonhole you?

A: "I suppose in Hollywood they're probably not quite sure what to make of me, where to place me. But that's always been my goal, to try and remain floating. It's very difficult not to be pigeonholed, though every actor is to a greater or lesser extent."

Q: The 51st State manages to combine toughness with comedy, does that balance cause you any problems?

A: "The older I get the more concerned I get about violence in films. It gets tedious, but I can't complain, I don't have much to say because I've made a living from it. There's violence and there's violence. I don't think there's anything in this film that is beyond peoples comprehension. Certainly not with my own character."

Q: More surprising, perhaps, is the sight of Samuel L. Jackson, in a kilt.

A: "That was very strange, his bravery knows no bounds. By the time we finished it was December in Liverpool, so it was freezing. I didn't ask what he was wearing underneath, I presumed it was what you were supposed to wear underneath. He liked it I think, the whole look was great for him, he enjoyed the big sweaters and big socks and boots and stuff. The golf bag fitted very well on his shoulder, because he's a golf fanatic, a real golf addict."

Q: Is it fun going toe-to-toe with actors like that?

A: "You've got to know what you're doing with these guys, because they're very powerful. He's physically very strong and very tall. Of course you play on that too, I'm not as small as people think I am, but you play on it. In those sequences, I think the one in particular I remember is on the barge where we're bawling at each other. I really enjoyed it, I got off on that."

Q: Did he enjoy being part of a British film, shooting in Liverpool?

A: "Well I don't think he had any problems fitting in. He wouldn't go out that often, but occasionally you'd hear he'd been out on the town. But I like Liverpool a lot, I always feel welcome there and Cracker is what most people there remember me from I think. There's been a real bond to the city since that time."

Q: What are the principles behind you taking on any role?

A: "My relationship is with the director or producer, on any film. That's the same, or it should be, for any actor. The priority is with the director and the cast you've got about you, and the first thing that should have attracted you all is the script. If you can get those three elements in place, you've got a chance. It's not always foolproof. Another element is the whole marketing of the film, and how that then affects it. But in the beginning you can only cover so many bases. The prime thing is always the script, the director and the cast."

Q: While you have made your fair share of art house successes, and small British films that have broken out people sometimes forget The Full Monty has a sharp political edge this is unashamedly commercial, isn't it?

A: "Obviously I knew The 51st State was a commercial venture, but my main reason for doing it was a desire to work with Sam. If you're going to go into the American film world it's great that it's in Liverpool fantastic, my turf and in Sam Jackson you've got a smashing actor. It's tailor made. And I thought the script was genuinely funny. These sort of things combine, and I felt I could handle it."

Q: Do you enjoy doing your own stunts?

A: "They're boring for me really. It doesn't amuse me, guns and all that stuff. And I don't touch stunts. I defy any actor to sit in this room and tell me he did his own stunts. I don't believe it because I've not seen it.



News

from Screendaily (http://www.screendaily.com/)

Catherine Breillats latest project, Scenes Intimes, which
started shooting on Nov 19, has already attracted the attention
of foreign distributors on the strength of the successes of
Romance and A Ma Soeur! (Fat Girl).

http://www.screendaily.com/index.pl?6686

Greig send me this tidbit about scottich actor Douglas Henshell...

Scottish actor Douglas Henshall has picked up the rights to Christopher Brookmyre's novel One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night. The actor is said to be lining up funding for a £15 million adaptation. The story revolves around terrorism, a school reunion and a retired police inspector and features a huge amount of action film referencing. Scotsman Brookmyre is one of Britain's best satirists and the article in the Sunday Herald newspaper reported that Henshall would be looking to recruit other high profile Scots (Ewan McGregor, Dougray Scott, Billy Connelly, Sean Connery) for some of the roles.

Cheers
Greig

Futurama Details (by Luke Nicholas)

Here are the final details on whats on the uk futurama season 1 dvd box set.
Price: £39.99

Disc 1

'Space Pilot 3000', 'The Series Has Landed', 'I, Roommate', 'Love's Labors Lost In Space'

Commentary for each episode (doesn't say by whom, though)
4 deleted scenes
Script and storyboards for 'Space Pilot 3000'

Disc 2

'Fear Of A Bot Planet', 'A Fishful Of Dollars', 'My Three Suns', 'A Big Piece Of Garbage', 'Hell Is Other Robots'

Commentary for each episode
Season 1 trailer
2 deleted scenes (Amy fans note that neither is from 'Garbage', so Lauren Tom's credit for that episode - where Amy appeared but never spoke - will remain a mystery forever...)

Disc 3

'A Flight To Remember', 'Mars University', 'When Aliens Attack', 'Fry And The Slurm Factory'

Commentary for each episode
'Special featurette' (no details given - Matt Groening/David Cohen interview?)
1 deleted scene
Stills and concept art - 44 pics and 4 video segments


The Tony Clifton Story (by Custom Van Clan)

I think Universal should have made "The Tony Clifton Story" instead of "Man
On The Moon." I have attached the story synopsis from Bill Zehme's book
"Lost In The Funhouse" so that you can see what I mean (you can read it by clicking here: That's right... Click Here

The best director for the job is Louis C.K. (www.louisck.com)
This story needs a low budget comedy director such as Louis. He had Pootie
Tang taken away from him so MTV could jazz up the editing. He is best known
from his stand-up appearances at his former place of the employment, Late
Night with Conan O'Brien. Go to his website and get his dvd of shorts and
you will see his wonderfully quirky writing and direction.

It will be easy to get Jim Carrey to come back since he is such a huge
Kaufman fan, and he could actually work for scale to keep it as low budget as
possible. Kaufman's writing partner and sometimes Tony Clifton, Bob Zmuda,
would be down for anything. They should also throw in a zinger with Wally
Wingert: http://www.wallyontheweb.com/andykaufman2.html

Plus Rhino could release the dvd of ABC produced "The Andy Kaufman Special"
which was released as an edited home video(missing 30 minutes) in 1985 as
"Add the Word Special." The dvd could have so many extras that the 3 other
dvds that were rushed out to cash in Man On The Moon did not have. There is
actual video from Andy's tribute/wake, a black and white public access
appearance, countless main stream talk shows, and his college television
shows: http://caks.netfirms.com/world.html


La cicala

A female character is removing some posters from the background of a stage, a noise coming from a slit gets louder and louder, finally a blade puts an end to the torture.

This is the Mini synopsis of a fascinating animated short movie called La cicala (The cicada), that you can see in Windows Media Player by clicking here: That's Right Here


Firecracker

Firecracker is a movie in production with a rave cast: Edward Furlong, Dennis Hopper, Karen Black, Mike Patton, Brooke Balderson, TheEnigma, Selene Luna, Susan Traylor, James Russo, Jane Wiedlin and Deborah Harry. I’m pointing out this title because his site is one of the most interesting around, with a Blair-Witch-Project-kind-of-style which I find very intriguing. See it by yourself by clicking here: Right Now

This is the synopsis:

Firecracker is a bold and shocking true-to-life tale of murder in small town Kansas. Set against the stark beauty of Middle America, this astonishing story of abuse, suffering and denial reveals dreams of escape. The inevitable confrontation unleashes the truth concealed behind the pleasant façade of small-town U.S.A.

Meek, reclusive and talented Jimmy is emotionally imprisoned by his abusive, alcoholic older brother David – and fanatically religious mother Eleanor. With evil lurking in the shadows, the setting sun gives way to the blue of evening and Jimmy finds escape in the neon glow of a traveling sideshow carnival. Unlike its drab, depressing daytime reality, the carnival becomes a nightly glittering solitaire on the prairie, beckoning all around to its illusions and make-believe. With a guise of red satin and the lure of a heavenly voice, Sandra, billed as an “oddity of nature,” is the carnival’s premier attraction. Yearning for a way out, Jimmy befriends Sandra, unaware that her imprisonment and degradation, at the hands of Frank, the carnival owner, mirror his own. Sandra, taken by his innocence, finds her own inner strength and suppressed dreams. When David disappears, the metaphorical white-picket fences collapse, leaving raw emotions exposed to the spark of truth.

Throughout it all Police Chief Ed searches for truth, uncovering bits of evidence suggesting deceit, abuse, murder and cover-up. As her investigation leads her closer to the truth, the lives of those involved become lit fuses – until they explode, one-by-one, in a dramatic and harrowing conclusion.

Firecracker pulls no punches nor hides from the ugliness that mars reality. It also reveals in its imagery a vividness and majesty that transcends mere mortality, exploding the myth of Middle America’s sanctity and piety, while opening the door to atonement.


BlackHawk Down Review

Love your site. Gets me through the working day.
I saw Black Hawk Down in London last night, presented by Ridley Scott who said it was 95.8% finished (he really was that precise) so I thought I'd send you my thoughts. Thandie Newton was there too so I was distracted but this is what I think I saw.
I'd been looking forward to this for ages having read the amazing book and seeing it billed as the Private Ryan of our times. I'm not a massive fan of Ridley Scott though. I think his movies are overblown - all that smoke and slow mo...

Fortunately this one doesn't suffer from that. Unfortunately it has other problems.

The movie it most reminded me of is The Perfect Storm. Men go into dangerous place - some survive, some don't. You watch. That's it.
It's missing characters that you care about so you never really get to feel for them and fear for them.
Get ready to experience death and destruction unfold in front of you in such a detached way it gets boring like porn gets boring.
The book introduced characters in the midst of the action and this should have been repeated. The directors ability to pull this off would have distinguished him as a great director rather than a good one.

The whole movie has been very faithful to actual events. The US Army will be happy about this but most of us will just be wondering where the plot went. In my view stretching the truth a bit by adding moments of dramatic tension would help us understand better what it was really like. The important thing is to capture the spirit, the stuff that bonds men under extraordinary circumstances, and this movie fails to do that.
Besides knowing how you hack up our history I'd have like too see the Rangers be rescued by the charge of light brigade or something.
I know you're going to see it anyway so I'll tell you what I liked - amazing action, amazing cinematography, Eric Bana and Tom Sizemore.
Eric Bana is made to look cool as fuck (no wonder he loves this movie) and I had no problem believeing he was a professional killer.

Tom Sizemore is always ace and totally convinces as a professional soldier.
I also liked the music - unfortunately it was just a temp: it was the music from the Thin Red line, my favourite soundtrack ever.
Just one more thing: The 'Stay away from the cans' joke. Anybody whe has read the book will have laughed at that and it seemed like a very real moment in all that chaos. Well, they set it up by showing the clip from 'The Jerk' back at base and then they don't bring on the punchline. Huh? What the fuck?
Maybe its in that missing 4.2%

Stay away from the cans Harry. Fresh fruit and vegetables only.

TJ Laser



Robert Bernocchi



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    Readers Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 12:15:44 PM CST

    The 51st State was absolutely briliant!

    by moonbeam

    Robert Carlyle was supremely funny in this film and was absolutely blown away by the best car chase in a British film since The Italian Job. He's right, script was hilarious and his relationship to Sam Jackson has to be seen and savoured. Good stuff Robert!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 1:35:34 PM CST

    Good lord, am I actually FIRST!?

    by zarles

    Wow, first time for everything... Firecracker looks great, as does Chamber of Secrets. Other than that, though, I, Zarles, am FIRST!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 1:36:25 PM CST

    Damn you, Moonbeam!

    by zarles

    Damn you straight to made-for-TV HELL! :)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 1:50:02 PM CST

    You kidding me?

    by boston

    RE: Blackhawk Down "In my view stretching the truth a bit by adding moments of dramatic tension would help us better understand what it was really like." I guess that would be one way to do it, or you could not stretch the truth and just show the horrors for what they were and perhaps that would help one understand what it was really like.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 2:40:03 PM CST

    Carlyle and Jackson

    by silvio dante

    Quote from unknown philosopher: "Can't wait - such a huge fan!" Maybe LOTR would arrive in Italy bit sooner, if not for all that voice-acting and etc. required to dub the thing in italian. I don't know, just a guess.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 2:43:41 PM CST

    Oh well, at least this article mentions FUTURAMA, so it wouldn&#

    by kiyone

    ...since Herc was too busy numbing his butt on Sunday to give us a FUTURAMA Talkback in AICN Coaxial. Damn Brits, why do they seem to get American TV shows on video/DVD before we get 'em in North America? I remember being in a Blockbuster in Northampton in the summer of 1998, and seeing videotapes of the ST:Voyager "Year of Hell" double episode from the 1997-1998 season; I think the domestic North American release of ST:Voyager on VHS has only reached the third season (1996-97), and God knows when Paramount will finally get around to releasing Voyager (and Enterprise) on DVD (will we have to wait until after ALL of Next Generation and Deep Space Nine is released?). At least, to the best of my knowledge, there isn't a British KING OF THE HILL DVD box set... it's my favourite American cartoon, so at least they don't have something we don't have over here either. Damn, region coding sucks... __________________________________

    Anyhow, back to Sunday's FUTURAMA... was I the only person who thought of a certain episode of RED DWARF after the gag plot twist ending wherein Fry, having just accidentally killed his grandfather in 1947, has sex with the waitress who would later become his grandmother, thus becoming his own grandfather? This reminded me of the RED DWARF episode (BIG RED DWARF spoiler) where we learn that Dave Lister is, in fact, the son of himself and Kochanski (due to more time travel misadventures). (NB... I'm only saying this FUTURAMA ending reminded me of that RED DWARF ending... I'm not implying that I think it's a rip-off. The plot twist isn't quite the same -Fry's his own Grandfather, not his own father like Dave Lister is-, and even if the FUTURAMA animators were inspired, and I'm not incinuating that they were, by that RED DWARF episode, well, RED DWARF's a pretty funny show... I'd love it if it were in some way an influence on FUTURAMA, as long as it weren't an exact rip-off.) Though Fry may not neccessarily be his own grandfather. It could be that, in killing (or, to be more accurate, inadvertently placing his grandafther in a position to be killed) his grandfather, Fry just created an alternate universe, parallel to the one from which he came. Fry would still be from a universe wherein his grandfather lived and fathered Fry's father who then went on to father Fry, so there would be no paradox or time-loop problems. Or, maybe Fry's grandmother was already pregnant from before Fry's grandfather got killed. __________________________________

    Also, after the rest of Bender's body had been reassembles into a flying saucer, am I the only person who was reminded of, of all things, one of those little animations from Sesame Street, the one with the two guys and one of the guys is, for some reason (I don't remember why), talking about flying saucers, and at the end, the other guy turns into a flying saucer and flies off? (I think this is the exact Sesame Street cartoon playing when the transmission gets knocked off the air from the nuclear attacks along the Eastern seaboard in the movie TESTAMENT). The way his head looks on his flying saucer body looks very similar. And, I suppose the whole "robot head getting lost in the past but found again in the future" thing was a ST: The Next Generation reference?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 2:55:41 PM CST

    Is The 51st State Good?

    by dume78

    Not really.Saw it last night and while I enjoyed the chemistry between Carlyle and Jackson, not much else really worked in this film. One thing that really pissed me off was big fat Meatloaf trying to act tough and menacing, yeah right. It's okay but easily forgetable.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 2:56:46 PM CST

    Then again, we do get anime first....

    by kiyone

    Then again, we do get most anime on DVD in North America long before the Brits do, if they get it on DVD at all, so it all kind of balances out. (Do they even have TENCHI IN TOKYO yet? Not that they'd be missing much... the definitive Kiyone is the TENCHI UNIVERSE version.) We even get some classic anime (like URUSEI YATSURA and MONONOKE) on DVD before the Japanese do, and they make the stuff.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 3:17:05 PM CST

    where to start...

    by snake_plisken

    Okay, well I thought 51st state was a good film. I'm not a big fan of knocking movies by just using a superlative, lets attempt to make things easier...It's good if you like a)sam Jackson, always value for money. b)Liverpool, and all it's personal peculiarities. c)twisting scripts with good lines. d)gangster/thriller/comedies in general, because lets face it, most films play to an audience so just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't good, you just have to be able to say why you didn't like it so that reasoned decisions can be made. okay next...Black Hawk Down should be good, and their is some truth to the fact that unless you want to make your audience feel ill and detached you need to show combat a certain way. Private ryan does this, and it works early, simply because we can immediatley identify with hanks, and we are then brought into the character more. Film is art, and it doesn't have to be directly representational of events, it has to make us feel something, think something, not turn us into observers. Sometimes that result is achieved by showing precise detail, sometimes gunshot wounds tear people to pieces, or fling them off the ground (last man standing is very good for this, totally unreal, but, both very cool visually, and it heightens the sense of violence you get firing a weapon that films, I think, struggle to elicit) and sometimes "it's just a flesh wound" both have their place, it's a good directors job not to make these liberties feel too jarring. At least it hasn't got a bloody love story in it. Pearl Harbor!! should have been easy, true story, just get the details, the stories (al la dorrie Miller) and show them. Like A Bridge Too Far. Another excellent movie about Good men in a fucked up situation that should neve rhave occured. I don't suppose they'll ever show the fuck wits that put those great soldiers of the US Rangers in such a fucked up situation. suffice to say that the Mogadishu Line is a term for when peace keeping becomes war-fighting, due in no small part to bad planning. Must Not Rant. Must Not Rant. Sorry, I'm sure you're all nice people, shame about your government...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 3:41:03 PM CST

    Futurama

    by ladyjinn

    Kiyone - I also thought of Red Dwarf when I watched Futurama. Both great shows though!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 4:13:05 PM CST

    Rupert Grint was great!

    by cncoyle

    I don't know which version Father Geek saw, but Rupert Grint did a fantastic job as Ron Weasley. In the book, Ron comes across as pathetic. Rupert, with his facial contortions, made the character rather humorous and (at the end) noble. Yes, Daniel Radcliffe was so-so, but Rupert stole the show.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 5:58:09 PM CST

    51st state is awful, a witless piece of trash...

    by captain katanga

    Do NOT go and see it, unless the idea of a bunch of skinheads being tricked into taking a laxative and rolling around on the floor soaked in their own faeces amuses you. TERRIBLE FILM.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 6:34:23 PM CST

    well actually I do...

    by snake_plisken

    ...find a bunch of imbecile skin heads shitting themselves funny...though it wasn't a very good scene, possibly the only one I found jarring in my entire cinema experience. You know it strikes me that a lot of people on this iste, a site ostensibly for film lovers, go to a lot of effort to knock films. I enjoy most films I see, even if they do fall apart on reflection. SW:TPM is a great example of this, I loved it, but after a few days and a second viewing I could see much better how it could have been improved, drasticly. But I still loved it. even trash like sudden death was a fun afternoon. I think there's a lot of you out there who like to knock films just to feel like a big man, to expand your frustration at lacking talent, or imagination yourselves. Or maybe I'm wrong and negativity is the way forward. perhaps you simply have ridiculous expectations, maybe you expect Citizen Kane every time, and won't sit still for less. Still, it's always easier to destroy than to create, huh...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 7:14:00 PM CST

    The 51st State was sheer lunacy. I loved it.

    by dimmocks

    Cinema it ain't. A great piece of entertainment it certainly is. It's a comicbook look at the UK and its underworld. It has a clever twist at the end and it even manages to have a vague sense of morality, in between all the car chases and shooting and excellently funny one liners. Jesus, I paid six quid, and what I got was a British sort of Rush Hour type of film - which is EXACTLY HOW IT'S ADVERTIZED! Christ some people need to get some perspective. If you don't like this sort of film, don't flaming well go and see it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 7:54:58 PM CST

    I think you should expect a lot more from a film than 51st state

    by captain katanga

    and that "you're too negative" argument just doesn't wash, because by that logic you can never say when a film is shit. When people allow studios to feed them underwritten and supposedly "cool" garbage like 51st state...thats the problem. Variety rightly referred to it as a "train wreck" of a movie. I have seen some fantastic films in the past week, including Ghost World, Devil's Backbone, and Heist was thoroughly enjoyable too. I love Pulp Fiction with all my heart, a film whose tone has been copied by many films over the last few years including 51st State. But 51st state is genuinely terrible in my opinion, the jokes are lame, the action is filmed like a million other action scenes we've all seen before, and the plot is rubbish. Thankfully I didnt have to pay money to watch it because my projectionist friend let me into his test run. But anyway I have a bee in my bonnet about this kind of film so I'll shut up, and if you enjoyed it good for you...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 9:23:35 PM CST

    One Fine Day In.....

    by donaldk

    I really hope that `One fine day ine the middle of the night` gets made, and that it gets a half decent budget too. The book is absolutely hilarious, and for those of you who havent read it (probably everybody) Its basically a scottish `Die Hard` set aboard an Oil rig thats been converted into a kind of floating holiday Resort during a high school reunion. Its got everything, Terrorists, Mad Police, Explosions and a ton of Movie In jokes (Renny Harlin for instance is slagged off a couple of times). I find it funny though that a book that is a humorous take on the typical terrorist movie story might get made into a film itself. Fingers crossed.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 10:32:55 PM CST

    If you didn't pay to see a film I don't think you have a

    by dimmocks

    It's like not voting then bitching about the government. It's the height of crass hypocrisy IMO. So you have a bee in your bonnet about this 'type' of film, clearly then The 51st State could NEVER have satisfied you as a movie goer, and since 51st is clearly advertized as this type of film before you went to see it, why did you bother, free or not? Just to slag it off? What a waste of a life. If you're that bothered by these sorts of films go out and make a film and we'll all tell you whether it's any good or not. But if you can't manage that then get off your high horse and go buy a years pass to an Art house cinema. I'm a multi-plex kid through and through. And anyone of that pursuasion will in all likelyhood enjoy 51st State too. Don't tell me what I should and should not expect from a film you arrogant fuck. That's MY choice, and MY expectation.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 11, 2001 11:54:42 PM CST

    tell that to roger ebert and that dick in the village voice who

    by emu47

    ...who get PAID to bitch about movies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 12, 2001 5:21:59 AM CST

    51st state

    by prince kamal

    If you like a bad film, then great. If you dilike a good film then cool. If you like a film that's average that someone else dislikes, then we have problems. And this is what we have here. 51st State isn't sloppy film making, so it has that going for it. But it does sort of redefine required taste.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 12, 2001 5:22:49 AM CST

    51st state

    by prince kamal

    If you like a bad film, then great. If you dilike a good film then cool. If you like a film that's average that someone else dislikes, then we have problems. And this is what we have here. 51st State isn't sloppy film making, so it has that going for it. But it does sort of redefine required taste.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 8:46:59 AM CST

    For Silvio Dante

    by colin mckenzie

    About Lotr, the fact that we, in Italy, are dubbing the movies has nothing to do with the delay we'll see the pic. France make the same (but, as many other countries do, they offer also the original version with subtitles, but they'll see the film regularly on december, 19. Medusa, the italian distributor, told me they don't want to be in the Christmas madness (in Italy this is the most important period of the year). My answer was simple: you have the most important trilogy since Star Wars and you fear the others? But, of course, I don't have the power to change these decisions

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  • Dec 12, 2001 9:28:45 AM CST

    Thanks for clearing that up, Mac

    by silvio dante

    I guess that's just good business sense then; they'll know that once LOTR starts playing, movie houses will be packed anyway. This way they'll sell even more tickets, offering something else for the christmas 'stead of LOTR.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 9:43:23 AM CST

    Dimmocks

    by captain katanga

    I don't have the right to say a film is bad if I didn't pay for it??!! Riiiight.... shit what about all those movies I saw on TV, I dont recall paying for them...why am I even responding to that, that is just the most idiotic argument I've heard... since your last post. I also hate the way people like you imply that if you don't like a film like 51st state you're somehow snobby, and only like arthouse films. If you read my previous post you'd see that isn't the case. I'm as "multiplex" as the next guy, my favourite film is Star Wars (closely followed by Midnight Run)for christ's sake... but 51st state is shitty multiplex entertainment. Although I expect some high school boys under the age of 17 will probably think its great, because if people say "fuck" and "cunt" a lot then it must be good right? And also, I knew exactly what kind of film it was, and I thought it COULD be good. But it wasn't. And I have a bee in my bonnet about this endless stream of ganster/violent/comedy/action films, of which 51st state is yet another, that are all SHITE. I'm not in the minority anyway, just wait and see if 51st state is a hit... something tells me its going to bomb. I expect you're the kind of person that went around recommending Swordfish and Gone in 60 seconds. Anyway, enough of this, sorry to all the other talkbackers having to put up with this argument.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 10:04:01 AM CST

    Might want to eat humble pie, Captain Katanga, the figures are o

    by lurkio

    The 51st State is an official hit. Number 2 at the box office.

    http://www.screendaily.com/index.pl?6747

    http://www.crowdsurfer.com/index.php3?id=20011210155352

    And for the record, I too think The 51st State was great.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 10:05:53 AM CST

    I'm sorry, but 51st State really was terrible, here's wh

    by kentrel

    Like I said in my imdb comment. Great Title. Great Premise. Bad Movie. The moment I saw this trailer I laughed my head off. The idea of Sam Jackson in a kilt coming to Britain was brilliant, and I couldn't wait to see it.

    Unfortunately the movie smacked of a first time writer and a poor director, because thats exactly what you had. The jokes just weren't funny, and when they were it was cheap toilet humour that we've all seen before. The acting from the supporting cast was brutal, especially Meatloaf.

    Rys Ifans was actually funny, though too cartoonish and over the top. Remember him, he was Hugh Grant's Welsh flatmate from Notting Hill.

    The bad guys were far too simplistic and acted like badly written cartoon characters.

    And variety was right. It was a train wreck of a movie. A beautiful train with so much potential but with a bad driver, and a sloppy engineer it crashes desperately.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 10:22:34 AM CST

    If its a hit, then I will eat humble pie...but number 2 in its f

    by captain katanga

    Is that a huge hit? Its far too early to call it a hit, and we'll have to see what its drop off is next week once word of mouth gets round. A fairly big opening is common for this kind of film. Anyway well said Kentrel, thank god someone agrees with me!

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  • Dec 12, 2001 10:56:01 AM CST

    Are you sure, Silvio?

    by colin mckenzie

    Thus, the other countries distributing LOTR since december, 19th are idiots? I remember that Fox waited 5 months since the american release to propose Star Wars - Episode I to italian audience. It was a failure...

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  • Dec 12, 2001 11:03:24 AM CST

    Mac

    by silvio dante

    Just thinking along the lines that by January the word of mouth OUTSIDE "the geekdom" might be at it's hottest. 5 months with Star Wars? Whoa, that's really strange, but I read somewhere that AOTC will open simultaneously all over the globe, so with that one there's still hope for you guys :)! That is, if SW is your bag. What I've read from these pages lately, it seems that it just isn't possible to like BOTH StarWars and LOTR franchises...

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  • Dec 12, 2001 11:20:01 AM CST

    Dismissing a film you don't like as something only 17-yr-old

    by wesley snipes

    As are comments implying that fans who enjoy it must like other films you deem unworthy. You're certainly free to write whatever you like, but if you don't want to be called an "arrogant fuck" then don't make fucking arrogant statements. Stick to comments about the film and why you think it doesn't work.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 11:45:56 AM CST

    oh come on, don't be so sensitive!

    by captain katanga

    My posts are TAME compared to filthy insults and mud slinging i see in other talkbacks!!! God, is it really so out of order to suggest that if someone sticks up for crap like 51st state, then they might have done it with other such crap? I mean, I got called an arrogant fuck, which doesnt exactly show much manners either. Anyway, I'm sorry to any 17 year olds I offended, but apart from that I stand by everything I said! lol, but seriously, lets all be friends.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 1:10:01 PM CST

    I like Star Wars and LotR

    by heleno

    In the words of Jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks, can't we all just get along?

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  • Dec 12, 2001 1:15:48 PM CST

    And another thing

    by heleno

    I don't think that dubbing and subtitling are the main reasons that releases are delaying in Italy etc. Its more to do with distributors' schedules and the competition with domestic hits. For example, the fairly dire and extremely odd Breakfast of Champions came out in France in late98 or early 99, and about 2 years later in the UD. Likewise, the Mask of Zorro came out there a few months earlier than in the Uk, as did the Matrix. Local hits like Amelie, Taxi and the like can knock the Hollywood releases all over the place.

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  • Dec 12, 2001 3:18:28 PM CST

    dubbing

    by silvio dante

    Since we're on the subject, when a film in english is released in a country that uses dubbing, do people seek out the original (if possible) or go see the dubbed one? I know majority of audience goes to the dubbed one, but I mean you fellow geeks who come here at AICN. And what is the quality of voice-acting in dubbed ones? Never seen (heard) dubbed live-action films, so I'm curious.

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  • Feb 20, 2002 1:36:20 PM CST

    Who is this flying fuckwit!

    by chaffro

    Haley Joel Osment would have been better as Harry Potter? Is this moron illiterate? Has he read the Potter books? Has he yet to figure out that the books are set in Britain? Does he realise that Haley Joel Osment, however good a young actor he is, isn't British? Would that have mattered? Yes, it fucking would have mattered! Even Depp can't get the accent right in From Hell! How the fuck is Osment going to pull it off?! Or does this idiot want to Americanise Harry Potter? Is he some patriotic, yet sorely deluded, freak who thinks every good idea should spring from the Land Of The Free? Tell him to piss off.

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