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Quint has seen KING KONG!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. As most of you know (thanks to to Knowles blowing my cover earlier this week) I was in New York for the World Premiere of Peter Jackson's KING KONG.
I wasn't planning on writing a review of the film. I thought I was too close to the production having spent much time on the set and counting a great many of the crew as good friends. Harry would have none of that, however. He demanded a write-up, so here I am.
I understand if you don't trust one word of this review. I wouldn't either, but in my defense I turned down the junket (which would have saved me close to $1,000 in hotel and flight) because I refuse to do roundtable interviews. This is my honest opinion. Was I biased? Sure, I was biased the second I wanted to see this movie, just like those on the other side of the fence who are biased against the film. If you like or dislike a particular actor, actress, genre, director, cinematographer... anything, you'll be slanted one way or the other, for or against, when you walk into a theater. But like I said, I'll understand if you take what I say with a grain of salt.
From the opening credits sequence you can feel the love Jackson has for the original KONG. The font, the background, the music... all capture the spirit of the golden era of film. Very art deco and a perfect tone-setter. Having been to the Empire State Building on this trip (4th time in New York, first time I did the Empire State Building tour), I saw much influence of the graphical design for this opening and closing credits taken right from the architecture of the giant building. Like I said, it sets the mood and the tone.
I've read none of the reviews that have hit from the premiere and the press screenings, but I did hear that a lot of people think the film starts off too slow. There is definitely a pacing difference in the film... pre-Skull Island and everything after are almost two different movies. I wouldn't call the opening in New York or the stuff on the Venture dull or overlong, though... In fact, I don't think there's enough of it.
One of my only gripes about the film is that they really hurry the love story between Ann Darrow and Jack Driscoll. However, compared to the original they court each other forever. I seem to remember the original being more of a, "Hey... I think I love you" romance. In the end I still buy the connection and chemistry between Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody, so obviously they did something right.
The cast all do a wonderful job in the movie with no weak performances. People will be most surprised with Jack Black as Denham. In my set reports I described witnessing Jackson guiding Black into hitting the right balance of Tenacious D/ showman over-the-top-ness and a real life character who isn't a big cartoon. Black does an even better job in the movie than I expected him to. There are 2 or 3 moments in the film where I saw Jack Black show through, but he kept that balance throughout. Good thing, too. Denham could be one of the most hated men in film history if we didn't get a glimpse at his humanity.
But the real star of this movie is KONG himself. Once you see the big lug, the picture is his and I think that might be throwing some people who think the main character is Jack Driscoll. Jackson spends the first 1/3 of the film almost developing the humans, with a focus on the three Ds: Denham, Driscoll and Darrow and we do get moments with them scattered throughout Skull Island, but Jackson correctly focuses on Kong and Ann from the moment he swipes her.
The realization of Kong as an effect is only outdone by the realization of him as a character, a lonely soul. He's a mean motherfucker and can be really intimidating, but there's an incredibly tender soul there. Weta captured the essence of Kong's personality as well as trumping their groundbreaking work on Gollum. I don't believe for one second that Kong didn't exist in the frame with Naomi Watts.
The animators and Andy Serkis are to be commended. Everybody involved brought their A-Game, but if this movie makes a billion bucks it will be because of the work of Serkis and the animators. Their work is truly revolutionary and the heart of the movie.
The emotional impact of this film isn't to be understated. If you've ever teared up in a movie, felt the little lip tremble... Let me just say that I haven't cried in a movie since I was a kid (not even during ARMAGEDDON) and while there have been movies that really touched me (like this year's CONSTANT GARDENER) I haven't had the waterworks happen.
There's a scene in Central Park, a quiet moment before the storm while Kong is loose in NYC, that is incredibly touching even if you know what's coming up for our big friend. Especially if you know what's coming up for him. It's a moment of wonder and happiness for Kong. I don't want to know anyone who doesn't let that scene tug at their heart-strings. But that wasn't the moment that started me going, it was the part that set me up for it emotionally.
Shortly after that scene Kong is jumping across the roofs of buildings and in the same far shot we tilt up to get our first glimpse of the Empire State Building, seeing it's massive foundation only a few blocks away. The building is brightly lit, a stark contrast to the dark rooftops where Kong rests. That's when it started for me. Not just damp eyes. Tears. It got to the point where I had to really force myself to quell embarrassing crying noises from those sitting around me. This lasted 'til the end of the film. I had a crying headache after the movie.
That's how well realized Kong is.
The relationship between Ann and Kong is a loving one, but it's executed completely non-sexual. Kong is in love with Ann the same way your dog or cat is in love with you, except with the cognition of near human ability. The facial expressions, the small character ticks... the soul in his eyes... I'm still reeling at how well done the CG was.
Was the whole movie perfect? I wouldn't say that. Like I said before, I wish we had more time to see Ann and Jack fall in love. I also think Jackson overdoes his patented Jackson-cam that works perfectly well when Frodo's being tempted by the ring and even works out really well for a couple of sequences here (I especially liked the usage when revealing the name of the location Denham is taking the crew of the Venture to). I think it's a little overkill during all the Native tussles. Also, Capt. Englehorn is a little over used as the "last minute rescue" character. I love the way Thomas Kretschmann plays him and he's a well designed character, but they pull him out as the ace in the hole one too many times, I think.
I also wish James Newton Howard had some more time with the music. The music in the film is pretty great, especially when we get back to New York, however there is a definite lack of awe and fantasy on Skull Island. That could have been a creative decision. I don't know. It's not bad music at all, it's just understated and not full of the grand adventure a location like Skull Island calls out for. I'm curious to hear that hour that Howard Shore recorded, but on the whole I have to give JNH a lot of credit. He did some fantastic work. Taking into account how little time he had to do the music, it's fricken' genius. Keep in mind this is the first impression from a visual spectacle of a film. I have yet to listen to the soundtrack by itself. I'll also need to see the movie again to actually listen for the music.
There was also this fat extra on the trolly that Kong batters in Times Square that was really distracting. I mean, it's the depression, right? How many soup lines did that fat ass hit a day? I guess Kong couldn't move the trolly much because it was weighed down by that whale. Should have left that douche on the cutting room floor, in my opinion.
Speaking of hitting the cutting room floor, I noticed quite a few scenes missing, like the "Scream! Scream for you life!" scene from the trailer and even more importantly... the Raft sequence is gone. I can't wait to see that one realized as it had my favorite creature in it (one that had the segmented body of a flatworm while in the water, but had crab-like legs when it went up on land, the tail curling up like a scorpion with two stingers on the tail...). There was also an argument between Jack Black and Colin Hanks on board the Venture when Hanks finds the map to Skull Island that I saw shot and I liked a lot.
Speaking of Hanks, his relationship with Black (as his personal assistant) is probably my favorite side character banter. I love Hanks' last moment in the film with Adrien Brody. Again, to keep spoilers out of this piece, I won't give it away, but it's a great little moment.
I want to highlight a few of my favorite scenes before leaving this review. First of all... if you're a fan of the original King Kong, I guarantee you're going to pop a boner (figuratively of course) during the chained Kong scene. There are big nods to the visual style of the original as well as a nice tip of the hat to Max Steiner. Plus Rav'll be happy because Julia (that cute stand-in for Naomi Watts that I talk about in my set reports) gets quite a nice cameo in this scene.
The Rex fight is perhaps one of the best realized action set pieces ever put to film. From the introduction of the Rexs to the way Kong sacrifices his body to agonizing bites in order to protect Ann to the pacing which just builds and builds and builds... It's a fight that isn't just there for the spectacle, but also represents the moment where Ann puts her trust in Kong as not just a giant monster, but as a protector. It's an amazing sequence that got a big applause from the audience.
Everything on top of the Empire State Building is perfect. Note perfect. The moment of peace Kong and Ann share at the top makes me want to cry just thinking back on it. If everything else had failed in the movie, this one sequence would have still made the movie a success.
Anyway, that's my completely biased opinion on the whole thing. It's a lot to take in with one viewing. I can't wait to see it again, but my first impression is that Jackson hit the ball out of the park with this one. It might have wobbled a bit as it was heading for the bleachers, but it not only got there, it arched landed in the parking lot. Kong himself is phenomenal... The scene where Ann realizes how to keep him from ripping her apart as he did the hundreds of sacrificed women before her is brilliant. Without giving it away, let me just say that it could have come off as extremely corny, but instead it came off as heart-warming and funny.
After the film, I left my theater (the Loews #12... the super awesome theater was #13, but we did have Anthony Edwards, Richard Belzer and Donald Trump in our theater... and I think the two older ladies sitting in front of me were Fay Wray's daughters) and headed for the afterparty. It was held on Pier 92 and was attended by what seemed to be a few thousand people.
I have one pic to share with you from the afterparty... Heading into the VIP section was Frank Darabont carrying the original KONG armature, the skeletal structure that is all that remains from Willis O'Brien's '33 Kong. Later on, I ran into Bob Burns, the man who owns the armature, who apparently killed Darabont and dumped the body in the Hudson before reclaiming his treasure. I had to get a picture, since Kong was the star of the night. Ladies and gentlemen... I give you... KONG!
-Quint
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said it again
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I've met some who have. But I don't think anyone on this site will.
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Dec 08, 2005 4:49:16 PM CST
Fresh new KONG TB for Ringbearer9 to babble about on... 24/7
by iamlegolas
Great
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Dec 08, 2005 5:06:25 PM CST
Modlight I believe they posted several negative reviews yesterda
by jimmy_009
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Why the qualifier? Every review is biased. You are judging an artifact based on both its objective merits and your subjective appreciation of those merits. Bias is unnavoidable. I don't understand why you need to be an apologist for something that's inherent in the work you do. Objective criticism is a fallacy. Own your opinion - everyone else will hold you to it anyway.
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So suck it.
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I never had any doubts, glad to hear it still met your expectations despite all the hype.
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Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave a mixed review of the film. "Even allowing for its slow start, wooden acting and wall-to-wall screaming, there is something ageless and primeval about King Kong that still somehow works," Ebert said. http://seven.com.au/news/entertainment/127486
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That mixed review was for the 1933 original.
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http://tinyurl.com/bjfjd
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Dec 08, 2005 5:20:47 PM CST
"I had to really force myself to quell embarrassing crying noise
by orionsangels
I'm imagining being in that theater and hearing a grown man weep. It's funny, sorry Quint, but it also gives me hope that this movie is the real deal.
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You got me all excited for nothing.
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That would have warded off the hordes of people trying to kill him. Chuck a couple of turds of the Empire State Building.
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Dec 08, 2005 5:25:43 PM CST
one million AICN'ers just creamed their collective shorts.
by indiephantom
It wasn't pretty...at all.
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Dec 08, 2005 5:31:00 PM CST
I love Frank Darabont. His passion and love for scifi fantasy fi
by orionsangels
He's the original geek, grandfather geek.
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Quint IS King Kong.
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"Sure, I was biased the second I wanted to see this movie, just like those on the other side of the fence who are biased against the film." ASSBEARER -- he's talking about you.
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hell, he would, this is the man who still insists Domino is a "joy-ride from one end of the country to the other, without stopping to take a piss because nobody pisses while on acid. Point being, see Domino now (and I'm not involved in the production in any way. Well, apart from four or five set visits. And being given five minutes alone in the broom closet with Keira Knightley. But apart from all that, I was in no way biased during this review of Domino). Naw, just ribbin' ya Quint me old pal, keep up the scurvy work, I always like your reviews. There's something effortless and airy about them. I'm glad you liked Kong.
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How could it fail? Seriously. Peter Jackson makes King Kong and follows the original movie (aka keeping in in the 30's). Of course it will be great> I like the Lord Of The Rings films. They are not the "perfect Holy Grail" films that some people claim them to be, but they are very good and at times great movies. King Kong will make 400 million PLUS in domestic theaters. Watch.
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That may help me enjoy this one more. Roger Ebert says "Wooden acting?". Maybe George Lucas directed it secretly. There was some cheesy acting in the LOTR movies, but most of the performances were solid. It's about time for some good digital high-budget monster battles in a movie. I am excited. No fear at all. I had more worries with Revenge Of The Sith, and it was only a minor letdown.
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Dec 08, 2005 5:58:50 PM CST
I cried in Pulp Fiction when Bruce Willis escaped getting ass ra
by retrace
bastard! sigh. someone hold me. You fags!!
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Dec 08, 2005 6:06:49 PM CST
I see that Jackson truly "ignored" Guillermin's remake, the
by salvatoregravano
Yes indeed, this one has nothing in common with the sympathetic and romantic King Econg from 1976, nothing whatsoever. Coming soon - Newton Howard's score with Jackson's liner notes: "James was always my first choice".
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Dec 08, 2005 6:10:15 PM CST
i cried in fantastic four when alba turned invisible when she go
by dr.bulber
i also cried during spiderman everytime kirsten dunst showed up but that was a different type of cry.
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I MEAN CMON...THAT WOULD BE GODZILLA FINAL WARS....I JUST HOPE KONG DOES NOT GET ANOTHER HEART TRANSPLANT....
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everyone already knows that quint and harry will love it
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Dec 08, 2005 6:22:17 PM CST
You object to roundtable interviews on religious grounds or some
by alonzo mosely
'cause I would have taken the free flight/room, asked the most inane questions, drew dirty pictures in my notepad, and have been at the pool an hour later... Maybe Quint has a table phobia?
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between the endless pointless hater nonsense and the slavish devotion of Kong fetishists, i'm predicting this will be "pretty good."
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Way too long of a love story, followed by cheesy action. Critics may tear this one apart. I was hoping for a masterpiece as Peter Jackson has yet to due me wrong. With that said..... I can't fucking wait too see it.
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After seeing the 4-minute AVI from NBC (and I'm definitely not making my decision about CGI effects until I see it on the big screen) I was sold on Kong. The whole purpose of the amazing VRex fight was to develop Kong's character. It's after he beats his chest that you see the real Kong. He's old, he's tired, he's just had the crap kicked out of him. His gorilla "Get Lost!" to Ann doesn't need translating. Then he hoists her up on his shoulder and we hear him growl under his breath. Again, we don't need a translation for gorilla "I know I'm going to regret this." You should ask yourself which of any five male human action stars have that good a reaction scene after a big battle. I'll bet you can only think of two.
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Dec 08, 2005 6:46:50 PM CST
SUGGESTION FOR THE WEBMASTER (Harry): Defuse disrespecful talkba
by psalmolive
You would see a 100 percent decrease in arguments and overall disrespectful behaviour. Every talkbacker essentially states their opinion as "fact" without prefacing their message/post title with "in my opinion". Once you take that away from them, what they are saying essentially has no meaning since they can no longer be "right". Cause after all, how can you be right about your feelings on a movie? It's completely subjective. I think this would piss everybody off immensely and intensely. Picture some of the post titles: "IN MY OPINION: FIRST!" "IN MY OPINION: LITTLE BLACK BOOK WAS THE BEST MOVIE MADE!" "IN MY OPINION: YOU CAN EAT MY ASS!" That would be hilarious. It would be like neutering an animal who was harmless to begin with!
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Dec 08, 2005 6:47:05 PM CST
no one is going to say they hate this film. there's nothing
by hypeendshere
It's 98 Mighty Joe Young with (at times) better effects. as for the review.... so far, Moriarty is the only AICNer that I believe produces testosterone.
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Dec 08, 2005 7:06:09 PM CST
I just hope this film doesn't turn into Godzilla 98. Overblo
by orionsangels
Matthew Broderick, ferris bueller style reactions. When he finds out bad news that only he knows about. Worst blockbuster movie ever!
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Quint! Thanks a million for taking the time to share your thoughts! I think your added perspective makes this the best review I've read. Seeing the picture of the original Kong... that's just great! It's like you came full circle so to speak. From seeing the new Kong and then ending with coming face to face with the Kong that started it all. Thanks again for sharing your insight on this film and your on the set reports! You did one hell of a job.
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Dead Man's Shoes
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Doesn
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Dec 08, 2005 7:31:20 PM CST
So let me get this straight. If you liked the movie your biased.
by thirteen 13
And if you hate it your honest and keeping AICN talkbacks fair and balanced. I'm not sure whats more pathetic...the fact that some of you trolls were hell-bent on hating and bashing this movie from day 01 when you found out it was being made...or...the fact that you very same trolls are all going to pay full price to see it anyway.
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Some unbelievably cool sequences (especially wih the dinosaurs), Kong looks amazing, most of the f/x shots are spectacular (with a bunch of embarrassing exceptions). But the movie is way too in love with itself. Every scene goes on for about five minutes too long. This movie could easily have been cut down to two hours and lost nothing. And if I'm nitpicking the whole Jamie Bell subplot was a silly waste of time. Anyhow, I still liked it. The audience cheered at several parts. Definitely worth seeing on a big screen with a good sound system.
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sorry, Doc. I just wanted to see what it was like from the other person's POV. i got the same treatment when I put up my review on Monday which is uncannily similar to yours. as are most non-professional-critic opinions.
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Dec 08, 2005 8:05:10 PM CST
could it actually be possible that its just a damn good movie th
by jiggamanspence
...nah, thats would be impossible.
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Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gives Kong 5 stars. "This new Kong Kong is a folie de grandeur with real grandeur; in its power, its spectacle, and its spine-tinglingly beautiful vision of 1930s New York, it is a thing of wonder. It certainly equals, and even exceeds, anything Jackson did in Lord of the Rings. ... "There's no cage strong enough for the sheer brute strength of Jackson's movie, a muscularity matched by its ingenuous love for the great beast himself. Like his tiny blonde worshipper, you will be in the palm of his hand." http://tinyurl.com/9qu84
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Same here friend...let's talk
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Does anyone (I know there must be SOME spy/insider TalkBackers on here, and not just a pack of whooping hyennas eager for a anonymous verbal battle like myself) have any word on the DVD or Soundtrack extras that might include Howard Shores soundtrack, or at least a sample of it?? I'm very curious to hear his rendition and perhaps hear what 'creative differences' he and Jackson shared. It must have been rather significant, considering their close relationship...
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It was pretty objective, even when everyone knew you were going to love it. I can't wait for this...I love the anticipation before seeing a movie of this size. Plus, this bastard should be great on the big screen.
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If ya hate a movie that's fine. I can deal with that, to each his own. What I can't stand are the people who say. It was ok, brushing it off, like, eh no big deal. To try and bring down the hype for the rest of us. Will you stop doing that! Don't shatter our dreams like that. We wanna continue to ride this wave of hype.
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Is that the dude from Days of our Lives in the last picture there?
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Dec 08, 2005 8:39:22 PM CST
VEGAS ODDS: For all the years Hollywood ignored fantasy genre p
by triumph poops!
Just an interesting thought. Can't wait to see this. KONG is one of my favorites and I have a suspicion...a real hope...that Jackson will make me root for him come Oscar night to see the Big Ape rewarded properly.
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Dec 08, 2005 8:52:41 PM CST
"...(thanks to to Knowles blowing my cover earlier this week)...
by ribbons
[shakes fist at the sky]. "KNOOOOOWLESSSS!!!!"
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Dec 08, 2005 8:57:08 PM CST
If King Kong gets nominated for anything Batman Begins and Four
by spectrebeeyatch
Give me a break! This is another pointless remakes with an over use of fx shots no creativity what so ever. So if this movie does make 400 million I seriously can't wait for the remake avalanche that will follow it.
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everybody knows that the movie will be great so shut the fuck up. sure you want to sound all bad-ass and bitch about how the pixels in Kong's left testicle flickers when he donkeypunches the T-Rex but nobody wants to hear you. all you filthy fucking nerds that piss yourselves whenever you hear about what Bryan Singer at for breakfast (semen, naturally) need to get fucking jobs or get fucking stoned and just enjoy the time you have left in your miserable, pale, no-sex-having husks. Kong will make a zillion dollars worldwide and Peter Jackson will win a shitload of awards and probably even the right to cornhole each and every one of your moms and that is AFTER he eats your bowl of western mac for dinner. course I though that the LotR trilogy was shit so what the fuck do I know...oh yeah, here's what I know - pussy tastes good so log off of WoW and try it sometime you stinky bastards.
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Dec 08, 2005 9:06:22 PM CST
"I haven't cried in a movie since I was a kid (not even duri
by horseflesh
That's like saying you didn't cry during BASEketball!
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Dec 08, 2005 10:17:37 PM CST
I must say that The Constant Gardener is maybe the most emotiona
by moviemaniac-7
Seen it three times so far and that final moment when Fiennes is sitting on that rock and the last voice over is spoken, ending with "...Tess..." gets me every single time. Will Kong beat this?
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..he may be nominated, though.
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Despite the fact it's for the 1933 version, he has it listed as the "All Time Greats". Hardly a 'mixed' review, imho.
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Re: "Despite the fact it's for the 1933 version, he has it listed as the "All Time Greats"." Fair 'nuff. So, proof if any is needed that a film with "slow start, wooden acting and wall-to-wall screaming" can indeed be an All Time Great.
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Without Quint and Harry & their so called "biased" reviews you wouldn't have this kick-ass website, so suck it up and stop complaining.
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there is nothing more hypocritical in the world than someone posting on a website about how stupid said website is. Especially when they do it over and over, day in and day out.
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what movies do you consider great? I have a sneaking suspicious I'd be able to point out many of the exact same flaws in your favorite movies as you've been doing with King Kong.
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Dec 08, 2005 11:25:32 PM CST
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Moses will OWN King Kong!
by hideo kojima
You heard it here first, folks...
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was called Indiana Jones and Walt Disney's Syphillis-Riddled Corpse. Apparently the plot is set five years in the future- the movie starts at an Archaeological Dig that looks like it's set in Egypt but is actually Los Angeles (in a neat twist to Hollywood pretending to be...well everywhere else). It starts off with a couple of Neo-Nazi Archaeologists screaming at each other in a weird mixture between American and German (they don't speak English five years in the future, they speak American), they're air-lifting a giant, dusty casket out of the ground via helicopter. Naturally the pesky Neo-Nazis decided to tempt fate and open the casket. Almost as soon as they open it one of the Neo Nazi-archaeologists (let's just call them Nazicologists to save time), starts coughing. "Ihr husten, Herr Lieber, vat is vong vith you?", screams one of the Nazicologists. "I think I have caught syphilis from zis corpse here! Scheize!". Cue Indy's great, great grandson, who happens to look just like an aging Harrison Ford, and Indy's great grandson, who happens to look just like an aging Sean Connery, spending the rest of the movie trying to travel to the tomb of Akromos, in Algeria, where the only known cure to Syphilis lies. Will the father-and-son team manage to save Los Angeles from the rapidly-spreading disease before it's too late? Watch Spielberg's Indiana Jones and Walt Disney's Syphillis-Riddled Corpse in Summer '07 to find out.
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Dec 09, 2005 12:26:27 AM CST
Wow, Quint, you'd think you were an honest guy or something.
by bluebottle
actually, you are. :) thanks for the review. i can't wait to see the movie and point out the fat douche.
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Dec 09, 2005 12:53:22 AM CST
Ya know, Willis O'Brien wanted a sequel in which Kong threw
by angry mean panda
My point? I've often thought that a lot of emotional emphasis was placed on the original that, truthfully, shouldn't have been there. As has been said, Kong wasn't some noble beast who died a tragic end, he was a fucking monster that wrecked shit and got shot.
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isn't Callista Flockhart going to play the skeletal remains of a cursed mummy that Indiana finds in a tomb from a long lost culture that was very succesful, for a short period of time, before fading quickly into the sands of time, and obscurity?
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TSJAK!
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They spent 200 million dollars on this movie and thousands upon thousands of man hours (not to mention blood, sweat and tears). It's the biggest movie since sliced bread, and you took all of what... 20 minutes... to critique it? What a lazy bastard.
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now that it's out can this site focus more on OTHER movies and not just Kong. I mean, I know everyone is in love with this movie but it would be nice to see some info about other movies. Every day it seems like there is a new Kong story posted. Anyway, I'm waiting till after Christmas if I see this or not. The crowds will have died down and there will be more word of mouth, good or bad.
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But then that's completely off topic! Can't wait to see this. I'll force my girlfriend to come along, but I'll probably have to trade it off with a chick flick. Taking one for the team boys!
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IMO Kong wasn't a monster (although he did wreck shit.) He was an animal that was taken by humans from his natural habitat by force. He didn't chose to go to NY in either the '33 or '76 or current version.
He's taken to a strange frightening place and breaks free.
It's sort of like when circus elephants go rogue. It's because they're not meant to be chained up and forced to perform. It doesn't make them monsters. Kong was exploited and killed by people when he didn't play their game. That's why it's such a sad story. He really didn't deserve to die.
I heard that Merian C. Cooper made Mighty Joe Young have a happier ending where the giant gorilla goes back to Africa in order to make up for the sad ending that Kong had. His daughter was upset it. I always like MJY better because it had a happier ending.
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If I want sappy apes I'll watch Mighty Joe Young.
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Come now, you think Harry's not gonna post a Kong review? I don't even know if he's seen it yet, in which case I double dog food bet you that it's playing at BNAT.
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Did the audience really clap after the Kong/t-rex fight??? Thats so fucking lame if they did, I mean, just watch the film. I hate shit like that, its a film your watching, not a band that you clap after each song. Jesus, no need! And lets be honest here, even clapping after the films over, who exactly is the receiptent of this applause??.... the bloke in the projector room... the manager of the cinema...the spotty dude that sold you popcorn??? Who knows?? Indeed, who the fuck cares??
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...why do you care? So people clap after a movie, is it the end of humanity? Seriously.
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So obviously you are one of the saps that do clap at the end of a movie? Well tell me then and put me out of my misery...WHO or WHAT are you clapping at???
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could it be a case of twas talbackers that killed the texas beast.
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No comment
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Dec 09, 2005 6:10:01 AM CST
"It got to the point where I had to really force myself to quell
by trazadone
Good Lord, get a grip man.
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Anyone who is so easily manipulated desn't stand a chance at the most blatently manipulative movie of all time.
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Indy 4 will NEVER get made. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not 10 years from now. Spielberg is too busy trying to re-invent himself into a real filmmamker for the 4th time, and George Lucas clearly proved himself to be batshit insane after making episode one. INDY 4 WILL NEVER GET MADE.
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I think the frighteners is an awesome movie and the LOTR trilogy ae truly epics by which others will be judged against. But due to the oversaturation of the story/concept ive never been interested in Kong and i dont think i ever will be no matter who directs it. (see also Oliver twist, Christmas Carol etc etc)
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Oh, damn!!! I'm mixing up my "Talkback" comment & topics...sorry folks!
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Doh! :(
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That makes as much sense as anything else I've posted!
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Dec 09, 2005 7:27:17 AM CST
UK Telegraph: "Huge, but also humble, earning every minute of it
by fluffyunbound
Realy trolling for advertising dollars with that one, I guess.
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Dec 09, 2005 7:28:21 AM CST
So what exactly has PJ said about the 1976 version? Anyone have
by minderbinder
I'm curious if he really did say he hates it and that he ignored it.
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Dec 09, 2005 7:32:09 AM CST
"Why the qualifier?" I assume the posts accusing him of being e
by minderbinder
That article with the Ebert quote is hilarious. I wonder if they got confused/duped, or if they did it on purpose. It does make the point that the quality of a movie is all about the overall effect on the audience, not a checklist of good parts and flaws.
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Dec 09, 2005 7:52:22 AM CST
And now for Some Honesty--Saw It Last Night in Baltimore
by samuellappdance
First of all, if you live in the D.C.-Balto-Southern Pennsylvania market and you have see "Kong," consider the historic, one-screen Senator Theater. Awesome presentation. End of plug. Was it great? Parts of it certainly. The T-Rex fight is really the first truly magnificent moment in the movie, and that comes at close to the two-hour market. And the Central Park sequence is about as magical as you can get. But I dunno. When you computer-animate everything, you definitely lose some of the human experience. Skull Island looks more like a part of Middle Earth we never got to see. The first hour of the film should indeed have been 30 minutes. Why set up so many characters if you really aren't going to do much interesting with them other than turn the majority into fodder? The jump from Skull Island to Kong's premiere on Broadway (how did the few remaining survivors get the beast to the ship) is rushed and more than a bit jarring. This is the problem of pacing that everyone was talking about. So much stuff happens between the capture of Kong and Jack Black taking the stage to introduce the Eighth Wonder of the World--stuff that is pretty important from a narrative standpoint--that the film takes a while to recover. You actually have to rediscover the characters in about three minutes. Even the '76 version had Kong in the cargo hold pounding away and hot-ass Jessica Lange falling in. And that film used stunning locations and not this cartoony, painting-come-to-life crap. And Quint ... ya started crying from the Empire State Building on?! Jesus! And THIS is the first movie that made you cry in years?! You didn't cry at the real, human condition of struggle and loss in movies like "Hotel Rwanda," "Schindler's List," and "Glory?!" My God, man. I said, "My God!" At any rate, good flick. Not great. Deeply flawed. But remarkably passionate. Not let's see Peter Jackson come up with his own story.
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Anyone remember Peter Travers raving about The Abyss in Rolling Stone in 89? Then other reviews slated it and he didnt mention the film at all in his end of year line-up. What a cock. No sane person woudl employ him.
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NOW let's see Peter Jackson come up with his own story.
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Dec 09, 2005 8:01:39 AM CST
I wonder how much they paid Travers to get him to lie. Or maybe
by fluffyunbound
I bet they have photos of him sucking the Loch Ness Monster's dick. I'm sure he doesn't want the dark secret of the way he likes to fellate plesiosaurs and yeti leaking out, so he wrote exactly what he was told to write. That's got to be it, right? // By the way, in retrospect isn't it obvious to everyone that THE ABYSS deserved a better reception than it actually got during its theatrical release? But hey - we don't need a different example of Travers' hackery, since we have the Kong review, which as Ringy points out is obviously full of "lies". That liar! How dare he? He's a LIAR. A LIAR.
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Dec 09, 2005 8:05:54 AM CST
And those guys at the Telegraph and Times of London? LIARS.
by fluffyunbound
Shameless LIARS. I can just see them, sitting down to write their reviews, knowing that KONG sucks and that he hated it, but deciding to LIE to us. "Bwahahahahahaha!" they no doubt exulted, while twirling their moustaches. "The FOOLS will believe our LIES! The FOOLS! Bwahahahahahahahaha!" I bet they emailed copy back and forth to each other, each one daring the other to devise a yet more audacious LIE. Or maybe they used IM. Those LIARS!
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Dec 09, 2005 8:08:07 AM CST
Sorry, that should be "they" hated it. Not "he" hated it. Unle
by fluffyunbound
Maybe there's really only ONE lying reviewer, and he has stolen the identities of all the other reviewers and is submitting reviews in their names. Quick, someone call these guys' editors and make sure they've seen their employees alive recently. All these reviews could be just ONE guy [and a LIAR] hanging out in a Byelorussian internet cafe, submitting reviews with spoofed email addresses.
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The reviews at this site can be very biased at times so it's nice to read a more balanced take on this. I remember reading endlessly about how great Spider-Man was but in the end I thought it was a vast disappointment. It's better to have expectations scaled back a little bit for these "important" films.
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you're in for a let down as everyone who has seen it is saying. but hey, pull out the single hyperbolic sentence per review
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I guess I just come from a place where "Kong" wasn't that important to the formation of my film-geek soul. I'm actually a bit surprised that with expectations SO high on Aint It Kong News that there isn't more of a "disappointment vibe" now setting in. But I can't fault Harry and his band. You really can't be that objective if Peter Jackson is inviting you to New Zealand or you're an extra in his film. And you have to chuckle at some of these early New York reviews that begin, "I sat three rows behind Peter and Naomi and Adrien and just to the left of Fay Wray's granddaughters who were wearing Ann Darrow's original wardrobe and holding vintage Kong props in their hands. Yeah, sure. That is the SAME experience as seeing this movie in a suburban cineplex next week with junior-highers kicking your chair and the nimrod in front of you spending the first hour text-messaging and the mom and dad who wanted to see "Kong" but couldn't find a sitter to watch their two brats for the four-plus hours this film required them to be away from home.
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Now Ringbearer9 is Quint's fucking psychiatrist and mind-reader. Who knew you were so multitalented?
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are you the most popular talkbacker on this thing? everytime i go and post something from my knowledge of movies i see your name all over the place, and i come to this site everyday either to laugh my ass off to hear what people say about these movies or to jump in with them. if you could give a response, that would be awesome. thanx.
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I knew I would find your insanity here. Where there is Kong - there is Ringbearer9. Hmmm, I wonder. And now I find you complaining about Quint's "desperate" mentioning of the particular "FONTS" used in the movie. So, based on your analysis, the movie must be bad because Quint tried to cover for it by bringing up the "FONTS". I see. Yes, Quint's diversionary tactic is quite genius in it's level of deception. You know Ring, you really are a miserable excuse for a Talkback handle. If ever it were possible to become a HACK in an internet message board, you Ringlets, have found a way. In all the time I have visited this site, I have never seen anyone throw so many careless/useless grenade-like statements as you. Beware the Schadenfreude, Ringu. It's a bitch.
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...Travers is such a suck up that he likes everything. Or lies about liking everything. I wouldn't be so foolish to assume that Travers will sometimes pan a movie? No? Yes? Get back to me. In any case, since we are all in the PJ-cult (along with glowing reviews written by people who are either lying or can't think straight), it's sure nice to have objective people like Ringy, (who haven't seen the film), yet can not only tell us the film is lousy, but can climb inside the heads of people who have seen the film and liked it and impugn both their motives and/or judgement. What a breath of fresh air around here.
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Dec 09, 2005 10:44:27 AM CST
I was itching to see Peter Jackson's date for the premiere
by bendersshinyass
Had of been me I'd have brought the old King Kong film canister, The DVD re-release, the bi-planes, and together with that Kong Model I'd be sitting down on the carpet before the front row, going 'boosh' 'Yahhh' As I plowed the toy planes into the Model Kong, then I'd sit back with the Model Kong to my cheek, pointing at the screen saying "I made that. see, thats you. Look what you've become, you're a hit." I'm only playing, lighten up.
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Dec 09, 2005 10:49:51 AM CST
"Not just damp eyes. Tears. It got to the point where I had to r
by spike fett
Oh, for Christ's sake. You know, when I was a kid I cried when Kong died. IN THE '76 VERSION. The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think the '76 version is criminally underrated. So what if Kong's a guy in a suit, the actors are good across the board, and things like how they brought Kong back are shown. Plus the feelings Ann has for Kong are developed naturally and believably, going from sheer terror to understanding to genuine empathy, maybe even love. It sounds like PJ borrowed quite a bit more from the '76 version than he's willing to admit. WTF, I'm sure it'll be good, but it sounds like he's done little more than just combine the '33 and '76 versions and added more monsters. Can't wait to see it anyway.
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You're so right about this issue. If I was given the red carpet treatment and watched a movie with the director next to me, I might be a little more prone to believe that what I'm seeing is a masterpiece. Your description of the multiplex is spot on and is the reason I rarely go to the movies anymore. It's true, hype can sometimes fool you into believing that what you're seeing is great. Only time enables you to place the movie into it's proper context. I actually thought Episode 1 was okay when I was first leaving the theater, but that's because it HAD to be good, right? I can look at it now and feel the disappointment that the film truly engenders.
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Point taken. Which is why I'm so glad we have people like Ringbearer9, who will go in to this film with a completely open mind. Praise Jesus! We are so desperate for hype-killers here at AICN. They're doing God's work, bless 'em!
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I bought ET and Batman And The Muppet Movie. My God, Speilberg really hacked up his masterpiece with his 'new man' revision, but damnit, I was a sopping blubbering baby all the way through it. That little mechanical freak just hits me right in the chest, and I had to explain myself to others walking into the room. I can't believe this film can still make me cry even after not seeing it for 20 odd years. I'm keen to see if kong can bring out the grazed knee little bitch in me. (C)Kevin Smith. Revisiting Batman was an interesting thing.... man, that film is just pure class! Good shit! Good Shit!! Chris Nolan/Christian Bale my hairy bean bag! Man they missed the point of Batman. So did all of you!
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Wow!
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Glowing review of Kong?: Attack the credibility and motives of the reviewer. Claim that a year from now the glowing review will fade and people will agree with your negative opinion instead. Mentions of anything negative in glowing review of Kong?: Hype that up and use it to prove your point. Ignore the positives of the review as much as possible. Negative review of Kong?: Agree with it and throw in an "i told you so" for good measure. Then take the moral high ground by claiming your vitriol is actually a public service because it's an antidote to the overbearing hype. Presto! We're done.
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Dec 09, 2005 11:19:32 AM CST
I mean, the guns replaced with phones I didn't care about...
by bendersshinyass
....But Eliot throwing up on the phone, what a little cunt. And dropping the shot of the rifle just before the bike chase bandits start flying..... oh man i thought my DVD skipped. I even took it back and thought, 'Geeeezusss, did Speilberg even supervise this cut, or did he just say 'drop it, it bothers me'........ Oh, and I noticed the mother doesn't yell "There is no way you're going out there as a Terrorist" to "There is no way you're going out there dressed as a Hippy" ? I mean seriously.... ? . I nearly fell of my fucking chair, if I hadn't been so well locked into place with a box of chips on my tummy and my legs on a poof. And to those who don't know what a poof is, it's not what you think you gutter trash. It's my dog who happens to like humping men. So I call him poof.
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Why don't you offer us a smorgasbord of YOUR particular favorite films? Show us all the courage of your convictions and offer up some titles you think are impervious to the same types of faults you see in both LOTR and the for you as yet unseen Kong. You've provided plenty of negatives. Let's see you provide some positives and try to defend them. Try to avoid safe choices like Citizen Kane, Seven Samurai or any unassailable titles you might feel an initial impulse to cower behind. I dare you. I double-dare you.
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Oh, so now you're a Travers apologist? (Why don't you email Mr. Travers and confront him with the accusations you feel so confident in throwing around?) And no, the point is Mr. Bearer that it's not "hype" that Jackson loves Kong. It's reality. A reality shared by a great many Kongnerds. The fact that Jackson may have made a film actually worth checking out seems to be utterly beneath you. And I seem to recall that your reasoning for this started back when you first saw the trailer. You did not like that Jackson used the color of fire for...FIRE!!! And anyone who doesn't like the color of fire is beyond the redemption you hope to find in these Talkbacks.
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It is so fucking bad. And i'm not being a prick. And I'm not even talking about 05' kong. So I guess this is an off topic post. Eat me. Kong 76' is a steaming pile. I remember being a kid and actually seeing this film AFTER 33' kong (We only had 1 channel and no VHS out in the sticks) anyway, i remember Kong 76' being this masterful, scary as all hell film about a giant ape. It scared the bejesus out of me. Jessica Lanf scared something outta me too, but thats another story. Jack black, now thats some inspired casting, but Brody and Watts? bah! I always felt Kong relationship to Lang had more to do with him being a big dumb fucker of a creature. He was like this kelpie/cross healer that barks at everything, licks you to no end when ever your near, and when you're taking him for a run, he plows into the back of your legs and trips you up over a concrete path which joins a grassy field of prickles.... where you lay in pain only to be tounge kissed by said stupid fucking dog. Oh yeah, my life is one big adventure after another. So I'm thinking about Kong and how they bring him back to Manhatten, and it dawns on me. We don't actually return to manhatten. It's all just a big what if, like in ET how the film is just one big downer, he's stuck on earth, he uses the force to control Eliot into doing his bidding, he makes a pathetic excuse for a communication device, he gets hypothermia (or homesick, i'm not sure which) and then dies like a stupid Frenchman (I have no issues with french, it just seems 'in' to bag on them) So there's this emotionally charged 'real' film, and all of a sudden, nah fuck that, he's still alive and he's going home! Yahh!! Maybe thats whats going on in 05' Kong. They rescue Anne (with the help of some friendly Bats) (Batman 89 rulez 4 eva!) and then thats the end of the film. But wait, the audiance doesn't want it to end there. And the world trade centre aint there no more so he can't climb that. Well it wasn't there in 33 either was it. So in conclusion. I'm sorry for all the spelling mistakes. Good night, some of us have to do shit.
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It seems that every poster on these Kong boards WHO HAS ACTUALLY SEEN THE FILM, has come away with very similar opinions of the film. None of us hated it, we were all kind of dissapointed on one level or another for various reasons (bat gliding and bum sliding for me, god that kills me). But, ultimately, we all give it a loose/luke warm thumbs up(again for various reasons, although everyone does seem to love the triple rex fight). Also, most "geek" sites have come away with almost the exact same opinion as well (Chud, Coming Soon). It's the bigger reviewers who are so closley tied into the industry (ahem, cry baby Quint & co) that are gushing and falling over themselves to hail this as a masterwork. I have no problem with their opinions, if that's what they truely beleive. But when I call something a masterwork, I'm putting it up against some pretty impressive films (Kane, Godfather, Jaws, insert your own fav here). I would just like to see any of the reviewers who are heaping it on, actually mention Kong in the same breath as any of the widley acknowledged "masterpieces" we have all loved over the years. Enjoy Kong, just take a deep breath, let it out, and THEN proclaim it as the most amazing movie in the history of movies where movies can be amazing.
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Kingasaurus - that is exactly what Ring is counting on. He is scrambling for the high ground so he can get off the best shot.
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Dec 09, 2005 11:46:14 AM CST
Oww, Pazuzu, pick me. look at my arm and the way I shake, Pick m
by bendersshinyass
ever see 'Catholic high school girls in trouble'? I'm not sure it's a real film, but the trailer has had me sold for over 20 years.
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Dec 09, 2005 11:47:25 AM CST
PSALMOLIVE - I know you are trying to cause controversy on purpo
by porky
Go fuck your mother! How's that for controversy.
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...Most of us haven't criticized anyone who has actually seen the film and come away disliking it. Your problem is that you've tainted any credibility you may have had. If you see the film and it ends up stinking to high heaven, NOBODY is going to take your complaints about it seriously. From your incessant and frighteningly single-minded posts it's clear that you really have a need to be acknowledged for your filmic wisdom. How does it feel to know that you have permanently fucked up every chance of having your voice respected?
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King Kong plays ping pong with is ding dong.
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....Tomb raider "It's indianna jones with a D cup" ...... HULK "Comic Book films rarely, if ever, are made so true to their source material"........ Batman Begins "One of the years best" ...... Matrix Revolutions "A clear winner." "Unmatched" ...... KING KONG "I cried like a little bitch" (c) kevin smith. now let me sleep, Some of us have shit to do today!
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King Kong plays ping pong with his ding dong during a sing along while smoking a bong and... and... and.... thats all I got sorry.
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You got a lot goin' on between the bread, my friend. Putting this film in the same company as legitimately great motion pictures like "Jaws" or "Shawshank" or "The Godfather" would indeed be a tragedy. The tone is all over the place from geeked-out B-movie thrills to pining-for-Oscars "Titanic" moments and the acting and writing just aren't there for three-plus hours. When I emerged from my preview at the Senator the other night, my friends and I mulled around and talked and listened to about 50 others waiting for the traffic to clear (GREAT theater, but worst parking situation of any theater in B'more). And the general talk was like so many other big movies we've come out of in the CGI age. A lot a love for the BIG moments like the T-Rex battle, the dinosaur stampede, and the Empire State climb but also a lot of "It was OK" or "Yeah, that could have been better" comments regarding the pacing, Adrien & Naomi's chemistry, Jack Black's performance, etc. I'm not a PJ naysayer. "Kong" is darn-good flick. But NOT a masterpiece. And anyone who wants to see an Extended Edition of this movie should really just move to New Zealand now. And Trazadone, I think I have had an opposite reaction than you to "Episode I." Disappointed on first viewing, mellowed over the years now having the context of the other two prequels. But no biggie. Gimme Han, Lando, and Luke any day.
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i'm a film geek, and i cant fault someone for getting emotional... but if you cry over a CG monkey, and shit like Hotel Rwanda doesn't effect you, it shows how badly fanboys need a good reality check.
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Having seen the film, it is a LOT closer to TITANIC and JURASSIC PARK than to any truly classic movie. It's fun, sometime awe-inspiring, occasionally leaden and cheesy. It's the kind of film that people will completely overrate in the moment, due to their excitement and anticipation, and then realize in a few months that it's simply a good epic-style film, nothing more.
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That's all I'm looking for. It's not the Second Coming. I grew up King Kong, Harryhausen and Doug McClure (starring in) movies, they can't make enough of 'em. And I loves me the P.J.
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Not that the film is/should be a masterpiece. I haven't seen it. I might hate it. But if the film gets consensus positive reviews, it's probably a pretty good film. I didn't say "perfect". What I won't do is have a preconceived bias against the movie and then pretend the reviewers that like it are full of crap for whatever reason du jour that I can think up, just to keep from having to modify my dug-in position. That crap draws an immediate penalty, especially for a certain person who has demonstrated howlingly obvious biases and zero credibility.
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but then theyre another group of reviewers who seem to be continually inbed with Jackson. I bet the time it comes onto dvd that rating (like the 5/5 rating they gave the star wars prequels) will drop down to 4 or maybe even 3/5
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Actually why am I wasting my time with a negative prick like you. Go to a movie and enjoy it sometime. It's very satisfying.
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Dec 09, 2005 2:01:41 PM CST
I think it was jst his polite way of telling you you're an a
by minderbinder
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Dec 09, 2005 2:04:18 PM CST
Bender, I remember mixed-to-shitty reviews for Tomb Raider, Hulk
by fluffyunbound
Were you in Estonia when those films came out or something? Did the Estonian press give out lots of love to those films? If you remember those films getting the same reception in the press as Kong is getting so far, you have significant brain impairment.
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Wow, man. Just... wow. Brain shaped like a pretzel with bites out of it. Remember all, if you don't feed the troll it will die.
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Dec 09, 2005 2:47:15 PM CST
A very subtle and geeky nod to the '33 film in the new versi
by dinobass
is when one of the crew falls into the Spider Pit, his body is animated to look like one of those old Hollywood dummies they used to throw off cliffs in films. Ringbearer9, we know what your opinion is on things like this, so no need to comment. Thanks.
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...it says a lot about you that you chose to focus on that post rather than the one before that where I dared you to present some of your favorite films and see if they can withstand the same type of close scrutiny you feel films you haven't even seen yet warrant.
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No offense, but your supposed rationale on DocPazuzus post makes absolutely no sense. Again, no offense, but you've made yourself look like a complete moron.
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You must have been blinded by the free food at the screening. There's no other explanation for lying to us and saying you actually liked that film. Pfft.
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4 STARS. http://www.oscarwatch.com/forums/showpost.php?p=279342&postcount=420
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Let it go already, you've already tried that particular troll and nobody bit. Or at least wait until you've seen the scene before whining about how the song ruined it. And I like that phrase you used - It's not about your hating this movie, it's about your love for yourself for hating this movie.
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I don't recall you saying anything about other faves except Alien in an older talkback, which immediately drew tons of vitriol from other talkbackers -- not because they disliked Alien, but because you had spent most of your previous posts whining about how "dark" everything was in LOTR and how the "bad" CG was being "obscured" in Kong. I do seem to have hit a nerve, though. Your desire to keep the subject on Kong is very funny, especially considering your lengthy tract on The Abyss and the Rolling Stone review of it. But don't worry, I understand how you were connecting it to the matter at hand. However, my challenge to you in regard to your own favorite films is also very much a relevant sidestep as it serves to illuminate what cinematic genius Ringbearer9 appreciates in cinema and why we all are so woefully misguided in our excitement to see Kong. I merely wish to be enlightened by your wisdom. You've told me everything that's wrong with the unseen Kong, but I need to know what's right in the world of film to fully appreciate your insight in these matters. Please help me.
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relax your sphincter. there will be no Oscar noms other than technical. maybe they'll throw the dog a bone on the score.
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Dec 09, 2005 3:39:48 PM CST
who goes to a movie like King Kong with expectations of seeing a
by peven
those are two serious dramas while King Kong is a saturday matinee spectacle/monster movie. anyone with any presence of mind should have entirely different expectations of those movies. and guess what, Shawshank is one of those over-rated movies in my book. the kind people say they love just to attempt to legitimize their own taste. go to the local video rental place and take a look at the layer of dust on the copy of Shawshank they have. its not a bad movie by any means, but to put it in the same catagory as fims like the Godfather, to me, is as bad as anyone putting King Kong on the same list with Shawshank. but then, its all subjective anyway, isn't it. some will love King Kong, some will like it, some won't. the ones who love it won't care there are those who dislike it, and vice versa. for example, i don't care that most people think One Crazy Summer is a lame movie, i'll watch it and love it on a regular basis regardless. it just seems ridiculous that people are debating something on here as if at some point and time in the future there will be a definitive answer they will be able to point to and say, "see, i was right". shit, people are still carrying on squabbles about Batman Begins, as if it matters.
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Dec 09, 2005 3:49:01 PM CST
War of the Roses? i think LifetimeChannel plays that on a regula
by peven
but hey, to each her own.
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I always go into movies like that hopping for 80' monkeys that are breaking shit so maybe I will finally be satisfied for a change. Thank you PJ for making my dreams come true.
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Oh my me. Ringbeard, you are a total fool. Troll? Perhaps. But a fool nonetheless. You've done nothing but continue to show us that it's about your love of YOURSELF for hating this movie...which you have YET to see. (Kudos to Minderbinder for relaying that sentiment before me.) And your avoidance of Doc Paz's movie challenge is an act of utter Talkback cowardice. Are you so afraid of mentioning anything that may be deserving of criticism that you had to mention a cinematic scar like "War of the Roses"???
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Dec 09, 2005 3:55:39 PM CST
" This is the last time I'm responding to you on anything, T
by minderbinder
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...was great. Pissed-on fish. Dog pate. Kathleen Turner, gymnist. Michael Douglas, misogymnist. (SNAP!) C'mon. Come. On. *sigh* How long 'till Kong, again?
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Does King Kong eat a puppy? I love in Jurassic Park 2 when the rex ate the puppy. Every movie with giant animals loose in the city should have puppy-eating. Or did Quint eat the puppy, since the breadlines were too long? Wok the dog.
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Unfortunately he/she/it will still ramble on to themselves as if this was their personal web blog.
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Dec 09, 2005 4:14:50 PM CST
I can't remember which Kong talkback Ringbearer's favour
by seppukudkurosawa
(there've been so damn many of them involving Ringbearer after all) but I do remember that Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark came up in that talkback as one of his favourite films. As did The Empire Strikes Back if my memory doesn't fail me. And it's your right as a movie fan to love those movies. I also love those movies, but I wouldn't put them in my top 10- though Moriarty has those very two films lodged right there, so I guess if you're planning on shooting Ringu down for this, then you gotta shoot down one the Head Honchos of this site in the same beat.
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i think this "(not even during armageddon)" comment by quint is quite hilarious, hope it was a joke and i am not making myself a fool. however, i am -giving that i almost cried watching a preview of mad hot ballroom- probably a too sensitive person to judge that. but i was quite shocked by your "i haven't cried since i was a child" testimony. it makes me cry. i mean, i'm thankful for every film, that has a scene in it, that is capable of creating tears. i guess it's a chemical, neuro physiological thing.
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Seriously. CG shark. With the original ending. For Brody - Tom Hanks, For Hooper - Jeff Goldblum, and for Quint - Willem Dafoe. You know it's only a matter of time before someone DOES remake it...
Or there could always be the comedy version... with Moriarty, Quint, and Father Geek in the boat, and Harry starts chomping on the stern, with a plastic fin on his back.... -
Dec 09, 2005 4:34:13 PM CST
"This is the last time I'm responding to you on anything, Tr
by docpazuzu
If not for me, Ringmeister, then at least enlighten the other talkbackers here. Judge them not for the appalling ignorance and selective memory which obviously afflicts me. Help them. Give them examples of movies which don't have color correction problems and which display all their special effects in bright, sunny environments. Proclaim loudly the titles of films in which fire has the correct color. Help them understand why you are so right and they so very, very wrong. Think of the children.
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Dec 09, 2005 4:34:49 PM CST
Armageddon? Constant Gardner? Crying? A-a-ah! *sneezes* A Douc
by www.valiens.com
Just reading that line made me feel filthy and distrust everything else in the review. I'm sure Kong will be great, but...god dman, Armageddon, really? CRIED? I cried cuz wanted my money back, my ear drums, and, I think, my soul.
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Well, in the theatre for Return of the King, I started at the eagles and didn't stop til after the credits. It just came and went in waves. Hell, I cried when I first saw the trailer for Fellowship. Maybe the idea of seeing a childhood passion fully realized on the screen the way I'd always dreamed of. At least that's part of it. I don't really get the King Kong passion that this site embodies. I get being a fan, but not the utter devotion to the monkey. But I don't have a problem with it.
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Ringbearer, you've said a lot of negative things about Jackson (the above, he's a moron, an immature child, etc, etc). But you don't know the man. You don't know of anyone he's been unfair to or treated badly. You don't know of anyone who's worked with him and who shares your views. But you still say lots of things about him that aren't nice at all, and aren't based in reality. I'm wondering if you can see how wrong that is. It makes YOU look like you're not a very nice person. I mean, even if you disagree with people about Jackson's movies, I think most of us can agree that it's wrong to accuse someone of having negative personal qualities when you've no evidence for it. If you can't realize that, then you're not a very nice person, yourself. And that often reflects an inner sadness, an inner dissatisfaction. I say this in all sincerity, you might consider getting some help.
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the latest movie to bring the tears rolling for me is the Life Aquatic, when Murray and O.Wilson go down in the chopper. now that i know what happens, when Murray says "this is going to hurt", the dam breaks for me without fail, and since i am such a wes anderson fan i bet i have seen that movie about 15 times so far. then, about the time i've got it under control, the jaguar shark arrives on the scene and the tears roll again. then, right at the end with the march down to the docks. damn, i love that movie. no one but Wes can make me laugh and cry at the same moment, and in that movie he does it more than once.
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Dec 09, 2005 4:55:53 PM CST
I hope you people realize that the Armageddon line was actually
by angry mean panda
He admitted to crying in his infamous review of Armageddon, oh so long ago.
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As a huge Cameron fan, i can authorititively state that, besides its look and technical proficiency, The Abyss isn't that great. Terrific documentary though.
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I quote you "I hated THE MATRIX, but for some reason love the sequel, and like the third movie".... You've just lost all respect on this board. Everything you say from here on in means nothing.
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again, you can't expect filet mignon when eating at a fast food joint, and you shouldn't expect Midnight Cowboy when you watch Armageddon. take it for what it is, set the i'm-too-cool-and-cynical hat aside, and enjoy the ride. i don't have any problem believing Harry cried, the ending was very emotional, and the montage of visuals, Bruce's life flashing before his eyes, was one of the best representations of a hero's death i have ever seen on screen. so what if the movie invents a new set of laws of physics, emotions don't need accurate science. i have a sneaking suspicion that if Affleck wasn't in it people would give it more of a chance. sadly, he threatens too many guys' masculinity and suffers the backlash. seriously, another Bruce Willis sci-fi funland-type movie is The 5th Element, and it gets nowhere near the ragging that Armageddon does, and doesn't have Affleck in it, and is in no way more scientifically grounded or realistic. lucky me, i love 'em both.
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it's offtopically hilarious to have indy4 mentioned around here. it IS coming ...i sense it. however... i'm not someone who fell in love with big monsters at first sight, when she was 8 years old. i was watching the original kong a few weeks ago on tv and it was an interesting experience (although i was very tired and was very close to falling asleep 'cause it was aired long after midnight) but i like it how jackson is talking about kong as an escapism adventure. i want this film to impress me i gues
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1) Yes, I find TalkBack to be ENORMOUSLY entertaining, and 2) I really don't know why you're trying to pin Jackson fealty on me. Yes, I have enjoyed most of what he's done so far and I loved LOTR, but can you find any post where I've attacked anyone who has had sensible objections against LOTR? Or how about any attacks on ANYONE who has actually seen Kong? Did I come after you when you had posted your unfavorable review of it? Ringy is a hater of the purest kind. If he had produced negative opinions of LOTR which had any real substance I wouldn't have called him out on them. As it is, he mixes anally retentive analysis of the most laughably negligible details of the films with unfounded personal opinions of Jackson and then uses this ludicrous, pseudo-scientific, faux philosophical porridge of bullshit in order to slam a movie he has never seen. Not only that, he also takes the positive reactions to the film and twists them bizarrely into negative comments. How could anyone resist taking an utter idiot like Ringbearer9 down a peg or two?
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THAT ALL THE GIRLS THAT SAW IT GAVE IN TO IT
AND DID SOMETHING SO VERY VERY WRONG -
You summed it up quite nicely on your second point. Bravo, sir.
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Dec 09, 2005 6:12:18 PM CST
"Master and Commander" made my eyes tear up, and not because of
by psalmolive
But the way Weir showed and presented the ships on screen with their billowing sails- the majesty, power and grace of those ships- it was fantastic. Also, the shoot out scene in "Heat" brought tears to my eyes, with the way it was shot- with its gritty minimalism, and the sound of actual gunshots ringing out amongst a concrete jungle. It's mostly cinema's formative strategies that bring tears to my eyes, because I love the medium so much. The film medium itself is the real hero, not the story or characters to me.
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Ringmoron9 posted the following "I have watched as much of Kurosawa's stuff as I could find, but am not sure I really like the guy." That says it all right there...
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And I can only reiterate that the fact you think so (based only on the voices in your head as opposed to anything or anyone else at all) indicates an unhealthy, negative obsession. I really think you should look into therapy so that one stranger's art doesn't continue to bring out the worst in you.
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Normally I try to accept and understand that some people just don't have the same taste in movies as I do. But the fact that you can argue in the same thread that Peter Jackson is immature and the 2nd Matrix movie was the best of the "trilogy" leads me to one conclusion: You're an idiot.
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Either due to a failure of imagination when he originally read LOTR, or perhaps because he first encountered Tolkien by seeing the cartoon version of "The Hobbit", Ringbearer went into the LOTR films expecting to see a live action version of Rainbow Brite. Because Jackson didn't put that on the screen, Ringbearer has a vendetta against Jackson. Ringbearer seriously hopes to create "bad buzz" for Kong by this campaign - and thus to be avenged on Jackson. I guess PJ should have known better than to try to make Middle Earth into a real place, and should have known better than to treat LOTR as anything but a set of children's books. In doing so he earned the undying enmity of a fool who sincerely believes that Tolkien's works occupy the same aesthetic terrain as old episodes of "The Magic Garden".
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Sleeping Beauty (Age 3),
The Muppet Movie (That rainbow connection song),
Tarzan The Legend Of Greystoke (Can't remember why), Schindler's List (Got all the way to the closing credits but then that boy walked out holding the old man's hand and you realized he was the boy all grown up), High Fidelity (It's just kind of pretty), Garden State (Probably because my Mom just died and I had skipped to funeral to see the matinee) -
Actually I wasn't crying but the day that came out one of my friends was killed in a car accident and all of us kids decided to go to a movie for some reason and so there were all these sobbing girls in our row and the people ahead were like 'Wow, they are REALLY emotionally involved in Richard Gear's fine performance' This is funny in retrospect.
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If you cut every scene where Liv Tyler cries, or speaks to Ben Affleck in any way, and if you cut the dopey Mir sequence, and if you cut about half the time spent on the asteroid itself [including some of the shittier asteroid effects shots] with what was left you'd have a "fair" to "good" sci-fi comedy. [I admit that the scenes of the drillers acting like a-holes during their NASA training made me laugh.] Armageddon is undone by its "love story" and "family melodrama / weeping" scenes, because they're some of the worst "love story" and "family melodrama" scenes ever filmed. Literally some of the worst. But with those scenes gone, you still have a coherent film.
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In one of the LOTR extra features I think Peter Jackson mentions a restaurant or cafe that sells really delicious sausage rolls. I'm in Wellington right now but I don't have access to the dvds. What's that restaurant called? I wanna try those sausage rolls. I like sausage rolls so I do.
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You don't really need Ringbearer to tell you that Jackson is a goof of a director who has some strange obsession with poo and vomit and ugly gore, His film direction does tend to suffer as a result. i speak as a viewer of his films from the age of 9 up. Meet the feebles is a shocker. Braindead is some funny shit, but it's not funny because it's masterfully made, it's funny because the blood just keeps coming and coming. It wasn't until the lawn mower on the face and the lead chick capturing my heart that i truely saw something in the mans style. But I really have issues with these types who say 'no one knew how to make lord of the rings until Jackson came along" What a load of monkey spoof. The man succeeded in bringing together a pretty impressive production design, but for the last time HIS DIRECTION, HIS EDITING AND HIS MARKETING TECHNIQUES REVEAL THE HACK WITHIN. But he's a filmmaker and he's got more money than God to make his films... so more power to the fucker. He really is sub par though. deal with this viewer consensus. None of us are blind to his achievements, but none of us are blind to his failings too. and where he failed to this talkbacker was in his entire visionary construction of his films. and now, 3 hours for kong. I just watched 5 movies over the last 2 days and only one of them went over 2 hours (by 5 minutes) and ALL of these films were BIG movies. What gives Jackson the keys to lay a 2 hour film padded with ADDED scenes. I haven't seen the film yet, Stand by for my entire breakdown. How goofy did Cate Blanchet sound in her good bye scene to Frodo in ROTK. People laughed in the cinema i was in. And I'll never forget the collected "huh" when FOTR ended. TTT was sweet though!
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Amazing because it was one of the 5 movies I just watched. So i guess i lied about Batman being the only film over 2 hours. hmmmm, whoops. But thats the point. Armageddon is a champion film. over 2 and a half hours long, and it just keeps fucking moving. Moving moving moving!! And it's loaded with 1 second shots that just keep cutting - making the whole film feel like a trailer to a bigger film. NOW THAT is cool filmmaking. Be it gay and laugh out load worthy when all the American flags and Nasa Cock sucking fills the end.
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and you too Goatzinger, I'm liking the new name King Sepookoo.
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In which Ebert and Roeper give it "two thumbs way up!" www.kingkongmovie.com
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We obsess over Luke Skywalker, hobbits, and the big ape. In the same way we cling to a superstitious religion, we clutch at a pop culture that keeps us twelve years old forever, wanting to ooh and aah at the things that wowed us before we experienced pubic hair. There's no doubt a connection between our Lucas/Cameron/Jackson obsessions and the forty-third president of the United States. Why can't we grow the fuck up?
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Dec 10, 2005 1:28:52 AM CST
Heywood, can't say there's anything in that post to disa
by seppukudkurosawa
I thought you might like to check out one of ZombieSolutions most interesting posts on AICN which covers the same ground. I read this on the Domino talkback and it sparked one hell of a furore, but that's only to be expected...who likes to be compared to an over-loved, over-fed fat kid? Anyway, without further adieu we have Zombie here:------The US and Bounty Hunters / Cowboys / Assassins / Gangsters / Fantasy / Good v Evil / Et Al
by ZombieSolutions October 11th, 2005
11:10:23 AM CST
most people in the US live inside a movie; they live within a self-created fever dream of myth and fantasy which has slim to no relationship to life in the real world. this is why the Bush Administration was able to sell this riduclous notion that the Endless War is a war between good and evil where the US are the "good guys" promoting "democracy" (or whatever) while everyone else are the "bad guys." being a "bounty hunter" fits into this 5 year olds notion of cops and robbers that americans love so much -- most people around the world grow out of the cops and robbers thing, but americans actually GROW INTO IT -- rather than emerge from the fever dream of mediated fantasy, most americans become entangled in the nightmare as they get older. (for an example, watch any US news channel and be amazed at the childlike insanity of it all). furthermore, many people in the US (especially in the red states -- cue dueling banjoes here) don't realize that the western expansion and the civil war ended well over one hundred years ago. in addition, most Americans atill believe that WWII started in 1942 and that we "saved the world" from facism -- even though the truth of the matter is that we jumped in after the tide had already turned (thank you Russia! thank you Stalingrad!) and basically took advantage of the situation. aside from these mass pscyhosises, and perhaps because of them, America loves action heros and simplisitc symbol systems of good vs. evil because we have, at the bottom of our hearts, a deep inferiority and guilt complex. we invaded a land, comitted genocide, and set up shop. we're like children who did something very bad and need to be forgiven. we are not heroic, we are not the "good guys" and we are not "special" (accept, perhaps, in the PC sense -- we are retarded). so, we create these rootin' tootin' myth-realities to sustain us and distract us from the truth that we basically suck and are rapidly approaching total collapse... in a nutshell... -
Dec 10, 2005 1:42:03 AM CST
Benders, why do you call people who like Jackson, "Jackson whore
by aikimoe
I love Jackson. I love what he did with LOTR. I think he's a gifted film-maker. How, exactly, am I a "whore" for loving an artist's work? There are a lot (a LOT) of people who make movies for a living who share my feelings about Jackson's work. Are they all "whores," too? I know you're interested in making films. Did any of the film-makers you DO admire spend time before they were successful publicly insulting and generally disrespecting more accomplished film-makers? Do you really want to be a person who does? Will it help you become a better film-maker, spending so much time calling one of the most successful, respected (respected by his peers) directors alive today a hack? Fortunately, you're relatively young, so there's still time to focus that energy on your art instead of repeatedly insulting another artist and the people who enjoy his work.
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by Spike Fett December 9th, 2005
10:49:51 AM CST
"Oh, for Christ's sake. You know, when I was a kid I cried when Kong died. IN THE '76 VERSION. The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think the '76 version is criminally underrated. So what if Kong's a guy in a suit, the actors are good across the board, and things like how they brought Kong back are shown. Plus the feelings Ann has for Kong are developed naturally and believably, going from sheer terror to understanding to genuine empathy, maybe even love."
Yes, even though he won't admit to it, I think Jackson takes the bits of good from the maligned 70's films of King Kong (which I love) and even Bakshi's Lord of the Rings (a failure but with great ideas here and there) -
... the face redesign to a more '76 style.
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Interesting point of view. Never looked at it that way. In a way it kinda makes sense but I don't think the dream like fantasy state can be pinned solely on Americans. You get people similar to that all over the world. By the way. I'm still hoping for an answer to my sausage roll question as posted above. Seriously. I really want to know.
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I didn't call Jackson a hack, I was talking about the hack within. I have no real problems with Jackson, persay, just the publicity behind his films. Big difference. Besides, this is talkback and everyone has a voice. I refer to the term 'Jackson whore' in context - those who blieve the man is some film making God. Simple truth, he's not. So in short, my issues lie with the hardcore fans, and thats who I was addressing.
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i mean, the grown-up real life thing to do would be used your real name here, right? i mean, pretend names are for kids, just like movies about giant apes and light sabres, and all that good stuff, right? and am i right to understand from the above post that there is suppposed to be a universal standard of "dealing with real life"? do the people who live in the jungles of the Amazon live a life more real than Americans? are they childish and pathetic too because they have silly beliefs and superstitions? just what IS "real life" anyway? what and where can we all find this ideal of people living real life? who is the guy who decided what that standard is? he must have been one smart guy, eh? seriously, for all the talk and bluster, you're no more "right" than the guy down the street with a house full of Star Trek trinkets and a Spock haircut, and his life is just as real as yours. that is, unless you believe in some almighty God who has created some rules that say otherwise.
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...but knowing that WWII started before '42 and that the Russians turning back the Nazis was a major part of winning the war(though,imo, its really the English who made the difference and saved the Russians' asses when they hung in there during the Battle of Britain, throwing off the Nazi timetable, which pushed back their invasion of Russia leading to being defeated by the Russian winter, much like what happened to Napoleon), is pretty basic stuff. anyone who stayed awake in 11th grade history class should know more than that about WWII.
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Dec 10, 2005 2:14:00 PM CST
"the truth that we basically suck and are rapidly approaching to
by aikimoe
I think I read this in a cave, spelled out in pictographs. No, wait, it was an ancient Egyptian scroll. No, no, my bad, it was a Roman historian from 1,500 years ago. Or was it Pope Innocent III in 1203? Maybe it was the Puritans 450 years later. No, wait, it was everyone throughout history, and they were always wrong. That's it.
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Dec 10, 2005 2:44:41 PM CST
Hey I didn't write that post it was Zombie as I said
by seppukudkurosawa
and I don't agree 100% with it either, I think that fiction can be more important than reality. I know that sounds like a slow-minded statement but it's true. And no fiction is completely separated from the world it came from to start off with. Anyway I'm fucking exhausted after working all day so I don't really have the stamina to get into this right now. And Goatzinger, once again I completely agree with you there, people seem to lose historical perspective when they deal with Jackson and Co. No film of Jackson's will ever come up to the screwball genius of Bringing Up Baby, the rapid-fire interplay of His Girl Friday, or Bogie's geeky book-worm impression in The Big Sleep... Will anything Jackson ever makes sucker-punch you as hard as Cagney getting the electric chair in Angels With Dirty Faces? Fuck it, will anything he does be as exciting as Errol Flynn facing off against a whole tribe of Commanches in Raoul Walsh's They Died With Their Boots On? Fuck no! People need their escapism as much as they need milk with their toast...it's just a done deal. And Peven...got no idea what you're gunning for here. This is an anonymous internet forum, and if I posted my name it would mean fuck all, it'd be just another Christian name in a sea of Christian names.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4517714.stm
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in regards to the WWII thing, i was speaking to what MOST Americans think about WWII. MOST (not all) Americans think that it started in WWII and that we (the US) saved the universe single handedly. in short: most (not all) americans did sleep through 11th grade history class! (but they've watched more tv then any other country on earth; hence the alarming level of historical and cultural ignorance.) again, this is a generalization, not the truth for all Americans. shit, i'm an American! (you can tell by my acerbic, sarcastic, over-the-top ranting and raving.)
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using made-up screen names is just an example of people living outside of day to day "reality", an alter-ego so to speak, and your earlier post was ripping on americans for not wanting to live in and deal with real life. not trying to start anything personal, just a little cerebral debate.
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i don't actaully *believe* i'm a "Zombie Solutions". i'm well aware it's a screen name. this bears no weight on my ability or inability to deal with real life. if anything, it's like an extended masquerade party. on the other hand, actually *believing* that the US is a nation of heroes which saved the world from facism all by itself is a fantasy that people actually believe is true. your talking about two completely different things.
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i meant to say: "MOST (not all) Americans think that it started in 1942I and that we (the US) saved the universe single handedly." danke schoen.
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again: "MOST (not all) Americans think that it started in 1942 and that we (the US) saved the universe single handedly."
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I think someone needs a history lesson. Alot had happened AFTER Stalingrad. There was a little thing called Japan that had to be dealt with and Europe and everyone else involved were decimated and exausted from the whole bloody thing. But hey, I guess if Europe would have been a little less oblivious to this "simplistic symbol system of good and evil", maybe Hitler wouldn't have steamrolled most of Europe before pulling it's collective head out of its ass to something about it! But i'm sure Neville Chamberlin was a "visionary " in your book. I said this in another thread but it applies here...evil does not just simply walk off stage left. It has to be opposed.Evil acts, intentions, forces etc...will not stop but will instead repeat and gather more force unless they are condemned, and not just condemned, opposed. ALSO, your point on how Americans have a "guilt complex" and how settlers (Europeans) invaded a land, comitted genocide and set up shop..."...You think thats the first time that ever happened? Did America invent slavery too? This was pretty much the standard M.O of the human race since day one dude. And it's funny that you mention mass "pscyhosises"...your rant has all the makings of a psychological adolescent. One feature of adolescent psychology is anger at a parent who claims very high ideals and turns out to be flawed. You sound angry at America for being imperfect and therefore disappointing you...boo fucking hoo. Sorry to hijacK the the thread all...but it felt good. Now about KONG...
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...but hey, it's his childhood fave. I'm sure he found it hard to restrain himself. I fully expect tears too...damn it. My wife wonders why i cry at the movies but neber in real life. Maybe if real life had a big sweeping score behind it I would. I did see the T rex scene on the Tonite Show...even Leno said it looked like Kong had some lessons from Bruce Lee. I expect a too long, over the top gush fest. Grab the popcorn and enjoy.
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Lately, for a few hours of entertainment, I've been going on random talkbacks and ctrl+f-ing your name. I love your insights and your reasoning and your choice of words, and even better, I love the "i'm in third grade so just shut your trap, ringU" responses. I mean, honestly. How could someone say something so brainlessto someone with such high prestige. Yes, prestige. You have it. Despite the hate people spit upon you. For all I care, you might not even hate this upcomer as much as you portray yourself to hate it. But whatever you're doing, is genius. I'm gonna admit. I'm super duper giddy over just the thought of next Wednesday. In fact, it makes me furious that I have to wait another 3 whole days to see it. But I wanted to thank you standing out, and being the successful loner you are in the talkbacks. Keep it up. I'll be silently rooting you on.
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They both agreed it was a classic
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I really, really wish you geeks would quit hatin' on the Matrix sequels. Those of us who loved them -- I went to see Matrix Revolutions six times -- will NEVER be swayed by your negativity, and your constant harping on a two year old movie is getting incredibly annoying. You hated it, we get that, find something new to bitch about already...
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Dude...how the hell do you remember that!??????? Did you search the site or something? Jesus. Anyways this is ironic. All this shit about Jackson, I was watching Two Towers on Tv. Then I get on here and there's a bunch of shit about Matrix. And sure enough, right after Two Towers...MATRIX. Damn scary. Yeah sorry Ringbearer, I was just being what most of these people are being now.
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IT WAS ZOMBIE SOLUTIONS WHO WROTE THE POST NOT ME NOT ME ZOMBIE SOLUTIONS IT WAS!!!!! Sorry to shout.
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I always hated the first one for only one reason, my script did the round of hollywood before being passed.... and when matrix came along, I noticed some subtle simularities....... and low and behond, some producers had familiar names. Matrix 2 was pretty cool, but it totally lost me in the end. And you know why I didn't see Matrix 3 until only just recently? Because bloody AICN talkbackers put me off. Thats right, I didn't hear 1 good review about the film. So I never saw it. But then I caught it on pay TV.......... and could believe my fucking eyes. An interesting and well played out finale. But I still think the sequel should have been just the 1 film and not split into 2 films. Which they did.
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Dec 10, 2005 11:59:34 PM CST
"One feature of adolescent psychology is anger at a parent who c
by zombiesolutions
Wait a second. So what you are implying is that any social critique whatsoever is actually the petulant rantings and ravings of a psychotic adolescent? Really? Wow. So Voltaire was an angry adolescent? Vonnegut was an angry adoloescent? Orwell was an angry adolescent? Nice try, but, please, sir, don't embarass yourself. But good luck on your finlas, I bet you'll get at least a B- in EdPsych 101. And just for the record -- the United States isn't my parent, I just live here.
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I saved em all. It was my first 'real' look at kong. And those 2 shots you had of Kong on top of the empire state, then jumping. It just looked funny. First one is just a gorilla standing humbly on the building - like this goat next door to my place, which broke out and was standing on my kitchen table. (Something really funny about both that and this) and then that follow on still where Kong is jumping up to hit the plane, and he's got the psycho face. "Bllllllllaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr" When I finally saw the image in motion, it was to damn fast for me to make all that out. I'm both excited and terrified over this movie. I can't wait for the talkback following release. Will it all be just the same? Or will we have shifting positions??
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Dec 11, 2005 12:11:06 AM CST
I was skimming the pics at www.rottentomatoes.com ...and wow, th
by jdanielp
I am so excited for this movie. Christmas is coming early, for me. It just sucks that my job will keep me from seeing it until the weekend. You lucky people can see it Wednesday, for Kong's sake!!!!
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If you wanted to hate it going in, you'll hate it (most likely for the long build-up and padding). If you wanted to like it, you'll like it (for Skull Island and everything after). I went in hoping I would like it, and the first act certainly went on too long for my tastes, but after Kong arrives on the scene I loved it. Hey, bottom line, it's a great monster movie with a little extra oomph provided by Naomi Watts and the people who brought Kong to life.
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sorry to drag you into a whole bunch of political debates here (on a Kong talback no less), I just remembered that as being a real stirring post. And you're right about the Post-42 WWII thing, but where do you think the ignorami (plural of ignoramus??) who spout this shit get that idea? Probably from their parents who fought in the war. Of course you'd want to think that your services were the single deciding factor of the war, who wouldn't? ANYWAY, this is way way off-topic, and I usually dig the off-topic posts the most.
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There's a truce with the machines so that the war is over, but doesn't that mean that humanity for the most part is still chained up to the Matrix as "batteries"? Or did I miss something.
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Owww, geez.... you're going back about a decade. That script is no longer on any working disk of hard drive. i just have hard copies. However, Since both matrix, and Clock stoppers store from it (This is no joke either, Jonathan Frakes gave main character in his film the same first name as my character, and gave him the same last name as my last name - fucking hacks) what was I saying. Oh yeah, the version of the script I have now is in two forms, re-drafts that are original and free of simularity to any other film currently out. I've learned to keep my mouth shut about them. I hope to produce them both as 2 seperate films which CAN be viewed as sequels in the same universe - buyt really, one will be a low budget and the follow on (If all goes well) will be the 'real' feature I intended on making. Plus I have a third in development. They're time travel films. Stick around another year and I'll give you a link to the screenplay - when I get my shit together a bit better.
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I'll tell you what my 3 biggest problem are with Matrix 2 & 3. firstly, M2: How did Neo use powers out side of the Matrix at the end of the film. This lost me. Second, M3: Neo is trapped in a strange place neither in the matrix, nor out of the matrix - this is represented by a train station which can come and rescue him, but the head honcho's of the matrix prefer to keep him there and out of the way. (I did not understand where that train station actually was, hurts my head) and thirdly, M3: Those 'Aliens' walker machines are fighting of the sentinals.... sentials...... sentiENTS? and we dont actually see the last one get destroyed, its just 'apparently' happened when we return to those characters, and then a whole new wave bust through, and once again we don't see them 'win' over this extremem number. This kind of confused me. I never had issues with the truce. It was a machine, incapable of working against it's own programing. So when it made a deal with itself it had to follow it. As he said "I'm not a human" Facinating films - but def put together by some hardcore drug fiends.
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means machines are still running, which means they need power, which means they're using humans, which means Neo sold out humanity. Kind of a downer ending What did I miss?
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When the original 'Fortress' film with Chris lambert came out, I contacted the Producer and told him i have an idea for a sequel set on an orbital prison, The film started in a futuristic City where there was a big chase at the begining, and then the big climax would be to escape from the prison as it was crashing back to Earth. Well, several years later I'm in Block buster and what do I see "Fortress 2: Re-entry" I didn't even bother to read the back, nor watch the film. I'm not even angry about it. But I tell you what, when the film industry here last asked me to submit a synopsis for a film, and give the whole story inclusing the ending, I just thanks them, stood up and walked out. When they followed up on me I said to them "You guys have no interest in letting me make this film, you just want workable ideas for you to pass off to your friends, whom you've promised work" they denied it, so I started to 'play' with them, asking tuff questions "where do you stand on letting the writer also direct?" Answer "With this kind of money we need to attach a known director" Question "do you have known directors in mind?" Answer "We have several" Question "Are any of them short film makers, who have produced films independantly of you" Answer "Yes" Question "I've produced 6 short films independantly of you, and I'm also the creator of these new synopsis's you want" ********* The Australian Film industry is really a strange place. All bullshitting. Man, i could tell you some stories. i could also pass on some interesting Weta/Jackson news. But I'd get so flamed
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what did they steal from you?
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Dinobass, Weta didn't steal anything from me. But they're just accross the pond from me and its a small 'talking' community.
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Dec 11, 2005 10:21:03 AM CST
"....implying is that any social critique whatsoever is actually
by doctorwho?
Wow.How did you make that leap? Btw, do you rank that nonsense up there with Orwell and Vonnegut? A specific obervation was made by the poster...I explained why I thought it was a shallow and immature thought. Simple.
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Dec 11, 2005 5:25:50 PM CST
Matrix Revolutions: Neo is the One (Messiah, Buddha,..)
by zinc_chameleon
And that's the point. When he is approaching the Machine City, after having been blinded he sees (clairvoyantly) that the City is made of light. This represents in the Gnostic mythology the truth of the AIs: they too have a soul, but a collective one, unlike the individual human one. And therefore, they too have a destiny and a right to exist. This is why Neo negotiates with them. At this point the Wachowskis should have answered questions like: how did Neo stop the sentinels?; why can he enter the Matrix without technology? But unfortunately they aren't such thorough writers and skipped these little wrap-ups.
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after all, you can't dunk donuts in peace without the cops wanting to baton your skull with bobbysticks. I was sitting in a French knockoff Bistro, enjoying one of the endless cups of frap I have throughout the evening, when I witnessed a commotion on 76th and Broadway. It seemed to me to be a real tussel of the riotious kind, so I was at first fascinated then sketchily interested, then bored and returned to my frap. I was proceding to dunk a donut into the mocha mixture, when a policeman yelled at me to get moving or else I was going to be squashed like a waffle. He waved his baton at me in a menacing fashion, but I merely scoffed at his gesticulations and resumed my dinning. Kong missed me by fifteen feet, and knocked my frap all over my dinner jacket and slacks. The Bistro was reduced to rubble as the street side facade collapsed and threw detritus in twenty different directions to Saturday, but luckily none of that got on me. Kong, you owe me a steamcleaner's bill and a tip with tax and I will be sending it to you on Skull Island (I know your nine digit zip, monkey).
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they tried to change things that were established in the first movie. just watched the Matrix actually, and it is pretty obvious the W bros didn't have any sequels in mind when they made the first movie. they should have just left it alone instead of trying to cash in by tacking on sequels. when the first movie ends, and Neo hangs up the phone and flies off, the story is over. it has been established that he has the ability to manipulate the Matrix to his will, to actually see the code, to defeat agents as easily as wiping his ass, to be free of the constraints of the Matrix. the sequels had some cool action sequences, neat effects, but the logic, the continuity of story, was totally piss poor and contradictory, which takes people out of the story, makes it harder to give over to the suspension of disbelief, and that is why they failed so badly. the W bros still achieved what they wanted though, they cashed in and made a buttload of $$$$$.
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I'm really curious how the effects are in this film... some people are raving, others are saying way sub par. The bronto sequence seemed colored oddly and fake looking in the first trailer I downloaded, but when i finally saw the trailer on the big screen it looked fine. Hopefully the shoddy parts are minor. Also, I saw those 4 minutes someone posted online, and for some reason there was no sound, but it was still pretty obvious (to me at least) that Kong has a ton of personality and that Naomi Watts and him have a relationship that seems legitimate. I was kind of surprised by that actually. It looks like Jackson may have at least nailed that part. (oh yeah and the effects for that whole sequence were pretty slick, though i can't imagine it'd be the titular character that had the subpar effects)
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He was clearly the hero in the 1996 script. The end when he flied the plane to save Kong was awesome. He should have been played by Clooney.
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...Fat Clooney.
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...which scene (or how many?) will Jackson's kids show up in? "Da, may I please have my head squished by Kong?"
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It was a very technically impressive movie. The acting was great, the action was tense and story-based, the creatures scary...and Kong was a magnificent Giant Gorilla. Andy Sirkis paid a lot of attention to the various ways real gorillas act and created a real character rather than a stock Hollywood monster.
BUT, having said all of these superlative things, does anyone else think that the original is a lot more FUN? It's like the movie is trying sooo hard to be "realistic" and be a "great film", that it forgets that the original 1933 film was a fun "B" picture that became great over time, mostly due to Willis O'Brien's character-infused animation. It was a better movie and only 90 minutes long. -
Dec 12, 2005 10:24:07 PM CST
I need Ringbearer to explain to me how the Ny Times, LA Times, U
by fluffyunbound
This seems to have been one HELL of a bribery scheme.
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To dislike a film you have to have seen it. You're probably overdoing your closed-minded, biased grudge.
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It was fucking great! I've just seen the best movie I've seen all year. If you didn't enjoy this one, I certainly don't envy you. I had a fucking blast!
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