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Harry's DVD PICKS AND PEEKS for 1st Week of December: Pirates: Hope & Depp, John Ford, Battlestar, and Killer Snakes!
Hey folks, Harry here – had a crazy period of BNAT insanity and just now have finished the column – sorry to have it so late. As usual you can click on the boxes and links to go to Amazon where you can find out more about the titles and order them. It’s a fantastic set of titles – enjoy…
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – AT WORLD’S END
Contrary to the popular opinion – this is my favorite of the three PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films. It is epic. From Shanghai to the Afterlife, to a Maelstrom and that amazing Shipwreck Isle. This film is the craziest gi-normous budget film we’ve seen from a studio like Walt Disney. The surreal visions of the film have only ever been the calling card of Terry Gilliam, but he has never been afforded the budget to bring it to this scale of beauty. If you’re confused, just realize – you only ever need to follow what Jack is doing, he’s the key to it all. You can get this film in the BLU-RAY form above or in Standard Def 2 Disc Box Set! Also today came an amazing Box Set of all the music from the PIRATES trilogy The set has 4 Music Cds and a DVD that has the exclusive look at Hans Zimmer’s work on this amazing series. And let’s hope this is just the beginning, I love this pirate universe and can’t wait to see where we go from here.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – RAZOR (Unrated Extended Edition)
I’m not a fan of the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. I’ve watched this twice – once before reading reviews and once afterwards and I hate that I don’t love it with the passion you guys and gals have for it. It just doesn’t click for me. I hate the music on the series, love the effects – and just don’t like the stories and characters. At first, I thought it was just my nostalgia for the original series, but it runs deeper than that. It just plain bores me. That said – I’m in an extreme minority – and honestly, I know I’m wrong by all of your standards… but I just don’t like it. It just isn’t exciting, thrilling, fun or involving to me. I really, truly wish it was.
SUPERBAD
I fucking love this film. If you don’t, it probably means you just haven’t seen it yet… well now’s your chance. Don’t expect a ton of nudity here, this is unrated for the unhinged language and situations. Now – just serve me up a feature sequel of MCLOVIN!!! That’s what I want. There’s tons and tons of extras on the BLU RAY – and the Standard Def 2 Disc Unrated DVD - This is the best comedy of 2007 – hands down. Hilarious fun!
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
I’ve had this for a couple of weeks now and still haven’t managed to get all the way through it all. But damn I love having THE ENTIRE episodes in order – rather than just the “best bits” separated and culled in a collection. It allows you to relive those long past Saturday nights – Watching this set will lead you right to the weekend before STAR WARS hit – so in a way – this was that quiet year leading to the bang that turned us all into light saber wielding junkies… I mean Jedis. And I love that on my birthday episode in 1976… Zappa played. That’s way too fucking cool. The video quality is what it is for a live broadcast show from that era – and is as perfect as it’ll ever get. My one quip? I kinda wish the original broadcast commercials were in – just to complete the history.
ROCKY – THE COMPLETE SAGA COLLECTION
This is still not a worthy set for the ROCKY saga. One day – we’ll get complete commentaries, an intense special new documentary on the making of and release of each of the Rocky movies – and at HD quality… if we are just patient. If you’re not able to wait – blow your money on this, but then you probably already have a set of these films – in which case – hold off till the better day comes.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – SEASON ONE (HD DVD)
I just got this – and as above, I’ve stated that I’ve never been able to get caught up in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – this new series. That said, I never watched the series in order – and lost interest. I’m going to try to give it a fresh start from the beginning. I was a BUFFY hater, till I gave it the same treatment – and I really do want to be a fan of the show – most of my friends are – but this’ll be the final run at this.
ARCTIC TALE
From the creators of MARCH OF THE PENGUINS – this film is a shadow of that one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful film, but MARCH OF THE PENGUINS was a genius of a story captured. This is a sad tale, one that doesn’t have the loving warmth of lifelong bonds and parental care. There’s elements of that here… but then there’s fear of cannibalism, the starvation issues and the changing environment that is making their life, that much harder. The big disappointment is that Queen Latifah provides the narration and frankly – her voice doesn’t fit the material – nor does the FART MONTAGE. That said – this is a beautifully captured film. One that should be watched by families and those with a care about our changing world. Also available in Standard Def
FORD AT FOX – THE COLLECTION: The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley, My Darling Clementine, Drums Along the Mohawk, Young Mr. Lincoln, Tobacco Road, The Iron Horse, Wee Willie Winkie, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Up the River, Four Men and a Prayer, Judge Priest, When Willie Comes Marching Home, Steamboat Round the Bend, 3 Bad Men, Hangman's House, What Price Glory, Doctor Bull, Four Sons, Pilgrimage, The World Moves On, Born Reckless, Just Pals, Seas Beneath
A Towering Box Set featuring 17 John Ford films that I have never seen – plus 7 of my all time favorite films like GRAPES OF WRATH, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, YOUNG MR LINCOLN and WEE WILLIE WINKLE. Here – gathered for the first time in any form anywhere. John Ford is easily one of our greatest filmmakers of all time and to have a collection like this unleashed upon eager film lovers is indeed Christmas for us all – a great gift. It is expensive, but the sheer work that went into this set and the documentary and extra features should be rewarded by our patronage. This is a brilliant set. Stunning!
QUEEN: ROCK MONTREAL & LIVE AID (HD DVD)
QUEEN is easily one of my favorite bands of all time and here in HD, Blu Ray and Standard Def performing at a Live Aid concert. Now this is the first time that QUEEN’s entire performance at that concert has been released. They performed 25 works on that stage and here it is in absolute aural and visual perfection. This will rock you!
ERIK THE VIKING
Beware – 25 minutes have been removed, it isn’t the other way around – and if you’ve always wanted a truncated version – well here ya go…
BOB HOPE MGM Movie Legends Collection (ALIAS JESSE JAMES / BOY, DID I GET THE WRONG NUMBER / THE FACTS OF LIFE / I’LL TAKE SWEDEN / THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE / THE ROAD TO HONG KONG / THEY’VE GOT ME COVERED)
Here’s another example of a Home Video department doing it right – This is a superior set of Hope’s work from the period during which he was amazing. PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE has always been one of my absolute favorite films of his… right there with SON OF PALEFACE… but damn… ALIAS JESSE JAMES and BOY, DID I GET THE WRONG NUMBER tickle my funny bone. This is a great set.
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
This spectacular adaptation of Jack Ketchum’s THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is fantastic horror. The sort of horror that you’d turn away from and would give you nightmares. Director Gregory Wilson is a talent to keep your eye on – this was one of the faves from FANTASTIC FEST this year and now you can finally give it a look for yourself. Absolutely gruesome and terrifying.
20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (50th Anniversary Edition) (Blu Ray)
Harryhausen in High Definition is something to be aware of. Now – I’m not sure if the ORIGINAL B&W version is on this BLU RAY – so hopefully someone in the talk back below will clarify that. The remastered Color version was an interesting take on it, especially given that Harryhausen apparently oversaw the process… but I really hope its HD in Black&White too.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (30th ANNIVERSARY Edition)
A 30th Anniversary edition of this wonderful Scorsese film. His take on the Musical genre is very specifically Scorsese. DeNiro on Sax and Liza on mike is just wonderful. I really wish that Marty would again turn his eye to a musical – he had such an amazing hold on the genre with this film. The visual flair of Scorsese has grown with time and with this genre, I would just love to see what he had up his sleeve. The moments in THE AVIATOR stirred it up in me. I have not seen this disc yet, but plan to check it out.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Though it was remade with Heston and now this year with Will Smith – this will always be the BEST version of this particular story. Richard Matheson’s brilliant novel, I AM LEGEND is a somber affair – not nearly the action films that it is adapted into. There are action elements, but the atmosphere of the novel… it’s here in this film, one of the great performances by Vincent Price. He’s a man that’s just going through the steps, and the desperation when he sees a live dog… and later a live woman – the scenes had genuine sadness, hope and despair all wrapped up together. This release is taking advantage of the proximity to I AM LEGEND being released… I recommend picking this up, buying THE OMEGA MAN and also checking out Will Smith’s version. It is a great story – and one that I frankly, can never get enough of.
Lubitsch in Berlin ( THE DOLL / ERNST LUBITSCH IN BERLIN / THE OYSTER PRINCESS / I DON’T WANT TO BE A MAN / SUMURUN / ANNA BOLEYN / THE WILDCAT )
Ernst Lubitsch is one of the great directors – much like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock. You may be familiar with his wonderful films in our country like HEAVEN CAN WAIT, TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, NINOTCHKA, THE MERRY WIDOW or my fave, TROUBLE IN PARADISE. Lubisch wasn’t one of the great directors like Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder that left Germany and Europe during the rise of the Nazis. He left in 1922 – at the invite of one of the founders of United Artists, Mary Pickford. Here we see his amazing talents in the silent era of Berlin that made her make that invitation. A great set!
EXILED
The latest fantastic work by Johnnie To – is… well Fantastic and another veteran of this year’s Fantastic Fest which Variety just named one of their Top Ten Favorite Film Festivals In The World… and we weren’t even #10. Amazing! Anyway – This feels like an old fashioned badass Hong Kong film. And who doesn’t love Anthony Wong? Wonder how long till Hollywood remakes it? At least until they solve the Writer’s Strike.
BATTLING WITH BUFFALO BILL
Tom Tyler… Captain Marvel & The Mummy (later on) himself… in his own 12 action packed serial where he plays BUFFALO BILL. Earlier this year I went to Cody, Wyoming and checked out the Buffalo Bill Museum and damn it was awesome. I love this period in history – and this 12 Chapter Serial is great! Especially for folks like me. You know – Film freaks that look past their own lifetime and enjoy all corners of cinema.
CANNIBAL LUNCH BOX Triple Feature
It’s the Tuesday before BNAT – so how appropriate that one of the sneaks from BNAT 5 come to haunt our DVD collections – that’s right BLOOD FEAST 2 has been paired up with the wonderful MAN FROM DEEP RIVER and something called WARLOCK MOON. This could be your first step towards a larger and more significant Cannibal Collection – and while those crazy sports lovers are watching the SUPER BOWL – host a CANNIBAL party and watch 3-4 Cannibal movies while chowing down on BBQ and beer – so you take advantage of those specials, but turn America’s addiction into something for you!
THE KILLER SNAKES – Shaw Bros Special Edition
You better believe you should check this out! 20 million times better than SNAKES ON A PLANE, and I really really liked that too. If you love sick fucked up crazy cult weird shit – then THE KILLER SNAKES will slither into your filthy evil mind and make you fall in love with it as one of the more twisted sleazy films in the history of the Shaw Brothers.
That’s it for this week! Next Tuesday is Harry Day, December 11th, My Birthday!!! And we’ll also take a look at HARRY POTTER on HD and Blu Ray and the new ORDER OF THE PHOENIX episode, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, LOST season 3, United Artists 90th Anniversary Prestige Collection, the trio of Walt Disney Treasures, Voltron, SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT, EMANUELLE: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS, SHANGHAI TRIAD and much much more!
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for once?
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sorry, but you made a mistake there Harry. Oh, and Pussy Juice.
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FINALLY, it comes out on DVD. I've been waiting forever for this.... then they release this "Director's Son's Cut". Even if it IS the version Terry Jones prefers, I don't want a version a full half hour shorter (only 77 minutes now!) unless youre also including the original cut on there (which they dont, and there are no deleted scenes on the disc). So while I'm buying this, I guess I'm not getting rid of my old LaserDisc just yet.
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Dec 04, 2007 10:23:15 PM CST
future help: even the WORST Pirates is better than 90% of the mo
by shiftyeyeddog2
It's like saying the worst Indiana Jones film, or the worst of the LOTR flicks. Even if it is the weakest one of the series, it's still a damn good flick and a helluva lot of fun.
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damn truncated headings!
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so I'm not too keen on seeing pirates 3
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just watch BSG from the start and you'll soon realize what you've been missing.
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Queen and David Bowie were the only people at Live Aid who really seemed to try hard. Queen at Live Aid is one of the coolest rock moments ever...
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was way awesome.
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looks like Christian Bale on that cover. BALE FOR BILL! make it so.
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and yet you're confused that you didn't like it? This isn't, like, CSI or something, where you can just jump in at any episode. The show is one continuous story arc. Is it really surprising that you didn't like it when you jumped in on some random episodes in the middle of the show?
Yes, the show is more enjoyable *in order*. Just hope you haven't spoiled too many plot twists for yourself by tuning in to later episodes first. -
but I'm not too crazy about it. The plot is confusing, and the characters are totally uninteresting.
To be fair, though, I've only read chapters 5, 21 and 39.
I think I'm gonna start reading the sequel, maybe I'll like that more. Chapter 10 sounds like a good place to start. Nice, round number. -
going to watch pirates on bluray tonight
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I've got more respect for you than that! Don't tell me you're going to give this a + review?
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Dec 04, 2007 11:28:54 PM CST
Pirates 1 = really good Pirates 2 = fuckin awesome Pirates 3 = j
by tallboy66
And that's the truth of that.
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Fix the goddamn title.
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Your BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (BSG)Viewing Instructions:1. Start with the mini-series.2. Insert into DVD/HD player.3. Watch it.4. Switch to Season 1.5. Make the commitment to stick with it through the S1 finale.6. Watch it.7. Evaluate and assess.8. Make the decision to continue with Seasons 2 and 3.9. If subsequent seasons have been purchased/obtained, watch them.10. Get back to us.Harry - rarely has a social-political commentary been done so well. Let alone in a sci-fi-type setting. I know of many people (and couples) who normally wouldn't be caught dead watching a show with a name like BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. However, once they gave it a shot, they became die-hard fans. I would think it strange if you were unable to "rediscover" it.So say we all.
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Also, as for '20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH' can you not just adjust you projector to B&W? Non?
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...on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Your review of the two-part pilot mini-series seemed cruelly dismissive and hasty in its judgement. So yes, I hope you will give the show another look. BSG has raised the standards not just of sci-fi shows but of television drama in general. It has been embraced by viewers who visit this site as well as by critics nationwide. On Metacritic, the last season of BSG got a universal acclaim rating of 94%, one of the very best. Everyone from the New Yorker to the American Film Institute has recognized it for its quality and intelligence. And when was the last time a sci-fi TV series did that? Still, maybe it's just not your cup of tea. That's fair. But give the show the chance it deserves. Take a look at Season One in the proper order. I have a feeling, if you approach it with an open mind, you may be pleasantly surprised.
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What the fuck is wrong with you?
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You gotta watch BSG in order, Harry, fer chrissakes! Razor makes no sense, or rather has much less meaning, until you watch the entire series. That said, Razor was a damn fine addition to the BSG canon and ties in well to the rest of the series and the start of season 4. I was impressed with how well it tied into the series as a whole. Kudos to Eick and Moore, et al, kudos! I'm gonna re-watch the entire series in HD-DVD...
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Harry, if you can call this failure 'spectacular' you clearly haven't read Ketchum's absolutely devastating novel. Seriously, I was SOBBING at the ned of this book. The movie, though it gave it a brave go, was just a bit too 'TV movie of the week' to justify the adaptation. And the ending was an utter disgrace.
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Turned out to be Supergood! Yeah I know its lame, but I really felt that this sites hype machine over blew this movie like they did with Knocked up. But this move is far funnier and has a lot more quotable lines, but I am glad I saw it on the DVD I think I would have gotten bored in the theaters. Knocked Up was almost a drama and less of a comedy, plus My Father The Hero is just plain awful. Also I hated Pirates 1 and 2 but I really enjoyed 3. Its was over the top and finally had action and was not repitious like number 2. Though I could not for the life of me explain any of the plots, which is a bit crazy for a Disney movie that kids love. I think the fact that no one could explain these plots just meant they liked the flashy colors. Yeah I feel you Harry about BSG I took me a couple of years to realize that it was more then a movie of the week on Sci Fi, who is running that channel. That shows comes on about as randomly as the last season of that HBO show everyone loved with mobsters.
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Liberties,all of those films should come with the full works on DVD to justify including Rocky V.I'm looking forward to the Hatton/Mayweather fight this weekend,I love staying up to watch big time boxing,may the best man win,so say we all :)..........
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They obviously decided after the first one (which was a light action-comedy) to make the trilogy into Lord of the Rings. The sequels were ponderous bores.
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Harry praises so much garbage on a constant basis that his dismissal of Battlestar Galactica only validates it's greatness.
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Pirates 1, simple, brought life back to the genre.
Pirates 2, adventurous. Quest for Buried Treasure. Jack in his element.
Pirates 3, apocalyptic. Ends of the Earth. End of the Pirate Era. Battle to the Finish. Tying up any open plot line since Movie 1.
They're fun. They're entertaining. Shut up, sit down, and watch. -
It was awesome.
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It'll make about as much sense as starting BSG with Razor or any other random episode...
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Seriously. If you hate it, you are an idiot and should stick to your loved Star Wars Episode III, because POTC 3 is everything you ever wished for! I don't know a better way to end a trilogy, that was never meant to be a trilogy. Hell, this is even a better ending than many REAL trilogies had!
Seriously, 2007 was the year when the audience was as dumb as never before. (POTC 3 was "Confusing and dumb" but Die Hard 4.0 is the best movie of the series? Yeah, right.) -
They are the McDonalds of blockbuster films. No intelligence and no soul.
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Yeah, I'm sure a big corporation like McDonalds would have just loved all the anti-capitalist sentiment in Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio's Screenplay. TwattyBollocks!
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Dec 05, 2007 2:01:37 AM CST
Harry, if you start to hate on James Callis then just STOP watch
by nopix
That's all I'll say about BSG.
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i won't WATCH THAT WHITE DOG SHIT!
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Really Harry, wtf you pimping that junk for?... yeah yeah respected composer and all that but you can hear the cues are production line Hollywood SHIT. Monstrously cliched rubbish
get some fuckin taste -
Very surprised that Harry dislikes the new BDG. I have introduced a half dozen non-SF-watching friends to this series... most tune in to shows like Deadwood or The Sopranos or Mad Men and 100% of them became hooked on BSG!
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they fuckin suck, poorly executed..more Johhny Depp wacky faces acting, dead scripts...to actually bore an audiences with material like that is an incredible feat in itself.
they are McMovies...get some fuckin taste you tards -
Dec 05, 2007 4:34:01 AM CST
Hans Zimmer is one of the worst film composers working today.
by polyh3dron
I said it.
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It seems like the POTC movies get so much hate just because they're popular.. they're all very well done, and I agree with Harry that 3 is the best of them.
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Visually bland, awful acting. Pedestrian direction. Johnny Depp annoying as fuck.
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The most wooden, annoying actors working today. Bloom single-handedly sunk Kingdom of Heaven.
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Fucking hell,that film bugs the shit outta me.How in hades did it get so many positive reviews?It's just a fat twat swearing and being utterly unlikeable for two hours.Jesus Christ,if you're going to try to rip off Cartman then make him funny instead of purely annoying.Nothing in that film is remotely funny.I sat in utter disbelief at what I was watching.Another American Pie/Bachelor Party/Porky's/Jay and Silent Bob film with even less originality than all those turds put together.McLovin'?Get fucked.I hate this film and I hate that fat twat that's in it.Him and his one-trick shctick.So....what does it mean to be SUPERBAD?....................It's been one of those weeks.....Don't get me started on Shoot 'em up?The only film to feature the worst Monicca Belucci performance in history............I watched Razor.It was okay.I mourn the lack of Grace Park in it.Preferably unclothed and begging to be impregnated.........It's been one of those weeks..........
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What I don't get about comedy in HD is - what's the point? Sure, for Pirates 3 you can experience much more of the action and spectacle, but are jokes any funnier in HD? Not to me they're not. I've got so many classic comedies on DVD - I don't see any reason why they need to be upgraded to hi-def, and the same goes for new comedy releases. Why would I spend the extra money on a Superbad or Knocked Up? Oh, and I do have both an HD-DVD player and a Blu-Ray player - eBay ROCKS.
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I've tried and I've tried but I just can't handle his films. Maybe it's my intense hate for John Wayne (I've only seen John Ford films with John Wayne in them). I would say I just don't like Westerns (I've only seen John Ford's Westerns) but I love Sergio Leone. I don't know what it is but his films just don't work for me.
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I still remember your scathing review of the pilot and how everyone was having sex or something and that it was a betrayal of the original show, blar blar. Well, because of your review I avoided the show like the plague thinking it would be as bad as you said. But then, I happened to catch some of this 'shitty show' and realised that Harry was not only wrong, he was a complete an utter wanker! How on earth could he say this amazing show was bad? I almost never saw BSG because of fat Harry, which is why I will never, ever listen to him about what is good and what is bad ever again.
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Are fucking kidding me?! I just saw this movie at a B-Movie double feature around Halloween and it was so hilariously bad! One of Vincent Price's best performances? No way! You Sir are just wrong as wrongy wrong can get. Have you even watched this movie lately?
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I liked it better when they crafted sequels as individual films. Bourne did it right, and you get three films that felt satisfying as individual installments and as part of a whole.This new Matrix type approach of filming one long bloated movie and chopping it up into multiple installments just results in films with messy structure, poor pacing, and usually break down into one movie that has all the story and another that is one long padded-out action sequence istead of two films that have adequate amounts of both plot and action.So yeah, viva Bourne!
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Everyone has been reading this site for more than 15 seconds, right? You know what you're up against! You might as well be trying to eat teflon-coated jello with chopsticks. BTW, he is right about one thing. Most of the music on BSG is fucking Enya-style horrible, although I do like the war drums.
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...I wouldn't like you as a person. Completely serious. How anyone could not think that movie is funny is totally incomprehensible to me.
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While there is a part of me that thinks folk who don't like Ford don't like movies, I can see why Wayne would put you off. Try something like the thrilling Drums Along The Mohawk, it's one of those films with the kind of economic dialogue that has characters summing things up in one terse sentence that today's writers would spend pages on. Or try Prisoner Of Shark Island - something of a masterpiece full of ideas that had to be smuggled onto the screen by smart writing and direction. Or Grapes Of Wrath. Honestly, there's so much more to the man than Wayne's westerns.
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Bear McCreary and members of Oingo Boingo (Steve Barteck, John Avila, Johnny Vatos, and Richard Gibbs) doing free-form and spontaneous studio music much like the Grateful Dead guys on the "Apocalypse Now" soundtrack? [sarcasm]Yeah...that's awful[/sarcasm]
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The former sucked balls, the latter is redefining a great American genre.
What's wrong with this picture?
So say we all.
BTW, kudos to "polyh3dron" (Hans Zimmer IS the most overrated junk show in scoring history).
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Spandau Belly: Excellent insight! -
Yes i said it! Worst film i have seen this year and i love these kind of films.2 hrs of some obnoxious fat kid and his wet blanket mate being twats was excruciating.Seriously i hope for the sake of teenage boys the world over teenage girls dont watch this movie as it will only reaffirm their belief that all teenage boys are misogynistic assholes.They try to redeem the characters at the end by having them tell each other "I Love u" but by then my hatred for the two devils spawn was brimming over and i wanted to wipe the fact i had ever seen this overrated shitfest from my memory forever.
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Dec 05, 2007 9:28:23 AM CST
Pirates sequels should have been split into 3 movies instead of
by performingmonkey
There's SO much going on in both Dead Man's Chest and At World's End there should have been a middle movie, and each should have been 2hr15min or so. At World's End definitely ended up being too long mainly due to the Jack-is-dead-but-is-still-alive-and-has-lost-his-mind-in-this-fucked-up-afterlife-place. None of that worked for me. What DOES work is everything else. People would have been able to swallow it all easily if it was a shorter movie. All the ingredients are there, it was just over-egged.
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I almost walked out on it, and probably should have. I did like when Lord Beckett had his ship blowing up around him in a true Bruckheimer moment, but other than that--it was a snore fest.
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I'm half way through season 3 on itunes and now it's gone!! Does anyone have a clue what happened?
By the way, this show is great and must be watched from the begining. -
I don't give a shit if he's not a fan of the new Battlestar Galactica. I'm more pissed that he ignored THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. Yeah, the fantasy sequences are cheesy but Jimmy Page is a fucking GUITAR GOD. Fuck you for that Harry and Jack Black would agree with me.
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Pirates 1 was great. 2 and 3 not so much. 3 lost me in the first 20 minutes. 2 ends with a fairly decent cliffhanger and we're left wondering if Captain Jack escapes the Kracken or, if he doesn't, how we get him back. We find out in 3 that we can get someone back from death - and not only death, but the worst place in the afterlife, Davey Jones' locker, simply by going and getting him. I was never back with the film after that. Although I do agree that the effects and art direction were top notch, maties!
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Best show on TV. Season 4 out yesterday - respect.
And I have yet to see BSG (but want to) and you love POTC:AWE? I think I'll stick with what I want to see...if BSG = boring and POTC:AWE = exciting, then count me boring. Holy shit my head hurt almost as bad as transformers after At World's End... -
jeff beal baby - listen to the first minute of this: http://www.jeffbeal.com/Sound%20Files/Carnivale%20Season%202/25%20Miracle%20Worker.mp3
Dude's amazing. -
synth master Steve Jablonsky! America, fuck yeah!
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all looked Spectacular and the production design on all were first rate but I hated the third one mainly becuase it exposed Keira Knightly uselessnes as an actress. All the stuff with depp's multi jack sparrow did my my head. Pirates also showed up Bloom as being one of the blandest actors around. The ending of third movie made no sense. Seeing as we were told by Depp and bruckheimer that there would be a fourth movie. and now there wont be.
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Your taste can be entirely summed up by those two opinions.
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Fact
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Bad call on BSG though.And is that Lucy Liu in KILLER SNAKES?!
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Dec 05, 2007 11:51:22 AM CST
Harry, I'll be shocked if linear watching of BSG doesn't work
by modlight
It is a tough show to hop on to, probably why its ratings never blossomed. I think watching it from the beginning (keep in mind the series really takes a hold with "33" after the miniseries) is really going to grab you. Oh and the fact that it is in HD-DVD is the biggest thing making me think of that format instead of Blu-Ray. Those space battles will probably make people shit themselves in HD.
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Dec 05, 2007 12:18:52 PM CST
HARRY has not chosen BATTLESTAR GALACTICA...here's why
by stereotypical evil archer
Because he is lazy. These days geeks have to be in shape. Yes, that means you HAVE to sit your ass down for hours and hours watching one of the all time great television shows.
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I'd never heard of it and so I jumped onto IMDB. And then I looked up the real life case it's based on.S***.I can watch Hostel and all those other torture flicks but I don't know if I can watch an innocent girl getting abused and destroyed by her aunt and a group of young kids knowing it's based in reality. Call me a pussy if you wish but that stuff is a little too raw for me.
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Got mine today and plan on starting on it tonight.
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It may be better paced, but for entertainment value I'd go for At World's End.
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some tracks of Jablonsky's Transformers score...hmm I feel dirty for some reason
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of cinematic comedies as some will have you believe, but I had more genuine laughs at both of those, than many a "comedy" this year.
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Even though it airs on Sci-Fi, it's a Universal/NBC production and NBC recently made the genius move of pulling it's new content from iTunes for exclusive viewing on the NBC website. That's why you can't get BSG, the Office's new season, Heroes' new season, et al. on iTunes. BSG, as far as I know isn't available on the NBC website though, only shows that air on NBC are. The season 3 DVD's will probably be released sometime next year.
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is clearly better, half Zimmer's age, and more versatile. His All Along the Watchtower remake = great.
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Harry is off his rocker. Those are some of the best soundtracks ever composed for a television series. And why the hell did he watch Razor if he's only seen the mini-series???
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Would let Johnnie To direct a big action adventure with a mix of Hong Kong and Hollywood Actors. He speaks perfect English as do Anthony Wong, Francis Ng and Simon Lam. How cool would a shootout between Bruce willis and Simon Lam be. Johnnie To makes films for 5 million bucks that have the look of a hollywood 75 million dollar film. Guess what, I love Johnnie To!!! You little pussies do yourselves a favor, forget the new release section at Ballbuster, go to the foreign film section and rent Fulltime Killer, Throwdown, The Mission, PTU, Election 1 and 2 (as good as the Godfather!!) and Exiled. You will be a fan.
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And I like it but I don't love it the way some other people do. The miniseries was pretty cool. The first season had an excellent season finale. I'm halfway through season 2 and when the Pegasus came in, things ROCKED. But I've definitely felt something lagging in there, too. In fact, the only time I LOVED the show was when I caught part of the season 1 finale on TV (and hadn't seen any of the rest of the series). Weird, huh?
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Should I watch season 3 before I watch Razor?
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I can't understandy why Harry likes the Pirates trilogy. Number 1 is ok, but 2 sucked ass. I fell asleep b/c there was just to much going on. I actually put me to sleep. 3: I won't even see it b/c i know it sucks. Deep needs to just continue with Burton flicks.
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"Which one are you again, son?""The one in the mask that doesn't speak.""What a load of bullshit. That's not you.""It is, ma!""Yeah right. Just like when you said that one in Star Wars was you. Didn't sound anything like you.""It WAS me. They dubbed over my voice!""Whatever. Just admit that you're unemployed, son. I'll still love you."
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I've gotta stop having two TBs open at the same time.
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Yes, it's best if you watch Season 3 first. The reason is that something happens in Season 3 which is then expanded upon at the end of Razor. You can get away with it but I wouldn't recommend it.
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To has made great movies, but that is not one of them. It's funny that movies of that type are always recommended along with people saying bullshit like "If you're tired of repetitive Hollywood trash" when Fulltime Killer is more cliched and typically stupid (in the hollywood style of stupidity) than any movies which come out of Hollywood; it is more ripped off and dumb than any Michael Bay movie. A lot of Hong Kong movies are unrealistic, dumbass trash. Anyone who says "Bullet in the Head" is better than "Deer Hunter" is a fucking douchebag, unless they have a reason to hate "Deer Hunter." In SPL, a recent Hong Kong movie which got its cock sucked, they showed the villain beat a cop with a golf club on camera and then order his henchman to shoot him, and they had the cops say "Darn, now we can't convict him of anything because he didn't pull the trigger!" and they had the cops frame him for the shooting, as if beating a cop with a golf club is legal there. They also had every character who was about to die talk about his family relationships about 3 minutes before he got killed, to make it emotional. And everyone is constantly spouting about how much better than any "stupid hollywood" action movies it was. Movies like Infernal Affairs and Election 1 & 2 are the exceptions in Hong Kong cinema.
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You could watch Razor before season-3. It basically IS a season-2 episode. In fact, it would be cool to see it somehow edited correctly into the season-2 timeline. The bit at the end that monkey mentions...I don't think it really gives anything away. It's a tease/clue, but if you're coming in n00b-style I don't think it spoils the ending of season three...well, it wouldn't if someone doesn't tell you there's a possible spoiler there (the cylons say all kinds of crazy shit/mis-information) so one could watch it before season-3 if they went in not expecting a "spoiler". Cuz the so-called spoiler-line at the end could be bullshit and easily forgotten by the viewer but now that you've been told to look out for it, it will ruin the last few minutes of season-3. So yeah, thanks to me and monkey, you should wait. But I still say it's possible to watch if you don't *think* there's a spoiler there. You'll see.
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I love old Galactica and fucking HATED the new "BSG" miniseries when I first saw it. In fact, I totally agreed with your review at the time. But I gave it another shot when 33 premiered a few months later...I was hooked, watched every episode of season one thereafter, and by the time I got to the cliffhanger, I thought it was an awesome show. Funny too, was that later when I went back and watched the miniseries on DVD (along with the rest of the season again) my appreciation only grew. It's amazing just how much of the old show is really worked into the new, while at the same time being groundbreaking drama that is as good/better than anything on TV, HBO, fuck, in the theaters. Whether or not you read this Grand Rojo I sincerely hope you have a similar experience. It's so cool to see people turn-on to this show. It's like when Kevin Smith guested on Ebert&Roeper and made BSG his DVD-pick.. and then saw Roeper smiling mockingly..."Now that's the look of someone who hasn't really seen the show". When you know, you know. Sure, it can't be everyone's cup of tea, but it really is well-made and seeing other people catch on is like teh LIFE-cereal commercial or something. You're like "see..you thought you'd hate that shit, but you like it now fucker...told you!"
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I thought she would like it. After all, she was the one who originally introduced me to 24. She was incredibly reluctant at first. I couldn't persuade her to take a chance on BSG. She kept saying stuff like, "I'm not a trekker" and "I'm not interested in watching a stupid show with space ships." I persisted for what seemed the longest time, but she'd just say, "Leave me alone, LoneGun!" Finally, I rented the the two-part pilot for her and my father and simply left it at their home. The next time I visited them, they were both immersed in the series. "What do you want?" my mother snapped at me. "Please leave. I'm trying to watch my GALACTICA with your father." I went back to my home. My parents sped through Seasons One & Two of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Her most persistent question to me now is, "When the hell is Season Three coming out?"
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Thanks you guys. I know there's a spoiler so I'll wait 'til after I see season 3.
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He doesn't like BSG? It is over between us, Harry. Over.
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Dec 05, 2007 4:05:30 PM CST
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Trailer on youtube!
by gluecifer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvyYZFOK0as&feature=user
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I finally found an itunes press release from a few months back that explained the NBC deal. Sure is a ashame they ruined a good thing!
You can still donwload season 3 episodes from amazon but I'm not sure if I can put them on my iPod. The funny thing about it is they're still $1.99.
Other than that if you get on ebay you can buy season three on DVD but they're not coded for the USA. so they my not work on your DVD player. -
I promised myself I wouldn't buy a hi-def player until I knew which format would deliver the colorized 20 Million Miles to Earth disc.
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Yup, I know what you mean. I got my Dad hooked on it too. And other than the ERB & Tolkien books and some other classics & comics of that nature that he read in his youth, he doesn't care much for Sci-Fi/fantasy. He has always regarded Star Wars and most of Spielberg's work except for Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, Munich etc. as that of un-original boy-men. He likes stuff like "My Dinner with Andre", watches PBS, NatGO, Discovery etc. and reads alot. As far as shows, he doesn't watch many, but he does like ROME, Sopranos, Curb, Dead...most of the stuff on HBO, The Shield...24 is a guilty-pleasure. But I put on that season-1 set shortly after X-mas and damn if he didn't sit there and watch the whole thing with me. We went through all of it in a day & a half, and when it was over he said: "Hey, not bad WONKABAR...that's actually a pretty good show". Straight up, the last person I would have expected to get into BSG
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is a bona fida legend and master. But everytime I hear the opening to Acdc's thunderstruck is still gives me the chils but in agood way. It makes me think of the following. Louis(not his real) walsh and westlife and Cowell all forcibly locked in a room with a very large amp and the opening chords being played very loudly. over and over again and cowell and company emerging dazed and with there ears bleeding Simon says to louis" I have heard real music for the first time and its great, lets ditch this boy band shite and get stoned". My brother and I love Maiden Growing up. But I hate. She invented the concept of the talkback. Yeah, everytime you say something to her all you get is invective blasted back in your face and she hasnt a good word to say about anyone. Kind of like the talkbacks!
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that idiot Paul rodgers. Friend or not of the. Queen without Freddie mercury is not Queen. Queens perfomance at live aid ranks amongst the greatest Concert performances of all time. Mecury's command of the crowd has never been bettered. by anyone. they dont try.
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Kinda offtop, but not really. From The Official Micheal Bay Forums ala thedigitalbits.com...
"What you don't understand is corporate politics. Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth.
Bay"...
http://tinyurl.com/225ddz -
I love how they revamped the cover for "Last Man on Earth" to make it look all modern with its sepia tones and distressed-leather typeface. I'd love to see the choade who rents it thinking it's a contemporary movie and then sees an old-tyme one instead. "Aw, man!"
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I'm a bit concerned that your dad calls you by your AICN log-in name. Unless Wonkabar is your actual name. In which case I'm even more concerned.
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another director better than Ford.
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believe the hype...the new BSG is the best show on tv. Whip up some Long Island Iced teas, and sit down, and knock out the whole first season. Katee Sackoff is calling.
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... I like that Harry puts up stuff he doesn't like. That's the stuff I go and watch immediately because I know it's got to be quality stuff.
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been there done sci-fi. Pirates aint too hot either, though i have to say i probably enjoyed the third one the most.
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Don't know anyone associated with BSG, therefore you can't rave about it? Don't have anyone's ass to kiss?
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I remember way back when I first discovered aintitcool and Harry Knowles. “Wow!” I thought, “Finally a place to go where you get reviews from a likeminded geek!” Harry guided me through shit and shinola like a steady wind to a trusting sail. What Harry said sucked, usually sucked. What Harry said ruled, almost always ruled. Then came the day news broke that they were “re-imagining” BSG. Now folks, I grew up on the original series. Star Wars was my heroin, and Galactica was my methadone. I had the soundtrack on vinyl the day it came out. I was young enough to cry when word came the series was over. I cried even harder after the premier of Galactica 1980, the latter being a pitiful attempt to undo to science fiction on television what the network had done with the cancellation of the original; they had set back sci-fi on TV for years to come. Campy as it is to watch now, the original was the only outer space-themed boat that had managed to float in all the years since Trek. 1980 sealed its fate.
So you can imagine my distaste when I heard of this re-imagining. Then, here comes Harry to solidify my suspicion with his scathing review. He made it sound like a pointless sex romp, and completely ridiculous attempt to revive the franchise that was only going to be second to 1980. Now, I remember being convinced of it, especially as much as Harry gets off on pointless sex romps. It had to suck. But as I stared longingly at my original MCP Colonial Viper model, I decided I just had to check it out for myself.
All I can say, Harry, is Fuck the Triple Tittied Bartenders from Mars and all that shit! If you’ll watch and lend credence to some of the junk I see you feature on this site these days, and NOT give BSG the love it so richly deserves FROM YOU, you are hereby being accused of TREASON against all geek kind. Until you finally get off your stupid high-horse and spend two weekends watching the entire series, start to finish, once the first weekend, and then all over again the next, you should be checked out medically. Seriously. This is a sign of dementia.
Go ahead, admit it Harry. You had a bad weekend before you popped in the mini that first time way back when. You were really horny, and didn’t get laid, and you seen six giving it to Baltar, and you were PISSED! See? This is what I’m talking about! That was SUPPOSE to piss you off. Not make you hate the whole damn thing just cause you didn’t get laid. I must say this all shows a complete lack of professionalism on your part, letting your personal emotions get in the way of properly doing your job.
And you FUCKED UP by watching RAZOR! You CAN’T watch Razor until you’ve been through the mini up to the last episode of season 3. That’s like having desert before you have your salad! I don’t give a shit if this is your site or not. Would you make someone you like, who had never seen it, watch the fucking Original, Holy STAR WARS Trilogy in reverse? Same thing here. It happens to be a form of sacrilege. You just don’t do it.
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http://tinyurl.com/2sbzo2
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Dec 06, 2007 12:12:11 AM CST
Shit Harry, I've never seen the BSG remake
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
but that was a pretty stupid review. Did you just do that to piss all these guys off? Its a pretty dumb way to watch a continuous story. You actually asked for this shit.
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Viking was pretty horrible. I caught on TV a couple of months back. There is nothing to the movie. A bunch of jokes that don't work. About as funny as Hogarth.
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Pirates 3 is a disaster. Not like an "Oops! I forgot to turn on the cooling at the ice cream stand I work overnight so it was all soup in the morning" disaster, but more like an "Oh fuck! I was born a black Helen Keller in Africa and had my hands cut off like in the beginning of Blood Diamond" disaster. This is a film that takes all the good will and build up of the last film, hell, the last two films and completely flushes it down the toilet.
Where to begin? The completely floundered characters? The disregarded or utterly wasted plot points? The lack of cohesion from the previous two films? The rediculous script? The bipolar nature of the film? The constant time wasting, meandering, and the anticlimactic ending? I can go on all day.
We'll start with the characters. What happened? Seriously, what the fuck happened?
Jack. You know, after the second film, I remember someone somewhere suggesting how much balls it would take for the third film to keep him dead- or make him nothing more than a cameo near the end. How the other characters, like Will, would have to step up and take center stage. And while it would be hard- perhaps impossible- how great that would be should they succeed. Of course we all knew that would never happen, we'd get him back after a big set piece to save him in the beginning, and things would be back on track and back to normal.
But after what we got, that's a concept I would have much rather seen. And in a way, that's exactly what we got. Because we did not get Captain Jack Sparrow back. Not at all. The Captain Jack of the first two films died at the end of DMC, and he never returned. This new Jack Sparrow, not even worthy of the title "Captain", was your basic stock Disney character- full of multiple versions of himself carrying out every little piece of his Id, then reverting into the even worse angel and devil shoulder gag routine. I expected such childish gimmicks out of the two soldier characters that returned from the first film, but not from the formerly witty, edgy Pirate we had all grown to love over the course of the two previous films. The worst thing about this complete departure from Sparrow's former character is that it was completely and totally unnecessary. Jack Sparrow is your textbook definition of a supporting character- that is, (in theory) he doesn't change throughout the course of the films. He's the same womanizing mostly selfish witty and clever pirate destined to be alone at the end of the third film as he is at the start of the first film. So why, then, for a character that doesn't change, do you completely throw out everything that made him an icon in the first films for something new? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The only recognizable aspect of Jack in the third film is the way Depp plays him. Everything else is thrown out for a multiple personality wackjob that's used pretty damn unsuccessively for comic relief. Like we didn't have enough of that from other characters in the film, and even from Jack's original incarnation.
Norrington. The biggest waste of the film. And believe me, when there are so many, that's saying something. Here's a character that made a decent secondary foil to our main heroes in the first film, and completely jumped up to the next level in the second. His portrayal of an unflinching force of justice in the first film is one that Mr. Hollander could have learned from for his overly bland Lord Beckett. And his ruined, bitter man that's lost his honor and his love in the second film was magic. Do we continue that here? That level of greatness? Do we see a character that has backstabbed his way back to the top - done everything he once swore to fight against just to reclaim his former glory - wrestle with those inner demons? Do we see him struggle with a love we know he cannot have, struggle between learning that justice and being right aren't always the same thing as obeying the law? Nope. But we do see him mumble something about "Elizabeth" and then get impaled on a tree stump. Which brings me to the impaler, none other than....
Bootstrap Bill Turner! I wasn't aware the third Pirates was actually a crossover film with the Evil Dead universe. But after seeing Bootstrap Bill unexplicably turn into a zombie for the entire third film, it makes perfect sense to me now. Maybe I missed the part in the second film where members of Jones' crew slowly turn into mindless monsters. Oh, nope, wait, I didn't- it just wasn't there. In fact, it was actually established that despite how long a character is stuck aboard Jones' ship, they maintain all their brain functions. They might turn into a wall with a moving mouth and eyes, but they still have to sit through the horror of knowing that they are just a stupid wall with some eyes. But I guess the writers felt they had used up any other uses for the character, so he just became a screaming zombie instead. Even disregarding continuity(they did plenty of other places too), they could have introduced this factor early in the film, and had us watch as Will's father slowly deteriorated into a monster, upping the stakes for Will even more. Nope! He's a fumbling flesh eater screaming for brains with a big log from the get go folks! Brilliant.
Not to mention the complete lack of anything decent going on for Beckett, the unneeded and blink and you'll miss it implied death of Elizabeth's father sailing away on that stupid boat, the stupidity of having a genuinely interesting and mysterious woman just be "Mother nature and the sea" or some garbage, and a slew of quite wasted or unneeded smaller, bit part characters. Speaking of Elizabeth's father, if they were going all that way to save Jack, why not just hoist her dad up out of the boat while they were at it?!
How about some more ball droppers on the plot! The biggest most notable one being the shafting of the KRAKEN! It's a common, almost juvenile complaint, but damn if it isn't a good one. One of the most memorable movie monsters in YEARS is completely dropped, given one scene and a few throwaway lines. Despite being a major part of the second film, having the potential to spice up that mess of a finale in this film, or even giving us the joy of seeing The Dutchman tear the beast apart, we are lacking any Kraken action whatsoever. Also, stop me if I'm wrong, but does it even make SENSE for Beckett to order Jones to dispatch his terrible beastie?! I thought the whole point of the power struggle for Jones' heart in the second film was HE WHO CONTROLS JONES CONTROLS THE KRAKEN, AND THEREFORE CONTROLS THE SEA. Why not order Jones to just hunt down all the remaining Pirates with the Kraken? As we saw in the final film, Jones and his ship alone weren't that big of a threat on their own. So besides despriving us of some good old fashioned creature action, it just didn't make any fucking sense.
But don't stop there. What about that generally interesting love triangle and jealousy angle set up between Will, Jack, and Elizabeth. Unlike the supposed Luke-Leia-Han incest love triangle supposedly peppering the original Star Wars films, I actually felt there was a pretty tense love triangle going on here- so when they all but completely dropped it in the third film, my hands were up in the air(Not really, they were crossed in disgust and possibly groping the girl next to me). Elizabeth, like all good women worth wanting, spends the first two films running around back and forth between 3 different guys, so to have things so calm for the third film felt like a gigantic cop out. Especially given the amount that her love would be challenged at the end, the build up to that was non existant and so I didn't feel anything. Of course, this lack of a love triangle may have had something to do with the fact that not one but two of her former love distractors- That's right, the original Jack and Norrington- were all but absent from the film in the first place.
Now, cohesion. Call me crazy, but I was under the impression that these two sequels were written- and made- together. So why is it, then, that the SECOND FILM fits in with the first film almost flawlessly, while the third film is an utter mess than shares nothing but the actors and a few sets. Seriously, I got the impression that the uptmost care was taken to make DMC feel like an extension of the original Pirates. This film, though? This film feels like a six year old and an eleven year old were locked in a room with a rough outline of the last two films, a bunch of mountain dew, and told that the faster they finished the story the more presents they would get. Forget feeling connected with the first film, this puppy doesn't even feel connected with the second. You know, the one that they made it with. Rather than picking up where the last one left us, it jumped ahead some random amount of time and changed a bunch of crap that (again) didn't need changing. If it ain't broke.. Oh, fuck it, you get the idea.
And the tone?! Don't even get me started on the tone. Whereas the other films balanced adventure and humor with a few meatier, more adult(okay, more teenage) concepts, this film feels like a pregnant woman on her period. That opening scene was grand, I'll give you that. Nice and dark and perfect. And the ending? Also pretty damn dark. In fact, there's a lot of darkness in here, but for every bit of darkness there's two scenes full of childish, often unfunny humor. I say childish, because, well, that's what it was: childish and unfunny. There's a big difference between making humor appropriate for all ages and catering JUST to children, and that's exactly what this film did. Sure, there's a few moments of it here and there in the other movies(I've got a jar of dirt), but it's in here as much as the 10th The Land Before Time (With Jack Bauer), and as such feels completely out of place. I wouldn't even have a problem with the film if it just catered to children. I wouldn't really like it probably, but I don't now, so who knows, maybe I would have. The problem is that the catering to children is intercut with mass violence and death and darkness, and they both counteract one another to the point where neither is effective.
Finally, the waste in general. One of the biggest complaints about Dead Man's Chest is that the scene on Cannibal Island is pretty useless and far too long. Well, that sums up 98% of this film: Pretty useless and far too long. All that Asian crap? I'd equate that with the Cannibal Island stuff, except it's longer, and they threw in a rape and a gruesome death to again cater to the children. But the biggest thing about this film, in fact, the majority of what this film is about, is the gathering of the pirates. And it's all for nothing. Talk about anticlimactic on a grand scale. For the entirety of these sequels, there are forces being gathered. Two sides. Dead Man's Chest united the East India Trading Company, Davey Jones, and who knows how many other people and nations that got strong armed into service like Elizabeth's father. And then this film spends the entire time uniting all the Pirates. It has built and built and built all for... A big boxing match. A football game. An event where everyone except the chosen few battle it out in front of countless spectators. 3 ships. 3 ships in a whirlpool. I won't even bring up the 1000 foot tall woman, because no one can defend that if their life depended on it. Quite possibly the most anticlimactic moment I've experienced in all of film. It would be one thing if they maybe established this basically 1 on 1 ship fight between the leaders to save lives or something. That's completely plausable. It used to happen all the time in actual battles, it happens in movies, most recently I remember it happening in the beginning of Troy. See, that's the thing, it happened in the beginning of Troy. Because even they knew that to do that at the end would be anticlimactic. Even if they established this, it would have still been anticlimactic, but at least it would have been SOMETHING. Maybe then we wouldn't have all been sitting in the theater turning to eachother going, "What the hell, when are all the other ships going to jump in and help?!" So at the end of the day, this entire quest of the film to bring all the Pirates together, it's just a waste. In fact, the end of the film, which leaves things pretty much exactly the same as how we started all the way back at the beginning of the original Pirates, it makes it ALL feel like one big flaccid waste. Sure, a few people are dead and a couple characters have swapped roles, but everything is pretty much exactly the same. That's right, I just used the word flaccid to describe something other than a penis, and it was this movie.
I won't be all negative though. There were a few moments of greatness. Like I said, the opening scene is fantastic. Poppa Sparrow is nice. And shooting the monkey out of the cannon almost makes up for the rest of the film sucking so horribly. But not quite. Not quite.
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...each film should have been one and a half hours long. Tops. With effects by Ray Harryhausen and structured as a series of self-contained adventures a la "...the Continuing Adventures of Captain Jack". What they are instead is bloated, retro-fitted, empty, pointless tat that exists solely to generate income. And Depp's ironic quotation of a 'good performance' is the kind of thing that people who don't like cinema conceive of as being good acting. Its a set of staged mannerisms rtaher than a performance put together by a guy who was so obviously was incredibly bored on set and was evidently refusing any direction at all.
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of the summer. I don't get what all the hate's about. Jack and Barbossa were hilarious, Beckett was wonderfully inlikable. Davy Jones was developed well. And say what you will about Will Turner and Liz Swan they aren't nearly as nauseating as Anakin and Padme in Attack of the Clones. "You don't feel like sand." And suddently my throat tastes like barf.
And besides Will and Liz's sensibilities play brilliantly off of Jack and Barbossa's guille.
no ever seems to get that Will ridiculous level of idealism is part of what sells Jack's anti-heroism, and makes Jack that much more fun and interesting to watch.
And definitely watch BSG from the beginning absolute must in this series. Like Farscape or Buffy.
And when the hell does Sunshine come out on DVD, 'm still they never aired that movie in my hometown. -
Harry's dismissal of BSG has got to be THE stupidest thing I've ever seen posted on this site...and that's really saying something. Hating BSG is akin to hating The Empire Strikes Back. In a genre filled with special effects fluff, paper-thin characters and mindless action, BSG is a dark, harrowing white-knuckler of an apocalyptic epic. Yes, like many, I initially resisted this too, at first. But when I kept hearing how great it was from true believers, I gave it a fair shot, starting with the miniseries. Then, with the first proper episode, "33," I was absolutely hooked...and it only got better from there. And Harry, seriously, if you have not seen the whole series and missed the build-up to the exodus from New Caprica where we see what has to be one of the Five Coolest Things Ever Committed to Screen...THE ATMO JUMP™...then you have not lived a complete and fulfilling geek life. Seriously. No, no...SERIOUSLY.
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along with 3:10 to yuma {my 8th favorite movie on the year} and the zodiac 2-disc director's cut. i'm still puzzled as to the info on kill bill's whole bloody affiar box set. it was supposed to be that day as well, but they pulled it back again as a TBA. but how long does it take to put 2 great films on a big box set anyway?
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Are fucking awesome, and saying the 2 last ones are any less good is making up imaginary criticism.
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Split back-to-back sequels began with Back to the Future (at least - I cannot think of any sooner)
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The hell with the panda bears, I just wanna see Queen LaQueefa's fart sequences
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Back to the Future was probably the first series to be plotted and shot this way. Unless you count the second two Star Wars movies, which weren't filmed back to back or with the same director, but were one story, and suffered from all the problems that I feel result from this approach.I was pointing to The Matrix because it seems everything is done this way now. Back to the Future's filming was a novelty at the time, but now if a movie does really well they sign up for at least two more right away and plan the films that way.
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Yes, it has both. You can toggle between the two. It also has commentary by Ray Harryhausen.
Just in case someone hasn't said naything about it before. -
damned, I wish this thing had an editing feature.
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Dec 06, 2007 9:33:47 PM CST
The Girl Next Store Is Based On The Torture Murder Of Sylvia Lik
by red dawn don
Sylvia Likens was tortured and murdered in real-life. Two movies have been made about it. THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (2007) and AN AMERICAN CRIME (2007). Wikipedia and Crimelibrary both have the awful true details about poor SL. Wikipedia reads faster (1 page) and has a picture of Sylvia Likens. Crimelibrary is more detailed and has many more photos.
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The fact that Harry hates BSG seals it for me - I need to pick up this series immediately. I know very little about it, just that it's a remake of an older series. So I look on amazon and see various seasons on DVD (4 seasons, plus razor)? Now how should these be watched? Someone mentioned a miniseries as well, is the miniseries part of one of the seasons or totally seperate? What order does all of this fall in?
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First, start with The Miniseries and Season One (in that order), both packaged together in the R1 Season One boxset. Then, get Season 2.0 followed by Season 2.5, in separate boxsets. Then stop. You DON'T want to watch "Razor" or any of the online "Razorettes" until you're done watching Season 3. The problem is, Season 3 isn't on DVD yet. You might be able to find it for download somewhere, and they were recently re-run on Sci-Fi but don't continue on with Razor or any other post-Season 2 BSG until you're done with Season 3. THEN, once you've watched Season 3, check out Razor and the Razorettes before Season 4 starts in March 2008. And then you'll be good to go. Enjoy! I envy anyone getting to experience this the first time.
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You will be forever changed. Atmo-jump shall be your reward.So say we all.
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Until I read harry's dismissive comments. Hey - he loved Attack of the Clones - he knows great Sci-Fi! Great writing, acting, compelling story and nail-biting finales - harry knows none of this is any good for entertainment.
Thanks harry, now I will relearn to love Batman & Robin! -
I thought she would like it. After all, she was the one who originally introduced me to LOST. This was while we were still dating. She was easily converted to BSG, and we used to watch it together. She'd make popcorn and pour butter over it from a heated pan. We'd sit down on the sofa together, she with her gin-and-tonic, me with my vodka, straight, as always. She was crazy about the show. After an episode on dvd, she would turn to me and say, "Can we watch another, LoneGun?" And I'd say, "Why not, Angel." When our relationship came to an end, as it was destined to, we both continued to watch BSG, just not together. Now, I watch it alone.
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That's the best line I've read since, "Talk to me, Goose." Your post made me simultaneously break my heart and cough up a lung. Genius.
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I'll be netflixing so I assume the miniseries will be part of the 1st season set (says it's 5 CDs). Thanks again.
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"Now, I watch it alone" Such tragic irony
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The New BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is WAAAYYY OVERATED. Seriously it's overly melodramatic, unoriginal, and boring.
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So if you don't like BSG, why do you watch it? And if you don't watch it, how do you know it's "overly melodramatic, unoriginal and boring."
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Apparently theres an interview with Michael Bay, that states he threatened to withhold Transformers 2 from Paramount because of their HD-DVD deal. He accuses Microsoft of creating a rift between formats, so that both will fail, while Microsoft perfects digital downloads. Check it out on Rotten Tomatoes. Pretty funny.
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Sad but true. What happened to the music industry is now happening to the movie industry, like a virus slowly inffecting media. There appears to be no cure.
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I guess I shouldn't be surprised by someone who is apparently engaged by Pirates: At World's End, SNL, and ROCKY. Yeah, that's deep stuff.
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the formulaic success of Napoleon Dynamite. You had lead characters that visually looked horrible and purposely dressed in outdated clothing, but all in the coy so-bad-looking-it's-cool manner that the producers of this movie saw happening with Napoleon Dynamite. You had the weird scenes that were chalk full of cliche-spouting lines, all in a self-serving way to make it easier for people to quote the movie non-stop. You had those god-awful looking posters with those two doofuses, dressed in said outdated clothing, just staring at you, the exact same manner that Napoleon's poster was. You had a specific image that was input into the movie so that it can be purposely merchandised onto t-shirts and become an instant recognizable item from the movie, i.e. McLovin's ID=Vote for Pedro. You had loser sidekicks that were just a constant embarrassment to themselves, i.e. that McLovin character=Pedro. You had constant inundating ads that were simply everywhere, in every single theater, TV channel, and internet ads, all of this months ahead of the movie, so that eventually these nonstop ads would eventually guarantee a great opening weekend, just like the Napoleon ads did (and in a funny comparison, like those Gabbo ads on the Simpsons). You also have the audience that the movie is meant to catch on with, the ones that like this special brand of comedy that they know their parents won't understand, nor will children, only people within their age group so that it's instantly cool to like this movie, and most importantly it stays cool because of the fact the other age groups will not understand this movie, just like the phenomenon that Napoleon experienced. I have never seen such a blatant attempt to mimic the original success that Napoleon Dynamite had. And hey, more power to those producers because it worked, considering the large amount of money this movie made.
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...and Napolean Dynamite was not. At all.
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You'll love it. The new BSG that is. Start from the VERY beginning and make your way through. It's seriously one of the best TV ever.
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If you have never seen the new Galactica and you're reading all these talkbacks trying to decide if it's for you, here's how to decide.
If you are into drama and enjoy a tv show or film with a lot of dialogue and charater development as well as some action, and you are a fan of shows like the Shield, the Sopranos, Carnivale, etc... you'll love it.
If you only like older shows and kitchy stories or fun but brainless action movies like Die Hard (not that there's anything wrong with that) then it might not be your thing.
BSG is not just some action sci-fi show, it's dark, it's hopeful, it's dramatic, and it's more about the story and the characters than the space battles.
If you think the Shield is just way too dark or talky, then you probably won't like it. But if you love a film or show that asks you to pay attention and makes you rethink your world view, then you should definitely add BSG to your Netflix list, and schedule some serious watching time with no distrations. -
Well said. I agree. What makes BATTLESTAR GALACTICA compelling is the characters and the incredibly thought-provoking situations they find themselves in. And it certainly doesn't hurt that it has awe-inspiring action sequences time and again. I also think the production design and the look of the show have gone a long way to making BSG watchable. It has such an extraordinarily real look to it. One can easily believe in the world in which these characters live. I also love the music, especially throughout Season Two, so unconventional, so engaging. This one's definitely for viewers interested in quality drama. I've enjoyed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA more than most of the movies I've seen over the past two years.
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Don't know if you've seen the HBO series OZ or not. But based on the other dramas you noted in your post, I think you might like this one, too. OZ is remarkable. It's out on dvd.
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I used to completely hate battlestar, although after I got through the entire first season, I just had to have more.
Just don't give up halfway through the first season. I wanted to, but was urged by friends. I'm so glad I was.
Although, since you don't like the music, I'm not sure there is any hope for you. The BSG soundtrack is amazing. -
Just thought I'd give a shout out...there's finally a Buy One Get One (BOGO) Free sale on Warner Blu-ray titles at Amazon. Its been going on since Dec. 4th and probably till the end of the evening. Check it out. Fry's online also is still doing half price on several Fox Blu-ray titles too.
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I thought the third was great. Then again, the Pirates Trilogy is just the holy original Star Wars Trilogy re-done in a pirate setting. Although Captain Jack is like a cross between Han Solo and C-3PO, come to think of it.
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Just thought people should know that Warner is also bundling a ticket to see *I Am Legend* with all three versions of *The Omega Man* which just was (re) released on DVD and for the first time on both Blu-ray and HD DVD.
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HARRY IS ON CRACK!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Can be bought on a double feature with Panic in Year Zero
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Overrated - All it did was make Geldof as sir. The Queen show was great! The problems in Africa still exist and are in fact worse. The United Abomi-Nations is useless. Until the warlords are handled with agressive force these problems will continue - very very sad.
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Good Lord, you're endorsing a colorized 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH? It's bad enough to indulge in this sort of blasphemy. But you've completely ignored VCI Entertainment's restoration of A CHRISTMAS CAROL! (the definitive adaptation of the Dickens classic; accept NO imitations) It's a frame-by-frame "cleansing" of original 35mm "film elements" (meticulous dust/dirt-removal w/ digital noise reduction). And this 2-disc collection is appended with the original U.S. and Brit trailers, commentary by surviving actors (!), rare photo gallery, et al. Jesus, this is one grievous omission (especially with the advent of Yuletide, et al). As for Bob Hope, he's made some amusing comedies (the "Road" pictures) and at least one classic (THE GHOST BREAKERS). But BOY, DID I GET A WRONG NUMBER was numbingly awful (antiquated allusions to Lawrence Welk, Phyllis Diller guffawing through 90 painful minutes, et al). And SUPERBAD is appropriately titled; a PORKY's and AMERICAN GRAFFITI hybrid without one sympathetic character (the gags were leftovers from cheap "coming-of-age" quickies).
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BSG fans DON'T want you to like it!
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Dec 09, 2007 4:27:21 PM CST
Quentin Tarantino is a frakkin' Battlestar Galactica fan!
by barry_woodward
Grace Park had an interesting encounter with Tarantino at the Asian Excellence Awards. She said, "In the after-party, he wouldn't stop gabbing about it. I felt like I had to baby-sit him, he was so excited. He just went on for about 10 minutes. I got so uncomfortable, I had to leave."
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that's the rumor...(sux!)
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BS. Pure and simple. Warner has denied those rumors back in November.
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Dec 10, 2007 9:30:56 AM CST
Thanks for the info on Sunshine. Great to finally know when on
by crichtonastronut
Can't wait to see this in 1080 upscaled flat screen and Dolby sound. The previews have been awesome.
And 33 and Water are both incredible episode and should make a BSG fan of almodt anyone. -
Maybe I can get my parents out of town and house-sit and watch it on their more expensive setup.
Cause Sunshine F'n deserves it. Too bad it aint Jan. 1 -
Exactly how much did the studio pay you? God you suck.
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I admire the characterization (especially re: Baltar, Starbuck) and the complexity of the storyline (especially on morality), but can't really develop a passion for it. It's hard to pinpoint why, but I suspect it's because the show seems overly intense and humorless (unlike the originally, which was very funny), and that makes it hard to really emphasize and identify with what's going on. It just doesn't grab me emotionally.
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WHY would someone watch episodes of a show that follows a story arc out of order? Let me be the 9000th person to tell you that's not a smart thing to do. Do you jump around between chapters while reading a book? Do you watch movie sequels out of order and before finishing the originals? Do you do anal with your woman before letting her do oral on you, and then kiss her on the mouth?? Ass Juice.
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http://tinyurl.com/36wfh4
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It was encouraging to read that article, heartening to know that so many cool people in the entertainment industry don't just love BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, but worship it - including the Wachowski's!
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Now Sony titles have joined in with the Warner titles that are still being offered by Amazon as "buy 1 get 1 free" on Blu-ray. Seems the Blu-ray Disc Association again wants to spoil the release of the last big HD DVD exclusive tomorrow [Tuesday], that being *The Bourne Ultimatum*. They've done the BOGO twice before when HD DVD exclusive titles were released...those having been *Shrek 3* and *Transformers*. But what is damning for HD DVD is the fact that Warner has joined in on this BOGO sale which they haven't done before; plus they have a vested interest in HD DVD winning, so what does that tell you? The future will be blu, as the BDA's marketing says...
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Considering I hardly ever buy new Blu-Ray, that doesn't really affect me. Fortunately we have a great used book store here, where you can get those for $11. I'm not jumping ship on HD just because of a BOGO sale.
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***spoilerificoo!*** are rescued from New Caprica by the Adama Maneuver. ***enda spoileroo!***
And then completely lost interest. Haven't seen anything since then. I was wavering for a long time before that, and struggled through most of season 2. I dunno, there are aspects of the series I just don't like in general, but it did weaken and lose focus as it went on. I remember getting pissed at all the unnecessary, pretentious "24 hours earlier..." shit they kept pulling. That 5th column Cylon shit bothers me too - I hate that kind of thing. And situations going tits-up because of something someone did wrong that nobody knows about, or Baltar being worthy of nothing but DEATH and they don't have a "frakking" clue that he's not completely loyal. It's like in DS9 when everybody but Sisko thinks that Winn is an angel. Ugh, and when I think of watching BSG again I almost get this twist in my stomach as though my very BODY feels it's too desolate and serious and full of too many unrealistic, melodramatic, duplicitious asshole characters. It just became a joyless experience. -
...so say we all
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Kinda like reading a post from scrumdiddly.
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Dec 15, 2007 12:54:49 AM CST
Jesus, you read my whole post? Or just the last sentence?
by scrumdiddly
Unprovoked hostility! Latent anger!
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