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Harry's DVD Picks & Peeks - 3rd week of March: BSG, ENCHANTED, I AM LEGEND, ATONEMENT, ICE STORM and much much more!!!
Hey folks, Harry here with another week of DVD titles. There’s some good stuff here, not a ton of titles, but a healthy group. Hope you enjoy the list this week – as always you can click on the box art or titles and it’ll take you to Amazon where you can learn more on the titles or if you wish, you can purchase them – and this column will get a small kick back to help keep the column going. Well… let’s get to it…
Tuesday, May 18th, 2008
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – SEASON THREE
I know what you’re thinking – I bet you believe I’m going to talk shit about how I haven’t been able to make my way through an episode and I can’t stand this new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, but I am offering this out there for the ignorant bastards that like shit television like this show. Right? Wrong. The last time I talked about BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – it was after watching the standalone RAZOR – which just didn’t do anything for me, but I did mention that I was going to attempt to give my Season 1 HD-DVD a try. Thinking that perhaps – starting at the beginning might make a difference.
Some of you thought it would. Others thought I was far too unreasonable a rat bastard. Well – Fucking A – I was wrong and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is great – and it really really needs to be seen from the beginning. Have I watched Season Three yet? No, I have the set – but I don’t have Season 2 yet, and I’m refusing to check out this new season till I’m caught up. I will say – I get it now. I was totally talking out my ass. This show kicks ass (at least the first season)
ENCHANTED
I know ENCHANTED isn’t for everyone. But it is… 100% up my alley. I love ENCHANTED. In many ways it is amongst my very favorite films of last year. Absolutely exactly what I had hoped for. Amy Adams should have pulled down a nomination for her character – easily. That and James Marsden could’ve picked up a nomination for his Prince Edward – he was note perfect in his supporting role. The Blu Ray has a special feature not seen on the standard def models – that is a feature that highlights all the “Disney” references in the film… they are legion, btw. And an incredibly great trivial look at the film. However, if you didn’t enjoy this film, there’s nothing anyone can say to swoon you otherwise. However, for those of us that fell under the spell of ENCHANTED – this disc is a great treat.
I AM LEGEND
Nearly half brilliant and half daft. The first half of the film is about as perfect as one could hope for. However, when the second half transforms into a video game… I found the graphics lacking and the drama wanting. That said – Will Smith continues to impress. Taking his craft more and more seriously and making my estimation of him rise and rise. The other day I was watching from FRESH PRINCE stuff and it was very nearly impossible to see him. Oh sure… you can see the FP in Will’s performances – but not in films like PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, ALI or this. There are two cuts of I AM LEGEND here – one with a completely different ending – and while this isn’t the greatest version of this story, no where near, it is an acceptable rendition – and had they not pixel cast the “creatures” I think this film could have been very nearly unassailable. Tis a shame. Almost Greatness.
ATONEMENT
Ouch. Remember that song, Love Hurts? Yeah… That’s ATONEMENT. I wasn’t prepared for what a twisted, torturous romantic masochistic trip this film had in store for me. The way it is told, the passion, the music, the performances – everything is perfect. It reminds me of the best of the Merchant Ivory tales – and it is by far the best film of Keira Knightley’s career thus far. Heartbreaking and captivating.
THE WILD WILD WEST – THE FOURTH SEASON
The final season of this fantastically imaginative series that Jon Peters so fucked up the ass. In this final season you’ll see Jules Verne-esque fun – as well as Poe-influenced escapades. There’s Phantoms and Fountains and we even lost Artemus Gordon a bit here and there due to a real life heart attack – but we get folks like Alan Hale Jr and Robert Conrad and others. This is it – complete the set!
SOUTHLAND TALES
Probably the most devisive film of 2007. The film has its fans, like me – and it has those that just hate it with a passion. I feel it’s a film in the tone and style of movies like CASINO ROYALE (the original) or CANDY – a film brimming with esoterica and weirdness. It’s funny, fucked up and to me an alternate history path, that I feel we’ve avoided, but there’s always a chance that it’s just one more election from reality. You never know. Examining this film at length will be a virtue of home video.
REVOLVER
I haven’t seen this yet. I loved pre-Madonna Guy Ritchie – the Matthew Vaughn produced Guy Ritchie… but right now, I’m not sure Guy’s got a real strong hand anymore. I’ve heard that some have enjoyed this and some haven’t – but I’ve not heard any that lumped it in the pile with LOCK STOCK or SNATCH…. But then, I haven’t heard anyone lumping it with SWEPT AWAY – either. It’d be nice to see Ritchie back in top form.
THE ICE STORM – Criterion Collection
In my opinion – still the best film of Ang Lee’s amazing career. THE ICE STORM is such an amazing time capsule and character piece – and to have this film be given the Criterion treatment… the HD transfer – the audio commentary, the documentary – the video interview with Rick Moody, deleted scenes – the MOMI footage, designs, sketches and more. This is outstanding. As for the film… Rewatching it shows just how amazing a cast he put together – with Kevin Kline, Elijah Wood, Tobey Maguire… then Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen and Christina Ricci. Brilliant cast. A really great film!
ANTONIO GAUDI – Criterion Collection
A hypnotic visual poem to the work of Gaudi – the brilliant architect whose work in Barcelona and the other areas of Catalunya in Spain are shown off here by Hiroshi Teshigahara’s film… well it is mesmerizing. The cathederal in Barcelona is the only ALIEN BUILDING that I’ve ever actually seen with my own eyes. And here – we have it in a high def transfer – as usual – Criterion has pulled out the stops – my fave extra being the short film by Ken Russell on Gaudi. But there’s more. If you love brilliant architecture – look no further!
THE PEBBLES AND BAMM-BAMM SHOW – The Complete Series
I can’t hide my fetishes… but it is true – I had a very hard crush on Teenage Pebbles from The Pebbles And Bamm-Bamm Show. I suppose it was the same for Hanna Barbera’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Veronica – but Pebbles spoke to me. I guess it was because I thought I grew up with her. Now Bamm-Bamm was a chode. Seriously – What a turd. I really didn’t like him.
STEVE CANYON
Wow – Somebody has found and restored Milton Caniff’s STEVE CANYON tv show from 1958… I’ve been wanting to see some of these my whole life, as I loved Steve Canyon as a strip. And here we have 4 full on episodes to check out. These have been near impossible to locate till now and a real treat – and hopefully an indication that we may one day get a whole season… Dare we hope?
THE DRAGON PAINTER
One of the first silent Japanese style film that brought Japanese culture to the general American film going scene – back around 1919. The film is just under an hour long and beautifully tinted. This is…. A stunning work of silent cinema and well worth every second you give it. A true early cinema jewel.
PRIDE OF THE YANKEES
This is my personal favorite all time Baseball film. I love Gary Cooper’s performance of Lou Gehrig… more than that – I love getting to see Babe Ruth on film… for real. I remember showing this film to my nephew when he was 4 and the film grabbing him – and when it turned sad – he knew it was sad. It was heartbreaking… and he cried – just how you should cry. This movie is tremendous. And finally – a non-embarrassing edition. There’s a making of, Lou Gehrig doc, a look at the Gehrig memorabilia at the Baseball Hall of Fame, a look at the disease that took Gehrig and still more. This is the great baseball film.
JACK KETCHUM’S THE LOST
A brutal (is there any other kind) Jack Ketchum adaptation. This is based on a true story that Ketchum adapted and terrifying. Marc Senter, who plays the lead character is somebody to watch – and this film will fuck with you. Ketchum didn’t pussyfoot around with this story – and neither did the filmmakers behind it. Excellent work.
That’s it for this week. Next week we’ll be taking a look at THE KITE RUNNER, THE MIST, LOST HIGHWAY, KINGS OF THE SUN, TARAS BULBA, BONNIE & CLYDE (Blu Ray), Warner Gangster Collection, Vol 3, SOLOMON & SHEBA, THEM, MR. WONG – DETECTIVE: Complete Collection, Alain Delon – 5 Film Collection, JIMMY CARTER MAN FROM PLAINS, BOB HOPE COLLECTION, Eclipse Series 9 – THE DELIRIOUS FICTIONS OF WILLIAM KLEIN, PU-239, THE SASQUATCH GANG, BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL, THE SISTER OF URSULA, HUMAN BEASTS and more…
Some of you thought it would. Others thought I was far too unreasonable a rat bastard. Well – Fucking A – I was wrong and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is great – and it really really needs to be seen from the beginning. Have I watched Season Three yet? No, I have the set – but I don’t have Season 2 yet, and I’m refusing to check out this new season till I’m caught up. I will say – I get it now. I was totally talking out my ass. This show kicks ass (at least the first season)
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...might be the best one ever.
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That's, like, a first for me :-)
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At least the first and second season did, the third one wasn't my favorite but it still beats most crap on tv right now! Can't wait to see season 4.
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Atonement is Universal's HD DVD swan song, why not get it? Did you get rid of your 10 HD DVD players?
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Dammit Sony, you know a good amount of people would buy this on BD who didn't get a chance to catch it in theaters.
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at least I think so. I know some of you will hate it but that's your problem. It fits the movie much better. Instead of suddenly devising a miracle cure and finding God Neville figures out what has been under his nose the whole time and acknowledges his mistake. It makes you re-examine everything that's happened before. It is both happy and scary in the way it makes him face a new understanding of the world. And it keeps the meaning of the title from the book without being corny enough to try to explain it.
Watching it again on DVD the effects didn't bother me as much, only the fact that that woman didn't know who Bob Marley is. I think it's flawed but I also think it's a classic. This IS the best version of the story that's been done on film so far. (I enjoy all three though.)
I also just saw SOUTHLAND TALES. Holy shit. Twice as asinine as the remake of THE WICKER MAN and not 1/8 as fun to watch. That is a terrible, terrible movie. It is so brimming with crazy ideas and casting and yet nothing ever clicks or catches your interest. It's not even a fucking story. Imagine if instead of making STAR WARS George Lucas decided to make a slide presentation about all the notes he had taken about the world of STAR WARS. God damn. I thought Richard Kelly showed promise but in my opinion after you write DOMINO and then direct that it is time to pack it up and head for the mountains where you will spend the rest of your life living in a cabin, pumping your own water from a well and communing with the earth. Stay far away from movie cameras. I am not usually a 3 strikes you're out type of guy but with two crimes against cinema that brutal it is time to start having some accountability here.
And for God's sake, somebody put The Rock in a good movie! There's gotta be somebody out there who will do it. -
is a really good film... y'know, actually quite thought-provoking.
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It was a terrible film!
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That is all.
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We want Duckman on DVD!!!
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Bah, I'll wait :)
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Christian Slater's best work since Pump up The Volume. Cuthbert's best so far. Made for like 600K or something. Take a look look at that one, Harry. Might be real surprised...
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the same but one has the different ending stuck on? And I've got to agree with Vern, the cut ending is vastly superior to the, I am a legend because I saved the world ending.
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All the ads now say 'Blu-Ray high-def'. Because no bastard knows what the fuck Blu-Ray is, and even fewer actually care!! Sony's grand folly fails again!
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I look forward to see it.
Which cut of the film is on the disc? -
He's absolutely right BSG needs to be seen from the beginning. I’ve sat through season 1 almost four times, original transmittion, R2 DVD, R1 DVD and ploughed though it again with the wife (she got hooked). You’ll be gob smacked how well it stands up to repeated viewing. The one thing they REALLY got right was the casting. There are just no weak links in the chain, the quality of acting and characterisation is far beyond anything seen in television Sci-Fi and all those little peripheral characters really do come into their own later on. Moore et all have genuinely set the bar very very high. NICE TO SEE THEIR EFFORTS GET SOME LOVE FROM THE FAT MAN.
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last November. I think it came out on the 9th and was MIA by the 23rd. Much like Donnie Darko. Be interesting to see if it builds a cult following on DVD/Blu-Ray after the fact too.
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Jesus Harry, how am I supposed to get my spank on without your porn picks?
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awesome.
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...Edward James Olmos looks like he's trying really hard not to look at that blonde's tits. The guy behind him isn't trying as hard.
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...after the Pegasus-episodes and their painting-by-numbers-ending and the next episode, when they found out that Boomer's blood could cure Cancer, just when President Roslin was going to die from it. Come on! I know it has shaky cam, but that doesn't mean it's a smart show!
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Absolutely awful. I can't believe I paid to see it in theaters. The Rock was good, though. That's about the only compliment I can give it.
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I really don't get this. What's with the shitty I am Legend photoshop job? It had several great theatrical one-sheets, and now we get this horrible bue ray cover crap? does anyone have clue why they keep pulling this shit??
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... is by playing a smarter opponent.
Revolver is fucking great. -
Check out Tweeny Witches. It's released this week. I haven't seen the US DVD, so no review yet, but what's worth knowing is that it is a rare TV series from Studio 4°C, the people behind Mind Game, TekkonKinkreet, and much of the AniMatrix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqrqQB2oNqU
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A lot of my childhood is wrapped up in Disney movies. I'm a Disney disciple, but man, the trailer for Enchanted did nothing for me. I went to see it with friends, and we all had a great time. Amy Adams was joy personified, and why the hell isn't James Marsden a bigger star yet? It seems like he's settled into playing the "other guy" in every film. The X-Men series, The Notebook, Singerman Returns, now this. Odd.
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Good to know someone else is on the "get The Rock in a good movie" bandwagon. Dude's charming as hell, but nobody's used him to his full potential yet. Closest we got was Berg's The Rundown.
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Mar 18, 2008 7:30:34 AM CDT
Harry now LOVES Battlestar Galactica! Better late than never.
by harryblackpotter
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I though the movie was tone deaf, but damn, it wasn't THAT bad unless you take every piece of on screen information literally. I think there can be a good argument made that the movie is not about the plot but about why the plot is what it is and how it effects the actual main character. You don't think Richard Kelly threw in Rebecca Del Rio in a Mulholland Drive moment by accident do you? Also, it's good to see the SNL and Mad TV cast members and guest hosts still get work.
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He was only 55! The English Patient is a masterpiece.
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and they didn't even try to explain why. U was 8 years old at the time and i knew it was bullshit!!! They totally betrayed what Bam-Bam was all about.
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I've said this before but Kelly got incredibly lucky with Donnie Darko. The studio cuts turned a jumbled mess into an enigmatic masterpiece. The Director's cut shows just how crappy DD would have been if they left it up to Kelly. I read interviews from him after Southland Tales bombed at Cannes and he kept playing the "Donnie Darko wasn't a hit either" card as if we just weren't smart enough to get it. The difference was DD got very positive reviews but it didn't get a wide release from the studio. Southland Tales and Domino both got wide releases and both deservedly bombed. The only way Southland Tales becomes a cult is if it ends up on MST3K.
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Thanks prbt for letting me know about his passing. This really is terrible news.
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Scorpion King
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7302841.stm
Went to see a screening of 'The Talented Mr Ripley' in Dublin where he did a Q&A afterwards... so full of vitality... And I loved 'The Storyteller' as a kid, which he wrote -
Thats probably when we'll get it on bluray.
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was amazing, have to pick up the DVD of that sometime.
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She played a ditz for 90 minutes, whats so amazing about that?
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Mar 18, 2008 8:47:12 AM CDT
Southland Tales is a film that you can't defend even if you like
by knowthyself
Is it just me or are people taking that movie more seriously than they are supposed to? I hope you realize that your supposed to be laughing, its listed as a comedy on Netflix.
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It's a kids movie and I rented it for my 5 year old and 3 year old. They loved it and me and my wife thought it was very good. She actually cried in one scene (she's nutty like that). The Rock can act and he has tons of charm and ability. But if you have kids, rent The Game Plan. Very very good movie.
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Was it something quick, or had he been sick?
And that's not REALLY the Blu-ray cover for Enchanted is it? With all that shit emblazoned across the top & bottom? I love my high-def movies, but it's bad enough the cases are such a shitty size they make poster/cover art a bastardisation with that not-quite square, not quite one-sheet ratio. Nevr mind all this header/footer shit. Thanks God we've lost "the look and sound of perfect" with HD-DVD, but "beyond high-definition" is just as shite and has to go too.
I did love Enchanted though, despite myself. Never thought Disney would be the ones to take the piss out of clichéd Disney garbage! -
I was also late to the game, but man - what a fucking show! I just finished the third season and am planning on watching RAZOR tonight. Harry, trust me, if you think the first season is great, just you wait until you hit the second. Trust brother, trust.
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Just saw Breaking and Entering a couple of weeks ago, and while not a good film. It held my interest and made me realize I need to go see the English Patient. Plus Ripley was an amazing movie as well.
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Together at last. Welcome to the club, Grande Rojo.Season 4 can't start soon enough.
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there also some horror movies coming out Harry. 8 films to die for are releasing today.
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Can't wait to see the Southland. Even if it does suck, that damn Elbow song in the trailer is fucking amazing. Ever since I heard that song is been on repeat in my Zune ever since. So finally I'll get to see the movie, really wish I had seen it in theaters though. I mean even if it does suck, still don't understand how they couldn't get a wider release? I just really don't understand this whole theatrical release process? How can these new distribution companys like Summit and Freestyle get there crap films in every theater known to man. But Fox Searchlight and whatever company did Southland can't seem to get there films even in a majority of the art house theaters across this nation?
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I hate it when some other side character suddenly starts narrating in an attempt to jam some 'closure' onto a movie that's already over. And both endings have Anna doing this.I probably prefer the theatrical ending because to me Neville was always operating half in denial, thinking that if he could just cure the zombies the world would go back to the way it was before and the course of the movie is him realizing it never will, so it makes sense for him to die so that others who accept this new world can live.I'm still voting Heston as my version of choice, but this one turned out a million times better than I expected and I still think it's a pretty good movie and am content knowing that today's children will grow up with a reasonable retelling of this great story.
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Why not just let today's children read the book? Then they can get a great telling of the great story. It's easily available from Amazon, and has dated surprisingly well, and is a nice quick read. I liked much of Will Smith Is Legend, and liked the alternate ending better for much the same reasons as Vern, but personally I'll stick with the book.
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Now THATS a DVD cover. Artful and evocative. Of course Criterion is the master of such packaging. And Atonement makes me think of Craig Ferguson's impression of British cinema, all stuffy parlor nonsense..but I may be wrong.
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Good on you for viewing Season One properly and with an open mind. I can assure you, if you liked the fist season of BSG, Season Two will blow you away. It just gets better...
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I don't get the amazingness of this movie. I remember when I first saw it I watched it twice and was just like??? Ok so people in that time wanted to have sex. Great. And some kid (Frodo methinks) has no idea about the concept of electricity.
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Season 1 was just all right, with the Season 1 cliffhanger kicking seroious ass as it's completely unexpected for the uninitiated. I wasn't a complete fan of BSG until Season 2. While Season 3 has its drawbacks, a few of the episodes (especially "Exodus" and "The Son Also Rises") stand out.
In my opinion, "Pride of the Yankees" is the best film of the week. -
I figured that was one of those skills like driving stick or adjusting the tracking on a VHS deck or traplining that had just become outdated. They'll probably have to retitle it Harry Potter and the Legend of Robert Neville.And I think both endings are valid and compelling. I would've accepted the alternate ending fine if that's what I'd seen originally in the cinemas. I think my ideal ending would be like the theatrical ending, with a bit more of Anna and Ethan's departure from New York (like the stuff on the Brooklyn Bridge in the alternate cut, only no Neville) and then them showing up at that compound but with no narration.
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That's some cool artwork. Gotta love Criterion.
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Wait until you get to the first 5 or so episodes of Season 3! including probably the best episode of BSG to date, the amazing Exodus Part Two! You'll be blown away.
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Now we just need Herc to own up about being totally wrong about The Shield.
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after a routine operation on his neck. Shocking.
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So boring. I could barely sit through it. The first season of BSG was amazing--following seasons haven't lived up to s1's perfect plotting.
Oh, and Enchanted was so bad I couldn't sit through it...ON A PLANE. -
until the ending, which was a lame rip-off of dozens of rubbish films. shame.
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new "Scorsese". I fall in the Elaine camp as far as The English Patient (the Seifeld ep where everyone loved it but her), but I thought Ripley was brilliantly done. So sad to lose a talented director who chose his projects so carefully.
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they are currently working on it. tvshowsondvd.com has all the details
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.. you just made my week!!
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Yes, Harry. Yes you can. And you should.
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Thanks for the heads up Scott.From the cover I thought it was just another kiddie DragonBall Z series.Just watched the trailer on youtube and the animation is mindblowing as one expects from 4C.Cool
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Pure class, that Criterion edition of The Ice Storm. Very sad about Minghella. He still had his best years ahead of him.
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gets better in the second season, in my opinion. Some folks didn't like the allegorical side of it, which gets more heavily explored, but I thought it actually added depth to an already rich universe, and since it's not played off as archetype, it doesn't set anything on rails. Instead, it raises more questions. And I agree - Razor was totally unnecessary. I've engaged the series through DVD as well, and I've been waiting for Season Three with bated breath! After reaching the end of season two, you'll understand how frustrating it's been to wait over a year for satisfaction!
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precisely because it was the only Galactica fix in some time. And I am someone who never watches TV!
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good to have you join us in the BSG love. the second season up through the first handful of episodes of season 3 are solid. the rest of season three gets uneven, but it's all still hands-down great TV. bring on season four!!!
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I Am Legend and Atonement on BD and HDDVD respectively. Legend was fantastic in its first half I agree, and faltered as it went on unfortunately, but the thing I absolutely hated the most was the ending, so I'm glad to see that there's a better ending that I can watch in hi def.
Atonement was my favorite movie of last year so I gotta get it even if it's on HDDVD (which I would still consider the better format but i won't even get into that).
And after watching the BSG miniseries from i think 2002 I will never watch BSG again, that was so unbelievably boring. -
was created with biodegradable gel. Pretty cool - it looked great.
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Well considering I don't think you could have made a worse ending than the one they used that is hardly a high recommendation. In fact if they had gone all Dallas and had it end with Smith waking up to see his gay lover Jazzy Jeff step out of the shower to reveal it was all a dream, before they smeared peanut butter over their bodies and let the dog join in their perverted fun, it would have still been an ending more in line with the point of the original story...
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My God I don't understand how anyone can be a fan of this movie. It doesn't make any fucking sense (and not in the, "makes you think" or will cause a discussion afterwards way). I could on about this for days, but I don't care to have to think back to that awful experience.
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One of us, one of us.
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But after watching the new ending recently I liked it much better, and then I heard about the meaning of Will Smith being the hunter, and he in fact was the villain in their eyes, and that made it even better. Also, the earlier scenes with him hunting the deer, and watching the lion attack the deer as well, it had more resonance instead of just seeming like an interesting bit of CGI.
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The narration threw me at first too but after thinking about it it makes sense. Throughout the first 2/3 of the movie Neville has been the only speaking character still alive. He's making these broadcasts to try to find someone but it seems like a hopeless, stubborn act. Now Anna is making the broadcast because they are together, he has a human companion now, just like the vampires - er, I mean darkseekers - have each other.
I also think that ending echoes back to the hunting scene in the beginning. The lions could decide to eat Neville or Sam but they don't, they got what they came for so they stare each other down and leave in peace. The same thing sort of happens between Neville and "Alpha Male" as he's called in the credits. I know I've seen some people claiming that ending is terrible without explanation, and I can only assume they hate that they leave each other in peace. People like to see somebody get killed at the end of a movie. -
"And for God's sake, somebody put The Rock in a good movie!" Hey. Did I miss something here? Isn't this guy a wrestler? Can you honestly picture this guy appearing in a serious film? I can. So long as the film sucks. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm pretty sure he couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.
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I am. Legend. Seriously. So like, this movie 'seemed' interesting back before they starting showing off the CGI...and now...notsomuch. The CGI looks like garbage. I mean, it looks SCI-FI channel awful. If the CGI doesn't look right, how does the movie work? At all? Bad effects, but more importantly - bad marketing.
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I don't care if people hated Legend. I liked it a lot. It was scary and a good time at the movies.
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It's gotta be at least 50 movies long. If I had this many favorites I'd be a pretty happy guy. Instead I suffer through crap like Vantage point and wait in dissapointment until May comes along.
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33 is still the best episode. Season 2 and 3 have stunning moments, but Season 1 has fantastic episodes.
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i didn't notice one second of "villiany" in i am legend. either i have to rewatch all these complicated science scenes again or will needs better and more senseable material.
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These guys should be the next Rambos and Terminators and Conans and Rockys!
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Ask me anything, its a pretty straight forward movie once you've read the graphic novels. Here's a hint,the book of revelations is a big part of it.
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For years, I just could not get beyond the uneveness of that 2-hour pilot from '03 to ever pick it up again. But, last year, after reading the Season 1 and 2 arcs straight through, I settled right into Season 3. Yeah, it's a little turgid and cliched at times, but damn if I don't love it now.
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Not two.
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be watched in order to get the full effect.
For intsance, that bit about Kara at the end of Razor aint gonna mean much if you haven't seen the series up til the last shot of Season 3. But if you have, wow.
Ansd while season 3 did falter near the end, northing can take away from the brilliance of the early season on New Caprica.
Again stick to your guns and watch it in order, it's the only way to go. -
.....the lucky-est man on the face of the earth...."
".....now that Lou Gehrig is dead"
gotta love homer simpson, and i know i'm supposed to get all weepy over what happened to Lou, but in the end, he was a yankee, so to heck with 'em.
and say what you will about Southland Tales, but to me the idea of sara michelle geller playing a porn star is perfection. that chick just screams "pure whore" to me, so you gotta figure the porn world missed out on a HUGE star when she became a "serious actress". -
It's amateurish filmed, badly acted (Except Edward James Olmos, who should win an Emmy or Golden Globe or even a fucking Oscar for being too good for a crappy TV-show!), absolutely boring, leaves no warmovie cliche unused, always finds room for annoying religious discussions, even if there is no room for them and has not even one character that I care about! (Although I liked Baltar in the first season.)
It's probably the emperor's new clothes. "Oh look, they took a silly SciFi Show from the 70's and made a dark 9/11 series out of it. It must be great, because it has shaky cam. And electrolytes!" -
filthy critic explains: http://www.bigempire.com/filthy/iamlegend.html
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Hmmm, well that's an interesting opinion. It's one that I just happen to disagree with. And thus, I get the love for BSG and you don't. There is not much we all can do about such things.
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it sounds to me like you're still watching BSG, though, so something must keep you coming back. what's the thing you DO enjoy about it? it can't just be because you enjoy complaining about it in talkbacks... 'cuz that would be ridiculous.
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It's been done better before.
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Wait till he gets a load of the Iraq war allegory at the beginning of Season 3. He's going to have a joygasm reading his liberal viewpoint into the plot.
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Mar 18, 2008 7:25:05 PM CDT
I won't buy any Blu-Ray until they learn how to make cover art..
by christian66
...seriously Harry. Use your pulpit here to demand that these awful photo-shopped covers be burned. How about using poster art? Even that BSG cover looks like some generic straight-to-video crap. Except for THE ICE STORM, every one of these covers are ugly and do not inspire purchase. Are you listening you soulless marketing people? Earn your cash!
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...should get a raise. I mean it. They constantly create the most visually impressive cover arts in circulation today. And if it's not inventive original art, it's a snapshot from the film that echoes beyond descriptive words.
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DEAD ON with the Imhotep comparison. That's exactly what I thought when I saw that movie. Awful, AWFUL effects work there.
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Did they even get a free flight/set visit out of it? Any free hardware? Whats the point in supporting it, if theres nothing in it for them?
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http://tinyurl.com/277qlg
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The "gotcha" moment was so lame. It was a well made film, I just didn't buy into any of the story.
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...But it was never intended to be a film, and really didn't work as such. Its entire premise revolves around it being literature. If the camera had pulled back to reveal that this had all just been a film we were watching, directed by the character...That would have been more authentic, but somewhat ridiculous.
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She was more wooden in Atonement than she was in Pirates.
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I don't think any film could match the book, a contemporary literary masterwork. Joe Wright's movie had its moments, however. Much was made of that lengthy epic shot on the beach, but I found myself more captivated by Wright's frequent use of the close-up. And what wonderful faces populate those close-ups. This is a film that has good performances, as well as interesting-looking actors. Kiera Knightley was so sultry. She was perfect in the role of Cecilia. For an adaptation of ATONEMENT, this movie could have been a lot worse. I enjoyed it for what it was.
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Which was just about as silly as every other Will Smith action tentpole. I'll give he film the first 10 or 15 minutes but other than that it's stupid stupid stupid. Will Smith's overemoting isn't believeable at all as something resembling a mental breakdown and the vampires....well the less said about them the better. Moreover it's a failure of the source material. And saying that it's "the best version so far" as if that makes it somehow excusable is just total bullshit. It's a novel where a lone apocalypse survivor fights mutated vampires, it's not fucking rocket science to do it right. The sappy, dull, and watered down Smith version is no less a money grab than his version of Asimov's I-Robot. And calling it a classic Vern? What's with you lately man?
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3 Oranges. If you just spoiled the whole thing, fuck you very much. I would have liked to make up my own damn mind, considering almost no-one saw it in the cinemas.
Know thyself, if you do need to read the comics to get the film, then it's failed as a film, just like the first two Harry Potter flicks.
Skywalker, what is it with you? 9 times out of 10 you're a predictable little troll. Then you say something entirely fair like defending your subjectivity on IAL. Then you fuck it up again with every post that follows... You're like a ten-year-old with moments of clarity. "It's been done better before" eh? You do realise the whole thing hinges precisely on those films that have gone before and that it's satirical, right (although yes, it's a bit "cake and eat it")?!
On a related note, Soylent, did you see the film? The Dempsey character's a bunny-basher too. He does tell her not to fuckin' break out in song (although he may not swear, I can't remember)! And when the prince guy tries it he gets trampled - literally. Sure it acknowledges the stupidity of it before immediately admitting it's a film and that reality is a redundant argument in most movies, but anyway, cake and eat it like I said. I sort of can't believe I'm defending it considering I usually can't stand musicals (unless the premise is also stylised like Little Shop, Hedwig or Rocky Horror). Anyway, Rick Baker's old hag makeup was fan-fucking tastic, just as an aside. Same for the Tippett animation.
I sure fucking hope they're not going to put all that header/footer bullshit on every Blu-ray release now, especially seeing as the HD war has finished. I hate quotes plastered all over too. Criterion shows how it's done.
They should print double-sided cover slips. One side craptastic floating heads 'n' quotes, the other Criterion level goodness or original poster art.
And size those fucking HD cases up to the old size. The thin blu(e) plastic differentiates them well enough from DVD. This is like Warner's snapper cases all over again. That aspect ratio is an abomination as far as design goes. Forests and whales be damned. -
No commentaries or extra features? Just a changed ending? Man, and I paid 20 bucks for it?
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Lots of goodies on that, so I've heard.
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There's some short anime style movies on it, and the non theatrical cut of the movie. That's about it.
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Looks like I'll be putting it off until it starts selling for $7.99 about...oh, six months from now, like every WB special edition.
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I watched the whole first season, becuse people told me it's a great show and I know lots of great shows that suck in the beginning, but then become great. Unfortunately the whole first season was a waste of time (although the storyline at Caprica was kinda interesting).
Then I watched Season 2, because people told me NOW it'S getting great, but after the Pegasus trilogy and its stupid painting-by-numbers-ending and the episode in which President Roslin got cured from her Cancer by Deus Ex Machina, I gave up and stopped watching. If a series still sucks that much after 1 1/2 Seasons, I don't see a reason to continue watching. -
?????????????????????
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This year. She wasn't cured.
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Now that it's officially available on DVD, you recommend we all BUY the "I Am Legend" disc with the alternate ending, but two weeks ago you were content to post an illegal bootleg of that ending right here on AICN. No more kickbacks from Warner Home Video for you, if you're not careful...
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Jesus stays dead!!!!!!!! Fuck lets all grab some popcorn and get behind this fucker at least it looks good on blu-ray.
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Harry did jump the gun, making poopers in his pants about THEM being released the last week of the month of February. When back then I complained about Netflicks informing me that it in fact comes out the 25th of the month of March. Well low and behold the release date is March 25th, I know this because the banner the studio paid Harry money to put on his site tells me so. I guess I was the only one concerned/excited to see that movie. I guess its hard to separate reality from studio bribing?
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First off, I've only seen a handful of BSG episodes and I realized that I need to start at the begining but after seeing the cover for season three, its pretty obvious what they are trying to sell. They set it up so the dude in the back is looking right at her chest.
SoylentMean - Totally agree man, fucking don't get this Ice Storm jiz, nor do I understand the lack of Doomsday talk. The movie rocked. Sometimes I feel like this site is getting taken over by yuppies and people who like to tell other people how good movies nominated for Oscars are while not really knowing anything about the movie, and the movie geeks have gone elsewhere. Especially the way Harry has been leaning, its his DVD colum that lets me know that he still has some taste and isn't all, "Yeah No Country is an amazing movie, best of the year. Huh? Whats that? No I've never heard of Barton Fink before." "Oh, whats that? Juno's cool? Ok well then I like it." Seriously 07 sucked for movie buffs, every movie I've seen in 08 has been a much better time then at least over half of any movie I saw in 07. And I've only seen like 5 movies so far. Now that all these movies are coming out on DVD I am seeing how MEH the were. Whatever. I'll be watching Enchanted and playing with my vagina later tonight (don't know if it can be better then Mr. Sweeney Todd, the only movie from last year worth the hype. And I went in thinking it would suck.) -
Curious minds want to know. Did I miss it?
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thanks. i respect that you gave it more than a handful-of-shows chance before deciding it wasn't your cup of tea. i still maintain its head and shoulders above anything else i've seen, though. : ) diff'rent strokes!
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..than go another round with Attonement.What a borefest. I don't mind period piece dramas, but this one was not worth all the hyperbole. Uh, yeah Typewritters used for backround music,that annoying brat and the "C" word.Good ending, I'll give 'em that. As for IAL It's a solid performance by Will "Aww, hell naw"Smith but i still prefer's Heston's Omega Man over this remake.
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1. Revolver was really good. I don't understand why this wasn't received as well as Ritche's others. 2. Harold, where the hell is your top 10 list from 2007? Better late than never buddy; we won't give you 'too' much shit for turning it in late, I promise. Just post it already. 3. Will someone please review Funny Games? I saw that a few days ago and it left an impression. Want to know what at least 'one' person on this site thought of it.
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Okay, it was a good mood film but far from his best. Not to mention anything with Kevin Kline in it will disqualify it from the Best category. LOVE Brokeback Mountain, and that I think ranks just a thin hair behind Eat Drink Man Woman. I'm eager to see Lust, Caution too.
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and had a pleasantly good time myself. Mardsen again proves himself a versatile, effective actor. Compare this with his roles in X-men and Hairspray. He's talented. Amy Adams was good, and while not the hottest thing going, I found myself attracted to her in THAT way. And Susan Sarandon, she of the BOSOM, was a good villainess.
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I saw funny games.... well the old one. And since this is a shot for shot re-make by the same director. I'll say, if I saw this back in the 80's I may have cared. If I haven't read Lets Go Play at the Adams I may have cared. But the original came out in 97. Like before the "torture" porn movement of Eli Roth. And all and all it just wasn't enough, especially in the original where the teens look a lot smaller then the dad. That has to be the worlds pussiest dad, to have let that happen. I understand that its a satire and what not, but come on. Just NOT enough happened to these people for them to have just given up and become such pussies. That and the fact that there is like a 20-30 min scene of just the wife crying tring to get her husband up.... fucking boring. This movie was an hour and half one trick pony. That if made back in the 70 would have mattered. To much wanting to be a less violent version of I spit on your grave and Last House on the Left... well minus those movies second halfs.
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Agreed. But for some reason, the death metal against the classical music, breaking the fourth wall, and the ending shot left an impression. As a narrative, this film has been done too many times to really care too much about. But as an artsy fartsy statement (basically Hanke saying 'F U American torture porn loving audiences') I thought it was a unique spin on a tired genre.
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Atmo-jump shall be your reward.
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the 2 disc edition also has a bunch of making of featurettes that round out to about 50mins. plus best buy over here offers a 3rd disc with even more featurettes. though going by past bonus disc experience, it probably only contains 20mins worth of stuff.
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Anyone out there know if Criterion plans on embracing Blu-Ray? I'm wondering if we're looking at re-releases, or just future releases. It's an issue I haven't really heard anyone discuss so I figured I'd bring it up. And damn, that Ice Storm cover is brilliant.
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The featurettes are only if you have a DVD-ROM or something, right? Or did they just give me a bunk DVD? Mine only has the shitty cartoons and the two versions of the movie, no other extras.
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yeah i just read up on that, you're right. thats insanely stupid. i can see this happening in the early days of DVD but wow. guess this is where the blu-ray people get an advantage because its not a dvd-rom thing on that disc, its just a regular extra accessible through the menu. i've seen dvd-rom only extras before but not full on featurettes like this, strange.
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"What's with me lately" is that me and you have different jobs. Yours is to Kill the Industry, mine is to enjoy movies. You are always way more harsh than I am about anything so unless we're talking about some movie I want to murder we're rarely gonna agree on anything. But you're a smart guy, I respect your opinion. You should give me some courtesy and figure maybe I am a smart guy too and we happen to look for and appreciate different things in movies.
I Am Legend is a book I love. It is literally sitting on my shelf and I can pull it out and read it if I want to. But I think it's a story like Dracula that is good enough just in its essentials to jump off into many great movie variations. Somebody way up there got on me for saying this was the best version because he thought LAST MAN ON EARTH was more faithful. Well yeah, in literal details, but it doesn't have the feel of the book to me. Rome does not look like America and Vincent Price (who I love) is miscast. Richard Matheson didn't like it either, he took his name off of it as screenwriter.
This version strays farther from the book but who gives a shit when it works how it is. Yes there are problems I have with it - the matter of Bob Marley, SHREK (actually that scene is fine, I just fucking hate SHREK), and the CGI faces on the vampires. To me there are so many other elements that are truly great about it that I would be an asshole to let something as insignificant as that ruin it.
In my opinion if you're gonna kill the industry you should be one of those assassins with a heart of gold who first trails his victims and decides whether or not they deserve that fate. Even if you thought the movie didn't work I think it's a shame you're lumping it in with typical Hollywood crap. If you don't think the movie's heart is in the right place then we have a profound disagreement about what kind of movies Hollywood should be making. Here's an expensive studio star vehicle, a movie with vampires and special effects, that is not about a single one of the typical things those movies are about. It's about loneliness! It's about a guy's relationship with his dog, who he uses as a substitute for his dead daughter (and humanity). More than half the movie only has one character who talks. Alot of the important information about the world is communicated only through visual detail and not dialogue. There are no cheap jokes or oneliners. The big setpieces are generally more about the story and character than about just being an action scene (for example the great hunting/chase scene at the beginning, which turns out to have extra meaning with the original ending they shot). This is also a movie that to me has two really powerful scenes of tragedy in it. I, ROBOT sure didn't make me sad about what happened to the characters. For that matter neither did OMEGA MAN.
I like genre movies, I like "serious" movies. But a serious genre movie is rare and I am thankful for this one. The lesson should be "Hey Hollywood, thanks for trying to make a smart movie, next time maybe delay it so you can get the CGI right."
Can I ask you this? What are some Hollywood movies that you consider to be a better version of this type of movie, the "serious genre movie"? Especially if you can think of any within the last decade. I can't remember which movies you've liked other than the obvious classics. -
It starts out great, but then it turns pretty bizarre with the terrible makeup and costume designs. Other than that the movie is really watchable.
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Yeah I may check out the re-do just out of curiosity. But man is there really that like 20 min crying scene? Because not sure I want to pay to sit through that, at least with the original is was on the DVD so I can fast forward. If I wanted to see a girl cry for 20 minutes, i would just slap my girlfriend in the face.
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Seriously watch the first 3/4 of I am Legand, then was the first like 1/2 hour of Omega Man and you pretty much have the book (just pretend Charlton Heston dies at the 30 min mark instead of being saved. Also take away the military background of both characters. Its the fucking book. The in not using the fucking ending line of the book and using the same title is fucking retarded. Because seriously if you haven't read the book, I Am Legand as the title and after seeing the movie makes no sense. But whatever Vern is correct its is a book that can reworked pretty easily.
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But if that's what you want, don't let me get in the way...
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We find out Smith is a zombie, and he wants to take over the world.
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Mar 19, 2008 7:18:56 PM CDT
If you think Sounthland's hard to follow wait til you get your g
by filmfunk
I like Guy Ritchie, I liked Lock Stock, I liked Snatch more, I liked Swept Away even but obviously less than the previous two films of his coz it had his gap tooth wife/gypsy in it who isn't an actress of much merit and it was about 2 twats getting shipwrecked but it was OK anyway, i was eagerly awaiting Revolver as a return to form, a bit like you keep waiting for Marty to return to the kind of quality he had with GoodFellas and Casino but alas can't quite recreate even with decent attempts like The Departed but at least Marty doesn't seem to have gone as totally Batshit crazy as Ritchie and is still keeping his movies coherent coz I don't know if it's the nutty taste of Madge tainting Guys touch still or what? but this movie is all kinds of Fruit Loopy-doo-duh! I'm not saying it's shit! I don't know if it's shit or some kind of twisted genius(I'll hazard a guess and say it's just confusing on purpose)!? Which is infuriating coz I thought I knew my own mind but I'd love for someone to fill me in on what kind of Kabula bulla's going on in Revolver. The best bit for me was Mark Strongs Hitman section, probably coz it was the least confusing and I've seen this 2wice now so there really should be no excuse for not 'getting' it but i have to hold my hand aloft and say the magic words - By the power of Grey Matter! I dint get it!
I enjoyed it and It didn't entirely piss me off like some of the stunned patrons who took the confusing walk out after, blinking into the sun and saying - 'What the fuck?', never the less it still holds about as much coherence as one of them weird magic-eye optical puzzle things where you have to wait for your eyes and mind to adjust before you klick into seeing what's there. I just hope it turns out to be a bit better than the basic forms those things eventually revealed when my mind finally does catch up! -
I don’t think my world is in high definition,
Everything feels pretty one-dimensional to me.
But maybe it’s just that I came to the recognition,
That I live on a planet where it’s illegal to be free.
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Every place I go, they record information,
Filling out forms has become mandatory.
They abuse our feelings of consternation,
Telling us it’s all a matter of safety.
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I wish there wasn’t so much regulation,
I wish I had more mobility than a tree.
I wish I didn’t live in George Orwell’s nation,
I wish the video I posted online had more views than three.
It’s hilarious and something I think you all should see,
Just go to You Tube and type in ‘Karl’s Pee.’
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i heard how this film is like complete shit and i thought is it worth it to pay 4 dollar rental fees just to amuse myself in a cheerfully awful way.
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THE TWO DISC SET IS JUST THE SAME MOVIE WITH THE NEW ENDING TACKED ON! Why couldn't they just do a branching feature on one disc.
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I'm glad you gave Galactica a real shot, and that you were won over.
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I don't recall Revolver being that hard to understand. Like I don't remember it, but like after I finished watching it I think I only had to go back to one scene and it made enough sense.
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I have to say, that scene when Neville goes to the cinema and watches the Woodstock documentary, marvelling at images of a crowd as an extinct species, knowing he'll never see a crowd of people again. The images of a crowd on the screen juxtaposed with the image of one lone man in the cinema audience (which are typically crowded places) to me is very powerful. It's my favorite scene in the movie. I realize that since Omega Man, movie viewing has become a solitary activity thanks to home video, but back then the idea of watching a movie all alone was very startling.Like I said, I think I Am Legend is a very good movie and find both endings valid and compelling although I lean more to the original theatrical ending. But The Omega Man will remain my 'legend' of choice and I do consider it a powerful film.
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A huge departure from the book with its hippy nightstalkers not remotely being anything resembling the scientifically based vampires they're supposed to be. The film has great music and a strong political theme and that's it, as an adaptation its miles of the mark. Will Smiths I Am Legend is a less huge jump from the source material, it is by far a better adaptation than the Omega Man even with its none to great CGI nightstalkers. But the point is they get the creatures of legend existing in that film based on science, and in contrast you get this man of science who becomes a creature of frightening legend to them by the sheer amount of their own he has abducted for his experiments. Will Smith's film at least is true tot he vein of the original book, Omega Man can't even use the original title because of its huge departure from the whole point of the story. REVOLVER is the most cerebral and ambitious of Guy Ritchie's movies to date, for me its his best film and most misunderstood feature. I respect those who didn't quite understand the film yet had the vision to see it is a great film beyond their scope to truly assess. But what it didn't deserve is the joe-average critic with a pencil up his ass slagging the film off simply because they couldn't understand it or be asked to have it explained to them. Kudos to Ritchie for putting up with all this pre-Madonna, Pro-Madonna bullshit, he's the same director he's always been, he's full of great ideas to visualize on screen and remains one of our finest talents behind the camera regardless of box-office success with Revolver.
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Was the cheesy musical score.
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I love that scene too, and Heston's Neville definitely has better taste in movies than Smith's. (Fucking SHREK!? I know it draws parallels with him talking to his dog but come on.) And don't get me wrong, I've been a fan of OMEGA MAN for years. It's a crazy movie. But to me nothing in it is as powerful as that scene in the new one where Neville is saying goodbye to his family and trying to act like he's going to see them again for sure even though he knows there's a good chance he won't, and we in the audience know for sure that he won't.
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Please divulge the plot to Revolver? I got that the two guys were the 2 guys from either side of his cell which dint make any sense coz he'd recognise their voices. I got that Ray Liotta was a nut ball gangster who thought Jason Strepsil was ''The Guy'' who should not be fucked with and I got the Hitman bit although I don't remember what he was there to do and I liked and understood scens well enough like the anime gas heist(bit Kill Bill although think it miay have been created before?) etc but please could someone describe it in laymans terms then coz since I saw it 2 times about a year an a half ago it makes no sense as a cohesive whole in my brain skull!Someone fill me in coz i'm obviously thick!
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but I still don't want to drop 30+ dollars on a single movie. God, I want this dvd, I just wish I were not so cheap.
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"Was Southland Tales shown in theaters?"
--- ELGordo
Unfortunately it was. -
I ask that every time there's a HD thread dude. They've been mastering in HD for ages, so now the whole HD war thing's over hopefully they'll jump off the fence. Although one thing bout everybody mastering in HD for SD DVD releases is that apparently they mastered in 1080i for some bizarre myopic reason, so it all has to be done again regardless. Dunno if that's true for Criterion but anyway... I even emailed bigmouth Bill Hunt but no dice.
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Was POTC 3: At World's End. BY FARRRRRRRRR. I LOVE that flick. Action packed to the brim.
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