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Latauro and a reader have seen HANCOCK!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. We have a pair of reviews below for HANCOCK, one a reader review and one from our own Downunder Wonder Latauro. We'll see how it evens out, but neither one loved the movie (though Latauro seemed to ultimately enjoy himself) and the final review is pretty damn harsh.
I hope it's at least fun, but if we had to have a big geek movie stinker I'd rather it be HANCOCK and not something like HELLBOY 2 or THE DARK KNIGHT.
I think I may be seeing this at the end of the week. I'll let you know what I think when I get to it! In the meantime, here's Latauro to kick things off!
I'll tell you this much: it's a very satisfying movie.
You're going to come out of it feeling like you've just spent a worthy ninety odd minutes in a cinema. I know that shouldn't sound like high praise, but I've sat through a few too many eye gougers this year, and any movie that makes me glad I made the effort has automatically done its job.
Part of this is to do with the fact that this is the exact right perfect time for this movie. This is a time where the general public is so used to the idea of superheroes and origin stories that a -- let's face it -- largely unknown character like Iron Man can still draw people in because they understand how it all works. It no longer matters if they have a childhood connection to the character, or he's steeped so deeply in pop culture that everyone kind-of remembers what his symbol looks like. The Superhero Movie is a genre unto itself, and Hollywood is now in a position to start its postmodern examination of its characters.
Just as twenty odd years ago the comic book industry was ready for "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen", the movie industry is now ready for HANCOCK and, well, WATCHMEN. From the very opening of HANCOCK, we're shown the equation without any unnecessary fanfar: our world + superhero = this movie. Got it? Good. HANCOCK, shockingly, treats the audience with some respect, which is one of the reasons that the first twenty minutes or so is so damn flawless.
I'm actually going to start talking about Jason Bateman first, because to me, this film was as much about his character as it was about him. Bateman has shamelessly stolen nearly every film he's appeared in recently (which is particularly good news if you're sitting through MR MAGORIUM wishing something would come along and entertain you...). JUNO (as with "Arrested Development") managed to avoid this by somehow finding actors who operate on the same level. There's something great about seeing Bateman interact with the Charisma Force that is Will Smith, especially when Smith is doing some of his best blockbuster work in a long time. Looking back over Smith's filmography, I'm surprised to discover that the last film of his I truly enjoyed was MEN IN BLACK. (It says something for the man that he can keep appearing in films I dislike and I can keep citing him as an actor I love.) Similar, the oddly underrated Charlize Theron takes a role that could have so easily been utterly ridiculous, and grounds the slightly-silly plot developments through sheer force of, well, talent.
The problems with HANCOCK are also its strength. It suffers from having too many great ideas. Highlighting this is the fact that these great ideas are realised really well. The concept of a superhero who answers to no one? Tick. A superhero willingly submitting himself to jail and self-help groups? Tick. The story of redemption? Tick. All of these "what ifs?" are handled with expertise. The only thing that lets them down is that they seem to jump too quickly from one to the another. There's not enough bridging work. Like the DVD you're watching it on randomly skips every sixth chapter.
That's the only thing that stops this Very Good Movie from being a Great Movie. Well, actually, I had some problems with the score. Most of it is excellent (kudos to the John Williams SUPERMAN throwback), but far too many scenes feel as if composer John Powell was constantly being given the note: "It's good, but can you give it 70% more whimsy?". It's a bit too light in scenes where it shouldn't really be light, and it's more of a distraction than it should be. But, like I said, most of it is excellent, and, as should always be the case, the excellent parts are the parts you don't usually notice.
HANCOCK is, like its titular character, not without its flaws. (Oh, snap! Can I have a job now, Variety?) It is, however, very, very good, and it's not going to leave your head the moment you leave the cinema, like so many other big films. At a time where blockbusters suffer from easy dismissal by being wedged between other blockbusters, HANCOCK actually benefits from squeezing between IRON MAN, INCREDIBLE HULK and THE DARK KNIGHT by sort-of cleansing the palette and showing you these guys from a different point of view. And for that reason, love it or hate it, it's a film that's definitely worth seeing.
Peace out,
Latauro
AICNDownunder@hotmail.com
There are more spoilers below than above. Be warned, fair reader!
Hey Harry,
This is my first time contributing to this site, but have been a reader for many years. You can call me panic1983. I live in Toronto and won tickets to see an advance screening of Hancock tonight. I'm trying not to include spoilers, although I really want to spoil a lot so that people can avoid the inevitable douche chills this film commands.
Let me start this review by saying that this movie was one of the biggest pieces of shit I've ever seen. This is a new low even for Will Smith. The makers of this film took a potentially cool concept and ruined this by trying to make it a comedy. I understand why Will Smith was cast ($$$), but couldn't they have cast an actor that isn't so clean cut. Will Smith's acting like a "bad ass" is laughably bad. I understand the decision to cast Smith in this role ($$$/Summer Opening) but couldn't a less "clean cut" actor have taken on this role?
The pacing of the film is poor at best, with an antagonist that has zero character development thrown in for a very cliched and boring ending. We don't even see the "villain" of this film until a little over the halfway point in the movie and then he reappears for two more scenes.
The attempts at humor in this movie are really sad too. The repeated jokes in the film (ie "asshole") aren't even funny the first time.
I predict that this film will have a pretty strong opening weekend and like the first Hulk film, will die off pretty quickly. A very forgettable superhero film in a summer packed with really strong takes on the genre. This entire film gave me equally as many douche chills as the emo scene from Spiderman 3.
keep up the wicked site harry!
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+ Expand All
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a good refreshing douche chill.
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Hey check out this great new blog called
thebitterproducer.blogspot.com -
Footpenis eats Michael Bay's pu$$y at the end.
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But it looks like I will be dissapointed. I am no longer buying tickets to mediocre moveies anymore. I will wait for the Dark knight!
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maybe
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The movie looks prety fucking cool, however I'm hoping we didn;t see all the best stuff on the trailer. This movie seems to show the kinds shit you would want to see in a Superman movie, but didn't.
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and that guy knows movies! The clip they played on Letterman was pretty damn amazing though. This is $15 movie fodder. Hell yeah!
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people thought this would be good. This looked like crap from the first trailer. Will Smith is a good actor but he chooses awful movies to star in.
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I don't go to the theater to see a lot of movies, especially Will Smith movies, but I may check this one out. The trailers have entertained me!
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Saw it last Monday. Go see it.
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Jun 26, 2008 12:46:45 AM CDT
Where' s the big mechanical spider, kevin Kline, and magnetic ne
by depalma25
The trailers for this look promising, Jason Bateman, save for Teen Wolf Too, is always original. But, these reviews, among some other bad buzz has me slightly, if not all together, worried. The second review here crititcizes the film's attempt at humor, as if anyone should be surprised this is a comdedy. Um , no shit Sherlock. If you haven't guessed that this is a satire (not a spoof, mind you) on the Superhero genre, then you're pretty freakin' dense. It is, in every sense of the word, supposed to work as a comedy. Do the laughs fall flat? The first review is encouraging so, we'll see. I'm not getting any sense from these reviews if the action works or not, either. Based on the running time, the reveiws here and others, and the trailers, I think we should expect a lean, action-packed, funny-enough, light-weight satire, but in the end, will just barely miss the mark...I am Legend with laughs.
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The movie was most certainly worth watching. It's quite obviously meant to be a comedy first, action film second. The second reviewer need to take the stick out of his ass.
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Somebody who has seen it recently seen it please tell me.
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...wtf? Is he just making up his own vernacular? I'm Canadian so don't blame it on that, I have no idea what the hell he's supposed to be saying.
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Who care about this piece of s**t movie, the trailer of the new Bond is supposed to be on it, TALK ABOUT IT !
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No trailers before my screening. Probably the same for everyone else.
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I think I've seen 8 year olds write better reviews. Why is he so worried about a clean cut actor playing a non-clean cut character? If the actor is good, why should it matter? And if he's so offended by people making jokes about "asshole" maybe he should take his own advice and stop using the word "douche". I think someone's just angry they won tickets to Hancock instead of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
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Jun 26, 2008 1:17:23 AM CDT
AICN=FOX News. Don't expect anything positive on Smith & Obama o
by the founder
Now who's surprised that some negative reviews have been dug up? Jeez this site is as Fox News's coverage of Obama. Nothing Will Smith will ever do will get unbiased reporting. Just as FOX hates Obama, so does AICN hates smith.
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I'll be there.
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But as a generic Hollywood pastiche, without the quirky charms which come from winging it.
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I thought the media never said anyhing bad about him. Seriously. Ive never heard him be dissed on TV... Its like a weird conspiracy...
AND SOMEONE ANSWER THE SUPER- EJACULATE!!!!!!!! -
hes a fucking god with amnesia...what a fucking plot fuckup...and had this not been a comedy, maybe it would work...but sticking a guys head up another guys ass???? talk about taking potty humor to the extreme...fuck smith, fuck hancock and fuck every plant review...and fuck shia labouf, micheal bay, hannah montana, the jonas bros, disney, the fucking dodgers, dick cheney, karl rove, bill oreilley, sean hannity, hbo for playing the carlin specials all within 3 nights so i cant watch them all cuz i dont have fucking tivo and i tossed my video recorder out the window and anyone else i mighta forgot
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they never said they were offended, they said it wasn't funny
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I've seen eight year olds with better reading comprehension, panic said that it wasn't funny. I didn't read anything about him being offended.
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seriously, Batman Begins changed the superhero genre and this will just fuck it up the ass by it's epicness.
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Damn You MCMLXXVI
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... I'll put this simply: you're a fucking liar. This site has no issue with Will Smith at all. Never has. Never will. He's fine. He's made good and bad films both. Check out the background image on every single page, including the one you're reading right now. That's an image from a film. If you can tell me the star of that film, I'll give you a cookie.
You dumb bag of lying dicksuck. I love how people can just manufacture this conspiracy theory bullshit out of wholecloth and expect they won't be called on it. If you're so sure we have an issue with Will, back it up. Give me the links where we've treated him unfairly over the years. Go ahead. I'll wait here. -
no wait...
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Douche chills?
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Haha holy crap you're right! I've never noticed that. well finally I know what that background is.
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It's from Godzilla and Matthew Broderick is the answer. Can I have my cookie now? Oh wait....
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To be honest, I couldn't either, then at that moment I realised Firefox had this ridiculously convenient right-click option "view background image" - dunno if other browsers have this, probably do. Looking at the pic on it's own makes it 1000000000x easier. I got it in half a second then.
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Wait, wait, wait. Stop right there. It matters to me, so fuck that. And it's just enough to make you glad you made the effort? And that's supposed to be enough? That doesn't make it good, sorry. And you're comparing Hancock to the Watchmen? for shame.
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or whatever her name is...
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that's who you meant right Mori?
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...damn I want my cookie.
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Jun 26, 2008 2:53:13 AM CDT
This movie is critic proof I'm telling you, just as National Tre
by ganymede3010
Here's my prediction. The media is going to give this movie mediocre reviews. However, this movie will obliterate the box office come the 4th of July weekend, this movie will be fucking HUGE!
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...I can trust a reviewer who refers to Iron Man as an unknown and an Oscar Winner as underated.
Who the fuck hasnt heard of IRON MAN???? And how, if you are underated, do you win a freakin OSCAR??? Stop trying to be clever and wordy and just review the goddamn movie. -
why is HE of all people named after a historical icon? thats so stupid
but at least they got one fact right: the lazyness
if ya catch my drift -
WIll Smith was in the original King Kong?
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king kong is what will happen if obama wins.
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Assholes like that deserve a good public beating.
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Seriously man, whats the point of getting that riled up about what some guy on the net says. Even if it is offensive and against you, it's the internet man, it's the damn AICN talkbacks. A retched hive of scum and villainy... and immaturity... and profanity... and juvenile delinquency, and so on.
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...I thought it was a rorschach test. What does that say about me?
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Did it used to be King Kong? I remember looking at it loads of times and thinking that's what it was, now I'm not sure if it was and they've changed it, or we all saw the same thing that wasn't there. Shit, I'm confused.
What would be great though, is if we went the entire duration of the talkback and NOBODY actually names the film it's from, and everyone is left to figure it out themselves without the game being given away. Although, saying this has most likely jinxed it and means someone will post the title as I'm typing... -
Viewed it separately and got it immediately. Cool.
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But living in China right now I will take whatever non-bootleg U.S. film I can get. God I hope we get Dark Knight day and date like this turd.
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... but what happened to the Meyers interview? I'm a believer in AICN but find it odd that the link to your interview with him was gone from the page within a day or two after all of the negative reivews came out.
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Wow - why the hell would you react like that to some dick on talk back? Makes me think he actually WAS on to something!
I took it anyway as he meant all the other dick talkbackers laying the hate on Will. -
i dont know why, but i do.
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... sorry, but if someone's going to take the time to post a blatant lie that oh-so-carefully accuses me of racism on a site that I co-publish, I'm going to take the time to let them know that they are human garbage and can go fuck themselves. I've worked too hard for too long and published way too much that contradicts that scumbag to let that sort of shit go unchecked. I didn't ban him... I just responded, and if the language seems harsh, so do his allegations. Fuck him.
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to me it looks like a hot blonde with big tits
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Both Hulk movies have had disappointing box office takes. Actually, the first made more than the second.
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Just another point, my review basically stated that even though it's been over a decade since Smith starred in a film that I liked, I still think he's a great actor and I enjoy his performances. If you were making an accusation of the site being too biased *towards* Smith based on this article, that, at least, would be understandable (if not equally wrong). And I can't speak for the other reviewer, because this is apparently his first time posting here. Hardly someone indicative of the writing on the site.
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I really do... but to insinuate the site has racist tendencies is horseshit. That fucker should be banned.
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morons. The Background is Independance Day. I'm sorry I started that.
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One is filled with reserved, equivocating praise and is rather thorough while the other one just says it's a piece of shit in a straightforward, succinct manner. It's like "Point/Counterpoint" if one of the commentators was a plant.
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Smith is a great entertainer who has become a great actor (Ali, Happyness). Looks like Mori has done a Faceparty on gone "Fuck Ya" to the readership. You dont pay for this site, so if you dont like it....."Fuck Ya!" Good for him :)
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Now that shit is funny.
Just for the record, I visit this site every day and vouche that AICN is in no way biased against Will Smith.
Demon Dave on the other hand... -
But really, I'm usually really good with seeing film references, but I really don't know where this "background image" comes from. Can someone help me out without being a total dick about it? I'm with the guy who thought it looked like a Rorshach. It seems from what other people said its from Independence Day or something, but really, I keep looking and I don't see anything familiar about it, and I've seen ID4 an unfortunate number of times on cable. Someone enlighten me.
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Damn You Michael Bay
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will keep will down at the box office
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Jun 26, 2008 6:38:19 AM CDT
Crow3711: The movie where the background image is taken from is
by thenorthlander
glad to help.
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I ran out of space in the headline.
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The first positive reviewer said that his last favorite Will Smith movie was Men in Black.....that sort of ends that review right there. Smith has made many movies since then that were more enjoyable then Men in Black
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and if he wasn't you fell for his button pushing agenda, obviously. And if he is serious well he is just seriously deluded, not sure a liar. In anycase, I find it strange for Moriarity to draw a line with his comments, considering the fact inflammatory, racsit comments have been a staple of AICN talkback for years. And in the scope of these AICN talkbacks, the founders comments were quite tame.
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..is written all over this one. I had a choice between seeing a screening of this or Wanted. I'm glad I saw Wanted.
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If so, the D-backs almost have the same record as the NY Mess.
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other than Where the day takes you and the sellout Omega Man, what has he done that may be deemed "acting"?
Men in Black,Men in black some of you will be whining. But there was no "acting" there.
Even Wesley Snipes has acting chops to fall back on when the badass roles run out.
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How about Ali? A film which many hate, but agree he's great in.
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I remember the reaction from talkbackers when the Dreamgirls trailer was posted here. How did the critical and financial success of that movie turn out?
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I wouldn't put Will Smith movies in the category of "things AICN noticeably hypes/trashes consistently" but in the past few years you've got to be pretty fucking naive not to at least have it cross your mind that maybe AICN and certain directors or properties are scratching each other's backs in one way or another... Mori before you fly off the handle on me, let's use Judd Apatow movies, Wall-E, Jackson's King Kong, Transformers, and Indy 4 as examples.
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Umm, how about Ali? Dipshit!
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Stuck that ho to the ceiling.
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Are you kidding me? Anyone who can do all of those pull ups the way he did in I Am Legend is pretty bad ass to me. I bet that half of the people who diss Will Smith on here are some overweight pansies who can't even run on a fucking treadmill for 10 minutes without turning red. The movie looks just OK to me. It's not on my Summer "Must See" list. But I think people hate on the dude way too easily.
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I mean, reading this site and talk-back for a time now I perceive that it just takes an actor to become really popular to ensure a wave of hate until you guys see the actor fails hard. It's like a colective wait for the saint to get wipped from the pedestal you own put under his shoes. Some actors become so popular because they are able to identify themselves and their characters with people all around the world, from different races and cultures, and that needs talent to do. Will is a fine actor, not an outstanding one, but he sures knows how to be enjoyable. And isn't here where we all hear the so called "please Hollywood, make new concepts, yadda,yadda, yadda" vitriol? But just takes someone to get that 'something new' to be bashed to death. barf!
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What that huge bet Mark Millar lost to Harry was about? I know its off topic but whatever. The one thing I like about William is that at least he takes upcoming directors to make his movies. Though it always feels like his company, Will Smith 100 Million + A Year Movies, rapes the creative soul out of the director to ensure that their company meets their margins. I mean look at the last three directors he's worked with (for Summer block busters), Proyas, the Constitine Guy and Berg. All three very promising directors who probably sign on (or get Smith to sign on after they are attached) when they see the budget. I'm a huge fan of Burg, I was betting that within the next ten years he'll take home best director Oscar, but most directors don't come back from a William Smith feature. Sonnenfeld? Mann? Bay (thats saying Will Smith wasn't William Smith for Bad Boys 1, and that you thought Armagedon and The Rock were good and Pearl Harbor at least looked good, while the Puma and Ford commercials sucked)? Mann? Redford? These directors all seem to have died a little after they make a William Smith productions film.
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i'm a big fan of the comic, this movie doesn't live up to it
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because its fashionable to be negative.its a lot easier to say "Will Smith is a talentless hack" then it is to say "i liked some of his stuff, but some of it bugged me."
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...where hancock puts a guy's head up his butt.
i'll wait for something less insulting to watch...like blue collar tv. -
heven't seen The Pursuit of Happiness.
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in above post.
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Hah, what an idiot. I always thought it was a road with some trees along side of it. For those of you that are morons like me and super curious, try right clicking and saving and then viewing... i won't spoil it that easily. Ok, I will say it, its the old nutritionally challenged Harry sitting on W's crib.
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I didn't like Pursuit of Happiness for instance. Cry, run, cry, run.Enemy of the State I thought was okay, I, Robot, okay. I liked I am Legend, the movie suffering not from Will, but from the CGI crappy infected.Still like MIB. There's nothing wrong with him as an actor. Is he great? No, but I think he's pretty solid and he's not the reason why a movie will not be good, at least from my perspective.
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way to be.i feel the same as far as I Am Legend goes. as a comparison to the book it is abysmal, but thats not to be blamed of Smith. it was a well acted movie, especially since most of the things he was acting against were done in post. if it had another title, and the effects had been practical, i would count it a huge success.and yeah, MIB is still a fun time.
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Was why I couldn't watch Wicky WOw Wow Big Willy Fresh Stylee!He seemes less attention seeking now and less in your face with wisecrackery like in Ali and Pursuit of Happiness but he carried I am Legend single handedly and for that I have a new found apreciation for the big Willy!
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from way above, thanks for that. i, too, had no idea what i've been looking at all this time.i still use the phrase "weird shit-o-meter" from time to time.
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That is indeed the one and only Xiphos returned as Xiphos_2. I got an email from him, and he apprecaites all of the support from his friends here.
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Why is the Moriarty so upset? We should knock Will Smith. He's a god damn $cientologist for hubbard's sake.
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Saw his Letterman interview the other night. I am so over his tired me-me-me schtick. It is just not funny anymore. He needs a lesson is humility. What was once a kind of funny routine has now become a conceited, blowhard assholeish behavior. He even thinks it's funny to say he needs to stomp his daughter at the box office, as her American Girl flick opens the same day. I have enjoyed most of his movies, with a few notable exceptions, but now, as he begins to grate on me personally - I just may have to pass on Hancock.
And by the way, his kids are little shits too - all full of themselves as they breath the big air around what is Will. -
Jun 26, 2008 8:58:08 AM CDT
No desire to see a douchebag "hero" throwing whales and kids rea
by spyguy
This movies looks to be all kinds of suckness, possibly even more than Smith's embarrassing take on THE WILD, WILD WEST and will still probably make $300 million.
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Just kidding. We should knock Mr. Smith because his movies really are a load of shit (mostly, not always, apparently).
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SKADOOSH
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The trailer for this is just rubbish. There's ways of taking a concept and doing something interesting with it...then there's this. The fact that he's flying through the air with a bottle in his hand is such hit you over the head silliness it's almost coming from the directors of "Epic Movie" or "Meet the Spartans". And the fact that American Eagle is on him at all time is extra douchey. I will be steering clear of this atrocity.
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Has mucho Brains - could have gone to MIT. Talent, and charisma. I do not think he is a great actor, a good one, and getting better at his craft. But his early appeal relied on his charm - not acting chops. He Has his limits though. Still, his movies have been mostly entertaining, and I have no problem with seeing Hancock.
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he's a damn good business man. i'd trade wallets with him any day.and trade wives with him for a few hours, too.
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i don't see what the image is of.....looks like a blob.
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Mentioning of actors, as well as previous roles they have been in. . . CHECK. Discussing the "audience" or the "movigoing public" and their reactions as if they were a demographic. . . CHECK. A feeling of satisfaction or "I spend my money well" . . . CHECK. The intrusion of hip jargon, in this case "oh snap". . . CHECK. RESULTS = I fail to understand how anyone not working for a studio could have written this.
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He obviously isn't. . . so what the hell?
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I really think its going to have one of the highest grossing weekends in history. You have will smith as your star at a time when he has never been more popular. You have a great supporting cast in Theron and Bateman. The trailer looks amazing and offerrs a mix of comedy, action and good looking special effects. It also has money shot in the "whale tossing" scene. Plus its opening on July 4th weekend. Whether the movie itself is good or bad i can see this having one of the bigest opening weekends of all time.
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Good to hear, but he should still have his original Xiphos handle.FREE THE XIPHOS HANDLE AICN!
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do you have Firefox as a browser? right click and pick "view background image."we'll check your dork cred to see if you recognize th image.
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From Independence Day. Or that's what the background looks like to me.
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Reviews that use this phrase lose me right away with their absurd hyperbole. What's even worse are reviews that are just torture analogies like "I'd rather shove ground-up glass shards in my mouth and swallow them then watch this movie again" but they never actually discuss the movie and what was wrong with it. They just call it the worst thing ever, equate it with Batman & Robin or Meet The Spartans, move on to some gross torture metaphor and you get no sense of the movie. Is it that hard to discuss a movie or do the writers honestly think they're impressing people with their ability to imagine the grossest possible torture and then tack on that it would be more pleasant than the movie they're supposed to be reviewing?
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It was going all day without someone spoiling it...
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I feel like an idiot now. I didn't know you were keeping it under wraps. I looked at it for a while and felt like I was at a therapists office looking at ink blots until I saw the White House.
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from id4. that dog had brass balls.
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Yes, you idiot. I was hired by Sony five-and-a-half years ago to infiltrate AICN so that one day I could write a mostly positive, yet somewhat critical, review of Hancock that will spend about a day maximum on the main page. Well done.
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and half when the job was complete Latauro? :-)
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Friday = Wanted + Hancock double feature!! All the popcorn and misbehaved, talkative moviegoers I can handle!!
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Jun 26, 2008 10:01:52 AM CDT
I don't understand why Dark Knight isn't a July 4 movie
by thelastcleric
Warner Bros. should have bullied their way into that release slot and watched Dark Knight roll right up and over Hancock, which it will probably do anyway. DK was tailor made for a July 4th opening and I'm amazed it didn't get one.
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and will gladly give him my money for the entertainment he bestows upon me. And as far as acting... he is brilliant in many scenes in I am legend, which for that movie is like amazing. He's funny, He can be serious, i can't believe the hate on this guy. He's a hack, he's a hack.. you know what... you're a hack... Hacksaw Jim Duggan!
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I totally agree. Free Xiphos original handle!
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Actually, I totally forgot to ask for money. Damn. That's half a decade down the crapper...
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AICN has never slammed the guy but the TBers rake him over the coals relentlessly. Sure he has Wild Wild West and MIB2 on his resume, but he also has a slew of other big budget extravaganzas that are like injecting sugar straight into your eyes. Not many actors can entertain on a lazy Saturday afternoon in the summer like the Fresh Prince.So this Beaks guy gets a black box but not Latauro? Go figure.
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Because I do not see The White House in this pic
http://www.aintitcool.com/media/bg_news-a.jpg -
Was great in Ali and Happyness--which proved he could act to me. Who cares if he likes a good payday (we all would). He is proven to bring in cash and gets paid well to entertain. His payday movies are for the most part decent. He can pick an "artsy" project anytime he wants. Plus, he has managed to stay married for more than five minutes. In Hollywood that's a feat in itself.
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Because Warner Brothers isn't stupid. Iron Man is still holding up strong, and so is the shenanigans that is Indy 4. Why would they risk their tentpole film by releasing it early in the Summer? With it's July 18th date, it is destined to take over the rest of the Summer season since it has NO COMPETITION whatsoever. So it will probably even be one of those films that are number 1 for more than 2 weekends. But again, this is granted that the film is good.
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Somebody want to lend a hand and help pick The Founder up off the floor?No?Me neither.
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Oh, wait...It's just Will Smith's shitty excuse for a "superhero" movie. My mistake.
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Gods be praised. But we want you back in your original style.FREE THE ORIGINAL XIPHOS!!!
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At least you have the knowledge that your spread some Sony goodness to the AICN boards. That is reward enough.toad, the CoC must continue this campaign to FREE XIPHOS' ORIGINAL HANDLE!tm
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Yes, it is good to have him back. But his old handle should be reinstated. Who avtually banned him? has anyone seen Node recently? Did he get banned too?
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Free him!
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where I saw the trailer so many times, and it gave away so much of the story and action, that it's not necessary to see the whole thing.
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That one on TV that shows us that he has no idea about anything but that that one chick knows his secret. And we find out who she is early on in the flick. So what's the fucking point? Stupid trailer should have stuck with the parts of Hancock involving Arrested Development dude and stayed away from the villain.
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no need to make this movie. Will Smith already played the Orginal Black Superman in Ali
Did You Know?
Muhammad Ali - Black Superman
Did you know that Muhammad Ali used to refer to himself as the Black Superman?
There was even a song called "Black Superman-Muhammad Ali" by Johnny Wakelin & The Kinshasa Band. The main lyrics were:
Sing, Muhammad, Muhammad Ali
He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee
Muhammad, the black superman
Who calls to the other guy I'm Ali catch me if you can.
Which brings to mind one fantastic story...
At the height of his fame, Muhammad Ali was settling into his plane seat when an air hostess came and gently reminded him to put on his seatbelt.
"Superman don't need no seatbelt", Ali snorted.
"Superman don't need no airplane", the hostess retorted, a winner by knockout.
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I've always wondered but never bothered to check what the hell that background image was. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle. I can't wait to see this flick.
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I do not know who enacted the ban. But I think it was a result of some flaming over in that obit thread.As for Node, I'm pretty sure he got banned for multi-title spamming. And unless I miss my guess, I think he's now flying under the name HoboCode.
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Sounds like someone predisposed to not like the movie. Also, Latauro is dependable.
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And the race police need to give it a fucking rest. It is possible to find fault with something someone of colour does or not be "down" with rap or hip hop and not also be a card carrying member of the KKK.
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Yes, HoboNode is back. No more spamming as of yet....
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Had the chance to see this at a press screening this week (I'm the film critic at our weekly). I disliked the movie, but for very different reasons than the "critic" above.
Smith is actually great in this. I think he's enjoying the opportunity to take on some darker roles and he truly embraces the opportunity to be an ass throughout the first half. Bateman's great as always and the first 45 minutes are original, funny and littered with some fun action sequences and sight gags (the man's head going up the other man's ass was a bit lame, though).
The problem is that it abandons its clever sense of humor at the halfway mark to create a mythology that is more "epic" than really calls for. The reveal of a certain character can be seen a mile away and the film loses any tonal consistency from that point on--Berg can't decide whether its a broad comedy, tragic romance or superhero epic. What's worse is that he rushes to the a climax that is very rushed and lets the plot get way to complex and confusing.
It's a shame because that first 45 minutes is so good. I have a feeling, based on other reviews I read from test screenings, that A LOT has been cut from this movie in order to secure a PG-13 rating. I'm fine with the removal of the "super-ejaculate" scene, but I have a feeling a lot of plot and backstory was cut too. 97 minutes would be the perfect length for the movie this starts out to be...but they attempt so much in the final half that I just feel either more had to be added or--even better--they should have just stuck with the original premise. -
Regardless of the lame-ass attempt of a few disgruntled neanderthals to convince the rest that the movie lacks any entertainment value. Weak sauce.
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I liked Node - although he went off his meds for a few days with the spamming. I emailed Xiphos, and he replied back. he was deployed last week I think, and will only sporadically check in. He did appreciate all the support though. I asked who banned him, because that would be the person we should appeal to to lift it. Xiphos was ticked that some of his best writing was removed because of the ban and he did not save it.
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The first trialer where it shows him running into shit and then the later one where he is lifting the police car, and the line "I will do better, you deserve better" I thought where very well done and kept the secert of the movie (that he's a god and what not), but there is another trailer out right now that pretty much gives away the whole damn movie. I thought maybe for once Hollywood had kept a good lid/secert on the movie. Because for everyone else who goes to see this movie they won't know about Charlieze Theoren (I can't spell) being a Super God what ever, unless you've seen that newest trailer. They could've kept it a nice little surprise for people, but no like always Hollywood got greedy and worried about money and figured more is better.
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will somebody just let me know what the background is? i have wondered about it for freaking ever!
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it just looks like an entertaining movie... maybe allowing people that would otherwise not be drawn to the super hero genre to see what our funnybook world has to offer.
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Learn how to write capably. The guy turns in a short-as-hell review and then repeats himself almost word-for-word because he doesn't know how else to finish a paragraph.
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why is it that hollywood feels the need to shorten -though they usaully claim to be "tightening up"- films? What is wrong with a 2 or 2 1/2hr movie? Granted sitting thru a long POS flim is mind numbing, but when its good film does anybody notice?
I know theater owners prefer shorter film to get more showing in, but why arent the directors/producers/stars putting there foot down and saying here is the film......Better still where are the same people and the studio heads when they get delivered a film that doesnt match the project that they signed on for?!?!?! -
that first review seems WAAAY too polished to seem authentic. I smell a corporate plant. But then again, if all you need to say in a review is "fucking shit" to make it look authentic, can't we have negative plants as well as positve plants? BAH! YOU'RE ALL PLANTS!!!!!!!!!BUNCH OF DIRTY POISONING PLANTS LIKE THAT SHAMA-WAZZIT'S MOVIE! PPPLLLLLLBBBHHHTT! >=0p
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I mean, isn't he known as being one of the nicest guys in show business? Seems like a guy you'd want to have a beer with, not some self-absorbed prick like Tom Cruise. Just saw him on Colbert Report, and he seemed a lot of fun and doesn't take himself too seriously. And you know what? As an actor, he had me at Six Degrees of Separation. Incredible performance, proved he had a career beyond Fresh Prince.
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Bow wow wow yipee yo yipee yay
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I hadn't noticed the change from the shot of Kong dumping the log. Same dark / light hues in relatively the same geometric pattern. Or something.
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If Hancock turns out to simply be popcorn-flick fun, I'll be happy. Will Smith has mastered this type of movie and knows what his audience expects of him. I'll be there opening weekend!
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Come over to the Hellboy TB
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'From the director of Hancock'
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Because Handcock is. The Dark Knight may end up being the bigger movie in the end but if they had released it against a William Smith movie it would've lost a good chunk of money. Lets face it, the people that go to see Will Smith movies, don't care about reviews or what geeks think. They just need to know he's in it. He is probably the only actor that can claim that. Plus the fact that he does always come off as such a nice guy and Fresh Prince seems to be on TV more now then it did back when it was on means that people still love that character. People saying that he's the first rapper turned actor in a string of rappers turned actors is stupid. Will Smith was a pop star more then an rapper, sure his stuff got bunched in with rap because he doesn't really sing, but its pop music. The first real rapper turned actor who started the trend of rappers becoming actors was Ice Cube. Imagine Warner Brothers planning the release date for TDK, hmmmmm theres only one movie coming on July 4th. Oh what is it, read the description. It says here that Handcock is a delinquent super hero, who changes his ways. Well we don't want to open against another superhero movie, but that sounds more like a comedy. WAIT WAIT theres more, it says that its going to star William Smith. YEAH we are not going to release The Dark Knight against a William Smith feature..... Thats why the Dark Knight is not a July 4th movie. Plus all that was decided before anyone really gave a shit about what Heath Ledgar was doing. Yeah us geeks may act like we are above enjoying a William Smith movie, but you can't change the numbers. I don't think this is going to be a huge mega hit like I AM LEDGEND, but it'll probably be bigger then Hulk. It's going to play out a lot like Don't Mess With the Zohan. Opening with lower numbers then your typical William Smith movie, but still making money. Seeing that Zohan was Sandler in his Type-B roles (weird voice ass kicker), and Hancock doesn't have William playing the greatest guy in the world. If this flops I'll be surprised. But then again Narnia 2 hasn't done well, and we all know about the May 9th tragedy, but everyone had to have known that Speed was going to be a HUGE risk. The big thing Handcock will do is kill Wanted.
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Unimportant? Well, if you want to neglect such comic gems ast Smokey and the Bandit, and Longest Yard, you must at least acknowledge the seminal achievement of Deliverance. As for Bruce. Diehard is hardly unimportant.
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The background is the White House being blown to Kingdom Come from above by one of the spaceships in ID4.
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To vary degrees, Bruce has made some decent to very good movies in the '90's:Die hards 2 & 3, The Last Boy Scout, 6th Sense, 12 Monkeys, Pulp Fiction, Fifth Element, Hudson Hawk (I realize not everyone enjoys these movies, but there is some good stuff in all of them).
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Yeesh, if I didn't know better I'd think you hated everything. But I've seen the stuff you like so I'll defend you against the masses.No way in hell I'm paying to see this in the theater. I'll rent it from Netflix as I suspect a lot of other people will.Wild Wild West is one of those movies I forget how bad it was. In retrospect, it probably wasn't any better than Ghost Rider.
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For me it just depends on what the reviews say everywhere. So far I will be in line next week. Not enough negative reviews to keep me away yet. Will Smith isn't that bad of an actor. Provides better entertainment than some of the garbage out there to watch.
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Pillow, I thought I was the only person in the multiverse who enjoyed that flick!
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The only way I can decide as to which is better: Wild Wild West or Ghostrider is the chicks.Salma > Eva.
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You know you shouldn't but sometimes you can't help peeking.
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Ghost Rider truly sucked. WWW was bad, no getting around that, but it had some moments, few granted, but some. Danny Boy does seem to turning up the I hate everything meter a tad, but basically I think he is a good guy, so I too will defend him from troll comments. I just hope he does not Node Out one of these days!
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I took major heat from me buds about that movie though!
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But if I had to choose, yes, Salma is the clear choice.I had forgotten she was in WWW. In fact, other than it being really bad and the giant spider, I can't remember one specific thing about it.Danny seems to fired up big time lately. I guess he's having a rough month with those L.A. wankers so I'll cut him some slack and let him vent.
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Has aged worse than month old cheese but for some reason I still find myself loving it.Bruce and Danny singing Side By Side always makes me laugh.
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since Bruce and Danny sing together.I think all the talk of The Dark Knight makes Danny boy a tad perturbed.
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If it rains, and I cannot ride! Salma, hands down! Or hands (mine) on!
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You guys see Assassination of Jesse James? I should have received it today from netflix.
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I have not seen that movie. I keep hearing mixed things about it.
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Hope it's at least the equivalent to it in terms of entertainment value. While 3:10 to Yuma wasn't great, it was a solid movie I thought.
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I loved the original though.
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so my first thoughts are that the remake is not as good.
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I watched that movie the week I was running an average temperature of 102 degrees. It's a odd movie to begin with so with my head all messed up it was completely surreal. That said, I loved it. Casey Afleck and Sam Rockwell put in unreal performances. I watched that, Michael Clayton and American Gangster in one sitting.3:10 to Yuma was one of my top 5 movies last year.
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I thought American Gangster was good, but it was missing something with me, much preferred 3:10 to Yuma (which I have to see again as I watched it on the plane to Brazil, just not the same as watching it in the comforts of my own home).
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I do hear what you are saying, we would all like some actors to pick better roles/movies than they sometimes do. No disputing that.And yeah, my pot probably includes what we shall call more "iffy" movies than yours.
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Really got to keep taking my meds it seems...yeesh.
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But like Hudson Hawk, I'm an apologist and I love it despite all it's flaws.Taylor Negron going through the helicopter blades? Classic.And Boy Scout is the reason I dance a jig when I'm drunk.
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I saw it, I have vague memories of thinking at the time that a cardboard box could act better than Damon Wayans - he got better though. Major Payne is very funny
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But Bruce's one liners, the guy from Major League, the henchman that gets his nose shoved into his brain and Taylor Negron chewing up the scenery make up for it. I like watching Boy Scout and Under Siege back to back.
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I'd like to see this simply because someone made an original superhero movie instead of simply adapting something. Ya know, even with that terrible Super Ex-Girlfriend movie, I was happy to see that superheroes have become so familiar to people that parodies and satires of the genre are now being made.
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...does the first reviewer mean that this movie cribs from the nigh-invulnerable blue Tick animated series?
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Hilarious.
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......but AICN talkbacks on the other hand....... Assuming you're still even reading this, that is. Obviously the Founder may have been a bit of a douche in how he stated what he stated with a broadstroke, but it doesn't take the most discerning eye to note that there was a massive grain of truth buried deep in the convoluted point he was trying to make or rather that he probably made without knowing. AICN may not be overtly racist from its procedural or administrative point of reference;- meaning that all the reviews as written, presented and even commented on by the designated blackboxes in the talkbacks, have an unmistakably and obviously intentional unprejudiced perspective, particularly with regards to race. However, the fact that AICN as an overall host body seems to stand quietly by while the Talkbacks specifically often get over-run by outright racist, bigoted and vile comments, whenever a Black-themed movie, or a movie with a black-lead, a rapper/actor is reviewed; it all seems to reinforce the notion that you guys do indeed condone it on some level or at the very least are not bothered enough by it to do anything about it. This is a very commonly held and accepted perception of AICN or rather AICN talkbacks, on the internets. So your expression of seemingly pious indignation on this talkback comes off like a someone hurriedly and viciously defending themselves off of accusations of racism when such accusations are merely hinted at in real life. Complete with the whole "but I can't be a racist; I know black people"- defence ( i.e. the whole AICN background with ID4 as if Will Smith was a major player and the defining face of ID4). Thou doth protest too much methinks. If the Founder is speaking crap how different is that from anyone that doesn't know you int he Streets of L.A. accusing you of being a racist. I would suspect that you would probably dismiss that moron in real life as someone who really doesn't know what eh hell they're talking about and leave at that and not offer a spirited defense of yourself right there on the spot when none is warranted. That you feel the need to defend yourself so vigorously hints at more regarding the issue, than whether or not there's any truth or grain of sense in the accusation itself. I'm not saying AICN is racist neither, but the fact that you guys never ever seem bothered, nor ever come out as vigorously, whenever some talkbacks denegerate into racist filth and vile, is basically no different to how black people as a whole feel that white people in general tend to be more or less racist by nature even if not overtly so; simply because they seem to condone it by refusing to speak up against it (and presumably when they have more power, voice and institutional clout to do so) when other really racist white people overtly act that way around them - it sells the notion that you're somehow okay with it. And then to get all defensive (like you just did), just reinforces the perception, in their minds. Anyway, this isn't about you nor Will Smith specifically, but the next time a Tyler Perry movie, or a Will Smith movie, or a black-themed movie is reviewed on this site (if that ever happens)I earnestly welcome you to venture into the talkbacks that follow that review and then offer the same kind of defense that this site is not racist. It's happened far too many times in the past for it to even be debatable at this point.
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It's Shane Black goodness. Now go dance a fucking jig.
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When did I EVER call you or even Harry himself out as being a racist? Never and if so you go back point to a post where I have done so. Not to be accused of backpeddling cause of your little rant but I was speaking of the posts that Smith gets when a topic is on him. Now you yourself can go back to all Will Smith topics and see the number of negative or anti Smith posts. Hell any rapper turned actor gets roasted pretty much and i will even dare say some black actors. Now Before you accuse me of calling that racist it's also done with certain white actors. Now if you wanna get on race when a black actor or director is mentioned and how the talkback is flooded with racist comments we can. That I can provide numerious examples. Tim Story announced as director for F4 caused a riot here, with all them horriable racist and ghetto comments that were made. Lets not pretend that this site is clean or above that. Now I've never seen or have known Harry or yourself to react is such a way, but you know am being truthfull and if not then you either have your eyes closed or just don't read enough posts. You can also chill with all the insults, cause I promise you I'm a lot better at it then you, but i won't stoop to that level. In fact I'm surprised you did. If not anything else i've always been respectful of others on this site. Rarly if at all have there been a post where I start hurling insults and swearing, and that I can back up easily by the all the posts I've written on this site.
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Because Wanted only cost 65 million dollars to make. So after weekend 2 it will make it's money back. Let's not forget that a film like Wanted will do good business overseas. So Wanted won't flop like Speed Racer and Narnia. It was cheap to produce and will make it's dinero back easily.
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Jun 26, 2008 3:46:41 PM CDT
Kai_Mah'gra i couldn't have put that better but the name calling
by the founder
You post is dead on, and yes I did indeed poorly paint with a boradbrush with my comment the entirity of this site, when I truthfully was just referring to the talkback posts. I actually didn't mention anything about race or accused anyone of racism with my comment but Mori is the one who took it there. Why Mori went off the deep end is beyond me when I didn't even refereence him in the slightest.
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.....having re-read your initial post, the "douche" thing inmy post was a bit much, and over the top. My apologies. But you're right. In any event, it's interesting how not just Mori, but all the other geniuses and bastions of "tolerance" on the talkback, felt the need to jump in and dump on you after Mori chimed in. It was pretty hilarious. Typical of AICN talkbackers, but hilarious nonetheless. You may not have said it, but I will come right out and say what should be obvious to anyone with half a brain; AICN talkbacks have a tendancy to be racist. The day that a review for "A diary for a mad black woman" or a movie starring a DMX, Diddy, or even Will Smith is posted followed by the usual racist crap on the Talkbacks; that day when the blackboxes, the admins and the Moris step in to make a stand against that nonsense, then they can feel free to come out and call me a "dumb bag of lying dicksuck", otherwise, don't be a hypocrite.
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That was one of the finest posts I have ever read on this site. Bravo. I truly mean that. Extremely well wriiten. Extremely well done, sir. I echo, and second every single word of it.
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I can not speak for Mori, but I think he took exception to your comparing AICN with Fox news. And since He and Harry basically started this site, any attack on it's integrity, is by extension, an attack on him and his policies. You really needed to differentiate between AICN and the Talkbacks. If this were my baby, I probably would have been offended as well.
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Too much opinion, too little specifics. It's a movie, not a barroom fight.
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really dude, the second Hulk has only been out for a few weeks now and it's #1 so I doubt the theatrical run for that movie is over. Shut the hell up, you weak minded pessimist.
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the guy actually typed the same sentence in two different spots in the same paragraph. Neither one persuaded me to either see or actually go see Hancock. I am completely indifferent to that movie.
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Liked Men in Black. MIB II, not so much (waited for the DVD to rent). Independence Day? Dopey fun. I am Legend?Ehhhh....watched a screener. Feh. But let's not forget the WORST thing he ever did - RAPE us older folks' memories (you wanna use that phrase about Lucas? Well this was WORSE) with the piece of total crap version of Wild Wild West. Watching the DVD box releases of the original TV show in the last couple years made me loath the Will Smith version even more. Clooney could've pulled off James West. And a different actor for Artemus Gordon. Jim and Arte were friends, associates. They fucked that up royal. And Hayek? Much as she still looked like a fine fuck fantasy then, she didn't matter. That's the worst of Will Smith.
Now Hancock? Might be okay but I doubt it's in any way great. A B-Movie with a big name star; An oddball take on superheroes from some folks who likely don't think much of 'em in the first place. -
No one ever gets a pass like Big Willie gets on Wild Wild West. A lot of people throw around "worst movie ever" and the like a lot, but that film truly is an abomination. But no one ever talks about it. If certain other A-listers ever made a movie that truly sickening, they wouldn't be forgiven.
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Clooney Batman and Robin, where at least Clooney attempted some acting in the scenes with the ill Alfred. In fact, Clooney should have been James West....
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It's not a rapper-actor issue (though the Master P Toxic is terrible). Smith has made some good action films, good comedies, good dramas. Even if his TV show was mildly amusing if for those of us way out of its demos. Common as John Stewart, Green Lantern? He just doesn't seem right for it. And other rappers turned actors? Can you say Ice T, who really blossomed on Law and Order or ice Cube, who's better at being funny than b-a-d. So don't play the cry racist card. Smith is just a huge movie star who should own up to some of his screen turds.
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I missed this entirely. what TB was it in? someone fill me in.
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While I agree with you 100 percent on the equal oppertunity attacking that goes on here I can say that you sir missed the point that a few of us was going for. Let me break it down to you. Now when guys like Cruise, Speilberg, Lucas, and Bay to mention a few are attacked, it's personnally directed at them as INDIVISUALS and their RACE and culture is never thrown in with the insults and attacking. Now when a black actor, black director or black themed movie is mentioned on this site all you need to do is read the talkbacks and you can see the differece in attacking someone like Michael Bay or Tim Story. I have never seen any referece what so ever to Bay's race and culture or the throwing in of country music references as an example like you do when a black director like Tim story was mentioned as an example. The man wasn't just attacked on a personel artistic level or of his directing abilitites. Race was a major factor in his attacks as well. Comments like "Story is going to hiphop the F4 movie down( as if all black people under 40 love hiphop), with Queen latifiah as Sue and this or that rapper as the Thing, with 50 Cent's music blarring in the back ground as they enter the Baxter Building" was common place. I could go on and list even more vile at the bottom of a septic tank that the talkbacks regarding Tim Story devolved into, but what's the point. If you sir can not see the difference in the way a black person is attacked on this site by talkbackers then you are the one who needs to take himself back to 1988 and stay there. Fair is Fair. If you wanna attack Smith, Tyler Perry, Ice Cube, Halle Berry, or Tim Story then feel free to do based on same critiria that is done with white actors or directors, but when you start some how bringing the entirity of the black race or culture then it becomes a problem for me and some others.
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Go back and read my comment and put the word "unfunny" between the words "making" and "jokes". Then you'll see more of what I was saying. Sorry for omitting that.
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I've been more or less without internet or time for a couple months now... but who the hell decided Xiphos needed banning? I've never read a single post by the person that could merit a banning. Did he have some crazy spamming meltdown or something?
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... and that's us. If you mean "the talkbackers," say that. Because AICN is not "Fox News," and that is what you said. We have always treated Smith or any black entertainer in front of or behind the camera as fairly as anyone else. If you mean "readers who come here," that's different. We are not the talkbackers, and accusing us of something because of what they said is fucking bullshit. Be specific when you point that finger and accuse people of racial bias, because when you use broad generalities like saying "AICN" believes something, you're accusing the editors, the people who actually publish the site, and that's what makes your earlier post bullshit.
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It's Planty McPlant again!
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If you had any idea how many times I've tried to clean up the open sewer of talkbacks, you'd realize that thanks to the way Harry set the talkback up, that will never happen. So you can either have a site with militarily policed talkbacks, or a site with content actually getting published. There's not time for both.
All I can say is Harry wanted a free forum, and while we will remove people when we notice blatantly repulsive behavior, there's a lot of shit that makes it through, and that's what talkback is. But if you think that makes me responsible for the vile racism and sexism that is exhibited by some specimens of the fanboy nation, you're wrong. And I've done my best to try and fix it, and every time I do, you talkbackers complain even louder that your "freedoms" have been compromised, and we get weeks of people complaining about bannings. So there's no upside for us at all. It's just something for people to scream at us about. -
How exactly would you try to "clean up the open sewer" of the TB's? What guidelines or suggestions, or mandates would you mandate; if you got the chance to "clean up the open sewer" of online, anonymous forums, what were the basics of what you suggested? I'm not meaning to be confrontational or argumentative here (seriously, I've re-read this and, despite the tone, I truly don't mean it that way), but, I am truly curious as to what set of TB standards you would recommend.
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... it's a privately owned website and you don't pay anything to post here. What "rights" do you think you actually have?
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... if you're not one of the people who posts blatantly repulsive racist or sexist material here, then I'm not talking about you. And if you are, then I don't really care if I offend you by referring to the worst of talkback. I like the general idea, but I detest the grotesque side of fanboy culture, and, please, tone down the whole free-speech martyr bullshit. There's a huge difference between Constitutionally protected freedom of speech and someone choosing to exercise some editorial control over what they allow to be published on their website. It's a strawman bullshit argument.
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... stop throwing Carlin at me. Seriously. I repeat... this isn't about your Constitutionally protected free speech. That's bullshit. But you're never going to acknowledge my point, so this is going nowhere fast. I don't think anything is "out of control" with racism, but I've said for years that anonymity and a lack of accountability for what you say encourages the worst in people, and the absolute worst of talkback proves that statement every day. I personally don't find racism or misogyny very funny, not when you can discern the real hatred in it, and I think there is a percentage of fandom that is chickenshit and vile, and they count on people like you to shrug it off and say, "Oh, well, guess that's just the price of me getting a few laughs." You're fine with it. I'm not. So be it.
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.....you can't on the one hand, bemoan the futility and thanklessness of trying to police the talkbacks and clean out the crap that aforementioned vile talkbackers post - mainly due to all the impugning of your (or rather Harry's) pre-determined (and dare I say cherry-picked and cherry-applied) standards of Freedom of speech which that would imply, along with the inevitable talkbacker backlash which would ensue (it is, after all, a privately owned site right? someone should inform those backlashers that they don't have the rights to back....lash, or....um... lashback, and should consequently shut the hell up) , while simultaneously, on the other hand, (and in almost the same breath), act all indignant and upset that someone would dare hint at accusing you guys of choosing not to do what you've (just now) stated or rather claim, - in so many words - that you can't or will not do. Either this really IS a privately owned website and you guys CAN actually decide what gets posted, what remains posted and what can ultimately get through the 'Standards' filters and are likewise willing to live with whatever the consequences of those decisions are (I believe, also known as taking responsibility, for better or for worse), OR .....as you, sort of, seem to claim, or want to claim, on another breath, the task of 'policing' (hyperbolic Strawman defence at its very finest) the talkbacks far is beyond your technical, practical capabilities and moral ambivalence, because you're, in part, beholden to some sort of pre-stated freedom of speech 'Standards' and a public trust of sorts (which, you've just struck at with the whole "What "rights" do you think you actually have?" argument). Clearly the technical capacity to clean up the talkbacks exists - you've said as much with the whole "I've done my best to try and fix it" but 'the talkbacker backlash is too much to deal with' defence. Clearly the will to take responsibility for it, is lacking or rather, is deliberately and intentionally absent, due to said 'Standards of freedom of speech'. So why not just man up and accept it for what it is; as an unfortunate but inevitable concomitant of choosing to espouse said freedoms, especially when someone does eventually accuse you or even hints at accusations of racism when the talkbacks often times, do actually come off as exactly just that - racist? Instead of trying to act all indignant and pious like you reeeeaally want to do something about it, or you would if you could, but you reeeeaaally can't and so don't deserve to be accused of anything? Having your cake and eating it too doesn't work any better on the internets or in the cyberspaces, than it does in the real world.
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.......and what is it doing in the fecal matter and shit that I just shat out? Someone tells me that it's something that should have remained in 1988, but I'm not even sure I ever remember ever having hearing of it way even back then. I think one would have to go all the way further back to the 1950's or the 20's to find crap like it. In any event, the late George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and Bill Hicks just called, and said to stop using their names in bullshit arguments and about freedom of speech while telling other people to shut up about their 'freedoms of speech' - makes them look bad, I think. Personally, I believe(and I did tell them this) that they should just ignore this 'KurtLockwood' nonesense and dismiss it with as much disregard and contempt as I dismissed the rest of the crap that came out from whatever the hell it was that I ate yesterday sitting at the bottom of that toilet bowl. But that's just me........... knowing them, I doubt they'll listen.
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Founder:--"this Site hates will smith"...........
Moriarty:" HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A RACIST YOU BAG OF LYING DICKSUCK!!!".............. ummmmm OK, Did I miss something here?! Since when does not liking Will Smith= racist?? And since when does being accused of night liking Will Smith warrant that kind of vitriolic defense?? You have to admit the Founder has a point though. Like him or not Smith is the biggest movie star on the planet and his movies seem to get little coverage on AICN and the majority of that tends to be negative. Meanwhile some flick playing in 3 theaters in Alaska gets 35 articles. -
Jun 27, 2008 7:52:44 AM CDT
It suffers from having too many great ideas.-FUCKING PLANT
by knowthyself
Give me a fucking break. It SUFFERS from being TOO GOOD? Fuck you you fucking plant.
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There's a huge difference between the blatant racism and bigotry of certain talkbackers and posting off-color jokes in Vince Vaughn talkbacks. Remember the Blanche Knott "Truly Tasteless Jokes" books in the early 1980s? The were unbelievably un-PC and fucking hysterical. There's an immense difference between laughing AT a prejudice and laughing ALONG with one.
It's funny how people who defend racist scumbags in talkback always seem to shrug it off with a "hey, free speech, dude" but at the same time whine about how the racists are being attacked by people using their own "free speech" to do so.
Furthermore, what possible obligation could AICN have to uphold the rights of racists, Nazis and other totalitarian vermin to vent their bile in talkback? -
Xiphos was indeed banned for an exchange he had with some nitwit named shogun something in the Russert TB. Xi was one of the best dudes around here, and as a fellow Marine, I and others have been trying to get his original handle re-instated. However, he is is still around, and not too hard to spot! He has been deployed, so he will check in sporadically. Free Xiphos Original handle!
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Will smith was fine in that movie. However Jamie Foxx was fantastic.... and the Last Boy Scout never gets old... what a movie. Tony Scott Forever!
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......I thought I smelt some shit somewhere around here, but this stench smells way too bad to be shit. In fact it gives shit a bad name just bringing it up in the same sentence. I think it just might be the putrid stench and puddly large chunks of perpetually stinking KurtLockwood. That must be it because the population of a small town just died. For a moment there I thought I saw the smelly mass of KurtLockwood chunks trying to evovle a brain cell and actually communicate but I think it was the hallucinogenic effects of the toxic putrid gass coming from the stinky glob of KurtLockwood chunks.So we should be fine...........other than that small town.
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I'm about to try to track down that TB; cause, from what (ie, a shitload) that I've read of Xiphos, I can't imagine what got that dude banned.
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it is troubling why you never followed up on what TB guidelines you recommended. I know that bringing those up would result in constant criticism, but you brought them up: express disdain for the TB and suggest a better management plan... and, then get strangely quiet. That's about the worst thing you could do. But, I enjoy you're reviews (hint, hint).
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by "you're" i meant your
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I gotta say, some of the latest trailers (...had only seen a few over the NBA series, a while back), make this flick worth getting my $10...
Whether you dig him, or not...Smith always seems to come "with it" in the summer...
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