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Harry's DVD Picks & Peeks - July 21st - Watchmen, Coraline, Godard, 300, Angels, Robot Chicken & more!!!
Hey folks, Harry here with the latest DVD PICKS & PEEKS – I really love some of the stuff this week. WATCHMEN and CORALINE are wonderful films, but Godard’s MADE IN U.S.A. – I LOVE!!! As usual, the pics and titles are linked to Amazon, where you can learn more on the title and if you like the column and want to help it, go ahead and pick it up via the link and a small portion of that price goes to keep this column cranking. Thanks a lot and enjoy the column…
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
WATCHMEN (Director’s Cut)
The Hollis Mason scene is worth the price by itself. But more than that – the Immersive Maximum Movie Mode is pretty damn hypnotic. I got sent this two weeks ago – and I’ve watched it three times since. It very much shows off my home theater setup – and it happens to be one of my favorite films of 2009 thus far. It is so nice to have this at home in a format like this. There are plans for an even bigger version that creates some mega-opus – but honestly – it isn’t like they’ve shot squiddy. – This will more than do for now. The 24 minutes added are like the additional bits in ALIENS, where it took a movie I loved and made me love it more. Not like THE ABYSS, where I liked the movie, but LOVED THE DIRECTOR’S CUT.
WATCHMEN with OwlShip
Same as the above, but with NiteOwl’s pet! Which makes sounds and lights up. Amazon told me mine shipped about two hours ago. I love stuff like this. Sure, it doesn’t fit in my Blu Ray shelves, but I have spots to set such awesome baubles! I love toys.
CORALINE
Ok – this is another of my fave films of 2009. This did alright at the box office, but from the numbers – I’d say a great many of you didn’t check out this exquisite film by Henry Selick. The resolution of Blu Ray makes this look unbelievably stunning. The image so sharp that you can see all the textures and things that you probably didn’t catch in theaters. The 3D version is anaglyph – meaning RED & BLUE – and isn’t nearly as amazing as the magic of polarized 3D. The making of Coraline is really great. Watching how they solved certain problems – and seeing a demo of how they shot miniaturized 3D… it is flat out amazing. But technical achievements by the side – it all begins with Gaiman’s story – and what a story! It is scary as it should be, it is whimsical as it should be and it is pure magic at 24 frames a second.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS – The Complete Fourth Season
Ok – I’m a total CHARLIE’S ANGELS whore! I love this show. Watched it habitually originally. This season was a lot of fun. I missed not having Jill there every week, but she did come back in this season. Look at those Angels, they could do no wrong.
ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS – Episode II
Loosely structured around EMPIRE STRIKES BACK – this is fucking funny. The unrated version has a few moments of truly risqué humor beyond what we see on Adult Swim. As I said it was loosely based on Empire, but one of the funniest gags concerns the moments leading up to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s charcoal experience. I laughed so hard. And Boba Fett’s version of his pre-Sarlac life is one of the funniest damn things I’ve seen making fun of Star Wars. Great job!
300: THE COMPLETE EXPERIENCE
Ok – as a reviewer – I get sent things. I’ve been sent 3 versions of 300 – and this is the one I’m keeping. First off – the metallic, embossed book format is simply sweet. I’m really fond of the packaging. There’s over 2 hours of exclusive extra content – and the extras… well over at Amazon they have a breakdown of it all, but my fave is the original test footage – and the “comprehensive immersion” is really something. It is something very neat. The sort of feature you can show a friend and teaches you a lot about the process in which the film was made. Working with green screen and seeing what they did. That’s cool.
2 OR 3 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER (Criterion)
Brilliant Godard film that’s only been available via PAL for too long, Criterion rectifies that situation. This is all about consumer culture – by way of a housewife/escort. It is a beautiful transfer, far better than the pre-existing PAL version. And here’s what Criterion put together for us:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Archival television interviews: the first featuring Vlady on the set of the film, the second with Godard engaged in debate with a government official on the subject of prostitution
New video interview with Godard friend Antoine Bourseiller
A visual essay cataloguing the multiple references in the film
New and improved English subtitle translation
MADE IN U.S.A. (Criterion)
The above film is considered one of Godard’s most important films, this one. This one I love. It is a fever dream of film noir – with such eye candy as Anna Karina and Marianne Faithfull. For those of you that love films that poke a bit of fun at Nixon… well, this was 1966 and Godard was a bit ahead of the curve. As always Criterion has done a great job!
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Interviews with stars Anna Karina and Lászlo Szábó
A video piece on the personal and the political in Made in U.S.A and 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, featuring Godard biographers Richard Brody and Colin MacCabe
A visual essay cataloguing the multiple references in the film
Original and re-release theatrical trailers
New and improved English subtitle translation
PLUS: A new essay by film critic J. Hoberman
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (Blu Ray)
Before traveling to that exotic locale where they have the best drugs… and before trying to smuggle it back. I highly suggest watching this film. It is pretty much a “lesson” in how living the straight and narrow… well, it’s really the way to go. Seriously. Don’t do it man! I’m telling you. BAD SHIT CAN HAPPEN! Oliver Stone’s script is harrowing, human and it never has a dishonest moment. A truly great film! The Blu Ray is another of those great book format versions – and I love these things. Kinda wish they were all done this way.
VISIONEERS
I wasn’t going to give this film a shot – yes, I love HANGOVER like all of us – and Zach is great in the film. But ya know, I read this quote from M. Spano, “Like a Harold Pinter play got into a fist fight with Office Space, tripped over Lynch and fell into a puddle of Farenheit 451” – Holy Shit! That sounded awesome. Then I noticed that Faye Masterson was in it. Faye is. Well, she’s Faye. She’s kinda amazing in totally different ways than Zach Galifianakis. But this was a very nice surprise indie comedy.
That’s it for this week. Another short list. Next week though, things get a little crazy again. When I get back from Comic Con – I’ll be giving you a preview of FAST & FURIOUS, GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Blu), THE MIDDLEMAN: THE COMPLETE SERIES, DOLLHOUSE: Season One (Blu), REPULSION – Criterion BLU, Spectacular Spider-Man: 1st Season, 12 MONKEYS (Blu), THIS IS SPINAL TAP (Blu), MISS MARCH, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT (Blu), THE GREEN HORNET serial, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Blu), HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD, THE 10th VICTIM, GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN, EAGLES OVER LONDON (Blu), BIG MAN JAPAN, ANGEL OF DEATH, TORSO, BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE, AN AMERICAN AFFAIR, THE ASTONISHING WORK OF TEZUKA OSAMU, ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN, BAD BOY BUBBY (Blu), BAD LIEUTENANT, MONIKA, Bill Plympton’s DOG DAYS: A Collection of Short Films 2004-2008, The Animation of Alexeieff, EXTREME ANIMATION: Films By Phil Mulloy, OH! MY ZOMBIE MERMAID and more!
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Archival television interviews: the first featuring Vlady on the set of the film, the second with Godard engaged in debate with a government official on the subject of prostitution
New video interview with Godard friend Antoine Bourseiller
A visual essay cataloguing the multiple references in the film
New and improved English subtitle translation
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Interviews with stars Anna Karina and Lászlo Szábó
A video piece on the personal and the political in Made in U.S.A and 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, featuring Godard biographers Richard Brody and Colin MacCabe
A visual essay cataloguing the multiple references in the film
Original and re-release theatrical trailers
New and improved English subtitle translation
PLUS: A new essay by film critic J. Hoberman
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+ Expand All
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that is all.
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It's a film I just never want to see again. It just makes me mad. Snyder could have made a decent adaptation but he totally missed the point. He just couldn't pull off the proper tone. Best of the year? You're on crack. Coraline, on the other hand, I wholeheartedly agree with. Brilliant movie.
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Why would anyone want a LONGER version of Watchmen?
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Fucking assholes who make this show. It's NOT FUNNY!
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Jul 21, 2009 12:11:12 AM CDT
"The above film is considered one of Godard’s most important fil
by axel fff
Sounds like something originally written in Russian that was translated into English by a computer.
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I'm on crack as well I guess
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That's all I'm gettin'.
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Do some research on how truthful, Midnight Express is. It is loosely based on William Hayes' experience in a Turkish prison. Oliver Stone took several liberties with the facts and often incorrectly portrayed the Turks as monsters.
I'm not saying that Hayes did not deal with any bad Turks, but Hayes himself has said that the film has significant embellishments and exaggerations. -
For those of you that have Netflix and the Streaming option, it will be streaming starting today.
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blue all over the sleeves. It ruins the cover art.
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http: //filesoup.com/forum/tor_movies_xvid_divx_avi-f46-coraline_3d_dvdrip_resourcerg_h264-t28431. html
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just google: coraline 3d screenshot
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meanders far too much to bother paying attention to it. You have to respect the visual artistry, though. MirrorMask was a superior iteration of the similar plot that Gaiman has retold in several forms.
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I want to see the DC cut of Watchmen, but Netflix doesn't say if they are shipping out the DC cut or what. And you can't choose.
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So do you like that movie or what?
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I guess Sly's moved past that now.
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While I enjoyed it in theater, didn't feel like I needed to revisit it. But if there is a good in depth making of on it I'll check that out. That after the credits scene was pretty cool. Plus it would be good to see it in non 3-Ds.
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FUCKING FACT. Deal with it, nerdlingers.
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Jul 21, 2009 1:05:22 AM CDT
Coraline is the most advanced stop motion ever
by anything but tangerines
Not only was it the first to be shot entirely in 3D, but the main characters' faces were all produced by a 3D physical object printer directly from 3D CGI models, allowing for the smoothest facial expressions ever.
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Hayes was actually in a gay relationship with a fellow prisoner. Not just a college experiment thing like in the movie.
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Don't you hate people who say that.
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Can you think of another genre in any art form where every piece of work is exponentially more technically advanced than it's predecessors?
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Frankenweenie will have to either be deliberately retro or absolutely revolutionary.
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Will be CGI, Corpses Bride was fucking shit.
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I would say Corpses Bride was a huge step back from its predecessors.
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Do you realize that the main characters in Corpse Bride rarely switched out faces? Thats because the facial expressions were controlled by intricate gears INSIDE of the heads, operated by 4 or 5 hidden screws, that would stretch and form the eyebrows, cheekbones, mouth and chin. A step back?!?!
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$15!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cheaper than amazon!!!!!!!!!!
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Stole scenes from A Nightmare Before Christmas, and did them half assed. Lame ass story as well. That's fine if their mouths had animatronics in them, the fucking lack of detail in everything else sucked. Its one thing just to keep moving forward with technology, but when you miss the small things and sacrifice story. Who cares. In ten years no one will care about Coraline or Corpse Bride, but Nightmare will still be popular.
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Jul 21, 2009 1:24:20 AM CDT
CORALINE was filmed down the street from my house...
by bob loblaw law blog
Seriously... right here in a warehouse here in suburban Portland, literally a mile or so from where I was living at the time (I've since bought a house... I live about 4 miles away now). How awesome is that? Pretty much nobody knew until right before the film was released.I'm looking forward to seeing this again on Blu-ray... definitely gonna check out the special features.
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Frankenweenie will be Stop Motion, look it up. Also, give Corpse Bride another view on Blu Ray, it is one of the most beautifully shot films of this decade.
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is unquestionably the Citizen Kane of stop motion. I would call Coraline the 2001 of stop motion. Leaps and bounds
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It sucks, it sucks balls. That is why it got its ass handed to it by the much better Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Which is an awesome stop motion movie. And there really was no reason to give them the Oscar because they've won it every time before. But it was just SO much better then Corpse Bride it was like saying, here this is how you make a good stop motion movie. The music in Corpse Bride sucked. It was a movie made for girls that shop primarily at Hot Topic. Lets face it Nightmare came out with three masters at the top of their game. The last good Elfman score was Planet Of the Apes, Burton hasn't made a great film since Mars Attacks and Selick doesn't really do enough to say one way or another. I should have left Corpses Bride humming the song or remembering any part of it, I didn't. All I could think about was how badly they ripped off scenes from Nightmare and how plain everything looked. Also I don't have Blu Ray, I prefer to watch all my movie on the superior VHS, I just can't stand not being able to fast forward through the FBI warning.
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MADE IN USA is still incomprehensible after multiple viewings. The most memorable moment is the haunting Marianne Faithfull scene.
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Also if that's your opinion, then I guess Transformers 2 is the best movie ever made? Really? Why do you think we watch those shitty ass stop motion Christmas stories every year?
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There hasn't been a stop motion feature yet shot in shaky cam with asinine dialog coming from badly lit CGI racial stereotypes. Those Christmas shows are the King Kong of stop motion. Great to admire, ultimately obsolete.
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Director's cut is even AWESOMER!!!!
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Zack Snyder made an excellent adaptation, and got the point. He proves that fanboys can actually make a great film from the stuff that we read and love.
And I can't wait to own the director's cut. :) -
Every holiday some fucking movie comes out with those fucking things.
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...but the damn thing's locked. :(
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But it's a got a little girl in it, so its gotta be pretty good amirite?
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true admirer/devotee of stop-motion animation.
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Let's party.
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How so? You likely get most of these movies for free & post on a completely unreliable schedule. Just curious...
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It'll still be there on your shelves next to better DVDs when you admit that to yourselves, yet still aren't quite able to make yourself throw it out. I won't have that problem.
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Cos harry said so
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Just watched this in the 3D, Didn't see it at the theatre so i have nothing to compare it too. But i was damn impressed.
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Coraline had no backbone to the plot to anchor it emotionally or to make the world seem at all organic or cohesive. It was just "Little girl is attacked by random demon who wants to eat her while being surrounded by whimsical randomly eccentric neighbors!" It's Henson rip off dreck. I feel bad for Selick because every problem with that film was with the story being completely uninvolving, meandering, and without a core vision.
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The film's ending was far better than the book's. You know it's true. The squid monster was the flaw. Can't wait to own the Director's Cut
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Bring on the Dream King!
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It was a total blast openning weekend in the cinemas, but I've seen it twice since and its hollow calories have kinda lost their flavour to me.And even though I didn't like Watchmen, I still like Snyder and will be interested in anything he does.
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I still got a little pissed at my Watchmen DVD having a $10 off coupon for the upcoming "ultimate edition" (Yeah, I'm a fanboy) that you can only use ONLINE. It would've been nice to have had an in-store coupon instead.
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than Midnight Express. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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than Chained Heat. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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Awesome.
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i will miss the childish taunts and inanity.
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Jul 21, 2009 7:39:21 AM CDT
I was gonna comment on the "honesty" of Midnight Express
by shut the fuck up donny
but it looks like some of the other guys got around to it. Great film, great soundtrack (love me some Giorgio Moroder), but hardly "honest."
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Am I missing something or is the tarantino movie still in the cinemas?
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It looks like the original movie (note the spelling). The studio must really be committed to this new version if they're gonna put the (obscure, let's face it) original on Blu-Ray.
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...motion effects look just as cool in their own way as new stuff. Early work may be jerky and stuff, but it still looks cool as hell.
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It was a total blast when the trailer made its debut on Quicktime, but I've seen it twice since and its hollow calories have kinda lost their flavour to me. And even though I liked the Watchmen trailer, I am glad Snyder didn't blow his load and show everything like he did with the 300 trailer.
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Was it great? No! But, did it suck? Definitely not! Catwoman sucked! Bayformers 2 sucked! Watchmen did not. Thanks to the lack of box office success and the fanboy hate expressed in this dojo we will probably never ever see a hard R rated superhero film ever again. I'm surprised the studio even let Snyder make a faithful adaptation to the comic and didn't force him to defang it and make it PG13. But, thanks to all you haters never again will we see an R-Rated super hero film. Thanks again.
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Zack Snyder HAD NO vision. He aped a comic book for his art direction chores, his cinematography, his costumes, his camera-placement, his plotting beats, his dialogue, etc. There was no vision there. And, sorry to end the debate, but there is nothing ... nothing ... cool about a moment in a movie for grown-ups when a man jumps out of a vehicle and his glider wings go "VAZOOOOP!" like something out of FLASH GORDON from the 80s. Nothing cool at all.
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Bad direction, bad use of music, bad acting, bad adaptation, bad dialogue bad costumes. Total fucking shit. Anyone who can't see that is a cretin.
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I'm dropping over $100 today on four items, Coraline SE, Watchmen SE, Monk Season 7, and Psych season 3. Why, becasue I can motherfuckers!
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...go on about. Sounds a little gay maybe, but that's OK. Check back with me in about a week...I'm going to have a giant raging opinion just like the rest of you. Just you wait.
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Best 3D film I have ever seen. Even better than the 3D Dark Knight.
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Jul 21, 2009 9:01:06 AM CDT
I doubt I'll watch the red & blue 3D version of Coraline
by nasty in the pasty
Maybe sample a scene or two, but it can't possibly match how beautiful the 3D version was in theaters. Definitely picking up the DVD, though. My favorite film of 2009And Corpse Bride was fucking terrific. People who bash that film are the same people who bash The Green Mile yet love The Shawshank Redemption. Makes no sense.
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There's a racist term for dropping $100 on stuff like Season 3 of Psych which I will not use because that would be racist.
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When i saw it in the theater opening day their were people leaving during the movie (mostly parents with their kids) and yet when the movie was over their was an overwhelming applause by the audience (mostly fanboys).
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Psych is a fun show, not great. But why the hell am I explaining my decision to buy something to a stranger? Oh right, I'm not.
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Picture worthy films released so far this year. Fall and early winter better be fuckin' strong in the movie quality department or we're gonna see some serious padding of nominations come Oscar time.
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I was just responding to your rubbing your expendable income in our faces. And as far as the racist term I was referring to, here's a Family Guy joke in which Peter goes on a spending spree and Cleveland says, "You're spending money like my people do." Does that help.
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Growing up in Ontario, an R-rating actually meant something. No one under the age of 18, even if accompanied by ignorant or overly-indulgent parents, was allowed in. Sure it meant I, a couple of months shy of my 18th birthday, was denied entrance to "Beverly Hills Cop". But it also meant that, when I was old enough, my movie experience was not negatively affected by "mommy I don't like this movie", or parents noisily dragging their kids (who wanted to stay) out because they couldn't take 2 seconds to learn why a movie is rated what it is before buying a ticket. Or worse, parents buying tickets then dumping their unaccompanied and unsupervised underage brood while they go off for dinner or whatnot.
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the movie was marketed as a typical superhero movie. Sure they should have paid attention to the rating, but your average person knowing nothing about the source material would never in a million years expect to see nudity, sex and ultra graphic violence in a superhero movie.
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A masterpiece. Made me think twice before visiting a foreign country.
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And classy, too. Megan Fox got nothing on her.
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Watchmen has nudity! Ummmm this ain't no Europe, we don't allow no smut like that in our wholesome American cinemas.
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Really didn't do much for me. I saw it not too long ago. I remember thinking that this guy was kind of a bitch and deserved it. I liked Papillon better.
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both Heat and a 50th anniversary ed. of Hitch's North by Northwest hit blu-ray November 3! Now if they can just get to work on more Hitchcock classics I'd be happy as a pig in sh---well, maybe not THAT happy, but happy. Oh, and Harry, know anything about when we'll see more James Bond on blu?
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it must have been for all those ill-prepared parents who ended up taking their kids out of the theater.
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when it said of Watchmen, that it started out brilliantly, then grew as sluggish and bloated as the middle aged superheroes it depicted. I will pick up the BluRay today only because its fuckin BluRay, and its bound to look great.My favorite "oh c'mon" scene, of course, is the lovemaking scene aboard the owlship, thats filmed like an erotic shampoo commercial, with the "rocket booster" firing. Couldn't Snyder find stock footage of a train entering a tunnel, a rocket launch, a Ball Park frank plumping on a grill?
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to include great films that, in other years would win BP, but in strong years don't even get in the top 5. It was not done to give recognition to small films that don't have a big studio PR machine to campaign for it. It was done to give studios a way to market the DVDs of their more popular (at the Box Office) films. It was also done so a wider variety of people will watch the Oscars to root for "their movie". Some people call it the "Dark Knight Rule" where a very popular, critically well-received film misses out. I call it the "Twilight Rule" - a popular, mediocre film that nonetheless sweeps the MTV movie awards (or some such fan-voted award show) can be used to attract viewers to the Oscars; viewers whose idea of quality is how hot the lead actor (or actress) is. I haven't seen many films this year but can't really think of more than a couple that I think deserve the nomination. However, I can tell you with a certain amount of cynical certainty of one film that will no doubt be nominated. I said this when the category expansion was announced and I'll say it all the way to February - NEW MOON WILL BE NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE.
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Will be a online fan voted awards show within 10 years.
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Most critics sight Godard's *Le Mempris* (Contempt) as his most seminal work. When is Criterion going to re-release that on Blu-Ray?
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Still my favorite film of the year so far.
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Blame Moore. That's from the comic.
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When are they going to re-release a remastered version of Watchmen already!
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I've got nothing but respect for Snyder because the man had the balls to make the film his way, which incidentally turned out to be a pretty literal adpaptation of the source material. We've all got our own opinions on how well he did but when I read bullshit claiming the film was poorly directed or the music sucked or was badly implemented, it becomes clearly obvious that some people were going to shit all over this film no matter what was released. Regardless, I loved it and I am looking forward to the DC on Blue. For those of you who hated it, at least you still have the book.
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They see cartoon and think G. I don't think you could have marketed the film in any way that people like that would have gotten the point. But I also don't think it was marketed as the "typical superhero movie". The trailer had a mostly-naked Manhattan, and also showed him being vaporized as well as vaporizing the Vietnamese soldier. Most of the shots were bleak looking; there was no joyfulness, no "how cool is it to be a superhero" tone to it. Besides, the ads referenced Snyder's previous film, "300", which also was not for kids. If parents are going to take the time, and money, to take their kids to the movies, I think they should also make the effort to find out a little something about the film they are going to see.Reminds me of a complaint letter I read several years ago. A film critic (for the CBC, I believe) gave "Thelma & Louise" a very positive review. A couple went to see it but were horrified by the content and the language of the film. They blamed the reviewer and the CBC for their negative film-going experience, wondering how they could have recommended such an offensive film. I'm sure in his review, the premise of the film was discussed, which they chose to ignore. Even if it wasn't, the film had an R rating. Now, if the content and language of "Thelma & Louise" is going to traumatize you then that person is definitely someone who needs to take notice of a film's rating. And if one is taking their kids to the movies, no, "Fritz the Cat" is not kinda like "Garfield".
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It's a visual film with a very thin story but since those visuals propel the film that isn't a problem, unless of course you are looking for more depth.
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although I have a feeling you may be right. The Oscars, for me, have lately been a reason to get drunk, if you increase your shot intake by one everytime your pick for any category doesn't win.
After Slumdog won I think my blood alcohol level was thrice the legal limit. At least I wasn't driving. -
Funny story about content in film. I overheard an older lady in my office talking about watching the Friday the 13th reboot movie with her family, and her grandson was watching it too. She said that during the sex scenes her grandson was saying "what are they doing?", but "he really enjoyed the murdering and death scenes". She went on to agree with him that the "murder" scenes were fine but the sex was a little much. She called them murder scenes and was ok with her grandson watching them. She went on then to talk about how funny and great He's just Not that Into you or some other lame as rom com was.
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I know there's "purists" out there who insist on grain. There are also anti-grain zealots too who insist on any and all noise reduction regardless of the quality reduced on the final product. But, from what I hear, the previous 300 blu is a grain freakin orgy...has it been improved? I'm not getting it (got the SD dvd and that's enough coin spent on that movie) but at least it would give me hope for holding out on buying Ghostbusters on blu.I think Harry said it...if they can make The Godfather look so beautiful...if they can make Bladerunner and Terminator look pristine without overly sharp edges...they can fucking make Ghostbusters look good.
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But 2 or 3 Things... is so completely rad in every sense. I will be picking this up from Barnes and Nobles this week for 50% off. Now Criterion PLEASE give us My Life to Live!!!!!!!!!!!!
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What did you want to win instead of Slumdog? Just wondering? I can understand not liking Slumdog (especially since Fox Searchlight Little Miss Sunshined it), but at least it was Boyle and I felt like he's earned it. Kind of like No Country winning, not my favorite but it was the Cohen Brothers. I think after Crash the Academy is going around and trying to make it up to good film makers still working (The Departed).
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That is all.
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I hear it's the opposite in Europe? Anyone care to weigh in? From what I've heard, the European ratings (not sure country to country) are based on violence and not sex.What's with all the puritanical pretentious bullshit in the US? The biggest and most inane self-delusion possibly..pretending to be above carnality when, like any other living human being, carnality is one of the reasons for existence and certainly the primary reason we even exist in the first place.Dumbass virgin zealot puritanical asshole 'holier than thou' squares...I like what Madonna said...something about her leaving the church when she realized they viewed kissing as a worse offense than killing.
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I know, it's not the popular opinion, but it's mine. Out of the five nominees TCCOBB is the only one I could see ever saying "Hey, I haven't watched that in awhile, I think I'll watch it now" in a couple of years. Although I was happy for Boyle, don't get me wrong.
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Love it.
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Jul 21, 2009 11:13:36 AM CDT
COUNT DUCKULA season 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by soylentmean
I had to type that here, since I can't type it in the Hercvault. Harry, you should talk to Hercules, let him know who's boss.
Be like, "Bitch, you will enable talkbacks for your Hercvault, or it's gonna be the Harryvault (which sounds disgusting) from now on".
SoylentMean says so and SoylentMean is people. -
If they did that last year, The Dark Knight would have been included and everyone would have gotten their hopes up even though you should know better.
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Blanchett gits a Retro for Elizabeth, Duvall gets a Retro for The Apostle, Saving Private Ryan gets a retro for BEST FUCKIN' PICTURE!
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You can tell her Stabby said so.
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as Series mentioned: Slumdog, No Country, Departed,
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fucked up, and give specifics. I don't think Boyle was owed an Oscar, although his body of work is deserving. Scorsese was owed for I dunno, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and fuckin' Taxi Driver.
The Coens were owed for Fargo and Miller's Crossing. -
to get more viewers because 10 noms pretty much assures that everyone will have at least one favorite film nominated. And yet all this does is add false hope because in the end it's going to be the same Crash bullshit that wins.
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trainspotting could have easily deserved a nomination imo.
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Jul 21, 2009 11:36:29 AM CDT
The way I understand it is this, the Oscars are for that year...
by soylentmean
not career acknowledgment. That's why they have the lifetime achievement bullshit. The Oscars are in no way a measure of quality or deservedness, but popularity and susceptibility to promotional campaigns.
It's like the voters don't understand the parameters of the awards. Also, I think we all should be able to actually see the votes (while maintaining anonymity). Just to see if it all adds up. -
Jul 21, 2009 11:39:03 AM CDT
Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, hell even 28 Days Later...
by soylentmean
were all achievements in their own right, it's just infuriating (ok, more like annoying) that he got recognized for the schmaltz that was Slumdog Millionaire.
The dance number at the end should have been enough to disqualify Slumdog from contention. -
totally deluded all the dram that came before it. And it was also very stereotypical to do a Bollywood dance routine in a movie about India.
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i checked the list of extras against my 2 disc dvd from when it first came out and they have the same things. so what's this new blu-ray have thats new? and is it actual extras or just more PiP crap that you can't see otherwise?
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If I bought a blu-ray that was little more than a slightly cleaned up version of a film I already owned, well I might get pissed and start throwing babies down wells.
Or maybe just plastic babies into buckets of water. But I'd make sure that water was cold. -
coupon for the Ultimate Edition. They might as well just put a giant blue middle finger on that coupon.
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everyone knows about this Ultimate Edition..buy at your own risk..i will be buying both. thank god i didnt buy the motion comic or the black freighter which will be invcluded in the 5 discer.
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that was before Blue Ray. Why would you buy both Watchmen sets? Won't this version be on the Ultimate?
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that deserve to be nominated this year. I know fall and winter are the big months for oscar movies, but wouldn't you think there'd be one movie worthy of a nomination at this point in the year? One thing's for sure; there are going to be at least two movies in the 10 that are complete crap, much like The Reader.
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Oh yes...and Peter Jackson is one of the worst. Rumor is the LotR blus will only be the theatrical versions and then the extended cuts will be released in a package likely to coincide with The Hobbit. I'm going to have to wait to see LotR on blu as I'm not going to spend what would ultimately amount to a couple hundred dollars for 3 god damned movies. No matter how good they are.And yes, any blu owner or blu considerer, blu-ray.com is packed with info from players to the blurays themselves...prevented me from wasting money on the lackluster releases of many different movies.Still doesn't stop the apparent need to release a great movie on a kick ass format and just shit it onto the disc to get it in stores.Do the work to take advantage of the format studio/distributor asses!
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2? Try 6.
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Harry,
Check out the documentary Anita O'Day - Life Of A Jazz Singer now out on DVD. She was a great artist, with an amazingly empowered sense of herself. And she really sticks it to Bryant Gumble on air. -
'Coraline' isn't out on DVD/Blue Ray in the UK till October! Crap!
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no this is the directors cut with 24 more mintues..the ultimates cut will have the balck frieghter (and more?) incorporated back into it..along with under the hood doc and the motion comic book as well as more im sure..i would use LOTR as a perfect analogy to watchmen dvds..
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Seriously, what films released so far would qualify? The Hurt Locker and Up may sidestep the animated category, although I don't understand that procedure. Besides those two, what?
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Wouldn't that look odd mixed in with the film?
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Have you seen *Public Enemies* yet? Any other year, it would probably fall by the wayside, but this year, it could be a contenda.
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yes it is a cartoon...and we'll see how it does in the mix..im thinking itll be fine..kill bill did it.
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Every Tuesday it's posted. I want to comment. I can't comment until Thursday. By then, I forget. WTF?!
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The oscars have slowly become irrelevent each year. They give best picture awards to shit like Shakespeare in Love and Chicago but fail to give Samuel.L one for supporting actor for Pulp Fiction or even nominate The Dark Knight. They should allow the general public to vote online and award it that way.
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Have not seen it yet, and sadly, I have forgotten about it. It's kind of flown under my radar. You may be right though. In the past a period movie like that would get some acting noms, but not best picture ala The Untouchables.
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when people have the time to absorb the story in their living rooms and fanboys who initially reacted with hatred to what they saw as blasphemy get to re-watch it in their Mom's basements.
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...The Star Wars Prequels AND Indy IV. The premise DOESN'T FUCKING WORK WITHOUT THE COMIC'S ENDING! But noooo, douchebag Snyder and all you shortbus rejects sucking on Snyder's smelly balls INSIST you know better than Alan Fuckin' Moore who only dreamed the fucking thing up in the first place and you, and Snyder, will NEVER fucking understand the logic why the STORY'S CREATOR went with the fake alien attack bloody massacre and NOT the boring "blue boom" alternative and I refuse to explain it for the millionth time. So we get Snyder's COMPLETELY FORGETTABLE, GENERIC ENDING and this completely forgettable, generic movie will not get a single penny more from me. I regret giving it the price of admission that I did. Flame away, mongoloid apologists, I'm done. ::drops mic to the floor walks offstage::
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Finally, I get my Hangover review from Harry. Short: Love Hangover. But makes the point. Thank You.
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Sorry you cannot see the genius of how a godlike being trying to save the world could just as easily be feared by the masses as praised and how they could easily turn against him. It happened before to Jesus whose miracles were parlor tricks compared to Dr. Manhattan's power.
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I just paid basically $24 for that mug at my local WALMART???? WTH you only paid 15? Let me do some investigating. I know Target and BEST BUY had the 2 DISC Directors cut for pretty much 22...so I wasnt all that press since the closes two Target and Best BUYS from me is 45 minutes round trip vs 5 (until a 2 more weeks anyway) but when I hear 15, that gets me a lil heated.
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About the Oscars. I think that their should be a contingent rule for Best Picture winner, in that they review the Best Picture Winner sometime between 5-10 years and do a revote. If it wins again then it's the best picture, but if it loses to one of the other nominies it is stripped of its title for life. Mainly because some films you need to get away from to see their brilliance. They will be stuck with the nominations made that year. So making the category 10 deep, will make for a much more exciting Oscars in 5-10 years. I mean now they really can be a huge upset at the Oscars.
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From Harry's Transformers 2 Review "The well talked about racist foul-mouthed robots that are built in monkey proportions, have a big shiny gold tooth and do nothing to advance the story an inch. It's almost like Michael Bay showed the script to George Lucas and Uncle George let loose with another of his awesomely inappropriate animated racial slurs."
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Sorry!
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no, not really.
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I've been waiting for it to show up at my drive in. Because they just got Transformers 2, but they are showing it with The Hangover (Seen) and Year One (never want to see). And I was hoping they would get Public Enemies this weekend but it was the same god damn three. I really want to see Transformers 2 at a drive in so I can get plastered at the same time.
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everyone off, because everyone is going to have at least one favorite film nominated so they are going to watch it thinking Star Trek or whatever has a shot at winning when in reality it has no shot in hell and no more shot than if it wasn't nominated in the first place.
Series, your idea makes perfect sense, but it assumes that the Oscars mean something anymore. -
But then, it's not really drive-in material is it? Besides, the Tommy
Guns sound too good in surround sound to experience this one over the radio. Unless your ride is pimped, of course. -
vote? Maybe then Transformers 2 will get best picture.
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Any true movie fan would never use a drive in. The screen is big, but the sound is shitty. And who wants to see kids running in front of you all night? Fuck that.
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again, having to suffer through a twenty minute song and dance routine where he parodies all 10 movies. Load bullet in gun now and place to temple.
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So I wanted to see movies I didn't really care about. I figured I would just rent Public Enemies, but if I could see it at the drive in I figured why not. I just didn't want to sit through Year One and The Hangover when I just saw it like a week ago. Also I don't want to see shit like the Proposal or Harry's Potter.
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Or Rock or Stuart. They were all pretty good. Why not get Letterman again, just don't fucking get Jay Leno god what a fucking waste he is, just go do a car show/headlines/jay walking show, leave everything else alone.
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He aint comin' back. They should give it to Leno. He may not be the most exciting choice but Leno would be quick witted and effortless.
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then drive-ins will go completely out of business. There's still a couple here in Michigan. Series 7, just make sure you stay till the last showing, so you're the only drunk driving at 3:45 am.
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to fire Bruce Vilanch or as I like to refer to him, the Philly Phanatic.
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nuff said!
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Too bad nothing has the balls to do this. Either A: Get some homeless person to host and awards show, come on that would be fucking great. Or B: Get someone like Loyd Kaufman or Uwe Boll to host the Oscars. They never will, but could you imagine?
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I used to live right down the street from a closed theater. I always wanted to buy it and make one theater a smoking theater (smoke what you like), and put vending machine in the back. And just show classic smoke flicks.
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Really 3 hours with the chin? God getting through his show just to see a musical performence or the second interview were probably some of the toughest times I've ever had growing up.
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All of Hollywood already knows and feels comfortable with him, people are used to him being in their livingrooms, and yes, Jay, has a very quick wit, years and years of hosting not only the tonight show but countless corporate gigs have taught him to tone his act down for mass consumption (which makes him perfect for the Oscars as well) but Jay came up in the comic circuit when it was still the days of opening up for strippers with a house full of drunks. Leno's got the chops, believe it.
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I know Leno is fine, but his shit is fucking stale and boring as fuck. His jokes are so safe they should only be allowed in stuff rated lower then G. Its just boring.
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The Colbert Nation vs. The Godless Sodomites!!!!
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and I hate that word. It turned a piece of brilliance, designed to work in ONE of the media Moore has mastered, into a superhero movie. 6/10, 7/10 if you're judging on superhero movie criteria.
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Coraline's the best of the best here. Forget that Made in USA crap.
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Jul 21, 2009 4:32:03 PM CDT
WATCHMEN is still the best film of 2009 so far (and by far)
by lavatory love machine
saw it 3 times on theaters and twice on blu ray, hardly unwatchable
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Jul 21, 2009 4:34:07 PM CDT
WATCHMEN REAL DIRECTOR'S CUT ON DECEMBER (225 MINUTES)
by lavatory love machine
it will include the blck freighter plus the scenes with the two Bernies, plus the 5 disc set will have the motion comic disc
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Don't fucking post it on Tuesdays if the talkback won't be enabled until TWO DAYS LATER! I can't for the life of me figure out why Herc does that.
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then we'll settle this sucks/rocks thing...
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This copy of Watchmen doesn't have the Black Frieghter tied in? Fuck that.
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Where's the love Harry?
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What a useless DVD, that was.
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But it does have its moments.
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lavatory, you're obviously living in a different world from most of us, where Snyder made a much better film. I saw it twice and had a slightly higher opinion the second time, but only because I cast off my expectations as an Alan Moore fan.
Personally, I refuse to buy today's release. I'll rent it, then catch the big version end of the year. -
out of context i can see why some people would say that...it would be like picking up any single issue of any comic and diving into it...you have no frame of reference to anything..just what is at hand.what made the black frieghter comic so striking in the BOOK was that it mirrored what was occuring in the "real world", that and the author was on the secluded island building the squid.the cartoon should fare better included in the film, as was its original intentions.
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lockesbrokenleg is a well known twat here at aicn. The best thing to do is avoid any of his desperate grabs for attention, and move on.
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And I still say TBF sucked. It did not work on its own. That's why I said it sucked. That DVD was useless.
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yes as a little short it sucked in your opinion...it NEEDS to be taken in context and put back into the film...when you read the graphic novel, do you ever think of JUST reading the black freighter part..of course not..
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Jul 21, 2009 6:15:08 PM CDT
Well, I don't think the movie worked very well either
by lockesbrokenleg
They spent so much time with the intro in building up the characters, but once we actually met them they were boring, dull, and moody. Overall a shitty movie.
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I think you meant to make that as an "and" and to be concluded by "and the storyline was brilliant to. Unless you're a total tool.
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Anyone who uses a sentence like that is NOT to be taken seriously. Coraline was fantastic, and throwing together some lyrical sounding words does not make you a smart or insightful critic.
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I saw like 2 people in the audience.
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then why would you even waste time with black freighter..
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Jul 21, 2009 6:58:39 PM CDT
I read the Graphic Novel, Six, I wanted to see how it
by lockesbrokenleg
played out on DVD. Why can't I watch it? Do I have to run it by you every damn time I watch something? Fuck off you pretentious asshole.
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That's like getting a Shemp.
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I thought it was pretty funny and overall enjoyable. Yet it was not included in this week's list.
Also I read plenty of comic books and LOVED Watchmen. From what everyone was saying I thought I was going to have to convince myself it was enjoyable but i fucking loved it! Brilliant on blu-ray and if you have a decent sound system TURN THE SPEAKERS UP! -
by all means. if you hated the film so much, i just dont understand why you would want to slog thru the extra stuff...did you watch all the little docs too? im just busting your balls dude lighten up sweetie.
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It was out when the movie was out! IT'S NOT ON THE NEW DISC! YOU ARE A DAMN MORN!!!
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no. the BF came out on DVD after the film came out in the theater..a week after i believe. i dont know when you saw the film but im sure you saw it before the cartoon short. i know it is not on the director's cut disc but will be in december..ive known this for months now...theyve been telling us this for THAT LONG.
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still think both suck. I can't imagine a 25 minute longer version would make anything better.
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Hmmmmmm. Ok, Harry, whatever you say, buddy. Anyway, as a straight man, I wasn't interested in coraline, at all, but i downloaded a dvdrip to see what Harry was talking about, and found the stop motion to be neat, but the storyline far, far too simple for a normal adult mind to be entertained. It's nothing I'd waste my money on. I mean, come on, take look in the fucking mirror, what are you, 14? Watchmen was pretty much the comic, yes, yes without the bloody squid -big deal. It's not a great movie, because it's completely miscast, and that comic, or "graphic novel", as snobs like to call it, is not movie material, it's like trying to make a movie version of a song by Mozart. Of course, idiots everywhere loved it, but the true fanboys know better than to trust Hollywood. Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should. Oh, i have a friend who saw 20 minutes of Avatar a couple of weeks ago in Europe, he said it wasn't all that photo-realistic, you can actually see it's an effect.
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I watched it today. Very stupid.
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There are three groups when it comes to watchmen. 1.Loyalists of the book who probably never gave the movie a fair chance. 2.People who got into the superhero movie genre thanks to Dark Knight and Watchmen was too long and not as accessible as DKnight. 3.People who just appreciate it for the epic story and overall kickassness.
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Sorry, but Watchmen will never be any more than it is.
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Maybe I am just such a fan of the story of Watchmen that I ignore it's faults. I will say that the soundtrack could have included some lesser known songs. That was kind of lazy.
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So, as long as you enjoy it, that is all that matters
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Another technology is coming!!
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lots of people think the same, including Harry and Roger Ebert, guess they live with me in this distant world too, but that's the thing about minority opinions, for example I think the best band in the world is Blind Guardian and you probably never heard of them, if everyone liked it then it wouldn't be so special, the same happened with The Shawshank Redemption, people had the same reaction you did when I used to tell them that it was one of the best movies of all time when it was first released (said I was crazy, said I didn't know anything about movies, distant world, etc) years later everyone seems to agree with what I said at the time(it also happened with Blade Runner and The Shinning to name a couple of movies like Watchmen that regular people needed years to see what was great about it), most people realized that Dark City is great movie years after it was release, I knew it on the opening weekend
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Uh, the new technology is here, its called downloading movies to your hard drive. Some of us have been doing it for a while now. Not sure why anyone would want to spend money to BUY a movie?
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You are SO. FUCKING. COOL. Can I have your taste? Really, so superior to most of the morons at large.
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just finished the theatrical version (rental), and i will be shelling out for the director's cut. would i have liked it less had i read the novel? who fucking knows - i do fail to see how a giant squid could have improved it. seriously, a giant fucking squid? on the issue of blue dick, i also fail to see the point - is there some special meaning to the dude being nude all the time? besides, what idiot is going to fuck around in a machine shop with his johnson out? side note - when your hard drive crashes, then where will you be?
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He's way past the need for clothes. That's the short of it( certainly, no pun intended).
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It's not a squid, that's just geek shorthand. Read the graphic novel if you get a chance and you will understand. Or don't. If you liked the movie on it's own good for you.
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not everyone has good taste or understands it, otherwise there wouldn't be concepts like good and bad taste, Blade Runner needed a decade to get the respect it deserves, it was ahead of its time and most people couldn't process it, it's just the same with Watchmen, you'll see in a few years, and I got tell you it's not nice for people who can see greatness right away when the rest catch up, I can't tell you how it pisses me off when now everyone talks about how great Firefly was and how evil Fox cancelled it, where were they when the show needed audience? too busy watching fucking Survivor or Friends, it's a relieve that Alan Moore didn't write any sequels or spin offs because they wouldn't get made
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I saw it at a NYC movie theatre over the weekend. They played it in DLP.The longer cut is fantastic. I honestly wish the theatrical version didn't exist. This one makes it a much stronger film.
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Seriously, who are these people?
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Jul 22, 2009 9:49:15 AM CDT
For the last time, *Blade Runner* & *Watchmen* are NOT comparabl
by sadcadillac
The former is a enduring classic, while the latter is an overhyped blip. And NO amount of time is ever going to change that.
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I fall into Gigy's #3 slot. I was very impressed with it. I'm not really a fanboy or have read the comic but I am aware of it. I thought it was a really cool,unique and different movie. I like stuff that takes you by surprize and this one did.
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To anyone who's seen the theatrical version and the director's cut do they develop Ozymandias' character any more? And explain his mutant pet?
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Saw it last night. I honestly thought it was a complete waste of time. I really must be missing something since quite a few of you call it the best of 2009. Please explain.
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is supposedly 5 disc set and will include the Black Freighter storyline integrated into the Directors Cut of the film... Gonna wait to pick up that version...
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Considering I often agree with Ebert, and usually fall into the same range of opinion, I thought he, too, was on another planet when I read his review of "Watchmen." I don't need years to develop a positive opinion of the film; two viewings of the theatrical cut were sufficient. It's not in the same league as "The Shawshank Redemption" and shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as "Blade Runner," both of which I enjoyed greatly and saw as very special while in the theater. Zack Snyder cannot begin to approach the genius of Ridley Scott. He does not handle human emotion with anything near the clarity of Frank Darabont. He is a competent director who, I hope, will learn as he ages. Perhaps some day he'll make a film that approaches "Blade Runner," but "Watchmen" is not that film.
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I take it back. I won't be buying that. I figured it was just a longer cut, with "Black Freighter."
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Just watched it. Really good movie. Check it out.
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I am a huge fan of the GN and movie of Watchmen. But I must agree that the movie ending was weak. Regardless of whether the original ending would have worked or not, the replacement ending was boring and illogical.Ozymandias and Silk Spectre were poorly cast. Apart from that, I quite enjoyed the movie.
But, yeah, Watchmen purists aren't gonna like the movie, I think I can live with it because the new ending was very, very obvious from the previews, so I knew what to expect. As is, the movie is too intellectual for the "dumb action" Transformers fans, but not "deep" enough for the hardcores.
Also, I know enough not to buy a DVD until Black Freighter is included.
Coraline (in 3-d) was sold out twice when I tried to see it. When I finally did, I found the movie extremely beautiful and a joy to watch, but the story was boring and I kind of fell asleep.
Neil Gaiman, I am sad to say, is beginning to suffer from Frank Miller syndrome, believing his own hype, getting carried away with certain aspects of his style to the overall detriment of his storytelling. I haven't really liked anything he's written lately (like, this decade basically). He sure USED to be awesome, though. -
Loved the comic. Loved the MOTION comic.
But Snyder is really one of the worst directors in Hollywood working today right next to Baz "Australia" Lurhman. -
I'm not comparing Watchmen to Shawshank or Blade Runner in terms of quality but rather in that those movies didn't receive wide recognition until years after they were release and the same will happen with Watchmen..........in terms of quality I'm comparing it to Dark City, which also needed years to be view as the great movie it is, when it first came out most people didn't know what to make of it.......what's sad is that all the people saying that it's terrible, boring, etc, will start to like it and love in a few years but the problem is that when that happens they will say they liked it all along
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the movie will be longer than the july DC but not only because of the black freighter but also with all the connecting scenes with the Bernies, where they discuss the state of things before cutting to the comic, it will last around 225 min....the fake doc under the hood will be included as an extra....one of the discs will be the complete motion comic, already available on blu ray as stand alone edition, which is always good to have....it will have a new two hour doc with Snyder and Gibbons and other new extras but it won't have any of the features on the july edition....it will available from december to june'10 and then will be discontinue....no info on price or if it will inclide the other two versions of the movie....I will recommend renting this one and wait
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Fair enough. Although I don't think Dark City is great. Good, yes.
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And don't tell me I have to read the fucking comic.
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Although it's not a Kingdom of Heaven DC that makes the movie that much better. It's more along the lines of the Troy DC. Still, I love the movie. I'm happy it was made.
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Yeah, I read the comic, and I actually think (GASP!!) the movie improved on it by getting rid of that retarded squid. If fanboys had their way, movies would appeal to them and no one else. However, there was an awesome chapter about Rorschach and the shrink that was severely truncated in the movie, and I recommend it for that.
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won't matter. If in 2008 this rule was in effect, and TDK and WALL*E made the cut, SLUMDOG still would have won.
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...I dropped $5.99 today to see Watchmen again on OnDemand in HD. A more painful experience could not be had. Snyder just botched this thing on every possible level. But at least I know better than to drop $30+ on the BluRay now. Thanks OnDemand, for once you didn't do something that sucks.
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Jul 22, 2009 8:56:49 PM CDT
"...but it won't have any of the features on the july edition"
by big jim
That's my biggest peeve regarding double-dipping. They come out with an "ultimate edition" (or whatever it's called) 6 months later, and while it has features not available on the previous version, it lacks many of that were on it. Improve on the new release, don't take away from it! Addition, not substitution!
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...f*ck the "squid", it's not even about the squid. The real f*ckup was the idiotic portrayal of Ozymandias as evil Eurotrash and getting rid of the final conversation between him and Dr. Manhattan. Also the addition of the moronic "Nite Owl loses it and tries to beat up and lecture Ozy" scene. But of course, those are only a few of the massive problems with Snyder's "vision". It was all-around hack work and everyone knows it now.
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...yeah but even in context in the film, the Black Freighter won't work. The author of TBF ISN'T on the island helping to create the squid in Snyder's version, there is no squid or author character, so the whole Black Freighter story loses it's relevance and ends up being just superfluous, badly-animated wanking.
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Jul 22, 2009 9:54:51 PM CDT
" Oliver Stone’s script is harrowing, human and it never has a d
by bigtuna
WHAT? It's complete horseshit Harry! Everyone knows that. Stone even admitted that. The ending is such bullshit and unbelievable. It ruins the movie. Majority of it never happened to Billy.
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It was a good effort but from what I know, Watchmen was supposed to be a realistic take on superheroes... Snyder didn't take that road while directing the film... would've love to see what Greengrass or Aronofsky would've done
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Manhattan's new ability to see into people's minds and project his thoughts and memories into them, created as an expository device. I thought part of the beauty of Watchmen was that Jon had complete control over the physical world, but the human mind was still something of a mystery.
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I thought Coraline was an absolutely magical film. I was lucky enough to see it in 3d, and, as with most of the Digital 3d movies, the technology supported the film, instead of overwhelming it. The film was moving and scary, really just an excellent film.
I saw Watchmen without having read the graphic novel. I actually bought the Absolute Watchmen book, but waited until after I saw the film to read it. I think Watchmen is one of those movies that will increase in importance as time goes on. It makes all sorts of odd choices, like the Nixon makeup, and the tone can alter radically from scene to scene. Sill, the film worked, and operated at a level substantially higher than most. In my view, the best films are those that reach for the stars, which few "perfect" films ever do. Look at Apocalypse Now, especially the Redux, or even Godfather II, the plot of which is essentially impossible to understand without multiple viewings. When you ski, if you don't fall down, you aren't skiing hard enough, you are just coasting. Snyder never coasts during Watchmen, it is always completely dedicated to its vision. It is kinky, funny, incredibly violent, dour, depressed, lovely, all at once. I would actually put it in my top 50 films of all time (and my list would contain Weekend,Stagecoach Rio Grande, The Searchers, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, My Darling Clementine...yes, I am a John Ford "whore" to use Harry's term). I have a fairly exhaustive knowledge of the history of film, and a schitzo viewpoint (I like Segal films for example, one of which I might watch as part of a double feature with Goddard's "My Life to Live"). I think if you didn't like Watchmen, you might want to give it another try, or several more. Having watched it three times, I am amazed at the way it plays differently each time. Really a great film. -
prisons. So, the movie is not completely faithful to the book. Oh, wow, that's something new. Did you ever think that Oliver Stone did other research about other people's experiences in Turkish prisons and incorporated that into his screenplay?
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Ozymandias. I don't think he was developed enough in the film. Especially given that he is the big bad. I disagree, however, with the final fight scene. You needed some type of final action sequence in the movie.
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I think it was Ebert who said that Nixon should have only been shown on tv in the movie and that those scenes totally took you out of the film's world.
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The Blu-ray edition has a problem with the Maximum Movie Mode. Mine skips badly to the point where I can't watch it, and there are many other stories online saying the same thing. DO NOT BUY THE BLU-RAY UNTIL THIS IS FIXED. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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Don't automatically assume that fans of the book didn't give this movie a chance. Many of us were ridiculously excited for this film adaptation so don't pigeon-hole us. The reason many people did not like the film wasn't for the fact that some squid wasn't it but was due to the fact that the film missed the point in many areas. To start, the look of the film was extremely polished. Snyder said the movie would resemble David Fincher's Seven and it was just too glossy. Another thing was the action sequences. Aside from the final battle between Rorschach, Nite Owl and Ozymandias and the apartment sequence where Rorscach is captured every other sequence fell flat. There was no sense of danger. The prison sequence was just crap, the scene where Laurie and Dan are attacked in the alley was so gratuitous and over-the-top as well as the opening scene involving the Comedian's death. Those scenes may have been visually stunning but they miss the purpose and feeling that those scenes were meant to portray. The film had its moments (everything involving Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan's beautiful time-skipping sequence and the great montage set to Bob Dylan's Time are a-Changing. But the fact is Snyder missed the tones and was unable to comprehend and conveys the themes and moods of several sequences. I think this was probably the best opportunity and situation to make a great adaptation but Snyder failed. And how can anyone say the ending was good when it centered around the miscasted and underdeveloped Ozymandias. If they got him right it would have been a different story and could have easily convinced me that the ending worked but that was one of the major flaws that makes this movie mediocre. Good try though. But you can only master what you first understand.
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What would have been a better alternative; Wolverine? Bayformers 2?? Hell naw! Snyder did his best with the source material that he had to work with and made it almost flawless. you fanboys need to stop your bitching and appreciate the efforts that WB made to get this film released. (especially considering the lawsuit that was filed by Fox to stop the post production release.)some fuckers are never satisfied i tell ya.
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I rented Watchmen yesterday and I have the same opinion of it that I did the comic book (please, let's call it what it is: a comic book -- no need to be pretentious). It was ok; nothing spectacular. I think my main problem with the film, aside from not being a huge fan of the comic, is that it was a little too faithful. It lacked any sort of vision, instead merely throwing panels from the comic up on screen. That is quite lazy filmmaking.
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That was a LONG TIME AGO.
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I haven't gone back and watched them side by side yet. But in the theatrical version of Watchmen, they made it look like Dan prematurely ejaculated in his awkward attempted sex attempt with Laurie. It got a big laugh in the theater. In the comic it was very much a matter of he couldn't get it up. I remember complaining about this in a talkback a while back. The impotence was symptomatic of Dan's inability to cope with the world without his costume. In the Director's Cut it looks like they took out the over eager beaver boy and put the impotence back in. It's no giant squid, but hey I think it's an improvement. Bravo Zack.
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I can't decide whether or not to buy this thoroughly entertaining but utterly forgettable movie unless I find out if the same screenwriter who begged us on this website to go see the movie in its 2nd weekend, will beg us again to buy the video. That shit was funny.
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They just don't fit. The movie's alright. Only alright. An unenthusiastic alright.
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Can't wait!
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