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The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day can’t remember what its parents look like.
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
It’s Fourth of July Weekend, so how about a little WW2 patriotism for this fine Sunday?
I’ve got young Christian Bale for you guys today from Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, one of his more overlooked dramas. DGDB and his Ain’t It Bale News cohorts, this one’s for you!
Ah, the good old days… back when DPs were respectful of actors’ eyelines and everybody was professional. Seriously, though… Empire of the Sun is great stuff, with young Bale showing the potential of the actor he would become.
Thanks to Chad Rouch for sending this one along!
If you have a behind the scenes shot you’d like to submit to this column, you can email me at quint@aintitcool.com.
Tomorrow’s behind the scenes pic should be fairly obvious.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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Readers Talkback
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...already a cocky little guy, wasn't he? Well, that or just being a kid on a movie set, I guess.
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Looks like he's just hanging on the back of the chair. Childhood Bale wins!
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Outstanding.
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Cadillac of the sky!
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Maybe if Spielberg decides to do that Interstellar project that has been rumored for so long. I could see Bale doing something like that, a cerebral sci-fi thriller. Once TDKR is done, and Spielberg is finished with his Lincoln biopic, maybe they'll both have schedules that line up?
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I saw this movie when it came out and was absolutely blown away by Mr. Bale's performance. I've followed his work since then and have been continually impressed with him. When I heard he was on the short list for Batman, my belief in the project elevated; when he was chosen for the role, my expectations soared. Say what you will about his Batman voice, he plays the role perfectly. Now excuse me, I must go practice my Gun Kata. ;~) ??Pseudo?? Out.
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Horrible, HORRIBLE movie, and it's going to be a milestone in Bale's career for all the wrong reasons. But hey, the guy's spent the last two years apologizing profusely. When's the last time you heard David O Russell act the tiniest bit humble?
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...because I'm a big JG Ballard fan? Thanks, Quint, you shouldn't have!
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Did David Moscow and he split the vote?
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July 3, 2011, 1:16 p.m. CST
He's smiling because he just got done trashing his trailer
by MooseMalloy
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If it wasn't for this film, then we wouldn't have the king of drama Spielberg we have today. No empire=no schindlers list or SPR
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One of the best Spielberg-movies. But it's so weird to see the young Bale. I mean...Weird. You know what I mean?
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Yankee Doodle Dandy? Or will it be that shitty Born on the Fourth of July movie? Cagney beats Cruise any day.
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Independence Day? Gotta be, right?
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In this picture he kind of looks like his drugged out character in The Fighter. Weird.
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for some reason there is love shown for Live Free or Die Hard. That would be a curve ball.
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Golly, he's thin!
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Which I plan to watch tonight.
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July 3, 2011, 2:32 p.m. CST
"Empire of the Sun" is in the top 5 of Spielberg's films for me - absolutely incredible, criminally under-seen and underrated film. One of the best movies ever made, imho.
by WONKABAR
SECONDED
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In the end, there's nothing there. Great production, especially the Shanghai siege, but Spielberg is wandering around in the period trying to strike at themes and evoke emotions which fall flat at every turn. I commented on why more elaborately in the last EMPIRE OF THE SUN BTS, here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47533 The sequence of Bale pummeling the dead Japanese kid is oddly like Eric Bana's humping bit in MUNICH, now that I think of it. Ick.
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Oh yes, please! great movie...
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July 3, 2011, 3:32 p.m. CST
This is oneof those very few movies that makes me cry. Every timei have sen this movie. And i have seen it for 25 years already.
by AsimovLives
It never fails. By the end, i'm crying. Very few movies gives me such an emotional impact by it's ending. And it's not beczause of one or that scene. It's the cumulative effect. Things build and build. until that scenewhen Jim's parents find him and he looks at them and can't even recognize them anymore, only finally figuring out thnaks to details, like his mother's hair. Dammit, this movie is... i can't describe the impact it has on me. Anmd then i heard some limpdicks belittle it and tell it's a flawed movie. Flawed movie my ass. It is, in fact, Spielberg's greatest technical and artistic achievement in his career. It is spielberg's greatest artistic achievement in his career. He might have made a few other better movies, but as art, Spielberg never made this good ever again. And it's one of his few movies where the emotions are sincere and not acheived through mawkishness or cheap manipulation. A great movie. A great movie through and through.
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You are a JG Ballard fan? Fucking hell of awesome! Is there no end to your awesomeness? I owe you a cool beer, brand of your chosing.
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July 3, 2011, 3:37 p.m. CST
JG Ballard did wrote a sequel to EMPIRE OF THE SUN. It's called THE KINDNESS OF WOMEN
by AsimovLives
Same character, 20 years later, set in 60s London. It's the story of a young man and his sexual life in the swinging 60s, and the impact his intermentship during WWII had on his life and attitude toward life and women. I'd love to see Spielberg and Bale do that (Bale is now of the right age to retake the role of Jim as a young adult), and it would be great tos ee spielberg tackle a subject he never did before, the sex life of a young man set in england of the 60s. It would be quite a challenge to Spielberg, and he always exels when he's challenged outside his confort zone.
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Spielberg's EOTS is narrative fiction, so tell me what the film's central theme is, and one or two of it's messages. I'm still in the dark.
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July 3, 2011, 3:45 p.m. CST
Asi, I love Ballard's Crash more than the Cronenberg film. And I love the Cronenberg film.
by THE_CHOPPAH
Have you read Concrete Island? It's on my ever-growing list of books to read.
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And to Professionals everywhere.
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Nice one Quint. Truly professional.
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Nothing. Else. Matters.
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Well-done trailer, but I doubt Spielberg will take it any further than, "War is beautiful, war is hell, poor horsie".
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Did Jesus email it to you.
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I need to re-watch it baked.
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A childhood fucked up by the follies of adults? Just watch the bloody movie, friend.
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the theme of EOTS is about growing from a child into a man and in Jamie's case being forced into adulthood before he is truly ready. He starts as a spoiled rich kid and ends the film beaten down by what he's experienced to the point that anything from his childhood "his parents" seems foreign to him. He's a kid who had his childhood life stripped away from him and in the end when he finally remembers his mother and closes his eyes he can allow himself to finally regain some of what he's lost.
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I have read the first third of CONCRETE ISLAND. I left it to pick up latter, and it's 10 years since. But the book is quite good, make no mistake. Or at least what i read so far. It's also pretty surreal. I think that both the book and the movie CRASH complement each other very well. As a film adaptation the movie is brillant.
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I'll take that as, "I don't have a clue," which is understandable, since Spielberg's dramas are intended to be experiences and little else. "War is beautiful, war is hell, poor Jim".
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That's not a theme nor a message, it's a plot summary. Thanks!
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the theme is the loss of childhood and being forced into the adult world...that's a theme...the plot would be Jim gets separated from his parents during a war and lives in an internment camp
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is almost identical to Mystic River or Sleepers...except EOTS has a more uplifting ending...those movies depress the shit out of me
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pre-beard? Not up on my evolution of Spielberg appearances.
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July 3, 2011, 5:05 p.m. CST
So sorry you think I'm being an ass for stating the obvious
by justmyluck
Loss of childhood is a topic, but not what I'd call a self-supporting theme. If EOTS had the self-restraint and subtleties of Louis Malle's AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (released that year), I'd give it a pass, but EOTS is spectacle and manipulation. Here's a portion of what I posted for the last EOTS/Bale BTS. If you can debate it, I'd be happy to engage, ass free! --Nov 21, 2010 11:14:59 PM CST I saw "Empire of the Sun" in 70mm (twice) when it came out, and it left me with mixed feelings. The production value, period, crowd control and casting were excellent. The big problem was that it never connected emotionally - I did give it a try twice. I think this was due to many scenes being overplayed to the nth with dramatic/iconic "Amazing Stories"-era string pluckings from Spielberg. I think the faults can be summarized in one story thread, as Jim watches the dead Mrs. Victor become ILM'd in a sacred glow, and followed by a god-shot of the American nuke strike. ILM gives us ANOTHER shot of Jim looking up as the atmosphere glows from the blast (to drive home that Jim thinks he is watching a heavenly ascension). Then later, we get ANOTHER close-up of Jim proclaiming to the camera something like, "I thought the atom bomb was Mrs. Victor going to heaven". This is basically how the whole movie distributes its messages - like an opening shot of a military vessel plowing through floating coffins...and flower petals... underscored with choir!!! But, wait - we get it AGAIN, with a resurrection scene (!) where Jim goes on about the atom bomb as god's light while his empowered, sun-backlit hands glide down to bring a "Jap" back to life! John Williams rises up while the sun flares nearly blind our eyes as Jim pummels away!!
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July 3, 2011, 5:16 p.m. CST
"respectful of actors’ eyelines".....what the fuck are you talking about?
by Mel
Do you even know what that means? Based on the way you said it...I would guess not.
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Best idea you've ever had. Spielberg, make that film. Right after you co-produce the next Abrams Trek.
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July 3, 2011, 5:23 p.m. CST
melgibsoncalledmethenword: It's regarding the Bale flip-out
by justmyluck
Bale was recorded going into a rant about trying to concentrate, while the DP was adjusting lights in his line of sight.
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July 3, 2011, 5:31 p.m. CST
TODAY'S BTS SHOULD BE TERMINATOR 2 AS IT CAME OUT 20 YEARS AGO TODAY QUINT YOU WORTHLESS FAT CUNT!!!
by CreepyThinMan
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Seems like yesterday I picked up that Cinefex mag - which I'm now perusing! AICN skipped the RAIDERS and CLASH OF THE TITANS 30ths, as well. Here's some T2 auto-BTS's, Quint-free! http://www.ilm.com/_img/bts/t2_bts_001.jpg http://www.ilm.com/_img/bts/t2_bts_001.jpg http://www.ilm.com/_img/bts/t2_bts_002.jpg http://www.ilm.com/_img/bts/t2_bts_003.jpg http://www.ilm.com/_img/bts/t2_bts_004.jpg http://www.ilm.com/_img/bts/t2_bts_005.jpg
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You know things are getting bad for AICN when most of the entries on the main page are "Behind the scene photos of the day" entries. What, AICN can't get any cool news any more?
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Lacked an edge....Chrisitian Bale was the lead...I was wondering why the film was still lingering in the "delete?" space of my memory.
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July 3, 2011, 6:43 p.m. CST
jameswest, THE AICN WRITERS ARE TOO BUSY SUCKING HOLLYWOOD STUDIO COCK THESE DAYS TO REPORT ANYTHING.....
by CreepyThinMan
You think the guys who run this site are just fanboys reporting news? Sorry but, no, they're craven parasites who use their access to kiss as much ass as possible because they see it as their ticket towards a cushy studio job.
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July 3, 2011, 6:45 p.m. CST
Whenever I have a DP I am always respectful of the girl's eyeliner.
by Surfaces_are_supposed_to_be_FLAT
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When I think of all of the films that have been nominated for a BEST PICTURE Oscar... ...this one (Empire of the Sun) was robbed. Great pic!
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Yet CHICAGO won Best Picture? Go figure.
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THE DISASTER AREA is a favorite collection.
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let´s face it, even Bruce Wayne is just a variation of his American Psycho persona (which coincidentally is just a facet of the actor himself as we all know now). The guy couldn´t act his way out of a paperbag.
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For those that may not know. EOTS was an autobiographical book by JG Ballard. "Jim" is JG and pretty well the book is faithful to the actual events. The movie has some variances in the way he gets split from his parents and where his parents spent the war. If I recall correctly, in the book (real life) they were in another camp and suffered pretty badly too, but in the movie I think they got out of Shanghai and did ok until they came back for young Jim. Anyway, the book is really good, as is the movie. The score is awesome too, although the Cadillac of the Skies track on the Soundtrack is NOT the one from the movie.
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Star Trek was never a Dreamworks gig, and never will.
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As much as i love EMPIRE OF THE SUN, the movie that won the oscar that year was also the excelent THE LAST EMPEROR. With such a grat movie as the winne,r i don't think MEPIRE OF THE SUN was robbed. It just had the bad luck to have such a great competition.
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Let’s face it most of Hollywood is one note. Jack Nicolson always plays the same person but everyone sucks his cock. There is a difference between being versatile and being bad.
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Directors the whole world over disagree with you. I rather take their opinion of Mr Bale's talent over yours, if you don't mind.
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July 4, 2011, 2:16 a.m. CST
According to JG Ballard, it took him about 40 years to write EMPIRE OF THE SUN.
by AsimovLives
He said the first 20 years after his interment he tried to forget all about it. Then it took him 20 years to remember it all back again. Ballard never claim that the book is fully autobiographical. He said the book was something inbetween, between an autobiography and a work of fiction. Well, Ballard had a peculiar type of approach to writing, in which his stories looked autobiographical but fictional as well. In CRASH, he used his own name and elements from his own life for the main character.
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fact
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It's that simple. And - yeah. Right. Sure. EOTS is "empty". Yeah. OK. If anything it's too full. The frickin' costume party scenes would be their own damn movie in the hands of some French asshole. Hell, the two (or is it three) refrigerator shots carry more worthwhile content than von Trier's entire opus. The Bale / Malkovich relationship is one of the best-done Boy / (Surrogate) Father relationships ever - up there with fucking BOYS TOWN. I could go on. I think it's enough to say that Spielberg builds a more insightful and touching coming-of-age friendship between two characters who NEVER SPEAK than Abrams got out of the entire cast of SUPER 8 (as just one counter-example).
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July 4, 2011, 7:51 a.m. CST
Speaking of Ballard anyone read High Society?
by harryknowlesnothingaboutfilm
Good book and apparently one of the influences for the film Die Hard (apart from the original book nothing lasts forever by Roderick Thorp which is a fantastic book execept for the War flashbacks which go on far too long) The body going out of the widow and landing on car is straight out of High Society
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They're already sucking each others dicks. I bet one sucks while the other says "Abrams is a hack! I hate Abrams, Star Trek blows, yes, like YOOUUUUUUUU!" Haha!
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"Empire of the Sun" fucking rocked! Bale is awesome!!!
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how sane and coherent asimovlives can seem when he's not talking about JJ Abrams
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July 4, 2011, 12:13 p.m. CST
Lord Bale should do a movie with charlie sheen and eddie murphy
by sonnyhooper
...some kinda of screwball action comedy. something like "pineapple express" meets "team america", only without drug humor or puppets. it would be fucking epic.
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Tell us the truth: You want to hang out with us. Why don't you just ask? You are invited, of course.
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I'm sane and coherent when i talk about JJ Abrams and his Abrams Trek movie. You just think otherwise because you don't like to see me (deservedly) throw shit at a movie and filmmaker you like.
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I actually dug that comeback, you have some respect from me. However, I still put you in Choppah's category for Star Trek bashing, not only was he a toolbag to Orci and made no logical argument against Orci's thought out arguments, but he was completely disrespectful. I have no respect for him. However, I'm well aware of your stance on Nolan and I don't understand why your sense with Nolan doesn't translate to your bashing of Star Trek? If someone hates Star Trek, that's cool, but I just haven't read a single sensible, example backed argument as to why they hated it. Choppah's a toolbag, why you think he has sense is beyond me. But again, solid comeback above, props.
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THIS IS TALKBACK, AIN'T NOBODY CLEAN! FILL YOUR HANDS YOU SONOFABITCH! Orci is a good sport.
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You probably haven't heard of it.
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These gladiatorial cesspools of dialogue we all navigate have certain rules. They are not explicitly stated, but are quickly learned at one's own peril. There is an ebb and flow...a give and take here. There are consequences....sometimes never to be the same. Anyway....as I was saying, talkbacking here parallels the themes of TRUE GRIT quite nicely. To illustrate: Mattie plunges head-strong into what starts as a quest for justice against the protests of just about everyone else around her. However, she pretty much does just fine until she kills Tom Cheney, turning justice into vengeance. He was at her mercy, and she had proven that she was not afraid to throw down on him. However, as soon as she MURDERS him, she literally falls into a nest of vipers. Like she said at the beginning, we ALL pay for our actions in this world. She never had even a SECOND for any sense of satisfaction. As she said in her delirious state "He's getting away." As soon as she made that decision for revenge over justice, she was in the wrong, and paid. Beside that, you also have the nicer thread of how we can affect those around us for the better, as evidenced by the arcs of Cogburn and LaBeouf. Don't you see? We are ALL little Matties, plunging headlong into this adventure of talkbacking, suffering the slings and arrows; and oftentimes, the triumphs and connections that are forged. But perhaps I digress. By the way...TRUE GRIT and INGLORIOUS BASTERDS would make absolutely sublime back-to-back viewing for the dialogue alone.
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Cuz he always makes my points for me. Choppah, you fucking knucklehead, Orci owned your ass and made you look like a fucking two year old when you countered his arguments with "Fuck you and your piece of shit Star Trek movie, you suck you hack!" I'm really surprised you didn't follow your bullshit up with "Poopoo head." And you're right, this is talkback, which generally includes arguments. Why don't you try bringing some next time? And BTW, you know you're only choking the chicken when watching Future Boy Conan!!!!!!
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What were YOU waxing, again?
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Cuz she fucking needed it! Sorry I had to lower myself to your playground insult standards, I'm not proud of it. BTW, your True Grit philosophical waxing was your best attempt at supported material argumentation. Too bad it still translates to bullshit. But hey, at least you're trying.
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You're never going to get a straight (in the sexual and argumentative senses) answer out of the Choppahs.
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Also, it seems Choppah doesn't think argumentation is a word.
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for 'lowering yourself' to my standards. After all, you came charging in with a nice little word-picture of Asi and myself fellating each other. You were already on my level from the start. We call that self-awareness. Try it sometime. Patriotically CHOPPED.
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or he will not chop thee quickly in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy geriatric wits shall be devoured, and thy shriveled mind be left naked forever before all of Talkbackdom.
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The first 30 minutes are excellent, but then it becomes a pretty bad Spielberg movie... overly sentimental, unrealistic, sappy, overlong, forces emotions down your throat. I agree with the person above, it was an empty film for me. What started as engaging ended up, well, I was completely removed from the film. Bale gave a great performance, everyone did really especially Malkovich, but it just... didn't... come off as genuine or real. I'm still impressed with what Spielberg did in Schindler's List when you compare it to something like Empire of the Sun.
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There, end of the lesson.
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My sensible posts, as you call it, in regard to Abrams Trek were mostly made 2 years ago at thetime when the movie was released. At a tiem when i still had enough pacience in dealing with the Abrams Fanboy Zombies. Until i finaly could not take their shit any longer and snaped at themand their precious shitty movie and the hackboy who made it. As for Orci, he deserves any shit said to him. He coems in here to be adored and have his ass kissed. So it's good that somebody kicks his ass instead and calls out for the prima-donna egomaniac that he is. Contrary to what he believes, he doesn't own our asses.
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There is so much wrong about your coments about EMPIRE OF THE SUN that i barely have words to describe why and can't evne decide where i would start. My mind is boggling hard!
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I KNOW! GOD HELP ME, I DON'T SHARE YOUR OPINION!!!! Never thought people would be pretentious about Empire of the Fucking Sun, but then again, it's really the best kinda movie to be pretentious about. An unpopular movie made by one of the most popular directors out there. But no need to be all "you can't have that opinion about this!!!!!" sanctimonious. There is an underrated Spielberg movie that's one of the best he ever made... AI.
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A little... ...but I prefer them over dubbed. *rimshot* :D
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I see that the word "pretentious" is being misused again in it's use to put down a great movie and the people who like and acknowledge it for the great movie that is. today it's EMPIRE OF THE SUN. If i had 5 bucks for each misuse of the word "pretentious" in here, i would be rich beyond my wildest dreams.
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Over-dubbed or over-dumbed?
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that film is brutal, and Bale is a revelation.
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July 4, 2011, 6:52 p.m. CST
i don't give a fuck if anyone bashes abrams, star trek,
by Thunderbolt Ross
or whatever. I merely note, along with many others, that asimovlives sounds like a raving lunatic when talking about jj abrams in any capacity.
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was watching Batman earlier on, after looking at the Burton BTS photo. Remembered that i'd never watched Batman and Robin so i'm streaming it now, and I have to say i'm fucking astonished. How did WB allow filming to continue on this thing? How was it not shut down?<P> Asimov, I didn't know that. Stands to reason it was good.
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There is so much wrong about your coments about EMPIRE OF THE SUN that i barely have words to describe why and can't evne decide where i would start.
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There is so much wrong about your coments about EMPIRE OF THE SUN that i barely have words to describe why and can't evne decide where i would start.
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There is so much wrong about your coments about EMPIRE OF THE SUN that i barely have words to describe why and can't evne decide where i would start. = pretentious, adjective, 1) characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, 2) making an exaggerated outward show. Hell, you're even pretentious ABOUT the word pretentious. "Oh you don't know what that means, I'm so much smarter than you, my taste is better than yours, I'm wittier than you." It's amazing, really. A feat of nature. AsimovLives, your self-importance is so great planets orbit around you. And AICN... you're fucking website sucks cock harder every single day. Suddenly I post something and only the first sentence posts? Really? You joke that we're all stuck coming here, but I frequent far less than I used to and if your code keeps getting shittier, I see no reason to give a fuck about AICN at all. The only reason ANY of us come here is for the talkbacks that are, admittedly, unique, and even classy compared to trash like imdb or Youtube. But I swear... this fucking site sucks. Period. There are a lot of great coders out there out of work or looking for good work, HIRE ONE OF THEM. You've also removed the ability to use quotes, ever. Mystifying. Your site kinda sucked before (html coding I'm talking, strictly technical) but it got the job done, now you've pulled a Final Cut Pro X and just broken a lot of stuff that didn't need fixing in the first place.
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July 5, 2011, 12:16 p.m. CST
asimovlives : Wow. for all your BS about unspohisticated audiences:
by Playkins
You couldn't even break down Empire of the Sun into its high-level theme.<P> Next time someone asks you: Loss of Innocence.
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Other indicator: He apparently likes Asimov.
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Three times the charm? And really, you can't expect to get away with your bitching about people who love EMPIRE OF THE SUN are pretentious. It's absurd. We enjoy it because it is a great movie, no matter if you like it or not. You are missing out of a great movie because of your misinformed opinion of what constitutes pretentiousness. It's not pretentious to like EMPIRE OF THE SUN, it's just loving a truly good movie for the good movie that it is. Whenever i see people like you call others who like a movie like EMPIRE OF THE SUN as pretentious, i have to conclude you have only see garbage dumbed down blockbusters the whole life. You have absolutly no ideas what a real pretentious movie is like. No idea. On one hand it's good, because you saved yourself that trouble. on the other hand, it fails you to have a good measure stick to know what real pretentious cinema and real pretentious audience types are really like. You have a gap in film knowledge there, friend. Let me put it this way: you have an askewed view of cinema, too much influenced by dumb blockbusters blockbusters. It's as if you were raised an extreme right winger that0's so far into the right that for you a republican would look like a socialist to you.
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I didn't even tried. I just gave the very basics. You're mistaking me for somebody else. A JJ Abrams fan, perhaps.
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July 5, 2011, 2:27 p.m. CST
asimovlives: what about that movie in your mind makes it broadly appealing?
by Playkins
A good movie, for sure. But tell me that the average american family is going to want to sit through the 3 hours of war, internment, abandonment, and atrocity depicted.<P> I find your last post particularly interesting because you are illustrating an opinion that you yourself have argued against with me:<P> "We enjoy it because it is a great movie, no matter if you like it or not. You are missing out of a great movie because of your misinformed opinion of what constitutes pretentiousness. It's not pretentious to like EMPIRE OF THE SUN, it's just loving a truly good movie for the good movie that it is."<P> Let me change a few words, maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from:<P> "We enjoy it because it is a FUN movie, no matter if you like it or not. You are missing out of a FUN movie because of your misinformed opinion of what constitutes INTELLIGENT CINEMA. It's not UNINTELLIGENT to like <INSERT POPCORN FLICK TITLE>, it's just loving a FUN movie for the FUN movie that it is."<P> See, we don't see things so differently after all.
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Let me put it this way: you have an askewed view of cinema, too much influenced by dumb blockbusters blockbusters. - AsimovLives AsimovLives, AICN poster = pretentious pretentious, adjective, 1) characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, 2) making an exaggerated outward show. Also, let this be of note that this is the first time I've ever been accused of only liking blockbusters. Ha... ha... haha...
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July 6, 2011, 1:27 a.m. CST
you can't expect to get away with your bitching about people who love EMPIRE OF THE SUN are pretentious.
by Winston Smith
Oh, and just to clarify, I never said people who like Empire of the Sun are pretentious. I said YOU are pretentious in the way you expressed your opinion. Remember, it all began here... There is so much wrong about your coments about EMPIRE OF THE SUN that i barely have words to describe why and can't evne decide where i would start. And I said: Never thought people would be pretentious about Empire of the Fucking Sun, but then again, it's really the best kinda movie to be pretentious about. (Note I'm still referring more to your tone than the actual film; having an opinion alone never makes one pretentious or this or that or whatever). And you said: I see that the word "pretentious" is being misused again in it's use to put down a great movie and the people who like and acknowledge it for the great movie that is. today it's EMPIRE OF THE SUN. And thus we end up here, with you, AsimovLives, acting self-important and making an exaggerated outward show. Which is a little... pretentious. So come and get one in the yarbles, if you have any yarbles, you eunuch jelly thou!
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Let's look at it in the context of Spielberg's other early work for a moment. I think it's obvious to everyone that Spielberg has major Father issues in his early work. The most famous example is in ET, where only the mother is present and the adult male figures are usually faceless villains coming to hurt the protagonist. (Shadowy dudes shot only from the neck down and bearing guns and other scary objects in their hands. In fact, that's why digitally removing the guns is such an outrage. It neuters the part of the film that was most revealing about the director, and by doing so makes it much less honest a work that it was before.) But in EOTS that theme is really explored. The father is absent and the mother is effectively on her own when Bale gets separated from her by the crowd in the panic in Shanghai. So there's symbolic abandonment up front. Then Malkovich comes on the scene, and the protagonist gets to experience the "dark fantasy Bad Father" that Spielberg only symbolically refers to in his other films. Bale's VERY LIFE is dependent on gaining the approval and acceptance of this "Father" figure, and the guy is a total asshole and sociopath. Everything he does is to prove himself to Malkovich, and he gets to think he's finally done it in the scene where he is accepted in the adult male barracks (a scene of triumph that is probably basically what Spielberg himself spent his whole life trying to achieve). But then EVEN AFTER THAT Malkovich still rejects him and betrays him. I don't think Bale loses his innocence at the end, as much as he finally makes the decision that he doesn't NEED a father - when he finally decides that he's better than Malkovich anyway, and it just doesn't matter. That's the reason the scene where his real parents find him is so odd - because he doesn't need his real parents any more, either. How can he be a child again? He can't.
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Good analysis there, but I was actually speaking broadly. If you break most stories/literature in it's highest-level theme, it usually one of the following: Man vs man, man vs wild, man vs god, loss of innocence, return to innocence. There might be a couple more, it's been awhile since English Lit 101. ;-)
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"That's the reason the scene where his real parents find him is so odd - because he doesn't need his real parents any more, either. How can he be a child again? He can't."<P> <<<Loss of innocence.
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