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Nordling's BNAT X Coverage! BENJAMIN BUTTONS, UP, MONSTERS VS ALIENS, VALKYRIE, WATCHMEN, CORALINE, MY BLOODY VALENTINE & More!

First? by lalalandlovechild	Dec 15th, 2008 03:32:55 AM
Man, I wish I could have been there. I'm jonesing to see MBV in 3D. All the rumblings I've heard in town have been really positive.
Elijah Wood by Horace Cox	Dec 15th, 2008 04:19:53 AM
Dude sounds like a cool muthafucka.
McG has a lot to overcome by JoeSixPack	Dec 15th, 2008 04:33:13 AM
In order to make the film a success. I hope he pulls it off. As far as the whole lineup goes, it's a tad disappointing. No full Watchmen, no Star Trek footage, no sneak peeks at Avatar, not even The Spirit nor The Wrestler. But hey, the 22 minutes of Watchmen is great, I wish y'all could have seen the entire thing.
James Cameron by kwisatzhaderach	Dec 15th, 2008 04:33:53 AM
didn't give the new 'Terminator' film his blessing. Is McG still peddling that line? Kick his ass Jimbo.
Strange but... by yodalovesyou	Dec 15th, 2008 04:53:31 AM
I watched all three Terminator films over the weekend. The Terminator hasn't dated well, T2 is even more depressing than I remember and Terminator 3 was actually the most entertaining of the three. Sommin' wrong with that.
Terminator by Rindain	Dec 15th, 2008 05:00:32 AM
Looks like a really good war movie...and the cinematography looks great, love the silveriness.
Huh... by ChickenDelicious	Dec 15th, 2008 05:09:47 AM
Seems like this year the new stuff was only shown in pieces and clips. I'm hazy on past BNATs, but I seem to recall the previous years actually showing complete, new films as well as some old stuff. Kinda lame...
Meh.. by Cagliostro	Dec 15th, 2008 05:22:20 AM
Not worth haulin' ass back to Austin, that's for sure. Buttons sounds like the best of the lot. I'll be sure to download it in a couple of weeks. Hope everyone had a blast though.
Give Nord a permant job, Harry by unionJACKass.webs.com	Dec 15th, 2008 06:12:40 AM
He's a much better writer than (copy and paste) Merrick.
Indeed... by Quintus_Arrius	Dec 15th, 2008 08:30:16 AM
... I look forward to Button and Watchmen. Was hoping Che would be better... Oh well!
Benjamin Button left me a little cold by Garbageman33	Dec 15th, 2008 08:55:42 AM
For as long as the movie is (and it's a good 20 minutes too long) there's not a lot of detail there. Everything is a BIG MOMENT. You could almost feel it straining to be an important movie. But it doesn't have much heart. To me, the love story with Tilda Swinton worked better than the one with Cate Blanchett. At least you could see why they work together. They never really developed that with the main love story. You can't just say it was fate and leave it at that. But that's kinda what the movie did. And yes, give Nordling a job. He's a great writer and a cool guy, to boot.
Sahara by hiroprot23	Dec 15th, 2008 09:01:11 AM
Much as I'd have an interest in the new stuff on the lineup- I think I'm most jealous that these folks got to see Sahara. If you haven't seen this one you need to Netflix it posthaste. Bogie at his most badass, a busted Sherman tank named Lulubelle, and a Nazi getting killed by having his face shoved in the desert till he chokes out.
McG: Now More Than Ever by Duck of Death	Dec 15th, 2008 09:52:39 AM
I gotta say, for a bunch of genre geeks that shit their didies over X-Men movies, you guys sure do turn into Cannes juries when it comes to directors that aren't churning out the Merchant-Ivory standard kiddie flicks you're evidently accustomed to. Bottom line: McG is a journeyman director. Not an artist, but certainly a competent craftsman. When he's called on to hack together some agreeably mindless fluff (Charlie's Angels), he does so with aplomb. When he's called on to create a tearjerking inspirational melodrama (This Is Marshall), that's precisely what he puts out. So far the guy hasn't been called on to produce something truly spectacular, and he hasn't. So I think any McG trashing is a mite premature. Especially coming from a bunch who pretty much dismissed David Fincher back when all he was known for was a few lame Madonna videos, but now would line up around the block in front of his bathroom door to clean his butthole with their tongues.
"Presentations" by Barko	Dec 15th, 2008 10:16:48 AM
BNAT is awesome. I was lucky enough to go to one of them (#2) and thought it was one of the movie-going highlights of my life. But, Harry, allowing these "presentations" into BNAT seems like a bad idea. Are these officially turning into studio focus group / marketing events? As cool as it is to see 20 minutes of some upcoming stuff, it also makes the whole thing out to be a bit of a joke. You should put your foot down: show the entire movie or nothing.
Great Post, Very Well Written by cowboyone	Dec 15th, 2008 10:22:15 AM
Concise and to the point. I know I'll never be a BNATter. Zero desire to sit through old Bogie and Kristy McNichol dog movies.
Ben Button is... by psychedelic	Dec 15th, 2008 10:30:27 AM
In short: warmed over Forest Gump. It's merely okay. It falls well short of doing justice to an interesting premise. I saw it Wednesday at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd.
WTF? by jabbayoda	Dec 15th, 2008 10:36:36 AM
Wait, I'm kind of out of the AICN loop. What does "Drew, I'm going to miss you around these parts, man" mean? Moriarty isn't retiring from the site, is he?????
Not much interest in BNAT this year? by IAmMrMonkey!	Dec 15th, 2008 10:38:03 AM
Hmmmm. Looks like everyone is staying away from these talkbacks. Well, there's always next year I guess.
"Che" sounds like a Terry Malik film by Atticus Finch	Dec 15th, 2008 10:58:09 AM
Bunch of standing around/marching with long, dramatic shots of vegetation and nothing really happening. Sounds like it was lifted from "Thin Red Line".
People always bitch about BNAT every year. by Nordling	Dec 15th, 2008 11:02:33 AM
It's built up to be the Holy Grail of film fests (and for me it is, but for different reasons) and then feel either justified that they didn't go or disappointed in the line-up. I've never been disappointed, even last year when the fest turned into Suck Central for a few hours. BNAt is a great time and when it's clicking and there's great filmmaking going on and the audience is primed to receive it... there's literally nothing like it in the world. It's the apex, the pinnacle of filmgoing. I feel like for a brief moment, I'm communing with God. Hyperbolic? Maybe. It's also how I feel. I'll never miss a BNAT if I can help it. And if you've never been, that may be difficult to understand, but if you have been, believe me, you get it.
Funny Elijah Wood story... by Fing Fang Foom	Dec 15th, 2008 11:05:51 AM
New Years Eve. The Lower East Side of the NYC 2004,i think? A buddy of mine invited a bunch of people back to his apt after a bar had closed. After a while, it got too crazy and he started kicking people out. Amid some protest, there were two guys who were particularly displeased with that. One yelled "You just kicked Elijah Wood out of apartment!" It was his friend. Haha Boo hoo. Love you Elijah.
The Real LineUp Can Never Match The Speculation by Garbageman33	Dec 15th, 2008 11:21:20 AM
Think about everything that was talked about before the event. Watchmen. Star Trek. Parts of Avatar, Wolfman and Wolverine. Of course, the real lineup can't compete with that. So yes, the initial feeling with the lineup is always going to be disappointment. But once you've had a day or two to think about what you DID see (instead of what you didn't see) you start to appreciate things more. And let's face it, Harry doesn't owe us Avatar clips. He doesn't owe us shit. He could just as easily get this stuff from the studios and watch it with a few close friends in the comfort of his home. But he goes through all the trouble of arranging a really cool day for everyone. And all the thanks he gets are some anonymous morons (who didn't go and probably didn't even apply) saying, "You only saw 20 minutes of Watchmen?! That sucks".
BNAT is great. by filmcans	Dec 15th, 2008 11:27:24 AM
So what if I didn't see WATCHMEN...I saw SAHARA--a fantastic movie I would never have seen on my own. And that's what BNAT is sort of all about. If you only want to be first on your block to see the latest blockbuster, you've come to the wrong event. Sure, it does happen sometimes, but this is a celebration of MOVIES, ALL movies. If you come to celebrate movies, you won't (you can't) be disappointed. I love movies, so I love BNAT.
Swag? by plocock	Dec 15th, 2008 12:10:47 PM
Details?
Is McG really reading? by Cameron1	Dec 15th, 2008 12:22:05 PM
Well if so I'll say now I thought you were kind of a mindless bubblegum director (though I like your turn and involvement in Supernatural). But the trailers look excellent and getting Bale on board is a bit of a coup. However you and we all know bad films can have great trailers what I think us geeks who weren't at BNAT want to know see is some character beats (the JC vs Sam Worthington moment in the trailer is badass but not really a character moment. We need some evidence about how it can work if it's "people talking on a stage"
Swag details by filmcans	Dec 15th, 2008 12:52:10 PM
A metric ton of horror comic TPBs from IDW/Sex Panther cologne/tees for Benjamin Button, M vs A, Valkyrie, Black Dynamite, and BNAT/posters galore/two music CDs/Tropic Thunder on DVD/Fire & Ice on DVD/Red vs Blue on DVD/Trick'r Treat coffee table book/M vs A tote bag/Harry Potter Bust-Ups/Real3D baseball cap/a bottle opener...and...I might be forgetting something, but I think that's it.
You forgot the Marley and Me refrigerator magnet by Garbageman33	Dec 15th, 2008 12:56:23 PM
Clearly, the producers have never spent any time on Ain't It Cool News. And yes, the swag is pretty awesome. In fact, I'm wearing my Valkyrie thermal right now. I only wish the movie was as cool as the shirt. I also wish they didn't assume that all geeks have the body shape of the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. I have a 2XL Black Dynamite t-shirt that I'd love to wear. But I'm about 120 pounds from being a 2XL.
WHAT?!?!?! by filmcans	Dec 15th, 2008 12:58:05 PM
A Marley & Me fridge magnet??? WHERE THE HELL IS MINE?!?!?! I DEMAND A FULL REFUND FOR MY BNAT TICKET!!!
MORI IS LEAVING AICN by THE KNIGHT	Dec 15th, 2008 01:13:34 PM
sad to say...
Hmm...sound like an underwhelming BNAT this time by jrbarker	Dec 15th, 2008 01:28:18 PM
Fortunately there's always next year.
wow....that swag sounds really shitty.... by DANNYGLOVERS_DICKBLOOD	Dec 15th, 2008 01:46:07 PM
....is it getting worse and worse each year?
My grandmother always said... by Garbageman33	Dec 15th, 2008 01:53:53 PM
"If you don't have anything nice to say, change your name to Danny Glover's Dickblood". Grandma was funny that way.
"BNAT hasn't been good since Amy Poehler left" by Movies4dummies	Dec 15th, 2008 02:24:14 PM

I agree, Up was my favourite part this yr. by hippolyta	Dec 15th, 2008 04:19:02 PM
I'm quite happy with my Tropic Thunder DVD and Monsters v. Aliens and Valkyrie long sleeve shirts. The MvA bag is cool too. I still have my Blair Witch II bag from BNAT2. There's usually something that changes last minute for whatever reason so I'm pretty sure Che was put in place of the full Watchmen. I was happy to take a nap and spend some time chatting with folks outside.
CHE is not THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES by Bob Loblaw Law Blog	Dec 15th, 2008 05:52:32 PM
TMD is about Guevarra's 1952 trip through South America with his friend, Alberto Granado. It was this experience that made Guevarra realize that the "campesinos" (peasants) were living in abject poverty. Guevarra was from an affluent family and about to finish medial school, so the trip was meant to be mostly about having fun. The film is a good precursor to CHE... and, for me, it's a better film. I liked CHE, but I felt it was overly long with little emotion. It might be best to watch it on Blu-Ray when you can watch it in 90-minute segments. Definitely check out THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, Nordling!
Oh my gad, gag me with a spoon...not another GD "Pixar" movie by Walts_Turning_InTheGrave	Dec 15th, 2008 10:25:28 PM
What is it with these freaking reviewers and the accolade they throw at Pixar? Are they all in Pixar’s pocket? It’s the same old shit every year. They sell us a bill of goods and then we get Cars, Ratatouille and then Wall-E. What I saw was “Shit, and Shit and more Shit”. They say the movie is moving and full of heart, sweet and junk like that but that wasn’t what I saw up on the screen. Now here comes “UP” and it’s the same old shit all over again. Thanks but no Thanks
Don't be silly, McG can't read by zapano	Dec 16th, 2008 04:21:29 AM
and just in case you can, you owe me a good terminator film after sitting though x-men 3, sorry i mean charlie's angels 2, i often get the two of ye mixed up ;-)
McG has a dumb name by Rupee88	Dec 16th, 2008 03:50:14 PM
he is far from an auteur...I hope he proves me wrong with T:S, but I doubt it.
Walts_Turning_InTheGrave by frozen01	Dec 16th, 2008 04:43:36 PM
I feel kinda dirty for saying this, but I agree. I never saw Cars or Ratatoille (sp?). I'm like the last person on Earth to have seen WALL-E (not by choice, just happened), but God what an overhyped snoozefest. There were a couple of beautiful moments, but that took up five minutes, maybe? The rest of it just felt like one long Pixar short. yawn The entire time I was thinking to myself "OK, we get it. WALL-E likes EVE. He's trying to hold her hand because he saw it in a movie. Very sweet. Can we move on?"
Walts_Turning_InTheGrave by frozen01	Dec 16th, 2008 04:45:32 PM
Oh, I forgot to add that UP looks incredibly boring, too. I saw the trailer for it and, again, it seemed like yet another feature-length Pixar short.
Yea but McG is sexy!! by Ironthorman	Dec 16th, 2008 09:46:56 PM
I'd do him
Nordling: There's literally nothing like it in the world by SgtEdRock	Dec 17th, 2008 09:47:02 AM
I could not have said it any better, Nordling. The actual experience of BNAT far exceeds the relative quality of any particular film or films. IMHO, of equal importance to Harry's programming is the role of Tim League and the Alamo, as well as the spirit of brotherhood/sisterhood that evolves with the other attendees whether you've known them for 10 years or just met them. These factors are far more important than what sneak preview was shown or which celebrity showed up. I cannot think of a more perfect example of all of these elements coming together than that singular and transcendental moment when the theater was filled with the quiet tinkle of tiny spoons in caviar glasses while Tilda Swinton spoke about the importance of savoring the moment in Benjamin Button. Beautiful!!!
eating through the hull by j_difool	Dec 17th, 2008 11:41:21 AM
when you have queso heartburn that threatens to "eat through the goddamn hull," does that mean you have to set through 4 hours of CHE clenching your ass cheeks together to keep liquid turds from spilling outta your pants and soaking the seat cushion?
Sorry, but... by 7Cal	Dec 18th, 2008 01:57:02 PM
Since a few people have mentioned it, I'm jumping on the WALL-E shit-train. I just don't get the love for it; some poster above said it best- it's like a feature-length Pixar short. Now that I think of it, it woulda been a great Pixar short. For a full-length feature though, it was lacking all over the place. Cars sucked too. Have to disagree about Ratatouille though, that was a good 'un. None of them can hold a candle to The Incredibles tho, best animated film of ALL TIME.

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Nordling's BNAT X Coverage! BENJAMIN BUTTONS, UP, MONSTERS VS ALIENS, VALKYRIE, WATCHMEN, CORALINE, MY BLOODY VALENTINE & More!

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