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First guy to blubber over DuPont and say precious shit like "Lad
by Wesley Snipes
Jan 11th, 2001
12:13:41 AM
What fighting style do you prefer? Definitely the style that tactician, Paul Varelens, helped to make so famous. Trap fighting. He traps the guy into coming in, then he absorbs heavy blows to the face and stumbles around until he bumps him with his gigantic elbow and passes the guy out. That varelens is such a cunning piece of work.
Ms. DuPont to Mr. Snipes: I'll hold them down if you'll hit them
by Alexandra.DuPont
Jan 11th, 2001
12:42:39 AM
A Hard Day's Night is a goddamned classic.
by vroom socko
Jan 11th, 2001
01:04:26 AM
Unfortunetly, Day's Night is leaving my town before I'll be able to see it on the big screen. However, Cinema 21 is following it up with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, so at least I'll be able to see what all the fuss is about. Also, that comic art of Ms. DuPont's looks like typical Slave Labor fare. However, this is in no way a bad thing. I LIKE the typical Slave Labor stuff. (Really, Vroom Socko, what was the first clue.)
Hard Days Night is Ego Crapola
by TalkingMachine
Jan 11th, 2001
01:25:50 AM
I'm sorry, but to declare "A Hard Day's Night" a classic is like declaring you own feces a monument to world of art. I'm sorry, but HDN was an ego trip for a band film that faild to do much more than provide frat rats a distraction from Pink Floyd's the Wall.
Kid Koala
by Toby O Notoby
Jan 11th, 2001
01:56:57 AM
That last illustration looks eerily like one of the drawings from the book you get with Kid's "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" CD. Huh. Here's hoping that Brad's Irish accent is better than Madonna's British one.
Anyone who puts down the Beatles as a band . . .
by Sssnakepit
Jan 11th, 2001
05:36:27 AM
Anyone who puts down the Beatles as a band obviously never listened to the Beatles collection of work. Talking Machine doesn't know what he's talking about. (Of course, a machine that talks had to have been programmed since they have no intelligence of their own.) HDN is simply one of the greatest films of its era. Richard Lester captured the essence of what it must've been like to be a Beatle. No time of your own, a rush of appointments, etc. When they break out of the studio near the end of the film it's like a breath of fresh air. I would suggest that Talking Machine's programmer should sit back and listen to the Beatles and how they evolved from album to album. Not content to keep re-doing the same old crap over and over like most of today's stagnant acts. HDN is great and the Beatles were, are and will always be the greatest thing that ever happened to popular music and culture!
Evil Dead II...
by FusionAddict
Jan 11th, 2001
05:58:59 AM
...IS NOT A REMAKE OF THE FIRST FILM! Get it straight, chump.
So, "Snatch" is to "Pulp Fiction" the way "Lock, Stock..." is to
by Smilin'Jack Ruby
Jan 11th, 2001
06:23:52 AM
And here I was thinking that "Snatch" would be to "Lock, Stock..." the way "War of the Colossal Beast" was to "The Amazing Colossal Man"
SNATCH rocked
by Stompin Tom
Jan 11th, 2001
06:42:24 AM
Saw a screening of this last night, and though I think it now can be said that one of the main criticisms of both of Ritchie's movies are the "convenient" deus ex machina wrap-ups, I had too much fun watching this to really care. I came out of this wanting to rob a bank and make my getaway in a periwinkle caravan. I think the one thing that makes LOCK and SNATCH poignant is the great care with which Ritchie keeps his characters pristinely realistic. They come across as real East-Enders (some of them actually are), and it lends to their credibility. And something needs to be said about the sets, here (yes, the sets), as they truly set the mood, making you believe you are in a real makeshift illegal boxing venue, or a real gypsy camp, or a pig farm. And Brad Pitt was great -- as much as I want to pick apart his performance in every movie he's in (simple jealousy), he really surprised me here with an understated (and unintelligble) acting job. I thought the Hollywood pretty boy wouldn't fit in that well with such a rough-and-tumble cast, but he really shines here. Del Toro's accent is Israeli, by the way, and I wish his character was used a lot more -- but he's used to get the whole plot rolling. Vinnie Jones and Alan Ford carry this movie, though. They are menacing without being cheesy, and they lend a real sense of danger to the whole picture. Great stuff, will certainly put Ritchie firmly on the map, but he better come off with something quite different for his next flick or I fear he's going to exhaust this whole gritty London underground thing.
Maybe the best thing to come out of England in the 1960's.
by Stephen Dedalus
Jan 11th, 2001
07:03:25 AM
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT is one of the most enjoyable stunts to come out of the 1960's. Just take it and compare it to the countless rip-offs made since (e.g.: SPICEWORLD) and its easy to see why the Beatles hold such a strong position in 20th century entertainment. Richard Lester had a taste for sight gags and offbeat humor, which would serve his career well (THE THREE MUSKETEERS) and not so well (A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FOURM). But he would never top A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. His documentary-style way of making the film, with gritty black-and-white photography and snappy editing, gave the viewer a "behind-the-scenes" feeling. The one-liners are great. And Wilford Brambell is a lot of fun as the uncle, especially in those great scenes at the gambling table in the hotel.
A Hard Days Night
by Uncle Ben
Jan 11th, 2001
07:40:07 AM
It should pointed out that Richard Lester invented the Music Video with the two montage sequences set to "Can't Buy Me Love".
Of "Frat Rats", Beatles & Alexandra's Doodlings
by mrbeaks
Jan 11th, 2001
07:59:14 AM
I don't know how it is nowadays, but when I was in college, frat boys were far more likely to lay their glazed-over eyes on THE WALL than watch A HARD DAYS NIGHT. As for the 'toons..... nice work, Alexandra; although, you may want to think twice about accepting compliments from a guy who storyboards with stick figures.
A Hard Day's Night
by spider15
Jan 11th, 2001
08:26:04 AM
Still a great, great film. First, I agree with the best scene being George's confrontation with the teen marketers. First, it's someone ironic that George would have the standout scene all to himself. Harrison openly always had the least interest in acting in the Beatles (in spite of being the only real Beatle to appear in "The Ruttles"), and his "character" was always known to not make much of an impression on film; so much so, that he was the only Beatle not to have a Monkee indirectly modelled after him (the Mickey Dolenz "character" was considered to be a wild-card). Yet not only is the scene hysterical, but rather telling, as the Beatles were no doubt considered to be not only products of that mentality but perhaps the ultimate product of it, it shows how much they were about to challenge and just about nullify everything which had come before them. As for the so-called "young and uninformed"... they'll come on their own: I recentlly saw the film's theatrical re-release with my 19-year-old kid brother; going was HIS idea (although we both've seen it many times, I'm waiting for the DVD in March). Not to mention the fact that the Beatles have topped the album chart for the past month or so. Do you think "1" is being bought by people who already have every single song in probably three formats already? I'm willing to guess it's being taken home by teenagers and early-20's who're (finally) sick of boy bands and the like. So it's not necessary to try and drag younger audiences to the Beatles movie and music. They'll go one their own, as will many, many, many generations to come. Beatles Forever.
What??!! "HEAD" is THE definitive pop-rock movie ever!! Who chan
by 0007
Jan 11th, 2001
08:28:26 AM
I know you'll find this hard to believe, but the post times are
by WillardEisenbaum
Jan 11th, 2001
09:17:50 AM
Other than that, all's right with the world, and I just read two terrific reviews. First, a spoiler-free review of Snatch that addressed evrything I expected it to: the similarities to Lock Shock, and the preponderance of coincidences that propel the action of both movies. Alex gave thumbs up to all the actors as I expected. I am thoroughly pumped up to see this movie. (by the way -- how anyone could deny that evil dead II is basically a remake is beyond me.) ** Second, a loving and wise piece praising the great Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night. you don't have to live and breathe the Beatles to like this movie. actually it's probably better for the passive Beatles fan, as opposed to the rabid Beatlemaniac who might pick it apart a little. Looks like most people agree -- not even the most pale-skinned basement-living action-figure-polisher would dare write in about how the Beatles suck. ** Then, on top of all that, Alexandra's pop gives her advice that just about made me cry. Holy shit that was a moving couple sentences. Break a leg Alex, I'll be rooting for you, and I'll hunt down that Oddjob future story. (And when ya see Evan Dorkin tell him I said World's Funniest ruled, but Milk 'n' Cheese has always, always sucked.) Love, W
Brad Pitt is a knacker/tinker
by Gustav Niemann
Jan 11th, 2001
09:29:07 AM
This whole thing about "Irish gypsies" is a romanticized version of what they really are: knackers. Or you can call them tinkers. That's what every Irish people calls them. When I first heard the term Irish Gypsy, I was like "what the fuck is an Irish Gypsy?" I call them trouble. Johnny Depp played a knacker in Chocolat, not a gypsy. I don't like this trend in write ups to gloss over what they are. And they do actually dress and act like Brad Pitt in Snatch.
Quirkiness for the sake of quirkiness is less rivetingly brillia
by LSHB
Jan 11th, 2001
09:42:49 AM
Or, as the Onion terms it, "Yet another genius equating Christ and shit." Perhaps I'd care more if I knew anything about the cast of 'Oddjob', but I think I'd still rather read Orwell, or watch a Waters' film. The dvd reviews, however, are above reproach.
Hard Days Night
by Brianmacc
Jan 11th, 2001
10:17:53 AM
Harry- I couldn't agree with you more that A HardDays Night is a landmark film. Really. I first saw it when I was nine years old and it blew me away! I even had a dream about it later where I was one of the Beatles and all the girls were chasing us at the train station. It was revolutionary (overused word) in many ways: the handheld camera, documentary feel to it, using the Beatles as real charcters, and the Marx Brothers script where anything could, and did happen. Every Rock and Roll movie before had been an obvious commercial ploy for selling some records and yes, the Beatles were selling the soundtrack, but I think alot of thought went into the script and this off-the-cuff movie. Alert!! There is a scene that contains a major mistake! Can you find it? No? The scene is where Ringo takes off by himself and runs into a boy by the river (THIS BOY plays in the background). In it, you can catch Ringo mouthing the kid's dialog while he waites for his cue to come up. I'm surprised Lester didn't catch it in the dailies! Oh well. Brianmacc
And what a fine SNATCH Alexandra DuPont has!
by Batutta
Jan 11th, 2001
10:36:40 AM
I couldn't resist.
David Spade's review of Casino--
by Batutta
Jan 11th, 2001
10:41:15 AM
"Casino?...Ca-seen-it! I liked it better when it was called Goodfellas."
The Beatles
by marsyas
Jan 11th, 2001
11:25:34 AM
One of the things that made the Beatles so great was that even though they experimented with their music to try to bring it to the level of art, it rarely if ever came across as being pretentious. The only exception that springs to mind is perhaps Revolution #9 (the trippy parts), but even that works if taken as a parody of Stockhausenesque musique concr
YO! FusionAddict ! Your WRONG!
by Sigfrid_VonShrnk
Jan 11th, 2001
12:17:19 PM
Bruce Campbell even admits evil dead 2: dead by dawn is a remake of Evil Dead. SO there it is your primitive screw head, right from the camels mouth! - Harkonen
Beatles Rule!
by EmperorCaligula
Jan 11th, 2001
05:05:17 PM
TalkingMachine, trust me, you're already dead ;) Beatles sold 1 billion albums. No one came ever close to this, and you could bet it'll take a lot of time before anything as good comes here.
Ah, Paul Varleans, what a gem.
by Nocturnaloner
Jan 11th, 2001
09:16:48 PM
I also enjoy his tactic of taking multiple thai kicks to the thigh until it resembles a bloody side of beef..... but that's just because I'm sentimental.
this review proves it: Alexandra DuPont is easily the best revie
by crash_davis
Jan 11th, 2001
09:52:22 PM
A few Hard Day's Night Tidbits
by TheYoungLion
Jan 11th, 2001
10:43:48 PM
"A Hard Day's Night" wasn't a multi-million dollar film. Its budget was in the low hundred-thousands. It was done in black-in-white because the studio didn't want to spend so much money on the then-unproven Beatles. Though that decision turned out to be a excellent one, because I can't imagine this film being anything other than B&W. Also, John Lennon & Paul McCartney wrote the songs (arguably the greatest film soundtrack of all time) in only a matter of days, as they weren't given a lot of time to do so. AHDN was a very influential film not only because it single-handedly gave birth to the music video -- a few years back MTV gave AHDN director Richard Lester a special award and acknowledged him as the father of the music video -- but because it also influenced an entire generation of filmmakers (including Spielberg and Lucas, who have publicly ackowledged the film's impact on them). Aside from all that, it's as fun as anything you'll ever see. Still funny after all these years. One blurb used in the movie ads says "Life Affirming!" That's truer about this film than any other I can think of. Actually, this film has long been on my personal "10 favorite films of all time list" along with "Ikiru", "Godfather, Part II", "Seven Samurai", "M*A*S*H", and others.
Not that praising The Beatles or HDN will raise controversy, but
by Sorcerer
Jan 11th, 2001
11:18:03 PM
The film is most definitely a blast; the fact that there's no real story doesn't matter, in fact abandoning that pretense is what makes the film good. There's no attempt to force any of the characters into a contrived plotline; instead, a bunch of events are set up and the Beatles wade through them in a funny way. Also, for all the trouble celebrities usually go to in order to seem "real" or, to borrow Alexandra's phrase, "authentic", the Beatles almost effortlessly come off as just a group of cool guys. INCREDIBLY cool guys, mind you, with talent up the wazoo, but somehow unintimidating, unpretentious, just plain likable. Great songs, lots of laughs, lovely birds- there's really nothing that I'd bother to criticize. And don't worry about the kids of today- the audience I saw the rerelease with was composed of all age groups, all enjoying themselves, all staying through the end credits. What an experience.
Snatch-my glowing review
by Bagggsladys
Jan 29th, 2001
10:29:58 PM
Disorder. Humor. Absurdity. Style. And above all, that subtle little spark that few big name movies attain, that perfect blending of every cinematic aspect that inducts you deliciously into its center and holds you there, in spite of yourself. "Snatch" is a rapid, finely-tuned ride through the antics of a consciously and hilariously stereotypical cast of characters: our sardonic narrator, Turkish (Statham), his lovably inept parter Tommy (Graham), a Russian gangster (Serbedzija), a mafioso-ish diamond importer Jew (Farina), an eccentric gypsy fighter (Pitt), and many more, including the ultimate psycho-killer bastard, "Brick Top" (Ford.) Each role is expertly acted, and no one actor takes over the screen; the plethora of bizarre identities enriches the light, stylish flavor of the film. As for the plot, all the madness ensues from one glittering 84 carat diamond (hence the film
snatch
by snatched
Jan 30th, 2001
04:57:23 PM
Chaotic, witty, eccentric, and hip, Guy Ritchie's latest film "Snatch" is a visual bombast involving an eclectic array of intriguing characters. Ritchie takes us on a fast-paced ride through London, introducing us to a four-fingered gambler (Del Toro), a saturnine boxing promoter named Turkish (Statham), his lovable maladroit partner Tommy (Graham), a bullet-dodging Russian (Serbedzija), the wanna-be-jewish diamond dealer Doug the Head (Reid), the authentic jewish diamond dealer Cousin Avi (Farina), a marble-mouthed gypsy boxer (Pitt), and many other diversified characters. Each personality has it's own individualized mark which together form a melange of the bizarre. Set in London, the story follows what happens surrounding a much sought after 84 karat diamond. As the plot begins to unfold, the interlocking stories involving unlicensed boxing, stolen diamonds, and caravans are revealed to make for a witty nearly unimaginable ending. Ritchie's innovative cinematography including quick paced action-to-freeze-frame-cuts and split screens is captivating, stylish, zany, and full of frenetic energy. In addition to Ritchie's remarkable camerawork, his choice of music is not to be left unnoticed. Offbeat cuts like Klint's Diamond, Disco Science by Mirwais, and Massive Attack's Angel coexist perfectly with the skittish visuals. The music, cinematography, witty dialogue, and bewitching characters are only a few distinguishable features of many in this cleverly hilarious and entertaining comedy. Snatch is well worth the money, time, and energy.
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