Star Trek: Nemesis
 

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I watched a pre-release version of "The Hulk".

Much, much better than anticipated.

not7y(now bring on Charlie and the Angels)S

Geekorama
 

Nice!

Actually, I was quite impressed with the catholic view of geekdom embraced by the test. It wasn't just a computer and gaming test - SCA and Show Choir got you points. Not just Star Wars/StarTrek, but learning Tolkien languages and vampires. D&D and multiple maps on the walls. Pretty comprehensive.

(Actually, I was a little distressed that I recognized as many of the subcultures they referred to as I did - the vampire thing brought back warm and fuzzy memories of exes past....)

R.S.V.P. question
 

Yes, people are becoming barbarians. That was the question, wasn't it?

Just remember, there is nothing wrong with the "unfortunately, we hadn't heard from you so we assumed you couldn't make it since you didn't even have time to respond. We'll just have to see you next time." They don't come to this one, but perhaps they will be trained to respond the next time.

Consanguinity
 

None.

Roger Dodger
 

Let's see . . . I enjoyed the performances, the story, the writing, the cinematography.

It was a more stylized, updated Whit Stilman-type movie.

For those who wish to see it completely unspoiled, I will provide some spoiler space . . .

S

P

O

I

L

E

R


It's not a happy, feel-good movie, but it's incredibly honest and real.

In the opening scene where we meet him and listen to him argue to people in a restaurant about men's sexual obsolence, we (the audience) are eavesdropping, according to the camerawork. The shots reinforce that the movie is about Roger and his world view and disconnected from his connection to us, i.e., he cares not what anyone thinks, especially a dispassionate audience.

In the movie, we follow maybe 30 hours in the charater's life as he indoctrinates his young nephew into his incredibly cyncial view of how to pick up women (and by extension, he reveals his views of women, in general).

He is impossible to ignore, even when you'd like to beat him about the head and neck. As you watch him slide downward, the feeling of horror is palpable. During the scene at the climax of the film, it in incredibly uncomfortable to watch and you keep hoping that something, some glimmer of humanity will kick in and stop the "fail safe."

To me, that is the definition of a really good film. It set me inside his reality so convincingly that I recognized conversatons my friends and I have had and I laughed and I squirmed.

Oh, and Paigow, the line was that she likes it "in the pooper." Much funnier, much more real.

E/O

DVD Recommendation
 

OMG, you liked Singles?!

That was such a crappy movie. And it thought it was so cool, so insular, but it was so wack. He did so much better with Say Anything and his later movies, of course.

For your classics list, I would add It Happened One Night. I watched it again this weekend, when it aired on AMC. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, 1934. I think Billy Wilder directed. It's one of the best movies ever made.

I also highly recommend The Philadelphia Story. I haven't seen it on television. I have it on vhs. It was one of the first movies I purchased. Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant.

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Kewl. We keep watching the ads thinking "Ang Lee: Why this? Why?" and have been dying of curiosity to see it.

I can also recommend the Italian Job. Light, charming adult fun. Not quite as fluffy (or as tooth-ache stylish) as the Thomas Crowne remake, but in the same vein. And you will WANT a mini when you leave, I guarantee it. Very different character from Marky-Mark this time out - he actually seems ... relaxed and confident, with none of that "working class boy makes good" vibe he usually brings, which I'm not used to, but it sits nicely on him. Ed Norton is actually the weak link in it, but I'm not sure why ....

Anyone seen the Eye? I'm dying to see that.

DVD Recommendation
 

Not nearly as good as Swingers!!!

That film was so money!

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Oh, and for the parents among us, it's rug-rat safe if they're old enough not to be bored. There's pretty cool action & chases fairly evenly interspersed throughout to keep their attention. Not much foul language and no nudity or sex - maybe a kiss, that's about it. It's all subtext, baby.

Method Acting to the Extreme
 

british soap star thrown off balcony, "on-screen" drug dealer boyfriend arrested.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...715630,00.html

I wonder if her on-screen friend and family warned her not to get involved?

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I'm assuming you are referring to the circumstances under which he made the movie.

He did the movie under lawsuit or threat of lawsuit. He had a 3 movie contract and he kept turning down scripts for the third picture after he gained more power. Finally, the studio said "you must perform" so he did, though he let everyone know in the press and on the set that he was unhappy.

Even(fortunately for me, the geek test did not test current levels of general pop culture knowledge)Odds

DVD Recommendation
 

Why dont you take your ROdger Dodger and your It Happened One Night and throw in some Dying Young and get on that fucking kayak of yours and paddle up to Mineesota where Bilmore is apparently beached on some "island" off of Lake Whathefuckee

Singles rocked. It was hilarious, signified the times, it had Matt Dillon, Bill Pullman, Campbell Scott and Bridget Fonda at their cutest. It had early arragned dating, it had coffee shops before starbucks, it had Eddie Vedder when he had some Indie cred and it was a fucking hilarious satire on indie rock amonst other things.

I am sure you can get halfway off your highhorse and rent Spanish Prisoner with me. I bet we both liked that one.

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I agree with some of what you say, except I thought Marky-Mark was weaker than Ed Norton. Norton was wooden, but I don't buy Marky-Mark as some sort of genius. I liked the rest of the cast - sort of Oceans Eleven lite (and Oceans Eleven was very lite itself) I really liked the chase scenes. Good overall.

Would have been a whole lot better if the idiot woman beside me had not kept saying "whoa - cool" or "ahhh" every five seconds, like the plot was so very tricky. And she kept dancing in her seat to the soundtrack.

DVD Recommendation
 

That would be a high kayak. Except she doesn't really kayak. She's ascardy. And where is Bilmore, is he sulking or something?

Ascardy?
 

Is this the new asshat?

DVD Recommendation
 

Worlds colliding -- my wife and I watched it last night on Turner Classics. You are right that it is one of the best movies ever made. It is amazing to watch, and hard to believe that it was made in 1934. Frank Capra directed (as I learned from the intro by Sidney Pollack), and Clark Cable was loaned to Harry Cohn's Columbia by MGM's Louis Mayer for this movie as punishment for some misdeed.

A *fantastic* movie! Unlike today's movies, you never really know who will end up with the girl.

However, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frankie Sinister did a musical remake (called "High Society") that I absolutely hated. Bing was too old for Grace, Grace did a bad Hepburn impersonation, and Frank didn't sing enough (although he and Bing did have a duet that was wonderful -- can't remember the title, but it was something like "have you heard" or "what a swell party this is"). And Louie Armstrong and his band play some good tunes, too.

Ascardy?
 

Well, I like to think it is a little kinder than asshat. But ok.

Eye candy remakes
 

Seemed to me to be nothing but a remake of a classic heist movie - but with 2000s genre "eye candy". Same method employed by the remake of Oceans 11.

Unfortunately, can't decide if Charlize Theron or Julia Roberts is hotter.

DVD Recommendation
 

Dying Young? Spanish Prisoner? Yeesh.

Singles was two dimensional caricature at best. It is a historical artifact of our time, but it was shockingly soulless melodrama. It lacked heart, when it purported to be all about the heart.

This is no way to score points for sleeping on the Odds-Man futon in September.

DVD Recommendation
 

"All About Eve" is another great old movie, and a great movie, period. Bette Davis in all her imperious glory, skillful backstabbing, perfect sarcasm, and a bonus Marilyn Monroe bit part before anyone had any idea who she would become.

P(old movie fanatic)J

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Contractually obligated to studio to make movie. Kicked and screamed not to.

Studio threatened to sue him if he said no - so he did the film on autopilot.

not7yS

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Marky, genius? Oh, god no. He just had a different kind of vibe going than he usually does, and it was charming.

Oceans 11 lite is a good summary - but there was something interesting going on in the pacing of the movie, which was very different, and was clearly intentional. Maybe it was just their homage to the '60s original, having a leisurely pace to it, and having reasonably cool "action" scenes without having the usual barage of action-movie images.

But Norton was a MUCH better villain than Andy Garcia.

DVD Recommendation
 

You thought Spanish Prisoner sucked? For someone whose musical taste seems limited to rap music, you sure are mighty critical about my excellent film taste.

Singles. classic. i watch it every time it comes on. Its lovable enjoyable stuff a la Sixteen Candles and Class. I guess my legs arent long enough to mount your high horse. Sheesh.

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Resulting in numerous lectures in first year contracts on why with the exception of land deals we normally don't force people to go through with contracts but instead, make them pay damages.

Ignoring the whole, but damn he would have had to pay a shitload of money.

Fightin' Words
 

HERESY !!!!

http://acuadro.terra.com.mx/galeria_...s/4/007331.jpg

Fightin' Words
 

You are right. Julia is much hotter. WInning smile and doesnt have puffy cheeks (is this a Renee zellweger bulimia thing?)

she did however look great on the cover of (Elle?) recently? Didnt recognize her. You should check that out.

DVD Recommendation
 

I also love All about Eve. (And would agree with E/O and Not Bob about It Happened one Night.) My favorite old movies, however are:

Notorious - I love it more every time I see it.
Bringing Up Baby

and in color (and more recent)

Charade (re-made abysmally recently as the Trouble with Charlie)
Breakfast at Tiffany's
North by Northwest
Wait until Dark

(actually I love all Audrey Hepburn movies (except My Fair Lady), but those three are my favorites)

Fightin' Words
 

http://www.celebrity-exchange.com/ce...a_roberts4.jpg

Admittedly, I am a blonde fan, but Julia has a class level and style that can't be automatically dismissed.

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I didn't think you were saying he was a genius. Just in the film they made him out to be super smart - i.e. when Donald Sutherland was saying that the success of the whole job was because Marky Mark was so smart - that kind of thing.

Fightin' Words
 

Heh. Concur. I have disliked Julia Roberts for some years now, but Ocean's 11 clearly proved one thing to me - one of her legs is shorter than the other, and it gives her this stumping walk, and every time someone drivels "ooh, she's so elegant!" I just think whaddaya mean? She stumps about like a longshoreman with gout!

And while we're on movies, I caught Moulin Rouge again this weekend on cable. Call me a big mush, but I cry every time. Usually I'm quite cynical, but such is the power of the musical, I guess. Oh, and Kidman is a goddess. Or she is now. Right after MR they showed Dead Calm, which I think is the last movie she did with her real accent, and she was very un-goddess like in that.

Fightin' Words
 

I just had to adjust my screen resolution in order to get her damn mouth to fit without having to scroll.

Which reminds me of a old joke...

Julia Roberts walks into a bar,
Bartender says "why the long face?"

not7yS

Fightin' Words
 

My idolization of Kidman died when I saw her on the pot in Eyes Wide Shut. Talk about stuff that I did not need to see or visualize.

Fightin' Words
 

Actually, this statement pretty much illustrates my dislike for her.

BR(and I like redheads and not blondes as a general rule)C

DVD Recommendation
 

:eek:

Hey, I was the one who brought the upcoming ACL Fest to everyone's attention, with nary a rapper on the bill.

I have broad taste, I just prefer my misogynist movies more Neil LaBute than David Mamet. I am not saying Spanish Prisoner sucked because I got bored and turned it off. So it might have been great, it was just too Mamet. Same thing with the Heist. Yuck.

Fightin' Words
 

And that class level is "School in the Summertime."

Fightin' Words
 

Well....as to Charlize, if you removed the black dress, and replaced it with some hand me downs, she might somewhat resemble the urchins that stand outside the Farragut West metro panhandling for dimes.

DVD Recommendation
 

Love Bringing Up Baby. Incidentally Kate Hepburn, who used to wander the set freely with the leopard, was apparently almost attacked by it when the metal tabs in her skirt that weighted the hem to make it twirl prettily did so perfectly and excited the kitty, and they had to whack it nearly senseless to keep it off her.

Other black and white: To Have and Have Not and Key Largo with Lauren Bacall/Humphrey Bogart. She really is just smoldering.
Other color: I sob like a baby at West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet. Heck, I'm tearing up right now.

Fightin' Words
 

Must we start this again?

Yeah, why not -- we haven't seen this one in a while....thanks to DA (I think) who orignally posted this back in The Old Place. Mmmmm, Ashley.

http://www.ukhockey.com/images/posters/ashley_judd.jpg

DVD Recommendation
 

That about sums up my response to Spanish Prisoner, too. Too Mamet. And not even good Mamet. (Good Mamet is when you don't focus on the fact that his dialog is so stilted and unnatural as to be nearly surreal.)