Movies

[Kathy Li]

So, I saw Bewitched, and it was a total waste of time. (sigh). It was trying to be two different movies at the same time and failed at being both. Kidman was doing heroic things, but with Farrell as her partner, it just never gelled. And then the complete waste of Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) was just a crime.

OTOH, i loved the hell out of Herbie: Fully Loaded. Then again, i saw all the original Herbie flicks when they came out. And whoever made the movie did, too. And then cranked it up a notch, because they were obviously a NASCAR fan, too. When the tricked out Herbie appeared, complete with airscoops, spoiler, roll cage, mondo stereo, I damn near died laughing. It was sweet. Girl power for the girls. NASCAR for the boys. Lots of fun.

Fantastic Four was a lot of fun, with great effects, but my one big beef is, why is Reed (the way he's depicted in the film) the leader, and not Sue? Sue's the one who's holding the group together and the only one with any sort of influence over Johnny. If they hadn't made Reed so ineffectual, I could've bought the trad arrangement. But I enjoyed seeing Stan Lee cast as Willie Lumpkin. I just wish they'd made him wiggle his ears.

Haven't seen War of the Worlds yet.

So, Comic-Con is trying to kill me with the scheduling again. Augh...! If I were just a media fan, it'd be bad enough, but throwing in the anime and comics stuff, too... sigh. 10-track programming. Sometimes it sucks.

[db_pr]

Bewitched--> Not gonna see.
Herbie--> I puke over the commercials, can't imagine what will happen to me if I actually watch it.

Fantastic Four--> I'll endure it 'cause my brother wants to see it.

War of the Worlds--> Good!

[Cress]

I saw Bewitched too. My friend and I were the only people in the entire theater, so we sang along with all the good songs and made up a commentary about it. We were SO loud. I kept picking people's noses on screen with my toe. When we both had to go pee I said "Maybe they'll pause it for us". It rocked. The movie wasn't that great, and I completely agree aobut the Kidman Farrell thing. He disgusts me.
I don't think I'd be able to see Herbie. I'd probably strangle someone while hating Lindsay Lohan. I CAN'T STAND HER!!!!!!!

[Kathy Li]

Cress, I could see how the MST3k thing would get you through Bewitched. Unfortunately, my theater was full.

Why does everybody have such a hard time with Lindsay Lohan? The Freckled One holds no fears for me. But then again, I loved the remake of The Parent Trap. She's, like, sooooo the Hayley Mills of the '90s.

And speaking of Disney childstar actors, is anybody else wondering if Ken Russell's superhero dad in Sky High is Dexter Riley?

Diego, that's funny. I thought you'd at least enjoy the Johnny Storm bits in Fantastic Four.

[bluesalamanders]

Cress - there are certain episodes of Buffy that freak me out as well. I saw one the other day, in fact. The one where the demons take everyone's voices? Well, the episode itself isn't that scary, but the demons creep the heck out of me. I can't stand looking at them, and the floaty thing they do instead of walking makes me shudder.


I can't even stand the thought of going to see Bewitched. I love the old tv show and I just can't stand Wil Ferrell. I just - can not stand him. Every movie of his that I can ever remember seeing previews look like absolute garbage to me. I just don't think his brand of humor is, well, funny.

I am tempted to go see the new Herbie movie, though if my sister doesn't want to see it, I'm not so interested that I'll bother seeing it alone. I once again loved the original movies, but this looks like an amusing new one, instead of idiotic.

I wanted to go see Fantastic Four originally (in part, I admit, because of Julian whats-his-name, who plays the bad guy, but I also just tend to like comic-book movies) but I've heard so many bad things about it that I'm just not sure anymore.

worlebird: I understand that <span class="ev_code_WHITE">the way the aliens die</span> is part of the original story, but I didn't think <span class="ev_code_WHITE">the boy who lived</span> part had anything to do with it. I thought that was a Hollywood add-on. And regardless of whether it was or wasn't an add-on, it is fairly ridiculous for that part to happen.

[db_pr]

OMG KLI! I SAW FANTASTIC FOUR, IT ROCKED!

It was really good, I missed the whole cosmic storm part (basically the most important part) ofthe movie 'cause we got there late and I decided popcorn over the beginning of the movie :P

Still it was pretty good... I laughed over the Johnnie Storm parts, I enjoyed the SUE Storm parts. Flame on, Jessica Alba!

:P :P :P

[Cress]

bluesalamander-You're talking about Hush!!!!!!! That one freaked me out SO bad. And for exactly the same reason too! I could care less about the death and so on, it was just the way they smiled. URGH! I just wanted them to STOP SMILING! PLEASE! Plus the way they moved. What's wrong with walking?

[bluesalamanders]

Hah it's nice to know I'm not the only one. Yeah, after all the tv shows and movies, the death and desctruction didn't bother me - though I'm always impressed by default when a show can get away without talking for a fairly long time. But the grins and the floating...icky.

The same type of stuff bothers me in other things, too. Much as I like Dark City, the bad guys in that remind me of the demons in Hush, and creep me out almost as badly.

Anna

[Cress]

Never seen Dark City. What's it about?
At least someone agrees with me about the smiles. My friend was being mean and making fun of me. She's all "It wasn't that scary, all they did was cut people's hearts out" and I'm just like "BUT THE SMILES!!!!"

[Gigo]

I saw 'Hidalgo'. It was AWESOME.

The most awesome thing was that there was no blood. I mean, this GUY'S HEAD GOT SLICED OFF with a sword, and it flew through the air, and it landed facing away from the camera, with the neck on the ground. No blood. Totally awesome. It's like, half the cinema was laughing, and half was going 'ewwww!'.

The part where the spear-stick in the pit stabbed through the horse, that wasn't disturbing. But just cutting it away was. I never saw EXACTLY which part he cut away.

The ending was stupid. I mean, the guy just gave away 100,000 (or was it one million?) dollars, which is worth LOTS back then, and just used it to free the mustangs.

There was this guy who kept saying: The horse is gonna die. At the end of the movie, the guy said: he died of old age! Lots of people threw stuff at him.

Awesome.

F4? Not that great. Kinda boring. Now, Herbie: fully loaded, I could deal with.

Still waiting to see War of the Worlds.

Scary movies? I am an absolute scaredy-cat. I refuse to go into haunted houses. I wait outside.

But, COME ON. The Ring wasn't THAT scary, was it? And The GRUDGE was BORING, for heaven's sake. Oh, it had it's little startling effects, but IT WAS BORING.

I could talk lots more, but I have to go to MetroTown to go to Chapters to pick up a copy of HBP. If it's not there, RAWH.

well, the Ring just bothered me.. I didn't think it was scary.. its just... There's a difference between scary, and stuff that just sticks with you... I think the Ring 2 was creepier, but the way it ended, *shrug* thats it.. the other one left you with an oh **** feeling... and it messed me up.... The Grudge.. i only saw the last few minutes.. from what my friends told me, the story sounded like it sucked... but her crawling down the stairs out of the plastic bag *Shudders* I loved Hidalgo.... I can't remember too much.. I watched it a long time ago....

The problem I had with War of the worlds wasn't <span class="ev_code_WHITE">the aliens dieing from disease</span> but <span class="ev_code_WHITE">the fact the aliens STUDIED them for like, before they were there, and didnt realize there were germs.. </span>

umm, I have NO interest in seeing the new willy wonka movie.. at all... I know they messed up the oompaloompas.. and Johnny Depp looks scary and annoying.. and charlie is even more dorky looking than the original one :P

We just bought Pee Wee's big adventure for my little bro. I didnt watch it (was reading HBP) but i remember seeing it a LONG time ago and liking it :P ummm... thats all for now folks

[Kathy Li]

Diego--glad to hear you enjoyed FF.

Back from Comic-Con. And I gotta say, the Weta guys kick ass. At the Narnia panel, if someone asked a good question, they gave the person a prop from the movie. Women got a belt, men got a whasscalled. Vambrace? Leather arm-greave thing. I'm happier about the movie, now.

Bryan Singer came and brought a trailer for Superman Returns which had us on our feet and cheering, and got us a repeat play of it immediately afterwards. I was not hyped about it at all, now I'm hyped to the gills.

I missed any trailers for the Doom movie, and I have doubts I'd enjoy it anyway, but the Rock was incredibly cool (and who didn't know that?).

Serenity panel? Omigod. Not as much fun as last year, but still magic. And I got to talk to Joss Whedon at the DC booth at the end of Sunday.

The Disney panel was a little lacklustre, but at the end of it, we got to see footage from Cars which was fun, but still makes me worry that maybe this is one of those movies that the makers love so much they can't see it from the outside. It looks incredibly character-crowded, but possibly not character-driven. Still, it's Pixar. I have faith.

The Henson panel was amazing. They showed us a clip from Mirrormask where the mayor of the white city tells Helena about the queens. Ye gods, I can't wait. But the coolest part was when Lisa Henson showed us some really old Mike Douglas Show clips with Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Juhl, and Jerry Nelson when they were all in their 20s. And then a retrospective reel that knocked our socks off. And THEN behind the scenes footage of the new Frances show they're working on, where they're using a new CGI-animation rig that's similar to how they used to do animatronic characters. And then a finished and fully rendered version of what that system can do with a little promo reel for a feature project "Water Warriors."

My jaw hit the ground. The film was gorgeous, and the animation fully rivalled what Pixar does. A little Irish step-toe dancing frog and his pet earthworm. Fully weighted, character behind the eyes, and they made us laugh. And the performance/animation had been done in real time. They can reshoot, redo the camera, reblock the scene any way they want on the floor, like in a live-action movie. This is soooo not like Polar Express motion-capture. Virtual film-making has hit a new level. Absolutely awesome stuff.

Still whacking myself, though, for missing the Warner Bros. panel (the line was insane). Apparently nobody missed much Harry Potter (they just showed the trailer everybody's already seen), but they had tons of stuff on The Corpse Bride, including a musical number. And down on the dealer's room floor, they had one of the animators with puppets and a set, and they gave away a flipbook. Sadly, everybody who told me about the V for Vendetta presentation said it looked ok, but they didn't know the comic. (sigh).

Oh, and I bought a lightsaber. It was a gooood con.

[Cress]

YOU GOT TO TALK TO JOSS WHEDON!????????????????!!!!!!!!!! YOU got to talk to Joss Whedon!????!?!?!?! I'm SO jealous.
And Weta? And Henson!? Good GOD you are lucky!
I'm going to see Willy Wonka. I don't care if it looks weird and Johnny Depp looks like a girl, it has JOHNNY DEPP IN IT!!!!!! And I'm just a tad obsessed with him. So I will see it no matter what.

[Peter Murray]

Originally posted by kli6:
Back from Comic-Con. And I gotta say, the Weta guys kick ass. At the Narnia panel, if someone asked a good question, they gave the person a prop from the movie. Women got a belt, men got a whasscalled. Vambrace? Leather arm-greave thing. I'm happier about the movie, now.

So you asked a question, they bribed you with a belt, and now it's a good film ?

Serenity panel? Omigod. Not as much fun as last year, but still magic. And I got to talk to Joss Whedon at the DC booth at the end of Sunday.

But were you wearing the "Joss Whedon is my master now" shirt at the time ?

Fully weighted, character behind the eyes, and they made us laugh. And the performance/animation had been done in real time. They can reshoot, redo the camera, reblock the scene any way they want on the floor, like in a live-action movie. This is soooo not like Polar Express motion-capture. Virtual film-making has hit a new level. Absolutely awesome stuff.

It sounds it!

Sadly, everybody who told me about the V for Vendetta presentation said it looked ok, but they didn't know the comic. (sigh).

I remember that Quality Comics thing, with Marvelman etc. And the shop.

Oh, and I bought a lightsaber. It was a gooood con.

Beware the mod with a lightsabre!

[Kathy Li]

<span class="ev_code_blue">Originally posted by Cress:
YOU GOT TO TALK TO JOSS WHEDON!????????????????!!!!!!!!!! YOU got to talk to Joss Whedon!????!?!?!?! I'm SO jealous.</span>

Well, it's not like I haven't been extolling the virtues of Comic-Con for WEEKS....

<span class="ev_code_blue">And Weta? And Henson!? Good GOD you are lucky!</span>

No, no. I just sat in an auditorium with 6500 other folks as someone else got up to the microphone and asked questions of Weta and Lisa Henson (although, actually, come to think of it I did get to talk to Lisa Henson two years ago. Comic-Con has opportunities like that).

<span class="ev_code_blue">I'm going to see Willy Wonka. I don't care if it looks weird and Johnny Depp looks like a girl, it has JOHNNY DEPP IN IT!!!!!! And I'm just a tad obsessed with him. So I will see it no matter what.</span>

Saw it last night with some friends as we decompressed from Con. It's lots of fun, and very weird, even for Tim Burton. And the Danny Elfman score kicks bigtime butt. They do all the Oompa-Loompa songs with Roald Dahl's lyrics.

<span class="ev_code_purple">Originally posted by Peter Murray:
So you asked a question, they bribed you with a belt, and now it's a good film ?</span>

No. Someone else asked a question, and they showed clips that have me still worried about Aslan's CGI, but have completely relieved any worries I may have had about Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.

<span class="ev_code_purple">But were you wearing the "Joss Whedon is my master now" shirt at the time ?</span>

No. I was wearing a Muppet Statler & Waldorf shirt at the time (Sunday is Kids' Day, and they were going to show the Muppet Wizard of Oz. I didn't make it, though, since I had much more fun talking to Maggie Thompson at the CBG booth.) PvP didn't have the t-shirts for sale, nor did anybody else on the floor, and I didn't think to order from thinkgeek and overnight it.

<span class="ev_code_purple">I remember that Quality Comics thing, with Marvelman etc. And the shop.</span>

Snee. I was wearing an ancient V for Vendetta t-shirt on Saturday that I'd bought at Forbidden Planet back in 1989.

<span class="ev_code_green">Oh, and I bought a lightsaber. It was a gooood con.</span>
<span class="ev_code_purple">Beware the mod with a lightsabre!</span>

It's only plastic. But it has a neon light inside that lights up in proper fashion from one end to the other, and sound effects to go with it. Who knew lightsabers ran on AA batteries?