Movies

[aly]

I like the new King Kong movie and Finding Nemo!

[Kathy Li]

I like the new King Kong, too, but I couldn't help feeling that some of the action sequences took too long. And enough with the giant bugs, already! My favorite bits, though, were the ones that were straight quotes of the original 1933 film--like Kong killing the T.Rex and then shoving its jaw around. Or Kong grabbing the log-bridge, and shaking and rolling it. And, of course, the biplanes and the Empire State Building. They did a really good job of taking the original moving and then plusing it out.

I particularly love what they did with the character of Ann. In the original 1933, Ann is one of those helpless screamy heroines who doesn't do much, while Naomi Watts got to play an Ann who earns our respect and sympathy. I still think the coat she wears in the apple scene is waaaay to couture (designery) for an out of work vaudevillian, though. And don't get me started on the non-period fountain pens. (grin). I also loved seeing Kyle Chandler--I haven't seen him in anything since Early Edition.

My favorite in-joke in the entire movie was the bit where Jack Black's character is trying to figure out which actresses might be free to be in his movie, and he says, "What about Fay?" and his assistant replies, "Nah, she's making that RKO movie." The 1933 King-Kong was made by RKO and starred Fay Wray.

[Mel]

Ok, backtracking. A little. A Lot.

Any news on HDM movie? I just found that series by accident over the summer (I actually read the last book byu accident. *smacks forehead*) that would realy make a great movie..

Narnia: Now one of my top movies. Really! No blood or gore, but... I can live with that. The guy who designed Gotham City worked on this movie! Cool, no? And they used a program, Massive, I think it was, that was used to create the armies. It was used in LoTR too!! Cool, no?

I want to see King Kong, but it won't happen until it comes out on DVD. until then...

Hmm...I'll either read Reflection on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle or write or go over my friends house to watch the Phantom....probably the latter....

Yay for the cinema!!

*you will find me in the matinee/ the dark of the matinee/ it's better in the matinee/ the dark of the matinee*

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by db_pr:
I decided to make a topic about V For Vendetta, I saw it last sunday and now it's my favorite movie ever. XD

I'm not gonna post any spoilers until I know of members that have seen it, so.. who has and what do you think about it?

Moved here. Sorry to delete your thread, db, but honestly, nobody's going to want to talk V for Vendetta after three weeks... --kli.

[Kathy Li]

Yes, I saw V for Vendetta. Most of what I've got to say are spoilers, so I'm whiting out the text. Select and read at your own risk.

[<span class="ev_code_white">I loved the film, which I wasn't expecting to do. Part of my main problem with the film is that the world of V seemed to futuristic, slick, and computer-controlled, but that was more or less inevitable updating, since the comic was written about 20 years ago. Also the action-hero based bits being more emphasized than the talking. It's a movie, after all. The change from racial to terrorist-based incarcerations was also inevitable. But given that the anarchist tendency politics were as heavy-handed in the original, most of it worked very well.

Also, all the little "favorite bits" that were missing were obviously done for similar reasons, and for streamlining. I missed little details, like the mention of how the musical phrase from Beethoven's 5th "duh-duh-duh DUM" is also Morse code for the letter V; Delia seeing V's face before she dies; Evie donning the mask, with, and costume and becoming the new V and then beginning on training her replacement, etc. were all tangential to the through story, and the movie could afford to lose them, but I miss them nonetheless. I also wish they'd stuck with the original plan to release it on Nov. 5.

Overall, probably the best Moore-to-film adaptation done so far, though that may be damning with faint praise. </span>]

[Birdhead]

I like the new King Kong, too, but I couldn't help feeling that some of the action sequences took too long. And enough with the giant bugs, already!

Truer words were never spake, although, fun nature fact, the giant weta is actually a real bug (the dark cricket/crasshopper like things) only, of course, a fair bit smaller. The real giant weta is usually smaller than your hand. And, yes, that's where you get Weta Workshop.

Trying to hold off on seeing V until I get my hot little hands on a trade of some description. I don't want to go to bittorrent...

[bluesalamanders]

I saw V for Vendetta the other day. Well, most of it, anyway. About 5 minutes before the end, <span class="ev_code_WHITE">just a bit after V died,</span> we had to evacuate the theater due to a small electrical fire and nobody got to see the rest of their movies.

Anyway, I mostly liked it. My only real issue was that the background/history was not explained as much as I would have liked. I haven't read what it was based on, so I know nothing other than what was on the screen.

Blue

[Kathy Li]

blue, the theater didn't give you vouchers to go back and watch the film another time? Huh. The one time I missed half a movie (the Disney TARZAN) because the neighborhood had a power outage, the theater gave us all free tickets to come back for another show. Anyhoo, it will probably be out on video really soon. :-)

I finally went and saw Kinky Boots and then Inside Man, mostly because Chiwetel Ejiofor was in both of them. And now I'm debating about whether to go see Poseidon or Akeelah and the Bee or The Promise, but mostly I'm waiting for The Da Vinci Code, just to see how much of the Louvre they got to film or had to build. I think half the fun of the book for me was that I could visualize most of the spots of Paris they were running through.

[Sean L.]

I saw V recently; 'twas very good.

And it's been more than three weeks, Kathy, though your topic-move was justified .

As for what's next...mmm, I'm not quite sure. DVC, of course, but I'm thinking about seeing MI:3. Nothing fantastic yet, though maybe an Oscar nod for costumes for V.

[Kathy Li]

I know how long it's been, but it's not as if the idea of a theatre having a policy for unfinished shows is all that time-relevant.

I'm really just waiting for Cars, and debating whether I should make the pilgrimage to L.A. and the El Capitan.

OTOH, I did manage to see Hoot, and I was pleasantly surprised at how close they kept to the book, even if the birdwatcher part of me was thinking, "Yeah, riiiight..." about having burrowing owls that are courageous enough to stick their heads out of their burrows just a thundering herd of people is quiet for a minute.

[bluesalamanders]

Yes, they gave us vouchers to see a movie free. I liked V but not so much that I wanted to see the whole freaking thing over again just to see the last five minutes - and it literally was the last five minutes that I missed.

I used it to see Inside Man instead, which was a very good movie.

Blue

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by Agent M (in ToGR):
Rent: ... Plus the original play was supposedly based off of La Boehm (sp?) a bohemian musical, so because it's so very old and classic, there's very little controversy.

Err... close. The original Jonathan Larson musical was loosely based upon the Puccini opera, La Boheme, but it was still controversial in some ways, not the least of which is that Mimi lived in the musical, when her tragic death is a big part of the opera. Y'know, like Maria surviving West Side Story when Juliet bites it in the Shakespeare. [grin] Not to mention being one of the handful of musicals that successfully incorporated rock music.

The show was, along with a wave of other plays hitting at the time, most notably Tony Kushner's landmark three-play cycle, Angels in America was part of the whole governmental fight about continued federal funding for the arts. Gays and gay issues were at the core of it, because of the targetting they were getting from the right due to AIDS and the idiotic idea that it was the "gay plague".

RENT came along after a lot of that upheaval had been worked through. Then it became a hit. Then it became fashionable. And suddenly there were $400 outfits at Nordstrom's based on the Bohemian chic "artistic/poverty look" that was part of the show. The irony was thick enough to cut with a knife.

RENT, in my personal opinion, is what kicked the resurgance of '70s fashions in the '90s that I frickin' wish would just end. Enough with bell-bottoms already!! You can call them "flair leg" and "bootcut" but they're frickin' bell bottoms!!

[ahem].

On top of that the fact that Jonathan Larson, after getting his first musical to Broadway, died shortly before the premiere, and the mythos around the show was pretty much complete. Most people just assumed, from the show and his youth, that Larson had died of AIDS, but it was an aortic aneurism.

Overall, I love the flick. But the impact of the show on stage was bigger, particularly as you could feel the La Boheme echoes much more specifically (I'm convinced that Larson had seen Baz Luhrmann's modern-dress production of La Boheme because not a few elements were similar).

Still, the movie's much more faithful to the original stage production than, say, Phantom was, and tackled a lot of the same problems in a more intelligent way--the recitative becoming spoken made more sense here. And above all, they used as much of the original cast as they could, even though they're getting a little old for the roles, now. And the newbies to the cast, Rosario Dawson (Mimi) and Traci Thoms (Joanne) kicked major butt. Thoms in particular amazes me, because I'd watched her all through Wonderfalls and had no idea she could sing like that. Julliard trains 'em well.

Overall, if you've only watched the film, you're getting a very good idea of what the stage show was like--Columbus made some good choices about which numbers to cut (e.g., answering machine numbers) and why, and redefining Benny and Mimi's relationship, etc.

[Kathy Li]

<span class="ev_code_blue">originally posted by Agent M (in ToGR):
X-Men III: ROCKED, it was NOT just the mutants going around saying "oh look, I have these cool powers... wait, you actually want me to SHOW you my powers? Yeah right," like it was in the first two, or at least, the second one. The second one was all show and tell, no real action until the end. But the third one: they USED their powers (YES!) hahah, it was very cool</span>

<span class="ev_code_purple">Originally posted by the Not So Silent One (in ToGR):
X-III rocked....*drools over Angel* I loved it. The graphics were really good. Not to mention the storyline remained true to the comics... I absolutely loved it...</span>

I had a lot of fun, and I've pretty equally enjoyed all three, but I have this serious problem with the X-Men movies which doesn't have a lot to do with the movies themselves. It's the fact that I read the comics for roughly 15 years or so.

So, I'm watching X-Men 3, and getting all excited that they've got Cain Marko and that he's played by Vinnie Jones, and they're still calling him Juggernaut. But then I freak because a) they don't explain he's wearing a helmet for the same reason that Magento does: to block Prof. X's scanning. And b) because Prof. X walks right by him. Not even recognizing that he's just walked by his own bullying half-brother. (sigh).

I freak because Colossus/Peter isn't Russian. That Pyro isn't an Aussie. That for some reason Kitty has a crush on Bobby and not Peter. That nobody actually calls Warren "Angel" at any point. That Storm had to fight Scott for the leadership of the X-Men. That the Phoenix Saga Doesn't Go That Way. That nobody mentions Moira McTaggart and Prof. X used to be lovers. That Rogue doesn't have a Southern accent. That they didn't put Callisto into the street gangs that Magneto finds. Where'd Nightcrawler go? That...

Oh, it just goes on for ages. Not the film maker's fault that there's so freaking MUCH continuity. But a little more care would've been nice for us oldtimers who were X-Men fans when that got you laughed at. [grin]

I remember being absolutely thrilled reading that bit in (DW?HW?) that described Dairine being on the top bunk and reading X-Men comics. I didn't know any other girls who did that in real life, at that time.

[meteorite]

Part of the problem with the X-Men saga on screen is trying to fit 30-odd years of continuity into around 2 hours of film (6 if you include all three), and still leave room for the special effects that are a film's mainstay, especially ones like the X-Men. They dropped a lot of subplots; they completely threw out the M'krann Crystal/Shi'ar/aliens and mutants, are you freekin' crazy? part of the Phoenix Saga, probably because it wouldn't have made any sense to an audience who hadn't read all the comics. They left a lot of stuff only hinted at, when a sentence or two would have vastly improved continuity. They also played mix and match pretty heavily with the team; I missed Nightcrawler, and would it have hurt them to use Gambit as Rogue's love interest, instead of Iceman?

Sigh. This is almost always what happens when a story or series you know well and love is adapted to the big or little screen; it's a crap shoot as far as the quality of the adaptation. I live in fear as to what Superman will be like; so far its main saving grace seems to be Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor -- deliciously evil.

[worlebird]

I don't know, I mean, you only have so much to work with in a movie. you've got to cram a lot into just two hours. I am personally happy that the overall tone and message of the X-Men stories has been retained, and that many really cool characters have made it, even if only as brief side characters.

I missed Nightcrawler,

Yeah, but I was glad to see him in X2 regardless.

and would it have hurt them to use Gambit as Rogue's love interest, instead of Iceman?

Gambit is such a popular character, I'll bet he shows up in X4 (and you know there will be one). And, what with the Iceman/Rogue relationship on the rocks, maybe Gambit and Rogue will hook up after all.

*One line minor spoiler, highlight to see*
<span class="ev_code_white">After all, the end of the film suggested that the "cure" might not be permanent, so Rogue could be back.</span>

As an aside, I have to wonder how long Rogue is going to stay in the series. After all, in the films, she just doesn't have much in the way of useful abilities.

But then I freak because a) they don't explain he's wearing a helmet for the same reason that Magento does: to block Prof. X's scanning.

Yeah, but that wouldn't have really fit into the film. it would have been a real non-sequitur for anyone who wasn't familiar with the comics. Besides, I thought "to keep my face pretty" was a hilarious answer.

And b) because Prof. X walks right by him. Not even recognizing that he's just walked by his own bullying half-brother.

Again, backstory would have been needed to even make this make any sense. Not enough time, and not enough significance to the story being told.

I freak because Colossus/Peter isn't Russian.

Well, we don't actually know that. He just doesn't have a heavy accent. He doesn't say very much in the film.

That Pyro isn't an Aussie.

I'll give you that one. He talks a lot and definitley doesn't have the accent.

That nobody actually calls Warren "Angel" at any point.

He just BARELY joined. He has apparently been kind of "in the closet" because of his dad for quite some time now. He isn't even an X-Man yet, just a new student. I don't think anybody ever calls Bobby "Iceman", either. And no one ever calls Dr. McCoy "Beast". *shrug* At least the characters were in there, and relatively intact.

That the Phoenix Saga Doesn't Go That Way.

Well, the way it REALLY goes would be a little long and confusing for a movie, don't you think? At least they got some of the pieces in there, and they were willing to make a popular character into a major villian.

That nobody mentions Moira McTaggart and Prof. X used to be lovers.

She's in there for a whole 2 minutes. What do you expect?

That Rogue doesn't have a Southern accent.

Sure she does. What X-Men movies have you been watching? It just isn't the major over the top accent that she sports in the comics, complete with words like "shugah". Considering Ana Paquin is a Canadian raised in New Zealand, I'm glad she kept the accent subtle. Trying to do a heavy accent would probably have sounded ridiculous.

That they didn't put Callisto into the street gangs that Magneto finds.

Uhhh.... actually... That woman who can sense where a mutant is and what their powers are was Callisto.
Yeah, I know. That one bugged me too.

Where'd Nightcrawler go?

Maybe he went home. *chuckle*
Better question, where'd Beast come from? All of a sudden he's Secretary of Mutant affairs, and we never even saw him as an X-Man. He used to be one, I guess, since he comments that the suit used to fit him.

Honestly, I don't think the film's biggest problem was leaving out comic book continuity. A lot of that is confusing and should be trimmed out anyway (especially parallel realities and universes and so forth). The film's biggest problem was strength of the internal story.
Not that it was bad, I mean, I enjoyed it. But it could have been better.

Edited to restore it from a cached copy - Peter