Holiday Movie-Going

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:21 am

No, no, do go on, Nano, please. Deeper and deeper ....

djm

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:01 am

I just watched a couple of movies from the video store, so they are probably ancient, but I was wondering what people thought about them.

The Devil Wears Prada---I didn't like this one at all. Just seemed like there was essentially nothing there.

Clerks---This one was pretty strange for me. I probably didn't laugh as much as I was supposed to, and some parts seemed sort of long. But I did think about it quite a bit afterwards, especially about how Dante kept saying "I wasn't even supposed to be here today." Sometimes the acting seemed not very convincing, but I don't think I am right about that. I guess the music was pretty important and that went right over my head. I might watch it again though. I liked the weird way that drug dealer talked.

beowulf573 · Post by **beowulf573** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:48 am

Cynth wrote: Clerks---This one was pretty strange for me. I probably didn't laugh as much as I was supposed to, and some parts seemed sort of long. But I did think about it quite a bit afterwards, especially about how Dante kept saying "I wasn't even supposed to be here today." Sometimes the acting seemed not very convincing, but I don't think I am right about that. I guess the music was pretty important and that went right over my head. I might watch it again though. I liked the weird way that drug dealer talked.

I like Clerks, however you do have to take into account this was made on the cheap by a film school dropout at night. Kevin Smith's day job was the store they filmed in. He's gotten better since, although some dispute that.

Folks either love or hate his movies. I like them, but I wouldn't want every movie to be a Kevin Smith movie.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:48 pm

beowulf573 wrote:
Cynth wrote: Clerks---This one was pretty strange for me. I probably didn't laugh as much as I was supposed to, and some parts seemed sort of long. But I did think about it quite a bit afterwards, especially about how Dante kept saying "I wasn't even supposed to be here today." Sometimes the acting seemed not very convincing, but I don't think I am right about that. I guess the music was pretty important and that went right over my head. I might watch it again though. I liked the weird way that drug dealer talked.
I like Clerks, however you do have to take into account this was made on the cheap by a film school dropout at night. Kevin Smith's day job was the store they filmed in. He's gotten better since, although some dispute that.

Folks either love or hate his movies. I like them, but I wouldn't want every movie to be a Kevin Smith movie.

I seem to be a little in between on the love and hate. I certainly liked it much more than The Devil Wears Prada

. I might like some of his other movies but I also might not.

I don't know if you happened to see the ending (it was on the DVD I rented) that he had originally planned for the movie. He changed it because of someone's advice (I think) and talked about how it made the movie what it was. It is strange to think of how completely differently one would have thought about the whole movie if it had had that original ending. It was an ending that made some sense and was clever (if horrible), but I don't think the movie would have had the sort of broader meaning or applicability to every person's life with that ending. I don't know, it was interesting.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:11 pm

Nanohedron wrote:...and the Aztec-style (grrrr) human sacrifices were really gross. And I mean that in a good way, as a guy.

I mean this in a bad way, as a girl--that's exactly why I'm not going!

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:46 pm

emmline wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:...and the Aztec-style (grrrr) human sacrifices were really gross. And I mean that in a good way, as a guy.
I mean this in a bad way, as a girl--that's exactly why I'm not going!

WARNING: FURTHER GROSSNESS AHEAD (BUT EDUCATIONAL

)

The more likely thing would have been just as hair-raising. As far as we know to date, standard Mayan religious blood sacrifices were performed - possibly publicly - by the top nobility upon themselves: piercing one's privates with stingray spines or drawing a thorned cord thru a cut through the tongue were common methods, generally the former by men and the latter by women. Their exalted blood was collected on strips of bark paper and burnt as offerings and prayers to the gods on behalf of the people.

Yowch. Not a job I'd care for. I think I like my commoner status.

beowulf573 · Post by **beowulf573** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:06 pm

Cynth wrote: I don't know if you happened to see the ending (it was on the DVD I rented) that he had originally planned for the movie. He changed it because of someone's advice (I think) and talked about how it made the movie what it was. It is strange to think of how completely differently one would have thought about the whole movie if it had had that original ending. It was an ending that made some sense and was clever (if horrible), but I don't think the movie would have had the sort of broader meaning or applicability to every person's life with that ending. I don't know, it was interesting.

I did see it, and I'm glad he went with the ending he did. Plus, he wouldn't have been able to make Clerks II if he stuck with the original. Coicindently, my sister-in-law gave us Clerks II on DVD for Christmas, I haven't seen it yet. I've heard is actually fairly good, despite being a sequel.

His DVD, "An Evening with Kevin Smith" is interesting. He did several Q&A sessions at various colleges and filmed them. He's natural story teller and has some great ones about dealing with producers while writing script for Superman (can we give him a robot assistant? And can we make the robot gay? And no cape and no flying) or being hired by Prince to make a documentary. (Sometimes Prince will call his assistant at 3am, in January, in Minnesota, and ask for a camel, and doesn't understand why this might be difficult.)

I've read the Superman script, I'm glad it wasn't made into a movie.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:04 pm

Nanohedron wrote: The more likely thing would have been just as hair-raising. As far as we know to date, standard Mayan religious blood sacrifices were performed - possibly publicly - by the top nobility upon themselves: piercing one's privates with stingray spines or drawing a thorned cord thru a cut through the tongue were common methods, generally the former by men and the latter by women. Their exalted blood was collected on strips of bark paper and burnt as offerings and prayers to the gods on behalf of the people.

And to think I'M told to get a life rather than sit around and dream up weird stuff to do and write about...

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:09 pm

Bon Cop Bad Cop, some Canadian fluff, is pretty weak, but we have to watch it anyways to meet minimum government code for Canadian content.

The Illusionist was much better than I expected (not a big Ed Norton fan). Paul Giamatti, whom I like any way, is especially good in this one.

The Night Listener with Robin Williams is a dud.

djm

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:28 pm

djm wrote: The Night Listener with Robin Williams is a dud. djm

I agree! My wife dragged this one into the house the other night. I watched it in fast forward mode with subtitles on - and that wasn't nearly fast enough!

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:48 pm

The one we both enjoyed most so far was The Illusionist - really terrific. Babel was also great. The Queen was good, but certainly won't crack my top ten list; my wife was both more interested in Diana and liked the movie better than I did. Really want to see Notes on a Scandal, Children of Men, The Children, and Perfume (both reviews and the previews I saw were amazing).

Philo

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:14 pm

beowulf573 wrote: ...I did see it, and I'm glad he went with the ending he did. Plus, he wouldn't have been able to make Clerks II if he stuck with the original. Coicindently, my sister-in-law gave us Clerks II on DVD for Christmas, I haven't seen it yet. I've heard is actually fairly good, despite being a sequel....

I watched Clerks again yesterday and I really enjoyed it quite a bit more the second time---I think I caught some of the lines I didn't quite hear right the first time. And I guess I was sort of shocked by some things the first time so I was over that

. I actually watched Clerks II today. I was really laughing out loud at a number of spots. Other spots I thought were sort of gross, but I guess that's the idea. I might think the first one is actually the better movie, not really sure, because this one does verge on the sappy several times and the first one conveyed the love ("as a friend") between Dante and Randall without the slightest hint of sappiness---just that little dance and shake of the head and slight giggle at the end---and I liked that sort of gritty, grimy feeling it had. I don't know, just a thought. Anyway, I enjoyed Clerks II---the guy who plays Elias is brilliant. There's one part when he sort of screams---I just laugh thinking about it. I guess in a way Clerks II seems to have a sort of greasy feeling, which is sort of neat too really. You have to watch that thing!

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:52 pm

Nanohedron wrote:The more likely thing would have been just as hair-raising. As far as we know to date, standard Mayan religious blood sacrifices were performed - possibly publicly - by the top nobility upon themselves: piercing one's privates with stingray spines or drawing a thorned cord thru a cut through the tongue were common methods, generally the former by men and the latter by women. Their exalted blood was collected on strips of bark paper and burnt as offerings and prayers to the gods on behalf of the people.

I'd bet only really committed people went into politics, though. Keeps out the riffraff, I'd suppose.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:37 am

Congratulations wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:The more likely thing would have been just as hair-raising. As far as we know to date, standard Mayan religious blood sacrifices were performed - possibly publicly - by the top nobility upon themselves: piercing one's privates with stingray spines or drawing a thorned cord thru a cut through the tongue were common methods, generally the former by men and the latter by women. Their exalted blood was collected on strips of bark paper and burnt as offerings and prayers to the gods on behalf of the people.
I'd bet only really committed people went into politics, though. Keeps out the riffraff, I'd suppose.

Personally, I'd like to see all politicians be required to do that sort of exercise on a quarterly basis. Especially the tongue thing for symbolic reasons. But we must nip this little side-run of mine in the bud, of course.

*snip*

Carry on.

flanum · Post by **flanum** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:10 pm

Anybody see "Smokin Aces" yet?