20110130:
Great movie! Well, the ending had me a little stumped. Apparently, the film omitted the book ending, in case there was a sequel, because the book on which the film is based is part of a trilogy, and in the case of a sequel the ending to the first book would make a much more exciting beginning to a second film. Apparently, the movie was also made shorter that it could have been for budget reasons. Nevertheless, the special effects were great. I never got tired of the daemons turning into dust or the visual effects that accompany the use of the Golden Compass. Of course there's the daemons themselves. Speaking of which...
My favorite scene was the battle between Iorek and Ragnar.
I definitely made the connection between the movie and the religion themes. Apparently (I read quite a bit of the Wikipedia article for this movie after I finished watching it), this created a lot of controversy. I had no personal issues with the content of the movie.
Returning to the issue I brought forth above concerning the ending, I would have no complaints if a sequel was in the works, but seeing as there isn't one in the works, it is upsetting.
Watched 20110130 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library)
The Golden Compass (2007) Chris Weitz. 113 min [botn Northern Lights (1995) by Philip Pullman]
Relevant Links:
The Golden Compass (IMDb.com)
The Golden Compass (film) (Wikipedia.org) I feel the introduction of this article (specifically the second paragraph when I read it on 20110130) gives away quite a chunk of the plot, about a quarter to a half of the movie. Don't read it if you don't want to spoil a chunk of the plot.
Northern Lights (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The King's Speech (2010)
20110129:
This movie was an excellent movie.
I loved how there is humor dispersed appropriately throughout the movie. I might have lost interest without it.
I don't think I could pick a favorite scene from this movie, because it was consistently great.
My friend asked if I could tell Lionel Logue's Australian accent apart from the English accents. I said no, and figured it was possible the character could just have an English accent. However, now that I'm at home, I found the following: Australian English (Wikipedia.org). The article specifically mentions that Geoffrey Rush, the actor who plays Lionel Logue, speaks cultivated Australian English which has similarities to British Received Pronounciation and that cultivated Austrialian English is often mistaken for British Received Pronounciation.
 |
| Geoffrey Rush (left) and Colin Firth (right) |
20130210,1:
This is such a great movie and I'm glad I watched it again.
Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush put on great performances. Watching it this time around, I also noticed Helena Bonham Carter's performance.
[20130223]
Instant Comments:
OMG, that initial scene is emotionally painful to watch.
Seriously. I'd choke on those marbles too.
"He can insert his own bloody marbles!"
Behind a powerful man is a powerful woman.
Huh. I wonder how long I'd have to practice before I could convincingly form a speech impediment. I couldn't imagine Colin Firth's pauses and clicks are scripted.
Haha. "How about Bertie?"
"It makes it official then." Hahaha.
"Because I bloody well stammer!"
Great humor. "A fortune."
 |
| Helena Bonham Carter |
Ha. The Royal Highness goes up and down.
"We shared the... expert ministrations of... Paulette in Paris." "Not at the same time, of course."
"Apparently she has certain skills. Acquired at an establishment in Shanghai." Hahaha.
Timothy Spall is Winston Churchill.
"Shit. Shit, shit shit. Shit, shit, shit...!"
"Fornication?"
"Perhaps he doesn't want to be great. Perhaps that what you want."
Haha. It goes back to what I said earlier, but perhaps I should amend what I said earlier to, "Behind a great man is a great woman."
1 hour 9 minute mark. Albert. George.
 |
| The King's Speech. |
Title at 1 hour 36 minute mark.
Ha. "You stammered on the W." "I had to throw in a few. So they'd knew it was me."
Released 20101210.
Watched 20110129 Theatre. Landmark's Harbor East Cinema [KING'S SPEEC] 8:30 PM $11.00
Watched 20130210,1 (Netflix, Instant, HD)
The King's Speech (2010) Tom Hooper. 118 min.
Relevant Links:
The King's Speech (IMDb.com)
WALL-E (2008)
20080627:
With less dialogue, the movie focused more on the visual aspects.
I applaud the movie for sending a message about protecting the planet.
Overall, it was a cute and great movie. I would highly recommend it.
On an unrelated note, Ben Burtt, the voice of WALL-E, does sound for movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Most Memorable Scene: The ship inhabitants become unplugged.
[20110122][20170307 Edit]
20110129:
What a beautiful way to tell a romance. It shows to tell you don't need dialogue to tell a wonderful story.
Favorite scene: WALL-E and EVE in space (with the fire extinguisher)
20150830:
After watching Frozen (2013) on my way home from Minnesota to California, I decided to watch Wall-E.
[20170307]
20240216:
Today I watched this movie. We actually started watching the movie a month or so ago, but didn't get very far. Today I had walked away from the movie starting from the scene where WALL-E is holding onto the ship as it goes into space, and came back when WALL-E releases himself from the cage and thinks that Eve is being tortured.
Instant Comments:
1: It's interesting to realize that WALL-E is one of many.
3: Hehe, they immediately show why this WALL-E unit is still staying strong (recycling parts)
3: The robots look like those from portal
3: Interesting that the electricity is still on in some places though
3: It's also interesting how WALL-E developed a desire to collect objects.
3: The spork goes between the spoon and fork.
3: Haha, the Twinkie.
3: The Mac bootup noise...
3: "Ahh!"
3, 4a: [3: Lol,] [4a: Hehe] throws away the diamond ring.
3: Oh right, his experience with the fire extinguisher.
3: I guess it's like a cat following a light. (WALL-E follows the red dot.)
3: Awww.... unrequited love...
2a: So cute.
2a, 4a: The first "dialogue" at 23 min. "Directive?" "Classified."
2a: Immediately followed by the following with their names.
4a: Ben copies WALL-E and says "Eee-vah."
3: The singing fish! "Listen to a song I wrote, don't worry, be happy"
3: Her interaction with everything... hahaha. Lights up bulb. Solves rubik's cube.
3: We get to see a tape being wound.
3: A very strange romance....
3: Wall-E and the Ship of Theseus
3: Pong. [20211218: Probably when WALL-E is playing pong "with" EVE
4a: How do they pay for all this? [Also aren't there limited resource]
4a: How are there babies? How do they make love if they can't move?
4a: 700 years! When originally the plan was 5 years... no way they would have the resources planned for an additional 695 years?
4a: Paused at "Define sea."
2a: Beautiful space scene
2a: The AXIOM inhabitants speaking at 40 min.
4b: I didn't remember that the captain made a significant contribution in taking down auto prior to the final returning of the ship. Though on a separate note, why should turning the ship cause anyone to go off balance. Theoretically the gravity appears to be generated and the ship turning would at best just provide a jerk.
4b: Why did it take WALL-E time to refresh his memory other than for suspense...
4b: There are already more plants!
Credits:
2a: The end titles tells the story of the restoration of the planet with artwork that progresses through history.
4b: Some post return to earth depictions
2a: Then when the credits roll, we start with EVE and WALL-E. Then MO follows WALL-E's tracks. Various references to the movie are made. Oh and there's the cockroach. And various other robots, such as AUTO. Then when the PIXAR logo appears at the end, the lamp goes out and WALL-E replaces it. He leaves but knocks over the R. So he himself forms an R. Then the BNL logo appears at the very end of the movie.
4b: 2D rendition. Summary of the plot.
Post Credits:
4b: WALL-E comes to replace the lightbulb of the lamp, Luxo Jr. Then knocks over the R and so stands in its place.
4b: The BNL logo then comes up
Presto: Theatrical Short
2b: While not as great a short as the most recent Day & Night, it was lightly humorous.
BURN-E: All New Original Short
2b: Follows a BURN-E unit which is a side story that runs parallel to the main movie.
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds From The Sound Up
2b: This feature covers the sound in the movie, and the sound, as explained during the introduction, is of utmost importance in this movie.
2b: Haha! Wow... Awesome (EVE's laser gun sound)
2b: The feature goes through some of the older things that have been done.
2b: Wow... watching this feature is so enlightening. Props to Ben Burtt and sound designers in general.
Deleted Scenes:
2b: There are two deleted scenes. The first scene, "Garbage Airlock," would change the direction of the ending of the film. The movie as it is has a more dramatic touch, but this deleted scene is definitely interesting to watch. The second scene, "Dumped," I guess would have been in place of the fire extinguisher scene.
1=20080627, 2a=20110129, 2b=20110130 (watch special features), 3=20150830, 4a=20211216, 4b=20211217, 5=20240216
Released 20080627.
Watched 20080627 Theater. Century Huntington Beach [WALL-E] 5:40P $7.00
Watched 20110129 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library)
Watched 20150830
Watched first half 20211216, second half 20211217 (Disney+)
Watched 20240216 (Disney+)
WALL-E (2008) Andrew Stanton. 98 min.
Relevant Links:
WALL-E (IMDb.com)
With less dialogue, the movie focused more on the visual aspects.
I applaud the movie for sending a message about protecting the planet.
 |
| WALL-E (Ben Burtt) |
Overall, it was a cute and great movie. I would highly recommend it.
On an unrelated note, Ben Burtt, the voice of WALL-E, does sound for movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Most Memorable Scene: The ship inhabitants become unplugged.
[20110122][20170307 Edit]
20110129:
What a beautiful way to tell a romance. It shows to tell you don't need dialogue to tell a wonderful story.
 |
| EVE (Elissa Knight) and WALL-E |
Favorite scene: WALL-E and EVE in space (with the fire extinguisher)
20150830:
After watching Frozen (2013) on my way home from Minnesota to California, I decided to watch Wall-E.
[20170307]
20240216:
Today I watched this movie. We actually started watching the movie a month or so ago, but didn't get very far. Today I had walked away from the movie starting from the scene where WALL-E is holding onto the ship as it goes into space, and came back when WALL-E releases himself from the cage and thinks that Eve is being tortured.
Instant Comments:
1: It's interesting to realize that WALL-E is one of many.
3: Hehe, they immediately show why this WALL-E unit is still staying strong (recycling parts)
3: The robots look like those from portal
3: Interesting that the electricity is still on in some places though
3: It's also interesting how WALL-E developed a desire to collect objects.
3: The spork goes between the spoon and fork.
 |
| WALL-E passes some passengers on the AXIOM |
3: Haha, the Twinkie.
3: The Mac bootup noise...
3: "Ahh!"
3, 4a: [3: Lol,] [4a: Hehe] throws away the diamond ring.
3: Oh right, his experience with the fire extinguisher.
3: I guess it's like a cat following a light. (WALL-E follows the red dot.)
3: Awww.... unrequited love...
2a: So cute.
2a, 4a: The first "dialogue" at 23 min. "Directive?" "Classified."
2a: Immediately followed by the following with their names.
 |
| WALL-E and EVE in space |
4a: Ben copies WALL-E and says "Eee-vah."
3: The singing fish! "Listen to a song I wrote, don't worry, be happy"
3: Her interaction with everything... hahaha. Lights up bulb. Solves rubik's cube.
3: We get to see a tape being wound.
3: A very strange romance....
3: Wall-E and the Ship of Theseus
3: Pong. [20211218: Probably when WALL-E is playing pong "with" EVE
4a: How do they pay for all this? [Also aren't there limited resource]
4a: How are there babies? How do they make love if they can't move?
4a: 700 years! When originally the plan was 5 years... no way they would have the resources planned for an additional 695 years?
 |
| Captain (Jeff Garlin) |
4a: Paused at "Define sea."
2a: Beautiful space scene
2a: The AXIOM inhabitants speaking at 40 min.
4b: I didn't remember that the captain made a significant contribution in taking down auto prior to the final returning of the ship. Though on a separate note, why should turning the ship cause anyone to go off balance. Theoretically the gravity appears to be generated and the ship turning would at best just provide a jerk.
4b: Why did it take WALL-E time to refresh his memory other than for suspense...
4b: There are already more plants!
 |
| MO |
Credits:
2a: The end titles tells the story of the restoration of the planet with artwork that progresses through history.
4b: Some post return to earth depictions
2a: Then when the credits roll, we start with EVE and WALL-E. Then MO follows WALL-E's tracks. Various references to the movie are made. Oh and there's the cockroach. And various other robots, such as AUTO. Then when the PIXAR logo appears at the end, the lamp goes out and WALL-E replaces it. He leaves but knocks over the R. So he himself forms an R. Then the BNL logo appears at the very end of the movie.
4b: 2D rendition. Summary of the plot.
Post Credits:
4b: WALL-E comes to replace the lightbulb of the lamp, Luxo Jr. Then knocks over the R and so stands in its place.
4b: The BNL logo then comes up
 |
| EVE, WALL-E, and MO |
Presto: Theatrical Short
2b: While not as great a short as the most recent Day & Night, it was lightly humorous.
BURN-E: All New Original Short
2b: Follows a BURN-E unit which is a side story that runs parallel to the main movie.
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds From The Sound Up
2b: This feature covers the sound in the movie, and the sound, as explained during the introduction, is of utmost importance in this movie.
2b: Haha! Wow... Awesome (EVE's laser gun sound)
2b: The feature goes through some of the older things that have been done.
2b: Wow... watching this feature is so enlightening. Props to Ben Burtt and sound designers in general.
 |
| Luxo Jr. and WALL-E |
Deleted Scenes:
2b: There are two deleted scenes. The first scene, "Garbage Airlock," would change the direction of the ending of the film. The movie as it is has a more dramatic touch, but this deleted scene is definitely interesting to watch. The second scene, "Dumped," I guess would have been in place of the fire extinguisher scene.
1=20080627, 2a=20110129, 2b=20110130 (watch special features), 3=20150830, 4a=20211216, 4b=20211217, 5=20240216
Released 20080627.
Watched 20080627 Theater. Century Huntington Beach [WALL-E] 5:40P $7.00
Watched 20110129 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library)
Watched 20150830
Watched first half 20211216, second half 20211217 (Disney+)
Watched 20240216 (Disney+)
WALL-E (2008) Andrew Stanton. 98 min.
Relevant Links:
WALL-E (IMDb.com)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Australia (2008)
20110129:
This movie was all over the place in a bad way. The first half of the movie is exciting. But then it resolves the primary issue only to linger on and open up new issues. The movie Casino Royale (2006) had, to a lesser extent, the same problem. The beginning of the film also had this uplifting and humorous atmosphere. Whereas the film changes direction and becomes serious towards the end. Personally, I started getting bored towards the end.
Overall, the movie was okay.
20130811 Comment:
I realized not too long ago that I prefer watching story-driven movies and thus when this movie lost a concrete drive, I began to lose interest.
Instant Comments:
Haha. Welcome to Australia!
Lol. Beautiful kangaroos.
Haha, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Watched 20110129 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) Turned on English subtitles about halfway into the movie.
Australia (2008) Baz Luhrmann. 165 min
Relevant Links:
Australia (IMDb.com)
Australia (2008 film) (Wikipedia.org)
This movie was all over the place in a bad way. The first half of the movie is exciting. But then it resolves the primary issue only to linger on and open up new issues. The movie Casino Royale (2006) had, to a lesser extent, the same problem. The beginning of the film also had this uplifting and humorous atmosphere. Whereas the film changes direction and becomes serious towards the end. Personally, I started getting bored towards the end.
Overall, the movie was okay.
20130811 Comment:
I realized not too long ago that I prefer watching story-driven movies and thus when this movie lost a concrete drive, I began to lose interest.
Instant Comments:
Haha. Welcome to Australia!
Lol. Beautiful kangaroos.
Haha, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Watched 20110129 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) Turned on English subtitles about halfway into the movie.
Australia (2008) Baz Luhrmann. 165 min
Relevant Links:
Australia (IMDb.com)
Australia (2008 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
20110128:
I loved this movie. I loved the suspense.
I loved how all the different moments come together. In particular, I loved how I missed the small detail until it was revealed. And the funny thing is I watch the movie looking for the small detail, because the writer references that unlike his books, in real life, there is a small detail the criminal overlooks.
Twice in the movie, Hitchcock shoots the film from above the characters. I thought that added a nice touch to the those scenes.
I suppose I like the suspense genre.
Watched 20110128 (Netflix, Instant)
Dial M for Murder (1954) Alfred Hitchcock. 105 min [aft play otsn (1952) by Frederick Knott]
Relevant Links:
Dial M for Murder (IMDb.com)
Dial M for Murder (Wikipedia.org)
I loved this movie. I loved the suspense.
I loved how all the different moments come together. In particular, I loved how I missed the small detail until it was revealed. And the funny thing is I watch the movie looking for the small detail, because the writer references that unlike his books, in real life, there is a small detail the criminal overlooks.
Twice in the movie, Hitchcock shoots the film from above the characters. I thought that added a nice touch to the those scenes.
I suppose I like the suspense genre.
Watched 20110128 (Netflix, Instant)
Dial M for Murder (1954) Alfred Hitchcock. 105 min [aft play otsn (1952) by Frederick Knott]
Relevant Links:
Dial M for Murder (IMDb.com)
Dial M for Murder (Wikipedia.org)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Appaloosa (2008)
20110127:
Not bad. I liked Viggo Mortensen's performance.
I think my favorite scene is scene 19, Apache meeting.
The appearance of the cougar in one of the scenes as the train passes by is cool.
After watching the shootout scene in this movie, scene 22, I started wondering about the mechanics of it all. I mean, if the intention was to kill or injure the other person, why determine a time for it? I suppose it gives them time to prepare, which is a polite gesture, but in this case, the moment the fight became four against two, why not take aim and begin the shootout?
Well I read various posts and websites to conclude that a well aimed shot was much more useful than a fast, but badly aimed shot, specifically because guns during the time had bad accuracy to begin with. Thus, it doesn't matter who wants to initiate the shootout, because the reaction time to begin to raise your arm is probably insignificant. In any case, the scene, after watching it four or five times, seems to be rather realistic. I guess guns would be too heavy to kept up at aim for an extended period of time.
Two interesting credit positions are "Ms. Zellweger's Piano Teacher" and "Apache Language Consultant."
For the music, Renee Zellweger performs a song and Ed Harris performs a song.
I sort of watched the deleted scenes. I watched without commentary. I only sort of watched it, because I was reading about duels and the reality of quick draws.
I watched the special feature Historic Accuracy of Appaloosa. This feature describes how the movie paid attention to all the details. The costumes, the guns, and the train are some of these details. With the guns, the special describes a bit of what I learned above. Specifically acknowledging that guns of the time were inaccurate, and mentioning how the characters held their guns at their side and shot at pretty close ranges.
I want to end summarizing the above and any other information I obtained on the topic of gunfights: During this time period, it wasn't about being the fastest, it was about having the guts to take the time to take aim. This conclusion is made from a combination of various sources and the Historic Accuracy of Appaloosa special feature. The special feature says the character Frank, with the exception of the first time we see him shoot two guys, isn't really making fast shots, but takes his time aiming.
Go to The List of Westerns I've Seen
Watched 20110127 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) Widescreen
Appaloosa (2008) Ed Harris. 115 min [botnotsn (2005) by Robert B. Parker]
Relevant Links:
Appaloosa (IMDb.com)
Appaloosa (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Not bad. I liked Viggo Mortensen's performance.
I think my favorite scene is scene 19, Apache meeting.
The appearance of the cougar in one of the scenes as the train passes by is cool.
After watching the shootout scene in this movie, scene 22, I started wondering about the mechanics of it all. I mean, if the intention was to kill or injure the other person, why determine a time for it? I suppose it gives them time to prepare, which is a polite gesture, but in this case, the moment the fight became four against two, why not take aim and begin the shootout?
Well I read various posts and websites to conclude that a well aimed shot was much more useful than a fast, but badly aimed shot, specifically because guns during the time had bad accuracy to begin with. Thus, it doesn't matter who wants to initiate the shootout, because the reaction time to begin to raise your arm is probably insignificant. In any case, the scene, after watching it four or five times, seems to be rather realistic. I guess guns would be too heavy to kept up at aim for an extended period of time.
Two interesting credit positions are "Ms. Zellweger's Piano Teacher" and "Apache Language Consultant."
For the music, Renee Zellweger performs a song and Ed Harris performs a song.
I sort of watched the deleted scenes. I watched without commentary. I only sort of watched it, because I was reading about duels and the reality of quick draws.
I watched the special feature Historic Accuracy of Appaloosa. This feature describes how the movie paid attention to all the details. The costumes, the guns, and the train are some of these details. With the guns, the special describes a bit of what I learned above. Specifically acknowledging that guns of the time were inaccurate, and mentioning how the characters held their guns at their side and shot at pretty close ranges.
I want to end summarizing the above and any other information I obtained on the topic of gunfights: During this time period, it wasn't about being the fastest, it was about having the guts to take the time to take aim. This conclusion is made from a combination of various sources and the Historic Accuracy of Appaloosa special feature. The special feature says the character Frank, with the exception of the first time we see him shoot two guys, isn't really making fast shots, but takes his time aiming.
Go to The List of Westerns I've Seen
Watched 20110127 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) Widescreen
Appaloosa (2008) Ed Harris. 115 min [botnotsn (2005) by Robert B. Parker]
Relevant Links:
Appaloosa (IMDb.com)
Appaloosa (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
Watched 20110127 (Netflix, Instant)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) Lauren Montgomery. 78 min.
Relevant Links:
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (IMDb.com)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (Wikipedia.org)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (RottenTomatoes.com)
20110127:
Watching this movie for the first time, I had trouble following the story. For example, I had no prior knowledge of Darkseid and the movie didn't explain enough. In particular, the film explained he wanted to find a new captain, but I didn't understand why.
On a positive note, I liked the artwork.
My favorite full scene was Wonder Woman and Big Barda fighting the Female Furies. My favorite snippet was when Kara grabs Darkseid by the head and flips him over.
Speaking of Kara, the movie was actually more about Supergirl than either Superman or Batman. It should also be noted that Superman got more onscreen time than Batman. With that being said, Batman played an important role throughout the movie.
As a final remark, I was a little confused about the Doomsday clones. In the end, I concluded the following: the more clones that were made, the weaker they were, and so Darkseid only made enough to buy himself time.
Overall, this was a good movie, but it wasn't as good as Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010).
[20110128][20151019 Edit]
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) Lauren Montgomery. 78 min.
 |
| Bruce Wayne/Batman (Kevin Conroy) |
 |
| Clark Kent/Superman (Tim Daly) and Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Summer Glau) |
Relevant Links:
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (IMDb.com)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (Wikipedia.org)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (RottenTomatoes.com)
 |
| Princess Diana/Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), Superman, and Kara |
20110127:
Watching this movie for the first time, I had trouble following the story. For example, I had no prior knowledge of Darkseid and the movie didn't explain enough. In particular, the film explained he wanted to find a new captain, but I didn't understand why.
 |
| Batman on Apokolips. |
On a positive note, I liked the artwork.
My favorite full scene was Wonder Woman and Big Barda fighting the Female Furies. My favorite snippet was when Kara grabs Darkseid by the head and flips him over.
 |
| Big Barda (Julianne Grossman) and Wonder Woman take a fighting stance against the Female Furies. |
Speaking of Kara, the movie was actually more about Supergirl than either Superman or Batman. It should also be noted that Superman got more onscreen time than Batman. With that being said, Batman played an important role throughout the movie.
As a final remark, I was a little confused about the Doomsday clones. In the end, I concluded the following: the more clones that were made, the weaker they were, and so Darkseid only made enough to buy himself time.
Overall, this was a good movie, but it wasn't as good as Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010).
[20110128][20151019 Edit]
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
20110127:
Great movie. The only scene I didn't like too much was the call between Sonny and Leon. It was either the cuts between the dialogue that didn't flow nicely.
I also thought various points in the movie didn't make sense. For example, the FBI agent appeared without any context.
It's always fun to learn that something you listened to or watched actually came from somewhere else. In this case, it's learning that Airheads (1994) is either a spoof of this movie or loosely based on it. I made the connection when Al Pacino's character goes outside and starts rousing the crowd and repeatedly shouting "Attica." Of course, this movie is much better.
The protagonist's motives are revealed about half-way into the movie (an hour in).
Watched 20110127 (Netflix, Instant)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Sidney Lumet. 125 min [bot article The Boys in the Bank (September 22, 1972 issue of Life Magazine) by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore]
Relevant Links:
Dog Day Afternoon (IMDb.com)
Dog Day Afternoon (Wikipedia.org)
Attica Prison riot (Wikipedia.org)
Great movie. The only scene I didn't like too much was the call between Sonny and Leon. It was either the cuts between the dialogue that didn't flow nicely.
I also thought various points in the movie didn't make sense. For example, the FBI agent appeared without any context.
It's always fun to learn that something you listened to or watched actually came from somewhere else. In this case, it's learning that Airheads (1994) is either a spoof of this movie or loosely based on it. I made the connection when Al Pacino's character goes outside and starts rousing the crowd and repeatedly shouting "Attica." Of course, this movie is much better.
The protagonist's motives are revealed about half-way into the movie (an hour in).
Watched 20110127 (Netflix, Instant)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Sidney Lumet. 125 min [bot article The Boys in the Bank (September 22, 1972 issue of Life Magazine) by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore]
Relevant Links:
Dog Day Afternoon (IMDb.com)
Dog Day Afternoon (Wikipedia.org)
Attica Prison riot (Wikipedia.org)
American Gangster (2007)
20110127:
I like how the story kept me interested. That was good, I liked it.
After watching the movie I read the article. It was interesting. It wasn't easy to read the whole article. I could spot the different bits and pieces used by the movie.
I can't pinpoint why, but I like this movie more than Goodfellas (1990). If I were to guess, then I'd say it was that this movie has more action than Goodfellas. It also had a goal and built up tension over a longer period of time than Goodfellas did. On the other hand, this movie didn't have any spectacularly great shots. I thought character development was better in this movie than in Goodfellas. Well... I guess I take that back, they might just be about the same in this area. Perhaps this movie was simple for me, and Goodfellas was too complex, and most people, especially frequent movie goers or fans of the genre, will for that reason, prefer Goodfellas over American Gangster.
Interestingly, American Gangster is 11 minutes longer than Goodfellas. But I had lots of trouble sitting through Goodfellas, and practically no trouble sitting through American Gangster. I say practically, because in some sense I did want to know how much time was left, since I wanted the movie to get to the resolution. But I resisted the urge to look, simply because I wouldn't try to determine the time remaining if I was watching a film in a movie theatre. In any case, I deduce that I probably wasn't in the right mood when watching Goodfellas. I recall I said I would probably enjoy Goodfellas more if I watched it a second time. The role of the wife in Goodfellas is more interesting than the role of the wife in American Gangster.
The little snippet after the end of the credits is cool.
The best scene just might be when Frank's mom slaps him (the entire scene, not just when she slaps him).
The second best would be the initial part of the resolution.
Watched 20110127 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) Theatrical Version (158 min).
American Gangster (2007) Ridley Scott. 157 min [bot article "Return of Superfly" (August 14, 2010 issue of New York Magazine) by Mark Jacobson]
Relevant Links:
American Gangster (IMDb.com)
American Gangster (film) (Wikipedia.org)
"Return of Superfly" by Mark Jacobson
I like how the story kept me interested. That was good, I liked it.
After watching the movie I read the article. It was interesting. It wasn't easy to read the whole article. I could spot the different bits and pieces used by the movie.
I can't pinpoint why, but I like this movie more than Goodfellas (1990). If I were to guess, then I'd say it was that this movie has more action than Goodfellas. It also had a goal and built up tension over a longer period of time than Goodfellas did. On the other hand, this movie didn't have any spectacularly great shots. I thought character development was better in this movie than in Goodfellas. Well... I guess I take that back, they might just be about the same in this area. Perhaps this movie was simple for me, and Goodfellas was too complex, and most people, especially frequent movie goers or fans of the genre, will for that reason, prefer Goodfellas over American Gangster.
Interestingly, American Gangster is 11 minutes longer than Goodfellas. But I had lots of trouble sitting through Goodfellas, and practically no trouble sitting through American Gangster. I say practically, because in some sense I did want to know how much time was left, since I wanted the movie to get to the resolution. But I resisted the urge to look, simply because I wouldn't try to determine the time remaining if I was watching a film in a movie theatre. In any case, I deduce that I probably wasn't in the right mood when watching Goodfellas. I recall I said I would probably enjoy Goodfellas more if I watched it a second time. The role of the wife in Goodfellas is more interesting than the role of the wife in American Gangster.
The little snippet after the end of the credits is cool.
The best scene just might be when Frank's mom slaps him (the entire scene, not just when she slaps him).
The second best would be the initial part of the resolution.
Watched 20110127 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) Theatrical Version (158 min).
American Gangster (2007) Ridley Scott. 157 min [bot article "Return of Superfly" (August 14, 2010 issue of New York Magazine) by Mark Jacobson]
Relevant Links:
American Gangster (IMDb.com)
American Gangster (film) (Wikipedia.org)
"Return of Superfly" by Mark Jacobson
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
20110124:
I watched the end of this movie once before. From the part where she attacks the tank. In any case, I thought the animation looked cool. The storyline is something along the lines of The Matrix (1999) mixed with I, Robot (2004); which makes sense seeing how The Matrix was influenced by Ghost in the Shell (1995). Those kinds of stories (e.g., The Matrix and I, Robot) are fun to think about. While it gets deep and has great action, the movie isn't consistently great. There was one scene where the protagonist is too straightforward with plot explanation. I'd much prefer the explanation be made subtle, otherwise I run into realizing I'm watching a movie. I mean, the point is I know it's a movie, but I'm enjoying the concept of the universe that is being presented, and all of a sudden there's blatant storyline. At least if there's going to be blatant storyline explanation, it should happen at the beginning of the movie, not the middle. Or, this is one of the situations where narration can be used. Of course that's a personal preference; with movies, because they tend to last at least an hour, I treasure a strong finish over a strong start. (With music I prefer a strong hook.)
I also didn't really understand the ending that well. I got the gist, but not fully understanding dampened the power of the movie. I know it had to do with what she heard on the boat, but I don't know how.
@32:50
What we see now is like a dim image in the mirror. Then we shall see face to face.
@1:16:50
Batou, remember the words I spoke in another voice on the boat that night.
I understand it now and there are even more words that go with the passage. These words are
"When I was a child my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child.
Now that I'm a man I have no more use for childish ways."
And now I can say these things without help in my own voice,
because now I am neither the woman known as the Major nor am I the program called the Puppet Master.
Lol, looking at it, the two parts don't really go together at all. Unless I'm missing something.
I also didn't really like the delivery of the final lines of the film. Or perhaps I just didn't like the final lines at all.
Watched 20110124 (Netflix, Instant) (Fullscreen) (Krieger 205)
Ghost in the Shell (1995) Mamoru Oshii. 82 min.
also known as Kokaku kidotai (original title)
Relevant Links:
Ghost in the Shell (IMDb.com)
Ghost in the Shell (film)(Wikipedia.org)
I watched the end of this movie once before. From the part where she attacks the tank. In any case, I thought the animation looked cool. The storyline is something along the lines of The Matrix (1999) mixed with I, Robot (2004); which makes sense seeing how The Matrix was influenced by Ghost in the Shell (1995). Those kinds of stories (e.g., The Matrix and I, Robot) are fun to think about. While it gets deep and has great action, the movie isn't consistently great. There was one scene where the protagonist is too straightforward with plot explanation. I'd much prefer the explanation be made subtle, otherwise I run into realizing I'm watching a movie. I mean, the point is I know it's a movie, but I'm enjoying the concept of the universe that is being presented, and all of a sudden there's blatant storyline. At least if there's going to be blatant storyline explanation, it should happen at the beginning of the movie, not the middle. Or, this is one of the situations where narration can be used. Of course that's a personal preference; with movies, because they tend to last at least an hour, I treasure a strong finish over a strong start. (With music I prefer a strong hook.)
I also didn't really understand the ending that well. I got the gist, but not fully understanding dampened the power of the movie. I know it had to do with what she heard on the boat, but I don't know how.
@32:50
What we see now is like a dim image in the mirror. Then we shall see face to face.
@1:16:50
Batou, remember the words I spoke in another voice on the boat that night.
I understand it now and there are even more words that go with the passage. These words are
"When I was a child my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child.
Now that I'm a man I have no more use for childish ways."
And now I can say these things without help in my own voice,
because now I am neither the woman known as the Major nor am I the program called the Puppet Master.
Lol, looking at it, the two parts don't really go together at all. Unless I'm missing something.
I also didn't really like the delivery of the final lines of the film. Or perhaps I just didn't like the final lines at all.
Watched 20110124 (Netflix, Instant) (Fullscreen) (Krieger 205)
Ghost in the Shell (1995) Mamoru Oshii. 82 min.
also known as Kokaku kidotai (original title)
Relevant Links:
Ghost in the Shell (IMDb.com)
Ghost in the Shell (film)(Wikipedia.org)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
20110124:
Out of the Johnny Depp's various movie roles (in movies I've seen), his role in this film might be my favorite; it's dark and powerful. There were some scenes where he used his apathetic Edward Scissorhands face, but that's enjoyable in it's own way.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have a preference for musicals. I grew up with Disney movies, Barney, and several musicals (The Sound of Music (1965), Funny Face (1957), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Mary Poppins (1964), and An American in Paris (1951)).
While there's a lot to say about the movie, some of which has been placed in my instant comments, I would summarize by saying I love the movie. I might even go as far as putting it in my top ten favorite, if I ever made such a list. Certainly top twenty.
[20160906 Edit]
20160904:
I watched this movie again today and while I remembered most of the overarching story, there were some details I had forgotten. In particular, I forgot about the end-of-the-movie twist on one of the characters until about halfway into the movie.
Unfortunately, the movie might not have been as great and exciting as I once remembered it to be, but I still enjoyed it. Explicitly, one of the reasons lies in the plot, which would not be a fault of the movie itself (as it stands as an adaptation upon previous works). Elaborating, the character Anthony, who is essential to the plot, is also annoying. Note that I had a similar problem with the character Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in Gladiator (2000).
I would still, however, recommend it to fans of musicals and to fans of Tim Burton's style of horror.
Instant Comments:
2: I had forgotten how great the opening credit sequence to this movie is.
2: Great line: "At last! My arm is complete again!"
2: The first time I watched the movie, the scenes with Todd's blade to someone's neck made me cringe.
2: I liked the ending of the movie the first time I watched it and I still like it. There was definitely discussion over the ending.
2: I love how the actors are actually singing; know that adds to an already great movie
Special Features:
2: I watched the special feature: BURTON + DEPP + CARTER = TODD. 26 minutes long. It covers various topics, such as how the movie got started, the actors, and the singing.
Released 20071221.
Watched 20080105 Theatre. Irvine 21 [SWEENEY] 1:30PM $6.00
Possibly watched once more, perhaps just partially.
Watched 20110124 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) English subtitles.
Watched 20160904 (Netflix, Instant)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Tim Burton. 116 min [various works precede the film]
Relevant Links:
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (IMDb.com)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical) (Wikipedia.org)
Out of the Johnny Depp's various movie roles (in movies I've seen), his role in this film might be my favorite; it's dark and powerful. There were some scenes where he used his apathetic Edward Scissorhands face, but that's enjoyable in it's own way.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have a preference for musicals. I grew up with Disney movies, Barney, and several musicals (The Sound of Music (1965), Funny Face (1957), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Mary Poppins (1964), and An American in Paris (1951)).
While there's a lot to say about the movie, some of which has been placed in my instant comments, I would summarize by saying I love the movie. I might even go as far as putting it in my top ten favorite, if I ever made such a list. Certainly top twenty.
[20160906 Edit]
20160904:
I watched this movie again today and while I remembered most of the overarching story, there were some details I had forgotten. In particular, I forgot about the end-of-the-movie twist on one of the characters until about halfway into the movie.
Unfortunately, the movie might not have been as great and exciting as I once remembered it to be, but I still enjoyed it. Explicitly, one of the reasons lies in the plot, which would not be a fault of the movie itself (as it stands as an adaptation upon previous works). Elaborating, the character Anthony, who is essential to the plot, is also annoying. Note that I had a similar problem with the character Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in Gladiator (2000).
I would still, however, recommend it to fans of musicals and to fans of Tim Burton's style of horror.
Instant Comments:
2: I had forgotten how great the opening credit sequence to this movie is.
2: Great line: "At last! My arm is complete again!"
2: The first time I watched the movie, the scenes with Todd's blade to someone's neck made me cringe.
2: I liked the ending of the movie the first time I watched it and I still like it. There was definitely discussion over the ending.
2: I love how the actors are actually singing; know that adds to an already great movie
Special Features:
2: I watched the special feature: BURTON + DEPP + CARTER = TODD. 26 minutes long. It covers various topics, such as how the movie got started, the actors, and the singing.
Released 20071221.
Watched 20080105 Theatre. Irvine 21 [SWEENEY] 1:30PM $6.00
Possibly watched once more, perhaps just partially.
Watched 20110124 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) English subtitles.
Watched 20160904 (Netflix, Instant)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Tim Burton. 116 min [various works precede the film]
Relevant Links:
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (IMDb.com)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical) (Wikipedia.org)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
20100618:
First reaction: Absolutely positively great movie.
The short feature, Day & Night, alone was fun to watch.
I'd note that one should watch Toy Story and Toy Story 2 prior to watching Toy Story 3. One reason is for the occasional references made to the older movies, and another reason is for the character history.
Of the three, my favorite is Toy Story 3, then Toy Story comes in second, and last is Toy Story 2, which I didn't like much at all.
[20100619][20190912 Edit]
20110123:
The DVD menu is well-done. The toys are shown moving across the menu. It's also nice and long, and when it restarts, it's quite subtle. DVD menus that repeat the same short audio track or video clip annoy me.
I watched the bonus features.
Instant Comments:
A: Spanish Buzz!
A: Kristen Schaal from Flight of the Conchords did the voice of Trixie.
Day & Night: Theatrical Short.
A: The ever great short. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And meaningful to boot!
Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science of Adventure.
A: Lol. It was so funny to hear Buzz quickly explain how you can use a potato to power a clock. And then continue to talk about cool NASA things. And "Dis-nay-land" with a "Giant Mouse."
Paths to Pixar: Editorial.
A: Editors talk a bit about the editorial process, how they came to get to where they are, and their feelings about the job.
Studio Stories: Where's Gordon?
A: A narrated animation about a hidden room at the studio. Funny.
Studio Stories: Cereal Bar.
A: What a great idea! No wonder they make such good movies.
Studio Stories: Clean Start.
A: Lol, great story about having fun at work.
Toys! (Should watch movie first)
A: A documentary on creating new characters and redoing the original characters.
The Gang's All Here. (Should watch movie first)
A: Voice actors, old and new.
A Toy's Eye View: Creating A Whole New Land.
A: Talks about bring Toy Story to the Disney Theme Parks.
A=20110123 (Special Features)
Released 20100618.
Watched 20100618 Theatre. Belle Terra [TOY STORY 3] 6:00P $9.00
Watched Special Features 20110123 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library)
Toy Story 3 (2010) Lee Unkrich. 103 min.
Relevant Links:
Toy Story 3 (IMDb.com)
Toy Story 3 (RottenTomatoes.com)
LOL. This HISHE is good. One of my favorites.
[20111018]
First reaction: Absolutely positively great movie.
The short feature, Day & Night, alone was fun to watch.
I'd note that one should watch Toy Story and Toy Story 2 prior to watching Toy Story 3. One reason is for the occasional references made to the older movies, and another reason is for the character history.
Of the three, my favorite is Toy Story 3, then Toy Story comes in second, and last is Toy Story 2, which I didn't like much at all.
[20100619][20190912 Edit]
20110123:
The DVD menu is well-done. The toys are shown moving across the menu. It's also nice and long, and when it restarts, it's quite subtle. DVD menus that repeat the same short audio track or video clip annoy me.
I watched the bonus features.
Instant Comments:
A: Spanish Buzz!
A: Kristen Schaal from Flight of the Conchords did the voice of Trixie.
Day & Night: Theatrical Short.
A: The ever great short. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And meaningful to boot!
Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science of Adventure.
A: Lol. It was so funny to hear Buzz quickly explain how you can use a potato to power a clock. And then continue to talk about cool NASA things. And "Dis-nay-land" with a "Giant Mouse."
Paths to Pixar: Editorial.
A: Editors talk a bit about the editorial process, how they came to get to where they are, and their feelings about the job.
Studio Stories: Where's Gordon?
A: A narrated animation about a hidden room at the studio. Funny.
Studio Stories: Cereal Bar.
A: What a great idea! No wonder they make such good movies.
Studio Stories: Clean Start.
A: Lol, great story about having fun at work.
Toys! (Should watch movie first)
A: A documentary on creating new characters and redoing the original characters.
The Gang's All Here. (Should watch movie first)
A: Voice actors, old and new.
A Toy's Eye View: Creating A Whole New Land.
A: Talks about bring Toy Story to the Disney Theme Parks.
A=20110123 (Special Features)
Released 20100618.
Watched 20100618 Theatre. Belle Terra [TOY STORY 3] 6:00P $9.00
Watched Special Features 20110123 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library)
Toy Story 3 (2010) Lee Unkrich. 103 min.
Relevant Links:
Toy Story 3 (IMDb.com)
Toy Story 3 (RottenTomatoes.com)
LOL. This HISHE is good. One of my favorites.
[20111018]
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Gran Torino (2008)
20110122:
This film derives its greatness from Clint Eastwood.
I thought the film was realistic. Not just with plot, but with the acting and the setting.
I've been watching many movies without knowing what they are about prior to watching. If anything, I can always have the pleasure of watching the movie with knowing what it is about prior to watching, by watching the movie a second time. In any case, I'm glad to not have known what this movie was about prior to watching. I believe by not knowing, this movie got more exciting as the plot developed.
Another thing I liked about the movie was its use of earlier parts of the film. In general, a movie doesn't always execute this plot technique well, but I liked it in this movie. I guess the idea is for every scene and detail have a significance to the plot.
Watched 20110122 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) (English subtitles for about the first half) (Widescreen) (Krieger 205)
Gran Torino (2008) Clint Eastwood. 116 min.
Relevant Links:
Gran Torino (IMDb.com)
Gran Torino (Wikipedia.org)
This film derives its greatness from Clint Eastwood.
I thought the film was realistic. Not just with plot, but with the acting and the setting.
I've been watching many movies without knowing what they are about prior to watching. If anything, I can always have the pleasure of watching the movie with knowing what it is about prior to watching, by watching the movie a second time. In any case, I'm glad to not have known what this movie was about prior to watching. I believe by not knowing, this movie got more exciting as the plot developed.
Another thing I liked about the movie was its use of earlier parts of the film. In general, a movie doesn't always execute this plot technique well, but I liked it in this movie. I guess the idea is for every scene and detail have a significance to the plot.
Watched 20110122 (McNaughton Plan from Eisenhower Library) (English subtitles for about the first half) (Widescreen) (Krieger 205)
Gran Torino (2008) Clint Eastwood. 116 min.
Relevant Links:
Gran Torino (IMDb.com)
Gran Torino (Wikipedia.org)
Friday, January 21, 2011
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
20110121:
I love the music for this movie. I wonder what sort of music plays for other languages. The music together with the action and animation reminds me of the Nintendo DS video game The World Ends with You (2008).
I know nothing about the Cowboy Bebop television series, but the movie was good and as far as I can tell, there wasn't anything in the movie that would have made more sense had I watched he television series.
Great action. Cool movie.
I love the message that shows up at the end of the credits.
[20110122][20190912]
Watched 20110121 (Netflix, Instant) English audio.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001) Shinichirô Watanabe. 116 min.
also known as Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no tobira (original title)
Relevant Links:
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (IMDb.com)
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Wikipedia.org)
I love the music for this movie. I wonder what sort of music plays for other languages. The music together with the action and animation reminds me of the Nintendo DS video game The World Ends with You (2008).
I know nothing about the Cowboy Bebop television series, but the movie was good and as far as I can tell, there wasn't anything in the movie that would have made more sense had I watched he television series.
Great action. Cool movie.
I love the message that shows up at the end of the credits.
[20110122][20190912]
Watched 20110121 (Netflix, Instant) English audio.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001) Shinichirô Watanabe. 116 min.
also known as Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no tobira (original title)
Relevant Links:
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (IMDb.com)
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Wikipedia.org)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Ant Bully (2006)
20110120:
I think this movie ceased to be great the moment magic was introduced. While I'm not opposed to movies that contain magic, I usually expect magic in a setting that is open to magic. Lord of the Rings, for example, is a world in which magic exists. The world of The Ant Bully, however, is practically the real world. In addition to the magic, the shrinking also bothered me. There are situations where I wouldn't be bothered by shrinking. For example, Alice shrinking and growing in Alice in Wonderland is acceptable. I can sense the world in which Alice is shrinking and growing is fictional. However, in The Ant Bully or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), I begin to question the physics. How does one shrink an object? Assuming it was possible, then there would be biological issues. Such as, how does a proportionally shrunken human breathe and eat. Of course fairies such as Tinkerbell are not human and are exempt from the issue altogether. I suppose if I wanted to convince myself shrinking was possible, then somehow during the shrinking process, biological processes would have to be shrunken and compacted and necessarily you should lose intelligence. There should also be a limit. Wikipedia.org says the smallest primate has an average body length of 3.2 inches.
This fictional aspect aside, I haven't seen fireflies that are smaller than ants. In the movie, the firefly is about as small as an ant's head.
I found it ridiculous to suddenly see the protagonist climb like an ant and carry the wasp.
In contrast to this movie, Pixar's A Bug's Life (1998) doesn't seek realism, and in that sense makes a more believable and charming story. The ants only have four appendages! In addition, I would say there were more characters linked into the main story in A Bug's Life than in The Ant Bully. I was really expecting a scene where the team of foraging ants would help the protagonist, but that didn't happen. I was looking for more of a transition in the protagonist learning teamwork.
I don't know how to describe the queen ant... She's a little scary.
The end credits look nice. It is done in the style of the wall paintings shown during one of the scenes in the movie.
[20110121]
Watched 20110120 (Netflix, Instant)
The Ant Bully (2006) John A. Davis. 88 min [bot children's book otsn (1999) by John A. Davis]
Relevant Links:
The Ant Bully (IMDb.com)
The Ant Bully (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Ant Bully (Wikipedia.org)
I think this movie ceased to be great the moment magic was introduced. While I'm not opposed to movies that contain magic, I usually expect magic in a setting that is open to magic. Lord of the Rings, for example, is a world in which magic exists. The world of The Ant Bully, however, is practically the real world. In addition to the magic, the shrinking also bothered me. There are situations where I wouldn't be bothered by shrinking. For example, Alice shrinking and growing in Alice in Wonderland is acceptable. I can sense the world in which Alice is shrinking and growing is fictional. However, in The Ant Bully or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), I begin to question the physics. How does one shrink an object? Assuming it was possible, then there would be biological issues. Such as, how does a proportionally shrunken human breathe and eat. Of course fairies such as Tinkerbell are not human and are exempt from the issue altogether. I suppose if I wanted to convince myself shrinking was possible, then somehow during the shrinking process, biological processes would have to be shrunken and compacted and necessarily you should lose intelligence. There should also be a limit. Wikipedia.org says the smallest primate has an average body length of 3.2 inches.
This fictional aspect aside, I haven't seen fireflies that are smaller than ants. In the movie, the firefly is about as small as an ant's head.
I found it ridiculous to suddenly see the protagonist climb like an ant and carry the wasp.
In contrast to this movie, Pixar's A Bug's Life (1998) doesn't seek realism, and in that sense makes a more believable and charming story. The ants only have four appendages! In addition, I would say there were more characters linked into the main story in A Bug's Life than in The Ant Bully. I was really expecting a scene where the team of foraging ants would help the protagonist, but that didn't happen. I was looking for more of a transition in the protagonist learning teamwork.
I don't know how to describe the queen ant... She's a little scary.
The end credits look nice. It is done in the style of the wall paintings shown during one of the scenes in the movie.
[20110121]
Watched 20110120 (Netflix, Instant)
The Ant Bully (2006) John A. Davis. 88 min [bot children's book otsn (1999) by John A. Davis]
Relevant Links:
The Ant Bully (IMDb.com)
The Ant Bully (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Ant Bully (Wikipedia.org)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Watched 20110119 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20160625 (Netflix, Instant)
A Clockwork Orange (1971) Stanley Kubrick. 136 min [botnotsn (1962) by Anthony Burgess]
Relevant Links:
A Clockwork Orange (IMDb.com)
A Clockwork Orange (film) (Wikipedia.org)
A Clockwork Orange (Wikipedia.org)
20110119: [20110121][20160626 Edit]
I don't know what to say about this film. I don't think I've seen a movie like it before.
Well, this film called Cremaster 4 (1994) by Matthew Barney came to mind (see The Cremaster Cycle (Wikipedia.org) or the official website). But unlike Cremaster, this film was violent.
This movie was quite visual. Art on the walls and out-of-the-ordinary furniture in rooms helped create the dystopia.
According to Wikipedia, the movie kept the ending of the book as it was first published in the U.S., without the last chapter.
Though I'm not sure which ending would have worked better. In some sense, the message as presented is that a world with choice is better than a world that only allows good.
20160625:
While I didn't understand every little detail, I feel like I walked away from this viewing with a better understanding than when I watched it last. In my previous entry, I seemed to have mentioned the main theme of the story in passing.
However, the ending really is the fundamental turn-around to all that transpires within the film.
Furthermore, I don't believe the missing 21st chapter is a departure from the entire story, but a reinforcement of what can happen outside of the government's or society's meddling.
In any case, I previously gave the film a 5-star rating on Netflix and would continue to keep it as such.
Although some scenes are thematically violent, they're shot in good taste and the film as a whole is a must-see.
Instant Comments:
Lashes on his right eye and not on his left eye
"It was around by the derelict casino that we came across Billyboy and his four droogs. They were getting ready to perform a little of the old in-out, in-out on a weepy young devotchka they had there."
The music that accompanies the violence creates a confusing sensation
That's a brawl.
Quite a performance of "Singin' in the Rain."
Lol. When he goes shopping, there's the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Hehe. In the time it takes them to put all their clothes back on, he takes it right back off.
655321
While they neutralized his sense of violence which makes it appropriate to send him back into society, they took away his choice.
Technically he still has thoughts about violence and sex, but just feels the sickness soon thereafter.
"Choice. The boy has no real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. Its insincerity was clearly to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice."
Oh no. He spilled the beans with "Singin' in the Rain."
"Won't you join me?" "No, my health doesn't allow it."
"No time for the old in-n-out, love, I've just come to read the meter."
Watched 20160625 (Netflix, Instant)
A Clockwork Orange (1971) Stanley Kubrick. 136 min [botnotsn (1962) by Anthony Burgess]
 |
| Alex (Malcolm McDowell) |
Relevant Links:
A Clockwork Orange (IMDb.com)
A Clockwork Orange (film) (Wikipedia.org)
A Clockwork Orange (Wikipedia.org)
20110119: [20110121][20160626 Edit]
I don't know what to say about this film. I don't think I've seen a movie like it before.
Well, this film called Cremaster 4 (1994) by Matthew Barney came to mind (see The Cremaster Cycle (Wikipedia.org) or the official website). But unlike Cremaster, this film was violent.
This movie was quite visual. Art on the walls and out-of-the-ordinary furniture in rooms helped create the dystopia.
According to Wikipedia, the movie kept the ending of the book as it was first published in the U.S., without the last chapter.
Though I'm not sure which ending would have worked better. In some sense, the message as presented is that a world with choice is better than a world that only allows good.
20160625:
While I didn't understand every little detail, I feel like I walked away from this viewing with a better understanding than when I watched it last. In my previous entry, I seemed to have mentioned the main theme of the story in passing.
 |
| Pete (Michael Tarn), (Dim (Warren Clarke), Alex, Georgie (James Marcus) |
However, the ending really is the fundamental turn-around to all that transpires within the film.
Furthermore, I don't believe the missing 21st chapter is a departure from the entire story, but a reinforcement of what can happen outside of the government's or society's meddling.
In any case, I previously gave the film a 5-star rating on Netflix and would continue to keep it as such.
Although some scenes are thematically violent, they're shot in good taste and the film as a whole is a must-see.
Instant Comments:
Lashes on his right eye and not on his left eye
"It was around by the derelict casino that we came across Billyboy and his four droogs. They were getting ready to perform a little of the old in-out, in-out on a weepy young devotchka they had there."
The music that accompanies the violence creates a confusing sensation
That's a brawl.
Quite a performance of "Singin' in the Rain."
Lol. When he goes shopping, there's the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Hehe. In the time it takes them to put all their clothes back on, he takes it right back off.
655321
 |
| Look! It's 2001: A Space Odyssey. |
While they neutralized his sense of violence which makes it appropriate to send him back into society, they took away his choice.
Technically he still has thoughts about violence and sex, but just feels the sickness soon thereafter.
"Choice. The boy has no real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. Its insincerity was clearly to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice."
Oh no. He spilled the beans with "Singin' in the Rain."
"Won't you join me?" "No, my health doesn't allow it."
"No time for the old in-n-out, love, I've just come to read the meter."
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Watched 20110118 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20151008 (Netflix, Instant)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubrick. 141 min.
Relevant Links:
2001: A Space Odyssey (IMDb.com)
2001: A Space Odyssey (film) (Wikipedia.org)
20110118:
This movie was pretty awesome. It had great special effects, fantastic visuals, and an intricate story.
Some scenes were off-the-map bizarre - particularly near the end of the film. I didn't know what to make of them.
Other scenes tried my patience, as they excessively focused on an object or an idea. Granted, I have a preference for catchier or flashier media.
For example, most of the songs I enjoy listening to have to pick up a good beat within the first couple of seconds. As a rule of thumb, I won't like a song that starts off without a good hook, even if I enjoy the middle of it. I do, however, enjoy having such songs play in the background.
In any case, it was fun to think about how some of the scenes were filmed. In particular, I had supposed the film makers used rotating sets, green screens, rotating cameras, and wire (to recreate the effect of floating in space).
Wikipedia confirmed my suspicion about a rotating set. Both the jogging scene and the scene with the stewardess used rotating sets. The set for the jogging scene is like a giant ferris wheel. Apparently the background in Africa was not a green screen, but a different effect.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the make-up for the human apes was unbelievably convincing. At first, I had to focus closely on the movements to convince myself that the apes were played actually human actors. This was more clear in some of the following scenes, especially when contrasting the grown apes with the (two) real baby chimpanzees. By the way, the baby chimpanzees were so cute.
As a side note, this is one of the few movies where I have also read the book. Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the movie and the book were more or less written in parallel.
[20151008 Edit]
Instant Comments:
There's an intermission at one and a half hours.
I love when HAL sings "Daisy, daisy..."
20151008:
One interesting fact I read is that HAL never says, "Good morning, Dave."
Instant Comments:
The first three minutes is music playing over a black screen. Finally Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra plays as silhouettes of a planet and star come into view (most likely the Earth and the Sun)
Ah, 'The Dawn of Man.'
I love the costumes in this first segment. They're very lifelike.
What is the point of this monolith?
Lol. The spaceship attendant walking with her grip shoes.
$1.70. Not bad for long distance.
The walking around was a bit funny.
The scenes without dialogue in this film make the traveling scenes in The Lord of the Rings (FotR TT RotK) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part I (2010) relatively exciting.
[Apparently 88 minutes of the film lack dialogue, 25 of which are at the beginning and 23 of which are at the end]
Oh, it's the same monolith. (Or perhaps just a similar looking one.)
ATM, VEH, NUC, and FLX are among the various sets of three letters which appear on the various screens.
Playing chess vs. HAL.
"Good evening, Dave."
The infaultiness of HAL is similar to that of the story of the Titanic.
Haha. The Futurama episode. The ship wishes she could read lips.
INTERMISSION.
Similar to the beginning of the movie, the movie resumes from intermission with a black screen.
For a computer built with pseudo-feelings, I'm surprised there weren't alarms of some sort going off after such an incident. Other than sabatoge.
"I'm sorry, Dave. I don't have enough information."
I think ultimately there's poor programming. What one would want to design is software with a voice interface. Instead, they installed an A.I.
"I can see your lips move."
"Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?"
Oh, there's a Futurama episode where Bender dates the Planet Express ship. Apparently many of those scenes reference this movie (I realized when Dave enters the room with the computer's memory)
"I can feel it."
"Good afternoon, gentle... I am a HAL 9000..."
"Yes, I'd like to hear it HAL, sing it for me." "It's called 'Daisy.'" (HAL sings 'Daisy.')
Watched 20151008 (Netflix, Instant)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubrick. 141 min.
 |
| HAL 9000 (Douglas Rain - voice) |
Relevant Links:
2001: A Space Odyssey (IMDb.com)
2001: A Space Odyssey (film) (Wikipedia.org)
20110118:
This movie was pretty awesome. It had great special effects, fantastic visuals, and an intricate story.
Some scenes were off-the-map bizarre - particularly near the end of the film. I didn't know what to make of them.
Other scenes tried my patience, as they excessively focused on an object or an idea. Granted, I have a preference for catchier or flashier media.
For example, most of the songs I enjoy listening to have to pick up a good beat within the first couple of seconds. As a rule of thumb, I won't like a song that starts off without a good hook, even if I enjoy the middle of it. I do, however, enjoy having such songs play in the background.
In any case, it was fun to think about how some of the scenes were filmed. In particular, I had supposed the film makers used rotating sets, green screens, rotating cameras, and wire (to recreate the effect of floating in space).
Wikipedia confirmed my suspicion about a rotating set. Both the jogging scene and the scene with the stewardess used rotating sets. The set for the jogging scene is like a giant ferris wheel. Apparently the background in Africa was not a green screen, but a different effect.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the make-up for the human apes was unbelievably convincing. At first, I had to focus closely on the movements to convince myself that the apes were played actually human actors. This was more clear in some of the following scenes, especially when contrasting the grown apes with the (two) real baby chimpanzees. By the way, the baby chimpanzees were so cute.
As a side note, this is one of the few movies where I have also read the book. Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the movie and the book were more or less written in parallel.
[20151008 Edit]
Instant Comments:
There's an intermission at one and a half hours.
I love when HAL sings "Daisy, daisy..."
20151008:
One interesting fact I read is that HAL never says, "Good morning, Dave."
Instant Comments:
The first three minutes is music playing over a black screen. Finally Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra plays as silhouettes of a planet and star come into view (most likely the Earth and the Sun)
Ah, 'The Dawn of Man.'
I love the costumes in this first segment. They're very lifelike.
What is the point of this monolith?
Lol. The spaceship attendant walking with her grip shoes.
$1.70. Not bad for long distance.
The walking around was a bit funny.
The scenes without dialogue in this film make the traveling scenes in The Lord of the Rings (FotR TT RotK) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part I (2010) relatively exciting.
 |
| Dr. Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) and Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dulllea) |
[Apparently 88 minutes of the film lack dialogue, 25 of which are at the beginning and 23 of which are at the end]
Oh, it's the same monolith. (Or perhaps just a similar looking one.)
ATM, VEH, NUC, and FLX are among the various sets of three letters which appear on the various screens.
Playing chess vs. HAL.
"Good evening, Dave."
The infaultiness of HAL is similar to that of the story of the Titanic.
Haha. The Futurama episode. The ship wishes she could read lips.
INTERMISSION.
Similar to the beginning of the movie, the movie resumes from intermission with a black screen.
For a computer built with pseudo-feelings, I'm surprised there weren't alarms of some sort going off after such an incident. Other than sabatoge.
"I'm sorry, Dave. I don't have enough information."
I think ultimately there's poor programming. What one would want to design is software with a voice interface. Instead, they installed an A.I.
"I can see your lips move."
"Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?"
Oh, there's a Futurama episode where Bender dates the Planet Express ship. Apparently many of those scenes reference this movie (I realized when Dave enters the room with the computer's memory)
"I can feel it."
"Good afternoon, gentle... I am a HAL 9000..."
"Yes, I'd like to hear it HAL, sing it for me." "It's called 'Daisy.'" (HAL sings 'Daisy.')
Chaos Theory (2008)
20110118:
I wasn't 100% satisfied with the plot. I felt that Frank Allen's wife Susan should have been a little more reasonable with him, given her past. He was trying to explain and she didn't listen. On the bright side, she isn't a hypocrite.
At first I reasoned that this was one of those things that only happen in movies to create a story and make the movie interesting. Like two people who are looking for each other and they somehow pass by each other while the audience is like "Oh no!" or when one character misinterprets something they see or hear. However, the requirement is that while silly or devastating, the event should be possible or believable and the movie failed to make me believe the wife could have acted the way she did.
I suppose this is how my friend felt about a part of Black Swan (2010). That is there should be a consistency within the film.
I successfully predicted the "Talk" and "Walk" index cards.
When I started the movie, I was wondering if I was watching the right movie, because the first couple minutes had nothing to do with the movie summary. After the first couple of minutes, Ryan Reynolds comes in and starts to tell the story which is the main part of the movie.
Because of the beginning of the movie, you know things should resolve positively, at least for father and daughter. So it doesn't ruin anything to say the scene where the father and daughter reunite is the most touching in the movie.
Viewing the message of the movie negatively: It's okay to cheat as long as years later you regret doing so.
Message of the movie positively: Love and forgiveness overcome past mistakes.
[20110119]
Watched 20110118 (Netflix, Instant)
Chaos Theory (2008) Marcos Siega. 87 min.
Relevant Links:
Chaos Theory (IMDb.com)
Chaos Theory (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Chaos theory (Wikipedia.org)
I wasn't 100% satisfied with the plot. I felt that Frank Allen's wife Susan should have been a little more reasonable with him, given her past. He was trying to explain and she didn't listen. On the bright side, she isn't a hypocrite.
At first I reasoned that this was one of those things that only happen in movies to create a story and make the movie interesting. Like two people who are looking for each other and they somehow pass by each other while the audience is like "Oh no!" or when one character misinterprets something they see or hear. However, the requirement is that while silly or devastating, the event should be possible or believable and the movie failed to make me believe the wife could have acted the way she did.
I suppose this is how my friend felt about a part of Black Swan (2010). That is there should be a consistency within the film.
I successfully predicted the "Talk" and "Walk" index cards.
When I started the movie, I was wondering if I was watching the right movie, because the first couple minutes had nothing to do with the movie summary. After the first couple of minutes, Ryan Reynolds comes in and starts to tell the story which is the main part of the movie.
Because of the beginning of the movie, you know things should resolve positively, at least for father and daughter. So it doesn't ruin anything to say the scene where the father and daughter reunite is the most touching in the movie.
Viewing the message of the movie negatively: It's okay to cheat as long as years later you regret doing so.
Message of the movie positively: Love and forgiveness overcome past mistakes.
[20110119]
Watched 20110118 (Netflix, Instant)
Chaos Theory (2008) Marcos Siega. 87 min.
Relevant Links:
Chaos Theory (IMDb.com)
Chaos Theory (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Chaos theory (Wikipedia.org)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
20110116:
This movie was a wonderful handful.
The cast was great.
I love the story.
Watched 20110116 (Netflix, Instant)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Frank Capra. 118 min [bot play otsn (1939) by Joseph Kesselring].
Relevant Links:
Arsenic and Old Lace (IMDb.com)
Arsenic and Old Lace (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
This movie was a wonderful handful.
The cast was great.
I love the story.
Watched 20110116 (Netflix, Instant)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Frank Capra. 118 min [bot play otsn (1939) by Joseph Kesselring].
Relevant Links:
Arsenic and Old Lace (IMDb.com)
Arsenic and Old Lace (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
GoodFellas (1990)
20110115:
This movie was too long. It was exciting and good at first, but I lost interest some time after the first hour or hour and a half.
I think the individual scenes were fabulous. Love the pauses. The narration. The climax however was subtle and near the end of the movie. I had a similar problem with Gosford Park (2001), where the climax was too subtle for me, but at least Gosford Park had an exciting ending.
I definitely liked The Godfather (1972) better.
I probably think all this, because I tend to prefer a decent amount of action and suspense.
I should have watched this movie as if I was watching a documentary. Instead of expecting the big picture the whole time, I should have just wondered, "What happens next?"
Watched 20110115 (Netflix, Instant)
GoodFellas (1990) Martin Scorsese. 146 min [bot non-fiction book Wiseguy (1986) by Nicholas Pileggi]
Relevant Links:
Goodfellas (IMDb.com)
Goodfellas (Wikipedia.org)
Wiseguy (book) (Wikipedia.org)
This movie was too long. It was exciting and good at first, but I lost interest some time after the first hour or hour and a half.
I think the individual scenes were fabulous. Love the pauses. The narration. The climax however was subtle and near the end of the movie. I had a similar problem with Gosford Park (2001), where the climax was too subtle for me, but at least Gosford Park had an exciting ending.
I definitely liked The Godfather (1972) better.
I probably think all this, because I tend to prefer a decent amount of action and suspense.
I should have watched this movie as if I was watching a documentary. Instead of expecting the big picture the whole time, I should have just wondered, "What happens next?"
Watched 20110115 (Netflix, Instant)
GoodFellas (1990) Martin Scorsese. 146 min [bot non-fiction book Wiseguy (1986) by Nicholas Pileggi]
Relevant Links:
Goodfellas (IMDb.com)
Goodfellas (Wikipedia.org)
Wiseguy (book) (Wikipedia.org)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Blazing Saddles (1974)
20110113, 20110115:
Blazing Saddles was a great western and a great comedy. In particular, I liked its particular style of comedy. While the jokes didn't make me laugh-out-loud, they were consistently funny.
The main reason I watched the movie was to add to the slew of westerns I've watched over the recent weeks.
It was the second movie I saw directed by Mel Brooks, the first being Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
Instant Comments:
1a: Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971))
1a=20110113, 1b=20110115, A=20170314 (screenshot viewing)
Watched 1st third 20110113, 2nd,3rd third 20110115 (Netflix, Instant)
Blazing Saddles (1974) Mel Brooks. 93 min.
Relevant Links:
Blazing Saddles (IMDb.com)
The List of Westerns I've Seen
Blazing Saddles was a great western and a great comedy. In particular, I liked its particular style of comedy. While the jokes didn't make me laugh-out-loud, they were consistently funny.
The main reason I watched the movie was to add to the slew of westerns I've watched over the recent weeks.
It was the second movie I saw directed by Mel Brooks, the first being Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
Instant Comments:
1a: Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971))
1a=20110113, 1b=20110115, A=20170314 (screenshot viewing)
Watched 1st third 20110113, 2nd,3rd third 20110115 (Netflix, Instant)
Blazing Saddles (1974) Mel Brooks. 93 min.
Relevant Links:
Blazing Saddles (IMDb.com)
The List of Westerns I've Seen
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
20110111:
I don't remember watching this movie before, but the music is famous.
While the characters are labeled "the good," "the bad," and "the ugly," I felt these labels were loosely applicable. That is, certain interpretations must be made to what the adjectives imply. Mine were: "good" for his overall attitude and decisions made, wanting money and doing a couple of dishonest things for money is anybody's wish; "bad" for killing emotionlessly and torture; and "ugly" for being somewhat unkempt, and doesn't have much moral decency. Take my comment with a grain of salt, I haven't seen enough Westerns. See The List of Westerns I've Seen below.
I loved the ending.
In general, there were so many great scenes. The following are a few:
Tuco puts together parts from different guns and then also the scene that follows that.
Blondie (Clint Eastwood) hears the spurs.
Music plays while Tuco is tortured
The walk through the town (to take down Angel Eye's men).
The ending.
There are several scenes with a fly roaming around. I was wondering, did they keep a bunch of flies which they released, or did that just happen naturally?
[20110112]
20110112:
Watching the movie with Italian audio and English subtitles was better than English audio and English subtitles. Though perhaps watching the movie with English audio and no subtitles would have been in the middle. And I would have liked Italian audio with English subtitles which literally translated the Italian dialogue. The Wikipedia article had the following to say about the audio:
Instant Comments:
2: There's no dialogue for the first 11 minutes.
2: The beginning makes more sense the second time around.
2: "the good" label comes up at 29m38s; I missed it the first time
2: So many scenes make more sense watching them the second time around.
2=20110112
Watched 20110111 (DVD) English audio. English subtitles. 179 min*
Watched 1st,2nd third 20110112 (DVD) Italian audio. English subtitles. 179 min
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Sergio Leone. 161 min.
also known as Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (original title) [translates to "The good, the ugly, the bad"]
Relevant Links:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (IMDb.com)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Wikipedia.org)
Spaghetti Western (Wikipedia.org)
*I believe this version of the film is the 2003 extended English version because it is 179 minutes long.
The List of Western Movies I've Seen has been moved to it's own post. I have this sentence here just in case any link is still referring to it.
I don't remember watching this movie before, but the music is famous.
While the characters are labeled "the good," "the bad," and "the ugly," I felt these labels were loosely applicable. That is, certain interpretations must be made to what the adjectives imply. Mine were: "good" for his overall attitude and decisions made, wanting money and doing a couple of dishonest things for money is anybody's wish; "bad" for killing emotionlessly and torture; and "ugly" for being somewhat unkempt, and doesn't have much moral decency. Take my comment with a grain of salt, I haven't seen enough Westerns. See The List of Westerns I've Seen below.
I loved the ending.
In general, there were so many great scenes. The following are a few:
Tuco puts together parts from different guns and then also the scene that follows that.
Blondie (Clint Eastwood) hears the spurs.
Music plays while Tuco is tortured
The walk through the town (to take down Angel Eye's men).
The ending.
There are several scenes with a fly roaming around. I was wondering, did they keep a bunch of flies which they released, or did that just happen naturally?
[20110112]
20110112:
Watching the movie with Italian audio and English subtitles was better than English audio and English subtitles. Though perhaps watching the movie with English audio and no subtitles would have been in the middle. And I would have liked Italian audio with English subtitles which literally translated the Italian dialogue. The Wikipedia article had the following to say about the audio:
As an international cast was employed, actors performed in their native languages. Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach spoke English, and were dubbed into Italian for the debut release in Rome. For the American version, the lead acting voices were used, but supporting cast members were dubbed into English. The result is noticeable in the bad synchronization of voices to lip movements on screen; none of the dialogue is completely in sync because Leone rarely shot his scenes with synchronized sound. Various reasons have been cited for this: Leone often liked to play Morricone's music over a scene and possibly shout things at the actors to get them in the mood. Leone cared more for visuals than dialogue (his English was limited, at best). Given the technical limitations of the time, it would have been difficult to record the sound cleanly in most of the extremely wide shots Leone frequently used. Also, it was standard practice in Italian films at this time to shoot silently and post-dub. Whatever the actual reason, all dialogue in the film was recorded in post-production. The relationship between Eastwood and Leone had remained strained from their previous collaboration and it only worsened during the dubbing sessions for the US version because the actor was presented with a different script than the one they had shot with. He refused to read from this new version, insisting on using the shooting script instead.
Instant Comments:
2: There's no dialogue for the first 11 minutes.
2: The beginning makes more sense the second time around.
2: "the good" label comes up at 29m38s; I missed it the first time
2: So many scenes make more sense watching them the second time around.
2=20110112
Watched 20110111 (DVD) English audio. English subtitles. 179 min*
Watched 1st,2nd third 20110112 (DVD) Italian audio. English subtitles. 179 min
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Sergio Leone. 161 min.
also known as Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (original title) [translates to "The good, the ugly, the bad"]
Relevant Links:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (IMDb.com)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Wikipedia.org)
Spaghetti Western (Wikipedia.org)
*I believe this version of the film is the 2003 extended English version because it is 179 minutes long.
The List of Western Movies I've Seen has been moved to it's own post. I have this sentence here just in case any link is still referring to it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Click (2006)
20110111:
I had seen this movie before, but had forgotten the majority of it. In particular, I forgot that the movie gets really sad at one point.
The movie has various short laughs.
I watched the deleted scenes.
Actors:
I totally didn't recognize Jonah Hill. I went back to that scene after watching the movie and seeing his name in the credits. His face looked different from how he looks now.
But I recognized Sean Astin, haha.
Lol, and I just saw from the IMDb.com credits that Rob Schneider plays Prince Habeeboo.
Oh, I just learned that Julie Kavner, the actress who plays Michael Newman's mom Trudy, does the voice of Marge on The Simpsons.
I recently saw Henry Winkler in Scream (1996). Of course, there's his role in Happy Days! "Aaay!"
Christopher Walken is my favorite character in the movie.
Kate Beckinsale is beautiful.
20140603:
This movie is occasionally funny and gets pretty sad towards the end. Overall, it has a good take-home message, but fails to deliver consistent quality entertainment.
Instant Comments:
3: I recognize him! "Bed, Bath & Beyond Guy" is Nick Swardson. He plays Terry in Reno 911!.
3: "Ooh. I guess the O'Doyles' remote can kiss my advanced-technological ass then." "I don't know the O'Doyles, but... they can bite it hard."
3: At about the twenty minute mark Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is working on his project and uses a drafting pencil whose colors resemble a set of sketching/drafting pencils available at Staples (I own some).
3: James Earl Jones.
3: Ha. "Is this a man or a woman?"
3: "What is this, Animal Planet?"
3: Smile. "If you message me first." "Okay, let's go to sleep."
3: "You know calculus?"
3=20140604
Watched once before.
Watched 20110111 (DVD)
Watched 20140604 (Netflix, Instant)
Click (2006) Frank Coraci. 107 min.
Relevant Links:
Click (IMDb.com)
Click (2006 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Click (RottenTomatoes.com)
I had seen this movie before, but had forgotten the majority of it. In particular, I forgot that the movie gets really sad at one point.
The movie has various short laughs.
I watched the deleted scenes.
Actors:
I totally didn't recognize Jonah Hill. I went back to that scene after watching the movie and seeing his name in the credits. His face looked different from how he looks now.
But I recognized Sean Astin, haha.
Lol, and I just saw from the IMDb.com credits that Rob Schneider plays Prince Habeeboo.
Oh, I just learned that Julie Kavner, the actress who plays Michael Newman's mom Trudy, does the voice of Marge on The Simpsons.
I recently saw Henry Winkler in Scream (1996). Of course, there's his role in Happy Days! "Aaay!"
Christopher Walken is my favorite character in the movie.
Kate Beckinsale is beautiful.
20140603:
This movie is occasionally funny and gets pretty sad towards the end. Overall, it has a good take-home message, but fails to deliver consistent quality entertainment.
Instant Comments:
3: I recognize him! "Bed, Bath & Beyond Guy" is Nick Swardson. He plays Terry in Reno 911!.
3: "Ooh. I guess the O'Doyles' remote can kiss my advanced-technological ass then." "I don't know the O'Doyles, but... they can bite it hard."
3: At about the twenty minute mark Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is working on his project and uses a drafting pencil whose colors resemble a set of sketching/drafting pencils available at Staples (I own some).
3: James Earl Jones.
3: Ha. "Is this a man or a woman?"
3: "What is this, Animal Planet?"
3: Smile. "If you message me first." "Okay, let's go to sleep."
3: "You know calculus?"
3=20140604
Watched once before.
Watched 20110111 (DVD)
Watched 20140604 (Netflix, Instant)
Click (2006) Frank Coraci. 107 min.
Relevant Links:
Click (IMDb.com)
Click (2006 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Click (RottenTomatoes.com)