The Movie Thread

[Wayback]

Teaser trailer for Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" with Johnny Depp:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810078365/video/14698134

[RGMike]

Guess Ann Hornaday of the WashPost didn't like Orphan:

It's hard to know where -- and with whom -- to begin when assessing the depraved, worthless piece of filth that is Orphan, a high-gloss horror show about a well-meaning couple who bring home a 9-year-old girl to join their family, only to discover, way too late, that she's a homicidal psychopath.

Surely writers David Leslie Johnson and Alex Mace deserve their own circle of hell for thinking up the story, which moves with breathtaking cynicism from disturbing to grotesque to perverse to ludicrous. Director Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax) gets a shout-out for hyping up a worthless script with slick visuals and jumpy fake-outs. Both Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga are apparently in desperate need of a paycheck -- otherwise how to explain lending their considerable talents to such rank exploitation? Oh, and what have we here: None other than Leonardo DiCaprio is listed as a producer of Orphan, proving that his concern for the environment clearly doesn't extend to poisoning the culture.

In fact, the only people who should escape unscathed from Orphan are the three young actors who play Farmiga and Sarsgaard's children, adopted and biological. The sadistic violence, symbolic incest and flirtation with pedophilia in the film -- not to mention its shameless perpetuation of toxic stereotypes surrounding the adoption of older children -- leads one to think their work on this film wasn't employment so much as child abuse.

Finally, let's hear it for those fearless executives at Warner Bros., currently bloated like engorged ticks with billions made from Batman and Harry Potter, for using all the time, talent and treasure at their disposal to put out bilge like this. Their lust for money, apparently, is exceeded only by their contempt for the suckers who keep on forking it over. Shame on them all, every single one.

[RGMike]

Teaser trailer for Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" with Johnny Depp:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810078365/video/14698134

ah, but who needs Depp and Burton when there's Sammy Davis Jr as the Cheshire Cat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyFSHggHZME

[RGMike]

Trailer for the new Coen Bros movie, A Serious Man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iggyFPls4w&feature=player_embedded

I cannot WAIT!

[RGMike]

Trailer for the new Coen Bros movie, A Serious Man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iggyFPls4w&feature=player_embedded

I cannot WAIT!

and speaking of the Coens:

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/07/29/zhang-yimou-plans-chinese-remake-of-coen-brothers-blood-simple/

[mshray]

Have you heard about the documentary The Cove?  sounds incredible, read the interview with the director

[RGMike]

Have you heard about the documentary The Cove?  sounds incredible, read the interview with the director

Yes! very high on my must-see list -- saw the trailer a few weeks back (they showed it before Food, inc) and immediately started looking forward to it.

And I meant to mention that I saw The Hurt Locker the other nite -- wow.  I recommend highly.

[Tinka Cat]

saw two movies yesterday on a flight home: I Love You, Man and Adventureland. 

I really liked ILY,M -- laughed out loud several times.   And that Rush concert scene is was pretty dead on: there's a lot of air drums, bass and guitar a a Rush concert.  And people DO pantomime the lyric meanings. I've seen it with my own eyes...!

both movies were well done, I thought.

[RGMike]

saw two movies yesterday on a flight home: I Love You, Man and Adventureland. 

I really liked ILY,M -- laughed out loud several times.   And that Rush concert scene is was pretty dead on: there's a lot of air drums, bass and guitar a a Rush concert.  And people DO pantomime the lyric meanings. I've seen it with my own eyes...!

both movies were well done, I thought.

You should catch "ILYM" again on cable, since you (I assume) saw a PG-13 version of an R-rated movie on the plane.  Paul Rudd rocks my world.

[Tinka Cat]

saw two movies yesterday on a flight home: I Love You, Man and Adventureland. 

I really liked ILY,M -- laughed out loud several times.   And that Rush concert scene is was pretty dead on: there's a lot of air drums, bass and guitar a a Rush concert.  And people DO pantomime the lyric meanings. I've seen it with my own eyes...!

both movies were well done, I thought.

You should catch "ILYM" again on cable, since you (I assume) saw a PG-13 version of an R-rated movie on the plane.  Paul Rudd rocks my world.

nope, I saw the R version!   lots of swears.

[urth]

Wish I'd had access to this site when Pulp Fiction was first released:
http://www.runpee.com
(except their server appears to be down, or at least overloaded)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/31/entertainment/e035710D71.DTL&tsp=1

[Tinka Cat]

Wish I'd had access to this site when Pulp Fiction was first released:
http://www.runpee.com
(except their server appears to be down, or at least overloaded)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/31/entertainment/e035710D71.DTL&tsp=1

funny you would cite that movie specifically.  I have a love/hate relationship w Quentin Tarantino, and I didn't really like PF that much, the overwhelming hype attached to it prob skewed my opinion a bit at first, but not that much.I'd say a good time to hit the bathroom is during the Uma / TravoltaDance scene.  Her feet freak me out.

[urth]

Wish I'd had access to this site when Pulp Fiction was first released:
http://www.runpee.com
(except their server appears to be down, or at least overloaded)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/31/entertainment/e035710D71.DTL&tsp=1

funny you would cite that movie specifically.  I have a love/hate relationship w Quentin Tarantino, and I didn't really like PF that much, the overwhelming hype attached to it prob skewed my opinion a bit at first, but not that much.I'd say a good time to hit the bathroom is during the Uma / TravoltaDance scene.  Her feet freak me out.

My reason for citing that particular movie is that I saw it in the theater *twice* and both times had to run out during the last 20 minutes to shake hands with the governor, so to speak. At least the second time I kinda knew what I'd be missing. I'd agree with you about the dance scene, but it's early in the film when you're much less likely to need it. I'd actually vote for the scene where Travolta and Sam Jackson are cleaning the guts out of the car under Harvey Keitel's supervision.

Nowadays it's even tougher as most movie beverages are either tiny (about 10 oz for a small, which won't last me 20 minutes) and then balloon up to quart size for a medium and go up from there. At least that's the drill at the local Regal theaters.

[ggould]

Wish I'd had access to this site when Pulp Fiction was first released:
http://www.runpee.com
(except their server appears to be down, or at least overloaded)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/31/entertainment/e035710D71.DTL&tsp=1

funny you would cite that movie specifically.  I have a love/hate relationship w Quentin Tarantino, and I didn't really like PF that much, the overwhelming hype attached to it prob skewed my opinion a bit at first, but not that much.I'd say a good time to hit the bathroom is during the Uma / TravoltaDance scene.  Her feet freak me out.

My reason for citing that particular movie is that I saw it in the theater *twice* and both times had to run out during the last 20 minutes to shake hands with the governor, so to speak. At least the second time I kinda knew what I'd be missing. I'd agree with you about the dance scene, but it's early in the film when you're much less likely to need it. I'd actually vote for the scene where Travolta and Sam Jackson are cleaning the guts out of the car under Harvey Keitel's supervision.

Nowadays it's even tougher as most movie beverages are either tiny (about 10 oz for a small, which won't last me 20 minutes) and then balloon up to quart size for a medium and go up from there. At least that's the drill at the local Regal theaters.

this is a strange thread indeed, but relevant.  Lately, I have tended to drink a nonfat latte grande instead of coke and popcorn (due to diet) but a couple of times have had it backfire on me for the above reasons!

[RGMike]

Wish I'd had access to this site when Pulp Fiction was first released:
http://www.runpee.com
(except their server appears to be down, or at least overloaded)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/31/entertainment/e035710D71.DTL&tsp=1

funny you would cite that movie specifically.  I have a love/hate relationship w Quentin Tarantino, and I didn't really like PF that much, the overwhelming hype attached to it prob skewed my opinion a bit at first, but not that much.

Glad to hear you say that -- I think Reservoir Dogs is a better film than PF; it's a tight 105 mins (or so) and the combo of amazing dialogue and hair-raising violence was quite a slap in the face at the time. PF is good but too long (as is Jackie Brown) and I coulda done without all the Bruce Willis stuff.

I remember seeing RDs and being blown away by the writing, then coming home and watching Siskel & Ebert who -- amazingly -- gave it thumbs down! And S&E were, in those days, constantly talking about how writing is everything! So it seems to me that a lot of critics went overboard about PF because they saw that this was a train that they'd missed and wanted to jump onboard before it was too late.

But tonight I saw 500 Days of Summer and boy is it wonderful. Funny, charming, great sndtk (Best Hall & Oates musical interlude EVAH!) and again I say: if Zooey Deschanel doesn't play Linda Ronstadt in a movie, and soon, it will be the saddest missed opportunity in ages.  Knowing some of us as I do, I think the guys here will especially love it. Best flick in that genre since Garden State. See it ASAP.