The Movie Thread

[Alicat]

Had free movie pass (trying not to spend too much while unemployed) so I saw Baby Mama today. Fun flick. Saw a preview for new Sandler movie which I hope I remember to see in June, http://www.youdontmesswiththezohan.com/

[RGMike]

Had free movie pass (trying not to spend too much while unemployed) so I saw Baby Mama today. Fun flick. Saw a preview for new Sandler movie which I hope I remember to see in June, http://www.youdontmesswiththezohan.com/

The Sandler looks slightly less awful than his other stuff usually looks to me. But since Judd Apatow is involved, I suspect it'll get better reviews than his movies usually get.  I enjoyed Baby Mama too, but then I worship Ms. Fey -- 30 Rock is a brilliant show.

[ggould]

Saw Iron Man too, also thought it RAWKS! 

"Let's be honest, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."  Downey totally nailed the role. I hope you stayed to the end -- worth it. Bring on the sequel!

No, I almost always do, but for some reason I didn't this time.  What'd I miss?

can't be a spoiler -- I have to wait 'til everyone's seen it who plans to.

please wait a week at least!

Yes, I appreciate your restraint--give me a week--or two, if you can. Very busy right now so not sure when I'll get to the theater.

just saw it tonight; are we all in yet so we can discuss?

[RGMike]

Saw Iron Man too, also thought it RAWKS! 

"Let's be honest, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."  Downey totally nailed the role. I hope you stayed to the end -- worth it. Bring on the sequel!

No, I almost always do, but for some reason I didn't this time.  What'd I miss?

can't be a spoiler -- I have to wait 'til everyone's seen it who plans to.

please wait a week at least!

Yes, I appreciate your restraint--give me a week--or two, if you can. Very busy right now so not sure when I'll get to the theater.

just saw it tonight; are we all in yet so we can discuss?

Actually EW gave the "secret" away last week, so it's no longer a "spoiler" -- but I defer to urth, who is the last holdout I think.

[Gazoo]

Saw Iron Man too, also thought it RAWKS! 

"Let's be honest, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."  Downey totally nailed the role. I hope you stayed to the end -- worth it. Bring on the sequel!

No, I almost always do, but for some reason I didn't this time.  What'd I miss?

can't be a spoiler -- I have to wait 'til everyone's seen it who plans to.

please wait a week at least!

Yes, I appreciate your restraint--give me a week--or two, if you can. Very busy right now so not sure when I'll get to the theater.

just saw it tonight; are we all in yet so we can discuss?

Actually EW gave the "secret" away last week, so it's no longer a "spoiler" -- but I defer to urth, who is the last holdout I think.

If my softball games are cancelled tomorrow (which looks increasingly likely by the hour), I'll probably catch it.

[Lightnin' Rod]

Saw Iron Man too, also thought it RAWKS! 

"Let's be honest, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."  Downey totally nailed the role. I hope you stayed to the end -- worth it. Bring on the sequel!

No, I almost always do, but for some reason I didn't this time.  What'd I miss?

can't be a spoiler -- I have to wait 'til everyone's seen it who plans to.

please wait a week at least!

Yes, I appreciate your restraint--give me a week--or two, if you can. Very busy right now so not sure when I'll get to the theater.

just saw it tonight; are we all in yet so we can discuss?

Actually EW gave the "secret" away last week, so it's no longer a "spoiler" -- but I defer to urth, who is the last holdout I think.

If my softball games are cancelled tomorrow (which looks increasingly likely by the hour), I'll probably catch it.

I don't watch EW.  Maybe I'll have to avoid this thread until it comes on to cable.

Speaking of cable... 

Last night, double bill, Jesus Christ Superstar and Juno.

JCS was hilarious, I haven't seen it in years.  Two excellent songs, one other decent, but the rest just doesn't do much for me.  But you have to love the 60's.

Juno was good, not great.  Love the character and actress that was Juno, but the portrayal of the adoptive parents just didn't seem real to me.  Way too contrived, the Justin Bateman going from the cool one to the dickhead, the Jennifer Garner from the yuppie harridan to the loving mother, all to serve the plot.  Anyway, I enjoyed it, but it was at least partly false for me.

Tonight, I watched Starter for 10 and Lars and the Real Girl.

Starter is an HBO film from last year (produced by Tom Hanks), a British comedy.  Very enjoyable, I recommend it to HBO subscribers -- check it out.

Lars was just wonderful.  You have to see it too believe it.  Renews your faith in humanity, community.

ETA:  BTW, Starter for 10, set in 1985, had an excellent 80's soundtrack (The Cure, The Smiths, etc.).  I'm listening to the Cure now...

[RGMike]

Last night, double bill, Jesus Christ Superstar and Juno.

JCS was hilarious, I haven't seen it in years.  Two excellent songs, one other decent, but the rest just doesn't do much for me.  But you have to love the 60's.

Juno was good, not great.  Love the character and actress that was Juno, but the portrayal of the adoptive parents just didn't seem real to me.  Way too contrived, the Justin Bateman going from the cool one to the dickhead, the Jennifer Garner from the yuppie harridan to the loving mother, all to serve the plot.  Anyway, I enjoyed it, but it was at least partly false for me.

Tonight, I watched Starter for 10 and Lars and the Real Girl.

Starter is an HBO film from last year (produced by Tom Hanks), a British comedy.  Very enjoyable, I recommend it to HBO subscribers -- check it out.

Lars was just wonderful.  You have to see it too believe it.  Renews your faith in humanity, community.

ETA:  BTW, Starter for 10, set in 1985, had an excellent 80's soundtrack (The Cure, The Smiths, etc.).  I'm listening to the Cure now...

Indeed, the whole hippie-Jesus thing is quite dated at this point. (And I say that as a Catholic boy who loved the orig LP -- countless classroom hours at my high school were devoted to analyzing it). I know a woman who is a JCS fanatic -- she's seen it on stage something like 8 different times. Scary.

I liked Juno but I can understand people who quibble with the screenplay. But...

I absolutely hated, *hated* H-A-T-E-D Lars. Ohmygawd how I hated it. 

[Gazoo]

Last night, double bill, Jesus Christ Superstar and Juno.

JCS was hilarious, I haven't seen it in years.  Two excellent songs, one other decent, but the rest just doesn't do much for me.  But you have to love the 60's.

Indeed, the whole hippie-Jesus thing is quite dated at this point. (And I say that as a Catholic boy who loved the orig LP -- countless classroom hours at my high school were devoted to analyzing it). I know a woman who is a JCS fanatic -- she's seen it on stage something like 8 different times. Scary.

Of course I'm going to rise to the defense of JCS.  Some of it is contrived, but theater by its nature is contrived; more important, I remain awed by the recurrence of melodic and conceptual themes - it's really tight, story-wise - and by the sheer vocal power of the parties involved (I've never heard Ian Gillian sing the part on the OST, but every version I've heard/seen had amazing vocal perfs).  And on a more personal note, JCS's conceptualization of Judas - his person and motives - makes a great deal of sense to me and actually resolves some of the deep issues I have with Christianity (I identify to some degree as a Buddhist but take spirituality and comparative religions very seriously).

[RGMike]

Last night, double bill, Jesus Christ Superstar and Juno.

JCS was hilarious, I haven't seen it in years.  Two excellent songs, one other decent, but the rest just doesn't do much for me.  But you have to love the 60's.

Indeed, the whole hippie-Jesus thing is quite dated at this point. (And I say that as a Catholic boy who loved the orig LP -- countless classroom hours at my high school were devoted to analyzing it). I know a woman who is a JCS fanatic -- she's seen it on stage something like 8 different times. Scary.

Of course I'm going to rise to the defense of JCS.  Some of it is contrived, but theater by its nature is contrived; more important, I remain awed by the recurrence of melodic and conceptual themes - it's really tight, story-wise - and by the sheer vocal power of the parties involved (I've never heard Ian Gillian sing the part on the OST, but every version I've heard/seen had amazing vocal perfs).  And on a more personal note, JCS's conceptualization of Judas - his person and motives - makes a great deal of sense to me and actually resolves some of the deep issues I have with Christianity (I identify to some degree as a Buddhist but take spirituality and comparative religions very seriously).

I don't disagree with anything you've said. As an atheist Judas interests me too; if one buys into Jesus as god's-son-sent-here-to-die, then Judas helped him fulfill his destiny and is therefore an instrument of God, right?  (We drove the nuns crazy with that one!) And Webber and Rice's work remains among their best. I'm just saying Jesus-as-hippie is VERY 1971 (see also: Godspell). The only thing more cliche is the whole Pilate-as-mincing-queen thing.

Ian Gillan blows Ted Neely away, BTW (sorry, princess!).

[mshray]

Christina & I saw Lars recently and loved it.  Definitely indescribable, as Rod said, you have to see it to believe it.  Ryan Gosling is a fantastic actor.

[RGMike]

Christina & I saw Lars recently and loved it.  Definitely indescribable, as Rod said, you have to see it to believe it.  Ryan Gosling is a fantastic actor.

OK, here's my gripe(s):  I did not buy the set-up For. A. Second. -- the ENTIRE town, including the entire medical staff of the hospital (!) are all involved in humoring this guy, because... why? And the tone is all wrong, particularly in Gosling's performance. I think he's been brilliant in other things (see Half Nelson), but he's investing all his intense "serious actor" energy in the peformance and the guy comes off as seriously disturbed -- Lars needs professional help, not cutesy-poo coddling. With, say, a young Tom Hanks in the role, maybe I'd've bought in, but not the way it's played. My most-hated film of 2007. Ugh.

[urth]

Saw Iron Man too, also thought it RAWKS! 

"Let's be honest, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing."  Downey totally nailed the role. I hope you stayed to the end -- worth it. Bring on the sequel!

No, I almost always do, but for some reason I didn't this time.  What'd I miss?

can't be a spoiler -- I have to wait 'til everyone's seen it who plans to.

please wait a week at least!

Yes, I appreciate your restraint--give me a week--or two, if you can. Very busy right now so not sure when I'll get to the theater.

just saw it tonight; are we all in yet so we can discuss?

Actually EW gave the "secret" away last week, so it's no longer a "spoiler" -- but I defer to urth, who is the last holdout I think.

I truly appreciate your holding out on my account, but you might as well go ahead and discuss. I'm hip deep in the whole moving thing right now, and doubt that I'll be seeing the inside of a movie theater any time in the next three weeks at least.

[princessofcairo]

Ian Gillan blows Ted Neely away, BTW (sorry, princess!).

"kill.....KILL!"
(i don't know what that line is from. i think it's carol burnett in annie)

[RGMike]

it's official -- Fraggle Rock: The Movie!

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/28/fraggle-movie-movie-details-revealed/

[princessofcairo]

it's official -- Fraggle Rock: The Movie!

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/28/fraggle-movie-movie-details-revealed/

down with fraggle rock.