Summer Movies

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I can't believe we don't have this thread yet! The only real summer movie I've seen so far is Spiderman 2.......wish I could go back and not. The action scenes are great but the in between plot stuff is just horrible. I have to wonder what is up with Sam Raimi. I'm not into the comic books though so maybe if you are you'll feel differently about it.

But, the reason I started this thread was to tell you about Bubba Ho-tep. It's out on DVD and it's awesome. In the movie Elvis (played PERFECTLY by Bruce Campbell) is alive (he actually switched lives with an impersonator in the 70s) and in an East Texas nursing home. An ancient Egyptian mummie is terrorizing the home and Elvis and his friend (Ossie Davis) who believes he is JFK (his death was faked by his enemies and they turned him into a black man and stranded him at Shady Acres) have to save the home's residents. It is so much fun if for nothing else than to watch Bruce Campbell absolutely nail Elvis! I highly recommend it!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I can't believe we don't have this thread yet! The only real summer movie I've seen so far is Spiderman 2.......wish I could go back and not. The action scenes are great but the in between plot stuff is just horrible. I have to wonder what is up with Sam Raimi. I'm not into the comic books though so maybe if you are you'll feel differently about it.

But, the reason I started this thread was to tell you about Bubba Ho-tep. It's out on DVD and it's awesome. In the movie Elvis (played PERFECTLY by Bruce Campbell) is alive (he actually switched lives with an impersonator in the 70s) and in an East Texas nursing home. An ancient Egyptian mummie is terrorizing the home and Elvis and his friend (Ossie Davis) who believes he is JFK (his death was faked by his enemies and they turned him into a black man and stranded him at Shady Acres) have to save the home's residents. It is so much fun if for nothing else than to watch Bruce Campbell absolutely nail Elvis! I highly recommend it!

[Turbulence]

The only movie I've seen in theaters so far this summer has been Fahrenheit 9/11. Pure genious...but discussion on that movie might be better suited to the political forum. :D

[Turbulence]

The only movie I've seen in theaters so far this summer has been Fahrenheit 9/11. Pure genious...but discussion on that movie might be better suited to the political forum. :D

[goalie33]

I think you nailed part of the dichotomy of the new Spidey movie, SHC. It's geared more toward setting up stuff like the comic. For instance, many of my friends thought that the "go get 'em, tiger," line at the end was super-cheesy, but in the comics MJ calls Peter "tiger" all the time. The JJJ character is perfected, and the introduction of his son, the astronaut, sets up the story line of Peter's rival photographer at the Bugle and the symbiote spider suit that hitches a ride to NYC on Jameson Jr's space shuttle.

Many of my more comic-y friend have decided it's the greatest superhero movie ever made, while others just found it to be a very good, if a bit bland, action movie. Plus, Bruce Campbell delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as "Snooty Usher."

BTW, speaking of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, please tell me you loved the shot-for-shot Evil Dead stuff in the operating room, chainsaw and all.

[goalie33]

I think you nailed part of the dichotomy of the new Spidey movie, SHC. It's geared more toward setting up stuff like the comic. For instance, many of my friends thought that the "go get 'em, tiger," line at the end was super-cheesy, but in the comics MJ calls Peter "tiger" all the time. The JJJ character is perfected, and the introduction of his son, the astronaut, sets up the story line of Peter's rival photographer at the Bugle and the symbiote spider suit that hitches a ride to NYC on Jameson Jr's space shuttle.

Many of my more comic-y friend have decided it's the greatest superhero movie ever made, while others just found it to be a very good, if a bit bland, action movie. Plus, Bruce Campbell delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as "Snooty Usher."

BTW, speaking of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, please tell me you loved the shot-for-shot Evil Dead stuff in the operating room, chainsaw and all.

[tommy]

I work at the Carmike 15 theater (actually I just got back from late shift), so here's my rundown of some current movies:

Spiderman 2 -- more mush, but more action than number 1. Alfred Molina is a pefect match for Doc Ock, and Kirsten Dunst will please the adolescent male crowd. Lots of cool scenes, and better overall than the first. I hope that in later movie(s) they do the Carnage and Venom episodes!

King Arthur -- Awesome. Reminiscent of Gladiator at times, and a very good movie overall. Keira Knightly is ruggedly beautiful, and plays her part well. Very moving ending.

White Chicks -- HILARIOUS -- I haven't scene all of it, but this is a really funny movie based on what I HAVE seen. Typical Wayans brothers stuff, but if you're into that, it's great.

Dodgeball -- Corny, but great. I laughed out loud more times in this movie than I have in a long time. Lots of very humorous cameos. If you didn't originally plan on seeing this, give it a chance.

Harry Potter -- This is another good one. I lost track of what happens in the books, but this movie is well made. The actors, though, are aging too fast in real life for their roles in the movies. I don't think we're going to be seeing Daniel Radcliffe in all the movies if they continue to come out at the rate that they do. Very entertaining, though.

The Terminal -- Go see it now. Tom Hanks is incredible -- very humorous movie, and kind of quirky. If you like Hanks, this will show you a different side of him that is worth the price of admission.

[tommy]

I work at the Carmike 15 theater (actually I just got back from late shift), so here's my rundown of some current movies:

Spiderman 2 -- more mush, but more action than number 1. Alfred Molina is a pefect match for Doc Ock, and Kirsten Dunst will please the adolescent male crowd. Lots of cool scenes, and better overall than the first. I hope that in later movie(s) they do the Carnage and Venom episodes!

King Arthur -- Awesome. Reminiscent of Gladiator at times, and a very good movie overall. Keira Knightly is ruggedly beautiful, and plays her part well. Very moving ending.

White Chicks -- HILARIOUS -- I haven't scene all of it, but this is a really funny movie based on what I HAVE seen. Typical Wayans brothers stuff, but if you're into that, it's great.

Dodgeball -- Corny, but great. I laughed out loud more times in this movie than I have in a long time. Lots of very humorous cameos. If you didn't originally plan on seeing this, give it a chance.

Harry Potter -- This is another good one. I lost track of what happens in the books, but this movie is well made. The actors, though, are aging too fast in real life for their roles in the movies. I don't think we're going to be seeing Daniel Radcliffe in all the movies if they continue to come out at the rate that they do. Very entertaining, though.

The Terminal -- Go see it now. Tom Hanks is incredible -- very humorous movie, and kind of quirky. If you like Hanks, this will show you a different side of him that is worth the price of admission.

[Stormbringer]

Spiderman 2 -- more mush, but more action than number 1. Alfred Molina is a pefect match for Doc Ock, and Kirsten Dunst will please the adolescent male crowd. Lots of cool scenes, and better overall than the first. I hope that in later movie(s) they do the Carnage and Venom episodes!

I really, REALLY want to see Spider-Man 2...everything I've heard and read about it sounds awesome. And I loved the first one. :spin:

The Alien Costume Saga alias the Venom/Carnage stuff is something I'd love to see covered in a movie. There's already talk that the third Spidey movie *might* focus on that. And some are arguing that the Alien Costume Saga being in the third movie might be a little too soon. But hey, they need to cover it sometime...I say why not go ahead and do it with the third movie... :smoke:

[Stormbringer]

Spiderman 2 -- more mush, but more action than number 1. Alfred Molina is a pefect match for Doc Ock, and Kirsten Dunst will please the adolescent male crowd. Lots of cool scenes, and better overall than the first. I hope that in later movie(s) they do the Carnage and Venom episodes!

I really, REALLY want to see Spider-Man 2...everything I've heard and read about it sounds awesome. And I loved the first one. :spin:

The Alien Costume Saga alias the Venom/Carnage stuff is something I'd love to see covered in a movie. There's already talk that the third Spidey movie *might* focus on that. And some are arguing that the Alien Costume Saga being in the third movie might be a little too soon. But hey, they need to cover it sometime...I say why not go ahead and do it with the third movie... :smoke:

[tommy]

And some are arguing that the Alien Costume Saga being in the third movie might be a little too soon. But hey, they need to cover it sometime...I say why not go ahead and do it with the third movie... :smoke:

That's exactly what me and a few co-workers were saying... bring on the Alien Costume Saga... it's never too soon!

[tommy]

And some are arguing that the Alien Costume Saga being in the third movie might be a little too soon. But hey, they need to cover it sometime...I say why not go ahead and do it with the third movie... :smoke:

That's exactly what me and a few co-workers were saying... bring on the Alien Costume Saga... it's never too soon!

[goalie33]

Just as a reference point, the animated Spidey series covered the entire saga of the symbiote's journey from the moon to Peter to Brock in four (pretty sure it was four) episodes, which is just 88 minutes of material. The third movie might be a bit premature to tell the whole story, but with some elements falling into place already, it good happen. Purity was out the window with the first movie, because Spidey fights Green Goblin when he is dating Gwen Stacy in the books...I think they skipped that to both get right to the introduction of MJ and spare the complication and emotional weight of the manner of Gwen's death. (For those who don't know, GG throws Gwen off the top of a building, and when Spidey launches a web down to save her, he accidentally snaps her neck, killing her instantly.)

BTW, I've been referencing the short version of the symbiote story (space shuttle) because getting into the Secret Wars and introducing Mr. Fantastic to separate Peter from the suit and blahblshbksha would be too complicated, whereas Jonah's son is already in the second movie and referenced as an astronaut.

[goalie33]

Just as a reference point, the animated Spidey series covered the entire saga of the symbiote's journey from the moon to Peter to Brock in four (pretty sure it was four) episodes, which is just 88 minutes of material. The third movie might be a bit premature to tell the whole story, but with some elements falling into place already, it good happen. Purity was out the window with the first movie, because Spidey fights Green Goblin when he is dating Gwen Stacy in the books...I think they skipped that to both get right to the introduction of MJ and spare the complication and emotional weight of the manner of Gwen's death. (For those who don't know, GG throws Gwen off the top of a building, and when Spidey launches a web down to save her, he accidentally snaps her neck, killing her instantly.)

BTW, I've been referencing the short version of the symbiote story (space shuttle) because getting into the Secret Wars and introducing Mr. Fantastic to separate Peter from the suit and blahblshbksha would be too complicated, whereas Jonah's son is already in the second movie and referenced as an astronaut.

[raleighcanesfan]

The Village comes out shortly. That's the one I'm waiting for. M. Night Shamalan (or Sham-a-lam-a-ding-dong or Shamrock or whatever...) really produces some interesting films. I loved Signs, so this one seems as suspenseful as that.

[raleighcanesfan]

The Village comes out shortly. That's the one I'm waiting for. M. Night Shamalan (or Sham-a-lam-a-ding-dong or Shamrock or whatever...) really produces some interesting films. I loved Signs, so this one seems as suspenseful as that.

[tommy]

M. Night Shyamalan has done some excellent work... Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs... and now the Village. I can't wait for it to come out, either.

I also kinda want to see Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse, but it doesn't come out until September... I thought it would be earlier than that.

[tommy]

M. Night Shyamalan has done some excellent work... Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs... and now the Village. I can't wait for it to come out, either.

I also kinda want to see Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse, but it doesn't come out until September... I thought it would be earlier than that.

[StormShaman]

I work at the Carmike 15 theater (actually I just got back from late shift), so here's my rundown of some current movies:

Spiderman 2 -- more mush, but more action than number 1. Alfred Molina is a pefect match for Doc Ock, and Kirsten Dunst will please the adolescent male crowd. Lots of cool scenes, and better overall than the first. I hope that in later movie(s) they do the Carnage and Venom episodes!

Without spoiling too much:

Doctor Octopus was actually a sympathetic character in this movie--an interesting departure from the comic books, but I liked it.

The end intrigued me a lot--I can't wait for the third movie.

LOVED the Bruce Campbell segment. It amused me greatly.

The subway scene was pretty damn cool, IMO--all of it.

I've put this into ROT-13 because there are spoilers here. If you want the decoded version (and have seen the movie) feel free to PM me. :D

V yvxrq gur flzobyvfz va Fcvqrezna orvat pneevrq ol gur pebjq onpx vagb gur fhojnl yvxr fbzr xvaq bs Puevfg-svther (fvapr, nsgre nyy, ur qvq fnir gurz sebz pregnva qrngu ol fnpevsvpvat uvzfrys). V guvax vg ernyyl qebir ubzr gur pbaprcg bs Fcvqrezna nf n "Crbcyr'f Ureb" jura gur cnffratref fnj uvz jvgu uvf znfx bss naq ernyvmrq gung ur jnf whfg n erthyne thl yvxr gur erfg bs gurz ("Ur'f whfg n xvq, yvxr zl fba" jnf n yvar gung oebhtug n grne gb zl rlr).

Gur Uneel Bfobear/Crgre Cnexre qlanzvp jnf vagrerfgvat, gbb--V ubcr gung vs gurl znxr Uneel n onq thl, gurl sbyybj gur pbzvpf va gung Uneel gevrf gb or gur Terra Tboyva i2.0, bayl gb snvy orpnhfr ur whfg qbrfa'g unir uvf sngure'f oenaq bs rivy va uvz (naq gura ghea nebhaq naq orpbzr n tbbq thl ntnva).

Comic fans will like how they kinda get in a couple more future villains (Man-Wolf and The Lizard) for the franchise by way of introducing the characters that become those baddies.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty spiffy movie. Can't wait to see the 3rd one (especially if Sam Raimi directs). :D

[StormShaman]

I work at the Carmike 15 theater (actually I just got back from late shift), so here's my rundown of some current movies:

Spiderman 2 -- more mush, but more action than number 1. Alfred Molina is a pefect match for Doc Ock, and Kirsten Dunst will please the adolescent male crowd. Lots of cool scenes, and better overall than the first. I hope that in later movie(s) they do the Carnage and Venom episodes!

Without spoiling too much:

Doctor Octopus was actually a sympathetic character in this movie--an interesting departure from the comic books, but I liked it.

The end intrigued me a lot--I can't wait for the third movie.

LOVED the Bruce Campbell segment. It amused me greatly.

The subway scene was pretty damn cool, IMO--all of it.

I've put this into ROT-13 because there are spoilers here. If you want the decoded version (and have seen the movie) feel free to PM me. :D

V yvxrq gur flzobyvfz va Fcvqrezna orvat pneevrq ol gur pebjq onpx vagb gur fhojnl yvxr fbzr xvaq bs Puevfg-svther (fvapr, nsgre nyy, ur qvq fnir gurz sebz pregnva qrngu ol fnpevsvpvat uvzfrys). V guvax vg ernyyl qebir ubzr gur pbaprcg bs Fcvqrezna nf n "Crbcyr'f Ureb" jura gur cnffratref fnj uvz jvgu uvf znfx bss naq ernyvmrq gung ur jnf whfg n erthyne thl yvxr gur erfg bs gurz ("Ur'f whfg n xvq, yvxr zl fba" jnf n yvar gung oebhtug n grne gb zl rlr).

Gur Uneel Bfobear/Crgre Cnexre qlanzvp jnf vagrerfgvat, gbb--V ubcr gung vs gurl znxr Uneel n onq thl, gurl sbyybj gur pbzvpf va gung Uneel gevrf gb or gur Terra Tboyva i2.0, bayl gb snvy orpnhfr ur whfg qbrfa'g unir uvf sngure'f oenaq bs rivy va uvz (naq gura ghea nebhaq naq orpbzr n tbbq thl ntnva).

Comic fans will like how they kinda get in a couple more future villains (Man-Wolf and The Lizard) for the franchise by way of introducing the characters that become those baddies.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty spiffy movie. Can't wait to see the 3rd one (especially if Sam Raimi directs). :D

[talkingcanes]

I'm looking forward to see The Village too. Since I'm always among the last people in the world to see a movie, I'm sure most of you will see it before me :D I loved Sixth Sense and I liked Signs. I just don't have any interest in Spiderman at all. I'm sure it's me since everyone I know has seen it or plans to.

I did just see Antwon Fisher which I loved and The Hours which was good, but I apparently missed some information because near the end I found myself saying "huh" in a couple of spots! I told you I was always way behind everyone else seeing movies ;)

[talkingcanes]

I'm looking forward to see The Village too. Since I'm always among the last people in the world to see a movie, I'm sure most of you will see it before me :D I loved Sixth Sense and I liked Signs. I just don't have any interest in Spiderman at all. I'm sure it's me since everyone I know has seen it or plans to.

I did just see Antwon Fisher which I loved and The Hours which was good, but I apparently missed some information because near the end I found myself saying "huh" in a couple of spots! I told you I was always way behind everyone else seeing movies ;)

[tommy]

On a side note -- I now have realized who has the coolest name in all movie history: Stellan Skarsgard, from King Arthur... PERFECT hockey name!!

[tommy]

On a side note -- I now have realized who has the coolest name in all movie history: Stellan Skarsgard, from King Arthur... PERFECT hockey name!!

[puck_it]

Dodge Ball :beatup: lol

[puck_it]

Dodge Ball :beatup: lol

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Looking at Tommy's list I realize that I have seen more summer movies....Dodgeball (LOVED it even though I'm going to hell for it) and Harry Potter (best one yet by leaps and freakin' bounds, IMO).

We also just happened to catch Extreme Dodgeball on Game Show Network the other night.....it is soooo exactly like the movie! Right down to the Jason Bateman-like colorman!

Yep, G33, I did love the Evil Dead ape in Spiderman. Also agree with Cam that the subway scene was awesome. Both of the Spidermans I have loved the action sequences very, very much....I'm just clueless about the backstory so haven't enjoyed what has seemd to me like stilted dialog and cheesey plot crap. But I love that they are making it for the comic fans since that's what I think should be respected with something like that.

I can't wait to see The Village either! One of the previews makes it look awesome. I didn't like Signs very much but I loved the other two so I'm hoping he can re-capture the magic for me.

Also looking forward to Resident Evil 2. The first one is one of my all-time favorite movies and I love Mila Jovovich.

Anyone seen Stepford Wives? The original is a fav of mine but we haven't had a chance to see the new one yet.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Looking at Tommy's list I realize that I have seen more summer movies....Dodgeball (LOVED it even though I'm going to hell for it) and Harry Potter (best one yet by leaps and freakin' bounds, IMO).

We also just happened to catch Extreme Dodgeball on Game Show Network the other night.....it is soooo exactly like the movie! Right down to the Jason Bateman-like colorman!

Yep, G33, I did love the Evil Dead ape in Spiderman. Also agree with Cam that the subway scene was awesome. Both of the Spidermans I have loved the action sequences very, very much....I'm just clueless about the backstory so haven't enjoyed what has seemd to me like stilted dialog and cheesey plot crap. But I love that they are making it for the comic fans since that's what I think should be respected with something like that.

I can't wait to see The Village either! One of the previews makes it look awesome. I didn't like Signs very much but I loved the other two so I'm hoping he can re-capture the magic for me.

Also looking forward to Resident Evil 2. The first one is one of my all-time favorite movies and I love Mila Jovovich.

Anyone seen Stepford Wives? The original is a fav of mine but we haven't had a chance to see the new one yet.

[StormShaman]

BTW, speaking of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, please tell me you loved the shot-for-shot Evil Dead stuff in the operating room, chainsaw and all.

Glad I'm not the only one who caught that. :)

[StormShaman]

BTW, speaking of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, please tell me you loved the shot-for-shot Evil Dead stuff in the operating room, chainsaw and all.

Glad I'm not the only one who caught that. :)

[Mona]

I want to see I-Robot.. it looks kind of creepy...

[Mona]

I want to see I-Robot.. it looks kind of creepy...

[Turbulence]

I want to see I-Robot.. it looks kind of creepy...

I'm thinking it looks like on of those bad, unrealistic, 'future' movies...like Minority Report. I can't really get into anything that seems so unrealistic...unrealistic for now, anyway. :beatup: I suppose I need to broaden my horizons. :D

I'm gonna go see Spiderman 2. It's quite realistic. :cool:

[Turbulence]

I want to see I-Robot.. it looks kind of creepy...

I'm thinking it looks like on of those bad, unrealistic, 'future' movies...like Minority Report. I can't really get into anything that seems so unrealistic...unrealistic for now, anyway. :beatup: I suppose I need to broaden my horizons. :D

I'm gonna go see Spiderman 2. It's quite realistic. :cool:

[StormShaman]

I'm torn on "I, Robot"--the movie seems to be taking a great deal from the story "The Evitable Conflict" (the last story in the book), but at the same time it seems like a flagrant mangling of Asimov's work (kinda like Starship Troopers mangled Heinlein's work).

Who knows? I'll go see it anyway--maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

[StormShaman]

I'm torn on "I, Robot"--the movie seems to be taking a great deal from the story "The Evitable Conflict" (the last story in the book), but at the same time it seems like a flagrant mangling of Asimov's work (kinda like Starship Troopers mangled Heinlein's work).

Who knows? I'll go see it anyway--maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

[tommy]

Who knows? I'll go see it anyway--maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

Perhaps, but don't count on it... :p ;)

[tommy]

Who knows? I'll go see it anyway--maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

Perhaps, but don't count on it... :p ;)

[goalie33]

Also looking forward to Resident Evil 2. The first one is one of my all-time favorite movies and I love Mila Jovovich.

Have you seen Dummy? Milla is funny as hale in that.

BTW, saw Anchorman last night, and it's fantastically funny. Steve Carell and Paul Rudd are genius (it rivals Paul's best performance in Wet Hot American Summer). There are a lot more subtle bits than one would think (hello Jethro Tull). Also, word on the street is that the original cut of the movie was four hours long because of a subplot, so the DVD will feature two movies: Anchorman and a 100-minute flick of all new footage called Wake Up, Ron Burgundy.

[goalie33]

Also looking forward to Resident Evil 2. The first one is one of my all-time favorite movies and I love Mila Jovovich.

Have you seen Dummy? Milla is funny as hale in that.

BTW, saw Anchorman last night, and it's fantastically funny. Steve Carell and Paul Rudd are genius (it rivals Paul's best performance in Wet Hot American Summer). There are a lot more subtle bits than one would think (hello Jethro Tull). Also, word on the street is that the original cut of the movie was four hours long because of a subplot, so the DVD will feature two movies: Anchorman and a 100-minute flick of all new footage called Wake Up, Ron Burgundy.

[tommy]

I saw about 30 minutes of Anchorman the other day, and it is absolutely hysterical. I got to witness the multi-station street battle a la Gangs of New York, which they show a few seconds of on one of the previews. GREAT stuff. I can't wait to see the whole thing.

[tommy]

I saw about 30 minutes of Anchorman the other day, and it is absolutely hysterical. I got to witness the multi-station street battle a la Gangs of New York, which they show a few seconds of on one of the previews. GREAT stuff. I can't wait to see the whole thing.

[Mona]

I saw about 30 minutes of Anchorman the other day, and it is absolutely hysterical. I got to witness the multi-station street battle a la Gangs of New York, which they show a few seconds of on one of the previews. GREAT stuff. I can't wait to see the whole thing.

I definitely want to see that.. I loveeeeeeee Will Farrell.. :D

[Mona]

I saw about 30 minutes of Anchorman the other day, and it is absolutely hysterical. I got to witness the multi-station street battle a la Gangs of New York, which they show a few seconds of on one of the previews. GREAT stuff. I can't wait to see the whole thing.

I definitely want to see that.. I loveeeeeeee Will Farrell.. :D

[goalie33]

Watch out for the stolen shots from Planet of the Apes in Anchorman.

[goalie33]

Watch out for the stolen shots from Planet of the Apes in Anchorman.

[nccanes]

Okay, I'm a moron. It just hit me that Rons#1's avatar is Alan Rickman (she hasn't posted in this thread, but I figured it was the best place). Of course, I knew it was Snape, but I didn't put it together (haven't seen the 3rd HP movie and it's been forever since I saw the 2nd one - barely remember it really). I've just recently seen Love Actually (which I loved) and thought Rickman was great.

As my avatar indicates, I'm in my Colin Firth phase of movie watching this summer and finished Pride and Prejudice (again) last night, lol. Rewatched Bridget Jones Diary over the weekend. Really looking forward to the sequel to that (comes out in November).

[nccanes]

Okay, I'm a moron. It just hit me that Rons#1's avatar is Alan Rickman (she hasn't posted in this thread, but I figured it was the best place). Of course, I knew it was Snape, but I didn't put it together (haven't seen the 3rd HP movie and it's been forever since I saw the 2nd one - barely remember it really). I've just recently seen Love Actually (which I loved) and thought Rickman was great.

As my avatar indicates, I'm in my Colin Firth phase of movie watching this summer and finished Pride and Prejudice (again) last night, lol. Rewatched Bridget Jones Diary over the weekend. Really looking forward to the sequel to that (comes out in November).

[rons#1fan]

Eileen...I'm shocked :eek2: :D - I thought everyone knew Professor Snape !

[rons#1fan]

Eileen...I'm shocked :eek2: :D - I thought everyone knew Professor Snape !

[e2ipiand1]

From Yahoo Movies:

The script upon which this film (I Robot) is most directly based was originally titled 'Hardwired', but since that script was inspired by the 9 stories in the 'I, Robot' anthology, 20th Century Fox has gone with that title instead, so that it may be the first in a series of 'Robot' movies based on Asimov's novels, if successful.

[e2ipiand1]

From Yahoo Movies:

The script upon which this film (I Robot) is most directly based was originally titled 'Hardwired', but since that script was inspired by the 9 stories in the 'I, Robot' anthology, 20th Century Fox has gone with that title instead, so that it may be the first in a series of 'Robot' movies based on Asimov's novels, if successful.

[Canesluver]

Okay, I'm a moron. It just hit me that Rons#1's avatar is Alan Rickman . . . . Of course, I knew it was Snape

Oh, good! I kept looking at that thinking he looked familiar.....

My latest guess was Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans!

:lol:

[Canesluver]

Okay, I'm a moron. It just hit me that Rons#1's avatar is Alan Rickman . . . . Of course, I knew it was Snape

Oh, good! I kept looking at that thinking he looked familiar.....

My latest guess was Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans!

:lol:

[nccanes]

Eileen...I'm shocked :eek2: :D - I thought everyone knew Professor Snape !

Snape I knew - Alan Rickman escaped me. :beatup:

BTW, if you enjoy quirky British comedies, Love Actually is a good one. The cast is practically a who's who of British acting...

[nccanes]

Eileen...I'm shocked :eek2: :D - I thought everyone knew Professor Snape !

Snape I knew - Alan Rickman escaped me. :beatup:

BTW, if you enjoy quirky British comedies, Love Actually is a good one. The cast is practically a who's who of British acting...

[rons#1fan]

Saw LOVE ACTUALLY and thought it was cute AND of course Rickman was a favorite. Don't you remember him in the first Die Hard movie? He was the nasty "terrorist" in the high rise. He was also the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Kevin Costner ROBIN HOOD. He was excellent in that.
Gad I'm showing my age - they were some oldies. Sorry if I've baffled you young 'ns.

[rons#1fan]

Saw LOVE ACTUALLY and thought it was cute AND of course Rickman was a favorite. Don't you remember him in the first Die Hard movie? He was the nasty "terrorist" in the high rise. He was also the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Kevin Costner ROBIN HOOD. He was excellent in that.
Gad I'm showing my age - they were some oldies. Sorry if I've baffled you young 'ns.

[nccanes]

Mr. NCCanes remembered him from the Die Hard movie - but sadly my memory is not that good.

[nccanes]

Mr. NCCanes remembered him from the Die Hard movie - but sadly my memory is not that good.

[guinevere]

Saw LOVE ACTUALLY and thought it was cute AND of course Rickman was a favorite. Don't you remember him in the first Die Hard movie? He was the nasty "terrorist" in the high rise. He was also the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Kevin Costner ROBIN HOOD. He was excellent in that.
Gad I'm showing my age - they were some oldies. Sorry if I've baffled you young 'ns.

"I'll cut your heart out with a spoon".... I still use that line on my children... (in a very loving way of course :p )

[guinevere]

Saw LOVE ACTUALLY and thought it was cute AND of course Rickman was a favorite. Don't you remember him in the first Die Hard movie? He was the nasty "terrorist" in the high rise. He was also the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Kevin Costner ROBIN HOOD. He was excellent in that.
Gad I'm showing my age - they were some oldies. Sorry if I've baffled you young 'ns.

"I'll cut your heart out with a spoon".... I still use that line on my children... (in a very loving way of course :p )

[Mona]

"I'll cut your heart out with a spoon".... I still use that line on my children... (in a very loving way of course :p )

That cracked me up......... :D

[Mona]

"I'll cut your heart out with a spoon".... I still use that line on my children... (in a very loving way of course :p )

That cracked me up......... :D

[Canesluver]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

[Canesluver]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

[Stormbringer]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

You and my mother are two peas in a pod...whenever we watch certain shows and movies, my mother cannot help but comment on certain actors and actresses' teeth! Because of this, the rest of my family and I can't help making fun of my mom and saying she should have been a dental hygenist. :D

[Stormbringer]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

You and my mother are two peas in a pod...whenever we watch certain shows and movies, my mother cannot help but comment on certain actors and actresses' teeth! Because of this, the rest of my family and I can't help making fun of my mom and saying she should have been a dental hygenist. :D

[IcyRed]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

...guessing you didn't like Willem Dafoe's character "Bobby Peru" in Wild At Heart!!!! (his teeth resembled candy corn :sick: )

icy

[IcyRed]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

...guessing you didn't like Willem Dafoe's character "Bobby Peru" in Wild At Heart!!!! (his teeth resembled candy corn :sick: )

icy

[talkingcanes]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

I am with you on that. Bad teeth and bad hair (not a single bad hair day, but bad, weird, I did this on purpose even thought I look like the housekeeper in a horror movie hair) never fail to catch my attention!

[talkingcanes]

And poor Kate Winslet had to kiss him him :sick: in Sense and Sensibility. I've got a thing about teeth..... Rickman's got wretched teeth and I could never kiss anybody with teeth like that. :hurl:

I am with you on that. Bad teeth and bad hair (not a single bad hair day, but bad, weird, I did this on purpose even thought I look like the housekeeper in a horror movie hair) never fail to catch my attention!

[Canesluver]

We saw DeLovely this afternoon. The movie was really very good. It's about the Broadway composer, Cole Porter (he wrote Anything Goes and Kiss Me Kate, to name a few). Kevin Kline was great as Cole, and that's about the best thing I've ever seen Ashley Judd do. She seems perfect as Porter's understanding wife (he was bisexual--really more of a homosexual-- and they had an "understanding"). The movie's a musical, but structured in a really interesting way, as though Porter as an old man is watching a reply of his life, told with songs he had written for musicals-- hard to describe, but very effective. The ironic thing is Kevin Kline is a great song and dance man from Broadway, but Cole Porter was known to not be able to sing well (most B'way composers can't sing worth a damn) so Kline had to really hold himself back on the singing bits. It's a really nice love story, too. I was impressed with this movie.

[Canesluver]

We saw DeLovely this afternoon. The movie was really very good. It's about the Broadway composer, Cole Porter (he wrote Anything Goes and Kiss Me Kate, to name a few). Kevin Kline was great as Cole, and that's about the best thing I've ever seen Ashley Judd do. She seems perfect as Porter's understanding wife (he was bisexual--really more of a homosexual-- and they had an "understanding"). The movie's a musical, but structured in a really interesting way, as though Porter as an old man is watching a reply of his life, told with songs he had written for musicals-- hard to describe, but very effective. The ironic thing is Kevin Kline is a great song and dance man from Broadway, but Cole Porter was known to not be able to sing well (most B'way composers can't sing worth a damn) so Kline had to really hold himself back on the singing bits. It's a really nice love story, too. I was impressed with this movie.

[Mona]

Sounds like a good one Shawn.. I have always like Kevin as an actor.

[Mona]

Sounds like a good one Shawn.. I have always like Kevin as an actor.

[Guyute]

...guessing you didn't like Willem Dafoe's character "Bobby Peru" in Wild At Heart!!!! (his teeth resembled candy corn :sick: )


yeah, those teeth are pretty wicked. What a movie. one of my faves for sure.

[Guyute]

...guessing you didn't like Willem Dafoe's character "Bobby Peru" in Wild At Heart!!!! (his teeth resembled candy corn :sick: )


yeah, those teeth are pretty wicked. What a movie. one of my faves for sure.

[ONeillsNo1Fan]

I agree with the other people who saw Anchorman. It was a riot.
I saw Christina Applegate on Leno or Letterman recently, and she actually got charged by one of the bears. They had footage of it. You couldn't pay me to continue filming after something like that...

Note to self: Don't take your 15 year old brother to movies like this. :beatup:

[ONeillsNo1Fan]

I agree with the other people who saw Anchorman. It was a riot.
I saw Christina Applegate on Leno or Letterman recently, and she actually got charged by one of the bears. They had footage of it. You couldn't pay me to continue filming after something like that...

Note to self: Don't take your 15 year old brother to movies like this. :beatup:

[Turbulence]

I saw Terminal last night....and I gotta agree with Tommy's review.
It was a very good movie...kind of different, but it really was a great role for Tom Hanks. He shows his ability to act without necessarily being able to speak coherent words, just another testament to this acting superiority.

Just looking at the big names though...Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steven Spielberg...it must have been a hard script to sell to them. Just reading the plot, it couldn't have sounded very good. But it turned out great. :cool:

[Turbulence]

I saw Terminal last night....and I gotta agree with Tommy's review.
It was a very good movie...kind of different, but it really was a great role for Tom Hanks. He shows his ability to act without necessarily being able to speak coherent words, just another testament to this acting superiority.

Just looking at the big names though...Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steven Spielberg...it must have been a hard script to sell to them. Just reading the plot, it couldn't have sounded very good. But it turned out great. :cool:

[puckin_A]

saw *NOTEBOOK* tonight. I loved it. Great love story.....Great chick flick~ :spin:

[puckin_A]

saw *NOTEBOOK* tonight. I loved it. Great love story.....Great chick flick~ :spin:

[PhilEsposito]

I saw I Robot yesterday and thought it was extremely well done. The story is a good one and I'm going to read the anthology. I loved the irony of having a black cop with pathologic prejudice against robots.

[PhilEsposito]

I saw I Robot yesterday and thought it was extremely well done. The story is a good one and I'm going to read the anthology. I loved the irony of having a black cop with pathologic prejudice against robots.

[StormShaman]

I saw I Robot yesterday and thought it was extremely well done. The story is a good one and I'm going to read the anthology. I loved the irony of having a black cop with pathologic prejudice against robots.

The anthology bears little resemblance to the movie--which I'll probably be going to see this evening (I hope)--from what I've seen in the trailers and reviews. I think my opinion of the movie in the end will depend a lot on how the producers handle the anthology that inspired it--whether they try to preserve at least some of it or toss it out the window (like Paul Verhoeven did with Starship Troopers).

[StormShaman]

I saw I Robot yesterday and thought it was extremely well done. The story is a good one and I'm going to read the anthology. I loved the irony of having a black cop with pathologic prejudice against robots.

The anthology bears little resemblance to the movie--which I'll probably be going to see this evening (I hope)--from what I've seen in the trailers and reviews. I think my opinion of the movie in the end will depend a lot on how the producers handle the anthology that inspired it--whether they try to preserve at least some of it or toss it out the window (like Paul Verhoeven did with Starship Troopers).

[PhilEsposito]

The anthology bears little resemblance to the movie--which I'll probably be going to see this evening (I hope)--from what I've seen in the trailers and reviews. I think my opinion of the movie in the end will depend a lot on how the producers handle the anthology that inspired it--whether they try to preserve at least some of it or toss it out the window (like Paul Verhoeven did with Starship Troopers).

Storm Shaman, I am interested in hearing what you thought of the movie. As mentioned, I have not read "Hardwired" but liked the movie.

In some cases movies can be directly adapted from the book and work extremely well (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), and in other cases the length or complexity of the material just doesn't lend itself to direct adaptation and screenwriters take great liberties with the material. Sometimes this works out as a good movie. I think I Robot may be that case but you will have to tell me. John Carpenter's The Thing was a great movie that bore little resemblense to the original starring Dana Andrews in the early 50's which was a very good movie in it's own right. In other cases, it doesn't work out well (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Maximum Overdrive). There is no way you can piece together the major points of the story without having read the book before seeing either movie.[/quote]

[PhilEsposito]

The anthology bears little resemblance to the movie--which I'll probably be going to see this evening (I hope)--from what I've seen in the trailers and reviews. I think my opinion of the movie in the end will depend a lot on how the producers handle the anthology that inspired it--whether they try to preserve at least some of it or toss it out the window (like Paul Verhoeven did with Starship Troopers).

Storm Shaman, I am interested in hearing what you thought of the movie. As mentioned, I have not read "Hardwired" but liked the movie.

In some cases movies can be directly adapted from the book and work extremely well (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), and in other cases the length or complexity of the material just doesn't lend itself to direct adaptation and screenwriters take great liberties with the material. Sometimes this works out as a good movie. I think I Robot may be that case but you will have to tell me. John Carpenter's The Thing was a great movie that bore little resemblense to the original starring Dana Andrews in the early 50's which was a very good movie in it's own right. In other cases, it doesn't work out well (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Maximum Overdrive). There is no way you can piece together the major points of the story without having read the book before seeing either movie.[/quote]

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Everyone, go see The Village NOW. I would not say I'm a huge M. Knight Shyamalan fan. I loved The Sixth Sense (even though I figured it out pretty early), thought Unbreakable was pretty good but did not really like Signs at all. This movie, however, may nearly top them all. Don't be expecting some giant, Sixth Sense like twist, though. And it's not a horror movie though there are some scary parts. It's just a great story, with great characters and Ron Howard's daughter is unbelievable. It's both beautiful and frightening. Just awesome. My favorite summer movie so far, I believe.

I'm serious about not expecting a big twist. If you do, you'll be really disappointed. This is a bit of a departure for Shyamalan which, IMO, is a good thing. Once you have "gotten" so many people once it's really hard to do that again. Maybe that's why Signs feel flat for me.

Go see it!! :spin:

[tommy]

Absolutely, yes, see The Village. That's all I can say.

[VandyCane]

I just got back from seing The Manchurian Candidate. Wow! That was an intense movie. As good as Denzel Washington was, Meryl Street and Liev Schrieber were even better. I've never seen the original, so I cannot compare, but this one was excellent.

[Mona]

I definitely want to see The Village.. it looks very creepy. I loved Sixth Sense.

[goalie33]

Wow, I'm really intrigued now. I'll be seeing The Village on Monday probably, and while I thought it was interesting, Shyamalan really bores me in general. On top of that, I've read more than a few reviews calling it one of the worst films of the year...Ebert in particular gave it a swift kick in the you-know-where. We shall see... :evil:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I've read more than a few reviews calling it one of the worst films of the year...Ebert in particular gave it a swift kick in the you-know-where.

I read that this morning and I was really surprised to see it. I feel like he (and a lot of the reviewers who hated it) was trying to impose his own preconceived notions on the film and when it didn't deliver he hated it. I especially thought his criticism of the characters (I think that was him) was particularly ridiculous.

[tommy]

I've heard a number of people call The Village somewhat contrived, and while I think I see where they're coming from, I couldn't believe the negativity I saw, either.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I've seen that contrived criticism too. I agree that you can see where they are coming from, too. I always think that's a lame arguement. I guess I sorta see nearly every movie as being contrived. Stop looking for the pieces of the story and lose yourself in it instead and then ask....did you enjoy yourself or did it move you? Isn't that what really matters?

IMO, The Village is an allegory which, by nature, is a contrivance. But was it profound? Did it resonate with you? It did with me.

I'm just not sure what the reviewers were expecting. I just saw a beautiful story with really entertaining elements coupled with some great performances. That's all I really require, I guess.

I'll shut up now. I just really liked it. :beatup:

[GrumpyCane]

While I enjoyed dodgeball, I'm not sure if this will have the same allure:
FOOSBALL, The Movie.

http://www.ncbuy.com/news/2004-08-02/1010227.html

[goalie33]

(Note from Shell: The below has a spoiler about The Village.)




Okay, so, I finally saw The Village tonight. Up until halfway through, I was with it. Adrien Brody being funny (he's a comedic actor at heart, watch "Dummy"), Bryce Howard being snappy, Joaquin being cute, blah blah blah. But, seriously, the worst plot solution this side of "it was all a dream" was spot on from where I was sitting. Aside from that, I was literally laughing when Brody stabbed Joaquin, from the sheer ridiculousness, and a guy behind me got a bit miffed. With all that said, it's far from the worst movie I've ever seen, or even the worst movie of the year (paging Van Helsing).

[SouthernHockeyChick]

^^^Spoiler alert, BTW. :beatup:

[goalie33]

Eep, I didn't even realize it. Sorries if I ruined anything for anyone.



*BB Spoiler Alert*



Okay, I'm not really sorry. There's not much to ruin :evil: :evil: :evil: .



MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. :beatup:

[SouthernHockeyChick]

:butt: :p

It's not that huge of a spoiler, anyway. Not a major big deal....just something everyone else I've read writing about it seemed to think they needed to keep quiet. I think that all the trailers being so vague and the reviews being so secretive is part of why some people are so let down by it, anyway.

I do have one question, g33......if we're criticizing this movie for having a "it was all a dream" like plot resolution why aren't we criticizing The Sixth Sense for having a "he was dead the whole time" resolution? Is it just that MNS keeps doing it over and over again? Or is this one weaker for a more concrete reason than we were expecting a twist?

[puck_it]

i saw eurotrip on dvd and loved it... its geared toward the college highschool ages so i dun know that you old folks would like it :-P

[goalie33]

I do have one question, g33......if we're criticizing this movie for having a "it was all a dream" like plot resolution why aren't we criticizing The Sixth Sense for having a "he was dead the whole time" resolution? Is it just that MNS keeps doing it over and over again? Or is this one weaker for a more concrete reason than we were expecting a twist?

Partly it's the repetition of the "it was all X" twist, partly it's the repetition of a twist at all, and partly him being dead is a more original twist than this one. I'm really not a fan of twists, but it's not my type of movie in the first place. This movie is light on character development to say the least, and that's the thing I value most in a flick. If you're going to have a story, that's great, but I've always seen twists as a way of getting yourself out of the mess you've made awful quick. In this specific example, the same goes for what I spilled the beans on earlier. A couple things hint at its possibility, yes, but to me it screamed "ack, gotta get the story back on track, what to do?!"

Visually, I think Shyamalan is a fine director (though he relies solely on the human startle reflex for his scares in this one), but he needs someone to write him a 100% quality story with quality dialogue. As far as I'm concerned, aside from what was essentially actor-driven near the beginning, every character in The Village was as faceless and irrelevant as the next. Perhaps I focused too much on my feelings about the plot direction when voicing my initial distaste :D.

Like I said, I've seen much worse, but I wasn't much for The Sixth Sense, either.

[tommy]

I've seen two movies (rented them) recently...

American History X (Edward Norton) is about a neo-Nazi and his family, and his attempt to prevent his younger brother from following in his footsteps... this movie is absolutely amazing. It's REALLY intense, twice I actually looked away from the screen because it was just that shocking... a very racially-driven movie, but necessarily so... Definitely a 10 out of 10 in my book, and one of the better movies I've ever seen.

Rounders (Matt Damon and Edward Norton): Matt McDermott (Damon) and his friend "Worm" (Norton) are poker players who are trying to get Worm out of the hole (and out of the aim of several high-profile gangsters). Great movie if you like poker, very good overall...

[Alicia]

American History X is very good, but definitely not for everybody.

[corylav]

American History X is very good, but definitely not for everybody.

yeah ... GREAT movie

I saw "Napoleon Dynamite" last weekend ... just terrible, IMO

[nccanes]

I was on call last weekend so I couldn't go along with the family for a last minute beach trip - so out came the chick movies, lol.

I finally saw The English Patient, having never seen it. Very much enjoyed it! Also watched Sense and Sensibility (great naturally) and About a Boy (very cute).

And I'm about to reveal that I must be the only person on the planet that didn't see any of the Lord of the Rings movies. :angel: I watched The Fellowship of the Ring and thought it was a bit sloooooow. I enjoyed The Two Towers more. Guess I'll have to snag the Return of the King just to complete the mission.

[puck_it]

i bought miracle... its sorta comforting during these hard times

[tommy]

American History X is very good, but definitely not for everybody.

yeah ... GREAT movie

I saw "Napoleon Dynamite" last weekend ... just terrible, IMO

You didn't like Napoleon Dynamite!?!?!?!?

[Mona]

i bought miracle... its sorta comforting during these hard times

I still have not seen this movie... don't faint everybody!! :crazy:

[nccanes]

i bought miracle... its sorta comforting during these hard times

I still have not seen this movie... don't faint everybody!! :crazy:

HA! Now I don't feel so bad about not seeing the "Ring" movies.

I'm shocked you haven't seen it Mona!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

i bought miracle... its sorta comforting during these hard times

I still have not seen this movie... don't faint everybody!! :crazy:

Anytime you wanna gome over and watch it just yell! We saw it at the theater and haven't cracked the seal on the DVD yet. I think we're about at desperation mode, though. :crazy:

[Mona]

i bought miracle... its sorta comforting during these hard times

I still have not seen this movie... don't faint everybody!! :crazy:

Anytime you wanna gome over and watch it just yell! We saw it at the theater and haven't cracked the seal on the DVD yet. I think we're about at desperation mode, though. :crazy:

Thank you... I appreciate it.. I remember watching the real thing but I have to see the movie!! :spin:

[puck_it]

unfortunately i wasnt born yet :mad: so i missed that game... now that i think about it my parents hadnt met yet either. My mom worked at a concession stand near the bobsled run... she said shed go to bars and you could see the hockey players there. im so jealous

[goalie33]

I'm going to see Napoleon Dynamite soon. Rushmore being one of my favorite films of all time, if not THE favorite, I'm looking forward to it. At the same time, some of my friends have said it's not quite as charming or developed just because it's a first film. We'll see :D.

[moonstomper]

not a new movie, but has anybody seen "Psycho Beach Party"? its hilarious.

[Mona]

not a new movie, but has anybody seen "Psycho Beach Party"? its hilarious.

Let me guess.. all the kids that have sex are murdered??? :p ;)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

not a new movie, but has anybody seen "Psycho Beach Party"? its hilarious.

OMG, I freaking LOVE that movie!! The writter (Charles Busch...also plays the police captain) also did (wrote and starred in) a film called Die, Mommie, Die which is very good but nothing compares to Psycho Beach Party. Lauren Ambrose is awesome in that.

[moonstomper]

not a new movie, but has anybody seen "Psycho Beach Party"? its hilarious.

OMG, I freaking LOVE that movie!! The writter (Charles Busch...also plays the police captain) also did (wrote and starred in) a film called Die, Mommie, Die which is very good but nothing compares to Psycho Beach Party. Lauren Ambrose is awesome in that.

she was great wasnt she? Im gonna have to try and check out "Die Mommie Die" Thanks!

[goalie33]

BTW, if you liked "Psycho Beach Party" and "Die, Mommie, Die," you need to check out "Girls Will Be Girls." Same kind of stuff. My girlfriend loves the drag queens, y'know.

[Shell]

I'd really like to see this, this weekend:

MOVIE REVIEW
Published: Aug 27, 2004

The '60s as you never saw them
In terms of sheer presence and charisma, nobody else even comes close to Janis Joplin in 'Festival Express.'

By DAVID MENCONI, Staff Writer

The joke about "The '60s" is that if you say you remember them, you weren't really there. "Festival Express" takes place in 1970 but is very definitely a product of the '60s -- and it's a safe bet the folks involved wouldn't remember a thing about this if it hadn't been captured on film.
If "Almost Famous" had been a documentary, it would be "Festival Express," which chronicles what underground legend calls the "Canadian Woodstock." A motley crew of 135 musicians including Janis Joplin, The Band, Grateful Dead, Bonnie & Delaney and Flying Burrito Brothers traveled across Canada during five days in the summer of 1970, playing concerts in Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg. But the real action happened during the train ride along the way, when everyone played music and partied around the clock.

Like Woodstock, the tour was a financial catastrophe for the promoters. The concerts were poorly attended, partly as a result of protests and riots from the "music should be free" contingent over the "outrageous" $14 ticket price -- leading Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia to take to the stage in Toronto and plead for "coolness." On the train later, Dead guitarist Bob Weir is shown defending the ticket price as fair, as well as the police's handling of the protests.

The documentary turned out to be as star-crossed as the tour. The film vanished soon after the tour ended and spent the next few decades gathering dust in the garage of the project's original producer (legend has it that his young son used the film canisters to make hockey goals in the street). But after being rescued and pieced together, "Festival Express" completes a holy trinity, ranking alongside "Woodstock" and "Gimme Shelter" in the pantheon of '60s-era festival documentaries.

As shot by cinematographer Peter Biziou (who would later win an Oscar for "Mississippi Burning"), "Festival Express" offers amazing and beautiful footage of the Canadian wilderness rolling by outside the train's windows. And for "This Is Spinal Tap" enthusiasts, the film has some hilarious rock 'n' roll moments. Many of these musicians were less accustomed to alcohol than pharmaceuticals, which they couldn't risk bringing into Canada. So booze was the drug of choice on board the train, and they quickly drank the bar dry. To refuel, the train pulled over at Saskatoon and cleaned out a liquor store.

"That train was buzzing down the rails," Weir says in a later interview. "We achieved liftoff for sure."

Buddy Guy later said that he hated going to bed every night, scared he would miss something, and there is obvious fellowship during the late-night hootenannies. The late Rick Danko is shown leading a veritable hall-of-fame band on "Ain't No More Cane" -- singing with Joplin as Dead guitarists Garcia and Weir strum along.

As for the concert footage, "Festival Express" captures the Grateful Dead at their best-ever moment. The group had just released the proto-alternative-country landmark "Workingman's Dead" in 1970 ("American Beauty" would follow later the same year), capping its most artistically satisfying period. "New Speedway Boogie," written about the Rolling Stones' disastrous Altamont misadventure the previous December, is especially poignant:

Spent a little time on the mountain

Spent a little time on the hill

Things went down we don't understand

But I think in time we will ...

Also quite sharp is The Band, especially Richard Manuel's haunted voice. Sixteen years before he hanged himself in a bizarre suicide, Manuel already sounded like a man singing from the gallows on "I Shall Be Released."

Yet the biggest revelation of the film is Joplin, captured three months before her death by drug overdose. In terms of sheer presence and charisma, nobody else even comes close. "Festival Express" shows a howling dervish at the microphone, in such a trance that she seems oblivious to everyone around her.

But she also remembered her manners. On the last night of the tour, Joplin presented a toy train autographed by all the musicians to the promoters. "Next time you throw a train, man, invite me," she quipped. Although that never came to pass, the Dead would later commemorate the experience in the song "Might As Well."

Like all good parties, you had to be there. Thanks to "Festival Express," we can feel like we were there -- and remember more of it than the people who actually were.

Festival Express

Type: Documentary
Stars:
Length: 1 hour, 29 minutes
Rating: Not Rated (adult situations, lots of period hippie jargon)

Chapel Hill: Varsity - Fri-Tues: 7, 9; Sat-Sun matinees at 2, 4
Durham: Carolina - Nightly through Tuesday at 7:10, 9:10; weekend matinees at 2:10, 4
Raleigh: Six Forks - Daily at 1:35, 3:30, 5:25, 7:25, 9:35

[Shell]

I'd really like to see this, this weekend:

MOVIE REVIEW
Published: Aug 27, 2004

The '60s as you never saw them
In terms of sheer presence and charisma, nobody else even comes close to Janis Joplin in 'Festival Express.'

By DAVID MENCONI, Staff Writer

The joke about "The '60s" is that if you say you remember them, you weren't really there. "Festival Express" takes place in 1970 but is very definitely a product of the '60s -- and it's a safe bet the folks involved wouldn't remember a thing about this if it hadn't been captured on film.
If "Almost Famous" had been a documentary, it would be "Festival Express," which chronicles what underground legend calls the "Canadian Woodstock." A motley crew of 135 musicians including Janis Joplin, The Band, Grateful Dead, Bonnie & Delaney and Flying Burrito Brothers traveled across Canada during five days in the summer of 1970, playing concerts in Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg. But the real action happened during the train ride along the way, when everyone played music and partied around the clock.

Like Woodstock, the tour was a financial catastrophe for the promoters. The concerts were poorly attended, partly as a result of protests and riots from the "music should be free" contingent over the "outrageous" $14 ticket price -- leading Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia to take to the stage in Toronto and plead for "coolness." On the train later, Dead guitarist Bob Weir is shown defending the ticket price as fair, as well as the police's handling of the protests.

The documentary turned out to be as star-crossed as the tour. The film vanished soon after the tour ended and spent the next few decades gathering dust in the garage of the project's original producer (legend has it that his young son used the film canisters to make hockey goals in the street). But after being rescued and pieced together, "Festival Express" completes a holy trinity, ranking alongside "Woodstock" and "Gimme Shelter" in the pantheon of '60s-era festival documentaries.

As shot by cinematographer Peter Biziou (who would later win an Oscar for "Mississippi Burning"), "Festival Express" offers amazing and beautiful footage of the Canadian wilderness rolling by outside the train's windows. And for "This Is Spinal Tap" enthusiasts, the film has some hilarious rock 'n' roll moments. Many of these musicians were less accustomed to alcohol than pharmaceuticals, which they couldn't risk bringing into Canada. So booze was the drug of choice on board the train, and they quickly drank the bar dry. To refuel, the train pulled over at Saskatoon and cleaned out a liquor store.

"That train was buzzing down the rails," Weir says in a later interview. "We achieved liftoff for sure."

Buddy Guy later said that he hated going to bed every night, scared he would miss something, and there is obvious fellowship during the late-night hootenannies. The late Rick Danko is shown leading a veritable hall-of-fame band on "Ain't No More Cane" -- singing with Joplin as Dead guitarists Garcia and Weir strum along.

As for the concert footage, "Festival Express" captures the Grateful Dead at their best-ever moment. The group had just released the proto-alternative-country landmark "Workingman's Dead" in 1970 ("American Beauty" would follow later the same year), capping its most artistically satisfying period. "New Speedway Boogie," written about the Rolling Stones' disastrous Altamont misadventure the previous December, is especially poignant:

Spent a little time on the mountain

Spent a little time on the hill

Things went down we don't understand

But I think in time we will ...

Also quite sharp is The Band, especially Richard Manuel's haunted voice. Sixteen years before he hanged himself in a bizarre suicide, Manuel already sounded like a man singing from the gallows on "I Shall Be Released."

Yet the biggest revelation of the film is Joplin, captured three months before her death by drug overdose. In terms of sheer presence and charisma, nobody else even comes close. "Festival Express" shows a howling dervish at the microphone, in such a trance that she seems oblivious to everyone around her.

But she also remembered her manners. On the last night of the tour, Joplin presented a toy train autographed by all the musicians to the promoters. "Next time you throw a train, man, invite me," she quipped. Although that never came to pass, the Dead would later commemorate the experience in the song "Might As Well."

Like all good parties, you had to be there. Thanks to "Festival Express," we can feel like we were there -- and remember more of it than the people who actually were.

Festival Express

Type: Documentary
Stars:
Length: 1 hour, 29 minutes
Rating: Not Rated (adult situations, lots of period hippie jargon)

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[Guyute]

I was excited about that movie, but hadn't read that write-up. It's fantastic.

[Guyute]

I was excited about that movie, but hadn't read that write-up. It's fantastic.

[tommy]

I also really want to see "Hero". It's gotten 4-star reviews all over the place.

I rented PhoneBooth with Colin Quinn tonight just for a break, and a fun movie, and I ended up liking it a whole lot -- pretty good psychological thriller. Not up there with the best of all time, but a pleasant surprise.

[tommy]

I also really want to see "Hero". It's gotten 4-star reviews all over the place.

I rented PhoneBooth with Colin Quinn tonight just for a break, and a fun movie, and I ended up liking it a whole lot -- pretty good psychological thriller. Not up there with the best of all time, but a pleasant surprise.

[Canesluver]

I'd really like to see this, this weekend: 'Festival Express.'


I thought of y'all immediately when I read that review this morning. There's supposed to be some great Dead footage.

[Canesluver]

I'd really like to see this, this weekend: 'Festival Express.'


I thought of y'all immediately when I read that review this morning. There's supposed to be some great Dead footage.

[e2ipiand1]

I saw Hero over the weekend. It's really good. There are two things you need to know:

1. The movie is subtitled.
2. The movie has a few twists and turns that may cause young children to ask mommy and daddy what's going on.

[e2ipiand1]

I saw Hero over the weekend. It's really good. There are two things you need to know:

1. The movie is subtitled.
2. The movie has a few twists and turns that may cause young children to ask mommy and daddy what's going on.

[puck_it]

saw "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind"... WEIRD pay very close attention... you cant say much without spoiling it because half the fun is figuring it out for yourself. I will say it is very confusing and you have to focus and rember details.

[puck_it]

saw "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind"... WEIRD pay very close attention... you cant say much without spoiling it because half the fun is figuring it out for yourself. I will say it is very confusing and you have to focus and rember details.