Box office roundup

[Strazos]

What was it, a GT?

[Yegolev]

It was money shot intended to show-off the car. Fucking whores.

You have seen a recent Bond film, yes?  Product placement that would make Mike Myers feel uncomfortable.

I should probably mention my recent films here?
V for Vendetta.  Liked it a great deal, not having read the source material probably contributed to that.
Silent Hill was enjoyable.  I need to finish that damn game.
Old Boy.  I just can't describe this movie properly.  It's very good, but the whole movie is just horribly wrong.  Everyone loses, and loses badly.  There are funny parts.
Talladega Nights.  It had a few funny parts but the best thing was that it was in 1080i, which was awesome even though Will Ferrel looked like he was sweating profusely for half the movie and covered in pancake for the other half.

[MrHat]

I also watched Old Boy recently.  Everyone should watch it.  It's fan-fucking-tastic.

[Yegolev]

Did you know it was based on a grapic novel?

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Boy-1/dp/1593075685/sr=8-5/qid=1166259864/ref=pd_bbs_5/104-1580232-6156739?ie=UTF8&s=books

[stray]

Unfortunately, Oldboy is planned for a US Remake. Yay.


Too bad there aren't many other Korean flicks being made though. That's a good one...Although you can get a lot of the same from Japan. Gore, revenge, and extremity is practically in renaissance mode over there.

[Abagadro]

I randomly ended up watching a movie tonight that I really enjoyed.

If you are a Werner Herzog fan (and if you aren't, why aren't you?), you will likely enjoy Incident at Loch Ness. Describing it would spoil it, but if you want a fun flick that is very Herzogian, I would recommend it.  Even if you aren't it's a fun flick.

[stray]

(and if you aren't, why aren't you?)

I've never taken the time to see his films. What else would you recommend? The only ones I've seen are that Nosferatu remake (which I didn't care for) and Grizzly Man (which I only cared about because of the Richard Thompson score).

[Abagadro]

Fitzcaraldo and Aguirre: The Wrath of God are considered to be two of his best. He is an aquired taste I will agree, but I think he is great.

He has a more mainstream film coming out shortly (don't know how wide of a release) with Christian Bale about a pilot downed in Loas. Getting good buzz but who knows. It is a fictionalization of a subject he made a documentary about 20 years ago. It's called Rescue Dawn.

[Yegolev]

Unfortunately, Oldboy is planned for a US Remake. Yay.

It's going to suck without that hallway fight scene.  No American director would try to film that with no cuts.

[stray]

There are a few who are masterly with single cut action, but none of them would think of directing this.

[MrHat]

I don't understand why they're remaking it?  I can't think of anything I would want done differently.

[stray]

I hate to say it, but....


White people.

[EDIT]

And illiterates.

[Cheddar]

I hate to say it, but....


White people.

[EDIT]

And illiterates.

God I hate white people.  They ruin everything. 

[Mazakiel]

I can't help but feel certain details of the plot get changed as well.  I can just imagine the uproar that people could possibly stir up over it.  Again, Hollywood will ruin something perfectly fine with their shitty remakes and focus groups. 

[Evil Elvis]

Children of Men was great. 

I've never seen special effects as realistic looking as in this movie, and the story's pretty good to boot.

[WayAbvPar]

Anyone see The Good Shepherd yet? I have high hopes for it, and may actually drag my lazy ass to a theatre to see it.

[Velorath]

Anyone see The Good Shepherd yet? I have high hopes for it, and may actually drag my lazy ass to a theatre to see it.

I've been avoiding watching it at work since I've got friends that want to go see it.  I  have seen Night at the Museum, which I didn't really find all that funny.  It does have the trailer for Fantastic Four:  Rise of the Silver Surfer attached though for those interested, and some prints have a new Transformers trailer attached as well.

[Riggswolfe]

I watched Rocky Balboa shortly before Christmas? Am I the only one? It was actually not bad. It felt alot like the first movie and by the end it didn't really matter to me if he won or lost because the movie wasn't about that.

I was pleasantly surprised and feel like it effectively killed the bad movies of Rocky V for me.

[jpark]

I watched Rocky Balboa shortly before Christmas? Am I the only one? It was actually not bad. It felt alot like the first movie and by the end it didn't really matter to me if he won or lost because the movie wasn't about that.

I was pleasantly surprised and feel like it effectively killed the bad movies of Rocky V for me.

Enjoyed Balboa - good flick.

[WayAbvPar]

Saw The Good Shepherd on NYD. Well acted for the most part, but too long and really hard to follow. Hint- if you are going to bounce around several timelines, please cast supporting actors that look significantly different enough for the audience to know where the hell the action is taking place. Or use nametags.

I was also a bit disappointed that it was more of a story about Matt Damon's character than about the spy business overall. There was some spy stuff, but not as much as I would have hoped. I would give it a C+, with a chance for improvement if/when I see it again on DVD and can follow it better.

[Paelos]

I think Master and Commander suffered from the "needs nametags" thing as well. More movie directors should probably pick up on this fatal flaw in the experience.

Who just died? What did he do? I thought that was the other guy? Huh? Repeat.

[Viin]

I saw Eragon with my wife. Did anyone else see this? While I enjoyed the movie (though would have been better as rated R) I swear they copied all the scenes from Star Wars (the classics). Someone tell me I'm not wrong! Just think of Star Wars while watching it ...

[Murgos]

I think Master and Commander suffered from the "needs nametags" thing as well. More movie directors should probably pick up on this fatal flaw in the experience.

Who just died? What did he do? I thought that was the other guy? Huh? Repeat.

I read all those books, I had no problem following who was who even if they did mix and match story elements from several books.

I guess they could do something like "Midway" where every time they jumped to a different location the stuck a little note at the bottom with who we were looking at and what the hell the point of them being in the movie was.

[Paelos]

I think Master and Commander suffered from the "needs nametags" thing as well. More movie directors should probably pick up on this fatal flaw in the experience.

Who just died? What did he do? I thought that was the other guy? Huh? Repeat.

I read all those books, I had no problem following who was who even if they did mix and match story elements from several books.

I guess they could do something like "Midway" where every time they jumped to a different location the stuck a little note at the bottom with who we were looking at and what the hell the point of them being in the movie was.

Yes well in books they are named, so it's fairly easy. They have long descriptions and identifying characteristics that may not show up on a purely visual basis. Movies have two hours, and when you have 20 some odd characters in uniforms, you have to identify them obviously or they fall into the morass of "that guy."

[Ironwood]

Unless, you know, you're paying attention.

 

[Murgos]

Yes well in books they are named, so it's fairly easy. They have long descriptions and identifying characteristics that may not show up on a purely visual basis. Movies have two hours, and when you have 20 some odd characters in uniforms, you have to identify them obviously or they fall into the morass of "that guy."

My point was that when watching the movie I had no trouble following who was who but that that may have been because I was familiar with all the characters already (even though the movie cherry picked from several books for characters and plot elements).

I was agreeing with you, mostly.

[Jayce]

Yes well in books they are named, so it's fairly easy. They have long descriptions and identifying characteristics that may not show up on a purely visual basis. Movies have two hours, and when you have 20 some odd characters in uniforms, you have to identify them obviously or they fall into the morass of "that guy."

My point was that when watching the movie I had no trouble following who was who but that that may have been because I was familiar with all the characters already (even though the movie cherry picked from several books for characters and plot elements).

I was agreeing with you, mostly.

Incidentally, this was the motive for removing many characters from the LotR movies (like Glorfindel, Tom Bombadil, etc).  They decided that someone who had not read the books would have a hard time following who everyone was.

I think that if you have to study for a movie, it's not a good movie.  It's a good movie/book combination.

[Riggswolfe]

I saw Eragon with my wife. Did anyone else see this? While I enjoyed the movie (though would have been better as rated R) I swear they copied all the scenes from Star Wars (the classics). Someone tell me I'm not wrong! Just think of Star Wars while watching it ...

That's the novel too. The "genius" child prodigy who wrote it took Tolkien and Star Wars, put them into a blender and called it his own. Hell, Eragon=Aragorn mixed with Luke Skywalker, Arya=Arwen,Brom=Obi Wan Kenobi, down to being an exiled knight in hiding, etc.

[Velorath]

I got Pan's Labyrinth in at my theater last Friday.  It's some crazy shit, but definitely worth going to see for those who live near a theater playing it.  Hell, even if you have to drive a bit to get to a theater that's showing it, go anyway.

[Velorath]

This seems as good a place as any to mention that Yahoo has a trailer up for Hot Fuzz.  For those who don't know, this April release comes from the makers of Spaced and Shaun of the Dead.

[Riggswolfe]

I got Pan's Labyrinth in at my theater last Friday.  It's some crazy shit, but definitely worth going to see for those who live near a theater playing it.  Hell, even if you have to drive a bit to get to a theater that's showing it, go anyway.

I finally saw it this last week. Awesome movie though not at all what I thought it would be. And some of the violence and repercussions from it surprised me. The villain has a scene that makes Rambo stitching the wound in his arm look wussy.

ETA: Coherence, I must've been smoking something when I first posted this.

[Velorath]

Some other trailers have just been released for a couple movies I'm keeping an eye on.  The first is Sunshine.  Ok, yeah the something about the trailer reminded me of the painful experience of watching The Core, only in this case they're trying to reignite the Sun instead of jump starting the Earth's core.  So why am I interested in this one?  Because it's being directed by Danny Boyle, best known for directing Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and my personal favorite movie of his, Shallow Grave.

The other movie is 1408 which is based on a Stephen King story.  Of course so was Dreamcatcher, but Dreamcatcher didn't have John Cusack starring in it.

[Murgos]

Reignite the sun?  Unless it's the journey of a bunch of confused Scottish stoners stuck in the endless night of a polar winter I'm going to pass.  My brain isn't going to be able to cope with people traveling 90 million miles in two hours with the serious intention of starting a fusion reaction on a ball of fire thats been burning for BILLIONS OF YEARS and is ~300,000 times more massive than the earth.

What are they going to use as kindling?  Venus?

[kaid]

Nukes of course! Nukes are the cure for anything that ails a celestial body.

[Murgos]

Spitting into the ocean would be an apt analogy, I think.