Box office roundup

[K9]

I like the one with the whales.

[sidereal]

I hate Star Trek

[Big Gulp]

I'm with Murdoc.  Star Trek always has, and always will, suck balls.

Actually, though, I did like Wrath of Khan, but not for any of the usual Trek people.  That movie is all about the glorious Ricardo Montelban. 

[stray]

I used to hate it with a passion. Like, turning off other people's tv's if I saw it on kind of hate.

Then I found Jesus and all was right in the world.

[Venkman]

The only place I might differ is in my 2nd place choice. I have a hard time choosing between the Undiscovered Country and First Contact. Something about that final battle with the Shakespeare quoting Klingon gets me every time.

Though neither of them are able to hold a candle to Wrath of Khan. It's the only Trek movie I own.

I could see that. Six did have some great parts, particularly the opening with Sulu's ship, and that final battle. But it felt, err, "small" to me for some reason. Secret meeting with heads of state and nobody's got shit in orbit for defense? I'd have preferred it if the cloaked ship at least had to blow through a few starships, all the while making it look like the Klingons started the fight.

Wrath of Khan meanwhile, to me, made the most sense throughout. It seemed "realistic" in the sense of human interactions and decision making. Three was stupid (big brand new planet-from-nowhere, and nothing but an unarmed ship guarding it?). Four was fun the first time but I hate the abused let's-go-back-to-the-present and invent-a-solution-from-anachronistic-tech plot devices. Five, err, yea. Six good except that secret meeting. Seven was just dumb. Eight awesome. Nine a campfire boring yawnfest. Ten was a huge disappointment (ramming? really? and wimpy Riker mono-a-mono?).

Bleh. Old rants die hard.

[DraconianOne]

Excellent! 

[Evil Elvis]

...to boldly to where no man in a lizard suit has gone before.

I'm one of the few people who actually liked the first Trek movie.  I think it's the second-best, after Khan.

[stray]

I don't think 1 is bad. It's interesting in it's own way, but it's just not much of an action movie like the others are -- and I prefer action.

[Merusk]

...to boldly to where no man in a lizard suit has gone before.

I'm one of the few people who actually liked the first Trek movie.  I think it's the second-best, after Khan.

The problem most have with it is that it's just a 2-hour rehash of a script from TOS.

[HaemishM]

Or if you're simply talking about the "she's hot and he's not" thing, then 1) that's also why it's funny and 2) grow up.

Please, that wasn't what bothered me about the relationship. The actors had no chemistry together. The CHARACTERS had no chemistry together. Their scenes together seemed like mostly jokes with dialogue thrown in to make the jokes work. Nothing in my reptile or my logical brain made me think these characters should ever be together, or would even stay together despite the circumstances.

I'll give you an example. Fools Rush In. Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry. Not a great movie, but their characters had chemistry. The two actors had chemistry. Even though you know it's improbable for them to be together, the situation that got them there and their reactions to that situation were believeable in the context of the narrative. Their reactions were believable. The Knocked Up couple wasn't.

[Llava]

Plus Salma Hayek is hotter than the Knocked Up chick.

[WayAbvPar]

I say we have them wrestle in some Jell-O before we declare a winner.


On a box office note, I am going to try to haul ass and see a 4:40 showing of Forgetting Paula Marshall tonight.

[Llava]

I say we have them wrestle in some Jell-O before we declare a winner.

I agree to your terms.

Let the match begin!

[stray]

Or if you're simply talking about the "she's hot and he's not" thing, then 1) that's also why it's funny and 2) grow up.

Please, that wasn't what bothered me about the relationship. The actors had no chemistry together. The CHARACTERS had no chemistry together.

First off, don't get me wrong. I don't care if someone doesn't like it... It's just that the film was widely acclaimed, and I'd think that if someone didn't like it, it'd be because they thought it mediocre at worst. You make it sound completely unlikable, so I figured you had some weird personal reason for saying it.

As for the reason you put forward, I think the complete opposite.

I haven't seen that Salma Hayek movie. Matthew Perry is nervous energy personified. I tend to avoid him.

[HaemishM]

I don't often like Matthew Perry, but he was good in Fools Rush In. The story felt like it was written for him. There were parts of Knocked Up that I liked. The Paul Ruud scenes were great, mainly because of Paul Ruud. The concept behind the website Seth Rogen was building was funny. But most of the jokes just fell flat for me, as well as the narrative device that tried to convince me these two characters could, would or should be put together.

[Abagadro]

I actually think that was kinda the point. They were mismatched and thrown together because of the circumstances of the pregnancy. Them getting together was the result of flukey, drunken randomness and then they had to deal with the fallout. If they were matched well it wouldn't have had the same tension which was necessary to the story arc. It isn't my favorite Apatow flick but I don't think the chemistry between the two leads was the main problem.

[NowhereMan]

I get Haemish's point that the way they decide to deal with it simply doesn't ring true, why would two people who clearly have nothing in common try to make a go of it? I liked the film but there's a number of scenes where their response to the other one fucking up and seeming to be totally unsuitable for them is to try their hardest to get back into the relationship. How hard do you try to form a relationship with someone you don't like that much? The characters act like they've got a relationship to save when the other one gets pissed off but they really don't. I think the problem was that it was an odd couple romantic comedy and that just seems a wierd concept.

Still, it had funny enough jokes and I didn't find it as hard as Haem to put that niggle aside. It wasn't a fantastic film but it had some great scenes and was pretty solid over all.

[Pennilenko]

I used to hate it with a passion. Like, turning off other people's tv's if I saw it on kind of hate.

Then I found Jesus and all was right in the world.

Who?

[MrHat]

I get Haemish's point that the way they decide to deal with it simply doesn't ring true, why would two people who clearly have nothing in common try to make a go of it?

Aren't a ot of marriages tentatively held together by love of a child?

[NowhereMan]

I like to think most of them at least began with a relationship both (or even one) of those involved actually wanted at some point. Perhaps if the movie was being made in the 1900's or even the 1950's I'd believe that getting a woman pregnant was grounds for throwing away the rest of both your lives in a forced marriage. Nowadays it doesn't seem like the reaction most would have, especially an independent professional woman and a worthless stoner.

[Lantyssa]

I like to think most of them at least began with a relationship both (or even one) of those involved actually wanted at some point. Perhaps if the movie was being made in the 1900's or even the 1950's I'd believe that getting a woman pregnant was grounds for throwing away the rest of both your lives in a forced marriage. Nowadays it doesn't seem like the reaction most would have, especially an independent professional woman and a worthless stoner.

Yeah.  The people I've known who stayed together because of a baby ruined their lives.  Then they split anyways.  They at least had something initially.  I know several single parents and while they're busy, they do just fine and are far better off than had they tried to stay with their partner.

For some of us at least, it's a tough suspension of disbelief.

[stray]

I used to hate it with a passion. Like, turning off other people's tv's if I saw it on kind of hate.

Then I found Jesus and all was right in the world.

Who?

Umm.. It's a joke (the Jesus part).

I used to hate Star Trek, but now I don't.


Knocked Up:

Suspension of Belief? It's a comedy, you gotta give it some kind of break. I mean, most of you couldn't stop talking about Harold and Kumar when that came out -- and I never heard one person point out how fucking stupid that cheetah scene was.

[Merusk]

Suspension of Belief? It's a comedy, you gotta give it some kind of break. I mean, most of you couldn't stop talking about Harold and Kumar when that came out -- and I never heard one person point out how fucking stupid that cheetah scene was.

[Llava]

Umm.. It's a joke (the Jesus part).

Stray, it's getting to where we need to mark all the jokes for you.  I can't count how many times you've responded seriously to obvious jokes lately.

As for Knocked Up, it was mediocre.  Paul Rudd was funny, yes, the rest was blah.  After having everyone in the world sing its praises to me, the film fell almost completely flat.  And it's nothing having to do with chemistry or acting or the reality of the situation, it just wasn't very funny.

[stray]

Make better jokes then.

[HaemishM]

Suspension of Belief? It's a comedy, you gotta give it some kind of break. I mean, most of you couldn't stop talking about Harold and Kumar when that came out -- and I never heard one person point out how fucking stupid that cheetah scene was.

It WAS stupid. It was a pile of stupid on top of a pile of stupid. The cheetah scene was the weakest part of the stupid in that movie, but the whole movie was just fantastically funny. I laughed all the way through, even at the cheetah scene which was not that funny. Nothing in the hour of Knocked Up that I could make it through made me laugh that hard, not even Seth Rogen. And I'm a big fan of Seth Rogen from back when he was on Undeclared.

[stray]

Nothing in the hour of Knocked Up that I could make it through made me laugh that hard, not even Seth Rogen. And I'm a big fan of Seth Rogen from back when he was on Undeclared.

You've never taken shrooms before, I presume? 

[Ragnoros]

Please go see Hancock when it is released 7/2.  It will be Awesome.

That is all.

Edit: Quicktime Trailer. For your convenience.

[Velorath]

Please go see Hancock when it is released 7/2.  It will be Awesome.

That is all.

Don't worry.  I'm sure schild will make a "July 2nd.  Hancock.  Fucking be there." topic.

[HaemishM]

Nothing in the hour of Knocked Up that I could make it through made me laugh that hard, not even Seth Rogen. And I'm a big fan of Seth Rogen from back when he was on Undeclared.

You've never taken shrooms before, I presume? 

Nope. Despite that, I typically like druggie comedy (Harold and Kumar) but just not funny.

[Signe]

I just watched "In the Valley of Elah".  I cried and cried and cried.  I'm still sad.

[MrHat]

Heh.  That's on my list.  It looks way to depressing though.

I like my movies full of happy violence.  Not emotional pain.  Physical.

[Signe]

I don't usually go for sad films, either, but I'm a huge Tommy Lee Jones fan.  He was wonderful but sad.  Ok, I'm teary-eyed again.

[stray]

Want to hear sad? Tommy Lee Jones told me to get out of his face when I was like... Nine. He's not a nice man.

Grumpy bastard.

[Viin]

I know this is soo last year, but the talk of Salma reminds me of Penelope - has anyone seen Volver?