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I made the horrible mistake of watching The Shadow last night. What a truly horrendous waste of time. I will admit to falling asleep about 3/4 of the way through, so I didn't get to see the climactic ending, but if the first hour was any indication, I saved myself by falling asleep. I would have changed the channel after the first five minutes, but either the hubby or the dog had fallen asleep on the remote and I didn't have the heart to waken them. I truly resent the fact that I didn't do it, but it got me to sleep rather early last night and, since I'm an insomniac, I found this to be the best part of the movie.
 
BeerWench13 said:
I made the horrible mistake of watching The Shadow last night. What a truly horrendous waste of time. I will admit to falling asleep about 3/4 of the way through, so I didn't get to see the climactic ending, but if the first hour was any indication, I saved myself by falling asleep. I would have changed the channel after the first five minutes, but either the hubby or the dog had fallen asleep on the remote and I didn't have the heart to waken them. I truly resent the fact that I didn't do it, but it got me to sleep rather early last night and, since I'm an insomniac, I found this to be the best part of the movie.
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how do you know the ending was climactic?
 
The Mummy 1999

It seemed like Rachel Weisz was the central figure of this movie. Brendon Frasier was more like the horse she rode in on. He did know the way to Hamanaptra, but it was Weisz who founded the expidition.

It was good that Brendan was such a non-descript bonehead, cause it helped the audience feel like they were along for the ride. Me too, in as much as my brain likes to relax.

Benny was a character that lacked all character. This is what characterized him. He was a legionare, but his accent was so obscure that it didn't suggest any nationality, which was meant as a symbol, I think, to suggest that he was a man of no honorable alliance. And when he was cornered by the mummy, he recited prayers of differing faiths to see which one would take. And it was not a moment's loss of integrity that made him do this either, cause he kept a number of conflicting charms around his neck.

Since this movie was made right before 2000, Benny's fumbling through his religious charms may have been the filmakers' expression of concern for the end of the world. The scarabs were bugs that, upon entering the body, prefered to reach the brain, which suggests the millenium bug, or computer bug in general. The mummy himself was suggested to be a plague upon the earth, and the traditional plagues of egypt were lavishly rendered.

This movie probably represents the most successful example of metting 3d computer renderings into traditional film.
 
helgi said:
The Mummy 1999

It seemed like Rachel Weisz was the central figure of this movie. Brendon Frasier was more like the horse she rode in on. He did know the way to Hamanaptra, but it was Weisz who founded the expidition.

It was good that Brendan was such a non-descript bonehead, cause it helped the audience feel like they were along for the ride. Me too, in as much as my brain likes to relax.

Benny was a character that lacked all character. This is what characterized him. He was a legionare, but his accent was so obscure that it didn't suggest any nationality, which was meant as a symbol, I think, to suggest that he was a man of no honorable alliance. And when he was cornered by the mummy, he recited prayers of differing faiths to see which one would take. And it was not a moment's loss of integrity that made him do this either, cause he kept a number of conflicting charms around his neck.

Since this movie was made right before 2000, Benny's fumbling through his religious charms may have been the filmakers' expression of concern for the end of the world. The scarabs were bugs that, upon entering the body, prefered to reach the brain, which suggests the millenium bug, or computer bug in general. The mummy himself was suggested to be a plague upon the earth, and the traditional plagues of egypt were lavishly rendered.

This movie probably represents the most successful example of metting 3d computer renderings into traditional film.
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It's remarkable how the mummy's arrival at Weisz's bedroom is so much like the Dracula rendevouz, since he intends such an ill-romance towards the helpless woman, and gains entry by transformation.
 
Miss Pottery - biopic of the life of Beatrix Potter, the author of Peter Rabbit. Highly recommended for all those who love her books.
 
Despite buying the DVD late this summer, I finally got around to watching Legend. While I loved the performances from Mia Sara and Tim Curry, I thought Tom Cruise was miscast as the character of Jack. This may be an unpopular opinion among fans of the film, but I preferred Tangerine Dream's music over the Jerry Goldsmith score heard in the director's cut. I thought Goldsmith did a fine job with his score; I just prefer the ethereal sounds of Tangerine Dream.
 
We've just seen two movies:

1. "Once Upon a time in the West", because our friends advised it us with a great enthusiasm.

We watched-and watched- and watched, and nothing! We waited and waited and waited to get a clue what was this movie about and who kills whom and for what reason. At the end there came a pitiful explanation. But gosh, above three hours of a movie, and nothing happens!

They all play "though boys" and probably a "cool woman" of those times, but I got tired pretty fast from those meant-to-be-meaningful faces, from meant-to-be-meaningful silence scenes and "very meaningful" dialogs consisting of short stupid phrases. Probably there was the whole hidden world behind it, but I did not get it.

I saw better movies - let say - "the fight club", or "memento", where there was a mystery, action, good dialogues and it took less than 3 hours to tell me all that stories.

2. The other movie we saw was "Once upon a time in America". We took it because I forgot which one was advised to us by our friends, the "Once upon a time in the West" or in "America", so we took them both.

Unfortunately both of them were directed by Sergio Leone. The guy simply does not know to "cut" his movies! It was another more-than-three-hours waste of time.

Again, not clear who killed whom and why, again, the dialogues too-meaningful-to-be-understood, again, the men are too "cool" and play tough guys.

Simply never ending. I thought to stop it but my friend insisting on watching to the end (what a masochism, at the end he also did not like the movies at all!)

There were a couple of curious scenes, though. So may be if Sergio Leone knew to cut his movies, it would make it to some sort of even enjoyable. But it was going on and on and on.... and on!
 
The waveguide said:
We've just seen two movies:

1. "Once Upon a time in the West", because our friends advised it us with a great enthusiasm.

We watched-and watched- and watched, and nothing! We waited and waited and waited to get a clue what was this movie about and who kills whom and for what reason. At the end there came a pitiful explanation. But gosh, above three hours of a movie, and nothing happens!

They all play "though boys" and probably a "cool woman" of those times, but I got tired pretty fast from those meant-to-be-meaningful faces, from meant-to-be-meaningful silence scenes and "very meaningful" dialogs consisting of short stupid phrases. Probably there was the whole hidden world behind it, but I did not get it.

I saw better movies - let say - "the fight club", or "memento", where there was a mystery, action, good dialogues and it took less than 3 hours to tell me all that stories.

2. The other movie we saw was "Once upon a time in America". We took it because I forgot which one was advised to us by our friends, the "Once upon a time in the West" or in "America", so we took them both.

Unfortunately both of them were directed by Sergio Leone. The guy simply does not know to "cut" his movies! It was another more-than-three-hours waste of time.

Again, not clear who killed whom and why, again, the dialogues too-meaningful-to-be-understood, again, the men are too "cool" and play tough guys.

Simply never ending. I thought to stop it but my friend insisting on watching to the end (what a masochism, at the end he also did not like the movies at all!)

There were a couple of curious scenes, though. So may be if Sergio Leone knew to cut his movies, it would make it to some sort of even enjoyable. But it was going on and on and on.... and on!
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remember Wave, friends don't let friends finish bad 3 hour movies, nice post though, a sorta pleasant and concise warning about some bad films. You shall not have watched them in vane, cause I'm sure not gonna watch 'em
 
The waveguide said:
We've just seen two movies:

1. "Once Upon a time in the West", because our friends advised it us with a great enthusiasm.

We watched-and watched- and watched, and nothing! We waited and waited and waited to get a clue what was this movie about and who kills whom and for what reason. At the end there came a pitiful explanation. But gosh, above three hours of a movie, and nothing happens!
Click to expand...

Once Upon a time in the West is I think an excellent film, certainly one of my favourite westerns. Yes it has a somewhat funereal pace. But, I think, that is so that you are aware of what comes before and after each burst of violence, rather than emphasise the violence itself. You watch what the gun-fighters do before the fight, and in the case of the male leads you then watch them deal with their deaths. Now if you edit down for a faster pace, the violence becomes more significant and the before and after moments less so.

And as for plot, I always assume this film is more about being a western than actually having a significant plot line. The title, I think, hints that you are dealing with archetypes and not realised characters and the number of references to other westerns should suggest this is not a straight story, particularly after the first two scenes reference and then subvert such well known originals as Hign Noon and The Searchers.

But when all is said and done, that shot where the camera first pans up to Henry Fonda’s face is just one of those great moments of film that make going to the cinema worth while.
 
PipPirrip said:
Once Upon a time in the West is I think an excellent film, certainly one of my favourite westerns. Yes it has a somewhat funereal pace.
....
And as for plot, I always assume this film is more about being a western than actually having a significant plot line.
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I can not argue, you know - everybody has his own taste in movies. I never managed to convince my friends that the "Fight Club" was an amazing movie.

I agree that "Once Upon a time in the West" has a couple of ingenious scenes. But it is about one good scene per hour! And there are about 3 hours in total. I'd say: cut, cut, cut.

May be you are right, there was no plot line actually meant. But it turns the whole movie into something rather irritating.

Anyways, if you already argue in favor of this film, may be you can explain me something that really annoys me ever since I watched the movie: why in the very beginning the tough guys tried to kill the Harmonica Guy? I mean, when he just comes out of the train and the train leaves?
 
The waveguide said:
I can not argue, you know - everybody has his own taste in movies. I never managed to convince my friends that the "Fight Club" was an amazing movie.
...
why in the very beginning the tough guys tried to kill the Harmonica Guy? I mean, when he just comes out of the train and the train leaves?
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Life's boring if we all like the same.

Anyway, at the risk of having flashbacks as I explain a plot as a film progresses...

Harmonica is expecting to meet Frank (Fonda) at the train station. Presumably he has written/telegraphed to arrange a meeting, we never find out how this was arranged. Frank has sent three of his men along to kill Harmonica, presumably because he suspects/knows Harmonica's intentions. Again it is not clear how Frank knows this, but we learn later on that Frank is becoming a lot more careful about risking his life (the railroad Baron observes this) so this could be evidence that he is just being extra cautious.

There was a scene following this (where Harmonica was recovering and being interogated by the sheriff) and it is possible that filled in some details, but it, er, got cut :)
 
Just saw I Am Legend. Completely different from the book. I think I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't read the book, as all I kept doing was comparing it. :rolleyes:
 
I saw The Kite Runner and found it better than expected. Very true to the book, so if you didn't like the book you won't like the movie and vice versa. The shots in Afghanistan were great images, although I understand it was made in China. Looked like Afghanistan to me.

The boys - all three - were great and did not overact. Hassan especially projected the stoical quality of his character. There were some improbabilities in the book and they made it into the movie. Also, the ending was softened somewhat.

I would be interested to hear other reactions.
 
Enchanted - you know, the new Disney movie where one of their cartoon princesses suddenly finds herself in a very real, smelly and non-talking-squirrel-inhabited New York. REALLY not my normal type of movie, but hell, it works. You gotta love it when Disney spoof themselves, and even if both the satire and the humour could have been a lot sharper - the movie's lite-version of New York isn't really much more realistic than the typical animated Disney movie - it's consistently enjoyable, it pokes good-natured fun at everything from Cinderella to King Kong, and Amy Adams does a great job of playing a flesh-and-blood cartoon character (it's all in the tone of voice and the body movements). Seeing it in good company helps, too. :) 3/5.
 
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