[sydney3000]

[tor]

I kept meaning to say one of the better sci fi movies I have seen in a while is Moon.

But I always forgot. Then I remembered.

[Solomon]

After that "God Bless America" trailer, I think it deserves something a little more sedate.
What is it about our obsession with killing each other?

The following is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.
Especially if you can see it in 3D.
I'm surprised it didn't get "Best Picture" at the Oscars.

It is classified as a kids movie, but it has an adult message.

[tor]

Solomon, on 10 March 2012 - 03:07 AM, said:

The following is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

I don't even know if you are being sarcastic is how confused I am by that.

As soon as a story resorts to trite "homages" to accepted tropes it is really hard to have anything remotely resembling emotional engagement.

I can't even count the number of them in the trailer alone. I started with the dog sliding, the french cop with a moustache, the running into an extremely attractive lady, the heart shaped locket and then, some 10 seconds in I heard a new song start on my CD player which blared

"come sail your ships around me and burn your bridges down"

How on earth could the trailer compete with the lyrical beauty of such a complex sentiment.

I don't mean to be snobbish and I understand that a sensible movie maker doing a movie for kids will put some stuff in for the parents to make it less painful for them and so get more at the box office but, really, that trailer made the movie look like an absolute piece of crap.

If I were to breed (not a recommended course of action by many) I would beat my children for expressing a desire to see such a thing because it would reflect how much of the beauty of the real world I had failed to get through to them and so I would take out my failure on them (hey I said no one thinks me breeding is a good idea).

If I were to breed and happily take my kids to see such a thing in the future I would look at this post as representative of exactly how retarded I had become[1].

In the time it has taken to write this (the tears of frustration made typing hard) the CD has moved on to Shriekback's "Hammerhead".

The fade out of it with "Bright and dangerous and we don't know anything" only make me sadder .

Amusingly enough the CD player had just chucked on "Turn off SBS" by TISM. At times I suspect I do control the universe. Or maybe I just have a lot of cynical music.

"The high ideals we once had end up in our colostomy bag"

[1] I understand "compromise" and I understand "persistent annoyance" but it doesn't mean I have to like the person it would turn me into.

[staringclown]

tor, on 10 March 2012 - 03:40 AM, said:

]At times I suspect I do control the universe. Or maybe I just have a lot of cynical music.

I feel the same way when I'm watching cricket. If I will it the opposition batsman falls. It only works once in every fifty balls or so...

[Solomon]

tor, on 10 March 2012 - 03:40 AM, said:

I don't even know if you are being sarcastic is how confused I am by that.

As soon as a story resorts to trite "homages" to accepted tropes it is really hard to have anything remotely resembling emotional engagement.

I can't even count the number of them in the trailer alone. I started with the dog sliding, the french cop with a moustache, the running into an extremely attractive lady, the heart shaped locket and then, some 10 seconds in I heard a new song start on my CD player which blared

"come sail your ships around me and burn your bridges down"

How on earth could the trailer compete with the lyrical beauty of such a complex sentiment.

I don't mean to be snobbish and I understand that a sensible movie maker doing a movie for kids will put some stuff in for the parents to make it less painful for them and so get more at the box office but, really, that trailer made the movie look like an absolute piece of crap.

If I were to breed (not a recommended course of action by many) I would beat my children for expressing a desire to see such a thing because it would reflect how much of the beauty of the real world I had failed to get through to them and so I would take out my failure on them (hey I said no one thinks me breeding is a good idea).

If I were to breed and happily take my kids to see such a thing in the future I would look at this post as representative of exactly how retarded I had become[1].

In the time it has taken to write this (the tears of frustration made typing hard) the CD has moved on to Shriekback's "Hammerhead".

The fade out of it with "Bright and dangerous and we don't know anything" only make me sadder .

Amusingly enough the CD player had just chucked on "Turn off SBS" by TISM. At times I suspect I do control the universe. Or maybe I just have a lot of cynical music.

"The high ideals we once had end up in our colostomy bag"

[1] I understand "compromise" and I understand "persistent annoyance" but it doesn't mean I have to like the person it would turn me into.

I admit the trailer is certainly not the best.
In fact it tells you nothing of the true quality, and content of the movie.
Sacha Baron Cohen plays the French cop. Ironically, his part in the movie was the worst, and yet for some unfathomable reason, it is the most featured on the trailer. I found his character a little unbelievable.
Thankfully he's not the central character.

I also should mention, in recommending the movice, that I am an admirer of clocks and their workings.
So its possible you probably wouldn't like the movie, tor, and I duly apologise for subjecting you to its content in such a confronting way, without any appropriate warnings.

Like all art, beauty (value) is in the eye of the beholder.

[Ruffian]

Has anyone seen 'John Carter'?

There seem to be mixed reviews, and while I think the studio poured a lot of $$ into it, it looks like it's about to tank in the US.
Any local opinions before I decide whether to go see it or just wait for the DVD?

[sydney3000]

Can you spare $18 on a gamble?

[tor]

sydney3000, on 12 March 2012 - 08:09 AM, said:

Can you spare $18 on a gamble?

oh how the worm has turned! a year ago you would have decried catching a bus to the theatre because that was $3 and you could walk. Now you are proposing spending $18 on a gamble. I predict an S3K lead recovery

[sydney3000]

tor, on 12 March 2012 - 08:21 AM, said:

oh how the worm has turned! a year ago you would have decried catching a bus to the theatre because that was $3 and you could walk. Now you are proposing spending $18 on a gamble. I predict an S3K lead recovery

I actually meant that no movie is worth $18.

I am quite optimistic. Looking death in the face does that sort of thing to you. I care for the system so little I don't bother to attempt to change it. Things can only get better. Unemployment will rise but it will stop starve the system of taxes.

This post has been edited by sydney3000: 14 March 2012 - 08:00 AM

[staringclown]

sydney3000, on 14 March 2012 - 07:58 AM, said:

I actually meant that no movie is worth $18.

I am quite optimistic. Looking death in the face does that sort of thing to you. I care for the system so little I don't bother to attempt to change it. Things can only get better. Unemployment will rise but it will stop starve the system of taxes.

I'd agree that most movies aren't worth the $36 that it costs for two. The lollies are also ridiculously expensive. Maybe the cinemas should offer differential pricing based on the cost of the movies production cost? This would allow a bigger audience for cheaper films and may rejuvenate the cinema industry. Crazy business idea #192.

Maybe slightly OT but what about live theatre Syd? I'm seeing "Yes Prime Minister' next week. The cost is considerably more than a movie but there's real people that turn up and a plethora of support crew involved and that costs.

[sydney3000]

staringclown, on 14 March 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

I'd agree that most movies aren't worth the $36 that it costs for two. The lollies are also ridiculously expensive. Maybe the cinemas should offer differential pricing based on the cost of the movies production cost? This would allow a bigger audience for cheaper films and may rejuvenate the cinema industry. Crazy business idea #192.

Maybe slightly OT but what about live theatre Syd? I'm seeing "Yes Prime Minister' next week. The cost is considerably more than a movie but there's real people that turn up and a plethora of support crew involved and that costs.

Anything that doesn't involve technology has my support. My pastime right now is "watching people staring at digital screens anywhere anytime and taking it as a sign of doom for our race".

This post has been edited by sydney3000: 14 March 2012 - 10:40 AM

[Mr Medved]

I watched The Artist last night. What a fabulous movie.

[staringclown]

Just saw Yes Prime Minister. Spoiler alert. Read no further if you wanted to see it...

Ok. I'm a huge fan of the show and watched it when I was a kid. This was an attempt to update it and it did that. The original show used to confront the issues of the day and the stage show does too.

The basic premise is that Europe is bust. There small country of Kumranistan (hehe) is offering a 10 trillion dollar loan to build an oil pipeline through europe (every country in europe and there was an amusing map) avoiding a direct route through Russia. The money is funnelled thru the ECB and britain would be forced to join the euro. Sir Humphrey is angling for a seat on the board of Golder brothers bank. The Beeb were running a show called "Government in crisis". I forgot there was a hung parliament in the UK at the moment. A lot of parallels were evident. The final straw was the beeb were laying Global warming at the feet of Hacker. The computer models were in and they were wrong. The situation was far worse than initially imagined.

The Kumranistani foreign minister is threatening to not sign the agreement unless a 16 year old girl is procured for him. This is where it got a bit weird. That's quite a confronting topic for a yes minister episode. If I'd bought tickets for a little britain I'd have been expecting it. It's hard to make the subject funny and they failed. It then developed into an OK moral argument about killing children in war and british children being safe. Still waiting for the funnies. Intermission.

The second half was shorter and better. The pace slowed and the timing improved. Plus I'd had some wine. There was attempts to justify the procurement of the girl and eventually the deal falls through. Humphrey comes up with the idea that to save Hacker he needs to appear to be saving the world. He gets an in principal agreement from the BRIC countries to examine their own GW strategies and he imposes a carbon tax. (To pay down the UK's current debt) Humphrey becomes the Global Warming Tzar. Fin.

Every comedic device from the original was employed in the show. Some were done better than others. Bernard was too camp. Hacker was too idiotic. The spin merchant political adviser was too OTT. Humphrey was OK. A couple of rare moments during the show when I was transported back and the right notes were hit. They seemed to race through the dialogue during the first half. Good comedy needs timing.

Far more interesting than the show itself was the crowd in this town. The overwhelming majority of the audience were public servants. There was the young edgy policy types and the silver haired establishment (Actual sir Humphreys) I saw chaps introducing their younger versions to other chaps, sound chaps. A whole new generation of good chaps embarking upon illustrious careers...

[sydney3000]

[Bernard L. Madoff]

Just saw the 'The Best Exotic Hotel Marigold' - outstanding.

http://www.smh.com.a...0317-1vbo2.html

Bill Nighy cracks me up even when he's serious.