Weekend Forecast: 11/25/08
By Craig Kennedy - November 25th, 2008; 1:40 pm
The abbreviated Weekend Forecast is rolling out a little early this week because all the new releases are hitting on Wednesday. That’s tomorrow for those of you keeping score at home.
Opening in wide release:
- Australia. Baz Luhrman’s epic adventure romance takes place on the eve of World War II as English aristocrat Nicole Kidman travels Down Under for some inherited land. There she joins up with rugged cattle driver Hugh Jackman (or “Huge Ackman” if you prefer…or even if you don’t) who helps her protect the ranch from greedy cattle barons. Here there be dingoes.
- Four Christmases. I love Vince Vaughn and I love Reese Witherspoon, but the more I see of this thing, the worse it looks. I don’t know. Someone try and talk me down.
- Transporter 3. Yeah, didn’t see 1 or 2.
Opening in limited release:
- Milk. Hey everybody, it’s the LiC Pick of the Week. Sean Penn is Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to major public office in the United States. Great performances by Penn, Josh Brolin as city supervisor Dan White, Emile Hirsch as gay activist Cleve Jones and James Franco as Milk’s lover Scott Smith. Got Oscars?
Filed under: Weekend Forecast
Tags: Australia, Baz Luhrman, Emile Hirsch, Four Christmases, Gus Van Sant, Hugh Jackman, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Milk, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Sean Penn, Transporter, Vince Vaughn
Related Posts: - LiC 2008 Fall Forecast: November
- No Use Crying Over Spilt ‘Milk’
- The Watercooler: 11/24/08
- More Loose Ends: 10/29/08
- Got ‘Milk’?
Well I’m swimming in movies here, trying to catch up and keep up. I’m pretty excited for some of these. Over the next week I hope to see:
Let the Right One In
Bolt
Four Christmases (I’m on the ledge with you, Craig)
Milk
Australia
Stranded: I’ve Come From a Plane…
The Boy in Striped Pajamas
A Christmas Tale (although I think it’s being delayed a week)
Dear Zachary (maybe, waiting for it)
Odds are I’ll see half of them, but it doesn’t really cool off after that, does it? My wallet is getting a workout. All I want for Christmas is…movie passes. Is that sad?
All four of these are opening here tomorrow, so I count myself as lucky.
Milk is only playing one theater here in Portland but it’s playing on FOUR SCREENS. Wow. The drawback to that though is that it will be completely mobbed opening weekend and insane. It’s the exact same scenario that saw long lines and huge waits to get into No Country for Old Men here last November.
Everyone shows up for the same two shows, which quickly sell out, leaving the late comers to fight over seats for the remaining shows in the evening. It gets so cut throat because its a multiplex where people will just walk into whichever theater is open, regardless of their assigned ticket, and grab an open seat. Your showing may be full even if you have a ticket in advance.
I hate that. Oh well…still want to see it.
MIlk is on four screens? That’s pretty wild.
Yep Craig, this is an early one.
I will be seeing AUSTRALIA tomorrow night at my Edgewater multiplex with my friend Broadway Bob, but Lucille may still go, she isn’t sure.
I already have tickets to see MILK on Thanksgiving evening at the Chelsea Cinemas in Manhattan at 8:30 P.M. So its parade, Wooden Soldiers, turkey and then….Harvey. Craig your reaction is exciting.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO MATTHEW LUCAS:
Matt, I am no longer able to place comments at your From the Front Row site. I am assuming that by accident your settings are now restrictive and I can’t log on with my name anymore…..I hope there is a way this can be rectified. I’ve tried now for several days.
K.B., yeah, but it’s only playing at one multiplex here. I guess it will expand next week.
I’m not surprised by the number of screens in town though. Gus Van Sant is a native son, there’s a large gay community in Portland, and the buzz on this one is pretty strong. I know a lot of people planning to see it opening weekend, which is odd amongst my social circle of non-film fans.
Plus no one wants to see this at Cinemark.
Milk on four screens??That would so never happen here. They do realize Will Smith isn’t in it, don’t they? Not even a cameo.
Portland is my hero.
Was that a tip of the hat to the Rachel Maddow Show, Craigs? She owns “somebody talk me down” as much as Colbert owns “wag o’ the finger.” And is the economy so bad you can’t find any musical sponsors of Weekend Forecast anymore? I know it’s hard to top the Muppets, but we’ve had nary a musical muse here for two weeks now. (I realize you’re probably just too busy with Real Life and the holidays, but I miss ‘em and will welcome them back anytime.)
I’m planning on catching Australia, but will have to wait for anything else to come here. I had a marginal interest in Four Christmases until it’s RT rating scared me away (I know I shouldn’t let that affect me, but it’s a precautionary budget measure at this point).
I’m glad the rest of you seem to have a cornucopia of movie goodness for Thanksgiving weekend, though! Enjoy it, and as someone who has Twilight, Four Christmases and Bolt taking up 95% of the local movie screens, let me urge you all to be very thankful for what you have (and the friends and family you have to share them with you, of course).
I’m fairly certain the only reason Milk is opening here is because of Gus Van Sant, JB. I am thankful to Gus.
I was allowed to see Australia last night.
Not allowed to say or write anything very specific about it yet…
So I’ll just say it’s bad. Like, very bad. And so forgettable. It’s hard to remember anything from it except that kid.
To be honest, it’s the first movie I’ve seen in about a year that I’ve fallen asleep on. I think I only missed about fifteen minutes altogether, though.
A real non-event.
Alexander, are you using the sarcasm font?
Well, Alexander, I had no interest in seeing Australia anyway, but…ow.
I can’t believe they made another Transporter movie.
Australia sounds like a good movie to watch with a stomach full of turkey - or a terrible one.
This morning’s reviews fully support Alexander’s contentions on AUSTRALIA. They were uniformly terrible save for Roger Ebert, the world’s eternal optimist and softie.
I still like the man though.
LOL Jeff!!!!!!
TO ALL LIC CONTRIBUTORS AND TO THE HEAD HONCHO HIMSELF!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!
Thanks Sam! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. And to Craig and all the LiC-ers.
I’m getting the day off. :-)
Yeah, I second Sam’s gobble gobble to all of you. I give thanks every day for this great group of folks here at LIC.
Amen to that Joel.
Thank you Alison and Joel. Enjoy your free time.
Jennybee wins a lifetime LiC membership for spotting the Rachel Maddow reference. Nice!
I’m officially out of town for the holidays and I’m trying to rally a disinterested Seattle crowd into seeing Slumdog Millionaire. They’re not buying it.
Be that as it may. Happy Day Before Thanksgiving everyone.
Yeah, Ebert giving The Women, an absolutely atrocious movie in every way, a pass was the straw for me. I still read him (his recent Phantom of the Opera blog-post was amazing, funny and sad and insightful and well, I wish I could write like that. I think we all do), but a thumbs-up from him has pretty much lost all its value now.
That said…. I’m not quite ready to relinquish all hope about Australia yet. Moulin Rouge was a love it or hate it movie too, after all, and I fall firmly in the former camp. I DO hope the bf doesn’t hate it too much, since he is going to see it with me, whether he likes it or not.
Finally: Milk. The press screening was first scheduled for today, then moved… to my very first day of work. It worked out for the best though: they replaced it with Hamlet 2, and train trouble this morning prevented me from going. It being Hamlet 2, I just shrugged. Had it been Milk, I would’ve been royally pissed.
“I DO hope the bf doesn’t hate it too much, since he is going to see it with me, whether he likes it or not.”
Hahaha…let us pray for his sake that if he doesn’t like it, he’s gracious about it. Good luck.
There aren’t many critics whose word I absolutely trust anymore, and Ebert certainly hasn’t been one for a long time. I still like his writing and wisdom though.
I’m not necessarily the target audience for Australia, but I’m drawn to it anyway and I hope the conventional wisdom is wrong (as it usually is).
Seriously though. I’m the only one who says “Huge Ackman” in his head?
I wished the conventional wisdom was wrong, too. It often is, yes. In this case, though, it is all too accurate.
No sarcasm here, Joel, haha.
I think of ‘Huge Ackman’ every time, Craig.
I think of something similar but less family friendly. Nuff said.
Just read the critical lambasting roundup over at Greencine Daily for Australia and I have a feeling it will only prove once again that critics and mainstream audiences tend to disagree. Point in fact: The DaVinci Code.
Australia will likely kill the box office this weekend.
Hey, I still really want to see Australia! I don’t care, it looks great (visually, at least). For my premiere thing for the film, they want me to dress “outback casual” and that freaks me out. I don’t do anything “outback.” Not even a little bit.
And of course, Milk too. Seriously, that looks bloody amazing.
I saw MILK last night, and I completely agree with Craig………it’s one of the best films of the year, a statement that seems to be made more often during November and December than at any time. But it’s true nonetheless……..I hope you’ll see it soon Nick, as I am well-aware than Van Sant is your favorite of all directors.
Australia’s hilarious.
That is all. :)
It might not hurt that my expectations were pretty low, but I found Australia surprisingly entertaining. I don’t ever need to see it again as long as I live, but it got the job done for a single Thanksgiving-weekend night.
milk had better not get a best pic nom. it’s not that good.really it’s not….which explains why it may get a best nod. arrrrrgh….
glimmer, glimmer, glimmer…again you make a comment that completely contradicts every single film intellectual out there!!!!
Who in their right mind is going to ignore virtually every single critic, as well as every single person on the street, (all of whom are singing its praises) and listen to your tired and misanthropic protestations. I saw MILK and I issued unreserved praise for it. Craig Kennedy (the man who runs this site) says its one of the best films of the year. All you do is wait for films to get the highest praise, and then you take aim at those films. It’s the same old, same, same old over and over again………you are LIC’s Richard Crawford, but I’ll admit at least you are a very nice guy, which it more important than what you think of movies.
Hey Jeff, I completely agree with you……….I just got in from AUSTRALIA and found it ’surprisingly entertaining’ as well……..and my expectations were as low as yours. I will give it a decent reviews and award it 3 and a half of 5………..this movie is getting an undeserved bum rap from a number of critics.
Sam, stop peer-pressuring people re: ‘critics’!
Although I would like to ask Glimmer what movies he thinks are more worthy this year for Oscar consideration.
Craig, is Karamazovi screening anywhere near you?
Jeff, I am not “peer-pressuring” anyone.
I am just tired of the contrarian way of thinking just for the sake of being contrarian, a matter I’ve broached with glimmer before. Honest opinions are one thing, disagreement to stand apart is quite another. His position is also a cynical one. He makes constant claim that any film that ‘gets good reviews’ must be bad. Now how ludicrous is that?
I must have missed that tidbit of conversation.
sam,uh are the supposed ‘film intellectuals’ have chip that has them viewing everything the same ??? ha ha ha…
sam want to know why i can ignore every critic/craig and you. remember has milk said never blend in. :)
or is thie web movie stuff about about mostly blending in 80 % ????
and sam mister know it all. have if you’ve been paying attention which you claim to. you should begin to have a handle/taste on the type of things i’ll potentially like.
now please tell me what i’ve said on this site that would make my disapproval/non interest in the milk film a surprise ??? *name it*…… ????
and sam get something right.just because i don’t feel like saying no all the time. i assure from pretty much the intstant i hear of so much stuff you and whomever are drooling i have no interest in three seconds after i read about.
if it makes you feel better sam i can make a statement here about my disinterest in whatever lame film you or the blog nation wants to put to top before all the critics weight in. would you feel better than ??? would this erase your doubt ???
the thing is if i did that i thought i’d be seen as more of a grouch. but whatecer clears my name with the sooooo all knowing sam/is maybe something i should look into… ;)
and sam maybe i’ve said my stuff when the reveiw at lic runs. which usually means it been reviewed alot/elsewhere aka it already has a high approval rating when i chime in.
i’m not waiting for it to get a good rating and then aim to tear it down. it already has one when mentioned/reviewed.
and sir sam milk didn’t open in my area until the nov 26. i saw the film nov 28. if you’d like to make to make it possible for me to see a film early enough to chime in before it has a metacritic score. please do so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but in the future when a film gets refed here. the second it does i’m gonna say i think it sucks. so i can erase this doubt from your mind. happy ????
and work on getting me acess to see films before everyone else. ok don’t forget and then you’ll see how pure i am. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
and sam how many time on this site have i said things i like can’t get past 72% on meta critic ??? a few ??? several ???? well trust me i have…
and if things i like can’t get to top/ so that pixar crap/the dark knight or happy go lucky can rule the day. i should be pretty happy with that especially when it happens to me always/constant and like 100 % of the time
maybe for me/films that get ‘good’ reveiws…
how can i explain this/ maybe something for ‘everyone’ isn’t something to enthuse this someone.
and what’s so beyond insane to beleive that. well unless your sam….
becuase lord or whomever knows it’s impossible for someone not to like happy go lucky/or milk unless they just want to annoy/be difficult.
welcome to world of sam. really rolls eys at you sam. this is embarrassingly pathetic…and it’s all on you. :)
sam maybe in the future you should maybe ask me why i don’t like a film instead of going into personal attacks ala what you threw up in our lic happy go lucky based discusiion and your sauve moves in the recent a.d. thread (that’s what you been missing jeff)
sam maybe you should just believe someone can see things differently.
really sam i do regret not laughing/publically writting off so much of trhe oscar bait stuff people were drooling over for weeks/months before the release ala blindness/body of lies. but if i did and stuck to heart and did this.(instead of beinmg nice and shutting up) i’d have about 8000 pounds of visionary cool points. yep me *not you* or the 3000 critics. *ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha *
same i like you and jeff and the lic crew/ the fataculture crew/the cin passions crew/a.d. nation but i’m i even close to being in synce with you on movies. *hell no* :)
i like critics and reading criticism but is that voice mine. no it isn’t.
and what is ‘my voice’ i don’t know i guess it’s still developing and however it devolopes i really doubt i’ll ever be cheering for pixar. yeah. :)
i have no idea how it gonna developed. but as you sam hasn’t noticed i’m trying to avoide films i’m pretty sure i’m gonna hate. so yep i avoided the dark knight/wall-e. yes sam, i know the critics love them. now shut up…..
again proof that maybe your wrong time. if i was the hate monger you try to paint i’d see this films and would give them a hatch job.
no i try to see film i’m curious about/feel i may like or that get lic or whatever mentions that i feel i may have some affinity for and when it falls apart i usaully mention it.
do you think i like spending money/hitting the multiple rides on public transit and even worse being away from the computer just to spew hate at some film that whomever involved with the film isn’t gonna read. ha ha…
and was what i said about milk even that bad (maybe you’re too sensative. and to untrusuting) i simply mentioned i didn’t like nor think it wasn’t best pic worthy. now it’s that fighting words to you.so be it….
why pretend you’re helping me/ you only suck my energy
Now I remember why I would have missed that conversation.
jeff my fave film this year is jellyfish. a film unlikley to make year in top 20 lists.
but hey as long as stuff sam and ‘the criitcs’ drool over is the only thing to count/ that’s cool right ??? i should cheer for those films shouldn’t i ??? ha ha…
my fave film last year was lars and the real girl.
i liked paranoid park lots more than milk (maybe that will bother sam too…)
hmm so what have liked this year ?? well as mentioned jellyfish/paranoid park/priceless/in bruges/my blueberry nights/the babysitters/hamlet 2/ghost town and i guess i could continue.but whatever…
and what is this ??? i don’t know with the exception of jellyfish i don’t anything here is close to anything that some one could label ‘weird’ (and that’s never a copmlement when used by a ‘normal person).
so this stuff unlikely to dominate year in top 10’s nor is it oscar bait nor is the film that likely to be big deal or beyond hyped on blogs. and i guess that’s where my home is….nowhere…
yeah i know the list is abit ‘trad’. but hey all you/i can get are trad films. with the expection of jellyfish or synecdoche, new york/ not much different was even tried and i think most are happy about this.so happy no one even cares….
and yes i think jellyfish is alot better than the ‘name’ approved syn,ny film. maybe i’m insane….
glim isn’t trying to offend anyone.
He has particular passions for things that he enjoys. What he likes tends not to be mainstream.
This year he championed THE BABYSITTERS, MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS and PRICELESS. Among others.
He simply isn’t impressed by a lot of films that people (i.e. the blogosphere) are ranting and raving about.
For example, he doesn’t care for superhero flicks or Pixar.
glim has an unique POV. He can only be true to himself.
He’s not attempting to ruffle feathers.
It’s just the way that he feels. Period.
When we all run out of things to say, we can always recycle old comment threads that I thought had been dealt with at length before! Love it.
I’m just saying, we know Glim is as unique as Miranda states, and we love him for it. And he never fails to remind me that I need to see Jellyfish already.
You know glimmer, in your inimitable, discombobulated way there are actually tidbits of reason in the rubble.
So you hate WALL-E, THE DARK KNIGHT and MILK? Interesting. Very sad, but interesting.
My issue here and has always been, WHY you come to this thread continuously to tell the world HOW MUCH and WHY you HATE films that the rest of the world likes!!!! When you like a film (which is extremely RARE) you remain quiet.
You are interested in ONE thing and ONE thing only. And that to come here and rain on everyone’s parade. Do me a favor, keep it! If you are looking for attention, you’ve got it. But if you want to seriously talk about films, you come off as some kind of an illiterate, or worse than that.
I understand you have friends here (Miranda, Jeff, Nick, etc.) I consider them as friends too. But simple, unexplained, blanket dismissal of every serious, critically-praised film out there, just because you exercise your first amendment rights DOES NOT quality you to indulge in film discussion with the big boys. This is not TASTE anymore, it’s downright idiocy.
LIC is supposed top be a site to CELEBRATE cinema, not a site to attract attention by bucking the trend with underdeveloped negative diatribes.
You may very well be a nice guy (and I don’t doubt it) but I refuse to give you a free pass based on scattered charm. You want to talk film here, let’s get serious. You can say anthing you want in this free society, even that you hate Da Vinci’s MONA LISA and Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY.
But you know what glimmer? Nobody’s listening.
In other words, glimmer, you are EXPERT HATER!
Something is really disturbing here, when you find so much more important to let everyone know how much you hate a film that everyone else likes.
When you like something, (an apparent rarity) you basically stay quiet, as you don’t want to be lumped in with other people.
Your ‘independence’ and standing singular is way more important than how good or bad the film is, right, glim?
This is all about you, not about the films, right glim?
Just look at the way you promoted JELLYFISH. You are not concerned with discussing the fiilm, just to proudly stand and tell the world that “it won’t make anyone else’s Top 20″
So you’re proud now, right? It’s all about being different. It has nothing to do with artistry or talent, or how good the film is, hell those concerns are meaningless.
Something ain’t right in this picture.
Looking through that long missive you call a “submission” I also noticed this inner hostility towards anyone who shows any kind of excitement or gleeful anticipation of anything. This came out during your BODY OF LIES/BLINDNESS segment. So people shouldn’t get excited about anything right?
People should just stay home, be glum, obsess over the “dire” condition of the world and humanity, and not thing that maybe there is something to look forward to. Everybody’s full of it, nobody makes any sense, and only “glimmer” knows anything.
Sounds like a classic misanthrope to me.
sam i didn’t say i hated milk. where did i say i hated it. why if your gonna try to make me look bad get the facts right or are on such a whatever to ‘out’ on whatever insane belief you have about me you that you’re now making up things i’ve said. awesome…
and sam here and at cin passion i’ve mentioned many times my like of my blueberry nights/priceless/in bruges now i haven’t i ???? the answer is yes i have. if you don’t remember well that further voids your “When you like a film (which is extremely RARE) you remain quiet.”
statement. but hey all knowing sam you get stuff about wrong about me/my views/and my taste wrong all the time.so your wrong once again i have said nice stuff about the film i like. but i guess you’d rather block out or lie or dont remember to attempt to make me look bad/ but you fail again kid……
sam you want to know what’s sad but interesting the level of embarrassingly patheticness you reach you when attempting to attack me. and could you please get something right smartly pants or would you rather lie about my not saying nice about films i like ??? and if you don’t remember it’s on you. if your gonna make accusation they should be ones that stick.not ones that blow up in your face. but your used to that when you tangle with me. now aren’t you ???
*snicker snicker* :)
” unexplained, blanket dismissal of every serious, critically-praised film out there”
again sam please shut up with the lies. in that a.d thread i mentioned not finding the film as good as the script and my usual disinterest in trad style bio pics. (or maybe i’m supppsed to like that sort of thing because you and everyone does ??) sure this isn’t 2000 words or the most detailed but i do think it counts as reasons for my not caring about the milk film or factoring in to feeling no need to ’support’ it.
whether you think they’re good reasons i don’t care. but those are reasons. so hey liar. hey sam. that’s you stop distorting the truth or pay attention. or is either too advanced for you ????
maybe watching pixar films has further rotted your mind.sam climb inside your mind and hide.now that you’ve shown us(ok me) how you truly are…..
sam even those amazing critics you may ref are mentioning that milk is pretty conventional.yep and they like the film and mention it’s coventional slant.maybe this film ultra conventionalness help kill the film and my interest in it. the guy that said ‘never blend in’ gets a very blend in film.and no one has sight problem with that or wish it was different.even if we don’t know what from that difference could have taken.
sam want to know how bad this blend in stuff is ?? that’s not really even asked in reviews if someone as radical as milk may have been better serveed by a less tradional styled film.such a film may not have been as a sure shot in the oscar bait dept or have such a mass appeal. but would it have fit the subject better ??? maybe….it would have fit me better for sure…..and here comes sarcasm mode sam i aplogize to you sir for wishing/hoping a film would have a slant more to my liking than to your or to the mighty legion of critics or to the lic/a.d. cin pass/fataculture nations.
and sam kid i don’t care if i rain on *your* parade.because the parade is yours. the list of top 10’s belong to people like you. the oscars belong to people like you. i pretty much have nothing and if my saying i hope doesn’t get a best pic nom or that i didn’t like it you are way to sensative. but yet you try to pass it off on me.whatever..
and sam if i was here to just rain on people’s parade. do you think i’d still be welcomed by core group here ??? i doubt it. now think about that…..
“You are interested in ONE thing and ONE thing only”
really sam seems your the only one that thinks that. and if others too they’re abit in the minority. and sam i thought you were all about what the majority think/ agree it with whether it’s critics or movie fans ???? lord know you can’t have a different view.you have a different view on this/ bad sam. bad sam….so thanks for “attract attention by bucking the trend with underdeveloped negative diatribes.” ha ha.
jellyfish as i’ve mentioned at lic i think this beyond my ablity to uh explain.ha ha and i’m not gonna say i 300 % understand it.but may lack of not ‘understanding it’/isn’t prevent it from being my fave film of the year.
i apologize for not aggressively pushing i mean ‘promoting’ this film down people throat. . i’m sorry.
and sam want to know what’s really sad and interesting that i think you said you’re a teacher and i few sad for any student of your with different views not meshing with our or the class or society.cheapshot but you deserve it. now tell me you’re not a teacher !!!!!! :)
sam my point with ther body of lies thing. was that i didn’t think people shpuld have been that enthused but they were. so i enjoyed how people turned their back on lies or blindness in about 40 seconds after seeing them.
the slant being they finally saw things as i saw them but alot later. and if i would have questioned said ah these film doesn’t look as good you would have said glimmer blah blah blah…
but weeks later when the masses say hey that wasn’t good .it’s ok i felt those films would be good from the start.
and again yes as long as stuff is constantly put to the top i have no interest in. i find it funny when the people putting it to the top bacllash it especailly when thast view meshes with mine.
ha ha. i just find that funny. ands i swear i already explaining my views on these. but maybe i better get usedd to repeating things when dealing with you.
you’re hate has made your memory even worse than mine.
sam you liar.shut up….. or put up…..
how about a bet payabale by paypal ???. how about $100 bet
i say i can find multi refs to my ’supporting’ a my blueberry nights/ in bruges whatever on lic and/or cin passions.
now since you say i never say anything or am silent when i like something i shouldn’t be able to find refs of my cheering for these films now should i ???
and you know everything right sam ??? and you’re always right ??? and you know my every thought ???
so take the bet.
if you don’t remember/ that’s your fault. if you say any crap to try to make me look bad/that’s your fault. if you didn’t search for five seconds that your fault.
so take the bet. because i never say anything nice about stuff i like. hmm whatever sam this further and blantant proof how you get stuff wrong.even stuff outside the realm of views. you can’t even get a fact right…….
now let’s bet…….. :)
glimmer, you are a bundle of contradictions! Try organizing your thoughts just a little bit.
And please, get real! The reason why you are entertained here at LIC and at other threads is because you MAKE COMMENTS!!!! I have my own blogsite, and I know full well how important it is to keep everyone on board, so don’t even go there, please!
Yeah, I’m a teacher (I teach English, literature and creative writing to elementary and Jr. High Scool kids) and I hold an M.A. in English literature. So what? I’m no better than almost all of the people who leave submissions at this site, many whom often eclipse my contributions in quality and insight. I encourage free thinking and openmindedness and the ability to follow one’s own artistic perceptions, but I don’t teach them to develop adversity or indifference to anything that is universally accepted or thought of as good or artistically accomplished.
You say again here in your own words “and again yes as long as stuff is constantly put to the top I have no interest in it.”
Guilty as charged, eh glimmer??? So you are admitting here that anything that is widely-praised has no interest for you? Talk about IGNORANCE! How can anyone of sound mind make a decision BEFOREHAND that are againsgt anything that everyone else may like.
Your wise-ass comments against PIXAR films should warrant you some time in the brig if this wasn’t a free country. You have again committed artsitic blasphemy, but what else is new? So WALL-E is no good right, even though just about everyone with two arms and legs has praised it to high heaven? But they are all wrong, right Glim? Only YOU are right. WALL-E sucks. Everyone who likes it has some kind of a childish fixation. The film has no artistry. All the idiots in the professional ranks, all the audiences, all the bloggers, all the intellectual moviegoers who loved the film have no brains in their head!
Why? Because “Glimmer” says so. Glimmer knows way more than seasoned professionals, cultured movielovers, fans of animation as an art form, and people who appreciate art. Glimmer’s oft-handed, unexplained and arbitrary dismissal–spiced up with his usual insults of those who disagree with him–should mitigate everything. Right?
Glimmer, don’t flatter yourself, I don’t think anyone takes you seriously at all. At least not as any kind of authority on film. I think (like Miranda and others) they are charmed by your truncated, staccato prose, your clild-like prattles and “the world is filled with idiots” pontifications. And you do have a great personality on these threads, on that point I completely concur. You are a lot of fun.
But, anyone who would even seriously entertain that you have anything to offer here that makes any sense or has any lasting value beyond entertainment purposes, well……..I won’t even go there. Anyone can say highly priased movie are not up to stuff–it happens a lot–it’s another matter to back oneself up.
And stop calling me a liar. I am only repeating here what you have said. The evidence is in your own writing, which is plain here for everyone to see.
As to your proposal for a “bet” and that scurrilous statement that “I think I am always right” I ask you to………GROW UP!!!
Yeah, so you did like MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS and IN BRUGES. So what? I liked them too. MBN divided the critics, are you aware of that? That is hardly a good example of you agreeing with the masses, if’s that what you are indeed trying to do here (which I think you are). I am more concerned over your constant dismissal of movies that the entire world rallies behind.
I think you have this subconscious belief that “everybody is full of shit.”
as to that other FALSE statement you made regarding the critical reaction to MILK, I suggest you get your facts straight before jumping in.
The critics DID NOT think MILK was “conventional” at all (as you put it) and since when is “conventional” such a bad thing in an artistic sense?
MILK has a 93% rating at RT and an 86 at Metacritic (Universal Praise) with not a single bad or mixed review!!!!
But what do those idiots know? They are wasting their time seeing 400 movies a year, taking graduate courses in cinema and getting paid toconvey their written and verbal eloquence to others.
Anyone who really wants to know anything about MILK, ask Glimmer, he knows more than anybody. And just think he has this unique ability without having taken a graduate course in cinema, without having written a single review or without even have written a single gramatically-sound sentence.
He’s naturally gifted.
nice try sam you know i made a typing mistake (i know you go the grammer/spelling type route because you really have nothing
it should have read
“and again yes as long as stuff is constantly put to the top I have no interest in .”
and as you can see i made a bunch of spelling/gammer errors. guess i do that more when annoyed. i’m not gulity as charged by you. nice try. but no…
same my view on wall-e or whatever is right because it’s right to me. or do i not have have that option. guess not thanks same.
and you know what when i mentioned not wanting to see wall-e or not liking milk. i didn’t make any personal attacks ala hey you blah blah…so why should i like them. oh because evryone thinks that ‘pixar crap’ is great. ok…. ;)
and sam please show me where i called anyone dumb for liking pixar. hmm do it ?????
and sam no matter how is idsargreed show how i went into persoanl attack mode toward someone because of a disagreemnt over a film (aside from with you and you sir started this. got it. )
ok land sam why didn’t you take the $100 bet ??? thanks love your silence on that kid. ha ha…
and sam i’ve never insulted anyone for liking wall-e. i have insulted pixar thing. or their film/types of films yep. and i think there’s a difference. but maybe you don’t notice that. who knows with you….
and sam only you have said i’m here at lic/or cin passions just to be difficult etc or whatever it was you said. only you hacve said it. and i think only you view me that way. but whatever….
and no same as i said see further proof you never pay attention or want to attepmt to distort things to make me look bad.
didn’t i just a few post ago said i’m trying to avoid things i pretty sure i won’t like ala wall-e/dark knight.
“So you are admitting here that anything that is widely-praised has no interest for you?”
wrong sam. you’re so wrong it’s beyond sad. if i had no interest in things are widely praised i wouldn’t have seen milk or tell no one or whatever. and yep sam i’m not a fan of either of those. but did i go see them ??? yes. i did put them on my radar because how enthued people were/are. you’re proven wrong again sam. well you usually proven wrong. so there you go.
i gave those films a chance.now i guess i’m supposed to like them because evryone else did. whatever.i gave those films a fair chance and didn’t like them.maybe according to sam’s rule no one is allowed to not like milk or whatever. ok go sam….arrrgh. and that was classic sam. ha ha… ;)
nope you’re a liar because you say stuff i haven’t said. e.g where did i say i hated milk ???. show me that ok.
yes i have given praise to films i like here. but you say i haven’t (or you say things you know aren’t true)so yep you’re the liar !!!! la la la….
so sam question how much of your students creativity do you crush ??? it’s not the right direction to you ?????
And to those lamentable LIC readers who have stayed on with this thread (I apologize to all for my own dcomplicity here) I ask all of you to go back to Comment #30 on this thread where Glimmer says flat out the following:
“milk had better not get a best pic nom…it’s not that good…really it’s not….which explains why it may get a best nod…arrrrrgh.”
That is hardly a commendation now, isn’t it? And note teh smug cynicism, condemning virtually every single film that happens to win a Best Picture nod at the Oscars. Sure, last year THERE WILL BE BLOOD, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, ATONEMENT, all BAD movies, or movies that glimmer would say in his inimitable fashion………..’not that good.’
I ask you again, glimmer WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE, that we can’t get from any person off the street?
Why do you continually obsess in your unfocused writing that “I am proven wrong” over and over.
This is not about being proven wrong, it’s about getting the facts straight.
Did you NOT use the expression “That Pixar Crap” in Submission #36 above? What did you mean by that statement? Was that your way of PRAISING WALL-E???
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And YOU started this entire row with your ignorant and unexplained “dismissal” of MILK, which was an insult to anyone who takes film seriously. You could like BILL AND TED’S GREAT ADVENTURE for all I care, but unless you are willing to back up your opinions, I will take issue with those kind of comments.
sam milk is conventional as in it told in a conventional way. and as i’ve said i’m not a fan of the bio pic think anyway.but i realize this doesn’t count as reason to you. so whatever….as ive told you 80 times. i’m not a fan of bio pic think.and a bio pic thing told in a conventional way didn’t help this go over with me.
and sam i nevr said i agreed with the masses. you sir said i never say anything good about stuff i like or remain silent on them. remember. well i’m helping you remember right now. hey look at that liar or that kid so filled with whatever he’ll say anything in an attempt to make me look bad. even if it has no grounds in reality. nice try sam. ha ha ha…can i laugh at you some more. thanks….
sam i’m more concened that you wish to crucify me over not drooling over wall-e or whatever film evryone deems ok.
why don’t i just myself. i’m sure harvey milk would have approved. and i’m sure he would would approve even knowing i didn’t like the milk movie. :)
and yes sam i haven’t taken a cinema class/i haven’t done a pro review/i can’t spell ect.
and you know/so wait. if all hyper brainy kids/critics love this movie let them have it.i’m not as impressed.
and your wait everybody listen to glimmer thing is insane and sort of funny.
have i actually ever changed anyone mind ??? nope.does anyone here take me as seriously as whomever. no.
but they respect that maybe i have no interest in wall-e . you act like it’s almost impossible to believe someone can’t like it.whatever….
sam you can crucify me every damn day for not giving a damn about wall-e. you can tell me about all the smart people that like it and i don’t care.
i have no interest in it. ok..and maybe on occassion i’ll whine about it here or roll my eys at pixar market share ok….
feel free to attack me every danm time.because i really doubt i’m changing. and i’ll especially not change for you.
Glimmer, you can dislike WALL-E, all you want.
LIC’s rightly celebrated Alexander Coleman didn’t like it either, but he explained at length his reasons, both in a review and in several leghthy threads here at Craig’s site. You make no such claim to scholarly discourse, nor do you say anything beyond what I see as an “arbitrary slur.” I don’t agree with Alexander (In fact WALL-E may well be my #1 film of the year) but I fully respect his elaborated position.
This last submission by you here is loaded with the exclamatory posturings of a teenager. I am not attacking YOU or trying to show YOU up, I am taking issue with something you said on these threads. When you make such submissions, the way I see it you are fair game.
I am not asking you to “change.” I am simply asking you to be more responsible in what you say here. Likewise, when I am out of line, I’ll expect to hear it.
And so nice of you to feign a winner to this imagined “battle.” Nothing like one of the participants playing referee too, eh?
Oh, and if you want to increase your respectability levels, you won’t make general admissions like “you are adverse to any kind of bio-pics.” It’s your right and your taste, but it’s not encouraging in an artsitic and “all-embracing” sense. At the very least it should not prejudice any kind of a meaningful artistic assessment.
sam is this to advanced for you using the phrase pixar crap was not a personal attack. unless someone wants it to be and maybe that someone is you. ha ha ha….
and yep sam i didn’t like no country.and i’ll take my hits for not caring about that film or wall-e. come sam. go…..attack that’s what you want to do with me/to me/do it !!!!
but agree with you i’m not. and you know that.ha ha ha….
and sam a better question is what can *you* bring to table that every ‘indie’ fan on the net can’t/ ??. probably nothing since you’re in agreement with them over everything. thanks….
sam i think you’ve had some ‘problems’ with me or my being here for awhile and i’m soooo glad you’ve outed yourself. how does it feel ??????????
“milk had better not get a best pic nom…it’s not that good…really it’s not….which explains why it may get a best nod…arrrrrgh.”
yep i did say that. but was that a personal attack on someone ??? nope. thanks for proving a point for me.and with my own words too. good boy sam… :)
and sam i’m sorry i can’t be in sync more with the blog nation and especially you on films.
but as harvey milk said. ‘never blend in’
now why don’t you crush some hope out any student that has different views from you.
harvey milk said you’ve got to give’em hope.because lord knows the sams are here to try to crush/ridicule/embarrass anyone with differentt view.
sam i can run into people like you in the street and on the net. hey sam….
‘the crowds in the street hate everything different/they’re predicting you/it won’t make a difference ”
but sam i’m here for another round. and you’re not even close to blowing me away. go….
No glimmer, I said some wonderful things about you when you visited my site. The truth is I am generally a loving and affectionate person. If you travelled over here I would let you live with my family for as long as you want. And I’d take you everywhere. I have nothing against you as a person at all, in fact I rather like you. You are irresistible. But sometimes you are exasperating.
I love your style too, always playing goaltender, and asking to be “struck.”
You say I agree with everyone else, so that makes me (artsitically) a copy-cat with a faulty world-view, right? I bring to the table 38 years of fanatical movieviewing (since 1971) where I see several hundred films a year theatrically. Whether or not that makes me “right” or “wrong” remains in debate, but it certainly bolsters my case in certain ways.
You can continue to rail against every film that comes out, but unless you are willing to engage in worthwhile discourse (apart from genre prejudices) you won’t get the respect you would no doubt like to have.
To repeat: I like you as a person, and would love one day to meet up with you and go to a movie. I’ll treat you to the time of your life, or I’ll do my best to.
Now perhaps both of us can petition Craig for royalties for our multiple submissions at his site today.
Geez, he won’t even answer movie-related e mails, he must be under the sun enjoying his well-earned break.
*Gets popcorn, puts feet up and watches.*
LOL Alison!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Indeed!
sam. i admitted i didn’t watch wall-e. how can be more fair than that. i can’t give you reasons/ whatever list.because i’m not gonna see it. fair or not. i not gonna see it.
there are people that don’t wan’t to watch the W. pic on principle or whatever go tell them they’re wrong for not watching it. you can’t ok.
sam i understand the fair game bit. but i feel you crossed the line making it into a personal attack. and i’ve i also crossed that line. you did it first. so take the blame.la la la…
my respectability levels are fine. and if i never impress you i don’t care.
“I am not asking you to “change.” I am simply asking you to be more responsible in what you say here. Likewise, when I am out of line, I’ll expect to hear it.”
my milk comment was fair (even if i didn’t go into why) because i made no attack on a member of lic. got it.if it didn’t get your approval. too bad.
“Oh, and if you want to increase your respectability levels, you won’t make general admissions like “you are adverse to any kinf of bio-pics.” It’s your right and your taste, but it’s not encouraging in an artsitic and “all-embracing” sense. At the very least it should not prejudice any kind of a meaningful artistic assessment.”
sam no you understand. i’m not trying crush others feelings. but i’m not a all-embracing movie fan.
i think there are toooooo many all embracing types.i like what i like and if that but in some sort of specilized weirdo category.cool whatever. i’m true to myself and everyone here since i’ve never claimed to be ‘all embarcing. no sam you can be all embracing. i’ll stick with being me.
and on my admisson of not being fond of bio pics. well it’s true.
but i wonder if what i feel and has other reviews have mentioned the story being told in comventional manner help kill the film for me. well maybe it did.
last year when the bob dylan movie came out. well i pretty much knew/know nothing of dylan. but the slight bit of experimnation going in the film get me interested/and hyper interested in someone i knew nothing about.
now ok sad or whatever i knew nothing of harvey milk and i i read there’s gonna be a film called milk.
and the milk film/ film based on milk seems so much more appealing than one on dylan. i think my social/sexual /social misfit radar was in the red just thinking about it..
but the milk film worked nowhere near as well for me. maybe it was how the story was told.because harvey milk is someone i’d feel compelled to root for alots more than bob dylan.
but which movie did i love??? and that’s why my mentioning my dislike of conventional bio pics a wrong preduice or not. was the something to admit.
nope sam my slant is less all embracing and more this geek babbling. put i wouldn’t trade for anything.
i’m never gonna blend in. i’m gonna follow my heart to the death for another round !!!!!!!!! :)
i can’t ven get to the level of repping the geeks in general.so it’s just me. sorry evryone. but whatever…..
it’s this geek in movie solo in 2009. if pixar and super hero movies have to fall. maybe they should.
because when they fall.maybe that’s when i raise.
Glimmer, I am NOT a fan of superhero movies or even of animation per se.
I favor foreign-language cinema and American independents heavily, as my year-end list will confirm.
As I said in a prior post, I have no issue of one disliking a film. I dislike more than 65% of them annually………but I think you’ll agree that to say you don’t like a film without having seen it (WALL-E) well, that is completely unacceptable by any barometer of measurement.
I don’t think there is a single reader here at LIC that will support such a habit. To have an opinion on a film, you need to see it first. I will see any kind of film, without bias and then make a judgement.
As I stated in prior e mails, I am NOT attacking you and I really do like you as a person. Honestly. Just engaging you for over two hours here solidifies this.
If WALL-E makes my #1 position, or even the Top Five of 2008, it will be the first time since 1991 that an animated film will make my Top Ten list. That’s 17 years! Of course BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is that 1991 film I am referring to.
Bottom line: I rarely take animation seriously, but this year with WALL-E, that position will be severely altered. Take it for what it’s worth, glimmer.
You know, the holidays tend to make me cranky too, but I give thanks for this wonderful thread (although I admit I began skimming it around #45) because you both remind me that no matter what else, there’s always another opinion to be heard.
Sometimes repeatedly.
As for Milk, I have not seen it but it received no less than three reviews over at The House Next Door, all three dismissing it with varying degrees of contempt. Now I don’t consider THND to be the critical bastion it once was, but clearly the Criticeratti Blogosphere aren’t 100% on board with it. It really doesn’t matter. Had it not been THND, it would have been Rex Reed. I’m just saying.
Regardless, I respect both of your opinions. Jellyfish is high on my list for the year and I loved Wall-E, so we all have something in common.
CHEERS!!! You both need a drink. Or two.
God help me.
But I think I’m ready to take this on…
glim has, for the record, been passionate and enthusiastic about many films over at CINEMATIC PASSIONS. I’m stating that for the record since I don’t expect anyone here (even people that read CP on a regular basis) to be aware of that.
Another thing…
I don’t merely tolerate glim. Even though he is one of my regular posters at my site. He e-mails me a lot of interesting film related information. glim is exceptionally kind and generous with his time. He has a very warm heart. He’s decent and helpful.
When I come to LiC, I play nice. But over at CINEMATIC PASSIONS it’s a whole different ball game.
Not everyone that’s posted at CP is a friend of mine. I take all of that on a case by case basis.
As a matter of fact, there are two people that post at LiC regularly that are PERMANENTLY banned at CP. They both know the reasons why - and so does Craig. There are various people that are close to me that are privy to some of these details as well.
So it’s not like it’s one big happy family here. There are people at LiC that I greatly enjoy and respect. But it’s not like that is ever going to extend to the 100% mark.
But I don’t have to leave the welcome mat out for people that have either attempted to disrespect me or hurt me or other people that I care for.
I’m NOT changing my mind about it either.
If I’m good to glim, it’s simply NOT because he is a regular commenter at CP.
Everybody is free to come over and read CP any time they like.
But posting at a site is a privilege. Not a right.
I don’t want to imply Milk is bad, just that THND gave it 3 for 3 negative reviews, which surprised me until I remembered they hate everything now.
To Miranda and Joel:
I did think I made it clear in the final posts that I like glim and see all his good points too. The disagreements we had centered around his passing judgement on a film he didn’t see (WALL-E) and his quick dismissal of MILK, which he later said fell into the category of the kind of film he didn’t see.
Joel: As far as critics go, MILK received one of the best critical concensuses of any film that has released this year. Literally every film, even the very best of them, receives at least a few bad notices.
Miranda, I genuinely respect that glimmer is a good friend of yours, and it is not my intent to compromise that–I was simply responding to his (at that time) boast that he is fully embraced by the proprietors of other sites. I didn’t mention you by name, as you know, and made a generalization. I tried to be very careful not to set up a situation where you or anyone else would join in this fray……..very careful.
And hey guys, I thought that by mutually crafting about 25 posts between us on a dreary and quiet Thanksgiving blogosphere, we were enhancing the stock of LIC???? Isn’t that supposed to be the name of the game here?
LOL!!!! I think glimmer and I buried the hacket mid-afternoon yesterday. This wasn’t a battle to the death. It was a film disagreement,………..Geez!!!
And as far as Glimmer being “kind, warm-hearted and helpful” I basically have said as much over and over here. He’s a good guy for sure and he has effervescent charm.
This is irrefutable. Our argument centered around “film.” Nothing more.
Sam, you are a very lovely man. You are exceptionally kind and you have been very generous and decent to all of us.
I’m actually fond of almost everyone that comes to LiC. I have VERY specific reasons concerning my passionate disdain of a couple of personalities here. Frankly, if other people (outside of my circle) knew the actual reasons why NO ONE ELSE would like them either.
Too bad. F them…
The point that I was making, Sam, is that glim is just being himself. He’s ALWAYS been that way.
I adore him and he comes over to CP AND HE SAYS THE SAME THINGS. I agree with a lot of what he says. There are also some things that we part company on.
It doesn’t matter to me. He adds a lot to my site and I greatly enjoy his unique take on entertainment. I find him utterly delightful.
It’s just that getting upset over glim’s whimsical remarks is like being choked over the sky being blue. It’s like being unhappy that California is on the west coast. It’s like railing against centrifugal force.
There’s no changing it. glim’s just glim. And the world keeps right on turning…
Anyway, it’s December now officially. The holidays will soon be upon us.
Time to let love into your precious little hearts and revel in the spirit of the season.
Just thinking of those presents (well, two sets for me with birthday) gets me going…
Well Miranda, that was a lovely submission, and I am deeply moved by it. Thank You for it.
And about glimmer? Well, I feel bonded to him now, as both of us spent almost three hours together on these otherwise dorment threads. While Craig Kennedy was basking in the rural glories of nature in the Seattle area, glim and I were “holding the fort” here in southern California. I won’t easily forget the time I spent here, and that this was a forum between he and I. The fact that you engaged me so long glimmer is an honor, and I hereby call on you now to put aside any lingering doubts about me, and in the spirit of the holiday season that Miranda graciously alludes to, I ask you to accept my apology for anything I said thay may have been insulting.
I admit I get wound up over movies and I have had my share of domestic battles among friends for three decades, but at the end of the day we always end up smiling.
In the spirit of your pen name, I hold out a Holiday peace branch to you, and ask you to forgive my transgressions, initiated when I took exception to your opinion of MILK.
Your friendship is worth a million times more than any stupid movie.
Yes, Sam, my sarcastic point was that the HND reviewers all pointed out in varying degrees that the film is much more mainstream than Van Sant’s previous films and a very straight-forward biopic that is more formula in its storytelling than any of them would have preferred.
I have not seen it (nor have I read their criticisms in depth) but this general critique seems to support, or at least partially vindicate, glimmer’s general irritation with Milk.
I’m still planning to see it.
Well Joel, I can’t say they are entirely wrong, as I would say this is Van Sant’s most mainstream movie aside from GOOD WILL HUNTING and FINDING FORESTER.
I can’t be certain but I suspect you will probably like this film quite a bit with some minor reservations.
sam if it ever shows. and i think it will. i have a massive post i wrote a few hours ago. really it ’s in a ‘blow it up like noah’s arc on overload’ type nature. you’ve been warned. but i guess i’m sort of proud of it.
someone has to the wave the flag for the losers/and this losers/specially. :)
and thanks for your too kind words m./joel/nick and jeff !!!! *thank you*
:)
thank you joel
looking at the hnd review well the first i seem/read
http://www.thehousenextdooronline.com/2008/11/it-does-no-body-good-milk-take-2.html
and the reveiwer mentions one the scenes that i felt didn’t work in the movie. but i felt worked better in the earlier draft of screenplay made work so well.and i felt didn’t work near as well on the screen/the current version. yep the bit with person in the wheelchair. i felt that way too.
but didn’t want to mention a couple of examples because i know most here saw no spoilers and many here haven’t seen the film..but since this bigger refs it and joel mentions the reviews on that site and i point you to this reveiw. right ?? ah…
but again the draft revision three from july last year or whatever of the milk film was soooo much better than the version of the script up on the focus site. that reversion pretty much close to what makes the screen from my scanning /glancing of it.
older can be better give me the movie that the earlier draft painted.and i’d be putting milk in the good column. give me the current version and all is an say it’s ok.
thanks for the hnd refs joel. didn’t know of this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
sorry sam.
a reviewer agreeing with me. it’s the end of the world. let the geeky one in.you’ve got to give the losers hope !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)
No need to apologize glimmer, I know there are more than a few that haven’t embraced it. That’s fair enough, it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.
It will be interesting to see where it stands in afew weeks when the year-end lists start to appear. As far as the Oscars, it’s iffy, but I suspect some will want to make up for the BROKEBACK slight, but giving a ’safer’ gay-themed film some nominations and/or awards.
sam as someone sorry i’m forgetting said on the a.d. front page it will be weird if both milk and the dark knight make the final five for the best pic thing.
really weird since the last time it was heath ledger (r.i.p.) in brokeback in the role/movie the masses/’the guys’ didn’t want to succeed win because of the gay slant.
this time the masses/the guys will very likely be rooting for heath instead of milk. ha ha…. oh the irony.
i was almost beaten up because way whenever when it became know heath would be the joker/because i said that he should be given a fair chance and not just instantly written off….and why were some proud member of the ‘the guys’ writing him off.
oh because he was in brokeback.
not because he was bad actor. but because he was in brokeback and they couldn’t stand the idea of that ‘brokeback guy’ playinmg the joker. or being in a movie they wanted to see. or they beliefed he couldn’t do a good job on this film because he was in brokeback.
or whatever lame line they were following.
and i’m pretty damn tired of movies catering more to people with those views/than to me….
i’m tired of oscar bait films too. hell at least ‘choke’ had anal beads !!!!!! :)
Oh man, I wish I’d come to this thread first. I have to run, but I’ll weigh in later for sure.
glim, Sam and joel:
After I finish posting at some sites I have to knuckle down and put together my MILK review.
I’m not saying that glim doesn’t have a few valid points. But, at this juncture, I’m somewhere between glim and Sam in terms of POV.
I always try to be a hardliner. So (unless I’m actually enraptured or blown away) I tend to lowball ratings and hold everything to a very strict standard.
I didn’t think MILK was extraordinary. To me it was NOT a classic. So it would never be getting five stars from me in any case.
I’m going to give it three stars today. But I may upgrade that to four when I see it again in the future.
MILK is (to my mind) an extremely moving film with incredible performances. It tells the story of a man who was a great hero and whose impact is still felt today. I realize that MILK will automatically be categorized as an “important OSCAR” film. In this case, however, that’s not a bad thing.
MILK is anything but pretentious. Sam is dead on when he states that it’s a fairly mainstream effort from GUS VAN SANT. (glim has said as much as well.)
But I think that, given the subject matter, Focus would’ve preferred that the film be more accessible and be able to guarantee a wider audience.
It’s the kind of movie that I wish fervently that EVERYONE would see. Sounds like a cliche. But, despite the fact that I look like a prom queen, I’ve always known that I would never be conventional. It just doesn’t interest me. So I have always championed the causes of people who are different.
Being a straight girl in her twenties, there were things that happened in MILK that I was completely unaware of - like Harvey and Scott initially being harassed in the Castro neighbourhood in SF during the early 70s. I had naively thought that SF had almost always been a tolerant place. NOT SO.
Harvey (GOD BLESS HIM) had a lot to do with all of that changing.
I do TOTALLY agree with glim that there were things in the new version of the screenplay that didn’t really wok. The thing with the boy in the wheelchair was very touching. But I don’t know how realistic both of those phone calls were (to be completely honest rather than callous) and the fact that Harvey isn’t going to live to 50 is hammered home CONSTANTLY. At least three times. Would’ve been far more poignant if it had been mentioned casually ONCE and then people could have decided how they felt for themselves.
MAKE NO MISTAKE. If SEAN PENN hadn’t won for MYSTIC RIVER, he’d be winning for this. It’s POSSIBLE that he still could.
I was thinking what glim was thinking. All ready. To make up for BROKEBACK, the Academy may just give OSCARS to Sean and Heath. Obviously I haven’t seen all of the big contenders yet.
But those are two FANTASTIC performances that definitely deserve recognition.
My screening of MILK last Friday night (its second week in release) was sold out. My ex and I grabbed the last two tickets. Just like we did for INDY IV at the same place last summer. It was the luck of the draw, I guess.
Thunderous applause afterwards.
It’s a wonderful film. I know glim has serious reservations.
But most people are going to love it. Big time…
Sam: I would have had your back on this. While I don’t believe glimmer and I have ever directly sparred (at least not for a while), I do find his persistant contrary attitude tiresome and unimpressive. My problems with him are identical to yours and you’ve fully expressed the annoyance I feel whenever he pathetically tries to rain on anybody’s parade.
Miranda: Thank you both for your review (which I agreed with in spirit but might disagree rating-wise) and for your statement on behalf of glim. While I do not share your fondness for him (I consider him an annoying but largely harmless pest), I applaud you for your warmth and tolerance.
Craig: please do. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.
elessar, i’m an annoying harmless pest in person too. now here comes the rain. ;)
I enjoy all the voices in the LiC’s comments section. Everyone has moments of great insight and eloquence, together with ordinary ones. Glim offers a particularly unique voice, and his comments are always welcome by me.
Wow, in the “ignore my predictions” column, I was way off on Australia’s box office. Oh well, I don’t really care but if anyone’s interested, I’ve got strong feeling on this week’s winning lottery numbers.
Late to the party — again.
Some films that are merely average, kinda good or good can be perceived as great/excellent films. Many reasons are behind this phenom. Using Milk (which I haven’t seen yet) as an example, I imagine there are many people out there who simply love the thing because they’re walking into the theater with emotions that are ripe for the plucking.
I’m not putting down Milk — how can I put down a movie I’ve not even seen? I’m just saying that successful films — yes, Oscarworthy films — quite often need a little help — sometimes a lot of help — to get to that place. That’s where audience perception and things like zeitgeist come into play.
Elessar: I very much appreciate your kindness and support, and have often evinced a lot of agreement with your views at AD (where I will continue to look for them), but at this point I have a rock-solid truce with glimmer, whom I have reached accord with on a number of vital concerns. We all want to be friends here, and I while he has rubbed me wrong in the past –as I have rubbed him wrong–we want to have one big happy family here.
I have disagreed with both Sam and Glimmer on any number of occasions but I treasure both of their contributions to LiC and believe them both to be good people. Any individual is easy to ignore if you don’t care for their style or their attitude or their opinions.
I’m always more interested in hearing what Glimmer likes than what he doesn’t (it’s in my nature), and we’ve agreed on many things…Lars and the Real Girl comes to mind from last year. Glim was the biggest champion there was and it’s a movie I feel was unfairly snubbed by some film snobs.
For his part, Sam’s passion gets the better of him from time to time and it’s sometimes hard for him to see another perspective beyond his own enthusiasm, but none of us would be here if we didn’t love movies. As host, I often try to strike an agreeable middle ground and then hope that you all step in to mix it up with your strongly held opinions. Obviously I won’t soft pedal my reviews, but I try to leave comment thread controversy to the readers.
I’m rambling here, but that’s it in a nutshell.
I can understand Milk not blowing a person away (in some ways it was a little detailed for my taste) and I’ve already freely admitted that current circumstances probably colored my reaction to the film, but we don’t see movies in a vaccuum. They’re a reflection of and a commentary on our times. Milk struck at a perfect time for me.
Joel, your predictions regarding Box Office are more solid than mine as my dismal performance in Mr. Getahun’s most recent round of Fantasy Moguls proves.
craig. a reason i liked the earlier version of the milk script was because it was more layered and detailed. i love layers and details. i loved being hit with ‘excess’ information/sound.or information /moods that many woud read as such.
and you know how against the streamlining of things. i am.
i really think i need a lot of info to keep me interested.or make me care….
but wanting more info is almost viewed as almost being pro pedophile in today’s culture/climate.
a lack of information gives me a headache the same way too much info gives most people a headache…
that’s right i have no idea what i’m talking about . :)
and you know that i’m wimp because i prefer mumbling instead of a manifesto. blurry instead of defined. visionary instead of tunnel vision. yep a wimp indeed… :)
know i’m gonna whirl a post that’s gonna clear this doubt thing. so….
LOL glimmer !!!! That one’s a classic.
As far as “passion” Craig, indeed it could be blinding when it’s most intense. No doubt.
hmm ok i gonna end this doubt thing once and for all and i’m gonna be sort of nice about it….maybe…
elessar. if my saying i don’t like milk(or whatever) a film with 85% on metacritc/ 94% at rotten t./a film that’s gonna over 5000 award noms this year and pretty much alock for multi oscar nom/5 millions rounds of praise from movie blog/ is raining on your parade….your since of entitlement/intolerance *surpasses* my insanity concerning movies…..
now i’m gonna use my insanity to eliminate doubt. all of it. right now !!!!!!
hmm have i ever really said yay !!! yay !!! yes please to big blockbuste style picsr/oscar bait films/docs/bio pics. well pretty much no right ! right….
“check the record/check the record/check the guys track record.”
now have i ever been going yay /that my movie./this great /toward a film like no country. the answer is no and you know it….
have i ever been going *wow* towards a film like atonement ???? again the answer is no.
and how many times have i said please no more bio pics/docs (the more this stuff succeds the less chance of anything creative popping up.)
so based on prefs/past trackrecord / statements/should it a surprise that i said hell no to atonement/no country or milk.hmm no ….
so again it should be no surprise. but i’m surprised that people that say i’m raining on parades/or going against all the the films the critics/blogs have said are great /would attack me. if you’re paying attention enough to say those things *you should have* been paying attention enough to notice i’m not being difficult or out to puropsely annoy. or just bucking against what the critics or people in this forum say are great films…
may dislike of these seems come from (within) whatever i’m forming/showed. and since i’ve been so insanely consistent (so far) i’m not sure how it could be miised that i’ve never supported certain type of things ala a film like atonement.
so why should i be happy when atonement get 3000 award noms ??? why should i be impressed when atonement gets 10,000 good reveiws ???? becauase a professional reveiwer is impressed ??? whatever…..
if anything may dislike of these films or ‘this type of stuff’ will grow because i now the more stuff that succeeds that i didslike/ it seems zero chance if *anything* i like being an award threat or getting 85% at metacritic.i know you don’t care/ but i do. ok ,can i care or maybe i’m not allowed to care because you don’t or ‘the critics’ see differently ??
if that sounds insane. well you can’t totally dismiss it. because again this year nothing i like is anywhere closee to being a mulit award threat(or an award threat at all) or 85% at metacritic. either. geek cancer indeed…
and please sam and elessar you attack him despite knowing stuff you like is totally on top with critics/blogs and award season….
so please don’t pretend that either of you would be too much of saint to not post words of disagreement/nor question or complain// if you were in my shoes every damn award/critical season.
just don’t f***ing lie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you attack and you have everything. point beyond proven. you attack without even understanding what i say.you attack with even having a damn clue what i’m thinking. but you think you do.you misinterpret my words and even my tone (no sam i wasn’t being/aiming for ’smug’ when i did imy ntial words on milk here)
the more the usual suspects(types of film) stay on top the more i know i can have no hope dreaming in cinema/no hope in life either…
atonement/no country/mik/ i’m gonna f***ing pass…..
That’s a good point about Milk, Glimmer, though I still haven’t read any versions of the script. To me it felt detailed, yet it was also obvious they left a lot of stuff out.
To me I guess it doesn’t seem like the typical mainstream blockbuster that I know you don’t care for. I mainly agree with you on those, though I do think there are always interesting exceptions.
Glimmer, as you know I am a big fan of ATONEMENT. You don’t care for it? Fine. It’s your right.
But I honestly thought we had buried the hachet yesterday. I don’t want to fight anymore, it is with a heavy heart that I even answer this e mail. I like you as a person and hope the future will bring much agreement.
Hey Glimmer, it’s not my blog, but I think your posts would be more readable if you could keep them below 10,000 words.
I’ve never understood the point of getting into fights over whether someone likes a movie or not.
Too much unnecessary grief over something that really doesn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things. No need to get so worked up about it.
Life’s too short.
Matthew, I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you, and although I admit I have violated this very rule myself (even in my unfair, over-the-top attack of you many months back over THE LAST MISTRESS) I always come around to your way of thinking. Life is too short.
jeff, my posts being under 10,000 doesn’t increase the readable factor….
hmm no craig. i don’t mean milk is your typical blockbuster. it just seems like a trad bio pic and i’m not to attuned to raving over that..