I went to see the Simpsons movie today. I don't really know what to think. I didn't like it as much as I should have. I'm trying to figure out why. I suspect the main reason is that seeing it on the big screen was so much different than watching it on TV. I think there are several reasons.
With more money and time, they did more detailed animation. Sure it looked great, but it looked different.
I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure that the frame rate is different for tv than it is at the cinema. Those extra frames per second make a difference. Maybe I should say those extra frames per second make the program look different.
Widescreen format. I don't know why they would do this. It doesn't make sense that for 18 years or what ever to do a square shaped show then suddenly for the movie to make it widescreen. Lots of movies come out in a TV type format, why go to the extra animation expense. The strange aspect ratio threw me off.
Here's another thing. They made Schwarzenegger the president. Why the sudden change from Rainier Wolfcastle? It isn't as if we don't know Rainier is actually Arnold. I think they should have kept their regular characters.
All in all, I liked the movie, but I thought I would like it more. This movie is definitely a renter. Wait for the DVD, and get the one formatted to fit your tv.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Good Shepard? Not So Great
I watched 45 minutes of this movie and thought. If movies aren't good in the first 30 minutes, they ain't getting any better in the next hour and a half. I watched for another 30 minutes and decided not to waste anymore time.
Matt Damon starred in this turd parade. Usually a film watcher doesn't want anything bad to happen to the main character but to tell you the truth, I was hoping that he would get killed or possibly trip, maybe even get a splinter in his finger, anything just as long as something would have happened I could have been happy.
The only good thing about this movie is that I got it free because of Blockbuster's guaranteed in policy.
Matt Damon starred in this turd parade. Usually a film watcher doesn't want anything bad to happen to the main character but to tell you the truth, I was hoping that he would get killed or possibly trip, maybe even get a splinter in his finger, anything just as long as something would have happened I could have been happy.
The only good thing about this movie is that I got it free because of Blockbuster's guaranteed in policy.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Disney Redeems Itself
The new movie, "Meet the Robinsons" is so good, I can now say that I have forgiven Disney for making Pocahontas.
Tracie and I went to see it with Megan, Dan and Eva on Friday night. We both really enjoyed it a lot. I recommend it to anyone. It was the best movie either of us have seen in a long time.
It is the story of an orphaned inventor who meets a boy from the future and travels there on a quest to find his mother.
Very funny, and wildly entertaining, "Meet the Robinsons" is fine holiday fun. Two thumbs way up. In fact, my thumbs are higher than yours.
-Gary
Tracie and I went to see it with Megan, Dan and Eva on Friday night. We both really enjoyed it a lot. I recommend it to anyone. It was the best movie either of us have seen in a long time.
It is the story of an orphaned inventor who meets a boy from the future and travels there on a quest to find his mother.
Very funny, and wildly entertaining, "Meet the Robinsons" is fine holiday fun. Two thumbs way up. In fact, my thumbs are higher than yours.
-Gary
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Babel Sucked
I hate to use the term turd parade to describe a movie and then I rented Babel and changed my mind. I could have spent the time doing the dishes or slamming my hand in the door.
I should have known it was a crappy movie from the trailer. Everytime the trailer came on tv I wanted to see the movie less than the time before. If when you see advertising for a movie and it makes you want to avoid the movie, do it.
Avoid Babel at all costs.
I should have known it was a crappy movie from the trailer. Everytime the trailer came on tv I wanted to see the movie less than the time before. If when you see advertising for a movie and it makes you want to avoid the movie, do it.
Avoid Babel at all costs.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Night At The Museum
Tracie and I went to see Night At The Museum with her parents and sisters the other day. Let me just say that it was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I give it two thumbs up, it is fine holiday fun.
Ben Stiller plays a man who becomes a night watchman at a museum where, due to an egyption curse, everything comes to life at night. I have to admit that the movie is a little Jumanji-esque, but Night at the Museum was way better. The plight of the main character plays a much bigger part in the movie rather than just finishing a board game designed to showcase special effects.
Go see Night At The Museum.
-Gary
Ben Stiller plays a man who becomes a night watchman at a museum where, due to an egyption curse, everything comes to life at night. I have to admit that the movie is a little Jumanji-esque, but Night at the Museum was way better. The plight of the main character plays a much bigger part in the movie rather than just finishing a board game designed to showcase special effects.
Go see Night At The Museum.
-Gary
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Casino Royale
I went to see the new Bond movie today. Let me just say, "Best Bond movie ever". It has a good story and lots of plot twists. There was plenty of good action, and the stunts were way less over the top than in some of the previous Bond movies.
It was also a lot heavier on the physical action and lighter on the sci-fi gadgets like in some of the previous movies.
I give it two thumbs up, it is fine holiday fun.
-Gary Milner
It was also a lot heavier on the physical action and lighter on the sci-fi gadgets like in some of the previous movies.
I give it two thumbs up, it is fine holiday fun.
-Gary Milner
Friday, September 29, 2006
School for Scoundrels
I just got back from watching School For Scoundrels. It was the best movie I have seen in a long time.
Roger an unlucky meter reader who enrolls in a mysterious confidence-building class so he can win the love of the girl of his dreams. The class turns out to be something quite different when it becomes clear that as the the young man excels in the class, his professor challenges him by setting his sights set on the same girl.
I really enjoyed it. There were some really funny scenes. I haven't laughed in a movie so much since I can't remember when.
I will consider buying this movie when it comes out on DVD.
-Gary Milner
Roger an unlucky meter reader who enrolls in a mysterious confidence-building class so he can win the love of the girl of his dreams. The class turns out to be something quite different when it becomes clear that as the the young man excels in the class, his professor challenges him by setting his sights set on the same girl.
I really enjoyed it. There were some really funny scenes. I haven't laughed in a movie so much since I can't remember when.
I will consider buying this movie when it comes out on DVD.
-Gary Milner
Monday, May 22, 2006
So Dark The Con of Man
I'm reading Dan Brown's book Digital Fortress. I have come to the conclusion that Dan Brown should get over anagrams. He used anagrams several times in the Da Vinci code, which is fine, but to use them in pretty much every book you write gets to be a bit much.
While I was reading this book, the main villain's name is Tankado. Tankado allegedly has a partner who uses the alias "North Dakota" the main spy couldn't find any references to someone with the alias North Dakota, but could find references to an "N Dakota".
I couldn't help but think, "Wow 'N Dakota' and 'Tankoda' have a lot of letters in common. Could Dan Brown really be that lame?" I asked the girl I'm borrowing the book from if I was right and she said I was. It seems that if you're able to sell 100's of millions of copies of your books, you should several methods of picking aliases for your characters and different methods of giving clues to the reader.
See if you can figure this one out: "DRAB CUSS KNOWN"
-Gary Milner
While I was reading this book, the main villain's name is Tankado. Tankado allegedly has a partner who uses the alias "North Dakota" the main spy couldn't find any references to someone with the alias North Dakota, but could find references to an "N Dakota".
I couldn't help but think, "Wow 'N Dakota' and 'Tankoda' have a lot of letters in common. Could Dan Brown really be that lame?" I asked the girl I'm borrowing the book from if I was right and she said I was. It seems that if you're able to sell 100's of millions of copies of your books, you should several methods of picking aliases for your characters and different methods of giving clues to the reader.
See if you can figure this one out: "DRAB CUSS KNOWN"
-Gary Milner
Friday, May 19, 2006
The Da Vinci Code Poor Reviews: Explanation
Lots of people don't read books or read them very rarely. "The Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown was and is somewhat of an exception to that statement. Lots of people read his book. Almost all of them enjoyed it. It has a fairly interesting premise, its paced fairly well, and when the villain is revealed the pieces all come clearly together.
The book as a mystery does have some drawbacks. Right now it is very popular to solve mysteries with science, for example the CSI franchise. Solving riddles as a means to discovery is old fashioned. However, religion is a really big topic in the US and Canada and as such the topic of the book is somewhat more important than the fashion the mystery is solved.
I read a study about th effect of television on mood. The study involved randomly calling subject on the phone asking them to rate their mood and then asking them what they were doing immediately before the phone call. It turns out that the average mood while watching tv is 'borderline depression'. The scientists theorized that this is because tv is an entirely passive medium. All you have to do is sit there and you are fed the story. Reading, on the other hand, resulted in a positive mood. The theory is that reading is something that has to be done actively. You have to read to get the story, not just sit there. You are doing something vs not doing anything.
This plays into why I think the movie is getting bad reviews. Like I said before, lots of non-readers have read "The Da Vinci Code". It is a pretty decent book, but besides that it is a huge success. People discovered along with the story, how fun reading actually is and beyond that how fun it is to discuss books with other people.
Now, these people who don't normally read may not normally enjoy reading for whatever the reason discovered a book and really enjoyed reading it and they really enjoy discussing it. Which is something that they wouldn't have particularly expected. Movies on the other hand are something that people do like. They like them a lot. they go expecting to be entertained. (Much like watching tv). Now if something like reading which is normally not liked or at least not done very much for pure enjoyment can be so good, people may be thinking, how much better will the movie be because movies are always enjoyable.
The expectations get set so high that when there are things that can't be done because of the format, it lessens the story and enjoyment of the movie. For example in a book, the author can just write what one of the characters is thinking or all of the characters for that matter. In a movie that is much more difficult and would require a narrator, weird conversations or excessive use of flashbacks.
Flashbacks in a book are better than flashbacks in a movie. It is perfectly clear that you are reading a flashback and in your mind you imagine them equally as well as the present time. In a movie however, you have to make it clear that it is a flashback or the audience will be confused (especially if they haven't read the book). One of the ways a flashback is signalled in a movie is to use a steady cam shot, a hazy focus or weird processing after the fact. Flashbacks just don't cut it in movies like they do in our imagination.
I think that many of the poor reviews are based on a few of these ideas and maybe a few others. Really the medium is the problem here, not the story.
-Gary Milner
The book as a mystery does have some drawbacks. Right now it is very popular to solve mysteries with science, for example the CSI franchise. Solving riddles as a means to discovery is old fashioned. However, religion is a really big topic in the US and Canada and as such the topic of the book is somewhat more important than the fashion the mystery is solved.
I read a study about th effect of television on mood. The study involved randomly calling subject on the phone asking them to rate their mood and then asking them what they were doing immediately before the phone call. It turns out that the average mood while watching tv is 'borderline depression'. The scientists theorized that this is because tv is an entirely passive medium. All you have to do is sit there and you are fed the story. Reading, on the other hand, resulted in a positive mood. The theory is that reading is something that has to be done actively. You have to read to get the story, not just sit there. You are doing something vs not doing anything.
This plays into why I think the movie is getting bad reviews. Like I said before, lots of non-readers have read "The Da Vinci Code". It is a pretty decent book, but besides that it is a huge success. People discovered along with the story, how fun reading actually is and beyond that how fun it is to discuss books with other people.
Now, these people who don't normally read may not normally enjoy reading for whatever the reason discovered a book and really enjoyed reading it and they really enjoy discussing it. Which is something that they wouldn't have particularly expected. Movies on the other hand are something that people do like. They like them a lot. they go expecting to be entertained. (Much like watching tv). Now if something like reading which is normally not liked or at least not done very much for pure enjoyment can be so good, people may be thinking, how much better will the movie be because movies are always enjoyable.
The expectations get set so high that when there are things that can't be done because of the format, it lessens the story and enjoyment of the movie. For example in a book, the author can just write what one of the characters is thinking or all of the characters for that matter. In a movie that is much more difficult and would require a narrator, weird conversations or excessive use of flashbacks.
Flashbacks in a book are better than flashbacks in a movie. It is perfectly clear that you are reading a flashback and in your mind you imagine them equally as well as the present time. In a movie however, you have to make it clear that it is a flashback or the audience will be confused (especially if they haven't read the book). One of the ways a flashback is signalled in a movie is to use a steady cam shot, a hazy focus or weird processing after the fact. Flashbacks just don't cut it in movies like they do in our imagination.
I think that many of the poor reviews are based on a few of these ideas and maybe a few others. Really the medium is the problem here, not the story.
-Gary Milner
Thursday, May 18, 2006
The Da Vinci Code Movie Review
I went to see The Da Vinci Code today, it was pretty good, but I get the feeling that they are making it out to be more suspenseful than it really is. The Da Vinci Code is more of a mystery than a suspense.
Reasons to read the book rather than see the movie.
-Buying the book is cheaper than going to the cinema. Renting the book from the library is free.
-The book is more suspenseful than the movie.
-The book makes sense without the movie and the movie doesn't seem to make sense without the book.
-The heroine is a lot smarter in the book than in the movie.
-The characters are more developed in the book.
-The book misleads you more effectively.
-The book has a well defined 'a ha' moment while the movie's is pretty weak.
-Explinations that the writer can just tell you don't translate to a screenplay.
-If you've read the book you have a very high expectation of what the movie should be, and it isn't.
For me, it was just another movie. If you've read the book, wait for "The Da Vinci Code" dvd. If you don't like reading (or aren't smrt enough to read a whole book) watch the movie and ignore the hype, it's just another movie.
To be honest, The Da Vinci Code book is pretty much pulp fiction, but entertaining pulp fiction none the less.
-Gary Milner
Reasons to read the book rather than see the movie.
-Buying the book is cheaper than going to the cinema. Renting the book from the library is free.
-The book is more suspenseful than the movie.
-The book makes sense without the movie and the movie doesn't seem to make sense without the book.
-The heroine is a lot smarter in the book than in the movie.
-The characters are more developed in the book.
-The book misleads you more effectively.
-The book has a well defined 'a ha' moment while the movie's is pretty weak.
-Explinations that the writer can just tell you don't translate to a screenplay.
-If you've read the book you have a very high expectation of what the movie should be, and it isn't.
For me, it was just another movie. If you've read the book, wait for "The Da Vinci Code" dvd. If you don't like reading (or aren't smrt enough to read a whole book) watch the movie and ignore the hype, it's just another movie.
To be honest, The Da Vinci Code book is pretty much pulp fiction, but entertaining pulp fiction none the less.
-Gary Milner
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Urinals and Cellphone Don't Mix
The other day Tracie and I went to see Harry Potter. Before the movie started I went to the lavetory. While using the facilities I heard a kid talking loudly. On my way out I notice that he was all by himself at the urinal talking on his cellphone!
It was a clear case of T.W.P. Talking While Peeing! The last time I heard of such a thing was from my friend Bob Riddley who said a girl that liked him one time flushed the toilet while talking to him and he caught her. I couldn't believe it. If you can't hold it, tell the person you're talking to you will call them back.
I thought that it was an isolated incident until yesterday when I was in the facilities at the mall and a man came in talking on his phone and procede to relieve himself without hanging up.
What conversation can't be interupted for this bodily function? Seriously, they'll wait. You can call them back. Send them a text message. They understand. They can hear the splashing and it grosses them out.
-Gary Milner
It was a clear case of T.W.P. Talking While Peeing! The last time I heard of such a thing was from my friend Bob Riddley who said a girl that liked him one time flushed the toilet while talking to him and he caught her. I couldn't believe it. If you can't hold it, tell the person you're talking to you will call them back.
I thought that it was an isolated incident until yesterday when I was in the facilities at the mall and a man came in talking on his phone and procede to relieve himself without hanging up.
What conversation can't be interupted for this bodily function? Seriously, they'll wait. You can call them back. Send them a text message. They understand. They can hear the splashing and it grosses them out.
-Gary Milner
Friday, December 02, 2005
Falling Down
Tracie and I went to see Harry Potter last night. I really enjoyed it. I have read the book, but couldn't really remember a lot of the details except to know that they cut a lot of the book out of the movie.
After the movie, we started riding the tram home, and Tracie got a little motion sick so we had to hop off after only a few blocks. As we were walking home, we passed a group of people who had just left some sort of function and were waiting for taxis to show up. A few steps beyond them I heard the scraping sound of highheeled shoes on concrete quickly followed by a loud thud of a drunk middle aged woman hitting the ground hard. It wasn't like she was able to catch herself at all like sometimes when you slip on the ice and can save yourself by crouching or ducking or what ever so that you fall a shorter distance. This was the thud of a person who was perpendicular to the ground three feet in the air and went straight down. Like when cartoon character slips on a bananna peel. She didn't get up for a long time. I'm pretty sure that she even cracked her head pretty hard.
One thing that I've noticed about Australia (Perth and Melbourne) is that they really tolerate public drunkeness here a lot. People take their drinks out into the street and there are always lots of drunken people wandering the streets late at night. The main roads are always littered with empties. It's not just the homeless people that drink in public here either. Supposedly respectable people of all ages are stumbling in the streets.
-Gary Milner
After the movie, we started riding the tram home, and Tracie got a little motion sick so we had to hop off after only a few blocks. As we were walking home, we passed a group of people who had just left some sort of function and were waiting for taxis to show up. A few steps beyond them I heard the scraping sound of highheeled shoes on concrete quickly followed by a loud thud of a drunk middle aged woman hitting the ground hard. It wasn't like she was able to catch herself at all like sometimes when you slip on the ice and can save yourself by crouching or ducking or what ever so that you fall a shorter distance. This was the thud of a person who was perpendicular to the ground three feet in the air and went straight down. Like when cartoon character slips on a bananna peel. She didn't get up for a long time. I'm pretty sure that she even cracked her head pretty hard.
One thing that I've noticed about Australia (Perth and Melbourne) is that they really tolerate public drunkeness here a lot. People take their drinks out into the street and there are always lots of drunken people wandering the streets late at night. The main roads are always littered with empties. It's not just the homeless people that drink in public here either. Supposedly respectable people of all ages are stumbling in the streets.
-Gary Milner
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Entertainment in Perth Australia
So I got a blockbuster video account, and I have been renting movies. It's just that going to see movies in the theater here is so expensive $15.00 each. I won't be going again anytime soon. We went to see the Wedding Crashers. It had some funny moments, but were were perplexed by the nudity. I regret spending $30 to see it.
In good movie news, I rented a movie called 'Saints and Soldiers' if you can find it at your local video store I highly recommend seeing it. It is a WW2 movie about recognizing the humanity behind the "enemy" soldiers who are, for the most part, just doing their duty to country. These men have wives, children, fathers and mothers who love them just as much as the families of the soldiers on "our" side.
We also fell for a 10 for 10 deal they have. Let me tell you how hard it is to find not just 10 good movies, but 10 movies that you have any interest in seeing at all. If we ever fall for that deal again, we'll be renting four seasons of a televison show that I really liked the first time we saw it. Maybe 13 seasons of Seinfeld.
I'm working on an interesting post about Australia. It's some guy's master's thesis written in 1959 about Fremantle in the 1850's particularly about bringing convicts to Western Australia. I've got about two wordprocessor sheets full so far and I will be posting one chapter at a time because I don't want to overwhelm anybody with 15 pages of text. Besides that's a lot of typing. I haven't decided if I want to interject comments about the things that I have learned or what I feel the short comings of the thesis are. Suffice it to say that I found it very interesting and that I learned a lot about why they brought convicts to WA and the effect that it had.
Expect it later today where you are. Later tomorrow where I am.
-Gary Milner
In good movie news, I rented a movie called 'Saints and Soldiers' if you can find it at your local video store I highly recommend seeing it. It is a WW2 movie about recognizing the humanity behind the "enemy" soldiers who are, for the most part, just doing their duty to country. These men have wives, children, fathers and mothers who love them just as much as the families of the soldiers on "our" side.
We also fell for a 10 for 10 deal they have. Let me tell you how hard it is to find not just 10 good movies, but 10 movies that you have any interest in seeing at all. If we ever fall for that deal again, we'll be renting four seasons of a televison show that I really liked the first time we saw it. Maybe 13 seasons of Seinfeld.
I'm working on an interesting post about Australia. It's some guy's master's thesis written in 1959 about Fremantle in the 1850's particularly about bringing convicts to Western Australia. I've got about two wordprocessor sheets full so far and I will be posting one chapter at a time because I don't want to overwhelm anybody with 15 pages of text. Besides that's a lot of typing. I haven't decided if I want to interject comments about the things that I have learned or what I feel the short comings of the thesis are. Suffice it to say that I found it very interesting and that I learned a lot about why they brought convicts to WA and the effect that it had.
Expect it later today where you are. Later tomorrow where I am.
-Gary Milner
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Free Movie "Hitch"
Last night I went to rent the movie "Hitch" with my sister Amy and her new husband Adam, and my other sister Becky.
When we got there, ten minutes before close, we were sad to see that all of the copies were gone. We ran out, hoping to catch the next closest video store before it closed. On our way out, we noticed a poster which guaranteed the movie in, or it was free.
We went back in and called them on it. The girl figured there should be one copy left, but printed us a voucher anyway. At that exact moment, Amy came to the counter with a copy in her hand. "We missed it guys...there is a copy"
The reason for the story is to say that the girl let us use our voucher and we got a free movie out of the deal.
Lucky for us because the movie was tolerable at best. At least for me and Gary. Becky liked it. Anyone who goes for the "romantic comedy" genre will probably like it. I like a little suspense in a movie...something out of the ordinary...not mindless boy meets girl - stuff goes wrong - true love prevails.
-Tracie, gives "Hitch" thumbs down.
When we got there, ten minutes before close, we were sad to see that all of the copies were gone. We ran out, hoping to catch the next closest video store before it closed. On our way out, we noticed a poster which guaranteed the movie in, or it was free.
We went back in and called them on it. The girl figured there should be one copy left, but printed us a voucher anyway. At that exact moment, Amy came to the counter with a copy in her hand. "We missed it guys...there is a copy"
The reason for the story is to say that the girl let us use our voucher and we got a free movie out of the deal.
Lucky for us because the movie was tolerable at best. At least for me and Gary. Becky liked it. Anyone who goes for the "romantic comedy" genre will probably like it. I like a little suspense in a movie...something out of the ordinary...not mindless boy meets girl - stuff goes wrong - true love prevails.
-Tracie, gives "Hitch" thumbs down.
Friday, May 06, 2005
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
There's a new movie now showing called the "Kingdom of Heaven". Here's what one critic said about it. He said that a character in the movie told about a time when he was fighting and he got an arrow in the privates, but he fought on in spite of it. The critic said that was the way he too felt just from sitting and watching the movie. That seemed to sum things up pretty nicely.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
The Princess Bride
Two nights ago Gary and I rented The Princess Bride. I must have seen that movie more than 100 times in my life, but it's one of the ones that just gets better with time. There are very few movies that you can say that about. I'm sure that most movies I enjoyed 15 years ago would be pretty lame if I sat down to watch them today.
-Tracie, "No more rhyming now, I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?"
-Tracie, "No more rhyming now, I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?"
Sunday, January 16, 2005
King Arthur
I rented the movie King Arthur the other day. What a disaster. Let me just say that even the characters in the movie were asking themselves, "Why are we fighting?".
Seriously, when the script says, "Why are we fighting?" it should be a clue that your movie has no actual story.
I hate to call any movie a turd parade, but in this case I will make an exception.
-Gary Milner
Seriously, when the script says, "Why are we fighting?" it should be a clue that your movie has no actual story.
I hate to call any movie a turd parade, but in this case I will make an exception.
-Gary Milner
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Babies + Movies = Crappy Times
Gary and I went to a matinee of The Incredibles the other day. Although we enjoy watching movies, we rarely go to the theatre because we just can't seem to bring ourselves to pay $11 each to watch something we may or may not like. Especially when it will come out on DVD in the next few months.
Anyway, I emphasize the money issue because that is all I could think of yesterday as I sat in front of two mothers holding two 5 or 6 month old babies who cooed, fussed or cried the entire time. What on earth are they thinking? We just paid $22 to come see this movie, and you brought a kid who can hardly hold his head up? I realise that it's a kids movie, but babies?
I wasn't just angry with the mothers, although they were clearly idiots, but I was even more angry with Cineplex for letting them in. It seems like movie theatre companies should know that it's a bad idea. That being said, I didn't complain, I just gave them dirty looks, which I don't think will help in the future.
I wonder if the babies got in free?
Anyway, we did enjoy the movie, but I recommend waiting for the DVD if you haven't seen it.
-Tracie, Movie Expert
Anyway, I emphasize the money issue because that is all I could think of yesterday as I sat in front of two mothers holding two 5 or 6 month old babies who cooed, fussed or cried the entire time. What on earth are they thinking? We just paid $22 to come see this movie, and you brought a kid who can hardly hold his head up? I realise that it's a kids movie, but babies?
I wasn't just angry with the mothers, although they were clearly idiots, but I was even more angry with Cineplex for letting them in. It seems like movie theatre companies should know that it's a bad idea. That being said, I didn't complain, I just gave them dirty looks, which I don't think will help in the future.
I wonder if the babies got in free?
Anyway, we did enjoy the movie, but I recommend waiting for the DVD if you haven't seen it.
-Tracie, Movie Expert
Monday, November 08, 2004
BORN RICH
Tracie and I rented a documentary made by the heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune. It was about kids his age who were born rich and what it was like to be born rich.
It was an interesting film. None of the kids really wanted to be in it, they all felt at least a little bit uncomfortable talking about their 100's of millions or multiple billions of dollars.
There were at least two Europeans, one of them was the grandson or great grandson of "the Kaiser". The kid was an ass to say the least. One of his biggest complaints was that in America the first thing everyone asks you when they meet you is 'what do you do?'. Apparently saying nothing is quite embarrassing. He generally says "I'm rich" or "I'm kept" and the person doing the asking is put in their place.
It seemed that a majority of the kids have at least one credit card of their parents, that their parents don't know they have. Which is good, because they don't have to hear complaints about spending $600 on a purse or shoes or whatever.
It brought to mind the post I made about purchasing experiences rather than objects. When you could buy every designer hand bag that you wanted, what is the incremental happiness of getting one more likely to be. How could you possibly enjoy that beyond the instant of actually buying it?
Here are terms more people could indentify with. I love doughnuts. I could afford to buy a dozen doughnuts every day. After the second or third day, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be enjoying them, even if I really like going to Tim Horton's or even the act of buying doughnuts.
The movie falls short of explaining why people don't really like talking about all their money, but Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, came the closest. One time in Australia some guy recognized her and asked her what it was like to never feel pain, to always be happy and have every wish granted. It really hurt her feelings. It turns out rich people have the same problems as everyone else (other than not enough money), only way worse because the have tons of money.
It really seemed that some of them handled the money better than others.
-Gary Milner
It was an interesting film. None of the kids really wanted to be in it, they all felt at least a little bit uncomfortable talking about their 100's of millions or multiple billions of dollars.
There were at least two Europeans, one of them was the grandson or great grandson of "the Kaiser". The kid was an ass to say the least. One of his biggest complaints was that in America the first thing everyone asks you when they meet you is 'what do you do?'. Apparently saying nothing is quite embarrassing. He generally says "I'm rich" or "I'm kept" and the person doing the asking is put in their place.
It seemed that a majority of the kids have at least one credit card of their parents, that their parents don't know they have. Which is good, because they don't have to hear complaints about spending $600 on a purse or shoes or whatever.
It brought to mind the post I made about purchasing experiences rather than objects. When you could buy every designer hand bag that you wanted, what is the incremental happiness of getting one more likely to be. How could you possibly enjoy that beyond the instant of actually buying it?
Here are terms more people could indentify with. I love doughnuts. I could afford to buy a dozen doughnuts every day. After the second or third day, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be enjoying them, even if I really like going to Tim Horton's or even the act of buying doughnuts.
The movie falls short of explaining why people don't really like talking about all their money, but Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, came the closest. One time in Australia some guy recognized her and asked her what it was like to never feel pain, to always be happy and have every wish granted. It really hurt her feelings. It turns out rich people have the same problems as everyone else (other than not enough money), only way worse because the have tons of money.
It really seemed that some of them handled the money better than others.
-Gary Milner
Monday, September 13, 2004
Ladri Di Biciclette
I rented "The Bicycle Thief" from the library today.
Shot in 1948, it is the story of Antonio Ricci. After being unemployed for over two years, Antonio is overjoyed when he's finally given a job putting up posters. There's a catch, though, he needs a bicycle as a requirement of the job, so he pawns the family linen to get his bicycle out of hock. He goes off to his first day's work, truly happy for the first time in years, and the title of the film gives away what happens next.
I found the anticipation of the impending theft quite satisfying. With a title like "The bicycle Thief", you expect the bike to be stolen at any moment. You watch as people walk by and look at the bicycle. You can't help but hope that this person walking by is the one who's going to grab it an make a dash for it.
As much as I liked this movie, there are drawbacks to it. First, it's old, 55 years. In that time, audiences have come to expect a lot from a movie. That being said, this movie is not nearly as bad as a lot of other movies made in first half of the last century, or even made this year. Second it's in Italian, but don't worry it has subtitles. If you don't like subtitles, don't worry the movie has also been dubbed into English.
If you can get it from the library, and you like independant or old movies, this may be for you.
If you think Conan the Barbarian was cinema gold, you probably won't like this movie and you're also an idiot.
-Gary Milner
Shot in 1948, it is the story of Antonio Ricci. After being unemployed for over two years, Antonio is overjoyed when he's finally given a job putting up posters. There's a catch, though, he needs a bicycle as a requirement of the job, so he pawns the family linen to get his bicycle out of hock. He goes off to his first day's work, truly happy for the first time in years, and the title of the film gives away what happens next.
I found the anticipation of the impending theft quite satisfying. With a title like "The bicycle Thief", you expect the bike to be stolen at any moment. You watch as people walk by and look at the bicycle. You can't help but hope that this person walking by is the one who's going to grab it an make a dash for it.
As much as I liked this movie, there are drawbacks to it. First, it's old, 55 years. In that time, audiences have come to expect a lot from a movie. That being said, this movie is not nearly as bad as a lot of other movies made in first half of the last century, or even made this year. Second it's in Italian, but don't worry it has subtitles. If you don't like subtitles, don't worry the movie has also been dubbed into English.
If you can get it from the library, and you like independant or old movies, this may be for you.
If you think Conan the Barbarian was cinema gold, you probably won't like this movie and you're also an idiot.
-Gary Milner
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