Third Eye Film Society ~ View topic

Author

Message

< Third Eye Film Forums ~ Couch With A View

Joe Vitus

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:46 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 14498 Location: Houston

I find Ren and Stimpy completely unfunny. Probably because everyone I knew went on and on about it long before I got a chance to see it (and they seemed very big on explaining that it was only a few early episodes that were really funny—once it came to the later, more widely seen ones, suddenly it wasn't so great). When I finally saw it, the show couldn't live up to my expectations. But I also think, as one of the first cartoons to use adolescent humor ("Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence"), it was surprising in a way that's pretty typical now.

_________________
You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.

-Topher

billyweeds

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:35 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

Random notes:

Gromit's further comments on Orson Welles underscore the similarity between the characterization of Darrow (Welles) in Compulsion and Darrow (Tracy) in Inherit the Wind. Both Darrows are ultimately motivated to amend their strong atheistic (or agnostic) attitudes through their connection with the separate trials.

That said, I must say I much prefer Welles's Darrow to Tracy's. Welles makes the guy much edgier, much less likeable, much more (I suspect) the way he was in real life.

And that said, I still prefer Paul Muni's Broadway performance in Inherit the Wind to either one of the above--or indeed to most performances I've seen in my lifetime. If I could go back in time and see three performances again, they would be Muni in Inherit the Wind, Alfred Lunt in The Visit, and (most and first of all) Ethel Merman in Gypsy. I'm just lucky to have seen them at all.

More about Compulsion: IMO Richard Fleischer (the director) used wide screen as well as I've ever seen it used.

And, yes, Joe (and what a memory you have, sir!), it was me (I?) who talked about my daughter's admiration for Michelle Williams's performance in Dick. (Must say her talent had eluded me.) I share Harry's underwhelmed attitude toward the (IMO) overpraised Kirsten Dunst. She's a good actress, but nothing like the quintessential screen icon she is sometimes posited as.

billyweeds

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:58 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

Joe--Your experience with Ren and Stimpy (which btw is almost exactly the same as my own) illustrates one of the Ten Immutable Laws of Nature:

If you have been badgering a friend to see a certain series on television and he/she has been resisting seeing it, and you keep talking it up, and he/she finally sees it, the episode he/she finally sees will inevitably be the worst episode to date.

jeremy

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:18 am

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 6794 Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)

Quote:

She [Kirsten Dunst] is a good actress, but nothing like the quintessential screen icon she is sometimes posited as.

She’s no Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchette, Helen Mirren…actually there’s few actresses I don’t like. I will take a lot of persuading to pay to see a film starring J-Lo, Katherine Zeta Jones or Demi Moore, say, but generally, unless an actress’s perfomance jars or otherwise take me out of the film, I tend not to notice it that much, at least not to the extent that some seem to here. Hopefully, I will be to wrapped up in the film to invest any mental effort in analysing how people are doing.

Also, like many who swarm the world’s multiplexes, I tend to give actresses more lee-way if they are likeable or fanciable. I tend to be very forgiving with the likes of Julia Roberts or Winona Ryder just because I enjoy their company. I guess I’m a sucker for a star name or the promise of sex. What do I remember of Kirsten Dunst’s performance in The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: her jumping up and down on the bed in her underwear.

_________________
I am angry, I am ill, and I'm as ugly as sin.
My irritability keeps me alive and kicking.
I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit.
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it.

jeremy

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:04 am

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 6794 Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)

Films should not be totally devoted to their conceit. Even the worthiest of the worthies can be made more palatable by a scene or a moment that creates angles and textures. And for more run-of-the-mill productions something to spike the viewers interests can work wonders...Naomi Watts spanking her hot spot in Mullholland Drive…Mrs Robinson seducing a young Dustin Hoffman...Selma Hayek in a corset in The Wild, Wild, Wild West…Winona Ryder on a hot date in her mother’s dress in Mermaids…though not miracles.

dlhavard

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:22 am

Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1352 Location: Detroit (where the slow are run over)

Linda Fiorentino and Ben Affleck, talking on the train, not knowing who the other is, in Dogma.

Sleepless in Seattle, the wife talking about An Affair to Remember and the guys make fun of her by sobbing over The Dirty Dozen.

"And his parachute doesn't open......." "Oh, stop, (sob) oh. stop."

_________________
"We have a slight apocalypse."

Trish

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:25 am

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2438 Location: Massachusetts

ehle64 wrote:

I haven't seen Hard Candy, but am a fan of The Kids In The Hall's Brain Candy (even though it's a stupid, bad film).

(fortunately or unfortunately) sometimes those stupid and bad films can be rather entertaining (Does that make us stupid and bad?)

Trish

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:28 am

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2438 Location: Massachusetts

Melody wrote:

Harry, don't give up on Kirsten Dunst until you see Dick, where she and an equally wonderful Michelle Williams are teenagers who meet and fall in love with Nixon. It's hilarious and one of my favorites. Cool soundtrack, too! Dan Hedaya plays a mean Nixon.

Ooh I forgot about that film - thanks for mentioning it - its very funny

Trish

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:31 am

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2438 Location: Massachusetts

dlhavard wrote:

Linda Fiorentino and Ben Affleck, talking on the train, not knowing who the other is, in Dogma.

YES!! you noticed how good that was - Ben was quite good in that film - his climatic scene was actually quite moving

whiskeypriest

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:35 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 6916 Location: "It's a Dry Heat."

jeremy wrote:

Greta Scacchi bursting from a Santa Claus suit in an explosion of feathers in Coca Cola Kid.... Boy does that scene, er, "spike my interest."

_________________
I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed?

Syd

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:23 am

Site Admin Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 12929 Location: Norman, Oklahoma

whiskeypriest wrote:

jeremy wrote:

Greta Scacchi bursting from a Santa Claus suit in an explosion of feathers in Coca Cola Kid.... Boy does that scene, er, "spike my interest."

Amen.

_________________
Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter!

chillywilly

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:40 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 8251 Location: Salt Lake City

Watched two movies recently.

Syriana. Great cast and the story was good, but there were parts of the movie that were hard to follow. It reminded me of The Constant Gardner, but I found TCG was more enjoyable.

This wasn't to say that performances in Syriana weren't good. George Clooney and Matt Damon were great, especially so during the torture scenes and at the very end with the caravan of vehicles.

She's The Man. This one was chosen by my fiance. For some reason she really wanted to see this film. It was ok, but it was a chick flick.... but not the emotional kind... more like the fun kind. I don't remember seeing Amanda Bynes in previous movies, but I really didn't get into the film until towards the end. This reminded me of the movie Bring It On, but I enjoyed that movie more than this one.

Next on my list.... Closer and Kissing On The Mouth.

_________________
Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend"

Trish

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:21 pm

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2438 Location: Massachusetts

for some reason you keep putting off seeing Closer

chillywilly

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:56 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 8251 Location: Salt Lake City

Trish wrote:

for some reason you keep putting off seeing Closer

Trust me, it's not intentional. It is a non-rental movie (belongs to my daughter), so there's no rush to get it back on time. The Netflix movies that my fiance wanted to watch tend to take priority.

But I'm going to try to sit down before the weekend and watch Closer. I really do want to see it.

If it were on my iPod or PSP, I would have watched it already. Just haven't converted it to that format.

_________________
Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend"

Trish

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:35 pm

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2438 Location: Massachusetts

why would you see a film for the first time on a ipod? not exactly an ideal viewing screen

All times are GMT - 5 Hours

View next topic View previous topic Page 1002 of 2427 Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 ... 1001, 1002, 1003 ... 2425, 2426, 2427 Next Third Eye Film Society Forum Index ~ Third Eye Film Forums

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum