Happy Birthday Sir Sean Connery!
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Wednesday Open Thread
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Scott Pilgrim mini-review (SPOILERS):
–Eric nailed it, Michael Cera plays Michael Cera. His was cast because he was a “name,” which is to say he was miscast in the role. He doesn’t have the weight of presence to carry the film and its the supporting actors that provide the chemistry.
–The movie has a lot of fun elements, overshadowed by painful scenes of Scott’s (Cera’s) embarrassment as he deals with various obstacles. These scenes, I think, are made more painful by Cera’s performance, nut they’re also drawn out too long.
–The humor is sometimes *too* “West Coast” and Hipster-centric. For instance, one of the seven evil exes has psychic powers derived from the fact that he’s a vegan. It’s funny, sort of, but it doesn’t resonate.
–The I-don’t-give-a-sh** attitude of his friends–manifesting in a tongue-in-cheek cowardice–wears thin. That it’s suddenly turned around near the end of the third act with Scott quickly resolving old mistakes is cheap.
–What ultimately sours the film, for me, is that when Scott enters the final battle with the ex who assembled all the other evil exes, motivated by his love for Ramona, he looses the battle, dies and then comes to an epiphany. He then restarts (he had gained an extra life in a previous battle, due to the whole video game conceit) and gets stronger because he is no longer fighting for Ramona, but rather for himself and his self-respect. It’s totally bass-ackwards; a warmed over 80s self-help message. It’s when we have something worth fighting for, outside of ourselves, that we gain self-respect.
Cera as Cera is just part of the problem of too many TV actors (and to a large degree with guys like Will Ferrell being Will “Man Child” Ferrell in seemingly every movie he makes) coasting on the schtick which made them TV stars, and striking out at the box office. Who wants to pay 10-20 bucks to see “Rachel Green,” “Michael Bluth” or “Chanandler Bong” when you can for free in syndication?
The character of Scott was pretty much a whiny dick…it’s hard to see how anyone would be that attracted to him. It’s funny that “Blades” comes to the decision she does at the end of the movie, the only realistic thing we see actually.
It was sorta funny and stylistically it was very well done. Visually it was really interesting. But I agree with you about Mister Cera.
The male contingent of the Little Fireflies really enjoyed it, as did their male, teen-aged friends. Based on the scenes I hear them recounting, and lines I hear them crib’bing, they got a kick out of the absurd situations. We do not live on the West Coast and the Vegan character really cracked them up. They had not read the books prior to seeing the movie, but are reading them now. Oh, also, no surprise, but the gay roommate also cracked them up.
Always hated the Washington Redskins,but I feel for those guys when I read about that blubberbutt slacker Albert Haynesworth(less). As a guy on ESPN said, Lil’ Al probably feels just peachy when he goes to pick up his check!Well,he’s crossed Mike Shanahan,a gent whom I would definitely hesitate to cross.
Scott Pilgrim did not look interesting to me at all. And with $23m at the box office as of Monday that appears to be the attitude of many.
Also, at least one other conservative commenter agrees with about Expendables as garbage, although I think he takes it too easy on the film.
http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/its-official-jolies-salt-beat-stallones-expendables-at-the-box-office/
And the first comment and response:
hailstate says:
August 16, 2010 at 11:24 AM
Yes, but was the Expendables anti-American? Anti-CIA movie troupes have been around much longer than the current trend of anti-pro-American action films. Given the choice, I would much rather see a film with one bad, ex-CIA agent than one where the “bad guy” is the American system.
BTW, did you have a problem w/ Clear and Present Danger? That had a working intelligence official as a baddie.
Reply
Jason Apuzzo says:
August 16, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Hell yes it’s anti-American, Hail, to send a movie around the globe right now depicting the CIA as drug dealers and waterboarding torturers! Do I really need to explain that?! Especially when we’re trying to clean out the drug trade in Afghanistan!
You’re blinded by Stallone. If Matt Damon had made a movie with the exact same villain you’d probably be furious.
As far as Clear and Present I’d have to go back and see that one because it’s been a while.
EXPENDABLES was a fun film. But there are better ways to spend my time. Like watching BUFFY, FIREFLY, or one of the STARGATE shows. (All good!)
Plus Happy Birthday to my favorite Russian with a Scots accent!
Also an Egyptian with a Scots accent. Who palled around with a Scot with a Swiss accent. Ah Hollywood!
Or or or Barbary Pirate with a Scots accent. How can anyone forget the Wind and the Lion…and his greatest line in that film
You are a grreat deal of trouble Mrs. Petakaris.
What a great movie. Was any star more lovely than Candace Bergen? Has anyone played a US President better than Brian Keith?
Yessh, shir. Some thingsh, of coursh, do not react well to bulletsh.
Hard to believe Connery is 80. Happy birthday to the best Bond and co-star to Tippi Hedren in one of my least favorite Hitchcock movies.
I just read that Melanie Griffith with be at the Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota, which I will also be attending at the beginning of October, to accept a Scandinavian-American award on behalf of her mother, Tippi Hedren.
I do not expect to meet her. But I did know some of her relatives, growing up.
Might be time to make your move, Lars. She is probably tired of that Spaniard anyway.
Not so sure that’s a good idea, Tink. She has not aged well at all.
Sssh, Jimmy. Lars has never bragges about his eyesight and paperbags are easy to come by.
I have no particular desire to meet her. We have nothing in common, and as Jimmy C noted, she has actually slid down near my level, attraction-wise.
That’s crazy talk, Lars. Expect to meet her, man. You knew relatives, your ultimate in … aside from sleeping with Tippi I suppose.
Can you think of any activity “whiter” than frisbee golf? I certainly can’t.
Bowling?
Fuuuuuuuuuuuck you.
In your homeland no less.
Uh oh. Rufus I think you hit a nerve.
The only equally white activity we could think of was hacky sack but that is almost hippie exclusive and I don’t know that hippies qualify as humans.
Polka dancing.
Accounting?
Curling?
Being Prime Minister of Canada?
How about just being Canadian?
What about corn hole? WAIT! It’s not what you think.
Here’s a definition courtesy of Wikipedia: “Cornhole (tailgate toss, bean bag toss, baggo, dbags, or bags) is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing cornhole bags (cotton duck bags filled with feed corn) at a raised platform with a hole in the far end.”
I played it once and understand the strange appeal. I just can’t get past the name. It does seem to have a very strong following in Ohio among what elites would call hillbillies, hill jacks and rednecks…you know, crackers.
Oh my gosh. I was at a wedding recently where the family loved this so much they had set up a half dozen or so wedding-theme decorated games.
Veruckt is getting his corn hole sets ready as we speak, I’m sure. Skip, did you play?
Someone recently told me they enjoyed the game because it’s similar to horseshoes but doesn’t involve the work with setting up a horseshoe game. That made corn hole madness understandable to me.
I’m sure some of the appeal is that anyone can make a set very cheaply. It’s almost a cottage industry in these parts. You don’t have to go buy an officially licensed set or equipment.
I was pretty drunk. But I’m fairly certain I did.
We were just talking about cornholing earlier. There is a cornhole festival this weekend in Thompson Station and I’m afraid it’s going to confuse members of the gay community.
Ah, so it’s spread to Tennessee.
I played that here in Connecticut this summer. I wasn’t told what it was called.
It has a peculiar appeal, doesn’t it? Yes, the name is unfortunate and it’s better to not be told.
Sure…Knoxville is known as “Little San Francisco!”
Badminton.
College Widow, please get Tink a cookie.
Horseshoes
Cow-chip tossing
Cookie (virtually) on the way!
Thank you, CW! My favorites are oatmeal with chocolate chips & walnuts, sugar cookies with frosting and chocolate double ginger. Please keep Pretty Boy Floyd away from the virtual kitchen – he has cow chips in his comment.
Uncle Toms!
That link is hilarious! Glad to see the last, great color barrier has finally been crossed. Somewhere Jackie Robinson smiles!
Remember I said I was guest blogging? I had the wrong day. Link. It’s a guest post for L. Jagi Lamplighter’s blog.
This is good. My only suggestion would be adding examples (this isn’t possible for every point, but you could do it for some of the chief points) in order to follow your own advice to “show, not tell.”
Damn it. Another comment in the spam trp.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has a press release out today highlighting a study due for publishing in Science tomorrow with evidence claiming the main reason for the rapid decline in oil from the Gulf spill is do to microbes.
Another reason to love oil. Amazing!
Is there a Bowling Hall of Fame? Got to be in Ohio.
Cornholing Hall of Fame is in Georgia…WEEEEE!!!!
I thought corn holing was illegal in Georgia or am I thinking of the wrong thing again?
Squeal, Ned!
Because you knew it was going to be Fritz who said it…
I am not gay. I’m just very happy!