most boring, pointless film
Carter Lupton
Michael O'Brien,,, (mik...@charger.newhaven.edu) wrote:
: What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
: A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
: comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
: 90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
: on the writer's mind?
My wife and her mother felt that way about The Piano.
TBenton933
By a wide margin "Scenes from a Marriage." Saw it on a date and by the
end both me and my date were comotose.
Tom Benton
GARYW BW
Babette's Feast, with Chariots of Fire a close second.
Michael O'Brien,,,
What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
on the writer's mind?
My vote would be for Altman's 3 women, or Roeg's "Don't Look Now."
--
Michael O'Brien, mik...@charger.newhaven.edu
University of New Haven
106 Brownell St., New Haven, CT 06511
You have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
lsmills
"Z", The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Trainspotting and Three Women-
YAWN!!!!!
Kent Parks
: A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
: comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
: 90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
: on the writer's mind?
:
: My vote would be for Altman's 3 women, or Roeg's "Don't Look Now."
3 Women is brilliant, but you have to watch it about 3 times before you
realize that.
Kent Parks
"Safe" starring Julianne Moore
T.Cruise
"The Misfits" I wanted to like this film, because of of the stellar
cast, the author, the director, and the history of the production.
Unfortunately, it's ponderous, rambling, verbose, and a bore.
T.Cruise
Chris
Michael O'Brien,,, wrote:
>
> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
> A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
> comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
> 90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
> on the writer's mind?
Forrest Gump, definitely.
Stig Oppedal
The Norwegian movie "Kristin Lavransdatter" (1995), based on the Nobel
Prize winning book by Sigrid Undset, directed by - ugh! - Liv Ullmann.
2h 45m of sheer boredom and undescribable mediocrity, before a rather
good finale that lasted 15 minutes.
A few months ago I dreamt I was in a movie theater, and upon realizing
that "Kristin Lavransdatter" was on the screen I got out of my seat and
said "There's no way I'm going to watch this again - I want another
dream!" (and the next instant I was dodging bulls in Pamplona, which was
much preferable).
---Stig
Irena Pogarcic
In article <5jjgml$90l$3...@fddinewz.oit.unc.edu>, Kent Parks
<pa...@news.unc.edu> writes
>
>"Safe" starring Julianne Moore
I personaly liked 'Safe' very much, but it isn't a film with universal
appeal.
Films that I have found most pointless were 'Zabriskie Point' and most
recently 'Beyond the Clouds', both by Michelangelo Antonioni.
Nic Roeg's 'Walkabout' also comes to mind.
--
Irena Pogarcic
Doug Milsome
How about CRASH....with all the perversity, and so-called lotsa sex, I
almost fell asleep....probably Cronenberg's point but he is no Kubrick
Mark E. Smith
In article <5jitm4$2...@babyblue.cs.yale.edu>,
mik...@charger.newhaven.edu (Michael O'Brien,,,) wrote:
> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you
> ever saw?
I'll think of more later, but the one that leaps to mind is A
PASSAGE TO INDIA.
--
Mark E. Smith <msm...@tfs.net>
Steve Reed
mik...@charger.newhaven.edu (Michael O'Brien,,,) writes:
>What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
>A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
>comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
>90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
>on the writer's mind?
For me, it's one of the most monumental wastes of talent ever perpetrated:
"The War of the Roses," starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, directed
by Danny DeVito.
A pointless exercise in nihilism. I waited, and waited, to get any kind of
focus to WHY these characters were intent on destroying each other. It finally
became clear: This was destruction for the sheer comic "value" of destruction.
It wore me out. It was such a polished, technically well-done black pearl of
nihilism that I had to stay to the end. I didn't walk out (as I've only done
with two films-in-the-cinema in my life, Jerry Lewis's "The Family Jewels" and
Chevy Chase's "Funny Farm"). It was too horrifying a waste to ignore, since
I'd sunk my $7 into it already.
= = = = = New email address! = = = = =
Steve Reed ... Stev...@earthling.net
Piece of Sky Consulting
Fine Typography and Windows(R) Support
Reverie01
Cries and Whispers. Those Swedish films must lose something in the
translation.
Chris
_________________________________________
"Instant gratification takes too long"
Vozhd
Recent contenders would include CHAPLIN (1992), WYATT EARP
(1994), and STRIPTEASE (1996). Foreign films must go a ways to match LAST
YEAR AT MARIENBAD.
VOZHD
"Harm my flesh, and you will deal with the dead!"
- Mako, CONAN THE BARBARIAN
William Sakovich
"Wise Blood" directed by John Huston. This would probably take the
award as the most boring pointless film, directed by a famous
director, and fawned over by the critics anyway.
- Bill Sakovich (sako...@gol.com)
Gene Bohot
> >What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
>
> "The War of the Roses," starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, directed
> by Danny DeVito.
Steve; I hate to disagree with you, but I was surprised you did not care
for three of the funniest movies I have seen. I guess my taste in movies
may be a little warped, but I would nominate for "worst waste of time";
a) Most movies that have won an Academy Award.
b) Most 'art' or foreign movies.
c) "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" with Taylor and Burton.
Anyway, I guess differences of opinion are what makes for good horse
races. I happen to like mindless slapstick; hang the depth of meaning.
"Bring on more of the Marx Brothers".
Gene Bohot
vjmorton
Much as I dislike The Piano (already named), and Blue Velvet and
Natural-Born Killers, I don't think these are boring and pointless
exactly, just smug, arbitrary, ill-thought-out and other faults. Among
English-language films, I pick the film I saw last night -- The
Daytrippers. A tortured conceit leading to a weary slog through tiresome
characters in pointless episodes; a "surprise" twist ending that I saw
coming in the first reel; several scenes left out of the third act; an
ending so chic in its pointed pointlessness; and an overall unhealthy
attitude toward life. To turn Gene Siskel's phrase, I don't expect to
see a worse film this year.
For non-English films, I have to go with my favorite art-house frauds --
Robert Bresson's L'Argent and Andrei Tarkovsky's Mirror.
And finally, a POX on those who named Cries and Whispers, Scenes From A
Marriage and Babette's Feast earlier in this thread!!! ;-)
Union Films
Weekend, the French film by whoever (was it Godard???) A twenty minute
pan downa traffic jam is not my idea of fun.
Calender. Egan Atomyan (not spelt right that I think) Something to do
with a man going on lots of dates in Canada and shooting some photos in
some ex-Russian republic. It might have meant something to the director
but left me baffled.
Geraint
FireMagik
> >comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
> >90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
> >on the writer's mind?
>
> "The War of the Roses," starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, directed
> by Danny DeVito.
>
> focus to WHY these characters were intent on destroying each other. It finally
> became clear: This was destruction for the sheer comic "value" of destruction.
>
> It wore me out. It was such a polished, technically well-done black pearl of
> nihilism that I had to stay to the end.
I completely agree with you about this film. It was painful to watch,
yet I stayed to the end.
F
Christina Stanley
On Thu, 24 Apr 1997 02:27:04 -0700, Gene Bohot <gbcu...@aviastar.net>
wrote:
>> >What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
>>
>> For me, it's one of the most monumental wastes of talent ever perpetrated:
>> "The War of the Roses," starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, directed
>> by Danny DeVito.
>
>c) "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" with Taylor and Burton.
>
Hi--I just wanna point out that these two movies are essentially the
same--both of the screen duos are infamous for their self-absorbtion,
and these movies are exercises in scenery shredding...this is your
standard "Look at the scope of my acting abilities" role for all of
them.
I do think De Vito's directing in "War..." was passable.
Christina
50% Mary, 50% Rhoda
Mesmer
Michael O'Brien,,, (mik...@charger.newhaven.edu) wrote:
: What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
: A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
: comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
: 90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
: on the writer's mind?
: My vote would be for Altman's 3 women, or Roeg's "Don't Look Now."
Beyond a shadow of a doubt: Four Rooms with Tim Roth, utterly putrid BS!
.....just bumping along...
Mesmer....docile, loyal and prone to skittishness....
DBCx
"My Dinner with Andre" certainly ought to rate up there at the top of this
list. Where was the dessert?
sd...@netcom.ca
Steve Reed wrote:
> For me, it's one of the most monumental wastes of talent ever perpetrated:
> "The War of the Roses," starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, directed
> by Danny DeVito.
>
> focus to WHY these characters were intent on destroying each other. It finally
> became clear: This was destruction for the sheer comic "value" of destruction.
>
> It wore me out. It was such a polished, technically well-done black pearl of
> with two films-in-the-cinema in my life, Jerry Lewis's "The Family Jewels" and
> Chevy Chase's "Funny Farm"). It was too horrifying a waste to ignore, since
> I'd sunk my $7 into it already.
It's called "black comedy" and/or satire.
And don't worry, many people just don't 'get it'. Personally, I loved
"Roses". So dark, so funny. But I hated (really, really, REALLY hated)
"Mars Attacks!". But usually when I reveal this, some people insist
that I just don't 'get it'. Hmmm...
And I have only walked out of one movie: "Oscar" with Sylvester
Stallone. Well, technically, I drove out, since it was the second
feature at a drive-in. (I should have known. When I read that Sly
Stallone and eminent auteur John Landis were collaborating on a remake
of a French bedroom farce, I thought to myself, "Must see cinema!" But
I have almost always disappointed when two geniuses collide.)
Although I did not walk out of it, I know that I fell asleep during
"Gandhi", because I missed World War 2. I wasn't even aware that I had
slept until somebody in the film mentioned the war ending two years
earlier and I thought (once again, to myself), "What war?!?"
Steve Wellington
OptechForklift Training, Inc.
> >A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
> >comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
> >90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
> >on the writer's mind?
>
_Duel_, definitely. One of (or maybe the) Stephen Spielberg's first.
What could he have been thinking? Worse yet, we saw it in school, with
no prior explanation of what would appear on the screen.
A close second, _The 'Burbs_.
FireMagik
sd...@netcom.ca wrote:
>
> Steve Reed wrote:
> > For me, it's one of the most monumental wastes of talent ever perpetrated:
> > "The War of the Roses," starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, directed
> > by Danny DeVito.
> >
> > A pointless exercise in nihilism. I waited, and waited, to get any kind of
> > focus to WHY these characters were intent on destroying each other. It finally
> > became clear: This was destruction for the sheer comic "value" of destruction.
> >
> > It wore me out. It was such a polished, technically well-done black pearl of
> > nihilism that I had to stay to the end.
<snip>
> It's called "black comedy" and/or satire.
>
> And don't worry, many people just don't 'get it'. Personally, I loved
> "Roses". So dark, so funny. But I hated (really, really, REALLY hated)
> "Mars Attacks!". But usually when I reveal this, some people insist
> that I just don't 'get it'. Hmmm...
> Steve Wellington
Actually, I did 'get it'. I just didn't think 'it' was funny. Just a
matter of personal taste.
F
Vincent G. Macek
OptechForklift Training wrote:
<<..._Duel_, definitely. One of (or maybe the) Stephen Spielberg's
school, with no prior explanation of what would appear on the
screen.>>
I dunno; I got into this film quickly. One of those horror stories
that are scary because they're realistic. I'm living in a city where
people get shot because they're blocking traffic.
VMacek
Philip Tone
Vozhd wrote:
>
> Recent contenders would include CHAPLIN (1992), WYATT EARP
> (1994), and STRIPTEASE (1996). Foreign films must go a ways to match LAST
> YEAR AT MARIENBAD.
any film must go a long way to match LYAM. the quintessential boring
film.
the toner
reese
i nominate "bed of roses." while all the flowers were nice to look at,
the movie was in desperate need of a real plot.
vjmorton
Union Films <u...@soton.ac.uk> wrote:
>Weekend, the French film by whoever (was it Godard???) A twenty minute
>pan downa traffic jam is not my idea of fun.
Wow ... coming to the defense of Godard and Resnais in the same thread.
I'm not sure why Geraint thought the traffic jam was supposed to be
"fun." First of all, as a technical exercise it's breathtaking (although
it is "only" about 7 minutes), like watching a man walk a tightrope, "he
can't go on like this ... can he?" Second, it universalizes the satire
of car ownership that the film follows from the beginning. In that
single take, we see all the classes of society, all the uses and
diversions of cars, of life and their casual cruelty. We also see the
couple push their way to the front of the jam. Lastly, if there was any
Godard film that was any fun, it was this one. I laughed out loud at the
fight between the two bourgeois and their cars that becomes a gunfight.
It was surreal. The plot to bump off grandma was preposterous and theior
seriousness meant you laughed twice. Godard's speechifying didn't start
until near the end and by that time, he's undercut it all with this
surreal satire. All in all, this was a marvelous picture, and this
confirming from a dyed-in-the-wool Godard loather.
Victor
vjmorton
ST YEAR AT MARIENBAD.
>
>any film must go a long way to match LYAM. the quintessential boring
>film.
>
>the toner
Actually, much as I hate to say this, Last Year at Marienbad is not Alain Resnais' most boring, most pointless film. I will give tha=
t title to Hiroshima, Mon Amour. LYAM, though it is a bad film, one of the most preposterous ever and anyone who takes it seriously =
is a fool, I've almost started to love to hate it. By the third time I saw it, I had learned to laugh at its subject matter, solemn =
pretensions and style and almost to admire the cinematography and art direction just for themselves. Seeing it drunk (but not fit-sh=
aced) also helps.
Think of it as the art-house post-modern masterpiece ... the Plan 9 From Outer Space for intellectuals. ;-)
Victor
roger
crumb
--
http://www.every-era.com ro...@every-era.com
Corporations don't lie, cheat, and steal. People do.
dam...@panix.com
Superman III
and
Rocky Mountain
were pointless.
Ricky Cheatwood
dam...@panix.com (dam...@panix.com) wrote:
>Superman III
>and
>Rocky Mountain
Sister Act 2 - absolutely worthless
Ricky Cheatwood
xstr...@iwl.net
Tom Miller
My top contenders:
"My Dinner With Andre" - I would have started ordered drano with a
wood alcohol chaser if I was ever stuck in a dinner with a pretentious
blowhard like Andre.
"Bliss" - the Australian film from a dozen years or so ago - not the
new one, which I haven't seen.
"Antonia's Line" - At least I discovered how boring it was to watch
stoicism personified for two hours.
Tom Miller
Jack Heraty
"My Dinner With Andre". Did anyone besides Siskel and Ebert really
like this movie?
"Something Wild". Excruciating, with the always excruciating Melanie
Griffith.
"Striptease". 'Nuff said.
"Scrooged". Totally unfunny.
"Buddy Buddy", the low point of the careers of Jack Lemmon and Walter
Matthau.
"Neighbors". The low point of the careers of John Belushi and Dan
Aykroyd.
Anything by John Hughes featuring the "Brat Pack", with "The Breakfast
Club" leading the way.
--
Jack Heraty
My real address is "sprack at ix.netcom.com"
remove the "killspam" to reply by e-mail
The movies are great medicine/
Thank you, Thomas Edison/
For giving us The Best Years of Our Lives
- The Statler Brothers
Steve Tedder
In article <5jitm4$2...@babyblue.cs.yale.edu>, mik...@charger.newhaven.edu
(Michael O'Brien,,,) wrote:
> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
Got to be "On Golden Pond".
HBF
DBCx wrote:
>
> "My Dinner with Andre" certainly ought to rate up there at the top of this
> list. Where was the dessert?
Personally, "Barton Fink" I sat in the theater with my mouth open the
whole time (and not from eating popcorn) I was stupefied by the whole
thing.
Ron
For my wife and I it was _'The_English_Patient_' We know, we know...
all those Oscars... so what? We felt cheated out of time and money and I
must say we didnt hear any raves from the other theater goers that
night. It went all over the place, had too many subplots and no
sympathetic characters. In short, it sucked.
Shambler
Daniel M Iannarelli wrote:
>
> n article <3360DF...@voicenet.com>, "OptechForklift Training, Inc."
> <opt...@voicenet.com> writes
> >> >comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
Jack. What the hell was Robin Williams doing in a piece of shit like
that?
Robert Birchard
Michael O'Brien,,, wrote:
>
> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
> A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
> comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
> 90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
>
> My vote would be for Altman's 3 women, or Roeg's "Don't Look Now."
Point, The Damned, The Shining, The Color Purple (the film, not the
book), Amadaeus (the film, not the play), Zachariah: The First Electric
Western, The Strawberry Statement, Medium Cool, Magnificent Obsession,
Rancho DeLuxe, Return to Oz, Ragtime (the film, not the book), Ziegfeld
Follies, Lost in the Stratosphere, How to Make a Monster, Limelight . .
.
--
Bob Birchard
bbir...@earthlink.net
http://www.mdle.com/ClassicFilms/Guest/birchard.htm
Daniel M Iannarelli
n article <3360DF...@voicenet.com>, "OptechForklift Training, Inc."
<opt...@voicenet.com> writes
>
>Steve Reed wrote:
>>
>> mik...@charger.newhaven.edu (Michael O'Brien,,,) writes:
>>
>> >A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
>> >comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
>> >90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
>> >on the writer's mind?
>>
>What could he have been thinking? Worse yet, we saw it in school, with
>no prior explanation of what would appear on the screen.
I strongly disagree. On the contrary, the movie 'Duel' DID INDEED have a
'point'. I consider this film to be an excellent exercise or study in
psychology between the personalities of both the Dennis Weaver character
and his uninvited tormentor...but particularly that of the former.
The psychological fencing between these two adversaries gives us food
for thought as to what each of us could or would do under similar
circumstances. However, this does not apply only to the depicted
scenario, but also to any everyday scenario we may find ourselves in.
Consider our business lives, personal lives, politics and any other
aspect of living and dealing with others that you care to mention.
Aren't we all, in most cases, continually trying to establish a superior
role through the sometimes subconscious art of 'one-upmanship'?
We constantly all go through negotiation processes in our contact with
other people. Okay, the 'Duel' scenario was a bit extreme - but, believe
me, there are a lot of nutters out there. What would you do if you met
one? What if one decided to mark you as a target for his/her own vicious
sadistic pleasure? It is very interesting to note that this is exactly
what has happened to the Weaver character in 'Duel'. Look at both his
actions and reactions to his changing circumstances as the film
progresses. His personality traverses anger, hatred, fear, apprehension,
concern, nonchalance, panic, bravado, despair, hope, relief...and
umpteen other emotional changes.
I sincerely think that this film can teach us a-hell-of-a-lot about
ourselves and the way in which we conduct and apply ourselves to
everyday life.
--
Daniel M Iannarelli
Edinburgh, Scotland
I wonder
Bob Martin wrote:
>
> mik...@charger.newhaven.edu (Michael O'Brien,,,) wrote:
>
> > What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
> >A movie where you spent 2 hours waiting for something interesting or
> >comprehensible to happen, and it never did?
>
> Carter (I still can't believe Kenneth Branagh gave up Emma Thompson for
> HBC!!!).
>
> I also thought "The Garden of the Fitzi-Continis" was pretty tedious as
> well. I for one was happy to see the whole family marched off to a death
> camp simply because they were such bad actors.
>
> And I know I'll step on some toes here, but Mr. Tarantino manages to bore
> me to tears even with all the gore and violence.
>
> Bob Martin
>
> "Have you tried 22 tonight? I said, 22."
Casino Royale
Bob Martin
Daryl Mok
"Barcelona"
The two main characters who were brothers were just about the most
boring protagonists I have ever seen in a film. I was so glad when they
shot the irritating one (too bad he didn't die.. :)
Daryl
TBenton933
I agree. If I can't stand the characters, I am not really going to care
what happens to them. Making the movie long just prolonged my agony.
Tom Benton
SpSimba
Daryl Mok <dary...@pacific.net.sg> writes in response to the above
subject:
>"Barcelona"
I second this choice. I clapped when they shot bastard. One of the
single most irritating movies I've ever seen.
Tom Miller
Daryl Mok <dary...@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
>"Barcelona"
>The two main characters who were brothers were just about the most
>boring protagonists I have ever seen in a film. I was so glad when they
>shot the irritating one (too bad he didn't die.. :)
Actually, I loved this film and dearly wish Whit Stillman would make
movies more often. But I'm a big fan of great dialogue.
Tom Miller
Jesper Lauridsen
Philip Tone <p...@uconx.com> writes:
>Vozhd wrote:
>>
>> Recent contenders would include CHAPLIN (1992), WYATT EARP
>> (1994), and STRIPTEASE (1996). Foreign films must go a ways to match LAST
>> YEAR AT MARIENBAD.
>any film must go a long way to match LYAM. the quintessential boring
>film.
>the toner
L'année dernière à Marienbad (notice how I use the French title to show
my intellectual superiority) is far from being boring, I found it deeply
fascinating and the visuals quite attractive (where was it filmed?).
If you're looking for boring French movies, try Godard's "Deux ou trois
choses que je sais d'elle" or Bresson's attempt at doing a Godard movie
"Le Diable probablement". The later was a big disappointment, as his
previous movies are brilliant.
But for the really pointless experience, you must go to Hollywood. Where
else can you find such utter crap as "Lethal Weapon" or "Rocky 127"?
Kimberley
GOTTA be 'The English Patient'...I HATED that movie. I know, I know—it
got raves and lotsa awards but I couldn't WAIT for that pig to end! If
my mom hadn't been glued to her seat, I'd have asked for my money back.
Bleah.
Robert...@teleport.com
> "Vincent G. Macek" <vma...@mindspring.com> writes:
> OptechForklift Training wrote:
> <<..._Duel_, definitely. One of (or maybe the) Stephen Spielberg's
> first. What could he have been thinking? Worse yet, we saw it in
> school, with no prior explanation of what would appear on the
> screen.>>
> I dunno; I got into this film quickly. One of those horror stories
> that are scary because they're realistic. I'm living in a city where
> people get shot because they're blocking traffic.
>>>>
Hey! What city do you live in? I'm all for shooting people who
block traffic...Having lived (shortly) in the SF Bay area where
idiots think nothing of double parking so they can window shop,
a few well placed rounds might greatly aid traffic flow....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JimNeibaur
Roughly 60 % of the movies made after 1955 or so -- for every Godfather
there seems to be about a dozen movies like Ghost and Forrest Gump.
I guess the standouts are the overblown, pretentious epics like Ryan's
Daughter or the movies in which special effects are the real star like
ID4.
It would be as hard to pick a most boring as it would be to choose a most
exciting -- but Forrest Gump comes to mind first, perhaps because of its
incredible popularity which only intensifies my hatred.
Jim
Robert...@teleport.com
> ro...@every-era.com (roger) writes:
> crumb
> http://www.every-era.com ro...@every-era.com
> Corporations don't lie, cheat, and steal. People do.
>>>>
Hmmmm, huh..."corportations" are regarded as "individuals"
by the law...so...corporations >in fact< "lie, cheat and steal".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RalphBener
I "third" the comment about "Barcelona." Should be entitled "Barfalona."
sd...@netcom.ca
Man, it's gotta be "Gone With The Wind"!
First of all, _who_ didn't know that the south lost the war? I mean,
_everybody_ in the theatre knew it!!!
Second, the characters. I mean, like they've been dead for, like, 100
years, man! _Who_ cares about them??? Scarlett was a major babe, but,
cripes, when I saw the movie, tomorrow was just another day that
Scarlett had been dead for. (Hey, man, did I end that last sentence
with aproposition? I don't know.... is "for" a proposition?)
And, oh, yeah, that guy with the moustache? Man, he was old enough to
be Scarlett's _father_! Plus, he wasn't even good looking, man. Didn't
they have any _weights_ in the Civil War? Plus, his teeth looked
funny.
And that scene with all the dead and wounded soldiers? (I think it was
Atlanta, but I didn't see any Coca Cola logos, so maybe not.) Anyway,
that scene wasn't so great. Did anybody see the nuclear holocaust scene
in Terminator 2? If you did, then you _know_ that it just kicks the ass
of the GWTW scene!
And then there was that Melanie/Melody/whatever. Was she supposed to
be a _babe_?!?! Cause she _wasn't_, man. In fact, she kinda looked
like my mom! Oops, gotta go... Babylon 5 is starting...
Steve Wellington
All man, man!
Christina Stanley
On 25 Apr 1997 00:06:26 GMT, db...@aol.com (DBCx) wrote:
>"My Dinner with Andre" certainly ought to rate up there at the top of this
>list. Where was the dessert?
Oh, yes!! I tried to watch this one and couldn't get through it. And
I *love* Wallace Shawn in everything he does---even that Ferengi
character he periodically plays. One of these days, I might give this
one another chance, but I don't see it happening....
Christina
50% Mary, 50% Rhoda
Jim Mann
Bob Martin wrote:
>
> How about most Merchant Ivory movies? Particularly any with Helen Bonham
> Carter (I still can't believe Kenneth Branagh gave up Emma Thompson for
> HBC!!!).
>
>
I'm hard pressed to think of a Merchant Ivory film that wasn't a
wonderful film. The characters are generally so compelling that I find
myself engrossed in the films.
LBale34467
In article <336468...@netcom.ca>, sd...@netcom.ca writes:
<massive snippage of humour-ridden 'satire'>
> And then there was that Melanie/Melody/whatever. Was she supposed to
>be a _babe_?!?! Cause she _wasn't_, man. In fact, she kinda looked
>like my mom! Oops, gotta go... Babylon 5 is starting...
>
>Steve Wellington
>All man, man!
Steve,
I can tell you are bored. Right? You're bored? Why not attend a School
Of Laughter For The Humour-Deprived Students? I hear they have a few
more places on one of these excellent courses. I can recommend you
heartily, if you wish.
I do *so* want to help people like you - you gotta have some direction in
life, and the school can help you with that...*a lot*.
Your friendly pal, always,
Catty (5'6" tall).
PS
I have tried *so* hard to watch GWTW - right to the end, but after about
60 mins or so, I just want to run out of the flat, screaming.
Philip Tone
vjmorton wrote:
>
> Philip Tone <p...@uconx.com> wrote:
> >
> >any film must go a long way to match LYAM. the quintessential boring
> >film.
> >
> >the toner
>
>
> Think of it as the art-house post-modern masterpiece ... the Plan 9 From Outer Space for intellectuals. ;-)
>
> Victor
I think I will have to defer to Victor's judgment, since he has been so
brave as to see LYAM three (!) times. Trying to fill gaps in my viewing
of "classic" foreign films, for Resnais I started with LYAM, so I never
got to HMA. Sorry about that.
the toner
p.s. sorry also about that "quintessential" business. a dangerous, and
most probably erroneous, statement. especially if we take into account
some of Warhol's self-indulgent pseudo-hip garbage back in the 60's.
TomHarri
I vote for "Drowning By Numbers." An ugly, ugly film.
James C. Kaufman
: On Thu, 24 Apr 1997 02:27:04 -0700, Gene Bohot <gbcu...@aviastar.net>
: wrote:
: >> >What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
: >c) "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" with Taylor and Burton.
: >
Odd -- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is one of my favorite movies (well,
filmed plays, really). One person's poison....
J
ALEX
Most boring, pointless film was BACKTRACK, starring Jodie Foster and
directed by Dennis Hopper.
Fredrik Broman
The bitter tears of Petra von Kant by RW Fassbinder. Could someone out
there please explain why they like this piece of pretentious shit?
Come to Fassbinder's defence! I really want to know if someone liked
this and why. It's as exciting as watching grass grow (or paint dry).
Jeffrey Davis
The only Fassbinder film I ever saw was The Marriage of Maria Braun
which was a tour de force: the film traced the life of a woman following
WWII, and each stage of her life was filmed in the style of German
cinema
which would have been current at that time in history. That sounds
wretched,
I know -- sort of like a history of the 50s told as a series of sit coms
and Westerns* -- but Fassbinder managed the transitions fairly
seamlessly.
He seemed to have been an accomplished, ambitious film maker.
A similar effort -- Until the End of the World -- by Wim Wenders wasn't
quite as nice. It seemed merely to be a pastiche of sci-fi cliches. I
imagine USENET, densely populated by sci-fi fans, might reverse my
estimate of TMofMB and UtEotW.
--
Jeffrey Davis <da...@ca.uky.edu>
"More heroin, Mother?"
-- from "I Used to Know When to Say When" by Somebody Shake Louise
Mar...@webtv.net
In article
<5jvuj8$h...@camel3.mindspring.com>,
tcmi...@mindspring.com wrote:
>
> Daryl Mok <dary...@pacific.net.sg>
wrote:
>
> >"Barcelona"
>
didn't die.. :)
>
great dialogue.
>
> Tom Miller
'Metropolitan' & 'Barcelona' contain some
of the most brilliant (& FUNNY) dialogue I
have ever heard (& as an aspiring
filmmaker, I watch a plethora of films).
Unlike many contemporary writers/directors,
Whit Stillman does not clutter his films w/
profanity. Today's film audiences,
unfortunately, are accustomed to seeing
films that use 4-letter words, racial &
sexist slurs left & right.
I don't believe Stillman is a huge fan of
plot, but, IMO, the fact that he addresses
cultural issues that no one else seems to
touch (i.e. fear of failure among NYC debs
& hatred of Americans overseas) only makes
his style more interesting.
I won't say I don't understand how anyone
can find Stillman boring. He definitely
does not have very much in common w/
Tarantino or Rodriguez. However, I think he
is one of the most unique & talented
directors around, & definitely feel the
film industry needs more like him. My only
problem w/ the man is that he doesn't make
enough films.
Mary
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Jeffrey Davis
Ron wrote:
>
> For my wife and I it was _'The_English_Patient_' We know, we know...
> all those Oscars... so what? We felt cheated out of time and money and I
> must say we didnt hear any raves from the other theater goers that
> night. It went all over the place, had too many subplots and no
> sympathetic characters. In short, it sucked.
SANDRAMEND
>The bitter tears of Petra von Kant by RW Fassbinder. Could someone out
there please explain why they like this piece of pretentious shit?
Come to Fassbinder's defence! I really want to know if someone liked
this and why. It's as exciting as watching grass grow (or paint dry).
Why? Because only a , highly sensitive, superior, true intellectual could
like it, and you - you bourgeois, middle-brow - just don't qualify.
For recommended sources on this topic, (Camille Paglia, Tom Wolfe, et al.
read my two-part reply to Scott Renshaw in rec. arts.movies.current films.
Sandra ;-)
Fredrik Broman
On 29 Apr 1997 19:43:23 GMT, sandr...@aol.com (SANDRAMEND) wrote:
>>The bitter tears of Petra von Kant by RW Fassbinder. Could someone out
>there please explain why they like this piece of pretentious shit?
>Come to Fassbinder's defence! I really want to know if someone liked
>this and why. It's as exciting as watching grass grow (or paint dry).
>
>Why? Because only a , highly sensitive, superior, true intellectual could
>like it, and you - you bourgeois, middle-brow - just don't qualify.
I don't think you should divide people into superior and inferior,
especially not when discussing a german filmmaker :)
I consider myself lowbrow actually, and I'm working class if that
makes a difference...
And you're probably right about having to be highly sensitive to get
this, I wonder if the five senses suffice
John Mueller
On 29 Apr 1997, TomHarri wrote:
> I vote for "Drowning By Numbers." An ugly, ugly film.
For some reason I forced myself to watch several Greenaway movies over the
course of a few months a couple of years back. I thought DBN was one of
the less unpleasant (read, more watchable) ones. I'll take it any day
over "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" which was disgusting
as well as boring. At least DBN had the find-the-next-number conceit
going for it. Not that that's much.
But for _really_ boring, my vote would have to be "Prospero's Books",
Greenaway's "deconstruction" of The Tempest.
The only one that I can really say I found enjoyable was "A Zed and
Two Noughts" which was funny in a David Lynch way.
--
Maury Markowitz
> 'Metropolitan' & 'Barcelona' contain some
> of the most brilliant (& FUNNY) dialogue I
> have ever heard (& as an aspiring
I've yet to see the former, but I loved the later as well for the same
reasons. It's rare to see people having an intelligent conversation in
the movies, let alone a conversation that's not interrupted by periodic
gunfire.
Maury
Maury Markowitz
In article <Pine.SV4.3.94.970429...@alcor.usc.edu>, John
Mueller <john...@alcor.usc.edu> wrote:
> On 29 Apr 1997, TomHarri wrote:
>
> > I vote for "Drowning By Numbers." An ugly, ugly film.
But can it compare to "Real Men", staring Jack Ritter (ugg right there)
Belushi? A week after seeing this snorer I was in the video shop and
noted to my friend that it was already out on video. His reply was "uhhh,
which one, I didn't see it". He had been sitting beside me in the
theatre.
Maury
vjmorton
Philip Tone <p...@uconx.com> wrote:
>vjmorton wrote:
>>
>> Philip Tone <p...@uconx.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >any film must go a long way to match LYAM. the quintessential boring
>> >film.
>> >
>> >the toner
>>
>> Actually, much as I hate to say this, Last Year at Marienbad is not Alain Resnais' most boring, most pointless film. I will give =
that title to Hiroshima, Mon Amour. LYAM, though it is a bad film, one of the most preposterous ever and anyone who takes it serious=
ly is a fool, I've almost started to love to hate it. By the third time I saw it, I had learned to laugh at its subject matter, sole=
mn pretensions and style and almost to admire the cinematography and art direction just for themselves. See
>>
>> Think of it as the art-house post-modern masterpiece ... the Plan 9 From Outer Space for intellectuals. ;-)
>>
>> Victor
>
>I think I will have to defer to Victor's judgment, since he has been so
>brave as to see LYAM three (!) times. Trying to fill gaps in my viewing
>of "classic" foreign films, for Resnais I started with LYAM, so I never
>got to HMA. Sorry about that.
>
>the toner
>
>p.s. sorry also about that "quintessential" business. a dangerous, and
>most probably erroneous, statement. especially if we take into account
>some of Warhol's self-indulgent pseudo-hip garbage back in the 60's.
Don't bother to defer to me ... I don't like that in people. As I noted, booze helps with a second LYAM. Besides, anyone who despise=
s Andy Warhol's self-indulgent pseudo-hip garbage back in the 60's (gawd, I wish I'd said that) has sufficiently good taste not to g=
o wrong.
If you want to see something good by Resnais, I recommend his Mon Oncle D'Amerique, which he made in the late 70s or so with Gerard =
Depardieu. Resnais was no longer trying to be Duras, Rimbaud or Robbe-Grillet and so he made a RELATIVELY straightforward telling of=
two or three short stories about people waiting for fortune to strike. But it was interspersed with some magical scenes involving a=
scientist describing his experiments with rodents that (unbeknownest to the scientist) comment on the narrative scenes. I saw it on=
TNT's Foreign Film Festival (?) (BRING IT BACK, TED) and remembered enjoying it much against my expectations from Last Year and Hir=
oshima.
Victor
Paul Baker
In article <5jplfb$te7$2...@newsflash.concordia.ca> da_...@alcor.concordia.ca (Mesmer) writes:
>
>Michael O'Brien,,, (mik...@charger.newhaven.edu) wrote:
>
>: What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
>: comprehensible to happen, and it never did? A movie that went nowhere for
>: 90 minutes or longer, and then just left you hanging, wondering what was
>: on the writer's mind?
>
>: My vote would be for Altman's 3 women, or Roeg's "Don't Look Now."
>
>Beyond a shadow of a doubt: Four Rooms with Tim Roth, utterly putrid BS!
"Blow-up", which I saw a couple of weeks ago. I liked the soundtrack so
I got the film - and waited all the way through for something to happen.
It crawled along, with an unlikeable main character, and a plot that didn't
seem to matter. I know that it is supposed to be "ground-breaking", and almost
every film criticism book I have mentions it, but I didn't see the point of
it. If anyone did understand it, could they please email me, and explain it.
I *do* want to be able to make sense of it.
Paul Baker.
England.
RWhite9432
Roman Polanski's Bitter Moon--
I really wanted to walk out. My girlfriend picked it out (last time she
chose a film, except she did pick Red Rock West and that was good).
Kent Parks
Anything wiht subtitles has, of course, much greater potential for this...
"Alphaville" and "Hail Mary" get my vote...
Kent
Bob Martin
Jim Mann <jma...@REMOVETHIStransarc.com> wrote:
Well, that's what makes a horse race, I guess. Just can't seem to get past
all the maudlin scenery and music. And they just seem to go on ... and on
... and on ... and on ..............................................
Bob Martin
"Have you tried 22 tonight? I said, 22."
Marlene Blanshay
I agree with a lot of the films mentioned, such as CHARIOTS OF FIRE (zzz).
Another is THE PELICAN BRIEF which I saw on tv a few months ago. I simply
could not make heads or tails out of it and frankly, didn't care. Same for
yet ANOTHER Julia Roberts film, DYING YOUNG. In both cases, I think these
films functioned as fashion shows for Ms Roberts, and no one bothered to
come up with a story or a screenplay.
Brian
Jeffrey Davis wrote:
>
>
> The only Fassbinder film I ever saw was The Marriage of Maria Braun
> which was a tour de force
It was a wonderful movie wasn't it - Hanna Scyhgulla(??) was brilliant,
but that horrible ending - thats life I guess - but not the movies !!
> A similar effort -- Until the End of the World -- by Wim Wenders wasn't
> quite as nice. It seemed merely to be a pastiche of sci-fi cliches.
You will be thrilled to know then that the 5 hour version of this will
be coming out soon !!. Apparently Wenders was forced to put out the 2 hr
version, but didn't like it much himself so now hes putting out the
movie he really wanted to release. Even though it was terribly
disjointed (and now I know why) I really liked it and am looking forward
(I think) to the new release. I am especially looking forward to the
soundtrack - because a lot of the songs were also left out and if you
remember the released one had incredible songs (some original) by Elvis
Costello, REM, Lou Reed, Julee Cruise, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, U2, Jane
Siberry and others.
Brian
John Mueller
On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Brian wrote:
> Jeffrey Davis wrote:
> > A similar effort -- Until the End of the World -- by Wim Wenders wasn't
> > quite as nice. It seemed merely to be a pastiche of sci-fi cliches.
>
> You will be thrilled to know then that the 5 hour version of this will
> be coming out soon !!. Apparently Wenders was forced to put out the 2 hr
> version, but didn't like it much himself so now hes putting out the
> movie he really wanted to release. Even though it was terribly
> disjointed (and now I know why) I really liked it and am looking forward
> (I think) to the new release.
In the words of Homer Simpson, "woo-hoo!" Even the cut one (which I think
was more like 3 hours long) was a great movie. And I don't even like
William Hurt. No, Sam Neill is The Man, as I've known ever since Reilly:
Ace of Spies. (Too bad about the unsympathetic role in THE PIANO and
let's not even mention that dinosaur movie.)
--
Steve Crook
Apart from almost any Hollywood movie of the last 20 or so years
that thinks special effects are a good substitute for plot and
character I'd nominate For Whom The Bell Tolls (either version).
Mind you, with a story like that, they never stood a chance.
I often use the book instead of sleeping pills.
Steve
Brian
John Mueller wrote:
>
> In the words of Homer Simpson, "woo-hoo!" Even the cut one (which I think
> was more like 3 hours long) was a great movie. And I don't even like
> William Hurt. No, Sam Neill is The Man, as I've known ever since Reilly:
> Ace of Spies. (Too bad about the unsympathetic role in THE PIANO and
> let's not even mention that dinosaur movie.)
>
> --
says that Neill's part will be much larger in this version.
Brian
Stephen Wellington
Paul Baker wrote:
> "Blow-up", which I saw a couple of weeks ago. I liked the soundtrack so
> I got the film - and waited all the way through for something to happen.
> It crawled along, with an unlikeable main character, and a plot that didn't
> seem to matter. I know that it is supposed to be "ground-breaking", and almost
> every film criticism book I have mentions it, but I didn't see the point of
> it. If anyone did understand it, could they please email me, and explain it.
> I *do* want to be able to make sense of it.
I haven't seen "Blow-up" in fifteen years, but I immediately recalled
two things that I thought were both signifcant and interesting.
1. As the protaganist searches for the "truth" by continually
enlarging the photo, the images become grainier and grainier, less and
less distinct, to the point of meaninglessness. His search is fruitless
- is there any "truth" to be found?
(And what about existence? Hmmm... maybe this last question relates to
the final scene on the tennis court?)
(And I just *know* that some people are going to want to address the
film's pretentiousness. Well, save your time and go back to that
Schwarzenegger video.)
2. The cinematography/shot blocking as subtext.
"Blow-up" does not belong in this thread.
Jonna Lee Ditto
I just saw "In Love and War" with Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell.
Thank God I only paid 1.50$ to see this one. What a cheese-fest. My
friend and I were rolling our eyes through most of the movie. The other
people in the theatre were laughing too. Did anyone out there like this
movie......and why? Please enlighten me.
NPS
In article
<stedder-ya0240800...@nntp.ix.netcom.com>,
ste...@ix.netcom.com says...
>
>In article <5jitm4$2...@babyblue.cs.yale.edu>,
mik...@charger.newhaven.edu
>(Michael O'Brien,,,) wrote:
>
>> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
>
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT!!!! Hands down!!!!
(although Somersby comes second)
dancertm
On 3 May 1997 18:37:20 GMT, eag...@enter.net (NPS) wrote:
>In article
><stedder-ya0240800...@nntp.ix.netcom.com>,
>ste...@ix.netcom.com says...
>>
>>In article <5jitm4$2...@babyblue.cs.yale.edu>,
>mik...@charger.newhaven.edu
>>(Michael O'Brien,,,) wrote:
>>
>>> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you ever saw?
>TERMS OF ENDEARMENT!!!! Hands down!!!!
For me, first film that came to mind Hunt for the Red October...fell
asleep watching it at home 3 times. I gave up.
_________________________________________________________
"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past"....Thomas Jefferson
*personal*food*music*dance*gay*links*
TBenton933
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT!!!! Hands down!!!!
===========================================================
Yeah. I recently voted for "Scenes from a Marriage". Can I change my
vote? "Scenes" was just boring. "Terms" was boring and annoying.
Tom Benton
Jack Heraty
I just *tried* to watch this film on a plane yesterday. Thank God I
didn't have to pay for it. The in-flight magazine was far more
interesting. Chris O'Donnell as Ernest Hemingway? Whose idea was
this?
--
Jack Heraty
My real address is "sprack at ix.netcom.com"
remove the "killspam" to reply by e-mail
The movies are great medicine/
Thank you, Thomas Edison/
For giving us The Best Years of Our Lives
- The Statler Brothers
James C. Kaufman
Paul Baker (eia...@comp.lancs.ac.uk) wrote:
: "Blow-up", which I saw a couple of weeks ago. I liked the soundtrack so
: I got the film - and waited all the way through for something to happen.
: It crawled along, with an unlikeable main character, and a plot that didn't
: seem to matter. I know that it is supposed to be "ground-breaking", and
almost
: every film criticism book I have mentions it, but I didn't see the point of
: it. If anyone did understand it, could they please email me, and explain it.
: I *do* want to be able to make sense of it.
I must admit that I also was complete bored during Blow-Up -- it was
regarded as a classic, and most people I knew who'd seen it loved it, and
I just kept waiting. I couldn't believe it was over because I didn't
think a plot had happened, and I rewound the last twenty minutes to make
sure I didn't miss something.
J
Fracci
Even though the critics gave them four stars in my movie guide, I vote
Local Hero, followed closely by Turtle Diary. (yawn!!!)
Fran.
WallSt612
I agree and disagree with the Merchant-Ivory films. Anthony Hopkins
can keep almost any movie from being boring.Remains of the Day is
a tour de force for him. He also kept the potentially boring Howard's
End from being a total yawn. However, once M&I tired of gratuitous
British aristocracy bashing, substituted Nick Nolte for Hopkins, and
ventured into American history theyreally hit their stride. Jefferson in
Paris is not only incredibly boring, but historically baseless and
slanderous as well, a truly remarkable achievement.
Bruce
Chris G
James C. Kaufman wrote:
> I must admit that I also was complete bored during Blow-Up -- it was
> regarded as a classic, and most people I knew who'd seen it loved it, and
> I just kept waiting. I couldn't believe it was over because I didn't
> think a plot had happened, and I rewound the last twenty minutes to make
> sure I didn't miss something.
>
> J
Really, I watched for the first time the other night and thought it was
great. Probably not for all tastes and not the most entertaining film,
but at least it was thought-provoking which is more than I can say about
a lot of films these days. Does anyone have any comments or
interpretations on it?
tom brennan
I saw Blow-Up a few times when it came out but I smoked a lot of pot
then. I always liked the part where he rolls around with the 2 naked
girls. I fell asleep watching The Sorrow and the
Pity, had a right good nap, I mean rem. And I love history so it's the
movie's fault. Tom Brennan
Daniel M Iannarelli
In article <mIlXzId4...@tfs.net>, "Mark E. Smith" <msm...@tfs.net>
writes
>In article <5jitm4$2...@babyblue.cs.yale.edu>,
>mik...@charger.newhaven.edu (Michael O'Brien,,,) wrote:
>> What is the most boring, pointless and unwatchable film you
>> ever saw?
I would suggest that 'Restless Natives' must be a considerably high
contender - at least in my book!
--
Daniel M Iannarelli
Edinburgh, Scotland
Mesmer
Jack Heraty (spr...@ix.killspam.netcom.com) wrote:
: "My Dinner With Andre". Did anyone besides Siskel and Ebert really
: like this movie?
: "Something Wild". Excruciating, with the always excruciating Melanie
: Griffith.
: "Striptease". 'Nuff said.
: "Scrooged". Totally unfunny.
: "Buddy Buddy", the low point of the careers of Jack Lemmon and Walter
: Matthau.
: "Neighbors". The low point of the careers of John Belushi and Dan
: Aykroyd.
: Anything by John Hughes featuring the "Brat Pack", with "The Breakfast
: Club" leading the way.
How about some recent issues?
Last Man Standing, Bruce"died-a-thousand-deaths" Willis; much like the
painful circumstance of actually reading the threads in an argumentative
flame war between two "bandwasters", ugh!, this film really hurt.
Dead Man, Johnny Depp, Robert Mitchum, Lance Hendrikson; saw the first 6
min. or so, then passed out in total boredom..I also demanded my money
back and once the V-club owner witnessed the misery himself, I was
credited a free film. (boy I bet his supplier got an earful for the sleazy
pitch which convinced the V-club owner to purchase this dog.)
Four Rooms, Tim Roth; extremely painful to imagine, worse to see. DON'T!
Danger Zone, Billy Zane & Robert Downey; stepping on a nail would have
been easier to endure; so this explains Downey's substance abuse.
The Ghost and the Darkness, Val Kilmer & Michael Douglas; Val's practice
shot at accents for the Saint leaves you laughing while Mikey does a
demented version of Romancing the Stone's Jack whatsis-name...ummmph...
Basically any gangster, mob or tough guy movie starring Joe Pesci...same
old, same old; small, rotund ethnic sort, with behavioural problems, flips
out in violent anti-social rages `et voila!' videoland gets another
$3.50 special...
Truth be told, the advent of inexpensive video machines and the
<mega-star> <super-effects> fever over the past 4 to 8 years, has bled the
mystery and magic out of film. Viewers, I maintain, are more cynical,
harder to engage and definitely more difficult to please today..we see
them coming a mile away, and naturally, the producer, distributors and
stars & agents make sure the public can't do without 'em..c'est la vie...
.....just bumping along....
Mesmer..... truculent, cramped and pushed in a corner....
Jim Mann
Mesmer wrote:
> Truth be told, the advent of inexpensive video machines and the
> <mega-star> <super-effects> fever over the past 4 to 8 years, has bled the
> mystery and magic out of film. Viewers, I maintain, are more cynical,
> harder to engage and definitely more difficult to please today..we see
> them coming a mile away, and naturally, the producer, distributors and
> stars & agents make sure the public can't do without 'em..c'est la vie...
We're harder to please today? Then how do you explain the popularity of
films like Twister and ID4?
The only place we seem harder to please is in the technical aspects of
films, especially in special effects. Many viewers seem to want more and
more realistic effects. But in other aspects of movie making, they
accept absolute crap.
--
******************************************************************
Jim Mann jma...@transarc.com
Transarc Corporation
Technical Writer -- Encina Programming Documentation
http://www.transarc.com/~jmann/
Where would conversation be, if we were not allowed to exchange our
minds freely and
to abuse our neighbours from time to time? -- Dr. Stephen Maturin
Gwen A Orel
Donning my asbestos suit...
Crash
Being There
On Golden Pond
Love Story
Gwen
--
"Live as one already dead." --Japanese saying
I live in fear of not being misunderstood.-- Oscar wilde
John Mueller
On 7 May 1997, Mesmer wrote:
> How about some recent issues?
>
> Dead Man, Johnny Depp, Robert Mitchum, Lance Hendrikson; saw the first 6
> min. or so, then passed out in total boredom..I also demanded my money
> back and once the V-club owner witnessed the misery himself, I was
> credited a free film. (boy I bet his supplier got an earful for the sleazy
> pitch which convinced the V-club owner to purchase this dog.)
Gee, I thought for a Jim Jarmusch movie this one had a lot of action.
Plus the Indian guy was incredibly funny.
--
Jack Heraty
jck...@pantheon.yale.edu (James C. Kaufman) wrote:
>Paul Baker (eia...@comp.lancs.ac.uk) wrote:
>
>: "Blow-up", which I saw a couple of weeks ago. I liked the soundtrack so
>: I got the film - and waited all the way through for something to happen.
>: It crawled along, with an unlikeable main character, and a plot that didn't
>: seem to matter. I know that it is supposed to be "ground-breaking", and
>almost
>: every film criticism book I have mentions it, but I didn't see the point of
>: it. If anyone did understand it, could they please email me, and explain it.
>: I *do* want to be able to make sense of it.
>
>I must admit that I also was complete bored during Blow-Up -- it was
>regarded as a classic, and most people I knew who'd seen it loved it, and
>I just kept waiting. I couldn't believe it was over because I didn't
>think a plot had happened, and I rewound the last twenty minutes to make
>sure I didn't miss something.
>
>J
>
I feel validated that there is someone else who feels the same way I
do about this pretentious turkey. Someone else mentioned in this
thread a bunch of other Antonioni films making his list, and I'd have
put this one at the top.
Norman Desmond
In article <33736499...@nntp.ix.netcom.com>,
spr...@ix.killspam.netcom.com (Jack Heraty) wrote:
> jck...@pantheon.yale.edu (James C. Kaufman) wrote:
>
>>Paul Baker (eia...@comp.lancs.ac.uk) wrote:
>>
>>: "Blow-up", which I saw a couple of weeks ago. I liked the soundtrack so
>>: I got the film - and waited all the way through for something to happen.
>>: It crawled along, with an unlikeable main character, and a plot that
didn't
>>: seem to matter. I know that it is supposed to be "ground-breaking", and
>>almost
>>: every film criticism book I have mentions it, but I didn't see the point
of
>>: it. If anyone did understand it, could they please email me, and explain
it.
>>: I *do* want to be able to make sense of it.
>>
>>I must admit that I also was complete bored during Blow-Up -- it was
>>regarded as a classic, and most people I knew who'd seen it loved it, and
>>I just kept waiting. I couldn't believe it was over because I didn't
>>think a plot had happened, and I rewound the last twenty minutes to make
>>sure I didn't miss something.
>>
>>J
>>
>I feel validated that there is someone else who feels the same way I
>do about this pretentious turkey. Someone else mentioned in this
>thread a bunch of other Antonioni films making his list, and I'd have
>put this one at the top.
I haven't seen Blow Up in a few years but I remember some wonderful things in
it. I loved the woman who is selling the antique store and has a conversation
with David Hemmings that goes something like:
"Why are you selling?"
"I'm tired of antiques. I'm going to get away to Tibet"
"Tibet is all antiques"
"Is it? Well then....maybe Morocco"
Then when he meets a stoned Verushka at a party:
"I thought you were going to be in Paris?"
"I AM in Paris"
And then there is the haunting sound of the trees in the park. Can you enjoy
a beautiful day if it has no plot?
nd
nd
"