h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

AI - so many people told me how wonderful that film was. So got it out on video and invited my neighbour over. Made popcorn. Opened a bottle of wine. For about 45 minutes neither of us said a thing then both of us blurted out almost at the same time - 'is this movie going to start sometime soon?'

Perhaps it's much worse when you are expecting a film to be good than when you watch, for example, something called Road Kill.

az

Well, yes, there is that, I always think that people are very unfair about Reign of Fire. It's a big, cheesy monster flick. It does *exactly* what it says on the tin.

On the other hand, Godzilla was supposed to be a cinematic event. In actual fact it's a bloody horrible travesty of a movie which is *at Least* 3/4 of an hour to long and at least 60 IQ points to stupid to be any good.

Hey! The adverts looked, well, okay!

On the other hand, the Alistair Sim version of A Christmas Carol truly has the cheesiest 'special effects' and it doesn't even follow the book properly. But IMHO it is one of the finest films ever made, for now specific reason I can put my finger on.

az

also, think the original Gozilla film was probably much better

Indeed it is. The original Godzilla is a great little movie. Tun, lively, innovative and it launched a legend.

Can't realy ask for muchg more.

Another embarrassing admission: I quite like the US Godzilla remake. Sort of. Well, Matthew Broderick is fun, Jean Reno is always good value, and some of the sequences are really quite good. And it's got Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria in it.

OK, so it's mostly brainless, hugely derivative (especially the baby godzilla sequences) and the lead actress is truly annoying, but it's definitely one on my 'Not nearly as bad as the critics said' list. Along with 'Hudson Hawk'.

Talking teddy was good, yes. The level tone of his voice was what made it.

Otherwise, GEEZ, that film was boring. And -- ahem -- I must say there ought to be a law against making Jude Law look ugly on-screen. A law that also was violated in "Road to Perdition," which I otherwise liked, though not nearly as much as "American Beauty."

That's true Big Red,

How on earth did they manage to make Jude Law look seriously ugly in two films???

I didn't much like Road to Perdition, though I didn't think it was bad, just not good.

Very much loved American Beauty (connection?)

Oh righ, it was a film too. Sorry, getting late and I'm still recuperating from my post-lunch hangover. . .

az

Hey, Azahar: Connection is same writer-director, the fabulous Sam Mendes, who also did such a great job bringing "Cabaret" to the stage.

Big Red,

Oh okay, but which stage did Sam Mendes take Cabaret to? Sorry, live in Spain. Not caught up in the swirl of social happenings like the rest of you. Especially since the put up the price of the Sunday Times to 5 euros!

Just re-watched the film Cabaret a couple of weeks ago. I think it is pretty much flawless.

az

You rock, Azahar! "Cabaret" is one of my favorite films, which is why I wanted to see the stage show, especially since it starred (drum roll) ALAN CUMMING, who won a Tony for his role as the MC. I know, Joel Grey was terrific, but so was Cumming.

Now I can calm down and answer your question: The stage show I think premiered in London (Brits please correct me if that's wrong), then crossed the pond to New York, which is where I saw it. (I live in Washington, D.C.)

I wonder how close Mendes is keeping to the original choreography? When I saw the film Chicago (which I found quite entertaining) it seemed a bit like watered-down Fosse to me. Though I have never seen the stage production. And the thing I love most about the film Cabaret is that it is pure Fosse.

Very hard to make a musical these days. We agree that Moulin Rouge certainly didn't succeed. The aforementioned Dancer in the Dark was just too dire for words. And Chicago seemed to 'tone down' the Fosse somehow (I could be wrong) but it was seriously missing *something*. Though I was very impressed with the opening number featuring Ms Zeta Jones and also Richard Gere's tapdancing bit - very good. To me the most original Fosse bit of the film was the scene of the guy doing - what was it? - Mr Nobody? Mr *oh can't remember!!!* Sorry, can't remember the name - much too late. But that seemed like pure Fosse, that bit.

Well, anyhoodle, not supposed to be talking about films we love now are we?

Has nobody else but me had the extreme misfortune of seeing Buffalo 66? Honestly, the only film I have ever just thrown up my hands in despair and walked.

What time is it anyhow? Holy smokes - almost 3am. No wonder I'm so sleepy. See you tomorrow!

azzzzzz

Mr. Cellophane. And in the film it was John C. Reilly, one of my favorite actors. Good night, Azahar, try to stay cool. I've heard of the terrible heat you are having.

I agree also, a very stylized vision of a violent future. But it did send one home sort of wired. Sort of like "Pulp Fiction" ... my wife couldn't get to sleep after seeing it the first time. I think a LOT of people did not like "Pulp Fiction", but I did, and so did my wife, after she calmed down.

"A Clockwork Orange", Malcolm McDowell, hmmm ... anybody else remember "Caligula" from 1980?

glad someone finally mentioned Caligula - when i was in my teens went around to a friend's to watch some videos - the boys picked the videos and picked this (and some western with billy crystal) because it's basically a porn film - the joke was on them though when it got to the infamous string scene, and soon after it was turned off, heh heh

on Reign of Fire - this film has two redeeming characteristics:

1. Christian Bale - although I would like to register my protest that he only took his shirt off in one scene which was very early on and thus I did not properly savour it

2. Dragons - all anyone here on the other side of the world seemed to know about it before it came out was that it had dragons in it - this was such a lure that i think it went quite well here before word of it's plot holes etc could get around

all that said i actually enjoyed it, but then i very rarely don't enjoy a movie

Another interesting fact about Reign of Fire is that the guy who played the Christian Bale character's best friend was in another terrible movie, which I definitely rate as the worst film i have ever seen: Dracula 2000 (i should have twigged to the possiblity of it's terribleness from the fact that it was released here well into 2001...) - bad plot, terrible acting, very 1980s effects, in fact not a single positive thing i can think of - it wasn't even in the so bad it's good school - especially all the Judeo Christian nonsense about Dracula actually being Judas Escariot, given that it was supposed to be some kind of sequel to Bram Stoker's - like the second Highlander film it totally ignored the backstory of the film it was supposed to follow! grrrr!

span
who finally has a day off work but is feeling poorly in the stomach

i agree about halloween h20, i mean, jason is not only killed several times over but is, i kid you not, BLASTED INTO OUTER SPACE, and managese to rip a hole in their space ship, and continue his riotous destruction
hint: think of this movie as a comedy, and it doesnt seem so bad

A film should not necessarily be slated as a bad film for not following the plot, theough man I know how annoying it is when you got to see blah blah II and it bears nor resemlance to the first film. This in itself does not make a film bad. Likewise if a film has sod all but the title in common with the book it was adapted from this is not always a bad thing.

Two robot films: Bicentenial man and Blade runner. By taking Asimovs plot about the slow development of a robots emotional development towards humanity and turning it into a film you end up with one of the dullest things I have ever seen. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, is a book deals with similar terriory to Biccentenial man, but Blade Runner focuses on lesser elemnets of the book to create a great film.

Az points out a version of "A Christmas Carol" she likes, I cant remeber watching a film with Alistair Simm in that I didnt like, the film; its actors, scenery, etc... is the important thing and not the preconceptions you bring to it

The worst film I have seen and had to switch off as I thought my friends might leave or kill me if I didnt was Splitting Heirs. A comedy in the Great British tradition, but with all the jokes taken out.

It should have been a warning that it was going to be awful when Eric Idle was the main mover behind it, he writes very witty song lyrics but funny songs are only funny because you can see the punch line coming and you laugh more because of the unexpected way the writer gets them to fit. In a film that does not apply.

It just about beats "Lair of the White Worm" to worst spot, "lair..." redeems itself only by having Amanda Donohoe and Elizabeth Hurley dressed up as flight attendants and wrestling!

"I'd by that for a dollar"

Last night there was a film on the telly called "The Peacemaker" or something like that with George Clooney and Nicole Kidman which was utter tripe.

The Kidman Kurse once again!

Yak yak yak !