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

Which makes JEllen the ultimate movie geek !!!

I doubt if I'll ever have the time or the opportunity to see any films like that. But keep us posted - there is some really good stuff about which people don't get to hear about simply because it doesn't have the backing.

Hey everybody! The best actress award was won by South African gal Charlize Theron! She grew up in Benoni which is the town where my dad grew up as well not to mention many of my uncles and aunts and cousins. Anyways she won it for the movie 'Monster'. The movie is just now showing here in South Africa ... I haven't seen it yet, but I'd like to and if I do I'll tell you guys about it.

What's going on - lots of old old friends are turning up. Welcome back Pillowcase. Long time no read.



Off to see where MP has been

I'm hoping to see "Eternal Sunshine", too. It looks really interesting. I can't say I'm a Jim Carrey fan (some of his movies were absolute torture for me), but he seems all right in the previews I've seen. I have a lot of faith in the other actors' ability to make this a really good film. As for the other film I was looking forward to seeing, "Hidalgo", I hate to say that the reviews I've seen have made me reconsider. I think I'll save some cash and wait for the rental release of the DVD.

Last Sunday I watched some really good films, but haven't had much time this week. That film "Russian Ark" sounded really interesting, JEllen. Every time we have a chat on AIM, I learn of new films I've never seen but would love to. And I thought *I* was a big movie ! Last night I watched "Bowling for Columbine" again, I bought it earlier in the week. It's definitely not a feel-good film, but I really enjoy it. As someone who's been the victim of violent crime (and survived, by some stroke of luck), Michael Moore's question is one that's on my mind quite often. But I won't drift too much here.

Today I think I'll watch "The Magic Christian", I haven't seen it in ages and I added the video to my collection a few days ago. Who else here besides JEllen and myself is a Peter Sellers fan?

Big thumbs up to Trillian's Child for calling me the ultimate movie geek! And to PCandy for seconding the motion! I take it as a great honor.

JEllen

Hello again everybody! I can't call myself a Peter Sellers fan, though I like the stuff of his that I've seen so far.

Last Tuesday went to see 'Somethings Gotta Give' with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. I was somewhat disappointed. Story wasn't strong enough, and drawn out too long. Nicholson played the role of Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton overacted a bit.

This week there's not much worth watching showing at the local theatre. I may go see the vampire movie Underworld, with Kate Beckinsale ... I'll see. Been a long time since I saw a really good movie. They don't really show 'intelligent' movies at the local theatre ... they're looking for popular, commercial stuff.

So having spent February watching nothing but award shows, I've now been to see 21 Grams and Infernal Affairs in the space of two weeks. Pity that my unemployed bank balance is going to be showing the strain. Especially when they charged me for parking at the cinema car park the other night, even when I'd validated my parking ticket and everything. Money grabbing swine.

So I reckon; 21 Grams has some phenominal acting, but blows the story somewhat. We need a campaign to stop the current fashion of showing the film's ending at the begining of the film. It's not big, it's not clever it just makes even the good films boring.

Infernal Affairs, now that's more like it. Stylish thriller well told, nicely shot, good action and a couple of unexpected bits. Worth the subtitles any day. It's something I like about Asian cinema though, there is such an established home market for them that there are the arty-serious-low-budget films, of course, but there are also slick blockblusters; which while they may not be great art, are great entertainment and sometimes that's all you want from a film after all.

Rants over, for the moment.

Also looking forward to:-
Zatoichi
Shaun Of The Dead
School Of Rock (Actually this one is out already, but it looks fun)

All the reviews in Germany on School of Rock are "Only worth seeing for the music, but that's great!"

My sister in England recommends it highly however, she said she was laughing out loud all the way through. (And you should hear her laughing - I'm surprised they didn't chuck her out!)

So that proves once again that the dubbing is probably hopelessly weak, the translation lacking pizzazz and most of the punch lines either not translatable, or misunderstood by the translators.

Aaaaaahhhhhhh! I just saw The Others and it scared the h*ll out of me! Even knowing the ending it was scary! Wish some of you guys were on line to talk to me. *brrr*

The browny colour of the whole film was interesting. At the end you realise why.

However, if you know the end, don't think it's frightening. In The Sixth Sense, my friend saw right through it from the beginning and couldn't see what the fuss was about.

I saw through "Psycho" right from the start and wasn't frightened. I don't think much of Hitchcock anyway - I think his films are very amateurish.

Hitchcock?! Amateurish?! Perish the thought! (Even as we speak there is an interview with Alfred Hitchcock sitting on my DVD player )

JEllen

Haven't watched either The Sixth Sense or The Others. Problem is that I missed The Sixth Sense when it was out and then by the time I caught up with it no-one else wanted to watch it with me because they had all already seen it. It was on television the other day, but I had to go out. No fair.

Time I got some blank videos I guess.

Haven't seen much Hitchcock, haven't even seen all of Rear Window, but it seemed pretty good. (It was in an Use of Audio in Film class so we didn't see the whole thing through in one go). It may just be that the *ahem* language of film has evolved and progressed since Hitch was making films making his films look dated and slow. Of course much of said language was almost certainly invented by the man, but it has been developed since by other filmmakers and the rate of edits has increased as a result giving films that feel slicker and faster.

I'm probably just talking a load of old balls, sorry. Can you tell I was on a film course?

Dragon, I do agree with you. If Hitchcock were making films today they would probably be both faster paced and more violent. For better or worse, audiences have become more sophisticated. It takes more to jar them. But I still admire Hitchcock's use of suspense. And his humor. Heck, I just like his films.

Speaking of favorite directors, has everyone seen the previews of the Ladykillers? It is directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and it stars Tom Hanks, which is FANTASTIC! *Leaps around in happiness* What an inspired pairing. The clips look terribly funny, with Tom Hanks hamming it up big time. It is supposed to be his best performance since Gump. I think the Coens are my favorite living directors. Well, no, I think they would tie with Spielberg. (Love Raiders, Schindler's List, Minority Report)

I have more to post, about the Dreamers, but I may wait till tomorrow, I'm getting tired.

JEllen

I am old enough to have seen Hitchcock's films when they first came out - at least the later ones (e.g. Frenzy) So I saw them at the time in the light of the fashions in films then prevalent.

I always found them amateurish - certainly since the scene in "The Birds" where wossername pushed the bird backwards out of the phone box. That looked so silly. Since then, I have found all the plots contrived, the cutting in particular very obvious.

On checking Hitchcock out in IMDB I found that he was born in Leytonstone - the same place as my mother was born.

Hello Trillian's Child, Pillowcase, Purple Dragon, PCandy, and all lurkers!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: The Movie of the Moment thread is moving to the new journal entry, "Movies of the Moment 2" This is so that I can keep the thread visible on my first page of journal entries, so people don't have to dig for it. So please make all your postings to M of M the sequel, so to speak.

JEllen

just been to see Bourne Supremacy - not as good as Bourne Identitiy though i didntthink, not as gripping.