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

PS Pllowcase, if you read this, I DON'T think you should see the film -- I think it would upset you terribly. You are so tender hearted Willem, and want things to be right in this world. Mainly I want Americans to see this film, and come out of it determined to register to vote, even if they usually ignore politics.

Hi JEllen. I got the much same message from my brother who also saw the film last night. I'd thought I might go see it this weekend but now I don't know. I already know I hate GWB. I am having rather severe anxiety right now and I don't think seeing that movie will help. I will try to see it tho when I feel better.

I'm really anxious to see it, and I know JEllen and respect her opinion well enough that if she thinks it's that good, then I really shouldn't miss it. It is literally selling out every showing here right now, but I'll find a movie buddy who can handle it, and get some tickets online or something.

Hello JEllen and everybody else!

Ellen, I don't think 'Fahrenheit 9/11' will be showing in South Africa anyways. And as well I think I know enough about George W. Bush and the War in Iraq and elsewhere to form my own judgements. But thanks for considering me!

New movies I've seen:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I was pretty much satisfied with it! This movie has a different 'look' from the others though ... Hogwarts, the grounds, look different. The Whomping Willow looks different and stands in a different place. There are other differences as well ... the 'atmosphere' and 'general feel' of the movie is a bit different. Some expected characters were missing ... there were the expected departures from the book, also. The Knight Bus doesn't quite behave the way it does in the book ... I think it might have been too 'graphics intensive' to actually make everything jump away from the path of the bus the way they do in the book. The dementors in the movie are flying, unlike in the book where they were more, like, 'drifting'. There's just one hippogriff in the movie whereas there are several in the book. But I must say, the hippogriff in the movie does look good! It's one of the best bits in the movie in fact.

The new Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is OK but not quite as strong a character as Richard Harris' was.

There are also 'gaps' in the plot that could have done with some filling.

Anyways, I think this movie overall was a good watch, and takes a respectable place in the ongoing sequence of Harry Potter movies.

OK next movie.

2. Kill Bill Part 2.

This movie was not nearly as bloody as Part One. The violence is, again, totally cartoonish and unrealistic. Personally I think it could have done with more fighting. It is somewhat of an anticlimax. There are too many scenes that 'drag on', and, for all of the dialogue, none of the characters are really sympathetic in any way (well to me at least). It would have been best in my view to keep them all shallow as they are and to have the movie be nothing more than just a continuation of the violent revenge fantasy that the first film was. Anyways, that was what I was expecting when I went into the movie.

Good bits in the film, in my view, include the bit where the Bride goes for some training with the very-white-hairy Kung Fu master who has contempt for everything and everybody... at least there we have some great over-the-top dialgue, acting and action.

Anyways I felt a bit disappointed by this 'sequel'. I don't think it would be the cup of tea of most of the folks over here. It's not really my cup of tea either, except for my interest in martial arts and sword-fighting, for which the first movie was better, and stuff like the 'warrior code', and popular portrayals of violence etc. etc. I can get very philosophical about stuff like that.

JEllen - don't worry about Moderating territory. You're only saying what millions of Americans are also saying, right?

We can agree to disagree about John Kerry, and probably Michael Moore too...but what was the film like? How does Moore come across? How does he make his points?

My wife's a staunch republican, so I'm not likely to see the movie unless I sneak out on my own, and I'd like to know what I'm missing.

And yes, Americans should register and vote. I don't have that right since I'm not a citizen yet (British import, like all true luxury items) but this is the year to make a difference. Good message, JEllen!

Moore does a lot of typical Moore-like stuff, like borrowing an ice cream truck with a loud speaker to read Congress the Patriot Act. And he goes to Capital Hill and tries to get Congresspeople to enroll their children in the military - which got a lot of laughs in the theater. But mainly Moore concentrates on investigating Bush's business ties with the Bin Laden family and his ties to the Saudis. And some really grisley and/or disturbing footage is shown from Iraq. Little details make a huge impact - we see a group of American soldiers talk about playing a CD with the refrain "Burn, Mother-, Burn" as they go into battle. We see Americans arrest an Iraqi student in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, as his obviously terrified family looks on. Moore lets a lot of footage of Bush speak for itself, as when Bush addresses a wealthy group of supporters, calling them "the haves, my support base." Bush flubs some really simple lines, like the quote, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" -- he mangles it. I wasn't too surprised Moore was able to find footage of that type, our president puts foot in mouth often. What did surprise the hell out of me was the shots showing Bush doing absolutely nothing for about 10 minutes after being informed of the 9/11 attacks. Did nothing to reassure me, ack! The film is intensely and passionately from Michael Moore's perspective, but I do not necessarily think that is a bad thing. If he wasn't passionate about the subject, the film never would have gotten made.

One a very different note, who is excited about Spiderman 2? It looks good in the previews, I love Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

Thanks for the Michael Moore rundown. Maybe I can sneak out and grab it on DVD when it comes out.

I'm looking forward to Spiderman 2, because Doctor Octopus looks amazing and the whole Spidey story arc appears to be coming along well. Raimi is a good director working on something he loves and understands well, so it's bound to be a bit of a treat.

I've always had a secret crush on peter parker!!!!!!

BTW that's cute that you are an imported luxury item Gradient!

Thank you for being cool about my political stumping here on hootoo.

It's the glasses, Juliana! Those baby blues behind the heavy black frames! *pant*

I've always gone in for the nerdy boys!

Dont' tell my husband ... he'll take it the wrong way.

Mum's the word. I'm not married so I can drool pretty blatantly. Do you know they almost made Spiderman 2 with a different actor?! Woulda been a HUGE mistake.

Ack! I like Toby as spiderman. But I meant don't tell my husband I go in for the nerdy guys ... because he's a little nerdy himself!

After that, as soon as I get a chance I am going to see Fahrenheit 9/11 and Harry Potter.

Thanks for the tips.

Tobey Mcguire is a really good actor - he had me holding my breath all through Cider House Rules - that film was so sad yet so magical.

I liked Cider House Rules. Can't say I'd see Spiderman, but Tobey is a good actor. And I kind of have a thing for dorky guys too. That or bad boys.

Can't think of anything else I'm dying to see except for "Fahrenheit 9/11". Or the remastered original Godzilla at the Music Box. Wonder if K. would be interested in going?

PC,

I used to live really close to the Music Box (I could see the top of the pink neon sign from my bedroom window. The Music Box is the one on ... oh, I can't remember the name of the north south street, between Irving Park and Waveland. I used live at 1666 W Waveland. There was a really cool "Always there Dental Care" sign right on the corner of Waveland and the street with the music box (the sign had a 3D superman looking dentist on it.) I miss that old neighborhood. Illove old, real theatres.

I liked Cider House Rules too.

Saw The Terminal tonight. It was a cute movie - lots of low key humor, and also made some serious points about human dignity, human rights, and ingenuity. Excellent performance, as always, by Tom Hanks. He and Stanley Tucci played off each other very well, and really milked some scenes to the humorous limit. I wish I could see the outtakes - you just know those guys had to crack up as soon as Steven yelled cut.

I want to see Spiderman 2, but since I am switching meds, I can't risk getting sick at the theater.