Schoolio's Movie Corner

[whynotsmile99]

So Funny People was awesome. (no spoilers)

You will probably love the movie 5x more if you

a. are familiar with Los Angeles
b. are trying to make it as a stand up comedian or actor in the entertainment industry
c. are jewish

Apatow does a great job capturing LA. Very honest film, seemed like something my friends and I would (try) to write. Sandler is excellent. Any old school sandler fans (been a fan since 6th grade when I bought his first comedy CD)will really appreciate it. Expect nominations for sure. Seth Rogan is great as usual and surprisingly Eric Bana is fucking HILARIOUS. i want to see him do more comedy. It's a long movie, 2 1/2 hours but doesn't drag. The major tonal/environment change in the second half is a totally different movie than the first half, but it comes together nicely, save for a contrived moment or two.

It mixes laugh out loud humor well with the drama, ala Knocked UP or Virgin but this feels certainly like a larger, more mature piece from him. if you liked his other two, you will love this. if you didn't you probably wont. doesn't break new ground but I enjoyed it immensely.

Apatow did a Q and A after. The dude is funny and very approachable/honest/great storyteller. Paul Thomas Anderson helped edit for a few days and expect hours of stuff (including Ray Ramono being dirty) on the dvd. Shockingly enough Ben Lyons did a good job as moderator

B+/A- I'm going to sit on it for a few days and think about it some more. I think Knocked Up is still my favorite of his. Bit tighter as a film over all

[M Sparks]

I've heard Bana was a stand up before he was an actor. Seems insane, he's virtually invisible as an actor.

[sbessiso]

Shockingly enough Ben Lyons did a good job as moderator

He's not that bad actually. I'm insanely jealous of what he does for a living, HE HAS MY JOB

[chairmenmeow47]

he's virtually invisible as an actor.

i wanted to argue this, but i think you're kinda right. i like bana, but he picks some shitty movies (the hulk, munich, i laughed during that entire end sex scene). but he does kinda pick some invisible roles like the quiet, perfect guy in troy. either way, i am blinded by his supreme hotness and so i find him a better actor than he probably is, lol.

[PotVsKtl]

lol

[liquidsnake28]

I was never a fan of Bana either but he was really good in Star Trek.

[PotVsKtl]

lol

[anti-square]

This thread: multifaceted.

[iv3rdawG]

Yeah, I really enjoyed Funny People. I also cannot wait for a RAAAAAAAANDY movie. Aziz Ansari was hilarious in the film. There's a "documentary" that's being put up on Funny or Die that's going to be in 5 parts about Randy. There's 3 up so far. The first one is my favorite, with his DJ that is onstage with him, DJ Ol' Youngin. Very NSFW:

Part 1:

peVFNna3vB8

Part 2:

3R-9D2O6-ss

Part 3:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2fc6c3dbe1/raaaaaaaandy-part-3-funny-people

Here's Randy's site: http://www.laughyourdickoff.com/

[schoolofruckus]

He's not that bad actually. I'm insanely jealous of what he does for a living, HE HAS MY JOB

The only thing more intellectually and spiritually bankrupt than Ben Lyons is the guy who looks up to him.

[sbessiso]

I didn't really know this about him...

http://reelsofrhyme.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/ben-lyons-is-a-douche-bag/

[schoolofruckus]

What do you know about him, then? His retardery is the stuff of legend (http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2644). You're outing yourself as the emptiest of the empty if you think he's cool.

[luckyface]

munich, i laughed during that entire end sex scene

That was seriously the most absurd/dumbest movie scene I have ever witnessed. WTF was Spielberg thinking during that one?

[SoulDischarge]

What do you know about him, then? His retardery is the stuff of legend (http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2644). You're outing yourself as the emptiest of the empty if you think he's cool.

I don't know anything about Ben Lyons, but however obnoxious he is, that page can't be that much less so. What's the point in laboring over every vacuous statement some corporate tool makes?

[AlecEiffel]

I've heard Bana was a stand up before he was an actor. Seems insane, he's virtually invisible as an actor.

See Chopper.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

He's not that bad actually. I'm insanely jealous of what he does for a living, HE HAS MY JOB

Lyons aside, judging from your taste and the way you write about movies, it's laughable that you somehow think you should somehow get paid to do so

[AlecEiffel]

Guess what was the ONLY idea any of the students in my screenplay classes had? That's right, zombie stories...like 35 of them....think of something new, anything please.

I was a film major briefly at the beginning of this decade, pre-28 days later and all anyone wanted to make was Reservoir Dogs (and Fight Club, of course). I'll take a bad zombie student film over a bad Tarintino rip-off student film any day. There was this kid in my screen writing class who's name I don't think I ever knew but my friends and I called him "Gloves". He always wore a trench coat and fingerless gloves, kind of like a skinny Silent Bob. He was constantly, and quite furiously, writing his script in a spiral notebook. I never got to read the thing, although I always wish I had because once looking over his shoulder I caught him writing the following line : "Jazz, put the gun down!" What a laugh riot that thing must have been.

[rage patton]

Yeah, I really enjoyed Funny People. I also cannot wait for a RAAAAAAAANDY movie. Aziz Ansari was hilarious in the film. There's a "documentary" that's being put up on Funny or Die that's going to be in 5 parts about Randy. There's 3 up so far. The first one is my favorite, with his DJ that is onstage with him, DJ Ol' Youngin.

At Sasquatch I ended up watching Aziz Ansari in order to get a good spot for Zach Galifianakis. His set was pretty funny... then he pulled out the Randy material and my sides hurt. It was so fucking funny. I heard him say it was for a character in a new movie, but I didn't catch which one. A couple weeks later I found out it was for Funny People. I can't wait to see how funny it is in the movie. Because live, it was fucking hilarious.

[schoolofruckus]

I don't know anything about Ben Lyons, but however obnoxious he is, that page can't be that much less so. What's the point in laboring over every vacuous statement some corporate tool makes?

Let's put it this way: Lyons replacing Ebert is the film critic's equivalent of Perez Hilton replacing Mike Wallace.

The quote of the week page was funnier originally, when Lyons' unbelievable lack of knowledge and eloquence was more shocking. But yeah, a year later, it's more "who gives a fuck?" than anything.

[SoulDischarge]

I miss the parade of hilariously misguided ideas that was film school.

[AlecEiffel]

I bet film schools are currently filled with douche bags that want to be Zach Snider.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I bet film schools are currently filled with douche bags that want to be Zach Snider.

nah, trying to make zach snider films is too much work for film school jerkoffs

[liquidsnake28]

Ben Lyons has to be the least objective film critic. He must get squeamish when he sees blood or something because he hates damn near every horror film ever made.

[iv3rdawG]

At Sasquatch I ended up watching Aziz Ansari in order to get a good spot for Zach Galifianakis. His set was pretty funny... then he pulled out the Randy material and my sides hurt. It was so fucking funny. I heard him say it was for a character in a new movie, but I didn't catch which one. A couple weeks later I found out it was for Funny People. I can't wait to see how funny it is in the movie. Because live, it was fucking hilarious.

He's only in it for like three scenes but they're all great.

[AlecEiffel]

nah, trying to make zach snider films is too much work for film school jerkoffs

Don't most film schools have green screens now? I know a lot of places that specialize in digital stuff do.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Don't most film schools have green screens now? I know a lot of places that specialize in digital stuff do.

yeah, we had green screens at my school. my point though, was that, despite what you might think of him, Snider puts a LOT of work into his films. His attention to detail is pretty amazing. Watchmen had a LOT of real sets.

My experience with film school students was that they were the biggest bunch of lazy, unmotivated assholes I had ever come across

[AlecEiffel]

I didn't mean to insult Snyder, I've enjoyed all his movies quite a bit. He just seems like the kind of guy that film school guys would try to poorly emulate.

Who do you think is the current 'it' director among that crowd?

[PotVsKtl]

I wanted to emulate Tarkovsky when I was in film school, what crowd am I part of?

[AlecEiffel]

not the bulk of kids at film school and you know it. 99.9% of them have never even seen the word Tarkovsky.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I didn't mean to insult Snyder, I've enjoyed all his movies quite a bit. He just seems like the kind of guy that film school guys would try to poorly emulate.

Who do you think is the current 'it' director among that crowd?

i think it's too trendy to bash Snyder now then it is to emulate him. i'm not usre who is really hot in that circle as I've been heavily avoiding that world

[SoulDischarge]

More than 0.1%. Some of the ones trying to be Tarkovsky were among the most insufferable.

[AlecEiffel]

I guess I think more about the idiot clowns than the pretentious assholes.

[higgybaby23]

I would like to emulate Jodorowsky instead of Tarkovsky.

[schoolofruckus]

I didn't mean to insult Snyder, I've enjoyed all his movies quite a bit. He just seems like the kind of guy that film school guys would try to poorly emulate.

Who do you think is the current 'it' director among that crowd?

Todd Phillips.

[AlecEiffel]

ah! Most comedy is bad enough as it is, I bet student film comedy is insufferable.

[rage patton]

I don't even know who Todd Phillips is. What movies has he done?

[AlecEiffel]

Hangover, Old School, etc.

[garrett222]

anyone like the movie 'the spirit'? I'm 15 minutes in wondering why i should keep watching

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

"i can't even convince myself to Netflix 'the spirit"

[rage patton]

Hangover, Old School, etc.

Ahhh right. Yes, I could definitely see some pretty bad imitations of those movies. I would imagine Judd Apatow imitations would be worse though.

anyone like the movie 'the spirit'? I'm 15 minutes in wondering why i should keep watching

Easily, without a doubt, one of the worst films to ever be made. Honestly, do yourself a favour and turn it off now.

[DRcube]

anyone like the movie 'the spirit'? I'm 15 minutes in wondering why i should keep watching

thats 15 minutes longer than you should have spent watching it.

[liquidsnake28]

Garrett, please continue watching The Spirit. Anything that keeps you away from this board is a blessing to all of us.

[garrett222]

Garrett, please continue watching The Spirit. Anything that keeps you away from this board is a blessing to all of us.

are you eric the midget? for some reason that's who i picture when i read your posts.

[Hannahrain]

Watched Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People's Temple today. Pretty standard fare for what it is, but I did note in particular that they were pretty successful in putting you in the shoes of the people who joined the Temple. For the first part of the movie, Jim Jones is portrayed a little bit more like a misunderstood philanthropist than a brooding death-preacher. It caught me off guard a bit. He's almost a sympathetic character until they start interviewing survivors about the various counts of abuse they witnessed.

I also think they should have utilized the recordings of the People's Temple Choir a bit more. That shit is haunting.

[M Sparks]

i wanted to argue this, but i think you're kinda right. i like bana, but he picks some shitty movies (the hulk, munich, i laughed during that entire end sex scene). but he does kinda pick some invisible roles like the quiet, perfect guy in troy. either way, i am blinded by his supreme hotness and so i find him a better actor than he probably is, lol.

To be fair, I'm not sure I've ever seen any of his movies, except...

I was never a fan of Bana either but he was really good in Star Trek.

...didn't even notice he was in it, which either proves my point, or makes it invalid.

[whynotsmile99]

How could anyone hate Munich? that's a hell of a great movie. (honestly don't even remember the sex scene though)

and like I said, he's really really strong in Funny People. he should be allowed to keep the accent in more roles

[liquidsnake28]

...didn't even notice he was in it, which either proves my point, or makes it invalid.

He was the main villain, tons of makeup.

[M Sparks]

Part 3:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2fc6c3dbe1/raaaaaaaandy-part-3-funny-people

A comedian playing a comedian playing a secret agent undercover as a comedian. My head hurts.

[schoolofruckus]

How could anyone hate Munich? that's a hell of a great movie. (honestly don't even remember the sex scene though)

and like I said, he's really really strong in Funny People. he should be allowed to keep the accent in more roles

Munich was awful from the very beginning. As soon as I heard that fake stock Arab wailing sound as the Universal/Dreamworks logos rolled across the screen, I knew it was going to be a long fucking sit. There are few bigger drags in cinema than the Big Important Steven Spielberg Film.

The sex scene in question juxtaposes Bana's orgasm with a recap montage of all the vengeance killings he'd performed. It really is one of the most offensively stupid sequences ever put on screen. If you don't remember, it's probably because you were already in love with the movie by that point and decided to selectively erase it from your memory.

[stuporfly]

http://i32.tinypic.com/2qs5wg6.jpg
I recorded this earlier today. It's a curious film, though perhaps not terribly good. But as a flashy, mostly nonlinear '60s artifact, it's enjoyable enough.

Plus it's got the lost Huxtable in it!

[whynotsmile99]

I'm watching Better "Living Through Circuitry " now. It's really good. Some very interesting interviews with Carl Cox, Crystal Method , DJ Spooky etc. A bit dated now, but an interesting look at the 90s rave scene.

Any other good movies on the subject? I've always been fond of Go, and I love "Its all Gone, Pete Tong" Is 'Human Traffic' and 'Groove' worth the netflix?

[M Sparks]

Plus it's got the lost Huxtable in it!

Rudy & Judy were twins, but Judy didn't test well in focus groups.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

in stark contrast to stuporfly, i have "The UNtouchables" coming from Netflix tomorrow, and I'm very excited to be watching it for the first time

[stuporfly]

in stark contrast to stuporfly, i have "The UNtouchables" coming from Netflix tomorrow, and I'm very excited to be watching it for the first time

That movie's a lot of fun, though there's not nearly the titty-factor seen in The Touchables.

Hope I didn't spoil it for you...

[iv3rdawG]

Antichrist Website: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/antichrist

104 minute runtime and is Unrated as of now. Also, apparently the U.S. release wont be cut.

http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/contrary-to-reports-lars-von-trier-still-not-cutting-antichrist.php

Or maybe it will be..?

The film's most graphic scenes will be cut before it is released in the United States on October 23. How do you feel about that?

I can understand some countries will have problems showing it because of censorship and I have no problem with them cutting something out as long as you as an audience know that it was done differently in the original. But to me there would be no reason for not showing the sex if they were having sex.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1913200,00.html

Ugh.

[schoolofruckus]

The Movieline article states what I've read elsewhere - that the theatrical release will be the Cannes version and the on-demand release will be trimmed. I would be pissed if I didn't live in a major city where Antichrist will be shown, but then again, any non-metropolis Von Trier fan is probably used to the disappointment of not getting to see his work until DVD.

[bobert]

MunichThe sex scene in question juxtaposes Bana's orgasm with a recap montage of all the vengeance killings he'd performed. It really is one of the most offensively stupid sequences ever put on screen. If you don't remember, it's probably because you were already in love with the movie by that point and decided to selectively erase it from your memory.

I'm sorry Bana and Spielberg gave you a BIG IMPORTANT ERECTION. You shouldn't take it so personally.

[schoolofruckus]

:lool

[RotationSlimWang]

He's right though, that scene's fucking terrible.

[PotVsKtl]

Munich pales in comparison to the sheer unbridled bullshit of Amistad.

[schoolofruckus]

I'd take Amistad over Munich any day. At least the first 10 minutes of Amistad are good.

[RotationSlimWang]

Yesterday I met with three people who've two 200k dollar budget films in Jersey in the past two years. This almost feels like it's going to be easy.

[sbessiso]

"Bruno" was alright. Some of the stuff even had me feeling a little uncomfortable, how did you guys react to some of the more extreme sexual acts?

I have to say though, Bruno's super ultra-exclusive interview with Harrison Ford was fucking hilarious

"FUCK OFF!"

[wmgaretjax]

i don't remember anything extreme...

[humanoid]

While Munich is clearly not great, I enjoyed watching it while I did and don't remember anything terrible about it

of course, the previously mentioned sex scene was one of the more ridiculous things I've ever seen in a movie that was supposed to be taken seriously

[SoulDischarge]

I need to see this scene. I'm picturing Showgirls condensed into 5 minutes.

[hawkingvsreeve]

No, it is just a really awkward and sweaty Bana thrusting/flashback montage.

[JewFace]

Well, there are some small pleasures to be gleaned from the scene (see Brandon's post above), but it really is as dreadful as has been described.

Saw the Hangover yesterday. Was not expecting to enjoy it so much. A completely disposable confection, but surprisingly funny; especially Galifinakis. I think he may be my Jack Black. I can't stand Jack Black, but I still feel a need for a short, rotund, hirsute funny man. Nathan Lane is busy with Broadway, Danny DeVito is lost to television, so
Galifinakis it is.

[vogina]

a1IpPpB3iWI&hl=en&fs=1&

[schoolofruckus]

Jennie and I watched In the Loop last night. It's a British political comedy in a style not dissimilar to "The Office", although the verite aspects are less emphasized, and it's faster-paced and more mean-spirited. The movie takes place in a climate that vaguely resembles the lead-up to the Iraq invasion, where a Parliamenty minister's offhand comment on a radio interview that "War is unforeseeable" has huge global ramifications due to the British government's kneejerk reaction to anticipated media scrutiny. It's pretty fucking funny for the most part, although it started to drag a little towards the end. I've never seen Peter Capaldi in anything before (not being a big watcher of UK television and all), but he's fantastic as the PM's director of communications - a man whose obsession with the power of language has turned him into the most capable wielder of profane insults this side of Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross.

[schoolofruckus]

New Coens:

7iggyFPls4w

[MissingPerson]

Haven't seen In The Loop, but loved the posters.

http://movieclub.merseyblogs.co.uk/in_the_loop.jpg

[iv3rdawG]

WtbDc6zSi7s

[schoolofruckus]

WtbDc6zSi7s

So it's not even remotely a diversion from Wes' normal style....it's just claymated.



AWESOME!!!

[PotVsKtl]

Mora Roald Dahl adaptations by competent directors please.

[real talk]

Yes-a! Please-a!

[Still-ill]

WtbDc6zSi7s

Ehhh... I dunno, this doesn't look as good as I thought it would.

[tessalasset]

gabe i almost saw in the loop tonight with my mom but instead we saw shrink. i liked it a lot.

[RotationSlimWang]

The Fall might be the most visually amazing thing I've ever seen

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah. I'm glad I caught that at the Arclight. Too bad about all the weird tonal/story issues or else it'd be an instant classic.

[Down Rodeo]

Holy crap - Randy actually liked a movie! And it's one that I liked as well! What is going on around here?

[SoulDischarge]

In all fairness, even Helen Keller would have to admit to that movie being visually amazing.

[Down Rodeo]

Well, that's true. Randy probably thought the screenplay sucked then.

[wmgaretjax]

Yeah. I'm glad I caught that at the Arclight. Too bad about all the weird tonal/story issues or else it'd be an instant classic.

Yeah. The pacing was really bad too. Still well worth seeing though.

[whynotsmile99]

Yeah. The pacing was really bad too. Still well worth seeing though.

i didn't find the pacing to be off on The Fall at all, i was pulled into the story the entire time. i actually thought it cut between fantasy/reality very well. I really liked the relationship between the girl and the man. the movie almost felt like a short story padded out to feature length with the fantasy element added, but it worked very well for me. I was quite moved by the end of it as well. That little girl was so cute and did such a good job I liked the reality based scenes almost as much as the fantasy ones

[RotationSlimWang]

I couldn't really follow too much of the story, conversation about the cinematography kept getting in the way. But my lord, fucking beautiful.

[whynotsmile99]

yea it really was. one of the best stop motion scenes I've ever seen as well

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

it's been a little while since I've seen it...what was stop motion in it?

[higgybaby23]

Yeah. I'm glad I caught that at the Arclight. Too bad about all the weird tonal/story issues or else it'd be an instant classic.

Yeah. The pacing was really bad too. Still well worth seeing though.

I like slow movies(i.e. films by Jim Jarmusch, Wong Kar-Wai, Takashi Kitano) and thought The Fall had an awful pace. It seemed caught between telling a story and looking really pretty. But yeah, definitely worth a view.

[higgybaby23]

Serious question: When are they going to make a sequel to The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai?

Edit: I meant silly question.

[M Sparks]

gabe i almost saw in the loop tonight with my mom but instead we saw shrink. i liked it a lot.

Posts like this make me sad. I so need to move...



Aliens in the Attic (PG, 86 min) Special Engagement
11:40 AM , 2:10 PM , 4:40 PM , 7:10 PM , 9:30 PM

Funny People (R, 136 min) Special Engagement
11:50 AM , 3:20 PM , 6:50 PM , 10:10 PM

G-Force (PG, 90 min) Special Engagement
11:00 AM , 1:40 PM , 4:10 PM , 6:40 PM , 9:00 PM

The Hangover (R, 96 min)
12:00 PM , 2:30 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:30 PM , 10:05 PM

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (PG, 153 min)
11:10 AM , 12:10 PM , 2:40 PM , 3:40 PM , 6:10 PM , 9:40 PM

Ice Age 3 (PG, 87 min)
10:30 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:30 PM , 6:20 PM , 8:50 PM

Orphan (R, 123 min) Special Engagement
10:50 AM , 1:50 PM , 4:45 PM , 7:40 PM , 10:30 PM

The Proposal (PG-13, 108 min)
11:20 AM , 2:00 PM , 5:10 PM , 7:50 PM , 10:35 PM

Public Enemies (R, 143 min)
7:00 PM , 10:20 PM

Transformers 2 (PG-13, 150 min)
10:40 AM , 2:20 PM , 6:30 PM , 10:00 PM

The Ugly Truth (R, 96 min) Special Engagement
11:30 AM , 2:15 PM , 4:50 PM , 7:20 PM , 9:50 PM


"Special Engagement"...fucking retards.

We had a family-run theatre for a while that WANTED to be good. But Harkins apparently locks up exclusive contracts on anything halfway interesting just in case they decide they want to show it 4 months from now. So, they couldn't get, say, the new Wes Anderson or Charlie Kaufman movies, even though Harkins weren't showing them. So the little guys were stuck with pretty much nothing but small documentaries and foreign films. Which is great...I saw some really good movies there. But they could never get any sort of crowd, because the movies were so obscure. I think City Of God was the most popular movie I ever saw there. If they could have picked up the medium-popular movies Harkins ignores, they could have supported the smaller ones financially. Not to mention have a platform to promote them better.

It was in a mall, so it got some weird walk ins. Once, I overhead a guy asking for a refund...he had brought his whole family to see "Capturing The Friedmans." He said he thought it was a Chevy Chase movie. I so need to move.

[SoulDischarge]

Well, it IS a family movie, in a sense.

[paulb]

i just saw Funny People.... I really enjoyed it. Pretty funny, lots of cameos...some of Adam Sandler gets old quickly, but I think he did a good job in one of the few more serious roles ive seen him in.

[Down Rodeo]

Yeah. The pacing was really bad too. Still well worth seeing though.

After thinking about the film again, I can't really argue with this. But it's just one of those movies, like Juliet of the Spirits, where after a while you just have to say, "Fuck it" and follow the film on purely visual terms.

[wmgaretjax]

Interesting comparison... but that film doesn't really suffer from pacing problems :)

I see your point though, and totally agree.

[rage patton]

I thought Funny People was really well done. Great casting all around. RZA made me laugh 3 times before Seth Rogan made me laugh once. With that being said, he was still great. Jonah Hill really shone too. Who surprised me the most was Eric Banna. He did a great job. However, I found the movie started to drag towards the end. I really liked how the movie ended though. Overall, I really enjoyed it and thought it was well done. 40 Year Old Virgin is still Judd Apatows best though.

[SoulDischarge]

I really don't get the appeal of Judd Apatow.

[BlueDevil50]

you must not like to laugh.

[M Sparks]

However, I found the movie started to drag towards the end.

This seems to be a Judd Apatow trademark. And his imitators/collaborators too. Role Models is the only one I can think of that keeps getting better instead of slowing down. (And that's probably because it was Wain working with some of Apatow's crew, not someone who was aspiring to BE Apatow.)

On the one hand, I appreciate them trying to inject a bit of character development to otherwise silly movies, but it just seems like there's usually a big slow lump of seriousness dumped in the last third.

[bobert]

Role Models is the only one I can think of that keeps getting better instead of slowing down.

Hahahahahahahaha

[Down Rodeo]

Interesting comparison... but that film doesn't really suffer from pacing problems :)

I see your point though, and totally agree.

By the way, are you in Berkeley yet?

[wmgaretjax]

By the way, are you in Berkeley yet?

Yup. Got here earlier this week. Scopin out the lay of the land.

[Down Rodeo]

Yup. Got here earlier this week. Scopin out the lay of the land.

Awesome, check your PM. We'll have to kick it soon.

[dorkfish]

Watched two more bad movies this weekend.

Dark Water and The Hole. Both were pretty awful, but the latter was surprising as I didn't know that Thora Birch could be such a terrible actress.

[garrett222]

saw Funny People. i love apatow and jonah hill and sandler..etc..etc...but this movie was awful. just awful. the jokes fell flat, the characters were ridiculous...the girl seth rogan's character was wooing would never have liked him and there's no basis from how they interact leading us to believe she would. the cameos were all wasted..i mean really..you get raymond to do a cameo, and you ACTUALLY use the line, ''geez ray, i thought everyone loved you"....oh my god, this is not quality. seth rogan played the most unfunny, uninteresting character who had almost zero character arc, as well as sandler...then they try to wrap the whole freaking movie up by having one 1 minute conversation with sandler and rogan and that is supposed to tie it all together. stupid stupid stupid. i don't have any idea what everyone sees in this movie. even I love you man was a ten times better movie...heck..that dumb comedy sex drive was more enjoyable.

i hope fantastic mr fox and inglorious basterds save my year.

[iv3rdawG]

I watched Knocked Up again last night, still my favorite Apatow film. Just so good. The little lines that aren't even emphasized are some of my favorties. Like when Heigl and Rogen are eating dinner for the first time and she's about to tell him that she's pregnant and he says to her, "I'm not poor or anything...but I eat a lot of spaghetti." I also saw Funny People for a second time today. I still really love it. I think people are just going in expecting a laugh a minute comedy and that's nowhere near what this is.

the girl seth rogan's character was wooing would never have liked him

Isn't that how Knocked Up is though? I think going into it you shouldn't have been as surprised if you saw that. Or at least listing it as a complaint.

[garrett222]

I watched Knocked Up again last night, still my favorite Apatow film. Just so good. The little lines that aren't even emphasized are some of my favorties. Like when Heigl and Rogen are eating dinner for the first time and she's about to tell him that she's pregnant and he says to her, "I'm not poor or anything...but I eat a lot of spaghetti." I also saw Funny People for a second time today. I still really love it. I think people are just going in expecting a laugh a minute comedy and that's nowhere near what this is.



Isn't that how Knocked Up is though? I think going into it you shouldn't have been as surprised if you saw that. Or at least listing it as a complaint.


My feeling about how seth rogen ended up with the girl isn't to do with his ability to attract her, but how the movie portrayed their relationship. In knocked up they at least set up moments between them that led us to believe she could like him. In funny people, all we know about seth rogen and that girl is a lot of silent moments, him getting mad at her for no reason ...and that's it. there seemed to be no plausible setup for why she would like him.

i wasn't expecting a laugh a minute..but what did you think of the eminem/ray romano cameo? I thought it was horrible. adam sandler in punch drunk love is amazing. I wanted a quirky drama not a laugh a minute movie...the scenes in the doctors office with the blonde doctor were obviously trying to make us laugh...they were done for laughs, and it just wasn't funny.

even the apatow children had zero depth in the roles. remember knocked up...'i googled murder'...'bla bla bla bens a dick'.....etc. they had good lines. in funny people the extent of their character was 'are my parents getting divorced'...really ???

I thought the dramatic moments weren't very poignant, and the funny moments left me feeling that they missed the mark.

I honestly think they were hoping to play out like Jerry Maguire for comedians. at least jerry maguire had truly funny moments and well done dramatic tone. funny people was constantly tilting back and forth without ever hitting a home run.

[BlackSwan]

I really don't get the appeal of Judd Apatow.

Neither do I. I must have stopped paying attention to the movie world right before everyone started thinking he was a comedic genius. I mean, now people are talking about directors who want to be like him. Just for the record though, 40-Year-Old Virgin is definitely his best movie.

[wmgaretjax]

at least jerry maguire had truly funny moments and well done dramatic tone.

Yeah. This is the part where I decided to never read one of your posts ever again.

[BlackSwan]

Ahahahaha

[M Sparks]

Hahahahahahahaha

I wound up seeing Role Models for the second time right after I wrote that (coincidence...my wife had picked up a used copy), and it DOES have the slow-down / get-serious section. But it doesn't last as long as most of these other movies, and the end is more satisfying, so I had forgotten about it.

It's funnier than either 40 Yr Old or Knocked Up, and that's all that really matters. Paul Rudd's facial reactions alone are funnier than most of the jokes in Knocked Up.

[Still-ill]

Hmmm... I actually liked funny people...

[whynotsmile99]

Anyone see "Thirst" this weekend? I can't wait to see. If you haven't heard, it's Park Chan-wook's (director of Oldboy) erotic vampire story. Reviews have been outstanding.

Hearing great stuff about "The Cove" too.


I'm watching "Ken Park" right now. Such an uplifting movie for a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Thanks Larry Clark

[tessalasset]

i kinda wanna see the cove. if anyone sees it, tell us how it is!

[schoolofruckus]

Anyone see "Thirst" this weekend? I can't wait to see. If you haven't heard, it's Park Chan-wook's (director of Oldboy) erotic vampire story. Reviews have been outstanding.

Tomorrow night. And then Lorna's Silence on Wednesday. Funny People next weekend.

I watched Godard's Made in USA this morning. It was pretty amusing for the most part, and it employed the most vibrantly artificial color pallet I've seen since Antonioni's The Red Desert. It wasn't my favorite Godard, but I'd recommend it to anyone who considers themself a fan.

[woogie846]

I watched Bulworth about an hour ago. Meh, it felt pretty forced, although it did have its funny moments. Whoever did the sound editing should never work again.

[JewFace]

I saw Casino tonight. You know, fourteen years after it came out. It's one of the few Scorsese films I haven't seen.

No doubt there's plenty of technical and visual flair, perfect 1970s period detail, a dazzling opening title sequence and a surprisingly excellent performance from Sharon Stone. Beyond that, I'm not sure what this film offers us. It was far too long. Scorsese really could have told this story in less than three hours, the first hour of which was lost mostly to set up and endless narration. For the amount of bloodshed in it, the film was pretty bloodless and passionless. Each time a character died, I sighed with relief, because I knew it meant the ending was around the corner. In the end, I think it comes down to a pretty ineffective screenplay. As for Deniro-Pesci-Scorsese collaborations, this was no Goodfellas.

[stinkbutt]

Casino was on Friday night and I enjoyed just as much as I used to but I wouldn't say the deaths were passionless (at least not to me). Sharon Stone is great in it and I still hate her because she played the evil bitch so well kinda like Penelope Cruz in Blow

[Still-ill]

I think Casino is pretty terrible to be honest... very meandering. I'm not a huge Scorsese fan, but thats the only one I really do not like.

Edit: Damn stinkbutt, we do not agree on anything...

[JewFace]

Stinkbut, I'm not saying the death scenes were passionless, but that the entire film was rather passionless.

[stinkbutt]

Either way i don't agree I see a lot of thought put into that film, but then again everyone disagrees with me when it comes to this movie so meh

[buddy]

probably the last great scorsese film, in my opinion. great preformances all around.

[wmgaretjax]

I never cared for Casino... It was well executed, just didn't engage me...

Bringing Out the Dead was certainly a great Scorcese film after that though...

[stinkbutt]

Really? ugh liked the story but not the film

[buddy]

Really? ugh liked the story but not the film

i again have to agree with the man called stinkbutt.

[sbessiso]

Finally saw "Serenity". I thought it was pretty damn great, Joss has got quite the eye for visual flair and the same tone of the show was perfectly transferred from the show to the film. Sure the movie is definitely a little more serious and darker but this was meant to properly end the series. One thing that really stuck out for me was the fight scenes, the choreography was masterfully done. Great great movie, I wish Joss Whedon had more opportunities to direct films

[RotationSlimWang]

Casino was remarkably even more vapidly just a bunch of wops doing a bunch of wop shit for three hours than Goodfellas.

[SoulDischarge]

I never cared for Casino... It was well executed, just didn't engage me...

Bringing Out the Dead was certainly a great Scorcese film after that though...

Agreed. I have a special place in my heart for Scorsese's smaller, more idiosyncratic films (Bringing Out The Dead, King Of Comedy, especially After Hours).

[amyzzz]

I saw Moon on Saturday and really, really liked it. The acting, the story, the smiley faces on the computer, all great.

[schoolofruckus]

Agreed. I have a special place in my heart for Scorsese's smaller, more idiosyncratic films (Bringing Out The Dead, King Of Comedy, especially After Hours).

I haven't seen King of Comedy or After Hours, but I love Bringing Out the Dead.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Agreed! I absolutely adore "Bringing Out the Dead," although a lot of that enjoyment comes just as much from Paul Schrader as it does Scorsese

That said, I've enjoyed every one of Scorsese's latter films, despite their shortcomings

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I haven't seen King of Comedy or After Hours, but I love Bringing Out the Dead.

see 'King,' it's a pretty amazing movie. One of DeNiro's creepiest performances for sure. "New York, New York" is another good on from both Scorsese and DeNiro that plays left of center from what they're normally known for

[SoulDischarge]

Seriously, check both of those out as soon as possible. After Hours is probably one of my top ten favorite comedies. Just don't watch the trailer because it gives the whole movie away.

[schoolofruckus]

I have After Hours, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Who's That Knocking at My Door? in a Scorsese box set that I bought because I wanted GoodFellas, and have yet to watch them. I need to fix that sometime soon.

[bobert]

I saw Casino tonight. You know, fourteen years after it came out. It's one of the few Scorsese films I haven't seen.

As for Deniro-Pesci-Scorsese collaborations, this was no Goodfellas.

Wow, I guess it's never too late to pull that cliched criticism out of the hat. I think David Spade might have copyrighted it so be careful you don't get sued.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Neither of those movies was no RAGING BULL

[iv3rdawG]

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5461/avatarnewposter.jpg

[Down Rodeo]

I'm glad a lot of you enjoyed Bringing Out the Dead too. I just watched that again the other night and loved it as much as before. The lighting in that film is damn incredible.

On another note, I finally watched A Woman Under the Influence last night (I'm predicting a nod of approval from Gabe). Utterly devastating and downright painful to watch, but I loved the crap out of it.

[Young blood]

Im really excited for "World’s Greatest Dad" the trailer seems to remind me of Election, and also for the fact that Bob Goldthwait wrote and directed it.

[garrett222]

I never cared for Casino... It was well executed, just didn't engage me...

Bringing Out the Dead was certainly a great Scorcese film after that though...

Yeah, and maybe...uhh..the Departed? Gangs of new york?

elitist jackass.

[Still-ill]

Yeah, and maybe...uhh..the Departed? Gangs of new york?

elitist jackass.

huh?

[schoolofruckus]

I'm glad a lot of you enjoyed Bringing Out the Dead too. I just watched that again the other night and loved it as much as before. The lighting in that film is damn incredible.

On another note, I finally watched A Woman Under the Influence last night (I'm predicting a nod of approval from Gabe). Utterly devastating and downright painful to watch, but I loved the crap out of it.

I'm nodding. Now go tackle The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Faces, Husbands (comes out on DVD two weeks from tomorrow!!!), Opening Night, Shadows and (if you can find it) Love Streams.

[chairmenmeow47]

what i love about casino is sharon stone's character. i would consider it goodfellas part 2 if it weren't for her. that character is almost exactly like a meth head mother i knew in high school. that scene of sharon stone sliding along the walls to house of the rising sun gets me every time. the movie is great just to watch the descent into crazytown. the best representation of her character is the look she gives deniro when he hands her the keys to his shakedown money.

and i finally saw let the right one in and i liked it. very cute, though i don't understand the need for a sequel.

[Young blood]

Casino was wonderful in the story telling of the rise and fall of an american legend, old las vegas. At the end of the film it made you feel dirty just like old Vegas should.

[humanoid]

I absolutely cannot remember a single specific regarding Bringing out the Dead.... saw it in the theater when it came out, but apparently it didn't leave a lasting impression.

Is it really worth a second look? It's been recommended several times on Netflix, and I've considered it...but, it still stars Nicolas Cage!!!! Can this glaring casting gaffe really be overcome by the movie's various attributes?


As far as Casino is concerned, being that it followed Goodfellas by 4 or 5 years, starred a few of the exact same primary actors and covered a vaguely similar subject in a different setting, it is difficult for the film to be judged on it's own merits without at least mentioning Goodfellas. It was entertaining, but if I am ever inclined to watch a 90's mobster flick, I'm choosing Goodfellas, not Casino. Maybe since I haven't watched either one of them recently, I'll give Casino a watch and see how I feel about it once again.

[schoolofruckus]

I absolutely cannot remember a single specific regarding Bringing out the Dead.... saw it in the theater when it came out, but apparently it didn't leave a lasting impression.

Is it really worth a second look? It's been recommended several times on Netflix, and I've considered it...but, it still stars Nicolas Cage!!!! Can this glaring casting gaffe really be overcome by the movie's various attributes?



I think it's one of Cage's best performances, along with Adaptation. and Wild at Heart.

[humanoid]

I think it's one of Cage's best performances, along with Adaptation. and Wild at Heart.

I really can't remember much of it specifically, just my knowledge of his subsequent body of work is clouding my memory. I'm willing to give it another chance, as a few of you seem to regard it rather highly.

[schoolofruckus]

It's more surreal than most of the Scorsese films I've seen (again, not counting After Hours and King of Comedy), and interesting for that. Overall it's visually remarkable; the flashback where Scorsese gets the snow to fall upward is pretty sweet.

[M Sparks]

Im really excited for "World’s Greatest Dad" the trailer seems to remind me of Election, and also for the fact that Bob Goldthwait wrote and directed it.

I saw an ad for it the other night...didn't think anything of it because...Robin Williams...ugh. But I'll have to set the DVR.

Shakes The Clown is really amazing. I probably haven't seen it in 10 years...time to revisit.

[Young blood]

It's more surreal than most of the Scorsese films I've seen (again, not counting After Hours and King of Comedy), and interesting for that. Overall it's visually remarkable; the flashback where Scorsese gets the snow to fall upward is pretty sweet.

First date movie I took my wife to see. Was visually stunning but overall mistake for first date movie.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

"what's his name?
"I be Banging"
"what?"

[whynotsmile99]

Im really excited for "World’s Greatest Dad" the trailer seems to remind me of Election, and also for the fact that Bob Goldthwait wrote and directed it.


it should hopefully be better than this one. I had the misfortune or seeing this trailer before Bruno. RhY8AP806tU

and I love Bringing Out The Dead and Casino. I've seen Casino so many times now. It's one of those movies that i never seem to get bored of. i've watched it edited on television and it was still great. Goodfellas is great too, but i saw Casino before Goodfellas and have always loved it more. Goodfellas is probably a better movie but Casino is always fascinating

[bobert]

It's more surreal than most of the Scorsese films I've seen (again, not counting After Hours and King of Comedy), and interesting for that. Overall it's visually remarkable; the flashback where Scorsese gets the snow to fall upward is pretty sweet.

I'd wager you'd like After Hours a lot - it's probably his most abstract work to date. Very entertaining, oft-overlooked film.

...but, it still stars Nicolas Cage!!!! Can this glaring casting gaffe really be overcome by the movie's various attributes?


Nicolas Cage is not a bad actor. He's made terrible films and given terrible performances, but his work in Raising Arizona, Wild At Heart, Red Rock West, Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation and Bringing Out the Dead aquits him of all crimes, IMO.

In regards to the much maligned Casino, I'd say that it's brilliant, but flawed - as is a lot of the recent Scorsese films. He will constantly be judged against himself and in the case of a movie like Goodfellas that's not an easy act to follow. I think Casino is very underrated - anyone familiar with any of the true events that film is based can atest to the sheer amount of information included in the film, and the wile Deniro and Pesci are present in both films their characters are quite different, particularly Deniro's. If Casino would been made by another director it would be more highly regarded - but since Scorsese is held to such a high standard it was dismissed as a retread.

[whynotsmile99]

I'd wager you'd like After Hours a lot - it's probably his most abstract work to date. Very entertaining, oft-overlooked film.



Nicolas Cage is not a bad actor. He's made terrible films and given terrible performances, but his work in Raising Arizona, Wild At Heart, Red Rock West, Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation and Bringing Out the Dead aquits him of all crimes, IMO.

In regards to the much maligned Casino, I'd say that it's brilliant, but flawed - as is a lot of the recent Scorsese films. He will constantly be judged against himself and in the case of a movie like Goodfellas that's not an easy act to follow. I think Casino is very underrated - anyone familiar with any of the true events that film is based can atest to the sheer amount of information included in the film, and the wile Deniro and Pesci are present in both films their characters are quite different, particularly Deniro's. If Casino would been made by another director it would be more highly regarded - but since Scorsese is held to such a high standard it was dismissed as a retread.

well said. Cage in a good movie can be really strong. Other times...
e6i2WRreARo
And BOTD also has great performances from Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore before he got messed up with Heidi Fleiss and my favorite John Goodman character outside of Lebowksi

[SoulDischarge]

First date movie I took my wife to see. Was visually stunning but overall mistake for first date movie.

I have the worst choice in date movies. I've made people watch Blue Velvet, A Clockwork Orange. Gummo, and, most recently, Freeway. At least I haven't shown a first date any Jodorowsky yet.

[nbvcide]

try renting a silly b-flick with a new girlfriend and accidently choosing I Spit On Your Grave... that'll make a great date nite.

but speaking of Casino & Nic Cage, rewatched another great Vegas film last night, Leaving Las Vegas.. now THAT movie is inspiring...

[nbvcide]

and just because i don't know where else to post this:
Rcx4_CszaDI

[algunz]

Im really excited for "World’s Greatest Dad" the trailer seems to remind me of Election, and also for the fact that Bob Goldthwait wrote and directed it.

I saw it On Demand yesterday. Interesting, still not sure how I feel about it. I had some issues with character motivation and casting.

Reminded me of Heathers.

[higgybaby23]

I have the worst choice in date movies. I've made people watch Blue Velvet, A Clockwork Orange. Gummo, and, most recently, Freeway. At least I haven't shown a first date any Jodorowsky yet.

I once has an ex-girlfriend leave my house because we were watching The Holy Mountain.

Besides, those films are fine if you are with the right lady. In fact, maybe Jodorowsky could be a litmus test as to whether the person was worthy of your time.

Last night, I watched Ladies and Gentleman...The Fabulous Stains. It was Paramount produced in 82', but had limited theatrical release. I had never heard of it until this DVD release from a few months ago. It is a B-movie for sure, but worth 87 minutes of your time. It stars a 15 year old Diane Lane and a teenage Laura Dern as punk rock wannabes.

[M Sparks]

I saw The Fabulous Stains on TCM a few months back. Really fun, but it would have been nice if they had more than 3 or 4 songs.

This was a cable staple in the 80's apparently, mostly on USA Night Flight, but I think I heard it was on Showtime a lot too. It was shelved for several years, and the tacked on ending was actually shot later when it was sold to TV. (Which is why Laura Dern is barely recognizable through most of the movie, and then she looks exactly like she did in Blue Velvet/Smooth Talk in the closing scene.)

But I didn't have cable until '90, so I never saw it until now. I'm glad it's getting re-re-discovered. BTW, how did they get away with showing a nekked 15 year old?

[M Sparks]

I have the worst choice in date movies. I've made people watch Blue Velvet, A Clockwork Orange. Gummo, and, most recently, Freeway. At least I haven't shown a first date any Jodorowsky yet.

I saw Seven on opening night with a first date. Also saw Natural Born Killers on what was intended to be a first date, but other friends wound up tagging along.

[M Sparks]

try renting a silly b-flick with a new girlfriend and accidently choosing I Spit On Your Grave... that'll make a great date nite.

Did this really happen to you? How could you not know?

[stuporfly]

I have the worst choice in date movies. I've made people watch Blue Velvet, A Clockwork Orange. Gummo, and, most recently, Freeway. At least I haven't shown a first date any Jodorowsky yet.

I've seen both Armageddon and the Brando/Kilmer version of The Island of Dr. Moreau on first dates. So with all due respect, I think it is I who has made the worst choices in date movies. Yours might miss the mark by being too intense or odd, but mine are just plain turds.

[higgybaby23]

BTW, how did they get away with showing a nekked 15 year old?

I found this strange as well. The scene is brief, but it's there. There are also a few crowd shots with many teenage breasts bared. I'm not sure how Rhino was able to release the DVD considering this info. They even hype the fact that Diane Lane was only 15 on the back of the DVD case! WTF was Paramount thinking when they released this? Gotta love the 80's, it was the last decade for politically incorrect American film.

[bobert]

I found this strange as well. The scene is brief, but it's there. There are also a few crowd shots with many teenage breasts bared. I'm not sure how Rhino was able to release the DVD considering this info. They even hype the fact that Diane Lane was only 15 on the back of the DVD case! WTF was Paramount thinking when they released this? Gotta love the 80's, it was the last decade for politically incorrect American film.

You don't have to be 18 years old to show your tits. Thora Birch got naked in American Beauty and I think she was only 15 at the time.

[schoolofruckus]

I've seen both Armageddon and the Brando/Kilmer version of The Island of Dr. Moreau on first dates. So with all due respect, I think it is I who has made the worst choices in date movies. Yours might miss the mark by being too intense or odd, but mine are just plain turds.

I let a date take me to Ladder 49 once. It wasn't the first date, but it sure as fuck was the last.

[schoolofruckus]

I saw Lorna's Silence last night. It's another reliably excellent drama of Belgian petty criminals from the Dardenne brothers (L'Enfant, The Son, et. al.). It follows a young Albanian girl (Lorna, as you may have guessed) who marries a junkie (played by Jeremie Renier, who has been in all of the Dardenne movies I've seen) in order to obtain Belgian citizenship, with the intent to divorce him and marry a wealthy Russian who in turn needs to obtain citizenship; Lorna would then be paid enough money to help her open a snack bar with her boyfriend. The middleman in the operation is a taxi driver named Fabio, who plans to kill the junkie in order to avoid having to pay him for his end of the deal; when Lorna learns of this plan, her conscience kicks in and she decides to try to help save him instead.

In much the same way that Three Monkeys was a consciously plotted departure from the moody ambience of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's work, this film employs the minimalist Dardenne aesthetic towards a somewhat traditional narrative. And it's similarly successful at retaining their voice - clean, sparse handheld camerawork, positively seamless acting, a fascination on blue-collar work, and unforced authenticity in the settings - while trying newer, more-traveled methods of storytelling. I'd recommend that anyone who liked any of the earlier Dardenne movies seek this out when Sony Classics opens it in your town.

I also had to shush some stupid old people who - much like some of the phillistines who were in the crowd when I finally got to see Silent Light - wouldn't stop talking back at the screen. I'm guessing it's some form of xenophobia that causes so many members of older generations to chat at well-above-whisper volumes during movies where the dialogue isn't in English. Whatever it is, I'm not going to fucking stand for it.


I also saw a trailer for this beforehand, which I'm pretty excited about:

6IVKAAsqcrI

[M Sparks]

You don't have to be 18 years old to show your tits. Thora Birch got naked in American Beauty and I think she was only 15 at the time.

There are rumors that scene was faked, due to the way she was framed in the window. But I don't know if I believe it. However, it was a non-sexual scene.

In Stains, Diane Lane walks around in a see-through blouse for about half the movie, which was probably fine. But she also has a sex scene in the shower. It's non explicit, but she is shown from the back completely nude, then topless in the shower making out with an adult male. If a prosecutor wanted to get some publicity back in the day- maybe running for office, he would have had a pretty good case.

There was some talk in congress in the 80's about making it illegal to even PORTRAY a minor having sex, even if the actor was of age. This would have essentially made Fast Times, Animal House, and countless other movies illegal in their present form. I don't know how far it got, I just remember reading a article about it when it was a threat.

[nbvcide]

You don't have to be 18 years old to show your tits. Thora Birch got naked in American Beauty and I think she was only 15 at the time.

wrong. she was 17 at the time the scene was filmed, but turned 18 prior to the release of the movie.


Did this really happen to you? How could you not know?

yes. it really happened. if you saw the taglines, etc on the vhs versioin of the movie it sounds like an awesomely awful b-movie that would be hilarious... boy were we wrong.


speaking of Fabulous Stains, anyone ever see Times Square... similar.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

wrong. she was 17 at the time the scene was filmed, but turned 18 prior to the release of the movie.

actually, she was 16 when it was filmed and 17 when it was released in theaters.

[wmgaretjax]

Apparently there is a remake of I Spit on Your Grave coming out in the near future.

[wmgaretjax]

I recommend this film wholeheartedly: http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/grace/

see it when it comes out if you have any interest in the horror genre at all.

[M Sparks]

yes. it really happened. if you saw the taglines, etc on the vhs versioin of the movie it sounds like an awesomely awful b-movie that would be hilarious... boy were we wrong.

It was so notorious in the 80's, I was just surprised that anyone wouldn't know what they were in for. Just Ebert's review alone is so legendary. I guess it's kind of fallen off the radar now.

I could see this happening with Fight For Your Life...the box looks like a typical 70's b-movie, but I hear it's similarly nauseating.

Oh, and I haven't seen Times Square, but I JUST read a review of it somewhere a couple of days ago, so maybe this is a sign I need to track it down. I try to watch all the late 70's/early 80's punk/new wave movies, even though most of them stink.

[bobert]

wrong. she was 17 at the time the scene was filmed, but turned 18 prior to the release of the movie.

You know, there are ways of verifying that type of information, and guess what? You're wrong.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000301/

[bobert]

actually, she was 16 when it was filmed and 17 when it was released in theaters.

Yes, what he said. I remember reading that her parents were on set the day she disrobed. So let me reiterate my original statement: you don't have to be 18 to show your tits. That is all.

[M Sparks]

So let me reiterate my original statement: you don't have to be 18 to show your tits. That is all.

15, 16, 17...fake or real...it still doesn't have anything to do with a 15 year old girl snogging a 23 year old guy while naked in the shower. Otherwise, we'd be talking about Brooke Shields, who was like 12 in Pretty Baby.

[bobert]

snogging

Please define.

I have no idea what film we're talking about btw and so just let me say that I agree with you wholeheartedly. Unless I don't.

Also, I'm very comfortable talking about Brooke Shields 12 year old boobs if that's where you'd like to steer the conversation.

[Bud Luster]

Rented Layer Cake last night. Still one of my favorites and reminded why I have a thing for Sienna Miller:

7CYAhraVDLk

[iv3rdawG]

"New posters for great films":

http://www.tcm.com/2009/summer/index.jsp

[M Sparks]

Please define.

Snogging? It's Brit-speak for making out. (Isn't it?)

I have no idea what film we're talking about btw and so just let me say that I agree with you wholeheartedly. Unless I don't.

The topic of conversation was the 1981-ish film "Ladies & Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains". Specifically, the outrageousness of a scene in which a 15 years old (actually 15, not movie 15) Diane Lane takes off all her clothes on camera, gets into a shower with the 23 year old Ray Winstone, and makes out with him. Which, if it had occurred offscreen, would probably be a crime in most states. The actual sex is only implied, but the slippery, nekked, underage snogging is real. (I'm sorry, Snogging is just a better word than "making out")

That's not really the same as Thora Birch standing topless in a window for a few seconds. That's all I'm saying.


Also, I'm very comfortable talking about Brooke Shields 12 year old boobs if that's where you'd like to steer the conversation.

:lool

[M Sparks]

"New posters for great films":

http://www.tcm.com/2009/summer/index.jsp

Those are cool. I love the "NXNW" one...those Hollywood idiots would so do that if it was made today.

Oh man, I love The Mouse That Roared...haven't seen it in ages. I wish Dish Network would turn on TCM-HD...it became available last month.

[nbvcide]

Apparently there is a remake of I Spit on Your Grave coming out in the near future.

there was a remake a few years ago (and at least one other ripoff, diff title, same exact plot, none were as 'good')


Oh, and I haven't seen Times Square, but I JUST read a review of it somewhere a couple of days ago, so maybe this is a sign I need to track it down. I try to watch all the late 70's/early 80's punk/new wave movies, even though most of them stink.

i loved it when i was a teenager, don't expect much and you'll probably enjoy it. i def recommend it though..

[iv3rdawG]

The Lovely Bones footage. Trailer should be coming soon but this is all that's been released:

js3U2RwmPTs

[schoolofruckus]

I would be a lot more excited about that if Gosling were still onboard instead of Wahlberg.

[wmgaretjax]

it looks entirely uninteresting.

[schoolofruckus]

I'm interested in Brian Eno's score.

[wmgaretjax]

I'm interested in Brian Eno's score.

I would have been curious 25 years ago.

[M Sparks]

i loved it when i was a teenager, don't expect much and you'll probably enjoy it. i def recommend it though..

I've seen...Fabulous Stains, Suburbia, Liquid Sky, Urgh! A Music War, du-Beat-E-o, Rude Boy, Great Rock & Roll Swindle, Rock & Roll High School, Get Crazy, Starstruck (tho I'm not sure you could lump that in with these others), Decline Of Western Civilization, Dudes, Straight To Hell, Repo Man, part of Smithereens...all of them I enjoyed to some degree. OK, maybe not du-Beat-E-o.

Do you have any other suggestions besides Times Square?

[SoulDischarge]

I miss Peter Jackson.

[nbvcide]

QUICK QUESTION:
who the fuck put lips on the Snake Eyes mask????


after transformers & gi joe, i'm half expecting a jerry bruckheimer remake of He-Man, starring Zac Efron as he-man & Steve Carrell as skeletor.. but skeletor will fly & he-man will be riding a motorcycle, and castle greyskull will be replaced by the set of the tonight show.. at least then it would be truer to the source material than this summer's last two abominations..



Do you have any other suggestions besides Times Square?

this:Rcx4_CszaDI

seriously though...
eh, not really like the others at all, but 'Girl' (with Dominique Swain) wasn't all that bad..

[ivankay]

500 Days of Summer really worked for me. It definitely evoked emotion, entertained and made me want and love Zooey a lot more. i love the soundtrack. If the chance comes up to see it again, i would.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

QUICK QUESTION:
who the fuck put lips on the Snake Eyes mask????


after transformers & gi joe, i'm half expecting a jerry bruckheimer remake of He-Man, starring Zac Efron as he-man & Steve Carrell as skeletor.. but skeletor will fly & he-man will be riding a motorcycle, and castle greyskull will be replaced by the set of the tonight show.. at least then it would be truer to the source material than this summer's last two abominations..

There already was a terrific live action MOTU film, and the source material for all of these toy franchises was fucking bullshit, so who cares what the movies are like? these shows, despite our nostalgia, are 1,000 times worse than these movies are

[BlackSwan]

I miss Peter Jackson.

He produced District 9:

WZnpzfcMheA

[ivankay]

eeesh that Road trailer was really, really bad. should hopefully still be great though. i can't believe they keep using the wilhelm scream.
cdbYsoEasio


Here's a different compilation. It has some duplicate screams:

4YDpuA90KEY&fmt=18

[higgybaby23]

I had a little double feature doom-fest last night. Viewed Gomorrah and Waltz With Bashir. Both films were quite depressing.

Gomorrah is the story of the modern day mafia in Italy, particularly "the Camorra" mob. The plot is somewhat complex, with many characters weaving in and out of the backdrop of urban decay. Martin Scorsese had some hand in promoting or producing, not sure what exactly. Superb acting and great cinematography. For fans of City of God, Fresh or Scarface.

Waltz With Bashir was beautiful and horrible. A simple plot about a very messed up situation. Great animation. The film had an overall sense of brooding and dread, yet looked gorgeous. The subject matter is extremely intense, but the story needed to be told.

[M Sparks]

eh, not really like the others at all, but 'Girl' (with Dominique Swain) wasn't all that bad..

I think I saw that, but I thought it was 90's based. And I'm really looking for movies that were actually made back then.

I like movies that either 1)accurately portray the punk/new wave scene of the 70's/80s or 2)show a hilariously inaccurate portrayal of the punk/new wave scene as seen by greedy movie executives trying to cash in.

[SoulDischarge]

Try to find Nick Zedd's They Eat Scum or Geek Maggot Bingo.

[higgybaby23]

Try to find Nick Zedd's They Eat Scum or Geek Maggot Bingo.

Richard Kern also put out some 80's punk/no wave films. I believe Sonic Youth were involved in one.

[M Sparks]

Try to find Nick Zedd's They Eat Scum or Geek Maggot Bingo.

I've heard of Geek Maggot Bingo. Didn't he used to do stuff with Lydia Lunch?

By the way, I forgot to put the wonderfully weird world of new wave porn on my list. Stephen Sayadian (who went by the WTF porn name of Rinse Dream) was the king of the wacked out 80's new wave porn, with Night Dreams & Cafe Flesh, but New Wave Hookers ain't bad either, even though it should be filed squarely under the "cash in" category.

I'm not a porn fan (especially these days), but Cafe Flesh is the only porn I've seen where I recommend fast forwarding through the sex (except the finale) and watching it for the plot. Co-written by the guy who wrote Permanent Midnight, and with music by record producer/Suzanne Vega's Ex Mitchell Froom. Insanely weird shit.

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah. He was part of that whole New York no wave scene with Richard Kern. Kern got more musicians in his shorts (including, I think, Henry Rollins' junk), but Geek Maggot Bingo has Richard Hell in it as a cowboy.

[iv3rdawG]

Full The Lovely Bones trailer:

DUtnFFVgIeM

Not sure how long it'll last so watch it while you can.

Quicktime link:

http://movies.apple.com/movies/paramount/thelovelybones/thelovelybones_h480p.mov

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I'm not familiar with the book, but the trailer looks good! I'm excited about Jackson going back to someone smaller films. i watched "Heavenly Creatures" for the first time about a year ago and really fell in love with it

[schoolofruckus]

I'm not familiar with the book, but the trailer looks good! I'm excited about Jackson going back to someone smaller films. i watched "Heavenly Creatures" for the first time about a year ago and really fell in love with it

Jackson's idea of "smaller films" is a $70 million, CG-drenched fantasy with Mark Wahlberg in full-on, overacting Happening mode. I don't think it's unfair to write him off in terms of making something that I care about on a human level.

(Don't get me wrong - I love Wahlberg in Boogie Nights and David O. Russell films. But he's going down a dark path these last couple years.)

[chairmenmeow47]

going to see hurt locker tonight with my dad, thankfully it's at some regular theatres by my house and not just the artsy theatre.

and god the happening and wahlberg, *shudder*

[humanoid]

Jackson's idea of "smaller films" is a $70 million, CG-drenched fantasy with Mark Wahlberg in full-on, overacting Happening mode. I don't think it's unfair to write him off in terms of making something that I care about on a human level.

(Don't get me wrong - I love Wahlberg in Boogie Nights and David O. Russell films. But he's going down a dark path these last couple years.)

I could've lived with the CG drenched fantasy if it were done tactfully, but the inclusion of Marky Mark (especially post Happening) pushes it into the realm of me assuming it will be terrible.

[schoolofruckus]

I could've lived with the CG drenched fantasy if it were done tactfully, but the inclusion of Marky Mark (especially post Happening) pushes it into the realm of me assuming it will be terrible.

That's my point. There's no way in hell it will be.

It looks very, very similar to What Dreams May Come - which I liked, flaws and all, for what it was. But I don't trust Jackson as far as I could have thrown him before he won the Oscar and became bulimic.

[schoolofruckus]

Via con dios, Ben and Ben. (http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/08/chicago-tribunes-michael-phillips-ny-times-ao-scott-in-on-at-the-movies-ben-lyons-ben-mankiewicz-out.html?)

[M Sparks]

Via con dios, Ben and Ben. (http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/08/chicago-tribunes-michael-phillips-ny-times-ao-scott-in-on-at-the-movies-ben-lyons-ben-mankiewicz-out.html?)

I can't believe this show was still syndicated. I get it on the uber-cheapo Reelz Channel...I just assumed they produced it like everything else they show. They've got Maltin on their payroll, and I assumed they had bought the At The Movies name since it wasn't worth much anymore.

Does Sneak Previews still exist? I miss The Dog Of The Week.

[nbvcide]

There already was a terrific live action MOTU film, these shows, despite our nostalgia, are 1,000 times worse than these movies are

yes, yes, that's why i used the word REMAKE..
(it was a decent movie, but about as far away from the source material as you can get...... even more so than Trans & Joe)

lips on the Snake Eyes mask = 10000x dumber than nipples on the Batman suit

maybe Michael Bay can fuck up Voltron next..

going to see hurt locker tonight with my dad, thankfully it's at some regular theatres by my house and not just the artsy theatre.

and god the happening and wahlberg, *shudder*

i repeat, a dvdscreener of Hurt Locker has been available online for 8 months now.. if it's not playing near you, or only at art houses, go download it... it's def worth it!!

[PotVsKtl]

Because you're a fucking idiot.

[schoolofruckus]

yes, yes, that's why i used the word REMAKE..
(it was a decent movie, but about as far away from the source material as you can get...... even more so than Trans & Joe)


maybe Michael Bay can fuck up Voltron next..



i repeat, a dvdscreener of Hurt Locker has been available online for 8 months now.. if it's not playing near you, or only at art houses, go download it... it's def worth it!!


why am i the only one who didn't hate The Happening?? LOL

Because you have an elite level of awful taste in movies.

The Hurt Locker is going wide this weekend.

[nbvcide]

no, i simply have a high tolerance for mainstream film... i can easily name 50 films from last year that were worse than The Happening... it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad (well, maybe the acting & dialogue were haha)

hypocrisy anyway, seeing as how you wrote this in the M. Night Shamalan thread: >>>>>>
I don't know that much about him; I just really like his work.


Unbreakable was great before the twist, and still great after the twist.

Lady In the Water was great without a twist.

The Happening looks interesting. Count me in.


judging from the above, you sir, have far shittier taste in movies than i...

[schoolofruckus]

no, i simply have a high tolerance for mainstream film... i can easily name 50 films from last year that were worse than The Happening... it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad (well, maybe the acting & dialogue were haha)



well, if THAT isn't the pot calling the kettle nigger i don't know what is...

I dare you to list 50 films worse than The Happening. Seriously. If you fail, your penalty is to spend the night in Harlem.

[nbvcide]

I dare you to list 50 films worse than The Happening. Seriously. If you fail, your penalty is to spend the night in Harlem.

i can easily name 50 worse, just from last year... but if we're talking all time, that isn't even a challenge.

*can it be South-Central instead? i'm already spending the night there on saturday..

[nbvcide]

Because you're a fucking idiot.
well, if THAT isn't the pot calling the kettle nigger i don't know what is..

[SoulDischarge]

well, if THAT isn't the pot calling the kettle nigger i don't know what is..

If I quote it, will you stop deleting and reposting already?

[nbvcide]

sure!


(the reason i kept doing so, was because schoolofruckus kept reply too quickly to my previous posts, so i kept moving my Potvsktl retort farther down the thread to keep a smooth continuity to the more interesting conversation at hand..)

*edit: a sig though REALLY should also include his post i was quoting, as it contains one-half of the joke... as he is the joke, in essence.

[schoolofruckus]

i can easily name 50 worse, just from last year... but if we're talking all time, that isn't even a challenge.

Do you speak English, sir? Parla usted Inglese? The 50 films of 2008 worse than The Happening, yes. Films you actually saw. Any day now.

[amyzzz]

Just list the 50 movies already.

[nbvcide]

you look up & type the 50 movies in six minutes and i'll suck your dick amy..

[amyzzz]

Just STFU then.

[nbvcide]

as it's my job to watch & review nearly every film that comes out, and as i have them all listed from best to worst, by year... let me go do some copy & paste so you can bitch & moan about how Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of Bullshit wasn't as bad as The Happening...

[SoulDischarge]

Do you speak English, sir? Parla usted Inglese? The 50 films of 2008 worse than The Happening, yes. Films you actually saw. Any day now.

I didn't blame anyone for the loss of my legs. Some Chinaman took them from me in Korea!

[schoolofruckus]

Here's a trailer for the Nazi movie-within-a-movie (http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/nationspride/t_medium.html) that's part of Inglourious Basterds. It has no spoiler value whatsoever, but the decidedly non-period aesthetic tells you all you need to know about the tone and attitude of Basterds.

[PotVsKtl]

Yeah, shut the fuck up Amy.

[schoolofruckus]

as it's my job to watch & review nearly every film that comes out, and as i have them all listed from best to worst, by year... let me go do some copy & paste so you can bitch & moan about how Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of Bullshit wasn't as bad as The Happening...

For a task you once claimed you could do "easily", this is proving to be shockingly difficult.

[nbvcide]

goddamn, so sorry that took more than 13 minutes...

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, High School Musical 3, Sunday School Musical, Hottie & The Nottie, Adrift in Manhatten, Witless Protection, Meet The Spartans, Suburban Girl, You Don't Mess With The Zohan, The Eye, Shutter, Savage Grace, Disaster Movie, Diary of the Dead, Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs, Mirrors, Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation, Turn The River, Cleaner, Outlaw, Toxic, Over Her Dead Body, How She Move, The Forgotten Kingdom, Crazy for Love, Aces & Eights, American Poop, Sex and Breakfast, Postal, College Road Trip, One Missed Call, Untraceable, Day of the Dead, Max Payne, First Sunday, In The Name Of The King, Wargames: The Dead Code, Postal, The Love Guru, Futurama: Bender's Game, American Mall, Boarding Gate, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!: Strippers Vs. Zombies, Seed, An American Carol

is that 50?

[schoolofruckus]

No. You named Postal twice. Not to mention, I don't believe for a second that you've watched all of those.

[SoulDischarge]

Pity the man who has.

[PotVsKtl]

The Futurama movies are most certainly not worse than The Happening.

[nbvcide]

hahaha, so i did.

i can claim 1000% for a fact i have... wanna see the entire list of film from last year i was paid to watch? the list of films i missed is much, much shorter i can assure you...


The Futurama movies are most certainly not worse than The Happening.

if you saw those two, you can't possibly believe that... the others have been great though... but those two, eww.

[Dale Gribble]

The only good part of "The Happening" is when Dante from Clerks kills himself.

[PotVsKtl]

Paid to watch = played on the monitors at Blockbuster.

[nbvcide]

yes... that, or working for a syndicated television station and writing the copy for the 'critics' on our film review shows...

[amyzzz]

His opinion is invalid since he didn't choose to watch all those horrible movies.

[nbvcide]

i didn't just choose horrible movies, i simply listed the ones that were... and several of those were never even reviewed, but i still watched them.
and just because i was paid to watch every major theatrical & dvd release doesn't invalidate my opinions... i chose that job because i love to watch movies.


i was just lucky enough to know that there were so many worse films last year than The Happening i could list em.. i could probably list another 100 but it would be pointless once we venture into the films that were 'arguably' worse..

[PotVsKtl]

His opinion is invalid because he listed the Futurama movies as worse than the Happening. Your opinion is invalid because you absolutely refuse to shut the fuck up despite being asked nicely a multitude of times.

Also, I pity whatever depressing hamlet has this brain-addled dillswamp as a film critic. I can see it now:

"RV is LOL a minute thrill ride!..... lol."

[nbvcide]

no, i was asked once, not nicely (by amyzzz), and that was on the condition that i couldn't name 50, which i did. (how does one ask nicely to 'shut the fuck up' btw?)
if you wanna invalidate the list due to you believing those two futurama movies weren't as bad, i'll replace them with others that were..
don't be bitter you were wrong.


by depressing hamlet, i assume you mean the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area with over 6.5 million customers than have access to our network.

and i actually never saw RV. so there.

[PotVsKtl]

Yeah, shut the fuck up Amy.

His opinion is invalid since he didn't choose to watch all those horrible movies.

His opinion is invalid because he listed the Futurama movies as worse than the Happening. Your opinion is invalid because you absolutely refuse to shut the fuck up despite being asked nicely a multitude of times.

no, i was asked once, not nicely (by amyzzz),

Context clues. Use them.

[schoolofruckus]

Yeah, he's a film critic like I'm a fucking seminary professor.

Also, the only film he listed that I've seen is Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and as big a piece of shit as that was, it was 500 times better than The Happening. At least there were small segments of it where I could trick myself into thinking it was a competent Indiana Jones movie.

[nbvcide]

Context clues. Use them.

oh. you were talking to amy.

well, you're still wrong, as You only told her once. and still not nicely. so my point still stands regardless of who you were referring to..

Yeah, he's a film critic like I'm a fucking seminary professor.


i never said i was a film critic. i am not. for the record, anyone who has an opinion on a film, is by definition a film critic. if one gets paid to express those views, even more so? i review films and write copy, but that does not make me what you would perceive as a film critic.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as big a piece of shit as that was, it was 500 times better than The Happening..

i will ignore you now, as my opinion of your opinion has fallen to zero.

i MY opinion, the plot (and even Walhberg's acting lol) were more believable than any one scene in Mediocre Jones & the Crystal Skullfuck

[dorkfish]

Mirrors was awful, but the Happening was much worse.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was an embarrassment to all that were involved, but the Happening was much worse.
Diary of the Dead was watchably bad. The Happening wasn't.
Untraceable sucked, but the Happening was much worse.

Why would anyone bother to watch Zohan or the Love Guru?

[nbvcide]

Mirrors was awful, but the Happening was much worse.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was an embarrassment to all that were involved, but the Happening was much worse.
Diary of the Dead was watchably bad. The Happening wasn't.
Untraceable sucked, but the Happening was much worse.
Why would anyone bother to watch Zohan or the Love Guru?

which brings me back to my original post that started this flaming...
i didn't hate The Happening. i'm not saying it was good, i just said i didn't hate it.
for the record, it wasn't as bad as Lady in the Water (i couldn't even get through that)
or Unbreakable (although the last scene in Unbreakable i quoted endlessly for months & months after seeing it hahaha)





wait... why the FUCK are we arguing over Indiana Jones/The Happening?!?!?!?
what is this page 280 or so of this thread???
let's just return to regularly scheduled programming...

[wmgaretjax]

if you actually sat through that many bad films last year alone, you should probably just kill yourself now.

[dorkfish]

by depressing hamlet, i assume you mean the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area with over 6.5 million customers than have access to our network.
What are the actual numbers that your group is pulling from the 6.5 million.

[Stefinitely Maybe]

There are rumors that scene was faked, due to the way she was framed in the window. But I don't know if I believe it. However, it was a non-sexual scene.

In Stains, Diane Lane walks around in a see-through blouse for about half the movie, which was probably fine. But she also has a sex scene in the shower. It's non explicit, but she is shown from the back completely nude, then topless in the shower making out with an adult male. If a prosecutor wanted to get some publicity back in the day- maybe running for office, he would have had a pretty good case.

There was some talk in congress in the 80's about making it illegal to even PORTRAY a minor having sex, even if the actor was of age. This would have essentially made Fast Times, Animal House, and countless other movies illegal in their present form. I don't know how far it got, I just remember reading a article about it when it was a threat.

I saw The Hangover tonight and there's a scene in that where a dude makes a baby look as though it's jerking itself off, and he talks about its little penis. Surely that's more offensive than seeing a teenager topless?

[Stefinitely Maybe]

Also, the only film he listed that I've seen is Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and as big a piece of shit as that was, it was 500 times better than The Happening. At least there were small segments of it where I could trick myself into thinking it was a competent Indiana Jones movie.

IAWTAC

[schoolofruckus]

oh. you were talking to amy.

well, you're still wrong, as You only told her once. and still not nicely. so my point still stands regardless of who you were referring to..



i never said i was a film critic. i am not. for the record, anyone who has an opinion on a film, is by definition a film critic. if one gets paid to express those views, even more so? i review films and write copy, but that does not make me what you would perceive as a film critic.



i will ignore you now, as my opinion of your opinion has fallen to zero.

i MY opinion, the plot (and even Walhberg's acting lol) were more believable than any one scene in Mediocre Jones & the Crystal Skullfuck

Oh, come on. I think you're far and away the most extreme full-retard on the planet, and I'm still talking to you!

[nbvcide]

what did everyone think of Dod Sno/Deod Snoe/Dead Snow?

[bobert]

Mediocre Jones & the Crystal Skullfuck

Since you're a professional writer/film critic I'd advise against giving away gems like this for free on a public message board. Any more knee-slappers you're keeping in your back pocket?