Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

The 1920s!

They could at least stop being so horrendously blatant about it...

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Indeed.

Lets bring back the days of silent movies! No more cheesy dialogue! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Things are really getting sad in Hollywood<font color="red"> - </font> I read just recently that there's going to be a Knight Rider and a Simpsons movie made, and that someone is considering making a Gilligan's Island movie and a remake of Death Wish.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Interesting. I found the Constant Gardener to be a very good movie, with depth and fascinating characters, and great acting.

MI:3 was as awful as the other MIs. I mean, who needs another flick that is essentially one explosion after another with one-dimensional characters, and no real plot except "superhuman guy getting revenge and saving hot chicks etc..."

And Hitchhikers was a true dissapointment. Really quite awful as well. Gags not funny. Acting generally poor. Of all the books that would be hard to suck the humor out of, somehow they managed to make it boring.

I can only presume the Da Vinci Code will be as bad as the book.

Narnia was just a sad attempt to recreate the book and try to come up with something similiar to the Lord of the Rings.

Recent good ones: Match point, Brokeback mtn, and Capote were all very good, actually getting into real human emotional and other conflict and making one feel that these were real people with real problems (although I found Capote to be thoroughly unlikeable as a person, I felt the portrayal was quite excellent).

I highly reccomend the following series as entertainment at its absolute finest: Six feet under, The Sopranos, Weeds (very funny show), and Deadwood. The Wire is also inspired, but a bit typical (but not predictable).

For the best movie in the past few years, I nominate Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and go rent it immediately.

And the classics cannot be ignored. Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and Breakfast at Tiffany's are the ones I would put at the top of that list.

Just my two cents. Needed to get a break from work. Back to the grind.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

A lady I'm rather fond of at the moment convinced me to watch Wimbledon and About a Boy with her tonight. Both were very interesting for different reasons. Wimbledon starred Paul Bettany and was surprisingly funny, down-to-earth, and actually had an interesting storyline. About a Boy starred Hugh Grant, who as a rule I loathe, but this time he was oddly funny, as was the movie. Go figure.

I think the movie choices of the evening were a test, of course. Now she's making noises about seeing Brokeback Mountain.








<font color="red">Ain't</font> gonna happen.....




.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

yeah, About a Boy is definitely one the better movies out there. Hilarious.

BB mountain is a good flick. There is some substance to the critique that it's popular becuase it's controversial in subject matter, and I am in agreement with the Academy that it wasn't an Oscar level movie, but the acting is very good. Really, it is just a classic unrequited love story, and you could replace either of the characters with a woman, or both, and it would be the same movie. So, yeah, not worth an Oscar, but a good movie nonetheless.

I, of course, don't know why you are adamant about not seeing it, but I'm always surprised at the level of vehemence against the movie. I mean, heck, why does anyone really care that much what people do behind closed doors. Or, in this case, out in the wide open woods...

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Here's a totally hilarious article by the comic writer Gene Weingarten:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...;notFound=true

Actually, heck, I'll reprint it below, because it is really funny and relevant (really!)

Aisle Be Damned
By Gene Weingarten

Sunday, March 21, 2004; Page W11


I think we can all agree with our president that gay marriage is a grave threat to America, because if it weren't, our president would not have this issue to flog and might lose the election, and then who would protect us from

being murdered by poorly shaven individuals from Middle Eastern nations?

No, wait. That can't be right. The reason gay marriage is a grave threat to America must be that if we let gay people marry, the entire hallowed institution of marriage will be disgraced. No one will take marriage seriously anymore. Pretty soon the American divorce rate will start approaching 50 percent, and the sanctity of the whole process will be compromised, with pop stars getting drunk, married and annulled all on the same weekend. And then, before you know it, people will take marriage so casually that romance and passion themselves will erode, couples will no longer care about how they look to each other, and America will become a nation of people waddling around with keisters the size, texture and pliability of weather balloons.

Oh, wait.

Well, that's not why, anyway. The argument against legalizing gay marriage must be the same as the argument against legalizing drugs: If you legalize gay marriage, everyone will want to do it. Clearly, we all have these massive, pent-up, homosexual urges waiting to erupt, once we get the giddyap go-ahead from the government. George Bush and Dick Cheney might take up residence together in a simply darling Crystal City duplex. If gays are allowed to get married, guys like me will start looking at our wives and thinking, wait a minute, I have to settle for this weak little, squeaky-voiced, thong-wearing thing when Sylvester Stallone is available?

Oh, wait.

Actually, I guess the real reason to oppose gay marriage is that God is opposed to it, as certified by Leviticus (Lev. 20:13). Because this is an actual book of the Bible, we must obey everything it says literally, which is why Bill Cosby, Newt Gingrich, Albert Einstein and Bill Clinton have all been duly put to death for adultery, the prescribed punishment (Lev. 20:10). Or why anyone who shaves his head (Lev. 21:5) or wears clothing made from both wool and linen together (Lev. 19:19) or marries a divorced woman (Lev. 21:7) has been publicly condemned as a sinner. Or why any married couple that has sex when the woman is menstruating has been banished from civilized society and left to wander the earth (Lev. 20:18).

Well, maybe not.

But perhaps the best argument for why gay marriage is a grave threat to America is historical. Historically, when a society begins to condone decadence and licentiousness, it collapses like a souffle in an earthquake. The nations that survive and prosper and become world powers are the ones that adhere to strict moral codes, like Yemen, Djibouti, Myanmar, and that one with all the goats.

Okay, I confess that I don't really understand why anyone gives a fig about this issue, but I am sure our president knows best, by virtue of his superior brain and his Doctor of Thinkology degree. If he says that it requires a constitutional amendment to rectify this grievous error, then, by gum, I am all for it. I have been looking at the Constitution, actually, and I have to admit that an anti-gay-marriage amendment would fit right in.

You'd hardly know it was there. You could even add it to an existing amendment.

For example, Amendment VIII: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Also, ix-nay on the omos-hay, okay?"

But if we do follow this path, we really ought to consider another constitutional amendment, drawing not only from this same intense desire to improve our society, but from our increasing willingness to invoke the deity to do so:

Proposed Amendment XXVIII:

"It shall be unlawful to use the U.S. Constitution as a plaything for the politically self-righteous. Violators should all go to Hell

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Actually, my reasons for NOT wanting to see Brokeback Mountain are pretty straight-forward.

As a native-born son of Texas who grew up on a ranch and lived the life of a ranch hand until Uncle Sam conned,....er...., convinced me to enlist, I have caught a ton of flack over this flick. Add to that I just don't have any interest in seeing two guys making out, whatever the story.

I'm not at all against gays, and I'm not homophobic. I don't care what people do in their private lives, I'm just not interested in seeing or hearing about it.



'nuff said. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I didn't mean to imply homophobia...sorry! (I should have been more clear in my writing, doh!)

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Black_Knyght: Actually, my reasons for NOT wanting to see Brokeback Mountain are pretty

&gt;&gt;&gt; straight-forward. &lt;&lt;&lt;

Pun intended? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Never even crossed my mind. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif


Ya think ? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

DOOM - A mindless and violent movie, not very interesting, shallow story. There's a first-person-shooter sequence in the movie where the guy goes around with a big gun and shooting, with the same point of view as in the game. It was just like watching over somebody's shoulder who's playing the game, and it was kind of boring. In general, it seems that movies which are based on video games tend not to be great movies. This movie is similar to Resident Evil in many ways but even Resident Evil, which wasn't that good, was still better than Doom.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

That's becuase DOOM had very little story. A movie needs a story; a game, not so much.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

The Tomb Raider movies were based on a game... I found them entertaining, but then that franchise had already been expanded with comic books and the like too. You are right though, Doom sucked butt big time.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Aeo Flux

An interesting movie but not something to write home about. Its ok to watch if your bored and want to spend two hours watching a hot chick in black beat the [censored] out of stupid black clad bad guys.

Munich
Why was this move made? Its not a bad movie just really no point to it. I found it to be an uninteresting and a bit preachy. Generally after watching it, I just had to ask myself why I wasted two hours of my life watching a movie that was extremely uninteresting.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobep
Man what a horrible boring and uninspiring chop job on the book. - Nuff said.

MI III
Put the breaks on! Please no more MI movies! Twas a interesting thrill ride with a lack luster story and a dumb plot. I want my $12.50 back!

A History Of Violence
Boring!

Million Dollar Baby
A very good movie. I can see why everyone loved it. Twas a good movie to watch.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

And they removed all of the game's actual story, too.

Are hell-spawned demons not PC, or something?

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Hell DOOM 3 removed the orginal DOOM story in order to seem simular to the movie. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I liked it, too, although I thought the premise was implausible: 30-year-old waitress works a few months with aging veteran trainer, then immediately dominates younger, more experienced opponents with an unbroken string of KOs right up throught the championship. If they HAD to use Eastwood, Freeman, and Swank, I suppose it was the best they could do. However, I think I'd prefer younger actors and a longer, less meteoric career so the main character would really EARN her title, not have it handed to her on a screenwriter's plate.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I am just waiting for Rocky VI where he trains his 45 year old, ex-drugie son to fight Mr. T's illegitimate half black, half Latino bisexual cross dressing nephew for the ***** Slapping World Title and they end up falling in love while riding robotic steers in the local gay biker bar after a couple of long islands. With all the "PC" in movies these days, you never know.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

PC?? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I think PC = political correctness.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Ah, of course. Should have figured that out! Thanks Kamog! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

I'm with you AT. There's way too much political correctness in movie (and in the larger picture, the world). It's almost as if people aren't willing to say what they mean anymore, for fear of someone accussing them of being racist, bigotted, chauvinistic, homophobic, intolerant, etc. etc.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I just saw Brick with two friends; one hated it, one was "meh" and I really enjoyed it. I can best describe it as the mix of a 70's noir movie with Napoleon Dynamite.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

"Brokeback Italian Stallion"? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

We're in the middle of "The Producers" which if you haven't seen the Oscar-winning original (1969, with Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel), you need to.

The "new" version is the movie based on the Broadway musical based on the original movie by Mel Brooks.

We're enjoying it, but know the soundtrack by heart as we saw it at a "preview show" before it opened with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and won every Tony it was nominated for (fourteen?).

Worth a look if you like Mel Brooks or musicals. Or you like Mel Brooks and musicals. Or you like musicals with Mel Brooks. Or if... Well, you get the idea.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Over The Hedge

Took the nephews to see this one today. Not bad, loved the squirel, hated the turtle and rackoon. Good movie for the adults, kinda lame for the kids.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

X-Men 3

All in all this movie was kind of a let down really. Sure it had great special effects and it is always nice to see the actors who play the characters, but even their talent could not save this movie. The quality of writing, direction, acting, and sense of polish just wasn't in this movie as it has been in the previous two.

The story seemed contrived, rushed, and filled with gaps, pot holes, and even a black hole plot fubar called the phoenix.

Sure the phoenix was pure evil incarnate, but given the dilution that this movie has been filled too, no one character got more than about five minutes of combined screen time to explain fill them out. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

The bad mutants were devolved into a bunch of leather, tattooed, punk rockers who did little for the movie but add to the overall dilution of the plot.

In the previous two movies you felt for the characters, most of them, because there was a lot of effort put into developing them. In this movie we have none of that. Hell the only characters that seemed worth caring about were only in the movie for about a total of five minutes each.

This movie is certainly darker than the previous two, but no where in league with them. On a scale of 5 stars, this one would only capture about 2. It was a sincere let down given the quality of its predecessors.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

agreed (10 line post deleted by spell check grrrr)

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

X-Men 3

Well, I agree X-Men 3 was not as good as X-Men 2, but it was still pretty good in my opinion. By the way, if you stay and watch the end of the credits, there is an interesting little extra scene.

Warning: Spoiler
I agree! Those new mutants were kind of uninteresting and unimportant. No wonder Magneto sends them in to battle first and sacrifices them. "In chess, the pawns go first." Yeah, the audience doesn't care about those guys either. Actually, the only two characters that I really care about are Magneto and Mystique. In my opinion, these two are more interesting than the good guys. It was very sad what happened to Mystique, but I'm hopeful that she'll regain her powers later if a sequel is ever made, just like Magneto didn't permanently lose his power. And some of dead guys will likely come back somehow in future movies. By the way, Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), the girl who can walk through walls, is the cutest girl in the world. Some more screen time of her would have been nice. Anyway, if they make the Magneto prequel movie, I'd definitely go see that; he's my favorite character.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I just saw X3 last night and I liked it.

It wasn't quite as good as the other two, but those were both exceptionally good.

The FX was top notch.
The basic story arcs were nicely played out. (but not as well integrated as they could have been)
I really liked seeing all the younger mutants growing into their powers.

One piece of advice to those going to see it. Stay through the credits for a last little scene.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

As far as the overall effect, I thought X3 was pretty good. At least special effects wise. I think this is one of the best films when it came to superhero vs supervillian fights. The only other movie I can compare this one to would be Superman 2, where Kal-El fought 3 Kryptonians. Most other superhero films in the past didn't have this many opponents fighting in one film. In that respect, I thought it was great. Now, as far as the Phoenix saga, I never read those comic books, so I was completely lost when it came to what Jean Grey was supposed to be. A better explanation of who the Phoenix was would have been nice.

Also saw Poseidon. I love the original movie, and so I had to see this one. I was disappointed in the lack of character development, but once the ship turned turtle, I thought it was a great movie. Better special effects, and I thought the ending when the ship sank was great (in truth, the ship sank in the original novel). Can't wait to watch it on dvd when it comes out.

Went and saw Cars this past Sunday. As with all of Pixar films, this was a great display of computerized animation. I liked the fact that not only was the show a tribute to NASCAR, it was a tribute to Route 66 also. I highly recommend this movie to kids of all ages. Unfortunately, my son wanted to leave at the end of the movie, so I didn't get a chance to watch most of the outtake scenes as the credits were rolling.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Ultraviolet


In general, I'm a huge fan of Sci-Fi movies, I love them no matter how horrible they are, usually.

This one...well I didn't mind it, but even I can see beyond my Sci-Fi bias and see that this movie is not exactly what I'd call good. Someone who isn't like me and doesn't love Sci-Fi would probably not like this movie at all.

That isn't to say it didn't have it's good points; after all, I'd have watched this movie for Milla Jovovich if nothing else http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif Though I must say, she was about the only thing worth seeing in this movie; it was fairly forgettable.

3/10...and that's only because of Jovovich!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Firewall

Really not a good movie. Lots of plot holes and I just felt sorry for poor old STIFF Harrison Ford. I would only watch this movie if it were for free, which it was.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Went and saw Superman Returns the other day. Word of advice: don't take a 5 year old with you when you do. The movie is 2 1/2 hours long, and that's too long for a young child like mine. As far as the movie went, I thought it was great. Thank goodness Singer decided to base this movie only on I &amp; II, instead of just adding to the franchise. I won't give a major surprise away, because I heard it on both the radio and tv before I went &amp; saw it and I don't want to spoil anyone else's entertainment. I thought Kevin Spacey made a great Lex Luthor; I think he even outdid Gene Hackman. Of course the special effects were much better than they were 20+ years ago, and they are impressive. Now we know what it looks like when Superman has to save a falling airplane, as has had to do too many times in the comics. Brandon Routh does look at times like Chris Reeve, but don't let that distract you. He has every bit of a right to be on-screen as his predecessor did. Can't wait for the inevitable sequel. I wonder who'll the bad guy will for that one? I'm hoping it's brainiac, as I don't think we've ever seen him on film (other than the cartoon series).

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Did they have a giant spider? That is all I want to know.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

My youngest son just bought the Firefly lst (and only)season cds and the movie Serenity. ah... watched it all in 2 days, even tho I saw some of them before, I was able to watch the entire show from the lst episode to the last and the movie which was the ending. D.... Fox for taking off a darn good series. I do hear that the Sci fi channel and fox are talking about brining it back with the original actors, don't know if thats true or not.. but it would be great IMHO

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

We interupt this thread for a specail rant by yours truly:

Rumor had it that Josh Weaton (sp) was black listed and his TV shows pulled because he supported the wrong political side of things. Far too many good people have as of recent years, been cast down from the lime light and success of hollywood because they do not subscribe to "certain" ideals of those who run hollywood. Let us just say that the left side of the road has far more power and is willing to use said power to ruin any one who does not support or accept their points of view.

That being said, hollywood is indeed in a state of depression that shows in just about every television show and film produced over the last five years. Dwindling box office revenew and lack luster ratings on just about everything on TV. Instead of giving us the shows and films we want, they feed us political points of view and try and tell us what and how to think. Most people tune that out as it has shown.

Films like Serenity which come along once in a blue moon are indeed jewels that we can never get enough of.

As to reviving Firefly, no can do for seven, now six more years according to the contract that was made in order to produce the film. The film did very poorly at the box office because it was not widely advertised, again black listing at work, and if you have not been able to read between the lines, allow me to elabrate by simply saying one name... Lucas.

Remember what happened to BSG in the lates 70's? Lucas sued them and they opted to end the series because the cost of keeping it going was too great. I can still remember the the ABC summer line up previews and the "Still the one, ABC is still the one" commericals that showed off BSG. Man that show was the most exciting thing I had ever seen on TV and when it debuted on Sunday Sept 17th I was hooked and forever amazed. Lucas had a part in taking that, and most recently Firefly off the air and that is why I am not a big GL fan.

End of rant. We now return you to the previously scheduled thread.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

The film was OVER advertised. The two plus weeks before it was launched, you couldn't turn the TV on without seeing an advertisement for it. The "browncoat" brigade was out if force trying to get folks to see it.

You'll need a bit more proof to show me that Lucas killed this. Considering it was on the Fox network, which is a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, distributor of Star Wars.

Here's the gross amounts from IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/business
$40M investment, $25M return domestic (-37.5%)

Compare with episode three.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121766/business
$113M investment, $380M return domestic (+236%)

You're a stockholder and/or investor in movies. Which one are you going to make?

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Couldn't have said it better. ---- GL ! And the horse he rode in on!

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Well, since Lucas gave us Star Wars, I can't be too critical of him, other to say that he reached his pinnacle at SW IV, and maybe there was a reason he didn't direct the other two films in the original trilogy. Whatever he had, he sure lost when he tried directing the other 3 SW films. He should have stayed executive producer and worry about the big things and let someone else direct. Someone who had talent and the SW vision.

I don't know if Lucas actually killed BSG in the 70's, but I do remember him threatening a lawsuit. Too bad the original BSG lasted only 1 season. I would have loved to see what they could have done if they had more episodes to play with. I don't count Galactica 80 as an actual BSG experience, and have tried for 26 years to forget it even existed.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I really wanted to like the Firefly series, with its appealing cast, frequent humor, and underdog characters. But come on, we're hundreds of years in the future, we have FTL travel &amp; artificial gravity, and our heroes earn their living transporting a couple dozen CATTLE from world to world? The government has terraformed numerous "moons" (no doubt at tremendous expense) into excellent replicas of a barren desert with (apparently) Earth gravity and then plants 'em with refugees from a John Wayne western? The ship is propelled at interstellar speeds by a rotating kettle tended by a high school dropout?

The movie, at least, had a bigger budget and more action, but was no more believable than the series, e.g. the interstellar superweapon played by a wisp of a girl that even Truman Capote could *****-slap into next week. I can see how such a quirky show could gather a small, dedicated fan base, but there's no need for conspiracy theories to explain its lack of general appeal.

BTW, rather than trying to pound his round peg into a square sci-fi hole, I've always thought that Wheadon should have set his story in the past, e.g. the late 1700s to early 1800s American coast, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. Reynolds could be an American Tory (i.e. on the losing side of the American war for independence) forced off his land by the victorious Patriots, now earning a semi-legitimate living as a merchant captain, smuggler, and privateer. He could be master of a beat-up sloop named Serenity (after his lost plantation?), he could have the same scruffy crew (including women), and he could get into all the sword fights he wanted (did I mention that the Firefly series included a freakin' sword fight?).

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Hunpecked, you missed the whole point of the series, there is no point to trying to make you understand. Either you got the series, or you didn't. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I do hope that Joss's next television effort will work out.. sounds interesting if not anything else.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I've never stood here and suggested for a single moment that Firefly/Serenity was a technical masterpiece, hunpecked. I mean, correct in all aspects of what we could expect in technology and future developments.

You know, lots of people enjoy James Bond movies and they enjoy a huge box office take. Talk about stupid things that could never happen! And then, there's the blockbuster movies like Die Hard, Mission Impossible (which is mostly anything impossible!), and even more stupid [censored] like, "Armeggedon" and its hit cast doing impossible [censored] on an asteroid. Give me a break! HIT movies often fail to meet technical political correctness and succeed in the box office.

NOW, to the story liine: IF YOU WATCHED! The premise is that the Alliance needed a place to settle as Earth was getting full. Here comes the terraforming. NOT that each terraforming exercise was to convert a rock into a paradise...it was to convert a planet into something livable. THEN, after terraforming and sending colonist out, the Alliance tended to forget the poor wretches on the outskirts. THAT'S supposed to signify the difference in tech from the central core to the forgotten colonists on the outskirts. Hence the rebellion. Hence the need for basic human needs like food (cattle) and medicine.

Was/is it technically perfect? No. But does it do it as well as all the other [censored] I mentioned? Hell yes!

The mechanic you seem to dwell on? Not much different than the apparent inate abilities of several other heroes in movies...like Star Wars. I took it as an ability to understand mechanics and space travel/engines as Tiger Woods has to a golf club.

Want to really get truthful? Then try the successful series of Star Trek where people spent a few minutes splicing a few wires together and increased warp speed twice over. Or how Wesley (a kid) save the crew many times over. Was it a hit (though really ridiculous)? Hell yes!

So, get off your high horse. Go look at a lot of successful pieces of "space pablum" and give Joss the same amount of fair assessment as you have the others.

Finally, character development in Serenity/Firefly exceeds the range of that achieved by Star Wars (really, if you go do your homework, sci-fi pulp made to a movie). The characters in Firefly/Serenity tug a bit more at your heart and emotions than Star Wars ever did. I don't remember ever getting a swelled throat at any character in SW. Or Star Trek.

Joss has made, NOT a masterpiece, but a damned good series/movie that makes you visit every gamut of what a viewer should want: Excitement, plot, secrets, emotions, and sadness. Mal is the BEST representation of a ship's captain as I can remember. Name me one better!

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

I gotta go with <font color="red">AT</font> on this one, <font color="blue">Hunpecked</font>. Reread everything you wrote, and give it a moment's thought. The point of the ENTIRE show is in there.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

And then, there's the quoted passages where Lucas surpasses any notion of professional courtesy and calls Joss the equivalent of an wannabe hack. From what I know about human nature, if someone REALLY is a waste of a writer, other writers don't give a [censored]. BUT, when someone is a real threat to your "kingodm" and ego, you do what all the childish kids do, you say negative things about them.

Hun, you need to take a dose of real life and come up for air. Develop a bit of cynicism...you'll find it more truthful than a pair of Star Wars "rose colored glasses".

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Realism in TV is overrated. Now, that's not to say that things that are horribly impossible, as related to our everyday life are good to have; I think they can ruin a series. But bending the physical laws, having prodigies that wouldn't normally occur, that's what TV's about: escapism.

Suspension of reality is what you need. Sure, things aren't always realistic and you could watch a show pointing out all the things that are impossible or highly improbable and not enjoy the show at all. Or you could suspend your disbelief and watch it for the entertainment it's supposed to be.

NOTE: This is not related to the whole Firefly/Serenity thingy, but it is applicable since that's how I view TV/Movies in general http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

TV shows and Movies should be made for the enjoyment of those watching them. Realism can't always be interred into either a movie or a TV series. If realism was introduced, probably 99% of the shows and movies would be dull and everyone would be outside playing in their backyards. In addition, years and years ago, flying was thought impossible, no one ever thought we'd put a man on the moon, breaking the sound barrier.. what's that. etc. SO in essance, who knows what may or may not take place or happen in the future, who knows what type of weapons, ships etc may be used. Possibly what happens in Firefly could take place as to ships, weapons, etc. The same could be said for all the gadgets and gizmos in Star Trek.. In truth, one never really knows what may happen.. Its nice to dream, and if you can relate to a show and the characters, all the more enjoyment. A TV series or movie should be enjoyable not for the sake of what is or what is not proper, but for the fun, excitment and for a short time, emersing yourself for a short time into something else other then the real world, of wars, terrorist, disease, politics and all the crap that is going on in this world. Something to give one relaxation from the hum drum life as we know it. So what is the proper weaponry, gadgets etc that should be in a space series? Who really knows? It could be any, all or none of what we see on those TV series or Movies, so to say that those weapons shouldn't be there,, well, how do we really know what will be proper and what won't.. In conclusion, If one doesn't like a particular series, thats ok, thats your right and your taste, those who do enjoy it, they have that right as well. To view a series or movies, one must have an open mind to just plain enjoy the show for what it is and hopefully, it'll be one that you look foreward to seeing again and again. If not, then you go on to something else until you find something that you relate to or really enjoy.
The problem as I see it, is politics in Hollywood, the same as everywhere else, along with jealousy. Its a shame as good shows are removed or purposfully trashed just because someone doesn't like it or its a threat to something they are doing and the heck with the viewers and what they want or are enjoying. IF the big shots knew their a.. from a whole in the ground, they would know a good popular show when they see one, but alas, they are to busy bending over for someone else and not for the viewers.

This ascertation is not meant to belittle anyone or to trash their beliefs, it is only my opinion. The moguls in Hollywood need to think for themselves and not be dictated as to what should be shown and what shouldn't, because this person or that person doesn't want it on the air or in the movies because they feel its a threat to something they are doing or because they are afraid it'll take viewers away from their shows.

So enjoy or don't enjoy, that is the question you must ask yourself.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

What is so sad about Lucas and his appearant view of Joss is that at least Joss can write intelligently. Case in point, Serenity compared to any of the last three Star Wars Movies.

I like the dialog used in Serenity and the series. It gave the show and the movie a unique familarity and appeal that is not often seen in such things. BSG has tried it, in fact BSG has stolen a lot of its ideas from Firefly from the style of the camera motions to the appearant use of recognizable dialog, albeit not as western dated as Firefly, but persado modern to say the least.

Firefly had the ratings to stay on the air, however George Lucas was personally offended by the show because he felt that it stoled from his work, specifically from his concept for a Han Solo series of stories, and just like with BSG and wing commander, Lucas presured Fox into killing the show. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Lucas has publically denounced Joss W. as reportedly a hack and a no talent theif, and that is just inapproprate behavior at the least. Lucas is like the spoiled rotten kid who has all the new toys and likes the attention he gets from the poor kids. Make him mad and he will take his toys and go home and whine to his mommy who then makes a big stink about things and gets people into trouble. Just spoiled rotten behavior being affirmed by a politically correct anti-original hollywood society.

That being said, any one here going to go see the new Pirates of the Carribean movie?

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Funny, I thought the point of the show was to make money. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

Several posters have leaped to the defense of the Firefly series, claiming I've "missed the point" of the show. Unfortunately these people seem to have missed my point: yes, I didn't "get" the show, but guess what? Neither did a lot of others. THAT is why the series was cancelled after half a season and that's why the movie tanked. There's no need to invoke conspiracy theories to explain the demise of an unpopular show.

As for the "realism" issue, yes, Firefly is probably no more "unrealistic" than Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica (don't get me started), or Armageddon, the movie that set out to prove Hollywood could make a film even worse than Deep Impact, and succeeeded. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif But a story that stretches the audience's credulity has to have something else for people to "get", and unfortunately Firefly doesn't seem to have that, at least for most people.

Re: OT: Movies You Have Seen Lately
 

It's easy for a person who doesn't care about a particular show to not care much about why it was canceled. For those who do care, we looked for the reasons. Having talked with the cast and participating in many other places on the Internet furnishing info, I can say I honestly believe there were "those" who wanted to see the show fail/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly...vision_series)

Scroll down to "Cancelation".

Be sure to click on footnote #5 for information that contradicts your insinuation that the show didn't have much of an audience.

Speaking of cancelation, I might point out that Fox almost canceled 24, which, for this year, is the most nominated for Emmy awards. So, whether or not Fox cancels something is no indication, apparently, of its quality. It's all about making money fast. If it isn't made fast enough, then don't "get behind" the series and push it, NO, by all means, just cancel it! One other factor (my own opinion that I've not seen written anwyhere else) that may have added to the decision to cancel the series is the onslaught of visual pablum known to all the TV masses as "reality programming" which people hungered for in droves and which the networks could produce for "pennies" compared to a series employing actual known actors. Why spend a million an episode when you could spend 100K per episode and make more money? Dumbass people would watch ANYTHING in the "reality" genre.

And, the Lucas factor in the whole thing? I tend to believe where there is smoke, there's quite a liklihood of fire. After reading an excerpt of Lucas' VERY unprofessional comments about Joss' ability, I would catagorize Lucas as very likely to have had a hand in seeing the series fail. After all, IF a person is talentless and you have no worries BECAUSE he is talentless, you don't even bother your busy schedule to spend time discussing it. But, you have to wonder why someone goes out of his way to practice a bit of character assassination for a person who "competes" directly in your "arena". I think it's because he knows Joss has something that people like and he worried about his "hold" on the space genre being challenged.