Comments on: September movie roundup http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/ Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:06:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ilya http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3210 Ilya Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:48:43 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3210 Well, actually 1) and 2) are going to be part of the <em>October</em> round-up, but I agree, those are among the best lines, Sharon :) Well, actually 1) and 2) are going to be part of the October round-up, but I agree, those are among the best lines, Sharon :)

]]> By: Sharon http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3208 Sharon Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:05:06 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3208 My favourite lines from 3 of your picks: 1) Mayor: "Well, I guess you know what you're doing, Sheriff." Sheriff: "I don't know what I could have said to make you think that." 2) "That's ok, Ryan. My morse is so rusty, I may be giving him the dimensions of last month's Playboy, Bunny." 3) "No cape!!!" My favourite lines from 3 of your picks:

1) Mayor: “Well, I guess you know what you’re doing, Sheriff.”

Sheriff: “I don’t know what I could have said to make you think that.”

2) “That’s ok, Ryan. My morse is so rusty, I may be giving him the dimensions of last month’s Playboy, Bunny.”

3) “No cape!!!”

]]> By: jason http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3172 jason Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:08:17 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3172 Yep. It's story, first and foremost. No less a personage than George Lucas once (ironically, given some of his later work) said, "A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." Yep. It’s story, first and foremost. No less a personage than George Lucas once (ironically, given some of his later work) said, “A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.”

]]> By: Ilya http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3165 Ilya Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:52:45 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3165 I've watched several of Chan's HK movies, Jason, and I agree that they are much more fun than anything he's done in the US (although the original <em>Rush Hour</em> wasn't half bad). On a different note, I just watched the second <em>Fantastic Four</em> and was sufficiently bored, a couple of special effects aside. Just goes to support your point about <em>Incredibles</em> being a great superhero movie, animated or not. I’ve watched several of Chan’s HK movies, Jason, and I agree that they are much more fun than anything he’s done in the US (although the original Rush Hour wasn’t half bad).

On a different note, I just watched the second Fantastic Four and was sufficiently bored, a couple of special effects aside. Just goes to support your point about Incredibles being a great superhero movie, animated or not.

]]> By: jason http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3152 jason Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:28:46 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3152 Ah, after a couple of opinion misfires on <i>Blade Runner</i> and <i>Risky Business</i>, we're in total agreement on <i>Live Free or Die Hard</i> and <i>Ocean’s Thirteen</i>, both of which I found highly entertaining if far inferior to their respective originals (I did like how Brad Pitt finally gave that poor slob a break at the end of O13 -- I love con artists with a heart!), and I think <i>The Incredibles</i> is one of the best superhero movies ever, animated or otherwise (although the live-action ones have so much CGI in them nowadays, what's the difference, really?). Not to mention just being a damn good movie in general... action, character development, and genuine pathos. I just love that one. I've not seen <i>Rush Hour 3</i> (nor do I intend to), but I'm not surprised by your comments. Jackie Chan has not been well-served by Hollywood. I think American directors frankly don't know what to do with him, and they certainly don't know how to film him. (Here's a hint, guys: pull the camera back and let us see his full body and how it's relating to the space around it. Martial arts is like a dance, you need to step back to really appreciate what's happening.) If you haven't seen any of his Hong Kong stuff, I'd recommend <i>Armour of God</i> and its sequel, <i>Armor of God 2: Operation Condor</i> (confusingly, the sequel was released first in the US and is known as <i>Operation Condor</i>, so when the original came out here a year or two later, it was called <i>Operation Condor 2</i>), or any of the <i>Police Story</i> flicks. (<i>Police Story 3</i> was released in the US as <i>Supercop</i>, if that rings a bell.) I also really enjoyed <i>Rumble in the Bronx</i> (which was actually filmed in Vancouver) and is considered his North American breakthrough. His Hong Kong movies are silly, and some of the older ones especially are pretty sexist by American standards, but they're much, much more entertaining than any of his mainstream Hollywood pictures. Ah, after a couple of opinion misfires on Blade Runner and Risky Business, we’re in total agreement on Live Free or Die Hard and Ocean’s Thirteen, both of which I found highly entertaining if far inferior to their respective originals (I did like how Brad Pitt finally gave that poor slob a break at the end of O13 — I love con artists with a heart!), and I think The Incredibles is one of the best superhero movies ever, animated or otherwise (although the live-action ones have so much CGI in them nowadays, what’s the difference, really?). Not to mention just being a damn good movie in general… action, character development, and genuine pathos. I just love that one.

I’ve not seen Rush Hour 3 (nor do I intend to), but I’m not surprised by your comments. Jackie Chan has not been well-served by Hollywood. I think American directors frankly don’t know what to do with him, and they certainly don’t know how to film him. (Here’s a hint, guys: pull the camera back and let us see his full body and how it’s relating to the space around it. Martial arts is like a dance, you need to step back to really appreciate what’s happening.) If you haven’t seen any of his Hong Kong stuff, I’d recommend Armour of God and its sequel, Armor of God 2: Operation Condor (confusingly, the sequel was released first in the US and is known as Operation Condor, so when the original came out here a year or two later, it was called Operation Condor 2), or any of the Police Story flicks. (Police Story 3 was released in the US as Supercop, if that rings a bell.) I also really enjoyed Rumble in the Bronx (which was actually filmed in Vancouver) and is considered his North American breakthrough. His Hong Kong movies are silly, and some of the older ones especially are pretty sexist by American standards, but they’re much, much more entertaining than any of his mainstream Hollywood pictures.

]]> By: Ilya http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3099 Ilya Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:58:05 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3099 Always happy to help, Brian! Good point about <em>ID4</em>, but you'll admit after watching it that <em>DH4.0</em> takes the cake when it comes to imagining what a hacker can do. Always happy to help, Brian! Good point about ID4, but you’ll admit after watching it that DH4.0 takes the cake when it comes to imagining what a hacker can do.

]]> By: Brian Greenberg http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3098 Brian Greenberg Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:06:58 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3098 Heck - if Jeff Goldblum can hack into an alien spaceship with his Mac in <i>Independence Day</i>, then Bruce Willis can hack into the FBI! It's funny - I had assumed I had seen all the Die Hard movies until I read your quick review, looked up the movie on IMDB, and realized I never got around to the last one. Another item on my To Do list. Thanks, Ilya... ;-) Heck – if Jeff Goldblum can hack into an alien spaceship with his Mac in Independence Day, then Bruce Willis can hack into the FBI!

It’s funny – I had assumed I had seen all the Die Hard movies until I read your quick review, looked up the movie on IMDB, and realized I never got around to the last one. Another item on my To Do list.

Thanks, Ilya… ;-)

]]> By: Ilya http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3071 Ilya Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:54:48 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3071 Thanks for the tip, Jeri. I haven't gotten around to reading <em>The Watchmen</em>, but I'll look for it. Thanks for the tip, Jeri. I haven’t gotten around to reading The Watchmen, but I’ll look for it.

]]> By: Jeri http://burlaki.com/blog/2008/10/04/september-movie-roundup/comment-page-1/#comment-3060 Jeri Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:37:11 +0000 http://burlaki.com/blog/?p=822#comment-3060 I enjoyed <i>Live Free or Die Hard</i> but I have to say that I found it to be unintentially comedic in ways the filmmaker did not intend - I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief about all gee-whiz hacker stunts. Please - a rollup keyboard and a cell phone are NOT an open door to anything computer based in the world. I loved <i>The Incredibles</i>. If you haven't read <i>The Watchmen</i> it's interesting to do so (very dark and grim future vision) because the animated movie draws on it quite a bit. Thanks for sharing your movie thoughts! I enjoyed Live Free or Die Hard but I have to say that I found it to be unintentially comedic in ways the filmmaker did not intend – I wasn’t able to suspend my disbelief about all gee-whiz hacker stunts. Please – a rollup keyboard and a cell phone are NOT an open door to anything computer based in the world.

I loved The Incredibles. If you haven’t read The Watchmen it’s interesting to do so (very dark and grim future vision) because the animated movie draws on it quite a bit.

Thanks for sharing your movie thoughts!

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