From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest) To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: movies-digest V2 #178 Reply-To: movies-digest Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk movies-digest Friday, April 9 1999 Volume 02 : Number 178 Re: [MV] The Matrix [MV] The Movie Report#185, 4/7/99 Re: [MV] The Matrix [MV] The Matrix / Keanu Re: [MV] The Matrix Re: [MV] The Matrix [MV] REVIEW: GO [MV] FW: The Matrix -- Spoiler [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 [none] RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 [MV] Re: star wars cuts Re: [MV] Re: star wars cuts [MV] $8-10 per ticket Re: [MV] $8-10 per ticket ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 15:34:52 -0400 From: Mel Eperthener Subject: Re: [MV] The Matrix At 11.31 AM 07/04/99 -0500, Christi Eilleen Falk wrote: >I'm surprised at the excitement this movie has generated. I wasn't even going >to go see it, but for all the accolades. I'm interested to hear what you think >about Keanu reeves. Good, bad, or did the excellent effects in the movie just >render him wallpaper. He's the only thing that's stopped me from rushing to see >it. IMHO, there is one role that Keanu does well, and that is Bill (or was it Ted?) the surfer dude. His most successful movies have always played on an aspect of this. Even the FBI agent (in Point Break, a movie I was really surprised to enjoy) and cop (in Speed) were pretty much borderline burnouts, going against the system and everything. For this reason, I expected Johnny Mnemonic to be much better than it was; had they written Keanu's character to be less, uh, professional, perhaps this would have worked. In some ways, I think this is the type of movie that the producers wanted Johnny Mnemonic to be. Like Christi, I was really uninterested in this movie. However, EVERYONE that sees this is telling me how good this is, and how much I really need to go see it. If Keanu isn't taking himself too seriously (and I hear he doesn't), and tries to have fun with the role, I can see myself really enjoying this. At least it'll do until 19th of May:-) Regards, - --Mel - --Mel Eperthener president, Gowanna Multi-media Pty email: bcassidy@usaor.net gowanna@australiamail.com http://www.webz.com/gowanna 419 Butler Street PO Box 95184 Pittsburgh, PA 15223-0184 (412) 781-6140 (412) 781-6380 1-888-45-GOWANNA -- TOLL FREE (1-888-454-6926) ____________________________________________ "Mulder, if you had to do without a cell phone for two minutes, you'd lapse into catatonic schizophrenia" - --Dana Scully ______________________________________________ [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 15:33:07 -0700 From: Michael Dequina Subject: [MV] The Movie Report#185, 4/7/99 T H E M O V I E R E P O R T #185 APRIL 7, 1999 PLEASE HELP... ...support the MR and Mr. Brown's Movie Site. Please send any donations (every little bit does help) to: Michael Dequina 3650 Denver Avenue Long Beach, CA 90810-2205 You can also help by purchasing videos and DVDs from Reel.com. Please visit: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-reel.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=welcome.html Thank you very much. =>T H I S W E E K<= M O V I E S - -_Go_ - -_Cookie's_Fortune_ V I D E O - -_American_History_X_ - -_Beloved_ - -_I_Still_Know_What_You_Did_Last_Summer_ =>U P D A T E S<= @MR. BROWN'S MOVIE SITE - -Awards Weekend 1999 section, featuring scans of Oscar night paraphernalia: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/oscars - -Photos from the NAACP Image Awards and the _Forces_of_Nature_ premiere: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/celeb/40.html - -Over 30 photos from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, starting at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/celeb/41.html For that, the best and worst of 1998, links to the official websites of all the current films, past reviews, exclusive Hollywood event photos, movie MIDI music, movie discussion board, a comprehensive link section, and more, visit: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown or http://welcome.to/mrbrown or http://mysp.com/p/mrbrown or http://mrbrown.webjump.com Please don't forget to sign the guestbook... If you are reading this on Usenet, you can subscribe to the MR at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/moviereport.html Select reviews are available at CompuServe Hollywood Hotline: http://www.HollywoodHotline.com ...and the Eyepiece Network at: http://www.eyepiece.com ...and Albany Online at: http://www.AlbanyOnline.com ...and Film Frenzy at: http://www.filmfrenzy.com I am always up for a good live chat. Feel free to message me on ICQ at #25289934 or on AOL Instant Messenger under the handle "MrBrown23." all movies graded out of four stars (****) ~~~ =>M O V I E S<= N E W R E L E A S E S _Go_ (R) **** Since the surprise success of the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film, many films have tried to become "the next _Pulp_Fiction_." Films ranging from studio efforts like the 1996 MGM release _2_days_in_the_Valley_ to the recent British indie import _Lock,_Stock_and_Two_Smoking_Barrels_ have, in the name of achieving commercial success and cinematic "cool," purloined at least one characteristic of that modern-day classic: the seedy underworld milieu, quirky canvases of characters played by large ensemble casts, twisty plot threads linking these characters, "hip" dialogue heavy with pop culture references, and--above all else--ultraviolence. More often than not, though, the films end up not so much cool but cold--as in dead (on arrival). With its large cast, crime world setting, and timeline-overlapping storylines, _Go_, written by first-timer John August and directed by Doug Liman (who created a different brand of cinematic "cool" with 1996's _Swingers_), could not tempt failure more dangerously. Yet of all the _Pulp_ knockoffs I've seen, this is the first that truly understands and captures what made that film such a triumph. It wasn't the casting (though that definitely helped); it certainly wasn't the violence; nor was it the snappy dialogue of Tarantino and Roger Avary's Oscar-winning script--at least not that aspect of the screenplay, anyway. The elusive quality in question is the element of realistic surprise. _Go_ spans one eventful 24-hour span, during which the life paths of Ronna (Sarah Polley), a teenage supermarket clerk who tries her hand at drug dealing; Ronna's British co-worker Simon (Desmond Askew); and friends Adam and Zack (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf) constantly crisscross through Los Angeles and Las Vegas. While following these three threads, August and Liman find unpredictable yet completely plausible ways to link the stories and take them in their own wild, roller coaster-like directions--without ever falling into the cheap trap of gratuitous violence. To say anymore would be to rob the viewer of this film's greatest delight: that of discovery. Not too far behind is the August's sharp sense of humor (suffice it to say, his hilarious dialogue and original comic situations do have snap) and the sterling ensemble. Everyone does a standout job, but especially noteworthy are Polley, so good in Atom Egoyan's _The_Sweet_Hereafter_, who takes a surefooted step toward the mainstream; Askew, a newcomer to this side of the Atlantic; creepy William Fichtner, playing a cop with a hidden agenda; and Katie Holmes and Taye Diggs shine in more secondary roles. Not to be ignored, though, are the efforts of Liman. He shows a disarming visual flair never hinted at in _Swingers_ (which was more of a script-dependent movie than a director-dependent one), and it is his guiding voice that assembles the numerous parts into a finely calibrated thrill machine. Because of its largely youthful cast, _Go_ is in danger of--and, in fact, already has, to some extent--being pigeonholed as a "teen _Pulp_Fiction_," and given the films' similarities, that title is not entirely undeserved. But _Go_ deserves a more favorable comparison. While not in the same league as its precursor, what August and Liman have done is use _Pulp_ basics to create a film that is, by its own merits, a fiercely original and exhilarating entertainment. IN BRIEF _Cookie's_Fortune_ (PG-13) *** 1/2 Robert Altman's most fun movie since 1992's _The_Player_ is this wickedly enjoyable dark comedy--which, any way you slice it, is one steaming slab of Southern-fried soap. Among those populating the small town of Holly Springs are scheming spinster Camille (Glenn Close); her spineless, half-wit sister Cora (Julianne Moore); Cora's rebellious daughter Emma (Liv Tyler), who is carrying on with another half-wit, sheriff's deputy Jason (Chris O'Donnell); Camille and Cora's octogenarian aunt Cookie (Patricia Neal); and Cookie's only friend, ever-faithful handyman Willis (Charles S. Dutton). As in any soap, this family has more than its share of scandalous secrets--which gradually break through the surface when one of these people turns up dead. But unlike any soap, there is an uncommon richness of character in Anne Rapp's script, which carves out memorable niches for even the most peripheral of characters, such as a sheriff's department receptionist (Niecy Nash) with the hots for a suave investigator (Courtney B. Vance). Rapp, Altman, and the well-cast acting ensemble are fully aware of the preposterousness of the twisted goings-on. What isn't preposterous, though, is the craft behind the whole affair, from the precision of Altman's direction to the uniformly fine work by the acting ensemble, whose standouts are the terrific Dutton and Close, the latter displaying a comic gift too rarely seen onscreen. I N C U R R E N T R E L E A S E (full reviews of the following in past MRs and at the listed URLs) - -_Affliction_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#affliction - -_Among_Giants_ (R) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#giants - -_Analyze_This_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#analyze - -_Central_Station_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#central - -_The_Corruptor_ (R) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#corruptor - -_Cruel_Intentions_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#cruel - -_The_Deep_End_of_the_Ocean_ (PG-13) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#deep _Doug's_1st_Movie_ (G) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#doug _EDtv_ (PG-13) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#edtv - -_8MM_ (R) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt45.html#8mm - -_Elizabeth_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#elizabeth - -_Forces_of_Nature_ (PG-13) ** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#forces - -_Gods_and_Monsters_ *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#gods _The_King_and_I_ (G) 1/2* http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#king - -_Life_Is_Beautiful_(La_Vita_E_Bella)_ (PG-13) **** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#vitabella - -_Lock,_Stock_and_Two_Smoking_Barrels_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#lockstock - -_The_Matrix_ (R) **** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#matrix - -_The_Mod_Squad_ (R) * http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#mod - -_October_Sky_ (PG) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt45.html#october - -_The_Other_Sister_ (PG-13) * http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#out - -_The_Rage:_Carrie_2_ (R) 1/2* http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#rage - -_Saving_Private_Ryan_ (R) **** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#ryan - -_Shakespeare_in_Love_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#shakespeare - -_Sparkler_ ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#sparkler - -_10_Things_I_Hate_About_You_ (PG-13) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#10 _True_Crime_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#true - -_20_Dates_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt45.html#20 - -_Wing_Commander_ (PG-13) no stars http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt46.html#wing F U T U R E F I L M S - -_Goodbye_Lover_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt45.html#goodbye (April 16) O N T H E H O R I Z O N FRIDAY _Foolish_ (R) Comedy in which a struggling stand-up comic (Eddie Griffin) teams with his con man brother (Master P) to start up a comedy club. _Go_ (R) **** _Swingers_ director Doug Liman shows no sophomore slump with this entertaining roller coaster _Metroland_ Christian Bale and Emily Watson star in this drama in which a young married man (Bale) comes question his stable domestic life when a friend (Lee Ross) from his wild past reappears. _Never_Been_Kissed_ (PG-13) *** Full review in MR#183, 3/28/99; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt47.html#never If it weren't for Drew Barrymore's delightful presence, this comedy would be as ridiculous as its premise: mousy newspaper reporter is assigned undercover duty at a high school, where she attempts to erase her geeky past. But with the effortlessly likable Barrymore in the reporter role, this trifle of a film is quite involving and entertaining, with charm and heart to spare. _Twin_Dragons_ (PG-13) The first relic from the Jackie Chan Hong Kong film vault to be unearthed after the success of _Rush_Hour_ is this 1992 action comedy in which the chopsocky star plays twins separated at birth--one an orchestra conductor, the other a martial arts master. I've seen the original HK version of this film a couple of times, but since the film is certain to have undergone a few edits (not to mention gaining a completely redone soundtrack) for the American release, the review will be coming next week. ~~~ =>V I D E O<= N E W T H I S W E E K _American_History_X_ (R) *** Full review in MR#162, 10/16/98; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#x Buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=43842 All do respect to Roberto Benigni, but Edward Norton deserved to take home this year's Best Picture Oscar, for this tale of a reformed Neo-Nazi trying to keep his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from following the same path is absolutely unthinkable without Norton's powerhouse performance. Strange how embattled director Tony Kaye never wanted--and still _doesn't_ want--him for the role in the first place. (New Line Home Video; DVD also available) _Beloved_ (R) *** Full review in MR#162, 10/16/98; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#beloved Buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=43692 The constraints of home video will certainly compromise the earthy visual splendors of Jonathan Demme's notorious box office and awards season disappointment, based on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a runaway slave (Winfrey) haunted by a ghost from the past. However, the film's wearying tone, languid pace, and timeline hopping are a natural fit for video (it can be taken in smaller doses as well as rewound for extra clarity), and the extraordinary performances by Winfrey, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, and especially Kimberly Elise (my pick for last year's best supporting actress) translate in any medium. (Touchstone Home Video; DVD due out May 18) _I_Still_Know_What_You_Did_Last_Summer_ (R) * Full review in MR#165, 11/6/98; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#istillknow Buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=44032 Sony's attempt at a _Scream_-like horror franchise blew up in their face with this retarded follow-up to the enjoyable--no more, no less--1997 teen slasher _I_Know_What_You_Did_Last_Summer_. This time around, vapid heroine Jennifer Love Hewitt is stalked by the hook-handed killer fisherman while vacationing in the Bahamas. Thoroughly unscary, poorly acted (by Hewitt, fellow returnee Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy, and Mekhi Phifer), and a complete bore. I'm not giving anything away when I say the film ends in just about the exact same way the original does. (Columbia TriStar Home Video; DVD also available) ~~~ =>N E X T W E E K<= The fourth anniversary issue (yes, I actually got the date wrong two weeks ago), with more reviews, including: - -_Twin_Dragons_ 'til then... __________________________________________________________ Michael Dequina Chat Forum Host, The Official Michael Jordan Web Site http://jordan.sportsline.com mj23@michaeljordanfan.com | jordan_host@sportsmail.com michael_jordan@geocities.com | mrbrown@iname.com >My personal WWW sites< Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://welcome.to/mrbrown Michael Jordan Beyond the Court: http://fly.to/michaeljordan A Michael Jordan Fan's Heartbreak: http://fly.to/mj23 Personal Page: http://welcome.to/w3md >Other WWW sites I work on< CompuServe Hollywood Hotline: http://www.HollywoodHotline.com Albany Online: http://www.AlbanyOnline.com Eyepiece Network: http://www.eyepiece.com Film Frenzy: http://www.filmfrenzy.com "Life is knowing the toughest competition you ever face is yourself." - --Michael Jordan __________________________________________________________ [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 17:53:39 -0600 From: "Shilo Monteagudo" Subject: Re: [MV] The Matrix Hi, everyone! This is my first time posting to this list, and I have to = say that The Matrix is probably the best movie I've seen in a long time. = The special effects were awesome! And for everyone who was wondering, = Keanu Reeves is terrific in it! I too have felt that some of his past = work wasn't so great, and I didn't even want to see this one at first. = But I watched it three times this past weekend, and I can't to see it = again! If you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely check it out. [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 17:29:34 PDT From: "Danielle Conkle" Subject: [MV] The Matrix / Keanu ...I know Keanu Reeves hasn't proved to be the best actor in the past, and although I am slightly biased (he is very good-looking ;) I can be truthful about his acting or not. And I think it wasn't that bad. There were some moments at the beginning that weren't too impresive, but once he had jumped into his sci fi character I thought he was fine! The fact that Keanu's in it, has kept my brother from seeing it too, he thinks he's terrible, but I thought he played it pretty well. Don't let Keanu hold you back from this movie, it's definitly worth seeing! _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 21:54:22 -0400 From: Tim Howe Subject: Re: [MV] The Matrix You know something....I too am VERY surprised about the excitement this movie is generating by all of you also....I had absolutly NO intentions of seeing it what-so-ever, I thought it looked like a very weird, boring, horrible movie....But since all of you can't stop praising it, I am definetly seeing it this weekend :-).....See the effect you have on me....LOL!!! Christi Eilleen Falk wrote: > I'm surprised at the excitement this movie has generated. I wasn't even going > to go see it, but for all the accolades. I'm interested to hear what you think > about Keanu reeves. Good, bad, or did the excellent effects in the movie just > render him wallpaper. He's the only thing that's stopped me from rushing to see > it. > > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] > [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] - -- Are you an Online Shop-A-Holic? Then By All Means...Follow The URL Below..... http://www.myshopnow.com/mrmagoo God Bless!!!! Tim [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 00:53:11 -0700 From: "Jason Cormier" Subject: Re: [MV] The Matrix That's wild! That's why I like this list! >You know something....I too am VERY surprised about the excitement this movie is >generating by all of you also....I had absolutly NO intentions of seeing it >what-so-ever, I thought it looked like a very weird, boring, horrible movie....But >since all of you can't stop praising it, I am definetly seeing it this weekend >:-).....See the effect you have on me....LOL!!! > >Christi Eilleen Falk wrote: > >> I'm surprised at the excitement this movie has generated. I wasn't even going >> to go see it, but for all the accolades. I'm interested to hear what you think >> about Keanu reeves. Good, bad, or did the excellent effects in the movie just >> render him wallpaper. He's the only thing that's stopped me from rushing to see >> it. >> >> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] >> [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] > >-- >Are you an Online Shop-A-Holic? Then By All Means...Follow The URL Below..... > >http://www.myshopnow.com/mrmagoo > > God Bless!!!! > > Tim > > > >[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] >[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 08:18:24 -0600 (MDT) From: Scott Renshaw Subject: [MV] REVIEW: GO GO (Columbia) Starring: Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Jay Mohr, Scott Wolf, Desmond Askew, Timothy Olyphant, Taye Diggs, William Fichtner. Screenplay: John August. Producers: Paul Rosenberg, Mickey Liddell and Matt Freeman. Director: Doug Liman. MPAA Rating: R (profanity, sexual situations, drug use, nudity, violence) Running Time: 98 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw. In this cinematic era A.Q. (After Quentin), much film criticism is filtered through the pop-culture sieve that is Tarantino. We just can't seem to help ourselves -- when we're not noting ways Tarantino has cribbed from his film-making forebears, we're noting the ways his acolytes have cribbed from him. A gun can't be fired but his name is invoked; a conversation can't be peppered with profanity and obscure references but he becomes an adjective. When a film like GO appears, so like PULP FICTION in both narrative structure and style, it's easy to dismiss it on a comparative basis without discussing why the Tarantino oeuvre has become the Greenwich Mean Time for an entire genre -- the edgy, after-hours comic thriller. It's easy to miss why director Doug Liman's film works in the ways it understands Tarantino's unique touch, and doesn't work in the ways it fails to understand. Like PULP FICTION, GO involves several non-chronological yet intertwined stories of Los Angeles denizens with less than glowing morals. Ronna (Sarah Polley), a young grocery store clerk, takes the shift of her co-worker Simon (Desmond Askew) to help pay back rent, then also takes some of Simon's side business as a drug dealer to help a bit more substantially. Her two customers are Zack (Jay Mohr) and Adam (Scott Wolf), a pair of party animals who may be undercover cops, or perhaps soap opera actors, or perhaps some interesting combination of the two. Simon, meanwhile, is on a road trip to Las Vegas with a trio of pals including Marcus (Taye Diggs), a road trip which always seems to be just one step ahead of complete disaster. These three stories meet, swerve and overlap through one wild 24-hour period filled with sex, drugs and a pre-Christmas rave. There's something to be said for a film with the ability to grab you viscerally, which is one of the tricks GO manages to pull off. That description isn't just about pacing (though GO moves with the hypnotic momentum of a rave beat), nor is it just about the level of violence and action (though there's one kicker of a car chase through Vegas). Like the most memorable moments in PULP FICTION, the most memorable moments in GO energize you with the sense that you're really not sure what's going to happen next. At key junctures, you realize that screenwriter John August is in complete command of his narrative as he turns expectations upside down in ways that make perfect sense, not just because he can. That's not to say that GO doesn't wander off on tangents just because they might prove to be entertaining. GO isn't a clean, linear story even in the most fundamental ways, but it's also a case of a film that doesn't let the main storyline get in the way of some hilarious distractions: Ronna's entrepreneurial spirit as she sells her own special brand of pills at the party; Zack and Adam at a Christmas dinner with ulterior motives; Simon experimenting with tantric sex with a pair of bridesmaids; the encyclopedic knowledge of a cat during a hallucinogenic trip. Like much of Tarantino's work, it's a loose and sloppy sort of a film, which doesn't mean that there's no logic to what's going on. It's just the logic of giving an audience one heck of a ride, letting the characters stroll and stray because the film-makers have created an atmosphere where we trust they'll stroll somewhere interesting. Unlike much of Tarantino's work, however, there's not much going on beneath the glittering surface of GO. The closest it gets to a thematic link is the idea that these young people dash into dangerous situations with little restraint on their desire to...well, to go. There's nothing resembling the moral center of PULP FICTION, nor do August and Liman show nearly as much affection for their flawed, self-absorbed characters. The performances are solid even when the chattery dialogue feels a bit forced, giving us plenty of reason to follow the characters even when they seem like hopeless screw-ups, but no one is experiencing a fundamental life change. GO is a dazzling demonstration of how good even a derivative sort of film can be when someone grasps the basic principles of engrossing film-making. It also demonstrates what we talk about when we talk about Tarantino -- a way of telling us something about humanity between the bursts of dialogue and gunfire. On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 green lights: 8. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit Scott Renshaw's Screening Room http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/ *** Subscribe to receive new reviews directly by email! See the Screening Room for details, or reply to this message with subject "Subscribe". - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 11:05:31 -0700 From: "Romero, Leticia" Subject: [MV] FW: The Matrix -- Spoiler Okay you matrix-lovers out there! This is a funny review that I wanted to share... if you haven't seen the movie, maybe you should skip it... > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-selfmade@lungfish.com [SMTP:owner-selfmade@lungfish.com] > Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 1999 5:25 PM > To: selfmade@lungfish.com > Subject: The Matrix > > There is no spoon. > > There may be a fork, a knife, a butter dish and a french green bean maker, > but there is no spoon. > > This is just one of the many pearls of wisdom gleamed from Keanu Reeves > hip new effects reel, The Matrix. > > Any review of a Keanu movie must start with Keanu himself. Basically, > just how bad is he in this one? > > Is he playing a role that adeptly hides how unbelievably horrible he is > (Parenthood, the Bill and Ted movies)? Or is he playing a role that > broadcasts his complete and utter lameness for all to > see(everything else)? > > Actually, there is a third class of Keanu films. These are films that are > so packed with other distractions - explosions, car chases, semi-naked > hotties - that Keanu is given little actual acting to > do. These movies include Speed... and... and ... did I mention Speed? > > Well you can slap The Matrix into that third category. Keanu is so buried > in effects and gunfire that he has little to do other than pose. And he > poses pretty well. > > So let's talk about those effects. > > These effects are like nothing you've ever seen before. Unless you've > seen a Gap ad. But this time, they're not used to show a bunch of > sickeningly cute people dancing. They're used to blow things > up. Pretty cool. > > Problem is, you know what the best fight sequence was? The one you saw in > the preview. And the second best? The other one you saw in the preview. > The third best? Yup. Preview. Are you picking > up a pattern here? > > There really aren't as many effects shots and action sequences as I'd > thought there would be. I was expecting to be completely blown away, and > instead, someone merely passed wind. Mind you, what I > saw was pretty friggin' good, I just wanted more of it. I'm greedy like > that. > > Before people start sending off those emails berating me for not liking > their newest favorite head-trip, I want to make sure you understand. I > liked this movie. I thought it was a good film. Not a > great film, but a good film. More than that, it was a well made sci-fi > film, which as most of you know, is almost a paradox. Sci-Fi fans, rest > assured that you will love this film. It's trippy. It > asks some really cool questions. It looks very pretty. > > OK. What is it about? What is The Matrix? Well, as Laurence Fishburne > says, "No one can tell you what The Matix is, you simply have to > experience it for yourself." > > Actually no, that's bunk. > > The Matrix is the story of a guy who finds out that reality, as you and I > know it, is fake. That we're really all hooked up to one big machine - > "The Matrix" - that is projecting a version of reality > that we can all deal with and we're actually all prisoners in our own > minds. So he sets out to free humanity, even though everyone who exists > in the Matrix doesn't know that they're in it, so they're > none the worse. > > Now was that all that hard? > > The story is actually the coolest thing about this movie. It really plays > into the alternate reality thing well. You'll end up sitting in bed for > hours asking yourself all kinds of questions > regarding the main themes of the play. Well, maybe not, but you will > definitely think it's cool. > > In the end, this was a really cool 120 minute film. It would have been > even cooler in 90 minutes. There are points where the darned thing > actually drags. You get a tasty opening action sequence, > then you sit on your hands for 30 minutes as every intricate detail of > this very intricate plot is explained for you. Come on, people! Liven > things up for Christ's sake! It's a Keanu Reeves movie, > not Amadeus! > > See, as cool as we think this movie is, the directors thought it was > cooler. For example, there is a neat slow-motion action sequence in the > film. When it starts, you're thinking "Wow. What a > really cool slow-motion action sequence!" Five minutes later you're > thinking "My God, will this slow-motion action sequence never end?" > > So, keeping every thing I've said in mind, I'm going to give The Matrix a > very calculated score of... 3 1/2 Babylons. > > But I stress, there is no spoon. > > ***** > > EDITOR'S NOTE: > > ...and as we come to the end of yet another literary masterpiece, I'll > point out that neither The Matrix nor Speed had any "semi-naked hotties" > anywhere. Hotties, yes, but they were clad. > > ***** > > THE MATRIX > Rated: R > Directed By: Andy and Larry Wachowski > Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo > Weaving...but no spoon. > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 12:10:27 -0600 From: "The Reporter" Subject: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 Jodie Foster, now shooting in Kuala Lumpur, reportedly suffered a minor ankle injury yesterday during a break from work on the film "Anna and the King." Exact details of how she was hurt are not known, but one unsubstantiated report says she fell off an elephant she was riding. Jodie was treated at a local hospital, and the injury was not expected to stall work on the $60 million project. She is co-starring in the 20th Century Fox remake of "The King and I," along with Hong Kong action hero Chow Yun Fat. The film is about a 19th century governess who is hired by King Mongkut of Siam (now Thailand) to teach his children English. -=> * <=- LOS ANGELES (AP) - Fighting the Force with romance, two films with female appeal - "Notting Hill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and "The Love Letter" with Kate Capshaw and Tom Selleck - will open close to the May 19 release date of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," studio officials said. The high-stakes scheduling decisions spoke to the power and possibilities rival studios see in "The Phantom Menace," one of the most highly anticipated films in recent years and one that many say has the potential to follow only "Titanic" in box office gross. Most studios are steering their movies far clear of the Star Wars prequel. -=> * <=- LOS ANGELES (AP) - The special effects-laden action movie "The Matrix," debuted atop the weekend box office, grossing $27.6 million for the biggest opening weekend this year, industry estimates showed. "The Matrix," starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, came out ahead of two other newcomers, "10 Things I Hate About You" and "The Out-Of-Towners." It also was the best opening for Reeves since 1994, when "Speed" took in $14.5 million at its debut. "10 Things I Hate About You," an updated, teen-centered version of the Shakespearean classic "The Taming of the Shrew," was a distant second with $8.7 million. "The Out-Of-Towners," a loose remake of the 1970 comedy about an out-of-town couple in New York City, starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, was third with $8.1 million. -=> * <=- LOS ANGELES (AP) - If theaters want the Force to be with them, they may have to meet strict conditions. The studio distributing the eagerly anticipated "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" wants multiplexes to show the movie only in their biggest and best theaters for at least two months, with no more than eight minutes of coming attractions. In addition, 20th Century Fox is asking theater owners who play "Phantom" on more than one screen to keep it on all those screens through the minimum run. Theaters are also being told to refrain from using a single movie print to show the film on two screens. And they're being asked not to show any non-movie advertisements before the film. [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 13:40:59 -0600 From: jkrudy Subject: RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 In reference to the theater requirements in order to show Phantom Menace, I think if I owned a theater and they required that I run around in a pink too too and did a dance before each showing of the movie, I'd still do it. There's probably going to be a shortage of popcorn in America around the middle of May to the end of June. James K. Rudy - -----Original Message----- From: The Reporter [mailto:gregorys@xmission.com] Sent: Thursday, April 08, 1999 12:10 PM To: Movies Mailing List Subject: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 LOS ANGELES (AP) - If theaters want the Force to be with them, they may have to meet strict conditions. The studio distributing the eagerly anticipated "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" wants multiplexes to show the movie only in their biggest and best theaters for at least two months, with no more than eight minutes of coming attractions. In addition, 20th Century Fox is asking theater owners who play "Phantom" on more than one screen to keep it on all those screens through the minimum run. Theaters are also being told to refrain from using a single movie print to show the film on two screens. And they're being asked not to show any non-movie advertisements before the film. [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 13:28:08 -0700 From: "Romero, Leticia" Subject: RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 ha! > -----Original Message----- > From: jkrudy [SMTP:jkrudy@micron.com] > Sent: Thursday, April 08, 1999 12:41 PM > To: 'movies@lists.xmission.com' > Subject: RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 > > In reference to the theater requirements in order to show Phantom Menace, > I > think if I owned a theater and they required that I run around in a pink > too > too and did a dance before each showing of the movie, I'd still do it. > There's probably going to be a shortage of popcorn in America around the > middle of May to the end of June. > > James K. Rudy > > > -----Original Message----- > From: The Reporter [mailto:gregorys@xmission.com] > Sent: Thursday, April 08, 1999 12:10 PM > To: Movies Mailing List > Subject: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 > > > LOS ANGELES (AP) - If theaters want the Force to be with them, they > may have to meet strict conditions. The studio distributing the > eagerly anticipated "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" wants > multiplexes to show the movie only in their biggest and best theaters > for at least two months, with no more than eight minutes of coming > attractions. In addition, 20th Century Fox is asking theater owners > who play "Phantom" on more than one screen to keep it on all those > screens through the minimum run. Theaters are also being told to > refrain from using a single movie print to show the film on two > screens. And they're being asked not to show any non-movie > advertisements before the film. > > > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] > [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] > > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] > [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: From: Subject: [none] hehehe _________________________________ Aramgddon says Durandal must die! Have a nice day :-) (note:___NO NOTE___) mailto:jmcintur@bevcomm.net http://durandals-son.webjump.com/ Is that a missle boss _________________________________ Hey everyone, > >I was just e-mailing an old MMMG'er from way back in the GM2 days, >author of Bend Sinister, Greg Ewing. Well, he also happens to be a >programmer, and the author of WolfEdit, the first level editor I ever >used. In any case, I was letting him know how much his old EMR level >had evolved since M1, and about how it would be nice to have our own >engine. Lo and behold, he gave me a URL which talks about a >cross-platform 3d engine which is being given away for free, and is >headed in the direction of providing a serious full-featured game >engine. As I scrolled down the credits screen, I noticed a familiar >name under the author of the Macintosh port of Crystal Space. You >may have heard of him.... Steve Israelson (better known as the >creator of Pfhorte and Pfhorte 2). > >If this is what it appears to be, I see me having even less free time >on my hands in the future. I'm not sure whether I should thank Greg, >or shoot him. ;) > - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 03:08:15 -0500 From: Charles Lechasseur To: MMMG List Subject: Re: Question for hackers Message-id: Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >For EMR, we killed the 16-bit sound slots (basically the 16-bit >sounds are in the 8-bit slots and they were perfectly there, while >also saving disk space). > >The problem is that when would-be players go to play EMR, they may >have 16-bit sounds turned on. Yes, we could put in the Read Me, >"Turn off 16-bit sounds", but not everyone reads the Read Me. What >I'd really like to do is make sure that this preference is not >checked. Anyone have ideas? Any hackers out there that can help? I >believe I can change the title of the button using ResEdit, and I can >put there "Disable this option". I'd like to have it disabled by >default, with no chance of enabling it. A new feature in Fux!? if you think about it in a "programming" way, it'd make sense for the program to respond to user clicks in controls by setting the 16-bit flag when the 16-bit checkbox is hit. you could try to create a dumb text caption control, delete the 16-bit check box, and renumber the controls to have the dummy caption have the same control ID as the 16-bit checkbox... by making the caption empty and disabled, you'd thus prevent anyone from selecting this option. it might work. - -- charles lechasseur - doh@videotron.ca http://pages.infinit.net/doh/marathon/ Why get Windows 98? Wait two more years for Microsoft to release Windows 1900! - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 00:15:22 -0800 From: Jason Parsons To: MMMG List Subject: Re: Question for hackers Message-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charse ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 08 Apr 1999 17:44:36 -0400 From: Mel Eperthener Subject: RE: [MV] Movie News - 04/08/99 At 01.40 PM 08/04/99 -0600, jkrudy wrote: >In reference to the theater requirements in order to show Phantom Menace, I >think if I owned a theater and they required that I run around in a pink too >too and did a dance before each showing of the movie, I'd still do it. >There's probably going to be a shortage of popcorn in America around the >middle of May to the end of June. I have to wonder, tho: I think most people here know that theatres don't make anything on ticket sales (believe it or not, even at $8-10!!!), but on concession. So you better believe that the theatre owners are on their knees in their pink tutus, praying for great popcorn sales. Does anyone know what the 1st week cut is on the film?? FYI, usually in the first (few) week(s) of a movie's release, the studio tends to get a 70% cut. Godzilla broke the mould, demanding (and getting, which to me is unbelievable) an *80%* cut!! This is the reason there are no discount tickets the first few weeks a movie is out; the studio gets too much of the profits, and the theatre would lose money if they allowed any type of a discount. So my question is, how much of a cut does Lucasfilm/Fox get the first week-end?? I can't see Lucas making unreasonable demands, but he probably could get a 90% or even a 95% cut. Regards, - --Mel - --Mel Eperthener president, Gowanna Multi-media Pty email: bcassidy@usaor.net gowanna@australiamail.com http://www.webz.com/gowanna 419 Butler Street PO Box 95184 Pittsburgh, PA 15223-0184 (412) 781-6140 (412) 781-6380 1-888-45-GOWANNA -- TOLL FREE (1-888-454-6926) ____________________________________________ "Mulder, if you had to do without a cell phone for two minutes, you'd lapse into catatonic schizophrenia" - --Dana Scully ______________________________________________ [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 11:27:04 -0700 From: Oz Subject: [MV] Re: star wars cuts Mel Eperthener wrote: > > So my question is, how much of a cut does Lucasfilm/Fox get the first > week-end?? I can't see Lucas making unreasonable demands, but he probably > could get a 90% or even a 95% cut. I doubt they'd bother asking for more than the standard. The films going to make an absolute killing and will make more money in lunchbox sales than most films will make at the box office in their entire run. ----------------- {{{OZ}}} ------------------- ------- http://www.filmink-online.com -------- ---------------------------------------------- - ---------------------------------------------------------------- Want to earn money on your website? How does 17c a click sound? - ---------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.valueclick.com/cgi-bin/refer_host_signup?host=h0032965 - ---------------------------------------------------------------- [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 00:32:27 -0400 From: Mel Eperthener Subject: Re: [MV] Re: star wars cuts At 11.27 AM 09/04/99 -0700, Oz wrote: >I doubt they'd bother asking for more than the standard. The films >going to make an absolute killing and will make more money in >lunchbox sales than most films will make at the box office in their >entire run. Interesting that you should mention that. I read an interview with Lucas recently about the original movie. He had no idea what he had, and expected the movie to barely break even. (I'm not sure of the contract, but think there was some tie-in with profitability). However, he INSISTED on the merchandising rights, expecting (rightly so on this count) to literally make a killing. And right he was. As successful as the films were, I do believe that Lucas himself (and his company) have still generated the majority of their profits from those "lunchbox sales". And seeing the interest already in TPM merchandise, there is absolutely no reason to expect this to be any different. Not only is this going to blow Cameron right out of the water ($600 million domestic?? Pshaw!), but those numbers won't even begin to touch the merchandise numbers. Regards, - --Mel - --Mel Eperthener president, Gowanna Multi-media Pty email: bcassidy@usaor.net gowanna@australiamail.com http://www.webz.com/gowanna 419 Butler Street PO Box 95184 Pittsburgh, PA 15223-0184 (412) 781-6140 (412) 781-6380 1-888-45-GOWANNA -- TOLL FREE (1-888-454-6926) ____________________________________________ "Mulder, if you had to do without a cell phone for two minutes, you'd lapse into catatonic schizophrenia" - --Dana Scully ______________________________________________ [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 01:55:43 +30000 From: Vi On Subject: [MV] $8-10 per ticket > I think most people here know that theatres don't make anything on ticket > sales (believe it or not, even at $8-10!!!), but on concession. So you I don't quite get it. How can they not make money out of $8 ticket? they get around 25% of it right? that's around $2 for every ticket. They sell alot of tickets every night. That's alot of money. [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 02:12:52 -0400 From: Mel Eperthener Subject: Re: [MV] $8-10 per ticket At 01.55 AM 09/04/99 +30000, Vi On wrote: > >> I think most people here know that theatres don't make anything on ticket >> sales (believe it or not, even at $8-10!!!), but on concession. So you > > I don't quite get it. How can they not make money out of $8 >ticket? they get around 25% of it right? that's around $2 for every ticket. >They sell alot of tickets every night. That's alot of money. Taxes, licenses, mortgages, wages, advertising, utilities, etc, etc, etc. That's a lot of expenses:-) Three years ago, my business made a lot of money, comparatively. Yet we still lost $8000. After 6 years, we are just now starting to make money. And no one is in my pocket for 70-80%, nor are my expenses as high. Regards, - --Mel - --Mel Eperthener president, Gowanna Multi-media Pty email: bcassidy@usaor.net gowanna@australiamail.com http://www.webz.com/gowanna 419 Butler Street PO Box 95184 Pittsburgh, PA 15223-0184 (412) 781-6140 (412) 781-6380 1-888-45-GOWANNA -- TOLL FREE (1-888-454-6926) ____________________________________________ "Mulder, if you had to do without a cell phone for two minutes, you'd lapse into catatonic schizophrenia" - --Dana Scully ______________________________________________ [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ End of movies-digest V2 #178 **************************** [ To quit the movies-digest mailing list (big mistake), send the message ] [ "unsubscribe movies-digest" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]