Last movie you watched......

How about a spoiler alert?
I've been looking forward to this thing.

 

This Is the End is smart in the same way Tropic Thunder was. It takes giant swings for the fences and sometimes misses. Rogen's idea of taking a group of actors who have been accused of being one-note and playing against type was fun to see play out (except for Danny McBride, who is still delightfully one-note. McBride just napalms every scene he is in...and that's a good thing.) It reminded me of an early Simpsons episode with all the allusions to different shows, genres and movies from the past. One of my favorite is Rogen and Jay essentially re-enacting a Laurel and Hardy bit while in the middle of an apocalypse.

If this is where Rogen is headed...outside his comfort zone and the comfort zone of his ready-made audience, I'm excited.

Also...Good Lord.... if Emma Watson isn't the most beautiful woman on earth, I don't know who is.

 

Just because I'm not interested doesn't mean I wouldn't like it if did see it. I might be wrong. Never know.

 

Loved This is the End.
Absolutely hated Man of Steel. I really wanted to like it, but ended up thinking it was just a big steaming pile of crap.

 

What I've seen from a few friends on FB is that Man of Steel just doesn't have the "magic" or "humor" or "charm" of Superman. Obviously it's a much different take. Still not sure why you even broach the idea to remake it just like the remake 5 years of of "Bad News Bears". The first one is perfect. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with a 2.0?

 

Sunset Boulevard - It's been probably 15 years since I saw this. Billy Wilder is criminally under appreciated.

 

The Apartment is one of my favorite movies.

Some Like It Hot gets all the ink, but I don't think it's that great. For one thing, it spawned a ton of bad "manly men in drag = instant comedy" films.

 

"Man of Steel" is more faithful to the Byrne comics of 1986 than Richard Donner's film. And, since that's the only film version we've had for more than a generation, some are going to find it hard to let go of. But the cinematic Superman needed a fresh start, badly. Revisiting that particular version of the character was one of the flaws of "Superman Returns." It just didn't work.

"Man of Steel" sticks to a lot of the traditional Superman story beats, but it's the tone that's different. No one will accuse this film of being campy, even a decade or two later as tastes evovle. Iron Man is hot right now, but who's to say we won't find it corny in 15 years? I think a more straight-laced approach was right.

With "Superman Returns" fans complained there wasn't enough action and too much drama. With "Man of Steel" fans complained there is too much action and not enough drama. Fans are fucking fickle. See it and decide if you like it for your own merits. The great thing about having a character for 75 years is that there are enough takes that you'll find one you like.

 

I was among those who went and saw "The Man of Steel" with my Walmart ticket.

I'm into this kind of stuff, and I thought this version of Superman's story was...interesting, I guess, would be the best word. I don't mean that as faint praise. There were, in fact, some very interesting new aspects to this story and some added twists to some details that lent surprise and a bit of an edge to the film.

I also liked the casting for the most part, and liked the dramatic value of a somewhat conflicted, uncertain Superman.

What I didn't like, however, was that those aspects of the movie could have gotten lost in all the noise.

The super-fight span of the movie was way too long. Also, and the rendering of the destruction to Smallville was so not-glossed-over as to make you do nothing but remember that you were watching a movie, rather than absorbing you so much in the story that you either forgot that, or you didn't forget that, but you also didn't care.

I know it was trying to be a "big" movie. But I thought most of the best parts of it actually were among the quieter moments -- whether they involved the budding romance between Clark/Superman and Lois Lane, or not.

The relations between Clark and his adoptive parents, the scene in the jail visitors' room, and even the scenes between Perry White and Lois Lane regarding the supposed drying up of her sources in the interests of keeping Clark's secret/her suspicions to herself, and some of those between Jor-El and Zod were among the best moments and really either made the movie or helped it move along well.

I don't mind action in these kinds of movies. There should be some, but what I don't think you want is action just for action's sake, or just because you want to make a visually compelling 3-D version of the movie.

That's how this film felt -- like it was trying too hard to go big and be impressive instead of just being what it was and has been all these years.

I liked this movie, but I have to say, I think I like the "Superman -- The Movie" version (with Christopher Reeve) better. That one was much simpler and more straightforward, and campy in its way, of course. But the campiness, I think, helped to give it wider appeal and to, somehow, come across as less far-fetched than this one.

 

I'm currently watching "Conviction." It's an an inspired-by-real-life 2010 film about a high school dropout who returned to school to earn a law degree in order to appeal her brother's murder conviction. Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell are in the lead roles.

So far, it's engrossing, but drama that it is, I burst out laughing at a scene where the sister is visiting her brother in prison. It's a touching moment, and she goes to comfort him by holding his hand following his suicide attempt when the guard calls out: "No touching!"

Was I wrong to laugh?

 

Went and saw Man of Steel yesterday and although I liked it, it could have been better.

It was not what I expected, but I left happy.

For those of you who go, there is no "extra" scene at the end of the flick so don't waste your time. . . like I did.

It is very dark. Very few funny segments or scenes.

Costner & Crowe did a great job.

I am quickly becoming an Amy Adams fan. She was great as Lois.

The big fight scene went way too long and not only destroyed Smallville but Metropolis as well.

 

Does Otis get Otisville?