list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Out of Sight on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Out_of_Sight/118415/default.aspx Title: Out of Sight
Year: 1998
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Plot: Steven Soderbergh directed this crime caper adapted from the novel by Elmore Leonard. When ex-con Jack Foley (George Clooney) robs a bank, his car goes dead, and Foley lands in a Florida prison. His escape from prison doesn't go as planned, since it's witnessed by deputy federal marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez). Foley's pal Buddy Bragg (Ving Rhames) intervenes, with the result that Sisco winds up in the trunk of the getaway car with Foley, and the two realize they're attracted to each other, despite being on opposite sides of the law. However, that doesn't stop Sisco from her mission to capture Foley, who has spent much of his life in prison. Flashbacks introduce Foley's fellow prisoners, including dim dude Glenn Michaels (Steve Zahn), violent Maurice "Snoopy" Miller (Don Cheadle), and insider trader and billionaire Richard Ripley (Albert Brooks), who talks too much about his wealth. This later leads to a break-in at Ripley's posh Detroit estate by Miller, his brother-in-law Kenneth (Isaiah Washington), and menacing White Boy Rob (Keith Loneker). While seeking a hidden safe, the group threatens Ripley's housekeeper Midge (Nancy Allen). Foley and Bragg are in on this operation, but they wind up outwitting the others, and Sisco is close on their trail. The film features uncredited cameos by Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson, and was shot in locations in Florida, Louisiana, and Michigan. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 35
Number of Lists: 44
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:47:11 GMTOut of Sight1998Steven Soderbergh<a href="/players/P___112040/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Steven Soderbergh</a> directed this crime caper adapted from the novel by <a href="/players/P____99358/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Elmore Leonard</a>. When ex-con Jack Foley (<a href="/players/P____13722/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>George Clooney</a>) robs a bank, his car goes dead, and Foley lands in a Florida prison. His escape from prison doesn't go as planned, since it's witnessed by deputy federal marshal Karen Sisco (<a href="/players/P___144649/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jennifer Lopez</a>). Foley's pal Buddy Bragg (<a href="/players/P____59836/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ving Rhames</a>) intervenes, with the result that Sisco winds up in the trunk of the getaway car with Foley, and the two realize they're attracted to each other, despite being on opposite sides of the law. However, that doesn't stop Sisco from her mission to capture Foley, who has spent much of his life in prison. Flashbacks introduce Foley's fellow prisoners, including dim dude Glenn Michaels (<a href="/players/P___212137/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Steve Zahn</a>), violent Maurice "Snoopy" Miller (<a href="/players/P____12587/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Don Cheadle</a>), and insider trader and billionaire Richard Ripley (<a href="/players/P____83146/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Albert Brooks</a>), who talks too much about his wealth. This later leads to a break-in at Ripley's posh Detroit estate by Miller, his brother-in-law Kenneth (<a href="/players/P___198280/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Isaiah Washington</a>), and menacing White Boy Rob (Keith Loneker). While seeking a hidden safe, the group threatens Ripley's housekeeper Midge (<a href="/players/P_____1046/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nancy Allen</a>). Foley and Bragg are in on this operation, but they wind up outwitting the others, and Sisco is close on their trail. The film features uncredited cameos by <a href="/players/P____37277/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Keaton</a> and Samuel L. Jackson, and was shot in locations in Florida, Louisiana, and Michigan. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide35Tag Target (>10)44643http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t85945b7ewy.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Out_of_Sight/118415/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_October_05_Killer_Kill_Scenes/625/44153/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/8/2009 12:49:08 AM
Body: This one's gonna be another one of those "high-brow" topics y'all have come to love and expect from us here at the Weekly Theme. I know it's late, but in my defense, I was killed in a killer kill scene earlier and my zombie fingers have finally started working well enough to type. So let's talk this week about all of the greatest death scenes ever committed to film. One of my recent favorites is Ted Raimi's character in The Midnight Meat Train. Very very brutal... but still pretty damn fun. Also (without spoiling) I would say that last year's Burn After Reading had one of the most surprisingly and shockingly awesome kill scenes I've ever seen. But I would say my all time favorite comes from a film that I really didn't care for much. Soderberg's Out of Sight ('98) has a death involving a hefty fella running up a flight of stairs with a loaded shotgun...... Hilarity ensues!! Well let's hear it. I left quite a bit off this post, so I'll check back later and add some more. What's your favorite killer kill scene? Peace & Brains Emery the Living Dead.
]]>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:49:08 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme10/8/2009 12:49:08 AMThis one's gonna be another one of those "high-brow" topics y'all have come to love and expect from us here at the Weekly Theme. I know it's late, but in my defense, I was killed in a killer kill scene earlier and my zombie fingers have finally started working well enough to type. So let's talk this week about all of the greatest death scenes ever committed to film. One of my recent favorites is Ted Raimi's character in The Midnight Meat Train. Very very brutal... but still pretty damn fun. Also (without spoiling) I would say that last year's Burn After Reading had one of the most surprisingly and shockingly awesome kill scenes I've ever seen. But I would say my all time favorite comes from a film that I really didn't care for much. Soderberg's Out of Sight ('98) has a death involving a hefty fella running up a flight of stairs with a loaded shotgun...... Hilarity ensues!! Well let's hear it. I left quite a bit off this post, so I'll check back later and add some more. What's your favorite killer kill scene? Peace &amp; Brains Emery the Living Dead. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40694.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:01:36 PM
Body: One of the most popular sex scenes of all time is the kitchen scene from the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. But many people find the more implicit parts of the 1946 version to be sexier. These people include the earlier film’s female lead, Lana Turner, who wrote in her autobiography, “[The makers of the 1981 film] didn’t have to worry about the censors. I’d had to project a rather intense sexual presence, but always with my clothes on. I was amused to read that [NY Times film critic] Vincent Canby considered the remake a pale, rather sexless imitation of my version.” Yes, a film with neither nudity nor simulated lovemaking can be quite sexy, likely sexier than an explicit remake, for innuendo and other teasing maneuvers around either the Hays Code or the MPAA ratings board’s restrictions are far more tantalizing than any bare and balls-out displays of graphic sex common in movies today. Though many classic implications of sex on the big screen were rather obvious and quick, giving the audience a nudge but hardly a rise (think the Eisensteinian metaphors of a train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest or fireworks exploding in To Catch a Thief), loads of films turned up the heat through the use of careful camerawork, daring dialogue and more subtly suggestive actions. Sometimes such sexy moments of tension and/or playfulness are definite forms of foreplay and serve as lead-ins to actual sex acts, on or off screen. But not always. Everyone has his or her own ideas of what’s sexy, so feel free to disagree with our choices and/or suggest your own (I can guess what the first suggestion will be). Consider our list simply a starting point for discussion. “‘Makin’ Whoopee’ scene,” from The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Basically, this famous scene, in which Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings “Makin’ Whoopee” while wriggling around atop a piano, is a slightly classier version of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Just as loads of metal heads dreamed they were David Coverdale’s Jaguar, a few years later tons of moviegoers wished they could have been that piano. “Bogie gets wet,” from The Big Sleep (1946) Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) and the unnamed bookseller (Dorothy Malone) may actually get it on offscreen following this flirtatious exchange, but even if their little rye-drinking party is purely an innocent moment between two strangers waiting out a rainstorm, there’s no denying the sexual energy going on between them. While it may be hard for a guy to understand the appeal of the quite blunt and rude Marlowe (are the glasses really that big a turn-off, Bogie?), Malone is very sexy when communicating her eagerness for whatever, even before she complies with the eyewear request and then voluntarily lets down her hair. Just watch her reaction when he says, “I’d a lot rather get wet in here.” “Airplane scene,” from Chungking Express (1994) As far as suggestive imagery goes, the way Cop 663 (Tony Leung) plays with that toy airplane around the half-clothed stewardess (Valerie Chow) is only slightly subtler than the aforementioned montages from North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, but Wong Kar Wai is much more sensual in the way he films his symbolic object. Certainly there is more direct sexiness to be found without Eisensteinian cutaways, anyway, and the additional innuendo provided by the airline safety instructions and the stewardess’ spilling of her beer gives the scene a delectable feeling of reciprocation. “Kiss scene on the beach,” from From Here to Eternity (1953) This scene is a bit of an obvious choice, and in a way it barely counts because the whole thing involves an explicit form of intimacy between two lovers (Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) that can hardly be considered completely non-sexual. But the reason we’re including it is because it’s one of the greatest and most unmistakable substitutes for an actual, outright sex scene ever put on film. That’s why so many films have imitated it so faithfully, even in times when it’s been more favorable and more acceptable to recreate the scene without the bathing suits. “Gable takes off his shirt,” from It Happened One Night (1934) Unlike Bogie’s come on, the appeal of Gable’s undressing is completely understandable, to either sex. And it’s not just clear in the way Ellie (Claudette Colbert) stares and then rushes off to her side of the room all hot and bothered. Male audiences also recognized the sexiness of the scene, evidenced in the film’s infamous influence on the (misfortunate) undershirt business. There’s plenty of sexual tension going on in the rest of the “walls of Jericho” sequence, and Colbert’s behind-the-sheet undressing is also quite sexy (as is her iconic hitchhiking display in another scene), but considering male stripping in cinema is rarely so inviting, we have to go with this narrowed-down choice. “The phone scene,” from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Were you aware that such a seemingly family-friendly director as Frank Capra gave us so many sexy scenes? There’s not much in It’s a Wonderful Life that’s as arousing as those mentioned moments from It Happened One Night, but one of the all-time best shots depicting sexual tension is in this holiday favorite. If George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) hadn’t finally kissed at the end of this scene, audiences would probably have just burst in their seats. “‘Moonglow’ dance,” from Picnic (1955) Beginning with Kim Novak’s sultry wiggle down the steps, this is one of the sexiest dances in cinema, and that’s compared to hundreds of more explicit numbers throughout film history. Even without the graphic double crotch shot, which is used to frame Susan Strasberg (though surely you’re not actually focusing on her, right?), the scene is as clearly a substitute for sex as the beach scene from From Here to Eternity. “Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) It wasn’t the first time a silhouetted stripping scene was used in a film. But we just couldn’t include the moment from the “Petting in the Park” number from Gold Diggers of 1933, because the voyeuristic kid makes it just a little too creepy. Besides, the idea of a nude woman silhouetted against a tent wall is a more iconic image, one that’s been constantly redone both erotically and comically. A later scene in the film, in which Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan, though replaced at this moment by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim) goes skinny-dipping with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), is also quite a sexy non-sex scene. “Lusty eating scene,” from Tom Jones (1963) Did anyone else see the recent special episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations about the concept of food porn? Or, has anyone else felt a little dirty watching Padma Lakshmi bite into an apple during Top Chef promos? Well maybe not all cinephiles are also foodies, but for those that are, the feast of food and foreplay in Tom Jones is certainly relatable. Watching Tom (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) may not directly turn you on, but if you understand the erotic power of food, you should at least be able to appreciate the sexual energy here. “Returning stolen goods,” from Trouble in Paradise (1932) Far more than Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch was responsible for many of the sexiest films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it’s arguably Trouble in Paradise that tops them all. Using his signature “Lubitsch touch,” he had a way of getting around censors by only carefully alluding to censorable things, all through the trust in the audience’s ability to read between the lines and imagine what’s happening behind closed doors. His sexiest scene, however, is more blatant than all that; two master criminals (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall) fall in love while returning the items they’ve pickpocketed off each other. Decades later, people will see a similar sexiness in a scene from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, clearly derivative of this scene, in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pat each other down for weapons while dancing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:01:36 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:01:36 PMOne of the most popular sex scenes of all time is the kitchen scene from the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. But many people find the more implicit parts of the 1946 version to be sexier. These people include the earlier film’s female lead, Lana Turner, who wrote in her autobiography, “[The makers of the 1981 film] didn’t have to worry about the censors. I’d had to project a rather intense sexual presence, but always with my clothes on. I was amused to read that [NY Times film critic] Vincent Canby considered the remake a pale, rather sexless imitation of my version.” Yes, a film with neither nudity nor simulated lovemaking can be quite sexy, likely sexier than an explicit remake, for innuendo and other teasing maneuvers around either the Hays Code or the MPAA ratings board’s restrictions are far more tantalizing than any bare and balls-out displays of graphic sex common in movies today. Though many classic implications of sex on the big screen were rather obvious and quick, giving the audience a nudge but hardly a rise (think the Eisensteinian metaphors of a train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest or fireworks exploding in To Catch a Thief), loads of films turned up the heat through the use of careful camerawork, daring dialogue and more subtly suggestive actions. Sometimes such sexy moments of tension and/or playfulness are definite forms of foreplay and serve as lead-ins to actual sex acts, on or off screen. But not always. Everyone has his or her own ideas of what’s sexy, so feel free to disagree with our choices and/or suggest your own (I can guess what the first suggestion will be). Consider our list simply a starting point for discussion. “‘Makin’ Whoopee’ scene,” from The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Basically, this famous scene, in which Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings “Makin’ Whoopee” while wriggling around atop a piano, is a slightly classier version of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Just as loads of metal heads dreamed they were David Coverdale’s Jaguar, a few years later tons of moviegoers wished they could have been that piano. “Bogie gets wet,” from The Big Sleep (1946) Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) and the unnamed bookseller (Dorothy Malone) may actually get it on offscreen following this flirtatious exchange, but even if their little rye-drinking party is purely an innocent moment between two strangers waiting out a rainstorm, there’s no denying the sexual energy going on between them. While it may be hard for a guy to understand the appeal of the quite blunt and rude Marlowe (are the glasses really that big a turn-off, Bogie?), Malone is very sexy when communicating her eagerness for whatever, even before she complies with the eyewear request and then voluntarily lets down her hair. Just watch her reaction when he says, “I’d a lot rather get wet in here.” “Airplane scene,” from Chungking Express (1994) As far as suggestive imagery goes, the way Cop 663 (Tony Leung) plays with that toy airplane around the half-clothed stewardess (Valerie Chow) is only slightly subtler than the aforementioned montages from North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, but Wong Kar Wai is much more sensual in the way he films his symbolic object. Certainly there is more direct sexiness to be found without Eisensteinian cutaways, anyway, and the additional innuendo provided by the airline safety instructions and the stewardess’ spilling of her beer gives the scene a delectable feeling of reciprocation. “Kiss scene on the beach,” from From Here to Eternity (1953) This scene is a bit of an obvious choice, and in a way it barely counts because the whole thing involves an explicit form of intimacy between two lovers (Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) that can hardly be considered completely non-sexual. But the reason we’re including it is because it’s one of the greatest and most unmistakable substitutes for an actual, outright sex scene ever put on film. That’s why so many films have imitated it so faithfully, even in times when it’s been more favorable and more acceptable to recreate the scene without the bathing suits. “Gable takes off his shirt,” from It Happened One Night (1934) Unlike Bogie’s come on, the appeal of Gable’s undressing is completely understandable, to either sex. And it’s not just clear in the way Ellie (Claudette Colbert) stares and then rushes off to her side of the room all hot and bothered. Male audiences also recognized the sexiness of the scene, evidenced in the film’s infamous influence on the (misfortunate) undershirt business. There’s plenty of sexual tension going on in the rest of the “walls of Jericho” sequence, and Colbert’s behind-the-sheet undressing is also quite sexy (as is her iconic hitchhiking display in another scene), but considering male stripping in cinema is rarely so inviting, we have to go with this narrowed-down choice. “The phone scene,” from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Were you aware that such a seemingly family-friendly director as Frank Capra gave us so many sexy scenes? There’s not much in It’s a Wonderful Life that’s as arousing as those mentioned moments from It Happened One Night, but one of the all-time best shots depicting sexual tension is in this holiday favorite. If George (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) hadn’t finally kissed at the end of this scene, audiences would probably have just burst in their seats. “‘Moonglow’ dance,” from Picnic (1955) Beginning with Kim Novak’s sultry wiggle down the steps, this is one of the sexiest dances in cinema, and that’s compared to hundreds of more explicit numbers throughout film history. Even without the graphic double crotch shot, which is used to frame Susan Strasberg (though surely you’re not actually focusing on her, right?), the scene is as clearly a substitute for sex as the beach scene from From Here to Eternity. “Jane changes clothes in silhouette,” from Tarzan and His Mate (1934) It wasn’t the first time a silhouetted stripping scene was used in a film. But we just couldn’t include the moment from the “Petting in the Park” number from Gold Diggers of 1933, because the voyeuristic kid makes it just a little too creepy. Besides, the idea of a nude woman silhouetted against a tent wall is a more iconic image, one that’s been constantly redone both erotically and comically. A later scene in the film, in which Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan, though replaced at this moment by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim) goes skinny-dipping with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), is also quite a sexy non-sex scene. “Lusty eating scene,” from Tom Jones (1963) Did anyone else see the recent special episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations about the concept of food porn? Or, has anyone else felt a little dirty watching Padma Lakshmi bite into an apple during Top Chef promos? Well maybe not all cinephiles are also foodies, but for those that are, the feast of food and foreplay in Tom Jones is certainly relatable. Watching Tom (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) may not directly turn you on, but if you understand the erotic power of food, you should at least be able to appreciate the sexual energy here. “Returning stolen goods,” from Trouble in Paradise (1932) Far more than Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch was responsible for many of the sexiest films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it’s arguably Trouble in Paradise that tops them all. Using his signature “Lubitsch touch,” he had a way of getting around censors by only carefully alluding to censorable things, all through the trust in the audience’s ability to read between the lines and imagine what’s happening behind closed doors. His sexiest scene, however, is more blatant than all that; two master criminals (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall) fall in love while returning the items they’ve pickpocketed off each other. Decades later, people will see a similar sexiness in a scene from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, clearly derivative of this scene, in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pat each other down for weapons while dancing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/lmstanley/archive/2008/12/3/37880.aspx Post By: lmstanley
Post To: lmstanley Blog
Post Date: 12/3/2008 10:17:00 AM
Body: I was a bit disappointed in this movie. Even George Clooney's good looks and clever lines couldn't keep me from losing lost interest half way through. I think that this was doing the string of Jennifer Lopez films and flops like Gigli. Not the best role for her, I think. I wouldn't really recommend this one. It doesn't have enough going for it to be worth a rental.
]]>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:17:00 GMTlmstanleylmstanley Blog12/3/2008 10:17:00 AMI was a bit disappointed in this movie. Even George Clooney's good looks and clever lines couldn't keep me from losing lost interest half way through. I think that this was doing the string of Jennifer Lopez films and flops like Gigli. Not the best role for her, I think. I wouldn't really recommend this one. It doesn't have enough going for it to be worth a rental. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/My_favorite_ideas/563/33892/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Cammmalot
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 8/12/2008 3:01:34 AM
Body: I'm coming to the table late and my ignorance of the Batman universe would truly astound so I'll spare you any false insights. I came up with the same idea as Tanski's suggestion of Michael Keaton's return to the series as the next villian. I think this would be fantastic on so many levels. Of course there are obvious ties such as his over the top performances in the likes of Beetlejuice but I'm thinking a darker more omnious psycho along the lines of Pacific Heights. Or the gum chewing bravado of Jackie Brown & Out of Sight . As for the best description of this character I loved Sammyjankis' summary: The main plot (and villain) is, of course, the Riddler. I'm imagining an older man, a former game show host who has a massive chip on his shoulder because he is the smartest man in Gotham but no one notices or acknowledges it. Thus, it isn't enough to simply pull off crimes, he must do it in a way that proves how much smarter he is than his opponents. Where the Joker saw matching Batman's theatrics as a way to cause chaos, the Riddler sees it as a means to achieve glory. Unlike the Joker's games which were all about misdirection and illusion, the Riddler's puzzles are overt. He is more than happy to tell you exactly what the rules and stakes are, because he is supremely confident that his puzzles cannot he solved. This will be the thematic crux of the film. Impotence. Whereas the Batman has found new strength through deeper brutality, this is an opponent who cannot be beaten through force. 'The Dark Knight' showed us the detective side of Batman onscreen for the first time (in any real way) and that can be deepened here. The Riddler can only be defeated with reason. In this post-Saw world, the character could do more than just give out riddles to solve, he can be obsessed with all sorts of puzzles and design all manner of Rube Goldberg devices to trip up our hero. I could even envision a final action sequence where an entire portion of the city has become a Goldberg device through explosives and physics. (By the way Sammyjankis is a great name.) Finally the idea I most wish I had come up with had to be iantx2000's suggestion of Sam Rockwell! What a brillant idea. He is so prime for a turn as the ultimate super villian. I'm thinking full on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Box of Moonlight, Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy mode. "
]]>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:01:34 GMTCammmalotFilmgaming8/12/2008 3:01:34 AMI'm coming to the table late and my ignorance of the Batman universe would truly astound so I'll spare you any false insights. I came up with the same idea as Tanski's suggestion of Michael Keaton's return to the series as the next villian. I think this would be fantastic on so many levels. Of course there are obvious ties such as his over the top performances in the likes of Beetlejuice but I'm thinking a darker more omnious psycho along the lines of Pacific Heights. Or the gum chewing bravado of Jackie Brown &amp; Out of Sight . As for the best description of this character I loved Sammyjankis' summary: The main plot (and villain) is, of course, the Riddler. I'm imagining an older man, a former game show host who has a massive chip on his shoulder because he is the smartest man in Gotham but no one notices or acknowledges it. Thus, it isn't enough to simply pull off crimes, he must do it in a way that proves how much smarter he is than his opponents. Where the Joker saw matching Batman's theatrics as a way to cause chaos, the Riddler sees it as a means to achieve glory. Unlike the Joker's games which were all about misdirection and illusion, the Riddler's puzzles are overt. He is more than happy to tell you exactly what the rules and stakes are, because he is supremely confident that his puzzles cannot he solved. This will be the thematic crux of the film. Impotence. Whereas the Batman has found new strength through deeper brutality, this is an opponent who cannot be beaten through force. 'The Dark Knight' showed us the detective side of Batman onscreen for the first time (in any real way) and that can be deepened here. The Riddler can only be defeated with reason. In this post-Saw world, the character could do more than just give out riddles to solve, he can be obsessed with all sorts of puzzles and design all manner of Rube Goldberg devices to trip up our hero. I could even envision a final action sequence where an entire portion of the city has become a Goldberg device through explosives and physics. (By the way Sammyjankis is a great name.) Finally the idea I most wish I had come up with had to be iantx2000's suggestion of Sam Rockwell! What a brillant idea. He is so prime for a turn as the ultimate super villian. I'm thinking full on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Box of Moonlight, Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy mode. " http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_29_Locked_Up/625/33170/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: theunemployedshortstop
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/28/2008 1:24:20 PM
Body: Good sugestions all. I'm glad someone pointed out Girl, Interupted. I really like that movie and don't get to talk about it enough. And thanks for reminding me of Kiss of the Spiderwoman. Also a movie that does not get enough play. I would like to add The Wrong Man by Hitchcock for it's visceral portrayal of incarceration. One FEELS locked up while watching it... This is Hitchcock confronting his greatest fear and though not his best film it is important to his work as a whole. As for awesome prison brakes I suggest Out of Sight. Not just a prison movie, but when you go back and look at it just shy of half of the movie takes place in prison. Prison is also the motivating factor for many of the characters. And it's so much fun. Finally, to make sure you have a smile on your face: Chicken Run! Along this theme you could also watch Creature Comforts as well and laugh and laugh and laugh!
]]>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:24:20 GMTtheunemployedshortstopWeekly Theme7/28/2008 1:24:20 PMGood sugestions all. I'm glad someone pointed out Girl, Interupted. I really like that movie and don't get to talk about it enough. And thanks for reminding me of Kiss of the Spiderwoman. Also a movie that does not get enough play. I would like to add The Wrong Man by Hitchcock for it's visceral portrayal of incarceration. One FEELS locked up while watching it... This is Hitchcock confronting his greatest fear and though not his best film it is important to his work as a whole. As for awesome prison brakes I suggest Out of Sight. Not just a prison movie, but when you go back and look at it just shy of half of the movie takes place in prison. Prison is also the motivating factor for many of the characters. And it's so much fun. Finally, to make sure you have a smile on your face: Chicken Run! Along this theme you could also watch Creature Comforts as well and laugh and laugh and laugh! http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/26/31749.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/26/2008 5:00:43 PM
Body: Over the weekend, Wanted had a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com. It’s since gone down to 81% (at the time of this writing — and with top critics it’s down to 67%), though that’s still pretty good for a movie that initially looked like just another Matrix knockoff. But will the good reviews make for great box office? Last night, while viewing the latest trailer in a theater with some friends, I mentioned that Wanted was receiving great reviews. Nobody believed me at first, and then they didn’t care; they still thought it looked terrible. Good reviews rarely help an action movie, and bad reviews rarely deter audiences from seeing them. However, if we look at the top 5 most critically acclaimed action movies, it’s clear that people do often prefer a good action film to a bad one. The next 5, on the other hand… The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94% (top critics: 98%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #9 ($377 million) Sample Critic Quote: “The film event of the millennium.” (Richard Corliss, Time) My Analysis: In terms of both reviews and gross, it is possible that, yes, this final LOTR film was the film event of the millennium only three years in. It even won the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as ten other Academy Awards. However, we do have a few hundred years left, and Corliss’ assessment is likely to be challenged one of these centuries. Casino Royale (2006) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94% (top critics: 95%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #133 ($167.5 million) Sample Critic Quote: “This is the best James Bond film in at least 17 years, and Daniel Craig might be the best 007 … ever.” (Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com) My Analysis: Most critics and audiences agreed that this was one of the best 007 films ever and that Craig was at least the best Bond since Connery. Still, it only grossed a mere $7 million more than Die Another Day, which was certified rotten by RT. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 97%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #62 ($227.5 million) Sample Critic Quote: “It is probably the best action films to date that doesn’t involved so much special effects.” (Wilson Morales, BlackFilm.com) My Analysis: I agree that it’s the best of the series and one of the best action movies in years, maybe even best to date not involving special effects, as Morales says. But really the only reason that Ultimatum is higher up on the b.o. charts than The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy is because people took awhile to get into the series, with many of Ultimatum’s audience having seen the previous two for the first time on DVD. Still, along with both Return of the King and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it’s one of the rare threequels that earned the highest gross of its series. Considering Return, that says one thing, while considering Indy, that says something else. Spider-Man 2 (2004) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 95%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #10 ($373.6 million) Sample Critic Quote: “[It's sure to] join the upper echelons of action movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, and Die Hard.” (Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer) My Analysis: If this sequel were switched in ranking with its predecessor (see below), it might say something more about reviews equaling revenue, but otherwise between the two installments, there is evidence that good superhero movies will perform better than bad ones. Just don’t pay any attention to Spider-Man 3, which is also pretty close on the b.o. charts, but which is pretty far below in RT ranking (62%, whole; 44%, top critics). Iron Man (2008) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 92%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #26 ($305.9 million and counting) Sample Critic Quote: “It’s the best movie of its kind since the second Spider-Man movie four years ago.” (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle) My Analysis: Fitting to LaSalle’s quote that Iron Man is just behind Spider-Man 2, and with only another $70 million to go in order to be just behind it on the b.o. chart. Unfortunately, as far as ticket sales show, it’s really only the best movie of its kind since the third Spider-Man movie one year ago. Spy Kids (2001) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 96%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #309 ($112.7 million) Sample Critic Quote: “To sum up, if you want your children to someday appreciate the true art of cinema, Spy Kids is a terrific movie to start with.” (Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News) My Analysis: If by “true art of cinema” Strauss means the kind of action movies that receive good reviews, then he’s right. Film critics love the well-directed spy movies (see #2 and #3). As for kids, they don’t care about reviews, which explains why Alvin and the Chipmunks made almost double what Spy Kids grossed. Out of Sight (1998) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 90%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #1,395 ($37.6 million) Sample Critic Quote: “In a summer filled with mega-hyped disappointments, Out of Sight proves the undeniable value of story, characterization, and — most of all — intelligence.” (Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat) My Analysis: The mega-hyped disappointments of that summer include Godzilla, which made about $100 million more than this film. Of course, Out of Sight isn’t really an action-packed action movie, and it only starred George Clooney, who despite being a huge movie star has never really been that big a box office draw. Meanwhile, 1998’s biggest box office winner, the more-action-packed Saving Private Ryan (which RT apparently doesn’t consider to be an action movie), was also one of the five best-reviewed films of the year. Hot Fuzz (2007) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 92%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #2,029 ($23.6 million) Sample Critic Quote: “Hot Fuzz is everything an action-comedy should be. It achieves through parody what most films in the genre can’t accomplish straight.” (Nathan Rabin, The Onion A.V. Club) My Analysis: The best action buddy comedy in ten years, yet it’s gross is hardly comparable to the box office success of the Rush Hour movies, Bad Boys II, Lethal Weapon 4 and … Starsky & Hutch? Even Jimmy Fallon’s Taxi performed better domestically. Rescue Dawn (2006) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 88%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #3,970 ($5.5 million) Sample Critic Quote: “A potentially commercial audience-pleaser that retains all of the characteristic Herzog complexity and nuance, Rescue Dawn is an electrifying action adventure that clamps your nerves with jaws of steel.” (Rex Reed, New York Observer) My Analysis: Too bad more moviegoers don’t read Rex Reed, because that’s a mighty good sell. Unfortunately, Rescue Dawn suffered a double blow because of who directed it. Critics certainly overpraised it, just because it’s an Herzog film; audiences likely avoided it because of the same reason (not by name, but had it opened bigger right away, audiences wouldn’t have even noticed the art house connection and might have gone to see the new action movie starring “Batman”). Spider-Man (2002) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 85%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #7 ($403.7 million) Sample Critic Quote: “Let the gauntlet be thrown: Spider-Man may be the best comic adaptation of all time.” (Todd Gilchrest, FilmStew.com) My Analysis: In terms of box office receipts, it is indeed the best comic adaptation of all time. But as we see by two titles above, it’s since been beat in terms of critical acclaim, just in this decade alone (and from earlier, at least Superman: The Movie has a better RT score). Still, it would almost be evidence that critics and box office can sometimes go hand in hand if it weren’t for that certified rotten movie that ranks just above it on the box office chart: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:00:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/26/2008 5:00:43 PMOver the weekend, Wanted had a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com. It’s since gone down to 81% (at the time of this writing — and with top critics it’s down to 67%), though that’s still pretty good for a movie that initially looked like just another Matrix knockoff. But will the good reviews make for great box office? Last night, while viewing the latest trailer in a theater with some friends, I mentioned that Wanted was receiving great reviews. Nobody believed me at first, and then they didn’t care; they still thought it looked terrible. Good reviews rarely help an action movie, and bad reviews rarely deter audiences from seeing them. However, if we look at the top 5 most critically acclaimed action movies, it’s clear that people do often prefer a good action film to a bad one. The next 5, on the other hand… The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94% (top critics: 98%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #9 ($377 million) Sample Critic Quote: “The film event of the millennium.” (Richard Corliss, Time) My Analysis: In terms of both reviews and gross, it is possible that, yes, this final LOTR film was the film event of the millennium only three years in. It even won the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as ten other Academy Awards. However, we do have a few hundred years left, and Corliss’ assessment is likely to be challenged one of these centuries. Casino Royale (2006) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94% (top critics: 95%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #133 ($167.5 million) Sample Critic Quote: “This is the best James Bond film in at least 17 years, and Daniel Craig might be the best 007 … ever.” (Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com) My Analysis: Most critics and audiences agreed that this was one of the best 007 films ever and that Craig was at least the best Bond since Connery. Still, it only grossed a mere $7 million more than Die Another Day, which was certified rotten by RT. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 97%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #62 ($227.5 million) Sample Critic Quote: “It is probably the best action films to date that doesn’t involved so much special effects.” (Wilson Morales, BlackFilm.com) My Analysis: I agree that it’s the best of the series and one of the best action movies in years, maybe even best to date not involving special effects, as Morales says. But really the only reason that Ultimatum is higher up on the b.o. charts than The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy is because people took awhile to get into the series, with many of Ultimatum’s audience having seen the previous two for the first time on DVD. Still, along with both Return of the King and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it’s one of the rare threequels that earned the highest gross of its series. Considering Return, that says one thing, while considering Indy, that says something else. Spider-Man 2 (2004) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 95%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #10 ($373.6 million) Sample Critic Quote: “[It's sure to] join the upper echelons of action movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, and Die Hard.” (Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer) My Analysis: If this sequel were switched in ranking with its predecessor (see below), it might say something more about reviews equaling revenue, but otherwise between the two installments, there is evidence that good superhero movies will perform better than bad ones. Just don’t pay any attention to Spider-Man 3, which is also pretty close on the b.o. charts, but which is pretty far below in RT ranking (62%, whole; 44%, top critics). Iron Man (2008) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 92%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #26 ($305.9 million and counting) Sample Critic Quote: “It’s the best movie of its kind since the second Spider-Man movie four years ago.” (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle) My Analysis: Fitting to LaSalle’s quote that Iron Man is just behind Spider-Man 2, and with only another $70 million to go in order to be just behind it on the b.o. chart. Unfortunately, as far as ticket sales show, it’s really only the best movie of its kind since the third Spider-Man movie one year ago. Spy Kids (2001) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 96%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #309 ($112.7 million) Sample Critic Quote: “To sum up, if you want your children to someday appreciate the true art of cinema, Spy Kids is a terrific movie to start with.” (Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News) My Analysis: If by “true art of cinema” Strauss means the kind of action movies that receive good reviews, then he’s right. Film critics love the well-directed spy movies (see #2 and #3). As for kids, they don’t care about reviews, which explains why Alvin and the Chipmunks made almost double what Spy Kids grossed. Out of Sight (1998) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 90%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #1,395 ($37.6 million) Sample Critic Quote: “In a summer filled with mega-hyped disappointments, Out of Sight proves the undeniable value of story, characterization, and — most of all — intelligence.” (Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat) My Analysis: The mega-hyped disappointments of that summer include Godzilla, which made about $100 million more than this film. Of course, Out of Sight isn’t really an action-packed action movie, and it only starred George Clooney, who despite being a huge movie star has never really been that big a box office draw. Meanwhile, 1998’s biggest box office winner, the more-action-packed Saving Private Ryan (which RT apparently doesn’t consider to be an action movie), was also one of the five best-reviewed films of the year. Hot Fuzz (2007) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 92%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #2,029 ($23.6 million) Sample Critic Quote: “Hot Fuzz is everything an action-comedy should be. It achieves through parody what most films in the genre can’t accomplish straight.” (Nathan Rabin, The Onion A.V. Club) My Analysis: The best action buddy comedy in ten years, yet it’s gross is hardly comparable to the box office success of the Rush Hour movies, Bad Boys II, Lethal Weapon 4 and … Starsky & Hutch? Even Jimmy Fallon’s Taxi performed better domestically. Rescue Dawn (2006) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 88%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #3,970 ($5.5 million) Sample Critic Quote: “A potentially commercial audience-pleaser that retains all of the characteristic Herzog complexity and nuance, Rescue Dawn is an electrifying action adventure that clamps your nerves with jaws of steel.” (Rex Reed, New York Observer) My Analysis: Too bad more moviegoers don’t read Rex Reed, because that’s a mighty good sell. Unfortunately, Rescue Dawn suffered a double blow because of who directed it. Critics certainly overpraised it, just because it’s an Herzog film; audiences likely avoided it because of the same reason (not by name, but had it opened bigger right away, audiences wouldn’t have even noticed the art house connection and might have gone to see the new action movie starring “Batman”). Spider-Man (2002) Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 85%) All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #7 ($403.7 million) Sample Critic Quote: “Let the gauntlet be thrown: Spider-Man may be the best comic adaptation of all time.” (Todd Gilchrest, FilmStew.com) My Analysis: In terms of box office receipts, it is indeed the best comic adaptation of all time. But as we see by two titles above, it’s since been beat in terms of critical acclaim, just in this decade alone (and from earlier, at least Superman: The Movie has a better RT score). Still, it would almost be evidence that critics and box office can sometimes go hand in hand if it weren’t for that certified rotten movie that ranks just above it on the box office chart: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Philosophy_of_Film/Re_Memory_and_identity_in_Eternal_Sunshine_of_the/281/13673/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: ShaunHuston
Post To: Philosophy of Film
Post Date: 7/11/2007 12:22:05 PM
Body: The Lookout was written and directed by Scott Frank, who also wrote the adaptations for Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Minority Report. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt, a former high school hotshot hockey player who suffered a head injury in a car crash that also resulted in the death and dismemberment of three of his friends. His injury requires him to keep notes everywhere to remind himself to do even basic things like turn out the light. As part of his therapy he is also required to keep a daily diary. He works as a janitor at a bank in a small town and gets marked by a group of would-be thieves to be the inside man on a robbery. I related it to the other films in the original post because Chris is constantly struggling with who is and who he was. The notes and diaries he keeps function to mediate that struggle - how much of who he is is contained within these little texts and how much is who is independent of those notes, etc. Beyond these philosophical questions, it's a well made and acted film, with really fine supporting performances from Jeff Daniels, as Chris's blind roommate, Matthew Goode as the ringleader of the thieves, and Isla Fisher as the femme fatale who ropes Chris into the scheme (Sergio Di Zio also has a small, pivotal part, as "Deputy Ted"). Frank understands the heist/caper genre well and it shows in the careful construction of the plot. Well worth watching.
]]>Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:22:05 GMTShaunHustonPhilosophy of Film7/11/2007 12:22:05 PMThe Lookout was written and directed by Scott Frank, who also wrote the adaptations for Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Minority Report. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt, a former high school hotshot hockey player who suffered a head injury in a car crash that also resulted in the death and dismemberment of three of his friends. His injury requires him to keep notes everywhere to remind himself to do even basic things like turn out the light. As part of his therapy he is also required to keep a daily diary. He works as a janitor at a bank in a small town and gets marked by a group of would-be thieves to be the inside man on a robbery. I related it to the other films in the original post because Chris is constantly struggling with who is and who he was. The notes and diaries he keeps function to mediate that struggle - how much of who he is is contained within these little texts and how much is who is independent of those notes, etc. Beyond these philosophical questions, it's a well made and acted film, with really fine supporting performances from Jeff Daniels, as Chris's blind roommate, Matthew Goode as the ringleader of the thieves, and Isla Fisher as the femme fatale who ropes Chris into the scheme (Sergio Di Zio also has a small, pivotal part, as "Deputy Ted"). Frank understands the heist/caper genre well and it shows in the careful construction of the plot. Well worth watching. http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/archive/2007/7/8/13423.aspx Post By: ShaunHuston
Post To: ShaunHuston filmblog
Post Date: 7/8/2007 11:37:00 AM
Body: One thing that makes Once wonderful is how prickly The Guy (Glen Hansard) is to The Girl (Markéta Irglová) when they first meet.Writer-director John Carney can be read as playing with the “meet cute” convention of romantic comedy in the initial scenes between Guy and Girl. The first subversion of form is in how the two encounter each other. Classically, circumstances contrive or conspire to bring the romantic protagonists together and into close, intimate contact by, say, making them share the last seat on a bus or the trunk of a car. Here nothing in particular brings Guy and Girl together. She notices him in the course of daily life and then, in a further break with convention, makes an affirmative choice to approach him. There is no fated coincidence at work (I do think that the happenstance of the vacuum cleaner is a nod and wink at the idea that the two leads are “meant to be”). Typically, upon meeting, romantic leads will undergo an alchemical reaction to each other. It may initially explode in disdain, but the slow burn towards love will have begun. Indeed, in many cases the disdain is certainly feigned. In Once, she is certainly drawn to him, but through his music, not some ineffable chemistry. He is wary about her, holding her at a distance, treating her as the stranger she is and acting as the emotionally fragile person he is. However, his prickliness and her earnestness simply serve to defer, not erase, their alchemical moment, which happens when they first play music together. The twist in this case is that Girl and Guy actually do have a bond, but they have to discover it. It isn't just there in the air between them.The familiar but strange quality of Guy and Girl's meeting cute sets the audience up for the unexpected. In a traditional romantic comedy, you know that the two leads will end up together, that's part of the pleasure in the genre. But in Once you're not even sure if “Will they end up together?” or “Will they or won't they?” are even the right questions. Wonderful.
]]>Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:37:00 GMTShaunHustonShaunHuston filmblog7/8/2007 11:37:00 AMOne thing that makes Once wonderful is how prickly The Guy (Glen Hansard) is to The Girl (Mark&eacute;ta Irglov&aacute;) when they first meet.Writer-director John Carney can be read as playing with the &ldquo;meet cute&rdquo; convention of romantic comedy in the initial scenes between Guy and Girl. The first subversion of form is in how the two encounter each other. Classically, circumstances contrive or conspire to bring the romantic protagonists together and into close, intimate contact by, say, making them share the last seat on a bus or the trunk of a car. Here nothing in particular brings Guy and Girl together. She notices him in the course of daily life and then, in a further break with convention, makes an affirmative choice to approach him. There is no fated coincidence at work (I do think that the happenstance of the vacuum cleaner is a nod and wink at the idea that the two leads are &ldquo;meant to be&rdquo;). Typically, upon meeting, romantic leads will undergo an alchemical reaction to each other. It may initially explode in disdain, but the slow burn towards love will have begun. Indeed, in many cases the disdain is certainly feigned. In Once, she is certainly drawn to him, but through his music, not some ineffable chemistry. He is wary about her, holding her at a distance, treating her as the stranger she is and acting as the emotionally fragile person he is. However, his prickliness and her earnestness simply serve to defer, not erase, their alchemical moment, which happens when they first play music together. The twist in this case is that Girl and Guy actually do have a bond, but they have to discover it. It isn't just there in the air between them.The familiar but strange quality of Guy and Girl's meeting cute sets the audience up for the unexpected. In a traditional romantic comedy, you know that the two leads will end up together, that's part of the pleasure in the genre. But in Once you're not even sure if &ldquo;Will they end up together?&rdquo; or &ldquo;Will they or won't they?&rdquo; are even the right questions. Wonderful. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2007/5/5/8175.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 5/5/2007 1:37:00 AM
Body: Out of Sight is one of four movies that I’ve accidentally rented after I’d already seen them (also: Spanish Prisoner; Notorious; The Score). The first scene and I know I’d seen it before and can even remember some of the pseudo-witty dialogue, but I still cannot remember the plot. The movie is forgettable because it is a piece of fluff—but very well-made fluff. George Clooney is the sexy and handsome as the perpetual bank robber; Jennifer Lopez is mercurial, changing with each photo angle, just like her conflicted character, a law enforcement officer; Don Cheadle is perfectly slimy and irritating as the small-time gangster; and Albert Brooks is effective as the white-collar-crime guy whose diamonds become the target of the climactic heist. Even the music track is unusually good—it features an electric bass playing hip lines with minimal accompaniment, perfectly suited to the smart-alec tone of the movie. This is another script from an Elmore Leonard novel. Prepare to be entertained—and then forget about it.
]]>Sat, 05 May 2007 05:37:00 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog5/5/2007 1:37:00 AMOut of Sight is one of four movies that I&rsquo;ve accidentally rented after I&rsquo;d already seen them (also: Spanish Prisoner; Notorious; The Score). The first scene and I know I&rsquo;d seen it before and can even remember some of the pseudo-witty dialogue, but I still cannot remember the plot. The movie is forgettable because it is a piece of fluff&mdash;but very well-made fluff. George Clooney is the sexy and handsome as the perpetual bank robber; Jennifer Lopez is mercurial, changing with each photo angle, just like her conflicted character, a law enforcement officer; Don Cheadle is perfectly slimy and irritating as the small-time gangster; and Albert Brooks is effective as the white-collar-crime guy whose diamonds become the target of the climactic heist. Even the music track is unusually good&mdash;it features an electric bass playing hip lines with minimal accompaniment, perfectly suited to the smart-alec tone of the movie. This is another script from an Elmore Leonard novel. Prepare to be entertained&mdash;and then forget about it. http://www.spout.com/blogs/hairylime/archive/2007/2/11/5366.aspx Post By: HairyLime
Post To: HairyLime Blog
Post Date: 2/11/2007 9:13:00 PM
Body: Been a big Elmore Leonard fan for a while, and had read the book this was based on when it was first released. At the time, I really felt that this would make a great movie, but when the movie came out, I was initially disappointed in the casting, and on the first viewing in '98 I was underimpressed. Not really fair to the movie, as I have a tendency to get disappointed in most adaptations that I grow attached to beforehand. I felt Jenifer Lopez was a bad choice for the female lead, and overall, the great story got back seat to the romance angle.Recently got a chance to revisit this one and it has gotten better with distance. A lot of casting in the minor roles is brilliant, from Don Cheadle to Catherine Keener to Luiz Guzman to Ving Rhames, to Michael Keaton (actually playing the same character he played in another Leonard adaptation, Jackie Brown), and an absolutely hilarious Steve Zahn. The direction and screenplay are crisp and snappy and moves along at a nice pace, employing some nice back and forth timelines seamlessly.Sometimes its a bad idea to get too attached to a book and expect too much from the film version. Happens with me too often. I had a similar experience with LA Confidential and more recently The Black Dahlia (both books I thought would make absolutely fabulous films) . . . All the Pretty Horses and The Beach also come to mind.Leonard has has a pretty good track record for adaptations, especially lately. Other recomendations. Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, Mr. Majestyk, Hombre
]]>Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:13:00 GMTHairyLimeHairyLime Blog2/11/2007 9:13:00 PMBeen a big Elmore Leonard fan for a while, and had read the book this was based on when it was first released. At the time, I really felt that this would make a great movie, but when the movie came out, I was initially disappointed in the casting, and on the first viewing in &#39;98 I was underimpressed. Not really fair to the movie, as I have a tendency to get disappointed in most adaptations that I grow attached to beforehand. I felt Jenifer Lopez was a bad choice for the female lead, and overall, the great story got back seat to the romance angle.Recently got a chance to revisit this one and it has gotten better with distance. A lot of casting in the minor roles is brilliant, from Don Cheadle to Catherine Keener to Luiz Guzman to Ving Rhames, to Michael Keaton (actually playing the same character he played in another Leonard adaptation, Jackie Brown), and an absolutely hilarious Steve Zahn. The direction and screenplay are crisp and snappy and moves along at a nice pace, employing some nice back and forth timelines seamlessly.Sometimes its a bad idea to get too attached to a book and expect too much from the film version. Happens with me too often. I had a similar experience with LA Confidential and more recently The Black Dahlia (both books I thought would make absolutely fabulous films) . . . All the Pretty Horses and The Beach also come to mind.Leonard has has a pretty good track record for adaptations, especially lately. Other recomendations. Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, Mr. Majestyk, Hombre http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:12:04 GMT11130125Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/michigan/MemberTagFilms.aspxmichigan
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Number of people who tagged: 19

Number of times used: 56

]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:36:31 GMT531956Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/mansion/MemberTagFilms.aspxmansion
Number of films tagged: 529

Number of people who tagged: 15

Number of times used: 33

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