list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Wild Wild West 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/Wild_Wild_West/134112/default.aspx Title: Wild Wild West
Year: 1999
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Plot: Yet another TV series is revived for the big screen, as Will Smith and Kevin Kline join forces as James T. West and Artemus Gordon, the most sophisticated government agents of the 1860's, in the film adaptation of The Wild Wild West. West and Gordon represent two opposite ends of the personality scale: West is a smooth-talking charmer and man of action who prefers to shoot first and ask questions much, much later; while Gordon is intensely methodical and cerebral, with a genius for gadgets and mechanical innovations. They're brought together by no less an authority than the President of the United States to track down an evil genius named Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh). Loveless was once an honored military leader and inventor until one of his schemes went awry and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Driven mad by the experience, Loveless is determined to get revenge on the United States by assassinating the President, using a 60-foot tall mechanical spider. Assisting Loveless is a team of beautiful female criminals, Miss East (Bai Ling), Amazonia (Frederique Van Der Wal), Munitia (Musetta Vander) and Miss Lippenreider (Sofia Eng). As the initially suspicious West and Gordon learn to work together, they also find themselves helped by an attractive woman, Rita Escobar (Salma Hayek), who has her own bone to pick with Loveless. Wild Wild West reunites star Will Smith with director Barry Sonnenfeld, who previously worked together on the hit Men In Black (1997). Wild Wild West features a hip-hop theme song from one-time Fresh Prince Smith, along with a more traditional Western score from composer Elmer Bernstein. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 3
Number of Lists: 28
Number of blog posts: 5
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:23:04 GMTWild Wild West1999Barry SonnenfeldYet another TV series is revived for the big screen, as <a href="/players/P____66596/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Will Smith</a> and <a href="/players/P____38699/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kevin Kline</a> join forces as James T. West and Artemus Gordon, the most sophisticated government agents of the 1860's, in the film adaptation of <a href=/films/343850/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Wild Wild West</a>. West and Gordon represent two opposite ends of the personality scale: West is a smooth-talking charmer and man of action who prefers to shoot first and ask questions much, much later; while Gordon is intensely methodical and cerebral, with a genius for gadgets and mechanical innovations. They're brought together by no less an authority than the President of the United States to track down an evil genius named Dr. Arliss Loveless (<a href="/players/P____82784/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kenneth Branagh</a>). Loveless was once an honored military leader and inventor until one of his schemes went awry and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Driven mad by the experience, Loveless is determined to get revenge on the United States by assassinating the President, using a 60-foot tall mechanical spider. Assisting Loveless is a team of beautiful female criminals, Miss East (<a href="/players/P___131096/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bai Ling</a>), Amazonia (Frederique Van Der Wal), Munitia (Musetta Vander) and Miss Lippenreider (Sofia Eng). As the initially suspicious West and Gordon learn to work together, they also find themselves helped by an attractive woman, Rita Escobar (<a href="/players/P___199082/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Salma Hayek</a>), who has her own bone to pick with Loveless. Wild Wild West reunites star <a href="/players/P____66596/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Will Smith</a> with director <a href="/players/P___112135/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Barry Sonnenfeld</a>, who previously worked together on the hit <a href=/films/111023/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Men In Black</a> (1997). Wild Wild West features a hip-hop theme song from one-time Fresh Prince Smith, along with a more traditional Western score from composer <a href="/players/P____81647/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Elmer Bernstein</a>. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide3Slightly Tagged (1-5)28522http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t048756bavc.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Wild_Wild_West/134112/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/ushimu/archive/2008/12/14/38365.aspx Post By: UshiMu
Post To: UshiMu Blog
Post Date: 12/14/2008 11:41:08 PM
Body: In my opinion, Will Smith has only ever made two mistakes in his career: Wild Wild West & Hancock.Smith unwisely turned down the role for Neo in the Matrix in favor of James T. West, Although it worked out well for Reeves, Smith was left with having his name on this film for eternity. At best, it was "Okay" but it wasn't great.
]]>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:41:08 GMTUshiMuUshiMu Blog12/14/2008 11:41:08 PMIn my opinion, Will Smith has only ever made two mistakes in his career: Wild Wild West &amp; Hancock.Smith unwisely turned down the role for Neo in the Matrix in favor of James T. West, Although it worked out well for Reeves, Smith was left with having his name on this film for eternity. At best, it was "Okay" but it wasn't great. http://www.spout.com/groups/sci_fi/Re_Sci_Fi_Recommendations/4/38228/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: sci-fi
Post Date: 12/11/2008 9:37:58 AM
Body: Boy, a bunch come to mind right away for me. Wild, Wild West Van Helsing Back to the Future Part III (1990) ...and, if we can include animated features (which I see no reason we can't), I feel like a lot of Anime features could fit into this category, especially: Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (1984) I never realized it, but I love steampunk films, since I had no idea "Steampunk" was even a genre until recently. I'm not sure why exactly. Maybe its the whimsical element, combined with historical elements? I'm not really sure, but I somehow really connect with these films.
]]>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:37:58 GMTseelysci-fi12/11/2008 9:37:58 AMBoy, a bunch come to mind right away for me. Wild, Wild West Van Helsing Back to the Future Part III (1990) ...and, if we can include animated features (which I see no reason we can't), I feel like a lot of Anime features could fit into this category, especially: Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (1984) I never realized it, but I love steampunk films, since I had no idea "Steampunk" was even a genre until recently. I'm not sure why exactly. Maybe its the whimsical element, combined with historical elements? I'm not really sure, but I somehow really connect with these films. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/12/35065.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/12/2008 2:00:54 PM
Body: Everybody remembers the bigger name Coen Bros. regulars, such as John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Billy Bob Thornton and now George Clooney. And of course, there are the one-shot stars, like Nicolas Cage, Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Moore, Paul Newman, Albert Finney, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins and now Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. But who ever talks about Michael Lerner? He received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Barton Fink, yet he never seems to get the same kind of respect that Javier Bardem gets, and it’s not just because Bardem won the award for No Country for Old Men. With their new film, Burn After Reading, the Coens have again recast some lesser known character actors that I hope get the recognition they deserve. Both Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons have previously appeared in the Coens’ films, but each has seriously risen in notability since their last collaboration with the filmmakers. Hopefully, they’ll continue to be cast by the brothers. Obviously, all my favorite Coen Bros. actors can’t be in every Coen Bros. movie (especially since some of them are dead). And interestingly enough, the brothers’ next film, A Serious Man, is being cast with (so far) only actors they’ve never employed. So, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the less-recognized actors and actresses who have done tremendous work for Joel and Ethan, not so much in the hopes that they’ll be re-employed (some can’t be) but in the general interest of giving them some much-needed praise. Tony Shalhoub (Barton Fink; The Man Who Wasn’t There) At the rate he’s going with his Coens film appearances, he’s due for another role come 2011. And seeing as his hit TV series Monk may be in its final season, the guy is probably going to be available. I’ve highlighted his performance as the defense attorney Freddy Riedenschneider, from The Man Who Wasn’t There, above, but be sure to also take another look at his portrayal of movie producer Ben Geisler, from Barton Fink, which can also be seen on YouTube. Stephen Root (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Ladykillers; No Country for Old Men) I got so excited when I saw Root in No Country for Old Men, but he was again underutilized. After appearing in three of the Coens’ films, the actor best known for playing Milton in Office Space and Jimmy James on TV’s News Radio, is due for a more substantial role. In fact, he really needs to be getting better parts in general, not just in the works of the Coens. In the video above he can be seen as the blind character credited only as “Radio Station Man.” Jon Polito (Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; The Big Lebowski; The Man Who Wasn’t There) He’s been really great in five Coen Bros. films, so it’s a shame he’s not as well-known as Turturro or Buscemi. For some reason, only the Coens seem to employ him in worthwhile roles, and even they haven’t been able to give him as juicy a part as he had in Miller’s Crossing. He really shines here, and he’s got some memorable lines (”did somebody hit you?”; “always put one in the head”). In the selected scene, Polito opens the film with a monologue about ethics. I love it when he gets so angry that his whole bald head turns bright purple. For a great montage of his work, produced for his reception of a special award at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, check out this other clip, too. Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski) Obviously by including Hoffman on this list I don’t mean to claim he’s an underappreciated actor. He’s certainly recognized as one of the best we’ve got. But his bit work in The Big Lebowski often goes forgotten, despite it being yet another fine performance by Hoffman, even for such a minor role as the Big Lebowski’s assistant, Brandt. The Oscar-winner more recently worked with the Coens for a radio play titled “Sawbones,” but it would be great to see him work with the brothers again on camera. Trey Wilson (Raising Arizona) One of my favorite scenes in my favorite Coen Bros. movie (Raising Arizona) is the one in which the late, great Trey Wilson, as Nathan Arizona, gets extremely frustrated with the police investigating his son’s kidnapping (best line: “They were jammies. They had Yodas ‘n’ shit on ‘em!”). Wilson’s part isn’t huge, but he makes it seem like it is. And considering how many talented character actors appear in the film, it’s no small feat to deliver such a standout performance. Unfortunately, none of his scenes are separately available on YouTube, but the above clip is at least primarily the police investigation scene. M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple; Raising Arizona) I must confess something horrible: while compiling this list, I discovered that M. Emmet Walsh is alive. See, I’ve always confused him with J.T. Walsh, who died ten years ago. And when planning out this piece, it was constantly in my mind that I was featuring two deceased actors — Trey Wilson and M. Emmet. I guess it hasn’t helped my confusion that M.E. Walsh hasn’t really done much of worth in the decade since we lost J.T. (Roger Ebert’s “Stanton-Walsh Rule” was said to be broken after Walsh appeared in Wild Wild West). Anyway, I’m ecstatic that he’s still around, and my desire to celebrate his Coen Bros. roles isn’t changed one bit. In an even smaller part than Wilson’s, Walsh is also quite memorable in Raising Arizona as H.I.’s machine shop co-worker who won’t stop yapping (”… his sandwich in one hand, the fuckin’ head in the other…”). But it’s for his more prominent role in Blood Simple, as a scummy private dick, that the rarely leading actor should be remembered when he actually does pass on. I’m always astonished that after giving such a terrific performance in their debut, Walsh wasn’t utilized by the Coens more. Also, they probably should have worked again with Dan Hedaya, another great character actor who can be seen opposite Walsh in the selected clip from Blood Simple above. Michael Badalucco (Miller’s Crossing; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Man Who Wasn’t There) It was great seeing Badalucco cast in a major role for The Man Who Wasn’t There, but I get more excited over his short but recurring stint as George “Don’t Call Him Babyface” Nelson in O Brother. His portrayal of the in-and-out, seemingly bipolar bank robber, he’s like a regenerating firecracker, exploding then fizzling then later exploding again. I wish there were more of his scenes available online, but since his police chase bit seems only to be found in Italian, I’ve highlighted his final appearance in the film, which can be seen near the end of the above clip. William Forsythe (Raising Arizona) If you were to judge Forsythe based on just any random role, such as his FBI agent from last year’s 88 Minutes, you might accept him as simply a serviceable supporting actor, hardly someone to honor in even one-tenth of a list on a blog. But look at a more selective sampling of his work — specifically his performances in The Waterdance, Dick Tracy, Palookaville and Raising Arizona — and you’ll see that he has more range than he’s probably given credit for. While watching him as the rather simple-minded Evelle Snoats in Arizona, in fact, I often forget that he’s the same guy that was later reunited with Nicolas Cage (as a fellow FBI agent) in The Rock. Though he’s somewhat overshadowed by his onscreen big brother, played by John Goodman, he does get in a good amount of memorable lines and actions, as you can see in the clip above. John Carroll Lynch (Fargo) Norm Gunderson is such a thankless role, especially since it’s so overshadowed by the Oscar-winning performance by Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson. But it came early in Lynch’s career, which is still not rising as fast as it maybe should be, and now it’s time for the understated yet often hilarious and/or creepy actor to properly appear in a more comedic Coen Bros. part. For lack of a precise clip, I’ve featured a montage reel of Lynch’s work, which includes one of his scenes from Fargo as well as some of his more showy roles, like his recurring cross-dressing character from The Drew Carrey Show. Another one of his scenes as Norm can also be found at the end of another montage reel specifically spotlighting his comedy work. Beth Grant (No Country for Old Men) You kind of want to hate her for how inadvertently awful her character is in No Country, but the Coen Bros. are too good at giving us such wonderfully irksome characters, like Glen (Sam McMurry) in Raising Arizona, Gaear (Peter Stormare) in Fargo and Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall) in O Brother. And Grant is so good at delivering such delectably despicable performances that her part as Carla Jean’s mother left me wanting more. Considering the Coens rarely reuse previously employed actresses (McDormand is a constant probably more because she’s Joel’s wife than because she’s such a talent, and both Holly Hunter and Jennifer Jason Leigh have just barely been recast), it would be even more of a treat if they someday work with Grant again. Between the distinctness of her physical features and voice and her ability to be so nasty makes her a perfect candidate for future Coen Bros. movies. Because no clips of her in No Country could be found — plus most of her scenes would include spoilers anyway — I’ve showcased her other most memorable and hated character from Donnie Darko. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:00:54 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/12/2008 2:00:54 PM Everybody remembers the bigger name Coen Bros. regulars, such as John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Billy Bob Thornton and now George Clooney. And of course, there are the one-shot stars, like Nicolas Cage, Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Moore, Paul Newman, Albert Finney, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins and now Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. But who ever talks about Michael Lerner? He received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Barton Fink, yet he never seems to get the same kind of respect that Javier Bardem gets, and it’s not just because Bardem won the award for No Country for Old Men. With their new film, Burn After Reading, the Coens have again recast some lesser known character actors that I hope get the recognition they deserve. Both Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons have previously appeared in the Coens’ films, but each has seriously risen in notability since their last collaboration with the filmmakers. Hopefully, they’ll continue to be cast by the brothers. Obviously, all my favorite Coen Bros. actors can’t be in every Coen Bros. movie (especially since some of them are dead). And interestingly enough, the brothers’ next film, A Serious Man, is being cast with (so far) only actors they’ve never employed. So, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the less-recognized actors and actresses who have done tremendous work for Joel and Ethan, not so much in the hopes that they’ll be re-employed (some can’t be) but in the general interest of giving them some much-needed praise. Tony Shalhoub (Barton Fink; The Man Who Wasn’t There) At the rate he’s going with his Coens film appearances, he’s due for another role come 2011. And seeing as his hit TV series Monk may be in its final season, the guy is probably going to be available. I’ve highlighted his performance as the defense attorney Freddy Riedenschneider, from The Man Who Wasn’t There, above, but be sure to also take another look at his portrayal of movie producer Ben Geisler, from Barton Fink, which can also be seen on YouTube. Stephen Root (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Ladykillers; No Country for Old Men) I got so excited when I saw Root in No Country for Old Men, but he was again underutilized. After appearing in three of the Coens’ films, the actor best known for playing Milton in Office Space and Jimmy James on TV’s News Radio, is due for a more substantial role. In fact, he really needs to be getting better parts in general, not just in the works of the Coens. In the video above he can be seen as the blind character credited only as “Radio Station Man.” Jon Polito (Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; The Big Lebowski; The Man Who Wasn’t There) He’s been really great in five Coen Bros. films, so it’s a shame he’s not as well-known as Turturro or Buscemi. For some reason, only the Coens seem to employ him in worthwhile roles, and even they haven’t been able to give him as juicy a part as he had in Miller’s Crossing. He really shines here, and he’s got some memorable lines (”did somebody hit you?”; “always put one in the head”). In the selected scene, Polito opens the film with a monologue about ethics. I love it when he gets so angry that his whole bald head turns bright purple. For a great montage of his work, produced for his reception of a special award at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, check out this other clip, too. Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski) Obviously by including Hoffman on this list I don’t mean to claim he’s an underappreciated actor. He’s certainly recognized as one of the best we’ve got. But his bit work in The Big Lebowski often goes forgotten, despite it being yet another fine performance by Hoffman, even for such a minor role as the Big Lebowski’s assistant, Brandt. The Oscar-winner more recently worked with the Coens for a radio play titled “Sawbones,” but it would be great to see him work with the brothers again on camera. Trey Wilson (Raising Arizona) One of my favorite scenes in my favorite Coen Bros. movie (Raising Arizona) is the one in which the late, great Trey Wilson, as Nathan Arizona, gets extremely frustrated with the police investigating his son’s kidnapping (best line: “They were jammies. They had Yodas ‘n’ shit on ‘em!”). Wilson’s part isn’t huge, but he makes it seem like it is. And considering how many talented character actors appear in the film, it’s no small feat to deliver such a standout performance. Unfortunately, none of his scenes are separately available on YouTube, but the above clip is at least primarily the police investigation scene. M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple; Raising Arizona) I must confess something horrible: while compiling this list, I discovered that M. Emmet Walsh is alive. See, I’ve always confused him with J.T. Walsh, who died ten years ago. And when planning out this piece, it was constantly in my mind that I was featuring two deceased actors — Trey Wilson and M. Emmet. I guess it hasn’t helped my confusion that M.E. Walsh hasn’t really done much of worth in the decade since we lost J.T. (Roger Ebert’s “Stanton-Walsh Rule” was said to be broken after Walsh appeared in Wild Wild West). Anyway, I’m ecstatic that he’s still around, and my desire to celebrate his Coen Bros. roles isn’t changed one bit. In an even smaller part than Wilson’s, Walsh is also quite memorable in Raising Arizona as H.I.’s machine shop co-worker who won’t stop yapping (”… his sandwich in one hand, the fuckin’ head in the other…”). But it’s for his more prominent role in Blood Simple, as a scummy private dick, that the rarely leading actor should be remembered when he actually does pass on. I’m always astonished that after giving such a terrific performance in their debut, Walsh wasn’t utilized by the Coens more. Also, they probably should have worked again with Dan Hedaya, another great character actor who can be seen opposite Walsh in the selected clip from Blood Simple above. Michael Badalucco (Miller’s Crossing; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Man Who Wasn’t There) It was great seeing Badalucco cast in a major role for The Man Who Wasn’t There, but I get more excited over his short but recurring stint as George “Don’t Call Him Babyface” Nelson in O Brother. His portrayal of the in-and-out, seemingly bipolar bank robber, he’s like a regenerating firecracker, exploding then fizzling then later exploding again. I wish there were more of his scenes available online, but since his police chase bit seems only to be found in Italian, I’ve highlighted his final appearance in the film, which can be seen near the end of the above clip. William Forsythe (Raising Arizona) If you were to judge Forsythe based on just any random role, such as his FBI agent from last year’s 88 Minutes, you might accept him as simply a serviceable supporting actor, hardly someone to honor in even one-tenth of a list on a blog. But look at a more selective sampling of his work — specifically his performances in The Waterdance, Dick Tracy, Palookaville and Raising Arizona — and you’ll see that he has more range than he’s probably given credit for. While watching him as the rather simple-minded Evelle Snoats in Arizona, in fact, I often forget that he’s the same guy that was later reunited with Nicolas Cage (as a fellow FBI agent) in The Rock. Though he’s somewhat overshadowed by his onscreen big brother, played by John Goodman, he does get in a good amount of memorable lines and actions, as you can see in the clip above. John Carroll Lynch (Fargo) Norm Gunderson is such a thankless role, especially since it’s so overshadowed by the Oscar-winning performance by Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson. But it came early in Lynch’s career, which is still not rising as fast as it maybe should be, and now it’s time for the understated yet often hilarious and/or creepy actor to properly appear in a more comedic Coen Bros. part. For lack of a precise clip, I’ve featured a montage reel of Lynch’s work, which includes one of his scenes from Fargo as well as some of his more showy roles, like his recurring cross-dressing character from The Drew Carrey Show. Another one of his scenes as Norm can also be found at the end of another montage reel specifically spotlighting his comedy work. Beth Grant (No Country for Old Men) You kind of want to hate her for how inadvertently awful her character is in No Country, but the Coen Bros. are too good at giving us such wonderfully irksome characters, like Glen (Sam McMurry) in Raising Arizona, Gaear (Peter Stormare) in Fargo and Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall) in O Brother. And Grant is so good at delivering such delectably despicable performances that her part as Carla Jean’s mother left me wanting more. Considering the Coens rarely reuse previously employed actresses (McDormand is a constant probably more because she’s Joel’s wife than because she’s such a talent, and both Holly Hunter and Jennifer Jason Leigh have just barely been recast), it would be even more of a treat if they someday work with Grant again. Between the distinctness of her physical features and voice and her ability to be so nasty makes her a perfect candidate for future Coen Bros. movies. Because no clips of her in No Country could be found — plus most of her scenes would include spoilers anyway — I’ve showcased her other most memorable and hated character from Donnie Darko. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/16/27362.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/16/2008 2:02:00 PM
Body: The internet is an evil construct that’s causing us to submissively open our arms to totalitarianism! No, this isn’t another one of my posts about how our society is entering the world of The Matrix. This is the belief and fear of Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of Men in Black, Men in Black II and Wild Wild West, clearly a fan of lighter sci-fi than of the Orwellian sort. Speaking this week at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas, he lashed out against the internet, because of how it’s threatening democracy: Sonnenfeld fears that children today will grow up with “no concept of the right to privacy and in fact not understand the need for it. Because the Facebook generation is not concerned with what people know about them . . . they will have no problem with additional governmental supervision, spying and intervention. They will be thrilled that the Internet will be able to follow their every move. Bonnenfeld’s main issue, of course, may be with his claim that kids are on the internet all day long and may not take a break this summer to go see Space Chimps, which he produced. Or that one day we’ll no longer have the freedom to choose which dumb comedic Will Smith sci-fi movies we go to see. But he does have a point, nonetheless. And the point does in fact support my writings about the plugged in generation and its Matrix-like passivity. There is, however, the other way of looking at the internet, as actor Tim Robbins addressed, also at the NAB Show: “just when we were close to a national news media providing a general consensus on what the truth is,” he added, “along comes the Internets [sic] that allows its users a choice on the kind of news it watches and the YouTube. My God, we’ve got to stop them.” Obviously we’re at a crossroads, where some people are using the force of the internet for good and others are letting it take them over. But for movie fans, the horizon looks mighty cool, with its combination of The Matrix, Star Wars, Spider-Man 3, Equilibrium and other geeky delights (Robbins also claimed: “We are at an abyss as an industry and as a country.” That’s cool, I love The Abyss, too). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:02:00 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/16/2008 2:02:00 PMThe internet is an evil construct that’s causing us to submissively open our arms to totalitarianism! No, this isn’t another one of my posts about how our society is entering the world of The Matrix. This is the belief and fear of Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of Men in Black, Men in Black II and Wild Wild West, clearly a fan of lighter sci-fi than of the Orwellian sort. Speaking this week at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas, he lashed out against the internet, because of how it’s threatening democracy: Sonnenfeld fears that children today will grow up with “no concept of the right to privacy and in fact not understand the need for it. Because the Facebook generation is not concerned with what people know about them . . . they will have no problem with additional governmental supervision, spying and intervention. They will be thrilled that the Internet will be able to follow their every move. Bonnenfeld’s main issue, of course, may be with his claim that kids are on the internet all day long and may not take a break this summer to go see Space Chimps, which he produced. Or that one day we’ll no longer have the freedom to choose which dumb comedic Will Smith sci-fi movies we go to see. But he does have a point, nonetheless. And the point does in fact support my writings about the plugged in generation and its Matrix-like passivity. There is, however, the other way of looking at the internet, as actor Tim Robbins addressed, also at the NAB Show: “just when we were close to a national news media providing a general consensus on what the truth is,” he added, “along comes the Internets [sic] that allows its users a choice on the kind of news it watches and the YouTube. My God, we’ve got to stop them.” Obviously we’re at a crossroads, where some people are using the force of the internet for good and others are letting it take them over. But for movie fans, the horizon looks mighty cool, with its combination of The Matrix, Star Wars, Spider-Man 3, Equilibrium and other geeky delights (Robbins also claimed: “We are at an abyss as an industry and as a country.” That’s cool, I love The Abyss, too). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/1/26825.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/1/2008 3:01:18 PM
Body: Of the few thousand moviegoers polled for Fandango’s report on the ten most anticipated summer movies of 2008, I wonder if any were children. Missing from the list, which named Indiana Jones the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as highest and Sex and the City as lowest (though tied percent-wise with Speed Racer), are such animated tentpoles as DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda and Pixar’s Wall-E. The latter is even more shockingly absent due to the consideration that most Pixar films are enjoyed by adults as much as children. It’s definitely one of my top five movies to see this summer, and I’d bet its box office that it outperforms all of the movies listed below the Chronicles of Narnia sequel, Prince Caspian. The only dark horse I can see in there is Speed Racer, which could also be a huge hit with kids. The fact that it’s so far down on Fandango’s list either means really bad things for the Wachowskis or it’s just more reason to believe the poll is ignoring the significance of youth in the market of movie tickets. Also excluded, though a bit more appropriately so, are less-blockbuster comedian comedies like You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, The Love Guru, Meet Dave, Step Brothers, Tropic Thunder and, surprisingly, Hancock, which is the latest in the traditional July 4th-weekend-released sci-fi/action comedies from Will Smith. Is this a sign that people think it looks like Smith’s worst summer movie since Wild Wild West? Or were those moviegoers that were polled even allowed to make selections other than the ten listed? (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:01:18 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/1/2008 3:01:18 PMOf the few thousand moviegoers polled for Fandango’s report on the ten most anticipated summer movies of 2008, I wonder if any were children. Missing from the list, which named Indiana Jones the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as highest and Sex and the City as lowest (though tied percent-wise with Speed Racer), are such animated tentpoles as DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda and Pixar’s Wall-E. The latter is even more shockingly absent due to the consideration that most Pixar films are enjoyed by adults as much as children. It’s definitely one of my top five movies to see this summer, and I’d bet its box office that it outperforms all of the movies listed below the Chronicles of Narnia sequel, Prince Caspian. The only dark horse I can see in there is Speed Racer, which could also be a huge hit with kids. The fact that it’s so far down on Fandango’s list either means really bad things for the Wachowskis or it’s just more reason to believe the poll is ignoring the significance of youth in the market of movie tickets. Also excluded, though a bit more appropriately so, are less-blockbuster comedian comedies like You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, The Love Guru, Meet Dave, Step Brothers, Tropic Thunder and, surprisingly, Hancock, which is the latest in the traditional July 4th-weekend-released sci-fi/action comedies from Will Smith. Is this a sign that people think it looks like Smith’s worst summer movie since Wild Wild West? Or were those moviegoers that were polled even allowed to make selections other than the ten listed? (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Five_for_Five/Let_me_know/255/5691/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Five for Five
Post Date: 2/22/2007 12:55:27 PM
Body: I just posted a few lists. Let me know what you think. I also wanted to do Barry Sonnenfeld as the director with:5 stars - The Addams Family4 stars - Big Trouble3 stars - Men in Black1 star - Men in Black IISo I didn't have a 2 star movie, but movies of his I haven't seen like Wild Wild West and RV seem like very good candidates.Of course his cinematography work for the early Coen brothers movies qualifies him for several more 5 star movies.
]]>Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:55:27 GMTRisseladaFive for Five2/22/2007 12:55:27 PMI just posted a few lists. Let me know what you think. I also wanted to do Barry Sonnenfeld as the director with:5 stars - The Addams Family4 stars - Big Trouble3 stars - Men in Black1 star - Men in Black IISo I didn&#39;t have a 2 star movie, but movies of his I haven&#39;t seen like Wild Wild West and RV seem like very good candidates.Of course his cinematography work for the early Coen brothers movies qualifies him for several more 5 star movies. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/revenge/MemberTagFilms.aspxrevenge
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