list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 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/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_The_Curse_of_the_Black_Pearl/221946/default.aspx Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Year: 2003
Director: Gore Verbinski
Plot: Following his surprise-hit American remake of The Ring in 2002, director Gore Verbinski took on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the second of recent films to be based upon Disney theme-park rides (the first being The Country Bears). When Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the daughter of Governor Swann (Jonathan Pryce) is kidnapped by a group of pirates led by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and taken aboard their ship, The Black Pearl, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the young man who loves Elizabeth despite the fact that she is promised to another, sets out to rescue her. But he can't do it alone, so he enlists the help of swashbuckling ship captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Together the two chase after The Black Pearl, but they soon discover that the captain and crew aren't your average pirates. Cursed to remain between the living and the dead, Barbossa and his men look like skeletons when basked in the moonlight. When it is revealed that the only thing that can break the curse is Elizabeth's blood, Jack and Will are faced with a race against time and a battle against the undead to save the Governor's daughter. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 151
Number of Lists: 178
Number of blog posts: 10
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:57:55 GMTPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl2003Gore VerbinskiFollowing his surprise-hit American remake of <a href=/films/206388/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Ring</a> in 2002, director <a href="/players/P___234707/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Gore Verbinski</a> took on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the second of recent films to be based upon Disney theme-park rides (the first being <a href=/films/207150/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Country Bears</a>). When Elizabeth Swann (<a href="/players/P___339282/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Keira Knightley</a>), the daughter of Governor Swann (<a href="/players/P____57980/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jonathan Pryce</a>) is kidnapped by a group of pirates led by Captain Barbossa (<a href="/players/P___151418/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Geoffrey Rush</a>) and taken aboard their ship, The Black Pearl, Will Turner (<a href="/players/P___301907/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Orlando Bloom</a>), the young man who loves Elizabeth despite the fact that she is promised to another, sets out to rescue her. But he can't do it alone, so he enlists the help of swashbuckling ship captain Jack Sparrow (<a href="/players/P____18682/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Johnny Depp</a>). Together the two chase after The Black Pearl, but they soon discover that the captain and crew aren't your average pirates. Cursed to remain between the living and the dead, Barbossa and his men look like skeletons when basked in the moonlight. When it is revealed that the only thing that can break the curse is Elizabeth's blood, Jack and Will are faced with a race against time and a battle against the undead to save the Governor's daughter. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide151Tag Target (>10)1781044http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u35755i0d2f.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_The_Curse_of_the_Black_Pearl/221946/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/13/41014.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/13/2009 3:00:43 PM
Body: Even if you love the original Escape to Witch Mountain, you have to welcome a remake. The 1975 sci-fi Disney film has some very dated special effects — though the visible wires used to “levitate” a handgun and a harmonica give it a campy charm — and it’s not exactly the well-respected classic that The Black Hole or Old Yeller is, anyway. So, better a remake (or “modern re-imagining”) of a slightly beloved movie, which has already been redone once, to give The Rock another fulfillment of his Disney contract and utilize all the “perfect” digital effects now available. While it seems that eventually all Disney live-action classics will be remade, potentially rendering obsolete the careers of Dean Jones, Kevin Corcoran and those ugly kids from Mary Poppins, there are some that may, like Witch Mountain, deserve to be recycled. Disney has previously erred in reworking films like The Absent-Minded Professor (Robin Williams is no Fred MacMurray) and The Shaggy Dog (Tim Allen is no MacMurray, either, nor even is he Tommy Kirk), and it’s mistakenly producing new versions of Swiss Family Robinson and 20,000 Leauges Under the Sea. But there are so many other films, most forgotten, that would better lend themselves to remakes. Here we’ve selected 10 such classics, all but one live-action features, and we welcome you to suggest any others you may wish to see updated and/or re-imagined. The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) With the western genre not quite dead anymore, it would be nice for Disney to bring back the comedy western. Of course, The Apple Dumpling Gang could be modernized, too. Either way, the story of three orphan children who enlist two bumbling bank robbers to steal their gold nugget would delight a new generation of kids who might not necessarily appreciate Don Knotts the way we did. Cast Jim Carrey in the Knotts role and Jack Black as his partner (originally played by Tim Conway), have them try to outdo each other’s slapstick performance, and you’ve got a huge family hit. The Black Cauldron (1985) This animated feature was so unpopular that it pretty much ruined the reputation of Walt Disney Pictures for a few years. Rated PG, and way too dark even for the studio that brought us Pinocchio, the adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s fantasy novel had initially been threatened with a PG-13 or R rating. Nearly 25 years later, kids are a little tougher and could easily tolerate a live-action version that’s somewhere akin to Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Phantom Menace (a CGI “Gurgi” would be very similar to Jar-Jar Binks). Tim Burton should obviously direct the film, because he worked as an artist on the original, and he’s currently working for Disney anyway. The Cat from Outer Space (1978) Few people seem to hold this movie in high regards, despite audience’s apparent favor for talking animals and stupid sci-fi plots. But a modernized telling of a feline alien’s visit to Earth could be a blockbuster by being even worse than the original. Add more slapstick (in an LOLCats sort of way) and more special effects and this could make even more money than E.T., which seriously seemed derivative of The Cat from Outer Space anyway. And after this becomes a hit, Disney should continue digging in its catbox and remake the very strange and very obscure Three Lives of Thomasina. Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) If Hollywood can dare redo Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, then Disney can surely remake Darby O’Gill and the Little People without too much protest. And like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this remake shall retain the source novel’s title. Of course, Darby O’Gill and the Good People does sound a little plain, so maybe getting right to the idea with Darby O’Gill and the Leprechauns as a title would be better. In any event, Sean Connery should come out of retirement to switch roles and play the titular old man who meets a bunch of Leprechauns. And perhaps Daniel Craig for Connery’s original role? Okay, new title: James Bond and the Other James Bond in Little People Are Forever (or Little People Never Die, or some other combo of 007 title referencing Leprechaun’s immortality). If this does well, Disney can also go ahead and redo the little-people-filled The Gnome-Mobile. In Search of the Castaways (1962) Here’s the genius idea Hollywood’s been seeking for almost 50 years: remake the Jules Verne adaptation In Search of the Castaways, a musical adventure with tons of disaster film elements and a perfect role for Miley Cyrus (isn’t she this generation’s Hayley Mills, in a way?), who could sing a new version of “Castaway.” The ice slide scene would be great in 3-D, by the way. Midnight Madness (1980) Remaking this cult classic might upset a few fans, but even those of us who love the original should be able to appreciate an updated version if it’s done right. There could always be more scavenger hunt movies, whether they’re fresh or recycled. And if Disney can find enough good, young character actors to fill the teams, nobody should even miss Eddie Deezen, David Naughton or Stephen Furst. Have Judd Apatow produce the thing and cast all his regulars, for instance. Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) should reprise his role, though. The Million Dollar Duck (1971) This family comedy about a duck that lays golden eggs is not very good, and it probably didn’t help its box office that a better film featuring golden-egg-laying fowl (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) opened on the very same day. But a good remake of bad movie isn’t a bad idea, and in this economy the story of a struggling family that gets a burst of financial luck (via strange science) might work as a relevant fantasy. Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960) This forgotten Kevin Corcoran + monkey classic is kind of like Coraline, but there’s more circus stuff, the kid’s parents don’t suck (though he’s told they don’t love him), there’s a primate friend instead of a talking cat (though both animals are classic Disney devices) and it’s live-action and not 3-D. Do children still dream of running away to the circus? If not, then a remake of this movie could both reinstate that wish and present it as a terrible substitute for a real family all in the course of 90 minutes. The Ugly Dachshund (1966) Between the success of Marley and Me and news of an upcoming Marmaduke movie, it may just be the perfect time for a remake of a movie about a disastrous Great Dane who thinks he’s a little wiener dog. Put Brad Pitt and Anglina Jolie in the Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette roles and you’ll really, really piss off Team Jennifer by out-grossing last Christmas’ biggest hit. The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973) The story of an African who is brought to the U.S. to be a college track star may not seem like a big idea for a movie in the 21st century. But make that African a Tarzan-like white kid who can outrun a cheetah (and who isn’t The Flash) and you’ll have people laughing your film out of theaters. Or, you’ll somehow have a monster hit. Either way, we wish Disney would have the balls to remake this unrealistic movie, especially if they can get Usain Bolt to be the protagonist’s main competition. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:00:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/13/2009 3:00:43 PMEven if you love the original Escape to Witch Mountain, you have to welcome a remake. The 1975 sci-fi Disney film has some very dated special effects — though the visible wires used to “levitate” a handgun and a harmonica give it a campy charm — and it’s not exactly the well-respected classic that The Black Hole or Old Yeller is, anyway. So, better a remake (or “modern re-imagining”) of a slightly beloved movie, which has already been redone once, to give The Rock another fulfillment of his Disney contract and utilize all the “perfect” digital effects now available. While it seems that eventually all Disney live-action classics will be remade, potentially rendering obsolete the careers of Dean Jones, Kevin Corcoran and those ugly kids from Mary Poppins, there are some that may, like Witch Mountain, deserve to be recycled. Disney has previously erred in reworking films like The Absent-Minded Professor (Robin Williams is no Fred MacMurray) and The Shaggy Dog (Tim Allen is no MacMurray, either, nor even is he Tommy Kirk), and it’s mistakenly producing new versions of Swiss Family Robinson and 20,000 Leauges Under the Sea. But there are so many other films, most forgotten, that would better lend themselves to remakes. Here we’ve selected 10 such classics, all but one live-action features, and we welcome you to suggest any others you may wish to see updated and/or re-imagined. The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) With the western genre not quite dead anymore, it would be nice for Disney to bring back the comedy western. Of course, The Apple Dumpling Gang could be modernized, too. Either way, the story of three orphan children who enlist two bumbling bank robbers to steal their gold nugget would delight a new generation of kids who might not necessarily appreciate Don Knotts the way we did. Cast Jim Carrey in the Knotts role and Jack Black as his partner (originally played by Tim Conway), have them try to outdo each other’s slapstick performance, and you’ve got a huge family hit. The Black Cauldron (1985) This animated feature was so unpopular that it pretty much ruined the reputation of Walt Disney Pictures for a few years. Rated PG, and way too dark even for the studio that brought us Pinocchio, the adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s fantasy novel had initially been threatened with a PG-13 or R rating. Nearly 25 years later, kids are a little tougher and could easily tolerate a live-action version that’s somewhere akin to Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Phantom Menace (a CGI “Gurgi” would be very similar to Jar-Jar Binks). Tim Burton should obviously direct the film, because he worked as an artist on the original, and he’s currently working for Disney anyway. The Cat from Outer Space (1978) Few people seem to hold this movie in high regards, despite audience’s apparent favor for talking animals and stupid sci-fi plots. But a modernized telling of a feline alien’s visit to Earth could be a blockbuster by being even worse than the original. Add more slapstick (in an LOLCats sort of way) and more special effects and this could make even more money than E.T., which seriously seemed derivative of The Cat from Outer Space anyway. And after this becomes a hit, Disney should continue digging in its catbox and remake the very strange and very obscure Three Lives of Thomasina. Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) If Hollywood can dare redo Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, then Disney can surely remake Darby O’Gill and the Little People without too much protest. And like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this remake shall retain the source novel’s title. Of course, Darby O’Gill and the Good People does sound a little plain, so maybe getting right to the idea with Darby O’Gill and the Leprechauns as a title would be better. In any event, Sean Connery should come out of retirement to switch roles and play the titular old man who meets a bunch of Leprechauns. And perhaps Daniel Craig for Connery’s original role? Okay, new title: James Bond and the Other James Bond in Little People Are Forever (or Little People Never Die, or some other combo of 007 title referencing Leprechaun’s immortality). If this does well, Disney can also go ahead and redo the little-people-filled The Gnome-Mobile. In Search of the Castaways (1962) Here’s the genius idea Hollywood’s been seeking for almost 50 years: remake the Jules Verne adaptation In Search of the Castaways, a musical adventure with tons of disaster film elements and a perfect role for Miley Cyrus (isn’t she this generation’s Hayley Mills, in a way?), who could sing a new version of “Castaway.” The ice slide scene would be great in 3-D, by the way. Midnight Madness (1980) Remaking this cult classic might upset a few fans, but even those of us who love the original should be able to appreciate an updated version if it’s done right. There could always be more scavenger hunt movies, whether they’re fresh or recycled. And if Disney can find enough good, young character actors to fill the teams, nobody should even miss Eddie Deezen, David Naughton or Stephen Furst. Have Judd Apatow produce the thing and cast all his regulars, for instance. Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) should reprise his role, though. The Million Dollar Duck (1971) This family comedy about a duck that lays golden eggs is not very good, and it probably didn’t help its box office that a better film featuring golden-egg-laying fowl (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) opened on the very same day. But a good remake of bad movie isn’t a bad idea, and in this economy the story of a struggling family that gets a burst of financial luck (via strange science) might work as a relevant fantasy. Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960) This forgotten Kevin Corcoran + monkey classic is kind of like Coraline, but there’s more circus stuff, the kid’s parents don’t suck (though he’s told they don’t love him), there’s a primate friend instead of a talking cat (though both animals are classic Disney devices) and it’s live-action and not 3-D. Do children still dream of running away to the circus? If not, then a remake of this movie could both reinstate that wish and present it as a terrible substitute for a real family all in the course of 90 minutes. The Ugly Dachshund (1966) Between the success of Marley and Me and news of an upcoming Marmaduke movie, it may just be the perfect time for a remake of a movie about a disastrous Great Dane who thinks he’s a little wiener dog. Put Brad Pitt and Anglina Jolie in the Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette roles and you’ll really, really piss off Team Jennifer by out-grossing last Christmas’ biggest hit. The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973) The story of an African who is brought to the U.S. to be a college track star may not seem like a big idea for a movie in the 21st century. But make that African a Tarzan-like white kid who can outrun a cheetah (and who isn’t The Flash) and you’ll have people laughing your film out of theaters. Or, you’ll somehow have a monster hit. Either way, we wish Disney would have the balls to remake this unrealistic movie, especially if they can get Usain Bolt to be the protagonist’s main competition. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/10/40940.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/10/2009 3:00:28 PM
Body: Last Friday, Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Fox will bring the comic strip Marmaduke to the big screen. One the one hand, this is baffling. The comic, a series of crudely rendered half-jokes, makes very little sense, and has no story whatsoever. The fact that Marmaduke is a mischievous great dane barely even qualifies as a premise. On the other hand, studios have sunk massive amounts of money into comic strip movies like Garfield and Dennis the Menace, and money-making dog movies like Marley & Me, which has earned $166 million worldwide since its Christmas ‘08 release. So Marmaduke might make economic sense, but it makes little sense otherwise. The green-lighting of this project is a peek into the bizarre minds of studio executives. If movies like Wall-E and the Harry Potter series bring home the bacon and earn critical acclaim, why empty the coffers for family tent-pole movies based on the crappiest of source material available? I have a theory. Just as Zack Snyder was goaded on by the allegedly “unfilmable” quality of the Watchmen graphic novel, the executives at Fox must see the production of a Marmaduke film as an act of artistic defiance. Let’s turn and unreadable comic into an unwatchable movie, they say, and laugh all the way to the bank when it destroys the competition at the box office! In that vein, I challenge the major studios to make the following comic strips into movies, just to see if people will pay to see the resulting crap. If they should choose to accept this challenge, may God help us all. Family Circus Bil Keane’s gentile tales of misspoken children and familial bliss have graced the funny pages for decades. They are never funny. At best, the panels hint at a vague Kids Say The Darndest Things kind of cuteness. At worst, they are astoundingly bland statements about how families are generally a good thing. In some ways, a Family Circus movie would be a safer bet than Marmaduke, due to better brand recognition. On second thought, the lack of a slobbering, CGI dog would be a strike against its box office chances. How it could actually work: Family Circus’s dopey simplicity and complete lack of self-awareness has made it the ideal fodder for parody. So far this has mostly existed on the internet, a few examples being Dysfunctional Family Circus, Scott Meets Family Circus, and the hilariously overwrought fake reviews that appeared on Amazon a few years ago. Of course Keane would never allow a vulgar distortion of his work to be made into a movie. If a straight-laced movie were made, however, I’m sure we could look forward to hilarious home-brew commentary tracks and endless trailer mash-ups. Cathy Cathy is a long-running strip about a woman dealing with “the four basic guilt groups,” defined by the strip’s creator, Cathy Guisewite, as Food, Love, Mom, and Work. For most of the comic’s runtime, it chronicled the foibles of being a single woman in the modern world. GoComics.com sums up the strip by saying, “She personifies the young career woman and her typical daily obstacles. Ice cream, panic attacks, stress and love are all in a day’s work.” But alas, Cathy and longtime boyfriend Irving were married in 2004. The wacky hi-jinks continue, however, now with biting commentary on modern relationships, i.e., “AAAACK! Men like iPods!” How it could actually work: While there would be something incredible about watching a frizzy-haried Renée Zellweger arguing with her mom and trying to resist the temptation of fudge for ninety minutes, there’s really only one way a Cathy movie could succeed. Two words: Andy Samberg. Hagar the Horrible A comic about a viking would seem to be ripe for a big-screen, action-packed film adaptation, except for the fact that the comic is mostly about Hagar bickering with his wife Helga and his hapless lieutenant, Lucky Eddie. The movie would be the perfect chance for Brendan Gleeson to squander his first leading role in a big-budget picture. How it could actually work: The world is hungry for a good viking movie, and Hagar the Horrible could provide the brand recognition needed. If Pirates of the Caribbean was able to build an entertaining and financially successful franchise from an amusement park ride, I don’t see why Haggar couldn’t do the same. A few things would be key: First of all, it has to be pretty violent, a PG-13 rating would be best. Also, the film would have to really delve into Hagar and Helga’s tense gender conflicts, which the comic only hints at. How does Hagar behave on long trips away from his overbearing wife, as his men rape and pillage? The Lockhorns There’s no way around it: a Lockhorns movie would be soul-crushingly depressing. The single panel comic satires marriage, showing the various squabbles of middle-aged couple Leroy and Loretta. While some optimistic fan has injected the Lockhorns‘ Wikipedia page with this ray of sunshine –– “Leroy and Loretta show how foolish it is to be unkind to the people we love” –– I don’t buy it. The comic is clearly about the inevitable misery of long-term relationships, and the futility of trying to find something better. Why don’t they get a divorce? They’ve covered that, it’s too expensive. Ugh. How it could actually work: In order to avoid making millions of children cry, the movie would have to spurn the young audience usually associated with comic strip movies. The Lockhorns could work as a dark comedy, with a heavy dose of gut-punching drama. It would delve into the relationship in the least sexy way possible, exposing layer after calloused layer. While I’d like to say that they learn to truly love one another in the end, that wouldn’t be true to the source material. The film would end with the two slowly drifting off to sleep on opposite ends of the couch after yet another petty argument, utterly resigned to their shared fate. Calvin and Hobbes Calvin and Hobbes is the Watchmen of comic strips, except more people have actually read it. The tales of mischievous young Calvin and his toy tiger Hobbes are the definitive love letter to the imagination for an entire generation. This comic makes the list not because it’s dopey and unfunny like the others, rather, it’s here because it’s so good. A movie of Calvin and Hobbes would almost certainly be a total disaster, bitterly offending millions. Why, you ask? Calvin and Hobbes is one of those comics where the genius is in the details. There’s nothing particularly interesting about a boy who pretends his toy tiger is alive. But Bill Watterson wrote a chemistry between the two that could not be replicated in another medium, or by another artist. How it could actually work: The only way a Calvin and Hobbes movie could possibly work is if they did it in the same way they did the Charlie Brown Specials. They would need to do a traditional hand-drawn animation, replicating the look of comic as much as possible. The voices would be hard to nail, but it would be doable. If the movie had too much of a plot, it would feel forced. Instead, it would follow Calvin and Hobbes through a series of small adventures: sledding, killing time in the back yard on a Saturday, making fun of Susie Derkins, all while making smart observations about life. The most important element of a successful Calvin and Hobbes movie would be this: Bill Watterson gets final cut. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:00:28 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/10/2009 3:00:28 PMLast Friday, Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Fox will bring the comic strip Marmaduke to the big screen. One the one hand, this is baffling. The comic, a series of crudely rendered half-jokes, makes very little sense, and has no story whatsoever. The fact that Marmaduke is a mischievous great dane barely even qualifies as a premise. On the other hand, studios have sunk massive amounts of money into comic strip movies like Garfield and Dennis the Menace, and money-making dog movies like Marley & Me, which has earned $166 million worldwide since its Christmas ‘08 release. So Marmaduke might make economic sense, but it makes little sense otherwise. The green-lighting of this project is a peek into the bizarre minds of studio executives. If movies like Wall-E and the Harry Potter series bring home the bacon and earn critical acclaim, why empty the coffers for family tent-pole movies based on the crappiest of source material available? I have a theory. Just as Zack Snyder was goaded on by the allegedly “unfilmable” quality of the Watchmen graphic novel, the executives at Fox must see the production of a Marmaduke film as an act of artistic defiance. Let’s turn and unreadable comic into an unwatchable movie, they say, and laugh all the way to the bank when it destroys the competition at the box office! In that vein, I challenge the major studios to make the following comic strips into movies, just to see if people will pay to see the resulting crap. If they should choose to accept this challenge, may God help us all. Family Circus Bil Keane’s gentile tales of misspoken children and familial bliss have graced the funny pages for decades. They are never funny. At best, the panels hint at a vague Kids Say The Darndest Things kind of cuteness. At worst, they are astoundingly bland statements about how families are generally a good thing. In some ways, a Family Circus movie would be a safer bet than Marmaduke, due to better brand recognition. On second thought, the lack of a slobbering, CGI dog would be a strike against its box office chances. How it could actually work: Family Circus’s dopey simplicity and complete lack of self-awareness has made it the ideal fodder for parody. So far this has mostly existed on the internet, a few examples being Dysfunctional Family Circus, Scott Meets Family Circus, and the hilariously overwrought fake reviews that appeared on Amazon a few years ago. Of course Keane would never allow a vulgar distortion of his work to be made into a movie. If a straight-laced movie were made, however, I’m sure we could look forward to hilarious home-brew commentary tracks and endless trailer mash-ups. Cathy Cathy is a long-running strip about a woman dealing with “the four basic guilt groups,” defined by the strip’s creator, Cathy Guisewite, as Food, Love, Mom, and Work. For most of the comic’s runtime, it chronicled the foibles of being a single woman in the modern world. GoComics.com sums up the strip by saying, “She personifies the young career woman and her typical daily obstacles. Ice cream, panic attacks, stress and love are all in a day’s work.” But alas, Cathy and longtime boyfriend Irving were married in 2004. The wacky hi-jinks continue, however, now with biting commentary on modern relationships, i.e., “AAAACK! Men like iPods!” How it could actually work: While there would be something incredible about watching a frizzy-haried Renée Zellweger arguing with her mom and trying to resist the temptation of fudge for ninety minutes, there’s really only one way a Cathy movie could succeed. Two words: Andy Samberg. Hagar the Horrible A comic about a viking would seem to be ripe for a big-screen, action-packed film adaptation, except for the fact that the comic is mostly about Hagar bickering with his wife Helga and his hapless lieutenant, Lucky Eddie. The movie would be the perfect chance for Brendan Gleeson to squander his first leading role in a big-budget picture. How it could actually work: The world is hungry for a good viking movie, and Hagar the Horrible could provide the brand recognition needed. If Pirates of the Caribbean was able to build an entertaining and financially successful franchise from an amusement park ride, I don’t see why Haggar couldn’t do the same. A few things would be key: First of all, it has to be pretty violent, a PG-13 rating would be best. Also, the film would have to really delve into Hagar and Helga’s tense gender conflicts, which the comic only hints at. How does Hagar behave on long trips away from his overbearing wife, as his men rape and pillage? The Lockhorns There’s no way around it: a Lockhorns movie would be soul-crushingly depressing. The single panel comic satires marriage, showing the various squabbles of middle-aged couple Leroy and Loretta. While some optimistic fan has injected the Lockhorns‘ Wikipedia page with this ray of sunshine –– “Leroy and Loretta show how foolish it is to be unkind to the people we love” –– I don’t buy it. The comic is clearly about the inevitable misery of long-term relationships, and the futility of trying to find something better. Why don’t they get a divorce? They’ve covered that, it’s too expensive. Ugh. How it could actually work: In order to avoid making millions of children cry, the movie would have to spurn the young audience usually associated with comic strip movies. The Lockhorns could work as a dark comedy, with a heavy dose of gut-punching drama. It would delve into the relationship in the least sexy way possible, exposing layer after calloused layer. While I’d like to say that they learn to truly love one another in the end, that wouldn’t be true to the source material. The film would end with the two slowly drifting off to sleep on opposite ends of the couch after yet another petty argument, utterly resigned to their shared fate. Calvin and Hobbes Calvin and Hobbes is the Watchmen of comic strips, except more people have actually read it. The tales of mischievous young Calvin and his toy tiger Hobbes are the definitive love letter to the imagination for an entire generation. This comic makes the list not because it’s dopey and unfunny like the others, rather, it’s here because it’s so good. A movie of Calvin and Hobbes would almost certainly be a total disaster, bitterly offending millions. Why, you ask? Calvin and Hobbes is one of those comics where the genius is in the details. There’s nothing particularly interesting about a boy who pretends his toy tiger is alive. But Bill Watterson wrote a chemistry between the two that could not be replicated in another medium, or by another artist. How it could actually work: The only way a Calvin and Hobbes movie could possibly work is if they did it in the same way they did the Charlie Brown Specials. They would need to do a traditional hand-drawn animation, replicating the look of comic as much as possible. The voices would be hard to nail, but it would be doable. If the movie had too much of a plot, it would feel forced. Instead, it would follow Calvin and Hobbes through a series of small adventures: sledding, killing time in the back yard on a Saturday, making fun of Susie Derkins, all while making smart observations about life. The most important element of a successful Calvin and Hobbes movie would be this: Bill Watterson gets final cut. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Re_Holiday_movies_Cartoon_mice_Jim_Carrey_s_face/216/38540/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 12/18/2008 11:59:17 AM
Body: DVD Highlights: Week of 12/19 1. Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy on Blu-Ray (6 disc set) -- I found a list of the special features in this user review. I would be most interested in hearing Johnny Depp's commentary on Curse of the Black Pearl. Curse of the Black Pearl -- Watch the trailer. This was my favorite of the series. Jack Sparrow is so fun that I like to imagine his other adventures. Dead Man's Chest -- My least favorite of the series, but maybe it deserves another try. At World's End -- Watch the trailer. I can't remember much about this one, but I liked it more than Dead Man's Chest. 2. House Bunny -- Is this subversive, making fun of the whole Playhouse Mansion scene? I don't know. I do know that I'm a sucker for movies where an adult and young people learn from each other. I know Scent of a Woman isn't perfect, but I still like it. Role Models was okay too. On the other hand, will anyone ever watch the Mighty Ducks series again? Remember Burt Reynolds in Cop and a Half? 3. Mamma Mia! -- Watch the trailer. A musical with Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, and Stellan Skarsgard. I like those people, but the music is twenty-two ABBA hits, so I don't know what to say. 4. Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor -- Watch the trailer. I didn't see this one, was is better than The Mummy Returns? FYI, it looks like the manufacturer discontinued the Batman Begins/Dark Knight blu-ray double pack. But who knows, you might still be able to find one at a bookstore or something. If not, there's no harm in grabbing the single copies: Batman Begins -- Watch the trailer. My favorite Batman movie until The Dark Knight came along. The Dark Knight -- Watch the trailer. So good, it's hard to imagine Batman 3 being better. Although if any director can do it, it's Christopher Nolan.
]]>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:59:17 GMTspoutComing Soon12/18/2008 11:59:17 AMDVD Highlights: Week of 12/19 1. Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy on Blu-Ray (6 disc set) -- I found a list of the special features in this user review. I would be most interested in hearing Johnny Depp's commentary on Curse of the Black Pearl. Curse of the Black Pearl -- Watch the trailer. This was my favorite of the series. Jack Sparrow is so fun that I like to imagine his other adventures. Dead Man's Chest -- My least favorite of the series, but maybe it deserves another try. At World's End -- Watch the trailer. I can't remember much about this one, but I liked it more than Dead Man's Chest. 2. House Bunny -- Is this subversive, making fun of the whole Playhouse Mansion scene? I don't know. I do know that I'm a sucker for movies where an adult and young people learn from each other. I know Scent of a Woman isn't perfect, but I still like it. Role Models was okay too. On the other hand, will anyone ever watch the Mighty Ducks series again? Remember Burt Reynolds in Cop and a Half? 3. Mamma Mia! -- Watch the trailer. A musical with Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, and Stellan Skarsgard. I like those people, but the music is twenty-two ABBA hits, so I don't know what to say. 4. Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor -- Watch the trailer. I didn't see this one, was is better than The Mummy Returns? FYI, it looks like the manufacturer discontinued the Batman Begins/Dark Knight blu-ray double pack. But who knows, you might still be able to find one at a bookstore or something. If not, there's no harm in grabbing the single copies: Batman Begins -- Watch the trailer. My favorite Batman movie until The Dark Knight came along. The Dark Knight -- Watch the trailer. So good, it's hard to imagine Batman 3 being better. Although if any director can do it, it's Christopher Nolan. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/12/31175.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/12/2008 3:01:33 PM
Body: Two big movies arrive in theaters this week, The Incredible Hulk and The Happening, and each has had its share of bad buzz. From what I can tell, though, the former is recuperating quite nicely with mostly favorable early reviews. And it’s sure to gross in the hundreds of millions, just like its big brother, Ang Lee’s Hulk, did a few years back. The latter, however, is still struggling through the muck, with writer-director M. Night Shyamalan doing everything he can to assure us that his film is merely a B-movie and shouldn’t be the victim of high expectations. If The Happening bombs, though, 20th Century Fox won’t be able to blame its bad buzz. Especially if The Incredible Hulk comes out a big winner this weekend. When a movie is good, or at least has some goods that audiences actually crave, it can overcome bad buzz. The list of films after the jump is evidence of this, although it’s possible that some of the older titles might have been less successful in the globally conscious age of blogs. Titanic - James Cameron’s romantic disaster film arrived in the early days of mass internet usage, but it didn’t need high-speed gossip to spread word of its troubled production. Any reader of entertainment news learned of the drug-induced food poisoning, the crew illnesses and injuries that came with filming in cold waters and the other problems that put the shoot way over schedule and way over budget. Then there was the matter of its release date being pushed back from July, 1997, to December. Yet Titanic had the goods, and it went on to become the highest-grossing film of all-time and win 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Star Wars - If the first Star Wars film were made today, it would likely receive a lot of bad press on the web. The production was marred by a number of problems that have since been made public over the last 30 years, and apparently some initial screenings were met with disappointing reactions. But just because the bad buzz didn’t make its way to the masses doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. Much of the film’s cast and crew talked about how the movie was silly and would be a failure. My father, who was one of many illustrators commissioned to design the poster, also thought it looked stupid. And theater owners and studio execs weren’t that excited about it, either — considering this was already the beginning of the age of wide-releasing blockbusters, Star Wars‘ 32-screen opening was pretty slim. Right from that opening week, though, the movie was a smash hit, and of course its success and popularity only grew and grew. Batman - Considering how much disdain there is these days from internerds towards Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman, I can only imagine what kind of bad buzz Tim Burton’s movie would have gotten had the forums and blogs been around in 1989. However, at the time, there was indeed hatred for Keaton’s casting and the film in general. The Los Angeles Times printed a letter from a fan that read: “By casting a clown in the lead role, Warner Bros. and Tim Burton have defecated on the history of Batman.” Also, according to Peter Bart’s book “Boffo”, comic book geeks at Comic-Con booed representatives from the film, and the Wall Street Journal featured a front-page article criticizing the film’s extensive marketing. Ghost Rider - Like the casting of Keaton as Batman, Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider seemed a ridiculous choice to many fans. And the movie got dragged through the mud seemingly every time it was mentioned on the web over the many years it took for the comic adaptation to be made and then released. The nail on the coffin seemed to be Sony’s decision to bump it from August 2006 to the dead-man’s month of February, in the following year. Yet despite all that, plus negative reviews, it became a surprise hit. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Remember how we all reacted when it was announced Disney would make a movie based on a theme park ride? Remember how we all loved it when it was finally released? Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Another old film made before the scourge of the internet; another old film with bad buzz that seems to have remained hidden from the public at its time. Still, in “Boffo”, Bart claims that due to escalating costs and an overlong production (this was the first feature-length animated film from Disney and nobody knew how much or how long it would take) and the fact that studio execs didn’t believe audiences would go for such a long cartoon, “Hollywood tagged the production ‘Disney’s Folly.’” Waterworld - This one was plagued by so much bad buzz that most people still think it bombed at the box office. And if you only look at the domestic numbers, it did. But this was around the time when Hollywood started realizing how much more money could be made from international b.o. and sell-through home video distribution (VHS was still big and the DVD breakthrough was around the corner), both of which overcompensated for lack of sufficient domestic gross. Cleopatra - Another film that has a sort of unfair reputation for being a box office failure. Sure, it nearly bankrupted Twentieth Century Fox, which indeed lost millions on the production. And sure, the scandalous affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton brought the film a lot of negative publicity around the world. But it was the top-grossing film of 1963 and was nominated for 9 Oscars, including Best Picture. So, despite the bad buzz, tons of people went to see it, but there was no possible way for the thing to make any money. Bee Movie - Everyone seemed to want this to fail, mostly because Jerry Seinfeld’s longtime marketing of the film was more obnoxious than anything experienced prior. And perhaps also because it was fun to refer to a bee having bad buzzzzzz. Yet children don’t follow buzz and so the movie did great business in the long term, even despite its inability to top the box office chart its opening weekend. The Da Vinci Code - It wasn’t the first movie to garner negative publicity from religious groups, but it may have been the biggest production to be threatened by protest and criticism from as high up as the Vatican. Likewise, it probably wasn’t the first movie to be laughed at and booed during its Cannes premiere. But news of that reaction circled the globe/net very quickly. However, despite whatever protests there were and despite the near-universal panning of the film by critics, it was a huge success. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:01:33 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/12/2008 3:01:33 PMTwo big movies arrive in theaters this week, The Incredible Hulk and The Happening, and each has had its share of bad buzz. From what I can tell, though, the former is recuperating quite nicely with mostly favorable early reviews. And it’s sure to gross in the hundreds of millions, just like its big brother, Ang Lee’s Hulk, did a few years back. The latter, however, is still struggling through the muck, with writer-director M. Night Shyamalan doing everything he can to assure us that his film is merely a B-movie and shouldn’t be the victim of high expectations. If The Happening bombs, though, 20th Century Fox won’t be able to blame its bad buzz. Especially if The Incredible Hulk comes out a big winner this weekend. When a movie is good, or at least has some goods that audiences actually crave, it can overcome bad buzz. The list of films after the jump is evidence of this, although it’s possible that some of the older titles might have been less successful in the globally conscious age of blogs. Titanic - James Cameron’s romantic disaster film arrived in the early days of mass internet usage, but it didn’t need high-speed gossip to spread word of its troubled production. Any reader of entertainment news learned of the drug-induced food poisoning, the crew illnesses and injuries that came with filming in cold waters and the other problems that put the shoot way over schedule and way over budget. Then there was the matter of its release date being pushed back from July, 1997, to December. Yet Titanic had the goods, and it went on to become the highest-grossing film of all-time and win 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Star Wars - If the first Star Wars film were made today, it would likely receive a lot of bad press on the web. The production was marred by a number of problems that have since been made public over the last 30 years, and apparently some initial screenings were met with disappointing reactions. But just because the bad buzz didn’t make its way to the masses doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. Much of the film’s cast and crew talked about how the movie was silly and would be a failure. My father, who was one of many illustrators commissioned to design the poster, also thought it looked stupid. And theater owners and studio execs weren’t that excited about it, either — considering this was already the beginning of the age of wide-releasing blockbusters, Star Wars‘ 32-screen opening was pretty slim. Right from that opening week, though, the movie was a smash hit, and of course its success and popularity only grew and grew. Batman - Considering how much disdain there is these days from internerds towards Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman, I can only imagine what kind of bad buzz Tim Burton’s movie would have gotten had the forums and blogs been around in 1989. However, at the time, there was indeed hatred for Keaton’s casting and the film in general. The Los Angeles Times printed a letter from a fan that read: “By casting a clown in the lead role, Warner Bros. and Tim Burton have defecated on the history of Batman.” Also, according to Peter Bart’s book “Boffo”, comic book geeks at Comic-Con booed representatives from the film, and the Wall Street Journal featured a front-page article criticizing the film’s extensive marketing. Ghost Rider - Like the casting of Keaton as Batman, Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider seemed a ridiculous choice to many fans. And the movie got dragged through the mud seemingly every time it was mentioned on the web over the many years it took for the comic adaptation to be made and then released. The nail on the coffin seemed to be Sony’s decision to bump it from August 2006 to the dead-man’s month of February, in the following year. Yet despite all that, plus negative reviews, it became a surprise hit. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Remember how we all reacted when it was announced Disney would make a movie based on a theme park ride? Remember how we all loved it when it was finally released? Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Another old film made before the scourge of the internet; another old film with bad buzz that seems to have remained hidden from the public at its time. Still, in “Boffo”, Bart claims that due to escalating costs and an overlong production (this was the first feature-length animated film from Disney and nobody knew how much or how long it would take) and the fact that studio execs didn’t believe audiences would go for such a long cartoon, “Hollywood tagged the production ‘Disney’s Folly.’” Waterworld - This one was plagued by so much bad buzz that most people still think it bombed at the box office. And if you only look at the domestic numbers, it did. But this was around the time when Hollywood started realizing how much more money could be made from international b.o. and sell-through home video distribution (VHS was still big and the DVD breakthrough was around the corner), both of which overcompensated for lack of sufficient domestic gross. Cleopatra - Another film that has a sort of unfair reputation for being a box office failure. Sure, it nearly bankrupted Twentieth Century Fox, which indeed lost millions on the production. And sure, the scandalous affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton brought the film a lot of negative publicity around the world. But it was the top-grossing film of 1963 and was nominated for 9 Oscars, including Best Picture. So, despite the bad buzz, tons of people went to see it, but there was no possible way for the thing to make any money. Bee Movie - Everyone seemed to want this to fail, mostly because Jerry Seinfeld’s longtime marketing of the film was more obnoxious than anything experienced prior. And perhaps also because it was fun to refer to a bee having bad buzzzzzz. Yet children don’t follow buzz and so the movie did great business in the long term, even despite its inability to top the box office chart its opening weekend. The Da Vinci Code - It wasn’t the first movie to garner negative publicity from religious groups, but it may have been the biggest production to be threatened by protest and criticism from as high up as the Vatican. Likewise, it probably wasn’t the first movie to be laughed at and booed during its Cannes premiere. But news of that reaction circled the globe/net very quickly. However, despite whatever protests there were and despite the near-universal panning of the film by critics, it was a huge success. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/9/20538.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 10/9/2007 1:13:41 PM
Body: They never should have made sequels. Even if Orlando Bloom is annoying in this film...he's WORSE in the sequels. Do youself a favor and ONLY see this one.
]]>Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:13:41 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog10/9/2007 1:13:41 PMThey never should have made sequels. Even if Orlando Bloom is annoying in this film...he&#39;s WORSE in the sequels. Do youself a favor and ONLY see this one. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/16279/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lukasblu
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 7/25/2007 9:32:02 PM
Body: 1&2 - the matrix sequels (The Matrix Reloaded (2003)&The Matrix Revolutions (2003)) - all action with not much depth and originality that is even close to the original;matrix reloaded bored me almost put me to sleep when i saw it originally in the theater.3 - Night at the Museum (2006) was not even the slighest been funny to me;very childish humor;what a diappointment especially for ben stiller4 - Babel (2006) - overrated5 - Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Very disappointing story and highly overrated; i do not believe it deserved an oscar 6 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - way long ; too much going on in the story,not to much focus in a major story line; bored me; disapponted because i liked Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
]]>Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:32:02 GMTlukasbluTop 57/25/2007 9:32:02 PM1&amp;2 - the matrix sequels (The Matrix Reloaded (2003)&amp;The Matrix Revolutions (2003)) - all action with not much depth and originality that is even close to the original;matrix reloaded bored me almost put me to sleep when i saw it originally in the theater.3 - Night at the Museum (2006) was not even the slighest been funny to me;very childish humor;what a diappointment especially for ben stiller4 - Babel (2006) - overrated5 - Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Very disappointing story and highly overrated; i do not believe it deserved an oscar 6 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man&#39;s Chest (2006) - way long ; too much going on in the story,not to much focus in a major story line; bored me; disapponted because i liked Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) http://www.spout.com/blogs/thecauterizer/archive/2007/7/4/13093.aspx Post By: TheCauterizer
Post To: TheCauterizer Blog
Post Date: 7/4/2007 3:05:48 PM
Body: I know it's been 4 years since this movie first came out in theaters but I still have to say that this was one movie that I was anticipating for since they first announced it! I knew from the beginning that it was going to be an excellent film! And who knew that the guy who directed The Ring, a hooror movie, could do such a huge change in genre and do this?! And it was pretty interesting how if it wasn't for this movie I would have never known about Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush. And I would still think that Johnny Depp was still some actor that girls that was "hot", hahaha! I stand corrected, Depp really got into his character! This movie never gets old! Lots of action and suspense!! Even my mom liked it and she hardly ever goes to the movies!!
]]>Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:05:48 GMTTheCauterizerTheCauterizer Blog7/4/2007 3:05:48 PMI know it's been 4 years since this movie first came out in theaters but I still have to say that this was one movie that I was anticipating for since they first announced it! I knew from the beginning that it was going to be an excellent film! And who knew that the guy who directed The Ring, a hooror movie, could do such a huge change in genre and do this?! And it was pretty interesting how if it wasn't for this movie I would have never known about Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush. And I would still think that Johnny Depp was still some actor that girls that was &quot;hot&quot;, hahaha! I stand corrected, Depp really got into his character! This movie never gets old! Lots of action and suspense!! Even my mom liked it and she hardly ever goes to the movies!! http://www.spout.com/blogs/moviebabe/archive/2007/7/3/12987.aspx Post By: MovieBabe
Post To: MovieBabe Blog
Post Date: 7/3/2007 6:11:00 PM
Body: By Tricia Olszewski Johnny Depp makes a dandy of a pirate. In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl—an edgy, action-packed, Jerry Bruckheimer-produced interpretation of, um, a theme-park ride—Depp plays Capt. Jack Sparrow, renowned rapscallion and currently freelancing buccaneer. His look is sufficiently rakish—long hair, thick eyeliner, braided-and-beaded beard. But then he starts tilting his head in a certain saucy way, eyes askance as he gestures dramatically...and is that a lisp I hear? Whatever the inspiration for the affectation, Capt. Jack—introduced statuesquely posturing upon his sinking ship's rapidly disappearing mast—is clearly no average sea dog. Ditto for Pirates, a swashbuckler-ghost story hybrid that is this season's most satisfying crowd-pleaser since X2. Geoffrey Rush, Jonathan Pryce, Orlando Bloom, and Bend It Like Beckham's Keira Knightley join Depp in this good-vs.-evil tale of the legendary pirate ship Black Pearl—"crewed by the damned," of course. Genteel governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) has a missing gold piece whose return will lift the curse from Capt. Barbossa (a wonderfully wicked Rush) and his undead mates, who turn into skeletons by the light of the moon. Former Black Pearl commander Sparrow flits charmingly between his old gang of ne'er-do-wells and his new one of stiff Brits—whose world he crashed after rescuing Swann from a corset-related accident—as he advances his own smarter-than-'em-all agenda. Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (Shrek) demonstrate a surprisingly light touch with this dark and stormy material, from Depp's compelling anti-pirate ("You're the worst pirate I've ever heard of!") to quips about the oft-life-saving pirate's code ("more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules"). Meanwhile, director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski give us scenes that are fittingly shadowed, all full moons and fog, as well as CGI skeletons that don't look too ridiculous even when they're climbing up the sides of a commandeered ship (unlike, say, a certain steroidal green giant). But best of all, these outsized heroes and villains and their none-too-precise clashes are refreshingly real: In Pirates, even the nimblest swashbucklers land on their asses once in a while.
]]>Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:11:00 GMTMovieBabeMovieBabe Blog7/3/2007 6:11:00 PM By Tricia Olszewski Johnny Depp makes a dandy of a pirate. In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl&mdash;an edgy, action-packed, Jerry Bruckheimer-produced interpretation of, um, a theme-park ride&mdash;Depp plays Capt. Jack Sparrow, renowned rapscallion and currently freelancing buccaneer. His look is sufficiently rakish&mdash;long hair, thick eyeliner, braided-and-beaded beard. But then he starts tilting his head in a certain saucy way, eyes askance as he gestures dramatically...and is that a lisp I hear? Whatever the inspiration for the affectation, Capt. Jack&mdash;introduced statuesquely posturing upon his sinking ship's rapidly disappearing mast&mdash;is clearly no average sea dog. Ditto for Pirates, a swashbuckler-ghost story hybrid that is this season's most satisfying crowd-pleaser since X2. Geoffrey Rush, Jonathan Pryce, Orlando Bloom, and Bend It Like Beckham's Keira Knightley join Depp in this good-vs.-evil tale of the legendary pirate ship Black Pearl&mdash;"crewed by the damned," of course. Genteel governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) has a missing gold piece whose return will lift the curse from Capt. Barbossa (a wonderfully wicked Rush) and his undead mates, who turn into skeletons by the light of the moon. Former Black Pearl commander Sparrow flits charmingly between his old gang of ne'er-do-wells and his new one of stiff Brits&mdash;whose world he crashed after rescuing Swann from a corset-related accident&mdash;as he advances his own smarter-than-'em-all agenda. Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (Shrek) demonstrate a surprisingly light touch with this dark and stormy material, from Depp's compelling anti-pirate ("You're the worst pirate I've ever heard of!") to quips about the oft-life-saving pirate's code ("more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules"). Meanwhile, director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski give us scenes that are fittingly shadowed, all full moons and fog, as well as CGI skeletons that don't look too ridiculous even when they're climbing up the sides of a commandeered ship (unlike, say, a certain steroidal green giant). But best of all, these outsized heroes and villains and their none-too-precise clashes are refreshingly real: In Pirates, even the nimblest swashbucklers land on their asses once in a while. http://www.spout.com/blogs/mythman/archive/2007/6/23/11790.aspx Post By: mythman
Post To: Watch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good
Post Date: 6/23/2007 3:29:00 AM
Body: In short, because they have to think about every little thing in a movie. As one said himself, 'Every little thing has symbolism in a movie, so you have to write-in every-little-thing.'And it's interesting to hear about every little thing, just in case (being a dork who hasn't yet 'made it big') you missed the symbolism put in some little-thing, or you forgot how one big symbol (like the entrance of a key character, etc.) ties into a prequel-manifestation of that symbol.In both Dead Man's Chest and Curse of the Black Pearl, the writers' DVD-commentary told you how the movies referenced past pirate-movies and/or -history. I noticed in Chest (and maybe in Pearl a little) the writers also pointed out the OBVIOUS things ... 'Ooooh, this is where Elizabeth betrays Jack.' ... 'Ooooh, Will tried to make a deal with the devil here.' ... ... ... And I'm thinking, 'Did you see "Romeo and Juliet" and kinda suppose that the two kids might`a liked each other a little? Did you have to inform all of your friends that that was what your guess was?'Dude, we're watching the 'writers'-commentary' here to hear the stuff we didn't figure out on our own; main plotline stuff, if we didn't perceive that before, was badly written!! Believe in yourselves a little more, you dorks!As for the movie itself, it was beautiful! Not only was it the amalgamation of all the contributing imaginations involved, but--unlike Lord of the Rings--it was MORE than a collaborative interpretation of one man's writings! It drew upon the knowledge (both creative- and historical-) of each contributor for its pure-source (rather than just for interpretation).
]]>Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:29:00 GMTmythmanWatch Everything and Still See ONLY What Is Good6/23/2007 3:29:00 AMIn short, because they have to think about every little thing in a movie. As one said himself, &#39;Every little thing has symbolism in a movie, so you have to write-in every-little-thing.&#39;And it&#39;s interesting to hear about every little thing, just in case (being a dork who hasn&#39;t yet &#39;made it big&#39;) you missed the symbolism put in some little-thing, or you forgot how one big symbol (like the entrance of a key character, etc.) ties into a prequel-manifestation of that symbol.In both Dead Man&#39;s Chest and Curse of the Black Pearl, the writers&#39; DVD-commentary told you how the movies referenced past pirate-movies and/or -history. I noticed in Chest (and maybe in Pearl a little) the writers also pointed out the OBVIOUS things ... &#39;Ooooh, this is where Elizabeth betrays Jack.&#39; ... &#39;Ooooh, Will tried to make a deal with the devil here.&#39; ... ... ... And I&#39;m thinking, &#39;Did you see "Romeo and Juliet" and kinda suppose that the two kids might`a liked each other a little? Did you have to inform all of your friends that that was what your guess was?&#39;Dude, we&#39;re watching the &#39;writers&#39;-commentary&#39; here to hear the stuff we didn&#39;t figure out on our own; main plotline stuff, if we didn&#39;t perceive that before, was badly written!! Believe in yourselves a little more, you dorks!As for the movie itself, it was beautiful! Not only was it the amalgamation of all the contributing imaginations involved, but--unlike Lord of the Rings--it was MORE than a collaborative interpretation of one man&#39;s writings! It drew upon the knowledge (both creative- and historical-) of each contributor for its pure-source (rather than just for interpretation). http://www.spout.com/blogs/gradysghost/archive/2007/5/25/9316.aspx Post By: GradysGhost
Post To: GradysGhost Blog
Post Date: 5/25/2007 8:46:00 AM
Body: I told them. I told them both."We have three free rentals from Blockbuster, " I said. "Yes, it's Tuesday, and that means new releases. But," I concluded, "you do [i]not[/i] want me to get Epic Movie."But I was outnumbered two to one. Overruled. I should have said something. I should have just not wasted a perfectly good free rental. But alas, I care too much about my wife and my brother. So I rented Epic Movie. The "unrated" DVD (more on this subject to come later today) had a 93-minute running time, some six minutes longer than the theatrical release. I hoped it was funny. If not, it was only an hour and a half - a pretty short movie considering some of the epics I've seen.And that was just the first thing wrong with the movie. If you're going to make a spoof (and this one is a spoof, not an homage) about epic movies, you should probably try and mimic the epic movies you're making fun of. The Lord of the Rings trilogy ran about ten hours, and that's not including all the extra scenes you get on the extended cuts. If Epic Movie ran ten hours, I would have shot myself. Or choked on my own vomit.It doen't even make fun of epic movies. Here is a brief list of movies that Epic Movie spoofs:The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe); Pirates of the Carribean; Superman Returns; Harry Potter; various MTV shows/styles (i.e. Cribs, rap music videos).And here is a list of movies that might be considered epic:The Chronicles of Narnia; Troy; Lord of the Rings; The New World; Apocalypto; I might even throw in Star Wars.Please note that the only film listed in my Epic Movies list as well as my Epic Movie list is Chronicles of Narnia. So here's the joke from the movie - They stumble through a mysterious wardrobe to find a land called Gnarnia."The G is silent," says Lucy."For legal purposes," says Mr. Tumnus.To follow the pattern here, I'll ape South Park and say, "SIMPSONS DID IT!!!"The movie is rife with these kinds of jokes. Every single one of them falls flat on its face like a skateboarder or a gymnast tyring to perform stunts on a planet with three times Earth's gravitational pull. Only watching skateboarders or gymnasts do that would be the more enjoyable experience.For the first time in my life, I've seen fart jokes fail to make me or my brother laugh. It's because we were expecting them. Other jokes that keel over like a drunken frat boy: vomit gags abound (pun intended); Lucy says everything the black chick says over and over and over again; apparently (and I didn't know this before), rap songs become funny when they are performed by pirates or Crispin Glover.I have a hard time believing anybody read this script before deciding to make the movie. I guess there was enough there to market, enough interest in the movies it parodies, to be given release without much thought as to quality.Don't watch this movie. Even though I said it was only ninety-three minutes, that's still ninety-three minutes I could have spent watching the other two movies I rented - Se7en and Pieces of April. Hopefully, you should be hearing about those two soon, and hopefully they'll be better reviewed.(For the record, I have seen Se7en twice, but it's been a very long time since the last time I watched it. I need to watch it again to be able to give it a fair review.)
]]>Fri, 25 May 2007 12:46:00 GMTGradysGhostGradysGhost Blog5/25/2007 8:46:00 AMI told them. I told them both."We have three free rentals from Blockbuster, " I said. "Yes, it&#39;s Tuesday, and that means new releases. But," I concluded, "you do [i]not[/i] want me to get Epic Movie."But I was outnumbered two to one. Overruled. I should have said something. I should have just not wasted a perfectly good free rental. But alas, I care too much about my wife and my brother. So I rented Epic Movie. The "unrated" DVD (more on this subject to come later today) had a 93-minute running time, some six minutes longer than the theatrical release. I hoped it was funny. If not, it was only an hour and a half - a pretty short movie considering some of the epics I&#39;ve seen.And that was just the first thing wrong with the movie. If you&#39;re going to make a spoof (and this one is a spoof, not an homage) about epic movies, you should probably try and mimic the epic movies you&#39;re making fun of. The Lord of the Rings trilogy ran about ten hours, and that&#39;s not including all the extra scenes you get on the extended cuts. If Epic Movie ran ten hours, I would have shot myself. Or choked on my own vomit.It doen&#39;t even make fun of epic movies. Here is a brief list of movies that Epic Movie spoofs:The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe); Pirates of the Carribean; Superman Returns; Harry Potter; various MTV shows/styles (i.e. Cribs, rap music videos).And here is a list of movies that might be considered epic:The Chronicles of Narnia; Troy; Lord of the Rings; The New World; Apocalypto; I might even throw in Star Wars.Please note that the only film listed in my Epic Movies list as well as my Epic Movie list is Chronicles of Narnia. So here&#39;s the joke from the movie - They stumble through a mysterious wardrobe to find a land called Gnarnia."The G is silent," says Lucy."For legal purposes," says Mr. Tumnus.To follow the pattern here, I&#39;ll ape South Park and say, "SIMPSONS DID IT!!!"The movie is rife with these kinds of jokes. Every single one of them falls flat on its face like a skateboarder or a gymnast tyring to perform stunts on a planet with three times Earth&#39;s gravitational pull. Only watching skateboarders or gymnasts do that would be the more enjoyable experience.For the first time in my life, I&#39;ve seen fart jokes fail to make me or my brother laugh. It&#39;s because we were expecting them. Other jokes that keel over like a drunken frat boy: vomit gags abound (pun intended); Lucy says everything the black chick says over and over and over again; apparently (and I didn&#39;t know this before), rap songs become funny when they are performed by pirates or Crispin Glover.I have a hard time believing anybody read this script before deciding to make the movie. I guess there was enough there to market, enough interest in the movies it parodies, to be given release without much thought as to quality.Don&#39;t watch this movie. Even though I said it was only ninety-three minutes, that&#39;s still ninety-three minutes I could have spent watching the other two movies I rented - Se7en and Pieces of April. Hopefully, you should be hearing about those two soon, and hopefully they&#39;ll be better reviewed.(For the record, I have seen Se7en twice, but it&#39;s been a very long time since the last time I watched it. I need to watch it again to be able to give it a fair review.) http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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