[Dasilva]

Twilight and New Moon all in one session. I hated the hype around the films like the Harry Potter frenzy. Twilight was average, but I really enjoyed New Moon. That wolf guy is so hot... Maybe thats why I enjoyed it...

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

That wolf guy is so hot... Maybe thats why I enjoyed it...

Hey, you sound just like my daughter.

[Denaron]

Originally Posted by MoriartyL

On your recommendation (and because you mentioned Asperger's Syndrome) I watched Mary and Max. I did find it incredibly offensive, but because it was so dramatic, original and well-animated I have to admit that (on its own terms) it is an excellent movie.

But please understand that this is not what Asperger's Syndrome is like, and that this movie is made by someone who does not understand Asperger's Syndrome. It is not a disability, it is not something you "suffer from", it doesn't mean that we're as downright stupid and ignorant as this character is, and it certainly doesn't mean we can't feel emotions. [sigh] I kind of wish normal people would quit telling stories about us. They're always so condescending.

I'm so sorry dude, I didn't mean to offend anyone. As you said, I think it's very original and the clay thing gives a special touch to the story, different than any animation I've ever seen before.

About the Asperger's Syndrome. I would apreciate if you recommend a good movie or book for me to understand this better.

[MoriartyL]

You didn't offend me, the movie did. And as it is an excellent movie, I don't begrudge you recommending it. I might even recommend it myself, though with a disclaimer or two.

I'm not aware of a good movie or book which explains Asperger's Syndrome to normal people, sorry. But I can tell you that if you see a story which presents it as a kind of mental retardation, or a robotic lack of emotions, that's not how it is. I do have intelligence and emotion, in fact I get more emotional about many things than most people; I've just learned from experience that it's not worth trying to share my thoughts and feelings with normal people because I know from experience that they won't be able to relate to them. I imagine it's a similar situation with other people like me, so I can see why popular culture has such a skewed view. If you saw me when I was in school, you'd think I was as robotic as any of these movie caricatures, because it was a really stifling and depressing environment to be surrounded by normal people who didn't care about anything I cared about (and vice versa). Some days I didn't speak a single word, didn't change the expression on my face, didn't betray even the tiniest hint of life. But now that I'm free of that repressive environment, and I'm hanging out with gamers and geeks and actors all the time, I'm as happy and excitable and sociable as anyone else. Everyone knows I'm strange because I actively try to be strange, but I doubt any of the people I hang out with would say I have a disorder of any kind.

I saw an interview with the guy who made Mary and Max. He said that what he meant by "based on a true story" is that Max is based on a guy he's corresponded with by mail. But my understanding from the interview was that he's never actually met this guy face to face. You know what, I'm going to go look for the interview again so I can talk about it more directly.

[MoriartyL]

Okay, here's the interview:
An Interview with Adam Elliot

Apparently the real correspondence was initiated by the person with Asperger's Syndrome, who hand-writes the letters because it feels more personal. This is not the behavior of a person who is antisocial and emotionally crippled. Elliot says that though his friend knows about the movie, "he hasn’t been overtly enthusiastic, which is kind of what having Asperger’s is all about." But obviously that's untrue, because the very next thing Elliot says is "At the moment, he’s going through a phase where he’s interested in what’s going on, googling all the interviews that are coming out." This is not the behavior of an uninterested person. This is just a hunch, but maybe the guy understood from the script that he was misrepresented, and acted "unenthusiastic" rather than "annoyed" in order to be polite.

[UPtimist]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

That wolf guy is so hot... Maybe thats why I enjoyed it...

I hate the shirtless, passionate wolf-boys! (of course, I haven't seen the movies, but the trailers are quite enough. Also, it's sad to see that Dakota Fanning is so grown-up now. The Best Child-Actor Ever.)

Though the sketches in Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien were classic!

(Edit): Just saw Life of Brian (well, I'd seen the last half before, but not the whole thing). Simply beyond description. One of the funniest things I've ever seen, but it's also a very deep, thought-provoking one. It's absolutely what the film-industry... oh heck - the world - needs. Undoubtedly one of the greatest (not just one of the best) movies ever (and probably to ever come).

[MoriartyL]

I watched An Education. What a sad movie, from start to finish. The poor girl has no purpose in her life except for being pushed by her parents and being pulled along by this other guy; presumably the reason it's set in the past is that if it were set in the present she'd be expected to figure out for herself where her life should be going. But it is set in the past, and as such it's a very sad statement. I felt throughout the movie that it was inappropriate having any background music at all, because it's such a cold, dead-end story that adding in emotions like that doesn't fit. The romantic interest seems like a creep from the first moment he shows up, and yet the music is generic love-story music. It doesn't fit, because it's not romantic. Toward the end of the second act the main character has a monologue where she points out that all the education she's been receiving is utterly pointless. At the end of the movie, after the relationship (inevitably) falls apart, there's a montage of getting back into studying, with standard "inspirational montage" music behind it. But it's not inspirational, it's empty. The entire world of this movie is empty. Sure, she gets her life back on track. But she wasn't wrong when she pointed out that it was entirely pointless. So great, she keeps learning. But then what? What I take from this movie is that her entire life is going to be pointless, and that there's nothing she could have done to end up differently. It's sad that she had this ugly relationship, but it just opened her eyes too early to the sadness that was going to be there anyway.

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I would just like to add for the record, that Avatar is a decent film. Before you reply with "boy does it ever borrow themes and mythos from the past", I would simply ask you to take a careful look at your video collection (or list of favs). See any patterns? Of COURSE you do! If you toss out Avatar, Oz should go right with it. And Star Wars? There's a whole other discussion right there.

[Fantasysci5]

Does that include "Lord of the Rings"?

[MoriartyL]

I loved Avatar, because the point of the movie is that you get to see this fantasy world in 3D and it was an amazing fantasy world. But it would have been a better movie if it had been in the format of a documentary, rather than the format of an action movie. Imagine if it had no plot, but the entire movie were just a guided tour through Pandora. Would that not have been one of the greatest fantasy movies ever?

Of course, no one would go to see that movie except for me. And it is a great movie as it is. So I can't say James Cameron made it wrong.

[Maquisard]

Watch Dear Zachary, y'all. It's an absolutely heartbreaking documentary. I'll say no more.

[[toj.cc]Phantom]

Kick-Ass - (5/5) Loved every second of it, if I had the money I'd go see it again!

[Erwin_Br]

I watched Mary and Max a long time ago, but I don't remember Max to be robotic, retarded, or without emotion. In fact, quite the opposite. Max reacted very strongly on certain events, he was super-emotional. I didn't perceive Max as mentally retarded at all. Sure, he had some funny quirks (i.e. his love for those candybars), but I didn't relate that to his Asperger's syndrome.

I liked the movie, but pacing near the end of the movie felt a bit off.

[UPtimist]

Yesterday, on TV, there was a movie called Anonymous Rex. The story: in reality dinosaurs didn't become extinct back then like we thought. In fact, they're still among us, disguised as humans! A (dino)detective goes to investicate the death of another dino-human. It looks like a suicide, but in fact it's a murder.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397312/

And no, it's not a kids' movie (or a comedy). I saw some of it and believe me - it was something completely different.

[Squinky]

I read the book it was based on ages ago.

[TiAgUh]

Originally Posted by UPtimist

(Edit): Just saw Life of Brian (...) One of the funniest things I've ever seen,

I hope you didn't laugh when you heard the name Biggus Dickus the poor guy has a wife you know?!
____

Science of Sleep
Gondry is quite something alright.

Gangster no1
Paul Bettany and Mcdowell really saved this otherwise mediocre movie, loved the ending.

RocknRolla
Unlike Snatch and Revolver I've found this one pretty meh

[TiAgUh]

Dogma
going through some Kevin Smith stuff, i've started with the best

[TiAgUh]

Dark City and eXistenZ
both fun and both nothing special

Originally Posted by Not A Speck Of Cereal

Before you reply with "boy does it ever borrow themes and mythos from the past", I would simply ask you to take a careful look at your video collection (or list of favs). See any patterns? Of COURSE you do! If you toss out Avatar, Oz should go right with it. And Star Wars? There's a whole other discussion right there.

Well, theres a huge difference between 'being inspired by' and 'paint blue on', you know

[UPtimist]

Originally Posted by TiAgUh

Well, theres a huge difference between 'being inspired by' and 'paint blue on', you know

Of course, I don't really mind that much that it's the same old story. What gets to me is the fact that it's seen as some sort of cinematic masterpiece when the only thing it is is a special-effects masterpiece. The rest is nothing special.

Then again, it's not like it's anything new. Just look at Titanic. An average movie at best (and even that's a bit of a stretch), yet, well you know...

[Zack]

I saw Iron Man 2 today, at a theater in Ashland, Oregon. It's about fifteen minutes away from where I'm living.

Here's my impression of the movie. Highly entertaining, humorous, action-packed, and almost as good as the first movie. Definitely go see it if you haven't yet, and enjoyed the first movie.

I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.