In my sporadic filmquest, I just watched In Dreams.  Which wasn't quite as bad as I expected, though it really suffered from poor editing in my opinion.  But, since I was watching it because of Mr. Downey, I was very surprised to see Mr. Guilfoyle's name pop up in the opening credits--I squeaked at the TV.  

He had pretty much the standard part--sort of Brass as he might have been someplace more rural than urban NJ, ten or fifteen years ago.  Thin!  I kept wishing they'd give him more screen time. 

I also wondered what bits Mr. Downey ad-libbed.  Betcha I got one spot-on.  :P 

I watched Friends and Lovers last night.  Not a movie one can take at all seriously--most of the characters were annoying, stupid, or both--but even if it were I couldn't have, because every time Mr. Downey's character came on screen I started laughing hysterically.  Before he had any dialogue, even. 

Despite character similarities to Hugo Pool, he really reminded me far more of Val Kilmer in The Saint, of which I am very fond.  The latter's a much better film, though. 

On an unrelated note, it's such a waste to dream of waiting for a bus.  Though the milkweed was fun. 

Down. Right. Bizarre. 

*blink*  People think this is entertainment?  "Pretty nuts", indeed. 

I watched Restoration last night.  Not bad, not bad.  Not quite the epic it seemed to be reaching for, but a good straightforward story and some nice performances.  Silly wigs, but I suppose that's to be expected.  And the guy playing Charles II was clearly having a terrific time with the role. 

I might be moved to buy the soundtrack, if it's available.  The real question is, did anybody screencap that one?  Because boy howdy, some of the visuals...  *snerk*  I'm thinking of that red feather in particular, of course.  It'd make quite the icon...

Just finished watching Chances Are.  One of the dumbest things I've ever seen.  The only redeeming feature was that they had a scene at Glen Echo.  I started squeaking at the TV when I realized that I knew that carousel.  It's still the best one I've ever ridden--it even tops the double-decker one I found in Paris (fiberglass, forsooth). 

Stream-of-consciousness about Home for the Holidays. 

( Cut to spare your (questionable) sanity... )

Not bad, not bad.  Normally I loathe American comedy, but this was rather palatable. 

Watching Tuff Turf. 

*howl* 

I'm too old for this movie.  I was always too old for this movie.  XD

ETA: They do have a bass sax, though.  Points for that.

Good heavens, and Beer brand beer.  Who remembers that? 

Thoughts on watching Game 6, in my usual scattershot style:

( Cut for prudence )

Bits from an interview here. Both Iron Man 2 and Sherlock Holmes.  No new photos, though. 

I picked these up a couple days ago while looking for something else. From the Sherlock Holmes movie. ( Cut for photos... )

Part of my general pattern of love a character, look up what else the actor has done.  Thank you, Netflix.

( Cut for sporadic commentary. )

Well, I finally watched the commentary (listened to is better, I guess) for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and while it didn't make the movie any better, it was entertaining.  I had no idea Val Kilmer was quite so silly.  Now I want to watch Willow again--it's been years since I saw that one.  "Wanna breed?"  *snerk* 

Seriously, though, that film has so little redeeming value.  The plot makes a sort of threadbare sense if you turn your head and squint just right, but I keep wondering why they bothered in the first place.  So much of it is silly, or gross, or stupid, and there's not enough of anything else to rescue it. 

I just watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  

*blink* 

I'm starting to think Iron Man is one of the most normal movies Mr. Downey has been in.  Good grief that was silly.  And don't get me started on Eros, either.  Obviously nobody taught that writer to, well, write.  Plot, anyone?  Please?  

Good Night and Good Luck was fun, though, even if I missed half the references.  Like reading Pogo in a way.  A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints tried very hard, but didn't quite hang together despite some stellar performances.  Seeing Dianne Wiest is always a treat. 

Seriously, though.  KKBB had some funny moments, to be sure, and a couple of poignant ones, but on the whole it was, well, dumb.  Obvious jokes and people being obviously stupid.  The gag reel was amusing, I'll admit, and maybe the commentary will add some sense, but I doubt it. 

 I rewatched Independence Day earlier this week, and remembered two things: one, VHS is a very clumsy medium compared to DVD, and two, I love this movie.  

I know.  It's silly and just this side of jingoistic, but I still love it.  Yes, the science is bad, but it's not that bad.  Americans save the day, but they don't save the world, they just figure out how.  The female characters are subordinated, but they've got personalities.  

And it's fun.  Dr. Okun is a hoot, there's early Adam Baldwin, and the interactions between Hiller and Wilder, and Hiller and David, are terrific.  The kids are cliches but the president and Julius are just adorable.  And the lines are amazing.  I always shout right along with Hiller--"I have got to get me one of these!"  

It's not as much fun to see New York City being blown up as it used to be, but the film has a number of subtle tributes--including one to an old Bill Cosby monologue.  And the scene with the president and his daughter, just after he gets out of his wife's hospital room, is heart-tearing.  I admire Bill Pullman for expressing emotion the way he does--not over the top, just very honest.  

It's fun.  It doesn't pretend to be anything more than what it is, sci-fi adventure.  It's got a great soundtrack, and excellent special effects.  And the aliens are very, very cool.  

Now all I have to do is get the ultimate edition DVD.  *grin* 

I was out tonight with laura27md to see Stardust. 

Go see this movie.  Ignore the trailer for "The Dark Is Rising", please, but go see this movie. 

It's a little less complex than the book, but it's dramatic and fantastic and funny and altogether great.  It's also scattered with what I suspect are very subtle inside jokes--I spotted what could be hat-tips to Ladyhawke, Little Women, and The Dark Crystal, and I'll bet I missed some. 

And stay to watch all the way through the credits.  *grin* 

Go, go! 

Okay.  I'll admit that it's been a long time since I read the book.  It  has a sad ending and I never cared for those.  And I know that trailers can be seriously misleading.  But l recently saw a trailer for the upcoming Bridge to Terabithia movie, and unless my memory is really faulty, it looks like they took the title and two plot points and wrote an entirely different story.  One that, I suspect, has very little of the impact or honesty of the original.  And one that seems to be trying to capitalize off the recent Narnia film. 

I hate it when they do that, screw with a book that badly.  It's a form of lying, and it's uncaring towards both the original work and its author(s).  About the only exception I can think of is Forrest Gump, because that took a book that was a complete waste of paper (never, ever read it) and turned it into a very good, moving, film.  But it was still dishonest.  

I'll give an exception to authors who rewrite their own stories for film, as long as they do so free of coercion. 

I had a lovely weekend, despite my cold. I saw the Narnia film on Saturday, with CSI friends, and went to a party on Sunday with more CSI friends. And I used to have no social life. :P It was so good to see everyone, and to meet new folks with whom I can babble about things that make my family look at me sideways. Fandom--there's nothing like it, and I meet the BEST people.

And on a greedy note, WOW, that was terrific pudding, Millie! *grin*

The movie, now...it was very, very good. The special effects are amazing and the soundtrack is great, and when Aslan first appeared I cried. But for this diehard, raving Jack Lewis fan...they changed too much. The plot changes I could have dealt with (and I must say that the Stone Table scene was done almost perfectly) but the attitude changes got to me. The whole "let's just get Edmund and go home" theme was, well, wrong. And far too much emphasis was put on the children as the fulcrum of change, rather than Aslan himself.

But the acting was superb--especially the White Witch, yowza!--and the additions I expected; it's a short book, they had to expand somewhere. Father Christmas forgot the Beavers' gifts and the tea, but the Beavers themselves were marvelously done. If one isn't a deep Narnia/Lewis fan, then by all means, go and see and enjoy.