For anyone who enjoyed Boondock Saints, it appears that the sequel is actually happening now. That took a while.

Despite the directors best efforts to never be allowed to work again http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Duffy

I saw Valkyrie tonight. I thought it was pretty good from an entertainment standpoint. I don't judge movies for their "technical" whatever that some people do, so take that into consideration. Though, it's hard knowing the outcome before the movie can play out b/c, obviously, their attempt to kill Hitler didn't work.

I don't plan on seeing Yes Man.

 

My mind is blown that anyone could not enjoy CCoBB. I thought it was a masterpiece.

Yes Man was okay, actually. Not a great movie, but a fun goofy comedy. I'd recommend it as a rental.

I saw Valkyrie tonight. I thought it was pretty good from an entertainment standpoint. I don't judge movies for their "technical" whatever that some people do, so take that into consideration. Though, it's hard knowing the outcome before the movie can play out b/c, obviously, their attempt to kill Hitler didn't work.

Ugh, great, thanks for ruining the ending for me.

I watched The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford last night. I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. I think it's kind of ridiculous the way Ford was treated after killing James. Sure, he

shot him in the back, but James did that a few times, too.

I live in Thailand, so I haven't seen any of the new movies yet. My friends have told me to watch The Reader, Rachel Getting Married and Slumdog Millionaire, among others.

 

The last English movie I saw was The Day the Earth Stood Still, one of the worst movies I ever saw in my life before I saw a really low budget film called "Quarantine" in the Philippines a week or so ago. That had the annoying Greg Germann from Ally McBeal (also agent's voice in Bolt) and Jay Hernandez (The Rookie, Crazy/Beautiful) as its two biggest stars. Horrible. Oh, and an actor I used to like, Steve Harris, the lawyer from Ally McBeal as well, as the cameraman. I've never left a movie early, and almost did that time. Or maybe it was during that Nicolas Cage movie way back when. Heck, Bolt is the best movie I've seen recently...sad but true. Or Wall-E, which might even get a best picture award from the Oscars, the last to compete in that category was Beauty and the Beast way back when.

 

Seems to be mixed reviews on Benjamin Button. I'm looking forward to Gran Torino, Doubt, Revolutionary Road (Winslet/DiCaprio together again, kind of like the Ice Storm and American Beauty mixed with a Neil LaBute dramedy). I will definitely see Marley and Me (since I had a crazy Black Lab who ate a rock), Benjamin Button and Valkryie. Undecided about 7 Pounds, most people really HATE that movie....Will Smith is coming back down to earth now with Hancock and Seven Pounds both disappointing.

 

 

I watched The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford last night. I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. I think it's kind of ridiculous the way Ford was treated after killing James. Sure, he

shot him in the back, but James did that a few times, too.

 

 

Sometimes I really like westerns, like 3:10 to Yuma and Unforgiven, not to mention Shane, lol. And Magnificent 7, can't forget that one.

 

I thought Casey Affleck was very good in that movie...the reason James was such a hero was because of the area of the country he lived in, the times he lived in (people were still suspicious of the Federal government)...Missouri has always been something of a wild state, and bucks a lot of trends. Even today, it's pretty conservative and rural, except for KC and St. Louis. You have to remember, Nathan Bedford Forest (mastermind of the KKK) has a presence there for quite some time and and the Border War with Kansas, Quantrill's Raiders and the fact that he was seen as something of a Robin Hood character and thumbed his nose at authority...which went with the sentiment of a lot of people, as they resented the North for winning the Civil War and presence of so many Pinkertons. Everyone loves an outlaw, whether it's Billy the Kid, John Daly or Jesse James, even though the legend wasn't a match with reality. People love bigger than life stories, and shooting someone in the back and then trying to profit from it, well, people don't take too well to that, especially in the South.

Edited January 2, 200917 yr by caulfield12

I live in Thailand,

Is that where no one wins or loses?

Is that where no one wins or loses?

Too much sister-kissing going on there for me...

Too much sister-kissing going on there for me...

Those aren't sisters and maybe not even women.

Yes, you're right, there are a large number of kathoeys or ladyboys in both Thailand and the Philippines. Actually, my g/f is Filipina, she lives in Cebu City, I was there for Christmas.

 

There's a saying, that "the most beautiful women in Thailand are men," although I can usually tell right away, even with surgery on the Adam's apple. It's either the voice, the height, or the musculature in the arms/shoulders/legs, or the fake boobs. One of those always gives it away.

Yes, you're right, there are a large number of kathoeys or ladyboys in both Thailand and the Philippines. Actually, my g/f is Filipina, she lives in Cebu City, I was there for Christmas.

 

There's a saying, that "the most beautiful women in Thailand are men," although I can usually tell right away, even with surgery on the Adam's apple. It's either the voice, the height, or the musculature in the arms/shoulders/legs, or the fake boobs. One of those always gives it away.

...and if all else fails, the penis is a dead giveaway...

 

Actually, fwiw, one of my Master's students (Gift) is in the transformational process right now from man to woman but hasn't had the surgery (quite expensive) yet. In some cities in northern Thailand, they actually have three bathrooms, one for men, one for women and one for kathoeys/ladyboys.

 

I know there are a ton of them in Pattaya (about 45 minutes south of me), but the closest I've ever been is a drag show. If you really want to find them, just hang out in Bangkok or Pattaya or Phuket and you'll be inundated. That's why I live in a nice, quiet, non touristy college/university town right by the beach. Not so many tourists (just Thais from Bangkok on weekends or holidays) and the occasional "coyote" dancer, but pretty normal lifestyle. I can even buy Dairy Queen Blizzards here to pump up my Berkshire Hathaway stock. Unfortunately, only KFC, no McDonald's!

'Tranny Talk' will be back after this message.

 

Pretty sure I know the answer, but has anyone seen, or does anyone have any interest in seeing 'Australia'? I seem to remember someone else here is a big Buz Luhrmann fan?

Ive watched Slumdog Millionaire and Snow Angels in the past few days. I thought Slumdog was ok, not as good as the hype, but an interesting idea for a movie nonetheless. I really liked Snow Angels, I had no idea what it was about before I watched it and was very pleasantly surprised.

'Tranny Talk' will be back after this message.

Sponsored by Massengill brand condoms?

I just got back from seeing Doubt. It was a pretty good movie, but you could tell that it was only as good as it was because of the strong performances by the two main actors. It probably would've been unbearable had it not starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep.

Ive watched Slumdog Millionaire and Snow Angels in the past few days. I thought Slumdog was ok, not as good as the hype, but an interesting idea for a movie nonetheless. I really liked Snow Angels, I had no idea what it was about before I watched it and was very pleasantly surprised.

 

SPOILER ALERT:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed on SM. Since we know the ending going into it, I felt the stories and situations of how he knew the answers could have been more interesting.

I just got back from seeing Doubt. It was a pretty good movie, but you could tell that it was only as good as it was because of the strong performances by the two main actors. It probably would've been unbearable had it not starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep.

 

Thx, MMD, I've been going back and forth on watching it. This is my guess, they story can only go one of two ways, so the film has to rely on strong performances, am I right?

Sponsored by Massengill brand condoms?

 

...............and Magnum maxi pads.

Everyone is hyping the actress from the Slumdog movie as the next "It" girl already....is she really that amazing?

 

The last time there was such a buzz, it was over the South American javelin thrower in the Olympics.

 

Well, it looks like Marley & Me is continuing to blow away the competition, already at $80 million. I wonder if we'll get the inevitable sequel...but how do you make a sequel when the dog has already died in the first movie? I guess it will be Marley: The Puppy Years or something like that, and it will make even more money because younger kids and families can safely see it without the tearjerking scene at the end.

 

As far as Tom Cruise goes, I wonder if he'll ever get greenlighted for another $150+ million action movie again, and how long that will take? Tropic Thunder was an interesting choice for him, and could have backfired, but it didn't, just like Magnolia. Well, Hollywood really loves a great comeback story. Think of all the actors like Sandler, Ferrell and Jim Carrey whose recent movies have more or less struggled or been critically panned. Even Will Smith hasn't been enough to defeat average or worthless scripts like Hancock and 7 Pounds. Speaking of killing box office, how many Angelina Jolie movies will do disappointing numbers before people realize she simply doesn't guarantee big openings for a movie just with her name...unless you want to try to count Wanted, although I'm not sure you can because of the genre of that movie. Specifically, A Mighty Heart and Changeling have done poor or so-so box office....which finally brings up Nicole Kidman's mess of a movie, Australia. Another good (sometimes great) actress who just doesn't draw people into theatres with her name alone, if she ever did.

 

 

Freida Pinto is really cute, but I don't know that she brought anything that amazing to the movie. She didn't stand out to me other than her looks, and her character was not what made me enjoy the film. I'm sure the buzz from Slumdog will bring her some bigger roles, we'll see what she has then, I suppose.

I hope that the big-name movies struggling will lead to more films relying on good scripts and premises rather than banking on "star power", but I'm not optimistic about that. It's such a celebrity-driven culture, and I doubt a few underperforming movies will change that.

Thx, MMD, I've been going back and forth on watching it. This is my guess, they story can only go one of two ways, so the film has to rely on strong performances, am I right?

 

Yes, exactly.

Freida Pinto is really cute, but I don't know that she brought anything that amazing to the movie. She didn't stand out to me other than her looks, and her character was not what made me enjoy the film. I'm sure the buzz from Slumdog will bring her some bigger roles, we'll see what she has then, I suppose.

I hope that the big-name movies struggling will lead to more films relying on good scripts and premises rather than banking on "star power", but I'm not optimistic about that. It's such a celebrity-driven culture, and I doubt a few underperforming movies will change that.

 

 

Yeah, Speed Racer, the sequel to Chronicles of Narnia, even Quantum of Solace (domestically so-so, it has done really well overseas, but it just wasn't as good as Casino Royale not even close), the disastrous Phil. Pullman movie that won't lead to a series, the imfamous Delgo! Australia would be another example, something like a $150 million movie that will struggle to make back half that.

 

Movies like Hancock are even considered disappointments when they make in the hundreds of millions now...so definitely, there's that niche for movies that are either brainless (like all the Jason Statham ones that make tidy profits) or ones that don't require huge budgets like High School Musical or Hannah Montana type productions.

 

It will be interesting to see the fate of Avatar and The Watchmen, along with Monsters versus Aliens, the new 3D/2D theatre experience.

Edited January 3, 200917 yr by caulfield12

I'm trying to remember if Pinto has more than 5 lines in the film. Nothing about her stood out. 'Cute' is a good word to describe her, not hot, not beautiful...just cute.

 

 

http://www.freidapinto.com/ga9.html