Messages

151

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 12, 2005, 05:36:59 PM »

Ben Hur. I was rather bored during most of this movie. But at the end I understood what all the fuss was about, and I must admit it is in my top 100 favorites (somewhere in the lower 80 I think, and I've only seen it once). Miklos Rosza's magnificent score is one of the things that kept me interested.

I enjoy watching Brad Pitt's acting, but as far as his films go I'd have to say Legends of the Fall isn't that good for me. I mean, yes, I enjoy it, yes it was arguably James Horner's best, but there was something about this movie that just didn't hold up to the other films I'd seen him in previously; the best of which I thought was Interview With The Vampire (speaking purely of his performance).

Top Gun (and most of Tom Cruise's movies). His films just don't interest me. I saw this one and was more entertained by my best friend oggling the flight scenes than I was by the movie itself. Strange, because I later got the soundtrack LOL!

152

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 12, 2005, 12:54:43 PM »

Unlike The Wizard of Oz, which was magnificently done without computers LOL, I really don't think this trilogy could have been compleed without at least some use of computer effects.

I know that Jackson had a great deal of trouble casting Frodo, because "when you read the books you imagine yourself as Frodo," and who do you cast to fill those shoes? Luckily Elijah Wood was really interested in the project and sent in an audition tape, in which he got a hobbit costume and filmed some scenes in the woods, and Jackson said "I felt like I just met Frodo."

It really was impossible to put all of Tolkein's characters and events from the trilogy (which Tolkein saw as a single book) into film, so Jackson and the others decided to make the film about Frodo and the Ring and his quest to destroy it, and characters that did not have a direct impact on that main premise would be eliminated (this meant Tom).

I am so thankful we didn't get stuck with Stuart Townsend as Aragorn. He was a horrible Lestat!

Did you know both James Horner and John Williams were approached to composer LOTR? Both turned it down, obviously. That was a blessing in disguise, because instead of getting these (sometimes) mundane giants, we got someone who was not exactly in the mainstream of film composition (at least I had never heard of him), despite him composing for The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia. Shore took this task extremely seriously, composing over 4 hours of music for The Two Towers alone. Only little more than 1 hour ended up on commercial CD.

Most score fans are looking forward to the "complete" (we hope) score for The Fellowship of the Ring to be released sometime soon, I can't remember when that will be exactly. I don't know how much music he composed for that film or Return of the King (the most well-made of the series) but I'm sure it was much longer than the CDs let you believe.

153

Having Fun! / Re: Movie Game

« on: October 12, 2005, 12:34:15 PM »

haha no I thought it was Paxton. It's been ages since I saw it LOL.

154

Having Fun! / Re: Movie Game

« on: October 12, 2005, 06:07:01 AM »

(not sure if this is right)

Casper: Bill Paxton

155

Having Fun! / Re: Movie Game

« on: October 12, 2005, 04:55:21 AM »

Michael J. Fox - Back To The Future

156

Having Fun! / Re: Movie Game

« on: October 11, 2005, 09:54:28 PM »

Mel Gibson - Pocahontas (rather than going for obvious choices LOL)

157

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 11, 2005, 09:16:50 PM »

I absolutely DESPISE Ice Princess. Worst movie I've seen since The Bear. UGH! It's an insult to skating, and some physics experts say it's an insult to physics LOL!

Oh well, it was worth seeing for the skating (Jennifer Robinson plays the main character's skating double, but the special effects wizards cut out her face and pasted Michelle Tratchenberg's!)

158

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 11, 2005, 09:14:16 PM »

Oh yes! that is very true! LOL I remember when I read that some decades had passed in the book I was surprised.

The songs from the books are just wonderful. And I love how much he describes the environment. I wish I had the power to do that.

159

Having Fun! / Re: Movie Game

« on: October 11, 2005, 09:11:00 PM »

*swoon I love Joaquin! wish someone had mentioned Djimund Hundsu though LOL! great actor*

Joaquin Phoenix - SIGNS

love that movie.

160

Having Fun! / Re: Movie Game

« on: October 11, 2005, 06:32:08 PM »

Bridget Jones' Diary, Renée Zellweger

161

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 11, 2005, 06:28:55 PM »

Now that I'm thinking about it, my only real gripe with Fellowship of the Rings was how they never alluded to how old Bilbo was, and how much time had passed between the night Bilbo disappeared and when Gandalf came back and told him he had to leave Hobbiton. In the movie, it seemed to have happened practically overnight!
Oh well, though, I won't complain TOO much. I really do think the entire trilogy is a masterpiece!

Actually they did the former:

"Today is my 111th birthday!"

"Happy birthday!"

"Alass, 111 years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

-- Fellowship of the Ring

And it is a magnificent adaptation. And one of the main reasons is Howard Shore, who couldn't have done his job without Christopher Lee (he helped with some of the Elvish lyrics).

162

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 10, 2005, 05:30:54 PM »

The Parent Trap with Lindsey was much funnier than the original one. But I like both.

I haven't seen the new Charlie/Chocolate Factory yet. I want to though, even though I've never read the book and know that this is supposed to be a closer adaptation than the original.

I know Elfman's score is highly acclaimed for that, as well as Corpse Bride, which I simply adore.

163

Having Fun! / Re: "Good" Movies That You Hated

« on: October 10, 2005, 04:00:27 PM »

On its own, Troy wasn't that bad. It's only when you actually compare it to the various stories and plays written about it over the centuries that it becomes less of a film.

I know Petersen was going for a modern feel LOL, why else would he have rejected Gabriel Yared's score, for which Yared did tons of historical research to get the sound right? The movie would have been much better had Yared's score been the one used in the film. And happy to say most film score fans agree! (112 voters on www.filmtracks.com alone give it the Score fo the Year, and most score fans I know agree that it was brilliant)

Anyway... to answer the topic's question.

I couldn't get into O Brother, Where Art Thou, despite it being based on The Odyssey. I know that film was a huge success.

I fell asleep during Lawrence of Arabia, which is a shame because I loved the music to it. I also had to turn off Doctor Zhivago in the middle of the second part and save the rest for another day (a few months later when I was bored enough LOL).

Hmm what else...

Oh, this I will despise till the day I die! LOL Phantom of the Opera, the Lloyd Weber film version! I know it wasn't the Phantom's job to have the voice of an angel, but for God's sake, Butler can't sing! Now, I enjoy Michael Crawford, HOWEVER, if I were to cast this movie's Phantom I would have gone for Antonio Banderas. Or Michael Ball. I always preferred Ball to Crawford. Heck, even Colm Wilkinson would have been a great choice.

164

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: History Channel's REAL RASPUTIN

« on: October 10, 2005, 11:22:58 AM »

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I have seen and recorded "History's Mysteries" Rasputin.

I rather enjoy History's Mysteries, especially the one on William Wallace.

165

Having Fun! / Re: Romanov Dreams

« on: October 06, 2005, 09:41:19 AM »

I had a dream a few years ago that I was in the cellar of the Ipatiev House during the execution, no one knew I was there, but when Aleksei lay on his back, as Yurovsky was coming towards him with his gun, he looked at me and said Help me. Then I woke up.