NewEnglandGothic

I might not be a fan of his recent string of films, but I feel nothing but sorrow for him and his wife. Hopefully the Synders can produce a personal film on teen/young adult suicides to help themselves heal and build an awareness toward a tragedy that hit home and what so many families face on a day to day basis around the world.

Going to finish The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 tonight. I stopped watching at The Goblet of Fire when they were in theaters. Been slowly picking away at them during this cold stretch. They are pretty magical, even for 40-year-olds. Siskel & Ebert had their moments too. Pre-internet, “respected” film critic Gene Siskel once included Betsy Palmer’s phone number in a review of “Friday The 13th” for fans of previous beloved work (Mister Roberts, etc) to talk sense into her from appearing in that kind of drek.

Justin Lin might have delivered an ensemble franchise like the "Furious" movies to a global marketplace, but the crew of the Star Trek are a real "family," with respect to Dom's crew in those movies. I never thought Lin would have been able to respect that team's dynamic, in favor of "sweet" 2nd unit shots. What we got was a valiant effort by the cast and writers, but basically a retread of the TV show, that our parent's used to watch for on the telly for free.

That's what everybody really wants in the end when you are approaching a tenth installment. Something unpredictably fresh. You don't want a gimmick like Jason going to space, but something shaken, but not stirred like "The Spy Who Loved Me." Whether they follow it up with a "Moonraker," remains to be seen.

I've only seen his Rashomon before this, but I bought The Seven Samurai right after. Next time Barnes & Noble's has a 50% off Criterion sale, I'm buying more. There's something so relevant and timeless to his works that I like.

Yeah, it's been on my radar myself since I read about it in Leonard Maltin's or Roger Ebert's movie guide in the late 80's. I just been excited to having the opportunity to go over the older movies, most of them restored from a 35 mm print and just wanted to point one out to a boardie who might have put it aside too. I actually added "The Hidden Fortress" to my Star Wars home video section.

I wasn't expecting much from this feature-length documentary, but they managed to keep surprising you with various behind=the-scenes. My section of the woods will only get 10 inches of white stuff. I took a vacation day to prep the generator. Most likely power will be out when the winds increase.

Have you seen this 2 1/2 hour documentary yet? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Dreams I bought the Star Wars: Special Edition DVD set a yard sale two years ago, just for that for about $3. It was brilliant! Personally note: safe driving in out Hoth-like system today.

OMG! I thought the same thing too after watching it. It was only amplified to me during the climax of ROTJ after too.

Then why didn't Billy Dee Williams just bust him out since he was already there, instead of bringing in Chewie too? She could have just entered the court with her holy hand grenade and bargained for their lives, without using Chewie at all. So, now they have rescue Chewie, jeopardizing their mission. Chewbecca was needed for brute force on the skiff to protect Han. All in all, it's just been my interpretation, that these guys don't need a "Plan B' with a bunch low-life bounty hunters.

Watching ROTJ now, I never realized when the ewoks attacked the stormtroopers at the end, they were doing it as a distraction for Han and Leia to shutdown the shield. They knew they had no chance, but they kept trying to keep the stormtroopers engaged in them and away from the others. It seems more poignant now, with their sacrifice they do for a greater good they can understand in another language. The funny thing during that sequence, they started making progress overcoming technology.

I just always looked at in a theatrical "Mission: Impossible" way for audiences to get caught up in the action. Granted, the Rancor was a monkeywrench, but I always felt Leia's job was to unfreeze Han and get caught too(with Chewie,) like Luke. I know that sounds stupid, but maybe for her to get close to Jabba to kill. I mean Billy Dee was just waiting all along for the right moment too. I just watched it again and still feel that this was all one big plan to have it's climax out in the open at the Sarlaac Pit. I'll watch it with the commentary on a little later.

I'm sorry, but I always looked at that opening gambit in ROTJ, as a kind of A-Team type plan, where it showed all their teamwork at play to free Han. There was no instant where Luke in the dungeon, decided to plant a lightsaber in R2-D2 to escape with Han and Chewie. Luke went there to intimidate, to get captured, so he could be on the "inside." As Hannibal always said on the A-Team, "It's all part of the plan."

What strikes me a bizarre in this thread is how some folks keep claiming “The Force Awakens” is a rip-off off “Star Wars,” by regurgitating its plot about 38 years later. But, no one (that I saw) has even mentioned how much stuff George Lucas “borrowed” from Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress” from 1958 for “Star Wars” in the first place. I just saw the Criterion of this one about a month ago and was blown away how good it was and I am a Star Wars fan, that will probably look at the original in a different light now as (gasp) a rehash of that movie’s prime elements (two peasants who became droids, the scene wipes, the samurai/Jedi, the princess, etc.)

She always struck me as a smart actress, who wants to grow into more mature roles (I would love to see her play the governess in a "Turn of the Screw" adaptation.) I don't see her doing many more green screen movies immediately unless they dump a dump truck load of money in her backyard (do they do that?)

I started watching it again last night. I liked it the first time I saw it, but didn't love it. This time, I absolutely loved it! An amazing, if somewhat underrated movie in the franchise.

Rare "unpersonalized" signature from Spencer.

It was good in the way that it felt like a random episode of the original series, bad in the way that it was a big movie. Still not as bad as "The Final Frontier."

Tarantino is an actor's director. If fans want something close to what Star Trek II achieved with dialogue, humor, drama, action and emotion then this is who you hire. Plus he attracts A-list talent and the right folks for the roles. This can't be better news for a franchise slightly faltering again.

Yeah, Peter Weller was a bit too weary. But that is my only complaint.

I liked the Abrams versions, but that's just my taste. I hated TNG stuff. Felt like a cruise ship in space, but I liked the cast.

Try to to check out "The Dark Knight Returns" Part 1 and 2 from DC animation sometime. You'll love it!

Yeah, I liked the "Returns" soundtrack a lot. I still got on CD somewhere. Trivia note: Rene Russo was originally cast as Chase Meridian before they recast the Bat in "Forever." Peak Nicole for me would be the "BMX Bandits." No, you're right this one and "To Die For" that year were her finest.