Your Rules for Movie-Going

[Cato]

I just saw a preview for a movie version of a c. 50-year old TV show...



...which looks fairly dreadful.  (I saw a glimpse of Hugh Grant !)  Maybe we should consult the above rule on TV shows becoming movies! 

The director is Guy Ritchie: is that good or bad?

[James]

I just saw a preview for a movie version of a c. 50-year old TV show...which looks fairly dreadful.

Maybe we should consult the above rule on TV shows becoming movies! 

It's easy to point out all the crap out there isn't it? Since the vast majority of what we do isn't very good.

[Cato]

It's easy to point out all the crap out there isn't it? Since the vast majority of what we do isn't very good.

My son was showing us various online networks (e.g. Crackle) and what they had to offer.  Yes, absolutely appalling at how much money is spent on stuff that from the beginning - from its very DNA - cannot possibly be worth one's time.

And yet...somehow they make a profit, so they can conjure up more crap!   

[James]

My son was showing us various online networks (e.g. Crackle) and what they had to offer.  Yes, absolutely appalling at how much money is spent on stuff that from the beginning - from its very DNA - cannot possibly be worth one's time.

And yet...somehow they make a profit, so they can conjure up more crap!   

That's the very nature of entertainment .. but you should know this. It's a commercial industry.

[Cato]

That's the very nature of entertainment .. but you should know this. It's a commercial industry.

Oh yes!  My brother has a small business connected to the "entertainment industry" (truly a strange phrase) and he has been constantly amazed and dismayed throughout his career.  The amount of money given to develop bad, dumb, never-should-have-been-born ideas staggers the mind.

[Bogey]

Oh yes!  My brother has a small business connected to the "entertainment industry" (truly a strange phrase) and he has been constantly amazed and dismayed throughout his career.  The amount of money given to develop bad, dumb, never-should-have-been-born ideas staggers the mind.

We note this with television commercials frequently.  However, they have not cornered the market for wasted money.

[Bogey]

A change in direction:

Have you ever walked out of a movie before it ended.  One comes to mind for me:



Just caught this at the wrong time in the wrong mood.  My wife and I just looked at each other, shook our heads, and stood up and left.  I know I have seen other films that were worse than this, but we had to cut bait and still do not regret it.

[Cato]

Yes, at some point in the 1990's during the winter, my wife and I wanted to get out of the house, and there seemed to be nothing of interest to us.

However, at the Dollar Movies, and with the lukewarm recommendation of my brother ("It isn't bad"), we gave this epic a shot:



At about the fifteen-minute mark, upon feeling that permanent brain damage was imminent, we walked out.  This remains the one and only movie that we rejected during its projection.

[Bogey]

Yes, at some point in the 1990's during the winter, my wife and I wanted to get out of the house, and there seemed to be nothing of interest to us.

However, at the Dollar Movies, and with the lukewarm recommendation of my brother ("It isn't bad"), we gave this epic a shot:



At about the fifteen-minute mark, upon feeling that permanent brain damage was imminent, we walked out.  This remains the one and only movie that we rejected during its projection.

Never seen, or will I on your rec. 

[(poco) Sforzando]

A change in direction:

Have you ever walked out of a movie before it ended.  One comes to mind for me:

Just caught this at the wrong time in the wrong mood.  My wife and I just looked at each other, shook our heads, and stood up and left.  I know I have seen other films that were worse than this, but we had to cut bait and still do not regret it.

That was a relatively young Alec Baldwin, in his mid-30s. Fact is, he's actually a pretty good actor. Age 57 now, he is getting kind of paunchy but he's still active and I saw him live just a few weeks ago at a small theater on Long Island playing the father in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons." (No, I did not walk out.)

BTW, though he's got a notorious temper and is perhaps understandably wary in dealing with the public, I got to meet him outside the theater while he was relaxing pre-performance and listening to Bernstein doing the Mahler 4th. We talked Mahler recordings for a few minutes and so I may have momentarily brought out his good side; in any case, being an avid lover of Romantic orchestral music, he has to be commended for playing on our team.

[Karl Henning]

I've seen All My Sons; not a show one walks out on! 

[Bogey]

That was a relatively young Alec Baldwin, in his mid-30s. Fact is, he's actually a pretty good actor. Age 57 now, he is getting kind of paunchy but he's still active and I saw him live just a few weeks ago at a small theater on Long Island playing the father in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons." (No, I did not walk out.)

BTW, though he's got a notorious temper and is perhaps understandably wary in dealing with the public, I got to meet him outside the theater while he was relaxing pre-performance and listening to Bernstein doing the Mahler 4th. We talked Mahler recordings for a few minutes and so I may have momentarily brought out his good side; in any case, being an avid lover of Romantic orchestral music, he has to be commended for playing on our team.

Love when Baldwin talks about movies, especially with Robert Osborne of TCM.  The dude knows his film history.  I've liked him in a number of films, but walking out of The Shadow had little to do with his performance and more to do with the script.  I do wish he would have continued as Jack Ryan.  I thought he fit the role better than Ford.

[James]

Yes, at some point in the 1990's during the winter, my wife and I wanted to get out of the house, and there seemed to be nothing of interest to us.

However, at the Dollar Movies, and with the lukewarm recommendation of my brother ("It isn't bad"), we gave this epic a shot:



At about the fifteen-minute mark, upon feeling that permanent brain damage was imminent, we walked out.  This remains the one and only movie that we rejected during its projection.

You know, I've never seen this .. but I wouldn't be against seeing it - from what I've heard about it, it is supposed to be hilarious. I find that comedy can fly right over certain folks heads, it is like they don't get it .. usually snooty conservative types who think their shit doesn't stink, a lot of teachers & religious types, squares  .. I'm wide open when it comes to comedy, even the raunchiest, bluest, filthiest  and (intentionally) stupidest & most ridiculous stuff .. a laugh is a laugh in my books. And hey, it's just fleeting entertainment.

[James]

Oh yes!  My brother has a small business connected to the "entertainment industry" (truly a strange phrase) and he has been constantly amazed and dismayed throughout his career.  The amount of money given to develop bad, dumb, never-should-have-been-born ideas staggers the mind.

And it's not just showbiz that has this affliction ..

[James]

That was a relatively young Alec Baldwin, in his mid-30s. Fact is, he's actually a pretty good actor. Age 57 now, he is getting kind of paunchy but he's still active and I saw him live just a few weeks ago at a small theater on Long Island playing the father in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons." (No, I did not walk out.)

BTW, though he's got a notorious temper and is perhaps understandably wary in dealing with the public, I got to meet him outside the theater while he was relaxing pre-performance and listening to Bernstein doing the Mahler 4th. We talked Mahler recordings for a few minutes and so I may have momentarily brought out his good side; in any case, being an avid lover of Romantic orchestral music, he has to be commended for playing on our team.

He would have been a great Batman in his younger days .. but I can't think of a film with him in it being really great or anything. Some of the SNL appearances I've seen him do were funny though.

[(poco) Sforzando]

He would have been a great Batman in his younger days .. but I can't think of a film with him in it being really great or anything. Some of the SNL appearances I've seen him do were funny though.

He was a very good Stanley Kowalski.

[kishnevi]

I've seen All My Sons; not a show one walks out on! 

I had the privilege of attending a dress rehearsal of All My Sons c. 1975 with Jack Klugman in the lead.  A road show production stopping for a week in Fort Lauderdale, only a group of twenty high school students as audience.

Simply put, Klugman gave the best job of acting I have ever seen in my life.  And I doubt I will ever see a better one.

[Karl Henning]

I had the privilege of attending a dress rehearsal of All My Sons c. 1975 with Jack Klugman in the lead.  A road show production stopping for a week in Fort Lauderdale, only a group of twenty high school students as audience.

Simply put, Klugman gave the best job of acting I have ever seen in my life.  And I doubt I will ever see a better one.

That must have been a hell of a show!

[Karl Henning]

And how do you know he's good? He gives a performance like that, notwithstanding that it's a rehearsal, and even "just" for an audience of twenty high school students..  That's Art.

[Cato]

You know, I've never seen this .. but I wouldn't be against seeing it - from what I've heard about it, it is supposed to be hilarious. I find that comedy can fly right over certain folks heads, it is like they don't get it ...

There was nothing subtle about this, thank you very much.  We understood what was supposed to be funny: but feel free to watch and laugh at e.g. frozen nose dribble. 

And how do you know (Jack Klugman's) good? He gives a performance like that, notwithstanding that it's a rehearsal, and even "just" for an audience of twenty high school students..  That's Art.

"A real trouper," as they say! 

Anyway...

Do we agree that there is a rule that any movie with Dennis Hopper must be halfway decent?

I ask this because I have turned off a movie with him: not quite the same as walking out of the theater, since I had gotten the movie at the library.  Again, I followed my brother's recommendation  and the premise sounded interesting.  But after about 15 minutes I had seen enough:

And it also had Michael J. Pollard!    Still, I could not bear another minute!   0:)