The last film you watched....

[Jona Lendering]

if your living room is equipped with a 52" XBR7 (240-Refresh), a Blu-Ray player and a surround sound system (with bowel movement inducing sub woofer) even Coppola might not object... :roll:

I do have a professional beamer -mostly used in class- and I could do something like that. But the thought has never even occured to me; it's probably because a visit to a real cinema remains something special. Making appointments, have a drink and a talk with friends before the show; that dark room; the trailers before the movie; people willing to be entertained, who share the excitement. Even a bad movie can not spoil my evening. I like movies, but I love cinema visits with my friends.

[Narukami]

You are absolutely right Jona -- there is something special about actually going to the cinema to watch a film. I wish they would show some of the classics again. I remember making an effort to see the restored Lawrence of Arabia and Spartacus at the theatre, and of course the original Star Wars films when they were re-released.

As for using a projector at home...

I have access to a small one and in the summer time we will set it up in the backyard with a boom box and project DVD's onto the side of the garage. We usually select light fare for our grandson Kalani and his friends (Indian Jones or the original King Kong). I even show a trailer of Coming Attractions for the fun of it. Some pizza and popcorn and presto -- instant Drive-In Movies without the cars.

:wink:

Narukami

[Jona Lendering]

I have access to a small one and in the summer time we will set it up in the backyard with a boom box and project DVD's onto the side of the garage. We usually select light fare for our grandson Kalani and his friends (Indian Jones or the original King Kong). I even show a trailer of Coming Attractions for the fun of it. Some pizza and popcorn and presto -- instant Drive-In Movies without the cars.

Lovely! I may do something similar when my niece and nephew will stay with me - gives me an opportunity to talk to my sister.

Yours truly has just agreed with a small movie theater to introduce four "ancient history" movies. They will (probably) show Spartacus, Alexander, or Gladiator (Antiquity as excuse to show violence), The 300 Spartans or 300 (Antiquity as politics), The Last Temptation of Christ or Ben Hur (Antiquity used for a religious message), and Passolini's Medea (I still have to invent a reason).

Only Spartacus, Medea, and The Last Temptation of Christ can be classified as really interesting, but the general idea is to bring people to the cinema, and repeat this next year with better movies. I am especially looking forward to The Last Temptation of Christ, because so much criticism of that movie was ill-founded.

[Narukami]

Wow!

That sounds like an excellent gig D D

Are you familiar with the book Past Imperfect - History According to The Movies by Mark C Carnes? It might provide some useful information for your introductions.

http://www.amazon.com/Past-Imperfect-Hi ... 295&sr=1-1

I think it might be interesting to show the evolution of Thermopylae in the popular imagination: from the history which inspired the first film The 300 Spartans which in turn inspired the comic The 300 which in turn led to the recent film.

At any rate it sounds like you could have a lot of fun with this series -- let us know how the audience reacts and best of luck!

:wink:

Narukami

[Jona Lendering]

I think it might be interesting to show the evolution of Thermopylae in the popular imagination: from the history which inspired the first film The 300 Spartans which in turn inspired the comic The 300 which in turn led to the recent film.

I just wrote a Dutch article about that. It makes for depressing reading, because official historians, when they encounter Leonidas, suddenly become very, very careless. Paul Cartledge's recent book is a case in point. He takes for granted that Leonidas sacrificed himself - ignoring that Herodotus himself offers an alternative (Leonidas was abandoned by his allies) and says that he is presenting nothing but a hypothesis, which he introduces with the word gnome. That can not be taken as a statement of fact, but Cartledge manages to do so.

Anyhow, this thread should remain off-topic. Back to the movies.

[Narukami]

Anyhow, this thread should remain off-topic. Back to the movies.

Indeed. (Though...if that article ever makes it into English I would love to read a copy.)

At the Cinema: The International

Not a bad film, as law enforcement procedurals go, though at best semi-literate. The motivations of the bank for owning the debt from rebel armies as if this gives them any real leverage over them seems half baked at best. (Then again I know knowing of high finance so perhaps there is logic there but it is lost on me.)

Actually, I think the plot is just an excuse to have a large scale running gun battle in the Guggenheim Museum, and as a piece of action it does not break any new ground (as opposed to the running battle in Children of Men with that fantastic tracking shot) but it is a lot of fun.

Good cast working hard, but the material is not worthy of their efforts. However, as a afternoon matinee pop corn movie it was A-OK.

:wink:

Narukami

[Graham Sumner]

Yours truly has just agreed with a small movie theater to introduce four "ancient history" movies. They will (probably) show Spartacus, Alexander, or Gladiator (Antiquity as excuse to show violence), The 300 Spartans or 300 (Antiquity as politics), The Last Temptation of Christ or Ben Hur (Antiquity used for a religious message), and Passolini's Medea (I still have to invent a reason).

You could just show the 1958 Ben-Hur Jona, it covers all your topics by itself!

Violence = Real amputees used in the naval battle! The chariot race.

Politics = "Look to the west"; an Arab with the Star of David " win for your people and mine"; Messala asking Judah Ben Hur to "name names." very 50's America!

Religion = conversions to Christianity.

Graham.

[Memmia]

"Night at the Museum"- as a friday afternoon treat for a year 7 class. Nice, chilled out way to end the week. 8)

[Dutchhoplite]

-Midnight meat train, about people getting killed in a gruesome way 8)

-Hellboy II, about Hellboy 8)

[Narukami]

At the Cinema: Watchmen

An interesting film

I have not read the graphic novel and know little of the story other than what the trailer and publicity have put out.

Once again Zack Snyder has shown himself to be a supreme stylist and indeed much of the film feels like a triumph of style over substance, and yet there is substance there. Over all I enjoyed this film much more than his 300, perhaps because I have no vested interest in the story or how it is told. I will say that this is perhaps the most ambitious film I have seen in some time. Not the best by any means, but the most ambitious.

By the same token this film deserves the R rating it has received, but that's fine by me. Likewise I have no problem with the nearly 3 hour run time, at no point did I think it was running long. A couple of times I thought we had reached the end only to have another scene and perhaps it might have ended sooner, but all in all it works.

They did leave themselves an opening for a sequel but Snyder has voiced his opposition to doing one and in this I think he is quite correct.

At one point the Night Owl and the Comedian are attempting to quell a riot that has broken out during a police strike. To the dismay of Owl the Comedian is making liberal use of his shotgun on the rioters. The Owl laments "What happened to us? What happened to the American Dream?" The Comedian responds with no joy, "This is the American dream."

As I said, an interesting film

:|

Narukami

[ParthianBow]

Slumdog Millionaire - very good. But as so often, when something's hyped up beyond all belief, it disappointed. Could have been so much better. The cinematography however, is outstanding. Gives a good, gritty idea of what India is like for the masses ( not been there, but I've been to Pakistan, which I think is pretty similar).

[Libitina]

I also saw Watchmen and it wasn't bad. It hasn't "stayed with me" though like some films can and equally I've not read the novel. I found I didn't particularly care about any of the characters which never helps.

I have finally seen The Dark Knight (slow, I know) and watched it twice so far. Not overly keen on Batman but The Joker was fantastic. Probably the best character I've seen in any film for a long time. I think without him I'd have found it a bit boring to be honest :|

[Narukami]

At the Cinema: Race To Witch Mountain.

Perhaps the lest ambitious film I have seen in quite some time, but the grandson enjoyed it so it was worth the price of admission.

Of more interest were the trailers for three films due out this year. Keep an eye on these films:

Monsters Vs. Aliens -- due out soon, looks amusing

Battle For Terra -- may actually pull off the story that Titan A.E. could not

Up -- the latest from Pixar. Looks like they have another hit on their hands. What a record this company has amassed. Their winning streak will end some day (as all things do) but their string of hits will be hard to beat.

:wink:

Narukami

[Jona Lendering]

Mel Brooks' disastrously unfunny History of the World, Part I. I can not remember one good joke.

[Narukami]

I remember just one:

Coming Soon! History of the World Part Two.

See -- Hitler on Ice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybuKQf9p5jg

As is often the case, the trailer is better than the actual film.

:?

Narukami