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Post by Pina on Aug 3, 2004 15:10:58 GMT
 I don't know if you've seen the original... but this version is the original ON ACID! It's been tweaked considerably and there is a completely different twist to the story. This "remake" is supposed to be a satire of American TV but it just doesn't quite make it. I think the new version also tried to be politically correct, in the sense that they did not want the town of Stepford to seem like the Ku Klux Klan notion of an ideal town (no blacks, no Jews and no gays), so they made sure to include them and to have the characters state emphatically, "We welcome everyone here!" I didn't like Nicole Kidman's performance. In fact, I think she tried to act too much like Meg Ryan. Matthew Broderick is just creepy and annoying. Christopher Walken is booooring!!! But Glenn Close is pretty good and Roger Bart, who plays the gay confidante, is fantastic! Save your pennies, wait for the video and watch it when you're in the mood for fluff.  |
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Post by Pina on Sept 5, 2004 16:19:39 GMT
THE VILLAGEIf you like M. Night Shyamalan's movies, especially The Sixth Sense, then you'll probably like this one. It is a bit slow in places but I liked it overall.  Newcomer actress Bryce Dallas Howard was really good in the film!  THE TERMINAL Tom Hanks is great but I just couldn't get past the whole implausible plot. It's an enjoyable movie but you're better off waiting for the video. And Catherine Zeta-Jones is annoying.   THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICKIf you're a fan of science fiction, you'll like this (the special effects are amazing) but you will have to get past Vin Diesel's horrific acting. Actually, the whole cast is pretty bad, with the possible exception of bad-guy Colm Feore (the sinister Lord Marshal). And as Willow would say, it's a real cheesefest! ;D  Colm Feore 
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Post by conrad on Sept 5, 2004 16:24:47 GMT
Tom Hanks is great but I just couldn't get past the whole implausible plot. It's an enjoyable movie but you're better off waiting for the video. And Catherine Zeta-Jones is annoying. I read that the plot of the movie was based on a real incident. I remember reading that somewhere in a newspaper. |
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Post by Pina on Sept 5, 2004 16:35:16 GMT
I read that the plot of the movie was based on a real incident. I remember reading that somewhere in a newspaper. Yes, Conrad you are correct. Iranian Merhan Nasseri has been living at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for over 15 years. It is driving him insane! The real "Terminal" guy
Character who inspired the movie is still living at an airport
By Charles Sabine
Updated: 10:14 a.m. ET June 21, 2004
PARIS - It is poised to become one of the biggest movies of the year. “The Terminal” is a moving tale, where Tom Hanks plays the victim of the modern world.
That a man could spend months stuck in diplomatic limbo living in an airport may seem far-fetched, but in fact, the movie is inspired by a real-life character who is living at terminal one of Paris Charles De Gaulle airport.
The living urban legend is Merhan Nasseri, known as “Sir Alfred” to those who work at the airport. Stranded without papers, Nasseri is a stateless refugee from Iran, unwanted by any nation—in 1988.
A red plastic bench beside a luggage store has been his home for no less than 15 years. Director Steven Spielberg may have moved the airport to New York for his movie and made Hank’s character East European, but there’s no doubt who the movie is based on.
For Nasseri, time is punctuated by the rhythm of the flights. Alfred keeps the boxes that are his home meticulously clean. He shaves in the airport bathroom.
The setting of Nasseri’s surreal existence was irresistible to Spielberg. “Where in one room can you meet everybody from every single country on the face of the planet? It’s usually in an airport.”<br>
Nasseri is aware of the movie and is waiting for it to come out in Europe. He’s followed news about the movie through radio newspapers and magazines. Images of Tom Hanks portraying Viktor Navorski remind him of himself when he first arrived. Nasseri hopes that he’ll be able to see the movie when it opens in Paris. He even wants to meet Tom Hanks.
In the movie, Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a clumsy stewardess who falls for the hero’s simple charm. But for Nasseri, that’s just Hollywood. He has no girlfriend to send his journals, and no family or real friends outside the airport.
He does get mail, though, sometimes addressed simply to “Alfred, Charles de Gaulle airport.”<br>
Ironically, the snafu that caused his predicament has now been solved, and he has the papers to leave. The six-figure dollar sum the movie company has paid him should be enough to set him up. But still, his fragile mental state makes it difficult for him to imagine life outside. Nasseri says he’s lost confidence, and event rust for the people outside. He has spent some of his new-found money on a second set of clothes, and bought some more books—he has a BA is psychology—but otherwise, the money stays in the bank, and Nasseri, where he is.
So as Hollywood’s stars celebrate the premiere of “The Terminal,” the man who inspired it all was preparing for yet another night on the bench.msnbc.msn.com/id/5241336/ |
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Post by Pina on Sept 9, 2004 19:30:52 GMT
Super Size Me[/size] Absolutely fantastic documentary. You'll never eat at McDonald's again! (I'm so happy I don't eat there!)  Why are Americans so fat? Find out in Super Size Me, a tongue in-cheek - and burger in hand -- look at the legal, financial and physical costs of America's hunger for fast food.
Ominously, 37% of American children and adolescents are carrying too much fat and 2 out of every three adults are overweight or obese. Is it our fault for lacking self-control, or are the fast-food corporations to blame?
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock hit the road and interviewed experts in 20 U.S. cities, including Houston, the "Fattest City" in America. From Surgeon Generals to gym teachers, cooks to kids, lawmakers to legislators, these authorities shared their research, opinions and "gut feelings" on our ever-expanding girth.
During the journey, Spurlock also put his own body on the line, living on nothing but McDonald's for an entire month with three simple rules:
1) No options: he could only eat what was available over the counter (water included!)
2) No supersizing unless offered
3) No excuses: he had to eat every item on the menu at least once
It all adds up to a fat food bill, harrowing visits to the doctor, and compelling viewing for anyone who's ever wondered if man could live on fast food alone.www.supersizeme.com/
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Post by WILLOW on Sept 10, 2004 4:34:32 GMT
I just saw Supersize Me last week. It's excellent! There are a lot of really good and interesting documentaries lately. The Corporation, Fog of War....
All of them really encourage the viewer (well I can only speak for myself I guess) to live more consciously, be aware of the decisions and choices we make, and the impact they have on this world. Live on purpose, people!
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