Vic Sage

When McConaghy is watching the taped messages from his son and daughter as they grow up without him, and then later, seeing his daughter think the worst of him, and then finally meeting her again at the end... well, i lost it. each time. Most SF films don't bother with stuff like "character" or "emotional context". If you watch "2001" (which this movie sort of quotes, visually), you can see the stately, cerebral approach to SF is in this picture's DNA, but it goes beyond that. For an epic space/time picture, it spends its first hour or so on Earth, defining the stakes but, mostly, developing the characters, so you care about the outcome later on. Without getting into all the timey wimey stuff, which always makes my head hurt, I thought the movie worked pretty darn well.

it was brutal, but i liked it alot.

I thought it was a pretty solid entertainment of that genre. I generally like Emily Blunt. I'm looking forward to her in the upcoming adaption of INTO THE WOODS this Christmas.

Child isn't playing with toys anymore, she's always on her iPad or playing video games with super graphics. Woody and the gang lament the loss of imagination and venture to try to cultivate it in their child. Irony. Right. But we don't get that here.

You know who this is. It's Carol Danvers, the former Ms. Marvel. The source of X-Man Rogue's powers/initial existential crisis. Yes, i literally know who she is, i just don't KNOW-know, you know? She has no emotional identity for me; she came along too late for me to care. I mean, i remember her popping up in Captain Marvel in the 60s, and then getting her own series as "Ms. Marvel" in the 70s, but that book was pretty lame. Later, she got raped in an Avengers story, crossed over with the X-Men, and then became different characters (like Binary and Warhawk) in more recent decades. Now she has been reclaimed as "Captain Marvel". Well, I knew Captain Marvel. I read Captain Marvel. And, sir, I say that this Danvers broad is no Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel is dead. Sure, she may be a woman with Kree powers, but she can bugger off, for all i care.

RealityChuck wrote: It's risky. If a movie flops, it can cause a chain reaction of flops. Also, there's the risk that the entire superhero genre becomes oversaturated. It's not risky at all. They're not making the films simultaneously; its a planned schedule. Just because they announced those films doesn't mean they have to make them. If the genre starts to tank, they can just stop. As for the slate itself: Cumberbatch is a perfect choice for Dr. Strange, but i'm not excited about the guy who played Jackie Robinson being cast as Black Panther. He was nothing special. I was hoping they'd go with Chiwetel Ejiofor. As for Ms. (Captain) Marvel, the only Captain Marvel i ever cared about was a Kree warrior who died of cancer. I don't who this chick is. That being said, If they cast Katee Sachoff, i'm in. As for an Infinity War movie, the only issue for me is who they get to play Adam Warlock, one of my all-time faves and a key figure in the cosmic corner of the marvel universe. A golden god grown in a cocoon, the height of physical perfection, Warlock is a messianic figure with a vampiric soul jem on his forehead that has a will of its own, and he's the hero who finally vanquished Thanos. I'm thinking Alexander Skarsgård. I'm also excited about an Inhumans movie; they've always been some of my favorite characters... the royal family includes a shapely broad with flaming red hair that's ALIVE! I mean, its all my fetishes rolled into one. And Black Bolt is one of the great figures in Marvel history. Regal and silent, forever holding back a power that can shatter the world, forever holding back a mad brother who wants to conquer the world. Who would i cast? I'm not sure yet. I have to think about this one. Maybe, since the character is mute, you could go with a big body, like a Randy Orton, who has film experience and would look great in the suit and doesn't have to speak any lines.

i laughed my ass off and appreciated the self-deprecating mockery of pretentious Hollywood bullshit.

i was there and Trops did ok... just well enough to lose.

I bought the soundtrack, too, and have no complaints. It has all the songs that were in the movie...that's all i want from a soundtrack. And i thought the labeling of it as "Awesome Mix, Vol.1", in reference to the movie, was nifty. It's true, 2 of the songs were shown in the fil to be on "Mix V2", and that could have been easily addressed in liner notes that said "as a bonus, we're including 2 extra songs from Mix 2". Maybe they did that; i didn't check. Do record companies even bother creating "liner notes" anymore? Do you only get them if you buy a hard copy of the music? As for an audio tape version, maybe if it sells well enough, they'll do that. Is there really a market for that now? I had no idea. Maybe the technology has changed alot, i don't know, but tape used to be a poor 2nd choice to vinyl, and used only for its portability. Now, downloads (and even CDs) have better portability, while delivering superior sound. I know vinyl is still around, because it gives you a different audio experience (and some would argue a better one) than digital, and an album is a better package (bigger cover art, inserts, liner notes, etc, plus the utility of double-albums to clean your weed), but i can't imagine audio tape is an equivalent (or even good) audio version of the music. It has the reproduction quality of a VHS with the small packaging of a CD. Why would tape, or 8-track, or victrola cylinders, be popular now, beyond hipsterish iconoclasm? I guess the tech has really changed that much.

Yes, there are some early laughs, but the first 1/2 plays mostly like a not-so-hilarious satire that i thought was less successful than the poignant love story it becomes during the 2nd half. Carrell's hangdog loser sleepwalking through the last days of life on Earth is a performance that drags down the energy of the early satirical elements. But as he evolves into a romantic character, his energy begins to match Knightly, which makes the love story work. The movie is a bit schizophrenic in that way, and if you just watched the first 1/2 (well, maybe first 1/3), you'd have a very different idea about the tone and nature of this movie than if you'd seen the 2nd part.

It starts pretty slowly, but as the romantic tragedy of the 2nd half unfolds, I was totally smitten by it. The final moments are simultaneously beautifully uplifting and terribly sad, and well worth the journey. As for Mr. Sheen's flight, sorry but thinking about the fuel capacity of his plane was not the first (or even last) thought i had while watching this love story wind toward its inevitable conclusion. Maybe he was going to make a pit stop on a newly risen Atlantis.

Edgy MD wrote: For nine fucking innings?! [youtube]U3ZUPR1mPeQ[/youtube] Ellis is So High on the Diamond (To the tune of �Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds� by Lennon / McCartney) Picture him now on the mound at Three Rivers With two base-runners starting, and threatening skies The umpire calls him, he answers quite slowly He�s the guy with 2 pinwheels for eyes With the sweat soaking through the yellow and black Wiping his brow, he looks in for a sign He stares like a guy with the sun in his eyes He's so gone Ellis is so high on the diamond Ellis is so high on the diamond Ellis is so high on the diamond Aaaahhhhhh..... He stands in the dugout, takes a sip at the fountain He got out of the inning to his great surprise His teammates all grin as he drifts past them, smiling He is so incredibly high Newspaper writers appear at his stall Anxious to drive him away They tear at him, frenzied, blood in the water� He�s gone. Ellis is so high on the diamond Ellis is so high on the diamond Ellis is so high on the diamond Aaaahhhhhh..... Picture the man on a train leaving Pittsburgh With the sealed plastic cups packed in with his ties Suddenly something is there by the turnstile But the drug-sniffing dog lets him by Ellis was so high on the diamond Ellis was so high on the diamond Ellis was so high on the diamond Aaaahhhhhh.....

Here's the thread with discussion of his films: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=21686

and i left out a bunch, too.

Robin Williams selected filmography: The 80s --------------- Popeye (1980)- Williams 1st major film role was a total flop musical adaptation of the comic strip, mis-directed by Robert Altman, with somber songs by Harry Nillson. the movie's general weirdness, and Nilllson's songs, have developed a bit of a cult reputation for it. The World According to Garp (1982) - Williams shines in this tragicomedy, beautifully adapted from the picaresque Irving novel by George Roy Hill, earning Oscar nominations for Glenn Close and John Lithgow. The Survivors (1983) - This comic misfire by Michael Ritchie teamed Williams with Walter Matthau to less than spectacular results. Moscow on the Hudson(1984) - Williams got a Golden Globe nomination as a Russian musician defecting in NYC in this sweet Paul Mazursky film. Club Paradise (1986) - This Harold Ramis "comedy" is a blight on the career of Peter O'Toole. The Best of Times (1986) - Williams teams with Kurt Russell in a comedy about guys trying to rewrite their high school football failures with one last big game. Pedestrian, but the Ron Shelton script gives it a whiff of authentic jockitude. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) - Williams's biggest critical and commercial hit to this point, he won a Golden Globe and got an Oscar nomination for his performance as an irreverent Vietnam War Armed Forces DJ, directed by Barry Levinson. Its the first time a director figured out how to let Williams be Williams on screen, and it relaunched Williams' career as not only an actor but as a movie star. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) - Terry Gilliam's surreal fantasy features a great cameo by Williams as the king of the moon in an otherwise earthbound piece of whimsy. Dead Poets Society (1989) - Peter Weir directed this old fashioned "inspiring teacher" tale that earned big BO and a pocketful of awards, including Oscar and Globe nominations for Williams; it's not my favorite Weir or Williams film and is too polite by half, but its a solid entertainment despite the hollow platitudes of its Oscar-winning script. The 90s -------------------- Cadillac Man (1990) - Williams teams with Tim Robbins in this unfunny comedy about a car salesman trying to talk a gun-toting biker, insane with jealousy, out of shooting up the car dealership, and so redeem his crappy life. Awakenings (1990) - Williams got a GGlobe nomination opposite Robert DeNiro, playing it straight in this medical drama based on a true story, directed with heavy-handed obviousness and piety by Penny (Laverne) Marshall. Her brother Gary had originally launched Robin's TV career with HAPPY DAYS and MORK. Dead Again (1991 ) - Williams is great in a small part as a doctor involved in Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson's comic noir about reincarnated lovers. It came and went, but has evolved a solid critical and cult rep. The Fisher King (1991) - Re-teaming with Terry Gilliam, Williams got a GG award and an Oscar nomination opposite Jeff Bridges, as a man driven insane by tragic loss who inspires a cynical, broken radio shock jock into committing an act of faith. A story of friendship, trauma, love and redemption, and the best film of his career. Gilliam, working from an Oscar winning script by Richard LaGravenese, made his second look at the Grail legend into his most coherent and moving film. Hook (1991) - Overproduced, underwhelming Peter Pan sequel by Spielberg was a hit, with Williams as a grown up Pan who has forgotten who he is, Dustin Hoffman chewing the scenery as Captain Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tink. The movie isn't directed, it's art directed. Neverland is a candy-colored theme park, and the action is slapdash. Still, there is something that resonates about a father who has to reclaim his youthful spirit in order to save his children. Toys(1992) - Another triumph of art direction over narrative, this time Williams re-teams with Barry Levinson in an over-stylized, incomprehensibly allegorical example of lead-footed whimsy. It does have a good soundrack, though, and i always like Joan Cusack. Aladdin (1992) - Williams' genie is a special effect that launched this otherwise mediocre Disney cartoon into the stratosphere on the wings of a few great Alan Menken songs. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Williams won a Golden Globe for this cross-dressing TOOTSIE-style comedy about a divorced dad trying to spend time with his kids and keep a job. It was a mega-hit, the biggest of Williams' career. But the film, by hackmeister Chris Columbus, lacks the teeth to deal with divorce honestly, and it overly sentimentalizes everything. Still, it's entertaining in its own manipulative way.There was a sequel being written but that project is now likely cancelled with his death. But there is still a Broadway musical adaptation being developed. Being Human (1994) - Terrific Scot director Bill Forsyth (LOCAL HERO) couldn't execute the ambition of his own screenplay in this disappointing film with Williams as a single soul reincarnated throughout history. Jumanji (1995) - This family fantasy adventure about a magical board game is almost overwhelmed by its effects, but it retains its heart, thanks to Williams and Bonnie Hunt. Nine Months (1995) - Chris Columbus strikes again, with a Hugh Grant romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor particularly comic, except for Williams in a supporting role as a mad Russian obstetrician. Jack (1995) - Francis Ford Coppola crashed and burned with this comic drama about a child with premature aging who becomes Robin Williams, in the style of BIG-type body-switching comedies. The problem was the comedy wasn't funny and the drama wasn't dramatic, and Coppola clearly had no interest in this crap. The Birdcage (1996) - This Mike Nichols remake of the French comedy LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is a hilarious adaptation, teaming Williams with Nathan Lane as a gay couple running a drag nightclub in south beach, pretending to be straight married couple when they host their son's fiance and future in-laws (conservative politician played by Gene Hackman). Its funny and poignant, and was a huge hit. Williams is actually the "straight man" for Lane's amazingly over the top yet touching drag queen. Hank Azaria's houseboy is a comic gem of a performance. Good Will Hunting (1997) - Williams finally won an Oscar for his supporting performance as the psychologist to Matt Damon's southie savant. The Damon-Affleck script and performances offer surprisingly strong context for Williams' sort of working-class headshrinker. Flubber (1997) - Disney remake based on a John Hughes script; it was a hit, but just awful on every level. Fathers' Day (1997) - If one French adaptation with Williams worked, why not another? Here, Williams and Billy Crystal remake LES COMPRERES in a film by Ivan Reitman, and it doesn't work at all. Patch Adams (1998) - Williams got another Globe nomination for this mediocre dramedy about a doctor who challenges the medical establishment and wants to heal through humor. Ugh. Even the real Patch Adams hated it. What Dreams May Come (1998) Based on a classic story by legendary SF/fantasy writer Richard Matheson, this deeply affecting story of love after death offers a ravishing vision of the afterworld that won Oscars for its art direction and visual effects. I know some have a problem with this movie, but it left me bawling like an infant. Bicentennial Man (1999) - The ineluctable Chris Columbus pops up once more to nearly ruin this Asimov story of a robot on his journey towards personhood, but Williams snatches it away and steers it safely to harbor within the human heart. Like WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, many view this as mawkish and overly sentimental, and i cannot argue. But it worked for me. Jacob the Liar (1999) - wow, was this a bad idea. If LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, then JACOB is decidedly not. The new millenium --------------- Insomnia (2002) - Chris Nolan adapted a Norwegian thriller, with Williams as a serial killer in Alaska and Al Pacino as a corrupt cop in pursuit. The film was well received, and Williams was a chilling psycho, but it felt lethargic and meandering to me. Death to Smoochy (2002) - Danny DeVito's black comedy about a corrupt and murderous kiddie show host was a total disaster on every level, but its undiluted and uncompromising misanthropy has made this something of a cult film over the years. One Hour Photo (2002) - Like INSOMNIA, Williams again plays a psycho stalking a family he thinks he is a part of. Reminiscent in some ways of TAXI DRIVER, it was a low budget indie thriller that made some money and has earned a critical reputation. The Final Cut (2004) - This European SF drama raises issues of privacy, surveillance and memory, but doesn't dramatize them, and is just dull and obscure. Robots (2005) - An amusing CGI-animated SF feature, with Williams in a solid supporting role as a broken down robot. Man of the Year (2006) - The third time is not the charm for Williams as he re-teams with Barry Levinson for this wan political satire that lacks bite and loses its focus. Night at the Museum (2006) - This hit family fantasy with Ben Stiller features Williams in a solid supporting performance as Teddy Roosevelt. Not memorable, but not bad. Williams reprises the role in the film's 2 sequels, which are even less memorable and much less "not bad". Happy Feet (2006) - Williams is great as a latin penguin in George (The Road Warrior) Miller's CGI animated conservation movie and its sequel. RV (2006) - mildly amusing family comedy by Barry Sonnenfeld, with workaholic Williams learning the value of "family" on a disastrous vacation. August Rush (2007) - Williams as a Fagin-like figure, exploiting the musical talents of runaways, including a savant orphan who believes his parents are alive and looking for him in NYC. Like many Williams dramas, its schmaltzy and sentimental, but its supposed to be, so your tolerance for that will dictate your reaction. But our human interconnectedness through music is a compelling theme regardless. World's Greatest Dad (2009) This underrated and overlooked black comedy by Bobcat Goldthwait about a father exploiting the death of his own son is a perverse little gem of social satire. Old Dogs (2009) - Instead of 3 MEN AND A BABY, it's 2 IDIOTS AND SOME TWINS, with Williams and John Travolta in as bad a movie as Williams ever made.

The problem with DEAD AGAIN and MUNCHAUSEN, in this context, is that they're not really Robin Williams films. Williams isn't even giving a supporting performance in these movies; his roles are little more than glorified cameos. But he does make a big impact in them (or, as he says in ALADDIN: ""Phenomenal cosmic power...itty bitty living space"), so they are certainly worth mentioning. As for BEST OF TIMES, i had originally included it among my double feature list with CADILLAC MAN, as pedestrian comedies about a guy desperately trying to overcome one bad day. But neither of these movies is very good, nor were they particularly successful or acclaimed, so i ignored them, along with comedies like NINE MONTHS, CLUB PARADISE, JACK, FATHER'S DAY, FLUBBER, RV, and MAN OF THE YEAR, and the dramas BEING HUMAN,NIGHT LISTENER, THE FINAL CUT and the uncategorizable DEATH TO SMOOCHY.

My Top 10 (in order): Fisher King World According to Garp The Birdcage Good Morning, Vietnam Aladdin Good Will Hunting Dead Poets Society Moscow on the Hudson Mrs. Doubtfire Awakenings The next 10 (some personal faves): Happy Feet Jumanji What Dreams May Come Bicentennial Man one hour photo Insomnia World's Greatest Dad Baron Munchausen Toys Popeye The Robin Williams film festival: 12 weeks of double features! FISHER KING GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM - The impact of radio on the worlds of Mr. Williams THE BIRDCAGE MRS. DOUBTFIRE - He's a gay man and a cross dresser, trying to get his kid's approval GOOD WILL HUNTING DEAD POETS SOCIETY - He inspires us,as a doctor and a teacher WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP WORLD'S GREATEST DAD - In both, he's a writer whose son meets a tragicomic end WHAT DREAMS MAY COME BICENNTENNIAL MAN - Triumph of the human spirit over non-human circumstances (either dead or a robot) in these SF/Fantasies JUMANJI HOOK - Trying to recover his lost youth in this pair of fantasies MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON AUGUST RUSH - He's a musician in NYC AWAKENINGS PATCH ADAMS - He's a doctor, working miracles ALADDIN POPEYE - Williams sings as cartoon characters ONE HOUR PHOTO INSOMNIA -Williams in psycho-thrillers TOYS BARON MUNCHAUSEN - Whimsy runs amok HAPPY FEET ROBOTS - supporting roles in animated features

I loved it. My son and I saw it twice over the weekend. Even my wife liked it, and she has a lower tolerance for this sort of thing. It's a great marvel movie, 2nd only to Avengers (and not by much). Despite the references here to SPACEBALLS and FLASH GORDON, do not think that this is a spoof, satire, or camp in any way. Sure, it mocks some SF and superhero tropes, but that's not its focus. It's an action comedy, with a bit of pathos. The action is well done, the comedy is laugh-out-loud funny, the characters have back-stories, leading to some touching moments. The terrific use of music to define character, set mood, even furthering the action, is unique for this genre. And the visuals are, as you would expect, pretty grand. No, these are not the Guardians i grew up with, except Yondu, whose character is totally different here but for the name, blue skin and mohawk. There is no Charlie-27, or Martinex, or Starhawk, or Vance Astro. But the presence of Thanos, Ronan, Nebula and Gamora and the Collector provide a sufficient nostalgia factor. Starlord, too, was a 70s character, connected to the Guardians. And the cameo after the credits made my 12-year old self giddy. The movie isn't flawless; some of the attempts at sentiment are maudlin and heavy handed. The storyline, while pretty straightforward, does a poor job of explaining the infinity stones (one of which is the core of the tale), and it leaves some storylines open for the inevitable sequel, which is a device i don't much care for. And the acting is not always entirely convincing, particularly Chris Pratt in the lead as StarLord. He's OK, but everything sounds like sarcasm coming from him, so his attempts at heroic speeches are undercut by his tone. But Bradley Cooper's vocal performance as Rocket Racoon is spot on, and i always like Zoe Saldana, whether her skin is green, blue or her more natural dark tan. two thumbs way up on this one.

from an earlier thread: The films of Peter Weir Peter Lindsay Weir (b.1944) is an Australian filmmaker of limited output and limitless talent and imagination. A poet of magical realism, he finds the mysterious in the mundane, sees the heroism in the outsider, and the greatness in the primitive. He speaks of the spiritual dangers to the individual, particularly in "progress" and reliance on technology and the consequent loss of mystery in our universe. He started out in Aussie TV, documentaries and short films in the `60s and `70s, before making a string of feature films of great critical acclaim that helped launch the "Australian New Wave", along with filmmakers Bruce Beresford, Gillian Armstrong, George Miller and Phillip Noyce, making Australia an important exporter of movies to the International markets (especially the U.S.). The Australian films: The Cars That Ate Paris (aka The Cars That Eat People) (1974) - His first feature, a low-budget black comedy/horror film about a small town that caused car accidents and lived off the consequences. The film's unique POV has allowed it to develop a cult following, but it was badly shot and recorded, and looks and sounds like crap. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) - Victorian school girls disappear after a picnic in the outback; it's slow, ponderous, and deeply profound. It establishes many themes he'd return to -- the dichotomy between westerners and the natural world (including aboriginal peoples); the existence of unanswerable mystery; sexual longing; effects of tragedy on communities. It's also beautifully shot and scored. It's languorous pacing and refusal to provide easy answers doomed it to marginality but is a beautiful piece of art nonetheless. The Last Wave (1977) - A rational man is confronted with the irrational -- a premonition of impending disaster. Richard Chamberlain is the lawyer for an aboriginal defendant in a murder trial. His life spirals out of control as dreams and premonitions take him over. Again, Weir is dealing with the mysterious in the mundane, but this time gives an answer -- it's just not a very happy one. To call it dreamlike is to be redundant. Gallipoli (1981) - Weir offers us an emotional and visually arresting WWI epic based on historical events, suggesting again much that was in HANGING ROCK -- the same 1900s era, Victorian culture and rituals, and a profound loss of innocence for young protagonists. This same lost innocence is suffered by the nation as a result of the use by the Brits of the Australian forces as cannon fodder in the war against the Turks. It features a young Mel Gibson (best known at that point for MAD MAX, the first of which did not get much play outside Australia), a terrific score (particularly the use of the electronic music from Jarre's "OXYGENE" during the running scenes), and a heartbreaking condemnation of nationalism and militarism. Hollywood: GALLIPOLI is often ranked as the greatest film to come out of the Australian New Wave (then or since), and it would be hard to argue, even if I were inclined to do so -- and I'm not. Its international success allowed Weir to move his career outside of Australia and so began his Int'l/US filmmaking career. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) - An international co-production, Gibson returns as Weir's outsider looking at a non-western culture through his western eyes. The political intrigue of 60s Jakarta is background for the romance between Gibson's foreign correspondent and Sigourney Weaver's Brit diplomat, with Linda Hunt's Oscar-winning performance as the Chinese-Australian "fixer" who befriends Gibson; her portrayal introduces the spiritual mysteries so prevalent in Weir's work, yet Hunt's performance transcends mere symbolism and invests the movie with a humanity that resonates when she/he confronts a betrayal that results in tragedy. If the movie doesn't quite work, and it doesn't, it�s not for lack of ambition. Witness (1985) - Weir hits the motherlode in Hollywood with Harrison Ford as a cop, the rational westerner, among the primitives (this time, the Amish). The purity of their communal values heal him, and redeem him, and make him fit for heroic action. But like Ethan Edwards in THE SEARCHERS, he is a man of violence, and while he is necessary to protect the community, he can never be a part of it. The movie works as "star-crossed lovers" tale, too, with Kelly McGillis never better as the hot Amish fraulein awakened to her own sexuality by the outsider. Russian dancer Alexander Godunov gives a strikingly strong supporting performance, as well, striding through the wheat fields that move like ocean waves. And the wide eyes of Lukas Haas are practically a special effect of innocence. In what could have just been another cop-movie shoot-em-up, Weir transcended the genre. He and the film were nominated for a hatful of Oscars, and it was his biggest BO hit to that point, establishing him as a "Hollywood filmmaker". The Mosquito Coast (1986) - Reteaming with Ford, Weir once again puts the western man into a primitive world. Ford, working with a great cast including Helen Mirren and River Phoenix, realistically renders an intensely unlikeable character whose obsessions leave his family nearly destroyed in a central American jungle, as his inventions destroy the utopia he had hoped to establish there. Fraught with imagery and emotion, the movie offers no connection to an audience, demonstrating Weir's Achilles Heal as a storyteller -- the propensity to sacrifice character and narrative for visuals and themes and, in so doing, leaving the audience behind. Where PICNIC was ponderous, COAST is turgid; where WAVE was dreamlike, COAST is feverish and incoherent; where YEAR is mythic, COAST is dull; and where WITNESS is romantic, COAST is depressing. Probably the biggest misfire for both Weir and Ford�s careers to that point. Dead Poets Society (1989) � Weir bounced back from COAST with a well manicured depiction of oh so safe youthful nonconformity at a private school, with Robin Williams doing one of his �serious� roles as a poetry teacher urging his youthful charges to �seize the day�. The film is well shot, but too polite by half. Still, it was hugely successful and acclaimed, award-winning too, and not too bad an example of the �great teacher� sub-genre. Still, it indicates a direction towards audience pleasing that had been noticeably absent from Weir�s career to that point� a tendency that would ebb and flow over the following years, and not always to the benefit of his films. Green Card (1990) � In full blown �audience pleasing� mode, Weir made this slight romantic comedy with the great French actor, Gerard Depardieu, whose English was only slightly better than that of model/actress Andie McDowell. Weir is to comedy what dancing is to architecture. Fearless (1993) � Weir bounces back once again with his best film since WITNESS. This time he guides Jeff Bridges through the unspoken mysteries of existence, as the survivor of an airplane crash whose new sense of invincibility has distanced him from his family even as it�s bonded him to fellow survivor Rosie Perez, giving an Oscar-nominated performance. This is Weir at his most heartachingly profound. The Truman Show (1998) � Jim Carrey is perfectly cast as the unwitting star of a reality series about his life since birth. Weir�s satire brilliantly balances the mundane and the fantastic, the comic and melodramatic, the real and the unreal, and by so doing, created a prophetic condemnation of media control of culture. It�s also another example of Weir�s plea for youthful nonconformity in the face of society�s oppressive forces, a drum he�d been beating since PICNIC. With all this going on, the film is surprisingly restrained and grown up, and features one of Carrey�s best performances. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) � Back to audience pleasing, this time with Russell Crowe in the Mel Gibson swashbuckling role, Weir tries to pull off epic sea adventure series with sequel potential, but can�t help subverting his efforts by employing ambivalent characters with other things on their mind. As a result, it was less successful than it might otherwise have been, and no sequels resulted. It is a solid entertainment, though, but it�s an incongruent work from Weir, with its square-jawed support of the military elite very much at odds with his work on GALLIPOLI. It feels like a work-for-hire project he did for the money, with little connection to the themes in his other films. After many years of projects that failed to develop, the only film Weir has made in the last decade was The Way Back(2010), a film he wrote and directed based on a true story about a group of WWII prisoners escaping Siberia on a 4,000 mile trek through harsh environs. I have not seen it, but its critical reputation is that of an unrelenting, austere epic of survival, but Colin Ferrell is no Gibson or Crowe, and it's felt that, ultimately, its lack of characterization or emotional resonance did it in for audiences who virtually ignored it. But even as he approaches 70, Peter Weir remains one of cinema's true visionaries -- an artist painting images of magic and daring on a broad canvas -- and i always look forward to the next one. He�s just been announced as helmer for a contemporary gothic thriller called "The Keep," adapting Jennifer Egan's 2006 bestseller. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118054327, scheduled to start shooting next spring, but we�ll see. It sounds like promising material for him, but his projects have a way of falling apart. With only 13 films in his 37 year career to date, Weir has been less than prolific, but, as Spencer Tracey said of Katherine Hepburn (in PAT & MIKE), �there ain�t much meat on her, but what�s there is cherce.�

i stumbled over this title while i was researching WWII movie list. I was unaware of it. I plan to check it out because its Peter Weir, who is the girl with the curl. When he is good, he is very very good, and when he's bad, he's horrid.

i liked it alot; my son loved it. As he said, "apes on horses with machine guns... cool!" Sorry, Elster, but I don't have the time (or energy) to do a lengthy analysis of the film. I will opine that DAWN is a follow-up that is superior to its predecessor in many ways (e.g., this one has very little James Franco), and Andy Sirkis deserves an Oscar for a performance that may not even be eligible. That being said, i wished they had taken the time to develop the human characters and relationships as much as those of the apes. But it is a story where Caesar the ape is the protagonist, and the humans are just there for him to interact with, which allows him to grow. The humans are just plot points. And it didn't have to be that way. Still, it's really good, surprisingly moving, with beautifully shot and staged action scenes... and if you're going to give me a shot of an evil ape on horseback riding through flames, shooting machine guns with both hands, i'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Totally agree with Edgy's analysis. I may have just liked this more. Growing up in a beach community, it resonated with me. And i liked the Andersonian tone [some folks don't]. Maybe i'm gay for Sam Rockwell. [NTTAWWT]. I just watched MOON and loved that, too.

Edgy MD wrote: Interesting that he blew his marriage up not over some gimlet-eyed climbing starlet, but over somebody funny. Arden was just one of the women with whom he had affairs. It was also rumored that his wife was not thrilled by Mr. Kaye's homosexual affairs, either. Its been a long-standing theory that Kaye and Laurence Olivier had a 10-year affair throughout the 1950s, while Olivier was marred to Vivien Leigh. She claimed it was Kaye who broke up her marriage (but she was mentally unstable, so who knows). NTTAWWT

Edgy MD wrote: Well, by all means, take the day off from work and watch The Court Jester. I remember seeing footage of Kaye entertaining destitute European children during the post-war relief period, doing the mock-European accents that he (and Sid Ceaser) did so well. I don't know how well such humor would go over today, but you must pretty damn funny to make kids crack up by talking a jibberish version of their own language to demonstrate what it sounds like to you. Pretty funny how many of his performances were of the dual role/milquetoast-bully variety. yes, I'd agree that COURT JESTER is the one to watch, if you're only going to watch one (if you were willing to watch 3, I'd also recommend dd INSPECTOR GENERAL and HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON). Kaye worked a lot with kids, through UNICEF and other charitable work. Kids were his primary focus. As to the gibberish, kids have always found funny sounds funny, and i think it'd still be true today. Maybe his and Sid Ceasar's talent for it could be accounted for by the fact that they both grew up poor in NYC, living in polyglot enclaves where they were exposed to the sounds of foreign languages and dialects all day every day. Or not. Just a thought. There were many other entertainers from that background who never employed the technique. As for the dual role motif, yes, its the primary narrative device in many of his films (even his first one, UP IN ARMS, while primarily a rom-com and a service comedy, has a story that turns on his impersonation of an enemy general). I think it allowed him to demonstrate his range, playing the weakling and the hero simultaneously. He was like the comedy teams of his era -- Hope & Crosby, Martin & Lewis -- but all in one. He was the both the lover and the clown, and the conflict between those 2 roles often provided the comic, dramatic and romantic tension for his films. I do think, however, he became too reliant on the conceit, and rather than demonstrating his range, i think its success as a story device ultimately limited him to that formula more than was good for his film career.

no. Larry was a "Feinberg" from Philly; she was a "Fine" from Brooklyn.