Vic Sage

The scenic design was really impressive. And, as for the zombies, the whole new style of portraying them, ala 28 DAYS LATER and the remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD, is indeed much scarier than they've ever been. But the script and the storytelling left alot to be desired, dontcha think?

but its not just a good, gory action film... which it is. It's also a moving story about a young husband and father trying to return home, to save his family. And it's also a cautionary tale about the limits of empire... no matter how indomitable a people may be, a ship can pull into their harbor that will end their world. There is always a greater power out there, ready to bring down the apocalypse upon us, for our sins... an interesting message for a born-again christian. Maybe Brother Gibson is a prophet preparing us for the end of days.

Vic's review: It's no OMEGA MAN, that's for sure. and, in case you're wondering, that's not a compliment.

soupcan wrote: I liked 'Star 80'. well, I like it, too. I like any movie where mariel hemingway is naked.

Lincoln center is hosting an 8-film Bob Fosse festival over the christmas week: http://news.yahoo.com/s/playbill/20071220/en_playbill/113682;_ylt=Aoyo50ubZ4Vc_rU3.GFt0.IE1vAI "Give a Girl a Break" "My Sister Eileen" "The Pajama Game" "Sweet Charity" "Cabaret" "Lenny" "All That Jazz" "Star 80" Kiss Me, Kate (1953) - Not included in the festival, this 3-D adaptaton of the Broadway hit featured Fosse's first movie role and screen choreography (uncredited), appearing as "Hortensio" and choreographing his own dance. Give a Girl a Break (1953) - the same year, he co-starred in this obscure MGM tuner with Debbie Reynolds, again choreographing his own numbers. My Sister Eileen (1955) - another co-starring musical role, but this time he gets his first screen credit for choreography. The Pajama Game(1957) - he adapted his choreography from his first Broadway hit (and the first show he ever choreographed). Including his famous "steamed heat" number. Damn Yankees (1958) - Not included in the festival, he adapted his choreography from his next Broadway show, also a hit. He also has a dance number with his wife Gwen Verdon. Show features his "whatever Lola wants" number How to Succeed in Business in Business (1967)- Not included in the festival He was not involved in the film version, which just recreated his choreography. After "Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees", from 1956 - 1962, he worked mostly on Broadway, choreographing "Bells are ringing" (56), "New Girl in Town" (57), "Redhead" (59) (he also directed), "How to Succeed" (61), "Little Me" (62) (he also directed) and "Sweet Charity" (62) (also conceiving and directing). Sweet Charity (1969) - he directed and choreographed the movie adaptation of his Broadway hit, with Shirley MacLaine. features "Hey, Big Spender". Cabaret (1972) - Fosse directed and choreographed this film adaptation (a show he did NOT do on Broadway), and as a result pulled off the Director's Triple Crown in 1973, a still unmatched accomplishment. He received the Oscar for directing "Cabaret", the Tony for directing "Pippin" on Broadway, and an Emmy for directing the musical TV special "Liza with a Z", all in the same year. Never before, and never since. Lenny (1974) - Fosse's grounbreaking film work on the bio of Lenny Bruce earned him a host of other accolades. The Little Prince (1974) -Not included in the festival - the same year, Fosse was featured in a bizarre adaptation of this chldren's book, and his choreography and performance of "the snake" was memorable and not a little disturbing. During this period, he was also developing another Broadway musical for his estranged wife, Gwen Verdon, and "Chicago" came to Broadway in 1975. He tried for years to get a film adaptation going, but it never happened during his lifetime. Somewhere in this time of overwork, he had a near-fatal heart attack. As a result, he created his masterpiece. All That Jazz (1979) - Fosse tells the thinly veiled story of his life in spectacular musical theater terms. One of the greatest movie musicals ever made. Star 80 (1983) - he followed up with another biopic, this one of murdered Playmate Dorothy Stratton. Star 80 was neither a critical nor commercial success. Nor was his last Broadway musical, BIG DEAL. He died of another heart attack in 1986

Imagine a Grisham-style legal thriller, but with moral and emotional complexity and depth of character. Thougtful and compelling. Clooney is terrific. Tom Wilkenson even more so. highly recommended.

BEOWULF was pretty good, contrary to popular opinion. The movie, i mean. With a script by Neil Gaiman, one of the best fantasists of his generation, the story finally made some kind of sense to me. I wasn't crazy about the "motion-capture" style of animation, but it did allow them to create imagery that would've been impossible with live action. There's also a great song over the final credits, sung by Idina Menzel, "a hero always comes home".

oh, i get what it was trying to do. And i'm sure if i had stuck with it, it would've paid off to some degree. but unlike FAST TIMES, i just found the characters in SUPERBAD (while truthful in alot of ways) just so repellant, i didn't want to spend another conscious moment with them. You have shown a higher tolerance for such characters over the years, so this probably wasn't a big deal to you. But i could not tolerate the company of that fat, brillo-haired, mono-maniacal walking dildo for another second

i guess i'm getting old. I got about 1/2 way thru and had to turn it off. I liked KNOCKED UP alot more. maybe i was just too tired.

i hate to break it to you, mm, but 1) you don't happen to be in 1st place today (I am), but even if you were... 2) i will be on you like a cheap suit all season long! No retreat and, baby, no surrender.

This movie also has the added extra bonus of Ms. Tomei romping topless throughout. The TiTTS gives this one 2 thumbs up!

Well, considering i wasn't able to be there for the live draft, i kind of like the results of my auto-draft. Usually, those things are a disaster for me. but with Kobe, Iguodala and Gerald Wallace as my first 3 picks, i can't complain too much that my only point guard is Jameer Nelson. Anybody have a spare point guard?

ending is ending. climax is climax. 2 different things.

they didn't even list the "door closing" scene that the Godfather scene was an homage to... John Ford's THE SEARCHERS. Also, I love the ending to Frankenheimer's twilight zone-esque SECONDS.

comedy comes from truth. the "reality" of the movie (even if its not OUR reality) has to make internal sense. the fact is, they DID bring up abortion in 2 scenes, but the idea was dismissed without explanation. You don't need to give her a religious objection, necessarily, but you do need to set up her character in some way that her decision seems plausible. And yes, the baby is a legit reason for her to give the slob a shot, but there was never any real chemistry between those 2 people, or those 2 characters, so the idea that they would end up together seems just another plot contrivance. I'm not saying i didn't like the movie. There is enough humanity in it to make much of the comedy work. Its just not great, and this is why. OR at least, part of the reason why.

it was ok, not great. It would've been helped greatly by some Heiglian boobage. I thought her choice not to abhort seemed an unsupported plot contrivance, not a choice based on the nature of her character. That decision needed more rationale in the story. And I never bought their love story for a second. There didnt' seem any chemistry between either the actors or the characters. But given these fundamental problems, i still liked it. I preferred 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN because Steve Carrell is a wonderful comic actor, and his relationship wth Katherine Keener seemed only slightly implausible (as compared to KN0CKED UP, anyway.)

and (2) I was more productive than Paul LoDuca this year by sitting home and doing nothing. © Norrin Radd 2002 (?), all rights reserved.

Edgy DC wrote: What's catching worth? Well, LoDuca kept the ball from rolling to the backstop. So there was that.

Norrin/Vic actually gives you: 30 - Wright - MVP 29 - Beltran - up and down, but solid overall numbers 28 - Perez - while up and down a bit, he was the best pitcher on the team. 27 - Reyes - 2 great months, + 4 crappy ones. 26 - Maine - 2nd half slide leaves questions 25 - Delgado - he was finally getting hot when he got hurt near the end 24 - Hernandez - mostly great, when available 23 - Wagner - great 1st 3 months, lousy last 2 22 - Alou - Terrific for 1/2 a season 21 - Glavine - ERA+ = 96; 200 IP of total mediocrity 20 - Heilman - stronger in 2nd half 19 - Green - finished strongly, better OPS+ than Reyes 18 - Feliciano - great 1st half; but too many walks 17 - LoDuca - OPS+ = 81 16 - Milledge - solid as part-timer 15 - Easley - best 2bman, in limited time 14 - Castillo - okay 13 - Sosa - good start as SP, then crash; inconsistent in pen 12 - Castro - better than LoDuca, but hurt 11 - Gotay - good hitter from 1 side, glove erratic 10 - Martinez - great in 5 GS 9 - Anderson - great PHer, productive in limited role 8 - Smith - great start, then "boom" 7 - Pelfrey - still waiting 6 - Gomez - shows flashes of speed and leather 5 - Chavez - not much this year 4 - Schoeneweis - better in 2nd half, but crap overall 3 - Mota - crap from day 51 on 2 - Velentin - crap, then hurt 1 - Burgos - hurt

Frayed Knot wrote: Which leads us to the combined list: 30 - Wright 29 - Beltran 28 - Reyes 27 - Maine 26 - Perez 25 - Delgado 24 - Hernandez 23 - Wagner 22 - Glavine 21 - Alou 20 - Heilman 19 - LoDuca 18 - Feliciano 17 - Green 16 - Castillo 15 - Milledge 14 - Sosa 13 - Easley 12 - Castro 11 - Gotay 10 - Martinez 9 - Smith 8 - Anderson 7 - Pelfrey 6 - Chavez 5 - Gomez 4 - Schoeneweis 3 - Mota 2 - Velentin 1 - Burgos So go ahead, show me where I'm nuts. Perez was better than Maine overall, and Green was better than LoDuca. And whether Glavine's full season of mediocrity was slightly better or worse than Alou's abreviated season of excellence is also open to debate. Other than that, i agree with your list.

Well, i implied it, and you inferred it, but now i'll say it... DAYS OF THUNDER SUCKS. In fact, it sucks BHMC.

cuz they didn't cough up enough bucks for her to go topless... they didn't pay the Halle Berry "Swordfish" bonus... $5M/per boob.

Whatever Ridley Scott's multitudinous flaws, he is at least an artist with a point of view. He has themes that he explores in his films (with varying degrees of success), and his films have a personal quality to them, a "hand-crafted" quality, that bespeaks the presence of an artistic vision. Tony Scott, however, is a hack. His action-oriented movies look good, move well, and have all the qualities of generally competent hollywood craftsmanship, but they have the smell of assembly-line, soulless processed movies made by-the-numbers. Some of his films have been quite good, including TRUE ROMANCE, CRIMSON TIDE and, to a lesser degree, MAN ON FIRE. But much of what is great about these films are in their screenplays. Otherwise, his films are just pure Bruckheimer... fast, loud and stupid. While a commercially successful filmmaker, nothing he's ever made has approached the artistry of ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, THELMA & LOUISE or even GLADIATOR. And, i think it is safe to say, nothing he makes ever will. Tony Scott filmography: Deja Vu (2006) Domino (2005) Man on Fire (2004) Spy Game (2001) Enemy of the State (1998) The Fan (1996) Crimson Tide (1995) True Romance (1993) The Last Boy Scout (1991) Days of Thunder (1990) Revenge (1990/I) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Top Gun (1986) The Hunger (1983)

well, unlike books or paintings, a film is often not in the final control of the filmmaket. In fact, the final editing of BLADERUNNER was taken away from Scott's control, so it wasn't until years later, when the studio wanted to get out a "director's cut" to cash in on the film's burgeoning reputation that Scott got to have some input on the cut of the film. But even that version was a compromise. This "final cut" is, apparently, his intended version. But i agree with you. If a director wants to put out an alternative cut after its been released, then fine, as long as it doesn't REPLACE the original theatrical version. But with BLADERUNNER, you could only get the "director's cut" on DVD; the original theatrical version was not available. However, the "final cut" Dvd package will include every version of the film ever released, including the "work print" version that was screened only once; the original domestic version; the foreign theatrical version (more blood) the "dirctor's cut", as well as the "final cut". But i don't think i've ever seen a "director's cut" that was an improvement over the original version.

BLADERUNNER: The Final Cut is being released in theaters for a limited run before being made available in a deluxe DVD set for Xmas. I've been looking forward to if for some time, since its one of my favorite movies. check out the details: http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/movie/upcoming-movies/blade-runner-final-cut-its-the-unicorn/ But let's be clear... Ridley Scott has to be the most over-rated director of his generation. Over the last 30 years, he has turned out maybe 3 or 4 good to great films, and then went back and sabotaged one of them. Scott started out as a set designer, and graduated to directing commercials in the 1960s-70s, so his style is exquisite in its sense of design and photography. But with regard to real storytelling, not so much. His first feature, THE DUELLISTS (1977), was a dirge-like contemplation of honor during the Napoleanic era. Its sonorous tone overlies exquisite visuals. But his next film ALIEN (1979), is the only unqualifiedly great movie on his resume. The quintessential "monster in the haunted house" movie dressed up as SF, it was both a huge critical and commercial success. This one gave him the clout to make, and then survive, his next project. BLADE RUNNER (1982) was a bomb upon its initial release but has, over time, become a cult classic and is now considered one of the greatest and most influential films of the last 25 years. And it certainly is my personal farorite of all his movies. The Vangelis score is hauntingly beautiful. The design is as influential as any movie ever made... until MATRIX, anyway. But most importantly, the themes of the story resonate in harmony with its images. What does it mean to be human? If you lack compassion, empathy, and emotional connection to others... are you really human? And if you have those things, does it matter what the origin of your biology is? Phillip K. dick wrote DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP partly as a critique of the "I was only following orders" defense of WWII-era Germans. Dick told us that we are each responsible for our own humanity, and the day we let the least of us die out of our own disinterest or lack of courage, we have surrendered that humanity. Of course, Scott completely sabotages this theme in the "Director's Cut" (and now again in the "final cut") by giving more evidence that Deckard is, himself, a Replicant, thereby rendering the entire point moot. Instead of a story of redemption, where a person reclaims his humanity by recognizing the humanity in others, Scott turns it into a story of a Replicant who learns to feel. Well, who cares if a non-existent fantasy construct called a "Replicant" learns to freakin' feel, Ridley? Why don't you say something about people, instead, you schmuck?! The DIRECTOR'S CUT is actually worse than the theatrical release in other ways, too. In addition to adding the "Deckard is a replicant" theme, he has stripped out the voice-over narration, which furthered the movie's "film noir" style, and its absence resonates throughout this cut. And while the movie didn't need the "happy ending" the studio originally insisted on, the dark ending you are now left with instead is not at all satisfying, and it removes the final images of blue sky that rewarded and mirrored Deckard's emotional transformation. These changes just indicate how little Scott understood what was great about his movie in the first place. After BLADERUNNER flopped, Scott churned out 3 stylish misfires: LEGEND (1985), SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME (1987) and BLACK RAIN (1989). LEGEND was a total flop, but SOMEONE and, to a lesser degree, BLACK RAIN were moderate commercial successes These lead up to his getting hired on to direct THELMA & LOUISE (1991). T & L was both a commercial and critical success, and is an excellent film, but Scott was brought into this project fairly late in its development, and was just a directo-for-hire on this one. Still, an excellent job, even if not entirely a "Ridley Scott" picture. But he followed up T&L with 3 pieces of Scottian crap: 1492 (1992) ,WHITE SQUALL (1996) and G.I. JANE (1997). While JANE was a huge hit (echoing his themes of militaristic women from ALIEN and T&L), I found it relentlessly ridiculous and nearly unwatchable. He hit the next one out of the park, however, withGLADIATOR (2000) ... a blockbuster/Oscar winner. But, despite its unmistakable grandeur and Russell Crowe's star-making performance, the film can be read as profoundly stupid and cynical (a view i share). Still, it remains one of his best works (which says all you need to know about Scott's career output). HANNIBAL (2001) was a hit, too, based largely on its status as a long awaited sequel to the terrific SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. The critics lambasted it for the most part, and, while opulent, it is also repugnant and unengaging. BLACK HAWK DOWN (2001) was next and joined SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, G.I. JANE and HANNIBAL into the group of glossy but inept hits from the witless Brit. Despite its box office performance and even a generally positive critical reaction, BHD seems to me more akin to Scott's cinematic misfires like 1492 and WHITE SQUALL. BHD is basically a Bruckheimer film, where handsome young men perform heroic deeds at great speed and high volume. I didn�t hate it, but it left me totally uninvolved, unmoved, and not particularly entertained. I was, however (like the goofy-looking soldier in the film), left deafened by the din. Perhaps it could play on a triple bill with GI JANE and THE DUELLISTS as a meditation on the nature of martial honor... as told through a series of lovely photographs, narrated by a moron. Still, BHD has been Scott's last hit to date. MATCHSTICK MEN (2003) is a poorly constructed "Sting" con-man movie with an extremely annoying performance by Nick Cage. It failed to find an audience. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005), however, is pure Ridley, returning to the epic scale of GLADIATOR. Unfortunately, Orlando Bloom is no Russell Crowe, so it ends up an entertaining donut... yummy around the edges with a hole in the middle. Again, coherence is not his strongsuit, but this is probably Scott's best film since GLADIATOR. Yet it, too, couldn't make back its huge budget domestically (though it ultimately paid off internationally). With A GOOD YEAR (2006), Ridley tried his hand at a romantic "dramedy"; watching Ridley Scott try to pull off this type of light entertainment is like watching a hippo trying to hula, which was not a sight anyone cared to see. A big flop . Lastly, this year's AMERICAN GANGSTER (2007) is another of his "gun for hire" projects that has a mixed critical buzz going before its November opening. We'll see what level of audience interest is shown, expecially since its starring Denzel Washington. It could be pure hack work or a return to respectability. We shall see. At this point, Ridley Scott seems to me an idiot savant... a total genius with a camera, but nearly incapable of creating anything approaching human drama, except only occasionally and only be accident. Ridley Scott: filmography American Gangster (2007) A Good Year (2006) Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Matchstick Men (2003) Black Hawk Down (2001) Hannibal (2001) Gladiator (2000) G.I. Jane (1997) White Squall (1996) 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) Thelma & Louise (1991) Black Rain (1989) Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) Legend (1985) Blade Runner (1982) Alien (1979) Duelists, The (1977)