December 14, 2008

Yesterday, I let you force me to see the movie "Slumdog Millionaire."

You can read my thoughts on the thing at the update to the post where I took the poll. It's another dreary day here in Madison, Wisconsin -- raining, actually -- and I thought I'd do a new poll and accept another assignment:

The new movie assignment is:
"Synecdoche, New York"
"Australia"
"Let the Right One In"
"Rachel Getting Married"
"Milk"
pollcode.com free polls

33 comments:

Palladian said...

Go see all of them! Back to back, if you can time it correctly! I dare you!

Or is this one of those places that you can sneak from one theater into another? You could watch 20 minutes of each and then you've created your own situationist film in your mind.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Sean Penn is a communist. A thug-hugging communist. I don't care that he can act. Why support such a creep?

I'll see a Sean Penn movie when he moves to Cuba.

Ann Althouse said...

This is a theater where you buy a ticket for a particular seat. I can actually buy the ticket at my computer and print it out, which is nice.

Ann Althouse said...

But anyway, I wouldn't want to watch more than one movie. Although I can sit at the computer for 12 hours, I can't sit and watch movies with the same patience. I'm always eager to escape long before the end, even if I love the movie.

Ron said...

I'm not sure from your update if you even liked "Slumdog." OK, 'delightfully plotted', but overall, did you enjoy the film?

And we can't force you to do anything, you chose to go.

Just for something different, try "Rachel."

Paddy O said...

I say Australia.

A sweeping epic. Totally different setting. A warm place, where it's now cold.

You won't like it nearly as much. But, it will be cleansing in a way, as you'll critique it for different kinds of reasons than most movies.

A good sweeping epic helps sweeps the soul, see the bigness of life and restore a vision of yearning for more of it.

George M. Spencer said...

'Slumdog' was one of Stephen King's 10 favorite movies of 2008, according to Entertainment Weekly.

He said the torture and shit-pool scenes touched his heart.

And...."Milk"....is that title supposed to be a euphemism?

(And, fyi, the trailer for 'Gran Torino' makes it look excellent. A 78-year-old Dirty Harry. Says something about America when our toughest movie star is nearing 80.)

Chris Althouse Cohen said...

I recommend Milk, which I've seen, but you might wanna see Synechdoche, which I'm planning on seeing.

chickelit said...

And...."Milk"....is that title supposed to be a euphemism?

Paging Jello Biafra.

Ann Althouse said...

Chris, you should see "Synechdoche" with me. You know, Sundance now has a downstairs restaurant and bar, and if you go after 5, you can get dinner and/or drinks to take into the theater. (I mean real meals, like pasta and so forth, and alcoholic drinks.)

Palladian said...

"I recommend Milk, which I've seen..."

I know us queers are supposed to like things like this about our illustrious forebears, but I hate movies that are transparently vehicles for overblown actors to ham it up for an Oscar nomination.

Palladian said...

"Chris, you should see "Synechdoche" with me. You know, Sundance now has a downstairs restaurant and bar, and if you go after 5, you can get dinner and/or drinks to take into the theater. (I mean real meals, like pasta and so forth, and alcoholic drinks.)"

Are we all invited?

BJM said...

Original George said: (And, fyi, the trailer for 'Gran Torino' makes it look excellent. A 78-year-old Dirty Harry. Says something about America when our toughest movie star is nearing 80.)

Ha! As several thugs have recently discovered in Sth Florida; don't mess with the old dudes packing heat.

As a SF native, I don't care to relive 1977/78. Horrid times. As DiFi remarked, those of us who lived through it don't need reminding of the Mosconi/Milk assassinations. Or the murder of Congressman Leo Ryan, Bob Brown, photographer Greg Robinson, NBC reporter Don Harris and Temple defector Patricia Parks in Guyana and the resulting human tragedy that unfolded there. Jonestown still affects families in SF and Oakland.

Plus, I wouldn't piss on actor Sean Penn if he were on fire, let lone add to his income.

See Australia next.

Ron said...

mmmmmmmm....I'd like a vodka martini with a penne pasta with vodka sauce chaser, thanks!

LutherM said...

Rainy, cold in MADISON?
Rent a movie that fits the weather,
"THE THIRD MAN"
"In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror,murder, bloodshed - but they produced Michelangelo,Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance.
In Switzerland they had brotherly love, 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

reader_iam said...

Chris, you should see "Synechdoche" with me.

Holiday plans involving mother and son?

Maxine would be so proud.

reader_iam said...

Yesterday, I let you force me ...

I'm getting a weird S&M, dominatrix vibe from that, btw.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

chickelit said...

I'm getting a weird S&M, dominatrix vibe from that, btw.

I sensed that too Reader. Paging Bettie.

Bob W. said...

The Dark Knight is out on DVD now, FYI.

Shawn Levasseur said...

Althouse: "I'm always eager to escape long before the end, even if I love the movie."

I'm the opposite. I spend 8 bucks for a movie, I'm going to get my money's worth and stay through the credits.

Though if my favorite, Australia, wins, I'll understand if you leave during the credits. The closing music is a god-awful song by Elton John. Stay for the song only if you wish to ridicule it.

Ron said...

The Third Man's director was Carol Reed. Carol Reed's daughter, Tracy, was the only woman to act in Dr. Strangelove, as George C. Scott's secretary...

FYI.

Ann Althouse said...

Palladian said.. "Are we all invited?"

Sure, but you have to come to Madison.

LutherM said...ainy, cold in MADISON?
Rent a movie that fits the weather,
"THE THIRD MAN""

Rent? I've had the DVD in my library ever since the Criterion Collection version came out. (I know, that was totally "Stuff White People Like").

"Paging Bettie."

Yeah, I would have said that.

George M. Spencer said...

Mother of mercy, is this the last comment, or is it the last kiss, you dogs!

ricpic said...

I just saw a film with a really bravura performance by Kristen Scott Thomas. The english title of this french film is I've Loved You So Long. A decent enough film but the point of seeing it is her performance.
I give the film trois etoiles.

dick said...

When you think about it you can apply that speech from The Third Man to the election of 2008. Unfortunately we voted for the cuckoo clock.

Chris Althouse Cohen said...

Shawn Levasseur: 8 dollars for a movie is cheap. Here in LA, it's 12 or 13 dollars to see a movie, and you have to pay to park in the lot.

By the way, if anyone wants to see some great Kate Winslet acting, make sure you see The Reader when you get the chance. If that's not an Oscar-worthy performance, nothing is.

Ann Althouse said...

Hi, everyone!

I did the assignment! I saw "Australia."

chickelit said...

@Ron: Didn't Graham Greene write line, spoken by Welles, directed by Reed?

Ron said...

@chickenlittle: I've read enough conflicting stories on that Welles speech, and Reed and Welles duked it out over the years, with Blowhard Orson implying Reed didn't have the chops to write such a speech, and Reed saying, politely, "F--- you, FatMan!"

My opinion is that Reed wrote, but the Hambone Supreme gave a pretty sweet acting turn with it! Everyone spends the whole picture going, "Where's Harry Lime? Where's Harry Lime?" and when he finally shows up, everyone goes "Ahhhh..." They like you before you even say a line...

Ron said...

So, will Australia get it's own post?

Will there be Jackman love?

Joe said...

Rent to second season of Dexter. If you've seen that Dead Like Me or Keen Eddie are marvelous and much better than the crap you listed.

blake said...

8 dollars for a movie is cheap. Here in LA, it's 12 or 13 dollars to see a movie, and you have to pay to park in the lot.

JAC: L.A. is a lot bigger than the Westside. But if you're stuck out there in paid-parking land, get yourself a Laemmele Premiere card: Out here that's good for $5 matinees, two-for-one Sunday Evenings, free popcorn on Thursday, etc.

blake said...

Whoops, sorry, Chris for calling you "JAC"....