tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post1474349509339821557..comments2024-03-12T12:38:23.542-04:00Comments on The Kind of Face You Hate: Neytiri Calls Me Skxawngbill r.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-88546417257976569832010-05-19T21:35:12.699-04:002010-05-19T21:35:12.699-04:00The problem with Alien (and Blade Runner suffers f...The problem with Alien (and Blade Runner suffers from this as well) is the dark and boring tunnel penultimate climax where you can't see anything. The first half, though, is sheer brilliance and space terror.<br /><br />Back to Avatar, your critique is the first time I ever heard or thought of that tree being blown up as analagous to the WTC getting destroyed. Whether it is or isn't, I don't really see how that weakens what is the basic (and admittedly simplistic) premise that it is bad to hurt native people and destroy their land for resources. See, for me, it was all quite obvious and heavy-handed, but I am very much in line with the sentiment and was therefore caught up in the narrative. I was bummed when their tree fell and wanted payback and the bad militarists stopped. I was immersed, which signals a success by the filmmaker.<br /><br />Where it did lose me was that the boring white hero, who couldn't decide whether he was or was not going to have an Australian accent, got to be the one to lead the tribes to the promised land and ride the big red dragon. That was lame.OlmanFeelyushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17521657876810568251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-62072622824364046182010-05-19T16:55:26.902-04:002010-05-19T16:55:26.902-04:00Agreed. And really, no matter how good the cast o...Agreed. And really, no matter how good the cast of Aliens, the cast of Alien was all top shelf. Ian Holm is awesome, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto... Hard to beat. It's unfortunate that the Ash's fake head scene suffers so much from the special effects of the time... I know! Ridley Scott should update it, just like George Lucas! (Thems the, I say thems the jokes son...)Kellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-29180831788057624512010-05-19T15:14:28.078-04:002010-05-19T15:14:28.078-04:00That's true, Kelly, they really are different ...That's true, Kelly, they really are different films, and I do appreciate that Cameron didn't simply remake Scott's film (the fact that his approach -- same creatures, but a bunch more this time -- has been copied and abused repeatedly since then can't be held against them). But you can view the goals both films had in mind, and how well those goals were met, and I think Scott was pretty much dead on target the whole way, while Cameron's aim was a bit more scattered.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-73054577503800491052010-05-19T14:27:06.936-04:002010-05-19T14:27:06.936-04:00They are apples and oranges in some respects. The...They are apples and oranges in some respects. The dread factor in Alien was just so huge. The scene where Tom Skerrit is in the shaft and he knows they're coming, wants to get out so bad, and then BOOM! there it is. Man, remember the first time you saw that? Made me jump out of my skin. Aliens is more of a action picture, not as scary. I think it's one of the greatest sequels because it doesn't just try to remake the original.Kellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-47144689001591394812010-05-19T07:44:29.767-04:002010-05-19T07:44:29.767-04:00Dr. J, I have problem with the part of the film th...Dr. J, I have problem with the part of the film that takes patience -- in fact, I specifically praised that. What I became slightly bored with was the endless payoff. <br /><br />I absolutely do not believe that ALIENS is better than ALIEN, but I have no huge beef with it, either. It's a good movie.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-46333291732038721022010-05-19T02:19:30.547-04:002010-05-19T02:19:30.547-04:00Don't give much of a damn about Avatar, here, ...Don't give much of a damn about Avatar, here, but Aliens IS a damn near perfect movie in my book, and much as I love the first Alien, Aliens stomps all over it for me. From the completely necessary extensive, detailed and involving opening section, to the cast of well-realized characters, to the way it segues so fluidly from one amazing technically impressive and flawlessly executed set-piece to the next, the only reasonable complaint I can see levelled against this movie is that it's all a little long and exhausting (and, okay, maybe Newt's performance isn't all it could've been), but that was never really a problem back when we all had patience for movies that took the time to develop into something complex and memorable like a symphony rather than the half-baked 3-chord rock movies aspire towards today.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05364322006357208797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-74730694842651009732010-05-18T18:50:11.843-04:002010-05-18T18:50:11.843-04:00Well, once I become famous, which should be just a...Well, once I become famous, which should be just about any day now, someone will probably use it as a blog title as a way of paying homage to me.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-31604426615981748702010-05-18T16:06:51.508-04:002010-05-18T16:06:51.508-04:00I think "Nope, she's too dead" shoul...I think "Nope, she's too dead" should be the title of a blog or something.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730146625671701859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-78397401251150386732010-05-18T07:33:26.223-04:002010-05-18T07:33:26.223-04:00otherbill -
As I noted over at Glenn's blog,...otherbill - <br /><br /><i>As I noted over at Glenn's blog, I think Cameron has certain types of conflicts that he thinks push audience buttons- little guy vs corporation, military bureaucracy vs man in the field, environment vs exploiters- that he just inserts into each film in various configurations. He then convinces himself that the mix amounts to some sort of profound statement</i>...<br /><br />Yes, that's exactly it. I look forward to a Cameron film that features the little military vs. environmental beauracracy. He's going to get there eventually.<br /><br /><i> and I punch myself in the face til I'm dead</i>.<br /><br />NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!<br /><br />Paxton sells "game over!" and "you want some of this motherfuck?? Oh, you want some too??" That's why everyone loves Hudson. But watch him in virtually any other scene, and you almost wince in embarrassment.<br /><br />Also, thank you for the compliment.<br /><br />Josh - <br /><br /><i>As a latte-sipping etc, if I wanted to examine its politics, I would ask why humans make the best Navis</i><br /><br />Ha! Excellent point! Were you to ask Cameron, you'd probably be told that the Na'vi had turned him into a better person, and so forth. But they didn't even question why he collapsed into a heap all of a sudden every night. Not too bright, those Na'vi.<br /><br />Chris Elliott is in THE ABYSS, and I don't take this lightly. And THE TERMINATOR is a good flick, that I'm frankly tired of watching.<br /><br /><i>I edited out a dumb joke about Greg's butthole</i>.<br /><br />Thank you for that.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-59723204242025524222010-05-17T23:46:29.711-04:002010-05-17T23:46:29.711-04:00I didn't like the film either. Here I was, all...I didn't like the film either. Here I was, all ready to agree with its politics, and they don't make sense! But then, little in the film did. As a latte-sipping etc, if I wanted to examine its politics, I would ask why humans make the best Navis.<br /><br />Anyway, well-stated, Bill. I join you in your lack of regard for Cameron, though I think, along with Aliens, the first Terminator is pretty awesome, too. And The Abyss has Chris Elliott in it.<br /><br />I like that phrase - "praising with faint damnation."<br /><br />I edited out a dumb joke about Greg's butthole.Joshnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-10527791405919356652010-05-17T23:45:48.045-04:002010-05-17T23:45:48.045-04:00Totally agree on the politics. As I noted over at ...Totally agree on the politics. As I noted over at Glenn's blog, I think Cameron has certain types of conflicts that he thinks push audience buttons- little guy vs corporation, military bureaucracy vs man in the field, environment vs exploiters- that he just inserts into each film in various configurations. He then convinces himself that the mix amounts to some sort of profound statement because he's a wealthy and successful guy and he spent the gdp of Luxembourg making the thing so it must say SOMETHING profound. Then he starts trading verbal barbs with Glenn Beck and I punch myself in the face til I'm dead. <br /><br />Paxton does kinda suck in ALIENS, but it's worth it for the line reading on "Game over, man!".<br /><br />But really all of the above was an excuse to thank you for the laugh I got out of "the Na'vi's very best tree".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-41864431447160406672010-05-17T21:10:09.684-04:002010-05-17T21:10:09.684-04:00Bill, I didn't mean to suggest that Aliens eve...Bill, I didn't mean to suggest that Aliens ever sucked hard either, only that most sequels do. I actually think as sequels go, you don't get much better than Aliens.Kellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-78641547239204057542010-05-17T20:14:36.872-04:002010-05-17T20:14:36.872-04:00The hurrican/sinking crane bit in THE ABYSS is one...The hurrican/sinking crane bit in THE ABYSS is one of the most imaginative and gripping set pieces I've ever seen in an SF-action film.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-45079728101060376022010-05-17T20:00:33.531-04:002010-05-17T20:00:33.531-04:00The ending of The Abyss is so disappointingly clic...The ending of <b>The Abyss</b> is so disappointingly cliched. It didn't have the Cold War paranoia working for it about the atomic bomb that <b>The Day the Earth Stood Still</b> had. No, it had water elves complaining about how awful we all were and gosh darn it, if we don't stop they'll send tidal waves at us, or something. God, Cameron can really, REALLY get hokey! And you just know he thinks he's doing well! <br /><br />Anyway, that said, <b>The Abyss</b> is my favorite of his too. Just take out the preachy ending (Why couldn't they just meet ala Close Encounters? Why'd there have to be judgment attached?) and it's pretty good.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730146625671701859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-44132915988331128062010-05-17T19:43:22.588-04:002010-05-17T19:43:22.588-04:00I don't think ALIENS ever sucks hard, Kelly, b...I don't think ALIENS ever sucks hard, Kelly, but I don't think Cameron is a good writer. That's what lets him down, on occasion, in ALIENS -- a lot of the Marines' "tough guy" dialogue is close to unbearable -- and what lets him down almost all the time in almost all his other movies. But ALIENS has a terrific central idea, especially for a sequel, and he worked out his story in that film pretty dang well. It's his best film in the sense that it's the most successful, top to bottom.<br /><br />Best Cameron Dialogue goes to THE ABYSS, in a walk, as does the Best Acting in a Cameron Film. That would be his most successful if his ending wasn't simply to remind us that THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL existed. Even so, that one's probably my favorite.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-11992957641211756712010-05-17T19:38:00.993-04:002010-05-17T19:38:00.993-04:00I agree that Avatar, story-wise, is pretty average...I agree that Avatar, story-wise, is pretty average, and somewhat plagarious (is that a word? It should be.) I have to say that seeing it in 3D was pretty spectacular though. And I agree that it doesn't hold a candle to Aliens, and that Aliens is not as good as Alien, but then sequels so rarely are. I would say though that Aliens kind of breaks that mold, in that at least it didn't just suck hard from the get-go.Kellyhttp://deadkel@live.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-23724772419300331662010-05-17T19:17:55.739-04:002010-05-17T19:17:55.739-04:00Also, what "damning with faint praise" o...Also, what "damning with faint praise" of ALIENS? I said almost nothing but good things about that movie, to contrast what I disliked about AVATAR. If anything, I praised with faint damnation, if that's actually a thing, which I don't think it is.<br /><br />And yes, I neglected to mention Henriksen. He's excellent in the film, and I thought about mentioning him, but my point was to cite that ALIENS features much stronger acting than AVATAR overall, not to simply list every performance I liked, and I wanted to talk about Reiser more.<br /><br />Furthermore, if I was going to damn ALIENS with faint praise, I would have mentioned that Bill Paxton is terrible.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-81043350177039958092010-05-17T19:09:47.597-04:002010-05-17T19:09:47.597-04:00Thanks, Walker!
I'm sorry that you don't ...Thanks, Walker!<br /><br />I'm sorry that you don't believe that I genuinely disliked the movie, and that I genuinely, overall, dislike Cameron. There's nothing I can do about that, I'm afraid.<br /><br />Your "nah" really sold me, though.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-23120203371472855552010-05-17T19:06:12.946-04:002010-05-17T19:06:12.946-04:00Nah. You're trying too hard to pretend that y...Nah. You're trying too hard to pretend that you are objective, but your damning with faint praise condemnation of Aliens tells me you are simply biased (no mention of Lance Henriksen as Bishop?! Come on). Avatar is not a great movie by any means, but you went in not wanting to like it and your review suffers because of that. I've come to expect better of you, but I guess even you got caught up in the anti-Cameron Avatar wake.OlmanFeelyushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17521657876810568251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-7827400946941491932010-05-17T19:04:31.692-04:002010-05-17T19:04:31.692-04:00I understand how annoying it is when people engage...I understand how annoying it is when people engage in backlash against a popular movie and I swear I'm not doing that but I just want to express actual true bewilderment at the critical reception of this quite average movie. <br /><br />Also, my first trip here earlier was via Facebook. Maybe it was something on Facebook that caused the Norton thingy. It did occur right when I got here so it could have been something up with Facebook.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730146625671701859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-55222444559006909962010-05-17T18:55:16.061-04:002010-05-17T18:55:16.061-04:00Greg - I do remember your review. My ire got up a...Greg - I do remember your review. My ire got up about the politics writing this review, reflecting back, than it did while I actually watched the film. One detail that I'd heard about second hand, before the film even came out (from Glenn Kenny's review, in fact) I completely missed. But it really is obnoxious in that regard, and underlines many of problems with Cameron overall, which is that he fancies himself a deep thinker, but absolutely is not.<br /><br />And Glenn did like the movie, but I've gotten the idea that he didn't like it all THAT much. I don't want to speak for him, but I'm pretty sure he was most taken with the formal aspects of it.<br /><br />I don't know about the "unsafe" thing. I have Norton, and I haven't encountered that today. I hope no one else does, because I don't know what to do about it, or why my site might be unsafe.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-2207885619754987472010-05-17T18:42:05.256-04:002010-05-17T18:42:05.256-04:00Also, not to alarm you, but for some reason my Nor...Also, not to alarm you, but for some reason my Norton software notified me that your site was unsafe. Why, I don't know.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730146625671701859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-16402061105879994822010-05-17T18:38:15.042-04:002010-05-17T18:38:15.042-04:00The basic reason is this: while the politics are t...<i>The basic reason is this: while the politics are there in Cameron's film, and while I detest them, they are also completely moronic, barely thought out, and utterly toothless</i>.<br /><br />Hey, remember my review? Same thing. I was all about telling everyone not to worry about the politics because they were so, well, half-assed. And they are! <br /><br />Now, I know it's going to sound like I'm just teaming up with a fellow <b>Avatar</b> disliker but... Why in the hell did so many people like this film?! Now that you've seen it you can wonder too. I mean, I held back to a degree in my review, I always do to present a more balanced review I guess, but really, this movie was just plain boring most of the time. <br /><br />And the story. I don't get it. It's inane. It's third grade story development. I don't understand why so many critics like A.O. Scott or Roger Ebert liked it soooo much. Glen Kenny stops by here sometimes, and I know he liked it so maybe he will show up and take the other side of the argument, which I'd appreciate, honestly, because I just don't see it. <br /><br /><i>"Nope, sorry, she's too dead</i>"<br /><br />Ha, my thoughts exactly. They should have had a n'avi coroner come out and explain that "she's not only merely dead, she's really quite sincerely dead!"Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730146625671701859noreply@blogger.com