Have you guys seen this? by gypsylife

XG, my friend, you should start your own site with your own blogs (if you haven't already that is). You have a very thought provoking way about you, and to tell you the truth I enjoy reading your posts...even if I don't fully agree with your point of view at times. I have often found it hard to find people in the world that will still respect what I have to say, and listen, even if they don't agree with me. Most of the time folk will get angry if you don't agree with their point of view and they will try and "convert" you to their way of thinking. I find that I become wiser in my travels in life when I listen and respect people thoroughly, learn from their experiences, and think outside my box by hearing a different point of view.

I too grew up with the lip-synched Kung Fu. I loved all of those old movies. Surprises a lot of people when they find out how much I love it. I suppose I don't "look" the type (whatever that type is supposed to "look" like). But tis the truth...I enjoy old Kung Fu! And I'm proud of it!

I have heard of Amelie, but I don't know what the story is about, nor who is in it. The title sounds familiar however. I think now I'm gonna go on the search for it at my local video store and see if they've got it. Can't wait to see it.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 12:57 PM

I don't know if I'm supposed to be complimented by that "blog" shit, but no, I don't write a blog. Nor would I ever. Frankly, that feels like a limp lefthand slap to the face. Not feeling very complimented.

I didn't even know what a blog was up until recently. New catchphrase of the year for people who talk for the sake of hearing themselves talk. They babble on endlessly in a thread where nobody can respond.

In the old and ancient days of yore, we had a name for people like that. We called them authors. And their "blog", we called them books.

Thanks be to the beard of Zeus, such absurd days are behind us. It will save me the trouble of having to don my shield and armor, mount my unicorn, and teleport around all 5 dimensions of the universe killing cyborg aliens with my raygun. These blog-Borgs must be stopped!

btw... I can't explain Amelie. It is a movie that is too artsy to be explained. You just have to see it. It's in my absolute top 10 films ever, along with star wars, raiders of the lost ark, conan the barbarian, excalibur, ishtar... wait a minute! WTF?

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 1:28 PM

See...that's what I'm talking about. Your writing is unique! I did mean that as a compliment. I just happen to think you're a talented writer. Apologies if the blog thing didn't come across in a good way. I did mean it in a good way.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 2:39 PM

GALAXYRIPPLE

Hey there Psolaris, you should definitely check out Amelie! but please watch the subtitled version, you lose the ambience when its dubbed. Its shows France through rose-tinted glasses (surprising amount of computer giggery-pokery used to get rid of graffiti etc). Its what the French do best, quirky characters and locations, if you've seen and enjoyed 'Delicatessen' then you know what I mean. But as usual as much as I love it, some people hate it …. Its the way of the world.

I am totally with you on the ‘respect’ thing, I hate it when people aren't passionate about film and I love debating as long as the other person isn’t totally dismissive of my views.
I love a huge range of genre, so much that I confuse myself sometimes, the only one I tend not to gel well with is Westerns, which is why I was a bit put off by the theme tune of Firefly (I felt there was less emphasis in the film) but all my fears were quashed as soon as I started watching. I am currently half way through the series, myself and my mate had a marathon before Christmas and I promised I wouldn't watch anymore until he came to stay again, man ... its hard not to, the DVD's are calling to me, but I must be strong. I saw the film first, I am just wondering if River actually kicks any ass like she does in the film (that was a rhetorical question so don’t tell me).

With the outcome of the film (having now attached myself to the characters I can't believe that JW did that), I have unfortunately resigned myself to the fact that the series won’t continue, I have mixed feelings with each episode I watch, I dread the last one, but then how can it ever be the same. Should it stay as one of those shortlived TV gems (My So Called Life springs to mind) . I know that resurrection is one of JW’s favourite problem solvers but it could be pushing it slightly …… but hey if Dallas can pull off the Bobby shower scene .... sort of?

another great short lived series was The Critic (cartoon) check it out if you can.

p.s

galaxy-ripple

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Friday, December 30, 2005 9:41 AM

Psolaris:

No offense taken. I'm fakishly flattered in a very unrealistic sort of way. You were more fun when you were in a fighting mood.

As to what Mr. Galaxyripple says (not to be confused with the very 1/2 ass plot gimmick Mr. Universe from Serenity)...

Ya. Watch the subtitled version of "Amelie". I had no clue they made a dubbed version, but once you see the movie you'll see the narrator of "Amelie" makes the film. It's a fookin asslicking act of worthlessness to profit that they would dubb that film. Blasphemy to the last.

Doesn't surprise me. That moneyhungry whore Ted Turner wanted to colorize the B&W portion of "The Wizard Of Oz". Why not whore art? Think of the money we can make!

Of course... Whedon couldn't make the crew of Xerenity attack a military base and "spread" the signal. Just had to be Mr. Universe. Oh "Mister Universe" You sexy hacker bastard you. We saw your marriage and we saw your funeral in the film, and we knew you were sacred. Whedon has to kiss lots of ass to advance himself. In an age of absolute military domination, there is always one supergenius guy who owns his own planet, moon, or whatever. Mal just happened to know him, being the renegade Josey Wales of the defeated forces.

I wish Josey Wales had known a "Bill Gates" back in his day. Oh how infinitely more heroic he could have been. Thank god westerns are done and over with.

Sorry, parts of Serenity felt like a throwback to the gimmicky crap that he used in BtVS. Oh what a tribute to great filmmaking that body of work is. More than anything... the comraderie of the crew was lost in the lack of dialogue. Ya I love the story, BUT, this film was a kiss-ass goodbye letter to fans who had hoped he would fight to bring it back. I guess he learned nothing from Lucas.

I could smell the end from the lack of dialogue. So did everyone else, it's just a matter of time till they admit it.

Whedon graduated to bigtime filmmaker. I say there won't be no more "Firefly" but I'm just a troll, what do I know?

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Friday, December 30, 2005 11:57 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by XeroGravity:
Psolaris:

No offense taken. I'm fakishly flattered in a very unrealistic sort of way. You were more fun when you were in a fighting mood.

I'm up for that challenge. I must confess however that words do not come as fluid to me as they do to you, and by God I wish they did. I do love picking that brain of yours. You're a challenge, and I enjoy a good one. There are times where I am not sure you're being serious or if you're words are dripping with irony, but either way, I love trying to figure it out. I will certainly do my best to oblige, and I hope I don't let ya down.

I did not watched BtVS when it was on. I'd seen two episodes and I gave it up. Dont' get me wrong, Joss has a wonderful imagination, but Gellar's acting got on my last nerve. She reminds me of a blonde Wynona Ryder whose vocal inflections and character reactions did not vary from one piece of work to the next. All the same, bland delivery that would rival Ben Stein himself. I'm sure I'll prolly catch flack for saying so, however that's how I feel on the subject. Anyhoo, because I did not watch the series I'm not able to comment on much of the throwbacks that you mention. I'm not doubting you at that, as I'm sure there were a few things that Whedon did use that were reminiscent of BtVS, however I'm not sure I'd use the word gimmick though. In my opinion he's using the knowledge he has with the resources given him to do what he does best. Honestly I didn't find it gimmicky at all, and I'm one to hate gimmicks with a passion. (I guess it was perhaps a good thing that I didn't watch Buffy after all.)

I will indeed watch the subtitled version of Ameile. I have learned in all of my days of watching old dubbed kung-fu movies, and in turn watching them with subtitles if I could find them subtitled, that something was lost in translation with the dubbed versions. I would must prefer watching subtitles if I had my druthers about it.
I'll keep you posted about what I think.

Oh, and what an interesting piece of information you passed on there about Ted Turner wanting to colorize the B&W portion of Wizard of Oz.

That man is not one of my favorite people on this earth, so it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I'm just glad it didn't happen.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Friday, December 30, 2005 1:18 PM

PBI

I'm one of those that was disappointed with Serenity. After listening to the commentary and watching the extras on the DVD, I have to say that Joss made a major mistake in kowtowing to 'momentum'. I'm still going to try to convert the unwashed masses into Browncoats, but using Serenity to do it will not be one of the options in my bag of tricks.

Serenity was an okay movie; didn't suck, but it certainly wasn't spectacular. I told a friend of mine before he went to see the BDM I hadn't seen it yet) that, even though some things will be wrapped up, the door will be open for later development. When he came back, he didn't spoil the movie, but he did say that, based on the BDM, he didn't see how anything could continue. I'm starting to wonder if our devotion to Firefly is putting up blinders to what the BDM really means for our Verse?

If you can survive death, you can probably survive almost anything.

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Friday, December 30, 2005 7:45 PM

go watch "Amelie" so I can argue with you. tired of talking up a friggin french film.

PS

I'm sharpening my fangs and reading up on "How to slap a girl and run like hell and still feel all man-like assuming the woman you're slapping isn't in fact a 'transgender' genderbender"

...pamphlet from the Wife-beater's "Book of the month" club.

XG

If "Brokeback Moutain" had been porno about 2 lesbian chicks I'd have been in the front and back of the line endlessly till I was in bankruptcy. kinda hawt!

ok comedy hour is over. when I post again I'll be in a mood to kick someone's ass. could be yours. if I find a mirror, could be mine. although punching mirrors is very "apocalypse now"-ish.

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 6:22 AM

PBI and Psolaris (I'm intermingling my responses):

PBI, sorry I missed you post first time around, but I'm replying now after the fact. I just are hard of hearing, and I is ignoramously blind-o-matic.

In the immortal words of Popeye, "I am what I am."

There isn't much to be disappointed about with "Serenity". FF fans wanted the story to have a conclusion and they got one. I'd like to say "we" but who am I to pretensiously include myself among the exlusive group of "browncoats". I take such liberties. "We" generously got a whole friggin movie with all it's big budget craptacular payouts to everyone involved. How 2 hours of screen time can equal a payout of 40 mil dollars is a mystery to me. But hell... King Kong 3rd/4th edition cost 300+ mil after marketing.

So long as the dirty mob of the masses buys enough tickets, coming close to the cost. The creaking investment in the new blonde hottie
Naomi Watts and the everlovable pianoman will pay off in future films.

I wonder how many people heard that magical creaking right before the stock market collapsed in the 30s. Too few apparently. It's the sound of a back breaking. I love the internet, cuz it's the axe chopping into the spine of the last great monopoly.

I think Whedon wanted to put art on the screen, and gently tortured every penny of his budget to squeeze it out while not pissing off anyone (including "browncoats" ~ or so he thought). His balancing act is true fucking art (in an MTV sort of way). Couple movie deals to boot make him all the more artistic. Ahh the gilded net will save our acrobat. Selling one's soul can and almost always is profitable.

PBI... per what you said, the door "ain't" open (yes I used a word unofficially recognized as a word, I said "ain't").

Mal and crew kicked alliance ass. They toppled the government. Exposed the ugly truth about mind-control-experiment gone all wrong. The drug made to pacify aggression had a side-effect (which gave us reavers). And River healed her brain after Kung-fu kicking all their asses. Ohh whoopity-doo and hiphip-hooray and whatnot. So groundbreaking in it's uniqueness.

Great story, but it was told too quickly. It wanted to be Star Wars, but felt like ghetto version of everything else in the film world. Firefly was the opposite. Accidental art. Where timing meets with an idea whose time has come.

I think Whedon produced art by accident with FF. He had timing on his side, yet couldn't turn his work into a franchise in spite of a willing audience who'd have followed him into any battle and off any cliff.

It's ok. It'll translate into a nice chunk of change with "Wonder Woman" and "Goners", even though it'll be the end of his rep as a filmmaker with the people who count. The faupish Lil' Lord Fauntleroys of glitterland in their insulated worlds who sign his paycheck will be pleased, as will his banker. His fanbase will stick a fork in his ass though. Silly Whedon. The dream is over. I wonder when he'll attempt to make a screen version of Buffy. Prolly when his name is becoming forgettable.

I wish Whedon could have taken his movie production budget and made a whole other season of FF. I'd prefer 20-26 hours of FF eps on TV versus a 2+ hour movie, but alas. Not meant to be. I'll pretend to believe it's 2 too many fingers in the pot. Damn you FOX! Damn you! Whedon has to make movies versus TV shows now that it's too late.

Smoke get in my eyes sometime. I could be wrong. It's Hubris. The inevitable pride that brings down empires and pseudo-gods. hollywood smells it, but can't figure out how to turn it around. Filthy Critic is all pumped up about the Peter Lynch masterpiece "Mullholland Drive". You should go watch it. Rent it along with "Amelie". I'd give it his rare 5 fingers like he did. One of the few times I agree with him on a 5 star rating. It's an insight into the world of the l33tz who run the filmmaking industry.

How Lynch manages to survive being so subversive in the employ of his masters is a mystery.

You hear that creaking and cracking sound? It's their backs breaking. Stupid greedy people can never own art, no more than a janitor who owns a telescope can own the infinite vastness of space and all the stars in it.

Psolaris:

You watch Amelie yet?

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Monday, January 2, 2006 1:58 PM

Yes! Yes I did watch it!

Wow, I gotta thank you for planting the seed in my brain to watch that. I cannot believe how much I love that flick...from France!!! Dammit! But I do. And she has to be one of the most adorable people on the planet. God I kept screaming at the screen telling her to just go to him for pete's sake, quit backing out...just tell him, and I cannot believe I am admiting to it.

After watching it a bit, I started remembering that I had heard of the movie that had the travelling gnome...ah HA! This was the one! Geez did I laugh and cry through that thing. It's been a while since a story has sucked me in so much.

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to go buy the thing now.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Monday, January 2, 2006 4:05 PM

BROWNCOATER

If it's done, it will be sad.
I have to ask though:

Am I the only Firefly/Serenity fan here that did not care one iota for Buffy? I'm sorry, but I've never found that program even remotely entertaining.

I don't think of myself as a lion....
Does that seem right to you?

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Tuesday, January 3, 2006 4:58 AM

Oh yuck.

You said "travelling gnome".

"Travelocity" = buncha commercial whores. They are trying to steal the soul of that movie with their blatant rip-off of the yard gnome thing.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Tuesday, January 3, 2006 5:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by XeroGravity:
Oh yuck.

You said "travelling gnome".

"Travelocity" = buncha commercial whores. They are trying to steal the soul of that movie with their blatant rip-off of the yard gnome thing.

My exact same thought when I realized that this was where they got the idea from.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Tuesday, January 3, 2006 5:55 AM

Hey, XG, I thought you weren't going to post in this forum anymore. Yet here you are.

You know, I was disappointed in you for letting what a bunch of people said affect what you do. They are clearly elitist snobs who can't stand discord in their perfect 'verse. And you, well you just love stirring up people, don't you? Glad to see you're back. May have to check out Amelie now on your recommendation.

Anyway, if you're still up for a breakdown discussion of my book, I'd be happy to hear it.

"Sir, you actually said 'wink, wink'. I don't think that -"
"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Yes, the new plan will STILL involve rocket skates."
"YAY!"

Like books? Go to this thread: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14862
to find out how to buy mine!

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Tuesday, January 3, 2006 5:59 AM

DARKLIGHTER9

Dw guys if Joss Don't do it, someone else will. Firefly and serenty have exactly what any film or TV seriese needs to carry on, cult status and a wide fan base. if Weadon, Fox and Universal all drop it im shure that there will be a big time producer/director who is a fan and will stick his ore in. Look at king kong for example.

They Killed off Wash and Shepard!
Boo, bad film people, Boo

"what did he do"
"Arson, that little guy loved fire"

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Tuesday, January 3, 2006 7:23 PM

Whoa! Hold up here Queeny. Don't go gettin all pissed off at me. I was just trying to bow out gracefully and wrap up loose ends in the various threads I was engaged in. I can't let a heated argument I'm having go without a response all sudden-like (a personal flaw that caused me many unglorious beatings of the ass in RL).

Get angry with Psolaris. She is the one making me have this continuation of my postings. At least I think she is a she. Could be a he. Who cares? I'm tryin to exit here.

Ok, not true. I'm like a braindamaged dog who can't stop chasing a tennisball thrown into busy traffic. It's a guy thing. I admit that much. Don't hate me cuz I'm byoo-Tee-fool.

I'll be happy to come back and tear apart your book, but once again I warn you, you won't like my criticism. Hell, go back and reread this thread. I'm an ass.

As to my reasons for wanting to leave this forum...

You should see my private fan mail from these debates. I'm growing increasingly convinced that Ted Kazynskci (sp?) ~ the unabomber dude ~ is still on the loose. They prolly bagged a bearded semi-homeless nut, called a press conference, and declared the case closed.

Actually, no. I think they caught the kook. Could care less as long as I don't get any ticking boxes in the mail. I digress.

Anyhow... you should go watch Amelie. Rent it, or hell... I'll buy you a copy of the DVD as repayment to you for my ruthless critiq'ng of your book. I'll drop you a line in e-mail with my private e-mail address and get you a DVD of it if you can't rent it (and you better never share my e-mail with anyone ~ I value my anonymitimidy).

**preachy horseshit /on**

Something that really bothers me... here you are, one of us. A "browncoat". You are doing something few have guts enough to do, writing your own book and fighting the system to see it published. All these clowns rise up "en masse" to pledge theoretical sums of money to bring back the show. Yet, I'm the only one to buy your book.

I think we're surrounded by phonies, people who are all talk. I even said in a thread about "private donations" for bringing back the show that everyone was bullshit and when it came down to it they were paper tigers in the money department. They pledged up a storm yet they wouldn't support one of our own. They disgust me.

I was right. I don't think I was, I know I am. Of course, I'm a troll for saying it. Oh bah! Sorry... just haveing another minor "I told you so!" kind of moment. Spur of the moment. Prolly should have thought it over and decided against saying it, but nahhh. I'm an ass.

XG

me and my screeds

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 5:26 AM

Aw, hey, XG, I wasn't mad. I was just curious. That's my major flaw. Which is gonna get me killed someday, I'm sure. Hmm . . . maybe I should put an "I'm speaking in a lighthearted tone" tag on all my posts. Hard to tell with these electronic talkings, isn't it?

I will see if I can find Amelie to rent here in my small town. It's probably not likely. I'll let you know if I can or not.

Anyways, critique away. I need somebody with the guts to tell me what's wrong or right with my book, so I know what to change or keep next time. You may be an ass, but you have valid points, which is why I like you. Not to mention, as you said, you've been one of the only browncoats to actually support me on this adventure, "money where your mouth is" kinda deal. Which is disappointing for me, but I'm getting a lot of support from my hometown, so I can take the lack of browncoat interest.

"Sir, you actually said 'wink, wink'. I don't think that -"
"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Yes, the new plan will STILL involve rocket skates."
"YAY!"

Like books? Go to this thread: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14862
to find out how to buy mine!

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 6:25 AM

Yes yes, blame me. I enjoy reading through XG's posts because he's a thought provoking individual and I love a challenge. I have a certain respect for this guy because of it.

XG, yes, I am most definitely a girl.

And Queeny, I didn't realize you had a book published! I am still relatively new to the site and didn't see your thread about it, that is until I followed your link in your signature and saw the thread. Congratulations! I'm very proud of you in that venture. So much so that I went to the website that sells it...and I bought the thing. It should be here next week and I'll be more than happy to read it! Let me know if and/or when you get another one published!

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 8:04 AM

Wow, Psolaris, you actually went and bought it?? Thanks so much!

Mwaha, my evil plan is slowly coming to - what? Nothing.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it once you get it through the mail. Let me know what you think. Critiques all around! It'll probably be a long time before I get the next one finished, due to lack of spare time, but I hope to get it finished in a year or so.

"Sir, you actually said 'wink, wink'. I don't think that -"
"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Yes, the new plan will STILL involve rocket skates."
"YAY!"

Like books? Go to this thread: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14862
to find out how to buy mine!

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 12:07 PM

REDLAVA

Quote:
Originally posted by JuTin:
I know you just said this but I'm saying it in a different way...

that article is another fake trying to get our hopes up, they always screw up somewhere in trying to sound professional. Here they screwed up by saying "Universal's best marketing efforts..."

I saw a commercial for Serenity on FOX about 6 times, a comercial on F/X 3 or 4 times and one (1) ((1!!)) on NBC!! None on SCI-FI (other than during Firefly) OH OH and the trailer twice on UniversalHD.

I love Universal but I saw a commercial for Into The Blue about 100 times and a Serenity commercial 12-13 times.

I saw a lot of trailers before the movie was out, and then a big fat zero when it was still in the theaters. The one thing that I didn't really see was the TV appearances by cast members advertising the movie. No LIVE w/ Regis and Kelly, or Daily Show, or Good Morning America. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough or something, but besides the same trailer over and over I never saw anything else. For an all-be-it fantastic, but relativley obscure TV show you need much better marketing than that. It was almost if Universal wanted it to fail, but still look like it tried.

If there is any truth to the DVD sales driving a BDS than we will all just have to buy one for everybody that we know and do our own marketing. Screw Universal and FOX.

And the whole Joss calling it quits with Firefly/Serenity... I don't and won't believe it yet. Didn't I see a quote on this website about Joss saying that it was a "bizaar event when you have a story to tell but can't share it." Or something like that sounds to me like he still wants to finish his story, but at this point he can't.

Just have to wait and hope that Fox sells the rights to somebody like Sci-Fi channel so we can at least get a made for cable movie.

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 9:46 AM

Psolaris: I do blame you. In fact I also blame you for this whole global overpopulation problem, and world hunger as well. Of course, I have a well-rehearsed speech on how we could solve both problems with cannibalism (2 birds with one stone), but that's a discussion for another day.

I have another movie recommendation for you. This is the only other foreign film in my top 10. It's way off the radar screen but most of the flicks I watch these days are foreign or indie flicks anyhow.

It's called "Baran". I can't begin to tell you what a great movie this is! Hollywood could make a 1000 movies about love and innocence and never come anywhere near this. I won't tell you about the plot. You just gotta trust me on this one.

It's an Iranian film (go figure) by Majid Majidi. Majidi is kind of like the underground Spielberg of the tyrannical 3rd world. Back before Spielberg turned into the no-talent limopimp of hollywood. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope Spielberg never makes another scifi flick again. One more gratuitous self-important dose of his failed attempts at futuristic fiction and his rep will begin to stink as bad his movies do.

Trust me on this one. This movie is absolutely amazing. All of Majidi's movies are beautiful, but "Baran" is his magnum opus (IMHO).

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 10:52 AM

*scribbles a list of movies that XG recommends*

I'll look at my local video store for it, and I hope they'll have it. When I went looking for Amelie, their foreign film section was disappointingly small.

I'll pick it up this weekend in fact, if they do have it.

Yes, I suppose global overpopulation could be considered my fault, since I'm a goddess of sort, and using that to solve world hunger was all part of my evil plan

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 11:40 AM

SIKKUKUT

If anybody besides you three is still reading this thread, I felt this was an item of interest, originally posted on WHEDONESQUE:

Quote:
All right, now I have to jump in and set the record straight. EW is a fine rag, but they do take things out of context. Obviously when I said I had 'closure', what I meant was "I hate Serenity, I hated Firefly, I think my fans are stupid and Nathan Fillion smells like turnips." But EW's always got to put some weird negative spin on it. But so we're clear once and for all: If you read a quote saying "I'd love to do more in this 'verse with these actors in any medium" all I'm saying is that Nathan has a turnipy odor. It's not his fault, he doesn't eat a lot of them but everyone else in the cast noticed it and tht's not really something I'm prepared to deal with any more. And Jewel said outright she wouldn't do scenes with him except stuff like the SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER funeral scene which was outside in a high SPOILER wind. So if I do manage to find another incarnation for my beloved creation, it will have been totally against my will.

I hope that clears everything up. Oh, and when I say I want to do a Spike movie, it means I have a bunion on my toe.

-joss (by which I mean Tim)

(no, actually me.)

- http://whedonesque.com/comments/9027#more

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 11:50 AM

Hmm, turnips, huh? Oh well, he's still got a nice ass.

And poor Joss has a bunion on his toe.

Oh, and XG, I might be able to find Amelie, but I KNOW I can't find this Baran you speak of. Which sucks.

"I'm having one of those things - a headache with pictures."

"Sucker! Competitive violence, that's why you're here!"

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 3:24 PM

Alright Sikku I'm gonna take you to task on this one...

Nice post. I'm assuming it's from Joss. My reply to it in 1000 words or less...

"So fuckin what?"

Ok that's 3 words. Nowhere near a 1000.

Whedon ain't saying jack shit with that post (if in fact it's him). It's humorous, yes. Sounds like his roundabout way of being silly and humorous while not actually saying anything. It feels like he's gonna make some serious pronouncement, and then it goes nowhere. Kind of contrived. It lacks seriousness.

I wanna hear Whedon say something like "I'm fighting with my whole heart and soul to bring back Firefly, and I'd eat a ton of whale blubber and die a billion horrible deaths before I give up on my show". But he's not saying that. Nor do I even remotely believe he's saying that. I wish he would, but he won't. Screw passivity. Fight for the friggin show. Bring back Firefly.

Sounds to me like he's just trying to diffuse the anger and disappointment people are feeling when it becomes obvious he's not trying to bring back the show. Sorry... he's gonna have to speak direct and be all serious if he want's to convince me. That post says absolutely nothing to that effect. Nada, xero, xilch, xip.

Joss, joo got some xplainin to doo. Babalooooo.

XG

PS~

...between myself, Queeny, and Psolaris, I doubt that the 3 of us could have managed 1000+ hits on this thread in the space of the last 4-5 days. I have a memory like a fucking elephant when it comes to trite little details involving numbers. I hadn't noticed how much attention this thread has been getting until now. Can't say I'm shocked though.

So it ain't just we 3.

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Monday, January 9, 2006 4:21 AM

Psolaris's PM to me...

Psolaris of FIREFLYFANS.NET has sent you the following message:

-------------------------

Ok, I saw Baran, and I figured it'd be easier to talk this way than to keep talking over the waves on FFF.net. I've got to admit I'm still contemplating the flick as I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

First off, I wasn't quite impressed with the acting in it. However I will admit that I did love the story itself. It kind of started out a little slow for me, but the story line picked up when they almost captured Baran and she went running away from the Inspectors. There were points in time in the movie that I actually caught myself thinking, "gee, these people have more tea times than the bloody English." Now mind you I'm not at all familiar with that culture, so that could very well be a normal occurance for them. I also noticed something else. Not one woman said a word in the movie. You heard some background talking when you saw the women collecting stones in the raging river, but none of them really said anything of importance in the movie. And I have to admit I'm not quite sure what to make of that. Since I am naive to their culture, I'm not sure if it's because women don't have rights and therefore aren't allowed to have a speaking role, or if the director was trying to send a message to his audience. Honestly, I think it'd be interesting to find out what that answer is.

It was damn near heartbreaking at the end when he finally had the courage to go inside and the next thing you see is him helping them pack up to leave for Afghanistan. And as he is helping Baran pick up the goods that she dropped on the ground, I damn near cried when she had to throw that damn veil over her face. I thought to myself "dammit, I'm glad I don't have to live there." Shit man, how they treat women. And I'm not just saying that because I am a woman. I just feel like no one should have to suffer that kind of life. Hell, I'd be adverse to it even if men had to deal with that shit. It just ain't right in my book. Anyway, part of the ending still does kind of confuse me, and I'm almost afraid to admit to that b/c I don't want you to think I'm stupid or something. I'm not quite sure if we're supposed to believe something happened between those two or if he just went in there to divulge his feelings. Maybe my American thinking is getting in the way. Ya know, when the director leaves stuff to the imagination, I guess I'm used to thinking how we think on this side of the globe. So in trying to understand how they live, I know that if something like that did occur, that would make this girl unclean, which leads me to believe that he merely spent the rest of the day with her. But again, I'm not familiar with this particular director and am unsure if he's trying to send out another message. Ya know, perhaps I'll look up more information on this guy and see what kind of work he does...since any intelligent person would do such, heh. Then perhaps I'll undertand Majidi's thinking a bit more.

Again...thanks for the suggestion for the movie. I enjoy things that perplex me sometimes, gives me something to chew on, and I think I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Incidentally if you haven't seen a movie called Ed Wood, I suggest you see it. It's a movie with Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton. I don't know how you feel about either one of those people, but it's based on a true story and Depp did an excellent job in it. Well, when doesn't he do a good job. The movie itself didn't do so well at the box office, but it had a lot of heart. There's a lot of people out there that didn't like it, but I just love it. So if you haven't seen it, give that one a try.

Take care XG! Talk to ya soon.

Psolaris

-------------------------

To respond to Psolaris, you can go here:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/showprofile.asp?un=Psolaris

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Monday, January 9, 2006 4:22 AM

Yes it's far easier to talk like this. Sometimes my opinions get my posts "deleted". I won't call it censorship. I'll just call it anomalous things we never talk about. I'll let you figure out what to call it. Once upon a time, I was quite the gentleman and never cursed. Many times I felt like cussing up a storm but maintained some degree of civility. But, once I saw my posts magically disappear (coupled with personal messages that make me shiver from being creeped out), off came the gloves. Psolaris: I was already a troll for not wanting to shmooze at the altar of whedon. If this gets deleted, I won't be surprised. Nor could I care less.

If you want to talk with me you can do so publicly. You already know I'm an ass. I've admitted to as much. This little stunt proves it. Fuck it. If your ashamed to be talking with me publicly, don't dare to talk with me privately. I'm not a whedonesque fan. I'm a FFF.net fan. A fan of "Firefly". A "Firefly" fan.

You saw Amelie and you loved it. It's formulaic french filmery. Full of artloving and poetry. Except the storyline isn't a disconnected never-ending load of horseshit that only french people can relate to. Believe me, I've watched tons of french cinema and (when all of it taken as a whole) it's the most pooperific craptacular load of bullshittery this side of the universe. The french are ALWAYS full of themselves when it comes to their great artistic inner beauty. Narcissism. Montemarte was once a beautiful paradiso for art minded people. Now it's just a parisian burb like any other. The walls are caked with political grafitti, every building corner smells like a pisswell, and the people are foul, vile, disgusting selfish monsters who never learned the basics of human hygiene. Ahh how far they've strayed from the artsy reputation that once made them great. Amelie is a loveletter to their past. A desperate pleading for them to rediscover their soul. It was hated by the elites in france. Hell... they refused to allow it to be entered into the Cannes film festival. It just was too outside the norm of hollywood. And "hollywood" owns cannes. Unfortunately, it was too much loved by the dirty unwashed masses. It was like true art. You loved it, so now you are counted among those numbers. You're now touched by true art art and made impure. True art is always a painful conflicted sort of thing. Like weird sex involving pain and pleasure.

You saw Baran and you (1) hated it? (2) confused and conflicted about it? (3) hated it and are afraid to say so? (4) confused/conflicted and afraid to say so? ~ don't gimme the "I'm afraid you'll think I'm stupid" routine. Psolaris you truly disappoint me here. You're anything but stupid. You're one of the only people with a mind engaging enough to amuse and fascinate me.

I'll give you my take on that movie... (as well as my take on Ed Wood and J.Depp).

well... maybe later I will... I expect you'll be pissed at this. How dare I? But, you need an iota of guts to mince words with me. You're PM to me was an act of asskissing. What are you afraid of? Remains to be seen.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Monday, January 9, 2006 5:44 AM

Well, you took my PM to you completely the wrong way. I am not, I repeat NOT ashamed to talk to you. I've posted on this site before that I enjoy talking to you and that I have a certain respect for you because I find you thought provoking.

YOU HEAR THAT EVERYONE! I ENJOY TALKING TO XG!

The reason I sent you a PM was because I was trying to respect everyone else on this site. You and I had started a personal conversation that didn't relate to the thread anymore, and I just figured it more appropriate to talk over PM than to keep digging up this old thread. Had nothing to do with being ashamed, because I'm not. No I'm not pissed at you, but it saddens me that you thought my intentions were bad.

As for Baran, I'm not afraid to say that I'm conflicted by the story. Hell, I even flat out said it in my email to you that some of it confused me and that I would need to do some further digging on my own to see if I can find out what message this director was giving. I freely admit that I'm naive to their culture. I'm sorry if I didn't want you to think me a cretin though because I was confused by it, but I'm not afraid to admit that I'm confused by it. Did I enjoy the movie...yes. Did I completely understand everything that happened...no. In the final paragraph of my letter I even thanked you for the movie suggestion since I enjoy things that make me think. Too many times in my life experience I've had people accuse me of being un-intelligent when I've admitted that I didn't quite understand something, and there was a part of me that was afraid you would jump to the same conclusion and for that I apologize. I should not have jumped to a conclusion myself, for as we all know, that tends to piss folk off and hurt feelings, and is a very juvenile act in my opinion.

If you wish to talk over this site, then I have no problem in doing that. I never did. And no, I'm not an ass kisser either. I never had been. That itself is an act that I loathe and you'll never catch me doing it. If you think that was my intention, well I guess I can't stop you. I simply thought that since we were having a personal conversation, we could message each other back and forth with some thought provoking insight. In all honesty I was looking forward to it. I would have done the same thing if it were any one else on this site and has nothing to do with what anyone else on here thinks of you.

I guess I can only hope you can give me enough respect, or at least some credit, to believe me.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Monday, January 9, 2006 6:07 AM

Not to interrupt your thought-provoking private conversation or anything, but I'm just curious . . . where do you two find all these foreign films? I have no idea where to get access to them. Could be because you two live in the States and I live in Canada. I don't know. But anyway, I would appreciate any advice either of you could give me in locating more foreign films.

"I'm having one of those things - a headache with pictures."

"Sucker! Competitive violence, that's why you're here!"

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Wednesday, January 11, 2006 4:46 PM

Psolaris: Stop apologizing. Ok you're happy to talk with me. Good for you. Good for me. Let's grouphug, sing kumbayah, hold hands, and fly to the moon in a balloon powered by happiness. You forget. I like you most when you're in a fighting mood.

And ok... I believe on "some" level you were'nt PM'ng me cuz you were ashamed to be talking with me publicly (which in fact you were, but it's a moot point to argue over... and frankly it just doesn't fit into the lyrics of kumbayah).

But... before we argue films lets address this fantastical horseshit reason "why" you don't want to debate films here. Cuz we're off-topic and we don't want to offend the rest of the whedonesquers. Fuck'm. I hope that clears it up. Ok it prolly doesn't so let's tide them over. Joss Whedon is jesus christ incarnate and anything he puts on film is the undebateable and untouchable gospel of god. Holy fuck he is god! I'm not gay but I will be for just this one moment of time so I can worship him... I wanna be the mother of Joss Whedon's children. If Joss Whedon had boobs and a kickin bod, and wore lots of lingerie, I would willingly be mother of his children (just as long as he puts a paper bag over his melon when I have to perform my wifely duties... ok this is getting too horrific for even my twisted imagination, time for a new tact).

Forget that I'm straight and lack the plumbing for childbirth. I'll have a sex change and bear him many fruit cuz I wanna be the mother of Joss Whedon's children. There... ya happy? Ya think the whedonesquers will be satisfied? Perhaps instead I need to play it straight, be fruitful and multiply, and sacrifice my 1st-born? Phtphtpht.

Oh smheg the hatemail is just gonna pour in now. Ok this is still kinda creepy and revolting. Ick.

Hows about we just say fuck'm? Fuck'm. There, I said it. We have a free pass to talk about whatever floats our boat. Can you honestly say you give a shit what anyone else here thinks? Well can you? Who gives a fuck. I sure as shit don't. Neither should you. But hey, you wanna be one of them, then go for it. Whatever floats your boat. I never have been able to stay on topic for long anyhow.

Back to flicks...

Ok. Baran. Ya you're being all americanized in your view of that flick. Lower your standards and presume no hidden agenda crap buried in the film. It's just "in your face" storytelling. No presumptuous hidden meanings. No esoteric attempts at illustrating some greater meaning. It's just raw acting around a script that presumes nothing. That's why it's so fookin beautiful. And BTW Iranian women are allowed to talk in films so long as they are in some submissive traditional role. Majidi's other films will bare that out. The silence of Baran was purely artistic. And given hollywood's endless love of overdoing dialogue with preachy sermons, maybe you can find it in yourself to see the art it in. Maybe. Hell... you wanna see a movie about the ugliness women there have to endure, go see "Osama". No, it has nothing to do with the filthy demonic mastermind of terror incorporated. It's an Afghan flick about the plight of women back when their country was ruled by Iranian-style talibs (i.e. ~ taliban). It's a very depressing film if you dare go see it. Real life is never a balloon trip to the moon though.

And no... there was no secret sexual liason between Lateef and Baran. Nor was there any implication of such a thing. That kind of suggestion would get Majidi marched off to a 6 day, 7 night, all expenses paid vacation at the local prison, full of glorious torture by the religious police. The film is what it is. It's straightforward storytelling. Accidental art of the highest order. If it had been made in hollywood, it would have been mindless porn with lots of kickass action straight out of a mountain dew commercial. Lateef wouldn't have just tackled the inspector. He would have karate chopped his ass off a cliff, grabbed hold of a helicopter, flew through a barage of machine-gun fire, wrestled a few genetically-engineered super alligators, etc. etc. You get the idea. Or do you?

Ok I've talked too much. I'll get into Depp and Burton later. You'd be shocked at what I have to say I think. Nothing you would ever expect.

Queeny: I have no clue where a good place to get foreign flick rentals is. There used to be a Mom & Pop shop video rental full of foreign flicks that was slain by the hollywood video juggernauts. Oh woe unto them. HWV and blockbuster video did slake their insatiable thirst in the blood of that place and many other small video rental outlets. Drove em' all out of business and now to rent foreign flicks, I have to drive over an hour one-way. It's basically a 3 hour trip. 2 hours commuting, 1 hour deciding what to rent. But I do cuz I love foreign flicks, and hollywood monopoly films routinely suck ass.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Thursday, January 12, 2006 5:20 AM

Ok, well I'm glad that you believe me, even if it's only partially. And I don't have a problem talking over these waves here, so cool...let's continue on this route. But you're only partially right in trying too hard to impress the people here at this site. Sure, I enjoy these people quite a bit, and I'm having fun talking to all of them, and I do like everyone here. However I'm mindful and respectful of everyone I meet.

The more I thought about Baran, the more I started realizing that I was Americanizing the ending. I may be naive to their culture, however I've got a pretty good idea of their religious beliefs (believe it or not, I've read some of the Koran) and I do know that some of their culture is based off of their religious beliefs . And I thought to myself that in no way could that kind of suggestion be made, even remotely, without repercussions of some kind. So once I started putting two and two together, I started appreciating the story more. The final look that Baran and Lateef share before Baran leaves said a whole mouthful, without saying one word...and that itself is beautiful.

I also got to thinking more about the fact that I know that there are Iranian female actors...I've read about them, seen pictures and read reviews on them and such. So my logical thinking ended up kicking in and realized that there's no way that every movie Iran makes all women stay silent the entire time, that just didn't make any sense. So the more I did chew on the movie, the more I understood what was going on, the clearer the picture became. Absolutely I do appreciate the artistic value now that I see it for what it is.

And from the sounds of it, I'm preparing myself for either rave reviews or absolute hatred of either Depp or Burton. Personally, yes I am a fan of both. Depp's good looks aside (he could be as ugly as sin and I'd still think this about him), he's got talent! He has more versatility in his little finger than most of Hollywood does put together. But that's just my humble opinion. And I like Burton's eclectic style and vision. He's the kind of director that I feel takes it to a whole new level, and I just enjoy that. And when the two of them collaberate on something, it's music. Absolutely beautiful music.

And as to your three hour trek to rent foreign flick, just as a suggestion, have you tried something like Netflicks? Have them come to you rather than you having to drive all over. I've not ever used them myself, so I don't even know if they have a good supply of foreign films, but it was just a thought.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Thursday, January 12, 2006 7:52 AM

So I'll translate that to mean you don't know where I can get foreign flicks. Crud. Guess my only hope is to buy them terribly overpriced online. My local Movie Gallery does stock some foreign films, but they're all Asian. Not that I'm complaining about that cuz I like Asian films, but that's a very limited view. Which, by the way, if you get a chance, check out White Dragon. That's a truly funny movie.

By the way, what the hell is netflicks?

"I'm having one of those things - a headache with pictures."

"Sucker! Competitive violence, that's why you're here!"

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Thursday, January 12, 2006 9:21 AM

Netflicks is an internet service that allows you to rent movies online. They are delivered to your door and you watch them whenever you want, and return them in a pre-stamped envelope. There is a monthly fee for the service, however there are no late fees or anything. Here's there site:

http://www.netflix.com/Default

Not sure if there are extra fees for Canadian currency, but might not be a bad idea to check it out so you can see these foreign films.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Thursday, January 12, 2006 1:17 PM

Thanks for the link. It looks like I can't use it though. Nowhere on the site (that I can see) is there anything about shipping to Canada/paying in Canadian money. Oh well. Maybe there's a Canadian equivalent somewhere.

"I'm having one of those things - a headache with pictures."

"Sucker! Competitive violence, that's why you're here!"

Like books? Go to this thread: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14862
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Thursday, January 12, 2006 2:00 PM

TANSTAAFL28

This might have been a hasty remark by Joss.

As I understand it, the movie got made because the series on DVD was selling like hotcakes at Amazon. Now the movie is on DVD and it's selling like hotcakes on Amazon.

I think the best thing we can do to counter this is keep spreading the word amongst all the browncoats the world over.

"You can't take the sky from me..."

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Friday, January 13, 2006 7:15 AM

Sorry about the harshness of that last post. I just reread it and whoa, I was brutal (I say that with all due sarcasm). Ok I'm not really sorry. I don't regret anything I said but tact and diplomacy while speaking is an art lost on me. Basically I am no fookin good when it comes to lieing my ass off. Can't strike that balance required so as not to offend anyone. Couldn't be helped. I'd just come from a double dose of hollywood at it's finest. Went to see "Aeon Flux" and "Bloodrayne" back-2-back. These movies didn't just suck. They were so bad, I'm psychologically traumatized. I also just went to see "Brokeback Mountain". I can now imagine what a 97 year old virginal maiden must feel like after seeing a penis for the first time. Pure trauma. It was that bad. Almost as bad as seeing 2 "cowboy" sheepherders have raunchy oscar-worthy gay sex in a tent on top of some mountain. Hollymonopolywood is massaging itself in the mirror, smearing globs of oil on it's all-seeing erect nipple, pulling out all the stops for this film. The self-righteous whores are tapping every shmooze-me critic gloryhound they have to cllaim "Brokeback Mountain" is akin to the 2nd coming of christ. Jesus would be pissed if he had to sit through even 20 minutes of this hideous film. But hey. It's opressed gay guys who just wanna love and be loved. It's a cowboy movie. This is the best cowboy movie ever. Period. No arguing, it just is. Cuz the academy says so. Good enough for me. Thanks hollywood. 3 horrific films. You people are driving me to drink! At least the gay cowboy flick was even remotely interesting and believable.

To actually see "Brokeback Mountain", I had to go find the little artsy-ass theatre showing it in the middle of bum-fuck egypt. Too much effort so that I might partake of this spectacle. But I guess that's part of the ploy of making it great. Make it hard to see after talking it up way way way too much. I'm waiting for them to start whining about how it was somehow "blacklisted" from theatres even though the fuckers who make the films own the ironfisted chokehold monopoly on distribution and control. They control which theatres will show which films. Nothing makes a film more marketable than to stir up a fake controversy around it. It's why Serenity was so lacklustre. Cuz Mal wasn't the ambiguously gay skipper of Gilligan's Isle... he lacked a sappy bohunk like Gilligan whose mostly-naked muscular body would glisten with sweat in perfectly lighted scenes while skipper secretly ogled him. It didn't have the masturbatory glee that hollywood gets all worked up over. And it had a fanbase the critics love to point their fingers at and say "LOOK! Look at those ignorant assclowns who worship Whedon! This movies sucks on the basis of that alone!"

"Brokeback Mountain" was not exactly mainstream theatre material. Ya, I went out of my way to see it. I wish hollywood would make hetero love stories about forbidden angst like this. Well, they do. It usually stars Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts and some other up-and-coming hollywood hack who is about to have his neverending 15 minutes of orchestrated fame. With even half the invested thought, and 1/1000th the critical attention, those crapass films could be worth watching. But newp, they can't be. Yet this movie somehow is supposed to be. The gayness of the film still grosses me out, but all in all it was a decent flick. Oscar-nod time for the 2 straight guys makin gay love films. If hollywood weren't such patronizing whores, they'd have actually cast a couple of up-and-coming gay dudes to play the leads for this film. But newp. Woudn't have the same air of controversy. Just can't bring themselves to do it. It creeps me out seeing 2 dudes kissing and gettin all nasty in a tent, in fact I wanted to vomit, but hey... hollywood loves it. And Gyllenhal and Ledger are now being touted as box-office heartthrobs in the very hetero-istic film world. If I were gay (and I'm not), I'd see that blatant shmoozing for what it is. But this was a time to trump the great sex appeal of Gyllenhal and Ledger. Being heterosexual actors playing gayness onscreen is an automatic ticket to better things. Look at Russell Crowe... the gay neonazi who became the ubergladiator badboy who loves RL barfights and all the press that comes with it. Pretending he's a gay nazi has gotten him laid by half the starlets in hollywood, as well as an enviable career. Wanna go far in hollywood? Pray you get to play an oppressed gay man or a nazi villain. Or both.

I can hear it now. The magical ring of the cell phone at the plush apartment of the guy who starred as the most recent gay nazi. RINGRING. "Hey, this is Spielberg. Good job playing a gay nazi. Wanna star in my next feature film? Superdooper. Cya at the orgy tonight."

Gay artists disappoint me. They have such talent, yet they are using their monopoly power to bore the fuck out of smart people like me. But then when your perch is guaranteed and you only have to write movie scripts that only actors could love, when you don't have to please the crowds, why bother being creative? Why should the scriptwriting gay mafiosa shake up the status quo when it's in their favor to keep silent?

Oh wait. I can hear it coming...

I'm a gay basher? fuck you. I have nothing against gay people. Hell, if you wanna be gay and have gay sex, good for you. What you do behind closed doors is none of my fuckin business. If you wanna wear women's clothing and run shrieking and howling at the moon in the middle of the night, go for it. Just don't wake me up. Be gay all you want. Just don't force me to have to watch, and lemme get my beauty sleep you raving loons. In fact, film your nocturnal rage with a black and white 35mm camera, badly edit the thing, and have my Jr. High school lesbian gym teacher recite some piece of 18th century french poetry over it. You'll get nominated for a couple dozen awards.

If You force me to have to watch, it becomes my business cuz I just don't fucking wanna see it. Of course, in the absence of anything else to watch what the hell else am I supposed to go see? I don't like movies about gay sex. Except, of course, when it involves hot naked lesbian sex. Then I want to see it. Just can't get enough! Give me more hot lesbian sex. But gay dudes huffing and grunting on top of a mountain? Nah it's creeping me out. I'll get nauseous the first time I'm forced to see 2 gay guys publicly grunting and assgrabbing in the local McDonalds. Then again, I don't really wanna see hetero people slobber all over each other in public places either. Just as nasty. In fact when I see any couple over the age of 25 publicly shmoozing, I tell them to spare me from the graphic view of their lovelife and go get a bedroom (or a backseat of some car). It's offensive. I'm not gay bashing. Anyone who hates gay people just cuz they are gay is a fuckin asshole in my book. I'll give you that. But gay people... listen up... don't shove your gayness down my throat in a public place. You force me to watch, and I'm gonna hate your ass with insane fury ~ kinda like I hate watching some redneck methhead mullet-man slobber face-to-face with his mostly-toothless trashy trailerpark whore in the local allnight trucker restaurant... please people I'm trying to eat my glutinous fatburger and fatty-saturated tatertots in peace. It ain't Denny's, but it's equally tasty chow, more bang for the buck, and will speed me along towards my age 50-something coronary. Your mating rituals make my stomach turn. Gay and straight alike. Before you know it, mullet-man is giving a command karaoke performance of "Achy Breaky Heart" for the whole restaurant.

Do what you please gay people. so long as it's consensual, and it doesn't scare the horses. Just don't make me watch.

Back to "Aeon Flux" and "Bloodrayne". I knew they would be bad but I just couldn't help myself. On the off chance they might be even remotely bareable, I went to see them. Just had to have a little fantasy in my life. "Aeon Flux" felt like paying someone money to kick me in the head with a pair of Herman Munster-sized steeltoe boots till I passed out from the agonizing misery and excrutiating pain, then being revived with smelling sauce so they can kick me in the nuts over and over. "Aeon Flux" was a mindless job application from Charlize Theron to appear in the next "Frederick's of Hollywood" catalogue. Ya she's hot. Ya she's got herself some capital to spend for uglying up and starring as a serial killer bonehag. You could smell the Oscar nod on that one. She still needs to learn how to act though. Being beautiful only gets you so far with me (unless you're starring in porn). "Bloodrayne" was just rinse and repeat ~ more of the same. More boot upside the head. Why, Ben Kingsley? Why? Ah, how far you've fallen. Gandhi turned into a B-film star of the lowest calibre.

Jesus those 2 movies sucked. I hate you hollywood! I fuckin hate you! You steal my peasant wages and nonrefundable lifespan with crap like this. I'm gonna have to endlessly drink myself into a mindless oblivion to erase the horror of these 2 movies from my fragile psyche. It was bad.

Queeny: You mentioned the only foreign flicks available to you at the local rental chopshop are asian films. You're staring a goldmine in the face and don't even know it. Fuck the chinese action films. It's all bad kung-fu with tired old plots. They have always been pulp poop and will continue to be so indefinitately it seems. You want a taste of the beauty of the orient? Go rent the following 2 movies... "Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo". In fact, avoid crappy chinese kung-fu films (Bruce Lee films being the exception).

I've made mention of my Top 10 favorites, but Japanese films are excluded from that list. Intentionally so. They are a class of films unto themselves. Akira Kurosawa is my emperor of film, my one true living god of the celluloid dreamworld. He's absolute fucking zen art in motion, living poetry. Anything he puts on the screen is a treasure. To compare them with the putrid stew of cowdung and braindead cinema from hollywood... well, just not possible. Words escape me. Impossible to compare the two. Even when Kurosawa sucked, when he was at his worst, his films were friggin miles ahead of all the other crap hollywood dares call film. Hell.. Star wars was Lucas ripping him off. The absolute best westerns ever made were the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, and they were 3rd rate copies of Kurosawa.

Any Japanese-made movie involving Samurai or Ronin is like a sacred testament to great action films. Fuck that nasty cholostomy bag of self-glorifying hollywood glam-rock, "the last samurai" starring tom cruise. That was hollywood blowing kisses to itself in the mirror. The cultish hubbard-freak cruise is a bankable leading man in glitterland. He always has to indulge his ego by making movies where he's the jaded war-vet-hero who becomes messianic. That's why I hate his ass so much. What a load of crap that film was compared to anything Kurosawa. Ahh the glorious white man who comes to save the savage yellow people. Self-love. Pathos. hollywood is so in love with itself.

Go check out those 2 flicks I mentioned. Then check out Zatoichi flicks. Kinda gory. but still better than any westerns (and I loved westerns).

Psolaris: holy shit I talk too much. I'll get to Depp and Burton later. I just noticed how long this post is becoming. I'll be writing "War and Peace" if I keep on like this. I should probably edit this down to 1 or 2 paragraphs but I'm drunk as hell at the moment. I'll probably wake up naked in some ditch, handcuffed to a mannequin sporting a leather bondage zipper mask. Or worse, wake up nekkid next to some chick who looked like Paris Hilton 9 beers ago, and now just looks like a very angry Ernest Borgnine. I'm on a therapeutic drinking binge the won't end till my liver explodes or I can erase "Aeon Flux" and "Bloodrayne" from my mind. Oh the humanity!

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Friday, January 13, 2006 9:22 AM

Whew man!! You brain don't stop do it? Now you see what I was talking about before about blogging, even though you don't like blogging...but you just have this talent for letting it all spill...whatever it is on your mind (very reminicent of your Mr. Fingers actually). Talent like that shouldn't go to waste. Well, it's not going to waste I suppose...I'm sitting here reading it.

Good thing I didn't go and see Aeon Flux after all. I came damn close to, but something else came up and me and my friend didn't go, and then we started hearing crappy stuff from it and decided it might be best to keep away. And Bloodrayne, I took one look at the commercials for that and rolled my eyes. And how pissed am I that Ben Kingsly is in it!! One of my favorite actors of all time and he does this?!?!?!

I am picky...and I mean damn picky at what I watch. I hate brainless entertainment for the most part. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for it, and I'll even induldge if I'm in the mood, but for the most part it pisses me off to no end that there's very little out there worth shit. The television nowadays is pathetic viewing (Skating with the Stars...are you kidding me!!

). Reality TV is poison. And as of recently, I've really noticed how much less I go to the movies anymore. I used to go about once a month at least, but it's hardly ever these days. I actually MISS the days where I looked forward to going to the newest movie coming out. sigh

Hurry up and tell me your thoughts on Depp and Burton man, the suspense is killing me. (Ok, it's really not, but I'm damn curious as to what you have to say)

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Friday, January 13, 2006 11:19 AM

Wow, XG, when you write, you really don't fool around, do you? What a post! And as always, you have some really excellent points. Hollywood is a load of narcissistic (sp?) freaks who think they know what good entertainment is. They don't. Any Japanese anime I've ever seen blows the socks off Hollywood's "best" flicks. Actually, most of Hollywood's actual best flicks are the ones that Hollywood bashes. Which just goes to show you how much they know.

I'll probably still go see Aeon Flux because I wanted to when I saw the previews for it. I only trust my opinion, so I go to see any movie that I want to, even if people bad-mouth it beforehand. Sometimes this leads me to see utterly boring pieces of crap (The Others) but at the very least I can still make fun of them.

I'll definitely check out those two films you recommended. Also, can you tell me a selection of Akira Kurosawa's best works? I've heard the name before, but I don't know what he's done.

And for the record, Psolaris, I think Johnny Depp was absolutely stellar in the Pirates of the Carribean. Should have won an Oscar for that, but didn't because it wasn't a "serious art" film. Further proof of the crap that is Hollywood.

Edit: Oh, and if I ever actually had to watch any of the reality shows on television, I think I would have to stab myself in the eye. Actually both eyes, so I couldn't see it anymore.

"I'm having one of those things - a headache with pictures."

"Sucker! Competitive violence, that's why you're here!"

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Friday, January 13, 2006 11:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by queenofthenorth:
Also, can you tell me a selection of Akira Kurosawa's best works? I've heard the name before, but I don't know what he's done.

Ahhhhh Kurosawa!! One damn fine Japanese film-maker. Most well known for making Samurai movies that not only have great story lines, but beautiful fight scenes that rival the best ballet you've seen. So beautifully choreographed, I watch in awe every time I see his works. Believe it or not, much of this man's influence was Shakespeare himself. If you are familiar with Shakespeare, and you watch a Kurosawa film, you'll catch it. From King Lear, to Hamlet, and even MacBeth. Boy do I love that film-maker. I could just go on and on......

Seven Samurai is indeed one of his, and it was remade into the well known western The Magnificent Seven. Yojimbo is also one of his, and that was also remade into another western called A Fistfull of Dollars

. There is one called Rashomon (sp?), and The Hidden Fortress, Stray Dog, Drunken Angel, and Ran (I'm giving you the english names of them, for my japanese spelling and diction doesn't exist). I hope you can experience him Queeny. I think you'll like.

Quote:

Edit: Oh, and if I ever actually had to watch any of the reality shows on television, I think I would have to stab myself in the eye. Actually both eyes, so I couldn't see it anymore.

LOL. I hear you on that. It's all poison I say! I hate that this crap is on the air....HATE IT!! People out there that watch this...I beg you, STOP! You're only encouraging them! Ok, I know that don't work and you all will watch anyway. sigh

PS...XG, I hope your head feels alright when you awaken. Getting sloshed and falling asleep, then waking up the next day and having to go to work sucks balls. I hope you got the rest you needed.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Friday, January 13, 2006 1:33 PM

SNAP

What the F*** part of "You can't stop the signal" don't they understand?

Oh, and I'm new, only got 2 copies of the movie and the boxed series. =) Although they messed up and gave 2 disc 1's instead of a disc 2 =(

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Sunday, January 15, 2006 8:05 AM

Psolaris...

phtpht! spare me.

Queeny: "The Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo".

You wanna know what Kurosawa movies to go see?

"Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo".

Start there. Then we'll tackle Kurosawa's other films.. actually, you'll probably be so in love with them you won't need any prodding from me.

Seeing art like this will probably be the best thing possible for an aspiring author like yourself.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Monday, January 16, 2006 1:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by XeroGravity:
Psolaris...

phtpht! spare me.

Spare you which part? My feelings on Depp and Burton, my ramblings about Kurosawa (I took a film class about him in college), or me wishing you good rest?

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Tuesday, January 17, 2006 8:45 AM

Psolaris:

None of the above. You're clearly offended and I would be too given what I wrote. It reads the wrong way. I was trying to be terse after that blustery windbag performance in my last post. Being boozed up loosens the lips, much to my own detriment.

I was referring to your suggestion I "blog". I hate 99 percent of people who "blog". Fuck'm. Who do they think they are? Someone wants to write a blog and has the boldness to think their opinions & meditations on life are worth reading, they better live a life that makes it so. Suffer and struggle, become a talented painter (the list is endless), an author (endless list that is hopelessly long), a doctor who cures some fatal disease (can count them on one hand), a craftsman who builds things that will live forever and take people's breaths away (need a history book for that one), etc.

Someone does that and they can blog their ass off and say something I give a shit about reading. Few do. Blogs are nothing more than people spewing their worthless personal diaries out over the net, as if someone gives a shit. When I cure cancer, solve the "world peace" problem, or manage to top the world's record for doing the Rubik's Cube one-handed in under 11 seconds, I'll blog.

Till then, I remain, worthlessly yours,

XG

ps - I'll come back later and address your other topics. Just superbusy with RL shit at the moment.

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2006 1:59 PM

Nope...not offended at all. I promise. Just didn't know what you were referring to. I knew you wouldn't like the blogging comment b/c you've stated before you don't like the thought of doing it, but I was illustrating a point about your ability to write. I actually like your windbagness, as you put it. (is that a word?)

Take care of RL shit...get back to this when you can. RL may suck, but it's important and some such.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 12:14 PM

Psolaris:

WARNING LABEL: I'm hitting the bottle again. Don't worry. I'm not near drunk yet but probably will be by the time I get to the end of this post. If your 3 gig memory chip explodes, you'll know I'm excessively shitfaced.

Ok. Second will be Depp and Burton. A weird mix of good and bad. But first is Kurosawa.

You a film school student? You must be if you took a class on Kurosawa. Just gotta be a film school thing. I'm not impressed. The thought of film school teachers even daring to allow the name of Kurosawa to cross their lips is an absolute desecration of something sacred. I sometimes watch short films produced by film school students in my spare time. Rest assured, there is an infinite supply of zeros wanting to work in hollywood. Who needs Ed Wood when we have that bottomless cesspool of no-talent trash. Braindead film school students love to make shit that is so bad, you just know it's gonna get them a job directing lowbudget lowbrow sitcoms or TV commercials. "Crazy Eddie's Used Auto Emporium" will prosper given the future crop of wannabes. They ape every pathetic trendy thing they see and try to produce some 15 minute masterpiece that would rival the "best of" clips from MTV's reality shows. Check out some film school shorts online and you'll stop wondering why hollywood sucks so bad. Someone pissed in the gene pool. I think it's a reflection of their teachers. Film school "teachers" are the only industry whores worse than the actors. They are always artsy frauds who couldn't get a job pretending to be a crackhead critic, so now they teach. Somewhere out there, some mad scientist is mixing the DNA of James Lipton (of PBS) and failed ex-public school educators so they can breed mutant film school teachers. I can only imagine how Samurai movies and the whole Kurosawa warrior-ethos would be described by those intestinal parasites. The only way to get an education on Kurosawa is to watch his films. Whenever you find someone making films who was influenced by him, you'll find a good filmmaker (Lucas, Tarantino, Sergio Leone, etc). The copycats are never as good as the master.

When Kurosawa's career was waning (because political winds didn't favor him ~ and they never do when you're a true talent), he put everything he had on the line (including his own money and reputation) to make a film. It was destined to be hated by the critics. Predictable. He got trashed pretty bad by the whole industry. But then every film he ever made was a make-or-break gamble. That's why he's legendary. And that film of course is a classic cornerstone of arthouse cinema these days (outside of film schools), but back then it was trounced. So much so that Kurosawa wanted to end his life, to save face because he felt shamed and dishonored. He went for the gold medal in the suicide olympics, the real deal. It wasn't your everyday brand of generic suicide.

In hollywood it's fashionable and very sexy to feign a suicide attempt after going on a drug and booze binge for a couple months. A desperate cry for help from a tortured soul that can't bare a life without art. If you're a celebrity or in the film industry, fake a suicide attempt and people will love and worship you (just make sure you aren't having an ellicit love affair with someone from the Kennedy family, cuz you might accidentally succeed). If all goes well and you fail as planned, you'll be the talk of the town, A party favorite at the Betty Ford clinic. 12-steppers everywhere will be uncorking whiskey bottles and toasting you at AA meetings. Just make sure to give your personal throng of paparazzi advance notice (anonymously of course). Celebrity pseudo-suicide and the subsequent pity parties are all formula nowadays. Not like the good ole days of suicide.

And then it happens. RINGRING. "Hey this is Oprah. Wanna come on my show and share your innermost feelings about the hardships of fame and your suicidal struggle with addiction? Superdooper. Cya at the orgy tonight."

For Kurosawa, suicide was about art and honor. If the hollywood elites adopted Kurosawa's standards, there would be a Everest-sized pile of dead people stinking up the atmosphere. It would make koolaid-man Jim Jones cringe. The only people left in hollywood would be the illegal immigrants they hire at slavelabor wages to scrub their toilets and clean their pools. I'd drive out there and give those immigrants camcorders. They could use the carcasses as props to make zombie and war movies. I love zombie and war movies made by illegal immigrants. It's secretly my favorite genre. My personal fetish. The people of Earth would rejoice as the sun dawned on a new era of raw art.

Alas, Kurosawa was one of a kind and mass-suicide in glitterland remains an elusive pipe dream. If Whedon had even the tiniest bit of Kurosawa's do-or-die committment, "Serenity" could have been one of the best movies ever. It would've been better than Star Wars (and should have been). But why should he bother? He's a made man. The film was great till he gave us that "Deus Ex Machina" ending. What a copout. He had a chance to wow me like he did with Firefly, but was too chickenshit. But hey, his fans will be first in line to go see "wonderwoman" and "goners" cuz he's the dude who made "buffy" and "angel".

Alright, back to Depp and Burton...

Actually, I'll get to Depp and Burton later. The booze is kicking in and I don't wanna miss the Oprah show.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 12:57 PM

OOKAMIKAWAHARA

Psolaris,
On recommending Kurosawa films you also forgot Dreams. 8 short stories that are very well done. Also his last film which was "Not yet" if I remember correctly, the Japanese title should be mada da yo. Yeah hangs head in shame, I still need to see some of Kurosawa's films. Saw Ran on the big screen and loved it especially since I learned later that part of it was filmed in the part of Japan I had lived in. Another good one that I have seen is called Heaven and Earth. Diff producer, but really good and set during the Sengoku jidai era ie Warring States Period of Japan. Hope that helps ya. What can I say, I like to pop in everyonce in a while

mata, Ookami yori

jya Chanbara eiga doko doko desu ka?
Ain't it a gorram fact when the other boy has two blades and you only got one well he is tryen to spill your blood. Time for dance of your life here huh

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 1:12 PM

Ooh, there's a Kurosawa film that takes place in the Warring States Era? I would definitely love to see that. Now I have to go track down every Kurosawa film I can find. Which unfortunately may be zero.

So, XG, I take your post to mean that Kurosawa is dead then? Or did he fail at killing himself? It's a terrible shame that an artist like that would see fit to end his life.

"I'm having one of those things - a headache with pictures."

"Of course I'm right. And if I'm not, may we all be horribly crushed from above somehow."

Like books? Go to this thread: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14862
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Thursday, January 19, 2006 1:21 PM

OOKAMIKAWAHARA

Hey Queen of North
The Heaven and Earth movie is not a Kurosawa movie its done by some one else. Not sure if any of Kurosawa's films are warring state period or not, with his its kinda hard to tell. Don't pay any attention to XG's ramblings on Kurosawa's suicide. Very typical Japanese if you will. And also very sad that he felt that ending his life was the way out for him (Kurosawa). He is one of the top directors/producers for the Chanbara genra(sp?). Chanbara is the name given to all the Samurai dramas and epics you will see on Japanese t.v. today. Usually have long dual sequances. Some can be a little hooky(sp?) but are really fun to watch. Hope that helps you out.
mata, Ookami yori

Surren time to go a forgen and then back to Gorram picket lines and another night of boring duty.

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Thursday, January 19, 2006 2:16 PM