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Not a bad day. Got a lot done. And saw The Bourne Ultimatitum, which I enjoyed more than I expected. Will you? Depends on what you like. It's a spy caper - about a black ops operative who has lost his memory and is trying to unravel who he is while being tracked down by the intelligence organization that turned him into what he is. Based on Robert Ludlum's best-selling series - the Bourne films closely follow the gist of the novels, but change a lot in the translation. The film contains some of the best chase sequences I've seen including one - that can best be described as a four-way chase sequence. We have a girl being chased by a bad guy, Bourne chasing the bad guy, and the police chasing Bourne. It's gripping, scarey, and suspenseful. Possibly the best chase sequence I've seen in a while. I'm usually bored by chase sequences - because most of them don't tell me anything new about the character or move the plot forward. This one did both.
It always annoys me when people say - that film was deeply stupid or deeply boring or dumb, (yes, I've done it too) - but don't state why. They don't get to the root of why they didn't like it. Making it impossible for someone who's never seen the film to know whether or not they'd like it or want to see it. Something that bores person A, might thrill person B after all.
An example - V for Vendetta - know of three women who really did not like this film. While numerous people online including myself found it not only memorable but haunting. The three who hated it never explained why they hated it. They just said it was dumb. They couldn't get into it. Found it silly. Stupid. Boring. I remember trying to talk to Wales about it and not getting anywhere. The ones who enjoyed it on the other hand? Explained why and made others want to see it.
Of course the reason for this may be that you don't always know. I tried Mad Men and Saving Grace recently - found both incredibly dull and ended up deleting them from DVR. The characters just didn't interest me. They were too self-involved. And the dialogue just did not pull me into the story. It was style over substance in my opinion. But mostly? I just couldn't get into them. Mad MEn? I couldn't hear most of the dialogue, we kept rewinding and finally gave up. But I Felt basically the same way about both shows. Yet, critics love both. And they are doing well - they are POPULAR. (Shrugs). Maybe I gave up too soon?? Or maybe it was my mood.
I wonder if it is harder to explain why you dislike something or don't enjoy it than it is why you love it? No. I think it's harder to explain ambivalence.
One quibble about the movie I just saw - a woman in the audience actually brought her child to it in a stroller. Oookay. The kid chortled, talked, squealed and laughed throughout. Luckily the film was loud enough to blot out most of it. I agree with Ken Levine who recently posted a great list of Movie Theater Don't's on his blog.
The two I remember - I'll repost here, because they bare repeating.
1. Children under the age of 6 should not be permitted in a movie theater unless Care Bears or a clearly age appropriate film is being shown. Children under the age of 10 should not be permitted into an R-rated, NC-rated, or PG-13 rated film regardless of whether or not parents are with them. Parents who bring their kids to these films need to be slapped.(That said, I think my parents accidently brought my brother and me to Excaliber when we were 10 and 13 respectively - but we were at least over the age of 10!) If you can't find a babysitter? Stay home. The audience does not deserve to suffer your screaming kids. Proof positive that having children does not make people less selfish. Also proof that some people should not have children.
2.Do not check your cell phone in a movie theater. Turn it off and leave it in your bag. If you are expecting an important call or are worried about your kids? Stay home or somewhere else. Netflix is a great way to watch movies! Turning it on is like turning on a flashlight. People who do this should be banned from going to movie theaters, they don't know how to behave.
Finally - I just read a really cool bit about John Barrowman from Torchwood that I want to share - it's from TV Guide interview with Benji Wilson, this week's issue:"I know a lot of gay leading men in Hollywood. I'm not one for outing people- they might have personal issues they need to overcome - but if they are not speaking up because they're afraid it's going to affect their careers, that pisses me off. Take the risk! I took that risk and the public rewarded me. I still play straight leading characters in theater, TV and film, so it doesn't matter." Very true. Anyone with half a brain knows the actor is acting and that whatever is shown on screen is not what the actor truly feels or desires. That's why they call it ACTING. Heck some of the best romantic chemistry onscreen is between two actors who despise one another and would rather kill one another than kiss. And some of the worste? Between married couples who adore each other.
He is openly gay and just married his partner - British architect Scott Grill last year.
Apparently he was turned down for the Will part in Will & Grace, - because producers felt he was "too straight". (Ugh - when will people stop stereotyping each other?? I repeat you can't tell who is gay, straight, bisexual, black, white, etc just by looking at them or watching them. I've known men who acted "the gay stereotype" who are "straight" and women who acted the "lesbian butch" stereotype who are "straight" - just as I've known men and women who act like the "straight stereotype" who are *very* gay. You can't tell unless they tell you. It's as silly as the old saying if you have just one earring in your left ear that means you are gay. Gimme a break.)
It always annoys me when people say - that film was deeply stupid or deeply boring or dumb, (yes, I've done it too) - but don't state why. They don't get to the root of why they didn't like it. Making it impossible for someone who's never seen the film to know whether or not they'd like it or want to see it. Something that bores person A, might thrill person B after all.
An example - V for Vendetta - know of three women who really did not like this film. While numerous people online including myself found it not only memorable but haunting. The three who hated it never explained why they hated it. They just said it was dumb. They couldn't get into it. Found it silly. Stupid. Boring. I remember trying to talk to Wales about it and not getting anywhere. The ones who enjoyed it on the other hand? Explained why and made others want to see it.
Of course the reason for this may be that you don't always know. I tried Mad Men and Saving Grace recently - found both incredibly dull and ended up deleting them from DVR. The characters just didn't interest me. They were too self-involved. And the dialogue just did not pull me into the story. It was style over substance in my opinion. But mostly? I just couldn't get into them. Mad MEn? I couldn't hear most of the dialogue, we kept rewinding and finally gave up. But I Felt basically the same way about both shows. Yet, critics love both. And they are doing well - they are POPULAR. (Shrugs). Maybe I gave up too soon?? Or maybe it was my mood.
I wonder if it is harder to explain why you dislike something or don't enjoy it than it is why you love it? No. I think it's harder to explain ambivalence.
One quibble about the movie I just saw - a woman in the audience actually brought her child to it in a stroller. Oookay. The kid chortled, talked, squealed and laughed throughout. Luckily the film was loud enough to blot out most of it. I agree with Ken Levine who recently posted a great list of Movie Theater Don't's on his blog.
The two I remember - I'll repost here, because they bare repeating.
1. Children under the age of 6 should not be permitted in a movie theater unless Care Bears or a clearly age appropriate film is being shown. Children under the age of 10 should not be permitted into an R-rated, NC-rated, or PG-13 rated film regardless of whether or not parents are with them. Parents who bring their kids to these films need to be slapped.(That said, I think my parents accidently brought my brother and me to Excaliber when we were 10 and 13 respectively - but we were at least over the age of 10!) If you can't find a babysitter? Stay home. The audience does not deserve to suffer your screaming kids. Proof positive that having children does not make people less selfish. Also proof that some people should not have children.
2.Do not check your cell phone in a movie theater. Turn it off and leave it in your bag. If you are expecting an important call or are worried about your kids? Stay home or somewhere else. Netflix is a great way to watch movies! Turning it on is like turning on a flashlight. People who do this should be banned from going to movie theaters, they don't know how to behave.
Finally - I just read a really cool bit about John Barrowman from Torchwood that I want to share - it's from TV Guide interview with Benji Wilson, this week's issue:"I know a lot of gay leading men in Hollywood. I'm not one for outing people- they might have personal issues they need to overcome - but if they are not speaking up because they're afraid it's going to affect their careers, that pisses me off. Take the risk! I took that risk and the public rewarded me. I still play straight leading characters in theater, TV and film, so it doesn't matter." Very true. Anyone with half a brain knows the actor is acting and that whatever is shown on screen is not what the actor truly feels or desires. That's why they call it ACTING. Heck some of the best romantic chemistry onscreen is between two actors who despise one another and would rather kill one another than kiss. And some of the worste? Between married couples who adore each other.
He is openly gay and just married his partner - British architect Scott Grill last year.
Apparently he was turned down for the Will part in Will & Grace, - because producers felt he was "too straight". (Ugh - when will people stop stereotyping each other?? I repeat you can't tell who is gay, straight, bisexual, black, white, etc just by looking at them or watching them. I've known men who acted "the gay stereotype" who are "straight" and women who acted the "lesbian butch" stereotype who are "straight" - just as I've known men and women who act like the "straight stereotype" who are *very* gay. You can't tell unless they tell you. It's as silly as the old saying if you have just one earring in your left ear that means you are gay. Gimme a break.)
