Movies

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

I always thought Mulan was considered to be the best Disney movie since... the Lion King? I forget the exact chronology. Pinnochio probably gets what hype it does because it is literally the second film Disney ever made and at the time was very technically impressive, rather than its merits on storytelling; as a film it probably holds up the least well of the first five Disney movies (after the first five you get a bunch I've barely heard of). Regardless, agreed with the former being a better film.

There are people who dislike Mulan? Bunch of souless heathens. ;_;

[Anthony Edward Stark]

I didn't care for it, but that's because the one time I saw it I was carting around my six-year-old cousin who had already seen it four times and said all the lines. I recall wanting to go see The Waterboy instead, because I was about 16 and that's the last time you can enjoy an Adam Sandler movie.

[Captain K.]

Mulan's main problem is that it is dark and serious, which doesn't really jibe with the whole Disney happyhappy experience.  Also, Mulan has living parents.

[Dark Holy Elf]

Dumbo is ostracised by those around him.
Bambi's mother gets shot.
Mufasa is murdered on-screen.
The Beast. Just... the Beast.

I dunno. Mulan didn't feel exceptionally dark by Disney standards to me. I remember it having its share of playfulness (the entirety of Eddie Murphy's character for instance) and beyond that the subject matter wasn't light-hearted fluff but it hardly ranks as one of Disney's darkest tales.

[Hunter Sopko]

I didn't care for it, but that's because the one time I saw it I was carting around my six-year-old cousin who had already seen it four times and said all the lines. I recall wanting to go see The Waterboy instead, because I was about 16 and that's the last time you can enjoy an Adam Sandler movie.

Punch Drunk Love.

Though, you can't exactly call it an Adam Sandler movie.

[Cmdr_King]

Wait, you stop liking Happy Gilmore at age 16?

Cooooool I've managed to stop aging!

Mulan did strike me as having less in the way of comic relief than is usual for a Disney movie... I think it's just that Mulan herself is a very serious character and it shifts the tone of the overall movie a bit (objectively I think on a jokes/minute ratio it's not really that much less than, say, Lion King).
The only Disney movie that ever struck me as outright dark overall is Hunchback of Notre Dame.  This probably has something to do with the villain having a song about how he wants to capture and rape the heroine.

[Excal]

I think Gaston has something similar in Beauty and the Beast, though.  Except that he gets a spiffy rug in the process.

And, lots of random Disney protagonists around that time are fairly serious.  I mean, Pocahontas also had almost no humour in the main plot, with all of it coming from the spirits and her animal companions.

[Cmdr_King]

True, but the subject matter in Pocahontas isn't as dark as Mulan's (or at least is not presented as such.  Preventing mounting war vs fighting off highly destructive invasion force complete with burned-out villages.)

[DomaDragoon]

Wait, you stop liking Happy Gilmore at age 16?

Cooooool I've managed to stop aging!

Only mentally, sadly. I know it annoys my co-workers when I get distracted by shiny objects.

The only Disney movie that ever struck me as outright dark overall is Hunchback of Notre Dame.  This probably has something to do with the villain having a song about how he wants to capture and rape the heroine.

I'd say both The Rescuers and The Black Cauldron were overall dark.

[Sierra]

Isn't Disney still trying to pretend The Black Cauldron never happened?

[Idun]

I saw District 9. I went into the movie with little assumptions as the trailer didn't exactly give me a solid understanding of what exactly the movie will be like. Plus I didn't research it. I've heard it's getting really good reviews. The movie was great. I think a new hero was born: Wikus van der Merwe (I think it's a Dutch name!). I don't exactly like alien movies as I find them all to be tepid and redundant, or just superficial and not enough is there. District 9 does alien movies justice. For me, this has been a very, very long time.

Wikus van der Merwe is an interesting antagonist-becomes-protagonist. I think if I say anything more, I will seriously spoil the movie as every tidbit culminates into awesomeness and character building. Either way, the stunt he pulls in the end definitely redeems his awesome points as throughout the movie, I began siding with the "prawns." It isn't a space opera. It is sci-fi. And it's about aliens. But ... it also covers Wikus's inner struggles as he's put through certain events and man's judgements to try to preserve his character as the movie continues. Good stuff!

This is generally a great movie that parallels past/current historical situations of ethnicities in internment camps or the likes, with political jargon and insincere consideration of their wants. Definitely has a racial undertone, and I don't find that a problem (New York Press!) as I believe it makes the emotions more readily accessible. Perhaps the New York Press needed more "typical" racial films like A Time to Kill or Rosewood? I'm quite frankly tired of those.

I haven't left a movie in a while and said, "OH MY GOD, I WANT TO SEE ITS sequel." They use the "live camera footage" technique or whatever it's called skillfully. At the beginning, I was like "Oh no, another Cloverfield," but that dropped as within 10 minutes it was already 10x better than that catastrophe (not a catastrophe really, but just not a good movie). I'm extremely happy that there are no big name American actors/resses because their cameos play absolutely no role in making the movie better. Good stuffs. I definitely wouldn't mind seeing it again if I were obliged. Best movie this year (for me).

And the preview for Law Abiding Citizen sort of sucks. But I think it would be an interesting movie. Zombieland is a must see. OH and EUREKA SEVEN IN TEH MOVIE THEATRES!?

[metroid composite]

Mulan 2.  It showed up in Youtube's related videos right after the end of Mulan, and eventually I clicked on it.  Expected it to be kinda bad (straight to DVD? Yeah...).  It...was okay, nothing downright offensive about it barring perhaps a bit of Deus Ex Machina.  At the same time, there wasn't a single scene where I thought "wow, that was awesome".  Just...overall unmemorable.

[Dark Holy Elf]

Sounds typical of straight to video Disney movies from what I recall. I know I've seen a few! Damned if I can remember any of them.

[Lady Door]

I saw District 9. I went into the movie with little assumptions as the trailer didn't exactly give me a solid understanding of what exactly the movie will be like. Plus I didn't research it. I've heard it's getting really good reviews. The movie was great. I think a new hero was born: Wikus van der Merwe (I think it's a Dutch name!). I don't exactly like alien movies as I find them all to be tepid and redundant, or just superficial and not enough is there. District 9 does alien movies justice. For me, this has been a very, very long time.

Wikus van der Merwe is an interesting antagonist-becomes-protagonist. I think if I say anything more, I will seriously spoil the movie as every tidbit culminates into awesomeness and character building. Either way, the stunt he pulls in the end definitely redeems his awesome points as throughout the movie, I began siding with the "prawns." It isn't a space opera. It is sci-fi. And it's about aliens. But ... it also covers Wikus's inner struggles as he's put through certain events and man's judgements to try to preserve his character as the movie continues. Good stuff!

This is generally a great movie that parallels past/current historical situations of ethnicities in internment camps or the likes, with political jargon and insincere consideration of their wants. Definitely has a racial undertone, and I don't find that a problem (New York Press!) as I believe it makes the emotions more readily accessible. Perhaps the New York Press needed more "typical" racial films like A Time to Kill or Rosewood? I'm quite frankly tired of those.

I haven't left a movie in a while and said, "OH MY GOD, I WANT TO SEE ITS sequel." They use the "live camera footage" technique or whatever it's called skillfully. At the beginning, I was like "Oh no, another Cloverfield," but that dropped as within 10 minutes it was already 10x better than that catastrophe (not a catastrophe really, but just not a good movie). I'm extremely happy that there are no big name American actors/resses because their cameos play absolutely no role in making the movie better. Good stuffs. I definitely wouldn't mind seeing it again if I were obliged. Best movie this year (for me).

And the preview for Law Abiding Citizen sort of sucks. But I think it would be an interesting movie. Zombieland is a must see. OH and EUREKA SEVEN IN TEH MOVIE THEATRES!?

Two thumbs up for your review, and for the movie. Go, go apartheid retrospectives!

[Yoshiken]

Finally, after months of hearing hype from friends, got to see Rent. Utterly amazing film, with an amazing cast and perfect acting.
Although, Maureen's speech is just plain strange. I get the whole nursery rhyme reference, but... just plain weird. Mark is made of mucho awesome.

[Clear Tranquil]

Horror film Grostesque was banned from the UK ... Might have ended up on CT's most disturbing horror movies ever (do not let gran watch) list if it had been released then. Only just heard about it, the article I spotted on new MSN updates was about the ban and the raters refusing to cert it.

[Sierra]

Stuff about District 9.

Just saw this. Yeah, agreed with what those other people said, have no significant complaints, etc.

But man, I got probably the worst batch of previews I've ever seen. Four were for horror movies (one with a bunch of sorority girls getting chopped up, originality; some Rob Zombie crapfest that I just tried to tune out; another Final Destination movie, but wait this time it's THE Final Destination argh what; and that ridiculous Paul Bettany movie where he's an angel or something. Which might not count as a horror movie, but lord did it look bad). Christ, it's like Hollywood saved up the worst movies of the year for the week of my birthday. That's actually pretty normal for late August releases, but this lot was shittier than usual.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Happy birthday to the Ciddy from Hollywoodz, it seems.

[Grefter]

They didn't have a preview for Inglorious Bastards?  Fuckers.

Actually they didn't have it in my session last night either... Fuckers.

District 9 was alright.  Apartheid is bad, kay.  Interesting use of accent and local dialect.  Honestly not super excited about it though.

[Cmdr_King]

I believe Inglorious Basterds started last week as well?  So wouldn't be suitable for a preview.

[Shale]

IB opens tomorrow.

[Grefter]

What?  GO SEE THIS MOVIE THAT IS NOW ON AND YOU CAN PAY MONEY FOR when you have already payed for a movie is bad?  Fail industry.

[metroid composite]

What?  GO SEE THIS MOVIE THAT IS NOW ON AND YOU CAN PAY MONEY FOR when you have already payed for a movie is bad?  Fail industry.

Probably.  There are people who get into a theatre on one ticket, then spend six hours at the theatre going into two other movies they didn't pay for.  From a business standpoint I can see why they'd want the previews to be something not out yet (and TV ads used for the "now playing" stuff).

[Hunter Sopko]

I can answer this. The trailers are mandated by the distribution companies. Non-movie commercials are set by the theater chain (or the theater themselves). The theater recieves a list of what trailers go on what movie when the film arrives so they can be put on before the movie is built up. Sometimes they can shoehorn or pull any trailer they want at any time, and do that quite often, but thats who gets what say on what.

[Cmdr_King]

My best guess on why it's set up that way though (well, aside from obvious "distributer wants to advertise stuff they'll make money on" issues) is... I think it's generally assumed that your typical movie-goer watches TV as well.  TV already does a bang up job of covering movies that are currently play as well as stuff that will be playing within the next month.  So people expect (and, I imagine, prefer) their previews to be for things that will come out in 3-6 months.  In other words, "oh hey go watch this it is out" is already covered in other venues, so they use the previews to cover "hey here's the next hot shit, spread the word".