What to See Besides CR

Barry Nelson · November 2006

I know everyone here is looking forward to seeing CR, well almost everyone

) , but I was curious what other movie folks are looking forward to seeing this holiday season. For me, it is Blood Diamond starring Leanardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly and directed by Edward Zwick, who has been involved in some great movies like The Last Samurai, Traffic and Glory. To start with the movie has Jennifer Connelly, which makes it must see for me! It also has some great locations, a compelling story and I get the chance to learn more about African Conflict Diamonds, not that DAD didn't teach me everything I need to know.

)

One movie that looks like a disappointment to me is, The Santa Claus 3. I admit to liking the first two, especially the first one, which I love, but this looks like a third act that isn't needed.

TimmyDalton · November 2006

I saw The Prestige last weekend, that was pretty good and I would recommend it. Saw 3 just came out and I am defenitely looking forward to seeing it, I might see it tommorow If I do I will report back.

Mr Martini · November 2006

I want to see the Clint Eastwood directed Flags Of Our Fathers . Then next year, the other side of the story is being told. That movie, also directed by Eastwood is called Letters From Iwo Jima

Dan Same · November 2006

Mr Martini wrote:

I want to see the Clint Eastwood directed Flags Of Our Fathers . Then next year, the other side of the story is being told. That movie, also directed by Eastwood is called Letters From Iwo Jima

I can't wait to see Flags Of Our Fathers . I am a massive fan of Eastwood, both as an actor and as a director, and I absolutely can not wait to see Flags. It's going to be awesome! {[]

Brosnan_fan · November 2006

The only movie that I'm interested in this coming Christmas is Night at the Museum; couldn't really care for much else.

Lady Rose · November 2006

Brosnan_fan wrote:

The only movie that I'm interested in this coming Christmas is Night at the Museum; couldn't really care for much else.

This looks very good, along with Happy Feet and and Santa Clause 3 ( I think it looks OK Barry - saw a trailer on Sunday). What worries me is that all the movies I'm looking forward to are kids movies.There isn't much in the grown up movie world that has caught my imagination at all.

Napoleon Plural · November 2006

There are loads of good films coming out. The Prestige, an odd period thriller with Bale, then that magic realism film about Peter Pan or something in Franco's Spain, Red Road a UK flick with great reviews, a sort of north England thriller with a great sex scene apparantly, and Starter for Ten, a decentish Brit romcom in Four Weddings tradition if you like that sort of thing.

emtiem · November 2006

The Prestige is the one I really want to see.
Christmas-wise I see there's an all-3D version of Nightmare Before Christmas coming out, so I defintely want to see that!

Oh, and 'The Holiday'. It looks like a terrible romcom, but Cameron Diaz filmed it in my little village!

TonyDP · November 2006

Given my rather narrow tastes, it's slim pickins for me at the movies this holiday season. I was really interested in seeing The Prestige but, oddly enough, it isn't playing at many theaters in my area so I may just wait for it to come to DVD. The Fountain also looks interesting both visually and in terms of story. Other than that though, there really isn't much out there that I'd want to go out of my way to watch.

Nightshooter · November 2006

You guys are actually thinking of supporting Santa Claus 3? I think I just lost respect for you all.

RogueAgent · November 2006

IMO, this is the first holiday movie season in quite awhile, that doesn't have anything really enticing to check out. Pretty anemic if you ask me; I hate the Santa Clause movies so they won't be getting my money. The Prestige doesn't actually count as a holiday movie but I'm sure it'll still be in theatres by the time CR opens. No Harry Potter this season nor anything really interesting to getting off of the couch...

Might I recommend staying at home and checking out seasons 1-2 of The Office?

TonyDP · November 2006

Compared to the anemic offerings at the movies, there's a virtual bounty of good stuff coming out on DVD between now and the end of the year...

Superman Returns, Superman II: The Richard Donner Edition, Forbidden Planet 50th Anniversary Edition, Star Trek: The Animated Series, James Bond Ultimate Edition DVD sets, King Kong Deluxe Extended Edition, Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest, The Illustrated Man, The Punisher Extended Cut

...to name but a few. I'll be perfectly happy kicking back on the couch in front of the plasma.

emtiem · November 2006

TonyDP wrote:

King Kong Deluxe Extended Edition

They've made that longer?! Count me out.

Dan Same · November 2006

emtiem wrote:

TonyDP wrote:

King Kong Deluxe Extended Edition

They've made that longer?! Count me out.

Me too. I think the biggest problem with the film is that it is far too long. Some of the scenes with the dinosaurs were completely unnecessary and took away from the fact that the film is about King Kong. I love the film, and I own it on DVD, but I would only get the directors edition if it was shorter.

TonyDP · November 2006

I actually haven't even seen the film yet as I'm not much of a Peter Jackson fan. But if I do decide to watch it, the beauty of a DVD is that I'll be able to press one little button and fast forward over any tedious bits.

Barry Nelson · November 2006

Nightshooter wrote:

You guys are actually thinking of supporting Santa Claus 3? I think I just lost respect for you all.

Night, I think the first Santa Claus movie is a classic, I never grow tired of seeing it. The second one was good too. I do have concerns about Santa Claus 3, because I am not a big Martin Short fan. But, I may willing to give it a try.

Tony, good point about the great DVD's that are coming out. I think you may be surprised by King Kong, I thought it was great. I may rent, but not buy Pirates of the Carribean 2. Love that movie, but I figure after 3 comes out next summer we will get a special trilogy set with all the extras.

RogueAgent · November 2006

Dan Same wrote:

emtiem wrote:

TonyDP wrote:

King Kong Deluxe Extended Edition

They've made that longer?! Count me out.

Me too. I think the biggest problem with the film is that it is far too long. Some of the scenes with the dinosaurs were completely unnecessary and took away from the fact that the film is about King Kong. I love the film, and I own it on DVD, but I would only get the directors edition if it was shorter.

This film is waaaay overrated. I had to watch it twice just to make sure that it wasn't me being too negative. Don't get me wrong, it was beautifully shot and alot of the sequences are a plus but Jackson stuck some unecessary parts in this film and I feel it dumbed it down. I mean how long can one drag out a death scene? Yeeesh... 8-)

Even my son, who loved it BTW, thought it had scenes uncalled for.

Thank God Peter Jackson has shelved Halo for the moment.

Willie Garvin · November 2006

RogueAgent wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

emtiem wrote:

They've made that longer?! Count me out.

Me too. I think the biggest problem with the film is that it is far too long. Some of the scenes with the dinosaurs were completely unnecessary and took away from the fact that the film is about King Kong. I love the film, and I own it on DVD, but I would only get the directors edition if it was shorter.

This film is waaaay overrated. I had to watch it twice just to make sure that it wasn't me being too negative. Don't get me wrong, it was beautifully shot and alot of the sequences are a plus but Jackson stuck some unecessary parts in this film and I feel it dumbed it down. I mean how long can one drag out a death scene? Yeeesh... 8-)

Even my son, who loved it BTW, thought it had scenes uncalled for.

Complete agreement,Rogue.What a disappointment--but then,most remakes of classic motion pictures usually are.

Jackson's version of King Kong has impressive state-of -the-art CGI and a much larger budget than the 1933 original,but that's not enough for me.

I think the original film has a superior cast and screenplay and tone.By contrast,the remake is paint by the numbers moviemaking.And in my opinion,from a creative standpoint the original film also has something else the rather sterile,FX laden and unfortunately revisionist Jackman movie lacks ---and that's a soul.

I care about the characters in the first version of Kong, but not as much about those in the Jackson remake.Although Willis O'Brien's Kong is only a stop-motion figure, he still somehow lives, in a way his more sophisticated computer generated alter ego doesn't.

But don't get me wrong,I really respect the time and effort that went into Jackman's movie--it's a good try--but I don't think it's anywhere near the equal of the original.

Barry Nelson · November 2006

Not overrated in my book and Naomi Watts is spectacular in the film. The camera just loved her. The movie probably was too long, but when I saw it the cinema it didn't seem long. Saw it again on DVD and have to say, not the same movie on the small screen. It really needs to be seen in the cinema. I loved it.

TonyDP · November 2006

Barry Nelson wrote:

Not overrated in my book and Naomi Watts is spectacular in the film. The camera just loved her. The movie probably was too long, but when I saw it the cinema it didn't seem long. Saw it again on DVD and have to say, not the same movie on the small screen. It really needs to be seen in the cinema. I loved it.

Speaking of King Kong, Microsoft will be releasing an HD-DVD add-on for their Xbox 360 later this month. The unit will come with a universal remote and a high-def copy of the new King King packed in for free.

Bringing this back to topic though, I still think the offerings at the cinema this holiday season are pretty pitiful overall. Maybe it is my narrow interests, but I don't think I'll be anywhere near a movie theater until spring 2007 at the earliest.

RogueAgent · November 2006

TonyDP wrote:

Bringing this back to topic though, I still think the offerings at the cinema this holiday season are pretty pitiful overall. Maybe it is my narrow interests, but I don't think I'll be anywhere near a movie theater until spring 2007 at the earliest.

No you're not wrong, Tony. I clearly expect weak box-office numbers overall.

It will pick back up by the time Spider-Man 3 & Pirates 3 hits theatres. Until then I expect a slight rise in DVD sales and rentals over the long haul of the upcoming winter...

Mr Martini · November 2006

TonyDP wrote:

Bringing this back to topic though, I still think the offerings at the cinema this holiday season are pretty pitiful overall. Maybe it is my narrow interests, but I don't think I'll be anywhere near a movie theater until spring 2007 at the earliest.

I'd give it time TonyDP. This is the season when the studios put out their best movies. This is just the start of Oscar season. Of course that doesn't mean every movie will be good. But I'm sure something will come out before spring that'll catch your interest.

MBE_ · November 2006

Last year also had so many more must see and well reviewed Indies/Oscar bait films. This year is looking a little thin. I'm looking forward to O'Toole in Venus though maybe other films might surprise.

As for bigger films, the only ones I'm interested in are basically kids flicks-- Happy Feet, Flushed Away and Charlotte's Web, and even then I don't know if I'm interested enough not to wait for the DVD.

I'd be more interested in Blood Diamond if it didn't have DiCaprio (blech) in it. Despite my unfondness for Owen I am interested in Children of Men becaue I really liked the book and I think Cuaron is a brilliant director. And I might overcome my hesitancy about another Tony Scott film to see the ever watchable Denzel in Deja Vu if the reviews are decent.

MBE

Barry Nelson · November 2006

I am attaching an article I read this morning concerning the lack of blockbuster movies this holiday season. They mention CR and a few others, but as Tony pointed out, it appears very few guaranteed hits out there.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Story.aspx?guid=%7BB6112B16%2DD387%2D47A3%2DADFD%2D3ABDA2C56145%7D&siteid=

emtiem · November 2006

MBE_ wrote:

Despite my unfondness for Owen I am interested in Children of Men becaue I really liked the book and I think Cuaron is a brilliant director.

Yes- that's excellent. Can't recommend it enough.

What to See Besides CR

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