tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post4606665692090637919..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Film Friday: Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-42378980779929823542013-08-05T23:27:42.947-04:002013-08-05T23:27:42.947-04:00PikeBishop, That's a good one too. I actually...PikeBishop, That's a good one too. I actually like Clooney as an actor, he just goes off the rails at times. And now that he's mellowed a lot more, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-38687400986685844842013-08-05T10:38:00.337-04:002013-08-05T10:38:00.337-04:00Another "I can't believe I liked a George...Another "I can't believe I liked a George Clooney film" is "Up in the Air," a great little gem of a movie.PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-79991132815517881082013-08-03T13:41:48.736-04:002013-08-03T13:41:48.736-04:00tryanmax, Interestingly, I've found most moder...tryanmax, Interestingly, I've found most modern games are really just the classic games with better graphics which disguise the fact the game play itself is the same.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-4872808458060132742013-08-03T08:50:11.118-04:002013-08-03T08:50:11.118-04:00My first video game was my dad's old pong stat...My first video game was my dad's old pong station hooked up to a black & white. No kidding! Then I had some iteration of Atari. Went through several iterations of Nintendo. But the last video game I got into was the <i>GTA:III</i> series on PC. Still play it regularly, in fact. tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-47670211954111379922013-08-03T03:28:13.068-04:002013-08-03T03:28:13.068-04:00The last one I really loved was Wallace and Gromit...The last one I really loved was <i>Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit</i>. That was just a fun game with hours of play.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-71413626610823071412013-08-03T03:24:17.402-04:002013-08-03T03:24:17.402-04:00Andrew, last game I really got into was the 2009 &...Andrew, last game I really got into was the 2009 'Ghostbusters' game. What can I say? -other than it's great! Almost the entire original cast does the voice acting, the attention to detail is unbelievable, and the story fits in perfectly. The PS3 version is also quite dark, keeping the original film's premise of a few funny guys having a adventure against a genuinely creepy backstory. (This version isn't likely intended for children. The Wii/PS2 version is more kid-friendly.) Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-6832997379649494712013-08-03T03:13:02.280-04:002013-08-03T03:13:02.280-04:00Rustbelt, I stick with PC games mainly, when I pla...Rustbelt, I stick with PC games mainly, when I play -- Railroad Tycoon and Civilization.<br /><br />I did get a PS2. Some of those have been quite good and some are a waste. Too many games are fake -- you just press buttons and no matter what you do, the game does it for you. But there are some good ones.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-91368857740811298752013-08-03T03:02:50.690-04:002013-08-03T03:02:50.690-04:00Andrew, I do remember the Atari 2600. My older cou...Andrew, I do remember the Atari 2600. My older cousin had one. I was a child of the 16-bit wars. While all the kids I knew converted to Sega when the Genesis began preaching, I remained loyal to the Super Nintendo. Who needs blast processing when you're already playing with power?<br />I kinda dropped out of the gaming world at the end of the cartridge era and only venture in occasionally these days. Depends on the game. Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-25688415762069840822013-08-03T02:54:16.184-04:002013-08-03T02:54:16.184-04:00I never had an NES. I had the Atari 2600... the o...I never had an NES. I had the Atari 2600... the original. Then just PCs until I got a PS2.<br />AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59489195369362003482013-08-03T02:47:29.365-04:002013-08-03T02:47:29.365-04:00My favorites: "This change machine brought to...My favorites: "This change machine brought to you by Barack Obama." and...<br />"It cannot be beaten." "Like Battletoads." Ah, so many memories. NES. 8-bit games. Re-doing levels like crazy. Yelling at the TV. Trying to destroy the controller. Planning the cartridge's destruction...well, they couldn't all be Super Mario Bros. 3, could they? Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-67562113799015085322013-08-03T02:36:23.368-04:002013-08-03T02:36:23.368-04:00"That's Microsoft Casino Breaker." L..."That's Microsoft Casino Breaker." LOL! Nice! :)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-27625353029732087772013-08-03T02:25:26.177-04:002013-08-03T02:25:26.177-04:00Hey, a discussion about the 'Ocean' movies...Hey, a discussion about the 'Ocean' movies! Great! Truth be said, I've never seen them, except for clips here and there. <br /><br />But when am I going to get another chance to post <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaql_INe-JE" rel="nofollow">THIS?</a>Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-24700297253356143132013-08-02T23:46:57.948-04:002013-08-02T23:46:57.948-04:00Oh, I know. In a related aside, I still remember ...Oh, I know. In a related aside, I still remember some of the arguments I got into when I was posting the <i>Star Trek</i> articles and how people would come along and tell me with an absolutely straight e-face that <i>Star Trek</i> was actually pushing the philosophy of an obscure 12th Century monk who taught proto-communism blah blah.<br /><br />Yeah, when you find yourself digging that deeply for meaning, you're the one reading into things.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-12886943643746131332013-08-02T23:43:23.748-04:002013-08-02T23:43:23.748-04:00I'm not sure either, but if you keep your eyes...I'm not sure either, but if you keep your eyes out, you'll see a lot of it, that is, people spreading esoterica on virtually any topic to give it offensive over- and/or undertones. tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-26601391795022415522013-08-02T23:16:42.604-04:002013-08-02T23:16:42.604-04:00Definitely a good rule. In fact, I wonder how you...Definitely a good rule. In fact, I wonder how you could legitimately claim to be offended by something you can barely explain?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-75675390117274589972013-08-02T23:14:24.465-04:002013-08-02T23:14:24.465-04:00OMG! Okay, new rule. If you have to stop the conve...OMG! Okay, new rule. If you have to stop the conversation to provide a history and etymology for a term to explain why you are offended by it (<i>à la</i> "brown bag"), then you are <b>definitely</b> being overly sensitive. tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-838949426614680822013-08-02T22:38:33.921-04:002013-08-02T22:38:33.921-04:00Oh yeah, I know it's both sides. (To wit.)
Th...Oh yeah, I know it's both sides. <a href="http://news.msn.com/us/brown-bag-citizens-offensive-seattle-ponders" rel="nofollow">(To wit.)</a><br /><br />This is also why I can't blame filmmakers and actors for not listening to critics... but that's another story. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-60759914637260274212013-08-02T22:32:34.284-04:002013-08-02T22:32:34.284-04:00Scott, I don't respect the people who make mou...Scott, I don't respect the people who make mountains out of molehills, but it's something both side do. Women, blacks, gays do it just as much as conservatives.<br /><br />That said, there is a point where it's done simply to stir the pot and I have no desire to defend those people either.<br /><br />Basically, if it isn't necessary for your story, then you're on thin ice if it's a controversial thing. If you then go further and try to make a political point with it, or you have a history of doing that, then you get whatever backlash you deserve. Just because you have the right to say something doesn't deny others the right to tell you to go f** yourself and to refuse to listen.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-38389748429437972462013-08-02T22:23:35.894-04:002013-08-02T22:23:35.894-04:00I hope so. :-)
Speaking of politics, every so oft...I hope so. :-)<br /><br />Speaking of politics, every so often I see a comment on a conservative blog, something to the effect of, "We don't want to be preached to, just tell an entertaining story!"<br /><br />I've been thinking and this is pretty much code for "Tell me a story that doesn't offend my fragile sensibilities!"<br /><br />Because any story, no matter how good and well told, will offend someone. The presence of a gay character, or a woman in a position of authority might reek of an agenda where none exists. And too many people attribute to politics what can easily be explained by simply laziness or ignorance.<br /><br />In other words, as I recently said, it's a lose-lose, and it can discourage otherwise apolitical folks from dipping their toes in creative waters. Why bother when some blogger is gonna make a mountain out of an unintentional molehill?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49940655691869747162013-08-02T18:32:26.796-04:002013-08-02T18:32:26.796-04:00Scott, The American public, a few ideologues not i...Scott, The American public, a few ideologues not included, are remarkably forgiving. If you stop being an ass, they will forget pretty quickly. Clooney can fix his career with most people.<br /><br />I don't know much about <i>Tomorrowland</i>, but <i>Gravity</i> hasn't caught my eye. It looks like a scant premise stretched to fill the length of a movie. I could be wrong, but that's my sense at the moment.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-32889437421929348782013-08-02T17:48:00.548-04:002013-08-02T17:48:00.548-04:00Well, Clooney has two very interesting (and mainst...Well, Clooney has two very interesting (and mainstream) films in the works: <i>Gravity</i>, with Sandra Bullock, and Brad Bird's <i>Tomorrowland</i>.<br /><br />It's a shame he's past the point of no return for a lot of people. (Though he's obviously not interested in money, given the esoteric films he's been starring in. I can respect that.)<br /><br />James Cagney was once suspected of being a radical and went on to do <i>Yankee Doodle Dandy</i> to repair his image. If that happened today, I doubt such a move would be seen as sincere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-27339541594685691392013-08-02T13:18:00.050-04:002013-08-02T13:18:00.050-04:005Minutes, I enjoy all three, but they are very dif...5Minutes, I enjoy all three, but they are very different movies. This has become my favorite, with <i>Eleven</i> being my second favorite, and then <i>Twelve</i>, which I like but don't love.<br /><br />As a pure film, <i>Eleven</i> is easily the best of the three. It has a strong plot, twists, turns, solid action and interesting characters. This one really just has interesting characters and the veneer of a plot. That said, when it comes to pure entertainment, I really enjoy this one the best. This one to me, just offers the most in terms of fantasy and escapism. There are no "down moments" here because the writer actually skipped them. There are no transition moment... again, they were skipped. It's just pure "up" all the way through. It's like a two hour ad that is actually enjoyable.<br /><br />I have no problems at all with Terry Benedict, because I think this fits his character perfectly -- he's still a scumbag and he's doing it to take down a guy who has been a thorn in his side... "His hotel casts a shadow on my pool."<br /><br />I also think Pacino is motivated by ego rather than money. His goal is the 5-star rating and to be KING! The money is just a vehicle to let them take that away from him.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-28078834028594103352013-08-02T13:13:05.083-04:002013-08-02T13:13:05.083-04:00tryanmax, Strangely, I agree. It's a lot easi...tryanmax, Strangely, I agree. It's a lot easier to deal with a doctrinaire leftist than it is to deal with someone who just adopts the part. I think the difference is that the believer can discuss their views and thinks they'll win you over. The adopter can't discuss them and just tries to shut down debate.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-56332729438972999452013-08-02T13:11:50.144-04:002013-08-02T13:11:50.144-04:00tryanmax, I am too, and I think you're absolut...tryanmax, I am too, and I think you're absolutely right about what make a heist film.<br /><br />That's a good point about older films. I'm a big fan of films from that era and they are very fast paced. Things happen at lightening speed. Scenes are short and direct and end up in everyone racing somewhere or a fight. I think it's not until the 1960s that you started getting "contemplative" films, where the camera spent a lot of time staring at things. This film is very fast paced, like older films, its scenes are pure substance and very direct. What I think this film adds to the older formula is the hip camera work and the opulence.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-57590762637949235112013-08-02T13:05:59.342-04:002013-08-02T13:05:59.342-04:00Scott, I think Clooney has toned down his politics...Scott, I think Clooney has toned down his politics as well. You almost never hear him talk about it these days. I think he probably realized that it mortally wounded his film career when he was openly political.<br /><br />In terms of the film, it is less. There is little action and no travel in this one. It's just these guys standing around talking about what will happen and then BANG... it happens. If you're looking for plot, this film won't work. As I say, this one is like the original <i>Ocean's Eleven</i>, things happen, but what you're supposed to enjoy is just being part of the group.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com