Eccentric Flower talk:201012/Respite
From Eccentric Flower
Comments on Eccentric Flower:201012/Respite
Since going to the movies involves $100 or so expenditure on a baby-sitter, either of these could get five-star reviews from everyone, and I wouldn't go see them. I'd likely watch Tempest on HBO or whatever when it gets around to it. Tron -- well, you'd have to pay me my billing rate to watch it.
-- 17:09, 17 December 2010 (GMT)
I love the original TRON dearly. How dearly? When I saw a trailer for the new one some months back, I saw a sign in it for ENCOM and said, "Ooh, TRON trailer" before any fancy cyberspace sets or anything like that had started. Then they showed a dusty arcade and I said, "Oh, it's Flynn's!" and my wife kinda looked at me funny. Unfortunately, it sounds like (as is typical these days) they shot more money on the effects in the new film than the script, but I have to see it anyway. The biggest problem will be finding a non-3D showing of it. That may turn out to be a dealbreaker for now.
I gather that the sole reason to watch this rather lackluster Tempest is Helen Mirren, but she's a very, very good sole reason for anything.
-- 17:23, 17 December 2010 (GMT)
If I may be permitted a mild hijacking of this thread, as long as we are talking about sequels/remakes, how about the new True Grit? At first I couldn't comprehend why someone would even try to remake an iconic John Wayne picture. But the ads look pretty good, and Jeff Bridges vs. Josh Brolin -- wow. The original had some nobody in the villain role. OTOH, I had a serious jones for Kim Darby in my younger days (oh, dear Miri and her awakening sexuality!). I doubt I'll feel the same way about the new kid (hell, at my age, I *better* not feel that way about her!).
Oh, crap, I just went to look it up on the IMDb and saw it's the Coen Brothers, whom I despise as filmmakers. That means I likely won't even bother once it gets to HBO. Oh, well.
-- 18:11, 17 December 2010 (GMT)
I never saw the original. I was born too late to salvage John Wayne. I'm incapable of telling whether his performances were good/adequate, because when I see him all I can think of is his personal politics and then I have to turn off the television.
Also I always figured True Grit was an example of the old saw about never working opposite children or animals.
On the other hand, I will watch Jeff Bridges in anything, especially if he's playing a grizzled reprobate. And I have somewhat more respect for the Coens than you do.
-- 21:20, 17 December 2010 (GMT)
The "True Grit" remake is pretty good. I don't think you'd know it was a Coen brothers movie if someone hadn't told you, other than that the dialogue had a slightly stilted feel to it that felt Coen-y to me. (Something about the end felt Coen-ish too, but I'm not saying what, yet.)
Bridges is excellent, the girl is amazing (and not very sexual, Robert, don't worry), and Matt Damon is wonderful in a weirdly Robert Redford type of way. I was watching a lot of movies in a short time and it was weird to see one of the teens from "Never Let Me Go" and "Harry Potter" in this film too.
My only problem was that I wanted it to be a super awesome movie and instead it was merely rather good. So don't get your expectations too high.
There. Thread has now been hijacked entirely in favor of movies. My work here is done.
-- 23:12, 17 December 2010 (GMT)
Okay, we're seeing Tron tomorrow night (I was underwhelmed by the original, but Sean owns it, so that tells us what he thought of it.) Seeing the sequel (not in 3D) was his idea, but I'll be ready to appreciate how much the technology has advanced since the first one.
I asked him to take me to see True Grit as a Christmas present. He has never seen the original. I have found the trailers to be fascinating. Jette, I'd settle for pretty good with a cast like that. Not a huge fan of the Coens, but we'll see. I'll be watching this officially hijacked thread for more opinions, analyses and cool info about both films.
-- 23:56, 17 December 2010 (GMT)
I want Dillinger's desk (from TRON). And now, twenty years later, it's actually possible and probably just within financial reach to do it.
-- 00:05, 18 December 2010 (GMT)
This probably sounds bizarre coming from me of all people, but you've really gotta stop worrying so much about offending people. Your opinions are strongly stated, but in all these years I've never thought, "Well, this opinion's ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE and nothing Columbina could say would make it OK!" I think that most of the time, the people who read your writing are probably a lot less upset with you than you think.
I adore the original Tron, but it keeps freaking me out seeing them make a big splashy sequel to a movie from my childhood that people always seemed to regard as kind of a campy flop. It makes me wonder what stuff from today will be venerated and remade in 30 years... Will that widely-reviled Last Airbender movie become the Tron of 2030?
-- 01:18, 18 December 2010 (GMT)
Will that widely-reviled Last Airbender movie become the Tron of 2030?
God, I hope not.
-- 02:41, 18 December 2010 (GMT)
Jette:
Chip and I both confessed to one another this morning that we had never been interested in the original TRON movie (he saw it and disliked it, I didn't even bother) and therefore had not much interest in the sequel. Now, I may very well go see Taymor's "Tempest" because it is the very opposite of a TRON sequel: It is someone trying to do something different and innovative and creative.
Someone in my office who had never heard of TRON asked yesterday if the sequel was an indie film. Everyone laughed a bit (not at her) but, y'know, an indie sequel to TRON might actually interest me. I have little interest in the Disney moneymaking factory view of moviemaking, even if Jeff Bridges is involved.
-- 17:08, 17 December 2010 (GMT)