The Cheese of Summer

[filkertom]

I've been really, really wanting to take a day off for awhile. Not doing any music, online marketing, cleaning, errands, nothing. And so today I took it.

And I saw two movies, neither of which was the one I originally intended to see.

First: DOA (Dead Or Alive). Do not see this if you are expecting a deep, dark introspection of the human soul. It's a movie about a video game. A fighting game. With gorgeous women in bikinis. Who occasionally play volleyball. Why, yes, they do. And, yes, they do.

It's over-the-top, there are some people in it who so badly want to be in a remake of Enter The Dragon... but I enjoyed the hell out of it. And Kevin Nash was great in his, what, five-minute part. For what it tries to do -- admittedly very little -- I think it works fine.

And a couple of the ladies are really yummy.

Shrek The Third was a lot of fun as well -- not as laugh-out-loud as the first or even the second, but it had some excellent moments and a couple of musical bits that you will just gape at the audacity of. Like many of the trilogies as of late, there is no explanation of backstory -- if you haven't seen the first two films, you will be dumped in the middle of a really weird movie. If you have, all is well and very obvious.

Still haven't got to Spider-Man 3 yet. Or Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Although Ain't It Cool reports (along with a scathing review which is, bluntly, one of the whiniest fanboy pieces I've read in a long time) that Marvel expects FF2 to be such a hit that they're already developing a spin-off Surfer movie... supposedly written by J. Michael Straczynski. If JMS does it, I bet you a Zingerman's corned-beef-and-swiss sandwich that he goes right to the source material: the late 60s Stan Lee/John Buscema series that rocked the comics world so hard.

So... what are your weekend movie plans? Please keep the spoilers to a minimum.

Comments

[vulpine137.livejournal.com]

Watching the dvd of Fire and Ice (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085542/) I got from blockbuster online. I have very vague memories of liking this as a kid, lets see if I still do.

And I may go see DOA, yay for vollyball ;)

[djonn]

Strange as it sounds, if I get to a movie this weekend (not wildly likely, but not impossible), it will very probably be Nancy Drew. The film had not been even remotely on my radar till I caught a preview totally by accident last week (walked into the wrong screenspace at the multiplex when seeing PotC3), but it looks so darned odd that it arouses my curiosity. Besides which, I am a teen-sleuth junkie of the first order and had read more of the Drew books than Hardy Boys books as a kid. [Yes, I was a weird kid. This has never been in doubt....]

[que-sara-sara.livejournal.com]

Can I tell you just how GOOD that sandwich sounds right now?? Oh my god, I would kill or die to be able to eat a corned beef and swiss sandwich without pain right now. I love love LOVE!!!! corned beef and aside from liver it might be the bit of cow I'm missing the most.

But back to the movie topic, have you seen Zoom: School for Superheroes?? I think it went straight to DVD but I saw it a couple weeks ago and it was really just a fun thing to watch.

With a little bit of Honeycup Honey Mustard on Bakehouse Rye....

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

... yeah, I'm evil. What?

No, and neither have I seen Sky High, which I have heard is vastly better.

Re: With a little bit of Honeycup Honey Mustard on Bakehouse Rye....

[que-sara-sara.livejournal.com]

Zoom just happened to be what Steve rented the other weekend; I hadn't heard of it or Sky High.

I wonder if there's really any corn associated with corned beef? If there isn't I'm going to risk eating it just because I have always enjoyed it so much.

Re: With a little bit of Honeycup Honey Mustard on Bakehouse Rye....

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Nope (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corned_beef).

Re: With a little bit of Honeycup Honey Mustard on Bakehouse Rye....

[que-sara-sara.livejournal.com]

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!

First person to bring me a corned beef and swiss on amazing rye with honey mustard and no kraut wins my undying gratitude and as many huggs and kisses as they want!!!!!!

Re: With a little bit of Honeycup Honey Mustard on Bakehouse Rye....

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

"Sky High" is a terrific movie, certainly aimed at early teens, but a great deal of fun with many excellent laughs and a good story.

"Zoom" is pretty lame without much going for it.

Re: With a little bit of Honeycup Honey Mustard on Bakehouse Rye....

[que-sara-sara.livejournal.com]

*sigh* maybe I just don't watch enough movies. maybe it was the fact that I was cuddled up with someone very comfy. I don't know but I really did enjoy the heck out of Zoom.

Bear in mind that the last movie I saw in a theater was the Al Pachino version of Merchant of Venice and this was the first DVD I'd watched in more months than I can count so I might just need to get out more.

[poltr1]

$10 is more than I'm willing to pay (or afford) for movies these days. Friends of mine have gone to see FF2 while I stayed home.

I really hate that studios use gross sales instead of quantity of tickets sold as their metric for a movie's success. And here's why: It's next to impossible to compare the success of two movies if they're released years apart. As an example, the Star Wars movies sold lots of seats, and brought in lots of money at the time, but how does that compare to this year's blockbusters?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I've had that problem myself. "You'll laugh... you'll cry... you'll kiss three bucks goodbye."

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

I really hate that studios use gross sales instead of quantity of tickets sold as their metric for a movie's success. And here's why: It's next to impossible to compare the success of two movies if they're released years apart.

Well, yes; this system is rigged in favor of assigning an Impressive New Record[tm] to the latest blockbuster. That's the whole point, as far as the industry is concerned.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

I saw Shrek 3 a few weeks ago, and I thought it was grand -- not as good as the first one, but IMO miles better than the second one.

Saw Pirates 3 last night. Extremely satisfied. A great ending to a great series.

On my list to see: Spiderman 3, Fantastic Four, and Oceans 13.

[solarbird]

I just saw Ocean's 13 and thought it was a pretty good caper movie.

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I second that. O-13 does what it intended to do, with no pretensions of doing more, and it's a lot tighter than Ocean's 12.

[solarbird]

And, like Ocean's 11, it somehow manages to make the Las Vegas strip scene interesting and cool. That always amuses me. (Having been there for work, it is not really my thing.)

[rmeidaking.livejournal.com]

I dropped the kids off to see Shrek the Third this afternoon. (It was the 1:30 show. Did they behave?) That's as close as I'm getting to a moving theater this weekend.

[hms42]

to see list... Possibly Shrek 3. Pirates 3 requires me to rent and see Pirates 2. (I may just wait for the box set...)

More likely an episode of Dr. Who (Season 3) or Heroes (I have only seen the first half of the season) while I am doing laundry over the weekend.

Harold

[rev-ursa.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm looking to have a very geeky weekend. I've got Ghost Rider, Blood and Chocolate, and Breach. It should be a happy time...

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

We saw "Shrek 3", not as good as 1, but certainly better than 2.

I got "Mission: Impossible - Season 2" on DVD and got to watch a couple of episodes. Man, I love that show.

[ladypoetess.livejournal.com]

Probably Netflix DVDs of Charmed, if anything.

[hiddenkrypt.livejournal.com]

Just got back from catching FF2.

The most I can say is that it was much better than the first Fantastic Four movie.

Oh, and Capri sun.

JMS/Silver Surfer

[bathtubnz.livejournal.com]

JMS confirms that he's finished the script and handed it in.

www.jmsnews.com

Re: JMS/Silver Surfer

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Even more important Joe sounds Really Excited about having written it. This is Always a Good Sign.

[ericcoleman]

The WSPA and I will probably head to see Shrek 3 tomorrow evening, after the middle one's b-day party ... but this is a little uncertain ...

[tomreedtoon.livejournal.com]

I'm seeing the sneak of Ratatouille Saturday night. I thank God that I don't live in the same city as Goldemort.

Recommendations: First, be wary of anything out of "Ain't It Cool News." I still stop by there, but their reviews contain too much vegetable matter. Not simply "plants," studio folk pretending to be fanboys to try to drum up an opening weekend audience, but also "weeds," the same guys, but trying to wreck the reputation of a competitor's film.

The fanboy ranting, raving, posturing and just plain stupidity is only part of it. There is some nasty history in Harry Knowles's domain, which I'll be glad to point you to if desired. On a minimal basis, I feel kind of uncomfortable accepting the opinions of his regular gang, partially because of their pretentious nicknames (like "Moriarty") and partially because some of them are hustling work in the film industry and are very susceptible to bribery.

At any rate: Haven't seen Shrek 3. Don't intend to. There's nothing to excite even the heart of an animation fan. If stuck for a teeny-bopper superhero movie, Sky High is okay, but should've become a Disney Channel weekly sitcom instead. (It is that cheap, despite Bruce Campbell and Lynda Carter.) I tried to watch Zoom and found it awful, awful, awful; Tim Allen is finally out of the big time for sure.

Sicko is the next major theatrical on my list. Only if really bored will I see Fantastic Four...Silver Surfer, unless I encounter more positive reviews.

By the way: if you ever rent An Evening with Kevin Smith - the original, not the sequel - put in the DVD and let the menu screen run without making any selections. I did it by accident. It's kind of fun. I didn't even see it all the way through. (More fun than him fielding questions from young lesbian college students in his college panels, gushing about how wonderful Chasing Amy was. I think if Smith and Jack Black were ever in the same room, the gravitational pulls of their egos might open a rift to another dimension. And that comes from someone who likes a lot of their work, too.)

[tony-goldmark.livejournal.com]

Remy could rip your internal organs out your ass, stuff you full of croutons and use your oily corpse as a gravy base.

Or didn't you know I read Tom's blog?

Matters not to me.

[tomreedtoon.livejournal.com]

You're making your own gravy in your own dog dish. I can live with my actions and I sleep the sleep of the just. I don't care if you do or not. And since I don't engage in kiddie-board fights, that's my last post on the subject. Tom, if you want to delete both my post and Mr. Goldmark's, I'd appreciate it.

Re: Matters not to me.

[tony-goldmark.livejournal.com]

"sleep the sleep of the just" - does the very air around you get thinner from the bloat of your own pretension? Don't dish the shit out if you can't take it.

[technocracygirl.livejournal.com]

Ocean's 13 hopefully tonight, as both the boy and I want to see it. FF4 for just me in the coming weeks, because the boy prefers to see that on DVD. But, sez I,...it's Ioan Gruffud. In spandex! (Him being het, this does not have the effect on him as it does on me.)

[lizreay.livejournal.com]

Saw the Russian film Daywatch (sequel to the awesome Nightwatch) last night. Took so many left turns I was spinning, and was utterly gorgeous and awesome. Check it out...but you'll want to rent Nightwatch first...it's a complicated plot, and it helps if you know the many characters up front.

[gan-chan.livejournal.com]

I may go see the midnight showing of The Neverending Story at the Inwood, or I may go see The Lives of Others. That's if I can tear myself away from that Pink Panther movie boxed set I just bought.

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

Well it is Top Of The Park (http://www.annarborsummerfestival.com/top_calendar_2007.shtml) time in Ann Arbor. Walk-in outdoor movie theater with music before the movie.

-Ryan