Hollywood never ceases to amaze me...

[Fearless Freep]

From The Prisoner
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Cult movie afficionados often like to point out how heavily Hollywood plagerizes from Asian sources. However, this tendency goes both ways. Jackie Chan is the Prisoner, better known as Island of Fire, is a good example of this cross fertilization. This movie borrows heavily from American sources, most notably the classic Cool Hand Luke. This borrowing is frankly bizarre. It does not move the plot forward in any particular way. Indeed, outside of a spoof, I don't think I have ever seen a movie recreate scenes from another movie in quite such a gratuitious manner. What is odd is that these literal quotations rather detract from the plot, which is a serious concern in a movie that seems to lose its way for most of the running time. But, as is often the case, I am getting ahead of myself.
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[Dave Munger]

Dave Barry wrote a parody of The Davinci Code that eerily forshadowed the trailer for National Treasure that ran a few days before that came out.

Foreign movies that were remade practically one year later: The Vanishing, Little Nikkita? Not sure of that last title. Should nave just dubbed it or put in subtitles. Retards would throw stuff at the screen, but it'd be so much less risky finacially.

[Vermin Boy]

I saw the ad for Baby Geniuses 2, with the line "America's favorite talking babies are back!" and was immediately struck with two soul-crushingly depressing thoughts:

1. America has enough talking-baby movies that it actually has the ability to choose favorites.

2. I could personally think of talking babies that are more heavily favored (Rugrats, anyone?)

[Vermin Boy]

Just curious, but where do you go in Boston for obscure movies? I go to college in Boston (and live in central Mass when I'm not there), and would love to know about more offbeat video stores!

[Mr_Vindictive]

Dave,

Right about about The Vanishing.  "Spoorloos" was a fantastic film, while the American version "Vanishing" went the way of standard horror fare.

[Kory]

I'll have to respecfully disagree with you on Crouching Tiger.  I found it to be a fantastic movie for several reasons:

- Great story (tragic, funny, interesting)
- Great acting (Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, and pretty much everone else)
- Great fight sequences, beautifully choreographed
- Beautiful cinematography, often breathtaking
- The love story was so deep and heart-wrenching- one of the few movies that made me cry

There's more, but I'll leave it at that.

What did you not like about it?

[Writer]

Well, "Saved!" was one of those films I could see was doomed from the get-go. What amazed me was not so much that anyone would give the film the go-ahead (given Hollywood's long history of making Christian-bashing films no one wants to watch), but  that the people producing it were able to say with a straight face that they were trying to appeal to some of Mel Gibson's audience.

Man! How can they do it? If I were pitching "Michael Moore Hates America" to a bunch of rabid Michael Moore fans, there is just no way I'd be able to keep a straight face when claiming that it's actually a pro-Moore film. It would be just like that "Biggus Dikkus" scene from "Life of Brian" where the Roman guards couldn't help laughing.

[loyal1]

I do remember the Bigus Dickus scene, but forgot one thing...what was his wife's name...I keep thinking something that begins with a C like Cordelia...

[Dave Munger]

Way off topic here, but I have always loved the fact that clitoris is Latin for a small hill (I think). So it seems pretty likely that at some point in history some general like Fabian or something may have said something like "Sieze the clitoris and the field is ours".

[Eirik]

"All I am asking is that Hollywood start coming up with their own ideas."

Skaboi, I used to think this very same thing... and then I saw White Girls.  If you have the remake blues like I did, just rent this one when it hits the video stores.

Hollywood, if White Girls is what your original thought amounts to, then just keep those sequels and remakes coming!

[Eirik]

"Way off topic here, but I have always loved the fact that clitoris is Latin for a small hill (I think). So it seems pretty likely that at some point in history some general like Fabian or something may have said something like "Sieze the clitoris and the field is ours".

Or "Hold on to this clitoris to the bitter end!"  Or "I need two battalions to storm that clitoris!"

[AndyC]

Incontinentia

[JohnL]

>When Jurassic Park came out, we wentto an early showing. There were all these
>parent with toddlers to see the "Dinosaur Film", I guess they were thinking cute
>dinosaurs or something. When the T. Rex ate the lawyer there was a deafing
>wail going up from dozens of kids who had entered nightmare territory and
>probably didn't much like dinos after that.

I'll bet they never looked at Barney the same way again.

[Ash]

Eirik wrote:

> Or "Hold on to this clitoris to the bitter end!"  Or "I need
> two battalions to storm that clitoris!"

Hehe!
And I thought I was a pervert!

[Kory]

I'm sure you are.    :)