Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Back to drew's blog-o-rama?
Via Waxy (who I'm positive had no ill intent whatsoever), I came across the link to a transcript for the first half of Fahrenheit 9/11 that was done by redlinerants.com. If you want to know what side of the fence redlinerants.com is on, just read any page of their site...it's pretty obvious. Still, I was elated that the film had been transcribed, since there's been a great deal of criticism (fueled by a Newsweek article) which alleges that the film claims that the Bin Laden family members weren't interviewed before leaving the country. Michael Moore refutes the claim here, where he quotes an exchange from the movie:
Moore: "So a little interview, check the passport, what else?"
Unger: "Nothing."
But according to redlinerants.com's transcript?
NARRATOR: So what did they do, they checked the passports, what else?
CRAIG UNGER: Nothing.
See the problem? This isn't a semantics issue, there's a whole world of difference between the two quotes, and Moore is getting creamed for this so-called omission. So I took it upon myself to make a 10 second AVI clip of the scene. It takes place at exactly 23:16 in the movie, for those of who have obtained the movie the naughty way or just want to check behind me next time you see it.
So check out the video and see for yourself.
There's absolutely no question whatsoever that Moore said "A little interview, check the passport, what else?"
Can this issue officially die now?
Hey, when I stand on this soapbox, I can see my house from here!
It doesn't get much simpler than that, does it?
Check it out here.
You know, this has been the single most requested screenplay in the history of the rama, so that it's finally arrived, maybe the "If you don't get the Donnie Darko screenplay soon, I'm gonna drop a jet engine on your freakin' head!" e-mails will slow down a tad. One can only hope.
Related tune: The Killing Moon by Echo And The Bunnymen (mp3 via sala dark)
I've got a few things on my mind about certain Fahrenheit 9/11 detractors, but first, I want to make a few disclaimers up front, as to not turn this into a blazing inferno of flames:
1. I'm an unabashed Michael Moore fan, and I love the movie. I want as many people to watch it as possible, because regardless of what people think of the movie/man, viewing sparks discussion.
2. I have no problem with people who don't like Michael Moore or the movie...seriously. More power to 'em. I'm self-aware enough to know that hypothetically, if Michael Moore was far right instead of far left, and made a Fahrenheit 9/11-type movie about Bill Clinton, I'm sure I'd be griping about it. I can't see how I wouldn't.
And now, on to the business at hand. And it's not nothing to do with politics, this could be a movie about low carb Krispy Kremes or the size of Colin Farrell's schlong and I'd still be making this point, trust me.
Moorewatch, a website which likes Michael Moore just about as much as I adore the Fanta jingle, has come up with a plan that makes no sense whatsoever. Let me break it down for you:
They're urging their base to download and watch Fahrenheit 9/11 and are posting links to help find the bootlegs. They claim they want to be sued. You'd think this would be because they perceive Michael Moore is against people downloading his movies for free, right? But they counteract their own argument by posting a quote by Michael Moore regarding people doing just that, downloading his movies for free. His quote:
"I don't agree with the copyright laws and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people. As long as they're not doing it to make a profit, you know, as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labor. I would oppose that."
So in a nutshell, they're doing exactly what Michael Moore wants them to do, no? They even titled the manifesto "Steal This Movie," which is obviously evoking the Abbie Hoffman book which was appropriately titled "Steal This Book." The title wasn't in jest; it literally contained instructions on how to be a good shoplifter. Abbie Hoffman wanted you to steal his book, and Michael Moore couldn't care less if you download his movie to watch, or even to share with other people.
And really, was a Moorewatch visitor going to go pay and see this movie anyway? It would be like my trying to bankrupt the director of the anti-Moore Michael Moore Hates America by downloading and watching the flick multiple times. There's only one person I'd be punishing by going that route, and it sure as hell ain't him.
Related tune: Logical by Supertramp (mp3 via Trixie)
The above quote was not spoken by an existentialist Harley; it was delivered by supergenius-by-day Jack Austin (Jack Black) and was referring to Heat Vision, the motorcycle which used to be his ex-roommate Doug (Owen Wilson) before Ron Silver (Ron Silver) turned Doug into a mode of transportation. I suspect you may be completely lost right about now, but don't worry, so was I before saw the light. And by "saw the light", I mean watched the pilot episode of Heat Vision and Jack, a 1999 Ben Stiller directed show starring pre-famous Jack Black and Owen Wilson that has never been broadcast on television.
How did I see such a thing, you ask? Did I have to sleep with Ben Stiller? Did I have to dress up in catsuit like Catherine Zeta Jones and break into the Fox vault? Well, yeah. But it turns out I didn't have to. Thanks to the good folks at waxy.org, you too can watch the full half hour episode (right here), which is broken into three big mpeg files. And hey, since I do happen to run a script site as well, here's links to both the Heat Vision and Jack early draft and a later draft of the show. Who loves ya, baby?
So not only can you read and watch it, but you damn well should. If you dig Stiller, Wilson, and especially Jack Black, you're going to be an incredibly happy camper. It's a pretty funny show that's a loving homage to oodles of cheesy 70's/80's action/sci-fi shows like Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers, yadda yadda. Plus, it had Ron Silver playing Ron Silver before Jennifer Grey played Jennifer Grey in It's Like, You Know, so it was even a half-step ahead in the postmodern sitcom game.
Man, Fox really dropped the ball twice with Ben Stiller. First they canceled The Ben Stiller show, which subsequently won an Emmy, then he comes back with another show, and it doesn't see the light of day. Yet they pick up quality fare like, say, Banzai. I've noticed that Stiller hasn't done any more pilots for Fox. Luckily, he must be following the school of thought of that famous fella whose name escapes me who said "Fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again.
Related tune: Move Out by Yaz (mp3 via saturn5.com)
Actually, I wholeheartedly disagree with Michael Douglas' sentiment in Wall Street. On the other hand, greed certainly seems to be good for Drew's DVD collection; there's no question about it. So with this in mind, along with my blog muse still seemingly out of commission after getting hit by a bus (the muse, not moi), allow me to crow about my latest DVD purchase.
Movie Gallery is having one of their "Buy two previously DVDs, get two free!" sales, which I can always count on to cause excessive droolage. Some people live to hear the phrase "You got the promotion!" or "The test came back negative!" but the words I long to hear are "Buy two DVDs, get two free." So you know I've got my priorities in order. So I moseyed on down and snagged 4 DVDs, 3 of which were in my Top 10 of last year, all for just $7.50 a pop. To paraphase Enid in Ghost World, buying DVDs at full price is for suckers who don't know the concept of value. So what'd I get? Glad you asked.
Cheapie DVD #1: In America. This was my numero uno flick of last year, and if you still haven't seen it, I beg of thee, go rent it pronto. I'm a jaded bitter soul, and Sheridan's film managed to coax some cinematic moisture out of my eyes for the first time in a long while. I tried to tell Jennie it was because of my filthy contact lenses, but she didn't believe me for a heartbeat. It was worth a shot.
Cheapie DVD #2: Kill Bill. Yeah, yeah, I know...I'm the one who told you a few months back that there was a super-duper edition coming out and to hold off on buying this version. And then I turned right around and bought it anyway. I reek of hypocrisy. But hey, it's one of my top 10 action movies of all time, it was only $7.50 and QT is very indirectly responsible for my being with my honey. So I owed him one.
Cheapie DVD #3: The Fog Of War. Who knew that a documentary about Robert McNamara would be so fascinating and relevant? I've always been an Errol Morris fan, but I truly believe this is the most well-executed one he's ever done. He won the Oscar, the Indie Spirit Award...heck, he even snagged a Webby, so it truly the year o' Errol Morris and his ever-present sneaks.
Cheapie DVD #4: Something's Gotta Give. Remember how I said I bought 3 of my top 10 movies from last year? This ain't one of them-I bought it solely because Jennie digs it. It's funny, because 90% of our collection consists of movies that we both love; our tastes are scarily in sync. But then 5% are movies that I dig and she loathes, like Bad Lieutenant or The Sweet Hereafter. And she has her 5% of movies like My Fair Lady or well, Something's Gotta Give that I think are cringeworthy. And of course, both of us are convinced that the other is besmirching our collection's good name with the other one's 5% "questionable" choices.
Related tune: Gimme Gimme Gimme by Abba (mp3 via xuyifan.com)
The more I think about it, the more I think that Movieweb, Latino Review, and Coming Soon got bamboozled on this one; I'm 99.9% sure this poster is about as legitimate as Juliette Lewis' pet psychic, Lindsay Lohan's "breasts," or Vincent Gallo's claims of modesty.
You know that exclamation point qualm I had with the movie poster? Well, I bopped on down to Michael Moore's site. Check out the top of the page. It's the exact same layout as the center of the poster, including the exclamation point. Looks like a photoshop job to me.
The lesson: If the exclamation point does not fit, you must acquit.
Related tune: Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who (mp3 via rsm)
Not for 99.9% of the population, of course, but after reading this article, Juliette Lewis seems to have suffered a bit of lack of oxygen to the brain.
You see, Juliette is still bummed that her l'il chihuahua, Chowie, was an appetizer to a bunch of ravenous coyotes seven years ago. And hey, it's a sad thing when your Chowie is chowed down upon; don't get me wrong. There's no shame in an extended grief period. Although, really, if somebody named my ass Chowie, I might consider getting put out of my misery a blessing in disguise.
But she's considering seeing a pet psychic to see what's up with Chowie. In the interview with EW, she said "I want to go to her (the pet psychic) and say, ‘Where is my Chowie? Is he reincarnated? And how can I find him?'"
Um.
Regardless of one's opinions about the validity of psychics when it comes to people, aren't we all in agreement that going to psychics in the pet arena is, for lack of a better term, TOTALLY FREAKIN' INSANE? Juliette, I'm pretty darn confident that no matter what some Oda Mae for canines tells you, Chowie has not been reincarnated as a butterfly, a baby seal, or Apple Paltrow-Martin. Trust me, there's no putting Chowie "back in bowl"; there are no doggy Shirley MacLaines.
And before you ask, this also applies to cactuses, Adele.
Related tune: Reunited by Peaches and Herb (mp3 via darwinistmemoirs.com)
Witness: The new Fahrenheit 9/11 poster (click pic to enlarge), courtesy of Movieweb/Latino Review. You guys should thank me, for 'twas I who convinced Michael Moore that the name Celsius 483.333 was a tad obtuse and didn't exactly roll off the tongue nicely. Of course, he called me on the fact that I was being obtuse by using the word obtuse in the first place. Touche'.
I dig this poster.
The imagery is certainly eye-catching, to say the least, and "the temperature where freedom burns" is efficiently provocative. I'm sure this poster gives more fodder for some anti-Michael Moore people to play pile on and imply that he's some sort of flag burning hater of America out to profit off of the tragedy of others, yadda yadda yadda. I politely disagree, but since this ain't a political blog, I'll keep my politics out of it. Strictly in the context of movie posters, it's a solid poster considering the subject matter. And "this July the fireworks will fly" is catchy in a Johnny Cochran sort of way.
I do have one teensy complaint. What's with the exclamation point after "freedom" and "Palme D'or"? First off, they're too small and non-proportional, but more importantly, why are they there at all? They ring a bit cheesy, like some perky five year old girl snuck in her daddy's office and popped 'em in there when nobody was looking. Is this poster a fake? If it is, tell your children and their children that Drew, a.k.a. Remington Steele, was the first one to call it. Unless somebody else noticed it first.
So watch the trailer if you haven't by now, study the poster, and wait for the fireworks to fly. Hey, not that it's going to happen or anything, but wouldn't it be wild if Fahrenheit 9/11 was up against Passion Of The Christ for the Oscars next year? Billy Crystal wouldn't be lacking in the material department, that's for sure.
Related tune: Burnin' For You By Blue Oyster Cult (mp3 via dreams)
Of shock, that is. Turns out The Guardian, which happens to be my British newspaper of choice, picked yours truly as their top blog of the day for June 4, 2004. And even more surprising is that unlike every other major accomplishment in my life (graduating, snagging a merit badge for rope climbing, scoring opening day tickets to Spidey 2), I didn't even have to sexually humiliate myself all Joe Buck style in order to receive the honor! What a relief.
So, you know, if you editor-types are reading, this is your big opportunity to acquire my services while I'd still work for a pat on the head and a fist full of peanuts. Why not climb up my figurative fire escape a la Richard Gere and rescue me from my Office Space existence so I can truly express myself? I'm much easier than Julia Roberts and I promise not to wear ridiculous wigs or mangle Tom Jones in the tub.
On a side note, I had the brilliant idea to tell some co-workers about my British accolade. They had the same exact thing to say. I mean, besides "Do I know you?" or "Security!" Each and every single one of them replied:
"What's a blog?"
Sigh.
Related tune: Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight (mp3 via malaco.com)
"I have no bloody idea if that's Thomas Jane or Aaron Eckhart behind me."
Hail to the queen, baby! It's a given that dreck like MIB and The Santa Clause get the sequel treatment, but I'll betcha nobody was expecting the news that Shekhar "Don't Call Me Tupac" Kapur is planning an Elizabeth sequel with Cate Blanchett. I can't wait.
Since the full title of the flick was Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen, how 'bout they make the long title of this one Elizabeth: Roundin' Second? That'll rope in the American Pie crowd, guaranteed. Or perhaps not.
After Cate got so royally hosed for Best Actress to Gwyneth Paltrow back in '98, here's to hoping this'll be her chance to finally snag the big kahuna. Cate Blanchett belongs to that elite gang of thesps including Emily Watson, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Samantha Morton, and Naomi Watts that Oscar teases with nominations but that doesn't seem to have the cojones to give 'em the damn thing. If I hear anything about Gwynnie signing on to Tennessee Williams In Love to be released the same year, I'll throw myself in front of a streetcar, I assure you.
One small request before you starting casting, if I may, Mr. Kapur. You know that lesser Fiennes guy you cast the first time around? Have you noticed how Joseph hasn't been in anything lately, unless you're counting such quality projects like Killing Me Softly? You may feel an urge to cast him again out of some sort of obligation or maybe pity after watching another straight-to-video Fiennes classic, Forever Mine. Please don't. I beg of thee. Because to paraphrase Dostoyevsky, a society can be judged by the amount of screen time it gives to Joseph Fiennes.
News via Dark Horizons.
Related tune: Like A Virgin by Madonna (windows media via people475.com)
| Drew's Blog-O-Rama:
Obviously, I'm not trying to re-invent the movie blog wheel here. I'm just never lacking in opinions about movies, pop culture, news, and other assorted hoohah. And my mailman has put a restraining order on me, so here's my place to vent.
|
||
| techie stuff | ||
  
rss feed atom feed | The Archive | |
|
the main page december 2005 november 2005 october 2005 september 2005 august 2005 july 2005 june 2005 may 2005 april 2005 march 2005 feburary 2005 january 2005 december 2004 november 2004 october 2004 september 2004 august 2004 july 2004 june 2004 may 2004 april 2004 march 2004 february 2004 january 2004 december 2003 november 2003 october 2003 september 2003 |
Get outta here, already. | |
|
drew's script-o-rama email me aol im: scriptorama |
Blogs I Dig | |
| ||