Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well
That may be because of the tight control over the media's coverage war. This is the first war where the media hasn't really been allowed to travel to the front with the soldiers. Totally different than Viet Nam. Desert Storm was like watching a video game or movie. This one feels like we are watching a crime scene. We see the damage of an exploded tank or Hummer but not the bodies or the combatants. I remembered just now that a movie about Iraq came out a few months back about a guy that was on the bomb squad. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:23 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: That's true about WWII. I don't know that Hollywood execs have had a summit like that. The general wisdom has been that war movies based on Iraq and Iran don't pull in the audiences. Reasons given are that they're hugely divisive, so there's no assurance people will pay to see films about them. At the same time, the wars themselves aren't as engaging in our everyday lives as WWII was. Many of us can go about our daily lives and honestly not think of the people fighting and dying over there. WWII was universal in its effect on all Americans, whether it was those fighting, relatives of soldiers, the women who had to work in the factories, the need for people to conserve rubber, gas, etc. Iraq and Iran just don't tough our lives in that way. And finally, these wars aren't as exciting. They take place in dessert countries with one enemy, and the campaigns are more about hide-and-seek, skirmishes, and roadside bombs. There's not of the spectacle of a world war, with battles on several fronts, wars in trenches, beaches stormed, skies filled with fighters and bombers raining death, seas covered with ships, debris, and battles. They're too boring for Hollywood's tastes. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:51:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well This reminded me of something. I read that during WW2 the government had a sit down with the heads of the studios in Hollywood about making films that encourage the troops and to keep people's minds off of the war. So Hollywood made propaganda films, musicals, and other types of films that softened the reality of the war. Could it be that the same thing may be going on now? The war has been going on for years in Iraq and we have only seen 3 films about it. How many films have we seen about other issues that are important? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:57 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: You know, we joke about some of the failures, but the period from the late '60s to late '70s saw some of the best scifi movies, either at the theatre or made for TV. Demon Seed, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, 2001: A Space Odyssey. As Worf said, at least back then scifi was often dealing with social issues, questions of how will humanity survive our own aggressions, etc. It's why, although I hated the bigotry shown toward Nigerians in District 9, I loved the realistic take on other types of racism depicted in the film. And, perhaps, another reason why I wasn't as taken with the Star Trek film as some, as it was more of an action/FX romp designed to bring in mass audiences. - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockhart.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:43:14 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well Ha! You'd have been better off with The Questor Tapes Daryle On Sep 22, 2009, at 8:31 PM, George Arterberry brotherfromhow...@yahoo.com wrote: noir, Feeling sort of nostalgic and Netflix (ing) those 70's sci-fi shows of my youth. UFO,Space 1999,Logan's Run and several others. ARK was as horrid as a remember. Stay away __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US?
Can you imagine that? You shot my wife! Then it turns into a free for all. I saw a clip like that on tv between two guys that was a road rage incident. The two guys got out of the car and started arguing and one of the guy's wife helped escalate the situation to the point where the guys ran for their guns. A shoot out started and one of the guys was killed while the other one went to jail for murder. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: I haven't checked the statistics, but I think at best they remained the same. Supporters of this don't think of this as a deterrent, mind you. It's really more along the lines of self-defense, so that when the shooting starts at McDonald's, a psycho killer tries to cap you in a park, or a crazed ex husband bursts into a church, all the gun-toting God-fearing citizens can pull their own pieces and blow the offender away. And of course the additional lead flying by terrified and unskilled civilians in a moment of crisis will *never* find its way into the body of an innocent bystander... - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:17:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? In your opinion, has gun violence gone up or down in Georgia after the law was passed? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: More foolishness, fear, and yes, racism in the era of Obama. This idiocy started before he was even elected. Nothing at all in anything he's ever said or done to justify a fear he'll take all guns from all people. I've never understood this attitude. I'm okay with people owning guns to protect themselves. But I don't understand why so many fight things such as waiting periods, background checks, registration, limits on what type of weapons citizens can own. And I'm really upset that places like Georgia (where I live) now allow people to carry weapons on buses, in churches, in parks, restaurants. That amazingly stupid and troubling. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:14:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I am starting to feel paranoid now... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Heroes ratings plummet. Do you even care anymore?
Remember Save the cheerleader. Save the world? It was Heroes' first season, and and people loved it. More than 16 million of them. I was one of those people, and Heroes could do no wrong in that first season. Well, I would have liked a bit more of a battle to save New York in the finale between the heroes and Sylar, but you can't have everything. Edgar (Ray Park) prepares to face off against one of the Heroes regulars. After watching the fourth-season premiere of Volume Five: Redemption, I realized the roller-coaster ride the Heroes' writers have put me on. I mean, think back where the show first really went wrong, in Volume Two: Generations with the long trip from Mexico with the annoying brother-and-sister team, Alejandro and Maya. I have to admit I wanted Sylar to kill them both. And I barely remember Monica, the New Orleans chick who could mimic people's actions perfectly. Hiro got stuck in the past, and Peter forgot who he was. And I didn't really care about the Shanti virus story. A virus is just not as cool as the thought of blowing up New York. I think we all thought it was a good idea to take a break thanks to the writers' strike that year and completely avoid the planned third volume, Exodus, which would have dealt with the virus. But then I got excited again in season three. I mean, a volume called Villains with Sylar back in real form sounded great. Imagine the possibilities. There was a new Bigger Bad, and it was Nathan and Peter's own dad, Arthur. And for a little while I loved it all over again. Although it was a little creepy when future Claire told future Peter that she'd always loved him. She's his niece, for Pete's sake. Somewhere along the way, though, during Villains, Heroes stopped feeling like it was about real superheroes. It's not that the writers didn't try, but the magic from season one never quite returned. And when Nathan suddenly turned against his own and became the bad guy for Volume Four: Fugitives, I realized Heroes had completely gone off the rails again. What were they thinking turning Nathan into the bad guy? Seriously! There were moments in Fugitives I liked, and I have to admit the ending with Sylar killing Nathan and then being forced to become him by Matt blew me away. Unfortunately, the roller-coaster ride of Heroes has taken its toll. Only 6 million of us watched Monday's two-episode premiere, the kicker on a sad but continuing erosion of ratings through the seasons. I would have loved for Volume Five: Redemption to be the true redemption Heroes needs to get some of its viewers back. But that doesn't look like it's going to happen. The first hour of the premiere, Orientation, moved at an agonizingly slow pace as we caught up again with all the characters, who seem not to be that far from where they were in season one, with Claire struggling to be normal, Nathan battling his nature, HRG being conflicted about work, Matt's worry that his wife is cheating on him, Niki's struggles (which are now Tracy's struggles) with her dark side, and Peter and Hiro's desire to be heroes. The best of things certainly seem to be the cool new villain in carny master Samuel, played by Robert Knepper, and his main henchman, played by Star Wars' Ray Park, who has lightning speed and some really big knives. And thank God Hiro and Ando are back to add some comic relief to the too-serious events. Without them and their plan for Dial a Hero, the premiere wouldn't be much fun at all. And then there's Super Peter, saving lives as a paramedic with his super powers ... Although couldn't Super Peter just stop time and save people that way? I'm just saying. Still, for every cool thing, there's a worrisome turn: * I had thought the whole Nathan/Sylar thing would give writers some juicy material, but it seems the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of it has more to do with Matt/Sylar since Sylar has taken up residence in Matt's brain, forcing him to act like a lunatic. * Tracy comes back for revenge and ends up bonding a little too weirdly with HRG. * Danko, an intriguing villain from last season, was killed off too quickly, without a satisfying end to the character. Creator Tim Kring ... you could have done better. * Claire's in college now and feeling out of place, but could she stop moping already? She's in college and indestructible. And then her irritating roomie jumps, is pushed or falls from their dorm room window, which should be a good thing. Instead there's a mystery to be solved. Most college kids would just ask for another room. But not our Claire. She takes a header out the window, and, what a shock, someone sees her not die. Maybe Claire should go to her classes and get that college education rather than try to solve murders. Being indestructible leads to only so many types of jobs, and not many of them are appealing. * Mohinder is missing. Okay, actually I don't find that worrisome. Since the whole creepy Fly incident in Villains, the once promising
[scifinoir2] WTF? David Cronenberg remaking The Fly AGAIN?
The Fly, David Cronenberg's classic 1986 sci-fi horror film, was itself a re-imagining of the original 1958 movie, and was subsequently adapted by Cronenberg himself as an opera. So imagine our surprise to hear that the Canadian director-who previously said he wouldn't be involved in any remake-is now developing another reboot, a new cinematic version of The Fly. It seems to be part of a new trend of filmmakers rebooting their own creations: Ridley Scott is developing a reboot/prequel of his own Alien, for example. In the case of The Fly, it seems that Cronenberg wants to return to the movie that helped establish his career, but this time with 21st-century visual effects and technology, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/09/david-cronenberg-doing-reboot-of-t he-fly.html blog: The auteur will develop a reboot of the 1986 classic with Fox, the studio that released that film, directing and potentially writing the new pic. ... The 1986 title, itself a remake of Kurt Neumann's 1958 sci-fi classic, starred Jeff Goldblum and became a huge hit for Fox, earning $40 million and turning into a phenomenon. It centered on Seth Brundle ([Jeff] Goldblum), an eccentric scientist who, after an experiment with teleportation goes awry, is transformed into a fly. Geena Davis starred as Goldblum's love interest and partner, Veronica. Hard to imagine even Cronenberg improving on his original: Despite the dated look of the clothes and hair, the movie remains a powerful, gut-wrenching experience with very convincing makeup effects of Goldbum's horrific transformation from man into creature. The movie also packs a wallop as a potent metaphor of the ravages of disease and the resulting loss of dignity and humanity. http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/wtf-david-cronenberg-rema.ph Tracey de Morsella, Managing Producer The Green Economy Post http://greeneconomypost.com tra...@greeneconomypost.com
Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well
Stop watching the MSM. Lots of other news media out there. --- On Fri, 9/25/09, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, September 25, 2009, 3:41 AM That may be because of the tight control over the media's coverage war. This is the first war where the media hasn't really been allowed to travel to the front with the soldiers. Totally different than Viet Nam. Desert Storm was like watching a video game or movie. This one feels like we are watching a crime scene. We see the damage of an exploded tank or Hummer but not the bodies or the combatants. I remembered just now that a movie about Iraq came out a few months back about a guy that was on the bomb squad. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:23 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: That's true about WWII. I don't know that Hollywood execs have had a summit like that. The general wisdom has been that war movies based on Iraq and Iran don't pull in the audiences. Reasons given are that they're hugely divisive, so there's no assurance people will pay to see films about them. At the same time, the wars themselves aren't as engaging in our everyday lives as WWII was. Many of us can go about our daily lives and honestly not think of the people fighting and dying over there. WWII was universal in its effect on all Americans, whether it was those fighting, relatives of soldiers, the women who had to work in the factories, the need for people to conserve rubber, gas, etc. Iraq and Iran just don't tough our lives in that way. And finally, these wars aren't as exciting. They take place in dessert countries with one enemy, and the campaigns are more about hide-and-seek, skirmishes, and roadside bombs. There's not of the spectacle of a world war, with battles on several fronts, wars in trenches, beaches stormed, skies filled with fighters and bombers raining death, seas covered with ships, debris, and battles. They're too boring for Hollywood's tastes. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf HelloMahogany@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:51:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well This reminded me of something. I read that during WW2 the government had a sit down with the heads of the studios in Hollywood about making films that encourage the troops and to keep people's minds off of the war. So Hollywood made propaganda films, musicals, and other types of films that softened the reality of the war. Could it be that the same thing may be going on now? The war has been going on for years in Iraq and we have only seen 3 films about it. How many films have we seen about other issues that are important? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:57 AM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: You know, we joke about some of the failures, but the period from the late '60s to late '70s saw some of the best scifi movies, either at the theatre or made for TV. Demon Seed, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, 2001: A Space Odyssey. As Worf said, at least back then scifi was often dealing with social issues, questions of how will humanity survive our own aggressions, etc. It's why, although I hated the bigotry shown toward Nigerians in District 9, I loved the realistic take on other types of racism depicted in the film. And, perhaps, another reason why I wasn't as taken with the Star Trek film as some, as it was more of an action/FX romp designed to bring in mass audiences. - Original Message - From: Daryle Lockhart dar...@darylelockha rt.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:43:14 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well Ha! You'd have been better off with The Questor Tapes Daryle On Sep 22, 2009, at 8:31 PM, George Arterberry brotherfromhoward@ yahoo.com wrote: noir, Feeling sort of nostalgic and Netflix (ing) those 70's sci-fi shows of my youth. UFO,Space 1999,Logan's Run and several others. ARK was as horrid as a remember. Stay away _ _ _ _ __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/mahogany_ pleasures_ of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/mahogany_ pleasures_ of_darkness/
RE: [scifinoir2] WTF? David Cronenberg remaking The Fly AGAIN?
(one glance Heavenward before walking away...) If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com; ggs...@yahoo.com From: tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:08:35 -0700 Subject: [scifinoir2] WTF? David Cronenberg remaking The Fly AGAIN? The Fly, David Cronenberg's classic 1986 sci-fi horror film, was itself a re-imagining of the original 1958 movie, and was subsequently adapted by Cronenberg himself as an opera. So imagine our surprise to hear that the Canadian director—who previously said he wouldn't be involved in any remake—is now developing another reboot, a new cinematic version of The Fly. It seems to be part of a new trend of filmmakers rebooting their own creations: Ridley Scott is developing a reboot/prequel of his own Alien, for example. In the case of The Fly, it seems that Cronenberg wants to return to the movie that helped establish his career, but this time with 21st-century visual effects and technology, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz blog: The auteur will develop a reboot of the 1986 classic with Fox, the studio that released that film, directing and potentially writing the new pic. ... The 1986 title, itself a remake of Kurt Neumann's 1958 sci-fi classic, starred Jeff Goldblum and became a huge hit for Fox, earning $40 million and turning into a phenomenon. It centered on Seth Brundle ([Jeff] Goldblum), an eccentric scientist who, after an experiment with teleportation goes awry, is transformed into a fly. Geena Davis starred as Goldblum's love interest and partner, Veronica. Hard to imagine even Cronenberg improving on his original: Despite the dated look of the clothes and hair, the movie remains a powerful, gut-wrenching experience with very convincing makeup effects of Goldbum's horrific transformation from man into creature. The movie also packs a wallop as a potent metaphor of the ravages of disease and the resulting loss of dignity and humanity. http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/wtf-david-cronenberg-rema.ph Tracey de Morsella, Managing Producer The Green Economy Post http://greeneconomypost.com tra...@greeneconomypost.com _ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1
RE: [scifinoir2] Not one thread about “ Surrogates
I may be wrong, Keith. It just doesn't move me to want to see it. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:24:02 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Not one thread about “Surrogates man, I hope not. I was in the mood for a fun action flick this weekend. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 5:24:28 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Not one thread about “Surrogates From what I've seen, Keith, I lean toward the latter choice. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:03:11 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Not one thread about “Surrogates I don't know, don't think in concept and such, Surrogates is a step below stuff like Die Hard. I think it'll be in the execution as to whether it's sharp action thriller, or just a bunch of noise. I'm hoping for the former, as I'm looking forward to it. - Original Message - From: George Arterberry brotherfromhow...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 6:47:40 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Not one thread about “Surrogates Bruce Willis really has sunk. Not feeling it thru the trailer. Seems more like been there done that. __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how. _ Bing™ brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now. http://www.bing.com/search?q=restaurantsform=MLOGENpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MLOGEN_Core_tagline_local_1x1
RE: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts?
Missed it. Friend in need at that moment. Once I'm done with my run, I'm going to chase it down online. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:10:26 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts? Anyone catch the debut tonight? I thought it was good. The opening, where you see a landscape of smoking buildings and wrecked cars, was pretty good. Going back in time a few hours to see the actual moment of the worldwide blackout was pretty neat too. Comparisons of an opening like this to the unforgettable opening scenes of Lost are inevitable, but not entirely accurate. The blackout moment here was good, but not as spectacular as in Lost. Of course, that may simply be because the latter is a hard act to follow. But still, good stuff. I usually don't like the slowly-unfolding-mystery deal because it's been overdone, but this has lots of potential. Some interesting storylines that can be revealed over the next six months, and of course, the whole question of whether the glimpsed future is inevitable or changeable is intriguing. The actors are in the main good. Feinnes has a kind of stoic (some might say wooden) thing going on that works for a lawman trying to uncover the truth of what has happened. John Cho is good in his role (and guys, Gabrielle Union is playing his fiance, but she didn't show up yet, so be patient!). Courtney Vance of course brings a solid performance to whatever he does. Just hope he gets more screentime than his last stint on Law and Order: CI. Have to admit some of the people's future glimpses had me wondering what the...?, especially Feinne's wife. Can't imagine trying to live in anticipation of *that* future if I were her husband! The flash forward idea makes one wonder, what about people who may be *dead* in six months? What would they see as their minds try to flash forward into their future timelines? Blackness? Their own deaths? Perhaps some kind of psychic backlash? Overall, I enjoyed it, was intrigued enough by the mystery and possible futures of the characters to come back, and will be watching--as long as ABC can manage to keep it on the air! Anyone else? _ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd_062009
[scifinoir2] Comic book comes to big screen in Surrogates
Anybody read the Surrogates comic book series? ~rave! http://hoonaem.notlong.com Clerk hits gold with Surrogates 01:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 25, 2009 By Roger Moore The Orlando Sentinel Robert Venditti was working in a Borders bookstore when he wrote The Surrogates, now a film starring Bruce Willis. ORLANDO, Fla. Like a lot of young men, Robert Venditti went to college with big dreams. I was going to be the next Hemingway, he says. As he earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Florida and a master's degree from the University of Central Florida, he figured out you can't just graduate from college and apply for a job as a fiction writer. Law school was out. He had a taste of that in a summer job and realized it wasn't the life for me. But there was that part-time job, the one that started in South Florida and moved to Altamonte Springs and then Winter Park, Fla., as he attended grad school. He worked at Borders Books, and that changed his life. That's when Venditti first picked up a comic book. I thought, like a lot of people, that comics were just a juvenile medium, Venditti, 35, says from his home in Atlanta. But my buddy Marques Robinson got me to read Astro City: The Confessor. The complexity of the ideas, the characters, the way the visuals help tell the story, really appealed to me. I started researching comics, trying to figure out how you got to write for them. He figured it out, all right. In 2003, Venditti's comic-book series The Surrogates hit stores. Entertainment Weekly called this tale of people who live vicarious lives through their artificial (and artificially gorgeous) surrogates a resplendently grimy commentary on our times. Venditti's success could reach a whole new level on Friday as Surrogates, a thriller starring Bruce Willis based on Venditti's book (with artist Brett Weldele) hits theaters. It's a comic-book writer's any writer's version of winning the Lotto. The minute I heard Bruce Willis was cast was the first moment I allowed myself to hope that this might actually get turned into a movie, Venditti says with a laugh. A producer who had just hung out his shingle called me up [Max Handelman]. He shopped it around, ran into a studio guy who had just seen Sin City and wanted `something edgy, comic-booky' like that. So Mandeville Films got involved, then Jonathan Mostow (director of U-571, Terminator 3), with screenwriters from Terminator 3. I've been involved, at least in the loop, he says. I looked at it from the perspective that these other people were creative minds in their own right. If they're inspired by something I did to bring their own creativity to it, I'm taking that as a compliment and letting them do what they want. They were staying true to the themes and adding their own ideas and plot lines and characters. You know they're going to add explosions. That's Hollywood. Venditti's Borders-to-Hollywood story should be an inspiration to anyone hoping to break into comics. He worked his way in the door with a tape gun. I'd moved to Atlanta, transferred to a Borders up here, and I'd heard of this comic-book company, Top Shelf Productions, that was having a rough patch, he says. He offered to come in and use his expertise packing books as a volunteer. A few months of that and he showed the company his idea for a comic, one inspired by Indra Sinha's book, The Cybergypsies, which he had read in grad school at UCF. Sinha studied people addicted to the Internet. Obsession with alternate reality was causing divorces, people were losing their jobs. By 2002, all these `extreme makeovers' were all over the media. What if there was a technology that allowed people to fulfill that basic human need to be someone other than yourself? What would that world look like? With the huge fanbase for the online alternate-persona game Second Life and James Cameron's film Avatar hotly anticipated this fall, Venditti seems ahead of the curve. That's just another happy accident, he says. That idea is just out there now. His Surrogates was such a success that he just released a prequel Flesh Bone. He has another comic, The Homeland Directive, in the works, and is adapting the novels of Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief) into a comic. If he hasn't given up his Hemingway dreams, Venditti does sound very much like a man who is sold on his new medium:
Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well
You make a good point, but remember that even Vietnam wasn't heavily covered in movies until much later. Most of the films tended to focus on the 'crazy ex-Vietnam soldier. And again, the controversy over 'Nam was another reason it was avoided for years; hence MASH took place in Korea, even though everyone knew the creators were thinking about 'Nam. The movie you're thinking about is The Hurt Locker, which has gotten great reviews. I want to see it. But one more time, even that is more of a movie focused on the day-to-day of the soldiers' lives, the human drama at the heart of any war. Movies like In the Valley of Elah and Rendition tried to capture that on the homefront, but audiences didn't show. People unfortunately want big battles, lots of explosions--spectacle. I think that you're right that more media coverage might make the struggles more immediate and perhaps even exciting, but still think that the detachment Americans feel, the controversy over them, and the relatively confined nature of the campaigns makes Hollywood say nah. At best they're trying to figure out how to copy and top the Hurt Locker's success. I bet suits are right now trying to figure out how they can bring Brad Pitt and a Tarentino take to Afghanistan or Iraq. More's the pity, because hundreds of thousands of US soldiers, support, and family are impacted every moment of every day, and H'Wood can't be bothered. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 3:41:12 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well That may be because of the tight control over the media's coverage war. This is the first war where the media hasn't really been allowed to travel to the front with the soldiers. Totally different than Viet Nam. Desert Storm was like watching a video game or movie. This one feels like we are watching a crime scene. We see the damage of an exploded tank or Hummer but not the bodies or the combatants. I remembered just now that a movie about Iraq came out a few months back about a guy that was on the bomb squad. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:23 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: That's true about WWII. I don't know that Hollywood execs have had a summit like that. The general wisdom has been that war movies based on Iraq and Iran don't pull in the audiences. Reasons given are that they're hugely divisive, so there's no assurance people will pay to see films about them. At the same time, the wars themselves aren't as engaging in our everyday lives as WWII was. Many of us can go about our daily lives and honestly not think of the people fighting and dying over there. WWII was universal in its effect on all Americans, whether it was those fighting, relatives of soldiers, the women who had to work in the factories, the need for people to conserve rubber, gas, etc. Iraq and Iran just don't tough our lives in that way. And finally, these wars aren't as exciting. They take place in dessert countries with one enemy, and the campaigns are more about hide-and-seek, skirmishes, and roadside bombs. There's not of the spectacle of a world war, with battles on several fronts, wars in trenches, beaches stormed, skies filled with fighters and bombers raining death, seas covered with ships, debris, and battles. They're too boring for Hollywood's tastes. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:51:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] ARK II has not aged well This reminded me of something. I read that during WW2 the government had a sit down with the heads of the studios in Hollywood about making films that encourage the troops and to keep people's minds off of the war. So Hollywood made propaganda films, musicals, and other types of films that softened the reality of the war. Could it be that the same thing may be going on now? The war has been going on for years in Iraq and we have only seen 3 films about it. How many films have we seen about other issues that are important? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:57 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: You know, we joke about some of the failures, but the period from the late '60s to late '70s saw some of the best scifi movies, either at the theatre or made for TV. Demon Seed, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, 2001: A Space Odyssey. As Worf said, at least back then scifi was often dealing with social issues, questions of how will humanity survive our own aggressions, etc. It's why, although I hated the bigotry shown toward Nigerians in District 9, I loved the realistic take on other types of racism depicted in the film. And, perhaps, another reason why I wasn't as taken with the Star
Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US?
Yeah, i just don't understand why people think carrying instruments of death into public restaurants, parks, buses, and churches is a good idea. If--God forbid--shooting were to break out around innocents I think the best thing is for people to run for cover or try to hide. At least with one gunman you know the source of the gunfire. If everyone pulls out weapons then who's the danger? These people act as if these gun owners are crack shots who can shoot a fly off the table at 30 paces while running backwards. Hell, even cops aren't really good shots, and they're trained. Also, the supporters use as examples really tragic events that, for all their carnage, are still relatively rare. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 3:55:41 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Can you imagine that? You shot my wife! Then it turns into a free for all. I saw a clip like that on tv between two guys that was a road rage incident. The two guys got out of the car and started arguing and one of the guy's wife helped escalate the situation to the point where the guys ran for their guns. A shoot out started and one of the guys was killed while the other one went to jail for murder. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I haven't checked the statistics, but I think at best they remained the same. Supporters of this don't think of this as a deterrent, mind you. It's really more along the lines of self-defense, so that when the shooting starts at McDonald's, a psycho killer tries to cap you in a park, or a crazed ex husband bursts into a church, all the gun-toting God-fearing citizens can pull their own pieces and blow the offender away. And of course the additional lead flying by terrified and unskilled civilians in a moment of crisis will *never* find its way into the body of an innocent bystander... - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:17:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? In your opinion, has gun violence gone up or down in Georgia after the law was passed? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: More foolishness, fear, and yes, racism in the era of Obama. This idiocy started before he was even elected. Nothing at all in anything he's ever said or done to justify a fear he'll take all guns from all people. I've never understood this attitude. I'm okay with people owning guns to protect themselves. But I don't understand why so many fight things such as waiting periods, background checks, registration, limits on what type of weapons citizens can own. And I'm really upset that places like Georgia (where I live) now allow people to carry weapons on buses, in churches, in parks, restaurants. That amazingly stupid and troubling. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:14:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I am starting to feel paranoid now... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] WTF? David Cronenberg remaking The Fly AGAIN?
Twenty years is too soon, and I can't think of a single reason to revisit this, especially since Cronenberg has done so many other great projects, and certainly has other great stuff in the works. That being said, though, because it is Cronenberg, i will check it out. he never fails to impress me... - Original Message - From: Tracey de Morsella tdli...@multiculturaladvantage.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, ggs...@yahoo.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:08:35 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] WTF? David Cronenberg remaking The Fly AGAIN? The Fly , David Cronenberg's classic 1986 sci-fi horror film, was itself a re-imagining of the original 1958 movie, and was subsequently adapted by Cronenberg himself as an opera. So imagine our surprise to hear that the Canadian director—who previously said he wouldn't be involved in any remake—is now developing another reboot, a new cinematic version of The Fly . It seems to be part of a new trend of filmmakers rebooting their own creations: Ridley Scott is developing a reboot/prequel of his own Alien , for example. In the case of The Fly , it seems that Cronenberg wants to return to the movie that helped establish his career, but this time with 21st-century visual effects and technology, according to The Hollywood Reporter 's Risky Biz blog: The auteur will develop a reboot of the 1986 classic with Fox, the studio that released that film, directing and potentially writing the new pic. ... The 1986 title, itself a remake of Kurt Neumann's 1958 sci-fi classic, starred Jeff Goldblum and became a huge hit for Fox, earning $40 million and turning into a phenomenon. It centered on Seth Brundle ([Jeff] Goldblum), an eccentric scientist who, after an experiment with teleportation goes awry, is transformed into a fly. Geena Davis starred as Goldblum's love interest and partner, Veronica. Hard to imagine even Cronenberg improving on his original: Despite the dated look of the clothes and hair, the movie remains a powerful, gut-wrenching experience with very convincing makeup effects of Goldbum's horrific transformation from man into creature. The movie also packs a wallop as a potent metaphor of the ravages of disease and the resulting loss of dignity and humanity. http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/wtf-david-cronenberg-rema.ph Tracey de Morsella, Managing Producer The Green Economy Post http://greeneconomypost.com tra...@greeneconomypost.com
Re: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts?
Looks like lots of folks missed it, 'cause it came on at an early hour (8 pm EST), but no posts about it yet... - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 7:44:24 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts? Missed it. Friend in need at that moment. Once I'm done with my run, I'm going to chase it down online. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:10:26 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts? Anyone catch the debut tonight? I thought it was good. The opening, where you see a landscape of smoking buildings and wrecked cars, was pretty good. Going back in time a few hours to see the actual moment of the worldwide blackout was pretty neat too. Comparisons of an opening like this to the unforgettable opening scenes of Lost are inevitable, but not entirely accurate. The blackout moment here was good, but not as spectacular as in Lost. Of course, that may simply be because the latter is a hard act to follow. But still, good stuff. I usually don't like the slowly-unfolding-mystery deal because it's been overdone, but this has lots of potential. Some interesting storylines that can be revealed over the next six months, and of course, the whole question of whether the glimpsed future is inevitable or changeable is intriguing. The actors are in the main good. Feinnes has a kind of stoic (some might say wooden) thing going on that works for a lawman trying to uncover the truth of what has happened. John Cho is good in his role (and guys, Gabrielle Union is playing his fiance, but she didn't show up yet, so be patient!). Courtney Vance of course brings a solid performance to whatever he does. Just hope he gets more screentime than his last stint on Law and Order: CI. Have to admit some of the people's future glimpses had me wondering what the...?, especially Feinne's wife. Can't imagine trying to live in anticipation of *that* future if I were her husband! The flash forward idea makes one wonder, what about people who may be *dead* in six months? What would they see as their minds try to flash forward into their future timelines? Blackness? Their own deaths? Perhaps some kind of psychic backlash? Overall, I enjoyed it, was intrigued enough by the mystery and possible futures of the characters to come back, and will be watching--as long as ABC can manage to keep it on the air! Anyone else? Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.
[scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy'
[The Associated Press] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' The Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities plan to impose fines on cable television companies that refuse to stop airing the animated television series Family Guy. Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the program should be pulled from the airwaves because it promotes the use of marijuana. El Aissami was outraged by a recent episode in which the show's characters started a campaign to legalize marijuana. He said Thursday that cable networks that broadcast Family Guy would be fined by Venezuela's telecommunications regulator if they refuse to dump the program. The government of President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose new regulations on cable television. Among other rules, cable providers could be forced to carry Chavez's frequent speeches.
[scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds ( Battlefield Earth ) to chuckle-deficient comedies ( Epic Movie ), from hapless sequels ( Basic Instinct 2 ) to scare-free would-be fright fests ( Alone in the Dark ). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several ( All About Steve , Whiteout ) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. • Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. • Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. • Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. • The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. • We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly.
[scifinoir2] Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/
[scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, George Arterberry brotherfromhow...@... wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/
[scifinoir2] Water on the Moon may boost Nasa into 21st-century space race
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6848177.ece From The Times September 25, 2009 Water on the Moon may boost Nasa into 21st-century space race Jacqui Goddard, Miami The timing could not have been better. Struggling to overcome chronic underfunding, technical problems and a lack of political commitment, and with public interest waning, Nasas plans for sending astronauts back to the Moon seemed at risk of being frozen. News that water may be lurking in the lunar soil could prompt a thaw. Only last month a board appointed by President Obama to review Nasas manned space exploration programme concluded that its goals - which include having people on the lunar surface again by 2020, ready to start the process of establishing the first off-Earth colony - were unrealistic without an extra $3 billion (£1.86 billion) a year from the Government. As the President considers which of Nasas dreams to shatter and which to back, the water issue could be a turning point. This information could prove highly influential, said Dr Howard McCurdy of the American University in Washington, an expert on space policy. It strengthens the case for going back to the Moon and then on to Mars. It increases the case for moving forward at a time when the President is being advised not to increase anyones budget - except for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. When it launched Constellation, its new manned space flight programme, in 2006, Nasa estimated that it would need $119 billion to return to the Moon - a goal it was told to aim for by President George W. Bush. It has never been granted a budget to match. Yet the debate on whether to focus on the Moon or on Mars and other areas within the solar system is not just about money. There are questions over scientific value, with many until now viewing the Moon as a barren environment that held little of interest to explorers. Water could be used to sustain human activity and generate fuel for spacecraft. If it is accessible and available in sufficient quantities, it would enable people to settle on the Moon and use it as a staging-post and filling station for missions farther into space. On October 27 Nasa is due to take a big step towards its lunar return programme when it launches Ares 1-X - a prototype of the rocket that is intended to replace the Space Shuttle and carry astronauts back to the Moon - at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Nasa managers are waiting for the signal from the White House as to whether the test should go ahead, or whether the $3 billion rocket will be scrapped in favour of cheaper, safer, commercial models, and whether Nasa might skip the Moon altogether. Whatever the outcome, the schedule is slipping badly. Without extra money, the Americans are unlikely to sink more footprints into the lunar soil until after 2030, if at all. And if they get there, they may have company. China has stepped up its space programme, with plans to put a taikonaut on the Moon by 2030. Russia and Japan estimate they may be ready to launch manned missions before then. All plan to establish their own bases. Commercial organisations are also jostling for position, with many advocating robotic exploration. Eager to revolutionise the space industry, innovators from 45 countries are competing for the Google Lunar X-Prize, which will award $30 million to the first private team that can get an unmanned lander to the Moon, roll it 500 metres and send images back. The competition, which could be won and lost in 2011, will open up a new era of space commerce, proving that it is not just billion-dollar agencies of government that can cross the final frontier. Whether the US remains the front runner in getting Man back to the Moon is a question the President needs to answer, Dr McCurdy said.
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
I enjoyed the day after tomorrow and i like this trailer. then again, you all know i have sat through several stephen baldwin films without turning the channel (that's really just as a sacrifice to my inner curmudgeon) Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Coming November 2 from Phaze Books Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: daikaij...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:10:59 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, George Arterberry brotherfromhow...@... wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ _ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009
[scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
They're rebroadcasting it tonight, which is smart. Same for the next ep I believe. I really enjoyed it. The openning did remind me of Lost. And the mystery man video gave me goose pimples. Keith, recall that John Cho didn't have a flashforward at all -- the ASUMPTION made by him and his partner is that he'll be dead. But it can't be that simple -- he'll probably be in a coma, blindfolded, high or something like that. We may not know until April 29, 2010. Ha! Angela --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, B Smith daikaij...@... wrote: I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, George Arterberry brotherfromhoward@ wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
SPOILER for Flash Forward Yeah, i didn't mention him specifically because I wasn't sure how many saw the show last night. I think that too. I'd think that if one were dead, the mind's attempt to jump forward into time would cause a bounceback--some kind of unpleasant feedback as it found no receptor on the other end. I too think he was probably not conscious. Heck, what if he's simply asleep? Would the Flash Forward wake someone up? A scene I saw from next week's show has his fiance (Gabrielle Union) saying in her future she saw them getting married. Not sure yet if that's the truth or if she was just saying that to make him feel better. - Original Message - From: angelababycat asrobin...@mindspring.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 2:32:17 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 They're rebroadcasting it tonight, which is smart. Same for the next ep I believe. I really enjoyed it. The openning did remind me of Lost. And the mystery man video gave me goose pimples. Keith, recall that John Cho didn't have a flashforward at all -- the ASUMPTION made by him and his partner is that he'll be dead. But it can't be that simple -- he'll probably be in a coma, blindfolded, high or something like that. We may not know until April 29, 2010. Ha! Angela --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , B Smith daikaij...@... wrote: I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , George Arterberry brotherfromhoward@ wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
Keith, most of the studies I've read regarding precognition say that that's not necessarily the case, that the state a mind would have to be in to receive future information would be so relaxed that very little notice or upset would be perceived by the precog. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:46:34 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 SPOILER for Flash Forward Yeah, i didn't mention him specifically because I wasn't sure how many saw the show last night. I think that too. I'd think that if one were dead, the mind's attempt to jump forward into time would cause a bounceback--some kind of unpleasant feedback as it found no receptor on the other end. I too think he was probably not conscious. Heck, what if he's simply asleep? Would the Flash Forward wake someone up? A scene I saw from next week's show has his fiance (Gabrielle Union) saying in her future she saw them getting married. Not sure yet if that's the truth or if she was just saying that to make him feel better. - Original Message - From: angelababycat asrobin...@mindspring.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 2:32:17 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 They're rebroadcasting it tonight, which is smart. Same for the next ep I believe. I really enjoyed it. The openning did remind me of Lost. And the mystery man video gave me goose pimples. Keith, recall that John Cho didn't have a flashforward at all -- the ASUMPTION made by him and his partner is that he'll be dead. But it can't be that simple -- he'll probably be in a coma, blindfolded, high or something like that. We may not know until April 29, 2010. Ha! Angela --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, B Smith daikaij...@... wrote: I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, George Arterberry brotherfromhoward@ wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ _ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
Aubrey, I could make an equal case for that being self-abuse. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: aubrey.leatherw...@hotmail.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:29:24 -0400 Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 I enjoyed the day after tomorrow and i like this trailer. then again, you all know i have sat through several stephen baldwin films without turning the channel (that's really just as a sacrifice to my inner curmudgeon) Aubrey Leatherwood www.aubreyleatherwood.com FaceBook * MySpace Dime Coming November 2 from Phaze Books Imperfection A tale of perfect commitment, perfect love... and perfect sex. The People You Know, The Sex They Have ROMANTIC TIMES NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY EROTICA 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9818905-0-0 To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: daikaij...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:10:59 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, George Arterberry brotherfromhow...@... wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. Check it out. _ Bing™ brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now. http://www.bing.com/search?q=restaurantsform=MLOGENpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MLOGEN_Core_tagline_local_1x1
RE: [scifinoir2] Water on the Moon may boost Nasa into 21st-century space race
I can see the sales pitch now. Thar's WATER in them-thar moon rocks! If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: brent_wodeho...@thefence.us Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:08:18 -0400 Subject: [scifinoir2] Water on the Moon may boost Nasa into 21st-century space race http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6848177.ece From The Times September 25, 2009 Water on the Moon may boost Nasa into 21st-century space race Jacqui Goddard, Miami The timing could not have been better. Struggling to overcome chronic underfunding, technical problems and a lack of political commitment, and with public interest waning, Nasa’s plans for sending astronauts back to the Moon seemed at risk of being frozen. News that water may be lurking in the lunar soil could prompt a thaw. Only last month a board appointed by President Obama to review Nasa’s manned space exploration programme concluded that its goals - which include having people on the lunar surface again by 2020, ready to start the process of establishing the first off-Earth colony - were unrealistic without an extra $3 billion (£1.86 billion) a year from the Government. As the President considers which of Nasa’s dreams to shatter and which to back, the water issue could be a turning point. “This information could prove highly influential,” said Dr Howard McCurdy of the American University in Washington, an expert on space policy. “It strengthens the case for going back to the Moon and then on to Mars. It increases the case for moving forward at a time when the President is being advised not to increase anyone’s budget - except for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.” When it launched Constellation, its new manned space flight programme, in 2006, Nasa estimated that it would need $119 billion to return to the Moon - a goal it was told to aim for by President George W. Bush. It has never been granted a budget to match. Yet the debate on whether to focus on the Moon or on Mars and other areas within the solar system is not just about money. There are questions over scientific value, with many until now viewing the Moon as a barren environment that held little of interest to explorers. Water could be used to sustain human activity and generate fuel for spacecraft. If it is accessible and available in sufficient quantities, it would enable people to settle on the Moon and use it as a staging-post and filling station for missions farther into space. On October 27 Nasa is due to take a big step towards its lunar return programme when it launches Ares 1-X - a prototype of the rocket that is intended to replace the Space Shuttle and carry astronauts back to the Moon - at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Nasa managers are waiting for the signal from the White House as to whether the test should go ahead, or whether the $3 billion rocket will be scrapped in favour of cheaper, safer, commercial models, and whether Nasa might skip the Moon altogether. Whatever the outcome, the schedule is slipping badly. Without extra money, the Americans are unlikely to sink more footprints into the lunar soil until after 2030, if at all. And if they get there, they may have company. China has stepped up its space programme, with plans to put a taikonaut on the Moon by 2030. Russia and Japan estimate they may be ready to launch manned missions before then. All plan to establish their own bases. Commercial organisations are also jostling for position, with many advocating robotic exploration. Eager to revolutionise the space industry, innovators from 45 countries are competing for the Google Lunar X-Prize, which will award $30 million to the first private team that can get an unmanned lander to the Moon, roll it 500 metres and send images back. The competition, which could be won and lost in 2011, will open up a new era of space commerce, proving that it is not just billion-dollar agencies of government that can cross the final frontier. “Whether the US remains the front runner in getting Man back to the Moon is a question the President needs to answer,” Dr McCurdy said. _ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1
RE: [scifinoir2] Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
Maybe he's got that same German investor deal that U__ B__l has. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: brotherfromhow...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:28:37 -0700 Subject: [scifinoir2] Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ _ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009
Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US?
I agree. I think that part of the thinking of the behind this is a fantasy that they will be heroes without thinking about how they could place their families and anyone else they are around in danger. Even tv shows take that time. Even with training the percentage rate of kill shots goes down considerably. A good example of this is the killing of 4 cops in Oakland by a single shooter. (although he did have an AK47) On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 5:50 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: Yeah, i just don't understand why people think carrying instruments of death into public restaurants, parks, buses, and churches is a good idea. If--God forbid--shooting were to break out around innocents I think the best thing is for people to run for cover or try to hide. At least with one gunman you know the source of the gunfire. If everyone pulls out weapons then who's the danger? These people act as if these gun owners are crack shots who can shoot a fly off the table at 30 paces while running backwards. Hell, even cops aren't really good shots, and they're trained. Also, the supporters use as examples really tragic events that, for all their carnage, are still relatively rare. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 3:55:41 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Can you imagine that? You shot my wife! Then it turns into a free for all. I saw a clip like that on tv between two guys that was a road rage incident. The two guys got out of the car and started arguing and one of the guy's wife helped escalate the situation to the point where the guys ran for their guns. A shoot out started and one of the guys was killed while the other one went to jail for murder. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: I haven't checked the statistics, but I think at best they remained the same. Supporters of this don't think of this as a deterrent, mind you. It's really more along the lines of self-defense, so that when the shooting starts at McDonald's, a psycho killer tries to cap you in a park, or a crazed ex husband bursts into a church, all the gun-toting God-fearing citizens can pull their own pieces and blow the offender away. And of course the additional lead flying by terrified and unskilled civilians in a moment of crisis will *never* find its way into the body of an innocent bystander... - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:17:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? In your opinion, has gun violence gone up or down in Georgia after the law was passed? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: More foolishness, fear, and yes, racism in the era of Obama. This idiocy started before he was even elected. Nothing at all in anything he's ever said or done to justify a fear he'll take all guns from all people. I've never understood this attitude. I'm okay with people owning guns to protect themselves. But I don't understand why so many fight things such as waiting periods, background checks, registration, limits on what type of weapons citizens can own. And I'm really upset that places like Georgia (where I live) now allow people to carry weapons on buses, in churches, in parks, restaurants. That amazingly stupid and troubling. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:14:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I am starting to feel paranoid now... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
RE: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Does the fact that I kinda liked The New Guy stand as a mark against me? Beyond that, the list looks pretty solid, though how U__ B__l barely cracked the Top Fifty with BloodRayne is amazing, in and of itself. That's the stuff of nightmares. And HOW did I miss Gabrielle in Constellation? If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds (Battlefield Earth) to chuckle-deficient comedies (Epic Movie), from hapless sequels (Basic Instinct 2) to scare-free would-be fright fests (Alone in the Dark). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several (All About Steve, Whiteout) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. _ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd_062009
RE: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds (Battlefield Earth) to chuckle-deficient comedies (Epic Movie), from hapless sequels (Basic Instinct 2) to scare-free would-be fright fests (Alone in the Dark). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several (All About Steve, Whiteout) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. _ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1
RE: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US?
Keith, another thing in this that throws me is what I've branded the Dirty Harry effect. Too many people out there believe that they can, in a crisis, leap right p and be the hero, killing the bad guy without blinking. I can't get it past their heads that killing is something that not everyone can do. The average person, facing that decision, can't drop the hammer. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:36 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Yeah, i just don't understand why people think carrying instruments of death into public restaurants, parks, buses, and churches is a good idea. If--God forbid--shooting were to break out around innocents I think the best thing is for people to run for cover or try to hide. At least with one gunman you know the source of the gunfire. If everyone pulls out weapons then who's the danger? These people act as if these gun owners are crack shots who can shoot a fly off the table at 30 paces while running backwards. Hell, even cops aren't really good shots, and they're trained. Also, the supporters use as examples really tragic events that, for all their carnage, are still relatively rare. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 3:55:41 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Can you imagine that? You shot my wife! Then it turns into a free for all. I saw a clip like that on tv between two guys that was a road rage incident. The two guys got out of the car and started arguing and one of the guy's wife helped escalate the situation to the point where the guys ran for their guns. A shoot out started and one of the guys was killed while the other one went to jail for murder. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I haven't checked the statistics, but I think at best they remained the same. Supporters of this don't think of this as a deterrent, mind you. It's really more along the lines of self-defense, so that when the shooting starts at McDonald's, a psycho killer tries to cap you in a park, or a crazed ex husband bursts into a church, all the gun-toting God-fearing citizens can pull their own pieces and blow the offender away. And of course the additional lead flying by terrified and unskilled civilians in a moment of crisis will *never* find its way into the body of an innocent bystander... - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:17:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? In your opinion, has gun violence gone up or down in Georgia after the law was passed? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: More foolishness, fear, and yes, racism in the era of Obama. This idiocy started before he was even elected. Nothing at all in anything he's ever said or done to justify a fear he'll take all guns from all people. I've never understood this attitude. I'm okay with people owning guns to protect themselves. But I don't understand why so many fight things such as waiting periods, background checks, registration, limits on what type of weapons citizens can own. And I'm really upset that places like Georgia (where I live) now allow people to carry weapons on buses, in churches, in parks, restaurants. That amazingly stupid and troubling. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:14:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I am starting to feel paranoid now... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ _ Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that’s right for you. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/choosepc/?ocid=ftp_val_wl_290
RE: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts?
It's due to re-air tonight, same Bat-time. Hope I don't forget and automatically go to Countdown then. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:54:21 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts? Looks like lots of folks missed it, 'cause it came on at an early hour (8 pm EST), but no posts about it yet... - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 7:44:24 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts? Missed it. Friend in need at that moment. Once I'm done with my run, I'm going to chase it down online. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:10:26 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Flash Forward - Thoughts? Anyone catch the debut tonight? I thought it was good. The opening, where you see a landscape of smoking buildings and wrecked cars, was pretty good. Going back in time a few hours to see the actual moment of the worldwide blackout was pretty neat too. Comparisons of an opening like this to the unforgettable opening scenes of Lost are inevitable, but not entirely accurate. The blackout moment here was good, but not as spectacular as in Lost. Of course, that may simply be because the latter is a hard act to follow. But still, good stuff. I usually don't like the slowly-unfolding-mystery deal because it's been overdone, but this has lots of potential. Some interesting storylines that can be revealed over the next six months, and of course, the whole question of whether the glimpsed future is inevitable or changeable is intriguing. The actors are in the main good. Feinnes has a kind of stoic (some might say wooden) thing going on that works for a lawman trying to uncover the truth of what has happened. John Cho is good in his role (and guys, Gabrielle Union is playing his fiance, but she didn't show up yet, so be patient!). Courtney Vance of course brings a solid performance to whatever he does. Just hope he gets more screentime than his last stint on Law and Order: CI. Have to admit some of the people's future glimpses had me wondering what the...?, especially Feinne's wife. Can't imagine trying to live in anticipation of *that* future if I were her husband! The flash forward idea makes one wonder, what about people who may be *dead* in six months? What would they see as their minds try to flash forward into their future timelines? Blackness? Their own deaths? Perhaps some kind of psychic backlash? Overall, I enjoyed it, was intrigued enough by the mystery and possible futures of the characters to come back, and will be watching--as long as ABC can manage to keep it on the air! Anyone else? Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how. _ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd_062009
[scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
Maybe he does. 10,000 B.C. was terrible and I'll never forgive him for G.I.N.O. (Godzilla In Name Only) Stargate, Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow are passable entertainment as long as you don't think too hard. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@... wrote: Maybe he's got that same German investor deal that U__ B__l has. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: brotherfromhow...@... Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:28:37 -0700 Subject: [scifinoir2] Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ _ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don't worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009
RE: [scifinoir2] Comic book comes to big screen in Surrogates
A couple of issues only, rave. Still intending to pick up the trade. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: ravena...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:08:23 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Comic book comes to big screen in Surrogates Anybody read the Surrogates comic book series? ~rave! http://hoonaem.notlong.com Clerk hits gold with Surrogates 01:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 25, 2009 By Roger Moore The Orlando Sentinel Robert Venditti was working in a Borders bookstore when he wrote The Surrogates, now a film starring Bruce Willis. ORLANDO, Fla. — Like a lot of young men, Robert Venditti went to college with big dreams. I was going to be the next Hemingway, he says. As he earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Florida and a master's degree from the University of Central Florida, he figured out you can't just graduate from college and apply for a job as a fiction writer. Law school was out. He had a taste of that in a summer job and realized it wasn't the life for me. But there was that part-time job, the one that started in South Florida and moved to Altamonte Springs and then Winter Park, Fla., as he attended grad school. He worked at Borders Books, and that changed his life. That's when Venditti first picked up a comic book. I thought, like a lot of people, that comics were just a juvenile medium, Venditti, 35, says from his home in Atlanta. But my buddy Marques Robinson got me to read Astro City: The Confessor. The complexity of the ideas, the characters, the way the visuals help tell the story, really appealed to me. I started researching comics, trying to figure out how you got to write for them. He figured it out, all right. In 2003, Venditti's comic-book series The Surrogates hit stores. Entertainment Weekly called this tale of people who live vicarious lives through their artificial (and artificially gorgeous) surrogates a resplendently grimy commentary on our times. Venditti's success could reach a whole new level on Friday as Surrogates, a thriller starring Bruce Willis based on Venditti's book (with artist Brett Weldele) hits theaters. It's a comic-book writer's — any writer's — version of winning the Lotto. The minute I heard Bruce Willis was cast was the first moment I allowed myself to hope that this might actually get turned into a movie, Venditti says with a laugh. A producer who had just hung out his shingle called me up [Max Handelman]. He shopped it around, ran into a studio guy who had just seen Sin City and wanted `something edgy, comic-booky' like that. So Mandeville Films got involved, then Jonathan Mostow (director of U-571, Terminator 3), with screenwriters from Terminator 3. I've been involved, at least in the loop, he says. I looked at it from the perspective that these other people were creative minds in their own right. If they're inspired by something I did to bring their own creativity to it, I'm taking that as a compliment and letting them do what they want. They were staying true to the themes and adding their own ideas and plot lines and characters. You know they're going to add explosions. That's Hollywood. Venditti's Borders-to-Hollywood story should be an inspiration to anyone hoping to break into comics. He worked his way in the door with a tape gun. I'd moved to Atlanta, transferred to a Borders up here, and I'd heard of this comic-book company, Top Shelf Productions, that was having a rough patch, he says. He offered to come in and use his expertise packing books as a volunteer. A few months of that and he showed the company his idea for a comic, one inspired by Indra Sinha's book, The Cybergypsies, which he had read in grad school at UCF. Sinha studied people addicted to the Internet. Obsession with alternate reality was causing divorces, people were losing their jobs. By 2002, all these `extreme makeovers' were all over the media. What if there was a technology that allowed people to fulfill that basic human need to be someone other than yourself? What would that world look like? With the huge fanbase for the online alternate-persona game Second Life and James Cameron's film Avatar hotly anticipated this fall, Venditti seems ahead of the curve. That's just another happy accident, he says. That idea is just out there now. His Surrogates was such a success that he just released a prequel — Flesh Bone. He has another comic, The Homeland Directive, in the works, and is adapting the novels of Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief) into a comic. If he hasn't given up his Hemingway dreams, Venditti does sound very much like a man who is sold on his new medium:
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
That was his doing, wasn't it? (where're those vomiting smileys when you need them?) If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: daikaij...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:08:32 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 Maybe he does. 10,000 B.C. was terrible and I'll never forgive him for G.I.N.O. (Godzilla In Name Only) Stargate, Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow are passable entertainment as long as you don't think too hard. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@... wrote: Maybe he's got that same German investor deal that U__ B__l has. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: brotherfromhow...@... Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:28:37 -0700 Subject: [scifinoir2] Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ __ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don't worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009 _ Bing™ brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now. http://www.bing.com/search?q=restaurantsform=MLOGENpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MLOGEN_Core_tagline_local_1x1
[scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
It's one of those movies that has the right ingredients(great cast and decent story) but everything else goes horribly wrong. I bet that someone else could make this movie with the same cast and story turn out a faily entertaining flick but the director, production designer, etc. butchered this. John Woo could have made this film in his sleep and the final product would have been better. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@... wrote: Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@... Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds (Battlefield Earth) to chuckle-deficient comedies (Epic Movie), from hapless sequels (Basic Instinct 2) to scare-free would-be fright fests (Alone in the Dark). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several (All About Steve, Whiteout) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. _ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1
[scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
The saddest thing is how much time I've wasted watching movies that appear on this list. I've seen and hated a ton of these turkeys. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, B Smith daikaij...@... wrote: It's one of those movies that has the right ingredients(great cast and decent story) but everything else goes horribly wrong. I bet that someone else could make this movie with the same cast and story turn out a faily entertaining flick but the director, production designer, etc. butchered this. John Woo could have made this film in his sleep and the final product would have been better. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter truthseeker013@ wrote: Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: KeithBJohnson@ Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds (Battlefield Earth) to chuckle-deficient comedies (Epic Movie), from hapless sequels (Basic Instinct 2) to scare-free would-be fright fests (Alone in the Dark). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several (All About Steve, Whiteout) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. _ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1
Re: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy'
There is a bigger story here. Chavez shut down most of the tv and radio networks there as he tries to turn himself into Mussolini. Family Guy is just the tip of the iceberg. On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:00 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.comwrote: Philistines. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:44:04 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' [The Associated Press] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' The Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities plan to impose fines on cable television companies that refuse to stop airing the animated television series Family Guy. Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the program should be pulled from the airwaves because it promotes the use of marijuana. El Aissami was outraged by a recent episode in which the show's characters started a campaign to legalize marijuana. He said Thursday that cable networks that broadcast Family Guy would be fined by Venezuela's telecommunications regulator if they refuse to dump the program. The government of President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose new regulations on cable television. Among other rules, cable providers could be forced to carry Chavez's frequent speeches. -- Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that’s right for you.http://www.microsoft.com/windows/choosepc/?ocid=ftp_val_wl_290 -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
RE: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy'
Funny. I'd think that Chavez would want a populace that was smug, dumb and happy. TV, used properly, does just that. Ask any reality-TV producer. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:59:04 -0700 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' There is a bigger story here. Chavez shut down most of the tv and radio networks there as he tries to turn himself into Mussolini. Family Guy is just the tip of the iceberg. On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:00 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: Philistines. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:44:04 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' [The Associated Press] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' The Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities plan to impose fines on cable television companies that refuse to stop airing the animated television series Family Guy. Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the program should be pulled from the airwaves because it promotes the use of marijuana. El Aissami was outraged by a recent episode in which the show's characters started a campaign to legalize marijuana. He said Thursday that cable networks that broadcast Family Guy would be fined by Venezuela's telecommunications regulator if they refuse to dump the program. The government of President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose new regulations on cable television. Among other rules, cable providers could be forced to carry Chavez's frequent speeches. Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that’s right for you. -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ _ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
You're not alone, B. I've seen about 85 of them. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: daikaij...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:55:58 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade The saddest thing is how much time I've wasted watching movies that appear on this list. I've seen and hated a ton of these turkeys. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, B Smith daikaij...@... wrote: It's one of those movies that has the right ingredients(great cast and decent story) but everything else goes horribly wrong. I bet that someone else could make this movie with the same cast and story turn out a faily entertaining flick but the director, production designer, etc. butchered this. John Woo could have made this film in his sleep and the final product would have been better. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter truthseeker013@ wrote: Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: KeithBJohnson@ Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds (Battlefield Earth) to chuckle-deficient comedies (Epic Movie), from hapless sequels (Basic Instinct 2) to scare-free would-be fright fests (Alone in the Dark). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several (All About Steve, Whiteout) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. __ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1 _ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009
RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
I'll agree with you there, B. Thinking about it now, the movie feels like a weak American stab at HK-type cinema. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: daikaij...@yahoo.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:42:10 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade It's one of those movies that has the right ingredients(great cast and decent story) but everything else goes horribly wrong. I bet that someone else could make this movie with the same cast and story turn out a faily entertaining flick but the director, production designer, etc. butchered this. John Woo could have made this film in his sleep and the final product would have been better. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@... wrote: Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@... Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds (Battlefield Earth) to chuckle-deficient comedies (Epic Movie), from hapless sequels (Basic Instinct 2) to scare-free would-be fright fests (Alone in the Dark). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several (All About Steve, Whiteout) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. __ Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now http://www.bing.com?form=MFEHPGpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MFEHPG_Core_tagline_try bing_1x1 _ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd_062009
Re: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy'
What he got rid of was any tv or radio station that offered a level headed or opposing viewpoint. Which makes him sound like any other nutjob dictator. I don't know why god keeps making those. :) On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 3:08 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.comwrote: Funny. I'd think that Chavez would want a populace that was smug, dumb and happy. TV, used properly, does just that. Ask any reality-TV producer. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: hellomahog...@gmail.com Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:59:04 -0700 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' There is a bigger story here. Chavez shut down most of the tv and radio networks there as he tries to turn himself into Mussolini. Family Guy is just the tip of the iceberg. On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:00 PM, Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com wrote: Philistines. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik -- To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:44:04 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' [The Associated Press] Venezuela to fine networks that air 'Family Guy' The Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities plan to impose fines on cable television companies that refuse to stop airing the animated television series Family Guy. Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the program should be pulled from the airwaves because it promotes the use of marijuana. El Aissami was outraged by a recent episode in which the show's characters started a campaign to legalize marijuana. He said Thursday that cable networks that broadcast Family Guy would be fined by Venezuela's telecommunications regulator if they refuse to dump the program. The government of President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose new regulations on cable television. Among other rules, cable providers could be forced to carry Chavez's frequent speeches. -- Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that’s right for you.http://www.microsoft.com/windows/choosepc/?ocid=ftp_val_wl_290 -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. Check it out.http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_Storage_062009 -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Smallville Returns - WTF Did I Miss?
Wow, I don't think I remember all the changes in Smallville at the end of the last season. (Spoilers ahead) Jimmy Olsen dead...Lana Lang infected with Green K so that she can't be near Clark...Doomsday somehow banished (I don't know where)...Clark working with the computerized version of his father to develop his powers, and now wearing the S symbol (albeit on a black uniform)...Clark still not able to fly...Zod and his cohorts on Earth--and looking like Central Casting picks for the O.C? When did all this happen?? And, is the move to 8 pm EST on Fridays a signal this is indeed the last season? If so, then maybe at the end Clark will finally leae on that journey around the world. Maybe he'll even fly --in the very last frame before the series fades to black.
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012
You mean, that if someone were dead in the future they'd not be able to feel that fact now? But i thought they made it seem that their consciences literally jumped into their bodies for those 137 seconds? - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:10:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 Keith, most of the studies I've read regarding precognition say that that's not necessarily the case, that the state a mind would have to be in to receive future information would be so relaxed that very little notice or upset would be perceived by the precog. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:46:34 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 SPOILER for Flash Forward Yeah, i didn't mention him specifically because I wasn't sure how many saw the show last night. I think that too. I'd think that if one were dead, the mind's attempt to jump forward into time would cause a bounceback--some kind of unpleasant feedback as it found no receptor on the other end. I too think he was probably not conscious. Heck, what if he's simply asleep? Would the Flash Forward wake someone up? A scene I saw from next week's show has his fiance (Gabrielle Union) saying in her future she saw them getting married. Not sure yet if that's the truth or if she was just saying that to make him feel better. - Original Message - From: angelababycat asrobin...@mindspring.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 2:32:17 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Who keeps giving Roland Emmerich cash? 2012 They're rebroadcasting it tonight, which is smart. Same for the next ep I believe. I really enjoyed it. The openning did remind me of Lost. And the mystery man video gave me goose pimples. Keith, recall that John Cho didn't have a flashforward at all -- the ASUMPTION made by him and his partner is that he'll be dead. But it can't be that simple -- he'll probably be in a coma, blindfolded, high or something like that. We may not know until April 29, 2010. Ha! Angela --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , B Smith daikaij...@... wrote: I watch The Day After Tomorrow all the time. I don't know whay i like that stupid movie. This one? Meh. Back to Flash Forward: I liked the effects of the Flash Forward but nothing else really engaged me except the video of the mystery man. And why did the brother's future consist of a *ahem* meeting. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , George Arterberry brotherfromhoward@ wrote: Typical end of the world as we know it CGI trailer http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/ Hotmail® has ever-growing storage! Don’t worry about storage limits. Check it out.
Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US?
And think how many times cops in real world shootouts shoot their partners, spray the majority of their bullets ineffectually. When Amadou Diallo was tragically killed by the NYC cops, one of the cops tripped and fell down, due to his own fear, anxiety, and the fact that it was at night. One of his partners thought the guy went down because Diallo had shot him, which made him redouble his efforts to fell the hapless innocent. Study after study has shown that in times of crisis, even people with training make mistakes that can have devastating results. I do not want to trust my life to people who think this is still the Old West. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:17:51 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I agree. I think that part of the thinking of the behind this is a fantasy that they will be heroes without thinking about how they could place their families and anyone else they are around in danger. Even tv shows take that time. Even with training the percentage rate of kill shots goes down considerably. A good example of this is the killing of 4 cops in Oakland by a single shooter. (although he did have an AK47) On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 5:50 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Yeah, i just don't understand why people think carrying instruments of death into public restaurants, parks, buses, and churches is a good idea. If--God forbid--shooting were to break out around innocents I think the best thing is for people to run for cover or try to hide. At least with one gunman you know the source of the gunfire. If everyone pulls out weapons then who's the danger? These people act as if these gun owners are crack shots who can shoot a fly off the table at 30 paces while running backwards. Hell, even cops aren't really good shots, and they're trained. Also, the supporters use as examples really tragic events that, for all their carnage, are still relatively rare. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 3:55:41 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Can you imagine that? You shot my wife! Then it turns into a free for all. I saw a clip like that on tv between two guys that was a road rage incident. The two guys got out of the car and started arguing and one of the guy's wife helped escalate the situation to the point where the guys ran for their guns. A shoot out started and one of the guys was killed while the other one went to jail for murder. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I haven't checked the statistics, but I think at best they remained the same. Supporters of this don't think of this as a deterrent, mind you. It's really more along the lines of self-defense, so that when the shooting starts at McDonald's, a psycho killer tries to cap you in a park, or a crazed ex husband bursts into a church, all the gun-toting God-fearing citizens can pull their own pieces and blow the offender away. And of course the additional lead flying by terrified and unskilled civilians in a moment of crisis will *never* find its way into the body of an innocent bystander... - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:17:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? In your opinion, has gun violence gone up or down in Georgia after the law was passed? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: More foolishness, fear, and yes, racism in the era of Obama. This idiocy started before he was even elected. Nothing at all in anything he's ever said or done to justify a fear he'll take all guns from all people. I've never understood this attitude. I'm okay with people owning guns to protect themselves. But I don't understand why so many fight things such as waiting periods, background checks, registration, limits on what type of weapons citizens can own. And I'm really upset that places like Georgia (where I live) now allow people to carry weapons on buses, in churches, in parks, restaurants. That amazingly stupid and troubling. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:14:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I am starting to feel paranoid now... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at:
Re: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Wow, really was that bad, huh? Can you give me a quick indication of why? I mean, i find it hard to imagine how something could be so much worse than Bad Boys 2... - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:33:46 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds ( Battlefield Earth ) to chuckle-deficient comedies ( Epic Movie ), from hapless sequels ( Basic Instinct 2 ) to scare-free would-be fright fests ( Alone in the Dark ). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several ( All About Steve , Whiteout ) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. • Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. • Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. • Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. • The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. • We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing™ now
Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US?
So true. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@hotmail.com To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 5:04:31 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Keith, another thing in this that throws me is what I've branded the Dirty Harry effect. Too many people out there believe that they can, in a crisis, leap right p and be the hero, killing the bad guy without blinking. I can't get it past their heads that killing is something that not everyone can do. The average person, facing that decision, can't drop the hammer. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@comcast.net Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:36 + Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Yeah, i just don't understand why people think carrying instruments of death into public restaurants, parks, buses, and churches is a good idea. If--God forbid--shooting were to break out around innocents I think the best thing is for people to run for cover or try to hide. At least with one gunman you know the source of the gunfire. If everyone pulls out weapons then who's the danger? These people act as if these gun owners are crack shots who can shoot a fly off the table at 30 paces while running backwards. Hell, even cops aren't really good shots, and they're trained. Also, the supporters use as examples really tragic events that, for all their carnage, are still relatively rare. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 3:55:41 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? Can you imagine that? You shot my wife! Then it turns into a free for all. I saw a clip like that on tv between two guys that was a road rage incident. The two guys got out of the car and started arguing and one of the guy's wife helped escalate the situation to the point where the guys ran for their guns. A shoot out started and one of the guys was killed while the other one went to jail for murder. On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:13 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I haven't checked the statistics, but I think at best they remained the same. Supporters of this don't think of this as a deterrent, mind you. It's really more along the lines of self-defense, so that when the shooting starts at McDonald's, a psycho killer tries to cap you in a park, or a crazed ex husband bursts into a church, all the gun-toting God-fearing citizens can pull their own pieces and blow the offender away. And of course the additional lead flying by terrified and unskilled civilians in a moment of crisis will *never* find its way into the body of an innocent bystander... - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 4:17:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? In your opinion, has gun violence gone up or down in Georgia after the law was passed? On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: More foolishness, fear, and yes, racism in the era of Obama. This idiocy started before he was even elected. Nothing at all in anything he's ever said or done to justify a fear he'll take all guns from all people. I've never understood this attitude. I'm okay with people owning guns to protect themselves. But I don't understand why so many fight things such as waiting periods, background checks, registration, limits on what type of weapons citizens can own. And I'm really upset that places like Georgia (where I live) now allow people to carry weapons on buses, in churches, in parks, restaurants. That amazingly stupid and troubling. - Original Message - From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:14:29 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] A bullet shortage in the US? I am starting to feel paranoid now... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that’s right for you.
[scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Bad Boys 2 is just pure excess and can at least be appreciated for the sheer level of bayhem *heh* on the screen. Ballistic is just horrible. Watching it will make you yearn for Bay's migraine inducing, quick cutting action porn. -- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: Wow, really was that bad, huh? Can you give me a quick indication of why? I mean, i find it hard to imagine how something could be so much worse than Bad Boys 2... - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@... To: SciFiNoir2 scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:33:46 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Oh, and Keith -- you spared yourself much pain by missing Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever. When I finally saw it (letting it filter all the way down to cable), the only things I wanted to sever were my optic nerves. If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director? -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com From: keithbjohn...@... Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:36 + Subject: [scifinoir2] Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds ( Battlefield Earth ) to chuckle-deficient comedies ( Epic Movie ), from hapless sequels ( Basic Instinct 2 ) to scare-free would-be fright fests ( Alone in the Dark ). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several ( All About Steve , Whiteout ) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. ⢠Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. ⢠Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. ⢠Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. ⢠The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. ⢠We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly. Microsoft brings you a new way to search the web. Try Bing⢠now
[scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Did I miss something? I don't see Catwoman on this list. Catwoman clocked a mighty 10% fresh rating and this list starts with Whiteout (number 100) with a 7% fresh rating. It is all down hill from there. While this list is strictly based on the fresh rating these films accrued (or failed to), there should be a distinction between something like Basic Instinct 2 which is high gloss trash(like Showgirls) but watchable and Glitter which is utterly unwatchable. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds ( Battlefield Earth ) to chuckle-deficient comedies ( Epic Movie ), from hapless sequels ( Basic Instinct 2 ) to scare-free would-be fright fests ( Alone in the Dark ). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several ( All About Steve , Whiteout ) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. ⢠Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. ⢠Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. ⢠Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. ⢠The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. ⢠We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly.
[scifinoir2] Milwaukee Film Festival - Modus Operandi
Went to see Modus Operandi tonight on the second night of the inaugural Milwaukee Film Festival. The screening was held at the Oriental Theater, the last remaining local movie emporium. The cavernous theater has been converted into a duplex, but they have retained the ornate rococo charm of the main auditorium which is chocked full of oriental kitsch - including a trio of Buddhas, each in its own illuminated alcove, on either side of the theater and, oddly, several replicas of the mechanical woman from Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Modus Operandi was sold as Sexy women, CIA agents, spies, villains and femme fatales populate this blaxploitation-meets-arthouse story of revenge, which follows a retired C.I.A. agent determined to find his wife's murderer. Which is all true, but the whole enterprise is so ineptly and indulgently executed that it is truly painful to watch. The only thing worse than the writing,directing and editing (all by Frankie Latina, a jack of all trades and the master of none) is the acting. Watching Modus Operandi is like watching one of Andy Sedaris' randomly brutal bikini movies - without the former Playboy Playmates. Watching Modus Operandi is like watching one of Russ Meyer's aimlessly messy non-sequitor movies - without the bodacious ta-tas (you can forgive a lot with bodacious ta-tas - witness the whole Pam Grier oeuvre). In other words, Modus Operandi has nothing to recommend it. Not even the great Danny Trejo who is given precious little to do before ending the movie by taking out a bad guy with a corkscrew to the eye. By that time, I wanted to corkscrew my eyes out, too. ~(no)rave!
Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight
Too many shows to watch this season. On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 5:24 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.netwrote: I missed most of Dollhouse last year. Other sources I've read say it became a really good show. Opinions? Is it worth catching up on and watching? -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight
Yep. Just like Firefly, it nearly got torpedoed by network interference, but once they got past the network mandated motorcycle chases, it got REALLY good. The last several episodes were very good. Plus, Patton Oswalt. The finale was particularly good, especially since it never even got broadcast in the US. Justin On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I missed most of Dollhouse last year. Other sources I've read say it became a really good show. Opinions? Is it worth catching up on and watching? -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com
RE: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight
Why is everything on Friday From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mr. Worf Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 8:53 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight Too many shows to watch this season. On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 5:24 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I missed most of Dollhouse last year. Other sources I've read say it became a really good show. Opinions? Is it worth catching up on and watching? -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade
Well, they discussed that, and I think one man's unwatchable is another man's high camp. Like I said, I think George reviewed Catwoman when he was in Britain, and thought it was camp fun. I found it to be some of the worst trash ever put on celluloid. Let me check the list again, 'cause I could swear Catwoman was on it. - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 11:05:53 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Rotten Tomatoes Picks Worst Movies of the Last Decade Did I miss something? I don't see Catwoman on this list. Catwoman clocked a mighty 10% fresh rating and this list starts with Whiteout (number 100) with a 7% fresh rating. It is all down hill from there. While this list is strictly based on the fresh rating these films accrued (or failed to), there should be a distinction between something like Basic Instinct 2 which is high gloss trash(like Showgirls) but watchable and Glitter which is utterly unwatchable. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: Not at all surprised to see Catwoman on tis list, despite some of you who inexplicably thought it was some kind of sly tongue-in-cheek masterpiece.(George, didn't you send a favorable review of it from England? ) Also not surprised to see Battlefield Earth on there. I tried to watch that one rainy Sunday morning when I didn't want to go anywhere--and turned the channel after ten minutes. Never saw this Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever flick. The trailers were so bad I avoided it. Same for Eddie Murphy's Adventures of Pluto Nash, Norbit, and anything with Big Mamma in the title. Thoughts? Anything on here undeservedly, to your mind? Anything not on here that should be? * http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/worst_of_the_worst/ Intro | How It Works Over the last decade, we've collected reviews for thousands of movies. Most films, even profoundly mediocre ones, can expect to receive at least cursory support from the pundits. However, once in a while, a film will take such a critical drubbing that further attention is warranted. That's where our Worst of the Worst list comes in. We've compiled a veritable cornucopia of dull, foolhardy, and outright terrible films, from legendary duds ( Battlefield Earth ) to chuckle-deficient comedies ( Epic Movie ), from hapless sequels ( Basic Instinct 2 ) to scare-free would-be fright fests ( Alone in the Dark ). We've pored over the reviews to bring you the lowest Tomatometers of the decade -- including several ( All About Steve , Whiteout ) that were released within the last several weeks. In other words, we suffered for our work -- now it's your turn. • Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, all weighted equally. • Reviews without ratings are not counted toward the results. • Because reviews are continually added, manually and otherwise, we have a cutoff date at which new reviews are not counted. The current cut off date is 9/21/2009. • The movies contained in this list are from 2000 to 2009. • We rank the movies by Tomatometer. in the event of a tie score, the film with more reviews is ranked more highly.
Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight
The finale of last season wasn't aired in the US? Why not? I'll try to catch up on this show. It's supposed to rain--again--here in Atlanta Saturday. Maybe I'll watch online to catch up. Thanks for the recommendation. - Original Message - From: Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 12:04:12 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight Yep. Just like Firefly, it nearly got torpedoed by network interference, but once they got past the network mandated motorcycle chases, it got REALLY good. The last several episodes were very good. Plus, Patton Oswalt. The finale was particularly good, especially since it never even got broadcast in the US. Justin On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I missed most of Dollhouse last year. Other sources I've read say it became a really good show. Opinions? Is it worth catching up on and watching? -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com
Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight
To be honest, I still can't figure out why. Apparently it had something to do with there being X number of episodes ordered, but they produced x+1 episodes because they retooled the pilot, so Fox didn't show the last episode. Epitaph one, the final ep, was very neat, and took the show in an interesting direction. Justin On Sat, Sep 26, 2009 at 12:30 AM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: The finale of last season wasn't aired in the US? Why not? I'll try to catch up on this show. It's supposed to rain--again--here in Atlanta Saturday. Maybe I'll watch online to catch up. Thanks for the recommendation. - Original Message - From: Justin Mohareb justinmoha...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 12:04:12 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Dollhouse Returns tonight Yep. Just like Firefly, it nearly got torpedoed by network interference, but once they got past the network mandated motorcycle chases, it got REALLY good. The last several episodes were very good. Plus, Patton Oswalt. The finale was particularly good, especially since it never even got broadcast in the US. Justin On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: I missed most of Dollhouse last year. Other sources I've read say it became a really good show. Opinions? Is it worth catching up on and watching? -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com -- Read the Bitter Guide to the Bitter Guy. http://thebitterguy.livejournal.com
[scifinoir2] From the Wow Files: Ukrainian Wins Contest with Sand Art
I rarely send out those you've got to see this! e-mails, but it applies here. Simonova is the winner of the game show Ukraine's Got Talent for her transcendent skills drawing images in sand. You have to see to believe her skill moving the sand over the glass. Sometimes the transitions in scenery and profiles are quick and breathtaking: don't blink! The story--the German invasion of Ukraine during WWII--is moving. I've included a brief summary below to fill in some details of what Ukrainians call The Great Patriotic War. Understanding the historical context of what Simonova is depicting helps explain why the audience is moved to tears. The music fits, especially the string rendition of Nothing Else Matters at the end. Amazing stuff. I can only imagine what she does with sand in 3D. Please give this a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo [Some background on the story] Simonova’s winning real-time animation depicted the Nazi invasion of Ukraine in World War Two. It’s a poignant — and politically charged tale to relate on a talent show. One in four Ukrainians died by the end of that war. Simonova’s story begins with a couple sitting on a bench, holding hands. Soon warplanes appear and the idyllic scene is destroyed. Simonova replaces the scene with a woman crying. Then warplanes arrive again. A weeping widow morphs into a monument to an Unknown Soldier. The final picture she creates is of a mother and child bidding a sad farewell to a man with his hands pressed against the glass ... She moves the judges to tears as she subtitles the final scene you are always near.
