Letters to the Editor
-
Steve Oederkirk
People who care about movies should start remembering the names of the people who make them. Steve Oederkirk is the guy responsible for "Kung Pao: Enter the Fist." Not the first piece of shit he ever wrote. Also responsible for the reprehensible "Ace Ventura" sequel, one of only three movies I've ever shouted "That's enough of this shit!" and turned off mid-stream ("Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "American Pie 2," are the other two, for those who care).
Movies are great. Hollywood is great. Oederkirk is vaguely akin to King Midas; everything he touches turns to shit. Watch for his name; be warned; save your eight bucks.
BBH
-
How DARE They Diss The Born-Agains With This Movie!
I am apoplectic that this movie so disses the Born-Again community! How dare they leave out important characters in this sham Bible story!?
I mean, with the "Creationism Museum" opening in Kentucky, I'd like to know why they left out the dinosaurs from this movie?
Noah and the story of the ark, indeed! They have no brontosauri, tyranosauressessess or velociraptors? Shocking!
I'm waiting for Dr. James Dobson or Rev. Pat Robertson to weigh in on this motion picture that so obviously disses the Born-Again version of creation.
-
The "Noah" role is played by a WASP....
....instead of a more Biblically-correct Arab and/or Jew.
I eagerly await Thrasher's vituperous accusations of racism - in 3, 2, 1...
-
Yawn
Golly, who could have predicted it: that a review of a wispy little comedy could seed the clouds for yet another deluge of Salonistas' anti-Christian screeds? Why, it's a miracle.
-
Interesting
The nasty letter that sparked my comment seems to have disappeared.
hmmm. . . miracle indeed?
-
Never Almighty
Gee, those of us who point out how shallow and condescending movies like this are that pander to the superstitious get our letters removed by Salon?
Way to go with the free speech thing Salon!
-
Universal Boo's
This film has been universally panned by critics (see Rotten Tomatoes) so it's sure to be a giant financial hit. Unlike a briliant film like Grindhouse that was adored by critics and tanked at the box office. Expect Carell and Graham to have been tied up contractually to sequels. Expect this to be the next big popcorn trilogy. Mindless comedic pablum for the Passion of the Christ crowd.
-
Well if the story is about Jews.....
This is Salon there will be screechfest to heaven. If heaven existed. Which it doesn't. So shut up.
-
Bret Hamilton, surely you jest
Kung Pao: Enter the Fist is no masterpiece, but it's got some kind of funny moments, with an occasional hilarious moment thrown in. I defy anyone with a sense of humor to watch that movie and not laugh out loud at least 3 times. Even if that type of humor is "not your thing", in which case you should not be commenting on comedy movies in the first place. But yes, the other movies you mentioned are garbage, as are their prequels.
-
Army Times says: "Bottom line: “Evan Almighty” is old-fashioned family fun, and it’s worth lining up — two by two, of course — to see."
and "The movie also boasts some surprisingly good special effects sequences, not because they surpass what we’ve seen before, but because one doesn’t expect them from this kind of movie."
The reason I went looking for a "low-brow" review is that the real question about the movie is "Will my 8 to 14 year old kids enjoy it?"
I saw some promo footage on HBO and thought the ark, animals and special effects looked COOL ...
There's no way on god's green earth a movie about Noah "for the whole family" could avoid being corny ....
Also, at 94 minutes, it sound like it's tolerable for those parents who really maybe once a year would like to go out to the movies with their kids ...
Yes, the reviews are mostly terrible ... but considering the what's popular these days, "so, what else is new?"
so, the cast is terrific, the special effects and animals are pretty cool and the story is hopelessly dumb ... but a movie worth going to the movie theatre with the kids -- priceless ... imho.
[Actually, my coniving brain suspects this movie may be able to get cable TV, video and tivo using families to actually leave the house to "go to the movies" for the BIG SCREEN experience -- if so, it's worth its weight in gold and, man, was it expensive. They'll likely buy the video when it comes out as well. Sort of like "Project Runway" reviving the image of an old-fashion department store, i.e. Macy's (tm), ya know?"
-
Animals in Movies
The more I learn about using animals in movies, the more angry I get about the continued use of animals in movies. Some animals train easily, like dogs. Others can be cued, like cats and horses. But then there are the non-domesticated animals, the truly wild ones. They have requirements that Hollywood cannot give them. For example, one may think elephants are cute and tameable, but they are large and dangerous. The way they are trained for movies is to beat the crap out of them with bullhooks and ankuses. It makes my blood boil to just think about it.
With all the CGI technology available, there's no reason to have some of these animals in movies. "Jumanji", for example, had CGI animals. Maybe they don't look as naturalistic as real animals, but we're suspending belief pretty radically to think that Steve Carell is going to fit two of everything on an ark.
-
Much more enjoyable than I was led to believe.
I just got back from seeing this moving at lunchtime and it was much more enjoyable that the critics' reviews led me to believe. I had some genuine laugh out loud moments, and the closing credits were a hoot!
This is definitely a movie you can take your whole family to see.
-
So what will they do for a sequel?
"Evan and Isaac"?
-
This movie review got me thinking as did the two articles on it over at Slate ....
Dealing with outside influences and preparing your kids for the other people's ideas in all sorts of areas is part of parenting -- no different than dealing with the allure of drugs, alcohol, soul-less sex and dangerous driving practices.
I am an atheist. I think christian fundamentalism is a negative, intolerant social force. In my life time "Jesus Freaks" began evangelizing in great numbers in the late 1960's and -- though their sales tactics have changed and become more "mainstream" in appearance -- they've never let up.
Anyway, I can understand horror at the prospect of waking up to find your child has turned into a bible quoting, apocalypse anticipating fundie ... but some of you will ... and it's doubtful that a movie will trigger this conversions. Thankfully, for most it will be a phase (although vestiges may linger).
America has grown more outwardly "religious" and it is easy to feel assaulted, but I think the insidious influence of the evagelicals is -- in reality -- similar to that of other less than desirable social forces. Rather than movies, the biggest threat is likely to come from peers, relatives and neighbors. It requires very much the same parental awareness and "sane" informed parental response. Barring the doors and windows only increases the perception that these ideas have the power to scare the shit out of YOU ... maybe they do, but try not to over-react. Seriously.