Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
So a group is going to have a sit-down with Avatar on an IMAX screen. I’m part of the group, and it happens I’ve already seen it this past weekend. It is, indeed, a stunning visual treat, and I’ve been wrestling with this decision, but ultimately I’ve decided to sit it out. It would be purely a celebration of “Hey, we’re a group, we’re together, isn’t it great” and I’ve never added much to those…and while by itself this is an excellent product of entertainment, when placed alongside all the others it shows serious gaping defects in originality.
It’s not good enough to see twice. It certainly isn’t good enough to own.
This reviewer speaks for me:
“Avatar” is a cool film. Stunning visuals. Staggering technology. It’s a true breakthrough. That’s the James Cameron way.
But this is the first time Cameron has stopped there — the first time I’ve seen him fail to turn a good-looking film into a great one.
In order to do that, you still have to provide things like a strong story, memorable characters, sharp writing, emotional connection and humor.
Even one or two. Something other than this formulaic story we’ve seen before, populated by two-dimensional types — including token military villains and heroic tree-huggers — stretched out over 162 minutes just to show off Cameron’s tech prowess.
This is not how you spend $300 million. Didn’t anyone learn from the well-spent $30 million of “District 9”? Or, heck, the $27,000 of “Clerks”? Or the $140 million of “Star Trek” that showed how big-budget blockbusters can still be done right?
This is why I’m not a film critic. In all honesty, I would have to give Avatar a very high rating; to pan it would be a disservice to my readers, most of whom would decidedly enjoy it.
It didn’t work for me. And perhaps it’s just me; I’m story-sensitive. And Avatar — there’s no getting around it — has a poor story. The scenery, stunning as it is, is bogged down by this Peter Jackson-ish feel, which is the loss of timing. A scene justifies ten seconds, perhaps fifteen at the most. Instead, it is stretched out to several minutes because it is so awesome.
The reviewer mentions “Star Trek,” which I assume is this year’s release. I have a vivid memory of “The Motion Picture” some thirty years ago in which Kirk and Scott climbed into a shuttle and took an entirely unnecessary back-and-forth sweep across the starship’s exterior. When I held a stopwatch to this it came in at just over four minutes. This particular scene, needless to say, has aged rather badly.
But I suppose there are two types of people in the world, those who like a good story, and those who are more enamored of impressive effects. You’ll certainly enjoy Avatar if you identify more strongly with the second of those two. You really need to ask yourself a serious question about what exactly it is you are trying to get out of a film experience.
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