O-dot wrote:Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut - con
I have to disagree here. I think it's far better than the standard cut. The only problem I had ws the going back in time ending, which honestly wasn't really necessary. Otherwise, the cut plays a lot better. Superman's sacrifice of of his powers and redemption is a lot more powerful knowing that their is truly a price for it, the loss of all contact with his farther and anything from Krypton. He's truly alone from that point on. In the standard cut, he just picks up the green crystal and all is good again, there's no price to pay for his actions. Also, in the Donner cut Lois figures out Cark is Superman just by looking and figuring it out, which is a lot more believable than thinking a reporter could not get it. In the standard cut, the only way it dawns on her is because she sees Superman fly behind a building and Clark walks out. Yes, there are some editing issues with the Donner cut, and certainly the source material varries a lot. But from a story standpoint, it's far superior.
Okay, here's some I've seen lately:
Jesus Camp: pro. This is scarier than any horror film I've ever seen. I like the woman who admires that kids in the middle east are trained early to use guns and bombs to defend their faith and that we need to do that over here with our Christian kids. My favorite quote from one of the kids: "Science doesn't prove anything." Oh yes, and the next time you're giving a powerpoint presentation and there are problems, it's the devil's doing. This film is both scary and funny at the same time.
When the Levees Broke: pro. I was surprised at how balance this was. No one really comes off good here. Truly shows how incompetent the goverment is. Lots of people say the response to Katrina was slow because the goverment doesn't care about black and poor people, but that's giving them too much credit. They're not competent enough to react properly period. If they can't get their shit together for a disaster that there was a few days advanced warning about, it hardly bodes well for an unexpected terrorist attack.
Sherrybaby: mixed. I know critics love it, but when it comes down to it I'd say this film is about on par with the average Lifetime TV move. The only reason I've giving this a mixed instead of a con is because Maggie Gyllenhaal is naked in it.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated: PRO. Yeah, we all know the MPAA is unfair and teats indie films worse than studio fair. But there were still things in there I did know, like the fact that there are members of the clergy on the review board for appeals.
Shut Up and Sing: mixed. The religious nuts are funny to laugh at. And it's a good look at spin and how publicity works. I like when their PR agent is gets caught on camera saying the American people just aren't that smart. But the middle of the film drags too much with stuff about their personal lives. And I still can't feel too sorry for the Dixie Chicks, they were a traditional country group who's core audience were bible thumping Bushie's, so they should have known that would piss off their core audience. Also, I hate Natalie Maines voice. She's clearly tone deaf.
Well, that's all I've seen in 2007 so far. Honestly, with my Blu-ray and HD-DVD players and my 1080p display, I find it hard to actually bother going out to the theater anymore.