Chen G.

Please don’t. Boorman + genre = bad

Just saw it. Horrible news. For an actor so identified with a tough-guy persona, he also was wonderful in more sensitive roles, as well as having an absolutely wonderful timing for comedy; what a combination. Will be sorely missed.

I didn't experience it as a smooth transition from the one to the other: to me it was funny at fits and starts. Probably about 70% of the film was a period drama. Had it been 90% it would have been better; or had it been 30%, with the rest being an outrageous comedy, would have been better, too.

I should say I quite like the dramatic aspects of the film: they’re tender, quiet and wonderful...and they have no place in a film where a kid has a Kiwi Hitler for an imaginary friend.

Its not a very good comedy, in the sense that one is laughing maybe 30% of the time. As opposed to drama, comedy should be consistently funny.

That movie's a huge bore. Its a bit faster-paced and higher-stakes than the first one, but nowhere nearly enough. Under Chris Columbus' "speak-louder-and-open-your-mouth-more-or-so-help-me" style of acting, at least Jason Issacs brings a quietness, even if he is only doing his "I'm-deliciously-evil-and-british" schtick.

And are the kinds of movies that don't typically win awards. So it is rewarding to sometimes see the Academy descend from their ivory tower and give the awards to movies that people actually see...

Personally, I don't put much stock in "cultural impact." I only care about what a movie did or didn't FOR ME. Obviously The Return of the King did more for me. But Lost in Translation is also very good.

Can't remember who said it first, but film music albums are essentially a form of memorabilia from the movie: they are meant to recreate (through aural association) the impression of certain moments from the movie. Film music is a form of programatic music, and the music is SUBSERVIENT to the program. Whether or not it can stand on its own is a novelty; nothing more.

Well, its an indie film so its clearly not going to have the same...heritage, shall we say... as a tentpole like The Lord of the Rings. And there's nothing wrong with that.

You mean Lost in Translation or On The Rocks?

Its a very good movie for what it is. At least you can't say The Lord of the Rings won for lack of strong competition. It was in very respectable company, actually. By the way, there's something poetic about the films not only having won all those awards, but having been handed two of the most important ones - for screenplay and for producing - from the Coppollas and from Spielberg, respectivelly. You can see Philippa Boyens' face, having been handed an Oscar by Francis Ford Coppolla, trying to keep it together.

Oh yeah, I laughed at that for the better part of an hour, back in the day.

I have (or had, prior to lockdown) a friendship-bordering-on-the-vaguely-flirtatious relationship with a music student; so I believe Williams name came up in conversation once or twice. Otherwise, hell no...

George Lucas? You mean the man who - in a fifty year career - made one good kiddie film, a nice comedy, two duds, and two middling films? Yeah, I do underestimate him.