I'd almost agree with that, but Moulin Rouge is non-narrative in a more modern way, I think.

Koyaaaaaanisqatsi is really, really cool, Dana. Big honkin' Philip Glass score with bass choruses that rock your bones. And I always come away thinking "Isn't civilization magical!" rather than what he wants me to think.

Hmm. See, I loved Moulin Rouge. But there was always something happening in that movie. I guess it's sort of the opposite of 2001. I felt overwhelmed at times by all of the action and the sensory bombardment. 2001, I was bored.

On the boring-ness of 2001, some of it is entirely satirical - you've got these wondrous eye-popping space sequences, and yet the people are just outrageously banal and mundane. Petty concerns, beauracratic methods, etc. And the movie goes a long way towards doing its best to stretch that stuff out so it becomes just as mundane to the viewer. The biggest problem with the stargate sequence is that far trippier things have been done since, as that was supposed to be the moment when things stopped being "ordinary" (i.e. the view of the characters) and were supposed to become awe-inspiring. It's probably the most dated thing about the movies at this point.

The special effects are still pretty much faultless wrt outer space - even Dave's helmet-less entry into the airlock has been proven possible.

FIREFLY has been one of the few things I've seen since that got dealing with and showing the vacuum of space in a remotely accurate way.

Mixed bag movie nights.

Taking Lives--Why, why did I let the dotty old lady in the Bbuster talk me in that dreck. I was hoodwinked! I said I didn't want to see another serial killer movie with Kiefer Sutherland and she said: he didn't do it so I thought, hm, might be fresh.

Well, yes, fresh as in the sorts of fresh things my dog leaves in the grass a couple times a day.

But Monk episodes? Lots of fun. (ita, how I know where your cootie tag came from. Clevah.)

Plus, tried to give Blade II a second try. Haven't seen the flick yet, but the extra features didn't engage me half as much as those on the Blade I disc. Plus? No Ron Perlman.

Miracle is next up on the player. Hockey not so much a big thing for me, but I remember watching that game and crying. It wasn't so much about the sport...

Makes today's millionaire Olympic basketball team kinda pale in comparison.

God. I. Love. Movies.

even Dave's helmet-less entry into the airlock has been proven possible.

OK, who's gone helmet-less into an airlock in vacuum?

Ok, I'm being sorta' facetious, but how has this been proven possible?

In re 2001.

My father dragged me to see it when I was 8. My burning hatred for it has lasted decades. I tried to see it again as a geekazoid adult but could not get past the sense memory. Too loud, too bright, too slow. Fake monkeys. (yeah, I know, fake apes)

It's sad because I'm huge with the symbolism and theological speculation in pop culture (Judas becomes Dracula? I'm so there), but despite recognizing the brilliance of pieces of it...I simply cannot get past the wanting to expunge it from my mind.

I did see Kier Dullea in an IBM industrial film in 1990 at Comdex. I was stunned (I mean really) by how exactly the same he looked. A serious portrait-in-the-closet situation.

Frank, what movies would you say Hero is similar to?

Well, it's certainly got RASHAMON on its mind, as it tells the same story from several differing perspectives, although the reasons for the re-telling are very different - the movie is definitely NOT about the fundamental unknowability of "truth".

Parts of it reminded me of RAN, but, again, it's also nothing like that either. The RAN similarities were more the stirking color designs, and lots and lots of arrows.

Honestly, though, I'm not sure I've EVER seen anything quite like this. I haven't quite processed it yet, but there are images that are going to stay with me forever. Unless you hate the artificiality of wire-work sequences (and they are a bit more over the top than CTHD), I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Plus, Jet Li playing a type I've never quite seen him do before, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung being just astonishing, and the younger woman (who's Z.Z. name I can't recall how to spell) from CTHD being heart-breaking in about 5 different ways.

OK, who's gone helmet-less into an airlock in vacuum?

Monkeys. Yep, animal testing at its finest.

eta, I suppose it might be harder to prove no damage, but, yep, they decided to prove this on monkeys.

Ugh.

Did the poor monkeys suffer ear or eye injury?