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?

No, but they did start pounding thighbones on rocks.

Did the poor monkeys suffer ear or eye injury?

Actually, I suppose I should fess up and say I heard this second-hand, and have no cites to prove it. I trust the friend I heard it from (who I've been out of touch with for years) because he was a big science as well as sci-fi nerd, and I'd known him as someone who was outrageously scrupulous about stating facts, but it's still second hand. So I don't know who treated the monkeys this way or how they came out of it, except alive.

Monkeys + sacrifice

Was anyone else shocked by the packaging vs. reality of Project X?

I went in looking for a screwball comedy and came out blubbering.

In fact, for years, when I needed to have a gut wrenching, put a towel under the door so the neighbors don't call the cops, cry...I'd pop in Project X.

I guess you had to be...me.

Actually, I suppose I should fess up and say I heard this second-hand, and have no cites to prove it.

Well, I have seen footage of a pigeon and a cat subject to zero-G.

(The cat dealt with it better.)

Escape From L.A. is on USA. I've never seen this, or the first one, but I don't feel like finding anything else and I caught this at the beginning. I'm kind of into it so far. Worth even trying to stay up for without any backstory?

I think I will have to meditate on Hero for awhile. It was a very different movie from what I was expecting, but it was interesting and very beautiful. I think it might be one of those experiences that gets better with time.