For the first time in a while, Movietickets.com has sent me an email that got me going from the subject line on in. If you use them for tickets (which I do, for AMC), they spam you every now and again: Citizens of Panem: Save the Date!

I actually got a squee.

That Hamburger Helper trailer was in such extreme poor taste that I laughed my ass off.

I know something is wrong with me.

I'm sort of amazed that the people working there haven't had the crap beaten out of them yet -- not out of anger, but just because it seems like most people's instinct in that situation would be to flip out like a mammal.

So very much this, just because the actors who work normal haunt attractions and just jump out at you and yell BOO! get punched, kicked and assaulted all the time.

Gillian Anderson does a spiffy British accent but I don't think that really counts, as she actually grew up in London.

Yeah, I'd throw her and Denisof in as Not Counting, due to Time Spent.

ita !, thought you'd appreciate this tidbit:

Ewan McGregor hit a lady! But don't worry—it was during work, so we don't have to start hating on the underrated hottie, who, in my opinion, is not being swooned over actively enough these days. Anyway, McGregor was filming his new movie Haywire when he accidentally punched his costar Gina Carano in the head. Carano is a badass mixed martial arts champion, and she wasn't fazed by the hit in the least, says Ewan: I had a series of three punches, but the third one...for one reason or another I connected really hard on the side of her head. "She was the one who got straight up and said, "Are you OK?" She was asking me if I was OK! But she was right because I almost broke my friggin' hand!

[link]

So...Haywire.

Off the top: all the fight scenes but one are primo. They're pretty different, but it's clear that MMA has influenced it, and there's ground, and there's pound. Lots of both. Plus guns.

The plot is...why do people keep saying super-soldier? There's no super-soldier. She's a merc. A really good merc. Not super, at all.

Soderbergh's clearly a good director, with the talent of getting people's best performances out of them, even if they're new to the game. And he does a pretty good job. But it's not complex emotionally, or psychologically meaty. There aren't that many feelings there. And, when it seems they might go into feelings, (like when Mal's father sees her kill) they just breeze past it.

Carano's...Carano is an amazing fighter. She's got a body of doom, and she's really pretty. She is *not* a great actor. I don't know if it's true that she was dubbed by San Giacomo, but it's really plausible. There's plenty of room for her to have been spoken over.

And her face isn't really that emotive, either. She's not charismatic. Drop dead gorgeous. Kick ass as all hell, and if Jason Statham can make a living, I hope she can do.

But she's not what I wanted, ultimately. I was judging her by if I'd feel comfortable with her as Wonder Woman, and...maybe some of her. But not the ambassador from another world part. Soldier and steely princess.

Bon pointed out that The Avengers II might be a good place for her. Joss could probably get a good performance out of her. But I'm not sure how much she can do by herself.

I hope we get a chance to see, though. She deserves that, and we need that.

I have no idea what a fair amount of the audience was there for. The woman next to me was startled 30s into the first fight. And she got eepier from there on in. What was this billed as, if not violent? Ah, well.

And the most satisfying (for me) move of the movie got the most nervous titters. Hmmph. Heathens.

Also, why is Channing working? Unless Soderbergh needed someone for Gina to be better than (I mean, look at the rest of the cast, dammit). I just don't get him.

Also, why is Channing working? Unless Soderbergh needed someone for Gina to be better than (I mean, look at the rest of the cast, dammit). I just don't get him.

I'm pretty sure he's working (or done working) with him in an upcoming movie, so no idea. At least with Michael Douglas, I know he's got him playing Liberace, which is a trip in theory.

ETA, Soderbergh had an interesting interview about why he made the movie and the choices he made with the AV Club: [link]

I find Soderbergh fascinating because he is so articulate about how he makes movies, but also he's very clear he just kind of does things for the fuck of it because he can keep his budgets in line.

Well, that movie is based on his life, so it's not the biggest leap ever.

Also, why is Channing working?

Since he seems like too nice a guy to have sold his soul to the Devil, my working theory is blowjobs and lots of 'em.

Well, that movie is based on his life, so it's not the biggest leap ever.

Hmm?