A glimpse into filmmakers' souls...

The thing that I really appreciate about the IMDB is that in addition to all the factual information about cast and crew, it provides a place for film afficianados to really dig into a film, dissect the deeper meanings and share insights into the true intent of the filmmakers: [Internet Version of the Ironic Cut] PS, I love how much Z-Rob hates Indy 4. Maybe I'll go see it again and buy two tickets. One for me, and one in Z-Rob's honor. (What? You're not reading the Z-Blog?)

‘Does not fight crime effectively.’

That's what you'll see on my report card this term. I meandered over to Trader Joe's because I felt I didn't own enough food and I saw a car idling in front of the store. I went a bit out of my way to walk around it instead of in front. While I was behind the car someone ran out of the store and before they were seated or managed to get the door closed, the car peeled out. Further down the parking lot, a guy literally jumped out of the way as an employee ran out of the store. Apparently, the person who just barely made it into the car was carrying an unpurchased case of wine.

But if I'd just walked in front of the car instead, they couldn't have sped away. Or I'd be hospitalized right now.

I just hope they don't go on a drunken spree, drive across the continent, and then murder one of my uncles, thus compelling me to use my ability to vaguely inconvenience drivers in parking lots responsibly and at great personal cost for the rest of my days...

#1,266: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I was right! Woo! About what? Only GREATNESS!

I made a mad dash across LA (close up the office, descend 9 stories, hike 3 blocks, drive 8 miles, find parking!) and got into the Cinerama Dome for some super close screen-wraps-around me seats, and I was not the least bit disappointed!

Now I know it'll be everyone's favorite game to explain why they hate it, and I know it's not Raiders, and I know Harrison Ford aged in the past 20 years, and there are even things I didn't like about the movie, and none of it matters. I sat in darkness, surrounded by cheering Americans, with a grin and a sense of wonder and excitement, eager to see what might happen next.

Like Indy himself, the movie makes mistakes, but it always dives in with abandon and somehow makes it out on the other side. But, and this is important, it ISN'T The Phantom Menace. I was -such- a Star Wars fan in that time, and I had tickets for multiple screenings, and I couldn't wait, and I came out of the first showing trying to rationalize and justify and the simple fact was that I didn't dig it. And again, this isn't that.

For technical stuff, I liked that the lighting was non-realistic, which I imagine conforms to the style of the previous flicks (time for some re-viewing!). I heard people bitching in the lobby, but at least in my super-close seats, nothing looked egregiously CG to me. There are things that I know must have been, but I was sufficiently swept up in things, I guess.

Mike H. at the Nexpress? Didn't like Last Crusade, won't like this. People who need to show their taste and class and hipness by disliking popular stuff? Who say 'it was good for what it was' or 'well, it was entertaining, but...'? It's okay to like things. Really!

More Indy!

Just thinking more about it, there were things I didn't enjoy - maybe he was a little too die hard 4 invincible, maybe the villain did less and less as the movie progressed (Actually, that's not really a complaint - more exploration and sharing cool stuff instead of conflict for its own sake wins with me), maybe the map just wasn't as cool as the grail diary, but it still doesn't matter, as explained above. (Or in blogland, below?) But unless you agree with me that No Country for Old Men was an adventure, I don't remember the last good adventure movie to hit before this one. Certainly none of that awful national treasure / tomb raidery stuff.

Good things: Mutt was not nearly as awful as I thought he might be. The chase sequence was incredibly elaborate. There were subtle references (you know the ark is gonna show up) but it's not full of self-quotes and in-jokes.

Also, and the more I consider this, I think it's really neat - previous flicks are a 30s adventure with 80s tech. This movie, clearly chock full of modern whatchamacallits, doesn't dip back to the 30s, it's goes back 50 years, like the previous set. I think that's going to put a lot of people off, who were expecting the former. A number of the ideas, big and small, are concerns of 50s B-Movies.

So is it shaping up to be a lousy year for movies (I've seen 6 releases of 2008) or a great one (I really enjoyed 3 of 'em)?

And finally - eyes open! There's a Vertigo poster in there somewhere, though I didn't spot it.

Remember Bidule? He's back!

And this time, in T-shirt form! Except...a really ugly t-shirt. Ah well.