Well, holy cow. Didja know that QT (that’s Quentin Tarantino to you non-cool people) has a new semi-movie coming out soon? And that it is being paired with a semi-movie from Robert Rodriguez (of “Spy Kids” and the ultra-awesome “From Dusk ‘Til Dawn”)? And the two semi-movies put together are billed as “Grind House?” Just heard about it on Sunday, and am now breathlessly awaiting April 6, 2007, which is the projected release date. Check out the trailer! I am now in fan-boi mode. Wow. WOW!

Jess admits that he walked out of the movie “Lost In Translation,” and if I had paid money to see it, I likely would have done the same. But, as you know, I very rarely go to the movie theatre anymore - I will only go to see a movie that I know beyond any doubt will be amazing, spectacular, or otherwise incredible (Kill Bill, for instance). But long ago, I did go to movies pretty regularly, and there were a handful that I walked out of. First up: “Aliens.” It was so darn dark and hard to tell what was happening that I finally just gave up. Next: “War Of The Roses.” It was a pretty boring movie so far, and when Kathleen Turner’s character uttered the word “fu**face,” that did it - it just seemed so unnecessarily banal and crude.

Let’s see, what else…oh, I did walk out of “Pulp Fiction” - believe it or not. It had just been released, and me and the Missus decided to check it out. When Marvin got shot in the face, we just sort of blanched, looked at each other, and got up and left. Of course, when the movie was released on video I picked it up and determined that I would see it all the way through, to figure out why so many people had raved about it…and thank goodness I did, because the final scene redeemed everything that had gone before, and I finally understood, and I was thus converted into a True QT Believer.

Something that is actually slightly more enjoyable than actually WATCHING “Snakes On A Plane” is observing the reaction of fan-boys, haters, critics, and gawkers to both the movie and the SoaP culture (er…MFSoaMFP, per Randy). As usual, MetaFilter provides some entertaining commentary.
UPDATE: let’s keep track of the reviews from various blog-buddies: Jess gives it a B+; Rob wasn’t too impressed; Charles offers his always-on-target insight;

Just got back from the “sneak showing” of “Snakes On A Plane” - and it was money well-spent. There were about 25 or 30 people in the audience, which for this town ain’t too bad on a Thursday night at 10:00 pm. I was the only one sporting a SoaP tee-shirt, though. This movie was EXACTLY what I expected - albeit with a little more humor. Sam Jackson was perfect as always, playing the role that he does so well - almost as if he picked up where he left off in “Deep Blue Sea,” leading people to safety in a chaotic, deadly situation. And when Jackson spoke/yelled the now-famous line, I’m very happy to report that I was not alone in clapping loudly. His delivery of certain words is almost poetic, ain’t it?
The roster of air travelers, as they enter the plane, evokes two thoughts: first, you can’t help but chuckle at some of the stereotypes. The socialite (complete with tiny dog), the lady with a baby, the harried businessman, the tourist, the kids traveling alone, the celebrity, etc. Second, you immediately begin assessing each passenger’s risk of death, based on their appeal, their cuteness, their rudeness, and such. The flight crew re-introduces us to Julianna Margulies, last seen on “ER” about 10 years ago; the older, brassy stewardess who has seen it all; the very effeminate male flight attendant, who gets a big laugh (and some cheers) at the very end of the movie; and of course the pilot and co-pilot, doing their best imitations of Captain Oveur and Roger Murdock - almost literally - heh.
Which brings us to the snakes. Simply put, they are brutal. These are “snakes on crack,” so to speak, and vicious doesn’t begin to describe them. They attack everything - sometimes in a manner that makes you gag, other times in ways that make you laugh (seriously). The manner in which various passengers are “introduced” to the snakes is just horribly amazing. And I will likely never be able to pee again without thinking of that one poor passenger…
There is also some action going on down on the ground, too, as Sam Jackson’s fellow FBI agents try to find a snake expert, anti-venin, and the evil snake-importer. It was also cool to see that a Treo-like device (Blackberry? Smartphone?) played a key role in the movie, used by a passenger to snap pictures of various snakes and then e-mailed to Los Angeles for identification.
Bottom line: this is very well-made “B” movie that wastes very little time with anything other than the key premise. It is critic-proof, and I hope that it does well at the box-office. My only regret: I wish that I had found this audience participation guide BEFORE I went to the movie tonight!
Oh, and one other thing: if you are afraid of snakes, DO NOT see this movie. Seriously.

Well, damn. Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, better known as Bruno Kirby, has passed away - he was only 57 - from leukemia. Most people know him (like me) from two big movies: “City Slickers” and “When Harry Met Sally.” His tough-talking, ready-for-anything role of Ed in “City Slickers” gave a nice balance to the other two characters and really helped make the movie special.

That’s right - we’re down to just a few days until “Snakes On A Plane” . I wore my SOAP t-shirt today, as is my wont on Fridays. When I proudly displayed it to some coworkers, their sarcastic rejoinders left me puzzled. How could they not grasp the import of what is sure to be a cinematic tour-de-force? Why are they not able to comprehend the majesty of Sam Jackson in his most-anticipated role ever? When will they understand that this is not just a movie, but rather More Than A Movie? What will it take to make them realize the nearly Zen-like perfection of a movie with a title such as this?

If you want a sneak peek at the movie, just follow me… (more…)

On the Sci-Fi channel right now is a movie that I was certain was created solely to ride the spin created by “Snakes On A Plane.” It’s a movie called “Tail Sting” and the premise is pretty familiar: a bunch of creepy-crawlies are loosed upon a passenger plane! But surprise, surprise: this movie was made in 2001, long before SoaP. The creatures in “Tail Sting” are actually genetically-modified scorpions, not snakes, so there’s a whole extra layer of squeamishness for most moviegoers, I suspect.

“Let us assume you’re in the target audience for ‘Snakes on a Plane.’ Now, it’s possible you inhabit that demographic because you’re interested in how poisonous reptiles would react to high altitude.” - from an early non-review of “Snakes On A Plane”

And HTuttle, over at MeFi, mashed up two of the biggest catch-phrases of the season:
Snakes on a plane. Apply directly to your forehead.
Snakes on a plane. Apply directly to your forehead.
Snakes on a plane. Apply directly to your forehead.

And I wore my “Snakes On A Plane” t-shirt yesterday, and I remain delighted at how soft and comfortable it is. Every time that I’ve worn it, someone (usually at the grocery store) asks me what it means. Usually, when I explain, the person’s eyes get really big and he starts to back up slowly, but yesterday, the two ladies that asked me squealed and said that it looked like a great movie, and that they had seen the preview a few days ago.

For years and years, Objectivists and fellow travelers have wondered about the casting for a big-screen version of “Atlas Shrugged.” I’m baffled by folks who think that Brad Pitt should portray John Galt. My nominee for Galt is Eric Close, formerly of “Now & Again.” Of course, I’m not entirely certain that a movie of “Atlas Shrugged” is a good idea…

As noted earlier, I really enjoyed “Superman Returns,” but it did have flaws and a few quibbles. Here’s a few of them (and I don’t think any of them qualify as “spoilers”):

1. When Superman/Clark returns to Earth after his 5-year journey to seek out new life and new civilizations (oops…wrong franchise)…remnants of Krypton, why does he arrive in a spaceship? Didn’t he…you know…FLY to Krypton and back? (more…)

SEE. THIS. MOVIE.

Yes, this movie has some flaws…but the good things outweigh them. Here are some reasons to see “Superman Returns” as soon as you can…

1. The music: the main theme is straight from “Superman: The Movie,” and it is just as uplifting and heroic as the first time you heard it. Hearing it in “3-D” in a huge, dark theatre is almost reason enough for the ticket price. And the “Can You Read My Mind” fluff piece from #1 is brought back, with a few new notes, to wonderful effect in this movie. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it this time around.
2. Theng titles: taken almost straight from the first movie, also…seeing the blue characters fly straight at you on the screen is like re-discovering an old friend that you never thought you’d see again.
3. Brandon Routh (rhymes with “South” apparently): yes, his Clark and Superman are a little stiff, but come on…after being gone from Earth for five years, and discovering that you truly are the last of your world, wouldn’t you be a little off your game, too? Routh looks the part, fits the suit, and earns my vote as the next true Superman.
4. Special effects: excellent! When Superman flies, or holds a 777 jet plane, or anything else “super,” you’re right there with him, believing it.
5. Kate Bosworth: as Lois Lane, she does fine. Yes, she does appear a little young, but unlike in the original “Superman” movie, I have no problem believing that Clark/Superman is in love with her. With Christopher Reeve, it was simply not possible that his Superman was in love with Margot Kidder’s version of Lois…and that’s a reflection on Kidder, not Reeve.
6. Frank Langella: as Perry White, he’s very good. Serious, but not comical, unlike Cooper’s or Smith’s portrayal in movie #1 or “Lois & Clark.”
7. Kevin Spacey: very good as Lex Luthor, although in the year 2006, it’s hard to suppress a chuckle when gazing upon a bald evil genius…Dr Evil from the “Austin Powers” movies is never too far from your thoughts. But Spacey’s Lex is psychotic and evil and all the right things.
8. Scope: the vastness of the evil plot is worthy of Superman. In the first movie, it sometimed seemed as if two nuclear missiles weren’t *quite* enough to justify the planet-altering actions of Superman, not to mention the movie’s budget. In “Superman Returns,” it’s clear that Lex’s plot to “create” more real estate requires Superman’s intervention.
9. Parker Posey: as Kitty, the “Miss Tessmacher” of this movie, she rings true: ditzy, but not stupid. And her costume changes in nearly every scene are entertaining.
10. For the first time, we’ve got a Jimmy Olson that I can believe; previous incarnations almost seemed like afterthoughts with no real purpose, but this one is genuine.
11. Seeing Noel Neill and Jack Larson in small supporting roles was very nice - they portrayed Lois and Jimmy in the 1950s TV version of Superman.

So: those are some of the reasons to see “Superman Returns.” Yes, there are criticisms, but they’re not important right now…let’s praise it for the good stuff at this point, and worry about quibbles later.

I was skeptical. VERY skeptical. From the moment I heard about “Superman Returns,” I didn’t dare get my hopes up. After all, for people of my generation, Christopher Reeve WAS Superman; no one else could properly portray The Man of Steel on the big screen. We might have enjoyed Dean Cain on “Lois & Clark” to some degree, but only because it was TV, not larger-than-life at the local theatre. And we don’t even consider the “Smallville” TV show to be authentic, or watchable.
So who the hell is this Brandon Routh guy? And is it prounced like Babe “Ruth,” or like “South?” Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor? Well…OK, he can probably pull that off. Kate Bosworth - never heard of her. And I don’t go to the movie theatre as a matter of routine anymore; the “Kill Bill” movies are the only ones that I’ve seen at the cineplex since 2003. But this is Superman. SUPERMAN.
So my curiousity was piqued, despite an odd sensation that it would somehow be a “Superman 90210″ type of teen schmaltz. And yesterday, I caught “Superman: The Movie” and bits of “Superman III” on cable. Hearing that incredible theme music, seeing Superman fly, wondering how director Bryan Singer could pull it off: it all built up, and I ventured forth to the movie theatre at 10:15 last night…