Ahh...Gargoyles are a brand of sunglasses.

Oh, and here I was thinking of the creepy monsters on old churches (or the very cool 90's cartoon).

Did someone mention Gargoyles? I really liked that show.

Back on topic...I recently found the Matrix movie DVDs on sale and was ready to watch them immediately after seeing Shadowlander's reference to gargoyles.

Back on topic...I recently found the Matrix movie DVDs on sale and was ready to watch them immediately after seeing Shadowlander's reference to gargoyles.

You're killing me, man. You're killing me.

Not sure if this should go in present movies or here, but since it is a DVD release...

I purchased Mandie and the Secret Tunnel today. It is clearly a lower budget movie, but the cinematography is great and crisp. The colors are rich. Snowball was white! I love it! It has a similar feel to Anne of Green Gables. I am looking forward to rewatching it.

Well it's taken me a little while to make it round to all my favourite haunts on the new Narniaweb. But it seems I dropped by this thread just in time to fulfill Shadow's prophecy .

But before I do; I had exactly the same experience with Gone With the Wind Shadow. I loved it when I was a kid. But it really hasn't aged well. I can't sit through the whole thing nowadays. And I totally agree that Gable and DeHavilland are the best things about that film.

Yes, the first Matrix film was groundbreaking, and awe inspiring. But the series as a whole (including the Animatrix) is a brilliant Masterpiece. It ranks right up there with LotR in First Place on my Favourite Film Franchise List (and that's coming from a Trekker, Narnia Fan and Potterite ). It's not just the Jaw-Dropping special effects, the superb Kung Fu Choreography, or the Dynamic Action Sequences (although, those alone would be worth the price of admission). It is also the most densely intellectual Sci Fi Action series ever made. Every frame has more Religion, Philosophy, and Mythology packed in than you would find in a 4 year University Philosophy program. It's got it all, Gnosticism, Hinduism, Paganism, Judaism, Christianity, Nietzche, McKenna, Arthurian Romance, Plato, Buddhism, McLuhan... you name it, it's in there. One could spend years dissecting the series.

Not to mention that it successfully and seamlessly blends numerous film genres into a Cohesive Genre all of it's own, from Hong Kong action cinema and Japanese Anime, to Sci Fi and Film Noir. So it's also a Cinema Geeks dream come true .

And briefly, a comment on Taken: I thought it was a very snappy and efficient Revenge Thriller. It has all the classic elements of Luc Besson's best films: a Corrupt Paris Gendarmerie and a reluctant yet Elite Super-hero. I wouldn't want to see Liam Neeson as a "mortal" hero. It's only fitting that his character was an unstoppable Force of Nature, like Hercules, Superman, The Terminator, or Steven Seagal . And his soft-spoken delivery just made him seem even deadlier . You Don't Mess With The Neeson .

GB

Oh dear. I hated the second and third Matrix movies and thought them utterly pointless, plotless, and confusing . Surprise, surprise, GB — we disagree once more, lol. I think the attempt to pack all that stuff in there created a mess rather than a masterpiece. And did we really need all the R-rated scenes?

Destined, like lysander I'm a little taken aback at all the innuendo you didn't notice in the Knightley P&P. I think I should compile a list of it, to be produced and pasted on demand . But seriously, I did not find it subtle in the least. The sermon gaffe was one of the worst

I know I always sound so negative about that version, but I don't hate it as much as it sounds. There are some good things in it. But the Firth/Ehle version will always have my heart

The Reluctant Dragon... I think that is a book by Kenneth Grahame, the author of The Wind in the Willows. I have the book but haven't read it. It's nice to hear that there is a good cartoon version out there.

Well, over the last three days I've viewed a whopping 3 1/2 movies. Anyway, my thoughts on the films:

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: PG-13/1989

Hands down the best of the series. The humor and drama are in equal balance again after the strange swinging from one extreme to another nature of Temple of Doom. The action scenes are actually somewhat believable again, like in Raiders and of course having the great Sean Connery in the cast only adds to the fun factor.

Overall, a very solid production with a great John Williams score. 4 1/2 out of 5

Iron Man: PG-13/2008

One of the few superhero films I like, Iron Man is not your typical superhero/action film. At times serious, at others fun and action packed with a good dose of humor through out. (and the humor actually works and is not cheesy!) The acting by all the cast is top notch, Robert Downey Jr helps to make Tony Stark a sympathetic, yet very likable hero. I really enjoyed the quick banter between Tony and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow).

The special effects were almost 5 star quality, though there were a few instances were the CGI was pretty obvious. Anyway, a very good film, definitely a medium to hard PG-13 though. 4 out of 5.

Batman Begins - PG-13/2005

Ah, my favorite superhero film, period. Believe it or not, I despised this film the first time I saw it. The story is well thought out and the character are all likable (or unlikable, depending on the character. ) and are played well by the actors. I did feel that the Scarecrow was really underused. They could have done a lot more with the character.... *sigh* The special effects were handled VERY well. Most of the CGI, miniatures, ect were almost seamless. Except for the climactic mono-rail chase/fight.

Last but not least, the music. As most of you probably know, I greatly prefer the score to The Dark Knight, but I still think what Hans and Howard did for Begins is really great. It fits the film perfectly.

So, I'm sure you can tell I'm about to give this one a high score... So, here it is: 4 1/2 out of 5. Not perfect, but very nearly so in my book.

---------------------

I'm also watching Fiddler on the Roof thanks to Jojo and Destined, though I have not finished it yet. A review will be posted we I finish it!

*departs*

I watched The Prestige for the first time this week and really enjoyed it. The flashback within a flashback technique confused me at first and then I realized what was going on and it didn't bother me after that. I was really amazed at the amount of twists they managed to pack into it, especially the one involving Borden and Fallon. Never saw that one coming. I had heard complaints before that the characters weren't very likable and it was a depressing movie, but that didn't bother me that much. I guess maybe I've finally begun to reconcile myself to the unhappy ending trend.

Well it's taken me a little while to make it round to all my favourite haunts on the new Narniaweb. But it seems I dropped by this thread just in time to fulfill Shadow's prophecy.

You speak of the One who will bring balance to the Past Movies thread?

Seriously man, I enjoy a movie with over the top action sequences as much as any other meat-eating guy (as can be attested by my big Schwarzeneggar collection) but Matrix 2 + 3 were just confusing. I honestly don't think the Wachowski brothers realized just how big the first movie was going to be and when it became apparent that a sequel would be necessary they started tossing in every religious/mythological element they could into the mixture rather than sorting it out in a cohesive manner. If you truly understand what's going on then you are one of the very few. I'm not even sure the Wachowski's are on the same boat!

Oh dear. I hated the second and third Matrix movies and thought them utterly pointless, plotless, and confusing . Surprise, surprise, GB — we disagree once more, lol. I think the attempt to pack all that stuff in there created a mess rather than a masterpiece. And did we really need all the R-rated scenes?

Holy mackerel! Wisewoman and I agree about a movie?

Sorry, I had to. Seriously, from the point at Matrix 2 where the mosh pit/rave/orgy scene started I began to root for the AI's. I saw no need for that stuff and it was waaaaaay out of place within the framework of the film. Why put it in at all? Then towards the end of Matrix 2 there came a moment where I thought, "hey, I think...I think...yes! I have it figured out!" and without warning early on in Matrix 3 I discovered I didn't at all and that, strangely enough, no one else seemed to either. When I need a good chuckle I go visit the Matrix 2 + 3 reviews on Amazon, which are in a league of their own. Not quite as good as reviews of the Magic Bullet blender, but still...

I watched The Prestige for the first time this week and really enjoyed it. The flashback within a flashback technique confused me at first and then I realized what was going on and it didn't bother me after that. I was really amazed at the amount of twists they managed to pack into it, especially the one involving Borden and Fallon. Never saw that one coming. I had heard complaints before that the characters weren't very likable and it was a depressing movie, but that didn't bother me that much. I guess maybe I've finally begun to reconcile myself to the unhappy ending trend.

I have ambivalent feelings about The Prestige. There was no one character I could relate to, save perhaps for Michael Caine's character. The Jackman/Bale rivalry was ratcheted up to villainous proportions and by the time the ending came I really did not care for either character one iota. The special effects were incredible, I'll grant that. I'd love to see Tesla's electric machine on Blu-Ray. And did you recognize David Bowie as Nikolai Tesla? I saw his name in the end credits and was like, "Bowie was in this? Who was he"? I rated it 3 out of 5 on Amazon and felt it was a fair score all things considered. Strange movie...

And I'll never like unhappy endings.

I'm also watching Fiddler on the Roof thanks to Jojo and Destined, though I have not finished it yet. A review will be posted we I finish it!

*departs*

oh I saw that a while back for the first time and thought it was great!
Not perfect, some songs I could have done without, and did as I fast forwarded them, but others were amazing. Great story too, between the father and his three daughters, and tradition.

Well, Shadow, at least we can agree about The Prestige .

I understand why the Matrix sequels might be confusing to the "uninitiated" masses, but I am honestly surprised when the Theological, Mythical and Spiritually inclined don't get the plots . The first sequel, stripped to the bones, is basically the Greek Myth of Orpheus (who rescues his love from the Underworld) retold. And the second sequel's core plot is an Arthurian/Messiah story, right down to the end where . Granted, the context is very Gnostic/Pagan, but it's a very straightforward story at the core.

Of course it is totally understandable to me that the...ahem..."inappropriate" scene you mentioned would be off-putting to many people. But it actually wasn't particularly "prurient", in the sense of being titillating. Rather the opposite in fact. And it was included because it had many layers of Spiritual significance, that are best left to be defined in an adult oriented forum.

GB

I don't think you're supposed to care about the Jackson/Bale characters in The Prestige. You're supposed to look on them with disgust for the lengths they go to in order to dish out revenge on each other. It's a rather depressing movie, but it gives a very good show on how revenge grows to control you and brings out the worst in people.

I watched A Knight's Tale last night and I must admit that I burst out laughing at the very beginning of the very first scene where everyone is singing "We Will Rock You." The soundtrack was really "out-of-place" but it somehow fit. The fact that Jocelyn and the other women had multi-colored highlights and the "modern" dancing at the ball made the soundtrack seem almost normal. I thought it was interesting they went with such small bits of modern-ish winks.

Heath Ledger and Paul Bettany were brilliant. I thought it was hilarious that Wash from Firefly was in it as Wat with that RED hair. Honestly, I liked Kate better than Jocelyn. And the little boy who played Young!William was adorable.

All in all I really enjoyed the movie.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Holy mackerel! Wisewoman and I agree about a movie?

Accidents happen; what can I say? I didn't think we were *that* far apart though! Isn't it mostly books we can't agree on?

Right, GB, I got all that, but it wasn't powerful or meaningful to me. The overall effect was that the Wachowskis scrambled around cherry-picking ideas off a glut of contradictory spiritual philosophies to fill up two movies that they had not planned. You can't just throw everything in the pot and expect it to taste good.

And as for the inappropriate scenes, there were more than one. And that's all I'll say about that

I didn't really care for The Prestige. I know that it is considered a technically better film than The Illusionist which was released right around the same time, but I enjoyed the latter far more — not least because it leaves some mystery to the magic. But mostly I just found TP depressing, and TI beautiful.

I picked up a 1998 version of Madeline. I watched it with my younger siblings, and we all thought it was really cute!

Ooh...! I saw that when it came out in theaters, actually. It was I believe the first movie I ever did see on the "big screen". I don't remember too much of it though, I do remember being very impressed with a part where a girl had her appendics (spl?) out and was telling everyone about it, lol.

Oh and don't worry, DTR, I've seen the KK P&P gazillions of times and never noticed the supposed "innuendo" until ww mentioned it, either. So it's not just you.