Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Election Stuff
Today is election day, whoop-de-doo. Time to see who's going to royally screw up the United States even more than it is already - because I'm convinced, as the Aliens Vs. Predator tagline goes (and it's been used a lot in connection with this election), that "whoever wins...we lose."
Speaking of political chaos and conspiracies: I just saw the original 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate. I can sum up my overall opinion of it with, "#*!&* there's a reason why people say it's one of the greatest films of all time!" It was amazing. I've seen more than a few of "old" movies, definitely more than all of my friends, but I have to say that this one really does deserve all the praise it gets. Sometimes I'll watch movies from the 50s or 60s (Hitchcock, mainly), and although they'll be really good, it just seems like something's missing...probably due to the change in style that's occured since they were released. They just don't pack the same punch they did when they first came out. And that's to be expected...I mean, what with the new special effects these days, or considering the amount of censorship that was placed on films back then.
But this one was different. I felt like this one was probably just as good when I saw it as it was when it was first released. And it's about the threat of Communism! I mean, really, you know a movie's good if it's about a Communist conspiracy and decades after the end of the Cold War people can still enjoy it and relate to it. It had a good plot, it was suspenseful, I didn't fall asleep...in short, the fact that it came out more than 40 years ago didn't get in the way.
See. This. Movie. I plan on seeing the re-make with Denzel Washington now...it should be in theaters here soon. But I honestly can't see why they would remake a movie that's widely regarded as a classic. It's like redoing Gone With The Wind (I didn't care much for that movie when I saw it, but that doesn't mean I don't think it would be stupid to make a "modern" version). I seriously doubt the new one is as good as the original. Either way, nothing can change the fact that the original one really is a masterpiece of cinema. The one criticism I have against it is that I figured out the "surprise" ending before it happened...but oh well, I suppose everything that was made 40 years ago can stand up to a modern audience.
Anyone who says black-and-white movies aren't as good as more recent ones is stupid. Just watch this one for proof. This is a movie that the word "timeless" actually does appeal to.
And to think, I first saw it on November 2, 2004 - election day. The whole plot revolves around a conspiracy to get rid of everything the USA stands for. How appropriate.
/cynicism
Quote of Da Moment:
"Why don't you pass the time with a game of solitaire?"
--The Manchurian Candidate
Speaking of political chaos and conspiracies: I just saw the original 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate. I can sum up my overall opinion of it with, "#*!&* there's a reason why people say it's one of the greatest films of all time!" It was amazing. I've seen more than a few of "old" movies, definitely more than all of my friends, but I have to say that this one really does deserve all the praise it gets. Sometimes I'll watch movies from the 50s or 60s (Hitchcock, mainly), and although they'll be really good, it just seems like something's missing...probably due to the change in style that's occured since they were released. They just don't pack the same punch they did when they first came out. And that's to be expected...I mean, what with the new special effects these days, or considering the amount of censorship that was placed on films back then.
But this one was different. I felt like this one was probably just as good when I saw it as it was when it was first released. And it's about the threat of Communism! I mean, really, you know a movie's good if it's about a Communist conspiracy and decades after the end of the Cold War people can still enjoy it and relate to it. It had a good plot, it was suspenseful, I didn't fall asleep...in short, the fact that it came out more than 40 years ago didn't get in the way.
See. This. Movie. I plan on seeing the re-make with Denzel Washington now...it should be in theaters here soon. But I honestly can't see why they would remake a movie that's widely regarded as a classic. It's like redoing Gone With The Wind (I didn't care much for that movie when I saw it, but that doesn't mean I don't think it would be stupid to make a "modern" version). I seriously doubt the new one is as good as the original. Either way, nothing can change the fact that the original one really is a masterpiece of cinema. The one criticism I have against it is that I figured out the "surprise" ending before it happened...but oh well, I suppose everything that was made 40 years ago can stand up to a modern audience.
Anyone who says black-and-white movies aren't as good as more recent ones is stupid. Just watch this one for proof. This is a movie that the word "timeless" actually does appeal to.
And to think, I first saw it on November 2, 2004 - election day. The whole plot revolves around a conspiracy to get rid of everything the USA stands for. How appropriate.
/cynicism
Quote of Da Moment:
"Why don't you pass the time with a game of solitaire?"
--The Manchurian Candidate
# posted by Andrew Johnson : 11/02/2004 09:54:00 PM 
