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San Francisco, 10:37 PM
Sat Nov 28
9 posts in the last 24 hours
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10/19/09
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10/19/09
My son watched B&R at a friend's house last month and has mumbling about the horror of Bat-Nipples ever since... #akivagoldsman
10/19/09
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10/19/09
You mean, Hollywood is supposed to learn from it's mistakes?
I liked how Sam Raimi boiled down his career: he does only the films he wants, and the previous project funds and teaches lessons about the next project. You know, like a proper business model of investing your money. #akivagoldsman
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10/19/09
If downy fuzz on a woman is wrong, I don't wanna be right. #akivagoldsman
10/19/09
Ok, so I guess the studios need to re-learn the lesson, too. #akivagoldsman
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10/19/09
However, I still really like Clooney's Bruce Wayne and relationship with Alfred. #akivagoldsman
10/19/09
If it wasn't a total bomb we probably would have spent the summer of 2008 watching Ryan Reynolds as Bats with Leboeuf as Robin fighting 50 Cent's Killer Croc and Megan Fox's Talia under neon lights instead.
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William Hurt and Mimi Rogers both constantly looking like they'd just gotten a papercut... stupid CGI creature that was supposed to be cute... ugh.
Just awful all around. #akivagoldsman
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10/20/09
In this case, the film basically follows the protagonist through difficult travails, only to end on a bizarrely out of place grace note where some minor and (narratively) forgotten achievement from his earlier life turns out to be something significant, and he's lauded for it.
It has no dramatic arc. There is no sense of accomplishment. No point to the overblown hour of conspiracy/paranoia sequence, because it just doesn't matter to the end of the story.
The Oscars have a history of acknowledging sentimental favorites over superior films. This is one of those instances. And it didn't hurt that a few of the other nominees were problematic in one regard or another. #akivagoldsman
10/20/09
10/20/09
In this case the sentimentality was towards a well-liked and respected director who'd never gotten an Oscar. #akivagoldsman
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10/20/09
You somehow thought that my negative response was based on my emotional response to the film... when my criticism was entirely based on how it worked as a story. #akivagoldsman
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10/20/09
It was admittedly a well-acted, well-made film. However, if it had been an original story, it would not have been made because it does not work well as a story.
Look at it in basic, non-emotional terms:
The main character does something of little dramatic importance (construct an economic theory) that is abandoned early in the narrative. Then a majority of the story's narrative is spent in an extremely dramatic experience (the conspiracy/paranoia thing stemming from mental illness) that ultimately ruins him and nearly costs him everything (job, wife, etc.). The majority of the narrative is spent dealing with these experiences. Then out of the blue, someone pops in and says "Hey, that economic theory you came up with all those years ago before you went crazy is really good. Here's a prize!"
The beginning and ending of the film have no bearing on the stuff in the middle. That's terrible from a dramatic point of view.
I don't know how much clearer I can be when I say it was a terrible story. The guy wrote Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, I, Robot, and I am Legend. It's entirely possible that his "respectable" writing might not be that good as well. #akivagoldsman
10/20/09
10/20/09
You asked me why I thought it was a terrible film. I explained my position clearly.
If your goal was to try to convince me that the film succeeded when I feel it failed, you were unsuccessful. If you somehow wanted to convince me to re-evaluate my position on the film, all I can say is that the more I think about it, the more I believe it fails.
On the other hand, I've enjoyed Goldsman's work on Fringe, so make of that what you will. #akivagoldsman
10/20/09
i don't really get it to be honest. so you didn't like the film, why does that mean there has to be something wrong with it? can't a film be technically great and go unliked by whitworthian? #akivagoldsman
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It makes every other superhero movie automatically better. #akivagoldsman
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It's actually pretty damn funny. The rubber icicles and Batman as a dick scenes are worth it if you stumble over it on basic cable.
[www.youtube.com] #akivagoldsman
05/15/09
05/15/09
you forgot "wearing underwear"
05/15/09
what about if shes not wearing underwear? Just throwing it out there
05/15/09
Then I will change my mind about the quality of this show in a heartbeat.
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(snicker)
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