Upcoming: 10,000 BC

I watched the trailer of 10,000 BC today, and here’s my two cents: anything that promises “a legend never told”, followed by “from the director of Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow”, about a man who “will challenge an empire”, but curiously speaks English with that rough, Eastern European or African (or whatever) accent, wears a reggae-singer hairdo, looks built like someone who’s been working out in a gym, supported by special appearances of mammoths and big cats of ridiculous sizes, involving a very slim, beautiful woman, and a set of pyramid-like megastructure behind…

seems epic indeed.

Escapes

Joe Fox, a character Tom Hanks played in You've Got Mail, said:

The Godfather answers all of life's questions. What should I pack for my summer vacation? "Leave the gun, take the cannoli."

Later in the movie, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) questioned her boyfriend why every man seemed to associate with The Godfather so much (something along the line). I ask the same question. A friend of mine mentioned the same thing yesterday, but she also added a remark from her bf: why women were so crazy about romantic comedies. Well, I don't really have an answer to that, I also find it a little peculiar. Me myself am hardly a romantic fool in reality, but You've Got Mail stays on top of my favorite movies list.

I watched Pride and Prejudice again last night, such an easily tempting idea. On the other hand, the thought of finishing Goodfellas, which I started last month, has not crossed my mind at all. A few nights ago I spent two hours agonizing over another supposedly guys' movie, Taxi Driver. Luckily I got through it until the end. The reason I rented it in the first place was because it was such a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning classic by Martin Scorsese. I'm sort of embarking upon this little "project" to watch as many Oscar-winning movies as possible right now. Interestingly enough, despite his renowned reputation, I have never been drawn into Scorsese's modern-days works either (I just found out The Aviator and Gangs of New York were both under his direction—yeah, yeah, didn't go out that much back then). I've always considered these titles to be made for men to admire. Simply not my cup of tea.

Back to Pride and Prejudice issue, I personally think it's the ultimate love story. I've read the book (no surprise there), seen the BBC version (and loving it), and if someone were to read the whole book again to me right now, I would sit quietly and listen attentively. It's such a hard effort trying to resist getting melted by all those gooey, silly feelings seeing Keira Knightley with her exquisite beauty and Matthew Macfadyen with his grave countenance make out ala English 19th century way. Women everywhere ought to feel the same way. While it's not a better version than the 1995 miniseries, few movies can affect me this much. Props to the director, and also, to my newfound favorite composer, Dario Marianelli.

Anticipating Rent

Eh, from 100% fresh reading to 47% in a day. Is RENT really worth turning into a movie?

One of my highly anticipated movies this year, I thought it ought to be good, at least close to being as good as Chicago, as a musical standard. I loved Chicago, the story and the the songs. But if it’s done in the way Joel Schumacher did Phantom of the Opera… well, nothing more to say.

It just happens that I watched Phantom again yesterday, almost a year since my first giggling theatre experience. While the giggles had ceased, the frowns were still there. Phantom is, quite simply, a stupid movie. Nevermind that Andrew Lloyd Webber himself produced it or picked up the right actors for each role (loved Miranda Richardson’s French accent), I think that in a musical the line between talking and singing should be clear. See, for example, when Raoul was begging for the Phantom to have compassion for his situation (what? being in love with the woman the other guy falls for?), and singing out his lamentation, while the other two shrieking their own songs at the same time, it was a maddening moment. Conversations throughout the movie are mostly done in singing. Also maddening. It’s not a movie, it’s a play being recorded. There are a ton of other things I don’t like about Phantom, but I’ve been through those once earlier this year.

Back to Rent. Judging from the soundtrack already released, I thought the movie interpretation would likely fall between Chicago and Phantom, but would lean more towards the former. Most of the original cast are present in the movie, so I don’t think acting ability and emotionless actors are the main problem (I honestly can’t wait to see Idina Menzel—I have a thing for her). Whether direction gone astray, or the story simply sucks and should better off stay in stage. I truly hope I won’t come out of theatre humming “eight thousand fortysome irretrievable seconds, how do you measure the time that you wasted on Rent?”

Anticipating Pride and Prejudice

USA Today has a piece about Pride & Prejudice, in which it mentions past adaptations and the newest one, that officially sets me in “silent slobbering” state. I’ll admit I’m not privy to the 1940 version, but looking at the horrendous picture (how could they be?), I don’t feel like missing anything. The BBC version, however, is tough to beat, because not only do I (and millions of other women viewers around the world) adore Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy so much, it also happens that the mini-series sticks right to almost every line in the book, so it’s a significance, indeed, that the critics approve of the new version, if it’s considered more “Hollywood-ish”.

Ever since I learned of a new Pride & Prejudice version coming out, I’d been in doubt about the cast, i.e: an unknown Matthew Macfadyen to play the ultimate women’s beloved snob, and Kiera Knightley, who, well… isn’t she too young? But I forgot that Elizabeth Bennet is merely 20 years old. If I have to describe Jennifer Ehle (Lizzy in ‘95 version) in a word, I’d say she was wholesome, and she was also perfect for the role. Knightley certainly isn’t wholesome, but she’s slim and looks a bit, just a teensy bit, snappy, quite a contradiction to Ehle, I think. Anyway, I’m kinda unwilling to let go the picture of Colin Firth as the dashing Mr. Darcy in my head now, so if Matthew Macfadyen screws up… I’ll thank him.

Pride & Prejudice is currently rated fresh (82%) by the Tomatometer critics. Release date (limited in U.S.): 11/11/05. Local release: unknown. =(

Coming soon, indeed: X3

Ah. The year 2006 looks better ahead with another installment of X-Men movie “X3″ scheduled to be released on May 26th. ComingSoon reports an official website has been launched where you can watch a Flash-featured teaser trailer (well, when they say teaser, do you really have to look it up?).

Does this indicate that I’m a comic-book geek? Because I’m not. Really.