The Movie Blog: Uncut - August 20th 2007
Posted by John Campeaon 20. 08. 2007in Uncut Podcast
Hey there guys. It’s quiet around The Movie Blog studios this Monday as both Darren Conley and Bruxy Cavey are away. However, Doug and I do our very best to hold down the fort and we bring you the follwing:
1) CNN, Porn and Hillary Clinton
2) New “Prince of Peace - God of War” news
3) Cell Phones Should be banned in theaters
4) Paramount and Dreamworks go with HD-DVD only
5) Office Space
6) More on the Justice League
7) Unrated DVDs
All this and a few things more.
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I hate cell phones in thaters. I hate the format war. I hate unrated DVDs(except for Bad Santa). I hate the idea of a Justice League/Wonder Woman pimpfest. Might as well call this the “shit Kristina hates” edition.
Oh Lord, I forgot about the Happy Feet director set to helm the Justice League. Dammit, I want a Batman/Superman film! Aw hell, I wish Frank Miller would direct. *sinisterlaughter*
hey john….is it really achievable to have a cell phone check in?don’t get me wrong i totally agree with you phones should be gone…I mean i take my batrtery off if i have it on me…I do not want to be that guy
i just can’t see how a check in could work….. 200 hundred plus people checking in their phone and then que up to pick it up aafter the film? meanwhile you have the next lot of 200 people waiting to go into the next session? i just think that is way to much of a potential headache…i think there is an easier solution….zero tolerance…your phone rings you are kicked out. whether or not you thought it was off. have big ass sign at the door…IF YOUR PHONE GOES OFF DURING THE SCREENING YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE WITH NO REFUNDS.
i just think it would be impossible to check that 200 plus people have phones on them before each screening…..
but you are not playing the bad guy here at all.
…same goes for laser pointers…when matrix reloaded came out I went to a saturday matinee opening weekend. it was packed out and during the trailers someone kept laser pointering the screen.
all of a sudden the trailers stopped the lights came up and a guy stood up and said “i am the manager of this cinema and I have taken the day off to come and enjoy this film. if the person with the laser pointer doesn’t turn it in right now we will not run the film. i will give it back at films end but hand it in now”
and this little kid about twelve years old eventually got up after the crowd made it quite clear there would be blood handed it in and the crowd erupte din applause. it was at the height of laser point mania but it was a great moment…too bad it was all down hill from there with the terrible film….half an hour into it it could have done with some laser pointing..piece of shit film but anyway……
hey john….is it really achievable to have a cell phone check in?don’t get me wrong i totally agree with you phones should be gone…I mean i take my batrtery off if i have it on me…I do not want to be that guy
i just can’t see how a check in could work….. 200 hundred plus people checking in their phone and then que up to pick it up aafter the film? meanwhile you have the next lot of 200 people waiting to go into the next session? i just think that is way to much of a potential headache…i think there is an easier solution….zero tolerance…your phone rings you are kicked out. whether or not you thought it was off. have big ass sign at the door…IF YOUR PHONE GOES OFF DURING THE SCREENING YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE WITH NO REFUNDS.
i just think it would be impossible to check that 200 plus people have phones on them before each screening…..
but you are not playing the bad guy here at all.
…same goes for laser pointers…when matrix reloaded came out I went to a saturday matinee opening weekend. it was packed out and during the trailers someone kept laser pointering the screen.
all of a sudden the trailers stopped the lights came up and a guy stood up and said “i am the manager of this cinema and I have taken the day off to come and enjoy this film. if the person with the laser pointer doesn’t turn it in right now we will not run the film. i will give it back at films end but hand it in now”
and this little kid about twelve years old eventually got up after the crowd made it quite clear there would be blood handed it in and the crowd erupte din applause. it was at the height of laser point mania but it was a great moment…too bad it was all down hill from there with the terrible film….half an hour into it it could have done with some laser pointing..piece of shit film but anyway……
sorry for the double post…..as for justice league…i know its been along time but miller did direct mad max and road warrior……maybe he still has greatness in him but I smell trainwreck…..
You don’t have to watch a crappy filmed-in-theatres copy of the Simpsons, since a DVD Screener has leaked
What happened to that great post about Warner bros.
I totally agree about taking phones from people before they enter the theatre. It seems to be the only solution as we do live in a climate where young people have been conditioned to believe that they cannot live without their phones, and the constant barrage of updates and gadgets they can get turning them into ‘life-boys’ as i like to call them, only makes it worse.
The only problem i can see is that theatres won’t enforce this policy. All the ones i frequent are understaffed and only employ underpaid students. The same people who would hate to have their phone taken off them.
Aquaman is the worst hero ever!
Americans will never let you take their cell phone in a theater. Way too many “what ifs”. Sure you can go a couple hours without a cell phone, BUT what if something happens and noww someone says “if the theater didnt take my cell phone, such and such wouldnt have happened”.
They tried to ban cell phones from schools here and people lost their mind over it and it went out the window faster than Doug firing nini nini maweanie out the back door to chase wild coyotes in the yard.
Its a fine idea but it wont happen.
Regarding the Michael Vick on the front page of CNN thing; I was about to comment to you while listening to the audio, “would you rather they put Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan or Brittany Spears on the front page for a week again? I’m glad it’s not them.” But then you had to tell me that Jenna and Heidi are there instead. Eugh.
Great show guys. I listened to this on the way home today and I guess it caused me to be overly opinionated (or maybe it’s the gin). Anyway, here are a few comments:
1) CNN puts tabloid news on their front page for the same reason we get shitty sequels to movies: it sells. While you have a high opinion of CNN as the world’s news source, their TV ratings are lagging behind Fox News. Fox News does sensational garbage news, so CNN feels like they need to follow suit. They’re not in it for objectivity or integrity, they’re in it for the money (viewers/clickers = higher ad rates = profit). Journalism is (nearly) dead in this country. BBC and CBC are awesome. The BBC has a great daily podcast that reminds me what “news” is supposed to sound like.
2) I will be among the first in line to buy my copy of the POPGOW DVD. Just let me know where the line forms.
3) Cell phones in theaters. Look, as much as this stresses you out, a ban will not work. For at least 2 reasons:
- Some people legitimately need to be on call for various things. Doctors, parents, managers of critical systems that have to be on call 24/7, etc. They certainly do NOT have the right to have the ringer on or to have the conversation in the theater, but these folks might need to be contacted no matter where they are.
- Cell phones are the most visible culprit today, but there are any number of other gadgets that can be disruptive. Will you ban pagers, iPods, PDAs, palm top computers, GPS navigation systems, walkie talkies, yada yada yada? All of these devices (and more) can be used to be disruptive and can be concealed on your person. The problem is the behavior (the disruption) and not the device.
The last few movies I attended didn’t have any issues with cell phones as there were at least 3 warnings to put your phone on vibrate (which I observed several people doing). This is common courtesy. The theater should just kick out disruptive people. The experience Alfie described above was the appropriate (if a bit extreme) way of handling it. I hate the little fuckers talking on their phones or text messaging or laser pointing too. Just kick them out. If the theater won’t kick them out, demand a refund. You’re paying for the *experience* of going to the movie. If it isn’t a pleasant experience, the theater failed.
4) The DVD Civil War is about dominance in the market place and trying to recoup enormous Research and Development costs. Sony and Toshiba will keep swinging until someone tips the scale. I think they’re fighting over scraps anyway. HD looks great, but it’s not so compelling that people will take the gamble you describe in the podcast (spend money on the loser technology just to turn around and buy it all again). Current DVD technology will do just fine until this mess has run its course.
5) Office Space is a classic. It’s quoted and referred to everywhere.
6) The Justice League Movie news is pretty discouraging, but I’m not sure it will do well any way. I think too many people will see this as a “me too” response to X-Men. If you had a movie with just Superman and Batman, I think that could work. I just don’t know that there’s that much interest in the other characters. But then again Spiderman 3 was shit and people came out in droves.
7) You and Serena are right. Unrated DVDs are among the biggest ploys in DVD sales. It’s pathetic, but we keep buying them. Who would be able to resist Mean Girls, the unrated version! ;)
Keep up the quality podcasts. I never miss a one.
Different versions of the same Movie on DVD, “directors cut, special editions,anniversary editions” are a total pain in the ass. If you want to put a stop to it here’s my advice…DON’T BUY THEM !!! grow a set of balls and put your foot down, either wait for the edition you want to be released or buy the 1st version to hit the stores. Just make a choice. Remenber, you don’t have to stand tall, but you have to stand up.