One reviewer called the subject gross--they knew that goin in so why did they watch? Idiots. I didn't expect this to be as good or as thoughtful as it was, nor for the acting to be as great--the female leads were very convincing as teenage girls, but with the amount of T shown, obviously they were adult actresses! Leguizamo, Nixon & Waterston were fantastic in their roles. I found the script to be well done, showing the consequences, the changes in personalities, the struggle between Waterston's & Leguizamo's characters from start to finish, the ending was exactly how it needed to end to make sense. Great video & audio quality even streaming & there are some major breast shots in HD that look incredible, so it's not free of the T part of T & A anyway, for those who mind, I didn't (even being female). The R is for mature subject matter, not for content. I'd recommend this, 10 times better than most in this genre & subject.
Audio quality was poor, video decent, however the editing a 5th grader could do better. About 6 full length music video performances, though a few were chopped about 2/3 in, the interviews were chopped in middle of answering too often, the last 20 minutes was 1st an ad for Dirt Bags (with worst acting ever seen) then 10 minutes of Grimoire Girls modeling. I'd rather have seen some of band members near nude, than the women, where's out eye candy? I had hoped to find answers to define the grunting of death metal, but less than 2 minutes spent on that so the one thing that truly sets death metal apart wasn't really addressed at all. Most of the musicians stated how technical & difficult death metal is to perform, but why didn't they focus on the vocal part which is at least half the equation? I enjoyed the man interviewees answers & perspectives, love the metal music itself but am not a fan of the grunting & had hoped to understand that aspect after 98 minutes.
On the news & in the media I hear this term used a lot, innocent victim. Is there any other kind of victim? A guilty victim perhaps? How about an innocent predator? A predator victim? How about the term innocent bystander, is there a guilty one? Hit and run today was a creepy bystander who deserved it, perhaps? How about today a 17 year old slut was raped, now on to other news? Of course NOT!
Yet we hear, and even repeat, these phrases without stopping to think what we are really saying. How often do we pay attention to what we think, say or hear? In today's busy world, not often, too much information overload to really spend any time choosing with care, the quickest route is automatic.
Perhaps because I write reviews every day, I started noticing the phrases I was using to describe the experiences so others could relate. I felt challenged to come up with different phrases or adjectives even for similar items, beauty interchangeable with gorgeous, awesome with superb, amazing with incredible, fantastic with excellent, but the phrases I found myself using too often were "funny as hell" and "sexy as hell" when we all know there's not much funny or sexy about the definition of what hell is to most people. Once I noticed how often I used those terms, I became curious enough to look up their origins, and down the rabbit hole I went, finding very little to point the way back to sanity.
I recently had purchased two CD compilations for a 9/11 Tribute project, and mixed in with nearly all the songs were actual news audio samples from the coverage & reporters at the scene of what I'd describe as a hell on earth, ground zero. Many were still trying to figure out what had happened, as we still are even now unsure what exactly went on that day. Heard over & over were the phrases "innocent victim" (actually has a LEGAL definition & we call ourselves civilized?) and "innocent bystander". Really? Were any that day deserving of their fate, or NOT innocent? How about just bystanders and victims, why can't we just say that without trying to qualify them as innocent?
I don't have the answers, I'm just observing something that I'd spent most of my life ignoring, in a rush, not really thinking or paying attention to the language used in daily life. I'm a word geek, used to love reading the dictionary, encyclopedias, thesauruses, vocabulary builders & other such FUN (to me anyway) light reading. Does anyone else read the cereal box just because it's there & is something to do while crunching down the cereal? I'll even go a step further...has anyone else, as a kid especially, pretended to do commercials for the products by reading off the content from the container? "Prell shampoo will make your hair squeaky clean", or "Eat your Wheaties, grow big & strong like Joe Namath" [disclaimer: phrases made up, not necessarily actual product info]; anyone? Perhaps I spent too much time alone, having to entertain myself?
Has anyone paid attention to what's written on the items we use everyday & take for granted that everyone else knows how to use them? Such as a warning about "HOT Coffee" being in your coffee cup? Or still needing instructions on bottles of shampoo that describe how to shampoo your hair? How about the warnings on plastic bag wrappers, not to wrap them around our head & try to breathe? Really? Are we THAT dumb or that clueless? Are there really people who need those warnings? Apparently so. Manufacturers aren't creating them at their own expense for laughs. We love to read the labels now, check the contents & nutritional content of any food--have you noticed that where it tells you for example, 3 g protein, 5 g carbs, then it will also say "not a significant source of ..." whatever is NOT in the ingredient list? We can't figure that out for ourselves, we have to have a separate list of what's NOT in the package too?
I swear, I fear for our continued sanity & existence if these trends continue, for soon we won't be able to think for ourselves at all, but will expect everything to be spoon fed, decisions made for us, directions for the most basic self care required or we're lost, unable to figure out what to do with a bar of soap, or the empty bottles that tell us to recycle.
An article in Discover Science in 2010 featured an article about a scientific study that has determined that our brains have been steadily shrinking, our intelligence dropping, in record numbers & very quickly, prompting a debate on whether we are actually becoming dumber. Among several culprits blamed were being civilized, agriculture & animal farming, as well as living in cramped quarters, meaning we're safer, don't have to think about survival on a minute by minute basis, our food is provided so we don't have to plan a hunt or the best way to trap or kill supper, civilization meaning we need spend less time worrying about our enemies in a different tribe or region coming to pillage our gains. In many ways technology has made us less self-reliant, less aware, less intelligent or at least under utilizing our intelligence. An interesting topic, more studies need to be done to pinpoint the answers, said the scientists, some of our smartest humans.
The saying "take time to smell the flowers" or alternately, "take time to smell the coffee", can also speak to us on taking the time to pay attention, period. Slow down, think more, challenge our brains, make the more difficult choices, switch the route we run or drive or walk or bike home from work, read books that aren't just for fun but make us use our brains, actively pursue learning something new every day even if it's just a new word or using an old word in a new way. I've heard that one way to avoid senility & related illnesses is to exercise the brain just as much and as often as we exercise the body. For me, working out with my brain is much more fun than exercise, but like any muscle, if not used regularly, it gets out of shape or atrophies. Use it or lose it.
Took a LONG time to warm up & get a few laughs, more than half the show in fact which is not a good sign. The kangaroo dog thing was the most hilarious bit & it came about 45 minutes in, before that nothing. Previous reviewers had it right, he really isn't anything special & anyone could do his act & probably BETTER than he did it unfortunately. The old technology jokes were very outdated, he had a flip phone & thought it was hot tech, did bits on old tape & CD players vs. iPods in the gym, did the Italian heritage stuff blandly--bad since very little Italian could ever be considered bland. He does characterizations well, his facial expression is mobile enough to get some laughs from impressions. Nothing raunchy or at all on the edge, inoffensive, juvenile intelligence level jokes that don't seem to relate well with anyone in the audience. I would NOT recommend renting or buying this, MAYBE see on cable free. Skip 1st half.
I didn't see the original, thought this was it until these reviews referred back to it, now I'll go look for original. I loved how it started, in our world, and the early to middle sections, but it lost me in there somewhere, the effects became more important than the movie, story/plot, characters, acting & especially Zeus, the android women, the effects were way too obvious! A sign of awesome effects is when you can't tell the difference between real & fake--in this it's ALL fake, even the twin to Bridge's character is like a Matrix Mr. Smith. In fact, this is not even close to as good as the Matrix was--& used too many other flicks to copy instead of coming up with new. I'm giving it 4 stars because Bridges was amazing as was Wilde. The concept could have been so much better if it had a different young male lead, if the CGI wasn't so obvious, and if the characters were more developed. I did love the light-bikes/planes.
Be gentle, this is my 1st bulletin! :-) I figured I'm on here trying to catch up with messages, but since I didn't make it through all today, I'd send a note for now until I can come back & finish my replies. The following links will give you plenty to do in the meantime--to get a fix of my sick & twisted sense of humor or music & video tastes, or whatever your poison of choice, heh heh. Be back tomorrow... Gina [All links below will open in a new window]
I've also updated my profile with fav videos embedded, new tattoo pics added, a few new bands in my band list, and added new stuff to my playlist for you to borrow to your own or just play in the background while browsing around. I have it set to OFF, so you have to click play to listen (I hate the auto play function). http://vampirefreaks.com/u/awolgina?r=4749790
AWOLGina Fav TB Quote: Bill: Since when has any fanatic been held back by the improbability of their righteous mission?
I'm often using phrases, as do we all, that I don't stop & think, "what is it I am saying?" For example, I often use the phrases "sexy as hell" and "funny as hell". Obviously if taken literally, nothing is LESS sexy or funny than HELL. So how did these idioms get into common usage?
After spending hours researching the origins of these phrases, the most I could come up with was a reference to gallows humor. What really seems odd is that as large as the internet is, there's not ONE web site that lists this phrase with its actual origins! Isn't this supposed to be the digital age of finding any answer online within seconds? Apparently not when it comes to the English language. I feel for the English as Second Language folks trying to understand half of what we say when we use cliches, idioms & phrases without thought for their meanings or origins.
The phrase "funny as hell", when hell is often considered a serious term, comes from what is commonly called gallows humor. While many consider hell to be a serious subject, the phrase "gallows humor" refers to police, firemen & other such personnel using humor in morbid situations, such as morgue workers & police around dead bodies for example, to release some of the tensions of their job, to keep from becoming burnt out, depressed or crazy over what they must see & deal with on a daily basis.
The closest I could get to a real definition, which as you can see isn't very close to "funny as hell" at all, was this:
n. Humorous treatment of a grave or dire situation: "conveying with gallows humor the utter insanity of the nuclear-arms race" (New York).
www.answers.com/topic/gallows-humor
Interestingly, in a somewhat related thread of thought, the phrase "going to hell in a hand basket" is traced back to the actual gallows when decapitation via guillotine was common, with movies often showing the heads falling into a basket. Wallah, going to hell in a hand basket. [You try finding anything more definitive!].
I probably won't be using these phrases again now that I've found myself noticing how often I've used them and questioning their meaning. Often the things I've described as "funny as hell" or "sexy as hell" are in no way related to the gallows humor of the idiom's foundation. For those interested in words & language--a dictionary geek like me (I used to read the dictionary & reference books for FUN) perhaps?--I will include the actual definitions of hell from the most used dictionary (and the one I own, go to & READ most often), pasted in below. Now, isn't this just as interesting as hell?
Gina Jordan AKA awolgina 11-19-2011
Merriam Webster defines Hell as:
Definition of HELL
1
a (1): a nether world in which the dead continue to exist :hades(2): the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which the damned suffer everlasting punishment —often used in curses <go to hell> or as a generalized term of abuse<the hell with it>bChristian Science:error 2b, sin
2
a: a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness <war is hell — W. T. Sherman>b: a place or state of turmoil or destruction <all hell broke loose>c: a severe scolding; also:flak, grief<gave me hell for coming in late>d: unrestrained fun or sportiveness <the kids were full ofhell> —often used in the phrase for the hell of it especially to suggest action on impulse or without a serious motive<decided to go for the hell of it>e: an extremely unpleasant and often inescapable situation<rush-hour hell>
3
archaic: a tailor's receptacle
4
—used as an interjection <hell, I don't know!> or as an intensive <hurts like hell><funny as hell> ; often used in the phrase hell of a<it was one hell of a good fight> or hell out of<scared the hell out of him> or with the or in<moved way the hell up north><what in hell is wrong, now?>
— from hell
: being the worst or most dreadful of its kind
— hell on
: very hard on or destructive to <the constant traveling ishell on your digestive system>
— hell or high water
: difficulties of whatever kind or size <will stand by her convictions come hell or high water>
— hell to pay
: dire consequences <if he's late there'll be hell to pay>
— what the hell
—used interjectionally to express a lack of concern about consequences or risks <it might cost him half his estate … but what the hell — N. W. Aldrich b1935>
Easy 5 stars! I had never heard his work before & now want to see all he's done. In some he reminded me of Bill Hicks & Doug Stanhope, not in similarity of routines so much as material he's willing to cover & does so well. Laugh out loud hilarious throughout, no quality issues despite being streaming, however it does end 5 minutes early--though there's a blurb if one waits that long--or fast forwards to the end bit. There were only a few swears & scatological references, which are ROTFLMFAO funny to me. Nothing real juvenile, some of his topics could have ended up dull but the way he delivered them made for a fresh perspective & nearly continuous laughs. Someone said he's anti-Semitic, a lie since half his family is Jewish & most Jews I know would laugh as hard at his all too true characterizations. If one can't laugh at oneself, one doesn't belong in a stand up comedy show or film audience, duh! He gives equal time to ALL the major religions, equal opportunity offender, lol.
So bad it deserves not even ONE star! I could not watch it past the 30 minute mark & went on to watch something much better instead of wasting the rest of my night on this. The actors were like 1st time, no experience drama students, as was the production values, dialogue, script, characters, every aspect of this movie was of the lowest quality possible--not even as good as a high school film project could have done. I can stand quirky movies IF done well, do not waste your time! The plot might have worked with better actors & script, the concept sounded interesting or I'd have never looked at this despite the poor reviews. For a 78 minute movie, nothing at all happened during the 1st 30 minutes, they still had not gotten to the act of taking the pills. Credibility is at issue since there are drugs already existing that cause amnesia which are readily available on streets or by Rx. Don't even watch on TV for free.
This was an incredible movie, I could not look away, suspenseful without being anxious, loved the twisted ending too. I would definitely recommend seeing & even buying this movie on DVD, & I don't recommend that very often. Fantastic acting, script, production values, top notch in every way. Ground breaking as well, a new plot we haven't seen repeatedly over done, and it's a relatively clean movie for those who are offended easily by sex or language, although there is a good amount of violence. Cooper will be doing big things after such a superb job leading this film. De Niro was excellent as always--he makes it look easy! The dialogue & every aspect worked perfectly, no credibility issues or other holes to knock one out of the movie head space. In fact, this was even better than Inception of other movies I've seen recently & rated highly. Wish I could give this one ten stars.
1st, the video was out of focus when other cameras focused on him; 2nd, there were commercial interruptions for HIM, every 60-90 seconds; 3rd, all swears were bleeped; 4th, the last 5 minutes was him trying to get laid (as if he has to try?). So the supposed 42 minutes was more like 25 actual minutes. More than half on hate mail, the rest on MTV awards which was funny but not as a main bit for the whole show. I love Brand's work, and his looks & style, I want to see more stand up by him before I give him up as hopeless as a stand up comedian. Glad he's so much better in movies, though he would disagree--apparently he was so bad in Sarah movie they had to cut all his action scenes (surfing, horse riding, etc). I'd truly like to see what made him so famous in England because it's NOT translating here at all. So I can't recommend this, I surprised myself by staying through it all as it is.
See 
