gdp's Comments

Ladd Ehlinger Jr., Hyphenate : Star Trek Economics

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:35:46 +0000

I'm sorry, but you're completely and utterly wrong. Allow me to draw your attention to their first ever appearance, in the TNG episode The Last Outpost: http://www.st-minutiae.com/academy/literature329/... From page 53:

LETEK (exhibiting the Starfleet insignias taken) Proof of their barbarism -- they adorn themselves with gold, a despicable use of rare metal...

Looks like they in fact valued gold very highly, doesn't it?

Big Hollywood : In Memoriam: Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012)

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 22:06:39 +0000

I think Mary Jo Kopechne might know what that was about, but she's unavailable for comment.

Big Hollywood : In Memoriam: Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012)

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 19:44:22 +0000

Before I saw this I thought I was having a crappy day, but this puts that all into perspective. I can't believe that Andrew Breitbart is dead, and my deepest condolences go out to all his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Big Hollywood : How 'Act of Valor' Broke Through to the Mainstream

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 11:16:11 +0000

A $17M domestic gross on a $15M budget is a "commercial smash"? They made another $32M internationally, so they may have made a small profit if they skimped on promotion, but we're far from "smash" territory here.

Big Hollywood : ‘Game of Thrones’ Review: Gripping and Unpredictable

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 10:35:28 +0000

Except it's a TV show. He's survived TV shows before... Having not read the book, it was a genuine surprise to me when they actually killed off Ned Stark. Up to that point, he was the closest thing the show had to a central character. Until the second they cut his head off, I thought he would be saved somehow.

Big Hollywood : ‘Game of Thrones’ Review: Gripping and Unpredictable

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 10:27:44 +0000

Shame he was completely incapable of pronouncing Hereford, though. Makes you wonder how many takes they went through before they gave up trying...

Big Hollywood : 'One For the Money' Review: Heigl's Grating Jersey Girl No Feminist Role Model

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:50:48 +0000

I think you need to read the books to "get" the premise here.

If an adaptation of a book can't be enjoyed or understood without reading the book first, then it fails as anything other than fan service. It's the filmmakers' job to get us to understand the characters and premise, and it sounds like they failed here.

Big Hollywood : Heigl's Career Still Reeling from Foot in Mouth Disease

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:05:07 +0000

Freedom of speech is not freedom from criticism or consequences. Having said that, I think that her choice of movies is what's killing her career, not some stupid comments from several years ago.

Big Hollywood : Heigl's Career Still Reeling from Foot in Mouth Disease

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:53:17 +0000

Daniel Sunjata is in it, therefore I won't see it. It's that simple.

Big Hollywood : The Five Worst Movies of 2011

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 11:29:04 +0000

Nah, Alien: Resurrection did that. Alien 3 was actually a pretty good movie, it just wasn't what people wanted to see from the franchise: they expected huge Aliens vs Marines battles on an infested Earth, and got one Alien running through tunnels picking off guys at random. It felt like a step backwards. But anyway, the plot and setting weren't Fincher's decision. Fight Club, on the other hand was a boring, pretentious, stupid piece of crap. Its popularity has always mystified me.

Big Hollywood : The Worst Song of All Time: 'Imagine'

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 01:59:02 +0000

He couldn't have voted for Reagan even if he wanted to, he wasn't a citizen.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:20:46 +0000

Are you even reading my comments? I actually said three comments ago:

If you really can't find an actress who looks the part, forget about hand-to-hand combat altogether and just have her shoot everybody.

And, since you seem to have forgotten, you set the parameters with your first comment:

Martial arts training alone doesn't make for a compelling action hero/heroine. You can't turn an uncharismatic actress into a star, but you can teach a charismatic actress enough to make her look believable.

You were quite clearly talking about hand-to-hand combat, as you were when you said:

By believable I meant that her moves look believable.

But apparently what you really meant was 'she manages to kill the bad guys in some way'. OK, whatever.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:50:13 +0000

OK, how are you going to have an action movie with a heroine that can only fight small, weak adversaries? What scenario could possibly work?

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:36:24 +0000

We are both talking about action movies, aren't we? An action movie without big, strong badguys? Seriously? Would you cast Michael Cera as James Bond? No of course you wouldn't. It's the same if your action hero is a woman, she has to look the part.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:04:04 +0000

No, but it's necessary to have a heroine who looks like she could realistically beat a 300lb strongman. Unless, that is, she's supposed to be 'magic' or have 'superpowers', in which case the whole thing is moot. If you really can't find an actress who looks the part, forget about hand-to-hand combat altogether and just have her shoot everybody.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:59:22 +0000

If the actress doesn't look believable in the role, it isn't really anything that scripting or fight choreography can fix.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:08:55 +0000

I also like to be perplexed and challenged by plot...and this one may do that.

Possibly, but there's no sign of that in the trailer. Looks like Generic Action Movie Plot No. 5: 'She was their best agent until they betrayed her, and now she's out for blood... Theirs!'

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:55:30 +0000

Except that there are few "charismatic actresses" who make believable fighters. If I've just seen a 90lb woman with forearms I could touch my thumb to my index finger around punch out a muscular 250lb man, that's going to take me out of the movie somewhat.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:56:13 +0000

I imagine they're in it because it's a Steven Soderbergh movie.

Big Hollywood : Trailer Talk: 'Haywire' - Hollywood's Newest Action Heroine?

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:24:49 +0000

It's what I've been saying for years: if you are going to have a movie focused around a hot chick beating trained killers, choose a hot chick who looks like she could actually beat a trained killer. So, that part of the movie they nailed. The rest of it - well, that trailer makes it look like a slightly above average DTV action movie that inexplicably attracted an A-list cast. I'll probably check it out on TV in a few years, or maybe buy the DVD if I find it cheap.