Posts by Melissa Moore32

Just a little warm-up before the women's downhill starts, let's take a second to congratulate Bode Miller on grabbing another win in the downhill. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Jose Miller17>...besides that, don't you think you're getting a little too intense about this movie, Adam Wright56?

Look, I think this movie is great, but not in the way that classics like "Murder on the Orient Express," "Star Wars," "Dr. Strangelove," "The Godfather," "Metropolis" (Tezukin), and some other films I love are great.

It’s good to me because it’s essentially bad, but it isn't bad in the way that movies like "Alucard," "The Matrix Revolutions," or "King Arthur" are bad.

If you know what I mean. 😉

Jose Miller17> So you're saying it was intentionally poorly directed...

No, no, no... what I'm trying to say is that it's actually a good thing the director wasn't much better. If a far superior director had handled this and tried to take it in that direction, we would have ended up with either some pretentious garbage, a long and exhausting slog, or some totally soulless "Disney-style" flick for kids.

As it stands, we have a movie that we can always laugh at—something you watch with a group of friends and just have a blast with, without feeling like it's treating you like an idiot.😉

I don't think it's really about the director as a person, but more about the direction itself, regardless of who was behind the camera.

Another huge thumbs down :2up: to the major American networks that won't even bother broadcasting the World Cup races, even when Lindsey Vonn is on the slopes. 👎

Tonight we’ve got the first Downhill of the season, and Lindsey is starting at 15th.

Honestly, I'm a bit confused by our local news feed—it says Lindsey starts 31st, but the official IOC website shows she's actually 15th, and that Mikaela Shiffrin is the one starting 31st. (I guess our media outlets messed up again 👎 ).

Best of luck to Lindsey; I really hope she makes it to the finish line in one piece. 👍

quietdriver3 said:In other words, we all agree it could have been better... just a little bit... maybe even just a tiny nudge... 😁

You’re seriously asking me—someone who is a total pain in the neck, by the way—that? 😁

Look, obviously, there's always room for improvement, but I'm saying this movie is "way better" than it's bad.

That’s why I think the film works just fine as it is. Sure, some scenes could've been polished up, but I don't think that makes the whole thing any worse. 😉

JF > Now you’re treating me like some kid who just doesn't get how the real world works.

Come on, Richard Howard2, stop making up these "attacks" on your iron. 🙄

I mean, maybe it’s just me, but I feel like that whole sense of atmosphere... it's just gone. That specific concept they used to nail? It simply got lost somewhere along the way.
Just to put this in perspective—it’s like watching a Batman movie that starts out with that classic Burtonesque vibe, you know? Like Batman Returns, where everything feels dark, grotesque, and almost naively funny. But then, halfway through, it just pivots into that total Schumacheresque mess like Batman Forever, turning all neon and overstuffed with cheap special effects until there isn't a single trace of the atmosphere they built at the beginning.

Ten... freaking... minutes. Seriously? Ten minutes? I mean, if that was the entire duration of that "vibe" and "atmosphere" you keep raving about, then I guess we have a pretty big problem. 🙄

If someone had just shoved me into a movie theater without telling me anything—not even the title or what the plot was about—I probably wouldn't have known what hit me. I guess I would’ve sat there for maybe ten minutes before realizing the whole thing was just some massive joke. Honestly, at that point, it wouldn't have even mattered to me if the movie featured aliens or dinosaurs, or even some weird "Spy Kids" vibe. It would've been such a total 180 from how those first few minutes started that I probably wouldn't have even cared.

I guess you might feel like bringing up Batman if this were actually a fifty-fifty split, but let’s be real—we’re looking at maybe ten minutes of substance compared to an hour and a half of filler.

Look, I am really sorry if you walked away feeling like I was talking down to you like some little kid... but I promise you, that wasn't my intention. I only did it because, honestly, even a toddler would probably grasp what you just can't seem to wrap your head around.

quietdriver3 > I’m just saying, the movie wouldn't have been nearly as good as it could've been if someone with actual talent had been behind the camera...

I don't know, I can't really get behind that...🙂

I honestly think the movie worked out perfectly exactly because they leaned into the absurdity of it all. If they had tried to make it some "serious" or "high-quality" prestige drama, I don't think it would have landed at all. It just wouldn't have felt right. I guess if they actually wanted to make it the kind of polished masterpiece you’re imagining, they probably would have needed twice as much footage, especially considering how much stuff they already crammed into the runtime.

Let's look at a specific example involving dinosaurs, since everyone seems to keep bringing them up. 😁):

It’s not exactly impossible to toss dinosaurs into a story like that. I mean, you could do it. But the problem is that once you go down that road, you end up dragging a massive pile of extra plot points along with them just to justify why those dinosaurs are even there in the first place. You need all this setup so they feel like they actually belong in the world instead of just being random CGI monsters. And it doesn't stop there, either. It’s the same deal with amphibians, or flying fortresses, or some epic Ark—you start adding one thing, then another, and before you know it, you’re staring at a three-hour bloated mess instead of a tight, ninety-minute movie. It gets exhausting, doesn't it? 😉

And I know exactly what you're thinking here... You weren't even talking about whether the plot actually made sense, you were just obsessing over the vibe of that missing dinosaur scene, weren't you? I guess that's where you're coming from. I'm getting to that point now.

You can't just manufacture a certain vibe out of thin air. To actually build that kind of atmosphere, you have to spend time "setting the stage" first, right? But then you run into the problem where doing that just drags the runtime out, which might end up making the whole movie feel like a slog.

Plus, just imagine if they decided to go overboard and score every single one of those scenes with a full orchestra and Williams conducting in the background. I don't think it would even cross the line into being absurd; it would honestly just be infuriating because there are way too many of them. What makes it worse is that these scenes don't actually serve any real purpose other than trying to dazzle the audience for a split second... and honestly, after seeing five of them in a row, I doubt anyone would even be impressed anymore.

Look, I'm not saying the idea itself is bad. It isn't. But pulling off a concept like this requires a massive amount of nuance and creative breathing room—things this director clearly didn't have at his disposal.

Instead, they just took the easy way out by throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. It feels more like a collection of cheap "triggers" designed to grab attention rather than actual scenes you'd want to sit back and admire. Of course, that's all assuming the audience doesn't take any of it too seriously or look at it with a critical eye.

quietdriver3> but unfortunately, the guy just didn't know how to direct it with any real style (he's a rookie, I think, which shows). He managed to drag everything right up to that edge where you get goosebumps watching stuff like this, but he simply lacked the ideas to actually push you over that edge.

I wonder what someone with a Spielbergian sensibility would have done if they had been tasked with making a film based on the Golden Age of Comics...

I guess we'll never know...

I have to admit, I don't really get why some of you (and yeah, I’m looking at you, Jang) seem to think this was supposed to be a serious movie. 😕 Sure, maybe there was an initial idea to make something akin to a "live-action comic book" 😁—if that's even the right way to put it—but clearly, that wasn't feasible. Honestly, I think it would have been a bit silly and overdone anyway 🙄, so they just pivoted toward pure pulp. In fact, they went so far into overkill 😁 that we ended up with GNISS.

Like I said before, this movie never tries to be serious at any point. So, all this talk about poor direction or a lack of a good story feels like telling me water is wet to me. I mean, you only had to look at the posters or the trailer playing on TV to realize they weren't making something like Indiana Jones, for example.

It’s like being surprised that ''Armageddon'' is packed with American propaganda when you already know Michael Bay directed it.

Richard Howard2 said:The whole thing really just comes down to how inconsistent they were with what they promised at the start of the movie. It wasn't supposed to be Spy Kids or Jurassic Park, anyway. The film had its own specific vibe and style.

sorry Jango, but you’re basically claiming you KNOW exactly what the producers and director intended for this movie, and I don't think either of us can actually say that for sure... or at least, I know that much. 😂 😉

Richard Howard2 said:About halfway through, the movie turns into this weird mashup of Jurassic Park and Spy Kids. It’s like all those elements that were actually designed pretty well at the start just lose their cohesion and stop working together entirely.

But hey, that's just how it goes...😁

Look, this isn't trying to be some high-brow, serious cinematic masterpiece, and honestly, that’s what sets it apart from stuff like Van Helsing, where I honestly have no clue what the hell they were even aiming for. 😵

This flick is basically just a big, goofy joke, and it was made—and presented to us—exactly that way. I guess that’s why it actually works; it doesn't pretend to be something it's not.

Sean Lee7 said:I think you totally misread the situation with the Black character. In our version, they actually changed him to be a guy from Canada, and he's voiced by Branko Duric. He’s honestly one of the better characters, regardless.

I mean, you only really hear him in one scene, so I guess maybe you just caught him at the wrong moment. 😵

But whatever.

Richard Howard2> What is wrong with you people? The movie is just straight-up terrible.

I mean, it isn't exactly some high-brow masterpiece, you know. 😉 (® to CNN)

Richard Howard2> It's not because it tries too hard to be retro, or because the characters are flat and basically just part of the scenery, or because it leans into trashiness, or even because it's just a visual scrapbook. It's because there's a massive difference between having a genius, atmospheric opening where the effects and scenes perfectly capture the vibe of old classics—like how they did with Starship Troopers back in '39—to the point where it actually gets the audience hyped

That initial vibe lasted maybe five or ten minutes... honestly, as soon as those giant robots show up, that mood is gone. 😁 (they all can see it, why can't you 😂 ), so I guess your argument is kind of nonsense. When we spend an hour and a half watching nothing but a parade of special effects for the sake of showing them off, with inconsistent sets and messy pacing, it's pretty stupid to try and defend it by pointing at a beginning that was actually decent.

Richard Howard2> ...what ruined a movie that could have been a real treat.

The movie *is* a treat, but like CNN said, it's not for everyone. Some people are going to love it, and others are going to hate it.

Personally, I loved it because I spent ninety minutes laughing my head off, which hasn't happened for me in a theater in a long time, and that's what matters.

Sean Lee7 said:I went to the premiere where they had the dubbed version, and I have to say, it was done really well.

Look... it’s not even about whether the dubbing is good, bad, fantastic, or a total disaster.

There are just some things I can't bring myself to watch dubbed, especially when the whole meaning gets lost in translation. And honestly, I think that applies to most animated movies.

Anyway, I've seen the trailers playing in theaters lately and it sounds okay, but I just know I won't be laughing at the same jokes as I would with the original audio. Heck, I might not laugh at all.

BTW, a Black character with a Southern accent.... c'mon. 🙄

Sean Lee7 said:I'm usually a die-hard fan of the original versions, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. All the voices were spot on, and apparently, the voice acting for Edna was praised by Pixar as the best dubbing they've ever done globally.

Like I said, I'm not saying our dubbing is bad, but it's just not my thing.

And thank God we've had some pretty decent dubbing in the past, but it seems like there's still this outdated idea here that "an actor isn't serious if they lend their voice to cartoon characters." 🙄

Jamie Sanchez48> The Incredibles is a bit different from their previous stuff; kids might end up disappointed—it’s not Finding Nemo.

You have no idea how much I love hearing that. 🙂

I've been waiting for this one for ages, yet nobody in my circle can even find it on Disney.

Now they're finally hitting our theaters, but through a local Dubbing studio. 👎 I really hope they show at least a few screenings with the original audio. 🙂

Anyway, I have incredibly high expectations for this movie, and I just really hope it doesn't let me down.

Honestly, I guess Pixar is maybe the only one left among the big-name studios actually doing anything worthwhile in America... everything else seems to have gone downhill. That's probably why everyone is scrambling to get their hands on it.

Jamie Sanchez48> Yeah, I'm one of those people who sticks to Pixar animation and thinks Dreamworks movies are garbage, like Shrek.

As if. 🙏 👍

P.S.

Antz was actually pretty good. 😉

Justin Patel said:I knew this would be a good movie.
But the title was a bit much.

About how long does the movie run?

Man, I have no clue... it just flew by for me...

Let me try to remember...🤔

Say it started around 8:45 PM, and we walked out around 10:15 PM, if I recall correctly. Maybe an hour and change... *shrugs*

Richard Hernandez13 said:I hear you, man.

The "question" was actually aimed at hollowseal33, since she was claiming that Angelina's eye patch and those zeppelins over New York City were "trashy."
From what I can tell, she seems to have changed her mind.

To be honest, I was expecting total trash at first too, but they actually pulled it off... like CNN said, "the film stays true to itself" and isn't trying way too hard to be something it's not.

There are plenty of clichés, I guess, but it doesn't feel trashy at all.

Richard Hernandez13 said:Don't trust women.

[Mr. Garrison mode]

Oh, I don't trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die.

[/Mr.Garrison mode]

😂

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow!!!!!111one

To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time I actually went to the movies with a group of people. It’s not that I’m antisocial or anything, it’s just that my real-life friends and I don't exactly share the same tastes—or lack thereof—when it comes to films. Because of that, I haven't gone to the theater with them in years. Or, if I'm being realistic, they just don't bother calling me to go anymore. 😢' ).

Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I actually hit up a movie theater for a showing after 5:00 PM. It felt like a totally new experience for me... you know, actually going to the cinema at night.

Well, I guess all good traditions have to die eventually, and it looks like this one is no exception. And honestly, is there any better way to disrespect tradition than by having a group from my beloved "Oasis of Peace" lead the charge? I don't think so. To cut a long story short, our little crew of eight—plus one—decided to be brave enough tonight to head down to Times Square to check it out. Maybe it's just me, but I honestly think this is the film of the year....and for heaven's sake, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow!!!

Another thing that doesn't happen all that often is not having to invent some trashy, fake title for a movie I just watched. For me, the first real sign that the night was going to be unforgettable was when my old man asked me, “So, what movie are you guys seeing?” and I told him, “GNISS.” He just looked at me like I was crazy and said, “Don't mess with me... what is the actual name of the movie???” Honestly, when even my dad doesn't believe a movie could actually be called “GNISS,” then you know you're in for something good.

Anyway, another good sign was the temperature, which dropped pretty significantly from being "pleasant" to feeling like frozen eggs by the time I left my place at 4:00 AM, walking from Times Square toward Broadway. The last time I froze like that on the way to the theater was last winter when I went to see Lord of the Rings... and man, that was a blast.

I was hanging out Downtown around 7:05 PM, just standing there in the restroom trying to warm up my legs while I sat there daydreaming about whether I could actually find some decent women's lingerie catalogs somewhere. I guess I don't even know where to start with this one. It’s just... frustrating. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but there's really no other way to look at it. I guess I already finished number one before the movie even started...😂It’s just plain rude to get up while a movie is playing, you know. 🙂

I was already hanging out on the second floor at a nearby pub, where my buddy Blacky was busy killing time with some popcorn and beer. I figured I’d jump in and help the poor guy so he wouldn't have to finish it all by himself. Before long, we were joined by the folks from CNN and Easy, and eventually, the rest of the crew showed up too—Pritty, otO, Carrot, and Unspeakable.

Ticket distribution is happening, and honestly, seeing that third, final, good sign... sitting right next to CNN. "This is gonna be soooo fun."

Once we finally stocked up on enough snacks, we hit the opening credits right on cue. 👍

Trailers:

I didn't really pay close attention at first because there was some massive mess-up with my seating assignment... I don't even remember the title, honestly.

Then came Polar Express, followed by what I've been calling the "Great shame animated film" since last summer. Then there was The Incredibles, which, as of today, I’m labeling the "biggest insult by crappy distributors" (mostly because of that awful American dubbing). To wrap it all up, we ended with Ocean's Twelve.

To be honest, none of them really caught my eye enough to make me want to sit down and watch. I guess the only exception would be The Incredibles, but I've been wanting to see that one for a long time now.

Film : Film

The movie kicks off with some pretty rough CGI shots of New York City in the winter and the Hindenburg III hovering near the Empire State Building... but honestly, I guess it’s actually a good thing. It isn't like those other movies where they front-load everything with killer cinematography, insane effects, and top-tier CGI, only for the quality to completely vanish halfway through. Here, it feels like the producers are basically telling us, “Hey, we aren't even trying to make this look perfect,” which actually makes it much easier to just relax. You can just enjoy the movie for what it really is instead of sitting there getting worked up over how much better it should have been.

We’re about to be introduced to our heroine, Polly, the journalist played by Gwyneth Paltrow—and honestly, screw the spelling, I don't care. I have to admit, this might be her hottest role ever. I guess if you're like me and have a thing for women in their late 20s or early 30s, or just that whole Victoria Lake vibe, you're probably going to be pretty much as hooked as I am.

Polly is your typical female lead who constantly finds herself in trouble, though I guess it's less because she's reckless and more just because she keeps showing up where she doesn't belong. And of course, her hair is perfectly blue and stays flawlessly styled regardless of whether the weather is hitting New York City, the Himalayas, some tropical island, or if they're mid-air or deep underwater... Yeah... Gwyneth is basically just a walking advertisement for L'Oréal or one of those high-end hair products in this movie.

Then again, what would our heroine even be without her prince charming? Except in this case, instead of a horse, we get a guy with blindingly white teeth in a cockpit. That "prince" is Sky Captain, a guy named Joe played by Jude Law.

So, what happens next??? After giant robots attack NYC for absolutely no reason, after Polly gets two vials from a dying scientist (which she conveniently doesn't tell Joe about until they get stolen), and after a fleet of robo-birds led by evil ninja-jedi wipes out Sky Captain's base and kidnaps his geeky mechanic, Dex, Joe and Polly head off to the Himalayas. They're hunting down some villainous Dr. Tupenkoft (or whatever his name is) whom they suspect is pulling the strings behind the robots and the scientist murders.

Up to this point, the movie actually looked pretty promising. I mean, hey, we're already seeing stuff most movies don't show until the final act: massive robots leveling NYC, evil ninja-jedi, crazy plane chases through the skyline, planes turning into amphibians, and my personal favorite—that ray gun with the concentric circles for beams.

Naturally, CNN didn't bother trying to make sense of the plot or predict what was coming next. I'm telling you guys, the guy has almost prophetic powers because everything he said actually happened (though, I suppose, there were a few things that caught even him off guard).

Anyway, I won't spoil it all for you or ruin the fun for CNN, since I know they're just dying to recount the whole plot... so I'll stop recounting it here. But I think you've probably gotten a pretty good idea of just how much of a blast this movie is.

Let's just say it's packed with legendary scenes: rooms full of dynamite, Rivendell vibes, flying fortresses, Titanic moments, dinosaurs, fembots, Noah's Ark, and even quotes from Captain Kirk....

Legendary moments:

CNN: All we need now is some dinosaurs and this movie will be complete.
*one minute later*
CNN: yeah.... yeah...... yeah.

I laughed so hard I almost had an accident.😳

personal impression:

This movie has everything... and I mean EVERYTHING. Honestly, watch this and you might not ever need to see another movie again. The CGI is such that half the movie is basically a cartoon, and the other half, the "live action" part, feels like a cartoon too. 😁

This is definitely the best live-action and best animated thing I've seen all year. 10/10. 🙏

I think it could probably sweep the Oscars:

Best Actor: Jude Law – for playing Sky Captain
Best Actress: Gwyneth Paltrow – for playing the reporter Polly
Best Supporting Actor: *that guy from Friends who plays Phoebe's half-brother* – for playing the geeky mechanic Dex.
Best Supporting Actress: the evil ninja-jedi-fembot CGI
Best Film: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Best Animated Film: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Big thanks to the crew from last night.... it was wild and unforgettable... 'we should do it again sometime'. 👍

My advice to everyone else: You HAVE to see this, but definitely do it with company. Watching it solo isn't just a waste of time; it's throwing money down the drain. Grab your popcorn and soda, round up your friends, and hit the theater... anyone who misses this is a total loser. 😉

Replying to Richard Hernandez13: There isn't a single trash scene in the whole thing... it's all pure pulp... and honestly, overkill pulp. I think "pulp" just got a new subgenre, and I'd call it GNISS.🙏

Waaaaaaah !!!!!!!

The second you guys got home and opened this thread... total maniacs!!!

Anyway, I'm finally sitting down to give you my thoughts on the movie.....

But honestly? It’s easily the best film of the year.

redheron12 said:Just right-click on your account, scroll down to the outgoing SMTP server settings, hit advanced, and you can add as many outgoing servers as you want...

Is that really so hard? Is it complicated? Can it be done?

It can! 👍 Thunderbird rocks 😁

Nah... it just keeps showing me the first one I entered (the NSF one) and the default one, which is basically the exact same thing.

Bryan Kern6 said:still? I mean, why... having just one outgoing server is actually great since you're basically using one connection anyway...

Got any other complaints?

Bryan Kern6🤔

Tito Puente! 😵 You are impossible to pin down.

Here is the detailed breakdown of why that logic fails:

I have two different ISPs. I use NSF for about 90% of my web browsing, and then I use Comcast for those rare moments when NSF starts acting up (which happens more often than I'd like), and I really don't want to be stuck without a connection (thank God that's a rarity).

On top of that, I also have an email account through Outlook.

So, here’s the thing: when I'm connected via NSF, I can't send emails through the Comcast server, and vice versa. Since the NSF mail server glitches out way too frequently, it is absolutely vital for me to have at least one other reliable outgoing server available... right? 😉

But Bird only lets me set up just one.

In my opinion, it's a massive oversight that the developers didn't make it so you could manage 100 different accounts for 100 different emails and connections. To me, that's a huge miss.

Bryan Kern6 said:You can only have one outgoing server.

Thanks... Bird 👎

Bryan Kern6 said:Look, I might agree with you on almost everything else, but I just can't get behind Thunderbird...

Maybe I’m just being dense and I missed something obvious, but honestly? If I spend thirty minutes digging through settings and still can't figure out how to set up two separate email accounts with different incoming and outgoing servers, then the software is clearly broken. It shouldn't be this much of a scavenger hunt just to find the most basic settings.👎