filmlover Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 There are a number of films coming out that I am anxious to see around Christmas time: *Les Miserables* with Hugh Jackman *The Gangster Squad* with Sean Penn *Zero Dark Thirty* (getting Osama bin Laden) and I just saw a commerical on TV for one that suddenly jumped to the top for me: *Cirque Du Soleil: World Away 3D* - produced by James Cameron First, you have to know that I am a HUGE Cirque fan, and this TV commercial made my eyes open wide. One day only, 12/21. TV commercial Longer trailer The website is at: http://www.worldsaway3d.com/ It says it incorporates acts from seven of Cirque's Las Vegas shows: Ka, The Beatles' Love, O, Viva Elvis, Zumanity, Chris Angel Believe, and Mystere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryLyn2 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 The only movie I plan to go to the theater and see is *Holiday Inn.* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Filmlover, I saw THE LIFE OF PI and strongly recommend it. It's too long, but has some wonderful scenes and images. We saw the 3-D version, but either way should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LonesomePolecat Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Does *THE HOBBIT* count as Christmastime? I plan to see *LIFE OF PI* as well. But I'm out of my mind with excitement over *LES MISERABLES* which I've been waiting for my entire life, as a life-long fan of the musical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Depends on what opens in my burg. Most of the Oscar touted small films they hold back till Jan or later. Most Christmas general release films dont appeal to me. I do plan to see Les Mis (I'm sure that will open) and Anna Karenina. Not sure about what else..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpompper Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Hibi, when you see "Anna Karenina," please tell us what you think. At this point, I'm wonderin' "Do we REALLY need another film version?" "Do we need another pairing of Keira Knightly and the same director who did 'Atonement'?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 LOL. Will do. The trailer looks good! (But then, they all do!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmlover Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 *Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away* I - LOVED - IT!!!!!!!!! I want to see it again! And I will...going back two or three times next week. Yes, I have seen mediocre reviews, but there are couple of requirements to enjoying this movie: 1. You have to LOVE Cirque Du Soleil. Not just "like"...you have to love them. 2. Don't spend even one second trying to analyse the plot. It's about a young woman who is mesmerized with a young male aerialist and she tries to find him again when they are separated. Everything else are sections of different Las Vegas Cirque shows and even in their entirety don't always make sense. If you try to understand why this is here or that is there, you will run out screaming. 3. It helps a lot to have seen at least a few of these shows in Las Vegas because the movie selects some of the best parts from each. 4. Did I mention you have to LOVE Cirque du Soleil? I think one or two people did walk out but those who stayed applauded and stayed all the way through the end credits (which were very lengthy because they listed each LV show, each hotel, and each person on the crew of the individual productions). The film did present some of the best moments from each show, and getting close added to it, giving us devotees a new look at it. And with the battle scene on the rotating steel plate from "Ka", a look from different angles was a blessing. My favorite Cirque show in Vegas is "The Beatles' Love" and other fans of that production will be very happy. There are about six scenes from it (with Beatles music in the film, too), including "Get Back," "Octopus's Garden," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and the film ends with a group shot of curtain moments for the different show casts set to "All You Need Is Love." Cinematography is excellent. And the 3D is spectacular! Is it just a huge commercial for Cirque du Soleil's Las Vegas shows? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes! Yes! YES!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmlover Posted December 25, 2012 Author Share Posted December 25, 2012 Great review in today's L.A. Times for Les Miserables: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-les-miserables-20121225,0,7403253.story I'm going to see it this afternoon. And Cirque again this morning. What movies are you going to see today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jezebelle Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 I'm going to see Les Miserables tomorrow and possibly Cirque De Sole. I heard that it was really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 I usually avoid movie going at Christmas, but if I DO go, I'll try to find a place that's still showing *Lincoln* . Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casablancalover2 Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Saw Les Miz, love the stage production and music. I really wanted to say the same thing about the movie and cannot. I found the opening scene incredible and terrific, given the epic scope of the story. But the director, Tom Hooper, abandons this perspective almost immediately for profound personal angst without the weighing in of other characters, and he uses the closeup to hamstring the individual's performance with no reaction on screen of other characters. While Hooper succeeded in bringing out great performances from the characters, I thought the staging and photography was abysmal. Number of true ensemble shots within a song could be counted on the fingers of one hand (4). For over two hours, to watch a singer in closeup singing to the sight of tonsils and nose-dripping realism can be effective only once or twice. Sigh.. The performance take that sells the song is the singers in reaction, not just the endless Closeup 1. Closeup 2, Closeup 1. Closeup 2. Ad nasuem, without an actor's chance to react in the moment of the shot of two faces.. It just didn't happen. I don't remember any medium shots with establishing background of significance. You don't realize how important these are until they are missed. Hooper did this intentionally, and I think he ruined many more potentially great scenes than he created with it. Long shots would have been so helpful to break the minutia or to establish mood of the cast. Again too few of count, and the beauty in the hope and the redemption in the story is muddled by all the dirty thoughtless masses. Victor Hugo wanted the reader to identify with the characters; watching this movie, you start to wonder Hooper's vision of the suffering, He has wallowing in dirt cynically. The camera jitter was absolutely not necessary. Why Hooper felt this need to optical realism to a already dark and somber movie is redundant to me. With a film of this length, it does become very distracting, and strikes me as indulgent, and not in a "cut the artiste some slack" way. Sorry if you don't agree, but I thought Hooper delivered us poor telling of the musical masterpiece. And if Cameron Macintosh thought this was a good vision, shame on him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LonesomePolecat Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 Since all Les Miz showings were sold out near me, and since I already saw the Hobbit, I ended up seeing SKYFALL yesterday (which I hadn't seen yet). Not as good as the originals (to me there is no Bond but Connery), but I still enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmlover Posted December 26, 2012 Author Share Posted December 26, 2012 I saw Les Miserables yesterday and I am still digesting how I feel about it. It was an unusual film, seeing as all the singing was captured live during shooting, and it certainly made some fondly remembered songs a lot grittier than ever done before (and while it was honest, may have taken away some of the pleasure - "Master of the House," for one). Jackman was terrific, as always, but Russell Crowe, I felt, was a weak spot in casting and in singing. I see Crowe in his usual movie roles as the more put-upon character, not the one who does the stalking. It was really nice seeing Colm Wilkinson. While there was applause at moments during the end credits, I was about the only one in the audience who applauded at seeing his name. Guess they just don't know he created the musical role on stage. One thing I was very surprised about was that I didn't feel it long, the way I do when I see it on stage. There was a huge turnout for the afternoon showing I went to. I have been going to that multiplex for years, but this was the very first time I saw people (with tickets) lining up inside the multiplex and waiting over an hour and a half to go in. p.s. -- I also saw Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away again before Les Miserables. Loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casablancalover2 Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 I loved Colm Wilkinson as the Priest, No one made notice in the theater I was in, either. But in spite of my feelings about it, I was happy to hear applause at the end of the movie. It means something. Don't get me wrong here; I am stating my opinion only, and mine is not the final word on Les Miserables. Your mileage may vary. This particular camera view just wasn't my cup of tea. >filmlover wrote: I saw Les Miserables yesterday and I am still digesting how I feel about it. It was an unusual film, seeing as all the singing was captured live during shooting, and it certainly made some fondly remembered songs a lot grittier than ever done before (and while it was honest, may have taken away some of the pleasure - "Master of the House," for one). I am still trying to decide that too. The sound in the theater was just lackluster, which really surprises me.. this is a musical. The sound was not sensational at all. I liked Crowe's interpretation, and while it was ions apart from the singing abilities of Phillip Quast, I felt this flawed Javert turning more compelling. I do agree with you on Master of the House. With Sascha Baron Cohen It felt like an homage to *South Park*. Can't we keep Helena out of range of Panavision? Haven't cared for her since *Howard's End.* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filmgoddess Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 About 2 months ago, I saw rough cuts of a number of the "contenders" for awards this year. Then I got my SAG screeners and Oscar screeners. So I saw everything at home first and then of the ones I really liked I saw them in theater. These are my favorites among the "contenders": LINCOLN ARGO THE IMPOSSIBLE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK SKYFALL LES MISERABLES HYDE PARK ON THE HUDSON AMOUR A ROYAL AFFAIR BERNIE These are the ones I had mixed feelings about or hated: DJANGO UNCHAINED (my hands down choice for worst film of the year) HITCHCOCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filmgoddess Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Colm Wilkinson plays the Bishop ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeHolman Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 *ZERO* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filmgoddess Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Cirque is like Quentin Tarantino or Tim Burton. They've been making the same film for 20 years. Over and over and over again. I'm bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Faiola Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 My wife is going with me to Lincoln Center tonight to see the new 70mm print of IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD. What a trooper!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filmgoddess Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 That takes a lot of fortitude. I barely got through that bloated thing in my own home theater. Cut about an hour or and you might have a decent film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joefilmone Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 "The Hobbit" is next on my schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValentineXavier Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 > {quote:title=JakeHolman wrote:}{quote} > *ZERO* Well, how about *Zero Dark 30?* I'm looking forward to that one. Her previous film, *Hurt Locker* was stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzcutter Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 MrCutter and I have seen *Lincoln* and *Django Unchained* in the last couple of days. Up next, *Zero Dark Thirty* sometime during the next week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newclassicfilmfan Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I would like to see Lincoln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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