ElectricTeaParty.net

You may have heard, or seen an email, about how Phillip Pullman's upcoming movie "His Golden Compass" (based on a book from a trilogy) is overtly anti-Christian. Well, Snopes.com says: TRUE.

While I object to the sensationalist emails that uber-Christians send around every time something offends their delicate sensibilities, I'm kinda siding with the email on this one. This jackass has written a trilogy of fantasy books, in direct reaction to the Christian message snuck into the Chronicles of Narnia (which Pullman overtly despises), with the explicit purpose of getting entrenched in the minds of children and wiping out any religious beliefs. I mean, I don't think anyone should lace children's literature with any religious or anit-religious beliefs - it's just playing dirty.

I may go see the movie, because Rhian is nuts for this guy. I also like Nicole Kidman (which may balance out the stupid talking polar bear). But I'm tempted to burn this asshole's book, not out of any offended religious sensibility, but out of a hatred anyone who would use fantastical tales to clandestinely convince children to "kill God."

I hope Phillip Pullman gets sent to some sort of Catholic institution where he can be repeatedly raped by a succession of priests. And maybe a talking polar bear.

Bastards. Weren't they listening when Michael Geist tore apart their arguments before? I hope they lose loads of money.

... and it was terrible. I mean, I suppose the story was ok in principle (apart from the whole clown thing, that's pretty silly), but the acting and the script and the casting were really, really awful. I've given up on critquing special effects in old movies, because I recognize that they did the best they could. In fact, the special effects weren't terrible in general, but for 1990 they still weren't great.

I was surpised by the casting. It was cool to see Seth Green as a 14-year-old (playing a 12yo), and I was a bit surprised to see Tim Curry and Harry Andersen. But it seems they didn't even bother picking kids that looked like their grown-up counterparts, or vice-versa. There was no resemblence at all, except that the black kid was a black adult. Oh, and the dialogue! Geesh! I can't even quote any of it. It was so bad, I think my brian has burnt the relevant memory nodes to cinders in self-defense. The really funny thing is the main character was a horror novel writer who was writing a screen version of his book so no one else would butcher it. Well, I guess that was some kind of in-joke. But it would have been a lot better if Stephen King had written his own screenplay for IT.

Overall, I haven't been so intellectually offended by a movie since I watched Ghost Rider a few days ago. 

Pay no attention to the start and end times - show up when you can, leave when you want. :) We're going to try to watch a few films, of the fantasy genre, over the course of the evening. There will be tasty victuals and imbibitions. Long story short: Eat, Drink, and see Faeries. Invite your friends.

I would like to see this film. I used to watch the cartoons all the time, because they would come on the Cartoon Network late at night when I was too lazy to go to bed. I hated them. I hated them with a passion. But I watched them in frustration, because I was a teenage boy and Aeon wore a skimpy "costume." I saw the poster for the Aeon Flux trailer on Apple's site ages ago, and thought, "oh, no, they're not seriously making that into a movie, are they?" I watched the trailer. I thought, "that's definitely Aeon Flux. And it's terrible." I watched the trailer again today, after reading several reviews including this one, and I have to admit, I thought it looked slightly less terrible. But it still looks like mostly action, posturing, and cheesy "slick" lines. Then again, it's only trailer - hollywood is trying to sell seats. Now don't get the wrong impression. I LOVE weird, imaginitive films. Among my all-time favourite films are Bladerunner, A Clockwork Orange, Brazil, and Naked Lunch. I also love brainless action films. Even better, are clever, thought-provoking films that are also full of mind-blowing action and special effects - like The Island. That was AMAZING - best film I've seen in YEARS. The thing is, though I absolutely hate people who think they're being clever. People who overdose art with amiguity, thinking that makes it really clever and thought-provoking. People like ERnes Hemmingway. Ever read "Hills Like White Elephants"?

Soooo, considering that this section already is set aside for discussing modern remakes of classic British science fiction franchises ;), what do you all think of the remake of Douglas Adams' classic? I'll hold off my evaluation 'till I've heard more from you guys, so as not to affect your responses.

In a fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets in this stylish musical, with music drawn from familiar 20th century sources.