Posted by MMMMarcia on March 01, 2000 at 21:24:56:
In Reply to: Re: Alien(s) posted by NightSky on March 01, 2000 at 19:29:13:
Night Sky writes:
: : : First off, just let me say in defense,
MMMM: No need to defend your choices at all, NS. We've all got our picks and pans around here, and sometimes we concur, and other times we don't. No big deal. It's great to hear your reactions to these films, and to see where we agree, and where we disagree.
Night Sky: all four Alien movies were made by different directors, each very much in line with that director's style. #3 is by the same guy who directed Seven, and #4 is by the same guy that directed City of Children. They were what I expected them to be, although very different from the previous two.
MMMM: Good points, which probably goes far to explain how the last 2 varied so greatly from the themes of the first two.
Night Sky:Certainly James Cameron knows how to tap into the general psych and did so with astounding results in Aliens. But he did say he wanted to do the second one because he thought the first one was so bad, and he could do it better. That was just around the time his head was starting to get much bigger than his brain.
MMMM: Well, I would disagree with HIM there, as the first one was really quite good, I thought. I had read the book before the film came out, and thought it was a credible adaptation. Of course, I still think the 2nd one, Alien*S* was the best of the group, but again, that's a subjective opinion.
Night Sky: And Ms. Winona was in #4 because she begged for the job and the opportunity to work with Ms. Weaver. Can't fault her there.
MMMM: I, personally, didn't mind her being in the part. I just hated the whole premise of the role, and disliked Sigourney Weaver's reincarnation attempt much more than I disliked Winona.
Night Sky: And speaking of Ms. Ryder, I found her much more distracting in The Crucible than in Alien R. The Crucible is one of those plays that seems to have followed me all through my life. I've seen three different stage productions, and this was the third film version. Sorry to all here, but George C. Scott's version is still my favorite, and I'm not sure his performance will ever be surpassed by anyone.
MMMM: He was a pretty remarkable actor, true, though I loved this latest version of the movie, too. I'm with Myrrh in how powerfully it affected me, and, of course, I loved DDL's take on John Proctor. I was most moved by the scene on the beach, when they finally reach out to each other. But I disagree on Winona Ryder...this was one of the films where I thought she did a really credible job. For me, she worked as the hysterical, conniving little schemer that she was. I kept comparing that character to the part she played in Age of Innocence, May Welland. Both schemers, but of such a completely different tenor.
Night Sky: And frankly, I'm tired of seeing Joan Allen play the poor, put upon wife. The Crucible was bad enough, but then she had to follow that with Ethan Frome, Face-Off, and then Pleasantville. I know she has some other character in her, I just wish someone would give her the opportunity to play it. I have this fear that the next thing we'll see her in will be a new film production of The Bad Seed, as the martyred mother who sacrifices all. Please, somebody, give her the part of a Harley riding, chain smoking, foul mouthed vixen, who steals the heart of the local minister. That I'd pay to see.
MMMM: I'd pay good money to see THAT, too! ;o) In fact, I'd pay good money to PLAY that!!! :-D
Then Doc Mary wrote:
: : Hey! Hey! Don't be dissing my woman Joan! She plays women
: : who on the surface seem to be downtrodden, but actually
: : have incredible reserves of strength in some instances,
: : and malice in others.
MMMM: I agree, Doc. She gets these roles because she does them SO well. But I also agree with Night Sky that it would be nice to see what else she can do...I feel she's not being used often enough, nor in a wide enough variety in films, and she is a terrific actress who deserves better, as do many underused actresses in her age group. Movies should have stronger roles for women (as opposed to nubile,smooth-cheeked young lovelies, who have their place, but usually aren't nearly so interesting.) It's amazing how much more I appreciate the REAL women out there at this point in my life...I wonder why that is?? ;o)
Doc Mary also writes:
:She can take a simple gesture --
: : like reaching over to button John Proctor's shirt --
: : that says more than 50 lines of dialogue.
MMMM: A beautiful moment!
Doc Mary:
:The scene
: : in Pleasantville where she first got "colorized" --
: : when she turned around to look at her son, she has
: : this incredible look of fear and wonder...again, without
: : a word of dialogue. I think she's a great, and sadly
: : unappreciated, actress.
MMMM: So true! She was brilliant in Pleasantville, a picture I thoroughly enjoyed.
DOC M: : I've seen many versions of The Crucible, and they all
: : have good things in them. It's a great, timeless
: : story.
MMMM: I agree, Doc. It's a story that never fails to fascinate, and I love to see what each new ensemble is going to do with it.
Doc Mary:Winona was passable as Abigail...I thought
: : the girl who played Mary Warren would have been
: : better, but they wanted a "name" I guess. I thought
: : everyone else was great...even Bruce Davison, who
: : usually plays such lame-os.
MMMM: Yeah, but he does Lame-Os SEW well! Ever since he got started with them gol-darned RATS!! Nobody does it wussier!!
Doc Mary:The ending, as I've said
: : before, never fails to rip me apart. You know kindly
: : old Doc M -- a real softy under it all. And don't
: : get me started on the ending to "Old Yeller!!"
MMMM: Side note: Did you ever see the Friends episode where they tell Phoebe Old Yeller dies in the end??? SEW funny!
Then Night Sky wrote:
: Wasn't dissin' Ms. Joan, on the contrary. I just wish there were more opportunities out there for her to stretch a little more. Seems she's forever typecast, when she shows every indication of being able to do so much more. She's just not 20 years old anymore. Too bad.
MMMM: You hit it on the head, NS. That Age Thang sure works unfairly on actresses, doesn't it? The ACTORS can come from Pruneville and still get the young chicks...just ask Head Prunes, Clint Eastwood & Robert Redford (though to be sure, I still see Redford the Way He Were!) But no such deal for the ladies, for the most part. So unfair!!
Movies! Ya gotta love 'em. Or hate 'em...as the case may be! ;o)
MMMMarcia