Just finish watching the movie, Valkyrie. It is the best of Tom Cruise' film. I like it very much. To many media critics who didn't like the film cause Cruise's religion are wrong about the film. Film is very much close to its history, which not many films from Hollywood could do. It is also a very good suspense thriller movie, keep me on the edge for whole time.
Cruise is misscast. Everyone else was right but Cruise ordering around guys his grandfathers age dressed up like a nazi officer is like the hotel car valet smart mouthing his tipper. I see Harrison Ford in that role.
I watched "Dune" again after many, many years. I can't help but think that this movie needs to be re-made... properly. I never read the novel but the story itself is rich with textures and has so much potential. The special effects, which were downright comical at times, was, along with a muddled script, just too much to overcome. But the essence was there. I think a movie like this needs to spare no expense on special effects to augment, not overtake the movie. I don't think you'll be able to break it up into a two or three part series but it should not be rushed nor dumbed down. This movie inspired a lot of others (Riddick/Necromongers) and deserves to stand on it's own.
Read the book decades ago and like you say its rich. Reminds me of Tolkein in the way Herbert invents a multi dimensional fantasy world. I see Delaurentis' hand in the special effects; they seem old school especially the spacing guild's contraption they used to fold space while getting high on the spice melange. I didn't care for the accents on the bene geseret witches either. Sting looked ridiculous and the flying fat man could have been played by Limbaugh ...ha. There was an evocative quality to the desert planet that wasn't done too badly and the Messianic theme is something I like only in fantasy land. Done well it could be a gold mine for some producer given the sequels and prequels it spawned.
I thought of Moses after he came down from the mountain, hair all white. Only now, Paul's eyes are glowing from the spice (enlightenment?). I actually thought the fatman's character was done disturbingly well. Interestingly enough, the nephew opposite Sting, plays another sadistic fellow in the homoerotic thriller "Midnight Express"... Which through varying degrees of separation, we have linking of the two movies via middle eastern dialect and influences.
Sorry, shoul've done my research first. "Dune" slated for re-make in 2010 with Peter Berg directing... should be interesting. I wonder if they'll have trouble getting this thing off the ground ala the first one.
for smthg different try Delicatessen "The film was received well critically. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave it 86% from a total of 32 reviews[2], and that of MetaCritic gave it 66 from a total of 17 reviews.[3] Variety magazine called it "a zany little film that's a startling and clever debut"[4], while Empire magazine calls it "A fair bet for cultdom, a lot more like_able than its subject matter suggests, and simply essential viewing for vegetarians".[5] Not all reviews were positive, however, with the New York Times saying "its last half-hour is devoted chiefly to letting the characters wreck the sets, and quite literally becomes a washout when the bathtub overflows..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicatessen_(film) Delicatessen
Midnight Express was homoerotic? I remember thinking it was a great flick after I saw it. That was a flick where you could really commiserate with the character due to how screwed over he was getting ...(Guantanamo?). And besides the overall realism of it, not that I ever experienced anything like it, but touches like the wardens kids who just gushed a quality that ignited repulsion for their fat roasted chickens in a cartoon wolfes eyes personages and John Hurts mouse belie its creators talent. Easy to forget about since its so old but should be a top flick for the ages on somebodies list.
Just the bath scene. I saw it first when I was young and had no idea what to think about it except it was gross. I can't say, since I've never been to Europe/middle east, but the men there seem to have a more touchy-feely approach between each other. Maybe what I'd consider homo tendencies is considered nothing more than friendship... I don't know. That being said, it is a fantastic movie and it being a real account of what happened to Billy Hayes makes all the much more intriguing. Randy Quaid plays a superb part. Speaking of Randy Quaid, that fucker has done a shit load of movies. I don't recall seeing an actors' resume that robust.