Having admired the videos of Hammer & Tongs and see that they were suggested to direct by Spike Jones when Jay "Austin Powers" Roach couldn't commit, I am not too worried. Even if this is under the Disney banner, I don't think it is doomed. Just like Pixar films, don't suck (yet).
Ebert's point that I liked the best was that, "If the Malaysians made a comedy about the assassination of the president of the United States because of his opposition to slavery, it would seem approximately as funny to us as "Zoolander" would seem to them."
Think about that quote for a second...really think about it. I think Ebert is over-reacting big time. In fact, I am not sure he really watched nor understood the movie because he was too busy thinking about CNN's version of NYC. The movie is funny and ridiculous because it is saying that the fashion industry (evil) is plotting to kill the leader of Malaysia (good) because he is working to wipe out child labour. The fashion industy is not just American...it is a global phenomenom. Ebert's parallel movie about Malaysians plotting to kill the president because the prez opposes slavery would have to hinge on something a little bit more substantial to be considered a comedy...like, why would Ebert think Malaysians are pro-slavery? That seems more distuburbing to me? I don't think his comparison works at all...and in order to agree with him, I think you should see the movie. Ebert (and most Americans) cannot fathom a comedy about assasinating the president in this post-WTC time of "war" and that bothers me. Editing or removing the WTC bothers me because it sure be left in as a tribute. Maybe that is something you can't stomach, but I would love to see someone make a movie about killing the president...and a funny one at that...and that does not add to the dislike of America. Laughing at one's self is a highly evolved sense of humour that the British have been using for years. If you take yourself too seriously (and believe pee-brained reviews like Eberts), you are actually adding MORE fuel to anti-Americanism. That is an appearance of arrogance that is evident in Rambo, not Zoolander. Bin Laden is not going to have a Stiller poster up in his cave. Really think about it for a second....
I believe you mean "Bluntman and Chronic"..."Bluntman and The Chronic" would be Jason Mewes playing Jay playing Blunman with a copy of Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" LP.
But don't feel bad...I spotted two errors in Ebert's review. Can you?
Snatch does have other meanings, ya'know....and you would have to be pretty misguided to think it was a porno after seeing a trailer or hearing about the cast that was involved. As far as I know, Snatch doesn't have the same vaginal meaning in England as it does over here (someone from across the pond might want to clear that up for us). Earlier on, I heard that it was going to be released in North America as "Snatch'd" but I guess they never had to change it. We all know that "shag" is not as casual an expression in England and the funny thing is I heard that "fanny" means exactly what we North Americans think "snatch" means on their turf.
Overall, I thought the movie was a very flashy and funny and since it has a convoluted plot,
would probably benefit from repeated viewings. Brad Pitt was great as a fast-talking, slack-jawed Pikey, Alan Ford was suberb as Brick Top, and Bencio Del Toro was probably the most underused actor in the mix.
If you liked "Lock, Stock..." you will most likely enjoy this romp.
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Having admired the videos of Hammer & Tongs and see that they were suggested to direct by Spike Jones when Jay "Austin Powers" Roach couldn't commit, I am not too worried. Even if this is under the Disney banner, I don't think it is doomed. Just like Pixar films, don't suck (yet).
1997's The Wrong Guy starring Dave Foley
Think about that quote for a second...really think about it. I think Ebert is over-reacting big time. In fact, I am not sure he really watched nor understood the movie because he was too busy thinking about CNN's version of NYC. The movie is funny and ridiculous because it is saying that the fashion industry (evil) is plotting to kill the leader of Malaysia (good) because he is working to wipe out child labour. The fashion industy is not just American...it is a global phenomenom. Ebert's parallel movie about Malaysians plotting to kill the president because the prez opposes slavery would have to hinge on something a little bit more substantial to be considered a comedy...like, why would Ebert think Malaysians are pro-slavery? That seems more distuburbing to me? I don't think his comparison works at all...and in order to agree with him, I think you should see the movie. Ebert (and most Americans) cannot fathom a comedy about assasinating the president in this post-WTC time of "war" and that bothers me. Editing or removing the WTC bothers me because it sure be left in as a tribute. Maybe that is something you can't stomach, but I would love to see someone make a movie about killing the president...and a funny one at that...and that does not add to the dislike of America. Laughing at one's self is a highly evolved sense of humour that the British have been using for years. If you take yourself too seriously (and believe pee-brained reviews like Eberts), you are actually adding MORE fuel to anti-Americanism. That is an appearance of arrogance that is evident in Rambo, not Zoolander. Bin Laden is not going to have a Stiller poster up in his cave. Really think about it for a second....
But don't feel bad...I spotted two errors in Ebert's review. Can you?
Snatch does have other meanings, ya'know....and you would have to be pretty misguided to think it was a porno after seeing a trailer or hearing about the cast that was involved. As far as I know, Snatch doesn't have the same vaginal meaning in England as it does over here (someone from across the pond might want to clear that up for us). Earlier on, I heard that it was going to be released in North America as "Snatch'd" but I guess they never had to change it. We all know that "shag" is not as casual an expression in England and the funny thing is I heard that "fanny" means exactly what we North Americans think "snatch" means on their turf.
Overall, I thought the movie was a very flashy and funny and since it has a convoluted plot,
would probably benefit from repeated viewings. Brad Pitt was great as a fast-talking, slack-jawed Pikey, Alan Ford was suberb as Brick Top, and Bencio Del Toro was probably the most underused actor in the mix.
If you liked "Lock, Stock..." you will most likely enjoy this romp.