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Y Summer Flicks Have Become A Collossal Bore


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Had you fill of Van Helsing and Troy? Not looking forward to Catwoman & King Arthur? Salon's Charles Taylor on why summer blockbusters are boring us to death.

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Blahbusters By Charles Taylor

Don't buy the frantic pleadings of the Hollywood media machine -- summer blockbusters have become a colossal bore.

May 28, 2004  |  Does anyone really care about any of the upcoming summer blockbusters? Sure, Alfonso Cuaron stands a good chance of finally rescuing the Harry Potter series from the numbing "faithfulness" of Chris Columbus. And something that turns out to be much better than anyone expected will sneak in and surprise us, as "The Italian Job" and "Freaky Friday" did last year, and as the wonderful"Hellboy" and "13 Going on 30"have done in the run-up to this year's summer movie season. In August, American audiences will finally get to see Zhang Yimou's martial-arts drama "Hero, which may be the best movie you'll see this year and the next, and in July, Richard Linklater releases "Before Sunset," the sequel to his "Before Sunrise," one of the most exquisite romantic films ever made. (So, by the way, is the sequel.)

But facing the glut of the next few months, is there anything coming out of the studios that any of us face with the prospect of real excitement? "Catwoman"? "King Arthur"?

It's worth noting that even the word "blockbuster" no longer even means what it once did. Once upon a time, it was a superlative used to describe a film that succeeded beyond all (usually financial) expectations. In that sense, it's still accurately used for, say, "The Lord of the Rings" movies, which surely deserve to be thought of as blockbusters. But now it is indiscriminately applied to every empty, expensive action movie out there. The word has been "liberated" from its factual meaning to become just another weapon in the publicists' arsenal, a way of referring to the size of gargantuan productions -- regardless of how they eventually do at the box office or what kind of critical response they receive. And the media dutifully swallow the line.

View a short ad and read his opinion article "Blahbusters here:

http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2004/05/2...ters/index.html

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I've already seen the Chinese version of Hero - I think it's the same thing as we'll see here except for dubs of course - and maybe not even that.

Hero is a 10 out of 10 - absolutely outstanding! Best martial arts film I've ever seen and up there with the best film period I've ever seen. Highest possible recommendation!

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Hero is a 10 out of 10 - absolutely outstanding! Best martial arts film I've ever seen and up there with the best film period I've ever seen. Highest possible recommendation!

Wow - that's two HIGHEST recommendations. How did you get to see it so early, CJ, and what makes this one so great?

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Hero is a 10 out of 10 - absolutely outstanding!  Best martial arts film I've ever seen and up there with the best film period I've ever seen.  Highest possible recommendation!

Wow - that's two HIGHEST recommendations. How did you get to see it so early, CJ, and what makes this one so great?

The Chinese version is already available. I think it's tis version:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...&s=dvd&n=507846

With english subs you're already set.

It is a 10 out 10 first and foremost for cinematography. It is visually stunning. Then the story backs it all up with almost on-your-seat anticipations. You've got martial arts, insane settings, a love story, and tragedy. What more do you need?

Better than Crouching Tiger in all the right ways I think one reviewer put it aptly.

And oh, Jet Li whomps major ass in this film.... that's always a plus. :bigsmile:

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