I love all of the Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood. I just
watched "For a Few Dollars More" last night. It's been so long since I had
seen any of them that I had forgotten how funny they were. The one thing I
noticed was there seemed to be a lot of attention paid to bugs in this film
(and since we were talking about bugs recently I thought I'd bring it up).
In about 5 different scenes the camera focuses on bugs. Did they serve some
higher purpose (like a symbol of something) or were there just a lot of bugs
in the old west? I think he was trying to make some point. Look for them
next time you watch this movie.
JAMES K. RUDY
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Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 17:52:40 -0700
From: "Romero, Leticia" <lromero@saonet.ucla.edu>
Subject: [MV] re: For A Few Dollars More
I've never seen FAFDM, but I know (from my husband's "lectures") that Leone
did tend to use alot of bugs in his Westerns. (See Once Upon A Time In The
West, a fly walks all over this guy's face in the beginning) What it may
represent, I don't know. Maybe he's trying to generate some kind of
comparison between bugs and men (I do all the time): one man sees other men
as pests and can be killed without consequence. What do you think?
Leti Romero ;)
"The World Is Not Enough"
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Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 15:59:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: maillist@moviejuice.com
Subject: [MV] MovieJuice! - PRACTICAL MAGIC - The Cruci-blah
PRACTICAL MAGIC - THE CRUCI-BLAH
by Mark Ramsey
http://www.moviejuice.com
October 18, 1998
In preparation for Practical Magic, I siphoned my testosterone into a water-tight envelope, placed it in a safe-deposit box, and mailed the key to my attorney along with a copy of my will. So certain was I that this mission defied death. I ventured into the theater and settled into a seat, waiting for a Neutron Bomb of a movie - one that destroys the Y chromosomes while leaving all the X's intact. I stared at the screen in shock, like Charlton Heston on his knees in front of a bombed out Lady Liberty. Damn them all to Hell!!
America's sweetheart, Sandra Bullock«, is at it again. In an industry first, Sandra recently was granted a registered trademark on her name. Thus, according to the U.S. Trademark office, a "Sandra Bullock«" is a "young, attractive, desperately lonely, continuously clothed, but otherwise perfect woman, prone to fits of spontaneous lip synching and line dancing to various golden 'good times' oldies." Sandra, in her way, is as consistent as Chucky the Devil Doll, but less apt to carry a spouse. Yes, Sandra's played Sandra more times than Jerry's played Seinfeld.
I love Sandra Bullock movies because all the good times come from spontaneous lip-synching and line dancing rather than nasty challenging and complicated dialogue. That's why spontaneous lip-synching and line dancing have been with us since the earliest days of the legendary Globe Theater, when Shakespeare wrote the immortal lines:
To Be or Not To Be
That is the Question.
Whether 'tis Nobler
to Step Jaunty To and Fro
Whilst humming thy hottest hits
Or to shake thy midsection verily,
Feigning song and simulatith boogie?
Sandra's new crib, Practical Magic, is brought to you by the folks at Warner Bros., the only major studio with "Warn" in the title, as in "Don't say I didn't 'Warn' you." Good old Warner Bros., where "Bros." stands for "B-movies R Our Specialty." And ain't Practical Magic proof enough?
The only thing casting a spell in this movie is Nicole Kidman's impossibly flat little tummy which gyrated so wildly, I was hypnotized - barking and panting, dog-like. Where's "Sensurround" when you really need it? Nicole, who's stripping on the London stage, was contacted by MovieJuice! and had this to say:
"Mark, get the fuck away from me."
Nicole Kidman used "Mark" and "fuck" in the same sentence! Instantly, I discounted Nicole's threats of bodily harm since they were delivered in the cutest Aussie accent I've ever heard. Besides, I knew husband Tom Cruise would be compelled to save me. Somebody, buy this man a cape and some red underwear!
Is it just me, or is Practical Magic a thinly veiled remake of Bewitched? The witchy women include Sandra as "Samantha" and Nicole as "Serena." Featuring Dianne Wiest as "Uncle Arthur" and Stockard Channing as "Esmerelda" (Although if Stockard Channing's a witch, how come she couldn't bring back Paul Newman from the dead in the recent Twilight? Just asking).
There are only a couple of men in this movie, unless you count Stevie Nicks on the soundtrack. Dagwood, Derwood, Dumbwin and every other mortal male is cursed to die or be turned into a lamp, an ashtray, a bedpan, a mirror, a monkey, an elephant, a goat, or Leonardo DaVinci. That pretty much sums up a decade of Bewitched, doesn't it?
Yep, whenever Sandra hears a beetle, it means her husband is gonna die. Similarly, whenever I hear the Beatles, I feel like killing myself. Coincidence? I think not!
"I just want someone to love me," says lonely heart Sandra. Fortunately, Aidan Quinn shows up an hour into this movie to mumble lines like nobody's business. He plays Harry Connick Jr. from Hope Floats. Apparently, Sandra's forgotten all about Harry because she takes to Aidan like Ted Turner to a Brave.
So what did I learn from Practical Magic?
- - All men suck, and those who don't suck die
- - Good looking lonely chicks find Mr. Right in two hours; it will take you more than a lifetime
- - You be Nicole Kidman and I'll be David Cop-a-feel
- - Don't feed a ring to a frog
- - When Sandra and Nicole share a bed, you can imagine a whole different movie!
- - When the dead come back to life, keep Visine handy
- - There's a fine line between the PTA and a coven of witches
Practical Magic may be practically entertaining, but close is no cigar.
These trix ain't for us, kids.
Copyright 1998 Mark Ramsey. All rights reserved. NO PORTION MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
********************
Hey, kids, don't forget to visit the MovieJuice! Site at http://www.moviejuice.com. The pictures are half the fun (and sometimes more than half the laughs)!
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 21:56:34 EDT
From: FTWeekly00@aol.com
Subject: [MV] Film Threat Weekly : 10-19-98 : Slate II, Take 43
FILM THREAT WEEKLY
"Hollywood's Indie Voice of the New Millennium"
=============================
Slate II, Take 43 : October 19th, 1998
=============================
http://www.filmthreat.com
=============================
"Well, nobody's perfect."
- - Joe E. Brown reacting to news that his bride-to-be is a man from "Some Like
