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| mirgun |
 Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 10:57 pm |
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Joined: 23 Oct 2009
Posts: 165
Location: New York City
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I Just watched Cruising and kept remembering Marc's raving review so I knew what I was in for.When Al Pacino started to doubt himself and started whining to his boss, had sexual problems with his girlfriend,being gay does seem like a disease. The gay club scenes were like they were in an ant farm, crawling with bodies reminding me of a really,really Bad Hieronymus painting.There is an interrogation scene at the police station when a huge naked guy slaps Al Pacino. What WAS that?
i have to add this.. While I thought it was a really "bad " film, I didn't hate it because it was still entertaining, because it was so bad.. |
Last edited by mirgun on Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Mirgun |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:03 pm |
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| Yes, Cruising treats homosexuality as if it were a contagious disease. But, Pacino's character is all over the map. Clearly, he's supposed to be sexually conflicted, a possible closet case. There's a scene where's he's on the dance floor huffing Locker Room and looking blissed out while all around him it's raining men. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:11 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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I just watched Cruising too. Watching a movie on a laptop isn't fun. I agree with your assessment of it, Marc. It is exploitative. It want to scare the bejuses out of the straight world.
Could someone explain the last scene? I think my eyes were shot by then. Or my knees, or my lap. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:19 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| I must confess, I didn't get to the last scene. I am going to go watch it and I'll get back to you. Maybe, Mirgun can shed some light. She just watched it too. |
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| mirgun |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:20 pm |
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Joined: 23 Oct 2009
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Location: New York City
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| I'm having a problem with what I hate , that makes me cringe.I hated Bright Star, which we had already discussed. I couldn't stand it one more minute. I hate all stupid chick flicks but they're not even mentionable. |
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| mirgun |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:29 pm |
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Joined: 23 Oct 2009
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Marc wrote: I must confess, I didn't get to the last scene. I am going to go watch it and I'll get back to you. Maybe, Mirgun can shed some light. She just watched it too.
Well, this is what I got.. after they catch the murderer, there's another killing, it's that nice neighbor Al Pacino befriended. When Al Pacino's boss sees the crime scene ,something dawns on him (i don't know what) and then we see Al, in the bathroom while his girlfriend is trying out his "gay" uniform and he 'gets a tear in his eye. Between the tear and the boss' realization, I got the feeling that it was Al PAcino who did the last killing. But, I can be totally wrong..OR did the tear mean that AL fell in love the dead guy.. I didn't get it either |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:34 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Well, I guess I'm not alone. Thanks Marc and Mirgun. I'm off to bed. Maybe tomorrow I'll check the IMdb boards. They may know.
Btw, Mirgun, I kind of felt the same as you did. But it was awfully fuzzy. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:34 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
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Location: Houston
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Trish wrote: also hated Borat - although I suppose I should see it a 2nd time - in case it was just a case of having a poor sense of humor day
Trish, you beat me to it. I knew that as soon as I had the time, my entry into this forum would be Borat. I went to see this movie against my better judgement, but I did it because I wanted to be part of "the conversation." Never again.
What Sacha Baron Cohen essentially did with Borat was say to his audience, "Come and mock with me. Let's laugh at all those people who are so stupid that they think I'm being serious. Let's make sport out of mocking people who have the wrong political beliefs." It was a hateful premise for a movie. He deceived people in unethical ways and then made fun of them for being too stupid catch on to the deception.
The hell of it is that I believe Sacha Baron Cohen is a talented guy. He has a remarkable ability to create a character, totally immerse himself in that character, and then interact with others and improvise all while staying completely in character. There are many "Method" performers out there who might believe they possess that ability, but who would be rendered functionally mute without a script and a director to tell them what to do. Baron Cohen, on the other hand, actually can do that. The nimbleness of mind that skill requires, the liquid thought, is really impressive. I just wish he'd find some other outlet for it.
A personal note: I believe my hatred for this movie probably stems from the fact that as a kid I was teased a lot and was the target of cruel practical jokes. I'm certain that it accounts in large part for my extreme shyness to this very day. So it was, perhaps, inevitable that while watching this movie my sympathies would lie with the targets of Baron Cohen's cons, no matter how much I might disagree with their politics or how they made a living. |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:49 pm |
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| Earl, you didn't strike me as being shy when I met you in Houston. You were pretty flamboyant in that mini-skirt, feather boa and fuck me pumps. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:51 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
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Earl wrote: .....What Sacha Baron Cohen essentially did with Borat was say to his audience, "Come and mock with me. Let's laugh at all those people who are so stupid that they think I'm being serious. Let's make sport out of mocking people who have the wrong political beliefs." It was a hateful premise for a movie. He deceived people in unethical ways and then made fun of them for being too stupid catch on to the deception..... |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:58 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Marj wrote: Watching a movie on a laptop isn't fun.
I totally disagree. The resolution on my new Mac is way better than on my non-plasma televlsion screen. I really like watching laptop movies. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:59 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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I'm with Yambu on this. Cohen's guerrilla theater tactics are subversive. He gets people to drop their guard and reveal their prejudices, biases, hypocrisies etc. And he's got big balls. He puts himself into real jeopardy. I find Borat
cathartic and liberating. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:02 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Marc wrote: I'm with Yambu on this. Cohen's guerrilla theater tactics are subversive. He gets people to drop their guard and reveal their prejudices, biases, hypocrisies etc. And he's got big balls. He puts himself into real jeopardy. I find Borat
cathartic and liberating.
I agree. But Bruno is terrible. Absolutely terrible. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:12 am |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
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Location: SF Bay Area
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billyweeds wrote: Marc wrote: .....Cohen's guerrilla theater tactics are subversive. He gets people to drop their guard and reveal their prejudices, biases, hypocrisies etc. And he's got big balls. He puts himself into real jeopardy. I find Borat cathartic and liberating.
I agree. But Bruno is terrible. Absolutely terrible. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:22 am |
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Pacino is a cop with latent gay urges. The guy next door (Ted) brings those urges to the surface. That would explain why Pacino attacks Ted's boyfriend. He's jealous. Pacino feels unbearable guilt about his homosexual feelings. Once the murderer is apprehended, Pacino attempts to return to "normal" life. Except it can't be normal as long his feelings for Ted persist. He kills Ted so as to free himself from his homosexual longing. Except, that won't fix the "problem". The last shot is Pacino staring at the screen with the look of a man who will kill again. First he'll kill his girlfriend, who's only function is to remind him that he's really not interested in women. Karen Allen dressing up in Pacino's "gay" uniform" will trigger guilt ridden rage. She's a goner.
That's my take. |
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