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Everything posted by WatchOutForSnakes
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Rocky would have been perfect for this week since Creed II is out.
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Musical Mondays Week 52 Idlewild
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cameron H.'s topic in How Did This Get Made?
Ooh! See, I thought that he put the flask away and was giving up the sauce to win his family back. I guess really, the only parts of the film that stuck with me was Dre's story line! -
Musical Mondays Week 52 Idlewild
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cameron H.'s topic in How Did This Get Made?
But he put away the flask at the end. I'm so confused! -
Musical Mondays Week 52 Idlewild
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cameron H.'s topic in How Did This Get Made?
Did Rooster want out of the business? I suppose he was wanting to spend more time with his wife and kids, but I didn't get the sense that there was something else he was planning on doing after leaving the speakeasy? Again, maybe I just missed this whole part of the plot? -
Musical Mondays Week 52 Idlewild
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cameron H.'s topic in How Did This Get Made?
The 25 grand was what Spats was asking to buy him out so he could retire. Why Terrence Howard thinks he is owed that money is unclear to me. -
Musical Mondays Week 52 Idlewild
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cameron H.'s topic in How Did This Get Made?
Ahh, I think some of that story line went right past me. -
Musical Mondays Week 52 Idlewild
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cameron H.'s topic in How Did This Get Made?
First off, I liked this this movie. I watched it a second time over the weekend and thought it was pretty enjoyable. You can tell the director's main work is music videos. The musical numbers and the flourishes like the animated flask and the cuckoo clocks over Dre's bed show a real familiarity with creating a scene and mood. As for the plot ... well, that was kind of sparse. One thing that bugged me was that I didn't really get why the club was so important. Why it was so important for Rooster to take it over, and exactly how much in debt he was. I thought Terrance Howard taking out Spats and Ace kind of came out of nowhere, and I never really got a sense of him as a villain. I'm also not real sure why this was set in the prohibition era, aside from just a stylistic choice. Sure, they were smuggling hooch into the club, but I didn't think there was ever any real concern about the cops busting them up. Overall, basically, the stakes felt pretty low. To me, Dre seemed not so much low energy, as just sad and emotionally burdened. I liked his performance, and his chemistry with Angel/Sally. Their story was probably my favorite part of the movie. And the end with Busby Berkeley-esque musical number at the end and through the credits. I also felt the song Dre does while dressing Angel/Sally's body for burial was the weakest, but the rest of the music was really fun. Very Outkast. And final thought - what is with prohibition-era musicals and scoundrels named Rooster? (ahem, Annie). -
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington at the midterms, and It's A Wonderful Life in December? Call me a die skeptic.
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I don't know a ton about GS history, I know the Boy Scouts had problems with gay and trans scout leaders. Some of my college friends who have gone into politics have also have gone on to be GS Leaders and seem to be doing some great things for girls, Some of these stats came on my radar after the midterms, so I thought it'd be fun to look into how it promotes leadership and civics in young girls. I was never a Girl Scout, I was a Brownie when I was really young for a couple years but didn't stick it through and moved to an area where there weren't any chapters. I have two older brothers who were Boy Scouts and my mom was their troop leader, so I got to go along with some activities, and grew up scout-adjacent, so I'm semi-familiar with at least what kinds of stuff Boy Scouts were doing in the 80's. On a wider note, I'm glad Amy didn't spend too much time on the fact that this was very much a male-centered movie, but so were politics back then. I didn't feel the gender politics were too bad in this one, for the time. Saunders was a great character, and Jean Arthur gave her some real life. I loved her.
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Amy made a point about the lack of Girl Scouts in this movie. Girl Scouts are actually a great path toward public office. Here are some fun stats from their policy group (not updated with 2018 elections info): 55% of women in the 115th Congress are Girl Scout alums 73% of current female senators are Girl Scout alums 51% of women in the House of Representatives are Girl Scout alums 4 of 6 current female governors are Girl Scout alums Every female Secretary of State has been a Girl Scout Alum
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Episode 201.5 - Minisode 201.5
WatchOutForSnakes replied to JulyDiaz's topic in How Did This Get Made?
Yes. 1,000 times. -
I think one of the main points of the movie was the Taylor/Payne corruption because it gets at how government (as seen with earmarks) can be used for good like idyllic parks for boys' enrichment, or for personal enrichment. And also whether certain corrupt actions can work toward the ultimate public good, like other achievements of Payne. As it is, the movie not only gets at the legislative sausage-making, but also the corruption and personal dealings that go one, and whether the ends can justify the means. On a completely different note on the wild circumstances of Jefferson Smith's appointment - I think that was necessary to find someone who goes in with zero idea about politics and legislation, zero political ambitions, zero policy preferences, and positive public regard. I think Capra was playing with the idea of dropping an absolute stranger or alien, one with the most honest civic-minded intentions and ideals, and just drop him straight into the middle of things for a fresh criticism of government.
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I do just adore this movie, but the contract with the boys is concerning
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I got a nerdy glee out of the scene when Saunders goes on about Committees and Conferences.
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I'm currently ruminating on whether this whole camp is feasible. To walk through some of this out loud: The land/fixtures - apparently the land was privately owned, so this would effectively be a taking and the government would have to reimburse the land owners. I assume the cost of purchase would be part of this "loan" to the kids. (Of course that's where the scandal for Mr. Smith comes in saying the purchase price ultimately comes from the coins of little boys). Then, the government would have to pay the contractors for the labor to put it in, and it would need continued funding for the people who will run it. That brings up a question - do the boys have to pay for this in perpetuity? The "loan" itself - what are the terms of this "loan?" How many boys are contributing? What if there isn't a critical mass of boys who CAN contribute? Are we binding these kids into a certain base-level contribution? Do you go after their scout leaders if there's not enough money? Do you require some kind of contribution based on income? Are these to be one-time contributions? Or are they recurring? And, for how long? Like above, this isn't just some monument that you can leave alone, we're talking about an ongoing public program. Will these boys, and all boys thereafter have to continue to pay for running the camp? And these are minors! I'm not up on contract law at the time, but I don't think minors can enter into contracts. But yes, this needs legislation because no federal money can be moved without a law providing for it, and because they're not just forking up cash, they will be responsible for oversight as well. (or will they? That's another problem with this bill). Also, as an aside, this whole movie deals with those dreaded earmarks that became such a public pariah after the "bridge to nowhere" that I think has played a role in the breakdown of bipartisanship. Legislators used to bargain with each other over money going to their home districts, i.e. "you vote for my bill and I'll support funding for your park/bridge/dam." Since the banishing of earmarks, there are fewer incentives to work across the aisle, and the cost-benefit calculation changes.
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Collapsing would definitely end it since you have to stay on your feet the whole time.
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Musical Mondays Week 52 Preview (AlmostAGhost's 1st Pick)
WatchOutForSnakes replied to SlidePocket's topic in How Did This Get Made?
I'm interested. -
Is this a Jacob's Ladder scenario ahead of it's time? Say, Jefferson gets bitten by a snake out on a hike with the boys and it's a all a fever dream and when he collapses on the Senate floor, he finally dies. Maybe?
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Musical Mondays Week 52 Preview (AlmostAGhost's 1st Pick)
WatchOutForSnakes replied to SlidePocket's topic in How Did This Get Made?
I'm quite interested in this! Not sure I want to look up what it's about before watching. Might be free for a rabbit viewing this weekend. -
Agree 100% on all of this.
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Tony Evers's defeat of Scott Walker in WI was huge! WI doesn't particularly like 3-term governors, but Dems have a real problem finding candidates with any form of charisma. I really wasn't expecting Evers to win, so that was a nice surprise. Also, hooray for Amendment 4 in Florida (the rest though...)
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Interesting! I would definitely say that I think I line up with Amy more than Paul, but I often find that my tastes differ quite a bit from both of them.
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Here's my updated list, though some of it is pure enjoyment over spectacle and technical achievement. I'd still move things around based on my mood. Citizen Kane Wizard of Oz All About Eve Singin' in the Rain Double Indemnity Psycho 2001: A Space Odyssey Bonnie and Clyde The French Connection Taxi Driver E. T. The General Raiders of the Lost Ark High Noon The African Queen King Kong Titanic Apocalypse Now Lord of the Rings Shawshank Redemption Platoon Swing Time Duck Soup Ben-Hur Sixth Sense
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I just saw the new Ghostbusters this weekend... twice - the extended cut, and the theatrical release. It was sooooooo good! I'm entirely in love with Holtzmann. She was unbelievably charming.
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Musical Mondays Week 51 Preview (SlidePocket's 2nd Pick)
WatchOutForSnakes replied to Cinco DeNio's topic in How Did This Get Made?
I just signed up as WatchOutForSnakes