Ouch! These opposing reviews (i.e., 7-minute standing ovation, etc.) make it seem like these people are seeing 2 completely different movies.

Sigh.

I think some people have too much prejudice against Mr. Mighty Duck and the casting and don't give it a fair viewing. I also suspect that the film and script really does have quite a lot of flaws and problems. Some of those will be technical but from some of the reviews I've got the impression that the film is very heartfelt, earnest and maybe not subtle; that type of thing flies in the face of a certain school of film reviewing. The reviewers that like it are probably prepared to let themselves go with that and to treat it as the almost the main virtue of the film and be swept up by it rather than concentrating on any bad points. It's also a political film and a very american film so that will colour reviews (regardless of quality, there will be negative reviews for that reason alone - and there will also be reviews that will be more positive because of that).

To me, positive reviews from people like Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily (all tough and sort of industry internal) means that the disaster I was fearing is averted - even if it perhaps does wobble a bit here and there.

James Christopher in The Times liked it.
Even so, the most intriguing historical figure in Venice is Robert Kennedy in Emilio Estevez’s exhilarating work-in-progress, Bobby. We are delighted to announce that it will be The Times gala selection for the 50th Times bfi London Film Festival next month. In a coup de cinéma worthy of Robert Altman, the director focuses on the hotel shenanigans of the great and good over the course of the day in 1968 when Kennedy was shot.

The calibre of the cast speaks for itself: Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy, Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishbourne . . . the list rolls on and on. Despite being shot on a shoestring budget, Estevez manipulates the hopes and fears with awesome chutzpah, making it a major must-see.

Hmmm... Just read the reviews posted by Sneaking and Brummie. Naturally, I am hoping The Times has got it right.

Obviously, this is a film we will have to see for ourselves.:)

~ Mechtild

I don't believe that this review has been posted here, yet, and it's quite good (they seem to think it just might be award worthy). I'll just c/p the relevant portion, as it covers several films.

From The Sydney Morning Herald (http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/death-and-assassination-hollywood-investigates/2006/09/07/1157222262698.html):

There was no iconic sign but lots of Hollywood in Bobby, actor-director Emilio Estevez's recreation of the hours leading up to the assassination of Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles's Ambassador Hotel in 1968. It features stars in small roles at every turn - Sharon Stone is a hairdresser, Demi Moore is a boozy singer, Anthony Hopkins and Harry Belafonte are retirees who play chess in the lobby, Christian Slater is a bigoted manager, Laurence Fishburne works in the kitchen, Martin Sheen and Helen Hunt are guests, William H. Macy runs the hotel and Lindsay Lohan is a spirited student marrying a classmate (Elijah Wood) to stop him being sent to the Vietnam War.

Like a disaster movie - The Poseidon Adventure meets Grand Hotel - personal stories centring around hope are told before America's great hope for the presidency is gunned down in the kitchen along with five bystanders.

Estevez, who has been directing TV crime shows recently, said that few Americans remembered there were other people injured in the hotel that night. He saw the assassination as a defining event - the end of idealism - from which America is yet to recover.

The powerful last half-hour, which intercuts TV footage of Kennedy's speeches and the shooting, has Bobby a chance to win the Golden Lion for best film, despite screening as a work in progress. If Estevez can negotiate star egos and tighten some of the stories before release, the film will be even stronger.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060907/ennew_afp/afpentertainmentvenicefilm_060907142004

I have problems understanding something Elijah wrote in his blog on 8/29/06. He talks about an upcoming documentary about Kurt Cobain, then begins a new paragraph and goes on to say:

This is an artist that I really admire. His work is incredibly versatile and really incredible. His series that uses vintage book covers is my favorite.

What artist? Please help me. I must be very stupid. :rolleyes:

What artist? Please help me. I must be very stupid. :rolleyes:No, it's not you! At the end of the paragraph there is a link to an artist that really should be at the beginning of the next paragraph. This is the link: http://www.christopherlyles.com/ It takes you to the artist's website. :)

Ah, thank you for clarifying, Bunnie, since I didn't get it either! :o :p

It put a smile on my face to imagine Elijah looking at this picture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/whiteling/Going_Bananas_Lyles.jpg

Bit of a portrait, no? ;)

Too true, Whiteling -- heehee!!!

According to the link, Christopher Lyles has had an exhibit at the Froden Gallery in LA. Of course, I first read it as the Frodo Gallery. :rolleyes: :lol:

C4

Delurking a bit to post: Elijah's gone tribal ! Haven't found any pictures yet, but there should be some out there somewhere. This sounds like something that Elijah would do. :cool:

STARS UNITE AGAINST AIDS

Hollywood stars including LIV TYLER and RICHARD GERE are sporting tribal makeup in a powerful campaign to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa. The advertising push, entitled Keep A Child Alive, also features ELIJAH WOOD, DAVID BOWIE and GISELE BUNDCHEN, all daubed in war paint to show their allegiance to the developing nation which is struggling with the disease. Over the past 25 years 25 million people have died of AIDS throughout Africa, and a further 12 million children have been orphaned by the epidemic.
06/09/2006 08:27

http://contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/stars%20unite%20against%20aids_1007416

txtac... Haven't found any pictures yet, but there should be some out there somewhere. Bunnie posted this one over at Hugs Haven.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Shelbyshire/Elijah%20Wood/wood-e-african-01.jpg

Happy Birthday, Eandme!

Achila, Pelagia, and I watched the Costa Botes documentaries yesterday. Not enough EW in the 5+ hours, but enjoyable nonetheless. CB filmed 800 or 900 hours of the goings on behind the scenes. So, when does the the rest get released? ;)

C4

CB filmed 800 or 900 hours of the goings on behind the scenes. So, when does the the rest get released?
With the release of the third HD version of the films. :rolleyes: :D

~ Mechtild

From a report in USA Today today about the Toronto Film Festival-Bobby, Emilio Estevez's ensemble flashback to the day of RFK's assassination, either impresses or comes off like a politcized Love Boat capsized by too many cameos.

Thank you ceefour! :k

Just dropping in to ask if someone could start the Faculty Lounge #14, since this thread has passed the 500 post mark. Then either TG or I (whoever gets to it first :) ) will lock this thread and leave a link to the next one. Thanks!

Just dropping in to ask if someone could start the Faculty Lounge #14, since this thread has passed the 500 post mark. Then either TG or I (whoever gets to it first :)) will lock this thread and leave a link to the next one. Thanks! Your welcome, Narya. See you all there!

Here's the link to the amazing, scintillating, #14 Ongoing Elijah Wood Discussion. Isn't he the greatest? (http://www.khazaddum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4062)