(no subject)
Mar. 17th, 2005 08:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
liptonrm_backupA few things before I get into the bulk of what I have to say. Firstly, Happy St. Patrick's Day!! This is the day when all Americans can pretend to be Irish, but not really Irish, rather what they think is Irish. It all somehow involves beer and corned beef and making sure to wear green or else someone might pinch you. And, unfortunately, saying you have green in your eyes does not save you from a bruise, as I have found out the hard way.
Secondly, there's been some X-Men 3 news floating around. They finally have a new director as Bryan Singer really is doing Superman. The new guy's name is Matthew Vaughn and his one movie previous to this is a British flick called Layer Cake which happened to star one Dexter Fletcher. Also, the word just came down that there will definitely be three new mutants added to the roster: Beast, Gambit and Angel. However, Angel will apparently be female, a fact which means something to comic fans, I'm sure.
Thirdly, I just heard an old Trek rumor and while I'm not completely sure of its veracity I thought I'd share it around. Apparently Lt. Hawk, Neal McDonough's character in Star Trek: First Contact was supposed to be the first gay character ever openly depicted in a Star Trek anything. Apparently the PTB (including Jonathan Frakes, the director) got nervous about the whole thing and completed excised his subplot from the movie. Interesting, no?
Okay, now that that's all said I can get down to the nitty-gritty of today's psot, and that is my fangirl reaction to the HBO film And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.
I should start taking notes when I watch movies like this, the better to share the squee in an orderly fashion.
But, before I start the squee, I have to make it abundantly clear that I think that this is a very good movie. This is a movie that would be wonderful to watch with or without pretty boys. This is a movie that has layers and seriously looks at who Pancho Villa was, class relations in Mexico, the movie industry and American foreign policy. It's an HBO film and it lives up to that high standard. I highly recommend it.
Now that the serious is done, on to the superficial! Opening credits ... la la la, wow there are a lot of names I recognize. This is going to be a whole Hey! It's That Guy experience.
Oh, look! Web! Hi Web! You look really pretty in your period clothes. I hope![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
baylorsr gets those screencaps done soon cause I would like some. Why don't men dress like that anymore? More men need to wear tree piece suits and fedoras is all I'm saying.
Ooo! It's a movie set, and they say Somewhere, New Jersey is the movie capitol of the world! I love history. And hey, that's Colm Feore who I last saw in Chronicles of Riddick. Looks like he's playing D.W. Griffith, the man who would go on to direct Birth of a Nation which revolutionized film-making and also celebrated the KKK. Apparently Woodrow Wilson was awfully fond of that movie.
Okay, back to the screen. That actress is familiar ... that's right, Alexa Davalos, she of Riddick and Angel fame. And that's Jim Broadbent playing Web's rich, movie studio owning Uncle! I loved him in Topsy Turvy. You know, the color of this scene is very blue, kind of cold and stark. Very winter.
And, here comes Web again. OMG! Eion Bailey only ever plays Webster! I'm serious, this is the exact same character as all the others! He's just too smart for his own good so, of course, his Rich Uncle sends him the Texas to try and make a deal with Pancho Villa to film one of his battles.
And, here we are in Texas. Wow, everything's so colorful and warm. It's like Texas/Mexico is real and everything else isn't. Aaaawww, look at Web in his white suit. Silly Web, you shouldn't wear white into a battle. And cue the battle sounds and cue the rushing to look over the Rio Grande and cue the big crowd of people watching Villa's battle. And cue the Anthony Stewart Head line. Hi Giles! How's it going!?
And, you know this scene by scene reponse is getting kind of boring. So, now you know who everyone is let's sum up. Web is kidnapped by Villa's men, Web meets Villa. Antonio Banderas is great as Pancho Villa, he's really letting loose, great performace.
HA! This Web went to Harvard too!! I love it!
And hey! it's another guy! Oh, okay, that's Alan Arkin, he's the mercenary from Brooklyn. That's cool.
So, battle is filmed, lots of shooting, Web should really be used to this after France and Holland and Hagenau but I guess he isn't. Unfortunately film doesn't turn out and nobody likes it because it's war footage and not really a movie. But Web is devoted and was really converted to the Revolution so he convinces his Rich Uncle to send him back to film the Life of General Villa as more of a Hollywood movie and less of a real depiction of what's actually going on.
La la la, Villa eventually agrees cause OMG! You killed Giles! You bastard! and he has some bad press and really needs those damn gringos to be nice and not send their troops into Mexico. So, studio people show up, including Alexa Davalos (who flirts with Web a lot) and Kyle Chandler who rides horses really well and Hey! that's Michael McKean! as the director.
And Villa hates the script and he and Web argue but Web totally grows a pair and Villa thinks that's nifty and then ... HOLD IT! What is this?! Suddenly they're quietly sitting naked in a pond talking?! OMG! What is Liebgott going to say!? Web, how could you betray him like that? Wait, that's right, Lieb left you first. Okay, carry on with your flirtatious gliding around in the pond and make sure to catch a good glimpse Villa's trasero as he dives into the water. (Sidenote: We actually had to watch this scene twice as the first time through we were all laughing too much to actually catch any of the dialogue)
What, now you're trying to reaffirm your heterosexuality by sleeping with Alexa Davalos? Yeah, uh huh, sure. Though, gotta say, don't mind seeing you half naked still. This wouldn't be HBO without a little sex, after all. And, you know, everyone in this movie is pretty much eye-fucking Eion Bailey. There's also that reporter guy who I'm sure is very jealous that Web is sleeping with everyone but him.
Now most of the film crew leaves (but not before Villa pretends to execute them. It's a good scene) and they rest of them are off to Torreon to capture Villa attacking the armory there. And Web really starts standing up to Villa by telling him from which way to attack the city as well as trying to keep his two little helpers. While Villa does change his plan of attack for Web he also takes away one of his helpers. And there's a stupid battle and lots of people die (including Web's former helper and Villas paramour) but Villa wins in the end because he attacks Torreon at night even though the contract he signed with the movie people said he would only attack during the day, and he blows lots of stuff up.
As Web is packing to leave the next day in the remains of Torreon they see Villa cold-bloodedly shoot a woman who was trying to find her missing husband. Web is so betrayed by what he sees that he starts to become really cynical and bitter and he leaves all angry and at the premiere of the movie he can't stand to watch all of the lies that they've commited to film. But his reporter boyfriend gives him some advice and even though Alexa Davalos is there with Colm Feore Web is just cynical enough not to care.
Nine years later Web's little helper is all grown up with a kid of his own and writes to Web about Villa's death. Then there's a historical voice over and the movie ends. Yay! Good job Web! You were in a really good movie! And I really need to practice my spanish.
Here's an entertaining piece of Pancho Villa trivia. In South Texas one is able to buy at pretty much any grocery store Pancho Villa velas. These are candles with a prayer written on them to the sainted and holy spirit of Pancho Villa. I used to have one, it was great.
Secondly, there's been some X-Men 3 news floating around. They finally have a new director as Bryan Singer really is doing Superman. The new guy's name is Matthew Vaughn and his one movie previous to this is a British flick called Layer Cake which happened to star one Dexter Fletcher. Also, the word just came down that there will definitely be three new mutants added to the roster: Beast, Gambit and Angel. However, Angel will apparently be female, a fact which means something to comic fans, I'm sure.
Thirdly, I just heard an old Trek rumor and while I'm not completely sure of its veracity I thought I'd share it around. Apparently Lt. Hawk, Neal McDonough's character in Star Trek: First Contact was supposed to be the first gay character ever openly depicted in a Star Trek anything. Apparently the PTB (including Jonathan Frakes, the director) got nervous about the whole thing and completed excised his subplot from the movie. Interesting, no?
Okay, now that that's all said I can get down to the nitty-gritty of today's psot, and that is my fangirl reaction to the HBO film And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.
I should start taking notes when I watch movies like this, the better to share the squee in an orderly fashion.
But, before I start the squee, I have to make it abundantly clear that I think that this is a very good movie. This is a movie that would be wonderful to watch with or without pretty boys. This is a movie that has layers and seriously looks at who Pancho Villa was, class relations in Mexico, the movie industry and American foreign policy. It's an HBO film and it lives up to that high standard. I highly recommend it.
Now that the serious is done, on to the superficial! Opening credits ... la la la, wow there are a lot of names I recognize. This is going to be a whole Hey! It's That Guy experience.
Oh, look! Web! Hi Web! You look really pretty in your period clothes. I hope
baylorsr gets those screencaps done soon cause I would like some. Why don't men dress like that anymore? More men need to wear tree piece suits and fedoras is all I'm saying.Ooo! It's a movie set, and they say Somewhere, New Jersey is the movie capitol of the world! I love history. And hey, that's Colm Feore who I last saw in Chronicles of Riddick. Looks like he's playing D.W. Griffith, the man who would go on to direct Birth of a Nation which revolutionized film-making and also celebrated the KKK. Apparently Woodrow Wilson was awfully fond of that movie.
Okay, back to the screen. That actress is familiar ... that's right, Alexa Davalos, she of Riddick and Angel fame. And that's Jim Broadbent playing Web's rich, movie studio owning Uncle! I loved him in Topsy Turvy. You know, the color of this scene is very blue, kind of cold and stark. Very winter.
And, here comes Web again. OMG! Eion Bailey only ever plays Webster! I'm serious, this is the exact same character as all the others! He's just too smart for his own good so, of course, his Rich Uncle sends him the Texas to try and make a deal with Pancho Villa to film one of his battles.
And, here we are in Texas. Wow, everything's so colorful and warm. It's like Texas/Mexico is real and everything else isn't. Aaaawww, look at Web in his white suit. Silly Web, you shouldn't wear white into a battle. And cue the battle sounds and cue the rushing to look over the Rio Grande and cue the big crowd of people watching Villa's battle. And cue the Anthony Stewart Head line. Hi Giles! How's it going!?
And, you know this scene by scene reponse is getting kind of boring. So, now you know who everyone is let's sum up. Web is kidnapped by Villa's men, Web meets Villa. Antonio Banderas is great as Pancho Villa, he's really letting loose, great performace.
HA! This Web went to Harvard too!! I love it!
And hey! it's another guy! Oh, okay, that's Alan Arkin, he's the mercenary from Brooklyn. That's cool.
So, battle is filmed, lots of shooting, Web should really be used to this after France and Holland and Hagenau but I guess he isn't. Unfortunately film doesn't turn out and nobody likes it because it's war footage and not really a movie. But Web is devoted and was really converted to the Revolution so he convinces his Rich Uncle to send him back to film the Life of General Villa as more of a Hollywood movie and less of a real depiction of what's actually going on.
La la la, Villa eventually agrees cause OMG! You killed Giles! You bastard! and he has some bad press and really needs those damn gringos to be nice and not send their troops into Mexico. So, studio people show up, including Alexa Davalos (who flirts with Web a lot) and Kyle Chandler who rides horses really well and Hey! that's Michael McKean! as the director.
And Villa hates the script and he and Web argue but Web totally grows a pair and Villa thinks that's nifty and then ... HOLD IT! What is this?! Suddenly they're quietly sitting naked in a pond talking?! OMG! What is Liebgott going to say!? Web, how could you betray him like that? Wait, that's right, Lieb left you first. Okay, carry on with your flirtatious gliding around in the pond and make sure to catch a good glimpse Villa's trasero as he dives into the water. (Sidenote: We actually had to watch this scene twice as the first time through we were all laughing too much to actually catch any of the dialogue)
What, now you're trying to reaffirm your heterosexuality by sleeping with Alexa Davalos? Yeah, uh huh, sure. Though, gotta say, don't mind seeing you half naked still. This wouldn't be HBO without a little sex, after all. And, you know, everyone in this movie is pretty much eye-fucking Eion Bailey. There's also that reporter guy who I'm sure is very jealous that Web is sleeping with everyone but him.
Now most of the film crew leaves (but not before Villa pretends to execute them. It's a good scene) and they rest of them are off to Torreon to capture Villa attacking the armory there. And Web really starts standing up to Villa by telling him from which way to attack the city as well as trying to keep his two little helpers. While Villa does change his plan of attack for Web he also takes away one of his helpers. And there's a stupid battle and lots of people die (including Web's former helper and Villas paramour) but Villa wins in the end because he attacks Torreon at night even though the contract he signed with the movie people said he would only attack during the day, and he blows lots of stuff up.
As Web is packing to leave the next day in the remains of Torreon they see Villa cold-bloodedly shoot a woman who was trying to find her missing husband. Web is so betrayed by what he sees that he starts to become really cynical and bitter and he leaves all angry and at the premiere of the movie he can't stand to watch all of the lies that they've commited to film. But his reporter boyfriend gives him some advice and even though Alexa Davalos is there with Colm Feore Web is just cynical enough not to care.
Nine years later Web's little helper is all grown up with a kid of his own and writes to Web about Villa's death. Then there's a historical voice over and the movie ends. Yay! Good job Web! You were in a really good movie! And I really need to practice my spanish.
Here's an entertaining piece of Pancho Villa trivia. In South Texas one is able to buy at pretty much any grocery store Pancho Villa velas. These are candles with a prayer written on them to the sainted and holy spirit of Pancho Villa. I used to have one, it was great.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 02:37 pm (UTC)Sorry. Got a little carried away there.
At least they're going to have Gambit. But they've already got the Iceman/Rogue thing going on. I am going to be a very unhappy person if Remy LeBeu does not flirt incessantly with Rogue and call her chere all the time. Very unhappy indeed.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:20 pm (UTC)Always feel free to get carried away. That's what makes lj so much fun;-).
And do you really think that just because Rogue is seeing Iceman that that would in anyway stop Remy LeBeau from flirting with her? Come on, this is Gambit, it's not like he cares about things like that.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:26 pm (UTC)I've just been a huge Rogue/Gambit OTP'er since I was a kid and first read the Fatal Attractions storyline when the X-Men go up to Greymalkein to attack Magneto and the Brotherhood. Rogue had earlier been saved by Magneto and they discovered some sort of alternate universe where she was married to Magneto, and it really affected her a lot (these things are never simple in comics, are they?). And she's all wondering what's going to happen when she's up there, as they're going up there not just to stop Magneto but to actually put an end to him -- it's a final battle type thing.
She says something like, "When it all goes down, I just don't know... what side I'm gonna be on."
And Gambit puts his hand on her shoulder and says, "The same side ya always try ta be on -- tha right side."
Even just thinking about that exchange gives me little chills.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:42 pm (UTC)There's nothing like an original OTP. And I might not be a big comic fan but even I am aware of the True Love of Gambit and Rogue.
Oy, I'm such a sucker for those big, conflicted, adult romances. Sign me up as a Rogue/Gambit shipper. *takes sail, heart melts a little more*
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 02:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:00 pm (UTC)OMG I totally forgot that Neal McDonough was Lt. Hawk. That was the last good Trek movie. I was so digging the Borg Queen; to me, the ultimate Trek villain, or at least a consort to Khan. She made Picard flip out, which I always enjoy.
That's right, Joe left him. Crazy cab driver.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:24 pm (UTC)I also love First Contact. Course, now I can't watch it without chronically looking for glimpses of our Buck but that certainly doesn't diminish from the enjoyment;-). And anything that causes Picard angst and torture is always of the good.
Oh Lieb, you had to run off and now Web is stuck shacking up with dirty Mexican independence fighters. Not that being with someone who looked like Antonio Banderas would be in anyway painful. Nope, no pain over here.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:22 pm (UTC)OMG I totally forgot about Neal in First Contact, too. Why, why did they not let him play it gay? Star Trek is the Queen of Moral Life Lessons! They shoulda!
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 03:29 pm (UTC)The only thing that could've made First Contact even better would have been the inclusion of a big, gay Buck Compton. That would've been so great.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 06:21 pm (UTC)they are going to screwed it up
Date: 2005-03-21 05:59 pm (UTC)and hey :) you can come read their back story any time you want to fly across the country :D i've got most of 'em from about 8 years ago :D
-e
Re: they are going to screwed it up
Date: 2005-03-21 06:35 pm (UTC)You have comics from 8 years ago? That is so cool. Want to fly across country so bad. *whines* *squints at credit card bills*
Re: they are going to screwed it up
Date: 2005-03-23 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-24 03:31 pm (UTC)Webster did look very good in period clothing, didn't he?
And I cracked up so hard when we learned he went to Harvard. I was already thinking "gee, he's a lot like Web" and then they mentioned Harvard and I spent the rest of the movie waiting for someone to snidely tell him "sure teach you a lot of useful stuff at Harvard"
SWIMMING HOLE! SWIMMING HOLE! I appreaciated that one. A whole heck of a lot.
Sounds like you about got my reaction down. Very good movie and lots of pretty Eion to look at. Not that Banderos is hard on the eyes either.
I also loved the opening words "the sheer unbelievableness of this story is the surest indication that it is the truth" or some such.
Since you seem to know more about Pancho Villa than I do - was it pretty accurate? He was really sainted? Officially?
no subject
Date: 2005-05-24 04:35 pm (UTC)I love the Vortex and I love how it makes good movies even better. I would've enjoyed it anyway but the whole Web thing just makes it that much more entertaining. ;-)
Actually, no, they haven't officially sainted Pancho Villa, yet. Though if the people of South Texas/Northern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Sonora, etc.) had their way I'm sure he'd be nearly as important as La Virgen. He's still quite the folk hero in that region.