What Movie Did You Just Watch

[Avaitor]

Yeah, apparently much of the dialogue in Tarantino's script was retained for the movie, but Stone mostly changed the events and perspective points in the film. For some reason, according to the WGA, this is enough to give Tarantino only a "Story" credit, even though it's the story that was changed the most from his script. Go figure.

Ah, so it was the same thing basically, but a lot less weird. Strange that they gave him a story credit instead of a writing credit then, sounds like it should have been the other way around.

Yeah, the guilds are weird like that. The story behind NBK isn't as weird as what happened to Kevin Smith's draft of Coyote Ugly, though.

It was Stone's idea to turn the film into a critique of the media's affect on society, while Tarantino wanted to focus more on the love story aspect. They had very different ideas, and while I'm glad that we have the version that's out today, I do want to see QT's original take. I'm sure the screenplay is out there somewhere.

[No-Personality]

I'm re-starting my Netflix career with a passion. Just watched 2 movies in a row and am more than 50% awake enough to watch a 3rd but I guess I'm calling it a night because I like to give these things my full attention.

There's a real theme cropping up for the next 6 or so lined up after these in my Queue but, I started my current marathon with:

Casual Sex? (1988) and Modern Girls (1986). I used to spill my guts on Ultimate Disney but I think the future is in bite-sized reviews. I already wrote mine up on Letterboxd (yes, I'm giving them another chance), if you're curious to see what I might have said about these movies (and Frank Zappa's 1971 film, 200 Motels), check it out sometime.

[Foggle]

Read QT's NBK script last night. I made a post about it, but for some reason it never showed up (or maybe I forgot to submit it...). Overall, I'd say about 75% of the dialogue is the same across both versions, but the finished film uses much of it in different contexts. The opening and ending scenes are almost 100% accurate to the screenplay, though.

Tarantino's script is fairly low-key and a lot more subtle than Stone's movie, but it's still definitely satire. Aside from the obvious difference of not being intended as an art film, the actual story is quite different. For one thing, Mickey and Mallory were not written as somewhat sympathetic anti-heroes; they're clearly depicted as bad people. They also weren't really main characters in the original version - the movie centered around Wayne Gale instead. Also, QT apparently had nothing to do with most of the really sick shit (implied incest rape, prison guard death/torture scenes, etc.).

The whole thing was funnier, more believable, and almost entirely dialogue-based. I still enjoy the finished film, but I think I would have liked this version more.

[Avaitor]

Yep, that's what I was expecting.

Could you send me the screenplay? I'd love to read it.

[Foggle]

Could you send me the screenplay? I'd love to read it.

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Natural_Born_Killers.PDF

[Spark Of Spirit]

So I flip past Happy Gilmore on Family and watch a scene where Adam Sandler throws Ben Stiller out of the window of the nursing home. This is not on my DVD copy and I've never seen this scene before.

Crazy.

[Avaitor]

That wasn't in the deleted scenes? I know that sometimes channels will add in certain deleted scenes into movies if there's too much risque material to cut. I remember seeing the "Elvis or Beatles" scene once while watching Pulp Fiction on AMC a long time ago.

Oh, and I caught the season premiere of TCM's Essentials on Saturday. Drew Barrymore's back, and they seem to air two movies every time they start a season off- one at the usual 8 PM timeslot (Grand Hotel) and another one later at night that's a bit edgier than their typical fair (The Big Chill). I caught them both.

Grand Hotel was probably a big deal at its release, since this is the first time you had as many viable stars in one film like you see here (including two Barrymores, hint hint). And the interlocking storylines that you see in The Wire and Robert Altman's films? This did it before them. Unfortunately, the writing's very contrived and the characters, despite some fine acting, are flat. This is a better early Best Picture winner than most (probably the best between Wings and It Happened One Night), but it just doesn't hold up.

The Big Chill is a little similar in that it has a fairly big cast, but while a lot seems to be going on in Grand Hotel, nothing really happens here. It's just a small group of friends catching up after losing another member of their old clan. The best part of the film is easily the soundtrack, which contains nearly every 60's great, from Marvin Gaye to Beach Boys to the Temptations to CCR. And that's just a starting point.

Looking at their planned schedule for the month, I see one film I hate (Tootsie), one I've always wanted to see (Gun Crazy), and one I like a good deal (The Lady Eve). Even if I don't have interest in watching the movies Robert and Drew introduce, I end up watching their opening and closing comments for all of their choices. But I'll catch at least watching a few of their choices this year.

[The Shadow Gentleman]

Wreck It Ralph.

[Foggle]

Why is NPH fucking Elmo in the ass?

[talonmalon333]

Why is NPH fucking Elmo in the ass?

More importantly, why is that the first idea your mind went to?

[Dr. Insomniac]

Why is NPH fucking Elmo in the ass?

More importantly, why is that the first idea your mind went to?

...you homophobes.

[Avaitor]

Let's not turn this into a tz political thread.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Let's not turn this into a tz political thread.

...you anatidaephobe.

[Avaitor]

Let's not turn this into a tz political thread.

...you anatidaephobe.

Well what do you expect when you sleep with a plush Daffy?

[Avaitor]

I finally got to see ParaNorman last night, and I liked it. The movie started off with too much gross-out humor for my tastes, but when it picked up on the psychological side and raised the comedy up a little, I totally got into it. I also adored the animation, and how varied the character designs were.

If I had to rank it in with the film's fellow Oscar nominees and the other movies the studio made, it wasn't nearly as good as Wreck-It Ralph or Coraline, but much better than Brave and 9. So I would recommend it, but not above the former two.