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Author
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Topic: Jade Scorpion
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Jerry Chase
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1068
From: Margate, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 08-24-2001 09:13 PM
Woody done good on this one. This is one film that doesn't have his constant whining about the human condition or slamming his characters to the point I want to toss cookies. While not a "great" film, this one reminds me of good old fashioned moviemaking.Woody looks ancient and almost dead at times, which really helps his character. Did I mention he looks ancient?
Helen Hunt is great in her part but looks much younger than Woody.
Dan has somehow continued to carry traces of the Joe Friday character into this film, which I found distracting.
I also realized I had watched too much of the MASH tv series and saw "Voltan" as a spoiled Bostonian doctor.
The ah-HAH! blast from the past recognition in the film was Professor Irwin Corey, who is too old for most film-techers to know. The plot was simple, but timing was good and it was cute. The end isn't totally logical, but the speed picks up enough in the last five minutes to cover the flaws until after the show. The overall mood of the film was consistant, even though there were a few minor anachronisms and oddities like the car with taplights instead of a speedometer and gauges. Helen Hunt's style of put-down is sure to be repeated for a while, I just wish Woody hadn't made her use it until it became expected in the film. I grow more disturbed by flaws as I watch fewer films. I could tell by the splice jumps that the projectionist had used a double thickness of tape on the splices. The weave of the front titles was more than noticable and I grow less tolerant of high speed duplication processes that create the picture unsteadiness on 35mm. (Brad: The surrounds weren't working.  )
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Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 08-27-2001 02:31 PM
I saw it today in a 174 seater that normally has DTS, but it's being worked (for the past month), so it played in Mono SR (As opposed to mono DTS)  . The sound wasn't horrible, but it won't win any Oscars either. The movie itself was good, Woody was at the top of his game. Many times, his performance made me recall Annie Hall, and his endless use on one-liners really helped the movie stand out comedically. Helen Hunt was great, she hasn't acted with such control over a man since As Good as it Gets! The whole movie does a great job of duplicating the 40's and is a great satire of the films of that time (Charlize Theron acts brilliantly on that part). My only complaint is that the romance between Woody & Helen could have been exposed at a greater rate throughout the film, rather than mostly at the ending. That, however, doesn't kill the ending. The ending & the whole resolution is very satisfying. In short, Woody & Helen's ability to throw out fast wit & humor gives this one a spark that enhances the well-writtten story and characters. Go see it if you're a Woody Allen fan, or you want to see humor that doesn't require bodily functions.
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