CosmicBills

You did not LIKE those movies. That is far different from saying they are not good films. Good Will Hunting is near perfect, as was Seven. Both are fantastically written, well acted and beautifully directed. To say otherwise demonstrates you don't really understand what qualities makes for good cinema.

Yeah, that is a very cool tie. I don't remember that in part in "Catcher in the Rye", I'll have to read that one again. I really liked "Shoeless Joe", but when you really analyze it, it is apparent Kinsella is sending up the American fascination with sport (in general) and baseball in particular. While on the surface the book is every bit as endearing as the film, underneath Kinsella was taking some mighty big shots at the American psyche. The story is about a guy who hears voices (most people would call him crazy)...dreams about baseball players of two generations ago...destroys his farm and risks his family's very livelyhood by plowing his crops so that he can appease the voices in his head. There are also a lot of little comentaries about the American perception of race since the book takes place in maybe the whitest state in the Union (which they call Heaven several times), and the era everyone in the story is longing to restore is one where blacks weren't allowed to play in the Bigs. This is especially funny since they cast James Earl Jones as the mock Sallinger. But the shinning example of this comes when Ray talks with the older Moonlight in his office. The elder Moonlight tells Ray about sliding in safetly after hitting a tripple. On screen this scene plays beautifully...you buy into it and believe him. If you go read that passage in the book (which is almost word for word what is on screen) you will see a totally different slant. That one passage combines all the elements mentioned above and wraps them up into this story that reads so silly on the page...proving (according to Kinsella) that Americans are just crazy. But he was right. Afterall, the American movie took that silly scene and made it (as well as the whole movie) deadly serious. So here's Kinsella, writing this little book about how crazy Americans are for baseball (not in a healthy way), next thing he knows it's a monster best seller in the states AND becomes a huge success at the Box Office...which all proved the point of his book. It just makes me chuckle.

Field of Dreams was forever ruined for me when I read Kinsella's book. It makes me cringe now when I see it because all I can see is Kinsella laughing all the way to the bank. Crazy Canadians.

Looking just at the top 10 in box office is an absurd way to measure the amount of quality films made each year. What determines a 'good' movie? Just how much money it makes? Certainly not. What determines a 'good' movie is how it moves the person watching it. If someone can sit there and watch a Carrot Top movie and enjoy it, then that is a good movie for THAT person. Everyone has their own tastes afterall. Still, like all art, there are rules and standards that determine great films from trash. While these rules don't have to be adhered to, they exist all the same. Even though the number of movies released each year has increased, that does NOT mean that the PERCENTAGE of good films per year has dropped. In the 80s, 70s, and 60s there were tons of terrible films made, just as today. But there were also some brilliant films made during those eras as well. I find it funny that you are using "Bewitched" to illustrate your point since, based on your list, it appears you much prefer the big summer comedies/blockbusters to more serious, compelling films. Afterall, you chose: "Patch Adams" (terrible drivel, Williams worst movie by far), "Cheaper by the Dozen" (I love Martin, but this movie was a disaster), and "The Mummy" (enjoyable, but pure popcorn) over the likes of "Good Will Hunting" (much more poignant and emotionally true than "Patch Adams"), "The Increadibles" (a much better story and film than "Cheaper by the Dozen"), and "Gladiator" (all the action of the "Mummy" but with 100 times the heart, emotion and characters). A man with a list like that should be the last one complaining about the product Hollywood is putting out. They make more than enough films every year to satisfy your tastes. And PLEASE don't get me wrong. I am not trying to insult your tastes. Everyone goes to the movies for their own reasons. Some go to be moved while others go simply to escape reality for 2 hours. There is no right or wrong choice. All I am trying to say is that based on your apparent tastes, there have been PLENTY of good movies to come out over the past 10 years. In fact, as I said earlier, the percentage of good movies per year (for EVERYONE'S tastes) has not changed and never will.

I have a nasty habbit of watching lots of movies (even bad ones sometimes) over and over again. Since people have already named some great ones, I will stick only those that haven't been mentioned (or only have been mentioned once): China Town Good Will Hunting Unforgiven Miller's Crossing The Big Sleep (the original) Three Kings Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid Diggstown Donnie Brasco Heat (named once)

You're joking right? You don't think they will redo the villians? They erased the slate with Batman Begins and are rebuilding the franchise from the ground up. They will make the movies and people will want to see them. Goyer (the screenwriter) has been contracted to write the next two batman films and the villians allegedly are the Joker in the second one and Two Face in the third. Both villians we have already seen in previous installments... I just hope Nolan signs on to do the next two flicks.

Even high, Ricky is a better back than Travis ever will be.

See, I am not worried about Wins and Loses this year. This season is bigger (if you can believe that) than that. It's about whether the Bills have their franchise QB or not. I will be happy if the BIlls finish 6-10 but JP improved each and every week and looked like he was the real deal. But if he falters (or gets killed from the lack of an oline and stunts his growth) then there will be big trouble in B-lo.

You cannot (bar injury) start Holcomb this season. To commit to JP as strongly as they have in the off season, then to yank him from the starting job (even 8 weeks into the season) will be a blow JP will never be able to recover from...at least not in a Bills uniform. He is the QB, even if the Bills are 0-10.

Forget trying to compair JP to RJ or Flutie. Both RJ and Flutie's mobility certainly helped mask the weakness on the line (Fina? Jerry O? ), but there is a bigger issue here. JP is a first year starter, if he is getting hit every play, or being forced to scramble every play because the line is weak, that is bad news. Not just for this year, but for JPs future. Young, mobile QBs can get happy feet VERY easily. This affects his ability to make the proper reads and basically LEARN the game in the NFL. That being said, a bad offensive line is disaster not just for this year, but for the future of the franchise. The long term damage on JPs development could be huge. All that being said, it is foolish to make any predictions on the line. I agree with Kelly, they need a good month of live games before anyone will really know. But if I am forced to make a prediction, I am not expecting this group to be an improved line (hope to God I'm wrong). If anything, I think the unit regressed. The hole at LT will be huge. And if they move Teague out to LT, then the Bills will have 2 holes, one at C and LT. The options are slim.

I had really bad hay fever for years and resisted getting a script for it. But I am telling you, go to your doctor and ask for a perscription for Rhinochord (nasal spray). Stuff works better than anything over the counter by leaps and bounds (and I tried them all).

You are not seeing the big picture...dying is easy. Living is hard. Victims of molestation are scarred for life. The victims not only lose their innocence, they lose any chance at a normal life. They will carry the horrors of the experience with them forever. It will affect every relationship they ever have, their education. When you die, you die. That's it. It's over. Living with those emotional scars is much, much more difficult than dying. Molestation, rape, abuse of children is far and away one of the most despicable and heinous crimes one could commit -- far worse than murder of an adult.

Agreed. The Bills have enough WRs. They especially don't need any WRs coming off of major knee surgeries.

Didn't hear tear both his ACLs last year?? He had a wicked bad injury to both legs.

Could be.

Yeah, but one thing that made me wonder (might be looking WAY too far into it)... If it's a security system and is tripped by entering the "dark territory" as the French Woman said...then what tripped it the first night when everyone was on the beach? Was it the rest of the survivors? The others coming to check the crash site out? Ethan? Just food for thought.

The thinking that they are dead, or in purgatory, was dismissed by the show's creators. But the show is about redemption and atonment, just not in an after life sort of sense (again, according to the creators).

I hear what you are saying and agree with you. I get more involved with Bills games than I probably should. Like you, it impacts me emotionally and would rather watch a Bills game than a sitcom. The point I was getting at though (like you said) at the end of the day, it's all the same thing. It's all entertainment. HOWEVER, it's about what moves you. We have to respect the people who are more moved by a movie or a TV show than a football team. Just as they should respect those who are more passionate about sports than film. Because in the end, both sides are enjoying the same thing -- entertainment, albeit in different formats. I enjoy Star Wars, but you'd never catch me going to a convention dressed as a Storm Trooper. However, I'm sure there are tons of people at those Star Wars conventions that would never be caught dead going to the Ralph sporting a Lossman Jersey. Both sides make fun of the other for the same thing...that is what drives me nuts (I'm not saying you are making fun of people LA, just trying to make my point). People just elevate their chosen form(s) of entertainment and look down upon all other forms as being inferior...and that always cracks me up because it is so ridiculous.

What do you hope to get out of watching a football game? For your team to win. To watch talented people performing at their highest levels. Or, in simplier forms, to be entertained. Whether or not the Bills win or not, it does not have an impact at all on your life (unless you're a betting man). When you watch TV or movies, what do you hope to get out of it? The same thing, for your characters to win or lose, to see talented people (writers, directors, actors) performing at the highest level to create something that resonates and takes you away for a couple hours. Whether or not Indiana Jones saves the day or falls on his face, it does not have an impact at all on your life. Like sports, it's entertainment. Both enterprises are equally difficult, albeit they flex different muscles. To say football (or sports) is MORE important than any other form of television simply because it's physical is just as assanine as someone trying to say a movie is more important than a football game because it's harder to write a good movie than it is to catch a ball. At the end of the day, there is no difference. It's all about what moves you. If it's sports, fantastic. If it's a good movie, just the same. At the end of the day all you are getting is a few hours of entertainment. I understand what it takes to play football (or any sports) and understand what it takes to act/direct/write etc...to do either well is increadibly hard, but both serve the same purpose. As for McPherson or the Pixie Fairy, hey, Puy's Puy

Because there is a HUGE difference between TV shows, Movies and sports right? Come on, it's all the same thing: entertainment. At the end of the day, there isn't a lick of real difference between a show like Lost and an NFL game...except the guys on your screen on Sunday make more money than the ones your screen on Wed night.

Thats not the point though, collusion in poker only works by setting up the mark and raising bets (sucking him into a pot he has no business being in). So if you spot it online, you know which pots to avoid. Thus, it doesn't affect your chips. You can protect yourself online from cheats (just as you can in live games) by being aware of what's going on. That's all I'm saying.

You can cheat almost as easily in live games...in both instances, its easy to spot if you know what you're looking for.

On the main page, run your mouse over the highlighted 815 (in the blurb about closing the airline)...you'll get jumbled text. Highlight it and you'll get a cool message. (unless my computer is crazy...) Cool website. Wonder if the message has any relevance to Season 2? A new character perhaps?

I'll say it again. The bird was in there for a specific reason. There is no other reason to spend that amount of money on a CGI shot. But I'll be damned if I know what the reason is

That's why Kate is so popular.