New Reviews
Holy crap. I just wrote not one, but two new movie reviews. Check out The Departed and This Film Is Not Yet Rated. I’m a little rusty, but I got it done. I still don’t know whether or not you should expect more any time soon, it’s still a bit tricky to pull off with the kid.
Not Yet Rated was on IFC, but we watched The Departed as an HD download from Xbox Live’s Video Marketplace. File ran at over 6GB, which we allowed a few hours to fully download, although you could start watching it once it got about one third complete. I’d been wanting to try the service out, and this film looked like the best way to do so. Since we have Netflix, I don’t think we’ll be downloading much more from there, but it seems a worthy service overall.
(Although next time, I won’t be going the HD route. The 480p version should be plenty for most people’s needs, requires a smaller download, and is cheaper to boot.)
It’s Opening Day today, with the Sox at the Royals at 4PM. Which basically means I’ll hear most of it at work and in the car, but that works for me.
And finally, of course: Happy birthday, sweets! 
Manny Sucks April 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
“Pointless and annoying flashbacks” were replaced by 45 minutes of preamble to the original story. And weren’t there still a couple of flashbacks? My main problem with Scorsese’s version is that he subtly changed the motivation for Damon’s character by, first of all, introducing him as a kid instead of a young thug, and secondly by changing Sam’s line in the original about choosing your own fate. Damon’s decision at the end is changed to self preservation which is much less heroic.
A good remake but I cannot call it a better film.
John April 2nd, 2007 at 3:05 pm
You didn’t call it a better film. I did. Then again, I didn’t study the original for research like you, so I’ve forgotten most of the particulars you’ve mentioned already.
I found the story way easier to follow and the performances better in the Americanized version, which I’m willing to bet is simply because… I’m an American. Loved the editing in Scorsese’s version too, esp. the way the soundtrack halted just before dialogue began. (Something I wanted to fit into the review but couldn’t word properly.)
P.S. Flashbacks: Apples and oranges. They’re abused in Chinese film, and you know it.
Manny Sucks April 2nd, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I only saw The Departed in the theater and haven’t watched the original since well before then. But those changes were enough for me to notice when I viewed the film. I agree that the performances were better in the Departed.
You can’t honestly say that the nuclear trigger technology, or whatever it was, plot point that was completely dropped didn’t hamper the film.
Boo. Sox just scored.
John April 2nd, 2007 at 4:28 pm
That microchip crap was just there to create a deal so big that Costello would want to appear personally, so that the cops could then leap in and bust him. It showed both undercover agents at work trying to keep a step ahead.
Otherwise, Costello would have kept his nose much cleaner, and there couldn’t have been that big “almost got him!” event with Alec Baldwin freaking out.
Boo. Yanks won. Lots of errors though. They should work on that.
Manny Sucks April 3rd, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I still couldn’t figure out why they wanted to expand the scope of the plot to include the FBI. I guess undercover cops are no longer believable to American audiences. You need undercover Feds to sell it.
I’m sure the Yanks will be taking extra infield practice on their day off.