The first of the double feature of this month's movie discussion is The Day After Tomorrow. TDAT is about worldwide catastrophe and disaster, including multiple hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, floods and the beginning of the next Ice Age due to the Greenhouse effect. Of course most at OMG would know this movie because it was how and where Jake and Austin met, filming the blockbuster for director Roland Emmerich.
What did you like? What drove you crazy about it? What really the love story in the movie? Was is Sam and Laura? Or was it more like slash delight? What was the relationship between JD and Sam? What about the represenation of the government? What was the message that Emmerich was trying to show? Favorite parts? Favorite lines?
In addition to the basic disussion of TDAT, there is compartive discussion with the new Star Trek movie, by J. J. Abrams, who created a prequel to reinvent the Star Trek franchise while telling the beginning of the Star Trek saga.
What are the comparisons between the two movies? Are there similarities in the race to save humanity? The distructions of civilations and planets? What lessons are similar? What is the love story in Star Trek? Uhura & Spock? Or was it more like slash delight? Do you see similarities of Sam & J.D. with Kirk & Spock? What was the role of the government? What other similarities or differences did you see between the two movies? Did both have a similar message to them? What did you like or dislike about Star Trek? What was your favorite scene ? Favorite lines?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Movie Club Discussion
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13 comments:
Well, I started to watch last night and got as far as I think Emma Rossum is about to get sick. So, I'm just about most of the way through it. I had never seen the very beginning before and I still haven't watched the "extras".
But I like this movie even though it is a pretty dark movie. It is always scary to see nature at such a force that you feel helpless and/or unable to take cover.
Dennis Quaid is pretty good in this, although I don't think Sela Ward is. I never realized how unconvincing she comes across.
Jake played a teen so well. He's got the angst down, the rolling of the eyes, the sullenness, everything. Austin has such a constant smirk on his face. And Emma Rossum is really cute.
I'm sorry I'm not being too technical about the movie, but global warming & all the science talk on this kind of go over my head a bit. But I still like it.
And I think I see what you guys have talked about. When they're in Austin's apartment (well, not his, but his character's) and Austin is wanting to go to catch his brother at the bus station, his hand is on Jake's chair, right up against Jake's arm/shoulder?? What's up with that, LOL! Those boys look like they were trying to get in a little touchy touch there. That kind of gave me a shiver, a good one.
;)
Gotta go! I am so ready to leave this place and get going with my weekend, even though I have to get an MRI in the morning. Have fun talking TDAT!
PG, did you catch the look they exchange when Austin tells Jake he can have the girl? Priceless. It really is a "who cares about the girl" look.
But other than those two things, it's not a very slashy movie.
Star Trek on the other hand has more of a slash feel, even though there is not anything overt in it. There's a feeling of ambiguity to Star Trek.
One thing they both have in common is the tried and true, starting out as enemies in part because they're interested in the same girl story line. But then they realize she's not as important as their relationship.
Oh, I do think TDAT has a real slashy undertone.
When we first see J.D. in the movie, it's because Sam is staring at him.
And then in that museum Sam is muttering about J.D. in a way that you want to just go "Just ask him out on a date already instead of telling yourself you can't stand him."
And the scene at the end where Sam and J.D. are staring at each other in the library while everybody else is asleep and Sam is practically comforting J.D., saying everything will be alright, is pretty slashy as well.
That whole "go get her" conversation really is priceless though, because they looks like they're having a deep, meaningful conversation about their own relationship instead of a girl they're both supposed to be into.
I can't help but think that Roland saw the chemistry between Jake and Austin and captured it on camera.
He literally had a complete set built in the middle of shooting.
In that set you literally only had scenes with the younger cast and the little brush up PG is talking about happens on there as well. And of course the wiping down from behind the scenes ;)
Watching the movie the first time before even knowing who Jake and Austin were my first thought definitely was that the director must have at some point forgotten that the love story was between that one guy and the girl and just made it about the two guys. That kiss between Sam and Laura really didn't fit with the flow of how it had been going.
But listening to Emmy it sounds like she would have thrown a fit if they had cut that :)
Gosh how many times do you have to epeat the same stuff. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I will just say that I thought that
TDAT was AWESOME!! I have not seen
the Star Trek movie so will have to
wait on that! I spoke to soon-at
work, on Wednesday afternoon, they
laid off about half of us because
they are out of MATERIAL and are
expecting it to arrive! Everybody
was off Friday because they were
moving all the machinery around and
they are remodeling!
One of the office ladies at work
had the same surgery I am going to
have and she said it made her worse. So I will just have to see.
I called in Friday afternoon and
they told us to call back Monday
afternoon to see if we come in to
work Tuesday morning. I will just
have to wait until Wednesday morning because I have to go to
my regular family doctor on 6-16.
I cannot miss this appointment for
I have to have about 8 prescriptions renewed. It is always
something!
I am so glad that Tink is okay.
I hope that she is her usual self
this morning. I like Adam's voice
and songs very much. I hope his
career is very successful! I also
will not be surprised if Jake and
Reese eventually marry! I do not
see how Austin has stood all this
really!!
TDAT was intended to be slashy because it wasn't written that way. And TDAT was originally written as Sam being a kid about 8 or 9.
Interesting observation Stubborn - that Roland used Sam's viewpoint to introduce J.D.
And yeah the scene at the end where Sam and J.D. are staring at each other in the library while everybody else is asleep - I think that was more slashy not because Roland wanted it to be, but because it became it, because feelings off camera bubbled up on screen. And how could Roland not want to keep true emotion captured on screen.
And you and Destiny both hit it on the head that whole "go get her" conversation had really nothing to do with going to get Emmy's character.
I am always amazed at the fact in the middle of production Roland chose to beef up the whole J.D. angle with 50 more pages and a whole new set. And no slight to Austin, but back then he wasn't the actor he was now, that Roland was doing it for his acting skill. I wonder if it was two fold - that the chemistry was like lightening in a bottle, and secondly that having Austin involved more brought out more of Jake, and made for a really happy leading man.
Now I have huge issues with TDAT, first being burn the book not the furniture? HELLO!!! Wood last longer than books, and there are not enough book trucks to bring that many books into that room to keep them warm.
And a room that is solid ice at the doors and glowing warm at the other end. I just want to pull my hair out at that.
Now the comparisons to Star Trek
Both TDAT and Star Trek have a global message.
Both TDAT and the whole premise of entire Star Trek concept of Gene Rodenberry is that all are equal and all share responsibility for our futures and that we must work together.
Both look at the destruction of a planet and people, and lessons learned from that.
Both are rooted in idea that the future is now the responsibility entrusted to the youth.
Both also questions the authority of the establish governing body. (The Gov. in TDAT, and the Academy council and Vulcan elders in Star Trek)
They both had archetypes of fathers and sons, rivals over a romantic interest, and friendship being most important.
Spock and Kirk were the first characters to be written as slash. And while they're characters might have slash moments. I not sure if Kirk had more slash moments with Spock or McCoy. Karl Urban was brilliant as McCoy. Talk about nailing him. And there was some playful banter there too. But have to say love Quinto's eyebrow raise to Pine about him getting Uhura was it really about a girl?
I have to give to JJ - the casting was incredible, he got it perfect. Although every time I see Winona Ryder on screen I am thinking Nancy Reagan lately.
I admit this now - I had no idea that Eric Bana was Nero. I loved Simon Pegg. (Star Trek Trivia: He was the only one who didnt' have to audition)
And I like JJ's decision to bring back Nemoy back rather than Shatner for it. Because I think Shatner would have made it become too campy instead of realistic story about the beginning.
I really liked Star Trek and thought JJ did a great job reinventing a franchise that keeps its original fans happy while tapping all new fans.
Totally agree with what you said Special. It is interesting what Emmerich kept in, although I think beefing up AustinKs role had more to do with bringing in a younger audience and creating some romantic tension.
Hey guys. Thanks, Stubborn, for your input. I'll watch it all over again. I must've watched that brush up, oh, I don't know, about 4 times? Because I remembered you all talking about something that happened in his dad's apartment, but I didn't know what. And when I saw it, I said, Whoa, that's kind of unusual, lol.
I am here on loan via my sister's Mac notebook. I am going to get mine back but, oops, I'll tell my woeful story on the other thread.
Well, can't comment on the Star Trek, but I do enjoy TDAT because there seems to be more wayyy more interest between Austin & Jake's characters than between Jake's & Emmy's.
Perfect casting makes Star Trek. As much as I like TDAT (much to several of my friends' horror), that is one difference from Star Trek, in some ways I don't think it would have mattered too much who they cast. But I certainly wouldn't have watched is as many times as I have if not for J&A.
I remember watching TDAT for the first time and couldn't get hrough the whole film because the special
effects and flaws in the science and plot bothered me. What was evident though from the beginning was chemistry between Sam and J.D. which makes the film interesting. Emmy's character becomes
a sidenote and just a reason for the boys to interact. I thought the scene where Sam checks out J.D. and the "go get her" scene are the most revealing ones. When Sam first meets J.D. his stares and their gazes are hard to read as anything else but mutual attraction (and the scene also reminds me of Top Gun and the scene where Maverick and Iceman first meet). And as people have mentioned when J.D. tells Sam
to go after the girl, it seems as they are talking about their relationship instead of the girl.
In Star Trek there was a strong sense that more will come between Kirk and Spock. They were just
starting their relationship and the buddy pairing was more between Kirk and McCoy as special mentioned. However, there is a
promise of a deeper friendship or more to come after initial rivalvry. Like in TDAT the straight romance felt glued in. When and how did Uhura become attracted to Spock? Their relationship comes out of nowhere and therefore doesn't seem believable. Also Spock is a very reserved character and is just finding out how to deal with his human (irrational and emotional) side. I found it incredible that he would kiss Uhura in front of
stranger the way he did.
In TDAT I'm always bothered by the burning of the books but also the disappearance of J.D.'s brother from the storyline. The brother in danger makes J.D. vulnerable and in need of comfort but unfortunately the brother is not addressed further in the story. Sloppy storytelling.
In Star Trek I felt Kirk was shown as too much of a hot head to become a famous captain but I guess it was necessary to bring
out the contrast between the emotional Kirk and rational Spock.
Oh and I also liked that both films explored the boys relationships with their fathers (the devoted heroic father in TDAT, Kirk's heroic but absent father and Spock's subversive father who confesses to loving his mother)...
Hopeful -
Great point about the disappearance of J.D.'s brother from the storyline, and what the brother gave J.D.'s character. I admit I never noticed it.
The burning books thing I really was almost waiting for the insider joke of them asking about Ray Bradbury, since he wrote Fahrenheit 451, (the temperature books burn) about burning books.
Yeah JJ did make Kirk a total hothead and you are right it was to give more contrast to a logical Spock.
I do like that they showed Spock having something in common with his father, beside the obvious Vulcan, that they both succumb to their feelings for the women in their lives.
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