The Golden Compass

I've been waiting for this film. I'm not a huge book/novel reader but having loved such as Narnia and lord of the rings, i imagine the golden compas being somewhere in between.

Anything remotely fantasy is good in my book.

I plan to see it in a couple weeks. I hope it does turn out good, from your reviews. Are they doing the whole Trilogy? I want to see Will.... <3

Originally Posted by Dark Tragedy

I plan to see it in a couple weeks. I hope it does turn out good, from your reviews. Are they doing the whole Trilogy? I want to see Will.... <3

I guess they finished book one since they leave a hooker. Or not a finished ending.

I really liked it, to be honest. Good CGI and acting, though it almost went too fast sometimes.

The biggest problem, though, was that it lacked an ending. :/ Unless I missed something after the credits, it didn't leave off at the same spot as the book, even though the trailers showed scenes that would have been from the end.

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

Be a leader, not a lemming.

You could use that kind of fortune-cookie logic to argue against anything.

For example, one could easily say that going to see the movie would make me a follower to you as opposed to a follower of a critic.

Really, the only way I could be a "leader" would be to meet you both halfway by sneaking into the movie theater, watching half the movie, and then leaving.

Wasn't the book taken out of schools for some reason? I personally am no interested in it and yet im drawn with the craving to watch it. ....Stupid tv movie previews

For example, one could easily say that going to see the movie would make me a follower to you as opposed to a follower of a critic.

Please don't be a fool, you know better than that. Be a leader, not a lemming = Think and act for yourself instead of blindly following others.

Originally Posted by Zelda Ninja

Wasn't the book taken out of schools for some reason? I personally am no interested in it and yet im drawn with the craving to watch it. ....Stupid tv movie previews

Catholic schools methinks, because they don't seem that fiction is fiction and that the readers are smart enough to realize that as well.

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

Please don't be a fool, you know better than that. Be a leader, not a lemming = Think and act for yourself instead of blindly following others.

What's wrong with a second opinion? I'd say it's more foolish to just not take any advice whatsoever as opposed to taking advice and/or a second opinion -- and a professional one at that.

Originally Posted by Dark Link

What's wrong with a second opinion?

You mean, besides the fact that that it's solely that person's opinion and not yours? The fact that a movie with bad reviews might wind up being your favorite? The fact that you could become a mindless zombie who cannot form your own opinion from the experience? That fact that you can become just like a lemming?

A second opinion is just that...secondary. It should take a back seat to your own decisions. Listen and read all the reviews you like. I enjoy reading them from time to time, but I never base my own opinions off of others. That's just foolish and mindless. I can be missing my most favorite movie ever because some schmuck who deems himself/herself a professional reviews a certain movie and says I shouldn't watch it.

I recall a beautiful scene from the movie Hitch:

"Have you been to that new Brazilian restaraunt?"

"No, but I'm looking forwar-"

"It's disgusting. I'm writing an article about it. Did you see the new installation at MOMA?"

"Yes, did you think-"

"Disgusting. Disgusting."

"What was your name? Eggnog?"

"Egon."

"What do you think of the design of the Jets' new football stadium on the West Side? Let me guess...disgusting? Think it over."




Be a leader, not a lemming.

This is getting pretty over-biased.

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

You mean, besides the fact that that it's solely that person's opinion and not yours? The fact that a movie with bad reviews might wind up being your favorite? The fact that you could become a mindless zombie who cannot form your own opinion from the experience? That fact that you can become just like a lemming?

A second opinion is just that...secondary. It should take a back seat to your own decisions. Listen and read all the reviews you like. I enjoy reading them from time to time, but I never base my own opinions off of others. That's just foolish and mindless. I can be missing my most favorite movie ever because some schmuck who deems himself/herself a professional reviews a certain movie and says I shouldn't watch it.

What makes someone a professional, or atleast what I meant it to mean, is whether or not they are paid to do something, and has nothing to do with they think of themselves.

Also, I've been doing exactly what you suggested all along. I'm taking your opinion and putting it in the back seat, and making it secondary to my own.

Also, I never said it was a bad movie. I've yet to form an opinion on it. I just implied that I may not see the movie, and thus may never form an opinion on it. Which is okay, because it's my decision.

If choosing to miss this one film makes me utterly incapable my entire life of making any decisions for myself, then I'll come back and apologize to you. Until then, I stand by my argument.

I recall a beautiful scene from the movie Hitch:

"Have you been to that new Brazilian restaraunt?"

"No, but I'm looking forwar-"

"It's disgusting. I'm writing an article about it. Did you see the new installation at MOMA?"

"Yes, did you think-"

"Disgusting. Disgusting."

"What was your name? Eggnog?"

"Egon."

"What do you think of the design of the Jets' new football stadium on the West Side? Let me guess...disgusting? Think it over."




Be a leader, not a lemming.

I don't think a Will Smith movie should be the founding principle of my philosophies. I think that I should.



Captain Cutflaik, if you hadn't noticed, the bias is what makes things interesting. If it weren't for bias, then there would never be a good debate.

Originally Posted by Zelda Ninja

Wasn't the book taken out of schools for some reason?

To my knowledge only one school board has done so, and that was a Catholic one.

The books themselves I quite like, and I honestly don't see any of the pro-atheist stuff that people insist are in them. (To be fair, it's been forever since I've read the third one, so it might be worse, but the first two are about as atheistic as Tolkein.)

I personally am no interested in it and yet im drawn with the craving to watch it. ....Stupid tv movie previews

Actually, I dislike the trailers. They seem far too rushed and chaotic.

If nothing else, I highly recommend the books. They're those rarest of things, an original fantasy series. The worlds that Pullman creates are new. The characters tend to be very colourful and interesting, and the plot doesn't pull it's punches, while still staying enjoyable.

Movie looks terrible and I probably won't enjoy it. Professional reviews say it's bad so I'll just wait 'til this gets released on DVD and rent it or something.

Also, I've been doing exactly what you suggested all along. I'm taking your opinion and putting it in the back seat, and making it secondary to my own.

Very good.

I don't think a Will Smith movie should be the founding principle of my philosophies. I think that I should.

Very good again.

But, let me ask you, where's the philosophy of blindly following another's opinion?

Originally Posted by GDwarf

The books themselves I quite like, and I honestly don't see any of the pro-atheist stuff that people insist are in them. (To be fair, it's been forever since I've read the third one, so it might be worse, but the first two are about as atheistic as Tolkein.)

If His Dark Materials were atheist, I doubt there'd be a land of the dead.

Professional reviews say it's bad so I'll just wait 'til this gets released on DVD and rent it or something.

Oi...

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

You mean, besides the fact that that it's solely that person's opinion and not yours? The fact that a movie with bad reviews might wind up being your favorite? The fact that you could become a mindless zombie who cannot form your own opinion from the experience? That fact that you can become just like a lemming?

"I'm going to go jump of this roof. But first, I'm going to get a few other opinions."

"Don't do it."

"Don't do it."

"Don't do it."

"OK, that's nice. Screw that, I'm not a lemmings. I'm going to go jump off this rooftop now."

Why even listen to an opinion if you're not going to take it into consideration in the first place? It gives reassurance on an undecided decision, and also happens to give you an insight of what are the pros and cons of something, and whether or not it's worth it.

Besides, it's hardly anything controversial. It's a movie for god's sake.

A second opinion is just that...secondary. It should take a back seat to your own decisions. Listen and read all the reviews you like. I enjoy reading them from time to time, but I never base my own opinions off of others. That's just foolish and mindless. I can be missing my most favorite movie ever because some schmuck who deems himself/herself a professional reviews a certain movie and says I shouldn't watch it.

When did I state I had an opinion of this movie?

I'm not made of money. I don't want to gamble it, nor my time. If most people (usually professionals) say it's good, then I'll probably watch it. If they say it's bad, then I'll probably not watch it since I can't afford $8.50 every time a movie that appears interesting to come out. Which brings me to my next point: Looks can be deceiving. Don't blindly go do whatever seems interesting to you.

But I digress. If wish to continue this with me, make a new thread that relates to this topic, or exchange PM's. This is my last post in this thread regarding this topic. Just giving you a head's up.

Hmm, will I go to see this movie?
That depends really...will there be a version where Nicole Kidman's scenes have all been edited out?

My friend was trying to get me to go to this film, but I don't think I can bare to sit through another showcase for Nicole's theatrics. The last Nicole Kidman film I watched was the one where she was trying to keep her children away from sunlight and I swore that'd be my last.

I always thought that it'd be a requirement for an actress to have a wide range of emotions at her disposal, but obviously I'm wrong. She could be having a stroke mid way through a scene and I'd be none the wiser.

Don't think a few CGI polar bears or Daniel Craig is going to make up for enduring The Kidman I'm afraid.

Actually, most people seem to agree that Kidman's performance in GC is quite good, matching the character from the book quite well. (To quote one reviewer, "All gold and ice".)

"I'm going to go jump of this roof. But first, I'm going to get a few other opinions."

"Don't do it."

"Don't do it."

"Don't do it."

"JUMP! JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!"

"Well, let's see. They say don't do it, but it's up to me decide whether to jump or not. And I certainly shouldn't listen to those other guys. What to do? Oh, I know, I'll decide for myself."

Like I said earlier, if I would have blindly followed someone else's advice, I wouldn't have seen many movies that I still love today. The same goes with video games. Sure, you can take their so-called advice into consideration, but, like I said earlier, it should take a back seat to your own thoughts and opinions.

Originally Posted by Dark Link

I'm not made of money. I don't want to gamble it, nor my time. If most people (usually professionals) say it's good, then I'll probably watch it. If they say it's bad, then I'll probably not watch it since I can't afford $8.50 every time a movie that appears interesting to come out. Which brings me to my next point: Looks can be deceiving. Don't blindly go do whatever seems interesting to you.

I'm definitely not made of money either. If I'm lucky, I'll go to the movies once every several months. I heard The Golden Compass was coming to theaters early this month. I'm a big fan of His Dark Materials, so I was going to go see it. No one was going to stop me, especially not some putz who's payed to sit in front of a computer and tell me what I shouldn't or shouldn't watch. If I had listened to all the negative reviews, I wouldn't have watched what I deem to have been a very enjoyable movie. More importantly, I was able to decide for myself on whether the movie was good or not, not some schmuck who's payed to tell me what I should or shouldn't watch.

I tend to agree with Blizzaga on this -- advertisements can be misleading, but so can reviewers. If I've already made up my mind to see a film that I am guessing I'll enjoy, I'll actually avoid reading the reviews.


Seeing as how I don't think I'll finish His Dark Materials before the movie leaves the theater, I'll probably have to view it on DVD. And if the book is good, I'll probably buy the movie.

By the way, I haven't read this whole thread because I'm afraid of spoilers. I just read Blizzaga's last post --- so don't get on my case if I missed some important points.

:XD

I'm just happy that more fantasy movies have been coming out lately. There was a lull some years back that left a void for me.

Originally Posted by Jehanne

I'm just happy that more fantasy movies have been coming out lately.

You can thank Peter Jackson for that.