What was wrong with "The Postman"? (spoilers)

[What_Exit]

@Jess

Forgot to say – I haven’t read the book. I don’t read much science fiction. Who wrote it?

David Brin

Jim

[Raguleader]

@danceswithcats

Retaining enough naptha to light is measured in days, not months or years.

Spelling fixed

Also, for what it’s worth, David Brin liked the movie, overall anyways.

[AFAIKnow]

@Mangetout

For that matter, can someone suggest a movie where his character isn’t a detached (or borderline sociopath), deadpan, self-interested, wannabe strong-silent-type? I want to see a range of facial expressions beyond supercilious glare and offended pout (which, to be honest, aren’t all that different from each other when he does them).

Silverado

[Scissorjack]

@Mangetout

For that matter, can someone suggest a movie where his character isn’t a detached (or borderline sociopath), deadpan, self-interested, wannabe strong-silent-type? I want to see a range of facial expressions beyond supercilious glare and offended pout (which, to be honest, aren’t all that different from each other when he does them).

The Big Chill.

[don_t_ask]

I saw it on video expecting it to be unwatchable and thought it was reasonably interesting. I only saw it because Costner is pretty reliable. Much though he is derided I have seen lots of his movies and only count 4 as duds - The Bodyguard, Message In a Bottle, Robin Hood and Bull Durham (it’s just me, I know. I hate all the characters and everything about the movie). Of those I would have only expected to enjoy Bull Durham the others were someone elses choice. But he has made plenty I have enjoyed The Untouchables, JFK, Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams, Open Range, Thirteen Days, The Upside of Anger, No Way Out, A Perfect World and Tin Cup. I have skipped others such as Waterworld and Dragonfly.

So his average with movies I actually want to see is pretty good.

[Mangetout]

@kingpengvin

Now that is an interesting experiment…

I’d almost be tempted to take that one up… even if it means having to watch the damned thing again.

too bad that may be against copywrite laws so I guess I couldn’t do that. Or could I?

It does give me an Idea though… hmmmm (to be continued on another thread later)

I don’t think there would be any problem if you were to edit your own cut of the movie from existing footage; ther might be legal restrictions on how you obtain that footage and there are certainly legal restrictions on redistributing it, but for your own amusement, what’s the legal difference between editing your own cut and, say, achieving the same result by pressing <skip> on your DVD remote every now and again?

[Dunderman]

@Mangetout

I don’t think there would be any problem if you were to edit your own cut of the movie from existing footage; ther might be legal restrictions on how you obtain that footage and there are certainly legal restrictions on redistributing it, but for your own amusement, what’s the legal difference between editing your own cut and, say, achieving the same result by pressing <skip> on your DVD remote every now and again?

I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem with the editing itself, but the whole point would be to show others what you’ve done, which would be illegal and certainly not something we could do on these boards. Pity.

[Mangetout]

I was kind of hoping that The Postman would have been given the re-enacted in 30 seconds, by bunnies treatment here, but alas, not yet.

[Raguleader]

@Mangetout

I was kind of hoping that The Postman would have been given the re-enacted in 30 seconds, by bunnies treatment here, but alas, not yet.

I would love to see a similar treatment given to books as well as movies.

[Grossbottom]

I hated the band in that movie. What’s up with them? I got this impression that Costner found this mediocre folk band in a nearby bar and decided they should be included in every scene involving Pineview. Just these nice, folksy guitar people, pointlessly hanging out in a post-apocalyptic village that threatens to shoot mailmen at the front gate. And their music sucked.

They always just kind of annoyed me, and I figured this thread might be my last chance to express that annoyance, so I’m done. Otherwise, I found the movie watchable but not worth buying the DVD or anything.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Mangetout

Perhaps we should have a thread about how we’d edit movies; what’s the shortest time any of you think you could edit The Postman down into, using existing footage and preserving all of the important elements (and don’t just say there aren’t any).

The studio did that already. It’s called “the trailer.”

[BrainGlutton]

@Raguleader

I would love to see a similar treatment given to books as well as movies.

ShrinkLits: Seventy of the World's Towering Classics Cut Down to Size: Sagoff,...