Comments on I'm Quietly Judging You: Indy, I love you!

Aren't these movies so goofy and antic that they'r...

2008-05-24T18:59:00.000-04:00

Aren't these movies so goofy and antic that they're pretty much impossible to ruin? I guess if it emulated Saw or showed stimulated genitals I'd feel angry, but the combination of implausible supernatural treasure, implausible chases, gruff lovability and banter with the dame is tough to ruin completely. I don't love Last Crusade because Connery overwhelmed everything and the River Phoenix bit felt like a bomb, but it's still enjoyable and always feels exciting on re-viewing. It's kind of the way that the worst episode of Seinfeld or Cheers is still more fun than almost everything else on TV. I can see why Crystal Skull wouldn't knock off socks, but unless Shia Leboeuf really got under your skin (fair enough) or the major plot element that no one's talking about here felt too outlandish (as opposed to the believability of the first three) I still don't see the reason for the hostility and disappointment.

I'll be honest, I'm surprised that so many people ...

2008-05-24T00:54:00.000-04:00

I'll be honest, I'm surprised that so many people liked Temple of Doom so much. Suppose that I'll have to watch it again. Worse, though, is how ambivalent I feel about watching Crystal Skull. I like the trilogy so much that I really don't need my childhood dreams and heroes to be crushed. (I'm looking at you Michael Bay and your Optimus Prime with flames.)

Sorry, just joining this discussion a bit late. I...

2008-05-23T23:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry, just joining this discussion a bit late. I have been running around trying to decide if I want to go see Crystal Skull since I have heard from four people that it sucked. And now I am scared my love for Indy may be tarnished forever if I watch it and hate it too.

But to the discussion at hand, Temple of Doom is my favorite too, followed at a close second by Crusade. I love the first part of Raiders of the Lost Ark when he is after the idol but all the Nazi mumbo jumbo loses me after that.

I am a simple girl, I guess.

We will not agree and I won't try to dissuade you....

2008-05-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

We will not agree and I won't try to dissuade you. I go easy on the realism quotient, and try to keep in mind that all of these movies are riffs on RKO serials and H. Ryder Haggard books. They're never going to be scientifically respectable or reflect a lot of anthropological learning. I guess I fully bought the relationships and the performances and was sufficiently entertained by them that I was in a generous mood. Also, as mentioned, I inadvertently read about the plot sometime last winter, so I went in with modest expectations that were exceeded.

I think your opinion will probably be in the majority. My complaint was that the ending felt abrupt. But there were enough basic pleasures and strong sequences that I didn't found it rewarding and highly watchable.

Yes, the bad guys disintegrating was awesome... th...

2008-05-23T19:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, the bad guys disintegrating was awesome... the first time they did it, in Raiders.

Anyway, so M-A-D-E of Honor was bad? I liked it better when it was called 27 Dresses, but not as much as when it was called My Best Friend's Wedding, The Wedding Planner, or The Graduate.

My favorite is Last Crusade as well. Bad guys who...

2008-05-23T19:52:00.000-04:00

My favorite is Last Crusade as well. Bad guys who disinegrate are awesome. And River Phoenix was in it, HELLO!?

[bows]

2008-05-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

[bows]

Also, don't the Incans have their own language? Th...

2008-05-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

Also, don't the Incans have their own language? They were in Peru. Why are they speaking Mayan? I'm so confused. This whole movie confused the living fuck out of me.

crimenotes-Yes, how dare we sterotype a car! Next ...

2008-05-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

crimenotes-
Yes, how dare we sterotype a car! Next we'll be racial profiling vacuum cleaners. It will be anarchy!

I saw Crystal Skull this afternoon. I'm blown away that you didn't hate it. I thought it was one of the worst movies I've seen in a while, and I saw Made of Honor a couple weeks ago. That's saying something.

Also, why weren't the guns they were carrying in the beginning attracted to the giant magnet?

Late to the party, but quick take:Raiders has the ...

2008-05-23T14:37:00.000-04:00

Late to the party, but quick take:

Raiders has the best, most complete story and a convincing atmosphere. Temple of Doom I think is also excellent and only learned in the last year or so that it has so many detractors. Great, weird action sequences, one after another -- from the opening sequence in Shanghai through the final scene on the rope bridge, I think it's one exciting, tense, climactic scene after another, without any holes to the story.

(I also don't think the chilled monkey brains unfairly stereotypes Indians any more than Back to the Future unfairly caricatures all Deloreans as time machines.)

Last Crusade I think is pretty terrible -- I prefer to think of it as Everybody Loves Raymond and His Boring-Assed Grail.

I've seen Crystal Skull, which I think is strong and fun but not as good as the first two. It's got much of Last Crusade's light touch but plays it more effectively. There's a major plot element that seems to be a turn-off to many, but I came across it months ago by accident so was inoculated. The interplay between the characters is rewarding and most of the sequences are highly effective.

Temple of Doom is my favorite. Although I love th...

2008-05-23T12:25:00.000-04:00

Temple of Doom is my favorite. Although I love them all. I'll never get the image of Molaram falling off the cliff Wile E. Coyote-style and scraping his bald scalp on the side of the cliff on the way down. That's gotta hurt.

Take a bow, JHC.

2008-05-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

Take a bow, JHC.

(That was the funniest comment thread I've ever re...

2008-05-22T19:57:00.000-04:00

(That was the funniest comment thread I've ever read!)

sigh.

2008-05-22T19:07:00.000-04:00

sigh.

Why's your flag gotta be white? Honkeys(sp?)...

2008-05-22T19:04:00.000-04:00

Why's your flag gotta be white?

Honkeys(sp?)...

[raises white flag]

2008-05-22T19:02:00.000-04:00

[raises white flag]

I never gag on the balls! It's the cock that gets ...

2008-05-22T19:00:00.000-04:00

I never gag on the balls! It's the cock that gets me.
Everytime.

You're the one who likes big black dudes with gag ...

2008-05-22T18:58:00.000-04:00

You're the one who likes big black dudes with gag balls.

Sexist.

2008-05-22T18:56:00.000-04:00

Sexist.

[glances at what juror #5 looks like and notices t...

2008-05-22T18:54:00.000-04:00

[glances at what juror #5 looks like and notices they have a striking resemblence to Ving Rhames]

[closes briefcase, strides out of courtroom, pausi...

2008-05-22T18:52:00.000-04:00

[closes briefcase, strides out of courtroom, pausing only to wink at juror #5, as Meg's led away, again]

He (or she) can't save you!

2008-05-22T18:37:00.000-04:00

He (or she) can't save you!

Sigh...Bailiff!?!

2008-05-22T18:35:00.000-04:00

Sigh...

Bailiff!?!

you mean THE DEFENSE.

2008-05-22T18:33:00.000-04:00

you mean THE DEFENSE.

The prosecution rests.

2008-05-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

The prosecution rests.