Rango

[jaybug]

we saw this movie this past weekend. Wow! I kept wondering if some scenes were totally animated, or if they blended in some scenes. The skill of animation was unreal. It still looked like an animation. They didn't try to make things super real as say the makers of Final Fantasy did.

But speaking of FF, the characters of Rango kept also reminding me of other people. Besides the Spirit of the West. Everyone knows who that is. No, I',m talking about say the mayor, who looks like John Huston from Chinatown. And the role was rather similar too. Well, it seems like there was a lot of that in this movie. There was one animal, I thought was supposed to be Winona Ryder from her Beetlejuice role. I think the makers at ILM were trying to input references to our culture, by using pictures, and not solely relying upon the story and words, or music.

It was also different having ILM make this film than say Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks. ILM does not seem to fear God as much. Although the name has been changed to protect the innocent. Quick, who can name that reference from our culture?

Also the message was a bit different from other recent animated family films. It wasn't a "we have to do something for the environment before we all die" film. It wasn't a "war is bad, make cake with your enemies" movie. The message here was more personal. Kind of like the message from the Billy Chrystal film, City Slickers. It would get a Thomas Carylyle seal of approval. Look him up. Maybe EveofAbyss may know of him.

Anyway, this movie had my brain firing on most of its cylinders. There was so much in it. Is it Citizen Kane? Um, no. It's more fun, less dark, and Johnny Depp is a better actor.

I say see it.

[Classy Viking]

WHOA DID YOU JUST CALL JOHNNY DEPP A BETTER ACTOR THAN ORSON WELLES?
That is some bold talk.

But anyway, Rango is Hunter S. Thompson the Lizard, in a movie which is Chinatown meets Sergio Leone.

[superjaz]

This is gonna sound really girly but from the ads the bugs looked a little too icky for me

[jaybug]

I don't remember no bugs. But then I don't need no stinkin' badgers either. Do you know which two films I just referred?

Orson Wells is a director, not an actor. But then I have yet to see his King Lear.

Hunter S. THompson was not that coherent. Nor a hero. I think he is closer to Walter Mitty than Duke from Doonesbury.

[Classy Viking]

I don't remember no bugs. But then I don't need no stinkin' badgers either. Do you know which two films I just referred?

Orson Wells is a director, not an actor. But then I have yet to see his King Lear.

Orson was very much an actor, A quick look here, will show than the number of movies he acted in far out number the movies he directed, and most of those he starred in or he casted himself as a supporting role. I can estimate he has over 100 acting and voice  roles under his name, to his 16 Directorial credits. (Not including his unfinished films.)

As for the badges, the lines come for the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and used in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles.

[jaybug]

Badgers! Not badges. UHF a Weird Al Yankovik film. I forget where it's used in Blazing Saddles.

I should have stated that Wells is one of Hollywood's great directors, not great actors. Which is what I meant. Griffith, DeMille, Wells, Huston, Ford, yadda yadda yadda.

Depp is a better actor than Orson. Orson was Orson. You watch him, and you saw and heard him. It took work on the part of the audience to get through to the character. This is a major reason why some people get Oscars regularly. Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks are adept as having the audience see the character, not the actor. You either want to say Rosebud, or French Columbard from Ernest and Julio Gallo, we will sell no wine, before it's time. If you are old enough to remember that commercial. It went huge. Comedy shows were using those lines for years afterwards.

And he will forever be famous for scaring America half to death on Halloween with his radio play, War of the Worlds. The town of Concrete, Washington thought it was for real, as they saw UFOs that night. More than just one or two people saw them.