This is topic Erin Brockovich in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 03-20-2000, 12:33 AM:
I like the idea of this, Brad. It makes us seem like real movie fans and not just a bunch of tech heads, so I'll get the ball rolling.
First let me comment that I absolutely hate Julia Roberts. People flock to see her formula romantic comedies. I've never found them to be anything but star vehicles-all fluff and no substance. The last thing I liked her in was Mystic Pizza.
That out of the way, my wife and I were cleaning a year's worth of caked on oil off of the popper on Friday morning, and decided to take a break. She really wanted to watch Erin, and I was feeling lazy, so what the hell.
Turns out it's the best film I've seen in a while. When it got rolling, I started thinking I had already seen this story in A Civil Action, but it was a better and more satisfying film that that. She had me won over when she said that she hated lawyers, she just worked for them. Director Steven Soderbergh did a fine job keeping the film flowing, though I did find it about fifteen minutes too long. Albert Finney did a great job as well-you just don't see enough of him these days.
I do have a few problems-the sound mix, which is a tech thing, and I hate the analog sound mix on ALL Universal pictures anyway.
The other thing that bugged me was, here's a single mother with no money in the bank(as we're constantly being reminded), and her outfit changes in every single scene of the film. We're not talking off the rack at Walmart, either-she dresses to kill.
By the way, the real Erin Brockovich makes a cameo as a waitress early in the film. She basically just stands there and smiles. Watching this scene, all I could think of was at the end of Pee Wee's Big Adventure when Pee Wee is watching his life story at the drive in, with James Brolin playing Pee Wee and Pee Wee playing a bellhop. I wonder who would play me if I ever did anything interesting and they made a movie out of it....
Posted by Bryan Redemske (Member # 354) on 03-20-2000, 10:00 AM:
Erin Brockovich was a pretty good show. I think the reason she's so broke is because of the clothes - kinda makes sense a little. Anyway, the show is dominating all of the others at our theatres. It's made up for about half of our business for the past few days. And on the topic of other good Julia Roberts movies - Notting Hill was a great show. My girlfriend must have watched it a dozen times. I only saw it twice. Rats. Oh, and this new forum is pretty cool. Thanks Brad!
Posted by Stephen Winner (Member # 8) on 03-21-2000, 08:22 AM:
Had a friend and his wife go see this movie over the weekend, and they said it wasn't bad at all. Their biggest gripe was that they had the sound from "Mission To Mars" for about the first 15 minutes playing through the sound system from the theater next door.
I just told him to wait till it gets out of the Regals, and I'll run it for him with the correct sound here at the Byrd!
Posted by Tyler Skinner (Member # 229) on 03-26-2000, 02:33 PM:
ahem... most regals built in the last 8-9 years have been VERY soundproof. You must be refering to the shitty aquired regals built by other companies...PS. Julia Roberts should fucking die!
Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 03-30-2000, 09:25 AM:
Finally saw the movie. I must say it's above average for Julia. A nice break from, like Tom says, formula romantic comedy. The one thing that disappointed me is how they had to follow the standard "rebel playing by their own rules vs. uptight, stiff, emotionless, prickly bad guy" (as in Julia not liking the male and female lawyers they bring in to help with the case, who end up contributing nothing). Why can't more than one lawyer per movie be warm and natural? Otherwise, her best movie yet, which isn't saying a whole lot. BTW Bryan, Notting Hill sucked. ------------------
"Asleep at the switch? I wasn't asleep, I was drunk!" - Homer Simpson
Posted by Stephen Winner (Member # 8) on 03-30-2000, 08:35 PM:
He was actually referring to the sound system Playing the sound from the next door theater. Not the fact the sound was bleeding in through the walls. I agree with you on that one, the places are pretty soundproof.I'm just trying to figure out how the sound from one projector was patched through the sound system in another theater!
