If I remember correctly, wasn't it originally intended to include the names of people who drove cars/operated cameras? I recall Teague specifically asking me for that info.

I had the misfortune of seeing Mission: Impossible 2 on my Birthday. What a self-indulgent mess that movie is. I'd put the rest of the films on about equal footing, in terms of quality. I do think Ghost Protocol is marginally better than the others, though. The action set pieces alone are fantastic, and this one doesn't have Ving Rhames in it (I preferred his more serious turn in the Dawn Of The Dead remake).

It's as if I said, "This sandwich is okay, but it's a little dry. Not enough mayo for me." And some are hearing, "Not only do I hate this sandwich like I hate Hitler, but I hate every and all sandwiches that aren't made exactly the same way I want." So, folks just come back at me with, "Well, I'm sorry your sandwich isn't soaked in greasy, high fat mayonnaise, Buddy! But of course it's not. A sandwich slathered in that shit would be disgusting, especially if they were all like that."

I'm simply saying the movie tried to have its cake and eat it, too and that didn't work for me. If it's possible for a movie to have it both ways, I just don't feel this one did that successfully. And besides, I already said I LIKE the movie.

It's not that I refuse to sympathize with these kids, it's that I tried to and ultimately can't, especially when the movie shows me some stuff near the end and goes, "See? Sad, right? Don't you just feel bad for them and like them?" My answer is, "Sorry, but no. It's not enough for me." But as I said before, my bigger issue is that the movie seems to be saying, "It's okay to aspire to be a thug. Look how cute these kids are and yay, they get to be in a gang! That's a good thing!"

And no, I wouldn't want a 30-minute court-room scene where the kids are punished, either. That would be too "After School Special." I'm asking for some kind of balance. I've not seen The Wire, so I don't know if the street kids there are different from the ones here. My view on this applies to this movie, not all movies like this because it's not the same. Not all movies are created equal. Presentation and execution count for a lot.

I can sympathize with an "unlikable" character or an "antagonizing" character or one that isn't squeaky clean (Dr. House and Walter White, for example). It's when the characters don't take any responsibility for the bad choices they make and try to pass themselves off as a victim of circumstance or a product of environment, that they've lost my interest or sympathy. Yes, these things are important and do play a role, but they're not the only thing going on. At some point, it falls to you and your decisions on which path to take, when more than one path becomes available.

For example, I had to stop watching Weeds because once Nancy leaves that expensive neighborhood, the show should be over. There's no good reason for her to continue to produce and sell pot and put herself and her family in danger. After that, I checked out because I knew any sympathy I had for that character was going to go away and I would start to resent her, dislike her and I would no longer get enjoyment out of the show anymore. At least, not enough to keep committing to it.

Who shot who in the what now?

Heh, yeah.

I don't need to see redemption at the end of every movie, either. I was just asking for a little of it in THIS movie.

From Dusk Till Dawn ends the same way 48 Hours does and I love that movie. "Go home, Kate. I may be a bastard, but I'm not a fucking bastard."

Yes, that would. Thankfully, no one here is asking for that.

That may be true, but it's meaningless since the rest of those kids don't appear to have learned a damn thing, not to mention you now have the Junior Thugs to take Moses's place. Two of them. The thugs and their victim(s) see each other as people. How swell for them. I'm not buying it as enough for me to overlook what they've done and will most likely continue to do.

Maybe if they were merely pick pockets? A crime like that doesn't do any physical or psychological damage, as far as I know.

I basically have the same issues with this movie that I have with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. It's fun, creative, well directed and entertaining but that's all surface stuff and I find it lacking beyond the technical accomplishments. And just like Pilgrim, it tries to have some sort of substantial arc or message towards the end but by then, it's too little, too late and doesn't feel earned at all. It seems to justify the kids' actions as being that of a poor man stealing bread to feed his starving family and I don't agree with that. These kids (most of them, anyway) come off more as delinquent sociopaths who steal and threaten because they enjoy terrorizing people, rather than poor castoffs, forced into a life of crime in order to survive. I call bullshit.

Then you have the two little kids, Probz and Mayhem. They idolize these older thug kids and want to be one of them. The movie seems to be fine with this idea and actually sets that as a reward for them, so we're supposed to be happy for them when they get what they want, having suffered no consequences for attaining that goal. To me, that's horrible!

The ending of the movie reaffirms this message, when Moses, the leader of this gang who assaulted a Woman at the start and threatened her with a knife, destroys the monsters and "saves the day" and everyone, EVERYONE is cheering him on as a Hero, which makes no sense because most of those people in that crowd don't even know who the hell he is!

While I understand the movie is about "community" and all that, I don't think the movie does a good enough job to make it clear that the "block" is some kind of close-knit "family" who are all in this together and take care of their own.

Don't get me wrong, I like the movie, I just don't think it's a particularly good movie, which is exactly how I feel about Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

I'll share my thoughts on this film later but right now, I have a technical question about this episode. I just downloaded the file, so is the bit rate supposed to be in 64k? The episode sounds tinny. Contagion was in 160k.

Dorkman, I'd be delighted to have you back on Sofa Dogs for that one, if you're interested. Also of note, next Summer marks the film's 30th Anniversary.

Take a number and get in line, Sport!

Please pick one of these and fill the empty spot with something else.