Review: On "The Beach" 178
There were some reasons to expect something special from the much-hyped "The Beach," given Leonardo DiCaprio's success in "Titanic" and Danny Boyle's dazzling "Trainspotting." Lower your expectations.
"The Beach" is a contemporary fantasy, part about living a disconnected, low-tech life. It mixes elements of "Blue Lagoon" with "Lord of the Flies" and "Heart of Darkness." The premise is that Richard (played by DiCaprio) is a somewhat lost American teenage tourist in search of adventure. He gets wind of a deserted island off the Gulf of Thailand, and sets out to find it along with two French kids.
He finds a dazzling paradise, but you probably already sense that the only time Hollywood invokes paradise is to create a paradise lost. Needless to say, this fantasy place -- no electricity, phones, beepers, pagers, computers, Net (there are CD's) can't last long, and trouble lurks behind every gorgeous waterfall.
The word many people are using to describe this movie is "eye-candy," which is a bit unfair. It's a gorgeous film shot in a beautiful place, but primarily, the movie is a vehicle for DiCaprio to be as scantily-clad as possible, and to try and make the point that he's a dark and complex actor. The movie's sub-themes are ambitious -- our common yearning for escape, the things we'll do to preserve our so-called paradise, the desires most of us have for adventure and excitement -- but DiCaprio's oh-gosh wholesomeness and winsome smile isn't up to pulling off so heavy a role.
The movie shamelessly invokes "Lord of The Flies," the dark novel about what kids do to one another when left alone on an island and even more blatantly, pulls from Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" and Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness." How odd that in such a place, all of the teen refugess assembled happen to be gorgeous.
But DiCaprio is no Marlon Brando, who played Colonel Kurtz in "Apocalypse Now" (inspired by Conrad's gloomy tale), and Boyle's great skill at invoking the world of lost kids in "Trainspotting" is in direct conflict with beautiful, half-naked boys and girls frolicking in an island paradise. His efforts at foreshadowing trouble and using this star to invoke darker themes fall flat. Still, the movie is cinematically amazing in parts, and when DiCaprio is playing a brave but tentative kid in search of meaning, he's not bad.
This is a movie worth seeing if you keep your expectations very much in check. Boyle is also clearly -- and very subtly -- trying to raise some issues about escape from a hi-tech, continuously communicative and invasive world.
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
Its not so bad in the fact I could opt-out for movies (I'm guess I can), but what REALLY pisses me off is they only do a handfull of stories each day and someother story, far more worthy of nerd news was passed up.
Yuck.
Even more stupid... BSD news, which is computer related news gets shunted to non-front page status half the time, while this SHIT makes front page.
news for nerds indeed.
The Beach should be avoided! (Score:1)
Heaven on Earth (Score:1)
I can totally relate to this movie, as can my friends. We're sick of the day to day 8-5 bullsh*t. Is this what our lives were meant to be? It's not fun anymore.. we feel like we're wasting away. We don't feel human anymore.. some people live their whole lives doing the same day to day 8-5 bullsh*t without really living and experiencing life. It's just a matter of time before we decide to end our ties to this digital culture in the concrete jungle, and go out and experience the world, just as they did in "The Beach".. I wish I could do that.. I'm envious.. I want to turn in my laptop for a backpack and a passport, and someday I know I will. It just all matters when I think I have enough money set aside, just in case.. and then go with the flow and live life as I believe it was meant to be lived.
How is this commentary? (Score:1)
If there is any reason why this site is in decline, it is the fault of all you regulars who sit around bitching and moaning and contributing jack squat to conversation. Stop blaming VA, Andover, Bill Gates and every other boogey-man...BLAME YOURSELVES. A community is only as strong as those that participate in it, and I don't see much participation going on here anymore...just a lot of whining and bitching about very little else.
A Life Less Ordinary? (Score:1)
MODERATORS! Re:Jon Katz and Brainball (Score:1)
--synaptik
If you want to flame me, do so here [slashdot.org].
positive? (Score:2)
--
Re:positive? (Score:1)
--
Kevin Doherty
kdoherty+slashdot@jurai.net
Re:The Beach should be BOYCOTTED! (Score:1)
When I saw this Jon Katz article, the first thing I thought was "I have to post something about boycotting the beach!!"
Luckily, a bunch of people have already beaten me to it. It's good to know that Slashdotters are staying socially conscious.
Michael Chisari
Why this was posted... (Score:1)
An appeal to conscionable people (Score:1)
Don't forget the book! (Score:3)
Whetever you think of the movie, read the book as it's many times better -- the movie is a badly stripped down version of the plot without the inner workings of Richard's head. Plus the hero is English in the book
Re:PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
I read Slashdot to avoid the off-topic crap in Usenet. Does Katz now have a license to post whatever pleases him?
Offtopic PS: I agreed with everything Katz said, but this is just not the forum for it.
Comment removed (Score:4)
Re:Don't forget the book! (Score:1)
Yes. Last of the Mohicans (1991, I think) was much better than the book. Also, I read Moby Dick and had to ask myself why someone didn't edit the thing. It's a good story, it's just that he tended to go off on tangents all the time that added nothing to the atmosphere or plot.
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
Not really--Katz has been around since before the VA deal. And there have been off-topic or silly articles even before Katz.
Who cares about a movie review? If I wanted a movie review I would go somewhere else, I want news for nerds, stuff that matters, what happened?
I don't mind them. Besides, I think you can filter them out if you like. We could cut out a whole lot of stuff if we wanted to, but I don't think we should. I think this place is not just a tech-news site; rather, it's a place where events (tech, political, social, cultural, religious, whatever) can be discussed from a geek viewpoint rather than the mainstream-society viewpoint that we get out of television networks, msn.com, and newspapers.
What About A Life Less Ordinary? (Score:1)
Yup it's not just Director Danny Boyle, but also producer Andrew MacDonald and writer John Hodge.
I was quite disappointed when they didn;t put Ewen McGregor in this film.... but never mind - I quite like him as a Jedi Knight - the only scotsman in TPM who isn't a Sith Lord.
So I should remind everyone that the 3 have produced 2 classic flms with their first 2 efforts - 'Shallow Grave' - which has convinced me never to share a home with anyone, and 'Trainspotting' which is quite easily the coolest film of the 90's and also made "Born Slippy" one of the greatest musical moments of hte decade. It also launched Johnny Lee Miller who most people here will recognise from Hackers.... and Robert Carlyle didn't do too badly from it. (BTW - was it true that this was dubbed in some US theaters because of the scottish accents??)
Then came along "A Life Less Ordinary" - Personally I think it's fantastic - maybe becuase I'm into surreal wierd stuff.... Definately good fun though. Every slashdotter should see this film.
And I also hear they did something called 'Alien Love Triangle' or at least one part of it.
I want to see the beach - not because of Leo, but because of the team behind it, and because it has an 'interesting' soundtrack.
The Beach should be protested! (Score:1)
PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
Katz wastes bandwidth. If he wants a a forum with a built-in audience, let him seek it elsewhere. I could see this post as a link in a quickie, but only if it offered some insight on the movie as commentary on technophobic escapism beyond the obvious. But it doesn't, it reads like someone trying be Gene Shallit to the geek set. There are already numerous hype and review sites, slashdot does not need to become one. Even the simpsons movie post [slashdot.org] was more targetted to promote discussion on this board than this.
Perhaps this is a misguided attempt to boost readership. Perhaps someone thinks that slashdot is too "nerdish" and could use a generic movie review to attract a mainstream audience. Slashdot is not about readership, its about discussion. Most of us who read here do so for the content provided by other readers, not to read the editor's attempt at being a movie reviewer. This post did nothing to create new or interesting user content. It's fluff.
I don't want to see him banned from Slashdot, sometimes what he writes shows a modicum of insight and thought that I have come to expect from slashdot. I just don't want him submitting posts without going through some editorial process. The rest of us have to do it. Katz has clearly shown less restraint and good judgement than any other editor, put him back down to the level of any other poster, where he belongs.
If you feel that Jon Katz has wasted enough space with articles that are poorly editted, poorly thought out, or just off topic, please follow this message up with a vote in the affirmative.
I will be doing something that I never wanted to do, and shutting off all posts by a /. editor.
First major movie since Trainspotting? Uhmm... (Score:2)
I even bought the same pair of Airwalks that McGregor used in the movie, probably because all the advertising affected me so much. Or maybe it was coincidence. Still have them, though.
Jon - just about right length (Score:2)
But this crowd does go for coding issues.
Better than I thought (Score:1)
Said one : "What you seeing?" the other replied : "The beach. A couple of hours of staring at DiCaprio's gorgeous body."
That about summed it up for me going in.
But actually I was pleasantly suprised.
Yes its Lord of the flies, yes its been "Americanized" to make it palatable to the US market. It isn't great, but it was better than what I was expecting and I'm willing to bet it wasn't that poor woman in the foyer was expecting either.
Re:Escape from high tech? (Score:1)
BTW, why is Jon Katz writing about every possible unrelated topic possible? I've nothing personal against the guy, but what the heck? The movie's not even almost tech-related... The Daily Show's review of "Beach" this week is pretty funny, though. Comedy Central's neat.
Umm, perhaps... (Score:2)
That being said, wild horses couldn't drag me to this movie. I despise DiCaprio, and
particularly any movie that would star him in a teen heart throb roll.
Jon Katz and Brainball (Score:3)
SLASHDOT STAFF - TAKE NOTICE! (Score:1)
Who cares about The Beach or Leonardio DiCrapio?
Since the VA buyout, Katz is posting pure crap!!! Entertainment stories and fluff-pieces seem to get priority over News For Nerds! WHY?
Is this what
I'm sorry, I know this will get mod'd out of existence, but I just have to spew!!
Rob, if you have any control over
Katz is making
Rob, slashdot is bleeding out.
Re:Don't waste your time (Score:1)
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
Soundtrack (Score:1)
The music rocked.. I dug it a great deal.. Check out the soundtrack if you can..
saw the beach today (Score:1)
Now, they showed a preview of "Sleepy Hollow" which is gonna premier here in a week or two, now THAT is a movie that I expect to rock.
One reason to watch "The Beach" (Score:1)
I'm really getting kind of offtopic here, but the greatest rock band ever deserves some reward.
Re:One reason to watch "The Beach" (Score:1)
Re:Escape from high tech? (Score:1)
Most people who have travelled extensively have felt this yearning --- a deep-seated, burning desire for something that just isn't there in normal everyday life back home. I know I did, and most of the people I met on the road seemed to as well; and that's just as much an indictment of the world we left as it is a comment about our personalities.
What does this have to do with technology? The answer to that has to do with, to what degree do you believe that technology is responsible for the things that are bad in modern society? I tend to think technology is not the cause of the problem --- but if I didn't think that, if I had any doubts about the beneficience of technology, then I would blame wanderlust on it too, and thus the movie would appear to be about it.
Re:The Beach is not just a bad movie... (Score:1)
For a hollywood adaptation of a novel, while it wasn't great, neither was it awful; they oversimplified it, but they didn't, AFAICT, massacre it.
Re:I have a great question! (Score:1)
I thought it was vaguely amusing, but silly and completely out of context; the movie would have been better without it.
The Beach != Anti-Technology (Score:1)
Re:Umm, perhaps... (Score:1)
Re:Don't waste your time (Score:3)
Read something worthwhile, like Dilbert or User Friendly, for a more relevant commentary on the need to escape technology.
settle down son (Score:1)
I actually wanted to read a review of this movie, because I'm a movie geek and I'm interested in other movie geek's opinions on this one. I also didn't read, and didn't want to read about the Anti-Spam law passed in Colorado. Hell I don't even know where Colorado is! Not all geeks live in your part of the world, and not all of us care about your political shufflings. All geeks are able to see movies (hopefully?), and hell, not all articles need to be heavy 'your future depends on it' stuff..
So settle down, take your pills, perhaps get some fresh air, and leave Kats alone.
el bobo
Do research once in a while... (Score:1)
Um.. How about A Life Less Ordinary
^.
Re:movie review? (Score:1)
Is this the worst story ever posted by Slashdot?
Re:PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
I just came home from seeing it... (Score:4)
When I found out that Boyle was making a movie from it, I thought "great!" I loved Shallow Grave (not many people have seen it, which is sad) and Trainspotting. Ewan MacGregor was to play Richard. When I found out that DiCaprio replaced him, I was shocked. This moron?! Then I remembered The Basketball Diaries and was somewhat comforted... Somewhat.
Then I actually saw the thing. Cinematically, it's not hard to tell that Boyle was at the helm. The camera work is great, and has Boyle's unique visual style.
The events and characters captured by the cameras are another thing altogether. I know, I know, most people will hate a movie because it's "not like the book" if they had read it. I'm not that type. I didn't mind that Richard played Rampage on his Gameboy instead of Tetris. I was disappointed that that all of the changes were really badly chosen. I wanted to see Jed. How could they remove him? DiCaprio really played on the "I'm American" thing in a very bad way as well. How could you not hate him? He was a complete asshole. In the book, Richard did some stupid things, yes, but at least we could actually like him. When Leo got in front of the still camera and started acting like a complete idiot, I wanted to shoot him.
When he started fucking everything on two legs I couldn't help but feel that the book Richard's character, the one which made it famous, was indeed destroyed. The world at large will forever think of Richard as this little blond-haired jerk.
The choices were very bad, indeed. I really wanted to see the book's ending on the big screen, but got something completely different. I won't say anything about it deyond that it's extremely typical of Hollywood to change books in that manner.
As for Katz's statement about getting away from technology, I don't really think so. They welcomed technology on the beach. They played Gameboys, built houses, used technology to their advantage. They were trying to get away from traditional tourist crap. I'm the same way. I hate being a tourist, yet enjoy travelling. I'll be damned if I'm not going to bring along some electronic entertainment. Maybe you should watch it again (better yet, read the book). The scene where they go back for supplies shows this very clearly.
Re:I just came home from seeing it... (Score:1)
I picked up the book in my sister's bookstore a year ago, when a friend of hers said, "read this before they make a Leondardo DiCaprio movie of it," and I sure am glad I took his advice. I understand that Garland was actually quite pleased with the movie (from an interview over at Salon; sorry, no URL handy), but you know, when I make big bucks from DiCaprio starring in my story, I'll probably be pleased, too.
-schussat
Environmental impact (Score:2)
More than that, it seems the only time Hollywood invokes paradise is to lose it -- that is, to destroy it. For an idea of the environmental impact that shooting this movie was to cause / did cause, look here [thaistudents.com]. I'm not sure what the final result was, and I'm not sure the movie studio or the Thai government will tell you.
Re:PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
Which of these things don't belong:
UCITA in Virginia
Anti-Spam Law passed in Colorado
On Research Institutions and Corporate Interests
Review: Java Security
Review: On "The Beach"
I have a confession to make. I usually skip right over whatever goofy noise Katz is making and go
straight to the comments, because they're a lot more entertaining. I think TPTB here at
well aware of this (you think they call him the Resident Gasbag as a term of affection?) and keep
him around to stir up controversy by his many void-o-logic assertions about American society.
That having been said, I don't think he ought to be exiled to AICN, since he does serve a useful
function around here. However, doing reviews of dumbass Leonard DiCaprio movies isn't it. What's
next, a review of the next NSync CD? Zounds, guys, tighten his leash a little and keep him gassing
only about Great Societal Issues In Geekdom, OK?
Know A Little More Before You See This Movie (Score:4)
says:
Womens Voices for the Earth alleges that the making
of the Twentieth Century Fox movie The Beach involved environmental destruction in Thailand.
Brunching (Score:1)
On a related note, why would any of us see any movie given the state of the MPAA/DVD/DeCSS situation?
Cheers,
Slak
Damn that Cash! (Score:2)
You may not like Katz. You may not like some of the subjects that show up. But invoking the Corporate Conspiracy is a bit much. Save it for when there really IS evidence of marketing manipulation.
News for nerds? Stuff that Matters? (Score:1)
This sucks.
George
Re:Escape from high tech? (Score:1)
Re:The Slashdot community is bunch of SH*T (Score:1)
Posting on how John Katz should be booted or about slashdot becoming decadent isn't going to help, either (the fact that Katz is part of /. and rallying everyone to "vote katz outta slashot!!" isn't going to magically boot him out has become somewhat oblivious...) - the more you gripe and whine, the more...well...the more nothing happens. If there is such a downfall of ./, its cause clearly points toward ./'s community. John Katz HAS poted some good stff, IMHO (the Columbine postings, for instance), and he isn't the black sheep of slashdot.
mmkay?
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
Perhaps "Anonymous Coward" should be renamed "Lazy Coward."
:-) -sid
Re:Know A Little More Before You See This Movie (Score:1)
--jim
Stuff that matters? To who? And look out Ebert!!! (Score:1)
Seriously tho... news for nerds this is not. Katz tries to justify writing this review by claiming that the movie is about an "escape from technology"? That's a specious jump at best. And that's ignoreing the fact that the majority of the
And aside from bad premise of posting the review in the first place, the review is lacking in quality, and more importantly, integrity. Katz has finally ventured into the realm of journalistic dishonesty. Want to know what I'm talking about? Go to the Chicago Sun-Times web page and look up Roger Ebert's review of "The Beach"; which was published a couple of weeks ago. Notice the striking number of similarities between Katz' review and Eberts?
I've never understood why so many people bashed John Katz before. I do now. As far as I am concerned, Katz just lost ALL his credibility, and ANY respect I might EVER have mustered for him.
I shall be checking my preferences to see if I can exclude him from my view from now on. I certianly hope I can.
john
Re:PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
I see your rant as another anti-Katz slam, which is really getting rather tiring. If you don't want to read Katz, the solution is so simple that I won't waste any bandwidth elaborating.
Don't waste your time (Score:2)
Read the book:
Lord of the Flies at Barnes and Nobles [barnesandnoble.com]
Or watch the movie:
Lord of the Flies (1963) at IMDB.COM [imdb.com]
-konstant
Yes! We are all individuals! I'm not!
FIrst positive review? (Score:2)
The book is definitely worth a read. Think I'll give the film a miss, though.
HH
Why avoid any movies with Leonardo DiCaprio (Score:1)
There was an italian family living in Germany, the DiCaprio family that has nothing to do whatsoever with the faggot Leonardo DiCaprio. They opened an ice-cream shop/restaurant and decided to call it DiCaprio (since that's their name). OK, now this faggot comes and sues them! because they are using HIS name to make money!
HE sues who is swimming in the money and popularity, who will probably fuck the most pretty women on earth for the foreseable future, who has the world at his feet? HE sues a family living humbly from their hard work?
And you know what? The court in Germany decided in favor of the faggot Leonardo DiCaprio.
Well, after this, Leonardo DiCaprio lost any redeeming attributes whatsoever.
Plus, "The Beach" caused a lot of damage to the echosystem where it was shot.
Movie Bad/Music Good (Score:1)
shameless flaimbait!!!! (Score:1)
posting review of the mindless eye-candy flick on slashdot... granted, there's nothing against posting this review here, but why "the beach"?!!!
cheap.. cheap!!!
uhhhh (Score:2)
good job, Katz - nice to see you stand up for the principles of the community. or did you even buy a ticket - this review sounds like you saw the commercial trailer, but I'm not sure you saw the actual movie.
Katz is bad enough when he has a reason to open his mouth and spew forth the crap he calls articles. gratuitous movie reviews of completely 0-technology-related cinema (and I use the term VERY loosely) are 100% unneccessary in this forum.
Read The Novel (Score:1)
Jon Katz, I suggest that you take an afternoon or two to read "The Beach." Garland very definitely succeeds in weaving a tail of an island paradise transforming into a place of horror and despair.
What bothers me the most about this is that, while doubtless hordes of mindless, trend-seeking teenyboppers will run to see this film, it will turn off the intelligent among us who would be able to grasp the insight and complexity of the novel.
Re:SLASHDOT STAFF - TAKE NOTICE! (Score:1)
Aye. (Score:1)
Re:Don't waste your time (Score:1)
At the risk of judging a book by its cover, I'd say you don't really enjoy reading fiction, or that you hated the idea that you were forced to read a book you wouldn't necessarily have read any way.
Well, that was my two cents...
Geez (Score:1)
SpamMan
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
Re:Don't forget the book! (Score:1)
The book isn't bad, although not as good as I'd heard, but from what I know of the film, a lot of the 'plausibility' of the other character's reponses / reactions to / impressions of the main character are stripped away by Leonardo's insistence on rewriting things so he 'gets the girl'. The protagonist is an outsider, even in paradise, and that's crucial to the plot.
The end of the book was a disappointment, IMHO. It got too far-fetched, too 'over-the-top'. Good atmosphere until then tho.
Sparse review, though, Mr Katz. Bit humdrum, bit bland.
Jon Katz articles (Score:1)
Next thing to work on: how do we get him to stop restating the obvious?
Here goes the obvious:
1) that this movie borrows from other ones
2) That a Leo movie only has hot chicks in it.
3) That Leo is no Marlon Brando
Here go things that should have been mentioned:
1) The movie uses forshadowing, but is still unpredictable. Unlike most Hollywood movies. And
2) The plot isn't stupid, again unlike most Holywood movies.
What I would have mentioned in the article,
--
Be insightful. If you can't be insightful, be informative.
If you can't be informative, use my name
Suggestion (Score:1)
They might give a fuck there.
Re:The Beach should be BOYCOTTED! (Score:5)
It saddens and disheartens me, not only that this type of article gets press on slashdot, but that the press was favorable. It's turning the motto 'Stuff that matters' into a mockery.
Please join me and the above AC in boycotting this ridiculous movie.
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
And who lives in the Antarctic?...
You got it. Penguins.
Hence, Linux, hence slashdot material
Daniel
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
Nonsense. There have been no changes whatsoever in what gets posted. Don't give in to the trolls crying foul at every chance they get. There has been no sign of influence, and no reason to suspect otherwise of CmdrTaco and Hemos.
Who cares about a movie review? If I wanted a movie review I would go somewhere else, I want news for nerds, stuff that matters, what happened?
Slashdot has done movie reviews every now and then for some time; this is nothing new. As for why in the first place, I think it's kinda good to have a geek's perspective on the latest movies, don't you? With so many dumb pop culture movies targeted for teens these days, I think it's a little nice to have a forum that reviews movies as they would appeal to geeks in general.
Re:How is this news? (Score:1)
The sites have to find something to fill the space. Otherwise we quit looking and their ad revenues go down. It's just an ugly side effect of the coporitzation of the net and
For More information: perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5,(41*2),sqrt(7056),(unpack(c,H)-2),oct(
are you supposed to be a film critic too? (Score:1)
Creditibility(/.) -> 0 as Posts(JK) -> infinite (Score:1)
But if I want movie news, I'll go to IMDB. If I want news news, I go to CNN.com or MSNBC.com. And if I want to know the latest cool news in science or tech, I go to /. I do not come to /. to read a semi-literate technical person try to pretent they should be Roger Ebert's latest sidekick in an effort to score free movie tix.
This is really too much. /. needs to enforce its identity, before it loses it in an effort to be everything to everyone. I suggest you go read your own tagline again before posting trivel like this.
other ways of spending your 8 dollars (Score:2)
The only reason I'd go see this movie would be because of the amount of chicks that would be there. Even then, I'd be eyeing them instead of the screen [while they drooled over Leo.]
Here's a list of stuff you can do with the 8 dollars that you save by not going to this movie:
Pay the kid next door to shovel your driveway during the two next snow storms
Rent Apocalypse Now and Lord Of The Flies buy a bag of candy.
Make a political donnation to Duke's Presidential Campaign [duke2000.com].
Buy 40 lbs of Raman.
Go see Magnolia [wdkk.com].
Buy two porno mags, distribute their pages to 12 kids in your neigbourhood and gain 12 disciples.
Buy candy and offer it to strangers at the mall.
Give it to the 4 bums you pass on your way to work.
Put it your piggy bank Cheers, Bart
Utopias (Score:2)
I think the question Katz is asking is, why are idyllic environments always lush, deserted, tropic islands with no technology and scantily clad women? Well, the women I can understand, but why no modern conveniences...
Is it because these movies are inherently written by low-tech writers? Is it because this is a more socially traditional viewpoint and therefore shows up more? Is it the minimalist in all of us? Or is it because modern technological inter-connectivity is not necessarily a good thing?
I'm guessing the whole desert island motif is going to show up more and more. Hopefully in better movies than this one. I personally will not be buying a cell phone any time soon, I like to be alone occasionally without people calling me left and right. I liked it a lot better when my friends couldn't ICQ me every three seconds when I'm trying to do work. Even the friends I like. Seems like modern communications are changing the signal to noise ratio in peoples lives for the worse with email and newsgroups, etc.
Oh well enough of my wining...
A more detailed and balanced view (Score:2)
"Hollywood studio trashed island paradise" is the kind of great black-and-white story a publicist dreams of -- a perfect, emotive headline to sell newspapers or excite activists. But for a more detailed and balanced report see the thaistudents' excellent site:
http://thaistudents.com/the beach/phiphi_0200/index.html [thaistudents.com]
The film makers maybe should or maybe should not have been allowed to film on Maya beach. But they were clearly aware right from the start of the dangers of a publicity backlash; and they took considerable environmental care to try to avoid one.
Where they did make changes, such as bringing in the palm trees, they undid them once the three week shoot was over. In fact they apparently restored the beach to a standard which would have been better than it had been before they first went there, had the work not been partially undone by the unexpected violence of the monsoon storms.
The most serious danger to Maya beach now is the continuing effect of the large number of regular tourists who visit, rather than any direct impact from the film-making. The most pressing need is for a permanent ranger presence to manage use and access to the island. But apparently work to establish such a post, using some of the facilities brought by the film crew, has been vandalised by those with a stake in the current free for all.
MPAA scores victory with release of "The Beach" (Score:1)
Last Week: MPAA bad, DeCSS good, join the EFF, boycott the MPAA, etc.
This Week: "The Beach" is a so-so movie, and neither the movie nor the review have much to do with News for Nerds. Stuff that matters, but here's a review for you nonetheless. Go see it if you disagree with us.
Re:Why avoid any movies with Leonardo DiCaprio (Score:1)
Leo in Italy (Score:1)
There was a Leo-Lookalike contest happening somewhere in Italy in order to promote The Beach. Well, the funny thing was that not even the sex had to be the same so even girls took part in that competition. A 16-year-old school-boy won first price: To be treated like DiCaprio for one day which means limo, bodyguards, etc.
Nothing really spectacular, but funny thing was that even the tv-spokesman said, that the winner even looks better than the original.
"Is this news for nerds, stuff that matters?" blah (Score:1)
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#9 (Score:1)
I personally think that a review on the new Winnie the Pooh movie would be a lot more fun. No Microsoft, No Linux, No Leo...Just good old fashioned low brain activity inducing cartoons. I love Tigger.
Why is this news item posted on Slashdot? (Score:1)
So why is this news item posted here? Its not related at all!!
I have sex on my brain most of the time. Katz has technology. Thats fair enough, but I suggest Katz puts down his laptop and gets out and interacts with the world and all that lives in it face to face.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast contained nothing about football. Does that mean it's a film about people escaping from football? Stupid example I know, but no more stupid than Katz posting this.
I know, I know - I'm too lazy to change my settings to escape Katz.
Newsflash!! Crivens runs away to remote tropical island to escape reading Katz postings!!! Extra Extra! Read all about it!
The Beach is not just a bad movie... (Score:2)
Re:PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
Down with Karma. If you knew you didn't want to read the (often less than purely nerd-oriented) Katz stories, then you should have turned off his posts long ago. In light of the controversy surrounding his posts, and in light of your obviously extremely high standards of what is appropriate to post on the internet (this is meant with sarcasm, since your post is of startlingly poor quality), you could have certainly avoided the mishap of reading the review had you been thinking clearly at the time.
Down with moderation! Down with Karma!
Why I will not go see this movie... (Score:1)
There's a story on MotherJones about this, at
http://www.motherjones.com/news_wire/leo.html
There's also a boycott by Womens' Voices for the Earth. Info is at
http://www.wildrockies.org/WVE/beach.htm
And, ironically, guess who is the host of Earth Day 2000? You guessed it...
http://www.leonardodicaprio.com/environment/env
...
God, first the MPAA pulls that crap with DeCSS, and now this. Is this _really_ an organization you want to give money?
Re:I just came home from seeing it... (Score:1)
go jfuNk!
well said. i'd been looking forward to the movie ever since i set the book down, and then i heard boyle was directing, and they were shooting (almost) on location, and it was just going to be cool.
then i started hearing about some "changes" (namely, i knew that richard was going to hook up with francoise), and was a little nervous, but, hey, ok, it's hollywood. it's different, but i'm not going to crucify anyone for putting sex in the movie,
but, anyway, longstoryshort, i didn't account for a stultifyingly STUPID screenplay. it was just pretty much "bad" all the way through, and that's okayish, since it's still okay to just watch the pretty pictures, but then the ending,
OH MY GOD, THE ENDING WAS JUST SO BAD
and i'm going to ruin it here, but i don't care, since there's no reason to see this movie anyway if you haven't already,
anyway, when leo walks into this brightly lit room of clearly branded computers, logs onto his clearly branded web-based commercial e-mail service, and then starts downloading the picture i laughed REALLY HARD and then walked out when the thing was still only about 15% dowloaded.
in any case, it was just ridiculous. and then i read joel stein's interview with leo in last week's time, where leo talks about that picture being the "center" of the film, how taking it stole the community's soul or whatever and i am like
JESUS CHRIST LEO, GET A LIFE. YOUR WHOLE MOVIE STANK
because COME ON, i don't care how "deep" you think you are, it's just plain STUPID. they just *cut off* the ending of the book, and instead decided to show me the marvels of technology! yay!
anyway, all this "the movie is ripping off lord of the flies" crap is just a bunch of shit, since all the good trauma got left behind in the book! i was sitting there, waiting, the entire movie, thinking, well, i waited forever for this movie, and it's awful, but at least i can wait a little bit more until everything falls to shit & then it will at least be kind of exciting,
but, NO! they decided to rip us off AGAIN. i wonder, as like they're floating away in their big human raft, they're thinking "well, we just made over a hundred minutes of shitty movie, what's the point of really finishing it off? somebody invent a "center" of the movie for leo to talk about!"
and anyway, the funny thing about the movie is that it's really not for ANYONE. i mean, people who liked the book will hate it, people who hated the book will hate it, people who don't even know about the book will hate it, and it's all so USELESS.
so, DO NOT GO SEE THIS MOVIE. thank you.
haY
Re:FIrst positive review? (Score:1)
http://www.brunching.com/selfmade/selfmade-thebeac h.html
Not because it's very insightful, but because it's a lot more entertaining than Katz's. ;-)>
Re:PUT IT TO A VOTE:: REVOKE KATZ AS EDITOR (Score:1)
Intelligent person: "Your 'land' has value only by our presence. Listen to our votes even if you aren't ruled by them."
-Kahuna Burger
Escape from high tech? (Score:2)
How in the world did he come up with that? So out of place, is almost seems made up, just so it had a little technology aspect to it. This movie is nothing more than "Lord of the Flies" with a little more mature crowd and a little nudity thrown it to keep the "R" rating. Escaping from technology is quite a leap.
Re:Escape from high tech? (Score:2)
Re:How is this news? (Score:3)
This thread I can almost see the possibility of socio-impact comments on what happens to culture in isolation etc. Could be interesting, However I think there are much better vehicles that Leo's latest movie.
Trainspotting this ain't. (Score:1)
The Beach, on the other hand, is so utterly worthless that I can scarcely believe the half-positive review you gave it.
Movies filmed in beautiful areas are not beautiful films. They're films with nice sets (in this case, a glorified swimsuit calendar with a nice set). And trying to present kids as dark and complex is one damned trend I've had quite enough of.
Why is it that we suddenly can't go two weeks without some crap-fest that attempts to strike at the hearts of "misunderstood" youth culture? Gag me.
And as for the comparisons to Conrad and Copolla, PUH-LEASE. The closest THIS comes to HoD is the foliage. And The Beach is to Apocalypse Now what Cheezits are to brie.
who gives a shit about the beach (Score:1)
Re:How is this news? (Score:2)
How is this news? (Score:2)
Re:The Beach should be BOYCOTTED! (Score:2)