Always settle scores at noon
And other lessons learned at the movies
Robert Fulford, National Post
Published: Tuesday, September 09, 2008

The great thing about Paris is that you can always see the Eiffel Tower from your room, whether you're an artist in a tiny garret or a millionaire in a first-class hotel. Just look out the window and there it is. We who have spent much of our lives at the movies know this to be a fact, having seen it demonstrated on many occasions.

That's a perfect example of Movie Wisdom, the information we absorb inadvertently while sitting in the dark. We may go to the movies to enjoy the actors and the stories but the experience also enlarges our view of the world. In early autumn, when the Toronto International Film Festival comes around again, it reminds me of how much the movies have taught me.

Fans of traditional western movies, for example, know that the gunmen on the American frontier settled their disputes fair and square, meeting in one-on-one main-street pistol duels, ideally at noon. I was shocked when Elmore Leonard said he made it a rule to omit that scene from the western books and movies he wrote. He claims no one would ever be so foolish as to do that.

While his opinion may seem reasonable on the surface, it appears overly literal to me. I'm sticking with the Movie Wisdom version. It has tradition behind it.

Over the last 25 years or so the movies have also taught me that there's no such thing as a good man who is also rich. Years ago, a rich man of good character would occasionally show up in a movie, though always in disguise. If several young women working in a department store met by accident a man who appeared to be poor, he would later turn out to be the store's owner. But since stores are now owned by giant corporations, it's been many years since the movies depicted a capitalist with admirable qualities. Today rich men spend most of the time hiring lawyers to save their drug-dealing, murdering sons from justice.

As for corporations, we know they never follow their own stated principles. What they do, mainly, is poison the public with industrial waste.

It's not hard to follow the plot of a movie, once you have a little practice.

For instance, you can be sure that the nicest, sweetest, most helpful character who appears in the early scenes will likely die before the end (providing he or she is not a star).

As soon as we identify someone as a CIA agent, we know he's concocting an evil plot. He's almost certainly the member of a rogue faction in the agency, scheming to place its candidate in the presidency.

If we are watching a movie about people in Biblical times, we can expect that they will sometimes wear ragged clothes but their teeth will always be perfect.

more at: http://www.nationalpost.com/story-printer.html?id=36f969da-42fd-4a06-b10b-084f758d1765

Frankly, I thought all you folks on the mainland were only monochrome till the mid-1960's

I learned that as soon I start liken somebody they die.;

I noticed when you don't like somebody they die, too.

Movies taught me that getting shot with a shotgun will knock you off your feet and throw you 2 meters back.

Also, you will get sucked out of an airplane if the door gets opened.

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
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OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

I reckon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1vsmpGfB9Q&feature=related

Gun Fight At The OK Coral


This is one of the reasons I enjoy anime, very often like in real life the bad guys win. The main characters do die, and even if they win may lose.

Also the "bad" guys and "good" guys can come in many shades of gray, and as Code Geass illistrates can switch sides so many times, it becomes confusing who is good or bad. Also you can't tell right up to the end who is going to win.

The problem with series, even good ones like Stargate, or good Westerns is that you can predict them. You know no matter how tight of a spot the main character is in, they are not going to kill him off because the show will end.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdqfLov8Gk

Sometimes its just fun to shoot things!

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Don't forget that AK47 clips on full auto last at least 5 minutes.

All cars explode no matter how they are hit.

There are always nice awnings to slow your fall every time you jump off a roof.

Ships can stop and turn on a dime.

Biologic monsters are bullet and artillery proof.

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Yeah that was my only real complaint about Stargate. That being said..the new Battlestar Galactica, shockingly good and extremely unpredictable. I remember many years ago reading some book set in WW2 England. A German pilot gets shot down and asks some kids "How come in your comic books the godo guys always win?"


Amazon.com is getting a call tomorrow, I ordered Black Lagoon 3 weeks ago and it still hasn't come in, I'm starting to get pissed.

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq3zjTmVLbM&feature=related

Thats a good shoot out.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I don't get Sci Fi anymore in my room so I havn't been watching it for awhile. But I did up until a few months ago, and yep, the new Battlestar is one of the best series I have ever seen. I'll get the DVD.

Did you order the dub or sub? IMHO the dub is the one to get, since the Japanese lack the langauge and accents to really make the show pop. Its a very international cast and the english VA's do it well, they hit most of the accents spot on. For starters Dutch actualy sounds black, Balalaika actualy sounds Russian, and the Nazi's German. The never ending use of swears works better in English, Japanese isn't crude enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rxVQe8vtOI&feature=related

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1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Good, but someone in the editing room wasn't paying attention. At :54 he fires 9 rounds from a revolver....

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Dubbed version of course. Subtitles have their place but after this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SUvD5fhQ68 (Strong language for those of you who want to avoid it) I had to stop at 23 cause I don't want to spoil the rest, but you get the point It had to be in English.

Here's my favorite shootout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_da6o7CJNMc

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

...you can always see the Eiffel Tower from your room.
And in the West you always have a great view of Monument Valley from your cabin.













"When the Government Fears the People, There is Liberty; When the People Fear the Government, There is Tyranny."
-T Jefferson

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79 chevy
92 300D
95 300D
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2004 Wrangler