Posts by Xander

59

The Two Towers

by Xander in

just saw this.. great movie.

not as good as book, but about matches it roughly as good as fellowship matched the book.. gollum is class act - for those worried the little cgi creature wouldn't work, don't be!

he looks great - and the voice acting is dead one.. won't say too much, as spoilers might ruin it for some, but you really, really should see the extended edition dvd of the fellowship before seeing this movie.

Xander

The important thing to keep in mind is that books and movies are two seperate mediums, and never the two shall meet. (Well, successfully, anyway)

There is not a single book -> movie adapdation ANYWHERE that does not have detractors.

If you could just watch the movie as if it had nothing at all to do with the book, I think people would find a lot less flaws. I don't know why 'purists' go to the movie wanting to see the book on the screen. Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of reading the book? Was something wrong with the book? Was your imagination not functioning enough for it to be a compelling adventure on its own?

If all of that's true...don't nitpick the film based on how well it does (or does not) 'follow the book'. They aren't the same thing at all. One is on paper, and comes alive in your mind. The other is on celluloid and comes alive with surround sound on a movie screen. Given even perfect book->movie translation; a scene-by-scene, line-by-line, 17 hour extravaganza....they STILL wouldn't be the same.

So, go home, read the books, and ENJOY them. And watch the movie, and ENJOY it, too - but for DIFFERENT REASONS.

1

Grammer for gamers....

by Xander in

(not mine, but lolol) .

your = possesive.

your armor, your flag.

Xander

(Not mine, but LOLOL)

your = possesive. YOUR armor, YOUR flag.
you're = you are. YOU'RE stupid, YOU'RE a lamer.
there = a place. throw the frag over THERE.
their = possesive. capture THEIR flag.
they're = they are. THEY'RE winning, THEY'RE better than us.

so... use a spellchecker if YOU'RE confused, or YOUR friends will laugh at you (because THEY'RE smarter than you, and THEIR resumes will land them a job ...while you just sit THERE and cry).

Edited by - Xander on 2 January 2003 16:23:1

59

The Two Towers

by Xander in

just saw this.. great movie.

not as good as book, but about matches it roughly as good as fellowship matched the book.. gollum is class act - for those worried the little cgi creature wouldn't work, don't be!

he looks great - and the voice acting is dead one.. won't say too much, as spoilers might ruin it for some, but you really, really should see the extended edition dvd of the fellowship before seeing this movie.

Xander

If he wanted wolf riders

But there WERE Wolf Riders in TTT - just not 'on screen', as it were, in the book. They were mentioned several times.

I'm surprised you don't understand the significance of the ents rescuing the Rohirrim, Hmmm

1) The Ents did NOT 'rescue' the Rohirrim, they just performed the mop-up action.

2) That whole sequence HAS been filmed. Recall where the movie ended? With the orcs being routed? There is a question as whether the Ent attacks on the orcs will be in the next movie (in the beginning), or if it will be reserved for the extended DVD of TTT. As an 'official rumor', though, by this time next year we will get to see Jackson's version of those events.

40

HELP!!! Hubby turning home into 'Book Study'

by Skeptically Yours in

jw
friends

my husband, who's a ministerial servant, was approached by an elder and asked if he'd offer our home to become a 'book study' meeting place.. i'm a bit of a loner, and need lots of peace, quiet, privacy, and solitude; plus to boot you all know i'm living this sort of double life, you know, just doing the very minimum to remain a witness.. this is awful!!!!!!!!!!

i can't deal with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

take care!

Xander

I don't see why no one has suggested the obvious:

1) Buy 10 copies of 'Crisis of Conscience'

2) Lay at least 2 in the bookstudy area (right before they start arriving) each week.

You shouldn't even have to go through your whole stockpile! (If you think 2 is too conspicuous, try 5 'Gentile Times Reconsidered' and 5 'Crisis of Conscience', 1 of each every week)

11

Shooting victims newly wed

by Matty in

shooting victims newly wed

karen hucks; the news tribune .

jamaica howard the sunday before christmas, jamaica howard and her new husband, paul "p.j.

Xander

And you know how the rumor mill turns.

Dunno why, but....

Well, you know what the first thing the gossips at the hall will be saying.

Gossiper 1: "Obviously, they weren't THAT strong in the truth, or god would have protected them"

Gossiper 2: "You heard he had a gang affiliation? Why would they just be sitting in their car alone?"

Gossiper 1: "Maybe he was going back to his old ways - if they had been at home studying, they would have been protected!"

blahblahblah.

If it's good news, it's god's work.

If it's bad news, they must not have been faithful enough.

It it's bad news, and their surviving family is popular in the congregation, it must be satan's work.

59

The Two Towers

by Xander in

just saw this.. great movie.

not as good as book, but about matches it roughly as good as fellowship matched the book.. gollum is class act - for those worried the little cgi creature wouldn't work, don't be!

he looks great - and the voice acting is dead one.. won't say too much, as spoilers might ruin it for some, but you really, really should see the extended edition dvd of the fellowship before seeing this movie.

Xander

What was the point of having Faramir kidnap Frodo and Sam, and take them to something-giliath?

As with the first movie, Jackson doesn't really ADD anything, just moves the events and characters around some.

*

spoiler

space

*

spoiler

space

*

Minas Osgiliath was the central city of the Kindgom of Gondor. Minas Anor was the city to the west of it, and Minas Ithil was the city to the East. Osgiliath was mentioned as having fallen to the Orcs in the first book (event moved to the second movie). Minas Anor was (long ago)renamed to Minas Tirith, and Minas Ithil became Minas Morgul when the Nazgul took it over for their fortress. Essentially, the west city becames Gondor's last hold, the central city was a wasteland, and the eastern city was the fortress of the Ringwraiths.

And, you'll note, in the book, Faramir WAS tempted by the ring. He just resisted. Jackson had a comment on that, that I agree with. Essentially, he noted that they've spent the first whole movie building the ring up as a manifestation of ultimate evil that corrupts all who may handle it....

It would be anti-climactic for Faramir to look at it, be tempted, and turn off right away as he did in the book. It had to be more of a struggle against the ring's evil. Of course, in the end, Faramir followed the book - he did what Boromir could not - let the ring go.

-------------

Overall, it's a very good movie. Not as good as the book, but, well, duh. The book, when read (unabridged) takes up 16 hours of CDs. NO ONE will sit through that. Things had to be cut and moved for dramatic effect - to get the theme or emotion of a moment instead of the details.

And that, it did quite well.

NOTE:

Please do, when all the movies are done, PLEASE read the books. THEY ARE INCREDIBLE. (And probably, don't bother starting with 'The Hobbit'. It's a kids book, and a little less intense. Or, and skip the Silmarillion, as well. Unless you bore VERY slowly.)

17

SYN Goes To A Midnight Mass

by SYN in

hi all, i finally got back from my psuedo-holiday (most of which was spent on my bed reading books, very relaxing!).

during my pseudo-holiday, a certain friend of mine badgered me endlessly to go with her to a midnight mass at our local branch of the anglican type christian society.

at least, that's what i think they're called.

Xander

(no joke, even candles on the cake!!).

-=HOLY SHIT=-

HOW did you get 2,003 CANDLES on a CAKE!?!?!

163

So, where DID the 1914 timeline go awry?

by Xander in

okay, i know that historical evidence is that jerusalem fell in 586/7 instead of 607 - as the wtbts would have.

however, that is not compelling enough to show a hypothetical jw.

they (generally) must not only be show that the opposition is correct, but that the wtbts is wrong.

Xander

murky secular history would not have been enough to wipe out 607 and 1914

Right - that's what I was getting at in this thread. I wasn't looking for secular history - I knew it existed and was in contradiction, I wanted scriptural evidence, basically.

Take a look at that site - near the end, you'll see what I mean.

He notes how very specific time references are made to a given year of a king's rain and specific durations from BEFORE that date, etc.

That something happened in 1914 is really not relevant. Something happened in 1939, 1941, 1945, etc. Two dates on a calender and some strange math taken out of context to support them is not enough to convince someone unless both dates can be 'proven'.

In this case, neither can. The world is demonstrably not any worse of after 1914 than before, so that date has no prophetic meaning; and nothing interesting at all happened in 607, apparently...with no evidence of any kind that it did.

Further (the steps I was looking for), that 607 could be calculated by any means has been proven false - they essentially just picked the date out of that air - and the duration from that date is also contrived.

(Kinda what I was looking for - a deconstruction of every single stage of that 'prophecy')

Edited by - Xander on 30 December 2002 17:28:6

163

So, where DID the 1914 timeline go awry?

by Xander in

okay, i know that historical evidence is that jerusalem fell in 586/7 instead of 607 - as the wtbts would have.

however, that is not compelling enough to show a hypothetical jw.

they (generally) must not only be show that the opposition is correct, but that the wtbts is wrong.

Xander

Hmmm...well, I certainly hope the JWs I am thinking of would not be swayed by an 'ends invalidate the means' argument.

Indeed, I never would have.

As it happens, I was bored and did some digging. Most 607 sites complain about the historical evidence of 586, which I already know about, and doesn't need further expounding.

HOWEVER, that said, this is a very good site:

http://www.disfellowshipped.org/607eng.htm

It not only covers the historical angle, but spends a good deal of time using scriptures (from the NTW, no less!) and WT study articles showing the contradictions that make the WTBTS's calculation of 607 impossible by their own logic.

THIS is the kind of argument I was looking for.

163

So, where DID the 1914 timeline go awry?

by Xander in

okay, i know that historical evidence is that jerusalem fell in 586/7 instead of 607 - as the wtbts would have.

however, that is not compelling enough to show a hypothetical jw.

they (generally) must not only be show that the opposition is correct, but that the wtbts is wrong.

Xander

Yes, yes, I know that.

Problem is, a JW in good standing won't accept anything in Crisis of Conscience (OR 'Gentile Times Reconsidered').

Since the information in both those volumes is from the authors point of view (DFed, 'apostate' authors, in both cases), it is obviously all lies. (To a JW in good standing, anyway).

That's why I'm looking for the explanation used. Indeed, I fear either my JW arguing capabilities *cough*reasoning from the scriptures*cough* is failing me, or no good explanation for 607 was ever presented.

What I'm looking for is the reason or data used to draw the conclusion of 607 and why it (obviously) is flawed.