All three of those "cool ideas" (or "sci-fi clichés, if you prefer) were satirized pretty nicely in Galaxy Quest, three years prior to Attack of the Clones. While I was watching that stinking pile of shit, I couldn't stop laughing during the conveyor belt chase. "Oh no! It's The Chompers!" Hilarious.

All three of those "cool ideas" (or "sci-fi clichés, if you prefer) were satirized pretty nicely in Galaxy Quest, three years prior to Attack of the Clones. While I was watching that stinking pile of shit, I couldn't stop laughing during the conveyor belt chase. "Oh no! It's The Chompers!" Hilarious.

I hope you're right about that. I like that idea better than a really dull-but-evil Dagmar and no reek.

I hope you're right about that. I like that idea better than a really dull-but-evil Dagmar and no reek.

It really only bothers me with characters that Martin described so clearly that I have a really hard-set picture of them in my head. I like Stephen Dillane as Stannis too, and loved the cat line. The whole recounting of starving at the siege of Storm's End was pretty great, though I always cringe some when characters…

It really only bothers me with characters that Martin described so clearly that I have a really hard-set picture of them in my head. I like Stephen Dillane as Stannis too, and loved the cat line. The whole recounting of starving at the siege of Storm's End was pretty great, though I always cringe some when characters…

Exactly.

Exactly.

Also, I'm not wild about Dagmar and Stannis, but that's really just because they made no attempt to make the actors look *anything* like they were described - the actors themselves don't bother me. What bugs me is that in both cases the characters were described in extreme detail, so there's pretty much a recipe.…

Also, I'm not wild about Dagmar and Stannis, but that's really just because they made no attempt to make the actors look *anything* like they were described - the actors themselves don't bother me. What bugs me is that in both cases the characters were described in extreme detail, so there's pretty much a recipe.…

Madattorney, you and I agree on every single point, though I'd qualify it with "The New Mountain." Old Mountain was great. Hoping he comes back.

Madattorney, you and I agree on every single point, though I'd qualify it with "The New Mountain." Old Mountain was great. Hoping he comes back.

Slightly spoilery:

Boxer is indeed most tasty.

I can't think of anything worse than white, middle-class people affecting a black, lower-class persona. It's invariably embarrassing. The guys from the National are very much the picture of white, middle-class, Brooklyn-living hipsters (and I don't mean that to be disparaging - I don't regard "hipster" as a…

Give that GWBush was the sitting president, as well as our ongoing misadventures overseas, I think "Fake Empire" was pretty on-the-nose. Someone in that campaign had a sharp sense of humor.

@Juanito: I had the exact same "Celluloid Heroes" experience. Went to see lifelong friends' first film premiere. Standing on Hollywood Boulevard outside of Grauman's waiting for the premier to begin. Couldn't get the song out of my head for weeks.

1. Bob Seger's fine. In small doses.

I have not yet watched Cobra Verde, despite it being in my Netflix queue for quite a while. Juanito, as one who clearly enjoys him some Herzog lunacy, can you comment on it?

Aguirre is simply fantastic and worthy of all praise that can be heaped in its general direction.