Movies you want to see?

Tonichelle · Feb 4, 2012

Just saw "Big Miracle" (which we all knew it by its working title as "Everyone Loves Whales"). It is LOOSELY based on the story of three California Grey Whales trapped in teh ice in Barrow Alaska. It's also the first film shot entirely in Alaska - mainly in Anchorage, AK which is WAY SOUTH of Barrow - but it was shot by outsiders. It's a very hollywood version of Alaskan politics - hey let's villify the Republicans some more, it's an election year! - and they dannced around the "cruelty" that is whale hunting by the Inupiat people. Suggesting that the only reason they helped was so that they could "keep hunting" was ridiculous. But that's teh Alaskan in me, I shouldn't even try to get people to understand how it really is.

Overall, though, I enjoyed it. There were a lot of winks to Alaskans, and I'm not sure how outsiders will react to it. There's some hokey moments, like all feel good winter movies have, and like I said it's LOOSELY based on the story. Sometimes I think they were trying to tell too many people's stories so the storyline suffered but over all a solid performance by the big names. There are A LOT of local Alaskan celebs that I enjoyed looking for, and the actual footage was integrated very well. At the very end you'll see Sarah Palin (before she was Palin) and the whole audience went nuts when they saw her. I think we all forgot that before she was political she did the news! LOL

Overall a good film. Not worth the 9.6 million our state is repaying them (1/3 of their expenses. Insane.) but overall a good movie.

Olympia · Feb 4, 2012

Great that you got to see the movie, Toni. I noticed the ads and then read an article about how it was filmed in Anchorage and not Barrow. Though the state paid part of the expenses, I hope that filming in Alaska brought in revenue as well, and will help Alaska attract more tourism--maybe even from other countries.

I'll probably not see it until it's out on DVD, because I have to ration my movie time, but I'll look for it then. It's lovely when a movie manages to capture the flavor of a locality. There are entirely too many movies set in either New York or L.A., or in some generic suburb. Three of my favorite movies are Doc Hollywood, the Michael J. Fox movie where he is stuck in a small Southern town doing community service as punishment for having destroyed a fence with his car; Murphy's Romance, in which Sally Field trains horses in a Texas town; and The Rookie, which takes place largely in a scrub area of Texas. The subsidiary characters give each of these films a wonderful individuality. For instance, there's a bingo game in Murphy's Romance and a horse auction elsewhere in that movie, both clearly called by local actors--or maybe non-actors. I wonder whether people who live in Texas pick up on subtleties in that film that the rest of us miss. But even us outsiders see the particularity of the place and hear the music of the regional accents.

Tonichelle · Feb 4, 2012

Aside from Native Alaskans, I really don't think there's a distinct accent from Alaska... we are a huge melting pot from other regions... and people like me we kinda pick up all the accents depending on what we're around.

I loved it when they had the Inupiat language in the film. That was great.

Olympia · Feb 5, 2012

They did? That's great. I hope I get to see it eventually.

Johar · Feb 7, 2012

Saw The Woman In Black. Was good for entertainment and many scenes that caused people in my theater to jump and scream aloud. Daniel Radcliff was so grown up looking that I barely recognized him. And he was playing the father of a 4-year-old. That made me feel so old.

Tonichelle · Feb 8, 2012

I missed out on the one week showing of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" down here. Maybe I can catch it in Anchorage when we go up next month at the $3 theater.

I want to see The Vow this weekend.

Olympia · Feb 8, 2012

I have not been brave enough to see Extremely Loud. Let us know if you see The Vow. The ads make it look like the perfect Valentine's Day movie.

Johar · Feb 8, 2012

I saw Extremely Loud a few weeks ago and recommend it. 3/4 from me.

Kitt · Feb 11, 2012

Tonichelle said:
Just saw "Big Miracle" (which we all knew it by its working title as "Everyone Loves Whales"). It is LOOSELY based on the story of three California Grey Whales trapped in teh ice in Barrow Alaska. It's also the first film shot entirely in Alaska - mainly in Anchorage, AK which is WAY SOUTH of Barrow - but it was shot by outsiders. It's a very hollywood version of Alaskan politics - hey let's villify the Republicans some more, it's an election year! - and they dannced around the "cruelty" that is whale hunting by the Inupiat people. Suggesting that the only reason they helped was so that they could "keep hunting" was ridiculous. But that's teh Alaskan in me, I shouldn't even try to get people to understand how it really is.

Overall, though, I enjoyed it. There were a lot of winks to Alaskans, and I'm not sure how outsiders will react to it. There's some hokey moments, like all feel good winter movies have, and like I said it's LOOSELY based on the story. Sometimes I think they were trying to tell too many people's stories so the storyline suffered but over all a solid performance by the big names. There are A LOT of local Alaskan celebs that I enjoyed looking for, and the actual footage was integrated very well. At the very end you'll see Sarah Palin (before she was Palin) and the whole audience went nuts when they saw her. I think we all forgot that before she was political she did the news! LOL

Overall a good film. Not worth the 9.6 million our state is repaying them (1/3 of their expenses. Insane.) but overall a good movie.

I know the guy whose story this is based on....who would be the Todd character. It happened in 1988 and was very exciting at the time! Can't wait to see the movie -- he is also interviewed at the end of the credits.

Tonichelle · Feb 12, 2012

Kitt said:
I know the guy whose story this is based on....who would be the Todd character. It happened in 1988 and was very exciting at the time! Can't wait to see the movie -- he is also interviewed at the end of the credits.

A friend of mine who is a movie buff called it cheesey... I think a lot of Alaskans will come away thinking that, just because there are a lot of glazing over the true story and the like... and like I said it's a made for this time of year type fluffy movie... but for Alaskans it's a fun where's waldo, and there are some great little "winks" with the jokes.

Kitt · Feb 12, 2012

We just saw it and really liked it -- a feel good movie, that's for sure. I forgot just how much the news shows were caught up in this story -- fun to see Tom Brokaw et al. The Minnesotans depicted were such stereotypes -- the writer of this film actually apologized to our friend for making a joke of his character. However, our friend has a good sense of humor so didn't mind it. I remember he told us at the time...."we lost one." :-(

Tonichelle · Feb 12, 2012

Actually a lot of folks seem to believe they really lost all three. They never sighted any of them outside of Alaska waters - in fact all they know is that they didn't die in the channel they were stuck in. Most believe the stress was too much.

Kitt · Feb 13, 2012

That is sad if they didn't make it. But at least they didn't suffocate under the ice -- the cause that united so many from such different walks of life.

Tonichelle · Feb 13, 2012

yeah, it was a great effort by the people of Alaska, Government and the like... it's too bad they still had to vilify some groups like they were the only ones with their own motive and not miss greenpeace. She benefitted from it greatly, too. But I digress. It was decent, but there were just way too many stories they were trying to tell... the whales kinda got lost in the movie. (also they didn't just go through the holes to the ice wall... the final scenes where they rush back to the closed over holes actually happened more than once, it took them forever to coax them to that first hole they created... and it wasn't because of the baby lol it bothered one of the reporters that was up there at the timea nd he wrote a very long article about the inaccuracies lol

Movies you want to see?

Tonichelle

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Olympia

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Olympia

Johar

Tonichelle

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Olympia

Johar

Kitt

Tonichelle

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Kitt

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Kitt

Tonichelle

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