RANDOM MUSING - Something for Eric and Sam to perhaps consider before our next Movie Club... What movies did you not like much in the theater, but now find yourself liking a lot whenever you catch them on video/DVD or cable? Conversely, what movies did you really like in the theater and now find that you don't like much at all? I've mentioned before how I somehow liked 'As Good As It Gets' when I saw it originally, but now have realized it's almost as bad as it gets. I find it terribly smug and overbearing. What brought this on is HBO's near constant showing this month of 'Ocean's Eleven,' a film I was lukewarm on when I reviewed it upon its release. I guess I stand by my criticisms, especially Brad Pitt's annoying facial tick where he puts his lips together and opens them again quickly after every line he says; someone tell me you noticed this and were bothered by it too. But every time I start watching it, I can't help but get sucked into it. Dialogue that I never thought was nearly as clever as it wanted to be when I first saw it, now brings a smile to face, such as when Danny (George Clooney) asks his ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), if her new lover (Andy Garcia) makes her laugh. "He doesn't make me cry," she replies. Other great, more humorous, lines:

Tess: You're a thief and a liar.
Danny: I only lied about being a thief, and I don't do that anymore.
Tess: Steal?
Danny: Lie.

Ruben: Look, we all go way back and uh, I owe you from the thing with the guy in the place and I'll never forget it.
Danny: That was our pleasure.
Rusty: I'd never been to Belize.

[While they are watching a dozen Chinese acrobats at a circus]
Danny: Which one is the amazing Yen?
Rusty: He's the little Chinese guy.

Rusty: What's with the orange?
Saul: My doctor says I need vitamins.
Rusty: So why don't you just take vitamins?

[Discussing possible candidates for their crew]
Danny: Phil Torenteen...
Rusty: Dead.
Danny: No kidding. On the job?
Rusty: Skin cancer.
Danny: Send flowers?
Rusty: Dated his wife for a while.

I know Sam is a big fan of Soderbergh's commentary on the DVD, if not a big fan of the movie. I should probably check it out considering I've owned it for about a year now.

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