Brokeback Mountain

[tmp]

I went to a screening of this movie last week. I know most people are going to dismiss it as the "gay cowboy movie", and if you can't get past one short sex scene (which doesn't show anything), you won't like it- but Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway have nude scenes (and are quite fine), so it's something for everyone. This is a movie that makes me glad that I still on occasion work with actors. Everyone involved gives incredible performances. I never thought I'd say this, but Heath Ledger should get an Oscar. It's a great movie.

[ocnblu]

I really want to see this, but I fear it won't be shown here in backcountry Lancaster. I may have to go to DC or Philadelphia to see it.

[usonia]

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie too, but I'm a bit hesitant. <confession time> I read the short story and got to where I couldn't see to continue reading. I don't know that I've ever actually cried reading anything before. I don't know what it is about this story that hit me so hard but it did. I'm sure I'm going to be a mess seeing the movie. I'll have to sit by myself way up in a corner somewhere with a pocket full of kleenex.

[tmp]

You are going to be hit by this movie like a hammer. I am not a weepy person by any means, but I was teary by the end, and was upset by the movie for a good week, as was my friend: and she had the comfort of a family to go home to. It's an extremely sad movie, but an extremely good one.

[Hudson]

I went to a screening of this movie last week.

Nobody eats pudding in the movie, do they? There was a South Park episode where they talked about independent films (like this one) being about "gay cowboys eating pudding." The South Park guys are threatening (tongue-in-cheek) that they're going to sue if there's any pudding in the movie.

[CARBIZ]

Incredible movie. These are the stories that need to be told to convince America (and the rest of the world) that gay people are not sick or depraved, and that they have been around FOREVER as mostly normal people. Gay porn has dealt with this subject (for obvious reasons), but I always wondered what would have happened to these bored, lonely cowpokes, stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no women for a hundred miles. I am glad their stories are now being told. Gay history has been buried and hushed for two thousand years. Perhaps if it hadn't, things would be much different today for a lot of people.

[SoCalCTS]

Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger together in a gay movie? This might be too much to handle! Especiallly after seeing Gyllenhaal as a Jarhead. I cant wait to see Brokeback Mountain. I hope its a good film but I have been disappointed with Ang Lee's recent films like the Hulk, and the Crouching Tiger- Hidden Dragon sequel.

[tmp]

Nobody eats pudding in the movie, do they?

[post="42937"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I'm not exactly sure what that means. And I'm sure I don't want to.

There's one short sex scene that I remember. They are in a tent and it's freezing, so it's all under blankets and practically fully clothed. And one pretty passionate kiss. That's about it.

I hope these aren't spoilers- the movie is extremely faithful to the short story, which is still out in the book Close Range: Wyoming Stories.

Ang Lee's movies have been hit or miss for me- this one knocked it out of the park.

[Chris_Doane]

Gay history has been buried and hushed for two thousand years.  Perhaps if it hadn't, things would be much different today for a lot of people.

[post="42947"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yea gay history is sort of a sad story right now. When I was doing research for a paper in college I found out a lot of it is not really being kept, or is literally being kept in a cardboard box in the basement of some apartment in S.F. Not so good. Kids need more than Elton John for a role model.
:rolleyes:

For instance...who knows the gay guy that had a huge role in the Allies winning WWII? Edited November 14, 2005 by CD/BP

[Flybrian]

For instance...who knows the gay guy that had a huge role in the Allies winning WWII?

[post="42973"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

General Montgomery. C'mon, if he's anything like he was portrayed in Patton, he's obvious...

:P

[Chris_Doane]

General Montgomery. C'mon, if he's anything like he was portrayed in Patton, he's obvious...

:P

[post="43120"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

LoL...umm...no. Well....as far as I know anyways. Good guess though. Edited November 14, 2005 by CD/BP

[ocnblu]

Did he have something to do with secret codes? Was he a decoder dude guy person? :unsure:

[Chris_Doane]

Did he have something to do with secret codes?  Was he a decoder dude guy person? :unsure:

[post="43165"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yep he sure was. I wrote a short piece on him in college. I have it here somewhere...

[Chris_Doane]

The guy is Dr. Alan Turning...he was an English mathematician. He was one of the smartest around, he'd been chosen for grad studies at Princeton and even worked with Einstein. The British recruited him to work in Bletchy Park which was a compound out in the country 40 miles from London. This was the one and only place where the British code-breaking operations took place. The entire operation was code-named "Ultra."

Several who worked at Bletchly were eccentrics and Turing wasn't an exception. He'd had his entire life-savings converted to silver and then buried it in the woods of Bletchy Park. He later forgot where he'd buried it. Another quirk about him was his love for Walt Disney movies. Some said when the movie Snow White was released he watched it at least a dozen times. (you'll see why this is pretty sad later)

Anyhow, Turing had the idea to build a universal code-breaking machine that could read any cipher. Of course everyone was doubtful it could be done, but in 1939 he built the "Turing Bombe'." His machine was reading the German Enigma codes by 1940. He didn't stop there though, he had the idea of taking it a step further and building a better deciphering machine that would be programmable and thus, easier and more efficient. So he builds the machine "Colossus," which is also recognized as the first programmable computer ever built. This machine was allowing us to regularly read the Enigma messages of Hitler, the Luftwaffe, the German Navy and others.

Probably the best example of Turing's work more/less "saving our ass" was with the Normandy landing. Being the sneaky sons-of-bitches that we were, the Allies had a major deception operation planned to go with the actual Normandy landing. Operation "Bodyguard" was meant to trick the Germans into thinking that our landing in Normandy was just a cover for the main landing in Calais, which was north of Normandy. Basically we wanted the Germans to think the main landing was coming at Calais and not Normandy. Another important side note was the German armies in place at both these locations. The German 15th Army was at Calais. The 15th was a much stronger, more battle ready Army. It also consisted of several Panzer tank divisions. The 7th Army was at Normandy and was a much weaker Army.

So to trick Adolph and friends, we created a totally fictitious Army. Yes that's right we made Hitler think we had "The First US Army Group" (FUSAG.....no, not FAG) parked north of London, in Dover, just waiting to pounce. FUSAG supposedly was made up of 25 divisions and was commanded by Patton. How convenient that Patton wasn't even close to Dover at the time. We had jeeps running around Dover making radio transmissions to make it sound like an entire army was there. We had double-cross agents (one of the agents is code-named "Garbo") leaking info about FUSAG to the Germans, we even had Hollywood prop companies make inflatable tanks, planes, and defense batteries. Of course none of this would do us any good unless we knew the Germans were falling for it. That's where Turing and the "Ultra" program come in.

All the communications from Hitler to Rommel (Hitler’s field marshall) were being picked up by Ultra. And the messages from Rommel clearly showed they were buying the entire Bodyguard operation. On D Day +1, Rommel sends a message that the Normandy invasion is in fact real, and as a result, Hitler released part of the 15th Army. We read this message and obviously don't like it one bit. Now we had Panzer divisions and more rolling towards Normandy.  We react by having "Garbo" (our double-cross agent) send a message to Hitler that Normandy is a trap and reinforce that the real landing is at Calais. Hitler completely trusts Garbo and on June 10 orders all of the 15th Army to stop rolling toward Normandy and back to Calais, along with other reinforcements.

None of this would've worked without the Allies knowing what the Germans were thinking. And we wouldn't have known what the German were thinking without reading the enigma messages. And the Allies wouldn't have been reading the enigma messages without the British "Ultra" operation. And the "Ultra" operation wouldn't have been operating without Turing deciphering machines.

Surprise. A gay guy played a major role in winning World War II. And the Normandy invasion is only one example of Turing's machines playing a major role.

However this whole thing doesn't have a happy ending. One night someone broke into Turning’s place back in Bletchly Park. He admitted to authorities that it could've been a former boyfriend. Mind you, during these times it was literally illegal to be gay. Authorities gave Turing two choices 1) be publicly "outed" or 2) go for "treatment"

He chose the treatment which consisted of female hormone injections. The treatment made him grow breasts and also made him impotent. Eventually he committed suicide. When he was discovered, they found a half-eaten apple laced with cyanide. Ironically this was how Snow white died in the Disney movie he liked.

Everyone should know about this guy.

[Cory Wolfe]

Wait... so there is a gay sex scene that shows nothing and some nude scenes... Interesting. It's very emotional too, you say? Wow... if it wasn't for the emotional part ...and that nothing is shown in that scene, I'd love to see this movie. As with Ocnblu, I doub't it'd be shown anywhere near me since Brookville is full of a bunch of homophobs... Still, though, some movies will just hit me a certain way emotionally, so I don't know about it. I mean... that "comedy" with Jude Law made me cry myself to sleep since it reminded me of breaking up with Bekah. Yeah... so... I can't imagine what a non-comedy movie would do. :lol:

[ocnblu]

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" with Jude Law and Matt Damon was so sexy when Matt was there in the room watching Jude in the bathtub. Hot! And Jude Law played Oscar Wilde's boyfriend in "Wilde", that was cool.

Jake and Heath are a pair of sexy mofo's. I'm sure I'll bawl if one of them dies in the end. I hate that!

[Cory Wolfe]

Hmm.. never saw those. I can't remember what the one I watched was called but it came out on video/dvd around spring/summer this year, I think. It was about how he slept around with a bunch of women and it ended up biting him in the ass when he fell in love with one... or was it impregnated one? IDK... I'm embarrassed. :blush: :P

[ocnblu]

Sounds like "Alfie", although I didn't see it.

[Hudson]

I'm not exactly sure what that means.  And I'm sure I don't want to.

Just what it says....pudding: smooth, milk-based dessert. No innuendo...simple desserts.