Raf

Highest ratio of box office: cost? Hee hee: I was right. Technically, the above is incorrect. It's the BOTTOM cost:box office ratio, which makes it the TOP box office:cost ratio. But I'm persnickety that way.

And based on the 50-50 split in the poll results thus far, Mark, do you have any preliminary conclusions? Half of the respondents say go easy on him, the other half say punish him normally or extremely.

All I'm saying is box office doesn't prove or disprove any part of this. The Globe awards have lauded box office Mighty Mice and box office Mini-Mice. I think the question is whether this IS a good movie worthy of awards, or whether it's a lackluster effort being exalted by the elite because of its subject matter (much like that TV-movie-of-the-week, Philadelphia). I, for one, will never know, because I have no intention of seeing this movie. I just don't find it interesting. And it's not an anti-gay thing, either, because I was among the first in line to see Rent and Capote, but still have not seen The Hours or Good Night and Good Luck (and if anyone was going to rush to the latter film, you'd think it'd be me).

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! You rock, Mark.

Mark, Interesting that you can't remember the last time it went to a low budget, low grossing film. You only had to go back one more year. In 2003's ceremony, the winner was The Hours, ($41 million gross after some 20 weeks). Then there was American Beauty, 2000's ceremony. And let's not even MENTION nominees that didn't win, such as Closer last year. Far from what you mention, the Golden Globes typically try to honor lower budget, limited release films, if not with awards, then certainly with nominations. How else to explain Philip Seymour Hoffman winning the Best Actor award for a film I guarantee only a single-digit-fraction of GSers even knew was OUT, much less have seen?

Neither of those are serious films. Compare it to serious R-rated films. Compare it to Crash, or Million Dollar Baby. Let me know what you find. And again, you're leaving out that the first several weeks of Brokeback Mountain's box office was in limited release. How's it doing since it's been in wide release? Notice something about these numbers? $5,726,662 (USA) (8 January 2006) $4,847,443 (USA) (1 January 2006) $2,951,071 (USA) (25 December 2005) (217 Screens) $2,508,494 (USA) (18 December 2005) $547,425 (USA) (11 December 2005) They're climbing. Box office numbers typically decline weekend to weekend. This film's numbers are going up! I'm not saying it proves anything, but it doesn't disprove anything either.

It's one less than 25 but one more than 23. Get back to work! :)

Mark, Your box office analysis failed to note that Brokeback Mountain is almost certainly adults only, while whole families are going together to see King Kong. Limited audience means limited box office, but that doesn't mean the filmmaker's message is not getting through. Comparing Brokeback Mountain's grosses to King Kong's is like comparing Jay Leno's ratings to CSI's. If CSI had Leno's ratings, it would be thrown off the air faster than you could say "Manimal."

The Movie Timeline is a Web site dedicated to documenting history according to film. For example, we all know that on Nov. 5, 1955, Marty McFly arrived in Hill Valley from the future. We also know that a long, time ago, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo led a rebellion against the evil Empire. And we know the date that Vulcans made First Contact with humans. Anyway, there's plenty more. Take a look at the site and, if you remember any specific, verifiable dates, add it to the list!

Nice try, but disingenuous. What LCM does in the privacy of his bedroom now does not concern me. But the fact that he, as a minister, thought he had a right to my wife, and that we would be disobedient to God if we did not let him use her as a receptacle for his lust: well, you're darned right that would concern me. (disclaimer: I was speaking in the hypothetical. This never happened to me). Please tell me if I misread you.

:) The Breakfast Club is correct.

Hint: the joke has no punch line. The writers never finish it, and the character telling it ... well, something happens to distract him.

Two notes. First: I misread the name of this thread. I thought it was "How did GSC and Waydale Help You." My small post was in response to that. I later saw it was "How Did GSC and Waydale Help You Leave." Oops! I'm among those who left before either site existed. Second: My comment about f-ups was meant as a joke, as I'm sure it was taken, but Bramble, that was one classy reply. :)

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sounds pretty unconditional to me. :)

The current season of Alias is the last.

If I'm right, here's the next quote: "Naked blonde walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm, and a two-foot salami under the other. The bartender says, I guess you won't be needing a drink. Naked lady says..."

The endings of seasons 1,2 and 4 were astonishing. The ending of season 3 was the exception. I mean, the only thing that happens is Jack cries. Wha? :)

Goldfinger

24 is a series that takes place in real time. Each season is 24 episodes, and each episode takes place in one hour. That means from the beginning of the first episode until the end of the last, exactly one day has passed. It's about a counterterrorism agent named Jack Bauer, played by Keifer Sutherland, who always has to get to the bottom of some terrorist plot before something catastrophic happens (and sometimes after something catastrophic happens). No, he does not sleep during this time. Nor does he seem to eat or ever have to use the bathroom. Well, if he does, they don't show it. :) Each episode ends on a damn good cliffhanger, and three out of the previous four SEASONS ended on a cliffhanger as well.

Bramble, Always be perfectly content to be a medium-sized f-up. You do less damage, and people always blame the bigger f-ups anyway. :)

Several views of the Egyptian god Ra, but it's still one Ra. Jew Ra Sick Park. Nice deconstruction, George.

I finally understood why Geer didn't get EVERYONE to follow him out the door. Plus, I think the truth about POP was something I needed to know.

I can't watch week to week, so I insist on buying the DVD sets when they come out. Season 4 was preposterous. I loved EVERY SECOND of it. Ever notice that in the bottom of every hour, something truly momentous happens, but nothing notable happens in the first two minutes of every hour? Convenient, eh? No one gets shot at exactly 8:00. It's always 7:59:50

Par is 4.