kalex

I had just watched "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (OK, for probably the forty-third time) just two hours before first seeing "Frida." I realized that Alfred Molina (who played Diego Rivera in "Frida") also played Indiana Jones' slimy guide in the opening scenes of "Temple of Doom." Temple of Doom was made nearly 25 years ago (1981, I believe), and I heard that Molina had to gain 25 pounds for the role of Rivera in "Frida." Rivera painted some very famous frescoes at our local Detroit Institute of Arts, which were *very* controversial at the time. The story is that Rivera lost 30 pounds working on scaffolds near the ceiling at the (then) non-air-conditioned museum, and there were anti-communist pickets outside the museum all the time he was here. The Rivera murals have since become one of the *treasures* of the Detroit Institute of Arts.

If you've never seen the movie, you *must* go rent it. It's terrific. You won't be disappointed.

Regarding the reviewer who called this film "Transcendingly Awful," I couldn't disagree MORE. After reading that review (while 2/3 of the way through viewing the movie), I realized that anyone who liked "Birdcage" would like "Gaudi Afternoon." Plus, it's REALLY filmed in Barcelona, with all its beautiful Gaudi architecture. Some scenes actually shot inside one of the Gaudi-designed apartment buildings. Somewhat of a mystery, with Judy Davis' character (Cassandra) slowly figuring out what's REALLY going on.

GREAT performances by Marcia Gay Harden and Judy Davis. Juliette Lewis plays a great "flake," too!

OK, guys. Lighten up. It's not THAT bad--and as another commenter said, it has Horst Buckholz (cf: "One, Two, Three," with Cagney, not to mention "The Magnificent Seven," for crying out loud!). Name me another great fly-boy shoot-em up fantasy flic that has United States Senator Fred Thompson AND Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in it? Plus great warbird flying footage?

As an Air Force vet, a little boo-boo that stood out immediately to me: In scenes where Chappy (Lou Gossett's character) is in his "dress blue" Air Force uniform (eagles on the epaulets correctly indicating a colonel) he clearly has ENLISTED MAN'S (airmen and sergeants) "U.S." insignia on his lapels. It shows the "U.S." inside a ring. That's how it looks on an enlisted man's uniform. A colonel (an officer) would have just plain "U.S." without the circle around it. Have a look at his boss's (the general) lapels. He has the correct ones.