Battlefield Earth at the Brattle Theatre! HA! HA! HA!
posted April 20, 2011 10:31 PM RSS | iCal | +googleCal
Fri April 22 at 9:15 PM, Brattle Theatre
40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA, USA (Map & Directions)
We enjoyed the hijinks of Nilbog at Horace Rumpole's excellent birthday party, so I thought local MeFites might be up for the majesty of Battlefield Earth, which is showing at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge this Friday night at 9:45 PM. (Sorry about the short notice. I just found out!)
Battlefield Earth is terrible in a different way than Troll 2. It's high-powered and high-budget. It features actors you've seen doing good work elsewhere, yet here they are in Battlefield Earth, sucking hard. To be fair, no amount of acting skill can rise above the quicksand foundation that is an L. Ron Hubbard story.
But like Troll 2, it is relentless in its unintentional entertainment. I saw it about ten years ago at B-Fest, and the audience was a-roar the whole time.
Here's the theatre's synopsis:
But like Troll 2, it is relentless in its unintentional entertainment. I saw it about ten years ago at B-Fest, and the audience was a-roar the whole time.
Here's the theatre's synopsis:
John Travolta’s love letter to L. Ron Hubbard, BATTLEFIELD EARTH is almost too convoluted and weird to even be able to be described. Basically, it’s year 3000 and mankind has been enslaved by a greedy and ugly alien race hell bent on stripping the Earth of its natural resources. John Travolta plays the alien leader Terl, whose most terrifying attributes seem to be his Predator-like dreadlocks and too-tight leather pants. Luckily Barry Pepper and his side braids are there to save the human race from John Travolta (too bad that can only happen in the movies).I was thinking we could meet in the lobby around 915, meet, greet, and prepare for battle, then head on in and get seats.
Also, check out the Battlefield Earth episode of the "How Did This Get Made?" podcast. Spoiler alert, I guess, but that hardly seems the point with a movie like this.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:41 AM on April 21, 2011
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:41 AM on April 21, 2011
Awesome! See you there.
Also, that is a great name for podcast of this nature. Downloading!
posted by ignignokt at 6:21 AM on April 21, 2011
Also, that is a great name for podcast of this nature. Downloading!
posted by ignignokt at 6:21 AM on April 21, 2011
Oh, and if anyone wants to and knows of a good place to hang out at before or after, feel free to chime in!
posted by ignignokt at 6:41 AM on April 21, 2011
posted by ignignokt at 6:41 AM on April 21, 2011
I'd be there just about any other weekend.
But I'm a big fan of Charlie's Kitchen if you like good beers and good burgers and semi-divey conditions.
posted by Plutor at 7:50 AM on April 21, 2011
But I'm a big fan of Charlie's Kitchen if you like good beers and good burgers and semi-divey conditions.
posted by Plutor at 7:50 AM on April 21, 2011
Brattlefield Earth! I can't make it (and would have loved to), but I really wanted to make the play on words. Thank you for your time. And have fun!
posted by not_on_display at 11:13 AM on April 21, 2011
posted by not_on_display at 11:13 AM on April 21, 2011
Oh, so tempting! And yet, so late at night!
If I'm still awake at 9:15 I may head over, as I've been wanting to see this cinematic wonder (and meet more mefites) for so long. Seconding Charlie's and their lobstermelts of delicious diveyness.
posted by ldthomps at 11:30 AM on April 21, 2011
If I'm still awake at 9:15 I may head over, as I've been wanting to see this cinematic wonder (and meet more mefites) for so long. Seconding Charlie's and their lobstermelts of delicious diveyness.
posted by ldthomps at 11:30 AM on April 21, 2011
Charlie's looks pretty great! Is it a pretty long wait to get a space for a small group to stand around (or sit) with their food and drinks on a Friday night, though?
posted by ignignokt at 12:56 PM on April 21, 2011
posted by ignignokt at 12:56 PM on April 21, 2011
Oh man. That is CHEEZE-TASTIC. Daaamn.
I don't think I can make it, but snark at the movie for me, please. :)
posted by rmd1023 at 2:59 PM on April 21, 2011
I don't think I can make it, but snark at the movie for me, please. :)
posted by rmd1023 at 2:59 PM on April 21, 2011
OK, given that things are up in the air with who's going to be able to make it, we'll see if anyone wants to head to Charlie's after we've finished seeing man-animals toil in Psychlo gold mines!
posted by ignignokt at 7:40 PM on April 21, 2011
posted by ignignokt at 7:40 PM on April 21, 2011
Hi there -- long time Boston-area MeFi lurker, finally signed up a few weeks ago. I want to see this movie (not as much as I want to see "The Room", of course, but yeah.). I'm kind of an "early to bed" guy of late, but "Battlefield Earth" sounds worth the effort. I will definitely try to make it.
Um, how does one recognize a MeFi meet-up in real life? I'd suggest we all bring our own E-meter, but mine is in the shop (Busted theta coil, donchaknow. I swear these new TC2500s just don't last like the good-old JT1500s did.)
posted by benito.strauss at 6:25 AM on April 22, 2011
Um, how does one recognize a MeFi meet-up in real life? I'd suggest we all bring our own E-meter, but mine is in the shop (Busted theta coil, donchaknow. I swear these new TC2500s just don't last like the good-old JT1500s did.)
posted by benito.strauss at 6:25 AM on April 22, 2011
Um, how does one recognize a MeFi meet-up in real life?
You scan the room nervously, edge towards the group of people with the most glasses-wearers, and ask "hi, um, are you guys um..." and then someone in the group's like METAFILTER!!! and then you're all "phew!" and you go get a beer.
I will wear my weirdest glasses for ease of noticeability!
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:36 AM on April 22, 2011
You scan the room nervously, edge towards the group of people with the most glasses-wearers, and ask "hi, um, are you guys um..." and then someone in the group's like METAFILTER!!! and then you're all "phew!" and you go get a beer.
I will wear my weirdest glasses for ease of noticeability!
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:36 AM on April 22, 2011
That strategy might be slightly less effective at the Brattle than it is typically. But I have a perfect track record of recognizing MetaFilter people, even when in a strange city where I know nobody. You'll probably just feel a hunch -- go with it.
posted by Plutor at 6:57 AM on April 22, 2011
posted by Plutor at 6:57 AM on April 22, 2011
Um, how does one recognize a MeFi meet-up in real life?
Pic in profile. Normally, I wear my MeFi tshirt, but it's still a little too cool out for that.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:53 AM on April 22, 2011
Pic in profile. Normally, I wear my MeFi tshirt, but it's still a little too cool out for that.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:53 AM on April 22, 2011
Hey guys, sorry for the really late notice, but ignignokt and I probably won't make it due to a sudden nasty cold.
I look forward to next time, though. And I want a lobster melt.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:28 PM on April 22, 2011
I look forward to next time, though. And I want a lobster melt.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:28 PM on April 22, 2011
Oh, I see how you are. This whole thing was just an elaborate ruse to make me watch Battlefield Earth as punishment for Troll 2, wasn't it?
Well, I'm still going, damnit. Benito, I probably won't be there until 9:30, but I will do my best to find you and say hi.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:11 PM on April 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well, I'm still going, damnit. Benito, I probably won't be there until 9:30, but I will do my best to find you and say hi.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:11 PM on April 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
So I'm here, and, including me, there's a grand total of seven people in the theater. Look for the glow of my iPad, I shouldn't be hard to spot.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:32 PM on April 22, 2011
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:32 PM on April 22, 2011
Sorry, I forgot and came home to bake Easter cake and instead I am trapped under a cat. But have fun!
posted by maryr at 6:36 PM on April 22, 2011
posted by maryr at 6:36 PM on April 22, 2011
Horace (and everyone, really) I'm very sorry I IRL'd then ran! I was sick and went home from work around noon and figured I'd somehow be recovered after three hours of sleeping and ready to go that night. Turns out I'm a much punier man-animal than I thought! Very crap-lousy of me.
Hopefully, you had a good time, regardless!
posted by ignignokt at 2:16 AM on April 23, 2011
Hopefully, you had a good time, regardless!
posted by ignignokt at 2:16 AM on April 23, 2011
So many MeFi meetups end up this way: a man, sitting alone in a nearly empty theater, iPad in hand, watching Scientologist propogandertainment.
posted by not_on_display at 7:06 PM on April 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by not_on_display at 7:06 PM on April 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
Q: "...What's in his other hand?"
A: see linked thread
posted by not_on_display at 8:25 PM on May 1, 2011
A: see linked thread
posted by not_on_display at 8:25 PM on May 1, 2011
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:49 AM on April 21, 2011