Review: City of Ghosts

City of Ghosts (2002):

Synopsis - Jimmy is a con artist who finds himself in a pickle after his boss disappears when their business comes under scrutiny. Jimmy decides to track him down, taking him on a sleazy journey to Thailand and Cambodia, where everyone is working an angle and monkeys occasionally steal your glasses.

Starring- Matt Dillon, James Caan, Natascha McElhone, Gerard Depardieu, Kem Sereyvuth, Stellan Skarsgård

City of Ghosts. Never heard of it? Me neither. I was just surfing the options of my friend’s HBO account and there I saw a picture of internet dreamboat Stellan Skarsgard. There is something special about that man with his mummified yet still good looks, wispy hair, and strange accent. Based on the actual plot description, I thought it might be worth a watch. Like Sci-Fi movies, I am constantly looking good thrillers but more than often find myself disappointed. This was… lukewarm at best. Break down:

What I Liked:

-Although the story spent a lot of time being purposely mysterious and annoying because of its vagueness, I did find myself interested in following it to its conclusion. Matt Damon plays out of his league/element pretty well, and with people like Gerard Depardieu and Stellan Skarsgard doing their best to be cagey and somewhat still likable, there is a lot that could have gone a lot worse. So, props, I guess?

-I like James Caan. He didn’t have to do much in this movie, but I liked everything I saw. I don’t know when the last time I said that about a James Caan performance, at least after the 80’s.

-Cambodia and Thailand are fascinating to me. The hot climates along with a people who seem shady and innocent at the same time are a strange mixture that often makes for a most interesting setting. I am sure all I am seeing are stereotypes; I don’t really have anything to base that on though. Impoverished and unsound buildings in a sprawling maze of a city, dirt roads that leads to the swamplands or fields, or take you to ancient structures with huge amounts of spiritual and historical significance. I find it all simultaneously repelling and enchanting.

What I Didn’t Like:

-Although I did like the characters when it came to their actions, other than the surface level motivations I’m not sure there is much depth in there. Is Matt Dillon’s character a good man? And if so, why was he caught up with these con artists scams? In the beginning of the movie, we find out that the insurance company he is helping to run is not going to be able to pay any of the victims of a recent hurricane. It really doesn’t seem as if he is concerned for the lives of those people who will now be homeless, but when he is in Cambodia looking for his boss and mentor, he appears to be turning over a new leaf. But there just isn’t enough going on to motivate someone toward the altruistic actions that end up happening in the movie.

-I found myself at a strange place when it came to the end of the movie. While I won’t go into too many details, I will say that it ends on a high note. I am both happy and sad it ended this way. Happy because it could have gone extremely dark, which is certainly where I thought it would end and would have been appropriate for the movie’s tone. So when it surprised me by not being a total downer, it earned several points in the happiness column. Even with that said, I also thought the ending felt a little like a cheat. For most of the time, the movie is pretty dark and you might feel as if none of the characters deserve any sort of redemption. So when redemption is received, I could not help but think there was some revision to the script after someone noted it was a bit too much on the negative side. It reminds of the way The Killing Fields has a “happy” ending when it was just darkness all the way up until then.

What I Hated:

-Once again I don’t have any sort of anger worked up at any part of this movie. On a personal note, I could always use more Stellan Skargard. You know, in general.

Verdict:

While I am not in any sort of rush to watch City of Ghosts again, I certainly wouldn’t mind having it in my DVD collection. It was an ok thriller, sometimes confusing, mostly dark with an ending that will please my dad (he only likes movies with happy endings, this was close enough). Not a terrible way to spend an hour and a half. I watched it on HBOgo.

March Week 1: xXx - Post of the Union

Hey guys and gals, how's your week been? I've been keeping myself pretty busy as you can see if you have been reading my updates. I decided to try this new format out. I was told that while my Sunday post is enjoyable, it can be intimidating to see all those reviews in one place. Some people just don't have that much time to read through my boring musings apparently. I hope that the individual review format is working better for you guys. I am personally enjoying writing them like that, it feels more like a job that way. Keeps my mind in working order too. Give me some feed back if you have any opinions on what I should do with the blog, I am always open to hear some new ideas.

Films Seen:

The LEGO Movie

An Affair to Remember

The Station Agent

Bullitt

Two movies from the March project, two for funsies. Just click on the name to go to the review! I have to confess that I have also seen 2 more movie not listed. Rear Window and City of Ghosts. The Review for City of Ghosts is forthcoming and will probably be posted tomorrow. Rear Window on the other hand... well, I have talked about in the past how hard it is for me to write about movies I think are great. Rear Window as far as I'm concerned is a masterpiece. So what I'm saying is I'm working on it. This is cool, I'm excited and I hope you are too. Please let me know if you have any recommendations via comments of Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for reading everyone!

Review: Bullitt

Bullitt (1968):

Synopsis – Steve McQueen plays a man named Frank Bullitt, a cop or detective or something law related (with a name like that there are only so many jobs you can get). When a man being held under police protection is murdered, Bullitt takes it upon himself to track down the killers. Along the way he must dodge politicians and higher ups, all with their own agendas.

Starring - Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn, Simon Oakland, and others including Robert Duvall in a small role.

So, Bullitt. This is the next movie from my March blog project. I asked my mom what made this movie special to her. She said:

“Steve McQueen. ‘Nuff said.”

I had never seen Steve McQueen in a movie before this. He is striking in appearance; light eyes the color of faded blue jeans, lined and handsome face, able to wear a turtle neck without looking like a dink. His acting will be judged at a later date. In this movie he was just fine, but I don’t think he was required to do much other than look determined. This movie was something else. While I was watching it I began to feel sad for the weirdest reason: I realized I will never be able to make a film like this because it is no longer the 70s. I realize this was a 68 film, but I still associate the fashion and cars and mannerisms with the 70s. This movie branched off to give us The French Connection and Dirty Harry, and you can see how much Bullitt obviously influenced them. Bullitt the character is not a cop on the edge like Harry Callahan was, but he is ready to push the boundaries of the law in order to catch the real crooks. I want to get into my break down, but I want point out first that the chase scene is amazing, better than the one in the French Connection in my opinion. I noticed that they reused a section of the chase, shot from a different angle, but obviously the same because the cars they passed were the exact same cars they had already passed. I mean, there could be a bunch of green Volkswagen bugs all over the place. But anyway, that didn't take away from the excitement in the moment.

What I Liked:

-The cinematography was superb. William A. Fraker could have gone with the standard steady cam, stationary cam sort of action, but he found a lot of places to insert shots from below, shots from hallways, just lots of really tight good work. No doubt he went on to do great things. Let’s see, Rosemary’s Baby, yeah that’s the stuff, Tombstone, cool movie, WarGames, ok, Street… Fighter? Uh, sure, everyone has a stinker sometimes. Father of the Bride part 2? You know what, let us remember him for the great stuff he did rather than the mediocre to terrible. Honeymoon in Vegas and Vegas Vacation? That’s it, I’m out.

-I really dug the dialogue in this movie. There wasn't a lot of yelling or arguing. Mostly it was quiet scenes where Robert Vaughn would be trying to apply pressure to McQueen or McQueen and Simon Oakland would have a conversation that mostly relied on the looks they gave each other. One of my favorite bits of the movie takes place in the hospital after one of the crooks gets shot. The doctors and nurses never yell or back talk to each other like what is so normal to see in medical dramas from today. Even when a man is bleeding out on a table everything is very calm and collected, the medical team doing what they can but never panicking. It is pretty groovy.

What I Didn't Like:

-I’ll be honest, even though I know this isn't a perfect movie there isn't much I can single out to complain about. Other than the chase scene and the camera work I don’t think there is anything revolutionary about this movie. It is just a solid thriller/drama.

What I Hated:

-This movie is rated PG. Like Jaws, I can only assume that its lack of sex kept it from an R rating, but PG? I can see why they made the PG-13 rating, as useless as it seems nowadays. There is a lot of blood in this movie, even though it seems like it is rather light on the gun play. When someone does get shot, the guy with the red paint runs over and douses the offending area.

Verdict:

I really enjoyed Bullitt. I am actually kind of jonesing to watch it again. That’s a pretty good sign. I hope I get to see it projected someday. Here’s what you do: Cuddle up with your cutie or a big bowl of popped corn, or both, turn down the lights and enjoy a few hours of atmosphere. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

Review: The Station Agent

The Station Agent (2003):

Synopsis – A quiet man with stature problems loses his best friend and then most of the rest of his life because of that. He resorts to moving into an unused train station building, hoping to live the rest of his life in solitude. He is foiled again and again by a crazy lady who tries to run him over, a Cuban man who won’t shut up, and a little girl who is a little girl. Oh yeah, and a hot librarian.

Starring - Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams, other famous people who don't amount to more than cameos.

I’ve kind of been excited to see The Station Agent for a while now. I remember hearing about how amazing all of Thomas McCarthy’s movies were on podcasts like Filmspotting and the /filmcast. I saw one of his three directed movies on a trip to England, and I was not disappointed. Win Win, as I remember it, was a well-directed and well scripted dramedy with tons of heart. It reminded me of an Alexander Payne movie, with a bit less of the “humans are all gross” thing going on. So I’m sure I have built up The Station Agent in my mind over the years. The movie was good, but ultimately disappointing for me. It is Thomas McCarthy’s directorial debut, and I think that is fairly evident throughout the movie. Some heavy direction can be seen, along with dialogue that came off as cliché and forced. But even with these criticisms The Station Agent is a good film with plenty going for it.

What I Liked:

-Peter Dinklage. At this point in his career saying Peter Dinklage is great is kind of a DUH, so I won’t go into that too much. In this movie he played quiet and rude, but he never came off as an asshole, which is something I wish I could pull off in my life. He displays such a depth of character just through his actions. As I said in the synopsis, he is practically tortured into social relationships by the people he meets in Newfoundland, New Jersey, and you just want to give him a great big hug while he begrudgingly allows these people to invade his personal space and bring him out of his depression. He is 100 percent the best thing about the movie.

-Thomas McCarthy sure did manage to make an interesting narrative. I’m going to go through the stuff in the story: Peter Dinklage is essentially homeless and depressed after his friend dies; Bobby Cannavale plays a food truck’s son who is substituting for his father while he is Ill; Patricia Clarkson is a woman mourning a loss and dealing with a separation from her husband at the same time; Raven Goodwin is a precocious child who seems to have no parental guidance and wanders around train yards risking tetanus; Michelle Williams is the local librarian who is a girl and has girl problems. That’s a lot of stuff, but it is all blended into this smooth flowing story that goes down great, like the 23 flavors of Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper is not a sponsor of this review. There are only a few hitches to speak of…

What I Didn’t Like:

-Poor, poor Michelle Williams. When I was writing that bit about the story just now, I totally forgot that she was in the movie. From what I could see she was the most heavily directed in this, with every scene coming of as stiff and a bit awkward. When she is introduced in the film, she is a carrying an arm load of books in the library, which she drops as she screams after seeing Peter Dinklage for the first time. I feel like I could practically hear Thomas McCarthy saying “3, 2, 1, ok drop the books!” It was incredibly forced. After that, she is seen at the library a few times, not really developing into a character other than the pretty librarian, which might be all she was supposed to be. Then the bar scene happens. Or rather the right outside of the bar scene happens. I will save this bit for a little later.

What I Hated:

-This little part is just a personal pet peeve of mine. SPOILER to follow: There is a scene where we see the 3 mains sitting on the porch of the train building, and Bobby Cannavale gets up to play soccer with some kids and the adult man who is with them (I’m not going to assume he’s their father, he could have been a kidnapper for all I know! This is not important anyway). The camera shows Cannavale kicking the ball with the kids, then a shot of Patricia Clarkson smiling. That smile begins to disappear from her face. The camera goes back to the game with a closer shot on the little boy. The camera then goes BACK to Clarkson, who is no longer smiling. SHE IS SAD NOW, she must be thinking of her own child who has died. This just felt much too heavy handed to me. The audience is smart; there is no need to force a connection to the character like that. We knew she might be sad the minute we saw those kids having fun, because Clarkson’s character is a bit manic and prone to her emotions more than the other two. Anyone would be sad being reminded of a better time.

-Now here we are, outside the bar. Michelle Williams is hanging out with Peter Dinklage. She is disappointed because she was expecting her boyfriend to show up and instead he called her and gave some bullshit excuse. VROOM! Up pulls a truck and out pops a blond headed doofus, the boyfriend just mentioned. He can’t understand what the Michelle Williams’ problem is, so HE PUSHES HER. Out of nowhere and unprovoked he pushes her, which I guess was the point but it just felt so INCREDIBLY fake. He then pushes Dinklage when he tries to get in the way, and you know what I’m not even going to go on. It was just a terrible scene, forced and fake and not necessary.

Verdict:

It’s always a little tough writing the verdict after I have just listed things I hated. I should probably write this part first so I stick with my original impression and not get too fixated on the details that troubled me. Here’s what I think: The Station Agent is a better than average movie, with some problems that a first time director would run into that don’t take away too much from the experience. Peter Dinklage’s performance alone is worth the hour and a half of your time. Give it a watch. It is currently on Netflix Instant.

Review: An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember (1957):

Synopsis- He’s a womanizer, she’s a woman, its inevitable right? But this isn’t just some one night stand. This is an affair… to remember. Plus, it would have been really hard to only have a one night stand, because the whole thing starts off on a ship. I mean, can you imagine Jack avoiding Rose after hooking up on the Titanic? I guess the Titanic was a lot bigger than the ship in this movie, but you get what I mean right? And they didn’t even hook up anyway, just some smooches. BUT IT WAS LOVE I TELLS YA.

Starring- Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, other actors who don't really bear mentioning.

The first movie in my March film project, An Affair to Remember was recommended to me by my mother. I asked her what made this movie special to her, and I love her answer:

“I guess because there is a fascination about fate. And in things meant to be. That there can be a positive pay off for pain and suffering… Makes me cry every time.”

Fate is a strong word. I’m rather glad this movie didn’t harp too much on what was “meant to be” or “written in the stars” because then it wouldn’t have been a nice movie about 2 people who weren’t looking to fall in love but did. It wouldn’t have been a fantasy novel. What we got was a sweet little travel log love story, all about starting over and working your way to success. It doesn’t come easy for either of the lovers. Cary Grant has always had an easy life, so when he decides to become a self-made man (through painting of all the crazy things) he has to struggle and work to get himself recognized as something other than a playboy. There is a scene where he is working as a billboard painter to pay the bills, and he finds out from his art dealer friend that he has sold his first real painting (for 200 smackers. That’s a lot of dough!). Grant then leans against the billboard smiling. I really expected him to realize he had just leaned on wet paint, but I suppose that was a little too much into the farce category for this movie. Deborah Karr has been in a relationship with a well to do man for 5 years, and has not been want for much since. When she takes steps to move on, she chooses to become a lounge singer, a job she had left  before, when she had met the “well to do man” and he told her she was better than that. It’s kind of touching the way they both fall back on what they know best when starting over, and both of them are artists in one form or another.  When the midpoint event of the film happens, it seems that Kerr is once again stuck at a new starting point, but this time almost completely of her own design. Is she too embarrassed to go and see Grant and explain what has happened in her life? It doesn’t make any sense to me. But it was from a different time, and people didn’t seem to like to say what they meant in any situation. It could have ended there in a Hitchcockian move, but the story ends much nicer than that.

My favorite part of the movie took place at Grant’s character’s grandmother’s house. It was so touching I actually teared up. I miss my grandparents.

What I Liked:

-Cary Grant is pretty charming, as usual. He was a strange orange color, but that seemed to be a style at the time. A style that has held over with certain types of older men. But the way he talks is kind of magical. It’s the tempo of his speech, it is simply hypnotizing.

-Beautiful production design. Even if the backgrounds were mostly projected to make it look like we were on the ocean or in a high rise looking out at New York it was still quite lovely to see. I don’t know if Technicolor did the coloring, but whoever it was really made the scenery and costuming work.

-Witty dialogue. Movies from this era typically insert the slightly suggestive and slightly insulting jokes in a rapid fire succession, and it can be really annoying at times. This movie mostly avoids that by being focused on the two main characters and not mixing it up with too many dumb side foils. There’s that one goofus on the ship, but he’s alright.

What I Didn’t Like:

-As I mentioned earlier, I don’t understand the motivation behind the secrets in the second half of the movie. If she loves him, and he loves her, there should be nothing that would stand in their way. But nooooooo. People are so dumb sometimes. And by people I mean movie people. And real people.

What I Hated:

-Nada

Verdict:

An Affair to Remember was a delight to watch. It happens to be on HBOgo right now if you have it. Sit down with your significant other and give it a watch. Don’t be afraid of cheesiness. Get over your hang ups and have a good time.

Review: The LEGO Movie!

The Lego Movie (2014):
Synopsis- Prophecy speaks of a master builder who will find the “Piece of Resistance” and finally end President Business’ reign of absolute control. Fun times adventure movie goodness.

Staring- Lego brand construction bricks and characters. Voiced by Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, and many, many more. I’d advise you not to read too much from the cast list because there are many cameos that are only made better by not knowing they are coming.

There has been this amazing renaissance in animated movies in the last few years, where truly entertaining scripts have been transformed into truly entertaining cinema. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, How to Train Your Dragon, and of course some of the Pixar fare have been raising the bar higher and higher. The Lego Movie seems on the surface like a kind of cash grab, riding on the popularity of them many Lego oriented video games, but it is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I mean, it is totally a cash grab that works. I saw it with 2 other adults and all three of us were dying to go buy some Lego sets afterward (we didn’t). Besides all that is one of the funniest, most entertaining movies I've seen in such a long time. My friends and I saw it in a theater crowded with kids and parents, and everyone was having a fantastic time. SO many times I turned to look at Sarah to see her laughing or covering her face because it was so silly and she was embarrassed and adorable. Sarah hates computer animated movies normally, but this one has a style that is almost stop animation like, but much smoother.

What I Liked:
- Incredibly witty dialogue. This was written by the guys who did Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2 and 21 Jump Street.
- So many good sight gags. I know I could watch this movie a few times and still not have seen anything.
-Cameos that made me smile till my face hurt. Not just superheroes, but celebrities and toys from my childhood.
-Fun story line.

What I Didn't Like:
-SPOILER The movie has only one lull in its pace, and that is when a scene is inserted that takes place in the real world. It is a very minor thing, and I don't even think it needs to be taken out of the movie as it ties together some of the story elements rather well. Just something I noted.

What I Hated:
-I hated that I couldn't watch over again right away.

Verdict:
I don't know if you can tell, but I'm kind of in love with this movie. Everyone should go see it in some format or another. Take the kids, don't take the kids. You are going to have a great time no matter what.

February Week 4: I Know What You Posted Last Summer.

Jeez, months sure do seem to go by fast right now. It seems like just yesterday I was telling myself that February was going to be the month that I turned everything around and finally became the best me possible. I achieved that goal, then immediately fell from grace, reviled by my peers and family, forced to walk the Earth until the end of my days. But while I'm doing that, I still have plenty of time to watch movies and write my blog! I saw 3 movies in the the theater recently, which has to be some kind of record. 4 movies from this year so far. When it comes to seeing movies in the theater, I have set a modest goal of seeing at least 12. 1 per month, unless I somehow come upon huge amounts of cash or a job at a movie theater. Or, you readers ask me to see more stuff, which I gladly will. Until then, let me tell you about my March Project! I asked someone very close to me to pick out 15 movies that she'd like to see me talk about, and so she did and so I shall. That person is my mother, who watches just as many movies as I do I believe. Here's the list if you are interested. I believe I have only seen one of those movies, so I am looking forward to my month!
Now, I don't want to do this, but if I don't I'll regret it sometime in the future. I have added a Donate button to the blog. I do not expect anything, as right now the blog is costing me nothing other than the occasional movie rental. BUT if money is donated to the site, I do have somethings I'd like to do, including but not limited to: Purchasing my domain again; seeing more movies in the theater; doing some other projects like audio interviews and some small puppet review videos.These are just some ideas I'm throwing around. If you have money to spare, throw it my way and I promise not to waste it. If not, I don't care at all. I'm just so happy you take the time to read my writing at all.


Movies Seen:
The Mummy
Now You See Me
The Wages of Fear
Robocop
Adult World
The X from Outer Space
Yearning

The Mummy (1932):

I think other than Dracula this is the only classic Universal monster movie I have seen. It was incredibly dull. It started off fun with the mummy already excavated and hanging out in his sarcophagus, a bunch of scientist chatting about how it’s the find of the century and there’s a curse and OOOOOOOO. And when Imhotep decides to get the heck out of there after being resurrected, leaving one poor guy cracking up off his rocker, I was ready for a rip roaring good time. But it was almost immediately downhill from there. Boris Karloff is a freaky looking guy, especially when he is made up to look like an ancient goober, but after the 3^rd close up of him staring into the camera, hypnotizing all who see his mysterious eyes, it just got tired. There was almost no more mummy action after the first 10 minutes with the exception of a few flashbacks. I totally dug the flashbacks, especially when poor Imhotep is sentenced to “death”. The rest of it is a lot of talking and staring and ladies fainting. I’ll have to try a few more of these flicks before I decide for sure, but they might not be for me.

Now You See Me (2013):

Critics hated this movie. I can’t tell you how many of the critics I read just railed against Now You See Me for being generic and stupid. Maybe they are right, but I had really good time watching it. All the actors seemed to be having a good time with the material, Jesse Eisenberg getting to play a cool douche bag instead of a nerd, Woody Harrelson being Woody Harrelson and therefore automatically cool, Melanie Laurent being Hollywood European, Common. The story was very predictable but lots of fun to watch happen anyway. There were some very cool chase scenes, lots of goofing off and gags, and Michael Caine vs Morgan Freeman. Sure, the movie tries to go for the very controversial message of being greedy and evil is wrong, but I think we can all relate a little. Here’s my one true complaint: The hoody complex. Now, in this movie only one character is seen in a hoody and it is meant to blend him into a crowd, but hoodies of late have been used to present mystery and coolness. Where did the world get the idea that hoodies are anything that are cool? It’s a fucking sweater. Have you ever been cool in a sweater? Exactly. Now You See Me is worth a watch. Check it out when you are looking for something to rent.

 The Wages of Fear (1953):

Anxiety/tension incarnate. This is the only note I wrote for The Wages of Fear. I can count the amount of times on one hand where I watched a movie and was immediately sure I had just seen a masterpiece. This was one of those times. I didn’t know this movie was famous (it’s on those lists of 1001 movies to see before you die and such); I only watched it because it was the next film in my February project. I am so glad I did. The Wages of Fear takes place in a South American village, filled with unemployed losers like me who have nothing better to do than hang out on porches and complain about the heat. Nearby is an oil company who is looking for workers to take a dangerous trip in exchange for large amounts of money: driving a truck over rough terrain while hauling containers of nitroglycerin. BOOM. Behind my note and plot description lies a film with so much emotional nuance, so much mastery of camera work and dialogue, so much awesomeness. The desperation of a person willing to risk their life just to make a few thousand dollars is troubling and intriguing. You cannot help but watch, cringing at every bump and every road block, simultaneously hating the characters while hoping they will survive. Ha! I’m kind of tearing up just thinking about the movie! Wow. I watched this on Hulu, and it is an amazing cleaned up transfer there. Watch it. Just, drop what you are doing and watch it.

Robocop (2014)

Adult World (2014):

I can’t remember where I first heard about this movie, but I watched the trailer and thought it looked pretty good. Jeez, I can’t remember the last time I thought that about a movie with John Cusack in it. Anyway, Adult World is a brisk 97 minute comedy that somehow feels much too long, and that’s pretty bad. I kept expecting it to end and it kept going like the 3^rd Lord of the Rings movie. It did have quite a few laugh moments for me, and I liked all the characters, although I kind of wish there had been more Cloris Leachman, which is another thing I can’t believe I’m saying. But unfortunately it wastes its potential by meandering around with its plot and dropping scenes in harsh cuts when the editor decided it was time to move on. Just another movie about the current generation of college graduates who leave college and find out that the rest of the world doesn’t really care about their degrees. Ah, to be 23 and naïve. Wait, I hated that age. Stupid kids and their rock music… anyway. It was fine, we rented it and that’s about all it’s worth.

The X from Outer Space (1967):

Japan. The 1960’s. Things are very groovy at the Japanese NASA equivalent, bright pastels and blinking consoles all around. We’ve got a mission to Mars ready to go, but there is a little bit of tension in the air. This mission has already been attempted a few times, but UFOs have always interfered before the poor space crew could reach their destination. I liked how the term UFO was thrown around without anyone reacting as if it was a crazy thing to mention. Anywho, on their way to Mars, the shuttle crew is once again buzzed by a UFO, which looked like a hot buttery biscuit. After the encounter, an emergency landing is made at the local moon base, where a strange tiny pod is discovered attached to the ship. After that, boring boring boring boring.  FULL DISCLOSURE- I did not finish this movie. I just could not do. I even stuck around to when the actual Kaiju (giant monster) shows up on Earth, looking like a giant lizard chicken man. I don’t know if every Kaiju movie is like this, but if they are I cannot for the life of me understand their popularity. What amounts to a few minutes of monster destruction combined with a lot of scenes of awkward science bullshit jargon does not a good movie make. I cannot recommend this movie, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to muster up the strength to watch any other movies like this. I’ll have to rely on Mystery Science Theater reruns to get any sort of Kaiju fix that I can tolerate.

Yearning (1964):

Has a title ever been more apt? Mr. Smith Goes to Washington you say? Touché. A Japanese film about small business owners in an evolving world, Yearning is the prefect analogue for our time with slightly more suicides. I assume; I’m not actually aware of the grocery store related suicide statistics. Everyone is wanting in this movie. Reiko wants to please her family, even to the point of ruining her own chances at happiness. Koji longs for a woman that he cannot have, turning his life around from a no-goodnik to a business man just to please her. Mother wants the store to survive and her husband’s legacy to continue, but mostly she wants whatever makes her family happy. All of these things are simultaneously on the surface and underneath. The Japanese have that special way of being so reserved about everything in their life. You know what the characters need and you want to shake them and tell them to stop mussing about and take charge of theirs lives! But you can’t, and that makes it beautiful. Yearning is a beautiful movie about loss and love and family. There is no action, lots of dialogue, and lots of sadness. I would almost call this movie perfect, except that I found the ending so infuriating that I said out loud “OH COME ON.” I really loved this movie, but it left me pretty sad.

 And that's it for the month of February! Next month, more action and adventure will be in order. Maybe I'll start by watching The Shipping News or Steel Magnolias. Yeah, that's the ticket. Any critiques, movie recommendations, well timed insults? Please post them here, on Facebook or Google+, or send them to me on Twitter. Thanks for reading my diary (that's right, this is my diary! Now who's creepy?) and I hope you all have a wonderful week!