Movies Seen: *First Time Viewed
Jackie Chan’s First Strike*
Jackie Brown*
When Harry Met Sally
Clash of the Titans*
Jesus Camp*
I swear I did not intend to see 2 movies with the word Jackie back to back on purpose. It just happened that way.
Jackie Chan’s First Strike:
I sat down on a lovely evening with Kempo and Aaron to watch a VHS copy of this movie. Have you heard of VHS? It’s on these tape things and it doesn’t have any menus and the picture quality is kind of crappy, but they work in a pinch. This movie had some really funny dubbing in it, which is just a standard for old Jackie Chan movies I suppose. The action was all over the place. I mean ALL OVER. From the snow, to the beach, to underwater, aye ya! I think the underwater fighting was probably my favorite part just because it was so out there. Although I don’t like sharks…. By the way, if you wanted to see Jackie Chan’s butt, this is the movie.
Jackie Brown:
After having watched this movie, I can see why some people like it least out of Tarantino’s films. It is almost completely different then his other movies. There is very little action, the dialogue is of a different sort than other Tarantino flicks, and it’s shot in sequence (that was a joke). I still liked this one a lot. It’s a really great story with lots of tension and great cinematography. It has some of the best acting I have seen in any Tarantino movie. The music is so GOOD. I need to buy this movie already. It wasn’t what I expected because from what I have seen of blaxploitation movies, I thought it would be something laughable the entire way through. I guess I need to go watch some more movies. What a shame for me.
When Harry Met Sally:
This is a movie Sarah loves that she introduced to me a few years ago, that I also love now. It’s what every romantic comedy probably strives to be. Smart, funny, relatable, and smart. Did I mention smart? Billy Crystal represents a REAL guy in this movie. We like sports (by “we” I mean a typical guy, the only sport I like is baseball), we have our guy friends we trust completely, and we can be just as emotional and broken as women are typically portrayed in romcoms. I love that Billy Crystal isn’t typically handsome because it makes the whole thing seem more real. Plus I think he’s a great actor. I cannot speak for how Meg Ryan represents the woman’s view point, but she is also great in the movie. It wouldn’t have been the same with a different actress (well, duh). I will say that she doesn’t represent a weak female POV in the movie. It’s a really good movie, you should watch it if you haven’t.
Clash of the Titans:
I have started listening to a new podcast called the Film Sack, in which every week they watch a movie that can be viewed streaming off of Netflix. Having never seen Clash of the Titans, I thought it couldn’t hurt to take a look. I am so glad I did because I honestly loved it. It isn’t like any movie I have really seen before, and I was really impressed with the acting and the stop animation within it. I thought I would hate it for sure. I really like how the Gods in the movie were a bunch of petty arsewipes and were always doing things behind each other’s backs. Clash has some very good action scenes, most famous is probably the Medusa fight, which actually had me laughing but I still thought it was pretty cool. Why does Perseus just kind of toss his shield away? He could have used it later! The creatures were all very cool looking, and I don’t just mean for their time. I think a lot of thought must have gone into the animation. I even liked the mechanical owl. I want to get this movie and watch it with my nephews and nieces so they can make fun of me for liking it. I don’t care if they do, because someday they’ll look back and say “Joel made us watch some weird movies.”
Jesus Camp:
I never want to watch this movie again. That sounds really harsh, but the whole time I sat through this movie in class, I was cringing and probably making little sounds of pain. Its not because it’s a bad movie, in no way would I say that. One sided sure, but what documentary isn’t. It’s because I wanted to reach into the film and shake those people. I wanted them to stop lying to their children and make them wake the hell up. They use scare tactics to make these children believe that they MUST be the only way, the truth. The movie is not a commentary on religion as a whole; they only focus on one branch of Christianity, one church group specifically. Even now, I don’t like to think about the movie. I don’t know if I can recommend it because it made me feel this way.
Now, one may be wondering why it took me so long to complete this week that I started so long ago. I figured out something key for myself in the future; I was stuck on writing up something about the movie Miss Congeniality and thought I was just having a sort of writer’s block. Several weeks later of typing a sentence and then quitting I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. I had not REALLY watched the movie. I simply had it on in the background while I did other things. So I didn’t have a clear picture in my head about what I wanted to say about the movie. So the lesson is that I should only write up something on movies that had my full attention. Or at least 75 percent of it.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Dec 7th 2009, Week Relating to 11/24 – 11/30
Movies Seen: *First Time Viewed
The Fantastic Mr. Fox*
Twilight*
Heat*
Hot Fuzz
As you can see, I finally took somewhat of a break. It wasn’t really an active choice, Thanksgiving got in the way. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving (Thank you Sarah and family!) and I hope everyone else did too. Enough guff, gimme some movies.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox:
I appreciate the effort that is put into stop-animation. Years of tireless work for a couple hours of film, it’s pretty crazy when you think about it. But I suppose a lot of things in life are like that. The Fantastic Mr. Fox did not look good not me. The trailer made the dialog seem underwhelming, the movements seemed stilted, I expected garbage. I would have sworn up and down that Wes Anderson and animation of any sort just did not go together. I was wrong. Why am I wrong about these things so often? Maybe it just seems that way. The adaptation of the Fantastic Mr. Fox presented here is itself, fantastic. So many excellent sight gags. So many goofy moments and funny lines of dialog. This is a movie I want to show my kids some day. It was full of adventure and quite a few moments where you could actually relate with these anthropomorphic characters. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the animation, despite my worries. What I had taken for stilted action was one part in the movie that was stylized and ended up looking (being) really cool. I think by the end my face hurt from grinning so much. Even if you hate Wes Anderson movies (The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket) you should treat yourself to this movie, because it was great.
Twilight:
Having just seen the sequel to this the previous week and having quite enjoyed New Moon, I decided I owed it to myself to see the first movie. Plus, Sarah dropped a lot of cash to get the DVD, as Black Friday had just come and gone and the cheaper versions of the movie were nowhere to be found. I didn’t like this one as much as the second. It really came off as a long car commercial. I don’t know if the rest of you noticed that, but they take as many opportunities as possible to pull that brand new car that Edward drives around in front the camera as possible. The movie also seemed slower paced to me, which I’m sure people can argue otherwise with. And despite being slower paced, it also feels now like it was over really fast. How does that work you ask? I don’t know. I’m insane. They had less of a budget then the new one, so they get away with the lack of special effects. The scene near the end where the bad vampire gets killed was really funny. Sorry, spoilers I guess. I still want to see the next movie. I’ll bet it’ll have even more action in it. OOOOOOOOO
Heat:
She’s got a GREAT ASS! Favorite line, hands down. This movie has been hyped and hyped and hyped to me over the years. So many times someone has said my least favorite exclamation in reference to this movie (YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT????). So Sarah and me sat down one cold winter’s evening and popped this into the player. 3 hours of Michael Mann. 3 hours of Val Kilmer breathing through his mouth. 3 hours of Al Pacino exclaiming things. I am sorry, but the movie didn’t do it for me. The gun fight outside the bank did not do it for me. The conversation between Pacino and Deniro did not do it for me. I was sorely disappointed. So many people really loved this movie. I liked a lot of the acting, both Deniro and Pacino are great. I don’t like that Kilmer only had a few lines the entire movie. And why do people always have to kill Danny Trejo? What did he do to you? I don’t think his death toll is as bad as Sean Bean’s, but still. The whole shoot out after the bank seen just did not seem realistic to me. The LAPD just has automatic weapons that they fire into crowded roadways? I don’t know. I should watch it again, I feel bad for not liking it. Movie guilt, sheesh…
Hot Fuzz:
I did not realize that we were going to be watching this in my film class when I watched it the week before. It’s worth a double viewing anyways, it’s a great movie. Our teacher pointed out to us how it casually pokes fun at the homosexual relationship most action-buddy flicks contain within their main plot lines. I cannot believe I didn’t notice before (that is, did not notice it making fun of the other movies for doing this). I have never seen Point Break, but if the gun was to symbolize Keanu Reeves penis, and he fires it up in the air instead of at Patrick Swayze… well that’s just playing with himself isn’t it?
And that is that for me. I wish I had something wise to say. Hmmm, I want Inglorious Bastards on DVD for Christmas! Oh, that’s not wisdom. Peace out.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox*
Twilight*
Heat*
Hot Fuzz
As you can see, I finally took somewhat of a break. It wasn’t really an active choice, Thanksgiving got in the way. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving (Thank you Sarah and family!) and I hope everyone else did too. Enough guff, gimme some movies.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox:
I appreciate the effort that is put into stop-animation. Years of tireless work for a couple hours of film, it’s pretty crazy when you think about it. But I suppose a lot of things in life are like that. The Fantastic Mr. Fox did not look good not me. The trailer made the dialog seem underwhelming, the movements seemed stilted, I expected garbage. I would have sworn up and down that Wes Anderson and animation of any sort just did not go together. I was wrong. Why am I wrong about these things so often? Maybe it just seems that way. The adaptation of the Fantastic Mr. Fox presented here is itself, fantastic. So many excellent sight gags. So many goofy moments and funny lines of dialog. This is a movie I want to show my kids some day. It was full of adventure and quite a few moments where you could actually relate with these anthropomorphic characters. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the animation, despite my worries. What I had taken for stilted action was one part in the movie that was stylized and ended up looking (being) really cool. I think by the end my face hurt from grinning so much. Even if you hate Wes Anderson movies (The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket) you should treat yourself to this movie, because it was great.
Twilight:
Having just seen the sequel to this the previous week and having quite enjoyed New Moon, I decided I owed it to myself to see the first movie. Plus, Sarah dropped a lot of cash to get the DVD, as Black Friday had just come and gone and the cheaper versions of the movie were nowhere to be found. I didn’t like this one as much as the second. It really came off as a long car commercial. I don’t know if the rest of you noticed that, but they take as many opportunities as possible to pull that brand new car that Edward drives around in front the camera as possible. The movie also seemed slower paced to me, which I’m sure people can argue otherwise with. And despite being slower paced, it also feels now like it was over really fast. How does that work you ask? I don’t know. I’m insane. They had less of a budget then the new one, so they get away with the lack of special effects. The scene near the end where the bad vampire gets killed was really funny. Sorry, spoilers I guess. I still want to see the next movie. I’ll bet it’ll have even more action in it. OOOOOOOOO
Heat:
She’s got a GREAT ASS! Favorite line, hands down. This movie has been hyped and hyped and hyped to me over the years. So many times someone has said my least favorite exclamation in reference to this movie (YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT????). So Sarah and me sat down one cold winter’s evening and popped this into the player. 3 hours of Michael Mann. 3 hours of Val Kilmer breathing through his mouth. 3 hours of Al Pacino exclaiming things. I am sorry, but the movie didn’t do it for me. The gun fight outside the bank did not do it for me. The conversation between Pacino and Deniro did not do it for me. I was sorely disappointed. So many people really loved this movie. I liked a lot of the acting, both Deniro and Pacino are great. I don’t like that Kilmer only had a few lines the entire movie. And why do people always have to kill Danny Trejo? What did he do to you? I don’t think his death toll is as bad as Sean Bean’s, but still. The whole shoot out after the bank seen just did not seem realistic to me. The LAPD just has automatic weapons that they fire into crowded roadways? I don’t know. I should watch it again, I feel bad for not liking it. Movie guilt, sheesh…
Hot Fuzz:
I did not realize that we were going to be watching this in my film class when I watched it the week before. It’s worth a double viewing anyways, it’s a great movie. Our teacher pointed out to us how it casually pokes fun at the homosexual relationship most action-buddy flicks contain within their main plot lines. I cannot believe I didn’t notice before (that is, did not notice it making fun of the other movies for doing this). I have never seen Point Break, but if the gun was to symbolize Keanu Reeves penis, and he fires it up in the air instead of at Patrick Swayze… well that’s just playing with himself isn’t it?
And that is that for me. I wish I had something wise to say. Hmmm, I want Inglorious Bastards on DVD for Christmas! Oh, that’s not wisdom. Peace out.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Nov 24th 2008. Week Relating to 11/17 – 11/23
Movies Seen: *First Time Viewed
Hot Fuzz*
Annie Hall*
The Twilight Saga: New Moon*
Coraline
This is Spinal Tap*
This was a week of movies I “had to see”. You know, the kind of films where people’s jaws drop as they exclaim “You haven’t seen ??? (insert movie here)”. With the exception of Twilight that is. That was my gentlemanly duty, escorting my girlfriend to her chick flick. I did some pushups before hand, I like to work out, I’m a real man. Then I watched some football. Yeah, that’s me all over. Just because I cried during some of the sensitive parts doesn’t make me less of a man. In fact, I’m pretty sure those were man tears. I think I heard them sexually harassing someone as they slid down my cheeks.
Hot Fuzz:
Bloody brilliant. I am a fan of Simon Pegg. I am a fan of Shaun of the Dead. But this movie, I just did not expect it to be so freaking GOOD! It was funny and fascinating. I can’t believe how many times I was laughing out loud while watching this. Damn you Aaron! Stop introducing me to such good stuff! Next thing you know I’ll be getting a Hellboy tattoo. Anyway, the movie. From the previews I thought this would be a lot of action in stupid ways straight off. But the movie starts by introducing you to the main character, and from there it starts a very steady progression of story. It is never boring, but quirky in a British humor kind of way. I just cannot say how much I enjoyed this film. It’s on par with my love for the movie Snatch, and if you know me, you know I love me that movie (you thought I was going to say something dirty didn’t you?).
Annie Hall:
I don’t know if you know this, but Woody Allen writes some funny stuff. And acts it out. And directs it. He’s good, I’ll leave it at that. I find myself at a blank when trying to describe this movie. I would hate to under represent it, because it means a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s referenced in a hundred other movies and countless other media forms. This is what I am going to say as my initial estimation (having only seen it the once): It was a very funny comedy. It has a lot of camera shots that, as far as I know, were unusual for a comedy. And that’s why I’m getting my blank, it’s not just a comedy. Annie Hall seems really important. I can see myself going back to it every few months to see those conventions again that I have and will see repeated in tons of other movies. Does that make any sense? Sorry if I’m being totally confusing.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon:
Let’s get this out of the way: I have not seen that first movie. Why would I want to watch a movie about sparkly emo vampires? I stand by that, as there was at least one extremely emo vampire in this movie. But God help me, I enjoyed New Moon. There were some boring parts, like when they show a progression of time by spinning around Bella sitting in a chair (frankly, I got a little ill), but I found it really interesting most of the time. I love stories (yes, in general). My favorite section of the movie, and the part that will get me to watch other movies in the series, are the last 30 minutes or so. They introduce a set of characters that I found fascinating right away. There is a lot of action in New Moon, and I liked the way the effects were done, although the slowing down-speeding up thing may have been overdone. There was really only one part that REALLY bugged me. I’m not going to spoil anything. These wolves are fighting, and they rush into the forest, and knock over the camera. What was the point of that? I can understand going for realism, especially when the wolves are nothing but CGI, but to knock over the camera was to take me out of the story world. To indicate that, yes, this is a movie and being filmed. If it had happened on set, that’s one thing, but like I said, these weren’t real creatures, so I doubt that. So what’s up with that? Bad move I say.
Coraline:
3rd time I have seen this movie. I am officially all about it. This time around I really paid attention to the sound. Each character in the movie has their own music. It is really fascinating to me how much thought went into this movie. I saw the correlation between the bright/faded real world and the neon/dark other world. I noticed the way that in the real world Coraline herself is the only one with any bright colors. I recognized how the sewing theme and the spider go together so naturally. I cannot believe I did not notice before! And finally the voice acting, which is done so well. I just looked it up on IMDB and I was pleased to note that both Keith David (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202966/) and Ian McShane (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574534/) do voices in the movie. I had NO idea it was them. Pleased as punch, that’s me. I have to say that the first time I watched Coraline I was not wowed at all. I don’t know what that says other then I am seeing that you can’t really start to “get” a movie until you have seen it a few times. Maybe I owe Buffalo ’66 another run through…
This is Spinal Tap:
Mockumentaries… Christopher Guess movies on a whole… not really my bag. They consist of extremely dry humor. The kind of stuff you barely have time to chuckle at before they throw more at you. I think I’m smart (I cannot suppress my ego enough to think otherwise), but I need more time to process stuff. MORE TIME! Even so, This is Spinal Tap was really funny. I was amazed to find I liked the music being played, and it was hilarious. Part of the reason it was so funny was that I thought it wouldn’t at all be farfetched if a rock band would write lyrics like they had in the movie. And it is really good music. Great guitars, great singing. For some reason I thought the movie would be more raunchy. Cucumbers in tin foil aside it didn’t really push that envelope. I advise anyone who likes Flight of the Conchords or the Office to watch this movie, because I think you will get a kick out of it. I wish I had more to say. Sigh.
I love movies. Keep them coming. I feel like I am starting to get a hold on the big picture, even if it’s only a few threads at a time. If you have any recommendations for me that I haven’t watched, please let me know. I started a Twitter account, but I have no idea how to use it, so bollocks to that. Cheerio and happy movie watching to all!
Hot Fuzz*
Annie Hall*
The Twilight Saga: New Moon*
Coraline
This is Spinal Tap*
This was a week of movies I “had to see”. You know, the kind of films where people’s jaws drop as they exclaim “You haven’t seen ??? (insert movie here)”. With the exception of Twilight that is. That was my gentlemanly duty, escorting my girlfriend to her chick flick. I did some pushups before hand, I like to work out, I’m a real man. Then I watched some football. Yeah, that’s me all over. Just because I cried during some of the sensitive parts doesn’t make me less of a man. In fact, I’m pretty sure those were man tears. I think I heard them sexually harassing someone as they slid down my cheeks.
Hot Fuzz:
Bloody brilliant. I am a fan of Simon Pegg. I am a fan of Shaun of the Dead. But this movie, I just did not expect it to be so freaking GOOD! It was funny and fascinating. I can’t believe how many times I was laughing out loud while watching this. Damn you Aaron! Stop introducing me to such good stuff! Next thing you know I’ll be getting a Hellboy tattoo. Anyway, the movie. From the previews I thought this would be a lot of action in stupid ways straight off. But the movie starts by introducing you to the main character, and from there it starts a very steady progression of story. It is never boring, but quirky in a British humor kind of way. I just cannot say how much I enjoyed this film. It’s on par with my love for the movie Snatch, and if you know me, you know I love me that movie (you thought I was going to say something dirty didn’t you?).
Annie Hall:
I don’t know if you know this, but Woody Allen writes some funny stuff. And acts it out. And directs it. He’s good, I’ll leave it at that. I find myself at a blank when trying to describe this movie. I would hate to under represent it, because it means a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s referenced in a hundred other movies and countless other media forms. This is what I am going to say as my initial estimation (having only seen it the once): It was a very funny comedy. It has a lot of camera shots that, as far as I know, were unusual for a comedy. And that’s why I’m getting my blank, it’s not just a comedy. Annie Hall seems really important. I can see myself going back to it every few months to see those conventions again that I have and will see repeated in tons of other movies. Does that make any sense? Sorry if I’m being totally confusing.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon:
Let’s get this out of the way: I have not seen that first movie. Why would I want to watch a movie about sparkly emo vampires? I stand by that, as there was at least one extremely emo vampire in this movie. But God help me, I enjoyed New Moon. There were some boring parts, like when they show a progression of time by spinning around Bella sitting in a chair (frankly, I got a little ill), but I found it really interesting most of the time. I love stories (yes, in general). My favorite section of the movie, and the part that will get me to watch other movies in the series, are the last 30 minutes or so. They introduce a set of characters that I found fascinating right away. There is a lot of action in New Moon, and I liked the way the effects were done, although the slowing down-speeding up thing may have been overdone. There was really only one part that REALLY bugged me. I’m not going to spoil anything. These wolves are fighting, and they rush into the forest, and knock over the camera. What was the point of that? I can understand going for realism, especially when the wolves are nothing but CGI, but to knock over the camera was to take me out of the story world. To indicate that, yes, this is a movie and being filmed. If it had happened on set, that’s one thing, but like I said, these weren’t real creatures, so I doubt that. So what’s up with that? Bad move I say.
Coraline:
3rd time I have seen this movie. I am officially all about it. This time around I really paid attention to the sound. Each character in the movie has their own music. It is really fascinating to me how much thought went into this movie. I saw the correlation between the bright/faded real world and the neon/dark other world. I noticed the way that in the real world Coraline herself is the only one with any bright colors. I recognized how the sewing theme and the spider go together so naturally. I cannot believe I did not notice before! And finally the voice acting, which is done so well. I just looked it up on IMDB and I was pleased to note that both Keith David (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202966/) and Ian McShane (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0574534/) do voices in the movie. I had NO idea it was them. Pleased as punch, that’s me. I have to say that the first time I watched Coraline I was not wowed at all. I don’t know what that says other then I am seeing that you can’t really start to “get” a movie until you have seen it a few times. Maybe I owe Buffalo ’66 another run through…
This is Spinal Tap:
Mockumentaries… Christopher Guess movies on a whole… not really my bag. They consist of extremely dry humor. The kind of stuff you barely have time to chuckle at before they throw more at you. I think I’m smart (I cannot suppress my ego enough to think otherwise), but I need more time to process stuff. MORE TIME! Even so, This is Spinal Tap was really funny. I was amazed to find I liked the music being played, and it was hilarious. Part of the reason it was so funny was that I thought it wouldn’t at all be farfetched if a rock band would write lyrics like they had in the movie. And it is really good music. Great guitars, great singing. For some reason I thought the movie would be more raunchy. Cucumbers in tin foil aside it didn’t really push that envelope. I advise anyone who likes Flight of the Conchords or the Office to watch this movie, because I think you will get a kick out of it. I wish I had more to say. Sigh.
I love movies. Keep them coming. I feel like I am starting to get a hold on the big picture, even if it’s only a few threads at a time. If you have any recommendations for me that I haven’t watched, please let me know. I started a Twitter account, but I have no idea how to use it, so bollocks to that. Cheerio and happy movie watching to all!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Nov 17th 2009. Week relating to 11/10 – 11/16.
Movies Seen: *First Time Viewed
Way of the Gun*
Hunt for the Red October*
Interview with the Vampire
The Big Lebowski
Coco avant Chanel*
Il Postino*
Some kind of magical week took place, it is apparent to me upon reflection, in this, my boring unemployed life. I saw 1 new movie I will love from now on, 1 movie I have seen many times, but for the first time ON THE BIG SCREEEEEEEN(!) and one movie, that somehow unexplainably had me thinking about it days after seeing it, wondering WHY I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. To proceed is an estimation of my tiny brain’s thoughts on said movies, plus free peanuts! What’s that? Oh, I ate all the peanuts. Sucks to be you.
Way of the Gun:
This wicked vehicle of destruction. My brain was wrapped around this flick in a desperate attempt to find its flaws and see why they made me so sore. Translation: What a weird movie. I mean, it was trying really hard to be a cool gangster/confidence/dialogue heavy feature, where men are men, and the rich get what they deserve, or something like that. This movie merits at least one more watch through, so I can just… TEAR IT APART. My initial reaction was I did not like it, and I stand by this feeling. I don’t like that through the course of the movie we hardly got to know the characters at all. I don’t like how it tried to make all these despicable people interesting. There was nothing to invest in. EXCEPT: James Caan. This is the first flick I have seen where I was wowed by the man. He plays a smart and scary old school bag man. And not bag man hobo, bag man gangster. Way of the Gun (heh heh, I typed Gum instead of Gun) was a story about an EFFED up situation. The violence was shallow, the plot confusing, and the characters just under developed. I can’t recommend it, unless someone wants to sit down with me and explain it better then my pal Will did. No offense Will.
Hunt for the Red October:
After a few days consideration, I have decided I can’t give this movie a fair assessment. I was watching a TV version of the movie with commercial interruptions, and was on my phone most of the time. I like Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, and Sam Neill, so I’m pretty sure this movie deserves an actual close look.
Interview with the Vampire:
Another TV version of a movie, but one I have seen a few times before. I love Tom Cruise in this movie. I really think it’s like no other role I have ever seen him in. Compared to Tom, Brad Pitt was blah in this movie. I’ve read the book, and I really liked it, probably more than the movie. The flick has its charms though. Its shot really well, has good acting all around. I wish that they had continued to adapt the books this well, but as we all know, Queen of the Damned. I haven’t ever seen it myself and I don’t want to. Sarah one time gave me a hilarious description of the movie after I had just finished the book, and based on that it sounds like I would simultaneously be throwing up and laughing if I watched it. Kudos to anyone who stomached it, you are braver than I.
The Big Lebowski:
What can I possibly say about a movie so perfect? So finely crafted it brought tears to my eyes seeing it on the big screen? What an experience. This movie is amazing any time you watch it, but having seeing it in the theatre now I don’t want it any other way. Not to say I won’t watch it on tv again. I will sit there, enjoy every moment of it, but inside of me will be an almost silent voice saying over and over “Its not the same.” Let me see, if you haven’t seen the Big Lebowski, and you are friend of mine, strike one. We need to alleviate this ASAP. Call in sick to work, pull the fire alarm at school, shoot you children with the tranqs! Its time to take a break, whip up a couple white Russians, and lay down on your favorite rug. You know, the one that really ties the room together. Then we will talk.
Coco Avant Chanel:
Ah, le French. I like more and more French movies. I wonder what other countries I should be inspecting when it comes to film? I always hear German this and German that in film class. Somehow, I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. Anyway, Coco. This movie was ruined for me I think, because I had already seen the Lifetime version of Coco Chanel’s life story. I thought that the tv version wasn’t too bad, considering it was a Lifetime movie. I like Audrey Tatou, so I thought I would really like Coco Avant Chanel, but it didn’t work out. I think it was just too slow for my liking. It was 2 hours long, but it felt longer. The acting was superb though. And Coco Chanel had a pretty interesting life, making an interesting story to tell. I can understand why people are inspired by her. So, I just want to put this to rest by saying I liked the movie and am glad I saw it, but I don’t think I’d watch it again. Sarah is going to break up with me for that one. She loves Coco Chanel.
As a side note, I need to learn French. I am tired of subtitles.
Il Postino:
And I suppose I should learn Italian while I am at it. This movie, THIS MOVIE, is so freaking charming. Yeah, freaking and charming in the same sentence, get over it. Based on the movie poster alone, I thought this movie would be about some suave postal worker who seduces the pants off the ladies. Actually, it’s about a buffoon. A buffoon and a world famous poet. It’s a really lovely story and it is really well acted. I can understand why it got so many awards. I think if I had seen this dubbed, instead of with subtitles, I would have wanted to kill the main character because he is just really pathetic most of the time. But for some reason, in Italian, he becomes endearing. You cannot help but love him, and feel for him in his circumstance. He lives in this tiny village and if you don’t become a fisherman, there is really nothing else to do. Kind of like Fillmore… except no fishermen here. It was a really good movie, I recommend it highly. I want a copy of it so I can watch it again now!
Now that I am done with this, I demand a frosty chocolate milk shake. Or a nap. Or both.
Way of the Gun*
Hunt for the Red October*
Interview with the Vampire
The Big Lebowski
Coco avant Chanel*
Il Postino*
Some kind of magical week took place, it is apparent to me upon reflection, in this, my boring unemployed life. I saw 1 new movie I will love from now on, 1 movie I have seen many times, but for the first time ON THE BIG SCREEEEEEEN(!) and one movie, that somehow unexplainably had me thinking about it days after seeing it, wondering WHY I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. To proceed is an estimation of my tiny brain’s thoughts on said movies, plus free peanuts! What’s that? Oh, I ate all the peanuts. Sucks to be you.
Way of the Gun:
This wicked vehicle of destruction. My brain was wrapped around this flick in a desperate attempt to find its flaws and see why they made me so sore. Translation: What a weird movie. I mean, it was trying really hard to be a cool gangster/confidence/dialogue heavy feature, where men are men, and the rich get what they deserve, or something like that. This movie merits at least one more watch through, so I can just… TEAR IT APART. My initial reaction was I did not like it, and I stand by this feeling. I don’t like that through the course of the movie we hardly got to know the characters at all. I don’t like how it tried to make all these despicable people interesting. There was nothing to invest in. EXCEPT: James Caan. This is the first flick I have seen where I was wowed by the man. He plays a smart and scary old school bag man. And not bag man hobo, bag man gangster. Way of the Gun (heh heh, I typed Gum instead of Gun) was a story about an EFFED up situation. The violence was shallow, the plot confusing, and the characters just under developed. I can’t recommend it, unless someone wants to sit down with me and explain it better then my pal Will did. No offense Will.
Hunt for the Red October:
After a few days consideration, I have decided I can’t give this movie a fair assessment. I was watching a TV version of the movie with commercial interruptions, and was on my phone most of the time. I like Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, and Sam Neill, so I’m pretty sure this movie deserves an actual close look.
Interview with the Vampire:
Another TV version of a movie, but one I have seen a few times before. I love Tom Cruise in this movie. I really think it’s like no other role I have ever seen him in. Compared to Tom, Brad Pitt was blah in this movie. I’ve read the book, and I really liked it, probably more than the movie. The flick has its charms though. Its shot really well, has good acting all around. I wish that they had continued to adapt the books this well, but as we all know, Queen of the Damned. I haven’t ever seen it myself and I don’t want to. Sarah one time gave me a hilarious description of the movie after I had just finished the book, and based on that it sounds like I would simultaneously be throwing up and laughing if I watched it. Kudos to anyone who stomached it, you are braver than I.
The Big Lebowski:
What can I possibly say about a movie so perfect? So finely crafted it brought tears to my eyes seeing it on the big screen? What an experience. This movie is amazing any time you watch it, but having seeing it in the theatre now I don’t want it any other way. Not to say I won’t watch it on tv again. I will sit there, enjoy every moment of it, but inside of me will be an almost silent voice saying over and over “Its not the same.” Let me see, if you haven’t seen the Big Lebowski, and you are friend of mine, strike one. We need to alleviate this ASAP. Call in sick to work, pull the fire alarm at school, shoot you children with the tranqs! Its time to take a break, whip up a couple white Russians, and lay down on your favorite rug. You know, the one that really ties the room together. Then we will talk.
Coco Avant Chanel:
Ah, le French. I like more and more French movies. I wonder what other countries I should be inspecting when it comes to film? I always hear German this and German that in film class. Somehow, I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. Anyway, Coco. This movie was ruined for me I think, because I had already seen the Lifetime version of Coco Chanel’s life story. I thought that the tv version wasn’t too bad, considering it was a Lifetime movie. I like Audrey Tatou, so I thought I would really like Coco Avant Chanel, but it didn’t work out. I think it was just too slow for my liking. It was 2 hours long, but it felt longer. The acting was superb though. And Coco Chanel had a pretty interesting life, making an interesting story to tell. I can understand why people are inspired by her. So, I just want to put this to rest by saying I liked the movie and am glad I saw it, but I don’t think I’d watch it again. Sarah is going to break up with me for that one. She loves Coco Chanel.
As a side note, I need to learn French. I am tired of subtitles.
Il Postino:
And I suppose I should learn Italian while I am at it. This movie, THIS MOVIE, is so freaking charming. Yeah, freaking and charming in the same sentence, get over it. Based on the movie poster alone, I thought this movie would be about some suave postal worker who seduces the pants off the ladies. Actually, it’s about a buffoon. A buffoon and a world famous poet. It’s a really lovely story and it is really well acted. I can understand why it got so many awards. I think if I had seen this dubbed, instead of with subtitles, I would have wanted to kill the main character because he is just really pathetic most of the time. But for some reason, in Italian, he becomes endearing. You cannot help but love him, and feel for him in his circumstance. He lives in this tiny village and if you don’t become a fisherman, there is really nothing else to do. Kind of like Fillmore… except no fishermen here. It was a really good movie, I recommend it highly. I want a copy of it so I can watch it again now!
Now that I am done with this, I demand a frosty chocolate milk shake. Or a nap. Or both.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Nov 11th 2009. Week relating to 11/3 – 11/9.
Movies Seen: *First time viewing
Simply Irresistible
Fargo*
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day*
Brick*
Sex and the City: The Movie
Prête-moi ta main*
My brain currently feels what I imagine a fried egg must feel like, and I cannot tell you why. Perhaps I need caffeine, but I’d rather not be jittery AND have a fried brain. I read somewhere that fatty foods make you dumber. In that case I should be a Neanderthal by next year! I want some damn vegatables…
Simply Irresistible:
Don’t give me that look. We all have our guilty pleasures, and this one happens to be MINE (Strokes his orange lantern ring sinisterly). Whenever I watch this movie, I am guaranteed to get that tingly feeling up my spine into the back of my neck, at least 3 times. I mean the good tingly. The kind you get when you are making out with someone you are passionate about. I don’t know why the movie does that to me. It’s a really bad movie. Lame plot, bad music, token black guy. And by token, I mean at one point in the movie the guy says, and I quote: “Somethin’ wiggies goin’ on.” A lot of misspells in that statement according to Word. I like this movie for no good reason except it gives me that feeling. And I’m secretly a romantic. Yeah… that’s it.
Fargo:
You haven’t seen Fargo? Are you tired of this statement and ready to punch the next person who says it right in the nipple? Then allow me to recommend that you stop procrastinating and just go rent the movie. It’s a little bit violent, but really funny. And beautiful. They did such a good job casting everyone who was in this. I really respect Frances McDormand’s work. Having seen Burn After Reading before this one, I didn’t think too much of her. But that whole movie had problems really. She plays someone so unlikeable In Burn, and in Fargo, you love her to pieces. It’s pretty amazing. I could go on about this movie, but something tells me you all know it right? I’m the one who has been in the dark till now. In the dark, counting my gold. GOOOOLLLLLDDDDD!
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day:
Let’s see… if I recall, I really enjoyed The Boondock Saints. Or was a raving like a lunatic about how good the first movie is? Yeah, that’s what it was. When I saw the first ad for this movie (a banner ad of all things), I immediately felt dread cloud my soul. Why would they make a sequel to a movie so perfect? We’re people screaming for more? I don’t blame them if they were, I just know that sequels have a habit of sullying the name of a good movie. I could not resist seeing this, despite my fears. The movie was done by the same writer and director. It has most of the same people in it. These two things seem crucial, CRUCIAL, in the making of a successful sequel. All and all, the movie was not that bad. I don’t feel like it was a true part 2, as so much more of a tribute to the first movie. It’s not as funny as I hoped it would be, and compared to the first movie, the action left me wanting. But really, they didn’t screw it up, and that’s about all I really hoped for. Julie Benz plays the FBI agent in this movie, and they try really hard to make her sexy. She just does not do it for me. This is no reflection on her acting, which was fine and dandy, but she isn’t a knockout like they tried to make her. I don’t want to tell you too much of what goes on. The boys get into some antics, the mobsters are running scared, the bartender curses because he has Tourette’s. Listen, if you liked the first movie, rent this one when it comes out. It deserves a fair chance.
Brick:
As I type this, I am watching this movie for the second time. I have it paused, so I really am watching it, alright? Get off my back. I will give you the summary of this movie straight out. It’s a film noir detective story, but taking place at a high school/suburbia setting. The main character is played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, who does an amazing job of somehow combining nerd and hard as nails detective. I hate that every time I see that guy I think “Third Rock from the Sun”… He’s a really good actor. So Brick was quite a mind bender for me. They speak really fast, in a very stylized form. Perhaps if I was more familiar with older detective movie I would have understood more the first time around. I really like that stylized speaking though. It adds such a unique flavor to movies and books. The movie is sometimes hard to follow, but it is cinematically beautiful. I mean, really amazing. There is one scene I really love, where some dude attacks Levitt’s character with a knife, which then turns into a really strange and fascinating chase scene. The Foley artists earned their pay checks in that scene for sure. If you haven’t seen the movie, please rent it and tell me how I don’t know crap about movies if you are so motivated. I loved it. I want to say so much about this movie but I am having a really hard time. Words… not… work!
Sex and the City: The Movie:
Please get that theme song out of my head. That delightful piano jingle just does not suit me. So, you’ll notice I did not indicate that this was my first time watching this movie. I saw it in the theatre with Sarah. I was in a sea of women, one of the only guys. It was really strange, and given the motivation I could make it into an epic tale. That’s all I remember about that though. My therapist can tell you more. I like Sex and the City. I have watched the entire HBO series with Sarah, and it is usually very funny. All except the puns. Puns are the devil. Watching this movie was a way for me to unwind my head from all the heavier material I had been watching recently. It’s actually a good movie, if you like the show. It’s like a much longer episode. And it drags sometimes, sure, but what can you really expect I guess. For people making a movie to keep it entertaining the whole time? HA! By the way, if you are wondering, I am probably a Miranda.
Prête-moi ta main:
Translation of the title on the film: The Faux Wedding. The American title: How to Get Married and Stay Single. Let’s just stick with the French shall we? Sarah’s Netflix seems to be an endless source of wonder, and occasional crap (don’t get mad at me!). This was a really good romantic comedy. Or was it…??? See, my thinking is, that mayhap I would not have liked this as much if it had been an exact copy of said movie but done in English by Americans. Am I a snob? Well, yes, but I don’t think I’m a foreign film snob. Prête-moi ta main is about a 40 year old man who is nagged by his sisters and mother into finding a woman (or man) to finally settle down with. He meets some woman, some how, and together they try to pull a fast one. Simple right? It doesn’t pull any fancy tricks or twists and turns, you pretty much know where it’s going the whole time, but it’s still really good. Really funny. Mush funnier than a lot of the horse crap Hollywood puts out. You haven’t ever heard about it, I know, but I tell you, the movie is worth a try. Someone get me a God damn coffee please.
I feel like this entry leaves a lot wanting, and I apologize in advance if anyone agrees with me. I am feeling very burnt out, I may need to take it easy for a week. Next week’s entry, not that week.
Simply Irresistible
Fargo*
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day*
Brick*
Sex and the City: The Movie
Prête-moi ta main*
My brain currently feels what I imagine a fried egg must feel like, and I cannot tell you why. Perhaps I need caffeine, but I’d rather not be jittery AND have a fried brain. I read somewhere that fatty foods make you dumber. In that case I should be a Neanderthal by next year! I want some damn vegatables…
Simply Irresistible:
Don’t give me that look. We all have our guilty pleasures, and this one happens to be MINE (Strokes his orange lantern ring sinisterly). Whenever I watch this movie, I am guaranteed to get that tingly feeling up my spine into the back of my neck, at least 3 times. I mean the good tingly. The kind you get when you are making out with someone you are passionate about. I don’t know why the movie does that to me. It’s a really bad movie. Lame plot, bad music, token black guy. And by token, I mean at one point in the movie the guy says, and I quote: “Somethin’ wiggies goin’ on.” A lot of misspells in that statement according to Word. I like this movie for no good reason except it gives me that feeling. And I’m secretly a romantic. Yeah… that’s it.
Fargo:
You haven’t seen Fargo? Are you tired of this statement and ready to punch the next person who says it right in the nipple? Then allow me to recommend that you stop procrastinating and just go rent the movie. It’s a little bit violent, but really funny. And beautiful. They did such a good job casting everyone who was in this. I really respect Frances McDormand’s work. Having seen Burn After Reading before this one, I didn’t think too much of her. But that whole movie had problems really. She plays someone so unlikeable In Burn, and in Fargo, you love her to pieces. It’s pretty amazing. I could go on about this movie, but something tells me you all know it right? I’m the one who has been in the dark till now. In the dark, counting my gold. GOOOOLLLLLDDDDD!
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day:
Let’s see… if I recall, I really enjoyed The Boondock Saints. Or was a raving like a lunatic about how good the first movie is? Yeah, that’s what it was. When I saw the first ad for this movie (a banner ad of all things), I immediately felt dread cloud my soul. Why would they make a sequel to a movie so perfect? We’re people screaming for more? I don’t blame them if they were, I just know that sequels have a habit of sullying the name of a good movie. I could not resist seeing this, despite my fears. The movie was done by the same writer and director. It has most of the same people in it. These two things seem crucial, CRUCIAL, in the making of a successful sequel. All and all, the movie was not that bad. I don’t feel like it was a true part 2, as so much more of a tribute to the first movie. It’s not as funny as I hoped it would be, and compared to the first movie, the action left me wanting. But really, they didn’t screw it up, and that’s about all I really hoped for. Julie Benz plays the FBI agent in this movie, and they try really hard to make her sexy. She just does not do it for me. This is no reflection on her acting, which was fine and dandy, but she isn’t a knockout like they tried to make her. I don’t want to tell you too much of what goes on. The boys get into some antics, the mobsters are running scared, the bartender curses because he has Tourette’s. Listen, if you liked the first movie, rent this one when it comes out. It deserves a fair chance.
Brick:
As I type this, I am watching this movie for the second time. I have it paused, so I really am watching it, alright? Get off my back. I will give you the summary of this movie straight out. It’s a film noir detective story, but taking place at a high school/suburbia setting. The main character is played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, who does an amazing job of somehow combining nerd and hard as nails detective. I hate that every time I see that guy I think “Third Rock from the Sun”… He’s a really good actor. So Brick was quite a mind bender for me. They speak really fast, in a very stylized form. Perhaps if I was more familiar with older detective movie I would have understood more the first time around. I really like that stylized speaking though. It adds such a unique flavor to movies and books. The movie is sometimes hard to follow, but it is cinematically beautiful. I mean, really amazing. There is one scene I really love, where some dude attacks Levitt’s character with a knife, which then turns into a really strange and fascinating chase scene. The Foley artists earned their pay checks in that scene for sure. If you haven’t seen the movie, please rent it and tell me how I don’t know crap about movies if you are so motivated. I loved it. I want to say so much about this movie but I am having a really hard time. Words… not… work!
Sex and the City: The Movie:
Please get that theme song out of my head. That delightful piano jingle just does not suit me. So, you’ll notice I did not indicate that this was my first time watching this movie. I saw it in the theatre with Sarah. I was in a sea of women, one of the only guys. It was really strange, and given the motivation I could make it into an epic tale. That’s all I remember about that though. My therapist can tell you more. I like Sex and the City. I have watched the entire HBO series with Sarah, and it is usually very funny. All except the puns. Puns are the devil. Watching this movie was a way for me to unwind my head from all the heavier material I had been watching recently. It’s actually a good movie, if you like the show. It’s like a much longer episode. And it drags sometimes, sure, but what can you really expect I guess. For people making a movie to keep it entertaining the whole time? HA! By the way, if you are wondering, I am probably a Miranda.
Prête-moi ta main:
Translation of the title on the film: The Faux Wedding. The American title: How to Get Married and Stay Single. Let’s just stick with the French shall we? Sarah’s Netflix seems to be an endless source of wonder, and occasional crap (don’t get mad at me!). This was a really good romantic comedy. Or was it…??? See, my thinking is, that mayhap I would not have liked this as much if it had been an exact copy of said movie but done in English by Americans. Am I a snob? Well, yes, but I don’t think I’m a foreign film snob. Prête-moi ta main is about a 40 year old man who is nagged by his sisters and mother into finding a woman (or man) to finally settle down with. He meets some woman, some how, and together they try to pull a fast one. Simple right? It doesn’t pull any fancy tricks or twists and turns, you pretty much know where it’s going the whole time, but it’s still really good. Really funny. Mush funnier than a lot of the horse crap Hollywood puts out. You haven’t ever heard about it, I know, but I tell you, the movie is worth a try. Someone get me a God damn coffee please.
I feel like this entry leaves a lot wanting, and I apologize in advance if anyone agrees with me. I am feeling very burnt out, I may need to take it easy for a week. Next week’s entry, not that week.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Nov 2nd 2009. Week relating to 10/27 – 11/2
Movies Seen: *First Time Viewing
The Brothers Bloom*
Predator*
The Mexican
The Boondock Saints
Creepshow*
Shadow of a Doubt*
What a week. Finished the play I was in. Both depressing and a relief. I really enjoy acting and working with others in the stage. Then when I tried to go to class to go see Memento the following Monday, I sort of lost my mind. I felt all this pressure suddenly build up about the things I want to be, what I want to do, everything that is expected of me. So, no class for me that day. No outside world if I could help it. Everything’s better now. I have realized that the world will not come crashing down if I don’t meet every goal I set for myself. Nice and easy, one step at a time. So what if I’m almost 30 and haven’t any children…. Oh God it’s coming back!
See where my priorities are?
The Brothers Bloom:
Wow. Wow wow wow. This movie was an awesome combination between a quirky Wes Anderson comedy and a Con movie (I like to call them confidence films.). It’s not Wes Anderson by the way, it’s Rian Johnson. The movie has a lot of things going on visually, stylistically visual, BLAH! I cannot describe what I mean. It looked great, there, I said it. It was FUNNY. Really funny. Had me laughing out loud and smiling wickedly and embarrassing Sarah in her own house, which admittedly is not that hard for me to do. Will Christmas, you and I love our Heist/Con/Confidence movies. You’ll love this one man, check it out. Or maybe you’ll hate it. Crap! Am I over selling this? It is a really good movie. It stars Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Brody and Rachel Weisz. If you like any of those actors you should see it. Fer reals.
Predator:
So, now I finally know which Schwarzenegger movie people are quoting when they yell at me to “GET TO THE CHOPPA!” I simply assumed this came from all his movies. I’m joking, I’ve seen lots of Arnie’s movies. The man has quotable lines from everything. I’ll bet someone is quoting Jingle All the Way right now. Oh Sinbad, you rascal. Anyway. Predator. The movie seemed really, REALLY lame for the first half. I’m not a fan of armys of supreme bad asses going into a village to slaughter the natives, terrorists or what not. At least it had a lot of funny lines. He stabbed that guy to a box, and said “Stick around”! PRICELESS. And guess what, I ain’t got time to bleed either Jessie. No sir I don’t. Even if it does look like you have mumps the whole time. Off track, right. I think it finally started to get interesting when the predator alien actually got into the thick of things, taking them out one by one. Although that cheap shot at Mr. Ventura was pretty lame. I, too, would have unloaded several clips of ammo in the jungle in hope that I might hit something. Yeah, that’s the ticket. So the movie got really good when all the dead weight was gone, eg everyone but Arnie. Then he montages himself into SUPER badass mode (Over 9000!) and goes hunting. And gets his ass kicked, like he should. But then he wins, you know, because he is The Predaterminator… yeah, that’s it. And really, if I saw an alien with dreadlocks, I’d kick him in the nuts too. Tee hee, I made myself laugh. Sigh. I’m glad I watched Predator, a seminal film in every boy’s life. Too bad I waited till I was 28. Show it to your kids for a lark. They can hack it.
The Mexican:
The viewing of this movie was a little experiment I had wanted to try for a while. My taste in movies over the years has evolved, and I know there are things I used to like that I wouldn’t like now. I remembered really liking the Mexican, and I also remember people really hating it. It has a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, ew, that does not bode well. By the way, I just looked up the definition of bode and now the word makes sense (off topic Joel, get back on track…). I thought that perhaps I would view this movie with a more critical eye this time around, seeing the flaws that every other critic already had. And the conclusion to this long winded tale? The movie may have been a bit too long winded. It is a dialog heavy movie. But I like that. I can understand why people would get bored though. Even so, I thought it was funny and really creative. With the twists and turns it was sort of a confidence flick. You don’t know what’s really going on until the end. Brad Pitt was good, Julia Roberts was good, James Gandolfini was AWESOME. So was J.K. Simmons, this may be the first movie I had seen him in, although I can’t say for sure. The Mexican was funny, violent, and visually pleasing (no, I am not describing myself). Perhaps you avoided this flick, knowing that the critics had suggested it better to receive an enema and then listen to Bach. I have one thing to say to you: The director for this is Gore Verbinski, the man who brought you Pirates of the Caribbean. Give it a try.
The Boondock Saints:
Listen here: If you like Tarintino movies (ie violence, snappy dialog, great music, awesomeness) then stop reading this and go rent this movie. I’ll wait……………. IT WAS GREAT RIGHT?! I KNOW!!!! I can’t remember the circumstances in which I was first coerced to watch this movie, but I can say it was before I was seeing it everywhere (I know, people always say that). I didn’t see it in the theatre, it must have been at good ol’ Shane’s house. And we (Shane, me, our assorted friends) have loved it ever since. It’s nice to see a little vigilante-ism every once in a while. Makes you feel like things aren’t so bad in the world. Or maybe it is bad, but you could do something about it with enough ammunition. Who played the fat Russian boss? He was great, hee hee. And I don’t know if you know this, but I love Sean Patrick Flannery as it is. So, yeah. I really don’t want to talk about this movie too much, because if you haven’t seen it like I told you too, you really should. It is so SO good. Wonder how the sequel is…
Creepshow:
Ah, Halloween. The one night a year I let my hair down and do exactly what I do every day. Yes, I don’t really find Halloween to be a very enjoyable holiday, despite the access to delicious candy everywhere I go. I don’t like dressing up, I don’t like being startled, and I don’t like horror movies. I avoid them when I can for the most part. But seeing as it was the season for such things, I decided I could be convinced to watch this movie, Creepshow. Scripted by Stephen King, directed by George Romero, how bad could it be? Answer: So bad it’s hilarious. This movie had me laughing pretty damn hard. From watching Ed Harris dance around, to seeing Ted Danson buried up to his neck, this thing was a laugh a minute. And Stephen King is probably one of the funniest actors I have seen in a long while. Pure GOLD. Next time I declare I WANT MY CAKE…. You can thank Creepshow, and not my general obesity. Thanks to Kempo for forcing this flick on me!
Shadow of a Doubt:
Alfred Hitchcock. I think I can count the movies I have seen of his on one hand. I wish I had more in my queue, but I have a hard time watching black and whites. I’m a dumbass that way I guess. I rented this movie based on it being heavily used in the first chapter of my text book on film. Figured I couldn’t go wrong there. Unfortunately, while I did notice the camera angles used, and the menacing feeling given throughout, I really didn’t enjoy it. See, there are these two kids in the movie, that are supposed to be funny, and they are, sometimes. Most of the time though, I wanted to strangle them. They reminded me of the bad kids in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. SHUT UP CHILDREN! And the lead actress got on my nerves too. She just seemed to deliver all her lines very… I don’t know… like she was trying to do an Audrey Hepburn imitation. It didn’t work. The best part of the movie for me on the other hand, was the dad and the next door neighbor. They were constantly talking about ways to kill people, it was funny. Not that I think killing people is funny. The way it’s done in the film is supposed to be funny. Right? … Anyway, I can’t really recommend Shadow of a Doubt. I’m surprised that I read that a lot of people think this was Hitchcock’s best film. I’m worried about seeing the rest of them now.
Another week, another set of films. I love watching this many movies. And I love watching them socially better, because talking about the film is almost as good as watching them. If anyone wants to catch a flick, please hit me up. I’m up for most anything. Unless it starts with the words “Tyler Perry’s”.
The Brothers Bloom*
Predator*
The Mexican
The Boondock Saints
Creepshow*
Shadow of a Doubt*
What a week. Finished the play I was in. Both depressing and a relief. I really enjoy acting and working with others in the stage. Then when I tried to go to class to go see Memento the following Monday, I sort of lost my mind. I felt all this pressure suddenly build up about the things I want to be, what I want to do, everything that is expected of me. So, no class for me that day. No outside world if I could help it. Everything’s better now. I have realized that the world will not come crashing down if I don’t meet every goal I set for myself. Nice and easy, one step at a time. So what if I’m almost 30 and haven’t any children…. Oh God it’s coming back!
See where my priorities are?
The Brothers Bloom:
Wow. Wow wow wow. This movie was an awesome combination between a quirky Wes Anderson comedy and a Con movie (I like to call them confidence films.). It’s not Wes Anderson by the way, it’s Rian Johnson. The movie has a lot of things going on visually, stylistically visual, BLAH! I cannot describe what I mean. It looked great, there, I said it. It was FUNNY. Really funny. Had me laughing out loud and smiling wickedly and embarrassing Sarah in her own house, which admittedly is not that hard for me to do. Will Christmas, you and I love our Heist/Con/Confidence movies. You’ll love this one man, check it out. Or maybe you’ll hate it. Crap! Am I over selling this? It is a really good movie. It stars Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Brody and Rachel Weisz. If you like any of those actors you should see it. Fer reals.
Predator:
So, now I finally know which Schwarzenegger movie people are quoting when they yell at me to “GET TO THE CHOPPA!” I simply assumed this came from all his movies. I’m joking, I’ve seen lots of Arnie’s movies. The man has quotable lines from everything. I’ll bet someone is quoting Jingle All the Way right now. Oh Sinbad, you rascal. Anyway. Predator. The movie seemed really, REALLY lame for the first half. I’m not a fan of armys of supreme bad asses going into a village to slaughter the natives, terrorists or what not. At least it had a lot of funny lines. He stabbed that guy to a box, and said “Stick around”! PRICELESS. And guess what, I ain’t got time to bleed either Jessie. No sir I don’t. Even if it does look like you have mumps the whole time. Off track, right. I think it finally started to get interesting when the predator alien actually got into the thick of things, taking them out one by one. Although that cheap shot at Mr. Ventura was pretty lame. I, too, would have unloaded several clips of ammo in the jungle in hope that I might hit something. Yeah, that’s the ticket. So the movie got really good when all the dead weight was gone, eg everyone but Arnie. Then he montages himself into SUPER badass mode (Over 9000!) and goes hunting. And gets his ass kicked, like he should. But then he wins, you know, because he is The Predaterminator… yeah, that’s it. And really, if I saw an alien with dreadlocks, I’d kick him in the nuts too. Tee hee, I made myself laugh. Sigh. I’m glad I watched Predator, a seminal film in every boy’s life. Too bad I waited till I was 28. Show it to your kids for a lark. They can hack it.
The Mexican:
The viewing of this movie was a little experiment I had wanted to try for a while. My taste in movies over the years has evolved, and I know there are things I used to like that I wouldn’t like now. I remembered really liking the Mexican, and I also remember people really hating it. It has a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, ew, that does not bode well. By the way, I just looked up the definition of bode and now the word makes sense (off topic Joel, get back on track…). I thought that perhaps I would view this movie with a more critical eye this time around, seeing the flaws that every other critic already had. And the conclusion to this long winded tale? The movie may have been a bit too long winded. It is a dialog heavy movie. But I like that. I can understand why people would get bored though. Even so, I thought it was funny and really creative. With the twists and turns it was sort of a confidence flick. You don’t know what’s really going on until the end. Brad Pitt was good, Julia Roberts was good, James Gandolfini was AWESOME. So was J.K. Simmons, this may be the first movie I had seen him in, although I can’t say for sure. The Mexican was funny, violent, and visually pleasing (no, I am not describing myself). Perhaps you avoided this flick, knowing that the critics had suggested it better to receive an enema and then listen to Bach. I have one thing to say to you: The director for this is Gore Verbinski, the man who brought you Pirates of the Caribbean. Give it a try.
The Boondock Saints:
Listen here: If you like Tarintino movies (ie violence, snappy dialog, great music, awesomeness) then stop reading this and go rent this movie. I’ll wait……………. IT WAS GREAT RIGHT?! I KNOW!!!! I can’t remember the circumstances in which I was first coerced to watch this movie, but I can say it was before I was seeing it everywhere (I know, people always say that). I didn’t see it in the theatre, it must have been at good ol’ Shane’s house. And we (Shane, me, our assorted friends) have loved it ever since. It’s nice to see a little vigilante-ism every once in a while. Makes you feel like things aren’t so bad in the world. Or maybe it is bad, but you could do something about it with enough ammunition. Who played the fat Russian boss? He was great, hee hee. And I don’t know if you know this, but I love Sean Patrick Flannery as it is. So, yeah. I really don’t want to talk about this movie too much, because if you haven’t seen it like I told you too, you really should. It is so SO good. Wonder how the sequel is…
Creepshow:
Ah, Halloween. The one night a year I let my hair down and do exactly what I do every day. Yes, I don’t really find Halloween to be a very enjoyable holiday, despite the access to delicious candy everywhere I go. I don’t like dressing up, I don’t like being startled, and I don’t like horror movies. I avoid them when I can for the most part. But seeing as it was the season for such things, I decided I could be convinced to watch this movie, Creepshow. Scripted by Stephen King, directed by George Romero, how bad could it be? Answer: So bad it’s hilarious. This movie had me laughing pretty damn hard. From watching Ed Harris dance around, to seeing Ted Danson buried up to his neck, this thing was a laugh a minute. And Stephen King is probably one of the funniest actors I have seen in a long while. Pure GOLD. Next time I declare I WANT MY CAKE…. You can thank Creepshow, and not my general obesity. Thanks to Kempo for forcing this flick on me!
Shadow of a Doubt:
Alfred Hitchcock. I think I can count the movies I have seen of his on one hand. I wish I had more in my queue, but I have a hard time watching black and whites. I’m a dumbass that way I guess. I rented this movie based on it being heavily used in the first chapter of my text book on film. Figured I couldn’t go wrong there. Unfortunately, while I did notice the camera angles used, and the menacing feeling given throughout, I really didn’t enjoy it. See, there are these two kids in the movie, that are supposed to be funny, and they are, sometimes. Most of the time though, I wanted to strangle them. They reminded me of the bad kids in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. SHUT UP CHILDREN! And the lead actress got on my nerves too. She just seemed to deliver all her lines very… I don’t know… like she was trying to do an Audrey Hepburn imitation. It didn’t work. The best part of the movie for me on the other hand, was the dad and the next door neighbor. They were constantly talking about ways to kill people, it was funny. Not that I think killing people is funny. The way it’s done in the film is supposed to be funny. Right? … Anyway, I can’t really recommend Shadow of a Doubt. I’m surprised that I read that a lot of people think this was Hitchcock’s best film. I’m worried about seeing the rest of them now.
Another week, another set of films. I love watching this many movies. And I love watching them socially better, because talking about the film is almost as good as watching them. If anyone wants to catch a flick, please hit me up. I’m up for most anything. Unless it starts with the words “Tyler Perry’s”.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Oct 28th 2009. Week relating to 10/20 – 10/26
Movies seen: *First time viewing
The Proposal
Hamlet 2*
Step Brothers* (For 40 minutes…)
Before Sunset*
I was at play practice 3 days out of this week, and then had actual shows the next 3. How did I get movies fit into that time? This is the advantage of being unemployed. One of the only advantages. God send me work!
The Proposal:
Saw this at the cheap theatre 3 weeks ago. Had I waited a little longer I could have just watched it on DVD. Wait, that sounds like I didn’t like it. I did. I like Ryan Reynolds a lot, he is a funny guy, good actor. Not too thrilled about a Deadpool movie, but whatever. As for Sandra Bullock, I think she is also a good actress, but I am getting tired of her transformation comedies. You know what I mean, Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, stuff like that. There’s a formula to romantic comedies, and she likes to stick to what she knows. And it works just fine, but I wouldn’t mind something different.
Hamlet 2:
I was excited to see this in the theatre. I like controversy. It can be really funny. I did not end up seeing it though, after I heard an unusual amount of sighs in relation to people who actually did see it. And having now watched it, I can understand. It was an odd bird. There was funny stuff in it, I guess. I don’t know, it just struck me as a weird mix of slapstick comedy and… you know, the other kind. Anyways, I can’t really recommend it. It’s one of those movies were I think the title doesn’t really tell you what it’s about. Of course, now that I think on it, how often does a title really sum up a movie? (The 40 Year Old Virgin) … Right. Bottom line, not as funny as I hoped.
Step Brothers (For about 40 minutes):
40 minutes. I tried watching this movie on the advice on the T, the Turpster, Mr. Mark Turpin. It’s not really important who I’m talking about, but if you are interested try wow.com or on iTunes the Movielicious. Turpster is really funny himself, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to watch a movie that I was already reluctant to see. I find Will Ferrell to be mostly not of my taste. I like it better when he’s low key. So anyway, I tried. I tried to watch this movie. I tried to laugh. I remember laughing once. It wasn’t at Will or John. Mary Steenburgen said something funny. She’s kind of hot, which is kind of disturbing since she’s old. I mean, much older then me. So, right, the movie. I just have a hard time laughing at adults acting like kids. I just cannot relate. Or perhaps I do relate and find it embarrassing. Either way I couldn’t stand watching it for much longer then I did. When they showed up at the job interviews wearing tuxes…. Yeah, I couldn’t take it anymore. Sorry guys.
Before Sunset:
Before Sunset is the sequel to a movie called Before Sunrise. There we go, those are apt titles. Both movies have situations that must take place during said time periods. Sorry, distracted. They are both dialog heavy romantic dramas. I really like movies with a lot of dialog, I think. As long as it’s smart. Both of these movies are super good. I liked the Before Sunrise better I think, it did some things I’m not used to in movies. It is all based around only two characters, the music all takes place in the movie world (Diegesis), and it’s a really simple plot. The dialog is what drove these movies. The first one takes place when the two people first meet. The second movie, Before Sunset, takes place seven years later. The adjustment of the characters relationships, the aspects of the actors real lives that were placed into the movie, the way everything is handled so real makes it amazing. The first film alone would have made a great one time cliff hanger sort of movie, but I’m glad they made a sequel. I really recommend both films.
And that covers the week. I know, it’s late, and I already have another week ready to write up. But I couldn’t just bypass this one and move on. I saw at least one good music, heh. Hope everyone else saw some good stuff.
The Proposal
Hamlet 2*
Step Brothers* (For 40 minutes…)
Before Sunset*
I was at play practice 3 days out of this week, and then had actual shows the next 3. How did I get movies fit into that time? This is the advantage of being unemployed. One of the only advantages. God send me work!
The Proposal:
Saw this at the cheap theatre 3 weeks ago. Had I waited a little longer I could have just watched it on DVD. Wait, that sounds like I didn’t like it. I did. I like Ryan Reynolds a lot, he is a funny guy, good actor. Not too thrilled about a Deadpool movie, but whatever. As for Sandra Bullock, I think she is also a good actress, but I am getting tired of her transformation comedies. You know what I mean, Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, stuff like that. There’s a formula to romantic comedies, and she likes to stick to what she knows. And it works just fine, but I wouldn’t mind something different.
Hamlet 2:
I was excited to see this in the theatre. I like controversy. It can be really funny. I did not end up seeing it though, after I heard an unusual amount of sighs in relation to people who actually did see it. And having now watched it, I can understand. It was an odd bird. There was funny stuff in it, I guess. I don’t know, it just struck me as a weird mix of slapstick comedy and… you know, the other kind. Anyways, I can’t really recommend it. It’s one of those movies were I think the title doesn’t really tell you what it’s about. Of course, now that I think on it, how often does a title really sum up a movie? (The 40 Year Old Virgin) … Right. Bottom line, not as funny as I hoped.
Step Brothers (For about 40 minutes):
40 minutes. I tried watching this movie on the advice on the T, the Turpster, Mr. Mark Turpin. It’s not really important who I’m talking about, but if you are interested try wow.com or on iTunes the Movielicious. Turpster is really funny himself, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to watch a movie that I was already reluctant to see. I find Will Ferrell to be mostly not of my taste. I like it better when he’s low key. So anyway, I tried. I tried to watch this movie. I tried to laugh. I remember laughing once. It wasn’t at Will or John. Mary Steenburgen said something funny. She’s kind of hot, which is kind of disturbing since she’s old. I mean, much older then me. So, right, the movie. I just have a hard time laughing at adults acting like kids. I just cannot relate. Or perhaps I do relate and find it embarrassing. Either way I couldn’t stand watching it for much longer then I did. When they showed up at the job interviews wearing tuxes…. Yeah, I couldn’t take it anymore. Sorry guys.
Before Sunset:
Before Sunset is the sequel to a movie called Before Sunrise. There we go, those are apt titles. Both movies have situations that must take place during said time periods. Sorry, distracted. They are both dialog heavy romantic dramas. I really like movies with a lot of dialog, I think. As long as it’s smart. Both of these movies are super good. I liked the Before Sunrise better I think, it did some things I’m not used to in movies. It is all based around only two characters, the music all takes place in the movie world (Diegesis), and it’s a really simple plot. The dialog is what drove these movies. The first one takes place when the two people first meet. The second movie, Before Sunset, takes place seven years later. The adjustment of the characters relationships, the aspects of the actors real lives that were placed into the movie, the way everything is handled so real makes it amazing. The first film alone would have made a great one time cliff hanger sort of movie, but I’m glad they made a sequel. I really recommend both films.
And that covers the week. I know, it’s late, and I already have another week ready to write up. But I couldn’t just bypass this one and move on. I saw at least one good music, heh. Hope everyone else saw some good stuff.
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