"I think it's fabulous. Every value I've ever held is being questioned. And I'm loving it."

"The IT Crowd", Series 2 & 3. Four Stars.

I watched Series 1 a little while ago, and I wasn't floored by it. But it had lots of potential, and I'd been told that Series 2 & 3 are a lot funnier, so I recently checked them out.

Already by the first episode of the second series, the show got a LOT funnier. And there IS a Drinky Crow and Uncle Gabby on Roy's desk! And some Love and Rockets books make an appearance! Yay comic books! And now Bainbridge is in the show!!!

Third series is a laugh riot. And everyone got a style update (Roy's 'do is working for him and he looks slimmer, and Jen's hair doesn't look wonky anymore). One of my ultimate faves (though I like all of them) is "Are We Not Men?" (the football one), it's brilliant!

I want to watch all of these episodes all over again.

"God damn these electric pants..."


...
...
...
...JOEL McHALE was in the pilot of the US "The IT Crowd"?? I love that guy so much!! I will profess my love for "Community" in a timely manner, so stick around!

“I’m gay. And you’re brother. And a ghost.”

"Andy Richter Controls the Universe," 2002–2003. Two and a Half Stars.

I didn’t watch this when it was on the air, so a friend let Tim and I borrow the three-disc DVD. The first few episodes were pretty painful; by Disc Two, though, things started rolling.

Though they didn’t roll very far. I love Andy Richter, ever since I almost touched him when I snuck off to a Conan O’Brien taping back in high school (he used to co-host the show; and look, he’s back on the show again!). But this show didn’t live up to his potential. Also, it felt very dated.

So, Andy Richter plays a character with the same name, who is a writer of technical manuals, but wants to be a creative writer so he has lots of fantasies. Most of these fantasies are “look at me, I’m soooooo wacky,” which is a turn off. And the plots are pretty corny and boring. There are some truly funny gems in each episode (some of the funniest parts are when the dead owner of the company Andy works at keeps popping up in his imagination), but over all, this show didn’t really grab me.

The characters… well I think it’s funny that there’s a really handsome dude (who isn’t that handsome, and wish it were Ted from "Better Off Ted"!). And I like that Phil from "Better Off Ted" (I really like that show!) plays Byron (with long hair. Yuck.). Don’t really care about the insensitive boss-lady friend, but I think it might be because of her boring 90’s make-up and hair-dos. Wendy is pretty interesting; she comes off as a flat character, but she has these weird quirky nuances…

But really, there's not much about these characters that makes me really care about them. I ended up liking them all right, but I didn't fall in love with them and I'm not devastated that the show's not on the air anymore.

One of my favorite episodes is the Sensitivity Training one. Also, there's another episode with Jones from "Reno 911!" in it!

And I really liked Conan’s crazy appearance on the show!

Ever notice in shows starring fat guys (THE DREW CAREY SHOW), the fat guys get way more play than fat guys in real life traditionally get? …I like that! If it’s your show, your allowed to do whatever you want. (I'm not picking on fat guys, I'm picking on Drew Carey. He's kind of a jerk.)

Anyways, this show had some great lines, and here are a few of my faves:
“This is the wettest I’ve ever been.” “You know, I’ve always wanted to hear that. But not from you.”
“I found a gay one-armed Native American little person.”
“It doesn’t involve sex, does it?” “No, it involves taking drugs.”

“Don’t you watch the news?” “I hate that fuckin’ show.” -OR- “I was gonna get some.” “I kind of doubt it.”

Idle Hands. Two and a Half Stars.

HA HA HA! Brilliantly horrible. ...Or, horribly brilliant?

I recommend it!

"No, don't tug on that, you don't know what it's attached to."

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, 1984. Three Stars.

How has this movie not been in my life until now? Buckaroo Banzai is a scientist and doctor who also races cars and is in a rock band, and he and his friends battle sinister beings from another dimension. I love this.

Amazing people are in this movie too.

Like, ROBOCOP!!

"Oh my God, what's wrong with your hands!"

Star Trek, 2009. Four Stars.

That T4 review really threw off the timeliness of my reviews. I need to play a bit of catch-up.

I saw Star Trek when it came out in the theatre. Saw it opening night, and we liked it so much that Tim and I took his mom to see it a few days later for Mother’s Day! And after all the hype the movie generated, I want to see it again STAT to see how I still feel about it. When does it come out on DVD??

Just checked: November 17th! Rad!

So, as stated in earlier reviews (par example, Star Trek: Insurrection), I like Star Trek. And I like this movie. I thought I would hate this new “My daddy’s dead” brat-faced Kirk, but, he was still cute and a bad-ass! Just had even more edge.

Zachary Quinto is a perfect Spock, but it’s too bad that his “Sylar” face looks like his “Spock” face, because even though he’s totally being Spock, all I can think about is Sylar.

Uhura and Spock are a thing? I’m totally okay with that.

Actually, I loved everyone in this, and they all did a great job breathing new life into these already-established characters. I got a kick out of Karl Urban’s Bones. (In fact, it's the only time I've ever gotten a kick out of Karl Urban.) A friend told me that was one of the only parts of the movie she didn’t like since he mimicked the original Bones’s character, while everyone else’s character is a unique adaptation. I can understand it, but really Urban did such a phenomenal job that I think it works fine in this reboot, plus it's really enjoyable! And like I mentioned in the T4 review, I really didn't mind that Anton Yelchin was in not one but TWO summer blockbusters, and as pretty important characters. His Chekov is commendable comedic relief, and I like that he's a kid. And he does it all with integrity. Also, SCOTTY!!!

I liked that Leonard Nimoy is in this, because I like him.

Since I mentioned so many actors, I feel badly if I don't mention all of them now. Eric Bana. Bruce Greenwood. John Cho. Those are the only ones I was familiar with before seeing this, and they were all great. Except, Winona Ryder. I don't know how I feel about her being in this.

This movie is really fun and enjoyable, and it looks cool. If you're not a big sci-fi fan, you still might like this. If you're a die-hard "Original" Star Trek fan, you still might like this.

"I'm sorry, are you from the past?" -OR- "Hello Computer."

"The IT Crowd", Season 1, 2006. Three Stars.

I had heard about this show a few years ago and was eager to watch it. Between then and now, though, boy was it over-hyped! So I didn't really know what to expect.

What I definitely didn't expect, though, was the laugh track. Laugh tracks nearly ruin most anything. And, there were a lot of "Hey, this is a funny part!" moments in the show that just really got on my nerves. It took away from the actual funny, bizarre, and original moments.

Which existed! The characters are stereotypes (I especially can't stand stereotypes of women and nerds!) and a lot of the big jokes are lifeless, so when I first started watching the show, I was practically insulted. But, some of the character's actions and what they were saying were genuinely funny... was it a fluke? Or are these stereotypes just a canvas for actual hilariousness? I had to keep watching.

No one told me that Noel Fielding plays the goth IT guy that stays locked in the back room! His appearance was so refreshing, and after his first appearance, the series really picked up for me. If they can have Vince Noir playing an ex-Executive whose obsession with Cradle of Filth has turned him into a nocturnal goth that's hidden away in the IT office... then maybe those little glitters of bizarre humor are on purpose!

The show ended up growing on me, and even though I don't really like the characters, I like what they say and how they react to stuff. I still get irritated sometimes, like with Moss's annoying "He's so stupid, isn't he funny"-ness, but his actual funny moments make up for it. Plus he's Saboo, so he can do anything he wants really. Also, the boss is amazing!

Is that a Jimmy Corrigan doll behind Roy's desk??????

By the way, I really like the DVD warning and menu, and the opening theme (both music- and graphics-wise). And I'm such an 8-bit weirdo that I spent lots of time with the DVD options to see what would happen. I really like how it was done.

I'll probably check out the other seasons of this show!

OH, I watched the "Behind the Scenes" too; it's pronounced "The It Crowd" and NOT the "I.T. Crowd"? Or is that a joke? Because I think the ironic reference to the phrase "The It Crowd" still works if you pronounce it "I.T.", plus it makes more sense with the show. I think about these things.

SUGAH SLAM!

"Parks and Recreation", 2008–Present. Three Stars (currently, and so far!).

The first season was okay. It reminded me of the British "Office" in that it definitely makes you cringe like crazy (though it's not nearly as cringeworthy); in the British "Office," however, no one's a very good person, so it's easier to come to terms with all of the horrible, embarrassing-to-watch antics that happen. "Parks" is actually harder to watch because Leslie Knope is such a nice and good person, and her naiveté is from genuine niceness, not jackass-iness. So you really feel for the poor girl.

All of the other characters in the show, however, are just terrible, selfish people, and they're not very nice to Leslie, which is difficult for me to watch. Because no one cared about anyone else, I didn't care about them, and how do you watch a show when you don't care about what you're watching? But I cared about Leslie, and I wanted to see something good finally happen to her... Well, in general, I felt that this show had potential, so I stuck with it.

There's a welcome shift in Season 2, which makes it way more enjoyable so far: the characters seem to start noticing Leslie's genuine and plucky attitude, and it's making everyone not as mean. And it's nice to see people start to come around to Leslie's side and actually support her. So now the episodes aren't just a total shitfest on the main character! And, the show is funny! Episode 2 ("The Stakeout") is pretty great, but really, I think the episodes keep getting better and better.

Amy Poehler is amazing as the show's clueless but confident lead. I like her work in general, but it's so so good to see her in a lead role! Rashida Jones is a great "straight man," and she's just so super cute. And Aziz Ansari is hilarious, I love that guy!

I don't know if this show's for everybody, but if you want to, give it a shot. I went from kind of dreading watching it, to looking forward to watching it. It gets a thumbs up from me!

“FUCK PICASSO!” a.k.a. “Is Picasso more important than your family?”

Pollock, 2000. Three and a half stars.

Bud Cort’s in this??

Also, so is Greg from Flight of the Conchords???

And Val Kilmer plays De Kooning????

…Awesome!

Everyone was really good in this. I was pleasantly surprised by all the well-known actors in this, especially the ones playing well-known artists.

I like Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings, and the idea behind and execution of his paintings and what they meant for the art world. But I didn’t know much about this personal life, so I couldn’t tell ya if Ed Harris got it right or not. This was an interesting movie though, and I liked it!

The choppy storytelling/timeline is pretty effective: It was like if Pollock was thinking back on his life, and only the most important, powerful parts to him popped up, and since it’s memory, it doesn’t flow perfectly together. It does, however, require more work for the viewer to become involved in the act of watching the movie, and there’s always the possibility of being confused and annoyed. I like it (I like being completely immersed in a movie), but I’m sure that if I were in a different mood, I could have lost patience with it.

There are quite a few “conversations” in this flick. I had a difficult time following the “blue painting” conversation, but I loooooooved the “Let’s Have a Baby” scene/speech.

It was sad to see Lee so fervently focusing on promoting Pollock's work rather than working on her own paintings (though to his defense, in the movie Pollock always made it a point that she has a space to do her own work in). Well, near the beginning of the movie, when he said “You’re a good woman painter,” I guess it set the tone for their whole professional relationship (and I wanted to hit him).

One thing I got sick of was the “stuff’s happening” music. UGH.

I’m pretty jealous that Ed Harris got to recreate Pollock’s paintings in front of the camera. How much fun is that? I’d like to find out that whole process.

Here’s a list of all the clothing items from this movie that I want, and where it can be found time-wise:

- The first cardigan seen in the Opening Scene

- Lee’s dress 55-ish minutes in

- The sweater at 1:29

Aw man, there were way more dresses in this movie that I liked, but I forgot to write them down.

“I killed a swan yesterday. ...Took a shit on it.”

"The Mighty Boosh", 2004–2007 (so far?). Four Stars.

They started airing episodes on Adult Swim. My friend Aimee mentioned how much she loves the show and that she thought I’d like it too. I hate when people tell me that they think I’ll like something! It makes me instantly hate it. But I started watching.

And! I love it!!

I can’t believe no one had love enough to introduce me to this sooner!

After seeing some third season episodes on TV, Tim and I immediately rented all the Boosh DVDs. I like all three series that’ve come out. I like that each season’s different from one another. I like how silly-insane it is!

One of my absolute faves is “Nanageddon” (where this title quote’s from). Holy crap.

“Did you drop any Weather Report?”

“Get stuffed.”

“Fair enough.”

…Okay I’m also obsessed with Old Gregg! And Kirk!

I don’t really want to talk about this any more, because if you haven’t seen it yet, I don’t want to ruin it for you. I probably already have by gushing about it. But still check it out sometime if you like comedy and electro music and fabulously badly-good costumes.

"Can I get some pants?"

"Stargate Universe", 2009. Possibly Three Stars, so far.


I liked the Stargate movie. And I was a big fan of SG-1 and Atlantis, and am bummed that they’re both off the air (SG-1 I can understand since it’s been on for so long, but I think Atlantis still had weekly tune-in-ability!).

And now there’s ANOTHER Stargate show going on the air?

Will it be good? Or will it be a disaster.

Just saw the first episode. I didn’t mind it. It didn’t immediately grab me, but it didn’t repulse me either (I was afraid it would). It was two hours long, which is amount of time to establish the series plot and characters and relationships.

Yay, Carter and O’Neill make an appearance! And so does Daniel Jackson in video form! Eli seems like a lovable Rodney McKay (well, actually I like Rodney, but in general I mean!), so yay! I don’t get how everyone’s so suspicious of Rush. Did he do something horrible that I missed? I also don’t understand how everyone’s generally being bitchy at each other. Wouldn’t being on a moving, old, broken Ancient ship bring people together despite their differences to work toward a solution for survival??

I think it’s cool (and smart) that something new’s being done with the Stargate universe: Instead of purposely exploring new planets and galaxies, these people are transported to a moving, old, broken Ancient ship that hey have no control over. And seeing how this fleshes out is what really has me interested in checking out more of the series. And the first episode hasn’t deterred me from watching the next one, so looks like I’ll be giving this series s shot!

“I was going to say ‘Mini-Me,’ but I don’t think you’d get the pop reference.” “Don’t be daft, woman. Even I’ve seen the ‘Italian Job.’”

"Mystery!", 1980–Present. Four Stars.

My friend Sarah got me into Agatha Christie (and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!) books, so when I happened across a Miss Marple episode, I just had to watch it.

Firstly, I’d always meant to start watching Masterpiece Mystery! ever since I found out that Edward Gorey did the opening sequence (the one currently used is different from this one). How rad is that?? So obviously any show with an Edward Gorey intro has got to be amazing.

Also, ALAN CUMMING presents each episode!! How long has he been doing that??

I LOVE Miss Marple. Her portrayal on the series is much more docile-looking than the character I had envisioned while I read the books, but I like her more than my version! The story I saw was one that I’d read before, but I forgot how it ended; despite the program’s “dry” “English” feel, I was totally in to the story and was really surprised by the ending.

The next week, I caught another Miss Marple episode; again it was a story I was familiar with but was still shocked by the ending. Then I caught a third episode, it was great, too!

Became officially hooked on Miss Marple and Mystery! The next few episodes I saw were Poirot mysteries; I don’t like him as much as Miss Marple, but it’s still Agatha Christie, so it’s still very good.

But then! There were no more Agatha Christie mysteries. Instead, this “Inspector Lewis” character showed up. I gave him a chance. Was immediately turned off; everything about it looked pretty dated (could be the lighting, and the terrible clothes that most of the Oxford students were wearing), and Lewis looked like he was going to be annoying. I think I watched my first episode in 15-minute installments.

But I’m glad I stuck it out… because Inspector Lewis is amazing too! I like how Lewis is so down-to-earth, yet he works in Oxford and has to deal with the hoity-toitys. And DS Hathaway, who kind of came from a similar background as most of the people in Oxford, is also an outsider. So we’ve got two outsiders fighting against all the jerks in Oxford. I love it!

My absolute favorite episode so far is “Life Born of Fire” (where the title quotes from this entry is from). Not only was the premise for the story really interesting (and even though I guessed it, the ending is awesome), but we get to learn more about Hathaway.

And I have such a crush on Hathaway!!!

"What should I tell your men when they find out you're gone?" "I'll be back."

Terminator Salvation, 2009. Three Stars.

This review is a long time coming. And it's why I haven't been updating; I really wanted to get this one done before I wrote anything else. But it was so difficult to write. I have so many mixed, strong feelings. And my suckage with words was making it frustratingly hard to get out what I wanted to say.

Here we go:

I love The Terminator, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day is my all-time favorite ever. I don't remember much about T3, which I'm pretty thankful for... but my point is, I grew up with Terminator, and I am crazy about it.

So when I found out about T4, I made sure I got my Opening Night/Midnight ticket. I was very excited!

Because, LOOK AT THIS TRAILER!! It THRILLS me! It's scary, and exciting, and makes me feel like, "YES! Finally, we get to see the aftermath of Judgment Day, and John Connor kicking butt!!"

Well, this is why I try not to get too excited about movies before I see them, because when I get excited, I always get let down. And poor little me was nearly devastated.

The movie is NOT BAD. Really. But it's also NOT FANTASTIC. It felt like a long movie. There was way too much attention paid to some parts, like when Marcus is trying to figure out where the heck he is, whereas other parts were glossed over, like John Connor's relationship to his wifey (WHO IS PREGNANT, and yeah it's cool to see a pregnant lady in a movie and not have it be a big deal, but when John Connor is spawning? BIG DARN DEAL. Yeah, also there were no sparks between them. It was just blah.)

Also, the other movies oozed such a strong sense of doom, which was surprisingly missing in this flick. And Skynet just wasn't very scary.

I'd heard that originally, the focus of this movie was going to be Marcus, and that John Connor was just going to be running around in the background. I would have been cool with that. I think it would've been interesting. But what ended up happening is that both Marcus and John Connor were the main stars of the show, and it just didn't work out very well. It was pretty confusing and disjointed.

I'm still unsure how I feel about Christian Bale as John Connor. I love Christian Bale. And I love that he has done a lot of cool weird cult-y sci-fi action-y flicks (American Psycho, Equilibrium, Reign of Fire, Batman Begins / The Dark Knight, Rescue Dawn). I would have preferred that John Connor be someone a little less "known" so the audience can have an easier time seeing John Connor as John Connor rather than John Connor as Famous Hunky Guy. But clearly Christian Bale's impressive CV shows that he's more than capable of being a fabulous John Connor.

Yet, John Connor didn't really feel very John Connor-y. We know that eventually he becomes this kick-butt hero of humanity, but... what happened to his smart-ass-ness?? One of my friends mentioned that he thought John Connor was just expectant of everything to happen, hence he was on edge and paranoid. I agree, this could explain his blank-ness. But I don't think the movie did that much to tell us that he is actually going through that. So it just felt awkward. It makes more sense that, at this point in his life, he should be at a transition stage where he's still his smart-ass-y self, but is beginning to show his strengths as a leader.

It was awesome when he was listening to that same Guns N' Roses song ("You Could Be Mine," which is in fact my most favorite GNR song!) from T2 while he was on his bike and catching the Moto-Terminator. But since they were pulling so much from that scene, I wish they just had him say "Easy money"!

I was totally fine with the actor that played Kyle Reese, and it didn't bother me that he played a big role in another summer blockbuster. And I think it's cool how young he is; it's like we're witnessing the genesis of John Connor's influence on him and future soldiers.

I thought I would hate Fake Arnold, but, I didn't!

I would like to see this movie again...

Hey, does anyone else think that McG's a douche?

You know what was pretty great, actually? "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". And that got canceled. I call shenanigans!

"Why the fuck would I blow up Chick-Fil-A? It’s fuckin’ delicious!"

Observe and Report, 2009. Three Stars.

I enjoyed the trailers for this flick, and I'd see them on TV a lot. Because they trailers are kind of silly, I completely forgot that this was not a silly movie, but rather a dark comedy.

Yes, this is a daaaaaaaaaaaark comedy. I was sitting in the theatre thinking, "WOW this isn't silly, some of it's SAD!" But I figured it out soon enough. I really liked it. I liked the choppy-ish editing and segment-y scenes. It was quirky-ish and funny. And everyone was great in it. Pretty darn dark, especially when set against a backdrop of a typical suburban mall, but that's how I like my comedies sometimes!

I would like to see this movie again!!

"Roar! I will piss on the bones of your ancestors!"

Be Kind Rewind, 2008. Three Stars.

This was a very sweet and endearing movie... which is not how it was advertised at all! I was expecting Jack Black and Mos Def to just be crazy the whole time. So I was pretty confused. It should have been advertised correctly; I still think people would have gone to see it.

So like I said, it's a very sweet movie. And it's good. Very cool seeing Michel Gondry's well-known stunning visuals created with commonplace objects. The movie montage is probably the best montage I've seen ever! And I was not expecting to see Sigourney Weaver, she's great!

It's totally worth seeing this. Just don't be surprised at the sappy moments in the movie.

"Ah!" "What happened?" "I saw the inner me."

Bicentennial Man, 1999. Three Stars.

I finally decided to watch this movie because I like robots. Tim warned me that it was epic; I, however, was all, "Whatever, it's Robin Williams as a robot, there's no way this story can get complex." I WAS SO WRONG. THIS IS SUCH AN EPIC MOVIE. It's long, and a lot of stuff happens.

Sam Neill gets a robot for his family as a surprise. Er, isn't getting a robot AN IMPORTANT FAMILY DECISION? You can't just don't show up with it one day! And, as this movie demonstrates, it can only increase tension among family members.

Robot Robin Williams was immediately embraced by Sam Neill. HELLO am I the only one that has any concern about Skynet??

RRW playing the piano is an effective and interesting way to show passage of time.

I think it's cool that, though a robot, he actually restored humanity to the family... well, at least some members.

Hey Future Government: Can you really justify Robin Williams Robot being human when he doesn't have an organic origin? It's just creepy. And I love robots and romance and stuff. But it's still creepy.

Jay from The Sarah Silverman Program is totally in this! And I've since discovered that he has been in many other things, including "Mr. Show" (which I'd been recently reintroduced to).

And, JIMMY JAMES! I'm always happy to see him in movies!

Now I plan on reading the novella. I've never read any of Isaac Asimov's actual books. (And I call myself a sci-fi buff...)

"What did you expect?" "They used to dance."

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, 2008. Three and a Half Stars.

This was better than the first one. And there's so much brutality!

Perhaps this is a better story?? Or maybe I'd just seen too many versions of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" as a kid. (Fun fact: As a kid, I saw a version of this on TV, and I didn't know what the heck a "Turkish Delight" was. I thought it involved turkey. I thought that it must've been the worst candy in the world!)

The mouse? Surprisingly not annoying! Because usually cutesy live-action animal secondary characters are.

It must be sad to be a kid who has lived a full life of magic and fantasy, only to turn back into a kid again. And also to be part of two completely different worlds: I have a difficult enough time feeling like I have a place to belong to, and I live in only one reality!

"Here's to you, you motherfuckers."

Charlie Wilson's War, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

This was a good, interesting movie! I wasn't familiar with this story (I feel so lazy admitting that!), so, you know, it was pretty flabbergast-inducing.

Some big-name actors here (Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman), and all were great!

Amazing Quote at the end of the movie:
"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world...
...and then we fucked up the end game."
— Charlie Wilson

"Do not read me, I will bore the shit out of you."

**quote by Stefan Sagmeister**

Helvetica, 2007. Four Stars.

Too much to say about this movie. Seriously! I took notes. Lots of illegible pencil scribbles on an old envelope, because, even though I'm somehow not embarrassed to share my typed words on the Internet, I'm deathly afraid of someone reading my personal written words. Hence my terrible, unreadable handwriting that no one else can decipher.

Well anyways, I'll just give my general sense of the movie. And we can chat about it in person if you'd like!

If you don't know, Helvetica is a typeface. You can learn a little bit about it here. Like many designers, I have a love/hate attitude towards Helvetica: In my opinion, it's a gorgeously designed legible typeface whose neutral-ness can, when set in different ways, express different ideas; however, it's overuse and lack of inherent expressiveness can make it a total bore.

I appreciate that, in the movie, it was mentioned that the negative space of this 'face helps it read well. I concur!! I'm a big fan of negative space and what it can do for legibility and general aesthetics.

The gist: The beginning of the movie focused on the Swiss(-style) designers and their love of Helvetica. Then it concentrates on all the designers and movements that rebelled against Helvetica (and everything it "stands for" and such). Towards the end, it tells of current designers who have found a new and different appreciation for Helvetica. So it's pretty swell that the movie covered both "Helvetica" viewpoints, which truly helps the viewer understand this typeface even more.

You want some irony? I watched this flick with the subtitles, which were in Helvetica. But it was set poorly, so it looked and read like crap!! Haha!

IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE ALL THE BRILLIANT DESIGNERS THAT I'VE STUDIED ABOUT AND TOTALLY DIG!! I'll talk about a few: Michael Bierut was the funniest!! Seeing Erik Spiekermann made me sad because it reminded me about how I missed him speak at the BPL last year. I think he's totally righteous. Paula Scher likened Helvetica to "fascism," which I think is a bit over-the-top and ridiculous (just like her, haha!). And it was cool to see Stefan Sagmeister in the movie, I have a bit of a crush on him. :D

"Stuff you Jemaine, and stuff you Bret. And stuff you again Jemaine!" "Why did I get double stuffed??"

"Flight of the Conchords", 2007–Present(?). Four Stars.

I was lucky that my boyfriend Tim introduced me to this show by the second episode; I avoided all the subsequent hype, which allowed me to bypass any sort of expectation, which enabled me to fully enjoy it!

This was the order I started watching it: Episode 2, Episode 1, then their HBO comedy special. At first, I was all, "What??" But then I was all, "HOT DAMN these guys are weird and funny!" Been hooked ever since.

If you've never seen the show before, I suggest starting with Season 1. You can either watch them in order, or check out the following few episodes (my faves) in preferably this order:

Season 1, Episode 3: Mugged
Season 1, Episode 7: Drive By
Season 1, Episode 6: Bowie

Season 1 is great, even though some of the episodes aren't that strong. It's a great introduction to the characters and their style of song-writing and humor.

I was so stoked when it turned out that Season 2 was in fact a fact and not a myth! It's quite different than Season 1 because: In Season 1, the episodes were written around already-existing songs. This contributed to a sense of flexibility and random fun that I fell in love with. But in Season 2, they'd ran out of songs and had to write all new ones. So because of this, the songs revolved around the episodes, which created a different style of writing. I loved this, as well! Plus, they obviously got more $$ for Season 2, so it was cool to see where they could take the show and their songs with more available resources. Also, I feel like there were less weak episodes than in Season 1.

Um, I feel like I must admit that Jemaine appeared in one of my dreams after the first time I watched the show... I think both Jemaine and Bret are super cuties (Bret's gorgeous, but I think Jemaine's more my type, it might be the glasses), but what really gets me is how WEIRD they are! I love it!

I'm going to see them play in April. Kristen Schaal, who plays Mel (their only fan), is opening up for them. She's HYSTERICAL!! The show wouldn't be nearly as good without her!

I wanted to leave you with a video of the first part of "Season 1, Episode 3: Mugged," but I can't find it on YouTube anymore. Blast!! I think it's a great intro to the show. But instead, I will leave you with the Ladies of the World video that Tim and I found randomly one day! It's one of my favorite songs, and the video is pretty bizarre.

"I don't want to be human! I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to — I want to smell dark matter!..."

"...Do you see the absurdity of what I am? ...I'm a machine! And I can know much more! I can experience so much more. But I'm trapped in this absurd body! And why? Because my five creators thought that God wanted it that way!"
— Brother Cavil

"Battlestar Galactica", 2004–2009. Five Stars.

YES FIVE STARS! ITS MY HIGHEST RANKING!! This was such a stupendous series. There is so much to say. But I will only say a few important things.

Yeah I'm in to Science Fiction, which is why I started watching it. Interestingly, I'd never seen any of the original series (neither '78 nor '80), and I kind of refused to watch "Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries" because I thought it looked dumb. But when they made it into a TV series, I decided to give it a shot. AND I LOVED IT!! Robots! Apocalyptic themes! Space travel!

But wait, there's more! There's also amazing acting! Drama! Mind-blowing character development! Heavy religious and philosophical themes! I consider this more of a drama/thriller than a straight-up sci-fi show.

After the first or second season, I did go back and watch The Miniseries. And yup, it was good!

I LOVE HOW THE SERIES ENDED. I won't mention anything because I don't want to spoil it, but if you want to fight about it in real life, just name the time and the place!!

There was a separate miniseries called "Razor", which was pretty intense. Though it was a little difficult to watch at some parts, I dug it.

I haven't watched this; I'm generally not a fan of webisode "extras" that go along with TV series. Has anyone seen 'em though? Recommend watching them?

All of the actors are PHENOMENAL, and it would take up too much of my time and patience to write all about it here. But I want to mention, the one actor I'm most impressed with is Tricia Helfer, who plays the Six models. She's pretty darn hot, and it's no surprise to me that she was a model. But I am surprised that she was relatively new to acting when she started the show. She did an AWESOME job playing the different Six Cylons, which had the most significant and varied personalities and looks, most notably "Caprica Six" (both the version that Baltar sees and the real life one, who are both so different), and the abused & raped victim-turned-warrior "Gina Inviere" found on Battlestar Pegasus. Lately I've been noticing her on some other shows too, like "Burn Notice" and "Chuck". I hope she keeps up the good work!

I recommend this show. It might be a good idea to start with the Miniseries first, then watch Season 1. And if you're not feeling it after Season 1, then you can choose to stop watching if you want. But I suggest watching all of the seasons before you come to a conclusion.

So, there's going to be a movie called "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan". It's about everything that happened, but from the Cylon point of view. I'll check it out, it could be pretty interesting!

I am, however, not really looking forward to "Caprica", which is supposedly a new TV series happening later this year. It deals with the Adama family and happenings on Caprica 50 years before "BSG." So it'll deal with topics like the development of the Cylons and how the war came about and such. This could be a terrible, terrible spin-off, but I'm still probably going to give it a chance.

"Kane thought he could tell us what to do, and we told Kane: 'FUCK YOU!'"

Doomsday, 2008. Two and a Half Stars.

The beginning of this movie was totally righteous. It was scary, and sad, and it just immediately grabs you and forces you into this nightmarish world. Woah.

But then the rest of the movie is fairly ridiculous. And you know I love fairly ridiculous things! But it's just so different from the beginning that it's actually quite startling, so I liked this movie less and less the more I kept watching it.

It is pretty okay though, especially if you check your sense of reality at the door. It's pretty much like "Mad Max vs. Feudalism."

Though I still wish the movie that was being made at the beginning was the movie that it ended up being. That would have been thrilling.

Rhona Mitra is a very good ultimate bad ass!!

"But Benny Said." "Fuck Benny."

Carlito's Way, 1993. Three Stars.

Good movie! I really liked opening sequence. It was fun to see Sean Penn! And Viggo! And I totally recognized Nathan Petrelli!

That Pacino can sure act! Cool seeing him play a somewhat similar character to Scarface, but, you know, making different life decisions.

"The trouble with a poet is how do you know it's deceased? Try the priest."

Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

Surprisingly great!! Dark, twisted musical! Talented actors! Perfect visuals! And lovely, lovely gore!

Imagine seeing this on Broadway, must've been awesome!

"That ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, Homeskillet."

Juno, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

I was hesitant to check out this movie because of all the hype. But I finally rented it when it came out on DVD. And, it's highly enjoyable! And really funny!!

It's not just another "quirky oddball comedy" for "Gen Y", which is what I was afraid it was gonna be. This is a really great story, and has a great cast playing wonderful and interesting characters. Ellen Page owns the character Juno MacGuff. She's really amazing. It's so good to see a unique teenage female character on the silver screen.

Being a teenage girl at one point myself, I find myself stressed out by, yet also weary of, the typical topics and attitudes surrounding teen pregnancy. This movie, however, deals with this issue in a fresh light, and it's refreshing that it's not only what the movie is about.

I'm always a big fan of Michael Cera! Jennifer Garner really surprised me, in a good way, with how good she is in this. And it's always awesome to see Jason Bateman getting work!!

"Well, if it wasn't the Sasquatch, we sure got some big dude walkin' around here dumpin' the biggest feces I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot."

The Sasquatch Gang, 2006. Two and a Half Stars.

So The Mac Guy's in this. And he has a mullet. Pretty obnoxious, eh? He's actually not as bad as I expected, though.

The Main Character is modeled too closely after Napoleon Dynamite, which ruined my movie experience.

Hey, Carl Weathers!! He eats poop! Well, it's not really poop, but the spirit's there!

The only really great character in this is Sophie. Though I also enjoyed the dude with no shirt on, despite seeming like the character's speech and awkward mannerisms were heavily influenced by Kip (who is so cute in real life!).

I liked that the "bullies" in this movie were not very cool either. Everyone's pretty dorky. It's nice to see something like that instead the usual teenage social hierarchy used in movies.

There are some pretty fun moments, I must admit. I don't not recommend seeing this movie, but I wouldn't suggest going out of your way either.

"Art challenging technology, and technology inspires the art."

The Pixar Story, 2007. Four Stars.

I don't know anything about how computers work, or about computer graphics. I know about binary code, but I still can't wrap my head around it! It's very cool to see how involved Pixar was in the development of computer graphics. And it's cool to see their old stuff and how it all came about. And that Toy Story changed so radically (and for the better!), and how truly innovative it really was.

Collaboration and a fun environment equals creativity and a unique way of seeing! (I've always felt this way.)

Computers do NOT equal creativity: Couldn't agree more!!

I grew up watching Brave Little Toaster, and man did it do a number on me. It's so sad, and I'm still getting over the belief that inanimate objects are alive. That really messed me up. Even just thinking about that movie makes me anxious.

"I don't think the government's the one screwing you. Five in a hole."

The Hoax, 2006. Three and a Half Stars.

I'm always ilways iffy about Richard Gere movies (I don't know why!), but I didn't know a lot about Howard Hughes, so I decided to check this out. Very interesting! And pretty good! That's all I have to say. I enjoyed it.

"The missiles are flying. Hallelujah, Hallelujah!"

The Dead Zone, 1983. Three and a Half Stars.

An 80's sci-fi movie starring Christopher Walken? Yep, my kind of movie!!

It's cool that everyone believes him. One of the most frustrating things in movies is when no one believes the main character.

His house reminds me of my great aunt's and gramma's house: It feels familiar and cozy, and it's decked out in the style of my childhood (I was born in 1982).

Martin Sheen is awesome. Baby shield!!!

I checked out some of the "making of" features after the movie. The Look of Dead Zone: "sparkling." It sure is!! If this was filmed in Ontario, then I belong in Canada. It's pretty and cozy. I like wearing cold weather clothing.

"I've been drinking green tea all goddam day!"

Hot Rod, 2007. Two and a Half Stars.

I LOVE THE LONELY ISLAND.

But, this is not a Lonely Island movie. There are FUNNY parts and lots of little gems. The Dudes did a great job taking over this movie that was meant to star someone else. But still, sometimes the story and dialogue felt forced and flat. I would love to see what The Dudes could come up with if given the chance to do their thang.

Akiva's cameo was pretty funny! I think he's a good director, I like his music videos and seeing his movie work was pretty cool!

Also, what a surprising and good cast!

And, CHEZ!!! I'd imagine that his appearance in the film might seem random, but if you're familiar with Chester Tam, YOU LOVE IT LIKE I DO.

(If you're curious, this is still one of my favorite Chez videos, featuring Kal Penn and Superman.)

I enjoyed this interview with them. I wish I could hang out and drink beers and make fart jokes with them.

"People who eat Army food often end up dead."

Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It., 1971. One Star.

This was listed in the TV Guide as "Gas-s-s-s" and was intrigued! The description said, "Roger Corman's futuristic tale of a youth takeover after gas fumes kill everyone over 25." Since it sounded pretty awesome, I set up a DVR recording and watched it the next day.

Some things that happened during the film: Biker gang golf club. Football Town: "Rape Pillage Loot." Native American vegetarian commune: "You're having a protein deficiency hallucination." And the ending? Everyone that was ever in the movie climbed up out of a hole in the ground and there was a big dance party. This sounds fun and interesting, right?

IT'S NOT! Essentially, it is an obsolete counterculture comedy. At first I thought, "It's only 79 minutes, I can handle sitting through it." But I was so antsy and bored the whole time! At it's heart, it's basically one big boring hippie road trip. Though it did, however, bring up valid alternative viewpoints on established social hierarchies and countercultures at the time, and I appreciate that it was done in such a cool, weird way.

This movie probably went over my head. It's probably brilliant. I'd probably think it was the best thing ever if I were my age now back when this movie was released.

This situation begs the question: is it better to be the pinnacle representation of your time, or to be timeless? Both are legit goals. If you're a filmmaker, I guess it depends on what's important to you.

"In my opinion, the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon."

Watchmen, 2009. Three Stars.

I'm personally giving this movie Three Stars because I really liked it. But, it's not a very good movie!

I love the comic book, and it was so cool seeing the characters come to life and the story unfold on the big screen. There's so much that happens in the comic book, however, and it was a good move to not include every single thing in the movie, and instead focus on the larger overall themes. That being said... the pacing was so slow at some points and so fast in others, that the things that were supposed to have a big impact on the audience (like, Holy Shit The Comedian! and, Oh, THAT'S why Bubastis exists!) ended up coming up short.

The beginning of the movie was well-done: Totally dug the snapshot-ish narrative of the history of the Minutemen and what happened to the superheroes, it was fun and effective.

The ending has been changed, but it's just a different means to the same end. I thought it was pretty interesting and okay. Plus, the movie couldn't handle including the original ending.

I didn't like some of the casting. Matthew Goode was good as Veidt, but he lacked the "god-like" physique which added to his "superhuman-ness" in the comic. I GUESS Malin Akerman did a great job because Laurie Juspeczyk is a pretty vapid and one-dimensional character, but she sounded like Drew Barrymore and it was annoying.

Who's actually great in this? Patrick Wilson is perfect as Dan Dreiberg (and he's wicked cute!!). Jackie Earle Haley is everything I could have hoped for in a Rorschach. And I gotta say, it was SO COOL seeing Doc Manhattan! Way to go, Billy Crudup! The blue wang didn't freak me out as much as it did everyone else in the cinema. Everyone else in it was pretty decent too. Jeffrey Dean Morgan looked just like The Comedian.

So like I said, I liked it. If you're a fan of the comic book, you'll probably like it more than dislike it. If you're not familiar with anything about it, you'll most likely leave the cinema confused, dissatisfied, and tired.

**UPDATE 3/18/09**

There is something important that I forgot to mention. The soundtrack SUCKS. Cheesy, dumb, uninspired. The music during the awkward sex scene would've been HILARIOUS, only if the movie had that fun self-awareness to pull it off. But it didn't! Totally sucks!

(If memory serves correctly, I don't think I minded the song used in the opening credits though. Eh.)

"Very sexy stuff. Very very sexy."

Tha Manchurian Candidate, 1962. Three and a Half Stars.

Such a cool movie!! I like it so much! Though I think the content of this movie could benefit even more from a richer and more complex structure, I still really dug the straight-forwardness of the way the story was told.

Looking forward to watching the remake, and reading the novel!

Janet Leigh? Very cute.

Laurence Hardy? Great wacko.

Frank Sinatra? Liked this bastard!

Angela Lansbury? So cool.

"I can believe most anything; my problem is I just don't care."

We're No Angels, 1989. Three Stars.

I'd originally set a DVR recording to tape this movie because the TV guide said it was the one from 1955, so I was confused when Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn showed up! So, it ended up being the newer version, but I still watched it.

It was pretty enjoyable. Everyone was good in it. I actually like Demi Moore in this! And John C. Reilly plays a monk!!

I'll have to watch the old one now to compare.

"Gay Muslim activists. That is a very rare job description."

Religulous, 2008. Three Stars.

Good movie, but exactly what you'd expect from Bill Maher. I thought it was funny. But I was a wee bit annoyed that, at first, he tried to tell people that he was "just trying to understand how people feel," but in the end, he really just bashed the entire concept of religion.

I think that, if he were really serious about getting his point across to a new audience instead of just preaching to the choir, he would have been less aggressive and offensive. For example, he ended the movie by saying that, in order for the human race to survive, religion must be completely done away with... A harsh assessment after a 90-minute beliefs-bashing romp!

It was, however, interesting to hear some of the weird beliefs people have, and how they use religion to validate them.

Also, there was lots of Michael Moore-esque editing. It makes for a fun-to-watch movie, but also makes one take the content a little less seriously.

"Isn't that kind of insulting?" "I guess it's supposed to be. I mean, we're trying to get rid of them."

The Gate, 1987. Two Stars.

This seems like a movie you love if you grow up with it (like The Peanut Butter Soution and The Worst Witch... actually those movies totally rule!), but I didn't grow up with it, so, as an adult, I thought it was dumb and boring. But there's this one part that almost made me cry! The look young Stephen Dorff has on his face toward the end of the movie, when his friend falls down the stairs into hell... you can tell there's a moment of sheer panic; of, "I'm way too young for this shit." Haha!

"Balls & weiner, all the way."

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, 2007. Three Stars.

WOW, I liked this way more than I expected! The story and characters are a little basic: these guys are all a little uneasy about homosexuality, but towards the end of the movie, everyone learns to love and accept everyone for who they are. I guess it's a more compelling story if you're a viewer that actually needs help coping with homophobia or something...

But still, it's a cute movie. And the reason why Chuck & Larry get together in the first place is pretty adorably sweet. Also, there are some pretty darn funny moments in this flick!

"Let's make him a weenie wagger."

The Parallax View, 1974. Three Stars

You know, even though it feels pretty dated, and the story isn't as complex or sophisticated as it could have been, I still really enjoyed this!

I like the tag line: There is no conspiracy. Just twelve dead people.

"My God, do we really suck? Or is this guy really that GOOD??"

Shoot 'Em Up, 2007. Three Stars.

Ridiculous, but SO FUN!! I dig action movies, but action sequences generally bore me with clichés and uninteresting camera work. The action in this movie, however, is actually engaging! Right off the bat: a dude gets a carrot through his skull! Also, loved the fresh use of Nirvana.

I'm becoming such a fan Clive Owen, I love the mysterious characters he tends to portray.

Paul Giamatti is awesome! I'd just seen him in John Adams (no review for that, sorry! I did enjoy it though), so it was great to see him in such a completely different role.

Seriously, this movie's so fun to watch!!

*no quote*

The Day of the Triffids, 1981. Zero Stars.

It's not even fair that I even mention the possibility of stars. My boyfriend Tim and I rented this TV miniseries, and it was so frustratingly boring that we stopped watching after the first episode and returned it.

So all I can say is, it's so boring that I couldn't watch it. And that's saying something, because even if something's terrible, my need for closure keeps me watching movies and such until the bitter end.

"Look! I'm sorry about the balls!"

In the Mouth of Madness, 1994. Three Stars.

First saw with my cousin Em because she had a crush on Sam Neill. Couldn't remember much of the movie, so watched it again. And I totally liked it!!

Julie Carmen freaks me out in this! But that's awesome.

The "hard rock printing press" during opening credits is pretty funny! It's like hard rock was the 90's way of expressing evil in horror movies.

How much different would finding Hobbs End be now, with internet, cell phones, and GPS... would this change the story at all??

Sam Neill's not listed in end credits. Was this on purpose? Like, he's just a character, even in our reality, so the reality in the movie will soon become real life? Or, am I reading to much in to this... ?

At the end of the credits:
"Animal interaction was monitored by the American Humane Association with on set supervision by the Toronto Humane Society. No animal was harmed in the making of this film. Human interaction was monitored by the Inter Planetary Psychiatric Association. The body count was high, the casualties are heavy."

I can't seem to find any info on why this was there, I'm assuming it's just a weird, funny thing!

"Go ahead. Laugh. Laugh, and you won't hear us coming."

Pressure Point, 1962. Four Stars.

Awesome movie. Everything about it is brilliant. The acting, the story, the interaction with The Doctor and The Patient, and even the sad ending of The Patient. Yeah it's a movie about race, which when the movie came out was so taboo (heck it still is for some people!), but one of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the way the audience is led into The Patient's life and his history that ended him up where he is today. I looooooved the way the flashbacks were treated, almost like little plays going on in the same room as the characters. Everything about this movie was right-on.

Also, you can't beat the tagline: "FILMED IN BLACK, IN WHITE, IN RAGE!"

"Better bring out the big guns on this one. She's crazy with a side of crazy!"

Reign Over Me, 2006. Three Stars.


Sooooooo good! Awesome to see Adam Sandler play a pretty serious character. He was actually a little attractive in this...

The ladies love Don Cheadle!! THEY ARE OBSESSED.

"Make me a mah-tini, you fah-kin retah-d!"

Gone Baby Gone, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

I'd heard that everyone loved this movie, and I'd been meaning to see it. So I finally rented it. Wasn't expecting much because of all the hype, but it actually turned out to be really good!

Yeah the actor's are great. And the characters are interesting. Coming from and still living in Boston and the surrounding area, I can say the shitty local characters were dead on. :D But the most impressive thing about this was the complex and heart-breaking story. Patrick does everything in his power to uphold the law that he holds so near and dear, but in the end, was is REALLY the right thing to do? Maybe I don't know how DSS works, but, couldn't they have rescued her from her neglectful, shitty mom and placed her in the loving care of Morgan Freeman? Was the kidnapping and fake murder really necessary? Perhaps I am naive.

"Keep behind me. There's no sense in getting killed by a plant."

The Day of the Triffids, 1962. Three Stars.

Yeah!!! Totally awesome!! KILLER PLANTS FROM SPACE!

I love that people, deprived of their sense of sight, become incapable, bumbling idiots! And hot damn, that scientist dude was a bit abusive, eh? Though I guess I should be glad to see that back then, a lady in a movie would even be allowed near science-y equipment.

Super fun movie. But I heard there's an British 80's miniseries that's more true to the book, so Tim and I are gonna check that out next.

"I've never seen a face like that before. That must be the look... the look of being old."

Logan's Run, 1976. Three Stars.

Yeah, I can't believe I hadn't seen this before now either! This is my kind of flick: a dystopian utopia with people willingly flying to their deaths. It's funny how they picked a dude that always looked pretty old (Michael York) for the lead in a movie where everyone's young! Also, the 70's-ness of everything makes the movie even more bizarre! Like the "hologram" of Logan's head? Super crazy-looking!

I didn't really understand that robot guy in the ice. Was he a guard trying to keep people from escaping? Or was he just his own, weird thing? Also, so there's no "Sanctuary"... or, because at the end everyone broke free on their own, was the movie trying to impart on it's dear viewers that one must make their own Sanctuary? Think about it. Deep stuff.

"Lemme tell ya, I'm from Buenos Aires, and I say, 'Kill 'Em All!'"

Starship Troopers, 1997. Three and a Half Stars.

My friends love this movie... and now I do too! Pretty fun!!

The cool elaborate and appropriate DVD menu was a great way to introduce the viewer to the "propaganda" and feel of this culture.

Surprisingly awesome cast: NPH! Rue McClanahan!
Lassiter from Psych!!! And Denise Richards?? Totally weird that she's in it. Her character sucked.

The "Fade Into You" fight scene was pretty amazing. Because it's a fight scene that uses this song.

And woah, YUM Casper Van Dien. This movie got me to really appreciate this dude. Woah. Such a cute little man.

"If you piss in your pants, you only stay warm for so long."

We Own the Night, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

I didn't know what this was about at all until I saw it. Gotta say, I was indeed riveted!! The portrayal of the time period felt genuine, and the actors were very believable as these characters (At first I wasn't sure Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg could pull off being brothers. But it was cool!). And Eva Mendes was good.

That's all I can say. I dug this movie.

"Randy, I'm trying to sacrifice my life for our love. Stop being a dick."

Balls of Fury, 2007. Two and a Half Stars.

Totally funnier than I expected! But then again, I wasn't expecting much... some genuinely funny parts, sprinkled with some pretty messed up humor. Christopher Walken's character was enjoyable, though not that inspired. Probably enjoyable because, have you ever not enjoyed a Christopher Walken performance??

Catch this if you can view it for free and feel like a dumb movie to make you chuckle!

"Give us a hand. Pick up that arm and find out who it belongs to."

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, 2008. Two stars.

This movie tried to do many things. But it was pretty fun! EVEN THOUGH THE SPECIAL EFFECTS AND COMPUTER ANIMATION WERE AWFUL. LIKE, REALLY COMPLETELY TERRIBLE. Like, ever hear of "rendering??" The makers of this movie haven't!

I hadn't seen the first Starship Troopers, so I wasn't familiar with this universe. Because of that, I probably missed some self-references and the general feel of their society. But whatever, it's not like I missed out on much. The movie's basically them killing big bugs still.

Tim and our friend Alex totally dig the first one, so that's one of the next flicks on my list. And I've been told to stay away from the second one...

"Helena? Je vous aime."

Subway, 1985. Two and a Half Stars.

I borrowed from my sis Sara, because, heeheehee, it has Christopher Lambert in it. As a punk! I AM FOREVER!!

So this is totally a French 80's movie. The cops chase around a secret society of subway dwellers (the cop music is super funk-ay). Christopher Lambert, one of the new subway dwellers, keeps blackmailing this rich woman because he's in love with her. And then he creates a rock-n-roll band and gets them a gig in the subway (great scene!). Then he dies.

Catch this gem if you can!!

"Hey, don't hurt me. I'm brittle."

Rocky Balboa, 2006. Three Stars.

I'm gonna get shit for saying this, but, I've never really cared for the Rocky movies. I've seen 'em multiple times since my childhood, but I just can't seem to remember what happened in which movie. I know they're good and everyone likes them, I just can't keep all the different versions straight.

I decided to check out this movie anyways. Why not; it's Rocky, it's harmless. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much, but, this movie ended up being pretty good! I liked seeing what happened to Rocky, and it was fun seeing him train again. And yay, Peter Petrelli's in it!

I won't tell you if he wins or not.

"But the one thing they can't stomach is the image of a vice president with a mouthful of cock."

The Contender, 2000. Four Stars.

Awesome movie!!!!!!!!! A very cool story, with a kick-ass actors. Joan Allen did a heck of a job as Laine Hanson, who is such a strong and inspiring character.

Basically, the Vice President dies, the the dude who was the top pick to replace him is a dick. The President (played by The Dude!!) picks this lady senator (Laine Hanson) to be his VP because she's so awesome. But Gary Oldman can't handle having a chick in office, so, hoping to disgrace her, he digs up evidence that in her college years, Hanson was in a 3-way at a party. And there's like video evidence to back it up. It's pretty nasty and embarrassing.

Well, Hanson refuses to comment on this. Why should she; it has nothing to do with her cool politics skillz. Plus it was in college, and it's not like no one in political office has never had a three-way before. Someone's personal life should be completely separate from their political life.

In the end, The Prez chastises the stupid media and Gary Oldman, and sings the praises of Hanson's abilities as a soon-to-be VP, and then everyone ends up loving her and she gets sworn in. But the kicker: that wasn't even her in the triste. Her belief that someone's personal life should remain separate from their political life is so strong that she refuses to comment on it, even to save face. Because it's nobody's damn business, and there are more important things that people should focus on. Damn she's cool.

I saw this movie before the recent U.S. Presidential race, and it was interesting to compare the character of Laine Hanson to Sarah Palin.

"How do you spell that?" "How do you... with an 'S' for shithead!"

Frantic, 1988. Two and a Half Stars.

Visually? Sooooooooooo late 80's. But not fun late 80's; more like boring-people-with-no-personality late 80's. Harrison Ford and his wife were so icky.

But the movie picked up after she got kidnapped. And watching Harrison Ford run around trying to find her was kind of fun. But I don't recommend watching this unless you're bored and it's the only movie on and you feel like watching a movie.

"You're in love. Have a beer." OR, "I'm not a baby. I'm a tumor."

Hellboy II: The Golden Army, 2008. Four Stars.

Such a gooooooood movie!!! And I totally agree with my friend Alex: Ron Perlman doesn't play "Hellboy;" Ron Perlman IS Hellboy!

I'm totally okay with the story line in the movies being different from the comic book. It's actually a necessity. And for some reason I'm okay with Hellboy and Liz having pyro demon twins.

The ONLY bothersome thing in this movie is Hellboy as a little kid, it looked too weird!

"You dropped my baby, bitch!"

Resident Evil: Extinction, 2007. Three Stars.

Life after zombies, eh? This was actually way less oppressively disheartening than The Walking Dead (which I can't even read anymore, because it's reaaaaally depressing and I can't handle it. Awesome comic though!) Alice still kicks major butt, so the action was pretty good. And she has rad hair.

So, this movie was okay. I enjoyed watching it, though Tim, who started out watching it with me, left the room after awhile because he didn't have the patience for it. It was better than the sequel. Though I don't really remember the sequel... just that I didn't like it nearly as much as the first one. The first one's still the best. I think, however, I'm always going to enjoy Resident Evil movies, even if they make more and they are absolutely terrible...

I just can't get over Milla Jovovich!! She's sooooo pretty and such a good actor! And she always does cool roles. My faves: Katinka and Leeloo!

"You either surf or you fight."

Apocalypse Now: Redux, 1979. Three and a Half Stars.

Wow, what a long, epic movie!! I didn't realize it at the time though. I stayed up late watching it, but, I didn't even realize it. It was so engrossing. This movie rules. If you've seen this, and I'm sure most of you have, then you probably agree that nothing more needs to be said. Unless, you DO have more to say, then feel free to leave a comment.

Hey now I know where the following quotes come from!
"The horror... the horror."
"Charlie don't surf."

"Snow cone?" "Yuck." "No, no, no, don't worry. It's lemon."

Monsters, Inc., 2001. Four Stars.

Tim warned me that this was the only movie in a long time to make him cry. Since I HATE SPOILERS, I wouldn't let him tell me why! I wasn't really interested in seeing it because I thought a kids movie about monsters would be stupid and boring.

But he finally got me to watch it, and, IT'S AMAZING!! Super funny, and a fun, imaginative story. Plus the animation is stuuuuunning.

So, I'd noticed a few tender, heart-warming scenes throughout the movie, but nothing that would make me cry (and I'm very sensitive), let along world-weary (haha!) Tim. But at the very end, when they fix Boo's door, and Sulley pokes his head through, and she goes, "Kitty!," that's when I cried my eyes out. Holy shit.