"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.