M O V I N G P I C T U R E M A N I A ! !

What I've Been Watching -OR- "But you love Huey Lewis and the News." "But they don’t know that!"

2011-10-24T21:24:00.013-04:00

I have no idea what I'm doing with this blog anymore... It takes a lot of time to write a post, and I'm not even writing that much! So, while I ponder things over, let's talk about what I've been watching lately:

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", 1993–1999.
I'm really excited to be watching this! You all know my feelings for Star Trek: The Next Generation (except that I wrote that I thought Riker was a hottie. He's indeed handsome, but I really did like Data the most). I hadn't seen the TV series since I was a kid. A few months ago, I found out it was on Netflix instant watch, so I re-watched the whole series, and it was glorious. (And now I don't know who has more of my heart: Data, or Worf.) But then, I felt empty when it was all over. Well, I'd briefly watched DS9 back when it was on the air, but I stopped, and I think it's because I didn't think it was as awesome as TNG. But hey, I discovered that it's on instant watch as well! What a perfect way to fill my TNG void, plus I've been promised that things get awesome by the third season. I'm about two-thirds through the first season right now. It's okay so far, I like it but I'm looking forward to when the show starts coming in to its own.

"Castle", 2009–Present.
I love me some Nathan Fillion, and I started watching this during the third season to get my Fillion Fix. But now I'm thoroughly enjoying the show! The writing can be a little unoriginal and the characters can be a little predictable, but I like 'em all. And Rick Castle just seals the deal for me. I need to get my hands on the first few seasons for more Fillion. Plus, Beckett is a sizzling badass.

"Parks and Recreation", 2009–Present.
I'm so happy this show is hitting its stride, and that it's getting the props it deserves!!!!!!! (Here's my previous review of the first two seasons.) I think it's one of the funniest and most original shows on the air currently. All of the characters are amazing. Yes, Ron Swanson, but also all the rest of them. "Treat Yo Self 2011!"

"Up All Night", Now!
I love this show! Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph: they're so good and funny in this! (Also, surprisingly, is Nick Cannon. And one of my favorite Lonely Island dudes makes a guest appearance!) Plus it's great to see Will Arnett move away from his (admittedly spectacular) crazy weirdo roles and play an actual person for once. (Who knew he could be so endearing!) The show itself is decent, it has a lot of promise and there are lots of laughs in the mix. I also find it relatable, even though I don't have a baby...? Maybe it's just 'cuz I'm getting old, dudes. Check out this recap of my favorite episode so far: Cool Neighbors. Definitely give this show a whirl, and join me on the "I Think They Can" train!

Bonus: Show I Miss Watching:

"Chuck", 2007–Present.
I know: what?! It's not an amazing show, but it was really fun, and Zachary Levi is kind of cute. And, Adam Baldwin!! I don't have cable and don't get the basic channels on my TV, so all my television goodies come from Netflix and Hulu Plus through the PS3. And Chuck isn't on Hulu Plus. Chuck is on regular Hulu though. I haven't really watched anything on regular Hulu before, but I may as well give it a go...

Fun Fact: It took me three hours to write this. Three Whole Hours. That's 4 episodes of DS9 I could have been watching! Lame.

"You look like Kid n’ Play." "That’s actually two people.”

2011-04-09T00:31:00.007-04:00

Hot Tub Time Machine, 2010. Two and three-quarters stars?

I didn't know how to feel about when I finally got the opportunity to see this movie, because the first round of reviews I heard was that it kinda sucked, but then the second round of reviews I heard made it seem like the most hilarious thing ever. But I did want to see it because of all four of the main actors in it...

Turns out it's just okay. It runs hot and cold. Meh. There were some really funny parts, and there were some really uninspired moments.

The thing that ticked me the most was the deadpan deoivery of the line "It must be some kind of Hot Tub Time Machine." Actually, there are a lot of great lines in this movie. ("It’s called male bonding, okay? Haven’t you even seen Wild Hogs?") And I appreciated the unexplained innuendos about Cincinnati.

I usually enjoy the Rob Corddry, but I was unenthused with his character in the movie (though he pulled it off really well, of course. But he deserved a less stupid part). John Cusack... sorry dude, the 80's won't leave you alone. I wish they would. Making an interesting movie in this decade would be pretty cool, right...? I LOVE Craig Robinson (Who wants linoleum floors?), and I'm really really happy with pretty much anything he does. Clark Duke, I'm glad that you and Michael Cera's careers are taking off, but I miss your website.

I was surprised and stoked that Lizzy Caplan was in this, I only know her from Mean Girls but she's the best and I need to pay more attention to her.

So, Crispin Glover is in this too? He is my favorite Hollywood weirdo. I was more pumped about his performance than Chevy Chase's involvement in this flick.

The random Red Dawn allusions were delightful!

Even though this was a pretty uneven movie, I still enjoyed watching it. I don't think I'd see it again though.

Now I'm in the mood for a really funny movie. I want to see Pineapple Express again!!

"That's it! You cocky cock! You'll pay for your crimes against humanity!" -OR- "She geeks, she geeks. She has the capacity to geek."

2010-08-05T08:23:00.017-04:00

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 2010. Three Stars.

BACKSTORY!!! I like a lot of the stuff that Oni Press publishes, so even though it looked like it could be obnoxious, I decided to give a book called "Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life" a shot (yes the backwards-facing quotation mark on the cover irks me, but I'm like that!). AND I LOVED IT. The art style is amazing. It's really fun. And really funny. All the characters are dorks and like music (who does that sound like??). And the main character has to fight his girlfriend's seven evil ex-boyfriends, and all the battles are like video games. OH MAN! I'd alternate in between spazzing out about it and forcing it on anyone I could to read it! That was back in 2004; for the past six years I'd been impatiently waiting for all six volumes to come out (they ended up being released pretty much one volume a year; the final volume came out in July).

FAN BOY ALERT!!! If you know me, you know I never shut up about this. But I think this is still so unbelievably cool: So, before Volume 3 came out, I happened to be on the internet the same time Bryan Lee O'Malley was on it, asking fans for photos to use on billboards in the book. I exuberantly sent at least 15. Check out Chapter 15, 14th page: IT'S ME!!!

THE MOVIE!!! Firstly, I knew Bryan Lee O'Malley was involved in writing the screen play, and I'm a big fan of Edgar Wright, but I had serious doubts as to whether this comic that became so near and dear to my heart could successfully be adapted to movie form. I didn't wanna see any trailers, I didn't wanna see any clips, I didn't even wanna talk about it, so that I'd have zero expectations for this movie. Because if I let myself, I would totally nerd out and get really excited for it, inevitably getting my expectations too high, then be inherently disappointed when I finally did see it.

But, my super friend Alex got a few of us sneak preview passes to see it last night! So I finally let myself watch the official trailer on the website yesterday. And, it didn't look half bad!

The movie had me at the 16-bit Universal Studio logo. Mamma Jamma.

I can't believe Michael Cera pulled off being Scott Pilgrim. He was good! And Ann from "Arrested Development" was one of the evil exes! Reunited!

All the actors in this were superb. This review would be even longer if I wrote about every single one of them, so I won't. But I have to say that the girl that played Knives Chau was exceptional. I was very impressed with her performance!

I just absolutely love Aubrey Plaza, and I'm so happy she's in this movie. She's a perfect Julie. Uncanny in appearance, and she nailed the character.

Also, Jason Schwartzman is the perfect Gideon. I had my doubts about Kieran Culkin as Wallace (I thought he looked too slobby when I saw the trailer), but he ended up being perfect too. I can't remember if I saw Superman Returns or not (must not have made a good impression on me if I did...), so I was always like "Oh Brandon Routh's playing Superman, so he must just be another boring Hollywood actor." But then I saw this, and I was intrigued... His being Todd in this movie has sealed the deal on my small infatuation with him!!

Why didn't they have the real Comeau play Comeau? Nelson Franklin did just fine, but, there's a real Comeau so how cool would that have been?

Thomas Jane is the Vegan Police!!!

I liked the comic book-y graphics they added; I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but it ended up looking decent and fun. Really appreciated how they incorporated some of the text from the book, especially the names/descriptions/ratings boxes. And there was a good ratio of real-life scenes to fastly-cut-fantastical scenes.

Hey, is that Gideon the cat on Scott's mug in the first scene?

I have lots of little details I'd really like to talk about, but I think I have to stop here. But maybe someday, if you see the movie, we will talk about it!

Because I'm such a fan of the comic and already knew the story, I knew what was going to happen in the movie and I knew what kinds of things to expect. So I can't say if it was good or not, or even if the story was cohesive or if the pacing was effective. But I can definitely say I really really enjoyed it. They did a really good job of taking a six-year labor of love and adapting it to a 1 hour and 45 minutes movie.

If you've never read the book and know nothing about this, and you see this movie, please tell me what you think?

I want to watch it again right now.

BTW, at the end of the screening, Edgar Wright, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, and Jason Schwartzman came out and took questions about the movie. They talked about behind-the-scenes stuff, and Edgar talked about how they did the music stuff for the movie, and such. Cool!!

Hee hee hee.

Also, read the book some time! scottpilgrim.com

Can I please be a "Music Supervisor" for movies?????

"Lay down some phat beats for me to kick my buddy's ass to, alright?"

2010-08-04T09:08:00.011-04:00

Iron Man 2, 2010. Three and a half stars.

Well, I should get started on this summer's movies before the summer ends, eh?

I thoroughly enjoyed Iron Man. In fact, I loved everything about it! And I'd been anxious to see Iron Man 2. I didn't have much hope for it being good: Usually movies I love have awful sequels, especially if they're big Hollywood blockbusters.

But this movie was pretty great! I mean, I feel like it's a different kind of movie, so it's like comparing apples and oranges: the first one is establishing the characters and movie universe, the second one is delving in more and taking it to the next level. Even though it was good... right now I'm giving it three and a half stars. That might change once I watch it again... Really it's good though!

Robert Downey Jr. continues his awesome performance as Tony Stark. There were a few points in the movie that I actually didn't like, that were (believe it or not) too fantastical that took me out of the movie. But his performance was so strong that he made it work. Like: the race-track scene where Vanko (BTW: Mickey Rourke? Excellent!) was Whiplash-ing cars to get to Tony... there would, and should, have been more destruction, shrapnel, and accidental hits that would have hurt or severely injured waaaaaaay more people. It's science, dudes. I know it's silly that something like that irked me, but, it did and does! Tony's reactions kept me from throwing things at the screen though. And that lame part with the little boy, Robert Downey Jr. made that cheesiness work in the end by having it be just so Tony.

Don Cheadle!! Terrence Howard was good as Rhodey in the first movie, and I'm not quite sure what happened here (I heard it was about $$, but I also heard it was a surprise to Howard...), and it's sad, but... Don Cheadle!! He is awesome, and if anyone had to successfully replace a prevalent character in a prevalent movie, it could only be him.

Scarlett Johansson. Blah. Sexy but pretty boring. And "Natasha Romanoff" shouldn't really be boring... right??

Pepper Potts! Gwyneth Paltrow is still good and as adorable as ever.

Has anyone else noticed that the ladies in this movies are wearing high heels that are too extreme and end up looking like they're walking in sand all of the time? Sexy while standing, awkward while walking.

Everyone in general is pretty much great in this. Sam Rockwell (slowly becoming one of my favorite character actors of all time), Sammy Jackson, like I said Mickey Rourke, and even Garry Shandling, who somehow sometimes makes me uncomfortable. And also, DAMN Jon Favreau's CV is getting pretty impressive, eh? Good for him!

Where've I Been??

2010-08-03T12:37:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't posted anything in ages! There's lots I've been meaning to post about too, I just haven't had the time. I was brutally and prolong-edly sick, I bought a home (first-time homebuyer — what a crazy mess!), and I've been dealing with a particularly daunting work schedule. I meant to at least write about last summer's movies at least before this summer, but that didn't work out too well! Blaugh!

Well, I hope to pick up with more recent movies and shows, and eventually when things die down, I can go back and revisit the ones I haven't been able to talk about yet (like District 9, "Bones", American Artifact, Up, and "The Drinky Crow Show"). So, look out for some upcoming blog-iness!

"Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

2010-03-15T20:57:00.005-04:00

Harvey, 1950. Three Stars.

I've wanted to see this movie ever since hearing Weird Al's "Harvey The Wonder Hamster" when Alapalooza came out in 1993. I grew up with Weird Al's song-based hilarity (even though Al TV always managed to escape my youngster radar, I don't know how!!). But Alapalooza, along with the film Jurassic Park*, went hand-in-hand in creating my pre-teen, 5th-grade world, so as weird as it sounds, it was kind of a seminal part of my life. Explains a lot, eh? :D

Somehow, Harvey the Wonder Hamster got me hipped to this movie Harvey. I knew it wasn't hamster-related, but maybe the grown-ups in my life were like "Oh yeah, Harvey. He's an invisible 6-foot rabbit." Anyways, this Weird Al song had somehow led me to knowledge about this movie starring a guy who had an invisible giant rabbit friend. And I thought it sounded great, so I wanted to see it.

Last week I was flipping through the TV guide and I saw that it was on HBO. So I set up a DVR recording for it and watched it. It got four stars so, because of that and because I had heard about it for over half of my life, I thought this movie was gonna be killer. And, I liked it. I wasn't head-over-heels about it, but it was very well-done, and pretty enjoyable. I think it has a really nice and unique point-of-view, and maybe it was, like, super-duper uproarious back in it's day. But, I liked it and I'm really happy that I saw it. If you get a chance to see it, I recommend checking it out.

Everyone in this was great, especially Jimmy Stewart. Also I really liked the script lettering used in the beginning credits.

I didn't know this: it was based on Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and I was glad to see that she co-wrote the screen play. I'd love to see this on stage. This movie adaptation felt like a movie and was pretty open, rather than just feeling like something that was created for stage, so it'd be interesting to see how it's played out in its original state on stage.

I found out that Harvey was re-done for TV in 1972. It seems like the only real notable thing about it was that it was Madeline Kahn's TV debut (and third film). I love her!! Also Jimmy Stewart continued to play Elwood P. Dowd on stage (and in this '72 re-do). I guess if you're awesome at something, stick to it.

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it. "

*I was in a public school academic enrichment program in 5th grade, you Quincy kids will remember it as "E.L.C." That's right, I was a "labbie"!! (And to this day I still get shit from people like TIM about it, haha!) One day a week me and a few other kids in my class would take a bus to another school and meet up with other kids and learn rad stuff. Like how to use computers, paint watercolor landscapes, do word problems (they sucked but they were way less sucky than doing regular math problems), and do calligraphy... Basically a bunch of interesting and creative things that most public schools usually aren't able to offer. It also taught us responsibilities by giving us responsibilities around the classroom (but apparently didn't teach me how to use a thesaurus to not use the same word twice in a sentence, ha!). And we did a few big projects, like we learned how to write giant multi-paged reports! And I did mine on my young love: basketball! With a diorama of offensive and defensive positions! And I wrote letters to my favorite basketball-related peeps about basketball, and Jim Calhoun wrote back to me! And so did Red Auerbach, on official Celtics stationery! So cool! ANYWAYS, for one of our projects we were split in to groups and had to figure out how to solve the world over-population problem if it ever happened. The group with the best solution got to go see Jurassic Park. My group's underwater biodome KICKED ASS and we won!! So, not only was Jurassic Park a flippin' cool-ass movie, but I got to see it for free as a result of an academic achievement. And that's one of the reasons Jurassic Park means a lot to me. And also we got pizza after the movie. I love pizza! Double score!!!!

"They're pissing on us and not even giving us the courtesy of calling it rain."

2010-02-21T10:33:00.004-05:00

Avatar, 2009. Three Stars.

The general public seem to go ape for this movie. Since I Don't Believe The Hype, I knew I probably wouldn't like it.

Also I have a few friends that haaaaaaated this movie. Even though I avoided hearing their reasonings in order to preserve a fresh outlook on it when I finally did see it, it's another reason I knew I probably wouldn't like it.

If I did end up seeing it, it would be in IMAX in 3-D to see all the fancy visuals... And thanks to a friend's suggestion on a cold Friday morning, that's what I did.

And I liked it.

I normally can't stand CGI when CGI takes over where costumes/puppets/analog would have been better (Iron Man, I love you, but you already had an Iron Man suit made, why not just use that??). But the CGI in this was appropriate and couldn't have been done as good in another way, and it looked GOOD. The story was not original, but it was strong, and was not as trite as I was originally lead to believe. Also I like when good guys win, and I like Ewokian battles.

The 3-D felt a bit wonky at times, maybe it's because there was a lot of extreme foreground-background stuff going on. Maybe it's because I'm not used to 3-D and expect it to be perfect. It's probably because I was wearing my 3-D glasses over my regular glasses. Six Eyes.

Here's something weird. I don't mind violence in movies most times because it's not real life, just a movie. And I actually think over-the-top violence/gore (Shoot 'Em Up, Dawn of the Dead, District 9) is fun! But because such a good job was done making this world realistic, both visually and its compatibility with reality, that the death and destruction ended up shaking me up.

Pretty much fell in love with Neytiri, Zoe Saldana did a great job as her.

It was awesome to see Giovanni Ribisi as a corporate dickhead (I first saw him in an X-Files episode, that was like a lifetime ago!). But I'm a little sick of seeing Joel "I'm typecast as a plucky nerd" Moore, he seems to be cropping up everywhere lately for me. I get so happy when Sigourney Weaver is in a movie. Michelle Rodriguez wasn't obnoxious in this.

I didn't know that the guy that played Jake Sully was also Marcus in T4. Did he lose half a person for this role?? I remember him being pretty huge as a half-Terminator...

I only gave this movie three stars because even though it's good, it's just another big Hollywood box office smash. And it's hard for me to get emotionally attached to those kinds of movies. I don't think it has what it takes to make that huge impact on me that it has with other people. I'll leave it up to other people to give it four or five stars, which they will.

"Well, there was a lot of crying, so, I believe everybody had a good time." -OR- "She thought I was wonderful. She was the first woman I ever fooled."

2010-02-17T13:37:00.005-05:00

Heaven Can Wait, 1943. Three and a Half Stars.

I found myself looking through the TV guide for movies, as I so often do, and came across this one: A playboy recollects his life to the gatekeeper of Hades. And it was from the 40's. Sounded interesting, so I set up a recording for it.

I don't really have much to say, except, it was pretty good! Well at least I enjoyed it! It wasn't as "naughty" as I expected, but that's fine: The story told is from the Victorian era, so there was a big importance in "preserving decency" and "the family honor" and all that. So I thought it was fitting that Van Cleve's "affairs" were only alluded to.

I don't think he deserved Martha though, but at least he wasn't a completely selfish person that he was before he met her...

I really liked "His Excellency" and the "waiting room" to Hell. I can't help being fascinated by the extravagant sets mostly found in this period of films.

Also, someone cross-stitched the credits at the beginning... Or someone painted them to look cross-stitched. Either way, a lot of talent and time went in to that!

This movie is based on the play Birthday by Leslie Bush-Fekete. I'd like to check it out some time. It's too bad this movie didn't keep the Birthday title; the story was strongly focused on the passage of Van Cleve's birthdays in order to mark the events of his life, so it makes much more sense than "Heaven Can Wait" (which was an entirely different play that inspired a movie in the 40's and it's remakes/re-imaginings in the 70's and 00's).

"Oh, that's pretty, Mr. Grimsby." "Yeah, it's a bit mild. I think I ought to tear her dress off her other shoulder."

2010-01-16T14:21:00.001-05:00

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 1947. Three Stars.

I remember reading the book in high school, and I liked it, even though I thought it was pretty sad. Part of the reason I liked it (and part of the reason I was actually frustrated while reading it) was because, sadly, I could relate to Walter Mitty. I don't remember the details about the story, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't as fun as this movie.

I was expecting a kind of dark flick. But it was actually really funny and enjoyable! Both the characters and fantasies were played with satirical and fantastical intent, which made it all fun. Danny Kaye's little reactions to things were priceless. And, Mitty turned out to be a hero and taking control of his life, which this sap loves.

This is the first time I've ever seen Danny Kaye in something, I think. Strange, huh? He was great! At first I got him confused with Donald O'Connor (who was always my favorite actor from Singin' in the Rain!*

Also, Boris Karloff is in this! Most excellent!

I really like the opening credits, with the "credits" on panes of glass that swing open. I'd like to know how they did that. And I loved that dog, "Queenie". What a good actor, behaving then barking on cue! One of my favorite parts, though, is the fantasy number where Mitty's a hat designer. It's funny and unique and racy. It was weird, though, to see only like two "musical" numbers (rather than this being either a total musical or a straight-ahead non-musical venture).

"Your small minds are musclebound with suspicion. That's because the only exercise you ever get is jumping to conclusions."

...OH NO there's a Secret Life of Walter Mitty re-make scheduled to come out this year? Starring Mike Myers as Walter Mitty?? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sounds awful!!

* My gramma and my dad used to make me and my sibs watch musicals when I was little. My gramma would have us watch stuff like Lil' Abner and Bye Bye Birdie (which is another favorite of mine). And to this day, I've only seen the first half of The Sound of Music, because it used to come on two VHS tapes, and my gramma made us go to bed after the first tape (no complaints from me though, it was boring!). My dad had us watch stuff like West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He also introduced us to movies like Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy, River's Edge (which I got to stay up late on a school night to watch!), and Blue Velvet (which I think he showed us by accident!). My mom, on the other hand, introduced us to B-grade sci-fi/horror flicks, and she used to watch "MST3K" with me back in the day. I partly give my family credit for my eclectic taste in movies!

"I think that's the shit, man. Raw intelligence." –OR– "I don't fuckin' know either. I guess we learned not to do it again."

2010-01-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

Burn After Reading, 2008. Three and a Half Stars.

Oh, Coen Brothers! Your joints are such a delight.

This movie was quite enjoyable! And Brad Pitt ruled in it. And I looooooove Frances McDormand. And I dug George Clooney's performance, too. It's usually a little hit-or-miss with him for me (but mostly hit. I just think I'm a little sick of seeing so much of him sometimes). Anyways, the characters that he and Tilda Swinton played opposite each other were perfect!

I grew up watching Gilad on TV, so I took particular delight in the boat work-out scene with John Malkovich.

"I'm bigger, than ever. I'm bigger, I'm back. I'm better —I'm back, than ever—I'm back. You fuckers, I'm back."

"Our enemy has realized that they are fighting guys from the future."

2010-01-10T15:33:00.008-05:00

Body of Lies, 2008. Three Stars.

Tim and I found ourselves randomly tuning in to the middle of this movie on TV. After both professing that we'd both been meaning to check out this flick, we found it on On Demand and watched it from the beginning.

I don't, and can't pretend to, know how accurately all of the different cultures, governments, and actions are portrayed in this movie. So I'm going on how good the actors are, and how engaging the story is.

So, I was pretty engrossed with the story and the characters. And yup, all the actors are great! It's always nice to see Leo in a good movie, and I was thrilled that Russell Crowe played a not hot guy. And I'm always happy to see Mark Strong, he seems to crop up in the darndest places. And Golshifteh Farahani! She is so pretty, and seems so cool in real life. Among other things, she's currently living in France and furthering her music career with musician Mohsen Namjoo; she had previously been in the Iranian band "Kooch Neshin" (which I think means "Nomads"?), which had remained underground in Iran since rock music and lady singers are forbidden.

Mike Patton (yay!) does a song on this soundtrack (with Serj Tankian, yuck), and the end credits feature a not very Guns N' Roses-y Guns N' Roses song (yuck).

"My family is not dying tonight. You are coming with me."

2010-01-07T20:40:00.000-05:00

Mirrors, 2008. Two and a Half Stars.

I was in the mood for a scary movie. But this movie just didn't do it for me. Mirrors creep me way out, but not movies about mirrors. And especially not this movie about mirrors. There really wasn't much scary atmosphere or anything like that, and everything felt forced. So I just wasn't in to buying what these mirrors were selling.

One interesting thing is Esseker and the story of how the mirrors got haunted (THOUGH since "Esseker" was being written in a MIRROR, I really felt that they should have done the corny thing of the name being backwards and it really being "Rekesse". HWAH!). Also, Amy Smart is in this, and she's great. And her death scene was really the only other cool thing about this movie.

The ending's a bit cheesy, but I liked it a little. Though it didn't fit in with the rest of the movie, since it was so stylized when everything else was so reality-based. Which is a shame! Wasted potential.

Kiefer Sutherland, I miss you in The Lost Boys.

"It's almost a shame to smoke it. It's like killing a unicorn. It's like... a bomb."

2010-01-06T20:55:00.006-05:00

Pineapple Express, 2008. Three Stars.

This movie was funny! And good!

I wasn't sure that I was going to like it; even as a non-stoner, I still enjoy stoner humor... most of the time. Sometimes it gets a little grating and unimaginative. So even though it has a good cast and writers that I like, I wasn't sure if this would be good, or just average.

Yeah, it definitely went where I didn't expect it to go. And it was so so funny.

Unsurprisingly, I had a crush on James Franco in "Freaks and Geeks". It was great to see him in something not serious, and also working with Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow again!

And My Guy's in it! If you didn't know that I've been a tremendous fan of his since seeing him in The Warriors, then now you know.

I could watch this movie several times in a row and not get sick of it.

"Time to go suck today's dick."

"Yeah it was funny, it was a fart-free set!"

2010-01-05T19:27:00.000-05:00

Funny People, 2009. Three Stars.

This movie is very good. But I thought there would be more focus on the comedy since there were so many good comics and actors in it (plus I had spent a lot of time on RAAAAAAAANDY's website). Also, there's a lot of dick talk. I'm normally fine with stuff like that, but after awhile it got a little excruciating, especially from Adam Sandler's caustic character.

Anyways, the comics are funny, the cast is perfect, and there are lots of great cameos. James Taylor's appearance was probably one of the funniest parts! But this movie ended up getting surprisingly serious. And a little scary. And sad. And it felt like a very long movie. And it got pretty painful to watch. But still, it's good and I'd recommend checking it out if you come across it.

I'm starting to get excited about Aubrey Plaza. I love her in "Parks and Recreation", and she's great in this too. And I just found out that she's going to play Julie Powers in the Scott Pilgrim movie (so perfect!). Which I'm still not looking forward to. I love everyone involved but I don't think it can do the comic book that I love so dearly the justice it deserves. But I'll still see it. Hopefully by not keeping up with the video blogs and all that jazz, everything will be a surprise and I'll love it.

"It's a gift... and a curse."

2010-01-04T20:07:00.003-05:00

"Monk", 2002–2009. Three and a Half Stars.

Speaking of excellent shows coming back from the brink of awfulness, there's also "Monk"!!

So, this show was great. But the last few seasons, however, got really stagnant; there wasn't much room for innovation until Monk was able to grow, and he couldn't grow until he started to solved Trudy's murder. (I always thought it was curious that a character so important to the main character in this show ended up being played by two different actresses, the first Trudy being Stellina Rusich.)

Well, because the series would end with the solving of Trudy's murder, this last season was phenomenal! Monk finally starts progressing and growing as a person, the characters around him also develop, and situations aren't dictated by his predictable reactions to everything. It was also cool to see how he finally got his badge back (which was something he always sought during the series), but since he (and the department) has changed and grown so much over the years, he realized he was happier just doing his Monk thang on his own. And, did anyone see the two-part series finale? It was so perfect! Everything I could have wanted and more.

Also, I'm a little bit of a sap, and I really like that Sharona and Disher got together, and that Disher is heading his own department in NJ. Mostly I'm very happy that Disher finally got so less annoying!! Unfortunately, Julie's character remained pretty flat. And I really think it's the character, not the actress (she was good in that episode "Mr. Monk and the Critic"!).

If you've never watched an episode of this show in your life, and you wanna get in to it, I suggest checking out the first few seasons, then a few of the first Natalie seasons, then the last season. Those will all give you a decent Monk experience. Then, if you like it, check out the rest of the seasons. It's easy to check out episodes of this show since, if it's anything like it is now, USA will be re-airing Monk marathons for ages to come.

Whenever I see Craig T. Nelson ("Coach")'s name in credits, for a split second I think it's actually Michael J. Nelson ("Mystery Science Theater 3000") and I get excited. I know that's weird. And don't get me wrong, I'm always happy to see the dad from Poltergeist!

"You're still such an odd little fruit. Is that a women's jacket?"

2010-01-04T08:38:00.001-05:00

"Scrubs", 2001–Present. Three and a Half Stars.

When "Scrubs" first started to air, I thought it looked like another uninspired hospital show, so I never bothered to watch it. Then, in 2007, on a rare day that I was at the gym, a bunch of "Scrubs" episodes were being shown. That's when I fell in love with the show. It was funny and weird!

I got all caught up on the episodes by obsessively DVR-ing and watching all of the repeats that are constantly being re-aired on multiple stations. I was so happy because there were so many episodes to catch up on, and I thought the new-to-me hilarity would never end. But because I'm so good at being obsessive, and because reruns are so popular with TV channels, I was caught up in less than a year.

But thankfully, new episodes were still airing!

Unthankfully, starting a couple of seasons ago, and especially the entirety of the last season, the show began to bite the big one. The fresh and fun characters were getting old and predictable, J.D.'s enjoyable eccentricities started turning into pathetic zaniness, and it was like the show just didn't care about itself any more. I thought that last season was the final season, but it ended on that weird episode that felt like it should have been like the third or fourth episode of the season, and it was just so weird.

Surprisingly, that wasn't its final season though! It moved to a new network. And the latest season has started and is safely under way. I am loving it!

Lots of changes! And successful changes! The actual Sacred Heart hospital is a different building, and it's built closer to the "school". So there are two fresh locations right there. There are much-needed new story archs and general things that happen, but it still fits within the the "Scrubs" universe. Interesting of all, there's like a new "crew" of med students, and they work well with the already established characters. And, there's a new "J.D.", and she's a hot chick! Who is interesting and neurotic and funny! Her name is Lucy. In the first few episodes, we follow around both J.D. (who, after the first few episodes, is gone. It's sad, but very needed.) and this girl, Lucy, and we hear both of their inner monologues. Now we just hear Lucy's. I didn't think this would work out, but it totally does so far!

Dr. Cox? Still there. And still remains one of my most favorite characters on television. The Janitor? Not there anymore unfortunately, but the explanation of his departure was "classic"! Also unfortunately, there are two "bumbling" security guards that seem to have taken over his "place" on the show, and they're my least favorite parts of the new season. Turk is still there, and is currently looking for a new best friend at work. Elliot's there too, and is pregnant with J.D.'s baby. Ted left early on in the season, but did so on a high note. Todd's still totally there, which is most excellent. Dr. Kelso left, but didn't really, because now he's living in one of the dorm rooms. Haven't seen Carla, though she has been mentioned, but have seen Jordan. Other characters like Dr. Beardface are around in the background, so I don't know why I haven't seen Hooch yet. I hope he comes back. Hooch is crazy.

New main characters: Cole is hilarious (and James Franco's lil bro in real life). Already talked about Lucy, but yeah, she's endearing. I'm enjoying Drew. He's like the chill character, but is also interesting. Maya's the super hot Australian student that keeps cropping up. And Denise is back, as a resident physician and also these new kids' student advisor.

I give this show three and a half stars because of its previous awesomeness, and also its ability to bounce back from the brink of craptasticness. I might be in to this season so much because I had completely given up hope on this show, so things just might seem amazing in comparison. But, if you're like me and also completely gave up hope on this show, just give a few of the new episodes a shot and see what you think.

And I found this Scrubs wiki, if you're new to the series or just need to catch up on the extreme amount of characters.

"Not you, Fat Jesus. Slide it on back."

2010-01-03T18:18:00.003-05:00

The Hangover, 2009. Three Stars.

The trailers for this made it seem like a basic "men are miserable when they're married so let's have one last hurrah before we get married and our lives are over" kind of movie. I had no interest in seeing it. (Even though Ed Helms is pretty awesome!)

But then I heard from many people that it was very funny. So when it came out on DVD, someone let me borrow it.

This movie heavily depends on the "here's this unexpected ridiculous thing!!" technique, which I'm big fan of. But, since people were kind of freaking out over it so much, I was expecting ridiculous things. So I wasn't surprised by the ridiculousness. So I didn't laugh very much. But I did enjoy this movie a lot, and I still thought it was funny.

The best part, though, are all the pics from that night that are shown through the end credits. Genius!

Also, A NAKED SEÑOR CHANG is in this!!!!

It was nice to see Heather Graham in a movie again! But I just looked at her imdb.com profile, and she has been in lots. Just stuff I haven't seen. Oops. Still, nice to see her. And Jeffrey Tambor! I like him! And yay for Rachel Harris playing a bitch, too!

I first saw Zach Galifianakis in "Bored to Death" (which I'll write about if I can ever bring myself to finish the first season), and I look forward to seeing him in more stuff.

I can't get Ken Jeong off my mind though. He steals the show almost every time I see him!

..."But more importantly, you're dressed like a gladiator in a desk fort you built during a bad trip."

2010-01-02T19:36:00.008-05:00

"Community", 2009–Present. Four Stars.

This show's not only the biggest surprise of the new shows on the Fall '09 line up, but also the funniest thing on television right now. When I first saw an ad for it, I was confused about what it was about, and whether it would be funny or painful (like most budding sitcoms nowadays). But it had me at the first episode. Wholly original, and just so darn funny.

Seriously, every single character on this show is hysterical. I don't have the patience to write about all of them. But really, the characters are great and the actors that play them are phenomenal.

I do have to mention Joel McHale. I only watched "Talk Soup" when John Henson was on it. He was the only one that made the show for me. And it has been disappointing to see his acting career plateau as him basically playing himself as news reporters in the background in movies. But! I started watching the latest "Talk Soup" variation, "The Soup", one day randomly. I loved that the show focused on all the horrors that reality television unleashes on to its viewers (not just talk shows). And, this Joel McHale dude was on it, and he was hilarious! Just the right amount of self-deprecating humor mixed in with self confidence, sarcastic-ness, and ability to rock a suit while remaining agile enough for bits of physical comedy. Also I'm starting to really like his leprechaun-y face. But then I got worried: Would Joel McHale follow in John Henson's footsteps by being on some weird show about a community college that might fail tremendously? Thankfully, no!

So, also, Chevy Chase is in this. Surprising, and, great! I've heard he's not the swellest gentleman ever (but who in Hollywood is?), but his ability to not take himself seriously in this show really works for him, and makes him funny to me again!

But! The best part in this fantastic show? SEÑOR CHANG!!

Hooray for Dan Harmon, the creator of this amazing show. He's worked on other such gems like "The Sarah Silverman Program" and "Channel 101"!

I can't wait for new episodes to start airing again. 1/14/2010. Yay!

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

2009-12-07T16:27:00.004-05:00

"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.”

2009-11-14T23:54:00.002-05:00

"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.”

2009-11-13T16:42:00.003-05:00

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."

2009-11-11T12:54:00.001-05:00

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!"

2009-11-10T18:52:00.004-05:00

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."

2009-11-10T13:16:00.004-05:00

"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!

2009-10-24T13:12:00.000-04:00

"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?”

2009-10-15T12:49:00.000-04:00

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.”

2009-10-14T22:12:00.002-04:00

"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?"

2009-10-13T20:46:00.001-04:00

"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.’”

2009-10-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

"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."

2009-10-12T21:45:00.003-04:00

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!"

2009-04-15T16:58:00.001-04:00

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!"

2009-04-03T15:25:00.004-04:00

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."

2009-03-28T13:17:00.001-04:00

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."

2009-03-27T16:50:00.001-04:00

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."

2009-03-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

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."

2009-03-24T15:20:00.005-04:00

**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??"

2009-03-24T10:40:00.009-04:00

"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!..."

2009-03-23T15:03:00.013-04:00

"...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!'"

2009-03-20T12:57:00.001-04:00

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."

2009-03-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

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."

2009-03-19T13:22:00.001-04:00

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."

2009-03-19T11:27:00.002-04:00

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."

2009-03-18T15:25:00.000-04:00

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."

2009-03-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

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."

2009-03-18T10:47:00.000-04:00

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!"

2009-03-17T15:28:00.000-04:00

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!"

2009-03-17T10:37:00.001-04:00

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."

2009-03-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

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."

2009-03-15T21:58:00.002-04:00

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."

2009-03-15T20:56:00.001-04:00

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."

2009-02-17T16:23:00.001-05:00

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."

2009-02-17T16:14:00.001-05:00

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."

2009-02-17T15:22:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-02-17T14:16:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-02-17T11:14:00.001-05:00

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??"

2009-02-17T10:36:00.001-05:00

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

2009-01-20T09:26:00.001-05:00

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!"

2009-01-19T18:51:00.001-05:00

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."

2009-01-19T18:17:00.000-05:00

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!"

2009-01-19T17:41:00.002-05:00

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!"

2009-01-19T13:32:00.001-05:00

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."

2009-01-19T11:24:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

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!'"

2009-01-17T12:07:00.002-05:00

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."

2009-01-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-11T13:06:00.003-05:00

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!"

2009-01-11T12:32:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-09T14:39:00.002-05:00

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!"

2009-01-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-09T10:20:00.000-05:00

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."

2009-01-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

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.

"I blame the fish-people."

2008-12-01T14:21:00.004-05:00

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007. Two and a Half Stars.

Meh, kind of stopped caring about this franchise after the first movie. But whatever, it was entertaining.

I did like the whole "Island of Jack Sparrows" thing, and having to flip the boat upside down.

Kiera Knightley is pretty bad ass, per usual. And you can never go wrong with Bill Nighy!

I played a Dancing Pirate Girl in the Wollaston Elementary School's 5th grade rendition of "Peter Pan," and we danced to "A Pirate's Life For Me." It's a fun song to dance to, but pretty dumb to make a movie about!

"Time for lunch... in a cup!"

2008-11-29T13:54:00.005-05:00

Wall-E, 2008. Three and a Half Stars.

Friends that have seen this movie looooooooved it! One went so far as to say it was his favorite Pixar movie ever. (Mine's still The Incredibles!)

My grandmother, on the other hand, hated it. She took my little cousin to see it, and said it was boring and not a very good kids movie. Also, as an avid recycler, she didn't appreciate being preached to. After the first half hour, my cousin, who was also bored, asked if they could leave. So, yeah, my gramma and cousin walked out on Wall-E!

I went to see it, and I enjoyed it. The characterizations of all of the robots, and the non-traditional storytelling (there was no dialogue in the first half of the movie, but it totally held my attention), was pretty amazing!! And I thought all the goo-shaped humans in hover chairs and sipping meals out of cups was right on and funny. Plus it had a happy ending, which always melts my heart!

But after hearing how my gramma reacted, I think I need to see this movie again. I liked it, but I'm 26. Buddies of mine that liked it are around my age or older, but not as old as my gramma. Maybe a second viewing would help me see if this is actually a successful kids movie or not. Because if grandmothers and little kids are walking out of this movie, maybe Pixar needs to reconsider who their audience is.

"You don't like Creedence?" "This is like having a pine cone shoved in my ass."

2008-09-27T20:27:00.002-04:00

Live Free or Die Hard, 2007. Three stars.

I could probably say a lot about this movie, but I think the only important thing to say is: It's no way near as cool as the first one (WHICH ROCKS!!!), but it's one of the better sequels.

And The Mac Guy wasn't as annoying as I expected.

Also, someone should have told the writers that the internet doesn't work like magic.

Aaaaaaand, I first knew Kevin Smith as Silent Bob, so I still get stoked when he talks in movies!

"He must have had on some really nice pants."

2008-09-09T19:37:00.005-04:00

The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006. Four Stars.

How can such an inspirational and uplifting movie NOT get Four Stars?? Well, I guess if the movie sucked, it wouldn't get Four Stars. But this movie didn't suck!

Before seeing it, I knew this was going to be a "trials & tribulations" story, but with an extremely happy ending. I looooooove happy endings (especially those inspired by true events), but I just wasn't sure how difficult it would be to get through the "trials & tribulations" part. I get pretty emotionally involved in movies. Consider yourself lucky if you've never had to experience watching a movie with me.

But the difficult parts of this movie weren't that difficult to watch. This is partially because it's so amazing to see all the crap that the main character goes through, and how his unflappable spirit, brilliant problem-solving skills, and awesome ability to think on his feet helps him beat it and get what he's worked hard for. My jaw dropped many times during this film. This dude rocks.

If you've avoided this movie because you think it'll be sappy-sweet and stupid to watch, drop that notion and go watch this sometime.

Fun fact about Will Smith that I picked up on imdb.com: Once stated that in his whole career, he most regrets turning down the part of "Neo" in The Matrix (1999) and the film that he most regrets making was Wild Wild West (1999). If I were him, I'd feel the same way!!

"Shit just got real!"

2008-09-08T20:53:00.006-04:00

Hot Fuzz, 2007. Four Stars.

I'd seen this in the theatre when it first came out, and I really liked it. Saw it again recently, and realized: THIS IS THE BEST COP MOVIE EVER.

Firstly, who'd heard of a British cop movie? So, really, to finally make one's brilliant on it's own. Secondly, this movie just kicks so much butt!! Lots of explosions and violence towards the end. And lots of fun cop movie references. Very self-aware of it though, which I'm always a fan of. Just really kicks butt.

And there's the whole eerie townspeople aspect of it too, which lends a sort of supernatural quality for awhile. It's a big ol' mystery-thriller-action movie. Which is awesome!!

Another cool thing? The soundtrack, of course. And, yes, that is a Jon Spencer song used for when everyone's getting booked! It RULES.

And, yeah, obviously this movie's really funny!!!

I'm not sure this needs to be said now, but it did kind of needed to be a reminder when it was first released: You'll be disappointed if you're expecting Shaun of the Dead Part II. This is a completely different movie! And Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have done a heck of a job with this flick.

"Someone is either a smoker or a nonsmoker. There's no in-between. The trick is to find out which one you are, and be that."

2008-09-08T20:21:00.004-04:00

Dead Again, 1991. Three Stars.

Pretty cool movie! Caught it by accident: was once again going through the TV guide, was interested in the title of this movie, read the description, and decided to record it on the ol' DVR.

So it's like a love story that spans past and present, between two couples, but, they're the same couple... Pretty darn stylish and, as other reviewers have said, "noir-y." The ending was pretty surprising! At least, it was for me.

I HATED Kenneth Branagh's 90's hair, but I LOVE his 40's hair! For awhile I actually couldn't tell that these two character were played by the same guy, I kept thinking to myself, "So, where's Kenneth Branagh in the 40's?? He's starring opposite Emma Thompson, so he has to be here somewhere." That's my only real gripe about this movie: that I got confused by Kenneth Branagh's hair. But really, if the point of this story is that the couples are the same in the past and in the present, wouldn't you want to make it obvious that the couples were the same, hence making the similarities between the two couples undeniable? It was easy to spot Emma's characters, why not do the same for Kenneth?

Oh, and by the way, totally dug Robin Williams in this movie! I'm sick of his crazy/wacky/loud RobonWilliams-esque characters. I like when he strays from that comfort zone. Like he was so good in One Hour Photo. Same with Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy, which is a terribly underrated movie!

Your name is dumb bitch TOO? No wonder I keep getting all of your mail! You know, we could be related. There are a lot of us dumb bitches here in LA.

2008-09-08T15:29:00.004-04:00

The Truth About Cats & Dogs, 1996. Three Stars.

I was hanging out at my friend Captain's one night, and I saw she had a copy of The Truth About Cats & Dogs next to her TV. I think I joked about it, because I'd heard it was such a chick-flick and was kind of lame. And I thought she started joking back about how it was her favorite movie and she could watch it all the time. Except, she wasn't joking! She really liked it, so we decided to watch it.

She's right: this is a great movie! It's fun, it has animals in it, the cast is cute-as-buttons, and the story is very sweet. Janeane Garofalo is absolutely adorable, more adorable than usual. I always think Uma's a hottie, but it was cool to see her play a fragile person. I don't really know who Ben Chaplin is, but, he's kind of charming in this.

And, though there's an obvious message, it's also a true one that's good to remember: a smokin' hottie on the outside might not necessarily be so great on the inside, and someone who you'd normally not cast a second look at could be the coolest person you'd ever meet.

"I love you!... I mean, I think we should hang out socially... I have a new ping pong table."

2008-09-08T12:24:00.004-04:00

Evan Almighty, 2007. Three Stars.

Yeah, this movie wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be! Though I need to mention that I saw this on an 8-hour flight from Chicago to Hololulu, so I'm keeping in mind that viewing conditions weren't the best, and it was also edited.

But, I dunno, it was funny! Definitely geared toward little kids, so some of the gags were obvious and kept repeating themselves, but there were some genuinely comedic things happening in this flick. I laughed more than I expected to. Me and the 10-year-old girl sitting in front of me were having a ball watching it, haha!

And the story was, like, better than I'd expected. It was heart-warming and, like, actually made sense. And the bad guy got his in the end. And I liked the message from God:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

...Awwwwww!

"Well if they weren't you could kiss my rebel coochie, faggot."

2008-09-07T18:43:00.003-04:00

Black Snake Moan, 2006. Three and a Half Stars.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie; the descriptions and ads made it seem like some heavy, uncomfortable shit was going to happen, particularly between Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. I braced myself for the worst.

But, nothing awful happened! In fact, this was a really good movie! The story was unexpected, the characters were amazing, and the acting? Of course Jackson and Ricci were awesome, but, so was... JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!! I kept going back and forth between if it was really him or not. It sure was. Hot Damn.

AND Reba the Mail Lady was in it too!

Music's a key part of the storytelling in this flick, I say. It was great. Go Samuel. Go blues guys.

A couple of parts in this movie were a bit much, but it's not bothersome. I'm actually surprised at how much I ended up liking this movie.

"Whether Andromeda is the newspaper, or it's the delivery boy who is dropping it off, the message is loud and clear: Drop Dead."

2008-09-06T21:09:00.004-04:00

The Andromeda Strain, 2008. One Star.

This made-for-TV miniseries was awful. Except that Daniel Dae Kim was in it. But his character's death had absolutely no cause, which was really dumb! Ricky Schroder was pretty good in this too. But this movie is so boring and pointless, don't waste your time.

"We know now we can't beat their machines. We've got to beat THEM."

2008-09-06T20:40:00.004-04:00

War of the Worlds, 1953. Three Stars.

Good fun, including all the 50's sci-fi ridiculousness! The RGB alien lenses were great. I don't know what else to say about this movie. Everyone's probably seen it already, right? It's better than the Tom Cruise version, where everyone in Boston is miraculously safe. Go Beacon Hill!!

I only now get that Dr. Clayton Forrester from MST3K was named after the main character in this movie! That's awesome!

"We were younger." "We had guns!"

2008-09-04T20:28:00.002-04:00

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, 2008. Four Stars.

I so enjoyed this movie! More so than the people I saw it with. The "Indy" character stayed true, the action was fun and ridiculous (like all Indiana Jones movies!), and I didn't even mind "Mutt" or that Indy and Mary got married at the end. All good fun. I've overheard complaints about how the whole "aliens" thing was "unbelievable." IT'S AN INDIANA JONES MOVIE. It fits right in, plus gives the whole "50's sci-fi" feel that was accurate to the time period. I've also heard that the "bad guy" wasn't "bad" enough. Though I agree a little bit, I don't think that's a negative thing, just interesting.

Can't say it enough: I really enjoyed this movie!!

"Sir, I think I speak for everyone when I say: To hell with our orders."

2008-09-04T20:07:00.004-04:00

Star Trek: First Contact, 1996. Four Stars.

In case you're not familiar with my Star Trek experience, it's kind of explained in my Insurrection review!

So, this movie kicked butt!! It was so great! I'd never been that familiar with The Borg, so this was really cool. They looked phenomenal, especially for mid-90's special effects!! They were really scary. And the thing with how Earth makes First Contact, and how The Borg were going to destroy it, and the thing with Data, and everything... was so COOL!!

A+ movie!!!

FYI: I found this website while looking up The Borg. What??

"You may be a Doctor, but I'm the Doctor. The definite article, you might say."

2008-09-04T19:26:00.005-04:00

"Doctor Who: Robot (Parts 1 - 4)", 1974 - 1975. Two and a Half Stars.

I am an UNBELIEVABLY HUGE fan of the new "Doctor Who" series!! Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant have both been amazing and hottie Doctors, and their differences in character only add to the deliciousness of The Doctor.

Despite my fanaticism toward the current series, I had never seen any of the previous series. My boyfriend Tim (my parter-in-Nerdism) read up on the Doctor Who universe (he's like a handsome encyclopedia of interesting nerdy things!), and came to the consensus that Tom Baker seems to be the most favored "Doctor," so let's give his first episodes a go. Hence, we watched "Robot."

Erm, couldn't really get into it. I appreciate the camp value, and that the special effects were from a 70's British TV show. And I'm sure that Tom Baker's character was a breath of fresh air for the fans. Heck, if you get past his annoying spaciness, he's a little charming.

It seems like the earlier series of "Doctor Who" were more geared toward children (I've heard people say how much these "Robot" episodes scared the daylights out of 'em when they were kids!), whereas the new episodes seem to be appropriate for adults... like, say, the kids who watched it when they were young except they're grown up now. I know, I'm so philosophical. Haha!

So, I couldn't get into these episodes. I'll definitely still check out more of the older series, either I'll start liking it more or at least I'll be paying some sort of respect to the history of the show I love so much now.

Fun Fact: I love making paper toys! This is the latest design I downloaded and made: http://cubeecraft.com/character085.html!

"God didn't make Rambo. I made him!"

2008-09-01T23:53:00.003-04:00

First Blood, 1982. Three and a Half Stars.

My childhood had been filled with lots of Rambo references, so I'm sure I'd seen this movie at some point a long time ago. Couldn't have told you a thing about it, though; the only thing I remembered is my sister Sara's Rambo weeble-esque punching bag and toy machine gun, and the spoof with Weird Al Yankovic in UHF. So... nothing about the actual movie.

Yet, in my heart, when thinking about revisiting this movie, I'd get all fidgety. I have an awful memory, and I tend to only remember my emotions and reactions to things rather than the actual things. And my infant brain apparently only remembers the tedious parts of movies. For example, before re-watching these movies when I was older, this is all I had recalled from Baby Chrissy's memories:

- Big Trouble in Little China: Kurt Russell got lipsticked from kissing a girl, and he and friends are walking in a mucky tunnel. And that lightning guy!
- The Abyss: Water and lights.
- Poltergeist: That the little girl died from the flu and the girl at the end of the movie was a double. Yeah I know that happened in the third one but that's all I could remember about any of the Poltergeist movies.
- Dirty Dancing: That bitchin' song during that final dance (I really really liked that part of the movie; actually I haven't watched it in ages, I don't know what happens in this movie!!).

So, I think for First Blood, I know there was supposed to be a lot of kick ass-edry, but all I remembered was a guy in a forest and me being bored watching that, so thinking about re-watching it made me think about being fidgety.

But I worked through it and indeed watched it again. (In fact, I rented it from my sister Sara!) It was not what I expected. It WAS full of kick ass-edry, but I felt really bad for Rambo. Really, those numbnuts called the cavalry on a dude who fought for their country and now has nowhere to go so he gets charged with vagrancy? And they chase him all around trying to kill him and people die? It was ridiculous. But I still enjoyed it, especially the whole psychology part!

I should probably watch all the other ones. I hear the fourth one actually isn't half bad!!

"That's wonderfully sensitive... especially from a man who wears such tight pants." "It forces all the blood to my heart."

2008-08-30T20:03:00.003-04:00

Music and Lyrics, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

I remember having no desire to see this movie when it came out in theatres. But I'd randomly found it on the TV guide one day, and decided to set up a recording for it on my DVR. Then finally one day I watched it.

This movie is surprisingly fun! Lots of great satire about the pop music biz. And the original music in this is pretty good! The movie opens with Hugh Grant's former band's video, which is hilarious, but also catchy!! All his "has-been" music is great, and the new pop diva that he's writing music for is so ridiculous, but also in a hilarious way.

Hugh Grant, who I'm usually not as charmed by as everyone else seems to me, was INCREDIBLY charming and handsome! Drew Barrymore is also sweet and adorable. They have a quirky kind of chemistry in this movie, which was shockingly likeable.

This is a very cute movie, totally turn it on one night if you're in the mood for something light and cheery!

"It's time to pay the piper. He's gonna reap what he sowed, and it sure ain't corn. Or wheat."

2008-08-30T18:56:00.003-04:00

Eagle vs Shark, 2007. Two Stars.

I was sooooooooooooo disappointed in this movie! Firstly, I am a HUGE fan of Flight of the Conchords, which I should probably do a review about some time soon. Secondly and consequently, I love everything about Jemaine Clements. He's hysterical on FotC, and he's also an amazing musician. And he's sexy. AND he was the balls in Tongan Ninja, which could very well be one of my favorite movies and I should also review it sometime soon as well. I also love the episodes of FotC that Taika Waititi directed and wrote, they're one of the funniest/most bizarre ones!

While looking up info on the internet about these two guys one night, I stumbled upon an incredible (and stuff-heavy) website about this movie they did called Eagle vs Shark (I don't think this is the same website I'd found, but it's pretty close!). It looked kooky and adorable and fun, which are all things I dig. I'd looked at an old newspaper and found out that I just missed it at one of the local indie cinemas. Blast it! And it looked like it wasn't playing anywhere else near where I lived, and the DVD release date was uncertain. Double Blast!!

But, it finally came out on DVD, and I rented it with my friend Captain. So, this movie was advertised as like a quirky comedy about a weird couple of social outcasts. My kind of flick, right? Turns out a lot of it is really sad. Jemaine's character is really mean to his love interest, and turns out he has a little girl who lives with his family and he's pretty apathetic toward her. WHAT?! The whole thing with his brother Gordon (played by Taika) was pretty rad, and the dad's kind of funny, and Jemaine and Loren's characters are so cute in their painfully awkward way (well, sometimes for Jemaine's character). And the relationship between Loren's character and her brother is interesting because it's very precious.

But, I still can't get over all the weird mean stuff in this movie. This definitely wasn't the light-hearted romp that I was expecting. It was pretty darn heavy, in fact! I appreciate the movie for what it is, but I would have liked it a whole lot better if I'd been expecting something so heavy. The light-hearted PR misled me, and it ruined it for me.

Unrelated: I must also mention that I'm also crazy about Bret McKenzie, the second part of the duo that makes up Flight of the Conchords. Mostly for some of the reasons I like Jemaine, but also more specifically because he was some killer dance moves!!

"He's a killer, Daniel." "Then someone ought to have the decency to bring him to justice."

2008-08-30T18:30:00.004-04:00

3:10 to Yuma, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

I'm a fan of this movie! And I normally don't like Westerns. But I don't think this really counts as one. It's more of an actiony-thriller in my book.

The action's good, the characters are great, and I think the acting and story-telling is awesome. There's a lot of focus on character development, which I love in general, but it's particularly neat-o in this movie. Christian Bale is one of my fave actors, and he's fabulous in this. Plus Wash and That Crazy Guy is in it!

"Frank, this is Albert Einstein, the smartest man in the world." "How they hanging?"

2008-08-25T23:46:00.006-04:00

I.Q., 1994. Three Stars.

I happened to catch a description of this movie on the TV guide, and it sounded so crazy and cute that I immediately set up a recording for it on my DVR!

Walter Matthau plays Albert Einstein, and he helps Tim Robbins, who plays a mechanic, win the affection of his niece, who is played by Meg Ryan, and who also is the object of Tim Robbins's love. How adorably random is that? VERY!

This indeed ended up being a charming story with a great cast. I see that it was released on Christmas Day, which seems about right for a movie like this. If you're not in the mood for a sugary-sweet historically-fakey-in-the-name-of-feelgood-romanticcomedyry, or if your bag is only depresso intellectual abstract flicks, then this movie will bore you. But check it out if you feel like watching something you don't have to be too emotionally invested in and want to see A Grumpy Old Man act like A Crazy Einstein. Plus Stephen Fry plays the snotty guy, which is always fun, and Tony Shalhoub is in it too, which is pretty rad!

FYI, I can't remember where I wrote down the quote from this movie that I wanted to use for the title of this review, so I just looked at the quotes on imdb.com and picked the most random-sounding one.

"I'm sorry. This is the fun-vee. The hum-drum-vee is back there."

2008-08-14T19:12:00.004-04:00

Iron Man, 2008. Four stars.

That's right, FOUR STARS!!

I'd heard that the Iron Man costume and stuff was all CGI, which I thought was really stupid and would look bad and ruin the movie for me. But I decided to suck it up and see it in the cinema with some of my friends. And, the CGI didn't bother me a bit! I actually almost forgot all about it.

The writing was really well done, it was like a real movie rather than a summer blockbuster with pretty special effects. It caught me off-guard. And the acting is great. Everything about it grabbed my attention. Plus, S.H.I.E.L.D.! Samuel L. Jackson is Nick Fury. That's something to look forward to!

I'd not really followed any of the Iron Man comics, I'm only familiar with The Ultimates. But, from what little I previously knew about him, I could tell that Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark! He's magnificent!! I love that guy in movies.

Gwyneth Paltrow, who I think has the nicest name ever, was sooooooooooo cute in this movie.

And, Jon Favreau directed this? Way to go, dude!

"I bet it was that mouth that got you that nose."

2008-07-27T21:46:00.004-04:00

Lucky Number Slevin, 2006. Three and a Half Stars.

This was really fun to watch! It's fast-paced with great dialog, and has an amazing star-studded cast. And I have to say, I actually wasn't expecting the ending. I loved it. Revenge kicks butt!

Yeah, so Lucy Liu is capable of playing cutesy, quirky characters. Who knew?? Way to round out your cv, girl! And Josh Hartnett: talk about charming and just plain CUTE. Much like with Ryan Gosling, I can't believe I'm starting to like him in movies nowadays.

Well I guess there is nothing more I can say about this, except to emphasize that I just really really enjoyed this flick.

"Ever since I was a child, folks have thought they had me pegged, because of the way I am, the way I talk. And they're always wrong."

2008-07-27T20:18:00.005-04:00

Capote, 2005. Three and a Half Stars.

I didn't know anything about Truman Capote when I saw this movie. I still don't really. So I'm not able to discuss whether the movie was true to his character, or history, or anything else.

This movie as a movie, however, was REALLY GOOD! Written well, excellent acting, just very interesting. And I thought the time period was well-captured too.

For being a man of a very particular physique, Philip Seymour Hoffman is an e-x-t-r-a-o-r-d-i-n-a-r-y character actor. I first really took notice of him as "Rusty" in Flawless, and I've been flabbergasted by him ever since. Whether playing a not-so-leading role to being a main character, he's always appropriate and spot-on.

So, like I said, I didn't know much about Truman Capote, but Philip Seymour Hoffman owned that character in this movie. I felt like I wasn't watching an actor. And his performance sparked my curiosity about the real man, and to learn about him and his work (which I kind of haven't done yet, BUT STILL).

And Catherine Keener, who I also love in movies, did a phenomenal job as well. I also don't know much about Nelle Harper Lee, but the way Keener played her actually helped the audience to better understand Capote's character: she was the antithesis of Capote, which completely complemented him.

BTW, I love the quote that I used for the title of this review. It would be so rad if this is something he actually said.

"Larousse ran gun for the Resistance." "Which resistance?" "He won't say. Apparently, they didn't win."

2008-07-06T23:57:00.003-04:00

Ratatouille, 2007. Three and a Half Stars.

When a movie comes out in theaters, I try not to learn too much about it or read any reviews. Usually any hint of expectation ruins my full enjoyment of a movie.

When I started seeing ads for this movie, instead of paying attention to what it was about, I just thought to myself, "What does a rat have to do with cooking pasta? Pixar's really reaching for story lines now. I do not want to see this movie." At the time, I thought ratatouille was pasta-related.

Later on, I'd started to hear that Ratatouille was actually good! Being the stubborn person I am, instead of taking people's reviews into consideration and actually seeing this movie, I just thought people were crazy and didn't know what they were talking about.

Finally, my boyfriend Tim and I decided to take the plunge and check it out (it was on TV). And... it was good! Amazing animation, original plot, funnyness in forms of witt-ery and slapstick-ery, fun attention to details...

If you need some advice: Don't ever be a stubborn butthead when it comes to seeing movies. Also, have you ever seen a bad Pixar movie?

"What style would you say this is?" "Oh... I'd say homicidal modern."

2008-07-06T23:21:00.004-04:00

Fracture, 2007. Three Stars.

This movie was pretty good! And, unlike some people's preconceptions, not at all like Silence of the Lambs! It was so engrossing to see the way that Anthony Hopkins's character kept dicking over Ryan Gosling's character's prosecution. But don't worry, Ryan Gosling got him in the end. Pretty smooth moves.

And here's something surprising: I'm starting to like Ryan Gosling in movies! Way to go, dude!

I'm a sucker for a good thriller, so if you are too, why not check out this movie?

"What would you call this place? Fun-o-rama?"

2008-07-05T21:42:00.004-04:00

The Haunting, 1963. Three and a Half Stars.

My friend Tim M. let me borrow this. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it nearly as much as he does.

I'm still not sure if I like it as much as he does, but, I really like it! The first thing that got my attention was the title graphic. The effect was used at the end too. Nice!

Also, another thing I thought was cool was to see bits of Boston, MA in the 60's. Cool signage. Though that only counts if they actually shot on location.

And I like the whole thing with the statue.

This movie does a good job of being scary through sounds, music, lighting, and good old-fashioned suspense. I love suspense! The character Eleanor ("Nell") was a little bit annoying because she was such a push-over. But it was rad how the house accepted her as a substitute for Mrs. Markway. Even though Mrs. Markway's skepticism was also very annoying, and it almost got her killed!

The relationship between Nell and Theo was confusing. Theo was all hot-and-cold; I just thought she was constantly annoyed with Nell but was still trying to be friends with her. But I recently read somewhere that the actress that played Theo was, like, interested in playing this role, which is a role of a woman attracted to another woman. So, maybe that's the 60's way of showing that you're a hot lady who's hot for a flighty pushover chick?

This movie is pretty spooky and very enjoyable. You should see it!