The Informant
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First of all I have to admit a distaste for Matt Damon, so seeing him as an out of shape man 10 years older than Matt is, wasn't a thrilling visual. The Informant tells the true tale of a very wacky bi-polar corporate executive who stole somewhere between 9 and 11.5 millions dollars from his corporate fat cat bosses. The story is interesting but unravels by placing Damon at the center even when his behavior is outrageous it is polite and without any real clear motive. I was amused to see Joel McHale from The Soup as an FBI agent (wonder if he will one day be nominated for an academy award like former Soup host Gregg Kinear?) It won't be for this wooden and almost invisible role. Scott Bacula fails to make the quantum leap he would have needed to resurrect his career as his acting is staid and pedestrian. If it wasn't for the lunacy of the story I would probably have walked out...|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2009.09.19 17:14
Inglorious Basterds
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I have been waiting for Quentin Tarantino
to make this sort of movie for many years since I first sat with a huge grin in awe while the credits rolled on Pulp Friction while the Jungle Boogie funk blasted through the theater. the memory becomes even more vivid as the plot of IB revolves around a theater and the world of cinema. (At least Quentin's fantasies about the world of Nazi cinema during the later end of WWII) The things that raised this film above the Kill BIll bar was that, although he used all of his typical elements - mexican stand-offs, bare women's feet, skillfully crafted violent and gory sequences, great casting and even better dialogue. Instead of tipping over, this film balances all of these into an entertaining, however revisionist, tale of war, espionage and cinema. Below the surface of the story of a young jewish girl, Shosanna, who escapes the Nazi 'Jew Hunters' in France to find herself, inexplicably the owner of a beautiful film theater in downtown Paris. There are film star spies and a few subtle but effective cameo's that bring both humor (Michael Myers hidden behind pounds of makeup) and Tarantino self reference (Harvey Kietel's voice for a few key moments over the phone without ever seeing his face)
I have to end by saying two things about the acting, which is strong all around, but particularly the way Brad Pitt holds the center as a loose canon who you can't help but want to take the ride with even through you know it will be a crazy and death defying ride. Christoph Waltz deserves a Best Supporting Oscar for his portrayal of Hans Lander for playing the role with such vigor and gusto. He literally seduces you into liking him regardless of what you see him doing onscreen.
On one level the film seems to be grasping at a statement about the lust for violence in movies, while at the same time, delivering a film that's full of it. Maybe he's being ironic or maybe he is just rubbing our faces in it or maybe he just knows what we like... I am going with the third option! Go See It Now!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2009.08.26 18:59
Watchmen
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In a parallel universe where 1940's style, retro-future technology and shadowy politics collide, Watchmen unfolds an unorthodox tale that weighs down the action and obscures the character so much that we hardly care whether they live or retire.
it was clear from the smaller details that they used lots of digital technologies to achieve the retro look, but that never really translated into any real action. The strange and sometimes though provoking characters, created by Alan Moore are recreated faithfully and do lots of interacting but not much happens. Since the movie takes place in the USA there was ripe soil for political commentary. This takes the form of a virulent anti-war vibe that pervades the whole film.
The film ultimately seems to fail on the standards already set by V for Vendetta on of Moores' less faithful adaptations. There just doesn't seem to be much going on beyond the glossy 1940's stylistic aesthetics. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2009.03.08 18:40
He's Just Not That into You
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Earlier in the week we caught the ensemble cast driven tale of love and not-love called He's Just Not That into You. I found it to be very funny and, although at times predictable, an entertaining movie. For me, that is saying something given that Jennifer Anniston is in the film and I think she plays dead better than acts alive. The characters lives connect loosely and share similar desires for love and deeper happiness but none of it scratches beneath the surface of this Robert Altman type cast drama. I loved some of the people involved like Entourage's Kevin Connolly was funny as a niche market real estate agent but much of the rest of the cast was uneven. Jennifer Conolley was difficult to watch as the wife of man tryinf to hide a secret addiction
(or several) The Mac guy is in it as well and some others but it Scarlett Johansson stole the screen as the flighty and clearly dysfunctional Yoga instructor/ evil temptress. I found the writing to be very funny so overall I would recommend this movie for a light evening of entertainment but don't expect too much depth for your dollar.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2009.03.02 15:02
Bolt
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The other night we had the privilege of looking after two children of our good friends. So we took them to see the new Disney animation movie Bolt. I went in with no expectations and left pleasantly surprised! The animation, action and plot were all very well done and kept the big kid in me interested throughout the whole film. Even though it is not in the Shrek vein (kids movie with very obvious adult jokes) it was still very entertaining and felt more like a proper action movie than a cartoon. On a side not, it won't be long before the quality of resolution in digital animations is right on par with movies shot on film with real actors. I wonder if Shia Lebuef is getting nervous that he will be replaced with a much cuter animated version?|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.11.27 11:17
Quantum of Solace
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While not feeling like a traditional James Bond film, the action packed Quantum of Solace is an enjoyable ride through the early beginnings of the 007 character. Instead of relying on high tech gadgets, Craig's rougher Bond deals with most of his conflict in a hand-to-hand manner. Beyond the missing gadgets, the villain didn't have the 'super-villain' feel that have come to mark the Bond brand. Not missing however are the stunning, and fully disposable Bond Girls. The plot moved so quickly that it never had time to impress upon the audience how sinister the villains endgame might have been. If I had to guess he, and his Ibiza reject looking right hand man, were planning to blackmail third world dictators by selling them natural resources that they had somehow hidden within the dictators own country. That aside, seeing James do some pretty impressive stunts and finally getting revenge at the end of the day, was worth the price of admission and will ensure that the Bond brand stays relevant for another few years.
Speaking of relevant having Jack White write a song for Alicia Keys as the theme was a brilliant idea and the song is one of the coolest opening numbers to a bond film I have heard in years (remember Sheryl Crow's Bond theme?)|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.11.17 09:04
Burn After Reading
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[SPOILER ALERT - IF YOU HAVEN"T SEEN THE MOVIE THEN DO NOT READ FURTHER]
I realize that I am not the only one who thinks Brad Pitt is more than just a pretty face, but I didn't expect him to steal this movie from such talents as John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand. Although they each turn in solid performances and clearly revel in their characters, Brad's Chad is the heart of this circular tale that is less about espionage and more about stupidity and emptiness. Although I usually like George Clooney, he rarely misses an opportunity to turn the audience off with exaggerated and odd body language with more than a few classic silly faces thrown in for good measure. John Malkovich is also in great form and gets a lot of laughs for being the biggest (and possibly most intelligent) loser in a world populated by a parade of soulless spooks and body obsessed opportunists. Although I ultimately enjoyed the film, I couldn't help but feel that, midway through, the reason I was watching was just shot in the face. from that point on the film fully sank into the sad reality that it had constructed.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.09.18 14:20
Tropic Thunder
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With the possible exception of Zoolander, Ben Stiller makes formula movies that poke fun more than truly satire whatever genre he sets his sites on. Tropic Thunder takes double aim at the War Movie genre and the whole Hollywood movie making machinery. Although the thin plot and gruesome special effects worked on my patience, it was worth the money to see Robert Downey as a blackface stereotype hard-ass and Robert Downey as a ridiculously posh Australian thespian and even Robert Downey as a Kabuki faced Vietnamese farm women. We get quite a few uncomfortable moments with Tom Cruise updating his break-out dance chops from Risky Business. Tom's character is exactly what I imagine Harvey Weinstein to be like. They sort of played him that way in Entourage a few seasons ago and it stuck with me when I saw Tom spewing rapid-fire verbal abuse into a cell phone.
Danny Mcbride makes another funny appearance as a special effects coordinator with a half blown-off ear. Jack Black offers his (by now tired) physical comedy in the Chris Farley school of "fat guy rolls around". Ben Stiller has a funny Col. Kurtz moment while clutching a little twig oscar that really made me laugh out loud!
I liked how the movie started with a few trailers that catch you by surprise (escpecially the sweat)
There has been lots of talk on the internetz about the politically incorrect language and that scene struck me as unfunny and possibly designed to attract the very sort of negative publicity that it has successfully generated. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.08.18 18:25
Pineapple Express
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If Super Bad was the Fast Times at Ridgemont High of this generation, then Pineapple Express is the Up in Smoke.I have had a hit and miss attitude towards Judd Apatow and his sometimes overly juvenile but occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. I think I enjoyed this movie because it felt very much like the rambling hijinks of Superbad with a slightly more adult story. Seth Rogan plays the loser with a heart of gold who gets embroiled in a drug war after witnessing a murder while blasted on the rarest of chronic that gives the film its title. There are plenty moments where the plot weaves close to the same stoner adventure territory of Superbad but there are enough new ideas and subtle comedic chemistry between Rogan and the other two stooges who go along for the bloody and mega-violent adventure.
The movie ends well with the three sitting around at a Denny's type cafeteria recounting the craziness of the night before and all of the sudden we are not so far from high school after all. Check out this movie if you want a good laugh. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.08.09 16:52
Wanted
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Wanted is a full-on action fantasy with flipping cars and bullet bending stunts. James McAvoy plays a loser who is ready to step out of his dead end life and into the kill or be killed world of international assassins. The visual effects in the movie owe a great deal to the Matrix trilogy but the movie lacks any of the Matrix's story telling depth. What it lacks in the story and dialogue department it hopes to make up for in stylized action. We get fiery car chases, a spectacular train battle hovering over a mountain chasm and finally an army of explosive rodents. Although this is stimulating you are left asking some confusing questions about the generic elements of the story. For instance Morgan Freeman is forced to say the absurd phrase "International Fraternity of Assassins" about six times. After the first few times it seems like a parody. Overall the action takes the center stage and the audience goes on a energy fueled ride through the surface of an underground world of International Assassins. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.07.24 18:39
The Dark Knight
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Much has already been said, and rightly so, about Heath Ledger's final performance. It is riveting to watch him seem so naturally creepy. I don't know if he will win the Oscar but he certainly put all that he had into crafting a villain that is at the same time completely insane and totally somehow believable. That being said, The Dark Knight was a slightly too long action romp that blends convincing special effects with subtle political commentary about life in the surveillance culture. There are lots of direct suggestions that "good people have to do bad things to overcome the really bad people." So the action plays out as the Caped One and the Joker dance around the increasingly blurry lines between Order and Chaos. There is one particular exchange between Batman and Lucius Fox in front of what amounts to a massive bank of spy cameras that most reveals the obvious subtext.
I was entertained but a little distracted by the tragedy of Heath Ledger to really say that I enjoyed it. I will have to catch this one again in a few years on cable and see if it stands the test of time.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.07.21 20:20
Indiana Jones Returns
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In 1981, I was ten years old and Raiders of the Lost Ark was one of the first movies that I went to the theater to see. (Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian and Blazing Saddles were also among the first I saw on the big screen) I remember being almost as excited about the video game coming out on the Atari 2600 as I was about the movie. I can't remember much of the first movie but I still remember the excessive amount of hours spent trying to get a smudge of little pixel cubes that were meant to be Indy to slide into a little opening in a pyramid. I remember finally getting him to the finish line and feeling disappointed that the reward was not much of a payoff after the long wait. Well after seeing the barely resurrected Indy in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I feel the exact same pang of disappointment. The pace of the movie was far too fast to do anything other than sit back and drift along. The plot could have been stolen off of any number of conspiracy/UFO-logist forums and even with its obvious twists and turns doesn't feel very inspired. It was kind of cool that they found a few gophers that had SAG cards because everyone else seemed tired and not just from running for their lives.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.05.27 19:14
Iron Man
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There are more than a few things that amazed me about Iron Man. 1) This movie has been in production with three different studios with almost 12 writers since 1990. 2) Director John Favreau allowed the actors to write their own dialogue for 90% of the film. 3) One of my favorite guitarists, Tom Morello from AudioSlave and Rage Against the Machine, has a cameo as the first person that Iron Man tosses into the side of a very dark cave.
This movie is so well done on all levels from technical aspects to the brilliant casting choices. I am already excited about the two sequels that are planned but until then I will have to wait for Tony Stark's role in the upcoming Incredible Hulk (Written by and Starring Edward Norton). Comic book films are really beginning to pull some serious talent and dollars judging from the box office returns that Iron man is already showing! It must feel great to Marvel that they are finding such success with the first movie that they fully financed themselves. So maybe with all that new cash they will hurry up and make an epic Avengers movie. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.05.04 19:50
The Bank Job
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The Bank Job sets itself apart from the usual caper film almost right out of the gate. Opting for gritty hands on thuggery instead of the typical high-tech gadgetry, the plot is more smash and grab than elaborate con. Jason Stratham plays his established type as a likable thug who isn't afraid of mixing it up with some heavies. The based-on-real-events plot is intriguing and keeps the story interesting enough to last until the end. I wish all caper films were this well done and had as interesting a back story but for every Bank Job we get three or four Ocean's Fifteens.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.04.06 20:39
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
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Kevin Spacey has a knack for picking good movies to be associated with (with the exception of the stinker The Life of David Gale) So I had high expectations for 21:the movie. I can't say that I was disappointed but it did seem to lack any real depth beneath the trying-very-hard-to-be-hip-and-sexy vibe. Spacey anchors a cast of youngsters who do a decent job of holding their own, particularly the lead Jim Sturgess as the math genius who is recruited to lead the MIT Blackjack Team towards Vegas bliss. Interestingly for a movie about counting cards, you never get a clear explanation of what the card counting process actually is even though they keep referring to it as 'simple math'. That is most likely due to the fact that the real life people who the movie was based on have mostly made a living selling card counting help books and holding desperate gamblers weekend retreats. They can't give away for the price of admission their current livelihood now that they are banned from playing in the casinos for life. I am not nit picking because without any real knowledge of what is being done on the tables the action gets reduced to sexy close ups of cards being flipped over too high intensity techno music and you are left feeling that it was too easy. In real life the MIT team spent years losing lots of money before they perfected a system that only gave them a 4% better than chance advantage over house. The movie makes it seems like they are printing money. It was entertaining enough but it could have been so much more but what do you expect from the guys who brought us Legally Blonde. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.03.29 11:34
Vantage Point
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Forest Whitaker's bulging and shaking aside, there isn't much of a point to Vantage Point. On the surface it is a political thriller with a generic terrorist gang attacking the US president. The main problem is that is fails to go below the surface. It does have some original coverage of the old car-chase on a crowded street driving the the opposite way but even that wear thin after a short while. The film had some great talent in Forest and Sigourney Weaver but it really failed to get them into any interesting situations. The first half of the film has about seven pause/rewind tricks that replay the assassination of the president from almost every possible angle. After the third one you are left feeling that Freud might have some thoughts about the filmmakers dark sub-conscious repression of hostility. But when the film actually begins to move forward the hostility is fully unmasked as every last member of the President's entourage are shot like fish in a barrel, most before they even saw it coming. I am not a prude when it comes to onscreen violence but when it is utterly devoid of a compelling narrative it just feels disgusting. I felt similar feeling during Mission Impossible 3 watching the violence careen into comic book dimensions while my actual entertainment flat-lines.
Did I mention that Forest Whitaker is a very shaky and bulging man. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.02.24 15:59
The Assassination of Jesse James...
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America has always had a love affair with the Outlaw Spirit. This film does a great job of putting you inside that affection during the late 1800's fascination with Jesse James and his train robbing gang. Long before the thug exploits of modern outlaws like 50 cent or John Gotti, a generation of people were entertained by the outside of the law adventures of Frank and Jesse James. Brad Pitt is his usual crafty and charismatic self, adding the occasional violent outburst to round out the character, who comes across as menacing more than likable. The real stand out here is Ben's little brother Casey who holds together a very complex mix of fear, ambition and courage. There are times when you are rooting for the coward Robert Ford and other times when you are disgusted by his insecurities but overall he is is impossible to dismiss. Nick Cave was involved in making the musical elements pitch the tone in a decidedly more moody key than many period pieces. Nick even makes a short cameo as a rambling minstrel singing a rowdy folk song about Jesse's death.
In the end, for me, the movie was about the hunger for fame and the emergence of celebrity-mania. This is the broad stroke, brushed over a very intimate portrait of a certain kind of life led outside of conventions where even your friends might shoot you in the back. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2008.02.07 09:03
American Gangster
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This film is one of the best epic gangster movies that I have seen, and I have seen them all. The acting is top-notch and the cast is well balanced between heavyhitting pros and moving-from-hip-hop-to-hollywood newcommers. I enjoyed watching Common and Method Man playing both sides of the law/drug lord fence. Denzel is wondeful as he almost always is and this character is a tense and pent-up quiet storm of a man. It is always hard, I suppose, to tell this kind of story without glamourizing the illegal and brutal lifestyles that are being portrayed but Ridley Scott did a great job is pitching the tone of the film in a more realistic frame than cinematic flurry. The locations, the costumes and the cast all seemed like real life not some over glossy hollywood life. The same goes for the violence which is in heavy supply like the packets of heroin that Frank Lucas used to break the back of harlem in the late '60s early '70s. Before you get the title shot and credits you witness a brutal, and brief, murder that sets the tone for more quick and brutal violence that follows. For my money, Russel Crowe steals the show as the Boy Scout cop who heads up the newly formed DEA and takes on the drug dealer who might have had a hand in killing his former junkie partner. Even with all of the cop/bad guy tensions this film is more about corporate business and cutting out the middle man than anything else. You get to see inside the business end of the underworld because the obession that Lucas had with running his business in very particular ways. Maybe Oscar nods for both Russel Crowe and director Ridley Scott but I think Denzel's part wasn't challenging enough to get the statue.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.11.05 08:33
Shoot'em Up
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I always thought that action movies were already parodies of real life until I saw what a parody of an action movie looks like. Complete with a mysterious hero, with inexplicable personal habits like only eating carrots, a sympathetic but not completely trustworthy female love interest and a bad guy who is meant to be smarter than everyone else, Shoot'em Up is an action movie on steroids. It is a farce but not in the same vein as direct spoofs like "Scary Movie" but more of an over the top homage to all the classic action movie conventions. With the better than your average action movie talents of Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti, this short but to the point romp is worth a few thrills for the price of admission. There are plenty of points that you have to laugh out loud to keep from destroying the illusion but somehow it still seems to work enough to keep you interested. It actually worked better than some of the non-comedy action movies I have seen. Paul Giamatti is brilliant as always!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.09.10 10:15
Balls of Fury
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Christopher Walken has been on the screen during more than a few of my favorite cinema moments. He is always able to find a way to make his characters become larger than life and still totally within the bounds of reality. Unfortunately by the time he shows up in this movie my patience was already being tested. It wasn't that the movie was completely bad it just never really offered anything substantial in the way of laughs. The few times that it did make me laugh was from classic prat falls and sight gags (or sight-challenged gags if you think its funny that a blind man might fall into a large hole). Walken does his best to carry the total comedy load and succeeds at times: his email address is pradalover217@gmail.com - that was funny after seeing him in about ten of the most over-the-top wardrobe choices I have ever seen. Even with the Matrix-style stop motion effects, ping-pong is just not that interesting to watch. If you put the surreal land of Kung Fu movies and an old James Bond flick into the micro-wave, after 30 seconds you will have Balls of Fury - undercooked and lacking flavor.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.09.03 12:09
Superbad
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Superbad is super funny! A well acted romp through the mind of two adolescent boys means the plot revolves around sex, sex, and after a few attempts to procure illict booze, more sex! This movie could have been miserable if it were not for the brilliant timing chops of the two young actors, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera. The writer (and star of Knocked Up) Seth Rogen shows up as part of a cop duo that adds another level of entertaining hi-jinks to the plot. If you liked Sixteen Candles then this movie will give you an updated version more suited to the way the youth of today roll. McLovin' is Superbad!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.08.26 17:38
The Bourne Ultimatum
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When I was in high school I read the Robert Ludlum Bourne Trilogy and was forever cursed with a mindful of conspiracy theories and distrust for the US government. I wouldn't call myself a fullscale conspiracy theory nutter but I love hearing a good story(Like this one about the rea reason the bridge collapsed in Minn) This final installment of the movie versions of the tale did not disappoint. There are so many conventions in the modern action movie that they can quickly get in the way of the story and leave me checking out. The Bourne Ultimatum has some of the most believable and well directed action that I have seen onscreen in a long time. A sign of a good action sequence for me is when you are pushed almost to the point of disorientation but not quite. If the action is fast paced but you can still follow the moves step by step then I know that the director is very skilled and focused on every detail. Having read the books, the climax of the movies was a bit underwhelming given that they just didn't have time to give all the detail that Ludlum wrote. Matt Damon is,again , great as the small guy who packs a large punch and he rest of he cast round out the corners with the exception of Julia Stiles who always seems out of place to me. I would recommend this as a fast paced and well executed romp through the winding halls of CIA Black-ops, Mind Control and the occasional blast of explosives like only hollywood can provide.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.08.06 07:53
Harry Potter
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With the release of the 5th installment of the Harry Potter movies and the final book, we are in the middle of another Potter-mania blip in popular culture. At least in my world, given that I am engaged to a huge Potter fan (who bought the latest book on the day it was released and is almost through reading it already). We checked out the movie a few days ago and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the earlier episodes. Since Harry, and his fan base, are getting older the storylines are able to be a bit more complex than before. The Order of the Phoenix was very different in that it wasn't as action packed and had a greater sense of mystery and foreboding. I have not read any of the books so I am a bit leftout on the reasons behond some of the new characters such as the little pasty-white girl who had all her shoes stolen and the whole sorcery government but the plot was easy enough to follow and at times involved a giant, which always makes for interesting plot development and humor!
I love the little cartoon above that somebody made to mock the 'head-in-the-sand' stance that many Christians take towards popular culture -For some the head should be shoved into a more southern location on their own bodies!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.07.26 07:47
Transformers
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I used to have at least three of the classic transformers play figures from hasbro when I was a kid. Pretty snappy piece of toy form engineering if you ask me. I was remember being fascinated with them for at least ten minutes. They were fun to play with but they were also out during the verge of classic arcade games like pacman coming to the home via the atari 2600. The movie version of the classic tv show and toy set is just as snappy as the orignal toy designs. The action and effects really carry you through a wild ride of mayhem. I had a thought during one of the massive robot to robot battle scenes that the types of graphics and effects that were on the screen would one day be used at the virtual reality video game level. I was truely amazed at the level of detail and great camera panning to really put you inside the action. On one level this is one of the best pure fun movies that I have seen made in a comic book genre. On another level this is the highest budget car commercial that has ever been produced. |
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.07.10 11:43
More Blockbusters...
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I checked out a few more big budget hollywood movies over the last two weekends. The latest (and hopefully the last) Die Hard film starring the ever likeable republican Bruce Willis was a fun romp full of action and the rare witty remark. The plot. like the other Die Hard features, revolves around greed and an elaborate plot to cause chaos and steal lot and lots of money. I enjoyed seeing the Mac guy using a PC while playing the role of a resourceful, if fearful, geek hacker. A cameo by director Kevin Smith was also a treat even if he only played a crabby and lazy parody of the basement hacker. This movie is worth the price of admission and a med box of popcorn!
I am a huge fan of animated movies and this one was a pleasure to watch. The plot was solid and the animation resolutions have improved a geat deal since the last PIXAR release. Another little movie that I watched on pay-per-view called Arthur and the Invisibles was also a real treat. Featuring the voices of David Bowie and Robert Deniro, among others. Thats all for now, I am back in the swing of things and will be posting more regularly in the coming weeks!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.07.06 07:47
Spiderman 3
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When a movie is referred to as a 'franchise' then I usually lose interest but the latest comic book epic struggle between good and horribly scarred evil is worth a few hours on a Friday night. The usual computer generated effects are amped up to roller coaster level thrills as you speed through the NYC cityscape in high definition clarity. The plot is more of an inner struggle than any real bad guys. Toby Maguire did a very good impersonation of an evil conor oberst as the hyper aggressive side of the nerdy Peter Parker. At one point Peter parker becomes quite a chick magnet. even though he looked about three and a half feet tall. It was a bit too silly for my tastes but the audience sure loved it. They laughed as much as they did when Toby was crying from thinking he had lost his sweet Mary Jane. After the the first few thrilling action sequences everything began to feel familiar and predictable. On a positive note, this movie is proof that there is someone in hollywood geekier than bugged eyed Toby Maguire, Topher Grace!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.05.05 19:47
Grindhouse
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There once was a time when I would be the first in line at the release of a Tarrintino film. I fondly remember a gang of us driving all the way to the interstate to see Pulp Fiction on its opening night in Gainsville, Florida. While that movie popped and sparked full of interesting characters and witty dialogue, Grindhouse seemed to fizzle and fade rather quickly. The first of the double feature, Planet Terror, was a zombie romp that never seemed to come together. Although it was packed full of gross-out gore and some sexy machine gunning action, the overall effect wasn't entertaining to my tastes. We almost left during the two short and horribly graphic fake trailers for the non-existent movies 'don't' and 'Thanksgiving'. Next up was the once-legendary Tarrintino's Death Proof and we ended up walking out about ten minutes in to it. It seemed to me that Tarrintino has become a poor cartoon version of his former glory. In those first ten minutes we get at least 5 close=up shots of women's feet and the extra-creepy personality of Quintin himself plastered across the giant screen. Maybe I am just not cultured enough to enjoy Tarrintino but I haven't walked out of a movie since 'Kill Bill'. I might watch the rest of it when it comes on cable and I have a head cold or high fever flu.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.04.10 08:46
Blades of Glory
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Will Ferrell might just be the funniest human being to ever leave the cast of Saturday Night Live for the big screen. Blades of Glory is his latest character driven romp through wild costumes, toilet humor and the occasional flash of homo-erotic physical comedy (see above =) The team of Ferrell and Napolian Dynamite's Jon Heder seems to work on paper but doesn't hold must spark on the screen. Apart from the laugh-out-loud moments where Ferrell and Heder launch their bodies through movements that should be reserved for 15 year old Eastern European girls who dream in glitter, spandex and gold, there is not much here to see. Ferrell is funny but the character is not as well written as some of his other comedic gems. There is not much of a story and almost every scene is going all out for a laugh. Throw in a few cameos by former Ice Skating legends and you have the general idea. The only thing left is to sit back and take in the wonder of Mr Ferrell in all his silly genius. While it wasn't as good as ELF, Blades of Glory will bring a smile to your face.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.04.08 20:15
Shooter
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After the attention that Marky Walhberg enjoyed following his comic relief role in The Departed, I was interested in seeing if he could hold my attention as a leading man. Shooter is a rather formulaic thriller that tells you all its secrets in the trailer. We have seen the plot more than a few times before but this time around the 'bad guys', interestingly, were not some group of foreign terrorists but high ranking and powerful US citizens. There were plenty of allusions to the current global and US state of affairs and the plot revolves around a company much like the real life and very scary Black Water Security. If you haven't heard of them, Black Water is a private security company (read private military force) founded by one of the largest contributors to the GWBush presidential campaign. These mercenaries make up almost half of the troops in Iraq and have the added bonus of not having to be counted in the death toll numbers. They have also been used to 'protect' the citizens of New Orleans after Katrina. I find the idea that a military force that includes helicopters, jets, armoured vehicles and a whole range of weapons that haven't even been approved for official military use, is availible for hire. I find it equally scary that their main contracts are with the US government.
Shooter follows the fringes of this sort of group as they 'protect' an assasination atempt on the US President. About ten minutes into the film the ball starts rolling and its a cat and mouse game that mostly sticks with Marky's mouse. Some familiar emotional territory is entered with the introduction of a love interest but there is an interesting tension between Marky and Kate Mara which makes it feel fresh. Overall the production levels is very high but the story just isn't that interesting. At its center it is a story about the massive amounts of deception and violence people will inflict to stay in power. I think its time for Walhberg to make a movie where he doesn't kill everyonewho is left at the end. I heard him say that his film choosing strategy is 'I choose one for them and then I choose one for me" - I hope Shooter was 'one for them' because it didn't do it for me.|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.04.06 13:26
Zodiac
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There are several things that make a true crime case stick into the collective awareness. Only a handful of murder cases, that do not involve famous people, rise out of the thousands of murders that happen each year. The case of the Zodiac Killer in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s is one of those cases. Besides the mystery of it never being solved, add to that a laundry list of bizarre costumes, crytograms and theories involving the alignment of astrological bodies. The film, Zodiac, is more a story about the effects of those mysteries on the lives of most of the people who came in contact with the insanity close-up, than it is a thriller based on the actual crimes. The story follows the lead detectives, San Fran reporters and a rookie cartoonist as they slowly become unraveled as they face the frustrations of not being able to find answers that lead to the identity of the Zodiac. The movie places you in the mindset of a detective investigating a case that is far too complex and strange to ever really get to the bottom of.
I enjoyed the movie although it felt disappointing towards the end. I have visited this site in the past and was already fairly sure that the suspect presented in the film is most likely the true Zodiac. However while I was creating the above graphic for this post I had a bit of investigative inspiration. I think I may have discovered the identity of the true Zodiac. At first I spent some time working with the zodiac's own signature logo. As I manipulated it, it started to remind me of another symbol that I had seen quite a lot.
That's right, it is a dead ringer for the AQAL symbol used by Ken Wilber to explain his "All Quandrants, All Lines" philosophy on reality. It seemed at first a silly notion but then I began to dig even deeper and I found this early wanted poster created in early 1970.
It is a known fact that Ken Wilber was "surfing and meditating" in California during the years that the Zodiac was active. It is also a fact that the last Zodiac letter was sent in 1971. In 1978 Ken Wilber completed his first book, The Spectrum of Consciousness after "working on it for almost ten years". I think someone should look into this. Ken has been behind two other movie franchises in the past so why not Zodiac as well? I won't sleep until I figure this out, for certian........|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.03.03 18:59
DVD : I Know I'm Not Alone
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I posted several months ago on the fantastic album "Yell Fire!" by Michael Franti and Spearhead. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch a quick interview with Franti on CBC's the Hour. He was much more laid back and relaxed than I had pictured him. He was promoting his new DVD release "I Know I'm Not Alone" which documents his cultural travels throught the war torn Middle East.
The DVD is a powerful little piece of guerilla film-making at its best. Scenes of families crowded into bombed out apartment buildings enjoying each others company and Franti's manic folk strumming. He bumps into a few musicians as well as some US military soldiers during happy hour. What is revealed is exactly what he says was his purpose for the trip and the film: to highlight the human cost of war. This is not so much a preachy anti-war movie as much as it is a pro-life movie. Franti has an odd charisma even when it is clear that much cultural differences seperate him from those he meets and entertains along the way.
The most moving scene for me was an impromtu performance, in Iraq, for about 20 US Marines who were taking a few minutes away from trying to survive. He played a song called "We can Bomb the world to pieces but we can't bomb it into peace!" His song choice showed that he had courage to sing such an obviously anti-war song to soldiers who had beers in one hand and M16's in the other. Through the voice over we learn that he was acually quite intimidated by the soldiers at first. After the performace they said that they repected him for coming in to their space and singing such a confrontational song. Many of the soldiers expressed that they no longer supported the war and that they were just trying to stay alive long enough to go home safely and this was three years ago! What I respect about Franti is his strong convictions and his commitment to showing love to people on both sides of the issue. He doesn't condemn the soldiers who are, for the most part, just doing their jobs in a difficult situation. In fact through his lyrics on Yell Fire you can see that the real focus of his judgments are those in power who send people off to war without ever having to face the horror of war themselves (are you listening GWB?)
Those who start wars never fight them
Those who fight wars never like them
If you buy the DVD be sure to check out the Arab rappers in the special features section - kickin' it Mulim style. Music is truely the only universal language!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.02.02 12:06
Smokin' Aces
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Jeremy Piven leads an ensemble cast of half-wit thugs, lunatics, professional killers and professional killer-chasers. The first thirty minutes of this film were promising: lots of witty dialogue and smooth cuts between the various storylines but the payoff never came. Suddenly everything devolved into a poorly executed splatter flick that owes much to Pulp Fiction and Snatch in the style department.
Some notable appearances by Alicia Keys and Common. Both of them were strong on screen with Alicia playing a semi-professional semi-lesbian hit woman and Common playing a smoother than ice member of Piven's entourage. Piven hits all the right notes as a drug crazed and paranoid entertainer with mob connections but the silly plot twist at the end leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. If this movie could have delivered on the setup and sustained its wit, it would have been fantastic. However it ends up being a rough and tumble wanna-be stylish gangster movie that could have been a great one.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.01.31 18:31
Alphadog
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I went to see this movie for one reason: I wanted to see if JT was indeed a triple threat dancer, singer and actor. Most people have seen the A&E doc about the sad real life events that inspire this depressing tale of suburban excess so I was really just interested in seeing the actors. Before I say anymore, I have to say that JT held it together rather well considering he only had to learn about three lines and repeat them on cue : "Dude, F$%K!" , "Don't F$%K with me, dude!", and "Dude, I'll F%$K you up!"
On my way into the theatre, the attendant was stopping three obviously 12-13 year-olds at the door telling them that they had to be at least 18 to see the film. About a minute into the film I had to go back out to tell the attendant that the movie was showing off centre and part of it was being projected onto the wall and curtian instead of the screen. (something that never got fixed by the way) I went out just in time to hear the attendant telling the same 12-13 yearolds that he had spoken with his boss and they were now allowed to go inside and watch the film! @#&@%#&@%#&! I could say a great deal about the excessive language, drugs, sex and violence of this film but it's enough to say there is NO WAY 12-13 year-old JT fans should be allowed in to see it!
So about the movie, it was a bomb blast of overacting and mindless gansta posing (Ben Foster seems like he was in a Kung Fu movie the way his intensity boarders on absurd) Throughout the film I kept reminding myself that this was inspired by true events and that the kind of lunacy that was being portrayed actually happened 2000. (at least the core events because I am sure a great deal of it was hyped up for the drama of film)
The movie left me with the same feeling I had after reading Less Than Zero. I just wanted to reach into the story and shake some sense into the characters. If you too are curious about JT's acting wait for this to come on cable. Having seen the film, for me, the jury is still out!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.01.20 08:41
Davis on Frisbee
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I posted some thoughts, a few months ago, about the documentary Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher. Last year while I was in LA, I had the chance to view the film and meet the director/producer David Di Sabitini. I was moved and inspired by the film on many levels. Recently Erik Davis wrote a review of the film (here ) I love the way the Davis writes and he does a good job of both summarizing the best parts of the film and connecting Frisbee's story to a much larger movement of alternate spiritual currents that flow through California.
You can order your own copy of the film here or you can learn more about the strange and wonderful story of Lonnie here.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2007.01.18 07:38
Casino Royale
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Wow! I loved this movie! I have been a sort-of James Bond fan my whole life but the last few bond films have left me flat. It seemed as if the over the top violence and too perfect demeanor of 007 didn't fit very well with the ultrarealism that some of my other favorite movies offered. Casino Royale is a wonderful blend of both the Bond mystique and the ultra realistic.
The new Bond is a bit more thuggish than the previous incarnations and this is a very good thing. It makes Bond seem more able to fight for his life and take on the evil baddies. In this installment we get to see James before he had acquired many of his trademarks: tuxedo, shaken martinis, and sexist manipulation of women.
One of my high points was seeing my buddy AJ's face filling half the screen as an extra in a Madagascar snake vs mongoose betting circle. Much of the film was shot here in Nassau, so it was also a thrill to see James driving his aston martin on the same road I take to work every morning.
If you like james Bond or just like well executed action films - go see this movie!|
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.11.21 12:48
Departed
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I am not a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio but seeing this movie has changed my opinion of him. The Departed is a suspenceful gangster drama supported by an all-star cast of male actors. Jack Nicholson's over the top Irish gangster is the most predictable in an ensemble that includes Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Marky Mark, and Alex Baldwin among others.
The plot has a nice flow of twists and turns that most revolve around the idea of double agents playing both sides of the law in Boston. Marky Mark has a great character that is always good for a laugh due to his spit fire insults and freaky Donald Trump hairstyle. I don't think I would have liked this movie as much if it were not for DiCaprio. He is riviting! I am normally inclined to like Damon who plays his nemesis. I found myself deeply involved with DiCaprio's character while I was hoping for Damon's to meet an unsavory end.
All of the normal fare for a Sorcesse gangster movie are present: graphic violence, lots of male ego's comparing the size of their tools, and a vivid underworld of sleaze and crime.
In the opening monologue(which made me think this was going to be an Irish Goodfellas) Nicholoson's character says a great line:
"We used to have the church, which is just another way of saying we had each other"
If you like gangster movies directed with a skillful hand for suspence and drama, see the Departed!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.10.09 08:42
The Twin Towers
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I remember seeing Oliver Stone give a talk to film makers at the University of Florida. He seemed just as paranoid and hostile as some of his best known films : Natural Born Killers or JFK. Since there are more than enough conspiracy theories surrounding the events of September 11th, I thought this movie might have a paraniod edge. The story is certianly worth telling and shows a very insider's view of the details. Following a brigade of fireman called into to evacuate the towers, Stone avoids most stock footage that has been burned into our brains. As the plot quickly unfolds you get a sense of just how little the fireman, who were in the towers, knew about what was really going on.
So much has been said about the effects of 9/11 on our world. I feel that it was one of the first experiences(at least in my lifetime) that was shared globally. It cut to the collective core of our presumptions about safety and security. We all witnessed horrible things together and I believe it has touched us all in some way or another. As we all try to wrestle with the big picture questions about why this kind of thing happened(and how the leaders of the free world have responded), I have hope that it will ultimately lead humanity to a better place of understanding and genuine compassion. We are all having to consider how to end the foolishness of aggression and intolerance in our world. So if this film is Oliver Stone's way of contributing I can see the value in it. It is truely amazing what strength and courage the human spirit is capable of when its all on the line. This movie shows that spirit at work in one of the darkest days.
You can check out a 3rd grader's contributon to the future healing of the 9/11 wounds here.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.09.06 19:52
Snakes on a Plane
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Only Samuel L Jackson's larger than life bad-assness could carry a film that walks such a fine line between ludacris and absurd. On one level, the title cuts right to the chase and lets the viewer know this is going to be a cartoon sized adventure full of jolts of fear and bursts of B-movie humor.
The computer generated snakes have a naughty side as they tend to strike at the most tender places on the human anatomy. The plane is filled with a host of characters, some entertaining and some annoying. Besides Jackson's charisma, Keenan Thompson stands out as the funny video gamer who redeems his hours wasted playing flight simulators. You also have a Paris Hilton type repleat with a little Chihuahua sidekick that meets with an unfortunate fate and a self obsessed Rapper who is more than anal rententive.
At times the humor side falls flat but before boredom can set in we are treated to another shocking snake attack. The pace is so fast that the movie rushes by without much opportunity to think about how thin the plot really is. The overall tone is not quite as zany as Airplane and seems more like a send up of the action movie genre rather than a disaster movie.
For two hours of b-movie fun this one is worth a go.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.08.19 12:41
Dead Man's Chest
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The first of the three part series Pirates of the Caribbean was such a good movie that it caught me by surprise. The thrill of seeing Johnny Depp in a Disney movie and playing his role of Captian Jack Sparrow like a druken Keith Richards was unexpected. Part two follows the same cast of loyalists and pirates around the waters of Torgua and the like. All the major players (and a few minor ones as well) return for another round of Disney-fied fun. You have man eating cannibals, black witches, an evil monkey, octopus and shark shaped people and a host of bearded drunken pirates.
Captian Jack seems even weirder this time out and proves his pirate nature by not appearing so noble. To be fair he is being hunted down by a gianormous sea beastie sent to devour his soul, so all bets are off at that point.
The beautiful Bahamian seas are on full display throughout but you won't find and of the mountian filled islands in our part of the Caribbean (but you may find some man eating natives)
I enjoyed this movie and I am looking forward to the next installment in the franchise. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger but all in all it was good for two hours of blockbuster fun.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.07.31 10:29
Miami Vice
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Growing up in Miami during the 80's left a permanent mark on my psyche (thank God not a permanent mark on my fashion sense!). I remember watching each weekly episode with excitement I had previously only reserved for Knight Rider and the Dukes of Hazard. I was too young to fully grasp the plot lines but the local scenery and the ocassional guest appearance by my wanna-be-actor/physical education teacher were enough to keep me hooked. There is even a rather embarrasing photo of my brother and me dressed in full pastel t-shirts and white cotton jackets floating around the family albums. Basically if you lived in Miami during the eighties you were connected, in some way, to the whole Crockett and Stubbs universe. When I heard that Micheal Mann was doing a full length movie of the show i immeadiately thought it would be an 80's nostalgia fest. I was even a little excited when I heard that Jamie Fox would be starring (my excitement waned when I heard that Colin Farrell was in it as well)
This modern day vice team and the film that they populate are nothing like the characters and world that Don Johnson and Philip Micheal Thomas lived within. The plot centers on an intense crazy eyed Colombian drug Lord and the vice boys undercover attempt to shut it down. All of the glamour and music video style montages that were the signature of the original show are gone. In their place are short bursts of non-impressive gun fights shot with handheld camera's to give you that "in the middle of a machine gun battle" feel. Since no time is spent on developing the characters of Sonny and Rico, the action seems to have no real weight. At times you don't seem to care if they live or die. The pacing, between gun fights, seems to labour slowly over sexual encounters in order to build tension in the plot but this falls flat. The plot simply develops far too quickly. You are thrown right into it (without even an opening credits section) and its off to the slow parade of boats, guns, bombs and boobies. At times the plot is painfully thin and the actors are given very little dialogue to work with. Jamie fox seemed to have phoned in his role or maybe he ralized during production that the film was playing off of so many cliches that he best no draw too much attention to the fact that he is in this movie.
I really wanted this to be a good movie and it was a dissappointment. I bet if I watched an episode of the original now, it would also be a huge disappointment.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.07.31 10:10
The Son Becomes the Father
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If there ever was a Super Hero cutom fit for the American psyche, Superman is on the top of the list. Originally created by two struggling Jewish comic book writers in 1932, the Man of Steel has since been the optimistic pop culture version of the hero's journey. This time around the story was further adapted to align with western culture's spiritual sensibilities, with every inch of Christ metaphor stretched to the limit. In order to make sure both the rational and the mystical sides of the coin were addressed, the marketing campaign has been focused around the scientific elements to the character.
The plot was paced well thoughout while both filling in details of young Clark Kent's childhood development and exploring new details of Superman's tragic home planet. Most of the action takes place within the big cityscape of Metropolis and at times, I think intentionally, conjures up images of terrorist attacks that question the fragility of our modern technological advances.
I am sure with a movie this large the new face of Superman must have been screen tested and focus grouped a zillion times so it doesn't surprise me that Brandon Routh did a good job rounding out the character. He looks a lot like Christopher Reeve so old school fans won't feel as angry as James Bond fans are feeling about the new 007. The funniest casting choice was seeing Richard Branson playing the co-pilot of a Space Shuttle that is struggling to take off. I am not sure that future Virgin Galactic customers would want to have an image of the company's president frantically working the controls in a life-or-death situation. I understand cross promotion but he should have thought through this one a bit longer. Kevin Spacy and Parker Posie both give off a very comic book bigness in their performances that help the film stay on an Epic scale.
I felt that the plot was a bit shallow for my tastes. While there was certianly quite a few heavy action sequences, the "evil plot" cooked up by Lex Luther seemed excessively futile and rather underwhelming. Things seemed to get wrapped up a bit too quickly and I was left feeling like there was really no climax to the story at all.
The special effects were quite a thrill ride of flying, exploding and flying faster. All of the action seemed incredibly natural including Super Man taking a gunshot directly in his eye that crushes as it impacts his eyeball. We are treated to a slo-mo close-up of his indestructable eye withstanding the bullet blast. At this point the audience went wild with excitment and it almost got as loud as the roar of laughter when a man fell from a 70 story building.
In the end the movie was entertianing, if only for the thrill ride special effects and the comfort that comes from believing that there really are heroes and saviors watching over our world.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.07.01 13:57
"Bleep" of Faith
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I came across an interesting article about the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know?" The writer sheds some interesting light on certian aspects of the film. I didn't mention it in my original post about the film but after I saw it for the first time, I felt in a trance for few days. At the time, I thought it was just a natural reaction to the mind-blowing things that were being presented. Now I realize that the filmakers intent was to put people into a trance state. I feel a bit foolish for becoming such a quick evangelist for the film, given that even the scientific aspects of it are now being questioned severely and people involved with the film have felt manipulated.
The article also reveals some interesting things about a few of the on-screen "experts" and their connection to the New Age cult leader Ramtha. It seems that the real trick of this film was in the presentation. They really weaved an interesting, if not, twisted line through the experimental and theoretical arenas of the New Sciences(and some new twists on a few old ones as well).
I remember after viewing the movie a friend made the comment "how does the presentation of the Gospel have to evolve in a world where this kind of film is out there?". Good question!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.06.21 06:52
Nacho Libre
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Jack Black is funny! This film was much better than I expected. Jack even fought in some "professional" fights as Ignatio. Or at least his studio had a cross promotional campaign going to rope in the occasional PPV wrestling fanatics. Movies are big business and this made $27 million dollars on its opening weekend.
Jack walks a very fine line between silly and stupid most of the time but the silliness is the whole point. There are lots of moments when just seeing his portly frame twisted into the oddest positions just makes one laugh. (and this is even true when he is not in the ring) The story of an orphan boy who dreamed of being a Lucador is one that hasn't been told before. Think Rocky meets Brother Sun Sister Moon (Just kidding!)
When I was about 10-12 yearsold I was a huge fan of professional wrestling. This was theAndre the Giant and Rick Flair days of the late 70's. The wrestling in the movie reminded me of those days. More rolling around on the mat and grappling, not the over dramatic hysterics of the modern WWF, WWE, RAW, SMACKDOWN, ECW, WCW, AWA and even AAA (is that the wrestling addictions program for the recovering wrestling fanatics?).
Nacho Libre is truely laugh out loud funny!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.06.19 14:07
V for Vendetta : Ken Wilbur's Thoughts
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A few months ago I posted some thoughts on V for Vendetta. I just ran across a blog post by Ken Wilbur. Filmmaker Larry Wachoski is connected to Wilbur (Ken recorded a commentary track for the Matrix Box set) so Ken was invited to the premiere in NYC. He has some interesting things to say about the Hollywood experience but I foudn his thoughts and intepretations of the the film interesting. He saw a lot of the same things that I commented on and arrived at the same conclusion that the film was not presenting any heros but just different ideologies (Wilbur calls them Stages of Development) and showing how they clash together.
One of the strange things Wilbur mentions is that the recording (in 2004) of the Matrix commentary was the last time he had left his loft estate in Boulder, Colorado. Recently on his blog he has been commenting on the phsycology of internet blogs and forums.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.06.19 13:38
The Breakup
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The Breakup is a wonderful date movie. At times romantic, occasionally stereotypical and often humorous, this Vince Vaughn vehicle is a cut above the average hollywood romantic comedy. Vince produced and wrote the story for this movie but in fairness anyone who has ever goen through a breakup could have written this story. It plays heavily into the well worn stereotypes of male female relational needs but the acting and dialogue keep it from ever feeling false. Both Vaughn and Aniston do a good job of holding ones attention and their are a few show-steeling supporting roles that make the overall feel very engaging.
Vincent D-Onfrio plays Vauggn's emotionally stunted older brother to great effect. He milks even the smallest scene to full effect with odd body positions and erratic eye movements. It seems as if they just let him go completely over the top, most of the time it is rather amusing. Jason Bateman also pulls out some laughs playing a sleazy nerdy real estate agent who capatilizes on the breakup. I also enjoyed Jutin Long (That 70's Show and Ed) as the slightly gay art gallery receptionist. I wondered if he was doing a shout out to Bronson Pinchot's Serge from Beverly Hills Cop.
I am not relacing Notting Hill as my all-time favorite romantic comedy , yet but this little movie isn't that bad.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.06.05 12:37
X-Men : The Last Stand
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Comic book based movies make for great opportunities to show off special effects. The latest installment of X-Men is no exception. The usual characters return for another round of superhuman action and CGI illusions. If you are keeping up with the plot, the theme for this film could be ressurection. Nobody stays dead (or worse) for too long before they are are right back into the action. This time their is a bit of drama as the humans have found a cure for mutants. As expected not everyone is onboard with this politically correct option and an unholy war begins. Others have mentioned the subtle fear of the female that runs throughout the plot but that seems like trying to read too much into this movie. It is a one trick pony of sorts without much points of true suspence or drama. The Jaugernaut was my favorite character due to the shoutout to this little internet gem!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.06.02 16:50
The DaVinci Code
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Does anyone else think it is absurd that professors and Christian "experts" have come out of the woodwork to offer a rebuttal to a novel? You can purchase the dvd resource kit for yourself and see all the places that Dan Brown wrestled with historical accuracy. If you listen to Dan Brown, he wrote the novel in order to begin discussions about the whole notion of historical accuracy (and to make bucketloads of money!). He is personally and narratively questioning our ability to accept our inherited history as fact. Without understanding this point, many christians jumped at the bait and started debating the book point by historical point. Not one of the rebuttals has been as interesting to read as the novel itself. Maybe why people have so much fear about this work of fiction is that they understand at a deep level that story has the power to influence a person's perceptions. I think that the reason a story like the DaVinci Code is so compelling is because there is an absense of truely compelling works of narative that capture the historical christian version of history. There have been some attempts The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Lord of the Rings. Aside from the fact that both of those mythic stories were written almost 60 years ago, both read as an escape into an mythic other-world and therefore don't have the kind of connection to everyday life that the Da Vinci Code uses to great effect.
There are some notable differences between the book and the movie. With all of the controversay about the book being presented as fact, I expected the movie to open with a Blair Witch Project disclaimer. The pacing of the novel was a rush that didn't translate as well to the film. You get the feeling that things are moving too fast. Tom Hanks' Robert Langdon, is much smarter and more "christian" than Dan Brown's original. I found this strange. The strongest scene in the book where Langdon and Teabing lay out the whole "Jesus was married and had kids" version of history, is reframed in a much broader perspective for the fim. I wonder if this was an intentional way of sidesteping more controversy?
There are still quite a few things that may ruffle some feathers but all in all the movie was entertaining. The book was so widely read that this was a difficult movie to make. It was written in a way that lent itself to the visuals of film-making but the plot relies heavily on the fact that you don't know what will happen next. So when you do know what will happen next its not nearly as thrilling. People like Dan Brown, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard know this fact but also saw the huge potential to make more money, so they couldn't refuse. They played around with the ending enough to show that they were atleast tying to offer blockbuster entertainment.
Listening to the book and watching the movie have left me with one burning question in my heart - What does Pat Robertson think?
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.05.22 12:23
An American Haunting
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An American Haunting is a bit more ambitious than your average horror film. The film attempts to offer an explaination of the "Most Documented Haunting in American History" the Bell Witch Haunting. The claims that a few individual journals written 30-40 years after the incidents occurred are enough documentation to qualify as "Most Documented" seems dubious. But I guess that is what many people say of the gospels. In the style of the Blair Witch Project and The Da Vinci Code, the film works better if you are forced to consider that it might actually be true.
The story is told as a flashback from an old letter found by new owners in the attic of the Old Bell House where the original hauntings took place. It is never clear if the modern characters are decendants of the Bell family but a few parallels point in that direction. Although there are a few very startling moments, the strange events become repetitive rather quickly. Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek are the two most established faces in the film but Rachel Hurd-Wood(Peter Pan) is the star of this movie. Her role demanded many odd facial expressions and unnatural limb twisting, which she executed flawlessly.
The most striking element of the film is that it offers an interesting view of paranormal events. The movie closes with a definition of the word Poltergeist.
"a term for a supposed spirit or ghost that manifests by moving and influencing inanimate objects or levitating people"
Then the onscreen text suggests that these objects are actually being influenced by something unknown within people who are traumatized. I won't spoil the details of what kinds of trauma might explain the Bell Witch incident. It is an interesting suggestion that the people who experience hauntings are actually creating these paranormal events themselves due to the release, through trauma, of deeper human abilities that are normally dormant. The people are so convinced that they are experiencing a ghost because they have no awareness of their own power to trigger supernatural events. Although the movie was well produced, I feel that this little suggestion is its strongest merit.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.05.15 14:35
R V : What's So Funny About Feces
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Robin Williams is a funny guy with a sometimes poor sense of what makes a good film. While he has chosen a few winners : Good Morning Vietnam, The Fisherking, and Awakenings. He has also chosen some truly boring films: Bicentenial Man, One Hour Photo and Good Will Hunting.( Just kidding about Good Will Hunting!) R V belongs at the top of Robin Williams' "At Least I Might Make Some Money" list.
This movie felt like a bad retred of National Lampoon's Vacation territory. At least that movie had the edge of Chevy Chase to carry it along. Robin Williams is too straight to really make you laugh. This is a shame since Williams' can be really off kilter and funny at times. More often than not, I found him awkward rather than amusing.
The plot is thinner than the paper it was printed on. Stereotypical family tensions and scatalogical humor abound. The two or three laughs in the movie come from the newcomers JoJo and Josh Hutcherson. JoJo is also an up and coming pop singer. Is it me or is the line between singer and actress disappearing, I guess that's what happens when the same corporations own the record companies as well as the film studios.
Unless you have a Jeff Daniels fetish, I wouldn't bother!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.05.15 13:54
Poseidon
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In ancient Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea to whom sailors and fisherman would pray for safe travels. It looks like, once again, someone forgot to pray for this fictional cruiseliner's safe voyage. I remember watching the original The Poseidon Adventure during a rainy day on cable a few years ago. This remake ups the ante on several fronts while, at the same time, shortening the film by 20 minutes.
The trailer tells you all you need to know about the plot. Big fancy boat + Huge Tsunami style wave = disaster filled with heroic potential. This time around the cast is light on established actors. While the original had several oscar winners, the remake is full of a virtually unknown cast. This makes it a bit harder to connect with the characters emotionally since the terror begins before any real character development can unfold. It was less than ten minutes into the film when all hell breaks loose. Kurt Russell and Richard Dryfuss are the most familiar faces with the brief comic relief of Kevin Dillon. I wish he would have stuck around longer since the intensity of the action could have used a bit of humor to offer some breathing room for the audience.
The producers must have used all the money they saved on casting for special effects. Some of the visuals were breathtaking. When the wave hits the boat you are treated to a full 10 minutes straight of explosions, people screaming, people dying, metal twisting and general misc chaos. The camera angles were really interesting and the editing kept you in constant suspense.
Josh Lucas played the mysterious hero role. I kept feeling that I was watching TV when I was watching him. I am not sure why since he has played small roles in quite a few films inculding Stealth, The Hulk, and A Beautiful Mind. He just didn't seem to pull off the leading man role. To be fair he didn't have much to work with in the script department. Most of his screen time is spent screaming franticly, swimming franticaly, or staring off with crazy intense eyes.
I have never quite understood the appeal of disaster genre films but this is a solidly crafted film that could have used the extra 20 minutes to deepen it's connection with the audience. There are a few product placements (PsP2 and the Black Eyes Peas) but one product this movie certianly won't sell is tickets on cruise ships.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.05.12 23:14
Mission Impossible III
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I was expecting this movie to be full of insane action and adrenaline fueled chases. I was correct. The pacing is out of control. You barely get a chance to breathe between action sequences before you are thrown into the next explosion or machine gun symphony. I have moderately enjoyed the first two mission in this franchise although Tom Cruise creeps me out in a big way. Seeing that he is, once again, a co-producer on this film, I have to imagine that, at least some of the creative choices, were due to his influence. This installment is much more personal than the last two. Ethan is struggling with his passionate commitment to global intelligence and his newly formed domestic situation. This tension seems to be purely a way to bring emotional weight to the violence. It didn't feel authentic in my book. I felt a bit manipulated by the emotional hook more than feeling any real emotional connection.
The ending was so overly sentimental that I wanted to throw up! Seeing Philip Seymore Hoffman was a treat but his character was cut from the same one dimensional villian cloth that shows up in many films of this genre. He is all evil with no human side at all. This convention always feels heavy-handed to me. I tend to enjoy it when the bad guy has a human side or at least has an extravagant personality to keep me entertained. Hoffman's character had none of this at all.
Lawrence Fishburne steals the show with a few well placed lines and attitude. His character got the most reaction from the mostly Bahamian audience. I was suprised however that there was very little participation from the audience. Usually in movie like this, in the Bahamas, you have the extra treat of the most masculine members of the audience shouting out commentary along with the action. I remember seeing Rocky II when I was much younger. Throughout the boxing matches the whole audience shouted exclamation points of "bitch" and "Take that" in time with each punch. It made for an unusually entertaining experience. I was half looking forward to that seeing that the theater was packed full due to opening night. Maybe the audience failed to connect with the wonder bread white Ethan Hunt and thats why they roared at Fishburne's ethinic foil.
The special effects were on the money and the action was thrilling so I guess they will please the 13-14 year old crowd. All in all, I would recommend this film for a two hour escape from reality if that is your bag.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.05.06 12:00
Curious George
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When I was a little monkey myself, I used to read the Curious George stories all the time. It is the reason I fell in love with monkeys. I was actually a little fearful that the big budget movie version of my beloved monkey would dissappoint. Then I heard that, one of my favorite artists, Jack Johnson was doing all the music and I was encouraged. I finally saw the film on Sunday and I was very pleased! The animation was very true to the original style and George was as cute as ever. In the original stories, I don't remember learning the back story of how George and Ted met or how Ted got his nifty yellow outfit. The movie filled in many details with humor and playfulness.
I really liked the film. The plot was interesting and the overall message was positive. I would recommend this to anyone who loves monkeys!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.04.12 10:50
Inside Man
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Let me begin by saying that, although I am a fan of Spike Lee, I have not always resonated with his choice of subject matter. However, this movie works as a purely tense crime drama. Although at times, Spike still drifts a bit off-plot to explore racial issues, this movie is crisp and to the point.
I saw an episode of Mastermind on AandE a few weeks ago that might have been the inspiration for the heist in this film. Without giving anything away, the title is a clever reference to the method used in the heist. Based on the show, as hard as it may be to believe, this type of robbery has actually worked many times.
The acting was top-notch! Denzel seemed to be having fun and even almost strutting his nuanced character development. There are a few interegation scenes where he and his partner seem to be having way too much fun. The other characters(Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Clive Owen) all seem so tense and driven that it really highlights Denzel's choice to play carefree and loose with his character.
The pacing of the plot and the way it strings you along with just enough information to keep you interested without giving you enough to put the puzzle together was masterful.
My only criticism is that a MAJOR plot element, that the whole story is built on, namely a main characters deep secret, feels a bit hard to accept. If someone so powerful had evidence of something so damming: why on earth would he have not destroyed it years ago?????? If you are willing to over look this leap of logic, this movie offers some great crime drama and colorful characters. four out of five stars
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.29 11:00
The Wachowski Brothers are Ideological Terrorists
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It has been a long while since a movie stirred up as much reflection and internal tension in me as "V for Vendetta"(VfV) has. Maybe since the Matrix, and that is fitting given that the screenplay for VfV was written by the Wachowski brothers. They seem to be philosophers who understand culture enough to chose the medium of blockbuster movies to begin discourse. The Matrix sent a million pop-philosophers into the dense and multi-layed worlds of Wilber and Hegel. This will not be a review of the film but rather an exploration of some of the ideas that I has stirred up in me so don't read on if you haven't seen it. I may give away some plot details.
With this new film The Wachowski Brothers are aiming for a more blunt and digestable critique of contemporary political ideologies rather than the Matrix's heady spiritual/philosophical leanings. The film is clear on its stance of opposition to the current trends towards ultra-conservatism and scapegoating. On a deeper level, rather than advocating terrorism with an "ends justify the means" recklessness, I wonder if they are hoping to reintergrate the perspective of the "other" or "enemy" back into western thought. By reminding us that Al Queda was not the first group of people in history to use such extreme means towards their ends. Is this movies ultimately trying to wake the west up to the pointlessness of the current level of ideological development and to push things forward.
i wonder if the only way out of the horrorific future that this (and many other Science Fiction movies propose) it for all of us to have a greater understanding, and even appreciation for, opposing worldviews. When I look at the work of Ken Wilber (who the Wachowski Brothers are very familiar with) I see a hopeful progression beyond the tension and violent clashes of post-modernity. And if I am understanding his writing (which I very well may not =) this grand evolution will require a few things of us as a civilization:
1. The humility to see ourselves as equal to all cultures, in both our truths and falsehoods.
2. The ability to truely step outside of our perspectives and take the point of view of our opposition or "enemy"
3. The courage to rethink the basic foundations of what we mean by spiritual in light of the universal human instinct towards God.
All of this to say that VfV seems to not offer alternative ideologies, but rather, takes a giant step back and shows us the ultimate futility and lack of depth that each of them displays. Take for instance the reality that the "hero" V is at times willing to play the monster in service of what he percieves as "higher ideals" There is a scene where Evey thinks she is being tortured and it turns out that V was the one doing the old head-in-the-toilet-bowl trick. Much like the role of Agent Smith in the Matrix, this can be seen as a way of showing that sometimes what we percieve as the forces that are oppressing us can actually be the same forces that are moving us toward a greater peace and strength. Another example is that very open acknolwegment by V that the evil forces at work are what has created him and pushed him towards his greater purpose. Ultimately evil is reduced to a foil for good rather than a seperate force only bent on destruction. Is what the Apostle Paul was saying when he wrote "All things work toward the good of those that love the Lord"?
This kind of thining always leads me to the paradoxical role of evil in the death of Christ. If it were not for the massive evil and injustice, the cosmic redemption and revelation would not have been possible (in the way God intended) I am not saying that evil doesn't exist of it is ultimately good but the lines become more blurry than we might have ever thought. It has become very easy, in our world, to do the most horrific things and feel secure that they were actually good things. (bombing abortion clinics, blowing up the WTC, using the media to manufacture consent for fear based ideologies of war) The real value becomes the value of wisdom and discernment. To be able to discern the good well enough and deep enough to not become the evil inadvertantly. I don't think VfV presents any true heroes or villains. It only puts symbolic faces (literally in the case of V) on competing ideologies and tries to surface the tensions that result. I am sure this movies will be criticised for being pro-terrorist or anti-conservative but I think it is profoundingly anarchistic. They are dropping ideologies like bombs and we all get entertained in the process.
In closing, I loved the movie and have a deep respect for the uniqueness of film makers who think so much about the content and relevance of their films. If their were more movies like this revolution might actually be in the air(or at least in the theaters)
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.27 14:15
Capote
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I was very interested to see this movie for two reasons. 1. I love Phillip Seymore Hoffamn as an actor and 2. The little I have heard about the real Truman Capote seems interesting. The movie was rewarding on both accounts. I cannot say enough about Philip Seymore Hoffman's performance. He is stunning and dissolves completely into the personality of Capote. The movie was a bit slow in the beginning but by the end I was fully engaged. I was a but tired when I watched it and at one point thought I would fall asleep but the characters pulled me back in and I made it all the way through. The story is based on the research for Capote's nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. It follows him as he invades the lives of everyone who was touhced by the tragic murders in a small Kansas town.
There are some intense moments of tension as Truman sorts through his mixed motives of caring for the murderers in order to get information and needing them to be excecuted for his book to end right. I love the epilogue to his book. I think it sums up the tension that many of us live with everyday:
"Many more tears fall over answered prayers than over unanswered ones" - Truman Capote
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.23 17:01
Hustle and Flow
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This film should have been nominated for Best Picture not just best actor and best original music for a film. It is stunning! For the first twenty minutes I was uncomfortable and not sure I even liked the characters at all. Soon the music started bumping and the characters became accesible and stirred empathy. This film has the best music specifically written for a film that I have ever heard. Terence Howard is amazing as the lead role of a street hustler pimp/small tiem drug dealer who is following his dream of becoming a rapper. The script unfolds slowly and allows you to really get inside their dreams and darkness. There were quite a few scenes that were hard to watch for their brutal honesty but there were also scenes that you wished would go on longer for their excitement and authentic joy. I would recommend this to anyone who loves hiphop or great films. (and who don't mind seeing life and hearing foul language as it really is!)
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 17:37
Frisbee
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A few months ago during my trip to LA, I had the pleasure of meeting David De Sabatino and seeing a screening of his new documentary - Frisbee: the life and death of a hippie preacher. The film was really interesting on several levels, not the least of which is that he found God as a result of a 3 day, naked acid trip alone in the southern california desert. Can you imagine him walking into a church ans telling that conversion story! It seems that the late sixties were a time of great faith (or desperation) because not only was he welcomed into Chuck Smith's newly formed Calvary Chapel but he was hugely successful. Within months he had drawn thousands of unwashed hippies to his wednesday evening bible studies. There is footage of him baptizing hundreds of people in the cali surf. He moved around a bit during the first years of his ministry, leaving hugely successful ministries in his wake (vineyard and clavary chapel are two of the largest nondenominational churches across the USA) All was going well, until it was discovered that besides being clearly called by God, lonnie was also gay. This brought his ministry to a sudden and premature halt. The movie is laced with wonderful music by Larry Norman.
I bring all of this up to say that I just read about a seattle screening of the film where Larry Norman showed up and freaked out about the content of the film. I am confused, given that his music was used by permission in the film, he appears in the film, and he released an album recently entitled : Frisbee. What could have him so upset? I read about this on Militant Pastor Mark Driscoll's psuedo-blog here. I am going to do more searching to get to the bottom of this but in the meantime checkout the film if you can, it raises some challenging questions.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 16:42
The Business
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The guy I buy my DVD's from occasionally has a copy of a movie that I have never heard of before. Mostly they are extremely violent gangster movies in the Boyz in da Hood vein. This week he handed me a copy of The Business by writer/director Nick Love. he gave me his usual review "Dis serious acktion, buey!" Normally I pass but this one I decided to take a chance on after reading that it featured East London hoods living the high life in the south of Spain. I am so glad I did because this is one of the most well written movies that i have seen in the gangster genre. The characters are engaging and fully developed without embracing stereotypes. The story is well developed and paced perfectly. If you are looking for a gangster flick with heavy doses of 80's nostalgia then this film is for you: five stars!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 16:38
Syriana
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I just accidentally pulled the toenail off of my little toe and it reminded me that I haven't posted a review of Syriana yet. I admit I am a fan of George Clooney. I just like to watch him onscreen no matter what character he is playing. This time around he is part of a very talented ensemble cast including: Jeffery Wright, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet and Christopher Plummer. The movie weaves a very complex web of corporate corruption, american CIA operatives and the energy crisis facing the world. Locations jump from the middle east to Switzerland and the US. The plot takes a while to come together but the story is relevant and engaging. I have a suspicion that it is closer to the way things actually happen than most of us would like to accept. Executives piss all over the laws that are meant to reign in their greed and the US goverment betrays it's own people in a drop of a hat. Matt Damon's character gets to offer the harshest and most honest lines but it is Clooney that attracts your sympathies. He is a CIA operative that gets caught between the truth and the way things need to appear. There is a torture scene(involving fingernails) that reminded me of Quintin Tarantino. I think anyone with a healthy dose of courage and a strong stomach would enjoy this film. I heard that Clooney was a producer on this film. That proves he has a talent for seeing when a story is worth telling. Five out of five stars in my book!
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 16:36
The Man in Black
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I have always loved Johnny Cash, and I have also always loved Biofilms about musician's lives. Ussually they are very punchy and try to hit all the cultural high points and personal low points, all in two hours(unless you are Oliver Stone and you need over three hours to tell the depressing story of Jim Morrison and the Doors) Usually the bio's are written from an perspective of someone looking in on an artists life. This film about Johnny Cash - Walk the Line - is the opposite. It was based on His autobiography so it is much more personal. Johnny isn't that interested in mythologizing his past with grand stories of the early Sun Records days with Elvis and others. That is touched on but only from a very personal emotional viewpoint. Not much is made of his musical development or even the creation of his iconic image of the rebel in black. These things are mentioned but quickly dismissed. What he is concerned about sharing is his lifelong love for his second wife June Carter. The music and the enigma only serve as a backdrop to the building tension and tender intimacies of their relationship. Some interesting facts about his life do emerge. His older brother was killed in a woodshop accident when he was 12 years old. Something that his uncaring and cruel father blamed on him. His relationship with his father and his struggle with addiction are the only subplots to the John and June show. The movie ends at the point where June finally accepts his fiftieth marriage proposal in front of hundreds of fans during a concert tour. They eventually get married and move into Johnny's lakeside house in Henderson Tennessee. I enjoyed that part, given that during one of our family vacations to Tenn in the 80's we drove outside of Nashville(and Elvis's home) to visit Johnny's house in Henderson. I can't recall why we made the drive but up until that point I had no idea who Johnny Cash was. For a long time after that, I mistook him for Waylon Jennings. The movie was still engaging even though it didn't cover the years most younger people would know Johnny from. His recent work with Rick Rubin. Maybe there is a part two. I heard that He and Rick used to take communion everyday for 6 years. Even if they were apart, Johnny would call Rick on the phone and lead him through communion. Rick kept up the practice for months after Johnny died. That is a testament to the power of Johnny Cash's influence.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 16:31
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Its that time of year again. The time when every child from 6-60 needs to run out and see the newest installment in the epic Harry Potter story. I have to admit I have never read any of the Potter stories but I did enjoy the first two movies. I skipped the last one because the oversized spiders in the second movie just freaked me out! I was enticed to go and see this newest Potter film by the world's cutest Harry Potter fan. I am glad I did. I even had dreams about witches and sorceror spells last night! The movie had an interesting dynamic this time around. The added dynamics of puberty and the abundance of sports competitions. Both of these show me why this series is so successful with pre-teens. JK Rolling really has a way of speaking a child's language. The special effects in the movie kept up with the best drug effects I have seen on screen. My heart was racing during the Potter vs. Dragon scene and the underwater evil rasta/mermen were stunning as well. At times I thought the plot was a bit thin but I guess that is only my overgrown adult side talking. For children it was totally engrossing, I am sure. I wonder what will happen in the next few years when the actor who plays Harry continues to grow up and gets facial hair. There were a few really nice facial hair examples in the film. So maybe he will get to grow a wicked goatee! I give the film four out fo five stars.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 16:30
Four Brothers
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I have to ssay that I was curious about this movie for two reasons. 1. I really liked Boyz-n-da-Hood from the same director Jon Singleton and hoped this film would be another masterful balance of gritty action and authentic drama. 2. I wanted to see if Andre 3000 from OutKast could actually act. Four the first 30min of the film I was very intrigued. The plot seemed to open up nicely around the adopted inner city Detroit youths avenging the murder of thier mother. Andre has a very strong screen prescence and I can see him having more dramatic depth than Snoop Dogg but he was still a bit weak in the authenticity department. It might not have been his fault, the whole film was a train wreck in the authenticity department. There is one scene where Marky Mark =) waves a gun around from center court at a highschool basketball game. Not only does no one run or scream, the only person who runs from the scene is the exact person they are looking for. Other scenes seem to be hinting at Quinten Tarrentino style mashing of ultra violence and mundane domestic life. There were a few laughs throughout but not always in the right places. Most of the violence plays like it's taking place in a cartoony vacuum. In the end it was better than War of the Worlds and most likely cost less than a quarter to make.
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link : comment() : catagory : movies posted:2006.03.21 15:49
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