Catching Up:
Yep. That's right. I'm going to catch up tonight. Well, I'm going to try. Instead of doing an short overview of all the movies over the past few months, I just want to get the numbers down. If I feel like writing something about the movie I will...but bottom line, trying to keep up with this insane movie a day quest, and keeping up with the kids, and keeping up with sleep, and trying to keep up with my writing, doesn't leave a lot of time to write about the movies. Sooooooooo....instead of trying and worrying about falling behind all the time, I'm just going to catch up as simply as I can and hope I can maintain at least the rest of the blog for this year for the last two months or so....
So --- from Week 30 starting July 23, 2010 and ending with Week 42, October 21, 2010:
287. The Object of Beauty -- John Malkovich is so fun to watch in this.
288. Insomnia -- Great Christopher Nolan movie.
289. It's Complicated -- A trio of amazing actors.
290. Pitch Black -- Interesting sci-fi/horror film.
291. The Chronicles of Riddick -- a good sequel.
292. The Warlords -- with Jet Li
293. Clash of the Titans (original) -- love the cheesy F/X
294. Clash of the Titans (remake) -- a different kind of cheese.
295. The Amateurs -- a nice low-budget comedy
296. Very Bad Things -- a dark, dark comedy.
297. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra -- my kids liked this. Nice actions, not much of a story.
298. Who's Harry Crumb? -- I miss John Candy and his kind of comedies.
299. Joy Ride -- Candy Cane....? Candy Cane....?
300. 300 -- 300th movie for the year. Watched on 8/2/2010. Solid action movie.
301. Julie & Julia -- watched with my wife. Both liked it.
302. The Hobbit -- animated. Can't wait for the Peter Jackson version. Even so, I love this old animated movie. One of my favorites from when I was a kid.
303. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring -- the extended version. One of my all-time favorite movies.
304. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers -- the extended version. Again, one of my all-time favorite movies. So many noble characters...
305. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- the extended version. Ummm....do I really have to say it's one of my all-time favorite movies? I just loved these three movies--and I love the extended versions just a tiny bit more. Can't get enough of these movies--and I can't wait for the two-part Hobbit movie. Oh....how fun it would be to be involved in those movies! An extra perhaps? Even some ugly goblin standing way in the back.......ahhhhh....to dream.
306. A Good Night to Die -- Okay low-budget movie. Probably shouldn't have followed up some of my all-time favorite movies with this....
307. Blown Away -- Jeff Daniels in another good role.
308. Once Upon a Time in Mexico -- A fun sequel to Desperado. Loved Depp as the corrupt CIA agent Sands...
309. Once Upon a Time in the West -- At first, I thought--What the hell? Then, I kept watching and I really enjoyed the movie. Great western.
310. Kick-Ass -- I liked this different take on 'real' superheroes.
311. Watchmen -- director's cut with an extra 24 minutes. I just thought this was a slick movie. I didn't mind the violence--but then, I didn't watch this movie with my kids (unlike the parents who brought their two young kids to the movie theater when it first came out and sat behind me in the theater and I had to listen to the kids crying and the parents bickering about who was to blame for bringing the kids....It's rated 'R' for a reason, people!) Duh.
312. King of California -- quirky movie. I like this role and Michael Douglas's role in Wonder Boys quite a bit -- that's a movie I've got to track down again....hopefully before the end of the year.
313. Over the Hedge -- a movie I DID watch with my kids. My little guy liked it quite a bit. He thought it was very funny.
314. National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation -- We were on vacation--seemed fitting.
315. National Lampoon's Vacation -- We were still on vacation. I love this movie. It's just SOOOO funny. (it has some great music in it too).
316. National Lampoon's European Vacation -- Yep...on vacation.
317. Thirty Day Princess -- the first of five old Cary Grant movies from the 30s. Entertaining
318. Kiss and Make Up -- another good Cary Grant movie.
319. Wings in the Dark -- an unusual romance. Good movie.
320. Big Brown Eyes -- A good mystery. Lots of fun banter. Cary Grant as a detective. Perhaps my favorite of these five.
321. Wedding Present -- a good comedy about a silly couple.
322. From Paris with Love -- Travolta looked like he was having fun making this.
323. Shaun of the Dead -- I just find Simon Pegg to be very funny, even when he's not doing anything. Just his blank expression is funny....
324. Hot Fuzz -- Ditto. Also, some good action at the end.
325. Tropic Thunder -- Yep, after watching some classy 30s black and white Cary Grant movies, I followed it up with an assortment of oddball comedies.
326. The Three Musketeers -- the Disney version. Decent. It's being remade again, isn't it? Looking forward to that...
327. Hot Tub Time Machine -- Parts of this were pretty funny.
328. The Patriot -- Mel Gibson kicking lots of British ass. Still can't believe Heath Ledger is gone.
329. City Slickers -- Gotta find that one thing...
330. When Harry Met Sally -- Classic romantic comedy. Smart movie. Good banter. And of course....I'll have what she's having....
331. What's the Worst That Could Happen? -- based on Donald Westlake's book. Funny. I'd like to see more of Donald Westlake/Richard Stark's books made into movies.
332. Percy Jackson and the Olympiads: The Lightning Thief -- decent action/kids movie. The kids liked it. At the time, I hadn't read the books. I'm currently about midway through the book. So far, I like the book better.
333. Jurassic Park -- Excellent movie. Love the dinosaurs. Great F/X, story and cast.
Moving into September....
334. The Lost World: Jurassic Park -- A thrilling sequel. More dinosaurs. More people getting killed by dinosaurs....
335. Jurassic Park 3 -- bigger dinosaurs. Lesser story.
336. The Wolfman -- Part brutal. Part gentle. A noir monster movie that wasn't simply about the gore.
337. The Way of the Gun -- a dark, violent movie with some good gun play and banter.
338. The Bounty Hunter -- a decent action rom-com. The wife liked it too.
339. Two Can Play That Game -- a good rom-com about the 'rules' of dating. Made me glad I'm married.
340. Cold Souls -- friend recommended this. Good indie movie with a solid performance by Paul Giamatti.
341. Predator -- I've always liked this sci-fi/action movie. Good alien creature. Perfect role for Arnold.
342. Predator 2 -- A bunch of cliched characters getting killed by an alien in LA. Decent sequel.
343. AVP: Alien vs Predator -- I decided to watch these in what I considered real-time chronology--not in their release dates, but rather in the order they would occur if they happened in the real world. I actually liked this alien mash up.
344. AVP: Aliens vs Predator Requiem -- watched the 'unrated' version. It was just okay.
345. Alien -- An excellent sci-fi/horror movie. Still a scary movie after all these years.
346. Aliens -- Perhaps the best of the series. Need the first to appreciate the second (don't people say that about the Godfather series? Hmmm, another series I should track down before the end of the year...)
347. Aliens3 -- Good...but when watched immediately following Aliens, I felt really bad about everyone but Ripley dying...
348. Alien Resurrection -- Good banter. Good way to revive Ripley. A fitting end to her character--finally.
349. A Perfect Murder -- Slick remake of Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder. A great cast of actors/characters.
350. Fargo -- A unique dark thriller-comedy.
351. The Ghost Writer -- Another great cast. Good story. Impressive ending.
352. Labyrinth -- Watched this with my little guy. Loved this movie when I was a kid. My little guy thought it was pretty cool too.
353. Rock N Rolla -- A bunch of quirky characters doing quirky things in a Guy Ritchie movie. Enjoyable.
354. High Noon -- classic western. Good 'morals' story. Done mostly in real time.
355. To Catch a Thief -- one of my favorite Hitchcock, Grant and Kelly movies. Great story. Great dialogue. Just an amazing movie. Beautifully shot movie too. If you haven't seen this classic movie, you should!
356. North by Northwest -- okay, this is another of my favorite Hitchcock / Grant movies. This is another must-see.
357. That Touch of Mink -- Cute rom-com starring Cary Grant and Doris Day.
358. The Girl Next Door -- I didn't know what to expect with this comedy--but I liked it (and not just because of all the hot women in it).
359. First Blood -- Decided to watch all four Rambo movies in a row. Hadn't done that before. This first one is quite good.
360. Rambo: First Blood Part 2 -- Good sequel. Lots of action. Higher body count.
361. Rambo 3 -- I don't think I've ever watched this movie from the very beginning to the very end. Another good action sequel.
362. Rambo -- After twenty years, Rambo returns and this might be the best of the four. A really good movie, loads of action and a nice ending to the series.
363. Shallow Hal -- cute rom-com with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow.
364. There's Something About Mary -- A perfect role for Cameron Diaz. Funny movie.
365. Beetlejuice -- I didn't realize until this viewing just how little Michael Keaton actually is in this movie.....good comedy.
366. Gladiator -- a stunning epic.
367. The Book of Eli -- A thought-provoking story. Denzel is good. Gary Oldman gives another over-the-top crazy-dangerous performance.
Moving into October:
368. The Replacement Killers -- Slick movie. Slick gun-play. I kinda wish the relationship between the two main characters had developed a bit more....but the action side of this movie worked.
369. Manhunter -- the Hannibal Lecter movie without Anthony Hopkins. Actually, this is a really good movie.
370. Silence of the Lambs -- Intense, dark, thrilling. Anthony Hopkins of course gives an amazing performance as did Jodie Foster. A great, great movie.
371. Arlington Road -- a twisted movie. Quite scary too since the story seems like something that could just maybe happen...
372. Swordfish -- Slick caper movie. Travolta having more fun here. And if you're a Halle Barry fan.....well..... if you're a fan, you already know about this movie.
373. Suicide Kings -- Christopher Walken is in this movie. He plays a mobster. What more do you need to say?
374. The Glass House -- a decent thriller. Quite eerie at times.
375. Christine -- I like this movie, but I love the book. When I was younger I thought it would be sooooo cool to have a vintage car like this. Now, with gas prices being what they are.....well, who could afford to drive these cars anywhere?
376. The Road -- Beautiful in its starkness. Sad. Poignant. This movie lingers. Viggo gave just an impressive, impressive performance in this. I have the book sitting on my shelf upstairs. At some point I will read it--but it will not be an easy read.
377. The Dark Crystal -- another movie I loved when I was a kid. Watched it with my little guy. He loved it.
378. Leap Year -- cute rom-com. Wife liked it too.
379. A History of Violence -- Can Viggo pick a bad role? Perhaps, but I haven't seen it yet. I'll have to check on imdb. Parts of this movie remind me of Ernest Hemingway's 'The Killers'.
380. Blade -- An enjoyable antihero/superhero vampire action movie.
381. Blade 2 -- A different feel to this one, but still a good vampire action movie.
382. Blade Trinity -- I liked the added humor. Overall, I like this trilogy.
383. Constantine -- I thought Keanu Reeves was good as John Constantine and I really liked Rachel Weisz in her dual role. Interesting story.
384. Rob Zombie's Halloween -- watched the unrated director's cut of this remake. I liked it. I think I've seen the original, but it's been quite a few years, and I don't remember much about it. (though what more do you need to know? Psycho killer in a mask kills people....)
385. Two if by Sea -- thought I'd lighten things up with a Denis Leary/Sandra Bullock rom-com/heist movie. Okay movie.
386. The Mask -- Jim Carrey was perfect in both roles and if I remember correctly this was Cameron Diaz's first big role. She was stunning in this.
387. She's the One -- Ed Burns wrote/directed/acted in this interesting rom-com. My wife had watched it before and gave it mixed reviews. I thought it was pretty good.
388. Nine -- An impressive musical. Daniel Day-Lewis and 'his' seven women. Lots of talent. Good singing. Nice story.
389. Bedtime Stories -- watched this with the kids. They liked it. Little guy thought it was pretty funny.
390. Underworld -- Kate Beckinsale is quite good as the icy-cold Death Dealer/Vampire. Bill Nighy is impressive as the vampire ruler. Good story. Slick noir feel to this movie.
391. Underworld Evolution -- I liked the evolution of the story and the characters. Good F/X.
392. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans -- a Romeo and Juliet story with Vampires and Werewolves (Lycans). An enjoyable prequel story. It's hard to believe that the same actor who played the British Prime Minister in The Queen and Frost in Frost/Nixon was the Lycan leader Lucias. This was another good vampire trilogy.
393. Penelope -- A sweet rom-com starring Chistina Ricci sporting a pig's nose.
394. Journey to the Center of the Earth -- Brenden Fraser's version. Watched it with the kids. They liked it.
And that's it folks. I'm caught up as of yesterday. Yes, I've already watched today's movie but I'll include that in my next blog post for Week 43 to include Oct. 22 to Oct 28, 2010. For a while, I thought 500 movies viewed during the year was an easy deal--but as I'm drawing near the end of the year, (well, the end of Oct) and I'm just now nearing the 400 mark, I'm not so sure. I've been busy editing a couple of projects and researching material for a new project so I haven't had as much movie-watching time.
Ahhhhhhhh....though getting caught up feels good!
Have a great weekend, All.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 29: July 16, 2010 to July 22, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
Can't sleep so I might as well make an attempt to get caught up. Ha ha. No really. I'd love to get caught up. I'd love to post these comments closer to when I've actually watched the movies. It would allow me to write more about each of these movies--so...for now, I'll toss out a couple short and sweet (and hopefully not too sour) comments and make an honest attempt to get these next few months caught up over the next few weeks.
279. South Park, Bigger, Longer & Uncut -- Either you love the series and this movie, or you don't. Okay, maybe it's not quite that cut and dried--I haven't really watched the series much lately--it's not exactly kid-friendly, but I was able to slip away and watch this without too many interruptions and I found myself laughing out loud from time to time. It felt good.
280. Nurse Betty -- What an odd, odd movie. While I liked the strange performance by Morgan Freeman, I didn't like Renee Zellwegger's character much. Oh wells, can't like everything...
281. The X-Files: Fight the Future -- For people who know me well, they're shocked when I tell them I didn't watch The X-Files TV series. I'm shocked too. I know I'd like it. Someday I'll have to just watch in on DVD. Maybe next year. So, without really knowing the characters as well as 'fans'--I'll just say I enjoyed the movie and someday after watching the series, I'll watch it again.
282. The X-Files: I Want to Believe -- Entertaining, but I didn't like it quite as much as the first one.
283. Aeon Flux -- I only saw a few of the original animated shows so I have no idea how true to the source material this movie was--but as for the movie itself, I rather liked it. I know many critics didn't seem to like this movie, but I guess I'm a sucker for attractive women who know how to take care of themselves.
284. Shutter Island -- Brilliant movie. I'd figured out parts of the ending as the movie played out but I was still impressed by the story and the actors' performances. I'd like to watch this movie again (in 2011 when I have more time).
285. Office Space -- A favorite. Funny, and so real. I think it's funny because everyone has had to work with people / bosses like this in their past.
286. Idiocracy -- A funny and enjoyable movie. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll have to wait 500 years before the population devolves to this level. Wait, I didn't say that out loud, did I? Ha ha. 'I love money.'
Favorite for the week. Probably Shutter Island -- though for a laugh, I'd go with Office Space.
Okay, I know, I know -- this was short and mostly sweet -- but hey, it's not even 6am yet and I'm functioning on three hours of sleep. Yeah, yeah--I hear you--excuses excuses.
Total number of movies watched: 8
Can't sleep so I might as well make an attempt to get caught up. Ha ha. No really. I'd love to get caught up. I'd love to post these comments closer to when I've actually watched the movies. It would allow me to write more about each of these movies--so...for now, I'll toss out a couple short and sweet (and hopefully not too sour) comments and make an honest attempt to get these next few months caught up over the next few weeks.
279. South Park, Bigger, Longer & Uncut -- Either you love the series and this movie, or you don't. Okay, maybe it's not quite that cut and dried--I haven't really watched the series much lately--it's not exactly kid-friendly, but I was able to slip away and watch this without too many interruptions and I found myself laughing out loud from time to time. It felt good.
280. Nurse Betty -- What an odd, odd movie. While I liked the strange performance by Morgan Freeman, I didn't like Renee Zellwegger's character much. Oh wells, can't like everything...
281. The X-Files: Fight the Future -- For people who know me well, they're shocked when I tell them I didn't watch The X-Files TV series. I'm shocked too. I know I'd like it. Someday I'll have to just watch in on DVD. Maybe next year. So, without really knowing the characters as well as 'fans'--I'll just say I enjoyed the movie and someday after watching the series, I'll watch it again.
282. The X-Files: I Want to Believe -- Entertaining, but I didn't like it quite as much as the first one.
283. Aeon Flux -- I only saw a few of the original animated shows so I have no idea how true to the source material this movie was--but as for the movie itself, I rather liked it. I know many critics didn't seem to like this movie, but I guess I'm a sucker for attractive women who know how to take care of themselves.
284. Shutter Island -- Brilliant movie. I'd figured out parts of the ending as the movie played out but I was still impressed by the story and the actors' performances. I'd like to watch this movie again (in 2011 when I have more time).
285. Office Space -- A favorite. Funny, and so real. I think it's funny because everyone has had to work with people / bosses like this in their past.
286. Idiocracy -- A funny and enjoyable movie. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll have to wait 500 years before the population devolves to this level. Wait, I didn't say that out loud, did I? Ha ha. 'I love money.'
Favorite for the week. Probably Shutter Island -- though for a laugh, I'd go with Office Space.
Okay, I know, I know -- this was short and mostly sweet -- but hey, it's not even 6am yet and I'm functioning on three hours of sleep. Yeah, yeah--I hear you--excuses excuses.
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 28: July 9, 2010 to July 15, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
Aside for the sequel, this is perhaps one of those rare weeks where none of the rest of the movies really relate to any of the others--at least not in any way I notice offhand. Let me know if you find one...
271. Shelter Island (2003) -- No, this is not a typo--I did not mean Shutter Island (Shutter Island will appear in next weeks batch). I really didn't like this movie. The acting seemed forced, the story didn't thrill, I didn't much like any of the characters, and by the end, I really didn't care who lived or died. Probably the only good thing about the movie was that it was short--roughly 82 minutes.
272. Godzilla (1998) -- Not a great movie, but after the last one, this one seemed like a masterpiece! Actually, I kinda like this movie. I thought the CGI of the Godzilla monster was good. I liked a lot of the actors in this--Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Hank Azaria--and while it had a lot of cheese--it was at least decent cheese. At least it was entertaining.
273. Jackie Brown (1997) -- I really like this movie mostly because I like the uniqueness of so many of its characters. Robert Forster's bail bondsman, Max Cherry--Pam Greer's Jackie Brown--Samuel L. Jackson's Ordell Robbie....and don't forget Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda, even Chris Tucker has a small role in this slick caper-type crime drama. Though it is a long movie, I didn't realize the length until it was over and I realized 2 1/2 hours had gone by. Great dialogue in this movie too.
274. Dick (1999) -- Cute comedy. Some funny lines. If I knew that time period better, perhaps I'd appreciate even more of the humor. Decent 'buddy' film.
275. Get Shorty (1995) -- I love just sitting back and watching this great cast of actors playing a great cast of characters. John Travolta was absolutely perfect as Chili Palmer. Every time I watch this movie, I find myself smiling. Just a fun, fun movie.
276. Be Cool (2005) -- Good, but not nearly as good as Get Shorty. While I still enjoyed watching Travolta as Palmer--some of the originality of the story/characters just didn't seem to be there. Still, compared to other movies I've seen this week (271) this is a fairly decent and entertaining movie.
277. Legion (2010) -- When I first saw previews of this movie, I thought it looked sooooo cool. I really wanted to see this movie in the theaters--but hey, life sometimes gets in the way. Anyway, I finally got to see this movie and...well...parts of it was really good and parts were just so-so. I liked Paul Bettany in this role--don't normally see him in an action role--and I liked the idea of the movie--and I liked the battle between the angels Michael and Gabriel (played by Kevin Durand) but I guess I wanted more angels and less....zombie-like creatures. Also, (since I'm writing this two months after viewing and I've seen dozens of movies since) I don't remember being all that impressed with the ending--in fact, if memory serves, I found the ending to be a bit unimpressive.
278. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) -- Classic western. Okay, I'll admit it, before this viewing, I'd never watched this movie from the very beginning to the very end. Overall, I was hugely impressed with this movie. I loved the friendship between the characters Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I enjoyed the story, the dialogue, the banter--basically I liked everything about the movie except...Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head? I like the song separate from the movie--I just didn't get how it fit with this movie--or even how exactly it fit with that scene. If you know--please, drop me a comment and explain. Thanks.
Favorite Movie for the week: Hmmm....well, I'll tell you it's NOT Shelter Island. Big surprise, I know. Okay....seriously though, I'd probably go with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid--though Get Shorty and Jackie Brown are tied for a very close second.
Total number of movies watched: 8
Aside for the sequel, this is perhaps one of those rare weeks where none of the rest of the movies really relate to any of the others--at least not in any way I notice offhand. Let me know if you find one...
271. Shelter Island (2003) -- No, this is not a typo--I did not mean Shutter Island (Shutter Island will appear in next weeks batch). I really didn't like this movie. The acting seemed forced, the story didn't thrill, I didn't much like any of the characters, and by the end, I really didn't care who lived or died. Probably the only good thing about the movie was that it was short--roughly 82 minutes.
272. Godzilla (1998) -- Not a great movie, but after the last one, this one seemed like a masterpiece! Actually, I kinda like this movie. I thought the CGI of the Godzilla monster was good. I liked a lot of the actors in this--Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Hank Azaria--and while it had a lot of cheese--it was at least decent cheese. At least it was entertaining.
273. Jackie Brown (1997) -- I really like this movie mostly because I like the uniqueness of so many of its characters. Robert Forster's bail bondsman, Max Cherry--Pam Greer's Jackie Brown--Samuel L. Jackson's Ordell Robbie....and don't forget Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda, even Chris Tucker has a small role in this slick caper-type crime drama. Though it is a long movie, I didn't realize the length until it was over and I realized 2 1/2 hours had gone by. Great dialogue in this movie too.
274. Dick (1999) -- Cute comedy. Some funny lines. If I knew that time period better, perhaps I'd appreciate even more of the humor. Decent 'buddy' film.
275. Get Shorty (1995) -- I love just sitting back and watching this great cast of actors playing a great cast of characters. John Travolta was absolutely perfect as Chili Palmer. Every time I watch this movie, I find myself smiling. Just a fun, fun movie.
276. Be Cool (2005) -- Good, but not nearly as good as Get Shorty. While I still enjoyed watching Travolta as Palmer--some of the originality of the story/characters just didn't seem to be there. Still, compared to other movies I've seen this week (271) this is a fairly decent and entertaining movie.
277. Legion (2010) -- When I first saw previews of this movie, I thought it looked sooooo cool. I really wanted to see this movie in the theaters--but hey, life sometimes gets in the way. Anyway, I finally got to see this movie and...well...parts of it was really good and parts were just so-so. I liked Paul Bettany in this role--don't normally see him in an action role--and I liked the idea of the movie--and I liked the battle between the angels Michael and Gabriel (played by Kevin Durand) but I guess I wanted more angels and less....zombie-like creatures. Also, (since I'm writing this two months after viewing and I've seen dozens of movies since) I don't remember being all that impressed with the ending--in fact, if memory serves, I found the ending to be a bit unimpressive.
278. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) -- Classic western. Okay, I'll admit it, before this viewing, I'd never watched this movie from the very beginning to the very end. Overall, I was hugely impressed with this movie. I loved the friendship between the characters Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I enjoyed the story, the dialogue, the banter--basically I liked everything about the movie except...Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head? I like the song separate from the movie--I just didn't get how it fit with this movie--or even how exactly it fit with that scene. If you know--please, drop me a comment and explain. Thanks.
Favorite Movie for the week: Hmmm....well, I'll tell you it's NOT Shelter Island. Big surprise, I know. Okay....seriously though, I'd probably go with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid--though Get Shorty and Jackie Brown are tied for a very close second.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Writing, Acting and Life
Hello Friends,
In addition to keeping up with my quest to finish a movie a day for the entire year, I've pursued a few other more...worthy...goals this year. If you've read some of my previous posts, you already know that I've worked on an independent short film this summer entitled The Victim. (Our website is nearly finished--I think--and when it is I'll include the link). I wrote the initial script for this years ago and finally with the help of some really talented friends we finished the primary filming last week. (We still have a couple of shots we'd like to get but they are a simple matter of getting the right people together at the same time--it will happen!)
Emotionally, I'm torn about the filming part being done. I loved acting again. I loved playing the part of Michael Jones--a wandering serial killer on the hunt for his next victim--however, he really was a dark and twisted character to play.....and well, I'm actually a pretty nice guy. In a few scenes I had to become quite vicious (with actors who are my friends) and after one long filming session I got home, took a shower and puked. Yes, it was after one of the hottest days of the summer, and yes, I was probably a bit dehydrated, but still, the combination of immersing myself into that role and doing what I did was not an easy task. While I'm glad that part of the filming is over, I find myself wishing our next project was ready to shoot--(I suppose a part of me forgot just how much I love acting)--but we still have the editing to complete now and I still need to polish the next script. Still, I'm hopeful that my acting skills (whatever they may or may not be) will come in handy the next time I'm writing a truly dreadful villain because I think I may have glimpsed a new way into getting into the heads of these types of characters.
I'll just make sure to write those scenes on an empty stomach.
In addition to the short film, I've returned to novel writing--my first creative love. After spending much of the last year rewriting large sections of my latest novel, I'm back to submitting to agents again. Both exciting and terrifying and often times a whole lot of waiting. Understandable waiting--but still, waiting. And wondering. And yes, on occasion, daydreaming. But only for a little while, because too much daydreaming leads to not enough writing. And I have been writing--however, I think it's time for me to choose ONE project and focus my attention fully on it. The lead contender is a futuristic fantasy with some comedic characters and a lot of action. I think after all this darkness it would be nice to work on something...lighter.
I'll keep you all up to date (and yes, I promise I will catch up on my Year of Movies posts soon--and hopefully with a bit more detail on each movie) on The Victim and on my search for an agent.
Have a great day, All.
In addition to keeping up with my quest to finish a movie a day for the entire year, I've pursued a few other more...worthy...goals this year. If you've read some of my previous posts, you already know that I've worked on an independent short film this summer entitled The Victim. (Our website is nearly finished--I think--and when it is I'll include the link). I wrote the initial script for this years ago and finally with the help of some really talented friends we finished the primary filming last week. (We still have a couple of shots we'd like to get but they are a simple matter of getting the right people together at the same time--it will happen!)
Emotionally, I'm torn about the filming part being done. I loved acting again. I loved playing the part of Michael Jones--a wandering serial killer on the hunt for his next victim--however, he really was a dark and twisted character to play.....and well, I'm actually a pretty nice guy. In a few scenes I had to become quite vicious (with actors who are my friends) and after one long filming session I got home, took a shower and puked. Yes, it was after one of the hottest days of the summer, and yes, I was probably a bit dehydrated, but still, the combination of immersing myself into that role and doing what I did was not an easy task. While I'm glad that part of the filming is over, I find myself wishing our next project was ready to shoot--(I suppose a part of me forgot just how much I love acting)--but we still have the editing to complete now and I still need to polish the next script. Still, I'm hopeful that my acting skills (whatever they may or may not be) will come in handy the next time I'm writing a truly dreadful villain because I think I may have glimpsed a new way into getting into the heads of these types of characters.
I'll just make sure to write those scenes on an empty stomach.
In addition to the short film, I've returned to novel writing--my first creative love. After spending much of the last year rewriting large sections of my latest novel, I'm back to submitting to agents again. Both exciting and terrifying and often times a whole lot of waiting. Understandable waiting--but still, waiting. And wondering. And yes, on occasion, daydreaming. But only for a little while, because too much daydreaming leads to not enough writing. And I have been writing--however, I think it's time for me to choose ONE project and focus my attention fully on it. The lead contender is a futuristic fantasy with some comedic characters and a lot of action. I think after all this darkness it would be nice to work on something...lighter.
I'll keep you all up to date (and yes, I promise I will catch up on my Year of Movies posts soon--and hopefully with a bit more detail on each movie) on The Victim and on my search for an agent.
Have a great day, All.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 27: July 2, 2010 to July 8, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 10
Okay, let's get to it.
261. The Prestige -- An incredible movie (based on the book, The Prestige, by Christopher Priest) which only further demonstrates Christopher Nolan's amazing talents as a director. Without giving too much away, I'll say that I did figure out most of what was going on as the movie was playing--but I didn't solve the final bit until near the end. A great cast too--Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis. Even after multiple viewings, I still enjoy this movie quite a bit.
262. Whiteout -- Take away the setting (Antarctica) and Kate Beckinsale and this movie would have blended in with a lot of other law enforcement vs brutal killer movies. Since I enjoy watching Kate Beckinsale in movies--I enjoyed this movie. It's just that simple sometimes.
263. I Am Legend -- I have mixed feelings about this movie. Some parts of this movie, I really loved. Some parts, I did not. I loved the relationship between Will Smith's character, Neville, and his dog. That was perhaps the best part of this movie (and I watched both the theatrical version and the extended/alternate version w/alternate ending). I did not like the CGI remake of the....plague victims. They looked fake--and I didn't see the point of the CGI. I loved the flashback scenes--and Will Smith quoting Shrek--and the feeling of a desolate NY. I didn't care for either ending though I think the theatrical ending was the better of the two.
264. Independence Day -- I had to watch this for the 4th of July. Well, I suppose I could have gone with Born on the 4th of July, but honestly, I just love this cheesy sci-fi action movie. Sure, it has a lot of one-dimensional characters saying a lot of one-liners, but it's just a fun, summer movie. Still love Bill Pullman's rallying speech about the 4th of July no longer being just an American holiday.
265. Ordinary Decent Criminal -- Kevin Spacey as a master criminal in Ireland seemingly always a step or two ahead of the law. An entertaining caper movie.
266. The Men Who Stare At Goats -- With a cast consisting of George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges I was expecting A LOT! I didn't quite get what I wanted. Parts of this movie were very funny--and most of those parts were put in the trailer.
267. Ocean's 11 -- With a cast consisting of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, etc....I was expecting A LOT--and this time, I got what I wanted and much, much more. Slick dialogue. Great caper. Great locations--Vegas just looks good on screen. One of my favorite movies.
268. Ocean's 12 -- Thought I'd watch the Ocean's movies back-to-back-to-back. While I still like this movie well enough, (it's fun just to watch this group of actors/actresses having fun) it is the weakest of the three. Having watched this movie before, I understood the story this time around--but I remember watching it the first time and wondering--what just happened here? The story seemed like it was trying TOO hard to be slick and misleading.
269. Ocean's 13 -- Back to Vegas and back to being really good. Loved the addition of Al Pacino and Eddie Izzard (yes, he was briefly in 12 but I liked him better here) and Ellen Barkin. And now that I've watched all three in a row, I wonder how Brad Pitt doesn't gain any weight--he was ALWAYS eating in these movies! I wish they'd make an Ocean's 14....but I'm not holding my breath.
270. Orange County -- I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this movie but I was pleasantly surprised. Starring Colin Hanks, Jack Black and Schuyler Fisk, this is not just another teen movie. Instead, it was actually a fairly funny and entertaining coming-of-age comedy. What ever happened to Schuyler Fisk? After watching this, I thought she would have had more roles.
Favorite movie this week....probably The Prestige--though I'd put Ocean's 11 and 13 as close seconds.
Total number of movies watched: 10
Okay, let's get to it.
261. The Prestige -- An incredible movie (based on the book, The Prestige, by Christopher Priest) which only further demonstrates Christopher Nolan's amazing talents as a director. Without giving too much away, I'll say that I did figure out most of what was going on as the movie was playing--but I didn't solve the final bit until near the end. A great cast too--Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis. Even after multiple viewings, I still enjoy this movie quite a bit.
262. Whiteout -- Take away the setting (Antarctica) and Kate Beckinsale and this movie would have blended in with a lot of other law enforcement vs brutal killer movies. Since I enjoy watching Kate Beckinsale in movies--I enjoyed this movie. It's just that simple sometimes.
263. I Am Legend -- I have mixed feelings about this movie. Some parts of this movie, I really loved. Some parts, I did not. I loved the relationship between Will Smith's character, Neville, and his dog. That was perhaps the best part of this movie (and I watched both the theatrical version and the extended/alternate version w/alternate ending). I did not like the CGI remake of the....plague victims. They looked fake--and I didn't see the point of the CGI. I loved the flashback scenes--and Will Smith quoting Shrek--and the feeling of a desolate NY. I didn't care for either ending though I think the theatrical ending was the better of the two.
264. Independence Day -- I had to watch this for the 4th of July. Well, I suppose I could have gone with Born on the 4th of July, but honestly, I just love this cheesy sci-fi action movie. Sure, it has a lot of one-dimensional characters saying a lot of one-liners, but it's just a fun, summer movie. Still love Bill Pullman's rallying speech about the 4th of July no longer being just an American holiday.
265. Ordinary Decent Criminal -- Kevin Spacey as a master criminal in Ireland seemingly always a step or two ahead of the law. An entertaining caper movie.
266. The Men Who Stare At Goats -- With a cast consisting of George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges I was expecting A LOT! I didn't quite get what I wanted. Parts of this movie were very funny--and most of those parts were put in the trailer.
267. Ocean's 11 -- With a cast consisting of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, etc....I was expecting A LOT--and this time, I got what I wanted and much, much more. Slick dialogue. Great caper. Great locations--Vegas just looks good on screen. One of my favorite movies.
268. Ocean's 12 -- Thought I'd watch the Ocean's movies back-to-back-to-back. While I still like this movie well enough, (it's fun just to watch this group of actors/actresses having fun) it is the weakest of the three. Having watched this movie before, I understood the story this time around--but I remember watching it the first time and wondering--what just happened here? The story seemed like it was trying TOO hard to be slick and misleading.
269. Ocean's 13 -- Back to Vegas and back to being really good. Loved the addition of Al Pacino and Eddie Izzard (yes, he was briefly in 12 but I liked him better here) and Ellen Barkin. And now that I've watched all three in a row, I wonder how Brad Pitt doesn't gain any weight--he was ALWAYS eating in these movies! I wish they'd make an Ocean's 14....but I'm not holding my breath.
270. Orange County -- I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this movie but I was pleasantly surprised. Starring Colin Hanks, Jack Black and Schuyler Fisk, this is not just another teen movie. Instead, it was actually a fairly funny and entertaining coming-of-age comedy. What ever happened to Schuyler Fisk? After watching this, I thought she would have had more roles.
Favorite movie this week....probably The Prestige--though I'd put Ocean's 11 and 13 as close seconds.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 26: June 25, 2010 to July 1, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 10
I will catch up on this blog. I will catch up on this blog. I will catch up on this blog.
Okay--that said, let's get to it.
251. Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning -- After watching the first one, I had no idea what to expect with this 'sequel', but sequel isn't right. Prequel isn't right either. Different characters, different time period -- the only thing that remains the same is the god, Ong-Bak, and the spectacular stunts performed by Tony Jaa. Incredible fight sequences. Decent story. Better over-dubs on the English. Overall, I enjoyed this movie more than the first one.
252. Ninja (2009) -- After a week plus of some rather good, and in some cases great, martial arts movies, this one just didn't stack up. It had a made-for-TV feel about it, the plot was nothing special and while some of the fight scenes were nice, it overall just seemed like a rather bland movie. Might be more enjoyable if you haven't watched better martial movies recently.
253. The Informant! -- While this movie was funny, at times I found myself wondering, 'what the hell is going on here?' When the narrator of the movie is a liar, well, you have to work a bit to pick out the fact from fiction -- and in some cases, I'm not sure if I did. Still, an enjoyable and funny movie.
254. Batman -- Great super-hero movie. I remember when it first came out, I didn't think Michael Keaton was a good choice for Batman -- but it worked. Jack Nicholson was impressive as the Joker. Yes, some of the effects were a bit cheesy, but the movie had a nice balance between cheese and menace. Plus, I really liked the Batmobile in this one. A fun movie to watch again.
255. Batman Returns -- Almost as good as the first. While I like Danny DeVito, I didn't like the Penguin version he played in this movie--making him 'penguin-like'. Aside from that silliness, I did like the Batman/Catwoman relationship both in and out of their costumes. Nicely dark and beautiful with haunting music. Another fun movie to watch.
256. Batman Forever -- I thought Val Kilmer was an okay replacement, but the movie was just too over-the-top campy. I didn't like the way Robin was written or the relationship between Batman and Robin, I wasn't particularly fond of the way Gotham was changed into a neon, glow-in-the-dark, black-lit, mess, and the villains seemed for the most part, one-dimensional (Jim Carrey seemed like he was playing a silly version of Jim Carrey rather than the villain, The Riddler). I like the movie in part, but as a whole, it was just a bunch of cliches thrown together. It's a shame, because I think it could have been a really good movie.
257. Batman and Robin -- The weakest of these first four. I like George Clooney as an actor, but the script was just....well....let's put it nicely....the script could have been better. Much better. Again, certain elements would have been cool (ha ha, this movie had Mr. Freeze in it), could have been cool but ultimately, it seemed like a big mess. Oh, and the Batmobile in this one and the last one looked horrible. If I were a drinker, this could be a good drinking game movie--every time Batman and Robin bicker, take a drink. Every time Schwarzennegger's Mr. Freeze says a lame one-liner, take a drink. Every time...well, you'd be drunk long before the movie ended--and you'd probably enjoy it more too.
258. Batman Begins -- A great reinvention of the Batman franchise. This is one of my favorite movies. Christian Bale is a perfect choice for both the Bruce Wayne and the Batman character. The rest of the cast is well-chosen -- loved Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. Loved Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon. Loved Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow/Dr. Crane, Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard....even Katie Holmes was fine as Rachel Dawes. I loved that parts of the movie were filmed in Chicago -- gave Gotham a realness to it that was missing from the other four movies. I also loved the new Batmobile. Okay, I'll stop gushing now....
So ends June. 33 movies this month. Also, we've reached the mid-way point of the year at 258 movies. For a while I thought 500 movies in one year would be a cinch -- now, it's not looking so easy. Still, it is my goal -- 500 movies -- one year.
259. The Dark Knight -- Oh wait, the gushing will have to start up again....no, I'll try to control myself. See above for all the actors/characters who returned in this one--now add Heath Ledger as the Joker (wow, just wow!) and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey "Two-Face" Dent and Maggie Gyllenhal as Rachel Dawes. This is a powerful movie with an impressive, impressive cast and an excellent and detailed script/story. (Also, one of my friends--and the guy who is filming our Indie Movie--had a small role in this. He's only on screen for a few seconds during the scene where Mr. Reese is being attacked at the TV studio building--but he had a chance to talk with Christopher Nolan during the shoot and that is just very cool). I cannot wait for the next Christopher Nolan Batman movie.
260. Memento -- I end this week with a continuation of Christopher Nolan directed movies with this unique film with the backwards narrative. I've watched this movie a handful of times over the years and I'm still stunned by its intricate nature and unusual lead character. If you have not seen this movie yet, watch it--but make sure you leave yourself time to watch it twice back-to-back. Now, I've heard there is a way to watch this movie in reverse in chronological order on DVD--but I've yet to confirm this. Please, drop me a comment if you know how to do this. Thanks!
Favorite movie? Ha. The two Christopher Nolan Batman movies....and yet, I also really liked Memento, so I'll go with all three C.N. movies.
....I will catch up on this blog.....
Total number of movies watched: 10
I will catch up on this blog. I will catch up on this blog. I will catch up on this blog.
Okay--that said, let's get to it.
251. Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning -- After watching the first one, I had no idea what to expect with this 'sequel', but sequel isn't right. Prequel isn't right either. Different characters, different time period -- the only thing that remains the same is the god, Ong-Bak, and the spectacular stunts performed by Tony Jaa. Incredible fight sequences. Decent story. Better over-dubs on the English. Overall, I enjoyed this movie more than the first one.
252. Ninja (2009) -- After a week plus of some rather good, and in some cases great, martial arts movies, this one just didn't stack up. It had a made-for-TV feel about it, the plot was nothing special and while some of the fight scenes were nice, it overall just seemed like a rather bland movie. Might be more enjoyable if you haven't watched better martial movies recently.
253. The Informant! -- While this movie was funny, at times I found myself wondering, 'what the hell is going on here?' When the narrator of the movie is a liar, well, you have to work a bit to pick out the fact from fiction -- and in some cases, I'm not sure if I did. Still, an enjoyable and funny movie.
254. Batman -- Great super-hero movie. I remember when it first came out, I didn't think Michael Keaton was a good choice for Batman -- but it worked. Jack Nicholson was impressive as the Joker. Yes, some of the effects were a bit cheesy, but the movie had a nice balance between cheese and menace. Plus, I really liked the Batmobile in this one. A fun movie to watch again.
255. Batman Returns -- Almost as good as the first. While I like Danny DeVito, I didn't like the Penguin version he played in this movie--making him 'penguin-like'. Aside from that silliness, I did like the Batman/Catwoman relationship both in and out of their costumes. Nicely dark and beautiful with haunting music. Another fun movie to watch.
256. Batman Forever -- I thought Val Kilmer was an okay replacement, but the movie was just too over-the-top campy. I didn't like the way Robin was written or the relationship between Batman and Robin, I wasn't particularly fond of the way Gotham was changed into a neon, glow-in-the-dark, black-lit, mess, and the villains seemed for the most part, one-dimensional (Jim Carrey seemed like he was playing a silly version of Jim Carrey rather than the villain, The Riddler). I like the movie in part, but as a whole, it was just a bunch of cliches thrown together. It's a shame, because I think it could have been a really good movie.
257. Batman and Robin -- The weakest of these first four. I like George Clooney as an actor, but the script was just....well....let's put it nicely....the script could have been better. Much better. Again, certain elements would have been cool (ha ha, this movie had Mr. Freeze in it), could have been cool but ultimately, it seemed like a big mess. Oh, and the Batmobile in this one and the last one looked horrible. If I were a drinker, this could be a good drinking game movie--every time Batman and Robin bicker, take a drink. Every time Schwarzennegger's Mr. Freeze says a lame one-liner, take a drink. Every time...well, you'd be drunk long before the movie ended--and you'd probably enjoy it more too.
258. Batman Begins -- A great reinvention of the Batman franchise. This is one of my favorite movies. Christian Bale is a perfect choice for both the Bruce Wayne and the Batman character. The rest of the cast is well-chosen -- loved Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. Loved Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon. Loved Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow/Dr. Crane, Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard....even Katie Holmes was fine as Rachel Dawes. I loved that parts of the movie were filmed in Chicago -- gave Gotham a realness to it that was missing from the other four movies. I also loved the new Batmobile. Okay, I'll stop gushing now....
So ends June. 33 movies this month. Also, we've reached the mid-way point of the year at 258 movies. For a while I thought 500 movies in one year would be a cinch -- now, it's not looking so easy. Still, it is my goal -- 500 movies -- one year.
259. The Dark Knight -- Oh wait, the gushing will have to start up again....no, I'll try to control myself. See above for all the actors/characters who returned in this one--now add Heath Ledger as the Joker (wow, just wow!) and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey "Two-Face" Dent and Maggie Gyllenhal as Rachel Dawes. This is a powerful movie with an impressive, impressive cast and an excellent and detailed script/story. (Also, one of my friends--and the guy who is filming our Indie Movie--had a small role in this. He's only on screen for a few seconds during the scene where Mr. Reese is being attacked at the TV studio building--but he had a chance to talk with Christopher Nolan during the shoot and that is just very cool). I cannot wait for the next Christopher Nolan Batman movie.
260. Memento -- I end this week with a continuation of Christopher Nolan directed movies with this unique film with the backwards narrative. I've watched this movie a handful of times over the years and I'm still stunned by its intricate nature and unusual lead character. If you have not seen this movie yet, watch it--but make sure you leave yourself time to watch it twice back-to-back. Now, I've heard there is a way to watch this movie in reverse in chronological order on DVD--but I've yet to confirm this. Please, drop me a comment if you know how to do this. Thanks!
Favorite movie? Ha. The two Christopher Nolan Batman movies....and yet, I also really liked Memento, so I'll go with all three C.N. movies.
....I will catch up on this blog.....
Friday, August 20, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 25: June 18, 2010 to June 24, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 7
A thunderstorm is moving in and I'd rather not be online when it fully hits so this blog post might be a little on the short side...
The movies this week continue along the theme of martial art movies I started near the end of last week. Two of the movies this week I'd seen before--and loved--and the rest were all new to me. Most of them really impressed me.
244. Legend of the Black Scorpion (DVD title) aka: The Banquet (2006) -- This movie draws inspiration from Shakespeare's Hamlet and while it does contain martial arts fighting, I think it tends to be more of a dramatic film rather than pure action. I have no problem with that. While I like action, I was drawn in by the dramatic performances--especially of Ziyi Zhang (of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). And like so many of the movies I watched this week, it was visually stunning with impressive costumes and attention to detail. I really love this movie.
245. House of Flying Daggers (2004) -- I've seen this movie a number of times, and I just love it. Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang -- this romantic, action-packed, visually stunning, achingly beautiful movie also has a intricate story with crosses, double-crosses and true heroism. If you haven't seen this movie, you've really missed out on an incredibly beautiful film.
246. Battle of the Warriors (DVD title) aka: Battle of Wits (2006) -- Stars Andy Lau as a clever warrior, Ge Li, who uses his wits to win but despite his superior tactics would rather talk about peace and prefers that over war. A bleak look at war. Occasionally the 'special effects' didn't quite work in this movie, but still a good, solid movie with an anti-war message (without being too preachy).
247. An Empress and the Warriors (2008) -- When her father dies, a young woman becomes the Empress of a kingdom constantly at war, but even her ascension is not without peril. Others want control and will do nearly anything to gain it. Amidst all of this trouble, the Empress is injured and tended to by a former warrior with whom she falls in love with. An enjoyable movie overall.
248. Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon (2008) -- Stars Andy Lau, Maggie Q, and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo. Parts of this movie I did like, but overall, it just felt disjointed--as if this was the edited down version of a truly epic movie. Just as I was starting to get into the movie, the movie's timeline jumps ahead thirty years and it took me a while to reconnect with the characters/storyline again. After watching other movies earlier this week which I truly love, this one ended up being a little of a disappointment.
249. Hero (2002) -- Stars Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang. I love this movie. I love the use of color to aid in the storytelling. Some scenes look as if they are gorgeous paintings come to life. The action is impressive, but it is the story that I found intriguing. I didn't quite 'get' all of the story the first time I watched this movie, but upon further viewings, I now believe I've pieced it all together. Still, from first viewing to last, I've loved this movie.
250. Ong-bak (2003) -- Stars Tony Jaa. The story and acting are not all that impressive, but the stunts, performed by Tony Jaa (and others) are. No wirework. No stunt doubles. Perhaps because one takes these things for granted (that the stunts aren't 'real' in most of the other movies) it took me a bit before I fully appreciated what Tony Jaa was doing on the screen. He really IS doing all the stunts himself--and the multiple camera angles capture it all for you. (And while that editing style is cool at first, after a while it got a little annoying to see so many of the stunts shown over and over and over again from slightly varied angles). Still, an impressive movie if you like martial arts.
So. 250 movies done as of June 24th. I'm on pace to watch over 500 movies this year. Whew. A couple more martial arts movies will finish up my theme next week.
A lone favorite? In this list? Not happening! Hero and House of Flying Daggers still are among my favorites, but I'd add Legend of the Black Scorpion to those two. All three of these films were just beautiful to watch. If you get a chance, watch them too.
Total number of movies watched: 7
A thunderstorm is moving in and I'd rather not be online when it fully hits so this blog post might be a little on the short side...
The movies this week continue along the theme of martial art movies I started near the end of last week. Two of the movies this week I'd seen before--and loved--and the rest were all new to me. Most of them really impressed me.
244. Legend of the Black Scorpion (DVD title) aka: The Banquet (2006) -- This movie draws inspiration from Shakespeare's Hamlet and while it does contain martial arts fighting, I think it tends to be more of a dramatic film rather than pure action. I have no problem with that. While I like action, I was drawn in by the dramatic performances--especially of Ziyi Zhang (of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). And like so many of the movies I watched this week, it was visually stunning with impressive costumes and attention to detail. I really love this movie.
245. House of Flying Daggers (2004) -- I've seen this movie a number of times, and I just love it. Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang -- this romantic, action-packed, visually stunning, achingly beautiful movie also has a intricate story with crosses, double-crosses and true heroism. If you haven't seen this movie, you've really missed out on an incredibly beautiful film.
246. Battle of the Warriors (DVD title) aka: Battle of Wits (2006) -- Stars Andy Lau as a clever warrior, Ge Li, who uses his wits to win but despite his superior tactics would rather talk about peace and prefers that over war. A bleak look at war. Occasionally the 'special effects' didn't quite work in this movie, but still a good, solid movie with an anti-war message (without being too preachy).
247. An Empress and the Warriors (2008) -- When her father dies, a young woman becomes the Empress of a kingdom constantly at war, but even her ascension is not without peril. Others want control and will do nearly anything to gain it. Amidst all of this trouble, the Empress is injured and tended to by a former warrior with whom she falls in love with. An enjoyable movie overall.
248. Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon (2008) -- Stars Andy Lau, Maggie Q, and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo. Parts of this movie I did like, but overall, it just felt disjointed--as if this was the edited down version of a truly epic movie. Just as I was starting to get into the movie, the movie's timeline jumps ahead thirty years and it took me a while to reconnect with the characters/storyline again. After watching other movies earlier this week which I truly love, this one ended up being a little of a disappointment.
249. Hero (2002) -- Stars Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang. I love this movie. I love the use of color to aid in the storytelling. Some scenes look as if they are gorgeous paintings come to life. The action is impressive, but it is the story that I found intriguing. I didn't quite 'get' all of the story the first time I watched this movie, but upon further viewings, I now believe I've pieced it all together. Still, from first viewing to last, I've loved this movie.
250. Ong-bak (2003) -- Stars Tony Jaa. The story and acting are not all that impressive, but the stunts, performed by Tony Jaa (and others) are. No wirework. No stunt doubles. Perhaps because one takes these things for granted (that the stunts aren't 'real' in most of the other movies) it took me a bit before I fully appreciated what Tony Jaa was doing on the screen. He really IS doing all the stunts himself--and the multiple camera angles capture it all for you. (And while that editing style is cool at first, after a while it got a little annoying to see so many of the stunts shown over and over and over again from slightly varied angles). Still, an impressive movie if you like martial arts.
So. 250 movies done as of June 24th. I'm on pace to watch over 500 movies this year. Whew. A couple more martial arts movies will finish up my theme next week.
A lone favorite? In this list? Not happening! Hero and House of Flying Daggers still are among my favorites, but I'd add Legend of the Black Scorpion to those two. All three of these films were just beautiful to watch. If you get a chance, watch them too.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Writing...
Ahhh, the query letter. The writer's bane. I don't know (yet) if I've conquered the letter writing process, but I did manage to write another one over the past few weeks and now--with just a bit of trepidation--I am on the verge of submitting it. I've read hundreds of sample query letters online and in the writing books resting on the shelf above my desk. I've seen all sorts of variances and suggestions. Some say the pitch paragraph(s) should come first, others say put the nuts and bolts of the letter first (title, genre, word count etc), while still others like to be told why you're submitting to them (a little bit of schmooze perhaps?)....but the bottom line is, and while this may seem like a -DUH- moment, what all the agents are really looking for is 'great' writing. Some might even be willing to settle for 'good' writing. And all of them are looking for something they can fall in love with AND SELL. Shocking news, I know. And yes, I know -DUH!
And while I never did do any of the following, I've noted that agents also state all the things they DON'T want in query letters -- photos, candy, gimmicks, chocolates....Really? Are you seriously saying that a query letter attached to a box of chocolates wouldn't get at least a second glance? Okay....right. (And no, I did not try that approach though personally, if someone sent me a box of chocolates I wouldn't mind so much! Neither would my wife. She LOVES chocolate.)
Anyways....instead of turning the query letter writing process into a dreaded task (I know, it really is) I tried to look at it as a new kind of challenge. While it is a business letter at heart, it also needs to woo. It needs to entice. It needs to sell your writing. It needs to lift those drooping eyelids, brighten those blurry red-rimmed eyes--it needs to grab that agent's attention and make him or her eager to read more, more, more....
Did I achieve that? I don't know. Yet. I hope so. We'll see.
The writing adventure continues...I'll keep you posted on the results.
Have a great weekend, All.
And while I never did do any of the following, I've noted that agents also state all the things they DON'T want in query letters -- photos, candy, gimmicks, chocolates....Really? Are you seriously saying that a query letter attached to a box of chocolates wouldn't get at least a second glance? Okay....right. (And no, I did not try that approach though personally, if someone sent me a box of chocolates I wouldn't mind so much! Neither would my wife. She LOVES chocolate.)
Anyways....instead of turning the query letter writing process into a dreaded task (I know, it really is) I tried to look at it as a new kind of challenge. While it is a business letter at heart, it also needs to woo. It needs to entice. It needs to sell your writing. It needs to lift those drooping eyelids, brighten those blurry red-rimmed eyes--it needs to grab that agent's attention and make him or her eager to read more, more, more....
Did I achieve that? I don't know. Yet. I hope so. We'll see.
The writing adventure continues...I'll keep you posted on the results.
Have a great weekend, All.
A Year of Movies
Week 24: June 11, 2010 to June 17, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 7
Yep, one movie for each day. Summer viewing has been a little slower compared to winter--more to do outside, kids keeping me busy, yard work etc. Last week I had a Kevin Costner baseball trilogy, this week I decided to have a classic Tom Cruise trilogy and later in the week I started a string of martial art movies that will extend into next week (and if I recall, the week after that t00). Let's begin...
237. Top Gun -- Just pure fun action in the sky! Great 80s music. I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to fly jets! Hell, I still wouldn't mind learning how to fly--though perhaps not jets...I'd be fine with single engines to start. Hmmm....maybe someday... As for the movie, what more do I need to say? You've all seen this movie, haven't you? And if you haven't, rent it (or buy it--movies this old are usually in the cheap bin), pop it in the DVD or Blu-ray player, turn your TV up and enjoy!
238. Days of Thunder -- Just pure fun action on the ground! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to drive race cars....wait, this is sounding a bit like my last comments. Well, perhaps because this movie is a lot like the last movie, only set on the race track. Who cares? Nicole looked great in this. The banter between Robert Duvall and Tom Cruise was funny and this was another loud movie. Turn your TV up and enjoy!
239. Risky Business -- Just pure fun action in the suburbs! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to say 'WTF' and learn how to become pimps.....no wait, that's not right at all! We all wanted to drive around in Porsches...yeah, that's it. And maybe have someone who looked a lot like Rebecca show up at our door and....no wait....where am I going with this? Ha ha.... Am I a little slap happy from lack of sleep or what? C'mon, you've all seen this movie too - and if you haven't, you should. This is another movie you can find in the cheap bin.
240. Crazy Heart -- Just pure fun action with a guitar! Okay, okay....not exactly, though Jeff Bridges does an amazing job as the aging country singer/songwriter. While I truly enjoyed this movie, and was a little surprised by the ending, after the movie was done and I had a chance to reflect on it, I realized that the actual story (plot) was--relative to other movies about singers (Walk the Line, Ray)--a little on the thin side. Sure he's an alcoholic and his life is relatively shitty, but really, besides getting into an accident and temporarily losing his girlfriend's kid, what real trouble happened to him? Not much. Still, I enjoyed this movie a lot and loved the music and like I said, Jeff Bridges did an amazing job bringing this character to life.
241. Edge of Darkness -- Obviously, I watched this movie in June prior to all the latest about Mel Gibson. Setting aside his personal life (as best as one can), and trying to focus on just the movie, I thought the movie was intense. Gibson obviously has the anger side down cold in this and he's always seemed to be able to convey that simmering anger/sadness in his characters (when needed). I recently purchased the DVDs of the British TV series that this movie was based on--and whenever I get a chance (though it will probably be in 2011 when I think I'll turn from watching movies to catching up on TV series) I look forward to seeing the source material.
242. Curse of the Golden Flower -- This is the first of many martial art films I decided to watch all in a row. I'd never seen this one before and I was stunned by the film's beauty and cinematography. While the story is a family intrigue set in the Tang Dynasty, it's not all just political maneuverings--there's plenty of action too with the courtyard fight scene near the end of the movie as impressive as any I've seen before. A stunning movie starring Chow Yun Fat.
243. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- Chow Yun Fat did a wonderful job in this one too. What I find amazing about so many of these movies is the attention to detail--the costumes, the settings, the weapons, everything looks SOOOOO good and the action is SOOOOO impressive. It's like watching living, dancing, fighting artwork that is simply a feast for the eyes. And the music.....so haunting and beautiful. I loved these last two movies, and I think they were a good start for my string of martial arts viewing pleasure.
Well, that's it for this week. It was for me a great week of movies. My favorite(s).....probably the last two. While I really enjoyed the classic Tom Cruise movies, and was impressed by Crazy Heart and Edge of Darkness, the last two were simply gorgeous movies that were a delight to my eyes, ears and mind. Watch them, if you get a chance...
Total number of movies watched: 7
Yep, one movie for each day. Summer viewing has been a little slower compared to winter--more to do outside, kids keeping me busy, yard work etc. Last week I had a Kevin Costner baseball trilogy, this week I decided to have a classic Tom Cruise trilogy and later in the week I started a string of martial art movies that will extend into next week (and if I recall, the week after that t00). Let's begin...
237. Top Gun -- Just pure fun action in the sky! Great 80s music. I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to fly jets! Hell, I still wouldn't mind learning how to fly--though perhaps not jets...I'd be fine with single engines to start. Hmmm....maybe someday... As for the movie, what more do I need to say? You've all seen this movie, haven't you? And if you haven't, rent it (or buy it--movies this old are usually in the cheap bin), pop it in the DVD or Blu-ray player, turn your TV up and enjoy!
238. Days of Thunder -- Just pure fun action on the ground! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to drive race cars....wait, this is sounding a bit like my last comments. Well, perhaps because this movie is a lot like the last movie, only set on the race track. Who cares? Nicole looked great in this. The banter between Robert Duvall and Tom Cruise was funny and this was another loud movie. Turn your TV up and enjoy!
239. Risky Business -- Just pure fun action in the suburbs! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to say 'WTF' and learn how to become pimps.....no wait, that's not right at all! We all wanted to drive around in Porsches...yeah, that's it. And maybe have someone who looked a lot like Rebecca show up at our door and....no wait....where am I going with this? Ha ha.... Am I a little slap happy from lack of sleep or what? C'mon, you've all seen this movie too - and if you haven't, you should. This is another movie you can find in the cheap bin.
240. Crazy Heart -- Just pure fun action with a guitar! Okay, okay....not exactly, though Jeff Bridges does an amazing job as the aging country singer/songwriter. While I truly enjoyed this movie, and was a little surprised by the ending, after the movie was done and I had a chance to reflect on it, I realized that the actual story (plot) was--relative to other movies about singers (Walk the Line, Ray)--a little on the thin side. Sure he's an alcoholic and his life is relatively shitty, but really, besides getting into an accident and temporarily losing his girlfriend's kid, what real trouble happened to him? Not much. Still, I enjoyed this movie a lot and loved the music and like I said, Jeff Bridges did an amazing job bringing this character to life.
241. Edge of Darkness -- Obviously, I watched this movie in June prior to all the latest about Mel Gibson. Setting aside his personal life (as best as one can), and trying to focus on just the movie, I thought the movie was intense. Gibson obviously has the anger side down cold in this and he's always seemed to be able to convey that simmering anger/sadness in his characters (when needed). I recently purchased the DVDs of the British TV series that this movie was based on--and whenever I get a chance (though it will probably be in 2011 when I think I'll turn from watching movies to catching up on TV series) I look forward to seeing the source material.
242. Curse of the Golden Flower -- This is the first of many martial art films I decided to watch all in a row. I'd never seen this one before and I was stunned by the film's beauty and cinematography. While the story is a family intrigue set in the Tang Dynasty, it's not all just political maneuverings--there's plenty of action too with the courtyard fight scene near the end of the movie as impressive as any I've seen before. A stunning movie starring Chow Yun Fat.
243. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- Chow Yun Fat did a wonderful job in this one too. What I find amazing about so many of these movies is the attention to detail--the costumes, the settings, the weapons, everything looks SOOOOO good and the action is SOOOOO impressive. It's like watching living, dancing, fighting artwork that is simply a feast for the eyes. And the music.....so haunting and beautiful. I loved these last two movies, and I think they were a good start for my string of martial arts viewing pleasure.
Well, that's it for this week. It was for me a great week of movies. My favorite(s).....probably the last two. While I really enjoyed the classic Tom Cruise movies, and was impressed by Crazy Heart and Edge of Darkness, the last two were simply gorgeous movies that were a delight to my eyes, ears and mind. Watch them, if you get a chance...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 23: June 4, 2010 to June 10, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
229. From Hell -- I've always been fascinated by the Jack the Ripper tales, and this was an interesting take on that story. Johnny Depp again creates a very rich character with his tortured investigator. A dark movie, but exceptionally well done.
230. Stargate -- I watched the extended cut version of this movie, and the extra material naturally made the movie seem fuller with more detail and the plot seemed to make more sense. While I've always loved this movie, I never had the opportunity to get into the TV series spin-offs. I don't know why. Perhaps next year, I'll try to catch up on the TV series I've neglected this year during my quest to watch a movie every day.
231. Scoop -- I'm not usually a huge fan of Woody Allen movies, but I did like this one. It was a funny murder mystery and I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to turn out in the end. An enjoyable cast with Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johannson.
232. Up In The Air -- A unique romantic comedy / character study about a man who is most at home while on the road. George Clooney does another amazing job with this role and I was completely drawn into this movie. It has become one of my new favorite movies.
233. Bull Durham -- I decided to watch the three Kevin Costner baseball movies back-t0-back-to-back starting with his first. It is obvious that Kevin Costner loves baseball and of all the various movies I've seen him in, he sees most natural in baseball movies. A great romantic comedy combining sex and baseball --two great past-times.
234. Field of Dreams -- While a good baseball movie, it is more about the relationships between fathers and sons. I love baseball. I love having a catch with my sons. This movie really hit home with me.
235. For Love of the Game -- Another good baseball movie which focuses more on relationships than on the game. While pitching a perfect game, a man reflects on his imperfect life--and I found it interesting that the only time he could be 'perfect', was at the end of his professional career and perhaps despite that perfection, he realizes there is something more perfect waiting for him after baseball. A trilogy of good movies.
236. Smart People -- A funny movie involving smart people who act stupidly. What a dysfunctional family! While I did like this movie, I found the ending to be a little out of line with the rest of the movie. I didn't entirely buy the idea that the addition of twins to the dysfunctional family would somehow make the family LESS dysfunctional. Still, some really funny moments in this movie.
My favorite for the week? While I do like the baseball trilogy quite a bit, and Stargate would seem that natural pick, since I'm such a huge sci-fi/fantasy genre fan, I'm going to go with George Clooney's Up In The Air.
Total number of movies watched: 8
229. From Hell -- I've always been fascinated by the Jack the Ripper tales, and this was an interesting take on that story. Johnny Depp again creates a very rich character with his tortured investigator. A dark movie, but exceptionally well done.
230. Stargate -- I watched the extended cut version of this movie, and the extra material naturally made the movie seem fuller with more detail and the plot seemed to make more sense. While I've always loved this movie, I never had the opportunity to get into the TV series spin-offs. I don't know why. Perhaps next year, I'll try to catch up on the TV series I've neglected this year during my quest to watch a movie every day.
231. Scoop -- I'm not usually a huge fan of Woody Allen movies, but I did like this one. It was a funny murder mystery and I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to turn out in the end. An enjoyable cast with Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johannson.
232. Up In The Air -- A unique romantic comedy / character study about a man who is most at home while on the road. George Clooney does another amazing job with this role and I was completely drawn into this movie. It has become one of my new favorite movies.
233. Bull Durham -- I decided to watch the three Kevin Costner baseball movies back-t0-back-to-back starting with his first. It is obvious that Kevin Costner loves baseball and of all the various movies I've seen him in, he sees most natural in baseball movies. A great romantic comedy combining sex and baseball --two great past-times.
234. Field of Dreams -- While a good baseball movie, it is more about the relationships between fathers and sons. I love baseball. I love having a catch with my sons. This movie really hit home with me.
235. For Love of the Game -- Another good baseball movie which focuses more on relationships than on the game. While pitching a perfect game, a man reflects on his imperfect life--and I found it interesting that the only time he could be 'perfect', was at the end of his professional career and perhaps despite that perfection, he realizes there is something more perfect waiting for him after baseball. A trilogy of good movies.
236. Smart People -- A funny movie involving smart people who act stupidly. What a dysfunctional family! While I did like this movie, I found the ending to be a little out of line with the rest of the movie. I didn't entirely buy the idea that the addition of twins to the dysfunctional family would somehow make the family LESS dysfunctional. Still, some really funny moments in this movie.
My favorite for the week? While I do like the baseball trilogy quite a bit, and Stargate would seem that natural pick, since I'm such a huge sci-fi/fantasy genre fan, I'm going to go with George Clooney's Up In The Air.
Monday, August 2, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 22: May 28, 2010 to June 3, 2010
First, I apologize for the delay in updating my year long movie quest. Summer with the family has been keeping me busy. Second, as I've blogged about briefly, in addition to pursuing this odd quest, and keeping up with the kids, I've worked on my own low-budget, short Indie Movie. Primary filming is done and we only need to capture a couple of extra shots at a train station in order to get the flashback scene finished. Hopefully, we'll be able to schedule that by the end of this month and start editing the movie next month. It also sounds like we will be getting our website up and running soon--when it is, I'll include a link here.
And now, back to our regular program...
Total number of movies watched: 10
219. Criminal Ways (aka The Wannabes (2003)) -- a small caper movie with a young Isla Fisher and starring Nick Giannopoulos. This was an odd movie, funny at times, with some songs which stuck in my head. It reminded me a little of Death to Smoochie -- but perhaps that's just because of the silly animal character and an oddball cast of 'criminals'. Since I have heard my share of kid's show songs, I'd actually welcome some of these silly (and crude) songs from time to time...
220. Night at the Museum -- I'd seen this at the theater when it first came out with my oldest son, and now that my little guy was old enough to watch it, I thought I'd share this movie with him too. He's a fan of real museums and he has a vivid imagination, so he really enjoyed watching all the various exhibits come to life in this movie. Overall, the whole family enjoyed it and the kids of course thought the monkey was hilarious.
221. As Good As It Gets -- I watched this one with my wife. I remember the first time I watched this movie not really enjoying it--the same goes for my wife, but as we watched it this time around, we both found ourselves drawn into the story, and laughing, and truly enjoying the viewing experience. This is really a great and unusual romantic comedy.
222. I Love You, Man -- What a bromance! A silly and enjoyable movie.
223. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time -- I took the boys to the theater to see this. While it's not a 'great' movie--it was definitely a fun summer movie and frankly if that's all you're going to a theater to see, a 'fun' movie, then you'd probably be satisfied by this. Lots of action. Lots of fighting. Lots of fun.
224. The Blind Side -- Another movie I watched with my wife. I thought it was a good movie. I liked the real life story behind the movie. Sandra Bullock was quite good in this--but then, I like her in most of her movies. An inspirational movie.
225. A Night at the Roxbury -- Every so often, you just need to watch a silly movie, you know? And this one has some really fun music too.
This ends May -- with a total of 38 movies watched during that month.
226. Big -- A great movie. Funny, touching, this is a movie I've loved for many years.
227. 13 Going on 30 -- I know this movie was often compared to Big when it first came out -- obviously it has a similar premise -- but after watching them back-to-back I realized that while the comparison has some merit, I enjoyed this movie on its own. Jennifer Garner just lights up the screen and she was perfectly cast in this role as the teen-turned-30 year old.
228. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- Watched this with my little guy. He liked it, but we both agreed that we liked the first one better. Still, it was a fun movie and if they made a third one, we'd both probably want to see it.
Well, that's it for this week. My favorite -- well, Big has long been a favorite, and 13 Going on 30 was truly enjoyable, and The Blind Side was a great, inspiration movie, but my favorite has to be A Night at the Roxbury....okay, just kidding....(though, I really do enjoy that movie). As Good As It Gets earns this week's nod as my favorite.
I'll try to get caught up on these posts very soon!
First, I apologize for the delay in updating my year long movie quest. Summer with the family has been keeping me busy. Second, as I've blogged about briefly, in addition to pursuing this odd quest, and keeping up with the kids, I've worked on my own low-budget, short Indie Movie. Primary filming is done and we only need to capture a couple of extra shots at a train station in order to get the flashback scene finished. Hopefully, we'll be able to schedule that by the end of this month and start editing the movie next month. It also sounds like we will be getting our website up and running soon--when it is, I'll include a link here.
And now, back to our regular program...
Total number of movies watched: 10
219. Criminal Ways (aka The Wannabes (2003)) -- a small caper movie with a young Isla Fisher and starring Nick Giannopoulos. This was an odd movie, funny at times, with some songs which stuck in my head. It reminded me a little of Death to Smoochie -- but perhaps that's just because of the silly animal character and an oddball cast of 'criminals'. Since I have heard my share of kid's show songs, I'd actually welcome some of these silly (and crude) songs from time to time...
220. Night at the Museum -- I'd seen this at the theater when it first came out with my oldest son, and now that my little guy was old enough to watch it, I thought I'd share this movie with him too. He's a fan of real museums and he has a vivid imagination, so he really enjoyed watching all the various exhibits come to life in this movie. Overall, the whole family enjoyed it and the kids of course thought the monkey was hilarious.
221. As Good As It Gets -- I watched this one with my wife. I remember the first time I watched this movie not really enjoying it--the same goes for my wife, but as we watched it this time around, we both found ourselves drawn into the story, and laughing, and truly enjoying the viewing experience. This is really a great and unusual romantic comedy.
222. I Love You, Man -- What a bromance! A silly and enjoyable movie.
223. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time -- I took the boys to the theater to see this. While it's not a 'great' movie--it was definitely a fun summer movie and frankly if that's all you're going to a theater to see, a 'fun' movie, then you'd probably be satisfied by this. Lots of action. Lots of fighting. Lots of fun.
224. The Blind Side -- Another movie I watched with my wife. I thought it was a good movie. I liked the real life story behind the movie. Sandra Bullock was quite good in this--but then, I like her in most of her movies. An inspirational movie.
225. A Night at the Roxbury -- Every so often, you just need to watch a silly movie, you know? And this one has some really fun music too.
This ends May -- with a total of 38 movies watched during that month.
226. Big -- A great movie. Funny, touching, this is a movie I've loved for many years.
227. 13 Going on 30 -- I know this movie was often compared to Big when it first came out -- obviously it has a similar premise -- but after watching them back-to-back I realized that while the comparison has some merit, I enjoyed this movie on its own. Jennifer Garner just lights up the screen and she was perfectly cast in this role as the teen-turned-30 year old.
228. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- Watched this with my little guy. He liked it, but we both agreed that we liked the first one better. Still, it was a fun movie and if they made a third one, we'd both probably want to see it.
Well, that's it for this week. My favorite -- well, Big has long been a favorite, and 13 Going on 30 was truly enjoyable, and The Blind Side was a great, inspiration movie, but my favorite has to be A Night at the Roxbury....okay, just kidding....(though, I really do enjoy that movie). As Good As It Gets earns this week's nod as my favorite.
I'll try to get caught up on these posts very soon!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Indie Movie
I just thought I'd drop a quick note that I will be getting back to the Year of Movies posts soon--and yes, I've been able to still finish at least one movie every day so far this year--but in addition to keeping up with that goal, I've been working on a very low budget Indie film--a short film--which we (myself and two of my friends) started shooting last week based on a script I wrote about a serial killer and his intended victim.
While we did some test shots a few weeks earlier of the rural location and of my costume and a few of the scenes, the actual shoot began last Saturday and with the exception of a bit of rain which fell during what then became our lunch break (the weatherman claimed there would be NO RAIN on Saturday), the day was fairly successful. Sunday was even better--except for the stunt plane flying overhead during a couple of crucial scenes. We waited the pilot out and eventually got the scenes shot.
Oh...and the cars....
Don't get me started on the cars! (LOL) When I was scouting out locations, I found this beautiful, 'deserted', stretch of country road which basically connects nothing to nothing...quiet, peaceful, desolate...except when we turned on our camera! Then it was.... car....car....car....truck....farm vehicle.....motorcycle....car.....scooter....bicyclist.....inline skater.....jogger...dog-walker..... it became....comical....after a while. We had a few people stop and ask us what we were doing. That was cool. And despite the various interruptions, it was a blast to be out there working on this project and I'm looking forward to finishing it up (perhaps this weekend if the weather holds--the weatherman 'claims' Saturday will have no rain...again. We'll see, Mr. Weatherman. We'll see!).
The three of us had a chance to watch the raw footage on Tuesday, and overall, I'm really pleased with what we got, and I think we need just one more day of shooting to get the final bits done. My co-star in the Indie film is looking into setting up a website for our short movie and when he's done with it, I'll let you know (and include a link!).
Hopefully, as this little project moves toward completion, we'll start getting an interested following and at least a few fans--but hey, if we can entertain you with our movie, what more can we ask for, right?
Thanks...
While we did some test shots a few weeks earlier of the rural location and of my costume and a few of the scenes, the actual shoot began last Saturday and with the exception of a bit of rain which fell during what then became our lunch break (the weatherman claimed there would be NO RAIN on Saturday), the day was fairly successful. Sunday was even better--except for the stunt plane flying overhead during a couple of crucial scenes. We waited the pilot out and eventually got the scenes shot.
Oh...and the cars....
Don't get me started on the cars! (LOL) When I was scouting out locations, I found this beautiful, 'deserted', stretch of country road which basically connects nothing to nothing...quiet, peaceful, desolate...except when we turned on our camera! Then it was.... car....car....car....truck....farm vehicle.....motorcycle....car.....scooter....bicyclist.....inline skater.....jogger...dog-walker..... it became....comical....after a while. We had a few people stop and ask us what we were doing. That was cool. And despite the various interruptions, it was a blast to be out there working on this project and I'm looking forward to finishing it up (perhaps this weekend if the weather holds--the weatherman 'claims' Saturday will have no rain...again. We'll see, Mr. Weatherman. We'll see!).
The three of us had a chance to watch the raw footage on Tuesday, and overall, I'm really pleased with what we got, and I think we need just one more day of shooting to get the final bits done. My co-star in the Indie film is looking into setting up a website for our short movie and when he's done with it, I'll let you know (and include a link!).
Hopefully, as this little project moves toward completion, we'll start getting an interested following and at least a few fans--but hey, if we can entertain you with our movie, what more can we ask for, right?
Thanks...
Monday, June 14, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 21: May 21, 2010 to May 27, 2010
Total number of movies watched this week: 8
Free time has been in short supply as of late so this blog entry will be short and sweet.
211. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc -- The Milla Jovovich marathon continues. I don't know how fact-based this movie is, however, I did like the story, the characters, and how the internal debate was portrayed using Dustin Hoffman.
212. Ultraviolet -- Milla kicks a lot of ass in this, but the story seemed thin. Is this based on a comic book? If so, does knowing the back story of this character make this movie more....enjoyable? An okay movie with some over-the-top fight scenes.
213. Love Happens -- The wife wanted to watch a rom-com so I took a mini-break from the Milla (and Bruce Willis) marathon. In general, I liked this rom-com...but despite really liking Jennifer Aniston, I felt like I'd seen this character from her before. Or perhaps I felt like I was watching Jennifer being Jennifer....I don't know. I'd love to see her in a role that makes me forget that she's Jennifer Aniston.
214. Madagascar -- Somehow, despite having kids, I'd never seen this relatively funny animated movie. I think the penguins were my favorite characters. Is that wrong? Now I have to track down the sequel for the kids...
215. The Fifth Element -- Ah...the Milla / Bruce marathon finally reaches its pinnacle with one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love this movie. I can watch it over and over... A great cast. A great story. A perfect, fun, entertaining sci-fi movie mixed with just a bit of rom-com. Each actor was absolutely perfect for his/her role. Have I mentioned that I love this movie?
216. The Hitcher (the original) -- While I've seen and enjoyed the remake of this thriller, I think the original is still the best by far. Rutger Hauer is so absolutely frightening in this movie. I remember the very first time I watched this movie and actually feeling terrified by him.
217. Sherlock Holmes -- I liked this re-imagining quite a bit. I thought Robert Downey Jr. truly brought the Holmes character to life and I liked Jude Law as a capable Dr. Watson. Admittedly, I haven't seen many of the other, older Sherlock Holmes movies, so perhaps I have less of a bias coming into this movie--but I was entertained by it from start-to-finish and I'm looking forward to what I presume will soon be a sequel.
218. Ivanhoe -- This was the 1982 made-for-TV movie starring Anthony Andrews as Wilfred of Ivanhoe. I loved this movie when I was a kid, remembering basically the jousting and the sword-fighting. Sadly, it didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered, now that I'm an adult, but still, it was a decent movie and I enjoyed seeing it again after so many years. I'd love to see this story (as well as another Anthony Andrews movie, The Scarlet Pimpernel) made into a new movie someday. I wonder, what are the chances of that ever happening....?
So ends another week of movies. Obviously, I love The Fifth Element and it is one of my favorite movies but I'd also add Sherlock Holmes as another movie on my list of...'I'd like to watch that movie again someday' list...
Total number of movies watched this week: 8
Free time has been in short supply as of late so this blog entry will be short and sweet.
211. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc -- The Milla Jovovich marathon continues. I don't know how fact-based this movie is, however, I did like the story, the characters, and how the internal debate was portrayed using Dustin Hoffman.
212. Ultraviolet -- Milla kicks a lot of ass in this, but the story seemed thin. Is this based on a comic book? If so, does knowing the back story of this character make this movie more....enjoyable? An okay movie with some over-the-top fight scenes.
213. Love Happens -- The wife wanted to watch a rom-com so I took a mini-break from the Milla (and Bruce Willis) marathon. In general, I liked this rom-com...but despite really liking Jennifer Aniston, I felt like I'd seen this character from her before. Or perhaps I felt like I was watching Jennifer being Jennifer....I don't know. I'd love to see her in a role that makes me forget that she's Jennifer Aniston.
214. Madagascar -- Somehow, despite having kids, I'd never seen this relatively funny animated movie. I think the penguins were my favorite characters. Is that wrong? Now I have to track down the sequel for the kids...
215. The Fifth Element -- Ah...the Milla / Bruce marathon finally reaches its pinnacle with one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love this movie. I can watch it over and over... A great cast. A great story. A perfect, fun, entertaining sci-fi movie mixed with just a bit of rom-com. Each actor was absolutely perfect for his/her role. Have I mentioned that I love this movie?
216. The Hitcher (the original) -- While I've seen and enjoyed the remake of this thriller, I think the original is still the best by far. Rutger Hauer is so absolutely frightening in this movie. I remember the very first time I watched this movie and actually feeling terrified by him.
217. Sherlock Holmes -- I liked this re-imagining quite a bit. I thought Robert Downey Jr. truly brought the Holmes character to life and I liked Jude Law as a capable Dr. Watson. Admittedly, I haven't seen many of the other, older Sherlock Holmes movies, so perhaps I have less of a bias coming into this movie--but I was entertained by it from start-to-finish and I'm looking forward to what I presume will soon be a sequel.
218. Ivanhoe -- This was the 1982 made-for-TV movie starring Anthony Andrews as Wilfred of Ivanhoe. I loved this movie when I was a kid, remembering basically the jousting and the sword-fighting. Sadly, it didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered, now that I'm an adult, but still, it was a decent movie and I enjoyed seeing it again after so many years. I'd love to see this story (as well as another Anthony Andrews movie, The Scarlet Pimpernel) made into a new movie someday. I wonder, what are the chances of that ever happening....?
So ends another week of movies. Obviously, I love The Fifth Element and it is one of my favorite movies but I'd also add Sherlock Holmes as another movie on my list of...'I'd like to watch that movie again someday' list...
Friday, June 4, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 20: May 14, 2010 to May 20, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
The Bruce Willis marathon continues...
203. 12 Monkeys -- Another interesting Terry Gilliam movie. While I enjoyed Bruce Willis's performance in this, Brad Pitt's insane character, Jeffrey, steals the show. An intelligent script which requires you to really pay attention to the movie. I love how the story comes full circle at the airport. Great movie.
204. Last Man Standing -- A dark movie. Bruce Willis' John Smith drives into town and plays the two rival gangs against each other while trying to make money off both in the process. The shoot-out scenes are impressive--if not entirely realistic--but then, are you watching these kinds of action movies for their realism? No. Entertaining, yet at times....hauntingly sad.
205. Hostage -- Bruce Willis as another hang-dog, weight of the world is on his shoulders police officer--and yet he still is able to pull it off and make it seem almost original despite the similarities to his Die Hard character (his marriage is on the rocks, and his daughter doesn't get along with him in this one too). The story is entertaining and I found myself wondering how Willis was going to be able to work his way free of his troubles and make everything right by the time the movie ended. Good movie.
206. Lucky # Slevin -- One of my favorite movies. It has a great twisting story line that spans twenty years--a number of great villainous characters each unique in their own way--and Lucy Liu in perhaps her best role ever. Lots of witty banter between her character and Josh Hartnett's Slevin. Also, take note of all the wild wallpaper in this movie. Wow. (And no, I didn't notice the wallpaper because the movie was bad!) Just a great, great entertaining movie.
207. The Long Kiss Goodnight -- I thought I'd shift gears and watch a capable and heroic kick-ass female as the assassin-in-charge of this movie. I'd forgotten just how funny the banter between Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson was in this movie. Lots of over-the-top action in this movie. And I have to remember to add this to my list of "Non-traditional Christmas movie Christmas movies" (I like watching non-traditional Christmas movies while I wrap Christmas presents).
208. Resident Evil -- I'd seen parts of this movie on TV over the years, but I'd never seen it (or either of its sequels) from beginning to end so I broke out this Milla Jovovich trilogy and watched them back-to-back-to-back. I know it's based off a video game, but I never really played the game much so I don't know how the movie truly compares to the game--but in general, I liked the first movie (of the three) the best. Some of the CGI seemed dated already but as zombie movies go--this one wasn't too bad. Milla was fun to watch but I've seen her in better movies (and worse).
209. Resident Evil: Apocalypse -- Okay movie. Some decent action scenes. Some added background for Alice.
210. Resident Evil: Extinction -- Of the two sequels, I liked this one a little better. It was a nice change of pace moving the story out into the sunshine--I liked the juxtaposition of the noir movie in the sunshine. More background on the Alice character--more Milla kicking butt. Another okay movie.
Favorite movie this week? Lucky # Slevin....followed closely by 12 Monkeys and The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Total number of movies watched: 8
The Bruce Willis marathon continues...
203. 12 Monkeys -- Another interesting Terry Gilliam movie. While I enjoyed Bruce Willis's performance in this, Brad Pitt's insane character, Jeffrey, steals the show. An intelligent script which requires you to really pay attention to the movie. I love how the story comes full circle at the airport. Great movie.
204. Last Man Standing -- A dark movie. Bruce Willis' John Smith drives into town and plays the two rival gangs against each other while trying to make money off both in the process. The shoot-out scenes are impressive--if not entirely realistic--but then, are you watching these kinds of action movies for their realism? No. Entertaining, yet at times....hauntingly sad.
205. Hostage -- Bruce Willis as another hang-dog, weight of the world is on his shoulders police officer--and yet he still is able to pull it off and make it seem almost original despite the similarities to his Die Hard character (his marriage is on the rocks, and his daughter doesn't get along with him in this one too). The story is entertaining and I found myself wondering how Willis was going to be able to work his way free of his troubles and make everything right by the time the movie ended. Good movie.
206. Lucky # Slevin -- One of my favorite movies. It has a great twisting story line that spans twenty years--a number of great villainous characters each unique in their own way--and Lucy Liu in perhaps her best role ever. Lots of witty banter between her character and Josh Hartnett's Slevin. Also, take note of all the wild wallpaper in this movie. Wow. (And no, I didn't notice the wallpaper because the movie was bad!) Just a great, great entertaining movie.
207. The Long Kiss Goodnight -- I thought I'd shift gears and watch a capable and heroic kick-ass female as the assassin-in-charge of this movie. I'd forgotten just how funny the banter between Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson was in this movie. Lots of over-the-top action in this movie. And I have to remember to add this to my list of "Non-traditional Christmas movie Christmas movies" (I like watching non-traditional Christmas movies while I wrap Christmas presents).
208. Resident Evil -- I'd seen parts of this movie on TV over the years, but I'd never seen it (or either of its sequels) from beginning to end so I broke out this Milla Jovovich trilogy and watched them back-to-back-to-back. I know it's based off a video game, but I never really played the game much so I don't know how the movie truly compares to the game--but in general, I liked the first movie (of the three) the best. Some of the CGI seemed dated already but as zombie movies go--this one wasn't too bad. Milla was fun to watch but I've seen her in better movies (and worse).
209. Resident Evil: Apocalypse -- Okay movie. Some decent action scenes. Some added background for Alice.
210. Resident Evil: Extinction -- Of the two sequels, I liked this one a little better. It was a nice change of pace moving the story out into the sunshine--I liked the juxtaposition of the noir movie in the sunshine. More background on the Alice character--more Milla kicking butt. Another okay movie.
Favorite movie this week? Lucky # Slevin....followed closely by 12 Monkeys and The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 19: May 7, 2010 to May 13, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
195. Navy Seals -- I hadn't watched this movie in years. A good action movie with Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn in it. If you primarily are looking for a movie with action and little character development, this one is for you. Nothing wrong with the occasional fun purely action driven movie but I wouldn't have minded a little more of the personal sides of some of the characters.
196. Iron Man 2 -- I watched this in the theater with my boys and my dad opening weekend. I'd gone over to my dad's house earlier in the week with the first Iron Man on DVD so he'd have a chance to see it. He really liked the first movie--he tends to like action movies. Shocking, I know. Anyway, the four of us got to the theater early so we could get some good seats. We did despite the theater being sold out (I'd bought our tickets early and online--that was cool). I hadn't been to a movie theater with my dad in over twenty years (My parents would rather watch movies at home on DVD). Honestly, the movie could have sucked and I would have enjoyed the experience of just being at the movies with my dad and my boys. Fortunately though, the movie didn't suck--we all liked it very much. I liked it almost as much as the first Iron Man. Overall, it was a great action movie--nice mixture of action and character development--but by the end, I found myself wanting just a bit more Iron Man action. I felt the end battle between Iron Man and Whiplash was just WAY too short. Considering all the fighting that had occurred prior to their encounter, their very short battle seemed anti-climactic. And if you don't know this already--stay for the short scene after the end credits finish rolling. Hopefully, my boys, my dad and I will be able to see more movies at the theater over the summer.
197. Tombstone -- An excellent western. Kurt Russell did a fine job as Wyatt Earp--"You gonna do something? Or are you just gonna stand there and bleed?" -- as did Sam Elliot as his brother, Virgil, but Val Kilmer stole the show as Doc. Holliday -- "I'm your Huckleberry". "Maybe poker's just not your game, Ike. I know; let's have a spelling contest." "You're no daisy. You're no daisy at all. Poor soul, you were just too high strung." Oh, there are just too many good lines in this movie...even Michael Biehn had some good ones too as Johnny Ringo. "Smell that, Bill? Smells like someone died." Every time I watch this movie, I find something else in it that I like.
198. The 13th Warrior -- A friend recommended this movie to me. I'd heard it was a box office flop--but aside from that knew very little about the movie. In general, I liked the story--a loose retelling of the Beowulf epic poem. I also liked the interactions between the Scandinavian characters and the Arab ambassador (played by Antonio Banderas).
199. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus -- I think I'll have to watch this movie again to understand it more fully, but what I did understand, I enjoyed. What an oddly imaginative movie--and a bittersweet experience watching Heath Ledger in his last role. I couldn't help but wonder what the movie would have been like had he not died--I mean, parts were obviously rewritten to accommodate the other three actors in the role. His passing was such a shame--I'd always thought he was an incredibly talented actor.
200. The Invention of Lying -- I'm undecided about this movie. While not overly religious, I was mildly disturbed by the direction this movie took about 45-50 minutes into the movie when the humorous set-up about no one in the world being able to lie revealed itself as a means to make a mockery of organized religions. No where on the DVD cover is the 'real' story discussed, nor in any of the previews is the real nature of the movie revealed--and perhaps that is what disturbed me the most. If the intent was to poke fun at organized religion and by extension of that 'faith' -- fine -- but at least have the guts to state that up front in your advertisement. Instead, it seemed as if the movie was sold as something it wasn't. In addition to this, I felt like the excursion into the mockery of religion really didn't have anything much to do with the romantic-comedy side of the story--except that it worked as filler for the middle half of the rather thin romantic story line. Parts of this movie were brilliant and I would have liked it more had it developed the romantic comedy angle better.
201. The Jackal -- This is the first of many Bruce Willis movies I'll watch over the next week or so. While some might gripe about Richard Gere's accent, I wasn't distracted by it at all. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the way Willis created his cool and methodical assassin. And while Bruce Willis seems to gravitate toward (but not always) the three "C"s of character types -- Cops, Criminals and Crazies -- he always seems to find a way to make each just a little bit different while always keeping his 'cool'. A great suspenseful thriller (with a nice cameo of Jack Black too).
202. Mercury Rising -- This one has Willis as a former undercover FBI agent trying to protect an autistic boy from the government men who are trying to kill him. Even while playing tough guys, Willis is able to reveal just enough heart to make him a sympathetic hero. Miko Hughes played the young autistic boy, Simon, and he did an impressive job.
Tombstone as long been one of my favorite movies and so it is high on my list of movies to watch from this week. To that list, I'll add Iron Man 2. I'll also add The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus--a sentimental choice. I've also long liked the cat-and-mouse thriller The Jackal--all very good and very different movies.
Total number of movies watched: 8
195. Navy Seals -- I hadn't watched this movie in years. A good action movie with Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn in it. If you primarily are looking for a movie with action and little character development, this one is for you. Nothing wrong with the occasional fun purely action driven movie but I wouldn't have minded a little more of the personal sides of some of the characters.
196. Iron Man 2 -- I watched this in the theater with my boys and my dad opening weekend. I'd gone over to my dad's house earlier in the week with the first Iron Man on DVD so he'd have a chance to see it. He really liked the first movie--he tends to like action movies. Shocking, I know. Anyway, the four of us got to the theater early so we could get some good seats. We did despite the theater being sold out (I'd bought our tickets early and online--that was cool). I hadn't been to a movie theater with my dad in over twenty years (My parents would rather watch movies at home on DVD). Honestly, the movie could have sucked and I would have enjoyed the experience of just being at the movies with my dad and my boys. Fortunately though, the movie didn't suck--we all liked it very much. I liked it almost as much as the first Iron Man. Overall, it was a great action movie--nice mixture of action and character development--but by the end, I found myself wanting just a bit more Iron Man action. I felt the end battle between Iron Man and Whiplash was just WAY too short. Considering all the fighting that had occurred prior to their encounter, their very short battle seemed anti-climactic. And if you don't know this already--stay for the short scene after the end credits finish rolling. Hopefully, my boys, my dad and I will be able to see more movies at the theater over the summer.
197. Tombstone -- An excellent western. Kurt Russell did a fine job as Wyatt Earp--"You gonna do something? Or are you just gonna stand there and bleed?" -- as did Sam Elliot as his brother, Virgil, but Val Kilmer stole the show as Doc. Holliday -- "I'm your Huckleberry". "Maybe poker's just not your game, Ike. I know; let's have a spelling contest." "You're no daisy. You're no daisy at all. Poor soul, you were just too high strung." Oh, there are just too many good lines in this movie...even Michael Biehn had some good ones too as Johnny Ringo. "Smell that, Bill? Smells like someone died." Every time I watch this movie, I find something else in it that I like.
198. The 13th Warrior -- A friend recommended this movie to me. I'd heard it was a box office flop--but aside from that knew very little about the movie. In general, I liked the story--a loose retelling of the Beowulf epic poem. I also liked the interactions between the Scandinavian characters and the Arab ambassador (played by Antonio Banderas).
199. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus -- I think I'll have to watch this movie again to understand it more fully, but what I did understand, I enjoyed. What an oddly imaginative movie--and a bittersweet experience watching Heath Ledger in his last role. I couldn't help but wonder what the movie would have been like had he not died--I mean, parts were obviously rewritten to accommodate the other three actors in the role. His passing was such a shame--I'd always thought he was an incredibly talented actor.
200. The Invention of Lying -- I'm undecided about this movie. While not overly religious, I was mildly disturbed by the direction this movie took about 45-50 minutes into the movie when the humorous set-up about no one in the world being able to lie revealed itself as a means to make a mockery of organized religions. No where on the DVD cover is the 'real' story discussed, nor in any of the previews is the real nature of the movie revealed--and perhaps that is what disturbed me the most. If the intent was to poke fun at organized religion and by extension of that 'faith' -- fine -- but at least have the guts to state that up front in your advertisement. Instead, it seemed as if the movie was sold as something it wasn't. In addition to this, I felt like the excursion into the mockery of religion really didn't have anything much to do with the romantic-comedy side of the story--except that it worked as filler for the middle half of the rather thin romantic story line. Parts of this movie were brilliant and I would have liked it more had it developed the romantic comedy angle better.
201. The Jackal -- This is the first of many Bruce Willis movies I'll watch over the next week or so. While some might gripe about Richard Gere's accent, I wasn't distracted by it at all. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the way Willis created his cool and methodical assassin. And while Bruce Willis seems to gravitate toward (but not always) the three "C"s of character types -- Cops, Criminals and Crazies -- he always seems to find a way to make each just a little bit different while always keeping his 'cool'. A great suspenseful thriller (with a nice cameo of Jack Black too).
202. Mercury Rising -- This one has Willis as a former undercover FBI agent trying to protect an autistic boy from the government men who are trying to kill him. Even while playing tough guys, Willis is able to reveal just enough heart to make him a sympathetic hero. Miko Hughes played the young autistic boy, Simon, and he did an impressive job.
Tombstone as long been one of my favorite movies and so it is high on my list of movies to watch from this week. To that list, I'll add Iron Man 2. I'll also add The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus--a sentimental choice. I've also long liked the cat-and-mouse thriller The Jackal--all very good and very different movies.
Friday, May 14, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 18: April 30, 2010 to May 6, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
187. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- Overall, I liked this movie (based on real events) directed by Clint Eastwood, but it's not one of my favorites by him. I loved the scenery--and eventually someday, I'd love to visit Savannah Georgia. As for the movie, I felt that John Cusack's character was there primarily for the purpose of having someone the camera could follow around while he visited the locations and met with the characters involved in the 'real' story. Because of this, I felt his character was a bit bland especially when compared with some of the real-life characters with some of the characters played by themselves.
Note: This was April's last movie. Total number of movies watched in April: 46.
188. The Missing -- Another fine performance by Cate Blanchett--and by Tommie Lee Jones. This is another western I missed when it came out, but it is a fine movie. Cate plays a tough, single mother/doctor of two daughters living alone in New Mexico. Tommie plays her father--who disappeared years earlier to live with the Indians. When her oldest daughter is kidnapped by Indians, she reluctantly reconnects with her father and together they hunt down the incredibly vicious villain who took her. At times, dark and disturbing but an excellent movie.
189. Return to Me -- A sweet and heart-warming (pardon the pun) movie. Some might think it is too sweet and the events too coincidental, but I've always enjoyed watching this gentle, sweet and well-written/acted romantic comedy. I wish Bonnie Hunt would write more movies like this.
190. 2012 -- Incredible special effects. An interesting premise. I have some mixed feelings about this movie. While at times, I was entertained by the spectacular images, I was also depressed by the overall destruction. It's one of those movies where once I finished it, I was fine with watching it, but I didn't feel the overwhelming need to either watch it again any time soon, or to rush out and buy it on DVD.
191. Citizen Kane -- After watching RKO 281: The Battle Over Citizen Kane, I felt like I had to watch the actual classic again. The last time I'd seen this movie was probably twenty years ago--and at the time, I really didn't appreciate the greatness of this movie. Perhaps with age does come wisdom...well, at least a little...
192. Much Ado About Nothing -- Kenneth Branagh's 1993 version staring a whole slew of famous actors and actresses, all of whom looked like they were having way too much fun--especially Michael Keaton as the idiot Dogberry. I love the banter between Branagh's Benedick and Emma Thompson's Beatrice. A fun movie beautifully shot in Tuscany.
193. The Art of War -- An enjoyable action movie with some good fight sequences and a decent storyline. Wesley Snipes's UN agent Shaw seems similar to other character's he's played, but I really liked Anne Archer's villain Eleanor Hooks.
194. Confidence -- I really liked this cool confidence movie. It had a good cast, Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamanti and Dustin Hoffman as the ADHD mobster (and he makes a point of emphasizing the 'H') who thinks he's the one in control. Just enough twists and turns to make the story interesting.
While Citizen Kane is a classic, and often called the greatest American movie ever--and I do agree it is a great movie--I won't declare it my favorite for the week. I'll submit that The Missing, Return to Me and Much Ado About Nothing are among the top movies this week (along with Citizen Kane). Yeah, I know--I just picked half the movies this week and put them in the top shelf. Oh wells.
Have a great weekend, all.
Total number of movies watched: 8
187. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- Overall, I liked this movie (based on real events) directed by Clint Eastwood, but it's not one of my favorites by him. I loved the scenery--and eventually someday, I'd love to visit Savannah Georgia. As for the movie, I felt that John Cusack's character was there primarily for the purpose of having someone the camera could follow around while he visited the locations and met with the characters involved in the 'real' story. Because of this, I felt his character was a bit bland especially when compared with some of the real-life characters with some of the characters played by themselves.
Note: This was April's last movie. Total number of movies watched in April: 46.
188. The Missing -- Another fine performance by Cate Blanchett--and by Tommie Lee Jones. This is another western I missed when it came out, but it is a fine movie. Cate plays a tough, single mother/doctor of two daughters living alone in New Mexico. Tommie plays her father--who disappeared years earlier to live with the Indians. When her oldest daughter is kidnapped by Indians, she reluctantly reconnects with her father and together they hunt down the incredibly vicious villain who took her. At times, dark and disturbing but an excellent movie.
189. Return to Me -- A sweet and heart-warming (pardon the pun) movie. Some might think it is too sweet and the events too coincidental, but I've always enjoyed watching this gentle, sweet and well-written/acted romantic comedy. I wish Bonnie Hunt would write more movies like this.
190. 2012 -- Incredible special effects. An interesting premise. I have some mixed feelings about this movie. While at times, I was entertained by the spectacular images, I was also depressed by the overall destruction. It's one of those movies where once I finished it, I was fine with watching it, but I didn't feel the overwhelming need to either watch it again any time soon, or to rush out and buy it on DVD.
191. Citizen Kane -- After watching RKO 281: The Battle Over Citizen Kane, I felt like I had to watch the actual classic again. The last time I'd seen this movie was probably twenty years ago--and at the time, I really didn't appreciate the greatness of this movie. Perhaps with age does come wisdom...well, at least a little...
192. Much Ado About Nothing -- Kenneth Branagh's 1993 version staring a whole slew of famous actors and actresses, all of whom looked like they were having way too much fun--especially Michael Keaton as the idiot Dogberry. I love the banter between Branagh's Benedick and Emma Thompson's Beatrice. A fun movie beautifully shot in Tuscany.
193. The Art of War -- An enjoyable action movie with some good fight sequences and a decent storyline. Wesley Snipes's UN agent Shaw seems similar to other character's he's played, but I really liked Anne Archer's villain Eleanor Hooks.
194. Confidence -- I really liked this cool confidence movie. It had a good cast, Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamanti and Dustin Hoffman as the ADHD mobster (and he makes a point of emphasizing the 'H') who thinks he's the one in control. Just enough twists and turns to make the story interesting.
While Citizen Kane is a classic, and often called the greatest American movie ever--and I do agree it is a great movie--I won't declare it my favorite for the week. I'll submit that The Missing, Return to Me and Much Ado About Nothing are among the top movies this week (along with Citizen Kane). Yeah, I know--I just picked half the movies this week and put them in the top shelf. Oh wells.
Have a great weekend, all.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A Year of Movies
Just when I was catching up....
Week 17: April 23, 2010 to April 29, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 13
174. The Time Traveler's Wife -- I had finished reading the 500 plus page book a week or so before watching the movie. I enjoyed the book--I thought the writing was impressive as was the unique situation of the main characters--trying to maintain a love affair while one half of the pair time travels unwittingly back and forth through time (and space). I wondered how the movie would work with such a seemingly difficult narrative. Well, it worked, mostly, because the filmmakers removed most of the extra subplots and characters and focused primarily on the love affair. On the merits of whether or not I was entertained by the movie--I was--but on the other hand, was the book a richer experience because of the added material. Of course. I liked both the book and the movie on different levels.
175. The Hurt Locker -- A great, but very intense movie. I could not relax while watching it. Riveting performances. Excellent story. And while I thought this was an excellent movie--I don't feel the desire to watch it again any time soon. As you'll see with the majority of the rest of this week's choices, I felt the need to watch movies that were lighter and more humorous after finishing this film.
176. America's Sweethearts -- That's right. I followed up The Hurt Locker with a heavy dose of cheese and ham. This movie has a lot of my favorite actors/actresses in it--it's funny, witty and just what I needed to relax after a stressful movie.
177. Avatar -- I was probably one of only a few movie-lovers to not actually see this movie in the theaters. I'd heard mixed reviews about the actual story of the movie--and while the plot was not unique, the visual effects and beauty of the movie more than made up for the lack of material. The boys and I enjoyed watching this movie--just the regular 2D DVD version--I'll have to check out my Blu-ray copy another time. I'd be interested in seeing a sequel to this--either set on this moon or perhaps on another location in James Cameron's 'galaxy'.
178. The Last Shot -- Matthew Broderick as a man desperate to shoot his own movie and Alec Baldwin as an FBI agent who uses him and his film making desires to help take down the mob. A funny movie and as I found out later, actually based on real events. A decent comedy.
179. The Hangover -- Wow. I'd heard a lot about this movie but like Avatar, I was probably one of only a few adults to not have seen it in the theaters. Yes, it had crude humor, but you know, sometimes that's exactly what you need after a long day. Mindless, silly humor. My wife and I watched this together and we both liked it quite a bit. Could there be a sequel to this?
180. Love Stinks -- Love, if you can even call it that, goes so wrong in this silly movie. Not a great movie--but there are some funny parts here and there in it.
181. Point of No Return -- A good retelling of the Pygmalion Legend and of Luc Besson's Nikita. While I like this movie, I wish there was just a bit more action in it.
182. RKO 281: The Battle over "Citizen Kane" -- A friend recommended this movie to me. After watching it, I wanted to re-watch Citizen Kane (which you'll see in later posts, I did). I had no idea what Orson Welles had to do in order to make his masterpiece. An interesting movie.
183. Miyazaki's Spirited Away -- Another movie recommended to me by a friend. I had no idea what to expect with this animated movie. The kids wanted to watch it with me and I wasn't sure if they would like it. We all ended up liking it--and the kids ended up wanting to watch it again...and again....and again. This was such an interesting, imaginative and creative movie!
184. The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day -- A good sequel and a really good movie, but not quite as tight as the original. This one did have more action, and more of the history of the characters, but I missed the Willem Defoe character. I'm hoping that the director makes a third in this series considering how this one ended (and I won't put any spoilers here). A very entertaining movie.
185. Romeo Must Die -- Jet Li shows off his fighting skills here in his first English-language leading role. Lots of action and just enough humor in this to make it a decently entertaining movie.
186. Red Dawn -- I'd seen this a number of times over the years on TV, but I think this was the first time I'd watched it on DVD. There were a couple of scenes in it I didn't remember. The acting at the beginning of the movie seemed a little 'so-so', but by the end of the movie, I thought everyone was doing a really good job. Wolverines!
Okay--as usual, I don't have a single 'favorite'. The Hurt Locker was an excellent, excellent movie and if I had to declare a single 'intense' movie of not only this week, but so far for the entire year, I'd probably pick it. Avatar was an impressive movie considering all the time and energy that was so obviously put into making it.
That's it for now (the dog is begging for me to let her out, and if I don't, well....).
Have a great week, all.
Week 17: April 23, 2010 to April 29, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 13
174. The Time Traveler's Wife -- I had finished reading the 500 plus page book a week or so before watching the movie. I enjoyed the book--I thought the writing was impressive as was the unique situation of the main characters--trying to maintain a love affair while one half of the pair time travels unwittingly back and forth through time (and space). I wondered how the movie would work with such a seemingly difficult narrative. Well, it worked, mostly, because the filmmakers removed most of the extra subplots and characters and focused primarily on the love affair. On the merits of whether or not I was entertained by the movie--I was--but on the other hand, was the book a richer experience because of the added material. Of course. I liked both the book and the movie on different levels.
175. The Hurt Locker -- A great, but very intense movie. I could not relax while watching it. Riveting performances. Excellent story. And while I thought this was an excellent movie--I don't feel the desire to watch it again any time soon. As you'll see with the majority of the rest of this week's choices, I felt the need to watch movies that were lighter and more humorous after finishing this film.
176. America's Sweethearts -- That's right. I followed up The Hurt Locker with a heavy dose of cheese and ham. This movie has a lot of my favorite actors/actresses in it--it's funny, witty and just what I needed to relax after a stressful movie.
177. Avatar -- I was probably one of only a few movie-lovers to not actually see this movie in the theaters. I'd heard mixed reviews about the actual story of the movie--and while the plot was not unique, the visual effects and beauty of the movie more than made up for the lack of material. The boys and I enjoyed watching this movie--just the regular 2D DVD version--I'll have to check out my Blu-ray copy another time. I'd be interested in seeing a sequel to this--either set on this moon or perhaps on another location in James Cameron's 'galaxy'.
178. The Last Shot -- Matthew Broderick as a man desperate to shoot his own movie and Alec Baldwin as an FBI agent who uses him and his film making desires to help take down the mob. A funny movie and as I found out later, actually based on real events. A decent comedy.
179. The Hangover -- Wow. I'd heard a lot about this movie but like Avatar, I was probably one of only a few adults to not have seen it in the theaters. Yes, it had crude humor, but you know, sometimes that's exactly what you need after a long day. Mindless, silly humor. My wife and I watched this together and we both liked it quite a bit. Could there be a sequel to this?
180. Love Stinks -- Love, if you can even call it that, goes so wrong in this silly movie. Not a great movie--but there are some funny parts here and there in it.
181. Point of No Return -- A good retelling of the Pygmalion Legend and of Luc Besson's Nikita. While I like this movie, I wish there was just a bit more action in it.
182. RKO 281: The Battle over "Citizen Kane" -- A friend recommended this movie to me. After watching it, I wanted to re-watch Citizen Kane (which you'll see in later posts, I did). I had no idea what Orson Welles had to do in order to make his masterpiece. An interesting movie.
183. Miyazaki's Spirited Away -- Another movie recommended to me by a friend. I had no idea what to expect with this animated movie. The kids wanted to watch it with me and I wasn't sure if they would like it. We all ended up liking it--and the kids ended up wanting to watch it again...and again....and again. This was such an interesting, imaginative and creative movie!
184. The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day -- A good sequel and a really good movie, but not quite as tight as the original. This one did have more action, and more of the history of the characters, but I missed the Willem Defoe character. I'm hoping that the director makes a third in this series considering how this one ended (and I won't put any spoilers here). A very entertaining movie.
185. Romeo Must Die -- Jet Li shows off his fighting skills here in his first English-language leading role. Lots of action and just enough humor in this to make it a decently entertaining movie.
186. Red Dawn -- I'd seen this a number of times over the years on TV, but I think this was the first time I'd watched it on DVD. There were a couple of scenes in it I didn't remember. The acting at the beginning of the movie seemed a little 'so-so', but by the end of the movie, I thought everyone was doing a really good job. Wolverines!
Okay--as usual, I don't have a single 'favorite'. The Hurt Locker was an excellent, excellent movie and if I had to declare a single 'intense' movie of not only this week, but so far for the entire year, I'd probably pick it. Avatar was an impressive movie considering all the time and energy that was so obviously put into making it.
That's it for now (the dog is begging for me to let her out, and if I don't, well....).
Have a great week, all.
Monday, May 3, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 16: April 16, 2010 to April 22, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 9
165. The Firm -- I read the book years ago and enjoyed the story, and I like this film version too. Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn all did great jobs, but Holly Hunter really stole the scenes she was in. And who can forget the short fight scene at the end of the movie when Tom Cruise beats the hell out of Wilford Brimley? It just wasn't fair!
166. Solaris -- This is a challenging movie--akin to The Fountain--in that I don't think I quite understood ALL of the movie with just one viewing, and perhaps like aspects of the movie, it just can't be 'understood' fully, period. There are just some things that can't be explained and/or understood. There seemed to be multiple levels of storytelling going on throughout the film and I'm looking forward to watching it again (and perhaps understanding at least a bit more of this thought-provoking movie). I liked the chemistry between George Clooney and Natascha McElhone. Jeremy Davies performance was incredibly creepy. Good, but creepy.
167. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial -- After what, 28 years or so, I still love this very sweet and very moving and very loving story about the bonds of friendship. I watched this with my little guy and he enjoyed the movie quite a bit too. I noticed that the DVD I watched had the updated version--the gun-less version. I'm not sure I understand (hmmm...is this a trend?) the reason for editing out the guns--I felt like the point of the story was, in part, that as long as only the kids were involved with the alien, all was fine--it wasn't until the adults showed up that problems surfaced--but, then, the change wasn't all that dramatic, I suppose. The magic of the movie remained even after all these years.
168. How To Train Your Dragon -- I FINALLY see a movie at the theater this year! Yea! I watched this with my little guy too. He loved this movie. I thought it was rather good too. We decided after the movie was over that we'd probably have to get the DVD when it comes out. He wants the DVD for his birthday or Christmas. Is it too early to get him hooked on movies? Actually, I think he's already hooked. He's such a fan of so many of the super-hero and action movies that have come out over the past year or so--and I've started showing him some of my favorite movies. (I was hesitant to show him the Lord of the Ring trilogy last year, but he really wanted to watch it--and when I warned him about the 'scary' parts he gave me a look and said, "Dad...it's not real. It's JUST a movie.") As for this movie, I was impressed with the animation and the story--both were quite good.
169. Trapped -- A thriller starring Charlize Theron and Kevin Bacon. I liked certain aspects of this movie--primarily, the mother played by Charlize refusing to become the 'victim' that Kevin's character was hoping she'd become, and overall I was generally entertained, but the entertainment was solely on the surface. Dig below the surface of this movie, and parts of it just didn't add up. The young doctor (husband/father character) was obviously successful, had a seemingly happy marriage, was apparently active in helping to raise their little girl, did extensive lab work in developing a new drug AND was also an accomplished pilot. It just seemed a bit much for one person to achieve. Perhaps I'm being overly picky--I'd be interested in reading the book the movie was based on though -- 24 Hours.
170. Silverado -- Somehow over the past 25 years, I entirely missed watching this tremendously entertaining western. A great ensemble cast--Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and an incredibly funny Kevin Costner make up the four 'heroes' of this film, but there's also Jeff Goldblum, Jeff Fahey, Linda Hunt, John Cleese, Brian Dennehy...just to name a few more in the cast. They are all so watchable and entertaining that by the end, I was hoping for more. Clever writing and a beautiful movie filmed primarily (if I recall correctly) in New Mexico.
171. American Beauty -- The first time I watched this movie was about ten years ago when it came out, and I don't remember appreciating it very much--now, however, I think it is a beautiful and stunningly honest movie about life and families and growing older and a peek into the dark side of some suburban life and marriage. Excellent performances by all of the actors--and though we're told at the beginning how the movie ends, when it does end, it's still a shock. Also--who knew a plastic bag floating in the wind could be beautiful?
172. True Lies -- Wild action mashed up with romantic comedy and both are done well. The two Arnolds in this really looked like they were having fun with the action and the one-liners. And after watching Jamie Lee Curtis 'dance' in the hotel room, I'm thinking....why hasn't she been on Dancing With the Stars yet....? Also, I thought the 'Simon' character played by Bill Paxton was utterly hilarious. For a movie that runs over two hours, it sure didn't seem that long. I wish James Cameron had done a sequel on this one.
173. The Ninth Gate -- A friend recommended this dark thriller to me--and no surprise, I liked it. Johnny Depp manages to play a guy we're not supposed to like in a way we end up liking anyway. While I did enjoy this movie, there were a couple of sticking points--would people who deal in rare books handle their rare and expensive books so carelessly (without gloves, while smoking/drinking) and for a movie involving the devil, I thought the end was a bit on the tame side. Or perhaps, to keep with the 'lack of understanding on my part' theme going in this blog post--I just didn't 'get' the entire ending and it actually was darker and more sinister than it seems on the surface. Hmmm....possible.
A favorite this week? I suppose the sentimental favorite would go to E.T. BUT, I was really impressed by How To Train Your Dragon too. Also, for laughs, there's True Lies...for epic western, Silverado, and for an amazing overall movie, American Beauty. Geee...can I work in the others somehow too?
Have a great day, all.
Total number of movies watched: 9
165. The Firm -- I read the book years ago and enjoyed the story, and I like this film version too. Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn all did great jobs, but Holly Hunter really stole the scenes she was in. And who can forget the short fight scene at the end of the movie when Tom Cruise beats the hell out of Wilford Brimley? It just wasn't fair!
166. Solaris -- This is a challenging movie--akin to The Fountain--in that I don't think I quite understood ALL of the movie with just one viewing, and perhaps like aspects of the movie, it just can't be 'understood' fully, period. There are just some things that can't be explained and/or understood. There seemed to be multiple levels of storytelling going on throughout the film and I'm looking forward to watching it again (and perhaps understanding at least a bit more of this thought-provoking movie). I liked the chemistry between George Clooney and Natascha McElhone. Jeremy Davies performance was incredibly creepy. Good, but creepy.
167. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial -- After what, 28 years or so, I still love this very sweet and very moving and very loving story about the bonds of friendship. I watched this with my little guy and he enjoyed the movie quite a bit too. I noticed that the DVD I watched had the updated version--the gun-less version. I'm not sure I understand (hmmm...is this a trend?) the reason for editing out the guns--I felt like the point of the story was, in part, that as long as only the kids were involved with the alien, all was fine--it wasn't until the adults showed up that problems surfaced--but, then, the change wasn't all that dramatic, I suppose. The magic of the movie remained even after all these years.
168. How To Train Your Dragon -- I FINALLY see a movie at the theater this year! Yea! I watched this with my little guy too. He loved this movie. I thought it was rather good too. We decided after the movie was over that we'd probably have to get the DVD when it comes out. He wants the DVD for his birthday or Christmas. Is it too early to get him hooked on movies? Actually, I think he's already hooked. He's such a fan of so many of the super-hero and action movies that have come out over the past year or so--and I've started showing him some of my favorite movies. (I was hesitant to show him the Lord of the Ring trilogy last year, but he really wanted to watch it--and when I warned him about the 'scary' parts he gave me a look and said, "Dad...it's not real. It's JUST a movie.") As for this movie, I was impressed with the animation and the story--both were quite good.
169. Trapped -- A thriller starring Charlize Theron and Kevin Bacon. I liked certain aspects of this movie--primarily, the mother played by Charlize refusing to become the 'victim' that Kevin's character was hoping she'd become, and overall I was generally entertained, but the entertainment was solely on the surface. Dig below the surface of this movie, and parts of it just didn't add up. The young doctor (husband/father character) was obviously successful, had a seemingly happy marriage, was apparently active in helping to raise their little girl, did extensive lab work in developing a new drug AND was also an accomplished pilot. It just seemed a bit much for one person to achieve. Perhaps I'm being overly picky--I'd be interested in reading the book the movie was based on though -- 24 Hours.
170. Silverado -- Somehow over the past 25 years, I entirely missed watching this tremendously entertaining western. A great ensemble cast--Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and an incredibly funny Kevin Costner make up the four 'heroes' of this film, but there's also Jeff Goldblum, Jeff Fahey, Linda Hunt, John Cleese, Brian Dennehy...just to name a few more in the cast. They are all so watchable and entertaining that by the end, I was hoping for more. Clever writing and a beautiful movie filmed primarily (if I recall correctly) in New Mexico.
171. American Beauty -- The first time I watched this movie was about ten years ago when it came out, and I don't remember appreciating it very much--now, however, I think it is a beautiful and stunningly honest movie about life and families and growing older and a peek into the dark side of some suburban life and marriage. Excellent performances by all of the actors--and though we're told at the beginning how the movie ends, when it does end, it's still a shock. Also--who knew a plastic bag floating in the wind could be beautiful?
172. True Lies -- Wild action mashed up with romantic comedy and both are done well. The two Arnolds in this really looked like they were having fun with the action and the one-liners. And after watching Jamie Lee Curtis 'dance' in the hotel room, I'm thinking....why hasn't she been on Dancing With the Stars yet....? Also, I thought the 'Simon' character played by Bill Paxton was utterly hilarious. For a movie that runs over two hours, it sure didn't seem that long. I wish James Cameron had done a sequel on this one.
173. The Ninth Gate -- A friend recommended this dark thriller to me--and no surprise, I liked it. Johnny Depp manages to play a guy we're not supposed to like in a way we end up liking anyway. While I did enjoy this movie, there were a couple of sticking points--would people who deal in rare books handle their rare and expensive books so carelessly (without gloves, while smoking/drinking) and for a movie involving the devil, I thought the end was a bit on the tame side. Or perhaps, to keep with the 'lack of understanding on my part' theme going in this blog post--I just didn't 'get' the entire ending and it actually was darker and more sinister than it seems on the surface. Hmmm....possible.
A favorite this week? I suppose the sentimental favorite would go to E.T. BUT, I was really impressed by How To Train Your Dragon too. Also, for laughs, there's True Lies...for epic western, Silverado, and for an amazing overall movie, American Beauty. Geee...can I work in the others somehow too?
Have a great day, all.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 15: April 9, 2010 to April 15, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 10
155. Mission: Impossible 2 -- I'm perhaps one of the few people who liked the sequel better than the original. I thought the story was an interesting one--I liked the action sequences (of course, with John Woo as the director, the action sequences all seemed liked well-choreographed dances with guns or knives). I also liked how the villain in this one used some of the same technology as Ethan Hunt (primarily the fake faces).
156. Mission: Impossible 3 -- And of the three movies in the series so far, this one is probably my favorite. We got a glimpse into Ethan Hunt's personal life and into the 'offices' of IMF and being a fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman, I thought he did a great job as the villain in this one. I liked how J. J. Abrams started the story with a scene which occurs near the middle/end of the movie (he did this with his Alias TV show at times too), and then went back to the beginning leaving us all hanging...and wondering what the hell was happening...good movie.
157. Signs -- Yet another movie the critics didn't really like, but I did. War of the Worlds--but told only through the eyes of a single family in a single location. I liked the story idea. I liked the thought-provoking aspect of the 'faith' question raised in this--and I liked the line 'tell Merril to swing away'... It was as if all their lives were separate pieces of a puzzle that all came together to reveal the full picture when they were all each needed the most: the little girl's practice of leaving water glasses half-full all over the house, the boy's asthma, Merril's ability to swing hard over and over again--Yes, I too wondered why aliens who were able to travel across the galaxy were unable to open a doorknob but....maybe they had really greasy palms or really bad carpal tunnel....or something....
158. Moon -- Thanks to Twitter, I found out about this movie. I follow Kevin Spacey on Twitter and when this movie came out he posted about it--and I was intrigued, so when I was able to get it from my local library, I did. A really great indie film starring Sam Rockwell (and Kevin Spacey as the voice of the computer). Rockwell did an amazing job carrying this film (since he's primarily the only person you see on the screen for the bulk of the movie). I don't want to give away any spoilers because I came to this movie without any knowledge about it and I think that's actually the best way to watch this movie. See it if you get the chance.
159. The Breakfast Club -- A classic 80s movie. Do they make movies like this anymore? I think some of the reality shows 'try' to capture the feeling of this show, but they fail miserably. A great movie.
160. The Contender -- A political thriller starring Joan Allen as a senator chosen to become VP(with 'the Dude', Jeff Bridges, playing a very un-Dude like President of the US). Gary Oldman was impressive as the congressman who opposes Joan Allen's appointment. Interesting story about political power plays. Good movie.
161. The Corruptor -- A dark and deceptive police-action thriller set in Chinatown NY starring Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg. The movie was filled with twists and turns, violence, betrayal and overall, was a fairly entertaining movie. Has a good car chase in it too.
162. The Boondock Saints -- Somehow, I missed this movie when it first came out, but I'm glad I found it now. This was an edgy vigilante movie with some very odd, twisted and interesting characters and I'm looking forward to watching it again (especially now that I've picked up the sequel).
163. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog -- Not exactly a 'full-length' movie, (about 43 minutes long) but I watched it on DVD the same day I watched 'The Boondock Saints' so it didn't exactly count as my 'finished' movie for that day, but since I watched it, and it was a movie (of sorts), I included it here. I also included it because it was incredibly funny, incredibly well written (no surprise since Joss Whedon was involved) and thoroughly enjoyable. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. If you haven't seen this, you must find a way to watch it. It's hilarious.
164. Titanic -- On the 98th Anniversary of Titanic actually sinking, I watched 'Titanic'. It seemed only fitting. I know some people claim they don't like the 'love story' and were shocked that some people were so upset by the ending; uhhhh, the ship is going to sink, but, I'll admit, I like this movie. I don't mind the love story--it served (in my opinion) it's purposes of 1) having someone to follow around while showing off the ship and 2) filling in the time between the historically 'accurate' events which occurred on the ship before, during and after its sinking. I saw this movie four times when it first came out and the last time was at one of those older theaters with an enormous screen and a theater big enough to seat hundreds. Unfortunately, like most theaters that size, it was torn down and replaced with a multiplex of smaller theaters with screens barely larger than the big-screens in some houses. I miss those old fashioned monster-sized theaters with their massive screens....
That's it for this week, folks. A single winner--not hardly. How could I pick just one? I've got a huge-budget epic disaster film and a tiny indie film in this list. I have a classic 80s hit....and a new favorite (The Boondock Saints) in this week. I even have Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.....so, I guess I'll just say, this was a pretty good week for me. Hopefully, you're having some fun watching the movies you love too. Tell me what you've seen and loved lately.
Have a great day, all.
Total number of movies watched: 10
155. Mission: Impossible 2 -- I'm perhaps one of the few people who liked the sequel better than the original. I thought the story was an interesting one--I liked the action sequences (of course, with John Woo as the director, the action sequences all seemed liked well-choreographed dances with guns or knives). I also liked how the villain in this one used some of the same technology as Ethan Hunt (primarily the fake faces).
156. Mission: Impossible 3 -- And of the three movies in the series so far, this one is probably my favorite. We got a glimpse into Ethan Hunt's personal life and into the 'offices' of IMF and being a fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman, I thought he did a great job as the villain in this one. I liked how J. J. Abrams started the story with a scene which occurs near the middle/end of the movie (he did this with his Alias TV show at times too), and then went back to the beginning leaving us all hanging...and wondering what the hell was happening...good movie.
157. Signs -- Yet another movie the critics didn't really like, but I did. War of the Worlds--but told only through the eyes of a single family in a single location. I liked the story idea. I liked the thought-provoking aspect of the 'faith' question raised in this--and I liked the line 'tell Merril to swing away'... It was as if all their lives were separate pieces of a puzzle that all came together to reveal the full picture when they were all each needed the most: the little girl's practice of leaving water glasses half-full all over the house, the boy's asthma, Merril's ability to swing hard over and over again--Yes, I too wondered why aliens who were able to travel across the galaxy were unable to open a doorknob but....maybe they had really greasy palms or really bad carpal tunnel....or something....
158. Moon -- Thanks to Twitter, I found out about this movie. I follow Kevin Spacey on Twitter and when this movie came out he posted about it--and I was intrigued, so when I was able to get it from my local library, I did. A really great indie film starring Sam Rockwell (and Kevin Spacey as the voice of the computer). Rockwell did an amazing job carrying this film (since he's primarily the only person you see on the screen for the bulk of the movie). I don't want to give away any spoilers because I came to this movie without any knowledge about it and I think that's actually the best way to watch this movie. See it if you get the chance.
159. The Breakfast Club -- A classic 80s movie. Do they make movies like this anymore? I think some of the reality shows 'try' to capture the feeling of this show, but they fail miserably. A great movie.
160. The Contender -- A political thriller starring Joan Allen as a senator chosen to become VP(with 'the Dude', Jeff Bridges, playing a very un-Dude like President of the US). Gary Oldman was impressive as the congressman who opposes Joan Allen's appointment. Interesting story about political power plays. Good movie.
161. The Corruptor -- A dark and deceptive police-action thriller set in Chinatown NY starring Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg. The movie was filled with twists and turns, violence, betrayal and overall, was a fairly entertaining movie. Has a good car chase in it too.
162. The Boondock Saints -- Somehow, I missed this movie when it first came out, but I'm glad I found it now. This was an edgy vigilante movie with some very odd, twisted and interesting characters and I'm looking forward to watching it again (especially now that I've picked up the sequel).
163. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog -- Not exactly a 'full-length' movie, (about 43 minutes long) but I watched it on DVD the same day I watched 'The Boondock Saints' so it didn't exactly count as my 'finished' movie for that day, but since I watched it, and it was a movie (of sorts), I included it here. I also included it because it was incredibly funny, incredibly well written (no surprise since Joss Whedon was involved) and thoroughly enjoyable. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. If you haven't seen this, you must find a way to watch it. It's hilarious.
164. Titanic -- On the 98th Anniversary of Titanic actually sinking, I watched 'Titanic'. It seemed only fitting. I know some people claim they don't like the 'love story' and were shocked that some people were so upset by the ending; uhhhh, the ship is going to sink, but, I'll admit, I like this movie. I don't mind the love story--it served (in my opinion) it's purposes of 1) having someone to follow around while showing off the ship and 2) filling in the time between the historically 'accurate' events which occurred on the ship before, during and after its sinking. I saw this movie four times when it first came out and the last time was at one of those older theaters with an enormous screen and a theater big enough to seat hundreds. Unfortunately, like most theaters that size, it was torn down and replaced with a multiplex of smaller theaters with screens barely larger than the big-screens in some houses. I miss those old fashioned monster-sized theaters with their massive screens....
That's it for this week, folks. A single winner--not hardly. How could I pick just one? I've got a huge-budget epic disaster film and a tiny indie film in this list. I have a classic 80s hit....and a new favorite (The Boondock Saints) in this week. I even have Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.....so, I guess I'll just say, this was a pretty good week for me. Hopefully, you're having some fun watching the movies you love too. Tell me what you've seen and loved lately.
Have a great day, all.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 14: April 2, 2010 to April 8, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 11
144. The Passion of the Christ -- It's Easter weekend, so I thought it was fitting to watch this incredibly moving film again. I thought it was visually stunning with an impressive performance by Jim Caviezel.
145. U. S. Marshals -- A great sequel to The Fugitive--and a good movie on its own merits. I wish they'd made another sequel of this movie--I wonder why they didn't. Every year I watch this movie on the anniversary of my friend's death. He was murdered seven years ago--I can hardly believe its been seven years--and its the last movie we watched together. He liked the movie, so in honor of him, I watch it again every year. RIP Joe. We all miss you.
146. Law Abiding Citizen -- It seems like most critics hated this movie--I guess it's a good thing I'm not a 'critic'. I didn't 'love' this movie, but I found it to be darkly entertaining. They say revenge is a dish best served cold--I'd say this movie served it up cold and nasty.
147. Surrogates -- An intriguing story idea with an always (well, almost always) fun to watch Bruce Willis as the cop/surrogate cop investigating a series of homicides. With modern technology advancing so quickly, how long before we all plug in and start living our lives through surrogates? In a way, aren't we already doing something akin to this when we go online? A though-provoking idea....I liked this movie.
148. Raising Arizona -- Just a bizarre movie. The Coen Brothers sure do write their share of oddball characters, don't they? This is another of those movies I had seen over the years piecemeal so it was nice to finally watch this from start to finish. Holly Hunter is so much fun to watch in this. Nicolas Cage and John Goodman are good in this too.
149. Dead Poets Society -- Carpe Diem. Seize the day and make your life extraordinary. This is one of my favorite movies and it has one of the best messages contained within a movie. I don't know why this movie didn't end up bigger than it did--what a truly inspiring movie with truly inspiring performances by Robin Williams and Robert Sean Leonard. Looking it up on imdb.com it looks like it won an Oscar in 1990 for writing, but not for acting/director or picture. Now I'm curious--I'll have to see which picture(s) did win that year.
150. 3:10 to Yuma -- I watched the Christian Bale / Russell Crowe remake of this earlier this year--but a friend of mine suggested I watch the original with Glenn Ford as Ben Wade, so I did. This version was an even tighter plotted movie than the remake and the ending was different (for those who haven't watched both I won't ruin either ending), but overall, I liked both films quite a bit. Growing up, I really didn't watch a lot of westerns, but I'm really enjoying that genre lately and I'm looking to include even more westerns into my list of movies to-be-watched this year (and in the future).
151. The Sixth Sense -- M. Night Shyamalan's great thriller and one of my favorite movies of all time (with a great performance by Bruce Willis -- again). A couple of weeks back I watched a bunch of Baz Luhrmann's films back-to-back and I enjoyed the experience, so I thought I'd do it again with another director (and I'll probably do it again throughout the rest of this year--probably with Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron...just to name a few). Just an impressive movie from start to finish.
152. Unbreakable -- I know some people didn't like this movie as much as The Sixth Sense, but I've always been fascinated by the idea of....the spectrum of people. What I mean is, at one end of the spectrum, like in the movie, there probably is someone who is 'unbreakable' in the sense that they are incredibly strong, or healthy, or good, or some other quality of the human condition--while at the same time, there is an opposite person at the other end of the spectrum. I know a lot of these qualities are subjective--and yet, there are world record holders who are the world's fastest runner, highest jumper, quickest reader etc. Anyway, since I'm also a super-hero fan--I just thought this was an interesting, thought-provoking story, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
153. The Village -- I was impressed with the story of this movie, and like a lot of Night's movies, it makes me think 'what if'. What if a group of people decided to go off into a nature preserve and start a new society without any outside influence....could they make it work/seem real to the next generation and beyond? How would the next generation know about the real world without experiencing it for themselves? I know this movie wasn't as well liked by the critics either--but I really enjoyed this movie and Bryce Dallas Howard's performance.
154. Mission: Impossible -- I wasn't able to get the last Night movie I wanted (Signs) until a few days later, so I decided to watch the Mission Impossible trilogy back-to-back-to-back for the first time ever. I'll talk about the other two movies in the next blog post since they ended up being seen by me in Week 15 -- but of the three movies, I think I liked this one the least. It had some really good action in it, an intricate plot, but I suppose what I disliked about it was (and since this movie has been out for many years now, I don't think I'll spoil this ending) the film-makers took the original TV 'hero' (as far as I can tell--I didn't watch many of the original TV episodes) of Mission Impossible, and turned him into the villain and tried to explain it as Jim Phelps woke up one day and realized he wasn't appreciated for his work, he wasn't compensated well enough, and he disliked his boss. If another villain had been used, I think I would have liked the movie better.
Favorites for the week? Dead Poets Society, The Sixth Sense, U.S. Marshals and The Passion of the Christ are up near the top this week, but overall, another good week of movies. Next weeks movies have some favorites too. Yeah, I know, I really should try to watch some movies I hate from time to time!
Total number of movies watched: 11
144. The Passion of the Christ -- It's Easter weekend, so I thought it was fitting to watch this incredibly moving film again. I thought it was visually stunning with an impressive performance by Jim Caviezel.
145. U. S. Marshals -- A great sequel to The Fugitive--and a good movie on its own merits. I wish they'd made another sequel of this movie--I wonder why they didn't. Every year I watch this movie on the anniversary of my friend's death. He was murdered seven years ago--I can hardly believe its been seven years--and its the last movie we watched together. He liked the movie, so in honor of him, I watch it again every year. RIP Joe. We all miss you.
146. Law Abiding Citizen -- It seems like most critics hated this movie--I guess it's a good thing I'm not a 'critic'. I didn't 'love' this movie, but I found it to be darkly entertaining. They say revenge is a dish best served cold--I'd say this movie served it up cold and nasty.
147. Surrogates -- An intriguing story idea with an always (well, almost always) fun to watch Bruce Willis as the cop/surrogate cop investigating a series of homicides. With modern technology advancing so quickly, how long before we all plug in and start living our lives through surrogates? In a way, aren't we already doing something akin to this when we go online? A though-provoking idea....I liked this movie.
148. Raising Arizona -- Just a bizarre movie. The Coen Brothers sure do write their share of oddball characters, don't they? This is another of those movies I had seen over the years piecemeal so it was nice to finally watch this from start to finish. Holly Hunter is so much fun to watch in this. Nicolas Cage and John Goodman are good in this too.
149. Dead Poets Society -- Carpe Diem. Seize the day and make your life extraordinary. This is one of my favorite movies and it has one of the best messages contained within a movie. I don't know why this movie didn't end up bigger than it did--what a truly inspiring movie with truly inspiring performances by Robin Williams and Robert Sean Leonard. Looking it up on imdb.com it looks like it won an Oscar in 1990 for writing, but not for acting/director or picture. Now I'm curious--I'll have to see which picture(s) did win that year.
150. 3:10 to Yuma -- I watched the Christian Bale / Russell Crowe remake of this earlier this year--but a friend of mine suggested I watch the original with Glenn Ford as Ben Wade, so I did. This version was an even tighter plotted movie than the remake and the ending was different (for those who haven't watched both I won't ruin either ending), but overall, I liked both films quite a bit. Growing up, I really didn't watch a lot of westerns, but I'm really enjoying that genre lately and I'm looking to include even more westerns into my list of movies to-be-watched this year (and in the future).
151. The Sixth Sense -- M. Night Shyamalan's great thriller and one of my favorite movies of all time (with a great performance by Bruce Willis -- again). A couple of weeks back I watched a bunch of Baz Luhrmann's films back-to-back and I enjoyed the experience, so I thought I'd do it again with another director (and I'll probably do it again throughout the rest of this year--probably with Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron...just to name a few). Just an impressive movie from start to finish.
152. Unbreakable -- I know some people didn't like this movie as much as The Sixth Sense, but I've always been fascinated by the idea of....the spectrum of people. What I mean is, at one end of the spectrum, like in the movie, there probably is someone who is 'unbreakable' in the sense that they are incredibly strong, or healthy, or good, or some other quality of the human condition--while at the same time, there is an opposite person at the other end of the spectrum. I know a lot of these qualities are subjective--and yet, there are world record holders who are the world's fastest runner, highest jumper, quickest reader etc. Anyway, since I'm also a super-hero fan--I just thought this was an interesting, thought-provoking story, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
153. The Village -- I was impressed with the story of this movie, and like a lot of Night's movies, it makes me think 'what if'. What if a group of people decided to go off into a nature preserve and start a new society without any outside influence....could they make it work/seem real to the next generation and beyond? How would the next generation know about the real world without experiencing it for themselves? I know this movie wasn't as well liked by the critics either--but I really enjoyed this movie and Bryce Dallas Howard's performance.
154. Mission: Impossible -- I wasn't able to get the last Night movie I wanted (Signs) until a few days later, so I decided to watch the Mission Impossible trilogy back-to-back-to-back for the first time ever. I'll talk about the other two movies in the next blog post since they ended up being seen by me in Week 15 -- but of the three movies, I think I liked this one the least. It had some really good action in it, an intricate plot, but I suppose what I disliked about it was (and since this movie has been out for many years now, I don't think I'll spoil this ending) the film-makers took the original TV 'hero' (as far as I can tell--I didn't watch many of the original TV episodes) of Mission Impossible, and turned him into the villain and tried to explain it as Jim Phelps woke up one day and realized he wasn't appreciated for his work, he wasn't compensated well enough, and he disliked his boss. If another villain had been used, I think I would have liked the movie better.
Favorites for the week? Dead Poets Society, The Sixth Sense, U.S. Marshals and The Passion of the Christ are up near the top this week, but overall, another good week of movies. Next weeks movies have some favorites too. Yeah, I know, I really should try to watch some movies I hate from time to time!
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