Okay....I really need to get my act together. I've been so busy keeping up with 2011 goals, I've neglected to finish up a 2010 goal. I need to make one more post for my A Year of Movies challenge-but not right now (the info is on a different computer and not handy at the moment). I will tell you that I did succeed in finishing at least one movie every day for all of 2010 and I also watched over 500 movies in total for the year.
This year, I'm focusing more on being creative and exercising. I started another round of edits on my novel, The Penitent Assassin (when these edits are done, I'll be submitting to agents again). I've helped get a rough cut of our Indie movie, The Victim, edited. I've begun working on the second half of the script for The Victim so we can turn it into a feature length movie. And, I've logged in nearly 1000 miles on my exercise bike since 1/1/11 and have lost just over 20 pounds.
Overall, I've been successful at maintaining my goals.
Next goal--an agent.
The hunt will begin soon. Wish me luck...
PS: Perhaps a new goal should be to keep this blog more up to date...(okay, I'll try).
Have a great day, All.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, October 22, 2010
A Year of Movies
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.
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.
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.....
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