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.
Friday, June 4, 2010
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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