Week 25: June 18, 2010 to June 24, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 7
A thunderstorm is moving in and I'd rather not be online when it fully hits so this blog post might be a little on the short side...
The movies this week continue along the theme of martial art movies I started near the end of last week. Two of the movies this week I'd seen before--and loved--and the rest were all new to me. Most of them really impressed me.
244. Legend of the Black Scorpion (DVD title) aka: The Banquet (2006) -- This movie draws inspiration from Shakespeare's Hamlet and while it does contain martial arts fighting, I think it tends to be more of a dramatic film rather than pure action. I have no problem with that. While I like action, I was drawn in by the dramatic performances--especially of Ziyi Zhang (of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). And like so many of the movies I watched this week, it was visually stunning with impressive costumes and attention to detail. I really love this movie.
245. House of Flying Daggers (2004) -- I've seen this movie a number of times, and I just love it. Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang -- this romantic, action-packed, visually stunning, achingly beautiful movie also has a intricate story with crosses, double-crosses and true heroism. If you haven't seen this movie, you've really missed out on an incredibly beautiful film.
246. Battle of the Warriors (DVD title) aka: Battle of Wits (2006) -- Stars Andy Lau as a clever warrior, Ge Li, who uses his wits to win but despite his superior tactics would rather talk about peace and prefers that over war. A bleak look at war. Occasionally the 'special effects' didn't quite work in this movie, but still a good, solid movie with an anti-war message (without being too preachy).
247. An Empress and the Warriors (2008) -- When her father dies, a young woman becomes the Empress of a kingdom constantly at war, but even her ascension is not without peril. Others want control and will do nearly anything to gain it. Amidst all of this trouble, the Empress is injured and tended to by a former warrior with whom she falls in love with. An enjoyable movie overall.
248. Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon (2008) -- Stars Andy Lau, Maggie Q, and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo. Parts of this movie I did like, but overall, it just felt disjointed--as if this was the edited down version of a truly epic movie. Just as I was starting to get into the movie, the movie's timeline jumps ahead thirty years and it took me a while to reconnect with the characters/storyline again. After watching other movies earlier this week which I truly love, this one ended up being a little of a disappointment.
249. Hero (2002) -- Stars Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang. I love this movie. I love the use of color to aid in the storytelling. Some scenes look as if they are gorgeous paintings come to life. The action is impressive, but it is the story that I found intriguing. I didn't quite 'get' all of the story the first time I watched this movie, but upon further viewings, I now believe I've pieced it all together. Still, from first viewing to last, I've loved this movie.
250. Ong-bak (2003) -- Stars Tony Jaa. The story and acting are not all that impressive, but the stunts, performed by Tony Jaa (and others) are. No wirework. No stunt doubles. Perhaps because one takes these things for granted (that the stunts aren't 'real' in most of the other movies) it took me a bit before I fully appreciated what Tony Jaa was doing on the screen. He really IS doing all the stunts himself--and the multiple camera angles capture it all for you. (And while that editing style is cool at first, after a while it got a little annoying to see so many of the stunts shown over and over and over again from slightly varied angles). Still, an impressive movie if you like martial arts.
So. 250 movies done as of June 24th. I'm on pace to watch over 500 movies this year. Whew. A couple more martial arts movies will finish up my theme next week.
A lone favorite? In this list? Not happening! Hero and House of Flying Daggers still are among my favorites, but I'd add Legend of the Black Scorpion to those two. All three of these films were just beautiful to watch. If you get a chance, watch them too.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Writing...
Ahhh, the query letter. The writer's bane. I don't know (yet) if I've conquered the letter writing process, but I did manage to write another one over the past few weeks and now--with just a bit of trepidation--I am on the verge of submitting it. I've read hundreds of sample query letters online and in the writing books resting on the shelf above my desk. I've seen all sorts of variances and suggestions. Some say the pitch paragraph(s) should come first, others say put the nuts and bolts of the letter first (title, genre, word count etc), while still others like to be told why you're submitting to them (a little bit of schmooze perhaps?)....but the bottom line is, and while this may seem like a -DUH- moment, what all the agents are really looking for is 'great' writing. Some might even be willing to settle for 'good' writing. And all of them are looking for something they can fall in love with AND SELL. Shocking news, I know. And yes, I know -DUH!
And while I never did do any of the following, I've noted that agents also state all the things they DON'T want in query letters -- photos, candy, gimmicks, chocolates....Really? Are you seriously saying that a query letter attached to a box of chocolates wouldn't get at least a second glance? Okay....right. (And no, I did not try that approach though personally, if someone sent me a box of chocolates I wouldn't mind so much! Neither would my wife. She LOVES chocolate.)
Anyways....instead of turning the query letter writing process into a dreaded task (I know, it really is) I tried to look at it as a new kind of challenge. While it is a business letter at heart, it also needs to woo. It needs to entice. It needs to sell your writing. It needs to lift those drooping eyelids, brighten those blurry red-rimmed eyes--it needs to grab that agent's attention and make him or her eager to read more, more, more....
Did I achieve that? I don't know. Yet. I hope so. We'll see.
The writing adventure continues...I'll keep you posted on the results.
Have a great weekend, All.
And while I never did do any of the following, I've noted that agents also state all the things they DON'T want in query letters -- photos, candy, gimmicks, chocolates....Really? Are you seriously saying that a query letter attached to a box of chocolates wouldn't get at least a second glance? Okay....right. (And no, I did not try that approach though personally, if someone sent me a box of chocolates I wouldn't mind so much! Neither would my wife. She LOVES chocolate.)
Anyways....instead of turning the query letter writing process into a dreaded task (I know, it really is) I tried to look at it as a new kind of challenge. While it is a business letter at heart, it also needs to woo. It needs to entice. It needs to sell your writing. It needs to lift those drooping eyelids, brighten those blurry red-rimmed eyes--it needs to grab that agent's attention and make him or her eager to read more, more, more....
Did I achieve that? I don't know. Yet. I hope so. We'll see.
The writing adventure continues...I'll keep you posted on the results.
Have a great weekend, All.
A Year of Movies
Week 24: June 11, 2010 to June 17, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 7
Yep, one movie for each day. Summer viewing has been a little slower compared to winter--more to do outside, kids keeping me busy, yard work etc. Last week I had a Kevin Costner baseball trilogy, this week I decided to have a classic Tom Cruise trilogy and later in the week I started a string of martial art movies that will extend into next week (and if I recall, the week after that t00). Let's begin...
237. Top Gun -- Just pure fun action in the sky! Great 80s music. I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to fly jets! Hell, I still wouldn't mind learning how to fly--though perhaps not jets...I'd be fine with single engines to start. Hmmm....maybe someday... As for the movie, what more do I need to say? You've all seen this movie, haven't you? And if you haven't, rent it (or buy it--movies this old are usually in the cheap bin), pop it in the DVD or Blu-ray player, turn your TV up and enjoy!
238. Days of Thunder -- Just pure fun action on the ground! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to drive race cars....wait, this is sounding a bit like my last comments. Well, perhaps because this movie is a lot like the last movie, only set on the race track. Who cares? Nicole looked great in this. The banter between Robert Duvall and Tom Cruise was funny and this was another loud movie. Turn your TV up and enjoy!
239. Risky Business -- Just pure fun action in the suburbs! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to say 'WTF' and learn how to become pimps.....no wait, that's not right at all! We all wanted to drive around in Porsches...yeah, that's it. And maybe have someone who looked a lot like Rebecca show up at our door and....no wait....where am I going with this? Ha ha.... Am I a little slap happy from lack of sleep or what? C'mon, you've all seen this movie too - and if you haven't, you should. This is another movie you can find in the cheap bin.
240. Crazy Heart -- Just pure fun action with a guitar! Okay, okay....not exactly, though Jeff Bridges does an amazing job as the aging country singer/songwriter. While I truly enjoyed this movie, and was a little surprised by the ending, after the movie was done and I had a chance to reflect on it, I realized that the actual story (plot) was--relative to other movies about singers (Walk the Line, Ray)--a little on the thin side. Sure he's an alcoholic and his life is relatively shitty, but really, besides getting into an accident and temporarily losing his girlfriend's kid, what real trouble happened to him? Not much. Still, I enjoyed this movie a lot and loved the music and like I said, Jeff Bridges did an amazing job bringing this character to life.
241. Edge of Darkness -- Obviously, I watched this movie in June prior to all the latest about Mel Gibson. Setting aside his personal life (as best as one can), and trying to focus on just the movie, I thought the movie was intense. Gibson obviously has the anger side down cold in this and he's always seemed to be able to convey that simmering anger/sadness in his characters (when needed). I recently purchased the DVDs of the British TV series that this movie was based on--and whenever I get a chance (though it will probably be in 2011 when I think I'll turn from watching movies to catching up on TV series) I look forward to seeing the source material.
242. Curse of the Golden Flower -- This is the first of many martial art films I decided to watch all in a row. I'd never seen this one before and I was stunned by the film's beauty and cinematography. While the story is a family intrigue set in the Tang Dynasty, it's not all just political maneuverings--there's plenty of action too with the courtyard fight scene near the end of the movie as impressive as any I've seen before. A stunning movie starring Chow Yun Fat.
243. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- Chow Yun Fat did a wonderful job in this one too. What I find amazing about so many of these movies is the attention to detail--the costumes, the settings, the weapons, everything looks SOOOOO good and the action is SOOOOO impressive. It's like watching living, dancing, fighting artwork that is simply a feast for the eyes. And the music.....so haunting and beautiful. I loved these last two movies, and I think they were a good start for my string of martial arts viewing pleasure.
Well, that's it for this week. It was for me a great week of movies. My favorite(s).....probably the last two. While I really enjoyed the classic Tom Cruise movies, and was impressed by Crazy Heart and Edge of Darkness, the last two were simply gorgeous movies that were a delight to my eyes, ears and mind. Watch them, if you get a chance...
Total number of movies watched: 7
Yep, one movie for each day. Summer viewing has been a little slower compared to winter--more to do outside, kids keeping me busy, yard work etc. Last week I had a Kevin Costner baseball trilogy, this week I decided to have a classic Tom Cruise trilogy and later in the week I started a string of martial art movies that will extend into next week (and if I recall, the week after that t00). Let's begin...
237. Top Gun -- Just pure fun action in the sky! Great 80s music. I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to fly jets! Hell, I still wouldn't mind learning how to fly--though perhaps not jets...I'd be fine with single engines to start. Hmmm....maybe someday... As for the movie, what more do I need to say? You've all seen this movie, haven't you? And if you haven't, rent it (or buy it--movies this old are usually in the cheap bin), pop it in the DVD or Blu-ray player, turn your TV up and enjoy!
238. Days of Thunder -- Just pure fun action on the ground! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to learn how to drive race cars....wait, this is sounding a bit like my last comments. Well, perhaps because this movie is a lot like the last movie, only set on the race track. Who cares? Nicole looked great in this. The banter between Robert Duvall and Tom Cruise was funny and this was another loud movie. Turn your TV up and enjoy!
239. Risky Business -- Just pure fun action in the suburbs! I remember when this first came out all the guys my age wanted to say 'WTF' and learn how to become pimps.....no wait, that's not right at all! We all wanted to drive around in Porsches...yeah, that's it. And maybe have someone who looked a lot like Rebecca show up at our door and....no wait....where am I going with this? Ha ha.... Am I a little slap happy from lack of sleep or what? C'mon, you've all seen this movie too - and if you haven't, you should. This is another movie you can find in the cheap bin.
240. Crazy Heart -- Just pure fun action with a guitar! Okay, okay....not exactly, though Jeff Bridges does an amazing job as the aging country singer/songwriter. While I truly enjoyed this movie, and was a little surprised by the ending, after the movie was done and I had a chance to reflect on it, I realized that the actual story (plot) was--relative to other movies about singers (Walk the Line, Ray)--a little on the thin side. Sure he's an alcoholic and his life is relatively shitty, but really, besides getting into an accident and temporarily losing his girlfriend's kid, what real trouble happened to him? Not much. Still, I enjoyed this movie a lot and loved the music and like I said, Jeff Bridges did an amazing job bringing this character to life.
241. Edge of Darkness -- Obviously, I watched this movie in June prior to all the latest about Mel Gibson. Setting aside his personal life (as best as one can), and trying to focus on just the movie, I thought the movie was intense. Gibson obviously has the anger side down cold in this and he's always seemed to be able to convey that simmering anger/sadness in his characters (when needed). I recently purchased the DVDs of the British TV series that this movie was based on--and whenever I get a chance (though it will probably be in 2011 when I think I'll turn from watching movies to catching up on TV series) I look forward to seeing the source material.
242. Curse of the Golden Flower -- This is the first of many martial art films I decided to watch all in a row. I'd never seen this one before and I was stunned by the film's beauty and cinematography. While the story is a family intrigue set in the Tang Dynasty, it's not all just political maneuverings--there's plenty of action too with the courtyard fight scene near the end of the movie as impressive as any I've seen before. A stunning movie starring Chow Yun Fat.
243. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- Chow Yun Fat did a wonderful job in this one too. What I find amazing about so many of these movies is the attention to detail--the costumes, the settings, the weapons, everything looks SOOOOO good and the action is SOOOOO impressive. It's like watching living, dancing, fighting artwork that is simply a feast for the eyes. And the music.....so haunting and beautiful. I loved these last two movies, and I think they were a good start for my string of martial arts viewing pleasure.
Well, that's it for this week. It was for me a great week of movies. My favorite(s).....probably the last two. While I really enjoyed the classic Tom Cruise movies, and was impressed by Crazy Heart and Edge of Darkness, the last two were simply gorgeous movies that were a delight to my eyes, ears and mind. Watch them, if you get a chance...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 23: June 4, 2010 to June 10, 2010
Total number of movies watched: 8
229. From Hell -- I've always been fascinated by the Jack the Ripper tales, and this was an interesting take on that story. Johnny Depp again creates a very rich character with his tortured investigator. A dark movie, but exceptionally well done.
230. Stargate -- I watched the extended cut version of this movie, and the extra material naturally made the movie seem fuller with more detail and the plot seemed to make more sense. While I've always loved this movie, I never had the opportunity to get into the TV series spin-offs. I don't know why. Perhaps next year, I'll try to catch up on the TV series I've neglected this year during my quest to watch a movie every day.
231. Scoop -- I'm not usually a huge fan of Woody Allen movies, but I did like this one. It was a funny murder mystery and I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to turn out in the end. An enjoyable cast with Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johannson.
232. Up In The Air -- A unique romantic comedy / character study about a man who is most at home while on the road. George Clooney does another amazing job with this role and I was completely drawn into this movie. It has become one of my new favorite movies.
233. Bull Durham -- I decided to watch the three Kevin Costner baseball movies back-t0-back-to-back starting with his first. It is obvious that Kevin Costner loves baseball and of all the various movies I've seen him in, he sees most natural in baseball movies. A great romantic comedy combining sex and baseball --two great past-times.
234. Field of Dreams -- While a good baseball movie, it is more about the relationships between fathers and sons. I love baseball. I love having a catch with my sons. This movie really hit home with me.
235. For Love of the Game -- Another good baseball movie which focuses more on relationships than on the game. While pitching a perfect game, a man reflects on his imperfect life--and I found it interesting that the only time he could be 'perfect', was at the end of his professional career and perhaps despite that perfection, he realizes there is something more perfect waiting for him after baseball. A trilogy of good movies.
236. Smart People -- A funny movie involving smart people who act stupidly. What a dysfunctional family! While I did like this movie, I found the ending to be a little out of line with the rest of the movie. I didn't entirely buy the idea that the addition of twins to the dysfunctional family would somehow make the family LESS dysfunctional. Still, some really funny moments in this movie.
My favorite for the week? While I do like the baseball trilogy quite a bit, and Stargate would seem that natural pick, since I'm such a huge sci-fi/fantasy genre fan, I'm going to go with George Clooney's Up In The Air.
Total number of movies watched: 8
229. From Hell -- I've always been fascinated by the Jack the Ripper tales, and this was an interesting take on that story. Johnny Depp again creates a very rich character with his tortured investigator. A dark movie, but exceptionally well done.
230. Stargate -- I watched the extended cut version of this movie, and the extra material naturally made the movie seem fuller with more detail and the plot seemed to make more sense. While I've always loved this movie, I never had the opportunity to get into the TV series spin-offs. I don't know why. Perhaps next year, I'll try to catch up on the TV series I've neglected this year during my quest to watch a movie every day.
231. Scoop -- I'm not usually a huge fan of Woody Allen movies, but I did like this one. It was a funny murder mystery and I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to turn out in the end. An enjoyable cast with Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johannson.
232. Up In The Air -- A unique romantic comedy / character study about a man who is most at home while on the road. George Clooney does another amazing job with this role and I was completely drawn into this movie. It has become one of my new favorite movies.
233. Bull Durham -- I decided to watch the three Kevin Costner baseball movies back-t0-back-to-back starting with his first. It is obvious that Kevin Costner loves baseball and of all the various movies I've seen him in, he sees most natural in baseball movies. A great romantic comedy combining sex and baseball --two great past-times.
234. Field of Dreams -- While a good baseball movie, it is more about the relationships between fathers and sons. I love baseball. I love having a catch with my sons. This movie really hit home with me.
235. For Love of the Game -- Another good baseball movie which focuses more on relationships than on the game. While pitching a perfect game, a man reflects on his imperfect life--and I found it interesting that the only time he could be 'perfect', was at the end of his professional career and perhaps despite that perfection, he realizes there is something more perfect waiting for him after baseball. A trilogy of good movies.
236. Smart People -- A funny movie involving smart people who act stupidly. What a dysfunctional family! While I did like this movie, I found the ending to be a little out of line with the rest of the movie. I didn't entirely buy the idea that the addition of twins to the dysfunctional family would somehow make the family LESS dysfunctional. Still, some really funny moments in this movie.
My favorite for the week? While I do like the baseball trilogy quite a bit, and Stargate would seem that natural pick, since I'm such a huge sci-fi/fantasy genre fan, I'm going to go with George Clooney's Up In The Air.
Monday, August 2, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 22: May 28, 2010 to June 3, 2010
First, I apologize for the delay in updating my year long movie quest. Summer with the family has been keeping me busy. Second, as I've blogged about briefly, in addition to pursuing this odd quest, and keeping up with the kids, I've worked on my own low-budget, short Indie Movie. Primary filming is done and we only need to capture a couple of extra shots at a train station in order to get the flashback scene finished. Hopefully, we'll be able to schedule that by the end of this month and start editing the movie next month. It also sounds like we will be getting our website up and running soon--when it is, I'll include a link here.
And now, back to our regular program...
Total number of movies watched: 10
219. Criminal Ways (aka The Wannabes (2003)) -- a small caper movie with a young Isla Fisher and starring Nick Giannopoulos. This was an odd movie, funny at times, with some songs which stuck in my head. It reminded me a little of Death to Smoochie -- but perhaps that's just because of the silly animal character and an oddball cast of 'criminals'. Since I have heard my share of kid's show songs, I'd actually welcome some of these silly (and crude) songs from time to time...
220. Night at the Museum -- I'd seen this at the theater when it first came out with my oldest son, and now that my little guy was old enough to watch it, I thought I'd share this movie with him too. He's a fan of real museums and he has a vivid imagination, so he really enjoyed watching all the various exhibits come to life in this movie. Overall, the whole family enjoyed it and the kids of course thought the monkey was hilarious.
221. As Good As It Gets -- I watched this one with my wife. I remember the first time I watched this movie not really enjoying it--the same goes for my wife, but as we watched it this time around, we both found ourselves drawn into the story, and laughing, and truly enjoying the viewing experience. This is really a great and unusual romantic comedy.
222. I Love You, Man -- What a bromance! A silly and enjoyable movie.
223. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time -- I took the boys to the theater to see this. While it's not a 'great' movie--it was definitely a fun summer movie and frankly if that's all you're going to a theater to see, a 'fun' movie, then you'd probably be satisfied by this. Lots of action. Lots of fighting. Lots of fun.
224. The Blind Side -- Another movie I watched with my wife. I thought it was a good movie. I liked the real life story behind the movie. Sandra Bullock was quite good in this--but then, I like her in most of her movies. An inspirational movie.
225. A Night at the Roxbury -- Every so often, you just need to watch a silly movie, you know? And this one has some really fun music too.
This ends May -- with a total of 38 movies watched during that month.
226. Big -- A great movie. Funny, touching, this is a movie I've loved for many years.
227. 13 Going on 30 -- I know this movie was often compared to Big when it first came out -- obviously it has a similar premise -- but after watching them back-to-back I realized that while the comparison has some merit, I enjoyed this movie on its own. Jennifer Garner just lights up the screen and she was perfectly cast in this role as the teen-turned-30 year old.
228. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- Watched this with my little guy. He liked it, but we both agreed that we liked the first one better. Still, it was a fun movie and if they made a third one, we'd both probably want to see it.
Well, that's it for this week. My favorite -- well, Big has long been a favorite, and 13 Going on 30 was truly enjoyable, and The Blind Side was a great, inspiration movie, but my favorite has to be A Night at the Roxbury....okay, just kidding....(though, I really do enjoy that movie). As Good As It Gets earns this week's nod as my favorite.
I'll try to get caught up on these posts very soon!
First, I apologize for the delay in updating my year long movie quest. Summer with the family has been keeping me busy. Second, as I've blogged about briefly, in addition to pursuing this odd quest, and keeping up with the kids, I've worked on my own low-budget, short Indie Movie. Primary filming is done and we only need to capture a couple of extra shots at a train station in order to get the flashback scene finished. Hopefully, we'll be able to schedule that by the end of this month and start editing the movie next month. It also sounds like we will be getting our website up and running soon--when it is, I'll include a link here.
And now, back to our regular program...
Total number of movies watched: 10
219. Criminal Ways (aka The Wannabes (2003)) -- a small caper movie with a young Isla Fisher and starring Nick Giannopoulos. This was an odd movie, funny at times, with some songs which stuck in my head. It reminded me a little of Death to Smoochie -- but perhaps that's just because of the silly animal character and an oddball cast of 'criminals'. Since I have heard my share of kid's show songs, I'd actually welcome some of these silly (and crude) songs from time to time...
220. Night at the Museum -- I'd seen this at the theater when it first came out with my oldest son, and now that my little guy was old enough to watch it, I thought I'd share this movie with him too. He's a fan of real museums and he has a vivid imagination, so he really enjoyed watching all the various exhibits come to life in this movie. Overall, the whole family enjoyed it and the kids of course thought the monkey was hilarious.
221. As Good As It Gets -- I watched this one with my wife. I remember the first time I watched this movie not really enjoying it--the same goes for my wife, but as we watched it this time around, we both found ourselves drawn into the story, and laughing, and truly enjoying the viewing experience. This is really a great and unusual romantic comedy.
222. I Love You, Man -- What a bromance! A silly and enjoyable movie.
223. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time -- I took the boys to the theater to see this. While it's not a 'great' movie--it was definitely a fun summer movie and frankly if that's all you're going to a theater to see, a 'fun' movie, then you'd probably be satisfied by this. Lots of action. Lots of fighting. Lots of fun.
224. The Blind Side -- Another movie I watched with my wife. I thought it was a good movie. I liked the real life story behind the movie. Sandra Bullock was quite good in this--but then, I like her in most of her movies. An inspirational movie.
225. A Night at the Roxbury -- Every so often, you just need to watch a silly movie, you know? And this one has some really fun music too.
This ends May -- with a total of 38 movies watched during that month.
226. Big -- A great movie. Funny, touching, this is a movie I've loved for many years.
227. 13 Going on 30 -- I know this movie was often compared to Big when it first came out -- obviously it has a similar premise -- but after watching them back-to-back I realized that while the comparison has some merit, I enjoyed this movie on its own. Jennifer Garner just lights up the screen and she was perfectly cast in this role as the teen-turned-30 year old.
228. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- Watched this with my little guy. He liked it, but we both agreed that we liked the first one better. Still, it was a fun movie and if they made a third one, we'd both probably want to see it.
Well, that's it for this week. My favorite -- well, Big has long been a favorite, and 13 Going on 30 was truly enjoyable, and The Blind Side was a great, inspiration movie, but my favorite has to be A Night at the Roxbury....okay, just kidding....(though, I really do enjoy that movie). As Good As It Gets earns this week's nod as my favorite.
I'll try to get caught up on these posts very soon!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Indie Movie
I just thought I'd drop a quick note that I will be getting back to the Year of Movies posts soon--and yes, I've been able to still finish at least one movie every day so far this year--but in addition to keeping up with that goal, I've been working on a very low budget Indie film--a short film--which we (myself and two of my friends) started shooting last week based on a script I wrote about a serial killer and his intended victim.
While we did some test shots a few weeks earlier of the rural location and of my costume and a few of the scenes, the actual shoot began last Saturday and with the exception of a bit of rain which fell during what then became our lunch break (the weatherman claimed there would be NO RAIN on Saturday), the day was fairly successful. Sunday was even better--except for the stunt plane flying overhead during a couple of crucial scenes. We waited the pilot out and eventually got the scenes shot.
Oh...and the cars....
Don't get me started on the cars! (LOL) When I was scouting out locations, I found this beautiful, 'deserted', stretch of country road which basically connects nothing to nothing...quiet, peaceful, desolate...except when we turned on our camera! Then it was.... car....car....car....truck....farm vehicle.....motorcycle....car.....scooter....bicyclist.....inline skater.....jogger...dog-walker..... it became....comical....after a while. We had a few people stop and ask us what we were doing. That was cool. And despite the various interruptions, it was a blast to be out there working on this project and I'm looking forward to finishing it up (perhaps this weekend if the weather holds--the weatherman 'claims' Saturday will have no rain...again. We'll see, Mr. Weatherman. We'll see!).
The three of us had a chance to watch the raw footage on Tuesday, and overall, I'm really pleased with what we got, and I think we need just one more day of shooting to get the final bits done. My co-star in the Indie film is looking into setting up a website for our short movie and when he's done with it, I'll let you know (and include a link!).
Hopefully, as this little project moves toward completion, we'll start getting an interested following and at least a few fans--but hey, if we can entertain you with our movie, what more can we ask for, right?
Thanks...
While we did some test shots a few weeks earlier of the rural location and of my costume and a few of the scenes, the actual shoot began last Saturday and with the exception of a bit of rain which fell during what then became our lunch break (the weatherman claimed there would be NO RAIN on Saturday), the day was fairly successful. Sunday was even better--except for the stunt plane flying overhead during a couple of crucial scenes. We waited the pilot out and eventually got the scenes shot.
Oh...and the cars....
Don't get me started on the cars! (LOL) When I was scouting out locations, I found this beautiful, 'deserted', stretch of country road which basically connects nothing to nothing...quiet, peaceful, desolate...except when we turned on our camera! Then it was.... car....car....car....truck....farm vehicle.....motorcycle....car.....scooter....bicyclist.....inline skater.....jogger...dog-walker..... it became....comical....after a while. We had a few people stop and ask us what we were doing. That was cool. And despite the various interruptions, it was a blast to be out there working on this project and I'm looking forward to finishing it up (perhaps this weekend if the weather holds--the weatherman 'claims' Saturday will have no rain...again. We'll see, Mr. Weatherman. We'll see!).
The three of us had a chance to watch the raw footage on Tuesday, and overall, I'm really pleased with what we got, and I think we need just one more day of shooting to get the final bits done. My co-star in the Indie film is looking into setting up a website for our short movie and when he's done with it, I'll let you know (and include a link!).
Hopefully, as this little project moves toward completion, we'll start getting an interested following and at least a few fans--but hey, if we can entertain you with our movie, what more can we ask for, right?
Thanks...
Monday, June 14, 2010
A Year of Movies
Week 21: May 21, 2010 to May 27, 2010
Total number of movies watched this week: 8
Free time has been in short supply as of late so this blog entry will be short and sweet.
211. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc -- The Milla Jovovich marathon continues. I don't know how fact-based this movie is, however, I did like the story, the characters, and how the internal debate was portrayed using Dustin Hoffman.
212. Ultraviolet -- Milla kicks a lot of ass in this, but the story seemed thin. Is this based on a comic book? If so, does knowing the back story of this character make this movie more....enjoyable? An okay movie with some over-the-top fight scenes.
213. Love Happens -- The wife wanted to watch a rom-com so I took a mini-break from the Milla (and Bruce Willis) marathon. In general, I liked this rom-com...but despite really liking Jennifer Aniston, I felt like I'd seen this character from her before. Or perhaps I felt like I was watching Jennifer being Jennifer....I don't know. I'd love to see her in a role that makes me forget that she's Jennifer Aniston.
214. Madagascar -- Somehow, despite having kids, I'd never seen this relatively funny animated movie. I think the penguins were my favorite characters. Is that wrong? Now I have to track down the sequel for the kids...
215. The Fifth Element -- Ah...the Milla / Bruce marathon finally reaches its pinnacle with one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love this movie. I can watch it over and over... A great cast. A great story. A perfect, fun, entertaining sci-fi movie mixed with just a bit of rom-com. Each actor was absolutely perfect for his/her role. Have I mentioned that I love this movie?
216. The Hitcher (the original) -- While I've seen and enjoyed the remake of this thriller, I think the original is still the best by far. Rutger Hauer is so absolutely frightening in this movie. I remember the very first time I watched this movie and actually feeling terrified by him.
217. Sherlock Holmes -- I liked this re-imagining quite a bit. I thought Robert Downey Jr. truly brought the Holmes character to life and I liked Jude Law as a capable Dr. Watson. Admittedly, I haven't seen many of the other, older Sherlock Holmes movies, so perhaps I have less of a bias coming into this movie--but I was entertained by it from start-to-finish and I'm looking forward to what I presume will soon be a sequel.
218. Ivanhoe -- This was the 1982 made-for-TV movie starring Anthony Andrews as Wilfred of Ivanhoe. I loved this movie when I was a kid, remembering basically the jousting and the sword-fighting. Sadly, it didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered, now that I'm an adult, but still, it was a decent movie and I enjoyed seeing it again after so many years. I'd love to see this story (as well as another Anthony Andrews movie, The Scarlet Pimpernel) made into a new movie someday. I wonder, what are the chances of that ever happening....?
So ends another week of movies. Obviously, I love The Fifth Element and it is one of my favorite movies but I'd also add Sherlock Holmes as another movie on my list of...'I'd like to watch that movie again someday' list...
Total number of movies watched this week: 8
Free time has been in short supply as of late so this blog entry will be short and sweet.
211. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc -- The Milla Jovovich marathon continues. I don't know how fact-based this movie is, however, I did like the story, the characters, and how the internal debate was portrayed using Dustin Hoffman.
212. Ultraviolet -- Milla kicks a lot of ass in this, but the story seemed thin. Is this based on a comic book? If so, does knowing the back story of this character make this movie more....enjoyable? An okay movie with some over-the-top fight scenes.
213. Love Happens -- The wife wanted to watch a rom-com so I took a mini-break from the Milla (and Bruce Willis) marathon. In general, I liked this rom-com...but despite really liking Jennifer Aniston, I felt like I'd seen this character from her before. Or perhaps I felt like I was watching Jennifer being Jennifer....I don't know. I'd love to see her in a role that makes me forget that she's Jennifer Aniston.
214. Madagascar -- Somehow, despite having kids, I'd never seen this relatively funny animated movie. I think the penguins were my favorite characters. Is that wrong? Now I have to track down the sequel for the kids...
215. The Fifth Element -- Ah...the Milla / Bruce marathon finally reaches its pinnacle with one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love this movie. I can watch it over and over... A great cast. A great story. A perfect, fun, entertaining sci-fi movie mixed with just a bit of rom-com. Each actor was absolutely perfect for his/her role. Have I mentioned that I love this movie?
216. The Hitcher (the original) -- While I've seen and enjoyed the remake of this thriller, I think the original is still the best by far. Rutger Hauer is so absolutely frightening in this movie. I remember the very first time I watched this movie and actually feeling terrified by him.
217. Sherlock Holmes -- I liked this re-imagining quite a bit. I thought Robert Downey Jr. truly brought the Holmes character to life and I liked Jude Law as a capable Dr. Watson. Admittedly, I haven't seen many of the other, older Sherlock Holmes movies, so perhaps I have less of a bias coming into this movie--but I was entertained by it from start-to-finish and I'm looking forward to what I presume will soon be a sequel.
218. Ivanhoe -- This was the 1982 made-for-TV movie starring Anthony Andrews as Wilfred of Ivanhoe. I loved this movie when I was a kid, remembering basically the jousting and the sword-fighting. Sadly, it didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered, now that I'm an adult, but still, it was a decent movie and I enjoyed seeing it again after so many years. I'd love to see this story (as well as another Anthony Andrews movie, The Scarlet Pimpernel) made into a new movie someday. I wonder, what are the chances of that ever happening....?
So ends another week of movies. Obviously, I love The Fifth Element and it is one of my favorite movies but I'd also add Sherlock Holmes as another movie on my list of...'I'd like to watch that movie again someday' list...
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