Super Loser TRIPLE Feature Episode 3 11/4/2011

The Three Musketeers 3D

Still not sure what I was thinking when I purchased the ticket for the THIRD movie of the night but I did it and it was a really dumb move.

The Three Musketeers is not an awful movie but it comes close. And why I felt the need to spend extra on the sad excuse for 3D is beyond my comprehension in retrospect.

You're presented with three down on their luck Musketeers, played by Matthew Macfayden of MI-5 aka Spooks, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson, doing what they have to to survive, all of them have accents from across the UK and they are not bad looking gentlemen.

And then we have the newbie, D'Artagnan, a fresh faced kid from Beverly Hills with a blatantly American accent. His speech is so American that it is jarring in several scenes.

The three, soon to be four, Muskateers come together after the youngest of the brood starts a fight he can't finish. Fight scenes so poorly done that I wanted someone to kill the Muskateers so I could go home.

Milla Jovovich plays a villainess. REALLY?! WHY?! I love Milla but she comes across as wooden and lifeless, playing the schemer does not suit her.

Christoph Waltz of Inglorious Basterds fame plays a scheming member of the clergy. Freddie Fox plays a really effeminate King Louis XIII.

And rounding out the main cast is Orlando Bloom as the Duke of Buckingham. HE appears to be channeling a post-detox Captain Jack with nicer clothes and overdone hair.

The editing is choppy, some scenes feel too short and some far too long. The more I write the worse I am remembering it.

I would stay away from this movie and if a friend or family member were to buy you a ticket I would suggest defriending or disowning them.

Movie Night 10/28/2011

In Time

Justin Timberlake has come a long way as an actor. I went into this with not very high expectations and was surprised.

In this modern retelling of Bonnie and Clyde people stop aging at 25, which makes for an incredibly good looking cast of characters. You turn 25 and this magic day glow clock on your wrist kicks into action. You get one year free and then you have to earn or inherit more time to stay alive.

It takes some getting used to when you realize that Olivia Wilde is playing Justin’s 49 year old mother but you get used to it.

You use time to buy everything from a cup of coffee to a house on the beach.

There are a lot of different themes throughout the movie and if you think about them as you watch your mind is going to wander to far afield to enjoy it. Relax and ponder the mysteries of how we spend our lives after you leave the theater or turn off the DVD.

There are some great catchphrases here that have been around forever, for example, I cleaned his clock. You get the idea.

Our unlikely hero has to battle a gangster Alex Pettyfer, the minuteman Cillian Murphy after he receives a gift from Matt Bomer.

After his unlikely stroke of luck he meets Amanda Seyfried’s Sylvia.

It looks like this might just turn into boy meets girls spends his time, literally, on getting her but hilarity ensues and they become the unlikeliest of heroes.

Visually the film is amazing. From the cars to the clothes.

These young men and women who are playing characters far older than their true years convey a tiredness that I try as best as I can to hide at 41.

And I have no doubt that after this Amanda Seyfried will be asked to walk the catwalk in some uncomfortable looking shoes and a tiny dress.

Worth the view and the thinking that hits you long after this movie is over. Am I spending my time wisely or squandering it…

Movie Night 10/1/2011

What’s Your Number?

Everyone has compared this to Bridesmaids in the press and that is incredibly unfair to this quirky movie.

Anna Faris was great as the kinda slut still hoping for her prince. Made to feel like a dirty whore by her friends and an article about how many men you can have sex with before marriage she embarks to see if she missed a gem along the way and tracks down her former paramours.

She is assisted in this quest by the frequently naked Chris Evans who makes me wonder who pissed in my gene pool. His character is a womanizing cad.

Of course you can see where this is going to end up but this is not about the goal it is about the journey. There are no ideas but there are some interesting ways of getting there.

There are also scenes in the commercial and theatrical trailer that didn’t make it into the movie. It is nice to see filmmakers not blowing their loads in the commercials but saving something for the viewer.

As Anna and Chris embark on this journey hilarity ensues and all of her former gentlemen are familiar faces shown both in flashbacks and the present day.

I laughed at the antics on screen and didn’t hate myself for doing so.

This movie hasn’t made much in the theaters but I think it will do better on DVD especially if they splice the scenes that were left for the commercials.

Movie Night 09/24/2011

Contagion

Finally a movie where Gwyneth Paltrow bites it! I can say that here because it was in the commercials so I am not giving anything away.

The first thing you’ll notice when watching this is that there is no music. It’s all dialogue and silence. I am almost positive that this was done on purpose as every cough and sniffle in the theater has your wondering how close a Purell dispenser is located. I didn’t realize it until after it had already happened but I wondered if that guy coughing up a chunk of his lung in the back of the theater was my very own patient zero.

The second thing I noticed was that a lot of things are glossed over, this seems like it was supposed to be a more intimate movie, centering on a few characters and their immediate surroundings. I like nothing better than a nice cataclysmic movie and this didn’t make it over the bar.

The acting is good, a little flat here and there but overall there are good, solid performances throughout. Kate Winslet and Jennifer Ehle were the standouts for me. Their performances are the heart and mind of this movie that sadly lacked a little soul.

Definitely see it in the theater if you can as that first coughing fit should make you mildly uncomfortable for rest of the movie and don’t sit too close to anyone else just in case.

Post Hurricare Movie Night August 28th, 2011

Columbiana

When was the last time you saw a movie where all the violence was integral to the story? It's been a long time for me and this movie does it right.

Amandla Stenberg starts things off with a bang as the 10 year old impales one of the bad guys through the hand as she sits quietly at the table.

She grows up into Zoe Saldana and then we are off and running.

The rest of the cast was stellar. Michael Vartan, Cliff Curtis (from Trauma on NBC, one of my favorites that got cancelled) ground Saldana's character and let us see other sides to her.

The movie is fast paced and there are some light moments. But at the center of it all is this character that must have her revenge.

I don't want to give anything away. But I will say that the audience clapped and for a theater of people without power, seriously some really needed a shower, I thought that said a lot.

This is definitely a must see. Saldana kicks ass and looks amazing while she does it.

Pre-hurricane Movie Night August 26th, 2011

Conan The Barbarian 3D

I decided to go to a late movie so I could hit up the 24 hour supermarket nearby, everything else had been stripped in the run up panic of Hurricane Irene. I have heard a lot of mixed things about this movie and decided to see for myself. Big, big mistake.

Imagine if you will that Waterworld and Pirates of the Caribbean had a child, they would name it Conan.

There is a literal land yacht, some sand people and Rose McGowan with hair only on the back half of her head. Somebody from Pirates or somebody who got fired from Pirates really tried with the costuming.

I am going to give credit to the actors and lay the blame at the feet of the director. The actors tried, they really did. It felt like this could have been a decent flick but I'd bet the pieces that would have made it decent ended up on the editing room floor.

During the two hours I sat alone I texted a friend and he came back with, 'I've always like a good sandals and swords movie.' This was more a skirt and sword movie as they wrap Jason Momoa in a blanket and he wears that for the rest of the movie.

Of course, this movie is really just a love story. Poor orphaned boy meets rich haughty girl. They hate each other and then suddenly they don't. Obligatory sex scene. Then back to the action or non-action.

I also wondered if the scissor sword set up was this movie's double ended light saber.

But what is a girl to do after sex with the Barbarian? Wander the forest like damned Little Red Riding Hood and get yourself captured. It was like a bad horror movie when the girl hears something and decides to go and investigate.

I'm not going to give anything else away. I will ask three questions:

1. Why does human sacrifice have to take sooooo long?
2. Did the mask thing look like it had an anus? That drank blood?
3. Was it me or did Jason Momoa's chest hair grow in through the movie?

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Ever.

Movie Night 8/19/2011

The Help August 19^th, 2011

This movie is filled with AMAZING performances. There will be some serious Oscar buzz surrounded at least two of the actors in this film.

I have heard mixed reviews of Emma Stone's character Skeeter. With the material I thought she did a good job showing what it must have been like for a privileged girl in the early 1960's to begin to see what had been going on around her all her life. And since she seems to have her head screwed on straight, unlike a person with the initials LL, I think we will be seeing a lot more from her in the future.

Viola Davis gives one of the most heartfelt performances I think I've ever seen. The full range of human emotion shows through her acting throughout the movie. She will garner Oscar buzz and deserves a nomination and a statue of her own.

Octavia Spencer gives another amazing performance. She can convey many things with her eyebrows alone. This is one of the other performances that should garner some buzz.

Bryce Dallas Howard got the part of the petty shrew and gives this character so many different facets that I was blown away. After things like the Village I didn't know she had this kind of range in her.

Sissy Spacek plays the addled, doddering mother of Bryce's character and has some of the best lines in the whole film, along with being some comedic relief.

Jessica Chastain brings her own southern Marilyn Monroe and does it with a lot of heart. I've never seen her in anything before but remember her name. She'll be back.

The writing is superb. The pacing is wonderfully done, if you listen to the audience the distinctive sound of laughter through tears can be heard as a light moment often follows a dark moment.

I would not be surprised to see The Help along with Sarah's Key nominated a whole bunch of times.

This is a movie that makes you wonder how you would have reacted if you had lived in that time and that place. I found myself wondering what it must have been like to have had no rights and then I realized that although I may have a lot of rights I don't have all of them that the majority of Americans have. It is my hope that someday we will all have the same legal rights and protections and that out society will advance to a place where it matters not what color your skin is, what God you believe in and whom you love.

Super Loser Double Feature Episode 1 8/5/2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes  August 5^th, 2011

I went into the theater expecting this to be a pretty good movie, but knowing that it was equally as possible to be completely and utterly let down.  The effects were amazing. I will give them that.

James Franco did pretty good, his performance was flat in some places but at least his eyes were open and only occasionally red.

They laid out a decent backstory to the original movies of the 1970's.

Nice to see the kid who played Malfoy playing an American redneck version of the Harry Potter character.

A lot of the moments that the film's makers were going for heart felt come off as forced.

And how are there that many apes in San Francisco? Really? If it had all gone down at a zoo. Maybe but they definitely went overboard on the sheer number of wild animals gaining sentience.

Andy Serkis brings a certain Gollum-esque hatred of humanity, he seemed to create the only fully formed character and he did it without speaking through most of the film.

From my perspective it was well done but could have been even better. Although I have heard from some fans of the originals that they thought it was perfect.

Super Loser Double Feature Episode 2 8/5/2011

Sarah's Key

Have you ever seen a movie that affects you in such a way that you leave the theater and you can't trust your voice? For me most of the time after I see a movie alone I like to go out and socialize or at least have a conversation with another human being, but after this movie I drove home in silence and just let it sink in. I have always been interested in the history of World War Two, but I know little of what occurred in occupied France. I stumbled upon this and could not have been more pleased to have seen it.

I could not give this movie a higher recommendation. This is Oscar material.

Kristen Scott Thomas is wonderful, her performance needs to be recognized in a big way. I have seen her here and there but never really taken notice of her. Going in I couldn't picture her face. She was incredible, her character's demons play out in different parts of the film leaving the viewer with an entire character, the writing played a big part in that but she brought the whole woman to life. I am now a big fan.

Melusine Mayance, the child Sarah, is perfection onscreen. For a kid to handle the subject matter with a touch far older than her years is awe inspiring. Hopefully we will see her again on both sides of the Atlantic.

Charlotte Poutrel, the adult Sarah, charms the viewer through her character's pain. There is a scene set in the 50's where she reminded me of both Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

I could list everyone in the cast but as I do not own a thesaurus I would quickly run out of superlatives. There were no weak performances.

Everyone in this movie did an amazing job.

The majority of this movie is in French with subtitles. They are not entirely necessary as so much of the power of this film is in the silences, the looks that cross character's faces as they transport us to that moment in time.

The subject matter is heavy, very heavy, but well worth it. The shame of a country shows on the faces of the cast. There is no whitewash painted on the collaboration of France.

The acting in this movie pulls you in and doesn't let you go until well after you have left the theater.

Sarah's Key shows how a movie should be done, everything from the writing to the directing to the acting and everything in between attained a level of perfection in my eyes rarely witnessed before.

This most likely won't be playing at the local multiplex but it is well worth looking for. Go and see this movie.

Movie Night 8/1/2011

Captain America 3D – August 1^st, 2011

This movie was well worth seeing in 3D, despite the $4.00 upcharge. It was right up there with Avatar in the quality of the 3D effects. Also noticed that it did not seem as dark as some of the other 3D offerings of late.

The storyline did need some further tweaking but I understand the rush to get this out in anticipation of next year's Avengers.

The look of Chris Evans as a scrawny little nobody were amazing.  The effect was near perfect.

Stanley Tucci does a great German accent. And comes across as brilliant and kind with just a touch of madness in the corner of his eyes.

Then of course there is the pivotal scene where the scrawny asthmatic becomes taller and much buffer. There were audible sighs from much of the audience as our hero was unveiled in all his new glory.

I also wondered why his khakis did not split a la The Hulk. Something tells me the quality of various offerings from the Gap that I have owned played into that or maybe 1940's khaki was infused with an early version of Spandex.

The movie quickly veers into camp, much of it understandable as they need to set the stage for the characters in their next movie. Makes me wonder why they couldn't give us a 30 minute getting to know the characters reel before the film and then start somewhere better. To devote whole movies educating the non-comic books reading among us seems a little unfair.

Hugo Weaving shows up as the villain and his voice alone makes the part.

I won't give the ending away but it kind of pissed me off.

Movie Night 7/29/2011

Cowboys and Aliens July 29^th, 2011

Aliens, amnesia and Harrison Ford? Did this even sound good on paper?

I was glad this was in 2D as if I had paid the extra $4.00 I would have been angry instead of just disappointed.

Daniel Craig, my favorite British export since Judi Dench, just looked angry through most of the movie. I imagine that if I had alien induced amnesia I would be a little happier defending people I may or may not have just met.

Harrison Ford goes from crotchety landbaron Scrooge to civic minded defender so quickly that I wonder what was slipped into his coffee that morning.

Olivia Wilde is breathtaking to look at but here she is working with a half formed character.

Now to the aliens; these creatures looked like something drawn onto the film, choppy effects did not help. And I wonder why film makers think speed will help the viewer not see the poor quality of some of the effects. It looks just as bad only faster, which in this instance made it worse.

The supporting cast is large and many are well known names and faces. They do their jobs, like the leading cast but the source material doesn't look like it gave them a lot to work with.

If I had a rating scale using Jason heads, scored from 1 Jason to 5 Jasons, this would get half a Jason. 

Movie Night 7/22/2011

Friends with Benefits July 22^nd, 2011

First I must say what a complete joy it is to go and see a date movie by myself. Makes one realize they need to get out a tiny, little bit more.

One of my main reasons for going to see this was my undying love for Patricia Clarkson. Describe her in a three words you ask, classy, brassy and always good for a laugh. Yes, I know the last was a phrase but I'm doing the typing.

Mila Kunis is funny and sexy. The complete opposite of her Family Guy character, Meg. And since I didn't see Black Swan I can only imagine how good she was in that. And for the straight guys and gay girls out there she is in a bra and panties for a lot of this movie. I will say that she's got a great face, one that can express a kaleidoscope of emotion. And she has great timing.

Justin Timberlake has come a long way since being in the mouse ears. He did appears to be suffering from allergies while filming, his eyes were red in a lot of the movie. Red eyes, allergies, do you get the hint? He did show some depth. And for the gay guys and straight girls he is in his boxers a lot.

Casting mistake, Jenna Elfman as his sister. I took me quite a while to get that she wasn't playing his mother, even after it had been spelled out that she was his sister I still sat there asking myself what fresh hell this was.

And again we get to see apartments that these people couldn't possibly be able to afford. Mila Kunis' seemed almost realistic, it was just to big even if she is living in an outer, and I mean way out, borough. Timberlake's crib, do the kids today still call them that?, looked like it is part of the Cipriani complex downtown. I don't really see a magazine, yes, one that is printed on actual paper, springing for that every month.

Woody Harrelson plays the non-stereotypical gay sports editor. I had expected it to be a little one dimensional and over the top but I know guys like that.

On a pseudo-serious note, the movie has good bones and some decent acting. It hits all the right notes without banging on the keys. Leaving the theater I was still smiling, thinking maybe happily ever after can happen and even though I felt like a complete ass for falling for it, it's nice to know my heart can still beat every once in a while. 

Movie Night 7/16/2011

Horrible Bosses July 16^th, 2011

I didn't want to see this movie but my friends, Lisa and George, talked me into it and I am glad they did.

Why didn't I want to see this? I hate Colin Farrell, despise Kevin Spacey and loathe Jennifer Aniston. The good thing is that they all play characters that make it okay to hate them.

Kevin Spacey plays a horrible boss and his role in this movie may have undermined his assistant's chance to publish a Devil Wears Prada type memoir.

Colin Farrell, with the help of prosthetics, shows us what he looks like on the inside.

Jennifer Aniston's eyes sparkle as she gets to play the BAD girl boss. (BAD does really need to be capitalized as she plays to her demented Playboy Bunny side.) I am not sure if her face was Botoxed or prosthetics, I'm hoping for her sake that it was all prosthetics, the plastic Barbie Doll face is not a good look. On anyone.

I have been a fan of Charlie Day since the first episode of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' and he is his bumbling, yet likeable self in this movie.

The trio of Jason Sudekis, Jason Bateman and Charlie Day was casting genius. They work well together and get easy laughs and not all of them were wasted on the heavy promotion this film got leading up to it's release.

The hidden gem for me was Gregory, played by Brian George, the voice of the knock-off OnStar rep. This guy's been around forever and if you listen close you'll realize who he is.

And rounding up the main cast is Jamie Foxx, another person not on the top of my list, playing the type of hit man that I would probably end up with if I ever felt that I needed outside help.

Super Loser Double Feature

Thought I would give you the definition of what I did tonight:

Super Loser Double Feature

Jason defines this as:

Going to see two or more movies in one evening by yourself. Said person is alone by choice, unavailability of real/imaginary friends or hatred of other humans. Kiosks are used to purchase tickets so same ticket counter does not see said person twice. Antisocial behavior may be exhibited if noisy family or seat kickers sit to close. In some situations said person will go to multiple theaters to completely avoid being identified as a double dipper.

Super Loser Double Feature Episode 1 7/1/11

Super Loser Double Feature 7/1/11 Episode 1: Bad Teacher

Prior to seeing this movie I had read some reviews and decided to go anyway. It was all they said and more, in a bad way.

Cameron Diaz barely earned a chuckle. She seemed a little too natural being the bitch and I don't think anyone was rooting for her to turn it around and become a better person, I wanted to see her end up in jail.

It was the supporting cast that kept me from using the top from my soda to gouge out my eyes. Phyllis Smith from the Office was hysterical and underutilized here. Lucy Punch created a character that had some shades of Tracy Fleck from Election all grown up. Kevin Stonestreet and Thomas Lennon easily got laughs, especially during their fight scene.

Justin Timberlake and Jason Segel looked like they had fun making it but these roles were no stretch for either of them. Timberlake channels his characters from SNL in more than one scene.

I also had the feeling that the kids were going to play a larger role in the whole film and that this would be something that 20 years from now, like the Outsiders, where you look back and see how a new crop of stars acted as kids.

I get the feeling that they cut this movie to shreds to try and make Cameron more palatable. It didn't work. The story lines go in many directions and few of them are tied up prior to the thankfully quick end.

Maybe this wouldn't have been so bad if I was as high as Cameron Diaz' character.

What happened to actors?

What happened to ACTORS?

Lately I have begun to notice that casting is being done according to personality, not talent. Many of the movies I have seen appear to showcase people reading lines as themselves.

I have heard complaints that to win an Oscar actors need to change themselves into something radically different. But the simple truth is that those are people who are not being themselves while they read lines off of a cue card. They transform. And by transforming into someone they are not they carry the audience to a place where reality can take a breather.

Has the cult of celebrity gone so far that we don't want to see people not be themselves?

If it has I can only hope that it will change back and actors acting will repopulate the silver screen.

Super Loser Double Feature Episode 2

Super Loser Double Feature 7/1/11 Episode 2: Beginners

After seeing Bad Teacher I couldn't trust myself to go home and not do something stupid so I had to go and see something else. I looked around and found a movie with some people who can act and off I went.

Beginners stars Ewan McGregor as Oliver, Christopher Plummer as Hal and Melanie Laurent as Anna. McGregor and Plummer play a father and son, the father came out as a gay man after his wife dies. The son sees his father living life to it's fullest in the time he has left but Oliver doesn't get to do the same.

This is a movie about relationships and how hard those can be. There are scenes that are difficult to watch as you can imagine the characters having a tragic ending.

I really thought at some point this was going to induce a spate of tears but that moment never came. I felt like they tried and tried but never got me over that hurdle.

The time-line jumps around as you see the story of Hal and Oliver play out contrasted against the story of Anna and Oliver. Some of this is hard to watch. The interactions between Oliver and his mother show a boy growing up in a truly dysfunctional home.

Arthur, Hal's Jack Russell, gives the movie some much needed light moments, but this film is still heavy.

I would recommend this movie, but only if you are okay with thinking about it on the way home. It stuck with me and judging from the silence of the other theater patrons it struck a chord with them as well.

Movie Night June 30, 2011

Tonight I saw Transformers Dark of the Moon.

I have read a bunch of reviews and some people are so angry about this movie. Why people are looling for symbolism in this movie is beyond me. You have to know what you are getting yourself into, this is not Shakespeare. It's a movie based on cartoons and kid's toys from the 1980's.

Would it be too much to ask the movie theater to group the 3D ads and promos together so the glasses don't have to keep going on and off? We paid extra for this, don't give me a headache.

The overboard product placement is overboard, it's understandable the producers would want to defray some costs but really? I get that GM is involved in a big way, but do me a favor and introduce a car I have not seen yet and if you pay attention you will notice that al most every trashed car is a Ford product. Cisco and Lenovo show up in every scene where there is a computer or phone, but Waste Management? Seriously...Waste Management?!?! Felt like I was watching that episode of Undercover Boss.

I was pleasantly surprised by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. I had expected more of the woodenness that Gisele Bundchen brought to Taxi with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah. There was actually some life there, underutilized as it was. The wooden one is Tyrese Gibson, his performance says, 'I wanted the money.' from beginning to end.

Nice to see Alan Tyduk (Serenity and 28 Days) have some fun with John Tuturro. These two looked like they had some fun while making this. John Malkovich channels his inner George Hamilton and I was hoping Frances McDormand would read her lines in her Fargo accent. Ken Jeong proves yet again that he can do creepy and weird in an almost endearing way. And could someone give Julie White her due, she is funny.

And nice to see a city other than New York taking the brunt of the cranky alien  attitude.

And it is long (2 ½ hours plus previews), don't get the large soda and make sure to completely drain your bladder before entering the theater.

And to the guy washing his feet in the bathroom, go home and do that. No one needs to see that.

As I said I'm not sold on the 3D but it is definitely worth seeing if you want some summer fun and fireworks.

Movie Night June 17, 2011

Green Lantern 3D

Right off the bat I am not sold on the 3D for this. It shows in some places that it was converted after filming. And some scenes that would have benefited from the 3D treatment were in 2D.

The film is campy at times, not horrendously, but it needs to be campy to tell this story. I don't think you could enjoy a movie where the central character can make his thoughts into reality without a little dance into Campytown.

Ryan Reynolds plays Ryan Reynolds for the most part and that's not a bad thing. And seriously what do Canadians feed their children! Some of his performance seems tongue in cheek especially when it comes to serious moments in the suit, you can rel he's smiling on the inside. I give him a lot of credit since I would guess 80 to 90% of what he did was in front of a green screen by himself. 

Blake Lively plays Blake Lively and I am beginning to think her last name is a misnomer, there wasn't much in the way of 'lively' in her performance. Whether she is playing Serena on Gossip Girl or that chick from the Traveling Pants movie (and yes I saw it), or the Senator's daughter here, she acts like she just took a pill or did a shot of Nyquil.

Peter Sarsgaard hopefully was not playing himself. His character is creepy and insecure. His performance pulled me in and I wonder if I would react any differently if I were handed some super powers after touching an alien.

The best of the CGI money was spent on bringing Paralac to life. There is one scene, that didn't look 3D, where it really appeared as though this creature made of smoke and fire is moving around a city. Creepily life like if such a thing exists and this is one person who is hoping it doesn't. 

Not sure about this, I even checked IMDB, but I think I heard Majel Barrett's voice coming out of one of the immortals.

I think it would be fun if you heard Michael Clarke Duncan's voice come out of the not so big and brawny character. It's like he gets voice typecast.

And it wouldn't be a movie made in this new millenium if you couldn't spot the setup for the sequel. A sequel that I imagine will be green-lighted on Monday after the box office receipts are in. And when they make I will go, hopefully to see something that was filmed in 3D not converted after.

Movie Night 6/11/11

Super 8

ET has grown up, he is really pissed off and wants to go home.

It looks and feels like a movie from the 70's and when the music builds the tension there is a payoff. None of this crap where you think something is going to happen and nothing does.

I smiled as I saw Gremlins, Pintos, bell bottoms and feathered hair. I noticed that there was an analog quality to the picture, it brought me back to the mindset of the period, the Cold War and all that.

The computer generated stuff is almost completely seamless. Happily there is no version of this in 3D.

Sure you could draw some parallels between Super 8 and E.T. The Extraterrestrial but those parallels are pretty tenuous when you see it.

The kids are amazing. There is the responsible sensitive young male lead played by Joel Courtney. Elle Fanning as the pretty girl from the bad side of the tracks, who prior to getting involved with these boys was on her way to dancing on a pole for tips.. The husky kid, Riley Griffiths, with anger management issues. (Did South Park cement the 'Cartman' archtype of big, angry and mouthy?) And then we have the kid with braces, Ryan Lee, who likes to blow everything up, who will be arrested for arson in 10 years.

Kyle Chandler plays the widower cop father of Joe and bridges the gap between being responsible for the whole town and being responsible for his son. He also looks great. Ron Eldard, on the other hand, plays the father to Elle Fanning's Alice and he plays an awful wretch of a man well. And what happened to him, he and Kyle Chandler are the same age but appear to be decades apart.

And then we have the people-devouring alien and his little cubes. He would have been creepy if this had been made in 1979, being 2010 he is something of nightmares. Seriously, I have seen this thing chasing me on more than one occasion deep in the night.

My hat is off to J.J. Abrams and Steven Speilberg for bringing this to life, it felt original and new yet decidedly 70's. I look forward to whatever they decide to make in the future and hope this wasn't a one time deal.

The audience actually clapped at the end, something that I have only witnessed a few times. Go see it, I doubt you will be disappointed. Two thumbs up.

Movie night - June 4th, 2011

I went to see X-Men: First Class. I thought it was really well done and here are my thoughts:
1. Why no 3D? A lot of the effects, especially the ones for Havoc and Azazel would have been much cooler in 3D.
2. They cast January Jones as Emma Frost. Her eyes are lifeless. They show something once through the whole film.
3. I love me some cameos. You get Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Rebecca Romjin as a horny Mystique and Ray Wise from Twin Peaks as the Secretary of State.
4. Some big names; Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt. (I may be stretching for that one)
5. A lot of names we will hear more from; James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne and Zoe Kravitz.
The story may have veered a bit on some points setup in the other films but it all made sense. I would recommend going and just cross your fingers there isn't a cranky toddler up way past her bed time two rows behind you.

They cancelled my shows!

So many cancelled shows and a bunch I actually liked and a lot that I am glad to see go.


First the ones I liked and actually watched to the bitter end:


Chase (NBC) I liked it, Kelli Giddish is cool and it was the first thing with Jesse Metcalfe that didn't make me want to scratch out my eyes.


The Chicago Code (FOX) I really liked it and Jennifer Beals face can sort of move almost naturally.


Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) I liked it and the sight of Michael Imperioli didn't cause me to throw myself out of a window as it did on the Sopranos.


The Event (NBC) I shouldn't have let myself get sucked in but it happened and I faithfully watched until the end and they decided to let the 'EVENT' and it's meaning wait until season 2 which isn't going to happen. I feel a little cheated.


Law & Order:LA (NBC) I have been a L&O fan for years and I like Regina Hall from the Scary Movie movies. And the first thing Skeet Ulrich and Terrance Howard have been in that didn't make kick my television.




The ones I didn't watch (maybe once) and am glad they're gone:


Hannah Montana (DSNY) Maybe now the Cyrus clan will go away, far far away. Fingers crossed.


Better with you (ABC) I doubt this sounded good even on paper.


The Gates (ABC) It sounded like CSI with vampires. Not a good combo.


Mr Sunshine (ABC) If you throw enough comedy at a wall some of it will stick, other bits will end up behind the stove gathering dust to keep themselves warm. Easier to buy Chandler a coat.


The Paul Reiser Show (NBC) When was this even on? 


The Defenders (CBS) This I never watched, Jim Belushi makes me nauseous.


Outlaw (NBC) Bet you don't remember this one with Jimmy Smits leaving the Supreme Court. It took me a minute and it was on a list.


Supernanny (ABC) Where will our nation's parents get their knowledge now? 




The last season of TV was a bumpy one, maybe next season the networks will give the good a chance and leave the crap behind that stove.


Let's hope...

Movie Night - May 14th

It's a Saturday night and I decide to go to the movies and my friend Arthur was going to join me. I got there earlier than I had expected so I grabbed my ticket from one of the kiosks. Why anyone stands in the throng of hundreds just to hand over your debit/credit card is beyond me! 


I stood waiting in the lobby, and things were pretty calm until one of the women behind the ticket counter stood on something and yelled, 'Water for Elephants is sold out, I repeat, Water for Elephants is sold out!'


I asked myself how that possibly could have happened and then noticed the mood of the crowd begin to change. Groups of women, who moments ago were talking peacefully, began to scramble to the holding area for the movie. It looked like one of the women still on line had burst into tears or her allergies were acting up.


I stood amazed at the power that Robert Pattinson's wide-set eyes hold over people.


I clutched my ticket for Bridesmaids and waited.


Arthur showed up and we bypassed the cattle pen of Water for Elephants.


Of course 35 minutes after we sat down that the movie began.


I had read that one scene in the movie was Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig improvising for an hour and a half and if I am right it is near the beginning and I wanted to see more. 


It plays like a female Hangover, just slightly reimagined.


I almost wet my pants from the audiences reaction to the use of the 'c' word.


Jill Clayburgh plays Kristen Wiig's mom and that was a little freaky, but she didn't look like she wasn't going to make it. She looked pretty good.


There is an obligatory vomiting scene.


And nothing like a little shitting in the street to make you feel better about spending almost $11 on a ticket.


Melissa McCarthy stole a bunch of scenes, there's one on a plane where with one leg up on the door jamb she asked a guy if he can 'feel the heat, the steam' coming off of her. 


And for some reason I could not quite get the Little Britain guy is in this. He's pretty funny but he kinda wasn't in this.


Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig are hilarious, too bad no big foreheads and baby hands.


Pretty good movie if you ask me. I thought it hit all the right notes for something directed by a guy who once appeared on The Facts of Life. 

Priest 3D

Despite the negative reviews I decided to take a chance. It was well worth it, not sure about the extra five bucks for 3D. The effects got a little choppy a couple of times but not that bad.
Pretty good cast. Madchen Amick looked amazing, I remember her from Twin Peaks. Christopher Plummer's character could not be further from Captain Von Trapp. Cam Gigadnet looks ready to break into the next level of stardom. And he got an OC reunion with Alan Dale. Paul Bettany and Maggie Q play their parts without anything extraneous, and in my opinion it works for their characters. Karl Urban steals several scenes, this is the first time I have seen him in something since The Chronicles of Riddick. The church takes the biggest beating, so much so that I wonder why there were no protests.
In conclusion, I wouldn't expect any Oscar nods but a decent action flick. Thumbs up.