Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Moofies - Kate Winslet, Kevin Smith, and an Ambiguous Priest
It seems I've watched a truckload of films since I last posted about moofies, so here is my rants on them.
Doubt was this classy film based on a play, and written for the screen and directed by the playwrite. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a catholic priest, the principal of a school, Meryl Streep is a harsh, concerned nun, and Amy Adams is a young nun who cares about her students. I don't want to say more than that about the plot, but if you don't like ambiguous endings then this film will drive you nuts. I really liked it though. It's this great, multi-layered film with some beautiful shots and great performances that leave you unsure about anything.
Frost/Nixon is the latest Ron Howard moofie. It wasn't bad. I think it needed some more real footage in it to show us the reality of it all. Howard also uses that annoying doco technique where he occasionally cuts to these interview style scenes. Characters say things like, "Oh yeah. It was a crazy time, man. I remember we were all shitting ourselves", or whatever. Sure, that would be fine if it was a doco. The problem is that I kneow Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt are actors acting as real people already. Putting them in this interview situation just makes that fact more obvious, because of course they weren't there. I realise they're acting, but it took me out of the story every time he used it. Stupid doco style. Ugh! Anyway, there were other regular scenes in the film that were very good. It's not amazing, but I think it's worth seeing. This guy I watched it with made a great comparison. He said Frost interviewing Nixon would be like Rove interview George Bush today.
Milk is the latest Gus Van Sant film. It's another historical account of actual events, but it's done in a much better fashion. There's a ton of actual footage interspliced into the film, and the images match up really well. Sean Penn seems like maybe he takes himself way too seriously in real life, but I think he knows how to act. There's also a huge cast of great young actors alongside him. It's a bit obvious, but Milk completely relates to the current rights that homosexuals have had taken away from them recently in the U.S. They could get married for a time, but not any more. Crazy stuff. Watching this felt like Van Sant was preaching to the converted because why would a homophobe watch this film, but it was still good stuff.
Revolutionary Road, the first of two Kate Winslet films we watched recently. This was intense. Sam Mendes rules though. His resume is so short, but it's all class. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet come back to perform together as adults in a story about marraige in the 1950s. An early scene, before the title credit, sees them arguing in the car. Maybe it's because the title hadn't come up yet, but it had me hanging. It was all very anxious. Throughout the film I started to want these characters to make it, to work out their marraige or whatever. Do they? Well, what do you think? You pretty much see the end coming a mile away, but it doesn't stop it from being a really good film. It's also sad that the issues about relationships that are explored in this film can be related to directly today. I guess that's why film makers decide to do projects about the past. It wouldn't make sense to make a film that a 2009 audience couldn't relate to at all. Duuuuh, I'm smart.
The Reader is another film starring Winslet. It's set in post WW2 Germany, and occasinally flashes forward to different times, up to 1995. It starts off as a sort of unusual romance between a teenage boy and Kate Winslet. Then it takes a turn which I didn't see coming. I don't want to tell you what happens, but it ends up concerning concentration camps. There were a few too many nice little coincidences used in the plot for me to totally dig this, but the way it handles the WW2 stuff was really solid. We see things from a different point of view, complicating and humanising the whole thing. It's classy stuff.
Lastly, the new Kevin Smith moofie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. This was likeable enough. It has all of Smith's potty humour and stuff, which makes me laugh most of the time. The premise is retarded, but the characters are really likeable so it doesn't matter. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks have been friends since kindergarden. They live together, but they've never hooked up. They're broke and are going to get kicked out of their house, so they make a porno to make some money. They are going to have sex together for the first time in the porno. I wonder what will happen???? It's a no-brainer, but like I said, it's likeable. I've never really been 110% into a Kevin Smith movie since Chasing Amy. After that they became less about comic books and the jokes seemed more obvious. Sure, there are a bunch of neat pop culture references still, but it's not the same. I'll still watch his stuff though, even if he did say "no more view askew" to make an average drama, only to come running back to his fans with Clerks 2 afterwards. What a douchebag, huh.
I wonder if Kevin Smith will ever read this, with me calling him a douche. It's possible, right? Meh. Who cares? Have a great day.
OH, OH, I almost forgot. I also saw Carnival of Gore starring Crispin Glover, Brad Dourif, and like a million other awesome horror film guys. This was one of those crazy, "what the hell is going on", kind of horror films, but I really enjoyed it.
That's it.
jej
Doubt was this classy film based on a play, and written for the screen and directed by the playwrite. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a catholic priest, the principal of a school, Meryl Streep is a harsh, concerned nun, and Amy Adams is a young nun who cares about her students. I don't want to say more than that about the plot, but if you don't like ambiguous endings then this film will drive you nuts. I really liked it though. It's this great, multi-layered film with some beautiful shots and great performances that leave you unsure about anything.
Frost/Nixon is the latest Ron Howard moofie. It wasn't bad. I think it needed some more real footage in it to show us the reality of it all. Howard also uses that annoying doco technique where he occasionally cuts to these interview style scenes. Characters say things like, "Oh yeah. It was a crazy time, man. I remember we were all shitting ourselves", or whatever. Sure, that would be fine if it was a doco. The problem is that I kneow Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt are actors acting as real people already. Putting them in this interview situation just makes that fact more obvious, because of course they weren't there. I realise they're acting, but it took me out of the story every time he used it. Stupid doco style. Ugh! Anyway, there were other regular scenes in the film that were very good. It's not amazing, but I think it's worth seeing. This guy I watched it with made a great comparison. He said Frost interviewing Nixon would be like Rove interview George Bush today.
Milk is the latest Gus Van Sant film. It's another historical account of actual events, but it's done in a much better fashion. There's a ton of actual footage interspliced into the film, and the images match up really well. Sean Penn seems like maybe he takes himself way too seriously in real life, but I think he knows how to act. There's also a huge cast of great young actors alongside him. It's a bit obvious, but Milk completely relates to the current rights that homosexuals have had taken away from them recently in the U.S. They could get married for a time, but not any more. Crazy stuff. Watching this felt like Van Sant was preaching to the converted because why would a homophobe watch this film, but it was still good stuff.
Revolutionary Road, the first of two Kate Winslet films we watched recently. This was intense. Sam Mendes rules though. His resume is so short, but it's all class. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet come back to perform together as adults in a story about marraige in the 1950s. An early scene, before the title credit, sees them arguing in the car. Maybe it's because the title hadn't come up yet, but it had me hanging. It was all very anxious. Throughout the film I started to want these characters to make it, to work out their marraige or whatever. Do they? Well, what do you think? You pretty much see the end coming a mile away, but it doesn't stop it from being a really good film. It's also sad that the issues about relationships that are explored in this film can be related to directly today. I guess that's why film makers decide to do projects about the past. It wouldn't make sense to make a film that a 2009 audience couldn't relate to at all. Duuuuh, I'm smart.
The Reader is another film starring Winslet. It's set in post WW2 Germany, and occasinally flashes forward to different times, up to 1995. It starts off as a sort of unusual romance between a teenage boy and Kate Winslet. Then it takes a turn which I didn't see coming. I don't want to tell you what happens, but it ends up concerning concentration camps. There were a few too many nice little coincidences used in the plot for me to totally dig this, but the way it handles the WW2 stuff was really solid. We see things from a different point of view, complicating and humanising the whole thing. It's classy stuff.
Lastly, the new Kevin Smith moofie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. This was likeable enough. It has all of Smith's potty humour and stuff, which makes me laugh most of the time. The premise is retarded, but the characters are really likeable so it doesn't matter. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks have been friends since kindergarden. They live together, but they've never hooked up. They're broke and are going to get kicked out of their house, so they make a porno to make some money. They are going to have sex together for the first time in the porno. I wonder what will happen???? It's a no-brainer, but like I said, it's likeable. I've never really been 110% into a Kevin Smith movie since Chasing Amy. After that they became less about comic books and the jokes seemed more obvious. Sure, there are a bunch of neat pop culture references still, but it's not the same. I'll still watch his stuff though, even if he did say "no more view askew" to make an average drama, only to come running back to his fans with Clerks 2 afterwards. What a douchebag, huh.
I wonder if Kevin Smith will ever read this, with me calling him a douche. It's possible, right? Meh. Who cares? Have a great day.
OH, OH, I almost forgot. I also saw Carnival of Gore starring Crispin Glover, Brad Dourif, and like a million other awesome horror film guys. This was one of those crazy, "what the hell is going on", kind of horror films, but I really enjoyed it.
That's it.
jej
Friday, January 23, 2009
What Else Is Goin' On '09
Ladies and gentlemen, I have a new job.
I'm working my final shift as a salesman of liquor this Saturday and then next week I begin my job as the 'opener/closer' guy at a cafe down the road from where we live. It's within walking distance, so no more driving to work, and the shifts are much, much shorter, so no more hanging around a shopping centre on my pointless lunchbreaks. I will work for an hour or two in the early morning or early evening and then go home/ to uni and study/bum around.
I bought my uni books this week, all $350 worth. Thankfully I already had two of the books so the sum was lessened to the figure I've given. It looks to be a lot of heavy literature too, but I think I'll enjoy it more than reading Bridget Jones's bloody diary. More of a challenge, but also more rewarding. My uni timetable is pretty fab this semester. I'm only there a day and a half, which is good because I'll need the rest of my 'free time' to get through all this reading.
I've also been doing pretty well on my new year's resolutions so far. I haven't made any totally anal ones or anything. I just want to get a fitter. My gut hangs over my pants a bit now. It never used to that. SO, no alcohol on weeknights, unless I'm out or something; mostly good eating and less of it; an hour of exercise a day (which so far consists of 30 minutes stepping and 30 minutes jogging); and more water and less Coke. I still need a caffene hit, so if it's not an espresso or a sugar free Red Bull it'll have to be that Coke zero business.
And that's it. Wasn't that post super interesting? ;p
jej
I'm working my final shift as a salesman of liquor this Saturday and then next week I begin my job as the 'opener/closer' guy at a cafe down the road from where we live. It's within walking distance, so no more driving to work, and the shifts are much, much shorter, so no more hanging around a shopping centre on my pointless lunchbreaks. I will work for an hour or two in the early morning or early evening and then go home/ to uni and study/bum around.
I bought my uni books this week, all $350 worth. Thankfully I already had two of the books so the sum was lessened to the figure I've given. It looks to be a lot of heavy literature too, but I think I'll enjoy it more than reading Bridget Jones's bloody diary. More of a challenge, but also more rewarding. My uni timetable is pretty fab this semester. I'm only there a day and a half, which is good because I'll need the rest of my 'free time' to get through all this reading.
I've also been doing pretty well on my new year's resolutions so far. I haven't made any totally anal ones or anything. I just want to get a fitter. My gut hangs over my pants a bit now. It never used to that. SO, no alcohol on weeknights, unless I'm out or something; mostly good eating and less of it; an hour of exercise a day (which so far consists of 30 minutes stepping and 30 minutes jogging); and more water and less Coke. I still need a caffene hit, so if it's not an espresso or a sugar free Red Bull it'll have to be that Coke zero business.
And that's it. Wasn't that post super interesting? ;p
jej
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
2nd Wednesday Book Club??
Record numbers at our last book meeting, which meant that the whole affair took quite a bit longer than usual, but it was still awesome as always.
This month's main book was Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Noelene picked this book because she read it in high school and considered it one of her top five books. Now, having read it again recently for the book club, she doesn't place it so high on the list of favourites anymore.
Some of us showed downright contempt for this novel. It wasn't a bad novel and it wasn't badly written or anything. It's just not very interesting and the characters don't really have more than very superficial motivations and extremely simplistic stereotyped character traits. Noelene finds it interesting to think about the time it was written and what it would have been like to live there, how that would shape you during your upbringing, etc, but this is not a book that I would recommend reading. Pick one of the other Bronte books instead.
This month I also read J.M. Coetzee's Diary of a Bad Year. I read Disgrace last year as part of a unit at uni and I really liked the way he writes. It's not flowery or overly dramatic or anything, and he deals with really complex situations and ideas in a unique way. Anyway, Diary is a brief book that kind of feels like a song or something. The pages are divided into three sections. The first make up a collection of Coetzee's opinions on different subjects, comparing Australia to South Africa in relation to some of them. The second section (before the introduction of the third in the middle of the page) is about Coetzee's interest in a woman who lives in his building. He hires her to edit his book of opinions for him. The third sectino is told from the woman's point of view. It's not groundbreaking stuff or anything but it was an interesting read.
I also snuck in some Scott Pilgrim because they're comic books in book form. Fantastic series about a guy who starts dating this cool girl but then finds out he has to fight her 7 evil exes. Tons of video game references and junk, it almost feels like it's trying really hard to be super cool but I buy it. I think it's got some kind of honsety to it.
I also paraded my first printed journal. At blurb you can make and print your own stuff. This journal is a diary entry type deal with lots of photos, and will probably be the first of many. If you have any interest in printing stuff for yourself I highly recommend checking blurb out. It's not super cheap or anything, but the printing quality is good, the binding quality is okay, and the turnaround is super fast.
We also spoke about Neil Gaiman, cookbooks, Jungian symbols and signs, and a cheesy Christian novel that sounds like it had a good point in amongst its awfulness.
Next month we return to Tuesday night meetings, and the pick of the month is from Joanne. We're reading Terry Pratchett's Nightwatch.
jej
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Moofies - Woody Allen and The Wrestler
Two newby films to blab about.
Vicky Christina Barcelona is the latest from Woody Allen. I really love how dialogue driven his films are. This could have done without the narration, which was pretty intrusive, but other than that it was good film. Barcelona looks beautiful, as do everyone in the cast. It's all very sexy and everything. Nothing amazing, but it's nice and I could easily watch it again.
The Wrestler is the latest from Darren Aronofosky, that guy who makes completely depressing films that make you want to slit your wrists. His last film The Fountain met with a lot of harsh criticism, but I think it was just a big ask of a film. This, however, will receive glowing reviews all round, I'm sure. Mickey Rourke is so ridiculously well cast in this, as is Marisa Tomei and everyone else involved. Rourke is an over the hill wrestler whose body is breaking under the strain he constantly puts it under. It feels very honest and the characters feel very real. It does get the tiniest bit overly dramatic in a couple of spots, but I can forgive that because the rest is done so well. It could just be funny or take wrestling too seriously, but the balance and everything is really spot on. Mickey Rourke rules.
jej
Vicky Christina Barcelona is the latest from Woody Allen. I really love how dialogue driven his films are. This could have done without the narration, which was pretty intrusive, but other than that it was good film. Barcelona looks beautiful, as do everyone in the cast. It's all very sexy and everything. Nothing amazing, but it's nice and I could easily watch it again.
The Wrestler is the latest from Darren Aronofosky, that guy who makes completely depressing films that make you want to slit your wrists. His last film The Fountain met with a lot of harsh criticism, but I think it was just a big ask of a film. This, however, will receive glowing reviews all round, I'm sure. Mickey Rourke is so ridiculously well cast in this, as is Marisa Tomei and everyone else involved. Rourke is an over the hill wrestler whose body is breaking under the strain he constantly puts it under. It feels very honest and the characters feel very real. It does get the tiniest bit overly dramatic in a couple of spots, but I can forgive that because the rest is done so well. It could just be funny or take wrestling too seriously, but the balance and everything is really spot on. Mickey Rourke rules.
jej
Because I know that you want to know...
Watchmen Hearing Cancelled
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
January 14, 2009
A scheduled Tuesday court conference between Fox and Warner Bros. attorneys has been cancelled, fueling talk that a settlement in the contentious Watchmen case is imminent.
Fox sued Warners last February, saying the studio infringed on its rights to make the comic book adaptation. In December, when federal judge Gary A. Feess ruled that Fox has distribution rights to the film, Warners faced the prospect of having the film's March 6 release blocked.
Settlement talks between the two sides became serious over the weekend and continued to heat up yesterday.
A settlement could cost Warners tens of millions of dollars as Fox is reportedly asking for upfront fees as well as a percentage of the back-end.
jej
Fox sued Warners last February, saying the studio infringed on its rights to make the comic book adaptation. In December, when federal judge Gary A. Feess ruled that Fox has distribution rights to the film, Warners faced the prospect of having the film's March 6 release blocked.
Settlement talks between the two sides became serious over the weekend and continued to heat up yesterday.
A settlement could cost Warners tens of millions of dollars as Fox is reportedly asking for upfront fees as well as a percentage of the back-end.
jej
Zooey Deschanel is unavailable, folks
Sure, she can't spell 'Zoe' in any kind of fo-net-ik fashion, but she's super hot and you love her. I was told last night that she's engaged to Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard, so now all your fantasies are adulterous (well, almost).
Aren't they cute together? They're so cute I want to barf. Da,m cool people getting together. Damn them all.
But seriously, congrats to the two of you, if you ever do a vanity google search and find this garbage post.
jej
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What's Goin' On '09
Hey folks.
So, what's been happening with me? Well, we've had people staying at our house over the last few days. Our neice came and we spent a lot of time playing video games, and Mr Matthew spent some time with us before he jet setted back to the United Kingdom of Pom. We also went bowling. I haven't been bowling in a loooong time, but every time I do I wish I did it more often. Throwing a heavy ball as hard as I can at some pins is fun. I got two strikes. Here is my victory strike jump:
It was our wedding anniversary. I made a video about last year's adventures, but this year we kind of cheated and just went to a really nice restaurant. We went to a revolving restaurant in Canberra on our honeymoon, so it was neat to go to one in our home town of Perth on our anniversary. Canberra is pretty to look at, but I think I preffered seeing where I live from a great height. I kept seeing landmarks that reminded me of different things, different times that I'd been to various places. Anyway, the food was amazing, the view was amazing. Well, it doesn't look amazing, but trust me, being up there and seieng it was pretty swell. Here it is:
Last night was Mr Gilbert Whyte's CD launch at Mojos. My brother and Malcolm screened the music video they made for one of Gil's songs, that I posted on here a while back. It was great to see the whole room go quiet and sombre. Very effective stuff. It was a great gig and his CD is great. you should buy one.
4.5 weeks until uni goes back. I'm sure it will fly by and I'll be up to my neck in Shakespeare readings and assignments before I know it. I'm also looking for another job. I don't mind my job at all really, but I hate driving. If I can find something with a similar pay rate that is within walking distance of my house then I'll take it.
That's it really. Book Club tonight. Should be a blast. WOOT!
jej
So, what's been happening with me? Well, we've had people staying at our house over the last few days. Our neice came and we spent a lot of time playing video games, and Mr Matthew spent some time with us before he jet setted back to the United Kingdom of Pom. We also went bowling. I haven't been bowling in a loooong time, but every time I do I wish I did it more often. Throwing a heavy ball as hard as I can at some pins is fun. I got two strikes. Here is my victory strike jump:
It was our wedding anniversary. I made a video about last year's adventures, but this year we kind of cheated and just went to a really nice restaurant. We went to a revolving restaurant in Canberra on our honeymoon, so it was neat to go to one in our home town of Perth on our anniversary. Canberra is pretty to look at, but I think I preffered seeing where I live from a great height. I kept seeing landmarks that reminded me of different things, different times that I'd been to various places. Anyway, the food was amazing, the view was amazing. Well, it doesn't look amazing, but trust me, being up there and seieng it was pretty swell. Here it is:
Last night was Mr Gilbert Whyte's CD launch at Mojos. My brother and Malcolm screened the music video they made for one of Gil's songs, that I posted on here a while back. It was great to see the whole room go quiet and sombre. Very effective stuff. It was a great gig and his CD is great. you should buy one.
4.5 weeks until uni goes back. I'm sure it will fly by and I'll be up to my neck in Shakespeare readings and assignments before I know it. I'm also looking for another job. I don't mind my job at all really, but I hate driving. If I can find something with a similar pay rate that is within walking distance of my house then I'll take it.
That's it really. Book Club tonight. Should be a blast. WOOT!
jej
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Moofies - Slumdog Millionaire, Day the Earth Stood Still
My wife is on holidays at the moment, so much moofie watching has taken place. I'll start with the two newbie films and then blab a little about the DVDs we've watched.
Slumdog Millionaire is about a young guy in Mumbai who is winning at 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. Seeing as he has grown up on the streets the police think he is cheating, so they go through a video tape of the episode with him. Each question asked coincidentally corresponds with a particular moment in his life, thus providing him with the answers. We get to see the life of this young guy in flashbacks, question by question. It was okay, but the premise gets a little thin by the end. There's a big romantic subplot thrown in and it's all a bit silly really. It was kind of strange seeing these 'real' moments, like police torture, thrown in with a gameshow and some romance. It was hard not to like this film though. The characters are all fairly likeable and the cast has a big choreographed dance sequence over the credits, thus showing us that the film isn't taking itself too seriously. It wasn't the best film I've ever seen, but I think it's worth a look.
The Day The Earth Stood Still is this summer's big sci-fi blockbuster. I haven't seen the original since I was a kid, but I imagine this is quite different. I liked how they kept the design of the big killer robot thing quite similar though. It still has that smooth skinned, simple look of an old sci-fi robot, amongst all the super dooper SFX of today. Keanu has come to warn us that we are destroying the planet but, thanks to the one scene starring John Cleese, he learns that 'when we are on the precipise we learn to change' or something. I think this movie is pretty optimistic about the human race. I would think that when we are on the precipise we just argue about whether or not we are actually on the precipise and nothing changes. Other than that the movie was fine. No surprises but Jennifer Connelly is totally hot and can act, Will Smith junior is a good cryer, and I wasn't confused or annoyed for any of the proceedings. They did an okay job of making Keanu all alien like too, looking really tall and kind of blank faced. It was pretty funny seeing Australia's little shout out near the end though. As we cut to a bunch of countries in the aftermath of the conclusion of the film we see one lone couple standing infront of the Sydney Harbour bridge and the Opera House. Why there wasn't huge crowds like everywhere else I don't know. Also, Manhattan gets a huge orb but the rest of the world only gets smaller orb. I guess the aliens think that Manhattan is the centre of the fucking universe just like Hollywood does.
So, DVDs:
One of the best gifts I've ever received was given to me this Xmas. The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue aka Don't Open The Window on DVD. I haven't seen a decent zombie film in ages, and this is as classy as they come. It's from 1974, directed by a Spanish guy with a Spanish and Italian crew. It has a nice slow build up with lots of creepy atmospheric '70s style shots. Then about half way through the gore begins and it builds up to a nasty conclusion of disturbing gross old school gore. If you dig Romero and Argento films then you have to see this. The DVD is packed with decent extras too. The director returned to Britain with a journalist to revisit all the locations that the film was shot at. Awesome stuff. This has totally rekindled my interest in old zombie flicks. I thought I might have already seen all the really good ones, but I was wrong.
We've also been watching a bunch of films that I haven't seen since I was about 12. Big Trouble In Little China is kind of crazy really, but I loved it as a kid. It's a pretty messy movie really, but who cares? Kurt Russel fights flying ninjas and monsters and Kim Cattrell is a reporter or some crap?? Sweeeeeet!
Conan The Barbarian is the most awesome thing in the universe. Sure 300 is a great visual testosterone fest but it has nothing on Conan. A young buff Arnold, James Earl Jones changes into a snake and he also uses snakes as arrows, Mako narrates it; this is gold, man.
Bloodsport is another classic crappy '80s movie. A young Van Damme looking gayer than he has in anything I've seen in ages. When he kisses the female lead it looks really unnatural and strange. I don't know what his sexual preference is, and I don't really care, but when he flashes his bum while he's pulling up his jocks and kisses the lead with his nice pink lipstickes lips he looks totally gay. The fights are freaking sweet and there's a big loud fat American moron as a sidekick that I'm sure I thought was really cool when I was a kid.
That's it.
jej
Slumdog Millionaire is about a young guy in Mumbai who is winning at 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'. Seeing as he has grown up on the streets the police think he is cheating, so they go through a video tape of the episode with him. Each question asked coincidentally corresponds with a particular moment in his life, thus providing him with the answers. We get to see the life of this young guy in flashbacks, question by question. It was okay, but the premise gets a little thin by the end. There's a big romantic subplot thrown in and it's all a bit silly really. It was kind of strange seeing these 'real' moments, like police torture, thrown in with a gameshow and some romance. It was hard not to like this film though. The characters are all fairly likeable and the cast has a big choreographed dance sequence over the credits, thus showing us that the film isn't taking itself too seriously. It wasn't the best film I've ever seen, but I think it's worth a look.
The Day The Earth Stood Still is this summer's big sci-fi blockbuster. I haven't seen the original since I was a kid, but I imagine this is quite different. I liked how they kept the design of the big killer robot thing quite similar though. It still has that smooth skinned, simple look of an old sci-fi robot, amongst all the super dooper SFX of today. Keanu has come to warn us that we are destroying the planet but, thanks to the one scene starring John Cleese, he learns that 'when we are on the precipise we learn to change' or something. I think this movie is pretty optimistic about the human race. I would think that when we are on the precipise we just argue about whether or not we are actually on the precipise and nothing changes. Other than that the movie was fine. No surprises but Jennifer Connelly is totally hot and can act, Will Smith junior is a good cryer, and I wasn't confused or annoyed for any of the proceedings. They did an okay job of making Keanu all alien like too, looking really tall and kind of blank faced. It was pretty funny seeing Australia's little shout out near the end though. As we cut to a bunch of countries in the aftermath of the conclusion of the film we see one lone couple standing infront of the Sydney Harbour bridge and the Opera House. Why there wasn't huge crowds like everywhere else I don't know. Also, Manhattan gets a huge orb but the rest of the world only gets smaller orb. I guess the aliens think that Manhattan is the centre of the fucking universe just like Hollywood does.
So, DVDs:
One of the best gifts I've ever received was given to me this Xmas. The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue aka Don't Open The Window on DVD. I haven't seen a decent zombie film in ages, and this is as classy as they come. It's from 1974, directed by a Spanish guy with a Spanish and Italian crew. It has a nice slow build up with lots of creepy atmospheric '70s style shots. Then about half way through the gore begins and it builds up to a nasty conclusion of disturbing gross old school gore. If you dig Romero and Argento films then you have to see this. The DVD is packed with decent extras too. The director returned to Britain with a journalist to revisit all the locations that the film was shot at. Awesome stuff. This has totally rekindled my interest in old zombie flicks. I thought I might have already seen all the really good ones, but I was wrong.
We've also been watching a bunch of films that I haven't seen since I was about 12. Big Trouble In Little China is kind of crazy really, but I loved it as a kid. It's a pretty messy movie really, but who cares? Kurt Russel fights flying ninjas and monsters and Kim Cattrell is a reporter or some crap?? Sweeeeeet!
Conan The Barbarian is the most awesome thing in the universe. Sure 300 is a great visual testosterone fest but it has nothing on Conan. A young buff Arnold, James Earl Jones changes into a snake and he also uses snakes as arrows, Mako narrates it; this is gold, man.
Bloodsport is another classic crappy '80s movie. A young Van Damme looking gayer than he has in anything I've seen in ages. When he kisses the female lead it looks really unnatural and strange. I don't know what his sexual preference is, and I don't really care, but when he flashes his bum while he's pulling up his jocks and kisses the lead with his nice pink lipstickes lips he looks totally gay. The fights are freaking sweet and there's a big loud fat American moron as a sidekick that I'm sure I thought was really cool when I was a kid.
That's it.
jej
Monday, January 05, 2009
2009 - Nerd Telly
Hey all. We are now officially in the new year, and thanks to this article, I have a few crappy TV shows to get excited about. One of them is a brand new Stargate series:
...and this:
In other, much less nerdy news, I had a gig at the Swan last Sunday and a bunch of people came to see me. Big thanks to you all :) I'm playing again this Sunday, but I imagine it will be to a much smaller crowd. It's kind of strange playing again. It's not something I'm really actively pursuing. I was pretty happy just playing at home, but Mr Gilbert Whyte is leaving town and has organised a few gigs before he goes, and he asked me to play, so I said yes. Will I play after he's gone? I have no idea.
Well, I've got cricket to watch and comics to read. Cya.
jej
Stargate Universe
This present-day series finds a team of Earth explorers aboard an Ancient ship named Destiny as they fend for themselves in the far reaches of the universe, unable to return to Earth. Described as a user-friendly Stargate that will appeal to veteran fans as well as newcomers, and will rely less on stand-alone episodes but rather more serialized storytelling. This third Stargate series featured inspired casting of Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, 28 Weeks Later) as head of this group of explorers. There were many heavy hearts with the cancellation of Stargate: SG-1, and this might fill that void for long-time fans while still attracting new viewers (and higher ratings) that an expensive show like this needs to survive....and this:
Star Wars live action show
Originally announced by Lucas in 2005, the series will be set between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and will cover the Empire's expansion over the Republic and the growing rebellion against it. In 2007, producer Rick McCallum said it could run up to 400 episodes and it will be the closest thing to get to the original trilogy. But people are hedging their bets for a 2009 release; the success of The Clone Wars animated series could push it either way.In other, much less nerdy news, I had a gig at the Swan last Sunday and a bunch of people came to see me. Big thanks to you all :) I'm playing again this Sunday, but I imagine it will be to a much smaller crowd. It's kind of strange playing again. It's not something I'm really actively pursuing. I was pretty happy just playing at home, but Mr Gilbert Whyte is leaving town and has organised a few gigs before he goes, and he asked me to play, so I said yes. Will I play after he's gone? I have no idea.
Well, I've got cricket to watch and comics to read. Cya.
jej
Friday, January 02, 2009
2008 - A Year in Film
Yep, I'm still here. I've been working and holidaying and all of that kind of summer holidays business. I'm now back home and posting, and as promised, here is a list of all the films I saw that were released this year, complete with my two cents on each one:
27 DRESSES
Katherine Heigl is hot, but this movie is just another creepy re-enforcement of old, tired values.
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS
Jokes about chipmunks with excrement in their mouths are not cute or funny.
AUSTRALIA
Poorly handled tripe, but Hugh Jackman takes his shirt off.
BANK JOB, THE
ANother bloody British heist movie. It was okay, but the third act sucked pretty hard.
BLACK BALLOON, THE
Classy drama that focuses on the brother of a kid with aspergers, rather than the kid or the parents.
BE KIND REWIND
This should've sucked, but I like the nice love of movies. It feels genuine.
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD
Good acting and everything, but it's not amazing.
BURN AFTER READING
The Coen Brothers make another good film that's funny and interesting and all of that.
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
A creepy kids film where the cute CGI rat kills people. It's also boring.
CLOVERFIELD
Pretty well done concept movie that was easy to watch.
DAN IN REAL LIFE
A romantic drama comedy movie that was okay while I was watching it, but I never want to see it again.
DARK KNIGHT, THE
Best film of the year. Fusing comic book and reality with the perfect balance for my liking.
DEATH DEFYING ACTS
Boooooring. Guy Pierce's awesomeness couldn't even take my attentio naway from how much Catherine Zeta Jones sucks.
DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY, THE
This could of been really depressing, but it was pretty uplifting.
FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Two great martial arts actors finally come together when they're over the hill and make a piece of garbage.
FUNNY GAMES
A remake, but it's sort of an experiment so I liked it.
GET SMART
I really wanted to like this more than I did. Perfect casting though.
GONE BABY GONE
Casey Affleck in a gritty cop drama. I really dug this.
HAPPENING, THE
Shyamalan sucks, and I will watch every single one of his suckfests.
HANCOCK
Half an enjoyable movie, half a crazy angel piece of over serious crapola.
HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
A "political" comedy with fart jokes and dope. I really like these movies for some reason. Maybe I'm just infantile.
HELLBOY 2
An alien took acid and made this movie. It looks pretty incredible.
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE
Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst are really likeable. This is just another rom-com with a twist, but it was nice.
HUNGER
Nasty drama movie that was hard to watch. Freaking brilliant.
I AM LEGEND
A zombie movie where the zombies look more like monsters than humans, thus defeating the purpose of the whole story.
IN BRUGES
Heaps of fun to watch.
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
America loosing it's faith in the military. It was okay, but it kind of felt like it should've come out 3 years ago.
INCREDIBLE HULK, THE
Made fanboys happy, but people like me who actually like good films thought it was shitty. The action was sweet though.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
I've watched this a few times now. It sucks, but I really enjoy it.
IRON MAN
So awesome. Now the world knows that Robert DOwney Jnr and Marvel Comics are both awesome.
JUNO
So self aware it was infuriating. The soundtrack was great though.
KING OF KONG
Video game nerds are cool.
KITE RUNNER, THE
Kind of a stupid handling of a serious story. The 'bad guy' is soooo bad. It just seems distasteful.
KUNG FU PANDA
Pretty likeable.
LARS & THE REAL GIRL
Screw you Lars. This could've been good, but it came off so trite.
LOVE GURU, THE
Mike Myers is living in the early '80s, when this kind of crap was considered funny and I was young enough to laugh at it.
LUST, CAUTION
Long, boring, and cool.
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
Nicole Kidman's fake lips freak me out. This was alright.
MARTIAN CHILD
It was nice, until the overly dramatic ending ruined it.
MEET THE SPARTANS
When will I learn to not watch this crap?
MEN'S GROUP
Best performances of the year. This was really great.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
I liked this way more than I should have.
MONGOL
A beautiful looking film about Gengis Kahn. This was pretty classy.
NEVER BACK DOWN
'The O.C.' with more fist fights. I loved this.
OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, THE
This was okay, but it didn't grab me or anything; however, the three main stars are all totally hot.
PARANOID PARK
A Gus Van Sant film that involves a mystery and skating. I really loved this.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
What's with everyone hating on this film? I laughed all the way through it, even if I was the only one on the cinema laughing.
PROM NIGHT
A nice, old school '80s teen horror flick. This was neat.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
A pretty straight forward action, but we dug it.
RAMBO
Stallone rules. This was surprisingly really good. Ultra violence that was nasty and made me cry, followed by ultra violence that made me cheer.
RUN FATBOY RUN
This was nice and funny. Simon Pegg, Dylan Moran, and Hank Azaria all seem like really cool people.
SAVAGES, THE
A decent drama dealing with a subject I've never really seen on film before.
SMART PEOPLE
A bit smarmy, but it was easy to sit through.
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
Star Wars finally tipped over into the 'totally for kids' genre. Other than the humour I liked it.
SWEENEY TODD
Tim Burton should really think about retiring. Sacha Baron Cohen was cool, but JOhnny Depp and Burton just keep redoing the exact same thing.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Long, boring, and cool.
TROPIC THUNDER
This should've been way funnier than it was.
WALL - E
Best animated film I've seen in ages.
WANTED
Totally retarded, but I really enjoyed it.
X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
This sucked so hard, but I enjoyed it. I felt like I was a 'Bold and the Beautiful' fan, seeing a 'Bold' film at the cinema.
YOU DON't MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
Despite not laughing at most of his jokes, I think I like Adam Sandler. He made a movie that dealt with a serious cultural problem using fart jokes and having sex with old women.
ZOMBIE STRIPPERS
This wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped it would be, but it was okay I guess.
jej
27 DRESSES
Katherine Heigl is hot, but this movie is just another creepy re-enforcement of old, tired values.
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS
Jokes about chipmunks with excrement in their mouths are not cute or funny.
AUSTRALIA
Poorly handled tripe, but Hugh Jackman takes his shirt off.
BANK JOB, THE
ANother bloody British heist movie. It was okay, but the third act sucked pretty hard.
BLACK BALLOON, THE
Classy drama that focuses on the brother of a kid with aspergers, rather than the kid or the parents.
BE KIND REWIND
This should've sucked, but I like the nice love of movies. It feels genuine.
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD
Good acting and everything, but it's not amazing.
BURN AFTER READING
The Coen Brothers make another good film that's funny and interesting and all of that.
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
A creepy kids film where the cute CGI rat kills people. It's also boring.
CLOVERFIELD
Pretty well done concept movie that was easy to watch.
DAN IN REAL LIFE
A romantic drama comedy movie that was okay while I was watching it, but I never want to see it again.
DARK KNIGHT, THE
Best film of the year. Fusing comic book and reality with the perfect balance for my liking.
DEATH DEFYING ACTS
Boooooring. Guy Pierce's awesomeness couldn't even take my attentio naway from how much Catherine Zeta Jones sucks.
DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY, THE
This could of been really depressing, but it was pretty uplifting.
FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Two great martial arts actors finally come together when they're over the hill and make a piece of garbage.
FUNNY GAMES
A remake, but it's sort of an experiment so I liked it.
GET SMART
I really wanted to like this more than I did. Perfect casting though.
GONE BABY GONE
Casey Affleck in a gritty cop drama. I really dug this.
HAPPENING, THE
Shyamalan sucks, and I will watch every single one of his suckfests.
HANCOCK
Half an enjoyable movie, half a crazy angel piece of over serious crapola.
HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
A "political" comedy with fart jokes and dope. I really like these movies for some reason. Maybe I'm just infantile.
HELLBOY 2
An alien took acid and made this movie. It looks pretty incredible.
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE
Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst are really likeable. This is just another rom-com with a twist, but it was nice.
HUNGER
Nasty drama movie that was hard to watch. Freaking brilliant.
I AM LEGEND
A zombie movie where the zombies look more like monsters than humans, thus defeating the purpose of the whole story.
IN BRUGES
Heaps of fun to watch.
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
America loosing it's faith in the military. It was okay, but it kind of felt like it should've come out 3 years ago.
INCREDIBLE HULK, THE
Made fanboys happy, but people like me who actually like good films thought it was shitty. The action was sweet though.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
I've watched this a few times now. It sucks, but I really enjoy it.
IRON MAN
So awesome. Now the world knows that Robert DOwney Jnr and Marvel Comics are both awesome.
JUNO
So self aware it was infuriating. The soundtrack was great though.
KING OF KONG
Video game nerds are cool.
KITE RUNNER, THE
Kind of a stupid handling of a serious story. The 'bad guy' is soooo bad. It just seems distasteful.
KUNG FU PANDA
Pretty likeable.
LARS & THE REAL GIRL
Screw you Lars. This could've been good, but it came off so trite.
LOVE GURU, THE
Mike Myers is living in the early '80s, when this kind of crap was considered funny and I was young enough to laugh at it.
LUST, CAUTION
Long, boring, and cool.
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
Nicole Kidman's fake lips freak me out. This was alright.
MARTIAN CHILD
It was nice, until the overly dramatic ending ruined it.
MEET THE SPARTANS
When will I learn to not watch this crap?
MEN'S GROUP
Best performances of the year. This was really great.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
I liked this way more than I should have.
MONGOL
A beautiful looking film about Gengis Kahn. This was pretty classy.
NEVER BACK DOWN
'The O.C.' with more fist fights. I loved this.
OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, THE
This was okay, but it didn't grab me or anything; however, the three main stars are all totally hot.
PARANOID PARK
A Gus Van Sant film that involves a mystery and skating. I really loved this.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
What's with everyone hating on this film? I laughed all the way through it, even if I was the only one on the cinema laughing.
PROM NIGHT
A nice, old school '80s teen horror flick. This was neat.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
A pretty straight forward action, but we dug it.
RAMBO
Stallone rules. This was surprisingly really good. Ultra violence that was nasty and made me cry, followed by ultra violence that made me cheer.
RUN FATBOY RUN
This was nice and funny. Simon Pegg, Dylan Moran, and Hank Azaria all seem like really cool people.
SAVAGES, THE
A decent drama dealing with a subject I've never really seen on film before.
SMART PEOPLE
A bit smarmy, but it was easy to sit through.
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
Star Wars finally tipped over into the 'totally for kids' genre. Other than the humour I liked it.
SWEENEY TODD
Tim Burton should really think about retiring. Sacha Baron Cohen was cool, but JOhnny Depp and Burton just keep redoing the exact same thing.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Long, boring, and cool.
TROPIC THUNDER
This should've been way funnier than it was.
WALL - E
Best animated film I've seen in ages.
WANTED
Totally retarded, but I really enjoyed it.
X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
This sucked so hard, but I enjoyed it. I felt like I was a 'Bold and the Beautiful' fan, seeing a 'Bold' film at the cinema.
YOU DON't MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
Despite not laughing at most of his jokes, I think I like Adam Sandler. He made a movie that dealt with a serious cultural problem using fart jokes and having sex with old women.
ZOMBIE STRIPPERS
This wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped it would be, but it was okay I guess.
jej
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