|
Title
|
Synopsis/Review
|
See
it/Skip it
|
| A
|
|
| Akeelah
and the Bee (2006) |
Yeah,
it's pretty Disney, but it's a positive story, heartwarming
and inspiring in every way. Keke Palmer is a girl in LA's Crenshaw
district overcomes insecurities on her way to the a slot in
the National Spelling Bee. Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett
star with a talented young cast. |
See
it
- Well scripted and acted. Good upbeat film.
DVD/Free |
| Amazing
Screw On Head (2006) - 11/07 |
Much
weirder than I was ready for. This was recommended for the voice-over
work of the characters. Paul Giamatti, David Hyde-Pierce and
others. It actually is a TV-length show and so moves along without
much regard for larger themes. Kind of had a bizarre flip-book
anime quality, but the voice work was pretty forgettable. Probably
a legion of comic book devotees think this is high art, and
maybe it didn't get translated too well to moving images. Which
don't move particularly well. And it's weird. |
See
it
- I wouldn't pay for it, but I didn't mind seeing it, as it
ends before it gets annoying.
DVD/Paid |
| American
Dreamz (2006) - 4/08 |
A
president wins a second term in office and then realizes he
knows nothing about the world which he is shaping. Starts reading.
Becomes a recluse. His cheif of staff and wife decide that being
on an American Idol-type show will put him back in the public
eye. Many, many specific images to current conditions keep this
from having a larger satirical theme, so it plays like an overlong
SNL skit with mimickry over insight. |
Skip
it
- Not funny enough, not incisive enough. More misses than hits
for me.
DVD/Paid |
| Ant
Bully (2006) |
Despite
my hesitation to see yet another sorta-kids-level-animated-film,
this was pretty cool. A couple of script-jumps; like how an
ant can concoct such a potion and the reason The Exterminator
shows up to buttonhole the kid (answered in deleted scenes,
actually). Otherwise, nicely rendered with cool wasps and a
decent message. |
See
it
-Why does it seem that they can get better scripts and performances
out of animation these days?
DVD/Paid |
| Art
School Confidential (2006) |
Darkly
comic and quirky tale of a talented young and niave artist who
comes from the suburbs into an inner-city art school, where
the universe includes frustrated and jaded teachers, insane
and stereotypical fellow students and a murderer who is offing
random folks on campus. Some of the jokes fall flat, but this
film is must if you ever sat through a student art critique.
Also, the "Home for the Holidays" scene is hilarious. |
See
it
-Guardedly optimistic on this somewhat quirky film.
DVD/Paid |
| August
Rush (2007) - 3/08 |
An
orphan child holds the faith that his parents are out there
and that through music he will find them. Decent performances
inhabit a script that borrows heavily from "Oliver Twist"
and then creates - and I say this with love - a series utterly
unbelievable circumstances to triangulate the characters toward
one another. Ok, I get that it's a fairy tale, but man-o-man-o-man,
you find youself picking out all the inconsistencies, if not
chuckling at the "constructs" in the script. |
See
it
- Right on the edge of skip/see it. You need to suspend disbelief.
Otherwise, you will mock it.
DVD/Paid |
| |
|
| B
|
|
| Be
Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt (2005) -
3/08 |
A
pretty astonishing look at the live of an incredible songwriter
and singer. No one can accuse Townes of taking the easy path,
and the use of archival footage lets you see the roadmap of
his travels and pains slowly etching his face. Interviews with
freinds and fellow musicians are equally wrenching, as the love
and anger towards him are still so strongly felt. |
See
it
- One of my favorite lines in the movie is the last on the screen
- not voiced by Townes. A powerful film.
DVD/Paid |
| Bee
Season (2005) |
Richard
Gere plays a Hebrew scholar whose daughter's uncanny ability
to spell may be a key to understanding or enlightenment according
to a 16th Century Kabbalist. His sudden interest in her talent
shifts family dynamics and brings other issues to light. Taken
from Myla Goldberg's novel, which probably (nope - h'ain't read
it...) deals with the myriad of events better than the screenplay.
Some good acting. |
Skip
it
- Ultimately kind of a messy film. You end up having to make
a few leaps and suppositions to tie in all of the story lines
at the end, because it just wasn't on the screen.
DVD/Paid |
| Beijing
Bicycle (2001) - 10/07 |
A
stubborn young man from the country comes to Beijing for work.
As he works to fit and learn, forces begin working to separate
him from his bicycle and his pride. A gritty view into life
in the big city - sort of a Rebel Without a Cause vibe to it
as well. A young man pushed in ways he doesn't seek. Strong
stuff with some excellent acting. |
See
it
- A pretty tough and directly violent film.
DVD/Paid |
| Blades
of Glory (2007) - 10/07 |
This
is a silly, silly movie and it hit the spot just right. Yeah,
I'm sure most of it will be forgotten before too long, but the
spoofs seemed spot on and it was just clever enough to work.
Two banned men's figue skating medalists find they can compete
via a loophole - partnering as "pairs". A fair amount
of crotch impact humor ensues. Nice to see John Heder not escaping
the type casting as a nerd and really spreading his wings as
an effeminite, protected figure skater... |
See
it
- Nice if you are in the mood for light and silly/stupid/funny.
PPV/Paid |
| Blue
Crush (2002) |
Despite
a bit of amatuerish acting and scripting here and there, this
film is actually pretty good. A trio of Hawaiian girls who live
to surf, with one who has a shot at the big time. Crushes with
football stars, rough-ups at the "Local's Spot" and
big wave action. (And just for the record, my wife chose this
movie...) |
See
it
- It ain't high art, but it's a good story with some impressive
footage.
DVD/Paid |
| Big
White, The (2005) - 12/07 |
Just
one of those "not quite there" films. On paper, it
sounded good - Holly Hunter, Robin Williams, Giovanni Ribisi...
But, it plays a bit like a not-quite-proofread "Fargo".
Robin Williams plays a travel agent in Alaska who is at wit's
end, dealing with financial contraints and a wife who may (or
may not) be falling apart. The appearance of a dead body may
allow him to cash in on an insurance policy, which Ribisi is
driven to detect. Lots of snow. |
Skip
it
- Just pitched into the "skip it" as there weren't
enough laughs and it didn't seem to quite find its mood.
DVD/Paid |
| Breakup,
The (2006) |
Maybe
you need a laughing theatre full of people to get swept along,
but watching this was like one of the actual movie scenes -
you're stuck there watching two people bitterly argue over their
relationship, wishing you could be somewhere else. A mild snicker
or two here and there, but this was just mostly nasty. Vincent
d'Onofrio plays the really interestingly repressed and at times
barely coherent older brother, and turns in a good role. |
Skip
it
- Not the comedy that the preview trailer would have you believe.
DVD/Paid |
| Bridge
To Tarabithia (2007) |
A
downright misleading trailer, but a decent little film nevertheless.
More in common with "October Sky" than "Chronicles
of Narnia", it manages to create some non-annoying kid
characters who we end up caring about quite a bit. The other-world
stuff is less prevelant than the previews seem to show. |
See
it
- Not necessarily a kids film, as some tough things occur.
DVD/Paid |
| Brokeback
Mountain (2005) |
Unless
you are the POTUS, you've probably already seen this film. The
tone, the timing, the feel of the rattly trailer office out
in the middle of the west - it's all just right. Use this momentum
to go seek Ang Lee's other films. |
See
it
- An excellent film.
Theatre/Paid |
| Broken
Flowers (2005) |
Sort
of a forced construct. Bill Murray plays a vacuous lothario
who plans die alone, when the arrival of an unsigned letter
announces that he has a 19 year old son. This leads him to travel
to the homes of former lovers, to determine who the mother is.
Good characters and a pensive tone, Jarmuschian pacing and some
nice subtleties. But, ultimately a bit under-eventful. Great,
great music stitches the mood together throughout. |
See
it
- If nothing else, for the haunting music of ethiopiques.
DVD/Paid |
| |
|
| C
|
|
| Cars
(2006) |
Rubbery
looking cars that talk and lament about how the modern highway
has caused their town and heydey to have been left behind. Owen
Wilson voices the self-absorbed race car that accidentally stumbles
upon them and ends up in minor indentured servitude. Becomes
a more touching film about loyalties and what is Important.
Plus, the cars are pretty cute. |
See
it
- No real suprises, but better done than most movies of its
type. I really liked Luigi and his Guido - reminded me of Dave
Stoller in Breaking Away.
DVD/Paid |
| Cashback
(2006) - 2/08 |
Following
the sudden and bitter end of a relationship, a young art-school
near-graduate finds himself unable to sleep. He fills his extra
hours by signing on at a 24 hour store, where he finds other
characters and realizes he can actually stop time. Moving around
in his dislocated frame of reference, he observes those in the
"regular" world. Not great but well-done characters. |
See
it
- A bit self-aware and film-school monology, but not a bad little
film. And there's more than a little nudity. Not complaining,
just observing.
DVD/Paid |
| Chaplin
(1992) |
Robert
Downey, Jr. inhabits Charlie Chaplin, hitting the high points
and major themes in his life from a flashback late in life.
Stunning to watch Downey's work, and this movie really worked
well. Great history and character piece from the dawn of movie-making. |
See
it
- Strong film and great acting all the way around.
Theatre/Paid |
| Charlotte's
Web (2006) |
Mixing
live action with trained animals and a minimum of computer trickery,
this brings the childrens' book to life with a cast of great
voices and good actors. From Wilbur to Charlotte (and Steve
Buscemi does a fantastic Templeton), the tone is great they
hit the major points of the book. |
See
it
- They don't damage this beautiful E. B. White tale.
DVD/Paid |
| Chicken
Little (2005) |
No
story. Not worth a lengthy explanation. If you've seen the preview
trailer, you've seen everything remotely worth viewing on this
film. Plays a bit like a proof-of-concept pitch, from which
a movie might be made... The setup? Oh, well, Chicken
Little, who of course cried that the "sky was falling"
again finds himself (herself?) mocked when the sky goes awry...
Bad. Very bad. |
Skip
it
- The video store guy warned us. We ignored him. We were wrong.
DVD/Paid |
| Chronicles
of Narnia (2005) |
Nicely
rendered version of the CS Lewis tale. Slightly after-school-special
acting quality here and there, but otherwise a stunningly rendered
landscape and tale. One of the great and chilling villians with
Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. |
See
it
- Powerful visuals and crisp storytelling of this tale.
Theatre/Paid |
| Click
(2006) |
Just
bad stuff. Adam Sandler meets up with "ultimate technology"
to help him skip the boring bits of life. Will he make the wrong
choices and find himself missing out on the important stuff?
Will there be fart jokes? If you don't know the answers to those
questions, maybe you should see this movie. |
Skip
it
- If I had one of those special remotes, I'd jump back to before
I'd seen this movie and do anything else.
Theatre/Paid |
| Corpse
Bride (2005) |
Didn't
have the "complete" feel of The Nightmare Before Christmas
- it seems like this could have been edited down slightly, and
the characters seem to move a bit more like the marionettes
in "Rudolph". Perhaps we've been spoiled by Dreamworks...
But, some clever rendering and funny bits. |
See
it
- Sort of a middling positive here - had some good bits, but
seemed a bit "padded" to hit the length.
Theatre/Paid |
| |
|
| D
|
|
| Da
Vinci Code, The (2006) |
You,
me and everybody else read the book. This is not the book, so
if that's gonna bug you, skip it. However, this is a good movie.
Ron Howard, as is his gift, stays out of the way of a good story
and manages to skim the highlights of the book without destroying
the story. It's funny how many critics just savaged this movie...
|
See
it
- Dan Brown has mastered the "1-2-3-GO!" real-time
storyline. This movie keeps the same pace and doesn't drop anything
super-important.
Theatre/Paid |
| Dan
In Real Life (2007) - 4/08 |
A
widowed advice columnist with three growing-up daughters meets
an incredible woman - only problem is that she's dating his
brother. Frivolity attempts to ensue when they all end up at
the annual family retreat. Really was looking forward to this
one, based on the trailers. Just didn't deliver for me. A fair
number of constructs, which I was prepared to overlook, but
ultimately, it didn't seem to have enough "real" to
make it work. |
Skip
it
- Just falls below the line, but the few laughs just don't make
up for the rough spots..
DVD/Paid |
| Dave
(1993) |
Due
to an uncanny resemblance to the commander in chief, honest
and honorable fellow Kevin Kline gets slotted into playing the
President after a scandalous episode leaves POTUS in a coma.
Sigourney Weaver can't quite figure out why her "husband"
suddenly grew ethics, and efficiency and hope take root in the
government branch. Clearly a modern fantasy piece, but a fun
film. Charles Grodin sneaks in as his accountant. |
See
it
- The staff meeting held to cut unnecessary budget expenses
is hilarious and inspiring. If only....
Video/Paid |
| Death
At a Funeral (2007) |
The
funeral for a father brings the "successful novelist"
son back home, where the kinda boring one has been keeping things
held together for what must have been clearly a bit too long.
Attending the funeral are a delightfully horrible group of people
and their issues with reality, one another and more. Now - why
the HELL do they have to GIVE AWAY some of the BEST JOKES in
the screenplay by putting them in the preview? Really! I could've
imagined two distinctly different, yet compelling trailers that
would've appealed to folks like me who like movies like this,
but wouldn't have telegraphed (1) a primary plot device which
should've played like a "Crying Game" punchline and
(2) several results which would've had more impact if they were
a suprise... Crikey! |
See
it
- A fine film that pulls its focus to a tight stage and nails
it. Other than my grips about the preview, this was a fine little
film.
Theatre/Paid |
| Deja
Vu (2007) |
Timeline
movies are tricky things, as you have to create a world which
has consistency. This one is on the edge of spoiling it, mostly
from the ending, which just plucks a bad note for me. Now (to
continue the stringed instrument metaphor), it sorta bends it
enough to keep it from destroying the rest of the film. Denzel
Washington is a New Orleans ATF agent dealing using powerful
tools to track down a terrorist. |
See
it
- Points for their casting of the terrorist, and it is a reasonably
taut tale. The end didn't quite jostle it, but it led to some
fair questions about "How could that've happened...?"
DVD/Paid |
| De-Lovely
(2004) |
Kevin
Kline renders a reminiscence of Cole Porter's life and work
in this dreamlike memory film. So many of these songs were playing
in the background as I grew up that it was interesting to realize
how many came from this one man. Enjoyed this film a great deal. |
See
it
- Worked well for me.
DVD/Paid |
| Desk
Set (1957) - 10/07 |
Part
of a netflix-inspired Spencer Tracy/Kathryn Hepburn trail we
were on. Witty script and fun setup, from the proto-computer-nerd
Tracy to the smarter-than-a-whip Hepburn. Good fun. Hilarious
computers. An "efficiency" expert wants to mechanize
the fact retrieval department at a TV network. |
See
it
- One of those "classics". Y'gotta give it some slack
for the time, of course.
DVD/Paid |
| Devil
Wears Prada, The (2006) |
I
guess this is the second in the devil title trilogy for Meryl
Streep (remember "She-Devil"?) who brings massive
depth to a very one-dimensional appearing woman. Anne Hathaway
plays a niave and job-needy graduate who must work for the ultimate
souless boss from hell. Stanley Tucci checks in with another
excellent role. |
See
it
- Even if you don't care about fashion, it's a well-rendered
and funny film. Only the boyfriend scenes were a little forced.
Theatre/Paid |
| Duck
Soup (1933) - 12/07 |
Didn't
do too much for me. Yeah, I know it's the Marx Brothers, and
I know it's supposed to be a comedy classic. Maybe I was too
tired and not in a silly enough mood. Whatever. Groucho plays
Rufus T. Firefly, who becomes the leader of Freedonia and declares
war over a woman (who is also the rich benefactor of his country).
Frivolity ensues. People break into song. |
See
it
- You probably need to see this, just to say you've seen it.
My only reason to recommend.
DVD/Paid |
| |
|
| E
|
|
| Enchanted
(2007) - 12/07 |
Animated
characters pop through a manhole cover in Times Square to find
that they've been banished to an odd place where they now are
flesh and blood. Susan Sarandon as the evil queen who makes
this all happen. It's a funny sendup of Disney-esque themes
and songs, all the while being a Disney-esque theme with songs.
Some good bits. |
See
it
- Silly and light, but pretty fun.
Theatre/Paid |
| Enemy
at the Gates (2001) |
During
the seige of Stalingrad during World War II, snipers on both
the German and Russian sides stalk one another admist the maze
of shattered buildings and loyalties. Ed Harris and Jude Law
are the almost samaurai-like warriors who must engage the final
clash. Somehow a love interest movie got grafted into the middle
of this film, starring Rachel Weisz and Joe Fiennes, which makes
for an uneven story. |
See
it
-Really only 2/3rds of a movie. Worth it to hear what the Russian
commander yells as they first hit the city.
Theatre/Paid |
| Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) |
Jim
Carrey plays a tortured spurned lover, who decides to undergo
a mental cleansing to remove all memories of his lost girlfriend.
His psyche fights back a bit in this richly visual film. Odd
characters and situations follow, and it's not clear that everyone
is who they seem. |
See
it
- A bit of a wacky, wild ride at times, with a wonderfully inventive
script.
VHS/Paid |
| |
|
| F
|
|
| Failure
to Launch (2006) |
Cathy
Bates and Terry Bradshaw try to chase their aging man-child
out of the house via the services of Sarah Jessica Parker. Some
major plot components get brushed off and glossed over, and
the nephew's teeth mysteriously grow back suddenly. However,
if this was shot in black and white, it could be passed off
as a decent, somewhat screwball comedy from the 50's. |
See
it
- Edges over to cutesy a few times, but still had some decent
bits.
DVD/Paid |
| Film
Geek (2006) |
Humorous
but quickly forgettable film about a film obsessed young man,
whose limpet-like attention and "Rain Man"-like knowledge
of films gets most folks a little edgy. Not the "Napoleon
Dynamite" that the box blurb would have you believe, and
the ending throws a scene in which sort of jumbles things. Yeah,
he's a geek. Yeah, he likes films. Ok, some things happen. That's
about it. |
See
it
- Why not?
DVD/Free |
| Find
Me Guilty (2006) |
Follows
the story of New Jersey mobster Jackie DiNorscio, a who defended
himself in the longest trial in US history, as part of a huge
RICO act case. Funny and oddly touching places, this film used
courtroom transcripts in what must've been a very interesting
trial. Vin Diesel shows he can act, pulling off the right tone
of street-educated thug with a caseload of charm. |
See
it
- Some funny bits and it's worth watching to see Vin Diesel
act against all expectations.
DVD/Free |
| Fish
Called Wanda, A (1988) |
Grand
heists, stuttering bank robbers, swashbuckling gang leaders,
John Cleese strutting around nude spouting Russian phrases -
what's not to like. The movie which sparked a host of inferior
madcap imitators, but this one got it right. |
See
it
-Well written and acted - great fun.
Theatre/Paid |
| Flushed
Away (2006) |
Aardman
Studios brings us a rubbery mouse who finds himself a long way
from home. A goodly number of densely-packed visual gags throughout,
as is the style of Nick Park's gang, but not quite the fully
integrated hilarity of Wallace and Grommit. Pretty good. |
See
it
- Despite stealing Wallace's toothy grin for Roddy, it's a fun
diversion.
DVD/Paid |
| Flying
Scotsman, The (2006) - 11/07 |
As
you may guess, most bike-geek movies will be both given a free
pass and judged harshly here. I mean, weren't we all secretly
thrilled by American Flyers even as we wanted to laugh
and vomit? OK, maybe you just had to realize what life was like
before OLN and live Tour feeds... Anyway. Graeme Obree seemed
to come out of nowhere and rock the bike world when he eclipsed
Moser's hour record in 1993. An interesting story about a supremely
driven athelete. By the same token, hard to follow the chronological
timeline, a few too-easy coincidences cheapen the storyline,
and just why the hell does the guy who has enough money to sponsor
Obree not have enough dough to buy more than one cycling jersey? |
See
it
- Bike geekery on the big screen. Would've liked more closeup
cycling stuff, but that's always the case...
DVD/Paid |
| For
Your Consideration (2006) |
This
time skewering Hollywood vanities and absurdities, Christopher
Guest focuses his eye on a small-time movie caught up in the
winds of rumors and maybe greatness. From the man who brought
you Spinal Tap, Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman, another
of his "mockumentary" style films. |
See
it
- A little bit of the sameness to these, but has enough laughs
and wry insights to matter. A good one.
DVD/Paid |
| Fortunes
(2006) |
This
aimless and horrible film has nothing to recommend it. Unbelievably
poor acting, a script which makes no sense, forced situations
and reactions and reflective pauses by the actors which we're
maybe supposed to think are meaningful. Three buddies go to
a fortune-teller, where (thanks to a plot device of the worst
kind) only two get their fortunes told. The two react by over-acting
in a way which would piss off a high school drama teacher and
the third continues over-acting as the most annoying person
you never returned a phone call to. |
Skip
it
- Frickin' Dreadful. Feel free to snap the DVD in half before
you return it. It's that bad.
DVD/Paid |
| French
Kiss (1995) |
Kevin
Kline & Meg Ryan, so you gotta figure it's pretty cute.
One of those films that we end up watching if we chance upon
it on the upper channels. Jewel heist, plant smuggling, setting
things right, a good cheese scene and a cop that might have
the wisdom to let things go the correct way. |
See
it
- A gentle film that's easy to watch.
VHS/Paid |
| Friends
With Money (2006) |
Some
fine actors wasted as folks who may have sold their souls to
get where they are. Somehow these people stayed friends despite
really not caring about anyone but themselves. Odd interludes
and inexplicable actions, as though this was halfway through
the season on some unwatchable soap opera. |
Skip
it
-A dreadful work-in-progress feel to the script that misses
and goes nowhere.
DVD/Paid |
| Fungus
the Bogeyman (2004) |
Got
this one to check out the voice character work. It's actually
a BBC-TV production that got ported over to DVD. As such, it's
reasonably hard to hear, and the plot is methodically linear
and the pacing is just ungodly slow. We flipped it off after
a bit. Oh well. |
Skip
it
- Plodding and slow. Might work for small kids.
DVD/Paid |
| |
|
| G
|
|
| Game
6 (2005) - 3/08 |
Michael
Keaton is a potentially successful playwright who must ultimately
choose between hope and cynicism on the night of Game 6 of the
1985 (?) World Series. It plays a bit like a play, and I enjoyed
that aspect of it - characters have an epic feel to them, hyper-real
rather than accurate. Keaton's character turns out to be less
despicable than he first appears, especially when confronted
by his possible future. |
See
it
- Kind of a tricky film, and perhaps a bit easy to dismiss,
but it distills the choices for a person hanging between good
and evil.
DVD/Paid |
| Garden
State (2004) |
A
quirky and at times slow-paced film, tracing the return of a
young man, almost a Dustin-Hoffman-as-the-Graduate character,
to his hometown in New Jersey. Weaning himself off of antidepressants,
prescribed by his father, mind you, he comes back to life, picking
up relationships and loose ends in his history. |
See
it
- A good little story, gentle and sad in spots, though overall
uplifting in my book.
DVD/Paid |
| Glory
Road (2006) - 08/07 |
Josh
Lucas stars as Don Haskins, the Texas Western basketball coach
who put together a powerhouse team and came out of nowhere to
take their shot at the 1966 NCAA championship, with the first
all-black starting lineup in that tournament. Along the way,
he deals with a school that doesn't consider basketball important,
a frightening level of animosity and downright overt racism
and forges a path for his vision of high intensity basketball.
Great performances throughout. |
See
it
- Really a nicely done film. I do like sports films that manage
to catch the tone right, and this one shows things very well.
DVD/Paid |
| Goal:
The Dream Begins (2005) - 08/07 |
This
is one of those sports films that gets the form without necessarily
understanding that there should be content. If you can take
this as an innocuous little time waster, it's probably enjoyable
enough. But, if you ask questions like, "don't you think
it's a little too silly to place a soccer-crazy group of Newcastle
(or whatever the name of the actual town was) ex-pats watching
the Big Game in a Central LA bar where both the father and the
grandmother can decide to wander in to" you might find
this movie hokey. Even if that doesn't bother you, it's extremely
light on actual thought/action processes. Most issues in the
plot are resolved offscreen. |
Skip
it
- It's only moderately a "Skip" as there's just not
that much "there" there. Very topical and telegraphing
and doesn't hold up to much questioning.
DVD/Paid |
| Golden
Compass, The (2007) - 12/07 |
Drawn
from the Philip Pullman book, from "His Dark Materials"
trilogy. This isn't a bad movie, but (obviousness warning) it
isn't up to the quality and depth of Pullman's writing. We both
thought that someone who hadn't read it might be a little more
adrift than in "Lord of the Rings", as an example.
Still, epic battles, excellent daemon characters and the panzerbjorne
are frighteningly real. Definite violence, so not a young kid's
movie. |
See
it
- Hopefully, this will continue to bloom into the second and
third installments.
Theatre/Paid |
| Good
Night and Good Luck (2005) |
Hats
off to George Clooney for getting this onto the screen. Luciously
shot black and white capturing the frenzy of the time, as David
Straithairn cracks off a great role as Edward R. Murrow, back
when journalists weren't just conduits for press releasees. |
See
it
- Think about it. See it again. A great film.
Theatre/Paid |
| Grand
Canyon (1991) |
Chance
and circumstance push a group of disparate individuals together
in LA and they sorta-kinda ponder aloud about what life is about.
It's possible that angels wear Boston Red Sox caps and keep
you from wandering in front of busses. The Grand Canyon is really
big and impressive. |
Skip
it
- Just never connected for me, though IIRC, it was critics darling.
Video/Paid |
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| Happy
Feet (2006) |
"March
of the Penguins" gets the rendering treatment. Mumbles
the penguin is born without the ability to sing, making him
an outcast among his peers. Yet, he's got the whole Fred Astaire
thing going, so he just might have a way to save the day.... |
See
it
- Just barely a "See it" - it's better than a rerun,
and it's kinda fun here and there. Robin Williams cracks off
some great characters, of course.
DVD/Paid |
| Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) |
I
wouldn't want the pressure of trying to bring this one to the
screen, but the feel and style, as well as the fun from the
book make it through. They seem to focus a fair bit more than
necessary on back-story items - the stuff that most know from
the books. But, I guess that's needed as well. |
See
it
- Good effects and well cast.
Theatre/Paid |
| Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) |
If
you can put up with the wriggly and whining house elf, Dobby,
this will go OK for you. Slightly halting acting among the youngsters
here and there, but it doesn't get in the way of a darned decent
second tale from Ms. Rowling. |
See
it
- Well rendered. They keep things a bit more on-point than the
first installment.
Theatre/Paid |
| Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban (2004) |
This
time, perhaps to coincide with the growing intensity of the
story, the visuals are a bit more sinister and gothic. This
time (if you live under a rock), Harry's godfather Sirius Black
escapes from prison, pursued to Hogwarts by the Dementors. Nice
subtext with Professor Lupine's character. |
See
it
- It's finally starting to hit on all cylinders. Nice film with
a strong set of supporting actors.
Theatre/Paid |
| Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) |
Distilling
this longer, darker, and arguably adult-themed book into a single
movie must've been tricky. But, clearly, they had the pros work
on it, as they kept the key elements, maintained the horror
of Voldemort's return and continue to let the characters develop. |
See
it
- Dang, another nice job. Though, they better finish before
the stars hit their 20's...of course, someone's got to finish
the book series, too.
Theatre/Paid |
| Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) |
This
is probably the weakest of the stories - lots of internal dialogue
and sitting around wondering/whining why things aren't right.
The film does as good a job as it could with this -maybe even
a touch better than the book, but has difficulty getting over
that hurdle. The actual "action" is little and far
between. They better finish up soon, 'cuz the kids are getting
pretty big. |
See
it
- Heck, you're this far in, you might as well see it.
Theatre/Paid |
| Heart
of the Game, The (2005) - 1/08 |
If
you brought this script into a pitch meeting, you'd probably
get laughed right out - everything is too perfect; the coach,
the players, the situation, the finale... But, man, what a story!
The story of a Seattle high school women's basketball team as
they become a powerhouse under Bill Resler. But the amazingly
talented Darnellia Russell quickly begins to steal the show.
|
See
it
- An amazing piece of filmmaking. Excellent narration by Ludacris.
Not a short film, but what could you take out?
DVD/Paid |
| High
Fidelity (2000) |
This
is one of those late-night movie magnets which I always have
trouble breaking free of if found on the TV. John Cusack is
a monologuing record store owner, whose most recent breakup
has him tracking down old girlfriends to find his seemingly
fatal flaw in relatonships. Great bits in the record store,
with fun roles by Jack Black and Tim Robbins, just to pick two.
|
See
it
- Probably more of a guy film, but wonderfully quirky, funny
and true.
VHS/Paid |
| History
Boys, The (2006) |
Pretty
much wish I'd seen this as a play. As the film, it comes off
just a bit too pat and neat, with actors appearing to deliver
their wry or poignant line - too much of an "on the stage"
feel for me. I won't say "Skip it", but honestly,
I could easily go that way. Acting was pretty top-notch all
the way through, but there was a "skimming" quality
which crept into the repeated scenes of studying and class work.
|
See
it
- Had a bit of trouble connecting with the characters, and there's
UK-centric assumptions of what's important. Well-written &
acted but didn't resonate for me.
DVD/Paid |
| Hoax,
The (2006) - 1/08 |
Richard
Gere plays smooth-talking author Clifford Irving, who convinced
McGraw-Hill and Time Magazine that he had facilitated the Autobiography
of Howard Hughes. He hadn't, of course. Not a bad little film,
but towards the end, it makes some claims that I'm not sure
it can back up. An interesting portrait of a scheme that grows
and goes horribly wrong. |
See
it
- The only thing that really bugged me about this little film
was the tendancy of Mike Wallace and others in the featurettes
to make Irving into a hero of sorts.
DVD/Paid |
| Holiday,
The (2007) |
Not
the simple screwball comedy that the previews would have you
believe. There's a lot of interesting threads in this film,
but it seemed mildly overlong in places. Two women (Cameron
Diaz & Kate Winslett) swap houses in a spur of the moment
Christmas-season reaction to frustrating relationships. New
love interests arise miraculously, as do poignant moments. They
seem to play it a bit safe, though there are some nice bits. |
See
it
- It tries to pay homage to 50's films of Hollywood scriptwriting
heyday. It falls a bit short, but does an OK job.
DVD/Paid |
| Hot
Fuzz (2007) |
An
overachieving London Special Forces/SWAT-type drives everyone
in his department nuts enough to get transferred well out of
cellphone range, where the largest police action seems to be
chasing down escaped swans. But, strange things are afoot in
this idyllic northern England village as curious accidents befall
folks at a steady clip. Starts a bit predictably and then ends
up rolling into mayhem. |
See
it
- Manages both to mock and become archetypes of buddy cop movies.
A few reasonably bloody/violent scenes...
DVD/Paid |
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| Ice
Age 2: The Meltdown (2006) |
This
one - and I feel odd typing this - lacks the complexity of "Ice
Age". Not necessarily a bad thing, but this has a much
simpler story and the dangers are sort of amorphous baddies
rather than a plotting group of vindictive tigers. Probably
makes it easier for the youngsters. Shorter story stitched intercut
with a funny Scrat/Acorn storyline, which doesn't quite come
across as two separate films. |
See
it
- Fun and easy. More evidence that I'm a pushover for animation.
DVD/Paid |
| Ice
Harvest, The (2005) - 12/07 |
John
Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton create a partnership of convenience
to swipe $2 million from the local Wichita, Kansas (?) mob.
Things begin to unravel and a series of missteps and events
skew things further. This is not to say that frivolity ensues.
In fact, this was a good deal more violent and unfunny than
we were ready for. Has a bit of the Fargo meets Blood Simple,
but doesn't manage to find the real humor. |
Skip
it
- Described as wickedly funny. Nope.
DVD/Paid |
| Idiocracy
(2006) |
An
ultimately flawed film which had a few good bits. Luke Wilson
does his level best to make people refer to Owen Wilson as "the
funny one", and with about 6 rewrites, the script could've
really completely bitingly satriical. As it stands, it hits
easy targets and loses its step several times. A military experiment
gone awry sends two very average folks into the future, where
generations of breeding have pushed the national intellect down
to low levels. |
See
it
- But be aware that it leaves a bit to be desired. Nevertheless,
some really on-target parody of pervasive cultural images when
it's "on".
DVD/Paid |
| Illusionist,
The (2006) |
Ed
Norton as an extremely talented and driven Illusionist in the
courts and streets of Austria. Paul Giamatti plays a police
commisioner who has his fingers in all things. Luciously shot
and compelling little drama with some pretty stunning (and supposedly
historically accurate) tricks. |
See
it
- I really liked this film, despite the specificity of the ending.
Theatre/Paid |
| I
Love You to Death (1990) |
Forgot
about this movie until I began working the Kevin Kline thread.
Tracy Ullman decides to off her philandering husband, but things
don't quite work out the right way. A mildly dark comedy with
great acting all around. |
See
it
- Funny stuff.
Video/Paid |
| In
and Out (1997) |
Kevin
Kline plays a teacher who gets publically outed by an ex-student-turned-star's
award acceptance speech - which kinda comes as big news to his
finance and their smallish town. Sort of a play off the acceptance
speech Tom Hanks gave after his "Philadelphia" Oscar,
IIRC. Tom Selleck shows up to follow through on his longtime
crush. |
See
it
- Pretty danged funny, actually, and it's hilarious to see Selleck
in the role.
VHS/Paid |
| In
the Heat of the Night (1967) - 1/08 |
A northern industrialist is found murdered in an alley of the
Mississippi town he can potentially save, and the local sheriff
must find the killer. Sidney Portier gets caught up in the investigation
and begrudgingly assists the case. Set decidedly in place and
time, the two try to overcome their preconceptions and seek
the truth. |
See
it
- One of those films you need to see - one of those films that
makes you want to not go to Mississippi. Intense and humorous.
A classic.
DVD/Paid |
| Insomnia
(2002) |
Some
high level and intense acting, but a slightly klunky plot. There's
a foreboding intensity throughout which plays in an interesting
manner against the constant daylight of its Alaska setting.
Interesting film, but not quite great as a sum of its parts. |
See
it
- Hard to tell anyone not to see Al Pacino or Robin Williams
on screen.
DVD/Paid |
| Intermission
(2003) |
This
one caught our attention because of Colm Meany, who usually
manages to articulate interesting characters. Not to say he
doesn't, but it doesn't save this film. Things start poorly
and get worse, with misunderstandings and coincidence which
seem all too set up and contrived. |
Skip
it
- Usually I like quirky films from across the pond, but not
this one. Sorry.
VHS/Paid |
| It's
In The Water (1997) - 11/07 |
A
couple of far-between laughs, but otherwise a reasonably amatuerish
film. Pretty wooden acting, setups you can see from waaay far
away, really bad protesters, supposedly in Texas, but no actual
sense of place. But, the thing that wins this a "Skip It"
has to be the "pitch" of the film - that the town
starts freaking out that there's something gay-in-izing about
the water - has a horribly bad introduction and then is never
followed through on. Could've been done well , but really wasn't.
|
Skip
it
- About half a script crammed into a full movie.
DVD/Paid |
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| Joyeux
Noel (2005) |
A
very poetical and ultimately tragic story of a glimmer of peace
which sparkled Christmas Eve, 1914. Caught in what would be
an all-too-often replayed scenario of grinding trench warfare,
front line troops find a common ground and take pause. Language
and circumstances reveal that the men have even more in common,
but must ultimately retreat to their own side (and face consequences.) |
See
it
- A beautiful and melancholy film. War scenes, but not at "Private
Ryan" levels. Uplifting, even at the end.
DVD/Paid |
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| Kiki's
Delivery Service (1989) |
We
started tracking down Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"
and "Howl's Moving Castle"). This one's a bit earlier,
but the video store had it. It's pretty linear and doesn't reach
the depth of illustration that his later stuff does. The story
is geared towards a younger audience, but it held my attention
most of the time. |
See
it
- Good to see from a historical perspective.
DVD/Paid |
| Kinky
Boots (2005) |
The
less-than-interested son takes over the 4th generation family
shoe manufacturing company, realizes that it has a less-than-rosy
future and ponders how to fix things. His efforts are focused
by a chance meeting with a drag queen, whose design abilities
rank with his penchant for drawing attention. Good acting throughout
and a fun ride. |
See
it
- Nice UK humor with just enough angst and sadness to keep things
in perspective.
DVD/Paid |
| Knocked
Up (2007) - 10/07 |
Silly
and over-the-top, yet spot-on and poignent at times. It's refreshing
to see an adult movie which is made for, y'know adults. Seth
Grogran plays a directionless semi-slacker, who suddenly decides
to "do the right thing" when confronted with the fact
that he's a father after a one-night stand. The supporting characters
are well-drawn, and the plot moves along with humor and insight.
|
See
it
- Good film. Isn't afraid to devolve into base humor. But a
good film.
DVD/Paid |
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| Last
Mimzy, The (2007) |
Sort
of a weird little film. Aimed at a younger audience, it seemed,
but with reasonably complex plot twists that would appear to
be hard to follow. Some interesting ideas, but not particularly
well executed. Cute kids and it's fun to see Rainn Wilson as
the not-Dwight-Schrute hippie teacher. |
See
it
- Just barely a "see it". I think the kids that would
follow it might see it as too cute.
DVD/Paid |
| Little
Miss Sunshine (2006) |
Never
has dysfunctional been this much fun. A road trip to a Junior
Miss Beauty Pagent doesn't miss anywhere. Great acting all around,
a script that finds humor where it hurts and horrors where they
exist. One of my new favorite films. |
See
it
- Alan Arkin's first line is a classic moment. Just weird enough
and relentlessly goofy to cheer me up.
Theatre/Paid |
| Look
Both Ways (2006) |
Australian
film that mixes some animated inner visions with reality. Tragedies
both real and imagined wash over a group of loosely connected
folks in the city. Fighting isolation and fear, they misunderstand
themselves and one another as they react to dangers both real
and imagined. Quiet and reflective pacing. |
See
it
- A mildly quirky and darkly funny film which really stuck with
me. Nicely done.
DVD/Paid |
| Looking
for Comedy in the Muslim World (2006) |
Albert
Brooks plays Albert Brooks who gets hired by the State Department
to find out what makes Muslims laugh. Of course, they send him
to India to discover this, which is the first of the Brooksian
hijinks to ensue. Misunderstandings build tangentially on all
sides while Brooks proceeds blissfully unaware through them
all. |
See
it
- While not hilarious, there are some decent chuckles throughout
the film. Although, if that really was his standup bit, it didn't
do it for me, either.
DVD/Paid |
| Lost
In Translation (2003) |
Hmmm...
I must say that I wanted to like this movie lot more than I
did, and there's certainly memorable sections which burble back
up in my mind, but it just didn't really catch me the way it
seemed to most folks. Bill Murray is an international star who
may be waning and is certainly burning out - stuck in Japan
filming an ad. Lost and adrift, he comes across a lonely young
girl (Scarlett Johannsen) in whose company he begins to awaken
a bit. An essay on fame, isolation and the intensity of feelings
that seem to accompany travel and strange lands. |
See
it
- Marginal "See It", as I'd love to give this movie
another chance some day.
Theatre/Paid |
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| Mad
Hot Ballroom (2005) |
Traces
individuals through the New York Public School system as they
prepare for an annual dance competition. Enjoyable on many levels,
whether for the dancing, the differences in approach or just
watching kids find their own abilities. Uplifting and nail-biting. |
See
it
-Another excellent "gotta see it" documentary.
Theatre/Paid |
| Man
of the Year (2006) |
A
computer glitch elects Robin Williams' John Stewart/Bill Maher
character as President of the US. Meanwhile, a soulless Silicon
Valley tries to put the kabosh on the woman who knows exactly
what went wrong. Some really great political humor and a couple
of pointed-if-buried barbs at our democratic process. |
See
it
-Not quite the movie I wanted it to be, and the cloak-n-dagger
stuff gets a bit distracting, but worth it to see Williams uncork
his bits.
Theatre/Paid |
|
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) |
Why,
Why, Why? Ok, there's a bit of sentimentality at the end which
caused a touching moment, but I think that was just contrast
against the rest of the movie which focused on the fumbles of
folks I didn't care about, stuck in cycles which were reasonably
depressing. Then there's the whole internet chat thing which
takes several steps past the boundries of reasonably creepy.
|
Skip
it
- Felt like I was on a cross-country drive in a car that had
no radio or CD/Tape player, with people it turned out I had
nothing in common with, and who had annoying personal habits.
Theatre/Paid |
| Meet
The Robinsons (2007) - 11/07 |
Not
Pixar-level, but good. Starts a little slowly, and there was
a point in the first 30 minutes where we lost interest. But,
then things get a bit wierd, which saves the movie. This is
not a complex script, and you'll probably figure things out
before too long, but it's a humorous ride. Solidly above average
tale about an orphaned boy whose inventions tend to go horribly
wrong. Time-travel, singing frogs and evil hats (that look a
little R2D2-ish, eh?) |
See
it
- Light animation fare. Watchable for adults and a decent younger-kid
story.
DVD/Paid |
| Midsummer
Night's Dream (1999) |
Good
stars and nothing really bad about this film - it just never
really hit its stride for me. Maybe it is just that I've seen
this play so many times that the film was sort of anticlimatic.
Nothing will ever really surpass seeing this as a play under
the stars in Halifax Nova Scotia. But, I'm starting to sound
like some theatre purist... oh well. |
Skip
it
-Unless you've never seen the play, which I'd find reasonably
difficult to believe...
VHS/Paid |
| Miracle
Match (2005) - 2/08 |
Relating
the intriguing story of the 1950 US World Cup Soccer team -
dismissed and ignored, they pulled together in a ferociously
fought match against England - widely regarded as the best team
of the day. Fascinating pre-history of US soccer, though the
execution of the film leaves a lot to be desired - everything
gets sort of easily resolved and topically discussed. The entire
film seems to have been done at arm's length. |
Skp
it
- Would have played better as a documentary. The movie has an
after-school special feel to it. Too bad - this story deserved
a great movie.
DVD/Paid |
| Miss
Potter (2007) |
No
relation to the wizard-kid of the same name, this is the story
of Beatrix Potter, writer of the most popular childrens books
ever. A beautiful film with its own sense of pacing and the
world. Subtly shifting to viewing Mss Potter and Miss Potter
viewing the world, it is an enjoyably gentle little film that
restored my faith in Renee Zellweger. |
See
it
- Beautifully rendered and delicate tale of this author. Many
favorite scenes.
Theatre/Paid |
| Monster
House (2006) |
Animated
feature using an interesting computerized process similar to
rotoscoping, yet uniquely compelling - not to distract from
what was a fun, Halloween-oriented script and well-rendered
film. Everyone growing up had one creepy house near their neighborhood
that caused fear and prevented anyone from cutting across the
lawn. This time, it's for real, and only a trio of kids have
figured it out. |
See
it
-Yeah, it's probably more for kids, but there's good stuff in
there and it fit the bill on Halloween '06. Also worth poking
into the "making of" sections of the DVD.
DVD/Paid |
| My
Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) |
Should've
seen this coming, but this one misses on so many levels that
you just want to leave. Uma Thurman's Supergirl turns out to
be suprisingly needy person to have a relationship with. It
just gets kinda needlessly overdone and ugly. |
Skip
it
-Worse than it sounds.
Theatre/Paid |
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| Nashville
(1975) - 3/08 |
One
of those movies I never saw but always figured I should've.
Well. I've seen it. Okey-dokey. If you don't already now, this
was Robert Altman's film of intertwined stories leading up to
a dynamic event in Nashville. It's got the Altman trademark
layered sound and ad-lib feel. For me, it plays better in retrospect,
when I don't have to sit through the endless averagely-rendered
country songs and herky-jerky bits. It captured a time, and
Henry Gibson's character (among others) is stellar. But, it
seemed long. |
See
it
- As an AFI "top 100", I'm glad I saw it, but a lot
of it doesn't captivate. Found myself praying that some of the
bands wouldn't do a second song.
DVD/Paid |
| Night
At The Museum (2006) |
Ben
Stiller is a down-on-his-self-induced-luck fellah, who ends
up working in a particularly challenging situation at the Museum
of National History. Frivolity ensues when it turns out that
his charges come to life at night. Kinda disjointed to say the
least, and it's kind of hard to care about anyone too much. |
Skip
it
- A couple of needless subplots distract from this lightweight
script.
DVD/Paid |
| Notes
on a Scandal (2006) |
Sometimes
you just want to grab characters by the scruff of the neck and
ask "what the hell to you think you are doing?" Cate
Blanchett's is one of those. I guess that means that I cared
about her, but it was veering into exasparation at about the
halfway point. The film is pretty Hitchcockian, but probably
wouldn't have made his cut. Judy Dench does a great job as the
bitter and vengeful narrator. |
See
it
- Marginal "See it" mostly because you get a little
fed up with the folks involved.
DVD/Paid |
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