During the opening minutes of Drive, I could tell I was watching something special. Movies like this just don't get made much anymore, and it's sad. Instead, year after year we get loud CGI laden insults to our intelligence. But Drive takes its time, builds its story and characters. It's almost a relief to watch. And, contrary to most action movies, there's no shaky cam either. If you can't tell, I loved Drive. It is easily my favorite film of the year so far.
The story centers around a nameless character played by Ryan Gossling. By day, he's a stunt driver for the movies (the story is set in LA). By night, he's a getaway driver for any criminals that are willing to pay for it. He lives a quiet meticulous life, until he starts hanging out with his neighbors. Meanwhile, his manager/boss (played by Bryan Cranston) gets involved with some really shady characters and things unravel from there.
Another thing this movie has going for it is the cast. It's damn perfect. Gossling plays his character with the quiet ferocity of a cobra, while the rest of the cast (including Ron Pearlman, Albert Brooks, and Christina Hendricks) chatter away around him. Gossling only says a handful of words in the entire thing, but there's so much going on in his head and it's mostly communicated non verbally. It's pretty fantastic not to have the entire story told to us through dialogue, which is common these days.
While I was watching, I couldn't help but wonder what this film would be like in the hands of someone like Michael Bay. I'm guessing it would be more explosiony with lots of spinning low angle shots. And then there's the violence.
Jesus, this movie is brutal. I won't give anything away, but I was shocked a couple of times. During the movie, I thought of a handful of other films that this is like. It's reminiscent of movies like Heat, True Romance, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name movies. I don't feel like Drive is ripping them off, but that it deserves to be in their ranks. It's that damn good.
Drive is the kind of movie that reminds me of why I love movies. At the same time, it gives me hope that the movie industry isn't quite dead yet and can still amaze and inspire us. I really hope Drive wins Oscars, but I don't know if it's that kind of movie. Drive succeeds at being both a leftover B movie of the 70s and an independent art house movie at the same time. It's like a puzzle, and when you put the pieces together and take a step back, it's something really great. If you love movies like I do, this is something you shouldn't miss.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Fright Night '11
I'll be honest, I watched the original Fright Night (Which came out in 1985) for the first time a few months ago. I was intrigued by the trailer for the new one. I'm the kind of guy that always likes to see the originals or read the books if a movie is based on one. You know, so I can have some basis for comparison. That said, I really liked the original. It's campy, it's silly, it has vampires and 80s stuff. It's everything you'd hope from a movie trying to be a B grade horror flick. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, check it out. So the question is, how does the new one stack up?
Overall, the original is better, but the new one gets a lot of things right. The plot is pretty simple. A normal everyday teen discovers that his neighbor is a vampire once his friends start disappearing . He's drawn into a conflict with said vampire, and quickly realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. (Ha! Vampire jokes!) He goes to the only guy he knows who can help, and they try to take down the vamp for good. The 2011 one has a few minor changes to the story, but sticks to the structure of the '85 version.
The main thing the new one gets right is the casting. That's what made it work for me. Collin Ferrell is actually a perfect choice for the role of smarmy/douchey vampire next door. I never thought I'd say Ferrell is perfect choice for anyting, but he really seems to be having fun with the part. David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame) plays Peter Vincent, the magician/is he or is he not a vampire hunter. He is also a great choice, although his take on the character is much different than in the original. In this version, he's actually given more back story than before. This works, because it gives him more of a reason to be there. If you're wondering if he just plays The Doctor here, he doesn't. He is also a lot of fun to watch. The kid roles are fairly bland, and I think that might be the films weakest point. The kids were much more energetic in the original. Here, they seem like your average bland, mopey, teenagers.
Another issue I had with this remake is that it plays it straight. The original was part comedy, and I don't think the new film makers got that. The comedy angle was a big part of it's charm, and that's why it still holds up after 26 years. It's true that times are different now, and movies aren't the same as they were in the 80s. I certainly don't mind a film playing it straight, but it does make me nostalgic. Also, I've heard the 3D print is quite a bit darker than the 2D. I've read that 3D prints are generally darker. If most of the movie takes place at night , it's tough to make things out. I saw the 2D print, so I'd recommend that one.
This movie is by no means perfect, but it is a lot of fun. If vampires are your thing, you could do a lot worse than this.
Overall, the original is better, but the new one gets a lot of things right. The plot is pretty simple. A normal everyday teen discovers that his neighbor is a vampire once his friends start disappearing . He's drawn into a conflict with said vampire, and quickly realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. (Ha! Vampire jokes!) He goes to the only guy he knows who can help, and they try to take down the vamp for good. The 2011 one has a few minor changes to the story, but sticks to the structure of the '85 version.
The main thing the new one gets right is the casting. That's what made it work for me. Collin Ferrell is actually a perfect choice for the role of smarmy/douchey vampire next door. I never thought I'd say Ferrell is perfect choice for anyting, but he really seems to be having fun with the part. David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame) plays Peter Vincent, the magician/is he or is he not a vampire hunter. He is also a great choice, although his take on the character is much different than in the original. In this version, he's actually given more back story than before. This works, because it gives him more of a reason to be there. If you're wondering if he just plays The Doctor here, he doesn't. He is also a lot of fun to watch. The kid roles are fairly bland, and I think that might be the films weakest point. The kids were much more energetic in the original. Here, they seem like your average bland, mopey, teenagers.
Another issue I had with this remake is that it plays it straight. The original was part comedy, and I don't think the new film makers got that. The comedy angle was a big part of it's charm, and that's why it still holds up after 26 years. It's true that times are different now, and movies aren't the same as they were in the 80s. I certainly don't mind a film playing it straight, but it does make me nostalgic. Also, I've heard the 3D print is quite a bit darker than the 2D. I've read that 3D prints are generally darker. If most of the movie takes place at night , it's tough to make things out. I saw the 2D print, so I'd recommend that one.
This movie is by no means perfect, but it is a lot of fun. If vampires are your thing, you could do a lot worse than this.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Captain America
I tried to like this one, I really did. I've mostly enjoyed the marvel movies up til now. My favorite was Iron Man, but Thor was pretty good, too. I had high hopes going in. Reviews were good, it looked cool from the trailers. The first hour or so of the movie wasn't bad. It's your typical "superhero origin" story that we've seen countless times already-but they did it in a fresh way. They made it look like a military propaganda film from the 40s. What could go wrong?
The answer is the second half. The film fell apart for me here. It took major leaps forward with the character that it didn't earn. I almost suspect that chunks of the script were cut so it wouldn't seem slow, and that's probably where everything was explained. Little things, like who characters were, what their abilities were, why they were doing what they're doing. You know, things a film is supposed to tell you, even if they do it subtly.
I admit, I don't know much about this comic book. I think people who are familiar with Cap and his exploits will get more out of this film than I did, but for the most part, I spent the last hour of this movie saying "What?" to myself, over and over. It's really astounding. In all fairness, I didn't know much about Thor either before seeing that, but I never felt confused during that flick. A lot of the problems with the second half for me were because of the villain, Red Skull. They barely explained why he looked the way he did. He was given almost no motivation for being the villain. It's lazy writing at its worst. Also, I felt that the film looked too clean for a WW2 movie. The effects in the second half all looked fake (I will praise the movie for the first half, they did a great job of making Chris Evans look like a scrawny 12 year old). Overall, I felt like nothing was at stake, and I think that's the movie's greatest flaw. It made me not care. As a lead in to The Avengers next year, that's a dangerous place to put a fan who has seen six Avenger prequel films already (counting the originals, reboots, and sequels).
I've heard people complain that these movies are two hour teasers for The Avengers, but I haven't felt that until now. Because there was a teaser for The Avengers after the credits. A shaky, 30 second, cut-so-fast-you-think-you're-having-a-seizure kind of trailer. But I think Iron Man was in it. I could write pages upon pages about the "stupid logic" this movie operates on, but I'll just say it didn't work for me. This film has me worried whether or not The Avengers will be worth it, but I'm in too deep to not see it. Hopefully, Captain America is just an unfortunate bump in the road. Don't take my word for it. Lots of people seemed to like it, so, maybe you will. And hey, more power to you if you do. I just couldn't get on the train.
The answer is the second half. The film fell apart for me here. It took major leaps forward with the character that it didn't earn. I almost suspect that chunks of the script were cut so it wouldn't seem slow, and that's probably where everything was explained. Little things, like who characters were, what their abilities were, why they were doing what they're doing. You know, things a film is supposed to tell you, even if they do it subtly.
I admit, I don't know much about this comic book. I think people who are familiar with Cap and his exploits will get more out of this film than I did, but for the most part, I spent the last hour of this movie saying "What?" to myself, over and over. It's really astounding. In all fairness, I didn't know much about Thor either before seeing that, but I never felt confused during that flick. A lot of the problems with the second half for me were because of the villain, Red Skull. They barely explained why he looked the way he did. He was given almost no motivation for being the villain. It's lazy writing at its worst. Also, I felt that the film looked too clean for a WW2 movie. The effects in the second half all looked fake (I will praise the movie for the first half, they did a great job of making Chris Evans look like a scrawny 12 year old). Overall, I felt like nothing was at stake, and I think that's the movie's greatest flaw. It made me not care. As a lead in to The Avengers next year, that's a dangerous place to put a fan who has seen six Avenger prequel films already (counting the originals, reboots, and sequels).
I've heard people complain that these movies are two hour teasers for The Avengers, but I haven't felt that until now. Because there was a teaser for The Avengers after the credits. A shaky, 30 second, cut-so-fast-you-think-you're-having-a-seizure kind of trailer. But I think Iron Man was in it. I could write pages upon pages about the "stupid logic" this movie operates on, but I'll just say it didn't work for me. This film has me worried whether or not The Avengers will be worth it, but I'm in too deep to not see it. Hopefully, Captain America is just an unfortunate bump in the road. Don't take my word for it. Lots of people seemed to like it, so, maybe you will. And hey, more power to you if you do. I just couldn't get on the train.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Favorite Breaking Bad moments
In honor of the season 4 premiere, which was shockingly awesome, I thought I'd list my favorite moments from this show. There have been a ton of shocking things that happened, and they keep finding ways to do it. So, caution- spoilers ahead. Also, these aren't in order.
1. Jesse destroys a corpse in his bathtub with acid
Walt gave Jesse very specific instructions for this task. He had to get a certain kind of plastic tub for this. Jesse isn't that bright and ignored the part about the tub, thinking his bathtub would be stronger than plastic. As a result, we all got a horrific lesson in science that episode. The lesson- always listen to Walt!
2. Walt blows up Tucco's office with a piece of meth
Walt confronts gangster Tucco in this episode, who had just beaten Jesse to a pulp. He attempts to sell him some meth, but as an insurance policy, throws in some explosives for good measure. As Walt says to Tucco- "It's just a little tweak of the chemistry". Boom!
3. Tio's Bell
In one of the best episodes of the show, Walt and Jesse are held at gunpoint by crazy Tucco. Tucco has his Tio watch them. Tio appears to be unresponsive, due to being in a wheelchair. That doesn't stop him from overhearing Walt and Jesse plan to murder Tucco and escape. He tries to warn Tucco with his bell. Ding! Who would've thought a bell could be that suspensul?
4. Hank's shoot out with the cousins
Walt's brother in law Hank, who works for the DEA, becomes the targets of international assassins who were after Walt. Someone alerts him to their attack exactly one minute before it happens. The result is one of the most suspenseful shoot outs ever. Black Death, indeed.
5. Walt kills some dealers
At the end of season 3, Jesse figures out who exactly killed his dealer Combo in season 2. It's two rival dealers who happen to work for their new boss, Gus. Jesse decides to get revenge anyway, knowing there's a good chance he won't survive. Walt shows up at the last minute and murders them both. He crosses a line he hadn't before and there's no going back for him now. It's truly a shocker.
1. Jesse destroys a corpse in his bathtub with acid
Walt gave Jesse very specific instructions for this task. He had to get a certain kind of plastic tub for this. Jesse isn't that bright and ignored the part about the tub, thinking his bathtub would be stronger than plastic. As a result, we all got a horrific lesson in science that episode. The lesson- always listen to Walt!
2. Walt blows up Tucco's office with a piece of meth
Walt confronts gangster Tucco in this episode, who had just beaten Jesse to a pulp. He attempts to sell him some meth, but as an insurance policy, throws in some explosives for good measure. As Walt says to Tucco- "It's just a little tweak of the chemistry". Boom!
3. Tio's Bell
In one of the best episodes of the show, Walt and Jesse are held at gunpoint by crazy Tucco. Tucco has his Tio watch them. Tio appears to be unresponsive, due to being in a wheelchair. That doesn't stop him from overhearing Walt and Jesse plan to murder Tucco and escape. He tries to warn Tucco with his bell. Ding! Who would've thought a bell could be that suspensul?
4. Hank's shoot out with the cousins
Walt's brother in law Hank, who works for the DEA, becomes the targets of international assassins who were after Walt. Someone alerts him to their attack exactly one minute before it happens. The result is one of the most suspenseful shoot outs ever. Black Death, indeed.
5. Walt kills some dealers
At the end of season 3, Jesse figures out who exactly killed his dealer Combo in season 2. It's two rival dealers who happen to work for their new boss, Gus. Jesse decides to get revenge anyway, knowing there's a good chance he won't survive. Walt shows up at the last minute and murders them both. He crosses a line he hadn't before and there's no going back for him now. It's truly a shocker.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Transfomers 3
I should start this by saying that I enjoyed the first Transformers, but I thought the second was a mess. It's even harder to sit through on a second viewing. So I came to Transformers 3 with my guard up, but cautiously optimistic that it might not suck. And it wasn't all bad. The action scenes were fun for the most part. The 3D looked awesome. It was up to Avatar standards. Seriously folks, if you're going to do 3D, shoot it in 3D. That post conversion stuff looks like crap. If I can say something good about Michael Bay it's that he knows visuals. Film making is a visual art, so he's got part of it down. And there were actually wide shots in this movie- sometimes I could totally tell what was going on. Does this mean Mr. Bay maturing as a director?
This movie is not great. While half of film making is visuals, the other half is story telling. That's something Bay doesn't seem to give a fuck about. My biggest complaint of this movie is that it is around 2 and a half hours. If you're going to keep me in a theater that long, you better have a story to back it up. And Bay doesn't. There are many story lines that are introduced but go nowhere. The pacing is choppy. In the end, it doesn't really matter- we're here to see giant robots beat the shit out of each other. But that's kind of the point. If that's why we're here, why do we need an hour on seeing Sam trying to find a job? We know he's going to end up right in the middle of the robot fight anyway. Get on with it! I could have probably cut this movie down by a half hour and not lost anything. Another minor detail that bothered me is that this time, the robots bled when hit. What? ROBOTS DON'T BLEED!! I mean come on. Also, I'm pretty sure I heard Shockwave referred to as Soundwave by someone. You'll remember that Soundwave was in the last one and died. I sure hope someone got fired for that blunder. *braces for wedgie* That may go to the fact that most of the transformers look similar, and it's hard to tell them apart. This movie has its fun spots, but its bogged down by long sections of pointlessness that don't amount to anything. At best, it's a fun escapist action movie. At worst, it's a 2 and a half hour poorly written toy commercial. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle.
Grade: 3 out of 5 stars
This movie is not great. While half of film making is visuals, the other half is story telling. That's something Bay doesn't seem to give a fuck about. My biggest complaint of this movie is that it is around 2 and a half hours. If you're going to keep me in a theater that long, you better have a story to back it up. And Bay doesn't. There are many story lines that are introduced but go nowhere. The pacing is choppy. In the end, it doesn't really matter- we're here to see giant robots beat the shit out of each other. But that's kind of the point. If that's why we're here, why do we need an hour on seeing Sam trying to find a job? We know he's going to end up right in the middle of the robot fight anyway. Get on with it! I could have probably cut this movie down by a half hour and not lost anything. Another minor detail that bothered me is that this time, the robots bled when hit. What? ROBOTS DON'T BLEED!! I mean come on. Also, I'm pretty sure I heard Shockwave referred to as Soundwave by someone. You'll remember that Soundwave was in the last one and died. I sure hope someone got fired for that blunder. *braces for wedgie* That may go to the fact that most of the transformers look similar, and it's hard to tell them apart. This movie has its fun spots, but its bogged down by long sections of pointlessness that don't amount to anything. At best, it's a fun escapist action movie. At worst, it's a 2 and a half hour poorly written toy commercial. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle.
Grade: 3 out of 5 stars
Monday, June 27, 2011
True Blood: Season 4 Premiere
I'll say it right off the bat- I love this show. It's because of its no holds barred attitude. When you tune in every week, you really have no idea what they're going to throw at you. All you know is it's going to be a fun ride. This season appears to be no different, so I wanted to go over some of the twists from last night's episode. Spoilers ahead.
Fairy Land
At the end of last season, Sookie went off with her cousin Claudine to Fairy Land. It looks great when she gets there, but it takes her all of 5 seconds to figure out something is whack in Fairy Town. She manages to escape with her grandfather, who thinks he's only been there a week. It's really been 20 years. There's these glowing fruit things, and if you eat them, you're stuck. Sookie didn't, so she's fine, but Grandpa did. When they get home, he ages 20 years in a few minutes. Bummer. The real question is- how long has Sookie been gone, since Fairy Time is different than Human Time? The answer is a little over a year. Everyone in Bon Temps thinks she died at the hands of a Vamp (I.E. Bill). Jason (who's a cop now!) sold her house to a mysterious realtor company. What else has changed? This was my favorite development from the episode.
Bill's New Job
Bill has been busy during Sookie's absence. He's living in a fancy house now. Eric even listens to him at one point, which threw up a major red flag. At the end of the episode, he's addressed as "Your Majesty". We didn't see Queen Sophie Ann all episode, so the best guess is that she died during her duel with Bill at the end of last season. This is a major departure from the books. I figured they'd do something with Bill, because he kind of becomes a minor character from here out. I'm interested to see where this goes. No doubt Eric is planning a mutiny.
Tara's a lesbian now
Tara has been living in New Orleans for the year. She's a cage fighter and dating another female cage fighter. Everyone seems on the internet seems to be freaking out about this. I totally called it right away. Is anyone really surprised? Good for her, I say. I wonder how she'll fit into the story this season if she's this removed from it.
Merlotte's
It turns out Sam shot Tommy in the leg. Tommy has been living with Hoyt's crazy mom and appears to have changed his ways. Say what? How'd that happen? Sam has joined a group of Shifters and appears to be enjoying himself. Hmm. I'm guessing this doesn't go well.
Jason
Jason is a cop now. Weird. Andy is a V addict. He tries shaking down Lafayette for some, but Lafayette says he's clean. Jason is also still taking care of Hot Shot. No word on where Crystal is. She also shows up in the books later, so I bet she'll be back. While there, Jason gets clubbed over the head and locked in a refrigerator. It looks like he's getting the storyline from the book.
The Witches
Jesus has Lafayette join a covet of witches. It's headed up by Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter movies). She appears to be different than how she is in the book, but give her time. On Lafayette's first visit, she re-animates a dead bird and seems really happy about it. I bet there's plenty of crazy to come.
Hoyt/Jessica
Hoyt and Jessica are still playing house, despite Hoyt's mother repeatedly trying to kill Jessica. Jessica appears to be restless. In one of my favorite scenes of the episode, Pam says that it's because Jessica's a hunter and can't be caged. Sooner or later, she's going to have to acknowledge that. This is one of the main themes of the show, that vamps can't really fight their true nature. No matter how much they lie to themselves.
The end
Eric can freely enter Sookie's house now. Turns out he owns the real-estate company that bought the house, so he no longer needs an invite. He declares that she's "his" now. That can't be good.
There's tons of good stuff here. I'm really looking forward to where the show goes and how much of the book they'll keep in this season. Till next time, drink up.
Fairy Land
At the end of last season, Sookie went off with her cousin Claudine to Fairy Land. It looks great when she gets there, but it takes her all of 5 seconds to figure out something is whack in Fairy Town. She manages to escape with her grandfather, who thinks he's only been there a week. It's really been 20 years. There's these glowing fruit things, and if you eat them, you're stuck. Sookie didn't, so she's fine, but Grandpa did. When they get home, he ages 20 years in a few minutes. Bummer. The real question is- how long has Sookie been gone, since Fairy Time is different than Human Time? The answer is a little over a year. Everyone in Bon Temps thinks she died at the hands of a Vamp (I.E. Bill). Jason (who's a cop now!) sold her house to a mysterious realtor company. What else has changed? This was my favorite development from the episode.
Bill's New Job
Bill has been busy during Sookie's absence. He's living in a fancy house now. Eric even listens to him at one point, which threw up a major red flag. At the end of the episode, he's addressed as "Your Majesty". We didn't see Queen Sophie Ann all episode, so the best guess is that she died during her duel with Bill at the end of last season. This is a major departure from the books. I figured they'd do something with Bill, because he kind of becomes a minor character from here out. I'm interested to see where this goes. No doubt Eric is planning a mutiny.
Tara's a lesbian now
Tara has been living in New Orleans for the year. She's a cage fighter and dating another female cage fighter. Everyone seems on the internet seems to be freaking out about this. I totally called it right away. Is anyone really surprised? Good for her, I say. I wonder how she'll fit into the story this season if she's this removed from it.
Merlotte's
It turns out Sam shot Tommy in the leg. Tommy has been living with Hoyt's crazy mom and appears to have changed his ways. Say what? How'd that happen? Sam has joined a group of Shifters and appears to be enjoying himself. Hmm. I'm guessing this doesn't go well.
Jason
Jason is a cop now. Weird. Andy is a V addict. He tries shaking down Lafayette for some, but Lafayette says he's clean. Jason is also still taking care of Hot Shot. No word on where Crystal is. She also shows up in the books later, so I bet she'll be back. While there, Jason gets clubbed over the head and locked in a refrigerator. It looks like he's getting the storyline from the book.
The Witches
Jesus has Lafayette join a covet of witches. It's headed up by Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter movies). She appears to be different than how she is in the book, but give her time. On Lafayette's first visit, she re-animates a dead bird and seems really happy about it. I bet there's plenty of crazy to come.
Hoyt/Jessica
Hoyt and Jessica are still playing house, despite Hoyt's mother repeatedly trying to kill Jessica. Jessica appears to be restless. In one of my favorite scenes of the episode, Pam says that it's because Jessica's a hunter and can't be caged. Sooner or later, she's going to have to acknowledge that. This is one of the main themes of the show, that vamps can't really fight their true nature. No matter how much they lie to themselves.
The end
Eric can freely enter Sookie's house now. Turns out he owns the real-estate company that bought the house, so he no longer needs an invite. He declares that she's "his" now. That can't be good.
There's tons of good stuff here. I'm really looking forward to where the show goes and how much of the book they'll keep in this season. Till next time, drink up.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Super 8 (Spoilers)
Watching Super 8 is like listening to a cover song. The original was great. The new version hits all the right notes and sounds the same, but something is missing. It feels...empty. And that's how I felt watching this movie. It's clear that J.J. Abrams (a guy whose work I mostly admire) is trying to do nothing more than recreate a Steven Spielberg movie from the 70s. It's kind of like E.T. meets The Goonies. It's like watching one of those fan made mash-ups on Youtube. You can appreciate that the makers love the source material, but theirs pales in comparison to the original to the point of being embarrassingly silly. And I came to this conclusion about 10 minutes into this thing. Then I realized there was still almost 2 hours left.
The main problem here is the characters. They have no personalities, just sort of things that happened to them. There's the kid who's mom died, the kid who pukes, and the kid who lights stuff on fire. These are not personality traits. Also, the kids have little impact on the story. It feels like the real movie is happening around them, but we don't see very much of it. By the end, I didn't care whether they lived or not.
This brings me to another point. When you don't show us the antagonist of the movie until the end, it better look damn spectacular. Or at least, we should have a sense of why we're afraid of it, like in Jaws. I think that's what they were going for with this, but here, it feels like a cheap gimmick. When we finally saw the alien thing, I laughed. It looked like a mash of really bad FX of aliens from other movies. This movie had so much hype surrounding it, I'm not really sure what would have sufficed, if anything.
This film is also so littered with cliches, it feels like it was written by a two year old. There's lines of dialogue like "I'm just trying really hard to save your life," and "You don't get it, do you?" Really. I feel dumber for having listened to you. Thanks. I realize they're kids, but even kids don't talk like that. Not to mention the numerous plot holes and flat out unbelievable situations that kept popping up. Sorry Abrams, but a truck won't derail a train. I'm also pretty sure that bikes and microwaves don't translate into "hull of a space ship."
I felt like this movie was a two hour attempt to manipulate me into liking it, based on my nostalgia for Speilberg's glory days. Sorry, guys, I'm not buying it. It's sad. I figured if anyone would like this movie, it'd be me. I love classic Spielberg like ET and Close Encounters and Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is none of those. It's a shell. A carbon copy at best. I don't think my opinion will matter, most will want to see it regardless. Just don't say I didn't warn you. I mean, God forbid we try something new instead of repackaging the classics. And while we're at, J.J., cool it with the lens flares. Jesus.
The main problem here is the characters. They have no personalities, just sort of things that happened to them. There's the kid who's mom died, the kid who pukes, and the kid who lights stuff on fire. These are not personality traits. Also, the kids have little impact on the story. It feels like the real movie is happening around them, but we don't see very much of it. By the end, I didn't care whether they lived or not.
This brings me to another point. When you don't show us the antagonist of the movie until the end, it better look damn spectacular. Or at least, we should have a sense of why we're afraid of it, like in Jaws. I think that's what they were going for with this, but here, it feels like a cheap gimmick. When we finally saw the alien thing, I laughed. It looked like a mash of really bad FX of aliens from other movies. This movie had so much hype surrounding it, I'm not really sure what would have sufficed, if anything.
This film is also so littered with cliches, it feels like it was written by a two year old. There's lines of dialogue like "I'm just trying really hard to save your life," and "You don't get it, do you?" Really. I feel dumber for having listened to you. Thanks. I realize they're kids, but even kids don't talk like that. Not to mention the numerous plot holes and flat out unbelievable situations that kept popping up. Sorry Abrams, but a truck won't derail a train. I'm also pretty sure that bikes and microwaves don't translate into "hull of a space ship."
I felt like this movie was a two hour attempt to manipulate me into liking it, based on my nostalgia for Speilberg's glory days. Sorry, guys, I'm not buying it. It's sad. I figured if anyone would like this movie, it'd be me. I love classic Spielberg like ET and Close Encounters and Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is none of those. It's a shell. A carbon copy at best. I don't think my opinion will matter, most will want to see it regardless. Just don't say I didn't warn you. I mean, God forbid we try something new instead of repackaging the classics. And while we're at, J.J., cool it with the lens flares. Jesus.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thor
Before getting into this, I should say that I had almost no knowledge of this character prior to seeing the film. I knew he throws his hammer at stuff, but that was it. In all honesty, I found the lack of knowledge refreshing. For once, I didn't worry about how they were handling a beloved character, or whether or not some small detail from the comics would be handled properly. I was able to sit back and enjoy the film for what it was. And I did.
Here's a brief plot summary: Thor, the God of thunder, is banished from his home after a dispute with his father. His dad's the king, and Thor is almost ready to take his place on the throne. Before he does, he has to go to Earth to learn how not to be such a dick. Why Earth you ask? Because, duh, we have Facebook.
The film had a similar effect that Iron Man did. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, and it caught me off guard. (It caught me off Asgaurd, you might say.) There's nothing quite as enjoyable as when a film exceeds your expectations. I was most worried about whether or not the "alternate realm" stuff would work. It did. Asgard (the realm where Thor is from) looks fantastic. It's a place I wanted to know more about, and hopefully gets explored more in later films. I actually felt the film only slowed down during the Earth sequences. Not that they were bad, but, come on. We know Earth. I wanna see more Asgard.
Another thing that worked well was the casting. Chris Hemsworth does a fine job playing the title deity. He holds the movie together, despite all the talent around him (like Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, and Rene Russo). Special mention goes out to Tom Hiddleston. He plays Thor's brother, Loki. *SPOILER* He ends up becoming the film's villain. However, he's written so well that you actually sympathize with the poor bastard. Hiddleston is great here, chewing up scenes as though they were candy. I actually found myself even agreeing with him a few times. The thing that works about it is that the characters aren't clear cut good guys or bad guys. This makes them more, well, human.
The action scenes were well filmed. My only complaint is Thor's arc. Or, "I have to learn some responsibility and not be such a douche." It's a storyline we've seen many, many times before. With all the things this movie does right though, I'm willing to let this one cliche slide. I like that Marvel is now tying its films together for The Avengers. I'm interested to see how they'll make it all work, like with this summer's Captain America. I recommend this one. As a former non Thor fan who knew nothing of the material before tonight, you can take my word for it.
Here's a brief plot summary: Thor, the God of thunder, is banished from his home after a dispute with his father. His dad's the king, and Thor is almost ready to take his place on the throne. Before he does, he has to go to Earth to learn how not to be such a dick. Why Earth you ask? Because, duh, we have Facebook.
The film had a similar effect that Iron Man did. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, and it caught me off guard. (It caught me off Asgaurd, you might say.) There's nothing quite as enjoyable as when a film exceeds your expectations. I was most worried about whether or not the "alternate realm" stuff would work. It did. Asgard (the realm where Thor is from) looks fantastic. It's a place I wanted to know more about, and hopefully gets explored more in later films. I actually felt the film only slowed down during the Earth sequences. Not that they were bad, but, come on. We know Earth. I wanna see more Asgard.
Another thing that worked well was the casting. Chris Hemsworth does a fine job playing the title deity. He holds the movie together, despite all the talent around him (like Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, and Rene Russo). Special mention goes out to Tom Hiddleston. He plays Thor's brother, Loki. *SPOILER* He ends up becoming the film's villain. However, he's written so well that you actually sympathize with the poor bastard. Hiddleston is great here, chewing up scenes as though they were candy. I actually found myself even agreeing with him a few times. The thing that works about it is that the characters aren't clear cut good guys or bad guys. This makes them more, well, human.
The action scenes were well filmed. My only complaint is Thor's arc. Or, "I have to learn some responsibility and not be such a douche." It's a storyline we've seen many, many times before. With all the things this movie does right though, I'm willing to let this one cliche slide. I like that Marvel is now tying its films together for The Avengers. I'm interested to see how they'll make it all work, like with this summer's Captain America. I recommend this one. As a former non Thor fan who knew nothing of the material before tonight, you can take my word for it.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thoughts on Sucker Punch
I realize I'm in the minority here, but I really liked Sucker Punch. The main thing I liked about it is that it's not a remake, sequel, reboot, or something that's been done to death. I didn't need to have years of prerequisite knowledge to know who the characters are. As a side note, I wonder if that's why critics hated it. Maybe we've become brainwashed by remakes and sequels to the point that our subconscious minds automatically reject new things. But I digress.
This film isn't perfect. I admit that. For me, director Zach Snyder's work is hit and miss. I didn't really care for his Dawn of the Dead remake or 300, but I loved Watchmen and this movie. Even in those other films, I recognize what Snyder does. He pushes the envelope of film. His work doesn't look like anything else out there, and in a world where everything seems the same, it's a breath of fresh air.
So, we come to Sucker Punch. Judging from the trailer, this was my most anticipated movie of 2011 so far. And I feel like I got what I wanted from it. There is a story here. It's about a girl who's committed to an insane asylum in the 1930s. To cope with that, she creates fantasy worlds with whorehouses, dragons, and robots. Is it silly? Yes, but it's a clever way to break the typical film conventions we're used to. Since most of it happens in the girl's head, they don't really apply here.
I think Sucker Punch is meant to be a spectacle. The thing about 300 that I didn't like was that I don't think this kind of style was appropriate for that story. On the other hand, that style is perfect for a film like this. It's not meant to be taken seriously (although the tone of the film is dark). It kind of reminded me of some of the action films of the 80s starring Schwarzenegger and Stallone. They were silly and over the top, but you got a sense that the film makers knew that and did it intentionally. The same goes for Sucker Punch. It's escapism in the best sense of the word.
This film isn't perfect. I admit that. For me, director Zach Snyder's work is hit and miss. I didn't really care for his Dawn of the Dead remake or 300, but I loved Watchmen and this movie. Even in those other films, I recognize what Snyder does. He pushes the envelope of film. His work doesn't look like anything else out there, and in a world where everything seems the same, it's a breath of fresh air.
So, we come to Sucker Punch. Judging from the trailer, this was my most anticipated movie of 2011 so far. And I feel like I got what I wanted from it. There is a story here. It's about a girl who's committed to an insane asylum in the 1930s. To cope with that, she creates fantasy worlds with whorehouses, dragons, and robots. Is it silly? Yes, but it's a clever way to break the typical film conventions we're used to. Since most of it happens in the girl's head, they don't really apply here.
I think Sucker Punch is meant to be a spectacle. The thing about 300 that I didn't like was that I don't think this kind of style was appropriate for that story. On the other hand, that style is perfect for a film like this. It's not meant to be taken seriously (although the tone of the film is dark). It kind of reminded me of some of the action films of the 80s starring Schwarzenegger and Stallone. They were silly and over the top, but you got a sense that the film makers knew that and did it intentionally. The same goes for Sucker Punch. It's escapism in the best sense of the word.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Superbowl Movie Spots
Ah, the Superbowl. It's probably the biggest thing that happens in the winter yet I could care less about it. I'm just not a sports guy. On the other hand, there were a few trailers for some upcoming movies, so I thought I'd share my thoughts. Although it's hard to say from 32 seconds of footage. I didn't watch the game, but these are the spots I looked at later on the internet.
Captain America
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this was the best of the ads. I'm actually looking forward to this movie, although I'm not a huge Cap fan. I just think it looks cool. Also, there are flamethrowers.
Super 8
I want to be excited about this, I really do. They just haven't given us enough info to know anything yet, so...I'll wait til there's a real trailer that actually says what the movie's about. No opinions yet. I will say that I hate a tease.
Transformers 3
This is one bad ass TV spot. It's aggressive, it's in your face. This movie might make me forget about how bad Transformers 2 was on second viewing. I mean seriously, Bay, Optimus Prime heaven? None of that shit in Transformers 3, please.
Cowboys & Aliens
Still excited about this. Indiana Jones and James Bond in the same movie? Sold.
Captain America
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this was the best of the ads. I'm actually looking forward to this movie, although I'm not a huge Cap fan. I just think it looks cool. Also, there are flamethrowers.
Super 8
I want to be excited about this, I really do. They just haven't given us enough info to know anything yet, so...I'll wait til there's a real trailer that actually says what the movie's about. No opinions yet. I will say that I hate a tease.
Transformers 3
This is one bad ass TV spot. It's aggressive, it's in your face. This movie might make me forget about how bad Transformers 2 was on second viewing. I mean seriously, Bay, Optimus Prime heaven? None of that shit in Transformers 3, please.
Cowboys & Aliens
Still excited about this. Indiana Jones and James Bond in the same movie? Sold.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thoughts on the Oscars
The Oscars is one of the few award shows I watch. The rest are kind of...eh. The nominations are out today, so here's my thoughts on them.
Best Actor: I'd really like to see Jesse Eisenberg win for the Social Network. He was outstanding. I also liked Colin Firth in The King's Speech, but my vote is for Eisenberg.
Supporting Actor: I love Christian Bale, but I didn't see The Fighter. I hear he's the front runner for this, so that's great. Jeremy Renner was good in The Town, which I did see, so I'd say it's between these two. My money's on Bale.
Best Actress: Natalie Portman. Hands down. She has to win this year.
Supporting Actress: I'm going with Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit. Helena Bonham Carter did a great job in The King's Speech, so I'd be OK with that, too.
Animated Film: I loved How To Train Your Dragon, but you can't go wrong betting on Pixar. And, it was the superior film, so, I think it'll be Toy Story 3.
Art Direction: Inception. I liked the look of that film.
Cinematography: I'm a huge Roger Deakins fan, he always elevates the Coen Bros. movies with his wonderful camera work. So, Roger Deakins for True Grit.
Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland. Not a great film, but the technical side of it was good.
Directing: I vote David Fincher for The Social Network. He made a story that could have been really boring enthralling and intense.
Music (Score): I really liked Trent Reznor's score for The Social Network, but Inception's was better. I'm also surprised that Black Swan's score wasn't nominated- it was great.
Music (Song): I didn't see any of these, but I bet it'll be the one from Country Strong.
Best Picture: Inception was my favorite film of last year, but this is about what I think will win, not what I liked. Since I voted for David Fincher for directing (The Social Network), I think it'll win best picture, too. Best Director and Best Picture usually go hand in hand.
Those are the ones I have opinions about, the rest are the technical ones like sound editing that no one cares about. There's actually stuff to root for this year...so, I'm really excited. Go Social Network!
Best Actor: I'd really like to see Jesse Eisenberg win for the Social Network. He was outstanding. I also liked Colin Firth in The King's Speech, but my vote is for Eisenberg.
Supporting Actor: I love Christian Bale, but I didn't see The Fighter. I hear he's the front runner for this, so that's great. Jeremy Renner was good in The Town, which I did see, so I'd say it's between these two. My money's on Bale.
Best Actress: Natalie Portman. Hands down. She has to win this year.
Supporting Actress: I'm going with Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit. Helena Bonham Carter did a great job in The King's Speech, so I'd be OK with that, too.
Animated Film: I loved How To Train Your Dragon, but you can't go wrong betting on Pixar. And, it was the superior film, so, I think it'll be Toy Story 3.
Art Direction: Inception. I liked the look of that film.
Cinematography: I'm a huge Roger Deakins fan, he always elevates the Coen Bros. movies with his wonderful camera work. So, Roger Deakins for True Grit.
Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland. Not a great film, but the technical side of it was good.
Directing: I vote David Fincher for The Social Network. He made a story that could have been really boring enthralling and intense.
Music (Score): I really liked Trent Reznor's score for The Social Network, but Inception's was better. I'm also surprised that Black Swan's score wasn't nominated- it was great.
Music (Song): I didn't see any of these, but I bet it'll be the one from Country Strong.
Best Picture: Inception was my favorite film of last year, but this is about what I think will win, not what I liked. Since I voted for David Fincher for directing (The Social Network), I think it'll win best picture, too. Best Director and Best Picture usually go hand in hand.
Those are the ones I have opinions about, the rest are the technical ones like sound editing that no one cares about. There's actually stuff to root for this year...so, I'm really excited. Go Social Network!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Trailer Park: Scream 4
There's a new Scream trailer out. Yes, I know they're calling it Scre4m, but I refuse. As a side note, I'm really tired of movies trying to be cute by jamming the number of the film in the title. It's lazy and stupid. It's like they're trying to hide the fact that this is the fourth time they're cramming the same movie down your throats. Which brings me to Scream 4. And yes, it's the same as all the other Scream movies. The plot (of all of them) goes like this:
Boring Character #1: Hey did you kill those people?
Boring Character #2: Nope.
Boring Character #3: It was me! *Credits* There. I just saved you two hours. You're welcome. The trailer emphasized all the stupid cliches from the first few, and even managed to say "What's your favorite scary movie?" 100 times in 2 minutes. That's kind of impressive, I guess. Impressive that they made me sick of that line already and I haven't seen the movie yet. God forbid they try something new, but whatever. This is Hollywood we're talking about and this is another bad movie. By the way, does it look to anyone else like Ghostface is wearing a black Snuggie? It's gotta be hard to run in that thing.
Boring Character #1: Hey did you kill those people?
Boring Character #2: Nope.
Boring Character #3: It was me! *Credits* There. I just saved you two hours. You're welcome. The trailer emphasized all the stupid cliches from the first few, and even managed to say "What's your favorite scary movie?" 100 times in 2 minutes. That's kind of impressive, I guess. Impressive that they made me sick of that line already and I haven't seen the movie yet. God forbid they try something new, but whatever. This is Hollywood we're talking about and this is another bad movie. By the way, does it look to anyone else like Ghostface is wearing a black Snuggie? It's gotta be hard to run in that thing.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Black Swan- Nina and her Mom
I read an article on the internet today. It was about the relationship between Nina and her mother in the film Black Swan. That article had an interesting theory I wanted to talk about. So, if you haven't seen that movie yet- see it. Spoilers ahead.
I really wanted to write more about this in my initial review, but there was so much to cover I kind of passed over it. I think Nina and her mother's relationship was pivotal to understanding the rest of the film. In this article I read, the author says that he thinks Nina's mom was sexually abusing her. When I saw the movie, that was not my reaction to their relationship. I admit it was weird, and there was possibly more going on than what the film showed. I thought that Nina's mom was simply a control freak. She was living out her failed dreams of a dancing career through her daughter, a thing many parents do. It was as if Nina's mom was keeping her like a toy ballerina, like one of those wind up ones. She wasn't letting Nina grow into her own person.
I do think the sexual abuse idea has weight. It would explain why Nina went bat shit insane over the course of the movie. It would explain why she didn't have any close relationships outside of her mother and why she seemed repulsed at the idea of sex. The movie doesn't really go into it, which I think is a good thing. The truth is, I liked that you really don't know the full nature of their relationship. It makes it that much creepier. You know that Nina's mom is a controlling force in her life, and yeah, there's probably more there, but that's not the focus of the movie. Nina's deteriorating mental state is. I did have an interesting theory of my own while watching the movie about those two. I wondered if Nina's mom never existed at all, or had died at some point earlier. Like in the movie Psycho, Nina may have been imagining her mom and trying to please her "ghost" by being a ballerina like her mom wanted to be. Is that crazy? Maybe, but you never see Nina's mom interact with anyone other than Nina. The only time she even goes out of the house is to her daughter's performance at the end WHERE SHE FUCKING DIES. So yeah, Nina's mom may have been in her head too. I'm really glad the movie doesn't attempt some explanation of this, because it would have become too convoluted if it did. It gives you enough to understand the plot, but doesn't spell everything out for you. One of the reasons I love this film so much is because of that, it's open for interpretation.
I really wanted to write more about this in my initial review, but there was so much to cover I kind of passed over it. I think Nina and her mother's relationship was pivotal to understanding the rest of the film. In this article I read, the author says that he thinks Nina's mom was sexually abusing her. When I saw the movie, that was not my reaction to their relationship. I admit it was weird, and there was possibly more going on than what the film showed. I thought that Nina's mom was simply a control freak. She was living out her failed dreams of a dancing career through her daughter, a thing many parents do. It was as if Nina's mom was keeping her like a toy ballerina, like one of those wind up ones. She wasn't letting Nina grow into her own person.
I do think the sexual abuse idea has weight. It would explain why Nina went bat shit insane over the course of the movie. It would explain why she didn't have any close relationships outside of her mother and why she seemed repulsed at the idea of sex. The movie doesn't really go into it, which I think is a good thing. The truth is, I liked that you really don't know the full nature of their relationship. It makes it that much creepier. You know that Nina's mom is a controlling force in her life, and yeah, there's probably more there, but that's not the focus of the movie. Nina's deteriorating mental state is. I did have an interesting theory of my own while watching the movie about those two. I wondered if Nina's mom never existed at all, or had died at some point earlier. Like in the movie Psycho, Nina may have been imagining her mom and trying to please her "ghost" by being a ballerina like her mom wanted to be. Is that crazy? Maybe, but you never see Nina's mom interact with anyone other than Nina. The only time she even goes out of the house is to her daughter's performance at the end WHERE SHE FUCKING DIES. So yeah, Nina's mom may have been in her head too. I'm really glad the movie doesn't attempt some explanation of this, because it would have become too convoluted if it did. It gives you enough to understand the plot, but doesn't spell everything out for you. One of the reasons I love this film so much is because of that, it's open for interpretation.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2010 Top 10 TV Shows
Since every critic is doing this, and I've found that I'm quite fond of making lists and writing about stuff I like, I've decided to make a list of my top 10 favorite TV shows of 2010. Here we go!
10. Human Target (Fox)
I really hope this show makes it. It's clever, has a sense of humor, it's got some fun action scenes and a really good cast. Another thing I like about it is its stand alone quality. It's a show I can watch for fun and not have to remember stuff that happened three seasons ago. That stuff is good too, but it gets tiring. Kinda like homework.
9. Breaking Bad (AMC)
This show gets crazier with every episode. The thing I love about it is that Bryan Cranston's Walt makes moves that propel him a lot further ahead then he should be. You'd think he'd take baby steps into the world of drug selling, but he plunges in head first with no intent of coming out clean. There's great chemistry between Cranston and Aaron Paul, who plays Walt's partner. I think this is the glue that holds the show together.
8. Justified (FX)
Justified is a western that pretends to be a cop show. Which is awesome. It has entertaining stories, action, and really sharp dialogue. My favorite episode this season is when they talk down a hostage taker with a bucket of fried chicken. Oh yeah, that happens.
7. Dexter (Showtime)
Season 5 of Dexter was really good. I was a bit let down in the finale. I'd hoped that the Deb/Quinn angle about finding out the truth about Dexter would have yielded more, but maybe they're saving it for next season. Johnny Lee Miller, Peter Weller, and Julia Stiles were great additions to the cast this season. Can't wait to see what they do next.
6. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
I actually doubted the show some this season. The first two seasons were strong, but this season...it felt like they were stretching some plot lines. But then, damn, the season finale. The finale made the whole season work for me. It was very satisfying, and contained one of the most brutal kills I've seen all season. Awesome.
5. The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
This show isn't Twilight. Really, it's not! I like this show because of the fast paced way they resolve things. When something gets mentioned in an episode, you can be sure that they'll resolve it without making you wait a long time or not resolving it at all. (Lost, I'm looking in your direction). Watch the show for Ian Sommerholder's portrayal of Damon Salvatore.
4. Lost (ABC)
There was a lot of nerd backlash over the finale of Lost. I'm surprised and unashamed to admit that I really liked it. Yeah, we didn't learn everything about Dharma Island that we wanted. But how often in real life does someone pull you aside and explain why everything is the way it is? You suck it up and move along, people. That's what I got out of Lost anyway, and that's just fine with me. I still think this was a really great show.
3. Supernatural (The CW)
This season was the Apocalypse season. I think the show has never been better or darker. It was supposed to be the final season, but they decided to go for another one. This happens a lot in TV when a network doesn't want a show to end because it makes money. This can be bad, but on the other hand, we get more Supernatural. It still amazes me how dark this show is- and how nothing ever works out for these characters. That's good drama.
2. 24 (Fox)
24 has declined in quality slightly, hitting the same themes over and over. So, the show had to end. This season went out with a bang, though. My favorite scene was when Jack storms former President Logan's motorcade, in full body armor with an assault riffle. Logan says: That's Jack Bauer!!! Which is the appropriate response. Followed by shitting yourself. This was a sad year- I had two shows I loved dearly end. And within a few days of each other.
1. True Blood (HBO)
In an episode this season, after making a speech about eating children, a vampire pulls out a dude's spine. On national television. This is possibly the most awesome, horrifying thing I have ever seen. And that's why True Blood gets the number one spot. The show seemed to be trying to top itself this year. Every episode had something wackier and more violent than the previous one. But Vampire King Russell ripping out that guy's spine...I'm still shocked about it. I really can't wait for the DVDs.
There's my list! Honorable mentions go to Caprica (Syfy), The Walking Dead (AMC), and the Hawaii 5-0 remake (CBS). All were great shows, but they didn't quite make it. I doubt 2011 will have programming as good as 2010, but we'll see. Stay tuned!
10. Human Target (Fox)
I really hope this show makes it. It's clever, has a sense of humor, it's got some fun action scenes and a really good cast. Another thing I like about it is its stand alone quality. It's a show I can watch for fun and not have to remember stuff that happened three seasons ago. That stuff is good too, but it gets tiring. Kinda like homework.
9. Breaking Bad (AMC)
This show gets crazier with every episode. The thing I love about it is that Bryan Cranston's Walt makes moves that propel him a lot further ahead then he should be. You'd think he'd take baby steps into the world of drug selling, but he plunges in head first with no intent of coming out clean. There's great chemistry between Cranston and Aaron Paul, who plays Walt's partner. I think this is the glue that holds the show together.
8. Justified (FX)
Justified is a western that pretends to be a cop show. Which is awesome. It has entertaining stories, action, and really sharp dialogue. My favorite episode this season is when they talk down a hostage taker with a bucket of fried chicken. Oh yeah, that happens.
7. Dexter (Showtime)
Season 5 of Dexter was really good. I was a bit let down in the finale. I'd hoped that the Deb/Quinn angle about finding out the truth about Dexter would have yielded more, but maybe they're saving it for next season. Johnny Lee Miller, Peter Weller, and Julia Stiles were great additions to the cast this season. Can't wait to see what they do next.
6. Sons of Anarchy (FX)
I actually doubted the show some this season. The first two seasons were strong, but this season...it felt like they were stretching some plot lines. But then, damn, the season finale. The finale made the whole season work for me. It was very satisfying, and contained one of the most brutal kills I've seen all season. Awesome.
5. The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
This show isn't Twilight. Really, it's not! I like this show because of the fast paced way they resolve things. When something gets mentioned in an episode, you can be sure that they'll resolve it without making you wait a long time or not resolving it at all. (Lost, I'm looking in your direction). Watch the show for Ian Sommerholder's portrayal of Damon Salvatore.
4. Lost (ABC)
There was a lot of nerd backlash over the finale of Lost. I'm surprised and unashamed to admit that I really liked it. Yeah, we didn't learn everything about Dharma Island that we wanted. But how often in real life does someone pull you aside and explain why everything is the way it is? You suck it up and move along, people. That's what I got out of Lost anyway, and that's just fine with me. I still think this was a really great show.
3. Supernatural (The CW)
This season was the Apocalypse season. I think the show has never been better or darker. It was supposed to be the final season, but they decided to go for another one. This happens a lot in TV when a network doesn't want a show to end because it makes money. This can be bad, but on the other hand, we get more Supernatural. It still amazes me how dark this show is- and how nothing ever works out for these characters. That's good drama.
2. 24 (Fox)
24 has declined in quality slightly, hitting the same themes over and over. So, the show had to end. This season went out with a bang, though. My favorite scene was when Jack storms former President Logan's motorcade, in full body armor with an assault riffle. Logan says: That's Jack Bauer!!! Which is the appropriate response. Followed by shitting yourself. This was a sad year- I had two shows I loved dearly end. And within a few days of each other.
1. True Blood (HBO)
In an episode this season, after making a speech about eating children, a vampire pulls out a dude's spine. On national television. This is possibly the most awesome, horrifying thing I have ever seen. And that's why True Blood gets the number one spot. The show seemed to be trying to top itself this year. Every episode had something wackier and more violent than the previous one. But Vampire King Russell ripping out that guy's spine...I'm still shocked about it. I really can't wait for the DVDs.
There's my list! Honorable mentions go to Caprica (Syfy), The Walking Dead (AMC), and the Hawaii 5-0 remake (CBS). All were great shows, but they didn't quite make it. I doubt 2011 will have programming as good as 2010, but we'll see. Stay tuned!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2010 Top 10
It's that time of year again. The time when we look back over the year and think about which movies we liked best...so we can disagree with The Academy in a month or so when they don't pick what we liked. Some people have been ragging on 2010 by saying it hasn't been a great year for movies. Looking back on this list, I have to disagree. There are plenty movies on here that I really liked. I think people might not be seeing the RIGHT movies. Anyway, here's the list. As Hannibal from the A-Team might say, I love it when a plan comes together.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
These films have gotten progressively better over the last decade. The kids have really grown into their roles and developed some great acting abilities. The supporting cast is perfect as well, most of them being exactly how I imagined them when I read the book. I'm not sure if I'm ready to see it go, since the last Harry Potter film ever opens this summer.
9. The Last Exorcism
I was surprised by how much I liked this. It's a horror movie that shows restraint, and understands that scary doesn't mean shoving gore down your throat for 90 min. Instead, it uses tension to build the suspense, and it works well. This film feels like a time bomb that's going to go off, but you don't know when. Also, I really related to the main character's struggle with faith.
8. True Grit
A fine addition to the already awesome library of Coen Brothers movies. Great performances, great dialogue. It's a satisfying revenge tale. Not my favorite of their films, but good none the less. Jeff Bridges will probably be up for another Oscar for this.
7. The Town
Who knew Ben Affleck could direct? Not only that, but he stars in this too...and actually pulls it off. This is easily the best performance of his career. It looks like he's matured quite a bit and now may grow into a decent film maker. There's a lot that works here.
6. Toy Story 3
I never though I'd get emotional over a cartoon about toys who come to life...but here we are. The message of this film is that we all grow up, and when we do, we have to put away childish things. Excuse me, there's something in my eye.
5. Shutter Island
Shutter Island is a great mystery. And I love a mystery. Throughout this film, I knew something was wrong...way wrong...but I couldn't put my finger on it. A lot of people have bashed this, saying they figured it out...but I remember people saying that about the Sixth Sense. Which I also enjoyed, so...eh. I loved the hell out of this. I read the book too, which is also awesome.
4. Kick Ass
There's a little girl in this who kills a bunch of adults by herself. That alone makes this list worthy. It's funny that people protested this because it has a lot of violence towards children. It's funny though, because parents are always afraid kids will emulate the movies. Here's one that realistically (sort of) shows what happens if you were to try something like that, and they hate it. Hippocrates. This film is a rush, and a lot of fun to watch.
3. Black Swan
Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career here. I really hope she gets an Oscar for it. I love movies like this. Movies that are the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. This film really rattled me...which is saying something because I rarely get rattled by movies anymore. I hate to be one of those nerds that raves about a film few have seen, but this is one that really earns it.
2. The Social Network
The cultural relevance of this film is what made it work for me. The fact that people are watching a movie about Facebook while many are on Facebook in the theater...if that's not art, I don't know what is. The movie itself is really amazing too. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's damn entertaining.
1. Inception
I was blown away by this. I thought about it for days afterward. I love that it's open ended, and leaves it up for interpretation. I have my theories as to what the end means, and I'm sure everyone else does, too. I think this movie is similar to The Matrix and Dark City (both of which I like) but I think it works better. I really hope it gets a best picture nod, but because it came out in the summer...I doubt it. Anyway, I loved this movie, and it gets my vote as best of the year.
The worst movie of 2010 is Robin Hood. The one with Russell Crowe. It was just that it was a remake no one asked for, didn't offer us anything we hadn't seen in a Robin Hood movie before. And they called it a prequel, for some reason. I remember hearing that originally this was called Nottingham and was going to be told from the Sheriff's point of view. The studio apparently freaked out at the originality of that idea and decided to make it like every Robin Hood we've ever seen. So, it gets the stamp of worst movie of the year. I mean, I'm sure there were worse movies. I didn't see that one with Katherine Heigl where she gets baby poop on her face. I'm sure that's worse. I can't really watch movies I know ahead of time are going to be horrible, but I thought they might make something fun out of Robin Hood. They didn't.
So, there's my list. I hope 2011 throws some good movies our way, but we'll have to see. Until then, I'll see you at the movies.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
These films have gotten progressively better over the last decade. The kids have really grown into their roles and developed some great acting abilities. The supporting cast is perfect as well, most of them being exactly how I imagined them when I read the book. I'm not sure if I'm ready to see it go, since the last Harry Potter film ever opens this summer.
9. The Last Exorcism
I was surprised by how much I liked this. It's a horror movie that shows restraint, and understands that scary doesn't mean shoving gore down your throat for 90 min. Instead, it uses tension to build the suspense, and it works well. This film feels like a time bomb that's going to go off, but you don't know when. Also, I really related to the main character's struggle with faith.
8. True Grit
A fine addition to the already awesome library of Coen Brothers movies. Great performances, great dialogue. It's a satisfying revenge tale. Not my favorite of their films, but good none the less. Jeff Bridges will probably be up for another Oscar for this.
7. The Town
Who knew Ben Affleck could direct? Not only that, but he stars in this too...and actually pulls it off. This is easily the best performance of his career. It looks like he's matured quite a bit and now may grow into a decent film maker. There's a lot that works here.
6. Toy Story 3
I never though I'd get emotional over a cartoon about toys who come to life...but here we are. The message of this film is that we all grow up, and when we do, we have to put away childish things. Excuse me, there's something in my eye.
5. Shutter Island
Shutter Island is a great mystery. And I love a mystery. Throughout this film, I knew something was wrong...way wrong...but I couldn't put my finger on it. A lot of people have bashed this, saying they figured it out...but I remember people saying that about the Sixth Sense. Which I also enjoyed, so...eh. I loved the hell out of this. I read the book too, which is also awesome.
4. Kick Ass
There's a little girl in this who kills a bunch of adults by herself. That alone makes this list worthy. It's funny that people protested this because it has a lot of violence towards children. It's funny though, because parents are always afraid kids will emulate the movies. Here's one that realistically (sort of) shows what happens if you were to try something like that, and they hate it. Hippocrates. This film is a rush, and a lot of fun to watch.
3. Black Swan
Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career here. I really hope she gets an Oscar for it. I love movies like this. Movies that are the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. This film really rattled me...which is saying something because I rarely get rattled by movies anymore. I hate to be one of those nerds that raves about a film few have seen, but this is one that really earns it.
2. The Social Network
The cultural relevance of this film is what made it work for me. The fact that people are watching a movie about Facebook while many are on Facebook in the theater...if that's not art, I don't know what is. The movie itself is really amazing too. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's damn entertaining.
1. Inception
I was blown away by this. I thought about it for days afterward. I love that it's open ended, and leaves it up for interpretation. I have my theories as to what the end means, and I'm sure everyone else does, too. I think this movie is similar to The Matrix and Dark City (both of which I like) but I think it works better. I really hope it gets a best picture nod, but because it came out in the summer...I doubt it. Anyway, I loved this movie, and it gets my vote as best of the year.
The worst movie of 2010 is Robin Hood. The one with Russell Crowe. It was just that it was a remake no one asked for, didn't offer us anything we hadn't seen in a Robin Hood movie before. And they called it a prequel, for some reason. I remember hearing that originally this was called Nottingham and was going to be told from the Sheriff's point of view. The studio apparently freaked out at the originality of that idea and decided to make it like every Robin Hood we've ever seen. So, it gets the stamp of worst movie of the year. I mean, I'm sure there were worse movies. I didn't see that one with Katherine Heigl where she gets baby poop on her face. I'm sure that's worse. I can't really watch movies I know ahead of time are going to be horrible, but I thought they might make something fun out of Robin Hood. They didn't.
So, there's my list. I hope 2011 throws some good movies our way, but we'll have to see. Until then, I'll see you at the movies.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Black Swan
The opening scene of Black Swan is perfect. In it, our heroine Nina (Natalie Portman), dances by herself. There's no crowd, no instructor, no parents. Just Nina, dancing alone in a black void. It's a perfect intro to the movie and her character. It says that Nina is stuck in an endless pirouette, a dance that she will never escape.
I love movies like Black Swan. Movies like Fight Club , The Matrix, or The Sixth Sense. They're the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. Because, in the end, reality is only an interpretation of what our brain sees. We trust that our brain is reliable, and is giving us accurate information, but we only see things from our own perspective. What we consider "normal" may be completely different from what someone else thinks it is.
The story is that Nina is a dancer in NYC. She has just landed the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. However, she has to play two roles- a pure White Swan and its ugly twin, the Black Swan. Her instructor thinks she is perfect for the White Swan, because her dancing is technically flawless. He doesn't know if she can play the more evil/rebellious Black Swan, because he thinks she isn't feeling it. What is awesome about this, is that the story of Swan Lake brilliantly echoes what's going on in Nina's life. Throughout the film she tries to surrender herself to the Black Swan. Because she's been so sheltered her whole life, it's not something that comes naturally to her. By the film's end, you can really see how becoming the Black Swan is both liberating her and killing her at the same time. Some people just can't handle their dark side.
Aside from all the internal struggle stuff, there's more going on here. This film is also about the crazy amounts of pressure that gets put on athletes. They put themselves through so much striving for perfection, but any sane person will tell you that perfection is impossible. You should only try to be your best. That's not a message that sports (or anything competitive) tells you. They usually tell you to win at all costs, and if you don't, you're not trying hard enough. It's sad, because you have to wonder how many screwed up athletes there are trying to achieve something they can't.
On the technical side of things, the film looks amazing. I read somewhere that director Darren Aronofsky shot the whole movie was shot with a hand held camera. Normally I would say that's not a great idea- I find the "shaky camera" stuff to be very distracting. However, I didn't even notice it here, so that's another thing about how good this film is. The score is great too, and I also read that it is a variation of the actual Swan Lake score, which is the production they're doing in the film. The cast is great, too. Natalie Portman easily gives the best performance of her career. Mila Kunis does a great job playing Lily, the rebellious counterpart to Nina's character. Winona Ryder is also fantastic as a dancer who is retired before she's ready, as dancers apparently don't get long careers.
This film is fantastic. It plays out kind of like a dark and twisted fairy tale. That's interesting, because the original fairy tales we know were dark and twisted before being watered down for children. I really have no complaints at all, and would argue that this is one of the best films of the year.
I love movies like Black Swan. Movies like Fight Club , The Matrix, or The Sixth Sense. They're the kind of thrillers that make you question your reality. Because, in the end, reality is only an interpretation of what our brain sees. We trust that our brain is reliable, and is giving us accurate information, but we only see things from our own perspective. What we consider "normal" may be completely different from what someone else thinks it is.
The story is that Nina is a dancer in NYC. She has just landed the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. However, she has to play two roles- a pure White Swan and its ugly twin, the Black Swan. Her instructor thinks she is perfect for the White Swan, because her dancing is technically flawless. He doesn't know if she can play the more evil/rebellious Black Swan, because he thinks she isn't feeling it. What is awesome about this, is that the story of Swan Lake brilliantly echoes what's going on in Nina's life. Throughout the film she tries to surrender herself to the Black Swan. Because she's been so sheltered her whole life, it's not something that comes naturally to her. By the film's end, you can really see how becoming the Black Swan is both liberating her and killing her at the same time. Some people just can't handle their dark side.
Aside from all the internal struggle stuff, there's more going on here. This film is also about the crazy amounts of pressure that gets put on athletes. They put themselves through so much striving for perfection, but any sane person will tell you that perfection is impossible. You should only try to be your best. That's not a message that sports (or anything competitive) tells you. They usually tell you to win at all costs, and if you don't, you're not trying hard enough. It's sad, because you have to wonder how many screwed up athletes there are trying to achieve something they can't.
On the technical side of things, the film looks amazing. I read somewhere that director Darren Aronofsky shot the whole movie was shot with a hand held camera. Normally I would say that's not a great idea- I find the "shaky camera" stuff to be very distracting. However, I didn't even notice it here, so that's another thing about how good this film is. The score is great too, and I also read that it is a variation of the actual Swan Lake score, which is the production they're doing in the film. The cast is great, too. Natalie Portman easily gives the best performance of her career. Mila Kunis does a great job playing Lily, the rebellious counterpart to Nina's character. Winona Ryder is also fantastic as a dancer who is retired before she's ready, as dancers apparently don't get long careers.
This film is fantastic. It plays out kind of like a dark and twisted fairy tale. That's interesting, because the original fairy tales we know were dark and twisted before being watered down for children. I really have no complaints at all, and would argue that this is one of the best films of the year.
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