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An avid movie collector reviews movies, games, and TV shows for the common man, among other things. Spoiler Free

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

I noticed that I seldom explain what the movie is about, assuming of course that you are all aware of everything that comes out and need only my suggestion on whether or not to watch it. I decided to add a quick synopsis just to make sure you know what movie I am refering to, or you can get enough of a picture to read my bird-brained review. I hope it helps.

The Incredibles



- A family of Superheros are forced to try to live normally, trouble ensues...

Quite possibly Pixar's best film to date. To catch you up to speed that would be possibly better than Toy Story 1+2, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. Yeah, thats right. Once again Pixar finds a way to entertain both the adults and kids with their deep and humorous story, although this picture is more suited to the adults, which is why its possibly better instead of definately better. A great family film should be more even in its appeal, and I think some kids might have checked out during the dramatic scenes. But since I am not worried about how my kids enjoyed it, since I have none, I will go ahead and say that I enjoyed it more than the other Pixar movies greatly, and would place it in the top 5 movies of this year I think. I am still calculating that list by the way, it is getting to be that time of year. Anyway, so enough of the grading you guys want the meat. The voice work is excellent with kudos going to Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and especially Holly Hunter who made the movie excellent. This movie is one of the best portrayals of a Mid-life crisis, adapting to change in a marriage, parenting, you name the family situation this touched on it. And all the while we get great humor and action, while they battle the un-super Jason Lee who plays well the whiny arch nemesis. Its Superb, and you have no excuse not to see it. Unless you have no legs. In which case I am sorry. I'll get you a bootleg. Oh man I didn't even catch that joke until after I wrote it. Boot-leg, for a legless man. Oh man I kill myself.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



- A man goes to erase the memory of his Ex in response to her doing the same

One of those movies I really wanted to see, but didn't want to pay for. Well I paid for it, I bought it cheap assuming that I would want to buy it and saved the rental money. Well I gambled wisely, for the movie was not only excellent but featured a music video that would have warranted a purchase on its own. Michel Gondry is a filmmaking wizard, and you would know this already if you have seen any of his Kylie Minogue videos. And Charlie Kaufman always seems to find a way to write bizarre stories that really speak volumes about people. Kate Winslet finally broke the barrier that had kept me from liking her since her involvement with The Titanic (Leonardo broke that one a while ago, but Cameron you got some work to do) with a brilliant turn and the romantic lead, and Jim Carrey once again nails the dramatic role as he did in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. In supporting roles were Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, and Elijah Wood, and all of which performed well. I loved the film and would really like to see it again but my fiancee decided it would be better to share the film with others instead of horde it ourselves. I guess she's right.


Thursday, November 11, 2004

Guilty Pleasures

I stopped in an old video store today and they were having a big VHS clearance. I scoured the racks and found many old comedies that I had wanted. I thought I would share with you my pleasure.

Men at Work

It's 1990 and the real life brothers Charlie Sheen and Emilio Esteves rule the cinematic world. They once again decide to team up for a comedy about two trashmen who discover a body in someone's trash. Here was the tagline "Two Garbagemen who know when something smells funny!" You have to love it. And...Keith David, can you ask for more.

Bowfinger

I had this movie like three times, and it is continually stolen. So once again it is mine, with all of its goofy humor. Stars Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Christine Baransky, Heather Graham, Jamie Kennedy, and Terrance Stamp.

Bob Roberts

Political humor from one of my favorites Tim Robbins. Its a funny satire of the political machine with a huge all-star cast, many of which merely cameo - Tim Robbins, Alan Rickman, Brian Murray, Gore Vidal, James Spader, Helen Hunt, Peter Gallagher, Jack Black, Susan Sarandon, Fred Ward, John Cusack, Jeremy Piven.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It

Mel Brooks is a pleasure to me, and this movie which is pretty goofy even for him was a must have for me. Leslie Neilson is once again wonderful at being bumbling and Peter MacNicol as Renfield is the highlight of the movie. Although Brooks stole almost the whole cast of "Wings" for this movie with the addition of Steven Weber and Amy Yasbeck.

The Hudsucker Proxy

A wonderful Coen Brothers comedy starring Tim Robbins as the brilliant buffoon that invented the Hula Hoop. Also starring Bruce Campbell, Paul Newman, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

P.S. - I find it amusing that probably only on this blog would Bruce Campbell be given higher billing than Paul Newman.

Payback

This dark action movie was a lot of fun especially since the main character was so bad, yet good, and played well by the always exciting Mel Gibson. Lucy Lui as the sadist was not as much fun as people tried to make it though.

Well thats my newest half dozen of additions, most of which I think I should be ashamed to own. But I will cherish them, and make you watch them with me.





Sunday, November 07, 2004

The Temptations of my birthday.

On my birthday which is usually on a boring day like Tuesday, as it is this year, but this year is fraught with the perils of what I would want to buy with the birthday money that I may or may not be getting. Because I am getting married it would probably be prudent to store away such moneys. On the 16th this November we see the release of

The Final Season of Buffy

The Third Season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force

The New Eminem Album

And The Chronicles of Riddick, which I don't want.

I would like to score one of them, and because of the stringent prices that I require to purchase things it will probably be Aqua Teen or Eminem. Buffy will have to wait for a discovery in a used bin.

Man my life is hard.



Thursday, November 04, 2004

The Grudge

I saw The Grudge, breaking a long drought of non-theatre movie watching. I had an evening of mixed pleasure. In retrospect, I was dissatisfied with the movie on many levels, however it had tons of jumps and freaky moments to be enjoyed. For an idea of the movie multiply the freak out moments in The Ring by about 4, so that every suspensful scene delivers the gratuitous scare. But remove the clever mystery story that accompanied The Ring and replace it with a bit of string and a sticker. Yes the story was that exciting, and it actually barely had a story at all. The movie was built on a premise which you received in the beginning and thats it. I watched the movie with CJ, and he loved it but he admittedly has different tastes when it comes to horror, which he tends to avoid. He liked the premise and just reveled in the peril. Personally, I like to jump in the main character's shoes and try to calculate how I would overcome, or attempt to overcome. This movie allowed none of that, and so I was never able to become engaged in the movie. And the scares where weakened by the fact that the villian was never really explained, so each scene redefined the villian so that you couldn't theorize counterattacks and the like. Ah, I could go on forever about how I like my horror. If you identified with my whining, you can skip The Grudge. I'll try to catch Saw, and then complete the Halloween experience this year.

Oh, and Sarah Michelle Gellar was OK, not as good as Buffy but better than Daphne.

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