I randomly caught the end of Eagle Eye in a hotel room and I thought I'd watch the beginning when I happened to see the DVD at the library. It's your standard conspiracy movie, but with Shia LaBeouf eye candy. The most exciting part is in the beginning during the chase when they're getting instructions.
So, I just read this article about the most buzzworthy moments at last night's Oscars. The only thing that was even remotely interesting was Melossa Leo saying fuck for the first time ever at the Oscars....It was basically just surprising because you'd think people would have said it a long time ago. Get over your fucking selves.
Peep game. Today's groupon in the Silicon Valley is a weekend pass to Cinequest, San Jose's film festival. San Jose is my hometown and I've quietly been going to screenings for several years. I'm probably going to see my first film in the festival on Wednesday. Excitement?!
WELL! I didn't watch the Academy Awards last night because I hate award shows...who can devote time to the whole 3408950348 hour affair? I did catch a short bit of it because it was on while I was eating in a restaurant...there were some really bad song performances and that was about it. I'm into movies but not so much the Hollywood culture...I did, however get home and google the results. I'm pretty surprised (in a good) way that Inception didn't win best picture. I won't get started on the overratedness of the film...I do think that if voting were held the week after it came out, it probably would've won. I also saw that The Lost Thingwon best animated short and I was a bit disappointed that Day & Nightdidn't. Perhaps it would be too "obvious" to give the award to the Pixar short? Anyway, that's the only category I can really comment on because it's the only one for while I saw all the films because I went to a screening.
I thought about looking at the best & worst dressed for this year (fashion is my other interest), but the thought of googling it and sifting through celebrity websites was just too much.
I should probably stop watching coming of age movies like Election, they get on my nerves. What is more annoying than teenagers? I hate the apathetic teen character like the sister in this movie, and I hate the overachiever character like Reese Witherspoon's Tracy Flick. Of course, the Flick character is a gross exaggeration meant to appeal to all of us who hate people like that. The Matthew Broderick teacher character is really endearing, as is the tall football player guy. You see, I've already forgotten all these peoples' names. To be fair, the film is a poignant coming of age story. I mean, I guess if the teenager characters are really annoying, the film is successful because it's true to life, yeah?
About a hundred years too late, I watched the first Saw. I'm not planning on watching any more of them...I can't believe they made seven (? or however many) of these movies. I did see the original short in a film class a few years ago.
Saw is clearly a meticulously thought out film/story. I think it could've been a better film if the entire thing were set in the room....don't get me wrong, it was kinda cool that Danny Glover was in it, but it would be a better psychological thriller without all the outside stuff.
I do kind of think the whole serial killer draped in a velvet cape thing is ridiculous, though. I mean, no, not even kind of, it just is. So are props like above ^ Why would a serial killer bother with goofy props like that? To be fair, I am not one of those people who thinks clowns are scary.
I mean, serial killers are passe...not artsy. Any real cops probably would've caught this guy so quickly anyway. I.e. canvassing hospitals after he got shot for people admitted with gunshot wounds. Duh, I'm just somebody who's seen too many cop shows and I know that. And any number of other mistakes the cops in the movie made that real cops wouldn't have overlooked.
The whole "this guy has cancer so he's full of rage, and he hates people who do shitty things in life" thing is weird......I say they should bring saw back for an 8th (9th? 10th? which is it?) movie in which a SUPER serial killer takes the serial killer from this movie and puts him in the ULTIMATE GAME.
I saw the trailer for Five Days without Nora(released in the states as Nora's Will) and it was portrayed as more of a comedy than it really is. The actual film is a bit slow and I was disappointed. It was interesting to see a portrayal of the Jewish community in Mexico, though.
OK, so the first thing I think of when I think of To Live and Die in L.A.isn't this movie, but the song by Tupac. And when I think of the song by Tupac I think of this evil (no really) roommate I used to live with who would listen to that song.
Not that this has anything to do with anything.
This film is actually more artfully done than you'd think for a typical cop movie. It's also really homoerotic. And explicit with both violence and sex. You see guys' heads get blown off. You see William Petersen's dick. That's right, the guy from CSI's dick! After being a fan of CSI for years previously, it was weird to see this dick and then suddenly realize it was Grissom.
Speaking of dudes you'll recognize from TV shows, you'll recognize the co-ordinator guy from Quantum Leap, too.
The above picture ^ was the first short of Willem Dafoe near the beginning of the movie. At first I was thinking "OMG, Willem Dafoe is scary!" but by the end of the film he had grown on me. I like interesting faces.
Speaking of endings, the ending to this one was somewhat surprising.
The soundtrack is by Wanng Chung (lol) and it's pretty dated...one of the lines in one of the songs is
So, I finally watched Grey Gardens. To be totally honest, I was kind of disappointed. I really wish tehre were more backstory...the whole time I found myself wondering how these women got to be this way, but the only real insight into their pasts was just via loud angry arguments they had on screen...I wanted some facts, interviews with people (what happened to the other brothers?), anything! After a certain point it was like OK, these people are weird, but this is boring. We've all met weirdos, so what?
Also, I haven't seen the Drew Barrymore movie about Little Edie's life, but based on the pictures that film really glamorizes these women when they are really like 99% grit. Although I have seen some cool fashion spreads based on Grey Gardens.
I almost didn't make it to one of the screenings of The Importance of Being Earnest. I'm glad I did, though. This is the last movie on the current calendar for the Stanford Theatre that I will likely go see. The Importance of Being Earnest is funny. And damn are the dresses absurd ^
Some Like it Hotis one of those old films that translates well to contemporary times. It's still very funny entertaining. I'd actually never seen a Marilyn Monro film before! She really is beautiful and charming. I love her voice--it was so much softer than I'd expected. Some Like it Hot is really a worthwhile film.
Wow, what a powerful, gut wrenching, emotional story. I really need to read the play. This is a story about the black American experience...but it's also about the existential angst all human beings feel. Excellent characterization....amazing acting. Just wow. I am really fond of some adaptations from the stage to film...I love the dialog driven storytelling.
Piccadillyis the silent drama about a dance club of the same name. The best part about this movie is that Anna May Wong is in it. The worst part is the drawing of her topless on the DVD cover is completely misleading because there are no titties in this. There were a few cool shots in this, like a woman's face covered halfway with the shadows of a fern...I wish I could take screen caps :'(
The music they added to this was pretty awful, though...a jazzy soundtrack. I'm used to the organs!
Malcolm Xis one of the best biopics I've ever seen. It really wrenches one's heart to see racism like this. Denzel Washington lost a lot of weight for this role! And this was probably one of Angela Bassett's best roles. The beginning of the film is really fun. I love all the jump cuts.
Did ya'll hear the news this morning? Criterion Collection is now on Hulu. As far as I can tell, though, you have to be a Hulu subscriber to access the films. That is $8/month...not really worth it for those of us who use Netflix (and who doesn't?). This would be far more exciting if there were a few free offerings... However, I do suppose that this will expose Criterion films to a different crowd.
For some reason, the plot of The Diving Bell and the Butterflydidn't interest me when I first heard about it, but I was wrong! This movie is really engaging. The style of filming from the POV of the paralyzed Bauby could've easily been done too cornily, but it really wasn't. I love how this was filmed.
Watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I really love the title, but I don't like this movie as much as everyone else seems to. Another one of those 70s period pieces that you can tell was made in the 70s.
Madagascar, Carnet de Voyageis a sort of pastiche or scrapbook in film form of a man's trip to Madagascar. It utilizes many different styles of animation.....it's breathtaking in some parts, but in others it looks a bit less fleshed out.
Let's Polluteis a subversive environmentalist film done in the style of corny old educational videos. I think corny=corny rather than corny=funny, but the old people in the theater seemed to think this was hilarious. The animation is styled like a kid's cartoon. There were a few good jokes. My favorite think about this short was how the animators utilized lots of interesting patterns.
The Gruffalowas nearly half an hour and almost put me to sleep. It's based on a children's book. I'd never heard of this book because I don't have anything to do with kids, but you can tell it's based on a children's book because:
1. the story is repetitive, and children's stories are repetitive
2. a name like "The Gruffalo." Enough said.
I just really, really hate children's stories. This was boring. The music was cool. Kids would like this. (I think?) Helena Bonham Carter did one of the voices.
The Lost Thingwas OK. Full of washed out colors with a bit of angst.
Day & Nightis my Oscar pick. It was awesome! Conceptually and visually the best film shown. According to my sister, this was shown before Toy Story 3 (which I haven't seen).
This is the whole movie, although youtube quality really isn't ideal for watching this:
The next two were just bonus shorts, they weren't nominated for Oscars this year.
Urs. What is an "Urs"? Who knows. Quiet little movie with a sort of impressionistic animation style.
they really used to dress male babies like this, i guess
This evening I was lucky enough (very lucky!) to see a special nitrate technicolor print screening of Heaven can Wait at The Stanford Theater. This was exciting, and a lot of people came out for this screening! The place was packed. The colors were, of course, beautiful. I really enjoyed this movie. It was funny (actually, very funny) and touching.
If I had to say, I'd probably declareIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom my favorite Jones movie. When I think "Indiana Jones", imagery from this movie is what pops into my head. I finally finished my Indiana Jones rewatch after seeing this today...finally!
I'd forgotten how over the top this movie is. From being chased by raging water to almost falling off a bridge to sword fights in a couple of minutes...it's pretty ridiculous. This movie also has a bunch of stupid stereotypes about women and Indian people (that aren't even true or real stereotypes, haha). Still, though, it's a good adventure.
Also, Indiana Jones wouldn't have been nearly as good with a different background score.
I'd forgotten this opening sequence was even in the movie!
The Room. A movie which needs no introduction. I finally saw this last night at a screening at Camera 3 downtown. It was the first movie in their new midnight cult movie screenings....there are gonna be a few interesting ones, including Pink Floyd The Wall, Rock 'n' Roll High School, & Eraserhead(all of which I am planning on seeing!).
This was my first time going to any sort of audience participation movie. I am going to avoid with all of my might ever seeing Rocky Horror Picture Showwith a live audience.
1. Made want to visit Thailand
2. Made me really, really want Thai food
Anyway. Bangkok Dangerous is a Hollywood remake of a Thai movie of the same name. Directed by the same people (two brothers, one of whom is named "Oxide"). If I were a director, I don't think I'd want to make the same movie twice...but I might make an exception if the remake were to star Nicolas Cage, who is just awesome. I love him. I love him so much that he gets his own tag on my blog.
This movie had too many cuts to black. The ending was a surprise and refreshing. You don't often see such bleak endings in movies like this.
There was a scene in a really interesting Buddhist temple, but I couldn't find any screen caps and google searches couldn't tell me where it was (weird!)! Not even asking my Thai friend helped. If anyone can tell me the name of that temple, pleas do!
For some reason, I'd seen The Bourne Ultimatum(the final movie in the Bourne trilogy) before I'd seen The Bourne Identity(which I just watched tonight). Standard spy action movie. The scene where Bourne is climbing around the side of a building was a pretty impressive stunt job, though.
What is it about trilogies? That is, the number 3? Why 3 movies all the time, I wonder? I guess it's just a good number. Any more is a bit much...like 7 Harry Potter books/movies (8 movies, actually). Ridiculous! Who can even remember the first one by the end of it all? There are a lot more Jason Bourne books, but they never made them into movies.
The most notable thing about Changeling, for me, was the fashion. Angelina Jolie's 1920s costumes were amazing and she looked just beautiful! Other than film, fashion is my greatest hobby so this was all a real treat for me. The premise of the story is that a mother's son is kidnapped. Then the police return a boy to her, but it isn't her son. Craziness ensues. It sounds like the plot to a Lifetime TV movie. It's really the aesthetics that make this worth a watch. Oh, and John Malkovich, who was great. His sermon about the evil LAPD was awesome. I love his voice.
The Killing Fields is the story of the Cambodian genocide, but more than that, it is the story of the deep friendship between two reporters ^ one American, one Cambodian covering the war. Its themes are the ones you'd expect from such a movie...war as hell, friendship and human triumph through Pran. The destruction of war is masterfully rendered...distorted limbs and broken bodies enter the foreground as the camera pans and continue on into the background...one is left with the thought of the carnage that continued on off screen.
Some of the music choices were a bit...odd. I'm talking about some of the more techno/electronic background songs they used. They certainly were interesting but they were a bit out of place. However, as corny as it is, I did like the use of the Beatles's Imagine at the climactic ending scene. It's fitting, after all the awful things depicted in the movie, to use a song that dreams about the end of war, religion, prejudice and all the other ills of the world.
Truly a beautiful story.
Oh. And there is this army guy in the beginning and I was like "OMG! The guy from Coach!" As in the TV show coach from the 90s. Weird. I hadn't thought about that TV show in like, a decade.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinneris a whole lot of talking. I mean, the whole movie was people talking. Mom talking to daughter. Mom talking to boyfriend. Boyfriend talking to dad. Boyfriend talking to daughter. And so on forever, everybody giving opinions and checking in on other peoples' opinions. As if the opinions of all the parents weren't enough, they add in a maid and a Catholic priest (even though no one is Catholic) to chime in with opinions, too. The worst part is at the end of the movie when Spencer Tracy gives everyone a speech and recaps the whole movie when the whole movie was just people talking to each other! I mean, I'm making it sound worse than it really is, but there seriously was A LOT OF TALKING.
It's like a math word problem from the SAT or something: If you have a black guy and a white girl who want to get married, and they each have a set of parents, plus a maid and a priest, how many opinions must be shared among the whole group?
I also thought this movie was set earlier than in the 70s for some reason. I don't know what the reaction was like when this first came out, I should look into that.
But Sidney Poitier has such a handsome, boyish face in this~
The Bridges of Madison Countyis like a romance story that is only interesting to the two people falling in love. And the woman's grown children, apparently. Basically a snoozefest. I had a concept of this movie being "really old" and yet...Clint Eastwood still looks pretty old in it. What gives? Has he just been old for like, ever? Also, I like Meryl Streep but wow what a terrible accent.
aforementioned bridge (not a still from the movie)
