28 May 2007
Movie Queue: Spiderman-3
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Topher Grace, Thomas Hayden Church
I've been remiss in posting my movie reviews. Case in point, this very review for Spiderman 3. The hubby and I saw this opening weekend and I'm just now putting it up. My bad. I'm sure you all that wanted to see it have seen it by now, but I'm still going to have my say.
It's the third and final installment about your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman, and Peter Parker (Maguire) has seemingly found a balance between superhero life, his personal life with Mary Jane Watson (Dunst), and the continued animosity with Harry Osborn (Franco).
Until two events happen: 1) the man who really killed his uncle, Flint Marco (Church) escapes from prison and 2) an alien goo lands on Earth and manages to somehow attach itself to Peter. The host symbiote feeds on negative feelings and we soon see a change in Peter. His Spidey suit turns black and he's gaining more confidence. But the more he wears the suit, the more the changes become obvious. And not in a good way: The emo hair-do flopping over his forehead, eyeliner rimming his eyes, more confrontational, less caring of others feelings, etc.
Some of the changes were hilarious. Like the scene where he's walking down the street, goes into a store, comes out wearing a snazzy suit and then...well, you've seen it, right? But then they took it overboard and made it Cheese Corny. You know what I'm talking about, right? The Jazz Club Scene? It sort of stopped the flow of the movie--to the point where you were asking yourself "And the point of that was...?"--and then abruptly picked up. I realize they were trying to convey how the symbiote was changing Peter, making him say and do things he normally wouldn't do, but I think the Jazz Club Scene should've ended up on the cutting room floor.
All in all, I'm sad to see this franchise end. I liked the special effects for the Sandman and Venom, as well as Harry's costume. I just wasn't quite expecting the ending.
"Too Cute" Bonus: Mary Jane and Harry dancing to Chubby Checker in Harry's kitchen.
Bonus Trivia: Did you know that Tobey Maguire is a father of a 5 month old girl named Ruby Sweetheart?
Review: 3 1/2 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
18 April 2007
Movie Queue: 'The Last Mimzy' and 'Pathfinder'
Starring: Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood, Russell Means
A thousand years in the past, a young Norse boy is left behind when his clan shipwrecks on the Eastern shores. Despite his lineage, he's raised by the very Indians his kinsmen want to destroy. Years later, when they come back, he wages his own personal war against them.
It was no '300', that's for sure. That movie rocked and any type of war-like movies that are released after that will never compare. Truthfully, this movie kind of reminded me of "The Last of the Mohicans", but Daniel Day-Lewis was the better Eye Candy with his long hair and muscular physique displayed in faux animal suede chaps.
It started out slow, with the action picking up when his kinsmen came back to finish the job they started. Geez, this is tough. I don't have much else to say except I wasn't all that enthused.
Review: 2 Snaps Down
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starring Timothy Hutton, Joely Richardson, Rhiannon Leigh Wrynn
Two children discover a mysterious box that contains some strange devices they think are toys. As the children play with these "toys," they begin to display higher and higher intelligence levels. They soon realize that the toys were sent from the future and they were sent for a purpose. I got a chance to see this movie for free (Yay for the AMC Movie Watcher Card) and I really liked it.
I'm not ashamed to admit that while I am a teeny-bopper flick watcher, I will also see certain kiddy flicks too. And, depending on what animated flick Disney puts out, I might check that out as well. This movie had shades of "Labryinth" and "E.T." Movies where kids are the heroes and plots that make you really believe that we cannot be the only beings in the universe. The main focus was on the children, specifically the little girl, Emma. Within the box of "toys" (read: geode-type rocks) she finds a cute Peter Rabbit type of stuffed animal named Mimzy. It teaches her things, mainly about why she was sent there, but the situation quickly spins out of control when the new toys cause a city-wide power outage...and the government tracks the source to their house.
Kids will definitely like this movie. Even if you don't have kids, this is still a cute movie.
Review: 3 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue, The Last Mimzy, The Pathfinder
02 April 2007
Movie Queue: 'Shooter' and '300'
Starring Mark Wahlburg, Danny Glover, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Tate Donovan
Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlburg) is a former Marine Corps sniper who's left the military after a mission gone bad. He's reluctantly pulled back into service by a Colonel (Glover) under the guise of stopping an assassination of the President before it happens. Double-crossed, shot and the star of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country.
First of all, it was very unusual to see Danny Glover without Mel Gibson at his side. The last movie I saw him in was, what, Lethal Weapon 3? And how bad is it that I had to look that up because I couldn't remember the name of the movie! He's done some other behind-the-scenes stuff since then, but I was shocked to see him playing one of the bad guys.
Second of all, Bob Lee Swagger? WTF?! Are they serious? Come. On. I'm wondering how many takes they got thru before all the actors could say that name without cracking up. Or snickering.
All in all, it was a good action flick. Lotta things being blown up (great for the guys), some good muscle-y shots of Mark Wahlburg (great for the ladies), and reason number 15,021 for why I never enlisted in the Armed Forces (nice try, though, Dad).
Review: 3 1/2 Snaps Up
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
The hubby and I saw this movie opening weekend. Which was, what, 3 weeks ago? And I'm just now writing about it? Yes. Don't ask why. We had wanted to see this at the IMAX theater.
When we got there, all three showings were sold out. Sold. Out. I kid you not.
However, I'm glad we didn't see it there because I would still be deaf. My hair would still be blown back. And my face would still look like I'd had some serious plastic surgery. So, here's the blurb about the movie:
In the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy.
Let me tell you what I remember:
~ a sea of KAPLOW! six-packs and men dressed in suede briefs, sandals and capes
~ freakin' awesome fighting scenes shot with a Sin City-esque feel
~ a sea of KAPLOW! six packs and men dressed in suede briefs, sandals and capes
~ some dead bodies
~ a freakishly tall man with a deep voice wearing more jewelry than any woman in the known universe. As it turns out, he's about an 8 1/2 on the Taster's Choice Scale of Hotness.
~ a sea of KAPLOW! six-packs and men dressed in suede briefs, sandals and capes.
~ Keanu Reeves' younger brother, a la Bill and Ted's (the dude on the left). Go see the movie to get a better look at him and you will completely understand. He's a 9 on the Taster's Choice Scale of Hotness.
~ some more dead bodies
~ some more freakin' awesome fighting scenes shot with a Sin City-esque feel.
~ Gerard Butler and his orgasmic Scottish accent
~ and did I mention THE SEA OF KAPLOW! SIX-PACKS AND MEN DRESSED IN SUEDE BRIEFS, SANDALS, AND CAPES?
Was I the only one thinking "Do they ever get cold?"
And was I the only one thinking "Spartans are the only men in the entire universe that can look sexy while wearing sandals?"
I know I wasn't the only female wiping drool off my face. I mean, GAWD DAY-UM.
"What else has he been in?" my hubby whispers to me. In reference to Gerard Butler, that is.
"Nothing you'd remember seeing. Or have seen. But he's got a great set of KAPLOW! six packs," I whisper back.
"Hey, it's Balromir's brother from Lord of the Rings," my hubby whispers to me again a little while later.
"Huh. So it is. He also played the monk in Van Helsing. Y'know, Hugh's sidekick?" I whisper back.
Pause.
"He's got a great set of KAPLOW! six packs, too."
THIS MOVIE ROCKED! I'm sure it was hard to detect. We're buying it when it comes out.
Review: 5 KAPLOW! Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
Movie Queue: 'Blades of Glory'
Starring: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Craig T. NelsonIt feels like forever since I've done a movie review. I've been seeing them, though. I thought I might mix it up (I know I'm getting tired of posting all those damn rejection letters) and throw some "good times" up in here.
The hubby and I went to see this on Saturday and we laffed our asses off. For anyone that's been reading me for a while, you know that I love ice skating. LOVE. IT. Tried it myself, hated it, but love watching it. I'm glued to my T.V. during the Winter Olympics and I'm home on Sundays during the winter when they show the competitions in between.
I had to see this movie.
Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and James "Jimmy" MacElroy (Heder) are rival male ice skaters. Chazz is the rebel-break-all-the-rules-showboat skater who's an admitted sex addict (one of the many hilarious scenes includes him hitting on Nancy Kerrigan). Jimmy is the total opposite: perfectionist-by-the-book skater who's fashion sense tends to lean towards more...er...girly colors. When they get into a scuffle on the podium during a medal ceremony at a competition, the skating "tribunal" (which consisted of such skating greats as Dorothy Hamill, Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan, and Peggy Fleming)bans them from skating for the rest of their lives.
Until a Jimmy MacElroy stalker (who's "getting tired of stalking a has-been celebrity") finds a loophole 3 yrs later: they're only banned from male singles skating, not pairs.
What ensues, of course, is massive stomach cramps and aching cheek muscles from laffing so damn hard. Something like this would never happen in the skating world in real life. If it did, Rudy Galindo and Brian Boitano would've jumped on it a long time ago. It was an interesting take on pairs skating and brought up a good question about the rules for pairs skating and the sex of the pairs:
How receptive would people be to a male/male or even female/female pairs skating team?
BONUS MOMENT: Olympic skater Sasha Cohen catching Chazz's jockstrap and then gleefully sniffing it before screaming, "I LOVE YOU CHAZZ!"
Review: 4 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
01 March 2007
Movie Queue: 'Music and Lyrics'
Starring: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Kristen JohnstonFirst off, I would like to say that I saw this movie with my niece last Saturday. We had a female bonding day and decided to have lunch together and check out a movie. She was born towards the end of the 80's (1989), so needless to say, she got a kick out of the opening scene. If you're a product of the 80's, like I am, you'll get an even bigger kick out of it because it brings back some memories.
Alex Fletcher (Grant) is a washed-up 80's pop star (see picture) who's reduced to gigs at reunions, county
fairs and amusement parks. He's given a chance to make a comeback when reigning songstress Cora Corman invites him to write a song and record a duet with her. There's just one tiny--itty-bitty, really--problem: he hasn't written a song in years. Scratch that, he's never written a song. Oh yeah, and it has to be written within a matter of days.Enter Sophie (Barrymore), his plant lady. When she makes a suggestion regarding some lyrics, Alex immediately hires her on to help him. After some initial protests, she agrees and what ensues is a humorous 72 hr scramble to come up with a song.
I love Hugh Grant movies. His comedic timing is always "spot on":
Sophie: "That's a nice thing to say from a man who wears tight pants."
Alex: "It pushes the blood to my heart."
Romantic comedies suit him and if he ever decides to try to step out of that genre, it could possibly kill his career. The same goes for Drew. The few times she's tried dramatic roles it's never worked for her. She's got a natural flair for comedy and has a warm, endearing demeanor. My favorite movie of hers, hands down, is Never Been Kissed ("I'm not Josie Grossie anymore!") and not because it had hottie Michael Vartan in it. It's not. Really.
And just like in That Thing You Do! the songs--the one they write together and the 80's hit Alex had with his band POP-- are catchy and you find yourself humming them once the movie ends. I'm looking forward to this movie when it comes out on DVD. I bet there are going to be some great bloopers.
Bonus Treat: Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are actually singing. And they don't sound too bad, either.
Review: 4 1/2 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
17 February 2007
Movie Queue: 'Ghost Rider'
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, Sam Elliott, Wes Bentley
This is the movie description I saw on Yahoo Movies: "A motorcycle stuntman, Johnny Blaze, makes a pact with a dark force, selling his soul to save his girlfriend. When the bargain goes sour and the girl isn't saved, Blaze is transformed, gaining raging superpowers. Based on the Marvel comic series." DISCLAIMER: SPOILER AHEAD.
The words highlited in red means whoever wrote this was totally misinformed.
As a teenager, Blaze (Cage) was part of a Father/Son motorcycle stunt show in a circus. He found out his father was dying of cancer and sold his soul (inadvertently it seemed to me) to the Devil (a well-preserved Fonda) to cure him. But he dies anyway during a stunt. He doesn't gain his powers right away, despite what the above blurb implies, but he has to leave his girlfriend behind because of it.
Fast forward some 15-20 yrs and Johnny Blaze has a stunt show whose popularity rivals Evil Knievel. At a performance, he meets up again with his former girlfriend, Roxanne "Roxy" (Mendes), a T.V. reporter. But before he can even go on his first date with her, the Devil pays him a visit and calls in his favor: retrieve a stolen scroll with the names of a thousand souls on it and destroy Black Heart (Bentley). Oh yeah, who happens to be his son. For the record, that's when his "raging" powers kick in, but only during the presence of evil. In the meantime, he gets a little help from a cemetery caretaker (Elliott, who looks the same now as he did back in the 80's as Patrick Swayze's best friend in Roadhouse); turns out he's former Ranger-turned-Ghost Rider, Carter Slade, who stole the scroll the in the first place. Now, Blaze needs it to save Roxy after she's been kidnapped by Black Heart.
There are some funny parts--besides the ones they showed in the trailers--like his penchant for eating red and yellow Jellie Bellies out of a martini glass, his bike looked real cool in Vengeance Mode, and on a scale of one to ten, the Cheesy Factor was about a five. All in all, it's not one of the best Marvel adapatations I've seen. Which is probably why there was no cameo of Stan Lee.
Review: 2 1/2 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
04 February 2007
Movie Queue: Because I Said So
Starring: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, Tom Everett Scott, Gabriel Macht.
Baker Daphne Wilder (Keaton) is the single mother to Milly (Moore), Maggie (Graham) and Mae (Perabo). With both of her oldest daughters married off, Mom decides to take it upon herself to find Mr. Right for her youngest, Milly, a caterer. Mom proceeds to write a long-ass (and hilarious) personal ad and interviews the hysterical results. Out of the ashes of 17 duds, rises yuppie architect Jason (Scott) and single father/musician, Johnny (Macht), who's been witness to all the craptacular results. Mom prefers Jason, but Johnny pursues Milly in spite of her objections. When Milly finds out how it all started, well, the frosting hits the fan.
Can I just say one thing? I LOVE DIANE KEATON. My all-time favorite movie of hers is Baby Boom, with Something's Gotta Give running a close second. She has a quirky air about her and a comedic timing that's spot on. But lordluvaduck woman, what's with the winter wear? All the time. In all the movies I've seen her in, her wardrobe doesn't include short sleeves or straps. Even her wedding dress in the movie was long-sleeved. So, maybe she's a little self-conscious about flabby arms? Possibly. Who knows? I was just wondering. Oh, keep the cute outfits and toss the mongo belts. Definitely not flattering.
Can I say one more thing? THANK YOU, MOM. I LOVE YOU FOR NOT MEDDLING IN MY LOVE LIFE. I think I'd have to disown her if she ever pulled something like that with me. A personal ad? Lord, just kill me now. There were times during the movie when I wanted to slap Daphne upside the head and say "Butt out, bitch. Get your own life." Which she does. Eventually. After nearly ruining her daughter's, that is.
I loved this movie. I saw it with my best friend, but you should probably go see it with your mother.
Then when it's over, turn to her and say, "This is what you don't do if you ever want to speak to me again."
Review: 4 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
01 February 2007
Movie Queue: Smokin' Aces
A Vegas mob boss has taken out a hit on Buddy "Aces" Israel (Piven), a sleazy Vegas magician who's going to turn state's evidence. The FBI sees an opening to bring down the head mob guy and dispatches two agents (Liotta and Reynolds) to Buddy's hideout in Lake Tahoe to protect him. When the price on Aces' head reaches the underbelly community of assassins and bounty hunters, the race is on to see who will reach Aces first.
For all you guys, there's plenty of shoot'em up action and death...not to mention R&B singer Alicia Keys in thigh-high go-go boots and fishnet stockings. For the ladies, well, there's all that, plus a scruffy-looking Ryan Reynolds (surprisingly serious for the first time) and smooth as silk R&B singer Common doing a turn as Aces' right-hand man, Sir Ivy. Most of the time, when musicians try to cross over into the acting world, it doesn't work. This time, it worked for Justin Timberlake as well as for Alicia and Common. As assassin Georgia Sykes, she reminded me of one of those 70's blackploitation females like Jackie Brown. Very I'm-gonna-git-you-sucka-but-look-real-good-doing-it kind of way. And Jeremy Piven did a bang-up job as the lead character, a popular performer who wanted a hefty slice of mob action, then betrays the very organization that gave it to him.
Oh yes, and you'll definitely trip out over the unexpected twist at the end.
Bonus Funny: a manic performance by Jason Bateman.
Bonus Surprise: This hottie as a whacked-out neo-Nazi assassin. Last seen as Lindsay Lohan's love interest in Just my Luck.
&seq=3){kind=link}
Review: 3 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
14 January 2007
Movie Queue: 'Alpha Dog'
Starring: Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Dominique Swain, Shawn Hatosy,Anton Yelchin.
I saw this movie for one reason and one reason only. And it was to answer one question: Can Justin Timberlake act as well as he can dance? The answer: Well, this is a start.
This movie is based on a true story about Jesse James Hollywood, the youngest man in history (19) to be on the FBI's Most Wanted List. Johnny Truelove (Hirsch) is the "alpha dog" drug lord of San Gabriel Valley and his father, Sonny (Willis) is his supplier. When one of Johnny's friends, Jake (Foster), welches on a $1200 drug debt, he decides to kidnap Jake's 15-yr-old brother, Zack (Yelchin), and hold him as a marker. Now mind you, Johnny's crew, including Frankie (Timberlake), give the kid numerous chances to escape, but he decides to "ride it out and see what happens". Yeah, big mistake there.
After seeing how the other half lives--he's referred to as "Stolen Boy" by a couple of girls, to whom he loses his virginity to later on--he thinks anything is better than going back home to an overprotective mother (Stone). When it becomes apparent that Jake can't repay his debt, Johnny comes up with a new plan: murder. Once you get past all the exaggerated male posturing and every-other-word-is-a-cuss-word (or a combo thereof), you can feel the underlying sense of dread. You know what's going to happen and it's not good, and all the build-up to it leaves you feeling anxious. The movie is interspersed with interviews with Johnny's father and a few witnesses. And in case you don't know who the witnesses are, you're reminded during the course of the movie.
I think Justin did a good job for his first time on the big screen. In the second half of the movie. When he was acting all tough in the beginning, upper body covered in tattoos (some of which I'd heard he'd designed himself), it seemed like he was trying too hard. All the swearing and puffed-out chest posturing just didn't seem to come naturally to him, so it was like he was overcompensating. After the kidnapping, however, when the seriousness of the situation started to kick in, the "real" Justin stood up and took over. His next movie is Black Snake Moan with Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson. I'm looking forward to seeing how well does in that.
Review: 3 1/2 Snaps Up
*Note: Hollywood fled the country, but was caught in August 2005. His team of lawyers tried to block the release of this movie while he was on trial because they claimed it maligned their client's character.
Labels: Movie Queue
09 January 2007
Movie Queue: The Holiday
Starring:
Cameraon Diaz
Jude Law
Kate Winslet
Jack Black
In London, Iris (Winslet) is in love with a man about to marry another woman. In L.A., Amanda (Diaz) finds out that the man she's been with has been unfaithful. In an effort to "get away from it all," they meet each other through a home exchange website and impulsively decide to switch houses. During the course of their visits, they find unexpected romance: Amanda with Iris's brother, Graham (Law) and Iris with Miles (Black).
First:
I. FRICKIN'. LOVED. THIS. MOVIE.
I saw it with my best friend and I'm so glad I did. It was your typical chick flick, but with unexpected surprises. Like the fact that I could totally see why the nanny screwed Jude Law. I'm pretty sure it was the part he played in this movie, (cuz I can take or leave everything else he's done), but all of a sudden, I now cosnider Jude Law to be a hottie. Go figure. We both decided that we're buying this movie when it comes out on DVD.
Second:
OMG. I WANT IRIS'S COTTAGE. But somewhere else. Like maybe on an island in the Caribbean or something. Homegirl here doesn't do cold. Let alone snow-cold, so the London country-side would be out. But her cottage was so cute and cozy, I wanted one on the spot. SARK talks about having a Magic Cottage. A special place where she goes to do her writing. I don't know if it's her actual house, a tree house in her backyard or a condo in the city. But when I saw Iris's cottage, it made me think of that.
Cameraon Diaz
Jude Law
Kate Winslet
Jack Black
In London, Iris (Winslet) is in love with a man about to marry another woman. In L.A., Amanda (Diaz) finds out that the man she's been with has been unfaithful. In an effort to "get away from it all," they meet each other through a home exchange website and impulsively decide to switch houses. During the course of their visits, they find unexpected romance: Amanda with Iris's brother, Graham (Law) and Iris with Miles (Black).
First:
I. FRICKIN'. LOVED. THIS. MOVIE.
I saw it with my best friend and I'm so glad I did. It was your typical chick flick, but with unexpected surprises. Like the fact that I could totally see why the nanny screwed Jude Law. I'm pretty sure it was the part he played in this movie, (cuz I can take or leave everything else he's done), but all of a sudden, I now cosnider Jude Law to be a hottie. Go figure. We both decided that we're buying this movie when it comes out on DVD.
Second:
OMG. I WANT IRIS'S COTTAGE. But somewhere else. Like maybe on an island in the Caribbean or something. Homegirl here doesn't do cold. Let alone snow-cold, so the London country-side would be out. But her cottage was so cute and cozy, I wanted one on the spot. SARK talks about having a Magic Cottage. A special place where she goes to do her writing. I don't know if it's her actual house, a tree house in her backyard or a condo in the city. But when I saw Iris's cottage, it made me think of that.
Third:
I got a chance to see Jack Black's sensitive side. And I liked it. He wasn't over the top like all the other character's he's done. And though he provided some funny moments (like the Blockbuster scene), he didn't steal the scene. I also thought his job was pretty cool: movie score composer.
Fourth:
I wanted Cameron's job. She edited movie trailers. How friggin' cool is that? Can you imagine how much money there is in that business. SPOILER AHEAD. During the movie, it cut to a movie trailer with Lindsay Lohan and James Franco and for an itty bitty second, I thought the theater was having trouble with the movie reel. I thought the film had broken and they were going to movie previews or something. But it was part of the movie itself, a trailer that her character had edited. I couldn't help but think, "Well, damn. I would've seen it."
Fifth:
OMG. JUDE LAW AND KIDS. That's all I'm going to say. You're going to have to see for yourself what I mean.
Review: 5 Snaps Up
*Once again, I'm slacking on the movie reviews. We saw this last weekend. I think. Better late than never, right?
Labels: Movie Queue
08 January 2007
Movie Queue: Rocky Balboa
Starring:
Sylvester Stallone
Milo Ventimiglia
Antonio Tarver
My husband had expressed interest in seeing this movie. I kept shooting him down and saying no. And then Apropos of Something wrote a review on it and it changed my mind. Why I was saying no in the first place is beyond me. I'd seen the first five. It was almost like I had to see this one, if only for closure.
In this sixth installment, his son is grown and Adrian is dead. When a computer simulated boxing match declares Rocky the winner over current champion Mason "The Line" Dixon (is that name lame or what?), his fight spirit is reignited. Deciding to do only small regional fights, he gets his boxing license reinstated....and then promoters come calling wanting a rematch of the cyber-fight.
As writer and director, Stallone did a great job. And despite the fact that he's 60-something, there's no doubt that the man is in great shape. But you can tell he's had plastic surgery. Or maybe Botox. Either way, I'm glad I saw it. There were two parts in the movie that I particularly liked: 1) on the anniversary of her death, Rocky drove with his brother in law to all the places he took Adrian (who appeared in the form of flashbacks) 2) during the credits, they showed people running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, just like he did, Rocky-style. Very cool.
Review: 4 Snaps
*The hubby and I saw this movie on the 31st, but I've been lax in posting my reviews.
Labels: Movie Queue
26 December 2006
Movie Queue: Blood Diamond
Starring:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Djimoun Hounsou
Jennifer Connolly
Amidst civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, poor farmer Solomon Vandy (Hounsou) is taken from his family to work in the diamond mines; While in prison for smuggling, South African mercernary, Danny Archer (DiCaprio) learns that Solomon has found and hidden a rare pink diamond. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Connolly), an American journalist intent on getting a story about diamond smuggling, Solomon and Danny embark on a journey to retrieve the diamond.
Truthfully, I had reservations about seeing this movie. I was assuming I would be something akin to "Roots" or "Amistad" (Hounsou starred in this as well) in which injustices were made against blacks by whites. What my mother and I refer to as "Movies where we come out hating white folks." Momentarily, of course. I assumed wrong. Partially, anyway. There were injustices made against blacks, but it was by blacks themselves. "Why would we do this to ourselves?" was a question that was asked in the movie and one I was asking myself as well. Why would you want to hurt your own people? It just didn't make sense to me. I saw them chop off limbs of some of the men and boys, giving them a choice of "long-sleeved or short sleeved" while killing the rest; how they took little boys, like Solomon's son, and made them into killing machines for their cause; saw the refugee camp where Solomon's wife and two girls ended up, a small city in the middle of desert.
Despite the fact that I was enjoying DiCaprio's South African accent, I was cringing more often than not at all the senseless violence. It was almost a constant thing, and if it wasn't actually happening, you were waiting tensely in your seat, anticipating it. By the end of the movie, I was praying that Solomon would remember where he buried the damn thing. Praying he would get his son back. Praying he would find it and get his family the hell outta there. I'm not going to give away the ending, but it left me wanting to kick the back of the seat in front of me and groaning, "Not again."
I saw this by myself last week and in spite of my reservations, I really liked this movie. I learned something during (the smuggling of illegal diamonds) and after (even though Sierra Leone is currently at peace, there are still 200,000 military boys out there). It was also thought-provoking. As I left the theater, I glanced down at my wedding band. I looked at how the sunlight bounced off the solitaire and the thin band of gems behind it and it made me wonder, "Are my diamonds conflict-free diamonds? How many died so that I could have this?"
Review: 4 Snaps Up
Leonardo DiCaprio
Djimoun Hounsou
Jennifer Connolly
Amidst civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, poor farmer Solomon Vandy (Hounsou) is taken from his family to work in the diamond mines; While in prison for smuggling, South African mercernary, Danny Archer (DiCaprio) learns that Solomon has found and hidden a rare pink diamond. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Connolly), an American journalist intent on getting a story about diamond smuggling, Solomon and Danny embark on a journey to retrieve the diamond.
Truthfully, I had reservations about seeing this movie. I was assuming I would be something akin to "Roots" or "Amistad" (Hounsou starred in this as well) in which injustices were made against blacks by whites. What my mother and I refer to as "Movies where we come out hating white folks." Momentarily, of course. I assumed wrong. Partially, anyway. There were injustices made against blacks, but it was by blacks themselves. "Why would we do this to ourselves?" was a question that was asked in the movie and one I was asking myself as well. Why would you want to hurt your own people? It just didn't make sense to me. I saw them chop off limbs of some of the men and boys, giving them a choice of "long-sleeved or short sleeved" while killing the rest; how they took little boys, like Solomon's son, and made them into killing machines for their cause; saw the refugee camp where Solomon's wife and two girls ended up, a small city in the middle of desert.
Despite the fact that I was enjoying DiCaprio's South African accent, I was cringing more often than not at all the senseless violence. It was almost a constant thing, and if it wasn't actually happening, you were waiting tensely in your seat, anticipating it. By the end of the movie, I was praying that Solomon would remember where he buried the damn thing. Praying he would get his son back. Praying he would find it and get his family the hell outta there. I'm not going to give away the ending, but it left me wanting to kick the back of the seat in front of me and groaning, "Not again."
I saw this by myself last week and in spite of my reservations, I really liked this movie. I learned something during (the smuggling of illegal diamonds) and after (even though Sierra Leone is currently at peace, there are still 200,000 military boys out there). It was also thought-provoking. As I left the theater, I glanced down at my wedding band. I looked at how the sunlight bounced off the solitaire and the thin band of gems behind it and it made me wonder, "Are my diamonds conflict-free diamonds? How many died so that I could have this?"
Review: 4 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
Movie Queue: Eragon
Starring:
Ed Speleers
Jeremy Irons
John Malkovich
Djimon Hounsou
Eragon is about a boy named Eragon (newcomer Speleers), who becomes a new breed of dragon riders in this fantasy movie. Eragon finds a strange jewel in the forest, thinking it'll put food on the table, but it turns out to be a dragon's egg. Which becomes a full-fledged dragon (Saphira, voiced by actress Rachel Weisz) in a matter of days. He soon encounters Brom (Irons) and becomes involved with rebels headed up by their king (Hounsou) to try and take down evil King Galbatorix (Malkovich).
This movie, in case you didn't know, is based off of a book written by a then-15-yr-old boy named Christopher Paolini. His family self-published the book and then dropped everything to drive him around and help him promote it. It definitely paid off. His second tome (and believe me, both books are about as thick as the recent Harry Potter books) will probably bring about another movie (they definitely left it open for a sequel) and I just saw a commercial for Eragon, the video game.
I went to see this with my hubby and one of his friends a couple of weeks ago, who then proceeded to point out the similarities to Star Wars. I'm not even gonna go there, because I have to live with Star Wars (Darth Maul, to be exact) paraphenalia in my house on a daily basis. So, maybe they had a point. Big whoop! The boy was 15 after all, but he's making hella bucks right now.
I liked it. I never read the books (same goes for Harry Potter, but I enjoyed all the movies), but I was diggin' the whole Beastmaster take. A rider doesn't choose the dragon, the dragon chooses the rider. And then they're bonded for life. Literally. A dragon can die without it's rider. But if a rider dies, so does the dragon. They communicate with one another via telepathy, and the riders gain certain special abilities. One of which I refer to as "Dragon Vision": seeing what the dragon sees.
I'm not sure what the general consensus was for fans of the book. I don't know anyone who's read the book and seen the movie. Did it suck for you? Was it true to form? Did they do a horrible job? A good job? Did Christopher Paolini like it or does he wish he never agreed to release the movie rights? Let me know. But these novice eyes liked it and I look forward to seeing the second one.
Review: 3 1/2 Snaps Up.
Labels: Movie Queue
11 December 2006
Movie Queue: How many have YOU seen?
One of my Myspace friends posted this in a bulletin, so I thought I'd post it here, too. I don't know who made up the list, so don't ask. I love doing these things:There are 239 movies on this list. Copy this list mail, go to your own myspace account, click on Post Bulletin, paste this. Then, put x's next to the movies you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun!
WATCHING A PIECE OR HALF OF IT DOESN'T COUNT.
( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease and Grease 2...which is my fav
(x ) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(x ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
() Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 7
(x) The Princess Bride hallo, my name ees Inigo Montoya. You keeled my father, prepare to die!
(x) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( )Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
(x ) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 13
() Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
() American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 15
(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x)Harry Potter 3
(x )Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil 1
(x ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
() The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 23
() Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
( ) The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
() Robots
Total so far: 26
(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events I still need to see this one, dammit!
(x ) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
() KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG
Total so far: 32
(x) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
(x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
() Halloween
() The Ring
() The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber
Total so far: 35
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
() Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
(x) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 40
(x) The Day After Tomorrow
() Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
() Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
(x) Coach Carter
() The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 46
(x) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(x) Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve and Thirteen when it comes out
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(x ) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
(x) Predator II
() The Fog
() Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 56
(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
(x) A Bronx Tale we found our "first dance" wedding song from this movie
() Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 64
( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
() Mars Attacks
() Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 73
(x) X-Men
(x) X2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 86
() Swimfan
() Miracle on 34th street
() Old School
(x) The Notebook
() K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
(x) Ice Castles if there's dancing or ice skating involved, I'm there
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old-virgin
Total so far: 90
(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 96
( ) Love & Basketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devil's Rejects
( ) Elf
(x) Highlander including the t.v. series
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History X
( ) Three
Total so far: 98
( ) The Jacket
(x) Kung Fu Hustle totally cool and funny movie
(x) Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
() Monsters inc.
(x) Titanic
() Monty Python and the Holy Grail
() Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 101
() High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
() Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
() 28 days later
() Orgazmo
() Phantasm
(x) Waterworld
Total so far: 105
(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
() the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman never even heard of this one
( ) The Last House on the Left or this one
( ) Re-Animator
() Army of Darkness
Total so far: 109
(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
(x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 116
(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
() Animatrix
() Evil Dead
()Evil Dead 2
( ) team america world police
() Red Dragon
() Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal
Total:119
I've seen many more than this, though.
I didn't see any James Bond movies on this list, but just for the record, I've seen. Every. Single. One. Several times over.
And where the hell are the Jet Li movies? Whoever made up this list sucks.
I wanna know what you guys have seen. Cut and paste yours in comments.
Labels: Movie Queue
04 December 2006
Movie Queue: The Fountain
Starring:
Hugh Jackman (we all know where we've seen him)
Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns)
The past (16th century): Tomas Creo (Jackman) is a Spanish Conquistador sent on a mission by his queen, Isabel (Weisz), to find the Tree of Life. Here tell, if you drink the sap from the tree you're granted eternal life.
The Present (21st century): Dr. Tommy Creo is a research scientist trying desperately to find a cure for his wife, Izzi, who's dying from a brain tumor.
The Future (26th century): Astronaut Tom Creo (a bald Jackman) is floating in a clear bubble and transporting the Tree of Life (possibly Izzi) towards a far star.
Now, here's where it gets confusing. The movie shifts back and forth between all three time zones and at one point, you start to wonder if it was real or all part of the story Izzi was writing. In the present, she was in the process of writing a book called "The Fountain". In it, she mentions the Tree of Life and shebalba (don't know if I spelled that right, but it's not to be confused with "Sebulba", the ugly creature from Star Wars, Episode I).
All the stories are intertwined, with the Tree Of Life being the main centerpiece, but it's so choppy you tend to get lost. Quickly. There were some truly emotional moments in which I was wiping away tears--I heard other sniffles, too--and my own personal take was that of not only trying to cheat death, but the acceptance of it. However, ultimately, I walked away thinking only one thing:
HUH?
I'm not sure what people were expecting when they saw the trailers for this movie. I myself was thinking it would be some type of period piece love story. Which it was, to some extent. Just not the formulaic period piece love story I was envisioning. Ten minutes into the movie, a couple got up and walked out. Despite the fact that it was a teenage couple probably out on their first date--and she'd talked him into seeing it--I wanted to get up and follow them. I'm sure Steven felt the same way.
But it was HUGH JACKMAN, y'know? This man is probably the hardest working actor in Hollywood right now and he's reminded me not once, not twice, but three times, why it's cool to be a mutant. Who gets to wear a really cool leather outfit. I wanted to stick it out and see if it would get better. It didn't.
Review: 1 snap....waaaaaay down
Labels: Movie Queue
21 November 2006
Movie Queue: 'Casino Royale'
Steven and I went to see the latest installment in the Bond franchise yesterday. Like all the other Bond freaks, er, fanatics out there, I waited with bated breath to see who would be deemed worthy. Names were bandied about and I rolled my eyes and scoffed at the majority of them. I think I even threw out a couple of "What? Are you kidding me?'s". For the record, I was really hoping they would choose Clive Owen. When Daniel Craig became The Chosen One, I was vehemently against it.
Until I saw the trailers.
In this movie, he's after a financially-strapped man named Le Chiffre, banker to the world's terrorist organizations. Secret Service intelligence revealed that he's planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. After a gritty black and white opening scene--and really cool tunes from rocker Chris Cornell (former lead singer of Soundgarden, "Black Hole Sun")--the action picks up again in Africa, where he's chasing a terrorist bomber thru a construction site with more death-defying stunts than a Jackie Chan movie.
Turns out, Bond's a faboo poker player (shocker there), but due to a little mishap on that assignment (an embassy bombing), M doesn't trust him with the Queen's money and puts a tracker in his forearm--and an accountant (Vesper Lynd) on his nicely-shaped tail to keep an eye on him.
The logline states: "The story examines James Bond's formative years and how he developed his penchant for Aston Martins, martinis and beautiful women."
And truly, that's what you're going to see here. There's no Q, no high-tech gadgets, no half-dressed bimbos uttering a lusty "Oh, James," not even a double-oh. At least--not right away. In order to get that special classification, you have to register two kills. At this point in his career, he had yet to eliminate anyone.
Betcha didn't know that, didja? Yeah, me neither.
He's no Pierce Brosnan, that's for sure. And I think that's the idea they were going for here. Craig's got a boxer's nose and is compactly built (quite nicely, I might add), but the piercing blue eyes? Check. This James is more intense, more reckless, more careless and prone to making mistakes. Don't get me wrong, the humorous nods to the franchise made their appearances: from the martini orders to the appearance of the famous Aston Martin to Bond's joke that Lynd's alias is going to be "Stephanie Broadchest." But this is the raw, stripped-down version of 007. If you're expecting to see a debonair, womanizing, British agent full of double entendres and gadgets that do everything but give you a pot to piss in...save your money and wait for cable.
I really enjoyed it and Steven thought it was the best one out of all the Bond films. Let's just say we agreed to disagree on that one. He had some important shoes to fill and I think he did a great job.
His name? Craig. Daniel Craig.
Rating: 3 1/2 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue
17 November 2006
Movie Queue: Stranger than Fiction
The Hubby and I went to see this Tuesday night and I. Just. Loved. It. It's about IRS auditor, Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) who has his life interrupted by the sound of a personal narrator, fiction writer Karen "Kay" Eiffel (Emma Thompson) who knows his every thought, feeling and action, including when and where he will die. Desperate to change his fate, he enlists the help of a literary professor, Jules Hilbert(Dustin Hoffman), who suggests that Harold might be able to change his fate by turning his story from a tragedy into a comedy. He does so by telling him to follow one of comedy's most popular formulas: A love story between two people who hate one another.
Enter Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a baker Harold is auditing.
But here's the kicker: in all of Karen Eiffel's books, the main characters always die. Always.
There were some funny parts in this movie. Not the laugh uproariously kind that you would normally find in a Will Ferrell movie, but some funny bits all the same: Like how Harold reacts to hearing Emma's voice. (I read that Will had an earpiece in his ear and was actually reacting to her voice) and the different ways (read: visions? daydreams? actual research?) Karen thought of to kill Harold. I think this movie called out to me because I'm a writer myself. My writer's block goes away when the characters start talking to me in my head. And I've heard numerous times, from numerous different writers, how their characters "take over" and write the story for them, or don't do what they're supposed to do as if they have a mind of their own.
But to the point where your characters actually manifest themselves into real people? And meet you face to face? Could that really happen? Is that even possible? Well, it's fiction. Stranger things have happened. Sometimes I wonder where Stephen King gets his ideas from, but I have yet to encounter an author that kills off their main characters. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here.
The main question I got from this movie was,
"What would you give up to make your work great?"
There was a scene in the movie where Dustin Hoffman says, "It's her best work ever. It's a masterpiece. You have to die."
That's a truly heinous thing to say to someone who wants to live. What's even more heinous? When that same person agrees later on that yes, dying would be best. It would make the story great. The most heinous? Knowing how it's going to happen. Your death, that is. As writers, we write our fingers to the bone to create what he hope is our greatest work. Then we give it to an editor, who then picks it over and marks it up with blood red comments. We make the revisions and then send it to our agent. Who in turn shops it around until it sells. And when it does sell, editors at the publishing houses--sometimes two at once--will once again pick it over, covering it in red comments and send it back to you for revisions.
At this point, maybe the during the first initial stages, you realize that what you thought made your story great now has to be cut in half. Or totally cut out. For whatever reason. Words, sentences, paragraphs, or whole chapters. Sometimes all the above. But something has to change to make it better, greater.
So is that considered to be a sacrifice or a compromise?
Rating: 4 Snaps Up
Labels: Movie Queue