Less forbidden...

Forbidden Kingdom - was not the greatest movie, but it was pretty to see the fighting & costumes. I realized that I love Jet Li's laugh, unrestrained, simple, HaHa laughter. It warmed my heart. The story itself is sweet mythos, fun for kids, ages 9ish up maybe... Read more!

Motorcycle hero....

Ghostrider - I can hear Henry Rollins in the back of my head, singing the song w/ feeling.  2 things I like about this movie: 1 Sam Elliot - he saves the movie.  His performance was brilliant.  He is the perfect man in the perfect moment.  2 Wes Bentley - I straight up have a crush on this cat.  Performance-wise, pretty decent.  Storywise the movie covers the bases: hero makes a deal with the devil & has to live w/ the repercussions. The special effects are most pleasant. I dig on the flames & overall they are well done.  Sam Elliot is totally the old Ghostrider & kicks ass. Of course the movie overall is just namby enough that he "did it all for love" as Nic Coppola finally comes to grip at the end. I crave darker things. Read more!

Such a Ball

Monster's Ball - I intensely disliked this movie in a very Deerhunter (Hi, I hate the DeerHunter in a way that only a girl whose first viewing of it occurred when she was like 11ish & she was curled up on the stairs watching it without permission while her parents viewed it and were completely unaware that she was there) sort of way. I can acknowledge & appreciate each performance, each movement, but I have no desire to see it again. Covering everything from the racial tensions to the death penalty it is a study of human emotions. Heath Ledger's performance right up until his suicide (which is fairly early in the film) is my favorite part. & the only part I am willing to watch repeatedly. Read more!

Oh so dark...

Dark Knight - Beautiful stunning, complex in it's simplicity - I love the path that they took & the punches that they did not pull - there has been so very much written about this already that finding new words to say the same thing is ridiculous to me. I can only offer up that I will own it as soon as it is released. & they finally did it right. The Joker really is crazy , one of my saddest moments in understanding Ledger's death is that he will never reprise the role. I truly found this to be his best performance since Monster's Ball. But you should probably know that his performance was the only thing I like about that particular movie, Dent really will be 2 face & the best moment ever - the "normal" guard guy hands the detonator over to the convict & he throws it the fuck overboard. It was perfect. Read more!

So much sensemaking...

Revolver - the latest offering from Guy Ritchie. So many old familiar faces... such a different film than anything he's done before. I loved it. Dark and rich and complex. Andre Benjamin was amazing - I'm coming to love his versatility more and more. Every piece that I catch him in I like him better. This movie was a tale of money and greed, cons and the art of conning, ego versus id. Just watch it & don't expect it to be Snatch. Luc Besson had a hand in the adaptation & it shows. I have no real spoilers here - perhaps that Jason was Mr Gold or that the 2 most likely suspects are his old jailmates. Read more!

From Kirill w/ love

Confessions:1 I am not the world's biggest fan of Vincent Cassel, you'd think that I would be: he is an excellent actor. I'm just not. Something about him just rattles me, not in a good way. 2 I am not the biggest fan of Viggo Mortenson's acting either - not that he isn't amazing, just that I'd rather hear his poetry.
All of this being said.
Eastern Promises was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant - twisty & turny & chock full of suspense and goreful gritty wrongs. There is the Russian mob - even touching on the story the tattoos across the body telling the story of the man. Underage prostitution, rape, bastard births, & murder - that's just the first 1/2 hour. Naomi Watts plays a perfectly naive creature who finds herself caught in the middle. Vincent's character can't get it up, channeling his desires and shame into violence and prideful boasting. Viggo's character is a double agent giving up his freedom to take over the local family & ultimately protects Naomi & her family & the orphan child. Justice for all, but to watch it unfold - perfectly brilliant. Read more!

The legendary tale of the legend of legend...

Ahhh KungFu Panda was a treat.  I don't like much of the ads or the excuse used throughout the movie that Po is the "laziest" or "fattest" creature in the valley.  If you like nothing more than sitting down to catch the performances of Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, and/or Donnie Yen then this is the perfect way to start kids watching the genre.  THERE IS NO CRAP ROMANCE THROWN IN TO THE STORY!!!  There is enough reality mixed into the film, whether it be the various fighting styles of the animals: Tigress fights tiger style, Po fights bear style, etc... to the use of acupuncture to treat the days injuries.  Even the points used to hold Tai Lung captive & paralyzed are excellent. The voice work is fantastic: Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Randall Duk Kim, & of course Jack Black, whose influence is seen throughout the piece. I tossed this in the spoilers because I like guessing while watching the animated features. One of the best parts of this film is that they never explain how Po's dad is a crane & that there is no secret ingredient. A perfect lesson for all viewers. Read more!

So much fun...

I was soooo not expecting to like Botched. It was an amazing slice of fun cheesy pie. Stephen Dorff is part of a botched robbery & must make it up to his bossman (Sean Pertwee) - he stumbles into a mad mad place of death & cannibalistic dismemberment. & the hilarity ensues... I truly enjoyed this, sooo much - as in I want to watch it with a large group of friends & giggle a lot.Disco death god & finding out that Pertwee is the brother of the family of crazies are only a few of the unexpected twists. Read more!

Long awaited across the lake

The Mist, I waited to watch it, I was in the midst of a break up when it released & it was something he & I shared in common so I waited until I was in a good place to enjoy it.  The brilliance of Stephen King's characters brought to the screen was lovely to slide into.  Emotionally deep the performances are spectacular. Mist comes - after a big storm & there are things in the mist. Then we watch the stranded in hostile territory story unfold as each character fully develops & spins in & out of control. The end of the movie as the good father takes responsibility & ends the situation for his son & other survivors by killing them moments before rescue: moral is you wait til death is imminent or torture has begun before ending the suffering. Read more!

Fixed

Here we have Michael Clayton.  A man who fixes everything almost gets fixed himself.  I loved the acting & the editing.  It was fascinating watching the characters unfold & implode.  Yes, there was murder & insanity & adventure, twists & turns & addictions.   Read more!

Just for the record

There are few things sexier on this planet or the next than Mario Van Peebles in Posse. It is such a well done movie. Harsh & honest, it tries very hard to give a history that is often overlooked. But I have to tell you, just lovely, just enough comedy to smile, just enough pain and truth to make you cry. A momentary pause & poof he walks across the screen in all black & 2 guns in his belt. Just lovely. Read more!

Old school days

"Mr Woodcock" was formulaic to say the least. Boy's most hated teacher ends up dating his mom, boy, now a man tries to stop it. Amy Poehler is brilliant as usual. Lil scary when I think about my mom dating - though I think she wouldn't go for my most hated teachers (I hope). The rest was just cruddy. Though the references to other movies was interesting. Read more!

Hopefully my interweb bachelors turn out better

Perfect Stranger" - Corporate sexy & journalistic fanaticism. It is hard for me to watch Gary Dourdan play a bad guy - not in the sinister sense of the word but in the "show me a beautiful woman & I'll show you a man who is tired of fucking her" sense - seriously. Though really having Giovanni Ribisi play the overlooked assistant is just ridiculous. I don't particularly find him attractive but he was hot in this role - or I just dig the perpetual friend. hmmm seems to be a theme in my life. Silly Hollywood.

I like the twists in the movie - just enough to keep things jumping.

I did not see the Halle Berry as a mastermind thing coming. I had my money on Mrs Hill. But I really liked the way they ended it. A little open to a sequel, but I don't dislike Halle Berry enough to be happy at the idea of her getting caught, I hope she got away with it.
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OK - Fresh Start

There are a few things I need to sort out (the hidden split to the post to save your tender virgin eyes from the spoilers, etc...) - but this blog will be resuming soon. w/ the new scheduling feature on here I can keep a rolling posting rather than the vomitous torrents you've all been exposed to in the past. I've sorted the new look - If you have any complaints or trouble reading it, just let me know - I'm more interested in ease of read here than I am on the other blog.

I'm going to be working on refining my writing style w/ these entries so please leave me a comment if you have anything constructive to add in any way - either to me directly or regarding the movie - I'm always looking for new perspectives.

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