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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And back into the fray we go...

28Weeks Later - Oh my - I can't believe they roped a sequel like this out of that movie. And got Robert Carlyle to boot. I liked some of the acting and 3 of the scary moments - the rest was the usual apocalyptic tripe. Marshall law and all that rot and of course the spread of the disease thru the rest of Europe. Cheers. Read more!

Modern Stand w/o the devil...

28 Days Later - was enjoyable for it's scary moments. I liked the mirror of society's insanity driven to the extreme. Far creepier than the infected was Christopher Eccleston's character as he offered the female survivors up to the men to slake their desires with. I loved the ending and the alternate ending. A good time if you are willing to really suspend that disbelief. Read more!

Bloody funny

Hot Fuzz - I caught it this weekend in St Louis. I laughed so hard I almost cried. It is far less rife w/ Spaced references than Shawn of the Dead. But it is hysterical nonetheless. The story is very simple and straightforward as you follow the greatest copper London has ever known as he takes a turn at the countryside. Just sit back and let them entertain you. Read more!

I swear I am the only one who liked it

300 - I don't need to own it, but I probably will. I liked the faux-plot back home while the bois were fighting. I liked the acting for what it was. I wasn't expecting Sin City or anything close to it. I wasn't expecting Oscar caliber performances. I wanted to see guys wearing notsomuch and fake blood splatter, and gore and violence. I wanted to hear Gerard Butler yell, a lot - did I ever mention I have a thing about getting yelled at by a big strong man w/ a Scottish burr in his voice? - Cause I do, it is not a new thing. I liked the fight scenes, and I loved the way most of the shots line up beautifully as a comic book. I even found my way to get over the gratuitous and bullshit facial piercings - sooooo fake looking.

As to the whole reports of current politics - I say projection. For me watching the film I stepped past the racial boundaries & all of the "oh the brown guys from the east are invading" tripe, and saw it more as a story of how the few led the way to prevent the overthrow of their current governing body. Or rather how there is this nation (ours) who has a leader, who states frequently that it is his divine right to rule, and they are invading other nations under real or false pretenses and his people follow him and do his bidding because they are forced to (switch out the whips for $$$) and eventually the invaded nations stand strong enough against them that they stop (that is to say the "insurgents" protecting their homeland do things that are unspeakably violent and gore-ific that the invading nation is simply shocked). Maybe I'm the only one who saw it that way - again -PROJECTION.

AGAIN, I know this is the unpopular opinion, but I liked it. I like the fun, I liked the sheer raw screaming of it, I liked the performances. I liked the way it was filmed and presented. I enjoyed the timing and the choppiness of the editing. Read more!

"Motherfucking cocksucker motherfucking shit fucker what am I doing?"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post. Read more!

The term "shocking" is such an understatement

El Maquinista (The Machinist) – Christian Bale in the performance of a lifetime, It was a little obvious by the time things really got rolling, but the lead in was so entrancing that I couldn’t look away even when I knew I should. I wonder what I would look like if I hadn't slept in over a year. Regardless of my reasons. Read more!

C'mon it's me...

Find Me Guilty – Funny as hell, a hysterical look at the mob. And true, based on a really real true story about a guy who believed in the ideals of the family of the mob more than the people around him. It warmed my cold little heart. Just a good time for anytime. Read more!

What's wrong w/ killing? - everyone has got their reasons

Batoru rowaiaru (Battle Royale) – MURDER DEATH KILL – I love it, First you take a bunch of kids, and then put explosives on them, then you strand them on an island and give them weapons and make them kill eachother. HEEHEEHEE Then when u think they’ve had enough, add in more death and make parts of the island lethal according to your own timetables. Gratuitous violence with a side of surly delinquents. There can be only one.

Is it a coincidence that there are 42 children in all on the island - or that they are numbered just like the bachelors in my Bachelor Hunt - I think not. Read more!

Oh those skills

Napoleon Dynamite – you either love it or you hate it. I rolled on th3e floor w/ laughter it was beautifully true and absurd and wonderful all at the same time. Nothing made laugh harder than when Napoleon was yelling at the llama. A llama named Tina.

There are more quotables in this movie than any other on this list so far. Read more!