February 2012
15 posts
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I liked this film. I really, really liked it. Gary Oldman absorbed every fiber of British Intellegence Agent George Smiley, and was snubbed once again, by the Academy Awards (though at least he got a nomination, I reminded my lady, who was livid at the loss).
Smiley is sacked by the powers that be, along with his boss (John Hurt), who has been deemed as too paranoid to run Kontrol...
The Artist
I don’t know why I waited so long to write about this movie, but here it is: The Artist deserves all the hype it has gotten. Every bit. It’s one of the most charming films I’ve ever seen, a love letter to the days of silent cinema, filled with many a familiar face from stars, to recognizable “character” actors, and one little dog who almost steals the show.
French...
Redbox
Sometimes you win with Redbox (Attack the Block). Sometimes you lose (Your Highness).
One more cool thing about SF →
Perhaps my dreams will finally come true, and I can finally visit the Alamo Drafthouse, soon to be opening in SF’s Mission district. As if that town wasn’t cool enough already.
The Woman in Black (2012
My scary movie lovin’ pal Lil T and I caught this last night and I have to say, we both enjoyed it. It’s nice to see Hammer Studios bringing back the good old scary movie. It started a bit slow, and had plenty of dark atmosphere, foreshadowing bad things to come, so we held tight for the scares. And scares we got! The jumpy kind: shadows, ghosts, noises from unoccupied rooms, creepy...
WatchWonderful interview with two brilliant actors.
so, so true
jonjohns65:
January 2012
13 posts
Why Does Everybody Hate Keira Knightley?
Now, I personally don’t hate Ms. Knightley, heck, I wouldn’t even say I dislike her. But plenty of people do. When we were buying our tickets to see A Dangerous Method, my sister turned to me and said “I hope Keira Knightley doesn’t ruin this movie”. My girlfriend has told me twice now that she nearly ruined Pride and Prejudice. One friend old me she always does...
A Dangerous Method...
…Or as I like to call it “$8 Nap”. And that’s if you catch it at a matinee. I thought it would be more about the relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and SIgmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). When they were on screen together, I was glued to the screen. Unfortunately, their scenes were few. It was more the story of Jung and a young patient he has an affair with....
Breaking Bad
This show is as addicting as the meth high school teacher/cancer fighter Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and neer’ do well addict Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) cook up every week. I’m just finishing up the second season, eager to see what’s next for the duo who have now teamed up with shady lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) to expand the business.
Bad things, I’m sure. Bad,...
A Top Films List of 2011 To Admire →
Grades, Schmades
I have a subscription to Entertainment Weekly. I love that magazine. I remember getting it delivered to my apartment in the mid-nineties and reading it cover to cover as soon as it arrived in the mail. At the end of the millennium I moved to a new city and let my subscription lapse.
One day in, while at the supermarket, I noticed an issue next to the register and started flipping through the...
2011
So, everyone is writing their year’s end sum-ups so I thought I’d chime in with mine. 2011 wasn’t my favorite year for movies. I went 31 times last year. Now, before you say “Holy moly that’s crazy!!!”, remember that in 2010 i went 61 times. 61! This year I just didn’t feel as compelled to go to the cinema as in years past. Maybe because there...
December 2011
2 posts
One Down, One to Go
Like many, I was anxiously awaiting the release of Star Wars on blu ray. It happened and I am just being patient and hoping Santa is going to leave me the trilogy under the tree this year (I have been extra good). I have to wait until August for my all time fave to get the high def treatment, which I can only imagine is going to be worth it.
I’ve been watching movies, I assure you. I’ve just been bad about blogging. Don’t give up on me, though. I’ve got lots to say, and i’ll say it soon.
November 2011
5 posts
Small Time
For the first time in a very long time I have favored the small screen over the big screen. Movies this year just haven’t had me really keyed up like they usually do. My local (and favorite) theater has let me down on numerous occasions, not showing movies I do want to see, or only running them for a week, while running the same shit for weeks. Everyone in town saw Midnight in Paris....
October 2011
13 posts
Paranormal Activity 3
We took a gang to this movie hoping for scares and we got them. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman, best known for their documentary “Catfish”, followed the formula set in place by the first two films. Little Kristi, last seen as an adult being terrorized by an entity in her own home in Paranormal Activity 2, has an imaginary friend named Toby who isn’t exactly imagined....
Dear Old Fear Fest
For the past few years, AMC has done something great for Halloween that no other channel does; their programming for the better part of the month consists solely of horror films and their own show, The Walking Dead. They usually include shows about horror movies such as the top 100 horror films of all time, and the top 50 modern horror films, stuff like that. They include lots of classics as well...
The Thing (2011)
I think my friend Tracy summed this film up best when she said “The scariest thing about this movie was the price we paid for tickets!”
Billed as a prequel to John Carpenter’s seminal who-can-you-trust sci-fi horror film from 1982, The Thing just didn’t compare to, well, the Thing. It took too long to build up the story, wasn’t really scary for something lumped in...
In Praise of Brendan Gleeson
When Brendan Gleeson is in a film, I always take notice. Even if his roles are tiny, he makes a big impression. And in larger roles, you can’t take your eyes off him. As the father protecting his daughter from zombies, you’re with him right up to the point where that rage-infected blood gets in his eye. In Lake Placid (a long time guilty pleasure of mine based on the fantastic cast),...
Dream House
Man moves to country with family to spend more time and work on his novel in his dream house. Man finds out a horrible murder took place in his dream house. Man finds murderer is back to kill his family. Oh there’s a twist. And another twist. And, hey look, it’s Naomi Watts! And another twist. roll credits.
Dream House was ho-hum, had a couple good scares, and was very formulaic. I...
Drive
It’s fair to say I’m a fan of Nicolas Winding Refn. His films blend blend beauty, style, and violence perfectly. Drive is no exception. Ryan Gosling plays the “Driver”, a nameless man who drives getaway cars for criminals who hire him and agree to his terms. His involvement is limited only to driving. The film opens with him driving two criminals away from a crime scene...
September 2011
5 posts
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