Movies I've watched recently:

    • Synecdoche, New York (2008) 10/10

      2010-05-23 08:30
      * * * * *

      See full review post dated May 23, 2010.

      0.3

    • Zombieland (2009) 8/10

      2009-10-23 00:12
      * * * *

      Now that Shawn of the Dead showed us that zombie movies could be funny, we've got another good one. In fact, it seems you can't go wrong with the zombie-comedy, which I'll go ahead and tag "Zomedy"...rent "Fido" for another great groundbreaking genre-buster. There's nothing new here in terms of character-arcs, which are kind of boxed-in when you're dealing with zombie flicks: the only family you have is the survivors you're with. Well, very good. Gold star. No, where Zombieland shines is the visual storytelling style (think Fight Club apartment catalog scene) and the chemistry/humor between the main characters. Also, watch for a truly unexpected (and inspired) cameo. Solid flick.

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    • Paranormal Activity (2007) 4/10

      2009-10-23 00:05
      * *

      Here's another tired entry into the Blair Witch Project School of Movie Making. The only difference is that that movie was genuinely scary. Paranormal Activity was aptly named because it was paranormal cinema: the pacing was far too slow and the characters were super annoying. The visual effects are used minimally but I think that's a good thing. I just wish there were more scares here. I admire the filmmakers' fortitude but so much more could have been done to heighten the terror.

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    • Inglourious Basterds (2009) 10/10

      2009-09-20 10:37
      * * * * *

      Tarantino does his thing once again, quite effectively at that. By creating an alternate version of WWII (where every single German soldier is a Nazi and Hitler is shot to death in a theater), he is free to explore plot lines and characterizations without having to check any history books. Purists will hate it for this reason, of course, but since when do we require their approval? The way Tarantino constructs his scenes as preludes to violence reminds me of a child diligently making a house of cards. But instead of doing it the way we all did as kids, Tarantino uses about three-dozen decks of playing cards. He's got to fight the childish urge to become bored with the procedure, taking several days, ladders, scaffolds, and brow-mopping, the structure eventually reaching to the ceiling; then suddenly, nonchalantly, knocking it down during a lunch break. Hitchcock was a master of suspense because he adhered to the "bomb theory" which states that the audience is given more information--the ticking bomb--than the characters are given to create suspense, thereby involving the audience. Hitchcock explains this effect simply when he says, "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." Well, that's all fine and good, but what else does a bomb do but explode? Tarantino understands the limited value in anticipation of a situation that has only one outcome (the bomb). Instead, he weaves characterization, story-arc, plot and ultimately humor, together with an everyday situation to create his suspense. There is nothing as obvious as a bomb to explode in Tarantino's scenes but because we've been given just enough information about the characters and the story, we know *something's* about to happen, so it's far more subtle. I think Mr. Hitchcock would have liked Mr. Tarantino quite a lot.

      0.3

    • Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) 4/10

      2009-04-01 09:34
      * *

      Another lame attempt at comedy from the mind of Kevin Smith. It starts out very promising: two friends stumble upon fame with a viral video and they decide to springboard into the porn biz. But, in pure Kevin Smith fashion, the story has to wade through insincere sentimentality and clumsy pathos. I had to stop watching it early. Note to Kevin Smith: please stop making comedies. Make the movies you clearly want to make: ponderous drama.

      0.3

    • Role Models (2008) 9/10

      2009-04-01 09:27
      * * * * +

      Funny flick. I'm very much enjoying the recent wave of comedies starting with Old School in 2003.

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    • W. (2008/I) 8/10

      2009-04-01 09:22
      * * * *

      George W. gets a pretty fair shake from Oliver Stone here. Especially good are all the supporting roles: Thandie Newton is indistinguishable from the real Condi Rice, Richard Dreyfus does an amazing Dick Cheney, and Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Colin Powell is very memorable.

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    • Taken (2008/I) 8/10

      2009-04-01 09:20
      * * * *

      Pretty by-the-numbers thriller but overall, not too bad.

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    • Gran Torino (2008) 4/10

      2009-04-01 09:18
      * *

      Given his one-take-is-good-enough directorial style, Clint Eastwood's movies are approaching the point of lameocity. Watch this flick and see if you can suspend your disbelief.

      0.3

    • Rambo (2008) 6/10

      2008-09-06 19:09
      * * *

      Strangely, I didn't hate it.

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    • Juno (2007) 6/10

      2008-09-06 19:08
      * * *

      Strangely, I didn't love it.

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    • The Happening (2008) 2/10

      2008-06-24 09:41
      *

      What spell does M. Night Shamalama-ding-dong have over the studio execs?

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    • The Incredible Hulk (2008) 6/10

      2008-06-24 09:32
      * * *

      I never understood why so many people disliked 2003's "Hulk" with Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly (who is far far sexier than Liv Tyler, the Betty Ross of this flick) and I also preferred Sam Elliott as General Ross over William Hurt, who was miscast, I think. But what do I know? The five-year-old version was far more of an introspective look at Hulk than this one and what is so terrible about introspection? Ed Norton is also miscast a little bit but Tim Roth was excellent. So I'm perplexed at this "reboot." It wasn't bad but I liked the other one.

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    • Iron Man (2008) 8/10

      2008-06-24 09:29
      * * * *

      Great effects, good story, and it's got Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges. I liked it a lot.

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    • "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"... 2/10

      2008-04-21 01:23
      *

      I've been watching some TV shows on Hulu.com, which is NBC Universal's answer to YouTube and iTunes. On it, you can watch several dozen different TV programs for free, but you've got to suffer through a few commercial breaks. So it's basically TV via the internet. I had discovered a way to deal with their commercial breaks so that I'd skip them completely but now they're starting to put logos in the lower-right corner: for "Ragu" and the like. So my time with Hulu may be over but not before I sound off on Aaron Sorkin's failed TV show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It's a reflexive take on a sketch-based, late night TV show featuring Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford as the new producers that've come to save the sagging show, the operative word here being 'sagging.' Sorkin sure doesn't mind taking himself seriously, does he? With The West Wing, Sorkin's tendency to get heavy-handed and portentous was forgivable because it was subject-matter appropriate. But with a show about the inner-workings of an SNL clone, it just feels like bad TV. All 22 episodes are available on Hulu but I had to stop mid-way through the season, it was that bad.

      0.3

    • Michael Clayton (2007) 10/10

      2008-02-21 10:33
      * * * * *

      George Clooney's weird delivery normally bothers me. He's got this "who me" style of acting that strikes me as kind of slimy. He's got the same thing going on in Michael Clayton but because the story so perfectly crystallizes what's wrong with corporate America, that even all the weird acting delivery styles amount to little more than half a hill of beans. Michael Clayton is a study of human nature left alone to do it's thing: greed trumps common sense and power trumps the question of right and wrong. Clooney plays a corporate "fixer," the guy you call when you find yourself chest-high in shit. When a fellow attorney, played by Tom Wilkinson, working on a high-profile class-action lawsuit strips naked during a deposition and chases the plaintiffs through the parking lot, who ya gonna call? Clayton discovers that his colleague didn't suffer a breakdown but an awakening. The film is put together brilliantly.

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    • No End in Sight (2007) 10/10

      2007-12-06 10:59
      * * * * *

      This documentary does a superb job in disseminating precisely what went wrong with the Iraq invasion and who was responsible. It doesn't get involved with debating the "why did we invade Iraq" question too much, rather it itemizes specific mistakes made by men with too little experience and too much bravado. Ultimately, these mistakes piled up to the fiasco we have today. See it.

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    • "30 Rock" (2006) 7/10

      2007-11-14 10:25
      * * * +

      I've been watching season one of 30 Rock via Netflix's Instant Viewing feature. It's really funny in a typical sitcom fashion but the episode that made me post this was "Black Tie" where Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens plays the Austrian Prince Gerhardt. That entire sequence threw me into such a laughing fit that I very nearly approached death. So if you watch only one episode of this sitcom, make sure it's Black Tie.

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    • Death Proof (2007) 9/10

      2007-10-11 12:13
      * * * * +

      When it comes to creating a fictional world in which we can sense something out of place yet immediately feel at home, Quentin Tarantino is the undisputed king. Consider the thieving world of Reservoir Dogs, the haphazard gangster world of Pulp Fiction, the assassin-for-hire world of Kill Bill. He does it here again with Death Proof, which is both an homage to the wave of muscle car movies of the 60's & 70's as well as a signature Tarantino movie: where characterization remain at the forefront. This is why films made by goofball filmmakers like...say...Kevin Smith...will always seem childish in comparison, and also why they likely will not stand the test of time. Why am I attacking Kevin Smith in a Death Proof sidebar review? Ohhh, no particular reason, just to emphasize the fact that Tarantino exists on a totally different plane from his contemporaries who also rose to prominence in the early 90's, like Smith, and is so clearly a powerhouse filmmaker whose work eclipses a hack such as Smith with such deft confidence that it borders on criminality. Yep, that's why. Anyway, I enjoyed Death Proof a great deal. See it. By the way, I plagiarized much of this review from Kevin Smith's mother.

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    • Sicko (2007) 10/10

      2007-06-28 18:05
      * * * * *

      The way documentary filmmaker Michael Moore got to be the King of Polemics is that he wasn't above making the odd distortion here or there in order to make his point. I've been very critical of his Oscar-winning film, Bowling for Columbine, because of the obvious way in which he manipulated the facts. I'm thinking primarily of the way BFC was edited. Now, I'm no NRA nut by any means, but that film just annoyed me because I could see the manipulation right in front of me. His new film, Sicko, on the other hand, strikes me as more than fair. I watch quite a few documentaries as part of my film entertainment and Moore's docs are obviously different than the others because of his willingness to inject so much personal opinion into his narrative thread. Other documentaries take more of a journalistic approach and I enjoy those docs too. But I believe Moore wants the world, and in particular, America, to be a better place. What better way to accomplish this than to point out some shortcomings? Many die-hard Republicans believe that pointing out America's shortcomings is tantamount to treason. It's likely that none of those die-hard Republicans have ever been refused health care the same way as many of the subjects in Moore's film. And that's a shame because it seems the only way the American health care system can improve is if the wealthy and the powerful can know what it's like to be denied that benefit. It's baffling to see so many people be so critical of his position. Do they really think the health care system in this country is OK the way it is? I recently had to pay cash out of my pocket for two trips to urgent care because my employer-provided health coverage did not cover it. I hope this film does well and that Moore's word gets out there.

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    • "The Sarah Silverman Program."... 10/10

      2007-06-12 11:57
      * * * * *

      Sarah Silverman is getting a lot of airtime in my house lately, but her brand of humor is directly up my alley, and I rarely fight such a thing. This show is her stand-up act incarnate in much the same way that "Seinfeld" was Jerry's stand-up act, only much more mean-spirited, which I love. All the cast has something to do here, and they each contribute to the comedy. In particular, I like Brian Posehn and Steve Agee as the wacky neighbors. Also, my Mr. Show favorite Jay Johnston is on hand as the straight man to all the remaining goofiness. But the star here is Sarah, and she puts it out there like no other. The scene in the 6th episode, "Batteries" where a driver with the same car as Sarah pulls up next to her to celebrate the similarity, and what Sarah shoots him down with took me by complete surprise and it also took me a good while afterward to catch my breath, I was laughing so hard. So if you hate people like I do, this is the show for you.

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    • Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005) 10/10

      2007-06-06 18:48
      * * * * *

      When Sarah Silverman went into her bit about how sexy Jewish women could be, I fell off the couch I was laughing so hard. Stand-up comedy, funny songs, and she's a way-rockin hottie to boot. That gets you 5 stars, m'dear.

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    • "Crime Story" (1986) 8/10

      2007-04-29 01:15
      * * * *

      This Michael Mann television show from 1986 was in the shadow if his other shining star, Miami Vice, but it is superior is just about every way. The first season comes about as close to perfection as you could hope for: the conflict between Lt. Mike Torello (Dennis Farina) and Ray Luca (Anthony Denison), the set design depicting 1963 Chicago, the music is first rate, and who could forget the hilarious comic relief provided by Pauli Taglia (John Santucci). Even the guest stars are fantastic: Ving Rhames, Pam Grier, Andrew "Dice" Clay, Michael Madsen, the list goes on and on. This show is just as good as anything on TV today. Rent the box set and you won't be disappointed. [Important Edit: you may, however, be disappointed in the final episode of season 1, as it seems like they just got tired of writing and wanted to go home...but still, it's a rock-solid show]

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    • Casino Royale (2006) 10/10

      2007-03-15 05:09
      * * * * *

      Finally, a Bond picture about James Bond. This flick sheds the stylistic trappings of all the other 007 pictures and presents a film that could have passed as independent art-house fare. Make no mistake, there are still huge action sequences. The opening chase scene, for instance, is amazing. But Casino Royale is about who James Bond really is, not the James Bond we've all known since Dr. No in 1962. It's worth a look.

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    • A Sound of Thunder (2005) 4/10

      2007-03-11 14:09
      * *

      I first saw this on HBO a few months ago and I thought it was utterly ridiculous. HBO is showing it again and on second viewing, it's still utterly ridiculous but I can see some brilliant ideas in it. Based on a Ray Bradbury story, "A Sound of Thunder" tells the tale of time travellers who inadvertently change the past which in turn alters their present. Tragically, the film's budget cannot allow those ideas to be properly expressed. For instance, the scene where Edward Burns and Catherine McCormack have a conversation in a CGI-generated street, with golly-gee-wiz futuristic cars speeding by. Or how about the plastic-looking T-Rex that menaces our heroes? Or the pre-historic eel sequence (this is one of the most unintentionally funny sequences I've ever seen). Such corner-cutting makes it impossible to suspend your disbelief. The producers should all be sent to CGI jail. If you can ignore the goofy images, however, what you'll find is a pretty complex storyline. It's one of the worst-looking good movies I've seen.

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    • Grilled (2006) (V) 10/10

      2007-02-12 21:56
      * * * * *

      Here's another must-rent, kids. Grilled is Pulp Fiction meets Glengarry Glen Ross. It's unpredictable, funny, dramatic, and best of all not cliched. It's everything independent cinema excels at. I didn't think Ray Romano could make a good film after Welcome to Mooseport but he's simply perfect here. The plot will have you guessing and the story is solid. It's not a laugh-out-loud comedy but I don't think that's what they were going for. Kevin James (of King of Queens) is also great, although he's already proven himself in Hitch. I guess the best thing I liked about Grilled is that it avoided being just another vehicle for established television stars. It could have been easy for them to screw this one up by writing these characters as TV actors on the big screen. But these are real movie characters: fleshed out and whole. Great movie!

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    • An American Haunting (2005) 4/10

      2007-01-30 21:30
      * *

      My dog Jake got a lot more out of this movie than I did. There are plenty of dog snarls and growls that, if sent through a properly amplified surround sound system, will frighten the bejesus out of any pooch. Other than the value scaring your dog brings you, there's not much else here. I think Donald Sutherland and Sissie Spacek had an I'll-do-it-if-you-will pact between them. I gave it 1 star but Jake insisted on giving it 3, so we averaged it out. Woof.

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    • Serenity (2005) 9/10

      2007-01-28 10:43
      * * * * +

      The story behind this film is pretty remarkable but I'm very much a latecomer in understanding it. In 2002, the Fox Network aired a little-seen sci-fi television series called Firefly. I never watched it back then, and to be sure, I wasn't alone. Creator Joss Whedon, whose credits include the critically acclaimed TV shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," got a green light to produce 13 episodes but because it got such poor ratings, Fox yanked it from the roster after airing only ten. Not to be stripped of yet another quality television show, the series' rabid and very vocal fanbase started a grass roots effort (the likes of which put Trekkies to shame) to save the show. Several million Firefly DVD box sets later, Universal Pictures green-lighted a major motion picture. This is something that has never ever happened before: a movie was made based on a TV show with a downright disasterous rating. It only happened because of the "Browncoats," which is the fanbase's preferred nomenclature. As a film, it's not perfect. It moves just a bit too quickly to be understood at first viewing but as a continuation of the wonderful TV show, it's shiny. There's a line in the series' pilot episode, spoken by Nathan Fillion's character, Malcolm Reynolds: "We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty." So, too, have the fans. I reccomend that everyone watch the TV show on DVD and then watch this film. It's quite a tale, indeed.

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    • The Descent (2005) 10/10

      2007-01-19 07:41
      * * * * *

      I'm so thankful that I didn't know very many details about this film before I watched it. Directed by Neil Marshall of "Dog Soldiers" fame, it's documentary quality makes it seem like it's merely going to be a story of six adventurous women who get trapped in a huge cave complex in the Appalachian mountains. As these women begin their descent, I specifically remember thinking "it would be great if it's just them in the cave, trapped with each other, trying to find a way out, like Cube, but underground. If this thing turns into a monster movie, I'm going to be a little disappointed." I was very wrong. Not only about the plot but about how great it could be WITH the monsters. If you've never been in a cave deep underground like I have (Carlsbad Caverns, NM) then you may not have the same reaction but man oh man, this movie really freaked me out. This inventive film completely bucks the formulaic trappings of a typical horror film and that's a difficult thing to do. The ending is the thing that truly elevates this film from entertainment to art. Rent it. Shut off the lights. Watch it. Have a roll of TP handly because you might just shit your pants.

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    • Population 436 (2006) 9/10

      2006-12-29 07:56
      * * * * +

      Upon learning that Fred Durst, lead caterwaller for the aptly named Limp Bisquick, had a very prominent role in this film, I was all prepared to hate it thoroughly. But as the film went on, I really got into it. This is a very well-made and effective horror film but with a minimum amount of blood. Not that blood's a problem per se, but there's accolades to be handed out for making a solid horror film without resorting to gore. Starring Jeremy Sisto and directed by television producer/director Michelle Maxwell MacLaren, the film is about a census taker who comes to Rockwell Falls to investigate why they've had the same population for 100 years. This film makes use of the old "slow reveal" device to make it's secrets known, like Amnityville Horror or The Omen before it. The difference is that we already knew the house in Amnityville Horror was haunted. We already knew Damien was the Antichrist. In Population 436, we might THINK we know what's going on in the beginning: the arrival or birth of one person in Rockwell Falls means the death of someone else. But there's a lot more going on here and how it all works in the end is not without it's surprises. Jeremy Sisto, whose debut performance I made special mention of when I reviewed Grand Canyon for my college newspaper in 1991, continues to be a major presence while on the screen. This film is most certainly deserving of a rental.

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    • Superman Returns (2006) 3/10

      2006-12-09 11:07
      * +

      Yikes! What a miscalculation! Bryan Singer directs a much darker version of the man of steel by filling the docket with one ill-concieved scene after another. Every single major role was miscast: Brandon Routh as Superman, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, and the biggest casting mistake since Jack Black in King Kong: Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Even Jimmy Olsen and Perry White were all wrong (Sam Huntington and Frank Langella, respectively). Man, I'm not exactly sure what Singer was going for here but it really doesn't work. All the joy and ebullience found in the first two Superman films with Christopher Reeve has been completely extracted, leaving an empty, mean-spirited tale replete with terrible performances by everyone listed above. The only thing going for this cinematic suppository is the spectacle of Superman's deeds: he can finally do some really super things. Except act. Want an example? Fine: I saw no fundamental difference between Clark Kent and Superman. They were both dweeby little douches. Brandon Routh lacks the emotional range to make it clear that these two people are different, something Christopher Reeve seemed to do effortlessly. One thing this movie did very well was it made you appreciate Reeve's performance in the originals. He truly was the man of steel. Here's another example: every time Kate Bosworth is on the screen. That's it, that's my example. She is so wrong for Lois Lane that I question the producer's desire to make a winning film. Margot Kidder effectively defined Lois Lane as an energetic, slightly scatter-brained dynamo. I can't say if she was that way in the comic book (because since I turned twelve, I no longer require pictures with stories) but the effect Bosworth has on the movie is like a plague. She's a sucker of scene-energy. It was almost painful to watch. Here's a funny thing. The label printed on the Netflix DVD envelope reads "Superman Returns: The Movie" I believe I shall do the same.

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    • The Omen (2006) 6/10

      2006-10-18 06:42
      * * *

      Because I'm a big fan of the "religious horror" genre, I very nearly endured a theater experience in order to watch this when it was released. While I'm glad I didn't, because the original 1976 flick with Gregory Peck was a little better, this remake with Liev Schreiber wasn't without it's merits. The new scenes, which consisted of dream sequences by the mother, played by Julia Stiles, were quite good and creepy. Regarding the myriad remakes of late, I'd much rather watch a shot-for-shot, faithful to the original remake with some new ideas than sit through some auteur-in-training's idea of a retelling. There are exceptions, of course, like Batman Begins, which was excellent. But director John Moore clearly likes the original film and uses it as a blueprint. So basically, the remake was good because it follows the original, which was great. If you're like me, it's worth a rental.

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    • Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004) 9/10

      2006-10-08 09:53
      * * * * +

      This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (the pair behind some of the very best documentaries ever made) gives us an all-access pass to Metallica, argueably the biggest hard rock band today as evidenced by selling over 90 million records worldwide. What I found enjoyable about this film was the way it revealed how human these guys are. It shows the struggle the band went through to make their comeback record, St. Anger, and it reveals how they hired a therapist to help them with their issues, how they fight with each other, and how they hired a replacement bassist for a tour. I don't really like Metallica's music very much but this doc was mesmerizing.

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    • Thank You for Smoking (2005) 9/10

      2006-10-08 09:46
      * * * * +

      Here's a film that has the balls to take a pretty controversial topic and tell it from the "bad guys" perspective. Jason Reitman, son of Ghostbuster director Ivan, writes and directs this film to utter satirical perfection. Aaron Eckhart plays big tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor while at the same time trying to remain a role model for his young son. Funny stuff!

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    • X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) 10/10

      2006-10-08 09:34
      * * * * *

      I have no particular love for comic book superhero movies. No disdain either. I just like well-made films and out of all the X-Men movies, The Last Stand is the best. It is rife with conflict involving a miracle "cure" for mutants. There's more character development, more action, more special effects, more everything! Chameleon director Brett Ratner takes over for Bryan Singer and outgrosses Superman (the movie Singer left the X-Men series to helm) domestically by $35 million. But I couldn't find a single flaw with this film. Great stuff!

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    • Chaos (2005) 1/10

      2006-09-27 10:05
      +

      The tagline for this movie reads "the most brutal film ever made." I don't think that's hyperbole because after watching this film, I felt quite depressed and deeply saddened. There's no story as you might find in a regular film and no character development at all. It's all plot, all the time, and what this plot contains is beyond indecent. While I despise this movie on nearly every moral and cinematic ground, I'll always defend the filmmakers' right to create such a work. For whatever that's worth.

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    • Fallen (1998) 7/10

      2006-08-28 07:11
      * * * +

      I revisited this supernatural thriller about a cop who crosses paths with a fallen angel named Azazel who's busy bringing about the fall of Babylon. Everything seems to work with this film except maybe for the ending, which was a little too cutesy for my tastes. But overall, not bad.

      0.3

    • Hooligans (2005) 7/10

      2006-08-23 07:21
      * * * +

      This movie was flawed here and there but overall, it was pretty good. Elijah Wood plays a student expelled from Harvard who travels to London to visit his sister (played by the amazingly yummy Claire Forlani). While there, he gets involved with European football hooligans. I don't know how much of this film was factual, but those fans go way beyond face-painting and wearing "we're number one" hands made of foam.

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    • Scary Movie 4 (2006) 4/10

      2006-08-23 07:08
      * *

      I didn't think this was nearly as funny as Scary Movie 3. It seemed haphazard and pasted together. Craig Bierko, from Cinderella Man and Sour Grapes, was actually pretty funny but Anna Faris seemed to be phoning it in this time. Maybe this franchise is like Star Trek: every other movie in the series is good.

      0.3

    • Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) 8/10

      2006-08-12 14:47
      * * * *

      I really liked this one. It's a mystery thriller with a unique narrative style. Robert Downey Jr. proves that he's a better actor when he's coked up and Val Kilmer's never been better. There are plenty of twists so pay attention. Very funny too!

      0.3

    • Brick (2005) 6/10

      2006-08-11 14:41
      * * *

      I liked the approach newcomer Rian Johnson created: film noir inside a high school. It worked for most of the scenes but for the few scenes where it didn't work, it really didn't work. I couldn't get it out of my mind that these were just kids as I watched the interactions between Brendan and Emily. Perhaps I'll have to watch it again but overall, it worked. Mostly.

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    • The Forgotten (2004) 9/10

      2006-08-07 14:55
      * * * * +

      I admire this movie for not having what sci-fi thrillers usually have: an idiot plot: where characters do moronic things just because the script says so. Dominic West, a british actor whose American accent is less than perfect, has the best screen moment. Watch as he remembers his daughter for the first time. It's an impressive piece of acting! Solid flick!

      0.3

    • "Sleeper Cell" (2005) 6/10

      2006-08-03 22:41
      * * *

      Halfway through Season 1 of this Showtime original series and I haven't made up my mind exactly. It's put together well and the premise is pretty solid: an undercover FBI agent has infiltrated a cell of Muslim fundamentalists in America. But I'm waiting for something to actually happen.

      0.3

    • Syriana (2005) 6/10

      2006-08-02 07:24
      * * *

      I don't think this film is meant to be understood. Rather you're supposed to get the feeling while watching it that there are big things going on in the world of politics and oil and that one cannot exist today without the other.

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    • "Lost" (2004) 10/10

      2006-08-01 20:48
      * * * * *

      I've finished watching Season 1 again and now I'm on Season 2. Again. This show is brilliantly written, beautifully shot, and well-acted. I probably won't be able to slog through Season 3 as it airs on ABC because of the commercials but that's fine with me.

      0.3

    • Wolf Creek (2005) 5/10

      2006-08-01 12:18
      * * +

      Australia's entry in horror's recent resurgence, it fails to tie in the real story (that one of the victims was a prime suspect) but succeeds at exhibiting dread. Not bad but not great.

      0.3

    • Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000... 1/10

      2006-08-01 07:41
      +

      What a fucking mess this movie is! At the core of all the problems is the obvious agenda to present a Scientology manifesto instead of a real story.

      0.3

    • Hustle & Flow (2005) 10/10

      2006-08-01 07:36
      * * * * *

      This movie really spoke to me. No, not because I'm a pimp and it's hard out here for me, rather, the struggle of recording music and the creative process is captured brilliantly. It's a really great story too.

      0.3

    • Red Dragon (2002) 8/10

      2006-06-29 07:10
      * * * *

      Red Dragon has all the creepiness of Silence of the Lamb but without the clunkiness of Hannibal. Chameleon director Brett Ratner is able to convince everyone that he can be as versatile a storyteller as Michael Crichton. I particularly enjoyed how in-depth the examination of the killer was, providing so much more emotional context. Well done!

      0.3

Archive for January, 2005

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Exit Strategy? Wake Up, Democrats!

Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 31st, 2005

This story is about the Democrat’s “pre-buttal” (how clever) to Bush’s State of the Union address on Wednesday. They’d like to know what is Bush’s exit strategy in real, definable terms.

Surely, I can’t be the only one to see that Bush HAS no exit strategy. There never has been an exit strategy. Bush intends to set-up permanent shop. Granted, the shop won’t be as elaborate; most of the troops will be going home but just like Germany after WWII, we’ll have a permanent military presence there.

Think about it. This little invasion/occupation has cost (and generated) Bush a helluva lot of money so what makes the Democrats think he’ll be leaving?

News Items, Politics | No Comments »

Give a Heil, Don’t Polute!

Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 29th, 2005

This story is about a group of skinheads in Salem, OR who are using a local county’s volunteer Adopt-a-Highway program to gain free publicity for their “American Nazi Party.”

This issue goes straight to the heart of the constitution and free speech. On the surface, it seems like a very sticky issue but it’s no different than any other type of media message: if you don’t like it, pay it no mind. If I read an editorial in the newspaper where the author is full of shit, I flip the page. If I stumble upon a website that contains an opinion I do not share, I load up more porn. If there’s something on the radio I disagree with, I either switch it off or I listen and then write a response in this blog.

What I don’t do is try to put the newspaper out of business by writing angry letters to their advertisers. That’s going a bit too far. I also do not try to hack the website and insert my own agenda-laden message. Similarly, I don’t try to ruin someone else’s enjoyment of the offending radio program by actively trying to get it off the air.

In other words, I do not stifle free speech. Instead, I make a solemn effort to engage it. Free speech is a bigger issue than the content it carries. Heck, in some cases, I must make full use of my very thick skin, such as the SpongeBob Video story the other day. But I’ll never try to silence anyone for the simple reason that I would never want them to silence me. It’s the golden rule.

It even applies to Nazis.

News Items, Personal | No Comments »

Boys Arrested for Poor Artistry

Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 27th, 2005

According to this story, Florida police arrested two 10 year-olds for drawing stick figures that were stabbing and hanging other stick figures. Now I can appreciate a zero-tolerance policy of this sort of thing because no one wants another Columbine but I think a child’s hatred for another person, place, or thing has to be manifested in some way. If you don’t allow them to vent off some steam once in a while, then they’ll grow ulcers instead.

In fact, let the punishment fit the crime: send them to art class so they can draw better. Closer inspection of the drawing revealed a stick-figure of a school system that discourages creativity and promotes Orwellian values like suppression of feeling and free thought.

News Items | No Comments »

Let’s Work Together !! Call Me !

Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 27th, 2005

This story reminds me of my brief time in the periphery of the entertainment industry and again, now in the independent music world. When you meet someone you respect a great deal, you kiss their ass a little bit and you say, “…we’ve got to work together! I’ve got a script by so-and-so that you’d be perfect for.” Or it could be, “I love the way you play, you really had the audience riveted. You got to come to the studio and help me with this one tune…”

In that world, it’s merely a progression of “Hello;” a way to pay homage to people while they can appreciate it. No one really follows through on such talk! Someone needs to educate Stan Lee and Ringo Star about the concept because this collaboration of theirs might be the worst idea since Yahoo Serious.

News Items | No Comments »

Test of Tolerance

Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 24th, 2005

Upon reading this story, I was pretty disgusted with the religious right. I usually am anyway but this time, their zeal is particularly loathesome. They’re trying to say that a new music video celebrating diversity and tolerance is actually a brainwashing tool for the gay & lesbian mandate.

The irony of this story, friends, can be spotted from space.

I’m never sure how to feel in cases like this: anger, pity, or fear. I get angry because these religious folks appear to be interpreting such a benign and positive message so very wrong. That’s when I feel pity for their closed-minded approach to life. Then I start to fear for my own freedoms when I think of the great power the religious right ultimately wields.

Allow me to take a leap of logic, if I may. Based on the events of the last few years…

(Sept 11, the Iraq War, John Ashcroft covering the tit of the statue of Justice, the to-do with the 10 commandments being displayed in a Mississippi court of law, the list goes on…)

…I really believe that organized religion (of any origin) is the real threat to freedom.

Think of it, every man-made action that occurs on this planet and has an effect on the liberty, lives, & happiness of others, has religion to thank for it.

  • The Islamic extremists were fighting in the name of Allah as the airliners they piloted slammed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. In their minds, they were doing God’s good work.
  • The Iraq War was staged by Bush to get some oil and to finally have a permanent presence in the Middle East from which to spread democracy. All because Bush feels that America was chosen by God to govern the world.
  • The doctor performing LEGAL abortions is shot and killed as he walks to his car because a Pro-Lifer (?) decides to fight for God’s unborn children.

    • Religion no longer has anything to do with spirituality. In fact, I think most thinking people would agree that spirituality as a cornerstone of religion had outlived it’s usefullness decades ago. Faith, on the other had, is the thing of religion today. If you have faith, then you have nothing to fear.

    There’s a reason Franklin D. Roosevelt said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” If you want to have faith in God, then more power to you. I respect that. But if you want to use the fear of God to control the faithful and impact the lives of those without faith, then fuck you very much. Religious people do not have respect or tolerance for those that do not believe in God.

    They do not respect my choice, even though I respect theirs.

    I sound like a crazy person, I know! But I really think about this shit sometimes. How something as insignificant as a dumb SpongeBob music video teaching diversity to kids can hinge on so many other, more important things.

    News Items | No Comments »

    Larry King, Critic

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 23rd, 2005

    I’ve seen Larry King quotes used in a few movie ads recently, namely The Phantom of the Opera and Friday Night Lights. Not to take anything away from the quality of those films but what the hell does Larry King know about movies? Movie Critic is not the position to which his fame is attributed. Hosting a talk show does not qualify you to serve up quotes in major motion picture advertising. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have an opinion but his quotes are being used in an increasing number of ads, as though he’s a film critic. Let’s be frank here. If I’m going in for heart surgery, I want a qualified heart surgeon cutting me open not the guy who sprays my house for bugs (no offense John). If I want to get an opinion on a film, I’ll go to a professional film critic like Roger Ebert, Andrew Sarris, or even Rex Reed.

    And King’s quotes are always “the greatest” this or that, which waters down the sincerity a bit. “Hello, this is Larry King and Hitler was the greatest fascist dictator of all time. Lime is the greatest Pez flavor of all time. The Phantom of the Opera is the greatest film ever made.”

    Uh, yeah.

    Movies | No Comments »

    Point That Camera UP!

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 22nd, 2005

    Why are there no pictures of Saturn taken from the surface of Titan? I’d think that would be quite a unique Kodak moment. The Cassini-Huygens probe has given us plenty of pictures of the surface of Titan, which looks very much like the surface of Mars or the surface of the Arizona desert. Not too thrilling.

    I want to see an actual photo of Saturn rising prominently in the horizon from the surface of Titan. It must look incredible. Sure, there are thick clouds which may make the view of Saturn difficult, but what about at night time with the sun illuminating Saturn? A dark Titan sky would afford me the best Saturn photo opportunity. But come to think of it, I’m not even sure it gets dark on Titan.

    I was able to learn that Titan shows only one side of herself to Saturn, just like our moon does to us. Seeing only one side of our moon gives the impression that there’s a “dark side” of the moon, which is not true at all. The sun shines on 100% of the moon’s surface at one time or another. However, I couldn’t find any data about Titan’s orbital axis and whether that axis is parallel or perpendicular to Saturn’s axis around the sun or somewhere inbetween? That, together with Titan’s 16 day orbit around Saturn, would tell me how often it gets dark on Titan.

    If I knew all these things, I’d point the camera upward on that fine Titanic evening and take the picture of Saturn I’d never expect to see in a million lifetimes!

    Something like this artist’s rendering, perhaps?

    Say cheese, Saturn, ya big galoot!

    At least they had the good sense to take a picture of Earth from Mars.

    Far From Home

    Astronomy | No Comments »

    Bonnaroo Festival

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 21st, 2005

    Doug Stein told me about a fledgling music festival held in Manchester, Tennessee called Bonnaroo. 2005 will bring it’s 4th annual showing when festivities begin on June 10. Honestly, I haven’t been to as many concerts in my life as I should for a man my age but I’ve been to a couple music festivals before (Darien Lake, NY and Atlanta) and they’ve always been more fun than a single-act concert for obvious reasons.

    This three-day festival caters more to “Grassroots Rock” than my preferred genre of “Garden Variety Rock” but Drive-By Truckers (Sink Hole is a way-rockin little tune) and John Prine will be there and those two are artists I’d like to see. Not for nothing, but I’ve got a couple traditional blues songs in the works for my next release so it might do me good to hear real live blues as a point of reference. So I think I’ll be going this year.

    Music | 3 Comments »

    American Idol

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 20th, 2005

    Watching this show during the early part of each season is such a guilty pleasure. I really get quite a kick out of it because the producers know the best part is hearing all the awful performances. This season seems to be a bit stronger in that area. What astounds me is how surprised these poor, tone deaf people are when they’re told they suck. I’d easily believe some of these performances are staged, they’re so bad.

    Once the initial auditions are finished, however, that’s when the show starts to get lame. They should just do a show where Randy, Paula, and Simon go from city to city holding auditions and telling everyone they suck. I’d watch that.

    Television | No Comments »

    When Courtesy is Wrong

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 19th, 2005

    It’s wrong when it comes to the rules of the road.

    I was on a four-way intersection near my house. It was moderated by a two-way stop sign only. I was turning left (and therefore had my turn signal on: there’s a whole other rant right there), the 18 wheel truck opposite me was going straight and had the right of way. Now he, being a truck driver, knew he had the right of way so he took it. Hurray for truck drivers who know what they’re doing!

    But the doofus behind him must have felt sorry for me having to wait for that 18 wheeler to get moving out of the intersection. So he edged forward a bit, letting me know that he, too, was going straight and then sat there, waiting for me to make my turn.

    So I waited for him to move, since he had the right of way. In situations like this, I give no marks for courtesy. Courtesy doesn’t enter into driving rules. If that asshole simply followed the rules, we’d both be on our way much much quicker. In cases where driving rules are not being broken, then courtesy is OK. But people often confuse the two situations.

    He finally got the message when I started banging my head on the steering wheel. I could see him mouthing “I was trying to be nice” as he drove by.

    Well please don’t. Just follow the fucking rules, dick.

    Personal | 2 Comments »

    Iraq: a Hard Place to Vote / Vomit Tale

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 16th, 2005

    The headline for today’s story is US Lowers Expectation of Once-Heralded Iraq Vote. I looked at that headline and I thought forget the Iraq vote, we’ve lowered expectations for our own vote. Our wonderful government is trying to spin the situation by saying the Iraq election was never meant to be the be-all end-all of a democratic state. I’m glad that the media is remembering it correctly for a change: that in fact, the election was intended to be the be-all, end-all of democracy for Iraqis.

    Boy, Friday was unreal! I was shanghai’d, stripped of my car, and taken to a friend’s house where they made me drink Milwaukee’s Best, a beer I’d sworn off since college. I can’t remember a worse hangover, complete with vomiting. The good part is that I vomited in the friend’s car, not my own. Heh heh. That’ll teach you for separating me from my car!

    News Items, Personal | No Comments »

    In Praise of Hedwig

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 15th, 2005

    For the past few months, I’ve been meaning to make a post about this remarkable film Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Not only is it a touching and funny story but the music is the most fresh-sounding rock I’ve heard in a very long while. John Cameron Mitchell took his Hedwig creation from an off-Broadway show all the way to the big screen and the performance is that of an authentic glam rock star, not merely a parody of one. As an added bonus, SCTV alum Andrea Martin has a large part in the film. So get out there and rent this one! Better yet, buy the soundtrack; you won’t be disappointed.

    Movies | No Comments »

    Can’t Wait for this Episode of Ali-G

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 14th, 2005

    This story tells of a near-riot after Borat Sagdiyev, one of British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen’s alter egos, garbled the Star-Spangled Banner at a Roanoke, VA rodeo, but not before wishing George W. Bush well by proclaiming his hope that Bush “drinks the blood of every man, woman, and child in Iraq.” Good stuff.

    You see, Cohen has a show on HBO called Da Ali-G Show and it’s damn funny. In fact, it borders on uncomfortable-to-watch because of the length to which Cohen denigrates himself for a laugh. It will be interesting to see if they include this incident in an episode. I’ll be watching.

    Humor, Television | 1 Comment »

    Royalty Acting Out

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 13th, 2005

    I normally couldn’t care less about the royal family, but this story is pretty funny. Basically, Prince Harry donned a nazi uniform to a costume party the other day. This sounds like a scene from a movie, you know? The spoiled, rich kid, acting out to get back at his parents. Sure, at 20, he’s a little old to be doing that sort of thing, but my theory is: the more money you have, the younger you like to present yourself (i.e. Michael Jackson).

    News Items | No Comments »

    Apple Falls From Tree, Distance Yet to be Determined

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 12th, 2005

    I can’t figure out the hoopla associated with the recent announcement of the new iPod Shuffle. This is a solid state memory based MP3 player (as opposed to a hard drive based one) that runs for $99 for the 512MB version and $149 for the 1GB version. Supposedly, these new Apple offerings are designed to counter it’s lower-cost competitors, like iRiver, Creative, and Rio.

    When Steve Jobs, making the keynote address at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, mentioned hearing a “rumor” that the new iPod Shuffle was available at a nearby Apple Store, people stampeded the place, snapping them up as though they were loaves of bread during a yeast shortage in 1950 Moscow.

    Here’s my question. How is offering a lower capacity player, something that’s been available by your more economically-priced competitors for years, an answer to competition? I didn’t go to business school or anything but profit margins are bound to be much much lower on these “new” Apple products so I don’t see them making a big splash. It would seem to me that Apple’s MP3 player competition exists in the more expensive hard drive based MP3 player.

    I visited www.pricewatch.com just now and I clicked on the 20GB MP3 player page. This showed me a list, sorted by price, of all the MP3 players available. I counted 24 players (starting at $139) including those made by Gateway, Archos, Creative, and Rio before I saw an iPod ($285).

    News Items | No Comments »

    Very Funny Movie Rentals

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 11th, 2005

    I rent one heluva lot of movies from Netflix and two came in the other day that deserve special mention. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. They’re both really stupid but incredibly funny films, particularly Harold and Kumar. At the point where Kumar dreams about the bag of pot in the police station, I had to pause the DVD and catch my breath because I was laughing so hard. It’s too bad this film flopped at the box office because I was very impressed by their comedic screen presence. I hope to see more of them.

    Movies | No Comments »

    Whither, HBO?

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 10th, 2005

    The season premiere of Carnivàle came and went last night. Now, I wasn’t the biggest fan of season one at all, but I never missed any of those shows. There must have been some serious rewrites to the season two opener after viewer comments re: season one, scaring the producers into dumbing things down quite a bit. They went from making a mysterious, symbolism-laden, find-your-own-path in season one directly to season two’s 180 degree turn of really dumb plots and spoon feeding the masses like so many network television shows I don’t pay for. I had to stop watching last night’s Carnivàle after 30 minutes because doing my laundry suddenly seemed more interesting.

    And while we’re on this subject, can someone explain Family Bonds please? Was this a show we were supposed to watch or was this punishment for not buying more DVD sets of Arli$$? But hey, I’m not all about shitting on everything. Sure, it’s loads of fun and it makes for good reading but you gotta make nice afterwards.

    Deadwood; now there’s a good show! I really look forward to that season opener. Entourage is good too, although it seems like nothing bad ever happens to that guy. I missed Unscripted but if it’s anything like K Street (made by the same folks), I’ll pass. And of course, The Sopranos has one last showing before it sleeps with the fishes forever. But then, that won’t be until 2006.

    Television | 1 Comment »

    Place the State

    Posted by Christopher Van Epps on January 9th, 2005

    Big Fun! I got 96% which isn’t too damn shabby!

    Games | No Comments »

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