Ramblings of an Anonymous Coward

Small Big Screen Reviews

i interupt this string of poetic postings to note that it has been over a month since i have posted an update to my movies watched, and now seems as good a time as any. besides, it breaks the mood. only 22 flicks this time, is that a good thing or a bad thing? oh well...

• Walking Tall -- what's the rock got cookin'? all in all the movie was a resounding "ok", but just didn't measure up to the original walking tall's. they didn't even keep the name buford puser for the sheriff and given the result, i'm glad they didn't tarnish the image.
• Young Adam -- i really could have done without seeing ewan mcgregor's dick, but aside from that found the story interesting albeit sometimes difficult to listen to with the heavy accents. it is a typical film festival offering, this one from cannes.
• FahrenHype 9/11 -- a response to michael moore's movie fahrenheit 9/11. certainly more objective, but at times tried to push the spin the other way. but that, too, was expected. worth watching to balance out moore's flick.
• Annie Hall -- i know at least one person is giggling. get over it, it's a classic woody allen movie and i like it. so there.
• The Day After Tomorrow -- so the world is gonna end eh? i suppose this is as nutty a way for it to happen as any. i just wish they could have taken the premise and been more realistic with how various things could happen.
• Raising Helen -- i really don't know what to say about this movie. it was ok. i would not have been happy had i paid $10 to see it at the theatre, but as a rental on a night with nothing better to do... you could pick worse.
• The United States of Leland -- i'm probably in the minority, but i liked this movie. go see it and draw your own conclusions. to quote the movie -- "You have to believe that life is more than the sum of its parts", and i think that sums up this film as well.
• Jersey Girl -- in a word, disappointing. yeah, it had it's cute moments, but it didn't even come close to the level of a "while you were sleeping" or such.
• Being John Malkovich -- interesting idea on how to get into somebody's head. heh. it definitely had some amusing twists and turns, but all in all it wasn't the classic i was told it would be.
• White Chicks -- i really wasn't expecting much from this movie aside from some slapstick humor. the wayan's brothers pulled a rabbit out of their prada handbag and far exceeded my expectations. definitely worth a rental! if you haven't seen it, do so. i think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
• Control Room - a documentary on how the al jazerra news network works. it was insightful and while i can't say i always agree on what the choose to report on, is it really any different than u.s. based media? i think they are closer than most are willing to admit. ask dan rather.
• Salem's Lot -- a classic to get into the halloween mood. the pendant the girl got via her dad was very cool. i always expect it to play a role in the movie and it doesn't. go figure.
• Fangoria Blood Drive -- amature films and you get what you expect. a couple were clever, like the one where the guy cuts off his finger and it becomes alive, lonely, and then he gives it a mate or two or nine. if you like cheese horror flicks, this might be your bag, but watching this once was enough for me. oh! there was an interview with clive barker on the dvd too, that made it almost worth a rental.
• Night of the Living Dead -- classic. 'nuf said.
• Thirteen Days -- i meant to see this a long time ago, and after watching it, while i understand there is a lot of hollywood involved, it clearly shows the differences between a leader like john f. kennedy and george w. bush. had gwb been in power at that time, i don't think we'd be here.
• Huff, First Episode -- this was a dvd that came with entertainment week magazine. it's the first episode of an upcoming series called huff (obviously). i liked the episode, but figure it will jump the shark in season two. heh, look at me, mr. prognosticator. if you like hbo-ish series, give this one a look. if nothing else, it will give you a different perspective of your therapist.
• Dawn of the Dead -- now this was a good zombie flick and far exceeds other recent efforts. it has a good mix of plot, shocks, and subtle humor. come on and get down with the sickness and go see this one!
• Van Helsing -- i expected a bit too much from this movie, but reflecting back, i guess it was ok. after seeing what dawn of the dead did for zombies, i had hoped van helsing was going to do for the classic monster hunting movie. no dice. ok for a rental, but would have been a huge disappointment in a theatre.
• House, First Episode -- another dvd in the mail, this one on a fox show. mark my words, this is going to be a good series. it does for medical shows what csi did for cop shows. i view it as a quincy meets csi, but with an ego and sense of humor. i'll definitely try and squeeze this show in, making it one of two shows i watch on any regular basis.
• Mesmerized -- a very young jodi foster, the one hinkley shot reagan for i suppose. this was a quirky movie where she marries a much older [and strange] man back in the late 1800's. in new zealand no less. i can't say i recommend it, but it definitely reminded me of how far movies have come over the years.
• Before Sunset -- i could write a long post on this movie, but will simply suggest you watch it. it is like spending 80 minutes being the proverbial fly on a wall as two people run into each other 9 years after discovering each other for the first time. being someone that likes quotes, this one is filled with them, like when celine says"Memory is a good thing if you don't have to deal with the past."
• The Clearing -- headlined by robert redford, this is a soft drama about an executive that is kidnapped and shows not only his experience as a captive, but the experiences and discoveries of his family. don't expect a particularly suspense filled movie to escape in to, this movie was definitely more a melancholy treatment of a darker side of life and ends as such. me, i was just fine with that.

i had hoped to have seen the chronicles of riddick before writing this, but alas all the copies are checked out. such is life.

Posted by ac at November 17, 2004 02:45 PM