"What are you doing, Dave?"

2007-05-12T16:51:00.001-05:00

spider-man 3 - one of the worse films of all time.

quick update

2007-04-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick update of what I have been watching.

Stranger than Fiction - Fun.
Grindhouse - More fun.
The Singing Detective - Turned off.
The Barefoot Contessa - Lots of fun.
The Ratcatcher - Sad but wonderful.
The Graduate - Classic.
Masulin Feminin - Brilliant
The Devil's Backbone - Boring, but okay.
Clerks II - Both boring and offensive.
Infamous - Okay but kind of boring.
Outside Providence - Turned off.
Harsh Times - Okay, but not all that good.
Fracture - Neither good nor bad, but entertaining.
The Man Who Fell To Earth - Borning.
Half Nelson - Brilliant.

Bored

2007-04-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty bored with this right now, so I will not be posting anything for a while.

Sunday Nap

2007-04-03T09:11:00.000-05:00

The Big Lebowski (1998) - This is a great movie. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. Here's the fucking short verision.

Bored On Monday

2007-03-26T20:05:00.001-05:00

I am really bored. Its Monday night and I am exhausted, but I can't calm my mind down enough to sleep. Right now the three choices are more alcohol (which has been my answer the last few nights), reading something for work, or coming up with some movie related topic to talk about. Unfortunately I just realized that I can do both the alcohol and the blog at the same time.

What shall it be? I could talk about how the Stripes (1981) is a spoof of Full Metal Jacket (1987) (which is odd since it came out first) or how everyone I know (with a couple notable exceptions) loves Donnie Darko (2001). Instead I think I'll talk about Humphrey Bogart. I remember staying with a friend of my families when I was in high school. He had a laser disc and it was the coolest thing ever. I stay with him and his wife for one night and watched two movies, Blazing Saddles and To Have and Have Not (1944). I remember it so clearly. I was struck by the playful dialogue and the straight coolness of Bogart. At the time, he was the type of man that I wanted to grow up to be, quick witted, strong, cosmopolitan, a "lady's man," and morally ambiguous (even if predictably good).

But I grew up in Kansas and John Wayne was the Man. So I watched the Wayne films and talked about how cool he was, but he never reached the same level as Bogart for me. Wayne was an empty shell of a man compared to Bogart. Wayne lacked cosmopolitan wit and moral ambiguity of Bogart. It wasn't until I was in college that I rediscovered the joys of Bogart. One summer I InterLibrary Loaned every Bogart film I could get my hands on and still to this day I am keeping my eyes open for one that I haven't seen when I go to the local video store.

He made a lot films, but he was always done working by 5 o'clock. That was Scotch time. He also believed that people should be able to make an honest living without the government harassing them. In fact, he believed it so much that he and Lauren Bacall protested (with signs and the whole bit) against the Red Scare of McCarthyism.

I nearly forgot to mention that growing up my family had two hamsters, a male named Bogie and a female named Bacall, just FYI.

Enough with the trivia, let's look at some of his films. Yes, this is only the films I have seen him in and yes there are some glaring omissions.

Dead End (1937) - Bogart plays a bad man who comes back to neighborhood of his youth and has to face "justice". I think I talk about this film else where on this blog so I will not bore you all too much right now.

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) - This one is much like the one above only Bogart plays a seedy club owner who gets his own in the end.

The Return of Doctor X (1939) - Bogart as a zombie/vampire doctor who is stealing the blood of young woman to stay alive. Brilliant. The picture I have on my profile is from this movie. As far as I know it is the only time that he has played in such a role. Great fun if you can get your hands on it.

High Sierra (1941) - Classic Bogart, plays the criminal with a sympathetic heart.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) - This movie has on the greatest lines ever, "When I smack you, you'll take and like it." Jesus who can get away with that kind of line.

All Through the Night (1942) - Very odd movie where Bogart, a criminal, finds himself fighting Nazis in New York. The only point to this film is that isolationism doesn't work and we all need to be fighting in WWII. There is an amazing scene where the Nazis think that Bogart's character is a bomb expert and everything they ask him a question he can't answer he stands at attention and hails Hitler, oddly funny.

Casablanca (1942) - Do I really need to say anything about this film?

To Have and Have Not (1944) - The first Bogart film that I remember seeing him in. Not one of the best, but very good. And Bacall's first film, ever.

The Big Sleep (1946) - Not a great film, but the quick dialogue between Bacall and Bogart is amazingly fun to watch.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - Wow, this film is amazing. If you think that Bogart is just a "We don't need no stinking badges."

Sirocco (1951) - This was an odd Casablanca-type film about a mercenary/gunrunner who is actually a good guy.

Beat the Devil (1953) - Truman Capote co-wrote this and John Huston directed it, but it comes across as slightly schizo. I remember it being sort of all over the place, but very funny none-the-less.

The Caine Mutiny (1954) - This one with The Treasure of the Sierra Madre are two of Bogart's best performances. Here he is a Navy captain who has paranoid fantasies and takes them out on the crew until they take over the ship. There is a trial and the crew wins, but even everyone leaves the film feeling sorry for the poor crazy captain, who was just doing his duty. Amazing acting and story.

Sabrina (1954) - I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. An older Bogart steals away a much younger Audrey Hepburn. And I think, if I remember right he hated this film and was a complete ass on set. Of course, he was sort of a crazy old man by that time.

So there you are. A love of Bogart based on 14 of his films.

Here is an amazing clip of Bogart in The Caine Mutiny.

Today

2007-03-24T21:44:00.001-05:00

Reign Over Me (2007) - I am not really sure what to say about this movie. It was a little manipulative, much like I am Sam. I cried a lot, but that was the point. The whole time I felt like an ass, because I realized that the point was for the audience to cry. This is one of those films which gets attention by overly playing the emotional card. Which makes talking about it in a negative light problematic. Because people feel that you are being insensitive. But really I am not being insensitive, instead I was weeping more than most only I felt used afterward. Is it just me or is this a really poorly written blog. Of course it could be that all my blogs are, in which case don't tell me or it could be that I am into my third drink of the night.

Last Night

2007-03-24T10:24:00.000-05:00

The Science of Sleep (2006) - I don't even know what to say about this film. I watched it by myself last night with a decent bottle of wine and I have to say that it totally blew me away. If I had know that Charlotte Gainsbourg was the lead female I would have watched this in the theater, but for some reason that information escaped me. I have totally had a crush on her since I saw her in Ma femme est une actrice (2001). And then you add in Gael García Bernal with Michel Gondry directing and you have an amazingly acted and directed film.

And I almost didn't even watch it. I rented it last week and didn't get around to watching it by Monday, it was due Tuesday. It was going to be one of the first movies that I had rented but didn't get around to watching. But a friend, one of the few that I trust for movie recommendations told me that I had to watch it, so I kept it. Making it one of my first overdue movies in many years. Finally after four days of being overdue I watched it and I am so glad that I kept it.

I really feel that talking about this film will not get across the beauty of it. It is sweet and tender. And for some reason, which I can't really talk about right now I feel oddly connected to it. There was much of the film that I could relate to. The world inside his head, the dreams, the self-doubt all spoke directly to my own experiences in the world. I am not trying to say that I am half as interesting as the main character only that I felt connected to this character in a way that I rarely feel with other movies.

I highly recommend this movie. In fact, I own very few movies, but this is one that I will be picking up. It is easily in my top ten. Here's the trailer.

Another Weekend Another 3 Movies

2007-03-19T08:48:00.000-05:00

So I have been very distracted with personal issues and haven't been able to post this even though most of it was written last weekend. Anyways, better late than never. Oh and I really don't feel like doing the usual hyperlinking or clips, so you'll have to use your own computer skills to look them up, sorry.

Film Geek - I'm not sure how I feel about this movie. I liked the raw quality it contained, which reminded me of a very well done college film. Yet, there was something about it which was very unsettling. Probably because there was a lot of the film which was a little too close to home. I'll just give you the plot, since I don't know what else to say. Scotty gets fired from his job at a video store, because he bothers the customers his encyclopedic knowledge of film, this causes him to go into a bit of depression. He meets a girl and while she finds him mildy cute, she still ends up breaking his heart. At this very low point his movie website is discovered and he lives happily ever after and with his success is able to get the girl.

Citizen Ruth - This is a fairly odd Alexander Payne movie about a woman who huffs paint, gets arrested and finds out she is pregant. Because of her situation and ignorance, she gets got between pro-life Christians and pro-choicers. The movie does a fairly good job lampooning both sides, but I felt that it favored the pro-choice a little more (or maybe it is just that I do). As with the above film, I really don't know what to say. It was odd and slightly surreal and my mind isn't into it.

Zodiac - I liked this film. I was distracted when I watched it, but the acting was very cool and the directoring was well done. It was interesting to see an anti-serial killer film. Its long but worth it.

Saturday with the kids

2007-03-10T17:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Feet (2006) - To start I want to mention the very experience of watching this film. I saw it in a discount theater in Minneapolis while visiting my brother and his family. The theater was awesome. It had a 1920s retro feel, but looked like it was made that way in the 1970s. So it was not only retro, but kind of run down which really added to the whole experience. Outside of that it was the discount show on a Saturday afternoon and it nearly felt like there were roving bands of children running around hunting dropped candy and popcorn. It wasn't quite that bad, but it was a much more animate crowd than I am used to, because they were so young. Now the movie. It was grotesque, overly sexual, racist, and surreal. Now grotesque and surreal isn't a bad thing for a movie, but in a kids movie it comes across as a little odd. Of course if you look at the director's other work you'll see where those themes come from. As for over sexual, again not generally a condemning feature, but in a children's movie, we shouldn't have to see penguins in a variety of sexual positions. My biggest problem with the movie was the racism. First, having white actors do the voices to racially stereotyped characters was unthoughtful and bad enough. But then to take a cultural form of dance, such as tap dance and place it in the feet of a penguin who saves the day by dancing for the white folks in Florida zoo, was down right offensive. Are we trying to tell little children that the only way people can get ahead is by entertaining the dominate power? If they are taking all your toys, just give them a little song and dance and they'll buy attention to you. Don't forget in all this that the little penguin's name is Mambo (only his father calls him this), which reminds me of Sambo. Of course, you could say that the movie had a strong environmental theme, but even that is weak, because the humans weren't going to do anything until the penguin was able to entertain them. Should we only save the cute and entertaining animals? As you can see if have some serious problems with this film. It wasn't just a bad film, but it was backwards and unthoughtful. Okay to be fair, the zoo scene up to the point when he started dancing was particularly powerful. And I think the film would have redeemed itself in my eyes had it stopped with him staring at the wall, completely insane, but alas, no.

Why title this?

2007-03-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

Art School Confidentional (2006) - Boring. I guess if I had gone to art school I would have found this movie more interesting. But as it is, I found it long, boring, and completely empty. Of course, if the point was to be empty, then it was successful. But I don't really think that was the case. In fact, this movie was so boring and empty I don't want to even talk about it.

Saturday

2007-03-03T23:02:00.001-05:00

(No links or video, because the computer I am using today is crazy.)

Good Will Hunting (1997) - I loved this film when I was around 19 to 22. I watched it alot and felt that I could relate to the thoughts and emotions in the film. This viewing last weekend was the first time that I had seen the movie since that time. And after about 20 minutes I realized that my response to the movie wasn't the same. I found it both cheesy and sappy, not to forget unintentionally funny. The casting was suspect and the directing was ridiculous. I felt that this movie was great for a certain time in a persons life, but once he or she moved past that time it lost all of its power.

The Squid and the Whale (2006) - This was my second viewing of this film. The first time I watched it I thought it was one of the funniest films I had seen in a while. This viewing I found it to be almost unbarably sad. It was much harder to watch and not nearly as funny. I feel that is the beauty of this film. Also, last time I watched it I felt for the older son, but after this viewing I felt that all of the character were dispicable. I realize that this negative viewing is where I am at, but at the same time this negativity is very much inherent in the film, but so is the humor. I guess the more I think about it the more impressed I am with Baumbach's ability to cut the line between comdey and tragedy so closely.

The Departed (2006) - Second veiwing of this film as well. In fact, I might have already talked about this film here, but I am too lazy right now to check. This is an overly masculine movie, which plays with the identity of whose a "good" guy and who isn't. I was fascinated by Matt Damon's character during this viewing, because even though he works for the "bad" guy, he has the aspirations of a "good" guy and at the end still recommends DiCaprio's character for the medal of honor. In fact, most of the characters in this movie are very solidly grey. I think I need to think about this a little bit more.

This week...

2007-03-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

The Producers (2005) - I couldn't even finish this movie. It was just too stupid. I thought that it was fairly popular, but I think I must have been mistaken about that. Matthew Broderick was just simply annoying throughout and the silly jokes about sex were juvenile and sophomoric at best.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - I love this movie. It is just one of those beautiful films which mixes the tragedy of life with comedy of it. The acting was amazing and while some of the situations are a little extreme the film is able to pull them off in believable manner. I guess I am getting tired of thinking about movies, so I'm not going to say to much but I will finish this post. And the final scene is one of the best ever. Actual right after I said that I thought of at least two other scenes which are amazing. The truck stop scene when the dad tells his daughter that she will get fat eating ice cream and the family pulls together to make her feel better has to be one of the best scenes I have seen in a while.

Music and Lyrics (2007) - Being a complete addict to movies, I'll watch just about anything. So when people ask me if I want to go to the movies with them it doesn't take much for me to agree. This was the case here. I just knew that this film would blow, but my sister wanted to see it so we went. I really enjoyed it. It was very funny. Hugh Grant's dry humor throughout was well played and while I generally can't stand Drew Barrymore for some reason her usually bubbly annoyance was toned down. I also thought that Hugh was getting a little too old to play such a part, but the age difference didn't feel as odd as I expected. The plot which played to the normal romantic comedy line, seemed fairly aware of itself. And at the same time seemed to argue that such movies can have emotional content even when they are done to death. But even that is hard to say, because they rely so much on contrived situations and stock characters to elicit the emotions they do. Anyway that is a little more than a movie such as this needs. It is a very entertaining movie and even a little sweet. Here is a video from the film.

Jesus Camp (2006) - Wow this movie was really hard to watch. It is really like watching a 2 hour documentary about socially accepted child abuse. It basically follows two youth as they go to a evangelical christian camp in North Dakota. The youth leaders, continually make the kids feel like they are liars because they can't love god enough and once the kids are broken down they fill their heads full of right-wing propaganda. It is really sad and honestly feel that it needs to be stopped. Here is an interesting clip with Ted Haggard, yes he made into the film as well.

The Cable Guy (1996) - There are very few people I have met who like The Cable Guy, but I think it is genius. The commentary on TV and our cable obsessed culture, strikes a particular cord for me considering my own addiction to movies. The whole psychotic stalker thing is done in a very fun and fairly creepy way. And while I don't generally like Jim Carrey or Matthew Broderick they both are perfect for this movie. Moreover, this was made back when Ben Stiller was still funny and hadn't completely sold out. One last thing, the movie has many similarities to Play Misty for Me (1971) by Clint Eastwood, in fact Stiller finds a way to add a clip of the movie into Cable Guy, when Carrey's character is a kid watching TV, very cool. Here is a fun little clip.

I just can't stay away...

2007-02-27T12:03:00.000-05:00

Breach (2007) - While I was watching this film, I kept thinking about how interesting it was, but how slow and at times boring it was, but after finishing it and reflecting on it, I think I kind of like this film. First, Chris Cooper was awesome, he did a wonderful job portraying such a complicated and bizarre character. Second, the film didn't glorify a man, who was looking to be glorified. He want to be know, he wanted the power and I feel that the movie was intently anticlimactic. And it is there that I find this movie so interesting.

Harold and Maude (1971) - This movie is truly beautiful. It was one of those films which people kept telling me to watch, but I always avoided it for some reason. But considering everything that has been going on in my personal life lately it was the perfect time to watch it. The philosophy of life which Maude expresses embraces life, other people, and transitory nature of our existence. Her morality is not bound to society's constructions and raises to a level rarely seen in a movie. Moreover, her relationship with Harold, which could easily seem creepy, comes across as sincere and healthy. There is so much more to talk about with this film, Harold's relationship with his mother, the side comments on Vietnam, Harold's depression, and the absurdity which sprinkled throughout.

Norbit (2007) - This movie is not only stupid, but it is offensive. I let a friend drag me to it even when I knew it would be bad and now I feel that I have lost part of my soul because of watching it. Please, if you care at all for your eternal well being then avoid this film. One other thing, when I saw it the theater was half full of kids 13 or under, who where there with their parents. That took this movie from utter soul crushing shit, to an uncomfortable reflection of poor parent practices.

Miracle Match (2005) - I watched this movie on the bus from Portland to Boston. They play a movie during the 2 hour ride and often the movie they choose is a little too long, but this one was the perfect length. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it, but since it was about football (soccer) I thought that I would give it a chance. It wasn't too bad. There was some cool football scenes, but the story around it was a little weak. Lots of US as a melting pot, sappy patriotism, we can come together as one even though we are so different, soccer as the greatest game, and soccer as the game of democracy themes throughout. Even though the movie is based on real events it has the classic sports plot, various great players come together, learn to be a team, and then beat the better team. Oh and the acting was mediocre, so I guess the only reason that I even gave it a time of day was because of the football.

Taking a Break

2007-02-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

There will not be any new posts here for a little while. Thank you.

The Picks (Official)

2007-02-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

With less than a week here is my official picks. The ones with links are the ones I have seen. The with one star is the one I want to win and the one with two stars is the one I think will win. As you will see I am trying to make it as difficult as possible.

Best Picture:
Babel**
The Departed*/**
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine*
The Queen

Best Director:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrity - Babel**
Martin Scorsese - The Departed*/**
Clint Eastwood - Letters from Iwo Jima*
Stephen Fears - The Queen
Paul Greengrass - United 93

Best Lead Male:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole - Venus**
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness**
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland*

Best Lead Female:
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren - The Queen*/**
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet - Little Children

Best Supporting Female:
Adriana Barraza - Babel*
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine*
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls**
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

Best Supporting Male:
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine*
Jackie Earl Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond*/**
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed*

Best Screenplay Adapted:
Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Children of Men*
The Departed* /**
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal

Best Screenplay Original:
Babel**
Letters from Iwo Jima**
Little Miss Sunshine*
Pan's Labyrinth*
The Queen

Holiday Weekend

2007-02-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

Star Wars (1977) - What is there to say about this movie? We all have seen it. I grew up with it. In fact at one time I was able to say ever line in all three movies as the movie played. Now I can really only do Vader and Han. Luckily for us our local video rental place still had some older copies so we watched the pre-updated version, which is vastly superior to the touch ups of the late nineties. There isn't much else to say, other than at one time in my life my friends would insult each other by calling each other Luke from the first movie, since he was a bitch boy throughout it. Here's a little Chad Vader for you all.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - See above. Outside of that, this is my favorite of the Star Wars films. It wasn't written by George Lucas so the dialogue isn't as campy as the first movie. Also, it was directed by Lucas so it is darker. And a little bit more Chad.

The Proposition (2005) - This is an Australian Western and it is totally brilliant. The dialogue is right on, the directing is great, the scenes are wonderful, and the moral dilemmas are played out nicely. Moreover, note the sunsets and there importance throughout this wonderful film. Guy Pearce can be a tool, but don't worry he doesn't have too many speaking lines and he really does a good job of pulling off the Clint Eastwood stare. I highly recommend this film. The trailer to help you understand.

Shut Up & Sing (2006) - Documentary and the Dixie Chicks, there fall from country music and their fight to come back. I never payed attention to the Dixie Chicks until they started to stir things up, and even then I only had a passing knowledge of what was going on, but this film gives you an inside look into their struggles during their fight against country music and its listeners. The movie is pretty well done and afterward you will completely fall in love with the Dixie Chicks, because this movie shows them in their protest, but as mothers and real human beings. And the Chicks trailer.

Starsky & Hutch (2004) - Yes, this is a bullshit film. Yes, we owe it. But it is a good film to stick in when you don't want to pay attention and you don't want just music. Outside of that only for hangovers and sick days. Here's a little taste.

Yesterday's films

2007-02-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

All Through the Night (1942) - I am a sucker for Humphrey Bogart films. I don't know why, but I just love his stuff. Even pieces of poop like this one. I guess it isn't all that bad, there is one very funny scene with Bogie and another gangster talking at a Nazis spy meeting which is really funny, but all in all this film is simply about how America needs to release what is at stake and get into WWII. The whole premise is set up to show that isolationism doesn't work and that we need to do something about it.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - One of my "elite" movies, 2001 is simply brilliant. HAL 9000 has to be one of my most favorite characters of all time. In fact, with my new phone I have installed HAL 9000 quotes as the ring tones. Yes, I am a huge nerd. Anyways, Stanley Kubrick rules and so does this film. Sorry I really don't feel like looking for clips today.

A Sick Weekend

2007-02-13T11:40:00.000-05:00

I was sick all weekend and I still am, so these will be short and sweet.

Evolution (2001) - This is one we own and watch a great deal. One of those funny movies which you can throw and then go about your business of cleaning or sleeping or whatever it is that you all do. David Duchovny is hilarious. This is a good hangover movie. Or sick day movie.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - Another movie we own. In my opinion this is Wes Anderson's best work to date. Bottle Rocket started it, Rushmore refined it and Tenenbaums took it to perfection. Then there was The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which I liked but didn't raise to the level of this previous work. Tenenbaums is in my top 10, easily. Great scene.

True Stories (1986) - David Byrne's take on the shifting economy of the 1980s. Byrne looks, in his way, at the shift our economy took in the last 30 years from the Ford-model of production to the Toyota-model, or into terms that are probably more common into the creative economy. What does it mean to live in work in today's new economy both as a worker and as a consumer. Of course, Byrne's look at it isn't this serious and has much more music than I do here. He looks at the fictional town of Virgil, Texas and how the change has impacted the citizens. And yes, this is another movie we own. The only clip I could find.

The Impostors (1998) - I've said it before, Stanley Tucci is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. Yes, he does some questionable roles, but he does so much and is pretty diverse. Here in the Impostors, he and Oliver Platt, play struggling actors who end up on a cruise liner with a fairly insane cast of characters played by a large number of solid actors. Again this is one we own and one we watch a whole lot. This is not from the movie, but whatever.

Zoolander (2001) - The last of the own movies I watched while sick. Zoolander is a genius film which not only manages to poke fun at the modeling industry it does a wonderful job at reference many other classic films. This film is really one of Ben Stiller's best in my mind, but it doesn't really make it past the point of hangover film. David Bowie rules.

Children of Men (2006) - I really dug this film. I was surprise to because I generally can't stand Clive Owen, but for some reason he didn't really annoy me as much as a expected. Also, the cinematography in this film is awesome. There is a 5-10 minute long scene with numerous people in it, and explosions and tanks and tons of the other stuff that is solid uncut. It was very impressive. It was a little didactic at parts, but only once in a while the rest of the time it was fairly subtle in its points. I also found Alfonso Cuarón's commentary on the deportation of illegal immigrants to be very powerful. Here is a Zizak article about it, if you are into him http://www.childrenofmen.net/.

M (1931) - The first real film about the human side of a serial killer, this film is brilliant for its time. The story is very interesting, if a little shallow. All in all I enjoyed it, but didn't fall in love with it or even find it all that moving. I know its one of those movies which always ends up on lists, but whatever. Sorry no clip.

The Great Gatsby (1974) - Robert Redford as Gatsby with a Francis Ford Coppola script, equals very true the book movie, which is well done and contains many of the great lines and characters which makes the book so powerful. Very well done. Sorry no clip here either.

Oscar Noms (Updated)

2007-02-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

Here is my past Oscar Nominations post with the many updates I have added. I am still not releasing my official picks, but this will give you an idea of where I am leaning.

In case you didn't know the Academy Awards Nominations came out yesterday. I love the Academy Awards. The spectacle, the insanity, it is awesome. Not to mention the guessing and betting. Unfortunately I haven't seen enough of these films yet to present my picks, but I will give some thoughts and update them as we go. I have about a month to watch them. Also, I think I like the Oscars, because they are so close to my b-day. I just keeping adding stuff to this paragraph without concern to order, but I think I will hyperlink the ones I've seen. (Once I am ready to post my final predications I will make a new post for them, until then I am going to update this post as I see the movies.) Here are the highlights:

Best Picture (I really liked Sunshine and The Departed, but I am not sure if they are best pic worthy, it is hard to say without seeing the competition.)
Babel (This movie doesn't belong here at all. Weak characters with a plot that borders on ridiculuous.)
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima (I liked this film, but I don't think it is Oscar worthy, so I am thinking Babel or The Queen right now.)
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen (So I am still not sure who will get the Oscar, but right now I am leaning toward Babel. It is coming back to our local cinema so I'll watch it then and decide.)

(Right now I don't think any of these movies are Oscar worthy, but I am pulling for Little Miss Sunshine and taking The Departed as my second, Letters three, then the Queen and finally Babel.)

Best Director (This is a hard one and right now I am not prepared to say anything, only that Greengrass better not get it.)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrity - Babel (He really disappointed me here.)
Martin Scorsese - The Departed
Clint Eastwood - Letters from Iwo Jima (Eastwood is great, but how many Oscars does he need?)
Stephen Fears - The Queen (I am still not sure about this one either, right now I am leaning towards Inarrity, just because I like this work.)
Paul Greengrass - United 93

(Again it is hard, because none of them are that great, but I think I am going in this order Greengras, Scorsese, Eastwood, Fears, Inarrity.)

Best Lead Male (I haven't seen any of these, but they are all on my list to see. I was really hoping that Leo would get two nods, one for BD and the other for The Departed, just because that would be funny.)
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland

(I haven't seen any of these yet, so I can't really say. But I'll pull for Whitaker and bet O'Toole and DiCaprio get it.)

Best Lead Female (I bet this one goes to Helen Mirren. We almost went to see The Queen, but I have the sinking feeling that I'll find it more boring than interesting, so I opted out.)
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren - The Queen (This is the winner right her, the film willn't get Best Pic. but she will get the Lead Female.)
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada (She carries the film, but is it enough for the Oscar?) Kate Winslet - Little Children

(Helen Mirren, there is no other choice.)

Best Supporting Female (Of course we are all hoping that Breslin gets it, but of course someone from Babel will.)
Adriana Barraza - Babel (She did a very good job, but so did Rinko.)
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel (Both of the Babel women did a wonderful job in spite of the script.)

(I would really like to see Abigail Breslin get it, but we can't forget about Jennifer Hudson. I just don't know.)

Best Supporting Male (I have a feeling that Hounsou will get the nod here and that Leo will get snubbed on the Best Male Lead.)
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earl Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed

(I really hope that Wahlberg get this one, but Arkin wouldn't be a bad choice either. Yet, I haven't seen Blood Diamond, but I do like Hounsou's other stuff.)

Best Screenplay Adapted (I haven't even the foggiest here.)
Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Children of Men
The Departed
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal

(I just haven't seen enought of these to say.)(I've changed my mind, its Children of Men.)

Best Screenplay Original (Jesus, I just not fucking know, I really have some watching to do before Feb. 25th so I can make some educated guesses.)
Babel (Fuck Babel)
Letters from Iwo Jima (The characters in this film were amazing, I have a feeling I am going to have a hard time with this one.)
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen (Right now I am leaning toward Sunshine or Pan, but I still want to see Babel and Iwo Jima.)

(If Babel takes home one Oscar I will vomit. [Not really, but its not like you would know.] Still pulling for Little Miss Sunshine, even though I doubt it'll take home all that much, but Pan would be a good choice as well, then Letters and The Queen and finally Babel.)

Some final notes, there are a lot more comedies on the list than there has been in the past. It seems that comedies have finally started to break through. This will also make it difficult to make your picks because they will want to recognize the comedies but not too much. Fuck. Also, the full list can be found here.

The Last of the Best Pics

2007-02-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

Babel (2006) - I just got back from watching this movie and I was really let down. There was little to know substance in this film. It would have worked better as a trilogy, so they could have brought the characters out a little more. Instead we get cardboard cut-outs of real people who are connected to other "real" from around the world. That is another thing I am tired of these lame-ass interconnected movies. We got it already, we are interconnected. What we gain in interconnectivity we lose in character development. Personally, give me the characters and you can shove the interconnectivity up your shinny arse. I guess I'm not sure what I expected, basically more of everything. I expected it to be shot better, with a better script and better characters (can I stress that enough?). The acting was good, but there where some really good actors in this film, unfortunately they weren't given anything to work with.

The Vault III

2007-02-06T16:25:00.001-05:00

A Beautiful Mind (2001) - So I usually don't really care for movie with Russell Crowe or movies made by Ron Howard (goofy ass bastard), but this movie had Jennifer Connelly and a genius who goes insane, both of which hold a special place in my heart. For the most part, I really dug this film. It was simple and straight forward, but it told a story which resonated with me. Oh and Ed Harris is always cool. Here's a clip.

Beetle Juice (1988) - For the most part Tim Burton is a lot of fun. There are times when he blows the big one, think Planet of the Apes remake. What the fuck was that? Don't I repeat don't fuck with the apes. Jesus someone needed to tell him that ahead of time. Beetlejuice, which is what we are talking about is a lot of fun. Made back when Michael Keaton, was still funny and before Johnny Depp became Burton's boy, Beetlejuice is one of those films which everyone my age has seen hundreds of times and we just keep on watching it. This clip is just too odd not to post here.

Best in Show (2000) - With the exception of This Is Spinal Tap this is the best of the Christopher Guest films. Waiting for Guffman was good, but A Mighty Wind blew and I can't even say anything about the new one since a mighty wind sucked so bad. Best in Show follows people as they get ready for the nation's largest and biggest(?) dog show. It is just pure fun. And here is a clip.

The Big Lebowski (1998) - What can I say about this film? It is pure genius. (I am using pure a lot today.) One of my most quoted films, along with Bottle Rocket . I really don't know what to say about it, it is wonderful. Watch it if for some reason you haven't seen it, which is really weird. Here is the short version.

The Big One (1997) - One of Michael Moore's early films, it has the rawness of a young film maker, but still have the power that his later films do. This film follows him on a book tour, where he gets into marry adventures, like challenging the CEO of Nike to a footrace to free slave shop workers and to reflect on how we should change the name of the US to the Big One. No clip.

The Big Sleep (1946) - First, Humphrey Bogart is by far my favorite actor of all time. He is so cool. He is like the kick-ass, gritty, urban version of John Wayne (who is a tool unless he is being directed by John Ford). Second, the whole point of this film is to watch Lauren Bacall and Bogart banter back and forth which is a whole lot of fun.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - I it hard for me to admit this, but I didn't see this film until just a few years ago. It was one of those films that I had heard about, but never got around to watching and to be honest it wasn't great, but it was a ton of fun.

Blade Runner (1982) - Yet another of those "elite" films I mentioned earlier (those films that I used to watch at least once a year). Blade Runner one of the first cyber punk films, which takes place in a dark and dirty future. But I don't have to tell you that since you have seen it. Harrison Ford back when he was still cool with a bunch of androids how could you go wrong. Don't forget to mention that it is based on a Philip K. Dick novel.

Last Night

2007-02-06T13:14:00.000-05:00

Stay (2005) - Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts directed by Marc Forster sounds like a good time and until the last 5 minutes it is a wonderful movie. Forster plays with time and space, with characters and imagines in a wonderful psychological thriller, but he totally and completely fucks up the end. Much like the Machinist, this movie presents the resolution to the audience in a nice little package with a beautiful bow on top. Bullshit. Don't make it so easy for us, we are that fucking stupid. I have been reading online that people are comparing this film to David Lynch, which is kind of true. All but the last 5 minutes is like someone trying to do David Lynch, but that last 5 minutes, those crucial 5 minutes just ruins the rest of the film. Lynch is a genius who challenges his audience, Forster is good, but he doesn't love the audience like Lynch does. And the trailer.

This Weekend

2007-02-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

Bottlerocket (1996) - This is the movie that made me love movies and the first time that I watched it I thought it was stupid, but after watching it another 20+ times I see how brilliant this film really is. Multiple dialogues going on constantly, each character is doing his or her own thing all the time. Therefore you have to watch it at least three times, following only one character each viewing. Wes Anderson also does a wonderful job of playing with space and time. Conversations move around in space and time while they stay fluid. Owen Wilson does his best Marlon Brando impersonation. By the way, Anderson is the only director who can get any thing worth watching out of Owen Wilson. He actually pushed Wilson to act instead of being a turd. Of course in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, he pushes him a little too far and Wilson fails. All in all, Bottlerocket is one of my favorite films of all time. Also, I have been know to use it as a test to see if people are cool. Oh and yes, I do judge people on there movie likes and recommendations. Here is a wonderful clip from the film.

Idiocracy (2006) - I had high hopes for this film, but unfortunately it was a real let down. The concept of an average man going to the future where humans have become stupid idiots seems like it would a great way to make fun of contemporary society, but for some reason this film misses the mark. I don't know if it is all the trouble which came from the studio or what it was, but it just ended up being as stupid as the people it was making fun of. Too bad. Here is the intro.

Delicatessen (1991) - Very odd, great characters, fascinating world, beautifully shot. Delicatessen is a wonderful film from the same team who gave us Cité des enfants perdus, La (The City of Lost Children) and Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (Amelie), which are both wonderful films in their own right. Delicatessen is simply genius. I think this is the trailer.

WWII - Japan

2007-02-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) - First, I think that Clint Eastwood is a great director. I haven't seen the much hyped Flags of Our Fathers, but Letters was very well done. The beauty of this film comes from the characters. Each with his own desires trying to make sense out of the horrible situation they were placed in. Each man has his motivations. Some to die with honor, others to defend the homeland, and still other just want to live. This movie does something which few other WWII films do it humanizes the Japanese forces. We often see stuff about the Germans, but we rarely seen the Japanese of WWII as anything other than bloodthirsty. This movie does a wonderful of showing that the "enemy" is just as complex and multifaceted as your own side.
It is the characters who drive this story and it is the characters which make the story. The rest of it is just a setting to put them in. I will say there was a moment when I didn't think anything would happen and I wonder what all the fuss was, but once the battle started and the first group of Japanese soldiers killed themselves, the film took a turn in a much more interesting direction. In fact by the end of the film I was starting to feel some tears, don't that is unusual for me with any movie, but this movie was generally powerful and heartfelt. As for how it will play out in the Oscars is still another question. Here is the trailer.

The Vault II

2007-02-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

As Good as It Gets (1997) - This is one of those films, that I didn't like when I first watched it and then I did like it and now I am not sure how I feel about it. I would really like to see it again before I make a complete judgement but right now it is one the cusp. Great cast though.

The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) - Here we find Sean Penn and Naomi Watts back together, with Don Cheadle (from KSC), that should be enough for you to want to watch it, but that is not enough then look at the plot. It is based on the true story of a man who attempted to hijack an airplane so that he could crash it into the White House and take out Nixon. Does that sound familiar? There are definite Taxi Driver undertones and for the most part it is very well done. Here is a fan-made trailer but you get the idea.

The Aviator (2004) - One of the "Christmas" movies I talked about earlier, this film really struck a cord with me. I totally feel in love with it. Of course it doesn't help that Martin Scorsese directed it and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in it. Those two work very well together. Not to forget the amazing Cate Blanchett, who is insanely diverse and talented. I think it was something about his mental illness which hit home for me and his ability to overcome it as surprising times. It was a beautiful film and well acted.

Bamboozled (2000) - Spike Lee takes a look at the cultural stereotypes of blacks as presented by the media. He points out the black man as entertainer for he white man mythos which was really started with the minstrel shows, something he parodies in this film. I really dug this film and feel that it is one of Lee's best, even if it can be a little heavy handed at times.

Batman Begins (2005) - Christian Bale as Batman was a wonderful choice. Bale is an amazing actor who does a diverse splattering of roles and pulls it off each time. Plus they added the great Michael Caine and Liam Neeson. Katie Holmes was a little off the mark, considering her problem with four nipples in the last scene, but whatever. This movie brought Batman back to the screen. Based on Frank Miller's work with Batman, this movie is dark and intellectual, something that many superhero movies miss. And something which the other Batmans totally missed out on. I almost forgot that Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are in the movie as well. Gary Oldman is a stud. Fuck I forgot that Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, and Ken Watanabe are in this movie as well. What an amazing cast. Here is an "international" trailer, I can't hear it so I hope that it is in English.

The Queen

2007-02-01T06:35:00.000-05:00

The Queen (2006) - I had a hard time even getting to this movie. I wasn't sure that a movie about the death of the Princess of Wales was something that would interest me, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was interesting to watch Helen Mirren play the queen dealing with a country she didn't understand and dealing with her own personal feelings about the princess. Moreover, I was very curious about the reaction that people had to the death of the princess. She was seen as the "people's princess". Some kind of new royalty who wasn't as backwards or emotionally retarded as the "real" royalty. Also, it was curious to see how Tony Blair fit into the struggle and the relationship between Britain's Prime Minister and the royal family. It made me wonder what the Queen had to say about Blair, Bush, and Iraq. But moving along, I don't think the movie should get best picture, but Mirren should definitely get the Best Lead Actress. Of course, I have a couple more movies to watch before I make my final judgement. This clip doesn't have anything to do with the movie, but who doesn't love the Sex Pistols?

The Vault

2007-01-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

Having rated over 800 films on Netflix, I thought that it might be fun to translate those ratings over here. A five-star rating system doesn't really tell us much about the film. This way I can make some comments, show some clips, and revisit some of my favorite films. So without further ado, The Vault.

21 Grams (2003) - My wife and I used to do this weekend long movie trips. We would drive to the nearest megaplex, get a hotel room and watch movies Friday night, all day Saturday, and then part of Sunday. We usually were able to fit in over 20 movies a weekend. It was our Christmas present. 21 Grams was one of those films. I really dug this film, because the cast is amazing. Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Naomi Watts. In fact it was because of this movie that I became such a big Watts fan. She is awesome. Not only can she act very well, but she is very attractive. 21 Grams also has a French actress who I love, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who starred in Ma femme est une actrice (My Wife the Actress), which is a really fun film. 21 Grams is a very intense film and you should really be in the right mood to watch it, just a warning.

28 Days Later... (2002) - I am not a huge zombie fan. My brother is, but I am not. I go more for the vampire films, but this film was wonderful. It was shot very well, had a bit of a message, and was generally well acted. The plot is pretty much the generic zombie movie plot, but it looks so cool that it actually works. Like the 21 Grams this movie made me take notice of a newish actor, Cillian Murphy. And this movie has Brendan Gleeson who is awesome as well. Plus, the director Danny Boyle is someone to watch.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - As we all know Stanley Kubrick is the shit. And of course this film is no exception. This film was in the rank of the elite. The elite was a group of films which I watched at least once every year. I did this for over 5 years, before I decided to explore other films and give this films a break. This film also contains one of my most favorite characters of all time Hal 9000. He rules.

2046 (2005) - I watched Chung hing sam lam (Chungking Express) by Kar Wai Wong and was enchanted, so I sought out some of this other stuff. I watched Fa yeung nin wa (In the Mood for Love) which was brilliant and was very excited when I heard that 2046 was coming out as a sequel of sorts to In the Mood for Love. This movie is about a writer who deals with a number of different women, but really can't get over one he loved many years before. The plot is wonderful and the images are just beautiful. The cast of this movie is really spectacular with a number of wonderful Hong Kong actress including, Li Gong, Faye Wong, Ziyi Zhang, and Maggie Cheung. And the lead actor is Tony Leung Chiu Wai, who has been in tons of stuff and is very good as well. I highly recommend work by Kar Wai Wong.

About a Boy (2002) - Hugh Grant and Toni Collette and some boy in a story about human connection and what people really need. This is one that we own and I really enjoy it. And it has Rachel Weisz who is a total hottie. Also, I think this is the fluke movie for Chris and Paul Weitz, because it is their only work that I have seen which is really well done. This clip is the best I could get.

Adaptation. (2002) - Charlie Kaufman is a wonderful writer (even if he is a little too po-mo) and Nicolas Cage is 1/2 the time a wonderful actor and in this movie it works. This is one of those 50% of the times when Cage actually does well. Not to forget his supporting cast, Chris Cooper(from the KS) is always great. It seems that I am spending more time talking about the people in the movies than I am the movies themselves. That is because these movies aren't the freshest in my mind. So I remember general impressions and talk about the specifics when I can.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984) - I know that I have mentioned this movie before when talking about Jeff Goldblum, but seriously folks if you haven't seen it watch it. And here are the credits.

Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) - Amelie is simply a sweet film about an impish girl, her eccentric adventures and the interesting characters she meets along the way. Audrey Tautou, in the first role I remember seeing her in, makes you fall in love with her character as she interacts with the people in her life and finds a new love. This review seems silly, but seriously this film is very well done and I really enjoy it. In fact, when I was in college our French dept. got tons of money from the French government to show the latest French films on campus and this was one of them. I really do miss seeing those films, we would watch all the newest and greatest films coming out of France at the time. It was wonderful and the French really do know how to make good films. Here are some outtakes.

Anne Hall (1977) - Another one of those "elite" I mentioned earlier, Anne Hall is the film that made me love Woody Allen. Not to mention that it came out the same year I did (okay that was bad, but whatever). This is a classic Allen film and it won some awards and it is good and full of people who you will recognize. Watch it. Sorry no clip for you.

Apocalypse Now (1979) - Yet another of me "elite." This Heart of Darkness retelling done Vietnam style is a wonderful look at what war can do to the heart and soul of men. Marlon Brando delivers yet another wonderful performance and Martin Sheen doesn't do too bad himself. Of course it is Robert Duvall who steals the show as the surfin' Lt. Colonial. Here is the intro.

Last Night

2007-01-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

Layer Cake (2004) - This movie starring Daniel Craig (the new Bond) is not amazing, but it is very watchable. It is one of those entertaining movies which doesn't rock your world and is decent enough enough to warrant an evening. It helps that it is full of beautiful people and kick-ass actors. Also, it plays around with the shots and the plot, not enough to be a surprise but enough to keep you interested. Oh it and ends exactly the way it should.

The newest update

2007-01-29T10:04:00.000-05:00

El Laberinto del Fauno (2006) - This movie is awesome. The more I thought about it the more complex this deceptively simple movie is. del Toro, of Hellboy and Blade II fame (not to forgot Cronos which I loved), does a wonderful job creating a world which is not simple or easy, but complex, violent, dark, but not without hope. My biggest problem with the movie is that the title is translated to Pan's Labyrinth in English and this totally set my mind thinking the wrong way. If they would have just done a literal translation I wouldn't have spent the movie expecting some kind of trickery which wasn't really there. None-the-less this is a great film even if it is a little graphic at times.

Wings of Desire (1987) - Unfortunately there are times in my life when the stars align just right which leads to me falling asleep during a film. It is a horrible thing to happen, but sometimes it is unavoidable. And no matter how wonderful the film was leading up to the sleep, it is nearly impossible for me to go back and finish it. This was one of those movies. From what I saw I thought it looked wonderfully shot, but outside of that I can't say much.

Blow-Up (1966) - This is another film where the stars aligned to grace me with sleep. I can't really say anything about it other than it is about a photographer. I am a little surprise but here is a clip.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - All things considered it is surprising that I was able to stay awake through this piece of shit. This movie is as empty as the models who grace it. Nothing happens for about 1.5 hours and then a little something happens in the last .5 hour, but by that time who fucking cares. Yes, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci (one of the most underrated character actors out there) are great as usual, but it is not enough to carry this turd to anything other than the sewers.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992) - This is original movie, which the TV show was based on. Of course we own it, but that is beside the point. This movie is just fun. That is all there is to say about it.

Oscars Noms.

2007-01-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't know the Academy Awards Nominations came out yesterday. I love the Academy Awards. The spectacle, the insanity, it is awesome. Not to mention the guessing and betting. Unfortunately I haven't seen enough of these films yet to present my picks, but I will give some thoughts and update them as we go. I have about a month to watch them. Also, I think I like the Oscars, because they are so close to my b-day. I just keeping adding stuff to this paragraph without concern to order, but I think I will hyperlink the ones I've seen.

(Once I am ready to post my final predications I will make a new post for them, until then I am going to update this post as I see the movies.)

Here are the highlights:

Best Picture (I really liked Sunshine and The Departed, but I am not sure if they are best pic worthy, it is hard to say without seeing the competition.)
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima (I liked this film, but I don't think it is Oscar worthy, so I am thinking Babel or The Queen right now.)
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen (So I am still not sure who will get the Oscar, but right now I am leaning toward Babel. It is coming back to our local cinema so I'll watch it then and decide.)

Best Director (This is a hard one and right now I am not prepared to say anything, only that Greengrass better not get it.)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrity - Babel
Martin Scorsese - The Departed
Clint Eastwood - Letters from Iwo Jima (Eastwood is great, but how many Oscars does he need?)
Stephen Fears - The Queen (I am still not sure about this one either, right now I am leaning towards Inarrity, just because I like this work.)
Paul Greengrass - United 93

Best Lead Male (I haven't seen any of these, but they are all on my list to see. I was really hoping that Leo would get two nods, one for BD and the other for The Departed, just because that would be funny.)
Leonardo DiCaprio - Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole - Venus
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland

Best Lead Female (I bet this one goes to Helen Mirren. We almost went to see The Queen, but I have the sinking feeling that I'll find it more boring than interesting, so I opted out.)
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren - The Queen (This is the winner right her, the film willn't get Best Pic. but she will get the Lead Female.)
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada (She carries the film, but is it enough for the Oscar?)
Kate Winslet - Little Children

Best Supporting Female (Of course we are all hoping that Breslin gets it, but of course someone from Babel will.)
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

Best Supporting Male (I have a feeling that Hounsou will get the nod here and that Leo will get snubbed on the Best Male Lead.)
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earl Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy - Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg - The Departed

Best Screenplay Adapted (I haven't even the foggiest here.)
Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Children of Men
The Departed
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal

Best Screenplay Original (Jesus, I just not fucking know, I really have some watching to do before Feb. 25th so I can make some educated guesses.)
Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima (The characters in this film were amazing, I have a feeling I am going to have a hard time with this one.)
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen (Right now I am leaning toward Sunshine or Pan, but I still want to see Babel and Iwo Jima.)

Some final notes, there are a lot more comedies on the list than there has been in the past. It seems that comedies have finally started to break through. This will also make it difficult to make your picks because they will want to recognize the comedies but not too much. Fuck. Also, the full list can be found here.

Bogie

2007-01-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

So I had a much longer version of this entry, but there was an error so here is a shorten version just so you all can keep up. The first two movies are basically the same movie.

Dead End (1937) - Bogie as harden criminal returned to his childhood street. The 'Dead End' Boys are in this one.

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) - Cagney as harden criminal returned to his childhood street to find his best friend a preacher, Bogie is two-timing weasel. The 'Dead End' Boys are also in this one.

In Good Company (2004) - We own it, liked it the first time I watched it, but now I find it boring.

TV on DVD

2007-01-17T09:57:00.000-05:00

So I usually only put movies on here, but we also watch a lot of TV on DVD. Scrubs and The Office are our favorites and I you should check them out if you haven't. But recently someone recommended a mini that was originally shown on Bravo. I had heard about it before but thought it sounded pretentious, but they said that it was really good, so we gave it a go.

Long Way Round (2004) - So Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman decide to ride motorcycles around the world, from London to Magadon, Russia then fly to Alaska and drive to New York City. Along the way they meet many friendly people and make stops at UNICEF programs to help promote them. I have to say that I was amazed. After watching this, I think that Ewan McGregor might be one of the coolest guys ever. I realize that it was being filmed, so there was that to do it, but being a reality type show, I feel that he actually lets you. Anywhoo, I am doing like three things right now and I am a little distracted from this, but seriously if you want to see a beautiful film, that is very engrossing even if it is really long, then check this one out. Here is a little bit of the film to give you an idea.

The Forgotten Title

2007-01-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

The Last Kiss (2006) - First I didn't think this film was as bad as most people say, but at the same time I thought that it was pretty ridiculous. None of the characters where believe, they all had problems and made decisions which you couldn't believe someone would make. In fact, not one character in this film deserved sympathy nor empathy from its audience.

Real: The Movie (2005) - With Becks coming to the US, we thought it would be fun to watch a documentary about Real Madrid. What we got was much better than we expected. The film is just as much about Real Madrid as it the hundreds of thousands of football fans from around the world. The film (more a film than a documentary) focuses on the Real Madrid team, but we also get little vignettes about people from around the world and their relationship to football. If you like football this film is a lot of fun, if football is something you could do without or if you only like American football you might want to avoid this one. This is not from the movie, but it gives you a taste.

The Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) - So I think that Yimou Zhang is one of the greatest living directors. If you haven't watched his films I highly recommend you spend a weekend watching nothing but his work. He is definitely in the ranks of Lynch, Kurosawa, and Truffaut, but this film was not nearly as good as I expected. The plot was predictable and with force, the CGI was beyond laughable, and some of the shoots where overly sentimental and thus came across as just cheesy and sophomoric. Which is too bad, because I really do think the Zhang is awesome.

A weekend of bad movies...

2007-01-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

Bend it Like Beckham (2002) - Of the movies I watched this weekend this one was the best and it is one that we own. I really dig this lighthearted film about girls soccer in the UK. It deals with issues of gender, parents, immigrants and some issues of sexuality. It contains a young Keira Knightly and the wanker Johnathan Rhys-Meyers, but him not standing it is a fun film.

Never Been Kissed (1999) - Okay so Drew Barrymore is one of the worst actors on earth and this film is not only predictable, but boring, so avoid it at all costs.

Sidewalks of New York (2001) - Whinny, drawn out, predictable, boring, pretentious (without the right to be), are just some of the words which flood into my head when I think about this film. Oh how this weekend was painful. No clip because I couldn't easily find one on YouTube, so fuck it.

Kinky Boots (2005) - I had high hopes for this movie. I usually really like Chiwetel Ejiofor, but for some reason, in this movie he didn't convince me. It fact he actually annoyed me, and it wasn't because he was in drag, that was actually the highlight of the film. He just wasn't selling the part very well. Of course it didn't help that this movie was overly predictable and without any real acting at all from the lead.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) - Utter piece of shit.

Last Night's Movie

2007-01-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

The Good Shepard (2006) - Bobby D directing Matt Damon sounds like a recipe for disaster, but luckily for Damon, he is playing a emotionally stifled statue, which is about par for him. Yet, at the same time this movie works in an odd way. The suspense isn't as great as they would like it to be, but the slow methodically way that it plays out seems to be more true to the way the CIA operates. It was the times when Damon's character had to make difficult emotional choices that I found the most interesting in this movie. It would be very easy for his character to loss himself completely in the world, much like many of the other characters, but he finds that something to hold onto and doesn't release it. Sorry no clip this time couldn't really find one. Check this film out if you need to get away for a few hours.

Still More Movies

2007-01-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

Empire of the Sun (1987) - As I watched this film I remembered that I had seen it when I was younger, so there where a number of scenes which had that strange I have seen this before feel to them, but this was not enough to make this film worth the time I spent on it. I just can't watch Spielberg any more (fucking alien). His work is overly emotional, cheesy crap made for the masses, without thought of any real emotions. After spending most of the movie watching so many people die around him and after seeing his parents get split up when he himself losses them we are to believe that not only did his parents survive but they come together to find him, bullshit. This movie is bullshit, the only redeeming quality is that the young boy makes friends with a Japanese boy and we are shown Japanese fighters as humans, not monsters. Whatever. Here is the beginning of the film.

The Omega Man (1971) - Say what you will about Charlton Heston's politics, his sci-fi movies of the 60s and 70s are the shit. Planet of the Apes is a classic. The Omega Man isn't quite to the level of Planet it is still a fun movie to watch. I don't really feel like getting too much into the plot, but I would like to note two things. One it is interesting how even though he is the "normal" person in the film, because the mutants are the majority the roles have been flipped. That is that Heston's character is the mutant now. Also, I found it interesting that the "bad" guys where Luddites, they hated technology. They wanted to go back to the earth. I couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't a bit of hippie bashing going on in this film. Here is a great movie which mixes parts of the movie with the song "Sunglasses at Night".

Westworld (1973) - This movie isn't too bad, but it takes for ever for anything to really happen. I guess the first 1 is spent trying to build tension, but it fails and then the last 30 minutes is a chase scene between the human character and the robot character. Boring. But what can you expect from a Michael Crichton film. Not only did he write this piece of shit, but he directed it. I'm not even going to waste your time with all of the plot and technology errors this film is riddled with. Michael Crichton is great for Junior High kids, but adults shouldn't even waste their time with his crap. Of course Yul Brynner is cool all day long, even if he is old in this film. Here is the trailer.

Still More

2006-12-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

Kicking and Screaming (1995) - Brilliant and funny. A wonderful look at life right after college. Baumbach is great. And this movie kicks the shit out of the Ferrell turd which came out a few years ago. Watch it love it.
Sorry couldn't find anything on YouTube.

Green Street Hooligans (2005) - Okay I don't care what anyone says, but Elijah Wood couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. The guy has three looks, one where he smiles, the classic look of constipation, and a blank stare and that's it. That said GSH isn't all that bad. Its very violent though. In fact that's the whole point.

Long Weekend

2006-12-26T09:05:00.000-05:00

It was a long Christmas weekend, but it was full of movies, so there's that.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001) - Every Christmas my wife and I watch the LotR trilogy extended straight through. Yes, that is something like 12 hours of straight LotR. Everytime I watch these films, I like and dislike different aspects of it, but one thing that always stands out for me is the music. I feel that they did a rather good job on the music, even if the rest of the film is only slightly above average.
The Fellowship is the first of the three and is probably my least favorite. Hobbitton is cool, but mainly this film is all about getting to know the characters, which you should already know before you watch it. It does have the least annoying CGI, so that is something.
There are so many LotR parodies out there I had to find some to share here.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - This one is a little better, more fighting. The battle of Helms Deep is very cool. The action really starts here, so I enjoy it a little bit more than the first. Really I have nothing to say about these films, they are just fun to watch.
This one is fucking funny.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - First the CGI in this one is the worse of the three. The scene where Frodo and Sam are on the mountain when the lava is all around them looks utter lame. Moreover, any time Legolas does any extreme fighting it looks just as stupid. This one has the added fun of being the last one, so after watching them for 12 hrs, the ending really tugs at your emotions.
This is just the normal trailer.

The Nugget (2002) - Eric Bana is awesome, he turned down XXX to do this movie. This Aussie made movie about three "losers" who find the world's largest gold nugget is at times hilarious and at others very odd. But overall genius. If you like screwball comedies which are more intelligent than American made ones, then you should check this out. Very fun.
The only scene I could find on YouTube.

Thank You For Smoking (2005) - Funny movie, but I can't stand the director. I watched the director's commentary, just to see what he had to say and all I really got was that he was mad because people pointed out the errors in his film. Not just made, but he was cussing them out like a little kid. It sounded like, stop making fun of me I made a movie. Almost like in Rushmore. "I wrote a hit play."

Equilibrium (2002) - I really like Christian Bale. No matter what movie he is in he adds a level which would truly be missing without him. And Equilibrium is no different. Without such a strong lead this movie, which is a mixture of 1984 and A Brave New World, would be okay at best, but with him it is better darn entertaining. Yes, it looks like a sci-fi piece of crap, but give it a chance and I think you will enjoy it.

Bridget Jones' Diary (2001) - Someone gave us a copy of this movie and I think it is a total piece of shit, we watched it because we were that bored. Mainly I can't stand Renee Zellweger, if she even makes a movie with Matthew McConaughy I will kill myself.

Love Actually (2003) - This is one of my wife's favorite movies, and at first I couldn't stand it, but after numerous watchings I have grown to enjoy it. The cast is a wonderfully full British cast with the wonderful Bill Nighy. The plot is just a mash up of numerous other romantic comedy plots, but for some reason it works here.
The best scene of the movie.

Idlewild (2006) - Outkast rules and this movie is just fun. Wonderful music, costumes, and dancing making this a very enjoyable film to watch.

Movies from Vacation

2006-12-20T10:13:00.000-05:00

So for the last 9 days I have been on vacation, but during that time I was able to catch a few movies. And here they are.

40 Year Virgin (2005) - So I had already seen this movie, but it was on HBO and I find it humorous. For the most part this is a rather funny little film, about a sad man who, as the title states, is a virgin. Carrell is awesome, as always, and this film really helped him to become more known.

Trading Places (1983) - Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dan Aykroyd in a John Landis film. Amazingly fun. I grew up watching this film. It was one of the few films we had on tape and since we only got 4 tv channels we watched this one a lot. Moreover, like many films from my youth this one has actually aged pretty well. I still find it funny.

Casino Royale (2006) - So I grew up with a dad who was a huge Bond fan. I have seen them all numerous time, and I have to say that I have always liked them. And after seeing the trailer for this one I knew I would like it as well. Daniel Craig is a total stud in this film. Not to mention the prequel nature of the film, which allows us to see an inexperienced Bond who still shows emotion and his human side, makes a surprisingly rich look at the Bond character. Yet, I am curious to see where they go from here. Can they go back to the older drunk womanizer or will they stay with a more emotionally in depth character.

Cars (2006) - I still haven't watched this film completely. I have seen it twice, but I was still about 10-15 minutes out both times, so I don't want to say too much about it. But I would like to mention that while it is vaguely amusing at times, for the most part it is a bit of a bore, not to mention predictable.

Another weekend another 5 Movies

2006-12-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

Jane Austen's Mafia (1998) - I was up late at night and there was nothing else on, so I watched it on TV. Utterly horrible. How many times can they make this movie? The jokes are the same 15 jokes that are in ever one of the films, the only thing different is the genre or film they are spoofing. I truly hate John Abrahams work, it is tired and cliche. I would usually try to find a clip to show but this film is such a piece of shit that I wouldn't bore you with one.

Friends with Money (2006) - I didn't really like this film. There where some funny lines, but outside of that it was kind of a bore. On top of that the message of the film was a little odd. At first you think it is about how everyone is unhappy no matter how much money they have. But at the end the "poor" friend hooks up with a rich guy and it is obvious that she is already thinking about the money, so it seems that the point is we are all unhappy so you might as well be rich and unhappy instead of poor and unhappy.

Scoop (2006) - I was hesitant at first with this movie. Hugh Jackman, or Jackoff as I like to call him, in any role other than Wolverine is nearly unwatchable, but there was something about this film which made it work. He wasn't there much and the focus was on Allen (genius) and Johansson (totally hottie), who were both brilliant. I found this film to be very funny and well done. There are some plot holes, but the point is the characters more than the plot, that is the lines delivered and the banter between Allen and Johansson. All in all I found this film to be very enjoyable.

Winter Passing (2005) - I really liked this film as well, of course it helps that Zooey Deschanel and Ed Harris are in the film. These two are great actors who both give wonderful performances in this film. The lighting and music are wonderful and Will Ferrell adds a wonderful amount of toned down comic relief to this otherwise hurt and tragic film. This is not the trailer but it is a great scene.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) - This movie is amazing. It was beautiful and powerful, Tommy Lee Jones directorial debut (for film that is) was a wonderful non-linear postmodern Western. I really didn't think he had it in him, but this film shows us otherwise. I highly recommend this powerful film. There are moments when the film drags a little, but it isn't too bad and you stay with it throughout. Wonderful movie.

If I watch a movie this weekend it will be one of these.

2006-11-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

Bobby (2006) - I don't really know much about this film, other than that it is about RKF and was made by Emilio Estevez, plus it has a rather full cast. I did watch a PBS special about RKF recently and was totally fascinated by him, so this movie really interests me.

For Your Consideration (2006) - Okay let's be honest there is no way that I am going to watch this show in the theater, but on the off chance that I stumble in drunk I might see it. Totally wait for video.

Fast Food Nation (2006) - I am a little bit more interested in this film. The book was great, yet scary and I really like Linklater's stuff, but I am hesitant. I have feeling that making this book into a fictional movie will give us nothing other than a didactic mess, full of shit we already know. Not to mention that the book is how old and most of the stuff which is in it is pretty common knowledge now. Yet it might be fun.

Monday Hoohums

2006-11-28T11:25:00.000-05:00

High Fidelity (2000) - This was one of those movies which I watched and liked but wasn't all that excited about it. There were definitely parts I enjoyed but for the most part it wasn't something I would watch again. But then someone gave me a copy and I have watched it from time to time, and have found that I actually really enjoy this movie. Outside of the antics of Jack Black (one of his best performances), this is just a fun, good movie, which is great for raining days when you don't want to go out, but don't want some mindless goo. Here's a little black at his best.

I Heart Huckabees (2004) - I am not going to say much about this one. If you haven't seen it, move away from the blog right now. I will say that you should check out Three Kings (1999), also by David O. Russell. Mark Wahlberg plays almost the same character. It is almost like Huckabees is the sequel to Kings with Wahlberg's character being the connection point. This scene is by far one of the best in the film.

Movies Over the Long Weekend

2006-11-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

The Castle (1997) - I completely adore this film. We found a used vhs copy a few years ago and it was be a constant in our rotation. The film shows what many would call a poor white trash family, who aren't very smart nor rich, but truly love each other. Their way of life is challenged when the nearby airport attempts to make them sale their home. The father of the family takes to fighting the purchase in court, stumbling and bumbling along the way. Overall this film is beautiful with a great plot wonderful acting and some priceless lines.

13 Going on 30 (2004) - My wife bought this movie because she loves it, I think it is an utter piece of shit, but Jennifer Gardiner is pretty cute.

Over the Hedge (2006) - A few funny scenes and some cute lines, but all in all a real sleeper. The environmental message I was hoping for wasn't there, the condemnation of the suburbs wasn't there (they know their target audience). And with the exception of Hammy I found the other characters boring, predictable, and without value.

Last Night's Movies

2006-11-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

Bulworth (1998) - Okay so I own this movie, so what. It was cheap and I was young. Well at least it was cheap. I kind of like this movie and kind of hate it. First, I like the over all message that politics in this country is run by those with money, is racist, and sexist. Yet I find it hard to watch a really old white guy dancing with a young Halle Berry, or even that same old white guy rapping. All in all, watch this movie if you got a hang over and there is nothing else on, but don't go seeking it out. But like I said I do own it so that should say something.

Galaxy Quest (1999) - I love this movie, whenever I don't know what else to watch I always go back to this old stand-by. There are so many fun lines throughout the film. Of course it is complete fluff, but it makes for great back ground noise, when you want something on, but don't want to have to pay attention. Plus the cast is great. Check it out. Here are some clips.

Weekend Movies

2006-11-20T12:09:00.000-05:00

Office Space (1999) - First, I should note that this is one I own, so I must like it on some level. Oh alright I think this movie is great. It is totally how I feel about working in an office, even though I am in a non-profit, the office politics are remarkable the same. Moreover, the Gibbons character's desire to not work is also my desire, if I had a million dollars I would do nothing all day. Wonderful little film with some classic lines, if you still haven't seen it go watch it.

The Godfather (1972) - Again another one that I own. My video library is small, but good. This movie is just cool. Brando and Pacino are two bad ass mother fuckers in this movie. It was this movie which changed my perspective on dealing with people in the world. Thinking about their motivations ahead of time to preempt them, guessing about what they are thinking in order to manipulate them. Of course most people find talking about this to be poor taste, but not me I am constantly thinking about how others are thinking in order to be ahead of the game, and it was this movie which really helped me to come to that realization. Oh and did I mention that Brando was the shit?

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - So there is one word to describe this movie and that is irony. This movie is, while a cowboy movie, is full of irony. Almost every line is delivered with some touch of irony, almost every scene has it. There are a few notable exceptions like the odd bike riding scene, but for the most part classic irony. Redford and Newman, have a great little banter back and forth. It isn't too much just enough to make their characters strong, yet fun. While this film is not one of the greats on my list it is definitely pretty high, and is one of the best Westerns.

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004) - So any movie that attempts to tell an alternative history will of course have major problems the point of this film is not the alternative history as much as it is the real history of racism in the USA. The fictionalize documentary explores the history of the US if the South had won the Civil War. Yes there many problems with this proposition, but that isn't the point, as I already mentioned. Instead this film uses this alternative history to look at the racism found in our own "real" history. Drawing on real racist products and movies from the past this movie looks at our troubled attempt to get over slavery in this country. There are definitely moments of humor and some of pain, and will the whole film is done on a low budget and thus doesn't look all that great, it has a great message and a fresh way of looking at the problem. Moreover the director/writer Kevin Willmott live in Kansas my old home so that is a plus for me. I would say that this movie falls in line with A Day Without a Mexican (2004), which takes a similar fantastic stance in pointing out racism in our so called free and equal society. I highly recommend both of these movies.

Down in the Valley (2005) - Sort of a California-style Taxi Driver (1976) (many shots are taken directly from Taxi Driver), this film provides wonderful acting from all of the cast, with a solid character driven story of love, loneliness and flaws. Eddie Norton (who is the total shit) plays a mixed up ex-con turned cowboy who falls in love with a teenage girl. Norton's character wins over the girl and her lonely brother but not their overbearing step dad. Some bad stuff happens and in the end it is as hard to condemn any one character as it is to praise any one. The son played by Rory Caulkin is the only one who comes out "clean" but not untouched. The movie also has some old Western style themes and images throughout which help to make it a fully rich film.

Alien Propaganda III

2006-11-16T15:27:00.000-05:00

So here is the last installment of the Alien Propaganda series. We have looked at Stephen Spielberg, the head of the alien propaganda campaign, then George Lucas, the second in command, and today we will look at the works of Robert Zemeckis, the third in command.

3. Robert Zemeckis

Zemeckis holds a special place on this list because not only is he a member of the alien prop team, but he also has serious satanist ties (which I will talk about in another installment). Zemeckis went to school at the USC School of Cinema with such notables as George Lucas (we are all familiar with him) and John Milius (Red Dawn (1984) and Conan the Barbarian (1982)). Moreover, if that is not enough for you all Zemeckis and Lucas share the same birthday. Coincidence? I don't think so, this the proof that they are either clones or robots who were built on the same day. Oh how deep the hole goes when we start to examine it.

Zemeckis has had his hands in a ton of horror films throughout his career, look it up if you don't believe me. What does this tell us? Satanist. And since this installment is about aliens and not satanists, we willn't be explore this issue anymore today. Of course this is not to say that we wouldn't look at it at a later time. Just know that he is the satanist liaison for the alien prop team (as I am now calling them).

As for the alien propaganda Zemeckis has given us such "harmless" classics as Contact (1997), the Back to the Future series (1985, 1989, 1990), Forrest Gump (1994), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Contact is by far his most obvious display of indoctrination. He completely lays out the plan for contact for us. He has in effect provided us with a road map to meeting the aliens. The Back to the Future movies are a little less obvious, but are all too similar to tactics of the other alien prop team. They all love to make movies where regular people interact with fantastical machines. Again getting us read for such technology, showing us that this technology is "normal" and okay for everyday usage. Who Framed Roger Rabbit, also has a very common theme of the prop team, the "lovable fantastical creature who interacts with seemingly normal people. These types of movies always have the creature and the human working together on some challenge will also overcoming their own issues. Well I'll tell you right now, that I don't buy. When the aliens come I am grabbing a shotgun and shooting them down until the cows come home and I suggest you do the same.

As for the Forrest Gump, this movie doesn't really have much to do with aliens, but I hate it none-the-less. As if Americans, are simple innocents running through the 60s without a care, is utter bullshit. Life is not like a box of chocolates and we are not feathers drifting in the wind. Our country isn't innocent and never has been. This movie plays into our nostalgic notions of the "good ole days." It lulls us into a false sense of security. This is world the aliens will place us into once they have enslaved us. A world where we are all blithering idiots, too dumb to even know what is going on around us. God I hate you Forrest Gump.

As always I want to leave you all with something special: "If Robert Zemeckis Directed the Royal Tenenbaums."

Alien Propaganda: Part II

2006-11-14T12:19:00.000-05:00

Okay so this is the second part of my series on alien propaganda in Hollywood. Yesterday we looked at the work of Stephen Spielberg, the head of the alien propaganda department here on earth. Today we will look at one of his closest supporter/advisors, George Lucas.

2. George Lucas

Born in California on a walnut farm (that has to be the worse cover story ever) Lucas blah, blah, blah, blah…. (sorry I just figured you could look up his cover story yourself).

To further show the connection between Spielberg and Lucas we should note that in the 2005 edition of Forbes' "400 Richest People in America" list, Lucas’s net worth was estimated at $3.5 billion. He and Spielberg where the only filmmakers on the list. Yes, you could say that is because they both make tons of money off their movies, but how do they do that? Can anyone say mind control? Moreover, it is obvious that for them to have that much money they must be getting some finical backing from somewhere, can we all say aliens?

Unlike Spielberg who has been much more subtle and diverse in this propaganda, Lucas has focused on one “storyline” to further his agenda. With the exception of Indiana Jones, Lucas has focused almost all of his efforts on the Star Wars franchise. This franchise has been almost exclusively aimed at children, which in itself is horrible, but they have added their alien religion into it, “the force” and “jedi knights”. Getting the kids while they’re young with this confusing hogwash only creates a new generation of young disciples of the alien invaders. When they finally invade our children will accept them with open arms and will be the first one to enslave their parents and it is all because of Lucas and his “force”.

From Star Wars (1977), all the way to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005), Lucas has done an amazing job at merchandizing the Star Wars universe in an attempt to indoctrinate as many young people as possible, this is also evident in his always releasing the movies every so many years. Just about the time there is a new generation to hear about the force Lucas releases the films and gets them hooked. We like to think that he is a money hungry whore, but really it is much more sinister. I mean George W. Bush is a money hungry whore; George Lucas is an alien propagandist.

What makes this all the more horrible is that at least the first three Star Wars films where watchable, but his newest three make you want to vomit. I think that is because he has added some kind of mind control sound which only works on people under 18, anyone older is repulsed by the sound and has the uncontrollable desire to watch the original three. He has all his bases covered that manipulate old bastard.

But it is not just the Star Wars films that he has his fingers in Howard the Duck (1986), Labyrinth (1986), Willow (1988), THX 1138 (1971), American Graffiti (1973), and the Indiana Jones franchise. In Howard the Duck (1986) we have that common theme of the loveable alien who is taken in by a human and everyone grows, learns something or saves the world. We aren’t going to buy the whole aliens are our friends bit anymore. With Willow (1988) we find a complete Lord of the Rings rip-off. The baby is the ring and Willow is Frodo, but it doesn’t end there. There are numerous connections between Willow and LoTR, rewatch it and you’ll see them. How does Willow further the alien fight? Because like Labyrinth (1986) we are shown fantastic creatures which raises our tolerance to those types of “alien” creates. Labyrinth also has David Bowie who is a known alien, but who holds a special place in this fight (more on that later).

With THX 1138 (1971) we see a Lucas struggling with the fight between humans and machine. Oh of course the human attempts to overcome the machine mentality, that’s just what the aliens want from us. To believe that we still have freedom in their world of control and domination. American Graffiti (1973) and Indiana Jones both offer some interesting situations in that neither directly deal with aliens, but when you look at them you see why Lucas made them. American Graffiti shows us that he is just like us, a good old American, since the movie is somewhat autobiographical. Of course after reading this we know better. Indiana Jones fulfills two things, first is the desensitize of the fantastic and the other is the trivialization of our religion, so that we go out looking for another, in the form of the force. Jones is always messing about with some aspect of the earth’s religious past in an attempt to make it look foolish. Once it is made foolish we then search out for something new and what do we find, the force.

Lucas, like Spielberg, might make great films which we all end up loving, but their propaganda for alien domination is all too clear, making watching them a task which should only be done by those with the proper mindset and knowledge. Please be careful when watching these films, they are not to be taken lightly.

I bet you are wondering where the videos are, well this time I decided to do something different. So I am leaving you with this little gem:

Jaws

2006-11-14T11:40:00.000-05:00

So I watched most of Jaws (1975) last night at a friend's. It was kind of odd since I had just posted that entry about Spielberg. It definitely makes me wonder if he isn't on to me. I tryed to hide my name but I should have known that that wouldn't have stopped him. Damn you Spielberg!

But on to a more serious note, have you noticed the direct connection between Jaws and some of Hictchcock's work? There are a number of water attack scenes which mimic Psycho (1960) in that you can't really see the killer, you only hear the music and see the blood. Moreover when Roy Schiender's character realizes that the boy is missing there is a definite Vertigo (1958) style shot. I didn't watch the movie all that closely since I was knitting but I have a feeling that if I did I would have found a number of other Hitchcockean elements.

Alien Propaganda

2006-11-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

The other day I mentioned briefly the David Duchovny/Jeff Goldblum alien fighting link. As I mentioned these two are some of our strongest alien fighting supporters. They are two of the hardest working warriors in this struggle against the alien menace. But the battle has been hard with the large level of alien infiltration in Hollywood.

The three best known alien propagandists in Hollywood currently are Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Robert Zemeckis (who also has some low-level Satanist ties). These three have worked together and supported each other financially for many years now. But if the movies have taught us anything it is that if we use the proper lenses we can see the underlining connections between things and people.

Oh have they been insidious and ruthless in their attempt to prepare us for the alien invasion. Starting in the seventies these three have written, produced, and directed films which are raising our tolerance level to aliens. Through constantly bombarding us with images of “friendly” and “peaceful” aliens they are preparing our minds for the final invasion. It is time that we really took a look at their numerous attempts to indoctrinate us with their propaganda. This is the first part of my three-part series examining alien infiltration and indoctrination in Hollywood.

1. Steven Spielberg
Allegedly born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Steven Spielberg is either an alien in disguise or an alien sympathizer. Of course there is the chance that he is an android programmed to implement the initial phase of invasion, indoctrination. (I lean toward the last idea.) None-the-less, he is the leader of the alien propaganda machine. Having done the most for the alien cause and being the only one of these three directors to work with known anti-alien warriors (oh he has guts).

Spielberg’s legion goes beyond writers and directors, there are composers (John Williams) and actors (Tom Hanks, Richard Dreyfuss and Tom Cruise [another Satanist]). He has even said that Richard Dreyfuss is his alter-ego. Is that alter-ego or beta model, you dirty little android? Outside of taking others into the fold there are a number of common themes and ideas in his work, the most important is this “ordinary people who discover something extraordinary - people, places, artifacts, creatures, etc.” This is his message to us, we are ordinary people who will one day soon be meeting the alien menace, of course because of his work we will love the aliens and not see them for what they really are, invaders.

Spielberg has a long history of writing, producing, and directing films which portray aliens. Let’s quickly look at his writing, Artifical Intelligence, A.I. (2001), a script which he wanted so bad he had Kubrick (who happens to also have ties to Satanism) killed for it. And then there is the ultimate in “friendly” alien films, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). I will speak more about each of these later. As a producer Spielberg tends to lean toward movies made by one of the alien supporters or films which directly support the alien cause. Here’s a quick overview to give you an idea of his level of involvement: When Worlds Collide (2008); Transformers (2007); Men in Black II (2002); Evolution (2001); Deep Impact (1998); Men in Black (1997); Back to the Future I, II, III (1985, 1989, 1990), *batteries not included (1987); Harry and the Hendersons (1987). As you can see he has attempted to get his little fingers into every major alien/space film made in the last twenty years. There are a few noteworthy films on this list.

First, the Back to the Future series, which is not directly about aliens, but deals with alien technology. Moreover, these films were written and directed by Spielberg’s alien love child Robert Zemeckis. Back to the Future, while not directly preparing us for the alien invasion, prepares us for the type of technology we will see when the aliens come. It raises our tolerance to such fantastic machines.

Also, we should note Harry and the Hendersons (1987) again not directly about aliens, instead we find a lovable sasquatch which a family takes in and accepts as one of their own. A theme which Spielberg loves in his movies, the human family taking in the alien outsider. The Men in Black movies showed us that aliens are both fashionable and fun, but when one of them has you under the whip you will not find them so fun nor fashionable. In *batteries not included we find yet again loveable aliens, who are expected by humans, and this time help out against other "bad" humans. Both of these movies are aimed at kids which is really what upsets me.

Finally there is Evolution (2001), while here we find humans fighting the alien menace there is much more going on than that. Instead we find David Duchovny, a known alien fighter, taking on a movie to show the alien menace for what it really is, but then Spielberg sweeps in and funds the movie in an attempt to usurp the message of the movie. Moreover, I wouldn’t be surprised if didn’t plant the film crew with alien supporters who only had one thing on their mind, the death of Duchovny. He was lucky to have survived. Of course considering the movies he has done since then I would not be surprised to find out that he has been switch with a robot and is either dead or being held by the alien menace.

Even as a director Spielberg has a long list of movies to his name which deal with alien indoctrination: Interstellar (2009); War of the Worlds (2005); Minority Report (2002); Artifical Intelligence, A.I. (2001); The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997); Jurassic Park (1993); E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982); and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

I can’t say much about Interstellar (2009) but a space theme is good enough for me to point fingers and shoot alien lover. As for the War of the Worlds (2005), people will say that it disrupts the entire theory, but actually it is what is known as disinformation. Much like Bill Clinton bombing the Chinese embassy to throw off detractors, Spielberg makes this film because we are on to him and he is trying to throw us off, but I am not fooled.

With Minority Report (2002) much like the Back to the Future movies, we find a Spielberg who presents us with alien technology to prepare our minds for the invasion. I would like to clarify at this point that the invasion is not of guns and bombs, but it will be more subtle sort of like in V. Artifical Intelligence, A.I. (2001) fits into the mold of getting our minds ready for the new technology, but it also ends with savior aliens who help the “little boy” go to “heaven.” Like the aliens want to but us in heaven instead they are looking to create a hell for us.

The two Jurassic Park movies are there purely to confuse us and throw us off his scent. Moreover he used these films to show us that our past monsters will only devour us and that we need to look to the future, to the salvation which comes from the aliens. Will I am not fooled Mr. Spielberg, you and I both know that your aliens are afraid of dinosaurs and your movies are an attempt to keep us for researching ways to bring the dinos back. These movies are particularly important because we see Jeff Goldblum infiltrating deep within the belly of the beast. Of course there where numerous attempts on his life, but he made it out with tons of important documents, none of which are ready for public release.

Finally, the two movies which started it all for Spielberg, his “babies” if you will, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). These two movies define the mission statement of the alien propaganda machine. In Close Encounters we find friendly aliens who just want to get to know us. Moreover, it shows a chosen few being selected by the aliens as the ones who will be liaisons, or ambassadors for the aliens. I am serious people, he completely lays out the entire plan for us in this movie. He and a few others have been selected to get us ready. In E.T. we find another lovable alien being taken in and misunderstood. But here he is at his most despicable, because this one is aimed at children. Get them while their young, that’s what McDonald’s says and that’s what Spielberg says. It is the children who make the connection with the alien and thus it is the children who, being young, get their first taste of indoctrination.

I would like to end this first part of a three-part series with a quote from Spielberg himself, “Once a month the sky falls on my head, I come to and I see another movie I want to make.” Of course after looking a little closer at his films we really know what he means by “sky” but it is interesting that he is so confident in this alien friends that he would tell the whole world where his ideas come from. As always I would like to leave you with a little something something.

No Movies This Weekend

2006-11-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

What a weekend. Not a movie watched. It has been a while since such an event has happened and last time I thought I might die, but this time I was able to struggle through the long weekend and make it out the other side. Yet, I think it has a direct connection to my disdain for returning to work today.

But not to worry this wouldn't stop me for posting some movie gibberish.

This Weekend's Movie Pick

2006-11-09T16:28:00.000-05:00

So there are three movies on my list of movies to watch this weekend. Unfornately I'll only be able to see one but here they are. Oh and did I mention that I am limited to whatever is playing in Portland.

Shortbus (2006) - I just started looking into this movie today and I am very curious by it. I loved Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) and this one looks just as impressive. It appears to have lots of sex which is pissing off all the right people (no pun intended), but the sex isn't just there to show sex, at least that is the feeling I get. A movie about love and sex and being human. I have a feeling that this will be the winner of the weekend.

Babel (2006) - I am really not sure about this one. I have a feeling that there will be some good acting, but that is where it will end. I have heard too much about it being structure heavy and weak on characters, plus I am really getting tired of this type of movie. At the same time the cast has me very curious, Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, among others. They should really deliever some good performances especially Cate, who is just awesome on the screen. None-the-less if I don't see it in the theater then I will watch it on video and let you all know what I think.

Marie Antoinette (2006) - I am as sure about this movie either. I liked Lost in Translation (2003), but I have a feeling that this will not be even close to that. Yet at the same time there is very applying about this movie. Maybe it is the mindless teenie bopper who lives in my left ear, I don't know.

Jeff Goldblum

2006-11-09T11:12:00.000-05:00

I like to pick an actor or director and try to watch everything he or she has done. I have traveled through the dark underbelly of noir with Humphrey Bogart and the genius of Sir Alec Guinness, but recently I thought it might be fun to take a look at Jeff Goldblum. Why? I can't say. There is something about him which I have always been drawn to. Maybe its the roles he takes (generally as some kind of intellectual) or his rather predictable acting style (there's not much range here) or just the fact that he is so ungodly tall, I don't know, but whatever it is I am drawn to him like fat kids are drawn to cake.

Since I haven't actually started my trek into this particularly odd land I thought it might be good to take a look at some of his past works I have seen and decide if this is a quest that I can even take on or if it is something which will make me go made.

Jesus I just looked him up on IMDB and he has been in a lot of stuff, from movies, to TV, and Broadway. After sifting through all the tv, video game and other worthless shit I have found that since 1974 he has been in over 60 movies. And of those 60 I have seen 11. So let's take a look.

1. Annie Hall (1977) Lacey Party Guest - Okay so this is a great Woody Allen film, which also happens to have been released the year of my birth, unfornately while I have seen the movie a number of times I only barely remember Jeff being in it. Not the best place to start but who cares, cus I'll do want I want.

2. The Right Stuff (1983) Recruiter - Alright so I am off to a really shaky start. I grew up watching this movie at least twice a year. Why? Because we didn't have cable you nosy little bastard. Anyways, I grew up watching this film and again only have a passing remembrance of Jeff being there. I guess that means strike two.

3. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) New Jersey - What can I say about this film? It is amazingly fun. Pre-RoboCop Peter Weller leads a misfit band of scientists and oddballs in an epic battle against aliens. This is one of those movies that you can't graduate from college without having seen and if you were somehow able to escape without watching it, shame on you. I have half a mind to report your ass to the proper authorities for falsifying records. But enough about you this is about Jeff. Jeff plays New Jersey chaps wearing scienist who joins up with the gang for their merry adventure. If I remember correctly and that is highly unlikely, Jeff plays the straight guy character, who isn't all that straight (not sexually). Anyways, he joins the group and the band and who cares let's move on. Here is the trailer for those of you who haven't seen it.

4. Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) Jack Harrison - I guess this is strike three. But in my defense I haven't seen this film since I was a little kid, so while I include it here, I am not counting it against me that I don't remember much about it. Stop judging me.

5. Jurassic Park (1993) Dr. Ian Malcolm - This movie introduced Jeff to a whole new generation of movie viewers, who after having seen him on the screen wondered where they found such a tall ass shat, well not really (oh and there was that whole Apple thing). Here we find Jeff playing the type of role most people my age come to expect from him, the cool brainy guy. Because of this movie and similar ones like it Jeff has helped nerds the world over in their eternal quest to get some. Thank you Jeff.

6. Independence Day (1996) David Levinson - Yet another big budget movie with Jeff playing the brainy guy, not to mention that once again he is fighting aliens. In fact, as I was writing that I had an ephinany. While some actors and directors are out there to further the alien cause it is becoming obvious to me that Jeff is one of them who is fighting against the alien menance, but what makes this the most interesting is that the true alien fighter himself, David Duchovny, plays Jeff on an episode of SNL. I truly feel that this connection cannot be overlooked anymore. It is time that we choosed between what is right and what is alien.

7. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Dr. Ian Malcom - When I was going through Jeff's filmograhy I was sure that I had seen this movie, but now that I am trying to actually recall something about it I get a blank. Enough said.

8. Holy Man (1998) Ricky Hayman - Jeff plays to seedy TV producer who finds a holy man, played by Eddie Murphy, which in itself is very funny, unlike the movie, to host a TV shopping show. I don't really remember the movie all that well but I bet Jeff's character learns something good and everyone goes home happy. I do remember that I thought the movie was a piece of shit.

9. Igby Goes Down (2002) D. H. Banes - This movie has the cool Caulkin (if one exists) in it and is actually a fairly decent film with an interesting cast. I would like to say that this is the movie that made me really like Jeff but I have to admit that I liked him before all that. This movie just rekindled the spark of my affection. Anywhoo, rent this movie for some dark fun.

10. Incident at Loch Ness (2004) Party Guest - I just watched this movie this past weekend. And to be honest with you it is the movie which directly lead to this entry, so blame the movie not me. This movie on a whole is not all that great, but it has some seriously funny lines splattered through, almost all of which are delivered by Werner Herzog (who rules). Jeff has just a passing cameo with maybe one line, but a certain presence none-the-less.

11. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) Alistair Hennessey - So this is the last one, if you have made it this far you need seriously help. May I suggest a sexual partner to keep you busy, if that is unavailable then lots of alcohol should do the drink. This movie by the wonderful Wes Anderson is not his best work, but still better than most of the shit which we find on the screen these days. Here Jeff plays the success friend/rival of the Steve Zissou. At one point he gets shoot, but survives and delivers a wonderful performance playing with such actors as Anjelica Huston and Bill Murray. I like this movie so bite me.

Okay so here is the preliminary look at Jeff Goldblum there will be more to come as I search out and watch every film he has even been in. To end I would like to leave you with this little gem.

It has begun...

2006-11-09T10:57:00.000-05:00

Oh you poor bored little boys and girls. Stumbling around blindly on the Internet and you find this pathetic excuse for a blog. Movies, for fuck's sake how many morons with a computer post blogs about movies, a ton. But that wouldn't stop me, your faithful guide, from leading you all into the belly of the beast. Like that guy in Dante's Inferno I will take you through the bad, the okay, and the good of the cinema world. No stone shall be left unturned in our quest for the movie which will lead us to cinema nirvana. Before we begin I recommend a stiff drink, to dull your senses and make even this dribble seem great.