2.9 stars
The moral: if someone proposes a business deal to you and the words "Russian mafia" come up, DON'T DO IT.
The beginning of this is fairly juvenile. The dot com stuff is kind of interesting, but it's hard to have sympathy for the protagonist played by Owen Wilson. The movie did keep us watching the entire time, so it wasn't terrible.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Shutter Island
I'd give this one 4.3-4.7 stars. I didn't know much about this, so I won't say much here for fear of plot spoiling. This is another Scorsese/DiCaprio project, and I think I might categorize it as noir/thriller/horror. I kept thinking about The Shining as I was watching it. There are some genuinely creepy scenes that I absolutely couldn't watch.
Oddly, I think you could do a comparison/contrast between this movie and Inception, but I won't tell you why!
Check this out. I haven't seen such a good horror story since The Mist.
Oddly, I think you could do a comparison/contrast between this movie and Inception, but I won't tell you why!
Check this out. I haven't seen such a good horror story since The Mist.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Black Swan
Intense. I liked the juxtaposition of the frail beauty and innocence in the ballerina's world mixed with the grotesque nature of the dark side in this movie. I'm not sure if it would be considered allegory, but it is heavy on the symbolism exploring issues with the artist's soul.
I also liked how at times it appears to be a horror movie, but it is not overdone, which would have been a temptation for the film makers.
Probably one of the best non-Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies I've seen for a while.
I also liked how at times it appears to be a horror movie, but it is not overdone, which would have been a temptation for the film makers.
Probably one of the best non-Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies I've seen for a while.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Fighter
I'll add a few things to Neil's comment about this great movie: Wahlberg's love interest was played by Amy Adams who I believe is a female version of Phillip Seymour Hoffman in her ability to play a variety of different roles. She played a little innocent girl in Catch Me if You Can as well as one of the young nuns in Doubt (which actually features Hoffman as a priest). Adams plays an experienced young woman who is tough and has seen it all in this movie. Like Hoffman she is able to convincingly play contrasting personalities in a way which doesn't make you think she's trying too hard. I like watching her alot.
I also liked The Fighter. How can you not like it?
I also liked The Fighter. How can you not like it?
Clash of the Titans 2010
I agree with Chris: this movie just didn't cut it. You really wanted it to be good, especially with the visual effects. This movie managed to mess up the great characters and plot of the original. Liam Neeson was just a pretty dull Zeus, so you have to imagine something was not going right there. The original was much better, so I give this version 1 star.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Angel Seasons 1-5
This is a spin-off from one of the characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show is based on a character named Angel, who was one of Buffy's loves. He's also a vampire with a soul, so he's a good vampire. Long back story that is explored throughout Buffy and this show. I believe it starts around the time of season 4 in Buffy.
This show is actually as good as Buffy, if not a little better at times. It is a little more grown up, and a bit darker. More in line with Firefly in how it explores the meaning of loyalty, the conflict of good and evil, and the main story line of Angel attempting to atone for a hundred years of evil that he had committed.
The minor characters are a little more interesting, and the setting is Los Angeles, so it feels more grown up than Sunnydale, which is where Buffy takes place. Sunnydale is more of a fictional small town that seems to be really generic. Whedon does a great job of mixing demons in the culture of Los Angeles that makes sense and is fun and believable, while at the same time dark and creepy enough when the show needs it to be. There is more room for the epic storylines to take place in Angel with this setting than in the setting of Buffy.
I won't comment in too much detail about the final season, but I will say it was not as good of an ending as Buffy's ending was. I think they were at least purposefully going for something with the final sequence in Angel that would resolve his arc and solidify the change in his character that would make the audience feel satisfied with the ending. This attempt just didn't feel satisfying to be though, and felt a little too open ended. Also, they left one important plot thread unresolved, which is always going to be aggravating.
One interesting thing about this show was that it basically serves as a supplement to Buffy at times, and the two shows often play off of each other. You could see it as pretty much the same show, and so in all, between Buffy and Angel there are twelve seasons.
This show is actually as good as Buffy, if not a little better at times. It is a little more grown up, and a bit darker. More in line with Firefly in how it explores the meaning of loyalty, the conflict of good and evil, and the main story line of Angel attempting to atone for a hundred years of evil that he had committed.
The minor characters are a little more interesting, and the setting is Los Angeles, so it feels more grown up than Sunnydale, which is where Buffy takes place. Sunnydale is more of a fictional small town that seems to be really generic. Whedon does a great job of mixing demons in the culture of Los Angeles that makes sense and is fun and believable, while at the same time dark and creepy enough when the show needs it to be. There is more room for the epic storylines to take place in Angel with this setting than in the setting of Buffy.
I won't comment in too much detail about the final season, but I will say it was not as good of an ending as Buffy's ending was. I think they were at least purposefully going for something with the final sequence in Angel that would resolve his arc and solidify the change in his character that would make the audience feel satisfied with the ending. This attempt just didn't feel satisfying to be though, and felt a little too open ended. Also, they left one important plot thread unresolved, which is always going to be aggravating.
One interesting thing about this show was that it basically serves as a supplement to Buffy at times, and the two shows often play off of each other. You could see it as pretty much the same show, and so in all, between Buffy and Angel there are twelve seasons.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Seasons 1-7
I'll go ahead and review all seven seasons, as I watched them between January and April of this year in a marathon viewing of three to four episodes a day on average. It was fun to totally immerse myself in this series.
The genre is right up our ally. Buffy is a chosen superhero that slays vampires/demons and other evil nasties that lurk in the world unknown to most people. She discovers this while still in High School, so the show explores typical Suburban American themes, but with vampire slaying going on in the foreground. The first three seasons of when Buffy is in High School are as good as any televisions series I have ever seen, including Star Trek.
The show's creator is Joss Whedon, who did Firefly. The same style of dialogue is present in Buffy as well. Also, the characters are as three dimensional. While Firefly feels older and more mature, Buffy tackles typical American teen stories, but still is able to explore the nature of good and evil.
It is interesting to draw parallels between the two series. In Whedon's worlds, often the evil characters are those that think they are doing good, or those that start off doing good, but then become too self-absorbed to objectively view their own actions. Of course, there are lots of demons, monsters, and creatures of the night that are just inherently evil as well. Also, like the Reivers, some of the nasties are created by characters who think they are doing good.
The series then moves on in Season 4 to follow Buffy at college, and I think it loses some of its spunk at this point. Of course, at this point you may be too drawn in by the characters to notice it objectively, but the show in Seasons 4-6 started to feel formulaic, and a bit unoriginal. In the final season the show returns to form, and ultimately it does resolve itself in a satisfying manner, concluding all of the character points of conflict, and all of the plot threads that it had explored. I'm not sure I have ever seen a television show successfully do this other than a few of the Star Treks.
Great show that I would highly recommend.
The genre is right up our ally. Buffy is a chosen superhero that slays vampires/demons and other evil nasties that lurk in the world unknown to most people. She discovers this while still in High School, so the show explores typical Suburban American themes, but with vampire slaying going on in the foreground. The first three seasons of when Buffy is in High School are as good as any televisions series I have ever seen, including Star Trek.
The show's creator is Joss Whedon, who did Firefly. The same style of dialogue is present in Buffy as well. Also, the characters are as three dimensional. While Firefly feels older and more mature, Buffy tackles typical American teen stories, but still is able to explore the nature of good and evil.
It is interesting to draw parallels between the two series. In Whedon's worlds, often the evil characters are those that think they are doing good, or those that start off doing good, but then become too self-absorbed to objectively view their own actions. Of course, there are lots of demons, monsters, and creatures of the night that are just inherently evil as well. Also, like the Reivers, some of the nasties are created by characters who think they are doing good.
The series then moves on in Season 4 to follow Buffy at college, and I think it loses some of its spunk at this point. Of course, at this point you may be too drawn in by the characters to notice it objectively, but the show in Seasons 4-6 started to feel formulaic, and a bit unoriginal. In the final season the show returns to form, and ultimately it does resolve itself in a satisfying manner, concluding all of the character points of conflict, and all of the plot threads that it had explored. I'm not sure I have ever seen a television show successfully do this other than a few of the Star Treks.
Great show that I would highly recommend.
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