Jim Gaffigin
Eddie Izzard
Ellen DeGeneres
Suzanne Westenhoefer
Friday, March 26, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Movie list 3/20
Coming soon
How to Train your Dragon March 26
Clash of the Titans April 2
The Losers April 23
Farther out ...
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Megamind
Nordwand aka North Face
Harry Brown
Chloe
Still Farther out...
Godspeed (2009)
The Tourist 2011 (Angelina Jolie/Johnny Depp)
Burke and Hare 2010 (Isla Fisher/Simon Pegg/Tim Curry)
Henry's Crime 2010(Keanu Reeves/James Caan/Vera Farmiga)
How to Train your Dragon March 26
Clash of the Titans April 2
The Losers April 23
Farther out ...
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Megamind
Nordwand aka North Face
Harry Brown
Chloe
Still Farther out...
Godspeed (2009)
The Tourist 2011 (Angelina Jolie/Johnny Depp)
Burke and Hare 2010 (Isla Fisher/Simon Pegg/Tim Curry)
Henry's Crime 2010(Keanu Reeves/James Caan/Vera Farmiga)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Alice in Wonderland
STARRING: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover
DIRECTED BY: Tim Burton
HOLY COW!
I love Alice in Wonderland--always have. I have been excited about this since I first heard about it. I did not opt to see this in 3-D and I was glad that didn't as I honestly think I would have been nauseous the entire time due to sensory overload (and the person that I saw it with said the exact same thing).
With Tim Burton at the helm, obviously this is not the saccharine sweet Disneyfied animated version that a lot of people grew up on. It is dark. The Alice stories are dark. It is disturbing. The Alice stories are disturbing. It is a wild mind altering force. You get the picture.
The images are beautiful. Flower heads, dragon flies, rocking horse flies, the small things that we loved about the cartoon are worked into the movie. There are certain movies that require computer assistance, and this is one of them, and it is done well.
The characters are as zany and mad as they are in the original. Depp is on the top of his game as usual. Hathaway and Bonham Carter are the essence of their characters. The mythical characters are well done.
Alice, somewhat grown up now, evades a boorish dilemma by following a white rabbit and once again finds herself in Wunderland (or rather Underland--the "W" is apparently silent). The Red Queen has taken over and things are relatively miserable. A champion is needed, a battle ensues, and things kinda get boring after that, but the movie is also almost over.
The movie is true to the story we are familiar with in a lot of ways. There are some new elements thrown in, obviously. This is not necessarily a movie for young children, but older kids will probably really like it. There is also an interesting Wizard of Oz type parallel that works. The movie does not set itself up for sequels, interestingly enough. Although there is a weird chemistry between Alice and the Mad Hatter, which could spawn spawn, I mean sequels.
5 stars
DIRECTED BY: Tim Burton
HOLY COW!
I love Alice in Wonderland--always have. I have been excited about this since I first heard about it. I did not opt to see this in 3-D and I was glad that didn't as I honestly think I would have been nauseous the entire time due to sensory overload (and the person that I saw it with said the exact same thing).
With Tim Burton at the helm, obviously this is not the saccharine sweet Disneyfied animated version that a lot of people grew up on. It is dark. The Alice stories are dark. It is disturbing. The Alice stories are disturbing. It is a wild mind altering force. You get the picture.
The images are beautiful. Flower heads, dragon flies, rocking horse flies, the small things that we loved about the cartoon are worked into the movie. There are certain movies that require computer assistance, and this is one of them, and it is done well.
The characters are as zany and mad as they are in the original. Depp is on the top of his game as usual. Hathaway and Bonham Carter are the essence of their characters. The mythical characters are well done.
Alice, somewhat grown up now, evades a boorish dilemma by following a white rabbit and once again finds herself in Wunderland (or rather Underland--the "W" is apparently silent). The Red Queen has taken over and things are relatively miserable. A champion is needed, a battle ensues, and things kinda get boring after that, but the movie is also almost over.
The movie is true to the story we are familiar with in a lot of ways. There are some new elements thrown in, obviously. This is not necessarily a movie for young children, but older kids will probably really like it. There is also an interesting Wizard of Oz type parallel that works. The movie does not set itself up for sequels, interestingly enough. Although there is a weird chemistry between Alice and the Mad Hatter, which could spawn spawn, I mean sequels.
5 stars
Quieter Comings Movie List
A lot of the following titles will likely not be blockbusters. Most of them will probably fly under the radar. But they do look interesting and hopefully won't get lost in the "3-D, everything must be an epic story, blockbuster frenzy" of the coming year:
Serpent and the Sun: Tales of an Aztec Apprentice (2009)
Barbe Bleue (2009) aka Bluebeard
Tau ming chong (2007) aka The Warlords
Chloe (2010)
Män som hatar kvinnor (2009) aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Leaves of Grass (2009)
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
The American (2010)
The Eagle of the Ninth (2010)
Let Me In (2010)
Alpha and Omega (2010)
Priest (2011)
Serpent and the Sun: Tales of an Aztec Apprentice (2009)
Barbe Bleue (2009) aka Bluebeard
Tau ming chong (2007) aka The Warlords
Chloe (2010)
Män som hatar kvinnor (2009) aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Leaves of Grass (2009)
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
The American (2010)
The Eagle of the Ninth (2010)
Let Me In (2010)
Alpha and Omega (2010)
Priest (2011)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
The Wolfman (movie review)
STARRING: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving
DIRECTED BY: Joe Johnston
In the depths of my memories of high school and college, I recall learning about Gothic style; the standard elements that function together to create the mood. If the past and present could be mixed together, the examples for Gothic style would have to include this movie.
It was not a super film, but it was good. Benicio Del Toro (Lawrence Talbot) and Anthony Hopkins (Sir John Talbot) are excellent as a son and father (respectively) who have clearly had little in common for a very long time and now are plagued by the same curse. The opening credits create the mood for the story and the rest of the film--blood red words against a shadowy, almost black and white forest of leafless trees. From that forest to estate near Blackmoor to the village itself, each location creates an eerie feeling. This is a dark film with quite a bit of gore, but not any more than what I expected given this is a werewolf film. I was quite pleased to see there was not an overload of CGI work, and the effects and transformation seemed to be largely the product of prosthesis. The setwork, pieces, and costumes all work well to convey the feeling of Victorian England. It is a just retelling of the story.
4 of 5 stars
DIRECTED BY: Joe Johnston
In the depths of my memories of high school and college, I recall learning about Gothic style; the standard elements that function together to create the mood. If the past and present could be mixed together, the examples for Gothic style would have to include this movie.
It was not a super film, but it was good. Benicio Del Toro (Lawrence Talbot) and Anthony Hopkins (Sir John Talbot) are excellent as a son and father (respectively) who have clearly had little in common for a very long time and now are plagued by the same curse. The opening credits create the mood for the story and the rest of the film--blood red words against a shadowy, almost black and white forest of leafless trees. From that forest to estate near Blackmoor to the village itself, each location creates an eerie feeling. This is a dark film with quite a bit of gore, but not any more than what I expected given this is a werewolf film. I was quite pleased to see there was not an overload of CGI work, and the effects and transformation seemed to be largely the product of prosthesis. The setwork, pieces, and costumes all work well to convey the feeling of Victorian England. It is a just retelling of the story.
4 of 5 stars
They did a bad, bad thing...
So, admitedly, I am a subscriber of Netflix. Have been for about 5 years now. When you live in a place where it is almost impossible to get TV (though that is changed now), and the closest movie theater is about 30 miles away, a service where dvds come to you is a great thing.
However, changing what works is not. Netflix is notorious for doing this. They have made it harder and harder to be part of a "community." Granted, I can just pick the movies that I like, put them in the queue and wait for them to come, this is not all I want to do. I am one that tends to forget things unless they are written down right in front of me. Lists are one of the features that makes Netflix great. Or were. Yep, they "updated" the movie pages, so that you can no longer add a movie directly from the page, but have to go to the list and make sure that you haven't already put it on there, and then add it in. This increases the chance that you will add the wrong movie of the same or a similar title to the list. They have also made it more difficult to look at what your friends are doing, watching, recommending, etc. You have to search out the "Friends" link, which is now buried at the bottom of the page. This is so they can make "instant viewing" more accessible. Some of us have "high-speed dial up" and can't use that feature anyway, so I don't care to see anything about it on the main page.
The need to fix something that isn't broken, doesn't make sense to me. So, since they have done this, lists of movies may potentially wind up here from time to time. Just a warning...
It will also be beneficial, as if it is too far out, it is not listed on Netflix at all, so it will be a way to keep track of the movies that are still in planning or production.
However, changing what works is not. Netflix is notorious for doing this. They have made it harder and harder to be part of a "community." Granted, I can just pick the movies that I like, put them in the queue and wait for them to come, this is not all I want to do. I am one that tends to forget things unless they are written down right in front of me. Lists are one of the features that makes Netflix great. Or were. Yep, they "updated" the movie pages, so that you can no longer add a movie directly from the page, but have to go to the list and make sure that you haven't already put it on there, and then add it in. This increases the chance that you will add the wrong movie of the same or a similar title to the list. They have also made it more difficult to look at what your friends are doing, watching, recommending, etc. You have to search out the "Friends" link, which is now buried at the bottom of the page. This is so they can make "instant viewing" more accessible. Some of us have "high-speed dial up" and can't use that feature anyway, so I don't care to see anything about it on the main page.
The need to fix something that isn't broken, doesn't make sense to me. So, since they have done this, lists of movies may potentially wind up here from time to time. Just a warning...
It will also be beneficial, as if it is too far out, it is not listed on Netflix at all, so it will be a way to keep track of the movies that are still in planning or production.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
PBR loves JB
I must admit I am a bit behind on actually watching the PBR, but thankfully DVR is letting me keep up with them when I get the chance. That being said, I do check on the website fairly regularly in the hopes that someone has climbed to the top of the leader board ahead of JB Mauney. Looking at the website and the comments, I can tell I am not the only one that feels this way.
Bull riders can be cocky--I get that, I do. I have known some personally. And they need to have that formula of confidence, attitude, and perseverance. Getting on the back of a huge beast that just wants you off and don't care how, you have to have some kind of gumption. Confidence is a great thing. Arrogance is not. Throwing a temper tantrum when you don't ride or get called for a slap or don't get the ride you thought you should is very immature. So is being in it for the money. Mauney RARELY misses the opportunity to talk about money in an interview during a PBR event. We get it JB, you're greedy. Great.
But he has stayed up at the top, so he must be great right? Nope, unfortunately there is another formula involved and JB has got it figured out. The PBR has instituted a draft, where there used to be a draw. As long as a person is high enough on the leader board at the end of a round, they have the opportunity to pick a bull sooner in the draft. If you are towards the end of the round, the judges can look at who is ahead of you and score you or the bull just high enough to get above that other person. That means that you can be a judge's favorite, have a crappy ride, and still come out on top of the leader board. Call it a conspiracy theory if you want, but as sloppy as JB rides, and as many times as he "slaps" a bull (usually an instant disqualification), and he is still ahead on the leader board? The cow **** isn't the only thing that stinks at the PBR. He has also figured out what bull he can ride. And that would be "Troubador." As of January 17, Mauney has ridden the bull 5 times. Picking a bull you know you can ride when you are at the top of the draft doesn't indicate greatness, it indicates laziness. Stock contractor Don Kish even went so far as to call JB a coward for not picking his bull "Necessary Evil." In January JB literally hung on to the side of the bull "Code Blue" and was given a score of 76.25, yes given. Anyone else would have gotten DQd. But by golly, since it was JB, HE RODE!
Just as JB loves to talk about the money, even stating something to the effect of "won a butt load" in an interview, he doesn't often say a lot about the bulls. Unless of course they help him to win. In an event last year, he even blamed the bull (and its "floppy horn")for his slap and disqualification. To me, a great bull rider talks about the bull, win or loose, as a number of other bull riders do. They also take the opportunity to get on different ones, not the same "moneymaker" over and over again.
Unfortunately, JB will likely win the 2010 World Championship. It won't be singularly by his own accord, but with the "help" of others. Not that we haven't seen that before in the PBR as well.
Bull riders can be cocky--I get that, I do. I have known some personally. And they need to have that formula of confidence, attitude, and perseverance. Getting on the back of a huge beast that just wants you off and don't care how, you have to have some kind of gumption. Confidence is a great thing. Arrogance is not. Throwing a temper tantrum when you don't ride or get called for a slap or don't get the ride you thought you should is very immature. So is being in it for the money. Mauney RARELY misses the opportunity to talk about money in an interview during a PBR event. We get it JB, you're greedy. Great.
But he has stayed up at the top, so he must be great right? Nope, unfortunately there is another formula involved and JB has got it figured out. The PBR has instituted a draft, where there used to be a draw. As long as a person is high enough on the leader board at the end of a round, they have the opportunity to pick a bull sooner in the draft. If you are towards the end of the round, the judges can look at who is ahead of you and score you or the bull just high enough to get above that other person. That means that you can be a judge's favorite, have a crappy ride, and still come out on top of the leader board. Call it a conspiracy theory if you want, but as sloppy as JB rides, and as many times as he "slaps" a bull (usually an instant disqualification), and he is still ahead on the leader board? The cow **** isn't the only thing that stinks at the PBR. He has also figured out what bull he can ride. And that would be "Troubador." As of January 17, Mauney has ridden the bull 5 times. Picking a bull you know you can ride when you are at the top of the draft doesn't indicate greatness, it indicates laziness. Stock contractor Don Kish even went so far as to call JB a coward for not picking his bull "Necessary Evil." In January JB literally hung on to the side of the bull "Code Blue" and was given a score of 76.25, yes given. Anyone else would have gotten DQd. But by golly, since it was JB, HE RODE!
Just as JB loves to talk about the money, even stating something to the effect of "won a butt load" in an interview, he doesn't often say a lot about the bulls. Unless of course they help him to win. In an event last year, he even blamed the bull (and its "floppy horn")for his slap and disqualification. To me, a great bull rider talks about the bull, win or loose, as a number of other bull riders do. They also take the opportunity to get on different ones, not the same "moneymaker" over and over again.
Unfortunately, JB will likely win the 2010 World Championship. It won't be singularly by his own accord, but with the "help" of others. Not that we haven't seen that before in the PBR as well.
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