Film Reviews That Ate Paris

It's Surprisingly...Not Bad

2009-12-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

First Xmas movie of the season: It's Complicated. Although I cannot stand how director Nancy Meyers does romcoms, Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin can DO NO WRONG. Seriously. They just can't. It drags a bit, but overall - not bad!

On the docket:

Up in the Air
Nine
Sherlock Holmes

As you were. And best wishes to Anne as she recovers!

-L

Burn Before Ending

2009-12-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it: violence not my thing. Even though A History of Violence is one of my favorite films of the last ten years. Anyway, I watched almost all of the Coen Bros Burn After Reading (I think) today, until I couldn't. Call me a wimp, but I just can't enjoyably watch someone hacked to death with an axe. Just not my D, man.

Oh, and is it ax or...axe?

Not a Zombie - Just Awakened From a Deep Slumber.....

2009-12-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hey~since 2006, a lot has changed. Google and Facebook have taken over the world, I've become a Penniless Student, while Eric has become a Corporate Lord. One thing remains: we still love the movies. We're back, dear readers, more insightful than before.

Okay. well. We're back.

I just finished watching last year's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Not bad, although I wonder how so many high school kids can run around Manhattan getting into so many clubs. Michael Cera's Arrested Development schtick is on the verge - over the verge - of getting old, but he still pulls off smart and witty pretty well.

Gotta run. More movies soon, I hope. Eric..? Your turn!

It's been awhile...

2006-04-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

...and who knows whatever became of Eric? Perhaps he's stuck in a movie theater somewhere.

Damn, it's hard to type with NPR in background, and Shrubbie mispronouncing 'nuclear.' I've noticed a lot of right-wing radio nuts calling them 'nukes' lately, and I'm convinced it's because they don't want to make their ignoramus-in-chief look bad. Just a theory.

Anyway, here goes:

V for Vendetta: Intriguing, ultimately leaves one cold. Builds up the drama, drops us. However, Natalie Portman is so beautiful. I think she is the US equiv of Juliette Binoche.

Weatherman: Eric was right! Really thought-provoking, entertaining, existential. I say existential like it's a good thing.

Lord of War: While on a Nic Cage jag, saw this. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

Inside Man: Enjoyed it. Love Spike Lee's eye. No, I don't know his eye. I have also officially given myself over to S's Clive Owen adoration.

Brick: Just saw it. I found it overrated, and worse, not that fun to watch. I wanted to have fun. I did not. It was ohhhh-kay. Not great or nothin'.

The Pillowman: At the ACT Theater until 16 April. Amazing, horrifying. I laughed, I was sick to my stomach. Mortifying time had by all. You should, seriously, see it. But the tix were expensive. But mine was free.

-Until the next time,
L

What tha....?

2006-03-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Crash? Get out. Simplistic self-congratulatory tripe. Proves, once again, that the Academy Awards are stoopid. And bland. And dull. Did I mention dull? Jon Stewart, where was the Bush-bashing? I had such high hopes for ye.

Of course, I watched the entire broadcast, but it was because I was waiting. For something. To happen.

-Irritatatedly,
Lori

If I'd seen it last year....

2006-02-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

Junebugwould have made it into my favorite film list of 2005. Just stayed up, way too late, watching it on DVD.

It is a small, true, brilliant film, and you have to have to have to see it.

Perfection.

-L

What you need to rent.

2006-02-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

The Best of Youth. Just out on DVD.

This is not a joke. Yes, it is 400 minutes long. What of it? You have something better to do?

I am serious. Don't even try to talk to me until you've seen it, people. It is lovely, and one of my three favorite films of 2005.

-Lori

Eric is Lame. So am I.

2006-02-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

Many of you are probably bitter and downright sad that neither Eric nor I am maintaining things very well, at least on this blog. There is a reason for MY absence--I have been in Anarctica for the past several weeks, on a junket for the film Eight Below. There was a terrific storm, and we couldn't get out for days, and also lost Internet connection. The dogs were lovely, and though one or two die in the film, they are fine in Real Life. I have fur all over my clothes to prove it.

So. That's why I haven't posted. Don't know what ERIC's lame excuse will be.

I did see the film Cache this past Friday night, after I arrived at SeaTac Airport after returning from the Frozen South. Really intriguing film. If you see it, make sure you notice what is going on in the last frame. If you don't, you'll miss something important. Not that it will resolve any questions. It will just raise more. On second thought, don't pay attention to the last frame. It will just confuse you, and life is confusing enough, yes?

Okay, well, I'd better go tend to this frostbite.

-Lori

Match Point. Wow.

2006-01-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Eric and I went to Woody Allen's Match Point last week. Looking forward to his analysis, and I'd like to do one of my own in a day or so. But in the meantime, a mini-review...old story, beautfully done. The work of a master director. Every frame is so well-crafted, and much more visual than I've seen in his movies before. Not a film one wants to cuddle up to, but it is definitely a five star out of five experience. See it, and let go of the Soon Yi thing, people. He's brilliant, Woody is.

Like Watching Flowers Grow

2006-01-22T01:55:00.000-08:00

As John Wooden said, "Don't mistake activity for accomplishment." Broken Flowers might be a good example of this.

I've often thought my life would be rather boring were it put on film. Lots of scenes of me watching TV and commuting in my car, maybe making a sandwich or sitting around hating myself for not doing something. My point is that these are not the best things to put to film, at least not without a lot of context.

Broken Flowers slightly resembles High Fidelity, but it deals with a much older man who revisits past flames in search of a typewriter, rather than a younger neurotic who revisits old flames in search of what it means to love.

But where High Fidelity has an engaging soundtrack, with lively characters and dialogue and plenty of self-reflection, Broken Flowers does not. The third act in BF does bring some vitality (a punch in the face and a foot chase with his possible son) but too little too late. The humor was too thin, and the emotional connections between the characters felt synthetic.

Bill Murray was born for this sort of performance. There are similarities to his Lost In Translation character -- a wise and formerly successful businessman ruminating about what was and what could have been -- but we've seen this before, with a more engaging plot. Yes, Mr. Murray plays subtle superbly, but Broken Flowers is too subtle for its own good, as it meanders with little clarity as to where it's going or even where it's been. Maybe that was the point?

This could all be forgiven if the journey had a beat we could dance to, but it's severely lacking, humming its own one-note song. Murray says in the movie: "The past is gone, the future isn't here yet - whatever it's going to be. So all there is, is this. The present." True, but give us something to chew on while we're waiting for the future to arrive, other than scenes of driving around in a car.

I give it 2 *'s out of 4. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood to see this? Perhaps Lori was right to have fallen asleep while watching it? I certainly wish I had.

Busted Flowers

2006-01-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Had a chance to watch Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers on the small screen this weekend. Yeah, it's good. But don't watch it if you want everything spelled out for you. It's about life and stuff like that, you know, things that don't get answered or make sense. For example, many people have said to me, "Bill Murray as a Don Juan type, what gives?" Well, okay, but that's not really the issue. The film doesn't have a plot that neatly resolves. It's more about realizing what we've let go, where we're going, blah, blah. I know--I wouldn't watch it either based on what I just wrote.

But it's an endearing picture, and how can you beat the likes of Tilda Swinton (almost unrecognizable), Frances Conroy (could be unrecognizable but best-known to us riff-raff as the mom on Six Feet Under, and the only actor to whom I've ever written a fan letter), Sharon Stone (almost unrecognizable because she gives an unselfconscious performance), Chloe Sevigny (almost unrecognizable behind some glasses from which she gives Murray these sidelong glances that made me laugh out loud, although of the two of us in the room, I was the only one who thought she was hysterically funny), and Jessica Lange (almost unrecognizable because she has a HIDEOUS and SO DISAPPOINTING facelift)? A really dog-rocking soundtrack, and some other good supporting performances, and you've got a pretty decent way to spend your time. I admit that I fell asleep during the last five minutes and had to zip back a few scenes. But it was warm, the room was dark...these things happen.

An episode of bad behavior: At today's staff meeting, a perfectly lovely and delightful co-worker announced that she had seen The Constant Gardner, and that it was the best film she had seen in years. From the far end of the table, I said, "Really? I didn't like it at all." Was that necessary? No! I am a bad person. Compound that with the fact that immediately after that an announcement was made that there would be a brown-bag (why do I detest that term? I guess because it sounds chintzy and dull) lunch with the staff on my birthday to honor me, and I told them that I did not want to eat lunch with them on my birthday.

What kind of person says these boorish things?

Help me.

Head hanging down,
Lori

Two movies to avoid.

2006-01-02T23:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend, in a fit of lightheartedness, I rented Must Love Dogs, starring the always-stunning Diane Lane and the frequently charming John Cusack. Argh. It was truly awful, and bland enough so that it wasn't bad enough to be like watching a train wreck, but rather like reading a train schedule. No chemistry between Cusack and Lane, the dogs were props at best, and even the ever-wonderful Stockard Channing couldn't pull this one out of the pound.

At the big show (that means the movie theater, yeah), C and I watched The Family Stone (how horrid is that title, for starters?), starring a mostly grand cast shoehorned into a trivial, formulaic script. A mostly grand cast that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson, Claire Danes, the adorable, sorry I can't help it, Luke Wilson, and Diane Keaton was okay, but she was no Annie Hall. So, I left Dermot Mulroney out of the mostly grand cast recitation. Why is that, you ask? Well, he can't act. I've never seen his range of expression go from even a capital A to a lower-case a, much less A to B (apologies, Kate Hepburn). Why, why is he the lead in any film? Sure, he has a kind of sexy scar on his lip, but people, that is NOT ENOUGH.

So, the story uses one of the cheapest angles of all--the dying-grumpy-but-lovable-matriarch--to get the audience sniffling. Wait--that wasn't the cheapest angle of all--it was the montage of meaningful shots of each family member interspersed with a cut from Meet Me in St. Louis where the ever-gut-wrenching Judy Garland sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. C'mon. THAT is cheap. And of course Dermot immediately falls in love with someone he barely knows, and other characters come together at the end because god forbid all romantic loose ends not be tied up in the most boring and predictable formula as usual, and we wonder why, spoon-fed on this tripe (Must Love Dogs, you are not off the hook on this one, so listen up), none of us can sustain romances for more than six months to a year, look at the divorce rate, and that's not even counting those of us who aren't allowed to marry because I guess we would make marriage too unstable--rant!

And why is it in movies lately that it is the women who have to suffer clumsy humiliating falls, anyway? Beautiful Claire Danes must literally fall on her face, Sarah Jessica falls and drops the meal she has spent hours preparing, crashes a car, because of course she would, she is a control-freak woman who must experience her comeuppance (is that how you spell that?) and be humiliated in other ways, and all of the men are of course patient and long-suffering. Same with Dogs, which includes Diane Lane making a complete fool of herself, jumping in a canal and swimming like a desperate pathetic single divorced woman after John Cusack, who patiently hauls her up into his boat, which he built himself, because he is grounded and wise.

Blecch. I'd better stop before I start to sound like a curmudgeon.

-Lori

ps: I almost forgot--Dermot shows up in Must Love Dogs as well...except he wears glasses! Could this be a fascinating turn in his career?

Freak out.

2005-12-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

Just ruffling through a random copy of Entertainment Magazine, got to the section where some reviewer named Lisa mentions her top movies of the year, and guess what her first three are?

History of Violence
Brokeback Mountain
The Best of Youth

I am so. Freaking. Out.

-Lori

Eric, I don't know even know where to begin. Do you realize, my non-40-year-old non-virginal friend, the ribbing you have set yourself up for? Good thing nobody reads this blog.

The Best (Dysfunctional) Movies of 2005

2005-12-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

I love a good challenge, and this is my answer to Lori's call. While not the best movies of 2005, here are three of the best:

The Weather Man
40 Year Old Virgin
Shopgirl

The Weather Man

Well, not much to say here, just read my review. I really love seeing Nicolas Cage play the straining, self-restrained role he's born to play. And I can relate.

40 Year Old Virgin

Again, I really related to the character in this movie. No, I'm not 40. And no, I'm not a virgin, but I've shared in a couple of his hobbies and frustrations. This is a There's Something About Mary -type of movie, and in that sense it's very well done. Sweet, funny, perverse.

Shopgirl

Wow - this is a Top 5 movie for me, and it caught me completely by surprise. In fact, I had gone to the theatre to watch a different movie, but due to being overcharged for a ticket and the subsequent delay in waiting for my refund, Shopgirl was the only movie left to see. I really can't wait to see it again.

In a nutshell, this movie is a romantic version of Lost In Translation, with a dash of L.A. Story thrown in. If someone had described Shopgirl like this, then I would have purposefully seen this movie, as these are fairly realistic romantic comedies depicting the fun and despair of May-December relationships.

Steve Martin is playing subdued, as he does in The Spanish Prisoner, and he's quite effective as the emotionally unavailable savior. I found Claire Danes to be nothing short of a revelation here, a performance I didn't know she was able to give. Jason Schwartzman plays the oddball he normally plays, and though it was the weakest part of the story, I think he brought some much needed comic relief.

Sooo... These are a few of my favorite things. There are some movies I'd like to add to this list, and there are even more I've missed that could probably be on it. Hmmm... there are 5 days left in the year!
-Eric

Best Films of 2005 and a Challenge to Eric.

2005-12-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

This is a warning shot over the bow--a list of the Best Movies of 2005 According to Me, based on what I've actually seen, is coming soon. First I have to remember what I saw, and that's where this gets tricky. For starters I'll name three, and reveal why later: A History of Violence, Brokeback Mountain, and The Best of Youth.

-Lori

Oh, yeah. The challenge is to list his favorites, of course.

Brokeback Mountain

2005-12-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

I saw it Friday night. It is truly beautiful, layered, heartbreaking. You must see it.

-Lori

On DVD: Woody's latest

2005-12-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

So, this morning as I'm drinking my usual latte and oj, I decide to quickly watch this DVD I rented last night, pretty sure it wouldn't interfere with my duty to take Ando out for a walk, since it got such generally terrible reviews, it would be a cinch to put it on pause and go about the tasks and activities I had assigned myself for today, which, being generally single, I find weekends tough if I haven't planned them out, but enough about that, that's between me and my non-existent therapist, so, anyway, I push 'play' and start to watch Melinda and Melinda, and guess what, I get engrossed in it, enough to ignore Andy's baleful looks for 100 minutes.

And after it's over, and I've gotten bit in the shin several times by the graying canine for not paying attention to him, I go to MRQE and read Roger Ebert's review, and sure, he likes pretty much anything these days, but he likes it too, and he asks the same question I'd already asked myself, which is, "If this had been done by someone NOT Woody Allen, it would have gotten much better reviews." And it's true. I thought it was light, fun, well-acted, and although it will not change my life, I really enjoyed it.

It's worth a rent--witty dialogue, and it sure makes me wish I lived in Manhattan and attended lots of dinner parties all the time. So, I say, if you like Woody, give it a shot. He's not in it, except as channeled by Will Ferrell, and it's not his best, but sure ain't his worse.

-L

Pride and Pig Testicles

2005-12-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

Hmm. I was there with Eric in the theater watching Pride/Pred, and he seemed to take the pig in stride. At least at the time.

I liked it (the film, not the pig, well the pig was fine, but really had such a small walk-on role it was difficult to get attached to him, although I know there are no small parts-just small actors, he did his best, I imagine, maybe he'll get a shot at a role if they do another sequel to Babe), except that I'm getting tired of constant remakes of that particular Austen novel. A few things about this version stand out to me:

1. The depiction of the extremes of the wealth of Darcy and the not-so-much of Elizabeth's family. I don't know if Austen wrote this scene or not, but toward the end of the film Elizabeth wanders around Darcy's house when she passes by with her aunt and uncle and they pay a visit--seeing the mansion he lived in made me realize completely why he might have had doubts about the suitability of Elizabeth's family in the world of Darcy and his ilk. Brenda Blethyn plays Elizabeth's mother, and as you might well imagine, she is annoying as hell. I was horrified to think of Brenda and her daughters giggling and screeching around Darcy's. Horrified, I tell you, and I knew it was only a movie. So I finally understood why Darcy was a mite...standoffish.

2. That actor who plays Darcy...woola. Not only was he smolderingly attractive by the end of the film (maybe I need to get out more), but he was coldly unattractive at the beginning. No, really. He was. I asked myself, seeing him in the opening scenes, how I was ever going to like him and want to see him with Elizabeth. I don't know what he did, but whatever he did, he did it well. I didn't care that much if he was with Elizabeth at the end, but he coulda done a Purple Rose of Cairo at my screening and maybe we could have at least gone out for a drink. Oh, wait. He was born three years before I graduated from high school.

3. Not so crazy about Keira Knightly in this film. Too flightly, and she has really small teeth, and I never noticed that before, and it bugged me. Before you call me superficial, get your own blog.

4. Donald Sutherland: yikes. He plays the longsuffering husband of Brenda and father of Elizabeth and the rest of the gaggle. But please, does he actually ever really act? All I seem to see him do is laugh that predictable laugh of his and raise his eyebrows. He was the weakest link in the film.

So, that's my take. I want to write about the other movies I saw this November, but for now I must go and savor the lastest episode of did I mention the best show on television Veronica Mars? Ah, I thought not.

Until next time, a shout-out to the little border collie wanna-be: La-la-lah!!!!
-Lori

Blog Kong

2005-12-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

What we've got here is... failure to communicate.

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. Wish I could say that I've been too busy living life to be watching movies, but that wouldn't be living life now, would it? I've seen many, and enjoyed most.

As I type, I'm watching one of my favorite Oliver Stone movies, Talk Radio. It's considered an Independent, but it's more polished than most, considering it was made in 1988. The movie is about a talk radio personality, shot mostly in a radio studio during a broadcast. It stars Eric Bogosian, who co-wrote the script, loosely based on Alan Berg, an outspoken radio host who was gunned down by white supremacists, and similar to a Tom Leykis style of presentation. It's verbally combative and over the top, but very engaging. Recommended if you're a fan of talk radio and character studies.

Last night I saw King Kong, the 1933 original starring Fay Wray. I had never seen it, but was quite impressed. My grandma saw it during its original release, when she was only 11 years old and remembers it quite clearly. Kong is quite dated, but not as much as a 72 year old movie should be. The special FX are laughable in some scenes, but always entertaining, even believable in some respects and still packing an emotional punch. This is a movie all film enthusiasts should see -- especially if one is planning on seeing the new Kong coming out in 2 weeks, like myself.

Before blogging off, I must say I recommend seeing 2005's Pride and Prejudice, especially if you're a fan of Jane Austen's work. While it's quite good, it's not my favorite P&P -- 1995's miniseries is a superior version, which is about twice as long as this new one, allowing the full story to unfold. There are characters that get shorted this time around, but this 2005 version ultimately holds its own.

Halfway through the first act, I didn't think I was going to like P&P for 2 reasons: Giggling girls and pig testicles.

The director, Joe Wright, must have been going for a cheap laugh in the early scenes because there was a very blatant quick-shot (almost a double-take) of a large pig's testicles as its lead through the front door. If you ask me, it was completely out of place, drawing me out of the picture. I probably would have forgiven this bizarre shot more quickly, but I'm fairly certain that Jane Austen does not refer to them in her book.

The second thing that slightly bothered me were the annoying giggles of the young Bennet girls. This was probably done intentionally as to accentuate the crude behavior of which is so objectionable to the upper class. The 1995 version was a more refined version, and the casting was much older. The actual age of the Bennet girls in Austen's novel are more on scale with the actors cast in this new P&P, but again it was done for forgivable reasons, though I still found it somewhat bothersome.

As for the lead characters, I liked the ultra-stoic portrayal of Mr. Darcy, but he was too sober at times. Again, I'm used to the 1995 Mr. Darcy, and also found that version to have much better chemistry between Darcy and Lizzie. Which brings me to Keira Knightley's role: I like Keira -- she's a good actress, however, I don't entirely buy her as the well-grounded Elizabeth Bennet. She was a bit too 'girlish' for my tastes.

Wow - reading back over this, it seems I didn't like this Pride and Prejudice much? I don't mean to come across that way because I did really enjoy this movie, and would like to see it again. The cinematography was beautiful, and the overall acting was rewarding. The writers did an excellent job cutting down the material into a bite size morsel, while keeping the flavor entirely Jane Austen.

Coming Soon: John Cash v. Harold Potter v. Mr. Darcy

2005-11-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

Who will win in this battle of the three most recent movies I've seen? You might be surprised to find out.

More tomorrow, my blog-reading friends.

-Lori

Best Television Show You Can See

2005-11-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

Going to review some movies in the next few days: The Squid and the Whale, and WalMart: The High Cost of Low Price. But I've been too preoccupied to write. Instead I've been holed up in my apartment, watching Season One of the UPN series Veronica Mars on DVD.

Here's the early return about VM: no show can touch it. It is that good.

Watch it. Get the DVDs and watch it. I command you.

More later, but you'll be busy for a while now anyway, watching Veronica Mars.

Right?

Fervently,
Lori

Don't Forget the Tartar Sauce

2005-11-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, it looks like I beat Lori to the punch on The Weather Man. It's a must-see for voyeurs of the dysfunctional:

The title of this movie is part of its magic. Dave is a Weather Man, not just a Weatherman. Here's a guy who feels he is at the mercy of the winds, aimlessly blown about and emotionally befuddled by the life he's in.

Because of the nature of their jobs, weathermen are often full of shit, and as one character points out, people can sense that. Here's someone presenting information that's equal parts style and substance, when all you really want is the substance. They pretend it's a science (it's more art) when they're flat-out wrong 50% of the time.

In fairness to the trade, it is a difficult thing to predict. As the saying goes: If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. If you want to know what the weather is like, just take a look outside.

But what's the weather like inside? The Weather Man knows.

The heart of the movie is Dave's struggle to let go of his past and finally grow up. He's self absorbed - but not in a narcissistic sense - to the detriment of those he loves. Dave isn't sure how to relate to his broken family, especially with his father, who is underplayed brilliantly by Michael Caine. All Dave wants is respect and happiness, but he tries to hard for perfection when all he needs is to settle for good enough.

I've seen 2 other movies (The Ring and Pirates of the Caribbean) by the director, Gore Verbinski, both of which I was reluctant to see, but was happy I did. Now I can't wait to see some more.

The barometer of a great movie is not only the mood it leaves me in, but how many memorable lines and scenes I can recall. There are many here that ring true, and it's also rife with symbolism; drive-by fast foodings, camel toes, and the art of target shooting. The subtle delivery is what keeps this all together, along with the performance of Nicolas Cage, who's at his best when playing the quietly desperate, trying futilely to overcome his reality.

My favorite fictional weatherman is Phil Connors, the shallow malcontent in Groundhog Day. Some find that movie tedious and repetitive, but that was part of the point of the plot, which was ultimately about Phil's emotional resurrection. Groundhog played well as a comedy, while The Weather Man is much more of a dramedy, but there are parallels between Bill Murray's weatherman and Mr. Cage's.

Someday, The Weather Man will sit on my shelf alongside American Beauty and Magnolia as one of the great depressing - but somehow uplifting - movies in recent film history. TWM is similar in dourness to Magnolia in that it stews and flounders around in the pathetic-ness of life's circumstanses, but its story line is also similar to American Beauty's depiction of suburbia's family struggles.

The Weather Man is not a masterpiece like American Beauty (though they share a similar soundtrack) because it wanders off course here and there. But the tone and delivery stay consistent, and eventually its characters do find the promise of bluer skies ahead.

Nine (yawn) Lives

2005-10-30T23:46:00.000-08:00

Just saw an indie film, Nine Lives, with C at the Harvard Exit. We both wish we'd gone with our original inclinations and seen The Weatherman instead. Nine Lives was fine, if you're into watching actor's workshops. The performances were fine--Robin Wright Penn and Kathy Baker especially stood out. But the nine lives intersect loosely at best, and appear to really be going nowhere. Which is what you'll be doing if you go see this film. Don't spend a precious two hours of your one life to see this puppy. Go hang out with a real puppy instead, or do what C and I did, which was go to my apartment and watch back-to-back episodes of Season Two of The L Word.

Impatiently--because sometimes ponderous moviemakers who expect an audience to join with the characters on the screen because after all, this is an independent film, and you're just downright shallow if you expect a plot--just make me feel that way,
-Lori

Crazy like a Zorro

2005-10-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Someone needs to take the blog away from Lori, or she's going to break it! Wow, lots of great stuff to chew on there. Yes, Capote is high on my list, at least as high as a movie can rank about a guy like Capote.

I've been meaning to blog more, but life has gotten away from me. Since my last (and first?) review, I've seen several films that I've been mulling over. Mostly from Netflix -- and I must say it's nice to be reminded every blue moon how great Netflix can be. Especially since it costs 20 bones a month. Last night I journeyed into Hollywood Video to look for a specific movie, and was greeted by a single employee waiting on a gazillion customers. I walked out with nothing after 25 minutes and noticed there were a couple customers who were in line when I arrived, still waiting. God bless the world wide web.

Each month I head over to AintItCool.com and read Harry Knowles' list of newly released DVD's in order to bolster my Netflix queue. This month Harry pointed out there's a brand spanking new DVD for The Mask of Zorro, the 1940's classic which I've never seen. It was also mentioned that Zorro means 'fox' in Spanish, which is a little disappointing to me -- I always thought it was just a cool made-up word. With that said, it's widely accepted this 1940's version is the coolest version of Zorro ever put on the silver screen. Apparently the sound has been remixed in 5 channels, and they've colorized the thing. If you're a purist who thinks the age of Black and White shouldn't be messed with, I would be inclined to agree for the most part.

In fact, my favorite theatre is now Central Cinema, one of those
restaurant/theatres that project DVD movies, including those from the Black and White era that I'm cluelessly unfamiliar with. Lori and I first saw All About Eve there last month (hey, wasn't I supposed to review that?), and more recently we saw His Girl Friday. I haven't seen many Cary Grant films -- To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest are 2 that come to mind, but those were shot in color and cannot be seen in black and white, unless you're watching it on 20th century technology.

I had not thought I'd seen any Bette Davis movies in any format until I checked with IMDB, and remembered seeing her in The Watcher in the Woods (which would be a great Halloween rental this weekend) and Death on the Nile, one of my favorite movies, if only because I saw it as a kid. I wonder if Bette Davis would have made it in the Hollywood of today where style wins out over substance?

I've been rambling here, and for no apparent reason. Oh, wait -- yes, The Mask of Zorro... in color! Some may not think that's a good idea, but it's been colorized in a completely different fashion than the "Turner Classic Movies" of the 1980's, which would be more accurately described as "pinkterized" with the odd skin tones. No, from what I've heard, the job is much more palatable. I'm excited to see it, but Netflix isn't carrying it at the moment. Maybe Central Cinema will come to the rescue?

OK, I haven't really reviewed much, but I'm finally commenting on All About Eve which I thought was terrific. It's fascinating that it still holds the record (14, with Titanic) for the most Academy Award Nominations. I loved the characters, especially Eve's, because I've met a couple people like her in the office place. The acting was surprisingly captivating, more so than I thought it would be. I was expecting more "over the top" acting, the kind spoofed in Airplane. Melodrama is fairly entertaining, but probably the most irritating aspect of older films like All About Eve is the instrumental music that gets cranked up to deafening levels as the movie begins and draws to a close. But as unnerving as the soundtrack can be, some of the "old school" shots in which crude blue-screen technology is used to add background activity are quite funny, in an unintentional way. It really is worth a look if you're into film history.

In closing, I will add a bit of a rebuttal to Lori's posting on Assault on Precinct 13. Lori likes Ethan Hawke, but I'm really not much of a fan. There's something off-putting about his acting style -- for some reason I just don't "buy" him. I think it's his mouth and lips, as crazy as that sounds. And he sure doesn't have Viggo Mortensen's eyes. However, I'm in agreement that Before Sunset was one of the top 5 movies of last year. I'm happy Lori wanted to see A History of Violence, but I knew that AoP13 is no Film, but more of a 'Die Hard' movie that flaunts killing for purely entertainment purposes. But considering the type of genre, I gave it a passing grade because it worked for me within those parameters. Yeah, I saw some of the "mole" plot twists coming, but the ensemble cast kept me on my toes enough not to get annoyed with the stereotypes. There's really nothing you haven't seen here before.

This is Eric, logging off. I'm eager to see my newest Netflix arrivals: The Thin Blue Line, Inside Deep Throat, and Me and You and Everyone We Know.

Capote. You must see it.

2005-10-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Brilliant in every way possible.

-Lori