tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388911422024-10-24T15:27:21.837-06:00A Blog in which I attempt to talk about a different film every single day for a year. (Made it six months, bummer. But the title stays...)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-63984137152759179352008-09-03T19:35:00.004-06:002008-09-03T22:15:14.858-06:00

Seen: Sept. 3rd, 2008Format: TheaterRating: 4I wasn't quite sure what to make of this film. I figured the best thing to do was go check it out.I'd waited long enough and went in the middle of a weekday, so I had the theater all to myself. Usually this is a very good thing, as I can watch the film in peace instead of dealing with talking, cell phones and the snorting and grunting of the masses as

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-17067033167221146472008-09-02T13:10:00.004-06:002008-09-02T13:44:14.772-06:00

Seen: September 2nd, 2008Format: TheaterRating: 7I'm a Pixar fan. Who isn't? I've gladly paid to see each of their films in release, some multiple times.But this is one that I vacillated over. Not because of the subject matter; to be frank I wasn't very informed as far as plot went. I hesitated simply because I found Ratatouille such a grave disappointment.While I'm not here to review that film,

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-35565650124264902172008-08-14T17:57:00.001-06:002008-08-14T17:57:00.520-06:00

Seen: August 12th, 2008Format: TheaterRating: 7There are two sorts of people in the world: those who want to see this film and those who don't. Of those who do, there is a further bifurcation; those who will admit it and those who won't.I wanted to see this film.The appeal is simply visceral.Angelina Jolie: I just like looking at her. The fact she can act is a bonus. Mo like James McAvoy, so

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-83999257903740341702008-08-13T17:26:00.003-06:002008-08-13T17:57:42.526-06:00

Seen: August 12th, 2008Format: DVDRating: 7I once dated this girl who recommended reading Neil Gaiman. I haven't gotten around to any of his books, but saw this and figured I'd give it shot.It was weird too.That's not an entirely bad thing. Nothing's much worse than sitting through two hours of knowing exactly what will happen next. This is definitely not that. Sure, there are certain conventions

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-79298018968449170742008-08-02T17:40:00.001-06:002008-08-02T17:40:00.590-06:00

Seen: July 6th, 2008Format: DVDRating: 6Wow. Where to start?Let's get this out of the way: I'm a serious romantic.And I mean with the big R. Honor, self-sacrifice, nobility, grand and all-consuming love, poetry, passion, intensity or purpose and desire., the whole nine yards. I may not show it much, as it's not so useful a trait in contemporary society, but it's all there simmering under the

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-22287290239784164762008-08-01T17:10:00.004-06:002008-08-01T17:39:56.708-06:00

Seen: July 2008Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)Rating: 5This little number came up one evening, had a bunch of stars, and so I thought to myself, "heck, way not?", set the DVR and went to bed.At least going to bed was the right decision.This film is chock-a-block with stars. It's a regular who's who of beautiful people from the period and the previous period. There is some heavy duty

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-4667232479854228352008-07-22T08:22:00.000-06:002008-07-22T08:22:00.234-06:00

Seen: July 17th, 2008Format: IMAXRating: 9This review is a cop-out.I'm way behind in writing about films, and I wanted to get one more out before going to bed.This one is easy.GO SEE THIS FILM.Nah, that's not all.I hate seeing films on their opening. I hate crowds and try to go when no one else will be there. Tuesday afternoon about four weeks into a run is a good time. I am not a morning person.

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-84093280941585668392008-07-21T12:00:00.002-06:002008-07-21T20:22:02.772-06:00

Seen: July 6th, 2008Format: DVDRating: 9My girlfriend was the one who talked me into this film. She was born outside the States and moved here when she was nine. This is a favorite film of her family's, which they generally watched together on the Fourth.If you've read the entries for The Roaring Twenties or The Public Enemy then you know that I'm pretty impressed by James Cagney. Mo had a

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-73805368378348153832008-07-15T10:44:00.000-06:002008-07-15T10:44:00.587-06:00

Seen: July 13th, 2008Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)Rating: 3If you've been hanging around, waiting for me to slam something, this might be your day.I watched a great little Argentinian film several years ago called Nueve Reinas. It's a slick and fun little con film. It's real and charming and intriguing all at once. I loved the thing.And then I saw that it, like so many other great

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-80434495198095298752008-07-14T09:55:00.004-06:002008-07-14T11:21:37.529-06:00

Seen: June, 2008Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)Rating: 6I'm a big fan of Jack Lemmon. Though he can and does play over the top, frequently, he's got an amazing range and an everyman quality I find engaging. He was starring, I was watching.And I got Anne Bancroft as a bonus.The film is written by Neil Simon, adapted from his play. This is a good thing, because no one understands Simon's

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-78103178583246105592008-07-10T14:26:00.005-06:002008-07-14T09:55:20.140-06:00

Seen: July 8th, 2008Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)Rating: 4Mike Myers is tough for me. I have to give him credit for his uncanny ability to see right to the heart of what make something funny. I also have to admit that his ideas are simply gold.But it's the execution that really matters.Myers' film generally fall flat for me. They leave wishing that he'd made different choices,

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-72537850124091084742008-07-08T08:52:00.004-06:002008-07-08T09:37:04.877-06:00

Seen: Jun 24th, 2008Format: Broadcast (HDNMv-NDNet Movies)Rating: 6HDNet is doing a pretty cool thing. They're producing films. Pretty decent ones. And they're distributing them via Magnolia, but previewing them, in HD, right into my media room.This, I like.Quid Pro Quo hooked me via trailers on HDNet by having two qualities I look for in film; a twisted and edgy premise, and Vera Farmiga.Vera's

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-74723697961166678302008-06-25T14:12:00.002-06:002008-06-25T14:28:16.603-06:00

Seen: June 24, 2008Format: Broadcast (HNDMV - HDNet Movies)Rating: 3This film makes me wonder when the habit of creating derivitive, substandard work in the effort to cash in on the popularity of another work began. I'm sure there's examples as far back as the written word, but this film may be the defnintive case.Everything great about the first film is missing here. Bad plot. Bad Music. Bad

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-7612624072159563982008-06-25T13:51:00.000-06:002008-06-25T14:12:19.956-06:00

Seen: June 19th, 2008Format: TheaterRating: 7 Tarsem Singh made a little film called The Cell. There were a lot of problems with that film, but it's visual sensibility was simply stunning. It far outstripped the actual screenplay, and basically left the rest of the film struggling to catch up. That dichotomy was ultimately its downfall.The Fall, I'm happy to report, suffers no such

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-84777521917224965802008-06-22T13:08:00.001-06:002008-06-24T13:50:08.635-06:00

Seen: June 20th, 2008 (ish)Format: Blu-RayRating: 7So this is a Judd Apatow screenplay. That means that I'm going to have some reaction to it. I don't love Judd and I don't hate him. I think some of his stuff is hilarious and the rest of it generally isn't. I guess you have to give him credit for going for it, consistently, all the time. He doesn't pull any punches and anything worth doing is

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-88549645150918044102008-06-20T12:26:00.002-06:002008-06-24T13:50:31.748-06:00

Seen: June 15th, 2008 (ish)Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)Rating: 7As a kid I saw Man of La Mancha in summer stock. Gabe Kaplan played the lead, and despite the seeming mis-casting, did an admirable job.O'Toole does a better one.I was impressed as a child by Quixote's quest and moved by his sheer dogged determination. I was impressed by how fully he embraced his quest and how completely

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-35983882292006673562008-06-18T17:26:00.004-06:002008-06-24T13:51:12.836-06:00

Seen: June 14th (ish) 2008 and back when I was a we LadFormat: Broadcast - HDNMV - HDNet Movies, and VHS and Network TelevisionRating: 8 The soundtrack from this film was a fixture in my household as a kid. I'll always think of this film when I hear Joplin, whose music I adore.And that's not a bad thing.As a kid, this film was more than a touch convoluted. As an adult, that still holds true. I

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-87788040299402458052008-06-18T11:02:00.002-06:002008-06-18T11:04:17.033-06:00

Some reviews that I've finally finished are up. They're timestamped over the last week-ish so you may need to go Back to the Future.More on the way.

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-4063055295455572242008-06-14T09:55:00.001-06:002008-06-18T09:09:33.776-06:00

Seen: June 10, 2008Format: TheaterRating: 5This is hard. It's been nineteen, that's 1-9, years since our hero graced the big screen. Not to disparage the whole "Young Indiana Jones" thing, as I'm not really familiar with them, but I'm talking about our venerated hero, in is full glory. A long time. A long, patient wait.The film's beginning sets the tone for everything to follow. Basically, we get

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-82766872284271200072008-06-13T12:36:00.004-06:002008-06-18T11:02:15.918-06:00

Seen: June 7th, 2008 (ish)Format: DVDRating: 9If you're just here for recommendations, see this one soon.For the rest of you, this isn't going to be very interesting because there's not much else to say than I loved it. I wavered between 8 and 9, but have to give it the fuller marks because it's so darn engaging.This film requires a little commitment on your part. You'll need to be willing to be

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-14931784488450724952008-06-12T19:20:00.005-06:002008-06-18T09:05:46.404-06:00

Seen: June 7th, 2008 (ish)Format: Broadcast - HDNMV - HDNet MoviesRating: 7I'd always heard that this was a good film. But it has Madonna in it. I just couldn't believe the two could co-exist.And I'm kinda right.The Material Girl may be the lowlight of the entire film. Sure, she "acts" like a hussy and dances up a storm, but are we really to believe that she's a competent, much less exceptional

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-44493843415087258512008-06-05T14:04:00.002-06:002008-06-05T14:06:59.657-06:00

I'm going to try to pick this up again. It's been too long, and I'm itching to view and write.And Hockey season's over.Don't expect the daily thing, but hopefully you'll see a few reviews a week, and hopefully they'll vary as much as they have in the past.And maybe a guest writer will drop in.

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-85698421642405433132008-06-05T13:49:00.005-06:002019-03-22T13:22:32.923-06:00

Seen: June 3rd, 2008Format: Broadcast, HDNetRating: 2 In a previous life I was a climber. A technical rock and ice climber, not the be-suited brown-nosing kind. I wasn't awesome, and I wasn't really an alpine climber, but I was good enough to buy the gear for a local outdoor shop, to put up a few routes, and to meet and climb with some really talented people. Climbing was my identity for a while

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-1914291341451200122008-03-05T13:01:00.004-07:002019-03-22T13:18:23.283-06:00

If you're reading this, you just might care, so here's what's been going on, and why the blog's been pretty much dead over the last 5+ months. Basically, I fell in love. Again. Shortly before the hiatus, I made a long trip to a far away city to visit family. The city is the one that I happened to have gone to college in. While I was there, I looked up an old friend, one whom I had loved very

billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09225828577824794297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38891142.post-42399461520621323772007-09-13T11:31:00.000-06:002007-09-13T11:35:42.961-06:00

At this point I'm truly well behind in reviews and their quality has been much less than I prefer. I've been on a road trip for a few weeks and have been rushing things trying to keep up. I also have company showing up in several hours for the weekend. It's not looking productive.So I've decided to call a short break.I'll pick back up starting September 18th. But I made a commitment to have a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0