watching movies one cup at a time

This movie was really stupid. It pairs up the Farrelly Brothers and Ben Stiller once again but unlike There’s Something About Mary, the jokes here fall flat and Ben Stiller’s character is a lot less likable. In fact, many of the jokes here feel like they’re recycled from Mary like a bad imitation.

The Farrelly Brothers really never were able to recreate their success with Mary. There have been a few interesting movies here and there like Fever Pitch but for the most part it’s felt like they have been chasing Mary and playing off their reputation as the “gross out kings” to attract an audience. And The Heartbreak Kid is no exception. There are more than a few gross-out jokes in this one that are really just plain gross. They aren’t funny and they feel very forced. Read the rest of this entry »

For some reason my 5 year old daughter really really likes this movie. And before you say “you let your 5 year old watch Spice World?” let me just say that the movie is harmless. Love them or hate them, the Spice Girls were never raunchy or inappropriate for kids. They are very cartoon-like and the movie is a bit of a farce. It’s a silly little movie that exists solely to cash-in on the Spice mania that was happening over 10 years ago. it’s definitely done just for laughs. Interestingly enough it has a lot of cameos from British television comedians like Hugh Laurie, Barry Humphries, and Jennifer Saunders. There is a lot of self-parody in the film as well. the Spice Girls at that time did not take themselves so seriously. It was all about fun and music. So while I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a kids movie, it’s certainly safe for kids. And for what it is, it’s really not bad.

This movie is a sort of sci-fi horror film, like a cross between H.P. Lovecraft and Alien. It stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neil and is set out in space as Laurence Fishburne’s character captains a ship sent to rescue another ship called the Event Horizon. Sam Neil’s character built it and an experimental engine that creates black holes for the purposes of advanced space travel. But the ship had disappeared and then reappeared but without any of it’s crew. Turns out the experimental engine took the ship to some “evil dimension” and when it came back, the ship was essentially haunted and homicidal.

There are some pretty horrific scenes in here as we find out what happened to the crew. But I found the concept to be really interesting. And I’ve always liked the idea of horror in a sci-fi setting, as long as it’s done right. This movie is believable and the actors play the characters well. There aren’t a ton of effects but there are enough to make the point without going overboard.

Besides being very H.P. Lovecraft, this movie also has a very Hellraiser feel too it. In fact when Sam Neil’s character becomes totally “evil”, he is physically transformed and looks just like a Cenobite (the so-called demon figures) from the Hellraiser movies. The Hellraiser series actually attempted a sci-fi plot device in the Hellraiser: Bloodlines film with much less success.

Event Horizon was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson who also directed the Resident Evil films and Alien vs. Predator. This movie is close to that kind of genre so if you want an interesting movie without getting too serious, this one would be a good choice.

An Oscar-contender and Golden Globe winner, this film stars Keira Knightley and James MacAvoy as doomed lovers caught up in tragic circumstances. I’m usually not too into dramas, especially heavy dramas. But I found this film to be very well told and interesting.

The scenes of France were visually fantastic. I especially enjoyed the long single camera shot on the beach where the soldiers are waiting to evacuate. It evoked the chaos of the situation but injected a serene beauty and sorrow as well. The English countryside never looked better as well. It’s not the cliche rainy, muddy fields I’m used to seeing in these movies.

The ending was very unexpected and very satisfying. It has a twist that really put the whole movie into a much more interesting light. Though of course it’s very sad, how the story is presented is very compelling. The characters are multi-dimensional and capable of evolving, which is refreshing. Saoirse Ronan plays the young Briony and she does a fantastic job for such a young but pivotal character. Her facial expressions were perfect and not overdone but communicating a lot.

Bottom Line: Definitely see Atonement but be-warned it’s a weepy-drama. It is not a Hollywood happy ending, which is a good thing in this case.

I rented this one thinking it might be a light, fun romantic comedy. I should have known better. I’m not a Dane Cook fan and this just cements my opinion that he is just not funny. Not only is this movie not funny, it’s often just plain gross. I suspect Dane Cook agreed to do this movie because he got to be in about 50 sex scenes with naked women. Just scene after scene, like an endless wave of naked Dane Cook coming to ruin your day. No thanks. And I’m really not a fan of Jessica Alba either. Just not that interesting at all.

It was directed by Mark Helfrich who has had a long career as a film editor and this is his first time directing. Unfortunately I found the whole movie’s style rather generic and uninspired. It could have been directed by anybody. Might want to go back to editing, Mark.

So basically this movie had nothing going for it. It was not funny, way too much Dane Cook nakedness, and the “plot” was pretty weak and pointless. This falls into the category of “how do movies like this get made?” Avoid it as much as possible.

First I have to say I really liked the movie a lot. However that shaky camera thing really made me feel nauseous! WTF!? I definitely did not feel good by about halfway through the flick. That’s not something you want from a movie these days – call me crazy. And it appears I’m not alone. I read reports that some theaters posted signs saying the movie may cause motion sickness. Nice job, JJ Abrams!

Nevertheless, the film scores big for originality. The concept of seeing essentially a Godzilla movie in a reality show/documentary style really succeeded in connecting the terror of the moment to the audience. It was very effective and believable. We are so used to seeing reality show footage these days and this just blends right in. I got sucked into the realistically bewildering crisis. Read the rest of this entry »