"Spirited Away" A Disney/Pixar release full - length animation all done in watercolour cells, a rarity in these times of just letting Blender do the real work for you. Simple, straightforward story line, good character development with solid roots in Japanese mythology. I am gonna bet that Shogun has seen this one already. My son who watched it with me also loves it a lot. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! 5 stars for this one.
We Are Marshall Its about a college football team that got wiped out in a plane crash and the program starting up again from scratch, its based on a true event that happened to Marshall University. Its really touching.
i don't know if this has been posted yet: devils' double The Devil's Double: Bagdad, the playground for the rich and infamous, where anything can be bought - but for a price. This is Uday Hussein's world and with his depraved lust for debauchery and immorality, he helps himself to whatever turns him on. When army lieutenant Latif Yahia, is summoned to Saddam's palace, he is faced with an impossible request - to be Uday's 'fiday' - his body double, or have his family condemned to death. In a world entrenched in betrayal and corruption knowing who to trust becomes a matter of life or death for Latif, as he battles to escape from his forced existence.
"Howl's Castle" another Disney/Pixar release from the same director as "Spirited Away". Not as good though. More computer animation, some serious holes and lapses in the plot line. Those were pretty much made up for by some decent character development - like the Witch of the East - who was rendered quite well as a decrepit old woman. Unfortunately this was off - set by a profound lack of developing some pivotal characters like the mom and her new husband who remained off - screen. Imma giving this one about 3.75 stars out of 5, but will say it is worth the watching if you are an anime cinema buff.
I saw "The Muppets" on Saturday. The best movie made in the last 20 years! Steeped in nostalgia for us Muppet fans, I don't know how it played out for the children who were brought by their parents to introduce them to the gang. Well-written story, good characterization by the human actors, interesting premise. The dynamic between one brother who is tall and handsome and the other one who is short and funny-looking (and is in fact a Muppet but that fact is ignored in the story) was touching but also ripe for some great gags. The tall one wishes he were a little sillier and the short one wishes he were a little less silly, and they each sing to an image of what they wish for in a mirror, so it ends up being a quartet of two humans and two Muppets. Great sight gags, all the old gang is there, Kermit and Piggy are still an on-again-off-again romance, and they reprise all of their best gags while pulling off a bunch of fresh new ones. Animal and Jack Black are chained up in an anger management group. If you're in a hurry you can travel "by map" and your car emerges from the ocean on the French Riviera, dripping seaweed along a big red dotted line. Kermit sang "The Rainbow Connection" and there were lots of other musical numbers, as befits a Muppet production. They dragged out all the Baby Boomers' hits like AC/DC, yet they also managed to work in Cee-Lo's big hit "F*** You" by letting the chicken chorus sing it, so all the lyrics were, "Cluck cluck cluck, cluck cluck." The grownups were rolling in laughter in the aisles, wondering what they were going to tell their kids when they asked why that was so funny. If you're not a Muppet fan, you probably stopped reading already. But if you are, drop whatever you're doing and go see this movie right now! You'll want to catch it again while it's still showing. I know I will! This is a bonanza holiday season for us Muppet fans in the Washington region. The American Film Institute theater is showing "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth" every night for a month!
Hey, I was suggesting that Natalie Portman was *too good* for Thor. But then after thinking on it for a minute, I checked over at IMDB and confirmed that, indeed, Natalie Portman has only ever appeared in a single worthwhile role in a good movie (Mathilda in The Professional - her first film, as a child). Everything else is crimes against humanity like the Star Wars prequels or Garden State, or else forgettable crap like Hesher. Heat was good, but her role didn't contribute anything, and probably should have been axed in the interest of brevity. And on top of all of that, she's a filthy Zionista! By sticking up for her here, you have accrued an additional 2 dozen raped and mutilated Palestinian babies on your conscience. I hope you're happy.
"Quigley Down Under" 1990, Tom Selleck. Wonderful movie, I never tire of watching it. "Said I didn't much care for 'em, didn't say I couldn't use one."
My recommendations... -Drive -Scott Pilgrim vs The World -Juno -The Spanish Apartment (French Film) -Check Out (UK Film) -The Departed -There Will Be Blood -The Social Network -Bridesmaids -Attack on the Block -Paul -Shaun of the Dead -Elf -My Idiot Brother -I Love You, Man -Knocked Up
I'd like to recommend this movie and ask if any others have seen it? If so what did you think of it? I'm very curious of how many people in the general population would push the button if this offer was made to them. The Box (2009) PG-13 A disfigured man named Arlington Steward (Frank Langella) informs Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden) Lewis that they have 24 hours to decide if they want to push a button inside a box that will give them a cool million -- but a complete stranger will die at the same time. Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) writes and directs this thriller based on sci-fi writer Richard Matheson's short story. Genre: Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Supernatural Thrillers This movie is: Dark, Scary
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but after having watched the movie, I got the distinct impression that only people that have already pushed the button will be selected for death from future button pushers, which will put a big crimp in your enjoyment of the million dollars. The fact that you were willing to let a total stranger die so you could have a million bucks should be a big clue that accepting the terms of this offer might come back to bite you big time. Yeah! I do know they don't tell you that detail before you push the button, and it's so easy to hardly give a second thought about what might or might not happen to a total stranger that you will never know about, especially after having seen that briefcase with a cool million in cash in it.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! It's easy to second guess what you might do? I'm really glad no such choice will ever be offered to me.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
SALT (2010) - 8/10 Plenty of intrigue, which keeps you guessing right to the end. No shortage of action with a female protagonist, Angelina Jolie, and while the body count adds up, one is spared the gory close-ups of gruesome which are overdone in many of such films. Some have compared her to a female version of James Bond, and I would agree that this is not far off the mark. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(2010_film)
I don't know about comparing her as a female James Bond, but you never have to twist my are to watch one of her movies.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
The Twilight Zone episode (which managed to do in 30 minutes more than this dire film managed in its 2 hours) made it fairly clear that this is exactly what happens. How someone managed to convince the studio to make a reasonable episode into a 2-hour snore-fest is beyond me.
I don't remember that episode, but after watching all TZ episodes about 5 or 6 times I haven't watched them now for about 20 years. In any event I prefer the 2 hour format over the 30 minute just about every time. But then maybe B&W has something to do with that.
