End of April, let's see how I did...

So, I wrote on the first day of April, now on the last. I have no estimate for how many movies I watched this week.

District 9 (2009) - My younger brother told me he didn't care for the movie and what I knew of it was told to me by others. Something about cat food and aliens and being symboic for the apartheid or immigration or what not. I did actually like the movie. I thought it was interesting and different and entertaining in a creepy kind of way. I know it took me a while to getting around to seeing the movie, but I'm not so up to date on my movies most of the time anyway. The movie wasn't ground-breaking by any means. It probably falls into the category of "It's all been done" which is basically an acceptable category for nearly everything in this world, but it was done well. I like the fact that the Nigerians still find ways to scam others ;) Nothing against the Nigerians I do know in real life... just the ones that send me spam ;) I did not find the movie to be overly preachy, but I did find myself distracted at the inconsistency b/w documentary style and being able to witness more than a doc would see. I felt it was a little off-setting. Understandable for needing to release the full story, but still a little too mixed-format.

Adventureland (2009) - When I saw the preview for this movie, I thought it was going to be funnier than it was, but instead a got an angsty movie and surprise, surprise... Kristen Stewart was in it. She didn't stray too far from her brooding, crybaby crap. I have yet to see much range from her. Kind of like Julia Stiles who only played one role: "I don't need a man, Oh yes I do." Anyway, this movie was advertised (in my memory) as a comedy and I was disappointed to find a drama, but glad for whatever comedic moments were dispersed. The funny stuff was pretty funny, I just wanted more of it and less of the whiny crap. I liked watching  Ryan Reynolds  play a jerk... he's so pretty. ;)

Kindergarten Cop (1990) - "It's not a tumor."  "Boys have a penis. Girls have a vagina."  Now that that's out of the way... This movie is a staple to my childhood/upbringing. This says a lot actually. The movie is probably not one of the first to put a body builder tough guy in a room full of kids... or is it? ;) I do enjoy this movie. And I figured out the female cop is basically me b/c she has to eat all the time. She says she is hyperglycemic. Apparently I'm not, but I'm close. And she married a chef. But I'm too picky to need anything too fancy. But I'll still consider it as an option. Anywhoo.... if you haven't seen the movie by now, you really should, if only to transport yourself back to a happier time when an over-sized Austrian man was all that stood between crooks and your children.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) - If you've acutally seen this movie, you might not completely lose respect for me when I say that I really enjoyed it. I always love any 80s homage, especially one that does it really well. Especially one that involves time travel and Chevy Chase . The humor was spot on and the characters are pretty fun. And the squirrel stuff was funny. Yes, you should expect some crass humor, but let's face it... there are few comedies made these days that don't entail poop, fart, barf or sex jokes. I'd be hard-pressed to name many. So this movie was a win in my book. So much so, that I had to watch it the next day. It was just too much fun to pass up.

Powwow Highway (1989) - I would like to thank the library for this one. I have a leaning towards Native American movies/books/whatever and I did enjoy this one. There were moments that reminded me of another Native book I read that involved two Natives on a car trip to NM, but I think that one was for the one character to find his father? If anything knows which one that is, kindly let me know. I'd like to do a comparison. This movie is one of those that will only let you feel good if you just give into it. And if you know a bit about Native politics/mannerisms. You have to just go with the mysticism aspect and learn to let go of your cynicism like Buddy has to do. The movie focuses on him and a lovable oaf who seems to have a disconnect from reality. But it's kind of okay, because you want to believe him and be a part of it.

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) - I can only take so many cheesy Elton John songs in one sitting and there were too many in this one to not rub me the wrong way. The movie DID make me want to stock up on pink flamingos and garden gnomes and it was an interesting twist on the classic Shakespearean story. But I'm glad my nephews had refused to see this as they probably would have been squirming through the lovey-dovey crap right along with me. It was clever, but I doubt I will watch it again. Apparently it was produced by Travelocity... you know, the roaming gnome and all that. I was kind of surprised by the big names that I respect.... Emily Blunt , Michael Caine and Maggie Smith. I was entertained to find Ozzy Osbourne , Patrick Stewart andTo Be Fat Like Me (TV 2007) - Try to not be toooo surprised when I tell you that, yes, I watched a Lifetime movie. But it was on Hulu and it didn't seem to be overly goopy. So I went for it. I was happy at some of the turns at the end, in that the characters weren't 100% formulaic. And I mean, the fat girl friend, the former best friend and the love interest. If you ever watch this movie, get back to me for a discussion and I can talk about what I mean. Either way, I thought it brought up some important themes in our society, namely obesity and the daily judgements people go thorough. Losing weight (not that I would know, sorry) is an ongoing process. If a person could lose all the weight on the day they decided to, I'm sure they would be more than happy to do so. But in the meantime, other people need to not be so judgemental and think we have a one-up, while our comrades go through a stressful, trying process of trying to get their body in shape. Big props to anyone on the journey to a healthier you

Hulk Hogan

adding their voices as well. For some reason, I usually have a large disconnect when it comes to animations and the voices. For shame. At least that means I'm mostly staying in the movie, right?



Fagbug (2009) - I thought this movie was interesting and Erin Davies non-confrontational methods helpful to the cause. Whereas some people would go off on people that say homosexuality is against their religion or smack a guy who said he would watch her make out with another person (CREEP FACTOR!!), she did a good job of holding back and just letting people speak. In the creepy hick's case, it showed him for what he really is. I thought the movie was interesting and could actually see a couple of my friend's undertaking a project such as this. I like the fact that Erin was able to partake in many gay pride parades and hate crime death memorial services as she toured the nation, trying to get a feel for the people's tolerance. There were only a couple things that were odd for me. There was a scene in which Erin was leaving Chicago and she said something I couldn't catch and was crying. I had no clue what was going on. Apparently she left her box of t-shirts outside the car and drove away. That was a little distracting. That and the font was too cutesy and hard to read. Otherwise, I basically enjoyed the movie.

A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (2009) San qiang pai an jing qi (original title) - I love Yimou Zhang in general. I have not seen the Coen Brothers Blood Simple (1984), but I can only surmise that the story was catching enough to be re-done. Something tells me that I'll like Zhang's version better, if only for the characters and the landscape. I'll have to see the Coen's sometime too. It was a little Tarantino-esque for me as well, but that didn't stop me from liking it ;)

Trantasia (2006) - It happened to be on tv and I happened to watch it. I found it interesting. It didn't really pigeonhole anyone, but in fact made it obvious that even among the transgendered, there are so many different thoughts and preferences that you shouldn't bother lumping them together. After all, you can't lump all heteros together, or even all gays, so why assume you can here. I thought the film was an interesting way to learn more about people that are usually on the fringe of society and therefore, little is known about them. It's quite the mind-bender, even for someone as gay-friendly as myself. There is such a wide spectrum of people in this world, that you never really can tell much about a person until you know them in depth. I will say, I was intrigued to see Victoria Parker/Porkchop in this arena. Actually, now that I've checked his imdb page, it does clarify that he is not a transsexual and was mistakenly cast as such. Porkchop gets around!! ;) I've seen him in Pageant (2008) and on RuPaul's Drag Race season 1 so was confused as I thought he was just a drag queen and not trans.. But anyway... watched the movie and enjoyed it b/c it didn't pigeonhole people or put them into nice little boxes. I didn't walk away going, 'Oh, I understand now'  but rather, 'Wow, what a variety of experiences.' I do have to laugh at the sore losers though. Of course, I'll never know the valididty of their claims of bias and poor pageant-running. But when you claim you're looking for the 'World's Most Beautiful Transsexual', you might want to have the a better representation of countries, but whatever.

 Wilby Wonderful (2004) - Another Hulu find. It was okay. Kinda slow. I really like Sandra Oh  in general and Ellen Page  kinda grows on you. Talent will do that ;) Small town. Scandal to hide. It was okay. Characters kinda standard in that they are kind of mockeries of a standard. Wasn't terrible. I like the play on words for the title.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) - Don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this is one of my favorite movies and it's better than the original b/c of the wide array of gremlin characters and all the jokes they get to put in. Much less scary than the first one, which is probably why I like it more.

Boyfriends and Girlfriends (1987) L'ami de mon amie (original title) - Ugh... such a boring movie. Silly Frenchies... Fabien was actually cute and Alexandré looked like Colin Firth. But that was the best part of the movie. The girl who played Lea was striking. But altogether the movie was just dullllll.

So that's 12 movies in one month. You're welcome :)

I'm an April Fool!

So, it's been a while. Jan 15th was the last update. I'm a little afraid to see how many movies I have to write on... Here goes.

"The Air I Breathe" (2007) - What's weird about this movie is the year in which it was made. It seems like it was from the mid-90's with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Brendan Fraser and Kevin Bacon. Weird weird weird. It was remniscent of Crash (2004) in that the characters were all interconnected. However, in this film, each was supposed to represent a different emotion. Since it was in January that I watched this, I don't recall which emotions. The imdb page relates the emotions to a Chinese proverb. Summary: "A drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. A businessman bets his life on a horse race; a gangster sees the future; a pop star falls prey to a crime boss; a doctor must save the love of his life. "  The movie can be slightly enjoyable if you can allow it to be all schmaltzy and just go with a higher level of suspension of disbelief. The movie isn't epic and it probably isn't watchable more than once... unless you are dying to watch it again and pick up any possible nuances. Doubtful you will watch multiple times, but stranger things have happened.

"Tangled" (2010) - Okay, I'll admit. This movie got me near the end a couple times. I had to discreetly wipe away my tears, but I'm pretty sure my cousin noticed. Luckily she didn't make fun of me for it. ;)  It was your basic Disney movie where the girl had too skinny a waist and there was singing, which I could have done without. But I found it to be pretty cute. And I suppose I'm a closet romantic. Sigh. I know. I'm ashamed. Hey, here's a thought. Maybe a movie should be made about .... wait, I'll keep this one to myself and store it in my writing drawer... mwahahaha! Anyway, the movie was pretty standard and safe. I would watch it again. Maybe a few times.

"Alila" (2003) - This was another 'interconnectedness' movie. Little hard to follow as there are so many characters and it is from Israel (so language and customs and way of life are different). The movie carried along slowly as you basicallly just witnessed their lives. There were plots to all of them, just took it's time getting there. I will say that half the time I was confused as to who was where and what was happening. It was an okay movie, but not overly exciting. There were some interesting characters and scenarios, but it was basically just an exercise in observation. Could have been more engaging.

"Dragnet" (1987) - I have a Tom Hanks box set. Yay! This one is so fun to watch. I don't watch cop/detective movies unless they are tongue-in-cheek like this one. You've gotta love Tom and Dan Aykroyd together. I'm not sure what else there is to say, except definitely watch this one if you don't take yourself too seriously! :)

"The Scorpion King" (2002) - I have discovered that the surefire way to get me to watch an action movie is if it involves muscly, sweaty, half-naked men in the desert. That proved true with Jake Gyllenhaal  in Prince of Persia and I don't even like that dude. But make him fit into the above category and I'm there. Same with The Rock, whom I have a thing for, for some reason. I don't usually go for the big beefy guys in real life, but hey. A fantasy isn't supposed to be real. If you're looking for a movie with content and gripping characters... well, you can pretend this is it and I won't correct you, but I do have a bias for movies sometimes. I just know when to admit it. ;)

"Megamind" (2010) - I could have sworn I'd already discussed this movie, because I know I'd seen it before. I loved it. It's clever and we focus on the 'bad guy'. It really delved into his character and made us like and understand him. A movie that can make you like the bad guy is pretty damn clever. Yes, I just used that word twice, but this movie is that. So yes, I give this movie the stamp of approval.

"FernGully: The Last Rainforest" (1992) - This may possibly have been the first movie I remember seeing in the theatres. I had my nephews watch it with me this time around and was sad that they weren't more taken with it, but that's technology for you. That and they watned to watch Ghostbusters or Gremlins or something they had seen before. This movie is the original 'Avatar'. Again, super-skinny female lead and disproportionate male characters as well, but I do like the storyline. Sure, a bit preachy, but really, caring for the earth is damn important!! Watch and enjoy. If you don't, I don't wanna know! ;)

"Broken Embraces" Los abrazos rotos (original title) (2009)  - If you know Almo, this is not his normal kitsch. But I liked it anyway! :) Definitely a bit more tender side to him, but of course the passion is still there. And the twisted self-serving characters and the familial connections that drive the story. I love his loyalty to certain actors as they are always fun to see in his films. No complaints, really.

Watched parts of "Kismat Konnection" (2008) and "Connie and Carla" (2004) while doing other things. I won't discuss them, but I own them both for a reason! Like and like. :)

"Taking Woodstock" (2009) - Oh, to have been there!.... which would have meant I would be stinky, dirty, on drugs and having sex with strangers. But there would have been good music! ;) Yes, this movie had great music and it was fun to see how the location was chosen. I liked the homage to Godard's "Week End" (1967) in which there was the long shot through the stopped traffic. Well, I assume it was an homage!! I'd recommend watching the flick at least once. Just for a bit of time travel :)

"Ceremony" (2010) - I'd like to know how many movies reference 'Catcher in the Rye' to show us the angsty coming of age to which apparently all boys can relate! ;) The movie was pretty angsty itself. I wasn't in love with the characters, well Teddy was frickin awesome. The movie was VERY F. Scott Fitzgerald, 'Great Gatsby'. Actually, I'm almost 100% sure that in the scene where a character was reading a book and said it was Catcher in the Rye, it was actually 'This Side of Paradise'. I have yet to read that one, but I do appreciate those little Easter Eggs. You should know that the movie is the first effort of Max Winkler... I bet you can figure out who his famous father is :) The movie wasn't terrible. Not my favorite, but it had some awesome lines. I might like it more if I watch it again. I was pleased with the ending, which helps to balance out my indifference to a more favorable position. *note: saw this movie thanks to The Omaha Film Festival

"Leave Them Laughing" (2010) - I should know better by now than to watch movies about people with terminal illnesses. I watched this movie this year at The Omaha Film Festival  and last year watched 65_RedRoses (2009) only to read a month or so later of the death of Eva Markvoort , a brave fighter of Cystic Fibrosis. In the movie being discussed now, Carla Zilbersmith let us watch her decline from ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disesase. She made you cry, but true to the title and her spirit, she left us laughing. Both of these films are HIGHLY recommendable. Watch them to regain your sense of humanity, compassion and perspective. If you don't feel something, you may be dead already.

"Sophie" (2011) - Oh, Sophie... Saw it directly after the previous movie at The Omaha Film Festival. Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. If I was my 8 year old former self, who hadn't learned so much about film, I might have adored this movie. It's a cute movie for a little kid who doesn't know any better, but it was so on the nose and so 'scripted'. It's like they followed the Dummy's Guide for Screenwriting or something and just formulated a story, making sure to stay in the lines. The main character was annoying and the beginning of the film didn't allow us to get to know the character, so we didn't feel for her when her elephant was taken away in the first scene. Sure, the little photo montage during the opening credits was nice, but there was no soul to it. I didn't care for the whiny-ness of it, and the elephant wasn't even a character, just an animal doing poses. Blah. If you want to sit your pre-teen girl in front of a safe movie, this would be fine, but I don't recommend it otherwise. I wanted so badly for it to be good too :(

"Pirate Radio" (2009) - Yup, another film that I wanted to be good, but wasn't. The music was great of course, but making a 'music' movie is not a guaranteed success. Sure, you may get people in their seats, but keeping them there... This was similar in that I felt like I was just thrown into the story and didn't quite get to empathize with the characters. We were a little like the main character who just shows up on the boat and meets the zany crew. That's all fine and dandy to show all the oddballs and we may like a few of them, but ugh, that's not enough. I guess I'm used to stories where you see those oddballs come together from the beginning. Sure, one doesn't have to stick with formula, but you NEED to connect with your audience or you fail.

"An Education" (2009) - Another slow movie in which I didn't feel for the main character. I know we were supposed to feel for this innocent, wide-eyed girl and we were supposed to question to which type of education the title refers. Obviously, it's both the school-learning and life lessons. But the movie dragged out and I didn't really care deeply for the characters. I understand we all make mistakes. Perhaps watching this movie was one of them. ;) Ba dum dum. My friend had to explain to me that in those days (and that culture?) it was normal for an older man to take on with a younger girl, but even so, the parents were bowled over too. Whatever. Sure the costuming and time period was enjoyable, but I got it... updo=sophistication for a young girl. Whatevs.

"Paul" (2011) - I will admit that when I saw the previews, I thought this movie was going to be ridiculously dumb, but I really enjoyed it. The pair of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost was a major draw of course. Having a basic knowledge, or more than basic, of sci fi flicks got me through the majority of the references and a couple were pointed out to me. I really had a blast with this movie. The characters were entertaining. I want to say they were fresh, but I don't know that that's true. But very fun flick with some cool surprises.

"Cedar Rapids" (2011) - Saw this and Paul back to back, which was quite a treat in itself. I had fun with this one as well. But I've never heard Omaha referred to as "Ohmygod". Hmmm. This is strange b/c Omaha native Alexander Payne was on board producing. Sure, it made small town seem really small, but there is some humor in that and I could laugh at it without being too uptight about it. Sure, it was a bit far-fetched but I was entertained and that's important.

"The Big Lebowski" (1998) - I saw this one way back during high school, a few years after its release. I decided to brush up on it. ;) You have to like abusurdist comedies, and of course that's just what Ethan Coen and Joel Coen do. I love the Dude and I kinda wish I could beeee him with his freakin laidback attitude and awesome attire. Of course, as John Goodman reminds us, this film shows us how very un-dude-like The Dude becomes due the circumstances. Good writing, as it follows the 'rise to the challenge' mantra I've learned :)

17 movies isn't too bad in all this time, considering the amount of things I've been up to. Well, I saw many more movies actually, thanks to the Omaha Film Festival, but I'm not discussing the shorts. That's just too much!! So, I hope you found something to watch!! Peace out!