Sunday, July 21, 2013

Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger (2008); The Dinosaur Project (2012); Leading Ladies (2010); My Family and Other Animals (2005); The Man Who Cried (2000); Morning Glory (2010); Fat Kid Rules the World (2012); This is the End (2013); Without Men (2011)

It's been nearly two months since my last update. Since then, I've watched over 80 short films, most of which at the Snake Alley Festival of Film, and which I won't discuss here. That's quite a load!

So picking up where I left off...

Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger (2008)

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This falls into the fun and quirky category, so of course it gets my vote. It was a fun romp and you will probably recognize from Whale Rider (2002). And Toni Collette. This film is able to straddle the comedy/drama line pretty well. Check it out. :) (Oh and of course the Aussie accents are a delight!)

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 The Dinosaur Project (2012)

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I don't think I recognized anyone from the film, but it was shot as one of those 'Oh, look we found lost footage' type films. I watched it with one of my nephews (Redbox find) and it was a fun tie-in to the day as we had just seen a T-Rex skeleton that day at a museum. It's kind of far-fetched (dinosaurs exist in the deep parts of Africa) but the acting was fine and the effects pretty decent. If you need SOMETHING to watch, this is okay.

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 Leading Ladies (2010)

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I think I liked the idea more than I liked the execution of it. I like dance movies and I like movies that have gender flexibility. But this kind of wasn't it for me.

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 My Family and Other Animals (2005)

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 I didn't know what to expect from this movie, but I really enjoyed it. It was definitely a character film and lots of fun. The beautiful scenery and fact-based story really helped. The young animal collector reminded me of my youngest nephew so that was extra fun for me to watch. As far as I know, it was the first Masterpiece Theatre piece I had seen that wasn't a Sesame Street mock-up! ;) Quite fun and enchanting. I love the quirky characters, as I said before, because my own family is kind of goofy too. Quite a fun find! It seems you can watch it in several parts on Youtube. First part below!:

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The Man Who Cried (2000)

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I had NO idea what I was in for. All I knew was it was a Johnny Depp movie I hadn't seen yet. It was a bit odd in several regards. It was interesting historically speaking and visually pleasant at times and it DID help show how the coming of WWII caused divides that otherwise were overlooked (ie country of origin). I guess I would recommend it, but mostly for the historic look at how lives were upturned in different living situations. The film opens showing how difficult life was and why some people emigrated to other places. I really appreciated that. After watching the trailer, my question at the title reappears. Technically we see both her father and Johnny cry... who is the Man Who Cried? And why is the film titled after him?

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Morning Glory (2010)

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I'd held off on seeing this film because I figured it was pretty predictable. Of course it was, but sometimes a fluff piece is welcome. This film reminded me of my brief stint working at a television station and all the crap my producer friends had/have to deal with. Let me tell you, it's a crappy job that requires putting up with a lot of crap. But apparently, it's also a calling b/c my friends who work in news generally stay in news and they are good at it. So, I hope they get their blessings on the other side! :) Anyway, the film. Like I said, predictable, but decent enough. I liked the actors so that helped. It was funny to see Mod Fam's Ty Burrell play a creep. is still yummy after all these years too. :) Diane Keaton great of course too!

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 Fat Kid Rules the World (2012)

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This wasn't exactly what I expected, and I'm not sure how I felt on a whole since I watched it in two sittings (I hate having to split viewings!) It was interesting, but not exactly what I thought would happen. It ended up being more of a multiple character story than focusing on one character. That's okay, it's just not what I expected. You did feel for the main character when he was coerced into certain things, you just wanted to reach out and stop him. So I suppose that's good... getting us to feel for the characters and what they're going through. Not your standard flick.

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This Is the End (2013)

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Although I like the actors, this film is the epitome of the types of movies that Hollywood makes: movies that appeal to Males age 18-25. This movie was a disappointment, and its easy to see the concept came about as was portrayed in the movie: a bunch of Hollywood actors/friends sitting around at a party saying 'Yo, we should totally make a movie'. The film relied very heavily on drug and dick jokes. There was a lack of strong female characters; if there were females, they were used as gag jokes. I kept hoping that maybe it was an alien invasion and our characters would rise up and become heroes, but nope... it was just a biblical 'end of days', and apparently one only had to do ONE good thing and all your bad shit was erased and you got to go to heaven. I walked away from the film going 'wtf?' (mostly because of the Backstreet Boys cameo) and wondering 'what the hell message am I supposed to take away from the movie?' I feel like the actors are laughing and going 'oh my god, they actually bought tickets to see our bro-fest!'. I mean there was stuff that made me laugh, but sometimes it was only from the absurd notion that I hadn't walked out of the theater. That's the painful part about being a Film Studies graduate... no matter how much I dislike something, I rarely walk away from it and try to make it to the bitter end. There have only been a couple films I've turned off and have yet to revisit. Unfortunately, I did make it to the end of this one. I feel like I've been had. Yeah, I know LOTS of my male friends on social media were all ramped up after seeing this film, but now I feel like this film somehow gets in the head of its niche market perfectly. Oh well. So I guess, if you have the mentality of a male age 18-25, this movie is for you... Otherwise, spend your time elsewhere.
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Without Men (2011)

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I think this movie was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek farce that makes everyone look bad, but I didn't like it. As soon as all the men had disappeared from the town, the women were incompetent, believed they were to procreate with a priest and eventually just turned to lesbianism. What the hell? It was painful to watch because it was just so far from reality that it wasn't funny. The original novel was written by a Colombian man and won some awards; maybe it was funnier in text form, but I had a very hard time watching it on screen. I just felt like it was so bizarre and did so little for the gender discussion. Better luck next time. :P


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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Trip to Bountiful (1985); 200 Pounds Beauty (2006); Aisha (2010); Bollywood Beats (2009); Horrible Bosses (2011); Isi Life Mein...! (2010)

The Trip to Bountiful (1985)

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There were a couple odd editing moments that threw me off. It did have a very theater feel to it, but the actors did well to elicit the emotions. It didn't go exactly as I thought, but it was nice.

Oh and apparently Geraldine Page won an Oscar for her performance. :)

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Side note: Apparently I went three weeks from watching the above movie before I watched the next and then watched 5 movies in the past 4 days! (Long Vacation weekend)
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200 Pounds Beauty (2006)

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You can watch this on Hulu HERE: http://www.hulu.com/watch/487769  

This movie was a pretty typical Korean comedy with a bit of self-effacing humor. Not everything the actress did was perfect so you could laugh (although the main man was more serious... one wasn't really supposed to laugh at him, I guess.) The fat suit wasn't very believable, but the actress was pretty great with her expressions. Except she cried a lot, which is very like the genre. It was interesting in that it looks at plastic surgery and both condemns and accepts it. Instead of a 'fat acceptance' movie, we are given many ideas... that only beautiful women get attention, but fat people are worthless, but those who undergo the knife are 'monsters' or 'lack confidence'. And there is a lot to say about male/female relations in that movie too. The woman is basically okay with some crazy street guy taking video of her... And the main guy is a super toughy who supposedly takes care of her, but doesn't seem to be polite when he wants something... Not a thinking movie. Ruffled a few of my feathers, but I still did tear up at it, b/c it's a Korean film and they are wonderful about eliciting a few tears. ;) 


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 Aisha (2010)

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This is the Hindi version of Jane Austen's "Emma" novel. Cute, fun, predictable. It's kind of hard to like Aisha because she's rich and spoiled, but somehow we kind of have to. Oh, and I love the actress of Pinky's deep voice! (Ira Dubey)

Watch online! http://www.hulu.com/watch/446632  
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 Bollywood Beats (2009)

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This is one of those movies where you have to say "it has heart" because there are other things clearly wrong with it. The writer/director/actor had his heart in the right place for sure, but it can be difficult to don all three hats and pull off a successful piece. The viewer can tell this was a team effort that people really believed in. There were some top-notch actresses ( aka Miss India USA 1995 and who is a deep-voiced beauty and the real-life mother of the deep-voiced beauty I raved about in the prior film AND a lot of other movies!), but there were also not-so-good acting abilities, contrived dialogue and scenes, split storylines that don't give us ONE person on which to focus. You can tell it was done pretty low budget, but I still enjoyed it. It may not have been perfect, but major kudos to for getting his script off the ground and on the screen. It makes it easier to overlook some of the flaws when you know it's coming from someone who clearly worked hard on it. I've been involved in projects like that too, so I get it. Congrats! (Oh, and I love that Shah worked on Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives! I have yet to see it but I know of some of the drag queens in it.)
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Horrible Bosses (2011)

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This is one of those movies where we don't see the main characters grow or change, but just get into trouble and all sorts of antics. There are funny moments when it nods at itself with Strangers on a Train/Throw Momma From the Train references and with Jamie Foxx's character. Kudos on making Colin Farrell a slimeball. I had to do a doubletake with that nasty combover. It was an enjoyable romp. Some funny lines, but nothing very groundbreaking. And SPOILER: they didn't make it out okay thanks to themselves, but sheer dumb luck, so don't bother rooting for them.
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 Isi Life Mein...! (2010)

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Cute movie, good-looking leads, a bit of character development. The similarity to Bollywood staple movie DDLJ and Salman Khan's shameless, needless appearance both made me laugh. is my age and a hottie, but sadly for me, he is already married. Le sigh. That's okay. Oh, and the mother looked too young to play the mother and confused me. And the lady that may have been the grandmother? The father was a little young, but okay I guess. Just the ages of the actors didn't really work all that well and some of the relationships were hard to figure out (Is that the brother or the servant??). Anyway, fun for a feel-good romp. Oh and it's based on the characters performing Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Watch movie online here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/264066

 
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

"Funny Bones" (1995); "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1985); "The Cemetery Club" (1993); "When Harry Tries to Marry" (2011); "The Rage in Placid Lake" (2003); "St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold" (2009); "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" (2010); "Mongolian Ping Pong" (2005); "The Big Year" (2011)

Funny Bones (1995)

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I got this movie as part of a 2 pack from the Dollar Tree. Fifty cents well spent. It was a nice nod to the slapstick comedy of the 30s and I enjoyed seeing Jerry Lewis in more straight-laced role. It's kind of off-beat but I liked it. The old comedy was the best as were seeing some of the acts that auditioned.
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Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)


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I found this on Hulu. It was hilarious to see SJP and Helen Hunt in these roles. The movie was predictable and very similar to Hairspray (either version: 1988 or 2007). Girls want to join dance tv show. Mean girl stands in way. Cute boy. If you want to time travel, this movie will do. Watch full movie online on Hulu.
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The Cemetery Club (1993)


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This movie cut me to the quick. Age has little to do with it. If you have friends for whom you care dearly, this movie will hit home. If you've lost a lifetime partner, this will also do the trick. This was the other half of the DVD pack I bought that came with 'Funny Bones'. This movie was heartfelt and I was sobbing by the end and had to put in a comedy immediately to recuperate. WATCH TRAILER: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkd7g7_the-cemetery-club-trailer_shortfilms#.UYBXrMq4-es
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When Harry Tries to Marry (2011)


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This movie was more or less predictable. The characters were very rigid and felt more like devices than actual people. The characters were a little eh and the movie felt pretty forced over-all. I liked seeing the beautiful palace in India, but that was also unrealistic (not every Indian has an old family palace on standby). This was the movie I watched to make feel better after the aforementioned tearjerker (which is labeled as a comedy, strangely enough). If you want fluff and a bit of color and culture, check it out.
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 The Rage in Placid Lake (2003)


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This was a fun movie. A little bizarre with unique characters. I really liked the representation of the corporate world b/c that seemed spot on. No one was perfect and that worked out pretty nicely. Made us feel things about the characters. (And I'm kind of making this up b/c it's been a few weeks since I watched it.) WATCH ON HULU: http://www.hulu.com/watch/61163
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 St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009)


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 I loved the first one. I loved this one. And I'll love the 3rd one if/when it comes out. If you like seeing Rupert Everett in drag, you'll love this. If you like Colin Firth or David Tennant, yes, watch. If you like movies of girl power. YES. LOVE. No unbiased info here. Sorry.
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 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

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I'm okay with Woody Allen's movies, but it can be tiring to sit through his narration plot device. At least this time it wasn't his voice. ;) I like that his movies, such as this, explain what is happening and a little bit of what character is thinking, but don't really tell you how to feel about the characters or who to root for. In fact, it shows what nasty characters people CAN be sometimes, and how there really isn't anyone to root for. Every one is imperfect but that helps act as a mirror too. I found some of the dialogue really awkward and unnatural. More like a stage play than real life. 
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 Mongolian Ping Pong (2005)

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This movie had very slow and controlled pace. There weren't a lot of close up's, the action just played out with the beautiful scenery in the background. It was a nice film. If you aren't patient and don't like subtitles, pass on it. But if you like watching children play and remember your childhood tuffs fondly, check it out.
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 The Big Year (2011)


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I thought this was an interesting look into a field we don't often see. The birding was presented in a humorous and informative light. I kept wondering how the movie got green-lit (base on topic), but I think the cast was great and I enjoyed it. Very nice film and I learned a bit too. :) Recommend it. 
 
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Monday, March 11, 2013

The Sapphires (2012); The Playback Singer (2012); Becoming Fools (2013)

Here are the feature-length films I watched as part of the 8th Annual Omaha Film Festival. View previous entry to see the films from the Festival I got to watch before the Festival. Perk of being a volunteer!

The Sapphires (2012)

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I was so happy to see this film. Great soundtrack, AMAZING voices, and based on a true story about the writer's mother. CRAZY awesome. I really want to look into their story further. Of course the script was a tad formulaic, but the ride was very enjoyable. It was sometimes overwhelming how talented these women are. Several males that watched it said they were surprised how much they enjoyed it. They also commented how nice it was to see a story of Vietnam that wasn't from an American perspective. This film is most definitely recommendable! 
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 The Playback Singer (2012)

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I really enjoyed this movie because it was character-driven and featured, to a degree, my love of Indian movies. I got to meet the writer/director and that's always a special opportunity. What is interesting to note is that the inspiration came from watching an arrogant singer and imagining what his character was like. So that explains why the characters are the most intriguing part to this film. It was written to be a very contained piece. Only a couple of locations,  mainly the house. It wasn't a film with a lot of action, and the emotion wasn't dramatic in a way that you are annoyed, which is sometimes hard for some films to pull off. I recommend this film for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories, or who has any familiarity with Indian movies. Very nice film.
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Becoming Fools (2013)

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This was a very touching documentary that brings to light the efforts of those who try to help the youth on the streets in Guatemala City. It focuses on the unfortunate situations which propel children to leave their homes for the streets and how one man was an inspiration. Clown by day, caretaker to the youth at night, Italo was a true inspiration. After his untimely death, others stepped up to honor and thank him. This film was truly touching, as I've said before. It's hard not to feel for the people we see and to be inspired by someone we'll never know. The director's original intent was to feature Italo, but the story took an unexpected turn before it could get off the ground. I recommend this film to everyone who needs a new perspective... which is all of us. 

The trailer isn't on youtube, so I can't embed a link. Watch trailer on vimeo here. 

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Sunday, March 03, 2013

La Source (2012); It's a Boy Girl Thing (2006); Mystery Team (2009)

Since it took me WAY too long last time to update on the 18 movies I had seen, and since I know I'll be seeing more than a few movies at this week's Film Festival, I'll do a quick update with the 4 movies I saw this week.

First of all, I watched Paul again. That movie is TONS of fun. But I've reviewed it before. So you should just watch it. I'm not counting that here.

La Source (2012)

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Most of us have the luxury of access to clean drinking water without little thought. But it took an entire community and a lot of fundraising to make that a possibility for a rural community in Haiti. Narrated by , this film is humorous, uplifting, and makes you rethink your station in life. This film will be showing at the Omaha Film Festival this upcoming week and I highly recommend it!

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It's a Boy Girl Thing (2006)

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Completely predictable. A different take on Freaky Friday movies. But if you want a really dumb rom-com to watch with good-looking characters, it's on Hulu for your viewing pleasure. Oh and Sharon Osbourne has a role in it too, which is kinda fun. 

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 Mystery Team (2009)

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Donald Glover is one of my favorites and I had heard of this movie. Finally got around to watching it on Hulu tonight. Quirky, low budget but good-looking comedy. Pokes fun at all the kid-detective movies. Lot of gross-out humor but a lot of cameos from people you know. 
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Well, there you have it folks. I watched 4 movies in a week. I'm back to my old self! ;) Next week... lots of movies. 
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