Okay, I'll admit. 12 movies in just over a month's time is pretty pathetic for someone who used to watch 2 or 3 movies every day for school. I should be ashamed and kind of am, except maybe this indicates I was actually a productive member of society since I wasn't watching so many movies. But I'm not sure that's true!
It's Winter: Iranian film that shows the plight of the working class and what happens when one has to make hard choices. Interesting to see life in a world which is so often obscured from our understanding.
Have Rocket, Will Travel :
Three Stooges are always a good time! If you don't laugh, your face is too tight! ;) This one you can watch online, so don't worry about searching through your rental queue.
Hud: Paul Newman, may he rest in peace. Yet another flick where a good man plays a bad boy. Interesting look at the cattle world and the family dynamics for this particular ranch. Besides being a good character study, I learned a bit about cattle ranching ;) AND about how good Paul looks! Ha cha cha! (but I already knew that!)
Secret of the Mountain: If it looks like a made-for-TV movie... Definitely safe for the kids. The little girl was pretty cute! Fun adventure story. Not the best movie ever, but fun.
Confessions of a Superhero: Available to watch online! Yay! A very intersting look at the characters in Hollywood and what it means to them to stand around and take pictures for tips.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze: Okay, okay, I know. Not a very film scholar-esque movie to see. But it's a childhood favorite and since it was playing in a local theatre at a midnight show... I just had to indulge. All I can say is "Go, ninja, go, ninja, go!" ;)
Peacock: Very talented cast here, especially Cillian Murphy. For those Juno fans, check out Ellen Page in a more dramatic role. Also Susan Sarrandon and Bill Pullman. Dark film and look at cross-dressing.
Beauty Academy of Kabul: I saw this title on the movie rental shelf years ago but only just got around to watching it. Interesting look at Afghanistan for anyone, whether interested in beauty or the human plight.
Avatar: I'm a little disappointed I didn't see it in 3-D and that it took me this long to get around to it. The creatures were cool and of course, being a Mother Nature fan, the storyline was right up my alley. It wasn't the most amazing movie ever, but the visual effects were cool. I like the fantasy of it but the story is one of the basics.
Bull: This one you will not find on IMDB. Believe me. It's a short my aunt and some of her friends made in 1999. No, no the one listed on imdb. It's a sentimental flick for the fact that I have family in it. And was surprised to find this time, that a film friend that has passed, was also in it. Wish I would have watched it between meeting him and his passing. I'm sure that would have been an intersting convo. :(
Hercules: Although phsyically too skinny, I've always loved Meg's saucy-ness! Who put the glad in gladiator? Hercules! Sometimes you just have to watch a Disney flick and release your inner child :)
Pageant: Several gay men compete for the title of Miss Gay America. Had a lot of fun watching this one. I don't care what your opinion is of homosexuality. It takes a lot of talent to dress in drag and entertain a crowd. More power to them!
So, there you have it. My movies watched, mostly in April. Hopefully I'll be watching more soon and more regularly. Hope you found at least one or two to check out soon :) Peace!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Two Months Later....
Wow, I surprise myself at how long it's been. Since Jan 3rd to be exact. Well let's see how many movies I've seen!
Miss Congeniality 2: It's true. I love Sandra Bullock. And the first one was lots of fun. So I had to watch the second one. And I like it well enough. :)
Big Nothing: This one has David Schwimmer and Simon Pegg in it. Great dark comedy. Don't think it ever got too much notice, but it's worth a watch or two :)
Volcano: Hollywood Story about a Volcano under L.A. Freaky when one things about all the crazy things Mother Nature has been doing lately.
3 Idiots: Fun Hindi-language movie. Good twists and turns. A little far-fetched at times, but come on people, this is Bollywood. Far-fetched is a requirement!
Couple's Retreat: Typical romantic comedy. Provided some good laughs and some pretty scenery.
Los Muertos: Very interesting and slowly played out film. A freed convict returns home, through the Argentinian jungle. Was interesting to see a different lifestyle for sure.
Where the Wild Things Are: This one was a disappointment for me in so many ways. Definitely not a kid's movie as there were some borderline-abusive characters in the film. It was disturbing to see all the ugly sides of people's personalities played out in monster form. This was supposed to be a kid's dreamworld and escape. Instead, it was a scarier place than what he left behind. But I wonder if that is part of the point.
My Dinner with Andre: This is one of those talking heads movies that screenwriters are always told to avoid. Generally it is very interesting to watch two people sit and eat. But in this case, I was okay with it. Maybe it's because I love Wallace Shawn (Cliffs of Insanity!). The topic of conversation might have been viewed as more pretentious if I didn't like him. Give it a try if you dare!
Princess and the Frog: Sad that it's taken until 2010 for Disney to give us a black princess. I really liked this flick. Maybe it's b/c of my love affair with New Orleans? I thought the film had flair.
Planet 51: Thought this was cute and fun. I liked seeing aliens reacting to a human. B/c alien is such a subjective term!
Boondock Saints: Yes, I watched it in my last entry too. But come on, the movie is a cult classic. I also watched the 2nd one in this go round... look below for my thoughts on that....
Religulous: I am not a religious person anymore and liked the basic theme... Bill Maher basically concludes that there is no way to know the truth, so why waste time on all the details when doing so tears humans apart. Valid point. Others of the religious vein may not like this film, but to each his/her own. To me, it makes sense.
Muppets Take Manhatten: I just love the Muppets. They can do no wrong in my eyes! I hear there will be anothe Muppet movie coming soon. I await it with baited breath!
Addams Family: The morbid little gal in me loves this classic.
Addams Family Values: The only loophole you are asked to overlook is that Uncle Fester, in the first film, was a natural with the ladies. In this film, he is shy with the ladies. I LOVE the scene of the Thanksgiving play with Wednesday and Pugsley. And it was mind-blowing to see Joan Cusack as a busty blonde!
My Name is Khan: another Bollywood flick. This one was pretty good but got really ridiculous when Khan went to Georgia to help with a hurricane. Bit of a stretch, but yet again, it's a Bollywood tearjerker. I had a good time. But yes, I have a thing for Shah Rukh Khan. aka SRK
Tambourine: I LOVED this Iranian film. Check it out! Most recommended on my list!
The Scientist: This flick attempts to cover the idea of being in more than one place at a time. Physics on film. It was okay, but there were some issues I had with it. Played very loudly and b/c of the loud sound effects, that got to be disturbing and took me out of the film.
Lovely Still: This film was soft and pretty. Was nice to see such prolific actors in those roles.
The Greatest: Good flick with Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarrandon (sp). Touches on the death of a son and how they deal. The whole time I was watching this, I just wanted to get them in therapy! Good flick.
My Name is Jerry: Really fun flick. Was fun to see Doug Jones outside of a costume. You've seen him as the Silver Surfer and as Pan from Pan's Labyrinth. Fun twist on 'mid-life crisis'.
Princess Ka'iulani: Nice narrative feature about the annexation of Hawaii and the foreign education and homecoming of the last Hawaiian Princess. Slow film, but interesting and worth the watch.
Alabama Moon: GREAT kids flick! What kid hasn't wanted to a bit of a rogue in the forest? John Goodman appears too and it's always fun to see him :) Highly recommend it.
The Jonses: Liked this flick with Demi Moore and David Duchovny. Makes you think about the rat race and materialism and how it infiltrates into our lives.
65_Red Roses: Very touching story about a young woman with Cystic Fribrosis who underwent a double lung transplant. Unfortunately, I was informed today that she has lost her fight with CF. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this wonderful, inspirational woman.
Note: The movies from "The Greatest" through "65_Red Roses" were seen as part of the Omaha Film Festival. I also show three blocks of shorts (about 30), but for the sake of time, will not mention them.
Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day: Disappointing. Of course, sequels rarely outshine the original, but this movie was ridiculous even on a stand along basis. It tried so hard to meet the original that it failed in all other aspects. Fail.
Farewell My Concubine: This movie was a wonderful look at Chinese Opera through the political changes of the the past century. Was informative and entertaining that it yanked your emotions around.
It's Complicated: Very well done flick. Liked the story, the message and most of the characters. Thumbs up.
BOOM. 29 films in 2 months. 8 of which (and 30ish unmentioned shorts) were due to the Omaha Film Festival
As previously mentioned I would highly recommend "Tambourine" if you can only choose one to watch from this list. Followed by "65_Red Roses".
Happy Watching!
Miss Congeniality 2: It's true. I love Sandra Bullock. And the first one was lots of fun. So I had to watch the second one. And I like it well enough. :)
Big Nothing: This one has David Schwimmer and Simon Pegg in it. Great dark comedy. Don't think it ever got too much notice, but it's worth a watch or two :)
Volcano: Hollywood Story about a Volcano under L.A. Freaky when one things about all the crazy things Mother Nature has been doing lately.
3 Idiots: Fun Hindi-language movie. Good twists and turns. A little far-fetched at times, but come on people, this is Bollywood. Far-fetched is a requirement!
Couple's Retreat: Typical romantic comedy. Provided some good laughs and some pretty scenery.
Los Muertos: Very interesting and slowly played out film. A freed convict returns home, through the Argentinian jungle. Was interesting to see a different lifestyle for sure.
Where the Wild Things Are: This one was a disappointment for me in so many ways. Definitely not a kid's movie as there were some borderline-abusive characters in the film. It was disturbing to see all the ugly sides of people's personalities played out in monster form. This was supposed to be a kid's dreamworld and escape. Instead, it was a scarier place than what he left behind. But I wonder if that is part of the point.
My Dinner with Andre: This is one of those talking heads movies that screenwriters are always told to avoid. Generally it is very interesting to watch two people sit and eat. But in this case, I was okay with it. Maybe it's because I love Wallace Shawn (Cliffs of Insanity!). The topic of conversation might have been viewed as more pretentious if I didn't like him. Give it a try if you dare!
Princess and the Frog: Sad that it's taken until 2010 for Disney to give us a black princess. I really liked this flick. Maybe it's b/c of my love affair with New Orleans? I thought the film had flair.
Planet 51: Thought this was cute and fun. I liked seeing aliens reacting to a human. B/c alien is such a subjective term!
Boondock Saints: Yes, I watched it in my last entry too. But come on, the movie is a cult classic. I also watched the 2nd one in this go round... look below for my thoughts on that....
Religulous: I am not a religious person anymore and liked the basic theme... Bill Maher basically concludes that there is no way to know the truth, so why waste time on all the details when doing so tears humans apart. Valid point. Others of the religious vein may not like this film, but to each his/her own. To me, it makes sense.
Muppets Take Manhatten: I just love the Muppets. They can do no wrong in my eyes! I hear there will be anothe Muppet movie coming soon. I await it with baited breath!
Addams Family: The morbid little gal in me loves this classic.
Addams Family Values: The only loophole you are asked to overlook is that Uncle Fester, in the first film, was a natural with the ladies. In this film, he is shy with the ladies. I LOVE the scene of the Thanksgiving play with Wednesday and Pugsley. And it was mind-blowing to see Joan Cusack as a busty blonde!
My Name is Khan: another Bollywood flick. This one was pretty good but got really ridiculous when Khan went to Georgia to help with a hurricane. Bit of a stretch, but yet again, it's a Bollywood tearjerker. I had a good time. But yes, I have a thing for Shah Rukh Khan. aka SRK
Tambourine: I LOVED this Iranian film. Check it out! Most recommended on my list!
The Scientist: This flick attempts to cover the idea of being in more than one place at a time. Physics on film. It was okay, but there were some issues I had with it. Played very loudly and b/c of the loud sound effects, that got to be disturbing and took me out of the film.
Lovely Still: This film was soft and pretty. Was nice to see such prolific actors in those roles.
The Greatest: Good flick with Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarrandon (sp). Touches on the death of a son and how they deal. The whole time I was watching this, I just wanted to get them in therapy! Good flick.
My Name is Jerry: Really fun flick. Was fun to see Doug Jones outside of a costume. You've seen him as the Silver Surfer and as Pan from Pan's Labyrinth. Fun twist on 'mid-life crisis'.
Princess Ka'iulani: Nice narrative feature about the annexation of Hawaii and the foreign education and homecoming of the last Hawaiian Princess. Slow film, but interesting and worth the watch.
Alabama Moon: GREAT kids flick! What kid hasn't wanted to a bit of a rogue in the forest? John Goodman appears too and it's always fun to see him :) Highly recommend it.
The Jonses: Liked this flick with Demi Moore and David Duchovny. Makes you think about the rat race and materialism and how it infiltrates into our lives.
65_Red Roses: Very touching story about a young woman with Cystic Fribrosis who underwent a double lung transplant. Unfortunately, I was informed today that she has lost her fight with CF. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this wonderful, inspirational woman.
Note: The movies from "The Greatest" through "65_Red Roses" were seen as part of the Omaha Film Festival. I also show three blocks of shorts (about 30), but for the sake of time, will not mention them.
Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day: Disappointing. Of course, sequels rarely outshine the original, but this movie was ridiculous even on a stand along basis. It tried so hard to meet the original that it failed in all other aspects. Fail.
Farewell My Concubine: This movie was a wonderful look at Chinese Opera through the political changes of the the past century. Was informative and entertaining that it yanked your emotions around.
It's Complicated: Very well done flick. Liked the story, the message and most of the characters. Thumbs up.
BOOM. 29 films in 2 months. 8 of which (and 30ish unmentioned shorts) were due to the Omaha Film Festival
As previously mentioned I would highly recommend "Tambourine" if you can only choose one to watch from this list. Followed by "65_Red Roses".
Happy Watching!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Catch up
Well, with the holiday season, I watched a few movies:
Young at Heart: This movie is adorable! It's about a bunch of senior citizens that learn more current songs...
3 Iron: Korean movie... not a lot of speaking, but dialogue wasn't needed as it relied on the romance aspect. You know, you don't need to say anything when your true love sees your heart! ;) lol It was really cool.
Boondock Saints: Have yet to see the new one. Is it out yet? This one will make it hard for the other one to live up to the expectations set... We shall see....
Star Trek: the Movie: Saw it in the theater and it was pretty good, even if you don't know the rest of the ST legacy.
Chaahat Ek Nasha: Okay, this movie was over the top even for Bollywood... I don't think I'm ruining it for you when I tell you that at the end one of the characters shoots herself in the head AND there is NO exit nor entry wound, no blood AND she reaches up to stroke the hero's face before she dies. Sometimes there is just too much non-reality to even seem credible.
Hairspray: own it, watched it in passing while helping Mom clean.
Julie and Julia: Missed the first 20 minutes due to ordering problems, but it was okay. I was a little annoyed by Amy Adams' character... and I still can't cook after watching it, nor do I feel inspired to do so. lol
Blind Side: I have a crush on Sandra Bullock. What can I say? She is amazing on and off screen. This movie was good b/c it didnt'have too much football to bore me. My question is did the sister end up with Michael? It seemed a little unsure... I mean in real life. I know he only was just drafted so it's not an old story or anything....And their personal life is none of my business but hey.
Poil de Carotte: means Carrot Top. French Film from the 20s I think. Kind of dramatic... like Bollywood... hmmm ;)
Dostana: the recent one with Abhishek, John Abrahams, and Priyanka Chopra.... eye candy all the way! I love this movie no matter how goofy it is... if I ever need a lenghty pick-me-up, it's this... and seeing how I'm under the weather and at home, Dostana was just what I needed! :)
So 10 movies in 17 days... seems someone is falling down on her movie watching ;)
Young at Heart: This movie is adorable! It's about a bunch of senior citizens that learn more current songs...
3 Iron: Korean movie... not a lot of speaking, but dialogue wasn't needed as it relied on the romance aspect. You know, you don't need to say anything when your true love sees your heart! ;) lol It was really cool.
Boondock Saints: Have yet to see the new one. Is it out yet? This one will make it hard for the other one to live up to the expectations set... We shall see....
Star Trek: the Movie: Saw it in the theater and it was pretty good, even if you don't know the rest of the ST legacy.
Chaahat Ek Nasha: Okay, this movie was over the top even for Bollywood... I don't think I'm ruining it for you when I tell you that at the end one of the characters shoots herself in the head AND there is NO exit nor entry wound, no blood AND she reaches up to stroke the hero's face before she dies. Sometimes there is just too much non-reality to even seem credible.
Hairspray: own it, watched it in passing while helping Mom clean.
Julie and Julia: Missed the first 20 minutes due to ordering problems, but it was okay. I was a little annoyed by Amy Adams' character... and I still can't cook after watching it, nor do I feel inspired to do so. lol
Blind Side: I have a crush on Sandra Bullock. What can I say? She is amazing on and off screen. This movie was good b/c it didnt'have too much football to bore me. My question is did the sister end up with Michael? It seemed a little unsure... I mean in real life. I know he only was just drafted so it's not an old story or anything....And their personal life is none of my business but hey.
Poil de Carotte: means Carrot Top. French Film from the 20s I think. Kind of dramatic... like Bollywood... hmmm ;)
Dostana: the recent one with Abhishek, John Abrahams, and Priyanka Chopra.... eye candy all the way! I love this movie no matter how goofy it is... if I ever need a lenghty pick-me-up, it's this... and seeing how I'm under the weather and at home, Dostana was just what I needed! :)
So 10 movies in 17 days... seems someone is falling down on her movie watching ;)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
December is Movie Time
Okay, here are the movies watched since last post. I have a couple more that I need to watch, but with holidays coming up and ppl in town and being held accountable for my writing... well I figure I might as well do it now (partially to avoid my writing it seems...) but nevertheless, here is the list:
The 13th Day This is the story of The Lady of Fatima, watched per special request by my parents... no, sorry I am not converted back to Christianity. Sorry.
Muppet X-mas: Letters to Santa Seriously, you can't go wrong with the Muppets! Too cute. Made me fall in love with Pepé the King Prawn and his little stocking cap ;)
Cry Baby Why, yes, I'd like me some Johnny Depp! I've seen it like 6 years ago but wanted a good giggle and that's what John Waters provides :)
Away From Her Alzheimer's. In Canada.
Sex and the City Gilles Marini is a favorite at work ;) Hey it was a snow day, what do you expect? Quality filmwatching? ha
Beetlejuice It's out on DVD complete with three episodes of the cartoon. Goodtimes :)
On the Rumba River Nice for the music's sake but slow like Africa time :)
Zombieland Yeah, it was okay. I'm sad about the special appearance that ended with a gunshot :( And the place they wanted to go was obviously stupid. With that mentality how did those two girls avoid zombies in the first place?
30 Days Until I'm Famous I remember watching this one when it came out on VH1.. Soy una matadora, no seré tuya! hee hee. I wanna be famous!
Prep and Landing Cute Disney/elf flick. Cute enough with which to kill 40 minutes at work... I mean, uh...
Les Soeurs Fâchées The Angry Sisters, acc to my Frenchy sister :) was pretty nice
Mansfield Park it's always the right time for Jane Austen! :) I got confused b/c I thought I was gonna watch Northanger Abbey b/c I read the book, so when this came on, I was confused. Hadn't read this book, but guess I don't need to now! :)
From Dusk to Dawn Tarantino/Rodriguez vampire flick w/ George Clooney. I hope it was supposed to be funny b/c it was ;)
Soooo, 13 flicks in 12 days. Not too bad, eh?
The 13th Day This is the story of The Lady of Fatima, watched per special request by my parents... no, sorry I am not converted back to Christianity. Sorry.
Muppet X-mas: Letters to Santa Seriously, you can't go wrong with the Muppets! Too cute. Made me fall in love with Pepé the King Prawn and his little stocking cap ;)
Cry Baby Why, yes, I'd like me some Johnny Depp! I've seen it like 6 years ago but wanted a good giggle and that's what John Waters provides :)
Away From Her Alzheimer's. In Canada.
Sex and the City Gilles Marini is a favorite at work ;) Hey it was a snow day, what do you expect? Quality filmwatching? ha
Beetlejuice It's out on DVD complete with three episodes of the cartoon. Goodtimes :)
On the Rumba River Nice for the music's sake but slow like Africa time :)
Zombieland Yeah, it was okay. I'm sad about the special appearance that ended with a gunshot :( And the place they wanted to go was obviously stupid. With that mentality how did those two girls avoid zombies in the first place?
30 Days Until I'm Famous I remember watching this one when it came out on VH1.. Soy una matadora, no seré tuya! hee hee. I wanna be famous!
Prep and Landing Cute Disney/elf flick. Cute enough with which to kill 40 minutes at work... I mean, uh...
Les Soeurs Fâchées The Angry Sisters, acc to my Frenchy sister :) was pretty nice
Mansfield Park it's always the right time for Jane Austen! :) I got confused b/c I thought I was gonna watch Northanger Abbey b/c I read the book, so when this came on, I was confused. Hadn't read this book, but guess I don't need to now! :)
From Dusk to Dawn Tarantino/Rodriguez vampire flick w/ George Clooney. I hope it was supposed to be funny b/c it was ;)
Soooo, 13 flicks in 12 days. Not too bad, eh?
Monday, December 14, 2009
I'm Baaaaaaack!
After a THREE year hiatus, I remembered I had this blog. Now please, do not expect an update of what movies I have watched in those two years, b/c that would bring me to tears. So instead, I will publish the last two notes I had written on another social site so you can feel updated.
Oh yeah, I have since graduated from Film Studies and watch movies for fun... Film Studies for Life!!!
Last 5 movies watched...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 11:37pm
Well, it's more than 5, but the Flixster app isn't finding ANY of these in the database on the quiz I normally take, sooooo I'm writing them here... b/c you're dying to know what I've watched....
MOVIES WATCHED IN FULL:
The Proposal I looooove Sandra Bullock, both as an actress and as a person... She seems very genuine
Sex, Lies and Videotape Heard so much about it in my film class... aaand it was like $5 at Borders
Y Tu Mamá Tambien also $5 at Borders... gotta love the racy!
Casper Can I keep you? Watched with the fam (almost the WHOLE fam) on Halloween! :)
Kicking and Screaming Watched it cuz it was on at the Hunter household :) seen it before
Walt: The Man Behind the Myth Lew had a special copy... and provided commentary on his time with Walt Disney
Strictly Sexual sounds dirty, right? it's on hulu and I actually thought it wasn't half bad...
Pow Wow: A Native American Gathering almost made me cry to see the pride and the beauty... WHEN my movie gets made, I'm gonna cry too!
MOVIES WATCHED IN SNIPPETS:
Gremlins 2 soooo much better than the first! I LOVE the variety! was playing during trick or treating... i did a little of both :)
Holes saw this movie when it first came out, have the book, have the soundtrack. yup, i knew about shia lebeouf when he was just a lad in an orange jumpsuit! [edit: also was on Disney for Even Stevens]
Born to Dance Eleanor Powell and Jimmy Stuart
Arsenic and Old Lace classic
Well, that's it's for now! (And this is me on a break from movies! HA! Film Studies for LIFE!)
NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEXT! (this was more recent, so in theory should be at the top of the post. Too bad!!! Ah, anarchy!!!)
movies I've recently seen (since beg of Nov)
Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:37pm
So here are some more movies watched. I try to write down in my calendar when I'm watching stuff, but sometimes I forget, so I expect this list to be missing some?
Arthur the one with Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. I hate her (acting) with a passion. ask me to do an impression of her sometime. seriously.
Chocolat mmmmmm yummy... for both Johnny Depp and the chocolate... I decided I can no longer watch that movie w/o a big supply of chocolate nearby!!
Great Indian Leaders & Nations this was a pretty cool movie. Leaders: Crazy Horse, Chief Joseph, Geronimo, Quanah Parker. Nations: Iriquois, Seminole, Navajo, Cheyenne and Lakota.
VeerZaara I've owned this (and many other Hindi movies) since my trip to India in Feb and have finally gotten around to this one, which Priya said is a good first Hindi movie for first time watchers, so if anyone is looking to get into the Bollywood scene, head over to the library of moi. ;)
Invention of Lying pretty cute. Jennifer Garner is kinda -eh-. Sometimes I wonder if I just hate all female actors lol. otherwise the movie is pretty cute.
Mixed Nuts has anyone else heard of this hilarious steve martin movie? jon stewart has a surprising role. adam sandler's in it. it's so cooky! my mom had gotten me the soundtrack for xmas one year b/c it's xmas songs, so when i found the VHS for a dollar at a goodwill, i had to see what it was all about... esp for Sandler's 'Grape Jelly' song ;)...
Birdcage Of course I love this movie! I also own the French original :)
G Force Poop in his hands, poop in his hands! took the nephews to this
Muppets from Space watched with the nephews
Goonies I'm proud of my nephews. They are smart enough to have this as a favorite movie. They are totally related to me! ;)
Up Seen it before with Mom, but took the nephews, sister and Dad too. Still a cute flick for sure!
The Battle of Little Big Horn another one of my Native movies. watched for fun/research. Pretty interesting. Did you know Custer was last in his class at West Point?! And they treated him like a hero for massacre of unarmed men, women and children. :(
Saló or the 120 Days of Sodom this HAS to be one of the most twisted movies I've watched. It was based on the Marquis de Sade so I knew it should have been twisted. It was made in Italy in the 70s so that should say it all right there, but it's supposed to be a classic/important. I'm not going into detail. You can find that here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal%C3%B2_o_le_120_giornate_di_Sodoma
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation always funny! :)
Wow, so that's the movies I've watched the past month! Film Studies for LIFE! lol
*END UPDATE
Wow, that's a lot of movies. Stay tuned for more!!
Oh yeah, I have since graduated from Film Studies and watch movies for fun... Film Studies for Life!!!
Last 5 movies watched...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 11:37pm
Well, it's more than 5, but the Flixster app isn't finding ANY of these in the database on the quiz I normally take, sooooo I'm writing them here... b/c you're dying to know what I've watched....
MOVIES WATCHED IN FULL:
The Proposal I looooove Sandra Bullock, both as an actress and as a person... She seems very genuine
Sex, Lies and Videotape Heard so much about it in my film class... aaand it was like $5 at Borders
Y Tu Mamá Tambien also $5 at Borders... gotta love the racy!
Casper Can I keep you? Watched with the fam (almost the WHOLE fam) on Halloween! :)
Kicking and Screaming Watched it cuz it was on at the Hunter household :) seen it before
Walt: The Man Behind the Myth Lew had a special copy... and provided commentary on his time with Walt Disney
Strictly Sexual sounds dirty, right? it's on hulu and I actually thought it wasn't half bad...
Pow Wow: A Native American Gathering almost made me cry to see the pride and the beauty... WHEN my movie gets made, I'm gonna cry too!
MOVIES WATCHED IN SNIPPETS:
Gremlins 2 soooo much better than the first! I LOVE the variety! was playing during trick or treating... i did a little of both :)
Holes saw this movie when it first came out, have the book, have the soundtrack. yup, i knew about shia lebeouf when he was just a lad in an orange jumpsuit! [edit: also was on Disney for Even Stevens]
Born to Dance Eleanor Powell and Jimmy Stuart
Arsenic and Old Lace classic
Well, that's it's for now! (And this is me on a break from movies! HA! Film Studies for LIFE!)
NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEXT! (this was more recent, so in theory should be at the top of the post. Too bad!!! Ah, anarchy!!!)
movies I've recently seen (since beg of Nov)
Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:37pm
So here are some more movies watched. I try to write down in my calendar when I'm watching stuff, but sometimes I forget, so I expect this list to be missing some?
Arthur the one with Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. I hate her (acting) with a passion. ask me to do an impression of her sometime. seriously.
Chocolat mmmmmm yummy... for both Johnny Depp and the chocolate... I decided I can no longer watch that movie w/o a big supply of chocolate nearby!!
Great Indian Leaders & Nations this was a pretty cool movie. Leaders: Crazy Horse, Chief Joseph, Geronimo, Quanah Parker. Nations: Iriquois, Seminole, Navajo, Cheyenne and Lakota.
VeerZaara I've owned this (and many other Hindi movies) since my trip to India in Feb and have finally gotten around to this one, which Priya said is a good first Hindi movie for first time watchers, so if anyone is looking to get into the Bollywood scene, head over to the library of moi. ;)
Invention of Lying pretty cute. Jennifer Garner is kinda -eh-. Sometimes I wonder if I just hate all female actors lol. otherwise the movie is pretty cute.
Mixed Nuts has anyone else heard of this hilarious steve martin movie? jon stewart has a surprising role. adam sandler's in it. it's so cooky! my mom had gotten me the soundtrack for xmas one year b/c it's xmas songs, so when i found the VHS for a dollar at a goodwill, i had to see what it was all about... esp for Sandler's 'Grape Jelly' song ;)...
Birdcage Of course I love this movie! I also own the French original :)
G Force Poop in his hands, poop in his hands! took the nephews to this
Muppets from Space watched with the nephews
Goonies I'm proud of my nephews. They are smart enough to have this as a favorite movie. They are totally related to me! ;)
Up Seen it before with Mom, but took the nephews, sister and Dad too. Still a cute flick for sure!
The Battle of Little Big Horn another one of my Native movies. watched for fun/research. Pretty interesting. Did you know Custer was last in his class at West Point?! And they treated him like a hero for massacre of unarmed men, women and children. :(
Saló or the 120 Days of Sodom this HAS to be one of the most twisted movies I've watched. It was based on the Marquis de Sade so I knew it should have been twisted. It was made in Italy in the 70s so that should say it all right there, but it's supposed to be a classic/important. I'm not going into detail. You can find that here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal%C3%B2_o_le_120_giornate_di_Sodoma
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation always funny! :)
Wow, so that's the movies I've watched the past month! Film Studies for LIFE! lol
*END UPDATE
Wow, that's a lot of movies. Stay tuned for more!!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Keep on, keepin' on....
I forgot Nacho Libre.
Since the accompilation of my list.... I've also watched:
Incognitio Dir Julie Dash
The Break-Up
Forbidden (1932) Frank Capra
Marked Woman (1937)
Sweet Land Dir. Ali Selim (whom I met) :)
Taxi Driver Dir. Martin Scorcese
Since the accompilation of my list.... I've also watched:
Incognitio Dir Julie Dash
The Break-Up
Forbidden (1932) Frank Capra
Marked Woman (1937)
Sweet Land Dir. Ali Selim (whom I met) :)
Taxi Driver Dir. Martin Scorcese
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
?? movies in two months...let's guess: 57...
Last movie I posted was Lenny from the 27th of October. Now we all know I've watched waaaaaay more movies since then... I just haven't felt like keeping track... But now that I'm at work until 8 am... I think I'll give it a go....
I won't provide links to the pages, but if you're interested... www.imdb.com
Class One
Persona (1968) Dir. Ingmar Bergman
Masculin/Feminin (1965) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard
Horse Feathers (1932) Dir. Norman Z. McHood???
Orpheus .... Dir. Jean Cocteau
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939) Dir. William Clemens??
The Music Box (1932) Dir. James Parrott
With the Marines at Tarawa (1944)
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1944)
The Thing (1982) Dir. John Carpenter
The Never Ending Story (1984) Dir. Wolfgang Peterson
A Christmas Carol (1938) Dir. Edwin L. Marin
Till The Clouds Roll By (1946) Dir. Richard Whorf
Class Two
Matador ... Dir Pedro Almodovar
All About My Mother (1999) Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Fallen Angels (1995) Wong Kar-Wai
Happy Together (1997) Dir. Wong Kar-Wai
2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai
Histoire du Cinema (1988-1998) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard...well I watched part of it
The Hand (2004) Wong Kar-Wai
Class Three
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Ruthless People (1986)
Total Recall (1990)
The Player (1992) Dir. Robert Altman....actually watched it the night he died....creepy!
Analyze That (2002) Dir. Harold Ramis
Soapdish (1991) Dir. Michael Hoffman
Dream with the Fishes (1997) Dir. Finn Taylor
For Fun
Prarie Home Companion (2006) Dir. Robert Altman
Jesus Camp
Rembrandt Laughing (1988) Dir. Jon Jost
Over Here (2006?) Dir. Jon Jost
The 400 Blows... Dir. Francois Truffaut
The Squid and the Whale ...Dir. Wes Anderson
Election ... Dir. Alexander Payne
Citizen Ruth ... Dir. Alexander Payne
The Family Stone
Little Miss Sunshine
Ed Wood ... Dir. Tim Burton
Bottle Rocket ... Dir. Wes Anderson
Born into Brothels
Night at the Museum (2006)
The Holiday (2006)
I'm a Sex Addict
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
The Pick of Destiny (2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Devil Wears Prada
Shopgirl
The Color of Fear (1994)
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) Dir. Andy Finkman (Yes, I've seen the 1936 version, too)
This Film is Not Yet Rated
Serenity (2005) Dir. Joss Whedon
Monster House
The Secret (2006) Dir. Drew Heriot
Daughters of the Dust (1991) Dir. Julie Dash
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Freaks (1932) Dir. Tod Browning
The Beat that My Heart Skipped (2005) Jacques Audiard
L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) Dir. Cedric Klapisch
Russian Dolls (2005) Dir. Cedric Klapisch
I've got 59 listed... I'm sure there's more... Scary how close my guess was!
I won't provide links to the pages, but if you're interested... www.imdb.com
Class One
Persona (1968) Dir. Ingmar Bergman
Masculin/Feminin (1965) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard
Horse Feathers (1932) Dir. Norman Z. McHood???
Orpheus .... Dir. Jean Cocteau
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939) Dir. William Clemens??
The Music Box (1932) Dir. James Parrott
With the Marines at Tarawa (1944)
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1944)
The Thing (1982) Dir. John Carpenter
The Never Ending Story (1984) Dir. Wolfgang Peterson
A Christmas Carol (1938) Dir. Edwin L. Marin
Till The Clouds Roll By (1946) Dir. Richard Whorf
Class Two
Matador ... Dir Pedro Almodovar
All About My Mother (1999) Dir. Pedro Almodovar
Fallen Angels (1995) Wong Kar-Wai
Happy Together (1997) Dir. Wong Kar-Wai
2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai
Histoire du Cinema (1988-1998) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard...well I watched part of it
The Hand (2004) Wong Kar-Wai
Class Three
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Ruthless People (1986)
Total Recall (1990)
The Player (1992) Dir. Robert Altman....actually watched it the night he died....creepy!
Analyze That (2002) Dir. Harold Ramis
Soapdish (1991) Dir. Michael Hoffman
Dream with the Fishes (1997) Dir. Finn Taylor
For Fun
Prarie Home Companion (2006) Dir. Robert Altman
Jesus Camp
Rembrandt Laughing (1988) Dir. Jon Jost
Over Here (2006?) Dir. Jon Jost
The 400 Blows... Dir. Francois Truffaut
The Squid and the Whale ...Dir. Wes Anderson
Election ... Dir. Alexander Payne
Citizen Ruth ... Dir. Alexander Payne
The Family Stone
Little Miss Sunshine
Ed Wood ... Dir. Tim Burton
Bottle Rocket ... Dir. Wes Anderson
Born into Brothels
Night at the Museum (2006)
The Holiday (2006)
I'm a Sex Addict
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
The Pick of Destiny (2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Devil Wears Prada
Shopgirl
The Color of Fear (1994)
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) Dir. Andy Finkman (Yes, I've seen the 1936 version, too)
This Film is Not Yet Rated
Serenity (2005) Dir. Joss Whedon
Monster House
The Secret (2006) Dir. Drew Heriot
Daughters of the Dust (1991) Dir. Julie Dash
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Freaks (1932) Dir. Tod Browning
The Beat that My Heart Skipped (2005) Jacques Audiard
L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) Dir. Cedric Klapisch
Russian Dolls (2005) Dir. Cedric Klapisch
I've got 59 listed... I'm sure there's more... Scary how close my guess was!
Friday, October 27, 2006
The Nun (2005), In a Lonely Place (1950), House on Haunted Hill (1959), Lenny (1974)
Monja, La (2005) aka "The Nun" - (English title) Dir. Luis De La Madrid
Free rental from Blockbuster had to be used on something. Watched it with my friends Jessica and Jackie
One of the most fantastic... no. Um, well, it was interesting. I need to watch it again. I think there may be a plot hole, but I need to see it again to be sure...Any takers?
In a Lonely Place (1950) Directed byNicholas Ray
Class required for my Film History class
This left me with an uneasy feeling. It was interesting and suspenseful and sad. Wow, this isn't really helping. I've just been out of the bloggage for a while.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) aka "The House on Haunted Hill" - USA (trailer title) Directed byWilliam Castle
in class screening for ab0ve-mentioned class. I was able to suspect the two characters and was kind of close. The evil people are revealed at some point. It's slightly disconcerting.
Lenny (1974) Directed byBob Fosse
for my Short Shelf Life Actresses class
I appreciated the mis-en-scene of this film present in the ECU's (extreme close-ups) and the documentary type fashion. Yay, Dustin Hoffman. The politics of comedy....
Free rental from Blockbuster had to be used on something. Watched it with my friends Jessica and Jackie
One of the most fantastic... no. Um, well, it was interesting. I need to watch it again. I think there may be a plot hole, but I need to see it again to be sure...Any takers?
In a Lonely Place (1950) Directed byNicholas Ray
Class required for my Film History class
This left me with an uneasy feeling. It was interesting and suspenseful and sad. Wow, this isn't really helping. I've just been out of the bloggage for a while.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) aka "The House on Haunted Hill" - USA (trailer title) Directed byWilliam Castle
in class screening for ab0ve-mentioned class. I was able to suspect the two characters and was kind of close. The evil people are revealed at some point. It's slightly disconcerting.
Lenny (1974) Directed byBob Fosse
for my Short Shelf Life Actresses class
I appreciated the mis-en-scene of this film present in the ECU's (extreme close-ups) and the documentary type fashion. Yay, Dustin Hoffman. The politics of comedy....
Monday, October 23, 2006
19 or more movies in this past month...
Sorry, it's taken me so long to get back on top of writing...but no one reads this anyway... ;)
So, in order to catch up, I'm just going to provide the name, year and director. If you need my opinion.... well, ask for it.... I may be missing a movie or two... but that's not for sure...
Fantasia (1940) A different director for each segment:
James Algar
(segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Samuel Armstrong
(segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Nutcracker Suite, The")
Ford Beebe
(segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Norman Ferguson
(segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Norm Ferguson)
Jim Handley
(segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
T. Hee
(segment "Dance of the Hours")
Wilfred Jackson
(segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Hamilton Luske
(segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Bill Roberts
(segment "Rite of Spring")
Paul Satterfield
(segment "Rite of Spring")
Ben Sharpsteen
(uncredited)
So, in order to catch up, I'm just going to provide the name, year and director. If you need my opinion.... well, ask for it.... I may be missing a movie or two... but that's not for sure...
Fantasia (1940) A different director for each segment:
James Algar
(segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
Samuel Armstrong
(segments "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Nutcracker Suite, The")
Ford Beebe
(segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Norman Ferguson
(segment "Dance of the Hours") (as Norm Ferguson)
Jim Handley
(segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
T. Hee
(segment "Dance of the Hours")
Wilfred Jackson
(segment "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria")
Hamilton Luske
(segment "The Pastoral Symphony")
Bill Roberts
(segment "Rite of Spring")
Paul Satterfield
(segment "Rite of Spring")
Ben Sharpsteen
(uncredited)
All About Eve (1950) Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Bambi (1942) Directed by David Hand
Citizen Kane (1941) Directed by Orson Welles
Russkiy kovcheg (2002) aka "Russian Ark" - (English title) aka "Russian Ark - Eine einzigartige Zeitreise durch die Eremitage" - Germany Directed byAleksandr Sokurov
Tom Jones (1963) Directed byTony Richardson
Tom Jones (1963) Directed byTony Richardson
The Third Man (1949) Directed byCarol Reed
Who'll Stop the Rain (1978) Directed byKarel Reisz
Three on a Match (1932) Directed byMervyn LeRoy
Raging Bull (1980) Directed byMartin Scorsese
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Directed byHenry Selick
Hocus Pocus (1993) Directed byKenny Ortega
Xingfu shiguang (2000) aka "Happy Times Hotel" - UK (DVD title) aka "Happy Time" - (English title) aka "Happy Times" - UK, USA Directed byYimou Zhang
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
It Happened One Night (1934), La Belle et la bete (1946), Escape from Crime (1942)
You can tell I'm a film studies major/cinephile when I watch three movies in a span of 24 hours. It's true, I confess.
It Happened One Night (1934) Directed by Frank Capra
I watched this for my film history class and will be writing a paper on it.
If I remember correctly, there was an excessive use of wipes, with some fades and enough intercuts to keep the audience in on the action. But if you're not film studies, you don't care. Fact is, a friend or two had raved about this movie, and now I know why. Romantic comedy at its finest. The main characters are involved in a love-hate relationship with each other and both undergo changes as they fall in love. As far as I'm concerned, this was a classier version of Spaceballs (1987).
Belle et la bête, La (1946) aka "Beauty and the Beast" Directed by Jean Cocteau
I watched this one because it played for another class.
Excessively dramatic but that was perhaps to correlate with the enchanted theme of the movie. At the beginning of the movie, the director puts a note that children will believe whatever we tell them, so please return to a child-like state of mind for this movie. And one has to, or the movie becomes laughable and overly-romantic. The costuming, as far as Belle or her sisters are concerned, is very intriguing. The Beast, well, he's a beast, and a furry one at that. The enchanted elements of the castle were at first-sight very creepy and definitely fit. When one compare it to the Disney version, this one is a nice change.
Escape from Crime (1942) Directed by D. Ross Lederman
in class viewing for film history.
This film is notable for it's super-fast-paced editing and mile-a-minute montages. One just has to accept the inconsistencies that may appear in the film between plot and real-life, as it is obvious that some of the action isn't really likely to occur in real life, such as the fact that our main character is released on parole for no reason. The film is completed in about an hour. Professor said it was a B pic. One minute walk-on by Jackie Gleason at the very beginning.
It Happened One Night (1934) Directed by Frank Capra
I watched this for my film history class and will be writing a paper on it.
If I remember correctly, there was an excessive use of wipes, with some fades and enough intercuts to keep the audience in on the action. But if you're not film studies, you don't care. Fact is, a friend or two had raved about this movie, and now I know why. Romantic comedy at its finest. The main characters are involved in a love-hate relationship with each other and both undergo changes as they fall in love. As far as I'm concerned, this was a classier version of Spaceballs (1987).
Belle et la bête, La (1946) aka "Beauty and the Beast" Directed by Jean Cocteau
I watched this one because it played for another class.
Excessively dramatic but that was perhaps to correlate with the enchanted theme of the movie. At the beginning of the movie, the director puts a note that children will believe whatever we tell them, so please return to a child-like state of mind for this movie. And one has to, or the movie becomes laughable and overly-romantic. The costuming, as far as Belle or her sisters are concerned, is very intriguing. The Beast, well, he's a beast, and a furry one at that. The enchanted elements of the castle were at first-sight very creepy and definitely fit. When one compare it to the Disney version, this one is a nice change.
Escape from Crime (1942) Directed by D. Ross Lederman
in class viewing for film history.
This film is notable for it's super-fast-paced editing and mile-a-minute montages. One just has to accept the inconsistencies that may appear in the film between plot and real-life, as it is obvious that some of the action isn't really likely to occur in real life, such as the fact that our main character is released on parole for no reason. The film is completed in about an hour. Professor said it was a B pic. One minute walk-on by Jackie Gleason at the very beginning.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Barnyard (2006), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Weekend (1967), Laura (1944), Digging to China (1998)
A very interesting mix, I know, but when it rains, it pours.... movies!
Barnyard (2006) Directed bySteve Oedekerk
Saw this with the nephews and a friend.
My major grief with this film is that the main characters were male...and were cows. As if children needed to be misled anymore. This film was teeming with an overwhelming amount of adult humor. Milk was substituted for alcohol and the film relied on a multitude of stereotypes to carry the characters through. The wise old donkey was voiced by Danny Glover and the wise cow who was the main FEMALE cow's sidekick was voiced by Wanda Sykes. It seems as if computer animation, excuse me.... computer animated animals... is the only way to make a children's film these days. One technology has replaced another, provingthat children alwasy love talking animals that tell too many adult-targeted jokes. But never fear...there is a TV series of Barnyard in pre-production["Barnyard" (2007) TV Series]. Oh, I can barely contain myself. All I can say, is mothers....teach your children the reality of cows and udders before they become udderly misled....
Foreign Correspondent (1940) Directed byAlfred Hitchcock
Saw with a classmate for my class on Short Shelf-Life Actresses.
If ever one didn't believe that it's possible to fall in love in a minute flat, this movie should set you straight again. The feminist in me was slightly disturbed that the male character sent the female love notes 10 minutes after meeting her.... one of which read "Do you believe in large families?" The lead female was a little too naive for my tastes and it was obvious why the actress, Laraine Day, didn't make it as a big star from this role.... the character was flat and a pushover. The majority of the film (all but the first five minutes) took place in Europe but the last minute and a half was gung-ho American to the extreme, a call to action for the U.S. to get their butts in gear and get involved in the war.
Week End (1967) Directed byJean-Luc Godard
solo viewing for film director class
This movie, to put it a little more politely, is a major mind-screw. I know it is supposed to be a political and social condemnation of the deteriorating French society, but what with all the burning car wrecks, plotting murder, Alice in Wonderland shtick and cannibalism, I wasn't sure quite how to handle it. I hope you are more intelligent than I am and can figure out all of the references that Godard makes to multiple works of literature, cinema and then-contemporary events.
Laura (1944) Directed byOtto Preminger
in-class viewing for short shelf-life actress class
A mind twister, a whodunit to the extreme. It's hard to give any details without going into the plot, but it did feature too many May-December romances for my taste. The lead female was involved in at least three romantic entanglements. If only every person was that irresistible.... we might have a lot more problems on our hands. A film noir. That means look at the use of shadows....among other things
Digging to China (1998) Directed byTimothy Hutton
solo viewing to research Cathy Moriarty for above class
Cathy Moriarty yet again plays the woman who smokes and drinks too much. Guess what? She dies less than a third of the way through the movie. The movie is about her two supposed daughters, specifically the youngest, Harriet and her befriending of Kevin Bacon playing a mentally handicapped man in the 1960s. I wonder how many actors and actresses hope to gain some recognition by playing this ever-intriguing role. The film relies on the misunderstandings most people had or have about the mentally handicapped. It was nice to see that some characters were not as judgemental of Bacon's character Ricky. The film is nothing extremely special, but a nice uplifting cutesy movie to watch on a popcorn night.
Barnyard (2006) Directed bySteve Oedekerk
Saw this with the nephews and a friend.
My major grief with this film is that the main characters were male...and were cows. As if children needed to be misled anymore. This film was teeming with an overwhelming amount of adult humor. Milk was substituted for alcohol and the film relied on a multitude of stereotypes to carry the characters through. The wise old donkey was voiced by Danny Glover and the wise cow who was the main FEMALE cow's sidekick was voiced by Wanda Sykes. It seems as if computer animation, excuse me.... computer animated animals... is the only way to make a children's film these days. One technology has replaced another, provingthat children alwasy love talking animals that tell too many adult-targeted jokes. But never fear...there is a TV series of Barnyard in pre-production["Barnyard" (2007) TV Series]. Oh, I can barely contain myself. All I can say, is mothers....teach your children the reality of cows and udders before they become udderly misled....
Foreign Correspondent (1940) Directed byAlfred Hitchcock
Saw with a classmate for my class on Short Shelf-Life Actresses.
If ever one didn't believe that it's possible to fall in love in a minute flat, this movie should set you straight again. The feminist in me was slightly disturbed that the male character sent the female love notes 10 minutes after meeting her.... one of which read "Do you believe in large families?" The lead female was a little too naive for my tastes and it was obvious why the actress, Laraine Day, didn't make it as a big star from this role.... the character was flat and a pushover. The majority of the film (all but the first five minutes) took place in Europe but the last minute and a half was gung-ho American to the extreme, a call to action for the U.S. to get their butts in gear and get involved in the war.
Week End (1967) Directed byJean-Luc Godard
solo viewing for film director class
This movie, to put it a little more politely, is a major mind-screw. I know it is supposed to be a political and social condemnation of the deteriorating French society, but what with all the burning car wrecks, plotting murder, Alice in Wonderland shtick and cannibalism, I wasn't sure quite how to handle it. I hope you are more intelligent than I am and can figure out all of the references that Godard makes to multiple works of literature, cinema and then-contemporary events.
Laura (1944) Directed byOtto Preminger
in-class viewing for short shelf-life actress class
A mind twister, a whodunit to the extreme. It's hard to give any details without going into the plot, but it did feature too many May-December romances for my taste. The lead female was involved in at least three romantic entanglements. If only every person was that irresistible.... we might have a lot more problems on our hands. A film noir. That means look at the use of shadows....among other things
Digging to China (1998) Directed byTimothy Hutton
solo viewing to research Cathy Moriarty for above class
Cathy Moriarty yet again plays the woman who smokes and drinks too much. Guess what? She dies less than a third of the way through the movie. The movie is about her two supposed daughters, specifically the youngest, Harriet and her befriending of Kevin Bacon playing a mentally handicapped man in the 1960s. I wonder how many actors and actresses hope to gain some recognition by playing this ever-intriguing role. The film relies on the misunderstandings most people had or have about the mentally handicapped. It was nice to see that some characters were not as judgemental of Bacon's character Ricky. The film is nothing extremely special, but a nice uplifting cutesy movie to watch on a popcorn night.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Unknown White Male (2005), Heat Lightning (1934), and The Rules of the Game (1939)
Yes, there are three today...hold onto your hats! (Barely a week and I've reached a total of 7 movies! Craziness indeed!)
Unknown White Male (2005) by Rupert Murray
for fun, with friends Laurel and Desiree'
This was an interesting documentary that examines the memory loss of the director's friend. He came to on the subway from his fugue(sp?...which is a dreamlike state prior to amnesia) with only a phone number and a British accent. This film employs an interesting use of fisheye lenses and interesting camera angles to portray the frightening sensation of having no memory and no idea where one is. A disturbing and intriguing concept.
Heat Lightning (1934) by Mervyn LeRoy
viewed in film history class. the last existing print! no vhs or dvd copies!
As my professor says: filmmaking is like writing on water.
The filling stating in the isolation of the desert is the location for this story of love lost, thievery and deception. The film also addresses indirectly the status of women and immigrants within society as well as other class issues. There is a use of shallow and deep focus, panning, tracking, fades, etc. The film is commendable for its strong sense of feminism, as two sisters are the owners/mechanics for the filling station/cabin/diner oasis in the desert.
Règle du jeu, La (1939) aka "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir
movie shown for the french film class that i'm not taking...but why would Little Miss Cinema pass up an opportunity for a free movie?!
This movie screams infidelity. It's a view at the well-to-do and their weekend at the country mansion for game-hunting, where the rich and their servants partake in charades and adultery. There is a great commotion of men running amok fighting for the affection of their wives, but the movie has a serious ending, causing me to consider it a 'tragicomedy'.
Unknown White Male (2005) by Rupert Murray
for fun, with friends Laurel and Desiree'
This was an interesting documentary that examines the memory loss of the director's friend. He came to on the subway from his fugue(sp?...which is a dreamlike state prior to amnesia) with only a phone number and a British accent. This film employs an interesting use of fisheye lenses and interesting camera angles to portray the frightening sensation of having no memory and no idea where one is. A disturbing and intriguing concept.
Heat Lightning (1934) by Mervyn LeRoy
viewed in film history class. the last existing print! no vhs or dvd copies!
As my professor says: filmmaking is like writing on water.
The filling stating in the isolation of the desert is the location for this story of love lost, thievery and deception. The film also addresses indirectly the status of women and immigrants within society as well as other class issues. There is a use of shallow and deep focus, panning, tracking, fades, etc. The film is commendable for its strong sense of feminism, as two sisters are the owners/mechanics for the filling station/cabin/diner oasis in the desert.
Règle du jeu, La (1939) aka "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir
movie shown for the french film class that i'm not taking...but why would Little Miss Cinema pass up an opportunity for a free movie?!
This movie screams infidelity. It's a view at the well-to-do and their weekend at the country mansion for game-hunting, where the rich and their servants partake in charades and adultery. There is a great commotion of men running amok fighting for the affection of their wives, but the movie has a serious ending, causing me to consider it a 'tragicomedy'.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Contempt (1963) and Blood of a Poet (1930)
Mépris, Le (1963) aka "Contempt" by Jean-Luc Godard
This film was for my Film Directors class. It is the story of the deteriorization of a marriage among the context of a movie about making a movie. There is an extensive use of pans, which signifies very long shots (ie, not many cuts...the action just plays out). The camera acts as a witness to the action, as it follows around one character or another, sometimes turning a circle around the room. The famous director Fritz Lang plays himself as one who attempts to direct the story of Ulysses. He has to deal with an ignorant American producer (Jack Palance) who has a habit of combatting opposition by whipping out a literal little book of wisdom. The main cause of the action is the insistance of the husband Paul, to find out why his wife, Camille, does not love him anymore. There is a parallel between the movie production of Ulysses and that of the couple's situation.
Sang d'un poète, Le (1930) aka "The Blood of a Poet" by Jean Cocteau
This film was viewed for my Film History class. Hot off the press...I just finished watching this film not too much more than a half hour ago. If you are expecting a narrative, don't look to this film. One can only imagine what the film is, especially when it is proceeded by a note from Jean Cocteau, that basically says, "I'm a mad genius, and if you don't get my poetry on the screen, it's not my fault." The film is a presentation of art mixed with surrealism, yet it all mingles together in less than than an hour's worth of film. If one attempts to follow a storyline involving the young man in the first two episodes, it nearly becomes obscured by the introduction of other characters in later episodes. One would be extremely disappointed if searching for a plot. Take with this viewing, the realization that poetry is usally one of the harder forms of literature to understand, so that poetry on film would follow suit. As I try to make sense of it, I wonder if my mind is the empty void to which Cocteau refers.
This film was for my Film Directors class. It is the story of the deteriorization of a marriage among the context of a movie about making a movie. There is an extensive use of pans, which signifies very long shots (ie, not many cuts...the action just plays out). The camera acts as a witness to the action, as it follows around one character or another, sometimes turning a circle around the room. The famous director Fritz Lang plays himself as one who attempts to direct the story of Ulysses. He has to deal with an ignorant American producer (Jack Palance) who has a habit of combatting opposition by whipping out a literal little book of wisdom. The main cause of the action is the insistance of the husband Paul, to find out why his wife, Camille, does not love him anymore. There is a parallel between the movie production of Ulysses and that of the couple's situation.
Sang d'un poète, Le (1930) aka "The Blood of a Poet" by Jean Cocteau
This film was viewed for my Film History class. Hot off the press...I just finished watching this film not too much more than a half hour ago. If you are expecting a narrative, don't look to this film. One can only imagine what the film is, especially when it is proceeded by a note from Jean Cocteau, that basically says, "I'm a mad genius, and if you don't get my poetry on the screen, it's not my fault." The film is a presentation of art mixed with surrealism, yet it all mingles together in less than than an hour's worth of film. If one attempts to follow a storyline involving the young man in the first two episodes, it nearly becomes obscured by the introduction of other characters in later episodes. One would be extremely disappointed if searching for a plot. Take with this viewing, the realization that poetry is usally one of the harder forms of literature to understand, so that poetry on film would follow suit. As I try to make sense of it, I wonder if my mind is the empty void to which Cocteau refers.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
The Collector (1965)
Last night's movie, courtesy of my friend Collin:
The Collector (1965) by William Wyler
The movie did not feautre any out-of-the-ordinary camerawork, but the underlying soundtrack was key in portraying the mood of the film. As Collin put it, the film would be nothing without the music. The movie was a UK production that featured the "I'll-kidnap-you-until-you-fall-in-love-with-me" theme (something I recently saw in a more upbeat telling: ¡Átame!(1990) by Pedro Almodóvar). Slightly frustrating to me were the several overlooked opportunities for the heroine's escape. Obviously, there would have been no movie if she would have escaped in the first five minutes of her capture. After the introduction of the neighbor, I kept hoping he would come back to rescue her, but unfortunately for her....that never happened. The movie gives off a general uneasy feeling as well it should. Yay for psychos.... perhaps we can all learn how to escape from them by watching movies like this.
The Collector (1965) by William Wyler
The movie did not feautre any out-of-the-ordinary camerawork, but the underlying soundtrack was key in portraying the mood of the film. As Collin put it, the film would be nothing without the music. The movie was a UK production that featured the "I'll-kidnap-you-until-you-fall-in-love-with-me" theme (something I recently saw in a more upbeat telling: ¡Átame!(1990) by Pedro Almodóvar). Slightly frustrating to me were the several overlooked opportunities for the heroine's escape. Obviously, there would have been no movie if she would have escaped in the first five minutes of her capture. After the introduction of the neighbor, I kept hoping he would come back to rescue her, but unfortunately for her....that never happened. The movie gives off a general uneasy feeling as well it should. Yay for psychos.... perhaps we can all learn how to escape from them by watching movies like this.
Friday, September 08, 2006
The Mambo Kings (1992)
Greetings, all! As I continue on my still-new venture into the world of cinema, I have discovered that my week is comprised of many movies, whether on the screen or in my head. I've decided to take this journey with whomever is willing, and so.... it shall be done. Here is where you will come to keep up with my movie-watching-ness..... very professional, I know. I will try my best to provide a catalog of the movies I am watching from here on out.....
Tonight's movie: The Mambo Kings dir. by Arne Glimcher
I watched this movie to examine Cathy Moriarty, the topic of my research paper for one of my classes (The class is about short shelf-life actresses).
The movie had the typical twists and turns of a story of its class. And by this, I refer to every story that presents the troubles that befall two brothers looking to make it big in the music world, love entanglements included. The soundtrack is delightful, if you like Cuban music. The celebrity cameos are also a kick, if you know anything about Latin music at all. Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Dezi Arnaz Jr. playing the role of his father. The montage scenes were slightly entertaining. I wasn't quite sure if they were meant to be cheesy, but one could definitely sense the use of green screen for the sequence.
With a tried and true storyline and redeeming music, this film is so-so. But don't take my word for it. (Cue Reading Rainbow)
In the future, I will try to actually have posts that are more worthy of my "film studies student" status. Someday, you'll see my name in lights. Get my autograph while you can.
Peace.
Tonight's movie: The Mambo Kings dir. by Arne Glimcher
I watched this movie to examine Cathy Moriarty, the topic of my research paper for one of my classes (The class is about short shelf-life actresses).
The movie had the typical twists and turns of a story of its class. And by this, I refer to every story that presents the troubles that befall two brothers looking to make it big in the music world, love entanglements included. The soundtrack is delightful, if you like Cuban music. The celebrity cameos are also a kick, if you know anything about Latin music at all. Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Dezi Arnaz Jr. playing the role of his father. The montage scenes were slightly entertaining. I wasn't quite sure if they were meant to be cheesy, but one could definitely sense the use of green screen for the sequence.
With a tried and true storyline and redeeming music, this film is so-so. But don't take my word for it. (Cue Reading Rainbow)
In the future, I will try to actually have posts that are more worthy of my "film studies student" status. Someday, you'll see my name in lights. Get my autograph while you can.
Peace.
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