1/28/11
1/27/11
Troll 2 Trailer
I watched this classic crapo movie from Netflix and it was uh...interesting. Woman seduces man with ear of corn, goblins defeated by a double decker baloney sandwich, hammy acting (no attempt at trying), a Linda Blair clone, and a set that looks like it could have been made by 8th graders. You can stream this on Netflix if you got it. Sure you might think there are better ways to spend 94 mins of your time, but why not?
Looney Tunes: Jumpin' Jupiter
I greatly enjoy the work of Pixar (particularly Ratatouille, their boldest, most mature, and best-looking film), but 3D animation simply cannot compare to 2D animation, at least not yet. In these old 2D animations, you could laugh even looking at a single frame because there is heart, thought, and that little touch of the human put into the composition; adding in the charismatic animation simply puts it over the top and into a whole new galaxy of hilarity. I have special affection for this particular episode because it was shown before a screening of the excellent genre flick Forbidden Planet that I attended a few months back (at the wonderful Normal Theatre in Normal, IL, where they always show a cartoon before their classic films), and it was the perfect thing to whet the appetite for the heftier bit of sci-fi/space opera that followed. The look and animation of the alien in this is especially funny. It may not be one of the better Looney Tunes cartoons, but it's still pretty hysterical overall. Enjoy!
1/25/11
1/24/11
1/23/11
Ironweed Trailer
Based on one of my fave novels by William Kennedy. Though I hear the film is just ok. Hence why I requested it on Netflix.
Postcards from the Edge trailer
Here's another Netflix movie I watched. (Yes Meryl Streep reminds me of my childhood--I also have Heartburn and Ironweed on request and despite my annoyance for Julie and Julia, I liked it b/c of Streep.) I had to read this book in high school--it's by Carrie Fisher and I don't remember it. I remember I had to read something for English class so we could write little precis on it and so my mom had this book. (The idea was to get us to read something each night, even if it was crap.)
The trailer is funny, but the movie I was expecting to be better. Not that I expect a masterpiece, but the Shirley and Meryl should certainly be entertaining enough, and sure there are moments, but overall it was a very dour film, just sort of blah. This '80s pubbed book is sort of a foreshadowing of all the bad novels, memoirs, bios about druggie losers that have been pushed on Oprah over the past few decades. How many more months till her show ends? Make it soon. Unfortunately the damage is done, but maybe it will be like bone loss, where you can reverse it. Here's hoping.
The trailer is funny, but the movie I was expecting to be better. Not that I expect a masterpiece, but the Shirley and Meryl should certainly be entertaining enough, and sure there are moments, but overall it was a very dour film, just sort of blah. This '80s pubbed book is sort of a foreshadowing of all the bad novels, memoirs, bios about druggie losers that have been pushed on Oprah over the past few decades. How many more months till her show ends? Make it soon. Unfortunately the damage is done, but maybe it will be like bone loss, where you can reverse it. Here's hoping.
KRAMER VS. KRAMER - HQ Trailer ( 1979 )
Since getting Netflix, I've been able to watch these old films that I'd not seen otherwise. Kramer vs. Kramer is a perfect example, as it's not old enough to be a "classic" and yet I was too young when it came out to see it. The Vivaldi is nice, but the movie is just ok and hasn't aged well. It appears very dated and high brow soap-operaish. Not exactly Scenes From a Marriage. The acting is very good, even though you don't care about Streep's character. Overall, a solid movie with some good moments, but not deep enough to be great. Also very plot driven.
1/22/11
1/21/11
SERGEANT YORK TRAILER 1941 GARY COOPER
A classic from Hollywood's Golden Age. Gary Cooper in a now underrated role.
1/20/11
1/19/11
Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938)
One of the screwiest of the screwball comedies, this film is entirely worth it for the wonderfully madcap performances of Katharine Hepburn and, especially, Cary Grant, who plays uptight and mild-mannered as well as it's ever been played in a comedy.
This being my first Cinemension post, I wanted to provide a better video clip, but most of the good scenes that are on Youtube have the embedding disabled. Fortunately, the entire film is available to stream legally on Youtube, so enjoy!
1/17/11
1/13/11
1/12/11
More Gunshop Scenes
That scene from The Public Enemy that Dan posted proved to be very influential indeed.
Here’s the elongated Sergio Leone take on the scene:
And here’s the nearly-as-badass Arnold Schwarzenegger take on it:
Here’s the elongated Sergio Leone take on the scene:
And here’s the nearly-as-badass Arnold Schwarzenegger take on it:
1/10/11
1/7/11
1/5/11
Derek Cianfrance's BLUE VALENTINE
Cianfrance seems to be a promising new American director and his last movie -Blue Valentine- is a very well done one. He is in his early 30's and this is only his 2nd work yet he surely can teach pretentious overpraised directors like Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), or wannabe "artists" like Tom Ford (A Single Man) how to make a movie.
Blue Valentine reminds me of movies like Before Sunrise (1995) and its sequel Before Sunset (2004): simple well told stories. Unlike those two, it narrates two paralleled stories of the same couple, the present is the married couple and the past is the two lovers. A simple story of a couple about the beginning and the end of "them", told without any cliche or melodramatic scenes and empty dialogues (again, movies like Revolutionary Road , A Single Man, The Hours...etc).
The male lead is Ryan Gosling who did an excellent job. He plays an uneducated -but not dumb- blue collar man who falls in love with a young blond played by Michelle Williams , a college girl planning to enter medical school. The married couple (present time) has a little daughter and Gosling is a good father and has an ok job (wall painting). In one interesting scene the disappointed wife is questioning his plans for the future and that he "had" so many potentials; projecting her own personal disappointment by ending up as a physician assistant in a small local office instead of being a physician.
The movie is good because it doesn't claim more than what it should, a simple story of an ordinary couple facing the ups but mostly downs of married life. Unlike 99% of the current American trash formula in cinema there's no major tragedy or trauma waiting to happen. The few -very daring- sex scenes between the lovers are at times awkward and shot from non-flattering angles; as opposed to the regular steamy, sweaty, out-of-this-world hollywood sex. The camera is as neutral is it could: no unnecessary close ups, no fancy transitions b/w past or present (the balding Gosling is almost the only lead to the present time).
Blue Valentine is a very good movie, will I watch it again: probably no, but it is how ordinary stories should be told and what hollywood is currently lacking. It seems overall it got good reviews (91%on RT).
Blue Valentine reminds me of movies like Before Sunrise (1995) and its sequel Before Sunset (2004): simple well told stories. Unlike those two, it narrates two paralleled stories of the same couple, the present is the married couple and the past is the two lovers. A simple story of a couple about the beginning and the end of "them", told without any cliche or melodramatic scenes and empty dialogues (again, movies like Revolutionary Road , A Single Man, The Hours...etc).
The male lead is Ryan Gosling who did an excellent job. He plays an uneducated -but not dumb- blue collar man who falls in love with a young blond played by Michelle Williams , a college girl planning to enter medical school. The married couple (present time) has a little daughter and Gosling is a good father and has an ok job (wall painting). In one interesting scene the disappointed wife is questioning his plans for the future and that he "had" so many potentials; projecting her own personal disappointment by ending up as a physician assistant in a small local office instead of being a physician.
The movie is good because it doesn't claim more than what it should, a simple story of an ordinary couple facing the ups but mostly downs of married life. Unlike 99% of the current American trash formula in cinema there's no major tragedy or trauma waiting to happen. The few -very daring- sex scenes between the lovers are at times awkward and shot from non-flattering angles; as opposed to the regular steamy, sweaty, out-of-this-world hollywood sex. The camera is as neutral is it could: no unnecessary close ups, no fancy transitions b/w past or present (the balding Gosling is almost the only lead to the present time).
Blue Valentine is a very good movie, will I watch it again: probably no, but it is how ordinary stories should be told and what hollywood is currently lacking. It seems overall it got good reviews (91%on RT).
1/4/11
NBA Moment - 1993 Bulls block Charles Smith
One of the worst non-calls in all of sports history- 3x in less than 5 seconds, the Bulls- Jordan, Pippen, and co., mug the Knicks' Charles Smith, and no foul is called. Unbelievable favoritism!
1/3/11
1/1/11
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)