With "The Dark Knight" shattering box office records every day (will it shatter the all important Monday matinee record?), it seems like everybody is talking about Batman. Heath Ledger was on the cover of more than a few magazine last week. NPR ran a piece that dug into Batman's creation...with comic artist Bob Kane.
hell, even the History Channel ran a special digging into the Bruce Wayne psychology......very interesting stuff indeed.
Since I haven't seen the movie yet (Chicago's IMAX next Saturday, 1 pm), this revival is paying off in 2 ways. First of all, it is much much easier for me to find episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series" online to watch. Growing up, I had the perfect after-school lineup:
- Tiny Toons
- Animanics
- Batman the Animated Series
the second way, is that somebody just snagged my copy of the campy Adam West/Burt Ward Batman from half.com. I've had that movie online for almost a year, but it took the Dark Knight to finally sell it!
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wall-E Review
Yes, you guys have probably already heard of Wall-E, and have seen the rave reviews...but I felt it necessary to add another to the long list :)
Storyline -
Started out incredibly slowly, but came on strong. It was a bold decision by Pixar to completely eliminate all dialogue in the first half hour of the movie, but it definetly paid off. I walked away from the story completely wow'd by where the story takes us...
Visuals -
Of course, you go to a Pixar movie for the visuals...and they do not disappoint. More than once, Mona had to ask me if the movie was actually animated...since it was so lifelike. Completely amazed by the visuals....bravo Pixar, bravo
"Acting" and Intangibles -
For an animated movie about a little robot that only says "Wall-E" and "Eva", the acting was incredible. People left the theatres with tears in their eyes.....
Go see the movie. Its fantastic.....yes, there's a lot of hype, but I think it lived up to it. Def not a kids movie, but has a deeper purpose about the future cost of today's rampant consumerism. Also, a not so subtle jab at our complete reliance on technology......from a company born out of Apple Computer, love it....
Storyline -
Started out incredibly slowly, but came on strong. It was a bold decision by Pixar to completely eliminate all dialogue in the first half hour of the movie, but it definetly paid off. I walked away from the story completely wow'd by where the story takes us...
Visuals -
Of course, you go to a Pixar movie for the visuals...and they do not disappoint. More than once, Mona had to ask me if the movie was actually animated...since it was so lifelike. Completely amazed by the visuals....bravo Pixar, bravo
"Acting" and Intangibles -
For an animated movie about a little robot that only says "Wall-E" and "Eva", the acting was incredible. People left the theatres with tears in their eyes.....
Go see the movie. Its fantastic.....yes, there's a lot of hype, but I think it lived up to it. Def not a kids movie, but has a deeper purpose about the future cost of today's rampant consumerism. Also, a not so subtle jab at our complete reliance on technology......from a company born out of Apple Computer, love it....
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Go Turks! (and no, I'm not talking about Chris Turk)
so with today's futbol match between the heavily favored Germans and the injured/crippled/suspended Turks, I felt that it was a good time to post a movie review for the German/Turkish movie Auf der anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven).
The movie tells a story in an intense, non-linear fashion....very much like Pulp Fiction or Memento. Its about the search for a Turkish girl. Her mother was a prostitute in Germany, but was murdered by a Turkish national in Germany. The national's son feels the need to compensate the girl, so he voyages to Istanbul to find her....
While that brief synopsis doesn't do the movie justice, its the best that I can do without giving away too much of the plot. Beyond the actual story itself, the timing, pacing, and imagery presented by Fatih Akin (the director) is incredible.
Interweaving scenes from Istanbul, Berlin, and Bonn.....from Turkish, to English, to German....he manages to captivate the viewer into caring about this girl and her dead prostitute mother....
If you are in the mood for a good "thinking" movie, don't mind reading the dialogue (no dubbing....read the subtitles people!), and have a few hours to spare...check it out.....
you'll walk away from it, better for having seen it.....its that good.
The movie tells a story in an intense, non-linear fashion....very much like Pulp Fiction or Memento. Its about the search for a Turkish girl. Her mother was a prostitute in Germany, but was murdered by a Turkish national in Germany. The national's son feels the need to compensate the girl, so he voyages to Istanbul to find her....
While that brief synopsis doesn't do the movie justice, its the best that I can do without giving away too much of the plot. Beyond the actual story itself, the timing, pacing, and imagery presented by Fatih Akin (the director) is incredible.
Interweaving scenes from Istanbul, Berlin, and Bonn.....from Turkish, to English, to German....he manages to captivate the viewer into caring about this girl and her dead prostitute mother....
If you are in the mood for a good "thinking" movie, don't mind reading the dialogue (no dubbing....read the subtitles people!), and have a few hours to spare...check it out.....
you'll walk away from it, better for having seen it.....its that good.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Movie Review - The Orphanage
Just watched the Spanish thriller El Orfanato (The Orphanage) last night, and I was blown away. After seeing the Oscar winning Pan's Labyrinth, I became a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro. While he didn't direct this movie, he attached himself to it as the producer, so, I gave it a shot.
The movie's protagonist Laura grew up in an Orphanage but was adopted by a family when she was a little girl. Now, as an adult, she and her husband (Carlos) bought the old orphanage, and dreamed of turning it into a home for special needs children. A noble ambition, but may have been driven by the needs of their own adopted son, Simon, who was born HIV positive.
With no other children to play with, Simon invents friends to play with. His new friend Tomas is particularly creepy....seen wearing a cloth bag over his head.....On the new orphanage's opening party, Simon disappears, and the general creepiness ensues.
I don't want to go into further details on the plot, but just wanted to comment on the production values. Juan Antonio Bayona, the director, knew where to place cameras in order to capture the mood and tension in his actor's face. He masterfully used music and dark lighting to accent the creepiness....
The actors, primarily Belén Rueda (Laura) and Roger Príncep (Simon) were incredible. Laura captured the agony of a mother who lost her son.....the mood swings, the arguments with her husband, and the pain. Simon, as the main child, breaks through upon learning of his disease and his adoption.
yes, the movie is in Spanish, but go see it. Its out on DVD, and its well worth a rental, especially if its dark and windy outside....see it, you won't regret it.
The movie's protagonist Laura grew up in an Orphanage but was adopted by a family when she was a little girl. Now, as an adult, she and her husband (Carlos) bought the old orphanage, and dreamed of turning it into a home for special needs children. A noble ambition, but may have been driven by the needs of their own adopted son, Simon, who was born HIV positive.
With no other children to play with, Simon invents friends to play with. His new friend Tomas is particularly creepy....seen wearing a cloth bag over his head.....On the new orphanage's opening party, Simon disappears, and the general creepiness ensues.
I don't want to go into further details on the plot, but just wanted to comment on the production values. Juan Antonio Bayona, the director, knew where to place cameras in order to capture the mood and tension in his actor's face. He masterfully used music and dark lighting to accent the creepiness....
The actors, primarily Belén Rueda (Laura) and Roger Príncep (Simon) were incredible. Laura captured the agony of a mother who lost her son.....the mood swings, the arguments with her husband, and the pain. Simon, as the main child, breaks through upon learning of his disease and his adoption.
yes, the movie is in Spanish, but go see it. Its out on DVD, and its well worth a rental, especially if its dark and windy outside....see it, you won't regret it.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
No Creativity in Hollywood?
What happened to coming up with original ideas? Granted, I shouldn't talk, since I'm not the most original person, but at least I'm not making movies with $100 million budgets.
All the big budget movies over the past years are either:
a) sequels
b) adapted from comic books or books
c) regurgitated from our memories
Of the 3 categories, I'm most upset with (c). First Transformers, now the Smurfs?
You have to be kidding me??? Why can't Hollywood get its act together, and stop blaming piracy for its lack of profitability?
All the big budget movies over the past years are either:
a) sequels
b) adapted from comic books or books
c) regurgitated from our memories
Of the 3 categories, I'm most upset with (c). First Transformers, now the Smurfs?
You have to be kidding me??? Why can't Hollywood get its act together, and stop blaming piracy for its lack of profitability?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Weekend Updates.......
So I just realized that I haven't updated my blog since Thursday night (or Friday morning), and for that I apologize. I try to keep this updated, and this was just a very busy weekend....so, this post will be to cover my weekend activities.
Saturday - The Second City - No Country for Old White Men
I hit up Chicago's famed Second City Comedy Club for their newest show, "No Country for Old White Men". I've been to the Second City before ("War! Now in its Fourth Smash Season"), and I love the place.
This show was built into 3 acts...the first 2 were mainly scripted, and the last was a bonus improv act. Of the 2 scripted acts, I loved the first one, and thought that the second had a bit too much filler.
The third act was fantastic, and I was literally laughing so hard that I was crying...
if you can, check it out, you won't regret it. Plus, if you go on monday night, its pretty cheap (like $8 or something).
Sunday - Into the Wild
Watched Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" on Sunday. Its about a guy named Chris who graduates from college, and decides to become a drifter and wanderer. He renames himself "Alexander Supertramp", and slowly drifts west from Atlanta, ultimately ending up in Alaska during the middle of the winter.
While I'm not going to pass judgment on the message of the movie (note - watch the movie for the message, its interesting), I thought that the movie was a bit drawn out. Penn could have cut about 15-20 minutes out of the movie without losing the message, but altogether, the acting was absolutely fantastic. If you watch this movie for any reason, see it for Emile Hirsch....he rocked in this movie!
Saturday - The Second City - No Country for Old White Men
I hit up Chicago's famed Second City Comedy Club for their newest show, "No Country for Old White Men". I've been to the Second City before ("War! Now in its Fourth Smash Season"), and I love the place.
This show was built into 3 acts...the first 2 were mainly scripted, and the last was a bonus improv act. Of the 2 scripted acts, I loved the first one, and thought that the second had a bit too much filler.
The third act was fantastic, and I was literally laughing so hard that I was crying...
if you can, check it out, you won't regret it. Plus, if you go on monday night, its pretty cheap (like $8 or something).
Sunday - Into the Wild
Watched Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" on Sunday. Its about a guy named Chris who graduates from college, and decides to become a drifter and wanderer. He renames himself "Alexander Supertramp", and slowly drifts west from Atlanta, ultimately ending up in Alaska during the middle of the winter.
While I'm not going to pass judgment on the message of the movie (note - watch the movie for the message, its interesting), I thought that the movie was a bit drawn out. Penn could have cut about 15-20 minutes out of the movie without losing the message, but altogether, the acting was absolutely fantastic. If you watch this movie for any reason, see it for Emile Hirsch....he rocked in this movie!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
And now rise....Rodimus Prime
Random internet links bring back random memories, and this one should be filed under the "way back" file....
I still remember hanging out with my cousin Sonu on Saturday mornings, anxiously waiting for Transformers reruns to start at 9:06 am on channel 9 in Minneapolis. For some reason, we weren't smart enough to realize that the show never started exactly at 9, and that the infomercial for Champion Auto Stores always ran over by 6 minutes, but still..we were kids, and we hated Champion Auto Stores every week because of it. To this day, neither one of us has ever set foot into a Champion Auto Store.....
So, back to my story, this is back in the mid 80s, and instead of normal reruns, we were treated to 30 min segments from the Transformers movie....so yes, we watched the Champion Auto Stores infomercial, just in case the show magically started early.
Now that I reflect back on the original Transformers movie, I think back to the wide range of emotions that this movie put me through. I remember crying when Optimus Prime died. Being happy when Daniel figured out how to use his jump suit to save his dad at the last second. And excited when Weird Al's "Dare to be Stupid" used a bad word.
But most of all.....the ending, when the punk (appropriately named) "Hot Rod" finds the autobot matrix, and finally reaches his true potential.....
well, that was a rambling story with really no point...but really only exists as a prelude to one of the greatest youtube vids of all time...enjoy, i know that I will
I still remember hanging out with my cousin Sonu on Saturday mornings, anxiously waiting for Transformers reruns to start at 9:06 am on channel 9 in Minneapolis. For some reason, we weren't smart enough to realize that the show never started exactly at 9, and that the infomercial for Champion Auto Stores always ran over by 6 minutes, but still..we were kids, and we hated Champion Auto Stores every week because of it. To this day, neither one of us has ever set foot into a Champion Auto Store.....
So, back to my story, this is back in the mid 80s, and instead of normal reruns, we were treated to 30 min segments from the Transformers movie....so yes, we watched the Champion Auto Stores infomercial, just in case the show magically started early.
Now that I reflect back on the original Transformers movie, I think back to the wide range of emotions that this movie put me through. I remember crying when Optimus Prime died. Being happy when Daniel figured out how to use his jump suit to save his dad at the last second. And excited when Weird Al's "Dare to be Stupid" used a bad word.
But most of all.....the ending, when the punk (appropriately named) "Hot Rod" finds the autobot matrix, and finally reaches his true potential.....
well, that was a rambling story with really no point...but really only exists as a prelude to one of the greatest youtube vids of all time...enjoy, i know that I will
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Doing the Wrong Thing for the Right Reasons
shantaram...
well, I know that I've written enough about this book, and you are probably sick of reading my drivel about this contemporary masterpiece, but I feel compelled to write one more.
So, while waiting for my flight back home to Chicago, I finished the book. I was so engrossed in the book, that American Airlines actually had to call my name over the PA, at the risk of losing my seat. But, I made my flight, stashed my carry-on bag into the overhead bin, and finish my book before takeoff.
The ending, like the rest of the book, was paradoxically great and drawl out at the same time. After 1000 pages of action and story building, we are presented with the final climax....and the final words of wisdom from Khader Khan. I won't give away the ending, but...you need to read this book all the way to the end.
Some words of wisdom from the great Khan:
"Regardless of the outcome, always do things for the right reasons. Its better to have done the wrong thing for the right reasons, rather than the right thing, for the wrong reasons."
"Determining right and wrong is easy. In the beginning of the universe, everything was simple. As time has passed, the world has moved towards more complexity. Anything, and any action, that impedes this movement towards complexity is inherantly evil."
and of course, he always had a toast ready for his enemies
"May he have 10 daughters, and may each of them marry well" (note for non-Indians...this is dowry issue for Indian fathers)
Now that I'm done with the book, I am nervously anticpating the movie.....so far, my research (a quick trip to IMDB) has revealed the following cast:
Lin - Johnny Depp (who bought the rights to the movie from the author, and is the producer as well)
Khader Khan - Amithab Bhachan....love it
With the perfect casting job for two main characters, I'm nervous about the host of other characters that need to be cast. The director needs to cast a wide net (hardy har har) to find the right folks. This search needs to be global, India, Iran, Australia, Liverpool, and of course, the US. Of all the characters, I'm most nervous about Prabaka. In the book, Prabu serves as Lin's conscience...and his infectious smile helps serve as a reminder of the good within Lin's most evil deeds....
so, two questions left to answer...who plays Prabu, and why haven't you read this book yet?
more about the movie when I learn more.....
well, I know that I've written enough about this book, and you are probably sick of reading my drivel about this contemporary masterpiece, but I feel compelled to write one more.
So, while waiting for my flight back home to Chicago, I finished the book. I was so engrossed in the book, that American Airlines actually had to call my name over the PA, at the risk of losing my seat. But, I made my flight, stashed my carry-on bag into the overhead bin, and finish my book before takeoff.
The ending, like the rest of the book, was paradoxically great and drawl out at the same time. After 1000 pages of action and story building, we are presented with the final climax....and the final words of wisdom from Khader Khan. I won't give away the ending, but...you need to read this book all the way to the end.
Some words of wisdom from the great Khan:
"Regardless of the outcome, always do things for the right reasons. Its better to have done the wrong thing for the right reasons, rather than the right thing, for the wrong reasons."
"Determining right and wrong is easy. In the beginning of the universe, everything was simple. As time has passed, the world has moved towards more complexity. Anything, and any action, that impedes this movement towards complexity is inherantly evil."
and of course, he always had a toast ready for his enemies
"May he have 10 daughters, and may each of them marry well" (note for non-Indians...this is dowry issue for Indian fathers)
Now that I'm done with the book, I am nervously anticpating the movie.....so far, my research (a quick trip to IMDB) has revealed the following cast:
Lin - Johnny Depp (who bought the rights to the movie from the author, and is the producer as well)
Khader Khan - Amithab Bhachan....love it
With the perfect casting job for two main characters, I'm nervous about the host of other characters that need to be cast. The director needs to cast a wide net (hardy har har) to find the right folks. This search needs to be global, India, Iran, Australia, Liverpool, and of course, the US. Of all the characters, I'm most nervous about Prabaka. In the book, Prabu serves as Lin's conscience...and his infectious smile helps serve as a reminder of the good within Lin's most evil deeds....
so, two questions left to answer...who plays Prabu, and why haven't you read this book yet?
more about the movie when I learn more.....
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Out Today - There Will Be Blood
With its release on DVD, "There Will Be Blood" is finally available to the mainstream movie going audience.
I loved this movie, from its dreary Texas cinematography, minimalistic music, and haunting performance by Daniel Day Lewis. While I still liked the other Texas movie (No Country for Old Men) more, There Will Be Blood is still an absolute must see movie in my book.
Rent It, Buy It, Pirate It (not that I condone piracy)...but find a way to see this movie, and I guarantee that you will enjoy it.
oh yeah, Daniel Day Lewis will still find a way to drink your milkshake...in a completely non-sexual way. remember, this movie takes place way before that cheesy pop song about milkshakes and bringing boys to the yard....
Monday, March 31, 2008
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