A Few Movie Reviews

Okay, I know I promised to write my top ten lists. But I've seen a few movies over the past month or so that I am obligated to review. So you can look forward to seeing the top ten lists a little later.

The first movie I'd like to review is "Avatar." By now you probably have seen "Avatar" or you haven't and you don't plan to. I think everyone should see "Avatar"... just for the visual feast factor. And you definitely have to see it in 3-D. I have a friend who was invited to go see it and when he arrived he realized his friend hadn't known there was a 3-D option. Unbelievable. Poor guy had to watch the movie in regular 2-D... what's the point of that.

I saw the movie a few days after it opened at the IMAX in 3-D. I enjoyed the movie. The special effects are quite amazing... but I thought the plot was only okay. I'm so tired of military cliches. Does every military leader have to be bloodthirsty. Can we have one that's conflicted? That'd be nice... maybe something like Kiefer Sutherland's character in "Monsters and Aliens." Yes I'm saying a cartoon character had more dimensions than Colonel Miles Quaritch. Oh well. And yes as "South Park" put it... the movie is pretty much "Dances with Smurfs." My favorite part was the final battle sequence. It was crazy good. I've heard of a few people who have proclaimed this movie, "The best movie ever." I think they're crazy. It may be the best visual effects movie ever... but best movie ever? No way. Not even close. So I am recommending the movie... but don't expect an original plot. For another good review check out the comments section of the "I'm Back" post.

Grade:B

Next I'll be reviewing "Sherlock Holmes." Robert Downey Jr. is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. He just brings so much fun to every role. And his take on Sherlock Holmes is no exception. Jude Law is also great as Watson. The interplay between the two is the heart of the movie. This is a hyperstylized version of "Holmes" and I'm okay with it. I read most of the books when I was in Junior High and enjoyed them a lot. I don't think this movie strays too far from the original Conan Doyle books. Sure it's filled with action scenes... but I think that the stuffy version of Holmes has been done to death and I enjoyed this fresh take. Having said all that it isn't a perfect movie... and I would've enjoyed more classic Holmes deductions. But a fun two hour adventure.

Grade B+

I finally saw "Inglourious Basterds" on DVD a few weeks ago... and it was a great movie. I've enjoyed most of Quentin Tarantino's films and this was no exception. The best part of the movie was the first twenty minutes or so. I won't give too much a way... but the entire scene is just one conversation between two men... it's one of the most intense scenes I've ever seen. My wife also agrees. Christoph Waltz plays Col. Hans Landa and you can expect he'll be nominated and probably win for the role. Every time he's on screen you can't take your eyes off his crazy character. Brad Pitt and his cohorts are also a lot of fun. Their story line wasn't as big as I'd thought it would be from the trailers but they were perfect for the parts. There's also a plot about the owner of a French cinema that I really enjoyed. Obviously this movie isn't for everyone but for those who think they may enjoy this fictional version of WWII.. you probably will.

Grade: A

I watched the sci-fi film "District 9" a few days ago. I realized when I put in the DVD that I didn't know what the plot was. I knew it took place is South Africa and that there were aliens... but that was about it. So I went in not knowing much. A lot of sci-fi geeks are calling this the best sci-fi movie of the year. I wouldn't go that far, but it was a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend it for fans of the genre. But I wasn't as engaged as I thought I should be. I probably need to watch it again to gain a full appreciation for the film...

Grade for now: B+

Finally... I also saw "Paranormal Activity." I'd heard all the buzz back when it came out and was glad to finally form my own opinion of the horror film. It was great. It was scary and real and also fun. It's this decade's "Blair Witch Project." It also has a little in common with the great "Open Water." The movie basically follows a man and his girlfriend as they try to figure out why she's being haunted. Sure, the guy acts like an idiot.. but that's probably what most guys would do in the same situation. It's all videotaped on a consumer camera ala "Cloverfield." I didn't have any nightmares after watching the movie... but if I was the type of person who was bothered by scary movies, I'm sure I would have.

Grade: A

One more thing of note... I'm thinking about creating a Twitter account where I will give quick reviews of films, books, music, and TV episodes. If that is something you think you'd like to subscribe to, let me know. Until next time...

I'm Back!!

So, this past month and a half has been quite busy.. and as you may hove noticed the blog has suffered as a result. Job hunting can take up a lot of time. But now that I have a new job I hope that I'll be able to write here more often. Anyway.. it's almost the end of the year so that means a top ten list of my favorite TV shows and movies of the year... but before that, I would like to review two animated movies that have come out in the past month or so... Both of them very good.


First off is "Fantastic Mr. Fox." The film is an adaptation of the children's book by Roald Dahl. As a kid Dahl was one of my very favorite authors... but I didn't remember the book very well. It didn't really matter. The film is directed by Wes Anderson of "Rushmore," and "The Royal Tenenbaums" fame. So if you like that quirky type of humor you'll enjoy this movie. I would say it's probably my favorite Anderson film. I laughed throughout the movie. It's just so hilarious. So if you like either Dahl or Anderson... this movie is for you... PS.. in case you didn't know, this film is stop-motion animation.. but don't let that scare you... it only adds to the charm.


I also saw "The Princess and the Frog" which is Disney's first traditionally animated film in sometime... and the film is gorgeous. John Lassetter the man behind Pixar is now running Disney's entire animation department.. so we can all thank him for the return of hand drawn cartoons. I really enjoyed "The Princess and the Frog," I thought the music was good and the story fun. If you like films like "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," or "Beauty and the Beast," you'll probably like this movie. Now I don't know if "Frog" will stand the test of time like those other films but.. it's definitely worth seeing now.

Both films get an A from me... but I probably liked "Fox" better just because it's funnier... and quirkier. Has anyone else seen these movies?

I hated her... so... much...

So it's Halloween today. I'm up at 2:30 in the morning... and I thought what better time than to write about one of my favorite Halloween movies. It may not be what you expect. My favorite Halloween movies actually aren't horror flicks. They're comedies. And since I've already written a blog about the greatness that is "Ghostbusters," I've decided to write about my other favorite Halloween comedy, "Clue."

I'm amazed at how many people can quote this movie. I thought it was a little gem that only I knew about. But I was wrong. It seems like everybody I know is fond of "Clue." Of course, there are exceptions but for the most part people like "Clue." I can think of numerous times I've bonded over "Clue." Here are a few that come to mind:

My best friend when I was a kid, Trevor, and I used to borrow this movie from our neighbors all the time and watch it. (This is when I discovered "Clue.")

On my mission when one of my companions told me it was his favorite movie. He said he wasn't a movie person but that he'd watched "Clue" dozens of times.. and planned to watch it dozens more.. Ahh Elder Howard... you sure were disobedient.

The first girl I kissed loved "Clue" and her brother loved it even more. We watched it at her house and they both kept saying how much they loved the movie.

Two weeks ago, at work, I mentioned this was one of my favorite movies.. and everybody in the room agreed that the movie was great and everyone decided they were going to go rent it that weekend and watch it.. (most of them did, including myself)

There are other stories but those are the ones that come to mind tonight.

The other thing I've found is everyone seems to agree that the best quote from the film comes from Mrs. White.



They don't make madcap comedies like this anymore. I heard another movie based on the game "Clue" is in the works. I don't know if it'll be any good, but it'll be hard for it to be more memorable or fun than the 1985 film.

IMHO, this is Tim Curry's best role. How he was able to remember all those lines.. I don't know.



So that's my love letter to "Clue." On related note, can I tell you how unhappy I am that they've changed the original game.. and I read somewhere they are no longer selling the old one (although I've seen them online, I don't know if they're only old copies)...
Anywhoo, they've made Colonel Mustard a football player, and Professor Plum a video game designer.. I don't have a problem with having a different version of the game, ( I would like to play the "24" version) I do have a problem with it replacing the original. And who knows, maybe what I read was wrong.. but if not.. Hasbro needs some talking to.

PS. Even if you were right, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus *two* plus one plus one.

Attention Nielsen households!

Attention Nielsen households, I would like a moment of your time. It's true I've never met anyone who said they belong to the mysterious group of people who decide what it is Americans watch on TV. To be honest I'm not entirely sure that you exist... or that if you do exist you are not a bunch of funny monkeys.

But for whatever reason, the gods have decided that you are the people that matter. You are the ones that tell the networks what is popular and what people are watching... despite the fact that technology has improved so much in the past ten years... that we probably don't need a random sampling of TV "viewers." I'm sure there's probably a way that the "powers that be" could create a system where almost everyone's viewing habits mattered... but apparently society would rather stay put in the 80's.

Now I know we've had a difficult relationship in the past. It's because of you "Arrested Development" is no longer on the air. It's your fault "Firefly" no longer charms sci-fi audiences. "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" would be in it's 8th season without you.. It's your fault that "American Idol" is the top rated show on television. I won't lie. I am bitter. But you have done a few good things... somehow "Lost" is still on the air... Okay, so you've really only done one good thing.

But I'm willing to put all problems aside if you will please watch "Dollhouse." The rumor mill is suggesting that the show may not be long for this world. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN. Make a difference. Watch a show that is different. That is fun. That is challenging. Don't let another "Firefly" happen.


Yes, "Dollhouse" isn't the best show on TV.. but it one day could be. Don't let this show die before it's had a chance to become great. Stop watching "Dancing with the Stars." Please.

I will send you money.

Thanks for your time.

PS. Please also watch "Good Morning Utah"

Thursday Overload

So, as soon as you guys start commenting more, I'll start posting more. That's a promise...


Anywhoo. So the new TV season has started and almost everything I watch is on Thursday night. If I didn't have the Internet and Tivo I don't know what I'd do. I'm giving "Flashforward" a chance right now. The first episode was pretty good.. I love the premise but I'm not sure I love the characters. Maybe after a few weeks there will be some character development. If not I may have to re-evaluate.

On NBC it's all comedy, all the time. I've been enjoying the oddly titled "Weekend Update" Thursday edition. It's good to see Seth and Amy back at the desk. And the opening sketches have been great. The same cannot be said for the actual Saturday night show which I didn't think was very good at all on Saturday.

That's followed by "Parks and Recreation" which I think is getting better all the time. I love all of the actors in the show and I think they're starting to understand their characters better. My favorite character is Andy who is played by the always excellent Chris Pratt. I hope this show gets the chance to mature and be great. Remember, "The Office" and "30 Rock" weren't awesome at the beginning of their runs. Shows, particularly sitcoms can get better with age.

Speaking of "The Office" I've been enjoying this season. I've heard some people tell me it's not as funny as it used to be. And sure some episodes aren't that great.. but compared to most other sitcoms this stuff is gold.. so lay off people and enjoy the show. I hear the wedding episode is supposed to be good. Although, I hear it's an hour long and some of those hour long episodes aren't as good as the half hour ones... so we'll see.

I watched the first episode of "Community" and wasn't that impressed... and since my plate is full right now I'm not going back... But if the show's still around in the summer I'm open to giving it another chance. I do love some Joel McHale, John Oliver, and Chevy Chase.

"Fringe" is also on Thursday nights. I didn't love last week's episode. It felt familiar and not all that interesting. I'm all for the continuity stuff and last week just felt like filler. Here's hoping they get back to the alternate universe stuff. I really like this show and hope it doesn't start losing it's charm.

"Supernatural" has been pretty good so far. The brothers are fighting right now and so they are separated... hopefully that will get fixed soon and we can get back to some of the more silly episodes which are my favorite. Ben Edlund rules.

"30 Rock" has not premiered yet. I'm counting the days.

So that's Thursday night for you. I'm going to have to spread the shows throughout the week so as to not be overwhelmed. I don't have any shows on Tuesday and the rest of the week is pretty slim. These TV programmers need to get on their game.

So what have you thought of the TV season so far? Any new shows you love? Any old ones that aren't good anymore? What's the verdict?

PS I think you should all watch "Good Morning Utah" I hear that show's amazing!

Apple day x2

So today is 9-9-09. It's a day I've been waiting for, for some time. Why, you ask... because all of the Beatles albums are being released today.. completely remastered. The albums haven't been touched since the late 80's back at the dawn of the CD. And apparently the transfers weren't very good. So now they've been remastered and according to every article I've read... they sound amazing. I haven't decided if I'm going to repurchase the albums... At this point I think I might buy one and see what the difference is.. and go from there.


Also out today is "Beatles: Rock Band" for Wii, Playstation 2, and XBOX 360. At this point I don't have plans to buy it but my friend already has it on order and we have a Beatles party night planned. I'm really excited. The reviews for the game have been stellar... and I only just discovered that I like "Rock Band" so I'm looking forward to playing it.


Finally, Apple (the computer company, not the Beatles record company) is having a big event today where they're expected to talk about the latest edition of the Ipod touch... an announcement I've been waiting for, for years. I'm hoping they announce a storage improvement. Rumor is that the storage will be upped to 64 gigs... and that a camera and microphone are going to be added. We shall see. But I have money stored away for just such a purchase.

There's also a small chance Apple will announce that the Beatles are finally coming to Itunes.. due to the coinciding of the two events.. but advance buzz is that it won't happen. We shall see. Everyone have a great 9-9-09... I now have to go to a crappy work meeting. See ya.

I finally saw "Paper Heart"

So I'm not sure if I wrote a blog about my Sundance experience this year. But if I did I probably mentioned that we waited in line for a few movies we weren't able to get into. One of those lines was "Paper Heart." It's a film starring Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera. It's a hybrid documentary/fiction film.


The film follows comedienne Yi as she talks to different people across the about their love lives. There's some funny stuff and some touching stuff.

The fictional storyline follows Yi as she "falls in love" with actor Michael Cera. Apparently the jury is still out as to whether to the two ever actually dated in real life. At last check they had not. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear differently tomorrow. In the end I guess it doesn't matter. Cera is as usual pretty funny. And Yi does some fun scenes with paper machete...

It's a cute little movie but definitely not worth $8.00. It wasn't worth the wait. It's more of a redbox rental. So check it out then.. just be aware that the scenes with Cera were all scripted.

Grade: B-