"V/H/S2" is Crazier Than the Original, but Not As Scary
The connective story, "Tape 49," involves a young PI couple investigating the disappearance of a college kid. They break into his apartment and discover a bunch of V/H/S tapes, which the woman proceeds to watch while the boyfriend explores the apartment.
The best of the bunch is "Safe Haven," from Gareth Evans ("The Raid"). It involves a documentary film crew investigating a religious cult and its leader, who is eerily and convincingly portrayed by actor Epy Kusnandar. He's to "Safe Haven" what Hannah Fierman was to "Amateur Night," and a creepy actor can go a long way to making a horror movie a memorable experience. What works here is that all the cult stuff is believably freaky and the set up is tense. Something about the fact that everyone is speaking what appears to be Indonesian amps things up a bit too. The gore factor is off the charts, but there is something about the build up to this one – not to mention the over-the-top finale – that just makes it an instant cult (no pun intended) classic. It's my favorite of the group.
Next in line would be "A Ride in the Park," about a young cyclist who is attacked by zombies during his ride through the eponymous park. He's wearing a helmet cam, so after he "turns" we get to experience his transition from bewilderment, to illness, to hunger. It's a very interesting take on the zombie genre from the director of "The Blair Witch Project." As crazy as it sounds, he actually manages to conjure up empathy for the main character who has basically forfeited a pretty rocking life to become one of the undead. When he accidentally butt-dials his girlfriend at the end and realizes everything he's lost, even in his zombie haze, it's a poignant moment that leads to tragic results.
Third in line for me would be "Slumber Party Alien Abduction." This entry is just a lot of fun and its boldness in showcasing the aliens is both a strength and a weakness. What I liked about Slumber Party was the teenagers misbehaving trope we've seen in so many horror movies. This entry is not really scary and the shaky cam aesthetic is pushed a bit too far, but it's still a solid outing. (Question: why is there a blackface Santa in this movie?)
Speaking of scary, there is a section toward the end of Tape 49 – the wrap around segment – that probably provides the most significant scares in the entire flick. Let's just say that if something comes back to life after its head has been twisted completely around, it can provide some frightful moments.
Finally, the first story, “Phase 1,” is pretty good if only because it is fast paced and entertaining. It also has a few jolts.
All of the V/H/S2 stories are kind of weak on character, but you don't have much time to set up character in a short film. Ultimately, this sequel feels like it was trying to top the first one. But I suppose that's the curse of any sequel: whether knowingly or not, it is always attempting to surpass its progenitor.
"Carnage" - Good Movie, Great Music
I tend to like Polanski's work. He has a relaxed, measured way of telling a story that allows you to immerse yourself in the movie. The edges are never too hard; things always have a certain smoothness to them.
As much as enjoyed this movie, the real star is the 2 + minutes of score over the end credits by Alexandre Desplat. This has got to be one of best pieces of musical composition I've heard in a movie in a long time. Every note feels right. This is an exciting time in movie scoring, with people like Desplat, Michael Giacchino, Clint Manswell, Mychael Danna, Trent Reznor, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer filling films with excellent scores. But I think Desplat, who also did the music for The Fantastic Mr. Fox, is my favorite and this soundtrack proves why.
UFC 3 Undisputed
"Young Adult" Review - Spoilers - Charlize Theron
I'm reluctant to "review" Young Adult because there has already been a lot of ink spilled on this movie. It's the type of picture people like to brag about seeing because it makes them look smart. Pic has the same feel as movies like "Juno," "Election," "Ghost World," etc. Rolfe Kent did the music, Mr. Mudd (John Malkovich's production company) produced, Diablo Cody wrote it and Jason Reitman directed. This is the crew that does the anti-formula type movies. The problem is, they've done so many that now these flicks have their own formulaic feel. Still, you gotta love a movie that champions the viewpoint of an emotionally stunted 37-year-old single woman who can't deal with embracing adulthood, as defined by getting married, having kids, and moving to the suburbs. As a single person myself, there were some moments in "Young Adults" that I could really relate to, like Theron waking up late in the day, having fallen asleep on the couch in an awkward position with the TV on all night.
Theron plays Mavis Gery, a resident of Minneapolis (considered the "big city" in this movie) and writer of young adult books called Waverly Prep. The books are no longer popular and the series is being cancelled, but Mavis is still significantly more accomplished than her former high school buddies. For reasons revealed later in the film, she's developed a fixation on her HS sweet heart, nicely played by Patrick Wilson. She decides to go back to the small town she went to high school in and try to reclaim him, despite the fact that he's married and just had his first child.
One thing that stood out to me in this movie is how, despite the filmmaker's best efforts to make Theron look dumpy and unimpressive in her everyday romps, she still managed to be stunningly attractive in just about every frame. This kind of works against the pic, because you're always aware that the plot is slightly implausible. There is no universe where guys would not be throwing themselves at Mavis Gary even on her worse day.
However, there's more to this movie than meets the eye, and there's a stand-off of sorts between Theron's Mavis and the suburban types she resents so much toward the end that is not only incredibly uncomfortable, but shows a reversal in perspectives you will not be expecting. By the conclusion, the movie has simultaneously vilified Mavis while also showing that she stubbornly refuses to change. She thinks her view point is the superior one, but the filmmakers put a big question mark over that. You will certainly be thinking about this one for a while after you leave the theater, and that's a good thing.
Adrian Tomine - Optic Nerve #12 - Amber Sweet
I really enjoyed this issue of Optic Nerve. It was like a blast to the past, and it's good to see Tomine hasn't lost his touch for doing these unique stories of alienation and disappointment ("Hortisculture"). Also, the letters section is really good. I knew there were a lot of white Tomine fans who just wouldn't get ethnic identity issues in Shortcomings, and the letters confirmed as much.
The beleaguered protagonist meets the real Amber Sweet.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
One of the things I was most impressed with was how Durkin revealed the pros and cons of each way of life. The cult is not all bad, eschewing material excess for a simpler lifestyle, and Martha's condescendingly caring sister with all her financial security is not all good. But at the end of the day, the cult is an amoral band of criminals clinging to the sophistic preachings of their charismatic leader to justify their violent actions. Martha starts to see through these hollow philosophies, which is what leads to her wanting to escape. But Durkin lets us see things in an unfiltered way, without trying too hard to make the sect the bad guy.
I give this movie a high recommend.
Ides of March - Entertaining Politcal Thriller
There are a number of smart, good beats in The Ides of March (pay attention to the cell phone snafu between Woods and Gosling in the hotel room), so it's almost certain you will walk out of the theater with a feeling of satisfaction in having chosen something intelligent. The only thing I didn't care for was the last couple scenes where Clooney attempts to drive home the tragic unraveling of Gosling's moral center. It felt too heavy handed, like Clooney was screaming at us "This is an important movie!" which, of course, has the opposite effect.
Why I Like "Moneyball" (Despite Not Being a Baseball Fan)
In addition to having a great soundtrack by Mychael Danna...
And a nice performance by Brad Pitt...
And an even better performance by Jonah Hill...
The movie is about a guy who failed (relative to his potential) for a decent portion of his life and somehow managed to turn it all around. In that way, Moneyball reminded me of "Jerry McGuire" in that you have a big-name actor like Brad Pitt playing someone who is essentially a loser pretty convincingly, which is entertaining in and of itself.
Billy Beane was considered by many to be one the most promising players to baseball when he was recruited out of high school in the 80s. But in his professional career he languished and never lived up to the hype. Adding insult to injury, he had turned down a scholarship to Stanford for a big paycheck. Then, right there on center stage, Beane failed for nearly 10 years before retiring from pro baseball to become a GM. And even as a GM for the Oakland As, victory eluded him. That is, until he hooked up with Jonah Hill's (fictional) character and started employing sabermetric principles which value players based on a complex mathematical formula rather than for their stadium appeal and good looks.
This movie was re-written by Aaron "The Social Network" Sorkin, and it has the same feel as the Facebook film. You will definitely leave the theater inspired. I may even check it out again this weekend. Thumbs way up.
Sandra Vergara in "Fright Night"
She appears to have significant experience as an actress based on her IMDB profile, but she also has a make up artist page up on Model Mayhem (although she hasn't visited it since January). I suspect that MM will soon be coming down, because she will definitely get more acting work based on what she did in "Fright Night."
Fright Night Review **Spoilers**
You can’t help but make comparisons to the first one. Colin Farrell is very good as the cool vampire “Jerry”; not better than Chris Sarandon and not worse. Farrell puts his own take on it. I personally preferred Sarandon (who makes a cameo in this movie), and in an interview Farrell admits he couldn’t fill those shoes and had to just make his own version of the character.
Plot wise the first one felt more substantial. It drew you in a little more and felt less isolated. There were only a few key locations in this movie. Neither movie is truly scary, like “The Exorcist,” but this one has more suspense and is gorier.
One thing I definitely didn’t like in this one is that Jerry’s roomie and lieutenant vampire, Billy Cole, is completely cut out of the movie. That dude was one the reasons the first flick was so good.
The Evil plot is reduced as well, and his death just can’t fuck with the first one where he dies a slow, agonizing death with a stake in him, half wolf/half human. I just prefer the old latex effects to CGI.
Brewster is WAY cooler in this movie than the first one. You actually believe he could stand a chance against Jerry. He was more annoying than anything in the ’85 version. The Amy character, who is an Amanda Seigreid doppelgänger, is also WAY more likeable (and sexy) in this one (and Amanda Bearse, pre lesbo, was no slouch back in 1985).
I’ll wrap it up with this. To me scary movies are about “oh shit!” moments. The more a movie has, the more memorable it is. The first Fright Night had a lot of those moments. The scene where Jerry breaks into Brewster’s room and strangles him through the window; Amy transformation, where she turns “vampire face” at the end; Jerry’s spectacular death; Evil’s spectacular death. This movie only has a couple “oh shit!” moments (although one of them is REALLY good), but it’s still a very likable flick that I’d recommend to anyone. Overall, the redux does not beat the first one, but it’s damn good movie.
The Myth of the American Sleepover
Film Recommendation - "Stander"
Based on a true story about a police officer (Stander) in South Africa during the breakdown of apartheid who shoots an unarmed young, black protester.
He's devastated by the event and it spins his life in a different direction. As result of what appears to be a nervous breakdown, Stander starts robbing banks and then coming back to the scene of the robbery to investigate the very banks he took down. He gives the money to poor, black South Africans.
Eventually Stander gets busted, does some hard time, and then breaks out of prison only to become one of the greatest bank robbers in South African history, with his group known as the notorious "Stander Gang."
The movie is surprisingly touching toward the end where you see how taking a stand against the wrongs in South African changed Stander's life irrevocably - divorce, alienation from his family and friends, and ultimately an untimely death, ironically (intentionally?), at the hands of a black man.
For some reason I really liked this one. The soundtrack is good too. Thomas Jane turns in a nice performance.
Revisiting "The Ring" (Original Japanese Version)
After years of keeping this DVD tucked away because the movie scared the heck out of me, I decided to take a 2nd look last night. Now that I've got some objectivity and the trauma has worn off, I was able to analyze why this movie is so effective. It plays on some dark themes and addresses them unflinchingly, as noted below:
1. Yôichi is a latchkey kid: Reiko's young son is often left at home alone to fend for himself because his frazzled reporter mom is never around and really isn't mother material. This is apparent in the first scene with Yôichi where his mom comes home late and he has already dressed himself for Tomoko's funeral and put his mom's clothes out as well. It is also demonstrated when Reiko picks Yôichi up off the floor at his grandpa's and puts him in bed, upon which Yôichi whispers "You're home..." (indicating he often goes to bed with no one home with him )
Reiko's dereliction as a mother is augmented by the fact that lots of spooky shit is going on around them and Yôichi is very much aware of it and needs someone to protect him. Of course, this all comes to a head when Yôichi finds the "death tape" and winds up watching it in the middle of the night (ironically, on the one night his mom is sleeping beside him).
2. Telekinesis, ESP, and witchcraft: These are all things which, like exorcisms, are not so far removed from reality that they seem totally unbelievable. Sadako's mother, Shizuko, predicted a volcano eruption decades earlier. Her professor husband tried to exploit her abilities at a news conference and she became the laughing stock. It was there that Sadako's powers were first revealed, when she killed a reporter that mocked her mother. From there, it all went bad. The father lost his job, the mother committed suicide, and Sadako was eventually thrown down a well by her dad, who was scared of her powers. Of course, her curse lived on through the "death tape."
3. Bad Shit Happens in Broken Homes: The theme of divorce and broken homes is strong. Yôichi parents are divorced and the father indicates that Yôichi was a mistake. Likewise, Sadako's family was splintered and her father kills her after her mother commits suicide.
4. Young People Can Die Too: Tomoko's death in the opening of the movie, while sleeping over her friend's house, is one of the spookiest in the movie. But it is followed by several other teenagers deaths, leading Yôichi to ask his mom: "Can kids die too?" Most of us feel invulnerable in our teens and early 20s. We don't even consider death as an option, unless someone we know passes away. But in "Ringu," young people are the primary victims of Sadako's curse, and that's a little unnerving.
All in all, it's a strong film with a resonance that the American remake just can't muster. The film is about a curse and it kind of feels like a curse watching it - it will get under your skin. I wouldn't quite put it on the level of "The Exorcist," but it's not far from that.
"Scenes from an Impending Marriage"
The Dead Island Trailer is Pretty Cool...
Megamind's Roxanne Ritchie Has a Big Behind!
"Catfish"
Fair warning: there’s no structure to this review. I’m just going to jot down some thoughts I had about it.
It’s a modern film in the sense that it is entirely based on a people hooking up via the internet (Facebook in particular) and how this digital era of communication has created new and interesting ways for people to pull the wool over each other’s eyes. Despite my reservations about the film, which I detail below, somehow it felt very necessary. I think there a lot more “Catfish” stories out there than we’d care to admit, albeit with varying degrees of subterfuge, not as drastic as what was uncovered in this movie.
With that said, what bothered me about this film is the same thing that bothers me about the National Inquirer and all those media outlets that profit from other’s misfortune. On some level, this movie just smacked of a couple smart, big city hipster types exploiting the misery of this Midwestern woman who was going through a mid-life crisis and had her fair share of problems. I’m sure that they would argue that she gave her consent and that since the movie’s release, she’s sold tons of artwork and the whole experience gave her life meaning. That may be true, but I still can’t help but feel that these guys are just so smugly happy with themselves and that she is the butt of an elaborate joke. What’s scarier: that you can create fictional personas and carry on a fairly sophisticated deceit with someone thousands of miles away, or that they can document the whole thing on film and out you to the world and come out established movie makers while your life remains relatively unchanged?
In a sense, there are two cautionary tales here: one is about the vagaries of the net, the other is about this new world of electronic media where you can be filmed without your knowledge or consent and your home and surroundings can be surveyed by someone in another state with the click of a button.
Oh and P.S., since this is Indosplace where I mainly deal with curvy women and that subculture, check out the thick African American waitress they meet once they arrive in Michigan. She’s a cutie.
Sophia Coppola's "Somewhere"
Here's what I came away with from "Somewhere": Sophia Coppola is more concerned with mood and beauty and atmosphere than the details of laying out a structured three act film or tying up loose ends. She captures the essence of places and things by not only taking her time in shooting them, but by studying details that some might consider mundane (airport announcement system, elevator chimes, street signs, etc.) but that somehow manage to capture what we remember most about experiences in such places. Her lighting choices and camera angles are just spot on.
As a story, "Somewhere" is weaker than "Lost in Translation." There is probably no more than 30 pages of dialogue in the entire movie. But if you're willing to take your time and just let this movie wash over you, as it's meant to, "Somewhere" is a moving movie going experience. It will linger in your mind after you leave the theater, and any movie that can imprint itself in your mind these days is doing something right.
Black Swan
I should also point out that this movie has a great soundtrack.
"Monsters" - Can You Name That Budget?
Trust me, when you see this movie and the behind-the-scenes footage of Edwards and his three person crew filming this, you will want to know how much it cost too. You will immediately be consumed by thoughts of "how can I do this too?" But don't be fooled. Edwards was a CGI tech by trade, having worked on numerous documentaries and features before making his debut. Your average person would've had to hire someone to do all those nifty effects, thereby increasing the budget considerably. Still, the movie is quite an inspiration.
The Amercian - Virtuoso Filmmaking
At the heart of this stark tale lies the axiom "live by the sword, die by the sword."
Beautifully shot by Anton Corbijn, The American so definitively places you in Italy you'll feel you need a passport to see it.
The film has a slow pacing; no quick cuts or cinematic gimmicks. Instead what you get are precise and beautifully framed panoramas and tight shots of Clooney et al.
One scene that stands out in particular is when George Clooney takes Thekla Reuten's character to his secret hiding place to test a custom-made rifle he's built for her. A fellow assassin, Reuten just feels untrustworthy and dangerous. Maybe it's her piercing blue eyes, strong nose and flared nostrils. Whatever the case, that scene is a testament to Corbjin's virtuosity and ability to set up a tense scene without overly relying on a heavy score.
This is not a feel good movie by any stretch, but in this age of "look ma, I shot this on a camcorder," The American stands apart as a true-to-form cinematic experience. This film was crafted by industry professionals and there's no faking that.
Dianna Agron - More than "Glee"
Entering the Scott Pilgrim Universe
Not satisfied with just the book and the movie, I have now spent several hours watching (and re-watching) the behind-the-scenes material on the Blu Ray for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. It seems like the cast really got along well and it is mind blowing the amount of preparation, training, and resources that went into this movie. Because the special effects in the film are played like comic book gags, you tend to take them for granted. But this film showcased some state of the art work.
Unfortunately, this review isn't all accolades. The one thing about Scott Pilgrim I wasn't crazy about is, well, how white it is. Sure, Knives Chau is Chinese, but she plays Scott's doormat, and her otherness is openly fetishicized in the movie. According to this film, there are no black or Latino people in Toronto - I mean literally, I don't think I saw a single face of color throughout this entire movie. You want to excuse all of this because: (a) Wright seems like a nice guy and I doubt it was intentional, and (b) the writer of the books is himself Asian American. But man, it's really kinda scary to see what happens when there aren't initiatives mandating diversity. Subconsciously or not, things just seem to gravitate to being exclusively white, both in front of and behind the camera. Of course, I'm not the only one who noticed this - type "Scott Pilgrim and racism" into Google search and see what comes back. Notably, white male film critic Sean Stangland writes:
[L]ooking back at the movie, I realize that every "good" character, for lack of a better word, is white. The other prominent Asian characters in the film are Scott's clingy, borderline crazy Chinese girlfriend, Knives Chao (Ellen Wong), and two of Matthew's fellow evil exes, Kyle and Ken Katanagi (Keita Saitou and Shota Saito). Latinos are represented by Clifton Collins Jr. as a vegan cop, and blacks are represented by ... uhh ... hmm ... no one. So perhaps the criticism that the film was made for and by white hipster douchebags carries a little more weight than I thought.
(Race and gender in "Scott Pilgrim") At any rate, I still highly recommend this film. Outside of "The Social Network" (which was far more socially responsible -- bravo to Fincher and Sorkin), it's probably the best movie of 2010.
Criterion Blu Ray Release of Ghost World in 2011?
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
What's The Best Electronic Viewfinder
"The Loved Ones" - Australian Booty
Too Bad it's Not Real
iPad Spotted on "Entourage" Tonight
New über Thick Booty Babe From Spencer Davis
Medicine for Melancholy
But once Micah and JoAnn connect, the movie is sublime, both visually and in terms of content. In many ways "Medicine" is groundbreaking in telling the story of African Americans in love. As the director notes, how many times do we see young black people onscreen who ride bikes around the city, or build aquariums, or listen to indie music? To some extent, the movie itself is an allegory of its characters: white leaning/mumblecore sensibilities on the surface (from the soundtrack to the way it's shot), but undeniably black at its core. The central conflict of the two characters revolves around an age-old question in the African American community, which is what does it mean to be black, and does/should ones blackness eclipse ones class. For JoAnn, class and lifestyle prevail over her blackness. She refuses to limit her world view and her experiences to being black. She lives with and dates a white curator who is away in London and pays a mortgage on a very expensive house in San Francisco. Micah, on the hand, builds custom aquariums and stays in a decidedly less upscale and more gritty side of town. Although the film hints that Micah got his heart broken in an interracial relationship with a white woman before he met JoAnn, in the present tense he clearly sees himself as a black man with a dating preference for staying in race. He is concerned about gentrification and the lower classes marginalization in San Francisco. Everything about Micah crackles with his awareness of being black. For JoAnn, it's a footnote.
I won't give it all away, but I will just say that this film doesn't offer any easy answers to these issues.
I've seen dozens of slice-off-life love stories similar to this film about white characters, and enjoyed them, but I really can't describe what I felt finally seeing black characters get to tell a story like this. Pic is highly evocative and writer/director Barry Jenkins' carefully studied approach to the material paid off in spades. As just one example, the scene with Micah and JoAnn dancing together to "Lightbulbs" as the night winds down was very moving to me. (By the way, the film has a great soundtrack.) "Medicine" reminded me of Ted Witcher's "Love Jones" in the sense that it is breaking free of many black stereotypes and deals with the black bohemian crowd, but I definitely enjoyed this movie a lot more.
Interestingly, finding this DVD in the allegedly liberal city of Los Angeles was far from easy. Neither Cinefile nor Laser Blazer - two stores renowned for carrying offbeat, independent movies like this - had purchased this IFC-distributed DVD so that their customers could rent or buy it. It says a lot about the way audiences are prepared to perceive black people. Somehow I think if this had been some cheapie hood flick about gang members and big booty girlies, both stores would have had it in stock.
Anyway, do yourself a favor and go out and rent this or buy it a Pay Per View. It is without a doubt a modern classic.
Spider-Man 601 - Red Headed Stranger
Check eBay and you may notice that while there are plenty of the variant of Spider-Man issue #601, the very first in the Red Headed Stranger series about Mary Jane's return to Peter Parker's life, there are few of the original cover. You'll also notice your local comic book store won't have them. That's right kiddies, this one is on its way to becoming a collectible. I just picked mine up today at Comics Ink in Culver City (see below - last copy, don't bother going there, lol).
As a note, I really enjoyed this particular story line. The issue with Chameleon is the best in terms of art, story, etc.
Dan Clowes - "Wilson"
UPDATE: Fox Searchlight Adapting 'Wilson' for Alexander Payne to Direct
"The Dog Years" - Issue No. 6
Justice League - Crisis on Two Earths
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Adrian Tomine
Daniel - Bat for Lashes
Phoenix
It's also nice to see Vibe Magazine covering groups like this in their comeback issue.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Rat is played by Willem Dafoe and that is probably the funniest role in the movie. Just listen to that slow, southern drawl when he tells Mr. Fox "It's my jaw-ob (job)"
The part of the movie I wasn't so crazy about was the second half, when the farmers really become focused on trying to capture and kill Mr. Fox. While never overtly violent, the tension and sense of imminent danger is in stark contrast to the cozy, relaxed feeling in the beginning of the film.
All in all, a very enjoyable movie going experience, like most Wes Anderson movies.
Sade has announced "Solider Of Love"
Ducle - Jamie Hernandez
Katie Cassidy: CW Hottie of the Month
From a photography perspective, not that they are shooting at golden hour with the sun backlighting Cassidy, creating a halo like outline. Also notice the ample use of green in the background to play into Cassidy’s eyes (click to enlarge pics). Noticing details like this is why photographers often go on to be cinematographers.
House of the Devil
As an example, the scene where Jocelin’s Samantha is bopping around to the Fix's "One Thing Leads To Another" but then the music abruptly stops (for the audience) when she opens the door to that dark basement is really nicely done.
Trick 'r Treat
The last one is worth the price of admission alone. Trust.
As an added bonus, Rochelle Aytes is looking real good in this.
Jennifer's Body
Anyway, Megan Fox looks great in this movie and Adrian Brody is projecting “I’m ready for the A-list”. The movie is not scary in the slightest. Well, except for one shot at the very end, as the credits are rolling. I won’t reveal any spoilers, but it involves Amanda Seyfried in badass mode.
Cool Article on Zooey Deschanel
Summer is also figurative of a certain type of indie movie character. As Webb explains, "There's this term - Manic Pixie Dream Girl - which is this idealised super-attractive quirky girl. Typically this character is sort of consumed by the male, changes his life and it's happily ever after. But we wanted to use that idea and extract some sort of consequence from it - she doesn't solve your problems, she doesn't make you happy. One of the underlying themes of the movie is that happiness lies within, not in the big blue eyes of the girl in the cubicle down the hall. That was a little bit tricky, but Zooey...she has great sense of style, she has this credibility, which is really fantastic, and it's hard not to like her, to be attracted to her. She lives in that idealised box that we have - but there's a consequence to that, there's a consequence to these people not being real, and that's what the end of the movie is trying to embrace."
I got a sense from the article that there was bit of a struggle between Zooey’s interpretation of the story and Summer’s character and the one the screenwriter had. She says “I just tried to play the scenes as truthfully as possible and keep her grounded in my reality of her, which was different from the reality of the film. My job was to protect her integrity, as a character. I’m like the lawyer for Summer.”
500 Days of Summer
Coraline
Drag Me To Hell
The first 30 minutes or so of this movie are pretty damn intense. A couple walked out of the showing I was at. If they could have kept that energy up the whole film, it would've been really scary.
As it stands, it was extremely solid. Good does not prevail over evil, and I always like movies like that. The lead character does everything possible for redemption, but it just isn't enough.
This movie is not truly scary in the get-under-your-skin sense like "The Exorcist" or the original "Ringhu" (Japanese version). It could have been, but Sam Raimi seems to prefer camp to mean-spirited, rattle-you-to-the-bones horror. Still, the movie a nice blend of frights with some humor.
The lead actress is very interesting to watch. Kinda sexy, kinda innocent, and a little bit bad girl... Trying to escape her country bumpkin past, you almost feel sorry for her.
Overall I'd recommend it. I'll probably check it out again at some point.
Esther Baxter in "Speed Dating"
"Let The Right One In" - A Pretty Cool Vampire Flick
You can't help but wonder what awaits Oskar once Eli tires of him and/or he gets old, but it looks like they've got a good thing until that day comes.
On Switching From A TiBook 867Mhz to MacBook Pro 2.4Ghz
I have been using a TiBook 867Mhz for the last four years, but I had gone thru at least two batteries, a screen, and most recently one of the hinges finally broke. My local college was selling the Spring '08 (not the most recent ones) MacBook Pro 2.4Ghz model for $1399, which is a steal, so I decided to step off into the abyss and purchase it, after much debate. (Not an easy decision to make in a recession, but you can always make money with a computer)
Anyway, for those G4 Powerbook users contemplating the upgrade, let me offer these few choice observations on the upgrade:
--Heat/fan issues: The Macbook Pro is rumored to get VERY hot. So hot that some users say they have to put a magazine between the computer and their lap to keep from getting burned. I haven't seen this. I've run several apps at a time and at most the heat is moderate. The TiBook, on the other hand, was a furnace and the fans came on almost constantly, esp. in the last year or so. I don't remember it always being so fan-happy, but at some point it seemed like that fan would kick on after just 5 minutes of use, esp. with the adapter plugged in.
Winner: Macbook
--Keyboard: The auto light keyboard on the Macbook Pro, which senses when it's dark and kicks in with an eerie X-Files glow, is damn cool. And the keys have a nice springiness, but the overall feel is more precious and delicate than with the TiBook. I can easily see that silver rubbing off with the Macbook keys if I don't get an iSkin cover. The black plastic keyboard of the TiBook felt more utilitarian, even though the white letters eventually started to wear away. It's really too soon to call, but for now...
Winner: TiBook
--Speed: This doesn't even merit a discussion. The MacBook Pro, with its dual Intel processors, 3MB of level 2 cache and 4 MB of RAM easily dusts the TiBook's crops. But to be fair, it's got a 4-5 year technological advantage, which is HUGE in the world of computers.
Winner: MacBook Pro
--Spinning Beach Ball of Death: Toward the end with the TiBook, just about anything would cause the spinning wheel to come up. Even if I so much as scrolled down the page with a YouTube movie embedded, the wheel would appear. God forbid I run more than two RAM heavy apps at a time and try to rapidly switch between them. I haven't seen much of the spinning ball of death on the Macbook yet, but I'm sure it's time will come
Winner: MacBook Pro
--Internet Experience: Another category that is pretty obvious. There is no website that can't be conquered with Safari 3.1 in Leopard. Pop up blocking is sublime. The TiBook was choking on sites as commonplace as CNN. Even Photobucket was becoming iffy.
Winner: MacBook Pro
Design Build: --> Winner: MacBook Pro, lol.
Conclusion: So was it worth it? I'm sure it was, but right now the MacBook is just pleasant in a low key kind of way. It hasn't blown my socks off or anything. I was acutely aware when watching "Entourage" in high def that I couldn't have done that on the TiBook, but that isn't exactly mandatory computing either.
I could probably have held off another week of so, but I'm glad I didn't.
The 2009 Maxim Calendar - The Right Stuff
Holy Crap! The Ghost World Special Edition is Awesome
Anyway, this new iteration of Ghost World includes both the serialized comic and the screenplay, in addition to a lot of really cool extras. Just about every bit of trivia surrounding Enid and Rebecca is included in this book. And short of a sequel, this is about as good as it gets for now. As usual, Clowes leaves us wanting more, but it's still a nice little surprise.
BTW, there's a funny jab at the movie Juno in this book, which was in many ways a refashioning (read= ripoff) of Ghost World. At any rate, pick this one up when you have a chance. It's a keeper.
The Man Who Loved Breasts - Anatomical Objectification in Comics
I've always been interested in books, movies, TV shows, etc. that are about men obsessed with women's anatomy, because it's a very difficult topic to pull off without seeming highly exploitative. I've wanted to do something for years about three guys who destroy their lives due to their preoccupation with women's backsides. Each one loses something major in his life - his job, his fortune, his wife. But I never thought a publisher would be interested in that type of story. I guess "The Man Who Loved Breasts" disproves my theory. (Another sleeper where it comes to this subject is Dan Clowes "David Boring" - note Boring's obsession with big backsides and the trouble that gets him into)
"Jack Brooks Monster Slayer"
Not a bad little horror flick. The lead actor, played by Trevor Matthews, was cool without trying to be. We'll see more of him for sure.
The actress who plays his girlfriend, Rachel Skarsten, is cute and kinda curvy.
The problem is that the movie is slow and not scary. All of the action is crammed into the last 15 minutes and, while decent, it takes too long to get there.