Sicko

Lady in news conference: "I work three jobs." George W. Bush: "You work three jobs? Uniquely American, isn't it, I mean that is fantastic."

On a documentary I saw a few years ago, the obscure film maker of this other film compared the advancement in medical care to Napoleon and a homeless man, by that statement he meant that a homeless man in 2007 receives better health care than the leader of France did in 1807 due to the medical advances over the last 200 years. While the film maker was making the point over advancement in science and technology, he did miss a large grasp in politics and greed.

It's been a movie kind of weekend, tonight's viewing was a DVD from Michael Moore called Sicko. a documentary that focused on health care in the United States. It covered in some detail of how bad many of us Americans go everyday without any health coverage whatsoever. However, the main focus was on the majority of us who pay an extraordinary amount of our income to health care benefits only to have claims denied that could have made their quality of life much better or in many cases, saved their lives altogether.

He compared our health care system to those of Canada, The United Kingdom, and France and we came out not looking very well at all, it was eye opening and deeply embarrassing actually as an American. In fact, with all of Michael Moore's over inflated methods of making a point, he does a good job at making the the absurd look very real and very sad.

One of the most moving scenes in the film was after making the point that the prisoners at Guantanamo receive better health care than most Americans do, he took some rescue volunteers from 9/11 to Guantanamo to see if he could get them the same care. Unsuccessful of course, he took them into Havana to a Pharmacy where one of the American women who had been paying $120 a month for breathing inhaler medicine, could get the very same here for the equivalent of .5 cents. The woman was moved to tears when she saw this. The Hospital was modern and well run in Havana where various medical tests were performed on them even though they were not citizens of the country. The doctor said several times this was the same care any Cuban citizen was given.

Moore's film is more thorough than most of his others in the past. He gives many facts in very real reported statistical numbers. America is failing in the health care system unless you are incredibly rich or can never get sick.

About a year after I moved to New York City, I started having bad allergy reactions. My asthma was worse than it had ever been and the allergy attacks were causing conjunctivitis (pink eye) inflammations and swelling in the brow and bridge. After seeing several doctors, I was given a variety of medications. My out of pocket expenses come to about $120 a month, if not for insurance, the bill would come to $780 a month. You should see the list of side effects that come with these medications too. Luckily my allergies have lessened somewhat and I have been able to dial back on the amount of them I take.

The insurance company I had at the time however, seemed to have a standard policy to deny every single claim that came across it's review the first time, only to have to be called, bullied and brow beat many times into finally agreeing to pay a very simply policy for a very simple office visit. Imagine having something critical to deal with and then go through the stress of having to get your insurance company to play fair?

When my son was born we had very limited income. I was just out of university, I worked a night shift job at a prepress lab and my company provided insurance didn't cover pregnancy. Nathan's birth was uninsured and even with some state assistance, we had a take home bill of about $4,000 when it was all done.

The part that kills me the most is, we let them do this to us and make us think we are getting a good deal. Sure we have some the most advanced medical facilities in the world but it doen't matter when a great deal of us wont get access to it.

"Keeping people hopeless and pessimistic - see I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them.

An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern."

No Country for Old Men

" You can't stop what's comin'. It ain't all waitin' on you. That's vanity "

The movie ends and you are just left there trying to figure out what the path you had just been taken on, was supposed to have meant. It's interpretive, many people left the cinema a bit confused and mocking the final scene if not the entire film. I was trying to let it soak in, I like Coen Brothers movies and I was really trying to get this one, but it was rough. It was an intense chase scene drawn out over most of the movie.

When I got home, I did some research of the film online. I kept thinking there was something brilliant about the movie I simply wasn't getting yet and by the scores and reviews, I assumed I was right. Terrific reviews all over the place and on metacritic it scored a 91 out of 100, more perfect reviews for a movie than I recall ever seeing before. I just couldn't get anything out of the other scores that justified it's brilliant review besides the traditional clichéd buzzwords. Then I came across the Washington Post's review by Stephen Hunter and I couldn't have agreed more;

I appreciate No Country for Old Men for the skill in the film craft. I understand No Country for Old Men for its penetrating disquisition on narrative conventions and its heroic will in subverting them. I admire No Country for Old Men for the way it tightens its grip as it progresses, taking us deeper and deeper into a hellish world. I just don't like it very much.

High marks for the typical off beat humor as well as the climatic gripping story line, but that was just it, all that suspense takes you somewhere disappointing in the end. In my opinion, there was a lot of metaphorical use in the characters, all shared by only one unifying factor; death.

If you like Coen Brother movies, you should see it, if for any reason because you will appreciate the Coen style merged with intense action and familiar dramatic undertones. If you didn't care much for Fargo or Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, you probably wont have great feelings for this movie either.

On a side note; If you grew up in Oklahoma or West Texas in the 1980's, you're going to go on a magical time warp in this movie. As much detail in the sets as Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, this movie felt like my midwest past down to the single wide trailers, the draw in the old men chit-chat and the chairs with coin op television sets in the bus station terminal. Looking out the window for miles and besides farm land, only seeing a tree and fence in your front yard. It was eerily familiar.

Little Miss Sunshine

I haven't seen a movie better than this in years. Quite possibly perfect. The kind of movie that reminds you that you still have a soul. After the worst movie ever last week, it was nice to see something still being made that won't embarrass us all in a thousand years when aliens dig through our remains.

Worst, Movie, Ever.

I can't begin to tell you in proper detail exactly how horribly stupid the movie Pulse is but I will try to give you the run down. I would warn you that my rant here will be spoiler filled but if you want to see this movie after I have warned you, then you're dead to me. I had a goal to find at least 30 ways this movie sucked so here it goes;

1. We get it, we are all plugged in with our cell phones and our PDA's and our text messaging and our wireless connections, I wonder if it will some how be the downfall of us all? Seriously, like 20 min into the movie they can't drop the pushing on us how digitally connected we all are. At one point instead of screaming, I thought she was going to pull out her phone and text "OMG, AUUUGHH!" to all of her friends.

2. Somehow, we find out that Red Masking Tape will keep the booglies out. How the hell did they figure that out?

3. The booglies want to capture you and suck out what I thought was your soul, turns out it was your "will to live" which makes you both want to die and infects you with something that consumes you or makes you wall paper. Except that the only kid you see actually kill himself is the first kid to go (with phone cord, that is sooo deep). After that they go away screaming, which seems to suggest, a will to live.

4. Wes Craven made this movie, which is the remake of another crappy Japanese movie of the same name, which is a remake of about 20 other teen horror movies that Wes Craven crapped out of his brain.

5. The original guy who was part of the team that found the booglie's signal which brought on this horror, somehow got away from the slaughter and made it back to his room, and somehow had 20 rolls of red tape and somehow put it up on every square inch of his walls within seconds before the booglies came after him too.

6. What the hell are the booglies anyway? I call them booglies for fun but they weren't really defined in the movie except it was implied they are the dead trying to come back to get what they want from us, our life. Except when they suck out your will to live, they don't come back to life or anything.

7. How the hell do you write a computer virus to stop the booglies from coming through your computer?

8. The black guy didn't turn to dust, he was sucked into the wall, why did he die differently?

9. what was up with the skinned cat?

10. How many times does a computer have to run without being plugged in before it stops freaking you out?

11. The stupidest kid in any class you grew up with, figured out before the main girl in this movie did to throw out the mother$&%*'n cell phone from the car, even after the radio tells you that the booglies come in through the connection.

12. Why do all the kids in this movie live in really freaky crack-house types of apartments? We get it, they are so nerd, ipod carrying emo cool.

13. Why doesn't anyone have a laptop? Everyone has a tube monitor from about ten years ago and yet can all afford expensive cell phones.

14. Who forgot to take the blue filter of the camera before sooting this film? It didn't work for Mel Gibson and it didn't work here either.

15. Why are half the scenes from the trailer not actually in the movie? NO ONE jumped off a water tower. Bitches.

16. Why do the booglies just sit an d look at you through your computer monitor and let you look at them? Why does Hell only have a 56k connection judging by the quality of the video. Why do they ask their victims on the computer if they want to meet a ghost? Is it like the vampire rule where they can't kill you if you don't invite them in, or are they just being pricks?

17. Why was the first dead friend asking for help via IM? Was he still himself in the booglie hell? Would he not become one of them trying to be a prick on someone's computer?

18. With gazillions of dead people sucking out your will, why was it the same looking guy going after everyone we saw getting killed?

19. Could the lead girl in the movie possibly wear any more ironic t-shirts?

20. Why Ohio? I mean sure, I always assumed the downfall of humanity would start in Ohio but they never explained why a university there? Why not MIT or something more plausible?

21. Who was the creepy old dude in the library at the very beginning? Did he get paid off by the booglies who wanted to be pricks?

22. What was with all the eye makeup? was she trying to fool the ghosts into thinking she was already dead? Oh, right, Ironic shirts and all...

23. Bathtub scene, side-on car collision scene, virus upload will save us all; Reused and tired schticks used in 50 other horror films, why even do a remake if you can't even be innovative in re-telling the story.

24. Most of the time you were supposed to be seeing the booglies, they kept flickering the screen like a bad monitor about to give out. This seemed to be a cheaper effect than actually showing us scary booglies.

25. Why did the booglies even bother hiding from the lead girl in the beginning like in the bathroom scene when they were all GOTCHYA! with all the other friends?

26. Why did the booglies come out of dumb places like the dryer instead of just coming through a wall or a door. I mean, when your a dead creature from the beyond, do you need to keep being a prick just for the effect? Your already scary just by saying "Hi".

27. Guy from "Lost", also another one of the pretty people who know a lot about computers and can't seem to get a job. damn hippies.

28. Why did Josh make a video diary? I mean, if he's so connected, why didn't he blog? or podcast? Hmn? Hmnn?

29. When the girl almost got her will sucked out, how did the guy pull her away, I mean, why didn't they just smack him around too?

30. In the end we lost the war and all of humanity had to evacuate to the areas where there was no mobile phone or signal (leaving parts of Ohio and South Korea) "We lost the cities to them" Of course with no humans in those cities to run the generators to power those devices, wouldn't it all be a done deal in a relatively short period of time?

moovie ignrantce, aaight?

If you are in a movie theatre and you check your mobile phone every five minutes for a text message, your not only an asshole, you are so not that important. Yes, the glow from your screen is friggin' annoying to the people around you.

If your phone rings and you answer it and start up a conversation, your a special level of needy asshole. Wow, look at you! your beeing seen on a mobile phone in a public place. You indeed have friends. Welcome to 1996. Glad you could make it.

If you keep talking to your pal next to you at full voice about what is going on in the movie, your an asshole. Yes, the cross-gendered X-men villain was a little giggle worthy but you went on and on about it. YES, mention it three more times. That is SO funny.

If you don't give a crap that your home made sammich you brought in was done so in tinfoil and is loud as hell opening up as well as dropping your empty aluminum can several times, your a special level of cheap bastard asshole. I understand a coke here is $9.50 but could you at the very least be somewhat discreet with your aluminum mother$%&% can?

If you laugh or clap at every single little thing in the movie, your not an asshole, just really annoying. It's not required to share your level of enjoyment with everyone else in the theatre. Plus, it would help a little if you were consistent in which side / team / hero / villain you were rooting for.

Memorial day brought all the fun people out to see a movie this weekend.

Crash

Sometimes I am glad I don't always catch a movie when it's in the theatre and getting all of the hype from box sales and media campaigns. Sometimes you are blessed with a movie like Crash that really triggers a nerve in you that might have otherwise put you off if it had been shoved down your throat like anything else. Sometimes you are suprised to find Hollywood still has a soul.

Crash is a new favorite. The acting, the soundtrack, the imagry, the tone; all were supurb but the message was something almost sureal. Every so often a movie comes out that really seems to capture the tension of the time it was made. This movie has been compared to Magnolia in the reviews I have seen (another good film but not nearly as good) but I kept thinking of the 1991 movie Grand Canyon to pair this to. Both were even a picture of the same city but much different times. Like the kid who used to get beat up in the school yard, now a little tougher for it now but lost a peice of himself getting there.

Fourteen Hours of Jessica Alba

A clear indication of how Hollywood has reached a new level of suck lately is by my cinema choices for the long haul to Australia on Qantas Airlines on Sunday:

1. War of the Worlds (seen it)
2. *Bewitched (would rather jab my eyes out with needles)
3. The Fantastic Four (seen it)
4. Fever Pitch (not a Jimmy Fallon fan)
5. Land of the Dead (it stars Dennis Hopper.. 'nuff said)
6. *Lords of Dog Town (I'm not 17)
7. Herbie (would rather jab my eyes out with needles)

* Is only being shown because it has an Aussie lead actor in it

I think this is a ploy so that if any plane is ever attacked by terrorists, you will not scream or cry, but welcome the sweet death to put an end to the torture.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the movie this year that far exceeded my expectations. I have to say though, I was sold on it just after seeing Angelina in a leather outfit in the first half of the movie. The story was fun and the action was great. Not to be un-noticed but the pun of Adam Brody (The OC) being interrogated by Brad and Angelina wearing a fight club t-shirt was not only a humorous tug at Brad's previous blockbuster hit but also a slam at the OC for always pulling pop culture references out every five minutes on their show. Vince Vaughn was a complete asset to the show as well. It had a different style to it that made some of the over the top action forgivable and the soundtrack was good if not ammusing in some moments. Apperently it's going to help save the box office this summer as pulling more than it's weight with a $51 million plus opening weekend.

Star Wars 3, Revenge of the Sith

George finally redeemed himself with the third installment of the last of the Star Wars saga. I think the reason for the success of this film over the other two is that this one, above the rest, brings us back to the Star Wars we remembered from years ago. The plot was well thought out and wrapped up everything nicely within the Star Wars universe. The action was fun and the effects were great, but not one of the characters in the movie this time around. George finally relied on the story more than the effects as opposed to the last two movies. My only problem with anything really, is the time line. With pace of the movie felt like it took place in just a couple of days, but in the beginning of the movie, Padme tells Anikin she is pregnant and by the end, she gives birth. Not necessarily an issue, but the sense of time didn’t seem to stretch out that long.

Critical Ego

Star Wars, Episode III, which is being released nation wide this friday, is getting a lot of posititive attention from critics and reviewers lately. Well, except for Anthony Lane from The New Yorker who couldn't have hated it worse if he tried.

This is what I hate about reviewers like Lane. If a majority of people are enjoying this movie and giving it good reviews then I have to wonder if his goal wasn't to hate it at all costs just to be the cool kid above the frey.

I bet he was the fist one to fall head over heels for Sideways.

Halle Berry Accepts Worst Actress Razzie Award

"I want to thank Warner Brothers for casting me in this piece of shit."

Sideways

The plane is endlessly delayed on the runway thanks to a jumbo jet in front that broke down. So I thought I would blog from my palm phone.

I was really wanting to see the movie Sideways and thanks to this flight, I have. What an absolute horrible, irritating movie. three different times I looked for something else to do but hoped the movie would get better. The reviewers lied. This movie is not perfect nor even funny as led to believe. I think a few anxious critics who wanted to the first to discover this hidden gem independent movie got carried away on their reviews.

If you really enjoyed this movie, then the terrorists have already won.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou has a quirky school play-like flow that goes back and forth to a realistic feel of the life and adventures of Steve Zissou. You'd think this would be annoying but it has it's own charm. More so than the previous attempts by Wes Anderson (Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore). Owen Wilson has a way of being the same character in every movie and yet I still like the performance. It was a better movie than expected and had some enduring moments in the end. Probably Anderson's best movie to date in my opinion.

Coming Movies Pre Review

Tim Burton's remake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory seems a bit lame and most likely forgetable about 10 min after you have seen it. Is that Johnny Depp or Annie Lennox? The original really weirded me out for weeks when I was a kid, kept me from swallowing my gum for a long time.

I am giving high hopes to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy though (May 6th).

And what the hell is this about? are you serious? That's about as smart as making a sequal to Dumb and Dumber and not having Jim Carey involved. Bah.

It's been a rough year overall for cinema fans.

National Treasure

Thanks to Dan Brown and the movie National Treasure, there is this fascination of late with the legends of the secret societies such as the Free Masons, the Illuminati, the Knights Templar who later became the Priory of Sion.

There is some really neat information to be learned in this entire plethora of legends. Did you know a monk in the Catholic Church (with approval to use science to support Christianity) first postulated the Big bang theory that later led to the creation of the illuminati?

Some of it is just far reaching though. Dan Brown explains in his book Angels & Demons (still a great read) that on the great seal of the United States found on the back of the one dollar bill, that the Latin phrase "Novus Ordo Seclorum" means "New Secular Order". Another popular mistaken translation is "New World Order". A little Google search and you will find that "Novus Ordo Seclorum" actually means something along the lines of A new order of the ages. Notice the big difference in those meanings?

Or so the man would have you believe...

Some other translations on the currency and US Symbol:
Annuit Coeptis : Providence (or God) Has Favored Our Undertakings.
E Pluribus Unum : Out of Many, One

The unfinished pyramid with the all seeing eye has been confused with a Masonic symbol in the movie as well. The symbol was the creation of Charles Thompson (not a Mason) in 1782 for the U.S. great seal. Contributing to the design was Pierre Du Simitière, Francis Hopkinson, and William Barton (none were Masons). President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Mason) included the pyramid side of the seal on the one dollar bill in 1935.

National Treasure was a fun ride of a movie without any expectations. Apperently there is a large fortune right up the street from the apartment here in Manhattan.

In the "Just Clued In" Dept.

Imagine a world where David Arquette out bills Ben Affleck and Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) is a vicious terrifying vampire trying to kill Luke Perry who has been going to high school for most of his professional career.

In the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer that inspired the television cult series of the same name, Ben Affleck has a very minor appearance as basketball player #10 towards the end fight scene.

Buffy was right there with a wooden stake and could have done something.

(shank)
Ben: (Auugh!) "Crap lady, I'm not a vampire..."
Buffy: "I know, but in nine years you would have made the movie Pearl Harbor."

The Incredibles

Brad Bird wrote and directed the movie Iron Giant a few years ago, it was well made, well written, well everything despite the last minute budget cuts and the plug practically being pulled out from him before it was finished as well as a non existent marketing campaign. Now Brad Bird, together with Pixar, has made The Incredibles and it was an equally great movie. All of the characters were well done and the story wasn't just a rehashed plot, it was fun to watch. Go see it. It's worth the $85 in tickets, popcorn and a ten-gallon coke.

Pearl Harbor Sucked and I Miss You

Team America had puppets having sex, disgusting vomit scenes, horrible dialogue and social commentary that seemed too simplistic.

I liked it. Mostly for the songs, but also the puppet sex.

Shaun of the Dead

It may wear off on me at some point later, but Shaun of the Dead friggin rocked. It was a comedy more than a horror flick but it was such a great mocking of all the zombie movies of the past. Very much a British humor type of film. A few cast members pop up from Spaced and The Office here and there and it had the same kind of humor, just with more zombies.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Alternate title; "Captain Amazing and his world traveling prop plane on a leaky tank of gas! Also staring back seat driving annoying girl!" I know, I know, it was supposed to be a nostalgia piece with a nod to the old sci-fi movies of the 40's and 50's. The problem with doing nostalgia is that after the fun fades away, it just looks like old crap again (see Roger Rabbit). I'm supposed to love this movie because it was edited on a mac and Apple is kind of proud of that. Still, the dark menacing shadows were annoying, the soft focus aged look hurt my eyes and the CGI wasn't all that impressive. Beyond that; Angelina Jolie is a hottie and some of the dialogue between Joe and Polly was pretty funny. There were clear moments of borrowing from other movies when I was beginning to thing Indiana Jones was fighting a dark Sith Lord. It got to be somewhat enjoyable towards the middle of the flick. Go see it if your curious but I wouldn’t cry if you wind up missing it.

Now the Farscape movie, I am anxiously awaiting to see...

The Bourne Supremacy

I have to say it, The Bourne Supremacy rocked. I'm starting to get less annoyed by Matt Damon as he seems to be getting cast in parts that well suit him. Ronin used to be one of my favorite movies as far as car chase scenes were concerned but this one has it beat I think.

Upon exciting the building, I suddenly realized that the theatre was right smack in front of the World Trade Center site (view large Quitime VR of site and cinema 2002). This fact was realized to me by the giant beams of light shooting up into the night sky directly ahead to memorialize the missing towers. It was beautiful.

That's when the Freedom truck pulled up.

It was a small fire truck but with video screens on the side playing a video slideshow of images like the constitution, the capitol, eagles soaring, New York, Scenes of 9/11.. A guy in a fireman uniform was on the top waving a flag while another guy in a white suite with long hair and a bullhorn was telling us all on the street to appreciate our freedoms and thanking the hero's on New York. Some inspirational music was playing behind him to set a tone.

At first it was kind of heart warming when I thought it was a real fire truck and a real fireman, but.. i dunno.. something of weirdness smacked me the longer he talked. A guy nearby said to the person with him "Am I the only one who thinks this is a little weird and creepy?"

I wish I had my camera to show you.

Hellboy

Not a bad flick for a movie with Ron Perlman and Selma Blair in it (shudder). But honestly, how can you go wrong with Nazi's and black magic? It worked for Indiana Jones. The only movie where Nazi's ever sucked as bad guys was The Sum of All Fears (more shuddering). I wonder if the real life Rasputin could have guessed that he would be reused as a supernatural villan for many stories to come?

I, Robot

In a world, where the Fresh Prince is built like a brick house, comes a futuristic crime drama / SciFi movie called I, Robot about robots wanting to control mankind. I'm curious if US Robotics is just fine with the image of killer robots made by them in the future, are shown terrorizing the world. I'm sure somewhere a lawyer signed off on it. Maybe it's just a stern warning of things to come from US Robotics maybe? I'm not sure why, but I now have a desire to buy a pair of Converse high tops and an Audi car thou so who cares if my modem is out to get me.

Damn product placement.

The movie was pretty good for a summer blockbuster flick and the script was even okay if you squinted your eyes. A few minor plot holes but nothing that can't be explained by "act of wizard". It shouldn't suprise people in the future a robot can break a law or do malicious acts as long as it's made and controled by man. If you want an example, I can show you the ton of SPAM in my junk mail file. Remember people; I saw it coming, the end is near.

Some neat camera angles and CGI work. Hell, it's a friggin Oscar nod in my opinion if its closest competition this year is works like The Village and The Chronicles of Riddick.

Did I mention how bad M. Night Shyamalan's work is?

The Stepford Wives

So, years ago, there was this book that was made into a mini television series that became a movie that became a remake in the magical decade of Hollywood known as the golden era when everyone ran out of ideas.

I get a little puzzled about the current trend of a remake movie. To keep the predictable plot from being obvious and boring, they often throw a twist in there to catch everyone off guard in the end. Which brings up the point; is it still a remake or are you trying to make a new (rehashed stolen plot) movie all together?

While watching Christopher Walken on the screen, I kept thinking "Man, your Christopher Walken, if your going to make a robot wife, then why make 200 year old Glen Close?" My answer came later on when the detailed and well thought out plot was revealed.

There were some serious problems with the movie though that leave you a bit confused. I mean, are they robots or aren't they? If they aren't then what's with the modem bit and the sparks?

I'd say it stunk, but it would be more appropriate to say I am just confused. It had a few moments worth laughing at but if you don't see it, don't worry about it.

The Village (or Blair Witch, Director's Cut)

I want to say something. I want to be clear so that it's not misunderstood nor leave any room for doubt on how I feel on the matter.

M. Night Shyamalan is an untalented hack who couldn't write a good story for a freshman literature class at a junior college that shares a wall with a 7-11 in a strip mall.

I haven't even seen The Village yet and I haven't decided if I will or not. I know it will suck, I assumed it would suck when I saw the previews and I was validated in the overwhelming amount of bad reviews that have come out for it.

Let’s go over the list shall we?

Sixth Sense: not bad, had some moments.
Unbreakable: Bad, very bad, stupid ending.
Signs: One of the top ten worst films I have ever seen.
The Village: Yet to be determined the level of suck.

So, to sum up, M. Night Shyamalan is an overpaid hack. I would think viewing his movies should be used in interrogation techniques by the military. Which of course would further violate some international laws of cruelty.

Spidey goes Freelance

What happens when uber nerds who still live with their parents and vaguely hold a job think that their opinion of the true Spiderman can best be told with a copy of Bryce 3D and Poser? Well nothing usually besides the conversation over a rightous game of Everquest, but these guys actually got off the couch.

"Dude, we're like, so not about the money, we just want like, the real Peter Parker story told.. yah..."

Whale Rider

This movie blew me away. I had heard good things about it on the independent awards circuit but hadn't had the chance to see it until now. The story was very moving and I was amazed when I recognized the school in the movie from my visit to New Zealand a few months back, it's in Paihia where the British Colonists signed the treaty with the Maori. A beautifully filmed movie and some great info on the Maori culture.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Yes, I know, it's been out for a while now, but I finally saw George Clooney's first shot at directing and it was a great picture even though it didn't get much attention when it was released in 2002. The cameo apperences were a fun suprise and Sam Rockwell usually creeps me out a little but he was perfect for this role. If you haven't seen it you should check it out.

Spider Man 2

I was actually impressed with this movie, a whole lot more than the first one and that wasn't that bad either. Still a few things I have to just poke a stick at as I did with the first movie review back in 2002;

Peter: "Hi MJ, Hi Harry, You guys still around?"
Harry: "Yes Peter, we're both big successes now, what are you doing?"
Peter: "Bite me daddy's boy, you still mental over your dead psycho dad?
Mary Jane: "Peter, that's not very nice. Oh, by the way I kissed my fiancé and even though we have been together for a short while, I just realized he's no Spiderman."
Peter: "Yea, well, who is babe? (chuckles)"

--- later ---

Doc Oc: "I am going to randomly reach into this crowd for a hostage and if I am lucky, I might get someone close to Spiderman..."
Spiderman: "Son of a bitch... he got Aunt May"
Aunt May: "Heart... failing.... need... pills... (gasp)"
Spiderman: "Don't worry...uhm, strange old lady, I'll save you just like I did Uncle Ben."
Aunt May: (clutching chest) "You didn't save him you jackass, you blubber on about it like a girl in the next scene"
Stan Lee: "Cameo!"
Bruce Campbell: "Hi kids, I'm a theatre usher now. You may recall me in such works as; Spiderman 1 as the ring announcer and the Evil Dead series.
Aunt May: ".........."

--- later ---

Mary Jane: "Peter, do you love me?"
Peter: (Say yes, Say yes, Say yes).... "No" (damit)
Mary Jane: "You %$$&^# piece of ^&$% dirt bag. I am hot!"
Peter: "I'm sorry MJ, a spider's gotta do, what a spider's gotta do."
Mary Jane: "...a what?"
Peter: "uhm, nothing"

--- later ---

Peter: Crap, I need Spider Viagra, my web spew is just not keeping up anymore. Speaking of which, I shoot all this webbing out and where does it store at in my body? I mean I'm smart and I know that spiders have big bulbous asses where the fluid is kept, (whew did I get lucky on that one)

-- later ---

Doc Oc: "You know Spider man, your not nearly as ripped as you are in the scenes when you are flying about the city..."
Spiderman: "Yea, that's CGI, I have a whole team of programmers making me look good" (thwap!)

--- end of movie ----

People on Train: Don't worry, we won’t tell anyone who you are Spiderman; we are all good American citizens with a heart of feel-good gold.
Train Passenger #5: (takes Spidey's wallet)
Train Passenger #9: (Calls National Enquirer on mobile to start the bidding)

Only person in New York who didn't see Peter was Spiderman: "Who is Spiderman?"

Peter: "MJ, I love you but could you FRIGGIN MOVE already? this falling wall I am holding is giving me a spider-hernia!"
Mary Jane: "Oh Peter, your so cute."
Peter: "I still can't be with you babe, there's a tall quirky girl in my apartment building that I'm thinking about hooking up with."
Mary Jane: "I hate you so much."

Shrek 2

Yea, the cat was pretty much 90% of the reason to go see Shrek 2; A lot of cute and funny. Not a bad flick but the first film had more of a story, this one was just a lot of fun with a lot of gag jokes. I liked it but with Shrek 3 already in the works, they are going to take yet another good thing and run it into the ground me thinks. (fisk, fisk)

The Hunting of the President

Looks like Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't the only big documentary movie to hit theatres soon. The Hunting of the President looks lke it's getting some good buzz as well.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Not a bad flick if your into the Harry Potter saga. I just watched the first two movies a few months ago practically by force but found them not all that bad to sit through. This movie blurred some lines along other movies though; I think the ring wraiths that were chasing Frodo were now after Harry and Scooby.

I can relate to Harry Potter. Sometimes it feels like everywhere I go, people have a premonition about something of me and then they stare at me as if I am doomed to fate and concealing a foreboding secret about my past from me.

I dunno, Maybe it's just me.

Go see the movie if you liked the first two. If you haven't seen the first two, get a Harry Potter nerd to fill you in.

Troy

Troy was a pretty good flick but not for the reasons I thought it would be. I was expecting a lot of visual goodness in special effects and all that a big epic movie would have, while it did do a good job in this area, I was impressed with the acting from Brad Pitt and Eric Banna and the rest of the cast.

Gothika

Gothika was an odd movie that wasn't as bad as I expected to be but not exacly a brilliant story either. Not bad for a ghost story but the acting was sub par for all the actors in the film. I'm still trying to figure out the continuity and decide if it all makes sense. I'll update if I find any issues that don't add up or you can leave any thoughts in the comments.

Secret Window

Once, when I was about nine years old, I fell off the jungle gym at school and broke my wrist. I landed on my hands wrong and the bone made a clean snap. It hurt, it hurt a great deal. Little did I know that years later I would see a movie so painful to the core that it made that pain then seem like a ride at Disneyland.

The first clue should have been the name Steven King in the opening credits, but no. We stuck it out anyway just to see where the story was going to take us.

Ten minutes into the movie, I had the whole plot figured out, the twist ending figured out, and was already pissed off about it. But no, surely I was going to be wrong and the movie would have something unforeseen, proving to be a brilliant masterpiece, but no.

No, it didn’t. It sucked. It followed the predicted path, had a horrendously stupid ending, and left me wanting to kick Johnny “I’m all about the acting, not the money or fame” Depp square in the ass for agreeing to do this picture.

I honestly can’t remember seeing a movie this bad in recent history, and by recent history, I mean since celluloid film had been invented.

Man, That's Bulls&*t!

If you buy only one DVD this month, make it this one. Penn and Teller put out a series on Showtime last year called Bullshit! where they debunk myths and generally make fun of stupidity and hysteria. I think I practically agreed with every point of view they had on the topics they covered.
A particularly funny episode is where they got on the topic of envirmoental hysteria and passed out a petition at a rally for people to support a banning of the chemical Dihydrogen Monoxide... (Water). You'd be suprised at how many people signed up without even asking what it was.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

In the first 5 minutes of the movie I didn't like it. The camera was all over the place; cliché characters of gen x leftovers everywhere and Jim Carey's character bored me. I didn't like the movie Being John Malcovich very much (both written by Charlie Kaufman) and I was prepared not to like this one either.

After a while, when the plot began to come together and I started noticing all the little subtleties, I decided the movie was going to be better than I had thought it would.

By the end, when Joel was about to lose his last memory of Clementine, and in the danger of her being wiped away from his mind for good, I decided this was one of the most beautiful movies I had seen. A great intricate story that comes together like a complicated riddle that relies on all the other parts to be stable. I love a movie that makes you talk about it afterwards to understand it completely.

SeaBiscuit

A great story, a great move, and a great cast. I had heard a lot of things about this movie from all the hype it had recieved when it was released, now I know why.

Intolerable Cruelty

This move was viewed on an international flight. I must say it was much better than anticipated.

Big Fish

Big Fish was a remarkable movie from Tim Burton, who would have guessed he had it in him? It reminded me of my relationship with my father and made me a little sad though.

This after another great movie on the flight back from New Zealand; Lost in Translation by Sophia Coppola. Two great movies that both hit a little close to home lately.

Lost in Translation

The move was a great look at how two people with something in common but no hope being together can share something in a moment that means the world.

The Rundown / Welcome to the Jungle

A fun little move that you don;t expect much from.

The Last Samurai

Almost everyone I know rolled their eyes at the trailer for this movie. Tom Cruise has taken flack for being too, well, Tom Cruise I guess. I actually liked this movie a lot.

A good use of color and symbolism with a great story and great action. Tom Cruise was believeable and so were the other actors. If not for Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, this movie might have made the top of the list for 2003 and I am still trying to decide if my love of the LOR movie was influenced by the hype and other people's opinions.

Yes, the story was a bit reused (Dances with Wolves) but what in Hollywood isn't anymore? I liked the message of the film and the way it was told.

Love Actually

A really good movie. It's a bit sappy in parts yea, but as far as sappy movies go, it was enjoyable and pretty funny. I loved the parts with Liam Neeson's character and his son. I did cringe a little bit at the idea of Billy Bob Thorton playing the U.S. President. A look at most forms of love; giving, selfish, lost, forbidden, simple, innocent, friendship, etc. The soundtrack is pretty good as well.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

A great ending to the trillogy. The Lord of the Rings movies have set a new standard in modern story telling and use of digital animation.

Scary Movie 3

It was an awfully stupid movie but what did I expect really?

Master and Commander

A good mvoie as far as plot goes but I am suprised this movie even got cleared for an audience in 2003.

S.W.A.T.

Another Colin Ferral action movie with little expectations for the plot but fun ride in the delivery.

The Matrix, Revolutions

Talk about your Massive disapointments. This movie had all the let down of a Seinfeld final episode.

Tomb Raider II, The Cradle of Life

What can I say, Angalina is a hottie.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The

Not a bad flick I guess.

kill bill vol. 1

If you see only one movie this year with enough blood to fill an olympic sized swimming pool, make it this one. Great effects, fun story, and traditional Tarantino Style. In her early days I didn't care much for Uma Thurman but now she is clearly in 'hottie' status. Go see it, Kill Bill Vol.1 was a great flick, especially if you like those old campy but cool KungFu movies.

It's no Gigli mind you...

Italian Job, The

As far as Mark Walbergh pictures go, it wasn't a bad movie if you were just looking for some action.

X-Men II

The sequal was far better than the original movie although the first movie had to do a lot to set up the story.

28 Days Later

A neat independent horror flick. I was surprised it had little suckage. It had a few plot issues that you had to overlook but I was willing to forgive since the story was interesting to stay with. The question still remains; how do you get parts of London to clear out for film shooting with a low budget project? I mean when Tom Cruise walked down Times Square in Vanilla Sky we all understood the inner workings of a big budget movie pay off. This movie had to get up at the ass crack of dawn to film probably and I bet the British get up pretty early in the crack.

Good job guys. Oh, the recently added "Original ending" after the movie really sucked. Upon further investigation, they yanked out the dream from Jim that explained everything. Boo.

pirates of the caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean was a much greater movie than expected. It was fun, great special effects but not over done, and the story line was interesting enough to stay with. Johnny Depp's character was hilarious. Nate fell asleep but he said he liked it.

Bruce Almighty

The movie had some moments but overall, was a bit of a disapointment. I wouldn't mind seeing Morgan Freeman as God though.

Identity

A good moovie, great twists in the plot and good performances from some good actors.

Finding Nemo

Okay, I'll admit it; I was biased to liking this movie on several fronts before I ever saw it. It's a story about a father and son, it has a quest to find Sydney, Australia, and it's an animated movie by those awsome people at Pixar. Any one of those reasons would have gotten admission price from me at the very least. The story in Finding Nemo was not only touching, it made me get a little something in my eye a few times (shut up) in between the laughs. Superb animation as usual by pixar.

I missed my boy while I was away for so long and needed a hug just like Marlin. Great movie, go see it.

The Matrix Reloaded

I saw The Matrix Reloaded last night with friends I had not seen in months and had a great time. The movie was a bit mixed. Some parts I found disappointing and some I thought were well done. The special effects I thought were well done but some were just too obvious that they were computer generated. The conclusion left me a little weary as well.

I didn't suck but it didn't live up to its reputation either.

X2

Went to go see X2 this weekend. Being an avid comic book reader and an X-Men fan back in my day, I was left a little disappointed by the first movie in it's story but thought overall it was fun and the characters were well casted.

This movie did a much better job on both aspects. The opening scene that introduces Nightcrawler was especially fun and the actor did the part well. A neat ending that made me proud of the movie for following a popular X-Men story of past.

Good job guys. The Matrix 2 trailer as well as the Terminator 3 trailer seemed insanely fun.

Changing Lanes

"I can live with myself because at the end of the day, I think I do more good than harm. What other standards have I got to judge by?"

At the risk of admitting I like a movie that stars Ben Afleck, I saw one recently that voted very high on my likes list. No, it was not that Daredevil crap recently released. Changing Lanes, also staring, and redeeming in my opinion, Samuel L. Jackson.

The beauty of the film is the way it compares and dissects human motivation and how it evolves from moment to moment depending on our circumstances and our range of emotions. Our sense of right and wrong constantly changes on how the world treats us. When people feel screwed over, they tend to feel more compelled to screw the next guy over to equal out the score.

In the end, Afleck's character makes a brilliant analogy on comparing his inability to "do what was right", to a moment lost in time.

Ned Kelly

"Such is life."
Tracy and I went and saw a movie during lunch today, she insisted we see it since it was about Australian history. Ned Kelly staring Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, and Geoffrey Rush. It was a great movie. I am surprised that we never hear about such things in the states, every school kid here knows the story.

If it is showing back home, go see it. I recommend it.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The second movie was just as good as the first, maybe better.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

I put this movie off for almost a year. I assumed it was going to be over-hyped and appeal to only the true hard core ring geeks. After some insistance from the college professor I finally saw Lord of the Rings and I was greatly impressed.

Koyaanisqatsi

"human beings do not use technology as a tool (the popular point-of-view), but rather we live technology as a way of life."

A mentor of mine recently suggested I see an independent cult-type flick in the design and art community that has been out since the early eighties called "Koyaanisqatsi, Life out of Balance". He then suggests I need to see its sequel called "Powaqqatsi, Life in Transition" and remarks about how great they are. I see a trailer from his DVD and I get very interested. My copies came in from Amazon.com today and I watch and become fascinated at not only the visual content but the deepness to the way it is filmed. It's easy to understand why it's a big hit in the artsy-fartsy crowd.

The reason he brought it up is because the final chapter of the trilogy was released this year and is making its way to Oklahoma City this weekend to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. It is called "Naqoyqatsi, Life as War" (trailer). The imagry and score is stunning and if you fancy yourself an artsy-fartsy type or just want to impress people and see something with an artsy-fartsy crowd, go see this flick. The movies, at the very least, will make you see things in a different perspective.

The movies are not for everyone. There is no spoken dialogue in them only imagery and music. It has the feel of a Stanley Kubrick Movie, much like watching an elaborated ending to "2001; a space odyssey".

The films have some big names behind them like Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas with Philip Glass and Yo-Yo Ma doing the score. All three were Directed by Godfrey Reggio, many of the filming Techniques from these films are the Innovative styles often replicated today. Go See it if you can. I'd like to know anyone else's opinion of any of the three movies.

007- Die Another Day

Not a bad James Bond flick. Madonna's theme song particularly sucked though and I still refuse to give Pierce Brosnan praise until he appologizes for The Lawnmower Man.

Bowling for Columbine