Pineapple Express (2008) - 4/5

Pineapple Express (2008) - 4/5

While I don't think this is a great movie, I think it was good enough for a 4. The comedy style of these guys is pretty solid in this movie - Danny McBride and Seth Rogen are doing what you expect.

The story is..., who cares.

The situations they get in and what they do, how they get in and out, etc. - it's done well, funny and keep coming!

Mid-Year Update

What I watched from 1/1/09-/6/30/09

66 movies so far this year. Average 11 per month (~3/week).

I might change my rating to be more like Netflix. It's a simpler system:
1/5 - hated id
2/5 - didn't like it
3/5 - liked it
4/5 - really liked it
5/5 - loved it

Top Rated:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - 5/5
Synecdoche, New York (2008) - 5/5
"Battlestar Galactica" (2004) - 5/5
Adaptation. (2002) - 5/5 (seen bef0re)
The Graduate (1967) - 5/5 (seen before)

Bottom Rated:
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) - 1/5
Cobra (1986) - 1/5


All movies (66):
Revolutionary Road (2008) - 4/5
Doubt (2008/I) - 4.5/5
Land of the Lost (2009) - 3.5/5
Taking Chance (2009) - 3.5/5
Away We Go (2009) - 4.5/5
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) - 1/5
The Love Guru (2008) - 3.5/5
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) - 3/5
Terminator Salvation (2009) - 3/5
The Dam Busters (1955) - 3.5/5
Lost in La Mancha (2002) - 3/5 documentary
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - 5/5
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (20...
My Name Is Bruce (2007) - 3/5
The Incredible Hulk (2008) - 2.5/5
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) - 2.5/5
Speed Racer (2008) - 2.5/5
Star Trek (2009) - 4/5
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Definitely, Maybe (2008) - 4/5
"Caprica" (2009) - 3.5/5
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) - 3.5/5
The Wrestler (2008) - 4.5/5
"Spaced" (1999) - 2.5/5 tv series
Adventureland (2009) - 4/5
Adaptation. (2002) - 5/5
Henry Poole Is Here (2008) - 3/5
High Fidelity (2000) - 3.5/5
The Foot Fist Way (2006) - 3/5
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - 4.5/5
Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) - 4/5 documentary
Son of Rambow (2007) - 3/5
Deconstructing Harry (1997) - 2.5/5
The Fountain (2006) - 3.5/5
The Graduate (1967) - 5/5
Smultronstället (1957) - 4/5 subtitles
Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) - 4/5 documentary
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) - 4/5 documentary
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - 4.5...
Duplicity (2009) - 3/5
Hud (1963) - 3/5
Haine, La (1995) - 2.5/5
Synecdoche, New York (2008) - 5/5
Apocalypto (2006) - 3.5/5
Bolt (2008) - 3.5/5
Helvetica (2007) - 3/5 documentary
Young at Heart (2007) - 4/5 documentary
Man on Wire (2008) - 4.5/5 documentary
frontline: is wal-mart good for america? - 4/5 documentary
Sunshine (2007) - 3.5/5
Cop Land (1997) - 3/5
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - 4.5/5
Death Proof (2007) - 4/5
Taken (2008/I) - 3.5/5
He's Just Not That Into You (2009) - 4/5
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) - 4/5
Planet Terror (2007) - 3/5
28 Weeks Later (2007) - 3/5
28 Days Later... (2002) - 3.5/5
What Happens in Vegas (2008) - 1.5/5
Hitman (2007) - 3/5
Yes Man (2008) - 3.5/5
"Battlestar Galactica" (2004) - 5/5
Cobra (1986) - 1/5
The Queen (2006) - 3.5/5
Marley & Me (2008) - 4/5


From Netflix (43 - avg ~7/month):
Revolutionary Road
The Return of Captain Invincible
Doubt
Taking Chance
The Dam Busters
Lost in La Mancha
My Name Is Bruce
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Incredible Hulk
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Speed Racer
Definitely, Maybe
Battlestar Galactica: Caprica
The Wrestler
Spaced: The Complete Series: Disc 2
Spaced: The Complete Series: Disc 1
The Foot Fist Way
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Son of Rambow
Slumdog Millionaire
The Fountain
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Hud
La Haine
Apocalypto
Helvetica
Young @ Heart
Breach
Man on Wire
Is Wal-Mart Good for America?: Frontline
Sunshine
Cop Land
The Last Sin Eater
The Bourne Ultimatum
Grindhouse: Death Proof
Grindhouse: Planet Terror
28 Weeks Later
28 Days Later
Ali
Hitman
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4: Disc 4
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4: Disc 3
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4: Disc 2

Space Chimps (2008) - 2.5/5

Space Chimps (2008) - 2.5/5

Kinda cute, but I think 2 different companies or 2 different teams did the animation: one for earth/chimps and one for the other planet/aliens... the first team was better.

Jeff Daniel's voice was annoying.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 4/5

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 4/5

Great drama w/ great acting and dialog. I really like the power this movie puts behind a drama - it feels so intense like it's a thriller.

SPOILERS

I think this movie is a great picture of the trappings of the "American career." American's tend to forfeit so much of life for their careers/jobs/$ and later regret/resent the decisions.

I loved the scene where she "admitted" they got the house b/c she got pregnant and then had "another kid to prove the first one wasn't a mistake."

It was great when they had the hope of going to Paris and how much that lifted them. I agree w/ his thought that they cd be happy anywhere, but they needed a jump start to live the lives they wanted. I think it was another great picture of people thinking they know what they want, but being too scared (or whatever) to do it.

She kept saying he'd have the time he needed to figure out what he wanted to do. I'm afraid the answer was either a) he'd never know b) it was basically what he was doing though he didn't want that to be the answer or c) nothing.

John really called them out a few times which was a great device ("He's crazy!"). :)

I wd have rathered she not abort the baby, but more than that, I wish she hadn't died. I think the story wd have been better served by her living and continueing the picture of sacrifice/unhappiness/etc. that is closer to the truth of that situation (IMO).

The ending is killer - him, devistated and miserable (seemingly), the new couple becoming friends w/ the neighbors (cycle starts again?), the older couple w/ him turning down his hearing aid - BAM!

I wondered what they were saying - he can't stand her, that's how they stay married, that's the key to success, everyone deals differently, etc. It's interesting b/c earlier John told Helen to shut up, later Helen tells John to shut up and now the daad turns off the mom. None of them want to hear the others.

Great movie - wd have been a 4.5 if she hadn't died. I just think that's a disservice to the women out there that live in the ongoing misery (like Frank did).

Doubt (2008/I) - 4.5/5

Doubt (2008/I) - 4.5/5

Great movie, well made and acted. Nice twist given what wd be expected to come out of Hollywood for a story about Catholic clergy.

SPOILERS

Too many things to analyze and talk about in full, but a few things to mention.

Of course, Aloysius is pretty bad and seems led by serious judgement problems possibly from the death of her husband or just an extreme sense of needing to control things and mistrust. She certainly doesn't embrace any chance or progress in the church.

However, even Flynn states they are the same in the sense that they have failed, laid their sins at Jesus' feet and there they stay.

It's interesting how she condemns and breaks the rules to exact judgment on the priest, but makes considerations for the near-blind nun who sdn't be there.

As we see in the end, she is riddled w/ doubt herself (which Flynn states a) you're not alone and b) it binds us together). I had to wonder if maybe she faked her confession of doubt to Sister James just for that purpose.

We're left on our own to make our decision of what really happened, but Aloysius has certainty based on almost nothing. Scary.

I loved the gossip sermon and it's so true - once that gets out, it's near-impossible if not impossible to overcome it. I've dealt w/ that personally and it takes a long time to overcome what someone might say in error, spite or ignorance.

There's some bonus features on the DVD which are good - talking to the actual nuns. While it's based, or better inspired, by a real Sister James, the events are fictitious. But it's great to hear them talk about the changes after the Second Vatican Council and how the Sisters of Charity got started (and the origination of the "habit").

Apparently, when the founder of the Sisters of Charity lost her real husband in Italy, she went over there. Her caretaker over there dresser her in high-class mourning garb. When she returned, it was about all she had so she kept wearing it. Other nuns followed suit and it became a "habit."

I think being a play before the movie and having the same man driving it all the way through benefited the story and it's evolution and growth. Also, the actors really shined.

The wind is a great device both in imagery and dialog.

The Love Guru (2008) - 3.5/5

The Love Guru (2008) - 3.5/5

I didn't expect too much from this movie and it was pretty funny. It's mostly based around short one-line gags/jokes and such. You can tell that from the trailer.

There's almost no story... or not one worth caring about. But the gags are pretty funny for a laugh.

The Tale of Despereaux (2008) - 3/5

The Tale of Despereaux (2008) - 3/5

My rating of this movie might not be fair. We rented it mostly for our 4 year old and he wasn't too interested so I wasn't really engaged in this movie.

The animation was good, but the story was pretty dark for little kids.

It was fairly original which I like, but, again, didn't really watch it too closely.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - 5/5

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - 5/5

I really liked this movie. It was a like a cross btwn "Forrest Gump" and "The Razor's Edge." Not to say it's as great as though or the best of both, just similar to both in ways.

It was fun to see some scenes I recognized (the cemetary early on is the Mandeville lakefront and the Summer house shots are near there too).

I can't really say I "got a lot" out of this movie, but I very much enjoyed it. It almost didn't get a 5, but...

SPOILERS

There were 2 things that bothered me about this movie:

1. Happenstance?

When he describes the series of events that lead up to Daisy being struck by the car (first off, how did he know all those things? I'm being picky, but that's kinda sloppy filmmaking.), what's his point? So if one thing had happened differently, she'd still have her career.

Is it that we can't control our fate? That everything that happens ultimately has some meaning in the grand scheme? That everything happens for a reason or there's a purpose to everything? That everything has NO meaning - that things just happen b/c 'b' follows 'a' and it just happens? I wasn't sure what the point was???

It didn't seem to fit in the movie... maybe b/c I didn't see the point.

2. He left!

Why'd he leave his family? I felt that was a big mistake and almost cost it the 5 rating... I'm still not sure. A) They didn't know if he'd really keep aging/getting younger B) As it showed, it was many years before it wd have been an issue (he met his daughter when she was 13 and he was still of sound mind). Moreover, it wasn't until the daughter was grown and her husband had passed away that Benjamin really needed anyone to look after him and she basically did it anyway! C) Wdn't it be worth that cost to be around your child and so that your child cd have her real father!?!?!

I saw his point, but felt he was not only wrong, but groundless in his argument.

I think it made for a better movie so I have to chalk it up to a "mistake" on his part.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) - 2.5/5

The Incredible Hulk (2008) - 2.5/5

This started out as a decent drama about someone struggling to survive w/ this powerful condition. Then it dissolved into just a silly monster movie.

It seemed really inconsistent as to Hulk's strength. I guess you cd say it was proportional to the anger??? Not buying it.

SPOILERS

Worst line: "Hulk smash!"

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) - 2.5/5

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) - 2.5/5

I wanted to like this and started to, but then it kinda fell apart. Did I really care about any of these people? Maybe Rachel.

SPOILERS

Then Sarah kinda turned around and redeemed herself a little only to be dropped from the movie.

Then the last scene, I have to think they wrote a lot of that just to show him naked again. Weak.

Speed Racer (2008) - 2.5/5

Speed Racer (2008) - 2.5/5

Visually amazing, but not much of a story despite all of the motivations: brother's death, family business, etc. It just didn't work too well.

Definitely, Maybe (2008) - 4/5

Definitely, Maybe (2008) - 4/5

Good characters and well written and less predictable than some others like it.

SPOILERS

I liked how it was told from the present of the past and how you got to know the characters. They clearly led you to prefer one over the others, but the twist of Sarah being the mom was a bit of a surprise. Though you knew somehow he had to wind up w/ April.

The book, "Jane Eyre", was a cool touch.

The Wrestler (2008) - 4.5/5

The Wrestler (2008) - 4.5/5

Great story and characters and solid acting.

SPOILERS

The main (somewhat obvious) comparison is btwn this and "The Passion of the Christ" (which is mentioned in the movie). The comment being something like "they beat the crap out of him for 2 hours and he just takes it." To which the response is "tough dude."

Of course, Randy is "the Christ" in this story and he sacrifices his body and life for those he loves. Even unto death. Unfortunately, the motivation is questionable as far as does he do it b/c he loves them, or so that they will love him, or b/c it's all he knows, etc.???

Like Christ on the cross being apart from His Father for the first time, Randy doesn't want to be alone, as he tells he daughter. Great scene.

Also, I really, really liked the scenes of him behind the deli counter... he has a different role, personality and even name (Robin). He interacts and serves the people and loves them, they love him and he really enjoys it. He just lights up and entertains while serving. So great.

But then, when it's not going so good and someone points out his real identity, he explodes into "The Ram", jamming his finger into the blade, spreading blood on his face (just like he did in the ring earlier), hitting, throwing, yelling, etc. He can't escape it. Almost as if he was saying "if it's your will, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but thine be done." Maybe.

His relationship w/ Cassidy/Pam (the Mary Magdalene of the story) is great too.

Great movie.

Henry Poole Is Here (2008) - 3/5

Henry Poole Is Here (2008) - 3/5

It started out pretty strong and emotional and really got me curious about everything... then it started to drag a bit.

SPOILERS

The part when he goes out to the wall at night and wants to touch it... man, Luke didn't pull that off.

So was he never sick or was he cured? I was confused.

I felt the strength of this movie was the characters and relationships and it seems the punch of the movie was a little overshadowed by events.

What's the message? Faith heals? Love conquers all? God heals even if you don't believe??? A little confusing.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - 4.5/5

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - 4.5/5

This movie hits it pretty much on every point: great direction, acting, tension, camera work, scenery, etc. It's really got it all: action, love, drama, relationships, hope, fear, etc.

I loved the pacing and storytelling technique used throughout the whole film

SPOILERS

The only thing that kept this movie from a 5 is that I felt it didn't really build to anything... well, nothing big enough to match the rest of the aspects of the film. The love story had a good ending and probably the best it cd have had w/o being cheesy. I'm not saying I was hoping for something bigger.

But the whole story is the amazingly intricately woven story on a path that "is written." So I felt the ending sd have matched that... somehow.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't want the "big, happy, American movie ending." But I wanted the fulfillment to match the build up, but instead I was like, "Oh, ok, so he got a call from the girl." I mean, he had his brother's phone number all along and he knew his brother was involved w/ the guy that had her... cdn't have called that way??? Why did he need the show to call his brother's phone?

Granted, they were watching which led to everything else that happened and that was important, but he didn't plan that or anything.

Anyway, I'm focusing on something that's not all that important and I haven't thought about it this much before now, just that it's what kept it from being a 5. I never like when I focus on something small to make a point and feel like that's all I thought about of the movie. No, it's a GREAT movie.

Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) - 4/5

Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) - 4/5

Another great documentary that examines a lot of "why"s.

Are steroids bad? The numbers don't seem to say so. And is it really cheating? Where do you draw the line?

I've always thought it was strange that they are illegal and congress has made such a fuss about it all. I think we all think it's cheating and wrong b/c it's not "natural", but again, where do you draw the line?

It does a great job of calling out past steroid users too.

Really well done imo.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) - 4/5

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) - 4/5

I think this is a good and well made documentary about the denial of any alternate theory to the origin of life besides Darwinism.

They take a great approach across the board imo. They talk about the freedom of speech, cases of people being ostracized or disciplined for discussing/publishing/etc. Intellectual Design, talk to experts on all sides, etc.

I feel that any non-liberal documentary has a really hard job to not seem biased b/c they'll get attacked (as opposed to Michael Moore movies). The great thing about this documentary is that it doesn't promote ID (though it might seem to), it just questions why it can't be considered.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling this movie is mostly "preaching to the choir" b/c anyone against ID (or just set on Darwinism w/o question) won't see it.

SPOILERS

Even Richard Hawkins seems to agree that it's possible and he's the lead guy against it. But that it can't be God, etc. Illogical. Or that it has to be from an alien life-form (uh, then where did they come from?).

Synecdoche, New York (2008) - 5/5

Synecdoche, New York (2008) - 5/5

Sad. Tragic. Disturbing. Weird. Powerful. Jacked up.

Hard to know where to start w/ this one, but I think it's a great movie. Very confusing in some senses and while the details are strange, I think it doesn't interfere w/ the overall story/feeling.

It's a hard movie to recommend b/c I think different people will react very differently to it.

Bolt (2008) - 3.5/5

Bolt (2008) - 3/5

Great animation, fun action, touching story. I think this movie hits on pretty much all cylinders. However, the story (or at least the concept) might be too complex for the target audience.

I wd think this is aimed at little kids (as opposed to 7 and up) and the story concept of the dog thinking the show is real and switching btwn filming scenes for the show and the real-life story might be too much.

Not that they mind. :)

"Anything is possible if you're fully awesome." - Rhino

Man on Wire (2008) - 4.5/5

Man on Wire (2008) - 4.5/5

Good documentary - won an Oscar this year.

It feels like you're watching a heist movie and can feel pretty good about it coming together. Tense, but very fun.