Kung Fu Panda (2008) - 4.5/5

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Next: "Wall-E" (2008)

This was great. The action was well done and the camera work made it natural to see exactly what was happening (unlike so many live action movies where it's just a blur). All around, I think the camera work was great.

The story is well done and the characters are well developed. The humor is good and not insulting or too adult and the animation is amazing.

It's all around great.

Haiku Summary
Panda is dragon
warrior? Others don't like.
Scroll is blank. Ska-doosh!

Be Kind Rewind (2008) - 3/5

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

NEXT: "Kung Fu Panda" (2008)

Cute and funny, but nothing great. It mostly suffers from a lack of direction. It seems the base of the plot changes every 30 minutes. It's all really just a platform to make these short re-makes of films and that's really all I wanted to see anyway. They were pretty funny and very inventive and creative.

Haiku Summary
Magnatized guy, blank
tapes. Remake movies. Make cash?
Save store? What's the plot?

Atonement (2007) - 4/5

Atonement (2007)

Next: "Be Kind Rewind" (2008)

Beautifully shot like an epic, I really liked this movie except for a couple things. Great acting, sets, camera work, pretty much everything. Awesome, complex story too.

SPOILERS
I loved the switching times and points of view they used as a device to tell the story from different perspectives. I felt a little cheated by the "wrong note" - it was so obvious that was going to happen and felt a bit amateurish. Also, the idea that based on a little girls statement about seeing someone in the dark outside, this guy wd go straight to prison. Again, it just felt a bit weak. Also, where was the atonement? I felt Briony "got away" with it. So she wrote about them in love in her book? Big deal. I don't mind them dying and not being together, but reveal that to the viewer in another way. I didn't like being taken so far into the future (present time) and ripped from that reality. So she's sick and dying, that's still not atonement. So it was GREAT except for the last 15 minutes.

One scene really sticks in my head. Early on we see Briony witness the fountain scene. We don't know what happened (like her) and wonder. Then we see it how it really happened and are away of the breaking vase, the sexual tension, etc.

Much later, and w/o much fanfare, we see the scene of Briony jumping in the water and Robbie saving her. I cdn't help but relate the two scenes. More importantly, I cdn't help but wonder how Briony saw the fountain scene... maybe she saw her sister jump in and Robbie NOT save her. Maybe she saw her sister try her same trick and Briony is jealous. Maybe she saw Robbie NOT get mad at Cecelia and even the clear connection those two had at that time... the connection Briony herself didn't have w/Robbie though she wanted it. Good stuff.

Haiku Summary
Girl lies about crime.
Guy goes to jail and war. Love
lost. Where's atonement?

Eastern Promises (2007) - 4/5

Eastern Promises (2007)

Next: "Atonement" (2007)

Great acting and original story. Intense at a lot of times w/quite a dark tone.

SPOILERS:
I have to take issue a bit w/ the premise, but that can be said for a lot of movies. It just seems that she really asked for trouble just going to some Russian restaurant and letting the clearly creepy old guy translate the diary. I wd think the police or Russian consulate or something wd have been better. I'm sure they cd have gotten to the same place in the story w/ good writing.

Unfortunately also, I kinda figured out that Viggo's character was undercover. I didn't really hurt the story though.

Haiku Summary
Preg girl dies. Baby
and diary. Rusians with
undercover guy.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) - 4.5/5

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Next: "Eastern Promises" (2007)

Great adventure. Long segments of non-stop action that really set the standard IMO. It's meant to be a throw back to the B adventure movies of yesteryear and I think it's that done well.

Haiku Summary
Grail search takes Jones on
search for dad. Dad shot. Grail found.
You've chosen wisely.

Wall Street (1987) - 4/5

Wall Street (1987)

Next: "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)

Great movie. Great acting. It's a powerful morality tale about how far someone will go in their naive, "innocence" mixed w/ greed and money-lust.

Making friends w/ a snake just means your friend is a snake.

UPDATE: 6.24.08
I keep thinking about this movie - so great. I love how Buddy takes on Gordon's mannerisms and phrases ("Talk at ya, babe.", "That's a dog w/ fleas.", etc.). And I think there's a lot of depth to a lot of scenes like when he and Darien make "the dinner" and he says something like "It's perfect. Let's not eat it. Let's just look at it." He's so into the idea of everything. He wants to be "successful" and be "in that world" so bad that when he gets a moment there, he doesn't want to leave... and face himself.

Haiku Summary:
Local boy makes good
w/ inside info from dad.
Double cross. Greed good?

Horton Hears a Who! (2008) - 4/5

Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

NEXT: "Wall Street" (1986)

UPDATED: 6.19.08 - saw it again at the $1 movies.

Very funny (at least the first half) and good story and animation. I thought it was good, creative and fun.

SPOILERS
I thought the kangaroo character was unnecessarily negative and judgmental while not adding a lot to the character makeup of the movie. They seemed to be calling out conservatives (based on the homeschooling reference) and it was just underhanded and judgmental on their part. The biggest bummer about that was that I didn't think it was necessary.

UPDATE: 6.19.08 - Again, I think they were trying to slam conservatives and probably religious conservatives w/ the kangaroo role, but maybe I'm looking for it (or just used to it). However, w/ the kangaroo saying "if you can't see it, heart it or feel it, it isn't real" they can't really be attacking those of faith. So maybe they're slamming atheists a bit??? Anyway, I'm not sure it was necessary, but I'm not familiar w/ the book so who knows if it was accurate anyway.

Haiku Summary
Horton hears a who
on a speck and saves it. Great
dentist scene. Funny.

Next: "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (2007)

Escape from New York (1981) - 3.5/5

Escape from New York (1981)

NEXT: "Horton Hears a Who" (2008)

I mean, what can I say: greatness. I can't explain it and if you need me to, you wdn't understand.

Haiku Summary
Prez crashes in New
York prison. Snake goes in. Saves
the prez. "Call me Snake."

Michael Clayton (2007) - 4/5

Michael Clayton (2007)

NEXT: "Escape from New York" (1981)

Great drama w/ great, well-defined characters. The story was compelling and intense. Many layers, but they took their time and let them grow naturally w/o getting confusing.

Haiku Summary
Big corp, product kills.
Lawyer w/ truth goes nuts. Strips.
Hidden phone, she's caught.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - 4.5/5

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Next:

Holds up well with time: fun, adventure, humor and great action.

Haiku Summary:
Nazis want the Ark.
Indy wants to stop them. Big
action. Faces melt.

Piglet's Big Movie (2003) - 3/5

Piglet's Big Movie (2003)

Next: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

Simple, cute, non-offensive, sweet kids movie. Simple ideas and concepts combined w/ good friendships and wanting to help such.

Haiku Summary:
Piglet overlooked.
Hurt, wanders. Friends miss him. They
look, find and value.

Transformers (2007) - 4/5

Transformers (2007)

Next: "Piglet's Big Movie" (2003)

Very fun. Great CGI though the transformations were a bit unnecessarily complicated. No biggie.

It was cool, fun action that didn't take itself too seriously.

Haiku Summary:
Robots against bad
robots for big power. Kid
has key. With cool cars!

Semi-Pro (2008) - 2/5

Semi-Pro (2008)

Next: "Transformers" (2007)

A bad "Animal House" or "Old School" w/o the cast. Some funny parts, but overall not worth it.

It very much tried too hard to have more plots and such.

Haiku Summary:
B'ball team wants to
go pro. One chance. Win lots. I'd
like to forget it.

Idiocracy (2006) - 2/5

Idiocracy (2006)

Next: "Semi-Pro" (2008)

Mostly weak but w/ a few funny bits. Not worth it.

Haiku Summary:
Guy sleeps five hundred
years. Meanwhile, dumb people have
babies. Dumb world. Stays.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) - 3/5

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

NEXT: "Idiocracy" (2006)

Fairly artsy and hard to follow seriously unless you're really trying... and I wasn't. I get turned off pretty quickly if I feel people are trying too hard to be weird.

Core message: Our society is killing itself w/ entertainment and dangerous addictions.

WARNING: Nudity.

Haiku Summary
Spaceman needs water
to save home planet. Gets cash,
gets wasted. Does nil.

Volver (2006/I) - 2.5/5

Volver (2006/I)

NEXT: "The Man Who Fell to Earth" (1976)

I didn't really get into this movie. I never really tied into the characters or the reality. This cd be a casualty of my method of watching it over multiple sittings??? But as things happened, I just watched and never bought into it.

It also felt disjointed: they'd drop storylines altogether and start new ones.

SPOILERS
So what happened w/ the restaurant? What happened w/ the guy from the movie crew? What happened w/ the mother-daughter relationship and telling the daugher her father was also her grandfather? What about all that - it was kinda revealed and left. What about the friend w/ cancer? There seemed to be so much left undone which might be the point, but it didn't seem to fit right.

Haiku Summary
Girl kills dad. Cover up.
Opens restaurant, mother
back to life. What the?

Cloverfield (2008) - 4/5

Cloverfield (2008)

NEXT: "Volver" (2006)

While this movie may not be the best, they get a lot of credit for being original in certain ways: camera action (handheld, but not "Blair Witch" too much), no star actors, "realism" w/o being campy, etc.

The special effects were great and watching some of the behind the scenes stuff made me realize they put a lot of thought behind so much of it all. From the monster design to the camera angles, they did this thing intentionally regardless of the outcome and I admire that.

SPOILERS
When you're shooting w/a lens like they did, you miss a lot so they had to plan things out accordingly which isn't common or easy. Also, they did a lot of things in long takes which is great.

The little flashbacks on the camera were a great touch.

Haiku Summary
Boy loves girl, but a
monster is attacking. He
finds girl but they die.

Iron Man (2008) - 4.5/5

Iron Man (2008)

NEXT: "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008)

I really liked this movie. It might not stand up to a lot of tough criticism, but I'm not going to throw any its way. It's a fun, action, super-hero movie so some reality has to be thrown out.

They don't over do any one thing too much: political, romantic, etc. So it doesn't offend the senses too much.

I think I left the theater w/ some criticism of it on some parts, but w/ time those have washed away and what's left is the memory of a fun action movie w/ little residue to bother me.

SPOILERS
Great final scene/line!

Haiku Summary
Arms vendor gets caught.
Partner is bad guy. Builds suit,
can fly, is Iron Man.

Logan's Run (1976) - 3/5

Logan's Run (1976)

NEXT: "Iron Man" (2008)

The first half has the same type of production as "The Omega Man", "The Andromeda Strain", etc.: bad '70's sci-fi. But the second half kinda frees itself from that and gets more into the story and implications of everything. Maybe it's just in contrast, but the second half "feels" a lot better.

It's a lot like "The Matrix" in some senses.

SPOILERS
Once they get out of the city, the movie isn't weighed down w/ the bad scenes and sets so that helps.

Haiku Summary
Future: all renew
when thirty. Some run. They die.
Logan runs and lives.

I'm Not There. (2007) - 3/5

I'm Not There. (2007)

NEXT: "Logan's Run" (1976)

This a fairly artistic and poetic movie which also makes it less accessible. I enjoyed it, but wasn't too into it. Also, the varying realities of the storylines made it hard for me to buy into some of the disbelief required for each.

The acting was good and I enjoyed it being in black and white.

They did some really cool things w/ the songs and thoughts, but ultimately it just lacked clear communication to me.

Haiku Summary
Dylan played by lots
of people. Each playing a
different side. Songs.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) - 4/5

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

NEXT: "Cloverfield" (2008)

I liked this one more than the first movie. This one had a darker feel to it and more "mature" scenes as far as motive, implications and direct consequences. Not that it made it better, but it had a different tone.

Fortunately, it had the first one to build on: established reality and characters. Also, better special effects. I think this might be the first movie where I didn't question the CGI. It wasn't until late in the movie that I gave it a thought.

Haiku Summary
Kids pulled back into
Narnia to help Prince and
Narnians save all.

Silent Running (1972) - 1/5

Silent Running (1972)

NEXT: "I'm Not There" (2007)

Man, not good. In the same vein of "Omega Man" and "The Andromeda Strain" this is just slow, poorly acted and suffers from the same production style.

I might have given this 2 out of 5, but the music (Joan Baez) is just painful.

There's a lot of possible messages from this like man doesn't care about nature, nature freaks are crazy, etc. I think mainly the message is: we need to take care of the planet or it will go away and that man cares more about money than beauty and nature. I'm not sure, but that might be it???

Haiku Summary
Ship with plants to save
Earth's nature. Told to destroy
and come back. He's nuts.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) - 3.5/5

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

NEXT: "Silent Running" (1972)

A touching story about a guy and a doll. I thought this was well handled spite many logistical problems. You have to put a few things aside, but it does as good as I think can be done.

I saw a related documentary last week called "Guys and Dolls" that was a bit disturbing to watch.

SPOILERS
I particularly liked the scene where the wife explains why the whole town supported Lars. It was a tough scene done very well.

I felt the town's involvement was a bit much, but it worked mostly.

The end was a bit abrupt. I think they did about the best they cd. They had to have him enable Bianca's death while falling for Margo, but the actual end was tough to swallow. And even if you do, there's still the problem that he really believes she was real... how can he move on really? I don't want to over-do it, but I felt that was a problem in the reality they established.

Haiku Summary
Lonely guy buys a
doll. Is he crazy? Either
way, the town loves him.

The Kite Runner (2007) - 3/5

The Kite Runner (2007)

NEXT: "Lars and the Real Girl" (2007)

Slightly disturbing and hard to relate to at times, I felt this was a bit monotone. The child actors were really good in all ways.

This movie was interesting and a good story, but I didn't feel they took advantage of it.

Haiku Summary
Boys have falling out.
One goes to U.S. One dies.
Goes back to get boy.

Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007) - 3.5/5

Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007) (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

NEXT: "The Kite Runner" (2007)

A painful movie to watch about the editor of Elle magazine in France having a stroke and suffering from locked-in syndrome. He basically only has control over one eye and communicates by blinking. His mind is there, but he's trapped. Hard to watch.

W/ help, he's able to write a book which then is made into this movie.

I have to say, while this movie was somewhat inspiring that he was able to keep his sanity and continue to live, communicate, etc. It was a bit depressing too. You wd expect that somewhat... and it was.

I guess I hoped for a bit more of an uplifting story of his triumph. It was inspiring, but very, very sad too.

Haiku Summary
Man has stroke. Coma.
Can think, but little else. He
writes a book with help.

The Little Bear Movie (2001) - 2.5/5

The Little Bear Movie (2001)

NEXT: Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007)

We got this for our 3 year old. He picked it out. It's a sweet story. It's pretty calm and not scary and fairly funny. Not really something adults wd get into, but certainly something I'm fine w/ him watching.

Haiku Summary:
Little Bear meets Cub.
Cub lost parents in storm. They
search and find them. Cute.

The Mist (2007) - 3/5

The Mist (2007)

NEXT: "The Little Bear Movie" (2001)

Decent for a B movie so I hope that's what they were going for. You have to look past some things in the usual vein: they wdn't do that, why are they so stupid, shut her up, etc.

Of course they have the obligatory whacko Christian weirdo to call down fire and brimstone. It's a cliche that never gets old... or was never new???

The intensity is pretty good and the premise and stuff is cool, but it doesn't play out quite right. There's too many caveats and such to really pull it off.

SPOILERS:
It had about as good of an ending as "The Last American Virgin" in a sense. Terribly sad, but painfully ironic. If I was able to take this movie more seriously, it wd have been a horrific ending. But since I found it rather silly and mostly a "high production B movie," I was able to take it in stride.

Haiku Summary:
Storm. Mist. Death. What is
it? Monsters. Big ones. Leave or
die. Leave. Most die. Saved.

Baby Mama (2008) - 3/5

Baby Mama (2008)

NEXT: "The Mist" (2007)

Pretty funny - good parts w/ a decent story setting it up. Fey and Poehler have a great sense of humor so just them doing whatever will be decently funny... probably.

Later in the movie it gets a little mushy which doesn't really work - stick to the comedy.

Haiku Summary
She can't have a babe.
Surrogate mother.
Lies, jokes, mushy end.

List of U.S. and Canadian box office bombs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of U.S. and Canadian box office bombs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can sort the list (click the arrows by the column headers) by various items. Sorting by "% of budget" is pretty cool.

The Last American Virgin (1982)

The Last American Virgin (1982)

NEXT: "Baby Mama" (2008)

This movie was recommended to me b/c it sets itself apart from what you'd expect... and it does. The premise is a somewhat shy (virgin) boy and his friends are trying to get w/ girls like teenagers dream about. However, the main character meets a girl new to town and falls for her. I'll stop there for the non-spoiler types, but seriously, are you really going to see this movie? Keep reading.

SPOILERS:
Unfortunately, she falls for the boy's "too cool" friend. She gets pregnant and the cool guy dumps her. She gets an abortion and is helped by, Gary, the shy boy. They spend a few days together while she recovers and he's in heaven and thinks she's really fallen for him too.

He goes to her b-day party w/ a new locked inscribed and everything only to walk in her and Mr. Cool making out in the kitchen. Looks are exchanged, but no words. Gary takes off, drives away crying and... credits! Ouch!

I think the lesson here is: you might meet someone you really like and if you're good, you'll get close to them, but ultimately you'll be driving away alone crying. Yikes! It's a pretty harsh reality.

Haiku Summary:
Boy meets girl. Girl digs
boy's friend. Girls has trouble. Boy
helps. Hope. Pain. Credits.

Dan in Real Life (2007) - 4/5

Dan in Real Life (2007)

NEXT: "The Last American Virgin" (1982)

Good, sweet movie. The characters really make this movie. It's something that while you're watching it, you're enjoying getting to know them despite whether anything is actually "happening" or not.

I just wanted to hang out w/ the family.

Despite having a premise that's been done many times before, the difference here is that they really take their time and develop great characters. The fact that the premise is familiar actually helps b/c it's stated and you can move on to how it plays out.

I think everything hits well in this movie and it's really good all around.

Haiku Summary:
Boy meets girl. Girl is
dating boys brother. Things fall
apart. Plays out well.

The Andromeda Strain (1971) - 2.5/5

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

NEXT: "Dan in Real Life" (2007)

Wow. Slow. It felt like "THX-1138" and "2001" in a lot of ways. An interesting idea/story, but only decently told.

About 40% of the movie is watching the scientists prep for the sterile environment. Another 50% is watching them use robotic tools. The other 10% is the resolution at the very end... maybe it's only 5%.

You might be able to make a higher case for this story's implications about science and man and our position and such. About the decisions we have to make about humanity and who has the right to know this or cause that or how we might be playing God at times. I can see those arguments in there, but unfortunately the metal arms get more screen time and their humming gets most of the dialog.

Haiku Summary
Satellite falls. Town
dies. Unknown cause. Robotics.
Watch. Wait. Slow. Scare! Done.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - 4/5

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

NEXT: "The Andromeda Strain" (1971)

Very fun and good music. I liked the story and the development of the characters. The tone was great too: dark w/ the direction and coloring to match.

It was painful in several ways to watch (the "drop" is harsh).

Haiku Summary
Man lost family.
Goes back. Kills lots of peeps. They
pretty much all die.

The Last Dragon (1985) - 1/5

The Last Dragon (1985)

NEXT: "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007)

This movie is terrible. So bad. I hear them talking about it on filmspotting and decided to just watch it w/o knowing anything. Man, it's bad, but that's the fun of it.

The songs are bad, the acting is terrible, the story is just about the worst possible.

It's a karate movie set in Harlem with some gangs and such. There's a TV hostess that the main character falls for but a local promoter wants her to showcase his new singer so he tries to muscle the hostess around. But here comes Bruce Leroy!

Watch it in a group and get a laugh.

Haiku Summary
Leroy's training is
done. He falls for a girl. Thug
gets her. Leroy saves!

Hable con ella (2002) - 3/5

Hable con ella (2002) (Talk To Her)

NEXT: "The Last Dragon" (1985)

It's hard to say what this movie is about, but it's well made and mostly pleasant to watch. It's very powerful and uses people's longings and dreams in a powerful way.

The characters are deep and identifiable.

Despite being well made and rich in many ways, some important things don't hit quite right. There's not really anything that draws this movie to me. It's not really entertaining or sheds light on anything new. But remains w/ me w/ the characters.

Haiku Summary
Two men with women
in comas bond. One crazy.
He dies. She wakes. End.

21 (2008) - 2.5/5

21 (2008)

NEXT: "Talk to Her" (2002)

Somewhat entertaining at times, but ultimately thin and weak. Lots of predictability, bad acting and thing plot. Also, some bad twists.

Haiku Summary
Smart kids rob Vegas.
Teacher is mean, takes money.
Jokes on him. Surprise!

Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly (2005) (V) - 2/5

Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly (2005) (V)

NEXT: "21" (2008)

I believe this was Animated Family Films first effort and while it wasn't very good, I've seen worse. Also, there's some good aspects of this movie though maybe not by industry standards: no violence, innuendo, "hidden" adult humor, etc.

It's short - like 52 mins and has a lot of cute parts, but across the board it's lacking.

Haiku Summary
A Jeep wants to fly.
Dreams, tries, crash then forgotten.
Found, repaired and "flies."

Todo sobre mi madre (1999) - 3.5/5

Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

Next: Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly (2005) (V)

Weird and powerful. It's a tribute to women, but not one I'd fall in line with.

It's well shot, directed, acted, etc., but I wdn't say I enjoyed it. It's a strong story and has some amazing character development w/ their relationships and such.

I have a hard time enjoying movies that I disagree w/ morally and such.

Haiku Summary
A boy doesn't know
his father. He dies. Mom goes
home. Dad's a tranny.

I Am Legend (2007) - 3.5/5

I Am Legend (2007)

NEXT: Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

I liked it. I think a lot of people expected something different. I only expected what they said it was: a zombie movie. And I thought it was a good zombie movie... which isn't saying too much.

But the action is good, it's cool to see NYC all overgrown, etc. But it doesn't stand up to much scrutiny (what zombie movie does?) in the area of "Why did he do that?" or "Why don't they just..." and all.

SPOILERS
Like I said, there's some inconsistent type stuff in it, but in a zombie movie, who cares. I mean, he's alone for so long and even has to kill his dog and then finally people show up and it's like no big deal - he's just upset she cooked the bacon he was saving... for what!!??!?

Haiku Summary
Everyone's dead or
a zombie except one guy.
Others, serum, dead.

The Omega Man (1971) - 1.5/5

The Omega Man (1971)

NEXT: "I Am Legend" (2007)

Wow, I cd have sworn Charlton Heston cd act. This shows 1971 production in the purest light.

Watching this movie explains why no one has ever said "Oh, you gotta see The Omega Man."

I have to give it a bit of slack b/c of the time since it was made, but man, not the greatest film.

Haiku Summary
Smart zombies want to
kill the last man on earth. He
finds cure, but dies. Cheese.

Mies vailla menneisyytt� (The Man Without a Past) (2002) - 3/5

Mies vailla menneisyytt� (2002)

NEXT: "The Omega Man" (1971)

Slow, but done well. Always interesting to see how another culture conceives an interesting plot line. Nothing earth shattering here, but interesting to see it played out.

I don't remember what prompted me to see this movie, but I always like a good amnesia story.

Haiku Summary
Beat up by thugs a
man can't remember. Friends, love,
found, but stays with new.

American Gangster (2007) - 3/5

American Gangster (2007) - Full cast and crew

Next: "The Man Without a Past" (2002)

I liked the first half of this movie and how they built up the characters and the tension, but then the second half just kinda rode that out. I know there was only so much they cd do since it was based on a true story, but maybe they sd have shortened it.

I'm having a hard time remembering too many of the points I wanted to make about this movie which tells me it wasn't that memorable.

Haiku Summary:
Frank takes over the
drug biz and gets rich. I think
he helped cops later.

Môme, La (2007) ("La Vie En Rose") - 4/5

Môme, La (2007)

Marion Cotillard so totally deserved the Oscar for her role here. The story is painful, but interesting. They did a great job telling it and showing us where she was headed. The songs were nice to hear, but it was painful to see her life go the way it did.

Haiku Summary:
Street girl can sing. She's
discovered and makes it big.
Drugs ruin it all.

Next: "American Gangster" (2007)

Drillbit Taylor (2008) - 3/5

Drillbit Taylor (2008)

Pretty funny but I wasn't expecting too much. I really like Owen Wilson's style and the kids were pretty funny being put in those situations. There's not much to it, but it's got some pretty funny parts.

Haiku Summary:
Kids get picked on by
bullies and need bodyguard.
Drillbit's a bad one.

Next: "La Vie en Rose" (2007)

Mr. Brooks (2007) - 0/5

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Wow. Bad. Bad acting, bad direction, bad plot and story point, just bad all around. They lay everything out for you in dialog and completely insult the viewer.

Changes to the story/plot as they went didn't make sense. The logic in their explanations were just bad.

Everyone just phoned in the acting - they must be taking lessons from Costner.

Man, it was really bad. Worst ending pretty much ever on top of it all.

SPOILERS
The daughter was just terrible - that whole story line was bad. And her being a killer??? Oh, so bad. And his crying scene in the kitchen - ouch!

And the dream ending - yow.

And w/ Mr. Smith - who sees this kinda thing and then has the nerve to go to the guy, etc. So bad.

Haiku Summary
He kills. Dumb mistake.
Guy blackmails him to kill too.
Surprise! He kills Smith!

NEXT: "Drillbit Taylor" 2008

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) - 3.5/5

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Good movie and good acting. Casey Affleck is great.

I really like the slow pace and shots, but the story isn't very compelling so I never was really drawn in. Unfortunately, this movie took me a while to watch so it being spread out over a period of time probably hurt it pretty bad.

Haiku Summary
Jesse James is bad.
Bob Ford idolizes him.
Turns and kills him dead.

NEXT: "Mr. Brooks" 2007

Into the Wild (2007) - 3.5/5

Into the Wild (2007)

Nicely shot and not over the top "free spirit" feel. I like the perspective they give on an interesting story w/o hitting you over the head w/ some perceived message derived by Sean Penn to force on the viewer.

SPOILERS
I didn't realize this was based on a true story until the end so that changed a lot. I'm glad I didn't know (so I made this a spoiler). I did think it was a little hypocritical that he didn't want so many 'worldly' things (and even burned his money), but then didn't seem consistent in that: He lived in a bus in 'the wild' and took jobs to get money later, etc. No biggie, but it seemed like a mixed message.

That's not to say I didn't like it. I did. But it was confusing.

I liked how he stuck to his intentions and worked towards them. It's an unfortunate ending and I'm glad they didn't try to spoon feed us any kind of 'message' about it all.

Haiku Summary
Kid goes off to leave
the world. He does it! Mistake
and he dies... happy.

NEXT: "Horton Hears a Who!" (2008)

The Brothers Solomon (2007) - 3.5/5

The Brothers Solomon (2007)

I funny, silly, stupid movie w/ some clever twists on jokes and callbacks. I like the humor though it's not the best made movie. So it's not hilarious or anything, but it's more than I expected and I appreciate the effort in the jokes.

Haiku Summary
Two brothers want to
have baby, give dad reason
to wake from coma.

Next: "Into the Wild" (2007)

Junebug (2005) - 3/5

Junebug (2005)

This movie might be trying to be too deep for its own good. The characters are pretty good (except for the over-the-top brother). Amy Adams is great. W/o her, I'd say this wd be far lower scored by me.

I'm not sure what I want for these characters and for most of them, I don't really care (except for Amy Adams' character).

SPOILERS

So what are they trying to say? That who need to accept people as they are? That people don't change? There's a clear tension btwn family and career and I can't tell what they are trying to say... or maybe they're just presenting the question.

Haiku Summary
A couple goes to
the country for art, family.
What's more important?

NEXT: "The Brothers Solomon" (2007)

Zodiac (2007/I) - 3/5

Zodiac (2007/I)

I had heard good things about this movie so I expected a lot. I also usually like 'based on true story stuff', but this mostly fell short for me.

I didn't buy into the hunt or the passion of those hunting the killer. It felt like a re-enactment of a documentary.

Also, I think they missed out on some great tension and revelation-type scenes w/ the suspects.

Haiku Summary
There's a killer. He
gives coded notes. The guy you
think is him... it's him.

NEXT: "Junebug" 2005

Margot at the Wedding (2007) 2/5

Margot at the Wedding (2007)

Good tone, but a bit too heavy handed trying to force the dysfunctional aspects of lives and relationships. These people seem to be dysfunctional on purpose to the point that they wd have a hard time just staying alive.

Decent performances and decent directing, but there's just no way to tell this story and make it bearable as something you can learn from - b/c it's just too much.

Maybe if there was an aspect of reality somewhere in there to have as a contrast, it might work???

Haiku Summary
Man, everyone is
messed up. Let's put them all
in one place. Messed up.

NEXT: "Zodiac" (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007) - 4/5

There Will Be Blood (2007)

While I think this movie was really good, I think it might be just a big overrated. That's the problem w/ seeing movies after the hype.

Daniel Day-Lewis was amazing. I'm continually impressed w/ him. The movie was large in scale and I'm glad I saw it on the big screen. The first 15 mins w/o dialog was awesome!

SPOILERS

There was a strong 'hypocritical' sense to this movie in that the characters were forced to sell-out for something they wanted: $. Plainview admitted he was a sinner, needed Jesus and that he abandoned his son in order to secure rights to land for a pipeline.

Ironically, it wasn't his son and he claimed later that he only kept the boy to have a pretty face for making his sales pitch. When the son returned in one scene and Daniel hugged him a lot, I have to believe it only did him good b/c he felt Eli cdn't condemn him anymore???

Eli also sold out and for nothing which was great. The climax of Daniel killing Eli was pretty powerful: he destroyed Eli in every way.

Haiku Summary
Man finds oil and buys
land for more. He squares off with
Eli. There is blood.

NEXT: "Margot at the Wedding (2006)"

Fool's Gold (2008) - 3/5

Fool's Gold (2008)

Light entertainment. There's a story there besides the 'romantic comedy' which helps. It was actually nice to see the scenery and settings like those in the middle of winter.

Haiku Summary:
Bad marriage of gold
diggers. Treasure hunt brings them
back together. Gold.

NEXT: "There Will Be Blood" (2007)

Laberinto del fauno, El (Pan's Labyrinth) (2006) - 3.5/5

Laberinto del fauno, El (2006) (Pan's Labyrinth)

Weird, but interesting. I didn't see the prequel but I listened to a bit of the commentary and it seems they are related by theme.

The visuals are great and the reality mixed w/ fantasy is really good. The gore and brutality of the soldiers is hard to watch at times.

My view of the main theme is something like: people that follow orders (or see things as black and white) are brutal, wrong and evil. Something like that.

SPOILERS

Vidal is set quickly to be someone who doesn't compromise or question what he's doing or why. He has no mercy, pity, conscious or humanity to him. He cares only about being the man his father was and thus passing on the burden to a son of his own.

The rebels are seen as caring, natural and righteous despite not actually communicating their cause other than to kill the military presence. W/o saying how or why, it's clear we're to believe they are right in their attempts to kill the soldiers but not the other way around.

The plot w/ Pan is that he directs the girl, but in her completing the tasks, she breaks some rules. The first time, it hurts her parents, the second time 2 fairies die and the third time, she saves her brother by sacrificing her life, but that was the test of the task: to see if she wd allow her brother to die to save her own life (though it wdn't have saved her life IMO).

So question authority and do what you believe is right despite everything else b/c ultimately that's what's right. Hmmm....

Haiku Summary
Girl moves to country.
Pan's tasks to become princess.
Question author'ty.

NEXT: "Fool's Gold (2008)"

Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski (1999) - 3/5

Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski (1999)

Klaus Kinski was crazy. Way crazy. This, like "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" feels like a 'report' or something about Herzog and Kinski's relationship. Only mildly interesting, it does point out some wild things they did during their filmmaking and how they made films.

The main thing, to me, was that Kinski was crazy; going off into rages at all times and causing a lot of drama to get attention.

Haiku Summary
Kinski is crazy.
Herzog is a little too.
They made good movies.

NEXT: "Pan's Labyrinth (2006)"

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) - 3/5

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)

I watched this b/c I just watched "Rescue Dawn" by Herzog about the same story. This is a documentary about the real person who is the main character in "Rescue Dawn."

It was interesting, but felt a bit forced and drawn out. Also, b/c of the relationship of the subject and the filmmaker, it didn't feel like an observation, but a report. Dieter wasn't being interviewed or anything, he was just telling his story. It didn't have much of a Herzog signature to it.

It was interesting, but not much else.

Haiku Summary
From Germany, he
comes to America. Flies.
Shot. Escapes. Goes back.

NEXT: "Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski (1999)"

300 (2006) - 3/5

300 (2006)

I was let down a bit - I expected a lot. It's more than just a fighting, gore movie... it's a fighting, gore movie on a large scale... w/ great effects, editing/processing/animation and somewhat of a story.

There was some cool aspects to this movie, but it was a bit drawn out and a bit too much testosterone for the sake of testosterone. Granted, that was necessary to a degree to tell this story, but clearly they ran w/ that excuse.

Haiku Summary
Persians want it all.
300 Spartans take them
on. They die. Good fights.

NEXT: "Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)"

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004) (V) 3.5/5

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004) (V)

This was a real surprise. I can't remember why we recorded this for our son, but he liked it and after a few times of him watching it, I had seen the whole thing too. The best part of this movie was that it surprised me so well. It's really funny!

It has a good combination of silly, funny stuff w/ just a bit of more advanced (I don't want to say mature or adult) humor.

There's one part where the 3 'bad guys' (I love how they keep calling them 'bad guys' - today's shows have lost that) are going to dropped into 'the pit.' The door in the ground opens, they fall down, the obligatory fading yell is heard... then one of them pops up his head from the 3 foot deep 'pit.'

That's pretty funny, but then later we see them again and they're still in there wasting away the time... like they're really trapped and can't get out. Not so funny when written out here, but funny in the show.

Another great part is when a 'bad guy' is sword fighting w/ Mickey on top of the moving coach. The 'bad guy's sword cuts away Mickey's Musketeer uniform and his has his trademark Mickey shorts on and he immediate strikes the 'Mickey pose.' It just feels like their poking fun at themselves a bit.

Don't get me wrong: this is no "Cars" or anything, but it's a clever, cute, funny little show that really surprised me.

Great stuff for our son!


Haiku Summary
Mickey, Goofy and
Donald want to be in the
Muskateers... and are!



NEXT: "300 (2006)"

Rescue Dawn (2006) - 3.5/5

Rescue Dawn (2006)

I liked this movie, but I was a bit disappointed given how great Werner Herzog is. I felt the movie didn't have as dark of a feel as I expected. I didn't feel the dread of the captors and the situation as I'm sure it was.

It was certainly harsh, don't get me wrong, but I didn't feel it as I have w/ other Herzog movies.

So I think it's a really good movie, but my expectations were really high.

Haiku Summary
Little Dieter needs
to fly. Navy, Vietnam.
Captured, but escapes.

NEXT: "Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004)"

Factory Girl (2006) 1.5/5

Factory Girl (2006)

Nothing really good to say about this movie except that it didn't glorify drug use.

A disappointment for Guy Pearce.

Haiku Summary
Poor little rich girl
meets Andy Warhol. Does drugs,
wastes life and dies.

NEXT: "Rescue Dawn"

3:10 to Yuma (2007) - 4/5

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Great western w/ lots of classic aspects and some new flavors. Russel Crowe is great in this and Christian Bale is his usual dedicated self in his role. Top notch performances.

There's a lot to be said for the redemption of the two main characters in this movie. Both failures in some way and to themselves... but I'll let someone else say it (better than me).

Haiku Summary
Failure at home, Dan
takes Ben to train for money.
Connects with Ben. Dies.

NEXT: "Factory Girl"

BlockBuster Online: 1 year (2007), 86 movies

My one year with BlockBuster Online (it's in reverse order and poorly formated, but who's really going to read it?)...

Title Ship Date Return Date
-----------------------------
The Good Shepherd 12/19/2007 01/04/2008
Babette's Feast 12/11/2007 12/28/2007
The Squid and the Whale 12/07/2007 12/21/2007
Stone Reader 12/04/2007 12/11/2007
Kung Fu Hustle 12/03/2007 12/21/2007
The Constant Gardener 11/28/2007 12/07/2007
The Pursuit of Happyness 11/26/2007 12/04/2007
House of Sand and Fog 11/20/2007 11/28/2007
Akira 11/19/2007 12/03/2007
Glengarry Glen Ross 11/14/2007 11/20/2007
Children of Men 11/01/2007 11/14/2007
Fast Food Nation 10/31/2007 11/20/2007
Casino Royale 10/31/2007 11/26/2007
Blood Diamond 10/23/2007 11/05/2007
Chalk 10/22/2007 10/31/2007
The Right Stuff 10/16/2007 10/31/2007
A Scanner Darkly 10/15/2007 10/23/2007
Open Your Eyes 10/12/2007 10/22/2007
Fargo 10/08/2007 10/16/2007
Barton Fink 10/08/2007 10/16/2007
Delicatessen 10/02/2007 10/12/2007
Pi 09/25/2007 10/02/2007
Once Upon a Time in America 09/21/2007 10/08/2007
Munich 09/21/2007 10/11/2007
Far from Heaven 09/19/2007 09/25/2007
Pi 09/18/2007 09/25/2007
SCTV [TV Series] 09/13/2007 09/19/2007
North Country 09/11/2007 09/25/2007
21 Grams 09/06/2007 09/18/2007
For Your Consideration 09/05/2007 09/11/2007
Cold Mountain 09/04/2007 09/13/2007
Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny 08/28/2007 09/06/2007
Babel 08/28/2007 09/06/2007
Borat 08/27/2007 09/04/2007
Letters from Iwo Jima 08/23/2007 08/29/2007
Kingdom of Heaven 08/20/2007 08/25/2007
The Butterfly Effect 08/14/2007 08/29/2007
Flags of Our Fathers 08/13/2007 08/24/2007
Mystic River 08/09/2007 08/21/2007
Gangs of New York 08/01/2007 08/09/2007
Gosford Park 08/01/2007 08/13/2007
The Cider House Rules 07/26/2007 08/01/2007
The Thin Red Line 07/16/2007 08/15/2007
Out of Africa 07/05/2007 07/26/2007
Il Postino 06/28/2007 08/01/2007
The Verdict 06/21/2007 07/18/2007
A Man Escaped 06/15/2007 06/28/2007
Fay Grim 06/15/2007 07/05/2007
The Departed 06/08/2007 06/21/2007
Howards End 06/04/2007 06/15/2007
Hope and Glory 05/29/2007 06/15/2007
Chuck Jones: Extremes and Inbetweens - A Life in Animation 05/29/2007 06/08/2007
Chariots of Fire 05/16/2007 05/28/2007
Akeelah and the Bee 05/16/2007 06/01/2007
Wordplay 05/16/2007 06/01/2007
Reds 05/07/2007 05/18/2007
Reds 05/03/2007 05/18/2007
The Illusionist 05/02/2007 05/12/2007
The Best Years of Our Lives 04/30/2007 05/10/2007
City Lights 04/26/2007 05/02/2007
Raging Bull 04/24/2007 05/03/2007
One Night With the King 04/23/2007 04/30/2007
Beyond the Gates of Splendor 04/11/2007 04/25/2007
Dave Chappelle's Block Party 04/10/2007 04/27/2007
End of the Spear 04/06/2007 04/11/2007
Extras: Season 01 03/26/2007 04/10/2007
Factotum 03/26/2007 04/09/2007
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 01 03/21/2007 03/28/2007
Crank 03/19/2007 06/29/2007
Extras: Season 01 03/16/2007 03/21/2007
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 01 03/14/2007 03/28/2007
The Butterfly Effect 03/13/2007 03/15/2007
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 01 03/12/2007 03/13/2007
Munich 03/08/2007 03/13/2007
Igby Goes Down 03/07/2007 03/19/2007
Shopgirl 02/21/2007 03/14/2007
What the #$*! Do We Know?! 02/19/2007 03/07/2007
Lucky Number Slevin 02/19/2007 03/08/2007
Just Like Heaven 02/13/2007 02/21/2007
The Station Agent 02/08/2007 02/14/2007
March of the Penguins 02/05/2007 03/07/2007
Jesus of Montreal 02/03/2007 02/15/2007
The Aviator 01/30/2007 02/08/2007
Crash 01/26/2007 02/03/2007
Derailed 01/26/2007 01/30/2007
Elizabethtown 01/26/2007 02/17/2007

Air Guitar Nation (2006) - 3.5/5

Air Guitar Nation (2006)

Pretty interesting, but they didn't into the people enough... or they made the most of what they had to work with.

It's fun to watch the performances and they do a good job of keeping it from getting old. They get into each topic enough, but nothing to the point to make it a great documentary.

The "underdog" isn't as likable which hurts that aspect, but everyone is a character and fairly fun. From serious to ridiculous, it's all pretty good.

There are certainly some great parts and overall it's pretty fun.

WARNING: Male nudity.

Haiku Summary
What's this? Air guitar
contests? No Americans?
I say we go. Win!

NEXT: "3:10 To Ymua"

The Secret of NIMH (1982) - 2.5/5

The Secret of NIMH (1982)

Original, but not very compelling. It's a children's book adaptation, but I'm not familiar w/ the book.

That characters and animation are good, but I wasn't really drawn into to care about what was happening (and to a degree, I wasn't really sure what was happening).

SPOILERS

The idea that an experiment by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) made the mice/rats "smart" seemed out of left field in the reality of the story. It also gave it a too realistic and dark feel IMO.

Haiku Summary
The plow is coming.
The boy mouse is sick, can't move.
Rats are smart, some bad.

NEXT: "Air Guitar Nation"

The King of Kong (2007) - 5/5

The King of Kong (2007)

If I had waited for my top movies from 2007 (released in 2007, not watched), this wd be up there near the top.

Awesome! I have to give some credit to the documentary makers here, but I think the material they had to work w/ was gold.

Billy Mitchell is Darth Vader's equivalent in this reality. So great. Editing does a lot, but anyone saying the things he says... wow.

And Steve Weibe - you just can't help but pull for this lovable loser.

Be sure to watch some of the extra material if you get this for more updates about what happened after the filming.... they're still going!

Next: "The Secret of NIMH"

Haiku Summary
Steve beats high score on
tape. Not good enough for Bill.
Bill evades. So great!

Treasure Planet (2002) - 3.5/5

Treasure Planet (2002)

This is a very interesting animated movie in several areas: mix of 2D and 3D, the characters, the scope, etc.

The story is solid and the characters are fully developed. The action is good too.

It's more serious than funny (like Pocahontas and Tarzan) though the robot is pretty comical.

I think the production quality is way up on this one so the animation, effects, details, characters, etc. are really good. It's a Ron Clements and John Musker movie which says a lot.

There's some great behind the scenes/making of stuff on the DVD too.

Haiku Summary
Boy finds treasure map.
Goes w/ pirates. Dad figure
turns, boy saves them all.

NEXT: "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters"

Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? (2006) - 2.5/5

Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? (2006)

An interesting look at the differences btwn the "art world" and the real world more than anything.

A woman trucker buys a painting for $5 at a thrift store for a friend. She winds up trying to sell it in a garage sale and someone says they think it might be a Jackson Pollock painting.

She tries to find out if it is and prove the art world wrong. Ultimately, it becomes a matter of principle to her and, imo, she's way too stubborn about it.

SPOILERS

I can kinda see turning down the $2 million from the anonymous offerer. I guess you cd think that anyone offering to pay that much must think it's worth something and if it's worth anything (b/c it's a Pollock) then it's worth a lot more than that.

However, she cd have secured her family's future w/ that so I think she probably sd have taken it. Again, we learn at the end that she has since turned down an offer of $9 million. Now I think she's been crazy, stubborn and selfish.

Wanting to prove the art world wrong and make them admit it is just as bad as them being that way, imo.

Haiku Summary
Woman finds cheap art.
May be Pollock. Finger print
matches. Take $9 mill!

Tarzan (1999) - 3.5/5

Tarzan (1999)

Great animation and really good characters. Also, the story was more compelling w/ the deeper characters and expressiveness of them.

I felt this movie had a fuller feel to it w/ humor, action, animation, character development, etc.

Haiku Summary
Ape takes babe as own.
Raises him, others come. Love,
songs, white man stays there!

Pocahontas (1995) - 3/5

Pocahontas (1995)

Good animation but it just didn't keep my attention too well. I think the characters and story were a little thin or something. Nothing big, but I just wasn't drawn in.

However, again, the animation was good. The wind effects and water and such were fun to watch.

Haiku Summary
Indians happy.
White man comes for gold. Love, songs,
guns. White man goes home.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) - 1/5

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

I liked the first one and I think it's b/c I had very low expectations. I had a bit higher expectations from this one b/c people were telling me they liked it. But my expectations were still pretty low... not low enough.

I thought the dialogue was poorly written ("As a father, how do you expect me to take this?") and poorly acted. It was like 5 teenagers found a camera and said "Hey, let's make a movie real quick."

I give it a 1 mainly b/c there was some creativity in making U.S. history mysterious. That's about the most I can do for it.

The puzzles weren't engaging and before you cd even think about them, Cage has solved them. They might as well not even of had them.

I assume there isn't a book, but it felt like a thrown together movie version where they didn't have time to flesh this and that out and so they instantly solved puzzles, found clues, traveled the world, etc.

SPOILERS

The challenges were too far fetched too: hack into Buckingham Palace (and basically do whatever you want w/ the whole place instantly), get into the Oval Office, kidnap the president, etc.

The premise was weak too: a random person makes big claims, ruins the Gates name and threatens people w/ violence and attempted murder. Why? B/c he wants to discover the city of gold and get his name in the history books (which, by the way, it worked - take note kids - that's how you can be famous forever!).

He cd have easily gone to these guys who wd have wanted to do this anyway.

Also, I felt the tie into finding the city and clearing the Gates name to be thin. Just b/c the city exists, doesn't mean that's what Thomas Gates was protecting, etc.

Haiku Summary
Bad guy ruins name.
Let's do the impossible
fast and bad acting.

My Top Five 2007 Movies

These are not the top movies I SAW in 2007, but my top movies released in 2007 (granted I'll still see more released in 2007 going forward, but I thought I'd make this list now)...

Here's the 2007 movies I've seen. There are a ton of 2007 I didn't see so. In fact below is IMDB's top 100 based on votes (7000 vote minimum per film) - I saw 7 of the top 20.

I started the list and when I got thru the best ones, it turned out I had 5 so a nice prime number...

1. Meet the Robinsons - 5/5

2. No Country for Old Men - 5/5

3. Bourne Ultimatum - 4.5/5

4. Juno - 4/5

5. Hot Fuzz - 4/5

Rank Title
1---There Will Be Blood (2007)
2---No Country for Old Men (2007)
3---Man from Earth, The (2007)
---Sicko (2007)
---Juno (2007)
6---Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
---Ratatouille (2007)
---Bourne Ultimatum, The (2007)
9---American Gangster (2007)
10---Into the Wild (2007)
---Hot Fuzz (2007)
---Stardust (2007)
---Atonement (2007)
---3:10 to Yuma (2007)
---Grindhouse (2007)
16---Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The (2007)
---Superbad (2007)
---Gone Baby Gone (2007)
---Darjeeling Limited, The (2007)
20---Eastern Promises (2007)
---Reign Over Me (2007)
---Enchanted (2007)
---Zodiac (2007/I)

The Rescuers Down Under (1990) - 2/5

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

I think these earlier Disney movies just aren't holding my attention and such. The stories and characters aren't that compelling.

The artwork was good and the backgrounds (first CGI backgrounds for Disney) were good. The opening sequence w/ the eagle was fun too.

Like many older movies (and probably some newer ones too???), there's a real "bad guy" as opposed to just opposition or just a situation (see "Cars"). He's a poacher.

I didn't see the prequel so that didn't help, but I doubt I will.

Haiku Summary
Boy helps eagle and
poacher traps boy to get the
location. Mice help.

Juno (2007) - 4/5

Juno (2007)

Lots of hype about this movie and I was really interested in seeing it. I think my expectations were a bit high though tempered by some things I heard/read.

Probably my main/only "problem" w/ the movie is Juno's speech: everything she says is a alt-worded, cool, slang, cliche-mock, sarcastic, crafted line. It's overdone, IMO.

I believe it shows her immaturity and defensiveness well in the beginning of the movie, but then it keeps going and going.

The nice surprise to me was Jennifer Garner's character and her sincere interactions w/ the baby. I don't know if it was so great b/c it was unexpected or what.

Jason Bateman phoned it in a bit though his character wasn't really much anyway. Michael Cera is great and under-used here.

SPOILERS

When Vanessa talks to the baby in Juno's belly, it just rocked me. It really came through and was powerful.

Haiku Summary
Girl gets preg, will place
for adoption with "perfect"
couple. Love right person.

The Official How It Should Have Ended Website

The Official How It Should Have Ended Website

Some pretty funny takes on movies. I watched a few a couple years ago and thought they had some clever ideas. I think their art is better now too.

The Little Mermaid (1989) - 3.5/5

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Good animation, great songs and story. The characters and their expressions really come to life.

I think, to me, this was the beginning of the 'new Disney' in animation.

Haiku Summary
Mermaid wants to be
a person. Falls in love and
needs his kiss to stay.

The Black Cauldron (1985) - 2.5/5

The Black Cauldron (1985)

Interesting b/c of it's position and place in Disney history. Also, the animation was good and interesting techniques at times.

But I think the Disney animation department was a bit scattered and schismed at the time and it shows. The story is a bit spotty at times and the characters, to me, aren't very sympathetic.

There's some witches and a magic sword and several references the Horned King's war and army and such, but none of them are really explained.

It has some influences from Lord of the Rings, I think.

Haiku Summary
Cauldron holds power.
Horned king wants it, boy must stop.
Witches, fights. We win!

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008) - 4/5

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008)

Incredible animation. Wow.

The action is pretty good and I like the humor (witty, but not too 'adult'), but I felt the story was a bit slow at times.

Also, the 'scope' of the story was narrow: they just focus on the main characters. It feels kinda small. Rarely do they cut away to another story line or anything.

I thought maybe that's b/c it's a kids' movie, but lots of other kids' movies do that.

Anyway, it's fun, funny, entertaining and "safe" for kids which all add up to a lot.

Haiku Summary
Prince is taken. Sis
seeks help. Cabin boys go there.
King's help always near.

The Great Mouse Detective (1986) - 3/5

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

This movie suffers in comparison to more established stories Disney usually used/uses and can't compare to modern animated movies so it's probably somewhat forgotten.

The characters are good and there's good aspects to the story, animation (first use of CGI), etc., but overall it's pretty far down the list of my favorites.

However, listening to a lot of podcasts interviews w/ animators, most of whom worked on this movie to some degree, I have a fond feeling towards it.

Haiku Summary
Rat takes girls dad. She
gets Basil to help find him.
Mouse as Sherlock Holmes.

MCN Top Ten

MCN Top Ten: The Big Chart

I bit overwhelming, but you can just look at the top 10 or so to see generally what is thought of as the best of 2007.

Once (2006) - 5/5

Once (2006)

Wow. What an incredible movie. Have I build it up enough? This movie has so many aspects that really appeal to me. It's very original and I didn't know much about it going in so it was so great to just watch it unfold.

They call it a "modern musical" and it's pretty subtle in that sense. It has some similarities to "The Committments" which I loved. Not only b/c it's in Ireland and is about music, but it's about passion in music too.

It doesn't get cliche in the "love" story or the music or "success" or anything. It feels very real. I watched some of the bonus features and started watching the commentary and they talked about how they approached it and that was very cool and independent.

The two leads are musicians. The lead "the guy" leads a band the director used to be in and "the girl" is a real-life friend of the guy lead. The director said he'd rather have musicians that cd half-way act than actors who cd have way play/sing.

It really makes the music powerful. During the first duet, I literally started bawling. It wasn't sad at all, but so emotional and that's how it came out. It blew me away. I ride the exercise bike while I watch movies and I was lost in the song but looked down and realized I was pedaling really fast.

I started getting really worked up and then just started bawling. I cdn't figure it out, but it was really great. I thought it wd stop when I realized how odd it was and it did die down a bit until the chorus started up again. Really strange, but very cool.

Anyway, I just loved how the rest of the movie played out and I think it might be my favorite movie of the year. The filmspotting.net podcast is great and has some awesome 'top five' lists.

Another note, I wondered a few times in the movie "What are their names?" Very cool.

Side note: I just finished this movie this morning and more thoughts may come to me so I might update this later.

Also, I'm about to watch a series of Glen Keane animated movies FYI.

SPOILERS

The director in the commentary talks about the title: "Once." He says there's a lot of guys he knows/has met, especially in Ireland, that talk about "Once I get my X deal..." or "Once I record this..." or "Once I open my shop..." and how they really cd be great, but don't have the motivation.

Haiku Summary
Songwriter meets girl.
Awesome chemistry in song.
They record. The End.

Frank and Ollie (1995) - 5/5

Frank and Ollie (1995)

This is a documentary about two of the great Disney animators; two of the "nine old men." These guys started out in school together and wound up sharing an apartment and then building houses next to each other where they lived the rest of their lives (Frank died in 2004, but I believe Ollie is still alive).

It's a great look at what they did and their motivations, humility, skills and general approach to animation.

I've been listening to the AnimationPodcast.com and they talk a lot about Frank and Ollie. So getting to see them and learn about them was a lot of fun.

Haiku Summary
Two animators
for Disney tell their story.
Great insight for us.

Maquinista, El (2004) - 3.5/5

Maquinista, El (2004)

I really liked the bulk of this movie except for the end. I cdn't believe Christian Bale's weight. I read he lost a record 80lbs for this movie. It hurts to look at him.

This movie built a lot of promise for most of it and then didn't deliver.

SPOILERS

The felt the "reveal" was a let down. All of the mystery was just him being psycho. I know that's a bit belittling, but I was hoping for something more sensational. They really did it well, but it just didn't have it IMO.

Haiku Summary
Crazy man doesn't
sleep. Who is after him? Is
it Ivan? No, himself.

The Squid and the Whale (2005) - 4.5/5

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

A fairly painful, awkward, uncomfortable and powerful movie. Dense, to use a word from the movie.

The opening scene tells most of the story of this movie, but you don't know it quite yet.

SPOILERS

The dad is a fairly lame, fake "man" who is riding on his egotism and judgment of others despite not being able to be honest w/ himself or those around him. The mother isn't much better. The oldest son clearly mimics the dad and thinks dangerously to high of himself ("I think I cd have written it so the fact that it was already written is just a technicality.").

One of the best scenes is the older son's visit to the psychologist - his description of his time w/ his mom when he was young was just amazing. So vivid and powerful and touching.

So what or who are the squid and the whale? I think it might be his parents. They are fighting and are caught in an inescapable grapple where no one ever stops or wins. It might also be a symbol of fears in life. When he was a kid, he cdn't look at the squid and the whale except for through his fingers.

At the end, he forces himself to face his fears, to face reality. To grow up and face himself.

Haiku Summary
Two kids, parents split.
All kinds of dysfunction here.
No one wins. Hey, You.

Henry Fool (1997) - 4/5

Henry Fool (1997)

Fun, original and creative. I can see how someone might think this is a bad moview w/ bad acting and bad directing. I thought that for the first 15-20 mins of the sequel "Fay Grim."

But once you realize the details and nuances are intentional, it's really very impressive.

Haiku Summary
Garbage man meets a
stranger who gets him to write
a poem. It gets weird.

The Good Shepherd (2006) - 2/5

The Good Shepherd (2006)

Very underwhelming performances by all. The movie drags as I don't think De Niro succeeds in using the pace as others have in the past.

Damon's character is suppose to be cold as stone, but he comes across as lame and boring.

It's always disappointing to see a bad spy movie b/c I love the potential they have there.

One thing I'll say, he doesn't insult the audience. You have to be thinking for certain parts, but it's not worth it to wait for them.

SPOILERS

Also, the "mystery film" character is fairly predictable once you get into it. Such a pivotal aspect and it's a let down.

Haiku Summary
Kid gets recruited
by CIA. Life planned for
him. Quiet, boring.

Kung fu Hustle (2004) - 4/5

Kung fu Hustle (2004)

Very original, creative and funny. Abandon all holds on reality and enjoy the ride.

The characters are clear, strong and funny. The fighting is very entertaining too and there's LOTS of it. However, it's more like orchestrated dance fighting. Very cool.

The only problem I have w/ this movie is there's very little story and what is there isn't compelling. Which means you wind up w/ the 14 year old's dream: a movie that's almost completely filled w/ fight scenes. :)

Haiku Summary
Kid wants to fight but
is not good. Grows up and is
the One. Fights REAL good.

Babettes g�stebud (1987) - 4.5/5

Babettes g�stebud (1987)

Great movie told very well. The levels and tones of sacrifice, mercy, grace and giving are great.

SPOILERS

I see Babette as a Christ-like figure setting aside (not by choice in this case) her "glory" for a time to serve others. She challenged their perceptions on what is acceptable and allowable and how to we can enjoy things we wdn't expect.

The "feast" scene is great at the discovery and Lorens really opens it up to the enjoyment of the "affair."

Haiku Summary
Old sisters with father.
Sacrifice all to serve others.
Big, scary dinner.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) - 3/5

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Pretty funny first 30 mins or so. After that it's ok and then it's almost serious.

A little too "spoofish" than I'd want it to be.

WARNING: A good bit of nudity.

Haiku Summary
Spoof of Johnny Cash
The songs are good. "I'm
cut in half real bad."

The Animation Podcast

The Animation Podcast



Great animation podcast of interviews w/ big names in animation.

The Polar Express (2004) - 4/5

The Polar Express (2004)

I didn't expect to like this movie too much. I didn't hear too many good things about it and given the animation and Tom Hanks, I felt I sd have been hearing a lot more.

I do love how they take advantage of the animation w/ the "camera" angles and light and perspectives. It's really fun what they were able to do and did do.

So maybe low expectations helped. I'm still not sure it's a 4/5, but...

SPOILERS

The basis of the story is that the (possibly) imaginary Polar Express is taking children who seemingly have lost belief in Santa (or maybe other reasons) to the North Pole.

The three main child characters all seem to learn/gain something in the journey. The girl learns to believe in her confidence (LEAD), the shy kid learns that not everything turns out bad when you open up (and gain friends) (DEPEND ON, RELY ON, COUNT ON) and the main kid learns to believe (BELIEVE). There's a 'know it all kid' too (LEARN), but I don't consider him a main character.

The conductor is their guide and there's a hobo which is a confusing character b/c he seems rather harsh. He seems to help mostly, but I'm not really sure of his role.

From what I read, the story is greatly expanded over the book which probably explains some of the various scenes that seem to be fantastical and unsure about their place in the movie (e.g., the lost ticket - great, but...???). There's also a few scenes of everything moving really fast, out of control, falling down (e.g., the train and the present funnel). I'm not sure of the purpose, but the scenes are pretty fun.

The hobo's big line is "seeing is believing" which makes me think it's the counter to the conductor or Santa in the regard that it's mostly a matter of belief. As the conductor says: "Seeing Santa is not required." and "Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

I also have a little problem w/ the ending. The robe tells us it was just a dream. The bell tells us it must have been real. It's unfortunate b/c ultimately his simple belief is in question b/c he has physical proof.

Maybe they sd have ended it w/ a series of shots of him hearing the bell throughout his life (continued belief) and late in life receiving the bell (proof it was real).

But since it's a kids movie, I guess I'm being too harsh on that point. I'm sure kids go nuts when he opens the box w/ the bell in it. IT'S REAL!!! I wonder if that's in the book???

Haiku Summary
Boy doubts Santa. Train
takes him to North Pole, Santa.
Bell tells us it's real.

Stone Reader (2002) - 3.5/5

Stone Reader (2002)

I really like the idea of this movie. I really like it. Countless times have I read some book or similar and wanted to track down the author. I wanted to discover some hidden treasure, etc. I'm actually kind of doing it now but I don't want to give any details here.

Unfortunately the first half of this movie is more about the guy making it and is filled with shots of fields, flowers, trees, him doing yard work, etc. He narrates over it what's been happening, but it's slow.

There's also shots of friends getting UPS/FedEx packages delivered to them which a) aren't very interesting and b) cd have been shot any time so it feels like filler.

The second half has a lot more things of interest happening and that's when it gets good. If you can make it past the first half, it's worth it. If you can't, just scan ahead, you really won't miss too much (though you might not appreciate the payoff as much???).

Haiku Summary
Guy reads book after
many years. Great, but author
is gone. He finds him.

The Constant Gardener (2005) - 2/5

The Constant Gardener (2005)

Over-acted, heavy handed propaganda that insults the audiences ability to think.

Movies like this need to take a lesson from "Blood Diamond" about how to get the audience to care about your cause and want what you want.

The cinematography was great and the message is actually very important, but they way they tell it will probably only appeal to those already agreeing with them.

The overheard misunderstandings of the husband tell me they have a long way to go. It's too bad b/c they had a good deal of resources to work with.

Haiku Summary
Brit goes Africa
with new bride on a mission.
She dies, he cares, dies.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) - 3.5/5

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

This was a well made, true story about Chris Gardner striving to keep his head above water and provide for his family. It's an incredible story and the acting is really good.

It's painful to watch and sad to think that he and his son went through so much. It's even sadder to think about how close he came to not making it and how many thousands and thousands of people don't make it.

SPOILERS

I think the way they told this story is accurate and well done. However, from a film/movie/entertainment standpoint, it's not much fun to watch. It's 99% depressing/sad and you really sd know the outcome already so the "payoff" isn't very rewarding.

Also, this might be a cynical point of view, but I kinda question his decision to put his family/son thru so much. I admire his determination and struggle, but it seems he cd have gotten a regular job and kept that suffering down a bit. Plus, if he hadn't gotten the job at the end, that wd have been terrible. High risk.

I certainly don't know the details, but based on what they told us thru the film, I'm not sure risking everything like that was the best way to go. But who am I?

Haiku summary

no job, no money
become broker, be happy
until then, sleep on bus

Movie Reviews, Podcast, Film, DVD, Cinema, Filmspotting

Movie Reviews, Podcast, Film, DVD, Cinema, Filmspotting

Movie reviews, interviews and top 5 lists
with Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson

I found this site looking for a movie related podcast. It's a good one. If you know of others, let me know.

Akira (1988) - 3.5/5

Akira (1988)

"Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E."

I think I saw this in high school, but don't remember it really.

I watched it in Japanese w/ subtitles which I think was a good move.

Artistic animation w/ a cool futuristic/action/sci-fi feel and story.

It's a cautionary message about the future, cities/government taking over, the individual being lost and worthless, etc. I'm on board w/that.

SPOILERS

The last about 20 minutes remind me of the end of "2001" where you're not really sure what's going on "birth of a new universe" and such. I'm not sure it really fits... actually, it fits the movie, but maybe not the message.

Unless they're trying to say, it will all just start over so don't worry... though it doesn't in the movie.

Haiku summary

future biker kids
one gets big mental powers
big fight, where'd he go?

No Country for Old Men (2007) - 5/5

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Just a great movie. Very moving, intense and technically powerful. The silence is deafening. The (sparse) dialog is great and quite "Coen."

Javier Bardem is the new "Hannibal Lector." Josh Brolin was great also. Both great performances.

This film is so well made that the story almost suffers. But it's a great story. I listned to a podcast about it and they pointed out how in some cases they don't even show you an important scene at all. I think that is a sign of their great movie making: they can get the audience and film to a point where you don't even need to see important things to get just as much out of it.

There's several points/parts of the story that I haven't processed completely, but I look forward to seeing multiple times over time and let it sink in.

Haiku summary
guy finds druggers dough
scariest guy ever hunts
world falling apart

How To Read a Film

How To Read a Film

Not a movie, but a good book (and it's free online).

Casino Royale (2006) - 3.5/5

Casino Royale (2006)

Good spy movie and I like that they are returning to the spy aspects of James Bond.

The story falls a little short of the spectacle still, but it's good.

Haiku summary:
James, a new double-oh
Villian, loses bad guys' dough
Let's play cards for it!

Fast Food Nation (2006) - 1.5/5

Fast Food Nation (2006)

They should have stuck to the book or not used that name or something. So much story left undone. Plots closed in a trite way. So much of the true power they intended was just completely missed.

I have hesitated to say this in the past, but I think this film makes it easier to say that I think Rickard Linklater is overrated. He's good at some things, but overrated.

Haiku summary:
There's poo in burgers.
We only care about cash.
Eat poo, save money.

Fred Claus (2007) - 2.5/5

Fred Claus (2007)

Vince Vaughn was his usual self, but it felt a little worn/forced/played out. Kevin Spacey didn't do himself any favors.

It's fairly predictable and trite, but a lot cuter than I expected. I figured it wd be more irreverent and crude and it wasn't.

SPOILERS

Not that it's a completely bad idea, but the message of "even the bad kids sd get a toy for Christmas"... let's just say it's questionable b/c I'm not sure how far they're trying to take it.

I only have an "issue" w/ that b/c it cd be based on the idea that "really no one is 'bad' and down deep we're all good" or no one is really responsible for what they do (like in the case of Clyde - he didn't get a present b/c he was bad... but b/c he didn't get a present he was bad... huh?) or "who's to say who's 'naughty' and who's 'nice' - who can judge?"

Haiku Summary

Bad big bro needs cash
lil bro Santa, needs help too
Christmas miracle!