Apocalypse Now (1979) - 4/5

Apocalypse Now (1979)

I have to say as great as this movie is as many things, I don't think I "get it." What is the message? That the war was wrong? unwinnable? That we reward some insanity and punish others that don't follow orders?

It's a complex movie that moves well and is theatrical in many good ways. As you go deeper into the heart of darkness, you are swallowed up by darkness and may become the darkness yourself. Is that the message?

The acting was great. The artistry of the film was wonderful. The oasis of the French plantation was a little confusing, but well done. I'm just not sure that fit very well.

I think I need to read a good analysis on this movie to get it.

"Charlie don't surf" - Robert Duvall

16 Blocks (2006) - 3/5

16 Blocks (2006)

A decent movie. Not much of a vehicle for Bruce Willis as an aged cop. Nothing too surprising or interesting, but an entertaining movie w/ somewhat of a story/message.

It's fine, but doens't stand out.

Shadowlands (1993) - 4/5

Shadowlands (1993)

I thought this movie was good but not so much as a movie as a message.

I loved how they didn't play up the big points of the movie to make them stumbling blocks to enjoying it. While it might not be a completely accurate, it's a good portrayal of a man, his relationships, pain and change thru it all.

They seem to start an early thread about 'magic' which I seemed to lose after a while. I'm not sure if they meant to maintain that or not???

The main theological point o by C.S. Lewis in the movie is that 'suffering is God's megaphone to a deaf world.' In the movie, that starts with the death of his mother at a young age. Later it's the death of his wife.

He explains that twice in life he's been hit by this pain:

Twice in that life I've been given the choice: as a boy and as a man. The boy chose safety, the man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That's the deal.

So the movie presents him as hiding in his comfortable world hidden from pain and question. Pain finds him and he learns and embraces it.

I also like the part where he says he's not looking anymore. He's happy w/ the way things are - no longer living in the shadows where the sun shines always around the bend.

However, life doesn't stop. Pain finds you (See "The Village" for another view of this theme).

Good movie. Very touching on the part of the adults and Douglas, Joy's son.

Garden State (2004) - 4.5/5

Garden State (2004)

I really like this movie. It's extremely powerful and full of rich, emotional images.

I'm suspicious that some of the images are just that - images that are powerful even if you don't know what they mean. Even they don't really mean too much w/in the story.

I read that Zach Braff wrote most of it in college which explains a lot to me. Also, that he wrote it over time which tells me about the imagery - it makes me think he wrote down some powerful image ideas which he fit into the movie.

It's a genius story of a guy realizing his life is passing him by. He's waiting for something and realizes life is happening in the meantime.

SPOILERS:

I so wished, wanted, hoped for and expected a scene w/ Zach Braff at the mother's grave w/ him somewhat mimicing the speech Natalie Portman's character gave to her dead hamster, Jelly.

She says something like "Jelly, you were a good pet. I'm sorry I forgot to take the wheel out. Good bye. I hope you liked me."

So he wd say something like "Mom, you were a good mother. I'm sorry I pushed you. Good bye. I hope you liked me."

Invincible (2006) - 3/5

Invincible (2006)

It's a predictable, feel-good movie. It's reminiscent of "Rockstar" also with Mark Wahlberg. The 'based on a real story' factor adds a lot and it's a good movie, but it's pretty much what you expect.

One sorta strange thing about it is that Mark Walhberg's acting is very subtle. He doesn't overdo it which is nice - he doesn't get in the way of the story.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) - 3.5/5

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Excellent film-noir piece. It's a pretty wild ride as far as the actual story goes.
A lot of 90 degree turns. I assume that's b/c it's a novel adaptation and they tried to include everything.

That can be a problem b/c then there's no one main story/goal, but on the other hand, it can develop rich characters over time. Like a mini-series or similar

Hume Cronyn really stood out - great!

THX 1138 (1971) - 4/5

THX 1138 (1971)

I really liked this. I had seen it several years ago, but remembered very little. I think given the date it was made, it's very well done. This time I watched the updated version that George Lucas added CGI to a few years ago. I think it helps, but nothing breath taking.

The story is captivating and I think it's slow enough to let things sink in and you get a sense of the world they're in.

It presents a lot of ideas and situations to you w/o really spoon feeding you the results and answers. A little bit more might be good - what happened? :)

I liked it, it meshed sci-fi w/ drama well w/ some good action in there too. But mostly b/c of the date and early time in Lucas' career, I gave it a high mark.

SPOILERS:

What happened to LUH? You see the fetus in the jar w/ her name on it. Does that mean she's dead? Does that mean there's a new person w/ that name now b/c she's dead and the new person is being grown in a jar?

Once THX is out, what happened? There wasn't really anything there.

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) - 3/5

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

I didn't think this was a well-made movie, but in trying to think thru it, there may be more to it that comes thru the screen.

"The Man w/ the Plan" cd be God ('You won't know what I decide until...') - your life is in his hands... or he's the Devil. Jimmy "The Saint" is trying to redeem himself, but "The Man" won't let him be.

There's more like that if you want to analyze it, but I'm not 100% convinced it's worth it.

Another theme I read about for this movie is a type of "you can never go home." Old mobsters trying to recapture some of the old glory realize you just can't.

It's interesting to see the various ways they react to their sentencing: Bill (anger/violence), Pieces (acceptance/peace), Franchise (rational/avoid), Easy Wind (fear/escape) and Jimmy (trying to save the others).

Anyway, it cd be a good story, but I don't think it's a very good movie. I gave it a 3/5 b/c I think there's more to it.

Secret Window (2004) - 2.5/5

Secret Window (2004) Better acting by Johnny Depp than "The Ninth Gate", but weak near the end still. The story started out good as far as the directing; cool opening scene.

The relationships are strong, but not used to the fullest. The 'thriller' aspect is like all Stephen King adaptations and are slightly insulting.

The mystery factor is good and the twists reveal some good ideas, but they've been done before and much better.

Timothy Hutton is a shining star of acting in this movie and that's a shame in a sense.

Again, like "The Ninth Gate", it feels like a bad adapatation.

SPOILERS:

The Shooter character is lame, but makes sense when you find out who he really is.

The Ninth Gate (1999) - 2/5

The Ninth Gate (1999) Cool feel w/ the European settings, but most everything else was weak: acting, story, etc. It felt like a bad adaptation to a book (which I guess it was).

The story had promise, but was a let down. The characters were similar. The end was either mysterious or just bad. Probably bad.

Johnny Depp's performance was dry and lifeless for the most part. Others did little to help.

"Lonesome Dove" (1989) (mini) - 5/5

"Lonesome Dove" (1989) (mini) I really can't do this justice. It's great and I'm so hapy they made it a mini-series and not a movie.

Snakes on a Plane (2006) - 3.5/5

Snakes on a Plane (2006) It's a great B movie. Since that's all it's trying to be, it gets a fairly high rating.

Good action and thriller-like shocks.

WARNING: Nudity - you'll know when it's coming.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) - 4/5

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) Very funny. Classic Ferrell and that might be the only drawback: expectations. I always like his performances and I liked this one. And though I cd watch his style forever, the lack of newness cd be a drawback for some.

All That Jazz (1979) - 3/5

All That Jazz (1979) I think maybe this movie may be dated (for me) somehow. I think when it came out, it was probably ripe for the time period and lifestyle. However, now it feels more like a commentary on the seventies.

I thought it was well acted, but I had problems w/ the production feeling dated and the musical numbers felt strange: is it a drama or a musical? Maybe both which cd be cool, but I'd say they didn't pull that off.

Also, the message felt a little trite, but again, in 1979 it might have been a bigger deal.

I did like the ending since it wasn't typical - that's all I'll say. Though I think they cd have played up the affect on others more.

I have to say I think this movie is probably better technically than I can appreciate: the music and dancing and time period lose something in my eye as I'm not trained.

So while I feel like this movie is probably very 'good', I can't give it too high of a rating for me.

WARNING: Nudity.

Hook (1991) - 3.5/5

Hook (1991) I think I liked this movie the first time. I think I'm burned out on Robin Williams so that might be part of it??? Also, I felt the romantic aspect btwn Tinkerbell and Peter was a negative.

One thing that always bothered me about this movie was Julia Roberts' performance. She just seems distant and sad. I seem to remember her going thru a lot at the time. The trivia section on IMDB for this mentions something about her going into a hospital for 'exhaustion.'

Anyway, it's a good, clever, imaginative movie. It's a little dated, but otherwise still quite good.

Bowling for Columbine (2002) - 2/5

Bowling for Columbine (2002) A ton has been written on this movie and done better than I cd do, but I'll make a few points.

Michael Moore continues to show himself to be an opinionated 'essay' filmer. Documentary is far from what he does.

He makes thin, one sided arguments leading the viewer to his conclusions. He proposes the ridiculous to make a point and, IMO, ruins his own argument and point. I can help but think of him as egotistical and arrogant thinking he's not only better and smarter than those he's against, but also hypocritical given the money he's made exploiting those he claims to be one of.

2 things I think that this movie does well in a sense:

1. Shine a light on the sensationalism of the 'nightly news.'
2. Question the common explinations about why the U.S. is so violent (compared to other countries)

He uses cheap trick and tactics to make his points and ruins them in the process. He blames others for problems but doesn't consider what their excuse might be (who's to blame for making the bad people bad which makes other people bad?).

I've read a few things about his movies including this one that show how awful he is in his tactics so I won't waste time on that. The above is my feelings, impressions and thoughts.

Update 8.3.06:
I thought recently about how MM seems to put a lot of the blame on news media for causing us to live in fear, but is quick to give Marilyn Mason the oppurtunity to refute that music (media) doesn't have the same effect. Similarly he writes off the video games cd influence people/kids to violence. I disagree.

She's the Man (2006) - 3.5/5

She's the Man (2006) A somewhat predictable story (based on "Twelfth Night" by Wm. Shakespeare) and situated like a teeny bopper movie, this movie sets itself apart by one thing: Amanda Bynes.

She is so animated and energetic, I wanted to just watch her imitate a stereotypical boy the whole time. The rest of the movie holds on barely at times, but she makes those parts seem better.

The story is fine, the characters (some) are good, but Amanda is so much fun to watch I gave this movie a higher rating than I otherwise might.

I don't think I'd recommend this movie, but if there was a highlight reel, it wd be awesome.

The Matador (2005) - 3.5/5

The Matador (2005) A good story though it doesn't quite fit most criteria for an acion, spy or drama movie. The characters are rich and well defined. The interaction is powerful and intense.

I think this movie doesn't have too much to appeal to a lot of people: it's not a 'girlie drama' nor a 'manly action'... it's somewhat both and therefore not appealing to most.

It doesn't try to be more than it is, which is a strength. It's a good look into two very different lives and how they might clash. Parts are unbelievable, but it's the ride that counts in this case.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - 3.5/5

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

I felt it was a good movie overall. Good action, but a bit disjointed: it
was hard to tell why they were doing what they were doing at times. The overall
goal of the story was obscured by little tasks here and there that may have
taken away from the whole. Also, I didn't think the acting was as good as in
the first one.

My expectations were low having heard several people say they didn't care for
it. I like having low expectations so that was fine and may have helped.

Home Movie (2001) - 3/5

A documentary about 5 people/couples living in unusual homes and locations.

Somewhat interesting and fortunately short. I think they do a good job of finding interesting cases to document, but ultimately I think they stay too shallow and not get into the core of these interesting people.

These people are living in places I wd love to live in if it were practical (well, may all except the cat people). I wd love a gadget house, a tree house, a house boat or a missle silo house! So cool.

These people are doing that and it takes very unique people to do it. However, I felt like the film didn't get deeply enough into them to really take advantage of the oppurtunity.