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!

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) (TV) - 0/5

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) (TV)

Just bad all around: commercial, story, hidden adult humor, Whoopi Goldberg, etc.

Children of Men (2006) - 4.5/5

Children of Men (2006): "No children. No future. No hope."

Great movie, great directing - the amazingly long shots w/ so much action and choreography were amazing.

The story was good, but it was so well told. The idea that the world is infertile (lost) and there comes a child (savior) through a unwed woman (virgin) and needs to be taken by a man to a safe place to have the child, etc. Strong Christology there, but some points are off and I can't tell how much is intentional, interpretation, manipulation, etc. (the child is a girl, etc.).

No biggie, but I just wasn't sure if they were being original or had an agenda.

The technical aspect of the shots they got in the car, during the chase, etc. were so great.

What a great film to just watch, enjoy and appreciate.

Haiku Summary:
No more babies born
A girl gets pregnant, needs help
baby born in rowboat

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - 3/5

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Wes Anderson's power grows. I love the tone/feel of his movies - he's so consistent in that despite everything else which is impressive.

I think there's a lot of depth to this movie and wd love to read a good essay on it. But it's clear these men have all suffered b/c of their parents (and lack of).

UPDATE: I lowered this to 3. As time goes by, I'm digging this movie less. It has a lot of power, but fails to pull it together.

SPOILERS

When they save the kids from drowning, it's very powerful. I'm sure there's a lot being said about themselves needing to be saved and not all making it. Also, about going to the funeral and the reactions of the people.

Dropping their baggage at the end and letting go to be together is pretty clear.

Haiku Summary

bros, train, India
looking for mother, themselves
let dad's baggage go

Hot Fuzz (2007) - 4/5

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Nicely original and a great new take on spoofing other movies - kinda like "Scream" did for the '90s.

The wit is spot on and it builds so well for the last half hour of action. They really put in the time to develop the characters and story to make the last part really enjoyable and pay off well.

Haiku Summary:
top cop goes small town
"by the power of Grayskull!"
so many murders

Surf's Up (2007) - 3/5

Surf's Up (2007)

Great animation and camera angles. The animal physics were cool too.

The story was a bit thin to me especially given it's not the most "kid" type movie/humor.

Haiku Summary
surfin' penguin gets
a break. finds lost hero, learns
to have fun, loses.

Chalk (2006/I) - 4/5

Chalk (2006/I)

It gets an extra half or full point b/c it's independent.

A (sometimes) funny look at teachers' lives in and out of school. It's a rough looking life w/ little reward or encouragement. I felt pretty sorry for teachers and I don't think I cd do it.

I wdn't call this a "mockumentary" b/c I think of those as comedies. This is more of a semi-unscripted, "fictional documentary" like "The Office."

Haiku Summary
teachers have hard jobs
students make it harder still
I guess they love it.

Blood Diamond (2006) - 3.5/5

Blood Diamond (2006)

Very intense and powerful film. They held back and it's still hard to watch.

This is the way to do a political movie: don't beat people over the head. Show them what's happening and let them make their own conclusions. When it's well done, the choice is obvious.

I think people might watch this movie and, if anything, be more cautious about buying diamonds or maybe even not buy them anymore. However, everything we buy is sending a message.

If you buy these diamonds, you might feel guilty about the people that died or were hurt in getting it to you. But similar is true for other purchases: when you buy from a company you are endorsing their practices even if you don't know what they are.

WalMart, like many companies, pretty much has sweat shops around the world. You're supporting that. CITGO is the U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. JPMorgan, Chevron, Marriot and many other support Planned Parenthood. Ford funds many Gay/Lesbian groups. The list goes on. It's pretty difficult to not be supporting one thing or another w/ any purchase when we know it or not.

Haiku Summary
locals die for stones
mercenary wants big rock
helps man get fam, dies doing so

Meet the Robinsons (2007) - 5/5

Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Maybe it was my state of mind when I saw this or maybe somehow seeing bits and pieces of this over several days and then watching it all the way thru, but I loved this movie.

It had it all: great animation, action, comedy, drama, sci-fi and more. It's a very complex story too - I think kids wd completely enjoy it, but they might not get all of the implications of the story.

Also the score is really good and there are two songs that are really good. "Another Believer" is very haunting and beautiful.

The animation is some of the most creative and pleasant to look at that I've seen. They nail it all especially the facial expressions. So great.

This is a rare movie that pretty much gets it all around in all areas and that is rare for any movie.

SPOILERS

I love time-travel related movies and this is no exception. The idea that at the end he doesn't seek to be w/ him bio-mom is very powerful. He already has a family is his reasoning and now realizes he has to choose. It's a huge decision and it's bold to even deal w/ it.

Haiku Summary
orphan wants his mom
to future, has family
picks future, not past

The Right Stuff (1983) - 3.5/5

The Right Stuff (1983)

It might be a little dated and over acted, but it's good. The first time I saw it, I don't think I caught the compare/contrast btwn the astronauts selected and Yeager.

I'm not sure what to make of the differences btwn them, but I liked it.

SPOILERS

When the astronauts are watching the dance show and Yeager is flying the new jet, I had a lot of thoughts. Were they trying to show that Yeager really did want to go to outer space? Were they showing that Yeager did or did not have the right stuff? Were they showing that while the astronauts were wined and dined Yeager was still flying and living on the edge?

I think the lines "Is that a man?" "Yes, it is." kinda answers that, but I'm not 100% sure of all the messages there.

Haiku summary:
space race is on now!
train, test, danger and explosions
can you "fly" a brick?

Shark Bait/The Reef (2006) - 1/5

Shark Bait (2006)

I'm not sure why the movie we rented was called "The Reef" but it's listed other places as "Shark Bait"???

Weak. Low quality animation, weak story, bad Nemo rip off (blatant at times). A bit too violent too. I was surprised how often they were hitting each other, pushing, etc. and just playing it off like this is how you live. Usually kids movies are way the other way: violence doesn't solve anything, we can all be friends, peace, man. No biggie, for a 6 year old or something, but I was a little surprised it was G.

Haiku summary:
fish loses parents
reef, love, blah... weak all around
fights, kills shark for love

A Scanner Darkly (2006) - 3/5

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

IMO the rotoscoping was distraction. I think it was done VERY well and actually fit the story, but it overshadowed the story for me. I paid more attention to that than I wd like.

Unfortunately, I also felt the story was over powered by the performances. They were so over the top (which fit the characters) that it was more like just watching performances than a story.

I was surprised to see so many big names and maybe that hurt a bit too - too much to look at, think about, etc.

SPOILERS:

How were they able to eat/take pills through the suit?

Haiku summary:
bad cop or good guy
he doesn't know either
D will mess you up

Abre los ojos (1997) - 4/5

Abre los ojos (1997)

Very original and interesting. I loved the build up and mystery of 'what in the world is going on.' Even though I'd seen "Vanilla Sky", I just liked watching it unfold before me.

I think it was good all around and made "Vanilla Sky" look like what it pretty much was: an American remake. Little change except the name, lead actor and inserted a bit of Hollywood for good measure.

SPOILERS:

I was disappointed in "Vanilla Sky" that it was basically all a dream. It's hard to explain, but it's like all the revelations and introspection was just made up in his head. Some how that took away from it in a way I can't explain.

However, in this version (and maybe "Vanilla Sky" too and I just missed it), they seem to say (or at least imply) that the "dream" was all made up by him. I think in "Vanilla Sky" they say it's a glitch in the computers.

But here it's almost like they say: You're doing this. You're making this horrible and torture and maddening. Which made me think, he knows either consciously or otherwise that he's shallow, selfish and arrogant and wanted to prove it to himself.

Of course he cd have done that by just living out his life instead of killing himself and dreaming it, but that's why it might be subconscious.

Haiku summary:
spoiled man's face wrecked
loses girl, dies, gets frozen
dreams life, learns lesson

The TV Set (2006) - 4/5

The TV Set (2006): "A place where dreams are canceled"

A humorous and honest/cynical look at the production of a TV show pilot.

It's the story of a write working on a pilot dealing w/ the creative compromises necessary to turn art into business.

I'm not sure how the public these days manages to fool themselves into think good art can transition into boog business w/o compromise to the point of almost ruining whatever was good about the art.

Society at times will still claim it to be good and in some cases it is, but that might be in spite of the compromises (a good artist can work w/in that), just our opinion (which has to be questioned w/ some of the material out there succeeding) or it wasn't corrupted which I'd say wd be an extreme exception.

Sorry to ramble.

The dialog is great. Weaver's character has some incredible lines "He's not coming!?!?!"

I like the way it's so clearly split into 3 acts: pre-production, production and responses each separated by a few weeks. And each act is focused on just one or two long scenes. You get a tight view of the present and can fill in the blanks between.

SPOILERS:

It's interesting that even though the bed-ridden writer looking at his pregnant wife holding baby #1 realizes he needs to make this work as a job (i.e., compromise his art), he's still so upset about his work being altered that he's driven to drink and pain killers (or so they wd have us believe).

Anyway, I wd rather have seen him buy into it all to a degree just in realizing this is what it takes to make art work in business (he can still do art for the sake of art on the side if that's the point). Or he not cave to the compromise.

Haiku summary:
writer with pilot
compromises art to work
network inserts fart