Link of the Day [10.10.09]
The english pick the best films of the the 00s. I’ve seen about 40%. Is your list the same? Discuss in comments.
D’entre des Mortes
I’m sure I’ve embedded this before, but you can never get enough Vertigo.
I recently saw it again over the weekend. It was awesome. I really dig the madness of both Madeleine and Scotty.
And it had the greatest nun scene ever: “I heard voices.”
Maybe, one time, I should go out to SF and check out the places in the film. Perhaps a ghostwalk style endeavor of SF. Vertigo by the Bay.
Paranormal Activity
I have to write this review in the light of day so that I don't freak myself out too much. It goes hand-in-hand with the fact that we saw Paranormal Activity during a matinee to avoid that creeping dread which would follow a showing at night. You know that feeling, right? You leave the theatre at 10. You hang out for a little while, joking all the while. You walk to your car looking over your shoulder. You drive home checking the backseat in the rear view from time to time. Then you're back home, the lights are off, and you switch on all the lights plus the television to keep from realizing that you are alone in the house. The creepy crawlies visit your imagination. The hair on your arms stand up. Is that something upstairs?Yes, Paranormal Activity has me slightly freaked out. I was restless when I got home and was somewhat afraid of going to sleep in my bed with the lights off. But I did because it's only a movie.Paranormal Activity follows the fate of a couple who move into a home that they believe to be posessed. In a brilliant move to forestall the audience from talking to the screen, the story assigns the frightening activities to a demon who haunts the girl throughout her life. You can't even say, "Girl, just leave," because it will always follow. The girl's boyfriend is typically sceptical. He doesn't believe the demon to be real. It will take a demonstration of supernatural force to change his mind.The movie was filmed, as all reviews must tell you, in the fake documentary style of The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. It's supposed to signify that this is real. There are no credits, beginning and ending, which contribute to the reality. But there are no ghosts. It's a demon which haunts the girl. For me, this was less disturbing than a good old ghost, as demons are not real, but ghosts, the spirits of the dead, could be.Yet, as with all fake movies, Paranormal Activity leaves you scratching your head. Am I to believe this? Did I just go along with the joke? Why am I still creeped out hours later? Did the curtains move? Is that footsteps in my bedroom? What's the deal with the shadow in the corner? Paranormal Activity plays on you psychologically. There was no gore or dismembered bodies shown. Just good old fashion dread throughout the movie. As they fall asleep, what's next? And isn't that just plain creepy the way she…? What's with that noise? No respite even when it's over. The lack of end credits continues the dread and you can't just leave. Is this thing over or is there the final scare? It's the anticipation of something bad is going to happen that hits the right marks. It's worth it just for the fright.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/3 of 5 stars.
The Informant!
The Informant! is Homer Simpson. Most everytime that Matt Damon opened his mouth and talked about ADM I was thinking that he was Homer Simpson brought to life on the big screen. The cluelessness and the profound stupidity was all there. Matt Damon can do no wrong in channelling the buffoon, Homer Simpson.
The only problem Matt Damon is Matt Damon. I could not get past fat Matt Damon to imagine the actual protagonist which distracted me all movie long because he was supposed to be portraying a real man. Fat Matt Damon is still Matt Damon rather than the guy who brought ADM ignominy.
The film though was awkward. It was rated R, but I don’t think there was any profanity, nudity, violence, or adult themes to warrant that rating. It was supposed to be a comedy, but wasn’t of the Something about Mary type. It was very Coen-ish. It looked like the seventies, with clothes from the eighties, taking place in the nineties, and funky sixties fonts. The story was rambling. I couldn’t tell the time frame when the actual events took place. Did he meet with the FBI months later? Or was it next week? No idea, because it all seemed to take place in a compressed time frame. One scene wasn’t directly related to another scene in time. Awkward.
In the end, the film sorta rambled then it ends. It’s an ending at least.
2 of 5 stars.
Extract
Because I’ve seen another movie since I saw this one, I have to write up my thoughts and/or review on the latest Mike Judge film, Extract. But, for real, I completely forgot I saw this film until TheSeed, as we were leaving the theatre reminded me.
Extract follows the same Mike Judge movie release M.O: A misleading ad campaign, a less than stellar opening weekend, an early, ignominious exit. Maybe it would follow the rest of his other movies and become a hit on video and constant rotation on Comedy Central. Maybe. It’s got a chance. It fits right in after Waiting and before Employee of the Month.
The bad ad campaign starts with the misleading idea that Mila Kunis is the love mistress there to steal Jason Bateman’s heart. She’s there, but her story is completely different.
The movie is terrible. Not very funny. Completely forgettable. Don’t watch until it comes on Comedy Central. Although, it did make Kristen Wiig look kind of cute. But that’s not enough.
2 of 5 stars.
“1987 Joe Garelli is arrested on a drunk and disorderly. Case dismissed.”
Inglorious Basterds was a war movie whose gang of army misfits forgot to show up for the war. It didn’t have enough of the Basterds and their action in occupied France.
Go and watch it because it is one of the more interesting Tarantino flicks to come out. But don’t forget, the Basterds are MIA.
3 of 5 stars.
崖の上のポニョ
Ponyo or in the romanji, Gake no ue no Ponyo, is another of Hayao Miyazaki fantastic movies. He’s the last of the animators that still believes in hand drawn animation. It is difficult to find it being used as the medium in the US, but in Japan with its lively anime scene, hand drawn still seems to be a cherished medium. John Laseter agrees considering that it is his Disney that has been releasing the latest Studio Ghibli films, and he has a Disney hand drawn animated film coming out soon.
As for Ponyo, it isn’t as great as Miyazaki’s latest films. It isn’t as awe inspiring as Spirited Away, and it isn’t as cute as Totoro, yet, there is still some charm in it. And still some fantastic imagery.
The scene of Ponyo running on the waves. The joy in her face. The waves cresting and moving. Fun. Exciting. Something that hand drawn animation seems to get done very well. There is an organic quality to these scenes, and for me it illicits a feeling of fun.
As for the story, it was okay. Another of Miyazaki’s meditation of the human-nature conflict. And transformation of the human soul. And it hints at Yellow Submarine.
Still pretty good. I want to hear the original Japanese seiyu.
3 of 5 stars.
District 9
District 9 was supposedly consolation for the director in the cancellation of The Halo movie. Maybe the last half of the movie was left over from the screen play. It started as a faux documentary on the political problems with immigration of aliens (from another planet). Then the script changes into the standard summer shoot ’em up: the Halo Movie. Should the movie had changed? I don’t know, but it happens every time in the summer. They need the action. Abandon the story.
And what did they abandon? Some logic. Why would aliens make alien technology weapons that are awesome, then just roll over when the po-po come to kick them out? Why would aliens need to horde human weapons? Why wouldn’t aliens just be taking over the planet? No sense.
Meh. It’s just another summer movie. Turn your brain off and go enjoy the aircon.
3 of 5 stars.
Adventures From My Netflix Queue: Amélie
I didn’t plan on blogging the movies I saw today, but a scene in Amélie was directly copied in Ghanjani. It’s kind of weird to notice these things. Similar to Julius Caesar from yesterday. Is it coincidence?
The scene: The girl helps out a blind man.
She spots him lonely on the curb. Then she goes to help him. Takes him by the hand. Leads him to his destination all the while describing what she sees. She gives a running commentary on life being led around them.
In both movies, it signifies something important in the girl. In Ghanjani the girl is carefree, and shows her kindness as helping towards others: it comes naturally. In Amélie, the girl needs to become carefree and she slowly comes out of her shell.
Qué un shell!! Audrey Tautou is plain cuteness personified like an anime girl come to life. Moe in French.
Amélie is a charming movie. Love and the search for love will always be fun to watch. When the girl is as cute as Tautou it’s even more charming. When her character is as shy as that, I’m easily charmed. Reminds me of all the quiet, shy anime girls I so dig. (Mio! Yakomo!) You just want her to find that love. The search is darn cute as well. Find the man. Give him clues. Show him you love him. It’s as easy as that. Where’s my quiet anime French girl in my life.
3 of 5 stars.
Hunh!?
This should be tweeted, but your limited to 140 characters.
I’m watching Ghanjani, some BollyWood film on iFC. It starts off as rip-off of Memento: some guy with amnesia looking for the killer of his girl.
And then like all Bollywood films, the singing kicks in. We’re now in some romantic comedy showing the back story of how the guy with amnesia falls in love with the girl. It’s a case of mistake identity. And singing.
When will it get back to the thriller?
UPDATE WITH REVIEW:
I was just looking for something to watch this morning as I was waking up, and I decided to check out one of the free channels that I get on DirectTV. It’s the Independent Film Channel, iFC, showing their Sunday Bollywood programming. I let the station play as I was more interested in the morning’s news on the blogs. That is until, that dude decided to beat some guy up. Then I was intrigued about the movie. Then they started in with the singing. And the movie went from some thriller to romantic comedy.
She was a struggling model low on her ad agency’s actress list. He was the scion of the big telecom company. He’s come back from America to take charge of the family business. She is somehow linked to him. She pretends he’s her boyfriend. It works and she becomes the darling of the ad agency. They do finally meet. Cute. She thinks he’s an aspiring actor. She helps him get a job with her clout. They sing and dance.
Then we go back to finding out how she dies. And we’re back into Memento land and the bad ass kicking ass theme.
I was more interested in the romantic comedy. I wonder if that would make a better movie.
3 of 5 stars