Things we watch in the cinema or on tape, DVD, and streaming
Tossing and turning last night so I put on Can’t Buy Me Love to help me to get to sleep. Loved that movie as a kid. It’s pretty stupid. Yet I feel that’s a classic. Whatever happened to Amanda Peterson? She fell off the face of the earth or what?
Anyway, I was thinking about why there isn’t any good romantic comedies. There’s plenty, but I don’t like much. Maybe it’s just me. I get so cynical about it that light-hearted screen gems don’t do much for me.
Season 3 of The X-Files had one of the most memorable episodes of its run, Jose Chung’s “From Outer Space.” In it the titular author, Jose Chung is writing his non-fiction science fiction account of the abduction of two teenagers. He interviews Agent Scully (Wow!), but the whole abduction thing has a Rashomon effect and the truth is not so cut and dry. In fact no one knows exactly what happened. It is a mystery. As the interview with Agent Scully (Woot!) wraps up, she tells him that at least it has an ending, which is more than she can say for the rest of her cases.
That’s how Zodiac seems to have been. At least it has an ending. And at least we get some kind of closure. But (SPOILER ALERT) if Arthur Leigh Allen didn’t do it, there’s plenty of circumstantial evidence to have the fingers pointing at him.
What I found as I watched is that, in this very age, detective television shows such as the X-Files, CSI or Law and Order make it tough to watch police procedurals at the cinema. Each week Law and Order solves a crime and brings to justice the perpetrator. Zodiac neither solved the crime or brought to justice the perpetrator, but it had an ending whether satisfying or not Scully would’ve approved.
Zodiac still felt like an episode of Law and Order. It was divided into two parts. The “Order” part wherein Mark Ruffalo’s detective tries to piece together a case, and the “Law” part with Jake Gyllenhall picks up the case and identify the true killer and his motives so that he can be brought to justice. And that’s just the story’s structure.
Again like detective television shows, I expected the CSI to nail the villian. He couldn’t have been too smart to get away with it. There is always evidence that will incriminate. Yet, the detectives couldn’t find any. I was wondering if they didn’t have decent crime scene investigators in the 70s.
All in all, Zodiac felt more like television. It strikes out trying to be a film because it feels too much like crime shows on tv. If only they put the ominous chords associated with Law and Order, it may have been good.
3 of 5 stars.
UPDATE:
Matt Zoller Seitz really captures exactly what I wanted to say with his review.
Check out some extended scenes from Spiderman 3. Can’t wait. For the HD download that is. Be careful it’ll take a while and clog up your CPU usage. But enjoy it.
If you remember, I was wondering who’ll host the Oscars for technical achievement. It was Maggie Gyllenhaal. While she’s not what I consider hot, she’s still female. Easy on the eyes as well, but she’s no
Rachel McAdams.
Well, it’s St. Valentine’s day. Here’s to all the fools taking their significant other out to town, dinner, and a movie. If only I could. *sigh*
Yet, when romance is involved, I get my thrill from the cinematic projector. And one of the more romantic of movies that I love is It’s a Wonderful Life. Wha?
Most people see this movie as the ultimate sentimental Christmas holiday movie. How can it be romantic?
Easy. It’s filled with scenes that’ll make you feel love.
Remember the scene with the young Mary Hatch whispering in George’s bad ear, “George Bailey, I’ll love you until the day I die.” Try that on a girl. She’ll appreciate it.
Remember the scene of the recently graduated Mary Hatch bored at the graduation dance. She listens the guy talking to her, but she doesn’t seem to hear him. Then she catches a glimpse of George Bailey coming her way and she lights up. “Well, hello.” That’s electrifying.
Remember the scene where George and Mary throw rocks at the old house. “What did you wish for, Mary?” The coy look she gives him. “Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight? And dance by the light of the moon.” You’ll chase after girls that give you that sly run around.
Remember the scene on the phone. “Tell him it’s a chance of a lifetime.” Yes. It is. To love and be loved. “Now you listen to me. I don’t want any plastics and I don’t want any ground floors. And I don’t want to get married *ever* to anyone! You understand that? I want to do what I want to do.” And she wants to be there with him. The raw emotion of the that scene.
I could go on, but you get the picture. There are many of them in it. So on this day of romance, pop in your DVD of It’s a Wonderful Life. Replace the Christmas holiday feelings with romantic thoughts thanks to George and Mary’s romance.
Kate: Do you believe in love? The kind that lasts forever?
Luc: I loved my mother.
Kate: No, everyone loves their mother. Even people who say they hate their mothers love their mothers. My question is, one man for one woman?
Luc: It is not a very interesting question. It is the question of a little girl who still believes in fairy tales.
Movie watching continues apace. I really wanted to write some deep insightful reviews of these three, but can never get them started.
Catch and Release. It was a Jennifer Garner weekend that was. This movie is a supposed romantic drama-dy, and such it disappointed on both the romantic end, the dramatic end, and the comedic end. You saw all the funny parts in the trailer. The drama was used as an explanation to the marketers as to how the movie really didn’t have too much laughs. The romance! The romance? I just didn’t get. Your fiance dies and you want fall for the one person who’s a cad? Please. In a comment at Margeaux’s, I believe the film to be too sappy, because it embraces the love story in the end. If it ended with them not making up and her out on her own it would’ve felt real. As for that, it felt like another marketing decision and the director/writer should’ve know to stick to her convictions of the story and not have them hook up again. It would’ve been a smarter, mature movie that way.
2 of 5 stars.
Because I Said So. Someone should’ve asked her to keep her mouth shut. What is happening to Diane Keaton? And what is happening to Mandy Moore? Keaton is Annie Hall, but that character is feeling a bit sad in her old age. Moore is in another bad movie. Whatever? I should not have seen this one.Capitol Swell has a better review. Let’s just say Mandy Moore needs to read more better scripts.
2 of 5 stars.
The Messengers is a j-horror film in the middle of Nebraska. Yes. That sounds incongruous and the movie was. It was filled with worn out j-horror images. Things you’ve seen in other movies. J-horror is becoming extremely tired like the slasher horror genre before it. They need to make creepier films built to scare the bejeebus out of you when you get home. After watching this, I was scared but soon forgot why by the next morning.
2 of 5 stars.
Suspicion won Joan Fontaine an Academy Award for Best Actress. It is said that she received it because of missing out on it the year before for Rebecca. While I certainly liked the Rebecca, Suspicion was good. If flawed.
Flawed?
Yes. The ending didn’t particular suit the film. Everything leading up to it said, “Murder!” But we get some curt explanation, some hilarious mistaken motives, and a really fun, action at the end. All is wrapped us neat and tidy to fit in with the Hollywood production code. This was one movie where the original ending (see the extras) would have made this movie more satisfying.
This is also Cary Grant’s first movie with the master director. And he plays it like a cad with a dark and mysterious past. Yet, Grant seems to me too bright. For me, he doesn’t have the dark, rightening, murderous persona beneath his gentlemanly persona like I believe James Stewart to possess. Still he is one of Hitchcock’s iconic leading men. I still prefer Stewart, but Grant is good because he is playful and makes Hitchcock a more sly and sinister storyteller. Who believes these men to be all-star, all Americans knows not of the dark and ugly evil lurking in all men?
My Hitchcock obsession continues.
4 of 5 stars.
Margeaux posted some movie going survey on her site. It looks more like something sent via email. It’s a challenge to see if you have seen the most movies. I’ve seen plenty lately. Especially in the theatres. She scored 112. I know I can beat that.
Here’s the opening stuff.
SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 85 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen.
There are 170 movies on this list. Put your score in header and repost:
(x) Nacho Libre
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the caribbean 2
() Orange County
() The Green Mile
(x) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory
() Neverending Story
() Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane!
(x) Red Eye
() Stick It
() Shes the Man
() 8 MileTotal : 7
That didn’t start out so good. 7 of 13. That’ll mean I’ll get the 85 point. Darn.
(x) The Princess Bride
() SNL’s The Best of Will Ferrell
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
() Fun With Dick and Jane
() Saw
() Saw II
(x) White Noise
() White Oleander
() Anger Management
() 50 First Dates
() The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
() Legally Blonde
(x) Legally Blonde 2Total: 3
Yikes! Doing worse! Who made this list up. That will farrell one seems to be a DVD of the best of SNL. Come on. I won’t even rent that shit. This is bogus.
(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
() American Wedding
() American Pie Band CampTotal: 4
(x) Harry Potter
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
() Cinderella Man
(x) The Village
() Lilo & StitchTotal : 7
(x) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() White Chicks
() Little Manhattan
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
() RobotsTotal : 7
(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
() KingPin
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
(x) King Kong(2005)Total : 8
(x) Alice in Wonderland
(x) The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween
() The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber
(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
() Ghost Ship
() From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() the whole nine yards
() The Whole Ten YardsTotal : 9
(x) The Day After Tomorrow
() Child’s Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(x) 10 Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
(x) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
() Son Of The MaskTotal : 9
(x) Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
(x) Lucky Number Seven
(x) Ocean’s Eleven
(x) Ocean’s Twelve
() Identity
() Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
(x) Predator II
() Superstar
(x) Ice Age
() Ice age 2 The MeltdownTotal : 8
(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
(x) A Bronx Tale
(x) Darkness
(x) ET
(x) Children of the Corn
() My Boss’ Daughter
() Maid in Manhattan
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
() Best Bet
() How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She’s All That
() Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
() Ever After
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
() The Terminator 3Total : 17
(X) X-Men
(X) X-Men 2
(X) X-Men 3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Others
(X) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of fire
(X) Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() Cruel Intentions 3
() The Hot Chick
() Shrek
() Shrek 2Total : 11
() Swimfan
() Miracle
(x) Old School
() K-Paxx
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
() A Walk To Remember
() Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old-virgin
() The Hills Have Eyes
() The Man in the MoonTotal: 5
I scored 96! I know I’ve seen more movies. Who made that one up?
