“Feel my scales, donkey, donkey, donkey, donkey, donkey.”

broderic on September 6, 2004

Napolean Dynamite. This has been playing for weeks at the local theatre. I had to see it before it is gone. Napolean Dynamite is another indy movie living small this time about high school students in Idaho. The main character looks funny always with his eyes closed and sporting a white man’s ‘fro. This is another slice of life about weird people. I did not find it very funny, but the cute girls behind us were laughing, which caused me to laugh too. Indy film could’ve been better.

2 of 5 stars.

“Is your life so boring you have to obsess with imaginary love triangles you`re not even a part of?”

broderic on September 4, 2004

Tonight, continuing with my quixotic quest to see as many movies this summer, I caught Wicker Park. Whoever did the marketing of this movie should never be entrusted again with that job in Hollywood. I had seen the trailers and the commercials expecting another psycho, obsessed woman movie. Yet, it wasn’t like that at all. Yes, there seemed to be a pyschotic, love obsessed woman, but was she really. The marketing had it all wrong, and I haven’t been pleasantly surprised by a movie this year until now.

This movie begins with the cliched “love at first sight,” moves to blissful love, then evolves towards obsession. Josh Hartnett’s character follows that trajectory. But does he? Is his obsession to find the girl that was the one an example of a maniacal mind? Why is he so obsessed with finding her? Then the “crazy” girl is introduced, and we find out that she too follows the same trajectory. But does she? Is her obsession for Hartnett’s character an example of a craze, obsessed woman? Why is she obsessed with him? The movie answers these questions in an interesting way. Twisting the story this way. Flashing back to tell the story with a dash of Roshomon-like tale. It is hard to pin point, but was amusing to watch unravel on the screen.

By the end of the movie, we see that both character’s followed the same path, but one’s obsession was real and was pay back with a deserving end, and the other’s was hopeless and heartbreaking. Do you believe in love at first sight?

4 of 5 stars.

Holding out for a Hero

broderic on August 29, 2004

Another weekend and another movie. This time it was the Chinese epic, Hero. If you loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, then this one is for you. A blend of martial arts, Chinese history and a star-crossed love story, Hero goes for all. I rather liked it, but why are these things so melodramatic.

4 of 5 stars.

Garden State

broderic on August 27, 2004

On Monday, I caught Zack Braff’s Garden State at the local cineplex. I knew it to be a small, personal, independent-minded film, but I also thought it was supposed to be a comedy. Not much to laugh at, but then it wasn’t supposed to be a true comedy. It was another small, personal independent film. Like they all are. I haven’t seen one like since the great indy film boom of the early 90s. As an indy film, it is mediocre at best. I think I have seen it before. Anyway, the only thing of note that I left with from the movie is that George Lucas needs to apologize to Natalie Portman for sticking her in that wooden role of Princess Amidala. He needs to be punched in the nose. Can someone do it?

3 of 5 stars.

More movies

broderic on August 17, 2004

Two movies from this past weekend…

First up, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Brought to us by those guys who made Dude, Where’s My Car? It’s not as funny, but is more overtly pro-pot. In fact, there was more pot being smoked in this than the latter, which was infamous for being a pothead flick without anyone smoking pot except the dog. If I had been high, when I saw this I would not have laughed too much.

2 of 5 stars.

Next, Alien v. Predator. Not too much of the battle taken place between them both. Really short film. The plot sucked. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. It would also seem that the predators suck as much as humans in fighting the aliens. Not as bad ass as I had thought.

3 of 5 stars.

I am dangerous.

broderic on August 14, 2004

Tom Cruise in Collateral is a dangerous man. I forget to realize how good an actor he is because I can’t get past the pretty boy image he seems to embody. Any way, I caught this film last weekend at a mid-day matinee. It was slightly packed. This is another film that should’ve been released in the fall rather than the summer. It was another thriller. But in the end it turned into another chase ’em up flick jus to satisfy the suits as a summer blockbuster. Micheal Mann also seemed to revisit the character archetypes he had created in Heat. Good guy/bad guy dichotomy. Even the ending was just like Heat.

Did you get that memo?

broderic on August 14, 2004

After reading this, I had to watch it all over again. Found me the memo(pdf). Made sure I had put coversheets (pdf) on my TPS reports. Laughed. And don’t forget the flair. Office Space is a great movie about work. The essence of the software drudgery. Also, the mind-numbing dumbness of Chotchkes and being a server. I have done both.

Latest films

broderic on August 3, 2004

Okay. I am on a tear seeing many of the summer movies this year and thoroughly enjoying ever moment. Some films are good some are bad, but it is watching them in the dark that makes it so fun. Now if only I had more company.

The latest batch from this past weekend are Catwoman and The Manchurian Candidate.

First up, Catwoman. We caught this on a friday evening screening (7:40) and there were not many people seeing this movie in its second week in the theatres. No legs. This was the best worst flick I have seen in a while. It is everything that the critics have been saying it was. Bad. Bad. Bad. But I think this will be a classic bad movie. So bad it is good. At first, you can see and feel how bad the movie was, but then as you accept its awfulness, you begin to enjoy it. Halle Berry! Nice. The plot was outrageous. Something to do with stopping an evil makeup conglomerate from unleashing its toxic makeup on unsuspecting women. I shit you not that that was what the conflict centered on. From the opening to the closing, Catwoman stunk up the screen, but I appreciated its badness and applauded at the end. I knew we were in trouble when the director goes by one name.

5 of 5 stars.

The Manchurian Candidate is the total opposite of Catwoman in terms of critics’ approval. It has garnered some great reviews. I don’t know why. It was somewhat boring. And I predicted the ending in the first reel. Good but not great. A little slow and predictable if you are well versed in conspiracy theories. There is always a patsy. Thanks, X-files!

3 of 5 stars.

Get Bourne again

broderic on July 24, 2004

Caught an early evening showing of The Bourne Supremecy. I kind of liked it. At the start, it felt like we had walked into the middle of the movie, because it continues from the last Bourne movie, The Bourne Identity. There was a little less action than in the first. The flick was a revenge movie, because once Franka Potente’s character was killed, Jason Bourne had to avenge her death. The plot was methodical. Slow like Europe.

3 of 5 stars.

I, Robot

broderic on July 22, 2004

This will be a quick review.

I saw I, Robot this past weekend expecting it to be an action flick. Turns out it was equal parts thriller and detective story for three quarters of the film. Then as all summer movies must be, the action kicked in and the story turned for the worse. Not as bad as I thought it would be considering it was a Will Smith movie.

3 of 5 stars.