Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Vincent_Wolfe's LiveJournal:

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Monday, November 16th, 2009
4:39 pm	Church Bulletins Can Be Fun! The Scouts in our congregation are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10:00. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7:00 PM. Please use the back door. The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy." A songfest was hell at the Methodist church Wednesday. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community. The eight-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement Friday at 7:00 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. Thursday night Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow. The rosebud on the alter this morning is to announce the birth of David, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Adams. Tuesday at 4:00 PM there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice. Weight Watchers will meet at 7:00 PM at the First Presbyterian church. Please use large double door at the side entrance. Mrs. Johnson will be entering the hospital this week for testes. Please join us as we show our support for Alan and Amy who are preparing for the girth of their first child. The Lutheran Men's group will meet for a pot luck dinner this Tuesday night. Dessert will be served for a nominal feel. The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours." Don't let worry kill you, let the church help. Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar. The pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary. The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
3:00 am	Movie review extravaganza "Black Christmas" (1974) Starring: Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, John Saxon. Directed: Bob Clark. A small university town is terrorized by a series of crimes that ultimately lead to murder at a sorority house. Overall, the movie is a well paced competently directed thriller from Bob "A Christmas Story, Porky's" Clark. The movie itself is nothing original for today's audiences who may get bored. In fact everything from the dirty phone calls, to the occasional twists, and understanding of who's going to die are by now run of the mill. The acting and script are okay for the most part. The weakest performance is by Hussey who at times delivers a wooden performance. Saxon is typical as the main police officer a role he'd later have in Nightmare on Elm Street, but is believable in the role. What really makes this movie work is the way it's shot. You can see a lot of the original Halloween in it but in a more raw form. Overall, this is a decent horror film that is certainly better than a lot of what we have today as far as horror films go. If the script had a bit more focus it would have been a better than average movie overall. ** out of **** "Mr. & Mrs Smith" (2005) Starring: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Vince Vaughn. Directed: Doug Liman. A husband and wife discover that they are hitmen and that their next target is each other. This leads to an all out balls to the wall action film that in spite of the action rarely engaging if technically sound. Pitt and Jolie have very little chemistry and while it is neat to watch them roll around and fight it's also absurd. Another problem with this movie is that it reminds you of other better movies. Some of them along the same story lines. If you've seen True Lies, War of the Roses, and maybe more importantly Prizzi's Honor (which this is the closest remake of) are all real obvious films this one borrows from heavily. There are some good points to the movie though. First off, the fight choreography is well done for the most part. There are also some decent one liners even if they aren't real memorable and on occasion when the chemistry does work, Pitt and Jolie are fun to watch. But, overall the movie is a miss. * 1/2 out of **** "The Running Man" (1987) Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson. Directed: Paul Michael Glaser. Arnold Schwarzenegger is captured after escaping prison after being sentenced for a crime he didn't commit. Now his only shot at freedom and revealing the truth is to play on a deadly game show known as ... well it's the title of the movie. The movie itself has a fantastic premise with a lot of really good ideas in it. The casting for the majority of the roles is spot on. Unfortunately, this movie loses steam because it is frankly a little to ridiculous for it's own good. I mean, I get a guy with a buzzsaw that can be scary and tough to fight, but a guy in a hockey rink or another dressed up like a Christmas tree? That's just silly. Also at the end of the movie I want to believe that things are really resolved but, are they really? I mean the good guys and the resistance do strike a blow against the big evil world wide government but to what end? Unlike say Commando this is a question that needs to be answered and really isn't. So, take this movie for what it is, a very 1980's action movie that's big on possibility but comes up a bit short on delivering the goods. ** out of **** "Quarantine" (2008) Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Jay Hernandez. Directed: John Erick Dowdle. Think "The Blair Witch Project" in an apartment building but instead of a witch you have a virus and crazy infected zombie types running around and you know how this movie will go and how it will end. Now to its credit the acting is better in this than it was in Blair Witch and the camera work isn't as bad though there are still plenty of whip pans and we need to run shaky cam that don't really add to the sense of fear. It's just what's happening. In fact the best scare in the movie happens near the beginning where a firefighter threatens to show us his penis. Okay maybe it's not that but it does involve a firefighter. Anyway, if you liked Blair Witch and like movies like that then this should be up your alley. If not I'd say rent something else. ** out of **** "Big Bad Wolf" (2006) Starring: Trevor Duke, Kimberly J. Brown, and Richard Tyson. Directed: Lance W. Dreesen. A bunch of college kids get killed at one of the kid's stepfather's cabin. It turns out that it's a werewolf and they have to find out and stop whoever it is that is the werewolf so that more kids can't be killed by him. This movie is very much a b-grade horror film with the required bad special effects, a very basic and at times bad story, a ton of one dimensional characters etc. That's why at times it is sort of funny in a Freddy Kruger sort of way that the werewolf talks and has one liners. It's also neat that the actors for the most part really do buy into the movie and try their best to make it work. To me that really says something about the cast as opposed to some other movies where even the new meat is just phoning it in from the start. I also credit Kimberly J. Brown for delivering the best and by far most consistent performance in the film. I hope she is able to continue working and hopefully hones her skills. So, what you really get out of this movie is a film that, at least for me I felt was bad. Down right bad. But, it also was entertaining to a degree and I didn't have to make fun of it to make it entertaining. So if you want to watch a B-movie that isn't so great give this one a shot, you could do a whole lot worse (Blood Car, The Black Ninja). * out of **** (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
5:26 pm	Some good news and some bad news Let's start with the good news albeit some of it is quite old. This year I have taken two trips. The first I took, as noted previously in this journal was to California, more specifically Los Angeles and the surrounding area. While out there I visited Grey, a good friend of mine and made another friend in Jon. We ran around saw a couple of things like the beach and the La Brea Tar Pits. While at the Tar Pits they had an animated presentation as to how things may have gone down when it came to animals getting stuck in the tar. It was in fact quite hilarious as was the lady sitting next to me who thought I was a UC Berkley student. After that it was nice to see Redondo Beach. I picked up a shot glass for Brad, another friend of mine, and watched as several sea gulls hopped around ... each of them minus a leg. It was kind of interesting to watch. All in all it was a great time and I can safely say that Grey and Jon were excellent hosts and good friends. Last weekend I went to Detroit and the surrounding area. Upon announcing my plans to do so many people at work had the same perplexed look on their faces and asked the same question, "Why?" I told them the truth in that I was yet again visiting a friend, Sean. The thing I've learned from visiting a lot of different cities in my time is that they REALLY aren't that different from one another as far as regional stuff goes. Most of the time they are just big have some characteristics that may set them apart but by in large it's all the same stuff while. That being said my trip to the great (not quite white yet) north was a lot of fun. We watched movies, played a variety of games, watched some college football and did some stuff like air hockey and basketball. I also got to meet Sean's dog Bruno who is a German Shepherd and is very much a large puppy. He's a sweety but at times isn't aware of just how big he is. Oh yes he also really likes to play too. All in all this trip was a whole lot of fun and Sean is an excellent host and a good guy. I'm glad to hear that his laptop is working again too. So with all of that good news it's time to note the bad news. Upon arriving home I made it a point to get new tires for my car, I knew my brakes were not the greatest either and had those taken care of as well for a grand total of around 370 dollars. I was pleased with the fact that my car now had the new tires and would stop at appropriate intervals and was looking forward to maybe taking care of some other unimportant repairs. Today unfortunately my car decided to call it quits. While driving down Cobb Parkway, which is a busy street I lost a large chunk of the electrical, the car overheated, the power steering went out, and the engine began banging violently under the hood of the car. so much so that you could see hood bouncing up and down. This led to me screaming a many profane words and taking the car home. Usually if some of this occurs you have a broken serpentine belt or something to that effect. I've been there once before. Well, the belt is fine. So... I've decided that it's time to give up the car and find a new one. If this had been just a one time thing I wouldn't care but over the past few years I've put several thousand dollars into keeping this Chevrolet piece of crap running and my patience is at an end. So now I'm going to be looking for a new car. Something that hopefully is newer with less miles and reliable. So that's it for me. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, October 12th, 2009
1:38 pm	My LiveJournal Trick-or-Treat Haul Vincent_Wolfe goes trick-or-treating, dressed up as Vampire. angelofirewater tricks you! You get a wad of paper. antimon gives you 18 softly glowing chocolate-flavoured pieces of taffy. briggswolf gives you 12 light green lemon-flavoured gummy worms. crssafox gives you 16 blue grape-flavoured jawbreakers. donryu gives you 13 yellow lemon-flavoured gummy worms. draigfaoluisge gives you 3 light orange raspberry-flavoured pieces of taffy. glacierwolf gives you 1 dark blue cinnamon-flavoured nuggets. goliath_wildcat gives you 1 light blue pineapple-flavoured pieces of taffy. greykin_k gives you 7 mauve evil-flavoured jawbreakers. hishoken gives you 2 light blue raspberry-flavoured gumdrops. Vincent_Wolfe ends up with 73 pieces of candy, and a wad of paper. Go trick-or-treating! Username: Another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern. (Comment on this)
Friday, October 9th, 2009
11:42 am	They're just giving them away Remember way back when the Nobel Prize meant something? You know back when people like Albert Schweitzer, Martin Luther King, Theodore Roosevelt, and George Marshall actually did things to win it? Today it was announced that President Barack Obama won this particular award, more specifically the Nobel Peace prize. My question is for what? I mean seriously, what has this guy done to make actually make the world a better place? In fact what has he done at all? My political opinion aside, his biggest accomplishment thus far was signing a spending bill that many feel has done little to stimulate the economy. Internationally he's hemmed and hawed over whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan and was snubbed by Russian diplomats who refused to shake his hand. I just don't see what this guy has done to deserve this award. But, then again they also gave the Peace Prize to Arafat who was a terrorist in the name of spreading peace in the middle east. So, maybe this is just another example of a pointless award. When it comes to Nobel Prizes I'll stick to hard sciences and ignore this squishy stuff. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
3:08 am	Going Menstral! "Cherry Falls" (2000) Starring: Brittany Murphy, Jay Mohr, Michael Biehn, Amanda Anka and Joe Inscoe. Directed Geoffrey Wright. Remember how in high school you would be making out with someone and then they'd break up with you and then your mom would sort of hit on said person? Remember that time when you were asleep and your dad came in the room and asked if you had gone all the way with who you were dating but you hadn't and you asked if he was disappointed? Remember how pretty your male English teacher looked in lipstick? Well if you remember any of that from high school you can avoid seeing Cherry Falls because you've experienced one or more of the more interesting portions of this so called slasher film. I have to say so called because the body count is low, the people who die don't usually die on screen or in really interesting ways. So what is Cherry Falls? Well, this is the story about a killer at a local high school who wants to off as many virgins as possible. The police are powerless to stop it for some reason and the high school kids decide the only way to save themselves is an orgy. For the record, it is by far the lamest orgy ever devised. So, lets get to the positives of this film. Overall, for what it is worth most of the actors are competent. Michael Biehn delivers a believable performance as a sheriff. Murphy is fairly typical as the lead character which isn't bad either. After that some of the extras are fun too. The movie itself is poorly paced, lacks any real blood or horror, is poorly written with dopey dialog and scenarios that are idiotic for even a slasher film. The movie also suffers from having to many characters who have cameo time or dialog. These characters, while at times are funny, don't really add to the movie and ultimately leave the viewer wondering why they bothered putting them in in the first place. The ending itself is also a very weak joke that while it can be interpreted in a couple of ways really makes no sense. Anyway, don't bother with this one. It's just not a good time. * out of **** (Comment on this)
Friday, September 18th, 2009
1:42 am	Messages in Public and the Public Response in Brief I remember when I was in college one of my media professors shared a video and a story regarding it with the class. The story and the video were in regard to her efforts to get a certain toy banned from stores because she felt it promoted violence against women. The toy in particular was a pro wrestler who had as one of his props the severed head of a woman (in this case like the wrestling thing it was a replica of a mannequin head) that had duct tape over the mouth with the words help me written on the forehead. This made the news and she ended up on television. Eventually the toy was banned. However, after appearing on television she began receiving death threats and other in appropriate messages from unknown callers. She called the police but, according to her, they weren't really willing to do anything. After awhile the threats and messages ceased and she went back to her normal life again as a professor. There are plenty of other examples I could use. A couple of them involve daytime talk show guests and the problems they ran into after their respective episodes aired. I could talk about various op ed types who again receive all sorts of letters that are all over the spectrum. But I'll stick with my one story. Anytime anybody makes a statement, appears on a show, does anything that is up for public consumption you open yourself up to the people. Sometimes they supportive, most of the time they don't care or if they do you're not going to hear about it and the rest of the time they can be threatening and infuriating. In some cases they can actually do bodily harm to you for whatever the reason may be. There are two things you as an individual must do. First off, anytime you make a public statement, appear on a show, whatever do not make yourself out to be a fool. Do not put yourself in a position where you are going to be embarrassed either at the time or later on. Number two, do not do something that will bring harm to your family (this can be extended to close friends and harm can be anything from embarrassment to death). Now, if you can live with what you do and say and you do not think it will cause harm to those close to you then go forth and say and do what you do. The next thing as an individual you must do is be prepared for a response from the public. Once again most people won't really care or will ignore you. Sometimes though you can get some pretty ugly responses or even some fantastic ones. No matter what happens be prepared for a response. If the response is generally good have a plan ready so that way you can either continue to build upon the positive momentum or to respond appropriately to what others may want to know. Sometimes simply saying thank you if it's just a nice comment is appropriate. If the response though is generally negative and maybe you're getting attacked for what you've said or done make sure you know exactly what you are going to say if anything, how you're going to say it, what type of response regarding law enforcement you may need to ask for, and also if a response is even necessary. After all most trouble tends to go away pretty quickly as long as the the issue, topic, whatever and you are not continually brought up. Once it passes don't bring it up again unless you're simply looking for attention, if it's part of your job, or you are discussing it with someone close to you like a family member. As long as you don't make a fool out of yourself and are as ready as you can be for whatever the possible response is you should able to handle any public commentary scenario that befalls you. (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
2:40 am	Heading to the Coast Well, I'll be in Los Angeles for a week. I figured now was a good time to see the coast. With part of LA on fire (though they now swear it's contained) and a major storm front on the way it's looking like the typical vacation for me come true. Seriously, the last two were affected by hurricanes (Katrina and Ivan respectively). So, now on the west coast east coast weather is following me. I say bring it on Mother Nature! Just let me have some fun before you smite me with your weather and such. Just leave my friends alone... they've done nothing wrong and are being very nice for letting me stay there before they start the process of getting ready to move to a better location. Anyway, I hope to see some sights and do some stuff and I guess just have a good time. I mean it's really been a long time since I just had a good time. Anyway, those who need to get a hold of me can call and probably know the number or have it or whatever. Yes I'm sure you'll all miss me terribly (I swear I just heard someone say "Nope, let's party now!"). Anyway, I'll be back in a week so... yeah. Have a good time and all. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
1:54 am	Not a classic but okay "The Thing" (1982) Starring: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon. Directed: John Carpenter. It's not an easy thing to remake a classic film. In a lot of ways by redoing one of these movies you run a different risk of failure than you would for a regular film. The risk you run is that, if the movie is a true classic the audience can get upset and not turn out for it thus leaving you with a movie that is a financial zero. There have been many remakes of classic movies. Some of them are good or even great (the Bogart version of Maltese Falcon was great, War of the Worlds was good fun) some are terrible (The Big Sleep (1978) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers) and most are just forgettable. A lot of people like John Carpenter's version of The Thing and prefer it to the original. In both versions humans stumble across an alien life form that is out to get them more or less. The humans who are located in the arctic are isolated from the rest of the world with escape not being an option. John Carpenter has the budget to use a whole lot of, at the time, high tech special effects and plays around with various scares, goop and occasional sound effects. Yet with all of the technical superiority to the original why was I left thinking "Well the movie is okay... above average even but something just doesn't sit right." Before I say what didn't sit right here's what did work well. Kurt Russell is very good in his role as MacReady. The sound effects are pretty good (mostly for that time period). A couple of the shots are quite beautiful and finally, the special effects are top notch again for the time. So what didn't work? Well, while some of the shots are beautiful there are plenty of them that are just dull. The opening scene of the film after we see a space craft crash through earth's atmosphere is of mountains. We wait and wait as the camera neither zooms or pans... it just adjusts as the cameraman seems to not be sure what he's shooting until the sound of a helicopter can be heard and the helicopter barely seen. Honestly, there are a lot of shots like that. Shots where I'm watching things happen and I don't know or care why I'm seeing what I'm seeing. Even the scary parts aren't that scary and are telegraphed a mile away. Also, the writing while okay doesn't really wow me either and at times feels pretty typical. Overall, John Carpenter's The Thing is an okay movie with higher gore and body count than the original. It also has a lot of nice technical things working for it like the special effects. Unfortunately, while it's entertaining enough it just doesn't live up to the original and it's excellent use of dialog and story. ** 1/2 out of **** (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
11:55 pm	"Inglorious Basterds" (2009) Starring: Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, and Diane Kruger. Directed: Quentin Tarantino. Inglorious Basterds is about a group of soldiers and other folks who are hell bent on toppling the Third Reich by any and all means necessary. This movie is quintessentially Tarantino with lots of neat conversation, multiple story lines and an ending that is both appropriate and satisfying. The performances of Basterds are very effective, most specifically the performance Of Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa. His performance is incredibly nuanced and effective and if Hollywood pulls its collective head out of its butt should at least get a nomination for his role. Brad Pitt is hilarious as Lieutenant Aldo Raine and provides an interesting counter balance to Landa. Basterds owes much to German cinema as a whole. However, certain parts of the movie also seemed to have a feel that was similar to that of The Adventures of Robin Hood. But that's the sort of fairytale that Tarantino weaves in this particular movie. It is a movie that is both incredibly bold, with a decent amount of blood (though nowhere near as gory as it could have been), and some interesting facts about nitrate film. The one area of this movie that I felt was lacking, much to my surprise was the music. There are times when certain songs or pieces don't seem to quite fit as well as they should. There are other times when the music just cuts away jarringly for no real reason other than that particular piece of the movie was over with. Anyway, this movie is worth seeing so see it already. *** 1/2 out of **** (Comment on this)
Friday, August 21st, 2009
7:13 pm	Surprisingly Accurate Your result for The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test... 6 - the Questioner "I am affectionate and skeptical" Questioners are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative. How to Get Along with Me • Be direct and clear. • Listen to me carefully. • Don't judge me for my anxiety. • Work things through with me. • Reassure me that everything is OK between us. • Laugh and make jokes with me. • Gently push me toward new experiences. • Try not to overreact to my overreacting. What I Like About Being a SIX • being committed and faithful to family and friends • being responsible and hardworking • being compassionate toward others • having intellect and wit • being a nonconformist • confronting danger bravely • being direct and assertive What's Hard About Being a SIX • the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind • procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself • fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of • exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger • wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right • being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations SIXes as Children Often • are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn • are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger • form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent • look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel • are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent SIXes as Parents • are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty • are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence • worry more than most that their children will get hurt • sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries 6 - the Questioner Thanks for taking the test ! <img http://www.helloquizzy.com/results/the-quick-amp-painless-enneagram-test/?fromCGI=1&var_ABC=21&var_XYZ=48 (Comment on this)
1:00 am	Full of Magic ... Yet Lacking "Ponyo" (2008) Animated. Directed: Hayao Miyazaki. I've seen a lot of Ghibli movies. It's always amazing to see the hand drawn animation. It's something that even when I was a kid I liked. My favorite animated stuff comes from the 1930-40s. I really enjoy the classic Disney and Warner Bros. stuff. There's just something to them that, maybe it's the soul or heart that is often missing from what I see these days. Pixar, while computer three d can do it at times. I haven't seen to many others though who come close. That's maybe why I've seen so many of these Ghibli movies. There seems to be a magic there that draws you in and sort of makes you happy. It's a nice feeling. Sometimes it can fill you with wonder and maybe even touch you. But there are fatal flaws with the Ghibli movies and this is true with Ponyo as well as pretty much every other thing that Miyazaki has ever created. It's the unfortunate sin that even if I love the movie I sit there and am left dumb founded at what I end up with. That which I speak of is the fact that Miyazaki, for all his skill, has very little ability to build up a finale and make the movie end in a way that is both satisfying and rewarding for the audience. Yet time and again his movies always end with a, "Let's see... we've got a movie that is 100 minutes long... lets end it," feel. Ponyo is no exception. In fact it could be said that there is really very little substance to Ponyo. Is it fun? Yeah. Does it have visuals and music that are top notch? Sure does. Is the entire movie pretty much summed up in the preview from beginning to end? You betcha. It's to bad because as I watched the movie I was swept away for awhile. I smiled I teared up and then as I felt the Miyazaki formula start really kicking into gear I found myself thinking things like "To many characters, not enough time, it's going to end suddenly and in the end none of it will have really been that big of a deal." This leaves the question then... is the movie worth watching? The answer is yes, but as a rental and more so for possibly younger kids or anime nerds. By now if you know the magic, know how Miyazaki does stuff you'll know how this movie is going to go almost down to the final screen shot. ** 1/2 out of **** (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
1:51 am	Cosmic Bugs, Apartheid, and a lot of South African Jokes. "District 9" (2009) Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike, and Elizabeth Mkandawie. Directed: Neill Blomkamp. According to the movie twenty years ago some bug, sea creature type aliens arrived over Johannesburg in a large spacecraft. After about three decades the aliens who were at first a subject of some pity from the humans are now ostracized and live in a walled off part of the previously mentioned city known as "District 9". After so many years an organizational agent along with a security force is sent in to move the large bug population to a new holding area even further away from humans. However, when the agent, Wikus Van De Mewr (Copley) is struck by alien biochemical technology and becomes the subject of scientific experimentation he finds the only place he has to hide is among those he's helped ostracize. I don't really know how I feel about this movie. At least for me there was somewhat of a disconnect that happened somewhere during the film. I think I can pin point why but some folks might find it a bit odd. The movie itself is fairly well paced, and the initial set up, documentary feel works well. It helps establish what it is that is going on and the general attitude of the people in that area regarding the bug people or Prawns as they are referred to. The acting is apt and believable while the special effects are quite good for the most part. I suppose the problem I have with the movie is that after a bit I started to get bored and didn't really connect with some of the characters so much. Part of this I attribute to the way the film is shot. After all, while the "shaky cam" documentary style can produce a you are there feel it also rendered a whole lot of what would have been emotional kind of pointless. I mean, why should I care about Wikus other than the fact that he's the main character going through a metamorphosis other than the fact that he's a main character? I mean he's a nice enough guy, but he's also not the sharpest tool in the shed and has no problem doing some rather nasty things while maintaining a smile. Of course he's not as bad as some of his counterparts and learns and all but, I didn't really care either. This is due in part to the way the film is made. I mean, documentaries and documentary style stuff mean something when it's an actual documentary. We don't expect things to be perfect but, it's the fact that it's real and happening in front of you that makes it appealing. This while effective initially, loses steam when truly emotional stuff occurs or events happen that there is no way that camera crew would be present. Also, as the movie continues it starts to follow a very familiar path with in some respects very typical outcomes. So where does this leave me for the movie? Well, it's a good movie but not a great movie. It's the kind of movie that was probably as good as it was going to get and it is pretty darn good. Unfortunately, when I care more about the Bug named Chris and his son than I do about really anything the main character does there is kind of a problem. (though I will say the bugs are cool and if only for scientific maybe perverse interest I'd wondered how the Prawns would have gotten it on with the prostitutes they were reputed to be sleeping with) I'd say this movie is a really good rental that if you want to see it in theaters you'll probably like it ... but don't think it will change your life either. *** out of **** (Comment on this)
Friday, August 14th, 2009
3:03 am	A bit of a surprising charmer "Ghost Town" (2008) Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni, Aasif Mandvi, and Brigid Moloney Directed: David Koepp. During a routine medical examination dentist Bertram Pincus (Gervais) dies for about seven minutes. When he wakes up he is able to see dead people and one in particular (Kinnear) is especially pushy when it comes to wanting help to take care of his unfinished business. In Kinnear's case it's regarding his widowed wife (Leoni) and her knew fiancee. Kinnear wants them broken up and enlists the aid of Pincus to do so. Pincus of course wants no part in this. In fact, he doesn't even like people and the fact that he is now seeing dead people is even more annoying for him. However, as the movie goes on eventually the sour dentist learns lessons about humanity and even falls in love. Yes folks, this is one of those darn romantic comedies. From almost the very beginning you're pretty sure how the movie is going to go and how it is going to end up. The thing that makes a movie like this work though is how does the filmmaker and how does the cast take what is a fairly well worn premise and make it fun and new. The fact that the dentist can see dead people is one way. The other though is the fact that the cast and the dialog are all quite capable and deliver their roles well. After all, just because the movie may be the equivalent of a Ford Taurus doesn't mean it can't still give you a good ride. In this case the movie succeeds by creating just enough laughs and poinent moments to make you appreciate the characters and their quirks. This is important because, like I said before this isn't new material. But, it is well thought out and executed material and that's important. So, if you're in the rental market for a romantic comedy give this one a shot. It may not be an instant classic, but it is good in its own right. *** out of **** (Comment on this)
2:47 am	Even when dancing in the dark... "This Gun For Hire" (1942) Starring: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Creager, and Tully Marshall. Directed: Frank Tuttle. Alan Ladd plays a contract killer, Phillip Raven, who has finishes a job and is ultimately double crossed by his employers. Veronica Lake plays a singer with a magic show who is set to marry a police detective and is on a top secret mission to discover who's selling the Japanese secrets for poison gas. Eventually the two team up (more or less) and seek to stop/get revenge on the bad guys. This is one of those old movies where the film is short on time (80 minutes) but long on charm. Much of that has to do with the cast who deliver their lines and play there roles about as well as the archtypical characters allow for. Toss in the fact that this is based off of a work by Graham Greene and you have the makings of a classic film for its time. Alan Ladd is very effective as the hard boiled doesn't care type of killer that is enjoyable. Veronica Lake not only plays her role well but she wears what can only be described as 1940s fetish fishing waders for a number that made me want to go fishing real bad. The rest of the supporting cast is also up to par. The direction and some of the shot choices is also quite nice. There are some weaker points to this film as far as the writing goes. First off, I don't really see why Lake's character is in love with Preston's. It's not really important but I can never picture Veronica Lake being truly happy sewing up the holes in guys socks and cooking corn beef and cabbage. The police for that matter are also not to bright. However, the short time necessitates this and frankly, the police only serve to make sure that all of the bad guys even the ones who turn good get theirs. If you like those 1940s gangster noir pictures this is certainly a good one to watch. Plus seeing Veronica Lake in her heyday is never a bad thing. *** out of **** (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
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Monday, August 3rd, 2009
8:44 pm	It's like a bleeping fantasy... or something "In Bruges" (2008) Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clemence Poesy, and Jordan Prentice. Directed: Martin McDonagh. This is the story of two hitmen who after a job are told by their boss to go to the city of Bruges which happens to be in Belgium. Once there they will get instructions as to what they will do next. Complications arise though once the phone call comes in. In Bruges is a well done film with a fairly high quality cast and a decent story. This is one of those movies that really nobody saw. To be honest, I could understand why, I mean while the main three actors have all done big movies Farrell (Minority Report), Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter... well one of them) and Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List) are all decent to great actors but none of them really brings in an audience for one reason or another. The movie is also slower than a lot of films that are big box-office. That being said this movie has a quirky kind of charm similar to that of some of the earlier Guy Richie efforts. What makes the movie better though is that this movie takes its time to develop the characters, explain why the principle characters are the way they are (to a lesser extent some of the minor ones have a little depth as well) and wraps itself up rather neatly (though one point of the ending is open for debate). Overall, this movie is one of those solid good movies. It has enough humor in it to be funny but, enough drama and conflict to keep the audience watching. Overall, I'd say give this film a chance if you're by the rental counter and wanna see something a little different. *** out of **** (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
3:29 am	The Kid with the Croissant Head "Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996) Animated. Directed: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. The directing team of Beauty and the Beast works on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name. So, now that we understand that it's a Disney movie we also will understand that it's going to take liberties with the source material. That being said this movie is a lot of good but with just enough weird to make one raise an eyebrow at times. On the good side the animation is again for the most part very nice. The visuals for Hunchback are better than several of the animated films that Disney had come out after it. The voice acting is also top notch and Judge Frollo is a very capable villain. It's important to have a good villain. Without it, there really is no reason to watch the film or even concern yourself with what is going to happen. If the villain is inept the movie quickly loses what fuels the story. That fuel is conflict. This is also probably the last time that I can recall an animated Disney film where the songs that were sung by the characters actually helped create the appropriate mood. Hercules may have been silly fun but short of the zero to hero song none of the others REALLY felt like they fit. All of that being said there are several negatives that should be noted. The writing at times feels incomplete. Two characters for example will start talking and both will understand exactly what the other one means, even though there is no way the other would have any idea what the other is talking about. The Gargoyles who are friends of Quasimodo drift between reality and fantasy so much so that not just the hunchback interacts with them. How other characters are effected by them is... frankly a mystery. There are questions about Modo as well. I mean, if he's the son of gypsies why is he pale with red hair and all that jazz? Why does he look more like the guy controlling the boat rather than either of his so called parents? For that matter how does one swat kill someone while a brick from the top of the church only comically maims them? And finally, what was with the sound effects? For a top budget production such as this you would have thought something than generic sound effects would have been used. They certainly didn't make the movie more fun and served as more of a distraction for the rest of the action. Part of the problem with this movie as usual stems from the writing. I think that when you have twenty four credited writers on a film you tend to do more harm than good. I also think that had the movie cleaned up a bit more of its, "Hey we're at this point in the story now let's go," plotting it would have been better too (I mean I never really got exactly WHY Esmeralda fell for Phoebus other than she had to... it's not like there was a build up to all of this short of some Florence Nightengale type of thing). In the end this is an above average animated film. While it gets a whole lot right, it also misses on a lot of the details that made Classic Disney classic and even a couple of the modern animated films able to at least be considered modern classics. That being said, you can do a lot worse for animated entertainment. Disney sure did later on. ** 1/2 out of **** (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 5th, 2009
3:11 am	Dillinger returns to the big screen "Public Enemies" (2009) Starring: Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke, Christian Stolte, Christian Bale. Directed: Michael Mann. Periodically filmmakers go back and make movies based around classic criminals. Whether they are the tales of Robin Hood, Jesse James, or Bonnie and Clyde filmmakers periodically go back to the well offering various accounts as to how events went down. Sometimes they expand the legends other times they bring them back down to Earth. This movie is a little of both. Johnny Depp plays John Dillinger a bank robber who in the early 1930's had a year and a half run of robbing banks until he met the fate of really all bank robbers at the time. During this time period he was pursued by the FBI. This pursuit led to what became the first national police agency and allowed for cops to chase criminals beyond state and city lines. The agent who helped hunt down Dillinger was Melvin Purvis (Bale). This movie is a lot more accurate as to the events surrounding Dillinger. From his various escapes from law officers to the color of the dress the woman who sets up his downfall wears, the movie tries it's best to get it right minus a few details for dramatic license (Pretty Boy Floyd died after the Dillinger story not before). With that in mind and considering the director this movie should be a slam dunk classic. On the good side is the acting. Depp does a wonderful job as Dillinger and Cotillard proves to be up to the task as his girlfriend Billie. Costuming and dialog are both on par and the film itself is entertaining enough to keep the audience's attention (unless you have people sitting behind you who you have to tell to shut up which I did). Bale does what he does with his role as Purvis but, plays a role that pretty much anyone could have been hired for. Ultimately it's the Purvis role that might be the weaker part of this film. While the character isn't as much of a distraction as say Crowe's in "American Gangster" I wasn't so worried about the feds storyline. Now, the way this movie is done it does make sense and it does work, but, you also find yourself pulling for Dillinger a bit more because he really seems to have more personality and has frankly more fun. There are two things about this movie that keep it from being a classic film. First off is the use of a hand held digital camera for the movie. It doesn't work. In fact it ruins whatever mood the characters are trying to create. Because of this we end up sitting there muttering "Stay still damn it," more than necessary. The only times one should use a hand held in such a way is to create a sense of confusion or realism. In this case it does neither and is simply annoying. The second problem is the ending drags on a bit to long. While it can be said that they tie up all the loose ends of the story, it doesn't really matter. The movie ends when Dillinger meets his fate. After that the rest of the film is just superfluous and could have been summed up in a line or two after things fade to black. Then again it could be left out completely and been fine too. In the end this is one of those movies that is a good movie that could have been great. Unfortunately it just misses the mark on a few key areas. If you don't see it in theaters rent it. You won't lose anything going from big to small screen. *** out of **** (Comment on this)