See You at the Movies

So, the Oscars are going on right now. They're in the middle of the boring technical awards. I hate to say that because I was once a theatre techie in high school, which is the equivalent to the cinema techies, but all those categories in the middle do extend the awards show too much.

To pass the time, I'm compiling my own best/worst/most anticipated film list.



Favorite Movies

1. This Is It - Do I have to explain this one to you? I think if 10 movies were nominated, this one should have made the cut. It has drama, heart, heartbreak, a personal look at the man behind the hits, amazing music and mind-blowing awesome dancing. Speaking of nominations, why didn't a song from the soundtrack make the cut instead of one of those tired Randy Newman songs? Unless you absolutely hate Michael Jackson (or his music) with every fiber of your being, I think you'd enjoy this behind-the-scenes look.

2. Avatar - It has made more money than any movie ever. I think that explains it all. There are crazy special effects, an interesting (though conflicting) storyline, and great action scenes.

3. Star Trek - This movie speaks to men and women. You got the action for the men and all the cute, slightly nerdy eye candy a girl could want. And I believe this movie can cross the sci-fi boundary as well. If you're into the whole Star Trek mythology thing, you'd probably get a kick out of the whole parallel universe thing and the cameo from Leonard Nimoy. And if you know nothing about Star Trek (like me), you get to see an engaging origin story.

4. Up - Pixar gets it right every time.

5. The Hangover - This movie has no pretensions. It is what it is - a raunchy comedy. What I like about this film is that it features guys who are actually funny instead of so-called comedy stars. With guys like comedian Zach Galifianakis and the Office's Ed Helms on board, you knew this thing had to be funny. Every single thing in this movie is so random, you can't help but laugh. A tiger in the bathroom? YES! It doesn't fare as well on second viewing, but with the Mike Tyson cameo, you know why this was the best-selling comedy film (DVD)of all time.

Most Over-hyped



1. Julie and Julia - An OK movie, but I don't get why Meryl Streep was nominated other than because she is Meryl Streep. The main character was ridiculously whiny and I know as a writer/blogger I should sympathize with her, but I can't. She was a total ass to her husband.

2. Inglorious Basterds - I just don't get it. There were too many subplots and I just don't think they were all developed. This movie was long, so really as the viewer, I felt like I deserved a better story. I get that it was supposed to be something of a farce, but nothing made me laugh. I've liked some Quentin Taratino films, but I'm not totally sold on his brand of in-joke hyper-violent machismo pop-culture chop-shop movies.

3. (500) Days of Summer - I've long been a fan of Zooey Deschanel with her wide-eyed sarcastic fake innocence and quirky quips and Joseph Gordon-Levitt has aged well. From Ten Things I Hate About You, to 500 Days, he has retained the same dimples but really grown into an attractive man. I really wanted to like this movie, which was described as being a romantic film guys could like too. But I was left frustrated. The main character needed to man up and stop mooning over the girl who clearly just wanted to be friends with benefits. Honestly, I thought the song-and-dance number was just a gimmick; it wasn't as memorable as critics described.

4. New Moon - Ugh. Twilight. At least the first movie had some charm. Switching directors just changed up the whole tone of the film. Absolutely the only thing this movie had going for it was Taylor Lautner's abs. Not saying the abs weren't nice, but they could not compensate for the terrible posturing (wouldn't call it acting) and limp script.

5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Movies just never make that same connection that books do. I read all the books and though I wasn't a Pot(ter)head, I enjoyed them. I was engaged in the story and felt Dumbledore's death, but with the film, his death just didn't carry the same weight. They need to hurry up with the last film(s) cuz those young adults are getting too old to pass for teens.

Movies I Look Forward to Watching on DVD



1. Precious - One day, I hope to be like Sapphire, sitting in the audience crying tears of joy when the film script based on one of my novels (or book of short stories) wins an Oscar. I looooved the book Push and I cannot wait to see the film translation. Even just watching clips of Monique and Gabi's performances got to me.

2. Hurt Locker - I really hope it lives up to its awards hype. And I love that a woman made this movie and it's not an overtly female movie. It's the little movie that could, which instantly endears me to it.

3. Up In the Air - I'm intrigued to see if George Clooney's acting is really as good as everyone says it is because I'm convinced he plays the same charmer fast-talker type in all of his movies. That being said, it seems like a really topical movie and I read the director used a lot of real people in bit roles.

Reality bites, so here's a rather long escape into fantasy

Well, it's October. I'm still working at the bank and dream internship passed on me. But that does NOT mean I won't keep dreaming, sheming, and reviewing stuff.

Lately, I've been catching a lot of movies on their opening weekends. Usually, I'm cheap and I wait for the Kerasotes $5 club card to kick in, but now that I have some disposable income (I know total denial) and an extreme desire to escape reality, the theater's my main source of entertainment. Since the good citizens of Rockford are understandably more outraged at the high price of tickets and concessions when their economy is crumbling around them, there haven't been too many other people at Showplace other than myself and my fellow escapees Sha'Donna and Mike. And that's great because it allows us to be participatory, which is sometimes just necessary, especially when you're watching Sam Jackson movies.

First up was Lakeview Terrace. This movie is so ridiculous that it's almost amazing. Samuel L. is a crazy racist neighbor who decides to make quiet, suburban LA a living hell for the cute new mixed-race couple on the block. This movie would absolutely not have worked without Jackson. His ability to contort his face into so many degrees of outrage is brilliant. His eyebrows should win an honorary Oscar. The plot is pretty much crap and the other actors do what they can with their roles, but it's all about Samuel L. As Mike said, the movie should have been titled, Samuel L. Jackson is a Dick to His Neighbors. I highly recommend this movie for one of those when you're completely exhausted and require some pure, silly entertainment. Or for a Samuel L. Jackson drinking game party. If you drank every time he raised an eyebrow, you'd be gone in the first 15 minutes of the movie.

Next was Eagle Eye, with Shia LeBeouf and an older woman (not old, just old enough that they made an unlikely pair). If you want an uncomplicated action flick, don't choose this movie. Eagle Eye attempts to be the thinking democratic-minded man's thriller, and therein lies its problem. Thrillers can be political, intellectual even. But they should present tighter, somewhat easy-to-follow (hopefully more plausible) story lines. And go after a few issues, not too many at once. Eagle Eye was like a live-action Wall-E in that it poked fun at society's over-reliance on technology and our ensuing complacency. But Wall-E was so much better. Not only is technology evil (but at the same time more moral than humans) in this dystopian adventure, but government is corrupt. The state of warfare, especially pre-emptive strikes, is also questioned. Plus, there's also a riff on terrorism thrown in there.

Then of course, our main characters have their psychological issues. Inferiority complexes, family drama, and deadbeat dads all make appearances. And though I won't say how the movie ends, it's really quite awkward. Maybe watch it at the dolla theatre.

Lastly, I just saw Blindness Friday. Be prepared, this is an intense movie. Quick breakdown (this is in the trailer, so I'm not giving anything away): pretty much everyone other than Julianne Moore ends up going blind due to some sort of contagion. In an attempt to stop the disease from spreading, people are sent to a prison-camp like quarantine quarters. There, left alone, the three wards are forced to create their own societal order. We see the movie mainly through Moore's eyes, as the only seeing person in the camp. Another dystopian allegorical movie, people start returning to animalistic roots, abandoning their morality, or at least reconfiguring it. This is a great, though incredibly twisted story. And it's made well, though I must warn that it is the most graphic, disturbing movie I have seen in a long time.

It's apparently based on a book, and I'm sure the book is much better, as they always are, but this is an actual thinking man's movie. If you're in the mood to watch complex performances and expand your mind a bit, go see this movie.