dibot Blog

I didn't realize that I had gotten so far behind.

I found Stomp the Yard surprisingly enjoyable. Perhaps it was my mood at the time, or maybe just because I secretly enjoy dancing movies. Whatever the reason, despite the predictable story and just average acting, I had a good time. The choreography is outstanding. It won't change your world, but this is a good afternoon distraction.

From director Takashi Miike ("Audition"), Ichi the Killer is a strange and often disgusting film. The story has rival Japanese gangs, and a sub-group bent on destroying one of the gang's pain-loving lunatic members. Ichi is just a quiet guy who has been trained to fight and kill because of some traumatic childhood memories. He's got some crazy moves (which my husband says are from the game Tekken). There's lots of torture and awkward sexual moments. I thought the end was a bit abrupt. But the main bad guy had an excellent iridescent suit during the final battle. Worth watching, but very strange and not for the squeamish.

Netflix kept recommending Cemetery Man, so I broke down and queue it up. Netflix describes it as a "droll send-up of 1950s drive-in horror flicks." And maybe I haven't seen enough of those because I just didn't get this film. Rupert Everett ("Stardust"), all young and hot by the way, stars as the caretaker of a cemetery where the dead keep coming back to life. So he and his helper are always rekilling and reburying the bodies. He falls in love with this woman and she's killed by zombies, but then he keeps meeting other women who look like her and falling for them too. Things get weirder and weirder and the movie goes on and on. I can't recommend it. But if anyone else has seen it and liked it, please let me know why.

Danny Boyle ("Millions")'s newest film, Sunshine, is amazing. We're not bothered with a lot of back story, we're just on the spaceship with the crew of the Icarus 2 as they try to reignite a dying sun. The visuals are beautiful and surreal, especially as the crew gets closer to their destination. All of the acting is solid, especially Chris Evans ("The Nanny Diaries") who I had only thought of as a pretty boy before seeing this film. The interactions between the crew seem very realistic, like they have really been on this ship for a very long time together. The philosophy is also very thought provoking. I can't wait to see this again.

I have not seen the original, but this remake of The Hitcher is terrible. Some kids pick up a hitchhiker and then he goes on a killing spree, terrorizing them across the state of New Mexico. What could easily have been a really creepy story is turned into a mess of ludicrous and improbable stunts and events. Sean Bean ("Outlaw") gives it his evil best and that is the only redeemable thing about this movie. Otherwise it's boring and annoying. Please avoid.

More reviews from the binge.

Starter for Ten is one of those coming of age stories where a boy becomes a man and finds out what kind of person he really is. This time, James McAvoy ("The Last King of Scotland") stars and the setting is 1985 Bristol University with McAvoy learning about himself as he tries to make it in college, falls in love and enters the college game show. It's pretty typical storywise, but the characters and entertaining and the dialogue is witty. Very fun.

Connie and Carla has two women (Nia Vardalos, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," and Toni Collette, "Evening") on the run from the mob who hide out as drag queens. It's not as bad as it sounds. There are several laugh out loud moments, musical numbers and, most importantly, David Duchovny ("Trust the Man"). Worth watching if it's on TV, but don't pay for it.

I had a physical reaction of disgust to Live Free or Die. There's voiceover which is supposed to make us interested in the main character who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He's a two-bit criminal with the lamest schemes ever. And he's stupid. He suckers a slow-witted guy into being his accomplice. This guy, Paul Schneider ("The Family Stone"), is the only good role in the film. Schneider is consistently entertaining and funny. Zooey Deschanel ("Surf's Up") has a small part and I don't even know how she got involved in this crap. Just avoid it no matter what. Kill if you must.

Shortbus is the newest film by John Cameron Mitchell ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch"). When it opened in theaters, I heard a couple of positive reviews, but mostly I heard about the sex. It's real. The actors are unknowns and they are actually having sex on screen. Gay, straight, all kinds. The story is loosely set around a sex therapist who has never had and orgasm. She sets out on a quest to have one and meets other interesting characters with their own troubles along the way. I found these relationships to be fascinating and the stories often sad. And though sometimes shocking, I didn't feel the films set out to be. Just don't watch it with anyone with whom you would be uncomfortable watching porn.

Bobby is another film about multiple characters centered around a larger theme. We spend the day before Robert F. Kennedy's assassination with workers and guests at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as people involved with Senator Kennedy's campaign.Though some stories were better than others, I especially enjoyed the Shia LaBeouf ("Transformers") segment, I found them all to be very interesting glimpses into several lives which were all devastated when RFK's ended. Very moving.

Night at the Museum is one of those comedies that kind of makes me crazy. The main guy, Ben Stiller ("Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny"), is not really dumb, he just does illogical things. If someone gives me instructions and says read these first, I'm going to read them before I start playing with the intercom system. Stiller plays a down on his luck dad who takes a job as a night guard at the Natural History Museum so his son will be proud of him. Everything in the museum comes to life at night and chaos ensues. It's sometimes funny and sometimes lame. And there's nothing really surprising here, plot wise or otherwise. However, Owen Wilson ("You, Me and Dupree") and Steve Coogan ("Hot Fuzz") as a miniature cowboy and roman, respectively are hilarious every time they are on screen.