dibot Blog

The Return of Frost/Ninotchka Timber Wraiths

dibot — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:54:34 GMT

I am so, so, so, so, so behind. Still. So, short and hopefully not sucky reviews.

Timber Falls was more than likely playing on the Sci-Fi channel one night and I just couldn't look away. A couple hiking in an unfamiliar area decide to stray from the path and then get kidnapped by some religious fanatic locals. When will people learn? Stay on the path! It's not particularly good, but I've seen worse. And the things the kidnappers want from them are sort of unusual, and thus, entertaining.

Ninotchka stars the lovely Greta Garbo ("Two-Faced Woman") and is supposed to be very funny. I thought it was kind of funny. But Garbo is brilliant as a stern Russian sent to Paris on business who finds herself falling for the man she should hate. Some bits were very good, but overall, I was underwhelmed.

I thought Frost/Nixon was very, very good. One of Ron Howard ("Angels and Demons")'s better films. This is partly due to the excellent performances by both Frank Langella ("The Tale of Despereaux") and Michael Sheen ("Underworld: Rise of the Lycans"), but Howard doesn't try to force things and lets the thing develop on it's own. The last interview is, of course, the best, and it's worth sitting through the entire film for.

The Return of the Living Dead is just a really entertaining zombie movie from 1985. I laughed quite a bit. Besides some zombie dance numbers, and some of the densest characters to grace a screen, we're also given gore, skimpy outfits and bad jokes. A lot of fun.

And then there were Wraiths of Roanoke. I don't know why I'm a sucker for Sci-Fi originals. It's just something we all have to learn to live with. I'm also a sucker for Adrian Paul ("The Heavy"). This movie is really bad. It attempts to explain the lost colony of Roanoke were attacked by Norse spirits. The story is okay, but the effects and pretty much everything else are awful. Poor Adrian Paul.

Quarantine Brothers Outbreak Placid Ordeal

dibot — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:09:35 GMT

Lake Placid 2 is a sad parody of the witty original. the set-up is the same - people are going missing and then getting attacked/eaten on a peaceful Maine lake. Luckily, the filmmakers just gave up and went for the camp, knowing this film could never be taken seriously. But it's not even campy enough to be really good.

I really enjoyed The Brothers Bloom, the second feature from writer/director Rian Johnson ("Brick"). In some ways, it feels like a Wes Anderson ("The Drjeeling Limited"), but Johnson has darkness Anderson will never possess. The story follows two con artist brothers through some early exploits and then a "last great heist," because one of the brothers, Adrian Brody ("Cadillac Records") wants out. But he falls for a girl, Rachel Weisz ("Definitely, Maybe") in a contingency that his brother, Mark Ruffalo ("Blindness"), couldn't plan for. Or could he? It's fun, funny, sometimes sad, but always entertaining. Loved it.

Looking at the ratings fro Quarantine, they're not very high. This surprises me as I found the film to be a tense, often frightening, entry into the zombie genre. It starts slow as a local reporter, Jennifer Carpenter ("Dexter"), plans to follow some firefighters around for the evening. Almost all shots are from the handheld point-of-view of her cameraman. The early ones establishing the team and the firemen. But as they go to the first call, they find something strange and then are locked in the building by what seems to be the army. Not zombies in the traditional sense, but zombie-esque in the spreading and of the disease and trapping of the victims. Very watchable.

Outbreak came on AMC the other day and I thought it would be fun to revisit, because, if there's something I love almost as much as bad horror, it's apocalyptic disaster. A deadly airborne virus pretty much takes out a small town and the army will do almost anything to keep it contained. And cover up where the disease originated. Anyway, the movie is just okay now. Still frightening in it's plausibility. Especially on the heels of this swine flu scare. But the acting is kind of blah. And it does seem to drag on, though the actual running time is only a few minutes over two hours. Not a bad watch, but not as good as I remembered.

I watched Calvaire (The Ordeal) a few weeks back and found it seriously disturbing. A singer's van breaks down in some remote woods and he finds shelter at a local inn where he's the only guest. And then things just get super, super, super weird. It's not anything you haven't seen before, it's just the way this is put together. There are moments of silence that make you twitch and long for sound. And then music that just gets under your skin. And then the images, not graphic per se, simply a nightmare you wish you and the main character could escape. This is a film I won't soon forget.

The Reader Chronicles Sleeping with Terminator Past

dibot — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:53:43 GMT

The Reader was my pick for Best Picture last year. I loved the style and the stillness. Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road"), David Kross ("Krabat") and Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess") broke my heart. I had read the book on which this film is based years ago, but can't remember enough to compare. The story follows a young teen who begins an affair with an older woman. Years later, he sees her on trail as a Nazi war criminal. It's thought provoking and thoroughly depressing. I loved it.

Sleeping with the Enemy is one of those quick 90s thrillers we don't see much of now. Julia Roberts ("Duplicity") escapes from an abusive marriage by faking her own death. But then the husband discovers the ruse and comes looking for her. Entertaining but forgettable.

My love for Jennifer Garner ("Juno") and the little bit of charm left to Matthew McConaughey ("Tropic Thunder") after learning he doesn't wear deodorant got me through the mostly routine romantic comedy, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. As my coworker said, it was nice to see the three ghosts used in a non-Christmas fashion. But, though this role calls for that age, McConaughey is getting a little to old to play this romantic comedy role over and over. McConaughey is the consummate bachelor attending his younger brother's wedding where he starts to ruin everything. Garner is the one who got away. Wait to watch this on cable.

I freaking love Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight"). I don't care how many people he cusses out. Terminator Salvation is really more of a platform for Sam Worthington ("Rogue") than Bale, but Bale's still there trying to bring some seriousness to the ridiculous story. Of course, the effects are top notch and the machines look great, but the plot is so thin. And poor Bryce Dallas Howard ("The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond") just spends the whole time staring wide-eyed at the camera, barely speaking. A bit of a waste really. My husband disliked this more than I. He said this film killed the series.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on a series of children's books about a family who finds a portal to a magical world. When they move into a new house, Freddie Highmore ("The Golden Compass") finds a book that, when read, opens the gate. Then he must convince his family it's really happening. I got sucking into this film, even while fighting against it. The family tension is believable and the creature effects turn out pretty fantastic. By the end, I couldn't look away. It is a little dark for the PG rating though, so beware of that.

Catch Star Trek Wrestler on Friday the 13th in Cold Blood

dibot — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:32:51 GMT

Star Trek is just a whole lot of fun. Director J.J. Abrams ("Mission Impossible III") takes us back to when the original crew were just cadets at Starfleet Academy. The story messes with the whole series' timeline, setting the stage for a whole other round of sequels. So there's that. But the effects are really good. The audience I was it with clapped and cheered. Fun, fun. And worth seeing on the big screen.

I'm still not really sure what to think about Catch and Release. It's not really a romantic comedy, though there are bits of that. It's not really a tragedy, though elements of that are present, too. And it's not really great, but it has some good moments. Jennifer Garner ("Ghost of Girlfriends Past") stars as a woman whose fiancee dies and then she discovers that he had a child he never told her about. I guess it's just an interesting character study. I did think about it for several days, which is always a plus.

In Cold Blood is the film version of Truman Capote's nonfiction novel of the same name. It runs very much like the book, with the build-up before the crime, the investigation and trials afterward. The film is dry, but still compelling. If you enjoy Court TV, this should be right up your alley.

For the first fifteen minutes or so of the new Friday the 13th, I was totally pumped. It was goofy, dirty and bloody - all elements of a great slasher. Then it tried to have a story, and I just got bored. I'm not saying that slashers can't have stories. I'm just saying this was a bad one. It felt like just another tired sequel in this already overstretched franchise. Disappointing.

Every time Darren Aronofsky ("The Fountain") makes a movie, I'm reassured that he's a genius. The Wrestler is no exception. Mickey Rourke ("Domino") is amazing in the title character, an aging professional wrestler who just doesn't know how to do anything else. The whole thing is heartbreaking. And wonderful.

Obsessed Wolverine Duchess becomes Role Model to Fido

dibot — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:45:07 GMT

I got into The Duchess mostly because it looks so beautiful. Kiera Knightly ("Silk") stars as another quirky period heroine. Ralph Fiennes ("The Reader") is cold and serious and just wants a son. The costumes are gorgeous and the landscapes are breathtaking so much so they overshadow the story and characters. Kind of sad really.

Role Models = hilarious. Paul Rudd ("I Love You Man") and Seann William Scott ("The Promotion") are almost outshined by their younger costars - Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("Superbad") and Bobb'e J. Thompson ("Columbus Day") - as they try to bond and put in their community service so as to avoid jail. Of course, they learn and grow along the way. But each step is more amusing than the next. See it.

I was quickly drawn into the colorful quirkiness of Fido. In a future where the dead won't stay dead, a collar has been invented to tame the monsters so they become useful household servants. A long boy befriends his zombie and his entire neighborhood must deal with the consequences. Very entertaining.

If you saw the trailer for Obsessed, you've pretty much seen the whole film. It's average. There is only one mildy surprising event in the film, but I won't spoil that here. A man flirts with a temp at his office and then has to deal with the repercussions of his actions. It's not so bad that it shouldn't be seen. You just shouldn't pay for it. Cable. Wait for cable.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine kind of got a bad rap before it even entered theaters, but I found it thoroughly entertaining. Hugh Jackman ("Australia") gives himself over to the role, making even the cheesy lines work. The audience I saw it with loved him. The effects are good. The fights are good. I've been told the backstory follows the comics fairly well. Just a really fun summer film.

Rewind Terabithia to Fire Up Adventureland Streets

dibot — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:47:50 GMT

Some more of my terribly far behind reviews...

Fired Up is surprisingly funny for a PG-13 comedy. Two girl crazy football players decide to go to cheer camp instead of missing out on two weeks of action. The jokes come fast and are witty enough to avoid the R rating, but definitely push the PG-13 line. I had a lot of fun with this. Favorite bit: One kid: "Dude, she's like 30." Other kid: "That's how I like them - ancient and regretful."

Adventureland is so good. It's like an 80's movie a la Pretty in Pink. Sadly, the ads pushed it as another Superbad and I think people are going to miss out on this. It is funny. I laughed out loud several times. I immediately fell in love with the soundtrack and the general mood of this film. A college graduate, home for the summer, can only land a job at a local amusement park where he falls in love and gets into all sorts of shenanigans. If it's still playing in your town, go see it. If not, rent it as soon as possible.

Another film pitched as just a knee-slapping comedy, but turned out to be more is Be Kind Rewind. Two bumbling video store attendants erase all the tapes in the store and start recreating them to meet customer demand. It is often funny, but it's also about a community coming together for what it believes in. Very good.

Based on the young adult book of the same name, Bridge to Terabithia made me cry. Two kids who don't fit in imagine their won world. And then tragedy. I enjoyed the look of the film, but the effects weren't great. I also felt that the moment of tragedy was just rushed through. Not a bad one, but not great either.

Step Up 2: The Streets is a well-choreographed love story. A girl from a poor neighborhood, who has no formal dance training, gets a scholarship to the Maryland School of the Arts where she gets a group of dancers together to compete in a street competition. The characters and story are fun, but the real reason to watch this movie is the dancing. It's glorious. In the beginning, I was worried about the editing, but as the film progressed, the shots get longer and better. Loads of fun.

Vicky Cristina Rachel Kurt & Courtney are Just Not that Into Newsies

dibot — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:26:08 GMT

I freaking love Newsies and I don't care who knows it. The love may stem from the fact that I saw it first when I was younger, but it may just be Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight") singing and dancing about. Inspired by actual events, the story follows a group of newsboys as they go on strike when Joseph Pulitzer raises the price of the newspaper. It's still a lot of fun, but some of the choreography is meh and the film is, of course, cheesy. It's Disney after all. But I still love it.

I just got bored watching He's Just Not That Into You. There's no reason for this thing to be 2 1/2 hours long, unless it's trying to live up to the length of the title. A bunch of lessons on relationships, which we should really know already. Though the cast is filled with big names, I enjoyed Justin Long ("Zack and Miri Make a Porno") the most. But he's kind of my favorite actor right now. Maybe watch this when it comes on cable.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona seems like a return to form for writer/director Woody Allen ("Cassandra's Dream"). Two Americans go to Barcelona and get involved with a painter. Then his ex-wife, Penelope Cruz ("Elegy"), turns up to add even more spice to the situation. Cruz just blows up the screen every time she's on, totally deserving her Oscar. She's the best part of the movie. The worst part is the voice-over. But all in all, enjoyable.

Anne Hathaway ("Get Smart") gives an Oscar nominated performance (I'm still catching up on my reviews) in Rachel Getting Married, and she's very impressive. Hathaway stars as a recovering drug addict home for her sister's wedding. The movie is funny, uncomfortable, loving and sometimes painful - just like a real family reunion.

Kurt & Courtney is the infamous documentary that pretty much blames Kurt Cobain's death on Courtney Love. It's a fairly interesting movie, but seems a bit one sided. Love would not be interviewed for the film. Director Nick Broomfield ("Battle for Haditha") has created the perfect film for conspiracy theorists. I enjoyed it, but it's not great.

Heaven Can Push 48 Hrs Taken Place in the Sun

dibot — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:48:02 GMT

Taken is the most fun I've had in the theater in awhile. Liam Neeson ("The Other Man") plays a retired FBI agent who goes on a rampage when his daughter is kidnapped. The film has alot of flaws if you focus on logistics too much. Just let go and enjoy the ride.

A Place in the Sun stars Montgomery Clift ("The Defector") as a poor boy trying to make a place for himself. He gets a chance at the upper crust with a young Elizabeth Taylor ("The Flintstones"), but, sadly, he's already knocked up his common girlfriend, Shelly Winters ("La Bomba"). It's enough to drive a man to murder. An interesting story, but I didn't love any of the characters. Supposedly based on actual events, it won six Oscars including Screenplay.

In Heaven Can Wait, Warren Beatty ("Town & Country") plays a football player who's taken before his time. So the powers that be put him into the body of a self-centered millionaire and hijinks ensue. The story is consistently amusing, but rarely laugh-out-loud funny. Enjoyable.

48 Hours pairs Nick Nolte ("Tropic Thunder")'s hot-headed cop with Eddie Murphy ("Meet Dave")'s wisecracking criminal. The story is okay. Nolte gets Murphy out of jail for two days to help catch an escaped convict who's gone on a killing spree. But Nolte's character is such an outrageous jerk that I had trouble watching the movie.

Push is like a gritty version of X-Men. People with special powers like telekinesis or prophecy are categorized by the government and sometimes forced into service. But a big thing is going down, so a gangly Dakota Fanning ("The Secret Life of Bees") has to collect Chris Evans ("Street Kings") so they can save the world. Fun.

The Spiral Wolf Liar puts Milk in Clear and Present Danger

dibot — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:46:42 GMT

Over 30 reviews behind! This time, I'm blaming Facebook and all it's addictive applications. So the reviews will be short and sometimes sweet, but I'm going to try to catch up a bit today.

Billy Liar was the last of the flimspotting Angry Young Men marathon. A young man with dreams of becoming a screenwriter fantasizes his way through a day of his humdrum existence. Again, though I can respect the quality of the filmmaking, I just did not understand the character motivations. I'm starting to think it's because we don't really have a class system in America and so I can't really grasp the pain of the working class in Britain.

Sean Penn ("All the King's Men") totally deserved the Oscar for his turn in Milk. He transforms into Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold elected office. The film doesn't show Milk's entire life, but begins when he moves to San Francisco. And though it focuses on the politics, it's also a bit of a love story, showing how Milk's relationships were affected by his running for office. Very well done film. Moving with lots of food for thought.

The Spiral Staircase is a tense little thriller that relies more on shadows and suspense than jump-out scares. The plot involves a series of murders in which all of the victims have been handicapped in some way. The heroine has lost her voice and we watch her navigate a dark, scary house unable to call for help as the murderer stalks her.

Harrison Ford ("Crossing Over") really is the epitome of action star. In Clear and Present Danger, he plays CIA agent Jack Ryan who must uncover a plot that goes all the way to the presidency. And though much of the time Ford is embroiled in office politics, he makes it look tense. And then it's time to kick butt and he's good at that too. Some of the computer stuff is dated and seems silly now, but for the most part, the film holds up.

I remember really liking Wolf when I saw it upon it's initial release. It's still entertaining, but now dated. Jack Nicholson ("The Bucket List"), who looks the part and I think is the inspiration for Wolverine's make-up in X-Men, stars as an aging editor who's bitten by a wolf and then begins to change. Along the way, he bites a very smarmy James Spader ("Shadow of Fear") and they both inappropriately sniff Michelle Pfeiffer ("Stardust").

Pretty Slumdog Working Girl in The Dark Underworld

dibot — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:09:23 GMT

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is just very average. I've actually already forgotten most of it. The story was told in the first Underworld movie and so there are no real surprises. Michael Sheen ("Frost/Nixon") reprises his role as the werewolf Lucian and Bill Nighy ("Valkyrie") is back as head vamp, Viktor. The action is okay. The effects are okay. It's just all okay.

Sadly, until just a few days ago, I had never seen Pretty in Pink. But I caught up with it and loved it. Written by John Hughes ("Just Visiting") it features many of his 80s teen trademarks: Molly Ringwald ("Not Another Teen Movie"), the clash between rich and poor, and lots of angst. John Cryer ("Two and Half Men") does an excellent lip sync. This movie really is awesome.

From director Danny Boyle ("Sunshine"), Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a poor boy from Mumbai who is accused of cheating on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." As the police interrogate him, the film flashes back through his life to show the reasons he knows the answers to the questions. A love story hides amongst the tragedy and a lively soundtrack really makes the film pop. Definitely check this out.

Unfortunately named though it may be, The Dark is really a tense little horror/thriller. Maria Bello ("The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor") brings her daughter, Sarah, to Wales to visit husband Sean Bean ("Far North"). On the creepy seaside, Sarah appears to drown, but while her parents search for her, another girl appears claiming to have returned from the dead to take Sarah's place. Very creepy and atmospheric, but not frightening. I got quite caught up in it.

Another 80's classic with which I finally caught up, Working Girl puts Melanie Griffith ("Have Mercy") in the dog-eat-dog corporate world as a secretary determined to rise to the top. When her bitchy boss, a nice turn by Sigourney Weaver ("The Tale of Despereaux") steals her idea, Griffith fights back by pretending to have her boss' job. Then she falls for Harrison Ford ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull") and then things go awry. Sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately inspiring, this is a really good watch.