stacey042 Blog

Under discussion:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull  (2008)

Like the previous Indiana Jones movies, a little bit of history and archaeological adventures go a long way in the movie industry, at least when produced accordingly. In the eyes of a child or adventure seeker, Indiana Jones may even promote a career in archaeology to be seen as “cooool.”

Long story short, Indiana Jones is sent on another adventure trying to return a mysterious crystallized alien skull back to its secret location. Soviets follow Jones and his companions in an attempt to steal the skull away from Jones. The bulk of the movie was pretty entertaining in the appropriate Jones’ fashion, but perhaps the movie appeared better than it really was because of the favorable nostalgia behind the movie series. I think it’s even safe to say that the series is a classic.

One thing to note: why do a lot of adventure movies tend to end the movie with something imploding or self-destructing (e.g. temple, pyramid, underground tomb, etc.)? Maybe the directors or story writers are cryptically proving a point — all truth/past will be hidden/reburied. Or maybe, it’s simply an ending fitted for suspenseful scenes. Either way, most people won’t care about the imploding building ending as long as Indy is alive with his famous hat.

Under discussion:

1408  (2007)

I liked this movie. For a horror movie, I thought it wasn't too bad. Maybe it's just me, but I find that a lot of horror movies have really weak story lines and have a great potential for switching to the gore aspect. 1408 is more of a pyschological thriller and is not overly gruesome at all, like most pointless horror flicks are.

If you're the type of person that gets bored watching a whole movie take place in the same setting, then this movie is probably not for you. It's more of a story that plays into the creative and imaginary mind, and leave it to Stephen King to harbor that creativity in a dark place. It's a story that indulges in the "what if" and "can it get any worse" concepts in a supernatural sense where there are no limitations. John Cusack has a standout scene in this film, where he is forced to relive the loss of his daughter. I loved his acting in that scene -- pure, raw emotion. He must've been digging deep in that one; incredibly heartfelt. I was not expecting that.

Watch the movie if you like a psychological twist in stories, paired with a creative plot element.

Under discussion:

Zodiac  (2007)

I thought this movie was just ok. It wasn't very memorable, except for the story that it was based off of. It moved a little slow for my liking, but what can you really ask for from an unsolved murder mystery. I'm from San Francisco so I knew about the zodiac murders before the film, and I was vaguely aware of the details of the crimes.

I think it was a good idea to expose this true story on a national level, but the movie didn't seem to reveal anything much. It basically seemed like one of those movies that build up a story (leading you to believe that the story is going to peak somewhere, but instead it doesn't really happen). Then, the ending seems somewhat more anti-climatic than anything else.