Chaplin (1992)

i recently saw Fur (2006) with Downey Jr. and now i had the pleasure of watching Chaplin.

wow

wow, wow, wow.

i really like this actor.

at first i couldn't imagine Robert as the famous Charlie.

i saw his dark, deep set eyes and couldn't imagine them used to be such a funny character.

i liked the movie alot.

i'm not the biggest fan of those films where they start it off in the future right before the character is about to die and he remorses on his life. reminds me to much of the notebook. (i HATE that movie)

but i love charlie chaplin and i think Robert Downey Jr. did a great job playing him.

i couldn't even begin to understand the amount of training he must have underwent to do all those physical stunts chaplin did.

i've only seen parts of Making a Living (1914), the knockout (1914), the Tramp (1915), the kid (1921), city lights (1931), and limelight (1952). 

by the end there is a little montage as chaplin is about to recieve his academy award.

watching it made me starry eyed.

what a wonderful man.

Coraline (2009)

i have very mixed feelings about this movie.

the DVD offers it in 3D and 2D

"i believe 3D is just a gimick," i told my friend, "dating back to the 40's and 50's right next to smell-o-vision and cinemascope."

but all that set aside, 

its impressive.

i love how Neil Gaiman benifits from the movie.

if you don't know already, he's the author of the book, Coraline, and the author of the prestigious graphic novel, Sandman. 

i love stop motion.

did you know that the snow in the movie was made from superglue and baking soda?

crazy, right?

i've seen the movie 1 1/2 times. both in 3D. i know i will like it better in 2D where i can appreciate it better.

i think my favorite part is the very beginning where the Coraline doll is being sewn.

i also like how Coraline is so unappreciated.

its a feeling alot of kids know too well.

everyone keeps calling her Caroline. 

she corrects them yet they don't seem to hear her.

Bottle Rocket (1996)

there is something so incredible about the Wilson brothers together.

this movie is not exception. 

Owen Wilson co-wrote this movie with director, Wes Anderson.

Anderson is incredible all on his own. He's done alot of work with the wilsons, 

1. Bottle Rocket

2. The Royal Tenenbaums

3. The Darjeeling Limited

those are the only three i've seen. but they all mount well as my favorites or very close to being my favorites.

here's the IMDB plot line for Bottle Rocket

"Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a hair-brained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry. With the help of their pathetic neighbor and pal Bob, Anthony and Dignan pull a job and hit the road, where Anthony finds love with motel maid Inez. When our boys finally hook up with Mr. Henry, the ensuing escapade turns out to be far from what anyone expected."

i love how when i opened the DVD box i found the pamphlet had Dignan's life plan outline in it.

very clever.

Away We Go (2009)

Verona: "I can't believe you told your mother about my tilted uterus!"
Bart: "I didn't know your tilted uterus was a secret."
Verona: "Yes, my tilted uterus is a secret!"
Bart: "Your tilted uterus is a secret. Your fucking uterus is a fucking secret!"

This movie was very funny and well made.

not being a huge fan of the office, i got to see John Krasinski just as Bart. I really liked the concept - finding yourself by visiting your friends and relatives. Every place they visited provided another example for a family. Verona and Bart saw all the different ways of life and it was almost like they thought they would be surrounded by that enviorment their friends kept if they moved there.

through this journey they found themselves. (and realized they are not "fuck ups")

i can't recall all the moments now, but this movie really made me laugh. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays LN (pronounced "ellen") She's a huge new age hippee who has an unusual outlook on raising her kids.

 LN: "They bought us a stroller."

Burt: "What's wrong with a stroller?" 

LN: "I LOVE my babies. Why would I want to PUSH them away from me?"

All in all, a very enjoyable flick.

i was looking up the director, Sam Mendes, and after seeing his filmography i shouldn't have been surprised the movie was so good. He has also directed, Cabaret (1993) and American Beauty (1999)

Garden State (2004)

i like this movie.

brings zach braff to a whole new level.

its great that he wrote it too.

it really shows someone is passionate about something when they direct/act/write one production.

and natalie portman is genius too.

my favorite part is where natalie portman tells zach, if you ever feel unhappy. do something completely original. 

then she manages to make some weird noise and do a little dance.

she tells zach, that moment, the dance combined with the song all in that place, will never, NEVER happen again.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

i love this movie.

i showed it to some of my closest friends tonight,

its just so, stylish!

the art direction is superb.

i dislike how many people won't rent it because they think its animated because of the DVD cover.

they give me a hesitated, "is the movie like this too? are there real people in it?"

the cast makes me so starry eyed.

gene hackman, anjelica huston, ben stiller, luke wilson, owen wilson, bill murray, danny glover, alec baldwin, gwyneth paltrow.

my favorite charater has to be mordecai the hawk and buckley the dog.

my favorite shot is where luke wilson slits his wrists. i know that sounds horrible, but its an aerial shot of a sink cover in hair with two arms coming from the bottom of the screen. slowly red blood travels down the arms like little rivers.

if you like movies with symmetry this is the movie for you!

its insane how matchy matchy it is.

i also noticed how the horizon line is very low in every single shot. it brings an original mood to the film.

the cinematographer wasnt afraid to cut up an object.

multiple times there were shots where one can see the flag but not the flag pole.

i even found a goof!

when owen wilson is chased over the brick wall by ben stiller he jumps into the neighbors yard to the right.

when Royal and Henry go to collect the boys they go to the neighbor's house on the left!

Airy Pottah

i have made the ultimate decision.

HP4 is my all time favorite.

minus every boy in that movie needing a haircut it is fan freakin tastic.

i love how its the perfect mix of all the important things and then all the silly things,

like the yule ball.

today i saw the part where Snape hits Ron & Harry!

perfect.

the twins,

how they ask the girl to the dance,

how snape pulls up his sleeves,

how ron and hermione are in hatelove with eachother.

it just makes me laugh

i like HP4 because you always have a firm grasp of the plot but you never loose the classic feeling of Hogwarts.

i love love love the bridges.

they show a new side of Hogwarts

they are beautiful, and rustic, and contribute alot to the story.

cedric is sooo hot.

(cedric mind you, NOT whatshisfacestupidvampirepeiceofshitdude)

even David Tennant is in it!

the nerd quotient raises ten bars right there

on a side note,

yes, i saw HP6,

i don't know how i feel about it yet.

i must see it again to get a firm grasp.

Better Off Dead (1985)

John Cusack.

i do like him on a train.

i do like him in a plane

i do like him in a car.

i do like him from afar.

i do like him with green eggs and ham.

anything.

ANYTHING

he does is incredible.

better off dead is in no way a great, no, good movie.

its bad.

but dude, i love john.

okay, i'm sorry.

didnt expect this whole blog to be about how much i love John Cusack.

but hey.

its the truth.

better off dead has alot of akward silent moments.

the plot is horrible.

sometimes i dont even understand whats happening at all.

cusack is a goose. hense the picture above.

there is some cool rotoscoping and stop motion and claymation clips in the movie.

British Humor

america stinks.

great britain is trained to enjoy good comedy.

they dont need hollywood lighting to have a good time.

WE DO!

so i've been trying to ween myself on to the funnier stuff.

i watched shaun of the dead (2004) and hot fuzz (2007)

and have concluded that i LOVE simon pegg.

he is pure, undiluted, genius.

him with Nick frost is amazing.

but now i want more.

i want to be knowledgeable if someone were to ask me about british humor.

yesterday i saw two episodes of Extras (2005-2007)

a tv show sort of like SNL where (as my british friend described it) "they [meaning celebrities] take the piss out of themselves.

it was one a.m. when we started so i fell asleep through part of it but what i did see i enjoyed.

the two episodes we watched had daniel radcliffe as a boyscout and he wanted to prove to Ashley Jensen (better known as Christina McKinney on Ugly Betty) that he was adult so he kept talking about sex and smoking etc.etc.

the other episode spotlighted orlando bloom. he also was trying to "seduce" Ashley Jensen. Jensen didn't seem impressed by Bloom so (since he is "such a prat") bloom tries to get her to like him.

i especially enjoyed the parts where he talked about johnny depp being so ugly 

(i for one love johnny depp)

i hope to watch more of Extras.

then there is Stephen Fry.

apparently (according to my Brits) he is brilliant.

i was reading his twitters and i think i'm starting to believe my friends!

after some research i realized i knew him from V for Vendetta (2005), Harry Potter (he's the narrator), and Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy (2005).

He is the cheshire cat in the upcoming Alice in Wonderland (2010) and i CAN'T WAIT.

Fry is also in MirrorMask (2005) 

i think i'll like mirrormask because i have heard its sort of like Labyrinth (1986).

Fry & Laurie

i 

do not watch

HOUSE.

so, i'm a bit in the dark about Hugh Laurie.

i now realize i need to do my research on him too.

The brits showed me a clip of Fry & Laurie together and it was genius.

if anyone knows, its the skit where Laurie's name is *insert the sound of a peice of wood dropping*

and Fry, a police officer can't understand his name.

*insert the sound of a peeice of wood dropping* is spelled like: N I P P / E

so Fry thinks its spelled nipple.

Top Gear:

oh my god.

no wonder america has such a bad reputation.

i saw part of an episode where the top gear people go to alabama and have to drive all the way through the state with very harsh statements written on their cars.

one car says "hillary for president"

one car says "country western music is rubbish"

and the last says "man love rules, ok?"

click here to watch, it is too funny! 

i have already started to watch doctor who.

i really like it.

i started with the Christopher Eccleston stuff.

im still on the first season.

but i hear David Tennant is great.

i plan to check out spaced too.

but yeah.

thats my goal.

become well adept with british humor.

its not just monty python anymore kids,

this shit just gets better and better.

Public Enemies (2009)

john 

depp/dillinger

saw michael mann's creation the other day.

didn't luuurrrve it but thought it was very well made.

i was most intriuged by his choice in shooting.

alot of the movie wasnt done with a tripod or boom thingy, or tracking or anything like that.

it was hand held.

you DID feel like you were part of the action.

learned alot about infamous john dillinger.

loved christian bale.

havent seen him in a movie since velvet goldmine (1998) so that was a bit of a trippy change.

loved/adored//fangirled Marion Cotillard.

she is GORGUS.

last time i saw her was in La Mome aka La Vie En Rose (2007)

over all a good experience.

got me very excited to see depp in Alice in Wonderland (2010).

because i am lazy, i still havent watched the public enemy (1931)

but some day soon,

i will.

thought it was cool because the next day i re watched high fidelity (2000) for the billionth time.

in between quoting every other word i noticed john cusack alludes to john dillinger.

something along the lines of:

"see that theatre?"

"thats where john dillinger was murdered."

"who tipped him off?"

"his FUCKING GIRLFRIEND!"

hahahhaha

love cusack.