Yeaaaaaah. I've been lazy getting to those reviews. (Sorry.) Finished school and awaiting graduation. I feel like I'm in an "off-screen" part of a film. You know, like, where's Elad? He's between scenes.
I've been watching movies, making good use of my new DVD player. Just saw Tim Burton's Big Fish. I enjoyed the message (obviously) and a lot of the visuals but I felt any real character work was lost amidst the fantasy elements. I felt like they could have been used more to illustrate character like in American Beauty. Instead the characters came off one-dimensional and I didn't really care about any of them. Still, pretty flick. And I'll watch anything with Helena Bonham Carter and those bedroom eyes.
Watched a slightly better looking and tiny-bit-longer widescreen version of the classic Conan the Barbarian. What a film! A true epic adventure, wreathed in fantasy, but told like a history. You can't rave about the performances (James Earl Jones lets his eyes do all the work) or the special effects but yet here's a brilliant fantasy film before there was fancy effects. Maybe it's just me, but I love these dirty versions of cinema. I'd trade the gloss and finish of the new Star Wars films for a chance to see Luke and Han in action again in a millennium Falcon that looks like it's about to come apart. Or remember when Star Trek films were good?
Also: Ethan Hawke's Hamlet. Which I actually enjoyed, surprising myself. Ethan Hawke's slept through the role like a true stoner but the supporting characters really nailed it. Great choices for The King and Queen, Julia Stiles totally underused as Ophelia, Bill Murray mumbling Shakespeare! Liked some of the tricks (Hamlet's an amateur film-maker) and a lot of the cinematography. Better than you'd think.
Next up: The Coen Brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There. I'm a sometimes fan of their work. Okay. I'll admit it. The only reason I rented it is because Scarlett Johansson is in it. I've got a crush on her the size of a small continent.
Oh. And lots of Stargate. I should do a rant about how awesome Stargate is. Maybe later.
(I've also started a new little story where I'm stretching my poetic muscles. Or at least trying too.)
6 comments:
Actually, I think the Star Trek movies are still good. I liked Nemesis. Maybe it was because I was starving for something pre-Voyager, but I liked it.
The Ethan Hawk Hamlet is good, too. I didn't like The Man Who Wasn't There all that much, but Scarlett is yuuuum.
I watch a ton of movies this week. Vacations are great.
- Mike
PS - My final thoughts on the Decemberists.
hey mike. TOLD YOU The D were awesome! i fell in love with Her Majesty and I'm glad you can see why. you should definitely (definitely) get The Tain EP. it's amazing. And the 5 Songs EP. to get that better look at what they're about. :)
i didn't like Nemesis but I did enjoy Insurrection and First Contact. What i really meant was.. Trek films use to be about politics and characters and not huge villains with crazy-looking ships. (That's Star Wars expertise). My favorite Trek film is 6: The Undiscovered Country. That's a true epic.
ps. "Modern Times" was awesome, huh?
Yeah, Vi is my favorite as well. Although I recently rewatched the trilogy (II, III and VI), so I might rethink that.
Modern Times IS awesome.
I've got all the Decemberists stuff on my shopping list...but it's a long list (700-odd items :?)
- Mike
(When I used blogger it didn't have these cool layouts. profiles and comments and stuff. Gee whiz.)
yeah, blogger just added new stuff. and it's still incredibly easy to use.
The trilogy! of course. why didn't the TNG crew do something that links their films instead of a random string of sorta-episodes. oh well.
speaking of the Decemberists. how idiotic is that dude exposuree in that thread you made? he doesn't understand the meaning of the words "fiction" and "first-person-perspective." haha.
The Man Who Wasn't There was a sublimely brilliant film. I am a Coen fan, maybe waning, but that movie was easily one of their best (I thought) Billy Bob was spectacular as someone anything but.
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and my bio was kind of fun, kind of not. I had no idea what to write either.
amber.
agreed, amber. I liked it a lot. very weird and strange and fucked-up-funny (the best kind of funny).
Scarlett was awesome but totally underused. :p
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