The Informant!

I didn't put the exclamation point on there because I was all excited about this movie. It's actually in the title. The music provides most of the punchlines, and that's something I hadn't really seen done well before, so hooray for Marvin Hamlisch. I was never angry or bored during The Informant!. So if you want to take that as a recommendation, fine. It's a free country.

I did spend much of the movie thinking about what a big deal Matt Damon made about gaining a million pounds so he could be Fat Damon for the role, and how he didn't even look very fat. I call bullshit.

Oh man, Zombieland comes out this weekend!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

This one is pretty cute, and fairly funny. My only major complaint is that the jokes are repeated so much that they start to get old. The idea is super cute, and the voice actors are superb (the fact that I love Bruce Campbell has no influence on my opinion whatsoever). Ahem. I recommend seeing this if you're in the mood for something light and funny, but only if you pay the matinee price. Otherwise wait for the DVD.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (DVD Review)

This movie is super good. The end is depressing, as I'm guessing you would imagine, but its depressing in a way you will NEVER EVER GUESS.

Seeing the holocaust through German eyes (both sympathetic to the Jewish people, and not) was super interesting and new.

RENT THIS NOW. But have a box of tissues nearby.

P.S. Keira Knightley's boyfriend (aka: the guy that could be Orlando Bloom's brother) is scary as hell in this movie. I knew I never liked Mr. Wickham.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (DVD Review)

....

Okay, don't get me wrong. I love a good puzzle-solving, scavenger hunt type movie, and I really liked the first National Treasure, but I have several issues with this one. I enjoyed everything, even, until they went to Mount Rushmore. But then things got a little out of hand. The archaeologist/historian in me went batshit insane.

I was going to type my actual thoughts and grumbles here, but decided in the end to spare you all. I assure you, however, those ramblings involved the words, "fucking insane"; "insulting"; and "HELLS TO THE NO". None of the writers did any kind of research including, but no limited to, actual HISTORY. Douchebags. (I know its just a movie, but while you can fudge the date a little of when the HMS Resolute was decommissioned, its a little different to supplant an entire ancient culture...but I digress).

But the first part was fun! And I love Riley. THE END.

P.S. The Olmecs had nothing to do with fucking Mount Rushmore. MEXICO, people. Assholes. (the writers, not the Olmecs).

Random smattering of reviews from some older movies I've watched lately

Due to lack of anything decent being in the theaters (imho), and my lack of being in a town with a movie theater anyway, I've become addicted to the previously unnamed-movie-rental-through-the-mail's latest and greatest idea: Watch movies on your computer!

Dudes.

While adding movies to my queue recently, I noticed that I could play some of them and decided to try it out. IT IS AMAZING.*

Here are a couple of of the most recent movies I've watched and my thoughts, since I can't bring you reviews any other way at the moment:

The Other Boleyn Girl
~Scarlett Johansson=awesome.
~Natalie Portman=awesome, because I hated her character.
~Eric Bana=hot.
~I imagine the book is 20 times better than this movie, and therefore I want to read it.
~I didn't love or hate this movie. I'm neutral about it. The costumes were pretty!

Interview with the Vampire
~Tom Cruise before he was crazy! I think? It's hard to say.
~Aw, how precious was little Kirsten Dunst?
~Holy shit, Brad Pitt was fucking hot. I did not appreciate it at the time this movie came out (when I was 12/13).


*I should note that I have a 22" widescreen monitor (yes, I have a gaming addiction), which means my computer screen is bigger than my actual TV. Sad, yet true! So your viewing experience may vary.

District 9

DISTRICT 9 YAY!

Please don't fuck up the sequel. Please don't fuck up the sequel. Please don't fuck up the sequel.

Julie and Julia

OK, I loved Julie Powell's blog and book, and who doesn't love Julia Child? She's the Willie Nelson of cooking (no one doesn't like Willie Nelson, see). So I was simultaneously excited and trepidatious about Julie and Julia. Isn't that interesting? This review is off to a great start.

The Julia Child parts are pretty great, but the Julie Powell bits leave much to be desired. Amy Adams is way too cutesy-poo an actress to play this part. In her writing, Powell comes across as a sarcastic, funny person who enjoys cooking and sometimes has cooking setbacks. While her bloggery did end up to be life-changing, she only admits it in a slightly sheepish way, as is right and proper. In the movie, Julie is a harebrained twink who minces and cries and flails around like a god damned fool, while making melodramatic pronouncements about how life-changing her blog is.

It also really bugged me how her husband eats everything all aggressive Cookie Monster-style, open-mouthed with lots of horrible noises and food flying everywhere. We get it. You like her cooking. Go back to acting class.

The good thing about this movie is it made me want to go re-read My Life in France, so I guess I recommend it.

The Hurt Locker

This movie is directed by the lady who directed Point Break, and stars a guy from Modesto. Needless to say, it is totally fucking awesome. It's also a good reminder that HEY THERE'S A WAR GOING ON IN IRAQ. Hooray for Hollywood!

Sorrrrrryyyyyy

I have actually seen tons of movies lately but haven't been keeping up on my reviews. I'll write them now! Keep reading!

Real life sucks

You may have noticed the horrible decline in reviews lately. This is because we (unfortunately) have real lives wherein we can't sit and watch movies all day and then write about them. Boo hiss. Apparently we need things called "paychecks." If someone would pay us to sit and watch movies and review them, I'm sure we'd all gladly jump at the opportunity.

Several of us work in a profession that involves going to places where there are not movie theaters (sad, yet true!) and sometimes not even internet or cell phone service (GASP!) It's as horrible as you can imagine (akin to viewing Fear.com or maybe Cruel Intentions). Others of us are in graduate school. I'm seriously considering reviewing movies I've never seen but am getting through an unnamed movies-through-the-mail service. Just because. Prepare yourselves for my Pulp Fiction review! If I ever get around to watching it!

Anyway, hopefully things will pick up soon. I need buttery popcorn and Sour Patch Kids, stat.