February Movie Roundup
Movies i've watched since the last roundup, plus a couple i forgot to mention the other time.
Red Eye - Craven can do better; this thriller isn't. Murphy does ok, it's just not as compelling a role as his best - man on airplane sets up terrorizing events around a woman for some slowly revealed purpose. I never really cared (didn't help that i watched it through the eyes in the back of my head). 4/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
House of 1000 Corpses - YAHF (Yet Another Hicksploitation Flick), this one done in a more artistic style with the camera cuts and angles that irritate after the 4th time. Nameless people wander into other nameless people's deadly playhouse and die. Relatively gorey, but i've seen gorier. Decent acting in a story we've heard a thousand times. Still worth seeing for the clown and the rabbit outfits (is that a Hills or a Darko reference?) 4/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
Flightplan - Touchstone/Imagine's answer to that other thriller involving a plane. It's no better. Ok acting and boring story about people who don't pay attention. Whoop-de-do - NEXT! 5/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
The 40 Year Old Virgin - Comedy about sex and virginity. Cheap laughs, decent acting, obvious plot. 4/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) - One among the first movies that helped define hicksploitation. Craven's simple story about random people who get lost and killed by other random people. While far from great, the acting suits the movie perfectly, and the directing is fantastic. Watch out for that rabbit! 6/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
The Serpent and the Rainbow - Zombie flick of the Haitian variety. Nothing too special, though - the story moves kinda slow, often seems as if nothing is happening, but when something happens, Ouch! 5/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
Gosford Park - Well done movie showing two sides to 1930's high society. Altman's attention to detail is wonderful. Unfortunately, the acting is only good and the plot is a little too obvious. More could have developed from the many differences on display. 7/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
i heart huckabees - funny, active movie that screams "look at me! I know stuff!" - every college freshman should watch it as an intro to 1900's philosophy. People wonder what it's all about in a humourous setting; nothing new, but watch it for Wahlberg's great performance. 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Girl with a Pearl Earring - Wonderful movie about a Vermeer painting. Johansson, Firth and others deliver strong performances in this compelling tale of social strata. 8/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
La Jetée - short sci-fi flick with very funny beginning and overall goodness. Time-travelling maniac sets into play dangerous events, or plays with mania in eventual danger, or eventually travels through mania in play time, or... Yes it's a familiar movie for a reason, and a cinematic technique that i'm looking forward to seeing again. 8/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
City of God - Beautiful movie about poverty in Brazil. Amazing directing, acting, storying - see it now. The dvd's mini-documentary holds some choice quotes. 9/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
Bad Taste - One of those great movies that does so much with so little. Jackson delivers a hilarious, gory tale of aliens and the humans that hunt them. 7/10 overall, 10/10 in genre.
Domino - Bountyhunter tale with every little detail narrated and stylized to death. Boring despite its never-ending flash, the acting, action and plot could have been great under different direction. 4/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
Saw - If this is what Wan and Whanell are giving us today, we're in for some good tomorrows. Horror flick with twisty ends and a whodunit feel. Decent acting, though sometimes it feels like the actors were only allowed a couple takes each scene. 6/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
Saw II - Battle Royale meets Se7en with a dash of Shyamalan - in other words, just like the first. Watching this second entry, it is very apparent the writers grew up on video games - you can almost hear "POWER UP!!!" every other scene. 6/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
Meet the Feebles - Typical early Jackson (in other words, humourous whacky greatness on a minimal budget) in puppet form. 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Wallace & Grommit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - i think it was action, or adventure, well definitely boring. Very good claymation in a underwhelming, obvious story. Worth watching if you enjoy the animation, otherwise you'll get the whole movie, including jokes and plot, from the title. 6/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
Wild at Heart - Typical Lynch and what might be Cage's and Dern's best performances. Death and disaster (and artsy, disjointed scenes) follow a couple destined and determined to be in love. 8/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
The Weather Man - Typical Cage (grow up dude!) plays a (monetarily) successful man wondering where life is taking him. Same message has been played out better before, though strangely i can't think of where. 6/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
Dead Meat - Zombie flick that adds zombie cows and Irish and Scottish accents to the genre but nothing else. Still a decent enough low budget film, with an alt ending that seems a bit out of character, if oddly reminiscent of other strange movies. 4/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
The Basketball Diaries - DiCaprio proves he can play not only a convincing mentally handicapped boy, but a decent addict as well (now if he could just get any other role right...) Story of drug use/addiction following the paths 4 boys take out of high school, but doesn't quite deliver on the message as strong as it could have. Very good supporting performances from Bracco and Wahlberg. 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Braineater - Wonderful short zombie film. McMahon shows he knows his way around a camera, script and director's chair in this funny and gorey short. 6/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
Eraserhead - Huh? Typical Lynch++, or Lynch without the need for thinking about the audience, in a twisted tale of a man's mind and the pressures on his soul. 7/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
Elizabethtown - Paramount's answer to Garden State, the story is nearly identical (down and out guy goes to small town to bury parent) but delivers better acting and a slightly better storyline. Neither one shows any originality, but E is pieced together slightly better, and the characters resonate more realistically (or maybe i've just been annoyed with GS-style characters my whole life). 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Red Eye - Craven can do better; this thriller isn't. Murphy does ok, it's just not as compelling a role as his best - man on airplane sets up terrorizing events around a woman for some slowly revealed purpose. I never really cared (didn't help that i watched it through the eyes in the back of my head). 4/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
House of 1000 Corpses - YAHF (Yet Another Hicksploitation Flick), this one done in a more artistic style with the camera cuts and angles that irritate after the 4th time. Nameless people wander into other nameless people's deadly playhouse and die. Relatively gorey, but i've seen gorier. Decent acting in a story we've heard a thousand times. Still worth seeing for the clown and the rabbit outfits (is that a Hills or a Darko reference?) 4/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
Flightplan - Touchstone/Imagine's answer to that other thriller involving a plane. It's no better. Ok acting and boring story about people who don't pay attention. Whoop-de-do - NEXT! 5/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
The 40 Year Old Virgin - Comedy about sex and virginity. Cheap laughs, decent acting, obvious plot. 4/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) - One among the first movies that helped define hicksploitation. Craven's simple story about random people who get lost and killed by other random people. While far from great, the acting suits the movie perfectly, and the directing is fantastic. Watch out for that rabbit! 6/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
The Serpent and the Rainbow - Zombie flick of the Haitian variety. Nothing too special, though - the story moves kinda slow, often seems as if nothing is happening, but when something happens, Ouch! 5/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
Gosford Park - Well done movie showing two sides to 1930's high society. Altman's attention to detail is wonderful. Unfortunately, the acting is only good and the plot is a little too obvious. More could have developed from the many differences on display. 7/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
i heart huckabees - funny, active movie that screams "look at me! I know stuff!" - every college freshman should watch it as an intro to 1900's philosophy. People wonder what it's all about in a humourous setting; nothing new, but watch it for Wahlberg's great performance. 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Girl with a Pearl Earring - Wonderful movie about a Vermeer painting. Johansson, Firth and others deliver strong performances in this compelling tale of social strata. 8/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
La Jetée - short sci-fi flick with very funny beginning and overall goodness. Time-travelling maniac sets into play dangerous events, or plays with mania in eventual danger, or eventually travels through mania in play time, or... Yes it's a familiar movie for a reason, and a cinematic technique that i'm looking forward to seeing again. 8/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
City of God - Beautiful movie about poverty in Brazil. Amazing directing, acting, storying - see it now. The dvd's mini-documentary holds some choice quotes. 9/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
Bad Taste - One of those great movies that does so much with so little. Jackson delivers a hilarious, gory tale of aliens and the humans that hunt them. 7/10 overall, 10/10 in genre.
Domino - Bountyhunter tale with every little detail narrated and stylized to death. Boring despite its never-ending flash, the acting, action and plot could have been great under different direction. 4/10 overall, 5/10 in genre.
Saw - If this is what Wan and Whanell are giving us today, we're in for some good tomorrows. Horror flick with twisty ends and a whodunit feel. Decent acting, though sometimes it feels like the actors were only allowed a couple takes each scene. 6/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
Saw II - Battle Royale meets Se7en with a dash of Shyamalan - in other words, just like the first. Watching this second entry, it is very apparent the writers grew up on video games - you can almost hear "POWER UP!!!" every other scene. 6/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
Meet the Feebles - Typical early Jackson (in other words, humourous whacky greatness on a minimal budget) in puppet form. 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Wallace & Grommit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - i think it was action, or adventure, well definitely boring. Very good claymation in a underwhelming, obvious story. Worth watching if you enjoy the animation, otherwise you'll get the whole movie, including jokes and plot, from the title. 6/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
Wild at Heart - Typical Lynch and what might be Cage's and Dern's best performances. Death and disaster (and artsy, disjointed scenes) follow a couple destined and determined to be in love. 8/10 overall, 8/10 in genre.
The Weather Man - Typical Cage (grow up dude!) plays a (monetarily) successful man wondering where life is taking him. Same message has been played out better before, though strangely i can't think of where. 6/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
Dead Meat - Zombie flick that adds zombie cows and Irish and Scottish accents to the genre but nothing else. Still a decent enough low budget film, with an alt ending that seems a bit out of character, if oddly reminiscent of other strange movies. 4/10 overall, 6/10 in genre.
The Basketball Diaries - DiCaprio proves he can play not only a convincing mentally handicapped boy, but a decent addict as well (now if he could just get any other role right...) Story of drug use/addiction following the paths 4 boys take out of high school, but doesn't quite deliver on the message as strong as it could have. Very good supporting performances from Bracco and Wahlberg. 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Braineater - Wonderful short zombie film. McMahon shows he knows his way around a camera, script and director's chair in this funny and gorey short. 6/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
Eraserhead - Huh? Typical Lynch++, or Lynch without the need for thinking about the audience, in a twisted tale of a man's mind and the pressures on his soul. 7/10 overall, 9/10 in genre.
Elizabethtown - Paramount's answer to Garden State, the story is nearly identical (down and out guy goes to small town to bury parent) but delivers better acting and a slightly better storyline. Neither one shows any originality, but E is pieced together slightly better, and the characters resonate more realistically (or maybe i've just been annoyed with GS-style characters my whole life). 6/10 overall, 7/10 in genre.
Labels: movies
posted by francisco at 2/28/2006 05:20:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home