ewwww the evil cherry blossom has once again started to burst forth its throat scratching and nose clogging pollen upon my neigbourhood . this means that its an anuual month or so of not breathing very well . theres nothig to do but post stuff........
Ricky Gervais on Comic Relief - charity special effects
Canucks are in the Playoffs !! Woot !! - for young sprtscasters out there , if you have a chance to use the word brouhaha , take it !
Beware the Evil Parsnip !! - parsnips are just .... just...EVIL !
Beatles vs Nine Inch Nails - come closer together mashup
The Lorax - a toon by doctor seuss
Pancake Art - for the flap jack of all trades *groan*
Larry Carlson is Trippy - trippy and in its own weird way fascinating . i watched this longer than i perhaps should have
Wrong Place , Wrong Time - funny pics
The Punk Years - this is a very cool , entertaining and nostalgic look back at punk music . its in 10 episodes (each divided into 3 parts) and looks at punks seed , its big hit in 1976 , and its influences in art , society and music . it wasnt about snarling , mohawks and safety pins ! john lydon's comments alone make it worth watching
Spinal Tap A to Z - everything you ever wanted to know about amplifiers that go to 11
Unusual Hotels of the World interactive map for staying in cool places
Insane Bike Messengers - take a wild ride thru new york city
Real time Death Counter - creepy but interesting link using stats from the world health organization
You Don't Know Jack Part 4 - more cheeky trivia fun
Dollar Origami - i like the rhino
Stephen Colbert Interview Edit Contest - this should be good . i can't wait to see the winners
Peanut Butter Disproves Evolution ???? - remember when ppl were worried about the dumbing down of society ? this kinda thing is why
Sad Kermit - Hurt - kermit the frog doing johnny cash doing nine inch nails . nsfw
How to Get Rid Of ______ ?? - a cool link for problem solving
Cool Russian Murals - coooooool grafitti
The Evolution of Homer Simpson - d'arwin !
Doctor Who Games - nerdy time killers
ONN - The Onion Network News - the satiric mag goes video
Hidden Picasso - a cool look into the great artist's work
Now & Then - cool retro tintype pics by maggie taylor
The Geek's Travel Guide - 25 tips for planning your next trip online
The Simpson's Movie - cool collection of trailers and freebies for this summers big screen toon movie
Smart Ass Test Answers - this link gave me a giggle
TimeShapes - a cool collection of hand carved wooden clocks
AWWWWWWWWWWW - your cute link of the day . why i otter !!
Enjoy !!
lordy lordy 8 inches of rain with more in the forecast ! . not the beginning of spring that i had hoped for , but good a good day for sausaging........
The Criterion Collection - most movie nuts already know about criterion . if you dont , they are a elite selection of the best films ever made , with commentaries and extras galore
PynchonWiki - your one stop thomas pynchon resource . for book nerds only
AFSCME - the gangster union lol
Discover Magazine - old issues now available free online
The Cutting Edge - a cool 90 minute documentary about film editting
Life Sized Blue Whale - gives you some perspective on just how huge they really are
5 Jobs That Are Worse Than Yours - i hope they pay well
Family Tree of the Greek Gods - and you thought only your family descended from Chaos
Rapping German Smurfs - i dont know why , but i had to watch this video to the end
Toilet Humour - an unusual pic
Earth Album - find cool pics from all over the world
Grolsch Games - my all time fav beer has set forth a online game challenge .
Gumby on the Moon ! - the very first gumby animation *pokey*
Ted - The Movie - cool macrophotography of bugs
RIP Larry 'Bud Melman - classic calvert deforrest on letterman . very funny
Beware the Monkfish - fun from seattle's pike place market
10 Magnificent Trees - cool pics
I Can Has Cheezburger? - fun with pet pics
Save the Bunny ! - the bunny needs life saving surgery , you have one minute to do it .......GO!!!
Global Warming According to Drunk People - funny video
The Best Online Documentaries - a good collection of links to some pretty interesting online video
Unintentional Comic Book Humour - a quick tour of sexism and innuendo in cartooning
Beware the Evil Parsnip - Beware !!
David Lynch Posters - cool advertising for a cool artist
The Hill of Crosses - a russian cemetary/faith centre
Thank You Mask Man by Lenny Bruce - a odd little toon that i remember from childhood
WikiSky - a cool map of the stars
Whats Your American Accent ? - apparently mine is North Central , which often leads to people thinking that i am Canadian
Dancin Robot - boogying to some spoon (and other videos , but the , 'i turn my camera on ", one is the best)
Stay Dry & Enjoy !!
Its Spring ! this is usually a sign that my movie watching blitz is over , but you never know . with the crappy weather this year , i just may go see a couple more . until then , this is what i though about what i saw . these are a bit more off the mainstream of moviedom , but thats often what i tend to prefer.........
The Bridge to Terabithea - when i saw the ad for this movie , i though i was in for a special effects extravaganza . i didnt turn out to be so , but that was okay . this movie was obviously made on a tight budget , so when they had to use cgi , they didnt overuse it and did so very well . instead the movie focused much more on the two lead children and it was quite a personal drama about life and imagination . its hard to talk about this movie without giving away the plot twists , so i'll just say that this is very definitely a kids movie and a good one . this isnt just an escapist fantasy where everything is sunshine and lollipops . the movie deals with some very tough subjects , yet does so without being cloying . if you have little ones check it out . its good
Tideland - this is another movie about a child's imaginary life , but it is one that will be a litmus test on whether you still retain a child's imagination or if you have just gotten old and lost the ability for wonderment . this is a movie people will either like or despise accordingly . its as subversive a movie as terry gilliam has ever made . its about a young girl who is born into very horrid circumstances and how she has to find her own way to deal with everything that is not her fault . its about her refuge from madness via imagination and it will touch every button that the far right conservative movement has and will be totally misinterpreted by them . its not an easy movie to watch , but it is fascinating and charming in its own peculiar way . you should look at the website before deciding to watch it . this isnt a movie for everyone ( or maybe it should be . i'm not sure) . if you get the dvd , tery gilliam gives the very best commentary and extras . the man loves to talk . theres even commentary on the documentary about the movie lol . not for the faint of heart or those that have lost the ability to imagine , but a must for gilliam fans with a sense of wonder
For Your Consideration - what a disappointment this movie was . i've loved all the previous Chrstopher Guest films and had been really looking forward to this one . its just didnt deliver . there are too many people in the cast which leaves little time for the necessary character development . its the usual strong group of actors , but this movie doesnt seem to have any fondness for its characters . its too snide about the industry . sure the movie biz deserves some mocking , but without something nice to break up all the digs , its a very bitter movie thats just not funny for 90 minutes . what they need to do is write less scenes and concentrate the cast . these actors are excellent at imporov , but you'd never know it from this . only fred willard is memorable (as usual) but the rest of the movie pales in comparison . rent the other guest films and give this one a pass
Factotum - this is movie about the life and times of Henry Chinaski , better known as the alocohol fuelled writer , Charles Bukowski . this time he is aptly played by matt dillon and follows the booze induced up and downs of the alcoholic writer and his very unique views on life . this movie picks little gems from bukowski's writing and weaves them into a entertaining , though gruff tale of life at its lowest levels . this is not the feel good movie of the year , but it is charming in its own way and worth checking out
Stranger Than Fiction - every couple of years , will ferrell takes a break from dumb comedy and turns in a really cool performance in a movie i really like . this is one of them . he plays a guy who begins to hear the voice of a narrator and begins to realise that his life is just part of a novel being written . from that point he must figure out how to not to get killed in the final chapter . this is a very entertaining movie with great performances by dustin hoffman , maggie gyllenhaal and emma thompson as well as ferrell . its funny , its sweet and has an excellent soundtrack (wreckless eric !). this is a movie that kinda slipped past me when it was in theatres and i am glad i didnt miss it . its definitely worth seeing . this is the best movie in this posting by far
Borat - just like on the ali g show , this show will have you laughing your head off at one moment , cringing the next and back to hilarity again . its the trans american tale of a reporter *wink* from kahzakstan , who is out to discover what america is really about . its subversive as any movie can be and lives up to everything you have heard about it , good or bad . its amazing what sasha baron cohen can get real people to admit on camera and despite the controversy , shows you just what kind of horrible people there are out there . this is definitely worth watching , but be prepared , there are some very uncomfortable scenes in amongst the absolutely hysterical .
Black Snake Moan - when i saw the trailer i saw a very sexy looking christina ricci chained to a radiator by samuel l jackson , with a soundtrack of southern dirty blues and i said to myself , i gotta check this out . then i noticed it was directed by the same guy who did last year's hustle & flow , which i liked a great deal . i am glad i went to check this one out . this movie isnt what i expected at all . it was a character study about damaged people , who need each other to save themselves from themselves . in the wrong hands this movie could have been horribly sleazy , but this movie treats its characters with some respect and even its harshest moments are there to develop the plot and the bonds between the actors . the one quibble i had was the performance by justin timberlake . i dont have a prob with him normally , but everytime he apperaed , the movie ground to a halt . it looked like his acting chops just arent ready for such a stellar cast . visually , musically and emotionally , this is a good movie .
Fast Food Nation - i kinda hemmed and hawed about whether to see this movie or not . i just wasnt in the mood to see a an overwraught rant about the fast food and meat packing industries . what i didnt expect was how different this movie was from the book . this movie is much more character driven than i thought it would be and the cast for the most part is excellent . it follows two parallel tracks . one with the story of illegal immigrant workers who risk life and limb to work in the meat industry and the side of people who works for the fictionalized Mickey's restaurant corporation . by doing this you get to see all sides of the industry , yet the movie never gets preachy about it . there are scenes that are disturbing , but they are never there to be exploited , they are only there to be factual (they never got sued , so sadly , you know they got it right) . after seeing this , you may not want to head out for a quick burger , but you will be informed about what goes on in the fast food world and the type of living conditions that are changed for everyone involved . a surprisingly good movie about the sad world we have created
Casino Royale - after seeing this movie , there was only one question on my mind . what was all the fuss about ? best Bond ever ??? i think not . in the pantheon of bond movies , this movie deserves a resounding MEH . its not good and its not bad . its just there . wil daniel craig be a good bond ? i think in time he will be , but he didnt have a chance to do anything to prove it to me in this film . there was no story that needed a double O agent . there was no evil super villain , there were no cool gadgets , the 'bond girl' was bland and not seductive in any way . this movie lacked a good story . sure it had action sequences , but none that led to anything . the bad guy in the movie could just have easily been apprehended by a team of accountants rather than send in M16 . its not a bad movie , but the story was just rather lame . then again it was made by a team that didnt think it might be a good idea to make a 007 movie for release in 2_007 . i mean c'mon , its a natural . they have to give james bond a credible supervillain , not just some pseudo baddie with a penchant for texas hold em , which in itself is dull to watch . if you are looking for excitement , give this movie a pass , but otherwise its worth a look . hopefully better days lie ahead for the bond franchise
most of these moves all seem to be off the beaten track , but its often these movies that last with with us the longest
Enjoy !!
lordy lordy . another soaking wet , rainy weekend in vancouver . if you are also trapped inside , i hope these will help alleviate the cabin fever
I'm in Your Base - cute and funny pics on my friend arin's site
Shorts in Motion - a collection of short films online
Can We Kiss ? - a cool short from france
Malcolm X on Frontpage Challenge - retro canuck game show goodness
Rock n' Roll Disciples - a documentary about the wonderful world of elvis presley fanatics
Sherlock Holmes Part I - coool russian mystery toon
Sherlock Holmes Part II
NotStarring.Com - see who directors initially wanted in movies and who eventually played the part
Pulp Fiction Typography - the language of words
The Happiest Monster - funny animated short
MadTV - The iRack - this is one of the funniest things this show has done in ages
Baby Name Voyager - see where the name you are thinking of ranks
This Day in Music - find out what happened on this day in the crazy history of rock n' roll
Welcome to Pottersville - a collection of FoxNews abuse of the scroll at the bottom of their screen . funny & sad
Internet Safety Tips - warnings that we should all heed
Tim O'Brien Illustration - cool illustrations , but the site may resize your browser window the next time you open it grrrrrrr
Speed Painting with Ketchup & Fries - fun with morgan spurlock
Kusama's World of Dots - a fun little flash doodling site
Panther House - web design oddness
Dato & Ilana Yahav - cool sand painting video
Looking Down on Africa - literally . cool pics from above
360 Degree Panorama of Mars - cooooooooooooooooooool pic
Image Mosaic Generator - cool mosaics you can enlarge to see what is used to make them
Sand Castles - from harrison lake which is just a few miles down the highway from me
If i do say so myself , not a bad crop of links this week
Enjoy !!
2 more loads of laundry to go . i guess i have a few minutes to post some links
Movies in 5 Seconds - a good crops of movies condensed , so you dont have to sit thru them
Napkin Art - art contest with galleries of the entries
Animated Exercises - if you are like me , spring is a time to get yourself back into decent shape . here are some simple routines to try
Throughout Iran - tons of pics from persia
Stop the Big Brother State - cool little animation about freedoms
Black Viper - he's baaaaaack . make sure your pc is faster and safer using his handy recommendations & tips
I Can Has a Cheezburger ? - funny pics of pets
Bjorky Cats - fun video with cats
How Nerdy Are You ? - i scored 46% . i guess i have one foot in both camps
Photo Personality Test - interesting app that uses your pic preferences to determine your character . by the same ppl who did the find the xmas gift for the impossible person to shop for
Stairway to Gilligans's Island - a funny tv and zeppelin mash up
8 Rules of Picture Composition - easy tips to take better pictures !
Trippy Mannnnnn - bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam
The New Yorker - the articles are still really cool , but the lame cartoons are now animated
Magnum Photos - cool black & white slide show
30 Strangest Deaths in History - an interesting but odd look at passing away
Fancy Urinals - dale chihouli didnt decorate any bathrooms i've ever been in
Dollar Origami - ya gotta know when to hold em and know when to fold em
George Lange Photos - a video slide show that is varied and cool
Stardust Memories - the famous old casino is no more
Why Do You Stay Up So Late ? - point & click flash poetry
Monster Brains - a collection of art macabre
Fun With Patterns - a pick your pattern and play time killer
Happy St Patrick's Day - and a couple other goofy videos
Happy Drunken Dialing - for when you get home after a night of drinking green beer *dial*
Enjoy !!
lordy lordy how quickly the links add up........
Speed Painting of Thom Yorke - cool photoshop drawing skillz while you listen to Radiohead's Street Spirit and Karma Police
10 Sites For Free & Legal Torrents - yay free music !!
Billboards You Will Never See - fun with advertising
GIMP - a free open source pic editting application . very cool
Its Like Carving on Egg Shells - there is even separate pages for emu and ostrich
Impossible Geography Game - you have 10 minutes to name all 192 nations of the world . on your mark get set GO !!
An Easier Geography Game - broken down by region so maybe one day you can finish the previous link
Spinning Strings - you draw em , they spin em
404 Research Lab - a collection of unusual html error pages
Saturnalia - coooooooooool pic
Getting a Driver's License Part 1 - fun with the department of motor vehicles
Getting a Driver's License Part 2
Global Per Capita Maps - an interesting assortment of data maps that put things in perspective
Borat in 30 Seconds - this makes much more sense AFTER you've seen the movie
ZoomQuilt 2 - slow to load , but once it does , slide the slider on the left to the right and go for a quick zooooooom
Potapych - the Bear Who Loved Vodka - animation from Russia
Are you Stoopid ?? - i took the test and was 23% stoopid
You Dont Know Jack - the very fun classic trivia game is back and online
Ketchup Art - didi mao ?
WallyWare - humorous pottery
Evil in the Clouds - cool eclipse irony
Renato Alarcao - cool art site
Macro Bugs - i may have posted this before , but they are pretty cool pics
Coooooool Grafitti - these are the kind you dont mind seeing
Top 10 Firefox Addons to Increase Productivity - these are a good crop to look thru and see which d/ls are the ones for you
Dirty Car Art - you cant just get away with 'wash me' anymore
Enjoy !!
I have a few moments on a very slow sunday morning , so i'll do a few more quickie reviews . i've been seeing a lot of movies lately . a lot more than i had intended to . usually my winter blitz is over once the oscars are . maybe my body clock hasnt adapted to the osacrs being so early this year . i dunno but there will likely be another movie post or two down the road
Babel - cool website and its what i thought was the best movie of 2006 . this movie expertly weaves seemingly unrelated plot lines from all over the world and combines them into one powerful story . the ensemble cast is just amazing in this movie. everyone in this movie gives a powerful performance as the movies shows these separate experiences of trying to communicate in extreme circumstances . the separate plots are starkly different from one another . yet each deals with miscommunication . they each show a commun human dignity and despite language barriers , there are more similarities between people of foreign cultures than differences . an important message in the current state of the world . there are scenes in this movie that will remain with me forever . this is an amazing movie . dont miss it
The Prestige - its funny how the big studies release movies of similar subject matter at the same time . luckily this movie was different enough from the illusionist that you dont get a sense of deja vu throughout . this movie is about the obsessive rivalry between 2 magicians who compete for love and fame all their lives . the movie takes you thru a lot of twists and turns which to me were mostly predictable . it was like watching a magic trick that you knew the secret of . that plus the fact that i had no sympathy for christian bale's character and only some for hugh jackman's made it hard to become involved with the story . visually there are some pretty cool scenes , especially involving the world of nikolai tesla , well played by david bowie , but i just never got involved in the rivalry bewteen the two and the plot twists were obvious . in the end this movie rates a 'just ok' for me , but my sister really liked it
Trailer Park Boys - The Movie - this is one of the all time best tv shows to ever come out of canada . its hystercially funny and the heart of the tv show is the low budget , hand held documentary film style . i was a bit worried that given a movie budget and hollywood influence , that the simpleness of the show would be loss . you can see that they tried to do their best , but there was too much filmcraft and watering down that got in the way of the classic trailer park story telling .you can really see the movie the wanted to make in the deleted scenes and its a shame that that miove isnt the final product . it looks way funnier . instead of having the boys crazy schemes causing them to wind up going back to jail , they end with a hokey & schmaltzy marriage between ricky and lucy . in the commentary , the director talks about how ivan reitman tweaked the story to be more palatable for a middle american audience and thats really what the problem with this movie is . for die hard fans , there isnt much new to see and some of what is recapped is different than on the tv lore . its just not as funny as when the reins arent there. for a new viewer , the story is kinda lame and for a long time fan , this is a kinda pale imitation . i'm just glad that a 7th season of the tv show is in the can and will be televised soon .
Shut Up & Sing - this was an intersting little doumentary about the uproar that the conservative right made over one american's opinion . its troubling that so many people want to attack , en masse , one persons right to free speech and in this case the the criticism turns into out and out corporate censorship and media driven hatred . just because a singer says that she is ashamed that her president is from the state that she is from , she is pilloried and receives death threats . how fucked up is that ? i'm not really a fan of the dixie chicks , but you can sure sympathize with them throughout this movie . its just shameful how the hard american right emboldens hatred towards those that they disagree with . this documentary tells this tale well .
Flags of Our Fathers - or Iwo Jima Part I . this movie looks at the battle for iwo jima during wwii and more specifically follows the lives of the the three soliders used by the army for recruitment purposes , from the famous picture of marines raising the flag on mt sarabachi . not the soldiers who actually first raised the flag on sarabachi and not the soldiers form the film of the flag rasing that was shot another island weeks later . its the soldiers from the famous 'second picture' who toured the states raising war bond money . the movie makes no claims about the 'glory' of war . the battle scenes are just as they were , stark , devastating and violent . it also deals with how the poor kids deal with the lies that are told about them amongst alcohol and racism . at a time when they just want go go home and put all the horrors behind them , they are sent around the country as performing monkeys to relive there experinces over and over . the ensemble cast is excellent and clint eastwood just keeps getting to be a better director with every movie he makes . this is a good movie
Letters From Iwo Jima - apparently , when he was filming flags of our fathers , clint eastwood got the idea that he should really make a film about iwo jima fromt he perspective of the japanese soldiers who fought to their deaths over the 35 day battle . what he wound up with is a stunning movie that is far superior . in the past , any movie about iwo jima has been a celebration of the american invasion that never really pointed out how much the deck was stacked against them . the japanese were hugely outnumbered , under supplied and had no chance at all of succeeding . the real story is how bravely they fought in a batte that should have been ended weeks before . again clint shows the stark horror of war but this time you see the inherent humanity of the japanese . they are not just an evil enemy as previous iwo films have portrayed them . they are the same human beings that they are fighting . something that you always need to remember when young people are sent off to die in wars . this is an excellent film . check it out
it feels like i am just blathering this morning . i guess i am just too tired . i think i'll stop for now and do some more later in the week
good lord , its march already . not sure where febrauary went to , but at least spring is that much closer . plus with daylight savings being earlier this year, it wont be as dark . soon soon soon
Douglas Adams' - Hyperland - this is an interesting 1995 documentary about the internet and where it could be going . they didnt get it quite right , but some of the ideals are what the internet is supposed to be all about . (without the scarfy doctor who of course)
20 Amazing Animated Shorts - i'm pretty sure i posted this already , but in case i didnt , heres a great crop of animations to check out . some classics
The Top 500 Pictures on the Net - slow to load , but thats cuz theres 500 cool pics to check out
Happy 86th Abe ! - one of the oldest sites on the net
Jen Stark Art - cool sculpture , drawing and sketches
Dylan Hears a Who - some theodore geisel as sung by robert zimmerman
The Splendor of Flight - a cool selection of pics from the website of a russian airline pilot
Creepy Christian Clowns - and an equally creepy training video
Strong Kids , Safe Kids - The Fonz and friends teach kids about sex n stuff
Monstropedia - your one stop monster reference
David Bowie - Life on Mars ? - my all time favourite bowie song
Geosense - a cool , but hard online game that teaches you world geography
Fun With Grafitti - cuz you dont mind it that much when its funny
Russian Mafia Tombstones - something about these pics is both cool and creepy
Swooping the Alps - very cool video from a jet fighter that is flying very close to mountains
William Shatner Taking Direction - very funny audio of shatner obliging someone who doesnt know what theyare talking about , to the point of embarassment
Life - A Journey Through Time - a pictoral time line of the planet earth and how it developed . very cool
Dead Bugs - macro photograph de la muerte
The Czechs Are #1 - at consuming vast quantities of beer
Do You Use FaceBook ? - i dont , but if you do , you might wanna check this out . its kinda scary
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR Louisiana i got 49 in 4 minutes & 36 seconds and then spent 5 minutes and 24 seconds not thinking of the pelican state .
- Art Illusions - optical trickery in illustration
Fan Nation - a beta sports news filter , broken down by the region and sport you choose
All Terrain Skate Board - these look like they'd be kinda fun
The Principles of Economics Translated into English - a pretty funny interpretation of economics
Kiss Kiss , Bang Bang - a really cool film that most everyone missed and you should check out . here is a Q&A at the toronto film fest by the filmamkers
Enjoy !!
the oscars are over and the winter movie blitz is almost over too . theres still a couple more i'm planning on checking out , so i'll have at least one more review post soon . in the meantime , here's what i thought about these.......
United 93 - in case you are worried , it is not too early to see this film . this movie is exceptionally good . it follows the events of the fateful 9/11 plane from take off to its demise in real time using as many of the real people as possible and you never were aware that they were acting . the rest of the movie was cast with part time actors who did the job they portray . there are no movie startrs and thats what gives this movie its realism . this movie is very suspenseful , because you know what the ending will be , but also cuz they dont wallow in human emotion and feelings . in the wrong hands this movie could have been smaltzy propaganda (right or left) instead its a straightforward account of the day....and brilliant cinema . do not miss it
The Departed - best film of the year ? i'm not sure about that , but its still a really good film nonetheless . its gritty and yes theres a lot of swearing , but dont let that stop you . the cast is excellent and i have no idea why jack nicholson didtn get an oscar nomination . i'm kinda tired of jack , but he was sure great in this . the rest of the cast is really good too in a well directed and well though out story . i think the reason i didnt like it more was i felt that something was missing . i couldnt put my finger on what it was until i learned that it was a remake of a hong kong gangster film called infernal affairs . it was then when i imagined this story over a stark & stylistic asian background . i'm sure the suspense would be more heightened and thats what i kinda missed with this movie . i'm gonna check the hong kong movie soon , so will let you know if i was right or not . this is still a really good movie . its scorsese and his films are usually worth a watch
Half Nelson - this is a cool little indy film about a struggling inner city teacher who is battling drug addiction . ryan reynolds was nominated for an oscar as the teacher , but if it wasnt for the incredible stoic performance of his young costar, shareeka epps , this movie would have gone nowhere . we've all seen a movie about someone sliding into substance abuse . thats not new territory , but its the comapssion and survival instincts of this young actress that bring this movie to a whole new level . she should have been nominated . its a good movie , but not great , so if you arent in the mood for an addiction movie , pass . if you'd like to see an incredible acting performance , check it out
Jesus Camp - this is the reason why i hate evangelical christians . they are programmed , propaganda driven people who want to make everyone follow there arbitrary set of rules and have no tolerance for any viewpoints other than ones that they have been spoonfed to them . apparently they also want to create a new generation of kids to grow up and take away other ppls freedoms , just because it doesnt fit in with their often hypocritical views . this is a movie that should be seen to show you what kinda nut jobs are out there . its scary
Marie Antoinette - this is a beatiful looking film . it just wasnt my cup of tea . it is an emotionally apologetic take on life of the infamous french queen , that to me lacked a story . i'm sure it was planned that way , but where the emotional worked in lost in translation , it just didnt grab my attention here . though it was interesting to have a peek into the lives of the french court and its insanely rigid rules of protocol , i just needed a story to go with it . the use of a techno pop soundtrack over period france also didnt work for me . even though i liked all the songs . they just didnt belong . this movie may be better if you are stoned and the juxstapositions become more entertaining ? i dunno . thats not my thing and neither was this movie . i hope sophia coppola keep smaking films though . she is a refrshing new voice in american cinema irregardless of this film
The U.S, Vs. John Lennon - ummmm dunno what to think about this documentary . its a primer about the 60s anti war movement i suppose and its release was certainly timed for the 2006 election , but its was nothing i hadnty seen before and seen done better . there are still good things about the movie . if you havent seen the lennon story , heres a quick overview . theres great tunes , great interviews and great passion from one of the most creative people of the 2oth century . the guy was a genius (check out his books . theyre great !) . so any time to spend a little time with him is worth it . there are just better lennon movies out there to see .
Lives of Others - as much as i liked pan's labyrinth , this was easily my choice for best foreign language film and the academy awards people didnt disagree . this movie folows the lives of an east gernman spy and the subjects he spies on for his government . it is an exceptional film that look at each characters motivations and does so objectively and humanly . this film takes a serious look at a government that feels an ease on spying on its citizens , yet never gets preachy about it . its treats all of its characters compassionately , yet still gets its message across . a truly great film , with a great cast and expertly directed. dont miss it
Children of Men - this is a very bleak story for most of the picture . its about a futursitic , patriot act world where the population of the planet has become infertile . everyone is watched , bigotries and intolerances are inflamed and the society has broken down under the weight of its corporate masters . enter the ever trench coated clive owens , who has to save the only chance the human population of earth has left . his arc from privelege to the rejected and pursued is an interesting ride that comments on hard lefters as harshly it does on the hard right . it tries to show that decency should rise above . throughout the movie though , i was tired of the in your face bleakness and by the time somewhat hopeful and sad ending arrived i was glad it was over . it was after the movie ended and i was sitting on my own that this movie came back to me . it really raises a lot of questions about where this world is going and we can only hope that we smarten up in time to end the idiocy that has invaded our world governments . this movie does create a very scary picture of what could be and hopefully its will help stir people up so its a world that never happens . bleak but eventually uplifting and worth seeing for those days when you are up for this kinda thing
out of time for today , more reviewlets coming soon
