Archive
Movie Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Summary:
Mr. Fox promised his mate when she got pregnant to stop raiding the local farms and settle down to a safe journalism job, but when they move to a tree close to three farms, he finds night raids irresistible. Soon the woodland critters and the farmers are in an all-out battle of wits.
Review:
OMG I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!
First, it is done in delicious stop-motion animation. The whole film is truly a piece of art. My particular favorite is when they do cut-aways of the animals’ homes and tunnels below-ground. It looks so incredibly real. It reminds me of my well-loved books growing up that would cut-away animal homes like beaver houses and show you their house inside, complete with beds and stoves. Swoon.
Second, there’s the storyline. I’ve always loved the crafty animals out-witting the farmers from basically the first day I could read. This may have been an indication of my future vegetarianism.
Third, there’s the characters. The three farmers each have their own personalities. The animals have more well-rounded characterization than I’ve seen for people in most tv shows. For instances, Mr. Fox’s nephew, Kristofferson, is a naturally calm soul who knows karate and meditates every day contrasted with Mr. Fox’s son, Ash, who just wants to be a bandit and is pretty much perpetually angry.
Fourth, there’s the soundtrack. There’s a wonderful folk tune about halfway through the movie that is very reminiscent of the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? another one of my all-time favorite movies.
Finally, there’s the fact that Dahl dealt with adult language in a kids’ film by replacing any swear word with the word “cuss.” This results in the adult animals saying wonderful things like “What the cuss?!” Brilliant.
I probably should also mention the fact that Mr. Fox is voiced by George Clooney who is always swoon-worthy.
I honestly can’t think of anyone who would dislike this movie. I suppose if you hate animals and have no soul you might not like it. All others need to go watch it immediately.
5 out of 5 stars
Source: Zune on Xbox
Movie Review: Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Summary:
It looks like a meteor has crashed near a small town, but it actually is a space ship. A space ship that looks exactly like a giant circus tent. Oh, and did I mention that it’s full of aliens that look like deformed clowns armed with guns that shoot cotton candy that wraps its victims up into cocoons? Facing off against these creatures are a teenage gal, her current flame, and the cop who used to date her. Will anyone in the town survive the night?
Review:
Confession. I used to be deathly afraid of clowns. We’re talking 5 year old me would instantaneously cry upon merely seeing one at a distance. Although I’m mostly over that now, I was a bit nervous that watching a clown horror movie would stir things back up. Well, I definitely wouldn’t call this a horror movie.
It is the perfect blend of ridiculousness and horror tropes that it takes to make a deliciously campy horror film. I found myself laughing throughout and delighted at the various directions the writers took traditional circus elements to make them dangerous and evil.
There’s popcorn that turns into evil clown heads (but only after being in a dark space). People are turned into pods of cotton candy that hang ominously inside the ship. The balloon animals come to life and are evil. To someone who always found the circus a bit….odd….it’s totally delightful.
The movie also has its own theme song that is still earworming me days later. The song, clothes, and acting are all wonderfully 80s. From the main girl’s hair to the grouchy cop to the teens running an ice cream truck in an attempt to get girls, it gets just the right combination of elements that screams–this is why the 80s was awesomely weird.
If you appreciate camp, the 80s, or light horror, you’ll enjoy this film.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Book Review: Scott Pilgrim By Bryan Lee O’Malley (Graphic Novel) (Series, #1-5)
Summary:
Canadian Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old and has a case of what to do with myself quarter life crisis. He’s living in a studio apartment with Wallace (who is very gay), dating a 17 year old, and doesn’t have a job, but at least he’s got his band. Then he meets American Ramona Flowers and falls for her. Dating her comes with a catch, though. He’s got to defeat her 7 evil exes who really seem to enjoy jumping him when he least expects it.
Review:
Scott Pilgrim takes typical 20-something ennui and spices it up with a heavy dose of ninja fighting and videogame references, hitting its target audience dead-on. It’s the perfect mix of connection over real life issues and over generational references. It’s more than just a day in the life of Scott mixed with fighting evil exes, though. There’s a mystery to the whole situation. Why is Scott such a good fighter? Why does he fall so quickly for Ramona when nothing seems that special about her? What is up with Ramona anyway? It had me wishing that the sixth volume was out already so I could find out. (It comes out this summer).
The art is relatively average. Some of the characters and scenes are really well-drawn, but some of the minor characters blend together, particularly the women. I was left really confused about some of the women until later in the series where O’Malley put together a listing of all the characters. Even then, I thought they looked a bit too much alike. On the other hand, the art handles delicate scenes like sex and fighting really well, so it all balances out.
What really makes the series, though, is the creativity of the exes and the battles. They range from skateboarding to evil robots at concerts to races through value warehouse stores to (my absolute favorite) vegans with superpowers. Seriously, they have superpowers because they’re vegans. It’s the most awesome idea! Plus, there is a recipe for vegan shepherd’s pie given in the context of the story that I absolutely must try.
I definitely recommend this series to all 20-somethings, videogamers, and ninja-lovers. Plus, the movie version starring Michael Cera is coming out this summer, so you may as well whet your appetite for it by reading the books first.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Borrowed
Books in Series:
Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life
Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Volume 3: Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness
Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe
Volume 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour (release date: July 20, 2010)
Movie Review: Back from the Edge (2006)
Summary:
This is a documentary produced by New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is an Axis II personality disorder that generally first shows up in teen years or young adulthood. According to the DSM-IV-TR, to be diagnosed, a person must have 5 or more of the following 9 symptoms:
- frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment (some clinicians expand this to include fear of abandonment)
- a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
- unstable self-image or sense of self (identity disturbance)
- impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (such as sex, spending, substance abuse, reckless driving, etc…)
- recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, threats or self-mutilating behavior (such as cutting, burning, head banging, etc…)
- a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
- chronic feelings of emptiness
- inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger
- transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms (from page 710 of the DSM)
BPD affects approximately 10 million Americans or about 2% of the population. It is more prevalent than bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. 75% of those with BPD are female.
This documentary features interviews with people who have BPD, their families, and leading clinicians specializing in BPD such as Dr. John Gunderson, Dr. Marsha Linehan, and Dr. Perry Hoffman.
Review:
This documentary is divided into sections starting with each of the symptoms then leading through causes, treatment options, and hope for remission. Each section start with a quote directly from a person with BPD.
This documentary is beautifully done. We see pictures of the people with BPD from their past including both the good times and the bad. We also see excerpts from their journals and letters sent to others. The clinicians all display evident empathy and desire to help not only the patients but their families, friends, and other loved ones. The family members are given the space to express their confusion over their loved ones’ behaviors before they were diagnosed and relief after.
It’s not common to see a documentary of a mental illness that does such an excellent job of humanizing an illness that can be scary both to those who have it and those who don’t. The clinicians carefully explain in clear terms the causes behind the most frightening BPD symptoms–self-injury, clinging, and suicidal ideation (a lack of caring whether or not you die). They show real brain scans comparing BPD brain activity with that of non-BPD brain activity.
My only complaint is that they do not discuss the fact that numerous studies have shown a marked prevalence of abusive childhoods among people with BPD. They are far more likely than the non-BPD person to have been abused physically, emotionally, or sexually by at least one caregiver. I believe they generally left this out from a desire to create a welcoming atmosphere for family members, but it is important for people to know that it takes both a certain environment and the BPD-specific brain chemistry and pathways for BPD to develop.
That said, this is still a very important documentary. It offers so much hope for both those with BPD and those who care for someone with BPD. The filmmakers obviously want the public to know that BPD is treatable, contrary to the stigma attached to it. Most people with BPD who get treatment go into remission (most of the symptoms are gone) in about 2 years. It is so important for everyone to understand mental illnesses. I highly recommend this documentary.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: library
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Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Summary:
Po is a great big tub of a panda bear helping his dad run a noodle restaurant in Valley of Peace. He dreams of doing kung fu, in spite of his large size and being generally out of shape. When the valley is threatened by an escaped evil kung fu master and coincidence leads to Po being named the Dragon Warrior, he gets his chance to see if he can handle kung fu alongside the Master Shifu and his students, the Furious Five–Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper, and Monkey.
Review:
Although in some ways it’s your predictable kid’s movie (I mean, just look at the Furious Five’s names), in other ways it is delightfully surprising. Po’s dreams of being a kung fu warrior are pretty much just dreams to him. He never seriously thinks he could do it. He just likes watching from afar, but when the chance comes up to actually do it, he steps right up to the plate.
Sight gags are numerous, and the animation is largely delightful. All the birds have a certain adorable quality to them, and the Valley of Peace’s inhabitants are largely cute bunnies and pigs. Kung Fu Panda pokes fun at itself, such as with the fact that Po’s father, a bird, is not really his father. This rather obvious fact is used for jokes, but is never addressed.
Probably what is most enjoyable about the film, though, is that although Po becomes proficient at kung fu, his size doesn’t change. He goes from out of shape and large to in shape and large. Indeed, his belly fat ends up helping him out. Master Shifu admits that the struggles at first were largely his fault in trying to teach Po the way he taught the others, when Po is his own individual person.
A fun message supported by good animation, a cute storyline, and an all-star voice cast including Jack Black, Jackie Chan, and Angelina Jolie, Kung Fu Panda is definitely worth the watch.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Video on Demand
Movie Review: No Impact Man: The Documentary (2009)
Summary:
Colin Beavan writes history books, but when he decides that the future is just as important, he sets his sights on living with no impact on the environment for one year. This is complicated by the fact that he, his wife, Michelle, and their two year old daughter live in a fifth avenue apartment in New York City. As they gradually eliminate elements of their life from coffee (since it can’t be locally grown) to electricity, they both question their true motives and impact on others.
Review:
This is really two movies in one. One is about the modern environmental movement and the other about a year in the life of a couple.
Michelle and Colin are a bit of an odd match. She craves Starbucks lattes, Marc Jacobs bags, loves her job at Business Week, and wants more kids. He….well, it isn’t entirely clear what he wants. In the moments when he forgets the camera is there, it seems that he almost feels guilty for living. That he feels guilty for humanity existing at all. Michelle agreed to the project because she wanted to live a moderate existence and she felt that the year would snap her out of her shopping and tv watching addictions, whereas Colin feels guilty about using toilet paper because one tree might die. He clearly views humanity as a pariah, which leaves me wondering why he agreed to get married in the first place. That saddens me, because the environmental movement should be about embracing humanity as a part of nature. We’re not overlords or a pariah; we’re just the animals with the greatest impact on the planet.
The documentary is intriguing to watch. It strikes just the right pace. Viewers less familiar with the movement will be shocked at the worm bin (I lived with one made by my old roommate, Nina). They’ll be surprised and delighted at the dishes Colin creates using only locally grown food throughout the year, an introduction to the localvore movement to viewers who may not have heard about it. Hopefully they’ll be able to see past the extremes Colin takes it to and realize that some elements of the movement are very much worth working into their life. For instance, at the end of the year, Michelle herself says that she wants to keep biking to work and going to the farmer’s market. She enjoys the health benefits of biking built into her day and the sense of community from knowing the people who grew her food. Personally, I like to view the environmental movement more as a lifestyle movement. Hopefully viewers will see those aspects of it through the hype and Colin’s self-hating guilt.
This documentary is absolutely worth the watch. If you enjoyed Morgan Spurlock’s more well-known documentaries, you will enjoy this film.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Movie Review: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)
Summary:
Don Ready has built his career on helping failing car dealerships save the business with 4 day selling strategizing extravaganzas. Everything is going as it usually does until Don falls for the business owner’s engaged daughter. Can he win her over? Can she or his friends mend his damaged heart?
Review:
It’s a good enough sounding plot fleshed out by an all-star cast known for their comedy abilities–Jeremy Piven, Ken Jeong, and Ed Helms among them. Unfortunately, it suffers from a bad script and falls flat. Attempts at being funny just induce cringes. The characters either lack motivation entirely or their motivation is so overly contrived that it lacks believability. For instance, we’re supposed to believe that Don Ready was wounded when as a child he traded a ball you sit and hop on for one of those peddle cars in the hopes of getting the attention of a neighbor girl, only to have her still like the other boy better. Um. Ok. I don’t think 7 year olds really think like that…..
Anyone who reads my blog knows that I don’t have a pc sense of humor. I’m not uptight by any means, but I do think there’s a line, and The Goods really crosses it with one situation that is repeatedly played for humor. The used car lot owner has a 10 year old son who has a pituitary problem that gives him the body of a 20 something. One of the female characters is very attracted to him and repeatedly tries to bed him. Although the other characters all scold her and tell her to lay off, the audience is clearly supposed to laugh at this. Child abuse is not funny. Ever.
Fortunately Ed Helms of The Office is around to save things. His scenes are all actually amusing, and we get the chance to sample his singing talents, which are always enjoyable.
Overall, the movie isn’t horrible, it just isn’t worth the time. I’d like those 90 minutes of my life back, please. If you’re looking for bawdy humor, check out The Hangover or Superbad and skip this one.
2 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Movie Review: Bolt (2008)
Summary:
Bolt is the star of a weekly tv action show in which he protects the little girl he loves from evil masterminds using his super doggy powers such as the super bark. The producers, however, have worked hard to make sure Bolt doesn’t know it’s not real, so when he accidentally gets shipped to NYC, he’s in for a bit of a surprise. Lucky for him along the way he teams up with an alley cat and a hamster who help him truly become a super dog.
Review:
Anyone who knows me knows I have a thing for talking animal movies. It’s probably got something to do with the fact that in the imagination land that is my head, I tend to create my own soundtrack for the animals around me, so when dogs in a movie see a ball and we hear them saying “ball! ball! ball!” instead of barking….yeah, I’m hooked.
That said, I wasn’t intrigued by the preview at all. It all seemed so contrived, that I went into it expecting not to like it. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. The story manages to be cute and believable enough. Bolt isn’t egotistic. He’s intensely loyal in a way only dogs can be. He’s been led to believe he can shoot lasers with his eyes, and it’s kind of adorable when he tries to melt iron in the real world.
The characters he meets along the way are the best of what we’ve come to expect from animated movies. From the bad-ass alley cat to the over-exuberant hamster to the gangster pigeons they all work together to make Bolt’s non-television world the vibrant place it becomes.
The overall message of Bolt is actually quite delightful, and a surprise coming from Disney. Only when Bolt comes to accept that over-the-top superpowers are fake can he come to be the best dog he can be in the real world.
I would definitely show this to kids, but anyone who enjoys animated movies without shout-outs to adults watching will enjoy this film.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Movie Review: Seven (1995)
Summary:
Detective Sommerset is almost ready to retire. He just has to introduce the new detective, Mills, to the inner-city beat, but two grisly murders mark the appearance of a serial killer. His murders are each a punishment for one of the seven deadly sins, and Mills will need all the help from Sommerset he can get to solve the crimes.
Review:
For those of us who grew up on CSI, grisly crime scenes are nothing new. What makes them work in this film is their subtle and not so subtle associations with each of the seven deadly sins. The English major in me gloried at the detectives’ research into Dante’s works. The crimes are not just well thought-out; they are literary.
Beyond the crimes though is the story of the two detectives ever resonating just beneath the surface. With a job this grisly in such a bad part of town, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t have a family and live here, and you can’t do this job anywhere else. Sommerset chose the job, but he clearly wonders if that will be the best choice for Mills.
Pitt, Freeman, and Spacey are all great actors, and they do not disappoint here. I do think they miscast Paltrow as Mills’ wife, however. She doesn’t read as blue collar whatsoever, whereas Mills does. There seems to be little chemistry between the two, and I am certain that is due to Paltrow’s acting. Her doe eyes do not suit the character.
Although the story can move a bit slowly at times, it is an enjoyable watch for anyone with a literary slant and a taste for the grisly.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Movie Review: Black Dynamite (2009)
Summary:
When Black Dynamite’s brother turns up dead, he comes out of ass kicking retirement to clean up the city streets. There’s more going on than originally met his eye, though. It’s a damn good thing the CIA reissued him his license to kill.
Review:
There’s not much that I love more in my movies than ones that are knowingly making fun of themselves. Black Dynamite is simultaneously a satire of 1970s blaxploitation films and a mockery of itself. The dialogue, characters, outfits, and story are so bad that they’re good, and it’s that bad on purpose. That makes it awesome in my book.
The acting is excellent. You believe in the characters in spite of the ridiculous situations and conversations they’re having. The soundtrack is amazing. It sounds just like 1970s music, only it has specially written lyrics that go along with the story. The storyline is so outlandish that it lands in the awesome zone. If you enjoyed Bill Murray’s appearance in Zombieland, you’re going to like Black Dynamite‘s storyline.
Black Dynamite is hilarious and unique. If you enjoy kitschy, crazy plot, dialogue, and characters, you’ll like it as much as I do.
5 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
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