Post your movies here. In theater, DVDs and the like.

I live very close to Sony Studios - something big happening... more semi-trailer grip trucks than I have seen in a long time. They're filming 24/7. Suspect a big musical in process or another Indiana Jones type thing.

My next film: Narnia. Gonna try and see it at the El Capitan in H'wood.

My last film: the re-cut of Strangers on a Train. Very nice - the added few minutes of Farley Granger aping at Robert Walker adds creepiness - plus Casey Rogers comes off as less of a mosquito.

Ironman Pretty good movie. Strong actors, good plot, well executed. What's not to like.

Highly recommended.

Really? Looked like a kid-flick. Is the film better than the trailer?

The film is very good. My movie buddy liked the movie a lot. We both have seen a lot of independent and foreign films.

For both of us, this movie rocked.

I popped in "The Lost Boys" in the ol' DVD player yesterday. I had forgotten that it's the gayest movie since "The Warriors." Oh, and Kiefer Sutherland as the leader of the badass juvenile deliquent vampires. For pre-CGI horror, production values are decent. But dear G-d, it's Liberace gay-gay-gayety-gay.

Iron Man.

go see it.

Now.

Jeff Bridges is phenomenal.

The Red Balloon (1956)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048980/

Quote:
Just like a balloon: unless someone holds my string, I'll float away.

Mortal Thoughts (1991)

I stumbled across this movie ten years on cable. Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel and the always wonderful Glenne Headley. Mystery, suspense and strong characters make this a movie with emotional depth that is just as good on the small screen as at the cineplex.

I shall look for that one, who. Thanks for the heads up my dear.

Blades of Glory, funniest thing I've seen in a long time

ANd twice a month, The Big Lebowsky

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

Listening to the rationale Nixon and others give for staying in Vietnam, you'd swear that the Bush Crime Family members are just giving the same speeces with Vietnam crossed out and Iraq written in.

I also recommend "The Invasion". It's the latest version of the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" story. Both are on DVD.

I LOVE the Red Balloon. Same color technique was used in Jour de Fete.

This last weekend, we did a Pink Panther retrospective - all the films except Trail (which really sucks). Still think A Shot In the Dark is the funniest.

Ironman is cool.

Stuff upcoming that looks halfway decent:

The Visitor
Chaos Theory
Hancock
Kung Fu Panda
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden
Get Smart
The Fall
Hellboy 2
The Happening
The Love Guru
Wanted
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The Oxford Murders
The Sparrow
2012
The City of Ember
The Mutant Chronicles
Star Trek 11
Avatar
The Conspirator
Igor
Singularity
The International
Twilight
State of Play

There's a big one in production right now called Angels and Demons with Tom Hanks. Those of you who live in L.A. can take a trip over to Hollywood Park (racetrack) right now and see a reproduction of the Vatican in wood and plaster - it's very huge and very cool. Security is a little tight so you can only drive past. My buddy who supplies lumber for theater and film says shooting starts first week of June and that's when the screens will go up, blocking your view.

http://www.amazon.com/Goyas-Ghosts-Javier-...8923&sr=8-1

Saw Milos Forman's "Goya's Ghosts" a week or so before I moved to my new home.
A good political film about what happened up to and including the time of Napoleon taking over Spain; with Natalie Portman playing a young Jewish woman who is victimized by the Inquisition and cast adrift in a world of shifting and shitty values.

Read the book. Really liked it.

I read the book. Unlike Da Vinci Code it was awful. How it could be made into a decent movie I don't know.

Hellboy 2? The first one was big fun. Maybe this one will have Dick Cheney instead of that creepy wind-up German guy with sand in his veins.

The Red Balloon was a wonderful movie. From France also released in 1956 is Mon Oncle (My Uncle)-Jaques Tati. Very charming and funny.

I actually liked it better than Da Vinci Code. Different tastes I guess.

I found his description of the illuminati so hackneyed I was offended. There's way too much out there truthful and not describing what the illuminati for him to describe them as he did. The plot was basically the same as Da Vinci Code. And then to top things off the female lead sleeps with the male lead less than 24 hours after her step dad who she loved died? No mourning period? I know how upset I was when my dad died, and we weren't even close. No, there was too much to suspend disbelief and enjoy it.

The plot definitely was a lot like Da Vinci Code, no argument there. I don't know that much about the Illuminati, I tend to steer clear of those topics. There is enough to try to figure out with our own government right now.

As for sleeping with someone shortly after the murder (which makes the death even more traumatic) of her step-father, some people actually would do something like that out of the need to feel close to someone. Its not necessarily the most common reaction, but it does happen.

Ok, I'll give you that. It struck me as a male sex fantasy however.

Strictly for laughs...and they were non-stop...today I had a big need for something silly so we went and saw Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo...it was ridiculous! I laughed my ass off...had a wonderful diversion from politics...it was hysterical!

In all honesty, most sex is thrown in there just to titillate the reader. I find most of it unnecessary to the story line but that's just me. For some people, its the highlight of the book.

I would imagine though if I knew a lot about the Illuminati that I would probably not have liked the book as much as I did. It was a good, fast read and easier for me to follow than Da Vinci Code was. When I read a novel, that's what I'm looking for, something fairly easy to read. Once in a great while I find a great book but that's rare. After a while, all mystery story lines start to run together.

Monterey Pop Festival. From Criterion. Great concert DVD. Fantastic music.

The 1967 Monterey Pop Festival was the first great rock festival. The proto Woodstock, this was the concert that put Janis Joplin, Otis Reading and Jimi Hendrix on the map. Watching Janet Joplin's performance mesmerize Mama Cass, Pete Townsend destroying his guitar , Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar, Laura Nyro (wrongly) thinking she bombed (everyone should "bomb" like she did) just to name a few.

I remember that festival. I think it was better than Woodstock, if I recall rightly.


Apocalypto - 2006

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472043/

I know there was controversey over this film, but had to admire Jaguar Paw's survival instincts. Love these kinds of movies, taking one deep into nature. Lot of gore though.

U.S. vs. John Lennon was a great movie. Not many people have seen it sadly. It did run on VH1, might re-run again. That is if the PTB's (powers that be) allow it.

Two of my favorite Irish films, Secret of Roan Inish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDgTq7GN4Yw

Into the West

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104522/

Okay, I finally finished the Tremors quadrilogy watching at lunch (have pity on me).

Here are the scores:

Tremors I: 3 1/2 stars
Tremors II: 1 star
Tremors III: negative 2 stars (and a permanent twitch)
Tremors IV: 2 stars - was surprised it was good

The Dude he aint no nice guy after all

from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvbUsa7P8cU...feature=related

to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE3qJkLbZgs...feature=related

Watch the movie at this link:

http://drawn.ca/2008/05/12/mutobyblu/

Spotted the release of this the other day on IMDB.

I can't believe it hasn't been available till now. It's been years since I've seen it, probably why. ;-)

Why?

I'm curious.

For instance. I grabbed "Next" on the DVR last month. Nick Cage movie about a person with foresight.

Made it 20 minutes in, realized it was just terrible and deleted from the DVR.

Why torture yourself? I like an occasional bad movie too, but only rarely.

Winter Passing (2005)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380817/





Zooey Deschanel (getting in character for Reese Holden)


Memorable quote at the dinner table:

Reese Holden: Grace? I thought you were an atheist?
I just can't believe this is the same man who told his six-year-old daughter that Christmas was a Republican capitalistic conspiracy created by the Hallmark Corporation and that, if Jesus were alive today he'd be down in Nicaragua rallying the Sandinistas. Grace Away.

Mudhoney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHuc35SG20


Faster pussycat kill kill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSdtmHhZd0I&NR=1


Quicksand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkkNAcxOq-o

Really. Watch it. It is astonishing.

Are any of you silent film fans?

Just watched the 1923 version of Hunchback of Notre Dame last night and it was terrific!

"Ballon! Ballon!"

Never fails to induce liquefaction.
Haven't yet managed to check this recent homage out:
IMDb: Voyage du ballon rouge, Le (2007)

Hell yeah!! Egads! It's like he reached down into the primordial sub conscience? I'll watch again and see what I missed, and what it does on the second view . . .

I also liked the sound/music by Andrea Martignoni; which reminded me of childhood.

The Original motion picture The Thing From Another Planet which featured James Arness in his first role. He played the thing.

Iron Man was good. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was just so, so!

I liked Ironman better than the new Indy Jones movie

"My Blueberry Nights"

Very inspiring, very moving.

Once A modern musical. Very natural, very flowing with a wonderful soundtrack.

Interesting story arc. Girl meets boy. Girl and boy love music. Girl has a kid and a missing spouse (dude needed to return). Boy is heartbroken and playing music. Girl gets boy off of his ass. Both make beautiful music (but with no sex) and both live happily ever after (with different partners)

I'm into sequelae lately. Just finihsed the Alien series of the Director's cut of each film.

Alien = 4 stars (out of 4); the addition of Dallas' cocooning is very creepy- worth the watch
Aliens = 3 stars; some plot holes, more toys for the boys
Alien3 = 2 stars; the Director's cut features the little dweeb eating its way out of a dead ox so not so offensive
Alien4 = 1 star; put it back in the can- acting and dialog not improved

So, several years ago when Alien 4 came out, my best friend got really excited. He made big plans. For my birthday we'd see the first 3 films, then go out and watched the 4th. The only problem was I've never really been a fan of the Alien series, he was. That night my worst fears were realized. When I closed my eyes to go to sleep what were the images I could see: aliens!

Watched "Lars and the Real Girl" yesterday.

An enjoyable and actually warm film about a town that goes out of it's way to deal with the social disorder one of it's inhabitants has.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805564/

I do stagecraft and once I made this full-scale half-maquette of the Alien emerging from a darkened "doorway" (panel with false perspective). In a dark house, this scared the beejebers outta my Halloween party guests
The Alien image, one of H.R.Giger's darkest nightmares, has the desired psychological effect. There's a "making of" disc that features an interview with Sigourney Weaver where she describes her first introduction to the full-scale Alien maquette. She went in bravely, but left quickly and asked for a brandy on the way out - you should catch this interesting interview and the one with Giger.

I thought "Alien Vs Predator" did a great job of breathing new life into the franchise.
The sequel, "Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem" would have been better if they left the teenagers out of it.

I saw either on IFC or Sundance or one of the many Encore channels. Can't remember, and can't find it in the search function. Oh woe, is me.