quick blog

Superbad

Jonah Hill's constant whining in the first 20 minutes annoyed the hell out of me, which set the tone for the rest of the movie. It certainly has its moments and I wouldn't argue Superbad's funniness, but I spent most of the movie wishing Jonah Hill would just shut the f--k up.



Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

A scatter piece. Feels like someone had to please 50 different producers, and then tried to slip in a thing or two of their own that they didn't know where else to put. I enjoyed the scene of Jack Sparrow in Davy Jones' locker-the look of the stark white, and hey, it's pirate adventures with Johnny Depp, but overall it was messy and still tries to ride the tails of the first.




We Own the Night

Actually better than I was expecting. The drama is well built, and the intensity of the characters' situations really come across.







Planet B-Boy

A recent fave. Any lover of hiphop could easily appreciate this one, and as a documentary is done quite well. Some nice graphics with an appropriate brief intro to bboying and hiphop, transitioning smoothly into the personal subjects, and the film's focal point-the international bboy competition. Well focused, with a nice balance between the subject and personal stories. Interviews are funny and even at times poignant, creating a light comedic touching tone. There's an awesome scene showing korean soldiers starting to break out in dance with a voice over interview of how soldiers are forbidden to dance. Pacing is just right, no lack of amazing dancing with a great soundtrack to match, and they even include some pretty nice scenery from around the world. It's a good one.



16 Blocks


Satisfying enough for a day on the couch with the stomach flu. Satisfactorily entertaining, and Mos Def surprisingly carries his weight.







Barton Fink

A Coen Brothers kooky classic. The cinematography is rich, and performances are amazing. Even the side characters that appear for a brief scene are directed to perfection. You could likely watch this movie multiple times and still have things to ponder and discuss. This movie's got many great layers and is a classic in my book.

mis en scene - i acknowledge

i will contribute to this webpage(s) on a monthly basis - here and there. just to bring the attention to the image of a film... a single frame. 1/24th of second - and no other frame like the next or the one before it. it is a moment. not 29.97, but 24 - progressive, not restrictive.

Get the Vote Out

It's election day! Get out and VOTE!
(even though it's likely noone but me reads this blog.)

I'm proud to be a part of this historical election. For the first time in my life, I've campaigned for a candidate who I strongly feel is what this country, and the world, needs. Not that what outsiders think is the important issue, but what it says. When the rest of the world is looking upon what once use to be the most powerful nation in the world and shaking its head, there's something sorely wrong. Like one journalist put it, we're not just electing the US leader, we're electing a world leader. It's not a coincidence the world is rooting alongside us for Obama.

He has dedicated himself to the betterment of his community, and now the country, and tomorrow the world. Because he's about uniting common causes. Because he's worked his ass off to better himself, and to better the world that surrounds him. Because he's maintained a level head and unbelievable integrity through a constant barrage of outrageous attacks. Because he's shown insight. reason. intelligence. and accomplishment. Because he has shown us that he is ready to lead.

At this critical juncture, we are about to elect an inspiring president who holds much promise. Who just happens to be black. Now that's the America I'm proud of.

religu-LOSS: in desperate need of an editor

In "Religulous," Bill Mahr sets out to show that the fanatacism and extreme dogmatic ideology that religion fosters does more harm than good. What could've been an atheist's wet dream, or at least a thought provoking discussion, turns out to be nothing more than a jumble of wasted interviews and silly found footage.
The biggest problem with this film is the wasted interviews. Waste I say, WASTE! There is no shortage of blind faith pushing the extremes of stupidity and ignorance. That kind of footage is not hard to find. The makers of Religulous knew that and went well beyond that, actually finding a huge variety of uniquely interesting subjects to interview. They had a gold mine of interviewees; gay Muslims, ex-Mormons, a neuroscientist who studies mental illness alongside religious fervor, a Vatican priest who says it's all hoo-hah, an ex-gay, rabbis, catholic priests, regular schmoes, and the list goes on. They touch on many religions and get an extremely wide range of personalities and backgrounds, from potentially diverse views. Sigh. And what do we get out of it? Rather than probing questions or thought provoking insight, all we get is Bill Mahr arrogantly interrupting his interviewees repeating his own views.
In his interview with the ex-gay, he doesn't even touch upon any gay issues. An ex-gay! In the interview with the gay Muslims, no irony being pondered, not even a WORD from the interviews, just Bill Mahr standing there disrespectfully mocking them. The interview with the neuroscientist who asserts that his studies show that the brains of religious fanatics much resemble those that are mentally ill; what great evidence that would have been had we seen the comparisons of the brains. Instead we get a few short introductory sentences that again get cut off by Mahr. I felt shameful for Mahr's behavior with some on these other respected religious heads. The Vatican priest who says it's all a joke is one of the shortest interviews of all! Had some of the interviews been more extensive or probing, it might have been effective to punctuate the film with some shorter interviews, but with each successive interview, the only thing we reaffirm is how arrogant Bill Mahr is.
There are certainly moments of hilarity, like the religious congressman who says, "you don't have to take an IQ test to be in Congress," and there are some pretty ridiculously funny found footage incorporated which may have emphasized the point being made. However, there is no real organization to the film, and alongside the lacking interviews, the extra footage only emphasizes the lack of substance.
Even Bill Mahr, who is usually effectively sarcastically witty (if not obnoxious) in stating his point, doesn't do so successfully here. Again, what stands out is his disrespect and arrogance, showing that he's just as pigheaded as the people he tries to discredit.

How to lose friends and alienate viewers

I enjoyed the first half of "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People". There are a fair share of laughs, and it seemed to have some promise as a lighthearted jab at Hollywood stereotypes and America's celebrity obsession. Simon Pegg has a natural charm that comes across in everything he does with no exception here, and Kirsten Dunst delivers some great one liners. The rest of the characters are colorfully painted and well cast. Then, I started to worry it was turning into, my nightmare... a romantic comedy. Noooooooo!! It did. Gone were the sassy lines and comical characters (and Megan Fox's nipples). What remained was the second half of any eye stabbing romantic comedy out there-one dimensional caricatures and no fail predictability. The movie is entertaining enough, but it ultimately turns into the very thing it started out to ridicule.

quick blog

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Ends justify the means in this movie. Meaning, I like the ending; it puts the slant on this movie that makes it interesting. Gotta be in the mood for Woody Allen. His verbosity and high brow humor can be much at times, and it doesn't let up here. None of the characters are particularly likable, yet it works here and possibly makes it interesting to watch. You get the effect of a play, although subtle filming techniques like long takes and overlapping dialogue bring this movie to life. My favorite is Alan Alda as the seedy egocentric yet lovable producer.



Pineapple Express
A satisfying comedy and light hearted action. Pacing keeps it moving along with enough suspension of disbelief to enjoy the ridiculous antics. The jokes are pretty effective and draw honest laughter. James franco is great as a pothead potdealer, though he could work on his fake cough. and Seth Rogen should definitely work on his fake crying. I would have like to see more of Rosie Perez and that spunk. A fun buddy movie that did its job for an easy-going Sunday evening.