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Tag Archives: Screening Log
Screening Log: Mama’s Boy (2007)
Mama’s Boy is another movie I’d never have seen were it not for my daughter bringing it home… and another pleasant surprise. It may be partly a function of my exceedingly low expectations (despite thoroughly enjoying Napolean Dynamite), but I … Continue reading
Screening Log: Public Enemies (2009)
Public Enemies was much more interesting than I expected. I’d resisted seeing it, despite my generally high estimation of Johnny Depp, because I have such low expectations when it comes to Michael Mann films. Mann just seems unable to keep … Continue reading
Screening Log: Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a night-clerk at a London hotel, is investigating a reported problem in a room when he finds the toilet stopped up… by a human heart. “Sneaky” (Sergi López), the hotel manager, tells Okwe to forget it and … Continue reading
Screening Log: The Man Who Laughs
I’d heard of The Man Who Laughs many times, starting with my one and only film history class, but never had an opportunity to watch it. What a film! Made at the tail end of the silent film era (the … Continue reading
Screening Log: Chocolat (2000)
I avoided this one as long as I could courtesy of my instinctive aversion to hype, but Chocolat turned out to be a much better film than I expected. Juliette Binoche is (as always) radiant, and Johnny Depp– a potentially … Continue reading
Screening Log: Die Hard (1988)
Despite being a fan of many of Bruce Willis’ performance, I’d never seen any of his Die Hard movies until watching this “DVD-TV” production of the first in the series– a film released the year I graduated from high school! … Continue reading
Screening Log: Chopper (2000)
Eric Bana stars as Chopper, a renowned Australian criminal I’d never heard of before. Chopper is by turns charming and brutal, but Bana’s performance gives the character a depth that sets Chopper apart from others in the same vein. Chopper … Continue reading
Screening Log: The Painted Veil (2006)
I’m not sure why this film disappeared without a trace… Edward Norton and Naomi Watts give Oscar-caliber performances of tremendous subtlety. Most of the action in this movie happens beneath the surface– Watts’ ennui leading to a more unwise-than-usual affair, … Continue reading
Screening Log: Zodiac
One Line Review: Watch it for the acting, but don’t expect a lot of narrative satisfaction. Lineage: All the President’s Men meets Law and Order and a serial killer of the realistic (aka decidedly not Hannibal Lecter) variety. Zodiac has … Continue reading
Screening Log: Idiocracy
One Line Review: I wasn’t expecting much and that’s pretty much what I got. Don’t bother unless you get high first. Real high. Lineage: King of the Hill (the cartoon) + Sleeper + the worst of Mad TV There are … Continue reading
Screening Log: 3:10 to Yuma
One line review: it ain’t Unforgiven but it’s good. Rent it. Lineage: In an experiment, the scientific spirits of Unforgiven and High Noon clone the original 3:10 to Yuma. Russell Crowe just annoys me for some reason. He’s really a … Continue reading
Viewing Log: Juno (2007)
The opening credits animation sequence is freakin’ cool. Ellen Page (who really impressed me last year in Hard Candy) is phenomenal in this role. The single real flaw in the movie is that the first 10 minutes or so of … Continue reading
Keeping Mum (2005)
[IMDB entry] I enjoy Rowan Atkinson (except as Mr. Bean), Maggie Smith is a legend, Kristin Scott Thomas is always amazing, it’s hard to keep one’s eyes off Tamsin Egerton, and Patrick Swayze is finally making as much fun of … Continue reading
Tagged Film and Cinema, movies, Screening Log
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Deja Vu (2006)
[IMDB link] It feels like I’ve seen this movie before… I guess that was just some other “time-travel to thwart a crime with a resolution that simply ignores the paradox of such temporal meddling” movie. Denzel Washington is always Denzel– … Continue reading
Tagged Film and Cinema, movies, Screening Log
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10 Items or Less (2006)
[IMDB link] The chemistry (thespian, not sexual) between Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega is incredible. This is a film about nothing and the way that all those nothings are everything for most of us for most of our lives… if … Continue reading
Tagged Film and Cinema, movies, Screening Log
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Black Snake Moan (2006)
[plot synopsis with possible spoilers] It’s hard to believe that a movie about a hard-drinking, hard-scrabble god-fearing blues-guitar playing farmer in the deep south who rescues a crazed nymphomaniac girl one-third his age by chaining her–mostly naked– to his radiator … Continue reading
Tagged Film and Cinema, movies, Screening Log
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Hard Candy (2006)
Written by: Brian Nelson Directed by: David Slade Starring: Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson, Sandra Oh* After three weeks of Instant Messenger chatting, 14 year old Hayley (Ellen Page) agrees to meet 32 year old Jeff (Patrick Wilson) face-to-face for the … Continue reading
Tagged cinema, film, review, Screening Log
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The Ice Harvest (2005)
Written by: Richard Russo and Robert Benton Directed by: Harold Ramis Starring: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Platt, Mike Starr, Randy Quaid I’m not sure how I’d define the genre of “dark comedy” other than with the … Continue reading
Tagged cinema, film, review, Screening Log
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Clerks II (2006)
Written by: Kevin Smith Directed by: Kevin Smith Starring: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith In Clerks II, Randal has once again left a cigarette burning in a Quick Stop trash can, this time resulting in … Continue reading
Tagged cinema, film, review, Screening Log
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The King (2005)
Written by: Milo Addica and James Marsh Directed by: James Marsh Starring: William Hurt, Gael Garcia Bernal, Paul Dano, Pell James Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) has just completed a tour overseas in the Navy and sets out to locate his … Continue reading
Tagged cinema, film, review, Screening Log
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