top 5 movies.
the departed.
the fountain.
science of sleep.
the prestige.
the proposition.
worst movie
the illusionist.
good new albums.
owen, tilly and the wall, mark schwaber.
good comics
civil war, moon knight, fell, loveless.
neato game things.
nintendo wii.
legend of zelda twilight princess.
sneak king.
heres to a great geek year.
lucky creature is ready to roll in 2007.
Chris Ware’s Acme Novelty Library continues to look good. He has redefined the graphic format and no one can argue that his look is defined and he is one of if not the best artists working in the field today. His storytelling is also precise but at 17 dollars a pop, I can’t help but feel cheated by this book and this artist. Why are we dwelling in the mundane in this book? Why does it take a whole graphic novel to say that the life of our main figures sucks? Especially when you’ve pretty much said all this before in your last 16 issues. Where Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve doesn’t have the visual flair of Ware’s work (no color actually works in his favor) his characters actually do something. And they represent full pieces. I get the feeling Ware has created these caricatures( the girl who may be pregnant, the dorky kid, himself as a pot smoking art teacher) but hasn’t taken the time to understand why they exist in the greater story. This probably won’t matter since at about a issue a year Ware will be dead before we find out if Chalky even gets pass one year at school. And then theres the second set of stories about bees. Doing absolutely nothing. Again. But they sure look pretty. Chris Ware may be the greatest living cartoonist working. Wish he would prove it. C
Funny, just saw Mel Gibson’s Apocolypto and it’s left me very strangely. The first hour and a half, is well some of the most unique filmmaking of the year and then it just ends so wrongly. Rudy Youngblood is sure to be a star after this. The chase scenes are some of the best in cinema history, and the exotic nature of the temple settings hasn’t been seen in such massive quantity since the late eighties. Gibson knows how to do his violence and the movie looks very good. I just wish they didn’t feel the need to compromise with that ending. It is an amazing feat to have any subtilted film playing at the mall movieplexes of the world these days and to bring one of this quality to the big screen should be commended. Overall it’s a fun ride, better than most of the action drivel of this last summer, but not perfect. Enjoyable Bplus.
Darren Aronofsky’s movie The Fountain is sure to split it’s audience in many directions. Some will understand the basics but not really want anything to do with it. Some will wonder just what they were watching, and then some people, like myself will absolutely adore this film.
The Fountain proves that even in Hollywood you can find a way to create a little bit of beauty. Every shot is thought out. You can see it in the lighting, the design and the mostly the eyes of the two man actors. Hugh Jackman has his most diverse and demanding role and he pulls it off wonderfully. Rachel Weisz is just right and it’s easy to see that Aronofsky camera never lets his wife look dull even on her deathbed. The three timelines all play wonderfully off each other and I can’t wait to have a chance to study the lines from this movie. I am pretty sure certain figures from each timeline got intermingled throughout and sometimes even called each other by wrong period names. The Fountain’s futuristic set is really the best thing a big screen could be used for. A sole floating bubble in the vastness of space and a singular color of yellow. It is a desert photographer’s dream. A beautiful dream.
In the end The fountain’s story plays off the old story of life and death and all the questions that follow us on that road, and it may veer to closely into a want or desire for meaning for the cynics out in movieland. I’m sure I’ll be dissapointed when Ihear the negativity that will surround this film. Its downfall in the world of the moviegoer will be it’s attempt to hit an idea over the head with a mallet and not to let up until the credits roll. If you can see into the hammer then you will enjoy it’s exploration. And if you only see the hammer, then you may as well leave the theatre. The fountain is about creation. About creating and ending, about beauty and saddness, and gains and losses. It is about Hope, and Despair, light and dark, and most importantly life and death.
In the end as it still sinks in and I understand this film will be too slow, too convulted for most movie patrons, all I can think about is how movies need more films like this. Honest. Serene. Beautiful. Basically Human.
~A plus plus plus~
Quick Update, Casino Royale is a winner. It gets rid of the gadgets and the special effects and gets back to what makes bond so awesome in the first place, spying, chasing, charisma and doublecrossing. Daniel Craig works really well in the role and it just feels right with a little of the Bourne Identity’s figthing style added to the mix. Its strange that in this the 21st century Bond has returned to his roots to find a new apeal with his audience. Where does Casino Royale rate on your Bond list? I say top three, four easy.
Marc Forster’s (director of the overrated Monster’s Ball and the underrated Stay) new film is really pretty neat. Will Ferrell must be on tranquilizer because I’ve never seen him act this well normal. He plays Harold Crick whose life is run by numbers and the catch is he’s also a character in a popular author’s novel. One in which she plans to kill him. Pretty good plot that has some holes in it on the romance angle, but is forgivable thanks to the nice direction and overall subdued atmosphere. I’ll give it a B and Will Ferrell an A for actually acting for once and leaving the annoying comedy behind at least for this film.
Also picked up Civil War Frontline # 8. Why do I feel that after Civil War marvel is setting up another crossover to fight the Atlanteans? I hope not but it sure looks so. And would someone put Speedball out of his misery.
wow. dont we look like bigots. borat who sacha baron cohen has created and turned into a walking buffoon really shines when he shows how bad parts of America is. This movie also has one of the longest and most disturbing laugh out loud naked wrestling scenes in cinema history. A true gem. Who has the Da Ali G show on dvd? I need to borrow it. now. I must have more of this comedic guru.
November is interesting for movies this year. Usually the movies are all serious and wanting to go for the oscars. Obviously not so this year which our first pick proves.
Nov 4th Borat. Sacha Baron Cohen’s offensive movie hits and the nation of Kakhasthan weeps. I’m intrigued to see if he can pull this off. It’s been dropped too 800 theatres from 2000 so that will hurt its audience some.
Nov 10th I can’t believe I’m interested in a Will Ferrel movie but Stranger than Fiction looks pretty good. I may wait to rent it depending on how busy I am. It also goes up agaisnt the always box office strong Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott in a odd film for them. Adapting Peter Mayles A Good Year. No violence there and may be a Oscar contender.
NOV 17th. Craig, Daniel Craig. Casino Royale hits and we see if the Broccoli’s were wise in rebooting the franchise. I think they may have hit it from the previews I’ve seen. I was one of the many who said what? when they cast Craig, but now I’m leaning towards the yes, and I want nothing more than for the master spy to get back to action and spying and away from the past movies special effects.
Nov 24th The Fountain. If this actually finally comes out I’ll be happy. I don’t care about the reviews. This film looks amazing. I think too many directors forget they have a paint brush, especially in science fiction and don’t use enough colors. I’ll be in my seat for the weirdness that is Aranofsky and the Fountain.
Also Jack Black’s Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny comes out today. See what im saying about strange placement in November.
Sofia Coppolla’s latest is well unique and flawed film. pretty, pretty, and more pretty. but it’s also very full of fluff. What I find strangest is that she potrays Antoinette as a partier who had no sense of the political climate around her. Most history majors will tell you this isn’t even close to the story of the damned french queen but oh well, at least we get some cool dance numbers with great eighties music. The movie is not bad by any means and the eye revels in the sights, Dunst included, and it makes for some good movie going. Versailles looks amazing and huge and adds a lot of its own personality to the movie. I just feel like there could have been a little more real and a little less candy.
. What a solid movie. Great direction, wonderful acting. Can someone get Christian Bale a comedy? Please the man is just too intense. This film is gripping from start to finish, and unlike the illusionist earlier this year actually is filmed with skill, and nuance. Michael Caine is superb as usual, and Hugh Jackman and Bale are magnificent. Makes you wish we could have a batman versus wolverine film. Bravo. A plus. Now hunker down, Nolan, Caine, and Bale. And bring me the Dark Knight.
