I was at work pretty much all weekend then attempted to get into the Clash of the Titans Shanrock Trivia Championship (with my team Took a Page from Your Playboy) so it's been a little over a week since my last post of this nature. I don't think it was particularly missed, but I still feel compelled to offer an explanation for its absence.
Mimic -- Guillermo del Toro
Del Toro is on record as not being entirely happy with this film. The studio took some control and restricted him a bit, but it's hard to hate a movie that's willing to kill a couple of kids so freely even if the most annoying one gets a pass (and, apparently, a new family). I'm endlessly impressed with the set builders for del Toro's films. They do such a great job of creating a realistic fantasy realm, though Mimic's world is based far more in reality. Decent film with some cool scenes and creatures.
Sherlock (BBC TV Show)
I love Martin Freeman, so I'm predisposed to love this show. Plus, the man playing Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch, has a simply epic name. Maybe it's because I've been watching the full run of The X-Files, but Sherlock's depiction in this show (and other Holmes stories) is very similar to Mulder in that they both get struck by a notion and follow it at a whim without explanation, even to their respective partners. It's immensely enjoyable, though the mystery in the second episode (there are only three hour and a half episodes) wasn't the most involving for me. The first, however, is incredible and does a lot to defy expectation and treats texting in a very interesting way. I haven't seen the third episode yet, but it's coming this week. Very excited. Warning: there was a super long wait on Netflix to get the first disc.
Ip Man -- Wilson Yip
I watched this solely because my theater is currently showing the sequel. Normally, I don't go in for kung fu movies (or boxing or anything where fighting is the main attraction), but aside from some over-the-top acting, Ip Man is pretty awesome. Donnie Yen comes off as quite possibly the nicest man alive who just happens to be one of the greatest fighters, too. There's more substance to Ip Man than your typical fight tournament film and given the technicality of the styles of fighting, great care is taken in the filming of the fight scenes. Incidentally, Ip Man would eventually go on to train Bruce Lee.
Night of the Iguana -- John Huston
When this came in the mail, my girlfriend rolled her eyes upon hearing the title, thinking it was some kind of crazy horror movie (which, by this point, you know I watch a lot of). I took great glee in explaining that it's anything but that with a great director, great writer, and great actors involved. Still, that didn't necessarily mean I would like it. It is an intense personal drama after all and I don't much care for that genre. But Night of the Iguana rules! Richard Burton is totally charismatic as the alcoholic, defrocked priest. I definitely need to see more films of his. All of his female foils are just as good. (post-Lolita Sue Lyon [though still playing the seductress], Deborah Kerr, Ava Gardner, and Grayson Hall). There is a lot of risque business that I'm pretty surprised the makers got away with. Highly recommended.
The Asphalt Jungle -- John Huston
Part two in my inadvertent John Huston double feature. One of the main problems with many heist films is that it can take a long time to get to the heist. The Asphalt Jungle falls into this category. I hesitate calling that a fault because it's all in sacrifice of character development, but it took me a while to engage with the characters. That said, once the film gets going, it's pretty great. Plus, and I didn't realize this could ever happen, Marilyn Monroe gives a darn good performance. It was also surprising how skinny she was. I didn't recognize her until the film was almost done. One bit of unintended comedy: watching the heisters slide themselves under the motion sensor eye in and out of the vault.
The Music Man -- Morton DaCosta
I don't care for musicals, but I try to check out the ones that might appeal to me. Since The Music Man is a direct influence on one of the greatest Simpsons episodes ever (Marge Vs. The Monorail, written by Conan O'Brien), I felt that it's a viable candidate for me.
And it is pretty good. Everyone loves a good con man. The problem with The Music Man is that it's bloated (a problem I have with many musicals). There's a lot of spectacle that pads out the run time. At least in The Music Man, it makes a bit of sense. The man is a showman and the nature of his con lend themselves to spectacle. I don't know if I'm ready to sit through again anytime soon, but it was an enjoyable (and relatively quick) 2.5 hours.
Let Me In -- Matt Reeves
I'd heard pretty good things about Let Me In, even about how it's different from the original. My hopes went up upon these reports. And then I saw Let Me In. It's not a bad movie by any means. It's just totally pointless. Nearly every story beat is exactly the same. There are no surprises. Even worse, Let Me In comes in at about the same run time as Let the Right One In, but contains significantly less nuance. The most disappointing thing for me is that there is so much more in the book that's not in the original film to use, but instead, Reeves added only the detective. He had a chance to set the film apart from the original but created something entirely unnecessary. At least the car crash was pretty cool.
The Hidden Fortress -- Akira Kurosawa
Best known as the inspiration for C-3PO and R2-D2 in Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress was much better than I'd ever thought it would be. I don't know why I had such a low opinion of it. Maybe it's that it was inspiration for George Lucas, but that just seems petty. I never new what it was about anyway. The film is beautifully shot and the peasants' bickering and scheming is always amusing. Even the plot contrivances are elegant. Toshiro Mifune has to be one of the most badass actors to appear in film. I think the extras are cowering in the face of his awesomeness, not because they are acting.
Vampire Circus -- Robert Young
I've seen a fair amount of Hammer Horror at this point and I tend to feel the same way about all of the films. They're decent. They all have the same look, the same pacing, the same actors, and the same plots. I think what keeps drawing me in is the amazing artwork. That and Hammer's special relationship with eroticism (linked in with the artwork). Vampire Circus is pretty fun, but most notable (for me, anyway) because David Prowse (the man who wore the Darth Vader costume... hey! we're back to Star Wars) plays the strong man. Incidently, Let Me In was the revival of the Hammer brand. It's fun to see the accidental connections between all these films!
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