Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

20100130, 20100131:
This movie is the worst of the six. I'd say what the movie has going for it is the characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. I feel having watched the original trilogy first helps in interest in the character Obi-Wan. Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn and Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Where as with Anakin, if you didn't know what he's about, you don't relate to him, because you don't really understand how important he is until at least the next movie. And even then, depending on which movies you have seen, it doesn't really kick in until the third movie. For some reason I thought Darth Maul was cooler, but seeing this movie recently, I think Darth Maul only had a little moment to shine.

[20100408 9:25 AM]

---

20220529:
With the new release of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+, I decided to rewatch the prequel movies.

---

20250520, 20250524:
I watched the film with Ben and Mia.

I don't think this movie is all that bad. There were some good fight sequences, maybe over-the-top compared to the Original Trilogy though. I like most of the choreography, but I could do with less jumping. The pod racing and the fight against Darth Maul were the highlights of the film, while the introduction of midichlorians was totally unnecessary. Overall, I would give the film a 3.8.

Rating: 3.8/5

[20250529]

---

Instant Comments:
2a: Obi-Wan the padawan
2a: Lol why not just leave the Jedi to die to the toxins?
2a: Hahaha "you were right about one thing, Master. the negotiations were short"; 3a: smile
2a: Lol Jar Jar. I wonder what the thought process was on such an extreme character [a general response is comic relief and ]
2a: (Suddenly age popped into my mind as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are evading the sea creatures. Anakin and Padme are 5 years different, so that in Episode II, ten years after Episode I, they would be 19 and 24)
2b: Resume where Qui-Gon says Queen Amidala should come with them and she thinks how both are problematic
2b: Hehe droids. "Does not compute."
2b: Is "the little droid" R2?
3a: R2-D2 is the surviving droid
2b: For some reason I thought Padme and Queen Amidala are the same person. [Yes, her handmaiden looks like her and acted as the decoy queen. So it would be the real queen traveling with Qui-Gon]
2b: Haha. "You think you're a Jedi waving your hand around like that?"
2b: I forgot that Anakin built C-3P0.
3a: C-3PO
2b: Over 20,000
3a: huh jabba is here. so fast forward to future, why isn't there podracing anymore. or maybe there is [oh it was banned]
3a: he's announced as Skywalker in the race. when was the first time we heard his last name?
2b: I can't remember. I thought someone tries to sabatoge his ship. [Okay, soon enough Sebulba breaks something]
2b: These racers are made to look like they are going so fast, maybe 200mph. [Wow according to a wiki entry. Anakins racer at 947 kmph, which is 588 mph]
2b: Holy moly Tusken Raiders
2b: He leaves C-3PO
2b: Huh, did Anakin try to save his mom? [it becomes important to the overall plot of the prequel movies]
2b: I guess the Jedi way of shunning emotion is... extreme and not necessarily correct.
3b: ah, she says she sent padme on... but I guess the amazing thing is she takes on a competely different aura
2b: Oh, so Senator Palpatine is a Senator of Naboo? [20220610: yes, he was the Senator of Naboo in this movie]
3b: oh is he using Jedi mind trick in suggesting this to her?
3b: huh. I guess Yoda's saying would actually be foreshadowing Anakins downfall
3b: "it is clear to me now the republic no longer functions " I never was aware of these political aspects
3b: oh. the decoy is not Padme. though presumably ... she has been in position in few instances?
3b: hehe General Binks
3b: Padme conceived the plan. she does not display this as much in the sequels but perhaps in Attack of Clones series (she is more action there I recall not necessarily strategic)
3b: Jar Jar's bumbling keeps him alive with guns
3b: Jar Jar again with his "luck"
2b: Lol, stay in the cockpit
3b: I see him getting this fighter to work would be like a call back to podracer
3b: lol. "after her, this one's a decoy"
2b: I'd love to learn why there's a set of doors that open and close
3b: while Maul caught Qui-Gon by surprise. does Obi-Wan winning considered luck?
2b: I get it's part of the plot and fun but why would the droids be controlled by a control center [20220610: plus, even if there was such a desire, it'd be much better to have a back-up control center]
3b: why is the main reactor of the ship Anakin entered in such a vulnerable state?
3b: "now this is podracing"
2b: Lol. But the high ground! (Maybe Obi-Wan had the element of surprise?) [Some reading agrees with the element of surprise, but adds various reasons to why it is so. First. Obi-Wan was unarmed. Second, Maul was toying with Obi-Wan, so he was no longer in the mindset of attacking. Third, Maul underestimated Obi-Wan perhaps in more ways than one. Four, Obi-Wan was calm vs maul who was likely letting his emotions drive him. This last element was first shown when Qui-Gon kneeled down why Maul paced inpatiently back and forth.][in contrast with the third movie, Obi-Wan continued to be ready for Anakin. So when Anakin makes the jump, Obi-Wan strikes][20220610: Actually there are many moments where characters jump after each other or spin around without any consequences. Certainly as a viewer we tend to enjoy such choreography. I guess it makes sense to distinguish those moments from more pivotal moments such as this scene or the high-ground scene in Episode III]
3b: okay yeah, Obi-Wan definitely had the element of surprise
3b: Yoda in a one-on-one conversation with Obi-Wan, either has the authority to speak on behalf of the council or the council already had approved and discussed in details the direction of Obi-Wan's request
3b: "Always two there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice." "But which was destroyed? The master or the apprentice?"
2a=2022529,2b=20220602*,3a=20250520,3b=20250524

*20250529: Some of the instant comments falling under 2b=20220602 seemed out of order. I did my best to rearrange them.

---

Watched once or twice before
Watched first half 20100130, second half 20100131
Watched first half 20220529, second half 20220602 (Disney+)
Watched first half 20250520, second half 20250524 (Disney+)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) George Lucas. 136 min.

Relevant Links:
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (IMDb.com)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace RottenTomatoes.com

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

20100120:
I loved this movie, because I felt like I related to the main character. The protagonist was working hard both to please his parents and himself. In addition, his father had trouble expressing how he felt about his son's achievements.

Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader)

Another theme I liked is working together as a community.

Most of the characters were likable. The fat mayor was somewhere along the lines of scary and disgusting.

[Actual Post Date and Time 3/16/10 12:13 AM][20191201 Edit]

---

Sam Sparks (Anna Faris)

20191130:
I remember watching the movie once before, but I didn't remember any of it. Watching it again today, I primarily enjoyed it. There were some moments when I thought the movie was weird and some moments where I felt it broke my suspension of disbelief.

What I most enjoyed about the movie was the messages it conveyed. First, one shouldn't be ashamed of being smart. Second, one should pursue one's dreams. Third, it is better to work together as a community. Fourth, don't consume too many sweets.

Flint's father Tim Lockwood (James Caan)

With that being said, it failed to directly talk about being wasteful. Instead, there was the pile of food waste that just accumulated (surprisingly without spoiling and stinking up the town) and eventually flooded the town.

In the end, the movie had a couple of positive messages, but didn't tell the most convincing story. I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10. Or a 65 on Criticker.

Netflix determined the movie for me as a 92% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.

'Baby' Brent (Andy Samberg)

---

Instant Comments:
Huh. "I have my eye on you." should technically be "I have you on my eye."
"Gummi bears" - Steve
Why have it run at night? That's a waste of food.
Ha. That mayor. "It's all his fault."

Flint and his monkey Steve (Neil Patrick Harris)

Strong finish, especially with his dad.

---

Watched 20100120 @ Flight to MD
Watched 20191130 (Netflix, Instant) (Streaming until 20191130)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) Phil Lord, Christopher Miller. 90 min [loosely bot children's botsn (1978) by Judi and Ron Barrett]

Sam and Flint jump into a pool of Jello.

Relevant Links:
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (IMDb.com)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (RottenTomatoes.com)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (film) (Wikipedia.org)

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

20100119:
This is a great movie. I will watch it again. I will have a fresh report when that happens. For now, just watch it!

Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and Prfc. Smithson Utivich (B.J. Novak)

[20100315 10:37PM]

---

20170602:
Disclaimer: I wrote a lot below, and would like to clean it up, but for now will leave it more raw than refined.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, but by the end of the film I was trying to make sense of it all, especially the ending.

First, were all the deaths in the movie meaningful? After all, it's a Quentin Tarantino movie (for me, Django Unchained (2012), Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) & Vol. 2 (2004), and Reservoir Dogs (1992) come to mind).

Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) and Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl)

Ignoring that question, I decided to focus on Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). We're introduced to Col. Landa in the first part of the movie and learn he's known as "The Jew Hunter." In the first part of the movie he talks about how he embraces it but at the end of the movie he complains about it a little.

At the end of the film, we learn that he's willing to put an end to the whole war, but only at a cost. However, it's unclear to me why he'd be interested in such a trade at all. Did he believe that the Germans would ultimately be unsuccessful in the war? I thought someone in his place would relish his position and its perks.

In any case, Col. Landa has the sense that he's made a great deal, but - from what I assume is the intention of the movie - Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) gives viewers a little bit of what they want: justice. It would be justice, because Col. Landa is portrayed as doing his job without remorse.

Col. Hans Landa (Chirstoph Waltz)

But whether or not the ending can be considered justice is debatable. Col. Landa, despite being directly responsible for killing (an estimate) hundreds (possibly thousands) of people, is now placing himself responsible for saving thousands (possibly millions) of lives. This is a technicality, as without his intervention, thousands (possibly millions) of lives would have been saved by the hands of the Inglourious Basterds and/or Shoshanna. Without the technicality, Col. Landa's crimes in the court of law would require punishment, and being branded a Nazi is a punishment that some might consider mild relative to the crimes. However, if one accepts the technicality, there's a question of the total value of his actions. Does saving thousands (or millions) of lives offset a hundred (or thousand) deaths? If someone finds the cure for cancer, are they allowed to murder a couple of people for his/her good deed?

Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender)

I just wrote a lot of words and I still don't know how I feel about the film morally. Artistically the movie was fantastic. I particularly liked the scene between Col. Landa and Shoshanna over the strudel and cream.* I also loved the different angles and the interplay between the sights and sounds/music.

In conclusion, I would still recommend this movie, but I'm almost certain I have a different opinion of it now than when I saw it over seven years ago.

Remark: This is one of the first twenty or so movie posts on my blog.

Netflix determined the movie for me as a 98% match. I decided to give the movie a thumbs up.

Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger)

*Some people mention that the cream is not kosher, but from what I was able to gather on the internet, cream can be kosher.

[20170602][20170603]

---

Instant Comments:
2: Expecting "Grammar Nazi" scene. If not this movie, then which? [Apparently it's a College Humor skit that parodies this scene]
2: I recently saw B.J. Novak in The Founder.
2: She is brave and/or crazy.
2: Mike Myers and Michael Fassbender. I would not have recognized Mike Myers if his name didn't appear in the opening credits. I didn't know Michael Fassbender until his role in Prometheus.
2: Haha. Pauses the sharpening of his knife. "Do I not look calm to you?"
2: Hahaha. "Is that the kind of man you need? Loquacious type?"
2: I'm waiting for the "three" to come up.

General Ed Fenech (Mike Myers)

2: If he doesn't like Scotch, why would he have a high quality bottle of it? Only to share with others?
2: I didn't remember that's how the scene ended (with almost everyone in the basement dead)
2: Haha. "Yeah, we got a word for that kinda odd in English. It's called suspicious."
2: [Had to recreate notes up to here (43 min mark) because my computer restarted, twice, and then a third time, but this time dying. Debugging seems to suggest the PSU is dead. Hopefully that's it. Finish film on laptop.]
2: "What's the American saying? 'If the shoe fits, you must wear it.'"
2: Holy crap. (Strangling)

2: Lol. That headbutt.
2: "Bingo"
2: "If we hear a story that's too good to be true, it ain't."
2: Everybody dying. (Fredrick and Shoshanna) Quentin Tarantino.
2: Lol. The theater is on fire and they're also shooting the Germans anyways.
2: Plus the dynamite.
2: Haha:

Col. Hans Landa: Are you mad? What have you done? I made a deal with your general for that man's life!
Lt. Aldo Raine: Yeah, they made that deal, but they don't give a fuck about him. They need you.
Col. Hans Landa: You'll be shot for this!
Lt. Aldo Raine: Nah, I don't think so. More like chewed out. I've been chewed out before.

Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet)

2=20170602

---

Watched 20100119
Watched 20170602 (Netflix, Instant)
Inglourious Basterds (2009) Quentin Tarantino. 132 min

Relevant Links:
Inglourious Basterds (IMDb.com)
Inglourious Basterds (RottenTomatoes.com)
Inglourious Basterds (Wikipedia.org)

---

Col. Hans Landa: [to Aldo] So you're "Aldo the Apache".
Lt. Aldo Raine: So you're "the Jew Hunter".
Col. Hans Landa: A detective. A damn good dectective. Finding people is my specialty so naturally I work for the Nazis finding people, and yes some of them were Jews. But "Jew Hunter"?
Col. Hans Landa: [reacts in disgust] It's just a name that stuck.
Pfc. Smithson Utivich: Well, you do have to admit, it is catchy.
Col. Hans Landa: Do you control the nicknames your enemies bestow on you? "Aldo the Apache" and "the Little Man"?
Pfc. Smithson Utivich: [confused] What do you mean "the Little Man"?
Col. Hans Landa: Germans' nickname for you.
Pfc. Smithson Utivich: The Germans' nickname for me is "the Little Man"?
Col. Hans Landa: And as if to make my point, I'm a little surprised how tall you were in real life. I mean, you're a little fellow, but not circus-midget little, as your reputation would suggest.

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

20100119:
I was pretty happy when I picked this up from Hollywood Video along with a ton of Jackie Chan movies, they were selling all their movies for a store closing sale. Since there were many different shorts, and now it's already 20100315, I'll just wait 'til watching it again to give comments and flesh out this post, but until then, my first impressions were good. You get different art styles, but all have a way of delving into who Batman is. One of the ones I remember most is the one where Batman learns to deal with pain, but in a way he fails.

[20100315 9:03 PM]

---

Watched 20100119 @ Home
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

Relevant Links:
Batman: Gotham Knight (IMDb.com)
Batman: Gotham Knight (RottenTomatoes.com)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

20100117, 20100119:
I love this one. There are some parts in the book that didn't make it into the movie, but that's the case with most book to movie conversions. In any case, the main reason I like this movie is the comedy that comes with it. "Well then, come along, Sir." I also found the overly dramatic Quidditch saves by McCormack, and later by Ron, to be hilarious. On the other hand, the relationship between Harry and Ginny was done poorly. In fact, the movie sort of only mentioned the whole part with her dating Dean Thomas, who - by the way - Harry should have bumped into after drinking the potion. Eh.

They changed that one scene around and from my point of view it puts someone in a better light compared to the book, but it doesn't change how someone else views that someone. Lol. Note: You should read the seventh book to know who's side that someone is on.

Speaking of which, or should I say, speaking of witch... haha... no... The movie is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. But since the movie doesn't really focus as much on who the Half-Blood Prince, it sort of fails in that respect.

I watched all, at least I think so, the special features on the Blu-Ray disc. The one about J.K. Rowling was so long. Interesting, but long, especially taking into account that I was up really late, interested, but sleepy, while watching it.

[20100211]

---

20110713:
I fell asleep for part of the movie, possibly because I was tired from surfing.

[20110716][20160802 Edit]

---

Instant Comments:
2: Smile: he checks his breathe
1: Aww... poor Harry doesn't get to go on a date with the girl at the beginning
1: Mmm yeah... I don't quite like Dumbledore's choice of tone at this opening scene.
1: What's wrong with Harry's eye? LOL, apparently Phuong has noticed before and thinks it's the angle of his glasses.
2: "You got a bit of toothpaste" - Ron
1: Wink and ding from the one guy at Hermione in Zonko's shop.
2: Oh, he did in fact have Wrackspurts hovering around his head!
2: Ha, a cute

Harry Potter: Sorry I made you miss the carriages by the way, Luna.
Luna Lovegood: That's all right, it's like being with a friend.
Harry Potter: Oh, I am your friend, Luna.
Luna Lovegood: That's nice.

2: "Will... you... stop... eating!" - Hermione to Ron
1: Change from Tonks to Luna, LOL Ratspurts.
1: LOL the bug hits the force field
1: It's so nonchalant "Okay yeah, give it a go"
1: In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hermione does not say what the third thing she smells is, although Rowling revealed in an interview that the third smell was Ron's hair. However, in the film version, Hermione states that the third thing she smells is spearmint toothpaste, due to the fact that in an earlier scene at The Burrow where Ron points out to Hermione there is toothpaste on her face.
1: When Dumbledore calls Harry, he has the same strange tone...
2: "Confundus." - Hermione
1,2: "The binding is fragile." -
1: I never remember Horace Slughorn dropping the beer [2: What?]
1,2: Hehe. "Good to see you Wallenby" - Slughorn to Ron
1: LOL. Awkward, froth on Hermione. Hahaha
1,2: "Believe me Professor. I've been asking myself that question for six years." - Ron to Professor McGonagall
1,2: With a big grin, "He needed ten stitches."
1,2: LOL Harry stands for Ginny.
2: "I know. I suppose I could've just used a Confundus Charm."
2: "How does it feel Harry? When you see Dean with Ginny?" - Ginny to Ron
1: Gross, the finger
1: Oh wow, I don't remember that, pans from Hermione and Harry to Ron and Lavender to Malfoy.
1: "But I am the chosen one." -> Slap on the head. [2: Hahahaha]
1: "Dragon balls." Cormic vomits. [2: Haha]
1: "Open up you." That was already awkward. Then Ron. [2: Hahahaha]
1: "Shoelace"
2: "Oh, to be young and to feel love's keen sting." - Dumbledore
2: It's the place to be. Haha.
2: So funny:

Slughorn: Harry!
Harry: Sir!
Slughorn: It's nearly night fall. Surely you realize I can't allow you go roaming around by yourself
Harry: then by all means, come along sir!

2: Dumbledore cuts his hand and spreads it along the rock without flinching.
1: I woke to see Harry and Dumbledore in the cave. Dumbledore begins to describe the situation. I missed my favorite: the pincers.
1: LOL. Both Josh and I independently wondered, why not cast the spell directly into the shell?
2: One of the spells Harry casts is sectumsempra.
1: Okay yeah we see them go in one cabinet and out the pair.
1: Oh right, the intention to have Draco use Expelliarmus was on purpose...
2: In the book Harry was immobilized by Dumbledore.
1: I felt like the feelings were slightly changed in the book to movie for the final scene...
1: Oh right and we discussed this, the characters in the book don't really wonder about the Half-Blood Prince. Oh wait, I was asleep, maybe they did and I forgot...
1=20110713,2=20160802

Credits:
The ink from the pensieve.

---

Released 20090715
Watched 20090715 Theatre. Belle Terra [HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD] 12:20A $10.00 (Midnight Showing)
Watched 2009XXXX @ Johns Hopkins
Watched 20100117 @ Home
Watched 20100119 @ Home
Watched 20110713 DVD (English audio, no subtitles)
Watched 20160802 Blu-ray (English audio, English subtitles)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) David Yates. 153 mins [botnotsn (2005) by J.K. Rowling]

Relevant Links:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (IMDb.com)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (RottenTomatoes.com)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Wikipedia.org)

Batman Returns (1992)

20100116:
I couldn't believe how reckless Batman was with his identity in this movie. [20151010: Well, I guess he was also reckless with his identity in Batman (1989).]

With that being said, Danny DeVito played an awesome Penguin. Michelle Pfeiffer was a crazy Catwoman (meow!), Christopher Walken did a great job as Max Shreck, and Michael Keaton was a cool Batman.

Penguin / Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito)

Actually, my favorite part about this movie was Danny DeVito as the Penguin. In particular, he's the focus of my favorite scene in the movie.

Aside from that, I also enjoyed the spicy relationship between Batman and Catwoman.

This movie, while not visually striking like Batman Begins (2005) or The Dark Knight, had its own sort of beauty.

Overall, I enjoyed Tim Burton's version of Batman.

Catwoman / Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer)

[20100210][201012011 Edit][20150814 Edit][20180120 Edit][20191007 Edit]

---

20100511:
The last time I watched this movie, I caught it about 23 minutes in, when the Penguin first kidnaps Shreck. I had also missed how Catwoman became Catwoman. Apparently a lot takes place in the first 23 minutes.

In any case, it wasn't until the Penguin's parents brought the baby to the river that I had asked Caroline if we were watching Batman. Up until then I was totally in the dark. With that being said, the very first 10 or 20 seconds had Tim Burton's name written all over it. In fact, I thought to myself myself, "Am I watching Corpse Bride?" But I quickly dismissed the idea, because I could tell the movie wasn't animated. Then when I saw the parents, I also got the feeling I was watching a Tim Burton movie. Good ol' Tim Burton.

Batman / Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton)

Watching the entire movie (including credits) made for a much better experience than my previous viewing (which was already a great experience).

[20150814 Edit]

---

As of 20180120, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 96% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs down nor a thumbs up.

---

Instant Comments:
2: I hadn't realized Christopher Walken was Max Shreck until Caroline emphasized his name during the opening titles.

Penguin

2: This opening scene was great.
A: A mix between real and fake penguins.
A: Google completion: "how does selina" becomes "how does selina kyle become catwoman in batman returns" [She either died and came back to life or survived the fall but became crazy anyways]
A: "Still, could be worse. My nose could be gushing blood." 1, 2: The Penguin bites his nose. [This was my favorite scene in the movie]
2: Catwoman and her whip. [This was my second favorite scene in the movie]

Max Shreck (Christopher Walken)

1: Penguin's umbrella being used as a helicopter. I guess some things are harder to believe when portrayed in live action versus when portrayed in animation.
A: "Saved by kitty litter."
2: I like how Bruce takes the complicated route to the Bat Cave and Alfred takes the stairs only to arrive a few seconds later. I could imagine, however, that the secret route would be handy in situations where Bruce is trapped in that specific room and needed access to the Bat Cave. [A: Alfred actually says, "I think I'll take the stairs."]
1: Lol, the penguins... [A: I think I'm referring to the penguins wearing rockets on their backs.]
1: How does Catwoman do it in the end? [A: Supposedly it's because she had a total of nine lives.]

Bruce receives the Bat Signal.

Credits:
2: The movie listed the cast members near the end of the credits instead of at the beginning.
1=20100116, 2=20100511, A=20180120 (screenshot viewing)

---

Watched 20100116 (TV)
Watched 20100511 (Netflix, Instant)
Batman Returns (1992) Tim Burton. 126 min

Selina begins fashioning her Catwoman outfit.

Relevant Links:
Batman Returns (IMDb.com)
Batman Returns (RottenTomatoes.com)

Pickman's Model (2003)

20100110:
Prior to watching these DVDs, my friend (a fan of H.P. Lovecraft) had me read the short story Pickman's Model.

First we watched Chilean Gothic. Then we watched this short.

Josh and I watched this on the H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 4 Pickman's Model. This one was closer to the original story than Chilean Gothic. But the actor playing Pickman didn't seem to fit and the choice of Pickman having a hunched back and needing a cane was also weird. The ending was also strange. There was also a length issue. A thirty minute short!? Haha. That's two-thirds of the feature film. Though it was scary to be able to see the monster as opposed to with Chilean Gothic.

[20100110][20191007 Edit]

---

Watched 20100110 @ Home
Pickman's Model (2003) Giovanni Furore. 34 min [bot story Pickman's Model by H.P. Lovecraft]

Relevant Link:
Pickman's Model (IMDb.com)
Pickman's Model (Wikipedia.org)

Chilean Gothic (2000)

20100110:
Prior to watching these DVDs, my friend (a fan of H.P. Lovecraft) had me read the short story Pickman's Model.

Josh and I watched this on the H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 4 Pickman's Model. Some parts were weird, but there's the right atmosphere that I get from watching this movie, which is only loosely based on the book, that I didn't get from reading the story. Perhaps I couldn't visualize the story fully. In any case, the movie isn't scary, more of creepy. The ending is great.

After we watched Chilean Gothic, we watched a 2003 short directed by Giovanni Furore, Pickman's Model.

[20100110][20191007 Edit]

---

Watched 20100110 @ Home
Chilean Gothic (2000) Ricardo Harrington. 45 min [bot story Pickman's Model by H.P. Lovecraft]

Relevant Links:
Chilean Gothic (IMDb.com)
Chilean Gothic (RottenTomatoes.com)
Pickman's Model (Wikipedia.org)

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

20100109:
This is a scary movie that's executed in a funny way. Josh would say the movie is very visual. It's true, nothing in this movie (again as Josh commented) is included without a reason. We watched, as with most movies I watch, with caption and through the credits.

There are at most four "scary-scary" scenes. But I would say there are two or three. But which of the many scenes that build tension are "scary-scary"? Definitely worth watching, but overall it isn't that great. Oh right, we watched the unrated version which adds, as far as Josh noticed, three changes, that weren't as great as the original. But it tends to be with changes, that there are those that like changes, and those that don't. The level of scariness was for me less than The Shining, but this might depend on the person.

The blu-ray disc had extras which featured comments and details on certain parts of the production. For example, they talk about the scene with the goat in it and how that's done. Or the scene at the end of the movie. I can't say what, but the extras are cool to watch. We didn't watch them all, but the ones we watched were interesting.

I haven't watched that many scary movies; in fact, besides the above I only remember having seen Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining', 'Suspiria', part of 'Halloween', part of 'Gothika', 'Signs', part of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', part of 'Alien', 'Thir13en Ghosts', 'Sleepy Hollow', and a day after watching 'Drag Me to Hell', 'Pickman's Model' and 'Chilean Gothic'.

[20100111 4:43PM]

---

Watched 20100109 @ Kevin's House
Drag Me to Hell (2009) Sam Raimi. 99 min

Relevant Links:
Drag Me to Hell (RottenTomatoes.com)
Drag Me to Hell (IMDb.com)

The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

Partial Overview:
The movie starts with Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman) who we are told is a rat that doesn't hold the qualities of a rat. Traveling on a ship, Roscuro gets off at the next stop, The Kingdom of Dor, where the Royal Soup Day is being held. Though he meant to return to the ship before it leaves, he gets himself into some trouble by falling into the Queen's bowl of soup. While he manages to escape, the Queen had died of fright and the King responds sorrowfully by banning all soup and rats in the kingdom. Roscuro finds himself in the dungeons among fellow rats and sees the ship floating away.

From here, the story moves to Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), who since birth did not hold the qualities of a mouse. He, for example, doesn't cower or scurry. Physically, he is shorter than other rats and has huge ears. Brave and fearless, Despeareaux eventually meets the princess of Dor and talks to her. This however, gets him banned from Mouseworld, and he is sentenced to the dungeon where the rats live. There he ends up meeting Roscuro and the two become friends.

Finally, we meet Mig (Tracey Ullman), a servant girl living in the castle who longs to be a princess. Mig's a life of hurt and depression, as she roasts over her envy of Princess Pea (Emma Watson). After we learn about Mig, the story continues with Roscuro trying to apologize to the princess. Still fearful of rats, she chases him away. Angered, Roscuro tricks Mig into getting the princess captured.

You'll have to watch the movie to find out how things play out, and while there isn't much left of the story, it's the most exciting part.

---

20100105:
This was a good movie. The voices were great. We have Sigourney Weaver (Annie Hall, Avatar, WALL-E), Emma Watson, Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Christopher Lloyd, Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in Harry Potter), and other actors and actresses I don't know but you probably would.

The only thing is something my sister mentioned regarding some of the motives behind the characters' actions. That is to say, the actions made don't always seem properly motivated. But aside from that, there is a lot of action and adventure in the movie and that is good. The music is also good, one of the tracks sounds a lot like either the music that plays when mischief is happening in... Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) or Sherlock Holmes (2009).

I guess there's sort of a side story that goes on in the movie, and I don't entirely know how to view that. In the end it works out alright, but in the middle of the movie, it sort of takes you by surprise. I would have preferred just the scenes with Despereaux, and most of the scenes with Roscuro. But perhaps the movie followed the book closely and since I haven't read the book, I guess I can't really say how the movie should be. I'm just saying what I thought fit into the context of what the movie showed.

---

20130702:
Reading my previous comments, I must have considered Mig's part of the story a side story. She is, however, important in the story's telling. In terms of character development, she shares Roscuro's pain and suffering. While we might not find Mig or Roscuro likeable to the same extent we find Despereaux likeable, we at least sympathize with them. As such, I no longer hold my previous opinion about Mig's part of the story.

Having read the plot summary of the book, I can say that all three characters (Roscuro, Despereaux, and Mig) are equally important, but the movie tweaks certain details here and there. As far as I can tell, the tweaks make for a more action-oriented movie.

---

Instant Comments:
2: Matches wouldn't last that long as a light source.
2: "Don't worry, he'll learn to cower."
2: "It's beautiful."
2: It's very humorous to hear the mice talk about the need to be fearful, as there must be things in our society to which we find others odd.
2: I love that. "I'm ready." "Good, then you need..."
2: The piano notes at around 45 minutes were similar to those in one of the Harry Potter movies. Wait, I think its some other instrument, and perhaps the notes aren't the same, but its the same instrument being used in both movies that makes the tune seem familiar. It might be a mandolin, because it has a sort of twangy sound.
2: Ha! I thought it was cool that Batman
2: Andiamo!

2=20130702

---

Watched 20100105 (DVD)
Watched 20130702 (Netflix, Instant, HD)
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) Sam Fell, Robert Stevenhagen. 93 min [botnotsn (2004) by Katie DiCamillo]

Relevant Links:
The Tale of Despereaux (IMDb.com)
The Tale of Despereaux (RottenTomatoes.com)
The Tale of Despereaux (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Tale of Despereaux (Wikipedia.org)

Deconstructing Harry (1997)

20100104:
This movie has everybody. Some people that I knew and some people that I recognized after looking at their IMDb.com filmography: Woody Allen, Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Elisabeth Shue, Demi Moore, Robin Williams, Eric Lloyd, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobey Maguire, Stanley Tucci, and Jennifer Garner.

My favorite part of the film is its resolution. But besides that, I love how the film sort of unravels itself, starting off with the introduction that you understand one or two scenes later.

[20100105 1:13 PM]

---

Watched 20100104
Deconstructing Harry (1997) Woody Allen. 96 min.

Relevant Links:
Deconstructing Harry (IMDb.com)
Deconstructing Harry (RottenTomatoes.com

12 Angry Men (1957)

20100103:
What a great movie. The movie is black and white. I love how various scenes are set aside to set the mood or give the viewer a way into the minds of the characters. I had seen about half of it before, but it was so long ago that I decided to watch it again from start to finish.

The movie really keeps your attention. Part of it is the vote which is taken periodically, and you really wonder who might get swayed or not. And as the vote changes, the suspense of the movie builds and builds. And all the suspense is really released at the right moment and in the right way.

And of course, the movie really puts out the ideal process that should occur in our justice system. Now I wouldn't really know how well our justice system works or doesn't, but somehow I feel this wouldn't be a great movie unless the actual system was more like the the first half of the movie, where the majority are apathetic, want to be done with the ordeal, and don't consider much of the evidence too closely. Or perhaps, another way to put it, is too easily swayed (i.e. sheep). Which sort of helps the lone wolf in his mission to examine the case more closely, but unfortunate as you would imagine lawyers picking jury members based on how easily they may be swayed.

[20100104 4:32 AM]

---

20100530 Comment:
I compare "Citizen Kane" to "12 Angry Men" a little bit in my "Citizen Kane" post.

---

Watched 1st half 200XXXXX @ Home
Watched 20100103 @ Home
12 Angry Men (1957) Sidney Lumet. 96 min. [adapted ft teleplay otsn (1954) by Reginald Rose]

Relevant Links:
12 Angry Men (IMDb.com)
12 Angry Men (RottenTomatoes.com)
12 Angry Men (1957 film) (Wikipedia.org)

The Addams Family (1991)

20100102:
The jokes in this movie were good. Like when Morticia Addams is going through Fester's goods or when Wednesday straps Pugsley to the electric chair. All the jokes mainly revolve around showing how different the Addams family compares to practically any other family.

Gomez Addams (Raul Julia) and Morticia Addams (Anjelica Huston)

[20100103 5:31 PM]

---

Instant Comments:
1: "Is that for your brother?" [Wednesday nods yes] "I don't think so." [Morticia grabs a larger blade]
1=20100102

Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci)

Uncle Fester Addams / Gordon Craven (Christopher Lloyd)

Pugley Addams (Jimmy Workman)

---

Watched 20100102 @ Stephanie's house
The Addams Family (1991)

Lurch (Carel Struycken)

Thing (Christopher Hart)

Granny (Judith Malina)

Relevant Links:
The Addams Family (IMDb.com)
The Addams Family (RottenTomatoes.com)

Abigail Craven / Dr. Greta Pinder-Schloss (Elizabeth Wilson)

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004)

20100102:
This movie was just all over the place. For example, the opening scene where Lohan does a flip on the tree... I missed a couple scenes from my sister channel flipping and several times where I was doing something else, but they couldn't have possibly made the movie better.

[Actual Post Date and Time 1/3/10 9:15 PM]

---

Watched 20100102 @ Home on TV
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004)

Relevant Links:
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (IMDb.com)
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (RottenTomatoes.com)