20101231:
There's a photo of a sheep on the wall.
There was a reference to something but I suddenly can't remember what. Oh right, Citizen Kane.
I liked this one a bit more than I did A Close Shave.
Watched 20101231 (Netflix, Instant) Episode 2 of Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures
A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit (1989) Nick Park. 23 min.
Relevant Links:
A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit (IMDb.com)
A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit (Wikipedia.org)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (1995)
20101231:
Haha, that one sheep is so crazy!
Watched 20101231 (Netflix, Instant) Episode 1 of Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (1995) Nick Park. 30 min.
Relevant Links:
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (IMDb.com)
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (Wikipedia.org)
Haha, that one sheep is so crazy!
Watched 20101231 (Netflix, Instant) Episode 1 of Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (1995) Nick Park. 30 min.
Relevant Links:
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (IMDb.com)
Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave (Wikipedia.org)
Casino Royale (2006)
20101231:
Overall good. Though lately I've been particular about the pacing of movies and this one didn't satisfy my preferences. I feel if a movie is gonna throw me a curve ball, it should still do so in a timely manner. Perhaps the movie was just too long.
[20110104]
20211222, 20211223:
Watching the movie again, I found it strange that the movie spends an extra 23 minutes or so to set up a twist leading into the next movie. I would have rather preferred the approach taken by the Austin Powers series. In other words, end it on a happy note and save the twist for the next film. Reading my entry from when I last saw the film, apparently my feelings towards the ending remain the same.
On an unrelated note, I only vaguely remembered two parts of the film, the first being the CIA agent and the second being something happens to Bond in which he goes to the car to remedy.
Instant Comments:
1: Parkour!
2: Hehe, Bond clumsily maneuvers
2: Thus far, Bond makes up for his lack of parkour with knowledge about machinery
2: Those pocket pairs.
2: Hehe. Of course. But I like the smirk Bond gives in reaction.
2: "I'm the money." "Every penny of it." A reference to Miss Moneypenny.
2: As James and Vesper were conversing, I suddenly wondered if there would ever be a female equivalent of James Bond, and apparently something like this took place in the most recent film No Time to Die
2: He put in "ELLIPSIS"?
2: His hands are still nicked when he sits down next to her in the shower. I feel like they would have been noticed at a poker table. [I went back to the scene where he returns and it is visible, but perhaps no one cares to bring it up]
2b: What position/knowledge does Vesper have to withhold the extra buy-in from James? She called him arrogant and
2b: "Shaken or stirred?" "Do I look like I give a damn?"
2b: So he's stumbling across the street and a car grazes him because bad driver?
2b: "Oh I'm sorry. That last hand. It nearly killed me."
2b: Pausing when Le Chiffre looks at the cards, I guess the only hand that would beat Aces is a flush or a straight flush (five/seven spades or two/three spades). Furthermore, everyone checked on the turn and the Ace of Spades came on the river. Someone with pocket aces would be safe against someone with a flush. Someone with a single ace would not be in a good position.
2b: Le Chiffre reveals he has a full house, 6 full of Aces. Since James went all-in, he must have the straight flush, but I'm guessing since he didn't raise on the turn, he probably has the low run. He might have also used the fact that Le Chiffre didn't go all-in himself. [I went looking for a better analysis and I found one that pointed out that the threat of someone having an Ace and an eight would be serious enough that perhaps Le Chiffre should have folded.]
2b: Lol. The password. [Oh, it wasn't what I thought it was]
2b: "I've got a little itch down there, would you mind."
2b: Smile. "To the right. To the right."
2b: Why did she still want to die?
2b: Interesting ending.
1=20101231, 2a=20211222, 2b=20211223
Watched 20101231 (DVD)
Watched 20211222 (Amazon Prime)
Casino Royale (2006) Martin Campbell. 144 min.
Relevant Links:
Casino Royale (IMDb.com)
Casino Royale (2006 film) (Wikipedia.org)
HISHEdotcom:
Overall good. Though lately I've been particular about the pacing of movies and this one didn't satisfy my preferences. I feel if a movie is gonna throw me a curve ball, it should still do so in a timely manner. Perhaps the movie was just too long.
[20110104]
20211222, 20211223:
Watching the movie again, I found it strange that the movie spends an extra 23 minutes or so to set up a twist leading into the next movie. I would have rather preferred the approach taken by the Austin Powers series. In other words, end it on a happy note and save the twist for the next film. Reading my entry from when I last saw the film, apparently my feelings towards the ending remain the same.
On an unrelated note, I only vaguely remembered two parts of the film, the first being the CIA agent and the second being something happens to Bond in which he goes to the car to remedy.
Instant Comments:
1: Parkour!
2: Hehe, Bond clumsily maneuvers
2: Thus far, Bond makes up for his lack of parkour with knowledge about machinery
2: Those pocket pairs.
2: Hehe. Of course. But I like the smirk Bond gives in reaction.
2: "I'm the money." "Every penny of it." A reference to Miss Moneypenny.
2: As James and Vesper were conversing, I suddenly wondered if there would ever be a female equivalent of James Bond, and apparently something like this took place in the most recent film No Time to Die
2: He put in "ELLIPSIS"?
2: His hands are still nicked when he sits down next to her in the shower. I feel like they would have been noticed at a poker table. [I went back to the scene where he returns and it is visible, but perhaps no one cares to bring it up]
2b: What position/knowledge does Vesper have to withhold the extra buy-in from James? She called him arrogant and
2b: "Shaken or stirred?" "Do I look like I give a damn?"
2b: So he's stumbling across the street and a car grazes him because bad driver?
2b: "Oh I'm sorry. That last hand. It nearly killed me."
2b: Pausing when Le Chiffre looks at the cards, I guess the only hand that would beat Aces is a flush or a straight flush (five/seven spades or two/three spades). Furthermore, everyone checked on the turn and the Ace of Spades came on the river. Someone with pocket aces would be safe against someone with a flush. Someone with a single ace would not be in a good position.
2b: Le Chiffre reveals he has a full house, 6 full of Aces. Since James went all-in, he must have the straight flush, but I'm guessing since he didn't raise on the turn, he probably has the low run. He might have also used the fact that Le Chiffre didn't go all-in himself. [I went looking for a better analysis and I found one that pointed out that the threat of someone having an Ace and an eight would be serious enough that perhaps Le Chiffre should have folded.]
2b: Lol. The password. [Oh, it wasn't what I thought it was]
2b: "I've got a little itch down there, would you mind."
2b: Smile. "To the right. To the right."
2b: Why did she still want to die?
2b: Interesting ending.
1=20101231, 2a=20211222, 2b=20211223
Watched 20101231 (DVD)
Watched 20211222 (Amazon Prime)
Casino Royale (2006) Martin Campbell. 144 min.
Relevant Links:
Casino Royale (IMDb.com)
Casino Royale (2006 film) (Wikipedia.org)
HISHEdotcom:
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The A-Team (2010)
20101230:
Overall this movie was alright. All the scenes taking place in the sky were great. The movie was pretty funny. Some parts of the movie seemed a bit off, whether with timing or execution.
I didn't like Jessica Biel's performance and I was partially confused as to what her character's job and aim was.
We watched the deleted scenes (most scenes were boring, the first with the tea was good). Gag reel (some good stuff here). Montage. Plan of Attack (showed various parts of the filming of the movie) (30 min). Theatrical trailer.
[20101231]
Watched 20101230 (Blu-ray) Theatrical version.
The A-Team (2010) Joe Carnahan. 117 min.
Relevant Links:
The A-Team (IMDb.com)
Overall this movie was alright. All the scenes taking place in the sky were great. The movie was pretty funny. Some parts of the movie seemed a bit off, whether with timing or execution.
I didn't like Jessica Biel's performance and I was partially confused as to what her character's job and aim was.
We watched the deleted scenes (most scenes were boring, the first with the tea was good). Gag reel (some good stuff here). Montage. Plan of Attack (showed various parts of the filming of the movie) (30 min). Theatrical trailer.
[20101231]
Watched 20101230 (Blu-ray) Theatrical version.
The A-Team (2010) Joe Carnahan. 117 min.
Relevant Links:
The A-Team (IMDb.com)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Priceless (2006)
20101229:
Haha, this was an interesting romantic comedy.
Throughout the movie I kept thinking, what a strange couple.
The story was great, there were several great twists here and there, and perhaps only one or two parts in the movie I didn't understand.
While I had an expectation of the ending, I didn't know how it would happen and that kept the movie enjoyable.
[20101230]
Watched 20101229 (Netflix, Instant)
Priceless (2006) Pierre Salvadori. 106 min
also known as Hors de prix (original title)
Relevant Links:
Priceless (IMDb.com)
Haha, this was an interesting romantic comedy.
Throughout the movie I kept thinking, what a strange couple.
The story was great, there were several great twists here and there, and perhaps only one or two parts in the movie I didn't understand.
While I had an expectation of the ending, I didn't know how it would happen and that kept the movie enjoyable.
[20101230]
Watched 20101229 (Netflix, Instant)
Priceless (2006) Pierre Salvadori. 106 min
also known as Hors de prix (original title)
Relevant Links:
Priceless (IMDb.com)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Better Off Dead (1985)
20101228:
Great movie. Very 80s.
I wish the relationship between Lane and Monique was developed more.
The movie was pretty funny.
The animation/non-live-action parts were fun.
Watched 20101228 (Netflix, DVD)
Better Off Dead (1985) Savage Steve Holland. 97 min.
Relevant Links:
Better Off Dead (IMDb.com)
Better Off Dead (Wikipedia.org)
Great movie. Very 80s.
I wish the relationship between Lane and Monique was developed more.
The movie was pretty funny.
The animation/non-live-action parts were fun.
Watched 20101228 (Netflix, DVD)
Better Off Dead (1985) Savage Steve Holland. 97 min.
Relevant Links:
Better Off Dead (IMDb.com)
Better Off Dead (Wikipedia.org)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
20101226:
Whoa, this was great. Great animation. Though I didn't understand how it linked into Watchmen. Josh explained how the two were related after we finished the movie.*
*In short, it's a comic in a comic, and the writers of Watchmen used it as a counterpoint. See this Stack Exchange thread for a detailed answer).
[20101227][20190913 Edit]
Watched 20101226 (Netflix, Instant)
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) Daniel DelPurgatorio, Mike Smith. 26 min.
Relevant Links:
Tales of the Black Freighter (IMDb.com)
Whoa, this was great. Great animation. Though I didn't understand how it linked into Watchmen. Josh explained how the two were related after we finished the movie.*
*In short, it's a comic in a comic, and the writers of Watchmen used it as a counterpoint. See this Stack Exchange thread for a detailed answer).
[20101227][20190913 Edit]
Watched 20101226 (Netflix, Instant)
Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) Daniel DelPurgatorio, Mike Smith. 26 min.
Relevant Links:
Tales of the Black Freighter (IMDb.com)
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Stardust (2007)
 |
| Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox) and Yvaine (Claire Danes) |
20101225:
I liked most of the movie. There were some characters or scenes that didn't fully click for me. I thought some characters could have looked differently and some scenes could have been shot differently.
 |
| Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) |
In the end, I love fantasy movies and that's a big reason for me to like Stardust. Other fantasy movies I enjoyed over the years include Pan's Labyrinth, Bridge of Terabithia, and Alice in Wonderland (2010).
 |
| left to right: Prince Primus (Jason Flemyng), Prince Septimus (Mark Strong), Prince Secundus (Rupert Everett), and Prince Tertius (Mark Heap) |
My friend asked which I thought was better, this movie or The Princess Bride (1987). I chose The Princess Bride.
Among the special features we watched the deleted scenes, the blooper reel (the very last part is especially funny), the theatrical trailer, and then started a feature that was boring that we didn't watch any more.
 |
| Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) and Ferdy (Ricky Gervais) |
[20101227]
20150103:
I skimmed through parts of this movie today. While I didn't see all of it, I enjoyed the overall plot.
[20150103][20190930 Edit[
As of 20180201, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 92% match.
Watched 20101225 (Blu-ray)
Stardust (2007) Michael Vaughn. 127 min [botnotsn (1998) by Neil Gaiman]
 |
| The King of Stormhold (Peter O'Toole) |
Relevant Links:
Stardust (IMDb.com)
Stardust (2007 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Stardust (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Kick-Ass (2010)
20101223:
The movie had some great action sequences. I wasn't too fond of how the costumes looked. Well, Big Daddy's costume looked the best.
Favorite scene: Hit Girl rescues Kick Ass and Big Daddy.
Second favorite: Hit Girl takes down a slew of bad guys in Frank D'Amico's place.
Third favorite: Kick-Ass defends a guy from three other guys.
Fourth favorite: McCready shoots Mindy.
In the realm of fiction, there are two types of fictitious events: those that are realistically possible, and those that are realistically impossible. I judge good fiction by plot which keeps the possible ones seem possible, and makes the impossible ones seem possible. However, if the plot makes a possible event seem impossible or doesn't make an impossible event seem possible then it has failed. Part of the ending for me failed.
I don't know, I have mixed feelings for the movie. Overall I liked it a lot. Might benefit from a second viewing.
Off Topic Note: There was a discussion about the size of DVD's and Blu-rays. Wikipedia says a single-sided single-layered DVD is 4.7 GB, a single-sided double-layered DVD is 8.5-8.7 GB, a double-sided single-layered DVD is 9.4 GB, and a double-sided double-layered DVD is 17.08 GB. The article says the last is rare. Meanwhile, a single-layered Blu-ray disc is 25 GB, a double-layered Blu-ray disc is 50 GB.
20110110 Comment:
Today (20110110) I came across a concept called "suspension of disbelief." Skimming through the Wikipedia.org article, I found the following: "Tolkien argues that suspension of disbelief is only necessary when the work has failed to create secondary belief."
Watched 20101223 (Blu-ray)
Kick-Ass (2010) Matthew Vaughn. 117 min [bot comic book otsn (2008-2010) by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.]
Relevant Links:
Kick-Ass (IMDb.com)
Kick-Ass (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Kick-Ass (Wikipedia.org)
Kick-Ass (RottenTomatoes.com)
The movie had some great action sequences. I wasn't too fond of how the costumes looked. Well, Big Daddy's costume looked the best.
Favorite scene: Hit Girl rescues Kick Ass and Big Daddy.
Second favorite: Hit Girl takes down a slew of bad guys in Frank D'Amico's place.
Third favorite: Kick-Ass defends a guy from three other guys.
Fourth favorite: McCready shoots Mindy.
In the realm of fiction, there are two types of fictitious events: those that are realistically possible, and those that are realistically impossible. I judge good fiction by plot which keeps the possible ones seem possible, and makes the impossible ones seem possible. However, if the plot makes a possible event seem impossible or doesn't make an impossible event seem possible then it has failed. Part of the ending for me failed.
I don't know, I have mixed feelings for the movie. Overall I liked it a lot. Might benefit from a second viewing.
Off Topic Note: There was a discussion about the size of DVD's and Blu-rays. Wikipedia says a single-sided single-layered DVD is 4.7 GB, a single-sided double-layered DVD is 8.5-8.7 GB, a double-sided single-layered DVD is 9.4 GB, and a double-sided double-layered DVD is 17.08 GB. The article says the last is rare. Meanwhile, a single-layered Blu-ray disc is 25 GB, a double-layered Blu-ray disc is 50 GB.
20110110 Comment:
Today (20110110) I came across a concept called "suspension of disbelief." Skimming through the Wikipedia.org article, I found the following: "Tolkien argues that suspension of disbelief is only necessary when the work has failed to create secondary belief."
Watched 20101223 (Blu-ray)
Kick-Ass (2010) Matthew Vaughn. 117 min [bot comic book otsn (2008-2010) by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.]
Relevant Links:
Kick-Ass (IMDb.com)
Kick-Ass (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Kick-Ass (Wikipedia.org)
Kick-Ass (RottenTomatoes.com)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Finding Neverland (2004)
Overview: A movie based on a play about playwright J. M. Barrie. The story is a semi-biography about J. M. Barrie, his time with the Llewelyn Davies family, and how that time served as inspiration for his creation of the character Peter Pan.
20101222:
What a lovely, beautiful movie. As a drama, it was a more emotionally striking movie about being a kid and growing up than either Walt Disney's Peter Pan (1953) or Hook (1991).
In any case, while I love Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet in this movie, young Freddie Highmore should also be noted. While I didn't remember him being Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), I loved his performance in August Rush (2007).*
*I didn't really like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I loved August Rush.
20160217:
While its been five years since I've seen this movie, it's one I've enjoyed every time I watch it - probably because I hold many of its themes close to my heart.
Overall, if you cherish movies that revolve around imagination and/or coming of age, then I would highly recommend you watch Finding Neverland.
Similar movies include Bridge of Terabithia, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Chronicles of Narnia. However, Finding Neverland doesn't take the imaginative world as literally or vividly as the movies just mentioned.
Instant Comments:
3: "...just a dog."
3: Haha. He's such a child at heart. Reminds me a bit of myself, perhaps that's why I enjoy this movie.
3: You gotta believe!
3: "Are we having him for supper?"
3: Haha. The flashing image of a hook: "And not one of you will escape."
3: It's been a while since I've used my fountain pens. I miss the sound of the occasional scratching.
3: @33 minutes: Neverland
3: Haha. "How does the clock wind up inside the crocodile?" "He swallows it."
3: Haha Post-Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow.
3: Ha. Fighting for the sheets with his dog Porthos.
3: I like how they showed the white light, to give the effect that she has received a glimpse of her husband's Neverland.
3: I had forgotten if it was his mom or Mr. Barrie who had fixed his journal.
3: "But I'm not Peter Pan, he is."
3: It makes quite the difference that her mom is the first to clap.
Watched once before (DVD)
Watched 20101222 (DVD)
Watched 20160218 (Netflix, Instant)
Finding Neverland (2004) Marc Forster. 106 min [based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan (1998) by Allan Knee]
Relevant Links:
Finding Neverland (IMDb.com)
Finding Neverland (Wikipedia.org)
 |
| Sir James Matthew Barrie (Johnny Depp) |
20101222:
What a lovely, beautiful movie. As a drama, it was a more emotionally striking movie about being a kid and growing up than either Walt Disney's Peter Pan (1953) or Hook (1991).
 |
| Peter, Sylvia, Michael, George, and Jack Llewelyn Davies (Freddie Highmore, Kate Winslet, Luke Spill, Nick Roud, and Joe Prospero) |
In any case, while I love Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet in this movie, young Freddie Highmore should also be noted. While I didn't remember him being Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), I loved his performance in August Rush (2007).*
*I didn't really like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I loved August Rush.
 |
| Charles Frohman (Dustin Hoffman) |
20160217:
While its been five years since I've seen this movie, it's one I've enjoyed every time I watch it - probably because I hold many of its themes close to my heart.
Overall, if you cherish movies that revolve around imagination and/or coming of age, then I would highly recommend you watch Finding Neverland.
 |
| A little imagination goes a long way. |
Similar movies include Bridge of Terabithia, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Chronicles of Narnia. However, Finding Neverland doesn't take the imaginative world as literally or vividly as the movies just mentioned.
Instant Comments:
3: "...just a dog."
3: Haha. He's such a child at heart. Reminds me a bit of myself, perhaps that's why I enjoy this movie.
 |
| Barrie peers through the curtains as he attempts to gauge response to his play |
3: You gotta believe!
3: "Are we having him for supper?"
3: Haha. The flashing image of a hook: "And not one of you will escape."
3: It's been a while since I've used my fountain pens. I miss the sound of the occasional scratching.
3: @33 minutes: Neverland
 |
| J. M. Barrie and his wife Mary Ansell Barrie (Radha Mitchell) |
3: Haha. "How does the clock wind up inside the crocodile?" "He swallows it."
3: Haha Post-Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow.
3: Ha. Fighting for the sheets with his dog Porthos.
3: I like how they showed the white light, to give the effect that she has received a glimpse of her husband's Neverland.
3: I had forgotten if it was his mom or Mr. Barrie who had fixed his journal.
3: "But I'm not Peter Pan, he is."
 |
| Sylvia's mother Mrs. Emma du Maurier (Julie Christie) |
3: It makes quite the difference that her mom is the first to clap.
Watched once before (DVD)
Watched 20101222 (DVD)
Watched 20160218 (Netflix, Instant)
Finding Neverland (2004) Marc Forster. 106 min [based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan (1998) by Allan Knee]
Relevant Links:
Finding Neverland (IMDb.com)
Finding Neverland (Wikipedia.org)
Robots (2005)
20101222:
I love the music in the movie. There are so many amazing scenes in the movie. A lot of funny lines. I love the world of Robots.
Instant Comments:
I can pick up Robin Williams and Amanda Bynes voices.
Credits:
I didn't realize Ewan McGregor was Rodney. Oh and that Jim Broadbent is Madame Gasket!
Special Features:
Robots Original Test (A short)
Discontinued Parts (Deleted Scenes)
-First scene is an alternate take to Rodney wanting to enter Bigweld's company
-Second scene is incomplete, first just rough modeling, then storyboard sketches. It overlaps with the scene where Rodney fixes Fender's neck.
-Third scene is rough models. Cappy comes to visit Rodney
Blue Man Group - Talks about creating the sound of the movie.
Meet the Bots
-I checked out the voice behind the bot for Rodney (Ewan McGregor)
-The Voice Behind the Bot for Piper (Amanda Bynes)
-Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent)
Watched 20101222 (DVD)
Watched once before.
Robots (2005) Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha. 91 min.
Relevant Links:
Robots (Wikipedia.org)
Robots (IMDb.com)
I love the music in the movie. There are so many amazing scenes in the movie. A lot of funny lines. I love the world of Robots.
Instant Comments:
I can pick up Robin Williams and Amanda Bynes voices.
Credits:
I didn't realize Ewan McGregor was Rodney. Oh and that Jim Broadbent is Madame Gasket!
Special Features:
Robots Original Test (A short)
Discontinued Parts (Deleted Scenes)
-First scene is an alternate take to Rodney wanting to enter Bigweld's company
-Second scene is incomplete, first just rough modeling, then storyboard sketches. It overlaps with the scene where Rodney fixes Fender's neck.
-Third scene is rough models. Cappy comes to visit Rodney
Blue Man Group - Talks about creating the sound of the movie.
Meet the Bots
-I checked out the voice behind the bot for Rodney (Ewan McGregor)
-The Voice Behind the Bot for Piper (Amanda Bynes)
-Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent)
Watched 20101222 (DVD)
Watched once before.
Robots (2005) Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha. 91 min.
Relevant Links:
Robots (Wikipedia.org)
Robots (IMDb.com)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Star Trek (2009)
20101221:
Though I haven't watched the show, I've seen several other Star Trek movies and I've learned more about the Star Trek universe since watching this movie a year and a half ago. Doing so has made this more enjoyable.
I'm ambivalent about the relationship between Uhura and Spock.
I would rate this new crew as follows, from best to worst: Bones, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, Kirk, and finally Uhura.
[20190102 Edit]
20120122:
This is the first movie I've seen on Netflix that has the option for a different audio track (French). But I watched it in English with English subtitles. Well, I had it on in the background while blogging.
20190102:
Watching the movie again today, I would rank the characters almost the same as before. The only difference is that I would switch Chekov and Sulu. To qualify the order, I enjoy the overall character of Bones, Spock shows the most depth, and Chekov has some good dialogue. On the other end of the spectrum, Uhura is mostly revolving around Spock and Kirk, lacking a strong role for herself, and Kirk's character is weak. The story did not succeed in convincing me that Kirk was worthy of being a captain.
In fact, I only found evidence of the following character-defining moments for Kirk, none of which were exceptional:
1) He cheated on the test because he doesn't believe in a "No-Win" Scenario.
2) Has the smarts to figure out they were running into danger.
3) Wanted to go against Spock's orders; that is, he had his own ideas, but that's technically irrelevant.
4) Goes with Spock onto the Romulan ship, the Narada.
While the characters could have been portrayed differently, the movie was still a joy to watch.
Instant Comments:
4: Huh. I didn't realize George Kirk was played by Chris Hemsworth. He looks different enough (from his role as Thor) that he only looked familiar, but I didn't recognize him.
3: Muahaha: "Live and long and prosper." (@19)
3: I don't think I ever realized how important the conversation in the bar was (between James and the Captain)
2: Was him hitting his head on the low clearance a reference?
3: Haha. "I told you people, I don't need a doctor, damn it, I am a doctor!"
3: "All I got left is my bones." (@27)
2: The actor who plays Leonard "Bones" McCoy really fits the character. (probably @27)
3: Oh Eric Bana is Captain Nero. I think I made the facial recognition for the first time at around 28 mins.
4: Huh. So he was making out with that one girl. But on his way out, he's outwardly flirting with Uhura.
4: Jim says "I might throw up on you." Referencing what Bones said to him three years earlier.
3: I never realized the U.S.S. Enterprise is so huge. (probably @39)
3: Sulu (@40) and Chekov (@42)
3: I never thought about how the ships must have some sort of gravity simulator. Wonder how such technology would work.
2: I love how the sound mutes at certain parts in the movie. (probably @47)
4: Kirk promoted to first officer. [According to the Memory Alpha wiki, the first officer is second in command after the captain.
4: Everybody's getting promoted (Bones is now Chief Medical Officer).
4: Ha. The "redshirt." Technically he's wearing red armor.
3: Hahaha, "fencing." (@53)
3: Poor redshirt.
2: One of my favorite parts in the movie: John Cho's fight scene.
4: I'm not sure training with fencing is adequate for fighting with a saber.
3: Haha I love Chekov. "I can do that. I can do that." @60)
4: "Yo-moyo!" - Chekov
3: Where would the other people be on the transporter if there were more than six people? (probably @63) [answered at 1h49, where two people are on one section of the device]
3: "Damn it man I'm a doctor not a physicist." (@69)
3: Oh, I forgot that Kirk was ejected from the ship. (@71)
2: The ice planet with the one creature in the last movie I watched... Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).
3: Lol, what a scary creature. But why would it attack that other creature and not like stop and eat it? (@74)
3: It seems that it would make more sense that instead of saying that Spock and the Romulans went back in time, to say they traveled to an alternate reality. [Apparently this was stated by Spock earlier (I thought he was just theorizing, but we can assume it is in fact the case):
3: Montgomery Scott. (@83)
3: "Do they still have sandwiches there?" (@85)
3: I feel like that's why introducing changes isn't hazardous.
3: "I like this ship! You know, it's exciting." (@93)
3: Hehe, at 1h38. Nyota. 4: "Thank you, Nyota" (@98)
3, 4: "So her first name's 'Nyota'?" "I have no comment on the matter." Hahaha.
3, 4: Hahahaha. "I got your gun." 4: I didn't remember how that played out. So it was a surprise.
3: "I'm giving her all she's got captain."
Released 20090508.
Watched 20090630 Theatre. Island 7 [STAR TREK] 6:30PM $10.00
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20120122 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Watched 20190102 (Amazon Prime)
Star Trek (2009) J.J. Abrams. 127 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Trek (IMDb.com)
Star Trek (film) (Wikipedia.org)
How It Should have Ended (HISHE):
Hahahaha. One of the better HISHE episodes.*
*[20190115: Watching it today, I didn't think it was so funny.]
[20111021]
Though I haven't watched the show, I've seen several other Star Trek movies and I've learned more about the Star Trek universe since watching this movie a year and a half ago. Doing so has made this more enjoyable.
I'm ambivalent about the relationship between Uhura and Spock.
 |
| Kirk (Chris Pine) |
I would rate this new crew as follows, from best to worst: Bones, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, Kirk, and finally Uhura.
[20190102 Edit]
20120122:
This is the first movie I've seen on Netflix that has the option for a different audio track (French). But I watched it in English with English subtitles. Well, I had it on in the background while blogging.
20190102:
Watching the movie again today, I would rank the characters almost the same as before. The only difference is that I would switch Chekov and Sulu. To qualify the order, I enjoy the overall character of Bones, Spock shows the most depth, and Chekov has some good dialogue. On the other end of the spectrum, Uhura is mostly revolving around Spock and Kirk, lacking a strong role for herself, and Kirk's character is weak. The story did not succeed in convincing me that Kirk was worthy of being a captain.
 |
| Nero (Eric Bana) |
In fact, I only found evidence of the following character-defining moments for Kirk, none of which were exceptional:
1) He cheated on the test because he doesn't believe in a "No-Win" Scenario.
2) Has the smarts to figure out they were running into danger.
3) Wanted to go against Spock's orders; that is, he had his own ideas, but that's technically irrelevant.
4) Goes with Spock onto the Romulan ship, the Narada.
While the characters could have been portrayed differently, the movie was still a joy to watch.
Instant Comments:
4: Huh. I didn't realize George Kirk was played by Chris Hemsworth. He looks different enough (from his role as Thor) that he only looked familiar, but I didn't recognize him.
3: Muahaha: "Live and long and prosper." (@19)
3: I don't think I ever realized how important the conversation in the bar was (between James and the Captain)
2: Was him hitting his head on the low clearance a reference?
 |
| Spock (Zachary Quinto) |
3: Haha. "I told you people, I don't need a doctor, damn it, I am a doctor!"
3: "All I got left is my bones." (@27)
2: The actor who plays Leonard "Bones" McCoy really fits the character. (probably @27)
3: Oh Eric Bana is Captain Nero. I think I made the facial recognition for the first time at around 28 mins.
4: Huh. So he was making out with that one girl. But on his way out, he's outwardly flirting with Uhura.
4: Jim says "I might throw up on you." Referencing what Bones said to him three years earlier.
3: I never realized the U.S.S. Enterprise is so huge. (probably @39)
3: Sulu (@40) and Chekov (@42)
3: I never thought about how the ships must have some sort of gravity simulator. Wonder how such technology would work.
2: I love how the sound mutes at certain parts in the movie. (probably @47)
4: Kirk promoted to first officer. [According to the Memory Alpha wiki, the first officer is second in command after the captain.
4: Everybody's getting promoted (Bones is now Chief Medical Officer).
 |
| Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy) |
4: Ha. The "redshirt." Technically he's wearing red armor.
3: Hahaha, "fencing." (@53)
3: Poor redshirt.
2: One of my favorite parts in the movie: John Cho's fight scene.
4: I'm not sure training with fencing is adequate for fighting with a saber.
3: Haha I love Chekov. "I can do that. I can do that." @60)
4: "Yo-moyo!" - Chekov
3: Where would the other people be on the transporter if there were more than six people? (probably @63) [answered at 1h49, where two people are on one section of the device]
3: "Damn it man I'm a doctor not a physicist." (@69)
3: Oh, I forgot that Kirk was ejected from the ship. (@71)
2: The ice planet with the one creature in the last movie I watched... Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).
3: Lol, what a scary creature. But why would it attack that other creature and not like stop and eat it? (@74)
 |
| Left to Right: Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Kirk, Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), and Spock (foreground) |
3: It seems that it would make more sense that instead of saying that Spock and the Romulans went back in time, to say they traveled to an alternate reality. [Apparently this was stated by Spock earlier (I thought he was just theorizing, but we can assume it is in fact the case):
Spock: "Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history, beginning with the attack on the U.S.S. Kelvin, culminating in the events of today, thereby creating an entire new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party."2: Haha, "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?"
Uhuru: "An alternate reality."
Spock: "Precisely."
3: Montgomery Scott. (@83)
3: "Do they still have sandwiches there?" (@85)
3: I feel like that's why introducing changes isn't hazardous.
3: "I like this ship! You know, it's exciting." (@93)
3: Hehe, at 1h38. Nyota. 4: "Thank you, Nyota" (@98)
3, 4: "So her first name's 'Nyota'?" "I have no comment on the matter." Hahaha.
3, 4: Hahahaha. "I got your gun." 4: I didn't remember how that played out. So it was a surprise.
3: "I'm giving her all she's got captain."
Released 20090508.
Watched 20090630 Theatre. Island 7 [STAR TREK] 6:30PM $10.00
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20120122 (Netflix, Instant) (English subtitles)
Watched 20190102 (Amazon Prime)
Star Trek (2009) J.J. Abrams. 127 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Trek (IMDb.com)
Star Trek (film) (Wikipedia.org)
How It Should have Ended (HISHE):
Hahahaha. One of the better HISHE episodes.*
*[20190115: Watching it today, I didn't think it was so funny.]
[20111021]
Harvey (1950)
20101221:
This movie is a handful. A great beautiful handful.
Quotes:
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
Harvey (1950) Henry Koster. 104 min. [bot play otsn (1944) by Mary Chase]
Relevant Links:
Harvey (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Harvey (play) (Wikipedia.org)
Harvey (IMDb.com)
Puca (Wikipedia.org)
This movie is a handful. A great beautiful handful.
Quotes:
Wilson: [reading from an encyclopedia] "P O O K A - Pooka - from old Celtic mythology - a fairy spirit in animal form - always very large. The pooka appears here and there - now and then - to this one and that one - a benign but mischievous creature - very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?" "How are you, Mr. Wilson?" Who in the encyclopedia wants to know?
Elwood P. Dowd: Harvey and I sit in the bars... have a drink or two... play the juke box. And soon the faces of all the other people they turn toward mine and they smile. And they're saying, "We don't know your name, mister, but you're a very nice fella." Harvey and I warm ourselves in all these golden moments. We've entered as strangers - soon we have friends. And they come over... and they sit with us... and they drink with us... and they talk to us. They tell about the big terrible things they've done and the big wonderful things they'll do. Their hopes, and their regrets, and their loves, and their hates. All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar. And then I introduce them to Harvey... and he's bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed. The same people seldom come back; but that's envy, my dear. There's a little bit of envy in the best of us.
Elwood P. Dowd: Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.
The Taxi Driver: ...I've been driving this route for 15 years. I've brought 'em out here to get that stuff, and I've drove 'em home after they had it. It changes them... On the way out here, they sit back and enjoy the ride. They talk to me; sometimes we stop and watch the sunsets, and look at the birds flyin'. Sometimes we stop and watch the birds when there ain't no birds. And look at the sunsets when its raining. We have a swell time. And I always get a big tip. But afterwards, oh oh...
Veta Louise Simmons: "Afterwards, oh oh"? What do you mean, "afterwards, oh oh"?
The Taxi Driver: They crab, crab, crab. They yell at me. Watch the lights. Watch the brakes, Watch the intersections. They scream at me to hurry. They got no faith in me, or my buggy. Yet, it's the same cab, the same driver. and we're going back over the very same road. It's no fun. And no tips... After this he'll be a perfectly normal human being. And you know what stinkers they are!
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
Harvey (1950) Henry Koster. 104 min. [bot play otsn (1944) by Mary Chase]
Relevant Links:
Harvey (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Harvey (play) (Wikipedia.org)
Harvey (IMDb.com)
Puca (Wikipedia.org)
A League of Their Own (1992)
20101221:
Having watched Big (1988), I was up for watching another movie with Tom Hanks. Interestingly, the director of A League of Their Own is the same director for Big.
Overall a good movie. Some parts were a little confusing.
Geena Davis is pretty.
Credits play over pictures and scenes of the women playing baseball. For looking old, they play tough.
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
A League of Their Own (1992) Penny Marshall. 128 min.
Relevant Links:
A League of Their Own (IMDb.com)
A League of Their Own (Wikipedia.org)
Having watched Big (1988), I was up for watching another movie with Tom Hanks. Interestingly, the director of A League of Their Own is the same director for Big.
Overall a good movie. Some parts were a little confusing.
Geena Davis is pretty.
Credits play over pictures and scenes of the women playing baseball. For looking old, they play tough.
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
A League of Their Own (1992) Penny Marshall. 128 min.
Relevant Links:
A League of Their Own (IMDb.com)
A League of Their Own (Wikipedia.org)
Big (1988)
20101221:
Watching the movie for the first time, the movie led me to want a different ending than the ending that occurred. I'd probably enjoy the movie more if I watched it a second time, now with knowledge of how the story progresses. Overall a good movie.
Elizabeth Perkins and Tom Hanks were alright together. It's not exactly their fault, the movie sort of requires the relationship be awkward.
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
Big (1988) Penny Marshall. 104 min.
Relevant Links:
Big (IMDb.com)
Big (Wikipedia.org)
Watching the movie for the first time, the movie led me to want a different ending than the ending that occurred. I'd probably enjoy the movie more if I watched it a second time, now with knowledge of how the story progresses. Overall a good movie.
Elizabeth Perkins and Tom Hanks were alright together. It's not exactly their fault, the movie sort of requires the relationship be awkward.
Watched 20101221 (Netflix, Instant)
Big (1988) Penny Marshall. 104 min.
Relevant Links:
Big (IMDb.com)
Big (Wikipedia.org)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
20101220:
This was definitely better than the last movie. More focused, more development of characters. More action. It also removes the excessive humorous aspect of the Star Trek III (1984) and Star Trek IV (1986). Or perhaps just IV, I'm not remembering III that well. Anyways, I liked it better than III. It might have been equal to IV. IV was the one with Catherine Hicks and the whales. Thus so far Star Trek V (1989) is the worst, VI and IV tied for best, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) is second worst, and III is in the middle. The last of the original cast and crew I need to watch is Star Trek II (1982).
Great ending.
Closing credits start with the signatures of the main cast.
Watched 20101220 (Netflix, Instant)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Nicholas Meyer. 113 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (IMDb.com)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Wikipedia.org)
This was definitely better than the last movie. More focused, more development of characters. More action. It also removes the excessive humorous aspect of the Star Trek III (1984) and Star Trek IV (1986). Or perhaps just IV, I'm not remembering III that well. Anyways, I liked it better than III. It might have been equal to IV. IV was the one with Catherine Hicks and the whales. Thus so far Star Trek V (1989) is the worst, VI and IV tied for best, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) is second worst, and III is in the middle. The last of the original cast and crew I need to watch is Star Trek II (1982).
Great ending.
Closing credits start with the signatures of the main cast.
Watched 20101220 (Netflix, Instant)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Nicholas Meyer. 113 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (IMDb.com)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Wikipedia.org)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
20101220:
The interaction between Spock, Kirk, and Bones is the highlight of the movie. There are some other highlights from the standard crew, but overall the movie lacks structure. There is little excitement until the end and even then the excitement is short-lived.
Watched 20101220 (Netflix, Instant)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) William Shatner. 107 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Wikipedia.org)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (IMDb.com)
The interaction between Spock, Kirk, and Bones is the highlight of the movie. There are some other highlights from the standard crew, but overall the movie lacks structure. There is little excitement until the end and even then the excitement is short-lived.
Watched 20101220 (Netflix, Instant)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) William Shatner. 107 min.
Relevant Links:
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Wikipedia.org)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (IMDb.com)
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Sting (1973)
20101219:
This was an excellent movie. I missed part of the movie when I drifted off, but I picked back up on the plot.
The ending surprised me, but it didn't surprise one of my friends. He said it was because of the title. Thinking about what he said, I feel like the title wouldn't necessarily imply the ending. Hooker asks that he still finish the play, and thus the sting would still have taken place.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford make such a great team. They also did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) together.
[20110607][20190913 Edit]
20240427:
I watched this movie today, vaguely recalling that I had only partially watched it before.
Rating: 5.4/5
[20240504]
Instant Comments:
2: I bet the two are working together. when he stuffed it in his pants he must have done a swap
2: is it necessary for him to win? if so... he would have to swap out his threes for like... suits like jacks queens kings. or is his goal to lose. i think his goal was to win.
2: ahha 4 Jacks... but how do you know which suit to swap to... what if it showed up.
2: huh. who kills Salino [apparently a hired body guard for Hooker]
2: huh i wonder if the long con includes conning the feds
2: or are these feds not really feds. earlier i had that thought and then something abkut the scene with snyder had me convinced they were actually feds...
2: ah nuts I spoiled these mysterious gloves
2: oh wow. Salino...
2: huh. i feel like the rigged roulette table is a bit if a foreshadow to this moment "take all of it"
2: oh shit ok. "get him out" that's basically the same con as Luther and Hooker were playing but bigger. so the "feds" were not actually the feds. or at least that should be the answer
2=20240427
Watched 20101219 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20240327 (Netflix) (Last day to watch 20240430)
The Sting (1973) George Roy Hill. 129 min.
Relevant Links:
The Sting (IMDb.com)
The Sting (Wikipedia.org)
This was an excellent movie. I missed part of the movie when I drifted off, but I picked back up on the plot.
The ending surprised me, but it didn't surprise one of my friends. He said it was because of the title. Thinking about what he said, I feel like the title wouldn't necessarily imply the ending. Hooker asks that he still finish the play, and thus the sting would still have taken place.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford make such a great team. They also did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) together.
[20110607][20190913 Edit]
20240427:
I watched this movie today, vaguely recalling that I had only partially watched it before.
Rating: 5.4/5
[20240504]
Instant Comments:
2: I bet the two are working together. when he stuffed it in his pants he must have done a swap
2: is it necessary for him to win? if so... he would have to swap out his threes for like... suits like jacks queens kings. or is his goal to lose. i think his goal was to win.
2: ahha 4 Jacks... but how do you know which suit to swap to... what if it showed up.
2: huh. who kills Salino [apparently a hired body guard for Hooker]
2: huh i wonder if the long con includes conning the feds
2: or are these feds not really feds. earlier i had that thought and then something abkut the scene with snyder had me convinced they were actually feds...
2: ah nuts I spoiled these mysterious gloves
2: oh wow. Salino...
2: huh. i feel like the rigged roulette table is a bit if a foreshadow to this moment "take all of it"
2: oh shit ok. "get him out" that's basically the same con as Luther and Hooker were playing but bigger. so the "feds" were not actually the feds. or at least that should be the answer
2=20240427
Watched 20101219 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20240327 (Netflix) (Last day to watch 20240430)
The Sting (1973) George Roy Hill. 129 min.
Relevant Links:
The Sting (IMDb.com)
The Sting (Wikipedia.org)
Tron: Legacy (2010)
20101219:
This was a great action movie. The story, however, was weak and some of the scenes fell a little short.
There was one sound issue, which was probably due to the theater itself or my position in it: during certain scenes I heard the character voices twice, as if one speaker was half a second or so behind the other.
Watching the movie in IMAX 3D was alright. I don't think the movie particularly benefited from it.
Overall, this movie was a good action-packed movie which should be seen in theaters. While the story wasn't that great, I liked the movie better than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and better than or equal to Transformers (2007).
Honestly, I would have watched other movies before this, but everybody wanted to see TRON, so I went along with the flow. Movies I wanted to see: Black Swan (2010) and Tangled (2010). I would have also watched The Fighter (2010) over TRON, but I missed that event (most of the group went to watch that one last Friday).
The music was good.
[20101220][20101223 Edit][20130909 Edit][20191005 Edit]
Released 20101217.
Watched 20101219 Theater. Irvine Spectrum [] . $16. IMAX 3D.
TRON: Legacy (2010) Joseph Kosinski. 127 min.
Relevant Links:
TRON: Legacy (Wikipedia.org)
TRON: Legacy
HISHEdotcom:
This was a great action movie. The story, however, was weak and some of the scenes fell a little short.
There was one sound issue, which was probably due to the theater itself or my position in it: during certain scenes I heard the character voices twice, as if one speaker was half a second or so behind the other.
Watching the movie in IMAX 3D was alright. I don't think the movie particularly benefited from it.
Overall, this movie was a good action-packed movie which should be seen in theaters. While the story wasn't that great, I liked the movie better than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and better than or equal to Transformers (2007).
Honestly, I would have watched other movies before this, but everybody wanted to see TRON, so I went along with the flow. Movies I wanted to see: Black Swan (2010) and Tangled (2010). I would have also watched The Fighter (2010) over TRON, but I missed that event (most of the group went to watch that one last Friday).
The music was good.
[20101220][20101223 Edit][20130909 Edit][20191005 Edit]
Released 20101217.
Watched 20101219 Theater. Irvine Spectrum [] . $16. IMAX 3D.
TRON: Legacy (2010) Joseph Kosinski. 127 min.
Relevant Links:
TRON: Legacy (Wikipedia.org)
TRON: Legacy
HISHEdotcom:
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Stand by Me (1986)
20101218:
I had once read the plot of the movie so I basically knew what would happen. The movie was a little different than what I expected. It's an interesting story of friendship and growing up.
[20101219]
Watched 20101218 (DVD) @ Kevin's
Stand by Me (1986) Rob Reiner. 89 min. [bot novella The Body (1982) by Stephen King]
Relevant Links:
Stand by Me (IMDb.com)
Stand by Me (Wikipedia.org)
I had once read the plot of the movie so I basically knew what would happen. The movie was a little different than what I expected. It's an interesting story of friendship and growing up.
[20101219]
Watched 20101218 (DVD) @ Kevin's
Stand by Me (1986) Rob Reiner. 89 min. [bot novella The Body (1982) by Stephen King]
Relevant Links:
Stand by Me (IMDb.com)
Stand by Me (Wikipedia.org)
Field of Dreams (1989)
20101218:
This is a feel-good movie and you don't need to know anything about baseball to enjoy it. Though perhaps it would be better if you knew a handful of famous baseball players.
While a good family movie for being emotional, inspiring, and all those good feelings, the movie was also sort of boring.
20150909:
Today, after watching Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), I was trying to think of movies I've seen with Kevin Costner. While I was sure I had seen Dances with Wolves (1990) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), I thought that I had only seen bits and parts of Fields of Dreams. However, according to this blog post, I apparently saw the entire movie.
While not an amazing movie, it was sentimental and I enjoyed it.
Unlike my previous entry, I did not feel any part of the movie was boring.
[20150909][20171110 Edit]
20171110:
While my blog suggests I've already seen this movie, I have next to no memory of it and I had difficulty deciding whether or not I should watch it today. In the end, I decided I should go ahead and watch it.
Netflix determined the movie for me as a 98% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.
Instant Comments:
2: Whisper number 1: "If you build it, he will come." [apparently this gets misquoted as "If you build it, they will come."]
2: What? The whole family sees this guy?
2: "Hey, is this heaven?" "No, it's Iowa."
2: Ha. "We're keeping this field."
2: Interesting. Only him, his wife, and daughter can see the team.
2: Though it's strange because they're probably playing with imaginary balls. Yet the protagonist gets thrown a physical ball.
2: Whisper number 2: "Ease his pain."
2: Mentions Rosebud (a reference to Citizen Kane)
2: WTF. They had the same dream...
2: Ha. "We got a learning disability here?"
2: Wha? "I never said that." My guess is that he actually did say it... But for whatever reason didn't want to reveal it.
2: Whisper number 3: "Go the distance."
2: ARCHIBALD "MOONLIGHT" GRAHAM | CHISHOLM, MINN | NEW YORK GIANTS | 1922 | LIFETIME STATISTICS | 1 GAME 0 AT BATS
2: Lol. A little creepy for Mann to be in front of the car.
2: "Hi, I'm Archie Graham." Lol.
2: Quote:
2: Lol. I was right about Mann lying.
2: Whoa, all those cars.
2=20171110
Watched 20101218 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20171110 (Netflix, Instant)
Field of Dreams (1989) Phil Alden Robinson. 107 min. [botn Shoeless Joe (1982) by W. P. Kinsella]
Relevant Links:
Field of Dreams (IMDb.com)
Field of Dreams (Wikipedia.org)
Shoeless Joe (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
Shoeless Joe Jackson (Wikipedia.org)
This is a feel-good movie and you don't need to know anything about baseball to enjoy it. Though perhaps it would be better if you knew a handful of famous baseball players.
 |
| Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) |
While a good family movie for being emotional, inspiring, and all those good feelings, the movie was also sort of boring.
20150909:
Today, after watching Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), I was trying to think of movies I've seen with Kevin Costner. While I was sure I had seen Dances with Wolves (1990) and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), I thought that I had only seen bits and parts of Fields of Dreams. However, according to this blog post, I apparently saw the entire movie.
 |
| Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) |
While not an amazing movie, it was sentimental and I enjoyed it.
Unlike my previous entry, I did not feel any part of the movie was boring.
[20150909][20171110 Edit]
20171110:
While my blog suggests I've already seen this movie, I have next to no memory of it and I had difficulty deciding whether or not I should watch it today. In the end, I decided I should go ahead and watch it.
 |
| Annie Kinsella (Amy Madigan) |
Netflix determined the movie for me as a 98% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.
Instant Comments:
2: Whisper number 1: "If you build it, he will come." [apparently this gets misquoted as "If you build it, they will come."]
2: What? The whole family sees this guy?
2: "Hey, is this heaven?" "No, it's Iowa."
 |
| Karin Kinsella (Gaby Hoffmann) |
2: Ha. "We're keeping this field."
2: Interesting. Only him, his wife, and daughter can see the team.
2: Though it's strange because they're probably playing with imaginary balls. Yet the protagonist gets thrown a physical ball.
2: Whisper number 2: "Ease his pain."
2: Mentions Rosebud (a reference to Citizen Kane)
2: WTF. They had the same dream...
 |
| Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (Burt Lancaster) |
2: Ha. "We got a learning disability here?"
2: Wha? "I never said that." My guess is that he actually did say it... But for whatever reason didn't want to reveal it.
2: Whisper number 3: "Go the distance."
2: ARCHIBALD "MOONLIGHT" GRAHAM | CHISHOLM, MINN | NEW YORK GIANTS | 1922 | LIFETIME STATISTICS | 1 GAME 0 AT BATS
2: Lol. A little creepy for Mann to be in front of the car.
2: "Hi, I'm Archie Graham." Lol.
 |
| Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) |
2: Quote:
Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.2: Wow. That's a great scene. Archie becomes Archibald and sacrifices his "heaven."
2: Lol. I was right about Mann lying.
2: Whoa, all those cars.
2=20171110
Watched 20101218 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20171110 (Netflix, Instant)
Field of Dreams (1989) Phil Alden Robinson. 107 min. [botn Shoeless Joe (1982) by W. P. Kinsella]
Relevant Links:
Field of Dreams (IMDb.com)
Field of Dreams (Wikipedia.org)
Shoeless Joe (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
Shoeless Joe Jackson (Wikipedia.org)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
20101218:
I loved the mood of the movie and Tim Burton is great.
One detail I enjoyed were Ichabod's various contraptions.
Another detail I enjoyed were the bloody scenes. The movie executed them well - at least by the criterion that it doesn't disgust me and that the blood was clearly fake. In being unrealistic, the movie was more enjoyable; there's a separation between fiction and reality.
While the film certainly wasn't a masterpiece, I enjoyed it for the atmosphere.
20151010:
Recently I've been more interested in rewatching movies I had already seen than movies I have yet to see. However, among the various choices, it's interesting that - without purposely doing so - 3 of the 7 were directed by Tim Burton and a fourth which was produced and conceived by him.*
In any case, I enjoyed Johnny Depp's performance as Ichibod Crane and the overall dark atmosphere of the movie.
*The seven movies were Corpse Bride (2005), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Batman Begins (2005), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Batman (1989), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Sleep Hollow (1999).
Instant Comments:
3: @6:00 mark: "Sleepy Hollow," the name of a location
3: "Remember, it is you now, Ichibod Crane, who is put to the test."
3: Francis Ford Coppola was an Executive Producer.
3: Christina Ricci was 19 years old when the movie was released.
3: Michael Gambon. And Richard Griffiths. (Hehe. I wouldn't have recognized them without Harry Potter.)
3: "Their heads were not found severed. Their heads were not found at all."
3: "Shhh." [Snaps stick.]
3: "You have moved the body?" "Yes." "You must never move the body!" "Why?" "Because."
3: "it is truth. But truth is not always appearance."
3: Lol. His responses while in a panicked state were hilarious.
3: I love that double slice through the torso.
3: "Was it wicked of me?"
3: She reveals that the little girls were her and her sister.
3: Oh, that witch that helped him was her sister... And she killed him.
3: "Watch your head."
Extra Features:
2: I watched the one of the special features.
2=20101218, 3=20151010
Watched once before (DVD)
Watched 20101218 (DVD)
Watched 20151010 (Netflix, Instant)
Sleepy Hollow (1999) Tim Burton. 105 min [bot short story The Legend of Sleep Hollow (1820) by Washington Irving]
Relevant Links:
Sleepy Hollow (IMDb.com)
Sleepy Hollow (RottenTomatoes.com)
Sleepy Hollow (film) (Wikipedia.org)
I loved the mood of the movie and Tim Burton is great.
 |
| Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) |
One detail I enjoyed were Ichabod's various contraptions.
Another detail I enjoyed were the bloody scenes. The movie executed them well - at least by the criterion that it doesn't disgust me and that the blood was clearly fake. In being unrealistic, the movie was more enjoyable; there's a separation between fiction and reality.
 |
| Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) |
While the film certainly wasn't a masterpiece, I enjoyed it for the atmosphere.
20151010:
Recently I've been more interested in rewatching movies I had already seen than movies I have yet to see. However, among the various choices, it's interesting that - without purposely doing so - 3 of the 7 were directed by Tim Burton and a fourth which was produced and conceived by him.*
 |
| Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon) |
In any case, I enjoyed Johnny Depp's performance as Ichibod Crane and the overall dark atmosphere of the movie.
*The seven movies were Corpse Bride (2005), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Batman Begins (2005), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Batman (1989), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Sleep Hollow (1999).
 |
| Reverend Steenwyck (Jeffrey Jones) |
Instant Comments:
3: @6:00 mark: "Sleepy Hollow," the name of a location
3: "Remember, it is you now, Ichibod Crane, who is put to the test."
3: Francis Ford Coppola was an Executive Producer.
3: Christina Ricci was 19 years old when the movie was released.
 |
| Magistrate Philipse (Richard Griffiths) |
3: Michael Gambon. And Richard Griffiths. (Hehe. I wouldn't have recognized them without Harry Potter.)
3: "Their heads were not found severed. Their heads were not found at all."
3: "Shhh." [Snaps stick.]
3: "You have moved the body?" "Yes." "You must never move the body!" "Why?" "Because."
3: "it is truth. But truth is not always appearance."
3: Lol. His responses while in a panicked state were hilarious.
3: I love that double slice through the torso.
3: "Was it wicked of me?"
3: She reveals that the little girls were her and her sister.
3: Oh, that witch that helped him was her sister... And she killed him.
3: "Watch your head."
Extra Features:
2: I watched the one of the special features.
2=20101218, 3=20151010
 |
| Hessian Horseman (Christopher Walken) |
Watched once before (DVD)
Watched 20101218 (DVD)
Watched 20151010 (Netflix, Instant)
Sleepy Hollow (1999) Tim Burton. 105 min [bot short story The Legend of Sleep Hollow (1820) by Washington Irving]
 |
| Burgomaster (Christopher Lee) |
Relevant Links:
Sleepy Hollow (IMDb.com)
Sleepy Hollow (RottenTomatoes.com)
Sleepy Hollow (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Friday, December 17, 2010
Stagecoach (1939)
20101217:
I was nodding off to sleep during this movie so I missed various portions.
Seemed like a good movie.
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Stagecoach (1939) John Ford. 96 min.
Relevant Links:
Stagecoach (IMDb.com)
I was nodding off to sleep during this movie so I missed various portions.
Seemed like a good movie.
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Stagecoach (1939) John Ford. 96 min.
Relevant Links:
Stagecoach (IMDb.com)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
20101217:
This kind of movie isn't my favorite, but there was Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Kate Winslet to watch. I sort of watched the movie in the background. What I saw was alright.
Imelda Staunton has the same giggle that shows up in Harry Potter.
Hugh Laurie was also in the movie.
[20110607]
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant) (Streaming until 20101218)
Sense and Sensibility (1995) Ang Lee. 136 min. [botnotsn (1811) by Jane Austen]
Relevant Links:
Sense and Sensibility (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Sense and Sensibility (Wikipedia.org)
Sense and Sensibility (IMDb.com)
This kind of movie isn't my favorite, but there was Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Kate Winslet to watch. I sort of watched the movie in the background. What I saw was alright.
Imelda Staunton has the same giggle that shows up in Harry Potter.
Hugh Laurie was also in the movie.
[20110607]
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant) (Streaming until 20101218)
Sense and Sensibility (1995) Ang Lee. 136 min. [botnotsn (1811) by Jane Austen]
Relevant Links:
Sense and Sensibility (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Sense and Sensibility (Wikipedia.org)
Sense and Sensibility (IMDb.com)
Groundhog Day (1993)
20101217:
Obviously at the beginning of the movie, you wonder how will this turn into a movie. Then when you find out, the fun begins. The film sort of divides itself into stages. Some stages are having fun, dying, relationships, helping others, and learning.
It's weird in that the movie takes place in a very real world, and yet there is this element of science fiction that runs the storyline. It's never explained how this plot device works, it just happens and eventually doesn't happen.
There was one line which Bill Murray says " Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." I feel it would have been more appropriate to say, "Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one yesterday." However, technically speaking, there was a tomorrow, it was just the same date.
This plot device was used in an episode of Supernatural. I didn't know at the time that it came from this movie. Season 3 Episode 11 "Mystery Spot." Sam wakes up to "Heat of the Moment" instead of "I Got You Babe."
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Groundhog Day (1993) Harold Ramis. 101 min.
Relevant Links:
Groundhog Day (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Groundhog Day (IMDb.com)
Obviously at the beginning of the movie, you wonder how will this turn into a movie. Then when you find out, the fun begins. The film sort of divides itself into stages. Some stages are having fun, dying, relationships, helping others, and learning.
It's weird in that the movie takes place in a very real world, and yet there is this element of science fiction that runs the storyline. It's never explained how this plot device works, it just happens and eventually doesn't happen.
There was one line which Bill Murray says " Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." I feel it would have been more appropriate to say, "Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one yesterday." However, technically speaking, there was a tomorrow, it was just the same date.
This plot device was used in an episode of Supernatural. I didn't know at the time that it came from this movie. Season 3 Episode 11 "Mystery Spot." Sam wakes up to "Heat of the Moment" instead of "I Got You Babe."
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Groundhog Day (1993) Harold Ramis. 101 min.
Relevant Links:
Groundhog Day (film) (Wikipedia.org)
Groundhog Day (IMDb.com)
Roast of Bob Saget (2008)
20101217:
Many jokes were really funny, some were okay, and several fell flat.
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget (2008) Joel Gallen. 65 min.
Relevant Links:
Comedy Central Roast (Wikipedia.org)
Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget (IMDb.com)
Many jokes were really funny, some were okay, and several fell flat.
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget (2008) Joel Gallen. 65 min.
Relevant Links:
Comedy Central Roast (Wikipedia.org)
Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget (IMDb.com)
Moon (2009)
20101217:
I didn't know what the movie was about. It takes a while to get rolling, but it's interesting when it does. It is a surprisingly great movie.
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Moon (2009) Duncan Jones. 97 min.
Relevant Links:
Moon (Wikipedia.org)
Moon (IMDb.com)
I didn't know what the movie was about. It takes a while to get rolling, but it's interesting when it does. It is a surprisingly great movie.
Watched 20101217 (Netflix, Instant)
Moon (2009) Duncan Jones. 97 min.
Relevant Links:
Moon (Wikipedia.org)
Moon (IMDb.com)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Other Guys (2010)
20101216:
This movie was hilarious. The opening scene was great and ridiculous. Then eventually the scene that follows that is just unbelievable.
I liked the bar scene, though Josh felt it was out of place. Perhaps my initial thought was the same, but the beauty and comedy of the scene was good enough to override the scene being out of place.
The movie wavered after the unbelievable scene I mentioned above.
One of the best parts in the movie is Will Ferrell's reply to Mark Wahlberg's lion eating tuna. Lol... that kept me laughing a while.
Again, all-around funny movie. I think Talladega Nights is still top, then Anchorman, and then this movie.
[20101217]
Watched 20101216 (DVD) @ Kevin's
The Other Guys (2010) Adam McKay. 107 min.
Relevant Links:
The Other Guys (Wikipedia.org)
The Other Guys (IMDb.com)
This movie was hilarious. The opening scene was great and ridiculous. Then eventually the scene that follows that is just unbelievable.
I liked the bar scene, though Josh felt it was out of place. Perhaps my initial thought was the same, but the beauty and comedy of the scene was good enough to override the scene being out of place.
The movie wavered after the unbelievable scene I mentioned above.
One of the best parts in the movie is Will Ferrell's reply to Mark Wahlberg's lion eating tuna. Lol... that kept me laughing a while.
Again, all-around funny movie. I think Talladega Nights is still top, then Anchorman, and then this movie.
[20101217]
Watched 20101216 (DVD) @ Kevin's
The Other Guys (2010) Adam McKay. 107 min.
Relevant Links:
The Other Guys (Wikipedia.org)
The Other Guys (IMDb.com)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
20101216:
This is a good and funny movie. While I haven't read any of the books, I found it enjoyable and would recommend it to anybody looking for a quirky and light movie.
20130823 Comment:
While reformatting this blog post, I realized that two of the movie's actors have become television stars: Martin Freeman (Sherlock) and Zooey Deschanel (New Girl). While I have yet to publish blog posts for the shows, I do have a post for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) which stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and (500) Days of Summer (2009) which stars Zooey Deschanel as Summer.
[20130823]
20180929:
Watching the movie today, I found the story - as depicted in the film - felt incomplete. From another point of view, the complete timeline and causality of the movie was difficult for me to process without having to sitting down and writing it all out.
With that being said, the movie had many enjoyable elements from both a visual and narrative standpoint.
On 20180929, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 98% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.
Instant Comments:
3: Oh, it's Martin Freeman.
2: Haha, humor in the fact that the fate of the earth is analogous to the fate of Arthur Dent's home.
3: Ha. That music as the camera pans out.
2: Haha, Alan Rickman makes a great voice for Marvin.
3: Surprise kick.
3: Huh. "You can't be president with a full brain."
2: "Return to this place in exactly seven and a half million years."
3: Is it the same children?
2: "Yes, but you're not gonna like it."
2: "42."
3: What is the ultimate question?
3: It's John Malkovich.
3: That's pretty cool (no eyes and no lower body)
3: Hahaha. Nobody think. And then they simultaneously think of something after a pause.
3: "What are cows?" (he kind of reminded me of Owen Wilson when he said that)
3: Says "Best laid plans of mice." in reference to "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.
3: "I'd rather be happy than right any day."
3: When did he get his towel back?
3: Philosophy. All those people had lives which ended and then just picked back up from some snapshot.
Credits:
2: In the middle of the credits a Guide to the Galaxy tells us an interesting fact.
DVD Special Features:
- "Additional Guide Entry"
2: Jokingly proves God does not exist.
- There are three deleted scenes.
2: First deleted scene. Entry for Earth is harmless. Punchline: Now it'll say "mostly harmless."
2: Second deleted scene. "We're going to win."
2: Third deleted scene. Zaphod and Questular kiss.
- There are two "really deleted scenes"
2: First really deleted scene. Arthur, Ford, and Zaphod barge in and there's some dialogue which ends in discussion. Being a really deleted scene, I guess this was just for fun and made up.
2: Second really deleted scene. Lol, this one was ridiculous. They get into the cart, but Arthur beats up Slartibartfast and escapes.
- Marvin's Hangman.
2: I played a round of Marvin's Hangman and got the answer right, losing three body parts. It's a bit difficult, you have to remember what letters you picked. A1 E O2 I L V3 F. Grass scenery.
2: I decided to play again and the scenery changed. E R1 T2 L3 N4 S5 LOSE. They don't tell you the answer. In space station or space ship.
E1 A2 I3 O [_OO_] K [_OOK] B [BOOK]. Back to grass scenery.
2: In space. A E1 O2 L3 R S T.
2: Space again: A1 E I L2 M C.
2=20101216, 3=20180929
Watched once before.
Watched 20101216 (DVD)
Watched 20180929 (Netflix, Instant)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) Garth Jennings. 109 min [botnotsn (1979) by Douglas Adams based on a radio series otsn (1978) by Adams]
Relevant Links:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (IMDb.com)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (RottenTomatoes.com)
Trailer:
This is a good and funny movie. While I haven't read any of the books, I found it enjoyable and would recommend it to anybody looking for a quirky and light movie.
20130823 Comment:
While reformatting this blog post, I realized that two of the movie's actors have become television stars: Martin Freeman (Sherlock) and Zooey Deschanel (New Girl). While I have yet to publish blog posts for the shows, I do have a post for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) which stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and (500) Days of Summer (2009) which stars Zooey Deschanel as Summer.
 |
| Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) |
[20130823]
20180929:
Watching the movie today, I found the story - as depicted in the film - felt incomplete. From another point of view, the complete timeline and causality of the movie was difficult for me to process without having to sitting down and writing it all out.
With that being said, the movie had many enjoyable elements from both a visual and narrative standpoint.
On 20180929, Netflix determined the movie for me as a 98% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.
Instant Comments:
3: Oh, it's Martin Freeman.
2: Haha, humor in the fact that the fate of the earth is analogous to the fate of Arthur Dent's home.
3: Ha. That music as the camera pans out.
2: Haha, Alan Rickman makes a great voice for Marvin.
3: Surprise kick.
 |
| Ford Prefect (Yasiin Bey as Mos Def) |
3: Huh. "You can't be president with a full brain."
2: "Return to this place in exactly seven and a half million years."
3: Is it the same children?
2: "Yes, but you're not gonna like it."
2: "42."
3: What is the ultimate question?
3: It's John Malkovich.
3: That's pretty cool (no eyes and no lower body)
3: Hahaha. Nobody think. And then they simultaneously think of something after a pause.
3: "What are cows?" (he kind of reminded me of Owen Wilson when he said that)
3: Says "Best laid plans of mice." in reference to "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.
3: "I'd rather be happy than right any day."
3: When did he get his towel back?
3: Philosophy. All those people had lives which ended and then just picked back up from some snapshot.
 |
| Trillian (Zooey Deschanel) and Marvin (Warwick Davis, voice by Alan Rickman) |
Credits:
2: In the middle of the credits a Guide to the Galaxy tells us an interesting fact.
DVD Special Features:
- "Additional Guide Entry"
2: Jokingly proves God does not exist.
- There are three deleted scenes.
2: First deleted scene. Entry for Earth is harmless. Punchline: Now it'll say "mostly harmless."
2: Second deleted scene. "We're going to win."
2: Third deleted scene. Zaphod and Questular kiss.
- There are two "really deleted scenes"
2: First really deleted scene. Arthur, Ford, and Zaphod barge in and there's some dialogue which ends in discussion. Being a really deleted scene, I guess this was just for fun and made up.
2: Second really deleted scene. Lol, this one was ridiculous. They get into the cart, but Arthur beats up Slartibartfast and escapes.
 |
| Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell) |
- Marvin's Hangman.
2: I played a round of Marvin's Hangman and got the answer right, losing three body parts. It's a bit difficult, you have to remember what letters you picked. A1 E O2 I L V3 F. Grass scenery.
2: I decided to play again and the scenery changed. E R1 T2 L3 N4 S5 LOSE. They don't tell you the answer. In space station or space ship.
E1 A2 I3 O [_OO_] K [_OOK] B [BOOK]. Back to grass scenery.
2: In space. A E1 O2 L3 R S T.
2: Space again: A1 E I L2 M C.
2=20101216, 3=20180929
Watched once before.
Watched 20101216 (DVD)
Watched 20180929 (Netflix, Instant)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) Garth Jennings. 109 min [botnotsn (1979) by Douglas Adams based on a radio series otsn (1978) by Adams]
 |
| Under the influence of the Infinite Improbability Drive: (left to right) Zaphod, Marvin, Trillian, Arthur, Ford |
Relevant Links:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel) (Wikipedia.org)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film) (Wikipedia.org)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (IMDb.com)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (RottenTomatoes.com)
Trailer:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
20101215:
The movie had the right mood. Most of the scenes were great.
However, one of the scenes near the end of the movie was done awkwardly. It sort of interrupted the flow and logic of the plot.
My friend made the observation that Mikael and Lisbeth's relationship wasn't fleshed out well. I agree. Though I'm not sure what would have been required to establish that relationship correctly. Perhaps an extra half hour to the film? Perhaps this would be unreasonable.
In the end, I'd say the movie is worth watching, especially if you like thrillers.
I was pretty sleepy and dozed off at some portions near the beginning of the movie.
Watched 20101215 (Netflix, Instant)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) Niels Arden Opley. 152 min [botnotsn (2005) by Stiegg Larsson]
also known as Män som hatar kvinnor (original title)
Relevant Links:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (IMDb.com)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009 film) (Wikipedia.org)
The movie had the right mood. Most of the scenes were great.
However, one of the scenes near the end of the movie was done awkwardly. It sort of interrupted the flow and logic of the plot.
My friend made the observation that Mikael and Lisbeth's relationship wasn't fleshed out well. I agree. Though I'm not sure what would have been required to establish that relationship correctly. Perhaps an extra half hour to the film? Perhaps this would be unreasonable.
In the end, I'd say the movie is worth watching, especially if you like thrillers.
I was pretty sleepy and dozed off at some portions near the beginning of the movie.
Watched 20101215 (Netflix, Instant)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) Niels Arden Opley. 152 min [botnotsn (2005) by Stiegg Larsson]
also known as Män som hatar kvinnor (original title)
Relevant Links:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (IMDb.com)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009 film) (Wikipedia.org)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Corpse Bride (2005)
20101215:
I love this movie for it's music and stop-motion animation. It's all so beautiful.
20151005:
Prior to looking at this blog post, I thought I had only seen Corpse Bride once before.
20160913:
Today Ada and I chose to watch Corpse Bride - an appropriate choice considering we'd recently seen Kubo and the Two Strings (also a stop-motion animation) in theaters.
Actually, it was doubly appropriate because we also just saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) which shares Tim Burton (director), Johnny Depp (actor), and Helena Bonham Carter (actress).
Later I was humming "The Piano Duet" and it started sounding like "Once Upon a December" (Anastasia).
Instant Comment:
1: I remember the first time I saw the introduction to this movie. Wonderful. 3: I love this intro.
2: I love the repetitive nature of the townspeople and their dull color as the colorful butterfly flies through.
2: The character design is also great (for example the tall wife and short husband)
2: "Smile darling, smile."
2: Oh, "Victoria" and "Victor"
2: So silly. Gonna be married soon and can't be alone together.
2: She lights his candle.
2: "You may kiss the bride."
3: Spoiler: The shadow shown is exactly that of Lord Barkis.
2: "He's not my boyfriend, he's my husband."
2: Haha, his head stays upright when he rolls over.
2: "Why go up there, when people are dying to go down here."
2: Lol. He makes a cocktail for himself.
2: In a haunting voice, "Hopscotch."
1: Title mentioned at 45 min. "He has a corpse bride!" [20160927: It is not, however, the first mention of the title]
2,3: How could he not remember 'Victor'? It's practically his daughter's name!
2: "Excuse me, you don't know me, but I used to live in your dead mother."
2: "In other news, the dead walk the earth!"
1: "Grandpa?"
A: Her:"Bounder!" Him:"Sweetie pie." Her:"Monster." Him:"Buttercup."
1: Her:"Cad!" Him:"Gertrude!" Her:"Alfred? You've been dead for 15 years."
1: Him:"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." from Gone with the Wind (1939)
1: "Keep it down, we're in a church."
2: In a sinister voice, "New arrival."
1: Beautiful ending.
Special Features:
1: "Inside the Two Worlds" compares and contrasts the land of the living and the land of the dead. One key point is that the land of the living is pretty dead and the land of the dead is pretty lively.
1: "The Animators: The Breath of Life" talks about how it's still all done like old, except computers help in various way. One way is being able to see what is shot immediately.
1: "Making Puppets Tick" covers various mechanisms involved into the puppets.
1=20101215, 2=20151005, 3=20160913, A=20160927
Watched once before (DVD)
Watched 20101215 (DVD)
Watched 20151005 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20160913 (Netflix, Instant)
Corpse Bride (2005) Tim Burton, Mike Johnson. 77 min.
Relevant Links:
Corpse Bride (IMDb.com)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (RottenTomatoes.com)
Corpse Bride (Wikipedia.org)
I love this movie for it's music and stop-motion animation. It's all so beautiful.
 |
| Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter) |
20151005:
Prior to looking at this blog post, I thought I had only seen Corpse Bride once before.
20160913:
Today Ada and I chose to watch Corpse Bride - an appropriate choice considering we'd recently seen Kubo and the Two Strings (also a stop-motion animation) in theaters.
 |
| Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) |
Actually, it was doubly appropriate because we also just saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) which shares Tim Burton (director), Johnny Depp (actor), and Helena Bonham Carter (actress).
Later I was humming "The Piano Duet" and it started sounding like "Once Upon a December" (Anastasia).
Instant Comment:
1: I remember the first time I saw the introduction to this movie. Wonderful. 3: I love this intro.
2: I love the repetitive nature of the townspeople and their dull color as the colorful butterfly flies through.
 |
| Nell Van Dort (Tracey Ullman) and William Van Dort (Paul Whitehouse) |
2: The character design is also great (for example the tall wife and short husband)
2: "Smile darling, smile."
2: Oh, "Victoria" and "Victor"
2: So silly. Gonna be married soon and can't be alone together.
2: She lights his candle.
2: "You may kiss the bride."
 |
| Maudeline Everglot (Joanna Lumley) and Finis Everglot (Albert Finney) |
3: Spoiler: The shadow shown is exactly that of Lord Barkis.
2: "He's not my boyfriend, he's my husband."
2: Haha, his head stays upright when he rolls over.
2: "Why go up there, when people are dying to go down here."
2: Lol. He makes a cocktail for himself.
2: In a haunting voice, "Hopscotch."
 |
| Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson) |
1: Title mentioned at 45 min. "He has a corpse bride!" [20160927: It is not, however, the first mention of the title]
2,3: How could he not remember 'Victor'? It's practically his daughter's name!
2: "Excuse me, you don't know me, but I used to live in your dead mother."
2: "In other news, the dead walk the earth!"
1: "Grandpa?"
A: Her:"Bounder!" Him:"Sweetie pie." Her:"Monster." Him:"Buttercup."
1: Her:"Cad!" Him:"Gertrude!" Her:"Alfred? You've been dead for 15 years."
1: Him:"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." from Gone with the Wind (1939)
1: "Keep it down, we're in a church."
2: In a sinister voice, "New arrival."
1: Beautiful ending.
Special Features:
1: "Inside the Two Worlds" compares and contrasts the land of the living and the land of the dead. One key point is that the land of the living is pretty dead and the land of the dead is pretty lively.
1: "The Animators: The Breath of Life" talks about how it's still all done like old, except computers help in various way. One way is being able to see what is shot immediately.
1: "Making Puppets Tick" covers various mechanisms involved into the puppets.
1=20101215, 2=20151005, 3=20160913, A=20160927
 |
| Maggot (Enn Reitel) and Black Widow Spider (Jane Horrocks) |
Watched once before (DVD)
Watched 20101215 (DVD)
Watched 20151005 (Netflix, Instant)
Watched 20160913 (Netflix, Instant)
Corpse Bride (2005) Tim Burton, Mike Johnson. 77 min.
Relevant Links:
Corpse Bride (IMDb.com)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (RottenTomatoes.com)
Corpse Bride (Wikipedia.org)