Ma Vie En Rose

Ma Vie En Rose
This French Drama was a bit boring but
a bit interesting at the same time.
It's about a little boy who wants to be a girl
and how family and society react to it.
I like the beginning when we first meet this "boy."
He walks out to a family party wearing a dress and makeup.
There's some bullying and some embarrassing
family scenes that creates drama for our main character.
This might make a good double feature with Cria Cuervos
(both about a young child coping with life complications).

It's not really my type of story but not bad for
a French cinema marathon night.

The Cincinnati Kid

The Cincinnati Kid
I wasn't going to blog tonight,
but I was surfing the tv and came up to the TCM channel
and this movie was about to start.
So I've decided to stick it through and see this classic.
So here I am.
This movie has all the cool moves.
Poker players, cigars, and smooth talking.
This is where the famous quote,
"You're good, kid, but as long as I'm around,
you're only second best," comes from.
Shows how the Cincinnati Kid went to the "big" leagues
in the poker underground world.
I liked that the ending was unexpected.
I like to note that this is my first Steve McQueen movie.
I knew his name but never seen his acting until tonight.

Nice little classic surprise.
Now I need to turn the tv off before I see another movie
I've never seen before and have to blog about it.

New Release Tuesday: A Dangerous Method

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY


A Dangerous Method
I expected different than what I saw.
I expected to see more on the scientific studies
and psychoanalysis. Instead, I felt bored
with this story numerous times.
All I saw is the main female character crying
and acting crazy that made it annoying,
doctors talking their theories, and
Vincent Cassel giving some crazy advice.
Luckily, this was only one hour and 40 min
(it felt like over two hours).
The reason I saw this movie because it was directed
by David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises, The Fly, etc.).
This movie was not for me.

Watching this was a dangerous method
for me to lose it. Moving on!!

The Muppets

The Muppets
Very entertaining movie.
Didn't know that this was going to be a musical.
It wasn't full on musical but it's up there.
Fantastic songs.
I'm a fan of the Flight of the Conchords.
So, its no surprise that I enjoyed most of the music here
that sounds like songs from them.
Duh, "Man or Muppet" was written by Bret McKenzie.
My favorite parts were in the first half.
Couple of musical acts by Jason Segel and Amy Adams.
Getting the gang back together scenes.
And of course my favorite moment,
"wait, stop, I got an idea," and they get
chili dogs instead of star maps (when they're trying
to find Kermit and other stars).
Best idea ever.

Saw this with my son. He enjoyed the songs and didn't
care much about the rest of it. With homemade cookies
in your hand, this was a fun time.

Kung Fu Friday: Dragon Tiger Gate

KUNG FU FRIDAY

Every fourth Friday of every month this year,
I'll be checking out a kung fu movie of any period.
Gives me an excuse to kick the walls and break
blocks of wood. Also gives me the excuse to
go to I Luv Video or Vulcan Video and catch up on
some great kung fu flicks out there.


Dragon Tiger Gate
Awesome cartoony futuristic kung fu flick
with none other than Donnie Yen.
The over the stuff fights reminds me
of Kung Fu Hustle.
The story was decent.
The shots were awesome.
The whole thing felt like a game kinda like
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.
Favorite fight was the quick fight
between Turbo and the master of the Gate.

I would buy this for the Kung Fu section if it was on sale.
Alright to check out.

New Release Tuesday: Carnage

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY


Carnage
Pretty cool movie.
All takes place in one small aparment.
Original story.
It seemed like a play almost.
Then I read that, it is based on a play.
My favorite character is Michael played by John C. Reily.
Christoph Waltz was also good.
Didn't like the exaggeration of Jodie Foster's character,
especially towards the end where she's yelling
most of the time.
Some good funny moments.
I should of had some cobbler with this.
If not, I should of had some scotch for sure.

If you want to see Kate Winslet throw up and
John C. Reily being funny and dramatic at the same time,
check this out.

The Descendants

The Descendants
This was really good.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Right from the beginning, the story gets me in.
Most of us think that people who live in Hawaii have it made.
Everyday is a vacation.
But, in fact, they have problems just like the rest of the world.
This is the story of a Hawaiian family with problems.
Drama mixed with comedy.
I enjoyed this a tad more than I did Sideways
(also by the same director).
Obviously, George Clooney delivers his performance.
I also like the other characters:
the annoying little daughter, the rebellious older daughter,
the stupid boyfriend.
Well written script.

Worth checking out.
Hell, I'd buy it.
And I'm picky when it comes to buying movies.
This went well with a Hawaiian feast
(braised pork with pineapple sandwich and Longboard Beers).

Casa De Mi Padre (2012)

Casa De Mi Padre
Mexploitation all the way!!!
Would make a great double feature with Machete.
It was cheesy.
It was a bit funny.
There was some weird moments.
Lots of jump cuts.
And even a little message from a camera assistant
apologizing about a scene.
The only thing I didn't like was that tiger.
They overdid it with that one.
But I guess they want it to make it more cheesy stupid.
It was great fun, though.
Will Ferrell's spanish skills kick ass.
I love those Mexican novela moments.

Good stupid comedy to see.
Even better with a Mexican Martini!! (Wink, wink)

Home Invasion Thursday: Silent House

HOME INVASION THURSDAY

Every third Thursday I'll comment on a
home invasion movie I've never seen before.
When I saw Kidnapped from Spain last year,
I decided to start a home invasion section for my collection.
Might as well do a special on this.


Silent House
This started good.
It had home invasion written all over it.
Loved that they made it look like it
was shot in one long take.
Didn't know what to expect or what was coming.
But when everything was revealed,
it didn't "wow" me.
I liked it but not enough to my expectations.
It turned out to be less of a home invasion movie.
The actor who played that kind of sucked.
A few scares. A little twist.
I felt clausterphobic in the first half,
that's always good for home invasion night.
I wanted to see this on the theatre only because
all the other home invasion movies for this year
are all going to be at home. So it be cool to watch
one at the theatre.

With that said, I should of waited to see this on DVD.
I should of rented the original one instead.
But, the original is from Uruguay.
It's South American and Home Invasion. I don't think
I want to cross the two this year.

South American Cinema Night: Mandrill

SOUTH AMERICAN CINEMA NIGHT

Every 2nd Wednesday of every month
I'll be checking out a movie from any country in South America.
My goal is to see one movie from each country.
This excludes any films I see at film festivals.

Tonight's movie is from the country of Chile.


Mandrill
Cheesy 70's style movie.
This is modern grindhouse at its peak.
I been waiting more than two years for this Chilean movie.
This one won best film at Fantastic Fest 2009.
I love the music, the cheesy fight scenes,
the cliches, and quirky cool moments like
Mandrill putting on his shades in the car.
The only complaint I have is the ending.
It was a bit confusing.
I mean, I understand how things turned out.
I was okay with that.
But, the ending?
I was wanting some closure.
Other than that, alright independent action movie
by the same director who brought us "Mirageman" and "Kiltro."

I still like Mirageman a lot more.
I might add this one day for my Foreign section.
But not in a big hurry.
Did enjoy it with some Rayun Merlot (Red Wine from Chile).

The Prince and The Showgirl

The Prince and The Showgirl
Here we go in my second half of my unplanned double feature.
I saw "My Week With Marilyn" and
was thinking that I never seen a Marilyn Monroe movie.
So why not start with this one?
A little long but surprisingly better than I expected.
Marilyn Monroe's acting was good.
I just thought she was going to suck based on what I saw
with "My Week With Marilyn."
But, she was good.
Love the proper English accents.
My favorite parts where in the first 30 minutes.
Couldn't help but think about everything that went on
behind the scenes.
Here's Marilyn Monroe during her solo dance sequence:

As a sidenote: Michelle William's Monroe did the
dance scene a lot cooler and better.
Good little follow up to the last movie.
If you end up with this crazy idea, make sure to load up
your system with some sugar to keep up.
Not bad for my first Marilyn Monroe movie.

New Release Tuesday: My Week With Marilyn

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY


My Week With Marilyn
This was pretty cool flick.
Haven't seen any movies from Marilyn Monroe.
This story here takes place while
she was filming "The Prince and the Showgirl."
Michelle Williams did a good job (no surprise there).
My favorite scene is when they're filming the part
where she dances alone while the prince's son was watching
in the background.
Didn't know she had a hard time acting in her more
serious roles.
Must be damn hard when everyone expects you to
be some kind of sex symbol and you're trying to be serious.
"Why so serious?"
Wait, wrong movie.

Alright to check out.
I decided to get a little crazy tonight and pull a double feature.
Went straight to Vulcan Video and rented,
"The Prince and the Showgirl" just for kicks.

The Whistleblower

The Whistleblower
Intense movie.
Kept me interested throughout the whole thing.
There's scenes that made me mad because
of how they treat people over there in Bosnia and
all the corruption.
Strong scenes that make you want to get up
and punch the lights out of some of these people.
This is all based on actual events and the real cop,
who is the main character here, helped with story
consuting for the movie.
A few alright cameos.
I didn't like Monica Belluci's thick accent.
But damn, some good performances.
Good suspense drama.

Worth checking out but I wouldn't advise it for those
weak of heart.

J. Edgar

J. Edgar
This was okay to a certain extent.
I mean, Clint Eastwood directed this,
so it should be at least decent.
This depicts the complicated life of
FBI's long time director J. Edgar Hoover.
Very long movie.
The thing I didn't like about this movie was
that it was too much going back and forth between
the present and the past.
It was a bit confusing at times.
Another thing is that I thought Naomi Watts
was going to be in a lot of scenes but
she's mostly in the background and not enough
of her character. But I shouldn't complain it's just that
I'm a big fan of Naomi Watts.
Another complaint, the whole movie was
dark. I'm not talking about the story.
I'm talking about the actual images are mostly dark.
They were shot dark and it was purposely
made to be dark. So I couldn't tell faces
and what was going on half the time.
I thought it was the tv but every movie
I put on there is in good contrast.
So that bothered me.
Other than that, everything else was okay.
Got to learn about how the FBI got developed and stuff.

You been warned.
But for those Leonardo DiCaprio fans, he did pretty cool
on here, I think.

Good Night, and Good Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck
This period movie from George Clooney himself
was decent. Political of course.
I'm not too knowledgeable about
all the politics that went on during this era.
But, interesting stuff.
This captures the power of radio news
and its impact on the political world.
I love that this is in black and white.
All the scenes look great.
Some good performances.
I liked Clooney's "The Ides of March" more than
this but this was a nice rainy day movie, especially
if you're a little sick and just want to relax in the couch
with a little drama.

Coincidently, this has Robert Downey Jr (I saw "Chaplin" yesterday)
and they mention J. Edgar a few times on here as well.
So the theme continues because I'm seeing J. Edgar next.

Chaplin

Chaplin
I saw Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator this past Saturday
and I remembered they have a movie about
Chaplin that I haven't seen. So I scheduled
it for today. Pretty cool.
I don't know how much of it is true.
But, interesting life this Chaplin guy lived.
Robert Downey Jr does good as Chaplin.
Besides being a womanizer, I thought Chaplin
also had an alcohol problem. But this film didn't
touch that.
I like some of the sequences on here.
Some of the sequences made the actual
movie seemed like a silent picture from way back
then but with color.
Maybe next year I'll have a Silent Movie Night.

Charlie Chaplin had troubles with his legal status
here in this country. FBI's J. Edgar Hoover was responsible
for his deportation. The only reason I mentioned that
is because I'll be watching the movie, J. Edgar, this weekend.

In Time

In Time
Pretty decent sci fi flick.
It's got the Robin Hood kind of story.
I liked the concept.
I think my favorite parts were in the first
half of the movie.
I wasn't much into the love story part.
They could of done that more interesting.
Man, I would never leave my house if I had
at least 100 years left in me.
But if I had 99 or less, I'm going out
to gamble and possibly get some more.
Justin Timberlake did alright.

The whole movie was alright.
Nothing special.
The ending could of been better.
Worth it as a redbox rental.

New Release Tuesday: The Skin I Live In

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY


The Skin I Live In

Damn. Crazy unexpected film.

Didn't see that coming at all.

Especially with a film from Pedro Almodóvar.

At first it was trying to be too artsy but

little by little it turned out good.

I've never seen Antonio Banderas as a

crazy serious psycho before.

This is a movie that's better to know nothing about.

Let me put it in other words,

don't read any spoilers before watching it.

That big surprise makes the movie.

But this isn't a movie you want to watch over and over.

The surprise gets to you like a M.Night Shyamalan movie.

Good for a one time deal.

Messed up, but okay movie from Spain.

This was a secret screening at last year's Fantastic Fest.

80's Monday: Heathers

80's MONDAY

[Every first Monday of every month is 80's Monday.
There's a lot of movies that came out
in the 80's that were so popular that I haven't seen.
I'm an 80's kid, so this segment will give me a chance
to catch up on some of those popular typical movies from this period.]


Heathers
Dark comedy and very cheesy.
What to expect?
Well, the story was a bit unexpected.
Didn't look like it was going to be
as crazy but it definitely delivered in that department.
I love the quirky dialogue.
Favorite scene:
the ending where Winona Ryder comes back to the school
all bloody and messy and disses one of the Heathers
and makes friends with the nerdy big girl.
Love it.
We see a young Christian Slater going from charming
to psycho. Didn't know he had it in him to
want to blow up the whole school.

How the hell did I miss this in the 80's.
Well, I always thought this was some kind of chick flick.

The Great Dictator

The Great Dictator
Good freaking classic.
I always hear about this.
I've only seen one other Charlie Chaplin movie
and that is "The Gold Rush."
This one was also funny and good.
More funnier than most comedies that come
out nowadays.
Seriously, I love the humor.
Not that I was laughing out loud,
but I was having a good time with it.
Got excited (not sexually).
There was a lot of favorite scenes.
A few of them are: the busy dictator
walking all over his place and the scene
where our main character (the barber) is
at the table eating coins. Genious!!
Even the intro was very cool.
I thought this was going to be a silent
because of Chaplin but it was a talkie.
And a very good one.

Recommended.
Going to add this one to the collection.

Serenity

Serenity
This was okay.
A little mix of Star Wars, Dune, and The Fifth Element.
This was made based on the show "Firefly."
Supposed to be very good and have some kind of following.
This has a nice set up and plot.
But I watched it kind of late and body was a little tired
so needless to say, I was dosing off
here and there.
Nothing to do with the movie.
Just my natural response.
But most of the parts when I was fully
awake, were pretty good.
Rebels Vs. The Alliance.
Girl kicking ass.
Han Solo type of guy kicking ass as well.
A little funny.
Crazy cgi creatures.
Nice for fun Friday night.

If you're a fan of Sci-Fi, this would settle if you haven't seen it.
Nothing to make a big fuzz about.
At least not in my part.