The Silence

The Silence IMDb IMDb
Great German detective thriller.  At Fantastic Fest this year, I saw a little movie called, "Big Bad Wolves," from Israel.  It blew me away.  As of now, that's probably my number 1 or number 2 favorite film of this year so far.  This German movie here is similar to Big Bad Wolves.  This one came out back in 2010.  It was intense and kept me going all the way through.  This one takes a more serious route.  We're dealing with pedophiles and a murder mystery.  Nothing really graphic is shown.  Which tells us something about European Cinema:  you don't need to show the violence (which I do love) and explicit scenes to tell a certain story.  One can already imagined the horrors behind those scenes.  This movie is complicated yet simple.  There was just one moment where a certain line shouldn't have been used.  It wasn't necessary.  To tell you that line would spoil this great movie.  I would highly recommend this movie, though.  Worth buying.

Wild Zero

Wild Zero IMDb
This Japanese rock and roll zombie movie weird but alright.    It's more rock and roll than a zombie film but whenever there's a zombie scene, it is pretty cheesy gory (if that makes any sense).  Story was okay.  It was different, that's for sure.  I mean, it's got aliens and zombies.  I pulled a big international zombie marathon all week.  I did [REC] 2, Shaun of The Dead, Rammbock, Re-Animator, Zombie, and then ended with this one that I've never seen before.  I was wanting more out of it but for what it was, it was cool.  I would say check it out if you're a zombie fan otherwise not recommended for anyone else.

Oscar Sunday: Rebecca

Rebecca IMDb
Interesting movie.  It kept me interested the whole way through.  Believe it or not, Hitchcock directed this.  Yeah, the master of suspense.  This is from 1940.  While it's not suspenseful or anywhere near horror, this drama did have some tense elements.  It can't be all normal, the plot thickens when all the characters start talking about death of a person from the past. Maybe a person named Rebecca.  No, it's not a ghost story.  It's actually a good movie and I can see why it won the Oscar that year.  While majority of the plot was predictable, there were a lot of surprises towards the end.  I would buy this only if I start a Hitchcock section.  Other than that, it's worth watching once and especially if you're fond of classic movies.

Hitchcock

Hitchcock IMDb
Been waiting to see this movie for a while but was waiting for an opportunity to see it as a double feature with Psycho.  Tonight, the wait is over.  I researched Hitchcock's favorite dish and found out it was Quiche Lorraine.  Went to Central Market and got their homemade Quiche Lorraine and a red wine (Hitchcock was a big fan of wines).  This movie was pretty awesome.  It deals mostly during the time in which Hitchcock was working on Psycho.  It's about obsession, trust, and love for the suspense.  Didn't know Hitchcock's wife was involved with Psycho.  Her name is not in the credits.  She helped with what music to put in certain scenes like the famous shower scene.  She also rewrote the last 20 pages of the script.  Freaking Anthony Hopkins.  He totally transformed himself this time.  He deserved the Oscar win more than that Daniel Day Lewis guy (who won for Lincoln).  If I see this on sale one day, I wouldn't mind adding this to the collection.  Watching Psycho afterwards made it more exciting.   It was my second time seeing Psycho as a whole.  I respected it a lot more. 

New Release Tuesday: Before Midnight (2013)

Before Midnight IMDb
I saw Before Sunrise and Before Sunset a few years back when I did my Catching Up With A Director Segment for Richard Linklater.  I was not impressed with those movies but I heard so many good things about this one so I decided to watch this tonight.  I liked it more than I expected.  It felt more real and I felt more connected to the characters this time around. Maybe because these characters have evolved a lot since the first two movies.  Love the long takes in this one.  There's a scene where they walk and talk for like 10 plus minutes and the camera doesn't cut.  Another long scene during an intense argument.  Kudos to the main actors and Linklater.  I never could relate to the characters and their situation before until tonight.  It made me want to go back and revisit the other ones.  Who would've thought Julie Delpy's character can turn from a sweet little French girl in the first one to a hardcore feminist feisty wife in this last movie?  I would maybe buy it if I start a Richard Linklater section.

Blue Jasmine (2013)

Blue Jasmine IMDb
Decided to watch this movie while visiting San Francisco.  About more than half of the movie was shot there.  I'm not a Woody Allen fan but this movie was pretty damn good.  It was a surprise.  That unexpected twist towards the end was intense.  I gotta hand it to Cate Blanchett here.  She really brings a lot of color and crazy personality to her character.  The dialogue is the usual basic cheesy Woody Allen dialogue.  The story is excellent.  It unraveled nicely with lots of things going wrong and crazy.  It was great seeing this at one of the locally owned theatres in San Francisco: Clay Theatre. This is worth seeing and I would recommend it but I don't think I would buy it.

Cult Classic Friday: Plan 9 From Outer Space

Plan 9 From Outer Space IMDb
Pulled a double feature today.  Saw my favorite Tim Burton movie, Ed Wood, followed by this cult classic.  Perfect combination watching both of these together.  Plan 9 from Outer Space as a stand alone movie?  I didn't really like it.  But, that was expected on a movie that it's so bad it's good.  It was going okay but the last 30 minutes were too rushed and lost my interest.  Kudos for the zombie aspect of it.  There's not that many movies about aliens who invade Earth and make the dead come alive.  For that, I gave this props.  For me, the experience in watching Ed Wood and then this movie is what I enjoyed the most.  Other than that, I will not recommend this movie at all.  Maybe in a few years, I'll see Ed Wood again and this time with Glen or Glenda as the double feature.  Maybe.

Coherence (2013)

Coherence IMDb
When I heard during Fantastic Fest 2013 that this movie here is one to look out for, I made it my duty to see it as soon as possible.  Well, thanks to a press access to a digital copy I was able to see it during my break at work.  I liked it a lot.  Very low budget but clever and mind bending sci-fi.  It lives up to the hype.  Sometimes these very low budget films with no special effects or cgi are even better than their multi-million dollar competitors with all their gadgets.  This is the story where no one can't really say anything without spoiling it.  So, I'll leave it like that.  I had no idea what was it about other than what it shows on the trailer.  There's a rare comet on the night where four couples are having a get together.  The lights go out all over the neighborhood except for one house that's a block or two away.  Two guys from the group decide to go and check it out.  After that, things get crazy and confusing.  A movie that requires multiple viewings.  I would recommend this movie.  To buy? That depends on your taste.  I'm still thinking about it.

New Release Tuesday: Drug War

Drug War IMDb
Had me a Chinese night tonight.  Dinner at a franchise Chinese Restaurant (P.F. Chang's) and the latest movie from director, Johnnie To.  This movie was interesting and kept getting more interesting.  The last 20 minutes or so was all the action stuff.  Lots of shooting and everybody killing each other Tarantino style.  The last ending moment of the movie kinda sucked, though.  I think they should of explored that character more (the main drug guy who tries to avoid the death penalty by helping the cops out with the drug war).  They should of explored on why he is such a cold blooded bastard but yet he is so scared to die.  Exploring that would of made this movie a lot better.  This movie is okay to see once.  Worth renting but not highly recommended.  I would recommend one of Johnnie To's movie called, "Vengeance."  That one was bad ass!

Escape From Tomorrow (2013)

Escape From Tomorrow IMDb
Wow!  What a trip this was.  It's Eraserhead set at Disney World.  I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected.  Very surreal and dark story that makes me not want to go to Disney World/Disneyland or eat a turkey leg.  It also amazed me on how this was made.  Mostly done guerrilla style at Disneyland and Disney World.  I wondered how much time it took to make this?  How they avoided security? And why haven't Disney sued yet?   All these questions I had in back of my head and that made me enjoy this movie more.  Also had "special cookies" with it.  The trip was fantastic and tragic with a message.  It's an evil place, I tell you.  I would buy this movie for the collection mainly because I had a great experience with it. 

Now They Call Him Sacramento

Now They Call Him Sacramento IMDb
Saw this spaghetti western this early afternoon while my son was taking a nap.  It was a last minute decision.  This is from the 10,000 Ways To Die Spaghetti Western collection.  While there were moments that were pretty cool, overall, this movie was a little to silly for me.   It is probably the friendliest spaghetti western I've ever seen.  Yeah, they do say "sons of bitches" a lot.  That's it.  Not a lot of violence or blood or hardcore villain roles.  As a matter of fact, the main villain here is hardly in action.  Now, I do prefer my spaghetti westerns down and dirty and respect others that are more into the comedic side like "They Call Me Trinity."  As for this movie, not worth your time.  I think I have about 5 movies or so left from that collection set.  Little by little I'll check them out so I can finally place the movies under my Western section.

A Cat In Paris

A Cat In Paris
This Animation from France was pretty awesome.  I first heard about this at the 2012 Academy Awards.  This was one of the nominees for Best Animated Feature.  I remembered watching the trailer and wanted this to win but it went to Rango (which I didn't mind either).  The city of Paris, France never looked better. Cute little story about a thieve and his cat helper and about a little girl with family issues.  Oh, and there are gangsters there as well.  Saw this during a big storm here in Austin, TX.  It set the mood even better.  I would recommend this movie to anyone with interest.  Hell, I wouldn't mind buying it. 

Vampire Thursday: Dracula

Dracula IMDb
Finally got to see this Universal classic.  Short and simple for its time.  Bela Lugosi as Dracula.  I've never seen Lugosi in any film but I knew of him through film history research and of course, the movie, Ed Wood.  As a matter of fact, I'm pulling a double feature next week of Tim Burton's Ed Wood followed by Plan 9 from Outer Space (for Cult Classic Friday).  As for this movie here, I feel like I've seen this story numerous times.  I know it's been done and told in different versions.  I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.  I guess for its time, this was scary.  It was okay to see.  I think any film buff should see it at least once in their life.  I probably wouldn't buy it.  I would rather own the original "Nosferatu."  That was one of the first vampire movies ever and I remember enjoying it when I saw it.

About A Boy

About A Boy IMDb
Saw this movie late tonight after a date with my girlfriend.  It was a last minute decision made by her.  Almost fell asleep but managed to make it through.  Overall, it was cute.  I'm not a Hugh Grant fan, so any movie he's in, I am not impressed.  He plays the same annoying characters in most of the movies I've seen with him.  This one is no exception.  Didn't know Hugh Grant's character knew how to play the guitar until the very end.  The star here is the kid.  Good performance.  Decent sweet story.  So, if your partner makes you see it, tough it up at least once. 

New Release Tuesday: Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing IMDb
I knew nothing about this movie other that it is directed by Joss Whedon and that a lot of people like it.  Unfortunately, I was completely bored with it.  I have nothing against Shakespeare.  I like a lot Shakespeare actually.  This, for some reason, didn't go well together.  This is set in modern times and they use Shakespeare dialogue.  I did like hat it was black and white but that's it.  Don't care about dramas dealing with love triangles and gossip. There's gotta be some kind of crime or suspense in there for me to like it.   This has lots of positive ratings and reviews.  For people interested in this kind of story, check it out at your own risk.  Not recommended on my behalf.

Samurai Monday: Samura II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple

Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple IMDb
The "samurai novela" continues.  I saw part one to this last month.  Good solid samurai drama.  This one delivers the same thing.  Very good story.  Kept me interested in the characters and in their future.  Didn't like that the battle scenes were weak.  There was hardly any blood or good fighting.  Right when there's bound to be some bloodshed, it goes to another scene.  But, I enjoyed this a lot for its dramatic story, not for the swords.  We got now three woman in love with our samurai.  Damn!  Soap opera deluxe.  I love the way this ended, though.  I'm pumped for the third movie next month.  So far, so good.  After the third one, I'll see if these movies are worth buying or good movies to recommend, or a movie to watch once.  For sure, they are not lower than that.  Had me hot tea and "bloody pastries" (strawberry mini streudels) with this one.

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

Despicable Me 2 IMDb
Took my son, Nathan, to see this today at the discount theatre.  Not bad.  The trailers had all the best parts.  There were a few giggles and lots of cute moments.  I remember that I liked part one but didn't love it enough to be considered a fan.  This sequel feels the same way.  Love the minions.  Who doesn't?  They're the ones that help make this movie.  The bad guy here transforms them into purple evil minions.  I was wanting more out of the purple minions.  They were there only for a few scenes towards the end of the film.  Love the love story between Gru and Lucy.  Overall, good movie to see once or lots of times if you're kid makes you buy it.  The kid in me would only like to see it once.  Good times!

Oblivion (2013)

Oblivion IMDb
This started out pretty awesome.  It got me excited seeing all this sci-fi action and scenery.  Then it got predictable.  So predictable that I had to stop thinking and just enjoy the film.  It's got the similar twist as the movie, "Moon."  Which if you haven't seen "Moon," you're missing out on a great sci-fi.   I wasn't really disappointed with this one.  Well, maybe the Hollywood cliche ending.    That's it.  This movie ain't about the acting.  Hell, Morgan Freeman is the best actor here, and he's only in a few scenes.  This movie is all about the great visuals.  I really enjoyed some of the stuff here.  It didn't look too CGI.  As far as the story, this one was okay.  Worth watching once.  If you ask me what sci films to recommend from this year so far?  I would say: Gravity (in 3D), Elysium, and of course freaking Pacific Rim (my favorite movie of the year so far).

Gravity 3D (2013)

Gravity IMDb
Best 3D movie I've ever seen. This is how it should be.  The movie was intense majority of the time.  It was short and sweet.  This is Sandra Bullock's show practically.  It's all about her and letting go of her emotions and moving on.  That's really what the movie is about.  Set the situation in space and you got yourself an awesome ride.  It made me want to join N.A.S.A after this.  Yeah, right!  While majority of it can be predictable, there were a few surprising scenes.  Once again, kudos for the 3D effects.  It made me move my head away thinking objects were actually being thrown at me for real.  Highly recommend this movie in the theatre and in 3D.  I doubt anyone can get the same experience at home.  Definitely a good entertaining ride.  Not my favorite movie of the year but it may be in my top 10.  We'll see.

Cheap Thrills (2013)

Cheap Thrills IMDb
I got to see a press digital copy of this film provided to me by Fantastic Fest.  I was thrilled.  A little squeamish at times but very thrilled.  With that said, there were a few problems I had with the story.  A lot of it had to with Ethan Embry's character.  At first he seemed like he wanted to financially help his "friend" but I guess greed changes people cause in the second half, he was the opposite.  I'm not spoiling that cause that's in the trailer.  The two friends are doing strange acts and competing for money given by this weird couple.  I was laughing with some of the black humor here.  I was entertained.  The scenes get crazier towards the end.  Let's just quote this line from the movie to hint at one of the crazy acts: "You guys aren't vegeterian?"  One of the guy responds while looking at the dinner plate: "I think I just became one."  This movie received a lot of great buzz at SXSW and Fantastic Fest this year.  I can see why.  Good movie to see.  I would recommend it.  To buy?  Maybe not (but, that's just me).

Side Effects (2013)

Side Effects IMDb
Wow! Very unpredictable and entertaining flick.  Every Steven Soderbergh film is a hit or miss for me.  This one is definitely a hit. I'm not a Rooney Mara fan either so it took me a while to see this.  Glad that I did.  I enjoyed the clever twist.  Man, how can you kill Magic Mike in just 30 minutes in?  Okay, that was a spoiler but not that much cause this movie has more to it than just that.  The actual surprises come towards the end.  I like movies about psychology and mental patients. This one delivers.  A must see film for sure and worth buying too.

New Release Tuesday: The Frozen Ground (2013)

The Frozen Ground IMDb
I am a sucker for detective/serial killer movies.  When I saw the trailer to this, I knew I wanted to see it even if it sucks.  Well, it sucked a little bit but overall, not bad.  I was entertained and interested throughout the movie.  Yeah, there were a lot of flaws and a few moments where the movie disappointed me.  For example, the main girl kept on escaping and running away.  How stupid can she be?  If you know there's a killer out there trying to find you, you don't just leave the hospital and go on the streets because you're desperate and don't know what to do.  I did like the suspense in this.   Freaking John Cusack is a demonic quiet bastard.  The movie is worth watching.  Recommended for a one night stand.  Wouldn't buy it, though.