Day 210 - 7/29/09 - Movie #206
BEFORE: It's something of a kid's story, yes, but I'm in a fantasy-film vibe, and I'm trying to make up for lost time.
THE PLOT: A preteen's life is changed after befriending the new girl at school. Together, they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants and rule as king and queen.
AFTER: I guess I was expecting something a little more like the Narnia books, or "Alice in Wonderland", where the kids actually go (or seem to go) into a fantasy realm. For this one you have to sort of do what kids do, and imagine the fantasy realm overlaid over the real one. There are special-effects trolls and other creatures, but you're always aware that you're seeing them through the imagination of the young boy and girl.
And just like in "Wizard of Oz", other people they know in the real world manifest themselves as some of the fantasy creatures, and their experiences in imagination-land help them overcome obstacles in the real world. But sometimes, even for kids, tragedy strikes, and no amount of imagination can overcome a real-world death. I'm not sure that this film sends exactly the right message - using the fantasy realm to sort of escape from a real-world tragedy isn't always the best answer.
Still, it's a workable little film that doesn't overdo the special effects (which sometimes makes them less...special) and might encourage kids to face up to bullies (again, well-intentioned but not always the best advice) and dare to dream.
RATING: 5 out of 10 Twinkies
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Dungeons & Dragons
Day 209 - 7/28/09 - Movie #205
BEFORE: Just back from Comic-Con, and straight into a beer dinner, which doesn't exactly help me fall back into a regular routine. So it's going to be tough to catch up...
THE PLOT: Emperess Savina Rules over the magical empire Izmer. The young thieves Ridley and Snails get involved with her quest to find the legendary Scepter of Savrille. With this most desirable magical wand she could have the power to rule over the Red Dragons and she would then be able to provide freedom and equality amongst all people.
AFTER: This plot was extremely confusing - I couldn't tell what was happening most of the time. Was this a quest for a gem, or a map, or a scepter, or what? And there's this council arguing over - oh, I give up! Look, I've played Dungeons & Dragons, and this movie has NONE of its excitement. Jeremy Irons (again?) is the villain this time, but other than fighting the Empress, I couldn't tell what his evil plan was either. Nothing gets explained - not the rules of the conflict, or how magic works, or how thieves detect traps - all that is sort of skipped over. Some of the traps are kind of cool, but for the most part this is just a pile of junk thrown together.
What's the point of assembling a ragtag team of a thief, a mage, an elf and a dwarf, if only one of them is able to enter the dungeon? D&D is all about characters working TOGETHER to go on quests and find treasure. All the other characters just seem very useless! And are dragons good, or evil? And if the Empress can control them, why does she need the control rod? It just makes no sense.
RATING: 3 out of 10 hit points.
BEFORE: Just back from Comic-Con, and straight into a beer dinner, which doesn't exactly help me fall back into a regular routine. So it's going to be tough to catch up...
THE PLOT: Emperess Savina Rules over the magical empire Izmer. The young thieves Ridley and Snails get involved with her quest to find the legendary Scepter of Savrille. With this most desirable magical wand she could have the power to rule over the Red Dragons and she would then be able to provide freedom and equality amongst all people.
AFTER: This plot was extremely confusing - I couldn't tell what was happening most of the time. Was this a quest for a gem, or a map, or a scepter, or what? And there's this council arguing over - oh, I give up! Look, I've played Dungeons & Dragons, and this movie has NONE of its excitement. Jeremy Irons (again?) is the villain this time, but other than fighting the Empress, I couldn't tell what his evil plan was either. Nothing gets explained - not the rules of the conflict, or how magic works, or how thieves detect traps - all that is sort of skipped over. Some of the traps are kind of cool, but for the most part this is just a pile of junk thrown together.
What's the point of assembling a ragtag team of a thief, a mage, an elf and a dwarf, if only one of them is able to enter the dungeon? D&D is all about characters working TOGETHER to go on quests and find treasure. All the other characters just seem very useless! And are dragons good, or evil? And if the Empress can control them, why does she need the control rod? It just makes no sense.
RATING: 3 out of 10 hit points.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Eragon
Day 204-208 - 7/23-7/27/09 - Movie #204
BEFORE: Day 2 of Comic-Con, or the end of the first full day, last night was the Preview Night, during which time I sold exactly 1 book, taking in $5. I could have gone to the SDCC 40th Anniversary party, but it probably would have been packed - so I ate dinner with my booth-mates at the Tin Fish, then schlepped back up the hill to my hotel, with a quick stop at the CVS to load up on snacks and supplies for tomorrow.
(Break)
And, actually I was UN-successful in finishing this movie while in San Diego. There was no DVD player in my room this year, and the volume was so low on the laptop computer (and I was so tired from working at the booth) that I was lulled to sleep after about 10 minutes of the film. There was just no way for me to watch films while at the Con - I could have gone to the late-night film screenings at the convention center, but that would have made it difficult to stay on NYC time and get up in time to set up the booth for the next morning's business. Plus I wanted to spend my evenings at my usual haunts - brewpubs, mostly. I'm back in NYC now, and I can give this movie a proper viewing - but now I'm four days behind schedule. My penance will be to watch a chain of fantasy films, then some comic-book films, in honor of the Con.
So how was the Con? The usual blend of work + fun, celebrities and nobodies, tedium and excitement. Our booth-neighbors were the same as last year on all sides, so it mostly felt like being in a recurring dream (or perhaps waking up from one...). For more commentary and photos, please visit my Flickr site at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66064297@N00/sets/72157621745804571/
THE PLOT: In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.
AFTER: This is the story of a lowly blond farmboy, who finds out he has a mystical ability, and then his uncle gets murdered by the villain's men as he sets out to rescue a princess. Seems like I've seen that storyline before somewhere else... Instead of the Force, however, his ability is dragon-riding, and telepathy with a blue dragon. Interesting how mental communication with the dragon probably cut the film's animation budget significantly - is that too cynical of me?
Jeremy Irons takes the Kenobi-like mentor role, and John Malkovich and Robert Carlyle play the villains. It's still essentially "Star Wars" recast in the medieval fantasy world of "Lord of the Rings", with bits of "Harry Potter" thrown in - so why wasn't it a bigger hit? Admittedly, there are some story problems - like how can one dragon signal the return of the dragon riders (plural). Don't you need, like a male and a female dragon to make more baby dragons?
I know this movie was adapted from a book, maybe they left a lot of little details out? The film clearly sets up a sequel, but who knows if it will ever get made...
RATING: 6 out of 10 orcs - oops, I mean Urgals.
BEFORE: Day 2 of Comic-Con, or the end of the first full day, last night was the Preview Night, during which time I sold exactly 1 book, taking in $5. I could have gone to the SDCC 40th Anniversary party, but it probably would have been packed - so I ate dinner with my booth-mates at the Tin Fish, then schlepped back up the hill to my hotel, with a quick stop at the CVS to load up on snacks and supplies for tomorrow.
(Break)
And, actually I was UN-successful in finishing this movie while in San Diego. There was no DVD player in my room this year, and the volume was so low on the laptop computer (and I was so tired from working at the booth) that I was lulled to sleep after about 10 minutes of the film. There was just no way for me to watch films while at the Con - I could have gone to the late-night film screenings at the convention center, but that would have made it difficult to stay on NYC time and get up in time to set up the booth for the next morning's business. Plus I wanted to spend my evenings at my usual haunts - brewpubs, mostly. I'm back in NYC now, and I can give this movie a proper viewing - but now I'm four days behind schedule. My penance will be to watch a chain of fantasy films, then some comic-book films, in honor of the Con.
So how was the Con? The usual blend of work + fun, celebrities and nobodies, tedium and excitement. Our booth-neighbors were the same as last year on all sides, so it mostly felt like being in a recurring dream (or perhaps waking up from one...). For more commentary and photos, please visit my Flickr site at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66064297@N00/sets/72157621745804571/
THE PLOT: In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.
AFTER: This is the story of a lowly blond farmboy, who finds out he has a mystical ability, and then his uncle gets murdered by the villain's men as he sets out to rescue a princess. Seems like I've seen that storyline before somewhere else... Instead of the Force, however, his ability is dragon-riding, and telepathy with a blue dragon. Interesting how mental communication with the dragon probably cut the film's animation budget significantly - is that too cynical of me?
Jeremy Irons takes the Kenobi-like mentor role, and John Malkovich and Robert Carlyle play the villains. It's still essentially "Star Wars" recast in the medieval fantasy world of "Lord of the Rings", with bits of "Harry Potter" thrown in - so why wasn't it a bigger hit? Admittedly, there are some story problems - like how can one dragon signal the return of the dragon riders (plural). Don't you need, like a male and a female dragon to make more baby dragons?
I know this movie was adapted from a book, maybe they left a lot of little details out? The film clearly sets up a sequel, but who knows if it will ever get made...
RATING: 6 out of 10 orcs - oops, I mean Urgals.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Stardust
Day 203 - 7/22/09 - Movie #203
BEFORE: The last De Niro film (for now) - I've got just enough time to watch this film before heading to the airport - for my annual trip to Comic-Con, of course. I didn't have time for every single De Niro film, just the ones in my collection - I'd like to track down and watch "Heat" and maybe "Ronin" someday...
THE PLOT: In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm.
AFTER: I did read the book by Neil Gaiman that this was based on, though it was a while back and I didn't remember all the elements of the complex plot. The movie seemed to leave some big gaps and didn't do the best job of explaining everything - like where exactly is the fantasy realm, in relation to England? What powers exactly do the witches have, what are the rules of succession for the princes to become king, and where does the unicorn come from? It just seems like the story is being written on the fly...
It's got elements seen in a lot of other fantasy stories, thrown into a blender, to complicate the story of Tristan (who might be half magical himself) who crosses over into the magic realm to find a star, which looks an awful lot like Claire Danes (not that that's such a bad thing). But damn, Michelle Pfeiffer looks good, even as an old(er) witch. Also a good cameo by Ricky Gervais as a talkative mythical shopkeeper, with Peter O'Toole as the King and Rupert Everett as one of the 7 princes who hope to be heirs to the throne of Stormhold.
RATING: 7 out of 10 lightning bolts - even with a couple plotholes, it's still a very thrilling fantasy quest.
DENIR-O-METER: 8 - though he doesn't show up until halfway into the film, De Niro's Capt. Shakespeare - a ruthless sky pirate who's also light in the loafers - is the most interesting character in the film. But seeing the former Travis Bickle dancing in a dress? Some things you just can't un-see.
That's it, pack up the DeNir-O-Meter, I've worn it out. I'll try to post reports from San Diego if I can figure out how to get a laptop to access wi-fi inside the convention center.
BEFORE: The last De Niro film (for now) - I've got just enough time to watch this film before heading to the airport - for my annual trip to Comic-Con, of course. I didn't have time for every single De Niro film, just the ones in my collection - I'd like to track down and watch "Heat" and maybe "Ronin" someday...
THE PLOT: In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm.
AFTER: I did read the book by Neil Gaiman that this was based on, though it was a while back and I didn't remember all the elements of the complex plot. The movie seemed to leave some big gaps and didn't do the best job of explaining everything - like where exactly is the fantasy realm, in relation to England? What powers exactly do the witches have, what are the rules of succession for the princes to become king, and where does the unicorn come from? It just seems like the story is being written on the fly...
It's got elements seen in a lot of other fantasy stories, thrown into a blender, to complicate the story of Tristan (who might be half magical himself) who crosses over into the magic realm to find a star, which looks an awful lot like Claire Danes (not that that's such a bad thing). But damn, Michelle Pfeiffer looks good, even as an old(er) witch. Also a good cameo by Ricky Gervais as a talkative mythical shopkeeper, with Peter O'Toole as the King and Rupert Everett as one of the 7 princes who hope to be heirs to the throne of Stormhold.
RATING: 7 out of 10 lightning bolts - even with a couple plotholes, it's still a very thrilling fantasy quest.
DENIR-O-METER: 8 - though he doesn't show up until halfway into the film, De Niro's Capt. Shakespeare - a ruthless sky pirate who's also light in the loafers - is the most interesting character in the film. But seeing the former Travis Bickle dancing in a dress? Some things you just can't un-see.
That's it, pack up the DeNir-O-Meter, I've worn it out. I'll try to post reports from San Diego if I can figure out how to get a laptop to access wi-fi inside the convention center.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
New York, New York
Day 202 - 7/21/09 - Movie #202
BEFORE: You see what I did there? Following last night's New York-themed movie with another one...ironic because I'm packing for San Diego at the same time... Wait, the running time is 2 hours, 43 minutes? I don't know if I can stay up late enough to watch this whole movie - I wish I had watched it on the weekend, when I had a little more time. I bought this DVD last week at the $5.99 DVD store, on my boss' recommendation.
THE PLOT: An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.
AFTER: De Niro and Liza Minnelli? They seem like a horribly mismatched couple, except for when they're performing together in the swing band. It's an uneasy partnership, made difficult by De Niro's Jimmy Doyle, who's a typical 1940's male chauvinist. When Minnelli's Francine tries to have an opinion on anything, he has a Travis Bickle-like tantrum.
Unfortunately, the segments between the tantrums and the musical numbers are long, slow, and fairly pointless - this could have been edited a LOT tighter. It's also unfortunate that Jimmy and Francine can't ever be successful at the same time - when one's up, the other's down, and the one who's down is always jealous of the other's success. Plus it gets confusing later in the film, with Liza Minnelli playing Francine Evans playing Peggy Smith in a Broadway revue.
RATING: 4 out of 10 microphones. I might have ranked it higher if I found Liza attractive, but she always has that astonished look, like she was just punched in the face.
DENIR-O-METER: 7 - Jimmy Doyle is actually a complex character, representing the way I think a lot of men treated women back in the 1940's, as they reacted to women becoming more independent. It's a combination of love, disrepect and borderline abuse that today might be diagnosed as bi-polar, but back then was all too common.
22 De Niro films down, and just 1 more to go...
BEFORE: You see what I did there? Following last night's New York-themed movie with another one...ironic because I'm packing for San Diego at the same time... Wait, the running time is 2 hours, 43 minutes? I don't know if I can stay up late enough to watch this whole movie - I wish I had watched it on the weekend, when I had a little more time. I bought this DVD last week at the $5.99 DVD store, on my boss' recommendation.
THE PLOT: An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.
AFTER: De Niro and Liza Minnelli? They seem like a horribly mismatched couple, except for when they're performing together in the swing band. It's an uneasy partnership, made difficult by De Niro's Jimmy Doyle, who's a typical 1940's male chauvinist. When Minnelli's Francine tries to have an opinion on anything, he has a Travis Bickle-like tantrum.
Unfortunately, the segments between the tantrums and the musical numbers are long, slow, and fairly pointless - this could have been edited a LOT tighter. It's also unfortunate that Jimmy and Francine can't ever be successful at the same time - when one's up, the other's down, and the one who's down is always jealous of the other's success. Plus it gets confusing later in the film, with Liza Minnelli playing Francine Evans playing Peggy Smith in a Broadway revue.
RATING: 4 out of 10 microphones. I might have ranked it higher if I found Liza attractive, but she always has that astonished look, like she was just punched in the face.
DENIR-O-METER: 7 - Jimmy Doyle is actually a complex character, representing the way I think a lot of men treated women back in the 1940's, as they reacted to women becoming more independent. It's a combination of love, disrepect and borderline abuse that today might be diagnosed as bi-polar, but back then was all too common.
22 De Niro films down, and just 1 more to go...
Night and the City
Day 201 - 7/20/09 - Movie #201
BEFORE: To follow "Raging Bull", this film stars De Niro as a boxing promoter - and it co-stars Jessica Lange, who was also in "Cape Fear".
THE PLOT: The story about a cheating and incompetent lawyer (Harry Fabian) who suddenly gets obsessed on becoming a boxing promoter.
AFTER: See, this is what I wanted to see - a film about boxing (not just about one boxer) - the things a promoter has to do, like arranging the arena, choosing the contenders, concessions, etc. We see very little actual boxing in the film, but really it's about running any business in New York - the shady deals, cash payments made to city officials, the a-holes in press and public relations one has to deal with. De Niro's lawyer-turned-promoter Harry Fabian keeps borrowing money and making compromises, until it's impossible for him to put on a show AND turn a profit. Good supporting work from Alan King, Jack Warden and Eli Wallach.
RATING: 6 out of 10 posters
DENIR-O-METER: 6 - though it's tough to tell whether to root for Fabian or not, but I guess maybe that's the point.
BEFORE: To follow "Raging Bull", this film stars De Niro as a boxing promoter - and it co-stars Jessica Lange, who was also in "Cape Fear".
THE PLOT: The story about a cheating and incompetent lawyer (Harry Fabian) who suddenly gets obsessed on becoming a boxing promoter.
AFTER: See, this is what I wanted to see - a film about boxing (not just about one boxer) - the things a promoter has to do, like arranging the arena, choosing the contenders, concessions, etc. We see very little actual boxing in the film, but really it's about running any business in New York - the shady deals, cash payments made to city officials, the a-holes in press and public relations one has to deal with. De Niro's lawyer-turned-promoter Harry Fabian keeps borrowing money and making compromises, until it's impossible for him to put on a show AND turn a profit. Good supporting work from Alan King, Jack Warden and Eli Wallach.
RATING: 6 out of 10 posters
DENIR-O-METER: 6 - though it's tough to tell whether to root for Fabian or not, but I guess maybe that's the point.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Raging Bull
Day 200 - 7/19/09 - Movie #200
BEFORE: Aw yeah, crossing another big, important film off the list tonight - and people said it wouldn't last... TWO HUNDY! 200 films this year, that's got to be the most films I've ever watched in a calendar year - so now that I'm in the routine, there's nothing left to do now but go for 300, or even 365...
THE PLOT: An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.
AFTER: I admit to not knowing much about the sport of boxing, but this is the sort of film that makes me want to learn more - the logistics about who gets a shot at the title, how and why a boxer takes a "dive", etc. This film works fine as a biopic of a specific boxer, and some of the boxing footage is spectacular, but I wish there was more information about the boxing, since some of the parts in between tended to be a little boring. With the exceptions, of course, of a couple notable interactions between Jake LaMotta and his wife and brother, when his paranoia and suspicion got the better of him.
My original plan was to follow this film with a bunch of other boxing films, like "Million Dollar Baby", "Cinderella Man" and "The Hurricane" - but my Comic-Con trip's going to get in the way here. So instead I'm going to finish out my De Niro chain, head to San Diego, and hopefully pick up the boxing thread when I get back.
RATING: 6 out of 10 body-blows (and a left hook)
DENIR-O-METER: 8 - not just for the weight gain in playing LaMotta, but for the unique combination of disappearing into the role, and still shining through when it counted.
BEFORE: Aw yeah, crossing another big, important film off the list tonight - and people said it wouldn't last... TWO HUNDY! 200 films this year, that's got to be the most films I've ever watched in a calendar year - so now that I'm in the routine, there's nothing left to do now but go for 300, or even 365...
THE PLOT: An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.
AFTER: I admit to not knowing much about the sport of boxing, but this is the sort of film that makes me want to learn more - the logistics about who gets a shot at the title, how and why a boxer takes a "dive", etc. This film works fine as a biopic of a specific boxer, and some of the boxing footage is spectacular, but I wish there was more information about the boxing, since some of the parts in between tended to be a little boring. With the exceptions, of course, of a couple notable interactions between Jake LaMotta and his wife and brother, when his paranoia and suspicion got the better of him.
My original plan was to follow this film with a bunch of other boxing films, like "Million Dollar Baby", "Cinderella Man" and "The Hurricane" - but my Comic-Con trip's going to get in the way here. So instead I'm going to finish out my De Niro chain, head to San Diego, and hopefully pick up the boxing thread when I get back.
RATING: 6 out of 10 body-blows (and a left hook)
DENIR-O-METER: 8 - not just for the weight gain in playing LaMotta, but for the unique combination of disappearing into the role, and still shining through when it counted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
