no country

No Country For Old Men - the book...

Unfortunately, I saw the movie when it was in the theatre, so there were no surprises in reading the book - I can't believe how true the script was to the original narrative. That doesn't lessen my enjoyment of Cormac McCarthy's words and descriptive tongue. He never lets me down...

breaking walt

Finally caught up on Breaking Bad. What in the hell did I do before On Demand and a DVR? You know the concept of absolute power corrupting absolutely? I'm loving the slight increase of Walt's assumed/perceived power, how he's exerting and applying to the rest of his life. Although I totally called how and why, I'm saddened by the turn of events with Jane - and I think it broke Walt's heart to think of her as someone else's daughter, but a necessary casualty in his path.

GO Vince Gilligan. Way to prove you are more than one genre.

fallen angels

no. 76 Fallen Angels

Talk about the never ending Netflix queue - I think this was put in there years ago, maybe even when I still lived in LA. I've seen nearly every Kar Wai Wong film, but this should have been one of the first, not the last. As usual, he takes certain artistic liberties, but always does a great job in matching his lens with music. Christopher Doyle has come such a long way, too.

Takeshi Kaneshiro is so adorable and young!

vc blah

no. 75 Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Can't say I ever got into Woody Allen. Still can't say I have. One would think I'd dig his overly pretentious neuroticism, but he doesn't do it for me. The man is unbelievably prolific, very talented, interesting tabloid fodder, but I'm not a fan. I was hoping this "Euro" approach might pull me in, but it's just the same blah.

HOWEVER, Penelope Cruz was fucking amazing, amazing, amazing. I was introduced to her via Almodovar, so I've seen her native speaking chops. She's more than an intriguing beauty, she can act. She also managed to allow Javier Bardem seem more manly (thank god he had a decent cut and used a little more of his lower range in his speaking voice.) I never saw Live Flesh...I bet it's buried in my ancient Netflix queue. Seriously, it's been running for about six years.

crouching tiger

no. 74 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I never really got into Asian film until CTHD. I didn't dig Bruce Lee and that seemed to be the only thing I could find. Ang Lee's blend of the traditional Wuxia, the beautiful "dance" style rather than straight up Kung Fu and the story of feminine repression (Sense &Sensibility) really struck a chord. After it's American release, 2001 marked my year of entry to the Year of the Snake and an intrige with Asian storytelling. Whether it be Hong Kong art films of Kar Wai Wong, little or big Tony Leung, Zhang Yimou and his muse Gong Li, Japanese period pieces; Kurosawa classics (Kazu Miyagawa's goregous vision, sigh!), although I'm not really into J-horror and can only deal with anime as a side dish. Granted, those are the most popular and mainstream... (Thank you Netflix!)

lost in LOST

For those loyal readers, I've let you down. I never posted anything on the last three hours of LOST. I guess I had so much written, so many ideas, I didn't dare posting them without really looking fanatical. LOL!

I've just been so behind on everything, the last thing I've had time to do is keep up my silly little list, in fact, it's just been a list with drivel, nothing of substance written within. I spoke to a Family to Family group today about recovery and a woman asked me, "How do you fill your days?" I almost vomited on her. Granted, I can't take the stress of a real job, I'd crack after the first 80 hours. Hell, the grand stress produced by my two little jobs is more than enough to want me to look into a second day of therapy per week. How was I supposed to tell her that I have so much on my plate, I never ever am able to have a to do list that's completed?

Today's rabbit proofing didn't go as well as planned, I didn't get quite half way there, and at that, this rabbit fence has seen better days, actually, better years. I just hope that it's finished tomorrow and that I finish cleaning everything up before the holiday. The pee filled yogurt cups will have to come in Round Three, I'm not sure about the logistics of that task. Do I pee in something upstairs, then find a good watertight container to carry through the house and out back or do I just rig something on the back porch and pop a squat once a day? I'm not sure I can convince the old man and his gardening pal to pee in the cups for me, in fact, I'm hoping that he doesn't freak out and realize I'm just using a little ingenuity and human scent to ward off the groundhogs. What if it doesn't work and they still get in and eat everything I've worked on for the past three months? Hell, that's just been getting the damn things to grow, the real work is in the sun for the next three months.

Oh hell, I can't imagine all the books I have to read this summer, movies to catch up on. This will just be a list to keep it up. Have I mentioned that the only thing I seem to be listening to is the new Bell X-1 album? When I'm not listening to it, I'm singing it. I gotta get a radio out by the barn.

schindler

no. 73 Schindler's List

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."

crazy french martyr

no. 72 The Messenger: Joan of Arc

I can't say that I think Milla Jovovich is a good or bad actress, although I must say, she's memorable in most parts. Luc Besson is prolific, if anything...

I really did enjoy this: there's alot of great action, its period, hits a lot of funny notes and GRAND. There's just not much to say about it.

sarah who?

no. 71 Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This does get better the more you watch it. Knowing that Jason Segel really was sitting on the Dracula-puppet-musical makes it even more precious. As for Russell Brand, he annoys the fuck out of me. He is such a hack.

dogma doubt?

no. 69 Dogma & no. 70 Doubt

Wow, do these two go hand in hand or what? Yeah, I figured I'd continue on my little Kevin Smith kick and pop in one of my all time favorite movies. I remember first reading about Dogma in 1999, living in NOLA, the first of the EW toilet reader years. I couldn't wait for someone like me to make a movie about their take on religion, tongue in cheek the whole way. It didn't disappoint, and ten years later, I still feel the same way. The message gets fucked up when you surround it with rules, it's about having a good idea. No one has, nor do I feel that anyone will get it right, ever; it will be a boring fight between factions until the end of our days here on earth.

Doubt was phenomenal. Cast aside, the story was amazing. Cast in place, holy cow! It's no wonder all four actors got Oscar nods. If I wasn't afraid that my dad might have a knee jerk reaction, I'd love to watch this with him. Granted it was rural, but he and his six siblings all attended parochial school at this exact time; I think his read would be priceless. Viola Davis was stunning as a mother who loves her son but is frightened of the world he is choosing to live in.

saving grace

no. 68 Saving Grace

Ahhhh, another fun one off flick from the Petey Twilight Saturdays. Every Saturday, my friend Petey and I went to the twilight viewing, then off to watch some boxing at the next door mega-sports bar. It's what we did for like a year, there were some amazing art flicks, mega box office hits and down right let's get stoned in the parking lot feel good movies.

It was just as fun watching this at home - albeit sober :*(

fred claus

no. 67 Fred Claus

Did Vince really need the money this bad? Paul Giamatti must have wanted to play Santa for the sake of playing Santa because this was a crappy Xmas movies. Hell, there are LOTS of crappy Xmas movies out there, so there's not much you got to do to make a decent one.

unusual-ly good

I've managed to watch the entire season of the Unusuals this past week - and really enjoyed it. The city scapes are a great transition and establishing shot, music's great, the banter is witty and pretty quick. Not your "typical" cop thing, much along the lines of my other new fav on ABC, Castle. Not as good, but a great ensemble comedy cast. Anyone remember "The Hebrew Hammer"??? I'm digging Amber Tamblyn - she always did things that were way too young for me, I'm digging her. Jeremy Renner had me at Dahmer. Harold Perrineau has never done wrong in my book (he's great in drag playing off of Penelope.)

mallrats

no. 66 Mallrats

Definately not my favorite KS movie, but it's a good chuckle. Jason Lee overacts, Ben Affleck is such a schmuck, I used to have a huge thing for the London twins (whatever happened to them?!)

I love the whole Stan Lee vs. Mick Jagger knotch on the bedpost contest ;)

oz pt 2

no .65 Australia


I know I saw this in the theatre...but it still counts.


Like so many films, this was meant to be seen on the screen. I just didn't get the chills from my tv, no matter how ruggedly handsome Hugh is. Even his scrubby scene didn't do it for me ;*(

I said before that I'd buy this - nada. I hope Baz does us a favor and releases a REAL DVD, this had two deleted scenes on it, that's all. BOO! Baz really should have made three films, but you've got to hand it to him, it's EPIC.

the reader

no. 64 The Reader

I wish I would have felt well enough to post this last week when my ideas were fresh!

Youth can provide the blinders that we should allow ourselves throughout our lives. The experiences we may miss out on because we are "above" or "beyond" another persons, another situation...we don't realize what we may gain. I know I have found myself there before - when I realized that a friend's boyfriend was a highschool dropout. He was intimidated my be, that I would make her realize what she was missing by having a relationship that was intellectually stimulating. Once she told me she was encouraging him to study for his GEDs, it was easy to recognize the difference between us - and his dislike of me at the surface. We separate ourselves to a large degree from people who are different from us, whether it be a class differentiation, cultural or education. Michael had this amazing experience because his youth provided the ignorance of their differences.

There were no significant trials during the time - mass media brings out this specific trial. Germans didn't want to accept the horrible truth they lived through; it would be an acknowledgement of their lies and truth. Michael, as the next generation, knew the truth about Hanna and couldn't see the trial being about justice. It's about his parents' generations' guilt - not submission - they are hoping to pin the "law" on these six women to clear their own conscious. His profound guilt in not going through with exposing her leads to the extention of his kindness in the continued "reading" - he gives her what she cannot give herself, truth, insight.

Little actions were interesting - again, what do we know about Hanna? Who presses their bra? I think it's showing that she's taking care of the things she has, that she may not have had much in her life. Although illiteracy would have been more widespread during her youth, you have to ask yourself what her life situation/family was to have put her in that situation. She saw a job with the SS as a way to make a living, she knew she had to be responsible for her own care. There was a great deleted scene where Michael's family was out of town and he couldn't wait for her to stay over - she couldn't consummate under this roof because it put her lie in the forefront, their differences. Emotionally, I believe they were near equals, but she knew he was out of her league.

As always, Ms. Winslet was amazing.

LOST leader

Ugh, I don't have it in me to put all my notes online.

Jack is still a douche. Unlike Locke who claims that he needed to go through all that shit to make him who he is today, he crushed Kate by saying he'd rather have their history wiped than have to deal with the misery. He's back to running off to save someone, but he's clueless.

Eloise is now just preggers with Daniel. We're meant to not see it straight away (great misdirection) but he's talking to her with his hand on her stomach. Talk about a flag in the sand. She believes Jack when he says that taking the head off of the Jug will make her son not be dead, but Jack doesn't know what he's talking about.

Sawyer really just wants to live a happy life with Juliet, but Kate's gotta keep poking her head back in where it's not wanted. Microsoft? Cowboys?

Locke is on a mission - I think he's "helping" Jacob by some sort of liberation. He's making sure that the Others know who's really going to be sheriff in town, no man behind the curtain. Although, I have a feeling that Ilana and Bram's team is on the beach, ready to make their first move in the war.

reaper

Again, loving Kevin Smith pays off. I've had Reaper DVRed since the preview and watched all the episodes this weekend. Granted, he was pulled in for the pilot, which is why I tuned in and stayed in. I'm not sure how he "consults" on the show, but it was an ingenious move by the CW to have his name on the pilot - I'm sure there are others just like me who have hung around.

Can Ray Wise be any more charming? I think I read something about how he brought mid-west used car salesman to the Devil :)

zach and miri

no. 63 Zach and Miri Make a Porno

Wow, it's been so long since I watched this, I just couldn't write about it. I know it sounds really corny, especially from me, a huge Kevin Smith fan, but he's off his fucking rocker. Girls who sleep in hockey jerseys NEVER have their best friend fall in love with them at the right time, no matter what. Seriously, I'm not pointing fingers, but this semi-attractive, smartest bitch who thinks like a guy and can talk shop and sports like a mother fucker is still sleeping in her 21 year old Pens jersey and is single at 33. From experience, Kevin Smith doesn't know what he's talking about.

Other than that, I fucking loved this movie! It's dirty, smart, funny...did I mention dirty...and it's a love story? No way! He wrote it for Seth Rogen and I don't think anyone else could have pulled off the material with a sense of second nature, ease and spot on timing. Elizabeth Banks got the Pittsburgh girl perfectly. I'm actually glad that no one tried the accent. Tyler Labine (aka Sock - the cute chubby guy from Reaper) makes an appearance as a drunk Steelers fan, stopping for coffee to sober his drunk ass up for the drive home. When he walks out the door, he yells, "Go Steelers!" in perfect form, although it should have been pronounced with one syllable, not two. Real porn stars? Who's brilliant idea was that?! I love Tracy Lords.

Some of the deleted scenes were so great - I understand why they were cut, but being from PA, they made the film a Pittsburgh film. All the city scape shots were scrapped - everything that really made this film Pittsburgh were gone, the river, the incline, you name it. Other than they really did shoot on the grounds and in the Monroeville Mall, the one real Pittsburgh shot is when they're standing outside the Igloo while Zach is still dressed as a South Street Houligan. I've been on that concrete a million times, hockey games, concerts, even working my Honda mojo.

Two very PA scenes that made the reel for me - the extended morning shot where Zach goes to warm up the car while Miri's in the shower. The handle's iced shut, he tries everything, including stealing her coffee and hoping it's hot enough to melt the ice - THAT's the nasty ass flesh colored stuff that's on the driver's door (I thought it might be puke from the night before!) We get to see the car run off the street from the newspaper boy - both the driver and the cop even try to get the door open. They employ some really sad body checks, garbage can slams and nearly pull the gun...until Miri walks out, opens the passenger door and slides across to start the engine. Only a PA girl would know to do that. The second was fucking classic - which coming from Jersey, Kevin Smith would have to cop to doing this every day. They're all dressed to go to their reunion, jump in the car, pull out of the drive way to go all of two blocks before turning in at the school. CLASSIC! (Honestly, I'm confused with Pittsburgh [I know why, I can read the internet, but follow me.] Yes, this could happen in Pittsburgh before any other city, hands down. I just figured, being a Jersey boy, Smith would choose Phila because it's almost as trashy and his back door. I can only assume it's because the Pens are the best fucking hockey team on the planet and he'd be embarrassed to the grave - and his children's children - if he had to put a Flyers logo anywhere on camera.)

I watched this twice, which rarely happens. Watched ALL the extras, there were a gazillion! The bonus dvd was like 3.5 hrs long. The Justin Long stuff was funny, at first, then it got long in the tooth, but I watched it all :)

Now that I've written this, I left out all the stuff I've been feeling about the movie. The script really hit home. I am SO glad that the bills always managed to get paid and I never found myself in this dire financial predicament, but I will tell you, it would have been nice to know then rather than month or years down the line how they felt about me. I could have handled it.