Last Chance Harvey

We were in the mood for a movie last night and while my last DVD was on it's way to Netflix (which seems to take longer and longer these days) we decided to check out this Romantic umm comedy/drama from last year. It was free after all and I had a humidifier to put together.

It stars Dustin Hoffman as a yank heading off to London to attend his daughter's wedding and Emma Thompson as a lovely Brit with a perfect speaking voice for...getting people to answer surveys at airports, and speaking to her mother a lot on the phone.
Hoffman is down on his luck and while trying to cheer himself up in the airport bar runs into Emma Thompson who is also trying to raise her spirits from the seemingly boring and frustrating life she leads. It's a sweet moment as they talk and flirt like mature adults and the story continues from there, following them both over two days as they help each other see past their problems.

As Ms. Allclick made note of, it's a mature movie aimed at older audiences and a type of movie that doesn't get as much attention today as it should, due presumably to it's lack of CGI and jokes about drug taking, being naked, throwing up, or stealing Mike Tyson's tiger.

It was a movie that serves as a nice break from the last few I've seen (Trick R treat, Whiteout, Daybreakers) and certainly a good choice for valentines day.

Be prepared to perpetually ask "How tall is Dustin Hoffman again?".

Movie round-up and a note on movie recommendations

I've watched a fair few movies recently and so thought i'd do a little round-up on them in case anyone feels like checking them out. It's odd thinking that anyone would go to see one of these films based on my recommendation based on the fact that I rarely accept other people's recommendations (Although I do listen to most of the people who read this blog) .

What amuses me sometimes is when friends or family recommend a movie that looks absolutely awful and one in which I probably laughed at during the previews at the very notion of me going to see the film. Then I wonder "do you not know me at all??? What the frig are you smoking over there?? I don't HAVE to see "Leap Year", nor will I, and I especially won't waste $20 down at the movie theater for it." It is always the same people who recommend an awful movie that insist I see it at the cinema AND insist I will love it.

That being said here are my thoughts on a few recent movies:


Book of Eli: Worth watching if you like end of the world type movies and enjoying watching Denzel Washington kick ass. Straight forward story and you get what you expect.

Up: Another great but not memorable movie from Pixar. Tells a great story about an old man trying to live up to the promise he made his wife years ago. Very touching but sacrifices laughter for sentiment.
Gamer: Just averageness really. Michael C Hall is great in it but severely underused which is a real shame. Especially as the film is a little confusing, shallow and the plot is pushed forward by folks just basically explaining it word for word. If you like Gerard Butler then pick it up. Otherwise rent "Death Race" instead.

Some Movies I will probably see very soon: Desperate Measures, Extract.

Movies I won't be seeing so don't tell me to see them: Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, It's Complicated.

Another day on the road

Yep, another 300 odd miles on the old odometer today. My most noticeable observation was probably that between Charleston and Sutton there is approximately zero (0) construction projects whereas taking the trip up I-77 north will lead you into approximately a gazillion (???) roadwork projects.

I learned a lot today including the origins of the Toll House cookie recipe and what Inst means. Who says that Friday isn't a productive day?

I just got through reading the Film Geek's blog today and discovered a review of a movie I blogged TEH heck out of only a few days ago from Hoyt over at the startlingly sparse Donutbuzz. Seems like it wasn't worth a day of playing hooky to Hoyt. While I agree that it isn't a great movie and that the trailer gives the wrong impression of the movie it's still worth a look to watch Damon in action. Probably more of a "fridaynightinwiththemissus" movie than a "blowingoffworktoseeadamngoodflick" erm flick.

As to the Coen brothers comment I'm not so sure. This could have been a great Coen brothers movie if they gave it a lot of artistic license and just ignored a lot of the facts. They could have thrown in John Goodman for good measure and just laid back and waited for the cash to roll in. That is, of course, if they were in a Fargo, Big Lebowski, Barton Fink or No Country for Old Men mood...rather than a Lady Killers or heaven-forbid Burn after Reading mood (hear by known as Burn eyes after watching). However, I think others should be allowed to try and make Coen brothers movies. Isn't a little competition healthy?

And the same goes for the Health-care debate too ;-)

Chore day and random thoughts

Anyone with me in trying to create a mandatory 3-day weekend?? I need Saturday to decompress from the week, do some shopping, go to stores that aren't open on Sundays and generally chill out. Then Sunday to get my chores done, tidy the house, get ready for the next week. If only I had an extra day to recover from my chore day.
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Ever finish an item on your to-do list only to find out it's not a "done" as you thought it was? Seems to be happening to me a lot lately. I'll call/mail/fax something as required and think "great, one less item off my list" and then 5-10 days later I'll get a call/fax/mail/pigeon telling me that "no, you need to do this this AND this to complete it" or "Sorry, we half assed our end, so you'll have to do it again". Seems like most of the mistakes are not in my favour either. All this technology and life still doesn't seem any easier.
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After seeing "Orphan" last night I officially still have "the willies". Very creepy movie. If you are a horror fan or thriller fan it's worth a look just to see what evil looks like. Right before the movie there was a preview for the movie "District 9" which looks good and "The Book of Eli", although that movie doesn't come out until January next year.

Speaking of movies. If you have netflix and enjoy a good mystery/thriller, check out "Elsewhere" which you can watch for free online through your account. Despite the average reviews on imdb it's was actually a surprisingly decent movie. I attribute the reviews to the fact that it tries to sell itself as more of a horror story (which it isn't at all) and that most reviewers on imdb are douches.

Star Trekkin'

March and April were very long months for me. It seemed like there were no decent movies to go and see. At last May arrived and it's time for the "summer blockbusters". Time to turn off the brain and let the movie take you where it will.

"Star Trek" turned out to be one of those movies where you should probably keep your brain turned on. Especially if you struggle with sci-fi movies anyway. This, however, isn't a bad thing. In fact, the new movie was incredibly engaging. It was action packed, fast-paced, exciting, humourous and very enjoyable. I can't see it showing up at the Academy awards, but we weren't expecting that were we? Honestly, I was expecting a decent special effects movie with a tenuous plot and an unlikeable Kirk so I was very pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable movie for Star Trek fans (see if you can count how many of the classic lines are squeezed into the script), sci-fi fans and everyone else.

Watchmen - Japanese Trailer

Terminator Salvation Trailer!

Movies movies movies

I see TFG has been catching up on some summer flicks! Whilst I have not had the chance to see Wall-E or Hancock yet, I will be off to see some Hellboy II action this weekend. I finally got around to seeing the first movie a few weeks ago and loved it. Del Toro is really bringing an art form back into movies.

Other movies on my "Must-see at the movies" list include (but are not limited too):

The Dark Knight - (of course. Possible Oscar nod for the late Heath Ledger but Christian Bale needs one soon, right?)

X-Files - (Ms. AllClick really wants to see this. I'll want to see it but I'm a little scared it won't live up to it's potential)

The Mummy 3 - (It will be fun, won't it?)

Star Wars: Clone Wars (I actually thought that this looks pretty darn good!)

Summer Movie Season

Summer is officially here! You would never have guessed it if you live in Frame, WV but Wimbledon starts today so that means it's gotta be summer! And of course if it is summer that means the summer movie season is already in full swing. I usually think of the season starting with the first weekend in May as this is typically a blockbuster weekend such as all the Spidermans and I think Ironman showed right around that time this year. Ms. Allclick and I were planning on seeing "Get Smart" but ended up staying home and watching "Lars and the Real Girl" which was a terrific movie and probably worthy of it's own post. Even without our box office support "Get Smart" was the popular choice for many Americans over the weekend and topped Kung Fu Panda and the Incredible Hulk.

In fourth place was a movie that to me looked like it was always going to fail. "The Love Guru". The adverts didn't even look funny and they are supposed to be a representation of the whole movie. Scoring a 4.3 on IMDB at the moment and I'm not in the least bit surprised. It's a real shame for Mike Myers as I think he is a funny guy. I loved So I married an Ax Murderer, the Austin Power movies (well the first two) and of course Wayne's World. Even the first Shrek was pretty decent. Justin Timberlake has had the finger pointed at him for the cause of this rubbishness but I wonder about the pairing of Myers and Troyer, who is featured heavily in the trailers. The whole "mini-me" thing was wearing thin in the Austin Power's movies and I feel that Myers should keep himself close to other funny people like Dana Carvey rather than Justin Timberlake and Verne Troyer.

It's not a career stopper that's for sure but it's disappointing to see a good talent going to waste.

Actors I never know the name of: (1) Steve Zahn

My memory sucks. I watch a lot of movies and get to see many actors. Many of them I forget consistently. Steve Zahn is one of those. So, having watched Daddy Day Care at the weekend and mastered his name and face I present a salute to the man. Here are some interesting facts:

Mother's name is Zelda Zahn.

Lost 40 pounds for his role in "Rescue Dawn".

Has two children, Henry and Audrey, with wife Robyn Peterson.

Is an avid fly fisherman. Owns a farm in Western New Jersey.

Is an accomplished singer/guitarist. He played lead guitar and sang in "That Thing You Do! and played guitar and sang in Saving Silverman.

Weekend Conundrum

It's mid week but I'm already thinking about the weekend. One has to plan ahead! This time of year always seems to be a lull at the movies and this week is no different. I plan on seeing a matinee but I'm left with few options. I have narrowed it down to four:

1. Juno - Comedy/Drama - Tipped for a few Oscars and gets a great rating on imdb. Plus: It's a comedy. Minus: It's a drama.
2. Untraceable - Crime/Thriller - Looks like an average thriller. Should be a good pace but has had questionnable reviews.
3. Strange Wilderness - Comedy - Saw the online trailer for this movie with Steve Zahn and laughed hard. The TV advert isn't so hot. It has Steve Zahn in though. Probably going to be incredibly silly. Steve Zahn features.
4. The Eye - Horror/Thriller - A remake of a Chinese film should spell success. I'm not so sure Alba can pull this one off though. Has a great premise but I really doubt this will deliver.

So, please, I'd like to hear suggestions. I'm leaning towards Juno (so I can be more prepared to shout at my TV during the Oscars) or Strange Wilderness so I can laugh a lot.

Cloverfield

It's been a fairly long time since I went to see a big movie on it's opening night. There tends to be more of an atmosphere when you are in a crowded cinema. Every funny moment has a louder laugh, every scare has a louder jump. Cloverfield had a surprising amount of the former and less of the latter. The plot is basically that a monster has appeared in New York trashing buildings and attacking people. For all you monster movie fans out there you won't be disappointed. The monster aspect of the movie was terrific. The human storyline to the film is not as good. But in this type of movie it's not supposed to be. The camera work does make you a little dizzy by the end as your eyes struggle to focus constantly but it adds to the "realness" of the movie and is a great way to tell the story. Ignore the plot holes, the name of the film and the lengthy intro and go see a great modern monster movie.

On another note. Arthur's in Downtown Huntington is terrific. Put some nice clothes on, make a reservation and head down there. Especially if you like fresh seafood.

Movie Rant - The Comebacks

Something caught my eye about this movie. We have all seen the commercials. It is usually playing on a least one commercial break an evening (why do they still call them "messages"?) and as far as spoof movies go it doesn't look too bad...does it? Rottentomatoes.com says:

Ouch! However, I don't rely on RT too much because sometimes reviewers intentionally make bad reviews just to stand out and try and remain aloof and eclectic. So I trot on over to IMDB.com:

Ok, so that's fair enough. Two very popular movie review sites that are consistent, fans (only 689 of them mind you) and 24 reviewers agree that it sucks. So what the heck is THIS all about:

It made 5.5 million over the weekend. Man, it must be a slow week at the box office.

Zeg niet dat je me niet meer kent.

Thank you for the comment on my last post Ned ;-) I was thinking of the exact same thing. Here is a small tribute. I think "herinner" means "Heckfire".

P.S. You might wanna skip to around the 3 min part, Ned.

Kevin!!

Early morning TV...who could live without it? Well...probably me. I turned my TV on this morning, however, and Home Alone 3 was on. Imdb gives this movie 3.4 stars. Out of ten that's not so good. So I flicked onto CNN..."Britney's big comeback a complete flop" the announcer says as more urgent news scrolls along the bottom "a McDonald's burger chef may have criminal charges bought against them as a police officer who ate there said that the overly salty burger made him sick"...hmm those seem like news worthy stories. I flick over to The Today Show instead. Ah, the lovable Al Roker, he'll have something smart to say "...the fastest Chihuahua..." *click* I wonder if that kid is still Home Alone?

No more Action heroes?

Whilst watching Die Hard: Live Free I felt a small pang of sadness hit me as I thought about the dying breed of the Action Hero. When you think of Action Heroes names like Rocky, Rambo, Indiana Jones, Dirty Harry, James Bond spring to mind but where are the new Action Heroes?

Maybe that is why films like Die Hard and Rocky have been able to continue in recent years due to the gap left but Rocky has almost certainly come to an end and I haven't heard any talk of another Die Hard (he can't be in the wrong place at the wrong time all the time, right?). Even Indiana Jones is returning to our screens in 2008 but what happens after that? Who will support the Action genre? Sure we still have Jason Bourne, but I've never really warmed to him as a Hero. He seems to be more of a one-man personal crusade, plus after the third installment later this year, the story will probably be wrapped up. The XXX movies with Vin Diesel and Ice Cube tried hard to be decent Action movies but failed completely and I thought the Transporter movie (the first one) put Action over plot in it's priorities and I was left not really caring about the "hero".

What actors do we even have that would suit the Action Hero role? Viggo Mortensen? Hugh Jackman (although he's already an X-man)? The mainstays of Action are slowly getting older or leaving the industry completely (come back, Arnie, all is forgiven).

The fall of the Action-Hero may also be because of the rise of the Superhero movie Genre. Who needs one man with his gun, sarcasm and two fists when we can have a flying, swinging, super strong man of steel? Perhaps this is a reflection of society. Instead of the common man making a difference personally and righting wrongs we are instead hoping for a hero to save us ( to quote from Nickelback :-/) as only someone with superhero powers can change the world.

Maybe not. At least James Bond is still kicking ass 45 years later.