What was the last movie you saw at the theaters?

Inglourious Basterds
2009, Quentin Tarantino

I am definitely no Tarantino worshiper (for example I found Death Proof to be almost unwatchably tedious and Kill Bill unsatisfyingly empty on repeat viewings), but Basterds is loads of irresistible R-Rated fun. Owes much more of its soul to Sergio Corbucci than David Lean or even Robert Aldrich and it is awash in Ennio Morricone as well as Blaxploitation and a David Bowie musical cues, but somehow it manages not to be a distracting homage this time out. It's pure Tarantino. For my taste a couple of the chapters may go a bit longer than necessary for their respective pay-offs, but overall they add up to minor quibbles in a massively entertaining Bloodletting on the River Pulp.

Pitt and his outrageously thick hillbilly accent are a hoot, but yes what you've heard since Cannes is quite true: Christoph Waltz as the charming monster Colonel Landa steals the whole movie from Brad and everybody else. The other members of the Basterds don't get developed at all, though Til Schweiger probably gets the best moments, Eli Roth gets to go most over-the-top (excepting Pitt's scenery chewing, of course), and B.J. Novak from "The Office" cast way against type has some nice bits in the final act. Most of the others are barely distinguishable from each other and many get only one or two fleeting close-ups. As for the rest of the assemblage, Mike Meyers is amusingly effective in his one scene, Diane Kruger fine as the German actress double agent, Mélanie Laurent does a very good job with her masquerading avenger, and apart from Waltz the most magnetic presence on screen for me is Daniel Brühl as the soldier turned movie-within-a-movie star, who earned some international marks in the gentle comedy Goodbye Lenin! six years ago and who I've loved subsequently in The Edukators and Joyeux Noël. Even the oddest bits of casting, like Rod Taylor of The Birds and The Time Machine as Winston Churchill (!!!) come off, and it's even welcome fun when Sam Jackson and Harvey Keitel show up in vocal cameos.

This violent Tarantino mishmash of his cinematic loves from WWII mission movies to Spaghetti Westerns to the French New Wave shouldn't work on paper, but on the screen it is undeniably mesmerizing and a heck of a ride despite its disparate elements and the gimmicky politically incorrect and transparently controversial premise.

"I've been chewed-out before."


GRADE: B

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Last night, I saw the new movie, Ponyo, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, in Brookline, MA. It's a wonderful, but intense animation film, which is about a young boy who catches a red goldfish in the ocean, is determined to love and care for it, and the goldfish eventually turns into a human being that is accepted by the boy and his family as a regular human being. There are some intense scenes where the ocean goes dark blue and turns into tsunamis that go up on the land, eventually putting everything underwater, and many different colored creatures in some really intense underwater scenes, but, eventually, everything turns out to be good--a happy ending. A movie well worth seeing, although parts of it might be a little too scary for young kids.

I believe, however, that the movie Ponyo sends an intense message: When humankind messes around with Mother Nature too much, she'll eventually kick back, which is something that happens in real life, both greater and lesser extents.

Many interesting things are being done with animation these days, and this is an amazing example.

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"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)

The last movie I watched was district 9. It was a decent movie... but I had higher expectations.

My feelings exactly.

District 9

But before that was G.I.Joe(god, that was terrible)

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Sometimes one must be sacrificed.

I just saw "I Love You, Man" and "Role Models" consecutively last night.. Two very awesome films. Really movie. and just good filmmaking.

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I solemnly swear that I am up to no GOOD.

The Hangover (2/5) , apart from 1 or 2 laughs, it was a very so-so and average movie, still dont get what all the fuss was about over this one. Anyway, whatever makes some people click...

Julie & Julia
I loved it...the characters, the cast and how the two stories were combined. I loved Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci together....they made a very sweet couple. I also loved Jane Lynch as Meryl's sister Dorothy. The scene where Dorothy comes to visit Julia is a hoot. I'd love to see Meryl and Jane hook up again in another movie. Amy Adams is her usual adorable self as was the actor who played her husband.

I think one of the things that made this movie for me was the story beween Julia Child and her husband Paul. They were adorable together. It's funny, the next night I didn't want to watch anything because I didn't want to ruin that warm, fuzzy sweet feeling Julie & Julia gave me. I'm definately buying this one when it comes out.

district 9, i thought it was pretty good. a good refresh, but tbh i thought it could be better.

The last one was Titanic.

Halloween 2

Absolutely loved it

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

I recently saw the film Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, which I thought was dreadful, but enjoyed in a perverse sort of way, nonetheless. Not recommended, but to each their own.

Inglorious Basterds, and I didn't like it half as much as I thought I would.

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Extract
2009 - Mike Judge

The latest workplace comedy from Mike Judge (Office Space, "King of the Hill") is pleasant but doesn't ever quite click and turn into a classic. This time Judge looks a bit at the monotony of American labor from the side of ownership. Jason Bateman stars as Joel, the owner of a small flavoring extract company. His office overlooks the warehouse floor where his minorly disgruntled employees grumble about their various jobs. It's a company he founded when he invented a chemical formula for extract out of college, but that passion and desire has left him and he sees the plant as mostly just a boring part of his day. His marriage has also become frustrating boredom since he and his wife (Kristen Wiig) don't seem connected anymore, especially not sexually.

A series of recent events has shaken up his world a bit, what with a big conglomerate sniffing around with an offer to buy him out and send him to an early retirement, but an on the job accident and possibility of a law suit involving one of his employees, played by the always entertaining Clifton Collins Jr., putting that in jeopardy. There's also a new employee who has caught his eye, a beautiful but deceptive small-time grifter (Mila Kunis) who has him fantasizing about infidelity. That mix of circumstance capped off by a night of liquor and a horse tranquilizer provided by his slacker bartender friend (Ben Affleck) leads him to a bad decision that ultimately puts his marriage and business in danger of disappearing. It's time for Joel to figure out what he truly values.

As with Office Space, Judge's style is very low-key. It's also relatively sweet. Bateman is as appealing as ever in everyman mode. His Joel is a good man who has lost his way a bit not out of malice or greed but simply because of the monotony of the everyday grind. The supporting cast around him is strong, including J.K. Simmons as his plant manager and David Koechner as possibly the most annoying next door neighbor imaginable. The trailer and TV spots may lead you to believe it's more of a romantic comedy with a burgeoning fling between Bateman and Kunis, but to its credit it never slips into that well-worn and more obvious territory. What does happen doesn't amount to a heck of a lot plot-wise, but Judge's tone and love of his characters carries it through without over-the-top incident, either comic or dramatic. It plays a bit with some satire, but never commits to it with dark enough comedy to really drive it in that direction and the couple scenes with Kiss guitarist Gene Simmons as a sleazy lawyer are all pretty flat and the least-satisfying element in the film.

It's mostly nice and very watchable, but it also doesn't give enough to really love it, and certainly not anything there to hate it. I don't suspect this one is due for the kind of cult success the beloved Office Space enjoyed, even if it took the DVD release for the masses of fans to eventually discover it. Extract is diverting but ultimately not much more.


GRADE: C+

Inglorious Basterds - loved it

Halloween II - hated it

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.
I liked it; well-made.

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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)

Public Enemies

Okay, but Michael Mann was better once and then.

Inglourious Basterds

out of

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince