Movies the giraffe watched: August 2012

First viewing - Aug. 2nd

Been meaning to check out this film for some time now & finally managed to sit down with it. What we have here is a solidly entertaining movie that shows plenty of signs of better things to come. Once the titular event begins things really take off & the tension holds through the ending. In fact I was very much reminded of George A. Romero's debut Night of the Living Dead, at least with regard to some of the character dynamics & the sure handle on the technical aspects despite the lack of budget. Getting to the central event is a bit of a mixed bag though, as characters get established well enough but some of their actions aren't entirely clear. The gang isn't very well drawn at all really, and thus are more stereotypical than realistic.

Still this easily falls in among Carpenter's best films & is very much worth a look.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - Aug. 3rd

Review by lotr23

Gave my daughter some movie options & she chose this one, so we watched it together. Still a wonderful film that mixes a love story with a space adventure & brilliant social commentary that's never heavy-handed.

Re-watch - Aug. 7th

On vacation at Rockaway Beach in Oregon, I found myself in an awesome house with one small drawback: a DVD player without a remote control. This meant sitting through previews & whatnot that are normally easily skipped by jumping to a menu, as well as being left to default setups which led me to abandon my attempt to watch Versus when I realized I'd have to watch it dubbed instead of with subtitles. If it were my DVD player I'd just buy a universal remote & call it done, but I wasn't going to buy one just to use for a couple of days & leave it for everyone else who stays here in the future. Those who rent it out can do that if they want to.

Anyway, point being that instead of messing around with the DVD player I turned to DirecTV to find a movie to watch. Fortunately there were a lot of movie channels to choose from, but at the time I wanted to watch something Desperado was the best thing on that was just starting (I won't watch a movie I've never seen if it's already on). I hadn't seen it in at least 10 years & yet still remembered it pretty well. It's still a fun movie, very over the top & fairly ridiculous in a good way. I don't think it's a Great film, but it's definitely among Robert Rodriguez's best work.

First viewing - Aug. 8th

JIm Gaffigan - Mr. Universe - "McDonald's"
Gaffigan's stand-up routine always manages to make me laugh so hard I start crying on multiple occasions, which makes me willing to forgive the handful of jokes that are merely amusing but not laugh-out-loud funny. I needed a good laugh & this special of his truly delivered. So, much like the other two specials of his I've seen I'll be watching this one again.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - Aug. 8th

I'd actually wanted to watch this last X-mas, but didn't quite manage to do so (perhaps I should buy a copy). On this particular evening I needed something we could watch that would entertain our daughter too. I didn't realize until too late how much profanity was in it (oops), but at least it's spread out enough she didn't ever seem to pick up on it (and yes, she was indeed entertained). Regardless, Home Alone is still as entertaining as it ever was. The sentimentality seems forced now & the acting isn't entirely impressive, but the extended booby-traps scene remains the film's highlight. I still laugh heartily as Pesci & Stern's characters get knocked around time & again, no matter how many times I've watched it.

Oh yeah, and Catherine O'Hara is still Great & an actress that doesn't seem to get enough praise.

Re-watch - Aug. 8th

I'd wanted to catch Wrath of Khan when Drafthouse screened it back in June, but my schedule didn't allow for it so I had to miss it. So when I saw it was coming up on DirecTV the last night we were in Rockaway Beach I made a note of it in case I could sit down with it. And obviously this time it worked out.

I'm not certain now if I'd re-watched this since I first saw it in the theatre back in 1982, and yet enough of it was still familiar to me which encourages me to leave it at a rating of 9/10. The effects are now sadly outdated, but I'm willing to overlook that given how much time has passed since it was made. The story remains as engaging as ever, and while the performances may not break any new ground the fact is that each actor perfectly inhabits his/her character (no doubt due to how long most of them had portrayed their respective roles). Khan remains a Great villain & I never felt like it mattered whether I'd seen the episode that originally established his character. There's enough here to fill me in on the details that it doesn't matter how much Star Trek I've seen prior to sitting down with this film, which also works in its favor. So for a blockbuster film it definitely works well, and I was surprised how much I still enjoyed it even though I've never been a big fan of Star Trek. Glad I finally got a chance to revisit it.

First viewing - Aug. 14th

Review by PvtCaboose91

FINALLY I managed to get this watched. Those who follow my monthly lists should be well aware that I've been trying for a while now to sit down with Battle Royale, and I was beginning to think it was never meant to be. There was even a brief moment of panic while watching it tonight as the DVD started to skip & I removed it from the player to find scratches on it. Fortunately I was able to clean it up enough that it managed to play through to the end, with only one more brief rough patch along the way.

Anyway, I really really enjoyed this film, far more than the more recent film it inspired, The Hunger Games (I realize both films were books first, but have not read either so will not attempt to compare the source materials). I felt the acting was strong if not exceptional, the story was wonderfully handled & told, and the technical levels were masterful. My complaints mainly lie with the Special Edition version I watched, especially the final trio of "Requiems" that close said version of the film. They add nothing at all & are completely unnecessary, and so I was going to demote the film as a result. But after reading up on the film some I learned that these scenes (plus a few others) weren't in the original theatrical release, which is a better choice in my book. So now I need to get a hold of the theatrical cut & see if it works better as a whole (heavy sigh), but for now I won't hold the "Requiems" against the film at least.

My only real complaint then is that the film tries a little too hard to provide each character with humanity, often to the point of being repetitive in hopes of doing so. There are far too many times where one or more characters confess their love/affection/crush/whatever for someone else, though I suppose it makes some sense given the age the characters are supposed to be. It didn't detract from the film too much while watching it, but thinking about it afterwards it does bother me a bit.

Thanks to Xanadon't for loaning the DVD to me.

**note to self: the original theatrical cut now streams on Netflix**

Re-watch - Aug. 19th

First time watching it with my daughter. She liked it apart from the scene following Abu touching the forbidden treasure in the cave (too scary evidently). The humor in Aladdin is what I enjoy the most, and while the story follows a fairly predictable path it's entertaining enough throughout with some great characters that I can forgive it.

First viewing - Aug. 24th/25th

Solidly entertaining, but it never quite crosses over into greatness largely because the idea is nothing new. Which seems to be the case for JJ Abrams given what I know of his work...he turned out one of the better films in the Mission: Impossible series, and made a good Star Trek movie as well. Here he's taken Spielberg's alien films and turned them into a "new" movie by adding some autobiographical details where the central characters are kids who enjoy making films (much like he evidently was). And the end result is a solidly entertaining film but nothing really exceptional.

The cast does a decent job of playing believable characters (Anne Fanning being the lone standout performance), and I liked the parts of the kids working on their movie. Actually if it lost the sci-fi side of things I think I might have enjoyed the film more, and looking around here it seems I'm not alone in that sentiment. The sci-fi side is especially problematic because it kills the realism established by the relationships between the characters & throws them into unbelievable situations that really push one to suspend disbelief moreso than should be necessary.

Nice try though.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - Aug. 27th

Picked this up on the cheap over the weekend & gave it to my daughter for her birthday so we watched it together. Then she woke up the next day asking to watch it again so clearly I made a good choice for her.

Personally I find Horton very entertaining. The animation is stellar, the humor earns many laughs from me, the adaptation is well done, and the cast works together perfectly. My only complaint (and it's the same one I had when I saw it in theatres) is that it does such a perfect job of submerging itself fully in its own little world, but then breaks the spell at the end by closing with a performance of that horrible '80s hit song "Can't Fight This Feeling". Gah. An original song or at least something that's actually timeless would have been forgivable, but that one is definitely not timeless.

Re-watch - Aug. 11th

I figured I'd start by watching the least well-received film from the ones I shared. I'd originally seen Versus about 10 years ago at the house of a fellow movie-buff friend, in one of those "dude, you've got to see this film" moments. And I loved it that first time, enough to insist a couple other people watch it with me since...but it had been a while since I last sat down with it, and I found that my high opinion of it had changed a little.

Now I don't think it had anything to do with the less favorable opinions expressed by my fellow Listalites after they watched it. More likely it's a matter of changing tastes over time. I still think it's a fun & entertaining film, but this time I thought it went on far too long for its own good thanks to a lot of lingering shots that don't seem necessary. In fact, by the end of it I was far too tired to squeeze another movie in behind it & went straight to bed. Versus is still a neat idea, one I haven't seen before or since really, but I no longer think it's the Great film I once thought it was.

Re-watch - Aug. 18th

The rest of the Movie Exchange Program group all mentioned that this is a film they would never have watched without our project. So I feel I should mention that I probably wouldn't have watched it either were it not for the same movie-buff friend mentioned in my comments above for Versus. Then again, I watched Kung Fu Hustle based on the trailers, so it's possible that film would have led me to check this one out eventually.

Here we've got a unique idea (kung fu applied to soccer) that's well executed, and well-done originality scores extra points with me from the start. Add to that the ways it pays tribute to Bruce Lee (see the image above for one example) and it earns more love from me. The romantic side plot never takes anything away from the film, which is typically tough to pull off in action movies, and there's a heaping helping of comedy which I enjoy (not to mention a brief dance number that's clearly borrowed from & paying tribute to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video). And so as a whole I'm entertained by the film from start to finish.

Yet something holds me back from calling this film perfect. Not entirely sure what it is, but something here isn't working as well as it potentially could. Fortunately whatever it is it doesn't detract from my enjoyment too much.

Re-watch - Aug. 18th/19th

Yep, I still absolutely love this movie. I love the way it incorporates some animation sequences that recall Looney Tunes, the comic gags, the way the film is shot & framed, the soundtrack (which seems to go unmentioned among the aspects praised), the characters, and the overall sense of FUN it both basks in & passes along to me. Plus the more times I watch it the more I notice the nods to various films which undoubtedly influenced this one.

Side note: I recently came across an interview with Bill Murray who called Kung Fu Hustle "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy," and said, "There should have been a day of mourning for American comedy the day that movie came out."

First viewing - Aug. 21st

I love going into good movies with zero expectations. So I'm not going to give anyone else any expectations with this film either. I will say I was pleasantly surprised by No Man's Land & appreciated the way all aspects were handled even if I'm not giving it full marks.

First viewing - Aug. 24th

Tough film to comment on here, which probably means I'll have a lot to say by the time I'm done here. Heh. I love the way it presents its ideas about Christianity, complete with reasonable arguments against beliefs & faith as well as ardent if sometimes less reasonable arguments in favor of it. Mimi Rogers delivers a truly Great performance in the lead role, so Great that I was surprised I couldn't think of a single other film she'd been in (a few of which I've seen, thanks IMDb for the help). Without her performance the entire film would fall flat, but she manages to ground the tale firmly in reality all the way to the end. There's a lot of food for thought here regardless of what your beliefs are, and while a few events are easily predictable none of them minimize the film's impact in the end.

And so, despite my admiration of these things, in the end I have to factor my personal taste into this equation. This is definitely not a film I would have watched had it not been delivered to me (though I'm thankful to have had the opportunity), and moments of it had me rolling my eyes. I do think it's worth a look, but I didn't enjoy it quite to the extent I'd call it a new favorite.

First viewing - Aug. 25th/26th

Unsure whether it was the film's fault or my own, but as it went on I was falling asleep so my opinion of it may not be as favorable as someone else's. I should probably re-watch it before commenting on it, but odds are I won't have time to so here goes....

I liked the story idea (though a similar one has been adapted into the brilliant film The Legend of Hell House) and it has moments where the terror/suspense is well handled. The performances are good across the board, but I personally found the lead character Nell to be annoying at times. Additionally I was having a difficult time taking the film seriously & had to restrain myself from mocking it. Which disappoints me, as I've seen so many good/Great things about this film & had really hoped it'd completely blow me away. Perhaps a re-watch will earn a more favorable response from me, but for now I just thought it was OK.

First viewing - Aug. 27th/28th

Smart, stylish, intense, and a lot of fun, Brick puts a fresh spin on the detective film by giving it an unusual setting. Can't say I didn't see the ending coming though (but fortunately it took me a while to figure it out), and at times I felt like the camerawork was displaying flaws rather than stylistic flair. Still, this is definitely my kinda film so I won't hold those things against it too much.

Oh yeah, and for those with Netflix it's currently streaming there too. Check it out.

Re-watch - Aug. 28th

First I have to say that I love Samuel L. Jackson and it is always a delight when he isn't in a film where he is screaming obscenities for 15min and playing a crazy man. It is just old at this point.

I really liked the film and the I think it managed to capture some really dark characters with a great deal of respect. The world isn't a pretty place. There are many people who have never known respect, dignity or hope. Still, for as dark as things get... there is still a shred of something human in us all.

I think the film managed to capture the pain of the soul and how that pain can bring us together. Even if our pain is rooted in different causes.
--jaytoast from his July movie journal

I'd add to the above that the entire cast is excellent, especially Christina Ricci who gives one of her best performances here. Also I had a personal geek-out moment last night when I realized Ariel Winters was played by the same actress that played Reba the mail lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse (which I've watched recently, else I still wouldn't have noticed). Anyway, still a movie I thoroughly enjoy & would recommend others check out.

Re-watch - Aug. 31st

I'll concede the points of both jaytoast & Xanadon't with regard to the narration. Indeed it's the weakest aspect of this documentary, though I feel like there are a few times where it's justified. Did some digging & found that this was originally filmed for British TV & edited for the theatrical release, so perhaps that's partly why the narrator has such a strong presence. That said however, I don't feel like the narration hurts the film in any way, just that it could be better without it (or at least with it toned down).

Otherwise I still love everything about the documentary, especially the life-affirming nature of the film & the elderly people it spends time with. The music videos serve as both showcases of the group's talents and solid transitional pieces throughout the run time, and I get a kick out of watching elderly people perform modern rock songs. Hell, I even like the rendition here of a Coldplay song & I hate that fucking band. If that's not worth full marks, I don't know what is.

And on a final note, I still want to join the chorus when I'm old enough provided it's still active then.

First viewing - Aug. 13th

A.V. Club Review

A satisfying end to this trilogy, though not quite perfect. The romantic parts don't really work, but thankfully they're not given too much screen time. Also while I was mostly able to understand the dialogue there were times where I felt like subtitles would help (some of Bane's lines, plus the lines delivered amid chaos & explosions), which means I'll probably do better when I revisit it on DVD. But both those things were minor issues I felt, especially given how well the entire trilogy comes together as the film rolls along. I also feel a need to mention that this is the first time I've been impressed by Anne Hathaway, which makes me wonder if I've been unfairly ignoring the majority of her films up to now.

For more see the review I've linked to above.

Re-watch - Aug. 3rd

It appears I overrated this one (also I've deviated from the order here and watched their last film, oops). Like the films that precede it, there are plenty of memorable comedic moments to enjoy here: Harpo holding up a wall, the luggage-packing scene, the food taster bit, to name a few. But the plot is so strictly adhered to that the comedy almost takes a backseat to it, especially in the film's final moments. Fortunately the story is a decent one, but it's not exceptional. Also working in this film's favor is the lack of musical numbers which detracted from A Day at the Races, plus Chico & Harpo's musical interludes are properly worked into the film (funny to see Harpo go for help & stop to play the harp instead, leaving Groucho trapped in an elevator). Anyway, it's good, but not Great like I thought I'd remembered it being.

First viewing - Aug. 1st

Vigilante is kind of a mess, but at least it's entertaining. Robert Forster & Fred Williamson both deliver strong performances, and while their tales are intertwined it seems like nobody could decide which of their stories deserved to take the fore & thus split the film evenly between them. As a result some parts don't make much sense & there doesn't seem to be a clear point to the film. Granted, this is a b-movie/exploitation film, but these things hold it back from being one of the better ones.

Nice to see Joe Spinell here briefly as a slimebag lawyer. Love that guy.

First viewing - Aug. 14th

Possibly this was funnier back in 1966, but I didn't find it as funny as it thinks it is. Woody Allen's directorial debut is a mixed bag really. I dig the idea & there are some really funny moments. Unfortunately in between them there are a lot of things that are either not funny at all or else just mildly amusing. A pair of performances from The Lovin' Spoonful serve only to kill the film's momentum (though if you're a fan of their music perhaps you won't mind so much), a shadow sequence goes on far too long with no real payoff, and the film ends on a rather weak note. I can't say I regret sitting down with the film since I was fairly entertained, but it definitely could have been better executed.

First viewing - Aug. 21st

I remember my dad getting excited about this movie after watching it back in the '90s, but I never got around to checking it out until now. Overall it's pretty cliche & fairly predictable, but the cast makes it worth watching. I did enjoy the humor & some of the suspenseful parts were well done, but I was far from blown away by it.

Re-watch - Aug. 21st

Even worse than I remembered it being. The above picture perfectly illustrates the sort of thing this film thinks is funny, so I guess if you're into stupid, juvenile humor give it a shot. I personally found most of the characters annoying, the exceptions being those who weren't on screen long enough to annoy me, and so I really wasn't amused by it at all.

The only benefit to my watching this when I did was that I was still awake when my daughter woke up sick & was therefore able to help take care of her.

Re-watch - Aug. 22nd

Hadn't seen this since it was in theatres & it was at least as good as I'd remembered. I really dig the way the film explores the behind-the-scenes aspects of this (and likely others) faith healer's performances. Steve Martin does an excellent job, as does most of the cast, and I found myself thoroughly entertained throughout. I had even recalled a few parts of it after all these years.

The only gripe I have is the open ending. Open endings can be a good thing, but in this case it feels like they weren't sure how exactly to end it (or perhaps they had a hard-hitting ending in mind & backed down out of fear of upsetting people). Whatever the reason behind it I feel like the film could have been Great had the ending been more conclusive. Still worth a look though.

First viewing - Aug. 28th

Amusing, but nothing I fell in love with. There are a few funny moments, but I found it mostly predictable which didn't help. Also, Fred Willard highly annoyed me & even though that seems to be the point of his character I only chuckled once at something he said. The rest of the time I wished he'd shut up or his role had been given to someone else. Ah, and at this point I'm pretty tired of Jane Lynch's complete lack of range as an "actress".