February 2011 Watching Thread

[Andrew Forbes]

Yes, I'm jumping the gun. Otherwise Vargas will get it right off the mark at midnight again with something like "Febru-Aryan Superiority is a Myth Watching Thread!!"

In Cold Blood. It has definitely lost some of its punch over the years, now that serial/spree killers have been dissected to the atomic level and forensic detection fills hours of television programming every evening. What's left is a well-acted character study that reveals nothing but the impenetrability of a killer's psyche. What explanation there is for the killings boils down to bed wetting + daddy issues + sexual insecurity = murder. That wasn't even particularly persuasive analysis in 1967. The interest of the film comes from watching the characters in the moment. As usual, Conrad Hall's cinematography is second to none. Unfortunately, Quincy Jones' score is often distracting.

[J.M. Vargas]

Yes, I'm jumping the gun. Otherwise Vargas will get it right off the mark at midnight again with something like "Febru-Aryan Superiority is a Myth Watching Thread!!"

You bastard! I curse you, filthy dirty dog, and the dust your sandals will throw up in the air... whatever, too much CNN!

And, for the record, this month's thread title was going to be 'FE(BRUARY), FA, FI-FO-FUM I Smell (2011) Watching Thread!'... but noooo, Forbes likes vanilla (and making fun of Nazi's, which is always cool in my book).

Anywho, I was actually working on putting together my February first-post lists when I spotted this. Since it's already started then what the f***? Here's my in-progress list (the three or four more I hadn't gotten around writing I'll add later when I actually watch stuff... you know, in February).

Rewatched Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE (1941) on DVD with the Peter Bogdanovich commentary track. When he isn't quietly watching or describing the obvious (i.e. what we're looking at/hearing in front of us) Bogdanovich engages in one of the most perfunctory and dull exercises of commenting on someone else's movie I've ever heard. Other than a handful of infrequent anecdotes of "Kane's" production that Peter talked with Welles about (no Earth shattering revelations between these two) this is so dull and boring it makes Richard Schiekel seem like a wild and crazy guy.

George Pal's THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) on DVD for the first time. Never read Wells' novel or saw either this '53 version or the TV series that aired in syndication in the 80's. After seeing it twice (second time with Joe Dante & friend's excellent commentary) this 57 year-old movie makes that Tom Cruise star vehicle from 2005 look like the dysfunctional piece of vanilla filmmaking Spielberg has been serving up lately. I freakin' love this movie, and not just because I finally go to meet the real Dr. Clayton Forrester (inspiration in name only for the "MST3K" mad scientist) or the source of the 'laser' sound effects I've heard in every sci-fi show, cartoon and videogame I grew up watching/playing. Despite being every bit as fantastic and implausible as any modern-day blockbuster (you can't give "WOTW" a pass for hooking-up the alien eye to the Earth projector to see AlienVision -TM- and then condemn "Independence Day" for having a Mac laptop implant a virus in the alien mothership... they're both pretty f***ing stupid plot elements that are hard for any audience to buy) the movie never loses touch with either Gene Barry & Ann Robinson (very cute couple) or the humanity of people fearing they're about to be wiped out. Even stock characters like General Mann (good to see Les Tremayne) or Syliva's pastor uncle (Lewis Martin) get little personal moments that, amidst the fantastical and still-impressive special effects (yes, I can see the wires moving the alien ships but I don't care), ground the spectacle into the realm of enjoyable parable. Quasi-religious tone of the final scenes notwithstanding (only Cedric Hardwicke could give Morgan Freeman a run for the money as narrator emeritus of classic prose), "The War of the Worlds" is a king-sized barrel of movie fun. I'd say bring on the Blu-ray but it's Paramount we're talking about here.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (1974) on HD-DVD. Even though I was too young to have seen the featured movies in theaters this is quite the nostalgia trip. It's a really fun time capsule of both the golden era of MGM musicals (1920's-1950's) and the dilapidated 1970's when the abandoned studio sets served as backdrops (and sharp contrasts) to the introduction of the colorful movie clips. There's also a so-bad-its-good standard definition hour-long network TV special chronicling the movie's premiere and MGM's 50th anniversary (hosted by stiff and out-of-their-league George Hamilton and wife). The difference between the movie clips in this old TV special and the remastered-for-HD clips in the actual movie (with their appropriate aspect ratios) is like the darkness of space contrasted with bright sunshine. The parade of stars introducing clips, performing on the clips or both (Sinatra, Kelly, Astaire, Taylor, Minelli, etc.) makes the hammy staging/dialogue tolerable. Even if you don't like the whole of "That's Entertainment!" (and there are two more of these compilations to go) there are enough classic songs/scenes/moments to make sitting through the boring one's worthwhile.

Caught AIRPLANE! (1980) at an AMC Movie Theater in Times Square this past weekend. Seeing this at age 7 or 8 in a sold out movie theater, when half the naughty stuff went over my head (except the jiggly boobs! ) with an audience literally howling with laughter, was an early highlight of my movie-going childhood. Revisiting it again on the big screen with a couple of dozen people I laughed at the same jokes I've laughed at 100 times over the past 31 years (the whole 'Stayin' Alive' disco scene still remains my favorite bit of lunacy) and lamented that this turned out to be a eulogy of sorts for Leslie Nielsen and Barbara Billingsley. Hey, I bought my ticket and I knew what I was getting into. I say, let me crash.

Rewatched James Brooks' BROADCAST NEWS (1987) on Blu-ray with the director/editor commentary track on. Hard to believe the same intelligent, articulate and fun to listen to guy in this commentary could write/direct a $125 million romcom disaster like "How Do You Know." Along with Richard Marks (who barely keeps up with James) Brooks shares the kind of production details and behind-the-scenes anecdotes (with the mandatory ass-kissing about the actors) we've come to expect from Criterion titles.

MST3K: MITCHELL (1993/1975) on DVD. I make it a point not to watch 'transitional' episodes of TV shows frequently so that, during infrequent revisits, I can still experience that sense of awe at 'the change.' For "MST3K" back in the day it didn't get more transitional than switching from Joel to Mike as the bots' companion (both human hosts are featured here without ever crossing paths) and it hurts "Mitchell" a little that no host segments are ever derived from its ridicule-rich 70's fashions, clunky cops & robbers plot and lampoon-rich Joe Don Baker performance. Having Gypsy front and center orchestrating Joel's escape also hurts (I was ready to scream at her umpteenth 'HOOOOW?!?!' yell) but 90% of the show is Joel & the bots unleashing the most hilarious torrent of verbal abuse ever directed at any riffed movie's lead character... ever! Wall-to-wall name jokes ('even his name says, is that a beer?'), put downs (old woman walking away: 'Bite me Mitchell') and condescencion (the immortal classic 'our hero ladies and gentlemen, right there'). A very pretty Linda Evans and Martin Balsam class up the joint for a moment or two, then the baby oil ruins everything. Favorite running gag that gets overlooked by Joel's departure and the Mitchell bashing: Servo's dead-on riffs as the background music clearly sounds like something out of a 3M industrial video. I hate it when "MST3K" makes a joke out of a movie's incompetence because of the show's editing butchering an already-suspect narrative, and Servo's 'wasn't John Saxon in this movie?' riff crosses the line since Saxon's ultimate fate isn't par for the "Mitchell" incompetence (it was a properly written shot and dealt with plot point). Still, warts and all, a classic.

[Gabriel Girard]

Two disappointments

Pixar's Up - The beginning is one ofthe best things Pixar as everdone. But the film loses with a villain ripped out of a Roger Moor-era Bond and that stupidbird. I actually liked the dogs though. There are some nice character beats but it probably lands just before Cars as my least favorite Pixar flick.

The Expendables - Sadly this wasn't the fun ride everyone promised even the much lauded final 30 minutes didn't do much for me. If it wasn't for the casting this movie would have nothing to distinguish it from any random action film.

[Bryan Pope]

Pixar's Up - The beginning is one ofthe best things Pixar as everdone. But the film loses with a villain ripped out of a Roger Moor-era Bond and that stupidbird.

Agreed. The beginning had me thinking, "Wow, now this is going to be something extra special." Then the "adventure" started and my hopes faded over the next hour. I would have loved to have spent more time with just Carl and Ellie.

Cars, however, has really grown on me over time. It has more depth than I initially thought, and the car/NASCAR jokes are well written.

[Steve T Power]

Cars is actually one of their most thoughtful and heartfelt projects, which makes the sequel look doubly depressing for me. It just couldn't withstand the constant Toddler-induced back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back showings. The only Pixar joint that has for me was Finding Nemo.

I LOVED the middle act of Up, I found the bird and the dog to be riotously funny, but the final act totally killed it for me.

[Future Man]

"Pigeons from Hell" and "Guillotine" from the Thriller set

The former is scary enough today but must have been unbelievably so to early 1960s TV audiences, particularly kids. The latter is a superlative exercise in suspense, but the disc's presentation is marred by a stretch with lip synching problems (although, given the French setting, it makes it seem like a dubbed foreign film, so it sort of works).

[the5thghostbuster]

Steel (Johnson 1997) - yep, still crap.http://experiencecinematic.blogspot.com/2011/02/steel-johnson-1997.html

Black Swan - for the first little bit of the film, I was convinced I was going to be dissapointed, as something wasn't quite working for me. At the first signs of a Cronenberg influence however, I started to get into it, and by the final third of the film, I was in awe.

The Greatest American Hero: Season 2 - caught the season opener on netflix. This show is honestly so much better than I remember it being, and Robert Culp was Bruce Campbell before there was Bruce Campbell.

[hoytereden]

Working my way through Season 2 of the original Outer Limits-Suffers in comparison to season 1 due to budget cuts, behind the scenes personal changes, and the plain fact that ABC didn't want it anymore (thus the shift from Monday night to Saturday opposite the then unbeatable Jackie Gleason Show). No surprise then that it was cancelled mid-season. Despite all that there are some real classics here such as Soldier with Michael Ansara as a soldier from the future warped to the present ala Terminator and Demon With a Glass Hand with Robert Culp.

[molly1216]

i have been neck deep in netflix and streaming while i work.

Blowing through
Sons of Anarchy...which i find a rather low rent Sopranos if it weren't for all the Hamlet symmetry i would have gotten bored by now...it's hard to warm up to shows were one is encouraged to one root for the criminals merely because the haven't murdered anyone in front of you....yeah you can get away with the lesser of two evils scenario of Dexter but everything else is rather icky. (anyone remember the Mao Tse Tung hour?) I find these sort of tribal MC gangs very scary...i'm watching because katey sagal has one of the few plum tv roles for women of a certain age.

Speaking of women of a certain age...Hot In Cleveland is surprisingly witty...no really..
it's watchable - only 10 shows per season so they can all be well written (we are really starting to follow the UK format which makes me happy) but to be fair its audience isn't under 30.

However I can see the appeal of Drop Dead Diva..which is very strange...it's very smartly written, but it's basically a mashup of boston legal, legally blonde and qvc. the actors are all pretty harmless..they remind you of the folks you see in commercials..but whomever does the hair and makeup should be hunted down given a mullet and then killed and set on fire...and DO NOT ASK about the guest stars...it's just a parade of bad facelifts and botox junkies...(don't look but there is SOMETHING seriously wrong with delta burke's head)

my midnight viewing has become short marathons of
the completely watchable the Adventures of Jimmy Neutron and 3rd Rock from the Sun....and as you can imagine one can't really sit through THAT much lithgow scenery chewing at once...it needs to be broken up with something less hyper like a cgi kids cartoon.

I'm also catching up on back seasons of 30 Rock but mostly out of pop culture self defense.

netflix has been rather lax about sending me actual movies..everything i have on my queue is labeled 'long wait' so basically the send me TV discs.

[J.M. Vargas]

^^^ What, no time for "Boardwalk Empire"?

Alfred Hitchcock's NOTORIOUS (1946) on DVD for the first time. Incredible, just freaking incredible; easily one of the best Hitchcock movies I've seen. I was totally taken aback to see Ingrid Bergman, the definition of class & beauty, not only doing the role of a 'loose woman' early in "Notorious" but also pulling it off convincingly. Then, topping that, I get Cary Grant playing a government stooge whose feelings for Alicia he keeps close to his chest as he both seeks to manipulate her but also steer her toward the 'right' decision, either for him (not take the assignment to spy on old flame Sebastian) or for country (go ahead and sleep with the enemy) as a mole inside a Brazilian nest of German war criminals. And then, as the cherry on top, Claude Rains delivers in Alexander Sebastian a multi-dimensional villain (complete with Leopoldine Konstantin as Hitch's typical mother-as-boss devil guiding her son) whose affection for the leading lady might be greater and more sincere than the movie's hero. This is one seriously f***ed-up love triangle where, whether they intend to or not (and often times they do), the men in love with Alicia hurt her and she hurts them back in an effort to get a rise out of Devlin ('you can add Sebastian to my list of playmates') or just to survive (when Alicia puts the key back in Sebastian's key chain I felt both hurt for him and anxious for her). Hitchcock's movies always have strong relationships driving a protagonist's quest or pushing the narrative forward, and in "Notorious" the elements that bring Grant, Bergman and Sebastian together aren't as intriguing or compelling as the fact their characters' love affairs are front and center throughout its running time. And this is a '46 Hitchcock thriller featuring an American drunkard whose German father was jailed for treason infiltrating on-the-run Nazi's in Rio De Janeiro!

"Notorious'" spy plot and the McGuffin (really, uranium sand? ) may be secondary to the drama and repressed romance between Devlin-Alicia-Sebastian, but just because the story is playing second-fiddle doesn't mean the plot mechanisms that screenwriter Ben Hecht and Hitch came up with (the long tracking shot from ceiling to key-on-fist close-up, Alicia's slow poisoning, the tension between Sebastian and his fellow German conspirators, the censor-thumbing lengthy kiss sequence, etc.) aren't well executed and perfect backdrop for his post-War World II fantasy with more than a connection with then-contemporary headlines. Watching the movie again with the Drew Casper commentary track (the man sounds possessed by his love and devotion to both Hitch and this particular masterpiece; his fawning is a little OTT but doesn't cross the line into ridicule) I enjoyed "Notorious" even more. It's both typical Hitchcock and unlike any other Hitchcock movie I've seen (haven't seen "Rebecca" or "Spellbound" yet), an intimate love triangle surrounded by intrigue and danger out of a pulp novel that nevertheless comes across as classy and righteous. At first the ending stunned me with its suddenness, but thinking about it and then seeing it again it fits that I would leave "Notorious" feeling as sorry for Sebastian as I was happy for Devlin and Alicia.

Rewatched THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) on DVD with the Gene Barry/Ann Robinson commentary track. God (if he/she/it exists) bless Ann Robinson, she really seems to have liked and embraced this movie early on as a science fiction classic. All the interesting facts, trivia notes and interesting personal comments about the movie come from her (Gene rarely says anything and when he does it sounds generic) making me wish Ann had joined Joe Dante and the historians on the 2nd commentary track. The film is still a fun trip on repeat viewing, especially the now-rare sight on movies of military and science men trusting each other completely and working side-by-side for the common good of humanity. SFX and color photography are neat, too, even if the Technicolor process occasionally yields an out-of-focus or color-waving shot here or there.

Charles Laughton's NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) on Criterion Blu-ray. Showed this to my sister and brother-in-law on their 55" HDTV to break-in their new Blu-ray player. Even though I gave them more show-off mainstream BD choices ("The Social Network," "Beauty and the Beast," "Avatar," etc.) they took a chance on "Night..." and ended up loving it even though there was some sniping at the Mrz. Cooper-Powell singing standoff as awkward. Despite their occasional snarky remarks (which I've come to accept as the norm when trying to expose civilians to classic B&W movies they don't watch regularly) my sister shouted she couldn't stand the tension when Powell and the kids were in the basement (that's before the chase up the stairs!) and they were both amused/poe'd by the Spoons going from Harry's best friends (Icey) to the folks leading the lynch mob with rope & ax in hand. Me? I was in tears at the end and during the 'Leaning' singing standoff, enjoying the joy of both watching a really good movie and sharing Laughton's cinematic vision with people whom I love that hadn't been exposed to it.

EQUINOX (1970) on Criterion DVD for the first time. Even though it was rough-looking and badly-acted there was a soft spot in my heart for Dennis Muren's original '67 version of "Equinox... Journey Into the Supernatural," a love letter from then-young film enthusiasts to special effects on creature features. The version of "Equinox" that 90% of those that saw it back in the day, produced/re-written/re-edited by Jack Woods and Jack H. Harris, sacrifices the innocence and 'charm' of the original for a more pedestrian plot involving an actual human foe (director Jack Woods as a ranger), some gratuitous demonic possessions and lots more of what the original version already had too much of: endless, pointless talking. The only aspect that the revised "Equinox" beats its predecessor at is saving the bulk of the SFX shots for the climactic 2nd half of the movie (instead of dolling them out throughout its meager running time). While this slicker "Equinox" holds together a little better plot wise (and looks even more like the blueprint for the fist "Evil Dead" movie) the atrocious ADR and easy-to-spot difference between the original and extra scenes (with the same cast of actors) result in a nastier, less fawning and more depressing 'creature feature' than what "Equinox" started life as. Woods and Harris sound convinced they improved on the original in their commentary track; it's the fly (IMO) of an otherwise tasty soup of recollections, memories and fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Criterion gives us both versions of "Equinox" to choose from, and I'm firmly on the side of Team Muren.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE ROLLING STONES (1973/2010) on DVD for the first time. I love old concert movies that were shot like this (by Rollin Binzer) back in 1972 during the Texas swing of the Stone's Exile on Main Street tour: no crane shots, no fluff, grainy film stock and up-close & personal shots of talented musicians performing their hearts out. I'm not a Rolling Stones fan (like a few of their songs) but even I was impressed by the sheer star power and virtuoso stage presence that Jagger, Richards, Taylor, Watts, Wyman and even a young Ian Stewart (secondary piano) bring to their performance. And as someone else I was watching this concert with pointed out, Mick Jagger's 'package' when he's wearing anatomically-correct pants during a few songs should have received second billing. You'll have to see the concert to know what I'm talking about.

Norman Jewison's ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1979) on DVD. It's been a long while since I've seen this, and the daily school of "Law & Order" (along with actual knowledge of how our judicial system really works over the past couple of decades) has dated this movie's manipulative satirical/dramatic plot more than its 70's disco score, polyester suites and shaggy hairdos. If judges aren't heartless hypocrites (John Forsythe) they're kind-but-suicidal maniacs (Jack Warden as comic-relief); criminals are either poor misunderstood souls (Tom Waites' McCullaugh, Robert Christian's Agee, etc.) or scum-of-the-earth nut jobs (Dominic Chianese); lawyers are either pathetically indifferent (Larry Bryggman), political opportunists (Craig T. Nelson's ADA) or just plain nuts (a scene-stealing Jeffrey Tambor). In the middle of this rigged-to-maximize-the-ending story walks Pacino, whose tears during his final summation (which I hadn't noticed before) go a long way to make one forgive some of the movie's earlier flaws (why would a defense attorney be allowed to play hostage negotiator with his client?) and sells the heartbreak that Kirkland feels inside as he chooses to throw his career away to save his soul. Like his work with John Cazale in "Dog Day Afternoon" I was surprised I hadn't noticed that Pacino and Lee Strasberg are reunited here five years after working together on "Godfather II." I used to think of "...And Justice For All" as the lawyer equivalent of "Network." Not anymore.

Watched SPEED RACER (2008) on Blu-ray... again! If you're going to do a predictable sports movie/TV adaptation of an old TV show in which both the filmmakers and the audience know exactly how things are going to play out (including the hero's cliche' and miraculous last-minute-come-from-behind shot/score/race/lap/point), do it the way the Wachowskis did it in the final lap scene of "Speed Racer": go OTT but continue to ground your one-dimensional characters into whatever personal motivations drives them to pursue the things (silly and predictable as they might seem) that drives them. Seldom has a cartoony live-action Hollywood movie felt both so modern and yet so old-fashioned the way "Speed Racer" does. Yet another of a dozen reasons (including negative reviews that kept potential fans like myself from even going to the theater to see it, one of the biggest mistakes of my movie-going life) "Speed Racer" needs to be seen, preferably in high-def, by an audience that didn't know what they missed when they trusted the 2008 critical pillaging of a movie so sweet and square in its emotional center it betrays its own high-tech SFX fireworks.

BABIES (2010) on Netflix HD Instant Watch for the first time. After watching "Night of the Hunter" (see above) and tending to the needs of my crying eight-month old niece my sister and brother-in-law sat down with me at 2AM to watch this French documentary about four babies born and reared from birth to their first year of life in four different cities/cultures: Mongolia, Namibia, San Francisco and Tokyo. Since we were sleep-deprived and goofy (plus the documentary has no narration) "Babies" was both interesting (the editing conveys better the obvious narrative of the have and have-not cultures rearing their young one's to similar results) and also supremely funny in a way that only people with newborns in their lives or an appreciation for the miracle of life (i.e. women) would appreciate. Seeing Mari (the Japanese baby) for an extended period of time having fits of frustration (which we called an 'on-camera existential crisis') was both laugh-out loud funny but also pretty dramatic. Don't get me started on the politically incorrect jokes we cracked about the Mongolian and African babies growing up resentful of the USA for the spoiled upbringing of our young one's (or of Mari asking for algebra texts after she's done with the abacus). Since "Babies" is a French documentary the San Francisco baby's upbringing must come across as exotic and foreign to the French as the Mongolian and Namibia babies seemed to us, American viewers. It's an Oprah-centric perspective of the world on display in "Babies" (we are all the same, beauty of life cuts across racial/society barriers, etc.) but it's done well-enough to be worth watching, IMO.

[azul017]

Before Sunrise - Forgot how much I loved this. It feels so natural, gentle, and poignant at the same time. A wonderful film that should've gotten the Criterion treatment by now. Seriously, this film cries out for a better home video release.

[Future Man]

Red Hill
Australian 'western' that for me does not live up to the promise of its early scenes. The western tropes are often forced and somewhat ridiculous such as the bad guy whipping the duster back from his gun. Memo to self: Research whether the police chief played the blond cop in Mad Max because it sure looks like him 30 years down the road.

[stypee]

I'm going to do everything I can to actually watch as many movies as I can this month and actually have the discpline to talk about them..

Dogtooth - See my thread - WOW! What a film!

The Social Network - As much as I dislike Fincher as a person (he's such a pretentiously arrogant bastard), I do enjoy his films and this is one of them. I must admit that I had to watch the first 10 minutes over again because I just didn't understand what the hell they were talking about (I'm slow that way) and it took me awhile to let the techno. info to sink in, I just didn't GET all of it... I really liked the film allot and I sort of think the Oscar Noms. are more of a protest as to what's happening in our society today more than it is a good piece of film making and writing. Razor edge humor and well paced, Gene Shallet would be proud with all his bizarre review notes.

The Babysitters - A little, unnoticed indie film with a very clever twist at the end. The subject matter both smart and disturbing works and it really provokes serious thought on just how smart teens are getting today. I didn't see that ending coming, I'd reccomend it.

Good Dick - Great little art film with Jason Ritter.. I read many reviews for it and have to disagree, many critics felt it was more of an "acting exercise" but I don't feel as if they got the point.

[stypee]

I'm going to do everything I can to actually watch as many movies as I can this month and actually have the discpline to talk about them..

Dogtooth - See my thread - WOW! What a film!

The Social Network - As much as I dislike Fincher as a person (he's such a pretentiously arrogant bastard), I do enjoy his films and this is one of them. I must admit that I had to watch the first 10 minutes over again because I just didn't understand what the hell they were talking about (I'm slow that way) and it took me awhile to let the techno. info to sink in, I just didn't GET all of it... I really liked the film allot and I sort of think the Oscar Noms. are more of a protest as to what's happening in our society today more than it is a good piece of film making and writing. Razor edge humor and well paced, Gene Shallet would be proud with all his bizarre review notes.

The Babysitters - A little, unnoticed indie film with a very clever twist at the end. The subject matter both smart and disturbing works and it really provokes serious thought on just how smart teens are getting today. I didn't see that ending coming, I'd reccomend it.

Good Dick - Great little art film with Jason Ritter.. I read many reviews for it and have to disagree, many critics felt it was more of an "acting exercise" but I don't feel as if they got the point. I was captivated from start to finish and I loved it's quirkiness. Yet another little indie flick that got well under the radar, highly reccomended.

I Spit On Your Grave -2010 - A grueling and rather annoying viewing experience. While clever in it's torture concepts, it just didn't work for me. I'm not a fan of rape movies, have little respect for the French film Irreversable and actually found the remake of Last House on the Left offensive (ironically I liked the original), the original I Spit is quite trashy yet there was something about it that made it even more disturbing than it's reputation. After hearing Joe Bob's comments on the piece it actually changed my mind about it, the original was just a poorly done exercise with clever ideas that didn't go anywhere. As with all remakes, when all else fails, create back-stories on characters nobody gives a shit about.. If you just want to see characters tortured and killed in creative ways than by all means watch it, if your looking for a explotative horror flick that makes you cringe watch an equally shitty Hostel flick, at least those movies understand themselves, shitty films for shitty reasons...

[Andrew Forbes]

While recovering from the flu, I crashed on the couch and took in what are likely Abel Ferrara's two most celebrated films: King of New York and Bad Lieutenant. Despite the latter being the more raw, personal film, they feel of a piece in many ways. Both are ultimately about reprehensible men trying to atone for their sins. Christopher Walken's Frank White emerges from prison with an eye to dominating the narcotics industry, the proceeds of which he'll funnel toward the social welfare of his boyhood ghetto. Harvey Keitel's Lieutenant, on the other hand, is a walking, drug-fueled id with a badge and gun, careening from one hit to the next, leaving destruction and personal debt in his wake. He sees his salvation in revenging a nun's rape, but when she forgives her attackers and refuses to name names, he's left with the cold realization that salvation cannot be earned through violence. The films could hardly be more different from a stylistic standpoint. King of New York is slick, operatic in scale and bathed in vivid color. Bad Lieutenant is filmed largely with hand-held cameras, flat lighting and without KoNY's high-rise polish.

[Future Man]

The Eagle
Passably entertaining, moreso than the similarly set Centurion. Worthy more of a rental than the scads I shelled out at the theater today.

[Gabriel Girard]

Titus (1999) - Julie Taymor takes Shakespeare's gore filled revenge melodrama and runs away with it. An entertaining and fabulous adaptation of one of the Bard's lesser plays. There are a few minor instances where her direction goes too much over-the-top but besides those the film is a marvel of acting, directing and set design. And it features one of Eliott Goldenthal's best scores - loved the jazzy stuff for Saturnine.

[mavrach]

This one's going to get me run out of here...

Inception. I think I'm about done with Christopher Nolan. He's extremely talented, and his movies are all creative and well implemented. However, my problem is with the tone. I've now seen this, his Batman movies, & The Prestige. The concepts of these have all been enough to attract my attention, and they all sounded like a lot of fun. My problem with Nolan is that his protagonists are all so goddamned dead serious, while the movies themselves are so much fun. It just takes a lot out of these movies when all of Nolan's protagonists are simply "really determined guy," which doesn't make for a very interesting character. The exception to this rule for me was the Joker, who of course was frigging bonkers. The tone doesn't match what's going on.

[Steve T Power]

This one's going to get me run out of here...

Inception. I think I'm about done with Christopher Nolan. He's extremely talented, and his movies are all creative and well implemented. However, my problem is with the tone. I've now seen this, his Batman movies, & The Prestige. The concepts of these have all been enough to attract my attention, and they all sounded like a lot of fun. My problem with Nolan is that his protagonists are all so goddamned dead serious, while the movies themselves are so much fun. It just takes a lot out of these movies when all of Nolan's protagonists are simply "really determined guy," which doesn't make for a very interesting character. The exception to this rule for me was the Joker, who of course was frigging bonkers. The tone doesn't match what's going on.

Man, you hate everything that's got more than 7 fans don't ya!?

[mavrach]

This one's going to get me run out of here...

Inception. I think I'm about done with Christopher Nolan. He's extremely talented, and his movies are all creative and well implemented. However, my problem is with the tone. I've now seen this, his Batman movies, & The Prestige. The concepts of these have all been enough to attract my attention, and they all sounded like a lot of fun. My problem with Nolan is that his protagonists are all so goddamned dead serious, while the movies themselves are so much fun. It just takes a lot out of these movies when all of Nolan's protagonists are simply "really determined guy," which doesn't make for a very interesting character. The exception to this rule for me was the Joker, who of course was frigging bonkers. The tone doesn't match what's going on.

Man, you hate everything that's got more than 7 fans don't ya!?

I really am getting pickier and pickier. I'm just able to predict so many plotlines tha when something refreshing comes along, that's what sticks with me. Sorry!

[Steve T Power]

This one's going to get me run out of here...

Inception. I think I'm about done with Christopher Nolan. He's extremely talented, and his movies are all creative and well implemented. However, my problem is with the tone. I've now seen this, his Batman movies, & The Prestige. The concepts of these have all been enough to attract my attention, and they all sounded like a lot of fun. My problem with Nolan is that his protagonists are all so goddamned dead serious, while the movies themselves are so much fun. It just takes a lot out of these movies when all of Nolan's protagonists are simply "really determined guy," which doesn't make for a very interesting character. The exception to this rule for me was the Joker, who of course was frigging bonkers. The tone doesn't match what's going on.

Man, you hate everything that's got more than 7 fans don't ya!?

You contrarian a-hole!

I really am getting pickier and pickier. I'm just able to predict so many plotlines tha when something refreshing comes along, that's what sticks with me. Sorry!

[J.M. Vargas]

Rewatched Hitchcock's NOTORIOUS (1946) on DVD with the Rick Jewell commentary track. Interesting oral history of RKO Radio Pictures, old Hollywood studios and the business/society/cultural atmosphere before, after and when "Notorious" was theatrically released. On its own it would be academic overload, but as a one-two punch with the movie-specific Drew Casper commentary it covers all the basis for Hitch fans. On most commentary viewings I can offer a second opinion on the movie, but Jewell's information dump is so big I can't really do that here. Perfect excuse to watch this puppy again.

Ronald Neame's TUNES OF GLORY (1960) on Criterion DVD for the first time. Haven't seen enough of Alec Guinness or John Mills' work to call this 'career best work' but it's easily the best movie I've seen these two in. Neame's directorial style (always at the service of the story and his actors without calling attention to himself as 'auteur'; even sound distortion stunts are there primarily to convey the inner-conflicts tormenting the leads) quietly impressed me, a reminder of why Irwin Allen hired him to helm "The Poseidon Adventure." Guinness, Mills and a perfect cast of supporting actors (which is better than most movie's top headliners) get ample breathing room to make the test of wills between stubborn Scottish men of military honor whose different backgrounds collide (and swing audience sympathy back-and-forth) a fat-free piece of terrific entertainment. Kay Walsh and recently-departed Susannah York (in her first feature) uphold the honor of the fairer sex, but this was clearly meant to be a sausage fest of Brit thesps and that's fine with me. Dennis Price's Charlie Scott is the unsung hero of "Tunes of Glory" (with a shoutout to John Fraser as the Pipe Major), the glue that holds the extremes of the lead characters' personalities in check. Guinness and Mills' characters evolve and change during the movie but they're pretty set in their ways. Charlie is an enigma though, and his interactions with both Sinclair and Barrow are more interesting than the predictable (though still fun to watch) battle of wills that Jock and Basil (along with the other men) engage in. Guinness can't quite sell the movie's final burst of emotion though. This final bit of (over)acting is the only weakness of an otherwise perfect film, crummy vertical line distortion at the end notwithstanding. Does anyone else think that Susannah York's boyfriend (the pipe player whose beating by Jocks sets the secondary plot going in the movie's 2nd half) looks like a dead ringer of Ewan McGregor? Or is it Jude Law that I'm thinking of?

ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS (1969) on TCM-HD for the first time. My exposure to Showtime's "The Tudors" (bastardized history, yes, but also tons of fun) made me curious to see this movie adaptation of a Broadaway play. Burton looks suitable to play Henry VIII and Geneviève Bujold is a gorgeous-looking Anne Boleyn, but there's an awkward chemistry between these two. They're not bad together (the movie gets away with more adult content than I expected for a '69 PG flick, which helps the leads by not forcing them to verbalize what is better shown) but the flat direction and cliche' script doesn't sell the illusion Henry and Anne ever connected on a deeper level than just physical. Supporting cast is OK (especially Michael Hordern as Anne's father) but the photography looks flat and lifeless. Blink and you'll miss a cameo by an uncredited Elizabeth Taylor, whose presence in a Burton movie six years prior would have set the tabloid world (and box office) on fire.

Rewatched ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1979) on DVD with the director's commentary track. Though he lapses into the expected dead patches and play-by-play scene descriptions (more of the latter than the former) Norman Jewison at least has interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the actors and trivia (like this being the first Hollywood motion picture shot in Baltimore... ever?) to make this worth a listen. The flick still feels more dated by its sitcom-like pace and enormity of the problems that pile-up on Arthur's lap (framed/dead clients, girlfriend spying, senile grandpa, guilty client, etc.) than the 70's fashion and score. Props to Pacino and small army of recognizable supporting thesps though, they grab this fumbled mess of a movie and run it into the endzone by the sheer strength of their great acting.

MST3K: THE PHANTOM PLANET (1998/1961) on DVD. The cheapo 'white guys in jump suits going to/from outer space' sci-fi movies are a genre with few standouts ("Forbidden Planet") for every couple of dozen or so interchangeable titles/casts/premises/etc. "Phantom Planet" isn't as putrid or insulting as "Monster a-Go-Go" (the worst of this sorry lot) but it doesn't have an original thought, standout performance (unless you count Richard Kiel under pounds of carpet make-up) or signature scene, except maybe the homoerotic 'wisest and best' speech that Mike and the Bots hold on to and never let go as a (weak) comedic punching bag. Arriving after the late-Season 8 creative surge and before the nostalgia-fueled Season 10 farewell, this Season 9 experiment feels surprisingly hollow and rarely scores (though Servo's 'Al Pacino football field' and the opening credits' asteroids looking like breakfast cereal riffs always make me laugh). Maybe too many of these same movies ("The Crawling Eye/Arm," "Clash of the Moons," "Spaceship to Venus," "Space Mutiny," etc.) dried up the Best Brains' funny well from which they could riff "Phantom Planet" with anything remotely resembling a new or creative angle. The 'remember these people? they're in our film' recognition angle (which is an actual joke on this episode) could only carry M&TB's so far. At least this "MST3K" episode features an all-time classic in-between segment in which Crow (Bill Corbett), dressed as the alien creature in the movie, laments to Mike and Servo his inability to control his sudden morphing into whatever character they're watching that week. It's classic meta-introspect humor, and proof of just how deep into Crow's id Corbett had managed to penetrate... or is it the other way around?

[Gabriel Girard]

Ashes Of Times Redux - A mix between a western, a wuxia film and Wong Kar Wai's usual artsy style. Drop-dead gorgeous and oddly touching. If memory serves right, the recut version is easier to follow than the original film but you still can't exactly calll the story limpid - which is part of the point. The whole thing is basically a meditation on memory with some questions about identity thrown in. A very unique film.

[azul017]

X-Files: I Want to Believe - It's been a while since I've last watched it, but as a character study and questioning beliefs worked for me. I know it isn't going to sway people who didn't like it, but I enjoyed it. It's not an alien-centric or monster-of-the-week film, but I thought it worked. Judge MacEntire's review sums up my feelings perfectly.

[molly1216]

finished Sons of Anarchy started Breaking bad.

with a sidetrip to Salt, i did like it..not as much as a Bourne movie..but more than a bond film..(cept Casino Royale) would i want to see a sequel? maybe...i think the thing that irked me the most was i DID see a plot twist coming from a billion miles away but that was just a mistake in casting.

[J.M. Vargas]

Alexander Korda's MARIUS (1931) on TCM for the first time. Chapter one of a lengthy trilogy (which has been sitting on my DVR for almost two years) is a charming love story between a young man who dreams of the sea (Pierre Fresnay's Marius), the woman he can't force himself to admit he loves (Orane Demazis' Fanny), the parents/adults in their lives, the morals of the time/place and the heartbreak that ensues when lovely Fanny realizes Marius' affection toward her cannot compete with his lust to travel away from the Marseilles port they both have grown in their entire lives. Since this is the first third of a story ample time is given to supporting characters like Marius' father (played by the legendary Raimu, whose César character gets the last third of the trilogy named after him) which brings to life the town folks' many delightful quirks and eccentricities. Even though I already know what's coming (read about these movies a long time in film class) my introduction to the "Fanny Trilogy" was a pleasant and enjoyable one.

René Clément's FORBIDDEN GAMES (1952) on Criterion DVD for the first time. The first five minutes of "Forbidden Games" had me wondering if I could handle the obvious emotional manipulations (worthy of a Disney cartoon) that Clément was engaging in to make me feel sorry for the plight of little Paulette. As the movie unfolded and Brigitte Fossey's natural performance bounced nicely from Georges Poujouly's Michel "Forbidden Games" completely won me over though, even if the Gouard versus Dolle family feud came across like a borderline-slapstick French retelling of the Montagues versus Capulets feud from Shakespeare (complete with young lovers from each family). There's an emotional highwire act that Clément engages in with his young leads that could have easily become a profane and macabre little World War II horror flick. Instead "Forbidden Games" ends as a triumph of stylistic camera work (the movie is gorgeous to look at), virtuoso acting (by two kids!) and a storytelling truth device (children's traumatized selfishness during war time) that conveys the horror of armed conflict by seeing its effect on its most impressionable victims. That the runaway horse from the start of the movie is the one that ends up hurting the older son of the family that takes Paulette in (which eventually leads to her fixation with religious imagery and pageantry) is an almost-ignored aspect of the movie that, on repeat viewing, gives the narrative an even stingier pounce. Extras are OK (neat idea for the alternate intro/ending but too much sugarcoating) and, since this is now an OOP Criterion, all we're going to get for a good long while. A (small) masterpiece, and probably tied with "House" as the most repetitious use of a single piece of music (Narciso Yepes' guitar song) that doesn't grate or becomes annoying because it fits the movie it's attached to so well.

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963) on Blu-ray for the first time. I've never seen this from beginning to end (just isolated clips) until now. Despite Bernard Herrman's distractingly histrionic score (which turned laid-back pleasant and soothing during the Mt. Olympus scenes), Todd Armstrong's stiffness (not helped by his dubbed voice) and Nancy Kovacks as Medea (her betrayal of her own people to help Jason is a 'deux ex machina' plot mechanic on steroids) this one was a ton of fun to watch. Ray Harryhausen's SFX work is just phenomenal, especially the Hydra (I actually paused the BD, rewound and started watching the Hydra scene frame-by-frame to admire the detail), the Taron statue attack and the army of skeletons that are just one vicious-looking mob of death incarnate. Poseidon (was it him?) helping Jason and his men pass the treacherous rock slides dropped my jaw though; this scene looked and felt like I'd imagine a Greek God lending humans a hand when I was reading Greek mythology decades ago. Laurence Naismith (Argo), Nigel Green (as a down-to-Earth older Hercules), Niall MacGinnis and Honor Blackman (Zeus and Hera, respectively) are the standouts in a cast of great actors that help the movie overcome having Armstrong front and center as its lead (sorry!). Picture and sound on BD are as good as expected given the processed shots and dated sound elements (i.e. not demo worthy) but the extras are great. The Peter Jackson/Randall W. Cook commentary (educated fanboy bliss that never lets up for almost two hours), Ray Harryhausen Chronicles (1997) documentary (narrated by Leonard Nimoy and showing lots of rarely-seen early work by Ray) and trailers/TV spots are worthy of Harryhausen's reputation. For the eight bucks I paid for this during an amazon sale this was a ridiculous steal.

THE HUNTING PARTY (1971) on MGM-HD for the first time. Gene Hackman's intense performance is the only reason to watch this violent Western noir about a wealthy rancher (Hackman) that becomes obsessed with getting back his young trophy wife (Candice Bergen) and settling the score with her alleged abductor (Oliver Reed) by all means possible. Lacking anything resembling a personal touch or subtetly director Don Medford just stages one bloody shooutout after another and pounds the senseless 'R' violence with unnecessary-but-cool-to-look-at slow-motion. Thank you Sam Peckinpah! Reed and Bergen have no chemistry (which makes their eventual romantic feelings for one other feel like cheap melodrama instead of the tragedy the movie wants it to be) and Hackman is so nihilistic and 'out there' as Brandt Ruger that he never clicks with those around him (particularly Simon Oakland as his most patient sidekick). The ending is one of those 'that's it?' nasty moments when you realize you could have saved yourself two hours by just looking at the movie's poster (it's all there!). A reminder that not every adult movie that came out of in the 1970's was a masterpiece or even good.

THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN (1982) on MGM-HD for the first time. Is it just me or was this movie on every other weekend in the late 80's/early 90's on USA cable's 'Up All Night' weekend block of T&A flicks? The movie's first half is like a collection of "Porky's" naughtiest bits strung together without plot or rhyme; the 2nd half deals mostly about Gary (Lawrence Monoson) falling in love with Karen (Diane Franklin) and the ensuing complications with both their friends. Never saw "TLAV" until recently and, despite an unexpectedly poignant coda (kudos to writer/director Boaz Davidson for going there), it's mostly another 80's parade of T&A comedy (of the unfunny 'adults are retards' school of yucks) mixed with some (very intense) colorful cinematography and cool-but-dated pop music. The older I get the more I realize the 80's sex comedies, as a whole, were nothing more than a decade-long flipped bird by Hollywood to Ronald Reagan's conservative principles (to which the MPAA responded in kind with its over-the-top enforcement of its ratings). Yes, it took a Canon/Yoram-Globus sex flick from the early 80's for me to figure this out.

TITANIC II (2010) on SyFy HD for the first time. This is what I chose to spend Super Bowl Sunday watching instead of the big game... don't ask. What can I say about this Asylum production (neither worse or better than the direct-to-video crap they routinely put out on SyFy) other that it's almost like writer/director/star Shane Van Dyke (yes, Dick's grandson) is daring us to mock his little 'homages' to Cameron's "Titanic" (which this is not a sequel to, just a disaster movie that happens to have a sinking boat named 'Titanic II') because he at least acknowledges that the '97 movie is part of pop culture. Yep, like re-enacting the builder/captain 'sinking' speech and the 'death by cold water' of one of the leads (along with a 'shoddy construction' subplot from "The Towering Inferno" for good measure) will make anyone overlook the concrete walls/stairs in the lower bowels of the ship (let me repeat: concrete walls/stairs inside a boat! ) or the casually-dressed extras that look like they just came from the mall. God bless Bruce Davidson though, he emotes and acts like he's in an "X-Men" movie (a paycheck is a paycheck I guess) as a coast guard expert trying to save his daughter (Marie Westbrook) aboard the ship. Never mind the millions of lives on the East Coast of the US (and many other ships in the Atlantic) on the path of the tsunami that sends giant icebergs hurling against the Titanic II boat (the movie's only LOL-worthy moment is when the submarines-as-lifesavers turn out to be the death traps for those that manage to escape), the rescue of Bruce's daughter is all that matters... everyone else in the world be damned. Also starring Brooke Burns as a scientist ; somehow she managed to get her name removed from the "Titanic II" IMDB cast listing but her face and name on the credits are on the movie for everyone (not) to see.

[azul017]

Rewatching Ugly Betty on TV Guide. Actually pretty good, at least during the first couple of seasons.

[Gabriel Girard]

Megamind- A ho-hum script is saved by great voice actting and a few good gags.

The Social Network - A very good movie, no question. Everything is note perfect, but I'm still wondering if this story was worth all the artistry put into the film.

Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) - Now this is a cult flick I can get behind. Zombies,gore,boobs,black humor,Rupert Everett and weird camera angles all combine to create a fiercely entertaining film. Yet another title that cries out for a Blu-Ray transfer.

[azul017]

Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) - Now this is a cult flick I can get behind. Zombies,gore,boobs,black humor,Rupert Everett and weird camera angles all combine to create a fiercely entertaining film. Yet another title that cries out for a Blu-Ray transfer.

It's certainly unique and strangely entertaining. It's just odd seeing Rupert Everett headlining an Italian zombie film.

[Future Man]

Dog Day Afternoon
Well made and well acted but what is the point?

[J.M. Vargas]

^^^ See the 'making of' documentary and/or hear the Sydney Lumet commentary track. Short version: Lumet likes the social commentary (what it said about NY people at the time, the media's mass-obsession on a single story -before the cable news channels and internet made this routine- and why people sided with Sonny) plus he wanted to marry scripted performance with improvisational 'on the moment' situation with his actors (the behind-the-scenes anecdote by Lumet about what he put Pacino through to get a memorable phone conversation scene just right is alone worth listening to the commentary). The only flaw in the extras package is that no news footage and/or pictures of the real bank heist stand-off are included (maybe they don't exist or weren't saved for posterity) for comparison's sake to see how Al nailed the original guy and other minor details.

Love the movie's credits over loud engine noises end on a sudden cut that jolts us, as viewers, back to our reality and away from the reality as we've experienced it hanging out with Sonny & friends for two hours. So 70's, in a good way.

[stypee]

It's Kind of A Long Story - I have very mixed feelings about the film, it started off really well than it started to feel like some Hollywood exec. messed with the script and it got all fluffy in the end.

Due Date - I really wanted to say that I liked it but it just didn't work the way it should have. What a mess of a movie, the character's had completely lost every sense of their arch's and it just felt like an exhaustive experience all together.

Chaos Theory WOW! This is one of those little known, hidden treasures. I was quite taken by surprise, I loved every minute of it, very surprised this didn't get the attention it deserves.. CHECK IT OUT!

[the5thghostbuster]

My take on All Star Superman http://experiencecinematic.blogspot.com/2011/02/all-star-superman-liu-2011.html

[Future Man]

The Illusionist (2010)
Glad I saw it (on the big screen to boot) but I don't think I need to revisit it anytime soon. You have to pay pretty close attention (there's very little dialogue)--I missed quite a bit that my family clued me in on after the fact.

[Dan Mancini]

All Star Superman
I realize that a 78-minute movie can never match the sweep and scope of a 12-issue comic series, but as someone who hadn't read the book in a long while and went into the flick with a fairly fresh eye, I have to say I was extremely satisfied with the experience. In fact, I'd say it's the best Superman flick I've ever seen, even eclipsing Donner's movie(s). Yeah, I wish it was about 40 minutes longer, but as brief as it is, it manages to intelligently embrace nearly every aspect of the character throughout his entire history. And the ending (as in the book) is narratively bold and emotionally satisfying. I bought the Blu-ray for my son, but was stunned at just how much I dug it -- largely because it really is a Superman movie for grown-ups (and I mean that in the best possible sense).

[Gabriel Girard]

Hardcore (1979) - A flawed but interesting film that mainly works because of George C Scott's solid performance. Schrader's direction is assured but the finale is kinda flubbed. Still contains some nices scenes especially between C Scott and the whore who helps him on his quest. I liked Jack Nitzsche's score which starts with churchorgan andends with dissonan rock, mirroring the lead character's descent in the underworld.

[J.M. Vargas]

Robert Wise's THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) on DVD for the first time. I wish I'd seen this one before sampling George Pal's "The World of the Wars" a few weeks ago. As good as the acting (Michael Rennie's understated performance never lets Klaatu become a two-dimensional lecturer even during lengthy monologues), directing (Wise laid here a blueprint that Rod Serling's "The Twlight Zone" would emulate in compacted, TV-sized form a decade later) and thinking man's script (i.e. pacifist) are, the SFX work and sets are too close to the schlocky look of 'B' flying saucer movies for the movie to not have dated badly. Klaatu's mere threat to sink the Gibraltar rock or wipe out NYC (which actually came across very scary) reminded me of how used we've gotten to CG-enhanced disasters in modern cinema, including this movie's 2008 remake. But seriously (and back to the '51 original), wouldn't the U.S. government have more than two or three guards (plus thousands of curious Washingtonians) watching over a flying saucer and giant robot that landed in the middle of town? Hugh Marlowe makes for a hiss-worthy baddie in his few scenes and Patricia Neal plays it so straight you actually believe she memorized the commands to control Gort. And, even though he wasn't bad (his interactions with Rennie are actually quite good for the more innocent 50's take on man-child relationships ), thank God the movie jettisons Billy Gray off to the side so we can have a kid's free final act that's better and more grown-up than the disposable flicks this movie resembles. Loved the 'Movie Tones' newsreel covering the '49 peace treaty between Japan and the US (Russia, predictably, is shown to be the a**hole of the international community) and four or five other stories of that era, only one of which is actually about "The Day The Earth Stood Still." An oldie but a goodie.

Sam Raimi's FOR LOVE OF THE GAME (1999) on HD-DVD. I really, really wanted to like this one because it reminds me so much of "Notting Hill" (a film I adore). Kevin Costner (unpretentuious baseball star) & Kelly Preston ("normal" person) are clearly meant for each other but the movie throws every cliche' in the romantic genre playbook (misunderstandings, inability to communicate, nutty friends/relatives, etc.) on its way to a predictable conclusion. It's the type of movie where the streets/parks of NYC are empty for no other reason than to catch the stars at their prettiest during 'golden hour.' Even as a baseball soap-opera (which unfolds as flashbacks during a single baseball game) the movie is so deadly-serious and heavy it borders on being joylless despite depicting alleged romantic entanglements and a fun baseball game (i.e. the Yankees losing ). You can tell the bitter aftermath of the then-recent MLB lockout season was still on people's minds in Brian Cox's dialogue. John C. Reilly, Jena Malone and JK Simmons (on his way to "Spider-Man" immortality) inject precious little bits of fun into the increasingly-tiresome romantic back-and-forth between Bill and Jane (about 75% of the movie). "For Love of the Game" is a guilty pleasure because (a) it embraces the chick flick view of sports (only in this movie would the love of a woman upstage pitching a perfect baseball game) and (b) is so atypical from every other movie Raimi has directed, before or since. The CG baseball crowds at Yankee Stadium are showing their age in 1080p but at least they're razor-sharp and vibrant, not to mention well-framed by some pretty cool camera angles.

PRIMEVAL: SEASON ONE (2007) on Amazon's Video On Demand Streaming for the first time. This is the first time I've ever streamed something for myself (everything else I've seen streamed has been in somebody else's home set-up) so I went with this 'Stargate SG-1 meets The X-Files' British show (with a healthy dose of "Jurassic Park" thrown in) I've always been curious about but never enough to seek it out. The first two episodes really surprised my by the lightning-fast pace at which things unfolded; 15 min. into the first episode and pretty much all the major characters and themes had been established. It's all loud noises and scary other-wordly monsters (with dated CGI effects to spare) but, like the better "Stargate" TV episodes I've seen, extremely fun and addictive in the brain-dead realm of escapist fun. James Murray (who looks like Rob Lowe) became my instant favorite actor in this early ensemble; nothing against Douglas Henshall, but I'm a sucker for shows/movies in which the second-in-command action guy overshadows the team leader. And, at least in this first six episodes, Stephen Hart's cool-under-pressure screen presence runs circles around Cutter's puppy-eyed need to find out what happened to his wife. Season 2 will be streamed as soon as I budget my time now that Amazon's VOD has made a believer in streaming that I'd already bought and paid for (through August).