Larger Than Life

Bill Murray... oh, and an elephant

sure it's dumb, and family friendly, but larger than life has some good moments. bill murray is the 2nd funniest man alive (just behind jerry seinfeld in my opinion), but this is not his best work by a longshot. he basically just picks up a paycheck, and gets some elephant love in the process. good story for kids, not many laughs, and oh yeah... bill murray.

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Original... DUH!

wow, i loved the wicker man. edward woodward and christopher lee were amazing in this unsettling (but not horrific) thriller. one of the most unique stories i've seen. i have never seen a movie deal with paganism and religion taking over a town like this. the film deals with religion and consumption of society, but at the same time has many elements of a hammer/christopher lee film. the wicker man itself is amazing, and the ending is definitely not designed for/by hollywood. i LOVED the wicker man, and cna't believe it was remade... by a fucking mormon of all people! booooo!

Hank and Mike

ok, so they're bunnies...

hank and mike is pretty funny at times. the jokes about them being easter bunnies aren't all that important, and the plot is pretty retarded if you take out that one gag... but i actually liked this movie quite a bit. joe mantegna basically just picks up a paycheck on this one... but i still like seeing him in anything he does. 2 bunnies get downsized, and must find new jobs for the first time. they're a team, and that's the biggest part of the film... that they are joined at the hip basically, BUT, no one has ever heard of 2 easter bunnies, have they?? whatever, its funny.

the ending is actually really good. kinda powerful in fact, and the music is good throughout. be on the lookout for an amazingly hot nude model in joe mantegna's office. WOW.

Synecdoche, New York

Philip Seymour Hoffman + Charlie Kaufman = WIN

i'm sure no one truly understands this movie the way that charlie kaufman wants us to... but that's probably the point. like all of kaufman's stuff this film drifts into the wierd very fast and never really takes us to normal. caden has been given a grant to use however he sees fit, and decides to turn his whole life (minute by minute) into the world's largest play. amazing idea for a film. i love original ideas in film, and that's probably why i love kaufman's work so much. can caden not function in real life, but only through art? can he not make his own decisions, and that's why he needs to watch actors portraying his every move before they happen so he can do the same? does the film have any point at all? is it just one huge pretentious piece of crap? anything can be true of synechdoche new york. i definitely want to see this a few more times, but for now...

Semi-Pro

Even in crap, Will Ferrell is still hilarious

Ok, at first I didn't like semi-pro much, but after a second viewing it really grew on me. sure it's stupid as hell, but it was a lot better than talledega nights! I liked seeing Woody Harrelson (one of my alltime favorite actors) in another basketball movie. even jackie earle haley was in this! awesome.

The Rules of the Game (Règle du jeu, La)

Tragic Love. and damn the French!

one of the best films of all time (according to many), the rules of the game is a simple story of relationships during WWII in France during a weekend at a rich bastard's home. The film involves a record setting pilot, his lover, her other lover, his wife, a servant girl, her husband, and her lover, etc. etc. I may not have fully grasped the importance of the critique of the Bourgeoisie (as I am not French, however I do see the terrible ways of their society during the time this took place), but I do know a good film when i see it. and Jean Renoir made a great film here. Very well acted and directed throughout. Criterion did a great job on the DVD by the way.

Role Models

Seems dumb at first, but pretty heartfelt overall

Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are very funny in whatever they do. This is no exception. Fogel/McLovin is in it as a LARPer kid who has no friends. The guys from 'The State' are great. What else can I say? Oh yeah, Jane Lynch is fucking hysterical! Best parts of the movie are with her.

Changeling

great story, just needs to decide what kind of film it is

I LOVE Clint Eastwood, especially as a director lately. Changeling is an epic movie in a lot of ways. It is a thriller, tragic drama, child murdering horror, courtroom drama, and a crime/corruption editorial all wrapped up into one! Most parts of the movie are great! and from what i have read, it follows the real story very very closely. I almost wish they would have made 2 films out of this story. The police corruption part of the film is great! the child murderer part of the film is also great! they just don't mesh too well into one long film. Overall i still really liked Changeling. Angelina Jolie definitely did a great job, but she was soo damn skinny!

Rachel Getting Married

good drama involving addiction and family

Although Rachel Getting Married is pretty much a chick flick, I found it pretty interesting and thoughtful. Rachel's sister Kym is back from rehab and needs plenty of attention from her family, while Rachel herself is getting married (as the title suggests), and is the center of attention. The tension between the sisters heats up quickly and issues from the past are brought up, etc. etc. etc. Lots of good stuff, and plenty to bore us at the same time. I like Anne Hathaway a lot, and even more after seeing her in this film.

Saw V

Ah yes, another year another saw!

I don't know if anyone is getting sick of the Saw films, but I'm not particularly. In my opinion they are much better than the shitty Friday the 13th series, or the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Saw V is the worst in the series in my opinion, but it's not that bad for a halloween horror movie. Plenty of traps and gore, as well as lots of twists and turns as per usual. Overall Saw Five is a fun little addition to the series. Hopefully the next one is a little better though.

Boy A

Best Film I've Seen All Year!!

Seriously, this is why I go to the movies. This story pulled me in, tugged ay my heart, and left me stunned and in awe. The acting, direction, and writing were all phenomenal. I don't know what to say, except I loved this movie!

W.

Good dramatization of a shitty president.

I really liked this movie. I went in knowing it wouldn't be a total hate filled vilification of the man, but I didn't expect I'd come out of the theater with some respect for the man as a President and as a person. I love most of Oliver Stone's films anyways, but W. made me respect him as a filmmaker even more. Josh Brolin is one of my favorite actors now. The only real negative about W. is the chick who played Condoleezza Rice. She looked the part, but for fucks sakes her voice was horrible. The real Condi isn't that putrid!