Day 256

movie: Harry Potter 5 and the Order of the Phoenix
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes,
genre: Adventure, Fantasy
year: 2007
format: TV EDIT

plot: The school is quickly taken over by the wizard world version of government, making extreme changes to the school, while a cult of Voldemont supports scare up trouble

This is based on book five in the series.

It sort of has a typical message here about how the government shouldn't have their hands in everything.  I found that part of the storyline to almost detract from the fantasy of it.
The whole idea of a secret society, or secret group of political rebels firmly puts this one as a metaphor for any generation and any situation.

On the magic side, this is where the big quests that have been happening, really start to make sense, start to formula a reason for the puzzle.

what do i think i learned from this film?
No matter how hard you try, sometimes the truth will out weigh a lie. 

Day 255

movie: Inseparable
starring: Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu
genre: Comedy, Drama,
year: 2011
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A young man is saved by his neighbour just seconds before killing himself, then goes on a revenge crime spree with him, only he's the only one who can see him

This starts off as a buddy film, but soon spirals out into something a little bit darker.

At the core is a guy who is so far down the rabbit hole of depression, you are never truly sure what is going on.
There is a strange scene at the end that makes you wonder about the whole film, as to what is real, when what appears to be an hallucination appears to break down the fourth wall.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Everyone secretly wants to be a superhero. 

Day 254

movie: Safe
starring: Jason Statham, Chris Sarandon
genre: Action, Crime
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: An ex cop finds himself in the middle of a mob war after saving a little girl on a subway

Jason Statham.  He kicks, he drives, he shoots.

You know you're in for a good action flick when you see his name in the credits anywhere.  I would have liked some warning about the subtitles though because my tv screen isn't the biggest and reading subtitles is something I like to be prepared for.

I would love to see him step out of these sorts of roles for a movie, it just seems to me that he's been typecast.  Then again, it's what he knows will bring him a paycheck so... I would just like to see him do something that doesn't have him kicking, driving and shooting his way through two hours. Can we just have him do one movie where he plays a doctor or a dragqueen or ... love to see him as a vampire or something. Give this man one real romantic comedy please

what do i think i learned from this film?
You never know who's on the other end of a double cross.

Day 253

movie: Think like a Man
starring: Regina Hall, Jenifer Lewis
genre: Drama, Comedy
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A group of women all decide to buy the same self help book, and soon the men in their lives decide to use the book against them.

This is based on the self help book by Steve Harvey.

I kept expecting to see Tyler Perry's name to come up on this, but surprisingly, it's not one of his.  It is however, one of those movies that falls into the "the moral of the story is..." movies that he does do. 

I almost want to call this the "anti-He Just Not That Into You"  film.
It's peppered with shots of a tv screen showing Steve Harvey giving advice. That, in turn lays the ground work for the next few scenes, just like the chapter titles of his book.

what do i think i learned from this film?
That no matter how much a man says he's not wanting to be married, in the end he really does....?

Day 252

movie: Remember Me
starring:Robert Pattinson, Pierce Brosnan
genre: Drama
year: 2010
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: After the death of his brother, a young man falls in love with a girl after his roommate dares him to try to date her.

It's a tear jerker. The end has a small twist that I never saw coming, and I ended up crying through the credits.
It starts off like a typical me against the world film, having shades of Rebel without a Cause but it holds a much deeper point.

It's about how we as a society deal with death, grief, and overall disappointments in our life. It's definitely a meaner side to society, with scenes of bullying being a running thread.  The lows humans can get to without realizing that they have gotten there until it's too late.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Edward Cullen can act. Robert Pattinson proves without a shadow of a doubt that he's destined to be as serious an actor as anyone can get, that he's not just the kid from  the teen vampire movie. I knew he could sing, but this proves that if he's given a decent script to work with he's a honest star.

Day 251

movie: Guilty Pleasures
starring: ???
genre: Documentary
year: 2010
format: Shaw  Video On Demand

plot: Following a group of romance readers and writers, and one book cover model as they deal with the reality of romance vs what is found in their books.

First off, it's a bit of a mess.  We meet 3 housewives in different parts of the world, two are seemingly happily married, one is divorced, as well as the main writer and main cover model of the books.  The writer, not only is a man using a woman's aka, but is in his late 60's.  The cover model, is looking for love but has an extreme view point on how the woman of his dreams should look.

I'm little pissed off on the fact that after I paid for the rental of this on Shaw, it ended up being aired for free on CBC News. You might have noticed too, that I could not find a list of who the people in the documentary were, odd when you think about it.

As a documentary, the idea was there, but the movie itself is nothing to write home about.  Not enough time is spent with anyone of the cast to really care about them.  And, in one instance, more time is spent on the husband of the British housewife then in interviewing her as the fan.
The documentary is promoted as a look in side the obsessiveness and the behind the scenes of writing romance novels, but it doesn't end up giving you that at all.

what do i think i learned from this film?
I learned nothing from this

Day 250

movie: Harry Potter 4 and the Goblet of Fire
starring: Timothy Spall, Robert Pattinson
genre: Adventure,
year: 2005
format: TV EDIT

plot: Harry Potter has been unwillingly entered into a tournament that could be fatal, meanwhile, there is a mixed dance with other schools taking part in the tournament and the group of friends start to feel the divide of crushes as they all find disappointment in their dates.  More serious issues pop up,  as the Death Eaters, a cult who follow Voldemort start attacking the school.

This is part four in the series based on the books

The death toll rises in this offering, giving you a sense of something closer to an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer then it did the previous HP films.
Just the fact that they would have "kids"  partaking in an event where they are willingly risking their lives, tells you that things are not safe and innocent anymore.
The vampire elements really start to come out with the Voldemort character. Him and his cult of followers needing to drain the life from his enemies in order for him to return to a physical form is classic vampire traits.

what do I think I learned from this film?
Nothing is ever what it seems. Growing up is full of horrible pit stops, but if you can understand that most of the monsters are there for a reason, you can work your way through the darkness and survive.

Day 249

movie: Le Divorce
starring: Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts
genre: Comedy
year: 2003
format: TV EDIT

plot: Two sisters living in Paris find themselves at the wrong end of relationships with two brothers. 

This is based on the novel of the same name

This film is so confusing.  Or maybe it was just so boring I didn't want to follow it.
I watched this on tv, so I don't know if the version I saw was just edited down so much it no longer made sense or if it just didn't work as a movie to begin with?

What I did get from this was the desperation in the Watts character. Chasing after her husband when he has cheated on her, it just doesn't make sense to me on any level.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Lust is fickle, when you agree to something romantically, make sure you're both agreeing to the same thing.

Day 248

movie: In the Line of Fire
starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich
genre: Crime, Drama
year: 1993
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A secret service agent who had been on duty the day JFK was killed is given a second chance to help another president thirty years later

I watched a Clint Eastwood movie, and it's not the 1980's or even a 1980's marathon (don't start I know the film was from 1993)

This was a decent story, in fact,  it could have passed for a made for tv movie given the lack of gore or sex or anything you would expect from a movie of that timeframe.

In other words, it was character and plot based. 

Midway you're given a chance to feel sorry for the killer - the Malkovich character- but by then end you're waiting for something to happen to anyone.
Whenever I watch a movie lately that either was filmed before the year 2000 or set before then, I stare in amazement on how we got through life without cell phones and the internet. This story would not have been as interesting or convincing were it done now. 

what do i think i learned from this film?
Everyone has something that haunts them their whole life.  Everyone wants that connection that makes them a part of history. 

Coffee Talk- Do you like Nicolas Cage?

It's a Thursday, Aug 23rd and a blog buddy from LAMB - The Cinematic Katzenjammer - has this thing where every so often the topic comes up Nicolas Cage.
And this time, the Katzenjammer has invited a few of us LAMBs to help.
I'm on there my Spudguns, are you?

So, if you're like me and you dig a really great Nicolas Cage movie, or one of his bad movies, which would make you more like me... then you need to hit up the Cinematic Katzenjammer  right now... or whenever you feel the need for some Nicolas Cage.

-love Ardeth Blood

Day 247

movie: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
starring: Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor
genre:Drama,
year: 2011
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A sheik wants to bring a new way of life to his desert community.  He believes that introducing salmon fishing to his area would be a good place to start as it would help to bring vegetation back to the desert.  Two British government workers are assigned the job. One, a fishery expert does not at first think it's a good idea, but soon starts to see the promise of it.

This is based on the book of the same name.

This had me crying.  It's a romance but it's also a story about how we have let ourselves settle too often for things that have long since stopped making us happy.

It's also a big social comment on how governments are clueless to what their communities really need.

what do I think i learned from this film?
You have to continue to believe in the impossible. Everything starts off an nothing more then an idea, and if enough people think it's worth working towards, then it will become reality.

Quote for today

I did a post about a week and a half ago,(okay it was longer then that) where I quoted from the movie Trancers. Well, I thought I might do another quote, and given these are everywhere on the internet, I thought I'd take the easy way out on this one
Breaking Dawn

Day 246

Movie: Kill Bill Vol 2
Starring: Uma Thurman, Michael Madsen
Genre: Crime, Action
Year: 2004
Format: Shaw Video On Demand

Plot: The Bride has managed to get revenge on the members of the group that destroyed her life, and is now able to get her hands on her ex, Bill.

This is the western part of the movie.

I liked this half much more then the first half. (Day 245) This part was funnier for starters, and actually had more of the story to it. You're given more of the back story of the characters and you end up connecting more with them.
And Michael Madsen is in this half of the film, I've always been a fan of his.

Because this has more of the storyline to it then the first half, it also makes a bit more sense.  You really do have to watch both back to back in order to get the full scope of the plot.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Sometimes the lessons we learn along the journey are truly a scrabbled puzzle until we get to the end of the journey where they make sense.  And there is no excuse for controlling and abusive behavouir as you will get what you deserve in the end.

If Chins Could Kill- review

Biographies. There are literally thousands of biographies  of celebrities out there.  So what makes this one different?

It's good!

If Chins Could Kill Confessions of a B Movie Actor  by Bruce Campbell; is informative, funny and honest.
You're given a chance to fall down the rabbit hole with one of the  best comedic-action heroes and see the world through the looking glass that is Hollywood. And it's not always sparkly or pretty either. At lest not the Hollywood of Campbell's life. It's more the I'm covered in something that is toxic and my co-star smells of something bad and it's raining and I forgot to put the roof up on the rental Hollywood.

Campbell lets the reader in on his personal struggles as well as sharing the journey it took to have Man with the Screaming Brain made. {which took years}
Along the way you find out what was really used in the fake blood he was constantly covered in as his most famous character Ash, and how he became part of the Raimi troupe.

What I took away from this was to never give up on your biggest dream, and the best quote ever... "I am not a spore"

Day 245

Movie: Kill Bill Vol 1
Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Lu
Genre:Action, Crime,
Year: 2003
Format: Shaw Video On Demand

Plot: After having been in a coma for four years, a woman sets out for revenge on the group who put her there.

What  Quentin Tarantino will go down in history for creating.
This half of the film is the Kung Fu half of the movie, while the second is the Spaghetti Western.

I liked much of this but have to admit, I was put off by the animation segment.  I have just never been one for Japanese Anime.
I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of the over the top blood soaked scenes.

It's been years since I first saw the Kill Bill movies, and had forgotten how good the writing of the characters actually were. At first glance, you get the impression it's just a shoot em up - in this case a slice em up- film, but after a bit, you realize how much of a web has been spun around the characters.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Revenge isn't always what you thought it was.

Day 244

movie: Hunger Games
starring: Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland
genre: Action, Drama
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: a group of teenagers are taken and forced to take part in a fight to the death

This is based on the book series.

I have to ask what is it that people seem to like about this?  Really, I was ten minutes into this and all I could think was what was the motivation that would cause someone the talent of Donald Sutherland to be part of a piece of retarded brutality like this?
At the end of the film, I was asking myself the same question still.  I don't know if this would be more acceptable if it had adult actors in the main roles like Stallone or Statham? (this reminded me way too much of the  Death Race movies which both Stallone and Statham played in versions of)  But then again, that's the type of films we've come to expect from them. Not from classic actors like Sutherland and Tucci. And why on earth do people keep putting Stanley Tucci in such bad wigs?

I have not read the books, nor do I think I really want to.

what do i think i learned from this film?
You never know what you're really made of until you're life is on the line

Day 243

movie: Lockout
starring: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace
genre: Action, Drama
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A former CIA agent is thought to have killed other members of his team and stolen documents, he ends up being the only chance for the daughter of the US present to get out alive from a riot on a space station.

I liked that Guy Pearce was in this. So far, everything I've seen him in, he's managed to play something different, (he's version of Andy Warhol in Factory Girl  is still my favourite)  which for actors in this day and age can sometimes be a difficult thing as many still get typecast.

With that said, there wasn't anything new in this film. Even with the addition of it being in the future, which you forget after the first two scenes, there wasn't much you haven't seen a million times over in other shoot em up get the hostages films.

The dialog was witty, fun to listen to and seemed very natural to see Pearce saying.  I have to wonder how much was adlibed?

what do i think i learned from this film?
I didn't learn anything from this, other then it seems you can hear bullets in space

Day 242

movie: Hop
starring: James Marsden, Russell Brand
genre: comedy
year: 2011
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: The easter bunny runs away because he'd rather be a drummer for a rock band

Talking animals chasing each other around Hollywood trying not to be seen by humans.  There isn't much else to say about this.
It's geared for kids, okay i get that but there were moments when it just felt like the jokes were too old for the audience.

It's one of those you can watch it once films, but that's about it. The sfx were good, and the choice of voice actors was also high quality, but in the end it played out like so many other films that mixes live action with animated characters.

what do i think i learned from this film?
I really didn't need to know that jellybeans are easterbunny poop.

Day 241

movie: Stephen King's the Stand
starring: Rob Lowe, Miguel Ferrer
genre: Drama, Horror
year: 1994
format: Online

plot: A plague spreads across the U.S.A., killing almost everyone leaving only a few hundred people immune. Soon, the survivors are finding each other and following a set of odd dreams that leads them to an old religious woman they call Mother. Meanwhile, a man calling himself Flagg is setting up a camp in Las Vegas with less pure intentions. Before long, the two camps must battle it out for the land and souls of everyone.

Based on the novel by Stephen King.  That should be all I need to say, but it's not.
This was the first time I've ever seen The Stand.  I spent nearly 8 hours watching this and after the first four hours, I was yawning thinking I might turn it off. But I've only turned a movie off once in my whole life.

I was expecting more.  It just felt like it was too predictable.  This is a writer who can capture the imagination with the simplest of sentences, and this story is considered one of his biggest and best.  But, I just felt let down after about midway. There was no big payoff for me at all. Some of the characters just seemed way too one dimensional, not too mention, there wasn't a deep enough explanation of the character of Flagg for me.
There was one sentence that hinted at him being one of the Four Horsemen -Pestilence- but then why weren't the rest of them hanging around?

This movie (mini-series are still movies) left me with more questions then anything else and a bad taste.

what do I think I learned from this film?
Society as we know it has forgotten what the real meaning of being alive is. We have to be aware that even if it's not in a literal sense, the end of the world is still a possibility. Becareful who you lend your loyalty to, because they might turn on you anyway. You never know what you are capable of til you're put to the test.

Day 240

movie: The Game Plan
starring: The Rock, Madison Pettis
genre: Comedy
year: 2007
format: TV EDIT

plot: A football player learns he has an 8 year old daughter when she shows up on his doorstep demanding to stay for a month while her mother is out of the country on business.

Well, this is a Disney movie, so you know right off it's going to have a big slap happy bring a tear to your eye ending.
And it did. And yes damn it, I cried.

It's also going to have a dance-music montage, a cute dog and way too much formulaic segments.
There was a slight nod to the fact that fast food is not good for you, but not much of it. 

It was just too sugary sweet for me, I mean the Rock sang for a segment and the rest of the time he spent flashing that overly bleached smile.
I sat here watching this, with my mother who is a fan of the Rock and even she was making comments about how he wasn't doing much of anything that he doesn't do on WWE.  So that tells you something about the plot of this movie.

what do i think i learned from this film?
The Rock needs to really start being more picky about his movie roles. When you see the combination of a kid and a dog in a film, you know the formula before you are three minutes into it.

Day 239

movie: Ready to Rumble
starring: David Arquette, Oliver Platt
genre: Comedy, Sports
year: 2000
format: TV EDIT

plot: After witnessing the fall of their wrestling hero, two dreamers decide they need to help him get back on this feet to win the title belt back

So much to say, so little will make sense.

1) the film that killed the career for Arquette but launched the career of Caan
2)If you're not in it, you're out of it
3) Ray Mysterio without his traditional mask for 45 seconds of a scene
4) Chris Kanyon in the front row of the last scene in an Insane Clown Posse tee 

If any of what I just listed makes sense, then you've seen this film before too.
I remember seeing this originally at the cinema when it first came out, and for some odd reason thought that it was a movie done in the late 90's... but that's got nothing really to do with this post other then to point out how forgettable most of it really is.

The story is weak, predictable on so many levels, and really dates itself.  I was laughing as I re-watched this mostly for the nostalgia of it.  I think that is the charm of a film like this, it's a time capsule film. Now, this film is charming, and made me think of some of my favourite WCW wrestlers, but at the time it came out, it took itself a bit too seriously. 
However, Ready to Rumble was ahead of it's time, as it's the movie that really found a way to promote the wrestlers in movies angle.   But putting the belt on David Arquette in WCW for *real* to help boost the connection in promotion was the worst idea creative ever had.  Ever.

what do i think I learned from this film?
Even your heroes are human, and don't be afraid to live your dreams.

Day 238

movie: Monster House
starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mitchel Musso
genre: Comedy, Paranormal,
year: 2006
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Two kids are watching the spooky house across the street on Hallowe'en night, wondering why the old guy always takes everyone's toys when they land on his lawn.  After the old neighbour ends up in the hospital, the kids notice even stranger things happening because of the house and soon come to only one conclusion, it's alive.

I am scratching my head as to why this is listed as a kids movie?  There are under tones of classics from the 80's like Monster Squad and Lost Boys to this, but don't let the fact it's animation fool you.  This movie is geared for a PG-13

Could this have worked as a live action film?  Story wise, yes, but it would have drowned in special effects if it had and that would have taken away from it's plot. 

This tackles the topics of first puppy love crushes, and obsessive love.  From one extreme to the other, we see human nature for what it can become when unchecked.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Creepy houses are always a good character plot point in any movie.  Some life lesions we learn at an early age, and some we never learn.

Day 237

movie: Swordfish
starring: John Travolta, Hugh Jackman
genre: Crime, Drama, Action
year: 2001
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: a former hacker is blackmailed into helping a wealthy terrorist group, get into a high tech bank.

At first, this seems a bit confusing, as it starts midway in the plot. But soon, it takes a more liner format and starts to play out like a typical crime story.

Almost too typical.  There really isn't much in this that really blows your mind, other then a flying bus scene.
This film has so many cliches that just make you feel like it's a paint by numbers. 
There is a sub-plot about an ex wife and a porn king, which would have made for more interesting story, if they had expanded on it a bit more. It would have, I think given the Hugh Jackman character more grit, more interest.

The ending is also confusing.  I don't like to give spoilers, so I'll just say, the voice over in the last scene could be saying that they got away clean or they didn't.

what do i think i learned from this film?
There are times for cliches and there are times when a cliche is just too much. 

The Top 5 Films about Art

I started to notice a trend a few years ago, a new sub-genre was popping up.  That was movies about art and artists.  Not really documentaries, but the bio-pic and dramas. Here's a short list of some of my favs on the topic



1.Pollack
2.Frida
3.Mona Lisa Smile
4.Poison Ivy 2-Lily
5.Basquiat











This actually has more then just 5

Backbeat
Bucket of Blood (The Death Artist)
High Art
Factory Girl
I Shot Andy Warhol
Crow 2 City of Angels

Ironically, the movie that inspired me to start drawing and painting was 1996's Crow 2 City of Angels.

Poison Ivy 2-Lily: It's a thriller, and at first glance you might not think it should be clumped in with the other movies, but it does have the main characters all artists.  They meet in an art class and over half the story takes place in their studios.

Backbeat: Another one that at first glance doesn't seem to fit.  Even though it's about the early years of the Beatles, it does center around the choice one member made between his love for music and his love for painting. 

What that movie inspired me to do #4

The Ninth Gate Project

This is one of my all time favourite movies.

Johnny Depp is by far my all time favourite actor, and Roman Polanksi is right up there as far as director's go.

You may recall me having talked about this movie way back in the beginning of the challenge on Day 20

Well, as you can guess, I'm not the only one who adores this film. So many people have dedicated big chunks of their time, energy, and money to the research of the movie and the original book  it's based on;  Club Dumas 

 

There are so many articles online written about the hidden meanings of the images in this movie, that it's almost become a cult within itself.

This film has lead me to be inspired to do a few things.  The most obvious being to track down a copy of the book. {yeah my webcam isn't the best}

Another not so obvious, is to track down a copy of Don Quixote.  If you're asking why, then you haven't seen the film.   Don Quixote plays a few major parts in the fabric of this movie.

And the "project" part of the project... I discovered a few websites that show how to make copies of the prop book from the film.
I'm going to try my hand at making my own... I'll let you know how it goes in the coming weeks, good bad or otherwise.

Till later...

Day 236

movie: Sorcerer's Apprentice
starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel
genre : Fantasy
year: 2010
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot As a young boy, Dave witnesses two immortals battle, unknown to him as being the two most powerful sorcerers in the world. Years later, Dave learns that he's meant to carry on the tradition and is needed to stop one of them from awaking the dead.

This is based on the Disney cartoon, which is based on a poem.

There is just something about Cage and the otherworldly.  They go hand in hand.  

What I loved about this, is even though the topic is a bit on the edge, they still managed to make it realistic by explaining magic as another version of physics.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Everyone has a purpose, everyone has a talent. You just have to believe in yourself to unlock it.

Day 235

Movie: Fun  with Dick and Jane
Starring: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Year:2005
Format: Shaw Video On Demand

Plot: After years of being on top at work, a couple lose their jobs and end up having to sell everything. Just before the bank fore closes on their house, they turn to desperate measures and start stealing.

This is one of those it's so stupid it's funny films. Slapstick and physical comedy at it's best with Carrey.

It's a simple plot that really needs no delving into.  I was laughing out loud more then a few times.  I know I say this a lot, but I don't think it would have been half as charming with anyone else in the lead.  It just works mostly because of Jim Carrey.


What do I think I learned from this film?
The moral of this story is that crime doesn't pay, but payback does. It also shows how desperate some folks will become when they feel they are not living the way they are comfortable.  It's also that, a story about learning your limitations and when to move out of your comfort zone. Stand up for yourself when you don't think that there's anything left to stand up for.

Over Coffee- Aug 7th 2012

Do you like books?
I like books as well as movies. And you know, with so many books out there that movies are based on, I got this idea.

Let me know if you want to join along with me.  And that's to pick a few books that were made into movies and have a bit of a mini themed book club.  
I've talked about this on a few other online spots, but thought it would make plenty of sense to add a post on here too.

I'm really geared up to read the original book version of American Psycho.  And I've not met anyone at all who's gone ahead and read it, so it would be interesting to chose for something like this.

Okay, that's what's going on right now.  Book -to-Film themed book club. 

First book on the list, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

Day 234

movie: Man on a Ledge
starring: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks
genre: Crime, Drama, Action
year: 2012
format; Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A con escapes from prison and checks into a hotel, and gets out on the edge of the window threatening to jump if no one reopens his case.  Meanwhile, a robbery is happening two buildings away.

This is one of those films that starts off as a straight forward action film, but twists into something more.
There are three sub-plots happening at one time in this movie that at first don't seem to be connected at all. But the end of the movie ties everything together that makes perfect sense.


what do i think i learned from this film?
Everyone should be given a second chance to prove their innocence.

Day 233

movie: My Sassy Girl
starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Jesse Bradford
genre: Romance
year: 2008
format: TV EDIT

plot: A young man has his world turned inside out when he helps a drunk woman on the subway then starts a romance with her.

This is a remake of a Korean film by the same title

This movie has it's moments of pureness and there are other times when you are left sort of confused.
It's highly stylish, sometimes to the default of the script. I don't know if that is because it was translated from a non-English film or not.

There is a set up mid way, that hints at the ending twist, which ends up being this semi-comical payoff in what is otherwise a very dramatic story.  Actually, let me rephrase that, it's a very darkly depressing story about loss and what we cling to in order to get through it. 

From what I understand, this is also based on a novel that was based on a blog, which turns out to be semi-factual/biographical

what do i think i learned from this film?
Destiny has a reason all it's own. You can not tempt your fate, you just have to understand that whatever road you chose or think you are choosing, you are still going to meet your fate at the end of the journey.

Day 232

movie: It's Complicated
starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin
genre: Comedy, Romance
year: 2009
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A divorced woman is finally starting to move on with her life, and starts to date again. Only her ex-husband is unhappy in his current marriage and convinces her to have an affair with him.


This is one of those it's so funny because you know someone who has fallen into this trap.
The humour is bang on in sometimes subtle ways and other times very over the top.
The chemistry between Streep and Baldwin is perfect.

This film also has a trend for Streep, as she plays a pastry chef. It almost brings her roles full circle as far as being connected to the food industry (in Heartburn she played a food critic, in Julie/Julia she played Julia Child) 


what do i think i learned from this film?
It's easy to fall into old habits and patterns, but not always the wisest thing to do.  No one wants to be the other woman, or be lied to.  Some people never weigh the feelings of others before acting.

Day 231

movie: Superman 2
starring: Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp
genre: Sci-fi,
year: 1980
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: the three criminals who were contained just before Krypton was destroyed, have been let free.  Now, it's up to Superman to stop them from taking over Earth.

I've always favoured this film in the series.
There is something about the idea that a man would give up something for love, and that's what the lead does in this episode.  Even though, what he gives up is the one thing that makes him truly who he is and what attracted Lois to him in the first place.

Again I come back to the duality of things in this film.  This time, the idea that a normal person could uncover their god-like elements.  This time in the use of the criminals having the same powers on Earth as superman.
I thought it played well showing that we're all capable of certain things, even when we're unaware of it.

what do i think i learned from this film?
I don't know if I learned much, but I do have questions after seeing this film.  1) What are we really willing to give up for someone we love?  2) Should we have to give up major parts of ourselves to be in a solid relationship? 

Day 230

movie: Superman
starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman
genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Drama,
year: 1978
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: We follow superman as he learns who he is.  Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is plotting to create an island that will cause the whole of the USA to be forced underwater.

This movie created not only a star with Reeve, but helped to create the sub-genre of superhero movies.

What can I say about this. 
The first time I saw this I was a kid, so much of it went over my head.  Re-watching it now, I see so many elements of spiritual design.  From the parallel to Christianity and Hercules, to the use of crystals (Paganism, Wicca,) as a main element.
From a science view point, the fact the crystals were used to help form the basis of knowledge and tools, this movie was leaps ahead of itself.

You can't help but wonder how come a simple pair of glasses was the only thing hiding his real identity?  

What do i think I learned from this film?
That in the 1970's being a geeky, nerdy type meant you never got noticed. We all on some level seem to desire the duel sides of others.  Even if we don't realize it, we are looking for the real man and the god.

Day 229

movie: Superman Returns
starring: Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey
genre: Action, Drama, Crime,
year: 2006
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Superman has been off Earth for 5 years.  In that time, Luthor has gotten out of prison and Lois Lane has moved on with her life, getting married and having a baby. 

This seems like it re-writes the series, as it over rides the plots of the films after the second movie.  Which was sort of confusing, as I was led to believe it was a full on reboot.

This was good,  not in the way I was expecting it to be, but I really liked the casting on this.  At first glance you wouldn't think that Kevin Spacey would fit the roll of Luthor, but after about five minutes you wonder how you ever watched another actor in this role.
I'm going on the idea that half the cast was in fact cast because they looked so much like the original actors.  I might be far off on this, but Brandon Routh had the gestures and speech pattern of Christopher Reeve down to perfection. 

what do I think I learned from this film?
Life goes on even when you don't expect things to change they do.  Love never really dies, and honesty is the only policy. Everyone needs a superhero to believe in, even when the idea seems so off the wall.