I am finally back on track.
I watched Adaptation (the other night) and I have to say, I fuckin' loved it. Poppin'! This flick was the shit. Shwing!
Anyway, I really enjoyed it, every fat, twinned, chompin', shootin', humpin', metaphysical part of it. Nick Cage is fantastic. I feel like this was the most recent role where he really gave it his all. It was dramatic, hilarious, nuanced, and had so many damn levels. That Kaufman critter sure is a character. Literally. And quite a fine screenwriter. There's talent associated with that surname.
Anywho, if you haven't peeped it, check er out.
33 Nicholas Cage films left.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Movie Log: May
May 1: The Butterfly Effect
I had been reading about a film called The Lathe Of Heaven and The Butterfly Effect was noted for having similar themes (though many years later) and I wanted to watch it again as I hadn't seen it since it was in the theater. Within minutes of it starting I wanted to turn it off. I kept watching it only because of the shear train wreck of it. The writers subject these kids to some of the most traumatic things one could dream of, all before they're 13 years old. And it is impossible to take Ashton Kutcher seriously.
May 2: Iron Man
Amazing. This is what a super hero film should be. The perfect balance of action and comedy that suit (no pun intended) the character. Robert Downey, Jr. is amazing and this certainly will be giving the Batman franchise a run for its money. If you haven't seen it, go see it. You won't be disappointed.
May 5: The Matrix
I had been wanting to see this again for some time. It was disappointing. I was never a huge fan but watching it again made me realize how ridiculous the story and plot is. And Keanu is unbearable, even with his emotionless role. Even the special effects, save a few instances, were horrible.
May 8: A Scanner Darkly
A lot better than I expected, especially for a Richard Linklater film. It still maintained many of his dumbass, vague, pseudo-philosophical bullshit, but most of it was balanced with a good story of a big brother like future and a harmful drug addiction. And, god help me, I actually thought Keanu was good in the role.
May 10: The Weather Man
This was the second time I've seen this Nick Cage flick (so it doesn't count for the goal) and I was disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time I saw it, but this time I failed to see the character transformation that I remembered being so pivotal the first time around.
May 19: The Matrix: Reloaded
After seeing the first film, I felt compelled to finish the series even though I knew the second two were horrible. I was right. This film was even cheesier and more pea-brained than the last. All the bad and none of the good, save a few mediocre fight scenes. I was left completely uninterested in seeing the last film as I knew it would be too unbearable.
I had been reading about a film called The Lathe Of Heaven and The Butterfly Effect was noted for having similar themes (though many years later) and I wanted to watch it again as I hadn't seen it since it was in the theater. Within minutes of it starting I wanted to turn it off. I kept watching it only because of the shear train wreck of it. The writers subject these kids to some of the most traumatic things one could dream of, all before they're 13 years old. And it is impossible to take Ashton Kutcher seriously.
May 2: Iron Man
Amazing. This is what a super hero film should be. The perfect balance of action and comedy that suit (no pun intended) the character. Robert Downey, Jr. is amazing and this certainly will be giving the Batman franchise a run for its money. If you haven't seen it, go see it. You won't be disappointed.
May 5: The Matrix
I had been wanting to see this again for some time. It was disappointing. I was never a huge fan but watching it again made me realize how ridiculous the story and plot is. And Keanu is unbearable, even with his emotionless role. Even the special effects, save a few instances, were horrible.
May 8: A Scanner Darkly
A lot better than I expected, especially for a Richard Linklater film. It still maintained many of his dumbass, vague, pseudo-philosophical bullshit, but most of it was balanced with a good story of a big brother like future and a harmful drug addiction. And, god help me, I actually thought Keanu was good in the role.
May 10: The Weather Man
This was the second time I've seen this Nick Cage flick (so it doesn't count for the goal) and I was disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time I saw it, but this time I failed to see the character transformation that I remembered being so pivotal the first time around.
May 19: The Matrix: Reloaded
After seeing the first film, I felt compelled to finish the series even though I knew the second two were horrible. I was right. This film was even cheesier and more pea-brained than the last. All the bad and none of the good, save a few mediocre fight scenes. I was left completely uninterested in seeing the last film as I knew it would be too unbearable.
Movie Log: April
Apr. 13: Walk Hard
Surprisingly funny. The music was dead-on for the time periods represented and that made the film that much more enjoyable. The constant rock 'n' roll references were great for a music history junkie like myself.
Apr. 23: That Thing You Do!
Another great film about a fake music group. Great songs and story. Tom Everett Scott and Ethan Embry are still amazing after all these years.
Apr. 25: Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay
This first film was hilarious. This tried too hard and lacked the magic of its predecessor. Not very good at all.
Apr. 27: Walk Hard
Had to show it to some friends.
Apr. 29: Walk The Line
After watching Walk Hard so many times, I had to see the film that inspired so much of it again. It had been some time since I had seen it and though it wasn't as good as I remembered, it was still entertaining and Joaquin still does a phenomenal job as Johnny Cash.
Surprisingly funny. The music was dead-on for the time periods represented and that made the film that much more enjoyable. The constant rock 'n' roll references were great for a music history junkie like myself.
Apr. 23: That Thing You Do!
Another great film about a fake music group. Great songs and story. Tom Everett Scott and Ethan Embry are still amazing after all these years.
Apr. 25: Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay
This first film was hilarious. This tried too hard and lacked the magic of its predecessor. Not very good at all.
Apr. 27: Walk Hard
Had to show it to some friends.
Apr. 29: Walk The Line
After watching Walk Hard so many times, I had to see the film that inspired so much of it again. It had been some time since I had seen it and though it wasn't as good as I remembered, it was still entertaining and Joaquin still does a phenomenal job as Johnny Cash.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Bangkok Dangerous
In reference to the article where Mr. Cage states his growing weariness in acting, I think this trailer is proof. Aside from it looking like every other action movie ever, The Cage is just recycling the same old sometimes bored/sometimes witty character he always utilizes, only this time the fire's gone out in his eyes. Oh Nicky boy, won't you come back to us.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Movie Log: March
Mar. 1: American Movie
I've been aware of this film for several years due in part to glowing recommendations from my friends Wyatt and Tom, but nothing compares to witnessing it first hand. The filming of the two movies, the commitment of Mark's friends and family, and the stupidty/comic genius of these Northwestern rednecks never failed to amaze me. Watching it with two Swedes made it more entertaining as they revealed that many Swedes settled in Northwestern areas such as Wisconsin (including Mark's family)giving its people their unique accent. I was even occasionally surpirsed by the intelligence Mark had which was more often outshined by his naivety and backwoods education (or lack thereof as he dropped out of school). But the most arresting character is not Mark, but his best friend and his uncle. Mark's best friend Mike provides the beautiful acoustic metal music that is the film's sole soundtrack and regals us with tales of drug abuse juxtaposed with his firm anti-drug stance of the past year and a half, all delivered with his trademark blank stare and dead brain cell droll. Mark's uncle Bill serves as the executive producer to Coven because of his financial contribution that appears to be aquired through Mark tricking this near-senile man who provides comic relief through the fact that he hates the movie and everything about it, is one of only two characters who don't believe in Mark (the other being an old friend who views Mark's dreams as pathetic), constantly discusses with Mark how near death he is, and is the one character who's nature is so hilarious that even the rest of the people in the film find him comical. The only downfall of the documentary is that you don't get to see Coven or Northwestern in their entirety. More than anything else I've said, my sole justification in recommending this film is due to the fact that myself and the four other people watching found it so funny at first that we swore it was a scripted mockumentary and was too funny to possibly be real. But it is!
Mar. 7: Alvin & The Chipmunks
This film was playing on the plane as Alisha and I flew to New York. I started watching Juno, but found it dull and full of junior high humor, so I opted for the much more high brow Alvin & The Chipmunks. How was it? Exactly how you think it was. The worst part was actually the editing and how poorly the plot flowed together because of it. Dave and the Chipmunks went from obscurity to international superstardom within the span of a 5-minute montage. I'd add that is was better than Garfield: The Movie and that David Cross was occasionally funny, although still a total tool for doing the movie. Also, we had a great deal of turbulence during the flight and each time we went through a violent patch of it, I wondered what it'd be like if the plane crashed and we died and the last thing I saw was Alvin & The Chipmunks.
Mar. 15: D-War: Dragon Wars
The movie starts in the present day, then to a flashback that goes into a story from 500 years ago that then itself goes into a flashback. This was followed by about 5 minutes where I thought it was the greatest movie I had ever seen. What followed was the worst movie I've ever seen, and I've seen You Got Served. It was the first movie since the new King Kong that I fell asleep before the end. I think Korean film critic Kim Bong-sok summed it up best when he said it was "below criticism."
34 Nicholas Cage films left.
I've been aware of this film for several years due in part to glowing recommendations from my friends Wyatt and Tom, but nothing compares to witnessing it first hand. The filming of the two movies, the commitment of Mark's friends and family, and the stupidty/comic genius of these Northwestern rednecks never failed to amaze me. Watching it with two Swedes made it more entertaining as they revealed that many Swedes settled in Northwestern areas such as Wisconsin (including Mark's family)giving its people their unique accent. I was even occasionally surpirsed by the intelligence Mark had which was more often outshined by his naivety and backwoods education (or lack thereof as he dropped out of school). But the most arresting character is not Mark, but his best friend and his uncle. Mark's best friend Mike provides the beautiful acoustic metal music that is the film's sole soundtrack and regals us with tales of drug abuse juxtaposed with his firm anti-drug stance of the past year and a half, all delivered with his trademark blank stare and dead brain cell droll. Mark's uncle Bill serves as the executive producer to Coven because of his financial contribution that appears to be aquired through Mark tricking this near-senile man who provides comic relief through the fact that he hates the movie and everything about it, is one of only two characters who don't believe in Mark (the other being an old friend who views Mark's dreams as pathetic), constantly discusses with Mark how near death he is, and is the one character who's nature is so hilarious that even the rest of the people in the film find him comical. The only downfall of the documentary is that you don't get to see Coven or Northwestern in their entirety. More than anything else I've said, my sole justification in recommending this film is due to the fact that myself and the four other people watching found it so funny at first that we swore it was a scripted mockumentary and was too funny to possibly be real. But it is!
Mar. 7: Alvin & The Chipmunks
This film was playing on the plane as Alisha and I flew to New York. I started watching Juno, but found it dull and full of junior high humor, so I opted for the much more high brow Alvin & The Chipmunks. How was it? Exactly how you think it was. The worst part was actually the editing and how poorly the plot flowed together because of it. Dave and the Chipmunks went from obscurity to international superstardom within the span of a 5-minute montage. I'd add that is was better than Garfield: The Movie and that David Cross was occasionally funny, although still a total tool for doing the movie. Also, we had a great deal of turbulence during the flight and each time we went through a violent patch of it, I wondered what it'd be like if the plane crashed and we died and the last thing I saw was Alvin & The Chipmunks.
Mar. 15: D-War: Dragon Wars
The movie starts in the present day, then to a flashback that goes into a story from 500 years ago that then itself goes into a flashback. This was followed by about 5 minutes where I thought it was the greatest movie I had ever seen. What followed was the worst movie I've ever seen, and I've seen You Got Served. It was the first movie since the new King Kong that I fell asleep before the end. I think Korean film critic Kim Bong-sok summed it up best when he said it was "below criticism."
34 Nicholas Cage films left.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Mr. Cage Leaves Hollywood
Here are some comments the Cage recently made about his future in the film world:
“Some movie stars look like they are having a ball, but I’m tired of it. It has made me reclusive. That is an increasingly gnawing feeling in my body. When I first started I loved it. One of my frustrations is I have no control. I haven’t worked in a while, and it will be eight months before I start my next picture. I know for the first time which direction I’m going in and what changes I want to make.”
“For some reason, I piss off the audience. People who like one type of film don’t like to see me in another. Things I did and said early on still haunt me. I started acting at 17, but I’m 44 now and have grown up. I wonder if I am still interesting to watch if I didn’t drink or raise hell, but it’s obnoxious to keep drinking.”
If Ed Harris couldn't stop the Cage, nothing can.
“Some movie stars look like they are having a ball, but I’m tired of it. It has made me reclusive. That is an increasingly gnawing feeling in my body. When I first started I loved it. One of my frustrations is I have no control. I haven’t worked in a while, and it will be eight months before I start my next picture. I know for the first time which direction I’m going in and what changes I want to make.”
“For some reason, I piss off the audience. People who like one type of film don’t like to see me in another. Things I did and said early on still haunt me. I started acting at 17, but I’m 44 now and have grown up. I wonder if I am still interesting to watch if I didn’t drink or raise hell, but it’s obnoxious to keep drinking.”
If Ed Harris couldn't stop the Cage, nothing can.
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