I'M NOT THERE (4 STARS)

Todd Haynes totally dropped the ball on this Bob Dylan biopic... for the most part. He has a lot of good ideas, but they're overshadowed by bad ones. If you didn't already know, this movie represents different aspects of Bob Dylan's life. Different phases he went threw. It sounds radical but really, it's just another biopic. What this biopic does that is really stupid and pointless is it takes shots, scenes, dialogues, and characters from documentaries that every Dylan fan has seen thousands of times, and makes a movie out of them. Don't you think we'd want to see those scenes actually acted out by Bob Dylan himself other than someone else doing it poorly. A little more than half of this movie is a TOTAL JOKE!!!!!!
I'm irate with anger when watching this movie. It would be SO easy to just write original dialogue for the character, and an original narrative based on what we know. Haynes not only based the scenes on what actually happened, he based them shot for shot on what we've already seen in; Don't look back, no direction home, and Eat the document.

There are 6 actors portraying different aspects of Dylan's life.

A little black kid represents the young, wide eyed Dylan, 59', 60', 61'. Who would tell people different names and told them he was from different places. Who idolized Woody Guthrie and old blues singers. Talked about traveling and being on the road. He calls himself Woody Guthrie. It's a great idea... perfect way to start the movie. Then the dialogue comes in. The acting is awful. This kid is saying the most ridicules things. He sings a few times and it's so cheesy and awful. Really early on in the movie he's singing Tombstone Blues with some other "black folk" on a porch. I wanted to punch my fist threw the TV screen. The scenes would go on and on with no point or nothing interesting happening and stupid dialogue and then someone would say something that makes since to the story and i'd think, "oh, that's what this whole scene was about, that one stinkin' line". I got nothing against a little black kid playing a young Dylan but it stunk. It really cheesed out the movie. I think a 20 something kid could do something better. Mostly a kid who can actually play the guitar and sing and has some kind of concept of what the blues are. HOWEVER... he wasn't the worse part.

Christian Bale plays the protest era Dylan, 62', 63', 64'. THIS>>> WAS THE WORST PART! Every SECOND of Bale's performance was terrible. I'm a HUGE Christian Bale fan... HUGE. But this was a darn right TERRIBLE idea on Haynes' part. He's playing the most obnoxious Dylan impression ever. He sings all wrong. He plays all wrong. He lurks around when he walks and mumbles and talks fast. The worst part about his roll is that it's all set as a documentary. The scenes he's in are set as archive footage that is in the middle of a documentary about him. There's interviews with people including Julian Moore who's obviously playing Joan Baez because of her wittiness. She's saying the same things as Baez from No Direction Home. IT'S SO STUPID because they're re-enacting a documentary that everyone has seen. WHY!?!?!? The whole Christian Bale part is all stuff we've seen before...the union civil rights thing out in the field, the speech if front of the left wingers, the interviews. Neither the kid or him had a quarter of the balls in their singing as Dylan. I'm not saying they need to sound like him... i'm saying they should put out the message in the style he had... at leased. Why would Bale want to sing in that drony, mellow, pretty boy voice? You know he probably put a lot of thought into it.
Oh GOSH! and when he plays the "religious Dylan" it's so bad! It's a freakin joke!!! why would they do that?!! It's SO awful!

Cate Blanchett plays the mid 60's Dylan, 65' and 66. "The electric Dylan". Again, this part replays scenes from other documentaries. At least it's not played AS a documentary. It also changes things around a little. It does this annoying thing and tries to cram multiple events from documentaries into one scene. I'm telling ya, for a guy like me who's seen Don't Look Back, and No direction Home hundreds of times... it's nerve racking! Towards the end of the movie, it goes it's own direction. And during that time, i really enjoy watching it. It still looks black and white and grainy and looks like Don't look back but i'm seeing other things happening. Then Haynes starts throwing in other director influences like Fellini and Godard. French New Wave styles and abstract thoughts come flying at you in a long montage. It's get really good actually. Haynes explores the song MR JONES, using a character from Don't Look back and really dives into the lyrics of the song and throws in some amazing imagery!
Blanchett made me uncomfortable most of the time. She has boobs. I can see them. I've thought in the past that i would "DO" Bob Dylan if i had the chance, but now that Bob Dylan is a hot woman.... i'm a little turned off. It's weird seeing her walk around. And a one point she draws a mustache on her face and it gets even weirder.
Over all the Blanchett part was tolerable, annoying, and beautiful.

Ben Whishaw was my favorite of the Dylan impersonators. He was SOOO good. I've only seen him in the movie Perfume and he blew me away THEN. He's just really cool. I don't doubt for a second he's not a badass when i see him smoking a cigarette and resiting Dylan-esk thoughts. There's not much of him, but what there is... is great. I wish he had his one story. I bet Haynes regretted only having him do that one part once he saw how good he was and how BAD Bale was.


Heath Ledger plays a celebrity actor who meets a French panter played by Charlotte Gainsbourg representing Dylan and his family life in the 60's and 70's. This is no lie... for the last 2 years, my wife and i have casted who would play us in our true life story. It has always been Heath Ledger and Charlotte Gainsbourg. WE LOVE BOTH OF THEM!!! When we found out they were going to be husband and wife in a movie... and playing Dylan and Sara!!!!??? We freaked. i would have been more bummed about their part not being good more than any other. But let me tell ya..... was was not disappointed. I was awestruck! I was bug eyed, mouth open awestruck about how BEAUTIFUL their part was. It looked amazing. The acting was amazing. Haynes took the most interesting parts of Godard films to put them in there. He uses the most interesting background elements to portray thoughts. He uses media to tell the story, symbolically and literally. She was so cool... he was so cool. There was nothing stolen from any Dylan film. It was just based on Dylan's story. It was SO good. I wish Haynes could just make a movie about THEM.

And then there's Richard Gere playing old Dylan. Again... really good idea. He's a recluse. Seeming to be in the old west. Has a dog, a horse, and a shotgun. Lives in a shack. But the cool part about the story is he's Billy the kid in hiding. He used to be an outlaw and now he's just laying low out of the lime light. Really cool imagery and symbolism. However, it seems thrown together pretty terribly. He sets look like cardboard. The whole thing reminds me of the history channel, when there's a narrator talking about what happened to this guy in this one time and then it cuts to the guy wearing cheesy clothes and hes walking threw town and everyone in the town looks stupid and it's all obviously fake. I suppose it's supposed to look like that. It has a circus like feeling to it as does many parts of this movie. Dylan does refer the circus elements a lot in his book and in his songs. George Washington black face and a giraffe. Also a L.P. saying, "Good morning Mr Gladstone".

I really liked Gere's part. It had a lot of references in it. A lot of hidden messages. It also cuts back to the other characters showing his reflection on his past. It's really good and emotional.

Over all it's hard to say. There's stuff i really hate, and there's stuff i really like. However you really can't beat the soundtrack. Haynes must of had a hay day with every Dylan song at his fingertips. He DID chose just the right songs for the right moments.

So, if you're a Dylan fan, watch it for everything good i've written about. And if you're not a Dylan fan... you can watch it for all the strange director references. Or a little Dylan education. However you'll probably just be really confused.

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (5 STARS)

Woody Allen usually gets 5 stars. Woody Allen is America's greatest artist.

Hannah and her sisters follows follows the thoughts of 3 individuals, Eliot (Michael Caine), Mickey (Woody Allen), and Holly (Diane West). Eliot loves his wife Hannah (Mia Farrow *swoon*) but has fallen in love with her sister Lee (Barbra Hershey). Holly is a failed actress, who has a drug problem and has bad luck with men. Mickey was once married to Hannah, is a hypochondriac, and works in television. All these characters and many more are introduced and played out in the most fluent way. They all have depth and character. They all have dreams and aspirations.

What a great movie. One of Allen's many greats.

Hannah and her sisters was released in 86 after Purple rose of Cairo and before Radio Days.

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (2 STARS)

The scene she's referring to is really stupid.

An affair to remember is about to players engaged to be married to a rich other. On the boat ride home from abroad they meet and hit it off. Both draw media attention because of their social status and have to keep it secret. They promise to have a meeting on the empire state building when they get everything squared away. When he gets a job and gets rich on his own and when she breaks off of her dude and gets independent. I don't feel like going on....

I didn't like this movie. I don't know why i'm supposed to like it. It's about 2 rich spoiled brats who are getting married for the sole reason of money. They meet each other and fall in love, but that's not enough because they both want the money too. So they got to work that out first.

I suppose its a different time. A different class of people. I tell ya what though, i'd love to punch that guy real good. It'd be neat if i could punch them both with just one swing.

The only thing redeeming about An affair to remember is they reference it over and over in sleepless in Seattle. Which is a movie i easily tolerate.

THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE (3.5 STARS)

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Pedro Almodovar and his brother produced it. Guillermo Del Toro also directed Pans Labyrinth , Mimic, and Hellboy. Pedro Almodovar directed Talk to Her, Volver, All About my Mother, and Bad Education.

Like Pans Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone is about children living during the war. It's also about orphaned children dealing with a bad adult person.

This film is made by a guy who knows what he's doing. However, there's something i didn't like about it. There's something a little to predictable, and not scary enough.

Del Toro is set to direct The Hobbit, The hobbit 2, and out this summer is Hellboy 2.

CALVAIRE (4 STARS)

Calvaire (the ordeal) is a French film from 2004. It's about a good looking singer who is stranded in the woods when his van brakes down. He's taken to an inn where he meets interesting people.

I don't want to give anything away. Most of the fun is letting it all unfold, like most horror films of this nature.

I thought this movie was a grade A piece of work. The acting was amazing and raw. The camera work blew me away at times, and always looked incredible. The story was great, and was a lot of fun. It didn't take itself too seriously and didn't really clown around either.

The scene with the villagers was a personal favorite. If you're a horror film person and you have yet seen this shame on you. It's great.

Heres a youtube of the scene.

ROMAN HOLIDAY (5 STARS)

Powerful in it's simplicity. Cool before it's time. William Wyler directs, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck stars in this 1953 phenomenon. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including best actress won by Hepburn for her portrayal as the unhappy princess.

No, i've never seen this film. A little warning, there's going to be a lot more shockers along the way this year. I loved this and can't believe i've put it off so long. She's so cute. I believe this is only the second movie i've seen with her. This and Breakfast at Tiffany's. I'm proud to say i agree with the people in saying my wife looks like her. I think it's the eyes.

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (5 STARS)

The diving bell and the butterfly is a perfect film directed by Julian Schnabel. It's a true story about a successful editor who had a stroke paralyzing his whole body except for his left eyelid. Threw a translating method of blinking, he was able to write a book of memoirs called The diving bell and the butterfly.

The women in this film, especially the main translator, are drop dead gorgeous.

The film is shot mostly from his "closed-in prospective". It's both beautiful and horrifying the way it's shot. I thought the main actor was SO great. I don't know how he can make his face droop like that... and his one eye looks so unnatural and fitting to the situation. The music is neat, different, and inspiring.

Speaking of inspiring... if this doesn't make you want to make the most of life, i don't know what will. The idea of creating something great when the only form of communication is your eyelid is so profound and so inspiring, it makes you want to just kill yourself.

This is an absolute perfect movie. It's French and in subtitles and if that bothers you then you're probably reading the wrong film blog.

CRUMB (5 STARS)

Crumb is one of my all time favorite documentaries. It inspires me every time i see it. Why does it inspire me? I think it's because i relate to this guy who is now famous. He draws comics. He like old things like the early 1900's. The old black blues and jazz from the late 20's early 30's.

His take on modern society is so negative. His art is honest and unapologetic.

Crumb is directed by Terry Zwigoff. Who is he long time friend. This is his first film. He went on to direct Daniel Clowes' Ghost World and Art School Confidential.

Although this was filmed in 1993, it looks like it could have been made at any time. Other than when they go to the streets of Philly, you have no sense of when then movie was made.

Most of it is about him growing up, getting into comics, why he's weird about girls, and how he got to where he is now. It interviews his brothers and his mother, who are extremely weird. Even weirder than him.

The music throughout is mostly piano delta blues, straight off a 78. It really sets the perfect tone for the film.

I'd also like to add that his New Orleans Jazz Band "THE CHEEP SUIT SERENADERS", their myspace has me on their top 20 list. yeah.

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (3 STARS)

Raquel Welch (though not the main character but is all we care about) stars in the 1966 film ONE MILLION YEARS B.C.

It's about cavemen. There are different tribes that don't know about each other. The inland dark haired tribe, then the hot blondes on the beach. The story is kind of about the human race evolving into civilized people, trying to survive the giant stop animated creatures, and trying to survive from each other.

Raquel Welch is a babe.

It's interesting to compare the new 10000 years B.C. and this 1000000 years B.C.. I think this movie has a lot more to say in the human sense and in a political sense.

It's interesting to think that Godard's A woman is a woman came out in 66. The visual effects in One Million Years B.C. seem like they were made in the 40s.

It seems like the main stream was extremely behind the times in the 60's and a little into the 70's. The only memorable movies from that time were the independent ones.

INTO THE WILD (4 STARS)

This is another movie i walked into without paying at the theater. I sat in the back and throughly enjoyed myself. I had no problems with any of Sean Penn's decisions as a directer. And i really liked how the main character sort of had the right idea and sort of was out in left field and didn't have a clue all at the same time.

I watched it last night because my wife hadn't seen it and the nature and outdoorsiness and survival is all kind of her thing. I quickly found that she was not at all tolerable of his stupidity, and especially his sisters stupidity with all her whining about them having it rough when growing up. Haley was yelling at the TV, "Deal with it! 50% of everybody has had that exact same thing happen!" She didn't like how stupid the main kid was. I agree he wasn't thinking very rationally most of the time, but understood that kind of guy. The kind that has to go overboard and throw all conventions of thought out the window... holding nothing that you've ever known. Going overboard is the only way.

It looks beautiful. The music is great. The story is inspiring. If i was a famous critic it would be quoted on the cover of Chicago Tribune as saying, "A modern ON THE ROAD".

This is the first Sean Penn movie that i've like... the first that i haven't thought was extremely pretentious. This one boards that... but i think he's figured out how to make a good movie.

KING KONG (5 STARS)

What a movie. What a tragedy. Charles Grodin as the money grubbing bad guy, Jeff "the Dude" Bridges, and Jessica "hottest woman on Earth"Lange. It so much relates to today. Bridges is awesome, Grodin is hilarious, and Lange is so HOT! The special effects were B film at best. But the content is great on so many levels.

I love Bridges' character "JACK". He's so insightful, but not too insightful. He just has a lot of observational thoughts that are extremely intelligent.

This is my 1st time watching it. I loved every minute. It's a great movie.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (3.5 STARS)

Charlie Wilson's War, directed by Mike Nichols(the Graduate), starring Tom Hanks as Charlie Wilson, Julia Roberts as the 6th richest woman in Texas, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avacados, a CIA agent. Charlie Wilson is a heavy drinkin', womanizin', partyin', Texas Congressman who, with the help of the other 2, stop the soviets from invading Afghanistan, ending the reign of soviets once and for all. He lead America into the largest covert operation in U.S. history.

What they slightly set up in the end of the movie is that this ends up backfiring on American and starts all the problems in the middle east we're having now. So though it's a happy ending you're left with a bad feeling in your stomach thinking about what comes next in history.

Very smart and very witty dialogue throughout the film, along with interesting long flowing shots of people walking through several rooms or hallways while carrying out the dialogue.

My thumbs are up for Amy Ryan, Hanks, and Hoffman... all great.

Charlie Wilson mentions he had the 2nd most demerits at West Point of any Congressman. John McCain has the 1st most.

MARATHON MAN (4 STARS)

Marathon man (1976) is about a history student (Dustin Hoffman) who gets caught in a conspiracy of some sort involving Nazis and secret agents and diamonds.

I love the way the film is shot, very sharp and glarey. I love that old sound of people breathing and foot steps, and you can obviously tell it's all added (poorly) later. It's acted really well. The strange edits and close ups are interesting. The action is odd, seeming to be by someone who's never done action before.

In the opening scene theres a car chase. It's one of the coolest car chases i've seen. Those huge 70's hoopties raging threw New York are scary.

Very cool movie. I suggest watching it if you're okay with no having a clue what's going on for about an hour into the movie.

THIS IS ENGLAND (4.5 STARS)

2007 release that takes place in 1983 in Northern England. 12 year old boy Shawn, had recently lost his father in a war, gets picked on in school, and is an all around unhappy boy, gets taken in by a group of skinheads. Shawn is received with open arms to this loyal family environment of friends. He starts dressing like a skin and kids stop picking on him at school.

Theres to kinds of skinheads. Theres the good skins and the bad skins. Good skins like to have fun and brake things and they don't believe in racism, and bad skins like to have fun and brake things and they hate things and they are racist and they want the all immigrants to go back to where they came. This gang was the good kind until an old member comes back from prison with a new idea of what they should be spending their time doing, which splits the group in two and he convinces Shawn to join up with him.

It's a story about the loss of innocence. It's about how most of us grew up wanting to be apart of something.

I 100% relate to this film. I loved the whole thing. I love the music, the look of it, the era. The style of clothes and hair were exactly right.

No apologies, no holding back. The writer/directer was exactly that kid. The interview with him in the end was great. They asked him 2 questions and he managed to sum up everything about what it means to be skin and that era and everything it all meant. Led me to believe he was a genius. The commentary on the disc was fun... the kid, directer, and producer. They were all such good friends. I really like that the directer had obviously kept up with him over the past 2 years. Knew he had a paper route and a current girlfriend, and stuff like that. There was a lot of laughing.

MUTUAL APPRECIATION (4 STARS)

Alan moves to New York to plug himself into the music scene. He only knows a guy from somewhere else and the guy's girlfriend. He meets new people and gets a gig. He's awkward around people until he gets a little drunk then he's okay.

This film has all the right ideas. It's the closest thing to my ideal movie subject matter. It's filmed on a grainy stock and in black and white. It looks old, but sounds new. It's about a musician trying to make it in a new city. A lot of girls are currently interested in him because he's this new mysterious rocker guy.

I thought the concert in the movie was perfectly done. It was exactly realistic. The right amount of people, and they were doing and standing exactly like they would if not being filmed.

I really like the main guy Alan (played by Justin Rice). I was comfortable watching him even in the uncomfortable parts (which was most parts). The character he resembled was dead accurate...even if he is that person, it's still impressive. He's a none actor. Really... all of them are none actors.

It's an extremely independent film. It's in a style that is sometimes called "MUMBLE CORE"...because of they way everyone just mumbles everything...portraying somewhat how kids speak in real life. The director of this film Andrew Bujalski also plays the one friend he knows. HE is a really awkward and uncomfortable actor/guy. I think he's actually a good actor...just a terribly awkward dorky guy that i would hate to be around... and hate to watch him be around other people on screen. He also directed Funny Ha Ha which was really awkward and i don't remember if he's in it. And then he was in the new film Hannah takes the stairs ... awkward.

I like this movie.. but i really had big hopes for this story. Black and white, New York, new kid in town, musician. It's all the things i'd be into seeing in a movie, but this ended up being more about awkwardness, difficulty communicating, and that struggle to get by after college while still doing what you want to do.

Only watch this if you like extremely independent and new waved movies.

MUTUAL APPRECIATION


Then HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS


Then FUNNY HA HA

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (4.5 STARS)

Brothers, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawk (I know), need money. They come up with a plan to rob their own parents jewelery store. THINGS GO BAD.

Before the devil knows you're dead is directed by Sidney Lumet who directed 12 Angry Men in 1957 starring Henry Fonda, The Verdict starring Paul Newman, Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico starring Al Pacino. This movie is not the work of an 84 year old man... it's of a 28 year old man. There's so many risky, edgy, ideas in this mellow drama thriller.

I would definitely say this is one of the year's best films. I would say it's one of Lumet's best films, which is saying alot. I would say that Marisa Tomei has NEVER looked hotter. And i'd like to conclude with Philip Seymour Hoffman has never looked sexier having porn star sex with Marisa Tomei in the opening of the film.

LIONS FOR LAMBS (3.5 STARS)

Directed by Robert Redford. It's a political film showing 3 conversations that take place in the same hour. A Senator (Tom Cruise) and a reporter (Merle Streep). A Teacher (Redford) and his student. Then 2 former students of his who are currently in battle in the middle east.

I thought this film was, for the most part, well directed. A large majority of it is a quiet conversation. Using what he had, he did it very well. I consider him one of the pioneers of (Altman-esk)realistic conversations having done All the Presidents men and others like that where people talk over each other and have natural rhythms back and forth. That much of it, i thought he directed the film better than most. But then there's a few scenes with College kids. Theres a really terribly done scene in a college class room where everyone is saying really stupid sounding things. He's trying to get the lingo right and trying to make everyone real cool sounding. It came off awkward and totally unnatural. Especially having seen several good scenes with Cruise and Streep. Come to find in the commentary that Redford had rewritten several scenes himself...those scenes being the really bad ones.

The writer of this film, i thought, was great. While watching it, i was overwhelmed by his ability to cover all sides of the political views and still make a point with every side. It was extremely intelligently written.

Over all i thought it was good. A lot better than the critics get it credit for. I don't recommend it however. It's not worth your time. Watch something else instead.

WHITE CHICKS (3.5 STARS)

If you're into the Wayans brothers. This is a movie you can not pass by. It's really really fun. Directed by a Wayans and starring 2 Wayans, it's a classic, holding up to early Wayans work like I'm Gonna Get You Sucka and Don't Be A Menace.

I didn't like Little Man, this is not Little Man. This is good stuff. I laughed loud and hard. The Mcdonalds guy from The Longest Yard who's always making his pecks bounce is by far the funniest thing about this movie and he has just the right amount of screen time.

I'm not going to bother with the plot... All you need to know is 2 Wayans bothers are undercover cops dressed as famous white chicks. No one notices, not even the white chicks good friends. It takes a little imagination. But man... a lot of fun.

CLIFFORD (4 STARS)

Little Clifford (played by Martin Short) is a 10 year old boy who just wants to go to Dinosaurworld. And when his Uncle brakes his promise and is unable to take him this little terror shows that he's not someone to be messed with. Meanwhile Uncle Martin (played by Charles Grodin) is trying to juggle convincing his fiance that he likes kids, getting the specks down on his dream architect project, and trying to survive the wrath of Clifford.

Oh man what a funny movie. It's good for all ages. Martin Short is hilarious! Charles Grodin his great as always. And Mary Steenburgen is beautiful as always.

The critique i have is that it's exactly like all the movies like this. What about Bob, Heartbreak Kid, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Beethoven and all it's sequels, and a more recent THE EX.

It's just a conventional plot trick... Something get under one persons skin but doesn't bother anyone else... that person goes over the edge in the climax and then everything end kind of okay.

But in this film Martin Short is out right on the floor funny. With every facial expression and repetitious word out of his mouth.

TRUE LIES (4 STARS)

Directed by James Cameron (the Terminator), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator). Cameron directed Titanic 3 years after this and then called it quits. He's action film's John the baptist. Terminator was so ahead of it's time. Aliens what the best Alien. Titanic was one of the biggest movies ever. And True Lies is a whole heck of a lot of fun. He spared no explosions in making this none stop action film.

There's a lot of really good funny humor. Not your annoying witty guy but an actually funny sidekick played by Tom Arnold is constantly surprising me with funny things to say. Schwarzeneggar too is funny. Then theres Bill Paxton and Jamie Lee Curtis who's always been funny to me.

What a great movie. I'm glad i waited until now to finally see it. I can appreciate these types of movie more now.

I own 2 other copies on VHS if anyone is interested.

INNERSPACE (4 STARS)

Innerspace (great title by the way) is an action slapstick science fiction comedy about a science experiment gone bad. Tuck (played by Dennis Quaid) is miniaturized and is to be inserted into a bunny, that doesn't work out and he ends up in the butt of Jack (played by Martin Short), the hypochondriac who now knows FOR SURE that something is wrong with him when he starts feeling something inside of him and hearing a voice speak to him in his ear. There's a love interest on both accounts played by Meg Ryan, and she is as cute as ever. Looking like she just walked off the set of Joe vs the volcano, she warms my heart and makes me giggle like a school girl.

Martin Short is really funny. He uses a slapstick humor that no one these days can pull off. Watch this, then watch Clifford.

I saw this movie on TV when i was 12 or something. It looked so familiar the whole time. I've thought about this movie a lot. Theres a scene where Jack is flipping out and grabs a bottle of asprin and chugs it. And the kissing scene. And just the fact that a huge ship is inside someone cutting them up and swimming around in the blood stream.

Innerspace was directed by Joe Dante who directed the Gremlins movies. Since then, he's been doing random TV shows... but the Gremlins were awesome.

THE GOOD NIGHT (3.5 STARS)

The Good Night is Jake Paltrow's first feature length film. It stars Simon Pegg as the lead, along with (sister) Gweneth Paltrow, Danny DeVito, Penelope Cruz, and Martin Freeman. It's about addiction, but a not so harmful addiction...dreams.

An unhappy man played by Simon Pegg has an erotic type dream about a mysterious woman played by Penelope Cruz. Soon he finds himself covering the walls with sound padding and blacking out the room, reading dreaming books, taking dreaming classes, and experimenting with Elucid dreaming, so he can get the most out of these reoccuring dreams.

I related to a lot of this movie. Not only the marriage problems but the desire to dive into a new hobby head first, as unproductive as it seems, and become completely obsessed with it, and having it be an obvious escape for whatever is going on in my life I'm not comfortable with.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (4.5 STARS)

Lars and the real girl is about a guy named Lars who is weird and doesn't talk to people much, and then one day he has a new girl friend and he's suddenly quite talkative. His new girlfriend is an anatomically correct sex doll handicapped orphan missionary nurse from Brazil. The movie is much about how Lars' family and friends react to his new hottie girlfriend and him growing up a little and finding out what it means to be a man.

I really loved this film. I saw it the first time by sneaking into the theater after seeing Into The Wild. It was a really good day. I love the way it's shot. I love the place it's shot. The colors. There's a lot of thought that went into everything, like the clothes and the things in the house... the choices of wordings. You can really pull a lot out of it.

It was written by a first time film writer. She had been writing for TV for years but had never written a screenplay. This was her first attempt. I would think she's a genius going by this film... but I've heard a few interviews now... and i really don't like her. I can still like her movie though.

The key to this film (and also JUNO but we'll get into that next week) is the acting and the subtle directing choices, which has a lot to do with editing. About every moment in the film is very subtle and you're watching every facial movement. Humans are very keen on body language. Very hyper sensitive to it. It's a fine line directors have to walk along.

This film is good for most. It's not mainstream but it's only a tiny stretch for a mainstream only movie goer. It's a bazaar situation, but the reactions by the characters are so real and true to what anyone else would do in that position.

Don't go into it thinking it's a laugh out loud comedy (You may however laugh out loud at times). It's more of a bazaar plot that you can find the humor in.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (5 STARS)

Paul Thomas Anderson's 5th full length feature There Will Be Blood is quite possibly the greatest film made this decade. It redefines cinema. It's on an epic scale no film has begun to touch in years and years. No performance has ever been so RAVAGING as Daniel Day Lewis portraying Daniel Plainview, carrying the character with an unprecedented "larger than life" presence in every frame of this 158 minute epic.

Adapted from the 1927 novel OIL!, There will be blood covers a man working his way to the top in southwestern America in the early 1900's. In short, it's about oil and religion.


Further thoughts:

This is my second time watching it. I'm still left with fingernail marks in my hands from clinching my fists so tightly for the majority of the film. I'm left with a horrible migraine and horrible chest pains from the stress. Throughout the film, nothing could be happening, and you soon realize...you haven't been breathing. The movie just grips you! When something actually does happen, you don't know whats going on. You don't know why but you just don't know.(you can quote me on that).

There will be blood is a 5 act film that has no 4th act. It's not needed. Some say the 5th act is not needed, but if it didn't have the 5th act then I wouldn't be able to say that the end of There will be blood is my favorite ending ever. Which I CAN say.

I have no critiques.

Some advice for first time viewers. Try not to get stressed out. Watch it by yourself or maybe one other person who doesn't do much talking. Really sit and think about what it's really about. Don't read anything like this review or a trailer or youtube clip, it could ruin it for you... just go in cold. Don't listen to anything anyone says. If you haven't seen any other PT Anderson movies...do.

WALK HARD (4 STARS)

Again... I'm really liking this movie. I can see myself watching this more than your average Will Ferrel movie. I'm starting to think Tim Meadows is the best part of it. I find myself just waiting for Tim Meadows to come into scenes. My favorite section of the movie is the Brian Wilson era... however, by far the funniest scene is the "reefer" scene. Here's the youtube.