The past week was filled with flicks and books, so I figured I would take a little time to write about some of the glorious entertainment I've taken in over the past seven days.
Oh, and there's a mild spoiler alert needed, I guess. Nothing like finding out Vader was Luke's father--oh, you didn't know that?!
MOVIES:
Zack and Miri Make a Porno: The first part of that title, Zack and Miri? Not too bad of a movie. A little on the vulgar side. I mean, am I just getting older, or does the constant use of the words f*#k and c*#k just seem like lazy writing? Regardless, the two main characters are likable, and really, who wouldn't want Elizabeth Banks as a roommate/best friend? But when they get to the Porno part of the title? The film goes down the proverbial tube. Kevin Smith is a talented filmmaker, with an ear for dialogue, but his style of comedy has become sorely dated, and it's high time he made a mature movie about growing up. Come on, Kev, I know you have it in you.Also, I really don't think he'll ever film anything more powerful than Affleck's proclamation of love in the rain and the hockey arena parking lot fight in Chasing Amy. Sure, they are a product of their time, but damn did they have gravity.
Burn After Reading: Seeing this movie will no doubt bring with it an entirely different blog entry about the cost of the movie theater experience. Jen and I went to the Riverview Theater to see this flick. The Riverview is a local second-run theater where you can splurge on popcorn, soda, and Dots (yep, those fiends again) for a total of SIX DOLLARS. SIX! DOLLARS! I KNOW!As for the movie, it was vastly different than the Coen's last flick, No Country. But their movies are like pizza, in that even when they're bland, they're still better than most other films. Burn lacked the emotional wallop of their other screwball crime flicks, most notably Fargo. It just felt a little hollow, which, I guess, was partially the point. But damn Richard Jenkins is one helluva fine actor. Love that guy.
By the by, is that not the greatest poster you've seen in a long while?
Quantum of Solace: Let's get it out of the way: I loved it. Daniel Craig is the Bond Ian Fleming wrote about. The movie's a little sparse on plot, and with reason. Bond follows flimsy lead after flimsy lead until he's smack dab in the middle of something far greater than he ever expected. The action scenes are frantic and choppy (thank you, Jason Bourne!), which made it hard to follow. And really, how many vehicles can one guy get into a chase with in two hours running time? Let's count: car, boat, motorcycle, plane... unicycle--okay, I threw that in there. But there was nary a pane of glass unshattered, nor a face unbloodied. Including Bond. Which is what makes the new flicks so good. This is a down and dirty Bond, not the quippy Grandpa Bond of Roger Moore, or the outlandishly horny Bond of Connery. From the minute Craig battered that guy's face with a urinal in the opening scene of Casino Royale, you knew this Bond was different.Solace felt like the second act of something far bigger. By introducing QUANTUM, a fiendish organization with agents around the globe, the film leads us to believe there is a greater plan. The scene in the opera house, where Bond discovers just how far-stretching QUANTUM's control has become is great. And with villainous names like Greene, Slate, and White, is it only a matter of time before we re-discover a man named Gold? There's a moment in Solace that leads me to believe that could very well be the case.
Death-Defying Acts: We rented this flick, which slipped under my radar. Not too bad, a little ho-hum as far as the storytelling goes. The reason to watch is Guy Pearce as Harry Houdini. I'm a sucker for all things Houdini, and Pearce plays him fantastically.BOOKS:
Just After Sunset by Stephen King: I wrote about this earlier, and about how I was going to have my nose buried in it as soon as I bought it. Well, I think we may have found the reason this blog hasn't been updated since the day it hit shelves! I'm about half way through, and I just read a powerful story called "The Things They Left Behind". It's about a 9/11 survivor, and while I've balked at reading or viewing much of the pop culture media about that day (because it makes me want to judo chop guys like the capitalizing Toby Keith in the neck), this story hit me hard. It's a delicate reminder of the fragility of life, and about the impact we leave on others after we're gone. More about this book soon, I'm sure.
Fables: Sometime last summer, I discovered this crazy thing. You can go to the library, take books home with you...AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY! How crazy is that?! Well, since that amazing discovery, I've become a library glutton, and have read a slew of books and graphic novels (the insider's way of saying 'comic books'). It's given me a chance to try a series or two I've neglected. Fables is one of those. I'd always see it on the shelf and think, " maybe one day I'll read that book." In the past month and a half, I've plowed through eight of the first ten graphic novels, savoring every panel. Fables is the story about how our childhood fairy tale characters were banished from their world by an evil 'Adversary', only to find a home in New York. They have their own hierarchy - King Cole is the Mayor, Snow White his second in command, and my personal fave, Bigby Wolf (get it? Big B. Wolf!) is the sheriff. It's a wide open canvas to paint old characters in a new light. Great stuff.All right, well this kind of got a little out of hand. Sorry about that. I guess it makes up for a week's absence, huh?
Thanks for reading...all five of you!
Until next time,
B
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