2005 Screening Log

[littlefuzzy]

I went to a friend's house for a marathon friday night, and we watched:
Bubba-Hotep
Shaun of the Dead
Magical Play (anime)

Earlier this year, I watched By Brakhage: An Anthology (Criterion.)

[Prince Eric]

January 14, 2004

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This is the most original and innovative movie I have seen in a long while! Definately something to mull over. Do I think it's worth the hoopla film fanatics have been pouring on it? Not quite. As far as 2004 goes, I'll side with the third small movie of the year - Before Sunset. If I hadn't done my year in review so early, this would definately have been in my Best Picture Picks, but like I said, I don't feel that strongly that I would go back and re-write anything. I love Kate Winslet, and, oh, that gorgeous hair! Why won't I ever meet a wonderful girl like Clementine>?!?>

For the record, I hate Jim Carrey...and Ben Stiller...and Adam Sandler...and all the looser comedians out there, but Jim so totally won me over in this one. I dare say, he deserves an Oscar! (Well, at least a nomination. )

[Prince Eric]

January 16, 2005

Charlotte Sometimes

It's very refreshing to see a total Asian American cast, speaking English no less! Very earthy, raw first feature. Jacquelyn Kim is a revelation and deserves some higher profile roles.
Grade: B+

[Prince Eric]

It seems I've made an error guys. The past few posts, I put last year for the date. Move them up a month/year, and you got the real dates. Sorry about that!

January 14, 2005
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - SPLENDED

January 16, 2005
Charlotte Sometimes

January 18, 2005
Dogville

January 21, 2005
Sideways

[2099net]

Hey Eric, have I missed something? You don't seem to have reported on Dogville. I'm very curious as to what you think!

[Just Myself]

Yeah, and you didn't comment on Sideways either...

Fat Albert
Okay, I admit, I've never seen the cartoon once in my life. If I had, I probably would have liked the movie more than I did. Yet it was still once of those silly movies that make you chuckle because of it's sillyness. How could I summurize... Good 'Stupid Comedy'.

Fat Albert B-

[Prince Eric]

Wow, I'm so glad people want to know my opinion! I feel so special!

Anyway...

Dogville
Extremely sadistic in its cruelty and torture. This is another showcase for Nicole Kidman, and the whole village gives a great ensemble performance. (Patricia Clarkson, probably the greatest living character actress, Lauren Bacall, and Chloe Sevigny are stand-outs.) Basically, Nicole's character stumbles along a remote town who welcomes her, then turns against her savagely. The final scene is probably one of the most violent of the year. Watching a mother forced to see her children shot in front of her, then shot herself, is truly disturbing. It's not a senseless act of violence, you have to sit through the first three hours first. It's incredibly long, but interesting. The set design is also freaky. It's basically a floor plan with invisible walls, and the furniture in humans are the only tangible things. They characters even mime when their opening doors! FYI: Director Lars Von Trier is totally anti-American and this is supposed to show how Americans are merciless and greedy beings not worthy of life. Divisive and strange, it's sure to polarize viewers, but it's still a satisfying viewing feature. Grade: A-

Sideways
Funny, funny, funny...but entirely overrated. I understand that this was an adult comedy, but some areas bordered on pornography. Was male nudity totally necessary? The screenplay was really nice, and the actors were fabulous. Except Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, and Virgina Madsen to hear their names called on Oscar nomination morning. Why Sandra Oh will be snubbed, I don't know, because she's equally fabulous. Really good movie, but not the best of the year. Grade: B+

[2099net]

Dogville

...

FYI: Director Lars Von Trier is totally anti-American and this is supposed to show how Americans are merciless and greedy beings not worthy of life. Divisive and strange, it's sure to polarize viewers, but it's still a satisfying viewing feature. Grade: A-

I hear this a lot, especially in relation to Dogville. This is mainly "confimed" by his choice of presentation of the closing credits. But I disagree. He has made lots of films not set in America which have the same themes and concepts. He's just making films about the human condition, and it could of been set anywhere. I think he only set Dogville in America because he cast Nicole Kidman and wanted to make a film that would appeal more to Americans. And he failed Even when he made a film set in America and starring American and English speaking actors it still only showed on 72 screens in America.

Now, if you said Lars Von Trier was a misogynist, you would be onto something. Most of his productions seem to involve a woman suffering great hardships.

Sideways

...

The screenplay was really nice, and the actors were fabulous. Except Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, and Virgina Madsen to hear their names called on Oscar nomination morning.

What, Giamatti gave a poor performance? I didn't know such a thing was possible

[Jack]

Except Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, and Virgina Madsen to hear their names called on Oscar nomination morning.

What, Giamatti gave a poor performance? I didn't know such a thing was possible

I'm sure he meant "expect", Guvnah. Come, come, now, I thought you would've figured that one out. What would Dina think?

[Prince Eric]

Forgot a movie I saw last week:

January 17, 2005
In Good Company
A good follow up to 2002's BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR, About a Boy, but the director/screenwriter didn't achieve the same witty product. Oh, well, Dennis Quaid is always a joy to watch, as is Scarlet Johansson. I don't know what the hoopla is over Topher Grace. He's a good actor, but he really gets on my nerves with his cheeky smirk. Grade:B

[Prince Eric]

January 21, 2004

Lovely & Amazing
You know, I will never understand how My Big Fat Greek Wedding got an Original Screenplay nomination and Lovely & Amazing didn't. The former was a funny sitcom, the later was a GREAT MOVIE. Of course, in retrospect, the Academy got their share of heat for that nominations, but unfortunately the action came to late. As a result, we probably won't be seeing ethnic and/or domestic comedies of any kind nominated for writing anymore, which is really sad, because scripts like Bend It Like Beckham should be represented. Anyway, this film about a trio of females and their nerosous is acidly funny. The dialogue is brutally harsh, and even offensive, but it raises serious questions about self-image and self-worth, and losts of -selfs in general. Catherine Keener, Emily Mortimer, Raven Goodwin, and Brenda Blethyn make up the best acting ensemble of 2002. (The first three landed Independent Spirit Award nominations for their work - lead, supporting (win), and debut performance (lost to undeserving Vardolos), respectively.)

[Prince Eric]

February 4, 2005

Friday Night Lights
My mini-review was erased in the historic hacking of 4/6/2005, so a B+ will have to suffice.

[Disney Guru]

I recently saw

High Society
A Majority Of One
Rhapsody

and a few others I don't remember lol

[AwallaceUNC]

Fear not, Prince Eric! Your mini-review, and other posts, are here:

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Prince Eric
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject:

February 4, 2005

Friday Night Lights
I'm not a sports fan. I'm not a fan of sports movies, but I really liked Friday Night Lights! Billy Bob Thorton is one of THE greatest actors living. He's just so suave. The screenplay was shrewdly adapted from the novel, lost of great colloquial dialogue. The editing gave it a feel of an independent/documentary piece. Oh, yeah, and my homeboy Jay Hernandez is in it, how cool is that? Grade: B+


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RJKD23
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:11 pm Post subject:

The Grudge
Grade: B

Though I am not a huge fan of horror movies, I'll admit that this movie was actually good...in some parts. Even if the "scary scenes" were easily predictable (at least for me they were), the story line was actually interesting. At first I didn't think Sarah Michelle Gellar would fit the role in this movie, but she did turn out okay.

If you're a fan of horror, you'd probably think "pfft, eh" on this movie; I, however, am not a fan of horror, but I was able to sit through the movie and watch the suspense. If you watched The Ring, you'd notice some similarities with this movie (you think there's a connection in ALL Japanese movies?).

I give it a B: not the greatest, but not the worst.
And you can't miss a scene, because you'd just get confused.
(Last edited by RJKD23 on Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:18 pm; edited 1 time in total)


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RJKD23
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:18 pm Post subject:

Pooh's Heffalump Movie (early screening on Feb. 5)
Grade: A-

I am most definitely pleased with Disney's decision to release an animated movie which turned out to be enjoyable, touching, funny at times, and delightful!

In this movie, nothing ever drags; it doesn't start off slow paced, nor does it end off fast paced. The timing was good and so was the storyline. I think that it should have been called "Roo's Heffalump Movie" rather than "Pooh's" (The plot summary on IMDB and other website will tell you why therefore I have not spoiled the movie!)

I think this would be a great movie for parents and kids; but even as a teenager, I did find this movie to be entertaining and touching! (Yes, I am so sensitive and emotional, there was a time in the theatre were I had to grab a tissue! )

I gave this an A- for its good songs, interesting story, and great animation. And yes, it is definitely a must-see! It's Heffagreat!

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[RJKD23]

Thanks for restoring the posts, Aaron!
They took forever to type

[Prince Eric]

Thanks! I appreciated that, you're a lifesaver!

[Prince Eric]

February 12, 2005

Bride and Prejudice
I am still getting over the Oscar snub for Gurinder Chadha's brilliant domestic script for Bend It Like Beckham. Oh, well, the movie boasts a Golden Globe BEST PICTURE -COMEDY/MUSICAL nominations. Anyhow, this musical about adapted from Jane Austen Bride & Prejudice is a great fun entertainment. If people say it's a huge cliche, need I remember that most of the musicals of the 60's-70's were huge cliches and formulaic plots? If anything, this film pays homage to those great masterpieces. Set in India, London, and Lost Angeles, it looks at the difficulty of interracial marriages. It's an examination of class struggle, racisim, and femininity. All while keeping with the fun. Personally, I think Bend It Like Beckham is still Gurinder Chadha's crown jewel, and will be regarded as a classic gem in the future, but this is still a hugely entertaining effort. Grade: A

[Prince Eric]

February 17, 2005

Million Dollar Baby
I like it. I really do. It's a boxing drama about an underdog turned champion. Typical sports movie, but with a twist: It's a tragedy. I really liked the lighted, staging, and cinematography, all dark tones which added to the richness of the story. I think the final thirty minutes were pretty anti-climactic. The acting was a mixed bag: Morgan Freeman shines as always, Clint Eastwood is solid (but him nominating him over Paul Giamatti just plain silly), and Hilary Swank gives the year's most overrated performances. It was pretty one-dimensional. So what if she had to undergo intense physical training for the role? Big deal. The physical dilemma is an everyday thing for an actor. It's the mental and emotional stuff that should win awards. In her case, Maggie was just a lonesome pup trying to find her way in the world, and what do you know? She does...eventually. You can't even put her in the same league as the other actresses in the category in terms of role complexity. Of the five Best Picture nominess, I rank Clint Eastood's opus fourth. Grade: A-

February 16, 2005

De-Lovely
Not a bad movie at all. The last half is incredibly slow, partialy because the songs start to slowly trickle out of the piece. All that's needed to know is that Cole Porter is a master of musical theater, his songs are timeless, and the costumes in this movie are truly beautiful. Did I mention Keven Kline and Ashley Judd redeem themselves of all their past follies by delivering knock-out performances here? Grade: B+

[Prince Eric]

February 19, 2005

Ray
I don't know if it's the music, but I'm growing to love this film more and more everday! Definately 2004's Best Musical. (I know it's not a musical per se, but the Golden Globes nominated it in the Comedy/Musical category, and it's surely not a comedy, so... .) Cinemtagrophy and Costumes are stunning. I am still surprised that none of the supporting women never made an impact in the Oscar race. A case could be made for all five of them, four if you count Kerry Washington as a lead. If I had to choose, I would have to make my choice from either the fiesty Regina King or the theatrical Sharron Warron. This was the latter's film debut and it earned her a few much-deserved awards, including Best Supporting Actress from the Boston Film Critics Circle Awards. (Tied with Laura Dern, for We Don't Live Here ANymore, A film I have yet to see.) In case someone is wondering, Sharron plays Ray's mother in the flashback sequences.

[Prince Eric]

February 23, 2005

Lost in Translation
I love truly original screenplays. I think they're the hardest to film and the characters are the hardest to embody on film. Scarlet Johanssen was snubbed! I'd even make a case for Anna Faris who was in the movie all for 10 minutes! This character study chronicles a short week in the lives of two Americans - both lost, looking for something better in life. I don't think Bill Murray was all that, I mean there wasn't enough dialogue coming from him to substantiate his character, but oh, well. Great movie. Grade: A-