chuma.org

Category: movies

  • Movie roundup

    We’ve been slowly catching up on some outstanding movie watching.

    • Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – A pretty funny, quite quirky Hollywood murder-mystery. Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer take turns trying to steal the show from each other. They’re both quite excellent in this flick, which kept me laughing throughout.
    • Everything is Illuminated – 10 out of 10. This was a frickin’ awesome film, a seriously good story that only comes around once in a while. I especially enjoyed the ‘premium’ Ukranian-English translations, and the very nice Eastern European scenery (it was shot on location in the Czech Republic).
    • Underworld Evolution – Just as good as the first one, if you enjoyed it. It picks up immediately after the first film and gives you more of the same, and a little more. Plus, come on, who doesn’t want to see Kate Beckinsdale in skin-tight leather all the time?

  • Movies Watched:

    • The Transporter 2 — I’m so glad I sat down expecting absolutely nothing from this movie, because all I got was a 90 minute gunfight and car chase. Wheee! Lots of comments along the lines of “geez, is she ever going to put some clothes on?” abounded. They actually put pants on the woman on the poster, but she doesn’t actualy wear pants, in the entire movie.

    • Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride — It is a beautiful film. It’s playing at the Paramount in Toronto this week only, and when it goes into general release this Friday you should see it! We were hoping that it would be a musical and though there are 4 or 5 musical numbers, there’s a good deal without. Definately a cut above even Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. This time around there is a lot more fancy camera work and shots being done – 360° rotations, “crane” style shots, as well as interesting contrasts and perspective being used very well.

    Still have quite a few things in the movie queue to watch, including Hooligans and March of the Penguins.

    New Franz Ferdinand — well, you know, it’s not exactly released yet, but, you know, I have obtained it. And just like their first album, we both had to listen to it through about three or four times before finally getting it. It will probably be permanently installed in the car for a while.

  • OMG I finally found this again!

    A looooong time ago I was browsing the IMDB randomly and came across an entry for a director – except it wasn’t a director, but rather a pseudonym that was used when a film had been hacked by the producer/studio/whoever so badly that the director refused to be credited for the final product.

    However, I forgot where the entry was.

    Ever since then I’ve been searching for it, mostly so I could prove it to Sandy. And I just stumbled across it again, so now I’m linking to it, dammit!

    The pseudonym is Alan Smithee.

    However, after the film An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was made in 1997, the Director’s Guild decided that the name had been exposed and overused. It was replaced by Thomas Lee. The IMDB doesn’t have a direct page for this name though.

    So there. I’m going to do my chores now.

  • Go Team America!

    Been busy. Just remembered that I have a website.

    Sandy and I have been watching Alias on DVD. We’re hooked. It’s an excellent excellent show. We’re almost done watching season 1 and I don’t think I’ve seen a bad episode (except for the clip show).

    Tonight we’re going to see Team America: World Police. Can’t wait.

    Listening to Cake’s new album, Pressure Chief. It’s good. I like the first track, Wheels.

    I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night so I’m going to have a nap now.

  • TO movie shoots

    I just noticed this news item over at CBC Toronto, about how a large part of Toronto has been turned into 1930s USA.

    On the weekend Sandy and I were downtown and a facade on Richmond St downtown had a big overhand attached to it, with garish neon letters and a marquee. The sign said “MADISON SQUARE GARDENS”. I kicked myself for not having my camera on me! Apparently it was for this same movie the article talks about.

    I love seeing New York type things popping up in Toronto. The yellow cabs are a dead giveaway: if you see a yellow cab in Toronto, there’s a movie shoot nearby. Toronto has no cabs that are actually painted yellow.

  • We did manage to watch Secret Window. It was… alright. Not excellent. Not garbage either though.

    Watched the first episode of season 8 of South Park last night. It was brutal to watch. Somehow they manage to keep pushing the envelope of taste. It was just painful, painful to watch. On the other hand, the episode “Christmas in Canada” last season was bloody brilliant.