tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99699372011-04-21T22:52:13.697-05:00Welcome to my movie blog. This is where I rant and rave about all the films I watch, good or bad. If you want to be added to my Netflix "friends" list, email me.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.comBlogger2741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1128343398041556342005-10-03T07:39:00.000-05:002005-10-03T07:43:18.060-05:00

This blog has moved! Check out www.ethanclapham.com! All new reviews will be posted there, plus all sorts of other fun stuff. Visit it, bookmark it, and check back often for more reviews.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1128097298025400822005-09-30T11:09:00.000-05:002005-09-30T11:21:38.056-05:00

With Into the Blue opening today, I thought it might be fun to pose the following question: who is the worst-acting yet best-looking actress ever? Which actresses can't act their way out of a paper bag, yet keep getting work based solely on their looks? Who's the worst historically, and who's the worst still working today? Only answers about females, please. I don't want to hear about how hot

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1128085876051776882005-09-30T07:21:00.000-05:002005-09-30T08:11:16.080-05:00

9.29.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C+Audio: C+Video: BAfter seeing the recent Dawn of the Dead remake and Romero's original Night of the Living Dead, I figured it was time to see what many consider the best zombie movie ever made. I'm not so sure if I agree with that, but I can certainly understand why some people might have that opinion.The movie follows four people, two police officers,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127926594690528692005-09-28T09:55:00.000-05:002005-09-28T11:56:34.736-05:00

9.27.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C-Audio: A-Video: A-With the success Pixar has seen, I can't blame every other studio for trying to emulate them. I just wish someone could come close to besting Pixar. Not because I want to see Pixar dethroned, if you will, but because, if every studio turned out computer animated blockbusters like Pixar, we'd have more outstanding movies to watch. Alas,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127832733103339132005-09-28T09:25:00.000-05:002005-09-28T09:27:50.133-05:00

9.26.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: A-Video: BThe Coen brothers must be geniuses. How else could they come together to create films as unique as O Brother, Where Art Thou? Of course, the plot is based on Homer's The Odyssey, but past that it's all Coen brothers, all the way. Is O Brother, Where Art Thou? their best film? No, not by a long shot. But even their worst efforts beat out many film

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127839923642245582005-09-27T11:14:00.000-05:002005-09-27T11:52:03.660-05:00

The net's abuzz with new info on the villains in Spider-Man 3. Well, it's not really new news, since these rumors starting flying a few months ago. But, according to this blurb at Coming Soon!, Kirsten Dunst has confirmed the line-up: Thomas Haden Church as Sandman and Topher Grace as Venom.I love Spider-Man. I grew up reading his books, and The Amazing Spider-Man is easily my all-time favorite

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127828417435126632005-09-27T08:11:00.000-05:002005-09-27T09:02:44.716-05:00

9.25.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A+Audio: AVideo: AI have to admit, I was blown away by Ben-Hur. A nearly-4-hour-long biblical epic starring Charlton Heston (I'm not his biggest fan)? No thanks, I thought. I was expecting this film to be slow, boring, and tedious. But there's a reason that many people consider it the best movie ever filmed. In fact, there's several reasons.The story

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127753357025556092005-09-26T11:10:00.000-05:002005-09-26T11:49:17.050-05:00

9.24.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A+Audio: B+Video: B-Memento: if you've seen it, we could talk about it for hours; if you haven't seen it, I don't want to say anything about it in fear of ruining it for you. Seriously, if you haven't seen Memento yet, I suggest you make every effort to see the film as soon as possible. It can easily be called "one of the best movies ever made."Everything about the film

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127750987506723322005-09-26T10:12:00.000-05:002005-09-26T11:09:47.536-05:00

9.23.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: C+Video: C+Dead Alive, also known as Braindead everywhere but the US, is one of Peter Jackson's earlier films. He took a very low budget and created what may be the goriest film of all time. I have never seen so much blood in a movie. Yes, it has more blood than Kill Bill Vol. 1. A lot more. It also features rat monkeys, zombies, zombies having

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127481456355544422005-09-23T06:52:00.000-05:002005-09-23T08:17:36.523-05:00

9.22.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: D+Audio: BVideo: CI've read a lot of good things about The French Connection. It seems like everyone loves it, and the film is consistently hailed as one of the best cop dramas ever. Let me be blunt: it is not one of the best cop dramas ever.We'll start with what is simultaneously a strength and a weakness: the story and script. The French Connection's

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127475991221772952005-09-23T06:40:00.000-05:002005-09-23T06:46:31.246-05:00

Many of us have been waiting for this, and finally our patience is going to pay off. On January 3rd, New Line will release a Dumb and Dumber Platinum Series. The cut is six minutes longer and unrated, and the DVD will also include deleted scenes and a retrospective documentary.Big gulps, huh? Well, see ya later!

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127393886636322182005-09-22T07:19:00.000-05:002005-09-22T07:58:06.663-05:00

9.20.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C+Audio: B+Video: B-I've never been a huge fan of sports movies. Some are enjoyable, to an extent, but I never see any replay value in them. I mean, once I've seen one football game, I've seen them all. There's a few exceptions, but I find this to hold pretty true. In order for me to truly enjoy a sports movie, there has to be a lot more to the story than

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127310356694170122005-09-21T08:42:00.000-05:002005-09-21T08:45:56.700-05:00

9.18.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A-Audio: A-Video: B+Another cut and paste. What can I say, I'm lazy... I enjoyed it just as much the second time around, and I'm hard-pressed to find something to complain about. Other than the stereotypical characters across the board, Hostage is great.As the title implies, Hostage is about, well, hostages. Bruce Willis's character, previously a hostage negotiator

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127310013480664192005-09-21T07:37:00.000-05:002005-09-21T08:40:13.523-05:00

9.18.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: B-Video: C-War movies are a dime a dozen, and most of them don't stand out. Occasionally, one does stand out, and it usually makes a lasting impression in those who watch it. A Bridge Too Far does just that, at least in this viewer's case.The first thing I noticed was the scale of the movie. A Bridge Too Far is epic in nearly every sense of the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127145440431749572005-09-19T10:48:00.000-05:002005-09-19T10:57:20.433-05:00

9.17.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A-Audio: BVideo: C+Going back and re-reading my review of Sideways from April, my opinion of the movie remains unchanged. However, I think I may have been a bit harsh on the video transfer. While it's not the best looking DVD ever produced, it deserves a higher rating than a C-. So, this review reflects my changed opinion and the video is now rated C+.Sideways was

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127144780959914822005-09-19T08:57:00.000-05:002005-09-19T10:46:21.173-05:00

9.17.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B+Audio: CVideo: CWhen people say that every shot in Shane is composed like a painting, they aren't kidding. If Shane is nothing else, it is at least a beautifully shot film. Of course, with the Tetons as your backdrop, it's hard to make an ugly movie. Combine the sweeping vistas and jaw-dropping scenery with a classic "good versus evil" story, some

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127137375454001072005-09-19T06:59:00.000-05:002005-09-19T08:44:27.426-05:00

9.16.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: A-Video: B-In my original review, I said that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "didn't capture the magic of Douglas Adams' book. It tried, and tried valiantly, but in the end it failed." I still believe this is true, but maybe to a lesser extent. After all, Douglas Adams himself worked on the screenplay. Every iteration of H2G2 is a little different: the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1127131108674066462005-09-19T06:51:00.000-05:002005-09-19T08:44:11.480-05:00

9.15.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A+Audio: B-Video: C+I realize this is the easy way out, but I've already written about Aliens. It's common knowledge that Aliens is my favorite movie of all time, and possibly the greatest film ever made. A lot of people may disagree with me, and they're entitled to their own opinions, but they're wrong. It's just that simple. Well, in the interest of time and effort,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126802136677358322005-09-15T09:59:00.000-05:002005-09-15T13:13:31.880-05:00

9.14.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: DAudio: CVideo: C+I'm learning (the hard way) that when a movie sits on the shelf for years without a release of any kind for what seems like no reason, there normally is a reason. More often than not, it's because the movie sucks. Prozac Nation is a good example of this. Filmed in 2000, it was prepped for a 2001 release, but delayed for several reasons.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126795132805222932005-09-15T09:09:00.000-05:002005-09-15T09:38:52.823-05:00

9.13.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C+Audio: C+Video: DOut of all the musicals I've watched recently, An American in Paris has been my favorite. After watching the others, I've logged on and typed up scathing reviews. Films like West Side Story make me feel emotionally violent and physically ill. But, An American in Paris was different. In fact, it bordered on outstanding. How can it be so

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126786822068283272005-09-15T07:14:00.000-05:002005-09-15T07:20:22.080-05:00

Do I even need to say anything? First, I want to warn anyone who hasn't seen this sorry excuse for a movie. It sucks. Big time.Do we really need an extended cut of this crap? Really, in case it's original running length didn't quite give you enough time to cut completely through all the connective tissue in your wrists as you slit them, now you'll be able to saw your hands off completely!Maybe

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126723824617208822005-09-14T11:30:00.000-05:002005-09-14T13:50:24.636-05:00

9.12.2005DVD (owned)Movie: AAudio: BVideo: BPaul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite directors currently working in Hollywood. His films come alive with his constantly moving camera work and his varied characters. There are a handful of actors that Anderson frequently casts, and he always seems to know exactly what part they'd fit. His stories are always original: funny, heart-braking,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126715336948336132005-09-14T06:56:00.000-05:002005-09-14T13:52:45.000-05:00

9.10.2005First viewingTheaterMovie: C+Movies like Transporter 2 are tough to review. For every good moment, for every second of inspired action, there was an equally bad moment immediately following. This creates something of a paradox: as much as I enjoyed watching Transporter 2, the movie was terrible. How do you rate something like that? In my eyes, the overall, pure enjoyment is what matters

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126419063819847232005-09-11T01:10:00.000-05:002005-09-11T01:11:03.833-05:00

There goes more of my hard earnered money...

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126269852272559692005-09-09T07:35:00.000-05:002005-09-09T07:44:12.286-05:00

Venom - Topher GraceSandman - Thomas Haden ChurchJames Franco - HobgoblinI haven't posted about this yet because it seems like nothing more than worthless rumors. People have been speculating for months now, as I've previously posted. But this one seems off the charts. I mean, Topher Grace as Venom. Come on, Eddie Brock was big to start out, and Venom is huge! Topher Grace is not the man. Thomas

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126187010306162152005-09-08T07:29:00.000-05:002005-09-08T08:43:30.363-05:00

9.7.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: AAudio: B+Video: BWhen Crash first arrived in theaters, it caused something of a stir. Written and directed by Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby scribe Paul Haggis, Crash is a very personal film. It had no major studio backing until the film was screened at a Canadian film festival and Lions Gate Films bought the distribution rights. The stars, and there's

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126099963665083182005-09-07T08:01:00.000-05:002005-09-07T08:32:43.683-05:00

9.6.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C-Audio: C-Video: D+While Network instantly dates itself with the costumes and hairstyles, the film itself is surprisingly relevant. The story follows a news anchor who, after finding out that he will be losing his job, announces that he will kill himself on-air. The ratings shoot through the roof, and the network decides to keep the anchor on the air,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126098008359108292005-09-07T07:13:00.000-05:002005-09-07T08:00:09.363-05:00

9.5.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B-Audio: A+Video: B+Jurassic Park blew everyone away. Spielberg's direction coupled with some never-before-seen special effects made for a terrifying and exciting dinosaur adventure. It was obvious a sequel was imminent. Along came The Lost World: Jurassic Park. From the overly long and boring beginning to the unsatisfying climax, it failed. People flocked to theaters

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1126095180624359442005-09-07T07:03:00.000-05:002005-09-07T07:13:00.640-05:00

...because they're getting ready to take a dump on the movie-going public. According to this news piece, Marvel has lined up 10 movies and is going to "commission a lot of scripts and start the race to see which move quickest through development." Yeah, that sounds like a great plan guys. Good thinking.I haven't even heard of most of these characters. Just because Spider-Man and X-Men have done

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125665684554666482005-09-02T07:14:00.000-05:002005-09-02T07:54:44.563-05:00

9.1.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: B-Video: BA Dirty Shame is a John Waters film. Isn't that all that needs to be said? It's every bit as offensive, crude, vile, disgusting, and disturbing as you might expect it to be. It's also hilarious, unless, of course, you're a "neuter." A Dirty Shame chronicles the decline into indecency of one neighborhood in Baltimore. The sex-addicts,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125663258094014882005-09-02T06:41:00.000-05:002005-09-02T07:14:18.126-05:00

8.31.2005DVD (owned)Movie: BAudio: C+Video: B-Super Troopers was the first movie by the Broken Lizard comedy team to make it to the big screen. This wacky group of guys has the ability to take a story with absolutely no real substance and use it to string together some of the most random jokes. For the most part, the jokes are hilarious. Some of them leave images burned into your brain so that

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125506107787342002005-08-31T11:28:00.000-05:002005-08-31T11:35:28.426-05:00

This article at The Hollywood Reporter covers every rumor about the next Bond that I've heard and then some. It mentions just about every leading male in Hollywood between the ages of 20 and 50, and then tosses in a few I've never heard of. The problem is, not one of these actors really stood out as the "right choice." I'm not the world's biggest Bond fan, but I do enjoy the movies from time to

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125505170849106082005-08-31T11:17:00.000-05:002005-08-31T11:19:30.856-05:00

I hope so! I'd love to see those two work together, aside from Stiller's directing The Cable Guy. The story sounds incredibly retarded, but that doesn't mean it won't be funny. Jay Roach has made me laugh before, so I bet he can do it again. This looks like good news for the Stiller and Carrey fans out there.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125495720709369952005-08-31T07:56:00.000-05:002005-08-31T08:42:00.740-05:00

8.30.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B+Audio: B+Video: AWhenever a fairly high-profile movie is released, it's inevitable that someone will call it "the next name-a-famous-movie-here." Form the get go, Sahara was being hyped as the next big action-adventure franchise and the story's hero, Dirk Pitt, as the next Indiana Jones. That's like calling Wing Commander the next Star Wars, or The Cave

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125490575923519912005-08-31T06:41:00.000-05:002005-08-31T07:16:15.953-05:00

8.29.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: C+Video: BI've been waiting for this one to go on sale since the recent special edition DVD was released. So, when it went in the 2 for $15 bin at Best Buy this past week, I jumped on it. Half Baked is something of an oddity for me. I am not a fan of the stoner comedy genre. I don't mind a few jokes here and there, but when the entire movie revolves around weed

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125410445724129722005-08-30T08:41:00.000-05:002005-08-30T09:00:45.733-05:00

8.28.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A+Audio: AVideo: AIf you haven't heard of Jurassic Park, you must be living in a cave. If you haven't seen Jurassic Park, but you're not living in a cave, then you're just plain stupid. Movies don't get any more enjoyable than this. I have such pleasant memories of waiting in line to buy tickets for this one. I had already read the book, and new that the movie would be

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125408427233518372005-08-30T06:51:00.000-05:002005-08-30T08:27:07.253-05:00

8.27.2005DVD (owned)Movie: AAudio: CVideo: DTrainspotting is one of the best drug-based movies to ever hit the big screen. It may also be the best British movie, too. While both of these claims may be debatable, it's hard to deny that Trainspotting is a fantastic movie. Director Danny Boyle crafts a harrowing yet humorous look into the lives of a few Scottish heroin addicts. The picture he paints

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1125336562553355402005-08-29T09:01:00.000-05:002005-08-29T12:29:22.616-05:00

8.26.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: CVideo: DWith movies like Night of the Living Dead, words like classic come to mind. Night of the Living Dead redefined the horror genre and created a scary-movie staple: the flesh-eating zombie. Were the production values extremely low-end? Sure. Was the acting borderline terrible? Of course. But it was fun to watch, and that's what matters.The

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124991019740045812005-08-25T10:34:00.000-05:002005-08-25T12:30:19.750-05:00

8.24.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: BVideo: B-First off, whose bright idea was the name Layer Cake? They need to be flogged. After watching the film, I caught the blatant reference to the dessert of the same name, but I still don't see how it was the best choice for the title. I'd rather it have been called "The movie where Daniel Craig's character has no name and never smiles." Oh

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124983740421350982005-08-25T09:15:00.000-05:002005-08-25T10:29:00.486-05:00

8.24.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: AAudio: AVideo: A-Every so often a foreign film comes along that makes Hollywood look like a city full of amateurs. Oldboy, with its captivating story, wonderful acting, and amazing style and direction does just that. Granted the movie's off-screen but still unnerving violence may not be for everyone, but if you can stomach it, Oldboy is a fantastic

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124888266432030332005-08-24T07:08:00.000-05:002005-08-24T07:58:07.330-05:00

8.22.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: B-Video: B+A Few Good Men has one of the best casts ever. In fact, depending on who you ask, it may be the best. Just look at this list of names, from the big names like Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson to the smaller or then-unknown actors like Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollack, and Kevin Bacon. And yes, I'm too lazy to

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124809499131048642005-08-23T09:27:00.000-05:002005-08-23T10:07:13.470-05:00

8.20.2005First viewingTheaterMovie: A+If you don't know who Steve Carell is by now, you're missing out. He may be the funniest name in comedy right now. The way this guy delivers his lines is absolutely hilarious. The 40 Year-Old Virgin is no exception.The plot is simple: Andy's 40 and he's a virgin. His friends from the electronics store that he works at find out and try to help him remedy the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124807193572337302005-08-23T08:55:00.000-05:002005-08-23T09:26:33.580-05:00

8.20.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: B+Video: C+Face/Off is one of director John Woo's earlier English language movies, and arguably his best. I can't speak for his Chinese movies, but I think Face/Off is my favorite of his English movies. The plot is totally over the top and ridiculous, but in a fun, silly kind of way. And while it's totally unbelievable, it creates some situations that most

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124801663087304942005-08-23T06:50:00.000-05:002005-08-23T07:54:23.116-05:00

8.19.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: B-Video: C+Close Encounters of the Third Kind is one of those rare movies where the aliens aren't trying to destroy the Earth. They are, however, flying around abducting people. Richard Dreyfuss plays a man who sees the UFOs but doesn't get taken. He is consumed by visions of a mountain he's never seen before and ends up leaving his family in an

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124718474920593532005-08-22T07:46:00.000-05:002005-08-22T08:47:54.960-05:00

8.18.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: BAudio: B+Video: B-The first thing that hit me as I popped in Superman and started the movie was the score. It's a great score, don't get me wrong. We all know that John Williams is one of the best film score composers ever. But the first thing I thought of was Star Wars. If anyone but Williams has scored Superman, it would have been called a direct

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124714766488176822005-08-22T07:01:00.000-05:002005-08-22T07:46:06.553-05:00

8.17.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C-Audio: C-Video: C+Stagecoach is considered a classic western. It's the first film that John Wayne and John Ford made together, and it was Wayne's first major "A-List" role. Prior to Stagecoach he had only starred in B movies. He was untested with "real" actors, but Ford insisted on having Wayne in his cast. The result, as they say, is legendary.For me,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124456441238097782005-08-19T07:19:00.000-05:002005-08-19T08:00:42.440-05:00

8.16.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A+Audio: AVideo: A+I had every intention of seeing Sin City in the theaters. One of my favorite directors, a super-charged style that looked very enticing in the trailers, and an amazing cast had me hooked from the get go. I've never read any of the Sin City books, but they come highly recommended, so the movie seemed like a sure thing. Somehow, I missed

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124287591676297622005-08-17T08:39:00.000-05:002005-08-17T09:06:31.686-05:00

8.15.2005DVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: C+Video: DIf there is such a thing as a "guilty pleasure," Wild Things has got to be the epitome. I mean, the movie is bad on every front, but it's just so darn enjoyable. At a posh Florida high school, a teacher is accused of raping two students. But the deeper you look, the more complicated things become. Or something.Wild Things' biggest flaw, campy

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124111453637285382005-08-15T07:57:00.000-05:002005-08-17T08:36:02.833-05:00

8.11.2005DVD (owned)Movie: AAudio: AVideo: B-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of those films that's hard to give a synopsis of without giving away key plot points. Really, it's hard to sum up at all because the story itself is so crazy. Basically, it follows Jim Carrey's character as he tries to erase his girlfriend from his mind. Half way through the procedure he changes his mind and

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1124110583211375672005-08-15T07:16:00.000-05:002005-08-15T07:56:23.450-05:00

8.12.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: B+Video: A-Blue is not an easy movie to watch. For the average American movie-goer, Blue is slow, boring, subtitled, and even confusing at times. But, director Krzysztof Kieslowski has created what many consider to be a masterpiece, and rightfully so.The movie, the first of Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy, is about liberty. The trilogy follows

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123875415924545442005-08-12T14:13:00.000-05:002005-08-15T07:07:39.880-05:00

8.11.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: C+Video: CMoving down the AFI list, I reached #62, Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman in a dress. Yikes. I was not expecting to like this movie. I still don't think of Dustin Hoffman as a comedy actor. But after Tootsie, I know he certainly posses the ability to be very, very funny.The film follows Hoffman's character as he becomes a woman in

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123873608758732132005-08-12T13:29:00.000-05:002005-08-12T14:06:48.993-05:00

8.10.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B+Audio: C+Video: C+Serpico tells the story of a New York city police officer who tries to single-handedly stop corruption within the force, only to find that the corruption reaches higher into the government bureaucracy than he expected. He enter the force as an idealistic young man, but finds himself surrounded by cops on the take. He tries to bring the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123767057412071682005-08-11T07:50:00.000-05:002005-08-11T08:31:25.606-05:00

8.9.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B-Audio: B+Video: C+Windtalkers is director John Woo's attempt at a war movie. He brings to the picture his hyperactive style of directing, complete with plenty of slow motion and soldiers firing from the hip with guns akimbo. Is it realistic? Not in the slightest. It's unoriginal, poorly scripted, has virtually no plot, and practically ignores the idea of the code

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123694628464045162005-08-10T11:54:00.000-05:002005-08-10T12:23:48.496-05:00

8.8.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C+Audio: C+Video: BRebel Without a Cause is one of only three movies that James Dean starred in before he died. In fact, when Rebel Without a Cause was released in October of 1955, James Dean had already perished in a tragic car accident. What's amazing about all of this is the fact that a man can become so significant, a bona fide cultural icon, after

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123640562268399892005-08-09T21:14:00.000-05:002005-08-09T21:22:42.300-05:00

Once again, very off topic, but NASA has some really cool high-resolution pictures of the STS-114 mission online. There's some great pictures of the launch itself, some amazing shots of the exterior of the orbiter, and some stunning angles of the International Space Station. Check them out, and be sure to view the hi-res versions for the full effect.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123617224341849902005-08-09T14:19:00.000-05:002005-08-09T14:54:16.890-05:00

8.7.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: C+Video: B-Sneakers is something of an oddity. It's not the most well known movie. It's not even the best of its genre. But, when all the elements of the film come together, the end result is a movie worth watching over and over.The story has its twists and turns, but the main plot follows a group of hi-tech "criminals" as they try to track down and recover a

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123594093564280282005-08-09T08:20:00.000-05:002005-08-09T08:28:13.573-05:00

I was starting to get worried. Rumors about an unrated director's cut of AvP surfaced immediately following the film's theatrical debut. Supposedly, the director has been quoted as saying that "all of the best scenes were cut" from the film just three weeks before its release to secure the PG-13 rating. I'm not neccessarily interesed in more gore and cursing, but hopefully this extended cut,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123592741542668962005-08-09T07:28:00.000-05:002005-08-09T08:06:37.130-05:00

8.7.2005DVD (owned)Movie: AAudio: A+Video: A-Let's get one thing out of the way early: I am a Michael Bay fan. I'd even say I'm a huge Bay fan. He has yet to direct a film that I didn't like. In fact, The Rock is one of my all-time favorites. Bad Boys II is Bay's excuse to show off. It's kind of like a $130 million middle finger aimed at all the critics who essentially killed Pearl Harbor before

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123590475717281862005-08-09T07:22:00.000-05:002005-08-09T07:27:55.726-05:00

Not to start another off topic debate on the merits of space exploration, but STS-114 has safely landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. This marks the first shuttle mission since Columbia broke apart during re-entry in 2003. The crew of the Discovery successfully performed mid-mission repairs, making the shuttle safe to land. While the mission had a few hang-ups, its safe return is a

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123514617246108652005-08-08T09:52:00.000-05:002005-08-08T14:41:06.730-05:00

8.7.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: B-Video: C+When the title MASH is mentioned, most people only think of the television series. While the series is more well-known and popular, the film is easily the better of the two. Both share characters of the same names, settings, and theme music. That's about as far as the similarities go. While the television series was a light-hearted

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123510795562145952005-08-08T08:50:00.000-05:002005-08-08T09:19:55.576-05:00

8.6.2005First viewingDVD (borrowed)Movie: C+Audio: CVideo: DI'm not sure what I was expecting of Pumping Iron, but I didn't get it. I guess I wanted it to be more of a documentary and less of a docu-drama. Pumping Iron follows the lives of several bodybuilders as they train and prepare for the 1975 Mr Olympia contest in Pretoria, South Africa. It briefly looks at the lives of a few amateur

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123509014294413392005-08-08T08:22:00.000-05:002005-08-08T08:50:14.306-05:00

8.6.2005DVD (Netflix)Movie: B+Audio: C-Video: B+Rambo: First Blood Part II. Could they have chosen a more confusing name? First, part II, and it's the first of the series to actually feature Rambo's name in the title, even though it's the second movie. Oh well...First Blood Part II is generally considered the best of the trilogy. While the first movie was at least moderately realistic with a more

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123507323123990342005-08-08T07:55:00.000-05:002005-08-08T08:22:03.130-05:00

8.3.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B-Audio: B-Video: B+A lot of people remember the negative reviews and word-of-mouth that Waterworld received when it was released in 1995 (ten years ago!) and still have a sort of knee-jerk negative reaction to it. They see the DVD on my shelf and act surprised. My response: it's a fun, stupid movie that I enjoy watching every once and a while. And at $5.50 at Wal-Mart,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123249932760279952005-08-05T07:17:00.000-05:002005-08-05T08:52:13.053-05:00

8.2.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C+Audio: B+Video: CIf you're unaware of the controversy surrounding Alexander, you've probably been living in a cave. Along with the controversy came incredibly bad word-of-mouth reviews. Every year, reviewers seem to pick a movie and gang up on it, and it becomes "cool" to badmouth that movie. It becomes universally hailed as the "worst movie of the year!

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123097681460432682005-08-03T13:06:00.000-05:002005-08-03T14:35:13.396-05:00

8.1.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A-Audio: BVideo: COn the surface, Rounders is a poker movie. No, it's a great poker movie. It begins with a brief but adequate explanation of Hold 'Em, but it also throws around terms that more seasoned players will appreciate. But beneath the shiny, card playing exterior is a movie about a man coming to terms with his love for playing cards.He realizes that some people

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1123011575953934652005-08-02T13:23:00.000-05:002005-08-02T14:41:28.780-05:00

7.31.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: BVideo: B+The Devil's Backbone is a film by Guillermo del Toro, who also directed Blade II and Hellboy. But before his thrust into big-budget Hollywood productions, del Toro made a few lesser known Spanish horror movies. Del Toro himself admits that The Devil's Backbone is his favorite of his own works, and with good reason.Although I know almost

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122988910784505362005-08-02T07:37:00.000-05:002005-08-02T14:40:12.650-05:00

7.31.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C-Audio: B-Video: B+I don't know where to start with this one... Part of me actually liked The Sound of Music, which was very unexpected. Even though it was almost three hours long, I was still entertained. The other half of me hated it. I just don't understand why anyone would think that people would randomly break into song like they do in musicals. I

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122925939455412652005-08-01T14:49:00.000-05:002005-08-01T14:52:19.456-05:00

7.30.2005DVD (owned)Movie: AAudio: A-Video: C+I'm lazy, what can I say. I watched Shaun of the Dead again this weekend, but I don't have the time or energy to write another review. So, without further ado, here is the cut-and-paste of my last review...Shaun of the Dead is another zombie flick from a year that was filled with zombie flicks. At the same time, it's also so much more. I've even

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122909665112148152005-08-01T09:21:00.000-05:002005-08-01T14:42:55.366-05:00

7.30.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A-Audio: B+Video: ASling Blade is the movie that catapulted Billy Bob Thornton to fame, almost over night. He went from a nobody in Hollywood to a respected actor, director, and screenwriter all at once. After watching Sling Blade, it's easy to understand why. The film was made on a fairly small budget with most of the main characters being non-established actors. But,

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122666753773243942005-07-29T14:06:00.000-05:002005-08-01T09:21:19.153-05:00

7.28.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B-Audio: AVideo: A-Movies like The Day After Tomorrow have to be taken at face value, and nothing more. You can't look for hidden meanings or subsurface intricacies. While The Day After Tomorrow is better than most similar movies, it's still nothing more than a series of natural disasters held together with a sorry excuse for a plot. And while the movie has a lot of

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122662821956864972005-07-29T13:22:00.000-05:002005-07-29T13:47:02.136-05:00

7.28.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: BAudio: DVideo: DI'm not a fan of sports movies, but Hoosiers is often rated as the best sports movie of all time, so I though I'd give it a chance. I'm glad I did; it was much better than I expected. Generally, it seems like most sports movies follow the same pattern, they're all cast from the same mold. The team overcomes its adversities and makes a run

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122580231438092772005-07-28T14:27:00.000-05:002005-07-28T14:50:31.456-05:00

7.26.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: FAudio: B+Video: BIn a word, xXx: State of the Union was horrendous. Really, really bad. It's one of those movies that made me wonder why I was even watching it. "Turn it off, watch something else. Heck, staring at the wall would be better than this," I kept telling myself. But I didn't. I persevered to the end, and now I'm the only person I know who can

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122398607863613472005-07-26T12:11:00.000-05:002005-07-26T12:23:27.870-05:00

This is a little off topic, but shuttle launches never cease to amaze me. Seeing the orbiter being pushed into space on a tower of flames is awe inspiring. This is a picture from my latest trip to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Click on it for a bigger version. That's Discovery sitting on the launch pad behind the rotating service structure. I was there mere days before the first

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122385401287453462005-07-26T08:39:00.000-05:002005-07-26T08:43:21.286-05:00

A Voltron movie? Yes, it just might happen. Voltron rules. Voltron would crush the Power Rangers. I can't wait.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122384602104135392005-07-26T07:44:00.000-05:002005-07-26T08:30:02.113-05:00

7.25.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: B+Video: D+Every once and a while, a movie that I don't expect much from comes along and completely blows me away. The Nest is a good example of this. I added it to my Netflix queue after seeing Hostage, also directed by Florent Emilio Siri. The description at Netflix basically says that three gangs are in a warehouse at the same time, and they

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122379887886354692005-07-26T07:07:00.000-05:002005-07-26T07:11:27.893-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Broken Lizard is the group of crazy bastards responsible for Super Troopers and Club Dread. Their movies are completely senseless, borderline retarded, and very hilarious. This new one, The Greek Road, sounds so ridiculous it just might be their funniest yet...

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122321246880629842005-07-25T14:41:00.000-05:002005-07-26T07:39:09.586-05:00

7.24.2005First viewingTheaterMovie: B+A lot of people hate Michael Bay. I mean a lot. I, however, do not belong to that group of people. I am of the opinion that Michael Bay makes some of the most enjoyable flicks ever. Just look at his resume! So Pearl Harbor kinda sucked, I'll give his detractors that. But I still pop it in every once and a while to watch the attack on Pearl Harbor. Is Bay the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122298147348817362005-07-25T07:25:00.000-05:002005-07-25T08:29:07.886-05:00

7.23.2005DVD (Netflix)Movie: BAudio: DVideo: D-The first time I saw All Quiet on the Western Front I was in 10th grade, sitting in history class. We watched the movie during out studies of WWI, and I remember being shocked because it was the first movie I'd watched in school that I actually liked. It is now one of only two movies that I watched in school and enjoyed, the other being Of Mice and

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122058428106963262005-07-22T11:05:00.000-05:002005-07-22T13:53:48.113-05:00

7.21.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: B-Video: C+Ronin is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated films of all time. Scores of people who would probably love Ronin have never even heard of it. What a shame! The movie sports an intricate plot, a great cast, and some of the best car chases ever filmed. What's not to like?The story revolves around a team of hired guns tasked with retrieving a

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1122038131235104612005-07-22T07:07:00.000-05:002005-07-22T08:15:31.246-05:00

7.20.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: B-Video: BSome movie scenes are so memorable that others copy them again and again. The scene is rehashed so often that it becomes part of popular culture. Generations come and go and the original context of the scene is lost. Such is the case with the famous beach scene in From Here to Eternity.We've all seen it, in some form or another, in one

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121889518813950772005-07-20T14:27:00.000-05:002005-07-22T09:53:01.226-05:00

7.19.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: C-Audio: B+Video: AConstantine is the type of movie that deserves an 'A' for effort, but ultimately it fails. It certainly tries to be a good movie, I'll give it that. It centers on Constantine, played by Keanu Reeves, a sort of supernatural detective who banishes demons back to Hell when they violate the "balance."The plot tries to seem complicated, but

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121869019707623042005-07-20T09:15:00.000-05:002005-07-20T09:16:59.716-05:00

This is a great game. You get four screenshots of a movie, and then a list of movies to choose from. The goal is to pick the right one. There's 20 movies to a round, and the rounds seem to get more difficult as you go. I'm on round seven right now. Check it out, this is a great way to waste time...

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121876855905551302005-07-20T07:54:00.000-05:002005-07-20T13:22:48.256-05:00

7.18.2005First viewingDVD (borrowed)Movie: A-Audio: AVideo: A-Jaws was the original summer blockbuster. It was the first movie to gross over $100 million dollars at the box office. It scared the living daylights out of people, spawned several sequels, jump started the theatrical horror genre allowing films like Alien and Halloween to succeed, and has been released three times on DVD. It is a

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121864013339414042005-07-20T07:24:00.000-05:002005-07-20T07:53:33.346-05:00

7.17.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B-Audio: B-Video: B+Some movies have intricate plots that keep the viewer guessing until the very last minute. Others have hidden meanings that only a proud few can decipher. But some movie, like The Quick and the Dead, are just plain fun. The story in The Quick and the Dead is nothing more than a reason to stage gunfights. In fact, the story is so weak, it barely

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121799333914282822005-07-19T12:23:00.000-05:002005-07-19T13:55:33.920-05:00

7.17.2005First viewingTheaterMovie: A+I'll make this nice and simple: movies don't get any more funny than this. Wedding Crashers was slap-your-knee, roll-on-the-floor, tears-run-down-your-face, laugh-till-your-stomach-aches funny. I've never heard a theater full of people laugh as hard and as much as I did this time around. Wedding Crashers is a damn funny movie, that's all there is to it.The

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121793319146590972005-07-19T12:13:00.000-05:002005-07-25T21:32:48.843-05:00

Face it, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rule! I can't wait to see what they can do with this! I've never heard of the director, but with Peter Laird attached to exec-produce, hopefully the project will head in the right direction.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121793024718007602005-07-19T11:46:00.000-05:002005-07-19T12:10:24.726-05:00

7.17.2005DVD (borrowed)Movie: B+Audio: B-Video: CI don't know anyone who's seen Groundhog Day and didn't like it. Really, it's a hard movie not to like. Watching Bill Murray's character repeat the same day over and over until he knows every little thing that's going to happen is comedy at its best.Groundhog Day is probably Murray's best performance to date. I didn't care for Rushmore and Lost in

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121791541523842152005-07-19T08:53:00.000-05:002005-07-19T11:45:41.570-05:00

7.16.2005First viewingDVD (borrowed)Movie: B-Audio: C-Video: CYes, yes, I know... Until the other day, I hadn't seen Animal House, often considered one of the funniest comedies to ever grace the silver screen. Now I've seen it, but it wasn't as funny as some might say. It had its moments, but most of them involved John Belushi.While he wasn't the main character, let's face it, he was the star.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121781204527646352005-07-19T08:18:00.000-05:002005-07-19T08:53:24.550-05:00

7.15.05First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B+Audio: A+Video: AThe previews for Million Dollar Baby didn't get me too excited. I love Morgan Freeman, but his part looked small. Hilary Swank is a very talented actress, but there are other actresses that I prefer. Clint Eastwood has made some great movies, but his directorial tone is often dry and his movies border on boring. And it's a boxing movie.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121716836254411952005-07-18T14:56:00.000-05:002005-07-18T15:00:36.263-05:00

Sorry, but it's been a busy Monday. Don't fret. Soon I'll be posting reviews of Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood's award-winning boxing drama that was much better than I had expected), Animal House (a classic comedy, often imitated but never duplicated), Groundhog Day (great plot and an even better performance from Bill Murray), Wedding Crashers (absolutely hilarious, one of the funniest

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121457561425764442005-07-15T11:23:00.000-05:002005-07-15T14:59:21.433-05:00

7.14.2005DVD (owned)Movie: A-Audio: C-Video: C+On the surface, RoboCop seems like nothing more than a fun action movie. But underneath its metallic, violence-ridden surface lies a relatively deep social commentary. Set in the "near future," RoboCop's Detroit is being overrun by criminals. More police officers die in the line of duty each day. One company's solution? A half man, half machine

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121347590713175522005-07-14T07:41:00.000-05:002005-07-14T08:29:50.773-05:00

7.13.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A+Audio: AVideo: A-A Very Long Engagement from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, Alien Resurrection) is an interesting mix of genres. It's part war movie, part love story, with a bit of humor and mystery thrown in for fun. The story unfolds piece by piece, moving from past to present and back. The characters are colorful and eclectic. Jeunet's

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121283960529039252005-07-13T13:32:00.000-05:002005-07-13T14:46:00.540-05:00

7.12.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B+Audio: C-Video: DI owe the pleasure of watching The Alien Saga, a documentary about the success of the Alien franchise, completely to Netflix. Not only did I rent the documentary from them, but Netflix's recommendation system made me aware of it. The Alien Saga, almost two hours long, gives about 50 minutes to a look at the making of Alien, 30 minutes

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121194000981926852005-07-12T13:17:00.000-05:002005-07-12T13:47:16.700-05:00

7.11.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: C+Video: BAnchorman is a movie people either love or hate. I've heard about equal amounts of both opinions. Some people (me included) laugh nearly the entire time, while others sit in front of the TV with a stupefied look on their face wondering who could have made such a stupid movie. Both camps seem to be correct. Anchorman is insanely hilarious and

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121171422743830572005-07-12T07:28:00.000-05:002005-07-12T07:30:22.743-05:00

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this one, but I love the Transformers and I think a Michael Bay/Steven Spielberg collaboration is just the ticket. I really hope this one makes it to the finish line, so to speak. This idea has so much potential and I think Bay and Spielberg can really make a great movie together.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121170928497260552005-07-12T07:15:00.000-05:002005-07-12T07:25:16.906-05:00

M. Night Shyamalan's next movie will begin filming near Philadelphia in late August, according to this blurb. It's about "the superintendent of an apartment building who finds a rare type of sea nymph swimming in the apartment pool." What the heck does that mean? Sounds weird, to say the least... But, the blurb also reports that Shyamalan is "eyeing his The Village star Bryce Dallas Howard for

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121086287846520442005-07-11T07:53:00.000-05:002005-07-12T10:20:50.483-05:00

7.10.2005DVD (owned)Movie: B+Audio: BVideo: AThe third installment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is an interesting movie. It's easily the best of the three film so far. While I enjoyed the first two, they were at times a bit childish, even a little candy-coated here and there. I know, they were aimed at a younger audience, but that's no excuse for the flaws.

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121086264667113652005-07-11T07:52:00.000-05:002005-07-12T08:34:25.433-05:00

7.10.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: B-Audio: CVideo: C+I went into The Philadelphia Story with fairly high expectations. The film is often listed as one of the best comedies of all time, and it stars Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. In some respects the film met and exceeded my expectations, while in other areas it was a little disappointing.I still don't see the attraction

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121086243087689042005-07-11T07:51:00.000-05:002005-07-11T12:25:37.010-05:00

7.9.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: A-Audio: A-Video: B+Finding Neverland tells the story of J.M. Barrie and the inspiration for his play Peter Pan, and it tells it well. Although there may have been a few moments that were a bit too melodramatic, the overall film was superb. It was the perfect blend of reality and fantasy that should leave every viewer with a sense of awe. Ultimately, the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9969937.post-1121086227233371002005-07-11T07:50:00.000-05:002005-07-11T09:57:35.613-05:00

7.9.2005First viewingDVD (Netflix)Movie: D+Audio: B-Video: BThis will be a fairly short review. I just don't have a lot to say, much like the film Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Why we needed a sequel to Miss Congeniality I don't know, and it's obvious the screenwriters had a difficult time coming up with a good reason. With a subtitle like "Armed and Fabulous," well, you know the

Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823615294165417742noreply@blogger.com0