Movie I Want to See - The Imposter

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It’s 1994: a 13-year-old boy disappears from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later, he is found alive, thousands of miles away, in Spain. Disoriented and quivering with fear, he divulges his shocking story of kidnap and torture. His family is overjoyed to bring him home. But all is not what it seems. Sure, he has the same tattoos, but he looks decidedly different, and he now speaks with a strange accent. Why doesn’t the family seem to notice these glaring inconsistencies? It’s only when an investigator starts asking questions that this astounding true story takes an even stranger turn.
Like his canny subject, gifted filmmaker Bart Layton pulls off an astonishing coup. Buoyed by eye-catching dramatizations and an enthralling structure that crisscrosses time and place, The Imposter unfolds as a gripping thriller that leaves us dizzy, yet certain that truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction. –Sundance Film Festival
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Super Quick Movie Reviews #7

Today's update is a little overdue, but I managed to see some great films over the past couple of weeks.  Here are my thoughts: The Hurt Locker - I really enjoyed this movie and hate that I had to wait so long to see it.  I'd love for Kathryn Bigelow to win the Best Direction Oscar for this.  The way she builds and uses tension in the story is amazing.
Princess Mononoke - All of Miyazaki's films are great, but I have to admit I liked Howl's Moving Castle a bit more than this one. La Vie en Rose - While I thought this was a bit too long, Marion Cotillard is really amazing in it. Raging Bull - One of those movies that I should have already seen, but never did.  I have to admit that I didn't feel really invested in the movie until the scene where Jake's anger and paranoia boil over, as he accuses Joey (Joe Pesci) of sleeping with his wife.  This scene is brilliant and I was sucked into the story from this point forward. Big Fan - I liked this more than I thought I would.  Robert Siegel, formerly Sr Editor of The Onion, writes and directs a nice, original dark comedy. Nosferatu - I watched the original 1922 silent version by Murnau.  This film really is an amazing feat for it's time.  It's very interesting how well they were able to convey such fear and intensity without spoken dialogue.  Plus, Max Schreck is perfect. Taxi Driver - Another film I should have already seen.  It's interesting to compare this one to Raging Bull and other Scorsese films.  This one has a more subdued feel, but still conveys the same amount of emotion in the story.  One of the things that stuck out the most to me was De Niro's famous "You talkin' to me?" scene.  This has become everyone's "go to" De Niro impression, always becoming comically excessive and overblown.  Seeing the actual scene in the movie really surprised me, as it's not excessive and ridiculous at all, and is a very simple and honest statement about Travis Bickle's state of mind. Updated 2/15 More Film Reviews

Evolution of Horror Movie Poster Designs: 1922 – 2009

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Hongkiat.com have assembled a collection of horror movie posters over the past 90 years to show just how much the art form has changed over time.  There are some really cool ones included here, including several I had never seen before. I've got to say that the Rosemary's Baby poster may be one of the best movie posters ever.  Also, the poster for An American Werewolf in London looks like the cover of an old Hardy Boys book, but somehow still fits the movie really well. See the link below for the full article with all of the posters. Evolution of Horror Movie Poster Designs: 1922 – 2009 | Inspiration.

Netflix Adds Hundreds of Indie Films That Can Be Watched Instantly

Great news here.  Netflix's instant streaming service has added a ton of value to a subscription.  While the titles were pretty limited in the beginning, deals like this have continued to build a great list of mainstream films and independent titles.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today announced deals with a number of leading distributors of independent film that will give Netflix members the opportunity to instantly watch hundreds of new indie titles in addition to the trove of existing independent films available through the Netflix service.

Netflix said it has consummated non-exclusive licensing agreements to instantly stream award-winning and critically acclaimed films from distributors The Criterion Collection, Gravitas Ventures, Kino Lorber, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope Laboratories and Regent Releasing.  Taken together, the deals expand the depth and breadth of films available to be watched instantly at Netflix and extend the company's reputation as a leading source of independent film.

In all, some 300 new indie titles can now be watched instantly or will become available to do so early next year.  In some cases, Netflix has struck output deals to stream all new releases from particular distributors as they become available during the course of the agreements.  For only $8.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and computers via Netflix ready devices and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes.

via Netflix Adds Hundreds of Indie Films That Can Be Watched Instantly Through a String... -- BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --.

Super Quick Movie Reviews #6

It's a little late, but here is my latest round-up of recently seen movies. Youth In Revolt - Michael Cera builds on his teenage virgin persona with a slightly darker turn.  It's not exactly a giant leap forward for him, but you can see some maturity here.  It's got a nice cast and does a good job of expressing the feeling of being young and wanting more out of your life. 500 Days of Summer - I'm so late to the game on this one, but I really enjoyed it.  Zooey Deschanel is so freaking lovable here, despite her flaws.  It's a good story (especially for people who get bored with a typical love story), and the leads have a lot of charm. Terminator Salvation - After months of hearing bad things about this movie, I had to give it a chance myself.  I didn't love it.  While the dark, apocolyptic tone was fitting, all of the characters were a bunch of super soldiers who lost their humanity and were difficult to care about.  In addition to this, the rapid paced MTV style editing was distracting and took me out of the story. The Fire Within - Another classic by Louis Malle.  The film tells the story of a recovering alcoholic who spends a day visiting various old friends in Paris in an attempt to find a reason to continue living.  Not one of my favorites by Malle, but it's strong and engaging. More film reviews

Movie night at my house this Tuesday: Inglourious Basterds

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Since QT and Inglourious Basterds were pretty much UNglouriously snubbed at the Golden Globes (with the exception of the amazing Christoph Waltz), I'm going to host a screening of this great film this Tuesday night at my house. If you haven't seen this wonderful film, join us and enjoy it. If you've already seen it, join us for another viewing. We're starting the movie at 7:30 sharp. All are welcome. Let me know if you'd like to come and watch one of the best films of 2009!

Super Quick Movie Reviews #5

Over New Years (and its requisite recovery time) I didn't make time to watch as many movies as I normally do in a given week.  Hopefully things will pick back up as life gets back to normal now that the holidays are over. Sherlock Holmes - As a 'Sherlock Holmes' movie, this worked much better than I thought it would.  As a 'Robert Downy, Jr' movie, it also works great.  RDJ is a fine actor and puts in a great performance here.  As a 'Guy Ritchie' movie, it's good; not great.  You can see shadows of Ritchie's gritty style, particularly in fight and action scenes, but it doesn't have quite the personality of some of his earlier work.  However, I applaud Ritchie for stretching out of his comfort zone and trying a film with a grander scale.  The lowlight of this film is Rachel McAdams.  I have nothing against her, but she could have been swapped out with any equivalent Hollywood actress and would have had the same affect.  An actress with stronger acting chops could have really added something here.
White Night Wedding - Based on the Chekhov play, Ivanov, a professor and a former student in Iceland plan to marry.  Financial disagreements between the families and the professor's doubts lead to many bumps in the road highlighted by the entertaining members of the wedding party. I wasn't so into this through the first half, but found myself increasingly involved by the final act. The Lovers - Another Louis Malle masterpiece.  Here, a bored housewife hosts a dinner party with her husband which her best friend and lover attend.  When the housewife's car breaks down on the way home to the party, a young archaeologist comes to her aid.  The dinner party becomes more complicated with her husband invites the archaeologist to stay. La Bête - A controversial twist on the tale of Beauty and the Beast.  This is easily one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen.  Watch this one with friends, preparation, and an open mind. See more Super Quick Movie Reviews

2009 - What Made it Worthwhile

For pretty much everyone I know, 2009 was a mixed up year of highs and lows.  Rather than making a dozen posts on my top 10 various things of the year, I decided to take a look back at the good things about 2009 so I can begin 2010 on a positive note. Tuesday Night Film Screenings - Each Tuesday night brought new exposure to foreign and art house cinema as I attended a weekly film screening at my friend Alex's house.  This provided a great opportunity to forget the stress of work and life and see some great films that I may not have otherwise been able to see.  This also turned me on to the works of Louis Malle, who has become one of my favorite directors. Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes - These bands are responsible for 2 of my most played albums of 2009.  They each feature a unique sound, with Grizzly Bear's arty and moody atmosphere and Fleet Foxes sincere folk.  I love that both of these bands manage to bring something different to the table without being pretentious. Lost - Another weekly tradition (for the first half of the year, anyway) was having friends over to my place to watch the latest episode of Lost.  Looking forward to its final season beginning in February. Ra Ra Riot at Bottletree - I got to see this great band while they were doing a small club tour.  Bottletree is a great place to see a show like this due to it's small and intimate setting and cool atmosphere.  Ra Ra Riot's mix of guitars and strings with thoughtful songwriting and energy made this a really memorable show. Seeing Inglourious Basterds - We had a streak over the summer where we saw a movie almost every Sunday night.  The peak of this run was Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.  Seeing a spaghetti western on a Sunday night in a packed theater reminded me how much fun seeing movies should be.  One of QT's best, and one of my favorite films of the year. Rock Band Parties - I didn't know when Rock Band was released years ago that a bunch of plastic musical instruments could bring so much fun to my house, but you mix this game and a house full of friends and good times will ensue.  Hits ranging from System of a Down to Vanilla Fudge blasted from my living room with uproarious laughter as we learned who had skills (and also who didn't.  Apologies to my neighbors.) Seeing Up in 3D - Pixar's finest achievement displayed in beautiful but never overpowering 3D.  I was enthralled with this film from beginning to end, and was glad to see it with some great friends. So that pretty much wraps up the best things about 2009.  Stay tuned for my list of who's cool, and who can piss off!

Super Quick Movie Reviews #4

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It was a busy week with Christmas, but here's a rundown of the movies I've seen recently: Up In the Air - Easily Jason Reitman's best film yet.  After seeing it, it's no surprise that so many critics have called this their favorite movie of 2009.  It's a very original story with fully-dimensional characters that never feel overwritten or overplayed.  It's timely, sincere and perfectly-cast, and it's one of my favorites of the year.  I'd recommend this film to everyone.
Au Revoir Les Enfants - Another film by the great Louis Malle.  This one tells the story of a French adolescent in boarding school during World War II.  It beautifully captures the era from the perspective of kids, many of which haven't seen or heard from their parents in months, as they discover the school is hiding Jewish students.  It's a stunning film, and anyone who loves films that effectively depict the WWII era should check this one out. Coraline - Neil Gaiman's children's story translated to film.  I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, and the story has some surprisingly dark elements.  Very nice art design as well with the miniatures and settings. The Pornographers - Shohei Imamura's 1966 tale of a man who tries to support his family by making porno movies.  Plenty of family drama ensues when his wife falls ill, his daughter rebels, and his lab is overrun by authorities.  It's an enthralling film with some beautifully artistic shots. More Super Quick Movie Reviews

Super Quick Movie Reviews #3

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With the cold, wet weather last week, I spent a lot of time indoors and managed to catch several movies. I did venture out over the weekend, however, to catch what was probably the most anticipated movie of the year. See my thoughts below:

Avatar - Along with pretty much everyone in the world, I saw this over the weekend. Caught it in 3D, and have to say that it is absolutely beautiful. This really moves how science fiction/fantasy movies are made forward. Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington are both great. The story is engaging, but much of it is predictable. It's not perfect, but the pros easily outweigh the cons.

Amarcord - Fellini's 1974 film tells the story of a small Italian town in the thirties. The characters are loud and colorful and fun to watch.

Grace - After a woman loses her unborn child, she continues to carry full-term. She's surprised to find out after delivering that the child survived, but has a taste for human blood. The film is beautifully shot with great use of color, but I would have liked a little more story.

Friday the 13th (2009) - This remake was pure crap and I don't have much else to say about it.

Black Christmas - The Christmas horror classic where sorority girls are terrorized by a prank-calling killer. It's hard to believe this is from the same director who brought us A Christmas Story, Bob Clark.

Image courtesy of Sci Fi Scoop.

Super Quick Movie Reviews #2

Super Quick Movie Reviews #1