Review: Sex In The City: The Movie

Before I get into this review I’m just going to come out and say it. I hated the movie. Completely, flat out, hated it. Looking around at other reviews I can see that while I’m not alone I am in the minority. I guess my point is that while I hated it, you may very well love it. So read on or don’t, enjoy it or don’t, maybe I just didn’t get it.

It’s not that I’m not a fan of the show (if you've read this blog, you know otherwise). I’ll admit that I haven’t seen every episode but I do watch it on a regular basis, have watched it for years, and I enjoy it. Yes I think it’s silly and shallow and I really never have understood SJP’s wardrobe. But it’s fun escapist television about women having sex in a city that I love. I can turn my brain off for a while and go with it.

It’s also not that my expectations were too high. Honestly, they were pretty low. All I was looking for was a fun movie about characters that I like and know.

That’s not what I feel like I got. I feel cheated.

Almost immediately I was thrown for a loop. The lights went down, the picture came up, the familiar music started to play… and then… Fergie? Uh. Huh? Where is the rest of our theme song? Where is Carrie in her tutu?

Granted, it is four years later. A lot can change in four years. Carrie and Big are still together! And they’re happy! Miranda is a workaholic, Steve is trying his best, and Brady is still adorable. Charlotte and Harry have adopted their beautiful Lily and are living their fairytale life. Samantha and Smith are out in LA (Really? Samantha left NYC? The sex really must be good!).

That’s our status quo. I don’t really want to say much more than that because I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you who have been kind enough to keep reading. So with that in mind I won’t say anything more about the plot points and I’ll instead tell you what this movie did (or didn’t do) to earn my absolute loathing.

First of all, spoilers aside, the plot is awful. Rather than any reasonably developing progression where point A follows point B, where we see a cause and effect, instead I feel like we are given a scenario where This happens and then This happens and so on and so forth. Nothing feels motivated by what precedes it in the film, let alone the six years of television history. There is the occasional reference to something we remember happening, the occasional name-dropping (remember that guy Aidan?), That’s pretty much as far as it goes.

In fairness to the story, they do try to give us something for everyone. Each of the girls is featured at some point.

Honestly though, I hate what they do with Carrie. She is so passive for the entire film. I feel like her character is completely lost, she has no voice. I’ve always thought Carrie was silly but she was silly in her own special way. In the movie she isn’t just depressed; she is silenced.

As for everyone else… Miranda is an uber- (word that is censored). She is beyond the tough lawyer I occasionally roll my eyes at but like in general. She is uncompromising and unlikable. It is her character taken to a simplified extreme that loses any of the minimal complexity she was originally given. What made her an interesting, empowered female character in the series is completely taken away and instead we’re given an insulting version of what is in store for any female who decides to attempt a challenging career in addition to a family.

Charlotte… poor Charlotte. She isn’t so much a human being as she is a shrieking doll. Did Charlotte do anything other than screech? In a rare self-aware moment, Miranda is given a line commenting on Charlotte’s screeching. That doesn’t excuse it! Then that whole thing with Charlotte in Mexico? Really? Give me a break.

As for Samantha. Meh, I honestly don’t have much to say about the roll she and Smith are given. It’s more like our lovely writer said “Hey, here’s who they were in the series, let’s just do the same thing with them we’ve done a million times before. And Samantha can adopt a puppy. No one will notice that we completely throw away these characters if there is a cute humping puppy involved!” The puppy humps more than Samantha does. I’m not kidding.

The one new character Louis (played by Jennifer Hudson) is an improvement and welcome break from everyone else but that is saying next to nothing.

I could go on at this point about Steve and Big and the gay boys and others. I think you get my point though. Yes, we see almost everyone we cared about. Yes, they are doing the same wacky things. That’s it though; there is no depth. There is nothing to them. They never come alive. The fault may be with the actors but based on David Eigenberg’s and even Chris Noth’s performances, my opinion is just that the script and the direction failed. Completely.

Where is the wittiness? Where are the clever lines? Comebacks? Commentary? A cute line or two that we've all ready seen in the trailers. A joke about Vogue airbrushing and a surprising reference to Diane Arbus. A vulnerable moment with Charlotte, an actually convincing moment with Steve. Occasionally the heart of Sex in the City shows through. Unfortunately these moments are rare and the film is bogged down with clichés, bad jokes, gross out humor, and a plot that is never developed but instead thrown at us.

Sometimes a movie adapted from a television show runs the risk of seeming like an overly long episode. For Sex in the City, that scenario would have been a welcome improvement.

When it comes down to it, this movie is insulting. Samantha has to call Miranda out on an overgrowth of a certain type of hair? Everyone has to call Samantha out on gaining, what, five pounds? The only things that matter are weddings, babies, and expensive accessories? Is that really all we’re supposed to care about?

Say what you will about the show, but I never felt as angry or insulted watching it as I did almost every minute of this movie. I wanted to like it. I really, really did. I knew it wasn’t going to be great but I would have been happy with fun. Instead, the only thing that made me want to cry was the fact that I spent over ten dollars ton the ticket price.

I really hope for your sake that you avoid this absolute mess of storytelling and waste of time. Or that if you must go see it, and I can understand if that might be the case, that you get more enjoyment out of it than I did.

As it is, I will never willingly watch this movie again and it’s going to be a very long time before I’ll be able to stomach any more Sex in the City. If everything else wasn’t enough to make me angry, that right there is.

Goodbye Sex and the City. It was fun while it lasted but, alas, it was apparently never meant to be. Thank you Michael Patrick King. You’ve effectively ruined a decade of pop culture entertainment in two hours and twenty-five minutes. If that was your goal, couldn’t you have at least spared me that last half hour? For a few minutes I thought about giving you two stars. And then I remembered that last half hour. I’m taking a star back.

Sex in the City: The Movie. One very generous star. I’m not convinced you deserve even that.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 5/26

Yay for Memorial Days and three day weekends! The day off was enjoyed greatly and I used my extra time for extra movie watching (among other things). It was pretty sweet.

I also apologize in advance if this post seems a little out of it. My allergies have got me feeling all icky today. It's only taken me three hours to write this. I'm sure it's completely coherent and awesome.

Friday PM:

While I didn't watch any movies I did go see a live performance of R. Kelly's Trapped In The Closet.



For those of you not familiar with it, Trapped in The Closet is a Rock Opera about a web of people involved in various affairs and other nonsense. It's pretty ridiculous and very amusing. It's available on DVD but you can actually watch the episodes online as well over at IFC's website.

This particular performance that I went to see was done by a bunch of white kids acting out the first 12 chapters. It was done by a talented bunch of performers and I don't think I stopped laughing once. I even only yawned once which is an accomplishment in and of its self considering the fact it was a midnight performance on a Friday night. There's a reason I usually don't go out on Fridays. Anyway, yeah, it was really good and I'm hoping they do the next ten chapters soon.

Saturday:

I actually spent most of my day Saturday at wedding so no movie watching going on there. Wedding was beautiful though. I even teared up a little during the ceremony.

Sunday Early Evening:

I spent Sunday wandering around my neighborhood, walking, drinking coffee, doing a little bit shopping. Both J and K were out of town so I pretty much had the day to myself. It was nice to not have a schedule and just be able to do whatever I felt like, whenever I felt like it.



I stopped back at home for a bit after shopping and decided to watch MASH. In honor of Memorial Day and all that (the irony is part of the point). I love MASH so much. I haven't seen as much Altman as I really should have but MASH is by far my favorite of what I've seen. The performances are great and Altman's style compliments the story so very well.

I was somewhat of a fan of the TV Series but until recently had never seen the movie. Watching the movie, I must say that it's far superior to the show. I still enjoy the show as much as I ever did but I'll take the movie over it any day.

Sunday PM:



After MASH I once again left my couch and ventured to the local theater to catch Prince Caspian. I like the first Chronicles of Narnia movie well enough and grew up with the books so I was happy to watch Prince Caspian. It's pretty good. I did like it a bit better than the first but I think I have the same problem with it that I had with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

It just seems like they can't decide who they want their audience to be. The films fall into this weird place where they're really too old for kids but too young for adults. Prince Caspian is pretty dark and violent, not something I would think to necessarily take a kid to. At the same time, it's still pretty young. I just think they would have a wider appeal if they went one way or the other. Honestly, I think going more in the direction kids movie would really work best. That may just be because the books were a part of my childhood.

Either way, if you liked the first you'll probably like the second as well. And I liked them both enough that I'll continue to see the series in the theater. Not as good as Lord of The Rings or some of the Harry Potters but good enough.

Sunday Late PM:

After the movie and a bit of work I decided to channel surf for a while. Have I mentioned that I'm a big fan of my couch?



I settled on watching the second half of Clueless. I've got to say, Clueless is still one of my favorite movies and it's easily one of the best teen movies ever. An adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, Clueless is an intelligent, witty look at the lives of spoiled Beverly Hills teens. It's goofy and fun and I still love Cher's wardrobe.

It's one of those movies I will almost always turn on if I see it playing on TV. I've seen it so many times I've lost count. And yeah, I own the DVD. I've also been to the place where Cher is held up after the valley party. My friend lives down the street.

And. I have to point out the amount of tongue in that final kiss. Damn that's a lot of tongue.

I love it.

Monday AM:



Before Memorial Day BBQ fun I decided to veg on the couch for a while. Men In Black was on and I was honestly just too lazy to change the channel. I know. Go me and lazy. It's not my favorite movie ever but I love Will Smith and it was plenty entertaining for a quietly spent morning.

Speaking of Will Smith, I am so up in the air about whether or not I'm excited for Hancock. The premise sounds great, the second trailer looks decent, and my friend worked on it. It's just that the marketing is making me nervous. And the fact that the premier was canceled so they could go into reshoots. Less than a month before it's scheduled release. In addition to that they showed a trailer for it before Prince Caspian. Hancock mixed in with a bunch of family movies. It all seems like they're trying to market it as a goofy fun comedy which is NOT what the original premise of an alcoholic, troubled super hero seemed to be.

I'll still probably go see it but I don't have much hope for it being very good. Which is a shame because it seems like it could be such a cool, actually original, summer action film. Ah well. Maybe I'll be wrong. That would be nice.

Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it yet:



Monday Late PM:



After the BBQ and tie dyeing and other activities K and I decided it was as good a time as any for Dazed and Confused. Another of my favorite teen movies, Dazed and Confused is pretty much the perfect high school movie about nothing. The characters drive around, drink, get stoned, hang out, get into a moderate amount of trouble. It all ends in an awesome looking kegger that makes me a little jealous. How come we never had parties like that when I was in high school? If the kids I went to school with were that cool, I may have actually enjoyed my time there better. Oh well. Dazed and Confused is fun.

A word of advice though. Playing a drinking game where your one rule is take a drink whenever someone is paddled... not the best idea ever. You probably won't make it through the movie. My friend in college who tried certainly didn't. And I did not envy the hangover it gave her either.

On the Slate:

Rules of Attraction - after being told that I'll really like this by numerous friends I finally got it from Netflix. If I have my way I'll be watching it tonight.

Sex and The City - comes out this weekend. Of course K and I will be seeing it.

Not sure what else yet. We'll see.

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

All right. Go ahead. Say it. I'm too young to REALLY understand Indiana Jones. I wasn't born when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released. I was an infant when Temple of Doom came out. I was only six when we got The Last Crusade. I didn't really grow up with Indiana. I just can't appreciate it at the same level you older folks can, those of you around to watch each successive movie unroll in the theaters.

I say nonsense! Sure, my experience with the trilogy is different. I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time on HBO. I had to sneak over to friend's house to watch Temple of Doom because my mom was worried it would be too scary for me (she was probably right considering I wasn't even 7 yet). I had to beg my mom to buy me a VHS copy of Last Crusade one afternoon at the grocery store. You're right; I missed them on the big screen. But can I even remember a time when there was no Indy? He was as much a part of my childhood as he was a part of your adolescence.

And now, this chance to FINALLY see Dr. Jones on the big screen, to finally see the adventure in its full and total glory, while the nostalgia may be different for me I promise you it means just as much. When that Paramount logo came up on the screen, the music queued, the lights dimmed, you can bet I was quivering with barely contained excitement and slight trepidation.

What was going to happen? Was Kingdom of The Crystal Skull going to be all that I love about Indiana Jones? Or was it going to be another Episode I? Did I keep myself awake, drag myself to another midnight screening, only to be bitterly disappointed as I was when Lucas murdered Star Wars? (After Episode I I’ve only gone to one other midnight screening, Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix, because I was so upset by how awful Star Wars turned out to be).

I blinked as a blinding desert sun filled the screen. A group of kids speeds down the highway. They weave in and out of convoy of military vehicles. As they pull to the front car, daring the driver to race, one of the kids shouts, "Hey, what do you got in there?"

What indeed? Oh I knew. I bet you can guess.

The year is 1957. War World II is over but the Cold War is in full swing. Nazis are now out of the picture but that's okay. We've got the commies instead. We find Indiana kidnapped by the Russians, searching a military warehouse for a mysterious crate, escaping them only to come under suspicion by the FBI in an atmosphere filled with McCarthyism's paranoia. Of course Dr. Jones is going to say forget this, I'm leaving town. But as the train is about to pull out of the station a reckless young man demands his attention and drags Dr. Jones into a search for a missing friend, the boys mother (guess who that is and where that plot line is going), and the mysterious "Crystal Skull". The KGB is not far behind and we soon find ourselves neck deep in the Amazon searching for a lost city of gold.

The hardest thing about a movie featuring such an iconic character coming so long after the original installments is that so much has changed over the last twenty years. I'm no longer a kid pretending there's lava under my swing set, Harrison Ford is passing his prime, George Lucas has proved himself a hack and Stephen Spielberg has moved from the immense creativity of Jaws to the nonsense of War of the Worlds. The technology has changes, the techniques have changed, the world itself has changed. There was so much room for so much to go so wrong.

Instead, they manage to make it go right. Unlike the first three movies, which contain elements of the mystical but still stay relatively grounded in a feeling of realism, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull establishes a level of ridiculousness and absurd energy from the very beginning. This complete departure to fantasy works because the energy is maintained for the entire duration. Sure it requires suspension of disbelief, more than even the originals, but once I suspended it I could keep it suspended. A world is established, we are given rules for that world, and those rules are respected. That in and of itself I appreciate.

Don't get me wrong, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal skull is completely gooftacular. Shia LeBeouf's character is named "Mutt". He swings through tress like Tarzan. Indiana, Mutt, and Marion get sucked down not one, not two, but three waterfalls. There are aliens!!!

The thing is, like I said, we're told from the very beginning what it is that we're getting into. The goofiness becomes the fun. It is part of this movies charm. The plot is silly but the silliness had me smiling and laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself.

I think the only possible way that an Indiana Jones movie this long after The Last Crusade was released in 1989 would work is if Spielberg and Lucas embraced the elements the elements of fantasy from the originals. Which is exactly what they did. They ran with it and it looks like they had a lot of fun in the process. If seriousness won't work, then take it over the top. Run with it.

At the same time the story went over the top, Spielberg returned to his roots. He and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski were very careful to stay faithful to the tone and style of the original movies. The result is one good-looking movie. Beyond just looking good though, it's actually just plain well crafted.

There is a moment when Mutt and Indy are crawling through a dark tomb, their fingers tracing along artifacts, the light from torches flickering on the walls. I thought to myself "Okay, this is where the movie starts to feel long. This is where I wish they would cut out fifteen minutes." Only... that never happened. The moment in the tomb lasts for just the right amount of time and then it's over. We move on. The craft of filmmaking is something that Spielberg knows and in his return to a younger version of himself he remembers everything he used to do so right. Yes we're seeing a young story through an old lens but trust me. Just like Mutt has a lot to learn from that "Old Man" Henry "Indiana" Jones, all of these new action filmmakers could stand to learn a thing or two from this old man Spielberg. He respects the integrity of form, he knows when to cut a scene, when to have a longer take, how to follow the rules of filmmaking. You need to understand the rules before you can properly break them. Our current crop of directors needs to learn the longer is not necessarily better.

And all of those fun haters out there can just get over it. It's hot outside. Our economy sucks. This movie is escapist fantasy pure and simple. I love Harrison Ford coming back as Indiana Jones, an older and stiffer Indiana for sure but one who can still pack a punch. I like Shia LeBeouf as the young sidekick probably thrown in just to attract that younger audience. I'm so happy to see Karen Allen come back that I could have cried (Marion and Indy are one of my favorite movie couples ever). I even like Cate Blanchett in a role that could have been simply a cookie cutter villain. She manages to make it more.

Age is the theme for this Indiana Jones. Older filmmakers, an older hero, an old love story. None of this is a bad thing. No one should be worried about whether or not this will appeal to a younger audience. I can't deny that it's a film made for the fans but it's a film that's made well and with love. Anyway, who out there isn't a fan of Indiana Jones? Don't expect the serious; just enjoy the ride.

Thoughts: Spaced

Before Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, there was Spaced.

Spaced was a show about two people, played by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, who pretend to be married so they can rent a flat. It follows their cohabitation, their crazy neighbors, and all of the wackiness that ensues. A British show, it hasn't been available on DVD in the States.

That is, until now. Finally it's getting a US release. The show is brilliant and I can't wait to see the DVDs. Until now I've only seen it on a friend's VHS copy of a copy of... You get the idea.

For more info check out Scarecrow Video.

Trailers: Australia

Finally a look at Baz Lurhman's new film Australia. How long has it been since Moulin Rouge? Forever? I don't care what anyone else says, I love Baz and I'm looking forward to this little (epic) flick.

Check it out:



Yeah. Sweet.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 5/19

I'm apparently now counting Thursday nights as the official start to my weekend so...

Thursday PM:



After work I drove out the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica to catch The Fall. How was it? It was... okay. The Fall is the sophomore effort of director Tarsem Singh (he likes to go by just Tarsem). He's known for 2000's The Cell and you may or may not remember his well known music video for R.E.M.'s Losing My Religion (one of my favorite music videos).

As far as The Fall goes, it fits pretty comfortably into the realm of just okay. Singh is a very visual director and many of his images are epic. However I found that sometimes his quotations were overbearing. Too much. There were moments that were so strongly Kubrick, Goddard, even the Lumiere Brothers, that it was actually distracting. He does definitely know how to take advantage of his locations though. There are some pretty incredible landscapes.

The story of the film is again just okay. I like the concept but I think it failed in execution. For much of the film the story felt stiff and forced. It could have been told a little tighter and the flow could have definitely been improved. I feel mostly the same about the performances. The secondary characters were all completely flat. The structure was very reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz with people of the "real" world reappearing as players in the fantasy world. Only I never really knew who any of them were. And I didn't much care.

What the movie really got right, and what saved it from failing completely, is the relationship between the convalescing Roy and the little girl Alexandria. The actress who plays Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) is ridiculously adorable. With her gapped tooth and broken arm she is all mischief and charm. And Lee Pace is really great as Roy. The two of them together had such incredible on screen chemistry. Apparently many of their scenes were improvised and the result is that while they occasionally ramble away from the main story line they lend of a feel of naturalism to this otherworldly fantasy.

In the end, it was cool to see on the big screen with its huge visual focus but this isn't ever going to be one of my favorites.

For my full review check out Epinions

Friday PM:

I actually went out on Friday night so no real movie watching went on. K and I have our Friday night ritual of pizza and beer during which there was some TV watching. But nothing remarkable.

Saturday PM:

I didn't actually watch anything on Saturday. I spent my morning at the beach and my friend's pool. Saturday night I met K and our friend out, again, at the beach for an evening of hanging out and exploring our local bars.

While I didn't watch anything, I did participate in a film related activity Saturday evening. I actually left the beach (shocking I know) and drove up to the valley (even more shocking) to attend a table read of a friend's newly completed script.

A table read in this case entailed a group of the writer's friends gathering together to participate in reading her screenplay. Everyone was assigned a role to read (with one person reading the descriptions as the narrator). It's a chance for the screenwriter to hear there work read aloud and get feedback.

My friend's screenplay is a lot of fun and the read went well. I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with it.

Sunday PM:

Sunday was another day at the beach and the pool. I love summer at the beach. After beach and Target shopping and laundry it was time to relax a bit before bed. I decided to stick on the JLA movie I had in from Netflix.



Justice League: The New Frontier is an adaptation of the graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke. Set in the 1950's, the JLA must come together to fight a mysterious threat known only as "The Center".

I was a little skeptical at first but this movie is really good. It's an origin story of sorts for Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter and features most of the classic JLA heroes. I could have done with a little more development of the "Big Bad" (to steal a phrase from Buffy) but what really impressed me was the development of the characters. I really had a sense of who they all were and it was just cool to see that attention given to a few of the less popular characters.

On The Slate:

I'm not really sure what's coming up this week.

Prince Caspian - My plans to see it on Sunday fell through so I'm thinking I might try and catch it tomorrow after work instead.

Indiana Jones - I'm really kind of scared of The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. But I'll see it. Of course I will.

And that's all I got cookin'. We'll just have to see where else this week takes me.

Trailers: Tropic Thunder

I finally found a trailer so good that it's actually distracted me from the Dark Knight. Who knew that was even possible? But really, this little taste of brilliance is one of the funniest things I've seen in a damn long time. I almost fell out of my chair.

It's actually the second trailer out for Tropic Thunder but the first one didn't even really put this film on my radar. This one has jumped Tropic Thunder up to the top of my list of movies I'm excited about (well not higher than Dark Knight, but you know...).

And here it is, the red band trailer for Tropic Thunder:

ALSO, DEFINITELY NSFW. YOU ARE WARNED :)




For a larger look head over to Film School Rejects.

Thoughts: Film Art

When I first started college I believed that I was destined to become a great biologist. Well maybe not great. But at least competent. I thought my future lay in research labs; I imagined countless hours spent bent over a microscope, running gels, growing bacteria, analyzing, understanding, and discovering.

That's not exactly what happened however. After three semesters in a lab I found my enthusiasm for science waning. I couldn't find the motivation to study and earn more than a C, maybe a B-, on material that I easily understood just did not apply myself to. Science was clearly not for me.

At the same time my grades in Organic Chemistry were slipping, my energy and enthusiasm was drifting elsewhere. To film.

My first semester in college I finally took my first film studies course. Intro to Film Studies. I always thought movies were fun and had wanted to take the film studies class my high school had offered. There had just never been enough room between all of the AP classes earning me college credit. So I waited and looking back I'm glad I did.

While that high school class covered the basics of American cinema, your Spielberg and Godfathers and Taxi Drivers, my college Intro to Film delved deeper. Sure we watched the obvious choices like Citizen Kane and Psycho, but there was more. There were directors I had never heard of. Bergman, Goddard, Eisenstein. Whole worlds were opened before me and I loved them all. With so many new movies to watch, new directors to discover, new favorites to acquire, is it a wonder that I stopped caring as much about how exactly the Hydrogen bonds were forming? Or how much bacteria was growing in my cultures?

That class was a revelation for me. I knew by its end that I was at least going to have a minor in film and it didn't take me much longer to figure out that it would be my concentration. And along with all of those films, guiding our discussion through all of the supplemental essays, was one book. A book that sits on my bookshelf even now.

David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson's Film Art. It is arguably THE text book for film studies. Bordwell and Thompson lay a foundation for appreciating cinema as an art form. And they continue to push the limits of film studies. I'm a regular visitor of their website, a regular reader of their blog.

What prompted me to post about them and Film Art is David Bordwell's blog today about the changing face of film criticism and blogging's role in these changes. I've all ready talked about the argument that film criticism is dying here. Bordwell writes his own response to the assertion that the departure of well known print critics as well as online writers signifies the end of criticism.

He also lays out nicely what exactly film criticism is and the difference between different types (i.e. a review vs. a critical essay). For a very well informed, thought out, and educational view of blogging and criticism, check out his blog In Critical Condition.

I also recommend following the links he has in the article which shed further insight into the current situation.

Personally, while I'm sad to see talented writers leave the scene I don't necessarily feel that their departure means that film criticism is dying. I agree with Bordwell's assessment that the web has much to offer film critics. Room for them to develop their writing into longer, more intelligent pieces that can bring a lot more to the table than the current trend of quick blurbs and word vomit that somehow passes for criticism.

Sure there's a lot to read, so much that it's probably not humanely possible to read it all, but as Moviezzz points out over at his blog The Moviezzz Blog, you can always use something like Google Reader and subscribe to RSS feeds (it's something I do and HIGHLY recommend).

So not dying then. Just changing and I don't think that's a bad thing. Which may be sort of an obvious statement, considering what this is and what I'm writing. But there you go.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 5/13

Normally I like to post my weekend thoughts on Monday. Which makes sense, it being the first day after the weekend and everything being fresh in my mind. However yesterday was incredibly busy and I just did not have the time to write.

Work was busy. In the morning I had to go to a production meeting for a few hours (meaning I sat there while people talked at us about the importance of confidentiality). When I finally got back to the office there was a pile of stuff to do. Make up for lost time and all that.

After work I braved traffic and made my way up to the valley and my editor's apartment. We worked for the next few hours working on my short and I'm pleased to say that it's just about finished. A whole lot of work and even more time and now I've almost got a movie to share. It's pretty exciting stuff.

With a day that went from pretty much 8:45 AM until 11:00 PM I just did not have the energy left for blogging. Today is a little calmer so I've got a second to catch things up. And here it is. My weekend in film:

Friday PM:

Anyone who lives or has lived in the LA area has probably heard of The Getty. It's a fantastic museum that's worth visiting for the views alone.



On Friday and Saturday night they were doing a special exhibit of California Video makers. Projected on the walls of The Getty's gardens were 18 different short films created by artists who make their homes in California. There were a variety of subjects but many focused on issues of identity as well as the artist's relationship with the video medium.

I wasn't a fan of every video but there were a few that were quite good. And the juxtaposition of moving images, The Getty's white walls with their clean lines, and the sparkling lights of the city of LA spread out below us was one that carried a message in itself. It gave a wider context to the medium.

We're constantly exposed to a such a never ending stream of media input that it eventually fades to white noise. This exhibit brought the power of the visual into sharp relief and made me think about the role and importance of media in the more mundane aspects of our lives. Sure, I spend a lot of time thinking about film and television but even still, there's plenty that I just take for granted. Exhibits like this one serve as a reminder that there is meaning to be found in the seemingly meaningless. Video is a form of art that has relevance beyond the mass produced, flavorless, assembly line entertainment we're fed day in and day out.

While the outside exhibit was only over the weekend, the main California Video exhibit runs through June 8. I recommend checking it out.

Saturday PM:

My parents were in town visiting for Mother's Day so I spent most of my day out and about with them. The beach, a little shopping in Venice, dinner at Natalee Thai (delicious!). After dinner my mom and I decided to go see Iron Man. Yes, I know I've all ready seen it. And talked about it twice. However, my dad didn't really want to go and I knew it was something my mom would like. So it being Mother's Day and all, I figured it was the perfect excuse to go see it again.

My second viewing and I enjoyed it just as much. The fun holds up and I really must say that I love watching Robert Downey Jr. in an action movie. There are a few things that aren't perfect (Gwyneth Paltrow is pretty flat, it really should have been shorter) but overall, like I've said, it is what it's meant to be. It's fun, it's shiny, and I've gotta say... I kind of want more. Hopefully sequels and etc won't suck. That would be pretty spectacular.



Is it wrong for me to say that I find Robert Downey Jr really, really attractive? Cause I do. He's hot. I had a bit of a crush on him when he had his brief stint on Ally McBeal and now that I'm a little older and wiser... my crush has moved beyond "a bit". I also do have huge respect for him as a comedic actor, an action hero, and, really, as just an actor in general. I'm pleased that he seems to have moved past his previous troubles and I look forward to what more we'll be getting from him in the years to come.


Sunday Early PM:

While waiting for the sun to come out on Sunday my parents and I just kind of hung around my house. I decided it was as good a time as any to stick on a little bit of Indiana Jones. Raider's of the Lost Ark was on cable and it was a great way to kill a little time.



I love the original Indiana Jones movies but you know, I'm not sure how excited I am about this new one that's coming out. Despite all of the ridiculousness of the originals, they managed to at least stay somewhat grounded in the realm of realism. This new one, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, seems like it just might be crossing the line. It looks huge budget and goofy. Also, rumors of aliens in the plot? Come on. Really? Ugh.

Of course I'll go see it and hopefully I'll like it. I just have fairly low expectations and I'm not hugely excited.

On The Slate:

Yeah. Three things, that was it for the weekend. What's coming up this week?

Prince Caspian - The new Chronicles of Narnia! Yay! The first one isn't the most amazing movie I've ever seen but it is cool. This new one looks like it's even a little darker. I think it's got a lot of potential. Opens Friday so I'll probably be checking it out come Sunday.

The Fall - A fantasy adventure set in 1920's Los Angeles. It stars Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies and the short lived Wonderfalls) whom I like a lot. I'm hoping to check this out tomorrow after work.

Paris, Texas - Still have it from Netflix. Still haven't watched it.

Justice League: The New Frontier - Also in from Netflix. Honestly, I accidentally bumped this to the top of my queue. I do want to see it though and with all the comic book movie talk going on the timing for it seems just about right.

Production: Medicine for Melancholy at the LA Film Festival

To give these guys another mention, Barry Jenkins's film Medicine For Melancholy will be playing at the LA Film Festival in June. The fest runs from June 19-29. The opening and closing films this year will be Wanted and Hellboy II, respectively. It promises to be a good time and if you're in LA you should check out M4M along with all of the other films being showcased.

For more info: http://lafilmfest.com/films.php

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 5/5

I've just got to start this out by saying I am completely exhausted. I'm not even sure what happened this weekend, it was just a lot. There were house guests and social activities. There was the beach and the pool, shopping, a picnic, hang outs. There was food. And, as always, there were movies.

Thursday PM:



Technically the weekend doesn't start until Friday. Technically. And even though I did work on Friday, Thursday night's adventures at the cineplex felt like a weekend kick-off to me. Just like it was the summer movie season kick-off.

I all ready posted my Review of Iron Man so I'm not going to talk too much about it. I just want to say again that this movie is Fun. With a capital "F". It's not great but it is pretty perfect for what it's trying to be. A superhero movie with awesome effects and a lot of action. I love Robert Downey Jr and personally I think he makes the movie. It could have been slightly improved with a shorter running time but in the end it's worth seeing on the big screen.

Friday PM:



Made it to disc 3 of Season 1 of The Tudors. I'm definitely getting more into the show. The episodes I watched covered the outbreak of the sweat. At this point the drama is building, there are a couple of more story lines unfolding, and everything is being given more depth. I'm almost done with Season 1 now which is unfortunate since I still don't actually have Showtime. Oh well, Season 2 will be out on DVD eventually.



After The Tudors my roommate joined me and we put Mr. Bourdain back on the TV. I love having the DVR. We watched a few more episodes of No Reservations but that, along with Sex and The City, is an almost daily occurrence. I think we actually watched at least an episode every day this weekend. Friday night was Sweden. We also caught an Italy episode, another New York episode, and a couple of others. Good times.

I know I say a lot how much I like this show, but I just want to keep saying it! What really makes it is Tony's charming personality, the writing, and the locations. And Tony's reactions to all of the locations. One of these days I will actually pick up his book. And while I am not a fan of working in Reality TV (not that that's prevented me from being here) I would love to work on No Reservations. I think that would certainly be an adventure.

After No Reservations and a couple of beers I was ready for sleep. It was about midnight and after working all week I'm usually really tired on Friday nights.

Not that my going to bed meant the night was over. In fact, it was far it...

Saturday Super Early AM:

Around 2:30 AM my other roommate came home with a couple of Scottish boys in tow. I think she found one of them at Coachella the other weekend. Anyway, instead of sleeping I hung out, drank more beer, listened to a lot of music, and eventually stuck on a movie.

Now, what kind of movie would you put on at 6 in the morning, a little drunk, extremely sleepy, and in the company of a Scottish Italian? A Clint Eastwood western of course!



That's right, Sergio Leone's classic The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

I adore Clint Eastwood, especially his appearances in the westerns. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is easily one of the best. Angel Eyes, Tuco, and Blondie. Of course Blondie. Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, and Clint Eastwood. This casting is perfect, the chemistry is there, these men are rough. Gunslingers.

I'll be honest and say that I fell asleep before the end. It was 6 AM after all. But for Morricone's score alone it was the perfect choice. I love the music and with that in my ears and Clint's face floating through my blurry vision I fell happily comfortably asleep.

For a few hours at least...

Saturday:

Didn't watch anything. Not really. Turned the TV on a couple of times. There was a little bit of Scrubs, a little Sex and The City, some more No Reservations. Mostly though I was off doing other things and being social. Go figure.

Sunday PM:

Again, most of my day Sunday was spent out and about so I didn't watch anything during the day. After the day out and my picnic dinner by the Marina I was ready for some couch time.



I finally put in Once. And then my roommate brought the Scottish boys back and I couldn't for the life of me tell you anything about the movie. I got a good way through but really wasn't following so I hit the stop button. I'll try again this week.

I can say this though, I love the music! I'm actually really excited to actually watch this thing, especially now that I've heard a bit of it. I also have a feeling that I'll be purchasing that soundtrack. Probably sometime very soon.

After a while the Scottish boys left with roommate J and we finally had the couch returned to us. Roommate K and I watched a little Family Guy and then I introduced her to the crazy that is Aqua Teen Hunger Force.



I haven't watched the show in a while, I haven't even seen the movie, but I adore everything that I have seen. I think it's hilarious and nuts and it entertains me. Knowing my roommate, I was really surprised she had never seen it. It's just right up her alley. I'm now on a mission to make her watch a lot of it. A LOT.

Sunday Late PM:

Eventually she gave in to the tired and the TV was mine. I wasn't quite ready for sleep yet so I switched on Aliens (it was playing on Fox Movie Channel). I've always loved Aliens but it's been a long while since I've seen. Watching it again last night... I had forgotten how amazingly good it actually is.



James Cameron gives us a work of brilliance. Aliens is arguably one of the best sequels ever made. It fits so perfectly into the universe that Ridley Scott established in Alien but gives us something new. It's a formula that I've seen countless times since but I can't think of a single example that comes close to getting it as right as Cameron does. There's a reason the first two Alien movies are two of my favorite movies ever. Watching Aliens again last night just reminded me why that was.

On The Slate:

Once - Now I've seen a bit of it I'm all anxious to watch all of it. Hopefully I can actually make that happen this week.

Paris, Texas - Wim Wenders's classic road movie. In the mail from Netflix.

Batman - Tim Burton's original. With all of the Batman talk K and I are both feeling this journey back to the beginning. Some don't think it holds up but I'm still a fan.

Not sure what else. Gossip Girl tonight, Top Chef on Wednesday. Maybe some Grey's. And possibly a few other movies thrown in. I'm all in the mood to watch Alien again now.

Hopefully there will be a little sleep mixed in there as well. I think I definitely need some.

Trailers: The Dark Knight NEW

For real this time.

The Dark Knight

I am so freakin excited.

Seriously.

Review: Iron Man

And Summer 2008 at the movies has officially begun.

What can I say about this season’s opener, Iron Man? A few things, some good, some not so good. The one thing that matters though: if this is just the beginning of what we’ll be getting over the next few months, then it’s going to be one hell of a summer.

In this latest of the comic book adaptations we’ve gotten over the last few years, we meet Tony Stark. He’s a billionaire playboy at the head of a weapons manufacturing dynasty. A genius (and possibly borderline sociopath) Tony takes life for granted and gets off more when he blows something up than when he, ah, lays someone down.

The story of Iron Man is simple. This carefree lothario is ambushed in the desert, taken prisoner by Middle Eastern terrorists, and has a revelation that yes, his weapons are in fact hurting the world. He builds a ridiculous “iron” suit, escapes, learns how to fly; there’s a bad guy, a cute girl, and lots of explosions.

That, my friends, is that.

But let’s face it, we don’t go to see a movie like Iron Man for its in-depth plot, complicated characters, or social commentary. We go for the explosions, the shiny lights, and the other absurd effects. So the question then is, does Iron Man deliver?

On the surface it does. By it’s nature, to a certain extent, that’s all that matters. The effects are spot on. The score is appropriately rock & roll and adrenaline pumping. The cinematography is actually quite good (thank you Mr. Libatique!). The acting is… certainly it’s not bad. Okay, the acting is fine. Continuing with the theme of shallow, there just isn’t a lot for these actors to do.

Actually, I was surprised when I first learned of this film’s cast. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges. You really don’t need that kind of talent in a film of this caliber. But then again maybe that’s the difference between something like this and, say, Fantastic Four. Or Daredevil. Perhaps those movies would have reached the level of Watchablity if they had been filled with more talented casts. As I’ve said in the past, Jessica Alba may be pretty to look at but pretty is about all that girl’s got going for her. So by casting someone like Downey as Tony Stark, someone who’s charm is so easy and natural it’s nearly impossible to temper, John Favreau astutely made the decisions that elevated what would have otherwise been another depressing waste of celluloid into something at the very least entertaining.

That is what Iron Man has going for it. Where does it fall short?

Iron Man is missing the key factor that makes other comic book adaptation successes like the first two Spiderman movies, X-Men, and Batman Begins. Yes, those are good, occasionally even great, films and Iron Man is not on their level for many reasons. But there is one thing above all others that keeps it from crossing that threshold into the realm of greatness. Those other movies are able to go beyond their stories of super heroes and evil villains. They have more to them than just the age-old story of Good vs. Evil. They take their archetypes and they make them Human. They are able to appeal to an audience wider than the fan boys and comic book lovers and special effects freaks. Iron Man fails to move beyond explosions into humanity.

One prime example of this failure, and the thing that bothered me most, is its treatment of the terrorists or insurgents or warlords or whoever they were supposed to be. The men who initially take Stark captive are simple caricatures of the people in the Middle East who we are currently at war with. And yes, I know there’s a long history of dehumanizing the enemy in cinema. We’re about to see another entry into another franchise that is built on this very practice (“I hate Nazis” anyone? You know who I’m talking about). However, I feel like Iron Man takes this simplification too far. Our involvement in the Middle East is complicated and it made me uncomfortable to watch such a crude portrayal of our “enemy”. I can give the film credit and say that it at least moves past this by the end, after we’ve been introduced to the real villain, but I still think that it could have been handled better.

All in all though, Iron Man gives us what it promised it would: the flashy explosions, the badass (and gorgeous and sexy) hero, the epic final battle, and plenty of fan service. It is what it is. A simple action movie. A comic book adaptation. Fodder for sequels and spin offs. And it is wildly entertaining. It made me smile more than it made me cringe and sometimes that’s enough.

If you only see one movie this summer, this is certainly NOT the movie to see. But it looks great on the big screen and tastes good with some popcorn and soda. For a fun start to the summer season, check it out.

If nothing else, you get a few amazing trailers to go along with it.