Movie Diary
1. 300
I can't say I totally predicted 300's record-breaking box office, but I was pretty sure it was gonna be huge just based on the fact that virtually all my friends were hyped about it, J.G. and I were motivated to go see it opening night, which we rarely are, and the theatre was packed. I ran into my college roommate out in the lobby, and the exchange we had walking past each other was basically "dude..." "DUDE." Considering that I've been completely ambivalent or outright hostile towards most of the big ancient battle epics that Hollywood's been churning out since Gladiator, I think it kinda speaks volumes that even I was able to get excited about this movie. Mainly because, instead of going for some vague sense of realism and still ended up with a bloated, historically inaccurate piece of shit like Troy or Alexander, 300 goes straight for the visceral shit, delights in the cheesy dialogue, and adds the perfect amount of mystical weirdness. And gets it all done in under 2 hours. I'm kinda glad I saw this in a relative vacuum, not knowing much yet about the historical context or the brewing controversy about undertones regarding race and present day wars. To me it was just a cool ass movie with lots of crazy, memorable visuals, and I'm glad I saw on the big screen.
2. Two For The Money
This is the kind of movie that feels like a total waste of an afternoon even when there's nothing else on TV and nothing better to do. There's a halfway intriguing story in there, but the direction the whole thing is headed gets telegraphed so baldly that even the little twist at the end feels obvious and stupid. Doesn't help that Al Pacino's been playing that same basic character for half of his movies for the past 15 years.
3. Cry-Baby
Sometimes I feel like a bad Baltimorean for how limited my experience with the John Waters oevre is, mostly the later, accessible stuff, and even then not all of it. I'm glad I finally watched this one, it kind of takes the camp of Hairspray to pretty entertaining extremes without as much affectionate nostalgia.
4. Silent Movie
Similiarly, I feel guilty about any Mel Brooks movies I haven't seen in their entirety, because he's directed at least 2 or 3 of my top 10 favorite comedies of all time. My dad always raved about this one to me, although thankfully while I was watching it I'd forgotten that he told be about the gag based around who says the only line in the movie. Some great slapstick with musical accompinent, especially Marty Feldman's amazing elevator sequence set to a drum solo. Also, Bernadette Peters being crazy hot in this. In a weird way I think this movie's gratuitous celebrity cameos, which were kind of gags in and of themselves, predicted that as a trend that you see in comedies constantly these days.
I can't say I totally predicted 300's record-breaking box office, but I was pretty sure it was gonna be huge just based on the fact that virtually all my friends were hyped about it, J.G. and I were motivated to go see it opening night, which we rarely are, and the theatre was packed. I ran into my college roommate out in the lobby, and the exchange we had walking past each other was basically "dude..." "DUDE." Considering that I've been completely ambivalent or outright hostile towards most of the big ancient battle epics that Hollywood's been churning out since Gladiator, I think it kinda speaks volumes that even I was able to get excited about this movie. Mainly because, instead of going for some vague sense of realism and still ended up with a bloated, historically inaccurate piece of shit like Troy or Alexander, 300 goes straight for the visceral shit, delights in the cheesy dialogue, and adds the perfect amount of mystical weirdness. And gets it all done in under 2 hours. I'm kinda glad I saw this in a relative vacuum, not knowing much yet about the historical context or the brewing controversy about undertones regarding race and present day wars. To me it was just a cool ass movie with lots of crazy, memorable visuals, and I'm glad I saw on the big screen.
2. Two For The Money
This is the kind of movie that feels like a total waste of an afternoon even when there's nothing else on TV and nothing better to do. There's a halfway intriguing story in there, but the direction the whole thing is headed gets telegraphed so baldly that even the little twist at the end feels obvious and stupid. Doesn't help that Al Pacino's been playing that same basic character for half of his movies for the past 15 years.
3. Cry-Baby
Sometimes I feel like a bad Baltimorean for how limited my experience with the John Waters oevre is, mostly the later, accessible stuff, and even then not all of it. I'm glad I finally watched this one, it kind of takes the camp of Hairspray to pretty entertaining extremes without as much affectionate nostalgia.
4. Silent Movie
Similiarly, I feel guilty about any Mel Brooks movies I haven't seen in their entirety, because he's directed at least 2 or 3 of my top 10 favorite comedies of all time. My dad always raved about this one to me, although thankfully while I was watching it I'd forgotten that he told be about the gag based around who says the only line in the movie. Some great slapstick with musical accompinent, especially Marty Feldman's amazing elevator sequence set to a drum solo. Also, Bernadette Peters being crazy hot in this. In a weird way I think this movie's gratuitous celebrity cameos, which were kind of gags in and of themselves, predicted that as a trend that you see in comedies constantly these days.
This entry was posted
on Friday, March 16, 2007 at 7:54 PM.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
Reel Fanatic : 7:03 AM