January 26, 2009
Recent movies watched
Gran Torino is Clint Eastwood's most recent film (the second to come out in less than four months, the last was Changeling, which I have not yet seen). The last Eastwood film I watched was Letters From Iwo Jima, one of the most captivating and emotional war dramas I've ever watched. The story follows a old man who, set in his ways, carries a bitter outlook on society, and who has no particular concern for being sensitive to social issues such as race or cultural differences. That is to say, he's fairly thickskinned with little patience for those who aren't, not least of which include members of his own family. But to be fair, he really has no sympathy or tolerance for anyone who can't see the world the way he does, regardless of what othe characteristics they might have. But through the course of events that unfold in the story, he is able to befriend his neighbors who come from the Hmong culture, and begins to mentor the young boy in order to make him into his idea of a man. He ultimatly shows compassion for the family as he sees the threat a gang of other Hmong have placed on them, and decided to do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.Rocket Science is about a boy trying to impress a girl who is their her school's debate star. Although she chooses him to be her partner in debate, he has a nearly completely debilitating speech impediment. If you have ever felt awkward in high school (and should be about 99.9% of you) then you will relate in some way to this movie. This is realistic high school, which for most people is full of enormous psychological pressure and a general social awkwardness.
Eraserhead is director David Lynch's debut feature length film, it came out back in '77! Its also possibly the strangest Lynch film I've seen yet. David Lynch has his own kind of strange that is far superior to regular strange. I've seen Mullholand Drive, Lost Highway, some episodes of Twin Peaks, and of course Dune (I loved the book), and this movie is odder than all of them put together. The story, well i'm not sure if there really is a point in trying to describe it...but it hinges on a man who discovers he's a father, then his new wife can't handle the stress of raising their child, which is not even close human. Its filled with gross and just slightly more than mildly disturbing imagery. At best, the movie will leave you wondering "hmmmm" what exactly did I just watch?
My Bloody Valentine was not a film I was planning to see, but some friends asked me to join them, and the intrigue of 3D film got to me. It does take advantage of the capabilities of digital 3D, to the point of being a little silly. This was certainly not a movie suitable for children, there is a lot of gore and sexuality.
I recenlty rewatched The Jerk with some friends. I'd seen it when I was really young so the basic plot was familiar to me. Having seen it again its surprising how hilarious was Steve Martin. There are some of the funniest moments ever in The Jerk. I couldn't help but think that this movie must have really inspired more modern comedians.
Melvin Goes to Dinner is a dark comedy directed by Steve Odekirk. The story centers around four friends who are having a spontaneous dinner together. There are periodic flashbacks that explain what lead these four individuals have dinner together. Throughout there extremely well written moments of comedy. My favorite part was the totally hilarious cameo by Jack Black that itself is reason enough to watch this film.
Labels: movies
