PSH = Pretty Sad Hoffman.

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead dir. Sidney Lumet

The Savages dir. Tamara Jenkins

Both these movies are pretty depressing.  Both have Philip Seymour Hoffman.

In "Devil", Hoffman and Ethan Hawke are brothers who plan to rob their parents jewelry store.   The place is insured so no real harm.  But of course everything goes wrong.  Really wrong.  Just bad stuff happens everywhere.  Hoffman is really good as the sleaze ball older brother who gets his mildly wienerish younger brother to do the dirty work.   Albert Finney is impressive as their father.  Sad but effective.  Hoffman's character is just pathetic throughout.  

I know critics really liked this movie, and the acting and direction and all is really good, but I just don't think it all comes together to make a fully satisfying movie.  The whole does not equal the sum of its parts, or whatever.  In my opinion anyway.  Maybe it was just too much of a downer for me to enjoy.  Critics love downers.

Same thing with "The Savages".  Sad comedy which kinda leans more towards the sad then the comedy.   PSH is college professor Jon Savage, and Laura Linney is his younger sister, aspiring playwright Wendy Savage.    After years of not speaking to their abusive father, they are forced to take care of him after his girlfriend dies and he is diagnosed with dementia.  

Hoffman is good as usual, but Laura Linney is awesome in her Oscar nominated performance.  I also thought Philip Bosco was impressive as the dad.  There are a few bright spots, but for the most part this is really sad.  I liked the ending, which is actually kind of uplifting,  but for the most part this is a depressing movie.  Not totally in a bad way, but not totally in a good way either.  Laura Linney might have became my favorite actress, and she really makes this better then it would've been with a lesser star.

both movies: 7/10

43/150

Wieners

Forgetting Sarah Marshall  Dir.  Nicholas Stoller

Jason Segel (Freaks and Geeks) wrote and stars in this comedy about a guy who does the music for a CSI type show starring his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell).   After she dumps him for a Robbie Williams-ish British singer (Russell Brand, funny guy) he goes to Hawaii to get away only to find Sarah with her new boyfriend.

If you like other Judd Apatow produced movies like "Knocked Up" and "40 Year Old Virgin" you'll like this one.  Like those movies there is a large cast of mostly funny people (Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd).  Personally the thing I liked most about this movie was the fact that Segel's character is working on a play about Dracula starring muppets.  The end result is something that I hope someday becomes a show of its own.

8/10

Walk Hard (The Dewey Cox Story)   Dir. Jake Kasdan

"Walk Hard" tells the tale of fake musician Dewey Cox, mocking recent biopics of musicians such as "Ray", and "Walk the Line" and really mostly those two movies, with a little "Don't Look Back" and "Yellow Submarine" but mostly "Ray" and "Walk the Line".

I was pretty disappointed with this one.  Not that funny.  Made me laugh a couple times, but mostly I was just bored.  

6/10

Hated  dir. Todd Phillips (1994)

Documentary about GG Allin, lead singer of GG Allin and the Murder Junkies, who performs naked, hits himself in the face with the mic, shoves a banana up his ass, and shits on the ground and throws it at his audience in the name of rock and roll.

Pretty gross.  Really gross.  Kind of amusing at times.  But really gross.

6/10

41/150

The Station Agent Thomas McCarthy

When his only friend dies, a young dwarf named Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) relocates to an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey, intent on living the life of a hermit. But his solitude is soon interrupted by his colorful neighbors, which include a struggling artist (Patricia Clarkson) coping with the recent death of her young son and a talkative Cuban hot dog vendor (Bobby Cannavale).

A new favorite movie. I haven't laughed at a movie like this since i first saw lebowski. There is a amazing chemistry between the characters despite how lonely they all are. There is lots of little nuances that entertain without being "quirky". Bobby Cannaval should have won an oscar for best supporting actor or something. Filled with amazing shots of trains stuff that make me want to learn about trains.

10/10

Juno Jason Reitman

Facing an unplanned pregnancy, teenage Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial perfect parents to adopt her baby. But the seemingly ideal couple Juno chooses still has some growing up to do. Now, everyone in Juno's world must do a little soul-searching. Michael Cera co-stars while Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the pair of affluent yuppies anxious for a child in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy, which won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

This super hyped up movies, by pretty much all types, ages, and sexes of people, which i thought was fairly strange before seeing the movie, and even stranger now that i have. I love the very natural acting, and the few funny parts, but i am overwhelmed by the huge amount of name drops and weird hip language. Still not bad for a screenplay written by a stripper.

6/10

87/300
5/30

"I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" Chan-wook Park


A girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics. Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people's souls.

A cute quirky movie about crazies. A very standout movie in the genre "cute quirky" A girl gets transmission from her grandma (who was also institutionalized) telling her to plug herself into a wall socket, and that in turn, turns her into a cyborg. She then she stops eating because she thinks robots need batteries and electricity rather than food. She finds an unlikely friend in a crazy dude that thinks he is the best thief in the world. They help each other solve there problems ahhhhhhhhhh cute. Very well done and good looking special effects here too.

6/10

Le Samurai (Jean-Pierre Melville)

A little bit gangster film, a little bit samurai flick, this 1960s French masterpiece from Jean-Pierre Melville introduces the memorable anti-hero Jef Costello (Alain Delon), a contract killer with the instincts of a Japanese warrior and the features of Adonis. After offing a nightclub owner, Costello has two big problems: his double-crossing employer, who now wants him dead, and the dogged police investigator who's determined to rein him in.

I don't know if it's the re-mastering that Criterion does or if they just know how to pick them, but this is yet another beautiful looking movie from said collection. Sort of hard to get through due to really long speachless moments, but at the same time that's what makes this movie what it is. Cold and silent and tough.

7/10

Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero)

Director George Romero's low-budget horror classic continues to inspire heebie-jeebies, in part because of the randomness of the zombies' targets. As dead bodies return to life and feast on human flesh, young Barbara (Judith O'Dea) joins a group of survivors in a farmhouse hoping to protect themselves from the hordes of advancing zombies. But even with assistance in slowing down and killing zombies, soon only one person remains in the farmhouse.

Sometimes incomprehensible acting and dialog but still stands strong as the foundation of zombie movies.

6/10

Lost Season 3

The castaways continue to seek strength on their deserted island as more secrets are uncovered. This season, characters' backstories are revealed, paranoia increases, and the dangerous mystery of the island itself is further unraveled. The Emmy Award-winning series features a strong ensemble cast, including veteran character actor Terry O'Quinn (with an Emmy win) as Locke, Michael Emerson as Ben, and Matthew Fox as Jack.

show still sucks but atleast this season has like 30% more stuff that i want to hear about. Fart

5/10

85/300 movies
5/30 books

Catcher Cult

Rescue Dawn (Werner Herzog)
Renowned director Werner Herzog's inspiring film recounts the heroic saga of Dieter Dengler, a German-American fighter pilot and highly decorated Vietnam veteran whose reconnaissance plane was shot down in 1966. Captured by enemy forces and held in a Laotian torture camp near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Dengler (portrayed by Christian Bale) defied death by organizing one of the most daring escapes in the Vietnam conflict.

Just like Casino Royale, throughout this movie I kept asking myself, "why the hell did it take me so long to see this?" At first you think it is naivety and/or mental retardation when Dieter, after being captured, is all smiles with his captors. But by the end of the movie, it is obvious that he is a naturally optimistic person. Watching this movie was like watching a wise old Shaman being imprisoned and escaping.

What else really stood out was how physical of a movie it is. What the actors went through to look exactly as if they had been imprisoned for years. This is one of those movies where I highly recommend watching the special features after. It shows how deeply involved both the director and actors were in the making of the film.

10/10


London (Hunter Richards)
After jilted Syd (Chris Evans) learns that his ex-girlfriend, London (Jessica Biel), is moving away from New York City without telling him, he can't resist the urge to crash her farewell party looking for one last chance to talk. But instead of confronting her, Syd spends most of his time in the upstairs bathroom with an enigmatic Brit he barely knows (Jason Statham) -- snorting lines of cocaine and debating the meaning of life.

Even though I really like Chris Evans and Jason Statham, I kept putting this one off because of all the horrible, just goddamn plain awful reviews I read for it. I watched this movie twice in two days, the first time not really liking it, the second time loving it. The flashbacks to the arguments between Evans and Biels character are exact imitations of real-life arguments couples get into, and are nothing like the fake dialog seen in both overly dramatic Hollywood and purposely-eccentric 'indie' films all the time.

Jason Statham is perfect in his role. This movie settled the fact that this guy can fucking act. The relationship between he and Evans shows how much more important it is to talk to a male friend when going through harsh times and/or female problems, as opposed to going out and blindly fucking every piece of ass just to make yourself feel better.

I liked the use of drugs in the movie, there was no message or any shit like that. The movie neither condemns or condones drugs, the cocaine and alcohol are simply what the characters happen to be doing that night.

This movie would have earned an eight if the five minutes Dane Cook appeared would have been cut out.

7/10


We Own the Night (James Gray)
Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) manages El Caribe, a hot New York City nightclub, while estranged brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) has followed in their policeman father's (Robert Duvall) footsteps. The two are reunited by dealings with the Russian mafia, which has a foothold in Bobby's business. As Joseph puts pressure on the mob, its members turn the screws on Bobby. Eva Mendes and Tony Musante co-star in writer-director James Gray's action-drama.

I knew close to nothing about this when I sat down to watch it. A half hour into and it took a completely different direction than what I was expecting. I was very moved by the relationship between Wahlberg and Phoenix, and for some reason other than that I don't really know what else to say. The movie has two or three extremely well done tense action sequences. Oh, and an awesome face-blown-off-by-shotgun moment.

8/10

Chaos (Tony Giglio)
With a gang leader (Wesley Snipes) holding dozens of hostages at an interrupted bank robbery, suspended cop Detective Quentin Conners (Jason Statham) is pulled back into action to negotiate. But when chaos erupts inside, the baddies escape. Now, Conners must pair with rookie cop Shane Dekker (Ryan Phillippe) to find the gang before they pull off an even bigger heist in this tense action flick directed by Tony Giglio.

This movie is very, very generic. Bank robbery + dirty cops + plot twists + more plot twists. What saves it from being boring though are the enjoyable performances/likable characters played by Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, Justine Waddell, and Nicholas Lea. Nothing someone needs to rush and put at the top of their Queue, but catch it if it is on TV.

6.5/10

movie count 14/156

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

King Dork (Frank Portman)
Tom Henderson (a.k.a. King Dork, Chi-mo, Hender-fag, and Sheepie) is a typical American high school loser until he discovers the book, The Catcher in the Rye, that will change the world as he knows it. When Tom discovers his deceased father’s copy of the Salinger classic, he finds himself in the middle of several interlocking conspiracies and at least half a dozen mysteries involving dead people, naked people, fake people, ESP, blood, a secret code, guitars, monks, witchcraft, the Bible, girls, the Crusades, a devil head, and rock and roll. And it all looks like it’s just the tip of a very odd iceberg of clues that may very well unravel the puzzle of his father’s death and–oddly–reveal the secret to attracting semihot girls. Being in a band could possibly be the secret to the girl thing–but good luck finding a drummer who can count to four.

This book is fucking hilarious and written by the dude who fronts that awful band Mr. T Experience. Tom and his buddy Sam have a band, yet neither of them have or know how to play instruments. They just spend their time coming up with new band names, albums, logos, etc. Reminds me of when I was fourteen.

Tom goes to a party out of town, touches an indie girl's boob and then obsesses over this 'mystery girl' that he cannot seem to track down. His father also died when he was younger, and he comes upon a box of books with encryptions and notes written by his Father that he sets out to 'decode' in hopes of understanding both his father as a person and his death more.

Those are the two main story lines. Imagine Youth In Revolt but not so ridiculously far fetched.

8/10

The Sorrows of Young Werther (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
When The Sorrows of Young Werther was published in 1774, it inspired a mass cult of feelings (and reputedly a few suicides), and made its author one of the first literary celebrities. Goethe's story of a tormented young man whose fixation on an inaccessible woman culminates in tragedy may be read as a celebration of unfettered emotion or as a mercilessly accurate portrait of aman whose dedication to pure feeling turns him into a monster.

I was intrigued by this book when I read that Napoleon had it on him when he invaded Egypt. I read it yesterday and it has right away become one of my favorite books. It takes place over a year and a half, and Werther's story is told in a series of letters written to his friend and journal entries. Goethe seems to understand human nature and emotion perfectly, and I see why he is called the "German Shakespeare." I bought the Vintage Classics edition because it was considered the "definitive English-language version" - there is nothing worse than a horrible translation. This one flows perfectly and as poetically as I'm sure Goethe's original German does.

One problem with this edition: the awful, AWFUL introduction by W.H. Auden. 1) He spoils the ending. . .which is something that would have easily been guessed halfway through the book, but I would have much preferred the ladder than knowing before I even started the book. 2) I hate when I am told how I am supposed to interpret something, which the author does consistently throughout the introduction as he bashes the main character. So if you read this edition, (which I suggest because of the translation), avoid the unnecessary introduction.

10/10

book count 16/104

Lightning Round

Hot Rod dir. Akiva Schaffer (2007)

Andy Samberg plays the titular character, a wannabe stuntman who is trying to raise $50,000 to save his dad so he can kick his ass and win his respect.

Like his digital shorts on SNL, funny at times, but a lot of stuff was just repetitive and/or random.  A lot of filler to make up for flimsy story.  Still, kind of funny.

6.5/10

Superbad dir. Greg Mottola (2007)

Two high school boys try to get alcohol while a third goes on a wild night with two inept cops.

Really funny.  All the main characters are great.  Reccomend to anyone who went to high school.

9/10

Youth in Revolt (book)  C.D. Payne

14 year old Nick Twisp tries to lose his virginity to Sheeni Saunders, put up with his divorced parents, and elude the FBI.

Funny, and entertaining.  A little too much after awhile. Probably would've liked it better if I was younger and if the main character wasn't posing as a woman for the last third of the book.

7/10

Raising Arizona dir. Coen Bros. (1987)

Ex-con H.I.  (Nic Cage) and his ex-cop wife, Ed (Holly Hunter) want a baby but can't have one so they kidnap 1/5th of the newborn "Arizona Quints".

I haven't seen this all the way through in a long time.  It is still hilarious and one of the best Coen Brothers movies.

9/10

The Venture Bros.  Season 1

Dr. Venture, a pill-popping scientist living in his father's shadow, goes on adventures with his two moronic sons and their ultra-violent bodyguard.

I like this show because unlike some shows on Adult Swim it's actually funny and there is something resembling a plot, instead of just being offensive or super-weird (even though it is offensive and kind of super-weird).

8/10

loudQUIETloud: a film about the Pixies dir. Steven Cantor (2006)

Documentary following Pixies on reunion tour in 2004.

If you don't like the Pixies, you won't like this film.  I do like the Pixies, and I still was kind of bored.  It's ok.

6.5/10

movies - 38/100

books - 7/15 

Dead??

Michael Clayton  dir. Tony Gilroy (2007)

George Clooney plays the titular character, a "fixer" at a law firm, a guy who bails out the wealthy clients using connections.  The story revolves around an ongoing class action lawsuit against a company who's pesticide has killed hundreds of people.  One of the men on the case (Tom Wilkinson) goes crazy, strips naked at a deposition, tells one of the victim's family he loves her and Clayton as to go help clean the mess up.  But it turns out maybe Arthur (Wilkinson) wasn't crazy.

I never thought about watching this one until it got nominated for best picture.  There really isn't anything in the movie that could make for a convincing trailer (no action, or great one liners) and it's kind of hard to summarize.  It is really well put together, a really good script and great acting.  Definitely worth checking out if you don't mind 2 hours without any car chases, explosions, love stories, or hilarious bloopers.

8/10

Wristcutters (A Love Story)  dir. Goran Dukic (2006)

Zia (Patrick Fugit) has just killed himself.  Now he's at a place where all suiciders go, which is "pretty much the same, only a little worse."  When he finds out his ex-girlfriend "offed" herself (they say that way too often) he brings his Russian rocker friend along for a zany road trip to go find her.  On the way they pick up Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon) who believes she doesn't belong there and is looking for the people in charge so she can go home.

This one was okay but kind of disappointing.   It's stretched a little thin because there is a beginning to the story and an end but the middle is just kind of a drag to connect the dots.  The movie is only like 84 minutes, but it's still too long.  It has its moments, just not enough.

6.5/10

Stranger Than Fiction  dir. Marc Forster (2006)

Will Ferrell is Harold Crick, an IRS auditor who suddenly starts hearing a voice narrating his life, which only mildly upsets him until the voice says he is going to die.

I really like this movie.  I think Ferrell does a good job of being a more subdued character (also in Winter Passing) and I just think this is a smart, funny, original movie.

9/10

The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien (book)

Our unnamed narrator (he has forgotten his name, but his soul is named Joe) encounters some very odd policeman after going to retrieve a box that belongs to a man he has killed.

I picked this one up because the producers of LOST said it was a big influence.  There are parts where I can see why,  (running in to dead people, an underground "hatch" where numbers must be entered) but I can't really say more without giving it away (the book, and maybe LOST).   Basically a bunch of weird stuff happens, and the cops are superweird.  I'll probably read it again because some of the stuff seemed to be going somewhere but in the end it turned out it wasn't (probably like LOST) and was just there for the sake of entertainment/weirdness.

7/10

movies 33/150

books 6/15

whoopsidaisy

another long hiatus, but ive got a lot of stuff to post about
get pumped
get ripped


Shoot Em' Up Michael Davis



When a mysterious loner named Mr. Smith (Clive Owen, Children of Men) delivers a woman's baby during an intense shoot-out, he inadvertently lands himself at odds with the ruthless Mr. Hertz (Paul Giamatti). Aided by the enigmatic DQ (Monica Bellucci), Mr. Smith is tasked with protecting the newborn from Hertz and his henchmen. Written and directed by Michael Davis, this bullet-riddled action thriller also stars Ramona Pringle and Chris Jericho.

An amazing brain fart of a movie. Sweet john woo style action with an amazing cast and lots of great one liners. Watch this with some one who takes themselves too seriously for even more laughs. Eat a carrot

9/10

Walk Hard Jake Kasdan


John C. Reilly stars as fictional pop star Dewey Cox in this parody of the increasingly predictable rags-to-riches music biopic. On his hard-knocks journey toward stardom, Dewey crosses paths with the likes of Elvis, Buddy Holly and the Beatles. Before long, Dewey is writing hits, making women swoon and doing food endorsements -- in between over-the-top moments of silliness, which producers Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow are so adept at creating.

probably one of my new favorite movies. John C. Riley is a total creep, and totally awesome. Like a Will Farell movie with out all the safeness. Filled with amazing cameos great movie and societal references. I put this on the Must watch list.

9/10

Battlestar Galactica Season 2 (6 disc)


Set in the wake of a nuclear annihilation that destroyed the 12 Colonies of Man, this Sci-Fi Channel series follows the last surviving humans in their search for the long-lost 13th colony: Earth. The latter half of the second season finds the crew of Battlestar Galactica facing a new Cylon target; meanwhile, President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) is fighting the cancer that's slowly killing her. Edward James Olmos also stars.

This season does have a couple bad episodes, but overall this series remains my favorite to date. Lots of really well done episodes, and characters that you can actually care about and do not frustrate. Well written, and action sequences that take youb ack to old star wars days. Also the end of this season is some of the best "finale" episodes i have ever seen.

8/10

Lost Season 2. 7 disc Jack Bender

ABC's motley crew of castaways remains stranded on the deserted island populated by mysterious things that go bump in the night. And since most of the survivors have abandoned the idea of a rescue, they focus on staying alive. Matthew Fox (Party of Five), Naveen Andrews (The English Patient) and Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings) round out the ensemble cast in this television drama from J.J. Abrams (creator of "Alias").



the above picture about sums up how i feel about this show. They some how avoid talking about any of the shit i care to hear about (the hatch, the button, the others) and mostly focus on bad flashbacks of smelly characters like Michael (walllllllllllllllllt walllllllllllllllt my boy my boy you don't have a boy fuck you my boy where is my bow walt they took walk) or Ms. Rodriguez. They do some how manage to throw in just enough hints at the main plot that i keep on watching, but i often feel like im watching mostly filler/money episodes.

5/10

*****************************BOOK***********************************

God of War
Marisa Silver


An elegantly observed coming-of-age story steeped in poverty and violence, this novel by the author of No Direction Home offers a poignant and often heartbreaking account of Ares Ramirez. The year is 1978, and 12-year-old Ares has outgrown the cramped trailer in the California desert that he shares with his mother, Laurel, and six-year-old brother, Malcolm. Malcolm has profound developmental disabilities, but Laurel, out of a free-spirited and self-righteous view of motherhood, has only recently (and very reluctantly) allowed Malcolm to get treatment. A horrific childhood accident and encroaching adolescence, meanwhile, fill Ares with a potent and inarticulate anger. In the absence of any outlet for his preoccupation with violence, Ares falls into an uneasy friendship with Kevin, the troubled foster child of Malcolm's new speech therapist. Conflict with Laurel, her on-again-off-again boyfriend and a small community that will not accept Malcolm, drive Ares into Kevin's manipulative sway, and Ares will have to choose between protecting his family or embracing the violence building inside him. The characters are painted with compassion and unflinching honesty, and the climax is pithy and consequential.

Now that i work at the library i have access to advance reader copy, and this was a random book that i started to read on break and got more and more sucked into it. It sort of reminded me of reading youth in revolt for the first time. The young kid in it has the same illogical decision making process, but about much more serious topics.

7/10

76/300 movies
5/30 books

"Pimps Don't Commit Suicide"

Southland Tales/Donnie Darko  Dir. Richard Kelly 2006/2001

Donnie Darko-  Troubled teen Donnie (Jake Gyllenhall) sleep walks, has a six-foot bunny rabbit for an imaginary friend, and if not for these two things would have been killed by a jet engine from a plane nobody can find.  He also has the usual teen problems to deal with: bullies, a girlfriend with a fake name and fugitive dad, and time travel.  

It all seems kind of confusing unless you put it up against "Southland Tales".   Go to IMDB or something if you want a proper plot synopsis.   Here's what I remember ( I saw this like two weeks ago) The Rock woke up in the desert with amnesia, and everyone's looking for him, including his wife, Mandy Moore, who is the vice presidential nominee's daughter.  The Rock is now living with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, playing a porn star.  Together they are working on a movie script.  Meanwhile, Stifler is playing a cop who gets kidnapped by some people who are pissed because they haven't found work outside of SNL.   Stifler hasn't pooped in a week.  Justin Timberlake is crazy.  At one point he is lip-syncing a Killers song into the camera while drinking a beer.   The guy from The Princess Bride ("Inconceivable!") is married to Bai Ling and has invented away to harness energy from the ocean so we don't have to rely on oil.   The Critic, Booger, Silent Bob also star.

Donnie Darko, I really liked the first couple of times I saw it, back when it first came out.  It's still a good movie, just a little much.  

Southland Tales on the other hand, is a lot much.  More much then any movie I've ever seen.  I read somewhere that you have to read the five graphic novels that Richard Kelly wrote to fully appreciate and understand Southland Tales.  Yeah right.   Too many ideas that don't add up to anything.  I can't blame a guy for trying though, it's definitely unique and a great attempt to make an epic film.  But.... seriously.  It is beyond ridiculous.

Donnie Darko:  tries to put lots of ideas into story, semi-coherent, kind of funny, solid cast, entertaining overall.

8/10

Southland Tales:  tries to put too many ideas into story, not coherent at all,  oddly misplaced jokes, very strangely cast, not as entertaining.

6/10 (points just for being so different and weird)

30/150 movies

Casino Royale (Martin Campbell)
Martin Campbell (GoldenEye) directs this film adaptation (the 21st of the Bond franchise) of Ian Fleming's first novel. Daniel Craig debuts as the new Bond who takes on a corrupt financier (Mads Mikkelsen) in a showdown of Texas Hold 'Em. You'll learn Bond's back story as the action-packed film takes you to the Bahamas, Madagascar and other exotic locales. Eva Green stars as Vesper Lynd, and the sublime Judi Dench reprises her role as M.

I was really into this. Think of it as a "Bond: Origins" type story, (especially since it is based off the first novel...) The stunts and fight scenes were great, and the rest of the movie I was actually able to take seriously, unlike the other Bond films. Craig was perfect as Bond; unfortunately, I am afraid the next movie to be made may not be as good, being that it was his emotions and naivety that made this one so good. But I won't jump to conclusions, and hope for the best.

9/10

movie count 10/156

The X-Files: Fight the Future (Rob Bowman)
Thirty-seven thousand years ago, a deadly secret was buried in a cave in Texas. Now the secret has been unleashed. And it's discovery may mean the end of all humanity.

"The plague to end all plagues"

When a terrorist bomb destroys a building in Dallas, Texas, FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy surpassing anything they've ever encountered. With the dubious assistance of a paranoid doctor (Academy Award -winner Martin Landau). Mulder and Scully risk their careers and their lives to hunt down a deadly virus which may be extraterrestrial in origin - and could destroy all life on earth. Their pursuit of truth pits them against the mysterious Syndicate, powerful men who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets safe, leading the agents from the cave in Texas, to the halls of the FBI, and finally to a secret installation in Antarctica which holds the greatest secret of all.

The last time I saw this was in the theater when it came out in, if I remember correctly, 2000. So eight years have gone by, and the show has ended. After watching this I kind of wish the series would have just ended with this film. It finishes perfectly with the whole " we pretty much have figured out the conspiracy, and we are going to keep on fightin'. " But FOX probably wanted to drag it on for another half a dozen seasons to keep rolling in the cash, which eventually pissed off Mulder so he started making bad comedies with the girl from the shitty Hannibal Lector movie and the up-your-ass-with-broken-glass 7UP guy, so the T-1000 decided to fill his role. Fortunately, the last season it seemed Mulder was probably so pissed at both his unsteady film career and failing TV Series that he returned so he and Scully could say "we pretty much have figured out the conspiracy, and we are going to keep on fightin'." But this time with different haircuts.

8/10

movie count 19/156

Diary of a Drug Fiend (Aleister Crowley)

Diary of a Drug Fiend was Aleister Crowley's first published novel. To the reader of 1922 it presented a shocking look at a little know phenomenon. Today, while we are more familiar with drugs because of their widespread use in our culture, Diary of a Drug Fiend remains one of the most intense, detailed and accurate accounts of drug addiction and the drug experience.

This is one of my favorite books and it has been a couple of years since I have read it. It is divided into three parts.

Paradiso: Peter & Lou meet, and they go on a cocaine induced whirl wind romance across Europe.

Inferno: Peter & Lou's supply runs out. Withdrawl ensues.

Purgatorio: With the help of "King Lamus", Peter & Lou learn to fight and control their addiction through the development of their "true wills."

Aleister Crowley was many things and the least he gets recognized for is his poetry. A master of the English language, his novel could be described as Burrough's "Naked Lunch" written by a poet. It is incredibly eloquent and flows with a style similar to poetry.

Crowley did a shit load of drugs himself, so the descriptions of the trips as well as withdrawals are incredibly accurate. He writes himself in the story as the character "King Lamus", and it is an almost perfect allusion to who he was in real life. The only fault is that Lamus has mastered his control over drugs - something Al failed to do and resulted as an addiction that followed to the end of his life.

This is a book I often recommend to people interested in the philosophy of Crowley. In the third section, Purgatorio, Lamus takes Peter and Lou to an Abbey in a country, deserted type region, (a real property owned by Crowley), where they set about on the path which Crowley described as "The Great Work." Detailed, descriptive methods are written that can be very helpful to understanding what he was trying to accomplish in life.

10/10

book count 14/104

Billy MItchell and his HOt sauce

King Of Kong (Seth Gordon)

When Steve Wiebe got laid off, he turned to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong for solace; soon, he decided to challenge Billy Mitchell's long-standing record score. So began the bitter rivalry that lies at the heart of this curiously compelling documentary. Providing a history of competitive video gaming and a look at some of the key players, The King of Kong is at its best when revealing just how far Mitchell will go to retain his crown.

Billy Mitchell is my new hero. Such a sleazy creep. He sends his minions around instead of actually showing up to tournaments. He moves other peoples hot sauce so his hot sauce can sell. He has a slutty wife. He is the american dream. Steve Wiebe is kind of actually sane. His wife hates him and he cares more about donkey kong than wiping his kids ass. One of my new all time favorite documentaries, next to hoop dreams.

check out this link for more steve mitchell fun
http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/the_king_of_kong_continued


9/10

Incredibles (Brad Bird)

Meet the Incredibles, the award-winning Pixar team's superhero family that comes out of banal, suburban hiding to don their old costumes and save the world again. Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) has given up his swashbuckling days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children with his formerly heroic wife (Holly Hunter). But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it's time to raise hell one more time.

Another well made, well polished pixar animation movie. Fun for the whole family. Glad some one is giving Craig T. Nelson work. COACH COACH COACH

8/10

Zodiac (David Fincher)

In the 1960s and '70s, a cryptic killer clad in an executioner's hood stalked the streets of San Francisco and left clues about his crimes in the newspaper. In director David Fincher's chilling recount of the murders, Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal -- flanked by an impressive ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr. and Chloe Sevigny -- stars as reporter Robert Graysmith, the man who went on to write the best-selling true crime book Zodiac.

Like the titanic you know how this one ends, and like the tatinic you are in it for the long haul. Too many tangents not enough development. Jake Gyllenhaal does not look like a dad and after the like 30 year time span this movie takes he still looks 18. They sort of just throw in the "im obsessed with the Zodiac killer" theme in there during the second half of the movie after the first half is just an episode of CSI. Chloe Sevigny is pissed at jake but she has like 2 lines. While looking for the synopsis of the movie i see there is like 5 different movies on teh same subject, maybe i will checkk them out. An interesting subject, just not well done.

6/10

From Hell (Albert Hughes Allen Hughes)

A movie that posits the true identity of Jack the Ripper, From Hell stars Johnny Depp as an opium-huffing inspector from Scotland Yard who falls for one of the Ripper's prostitute targets (Heather Graham). The directing Hughes brothers laudably attempt to break out of their pigeonhole as "black directors" and demonstrate (like Ang Lee) that they can genre-bend with the best of them. Not for the squeamish!

Vagina for din din. It had been probably 4 years sense i had seen this, and i think i liked it much better this time. I am not a johnny depp fan boy, but he is very solid as a opium burnout detective. I didn't remember it being so graphic, but i think that is mainly the draw of the picture watching it the second time. Makes the horror of these weird murders stand out. Read the Alan Moore comic if ever you get the chance.

7/10

Revolver (Guy Ritchie)

Guy Ritchie delivers another fast-paced crime thriller starring Jason Statham (of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch), who this time plays Jake, a gangster and ace gambler recently released from prison. Determined to hustle the crime boss (Ray Liotta) who killed his sister-in-law, Jake deliberately humiliates the kingpin in a private game. But when the mobster calls for Jake's head, a mysterious duo steps in to save his skin.

What could have been another awesome Jason Statham shooting shit movie, turned into one of those psychological thriller "im my own monster" things. The guy from outkast and ray liotta are pretty sweet as some prophets or whatever they are.

5/10

62/300 movies
4/30 books

"Eat your vegetables"

Shoot 'Em Up   dir. Mike Davis (2007)

Clive Owen is minding his own business, waiting for the bus, eating a carrot when a pregnant woman runs by and into a warehouse.  She is followed by a guy who goes in after her with a gun drawn.  Owen begrudgingly goes in after them.  In the next few minutes he kills about thirty guys, (one with the carrot), delivers the baby while shooting another thirty guys, and by the time he shoots his gun to cut the cord I was sold.  This movie is awesome.  

The mom dies and Clive Owen decides to take care of the baby with the help of a prostitute named D.Q.  (You can figure out what that stands for, and then figure out why.)  Paul Giamatti leads a group of disposable hooligans in the chase to find Owen (alias "Mr. Smith") and kill him and the baby.  The plot has something to do with bone marrow and a politician or something, but it's really unimportant.  What is important, is the great one-liners (After using a severed hand to fire a gun: "Nothing like a good hand job") and over the top gun fights.  Mr. Smith can do whatever he wants with a gun (or carrot).  At one point he shoots bad guys until they form a pile big enough to leap off of over some cabinets, shoots the guys on the other side of the cabinets (in mid-air of course) and then shoots a cabinet drawer so that it opens up on the other side knocking out one of the goons.  Genius.  

9/10

Big Trouble In Little China  dir. John Carpenter (1986)

Kurt Russell plays truck driver Jack Burton who gets mixed up in an adventure involving some crazy old Asian guy trying to live forever by marrying two girls.   The plot is really irrelevant.  I think after the first couple times I saw this movie I wouldn't have been able to even sum it up that well.  Kurt Russell is hilarious as the supposed hero isn't really all that heroic but seems to think he is.   It's like Jack Burton has watched a lot of action movies and always thought he could do better.  

One of my all-time favorites.   Perfect blend of kung-fu, action and comedy.  I'm pretty sure this is what the "Rush Hour" movies wish they were.  If you like this movie, you'll probably like Shoot 'Em Up, and vice versa.  Not that the movies are that similar, but if you don't take movies too seriously you will enjoy  both of them.  If you complain that there is no way I guy could make a merry-go-round spin by shooting at the bars (Shoot 'Em Up), or you don't like seeing a guy make himself explode by filling himself with air, (Big Trouble) then go rent Atonement.

10/10

speaking of Atonement....

Atonement  dir. Joe Wright (2007)

Overhyped and overboring, this Academy award nominee for best picture (stealing Shoot 'Em Up's rightful spot) is about a rich girl (Keira Knightly) who falls in love with the help (James McAvoy) but they get separated when Knightly's jealous little sister, Briony accuses McAvoy of a crime he didn't commit.  Briony gets Robbie (McAvoy, the help) sent to prison, which he is released from to go fight in WWII.  Briony ends up being a nurse to try and make up for what she did (rather then tell anyone she lied) and Knightly and McAvoy continue to pine for each other.  I don't want to give away what happens, but let's just say I almost liked the ending, but the end of the ending made it worse.   But really I didn't like this movie that much to begin with.  

The whole lovers separated by war thing reminded me of "A Very Long Engagement" directed by Jean Pierre-Jeunett (Amelie) and starring Audrey Tatou (Amelie).  I would say rent that one instead, even if you didn't like Amelie.  No question it is far superior to "Atonement".

6/10

28/150 movies.