The Social Network; hint it's about Facebook

Wow. This is the most interesting movie about Facebook I’ve ever seen!


Ok. What to say about this one. Overall…I liked it. Would I watch it again? Probably not, there is no real need. No fulfillment that I can relive over and over as I can do with other movies. This movie was merely an educational film about the invention of Facebook.

Nothing else really to say about the movie, it’s pretty straight forward, slightly funny at times, and incredibly interesting. I mean now I know more about how Facebook started. I think I'll sleep well tonight.

But I do have to mention the completely random switch of cinematography that came about in the middle of the movie. It was a scene where the twin brothers are finishing up a crew competition. The cinematography takes a total turn…most likely to make a small semi insignificant scene more interesting, but it kind of bothered me. I found myself notice the shift and although impressed with the shots, I didn’t like how it interrupted the story.

What are your thoughts?

Tata
C

Scott Pilgrim vs the World: and Scott Pilgrim wins!

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Wow! This movie seriously surprised me. The director Edgar Wright known for his partnership with Simon Pegg and their awesomely kick ass movies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, kicks ass again singly with his newest movie Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

The way this movie is done is so new and fresh that I was pretty much impress the entire time I was watching it. The movie has a wonderful unique comedic script that is so realistic to today teen-to-teen conversation that it’s realistic but also new to the movie scene. Another example of a movie that I would say brought a new language to movies today would be the movie Juno. The smart, conventionally awkward but realistic language placed in these movies will be appreciated years from now when future movie watchers place this kind of teen-to-teen conversation as the language of the twenty second century.

Kim Pine: Scott, if your life had a face, I would punch it.
Scott Pilgrim: Hahahaha... wait, what?
Kim Pine: I mean, are you really happy or really evil?
Scott Pilgrim: Evil? You mean, do I have, like, ulterior motives? I'm offended, Kim.
Kim Pine: Wounded, even?
Scott Pilgrim: Hurt, Kim.

Matthew Patel: I am Ramona's first evil ex-boyfriend!
Scott Pilgrim: Wait! We're fighting over Ramona?
Matthew Patel: Didn't you get my email explaining the situation?
Scott Pilgrim: I skimmed it.
Matthew Patel: You will pay for your insolence!

Another attribute this movie has is its interesting fast pace. The fast comedic deliveries to the fast location changes totally fit in with the comic book look Wright pulls off perfectly. But I could see that because of its fast pace, the audience members are effetely narrowed down to younger individuals. I remember watching Moulin Rouge when I was younger and seeing the older adults in the room leaving because they couldn’t follow the story due to the movie’s fast pace. So good thing I’m not old yet!

But the story is basic, so let me help you out…Grandpa!

Scott Pilgrim, played by the very funny and very nerdy Michael Cera, is dating this young high school girl, Knives, but while dating her he meets someone else, someone he’s crazier for, Romona. So after finding out that Romona wants to date Scott too, Scott dumps Knives. Then Scott finds out if he wants to date Romona he will have to defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Only in the end to realize that he isn’t fighting for Romona but for himself.

A big feature to this movie is its many interesting characters. Everyone from Scotts gay roommate, played by Kieran Culkin, who always points out the obvious and constantly has men sleeping in his bed including Scott, to the last evil ex-boyfriend Gideon Graves played by Jason Schwartzman.
The movie also mimics that of a video game appearance. When Scott defeats a bad guy or ex-boyfriend their body turns into a pile of change and Scott earns points while the announcer yells “K-O!”

To top it all off this movie marries its unique graphics and exceptional story line with the power of badass music. In fact music is used many time in this movie as a way of battling the bad guys and ex-boyfriends….just like we do in real life..hahah…just kidding.

Overall this movie is the greatest graphic novel adaptations I’ve seen yet… right above Kick Ass and Sin City. If I had a check list of all things that make a movie great, this movie would check of the entire list. The only thing I found bad about this movie is that old people most likely won’t like it, but that’s just too bad for them.

Expect to be entertained!

Tata,
C

The Karate Kid 2010

First off, I have to say that love kung fu movies. And growing up with an older brother allowed me to watch the best. Drunken Master, Kung Fu Hustle, Enter the Dragon, Romeo Must Die, Unleashed, Mr. Nice Guy, Twin Dragons, and my two favorite movies of all time Kill Bill, and The Good, The Bad, and The Weird.

So of course I just HAD to watch the remake of The Karate Kid. A classic childhood movie that came out even before I was born, but like I said I have an older brother and was lucky enough to watch and appreciate old 80’s classics.

First best thing about the movie is Jackie Chan. My favorite kung fu actor. He does all of his own stunts, choreographs every move, and has broken every bone in his body doing it. Plus he can act. Jackie acts beautifully in this movie. He brings so much depth to his character as Mr. Han that he totally had me crying in a scene that reveals the mystery of Mr. Han’s deep and dark past.

Jaden Smith did a great job acting in this movie. He did a great job crying, a great job getting beat up, was good with his deliveries, and had good comic timing. He even made his relationship with Jackie Chan and the Chinese girl who played his love interest believable.
The worst part of the movie is the mother played by Taraji P. Henson which is extremely hard for me to understand because she was wonderful in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Her character was incredible undeveloped and poorly written and she lacked the motherly figure that this movie needed. Her scenes were awkward and unrealistic. Her character and acting plain out sucked!

Henson had terrible chemistry with Jaden Smith. She didn’t put her hands on him once! She’s a mother! There was no touching of the face when there was something wrong, no grabbing of the arm when he was in trouble, no hugging, no hand on shoulder, NOTHING! And above all she never rightly reacted to her son when he was badly injured in the final fight scene. There was no action of her getting upset and trying to stop the fight when he obviously needed medical attention, or no running down to the mat to see if he was ok. She just sat there and cheered him on. Now I KNOW that is not what any normal mother would do. And in the end, she didn’t go done to hug her little boy, she was just there to hold his trophy when he won. That part really pissed me off. You would think her acting would be better with Jaden’s mother Jada Pinkett Smith always there on set. Henson should have just have mimicked Jada’s motherly love.

Overall the movie had intense fight scenes, great, but kind of silly, kung fu moves, and was well written. There were beautiful cinematography of scenes and locations of China that added a nice taste of culture which was much need because this movie doesn’t really hold the Chinese in a good light till the end. The Chinese were made out to look kinda racist. First there’s the group of Chinese boys who right off the bat hate Jaden’s character, then there’s the Chinese girl who’s parents take one look at the little African American boy and tells her to tell him that she can no longer see him because “he is bad for her life”.

If you can get over the terrible character of the mother, and the small hint of racism, this movie is generally one to see because the story still hold strong. This movie touches a great lesson for young kids, how to be peaceful and gain self control. Not only can kids enjoy this movie but also adults and parents who were fans of the original. It’s a nice contribution to the kung fu genre and a great starting point for the young kung fu fans of the future.

Tata,
C

Ondine

It all starts with the romantic meet-cute of a lonely alcoholic recovering fisherman (Colin Farrell) fishing out a lost and beautiful lady from the depths of the ocean. But with the imagination of the fisherman’s young daughter, the mysterious woman’s identity get questioned when she shows similarities to that of a Slekie. A Selkie is a mythological creature from Scottish and Icelandic folklore and is similar to that of a mermaid.

Is she or isn’t she a real Selkie?

During the entire time I debated with myself. Is this a romantic comedy about a wonderful mystical creature? Or is the woman just a regular woman and all the similarities are coincidence?

I really enjoyed this movie and that's why I am not giving anything else away. It has a magical and romantic story line and wonderful acting from sexy Colin Farrel, the gorgeous Alicja Bachleda, and the cute little girl Alison Barry. I do recommend subtitles while watching the movie at least the first time because the story is very well written and I would hate for anyone to miss the smart and clever lines these wonderful characters deliver.

Another question you might want me to answer is, “Is this a chick flick?” and I’m going to say, "no". This is a romantic movie a man and a woman could enjoy watching together or by themselves. But I highly do not recommend watching it witch a large group of noisy people, because it could easily destroy the mood of the movie and you will defiantly miss out on some small but special parts.

I kind of want to compare this movie to the 2004 English movie Millions. Because both movies bring out that same sweet magical feeling that charms the viewers.

Tell me what you think.

Tata,
C

Eat. Watch. Write: Eat. Pray. Love.

Eat. Pray. Love.



Of course my opinion of this movie will be different from others because I have not yet read the novel it was based on. So this evaluation or review is purely my opinion of the movie.

The greatest asset this movie holds is, not surprisingly within its story. I’m sure the novel goes into much more depth than the movie but I was pretty surprised of the many enlightening messages this movie was able to get across to the audience. Messages about learning from others, about obtaining a self balance, about embracing the ideas and beliefs of other cultures, and about learning to love oneself before allowing yourself to love another.

The story is about a woman who finds herself to be unhappy in her marriage. She has tried to please herself by pleasing others, by trying to support her husband in saying the right things, but instead realized that she needs to seek her own happiness elsewhere.

There is a nice little moment in the movie with main character Liz, and how she realizes how she should start her journey in search for the balance within. She is in her friend’s house watching her friend change the diaper of her baby and she asks, “Do you remember the exact moment you wanted a baby?” and her friend tells her about this box she keeps under her bed of baby items. She says she’s been filling the box before she was married waiting for the day her and her husband were ready to use them. Liz admits to having a box too, of National Geographic’s and pictures from The Tme’s travel section, all the things she wants to see before she dies. Her friend replies, “Liz, Having a baby is like having a tattoo on your face. You kind of want to be committed." And that’s the moment the movie takes off into Liz’s journey to Rome, India, and Bali.

At first I thought this movie would only appeal to single woman or divorced couples who want to seek love within a new relationship, but I was completely wrong. This movie is for anyone who can appreciate the beauty of other cultures, the gift of other’s company, and the journey of self exploration and self happiness.

Overall the movie was enlightening, lighthearted, and sweet. There were great memorable quotes that can be taken away from this movie such as: "We call it "dolce far niente", the sweetness of doing nothing." The movie was very well filmed. It had a nice flow within the camera movement. There were bright vibrant colors and wonderful shots of exotic places. Even the soundtrack played an important roll within the movie. A great combination of American artist such as Neil Young and the exotic songs from other worldly musicians help compliments the feel of a moment within each scene.

Tata
C

Halloween Movies

Halloween Movies
Happy Halloween everyone! Halloween is my favorite holiday. And this year was extra special because you could have celebrated it on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or all three! That’s what I did.
It’s the best time to dress up and pretend to be somebody completely different. A time to make tribute to those great movies we know and love.


This year I dedicate two Halloween nights to the every voluptuous and extremely sexy cartoon character Jessica Rabbit from the movie Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. Celebrating the year where both the movie and I were born, way back in 1988. I also got to devote another night to my small fixation of vampire shows and movies.


Aw yes…Halloween. It’s a wonderful time of year to dig out those scary classics and awake the senses. To be able to trance yourself deep down into a movie and jump from those unexpected surprises. To feel shame that even though you saw a certain movie the same time last year, you still couldn’t suppress the reaction of a small gasp or physical jolt of surprise.
Each night this weekend I picked one movie to commemorate this special time of year. Friday night I started off the three day Halloween fest with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s a classic movie that allows that sexy freak way down inside to act wild and sing along to the awesomely popular soundtrack.
Saturday night I enjoyed another childhood favorite Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later. This one was always my favorite of the Halloween series because Jamie Lee Curtis kicks Michael’s ass and I ‘m up out of seat cheering her on “You go girl!” (A side note: I LOVE movies about revenge, especially when the main hero is a kick-ass woman).

And Sunday afternoon I watched a movie I hadn’t seen before, Queen of the Damned. One reason I picked this movie to watch was because I wanted to watch a movie I hadn’t seen before. Secondly, because the original story was written by Ann Rice who also wrote one of my favorite vampire movies Interview with a Vampire. There is no comparison. Interview with a Vampire simple goes way down deeper into the dark depths of the vampire world while Queen of the Damned lacked its depth in characters and their habits. The movie was overall well filmed, but lacked story depth and only had mediocre acting.

Without the mediocre movies the great movies would not be so great. It would be harder to recognize the pieces of a movie that make other movies so great. For example, besides having catchy music, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has that little sump’n special. Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s character in the movie is so wrong and yet so right. His voice and the way he delivers his lines give me goosebumps. I remember watching this movie when I was just about thirteen years old. Some might argue that thirteen is too young to watch something this mature, but I disagree. Being a young teenager already feeling insecure and freakishly weird…this movie was an inspiration. It was an extremely sexy and quite a big taboo for me. I remember I was afraid someone would walk into the living room and see me watching Susan Sarandon sing "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me" to the half naked Rocky.

But this was defiantly the week to celebrate the thrill and terror one cold endure from a two hour movie. So I hope all of you have embraced the horror of old movies from your past and rekindled your childhood fears you once had long ago.

Top Ten Halloween Movies : (not in any order)
Beetle Juice
Shaun of the Dead
Casper
Hocus Pocus
The Freddy Krueger series
The Halloween series with Michael Myers
Sleepy Hollow
The Frighteners
Scream
Saw

Tata
C

Bad Indie films about Dysfunctional Families: Please Give

Please Give a Comedy? Not really, the trailer shows what I thought would be a cute funny enlightening movie, but instead the trailer shows all the funny parts so when you watch the scenes in the movie their not so funny anymore.

I’m trying to look past the fact that this movie is the typical indie movie that portrays each family member as screwed up and makes the audience want to see them get fixed. The director ripped off a bunch of other crappy dysfunctional family indie movies such as The Squid and the Whale, and Smart People and made another crappy indie about a dysfunctional family. These kinds of movies make you think you’re watching a story of a normal family but then each member gets more and more fucked up, they're not relatable anymore.

I’m sorry but The Squid and the Whale was the worst out of this bunch. If you haven’t seen it there’s apart where this kid masturbates like all the time and then deposits his semen on school lockers and library books. What the fuck? How do you relate to that? Or are these movies suppose to make us the viewers feel better about our own lives. See how lucky we are that we aren’t these people.

I’m not sure I fully understand each character’s story in this movie and they relate to one another. I’m trying to think how I would summarize this movie, you know, “what’s it about?” but it’s taking too much effort. It shouldn’t be this hard.
I just got done writing a page about each character to see if I could find an overall lining to this movie so I could like it more or take something away from it, but I can’t.

I even went to Rotten Tomatoes to see what it is I’m not getting about this movie. One critic says “A stroll with these characters is a refreshing break from the usual film exercises”. I don’t agree, but I do agree with this one, “The acting quality is strong, especially from the ever-reliable Catherine Keener as Kate, but it's almost impossible to care about her character's dilemmas."

Don’t get me wrong, I love indie movies like Garden State, Everything Is Illuminated, or Away We go, but these kinds of sad untreatable dysfunctional families that just cant seem to find happiness are the kinds of indie movies that I try to avoid.