| 2012.03.15 |
(Even though it was Episode I,) I'm thrilled to have been able to pass on to
our child the joy of seeing Star Wars in the movie theater.
Also, I should say that I'm impressed with how LucasFilm implemented the 3-D in the
movie -- it was not in-your-face, jump-out-of-your-seat, blink-tags ;
it was very nuanced, subtle, just-add-some-extra-depth 3D. (Of note, Episode I isn't
as action-packed as some of the other films anyway.)
I think it was definitely worth seing in the theater for the experience of sharing
it on the big screen with my little girl. Had it just been me? I probably would have
gone anyway to see how they implemented the .
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| 2011.12.22 |
Cowboys & Aliens was a fun production of a neat concept -- what would
people from the Old West do if they were attacked by a technologically advanced extraterrestrial
aggressor?
I'd say (yes, from the comfort of my sofa), the actors did a fair job of reaction,
though I think it was complicated because they reacted from the standpoint of rough-hewn frontier people --
at which Daniel Craig excelled, IMHO. But Harrison Ford's performance as a former army Colonel
turned wealthy rancher left me wanting -- as a function of his age (much like his character)
I fear.
Two weeks before I saw a tired though not yet frail Ford promote the movie on a late-hight
talk show. He said very little -- he mostly reacted to prompts from the host. More than that, I found myself
absolutely transfixed on his hands. His fingers showed signs of arthritis. Han Solo will be 70
next year -- and that's a fact which those of us who saw Star Wars at age eight
must reconcile. I'm forced to consider that Indiana Jones will soon ride off into retirement
and hang up his whip for good.
I don't know how well Cowboys & Aliens was received, partly because audiences aren't used
to Ford in a supporting role such as this -- despite his top billing. It was perhaps because of
this Cowboys & Aliens left me somewhat wanting despite the action and entertainment.
UPDATE: Apparently the film wasn't well received -- or
well reviewed.
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| 2011.11.26 |
I bought a 55" Samsung SMART 3D HDTV a few months ago. It's changed our leisure lives. Blu-ray? Ho-hum. I want my
effects eye-popping. I don't just want high-def space debris; I want high-def space debris that makes me duck and yell!
3D has absolutely ruined me for 2D Blu-ray video.
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| 2011.07.01 |
If the latest Transformers movie was a web page, it'd be so festooned with all kinds of banner ads and pop-ups and pop-unders and so on you might think
that's all the page was.
As long as the ads exploded constantly and noisily, that is.
Seriously, this film is a three hour testosterone love-fest: guns, cars, cars with guns, guns with cars, guns that are cars, cars that are guns, and
sometimes trucks that are guns, and guns that are trucks. And really cool noises. Lots and lots and lots of really cool noises. And did I mention the cars and
the guns?
By the way -- Trekkies oughta keep an ear out for some familiar phrases. :-)
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| 2010.11.06 |
This is not Steve Martin and John Candy's "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." Sure, it plays on
the same themes -- uptight guy meets somebody who, despite his best efforts, suddenly finds himself alone
in the world and needs a companion.
But this is not Steve Martin and John Candy's "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."
It is Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis' "Due Date." An updated PT&A that is more raw, more vivid,
and absolutely hilarious.
See this. Don't attempt a cross-country road trip right after watching it, but go see it.
Link to this
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| 2010.07.31 |
This movie is AMAZING. I really do believe it is to now what The Matrix was to 1999.
And, though I'm not much of a DiCaprio fan, I really liked his work here. It's not humorous,
it's not sexy; it's a full-on mind bender. Sure, the special effects were cool -- but the
concept was AWESOME. If you're up for a thinky kinda movie, SEE THIS.
Link to this
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| 2010.07.29 |
Hafta say I really liked this. As many animated movies tend to be now, it struck the right
tone between LM...BO (and I did) with a side of tug-on-the-heartstrings. Lots of funny for the kids,
buncha funny for the adults. Go see this.
Link to this
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| 2010.07.28 |
Saw this in the theaters -- I believe in 3D -- and I mostly enjoyed it. Oh sure, tons of
super special effects (including that AMAZING floor on Olympus), lots of action, all that good stuff.
I was one of maybe three people in the theater that caught the humorous dig on the original (the mechanical
Bubo is in the armory at Argos). Anyway, what I didn't care for was how much the pace quickened at the end
to "tie everything up," and, as a function of the brevity, how quickly the relationship between Perseus and
Zeus changes at the end. It really felt rushed.
Still, I liked the movie and bought a copy this week. I'm being good and keeping to my standard of buying
discs ONLY if they come with a digital copy -- otherwise, I'm download only for versatility and the
environment. The AppleTV is pulling it off of my PC as I type.
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| 2010.07.26 |
I finally saw this movie a couple of weeks ago, thanks to a friend. WOW what a gritty movie.
Of course, I don't know what else I could have expected from Tarantino. I haven't yet seen Reservoir Dogs,
and I didn't see either volume of Kill Bill, but I did see -- and later, buy -- Pulp Fiction. Even just
operating on Pulp Fiction, I shouldn't have been too surprised about Lt. Raine's bent for scalps.
After seeing this a few times, I can say the movie is reluctantly fantastic. The film obviously
has its own take on history, and I was struck by the few similarities between the reimagined manner
of Hitler's death and the assasination of President Lincoln. Christoph Waltz is AMAZING,
and I am pleased to learn he won an Oscar for his performance. Brad Pitt was situationally hilarious --
particularly in the cinema lobby. And the voice of Samuel L. Jackson did not go unnoticed. I'm so glad
I added this to my collection.
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| 2010.07.25 |
When I first saw the ads, Hot Tub Time Machine seeemed funny. Then I learned they'd released a
special ad with a Restricted rating on their promotional web site. That ad turned me off to the movie
nearly completely -- I recall it was 99% profanity. I kept some hope alive, though, because I really
like John Cusack...
Well, I saw the movie last night. And I hafta say, I liked it. Maybe not
enough to buy, but it certainly had it's LOLs. And Cusack is still as likeable as ever.
Link to this
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| 2010.07.24 |
Wow. Twenty years ago I was watching this movie on VHS. I rewatched this movie this week
(thanks to a big sale on iTunes) and was amazed at how "light" the movie is. The car chase, the
super cheesy evil smile of Emil Muzz, you know, all of it. None of this occurred to me twenty
years ago, though. Is this the gift of maturity? Or just a sign of the current state of entertainment?
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| 2010.07.23 |
I wouldn't pass up $5 flicks at Best Buy. That's my justification for buying them from Apple.
This past week has been an 80's movie fest: Blazing Saddles, Eddie Murphy's Delirious, Dragnet, The Hunt
for Red October, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Trading Places, The Untouchables (that last movie in HD).
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| 2010.06.19 |
"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee likey!!"
Apple TV basically connects my iTunes collection with my HDTV. It can do this either by streaming or downloading
it in real-time from my iTunes-enabled PC, or by syncing the 160GB Apple TV unit with my iTunes library. (I think
I’d prefer the latter; that way, the unit can reach out for new content, but the majority of the content will be
stored locally and just run from the Apple TV to the television via an HDMI cable.)
What this unit really does is breaks the barrier between my office and my living room. It also paves the way for
me to officially stop purchasing media on plastic and strictly go with downloads. THAT is huge.
But wait — there’s more. It can also reach into my MobileMe account and grab, for example, photos to use as a
screen saver or to display as a slide show.
AND I can rent movies from the iTunes store, and even watch YouTube videos.
My need for network television continues to diminish (I’m lookin’ at YOU, Dish Network). The Apple TV unit will
have paid for itself by cutting the satellite TV service I never use anyway for just two months.
Right now, the only “gotcha” is that the initial sync takes FOR. EV. AR: I’ve let this run all night and it’s
nowhere NEAR complete.
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