The Mummy (1999)
#41 on my Top 100 List
Normally, I am against remakes. If something worked the first time, why mess with it? But this movie, a remake of the Universal monster movie starring Boris Karloff, is just fun. There are convincing but not over-used special effects, impressive ancient sets, and witty one-liners delivered by actors with good comedic timing. I'm a sucker for anything Ancient Egypt related and I just love this movie. Followed by one awesome sequel and one not-so-great one.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
May 10, 2009
Spice World (1997)
Since I grew up in the 90s, I figured I should probably see this. I rightfully had no expectations - the movie has no plot and even so, it makes no sense. It's really just a glorified series of music videos with some traveling thrown in between. Alan Cumming, Richard E. Grant, Hugh Laurie, Roger Moore, why?
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
Since I grew up in the 90s, I figured I should probably see this. I rightfully had no expectations - the movie has no plot and even so, it makes no sense. It's really just a glorified series of music videos with some traveling thrown in between. Alan Cumming, Richard E. Grant, Hugh Laurie, Roger Moore, why?
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
May 9, 2009
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
The funniest thing about the first Madagascar was the side characters - the lemurs, the penguins, and the monkeys. Unfortunately, they were not used quite enough to make the movie anything more than a cute kid's vehicle for Ben Stiller. The second one uses those characters even less and when they do appear, they aren't funny. Also, love between a hippo and a giraffe? That's just disturbing.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
The funniest thing about the first Madagascar was the side characters - the lemurs, the penguins, and the monkeys. Unfortunately, they were not used quite enough to make the movie anything more than a cute kid's vehicle for Ben Stiller. The second one uses those characters even less and when they do appear, they aren't funny. Also, love between a hippo and a giraffe? That's just disturbing.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
May 8, 2009
Savage Grace (2007)
I have seen some pretty strange and twisted movies in my time, but this one surpasses nearly all of them. It's apparently based on a true crime story about the murder of a wealthy socialite who is murdered by her son, but I'm trying to force myself to believe that the part where mother and son are in a sexual relationship is made up for dramatic effect.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
I have seen some pretty strange and twisted movies in my time, but this one surpasses nearly all of them. It's apparently based on a true crime story about the murder of a wealthy socialite who is murdered by her son, but I'm trying to force myself to believe that the part where mother and son are in a sexual relationship is made up for dramatic effect.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 7, 2009
#92 on my Top 100 List
Before this movie, I had never seen any version of
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
May 6, 2009
Copying Beethoven (2006)
This is sort of a biopic, sort of not, since it covers the last years of Beethoven's life, but most of it is highly fictionalized. Ed Harris's portrayal of Beethoven is interesting, to say the least, but not particularly powerful or memorable. The movie takes place in Vienna, but the accents come from all over - Ed Harris's is quasi-Eastern European, Diane Kruger's is her natural German, Matthew Goode's is sort of Eastern European mixed with American, and everyone else's is British. Honestly, I'd just be happy to listen to Matthew Goode read the phone book out loud.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
This is sort of a biopic, sort of not, since it covers the last years of Beethoven's life, but most of it is highly fictionalized. Ed Harris's portrayal of Beethoven is interesting, to say the least, but not particularly powerful or memorable. The movie takes place in Vienna, but the accents come from all over - Ed Harris's is quasi-Eastern European, Diane Kruger's is her natural German, Matthew Goode's is sort of Eastern European mixed with American, and everyone else's is British. Honestly, I'd just be happy to listen to Matthew Goode read the phone book out loud.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
May 5, 2009
Hannibal (2001)
Not as bad as Hannibal Rising but not as good as Red Dragon, this final installment of the Hannibal Lecter story offers no real ending or closure to the character. We watch him kill more people and we watch Clarice Starling (played now by Julianne Moore instead of Jodie Foster) chase after him some more, but the only new development is that Hannibal is apparently now in love with Clarice. It's properly gory and there are some truly cringe-worthy moments, but good cinema it's not.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Not as bad as Hannibal Rising but not as good as Red Dragon, this final installment of the Hannibal Lecter story offers no real ending or closure to the character. We watch him kill more people and we watch Clarice Starling (played now by Julianne Moore instead of Jodie Foster) chase after him some more, but the only new development is that Hannibal is apparently now in love with Clarice. It's properly gory and there are some truly cringe-worthy moments, but good cinema it's not.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
May 4, 2009
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
#99 on my Top 100 List
In the 81 years of Best Picture winners, nearly every genre (with the notable exception of animated) of film has won at least once. While this is not the only horror film to be nominated for the big prize, it's the only one ever to win. This is Anthony Hopkins at his finest, creating one of the scariest villains of all time. What makes Hannibal Lecter so dangerous that he must be restrained at all times? Don't worry - he shows you. That sound he makes after describing an unusual dinner accompanied by fava beans and Chianti makes my skin crawl every time. There were some continuity issues between this and Red Dragon, but seeing as how the prequel was made 11 years later, I can forgive them.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
#99 on my Top 100 List
In the 81 years of Best Picture winners, nearly every genre (with the notable exception of animated) of film has won at least once. While this is not the only horror film to be nominated for the big prize, it's the only one ever to win. This is Anthony Hopkins at his finest, creating one of the scariest villains of all time. What makes Hannibal Lecter so dangerous that he must be restrained at all times? Don't worry - he shows you. That sound he makes after describing an unusual dinner accompanied by fava beans and Chianti makes my skin crawl every time. There were some continuity issues between this and Red Dragon, but seeing as how the prequel was made 11 years later, I can forgive them.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
Sunday, May 3, 2009
May 3, 2009
Red Dragon (2002)
This one is much more on par with what Hannibal Lecter should be, though it does not live up to the standards set by The Silence of the Lambs. Though the whole subplot with Emily Watson feels out of place and even a little forced, the rest of the film is well-done and stressful, especially the last five minutes. I feel like that's the sign of a good horror film if it can keep you feeling uneasy all the way to the end. Ralph Fiennes has turned out to be a great choice for playing villains.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
This one is much more on par with what Hannibal Lecter should be, though it does not live up to the standards set by The Silence of the Lambs. Though the whole subplot with Emily Watson feels out of place and even a little forced, the rest of the film is well-done and stressful, especially the last five minutes. I feel like that's the sign of a good horror film if it can keep you feeling uneasy all the way to the end. Ralph Fiennes has turned out to be a great choice for playing villains.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
May 2, 2009
Hannibal Rising (2007)
Some origin stories should never be told. What makes Hannibal Lecter such a fascinating and frightening villain is A) that he's played by Anthony Hopkins to perfection and B) that he is an unmatched genius whose terrifying impulses have taken over with no explanation as to why. This movie shows what put him on the path to murder and cannibalism, but that takes a large part of the mystery out and tears down the effectiveness of the character as a villain. There is a lot of gore, but nothing else.
The next three days will be the subsequent films in the Hannibal Lecter series, in order of which they take place, not when they were made.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
Some origin stories should never be told. What makes Hannibal Lecter such a fascinating and frightening villain is A) that he's played by Anthony Hopkins to perfection and B) that he is an unmatched genius whose terrifying impulses have taken over with no explanation as to why. This movie shows what put him on the path to murder and cannibalism, but that takes a large part of the mystery out and tears down the effectiveness of the character as a villain. There is a lot of gore, but nothing else.
The next three days will be the subsequent films in the Hannibal Lecter series, in order of which they take place, not when they were made.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
Friday, May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
I truly love the X-Men universe. I love the characters and the storylines (no matter how hard they are to keep straight sometimes). The trailers for this made me a little wary - how could Wolverine have run into Cyclops before the events of the first X-Men movie and yet not remember him later? - but they mostly pulled it together in the end. All of the movies mess around with the original stories, but as long as you know that going in, it isn't too bad. The one that I had the biggest problem with was, since when are Silverfox and White Queen sisters? Liev Schreiber, Hugh Jackman, and especially Taylor Kitsch are awesome (and gorgeous) to watch. There are several other great performances, but unfortunately they suffer from too little screen time. Watch for a great cameo toward the end of someone we're all familiar with.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
I truly love the X-Men universe. I love the characters and the storylines (no matter how hard they are to keep straight sometimes). The trailers for this made me a little wary - how could Wolverine have run into Cyclops before the events of the first X-Men movie and yet not remember him later? - but they mostly pulled it together in the end. All of the movies mess around with the original stories, but as long as you know that going in, it isn't too bad. The one that I had the biggest problem with was, since when are Silverfox and White Queen sisters? Liev Schreiber, Hugh Jackman, and especially Taylor Kitsch are awesome (and gorgeous) to watch. There are several other great performances, but unfortunately they suffer from too little screen time. Watch for a great cameo toward the end of someone we're all familiar with.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
April 30, 2009
Little Children (2006)
Like an updated version of American Beauty, this one holds nothing back in its scathing look at the dark side of suburbia. Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley are all wonderful in it. Jackie Earle Haley especially manages to play a truly despicable character without going overboard or playing into stereotypes. I find the ending a little dissatisfying, but I feel that it's more sympathy with how unfulfilled the characters are rather than disappointment in the film. If everything had turned out okay, it would have been too much of a fantasy.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Like an updated version of American Beauty, this one holds nothing back in its scathing look at the dark side of suburbia. Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley are all wonderful in it. Jackie Earle Haley especially manages to play a truly despicable character without going overboard or playing into stereotypes. I find the ending a little dissatisfying, but I feel that it's more sympathy with how unfulfilled the characters are rather than disappointment in the film. If everything had turned out okay, it would have been too much of a fantasy.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
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