South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)
#76 on my Top 100 List
So many things to say, so little time. The United States is fighting with Canada, parents are killing people over naughty language, and Satan is the most sympathetic character in the whole thing. In fact, during his ballad about desiring to live above ground, the background vocals are provided by the poor souls being tortured in hell. The film references Les Miserables, Patton, The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, and others, and includes characters from most of South Park thus far. It's song "Blame Canada" was nominated for Best Song and Robin Williams' performance at the Academy Awards was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. The Radio City Rockettes come out dressed as mounties! Finally, the movie features one thing that, as far as I know, is a South Park first: Kenny speaks!
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
July 29, 2009
The Aristocats (1970)
There seems to be a clear division between Disney's "people movies" (all of the Princess movies, plus movies like Peter Pan, Mulan, and Alice in Wonderland) and the "animal movies" (ie. 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, and Bambi). It also seems like people usually like one group significantly better than the other. I really love all Disney movies, but although The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney movie, I think I am partial to the animal ones. This one follows a family of cats - a departure from the usual dogs or mice, plus a change from cats being the manifestation of evil like in Cinderella - who are kidnapped from their wealthy home and left for dead in the French countryside. Sounds emo, but never fear - an alley cat with a heart of gold is here to save the day, voiced by my all-time favorite Disney voice actor, Phil Harris.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
There seems to be a clear division between Disney's "people movies" (all of the Princess movies, plus movies like Peter Pan, Mulan, and Alice in Wonderland) and the "animal movies" (ie. 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, and Bambi). It also seems like people usually like one group significantly better than the other. I really love all Disney movies, but although The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney movie, I think I am partial to the animal ones. This one follows a family of cats - a departure from the usual dogs or mice, plus a change from cats being the manifestation of evil like in Cinderella - who are kidnapped from their wealthy home and left for dead in the French countryside. Sounds emo, but never fear - an alley cat with a heart of gold is here to save the day, voiced by my all-time favorite Disney voice actor, Phil Harris.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
July 28, 2009
The Beach (2000)
If you want a screwed-up movie, this is the one for you. An idyllic beach paradise on an island just off Thailand ends up being an escapist's haven where real life problems don't go away - they just get buried. Leonardo DiCaprio is, I still insist, a good actor and here with Danny Boyle to lead him, he makes going crazy onscreen fascinating for all of us to watch. In paradise apparently, sharks and gun-toting marijuana farmers are not the only things that one has to worry about. Robert Carlyle might show up and ninja-kill you in your dreams. Watch out.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
If you want a screwed-up movie, this is the one for you. An idyllic beach paradise on an island just off Thailand ends up being an escapist's haven where real life problems don't go away - they just get buried. Leonardo DiCaprio is, I still insist, a good actor and here with Danny Boyle to lead him, he makes going crazy onscreen fascinating for all of us to watch. In paradise apparently, sharks and gun-toting marijuana farmers are not the only things that one has to worry about. Robert Carlyle might show up and ninja-kill you in your dreams. Watch out.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
July 27, 2009
A Civil Action (1998)
Think Erin Brokovich but with John Travolta instead of Julia Roberts. They're both true stories about contaminated water, its effects on the health of small communities, and the tribulations of the law firms that try to make the situation right. This one has a very good supporting cast, including William H. Macy, Tony Shaloub, and Robert Duvall in an Oscar-nominated role. They're all lawyers and none are particularly sympathetic characters, but they are realistic characters and by the end, you're really feeling things right alongside them.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Think Erin Brokovich but with John Travolta instead of Julia Roberts. They're both true stories about contaminated water, its effects on the health of small communities, and the tribulations of the law firms that try to make the situation right. This one has a very good supporting cast, including William H. Macy, Tony Shaloub, and Robert Duvall in an Oscar-nominated role. They're all lawyers and none are particularly sympathetic characters, but they are realistic characters and by the end, you're really feeling things right alongside them.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
Monday, July 27, 2009
July 26, 2009
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
This one continues the tradition set by the first Austin Powers of breaking the fourth wall and including weird musical interludes. However, I like this one better than the first. That could be because I love Rob Lowe (a young Number Two) or because Starbucks is the front of Dr. Evil's evil organization (I do love Starbucks, but the idea of it being evil is hilarious) or it could be simply because I watched this one more when I was younger. Whether you like the movie or hate it, it did offer the world of pop culture Mini-Me and Fat Bastard, which I'm really not sure is a good thing or a bad thing. However, we do get to hear Mike Myers say that Mini-Me has a "creepy oompa-loompa vibe," which is really a great line. This is also the film where it becomes obvious how incompetent Dr. Evil really is - another great veiled reference to the "great" Bond villains of old. A lot of them really were terrible at being evil when you think about it. Finally, it includes an awesome De Lorean allusion and one of the most awkward and horrifying post-sex scenes in the history of film.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
This one continues the tradition set by the first Austin Powers of breaking the fourth wall and including weird musical interludes. However, I like this one better than the first. That could be because I love Rob Lowe (a young Number Two) or because Starbucks is the front of Dr. Evil's evil organization (I do love Starbucks, but the idea of it being evil is hilarious) or it could be simply because I watched this one more when I was younger. Whether you like the movie or hate it, it did offer the world of pop culture Mini-Me and Fat Bastard, which I'm really not sure is a good thing or a bad thing. However, we do get to hear Mike Myers say that Mini-Me has a "creepy oompa-loompa vibe," which is really a great line. This is also the film where it becomes obvious how incompetent Dr. Evil really is - another great veiled reference to the "great" Bond villains of old. A lot of them really were terrible at being evil when you think about it. Finally, it includes an awesome De Lorean allusion and one of the most awkward and horrifying post-sex scenes in the history of film.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
July 25, 2009
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
I should warn you that I watched this late at night with a lot of people and I can never, ever watch it again now. But I had seen it before, so I'm going to ignore the things that were said and try to review it from other viewings. So yes, I'll not be mentioning any moustaches or man-crushes on Matt Damon. I haven't been listing remakes as "other adaptations" but I think it's worth noting that this is a remake of the original Rat Pack movie from 1960. The ensemble is great, including Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, and Bernie Mac alongside the three big names of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. For a comedy, it's also remarkably hard to figure out how they actually pull off the heist - it definitely requires multiple viewings.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
I should warn you that I watched this late at night with a lot of people and I can never, ever watch it again now. But I had seen it before, so I'm going to ignore the things that were said and try to review it from other viewings. So yes, I'll not be mentioning any moustaches or man-crushes on Matt Damon. I haven't been listing remakes as "other adaptations" but I think it's worth noting that this is a remake of the original Rat Pack movie from 1960. The ensemble is great, including Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, and Bernie Mac alongside the three big names of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. For a comedy, it's also remarkably hard to figure out how they actually pull off the heist - it definitely requires multiple viewings.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
July 24, 2009
Dogma (1999)
It's been a few days now since I saw this movie and I still don't really know what to think. I went into it not expecting to like it, since the only other Kevin Smith film I had seen was Mallrats and I was definitely not impressed. But this one has a concept behind it and I feel like that's what made it work. The cast is awesome, especially Alan Rickman as the "voice of God" (I've discovered that I'll watch anything if Alan Rickman is in it, which is as it should be). I'm listing it as comedy and drama, which I don't think I've ever done before, because I honestly can't classify it as one or the other. Just watch it - it's worth it.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
It's been a few days now since I saw this movie and I still don't really know what to think. I went into it not expecting to like it, since the only other Kevin Smith film I had seen was Mallrats and I was definitely not impressed. But this one has a concept behind it and I feel like that's what made it work. The cast is awesome, especially Alan Rickman as the "voice of God" (I've discovered that I'll watch anything if Alan Rickman is in it, which is as it should be). I'm listing it as comedy and drama, which I don't think I've ever done before, because I honestly can't classify it as one or the other. Just watch it - it's worth it.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Sunday, July 26, 2009
July 23, 2009
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Now this was when Mike Myers was funny. The movie itself is funnier if you are familiar with the James Bond films (then you can catch the references to such well-known characters as Blofeld, Oddjob, and Pussy Galore) but even if you've never seen a Bond film in your life, this one's still worth checking out. The character of Basil Exposition - the Ministry of Defense agent who tells Austin what's what - is brilliant. It lets them get away with including tons of exposition and not making it feel weird. Myers pulls off playing both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, though I really enjoy the second film when Rob Lowe shows up as a young Robert Wagner. Satires are made to poke fun at everything else and this one doesn't disappoint. It does have a strange habit of separating scenes with odd musical interludes featuring a group called Ming Tea and also occasionally breaks the fourth wall, but it fits. Seth Green is great as Dr. Evil's estranged son Scott Evil and watch for cameos by Carrie Fisher and Will Farrell. Also, do the fembots remind anyone else of the number six Cylon?
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Now this was when Mike Myers was funny. The movie itself is funnier if you are familiar with the James Bond films (then you can catch the references to such well-known characters as Blofeld, Oddjob, and Pussy Galore) but even if you've never seen a Bond film in your life, this one's still worth checking out. The character of Basil Exposition - the Ministry of Defense agent who tells Austin what's what - is brilliant. It lets them get away with including tons of exposition and not making it feel weird. Myers pulls off playing both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, though I really enjoy the second film when Rob Lowe shows up as a young Robert Wagner. Satires are made to poke fun at everything else and this one doesn't disappoint. It does have a strange habit of separating scenes with odd musical interludes featuring a group called Ming Tea and also occasionally breaks the fourth wall, but it fits. Seth Green is great as Dr. Evil's estranged son Scott Evil and watch for cameos by Carrie Fisher and Will Farrell. Also, do the fembots remind anyone else of the number six Cylon?
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Thursday, July 23, 2009
July 22, 2009
Running With Scissors (2006)
A movie based on a best-selling memoir starring Annette Benning, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Alec Baldwin must be good...right? Wrong. Augusten Burroughs' life was a terrible and confusing mess, but that doesn't mean that the movie about it also needs to be a terrible and confusing mess. There are no sympathetic characters, not even really young Augusten himself. Storylines begin but go nowhere, characters flit in and out with no explanation, and questions are asked that are never answered.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
A movie based on a best-selling memoir starring Annette Benning, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Alec Baldwin must be good...right? Wrong. Augusten Burroughs' life was a terrible and confusing mess, but that doesn't mean that the movie about it also needs to be a terrible and confusing mess. There are no sympathetic characters, not even really young Augusten himself. Storylines begin but go nowhere, characters flit in and out with no explanation, and questions are asked that are never answered.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
July 21, 2009
Godzilla 1985 (1984)
Before the actual entry, here's a note about the title vs. the release date: this film was originally released in Japan under the title The Return of Godzilla in 1984. Then a year later, it was released in the US with the new title. Since I own the US version, that's the title I'm going with.
So here's the sequel to the original Godzilla that ended with our beloved giant lizard being disintegrated at the bottom of the ocean. And now he's back by...magic? Who cares - Godzilla always comes back! This one has a much different feel than the first one - it's almost as though Godzilla is a sympathetic character. He's awoken from his sleep on the ocean floor and, hungry for nuclear radiation (what else?), goes to snack on Tokyo. At which point, huge loudspeakers in the city warn people that he's coming and that "this is not a drill." I was sidetracked for a good ten minutes speculating what a Godzilla Drill must look like. The Japanese throw everything they have at him, including tanks and airplanes, but this is not King Kong we're dealing with. This is Godzilla, who is much more badass, and the only thing that the humans accomplish is to seriously make him angry. Understandably, he goes after more of Tokyo. The end, when they finally do defeat him, is actually sort of sad. Poor Godzilla. But don't worry, he resurrects soon enough to fight a giant mutated rose bush named Biolante. But that's another entry.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Before the actual entry, here's a note about the title vs. the release date: this film was originally released in Japan under the title The Return of Godzilla in 1984. Then a year later, it was released in the US with the new title. Since I own the US version, that's the title I'm going with.
So here's the sequel to the original Godzilla that ended with our beloved giant lizard being disintegrated at the bottom of the ocean. And now he's back by...magic? Who cares - Godzilla always comes back! This one has a much different feel than the first one - it's almost as though Godzilla is a sympathetic character. He's awoken from his sleep on the ocean floor and, hungry for nuclear radiation (what else?), goes to snack on Tokyo. At which point, huge loudspeakers in the city warn people that he's coming and that "this is not a drill." I was sidetracked for a good ten minutes speculating what a Godzilla Drill must look like. The Japanese throw everything they have at him, including tanks and airplanes, but this is not King Kong we're dealing with. This is Godzilla, who is much more badass, and the only thing that the humans accomplish is to seriously make him angry. Understandably, he goes after more of Tokyo. The end, when they finally do defeat him, is actually sort of sad. Poor Godzilla. But don't worry, he resurrects soon enough to fight a giant mutated rose bush named Biolante. But that's another entry.
My Netflix rating: 4 stars
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
July 20, 2009
Lake Placid (1999)
I'm a little ashamed to admit that I thought this movie was kind of fun. It's completely ludicrous since it involves a giant crocodile that somehow ends up in a lake in upstate Maine, but it's not as terrible as I thought it would be. Think Jaws but with crocs and nowhere near the scare factor. Plus, Mad-Eye Moody is in it and he's hysterical. I was definitely amused, plus it's only an hour and twenty minutes, so it doesn't drag on for ever and ever.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
I'm a little ashamed to admit that I thought this movie was kind of fun. It's completely ludicrous since it involves a giant crocodile that somehow ends up in a lake in upstate Maine, but it's not as terrible as I thought it would be. Think Jaws but with crocs and nowhere near the scare factor. Plus, Mad-Eye Moody is in it and he's hysterical. I was definitely amused, plus it's only an hour and twenty minutes, so it doesn't drag on for ever and ever.
My Netflix rating: 3 stars
July 19, 2009
Fire on the Amazon (1993)
A very young Sandra Bullock and some guy who has never appeared in anything else tackle clear cutters in the Amazon. There are run ins with native tribes and boat capsizes and shootings. Somehow they end up in jail. Then it turns out that everyone's a bad guy, including who they thought were good guys, and everyone who isn't a bad guy ends up dead. The end. Not a stellar film.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
A very young Sandra Bullock and some guy who has never appeared in anything else tackle clear cutters in the Amazon. There are run ins with native tribes and boat capsizes and shootings. Somehow they end up in jail. Then it turns out that everyone's a bad guy, including who they thought were good guys, and everyone who isn't a bad guy ends up dead. The end. Not a stellar film.
My Netflix rating: 2 stars
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