Even More Movies
Continuing our home-movie binge:
Ocean’s 12 (2004). Some good bits but nowhere near as entertaining as its predecessor. (Rather like Iron Man 2 in that respect.) This blog post posits it’s because it’s not a heist film, but an art film. If you wonder, like the author, why so much of recent film has a blue/orange look, this article has a good take on it.
Zombieland (2009). Some good parts, and one part at the end that I would’ve liked even more if it hadn’t been spoiled (my fault for waiting so long to see it). Some clever takes on zombie tropes, and Woody Harrelson is entertaining.
A Knight’s Tale (2001). For the first hour or so, this weird mix of late 20th century rock and medieval story was bizarrely entertaining. Then, the movie dragged on to over 2 hours. Note to filmmakers: B movies should not be much more than 90 minutes.
Captain America (2011) on Bluray, which looked really, really good. The special effects of having Steve Rogers start small and asthmatic and transform into Chris Evans were impressive. Like Iron Man and Thor, a solid tentpole leading up to the circus that is going to be The Avengers. A solidly entertaining B movie.
My disappointment at the end of Knights Tale put me over the edge, and I’m now going to have to take a break, and get back to reading.
October 30th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
I have been on a movie-watching binge myself lately. Something about more patience for sitting in the basement when it gets dark before 6 p.m. On some films, we have to split it up over two nights to accommodate the different parents’ schedules, especially when there are adult themes.
The latest binge has been: The Wrestler, Lars and the Real Girl, Where the Wild Things Are and Charlie Wilson’s War. We’re halfway into The Social Network. Also have waiting Infamous (one of the two Truman Capote films that came out at the same time), The Last King of Scotland and Amazing Grace. Still holding out hope to see Captain America in the theaters (it’s at the Riverview) and I was saving Moneyball for when the baseball season ended. And I’ve got a list of at least 17 more to request from the library!
October 31st, 2011 at 7:35 am
Nut up or shut up is pretty much my motto these days.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:38 am
I admit it: I really love A Knight’s Tale! I know it’s not really a good movie at all, and yet I have watched it more times than I care to remember! I will say that if you still have the dvd still, I HIGHLY recommend watching the movie with the commentary on. In fact, it’s how I tend to watch the movie most times, because the writer/director Brian Helgeland and Paul Bettany essentially make fun of the movie the entire time and both are very witty and charming and while my husband doesn’t like AKT at all, he will watch it if I have the commentary on because it is just that entertaining!
October 31st, 2011 at 9:57 am
Vince, I didn’t care for The Wrestler, and really wanted to like the Wild Things, but don’t think I”d watch it again. How was Lars? I thought Capote was better than Infamous, skipped Last King because it looked too violent/depressing. And Moneyball is showing at the Heights, so that’s where I’m hoping to catch it!
October 31st, 2011 at 9:57 am
Steph, returned it, but will take your comment re: commentary under advisement. Do you agree it’s over 30 minutes too long?
November 1st, 2011 at 12:05 am
I really liked “Lars and the Real Girl.” It could have gone really over the top or hypersexual but didn’t. I liked how one of the DVD features put it: I kept waiting for it to go completely out of control, but then it pulled back and went into another direction. Really sweet in parts, and Gosling is about 200 million times better in it than in “Ides of March.”
I didn’t mind “The Wrestler.” I think it would have been bigger if I caught it earlier. Otherwise, it’s a pretty conventional movie, although with Aronofsky, that’s saying something. I really liked the contrast between the wrestler and the stripper as that they both do sort of the same things in performing and being in and out of character. Especially then in contrast to when he’s working the meat counter. And I loved the scene where Rourke and Tomei are loving the 80s music and then start busting on Kurt Cobain for ruining all the fun, which for me is about a complete 180.