Cross one more off of the "why have I never seen this?" list

Didn't watch many new movies this last week. Most of this week was spent elsewhere, or enjoying high def versions of older films (Highlander has NEVER looked this good, Speed Racer continues to be awesome.) Dr Mrs. Just Another Movie Geek and I did happen to watch one new to us film, and it is one that I am ashamed to admit I had never seen.*

The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen



Terry Gilliams final film in his loosely connected "state of imagination" trilogy (Time Bandits and Brazil being the others) we are given one more grand adventure where the lines between what is real and what is fantasy are constantly crossed and blurred. A fun film but at the same time it took a serious look at what it means to become old and still wish one was useful. As usual Gilliam creates a fantastic world that is a joy to experience. Excellent cast and great cameos from Robin Williams, Oliver Reed and even a very young Uma Thurman.


*I am not quite sure why I never saw this one. The only thing I can figure is it came out at that awkward time in my teenage years (I was 13) when I thought I had to put away childish things and be an adult. Glad that idea didn't stick.

Akbar Cinemas 2.0 leads to cuddly supernovas

Another quick lengthy update here at Just Another Movie Geek re-capping what was enjoyed over the weekend. As some of you know Akbar Cinemas upgraded late last week to a 52" rear projection HDtv. This weekend I wanted to put the unit through it's paces and ran a wide gamut of entertainment through it.

Movie #1:Stir Crazy


Growing up the parents were always fans of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Silver Streak got alot of airplay and random solo gigs from each did as well, but there was one earlier film of theirs that I had never seen. After viewing the film, I can tell why. A large amount of foul language and some nudity (ah the late 70's, my favorite decade for on screen boobies) would have already kept my parents from sharing it with me but in the end I realized it would have mostly been that this was not a film my parents would have enjoyed. And that is just sad because it was a laugh riot. It was clear that the script was just a loose guideline for filming and Gene and Richard were just allowed to ad-lib much of their performance.

Media viewing specs: DVD through upscaled DVD player connected with Component outputs. Result: Probably the best a 30 year old film with a fairly basic transfer rate could possibly look.

Movie #2: Wing Commander


I make no apologies, this film is not good. It was a huge endeavor to turn a huge video game franchise into a film franchise. it failed badly, but for it's noble effort (and the production design I really dig) I enjoy it. High upon my guilty pleasure list, it seemed like a fitting film to watch at midnight on a friday night.

Media viewing specs: Compressed avi through DVI connection on computer. Result: Looked really decent actually. The blackness of space came across fairly clear and not muddled.

Show #1: Torchwood-Children of Earth


I am not going to spoil this one at all for those who haven't seen it yet (maybe next week I will do some deep analysis) but they really hit it out of the park on this one. Deciding instead of a full season and doing a 5 part mini-series, the BBC gave us a fantastic SciFi story. Everything I have come to love about this darker spin off of Doctor Who got covered here. Humor, dark scifi, drama, pathos, and everything else that comes with hanging around Captain Jack Harkness was brought together very well.

Media viewing specs: 720p avi files through DVI connection on computer. Result: Who knew Gwen Cooper had so many freckles!

Movie #3: Sharpe's Peril


Episode 16 in a long line of action/adventure films based upon a series of novels set in the Napoleonic Wars (and beyond). 2 films ago saw what we thought would be the end of the characters film story. Ending with the defeat of Napoleon would have been appropriate but the producers decided to keep going and tell us some tales of Sharpe in India in 1817. While this and the last film had their share of good action and an excellent performance (as always) from Sean Beane, the story in these has been a bit lacking. The character is getting old and isn't bringing to the table what he always did. There is talk of doing at least one more Sharpe film and I would hope they make it the last and send him out appropriately.

Media viewing specs: Compressed avi through DVI connection on computer. Result: Source already was a bit washed out and compressing it down didn't help any. However, it looked quite good and artifacting was kept to a minimum.

Show #3: Stargate Atlantis


While I was doing some computer work and Dr. Mrs. Just Another Movie Geek wanted to play with some Lego, I threw on this scifi staple of ours as background.

Media viewing specs: Compressed avi through DVI connection on computer. Result: These episodes are a little more compressed than others and artifacts were noticeable. However, not so much that is a bother and the quality of the image was just fine.

Movie #4: Speed Racer


After we got done with Sharpe's Peril sunday evening, the Mrs. decided to go read in bed and I decided to stay up some more. I needed some more background film material that I could leave running and dive into it at any moment in between the little projects I was working on. Well, that didn't work so well as I once again got sucked into this magnificent film.

Now, (for those who haven't seen it) you might be saying: Magnificent film you say? But its only Speed Racer! How can something as simple and cheesy as Speed Racer be magnificent? All I can say is, trust me... this film is pure genius. I would even put it up on my top 5 greatest films of all time list. It is such a good film, that it has allowed me to forgive the Wachosk'is for the 2nd and 3rd Matrix films. It is that good.

Reasoning for being such a fine film:
1: It is the perfect adaptation.
When jumping mediums (ie comic book to film, stage to film, etc.) you always run a certain amount of risk that something from it's primary medium is not going to translate well. Some film makers try too hard to make it work and we are given mediocre results. Or, in an attempt to make the world more "real" certain aspects from the original source are missing or just plain don't work in the new medium. In this, Speed Racer excels. Nothing was changed from the original anime concept, all the characters and themes presented before were re-created to a delicious level. Sure most characters were over the top to begin with, but that is part of their beauty. Even the littlest of details (like how Pops Racer used to be a champion professional Greco-Roman wrestler or how SPOILER how we all know Racer X is actually Speed's older brother but the story requires us to always pretend he isn't and allow him to hide) are portrayed properly. In addition to the characters, the world created is so outlandish and colorful it exists truly in an animated realm. However, the level of attention and detail presented works on every level possible.

2: Not a plot hole in sight.
Now, if you are a regular reader you know I take plot holes fairly seriously. (see my rant about the new Star Trek for an example) I can forgive some minor plot holes but huge holes that pull me out of the movie when simple logic fails the narrative really bother me. I have yet to find fault in this films plot. Some might claim that since it is Speed Racer it has a really simple plot but the script actually has some depth to it.

3. It's a visual treat.
Films are primarily a visual medium. It's up to the director to keep it minimal, realistic or hyper realistic. Where as Star Trek went over the top with the shaky cam and forcing lights into your face at ever turn, Speed Racer went with the hyper-realistic approach and gave us such a vivid colorful world that every frame is filled with goodness and beauty. This beauty gives the viewer the desire to see the film again to soak in all of the little details and feel the love that went into its creation. (for example, a military themed racing team's sponsor is "Semper Fi-ber Dietary Supplements)

4. Casting.
Spot on. There is not a single character in the film who is out of place and does not distract. Even (actually especially) ChimChim the helper monkey.

I could continue to gush about this film, but Dr. Mrs Just Another Movie Geek has reminded me that I am a bit obsessed with it so I will leave it at that.

Media viewing specs: Blueray disc through DVI connection to computer. Result: Holy hell, its like my eyes were painted with candy fueled by the power of cuddly supernovas dipped in Sake and served by red-headed, green skinned wenches wearing lederhosen.

Writers Block becomes Johnny Love

This post was supposed to be a huge recap of my birthday movie marathon. Unfortunately, every time I sat down to write it writers block would get the best of me.

For now, just a quick update from yesterdays cinema* outing:

Public Enemies



Took Dr. Mrs. Just Another Movie Geek to see her number one Boyfriend Johnny Depp (back off ladies, he belongs to her.) Directed by Micheal Mann we were given a very fascinating look into the life of John Dillinger. The film hits upon all of the "high" points of his famous bank robbing career (even if it takes some liberties with a few historical details.) However, for Mann I felt this was a rather subdued effort from him.** Christian Bale pops up as the FBI agent leading the hunt for Dillinger but manages to give a rather non-memorable performance. Don't take that badly though, I feel he and the director did that on purpose for the single fact alone that this is Johnny's movie, and he shines throughout. Even for Mann I felt there was an abundance of extreme close ups on Mr. Depp and allowed us to just fall into his man beauty***. And boy have those lips have never been more succulent. First thing I mentioned to Dr. Mrs. Just Another Movie Geek walking out of the film was "yep...I would go totally gay for him." The only draw back I felt in the film was within the script itself. In a desire to cover as much detail in Dillinger's life, I felt his standing as a almost Robin Hood like character were glossed over. SPOILER (kinda): At one point in the film Dillinger is arrested and being driven to the prison. The streets are lined with his fans cheering him on but at no point in the film are we ever given any reason as to why this is. For anyone unfamiliar with the actual history of this case, the script falls short.


Dr. Mrs Just Another Movie Geek adds:

I agree, the script could have gone into more detail as to why the public loved him. There could have been more to the love scene or more of them.

There was this beautiful line: (paraphrased)

(seeing girl in the bathtub)

Johnny: You look like you could use some company?
Girl: Why dont you and Prince Albert get in here then?

I also agree this film was all about Johnny, and I think that is a good thing. If one is looking for an action movie I would not say that this is it. Yes there were quite a few shoot outs, but that was not the intention of the movie. I think if you are an adult and like more subtlety and finesse to your movie going experience, this is a great choice.



*I will admit that I have fallen out of love with the "cinema" experience for all the usual cases (price, commercials, people, etc..) and most discussions here at JAMG are from my home theater experience. However, the local AMC at the mall has early (before 10am) showings for cheaper so I have decided that is the only way I will actually go to a theater for the most part. (The Big Picture (for booze) and Cinerama (for "big" films) witstanding)

**After Miami Vice I think he felt he needed to dial things back a bit and let this one carry itself. It was a fine film, but it just didn't have that normal "oomph" that I usually get from Mr. Mann.

***Oh man the closeups. Mann is still in love with his HD cameras and it truly shows. If you ever wanted to be able to count the pores on Johnny's nose, or see Christian Bale's razor burn ...this is the film for you.

What a weekend!

Just Another Movie Geek Headquarters was proud this weekend to partner with Akbar Cinemas (aka my redesigned living room) to host the first annual Movie Marathon.

12 hours.
5 movies.
10 people (total spread out over the day)

Perfection was met.

Pictures of the "theater" and a more detailed review/crowd reaction of each film will follow here later this week. For now, just wanted to throw up quick post as to what we watched. The overall unifying theme to my marathon was "Fun" As it turns out (as we will review later) there were alot of unplanned but amazing sychronicity between the films.

Films: (presented in their viewing order)

Castle of Cagliostro


(one of my all time favorite Animes)


Big Trouble in Little China


(easily one of the greatest action films ever made)

The Good, The Bad and The Weird


(my new obsession film)

Iron Man


(comic book personified perfection)

Mystery Film:

????

I think I am going to reserve revealing this until the full review comes up. It was well received at the marathon so that made me very happy.


Then on Sunday, Dr. Mrs. Just Another Movie Geek and I gave the theater a second run and watched:

Galaxy Quest


Still hilarious and STILL a better Star Trek film than that recent waste of celluloid.

Outlander


Way better than its concept should have let it be. Alien Monster, Spaceman and Vikings. Really, what more could you have asked for?

The Muppet Movie


We decided to bring the Lego out and needed some back ground noise to carry us along. The film seemed like a perfect way to go.

A movie, a show and a theater upgrade

Movie Review:

The Frisco Kid

Pulled up an older film this weekend to re-visit. Re-visit isn't the right way to think about this. I recall bits and pieces of this from my youth but I think it was a bit beyond my young age so I don't think I actually saw it. A period comedy set in 1850 we see the tale of Gene Wilder as "not the worlds greatest Rabbi" be sent from Poland to San Francisco to tend to a new Jewish community.

I'm a Rabbi!

Hijinks ensue along the way as he treks across the old west. Hooking up the Bank Robber Harrison Ford

I'm a Bank Robber

( Dr. Mrs. Just Another Movie Geek says "damn that boy is hot.... Young Harrison is going back on my List")

Early on into the film characters start to become almost one dimensional stereotypes and you feel that this may not be a fun ride. But then you realize that every character is a stereotype and it is played to the fullest the romp becomes a good time.

"Here Chicky, Chicky. I don't want to eat you...I just want to make you Kosher!"

The film even manages to touch a few points of cultural bounds being broken and true friendship but ends up not playing it cheesy.

C'mon Sioux nation... do the hustle!

A decent comedy that holds up 30 years later. Harrison and Gene play great off each other. It's a shame that Harrison didn't do much more comedy*. He was actually quite funny.

An interesting marketing thing. Check out the original poster back from the 70's when Gene was a huge comedy draw (and Harrison hadn't quite his full super star status yet) and then check out the DVD cover from a few years go:

Show Review:

Being Human

Got suggested a new BBC show so we checked it out. Well worth the checkout. Now this may sound as a bad joke setup, but this is the premise of the show:

A vampire (who's on the wagon from sucking blood,)


A Werewolf (who has issues dealing with his moon light transformation or as the show calls it "his time of the month" )


and a Ghost all share an apartment.


The three of them try to lead a normal existence with their lives and neighbors. Unfortunately they can't stop being who they are and all the baggage that comes with that. Smartly written (I would classify it as a Dark Drama/Comedy) the show weaves a great mythology with a fun story. Even at only six episodes for the first season (and another on the way) I recommend giving this a go.

New Project:

Here at Just Another Movie Geek headquarters, my screening room (aka the living room) just got an upgrade. I spend the weekend making a 5x8 foot platform for the back half of the room has stadium seating. I will post some pictures of it later when it gets a full test drive this weekend.






*His accent in K-19 The Widowmaker doesn't count ;)

History lesson for children everywhere...

...back in the 80s it was a law that any performer MUST produce at least 1 rap video in the career.

Observe: Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd*





*Don't get me wrong, I acually love this movie and think it is a fine piece of 80s cinema and a great TV to film conversion. But oh man... this video is a stinker.

81-98 of the 98 movies everyone should see

You have waited for ever for this. It is finally here.


Yes, we finally get to finish last films to my list of the 98 movies everyone should see.


81. 82. 83.

These three are to me the ultimate Comic Book movies.

Spiderman 2


After dealing with the usually good but unfortunate origin film, the second chapter in the recent Spiderman series was perfect. Peter comes into his own and deals heavily on he wants to be and who he truly is.

The Rocketeer


I like to imagine this film takes place in the same world as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Young hot shot pilot, comes across a rocket pack, fights nazis. What more could you ask for?

Batman Begins


While I do have the luggage that comes with being a DC Fanboy, Batman Begins works really well for making a almost plausible and believable Batman in a real world situation. A few plot holes still bug me from time to time, but it is so far the best ever that DC has managed to put on the silver screen.



84. 85.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock


The dichotomy of Star Trek films. The needs of the many, versus the needs to the few..or the one. Wrath of Kahn is the greatest Star Trek film and does entirely work on its own but I do enjoy the two of them together. Plus I have great childhood memories of both. WoK I saw in an afternoon matinee with Disney's Treasure Island with my brother, SFS my father pulled me out of school early one afternoon and took me to see it.


86.
Tampopo


WARNING: Only see this film if you have access to delicious noodles after viewing. You will want to eat them.

This is a Japanese movie all about food and primarily Noodles. It is an awesome and surreal romp into a cultures love of food and the traditions therein.

87.
The Bride With White Hair


Chinese supernatural mixed with extreme wire work Kung fu. A fun film that is totally representative of its greater genre.

88.
The Fifth Element


A visual treat and (to paraphrase a new friend met today) "a delightful scifi romp" Totally fun and exactly what you need when you want Fun and Scifi.

89.
The Professional


The hitman and the orphan he protects. Luc Besson's greatest film.

90. 91.
Two 80's scifi films lead us into the final 8 on our list. While Pixar and practically every other films use of CGI today we must never forget two forefathers of merging computers and cinema.

The Last Starfighter


A teen who is a wiz at a video game gets recruited to defend the frontier from Zur and the Kodan Armada.

Tron


A man gets sucked into a virtural world of a computer and must stop the evil CPU.

Both are excellent adventures.

92.
The Wind and the Lion


Sean Connery as a Muslim pirate in 1904 in Morroco. Really, what more than that do you need to see it?

93.
Zardoz


Sean Connery in a loin cloth for most of the movie. Really, what more than that do you need to see it?

94.
Excalibur


My favorite take on the Arthurian legend. John Boorman paints a beautiful mystical world to experience a great version of Le Morte d'Arthur

95.
The Lord of the Rings




These three films get lumped as one for they truly are one story. A great fantasy story and an excellent adaptation of three awesome books.

96.
12 Monkeys


Terry Gilliam hits us with one of the best time travel movies put to celluloid. Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis give two amazing performances.

97.
What's Up, Doc?


A screwball comedy from the 70s that got a lot of play in my house growing up. Barbara Striesand is actually quite funny and the zany film works. A final car chase that ranks up close to the chase from The Blues Brothers.

98.
Hudson Hawk


We end our list with a film that gets not enough love. Bruce Willis at the height of his early career convinced some studio to give him a bunch of money and just let alot of people have a great time making a fun movie. So many great one liners and just overall fun.

Punisher War Zone aka Land of a thousand blood squibs

I will freely admit that I was always a DC Comics boy. While I knew of characters existence in the Marvel world I never really followed their books. So with that, I get to go into most Marvel films without the fanboy luggage I have as with a DC film. And with that, I did fully enjoy the recent film "Punisher War Zone."

Being a big fan of Ray Stevenson from Rome, my limited (to one Batman/Punisher cross over comic) knowledge of the character led me to feel that he was born to play the role. He pulls it off well (far better than Dolph Lungren or Thomas Jane) and the story (while not deep) carries the film well.

What truly works in this film is the level of violence. It is over the top. So over the top it loops back on itself just to go over the top again. I would say it even takes it to almost camp levels but not so far that it is unbelievable. And for a character that is essentially Batman without the qualms about taking a human life you should see it.

I would recommend this film for big action buffs or those that like excessive violence and dismemberment.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Once in a while a film comes along and just hits me in a perfect way. Now, I know I tend to pretty much only gush about things or think they are the worst.* I am trying to expand my levels of review but I have to say, this film was one of the funnest experiences I have ever had.

This weekend I had the pleasure of viewing a Korean film called "The Good, The Bad, The Weird."

If the title evokes a Sergio Leone feel it, then you are in the right place. Set in 1940 Manchuria, we follow the tale of a bandit, a Bounty Hunter, and a Gangster all after a treasure map and each other. They are then followed by various Manchurian Warlords, Local gangsters and even the Japanese Army. Throwing in every possible homage to Leone (and even Morricone in the music) we are given a 2 hour and 15 minute Korean love letter to the Italian Maestro.

Check out the opening credits for the film. The Korean characters you see on the screen are the main actor credits as they fly by.





*I have found that my rating scale is based on I only like to watch things that I have a feeling I will enjoy it (be it plot, actor/director/writer I admire, etc..) and when i do see something I think is utter trash, I really really don't like it. I am trying to expand this.

Mini Movie Reviews (aka what I have seen recently)

King of California
3.5 out of 5

This film was a weird one. At the end of it I totally enjoyed it (if for nothing else than Micheal Douglas' stellar performance) but this film was a bit strange. It has to be the most bi-polar film I have ever seen. At one point it wants to be a kooky comedy about a girl and her slightly deranged father. Then 5 minutes later its a touching drama on the strained relationships children can have with their parents followed again later by a satirical look at consumerisms rapid destruction of California. Either the director wasn't sure totally where they wanted to go with it, or it was a direct parallel to the mental state of the main character. Either way, the film is worth a watch but don't expect much coherence.




Beowulf
4 out of 5

Finally got a chance to see this. A loose retelling of the Ole English poem this entirely Motion Captured CGI film was entertaining. Other than the abysmal Angelina Jolie (seriously, she can't act her way out of a wet paper bag) the voices/faces* captured for this animated film worked wonders. Creating the film in a CGI world worked really well IMO instead of making a set and shooting it for real. The only thing that bothered me about the film was since this was originally made to be a 3D film, many of the "in your face" moments were a bit jarring in a 2D presentation. Quite a bit more violent than I thought it would be but an enjoyable experience.

*most of the main cast were digital recreations of the voice actor supplying the part. Very well done and quite fluid.




Passchendale
4 out of 5

The uber talented and quite gorgeous man Paul Gross has continued to entertain me. His Grandfather who fought in WWI shared only with him a horrific detail he encountered while in the service. Paul dedicated this film to his and the other thousands of Canadian soldiers who gave their life. As for the actual Battle of Passchendale, the film comes up a little short but in reality, that was not it's goal. Showing us only a little of actual fighting in the beginning and then more at the end, the flim primarily focuses on life back home in Canada and the actions of soldiers who made it back. A decent love story interweaves into the whole story and connects the whole thing together. Saving Private Ryan level of graphic war time action is shown in both fighting sections of the film. Highly recommend if you want to see a fictional tale in a quite realistic setting and history.