1816 - No Strings Attached

This is the second time checking this one out.  I'm a fan of Elizabeth Meriwether's New Girl, and I forgot that Jake M Johnson was in this.  I think he's pretty goddamn great.  I like this film despite the fact that it falls into the usual rom-com plot tropes.  The cast is pretty stellar and is full of a lot of people I like.  The characters are all solid and unique, the dialogue catchy.  It's not the kind of flick that's going to change your life, but it's pretty solid popcorn romantic entertainment.  It's on netflix and well worth the time.  Boyfriends, you'll enjoy this along with the girlfriends.  Portman is pretty delightful here and Kutcher ain't too bad himself.  Lake Bell is sexy/funny as well.  Man, I really could just laundry list this entire cast... I won't - just watch the damn thing!

1815 - Girls: season two

The first season of this series was easily one of my favourite things about television last year.  It was one of those things that made me jealous to my core.  It had a language, a style, that I was envious of.  Whenever I thought of a series I wanted to create I'd often ask myself "What is MY 'Girls'?"

And then this second season happened.  And… well… I don't know… If I'm honest I'm not sure that I entirely recognize this show right now.  It's characters just felt like they wanted to be angry and terrible to each other for an entire season only to become happy again at the VERY end.  A lot of reviewers have commented that this seasons end doesn't feel earned and I'm inclined to agree. 

There is so much about this series that I love still.  I'll still be tuning in when season three comes around.  I adore Adam Driver, and all the other guys on this show.  The women are a bit frustrating for me.  Hannah's, out of the blue, OCD, just felt like another crutch for a character who's entire existence appears to be about making excuses for why she isn't further along with life.  She's, clearly, a self saboteur, and we know that - and while I admire Lena's decision to do that with her character, it makes you not like her a whole hell of a lot. 

It's a series that is not for everyone.  I loved the first season, and found this one enjoyable in parts and frustrating in others.  I remain cautiously optimistic about the next season.  I want to love the shit out of it.  I really do.  I hope this review doesn't turn anyone off.  That's not my intention whatsoever.

1814 - Suck

I feel badly that it took me this long to get around to this film.  If you're into Canadian comedy then you're hopefully aware of Rob Stefanuik and his previous film, Phil The Alien.  This time out it's a rock opera about a band that'll do anything to become famous - including selling their souls and becoming vampires.  Outside of Stefaniuk in the cast there's also the amazing Jessica Pare, Dave Foley not to mention some fantastic cameos by rock legends such as: Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, and Moby. 
As usual I don't like giving much away, and I won't here.  But this is something unique and special.  It's fun, funny, and it looks goddamn great.  If you like dark comedies, vampires, and rock and roll then you really can't go wrong with this one.  Shit tonnes of fun.

1813 - Silver Linings Playbook

I normally don't go heavily into details about new releases, but I feel compelled to do so here, so please if you haven't seen this there will be some spoilers below...

...

So let's get it out of the way - there's some really great things about this film.  Jennifer Lawrence is pretty fucking fantastic as is Bradley Cooper - and DeNiro gives a performance we haven't seen in years from him.  The first two thirds of this are a really well layer and performed character drama - and then all of a sudden it takes a hard turn into becoming what felt like something else entirely.  Like it's lead, the film itself was bipolar with how much it shifted from character to plot motivation.  Like their final dance it started off so promising and just hit a wall near the end that left a bad taste in my mouth.  Tonally and structurally it felt like an entirely different film.  I'm not sure I buy that Tiffany fell in love with him or that he'd really earned it - it felt more like a plot device than anything.  I'm actually somewhat surprised at how well received the film is given the ending.  I'm going to have to dive into reviews for it to see if I was just crazy and missed something crucial or if I'm just a jerk for not getting caught up in it all.

Still worth seeing, absolutely, but hopefully erase the hype from your mind first.  My expectations going in were pretty high and that's never fair for any film.

1812 - House of Cards: season one

It too me two goes to get into this.  When I first watched the pilot I left a little 'meh'.  I also put it on in the background and didn't give it the attention that it requires.  So I went back and revisited the pilot and then got hooked into the whole damn thing.
If you haven't seen it yet the whole season is up on Netflix and it's the exact kind of show that you want to binge watch.  It's about a Congressman who is passed up for a promotion to Secretary of State and, feeling slighted, decides to shake things up and go after what he really wants - which I won't reveal here because it makes for a large part of this season's mystery.
Kevin Spacey is more interesting to me here than he has been in, oh I can't quite recall how long.  He's a character straight out of Shakespeare and I can only imagine that he has a shit ton of fun doing it.  Kate Mara, also  provides a solid supporting role and I'm pretty excited about where her character left off at the end of this season.
The show is a lot prettier than most and makes Washington look like the place be.  The most frustrating thing about this show, now that I'm hooked, is the year it'll take to come out properly . I haven't said too much above, but this isn't that kind of show - it's a show that takes it's time and enjoys the set-up 'cause once the train leaves the station, it's going full force.  If you start off watching and feel you're not into it, do me a favor and go until at least episode three before you call it quit.  I personally can't wait to see the house of cards that's been built in this show to come crash down.  Well done, Spacey and Dana Brunetti and Netflix - I look forward to more of their original program :)

1811 - Finding Nemo

I haven't watched this in forever and got to re-visit it with my son.  I remember really liking it, but I was really happy to see how well it holds up and delights the next generation.  It's a film that's got a wonderful heart with a tragic beginning.  It's got wonderful character and comedy moments and fantastic set pieces.  The fact that an animated film with a parent as the lead character is as powerful as this one with children is no small feat.  Last week they formally announced that this film was getting a sequel - now as much as I love this - I'm just not sure that it's the kind of thing that warrants it - it's a stand alone masterpiece, and it feels a tinge like Pixar is running out of steam on original ideas.  I'm hoping that's not the case.
If you haven't seen this one, you're doing yourself a disservice whether you've got kids or not, it's worth while through and through!

1810 - Annie Hall

So I've seen this film (probably) more than any other.  I've written about it here a lot.  Last night I got to do one of my favorite things, which is introduce a great movie to someone who has never seen it - and in this case it was a friend who is a young filmmaker.  I still remember the first time I saw this, having been loaned it by a friend with no lead-up at all.  It blew my mind and everything I wrote in the weeks after was a blatant rip-off.  What Allen does in this film is create a magic trick - he blends a lot of different techniques and uses them to express ideas too complicated to summarize through straight narrative.  And the only bad thing about Annie Hall is when you realize that there's nothing else like it, and there's no way to experience it again for the first time.  I'm not going to say any more, probably because I'll just be repeating myself from a previous post, but I'll say this - if you've never seen this movie please get-thee-to-a-DVD (or however you can).  To not like this film is, to me, akin to someone saying that they don't like music.

After watching the film my friend asked me to recommend a top-ten essential Woody Allen.  Which is no small feat to make considering the man has made a film a year for four decades, and at least half of his body of work is amazing.  I tried to narrow it down to ten and I couldn't - and no one can make me,  so instead I've boiled it down to what I think you'd be absolutely remiss to miss.  She'd already seen Midnight in Paris and Vicky Cristina Barcelona so that, along with Annie Hall, will be absent from this list.  I decided to make the list on what best represents Allen, but also gives a sense of his breadth as a filmmaker as well.  Here is it.  If I made this list tomorrow as opposed to today there's a good chance it would be different because, to me, Woody Allen is like sex or pizza - even when it's bad it's still better than most things.  If you're reading this and you're offended that I've omitted a title I promise you that tomorrow I'll be equally offended!

Top Essential Woody Allen Viewing (without Annie Hall, Midnight in Paris, or Vicky Cristina Barcelona (which my friend had already seen) and in no particular order):

• Take The Money and Run 
• Bananas
• Manhattan
• Stardust Memories
• Zelig
• The Purple Rose of Cairo
• Hannah & Her Sisters
• Crimes & Misdemeanours
• Husbands & Wives
• Bullets Over Broadway
• Mighty Aphrodite
• Everyone Says I Love You
• Deconstructing Harry
• Sweet & Lowdown
• Match Point

So there's that - disagree with the list?  Comment below!

1809 - Postcards From the Edge

I'd forgotten that I'd seen this film years ago when a friend brought it up the other day.  I suppose it don't make all that much of an impression, but it's a really lovely film.  Meryl Streep is fantastic in it, and it's really a who's who of Hollywood talent at the time, with even people like Richard Dreyfus, Oliver Platt, and Annette Benning doing these great little one scene bits.  And Gene Hackman comes in for two scenes and makes a goddamn meal out of them.  Between Fisher's screenplay and Nichols direction this must have been a dream come true for the cast.  I just looked back on my previous review of this film where I gave it a 'meh' - my opinion has certainly changed.  Sadly this film isn't on Netflix, but you can get it digitally otherwise.  It's one of those classic stories that you really need to check out.  I'm kind of curious to read the book now, actually.  Glad I revisited it, even though I thought I was watching it for the first time :)

1808 - I Could Never Be You Woman

It's always quite amazing when Hollywood casts someone like Michelle Pfeiffer to play a television show runner, and especially make us believe that she's out of her league in dating a younger man.  Let's cut the shit - Pfeiffer will be a smoking hot number at any age.  But whatever, I'll take it - I'll buy into your premise because I love Amy Heckerling and I adore the shit out of Paul Rudd.  If I'd picked this up randomly the Tracy Uhlman mother-nature rant that opens the film might have completely turned me off, but I stuck with it.
This film works because the cast pops.  Pfeiffer and Rudd are a solid pairing - and Saoirse Ronan is a goddamn scene stealer if ever there was one.  She's fantastic in every scene she's in, but the music parody bits are truly sensational.  Looking forward to seeking out more of her stuff. 
If I'm not giving it a glowing review is because it feels like they wanted this thing to be a big satire and take the piss out of society, but in truth only kind of went about it in a half-ass way.  Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about this flick, but it's not Heckerling's best.  I liked it, I just didn't love it.  But please judge for yourself - netflix it up!

1807 - Sherlock Holmes

I missed this in the theatres and got the Bluray on sale a while back and for whatever reason just never got around to watching this.  It's so much fun.  Guy Ritchie did a pretty great job of turning Holmes into an intelligent action adventure star, and Downey infuses the role with gusto.  His interplay with both Jude Law and Rachel McAdams is really enjoyable to watch.  I'm not a big Holmes nerd so I can't tell you how much they strayed from the originals, re-invented, etc... but what was going on here was a shitload of fun - and I found myself believing that Blackwood might actually be a sorcerer as well.  I have to say though that all of Holmes "deductions" came a bit after the fact and a fair amount was left from us - but I'll take it to get caught up in it like this.
Looking forward to the follow-up!

1806 - Boyz in the Hood

So I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I've never seen this film before.  I remember the box in the video store when I was a kid, and I was always too young to rent it, and the main reason I watched it now is because I'm going to a talk tonight with John Singleton at TIFF.  It's amazing to think that Singleton was twenty-four years old when he made this film.  It's a goddamn amazing achievement.  The performances he got out of everyone is nothing short of amazing.  You feel like you're a part of this world and you fear for these poor bastards 'cause you know that no matter how bad it gets, it's never going to be great for them.  As bizarre at this sounds it feels like Stand By Me for black kids, especially the beginning and ending - the use of music, etc... This is a truly great film and if you missed it like I did - it's on netflix now.  It's solid through and through.

1805 - Jesse + Celeste Forever

When I saw the trailer for this it was the kind that makes me instantly jealous - why didn't I think of that idea - why does it look so good - why is this trailer so compelling?!  I imagine this is a constant problem for fellow filmmakers - supporting and feeling crushing jealousy all at the same time.
So this film is about two best friends who were, until recently, married.  But they are still best friends - and some of their friends are starting to think it's a bit weird (ahem, unhealthy) for them to spend this time with each other as the divorce looms over them.
Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg have chemistry in spades here, and you have no problem wondering why they're hanging out - why wouldn't they be?  They're both awesome!  But what I really love about this is that Rashida (also the co-writer) has no issues with her character doing shitty things sometimes and coming off a bit nutso when appropriate.
I wouldn't lump this in with the rom-coms, it's more of a dramedy, and I say that in a positive way.  It's also kind of an anti-date movie, which probably didn't help it's release either.  Ideally, if you're in a group of friends who are single as shit - this might be the remedy for what ails you.  But even if you are a couple I doubt you'll not enjoy how it unfolds.

1804 - Gunless

I like Paul Gross.  I like that he's trying to make genre films in Canada, and by and large, they're entertaining.  And the same can be said for William Phillips the director who also made Foolproof.  I like a good western, and one that roasts Canada a little bit is okay in my books - and it doesn't hurt that my buddy Jay Brazeau has a great part in it.  It's about an outlaw who wanders into a town with no guns and goes from there.  It's fun, slightly predictable, but then again you're not exactly looking for a film like this to reinvent the genre. 
I got it from zip.ca but it might be on netflix as well.  Give it a shot if you want to have a nice light fun little flick.

1803 - A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

I forgot about this film until I was in a conversation with a friend the other day.  Nothing beats a flick with a catchy title.  A group of friends who have a weekend place that's famous for their constant parties runs the risk of losing their party spot and decides upon a big blow-out by way of an orgy. 
The film's got a great cast and there's some funny stuff going on inside.  I have to say I was delightfully surprised with how all-out the ending gets, but I was also a little disappointed that there wasn't more going on outside of the premise.  Some fun characters, but I never really felt like I got to know their issues, or that this weekend really meant anything to any of them in the long run.  I would have liked to have seen some more heart and a clearer resolution.  It's a good comedy that could have been pretty great, especially considering the talent involved.  Alas.  If you like late-night comedies give it a whirl!

1802 - Sex After Kids

Am I reviewing my own film?  No.  But I always do a write up following a first public screening, so here it is. 
I'd love to say that it was a long road to get this film here, but it wasn't really - not when you compare it to most films.  It was just a few days more than a year ago that I even decided that I wanted to make a film about this subject - and now here we are, a very successful world premiere under our belts, and we continue moving forward.
We had our World Premiere last Saturday at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to a sold-out audience.  They actually had to turn people away, which is sad, but kind of awesome as well.  It's nice to be a part of something that people are really excited to see!  The audience had a great reaction and the room was full of laughter.  We had a great Q&A after the screening, and just a general good time over-all. 
In lieu of doing my own review I'm going to attach some comments that have been posted on Santa Barbara's site.  Here's the link to it and feel free to go and rank the film yourself: 
http://sbiff.festivalgenius.com/2013/films/sexafterkids_jeremylalonde_sbiff2013

Like LaLonde's previous film, this is a funny, yet mature and touching film that will undoubtedly nip and tug at some sort of core emotion in many people.

What a fantastic movie! Funny, edgy, raw and yet touching. My husband and I laughed until we cried. Jeremy Lalonde has taken an ensemble cast of extremely talented actors and actresses and made a gem of a movie!

So often in ensemble films, certain plot lines get pushed aside in favor of others, so it was great to see a movie where every family is given pretty much equal importance and screen time. Witty dialogue, likeable characters, and a realistic premise make for a feel good film.

Okay - enough self congratulations.  If you're in the southern states - we've still got two screenings this upcoming weekend in Santa Barbara - get your ass out!

1801 - My Awkward Sexual Adventure

I was really excited when I found out that this was also screening at SBIFF, but even more excited when I saw I'd be there for it on the same evening that it's stars and director were in attendance and excited that I got to get to know them a bit subsequently following the screening. But enough about me talking about me. 
Lovable loser Jordan (Jonas Chernick) is a terrible lover and his girlfriend decides that enough is enough.  He heads off to Toronto for business and ends up getting connected to the typical stripper with a heart of gold, but luckily for us this time it's played by the always enjoyable Emily Hampshire.  I made the remark that this would be a great double-bill beside my film SEX AFTER KIDS - and technically it was on the Saturday night of the festival.  There's a lot to like about this film - it's funny on a consistent basis and Chernick and Hampshire are dynamite together on screen.  Emily has this absolutely unique blend of nerd and sexy that really shines here.  She's the kind of girl who you want to pal around with, but probably can't help but be attracted to.  I don't want to give away anything in the story - especially since it's in theatres soon.  I had a couple very minor quibbles with the story, but not enough to really get into it here.  For a late-night comedy it does exactly as you need it to - it's fast, funny, and quite fresh.  Go see it because it's Canadian, but support it because it's pretty damn great on top of that!

1800 - Caesar Must Die

Another film I caught at the Santa Barbara Film Festival was this unique adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.  The backdrop is this - a high-security is putting on a production of Julius Caesar with it's inmates acting as the actors.  Through the course of the film we watch them rehearse, all leading up to the performance, and through all of that we get the actual play alongside the commentary of the prisoners as they find ways to relate to the material. 
It's a pretty unique idea, right?  Sadly it was too much in the middle for me.  I would have preferred if it was just Julius Caesar set in a men's prison, or if it was more about the prisoners putting on the play, but with some more personal b-story.  It met the ideas in the middle and I think, suffered for it.  I believe this film has actually been around for a few years at this point, and not sure how else one could see it.  If you're a big Shakespear nerd then you'll probably want to check this out just because.  Not sure I can highly recommend it to anyone outside of that circle.

1799 - Disconnect

A few days behind on this.  This was the opening night film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, of which I attended with my feature SEX AFTER KIDS.  Like our film it was an ensemble, unlike ours it was a heavy drama centered around the theme of... I guess, the internet, and how by being connected to this web we're disconnected from our humanity.  Pretty heavy stuff.  The material is intense and could have been melodramatic if not for a cast of extremely talented actors.  There's some great timely material, the most interesting being that of cyber-bullying, but it also extends to relationships in chat-rooms, identity theft, and cyber-sex.  Given that it's so heavy it was a surprising choice, to me, for an opening night film given that it's intended to create a tone for the festival - although perhaps that's exactly what they were going for.
Not sure when this is coming out otherwise, but if you like heavy human drama you'll probably dig this - if you prefer lighter fare this might just be a tad too intense for your liking.

1798 - The Hunger Games

Okay.  So clearly I'm way late to the party on this one, and I haven't read the books.  I was going into this expecting something a lot more polished and glitzy and I was pleasantly surprised.  The filming style lent itself well to the story and characters.  I found myself engaged - I knew Katniss would make it out just fine given that this is part of a trilogy, but I was still pretty damn invested in seeing how she would do.
So I'm probably not going to say anything that hasn't already been said, but if you were skeptical of all the hype, so was I, and I absolutely enjoyed it and look forward to the next in the series.  I doubt I'll run to the theatre on the first weekend, but I'll probably try to check it out during it's opening run.  For those who haven't seen it, it's on netflix now.

1797 - Mission Impossibe: Ghost Protocol

This was a film I knew I wanted to see eventually but wasn't really dying to see in the theatres.  Glad it came onto netflix.  Here's the thing about a film like this - the plot is convoluted and whatnot and I really don't put a whole hell of a lot of stock into that - what I want from a film like this is to be entertained by stunts and spectacle and it delivers fully on that.  Brad Bird does a hell of a job on his first live-action effort.  What I liked was how this really brought together a lot of elements from the previous films and made it so it felt like a full universe.  I hope the franchise continues chugging along - I'm in for the next!

1796 - Robin Hood

For some reason or other I still had this on my list for zip.ca - yes I'm still a member - 'cause I have the dirt cheap package and still get new releases faster than netflix - the second that changes - I'm out!  No offense, zip.ca
Once I settled into realizing that this was pure origin story and we wouldn't be getting the typical Robin Hood in the forest story, I was okay with it.  Although, truth be told, I'd watch a sequel to see what they did with that character in this world.  I like the film enough, I didn't love it.  I thought the politics with the French were just a bit much, I wasn't really interested in that so much I was England's internal turmoil.  I like that King John outlaws him because of jealousy and ego, and that makes him all the more celebrated still.
So if you like your big action flicks with a sense of literary flare, this might be right up your alley. 

Sex After Kids goodies!

So today some of our cast decided to throw me for a loop and start a twitter fire that resulted in us getting over 1,000 likes on our Facebook page.  Originally I'd stated that we'd post a trailer when that happened, but it caught me a tad by surprise.  And so I decided to up it and offer something in addition if we reached 1,500 by days end.  That didn't quite happen - but holy shit did you guys deliver regardless.  At least count it was over 1,300 and that's not bad for a days work - so I'm going to give you guys the some thing special anyway.

Below are two different sized Sex After Kids desktop wall paper.  Designed by the very talented Lourdes Ruiz!  Hope you enjoy it and keep your eyes peeled for the trailer - coming ASAP!!! Click to get full sized!

The Walking Dead: 17 - Something To Fear

I'm a little behind on this bad-boy and some NINNY online ruined something in it for me, but here I am.  And in the good faith I like to put forth - because we're so far along in this comic series there will be SPOILERS AHEAD.  It's amazing.  Read it.  That is all.

So the last book left us on what was probably the most optimistic note the book has ever taken, there was a real sense of hope.  And it was the job of this book to take that hope and crush it.  Not only crush it, but smash it's head in until it was unrecognizable - which is exactly what happened, horrifically to a character that's been around the series for a very very very long time.  In a series filled with devastating deaths this one might be the worst - and sadly I didn't really get to experience it fresh since I knew it was coming.  Alas!

I love where this story is heading.  I was getting worried that we were getting to a point where I didn't know what other tricks Kirkman could pull out of his bag, and this just shows how much left there is to explore in his world and it excites me to no end.  I love that the comic and the series exist in such unique parallels and they play off each other, but don't force themselves into each other.  My only complaint that, as fast as it does come out, that it doesn't come out even faster.

Keep it coming Robert Kirkman, I'll be right here waiting for it.

1795 - This is 40

I'm a big fan of Judd Apatow - I like how much he throws himself into and this little empire and network of people that he's created - it's quite something.  Throw that and Paul Rudd into the mix and I'm a happy camper.  This is by no means a perfect film.  And it's not for everyone - if you like slice-of-life family drama that connects pretty deeply, you'll dig it - but if you like big stakes then I imagine a film about middle class white people not being able to afford their amazing lifestyle isn't going to quite do it for you.  And that's fine too.
The Apatow "method" of improv heavy films has never been quite so obvious as it is here - and I'm not passing judgement or suggesting that it doesn't largely work, but at the same time I find it difficult to justify the running time for this sort of film.  There's no need for a 2hr, 14 minute film about a mid-life crisis comedy.  Good for Judd for getting away with it, but I think that this is a film that could benefit from a good deal of pruning.  As it is I like it, but I probably could have loved it.
If you've liked his previous films, this one is worth checking out - although I feel like it's his less heart-filled film.  At the end I don't know if I felt like Pete and Debbie so much resolved their issues as they just stopped bitching at each other about their current problems.  I sound like I didn't like the film, but I swear I did.  Can't wait for the special features that'll be loaded to the tits on the BluRay.

1794 - Friends With Kids

I wanted to see this while it was in theatres, especially since it appeared to be within the same realm of my new film (get ready for the shamless plug) SEX AFTER KIDS.  And while our films live in similar worlds this is more of the boy meets girl variety (or rather boy met girl a long time ago and is now going to fuck up what they've got going on).
This film has a powerhouse cast and everyone works really well, although I think Kristen Wiig was underused.  Without getting into any spoilers, because this is a film worth discovering fresh, I loved about the first 90% of it and just felt a tad let down by the ending.  That's not to say I didn't enjoy it all the way through but it does peter out a touch.  That being said, the other 90% absolutely makes it worth watching (I swear!) especially if you're a parent, there's a lot of great stuff in here.  Jennifer Westfeldt should make more movies - I'm a fan!  And if you see this and adore it go back to the vault and check out a previous film she wrote (or co-wrote...) called Kissing Jessica Stein.  This is currently on Netflix - so have at it!

2012: a year of films

I don't do top ten lists, mostly because I just don't want to put the agonizing work into what it takes to create them and really think about the choices.  Instead, what I like to do is present a list of the films I saw for the first time this year, in the order that I enjoyed them.  Which means that you're going to see films that might be several decades old in this list - that's just the way it is.  If you want to know more about my thoughts you can find my little mini-reviews of all of these by either typing in the search or scrolling down the archive on the side. And keep in mind that if I were to make this list tomorrow there's a good chance that the order might very well change to some degree, so there's that...

1. Django Unchained
2. Argo
3. Goon
4. The Avengers
5. Wendy & Lucy
6. Les Miserables
7. Cabin in the Woods
8. Looper
9. Take This Waltz
10. Molly Maxwell
11. The Fisher King
12. The Dark Knight Rises
13. Jeff, Who Lives at Home
14. Cedar Rapids
15. Newlyweds
16. Captain America: The First Avenger
17. Brave
18. The Groomsmen
19. Young Adult
20. Terri
21. Forks Over Knives
22. Her Master's Voice
23. The Girlfriend Experience
24. Super 8
25. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
26. Chloe
27. Law Abiding Citizen
28. To Rome With Love
29. Romantics Anonymous
30. X-Men: First Class
31. Being Elmo
32. Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging
33. Hannah Takes the Stairs
34. Conception
35. Foolproof
36. The Sitter
37. Uncle Kent
38. Limitless
39. This Means War
40. Growing Op
41. The Outsider
42. Did You Hear About the Morgans?
43. Teenage Paparazzo
44. I Love Your Work
45. The Mechanical Bride
46. The Job

Now - what were some of your favorites???

1793 - Dexter: season seven

It takes a lot to come back from something that was the shit-show of season six of this series, but I'd argue that Dexter has done it.  I've read complaints that this was a half-solid season and a half slippery slope.  I can't imagine you're reading this without already having seen the show, but let it be know that there are SPOILERS BELOW...

The only decent thing about season six was, literally, the final few seconds where Debra walked in on Dexter - changing the fate of the show forever.  This season was all about Debra coming to grips with who Dexter is, and also more-or-less becoming his sidekick in a weird way.  All that fueled with a bizarre love-triangle with the fantastic Hannah and you've got a pretty solid season - top that with a half-season villain of Isaac Sirko and it's even stronger.  A lot of people complained that Isaac was taken out too early - I'd argue that it would have been hard to keep him up and build towards this season's climax.  I was actually hoping that Hannah would be the one to take out La Guerta and thereby protecting Dexter and making Debra owe her one - possibly the one way to get her off her back and make it so that Dexter and she could be together - although turning Debra into a killer is a pretty smart move forward for the show.  Will she spin out of control?  Should be interesting, especially since Hannah is still in play.  Could the two of them still have a happy ending?  I'm interested to see where the final season will take us since things have (somewhat) been brought back to a status quo.  I have to say that I want a final season that sees Dexter, somewhat, on the run - how else can this end on a happy note without him faking his own death? 

We shall see in the fall of 2013...

1792 - Les Miserables

 Years ago I saw Les Mis on a school trip to London, England.  I even want to say that Colm Wilkinson was playing the lead still, but I can't recall for certain.  We got last minute seats and so I we were in the sixth balcony of this huge theatre, and even through shared binoculars the actors seemed like ants on the stage.  Needless to say outside of some great music I didn't really enjoy the experience as it was less than ideal.  So that was a great place to enter into seeing the film - my expectations weren't really anything.
This is a really great story - it's epic in scope and yet small and personal.  The performances are fantastic and arguably flawless in some areas.  Tom Hooper made a solid choice to film the ballads in mostly unbroken medium shots and it's inspired and beautiful - really allowing a true performance - and none is more perfect and heart-breaking than Anne Hathaway's.  I'm not an oscar-whore, nor do I take much stock in them, but if she doesn't get some recognition for her supporting role then it's a damn shame, I say.  Jackman is pretty great but I have to say that role isn't all that exciting to me - the stand-out male role goes to Russel Crowe as the complicated and conflicted officer of the law.  What happens to him is heart-breaking in a very bizarre way.  I want to say a lot more, but I won't and will leave that for you to discover. 
If you like musicals of epic scope you'll dig this.  I did find it a touch long in some spots - and some of the sing-songy dialogue I could have done without - give me a proper song and music or just speak dialogue, I say! 
But all in all, a hell of a show well done!  See it on the big screen with the big sound if you're going to see it at all.

1791 - Django Unchained

Nothing says Christmas Day like slavery!  Although to be honest, ironically I never felt watching this like it was a 'slave' film so much as that was the looming backdrop for a unique revenge story.  I go back and forth on Tarantino, but this just might be my favorite of his films.  It's easily the most entertaining, and I think has the strongest through line of anything that he's done.  The cast is fantastic - I don't put a lot of stock into it but expect nominations all around here.  Tarantino's skills as a filmmaker are on fire here - it's sweet, it's suspenseful, it's hilarious, it's a true roller coaster and a hell of good time at the movies.  At nearly three hours it never feels it whatsoever and just chugs along, the story swerving here and there but always with it's eye on the prize.
If you've even been a Tarantino fan this is the one to see.  Please put out a kick-ass bluray and I'll be there in a heart beat. 
I could write a lot more about it, but it's really worth discovering all it's little gems on your own!  As it is, I highly recommend it. 

1790 - Elf

This is the last of the absolutely essential Christmas films I watch each year (or try to) - there's always a few more that I try to get around to, but this is one of the must-sees.  It's amazing to think it's a decade old at this point, and I absolutely forgot that Zooey Deschanel was a blonde in this film.  I adored her when I first saw this and still do today - it's nice to see things work out for people like this who really deserve it - the film is chock full of great characters but she's an absolute delight through and through.
This film is more gags per minute than most films, but it never feels like it's forcing it or trying too hard.  One liners, visual gags, it's a unique magical thing. 
This film has been out for about a decade so if you haven't seen it then you really really owe it to yourself - it's on Netflix currently so many sure you get around to it over the holiday season - whether you're new to this film or it's an old favorite - I always discover new gems in this one.  Hopefully you do too!

1789 - Scrooged

I'm pretty predictable when it comes to my holiday viewing of cinema.  It's Muppets, this, and Elf which are always my staples.  In fact I raced around a few Christmases ago to find this on DVD.  We had a friend over tonight who'd never seen it and so it was my duty to make sure she had and I think she was enchanted by it as well.  It's amazing that this film is close to 25 years old - it easily still stands up today - the comedy is sharp - the heart intact.  I'd argue that the ending gets a taaaaad preachy at the very very end, but I can live with that.  I grew up with the TV version which was edited for time and content so it's still a tad odd for me to watch this as was originally intended - but I love it all the more.
If you've never seen this update on A Christmas Carol you're missing out especially if you're a comedy lover and enjoy Bill Murray.  The cast is loaded with strong performances.  I can't say that this is a film for the entire family - but teenagers could easily enjoy.

Seriously though - if you've never seen this before get on it before the holidays are over.  You'll thank me.

1788 - 50/50 (commentary)

You can find a full review or two here already of this film as it's not my first viewing, but I decided to check out the commentary whilst I was doing some other things.  It's not the most informative - but it's a good time had by what appears to be good friends hanging out - including the writer whom the film's story is based on.  The commentary provides some decent stories and laughs but I wouldn't call it essential listening.  If you haven't see the film yet please do though - it's fantastic and one of my favorite of last year.

1787 - Homeland: season two

There are shows that you look forward to watching each week and then there are shows that you just absolutely can't wait to get to the next one.  Homeland is in the latter category.  Here's the thing - this show is immensely popular so if you're not watching it yet then you really just need to - it's got a great premise, solid cast, and fantastic storytelling.  So for all intents and purposes expect the rest of this blog posting to be SPOILER HEAVY - turn back now and catch up with this show.  You've been warned.

So I was pissed when they didn't kill Brody at the end of the first season - I thought it was a cop-out and didn't know how they would extend that character.  The brilliance of what they did was the first season you spent rooting to kill Brody, and they managed to flip it where here you're rooting for him to make it out alive. Very very strong reversal for us emotionally as an audience member.  For Claire Danes character this season has been a redemptive one, and she's as good as she ever was.  And so if they coped out with how they ended the first season they emptied the kitchen sink here.  This season was doing things in the second episode that I thought would take the entire season to get out - but they just plowed through a lot of great material with what seemed to be reckless abandon.  A risk that paid off in spades.
This season moved along like a freight train and made the world much bigger - I think some people preferred the smaller scale of the first season and, really, I like both and I think they can work together as well.  I love where this was left and how I can already see the seeds of the third season.  Clean slate for everyone in a really wonderfully heartbreaking way.  Hopefully the future seasons can sustain this quality, or they get out while they're still in fighting form.  I loved this and can't wait to return to it next fall.

1786 - Dazed & Confused

Good goddamn I forgot just how perfect this film in.  I was in the mood for a solid ensemble film with a great soundtrack and there are few that are on the level of this one.  It's interesting though, when you see great ensemble films often the music takes a large role as well. 
If this film isn't part of your lexicon it's a damn shame - it's one of the best coming of age stories and all the better because of it's wife variety of tales.  It's the last day of school for a bunch of kids in a small Texas town.  Some about to become seniors, the others about to become freshmen - but all of them are on the cusp of change large and small.  It also features a pretty impressive cast of up-and-comers and even the delightful Richard Linklater couldn't have predicted how big many of them would become.
If you're looking to pick this up you'll probably want to spring for the Criterion Collection edition (I have the usual) as I'm sure it's worth the extra $$$.
This is easily one of the best films of the ninties and of it's genre, one of the best in general.  If you were every a teenager in high school I just can't imagine how this wouldn't resonate with you somehow.

1785 - Get Him to the Greek

I'm actually not sure if I've seen this film since it was in theatres, but I remember (like Sarah Marshall) being surprised just how hilarious I found it to be, and what a fun film.  It's a great addition to the buddy comedy and while not quite a rival for Planes, Trains, & Automobiles it's definitely a close relative.  The soundtrack to this film (almost entirely - if not absolutely entirely original songs by the main character) is something quite spectacular and elevates the film from being merely good to pretty nifty-great (that's now a term - use it!).  Brand and Hill are a great pairing and their energy feeds off each other in really delightful ways and shifts nicely when they're with Bryne and Moss as their respective love interests.
If you've never seen this and are a fan of any of the cast or just the buddy comedy in general this is a must see - and the songs are an awesome bonus - I listen to the soundtrack fairly regularly.

1784 - Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Watched this on a whim from netflix.  I'm studying teen comedies at the moment and thought I'd check out this one.  It's a pretty basic story of a teen girl trying to navigate the awkwardness of being a teenager, find a boyfriend as well as social and self acceptance.
Is it a predictablity-fest?  Sure, to some extent - although to be fair that's exactly the kind of film that this is...  Despite being a bit on the cheesy side from time to time it's surprisingly frank and I think really cuts to the core of people in that age range currently.  This could be a fun film to throw at a teenage daughter who's coming into their own.  Also, very fun soundtrack.  Cinephiles aren't going to dig this, but it's not for them.  Those who would like it, I can only assume would like it a lot.

1783 - This Means War

I have no idea what made me decide to watch this outside of liking all of it's stars.  I was doing some work and wanted to throw something on in the background and wanted something that wouldn't be too demanding (what a horrible criteria for picking a film to view...) it's premise is a fun one - combine a rom-com with espionage.  However the problem is is that it means in the middle without bringing any of the real fun from either genre.  Outside of the opening and the ending the spy stuff is pretty lame (and I kind of have a hard time buying that someone at the CIA wouldn't crack down on them for their abusing company resources.  In fact, that should have been a late act twist - where all their power as agents is taken away and they have to win the girl - and defeat the bad guy without their main weapon they've had all the time, but I digress.
Reese looks lovely here and she and the others have light moments to shine and they do quite well - it's just not a terribly entertaining film and it never draws me in.  I was interested in who she'd pick in the end, but I couldn't really care less who she ended up with as I didn't really get a sense of love from any of the parties...
So I don't recommend or condemn this one - go with your guy - it's on netflix.

How NOT to be Popular

I read this book as a sort-of-assignment ( which I need to give myself more of - I miss reading ).  It tells the story of a young girl whose parents are second generation hippies that pick up and move every few months, and now that the girl is a senior in high-school she's sick of it.  Sick of leaving friends behind and hurting - so she decides that this time, in this town, she's going to do everything she can to make sure she doesn't get attached to anyone or anything.

One could argue that it's a tad formulaic but I don't know if that's a bad thing at all for this sort of story.  What this story requires, and has in spades, in a unique voice and point of view.  At it's heart it really tackles the core issues that haunt teenagers no matter what era they are in.  As someone whose getting closer to being the parent of teenage people rather than a teenager himself (holy shit that's scary) I think this book is relatable across the board. 

It's light and fun - if you dug films like Mean Girls or Easy A then this is probably right up your alley.

1782 - Muppet's Christmas Carol

This is one of my favourite Christmas films and while it made me feel super old to realize that it's the 20th anniversary of this film it was my delight in being able to share this with my little guy for the first time.  He's a fan of the muppets and his only concern was whether Sweetums would be in the film or not (he has a love/hate relationship with Sweetums).  Ultimately he dug the hell out of it despite the 3rd Ghost terrifying him.  The film ended and he declared "I loved it! And we're NEVER GOING TO WATCH IT AGAIN. EVER!"  We'll see next year...

For me, it's a pure and constant pleasure.  The music, the jokes, it's all working and Michael Caine fits in perfectly with the madness and yet gives it a poignant touch.  Outside of Bill Murray he could very well be my favourite Scrooge, and it terms of the classic approach, I think he safely is.

If you've never seen this version of this classic then you really owe it to yourself to - they put it out on Bluray this year for the anniversary and at $20 it's a pretty good price, although I'm sure you can find it on DVD even cheaper.  If you watch this and don't love it, you have no soul...

1781 - Law Abiding Citizen

It's rare that you can spend 80% of a film more-or-less being entertained by it, only to have it's ending come and you become completely resentful of the damn thing.  I found the premise titillating and I was hooked enough to want to know how it would end.  I won't go into spoilers in case people still want to see it - but this is essentially about a man whose wife and daughter are murdered and the person responsible gets off on a light sentence by making a bargain, and about how the widowed husband decides to make the law learn a lesson.
Considering it's a message film I found the message to be buried a bit, and completely abandoned by the films final act.  I bought into the face that Gerard could make all of this work, but I don't buy into the ending - at all.  Feels like an awfully large cheat.   Again, no spoilers and judge for yourself.

If you're a fan of the premise (as I was) check it out, and hopefully you aren't as disappointed by it's ending as I was.

1780 - Molly Maxwell

I'm going to keep this short and sweet mostly because this film hasn't been released and I want you to discover all it's lovely little moments on your own.  I got lucky to be invited to this at the last minute, and I honestly had no idea what to expect and was delighted and thrilled by it.  It's a coming of age story of a young woman who forms a potentially, inappropriate relationship with someone else.  Sara St. Ongo, the film's writer/director absolutely gets this age group, and also the experience of young long, the awkwardness and excitement and she makes you feel it yourself while watching. 
I'm not sure when or how the distribution for this film is going to work but please keep your eyes peeled for it in the near future - it's a little gem.

1779: The Walking Dead: season 3 (part 1)

I think it's safe to say that this first half of season three has been as sigh of relief to anyone who was on the wavering fence of this series.  Much like the comic that inspired it, this show has finally shown it's tremendous balls and made no bones about it - it will kill the shit out of anyone and everyone as it sees fit.  In the comic version I believe that Rick and/or Carl will always be safe.  In the television series… I just don't know.  The comic clearly has Grimes as their main protagonist, but the series feels more like an ensemble than anything.  I love the feeling that anything can and will happen.  I loved watching this first-half-finale because I was actually really tense, worried about these characters that I, apparently, have grown quite attached to! 

So that's it for the spoiler-free half of this review - in short if you like good television and love zombies, I'm amazed you're not already watching this.

SPOILERS BELOW

This thing has been a roller-coaster ride.  I love the energy, I loved Rick's descent into madness.  I loved how they killed off T-Dog just to give away the suspense of killing Lori.  Lori is a character I never really cared about, but her death made me cry like a little girl - mostly because of the way that Carl and Rick reacted - and the absolutely horrible thing that Carl had to do to help with her passing.  That poor little bad-ass. 
I love that this series no longer feels like it's wasting time.  Originally I thought we'd be at the prison for two seasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if the prison was the back-drop for season 3 alone.  I can't imagine the Governor's retribution being dragged out much further than the second half of the season - but we shall see.  If this is true then next season I want the entire thing to be on-the-road.  No home to call their own - completely fucked.  Thats a terrible thing to want, but there it is. 
The Governor was a really great slow burn - and I love that we've gotten to see the transformation a bit - the fight with Michonne (spelling, sorry) at the end of the season was pretty goddamn great.  And how about putting Merle and Darryl against each other?  (part of me thinks it's all part of the plan, though, to get Merle to infiltrate the group - have Darryl vouch for him that he was kicked out of Woodbury - it's pretty smart, if you ask me - and what wonderful drama we can get out of Merle reuniting with the group that left him stuck up on the roof). 
We've got two months off until the show comes back, and that's a hell of a shame.  Luckily the new book comes out in a few days :)

1778 - The Town

I haven't seen this film since it was at TIFF, and this time I watched the director's cut.  It's been a while since I saw it so it's hard to know the exact differences (I didn't select the nifty option on the bluray which tells you) but I think it seemed to flesh out the characters a lot more, especially the relationship between Rebecca Hall and Ben Affleck. 
I stated in an early posting about Argo that Ben Affleck directs Ben Affleck better than anybody, and it's true as hell here.  What's great about this film is that it's not just a cool heist flick, it's about an area - it's about people.  Sure they've thrown in the plot convulsions to keep the story going, but at it's heart there's a strong character piece inside of it.  It's intriguing in those moments, and thrilling when it gets into the action. 
I watched the Hollywood Reporter's director's roundtable today with Affleck and he doesn't seem the most confident of director's - which is fine by me, if humility is what allows you to be this good at your behind the scenes craft then keep it up.
If you like dramatic thrillers and haven't seen this, you're really doing yourself a disservice.  Check it out ASAP.  I love it. 

1777 - Inglouious Basterds

I haven't watched this film since it was in theatres and for some reason felt compelled to throw it on in the background as I was doing some mindless work.  I've been a pretty harsh critic of QT in my recent years and I'm trying to think of why.  I think it's because while he makes films that are entertaining as all hell and he's got style coming out the whazu (apologies - I have no idea how to spell whazu - you get the drift) I feel like he's lacking largely in substance.  I'd argue that his first two outings had some - there was some moral at the bottom of it all.  But his recent films just feel like he's having fun with the medium of film while telling variations on the revenge story - not to being overly critical, but the revenge story is one of the easiest to tell - an audience will always root for someone trying to right a wrong.  And there's nothing wrong with that - hell I'm developing one of my own.  But it seems to be a like a tad bit of a crutch for QT.  This film is full of some really wonderful and clever moments.  It's also full of a fair deal of pretension and lingering on moment and shots just because he damn well feels like it.  Anything with Christoph Waltz is pretty much amazing, because that's a man that demands attention and Brad Pitt is a shit-tonne of fun here as well. 
If you haven't seen this yet, clearly you're not a fan of Quentin Tarantino, so not sure what else there is to say about it.  I suppose, at the bottom of it, I'm more curious what the non-die hards think.  I find it entertaining, but largely forgetful.  No offence QT.  I'll still watch every new thing you ever make - but I don't disagree with the comments you've made that state you've only got about 10 films in you - shame is that half of them are the same story.

1776 - The Incredibles

This was our weekend 'Movie Night' flick for my three year old.  I was worried at first because it's a pretty high-level concept, but it just further proves how well Pixar delivers for kids and adults alike.
I remember seeing this initially in theatres and really loving the set-up - the fake documentary and newsreel stuff was really great.  They set up the world spectacularly.  And Ephraim got a kick out of all the physical stuff.  I think it's a film he'll continue to revisit and appreciate in new ways as it goes along.
It's always surprised me that they haven't followed up with a sequel, but I assume it's because Brad Bird hasn't made it his focus in any way and should he ever get the right idea he'll be on it right away.  But for now we've got this gem to re-watch.
I'll say this - if no other reason - become a parent so you have an excuse to revisit some awesome "kids" movies :)

1775 - Across the Universe

When this first came out I remember a review that said watching this film and how it treated the Beatles songs was akin to watching a neighbour molest his children.  That's a bit harsh - the musical re-imaginings are actually quite good and the strongest part of this film.  I saw this film in the theatres and despite not really liking it all that much, I really liked the soundtrack.  Now, years later, my young son is really into the Beatles and so I needed something to watch/listen to in the background so this fit the bill quite nicely.
Julie Taymor  is a visual phenom - no denying that - but holy shit can she not string a story together into this clusterfuck of a film.  It's actually kind of lazy and insulting.  Characters like Prudence exists, mostly just so that other characters can sing Dear Prudence.  The leads are strong given what they've got to work with.  It's a melodramatic puff piece.  Here's the thing - it's worth checking out for the music interpretations alone - but watch it more like you would a porno - assume that it's really just all about the music/sex and that everything is merely filler to get you from one place to the next.  That's really what it is.
I vowed I'd never watch this again, but here I am - so perhaps it's not all that terrible.  And if it is your neighbour molesting your kids, well, at least they're singing some pretty great songs while they're doing it.

1774 - The Groomsmen

For some reason I completely forgot that I owned this film and here I've been looking for it on VOD all around.  This is one of the last films that Edward Burns made before he decided to go the extremely low-budget route in his filmmaking.  This film absolutely has more polish than his current work (although his newest film looks pretty slick).  Burns tells these extremely watchable character pieces.  I'd argue that this film starts to feel long - and given that it's barely over ninety minutes that's a bit of an issue.  It's the story of a man about to head into a shotgun wedding and where he and the men in his life are currently at.  There's a lot to like about this film - Matthew Lillard is a stand-out for sure.  I found it a touch uneven and also that a good deal of the conflicts in the film came up at random as opposed to organically.  That said it's full of a lot of heart and honesty and really "gets" men and our fucked up issues.  It was lovely to see Brittney Murphy again - goddamn she was lovely.  Still missed!
So while this film is by no means essential viewing, if you're going through Burns filmography it's not one you want to skip over either.

1773 - The Girlfriend Experience

I have to be honest - I assumed that this film was going to be a tad pretentious and that it was going to feel a tad like a chore to get through - it wasn't in the slightest.  Despite having a very non-linear style to it where the story juxtaposed five different days in the life of our hero and her live-in boyfriend, it was absolutely accessible and you find yourself very drawn into the world of these two characers.
Is Sasha Gray a fantastic actress?  Probably not.  Is she amazing here?  She sure goddamn is.  There's tinge of vacancy going on, and whether it's calculated or not it works.  You're seduced into this world by Soderbergh and Gray all at once.  I don't know how widely this got released but if you're into dramatic relationship films that are slightly unconventional than this is probably going to be straight up your alley.  I found it pretty damn charming and lovely. 

1772 - The Jungle Book

I haven't watched this in a really long time.  As a child I was involved in Cub Scouts and this is where all of the names of the leaders is ripped off from (well, technically I suppose they're ripped off from the book).  Tonight was a movie night with my little guy and my wife recommended this one for him (I wanted Wizard of Oz, but he's informed me that he's not old enough to not be scared of the scary witch - fair enough).
He loved the hell out of this film.  Baloo made him howl with his physical antics, and he really got caught up with the story and how it played out.  The animation style and limitations are so dated, but it's lovely to see that that doesn't matter story-wise to someone so with such fresh eyes.  I'm going to do my best to keep him in a mixture of classic and modern films - he's got enough of an attention span so long as something's good.
Every movie geek father dreams of having a movie geek child - and so far - so good!

1771 - The Sitter

I assumed from the trailer for this that it was essentially a knock off of Adventures in Babysitting, which was one of my favourite flicks as a kid - and it more-or-less is but not in the worst possible way.  It's a solid premise, but it's made it's own here.  It's cruder, has drug use, etc… and it comes off as just a big fun flick and I'm okay with that.  Jonah Hill could do this part in his sleep - and that's not to say he's phoning it in - he brings it to the role, but it's the kind of thing that's by no means a stretch for him.  Sam Rockwell was a lovely surprise and also very wonderful here as our villain (although the best friend running gag felt a tad over-done for my liking). 
If you grew up with 80's flicks like I did this will probably make you feel right at home.  I decided to give it a shot on Netflix 'cause I wanted to just chill, catch up on e-mails and watch something not too demanding - and it fit the bill perfectly.  This film knows exactly what it is - light entertainment - and there's nothing wrong with that.