My Favorite Movies

What do you get when you mix a high speed car chase, a machine gun leg, the best barbeque in Texas, alot of blood and dismemberment, fake movie trailers, two features, and cameos from the likes of Nicholas Cage, Bruce Willis, Eli Roth, Cheech Marin, and Quentin Tarantino? You get Grindhouse. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's tribute to the original grid house cinema of old (yes I consider the 70's and 80's as old now). This is the type of originality that I was mentioning in my previous blog that I see as missing in Hollywood. The only thing that would have made this movie better would to have seen it in a old beat up theatre where the seats have tears in them, your feet stick to the floor and there's a slight haze that has no explainable origin... for that authentic grid house feel.

If you have a weak stomach when it comes to blood and violence, I'd stay away from this movie (or movies as the case is). But if you can stand carnage that makes Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th seem like the latest Disney flick, then by all means SEE THIS FILM!!! I guarantee that you'll enjoy this movie. It's so well put together that you don't notice the aging of the films (scatches and dust) after the first minute and it seems like the 3 hour and 15 minute run time goes by in no time at all, leaving you wanting to see more.

I consider this to be a cinematic masterpiece (and no I'm not overrating it). The way in which director Robert Rodriguez very literally put Frank Miller's graphic novels on to the big screen is amazing to say the least. As Miller says in an interview on the DVD, "When we were casting... people showed up who looked like my drawings." The casting, cinematography, loyalty to the books... everything was beyond what anyone could ever expect from a movie rendition of a book.

Let me just start off by saying that if you have not seen all 51 episodes of the series before the movie, you're not really going to understand a single thing that is going on in this movie (except for possibly some of the references to pre-World War 1 Europe and the beginnings of Nazi Germany).

This movie follows the story of the series (and picks up a couple years after the end of the series) and is full of violence, humor, and even some patriotism with a couple underlaying love stories all perfectly tied in together. If you cannot tolerate blood-shed and violence, you may want to steer clear of this movie. There is as much blood-shed in this as in most Quentin Tarentino films (although in this, it is animated blood). But as I stated in the beginning of this post, you will want to watch the entire 51 episode series before watching this movie so that it'll make alot more sence.

Knights, Battles, Shrubberies, and even a Killer White Rabbit. The epitome of the Python films is the best way that I can see to describe Monty Python and the Holy Grail. There is no possible way that I can see anyone not finding something enjoyable about this movie.

"Now go away before I taunt you for a second time."

I think this was possibly the first romantic comedy that I've ever seen that actually had smart comedy in it (not just fart jokes and sexual innuendos -- although they are both in the film as well). To quickly sum up this film... think of Clerks + Loser + 10 Things I Hate About You + Office Space + Varsity Blues + Bend It Like Beckham... all cramed together in one (ok I only added Beckham because of a soccer match in the movie... no other reason). If you get a chance to see this, I highly recommend it (if you're squeemish towards blood, close your eyes for about 20 seconds halfway through the movie... it's a brief amount of bloodshed that would make Tarantino proud).

Just got back from the first of my ventures into the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival... Paprika. This film has got to be one of the trippiest movies that I have ever seen. The plot flowed nicely throughout the movie and the comedic elements were pefectly placed as to not affect the overall plot. If you liked The Matrix, then I see no reason that you shouldn't enjoy Paprika. Just be sure you don't wind up like I did with a partially obstructed view when trying to read the sub-titles, unless of course you understand Japanese then you won't need the subtitles.

Smart-toilet humor is the best way to sum up most Kevin Smith movies and anyone can find this one enjoyable as long as they can deal with the smart-toilet humor. As a retail employee myself, there's a whole lot to relate to in this as it regards to the employees (namely Dante and Randall) views on the customers in their stores. I personally wouldn't rate this as the best Kevin Smith film (I prefer Dogma myself), but it is number 2 in my books. If you do get a chance you need to go out and see this. It should be an inspiration to any aspiring filmmaker out there as to the potential that their idea could become.

The best radio movie to date (as far as I'm concerned). When you see this film, you will be witness to politics within the radio industry that are still around today in every station across the contry (yes there are some higher ups that would rather see their popular host canned rather than be on "their airwaves" -- just look at the relationship between Clear Channel and Howard Stern a year ago). See this movie, there's no ifs ands or buts about it, you need to see this movie. From its wit and dialogue to its classic hits from Louie Armstrong, The Beach Boys, and James Brown, there's something for everyone.

GO SEE THIS FUCKING MOVIE!!!

That should tell you right off the bat how I feel about Borat's new movie film (as he would say). This is one of those rarities that you'll want to see again, and again, and again, and again...
There is only one problem that I had with the film (not to mention every other guy in the theatre), and that was that it had way, and I mean way, too much full-frontal male nudity (including an all nude fight scene in a hotel).

But you'll find yourself laughing your ass off throughout this movie (even during the nude scenes). From Borat learning to drive in the U.S. to Borat risking his life at a rodeo to offering a U.S. congressman some "special cheese" that his wife made.

Whoa... what a bloodbath. I think this film may have had more blood letting and dismemberment than the other two SAW movies combined. There were some positives about this movie, like the rarity of sequels actually acknowledging the previous movies in the series which this one did a great job in doing (including adding quite a bit of a backstory to the first SAW movie as well). However, I was overall disappointed with the finale of this trilogy. I can't really go into too much without giving away parts of the movie, but let me put it this way... it was as if they were using all the blood and gore to cover up a very shoddily written script (a script that was in fact written in less than a week). I would have rather waited for the DVD to come out.

Not the best of the trilogy but definately lived up to the franchise name. The third (and final?) movie in the Pirates Of The Caribbean picks off right where the second one ended last year. Like its two predacessors, At World's End has a great balance of humor, action, and romance (at least for my tastes). I would highly recommend seeing this movie (as I'm sure most of you will) and stay through the credits (don't worry, they're not as lengthy as LOTR: Return Of The King... nothing will be that f'n long) for a little extra scene tagged on at the end. The only real drawback (besides sitting for nearly three hours) was that I felt the ending was just a little too drug out, it could have been shortened up just a little so that the audience could suffer a little less once they stood up and streched.