tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666209962083525072024-03-04T21:01:41.614-08:00Margaret Perry MoviesReviews of Films in Current CinemaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-61596714618758195912013-07-03T09:23:00.002-07:002013-07-03T09:23:26.013-07:00Bringing THE HEAT (2013) with Bullock and McCarthy<a href="http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/06/24/the-heat-mondo-poster/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Mondo poster" class=" wp-image-1366 alignleft" height="435" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Mondo-poster.jpg" width="294" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><a href="http://margaretperry.org/when-comedy-was-queen-funny-lady-blogathon/" title="When Comedy Was Queen: The Women of the 1950s Sitcom">Women are being funny again</a>, how about that! The premise of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404463/combined" target="_blank">THE HEAT</a> is simple, and very familiar: two mismatched cops are forced to work together against their will, and in the process of fighting the forces of evil, they bond and become best buds. The plot would be clichéd if it weren't for the gender twist, because in this case, we've got a pair of <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20712930,00.html#21351163" target="_blank">gal pals</a> instead of a budding bro-mance.</span>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">“The hunger of a female moviegoing public that’s endured a long June of capes and bro jokes. And I’d add to this list Tuesday’s barn burner thrill ride of watching/tweeting about/bowing down before Texas <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StandWithWendy" target="_blank">Senator Wendy Davis</a>, who stood for 13 hours in protest of a bill she believed would dangerously undercut women’s health. Politics aside, it was a bravura performance of a fiercely capable and passionate woman having her most important day at the office ever. Women want to see women on screen they recognize and sometimes aspire to be. And that’s part of why it was so fun last night to watch Bullock and McCarthy, both operating in top form, bring it.” (<a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/29/duh-the-heat-is-going-to-be-a-hit-now-what/" target="_blank">Karen Valby, Enterainment Weekly</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">As someone who stayed awake until the early hours of the morning watching the Texas filibuster proceedings with bated breath, I couldn't agree more. As a girl who grew up loving the original <a href="http://starwars.com/" target="_blank">STAR WARS</a> trilogy and <a href="http://www.indianajones.com/" target="_blank">INDIANA JONES</a> (I swear, <em>every time</em> we ordered pizza for dinner), seeing two women tearing around the city blowing things up, suffering, sweating, and swearing through the pain, feeds my action-hero soul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/mullins-ashburn.jpg"><img alt="mullins ashburn" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1367" height="279" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/mullins-ashburn.jpg" width="656" /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Although a summer kids movie about monsters going to college reigns as box office number one, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565250/?ref_=sr_2" style="line-height: 30px;" target="_blank">Melissa McCarthy</a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"> and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000113/?ref_=sr_1" style="line-height: 30px;" target="_blank">Sandra Bullock</a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"> in THE HEAT maintain a strong second place. And for very good reason. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/box-office-report-monsters-university-repeats-atop-chart-while-the-heat-cooks-at-second-20130630" target="_blank">Rolling Stone</a> says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">"WINNERS OF THE WEEK: Women. Last week, it was predominantly female audiences who pushed <em>Monsters University</em> and <em>World War Z</em> to box office glory. This weekend, it was women in front of the camera. Namely, the women of <em>The Heat</em>, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, who pushed the all-X-chromosome buddy-cop comedy to an estimated $40.0 million debut... LOSERS OF THE WEEK: Men. Specifically, the testosterone-fueled twosome of Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, whose action thriller <em>White House Down</em> seriously underperformed expectations."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">How awesome is it that a female buddy-cop comedy kicks the butt of a testosterone-fueled action thriller!?</span>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bullock-mccarthy.jpg"><img alt="bullock mccarthy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1359" height="266" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bullock-mccarthy.jpg" width="508" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Not only is THE HEAT hilariously, explosively, entertaining, it also had quite a lot to say about how society's view of women is changing. Notice I didn't say how our view of women <em>should </em>change or <em>will </em>change or <em>need to </em>change - the movie is in no way a sledgehammer feminist statement (not that I would mind if it were). But the movie reflects how many of the challenges women have faced in the past are being acknowledged and overcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><strong>In the Workforce</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">You've probably heard the term "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Glass-Ceiling-Americas-Corporations/dp/0201627027/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372864828&sr=1-5&keywords=glass+ceiling" target="_blank">glass ceiling</a>" when referring to that invisible force that keeps women from achieving positions of authority in business. This issue is given a nod in THE HEAT when Ashburn (Bullock) is denied a promotion because she is unpopular with her coworkers, despite the fact that she has closed more cases than anyone else and is, in effect, the best candidate for the position. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead/dp/0385349947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372864896&sr=1-1&keywords=cheryl+sandberg" target="_blank">Cheryl Sandberg</a> has frequently spoken about how often women who are assertive and decisive are not as popular with their coworkers, male and female alike, as their male peers with the same attitude to work. Ashburn is so unpopular (for being good at her job, mind) that those under her command actually ignore her orders on the ground. Unbelievable - and yet surprisingly unsurprising.</span></div>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bullock.jpeg"><img alt="bullock" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1365" height="278" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bullock-1024x425.jpeg" width="670" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><strong>Overt Sexism at Work</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">While in some cases, like the popularity issue, sexism at work can be subtle, in other ways it is still bubbling at the top. Toward the end of the film, we see a room full of men laughing at a female cop, calling her a mental case. Ashburn puts them all in their place with some choice words, not all of which are printable. The man leading the charge is a chauvinistic albino whose outdated opinions about women cops even piss off the bad guy. Basically, the film is sending the very strong message that overt sexism is no longer acceptable. The movie is calling the BS card on sexism, and it's about bloody time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><strong>Personal Life</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Ashburn's personal life is so tragic, she doesn't even live alone with her cat - she just lives alone. If she were a man, her apartment would be a bachelor's swinging pad. Bring out the smoking jacket and brandy! Instead it's an empty, love-starved prison with a lonely spinster cop as its only resident. So sad :'(</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><strong>Sex</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Shannon Mullins (McCarthy) is essentially a direct gender reversal of your average single male copper. She dresses like she wants to, lives in a dingy flat with week-old sandwiches, and has an arsenal in her refrigerator. She seems to have had as many one-night stands as <a href="http://www.007.com/" target="_blank">James Bond</a>. When she dumped a guy in a bar with the usual "It's not you, it's me" lines, I had this crazy urge to jump up in the theatre and holler "payback!" Although I by no means condone this behavior by either gender, it felt pretty good to see a woman treating men with a similar objectification that has plagued the female characters of action flicks since the beginning of time.</span></div>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/mccarthy.jpg"><img alt="mccarthy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1361" height="258" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/mccarthy-1024x395.jpg" width="670" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Although Ashburn "<a href="http://margaretperry.org/ticky-tacky-gender-stereotypes-in-films/" target="_blank" title="Ticky Tacky Gender Stereotypes in Films">virgin</a>" trope, any attempt to hypersexualize her image is completely mocked. For the club scene, in which the agents must attempt to bug the bad guys phone at a nightclub, Mullins literally tears Ashburn's clothes off her body. Operating under the assumption that all it takes is a lot of bare skin and the dudes will be putty in your hands works pretty well - the second they come out of the bathroom a sleezball at the bar hits on her. And despite Ashburn's bad dancing and obvious efforts to get close to the suspect, he almost immediately admits that she's the "only woman over 40 to give me a boner." Douche. This is one of the funniest scenes in the whole movie, mostly because the men are so stupid, and <em>so</em> typical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><strong>Final Analysis</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Neither <em>The New Yorker </em>nor <em>The New York Times </em>were very impressed with THE HEAT. The male reviewers at both institutions completely missed the point of the movie. A.O. Scott (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/06/28/movies/100000002308824/movie-review-the-heat.html" target="_blank"><em>NYT</em></a>) says "the story is sloppy and thin and the jokes are strained or tired and the level of violence is a bit jarring." Oh, poor baby! Was the nasty-wasty blood too scawy? I wonder if this sissy-boy actually understood the jokes. I wonder what film Richard Brody saw when he comments:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">"The fusion of a sentimental tale of friendship, a mismatched-cop buddy comedy, and a bloody crime story yields a very long movie; the many formulas never mesh, and some formidable actors stumble trying to keep pace with its out-of-synch meters." (<em><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/the_heat_feig" target="_blank">The New Yorker</a></em>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">The fast-paced movie I saw was rich with action, humor, and just the right amount of humanity. The chemistry between the two lead actresses was phenominal to watch. Every side character throughout the movie brought his/her own weight of value to the project - there were no superfluous characters, everybody served a purpose to further the story. And did I mention how incredibly funny everyone is in this movie? I haven't laughed this hard in a long time! I wasn't the only one either. Both times I went to see THE HEAT this week, the packed theatre was rocked with laughter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I give THE HEAT a 9/10 and encourage everybody to go see it. Let's see if we can't rock the generalization that "women will see guy movies but guys won't see women movies." Remember, every ticket you buy is a vote for better entertainment.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-61625146864952954122013-04-03T11:21:00.000-07:002013-04-03T11:21:28.119-07:00OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL Womanising Coward<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oz poster" class="alignleft wp-image-1074" height="321" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-poster-691x1024.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"> Oscar (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0290556/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">James Franco</a>) is a magician struggling to find love and earn a living in Kansas with the travelling carnival. When Oz climbs into a hot air balloon in order to escape the fury of a romantic rival, he gets swept away in a twister, landing in the mysterious land that shares his name. He is greeted by Theodora (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005109/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Mila Kunis</a>), who takes him to claim his throne in Emerald city as the prophesied Wizard of Oz. But there is a bit of a mix-up about who are the good and bad witches. Ultimately, Oz must find the goodness in himself to lead the good people of Oz into battle against the wicked witches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 18px;"><strong>Design</strong></span>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">The design team on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1623205/combined" target="_blank">OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL</a> did a magnificent job matching the overall look of the film with what audiences will associate with previous "Wizard of Oz" stories/movies/musicals. The set designs capture the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Deco-Complete-Definitive-Decorative/dp/0810980460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364943539&sr=8-1&keywords=art+deco" target="_blank">art deco</a> style of the original <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Wizard-Collection-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B001BUPF62/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364918929&sr=1-5&keywords=wizard+of+oz" target="_blank">Oz books</a> by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/L.-Frank-Baum/e/B000AQ3ZFG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1364918929&sr=1-4" target="_blank">Frank L. Baum</a> (1856-1919). The sleek lines that were so fashionable in the early years of the 20th century pervade many aspects of the film, from the opening titles to the architecture. The result is a vintage classic look in a whimsically magical fantasy setting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-emerald-city1.jpg"><img alt=""OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL" In Disney?s fantastical adventure ?Oz The Great and Powerful,? Oscar Diggs (James Franco) lands his hot air balloon in a pond in the Land of Oz and encounters the witch Theodora (Mila Kunis). The film, produced by Joe Roth, directed by Sam Raimi, written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire, stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Zach Braff. ?Oz The Great and Powerful? opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013. © 2012 Disney Enterprises, Inc." class="aligncenter wp-image-1077" height="247" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-emerald-city1-1024x473.jpg" width="536" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Unfortunately, some of the design choices also represent conflicting visions of Oz. When Oz first lands in Oz, the lopsided countryside looks like something straight out of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Seuss/e/B000AP8MY6/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364943390&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss</a>. China Town, on the other hand, displays the fanciful imagination of Oz's creator, Frank L. Baum. At other times, the film is similar to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tim-Burton/e/B000APBKGS/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1364943460&sr=8-2-ent" target="_blank">Tim Burton</a>'s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Chocolate-Factory-Widescreen-Johnny/dp/B000BB1MI2/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1364943489&sr=1-3&keywords=charlie+and+the+chocolate+factory" target="_blank">CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY</a> (2005) or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Wonderland-Johnny-Depp/dp/B001HN694K/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1364943511&sr=1-4&keywords=alice+in+wonderland" target="_blank">ALICE IN WONDERLAND</a> (2010). If the look and feel of the art deco style had been applied to every aspect of the production, including sets, special effects, and costumes, the film would have had a solid coherency that is lacking in this final product.</span>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong><a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-land-of.jpeg"><img alt="Oz land of" class=" wp-image-1072 aligncenter" height="268" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-land-of-1024x512.jpeg" width="536" /></a> </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Special Effects</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">The special effects used to produce the sets will feel rather dated in a few year's time. Although director Sam Raimi chose to use some practical sets to help the actors get their bearing (rather than using a green-screen throughout), too much of what the audience sees is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_animation" target="_blank">CGI</a>-generated. It therefore lacks the realism that could somehow make the land of Oz that much more magical. It might seem like a contradiction of statements, but magic cannot seem real if it is so obviously magic. Does this make sense? As is so often a danger when combining real actors with CGI character and scenery, the film has a mottled effect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Costumes</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Another flaw that will date this film in years to come is the costume design. When Theodora (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005109/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Mila Kunis</a>) shows up in tight leather leggings and high-healed boots that are so in vogue right now, we can predict that they will look absurdly ridiculous in ten years. The same can be said of Glinda's (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931329/?ref_=sr_5" target="_blank">Michelle Williams</a>) ball gowns and Evanora's (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001838/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Rachel Weisz</a>) sweeping frocks. The reason Dorothy's iconic gingham dress became so iconic was its timeless simplicity and universality.</span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Casting/Acting</strong></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">James Franco walks through this film being not as witty as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000375/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Robert Downey, Jr</a>. and not as off-beat as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Johnny Depp</a>. The performances of Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams are about as brilliant as the urbanity of their clichéd characters. I thought Finley the monkey was voiced by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000345/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Billy Crystal</a>, but it's really <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0103785/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Zach Braff</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 18px;"><strong>The Man</strong></span><br />
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-Oz.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Oz Oz" class="alignright wp-image-1073" height="233" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-Oz.jpg" width="328" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Oz has very few redeeming qualities at all. I can list them on one hand: 1.) he shows remorse when he is unable to make the wheelchair-bound girl to walk again and 2.) he repairs the legs of China Girl. That's about it. His salient characteristics are primarily negative:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px; line-height: 13px;">He's a hopeless womaniser. He hits on every girl he meets and lies to them by giving each of them a music box he claims belonged to his grandmother.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">He is a really bad boss. While working in the carnival, he treats his partner like crap, barking at him and denying his friendship. He does the same to Finley the monkey in Oz.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">He is a coward. He doesn't want to go to China Town when it looks like the town is in distress. His reaction to most dangerous situations is to freak out, scream like a sissy, and run away.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">He is greedy beyond reason. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">The film glorifies a jerk. He only becomes a hero because he is able to con the people into believing he is brilliant. This is a story about good marketing. "Hey kids, even if you are stupid and have no morals, you can still find success if you can convince people to like you!" Oz is more like an Italian politician than anything else. He is the worst <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Men-Seasons-Matthew-Weiner/dp/B004XN8HFK/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1364943904&sr=8-12&keywords=mad+men" target="_blank">Mad Man</a>. He makes me want to barf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 18px;"><strong>The Women of Oz (Warning: I am about to lose it.)</strong></span>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">"During the years that I spent running Walt Disney Studios, I learned about how hard it was to find a fairy tale with a good strong male protagonist. You've got your Sleeping Beauties, your Cinderellas and your Alices, but a fairy tale with a male protagonist is very hard to come by." (Producer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005387/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Joe Roth</a>)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">What has this man been smoking!?!?</span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: medium;">TOY STORY, ROBIN HOOD, PETER PAN, FOX AND THE HOUND, 101 DALMATIANS FINDING NEMO, ALADDIN, CARS, PETE'S DRAGON, THE JUNGLE BOOK, DUMBO, BAMBI, MONSTERS INC., WALL-E, TREASURE PLANET, THE LION KING, A BUG'S LIFE, PINNOCHIO, THE SWORD IN THE STONE, HERCULES, RATATOUILLE, LADY AND THE TRAMP... need I go on? And just look at the variety of these male roles when compared with the stock Disney princess fairy tale love story. It's a complete joke!</span>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong><a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-witches.jpg"><img alt="Oz witches" class=" wp-image-1075 aligncenter" height="307" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-witches.jpg" width="614" /></a> </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>The Bitchy Witches</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">According to pop culture (this movie included), women can't be friends and work together. Even if they do, they are constantly at each other's throats as rivals. Their cooperation is fuelled by jealousy. Bad women use any brains they have to wreak havoc because they've been slighted by love. Does any of this sound familiar?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Glinda: <a href="http://www.feministfrequency.com/2011/03/tropes-vs-women-1-the-manic-pixie-dream-girl/" target="_blank">The Manic Pixie Dream Girl</a> (Anita Sarkeesian)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Although it is clear that Glinda has intelligence as well as goodness, she absolutely needs a man to lead her people out of danger. I never understood why, in the original <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Oz-Two-Disc-70th-Anniversary/dp/B002QWCN5U/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1364943990&sr=1-2&keywords=the+wizard+of+oz" target="_blank">WIZARD OF OZ</a> (1939), why Glinda, with all her magic and goodness, was not able to stop the Wicked Witch of the West herself. Glinda is the essential "good wife." She is gorgeous, kind, loving, selfless, relatively intelligent, and she has an undying faith in her man, despite his <em>obvious</em> shortcomings. Her biggest hero in the world, other than her lover-boy, is her dead father. She makes me want to barf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>China Girl</strong></span>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Legit - this girl doesn't even have a name. Talk about the objectification of women! Like all women she is very delicate, so if you do not protect her, she will break - literally. This girl is literally a doll. Like all women, she uses tantrums and tears to get what she wants. But she also epitomizes innocence and purity. Like all women, she misses her dead father more than anything else. All she wants in life is a family. She makes me want to barf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-china-girl.jpg"><img alt="Oz china girl" class=" wp-image-1070 aligncenter" height="234" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Oz-china-girl.jpg" width="560" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>*A Note on Race</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Three men work for Oz in Oz: a monkey, a tinker without a name, and an ornery dwarf called Knuck. Two of these three people are black. The other one is a monkey. Um... that is not cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Margaret's Rating</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">This film offers an intriguing alternative to the origins of the Wizard of Oz epic. Like the musical "Wicked," it cleverly employs motifs from Baum's books and from the iconic 1939 THE WIZARD OF OZ. It was nice to see the familiar images that have come to represent the Oz franchise: flying monkeys, poppy fields, yellow brick road, Emerald City, the use of sepia for the Kansas scenes, etc. The flaws in of gender miss-representation do not necessarily reflect badly on this movie in particular, but are more indicative of the sexist attitudes that pervade Hollywood filmmaking. One need only read down the credits to see that there is far too much testosterone working on this movie. There are a lot of reasons to like this movie, based on design and whimsy, but I am unable to give it a perfect score. The best I can do is</span> <strong>6/10</strong>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-35952156889876950312013-02-25T19:53:00.005-08:002013-02-25T19:53:47.269-08:00Oscar Fail 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">So I showed up to work today and everybody's all up in my grill asking me what did I think of the Oscars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">What did I think of the Oscars!? <em>What did I think of the Oscars!?</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><em></em>They were lame. That's what I thought of the Oscars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>1.) Seth MacFarlane</strong></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">You know how William Shatner/Captain Kirk came from the future to tell you what <em>not</em> to do to ruin the Oscars? You shouldn't have done them. Ever. Because they ruined the Oscars. Just because you tell us you are about to ruin the Oscars, and then you go ahead and do the thing you have just told us is going to ruin the Oscars, YOU'VE STILL RUINED THE OSCARS! Only now we know you know we know you just ruined the Oscars. That's like a triple fail right there. I wish Amy and Tina <em>had </em>hosted, no joke.</span></div>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/shatner.jpg"><img alt="shatner" class="size-full wp-image-825 aligncenter" height="255" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/shatner.jpg" width="499" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>2.) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TWLKP8j0zk" target="_blank">A song about boobs</a></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">This might be a sub-category of the above, but there is a special place in hell for this performance. To have a bunch of over-sexed men in tuxedoes skip onto the stage to sing a song about how many <em>boobies</em> they get to see in the movies, and whose boobies they see in which movies (oh yeah, they got specific), IS STILL OFFENSIVE AFTER YOU'VE TOLD US IT'S GOING TO BE OFFENSIVE. Yep. And not funny considering we have just come from the red carpet where we (by "we" I mean the American public as a whole) just spent an hour rating how pretty the girls look.<em> </em></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>3.) Too much testosterone</strong></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">This might be a sub-category of the above, but to have the perverted producer of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Fat-Air/dp/B009JZS28Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361847828&sr=1-1&keywords=family+guy" target="_blank"><em>Family Guy</em></a> stand on the stage and tell dude jokes isn't funny in a year with so few women nominated - especially in the behind-the-scenes categories. Don't get me wrong, it was a great year for girls (as well as "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girls-The-Complete-First-Season/dp/B008CFZQQS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361847812&sr=8-2&keywords=girls" target="_blank">Girls</a>") in television. But there were a heck of a lot of guy films on the ballot last night.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>4.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tarantino-XX-Collection-Reservoir-Inglourious/dp/B009B0OG1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361847881&sr=8-1&keywords=quentin+tarantino" target="_blank">Quentin Terantino</a></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">SO MUCH BLOOD! And after this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrsJDy8VjZk" target="_blank">snarky interview</a> (start at 2:51 for the key question, he starts to get pissy at 4:35), my respect for the man diminished even further.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>5.) In Memoriam</strong></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: medium;">Every year, the Academy remembers famous film makers who have passed away over the passed year. The segment is called </span><em style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">in </em><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: medium;"><i>memoriam</i>, but</span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: medium;"> this year we should call it "NOT REMEMBERING A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT AWESOME INSPIRATIONAL INFLUENTIAL SIGNIFICANT MEMBERS OF THE FILM COMMUNITY WHO ALSO PASSED AWAY THIS YEAR," </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/list/aRwiw2p_84g/#1" style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">including</a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: medium;">:</span></div>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/diller.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="diller" class=" wp-image-827 alignright" height="235" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/diller.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/andy.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="andy" class=" wp-image-826 alignleft" height="270" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/andy.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Andy Griffith</strong>: actor of the most amazing caliber, TV <em>and</em> film</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Star%20Pages/Rutherford,%20Ann.htm" target="_blank"><strong>Ann Rutherford</strong></a>: classic star of Hollywood's golden age, appearing in most of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Hardy-Collection-1/dp/B0066E6QGG/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848267&sr=1-1&keywords=andy+hardy" target="_blank">Andy Hardy</a> movies, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-Two-Disc-70th-Anniversary/dp/B002M2Z3BA/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848249&sr=1-2&keywords=gone+with+the+wind" target="_blank">GONE WITH THE WIND</a> (1939), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orchestra-Wives-George-Montgomery/dp/B000AP04LK/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848289&sr=1-1&keywords=orchestra+wives" target="_blank">ORCHESTRA WIVES</a> (1942), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B000GRUQKQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848308&sr=1-2&keywords=pride+and+prejudice+1940" target="_blank">PRIDE AND PREJUDICE</a> (1940) (starring Sir <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Laurence-Olivier/e/B001IXPZ8A/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_13?qid=1361848336&sr=8-13" target="_blank">Laurence Olivier</a>), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Don-Juan-Errol-Flynn/dp/B000M2E304/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848368&sr=1-1&keywords=the+adventures+of+don+juan" target="_blank">THE ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN</a> (1948) (starring <a href="http://www.amazon.com/TCM-Greatest-Classic-Film-Collection/dp/B0047BXQZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361848403&sr=8-1&keywords=errol+flynn" target="_blank">Errol Flynn</a>).</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phyllis-Diller/e/B001K8G8S4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1361848424&sr=8-2" target="_blank"><strong>Phyllis Diller</strong></a>: one of the great American commediennes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gore-Vidal/e/B000APYCG8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361848447&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Gore Vidal</a></strong>: one of the greatest late-20th century writer/screenwriters</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Sherman Hemsley</strong>: star of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Jeffersons-Complete-First-Season/dp/B000068V9X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361848469&sr=8-1&keywords=the+jeffersons" target="_blank"><em>The Jeffersons</em></a></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Darlin-Absolutely-Tales-About/dp/145164664X/ref=la_B001IXRVT6_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361848494&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><strong>Larry Hagman</strong></a>: star of <em>Dallas</em>, appeared in PRIMARY COLORS (1998) and NIXON (1995)</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Mel Stuart</strong>: producer director, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Imagination-Making-Chocolate-Factory/dp/0312287771/ref=la_B001IXPTUY_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361848523&sr=1-1" target="_blank">WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY</a> (1971) and FOUR DAYS IN NOVEMBER (1964)</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Russell-Means/e/B000AQ27SW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1361848539&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank">Russell Means</a></strong>: Native American activist and character actor, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992) and POCAHONTAS (1995)</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Susan Tyrrell</strong>: Oscar nominated as supporting actress in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-City-Stacy-Keach/dp/B00006SFJS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361848579&sr=8-2&keywords=susan+tyrrell+fat+city" target="_blank">FAT CITY</a> (1972)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><b>Redeeming</b></span><strong> Features</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">I want to be fair. There were a few moments at last nights Academy Awards ceremony that brought a smile to my face. </span></div>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/shirley.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="shirley" class=" wp-image-828 alignleft" height="216" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/shirley.jpg" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">1.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shirley-Bassey/e/B000AQ2D9K/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361848601&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dame Shirley Bassey</a> sang "Goldfinger" in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film. Okay, so she was slightly off key, but it's great to see that the dame can still belt it!</span></div>
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<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/adele.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="adele" class=" wp-image-829 alignright" height="270" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/adele.jpg" width="173" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">2.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adele/e/B00197GQ5Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361848621&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Adele</a> sang "Skyfall" and then won for best original song. Perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">3.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B00137I4RU?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Anne%20Hathaway&index=digital-music&search-type=ss" target="_blank">Anne Hathaway</a>'s acceptance speech for her best supporting actress award was appropriate and touching. All the better because she did actually deserve the prize despite the fact that her part in the film was a small one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">4.) The performance of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDa9Kj35izg" target="_blank">One Day More</a>" by the cast of <a href="http://margaretperry.org/les-miserables-2012-less-miserable-than-expected/" target="_blank">LES MISERABLES</a>. It sent shivers up my spine - in a really good way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">5.) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cinema-Ang-Lee-Screen-Directors/dp/1905674082/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848871&sr=1-1&keywords=ang+lee" target="_blank">Ang Lee</a>. Probably my favorite living director. And isn't he just too sweet for words!?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">6.) Brenda Chapman co-accepting the award for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brave-Kelly-MacDonald/dp/B008YWY0HK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361848912&sr=8-2&keywords=brave" target="_blank">BRAVE</a>. They may have elbowed her off the project, but they still acknowledged her vast contribution to the powerful mother-daughter tale. Props for that. I'm also really glad BRAVE, a story about a courageous young girl's relationship with her overbearing mother, rather than a story about her quest for a perfect mate, was recognized over the hulky [male] video game character <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wreck--Ralph-John-C-Reilly/dp/B00A83075M/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361848936&sr=1-4&keywords=wreck+it+ralph" target="_blank">WRECK-IT RALPH</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">7.) Jennifer Lawrence's post-ceremony <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ACQpZW-eTg" target="_blank">press conference</a>. The chick is hilarious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">8.) It was nice to know that princess Catherine Zeta Jones has "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVVb20s7xKA" target="_blank">All That Jazz</a>." I love her because she is Welsh, and that's just cool.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 18px;">All in all, I could have gone to bed early last night. At least I wouldn't have been such a chowder-head at work today. The Oscars last night weren't exactly painful - they were just terribly terribly flat. There were some dumb moments, and there were some sweet moments. There were a lot of things that could have/should have been done differently, but hey, there we are. I'll hope for better luck next year!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-46625850509114166542013-02-20T08:31:00.001-08:002013-02-20T08:31:47.977-08:00THE HOBBIT (2012): An Unexpected Pleasure<a href="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Hobbit.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hobbit" class="wp-image-772 alignleft" height="443" src="http://margaretperry.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Hobbit.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">If truth be told, I wasn't expecting much when I phoned up my friend and asked her if she wanted to go see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hobbit-Unexpected-Journey-Ultraviolet/dp/B00BEZTMFY/ref=sr_tr_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361044641&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hobbit" target="_blank">THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY</a> with me. I was more interested in chatting to her over dinner than I was in getting to the theatre on time. However, I am very glad we did make it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Around this time of year, I'm usually dashing around madly to every cinema in town trying to see all the films that have been nominated for an <a href="http://margaretperry.org/the-pre-oscar-buzz-is-getting-serious/" target="_blank">Oscar</a> of some sort. Although I had heard some rather ambivalent reviews about THE HOBBIT, I knew I simply couldn't pass it up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Those who are avid <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Picture-Trilogy-Extended/dp/B000654ZK0/ref=sr_1_11?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361044723&sr=1-11&keywords=lord+of+the+rings" target="_blank">Lord of the Rings</a> fans (of the books and the films) poo poo this prequel to the series as lacking the depth of the other stories. But I have to say that this is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. Not because they didn't, but because it has a light-hearted sort of fun that is so scarce in the other three films.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">Martin Freeman (whom you may recognise from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-One-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=sr_1_5?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1361044761&sr=1-5&keywords=sherlock" target="_blank"><em>Sherlock</em></a>) plays a superb Bilbo Baggins. He is naive and lacks ambition, but he has a heart of gold and a soul that secretly yearns for adventure. He is also not as thick as he looks - he uses his latent cunning to outwit three trolls (or were they giants), and he also wins a certain ring from a certain Gollum in a fateful battle of wits. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">The charm of THE HOBBIT is the old Englishy feel of the stories. The epic sweep of the narrative make the tale a legend in a way that only <a href="http://www.amazon.com/J.R.R.-Tolkien/e/B000ARC6KA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361044789&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Tolkien</a> can tell it. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Jackson-A-Film-Makers-Journey/dp/0007175582/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1361044866&sr=8-9&keywords=peter+jackson" target="_blank">Peter Jackson</a>'s directorial vision brings the warmth of Middle Earth into an almost palpable beauty on the big screen. All the old familiar faces are there too, from [Sir] <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ian-McKellen/e/B001KITW8W/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1361044937&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank">Ian McKellen</a> as Gandalf to the menacing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Misrule-Autobiography-Christopher-Lee/dp/0752859331/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361044963&sr=1-3&keywords=christopher+lee" target="_blank">Christopher Lee</a> as Saruman to the devastatingly pretty <a href="http://thegreatkh.blogspot.com/2012/09/cate-blanchett-as-kate-hepburn-in.html" target="_blank">Cate Blanchett</a> as the white elf lady.</span> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 16px;">In the final analysis, I give Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT (2012) a rating of <strong>8/10</strong>. This DVD will most definitely be gracing my collection for many years to come.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-60615367144569390692013-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:002013-01-30T09:19:02.498-08:00LES MISERABLES (2012): Less Miserable Than Expected<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMf23PuWnZxD3KhnT1PiJb2M2xSRpG9EwB9kbhrW7gXRr-z2sSHiYGGsiVImiXThYUnE38Ze6ZMpeFX9C2YawG2KNrToHzfsoqzgqsPoA2XpJZowBAGwbZXK3zqC9q0vUFNlJVf7438Aa/s1600/les+mis+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMf23PuWnZxD3KhnT1PiJb2M2xSRpG9EwB9kbhrW7gXRr-z2sSHiYGGsiVImiXThYUnE38Ze6ZMpeFX9C2YawG2KNrToHzfsoqzgqsPoA2XpJZowBAGwbZXK3zqC9q0vUFNlJVf7438Aa/s1600/les+mis+poster.jpg" width="295" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393799/?ref_=tt_ov_dr">Tom Hooper</a> adopted a huge legacy when he agreed to
make yet another version of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Victor-Hugo/e/B000APYXFS/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1359563215&sr=8-2-ent">Victor Hugo</a>’s classic French tale. There are two
French film versions of the story: the epic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Series-Miserables-Criterion-Collection/dp/B000PKG6P8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1359563313&sr=8-3&keywords=les+miserables+1934">Raymond Bernard</a> production of 1934
and the lesser-known 1958 film directed by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-Jean-Gabin/dp/B00A32H1DO/ref=sr_1_5?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1359563476&sr=1-5&keywords=les+miserables+1958">Jean-Paul Le Chanois</a>. Hollywood presented
its own adaptation in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-1935-1952-Two-Disc-Set/dp/B000MGBLI2/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1359563525&sr=1-3&keywords=les+miserables+1935">1935</a> 20<sup>th</sup> Century Fox production starring
Fredric March, Charles Laughton, and Cedric Hardwicke. <span style="font-size: large;">A few years later they followed up w<span style="font-size: large;">ith the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-1935-1952-Two-Disc-Set/dp/B000MGBLI2/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1359563525&sr=1-3&keywords=les+miserables+1935">1952</a> film starri<span style="font-size: large;">ng Elsa Lanchester and Edmund Gwenn. </span></span></span>The most recent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-Liam-Neeson/dp/076781505X/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1359563575&sr=1-3&keywords=les+miserables+liam+neeson">LES MISERABLES</a> (199<span style="font-size: large;">8</span>) stars Liam Neeson, whom I distinctly remember drooling over
in middle school French class.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mis%C3%A9rables-Two-Disc-Combo-Pack-UltraViolet/dp/B005S9EKCW/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1359563632&sr=1-1&keywords=les+miserables+2012">LES MISERABLES</a> (2012) opens with the stunning scene of prisoners
using huge ropes to haul a toppled frigate into dock to be mended. The vast
impossibility of the task is aggrandized by the camera’s sweeping gaze – it is
nothing less than spectacular cinematography. The look and feel of the film as
a whole is spot on in capturing the atmosphere of revolution as displayed in
the story. Everything from the costumes to the set contributes to creating the
grungy, starving environment that was post-revolutionary Paris. All very well
done, if perhaps a little gory (there’s blood and stuff sometimes).</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8erO7clQSrRhsvYY5sVKdLsrD-5oNGRs4rFDWc9g51UTrhkFyGsQCo8TUfn-oL0yIWd1FhdLv2zww7dB6aD6da0MP4vm4EQZsu6G2faTGokldPSuaRfifMaxsQZfJP5JTYAhfDCtoR6Cy/s1600/les+mis+ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8erO7clQSrRhsvYY5sVKdLsrD-5oNGRs4rFDWc9g51UTrhkFyGsQCo8TUfn-oL0yIWd1FhdLv2zww7dB6aD6da0MP4vm4EQZsu6G2faTGokldPSuaRfifMaxsQZfJP5JTYAhfDCtoR6Cy/s1600/les+mis+ship.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">After having practically every one of my friends, in
addition to the hordes of online blogging critics, inform me of the tragedy
that is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000128/?ref_=sr_1">Russell Crowe</a>’s voice, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was,
if not melodious, at least tolerable. His performance on the other hand was
somewhat less than impressive – if anything it was a bit boring, especially for
such a meaty character as </span><span lang="FR" style="line-height: 115%;">Javert</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">. Poor
dear <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1086543/?ref_=sr_1">Amanda Seyfried</a>’s pathetic warblings were almost more than my poor ears
could bear. I can’t help thinking <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2479184/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Jane Wisener</a>, who played Johanna in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/wiki/Tim_Burton/ref=ntt_at_bio_wiki">TimBurton</a>’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweeney-Todd-Demon-Barber-Street/dp/B0013D8LOK/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1359563771&sr=1-2&keywords=sweeney+todd">SWEENEY TODD</a> (2007), would have been a wiser<i> </i>casting choice.</span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagUP6TMd5WfTzQsIZAZB1u31NyZQJ1QQEUWl-5A-CNyO_IerL34iP0XNdl_pjlWztR0Q-hJLblcKf8Di1PfIaJaVWrdd34lFo4Cx66IQbUUG1Q1-JmnXAua7-dHUuksSICZ-17mQ0p7ga/s1600/les+mis+AH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagUP6TMd5WfTzQsIZAZB1u31NyZQJ1QQEUWl-5A-CNyO_IerL34iP0XNdl_pjlWztR0Q-hJLblcKf8Di1PfIaJaVWrdd34lFo4Cx66IQbUUG1Q1-JmnXAua7-dHUuksSICZ-17mQ0p7ga/s1600/les+mis+AH.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne Hathaway's Fantine sings "I Dreamed A Dream"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span>One casting choice that cannot be faulted however, is that
of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004266/?ref_=sr_1">Anne Hathaway</a> as the fallen Fantine. That chick’s got pipes! Although she
had comparatively little screen time, Hathaway stole the show with her
portrayal of the desperate mother who was willing to sell her soul (and her
hair and teeth and body) to save her daughter. Her degradation was portrayed in
a much more graphic manner than I was expecting, but the force of her
performance lived up to the quality of the film as a whole.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fQXA-eZYvUgdjnvFFdYwd9Cxbzrjf5jpgF665xiG4eucidZGRCMsFe5HUpN_QzKPY6SP-zo_kLVj9PCoiNTiX5uO9pqFvGSDWfRSCX80WIt_wv7k5uOCiKHDLSvYIRGxHSeXeEccBrxi/s1600/les+mis+thenardiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fQXA-eZYvUgdjnvFFdYwd9Cxbzrjf5jpgF665xiG4eucidZGRCMsFe5HUpN_QzKPY6SP-zo_kLVj9PCoiNTiX5uO9pqFvGSDWfRSCX80WIt_wv7k5uOCiKHDLSvYIRGxHSeXeEccBrxi/s1600/les+mis+thenardiers.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Thénardiers</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Other performances of note are given by two Brits with three
names – <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0056187/?ref_=sr_1">Sacha Baron Cohen</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000307/?ref_=sr_1">Helena Bonham Carter</a>. As the bawdy landlords, the
Thénardiers, they provide a few laughs in the midst of a rather serious
situation. At first I felt guilty laughing as much as I did at their dishonest shenanigans,
but then I thought, “No – it’s Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. I
will laugh as much as I damn well please!” I must have been doing something
right, because it wasn’t long before the whole theatre was laughing with me.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Margaret's Rating: <span style="color: #660000;">8/<span style="font-size: large;">10</span></span></b></span> </span></span></span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-7154603437839939092013-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:002013-01-30T09:19:13.762-08:00The Pre-Oscar Buzz Is Getting Serious<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">'Tis the
season to watch movies, fa la la la laaaaa la la la la! The holidays
might be over, but ever movie lover knows that January and February
are the most exciting months in the cinematic calendar. This year the
</span><a href="http://oscar.go.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">85</a><a href="http://oscar.go.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><sup>th</sup></a><a href="http://oscar.go.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Academy Awards</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> ceremony will be held on February 24, a date I am
certain most of you have marked in red ink in your daily planners.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/about/history.html"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1dwWqsf69yBsg8sE_ZaeYLlPpNVmfpHStmWI3l0tFH8-LBqow17ZLscqkuwWzdG4QgQm-3TR23F4LDUSFQH91T1doY2aqtD98N5pxXG2Iuzt8qAGDxHYK6GrhsVd_nEOlIrRZcXu2DoP/s640/Academy+Awards.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The first
couple Oscar ceremonies were held in the Spring, then a few took
place in November. It wasn't until the sixth or seventh ceremonies
that they started hosting them in late February or early March. The
<a href="http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/about/history.html">first
Academy Awards</a> dinner was a private event held in a hotel. About
200 guests attended at the cost of 5$ per head. Not to bad, eh? Did
you know that the first ever recipient of an Oscar statuette was not
even an American? The very first Academy Award ever presented was
given to German tragedian <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0417837/">Emil
Jannings</a>. Here are some more fast facts about the Academy Awards:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Oscar
ceremonies were held in hotels until 1942, when increased attendence
necessitated the move to theatres.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
first televised Oscar ceremony was in 1953.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">1966
was the first year a full color televised ceremony was broadcast.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
ceremony was first broadcast internationally in 1969, and has been
ever since.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As you
know, there are two distinctive periods within the calendar year that
the best films are released: over the summer break and in the bleak
midwinter months immediately preceding the Oscars. This second period
is not only because the timing makes good promotional publicity for
<a href="http://oscar.go.com/oscar-buzz">Oscar buzz</a>, but also so
you can pack your family off to the movie theatre before everyone
starts going a bit ape-sh*t over the turkey and cranberry sauce.
Let's face it – movies keep us all sane.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Or do they?
Each year, when the list of nominees is announced, controversy and
consternation soon follows. On the <a href="http://cinekatz.com/">Cinematic
Katzenjammer</a> blog you can vote on what you believe to be “the
biggest snub of the Oscar nominations.” And that's before the
awards are actually given! </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Then there
is the whole red carpet ordeal – who's wearing what and with whom
and why. There's always at least one idiot (usually Sacha Baron Cohen
or Kathy Griffin) who is going to embarrass themselves before they
even make it into the theatre. And what about the hosts and
presenters? Is Cher going to wear enough clothing to satisfy the
Hayes Code?</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKna_iNZ6AFBFf7K-wLxT4Ufl_fZUwKakkHDQQATrY35c5kmpPc8aAUeDGAlKYyUWyI8jd2mVKdh7JrtKHBKKgeafl2B-1ZUYsXYDcIm1RuAENshAUW0Tw-dgIk8alEzGu4fchkngQV3ng/s1600/sacha-baron-cohen-seacrest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKna_iNZ6AFBFf7K-wLxT4Ufl_fZUwKakkHDQQATrY35c5kmpPc8aAUeDGAlKYyUWyI8jd2mVKdh7JrtKHBKKgeafl2B-1ZUYsXYDcIm1RuAENshAUW0Tw-dgIk8alEzGu4fchkngQV3ng/s400/sacha-baron-cohen-seacrest.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacha Baron Cohen is up to no good on the red carpet 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">While I was
at college, I started my own tradition of printing out ballot card
for my my friends and having an Oscar party. Before the ceremony we
would vote on who we wanted to win and then we would tally the points
throughout the show. There was no winner, because just because
somebody agreed more with the Academy doesn't mean that everyone else
was wrong. The Academy has made its share of mistakes. For example:
Viola Davis totally deserved to win Best Actress over stupid old
<a href="http://thegreatkh.blogspot.com/2012/02/word-about-meryl-streep.html">Meryl
Streep</a>! But maybe I shouldn't open up that can of worms.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I would
love to hear what traditions you and you friends have for Oscar
season. Do you have a particular method of viewing Oscar-worthy films
throughout the year? Some people try to see every summer blockbuster,
or every movie that premiers Christmas week. Others get really deep
into the Indie and international scene. How do you celebrate Oscar
night itself? Are you a red carpet gossip, or are you hard-core there
just for the awards? I can't wait to swap Oscar stories with all my
fellow film fans!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>This post was originally written as a guest post for my friend Marc over at <a href="http://loveyourmovies.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/guest-blogger-margaret-perry-kicks-off-oscar-season/">Love Your Movies</a>.</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-90400852092983163612012-07-10T15:30:00.001-07:002013-01-30T09:20:17.372-08:00THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY (2010): A Secret Worth Knowing<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-World-Arrietty-Bridgit-Mendler/dp/B005LAIGX2/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1341958939&sr=1-1&keywords=the+secret+world+of+arrietty">THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY</a> (Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2010): Based on "The Borrowers" stories by Mary Norton, this film is about a family of tiny people who live in the floorboards of a large house. When young, adventurous Arriety is spotted by a little sick boy who comes to stay at the house, the family must find out how to survive in a world inhabited by giants.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J_oDGYNllAHLHWzYUY8NbKJdJGOfLS4QsYPm-rOnIwZVtEuwFMRr3P2lgpI80-Td_fQK5JMHuwoah4gTkZDEdQgjbscurh3AhfxMSg5QEV0g-TsofHNWY4wG9fAvCtoAs6Kax1EFNVAe/s1600/arietty+leaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J_oDGYNllAHLHWzYUY8NbKJdJGOfLS4QsYPm-rOnIwZVtEuwFMRr3P2lgpI80-Td_fQK5JMHuwoah4gTkZDEdQgjbscurh3AhfxMSg5QEV0g-TsofHNWY4wG9fAvCtoAs6Kax1EFNVAe/s320/arietty+leaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've never been a huge Anime fan, but I do love the work of director/producer Hayao Miyazaki. His films <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Chieko-Baish%C3%B4/dp/B000CDGVOE/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1341958962&sr=1-1&keywords=howl%27s+moving+castle">HOWLS MOVING CASTLE</a> (2004) and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spirited-Away-Hayao-Miyazaki/dp/B00005JLEU/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1341958983&sr=1-1&keywords=spirited+away">SPIRITED AWAY</a> (2001) are truly great works of art. The animation in ARRIETY is also beautiful. The adept use of sound and image to paint the story was really stunning. There's one shot in particular where it's raining, and the way the raindrops on the pavement are animated is really stunning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeshbbhmnt9NsEHWodWqgAtS6oFy-R060NV-eg5t3sBTxYBY0xq3vjqhYVoui4Kk583iZ0WZvhNTEREfsaCDQMk6N5TpvGMR9FUMvkNlHQ-QFpz7G0MherULMvpnCn9nJznew03uAfexI/s1600/arrietty+ii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeshbbhmnt9NsEHWodWqgAtS6oFy-R060NV-eg5t3sBTxYBY0xq3vjqhYVoui4Kk583iZ0WZvhNTEREfsaCDQMk6N5TpvGMR9FUMvkNlHQ-QFpz7G0MherULMvpnCn9nJznew03uAfexI/s320/arrietty+ii.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My one complaint about the film is the voices. I'm really perturbed that they cast two sets of voices for the UK and American versions of the film. I mean, I like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Carol-Burnett-Show-Stoppers/dp/B00006G8I2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341959405&sr=8-2&keywords=carol+burnett">Carol Burnett</a> and everything, but I couldn't take Hara seriously because I was laughing too hard! I would have much preferred to hear the great Geraldine McEwan or Phyllida Law.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-83446559269978684762012-06-16T11:59:00.001-07:002013-01-30T09:23:15.565-08:00MONSIEUR LAZHAR (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVcA2w5Uy41payw095mgV8-7blGOzN3L1JEYIXcW3c3NgxLtqhJZVzJWTj4cvOcNAEZBCz_j3iSHlclrZRhVm0rJ3WMWpfjuoghiGE7pCGyN-dj1aG6sfl0mCHjegsMfOQqzF9rMhOpku/s1600/ML+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVcA2w5Uy41payw095mgV8-7blGOzN3L1JEYIXcW3c3NgxLtqhJZVzJWTj4cvOcNAEZBCz_j3iSHlclrZRhVm0rJ3WMWpfjuoghiGE7pCGyN-dj1aG6sfl0mCHjegsMfOQqzF9rMhOpku/s400/ML+fish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When my friend was away in France teaching English for a year, she emailed me with some titles of must-see French movies. One of them was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monsieur-Original-version-English-Subtitles/dp/B006ZUMMKU/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1339872246&sr=1-1&keywords=monsieur+lazhar">MONSIEUR LAZHAR</a> (2011), which is in fact French-Canadian. This film directed by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_i_0?rh=k%3Aphilippe+falardeau%2Ci%3Amovies-tv&keywords=philippe+falardeau&ie=UTF8&qid=1339873135">Philippe Falardeau</a> takes place in a Montreal public school. When a middle school teacher commits suicide in her classroom, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag), an Algerian immigrant, comes in to take over her class. The children struggle to come to terms with the tragedy as Monsieur Lazhar grapples with his own demons. He works hard to help the children heal, but he is held back by a school system that is too concerned about policy to be of any practical help to its students.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Although this movie doesn't sound like a million laughs, it has a lot of heart. I was worried at first that it would be like so many other teacher movies where the whole plot of the story is about a newby teacher learning how to control and win the affections of his unruly pupils. But this movie does not follow that banal pattern at all; the audience cannot predict the trajectory of the story at all. Sometimes you forget what the movie is actually supposed to be about and you just get enveloped in the world of the characters. As you learn more about the individual children and the various teachers and faculty at the school, you start to really empathize with the emotional struggle they are all undergoing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRmNp5JM2aL-rZ4Jb5gE35AbTNwrQaejQl-dt1i31VHoVOglSFdFS1Gp75J2umAnxGrIFiCz6aSwA7vX2iDjvrGXJXTZKQtEFV_p9c41o8EGtV4l8lXeRBrIjXJNiiPSyrwPgMCy-grU1/s1600/ML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRmNp5JM2aL-rZ4Jb5gE35AbTNwrQaejQl-dt1i31VHoVOglSFdFS1Gp75J2umAnxGrIFiCz6aSwA7vX2iDjvrGXJXTZKQtEFV_p9c41o8EGtV4l8lXeRBrIjXJNiiPSyrwPgMCy-grU1/s320/ML.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Émilien Néron and Sophie Nélisse as Simon and Alice</td></tr>
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This movie is very subtle, yet surprisingly clear in its message. There are several very strong themes which thread through the story without interrupting the narrative. The film examines the relationship between a cold, faceless school district and the individuals who are governed by it, including the administrators, teachers, and the students themselves. As the film progresses, you cannot help but realize how wrong it is for emotional stability to be manipulated, contained, controlled, and developed by such a standardized, methodical system.<br />
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There are several allusions to the concept of motherhood throughout this film, both literally and figuratively. The movie demonstrated how the lines between parenting and teaching can be terribly vague, baffling students, parents, and teachers alike. There is also a constant conflict raging within each individual about the relationship between the private/personal and the public within the space of a classroom. They have all found themselves in a tragic situation which tests the boundaries of any preconceived definitions of school as space. This is also mirrored in the typically French-Canadian vagaries of nationality, as reflected through language.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIADKcwWXSlb0aQUq1AE46mVWRQJ88wJadU0ceKfyMbwZn5eCRONKmnUTnctAwfHDEUGVBcB5UbTEO6mTjOVY3_grRMFE8_8Ck2y2HlXS7boJOWHe44HQPQMX1Ylx7qUQuhwDH9Di8cnMm/s1600/ML+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIADKcwWXSlb0aQUq1AE46mVWRQJ88wJadU0ceKfyMbwZn5eCRONKmnUTnctAwfHDEUGVBcB5UbTEO6mTjOVY3_grRMFE8_8Ck2y2HlXS7boJOWHe44HQPQMX1Ylx7qUQuhwDH9Di8cnMm/s320/ML+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seddik Benslimane as Abdelmalek and<br />
Mohamed Fellag as Bachir Lazhar</td></tr>
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There are several very good performances given in the film. Mohamed Fellag does a wonderful job with a part that requires a lot of finesse. The children of the classroom are at once very childlike and incredibly mature. In one scene Alice (Sophie Nelisse) is reading a piece she wrote about the incident and she says, "It's not the children who are traumatized; it's the adults." Their acting is natural and easy, but also very sophisticated in its simplicity. Emilien Neron, who playes the main boy Simon, gives an outstanding delivery of the film's climactic monologue. It's an absolutely gutwrenching moment and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as he repeatedly, tearfully declares "C'est pas ma faut!"<br />
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I highly recommend this film. It is intelligently conceived and intelligently delivered. Movies like this serve a double purpose: first to record the atmosphere of an environment, second to highlight problems within that environment so as to instigate change. Progressive messages in films can go a long way in changing society for the better if audiences view intelligent works with a discerning thought. I hope you enjoy this film and come back to tell me what you think!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-2871831391027859792012-06-04T07:58:00.000-07:002013-01-30T09:23:35.967-08:00SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYScHUNxiljmkLkkBmR7YtCYYmucHL9IOoKZrSP5R6cYjWEEh5n073DjC7GYCs6U6EE0HVQyxiPqJ7bwa7V3-uVFuFriUbaS9Gtr0VpM_LTp5hy7ZzZFQHGAKSksB2iJspKnAUZEF0gLRT/s1600/swh+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYScHUNxiljmkLkkBmR7YtCYYmucHL9IOoKZrSP5R6cYjWEEh5n073DjC7GYCs6U6EE0HVQyxiPqJ7bwa7V3-uVFuFriUbaS9Gtr0VpM_LTp5hy7ZzZFQHGAKSksB2iJspKnAUZEF0gLRT/s320/swh+poster.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Revisionist fairly tales seem to be all the rage these days, what with popular TV series "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-Complete-Season/dp/B0058YPL66/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338819777&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Once Upon a Time</a>" and the recent cinematic flop <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Lily-Collins/dp/B005LAII0I/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338819818&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MIRROR MIRROR</a>. After the insipid disappointment that was MIRROR MIRROR, I was hoping <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-White-Huntsman-Kristen-Stewart/dp/B005LAIHSG/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338819863&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN</a> would make a grand coup of the fad and produce a Snow White worth cheering for. Kristen Stewart was going to redeem herself of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Ultimate-Collectors-Limited-Edition/dp/B0022G273I/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820368&camp=1789&sr=1-1-spell&creative=9325" target="_blank">TWILIGHT</a> patheticness and lead us into battle against the dastardly queen. But alas, it wasn't to be. Yet again have my hopes for a better future been cruelly dashed into oblivion.<br />
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When the princess Snow White's father is murdered by his new bride, the witch queen Ravenna, Snow White is locked away in a tower while Ravenna brings ruin and starvation to the kingdom. The day the magic mirror portends Snow White's beauty as surpassing the queen's, Ravenna orders her death. Snow White escapes into the dark forest where she is pursued by the queen's huntsman. The huntsman is a depressed drunkard who has given up on life because his wife was killed by the queen's men. He blames himself for ever letting her out of his sight and not protecting her (I'm gonna puke). He and Snow White team up with a bunch of ragamuffin dwarves who are far from the kind little caricatures we're used to . Most all of them are grumpy and suspicious except for the random blind one (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Hoskins-Collection/dp/B004QDW2IA/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820459&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Bob Hoskins</a>) and the nice happy ginger one. Then Snow White is tricked by the queen and eats an apple that puts her under a spell, blah blah blah. But this time, when Snow White is awakened by true love's first kiss (???), she leads a band of escaped vigilantes into battle against the evil queen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zrXxTGdK9ASnnVgNRegvSIl1Q3lTDbzOJnLprAMYzDsDCay-_x89CqWBJY_L8WLKzkCqFIZHbAD5upUJH2MZS05sdjeoxazS-oiuMgMWmyYpANSSkyqVhp9NVNl2OogQZMFWJw3IhYtp/s1600/dwarfs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zrXxTGdK9ASnnVgNRegvSIl1Q3lTDbzOJnLprAMYzDsDCay-_x89CqWBJY_L8WLKzkCqFIZHbAD5upUJH2MZS05sdjeoxazS-oiuMgMWmyYpANSSkyqVhp9NVNl2OogQZMFWJw3IhYtp/s400/dwarfs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Hoskins is second from the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is no doubt that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-White-Huntsman-Kristen-Stewart/dp/B005LAIHSG/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338819863&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN</a> excels in the arena of special effects. Some of the visual masterwork in this film is so stunning, it took my breath away. Unfortunately, the valiant success of one of the film's components cannot atone for every other missed mark in the project.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6NdfyOe_JretkS5-g69-I-GLonX9YF1F_w3Kp7dvlKRAXo5i6HsKurzTdcj4e-IiiLE1PqLhra9dUybMTt-NcWIzJopKiUduD1EC2K6R4wjWOGIcZtNX2RJbb_7kIcnwI1M6_ctcK8-m/s1600/sw+puhleeze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6NdfyOe_JretkS5-g69-I-GLonX9YF1F_w3Kp7dvlKRAXo5i6HsKurzTdcj4e-IiiLE1PqLhra9dUybMTt-NcWIzJopKiUduD1EC2K6R4wjWOGIcZtNX2RJbb_7kIcnwI1M6_ctcK8-m/s200/sw+puhleeze.jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kristen Stewart as Snow White<br />
(Puh-LEEZE!)</td></tr>
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As much as I'd like to blame Kristen Stewart for the whole failure of this movie, I have to attribute some of it to the fact the pat is in itself completely rotten. But we'll lambaste Stewart first. She walks through this movie with a poker-stiff clumsiness that fails to inspire the smallest ounce of confidence in her ability to lead an army of men into battle. And yet again, as in Twilight, her face is twisted into that heavy-lidded sneer that makes her appear in a constant state of constipation. If any part of the Snow White character could have been salvaged by acting, Stewart was unable to do so.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2IPsVqVi7DixnYR9WbbWK8FomcZSMTltxxQVCzuNP1kvM3Cz8d7rC1Yi7FwColPzq8vDMfUrgJIFSUV7Ged0IXtC1tmcsHhvqCz6qtASZ2h5Jj7lyuDZdZTx_EA_nrYExogqoAV7L-Te/s1600/sw+disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2IPsVqVi7DixnYR9WbbWK8FomcZSMTltxxQVCzuNP1kvM3Cz8d7rC1Yi7FwColPzq8vDMfUrgJIFSUV7Ged0IXtC1tmcsHhvqCz6qtASZ2h5Jj7lyuDZdZTx_EA_nrYExogqoAV7L-Te/s200/sw+disney.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a sparkling personality!</td></tr>
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Bad acting apart, the Snow White figure is nothing, I repeat NOTHING, more than a tabula rasa upon which the male characters can project their voyeuristic ideals of femininity. She comes to embody such grotesquely stereotypical female qualities as "life itself," purity, healing, and peace without ever actually generating such sentiments with her personality or actions! Her personality is a void of such magnitude that she makes Disney's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dwarfs-Disney-Special-Platinum-Edition/dp/B00003CXCQ/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820622&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Snow White</a> (1937) come across as a ball-busting, bra-burning feminista, because at least <i>she</i> had more than half a dozen lines in the film, and <i>she </i>has a personality, and dreams, and hopes, and a set of standards!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2_Odvy4ePJIiEqk-tz9fX1W4SzZPmNxszrTHifYA1U6VrgaqM6QoMx4UKpgH7E86Fqm2MrsG9Hh63aR4TMWkkT6LcdQlx-syJf16rSwQQTbaWb8lEAhvBq5Fovk5TlGqefevq4O3KG25/s1600/theron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2_Odvy4ePJIiEqk-tz9fX1W4SzZPmNxszrTHifYA1U6VrgaqM6QoMx4UKpgH7E86Fqm2MrsG9Hh63aR4TMWkkT6LcdQlx-syJf16rSwQQTbaWb8lEAhvBq5Fovk5TlGqefevq4O3KG25/s200/theron.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooh! I'm so NOT scared!<br />
Charlize Theron as Ravenna</td></tr>
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Charlize Theron is also a bit of a let-down as the evil queen Ravenna. Without a doubt, her part has a lot of the depth and complexity the Snow White character lacks, but Theron's over-acting prevents the audience from really accepting her dastardliness. She is surrounded by a special effects team that's definitely got it going on, but I just never reached a point where I felt like she was really cruel. Again, the Disney villainesses, notoriously more awesome than their princesses, take the cake again. Ravenna's fiercness pales when compared to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Beauty-Two-Disc-Platinum-Edition/dp/B0013ND30M/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820806&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Maleficent</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Mermaid-Two-Disc-Platinum-Edition/dp/B000F8O35U/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820840&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Ursula</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/101-Dalmatians-Two-Disc-Platinum-Edition/dp/B000YERP2S/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820874&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Cruella de Ville</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTEmSvm8WQ0Dn_OnePtlH_MkDOAY58zpXr1ChnkOEWsVhr3dR7jbhr8KamFQwHfEzgeNlbK_06SMa-OgVv0TVz2fDBHKtFva1NxmCFbe11IhUXjMGhdCdZV-3WEjBPMyzGeBN0jdb4ZMJ/s1600/swh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTEmSvm8WQ0Dn_OnePtlH_MkDOAY58zpXr1ChnkOEWsVhr3dR7jbhr8KamFQwHfEzgeNlbK_06SMa-OgVv0TVz2fDBHKtFva1NxmCFbe11IhUXjMGhdCdZV-3WEjBPMyzGeBN0jdb4ZMJ/s200/swh.jpg" width="200" /></a>I left the theatre this weekend feeling angry and discouraged. Discouraged that Hollywood seems so totally incapable of producing a viable female hero. I have to keep reminding myself of Katniss Everdeen and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-2-Disc-Digital-Copy/dp/B0084IG8TM/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820703&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">THE HUNGER GAMES</a>. That film gives me so much hope because I know it <i>can </i>be done! But how they can come so close with a concept like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-White-Huntsman-Kristen-Stewart/dp/B005LAIHSG/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338820747&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN</a> and still fall into every cliched trap that keeps the female protagonist from becoming a truly great, well-rounded heroin? And just forget about the Bechdel Test in this one, folks. I could go into more detail about how the film is entirely based on the premise of female physical beauty, that the two female characters are necessarily rivals, one of them inherently evil and the other an ideal of the most unrealistic proportions, etc. etc. - but I'm just too tired and sick of it all to think about it any more.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-11338935310673767522012-06-01T09:27:00.000-07:002013-01-30T09:23:50.061-08:00THE MUPPETS (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3SzwQwGFIvE0jr_w6n4mmsO9cozFx2fjOVOzgXI4ZRQ13B-6FEw5nT4l0lKb5GsOJqx9hCsNZhfiIKR-RN4sj2eSwbGwdAk406phWoaoc5pJDafb282cMw3JQK6nb_G9Ua226rReQisk/s1600/muppets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3SzwQwGFIvE0jr_w6n4mmsO9cozFx2fjOVOzgXI4ZRQ13B-6FEw5nT4l0lKb5GsOJqx9hCsNZhfiIKR-RN4sj2eSwbGwdAk406phWoaoc5pJDafb282cMw3JQK6nb_G9Ua226rReQisk/s320/muppets.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
The first musical number in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppets-Amy-Adams/dp/B004EPZ03O/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566604&camp=1789&sr=8-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">THE MUPPETS</a> (2011) immediately put me in mind of the old <a href="http://www.amazon.com/TCM-Greatest-Classic-Legends-Broadway/dp/B005F265FW/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566670&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Busby Berkeley</a> movies of yore, and you can hardly imagine my glee at the cameo appearance of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Screen-Legends-Four-Disc-Collectors/dp/B001O2SH94/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566741&camp=1789&sr=1-4&creative=9325" target="_blank">Mickey Rooney</a>, who starred with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Garland-Signature-Collection-Summertime-Ziegfeld/dp/B0001Q4CZM/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566805&camp=1789&sr=1-16&creative=9325" target="_blank">Judy Garland</a> in two <a href="http://www.amazon.com/TCM-Greatest-Classic-Legends-Broadway/dp/B005F265FW/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566670&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Busby Berkeley</a> musicals, during "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppets-Kermit/dp/B005NKIQ3K/?_encoding=UTF8&s=music&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567435&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Life's a Happy Song</a>"! The old-fashioned musical style is paired beautifully with the nostalgic theme of the movie. When brothers Walter and Gary visit the old <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppet-Show-Season-One/dp/B0009ULBGS/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566850&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Muppet Show</a> studio, Walter accidentally discovers that a big deal oil baron wants to tear down the studio to drill for oil. In order to save the studio, Walter must work with his hero, Kermit the Frog to reunite the Muppets and put on a huge show to raise the money to buy back the studio! Sounds strikingly similar to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mickey-Rooney-Garland-Collection-Broadway/dp/B000RT99FG/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566916&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">BABES IN ARMS</a> (1939) and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mickey-Rooney-Garland-Collection-Broadway/dp/B000RT99FG/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566916&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">STRIKE UP THE BAND</a> (1940), doesn't it?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_fy4cPvKJmBn7EbUbVi3oZkVF_W28VyYVJTIHZU5w_R-eoqOZ99ofUFdCNjXYlY7gNoNq1c1T7WJN62A-PRqoNlW37enyKh_bAKyDghFcSLSiVNbZl9bqgfudnkyyhKiMflOyb-s1R8_/s1600/mickey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_fy4cPvKJmBn7EbUbVi3oZkVF_W28VyYVJTIHZU5w_R-eoqOZ99ofUFdCNjXYlY7gNoNq1c1T7WJN62A-PRqoNlW37enyKh_bAKyDghFcSLSiVNbZl9bqgfudnkyyhKiMflOyb-s1R8_/s200/mickey.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey Rooney (92) has made at least<br />
one movie a year since 1926</td></tr>
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With their usual panache, the Muppets make this cliched plot line possible by employing relentless self-mockery to tear down the fourth wall and haul the audience into the party. Together, characters and audience unashamedly stampede down memory lane, dancing and singing all the way! The great thing about this latest Muppet movie is that it unites several generations of Muppet fans, from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Screen-Legends-Four-Disc-Collectors/dp/B001O2SH94/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567008&camp=1789&sr=1-4&creative=9325" target="_blank">Mickey Rooney</a> to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whoopi-Goldberg-Collection-Favorites-America/dp/B002U4UZQI/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567045&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">Whoopi Goldberg</a> to Jim Parsons (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Bang-Theory-Seasons/dp/B005KR6OBM/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567099&camp=1789&sr=1-8&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Big Bang Theory</a>) to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Waverly-Place-The-Movie/dp/B002PMA970/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567184&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Selena Gomez</a>. Although I never watched The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppet-Show-Season-One/dp/B0009ULBGS/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566850&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Muppet Show</a>, I grew up with their movies. My personal favorites were/are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppet-Christmas-Carol-Anniversary/dp/B000ATQYT2/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567233&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Muppet-Treasure-Island-Kermits-Anniversary/dp/B000ATQYTC/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567270&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND</a> (what can I say, I'm a lit. major!).<br />
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Don't dismiss <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppets-Amy-Adams/dp/B004EPZ03O/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338566604&camp=1789&sr=8-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">THE MUPPETS</a> for being a little hokey. That's part of their shtick. They take the schmaltz to the extreme so that they can turn it around into something terribly funny. This grade of self-mockery has the uncanny ability to endear a cynical 21st century audience to a gaggle of puppets from the 70s! The ability for audiences to yield to the inexorable charm of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Muppets-Amy-Adams/dp/B004EPZ03O/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338567313&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">THE MUPPETS</a> is a testament to their enduring appeal to all ages. This is definitely a movie to add to your collection, especially if you have children (but children are not compulsory).<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-36229370533539894712012-05-31T09:59:00.001-07:002013-01-30T09:24:08.858-08:00MEN IN BLACK III (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknOdNyJn5Fv_VSdVth9TDMC7dMFiXptVcI1FmGgwtiz1XfBl5XB_sy-Z0nV3S5elWivmA2yp4Rsysq88BRO_xR9bVwPPE4KQ949fC3zKFC3WkVITM1CnuzwdSr99TomwUo7Kl-I8wxHAK/s1600/mib+iii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknOdNyJn5Fv_VSdVth9TDMC7dMFiXptVcI1FmGgwtiz1XfBl5XB_sy-Z0nV3S5elWivmA2yp4Rsysq88BRO_xR9bVwPPE4KQ949fC3zKFC3WkVITM1CnuzwdSr99TomwUo7Kl-I8wxHAK/s200/mib+iii.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
A longtime fan of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Will Smith</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Deluxe-Edition-Special-Pack/dp/B0007VY46S/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338481430&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MEN IN BLACK</a> movies, I was so thrilled to hear about this third installment to the saga! In this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Deluxe-Edition-Special-Pack/dp/B0007VY46S/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338481430&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MIB</a> adventure, Agent J (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Smith</a>) must travel back in time to stop Agent K (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=tommy+lee+jones&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Atommy+lee+jones" target="_blank">Tommy Lee Jones</a>/<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=michael%20stuhlbarg&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=MICHAEL%20ST%2Cmovies-tv%2C143#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=josh+brolin&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Ajosh+brolin" target="_blank">Josh Brolin</a>) from getting killed by an angry escapee alien named Boris the Animal (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=michael%20stuhlbarg&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=MICHAEL%20ST%2Cmovies-tv%2C143#/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=jemaine+clement&sprefix=jemaine%2Cmovies-tv%2C154&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Ajemaine+clement" target="_blank">Jemaine Clement</a>). J is also on his own personal mission to try to figure K out, to get into his head and find out why they never talk about personal things together. Throughout the film, J subtly tries to get in K's head to find out what makes him tick.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAThPWVtzG9hc81RB0XeBAUFWCMxMdvLfNHHOWa12MxOxswFIV2AVvMakJ2xf8XcZw-ANRecUh9fi3VDicmUzAoAqfBOpyMyF2kFJerKwUHI2-OA3qsMVoJoWKPlPsedKx0589eNj6XaW/s1600/boris+ii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAThPWVtzG9hc81RB0XeBAUFWCMxMdvLfNHHOWa12MxOxswFIV2AVvMakJ2xf8XcZw-ANRecUh9fi3VDicmUzAoAqfBOpyMyF2kFJerKwUHI2-OA3qsMVoJoWKPlPsedKx0589eNj6XaW/s320/boris+ii.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jemaine Clement as Boris the Animal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As with most stories that involve time-travel, it takes some thinking to keep track of what version of whom is where when, but for the most part it's easy to follow. The script as a whole is engaging and amusing. I wasn't expecting the slight twist at the end, but it came about so naturally and organically that it didn't jar the progress of the film. The dialogue lives up to the legacy of the other <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Deluxe-Edition-Special-Pack/dp/B0007VY46S/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338481430&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MIB</a> films and is appropriately witty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3HLFXEabmMP6fC3Bo7TwPs0oNWIoyYRbyWz2s1viOaG0KT0_a8F8iVqFpW2M_CsjqyWd9YbvIqIrDrcJ_wmb6fYI2vNC5dNM4HhpVpHFUz3xOBW1DOKNh8ENSZpDpcOoEAD-C0HQYX5H/s1600/k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3HLFXEabmMP6fC3Bo7TwPs0oNWIoyYRbyWz2s1viOaG0KT0_a8F8iVqFpW2M_CsjqyWd9YbvIqIrDrcJ_wmb6fYI2vNC5dNM4HhpVpHFUz3xOBW1DOKNh8ENSZpDpcOoEAD-C0HQYX5H/s200/k.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh Brolin as Agent K</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=michael%20stuhlbarg&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=MICHAEL%20ST%2Cmovies-tv%2C143#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=josh+brolin&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Ajosh+brolin" target="_blank">Josh Brolin</a> does an amazing job playing the younger Agent K. According to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entertainment-Weekly-1-year-auto-renewal/dp/B0037STB02/?_encoding=UTF8&s=magazines&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338482194&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a>, he spent a great deal of time studying, observing, and practicing how <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=tommy+lee+jones&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Atommy+lee+jones" target="_blank">Tommy Lee Jones</a> walks and talks. He must have done something right because it only takes about two second for the audience to forget that we're actually watching a different actor playing a character we know so well. The chemistry between Agents K and J is just as electric between <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Smith</a> and Brolin as it ever was between <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Smith</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=tommy+lee+jones&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Atommy+lee+jones" target="_blank">Jones</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinO5o98_NRw3IVqE2PqrNm4Mh2adbSY2EsSot1c4H4omvC76-i7BGFLVabrJGxHTr2TCi4SmcULzZ-SfTYCLv-0Wt6YjpGNgno8GNuLvjSYzQRos9ykEd3JsSM5EMfM2iGRQyTWSBwckSh/s1600/oj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinO5o98_NRw3IVqE2PqrNm4Mh2adbSY2EsSot1c4H4omvC76-i7BGFLVabrJGxHTr2TCi4SmcULzZ-SfTYCLv-0Wt6YjpGNgno8GNuLvjSYzQRos9ykEd3JsSM5EMfM2iGRQyTWSBwckSh/s200/oj.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma Thompson and Will Smith<br />
as Agents O and J</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The writers did a brilliant job shaping the various side characters in this film. The antagonist alien is decidedly frightening, thanks in part to special effects (the voice is so menacing!), but primarily because <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=michael%20stuhlbarg&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=MICHAEL%20ST%2Cmovies-tv%2C143#/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=jemaine+clement&sprefix=jemaine%2Cmovies-tv%2C154&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Ajemaine+clement" target="_blank">Jemaine Clement</a> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Conchords-The-Complete-Collection/dp/B003L7DK74/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338481829&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS</a>) is simply brilliant! Another character, Griffin (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=michael%20stuhlbarg&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=MICHAEL%20ST%2Cmovies-tv%2C143" target="_blank">Michael Stuhlbarg</a>), brought some sunshine to the movie as an optimistic future-gazing alien. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=emma+thompson&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Aemma+thompson" target="_blank">Emma Thompson</a> shines as Agent O, who's now in charge of the whole <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Deluxe-Edition-Special-Pack/dp/B0007VY46S/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338481430&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MIB</a> operation. My only complaint about that character is that we should have seen more of her! You can never have too much of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=will%20smith&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=emma+thompson&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Aemma+thompson" target="_blank">Emma Thompson</a>, who is truly everything beautiful and good!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Men-Black-Two-Disc-Combo/dp/B005LAIHQS/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1338481539&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">MEN IN BLACK III</a> is going to be worth adding to your collection once it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray. It's totally worth the cost of the theatre ticket, but it definitely has its place as a Friday-night pizza party movie. It's well-cast, well-written, and well, amazing! Have fun with this one, folks!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-54467668505175796362012-05-25T15:32:00.002-07:002013-01-30T09:24:23.524-08:00THE DICTATOR (2012)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6uiU1C4kDHW8n6MW4wJfmxWWh-cPIvot8HVHpUvr45DteTSJQb99Leh_8RYf5pif8R28NBfVOmgLZQcogjEyXOJnUjU6u0fkas2x1COn34ylj-ZFoHwJvARdNxuFiDHmp6WWPdWLLdEd/s1600/oscars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6uiU1C4kDHW8n6MW4wJfmxWWh-cPIvot8HVHpUvr45DteTSJQb99Leh_8RYf5pif8R28NBfVOmgLZQcogjEyXOJnUjU6u0fkas2x1COn34ylj-ZFoHwJvARdNxuFiDHmp6WWPdWLLdEd/s200/oscars.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a> being<br />
escorted off the red carpet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a>'s latest movie made national headlines even before it came to the big screen when the star appeared at the Oscars wearing his dictator costume, accompanied by two curvaceous women soldier characters, and dumping ashes all over the red carpet and Ryan Seacrest. London-born <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a> first found fame as sketch character Ali G. on <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Da-Ali-Show-Compleet-Seereez/dp/B000JBXH82/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984547&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Da Ali G. Show</a></i> in 2000, making a name for himself by subjecting unsuspecting people to comic situations he deliberately orchestrated to offend or ridicule them. He took two of his characters to the big screen in full length features <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Borat-Cultural-Learnings-Kazakhstan-Widescreen/dp/B000MMMT9G/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984606&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Borat</a></i> (2006) and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bruno-Sacha-Baron-Cohen/dp/B002P7UCJ0/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984712&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Bruno</a> </i>(2009). <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a>'s characters and films court controversy because, in many cases, his brash political incorrectness serves to reveal the latent indifference to prejudice that lies at the root of many supposedly civilized western societies.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mERh7rJMfgY7X_vgGwznsTeA86yRhwplg_nONcAvAM4VCEw0ogB3_V6xoVIyeZ8S8eWiRBC2nkrlxe6elggT8MSyUnTOWr-tg2SoOLsGp2TjWG2d-qjpEX0fl4U4CMII4GWsj0aJ4373/s1600/baron+cohen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mERh7rJMfgY7X_vgGwznsTeA86yRhwplg_nONcAvAM4VCEw0ogB3_V6xoVIyeZ8S8eWiRBC2nkrlxe6elggT8MSyUnTOWr-tg2SoOLsGp2TjWG2d-qjpEX0fl4U4CMII4GWsj0aJ4373/s200/baron+cohen.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a><br />
(not bad!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mERh7rJMfgY7X_vgGwznsTeA86yRhwplg_nONcAvAM4VCEw0ogB3_V6xoVIyeZ8S8eWiRBC2nkrlxe6elggT8MSyUnTOWr-tg2SoOLsGp2TjWG2d-qjpEX0fl4U4CMII4GWsj0aJ4373/s1600/baron+cohen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<br />
Because <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dictator-Sacha-Baron-Cohen/dp/B005LAIHGI/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984416&camp=1789&sr=1-1-spell&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Dictator</a></i> is actually not as offensive as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a>'s other two films, I don't think it has been talked about as much in the media. It is the story of the corrupted dictator Aladeen of a small (fictional) North African country called Wadiya. When he goes to New York to attend a UN conference, his uncle (who wants to make a profit by selling off Wadiya's oil supplies) has him kidnapped. Aladeen escapes torture but is left destitute on the streets of New York City. Through an unlikely chain of events, he meets environmental feminist grocery store owner Zoey who gives him a job. He also runs into an acquaintance from Wadiya who recognizes him and helps him hatch a plan to reclaim his identity and prevent Wadiya becoming a democracy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPeOAmh6XMYvIoBaKKmslCnsjlrHQ8wO6lFgbP1rWVa56qV-oRlkXPATm4HK5iZZg1nyADZyr0E6fl1vYBKhz-WrM6KI0-l2pTU7upn13hVPXo7tFslbRgksvcVJZwIGJN0ocIu95e-gi/s1600/dictator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPeOAmh6XMYvIoBaKKmslCnsjlrHQ8wO6lFgbP1rWVa56qV-oRlkXPATm4HK5iZZg1nyADZyr0E6fl1vYBKhz-WrM6KI0-l2pTU7upn13hVPXo7tFslbRgksvcVJZwIGJN0ocIu95e-gi/s200/dictator.jpg" width="148" /></a>What makes <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dictator-Sacha-Baron-Cohen/dp/B005LAIHGI/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984416&camp=1789&sr=1-1-spell&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Dictator</a></i> more palatable than <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Borat-Cultural-Learnings-Kazakhstan-Widescreen/dp/B000MMMT9G/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984606&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Borat</a></i> is that I don't think we mind shamelessly making fun of Arab dictators. In this case, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a> is not insulting an entire culture, he is satirizing something bad - dictatorship. Just as Charlie Chaplin did in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Dictator-Criterion-Collection/dp/B004NWPY7A/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984776&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Great Dictator</a></i>, we enjoy laughing at the foolishly cruel actions of an individual we can identify 100% as an enemy. This movie is funny because the jokes actually relate to some semblance of truth about how we think and feel about evil rulers. It also taps into some of the inherent flaws of democracy, American democracy, and by the end of the film, the character embodying the liberal, environmental, LGBT, feminist, Jewish strain in our culture is celebrated.<br />
<br />
The film, of course, pushes things a little bit when it comes to sex jokes. They're pretty dumb and not pleasant. But I am at the point where I can just roll my eyes when <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=sacha%20baron%20cohen&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=sacha%20baron%20cohen%2Caps%2C272" target="_blank">Sacha Baron Cohen</a> pulls that kind of stunt in the same way I can look the other way when <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burton-Collection-Amazon-com-Exclusive-Blu-ray/dp/B007GE98WO/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984881&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Tim Burton</a> goes too far with the blood and gore. It's just something you have to put up with in this sort of movie. I don't think it ruins it, but it certainly doesn't make it any better. In summation, I think <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dictator-Sacha-Baron-Cohen/dp/B005LAIHGI/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337984416&camp=1789&sr=1-1-spell&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Dictator</a></i> was funny enough to be worth seeing the once, but I don't know if it has such an impact that I would encourage other people to rush out and buy a ticket. It's not exactly a pleasant experience, but it has its moments.<br />
<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thegrekathep-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000096IBH&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-62424932643543555552012-05-21T10:38:00.000-07:002012-06-15T11:48:20.527-07:00What To Expect When You're Expecting<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJCqWwiRXU0nosIGVr49DYYH7pTYk13jOVH7t5ARNcuEbIdMeXSReLbbCH-B0rRGxXL9AKVC-DvvqDgAjq5NyylOvEiHixptqOCNMkzKSfDW3QALG-fl2Dr7isaPlWrIaip7M6l9OhnLY/s320/WTEWYE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz,<br />
Brooklyn Decker, and Jennifer Lopez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJCqWwiRXU0nosIGVr49DYYH7pTYk13jOVH7t5ARNcuEbIdMeXSReLbbCH-B0rRGxXL9AKVC-DvvqDgAjq5NyylOvEiHixptqOCNMkzKSfDW3QALG-fl2Dr7isaPlWrIaip7M6l9OhnLY/s1600/WTEWYE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because there has been so much discussion in recent years about changing gender roles and about various methods of childbirth, I was surprised by how boringly conventional <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1586265/">What To Expect When You're Expecting</a></i> actually was. The movie is about a few different families who are preparing for the arrival of a little stranger. Although each story has a different perspective on the experience of getting pregnant and having a baby, the scope is rather narrow. One unmarried young couple accidentally get pregnant after a one-night stand. Another mother who has been trying for years to get pregnant discovers that "the glow" everyone talks about is merely a fantastical rumor - being pregnant sucks to the extreme! Then there's her gorgeous step-mother-in-law who experiences the easiest pregnancy on record, and in high heeled shoes! Then there's the couple torn by the fact that they are unable to have children for themselves. As they prepare to adopt a baby from Ethiopia, the husband starts gets cold feet and the wife unexpectedly loses her job. Then there's the celebrity weight-loss trainer who struggles to juggle her career, her boyfriend, and an unexpected pregnancy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1c7_JhkMOoyBBdrKptMJQlGoB3l_gszKzXbtHhtdqeAQq6oK2JUMSFbXF5vUS_1ZDBtWIhUOG3UzdukfUn8SlUSIqA0XBDLBDIWp4J-irzDCPFC6M8lMDrQfsVtjz_AWOq1h-dxF3FcV/s1600/dudes+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1c7_JhkMOoyBBdrKptMJQlGoB3l_gszKzXbtHhtdqeAQq6oK2JUMSFbXF5vUS_1ZDBtWIhUOG3UzdukfUn8SlUSIqA0XBDLBDIWp4J-irzDCPFC6M8lMDrQfsVtjz_AWOq1h-dxF3FcV/s320/dudes+group.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One part of the previews that struck me as an interesting concept was the "dude's group," a group of dads who get together regularly to walk their kids through the park. My initial thoughts were, "Great! We'll get to see dads being awesome, spending time with their children, and really investing in the upbringing of their babies!" Instead I got a group of idiots who lie to their wives, drop babies off changing tables, and are oblivious the toddler who just wandered off, fell down a flight of stone steps, and got hit on the head by an airborn beer can (thrown by one of the fathers). Rather than breaking down preconception about American fatherhood, they supported every negative stereotype in the books! But because <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=chris%20rock&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Chris Rock</a> can make a hreatwarming speech about how much he loves his family and loves being a dad, and would never go back to the old days, the whole patriarchal pessimism is mediated for the female audience that both doubts a man's ability to be a good parent while simultaneously requiring them to participate.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTBdExo5YTM_Ee_Aup3qX-rdvbPetcWfGODfR70H5XWTJt1pN9ddIxK2_uh1FfFAVbNvolR-Erjc-C57D0amp9pf2prYTULf0RCxqHfWqjQTgssXQSnWQEIq3u0pvpliypS4c0oKANUR5/s1600/BOBB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTBdExo5YTM_Ee_Aup3qX-rdvbPetcWfGODfR70H5XWTJt1pN9ddIxK2_uh1FfFAVbNvolR-Erjc-C57D0amp9pf2prYTULf0RCxqHfWqjQTgssXQSnWQEIq3u0pvpliypS4c0oKANUR5/s320/BOBB.jpg" width="192" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The five baby stories are cliched and predictable at best. At worst, they encourage an outdated mode of thinking about pregnancy and birth. Documentaries like Abby Epstein's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Business-Being-Born-Abby-Epstein/dp/B0013LL2XY/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621501&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Business of Being Born</a></i> (2008) and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pregnant-America-Betsy-Chasse/dp/B001GJ7ZKM/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621546&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Pregnant in America</a></i> (also 2008) have presented the American public with alternatives to the traditional flat-on-back-in-hospital birth scenario. But all four pregnancies in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1586265/">What To Expect When You're Expecting</a></i> ended in the hospital, with the mothers on all manner of medication. The atmosphere was pervaded by the dramatic tension of fear that we should be trying to convince new mothers DOES NOT have to consumer their experience! Pregnancy is not an illness, you're life is not <i>necessarily </i>in danger, and the doctor is not the hero or enabler of the woman's experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As a movie, the film was predictable and there was a decided lack of any original humor. They basically put the whole story into a <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Actually-Widescreen-Edition-Grant/dp/B00005JMFQ/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621595&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Love Actually</a></i> framework, which, incidentally, is becoming sickeningly overused (note the failures of both <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Valentines-Day-Bradley-Cooper/dp/B002ZG99UE/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621634&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Valentine's Day</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Years-Ultraviolet-Digital-Copy/dp/B004LWZW9C/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621671&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">New Year's Eve</a></i>). The film presents no novelty or innovation of any kind - it's like any other move about pregnancy/childbirth you've seen since 1995 (with exception of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Mama-Tina-Fey/dp/B001BL96K2/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621710&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Baby Mama</a></i>, which actually contributed to an expanded way of thinking about women's reproductive abilities and rights. Thank you <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bossypants-Tina-Fey/dp/0316056863/?_encoding=UTF8&s=aps&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621743&camp=1789&sr=1-1-catcorr&creative=9325" target="_blank">Tina Faye</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Night-Live-Best-Poehler/dp/B002NALPLS/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337621787&camp=1789&sr=8-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Amy Poehler</a>!). If the <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1586265/">What To Expect When You're Expecting</a> </i>had been funny, I mean <i>really</i> funny, it might have been worth the trip the the theatre. But it wasn't, so don't.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-9752992834035240462012-05-16T13:25:00.001-07:002012-06-15T11:05:27.705-07:00The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dDY89LYxK0w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seven Brits in the twilight of their years fly halfway around the world to Jaipur, India to reside in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Exotic-Marigold-Hotel/dp/0812982428/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199078&camp=1789&sr=8-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</a> for the Elderly and Beautiful. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The film's magnificent title is supported by a magnificent cast of the best of British thespians, including best buds <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Maggie%20Smith&tag=thegrekathep-20&index=dvd&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank">Maggie Smith</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Judi%20Dench&tag=thegrekathep-20&index=dvd&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank">Judi Dench</a> (in their first film together since</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2004's</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Lavender-Judi-Dench/dp/B000BITVAG/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199381&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Ladies in Lavender</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">), Bill Nighy (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Actually-Widescreen-Edition-Grant/dp/B00005JMFQ/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199442&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Love Actually</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=penelope%20wilton&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Penelope Wilton</a> (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Downton-Abbey-Original-UK-Edition/dp/B0047H7QD6/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199536&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank">Downton Abbey</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">), Celia Imrie (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nanny-McPhee-Widescreen-Edition-Thompson/dp/B000F1IQNM/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199601&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Nanny McPhee</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Calendar-Girls-Helen-Mirren/dp/B0001I55M4/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199641&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Calendar Girls</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=tom%20wilkinson&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Tom Wilkinson</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=tom%20wilkinson&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=ronald+pickup&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Aronald+pickup" target="_blank">Ronald Pickup</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC_OmcxkpcluHc_DwnpHelIpVvTWnVtaYULDUmTKfLmfj6S3KQpFHoLq7wb7dzocqdPWIYEuh4vKwAGye_eGA8DTM5coSlSmECrTia4RjDFmvdyN3hujANZor0Dak2oPJifedpLYkqUPf/s1600/BEMH+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC_OmcxkpcluHc_DwnpHelIpVvTWnVtaYULDUmTKfLmfj6S3KQpFHoLq7wb7dzocqdPWIYEuh4vKwAGye_eGA8DTM5coSlSmECrTia4RjDFmvdyN3hujANZor0Dak2oPJifedpLYkqUPf/s320/BEMH+poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The setting of the film in a tired old palace in the midst of a vibrant, colorful culture is representative of the message of the film as a whole: old people discovering that all the glories of life are still available to them and that new adventures are still to be had after age fifty. It also defiantly proclaims that age and beauty are no longer contradictory states of being. It also bashes the assumption that the elderly are no longer expected to have any sort of sex drive whatsoever. When one character asks her friend whether he thinks it's safe to have sex at his age, he cheekily replies, "If she dies, she dies!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although each of the retirees is motivated by a different set of circumstances, they are united by an intense curiosity about what life has to offer them. We the audience gradually learn about each character's background as they move forward, discovering their future. The unfoldment of each personal journey is presented in a graceful, natural way that makes this movie a real pleasure. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3HSg29km4IPeZBkofWY_gqGDqfiNR97Ajv9JcVysS0BT5NQyXFrNW0GV42-JPzwQoH1n0eC36CoOvlOuLREX06oBg2XINTcDZ7SuxHugI38FVNYYGtPvHxxdWKc8RLcuKQbAlV90QPpk/s1600/BEMH+poster+ii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3HSg29km4IPeZBkofWY_gqGDqfiNR97Ajv9JcVysS0BT5NQyXFrNW0GV42-JPzwQoH1n0eC36CoOvlOuLREX06oBg2XINTcDZ7SuxHugI38FVNYYGtPvHxxdWKc8RLcuKQbAlV90QPpk/s320/BEMH+poster+ii.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The hotel is run by Sonny (Dev Patel of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slumdog-Millionaire-Dev-Patel/dp/B001P9KR8U/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199804&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Slumdog Millionaire</a></i>), a young Indian boy who is full of all the vitality, optimism, and naivete of youth. His philosophy of life sustains him through many personal trials and endears him to many of the hotel's guests: "Everything will be all right in the end. If everything is not all right, then it is not the end." Although Sonny is charming, his character and his relationship with a young Indian woman lack the depth and development of the older characters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Exotic-Marigold-Hotel/dp/0812982428/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199078&camp=1789&sr=8-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</a></i> fills the senses with India. One can almost smell the spices along with the breathtaking colors and sounds of urban Jaipur. Director <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=john%20madden&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">John Madden</a> has truly harnessed the essence of India in his upbeat filming in the city, as well as in the camera's sweeping gaze of the Indian countryside. My friends who accompanied me to the theatre have been to India and other parts of southeast Asia, and they tell me that the movie really caught the hustle and bustle of the overpopulated country, and they they each identified with the Brits' terror of navigating the city streets and their uncertainty about the cuisine.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK73c8JYW2atrWyJq7c_6Ak-4REMD30MGlelyURiz9qhVKQZNzLmiSUD4oNypXQ9Sw3rUtnQPoMBK7z8pZXoyk44mg6PKRJcJFmc9RgI4qMpOCT-ORCOd2HIJXYI4zYbPJwrb_AyKWu1sy/s1600/BEMH+MS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK73c8JYW2atrWyJq7c_6Ak-4REMD30MGlelyURiz9qhVKQZNzLmiSUD4oNypXQ9Sw3rUtnQPoMBK7z8pZXoyk44mg6PKRJcJFmc9RgI4qMpOCT-ORCOd2HIJXYI4zYbPJwrb_AyKWu1sy/s200/BEMH+MS.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Maggie%20Smith&tag=thegrekathep-20&index=dvd&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank">Maggie Smith</a> (in whispered horror): <br />
"There's an Indian in there!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Although the major characters in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Exotic-Marigold-Hotel/dp/0812982428/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337199078&camp=1789&sr=8-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel</a> </i>are older, this movie is as much about life and culture as it is about growing old. It is hilariously funny while simultaneously being heartwarmingly sincere. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has a sense of humor, a love of color, and a zest for life!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-65102304838024923372012-05-14T09:43:00.000-07:002012-06-15T11:49:55.333-07:00Dark Shadows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wpWvkFlyl4M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite a rotten <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark-shadows-2010/">Rotten Tomatoes</a> rating of only 42%, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burton-Collection-Amazon-com-Exclusive-Blu-ray/dp/B007GE98WO/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013370&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Tim Burton</a>'s <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Johnny-Depp/dp/B005LAIHIQ/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013695&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">Dark Shadows</a></i> is still a lot of fun for fans of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=johnny%20depp%20tim%20burton&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Burton/Depp</a> collaborations. The film has all the earmarks of a usual <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=johnny%20depp%20tim%20burton&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Burton/Depp</a> production, though it falls short of being a masterpiece. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burton-Collection-Amazon-com-Exclusive-Blu-ray/dp/B007GE98WO/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013370&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Tim Burton</a>'s other half, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=helena%20bonham%20carter&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&sprefix=helena%20b%2Cmovies-tv%2C143" target="_blank">Helena Bonham Carter</a> makes her appearance as the family's gin-swilling, gerascophobic psychiatrist. There is also the expected amount of blood, dark eye shadow, and shabby-chic costuming that accompanies a Burton flick. But it is the silky smooth dialogue, and the delivery of same by Johnny Depp, which prevents this movie from slipping into the realms of pure kitsch.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknGMQLlSHW_dB9FrI9-6FSf8XvXPwSaOwUPjgltxOdfJ83Y24grT_tockFBwRRUHJKsdbpKgpxI7zHi6Gh1uAe4fSW16O74GU4dEfwNXCHGFoRCZr-c2gKucgLCIcKqjeI-5GgmMVJa3V/s1600/demon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknGMQLlSHW_dB9FrI9-6FSf8XvXPwSaOwUPjgltxOdfJ83Y24grT_tockFBwRRUHJKsdbpKgpxI7zHi6Gh1uAe4fSW16O74GU4dEfwNXCHGFoRCZr-c2gKucgLCIcKqjeI-5GgmMVJa3V/s320/demon.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Depp plays Barnabas Collins, a member of the founding family of a Maine sea port, who has been transformed into a vampire and buried in a steel coffin by a jealous witch, Angelique (Eva Green). Barnabas is accidentally recovered from the grave by some construction men and finds himself in 1972. Returning to his family's estate, he discovers that the family business has been all but ruined thanks to the diabolical manipulations of the ageless Angelique. As Barnabas attempts to defeat his arch enemy once and for all, he falls in love with the family's nanny, Vicky, the spitting image of his long lost Josette (Bella Heathcote), wooing her with his outdated honeyed phrases. "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">A name like Victoria is so beautiful,'' he purrs in his plummy British accent, ''that I could not bear to part with a single syllable of it.''</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Barnabas' innate "uncoolness," as describes by <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20587645,00.html">Entertainment Weekly</a>, is what ironically makes him cool in the eyes of both the hippies in the film, and the modern audience of hipsters, for whom all things uncool are in fact the coolest of all. It's this sort of philosophy that can sustain this film through all its faults. There are too many side stories which distract from the main thrust of the plot. There's a certain amount of gore and sex, but scenes containing these elements are in no way innovative or especially clever in their execution. For fans of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=johnny%20depp%20tim%20burton&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Burton/Depp</a> comedy, the script does not fail to tickle the funny-bone, but the jokes are campy at best.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W9kEXRw44Eu02NpdvTS6hnsmD0CcLtDkP63SEbebV2yqeu89ttOqivi0mLhbz_A6iKCJcCcOyCRr8pV9RDgj8Xi08F1tyUZ_qbtA1ejufMCc7g7PqR3_hlBR5B6OjEcx0IdS6d8CcVLw/s1600/angie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W9kEXRw44Eu02NpdvTS6hnsmD0CcLtDkP63SEbebV2yqeu89ttOqivi0mLhbz_A6iKCJcCcOyCRr8pV9RDgj8Xi08F1tyUZ_qbtA1ejufMCc7g7PqR3_hlBR5B6OjEcx0IdS6d8CcVLw/s200/angie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnny Depp and Eva Green</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The female characters in this film fall short in passing the <a href="http://thegreatkh.blogspot.com/2012/02/bechdel-test.html">Bechdel Test</a>. If they ever speak to each other, it's only about a male character, usually Barnabas (with the exception of the </span><i style="line-height: 20px;">brief </i><span style="line-height: 20px;">interview with the new nanny). Or they're at each other's throats for one reason or another. And the characterizations of the women are far from progressive. The one female character with any power is, as is so often the case in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=383256011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013554&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1339178482&pf_rd_s=structured-results-2&camp=1789&sr=1-2-tc&pf_rd_r=9BD103F075594854A5BC&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=disney%20dvd" target="_blank">Disney</a> movies, the villainess. She is portrayed much more as a sexualized character than as an intelligently worthy opponent. Another woman character is an insecure alcoholic. One is an escaped lunatic. Another is a teenage brat who doesn't have a nice thing to say to anybody. The only woman with any semblance of strength, the family matriarch Elizabeth (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=michelle%20pfeiffer&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank">Michelle Pfeiffer</a>), is still dependent on an undead ancestor to restore the family business to its former glory. Although she is clearly an intelligent, hard-working, and caring mother, she is necessarily unable to take care of her family without a man's guidance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">All-in-all, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Johnny-Depp/dp/B005LAIHIQ/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013695&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">Dark Shadows</a></i> was worth the price of the ticket. It's dialogue is witty, it's accurately nostalgic, and there are enough elements of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burton-Collection-Amazon-com-Exclusive-Blu-ray/dp/B007GE98WO/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013370&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Tim Burton</a>'s classic style to make it more interesting than your average early-summer flick. It's definitely not for kids; wait for Burton's pending <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frankenweenie-Winona-Ryder/dp/B005LAII9Y/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1337013149&camp=1789&sr=8-5&creative=9325" target="_blank">Frankenweenie</a> </i>later in the summer. But if you've got a bored Sunday afternoon to spend on an off-beat sort of movie, go ahead and check it out.</span></span></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thegrekathep-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005LAIHIQ&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thegrekathep-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005LAII9Y&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-69515088546608650402012-05-09T11:23:00.000-07:002012-06-15T11:09:34.343-07:00Avenging Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVtioPvy0GKAlyNnjgEUbu5rU2gcENByBs89x7iB5HbKaCvuqaXFzyI-z25cj7uhOJQKKVOSeFONwNJCw0exjhP92qKn9qkI7YeuXo9OdIfw9WbOxdqHr8zf50h0DMluOftytFu1lC-Sj/s1600/avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzdAiWt9nqsgs9LbqnTl-Sx10tv49epGs_90mRAAmL4YOvpEaqIrtR0ZJhHcDgFuO_AQ1AbgK7zzg6eP2zP0Jn7yq_4QgH8XbIzsit1tiP6foLRkgyWs0XS_JsuFSRTVd7ZUwoTjIsGTT/s1600/avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzdAiWt9nqsgs9LbqnTl-Sx10tv49epGs_90mRAAmL4YOvpEaqIrtR0ZJhHcDgFuO_AQ1AbgK7zzg6eP2zP0Jn7yq_4QgH8XbIzsit1tiP6foLRkgyWs0XS_JsuFSRTVd7ZUwoTjIsGTT/s320/avengers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"If I don't get pants, nobody gets pants!"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVtioPvy0GKAlyNnjgEUbu5rU2gcENByBs89x7iB5HbKaCvuqaXFzyI-z25cj7uhOJQKKVOSeFONwNJCw0exjhP92qKn9qkI7YeuXo9OdIfw9WbOxdqHr8zf50h0DMluOftytFu1lC-Sj/s1600/avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVtioPvy0GKAlyNnjgEUbu5rU2gcENByBs89x7iB5HbKaCvuqaXFzyI-z25cj7uhOJQKKVOSeFONwNJCw0exjhP92qKn9qkI7YeuXo9OdIfw9WbOxdqHr8zf50h0DMluOftytFu1lC-Sj/s400/avengers.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My roommate found this infographic online and showed it to me and she and I had a good laugh about it. But then it struck me that it would actually be funnier if it were more true. The top pie chart says women won't like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=BCE80520D5E34895ABE1&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a> </i>because it has a sexy woman in it, while the bottom chart illustrates how women will like the movie because it has a lot of hot guys in it. Both paint a rather limited, and inaccurate, view of how women view movies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I saw <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=BCE80520D5E34895ABE1&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a></i> with a group of girl friends and we really enjoyed the movie. We thought it was hilarious, had a deep, meaningful story, and we loved the running, jumping, blowing things up. Sure, we noticed the hot biceps and chiseled features of the super-heroes, but it certainly wasn't the reason we enjoyed the film as a whole. If the men had been ugly, but all the other elements were in place, we probably would have still liked the film. Conversely, if the men had been hot but the movie crap, we would have walked out of the theatre. We cannot have a double standard, expecting men to stop being turned on by objectified female characters while we simultaneously swoon over the male physique on screen. It isn't fair for either gender.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvf4odb9iucaEkl6NoWUU3TSiQPoN-7dqNdCInhZBgRyRmG3C9Pb1SiZkecFXG0FF2LaeFDhb0he3WRlxGfdGNRcxViuXTJChEAW6MuMTRmoK_JAowzdj7VShh7Metr5uzQNM01LCw2H1K/s1600/maria+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvf4odb9iucaEkl6NoWUU3TSiQPoN-7dqNdCInhZBgRyRmG3C9Pb1SiZkecFXG0FF2LaeFDhb0he3WRlxGfdGNRcxViuXTJChEAW6MuMTRmoK_JAowzdj7VShh7Metr5uzQNM01LCw2H1K/s200/maria+hill.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cobie Smulders as<br />
Agent Maria Hill</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That said, let us take a look at how women were portrayed in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=BCE80520D5E34895ABE1&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a></i>. First of all, it does not pass the <a href="http://thegreatkh.blogspot.com/2012/02/bechdel-test.html"><span style="color: blue;">Bechdel Test</span></a>. There are two women in the movie and I don't remember them ever speaking to each other. The first is Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=how%20i%20met%20your%20mother&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">How I Met Your Mother</span></a></i>). Apparently she actually used to be head of S.H.I.E.L.D. but in this movies she's basically Captain Fury's second. Then there's the only female super-hero, the Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson. Although neither woman fills a sexually objectified role in the film, neither woman is in a position of leadership either. They both wear tight-fitting black uniforms which show off their curves, but I must admit it could me so much worse. In an interview with<span style="color: blue;"> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entertainment-Weekly-1-year-auto-renewal/dp/B0037STB02/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1266839162&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=126B8D06966043BEBFA6&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=entertainment%20weekly" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a></i></span>, Johansson described the traditional female superhero when she said, "They're always fighting in a bra, so while it might be exciting for a still photo, it's ridiculous. I do think superheroine movies are normally corny and bad. They're always, like, fighting in four-inch heels with their [thrusting out her chest] like a two-gun salute." While </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=BCE80520D5E34895ABE1&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> certainly doesn't portray the Black Widow like </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">that</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, there is still an echo of the old male-gaze voyeurism in the way the camera follows her, always positioning the viewer to get a great look at her backside.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvJ236hQiCoCfvs_vs3qZ3-mR4_aSvs4CDtPokJc7VfykE-NGl2hyphenhyphen7BMRE0nKi6V3dqbny6IB8Q8v-gaOurYM2w8Lm3uMb735IxIyk8zpIGkyyWwen6rOvVwaEt2UVzDPo3MOkgW_KaLD/s1600/black+widow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvJ236hQiCoCfvs_vs3qZ3-mR4_aSvs4CDtPokJc7VfykE-NGl2hyphenhyphen7BMRE0nKi6V3dqbny6IB8Q8v-gaOurYM2w8Lm3uMb735IxIyk8zpIGkyyWwen6rOvVwaEt2UVzDPo3MOkgW_KaLD/s320/black+widow.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlett Johansson as<br />
The Black Widow</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the same<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Entertainment-Weekly-1-year-auto-renewal/dp/B0037STB02/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1266839162&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=126B8D06966043BEBFA6&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=entertainment%20weekly" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Entertainment Weekly</span></a> </i>interview, Samuel L. Jackson expresses the chauvinist attitude that is still present in Hollywood today:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Jackson</b>: They got to get <i>The Pro</i> to the screen! I love that book!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Johansson</b>: What's<i> The Pro</i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Jackson</b>: It's [a comic book] about a hooker who gets superpowers!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Johansson</b>: That is exactly the problem right there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Jackson</b>: It's a totally dope book, though.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>Johansson</b>: I'd have to wear pasties to greenlight any of these movies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Director Joss Whedon gives a nod to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=4939513011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1355433342&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=60FD2861CAEB4EBA8B57&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20hunger%20games" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Hunger Games</span></a></i> for taking a great step in changing how the film industry approaches woman as action heroes: "Studios will tell you: A woman cannot headline an action movie. After <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=4939513011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1355433342&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=60FD2861CAEB4EBA8B57&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20hunger%20games" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Hunger Games</span></a></i> they might stop telling you that a little bit. Whatever you think of the movie, it's done a great service."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj616bMFS29e17W9GmgrywRpqVnurQdYU8jT4dhJXZkAwm_I94fjxQfugRcePcOKqCRzgGHZ_CSWVy34idTAq66bSR1GX6gO2URpGlHwfsXzE0VoSooZegRICZqxTmIp7jnC5TLLZXlLl/s1600/female+avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj616bMFS29e17W9GmgrywRpqVnurQdYU8jT4dhJXZkAwm_I94fjxQfugRcePcOKqCRzgGHZ_CSWVy34idTAq66bSR1GX6gO2URpGlHwfsXzE0VoSooZegRICZqxTmIp7jnC5TLLZXlLl/s320/female+avengers.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is clear that there is still a lot of progress to be made in promoting strong women on the screen. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=BCE80520D5E34895ABE1&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a> </i>does not regress into many of the failings of past superhero movies in how it presents its female characters, but it is limited by comic book characterizations that were developed in a time when women were not expected to take on more powerful roles. If Joss Whedon is correct in thinking <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=4939513011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1355433342&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=60FD2861CAEB4EBA8B57&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20hunger%20games" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Hunger Games</span></a></i> has paved the way for a more progressive female protagonist, I look forward to the superheroine movies to come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-68049646620671420512012-05-07T08:19:00.001-07:002012-06-15T11:12:19.801-07:00The Avengers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In what <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-1-year-auto-renewal/dp/B002PXVYU0/?_encoding=UTF8&s=magazines&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336402901&camp=1789&sr=1-1&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Time magazine</i></span></a> (May 7, 2012) calls the "first of this summer's ultra-expensive, apex-predator blockbuster movies," and the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Traveling-Wilburys-Vol-1/dp/B001A3CP5Y/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336403160&camp=1789&sr=8-3&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Travelling Wilberys</span></a> of super-hero franchises," six super-heroes assemble to defend earth against an alien invasion. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D calls together Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Rufallo), Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to join forces against Thor's [adopted] brother , Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has enlisted the evil Chitauri to help him enslave the human race. The film is directed by Joss Whedon, a super-hero among super-hero fans and creator/director of<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=buffy%20the%20vampire%20slayer&url=search-alias%3Daps" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Buffy the Vampire Slayer</span></a></i>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&field-keywords=buffy%20the%20vampire%20slayer&url=search-alias%3Daps#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=firefly&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Afirefly" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Firefly</i></span></a>, and the most recent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Cabin-Woods-Chris-Hemsworth/dp/B005LAIHC2/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336402793&camp=1789&sr=8-1&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>The Cabin in the Woods</i></span></a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lt-JJK7FOCs0nNnFzEECZaDWNlLL_m1zbwL6Qj7H2aAfSJ0hKFaj00Lc4LvieVIF6QVZGQDapck6G7Y5OKPBh4yR05Cta0ayQ7v8gxVMoXiApekN1-Xl3lPj_qnOn9B-Ty1Gt989wIv-/s1600/avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lt-JJK7FOCs0nNnFzEECZaDWNlLL_m1zbwL6Qj7H2aAfSJ0hKFaj00Lc4LvieVIF6QVZGQDapck6G7Y5OKPBh4yR05Cta0ayQ7v8gxVMoXiApekN1-Xl3lPj_qnOn9B-Ty1Gt989wIv-/s1600/avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lt-JJK7FOCs0nNnFzEECZaDWNlLL_m1zbwL6Qj7H2aAfSJ0hKFaj00Lc4LvieVIF6QVZGQDapck6G7Y5OKPBh4yR05Cta0ayQ7v8gxVMoXiApekN1-Xl3lPj_qnOn9B-Ty1Gt989wIv-/s320/avengers.jpg" width="216" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This film has some of the funniest lines I have ever heard in an action movie. The team of super-personalities is supported by witty, rapid-fire dialogue which keeps pace with the motion of the plot. If you have not seen the four "tent-pole" movies feeding into this one (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Single-Disc-Edition-Robert-Downey/dp/B001C08RHA/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336403282&camp=1789&sr=8-4&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Iron Man</i></span></a> (2008,2010),<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-America-The-First-Avenger/dp/B005IZLPKQ/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336403907&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Captain America</i></span></a> (2011), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thor-Chris-Hemsworth/dp/B0034G4P80/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336403416&camp=1789&sr=1-2&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Thor</i></span></a> (2011)), you might have some difficulty in understanding the background stories, and consequential motivations, of each hero. It can be tremendously difficult to keep track of who has what super-power and who is vulnerable to what. This can be especially puzzling when the super-heroes are quarreling amongst themselves. For example, who knew that Thor's hammer could send Iron Man hurtling through the woods but fail to penetrate Captain America's fancy-shmancy shield? Actually, one thing that sets this group apart from others like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-Trilogy-X2-United-Stand/dp/B000HEVZ9E/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336403506&camp=1789&sr=1-6&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">X-Men</span></a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Four-Rise-Silver-Surfer/dp/B000VI70QS/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336403590&camp=1789&sr=1-5&creative=9325" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Fantastic Four</span></a> is that technically not all of them have super-powers. Iron Man just has a fancy suit, and the Black Widow, well I don't really now her power. She's a good spy? She can shoot really well? She looks good in a body suit (more on this later)? I would recommend honing your Avengers knowledge before attempting to understand exactly what's going on in this movie.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Director Joss Whedon</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM9S7LAeA_cXTi4cGKRk-ABfrpKFyXfsyNaKnR859ug22RGTT33f8lCTjDCqz1H_JiNwyQIKgbBrnGp-cvFTxYfyOPUf9YpsN9rGNdasE2mD8ZBL2CajKbAoIXA0Ph5yI4puU9enYuH79/s1600/joss+whedon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's not to say that this movie is only for Marvel Comic fans. At bottom, each super-hero in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=ADD0C17DB5704280A213&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers%202012" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a></i> represents a distinct subset of American values. I think we are a conflicted nation, suspicious of our government, dissilusioned by the concepts of "freedom" and "democracy," insecure about our status as a world power, and cynical about our future. We can sympathize with Loki, who wants to quiet everyone down to submission, but we are tied to a history and a set of ethics that resists tyranny and encourages freedom of thought, speech, and action. As Joss Whedon (right) himself says in an interview with Time, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=ADD0C17DB5704280A213&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers%202012" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a></i> is "a story about broken people... about what we've lost that we used to have culturally, in terms of this sense of community, this sense of helping each other, this sense of sacrifice." We find strength in the idea that individuals of moral fortitude can summon the power to unify and defeat the foe. Because of this driving urge that lives at the heart of our civilization, super-hero movies like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_t=301&node=5021108011&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1363306982&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&camp=1789&pf_rd_r=ADD0C17DB5704280A213&creative=9325&pf_rd_i=the%20avengers%202012" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Avengers</span></a></i> come to have a much deeper significance for the American movie-going public.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-15599733172322027982012-01-23T07:33:00.000-08:002012-06-15T11:13:23.412-07:00The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite the decidedly dark subject of this story, <em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo </em>was an amazingly engaging film. Recently disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired by the head of a wealthy Swedish family to discover whatever became of his niece, who went missing forty years ago and was never heard from again. Blomkvist in turn hires Lisbeth Salander, a young goth/punk techie, to help him uncover a decades-old mystery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The success of the film can be divided fairly equally into three parts: its casting, the cinematography, and the screenplay itself. Rooney Mara's Lisbeth is a dark, but undoubtedly multi-dimensional character. By way of her subtle facial expressions one gets a sense of her depth without losing the integrity of her tough-girl façade. Our understanding of Lisbeth's nature is allowed to unfold throughout the movie, giving audiences a very rich picture of her experience and character. We are at once allied to her success and intimidated by her intense behavior. Mara's precision and focus as an actor result in this thorough characterization.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The cinematography of this film beautifully captures the barren starkness of northern Sweden. The snow and wind make one positively shiver with cold. The filming captures the feel of the geographic location while also paying close attention to the beautiful detail of the faces.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TzfVoNvURjix5kNKOGjEB2iEXCwaKRicRtPh1Gl0mlQOtE2cuTnexsDJ54w4m_CPEg9lsvRFCEGLU_k5Cw7hFTa3QekUVDm5iIE9Tkncfy72EsqOxvuDZsRwBg3zrDHywkph3xWMNNZj/s1600/Tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TzfVoNvURjix5kNKOGjEB2iEXCwaKRicRtPh1Gl0mlQOtE2cuTnexsDJ54w4m_CPEg9lsvRFCEGLU_k5Cw7hFTa3QekUVDm5iIE9Tkncfy72EsqOxvuDZsRwBg3zrDHywkph3xWMNNZj/s320/Tattoo.jpg" width="214" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The presentation of the story itself is very well-arranged. Like any good mystery, the clues are presented one by one, not necessarily in order, leading to a climactic discovery near the end of the film. The mystery is such that you can make intelligent guesses as to how you think the thing was done and by whom, but you don't really know until the very last minute. There was also a legitimate amount of time spent on the development of the individual characters so that the film wasn't dragged down with too much heady plot thrust. The deft interweaving of both aspects of the story buoyed the tone of the film - knowing about the characters helped us understand the motivations behind the action while the action simultaneously helped us learn more about the characters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are two distinct problems this film presents. First of all is the abrupt and ungraceful transition at the end from the resolution of the mystery to the sub-plot about Mikael's career and the man who ruined it at the start of the film. This section of the movie, toward the end, feels disjointed. I was told that it is actually part of the second book in the series, so maybe this explains why it doesn't seem to fit well here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The final scene of the movie was very close to ruining the whole thing. I don't think it'd be a spoiler if I said what happens. Basically, Lisbeth buys Mikael a present, then when she rides over to give it to him, he leaves his apartment with another woman and Lisbeth dumps the present in a nearby dumpster then rides off. This whole scene smack of the films of old Hollywood when a female character was really strong throughout the film, but in the last scenes is portrayed as weak. This was a way for those filmmakers to mediate films with strong gender messages with a decidedly patriarchal society. The majority of the film would exhibit non-conformist feminism, then the woman would be "tamed" or "put back in her place" by a hasty, often unrealistic ending. In <em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em>, we see a similar scene follow that trend. We have been led to believe that Lisbeth is a girl who can take care of herself, in more ways than one. Why then have the film end on a scene that portrays her as "just a woman." It's almost as if the message of the film abruptly becomes, "even though she's a highly intelligent, self-sufficient woman who can beat up her rapist and trap an international con-man, she still just a woman who feels hurt when jilted by a man." Now, I think one of this movie's strong points is that Lisbeth is portrayed in various scenes as very tough, but also human. But the final scene doesn't need to undermine strength of her humanity in this way (I also don't care if the book ends this way as well - my point is that it's a bad ending under any circumstances).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I encourage everyone of age to see this movie. It's very solidly constructed in almost every way. I think one needs to have a strong stomach for those scenes that are a bit unsavory, but the tempo of the story is satisfying. If I were to see it again, I would just leave before that very last scene. Actually, it would be an awesome place to end, before that very last scene, and that almost makes it worse that they insisted on tacking it on.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-35272450011569625402012-01-06T07:28:00.000-08:002012-06-15T11:14:19.189-07:00Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows<br />
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I really don't know why I should be writing a review about this film. They always say, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." But if Thomas Paine had lived up to that adage, where would this country be today? I also believe that this is a very popular movie, everybody likes it, it's just not my kind of film. But in my defense, I've been pretty flexible. I enjoyed suspending belief for <em>Cowboys and Aliens</em>. Even the first <em>Sherlock Holmes </em>(2009) was bearable because of its inventiveness. There aren't very many film genres which I wholly dislike. Unless you want to start a genre called the "rotten-Hollywood-film-adaptions-of-good-books" genre.</div>
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It seemed like, for most of this movie, we were watching a lot of movement, but little action. There was a lot of dialogue, but very little was said. Everything was so fast-paced and flashy that the audience was too lost to even realized it was confused. There would be some fast exchange between Holmes and Watson, and we're so impressed by the style of their banter that we never stop to ask, "Okay, so <em>what's</em> the plan again?" The film takes us places when we don't even know where or why we're going. There are fight scenes when we don't know who we're fighting or why, or even why we care!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DKPPsyxOTfc4fFmC1ufjtP_vOEqPj7lQxOAXap3TQDRKsYn47qTfbp8ohaxeUGCd2_4KqGYlS7BdDshF8kmXKsivaPy2sMwFsvagwVUlTxfPTCTp2TUd7e5Y-g5rWN-crqB5ULbBWQBO/s1600/sherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DKPPsyxOTfc4fFmC1ufjtP_vOEqPj7lQxOAXap3TQDRKsYn47qTfbp8ohaxeUGCd2_4KqGYlS7BdDshF8kmXKsivaPy2sMwFsvagwVUlTxfPTCTp2TUd7e5Y-g5rWN-crqB5ULbBWQBO/s320/sherlock.jpg" width="218" /></span></a>The Sherlock Holmes I know is not as out-going as Robert Downing , Jr.'s portrayal. I think even the last <em>Sherlock Holmes</em> captured him a bit more accurately. And, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure Watson doesn't get married until much later. And when did Sherlock Holmes ever have anything to do with keeping world order? And who was that chick who was running around with them, and why was she there? And since when are Holmes and Moriarty on speaking terms? And I know Holmes was a boxing champ, but how often did he get into street brawls? Certainly not every other scene. He had so much more class than that. And he was certainly had a lot higher standards of personal hygiene. Why was he unshaven for the whole film? And what time period are we supposed to be in, remind me? They repeated the year a number of times, but I don't remember Holmes and Watson ever driving around in an automobile. They most definitely never had automatic repeater weapons! And they keep talking about a huge European conflict, but WWI is ages away. Are they talking about the Franco-Prussian War? Nobody knows anything about what happened then, except the French.</div>
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Sometimes, the film would take its sweet time explaining things in the story. They'd explain something and I would think, "Thanks for telling me <em>now</em> why I was supposed to care about ten minutes ago!" The whole first half of the movie, Holmes was being peculiar just for the sake of it, not because any of his peculiarities had anything to do with the thrust of the plot.</div>
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So, can I think of anything positive to say about this film? Hm. It looked pretty good for the most part, though the sets, scenery, background, etc. seemed really busy and dirty all the time - but not in an effective way. The scene when they're running through the woods getting shot at in slow motion was kind of cool, but I don't know what the point of it was, nor why it was so drawn out.</div>
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I did love love LOVE seeing Stephen Fry as Mycroft! He was soooo funny! But I don't think anybody in the theatre I was in knew that they were supposed to laugh basically every time he came on the screen. I did - nearly gave myself a hernia.</div>
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In summation, I think most everybody will go to this movie and love it and think it's the best thing ever and quote it forever. But I think they're stupid. This film lacks substance. It is void of any ingenuity, cleverness, innovation beyond what we already saw in the first one. Frankly, I think audiences are getting wise to the muck that Hollywood is turning out. But too many people are willing to pay for that muck, and what I'm learning is that box office numbers literally govern the decision-making process in Hollywood, and that is very discouraging.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-9292803024914485362012-01-05T07:25:00.000-08:002012-06-15T11:16:02.567-07:00War Horse<br />
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How long has it been since we had a corny, sentimental, melodramatic, seven-year-old girl, horse movie? Not long enough. Disney's <em>Secretariat</em> came out just a year ago.</div>
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I had such high hopes for <em>War Horse</em> because I had heard of its success on Broadway. apparently, the puppet horses caused audiences to "become entranced by the mean of making the spectacle, an absorption that, aided by menacing sound and flashing light, focusses attention on the devastation of war and, contrast, the horsiness of a horse - the rearing, twitching, and nuzzling through which its nobility and affection pour out" (<em>The New Yorker</em>, January 2, 2012). Unfortunately, the film lacks the inventiveness of the stage production, making it a predictable bore.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFFFVMohRcasggkxIMAp6BHuhq5WOmjG3rojjGAQO0NOL4CuTTSkApDlOmfvzmU6dzaABV8rmH9CIrfUDdYmGpyFzX94gOsqlYHJSgJ-G1AqQGdd_EV6bW9IdnU7AtyjI6bhuzpWP-RwK/s1600/war+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>In its defense, <em>War Horse</em> contains some of the best WWI scenes I've seen on film. They are not necessarily original in form, but they are beautifully filmed. However, the film-makers should have kept in mind the fact that a film about WWI doesn not need to be over-dramatized - the war itself is dramatic enough for a thousand Oscar wins. If one cuts out the long dramatic pauses, melodramatic facial expressions, and unrealistic staging, one can almost make out the bones of a really interesting story. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFFFVMohRcasggkxIMAp6BHuhq5WOmjG3rojjGAQO0NOL4CuTTSkApDlOmfvzmU6dzaABV8rmH9CIrfUDdYmGpyFzX94gOsqlYHJSgJ-G1AqQGdd_EV6bW9IdnU7AtyjI6bhuzpWP-RwK/s1600/war+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFFFVMohRcasggkxIMAp6BHuhq5WOmjG3rojjGAQO0NOL4CuTTSkApDlOmfvzmU6dzaABV8rmH9CIrfUDdYmGpyFzX94gOsqlYHJSgJ-G1AqQGdd_EV6bW9IdnU7AtyjI6bhuzpWP-RwK/s320/war+horse.jpg" width="216" /></span></a>There are a few little scenelettes which really capture the humanity of WWI through the experience of a horse. This is a unique perspective through which we haven't heard the story told. I don't think many young people today are aware of the role horses played in WWI; the first modern war the world had seen was conducted with some very old-fashioned methods.</div>
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To be honest, I left the theatre feeling angry. The sticky sentimentalism of <em>War Horse</em> made me feel sick. The characters are so shallow, you almost forget they're there - the worrying earth-mother, the drunken father, the clown of a friend (although his final scene is touching), the tragically ill little French girl and her quaint grandfather, the vicious German officer, the bumbling German stable man, the courageously frightened but kindhearted British cavalry officer, the crusty grumpy army doctor who is willing to leave his hundreds of human patients to tend a random horse.... Get the picture? I just wanted to smack my forehead and say "Puh-lease!"</div>
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Watching this film was like watching the SNL or French and Saunders spoof ofthis film. I would say it's the type of story kids would like, except I don't know if I'd want my kids to see some of those war scenes, not because they were graphic, but because WWI is just a really psychologically stressful patch of our history. Overall, I feel cheated by this film. I don't want to recommend it to younger audiences but it's of no value to an adult audience - it completely fails to find its place. I will remember certain scenes, specific shots, which appealed to me visually, and I think the story is a good one. But I would not pay to see this movie, now do I ever wish to sit through it ever again.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-23263890805916519822012-01-03T07:22:00.000-08:002012-06-15T11:18:08.136-07:00The Adventures of Tintin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we were kids, my brother and I loved reading the Tin Tin comic books. We were drawn in by the action and mystery of the stories.</div>
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The new Steven Spielberg film, The Adventures of Tintin, more or less lives up to the original stories. Unfortunately, the action and speed of the picture overwhelm the mystery itself. The film fails in the first half to grab the audience's interest with the mystery of the Unicorn. For most of the film, the viewer doesn't quite remember why we're so keen to find out more about the ship. The antagonists are not very frightening, mostly because we don't know why they pose a threat to Tintin or his quest. There are actually very few moments when the audience is scared. Any suspense is spent quickly as the pace of the film keeps moving. Indeed, the movie goes so quickly that one can get caught up in the pace of adventure without remembering the motive behind the action. Or one is simply bored.</div>
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To be honest, there's not much to say about this movie. It's visually enjoyable, especially in 3D and I think it's the perfect weekend movie for kids who don't need a reason to be swept away in a simple treasure hunt sort of adventure. The comic relief provided by the two bumbling detectives, Thomson and Thompson, is indeed humorous, if a bit annoying. The kids I took to see the movie loved it, but I wonder if they'd enjoy it as much the second or third time, without the 3D glasses.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-25102886595358226002011-12-28T07:19:00.000-08:002012-06-15T11:22:42.970-07:00The Artist<br />
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This is the absolute best picture I have seen in a very long time and everybody with any sense should find a theatre where it is playing, even if you have to go to the next town over, and see it now. It will be at all the awards shows so you had better see it now so that you know what all the hype is about.</div>
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I don't know how I first heard about<em> The Artist</em>. It might have been mentioned on FlickChick's Facebook page, a forum for all old-time-movie lovers. For those of you who haven't heard about it, <em>The Artist</em> is a 2011 silent movie, although, to call it silent is to underestimate the very clever use of sound employed by the movie-makers. The story opens in the mid-1920s with a young, handsome, famous silent film star, George Valentin. He meets a young female fan, Peppy Miller, who is working her way up the ladder of the movie business. When sound pictures are introduced in the late-'20s, his career starts to plummet while her's takes off like a rocket. The plot is not very complex; as he falls lower and lower into depression, she becomes more successful and attempts to help her fallen idol.<em> The Artist</em> is full of laughs, accompanied by some tears. But most importantly, it touches on a very basic human quality: what it means to feel and to care.</div>
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Although the film does not have spoken dialogue, sound is very artfully used throughout the film. Not only is the musical score superb, the sound <em>effects</em> play an integral part in the story. It somehow seems unfair to call the movie silent. The subtle use of sound gives <em>The Artist</em> unimaginable depth that is only possible in a silent movie. It is very important for prospective audiences to know that the lack of spoken dialogue in no way slows down this movie, nor does it make it difficult to understand. The beautiful camera work, sound technique, and excellent timing on the actors' part gives this movie a definite snap, crackle, and pop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HLd08UHRFaRBecggYhK7Dh4UPjc1FVLRYYtQh-bYgH9y3ChLepRzHeXkrU-9Z846aQOe6q0p5nkvuFIDCCG_49JGHBmthB5uBdy0oPSPB2SLIXbfOzFFznd2DZ-epIRgmA6htT5sxHMW/s1600/the+artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HLd08UHRFaRBecggYhK7Dh4UPjc1FVLRYYtQh-bYgH9y3ChLepRzHeXkrU-9Z846aQOe6q0p5nkvuFIDCCG_49JGHBmthB5uBdy0oPSPB2SLIXbfOzFFznd2DZ-epIRgmA6htT5sxHMW/s320/the+artist.jpg" width="234" /></span></a>A lover of silent movies myself, I can greatly appreciate the historical accuracy not only of the story, but of the style of the film itself. The director and cutters really captured the tempo of the old silent films. They also employed the old-fashioned color tinting techniques, displaying an amazing attention to detail that I have not seen in a long time.</div>
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It is so exciting that a silent black and white film is making such waves in this day and age. It has been nominated for more awards than you can count, including at the Cannes Film Festival, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Golden Globes. This film completely revises the modern image of quality film-making. It reminds audiences that the films of our past still have a lot to offer. <em>The Artist</em>, in its own way, legitimizes the films of our past, allowing us not only to view them as part of cinema history, but to also appreciate them in their full value as works of art.</div>
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It is my firm conviction that anybody who can see and hear and feel deeply should go see this movie. I think that people who claim not to like black and white movies, and those who admit never to have seen a silent picture, will be able to enjoy this movie many times more than those who already love old films. I think <em>The Artist</em> can open the eyes of modern audiences to the great possibilities yet available in the film-making industry. It may also reveal both how little and how much we viewer need to expect from Hollywood. This film raises the standard to monumentous heights and it gives me a thrill down my spine to think of what I experienced when I saw this movie at the theatre.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-91110837880804616902011-12-01T07:14:00.000-08:002012-06-15T11:32:01.550-07:00Hugo<div style="text-align: left;">
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Hugo Cabret is a little boy who lives in the walls of a 1930s-era Paris train station. His job is to keep the many clocks of the station in working order, but in his spare time he works on his late father's pet project, trying to repair a broken automaton. He is constantly getting into scrapes with a toy-shop owner and with the station's guard, a lame WWI veteran with a mean doberman. Hugo's work on the automaton leads him into some unusual friendships, including the unexpected relationship with one of the great pioneers of filmaking, George Melies.</div>
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This film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is wonderfully cast, with a couple familair faces from the Harry Potter films; Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour acompany other greats like Christopher Lee, Ben Kignsley, and Sacha Baron Cohen. However, the characters portrayed by these talented actors are not very well folded into the storyline of the film, nor do they have any direct connection with the central character. At a climactic moment of the film, Hugo reaches out to these characters, begging them to help him, and all we get from them are blank looks. The exchange leaves the audience wondering about the purpose of those characters if they are not going to be in any way involved in Hugo's story. This is one of the many frustrations a viewer experiences when watching this film.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XQHnxu_oMzIifdoNZG_7fNSO3cnpXoy6bsg3t-e5LrbzNjB_uav5pDe1BCu4xaBl7hx9Ks3_vs-y_xNvPFVJrCgFk1E-6zz7WzDxUKZAUCT06Ze0nReLltMa6IM9hR9PCS_pTVBVbjRU/s1600/hugo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XQHnxu_oMzIifdoNZG_7fNSO3cnpXoy6bsg3t-e5LrbzNjB_uav5pDe1BCu4xaBl7hx9Ks3_vs-y_xNvPFVJrCgFk1E-6zz7WzDxUKZAUCT06Ze0nReLltMa6IM9hR9PCS_pTVBVbjRU/s320/hugo.jpg" width="216" /></span></a>The two young actors who play Hugo (Asa Butterfield) and his friend (Chloe Grace Moretz) display a remarkable amount of control in their movement and facial expression. They are clearly talentated young people, but they did not have the raw, clean, candidness of real children. In many ways, Butterfield and Moretz's mastery of the technical aspect of acting keeps them from seeming childlike. In many cases, their fear, sadness, and excitement feels forced, calculated.</div>
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It cannot be denied that the film is asthetically pleasing. But the drive of the plot is profoundly disjointed. The audience is not always sure about the central theme of this picture. Is it about living in a train staion? Is it about clocks? Is it about film? Filmaking? Books? A Father-son relationship? Magic? In trying to be all of these things, the film fails to be any one of them. There is no glue binding the story together. I could understand how the many sub-plots might have worked very well in book form because it's easier for a reader to follow the linear pattern of several stories simultaneously. But the film audience is rather different. Either the stories must be distincly separate narratives, as in <em>Love Actualy</em>, or they must be completely coherent.</div>
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The film also takes its time in answering many questions which tend to nag the viewer and distract from enjoying the film. For example, we know that Hugo is living alone at the station, but it isn't until you are a good way into the film that we are told how he got there and even longer until we discover why he's alone. We never learn how his mother died. And we never know how Isabelle's parents died.</div>
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There are some good points to the film. The designers have done an amazing job capturing the look and feel of 1930s Paris. The costumes are superbe. I don't remember having heard any egregeous grammatical errors, and that's always a plus. The film also pays tribute to the earliest pioneer of film-making, the great Georges Melies. It is always nice for film-lovers to stroll down memory lane and experience some of those innovative shots again. If this film had been devoted to the history of film from the start, instead of being constantly distracted by the many random floating themes, it could really have been something.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-26784362764124755182011-08-15T07:13:00.000-07:002012-06-15T11:34:39.339-07:00The Help<br />
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<em>Driving Miss Daisy</em> has been one of my favorite movies about racial relations in the South for a long time, but I believe it has now been surpassed by leagues by <em>The Help. The Help</em> is about a young white graduate of Ole Miss who, trying to make a name for herself as a writer, decides to put together a book of stories about life as an African American working for white people. She slowly befriends two black maids and begins to uncover the other side to life in the deep south in the 1960s.</div>
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Although at first I thought the movie was going to be about the writer, Skeeter (not Rita), the film is narrated at the beginning and end by Aibileen, the maid helping her with the stories. The story of the movie is usurped by the two wonderfully strong characters of Aibileen (Viola Davis) and her best friend Minny (Octavia Spencer). The performances given by these two actresses are out-of-this-world amazing. I really forgot they were actually actors. They offer a picture of black womanhood in the south which salutes the strength, intelligence, and courage expressed by these participants in American history.</div>
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The audience experiencing this picture is taken on a pleasurable roller-coaster ride of emotions. As my friend pointed out, she felt the range of human emotions without getting sick to her stomach. There are some points during this movie when the audience was practically on the floor laughing - I had stitches in my side when I walked out (Sissy Spacek has a small but HILARIOUS part in this picture). But there were also many times when I was as nervous, suspicious, or afraid as any of the characters in the movie. And I can tell you there wasn't a dry eye in house when the film ended. On the whole, the movie was a feel-good film. There's also such a deep sense of credibility in this film which really captures the reality of southern life in the 1960s. Like <em>Driving Miss Daisy</em>, the director was able to translate the flavor of the south onto the screen.</div>
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<em>The Help</em> is a beautiful movie on every level. The cinematography, music, script, wardrobe, and casting departments put together one of the best films I've seen this summer. I STRONGLY recommend that one go see this movie in cinemas. Although there may be one or two scenes which are not appropriate for young children, I would also encourage you to take along as many young people as are appropriate because it is essential that the young people of America come to understand the true situation of race relations in the 1960s, and there's no better way than through film to get this point across.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581509646636552299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866620996208352507.post-52897949978594392372011-08-08T07:11:00.000-07:002012-06-15T11:36:02.881-07:00Rise of the Planet of the Apes<br />
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When I saw the preview for this film, I got really excited! I remember seeing the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Apes-Charlton-Heston/dp/B000E6ESEO/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336447062&camp=1789&sr=8-1&creative=9325" target="_blank">Charlton Heston</a> version when I was a kid and although I wasn't super impressed with most of the film, I couldn't help being blown away by that superb ending! The remake from a few years ago wasn't bad either. This new movie, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Planet-Apes-James-Franco/dp/B004LWZW4M/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336447142&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Rise of the Planet of the Apes</a></em>, is certainly worthy to be a member of the film legacy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCkzzuuQeaXzxnQ0IUzt5lMAffF0CEcVzG1woQ76SP8_wPo02WVEIEcWQmCKyIqS-ldzqhnuupr-yyTc7D6cWAy2_A3VnbLwqWtVLZADcYB4WmzxX0NiRAodFegAAtl2UTZbIMBRW7dt7/s1600/apes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCkzzuuQeaXzxnQ0IUzt5lMAffF0CEcVzG1woQ76SP8_wPo02WVEIEcWQmCKyIqS-ldzqhnuupr-yyTc7D6cWAy2_A3VnbLwqWtVLZADcYB4WmzxX0NiRAodFegAAtl2UTZbIMBRW7dt7/s1600/apes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCkzzuuQeaXzxnQ0IUzt5lMAffF0CEcVzG1woQ76SP8_wPo02WVEIEcWQmCKyIqS-ldzqhnuupr-yyTc7D6cWAy2_A3VnbLwqWtVLZADcYB4WmzxX0NiRAodFegAAtl2UTZbIMBRW7dt7/s1600/apes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCkzzuuQeaXzxnQ0IUzt5lMAffF0CEcVzG1woQ76SP8_wPo02WVEIEcWQmCKyIqS-ldzqhnuupr-yyTc7D6cWAy2_A3VnbLwqWtVLZADcYB4WmzxX0NiRAodFegAAtl2UTZbIMBRW7dt7/s1600/apes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCkzzuuQeaXzxnQ0IUzt5lMAffF0CEcVzG1woQ76SP8_wPo02WVEIEcWQmCKyIqS-ldzqhnuupr-yyTc7D6cWAy2_A3VnbLwqWtVLZADcYB4WmzxX0NiRAodFegAAtl2UTZbIMBRW7dt7/s1600/apes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCkzzuuQeaXzxnQ0IUzt5lMAffF0CEcVzG1woQ76SP8_wPo02WVEIEcWQmCKyIqS-ldzqhnuupr-yyTc7D6cWAy2_A3VnbLwqWtVLZADcYB4WmzxX0NiRAodFegAAtl2UTZbIMBRW7dt7/s1600/apes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>The special effects of the apes makes them very realistic. One can read Caesar's emotions very well - the technology helps to combine the animalistic movements of the ape while capturing the human side of his thoughts and feelings. It's wonderfully profound. And this is one movie which portrays a conflict of one life form against humans in which I am actually in support of the animals. This isn't because the human are portrayed as complete barbarians or as inherently evil. It is because one quickly becomes sympathetic with the plight of the animals. A strong alliance is formed between the apes and the audience. While at first it looks like the movie is going to be about a scientist and <em>his </em>father and <em>his</em> love life and <em>his </em>job, the film turns about midway through and the audience becomes allied with the ape. Then the movie is shaped into a story about Caesar, <em>his </em>family and <em>his </em>life as leader of the apes. Caesar is the protagonist and Caesar is the hero.</div>
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The filmmakers of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Planet-Apes-James-Franco/dp/B004LWZW4M/?_encoding=UTF8&s=movies-tv&tag=thegrekathep-20&linkCode=ur2&qid=1336447142&camp=1789&sr=1-3&creative=9325" target="_blank">The Rise of the Planet of the Apes</a> </em>have presented a beautiful story, captured with fabulous graphic technology and great cinematography. It occurred to me about halfway through the film how cool it would be to see this movie in 3D or even IMAX. The writers have recorded the essence of "humanity" as expressed through this ingenious story about an ape of advanced intelligence.</div>
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I really hope you go and enjoy this movie. Keep in mind that the film continues a little way into the credits at the end so don't run out of the theatre to quickly because it's pretty important that you catch the last scene. For those of you who are <em>Planet of the Apes</em> fans, do let me know how you think this movie measures up to the others!</div>
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