Shaun of the Dead - Shaun's life has always been pretty uncomplicated, but thanks to his commitment-anxious girlfriend and a rapidly-spreading zombie infestation, his life is about to get considerably more complicated.

A mildly entertaining but, overall, disappointing "zombie" flick. The movie did feature a surprising amount of pleasing LFE, however. :D

Looking for Eric - Director Ken Loach, who's better known for his gritty, working class, realist dramas, veers into a gritty flight of fancy about a football-loving postal worker who gets life advice from former Mann U. star Eric Cantona after suffering a breakdown.
I'm normally a fan of Loach's films, but this one just didn't captivate me as it veered from grim family drama to loopy slapstick.

The Painted Veil - As punishment for her infidelity during their loveless marriage, distraught bacteriologist Walter Fane compels his bored, socialite wife, Kitty, to accompany him from Shanghai to a remote Chinese village where he intends study and assist in the treatment of a cholera epidemic. Over the course of their stay, they learn to understand and appreciate each other. There's nothing like a good cholera epidemic to make love blossom!

Much to my surprise, this "epic love story" - pretty much a paint-by-numbers effort - was better than expected. (To be fair, my expectations were pretty low.) The cinematography was excellent and the majestic scenery was stunning.

Secretary - Shortly after her release from a mental institution, Lee lands a job as typist and, eventually, as a willingly submissive secretary for an eccentric, dominant attorney. As each begins to see in the other the perfect counterbalance to the instabilities in his/her life, their relationship slowly, awkwardly but surely transforms from one of mild sado-masochism into one of genuine affection.

This quirky, almost "fetish-ist" film was strangely compelling and, overall, fairly enjoyable.

The Ghost Writer - A ghost-writer (GW), hired to complete and edit the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, is flown to Mr. Lang's isolated Massachusetts retreat to continue the work of his mysteriously-deceased predecessor. While there, the GW uncovers clues which appear to identify Lang as an accomplice in the CIA's illegal rendition and torture of suspected terrorists. As the mystery deepens, the GW realizes that unless he is able to find enough proof to expose Lang - and quickly! - he, too, will find himself the victim of an untimely death.

This dull murder-drama was burdened with writing and scenes that were clumsy, obvious or just plain ridiculous. Kim Cattrall's performance was so wooden you could have built a bridge out of her. If this is the best Roman Polanski can do these days, it's time to retire his director's license and lock him up for pedophilia.
I thought it was one of the best thrillers of the past few years. Especially because it is a thinly disguised biography of Tony Blair.

Before the matrix there was Equilibrium. Not as mind blowing, but entertaining and obviously the inspiration for bullet time moves. Christian Bale is the hero. At least 3 out of 5 stars

The Matrix was released years before Equilibrium. Good movie nonetheless.
What am I watching; Netflix Big Man Japan

In Bruges - Immediately after his first hit goes wrong, and on the orders of mob boss Harry, Ray finds himself cooling his heels for two weeks in Bruges with his senior partner, Ken. While Ken takes to exploring the enchanting European city, Ray spends most of his time sulking and waiting to return to London. A lovely petty thief, a midget and a pile of drugs later, the reason for their banishment is revealed to Ken by Harry...who realizes that Ray just might find the hell he calls Bruges considerably more enjoyable than the alternative he is about to face.

The first hour of this movie - with its less-than-clever attempts at Guy Ritchie-esque characters, dialogue and plot - was terrible. It's a shame, because everything seemed to gel within the last 30 or 40 minutes as the movie worked its way to a rather satisfying conclusion. Decent performances by Colin Farrell (who convincingly plays a moron) and Brendan Gleeson, and by Ralph Fiennes as the tough-as-nails mob boss. (The "Best Mob Boss Ever" award still goes to Alan Ford for his awesome performance as "Brick Top" in "Snatch".)

Shaun of the Dead - Shaun's life has always been pretty uncomplicated, but thanks to his commitment-anxious girlfriend and a rapidly-spreading zombie infestation, his life is about to get considerably more complicated.

A mildly entertaining but, overall, disappointing "zombie" flick. The movie did feature a surprising amount of pleasing LFE, however. :D
Eljay, you are a very tough marker. I like your reviews, but if you say anything positive in my world it means it is a superior movie. Zombie movies are my favorite genre, Shaun of the Dead was a watershed movie, gut busing laughs.

The Matrix was released years before Equilibrium. Good movie nonetheless.
What am I watching; Netflix Big Man Japan
I was sure I read somewhere it came before Matrix. Nevertheless it is a pretty good movie that was mostly overlooked.

Ronin is a 1998 action-thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and written by J.D. Zeik and David Mamet. It stars Robert De Niro and Jean Reno as two of several former special forces and intelligence agents who team up to steal a mysterious, heavily guarded suitcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties and alliances. The film is noted for its sensational car chases through Paris.

one of my all time favs. had this on VHS in the beginning. i wasn't sure re: the BR purchase. great deal on the DVD however.

pretty standard AQ, VQ .. quite acceptable level of quality to me. my player does a pretty descent job of upscaling (DVD S1800) ..

great film (DVD) to add in the mix for a very good price
One of my all time favorite quotes " looking for a car with some push" love Ronin.

Shopgirl - A small-town young woman trying to establish a new life for herself in Los Angeles finds herself emotionally torn between a sincere simpleton and a charming and attentive, but commitment-phobic, businessman.

Thanks to Jason Schwartzman's character, the first half hour of this romantic dram-edy is an annoying waste of time. With the introduction of Steve Martin's character, the story picks up and moves along fairly well. Although the final act is disappointingly implausible, the ending is touching. Martin - another comedian who seems to do better with serious roles than with comedic ones - turns in a good performance, as does Danes, who is a likeable actress.

Eljay, you are a very tough marker.I may be tough, but my wife's even tougher! :o :p

I like your reviews, but if you say anything positive in my world it means it is a superior movie.I appreciate the compliment. :)

Zombie movies are my favorite genre, Shaun of the Dead was a watershed movie, gut busing laughs.I like Simon Pegg and I enjoyed "Hot Fuzz", so I was expecting good things from SotD...but it just didn't work out.

Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American film directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and starring Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. It is the story of an under-appreciated boxing trainer, his elusive past, and his quest for atonement by helping an underdog amateur female boxer (the film's title character) achieve her dream of becoming a professional. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The screenplay was written by Paul Haggis, based on short stories by F.X. Toole, the pen name of fight manager and "cutman" Jerry Boyd. Originally published under the title Rope Burns, the stories have since been republished under the film's title.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=615&pictureid=3126

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



clint has really been doing it for me. (enjoying varies eastwood titles recently). million dollar baby a sure classic. been years since i first saw this (rented it probably). noticed it peering at me @ a local grocery store. no storages of places to pick up a flick.

i highly suggest anyone to buy this. interesting re-visit (viewing) of hiliary swank's performance (giggity) .. outstanding.

incredible story. good movie to watch with the significant other, satisfy the "chick flick" element ..without "officially" going there. clints got my back with this beauty of a film.

El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) - Haunted by memories of the brutal rape-and-murder he investigated 25 years prior, retired Argentinian federal agent-turned-writer Benjamín Esposito struggles to produce the novel he hopes will provide the emotional closure he needs. His endeavour takes him back to Buenos Aires where, unbeknownst to him, a revelation regarding the crime - and a love, long-unrequited - patiently await his return.

A few interesting moments notwithstanding, this was a pretty dull murder-mystery drama with a relatively thin and, at times, weak story that - thanks to an over-long run time - stretched my patience to the point of serious boredom. And the acting, which was generally decent but unexceptional, was marred by Guillermo Francella's exceptionally unconvincing portrayal of Esposito's drunkard partner.

Ed Norton plays twin brothers who are polar opposites. Good Norton is lured by bad Norton back to Oklahoma where the bad brother has serious biz issues in his pot growing business. Aside from the John Prine in the soundtrack it was a most unremarkable movie. One to watch when nothing else is on the shelf. Two point 5 out of 5 stars.

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Based on circumstantial evidence, a series of deaths linked to an investigation into a human trafficking ring - one which threatens to implicate some very important people - is pinned on Lisbeth Salander. Determined to clear Lisbeth's name and to expose the truth about the ring and the people involved, reporter Mikael Blomkvist delves deeper into the mystery and uncovers some shocking secrets. Lisbeth, meanwhile, uncovers some very dark and disturbing - and life-threatening - secrets of her own...

The second instalment in Stieg Larsson's trilogy was much more satisfying than the first. The plot was more coherent and interesting, the characters were better developed, the pacing was significantly better and the run time - at roughly two hours - was just right. I'm looking forward to the third and final instalment.

How to Train Your Dragon - Hiccup is an intelligent and thoughtful teenage Viking, but his lack of strength and courage make him something of a disappointment to his father. During one of the frequent aerial attacks on his village, Hiccup manages to shoot down a feared "Night Fury" dragon; unfortunately, no one sees him do it. In order to prove his claim and to win his father's approval, Hiccup sets out to recover the fallen creature. He finds the wounded dragon but, rather than kill it, he attempts to help it. In doing so, he begins to understand that they are not the mindless predators everyone believes them to be. Given the increase in attacks on the village and the terrifying menace that is driving them, he's going to have a hard time proving his theory to his people...unless he can get his new friend - as well as other dragons and perhaps even some of his human peers - to help him.

A somewhat trite, occasionally annoying but moderately entertaining animated flick from DreamWorks. The moral of the story - "If you discover a creature to be intelligent and benevolent, don't treat it as an equal - just make it a pet" - could have used a bit of work.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Bass player Scott Pilgrim has a crush on Ramona, who seems to like him, too. In order to secure a relationship with her, however, he must first destroy her seven jilted and jealous exes, all of whom are out to kill him.

Although the plot, dialogue and acting appear to indicate that the target audience for this movie is twenty-somethings and slackers, there was a compelling quirkiness and creativity to it - as well as some great visual effects - that made it worth watching. (My wife would disagree: She left after five minutes.) Given his girlish features, Michael Cera was an odd choice for the role of protagonist; thankfully, however, he did tone down his usual schtick.

Winnebago Man - Jack Rebney is an unwitting celebrity. As he lives out his senior years in isolation tending to a cabin deep in the woods of northern California, a sales training film he made years ago for the Winnebago motor home company years ago - or rather the expletive-laced outtakes from that film - becomes a YouTube sensation.
He is, of course, oblivious to his infamy until a young filmmaker contacts him to tell the story of what has become of the "Winnebago Man." What emerges is a portrait of a crotchety old guy who does what he wants, and says what he wants, but at the end of the day is truly touched that he's been able to leave a mark in the world.