Our week in Entertainment
What a difference a little less than a week can make. Last week I informed you all of my technology woes, most notably my dish network upgrade that wasn't. Well, I'm happy to report that after a 30-minute service call, my satellite service is back in working order, including the reemergent ability to record three programs simultaneously. So, once again I am a happy Dish Network customer.
Last week without working television, Jennifer and I managed to get caught up on a lot of movies we had somehow missed. In between Netflix and a couple of visits to the local video rental place, we have watched eleven movies in the last five days. Since I have nothing much going on in my life that is blog-worthy, here are some quick reviews (Spoilers ahead):
1. Monster House- A cute little animated movie about a possessed house that eats people who trespass on the property (yes, I know that is a really weird sentence). For an animated movie, it really isn't kiddie fare, as there are more than a few scary movies, but it was enjoyable for Jennifer and I.
2. Talledega Nights- Not the best Will Ferrell movie, but more than a little fun. I'm sure this might offend some, but in my opinion Ricky Bobby's dinnertime prayer is worth the rental by itself.
3. Bridge to Terabithia- In the interest of full disclosure, I had never read the book. With that being said, it was a really good movie except that major characters should not die in "family friendly movies". That's all I'm saying.
4. Deja Vu- Time Travel, whether in movies or comic books, always leaves me with a headache, but this was a good take on it that kept you thinking. The movie leaves you with as many questions as it answers (most notably why Denzel Washington still gets leading actor roles), but it is certainly a fun ride.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean 2- It's hard to convince me that this wasn't just filler to get us to the third movie in the franchise. For the record, I despise the "Back to the Future" format, where one movie leads straight into its sequel and therefore can't stand on its own.
6. Zoom- Tim Allen will always be funnier on TV than in movies (there is even a joke to that effect in the closing credits) , but he isn't the reason you would watch this take on the super-hero academy genre (yeah, it's a whole genre now). For my money, Sky High did this better, but Zoom is worth a rental if for no reason other than the fake PSA's you will find in the special features section.
7. Nacho Libre- If Jack Black had done Napoleon Dynamite, but with wrestling instead of dancing, it would have been Nacho Libre. Unfortunately, I really did not like Napleon Dynamite, and Jack Black is far from my favorite comedic actor.
8. Breach- This was a really interesting spy story, and even based on a real story. Like all "based on a real story" movies, however, it doesn't get tied up in a neat little bow at the end, which bugs me some. Warning: This is one of those movies that you have to focus on, and you can't get it if you are multi-taking while you are watching it. Jennifer and I had to back it up several times because one or the other of us got distracted by something.
9. Touristas- I think it says something about the refinement of my cinematic taste that there aren't more horror movies on this list. Okay, it really says something about Jennifer's veto power when it comes to renting movies. This was the worst kind of horror movie, by the way. It wasn't necessarily gory; it was really just kind of boring.
10. The Fountain- I wasn't smart enough for this movie. I know it is based off of a graphic novel; I'm sure it was attempting to say something profound, but I spent two hours just confused out of my gourd.
11. Thank you for Smoking- This was well worth the rental. It was at times humorous, thought provoking, and, in its own way, touching. If you never thought you would root for a tobacco lobbyist, rent this and see if it surprises you.
Sorry for the pointless post this week, but maybe it will guide you through the long dry days of summer television programming.
Last week without working television, Jennifer and I managed to get caught up on a lot of movies we had somehow missed. In between Netflix and a couple of visits to the local video rental place, we have watched eleven movies in the last five days. Since I have nothing much going on in my life that is blog-worthy, here are some quick reviews (Spoilers ahead):
1. Monster House- A cute little animated movie about a possessed house that eats people who trespass on the property (yes, I know that is a really weird sentence). For an animated movie, it really isn't kiddie fare, as there are more than a few scary movies, but it was enjoyable for Jennifer and I.
2. Talledega Nights- Not the best Will Ferrell movie, but more than a little fun. I'm sure this might offend some, but in my opinion Ricky Bobby's dinnertime prayer is worth the rental by itself.
3. Bridge to Terabithia- In the interest of full disclosure, I had never read the book. With that being said, it was a really good movie except that major characters should not die in "family friendly movies". That's all I'm saying.
4. Deja Vu- Time Travel, whether in movies or comic books, always leaves me with a headache, but this was a good take on it that kept you thinking. The movie leaves you with as many questions as it answers (most notably why Denzel Washington still gets leading actor roles), but it is certainly a fun ride.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean 2- It's hard to convince me that this wasn't just filler to get us to the third movie in the franchise. For the record, I despise the "Back to the Future" format, where one movie leads straight into its sequel and therefore can't stand on its own.
6. Zoom- Tim Allen will always be funnier on TV than in movies (there is even a joke to that effect in the closing credits) , but he isn't the reason you would watch this take on the super-hero academy genre (yeah, it's a whole genre now). For my money, Sky High did this better, but Zoom is worth a rental if for no reason other than the fake PSA's you will find in the special features section.
7. Nacho Libre- If Jack Black had done Napoleon Dynamite, but with wrestling instead of dancing, it would have been Nacho Libre. Unfortunately, I really did not like Napleon Dynamite, and Jack Black is far from my favorite comedic actor.
8. Breach- This was a really interesting spy story, and even based on a real story. Like all "based on a real story" movies, however, it doesn't get tied up in a neat little bow at the end, which bugs me some. Warning: This is one of those movies that you have to focus on, and you can't get it if you are multi-taking while you are watching it. Jennifer and I had to back it up several times because one or the other of us got distracted by something.
9. Touristas- I think it says something about the refinement of my cinematic taste that there aren't more horror movies on this list. Okay, it really says something about Jennifer's veto power when it comes to renting movies. This was the worst kind of horror movie, by the way. It wasn't necessarily gory; it was really just kind of boring.
10. The Fountain- I wasn't smart enough for this movie. I know it is based off of a graphic novel; I'm sure it was attempting to say something profound, but I spent two hours just confused out of my gourd.
11. Thank you for Smoking- This was well worth the rental. It was at times humorous, thought provoking, and, in its own way, touching. If you never thought you would root for a tobacco lobbyist, rent this and see if it surprises you.
Sorry for the pointless post this week, but maybe it will guide you through the long dry days of summer television programming.
posted by Phylemon at 11:12 PM
5 Comments:
I haven't heard of most of these. I really want to see Ricky Bobby. I wanted to see Zoom, but I agree Sky High was good.
You should do an entry rating the various super hero movies. It would be interesting.
I wondered if Breach was any good - I love movies that require a high burn rate of brain cells to be understood.
Thank You For Smoking was a immediate DVD purchase for me. Such a great film. Kelly made the great observation that eventhough it was a film about tobacco lobbists you never once saw anyone actually smoking. Think about it!
Now I'm off to rent Breach!
Ahhh man! Wade took my comment idea. It is a good movie.
I can't believe you didn't like Nacho Libra. I thought it had a lot of deep theological significance attached to it! And, Paul, I know that you know butt-loads of crap about the gospel.
I don't know how much of a difference it made in my enjoyment / appreciation for the cultural impact of the movies, but I hated Napolean Dynamite until I watched it with my youth group. The post-modern storyline really spoke to them and they identified with the characters and their lives. So, when Nacho Libre came out, I actually *took* my youth group to the theater to see it and I agree with Kent, it had much to say about some theological issues and we used it as a springboard for several great spiritual discussions. I'm going to see HP5 tomorrow :)
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