my week in movies

Thanksgiving vacation came and went.  Mick’s parents flew in, drove to LA with us, drove back to SF and then flew home yesterday morning.  Food was had, family was seen, turkey was eaten.  Same story as most im sure.  So…I will write a brief blurb on the movies I saw in this time, and what I thought.

Live Free or Die Hard – Friday night at my dads house.  Actually pretty entertaining.  It was more of a cyber-terrorism plot, but as per usual there was lots of firepower, explosions, a sexy Bruce Willis, and a “Yippie Kay Yaye Yay” thrown in for good measure.  Didnt hate it…actually liked it, but probably for the best I didnt pay to see it.

dance your cares away!

I got excited yesterday. Ill tell you why. 2009 is going to be a banner year of movies that I hope don’t let me down. Two in particular.

1. Fraggle Rock- The Movie Coming from news on the net. The Weinstein Company has announced plans to bring the Jim Hensen series Fraggle Rock out of retirement and onto the big screen in the form of a live action musical, almost exactly 25 years after the first season debuted on HBO.  Writer/director Cory Edwards has been tapped to direct and pen the screenplay which will feature puppets and human actors, just like in the show. He directed Hoodwinked. Yah, I didn’t see it either.

So far the plot line is that the Fraggles Gogo, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and Red venture outside their cavernous home in Fraggle Rock, where they discover pesky humans whom they believe to be aliens. The Dozers arent mentioned…but they just have to be in the movie. They gotta be!

2. Arrested Development- The Movie OK. This news is a little older, and I don’t know how this is going to pan out on the big screen, but I’d like to see them try. Everyone is rumored to be a part of it, and its still ‘in production,’ so it might not ever come out at all, but kudos to them for bringing some semblance of hope to my life. reunion. I guess in February Jeffrey Tambor was interviewed and said “there’s a push to get the movie made” and plans to start pre-production after the writer’s strike ends. So. The strike ended. Its still listed on imbd. Does this mean its moved past the pre-pre-production? God I hope so.

iron man

Im not going to give anything away. I think that one week of release isn’t fair to write any spoilers, so I won’t tell you what happens in this movie or what my favorite part was. Iron Man was action packed all the way through. I didn’t hate Gwenyth Paltrow, and I was thouroughly entertained. Note to movie goers…stay past the credits. Trust me.

What I will tell you is that Robert (Morton) Downey Jr. is quite convincing. He always gets cast as the fuck-up. The drunk, and the sleaze. How appropiate. Do what you know right. Though to his credit, I think and hope he has straightened up a bit. But seriously, his role in Less than Zero? Perfect. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang? Yup. All of it. So now when cast as Tony Stark, the drunk playboy millionaire? Score. He is endearing, yet totally fucked up at the same time. My type of guy. Helps that I find him to be pretty sexy too.

Jeff Bridges was not “The Dude” in this film. Bald with a beard, he got outside himself and was very convincing as Obadiah Stane.

Look at me, talking like i know comics. I got taught some stuff on the bus ride home, and might now attempt to learn more about the Avengers, and Marvel vs. DC comics. I won’t buy, but I’m willing to read someone elses. Learn the interests of those you love, right? Most of my comic character knowledge comes from the movies, and I know that isn’t always the most accurate place to learn. I want to be ready for the sequel.

Happiness only real when shared

So I’m a little late on this train I know…but I finally got around to watching Into the Wild. Beautiful landscapes make it visually stimulating, while an interesting story line kept me riveted throughout. The supporting cast was wonderful, and the based on a true story aspect always makes that much more fascinating to watch. For a two and a half hour long movie…at 11:00 at night, I did my best to stay up past 1. I knew it was going to be worth it. Hype has been flowing, and I finally decided I needed to see what the hype was all about. A great, great film. Sean Penn…ya done good.

The only real problem I had, and I dont know if its even a problem, depending on how the movie meant to portray him, was with Emile Hirsch who played the main character Chris McCandless. I understand the free spirit. I understand the need to not go the corporate route, and follow your heart and soul. But I dont understand why everybody embraced him the way that they did. If Chris in real life was pretencious and thought that he was better than everyone, then Emile Hirsh hit it right on the nose. He had this constant this is the only way to live mentality. Everyone else was doing it wrong, and the only way to do life right was the way he was.

I do however, think it was pretty incredible the impact he had on others. Showing the hippie couple that talking about their feelings and just saying fuck it could bring them closer together. Selfishly allowing the older man (Ron), to let him into his heart and learn to embrace what life he had left. I say selfishly because ultimately, instead of having him adopt him as he wanted to, and being the son the old man had wanted, Chris wandered off into the beautiful Alaskan wilderness to die.