Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Movie List 2013: 6 - 15

* = rewatched

6.

Lincoln

An account of Abraham Lincoln's efforts to pass the 18th Amendment.


I usually don't ever see movies about politics so this one was definitely outside of my normal wheelhouse. But hey, I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that I can't see Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tommy Lee Jones and still believe we're in the past. I can turn up the suspension on my disbelief, but you can't show me the guy from MIB and the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun and expect me to believe that we're in the 19th century. I just can't do that.

My ridiculous hang-ups aside, Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as Lincoln was brilliant and it was really interesting seeing all the finagling and tricks they had to use to get that amendment passed. So yeah, if you like history and politics (or just good acting and quality film making) I think you might like it.





7.

Hitchcock

The story of Alfred Hitchcock and the creation of Psycho.


Normally I wouldn't have seen this movie, but it was playing at the cheap theater and something about the trailer intrigued me. I was quite pleased to find out that it was pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Not only because the story was an interesting one (and not just because I visited the concession stand), but also because of the way the film was shot. The best way I can describe it is that the movie has the feel of a cinematic adaptation of a graphic novel based on the historical account of Alfred Hitchcock making Psycho. And since I like graphic novels I enjoyed that about it.






8.

Seven Psychopaths

A struggling screenwriter is trying to write a story about psychopaths, but he ends up getting involved with real ones when his friend's elicit dognapping scheme takes a wrong turn.


I actually saw this one on the same day as Hitchcock. The sub-run theater was playing both of them so that worked out nicely for me. But unlike Hitchcock I didn't see this one by myself as my friend came to see it too. Hurrah for watching movies with friends!

I honestly don't know what to say about this thing. It's a very unusual movie. I really enjoyed parts of it, but overall...I don't know. Overall it was lacking. It has a story, but it's almost like it doesn't care about its own story. If anything the movie is more of a character study of sorts. The plot is more or less just used to string together a series of interesting characters and moments. Definitely not the Snatch rip-off I went in expecting.

Final thoughts: I wouldn't pay to see it again, but I'd definitely be up for seeing it again.





9.*

Nocturna

A young orphan is afraid of the dark and relies on the light of his star to calm him to sleep. However, one night his star goes out. Whats more all the stars are going out. All the light's in the city are going out too. Now the boy must journey into the dark world of the night and face his fears if he's ever going to get to the bottom of things and save the stars.


I love this movie. I love the colors. I love the designs. I love the fascinating world of the night they create. I love how they create characters for noises and events and occurrences. This film is just bursting with creativity. It's a shame it was never released here in the States. The only reason I ever found out about it was because I was watching animation pencil tests on Youtube and happened to stumble on one for Nocturna. So if you can find a copy to watch, then I highly suggest you check it out.





10.

Bubba Ho-Tep

An elderly Elvis and JFK do battle with a mummy that's stalking their nursing home.


I've been meaning to see this one for a long time, but for some reason never bothered. I don't know. Something about it just sounded off. HOWEVER, if it had been mentioned to me that a black JFK was one of the main characters I would have watched it in a second. Why did no one mention that!? I mean, sure, old Elvis is fine, but the bizarre nature of the duo is what made it for me.





11.

Team the Best Team

A documentary about the Doomtree collective.


There's something about documentaries about local musicians that always peaks my interest. If you're a Doomtree fan I'd definitely recommend checking this movie out. However, if you've never heard of them...well then I don't think you'll get much out of it. There really isn't an overarching storyline to the documentary. They seem to jump from subject to subject willy-nilly. So if you're already familiar with them then it's still enjoyable to watch, but I think it might perhaps be a bit too muddled for anyone else.




12.

Wreck-It Ralph

A video game character is fed up with his role as the villain and abandons his game in the hopes of proving his worth: a decision that puts the entire arcade in jeopardy.


I really think I need to see this one again. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting so I had to readjust my thinking midway through and that always kinds of messes up your thoughts about it. I was expecting a much heavier video game theme than there was. In any case I had a lot of fun watching it. And I want to see it again. AND the short at the beginning ( Paperman ) was brilliant.




13.*

ParaNorman

A young boy's power to see ghosts causes him daily strife, but when a witch's curse raises the dead it's up to him to set things right.


So I've already seen this movie 3 times this year. I love it so much, you guys.





14.*

Little Miss Sunshine

A family is forced to road trip across the country in order make the youngest kid's dream of being in a beauty pageant a reality, but set back after set back put their bonds to the test.


Oh, what can you say about Little Miss Sunshine? You gotta love a heartfelt comedy about a dysfunctional family, don't you? The movie is just so cute and the characters are a perfect mix of exaggerated and realistic.



15.

Mama

Two sisters are left to fend for themselves in the wilderness. Years later they're found and they go to live with their uncle and his girlfriend. However it seems that the girls aren't the only things that came back from those woods.


I really need to catch up on this list so that I can talk about things with them fresh in my mind. My memories of the actual movie have been slightly overwritten by the memories of the experience of going to see it. I do believe I had more going to see it then I did watching it. But that's neither here nor there.

I really liked parts of it, and thoroughly disliked other parts. The vast majority of the movie isn't scary in the proper sense, by which I mean the scares weren't coming from the situation as often as they should of. Instead there were so many jump scares that you found yourself constantly stressed knowing that something would soon be popping out at you.

So as a horror movie I think it was kind of a flop. But as a supernatural movie it was rather interesting. Some interesting visuals, some interesting relationships between characters, and a pretty interesting ghost. If they hadn't been obsessed with constantly startling me with jump scares it would've been much easier to appreciate those things.

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