10000 BC…not so epic.
MoviesLast night, I previewed 10000 BC. While it was entertaining enough to watch, the movie was a bit too long, and the storyline wasn’t interesting enough to keep your attention. I think that the casting was just wrong for this film. Steven Strait and Camilla Belle, while both beautiful people…did not pull off convincing prehistoric people. Way too clean… The special effects in the film were not the greatest, but they weren’t the worst I’ve seen. Basically the movie is about several different tribes of…colorful natives, which are a bit over the top. It seems like they were going for the classic Hollywood view of native people. It shows three levels of man’s development, from small tribal hunting and gathering groups, to small farming communities, to huge, powerful, technologically advanced (by that I mean ships and large buildings) civilizations. Overall, I would say this is an OK film to watch…just don’t go in with high expectations. If nothing else…Steven Strait is still pretty even as a dirty caveman.
I recently watched The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. I enjoyed this film, but…I believe that only a certain group of movie-goers would find it interesting. You won’t find any epic battle scenes or steamy love affairs or brilliant costumes in this story. The movie is composed of just…dialog. Lots and lots of stuffy British dialog. However, Helen Mirren gives a great performance as Queen Elizabeth II, and the film gives us an interesting look into the royal family’s reaction to Princess Diana’s death. It also shows a behind-the-scenes look at how they dealt with the publics’ outrage against their silence during the aftermath. If you are interested in films that keep the story moving through just dialog and are interested in films about historical figures, this would be a good one to watch. If you are looking for something that’s going to keep you on the edge of your seat, however…I would try something else.
I watched an old horror classic Night of the Living Dead the other night. I had received it as a gift from someone for Christmas last year, but I had yet to watch it. I decided to pop it in the other night, and I must say it is a very interesting horror movie. Of course, the film was made in 1968, so don’t expect any 28 Days Later-style zombie effects. This film has that old, classic horror movie film feel, and it does make you feel kind of creeped out after watching. If you are a horror movie fan, and you haven’t seen this film, you should pick it up. It’s only about $5.00 at Wal-Mart, so it’s not a major investment. 
The film was apparently a big deal at the time of its release because the two main heroes of the story are a white woman and a black man. *gasp* I know…revolutionary, right? Oh…if you’re a strong feminist, I probably would stay away from this one…all of the women in it are stupid and weak and faint a lot…but hey, you might, too, if you were being attacked by flesh-eating zombies.
It’s been a while…
MoviesHello, everyone! Sorry that it has taken me so long to write on here again! I finally managed to get around to watching some new movies!
This evening I watched Will Ferrell’s new comedy, Semi-Pro. My suggestion: save your money. It was awful. Even Will Ferrell fans will be disappointed with this one, unfortunately. The normal ridiculous humor of Ferrell’s themed films is virtually non-existent in this movie. The jokes are lacking, and the actors you expect to be hilarious are, well…not. I must say that in the hour and a half I was sitting in the theater, I literally didn’t laugh once. Sorry, Will…Semi-Pro sucks.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age, however, is a much better film! Those of you who enjoy movies about famous historical figures should give this one a shot. Cate Blanchett does a fantastic job as England’s Queen Elizabeth I. The costumes are beautiful, and the story is very interesting. It gives you some insight to what the queen’s personal life may have been like as well as her political life. Congratulations to Alexandra Byrne for her Oscar for Costume Design for this film. Some of you may find this film kind of boring, but I am a sucker for this genre; Marie Antoinette, Gladiator, the television series Rome are also among my favorites.
Up next on my list of movies to watch: No Country for Old Men, Atonement, La Vie en Rose, and There Will Be Blood.
Congratulations to Daniel Day-Lewis for his Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role, Marion Cotillard for her Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role (the things they can do with make-up!), Diablo Cody for her Oscar for Writing (Original Screenplay) for Juno, and Scott Ruden, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen for Best Picture for No Country for Old Men.
Hello world!
MoviesI haven’t seen any new movies in the past week or so, so I thought that I would just give a brief review of some of the more recent films I’ve seen. Enjoy!
Sweeney Todd: Absolutely loved it. Of course…it did have five of my favorite things crammed into one giant ball of goodness, so that could very well be why. How can you go wrong with a musical starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bohnam Carter, which is directed by Tim Burton based on a horror story show about a murderous barber? I mean, seriously…come on. While Burton’s vision of Sweeney Todd is not entirely true to the original musical, I thought that he did a very good job bringing the show to the big screen. If you are squeamish about blood or meat pies made from people meat, however…you may want to think twice about watching.
Cloverfield: Actually not too bad! I am not a big fan of monster movies…they just don’t scare me. They tend to remind me of the old Godzilla and King Kong films, honestly, and while they are classic…not exactly scary. Cloverfield, however, seems to stand on its own as a pretty good monster flick. I enjoyed the fact that they made it into a realistic tragedy. There is no convenient meeting of a scientist who can magically explain everything and has an epic yet risky plan to take down the beast wreaking havoc. It was more like how I would picture an event of this magnitude to occur. Shaky cameras make for an interesting perspective, but may cause some nausea if you have a weak stomach. 
Juno: I thought this movie was very cute and had an interesting idea behind it. It is about a young woman who gets pregnant, and it follows her story and her unusual choice of what to do with her child. It is full of cute and funny moments. Overall, this would be a good choice if you’re trying to pick a movie to watch this weekend! Congratulations to Ellen Page for her Oscar nomination!