What Did You Watch Today?

[Ananas]

Little Children - 8/10

Man, every year there seem to be a few films that critics blow out of proportion and give (what I believe to be) undue accolades to. If the Golden Globe Best Picture nominees of 2007 are any indication, this may not prove to be one of those years. Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley give outstanding performances, and I really love Jennifer Connelly in her understated role. Patrick Wilson has to be one of the gutsiest actors in Hollywood, having first played a pedophile in "Hard Candy" and now an adulterer in this film. Director Todd Field plays it completely unbiased; like "Hard Candy" before it, the film makes no judgements, only presents the series of events with a mix of tragedy, dark humour, irony and literary illusions. It's an immensely put together film and very entertaining.

[ROC]

Snakes on a Plane - 6/10

It's weakly unfunny through the first hour, but from the real awesome line on, it is hilarious.

Edited January 7, 2007 by ROC

[Ananas]

Man, every year there seem to be a few films that critics blow out of proportion and give (what I believe to be) undue accolades to. If the Golden Globe Best Picture nominees of 2007 are any indication, this may not prove to be one of those years.

[Laice07]

Bobby - 4/10

In fairness, critical consensus on this claptrap seems to indicate that this film has about all the hope of an Oscar nomination as RFK does of winning the presidency in 2008. Still, who exactly voted for this? It's an inferior telling of a powerful story by an inferior director and with a mostly inferior cast. Perhaps a story that focused in on Kennedy staffers and the man himself would have given us more to ponder, but the film instead focuses on those characters who were caught in the crossfire (non-fatally) when the assassination took place. Unfortunately, we really have no need to care about these people until the last 10 minutes. One can see that director Emilio Estevez is passionate about this story, and particularly about Bobby Kennedy himself, but this does no justice to the man, regardless of what you may think of him.

[TGC]

S1E00

Pilot

Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, and originally aired on April 08, 1990, Twin Peaks immediately became a phenomenon that swept the United States with the simple but effective mystery of Who Killed Laura Palmer. While the show was about so much more than just this little murder mystery, it was this that got the show started and brought viewers into it week after week, even going so far as to create a national phenomenon during the summer hiatus that spawned countless magazine cover stories, T-Shirts proclaiming "I Killed Laura Palmer", and so much more. The show even garnered three spin off books published in 1990 and 1991. Twin Peaks is recognized as one of the first shows that created appointment viewing, brought film production values to the small screen, and showed that a TV show that featured a continuing plot from week to week could work outside of daytime and nighttime soap operas.

The plot synopsis for the Pilot is as such:

"In the feature-length pilot episode, the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington state is gripped by the murder of 17 year-old homecoming queen Laura Palmer whose naked corpse is found wrapped in plastic. The eccentric and unorthodox FBI Agent Dale Cooper arrives in town to assist Sheriff Harry Truman and his deputies to solve the crime. Meanwhile, Laura's family and friends struggle to come to terms with her death, and how it might have come about."

Random thoughts as I watch:

-This is my first time viewing this show in any way since it originally aired in 1990. Half of you people on this board weren't even born yet.

-Deputy Andy crying as he takes pictures of the plastic wrapped body of Laura is one of the oddest things I've ever seen, and yet it's funny as well as unnerving.

-Ray Wise as Leland Palmer is so much awesome it's not even funny. Honestly, no matter what he ever appeared in since or will appear in, he's always Leland Palmer to me.

-Lara Flynn Boyle was so gorgeous once upon a time, before she became thinner than a stick and almost freakish to look at.

-Sherrilyn Fenn was hot in the 80's, she was hot in the 90's, and she's still hot nowadays. Not a bad actress either.

-It's amazing how simply and normally this show actually began especially considering what it would slowly become as the minutes of this pilot dragged on and the season moved onwards.

-Laura's diary will be one of the three books released as a tie-in to the series, written by David Lynch's daughter.

-I love the music that plays throughout the show. It goes from odd to upbeat to slow to menacing and everywhere in between. Typical of a David Lynch film.

-When Agent Dale Cooper arrives on the show talking to Diane, we learn that the date is February 24th.

-So many interesting tidbits in regards to the show at this point. Agent Cooper's fascination with talking to Diane via his tape recorder, his love of pies, and wanting to know what kinds of trees he's passing are just a few minor things that make me smile. However the flickering flourescent light when Cooper is examing Laura's body is something that director David Lynch actually liked and kept in the show, despite it not supposerd to be there, as was the mistake when Cooper says "would you leave us please" and the actor playing the coronor guy answers with "uhmm Jim", for some reason thinking that he was being asked his real life name.

-When they find the area where Laura was killed and Ronnette was raped, Andy once again cries. It is so awesome.

-The show goes a long way in the pilot of setting up a ton of murder suspects, as well as so many mysteries surrounding who exactly Laura Palmer was. It's truly a great example of some fantastic storytelling.

-Everyone is fucking everyone else. Ed has history with Norma, Shelly is with Leo but is fucking Bobby, Laura was fucking James while with Bobby. Just in the first episode alone we see how this town is full of cheaters, adulterers, and liars.

-LOG LADY!!!!

-Sherrif Harry S. Truman and Agent Dale Cooper are like the greatest cop duo ever. As they are following Donna and Joe, a biker:

Harry: You think they spotted us?

Cooper: Gimme a donut.

-The story of who Laura really was and the things she was involved in begin to be revealed a bit here and a bit there as the pilot goes on, but ultimately there was no way to guess what all was really going on, which makes me very curious about the European version of this pilot, released as a film, that featured an ending not seen here in the US. If anyone has any info on how Lynch and Frost ended the movie, and if it is the same or different as the TV series as to who killed Laura, then please let me know. I'm most curious and have been unable to find the answers.

-Hawk is also an awesome cop. Not Truman/Cooper/Andy awesome, but awesome nonetheless.

-Lucy rocks.

-The color red makes several appearances in this episode, something that will come into play a lot more as the series progresses.

-Did I forget to mention the awesome One Armed Man?

-The first episode ends with Laura's mother having a vision of somebody stealing the other half of the heart necklace that Donna and James hid so as not to further implicate James in the murder of Laura, and it's only just begun.

All in all the first episode of Twin Peaks is great from beginning to end, but the fact is that the show hasn't even begun to scratch the tip of the iceburg in regards to the greatness and awesomeness it will soon become. I loved this show, for all it's offbeat humor, quirks, and general oddness, then, and I am loving it already again now.

Overall S1E00 Grade A-

[Ananas]

Blood Diamond - 6/10

The most disappointing aspect of this movie is not that it's weak, it's that it could easily have been so much better. Leonardo Dicaprio and Djimon Hounsou give great performances and the story is told with gruesome realism, but at 2 hours and 20 minutes it comes off as bloated and fractured. As I've already said Dicaprio is great, but I'd still say he was better in The Departed. I do give the studio's credit for financing a film on such an important issue though, and it's ultimately a watchable if clearly flawed epic.

[Ananas]

SherryBaby - 6/10

This is all Gylenhaal. Without her it's a wreck, but with her it's a marginal pass. I wouldn't say she's tops in lead performances this year, but kudos on singlehandedly carrying a film like this.

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

I concur, Sherrybaby sucked. I think Gylenhaal was good, but the rest of the movie was poop on a stick.

[Ananas]

Freedom Writers - 7/10

You know in the past 2 years, according to my lists (yes, I am so patently self absorbed as to keep lists), the only January film I have enjoyed is "Coach Carter". For most studios this month has in the past been the dumping ground for projects too unmarketable or unwatchable for release during more competitive months. Last year the first film I saw was "Bloodrayne", and appropriately enough that would go on to hold the position of worst of the year. In fact, all 4 of the January films I saw (the others being "Underworld: Evolution", "Big Momma's House 2" and "Grandma's Boy") would go on to factor in my yearly bottom 10. How encouraging is the year 2007 then that its first major new release is also very good. Directed by Richard LaGravenese ("Living Out Loud") and starring Hilary Swank, "Freedom Writers" tells the inspirational story of Erin Gruwell, a bright eyed new teacher who inspires her inner city English class to demand more out of their lives. I can't say as though I went into the film with particularly high expectations (the idea that a Hilary Swank film should be delayed until January doesn't bode particularly well), but what I got may end up being the surprise of the winter. Hilary Swank is very solid as always, and she is rounded out by a tremendously spirited cast of newcomers. The narrative is grounded by the gritty-for-PG-13 looks at life in Long Beach ghettos, and fueled by soft parallels with "The Diary of Anne Frank". The cynic may not find the grit and authenticity he or she may be looking for, but for the rest of us there's some real heart in this one.

[TGC]

Underworld Evolution was a fun popcorn flick. You are clairely anti Vampire/Werewolf love. What's next Beaty, anti homosexual union? For shame.

Edited January 10, 2007 by T-Fed
Nothing to see here.

[Ananas]

Underworld Evolution was a fun popcorn flick. You are clairely anti Vampire/Werewolf love. What's next Beaty, anti homosexual union? For shame.

[ROC]

Big Trouble in Little China - 7.5/10

Pretty much all the awesomeness that is to be expected from a Kurt Russell/John Carpenter teaming with more hilarious moments.

[Fitzy]

Little Mosque on the Prairie - 1x01 - Little Mosque

Beatnik said this was good and it was pretty good. Nothing great or anything but I laughed a few times. I liked the rant by the Oman or what ever they are called when he said all shows like American Idol or Canadian Idol should be destroyed like all other Idols and that Desperate Housewives shouldn't be so desperate due to them preforming there natural womanly duties. This guy clearly is Ringo. >_> So yeah, it was good.

[Guest President Ringiah Bartlet]

IMAM! IMAM!

[Ananas]

House - "Words And Deeds" - 8/10

That was the only plausible ending to the Tritter saga that wouldn't suck. It didn't come off silly, it didn't make Tritter look weak and it left House as a true bad ass. Great stuff.

[Ananas]

Rocky Balboa - 7.5/10

This was the ending to the saga fans were denied with "Rocky V". Like the other films in the series it is awesome escapist fantasy grounded by a very loveable working class hero, and not since the first film has his plight been so sympathetic. His fight, this time more against the clock than an opponent, is something that we, no matter what age, can identify with. Like fans of the series, Rocky Balboa wanted one last great outing, and he got it. Good performances (aside from Milo Ventimiglia, who should now quit acting for sucking up the screen of our Rocky closure), a modern perspective and refreshed aspirations make this a return to the form of the first two films.

[Docpepper]

House - "Words And Deeds" - 8/10

That was the only plausible ending to the Tritter saga that wouldn't suck. It didn't come off silly, it didn't make Tritter look weak and it left House as a true bad ass. Great stuff.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ugly Betty: 5/10

Hit US comedy?! Is this meant to be funny or something?

Apart from the fact it's got Jim from Neighbours (whooooo!) and the guy from Resident Evil there's nothing about it.

It's not funny.

It's got the 'sterotypical' gay bitchy guy.

It tries one second to put across a "it's what's inside that matters" while the next mocking it.

It's not very good.

I give it 5 cos of Jim and the fact that the underlying storyline is vaguely acceptable if I'm doing other stuff and it has a couple of attractive women in.

It loses a mark for the atrocious Scottish accent.

[Ananas]

Happily N'Ever After - 3/10

Man, what a different outlook on 2007 I would have had if I'd seen this one first. Somebody has to tell the Weinsteins that throwing a bunch of celebrities into a film and then dogging the rest of the process does not produce a worthwhile flick. This movie has basically video game calibre animation, "Yes, Dear" calibre humour and all the originality of a bad remake. Apparently the kids seem to like this one, but unfortunately kids aren't paying for the tickets.

[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

Smokin' Aces - 7.5/10

Great film with some brilliant performaces (from Piven and Reynolds in particular) and an original and clever story. Tries a bit hard to be Pulp Fiction at times with all the interlocking stories but for the whole, its a success.