Exracting a decent plot

We went with a couple friends to see Extract, the new Mike Judge film, in hopes of being entertained for a couple hours. Thankfully, all four of us generally were. There were a few laughs, cheap stoner jokes, and the suspicion that either Judge's humour is lacking or i've just outgrown it. I loved B&B growing up, HATED King of The Hill and completely praise Office Space, but Extract is kind of all three in detention. It seemed like he was supplementing gloriously childish humour for a more refined sense of comedy. Unforunately for Judge, there is a reason why not every kid gets an A in the class. Bateman and Wiig who are usually on point, turn into dodgeball dropouts in this mess of a film.

The Inglorious Hills

Okay, so I was lazy with the title.

I've been failing as a video store clerk lately, and haven't been watching too many movies, and by that I mean i've only watched 4 this week. Mostly all my spare time has gone to writing and watching the Hills. At first I thought, what a bunch of rich mindless girls concerning themselves with the most minute things, and I watched it because I wanted to watch something light. It became sort of a guilty pleasure, and i've been watching it (on DVD) until pretty late at night. I think, for me, being in basically the complete opposite position it was kind of like watching people at a zoo, which sounds pretty condescending, but it's because i can't identify with most of it. THEN i sort of realized, they arent as stupid as they initially sound, and sometimes they would say things I would say or use certain phrases etc. This is not to say I identify with the girls of the Hills, it just became more fascinating than revolting. I especially like Whitney. I read she got a degree in Gender Studies, which made me feel less bad about finding her the most interesting character/person. I still don't know where I stand on the show or it's characters, but I do know that it can be fascinating stuff. At hte very least, it has the best establishing shots of any TV show. Seriously, despite all the ipod billboards, they are beautiful.

I spent so much time talking about the Hills, and sort of defending my interest that i haven't talked about seeing Inglorious Basterds.

Everytime I try to hate Quentin Tarantino, he makes a movie like this. I don't dislike him as a director per se, mostly how he is taken up. I do dislike how much he "creatively borrows" from other films. Putting Uma Thurman in the exact same outfit in Kill Bill as Bruce Lee in Game of Death is more than just a nod, considering half-wits now identify it with Uma instead of Bruce. Not quite his fault, but still, pretty lame. Back to the film , I love violence nuanced with nonchalant humour, and Tarantino pulls it off so well. Cinematography wise it was really good, too. He just seems to have a humour about himself through film that I can't help but like. You win again, Quentin, you win again.

Last Days of Disco

I recently watched Last Days Of Disco, which is a new addition to the criterion collection. Starring a stunning Chloe Sevigny and a deliciously bitchy Kate Beckinsale, the film chronicles the life/nightlife of a group of intertwined upper class characters during the fall of Disco. What I liked initially was the banter, and how identification with it kind of wavered. Sometimes I'd think, these people are terrible and other times I'd agree with what they were saying, and identify with their passion in a musical movement no matter how fad-laden. I think Wit Stilman wanted that to happen since the characters are not heroicised, but you can't help to feel a bit sorry for them when Disco Dies and they refuse to accept it. Not being a recent Harvard grad, in fact a debt ridden post grad, I couldn't help but like the fact that everything they've scrutinized and invested so much pretension in ultimately breaks down and dies. I guess that's what happens when you take yourself too seriously.

so...

oh hey blog, what's up? I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been? Just kidding, but really i'm slacking on this thing! What is humorous is that i've been doing very little except watching movies but without the internet it's difficult to update. I could type it out on my Blackberry, but that's too arduous, and plus the typos would run more rampid than herpes at an ACDC concert, but I digress.

District 9
I scored free passes to see this one early, which already put me in a good mood. The movie itself did not disappoint, even though we had to wait 20 minutes before they got the thing running. The first half of the film is plot heavy, while the second half is action heavy which ended up working out quite nicely. The plot works to humanize the aliens, and the decision to yield on the action only works to build up the latter half. This build up and amazing execution renders pretty much the best results imaginable. It's like a roller coaster ride, and if I would have had to pay $13 to see it, it would most definitely be worth the it.

Well its late and I work, so I am going to shoot off 5 recommendations before I go:

Code Unknown
Juliet of The Spirits
House (Japanese)
Badlands
Towering Inferno

okay the last one isn't a good film per se, but it's so much fun to watch 70's disaster flicks! Did I just say "Shoot Off"? Yeah..i'm leaving...

Only and The Education of Charlie Banks

First up is the Canadian film Only. Premiering in Toronto last night, Only is an independnt movie on a shoestring budget with a close-knit crew. The story revolves around one day in Parry Sound when two young kids meet and wander for the duration of the day. First off, the look of the film turned out pretty well considering the lack of funds, especially apparent in the exterior shots. Like most Canadian films it's a gem, but nothing ground breaking. I'd still give it a chance though if you're flipping through the newspaper wondering what to see, since you'll probably never get the chance again. 3.5/5

The Education of Charlie Banks is the second film from Fred Durst. Yes, Fred Durst. People keep trying to tell me he's a smart guy, but I just can't get the image as him in Limp Bizkit out of my head. The film is no Longshots, that's for sure. The movie though raw and engaging, especially because of the acting ability of Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter, plays like Durst read "Film Directing For Dummies". All the shots are basic and absolutely nothing is new. I did enjoy Charlie Banks, but mostly because of the interplay between the two lead characters. 3.5/5

Altman Diaries

Recently I've emerged myself into all things Robert Altman. With each movie I grow more and more sad of his demise. Still, watch more Robert Altman! Yeah you've probably seen the big/more recent stuff - Gosford Park, M.A.S.H, Nashville etc. but here's five more you should check out.

1 - Ready-To-Wear: The humour in this movie is definetely unique and refreshing. Also, it's cool to see al the wicked fashion from the 90's
2- The Player: With tons of cameos you'll find yourself saying "hey that guy!" but don't let that overpower the brilliantly self reflexive plot and the inspiring cinematography.
3 - 3 Women: I've said it before, it's a weird film, but in the best way.
4 - California Split: You can't help but love Elliot Gould in this movie, with all his sceems to win and all his short comings he still remains so resiliently positive.
5 - Short Cuts: more to come on this gem later!

Adventureland and Doc Suggestions

hey hey, so i got caught up with my watchmen list that I haven't posted in awhile. my bad. I've seen a lot of movies since my last post. We've been on a bit of a doc frenzy, some suggestions if you are in the mood are: Our Daily Bread (the lack of narration nuances the images of how farm rendered food is made perfectly). Gimme Shelter is another triumph for the Maysles brothers. Hell House is a Christian fundamentalist doc that is both humorous and frightening. Killer at Large is a doc that focuses on America's obesity problem. Ganja Queen had the whole store stop to watch the outcome of an Australian woman's trail for being caught with several pound of marijuana in Bali. Admittedly I watch the last one a bit ago but it blew my mind.

Adventureland was an enjoyable film. If you were looking for something as funny a Superbad, you'll be disappointed, but the soundtrack makes the film. I kind of have a crush on Kristen Stewart, so seeing her in Lou Reed tees added to the fact that I liked watching this movie. The acting was decently executed, and I left the film being glad I saw it but it's not something I would try to see again.