DJ Zealot's Blogger

District 9 (Prawn or Pawn?)

2009-08-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

img from rottentomatoes.

So if you ignore the blatant hitting-your-head-cuz-it-looks-like-a-dead-horse apartheid and sociology rants, the compositing is 95% perfection, and you know, after awhile you feel for the main nerd. Everything is predictable, the ending, the twists along the way. Certainly completing the circle of expectation for this story yields satisfaction and not boredom. One of the best science fiction/ dystopian future movies crafted.

I explored the d-9.com site several months ago. Very cool, but the ARG for the movie AI was still the most engrossing, scary and well.... Real.

UP

2009-08-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

WOW. quite possibly only the second animated movie I wanted to cry at. The other one was Transformers: The Movie, when Optimus gives up the Matrix of Leadership. Yeah, I just spoiler-ed away with that movie, but realy, you should see it. It's been decades.

Oh yeah, "UP." What can you say about Pixar movies that hasn't been said before? Story is amazing, pacing is great, Kevin is so cute (is this the second androgynous character in the Pixar universe? Lovely movie.

Julie and Julia (FOOD!!!)

2009-08-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

Loved this movie. Always bordering on either laughing way too loudly, or crying.

Meryl Streep is amazing. Amy Adams is "meh" at best. Totally brought me back to my childhood, watching Julia Child cook. /sigh/ I totally didn't know Julia Child had a kitchen in CAMBRIDGE, MA! I was down the street from it, too....

If you're a foodie, or watched PBS as a kid, went to Tu Lan in SF near 6th and Market, get thee to "Julie and Julia."

Coraline

2009-08-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

I read the book by Neil Gaiman before seeing the movie. As usual, the book is better than the film. The film had pretty bad writing and terrible pacing for the first half. The best effects were the computer generated transitions towards the end of the movie; again, another awkward movie.... Gah.

Paper Heart

2009-08-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

What a cute, awkward movie. Not sure if it was a mockumentary, documentary, movie, memoir.... Charlene is PAINFULLY awkward. Laughing at the wrong times, not quite the graceful person at all. The exploration into what love is presents itself as an enigma to Charlene. Michael Cera is not as awkward (surprisingly) as he guides her through some of the dating scene. I enjoyed this movie, but enough that I could sit through all the awkwardness.

Star Trek (2009)

2009-05-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not a Trekkie, and I loved this movie. Granted, JJ reuses themes such as time travel, but if it's his schtick it was a well chosen one! Doesn't hurt that the actors were easy on the eyes.

Still Walking (2009)

2009-05-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Also saw this film at the SFIFF. Interesting character study of a family in Japan. Not overtly dramatic or sappy, and the highlight was food preparation a la Tampopo. Yum!

500 Days of Summer

2009-05-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Img from rottentomates.com

I loved loved loved this movie. A snarky non-RoCo isn't usually my cup of tea; but this movie kept my attention, and the editing was extraordinarily good. Viewed at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Definitely will see it again when it's in wide release.

Curous Case of BB

2009-03-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

img from rotten tomatoes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Granted, the first time was in the comfort of my own home, watching on a screener DVD, crying like a little baby in the dark. The second time I saw it was at Skywalker Ranch, in the Stag Theater. Two difference experiences, same movie, two great reactions.

The first time I watched, I was enthralled by the plot and possibility of "what if"; however the second half of the movie my eyes were clogged full of sentimental tears. The second time I watched I paid more attention to the VFX which were good, but did have some uncanny valley moments.

Digital Domain did a great job as the primary VFX vendor! Congrats!

Religulous Dark Knight - New political frontier

2008-11-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Img from RottenTomatoes.

One of the most thoughtful, funny and insightful approaches to the touchy topic of organized faith and religion.

Favorite segments, interpreted by me: Bill Maher: Do you believe you'll be taken care of in the afterlife? That you'll be taken care of?
Man selling religious chotch-kes: Yes, I believe God will take care of me.
Bill Maher: Then why don't you kill yourself now?

And: Bill Maher: So honestly, a tale of a man surviving in the belly of a whale -
Woman: Jonah lived in a giant fish!
Bill Maher: Oh, I'm sorry. That's much more plausible then! He survives for three days in a giant FISH, and comes out smelling like pussy. Ok, much more believable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I need to see it again. Bill Maher approaches the subject as a curious agnostic. Questioning, challenging, travelling and talking. To be an atheist he says, is to be as fanatic about the non-existence of a higher being, which is just as dangerous as being a fanatic about certainty of a higher being's existence. As a true agnostic, he asks how can one be sure of either side? So he challenges people on their non-tolerance and closed-view thinking of the world, from double-standards from a Muslim rapper, to the ousted former members of the Mormon society, to middle America's Christian right. Excellent!

Img from A Silent I files.

Loved this movie. I loved Two-Face's makeup. Loved Heath Ledger (my friend had a good point, he thinks the Joker should laugh much much more, being the maniacal crazy he is). Christian Bale is as hot as evar.

Wall-E

2008-07-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

img from rottentomatoes

Ok, if you were not living under a rock, you'd know that Pixar's latest film Wall-E is in theaters. If you're with the kool-aid drinking crowd, you'd have seen it already. If you're hardcore, you saw it opening weekend, and probably twice since then.

I loved this movie. The visuals (hands raking through Saturn's rings? Fantastical!) and characteranimation that's so expressive with so little (Eve looks like an iPod with little penguin flaps for arms, and the difference between Wall-E as a character and Wall-E as a worker robot is apparent and amazing).

And if you were anywhere within earshot of me, you heard me say "Wall-E" during the day, "Wall-E" at night, and "Wall-E" in my dreams. <3 wall-e!

Wanted

2008-07-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

image from rotten tomatoes. put your disbelief on permanent suspension (well, at least for the duration of this movie). finally jolie makes a decent movie worth watching in the theater, it was fun, sexy and interesting visualFX. james mcavoy makes a good shoo-in for a role in office space, or fight club. is he the new edward norton? interesting how jolie plays a parental type figure - not really maternal, more paternal. great twists and turns, i enjoyed "wanted!"

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

2008-05-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I watched the last installment (so far) of the Indiana Jones franchise! I have to say, with all the memorable lines by Connery and the quick steps of young Indy and Ford's Indy, "The Last Crusade" is my favorite. Sure, who can forget "Anything Goes" in Chinese from Temple of Doom, or how asps are very dangerous (and Indy should go first) from Raiders. I still love the three trials Indiana must complete at the end of the movie. HAWT. It's fun, playful, full of Nazis to hate, and Christian symbols to make your head explode (or at the very least, decompose really quickly if you don't choose wisely!) "I knew I should have sent it to the Marx Brothers!"

21

2008-04-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

As usual, the images are from Rottentomatoes.com

Well, I'm glad I saw this film for free. 21 the movie was less interesting than its book counterpart, "Bringing Down the House." I guess more stuff happens in the book, and you can watch the movie for a cliff notes version of the book. And why are MIT based movies never filmed at MIT? No one wear a brass rat in the movies, and dangit! We don't run towards the Great Dome to get to class, that courtyard ain't a shortcut to anywhere on campus! :)

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

2008-04-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. Really cute period piece! Love Frances MacDormand's lead character Miss Pettigrew, and of course Amy Adams plays the spoiled slighty dillusional socialite (a period piece Giselle). Lots of fun! and the soundtrack is pretty awesome.

Iron Man

2008-03-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dun dun dun-dun-dun! Danna danna dan-dan dun-dun-dun!

piggy

2008-03-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

You know what, not that bad but not that good. I'm sure in a few weeks I'll forget I ever saw this movie. McAvoy's blue eyes were far more hypnotising and memorable than this forced fairy tale movie. Some parts were pretty funny, tho I felt they were written and directed while the crew wasn't too tired of the movie. Poor O'Hara.... will she always play a mom of a unique child? :P

Cloverfield

2008-01-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

Cloverfield, Cloverfield, Cloverfield! Haven't seen it.... yet.

Update - I saw it and I puked at 44mins in. Ugh.

Like the city in Alaska...?

2008-01-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

Juno was adorable. (And yes, I know the city in Alaska is spelled differently!) I can see how people thought the characters were a bit forced or the dialog was trying way too hard to be kitchy (see: Jennifer Garner's performance). I thought Ellen Page was adorable and a great actress for this part.

Michael Cera, of course, played the gentle awkward kid who tries hard and is not annoying while he does it! Very real. I'm afraid he's getting typecast, though. That's okay. Hollywood is all about the Beta Male these days. He had some of the best one-liners in the film.

Walk Hard

2007-12-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

Over the top and pretty funny! The songs are catchy and the lyrics are so witty... "Let's... Duet!" John C Reilly is great, and so it Jenna Fischer. Go see!

Shave and a haircut.... Two slits!

2007-12-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

Sweeney Todd

Wow...more gory than I thought it would be, even with the fake looking blood! Go Helena Bonham Carter! She is growing old gracefully and man, her character of the meat pie making Mrs Lovett is just wry, witty, graceful and sinister all rolled into one. And Johnny Depp.... sigh, hard to believe he's also Jack Sparrow, but the characters leaked into each other a little bit more than i would have liked. Lots of interesting romantic ties between characters (like whoa, you're way too young! Oh dear, you're WAY too old!) Fun ride. Gratz to Burton for a non Danny Elfman scored movie!

I! AM! LEGEND!

2007-12-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, sorry for bringing in that sparta language.... But seriously, what a fantastic performance from Will Smith - he has built his career on doing the comic relief thing, such as ID4, MIB franchise, Bad Boys. Now take those humorous lines when he's talking to a mannequin because he's lonely... it makes for a poignant, strange, voyeuristic experiences ever.

"I Am Legend" was surprisingly good. Tour de force performance from Will Smith! And gosh, that puppy dog is adorable. Can't say I liked the VFX - the bluescreens were poorly integrated, and the vampire thingies are just.... ugh. The transformation of NYC was smooth and wonderful.

Scientifically methodical at the beginning, then a smooth transition to a different type of movie. I liken it to Jurassic Park in pacing and overall feel.

img from RT.

pie.... i like pie!

2007-12-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

I loved the character driven dramedy of "Waitress." The movie touched on a lot of interesting topics like cooking, abusive husbands, affairs with hot doctors, childbirth, and what it means to be an independent woman in the american south. Great acting from Kerri Russell of Felicity fame!

Cinematic Titanic

2007-12-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

img from rottentomatoes. Oh wow. Thanks to the cast of MST3K "Brain of Blood" was made more bearable :) also see wikipedia's entry for Cinematic Titanic!

Golden Compass

2007-12-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

pic from rottentomatoes

I think this bunny cartoon sums up what I feel about it: http://bunny.frozenreality.co.uk/index.php?id=1051