The Conversation

NetFlix: Gene Hackman set the standard for 1970s film acting with his portrayal of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert obsessed with his privacy. A past mistake -- and the fear that he may repeat it -- haunts Caul. The Conversation benefits from tremendous supporting performances (especially that of the late, great John Cazale), excellent use of San Francisco locales and Walter Murch's sound editing.

Hmm...This was an OK movie. Reminded me of streets of San Francisco with Karl Malden, a hit TV show in the 70's. It was Coppola written and directed, so that certainly has some bearing and weight. I did enjoy the time (and effort) the director and story line took to develop. As the observer, I got a clear sense of why the protagonist did what they did and why. That simple fact seems missing in so many feature films these days.

Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable

Recorded at London's Albery Theater in 1994, this sold-out show was part of a limited seven-week run of Eddie Izzard's celebrated stand-up routine. A completely new collection of skits, imitations and free-form rants, this side-splitting performance from the award-winning transvestite comedian (which was originally aired on British television) covers a wide range of topics at a pace brisk enough to keep even the quickest viewers on their toes.

Dunno, but I think Izzard really worked on his material and his craft as a result of this 2 year period between the previous show and this one. I'm giving it another star.

Home Fries

Dorian (Luke Wilson) and Angus (Jake Busey) try to "scare the devil" out their stepfather by chasing him with a helicopter -- but in an unplanned accident, it kills him. To make matters worse, the old man has been having an affair with Sally (Drew Barrymore), a young employee at the local Burger-Matic who's now pregnant and searching for a substitute father for her child. Things really get complicated when she thinks Dorian could be the one.

We'd seen this several years ago, but I'm a complete space cadet and forgot and added it to the list. I suspect this was before I started blogging my movie reviews.

This wasn't a bad movie....Kinda bizzare and unique in it's story line. The director Dean Parisot has directed Northern Exposure and Monk, but TV series which are good and poor respectively. He also directed Galaxy Quest, which wasn't really terriffic, but not the worst Sci-Fi I'd ever seen. Once again, middle of the road on this one, 3 stars.

Code 46

In this futuristic sci-fi romance, William (Tim Robbins) is an insurance examiner whose company assigns him to investigate the use of papelles, fake travel insurance papers required by the strict government. Along the way, he meets Maria (Samantha Morton), the woman responsible for the phony papelles. Although he knows who she is, he engages in a fiery affair with her … but he'll have to end it within 24 hours, when his own papelles expire.

I dug this movie for it's little bizare story line and sci fi theme, which always will score points with me. I'll go 3 stars on this one.

The Aviator

NetFlix: Martin Scorsese directs this Best Picture nominee about Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), who turned a small fortune into a massive one by producing such classics as Hell's Angels, The Front Page, Flying Leathernecks and Scarface. He simultaneously branched into and transformed industry after industry, including aviation. Winner of five Oscars, including Best Cinematography, Art Direction and Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett).

Me: I gotta admit, I didn't know much about Howard Hughes, unless you count the Spruce Goose, however this was a totally typical Scorsese flick with his use of big cinematography and the classic split screen dialog where you see two charecters as they converse over bizarre topics.

Borat

NetFlix: Fans of the HBO comedy series "Da Ali G Show" will be delighted to join one of their favorite characters -- the Kazakhstani reporter Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen, in a Golden Globe-winning role) -- as he travels to America to report on the "greatest country in the world." Camera in tow, the boorish journalist sets off on his cross-country road trip, but his original purpose is soon subsumed by a much greater quest -- finding and marrying actress Pamela Anderson.

Me: OK, I missed the type. I didn't fall into the trap. I didn't go along with the masses and rush down to see "funniest movie I've ever seen....hilarious....a riot." Yes, those were words used by friends who saw this movie. It was funny, but not THAT funny. Again, worth a view, but not worth the full ticket price, by any means. Oh, and I saw a couple of the Ali G shows. I thought they were stupid, so no wonder I'm only giving this 3 stars.

Children of Men

Netflix: Alfonso Cuaron directs this film version of P.D. James's classic dystopian novel (and Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay), a futuristic drama set in a world in which humans have lost the ability to reproduce and subsequently face certain extinction. Things change when a single woman mysteriously becomes pregnant, prompting a conflicted government bureaucrat (Clive Owen) and his ex-wife (Julianne Moore) to join forces to protect her. Michael Caine co-stars.

Me: If you're a SciFi fan, this will entertain you, but not blow your mind. If you don't like SciFi, then you probably won't dig this flick. I thought it was worth a watch. This one gets three stars at least since I didn't say "fuck, that wouldn't happen" more than uh 10 times.

Ned Kelly

NetFlix: Ned Kelly (Heath Ledger) and his brother Dan (Laurence Kinlan), the sons of an Irish pig thief, form a group of bandits called the Kelly Gang with two other men (Orlando Bloom and Philip Barantini). Tired of being mistreated due to his heritage, Ned roams the Australian Outback with his mob, robbing banks and evading police. First jailed at age 16 for stealing horses, Ned Kelly is most notoriously known for the battle at the Inn at Glenrowan.

Aussie style RobinHood flick...Geoffery Rush plays a great commander in this movie.

The Life of Birds

Netflix: Presented by world-renowned naturalist David Attenborough, The Life of Birds is the definitive series exploring the most colorful, popular and perfectly adapted creatures on Earth. Researchers traversed the globe, exploring 42 countries and examining more than 300 species of birds using a variety of techniques, including infrared, slow motion and computer-enhanced effects.

Winged Migration it wasn't, however not a bad documentary on our little feathered friends.

Jackass Number Two

In the second film based on the infamous MTV series of the same name, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera and the rest of the gang continue to shun dignity and embrace danger in a series of idiotic feats. As always, the gross-out factor is high in stunts involving horse semen, a fake beard made out of pubic hair and more as the crew travels to India in this Jeff Tremaine-directed sequel.

Not bad, but they didn't quite capture the raw essense and finite juxtapositions for the true charater dynamics (antagonist/protagonist) of the first Jackass movie.

30 Days - Season 2

What better way to give people a crash course in empathy than to have them inhabit somebody else's life for 30 days? That's exactly what Super Size Me director and star Morgan Spurlock does on this popular FX Network show. Season 2 opens with "a border-patrolling minuteman" moving in with an undocumented Mexican family and continues with episodes on abortion, New Age healing, prisons (with Spurlock himself spending time behind bars) and more.

Of the 6+ (?) episodes in season 2, there was only one I didn't really care for...Some how they missed the mark on the binge drinking mom, however all other scenarios were really good.

Eddie Izzard - Glorious

Self-proclaimed executive transvestite and comedian Eddie Izzard brings his stand-up act to the Apollo Theater in Labatt. With topics including the nature of God, the search for a career, classical mythology and Scooby-Doo, Izzard presents intellectual and fast-paced comedy. His imitations include Sean Connery, whom he imagines playing Noah trying to convince God that a speedboat would be a better photo opportunity than an ark.

A comedian's genius is clearly in their wit, and ability to put together things you've thought about. Izzard is classic in this performance, however I think his later performances are more refined, and honestly funnier.

Bowfinger

Lame producer Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) has a script that's brimming with possibilities. The catch? To get seed money to produce the film, it must feature Hollywood's leading box-office star, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy). Aided and abetted by a cast and crew of misfits, Martin makes one last stab at overnight success. Hilarity is the result.

I enjoy this show and on it, they talked about this movie, so I rented it.

I thought this was classic Eddie. Worth the view, easy

Hotel Rawanda

Amid the holocaust of internecine tribal fighting in Rwanda that sees the savage butchering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, one ordinary man (Oscar nominee Don Cheadle) musters the courage to save more than 1,000 helpless refugees by sheltering them in the hotel he manages. Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in this powerful film (sort of an African version of Schindler's List) directed by Terry George.

Maybe the fact that this movie was a Netflix top 100, slanted my view and therefore I expected more. This was a good movie, with good acting, and a good storyline, but frankly nothing more. Don Cheadle's performance was quite stirring, but hell, how could you not envoke strong emotion and a convincing performance in this environment, even if it is on a hollywood set? I'm giving it 3 stars. Certainly worth seeing, but don't get your panties all raised up in a bunch over it, if you have panties, and if you do, if you can get them raised up in a bunch and if you can get the raised all up in a bunch, certainly don't do it over this movie.

The Man Who Skied Down Everest

Description: Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1975, this engrossing film follows world champion skier Yuichiro Miura and his tireless team of adventurers as they grapple with frostbite, icefalls, altitude sickness and even death to ascend and then descend -- by slaloming -- the world's tallest mountain, Everest. A truly gripping film about a one-of-a-kind stunt, The Man Who Skied Down Everest is a landmark in the sports documentary genre.

My Promulgation: This movie came on a recomendation from Michelle, and I liked it. I really enjoyed the more philosophical naration by Miura himself. Since I have been to both approach sides of Everest, I really enjoyed the fact that they hauled all the gear 185 miles from Kathmandu. Today, we have it easy, we just walked from Lukla. In the end, you ask yourself, did he succeed, or did he fail?

Blade - Trinity

Description: Recognizing that they're powerless to stop vampire hunter Blade (Wesley Snipes), the vampires who rule the human race set up Blade to look like a serial killer, immediately prompting the FBI to go after him. But more trouble brews: Just as Blade realizes he's being pursued, Dracula (Dominic Purcell), the biggest bloodsucker of all time, is released, forcing Blade to enlist the help of a dream team of vampire killers known as the Nightstalkers.

My Promulgation: I have no idea there were three, and we watched all of them....jesus.

Blade II

Description: Blade (Wesley Snipes) is a half-vampire sworn to eradicating the bloodsuckers who lurk in the shadows. But when a new kind of bloodsucker -- the dread "reapers" -- is unleashed, the Vampire Nation asks Blade to help his longtime foes prevent a nightmare plague that would wipe out human and vampire alike. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro (Cronos, The Devil's Backbone), Blade II mixes high-tech action with crimson terror.

My Promulgation: I don't remember much about this movie, but it was OK.

Blade

Description: Half-vampire, half-human hybrid Wesley Snipes pursues the bloodsuckers who killed his mother and inflicted their everlasting curse upon him. But the vampires (who've infiltrated the highest echelons of big business) aren't finished with their favorite son. They need Blade's special blood to reincarnate La Magra, a voracious god who'll inaugurate a bloody new epoch between vampires and their human hosts.

My Promulgation: I vaguely remember this movie. It wasn't horrible, but it certainly didn't set my ass on fire. Hmm...Would that be a good thing, or a bad thing. Anyway, I didn't fall asleep and didn't turn it off, so it gets 3 starts.

Closer

Description: In this drama based on a hit Broadway play, Academy Award-winning director Mike Nichols exposes the ugly core hiding behind the slick veneer of the relationships of four beautiful people -- a photographer (Julia Roberts) and her boyfriend (Clive Owen), and a romantic (Jude Law) and his quirky beloved (Oscar nominee Natalie Portman). When two of them embark on an illicit affair, a cascade of betrayal ensues, questioning the very meaning of love.

My Promulgation: Hmmm. This was one of those "how weird can relationships be portrayed in a movie" kinda movie. Does everybody think Julia Roberts is a great actress? I think she's a one dimensional dud, and in this movie she doesn't disappoint. Seems like she "plays" the same role over and over and over. BORING. I give it 3 stars but I don't have a clue as to why. Oh I remember now. Natalie Portman (Uh Star Wars, you bozo) has some hot scenes and she's kinda cute....She made up for Julia (I cry @ congressional hearings, and can't really act) Roberts.

Southern Comfort

Description: This moving documentary chronicles the last year in the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male transsexual dying of ovarian cancer. We're introduced to several people who figure prominently in Robert's life -- most importantly, Lola Cola, a transsexual who's become Robert's life partner and cares for him full-time. The two prepare to lead a panel at the annual Southern Comfort conference, a yearly event created for transgendered individuals.

My Promulgation: This was a facinating movie about a whole group of transexual freaks. Well, transexuals can love. They can die of cancer too. They can cry. I cried too. It was sad.