embracing the quirk

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I really wanted to work in the word "apotheosis"

Shoot 'Em Up in 25 words or less:

Surprisingly balletic and—dare I say it—emotionally honest, for a movie whose every pore oozes “totally unnecessary.” Well-shot, well-choreographed, appropriately unsettling, and . . . elegantly nonsensical. B+.

Current Mood: working

Where the Wild Things Are in 25 words or less:

A wonderfully, appropriately sentimental film (albeit a bit slow), and -- even setting nostalgia aside -- a masterpiece of adaptation, art direction, and execution. Blew me away. A.

___

It's hard to set nostalgia aside, of course, and I have some powerful and joyous memories of reading this book to a child dear to me. Seeing the movie brought them back in a happy way, too.

ETA: Spoilers in comments

Current Music: soundtrack in my head

Yes, Virginia, there is a higher standard for better filmmakers.

Ponyo in 25 words or less:
Cute, and visually flawless. But I expect thematic coherence and general excellence from Miyazaki, and this disappointed, particularly in the underwhelming plot climax. Still, adorable. B.

Trailers only get *15* words.
15-word review of the G.I. Joe Trailer:
Is it wrong to find myself rooting for the bad guys? They seem more interesting.

Current Music: anime on tv

And I remain (I think) the last of my friends not spoiled for the next two...
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 25 words or less:
Not a stand-alone movie, but then again, it wasn't supposed to be. Despite a few baffling adaptation choices, it held together and entertained well. B+.

Current Music: "Somebody Has to Pay" from Run Lola Run

Who watches? (Um, me)
Watchmen in 25 words or less:

A worthy monument to a visionary masterwork -- but although its core messages translated, much of the original's subtlety and cleverness became (unpredictably) obvious as executed. B+.

***
And a note to those who watched the film with me -- it seems our recollections were wrong! Sadly, two of the most intrusive music cues do not appear to have been taken from the original. http://www.watchmencomicmovie.com/watchmen-comic-songs-music.php. And in fact, I now recall, thinking back, that that one scene (not to spoil it for others) worked much better with the original song, than with the one they used. Dagnabbit.

Current Mood: busy

Happy Birthday, fajitas
That is to say, Happy Birthday.

Current Mood: creative

on the carnivore nature of lolcats
How come none of the lolcats ever say "I can has veggieburger?"
I think I need an icon like that. :)

Current Mood: procrastinating
Current Music: indie 103.1 online

See it in 3-D if you can
Coraline (3-D) (warning: all-flash site) in 25 words or less:

A creepy and youthfully adventurous story, impeccably presented. Hovers imperfectly between (too scary for) kids and (too straightforward for) adults, but ultimately triumphs at world-building. B+.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: "Arrested Development" in background

Waiting
Look, I know it was only released on Tuesday, but grr. My copy of Spiral Hunt has not yet arrived. I want to read it now!

/whine

Current Mood: impatient

My Christmas Day let me show you it
This gives you an idea of how behind I am on the 25-word reviews. Anyway, these two movies -- talking about going to extremes! -- were how I commemorated this past National Jews Go To The Movies And Eat Chinese Food Day...

The Spirit in 25 words or less:
Turns out that "hard-boiled" and "funny" don't taste great together (outside of parodies). Nifty visuals didn't help save this from the "ridiculously awful" bin. D.

Slumdog Millionaire in 25 words or less:
Probably the best movie I saw in 2008. Manages -- improbably -- to show explore harsh images and themes without being depressing. Cinematography, soundtrack, performances . . . all awesome. A.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: Slumdog millionaire soundtrack in my head

View . . . review
The Dark Knight in 25 words or less:
Ledger's as virtuoso as touted, but these characters (and actors) deserved a more meaningful story. This seemed contrived, crowded, and coincidence-laden. Still -- pretty powerful. B+.

Current Mood: home
Current Music: catching up on the TiVo

Again with what may be an unpopular view. Ah, well.
Quantum of Solace in 25 words or less:

A better, cleverer story than Casino Royale, despite iffy editing. And Craig’s Bond works: his witty, charming killer is no psychopath, but at a cost. B+.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "Another Way to Die", Jack Black & Alicia Keys (surprisingly good!)

bwah!
More funny from the folks at Woot:

17 Fabulous Prequels to Broadway Musicals

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: tv in the background

Yep that's me, mauling the classics
I promised many of you that I'd post a full report on last weekend's doings. And so I shall. I've had a busy couple of days (for unrelated reasons) so I haven't had much time to process. But in the meantime, here's a movie review to tide you (ok, mostly me) over.

The Phantom of the Opera (1925, Lon Chaney version) in 25 words or less:
Markedly not the story of redemption I expected. Nor was it terribly logical or affecting. Nevertheless, today's monster/horror movies owe it (and Chaney) much. C+.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: tv in the background

And now I totally want a stuffed Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro in 25 words or less:

Ultimately more shallowly optimistic than I had expected (or wished) it to be -- but still both delightful and meaningful, and told with amazing visual sensitivity. B+.

Current Mood: back home

California Ballot Measures
Every election,

pseudosilence and I meet before voting day to argue out the pros and cons of the ballot measures and referenda. This is a mildly wonkish thing to do, but we're both pretty wonkish people, and every time we do it, I am glad we did, since the discussion always shines a light on some issue or argument I hadn't thought of.

Every year, various people ask us to share the results of our discussion to help them come to a decision. So this year she's written up our conclusions here for all to enjoy. Hope it's helpful.

I also have data on the judicial elections for Los Angeles, and if anyone wants that I'm happy to share.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: TV in the backgroune

I know it's popular, but . . .
The 40-Year Old Virgin in 25 words or less:
The first 45 minutes were so discomfiting that it took days to get through. Once it became a love story, though, it was pretty good. C+.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: TV in the background

Worth seeing before the new one comes out
Casino Royale in 25 words or less:
Everything you want Bond to be: exciting, sexy . . . damaged. Worked even when it was predictable or contrived (or both). Plus, at least one great chase. A-.

Current Music: TV in the background

Zhang Yimou's dress rehearsal for the Olympics
Curse of the Golden Flower in 25 words or less:
Gong Li is a perfect tragic figure in this stunning drama. But despite its opera-like storytelling, it left me grasping for a sense of purpose. B.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: TV in the backgroune