Interesting movie experience - great quote

On April 24, Mutant Chronicles hits theaters. The trailers make it look somewhat schlocky. But, we have an affinity for scholck SF in our house. Amazingly, Amazon was running a special pre-release rental of the flick this weekend. For $10, you could rent the movie for 3 days and watch it on your Amazon-compatible PC or device (including TiVo, thank you). So, we decided it was worth the experiment. Let's watch a movie before it hits the theaters!

The movie starred Thomas Jane (from "The Punisher"), Ron Perlman (of "Beauty and the Beast" fame), and (briefly) John Malkovich.

The judgement? I gave it a B-, Goblin gave it an A.

However, we both agreed that there was a very memorable line in the movie. Thomas Jane's character is one of the few survivors near the end. The little band is following a book held by monks for hundreds of years that tells how to stop the mutant forces of evil from wiping out humanity. Jane is a non-believer. When challenged about his non-belief while being on this mission he responds:

I'm not paid to believe. I'm paid to fuck shit up. Are you coming? - Hunter The Mutant Chronicles

Great line!

A well spent day, including a movie

I had to get up at 6 (yes, on a Saturday) so I could exercise and pick my son up from an overnight before my 10 a.m. date with destiny. OK, it was just a workshop for new Mac users, but it was a big deal for me. I learned some cool tips and tricks that I can't wait to try out on my new computer when it comes next week. I also bought myself a game to install on the thing. I spent the next couple of hours running errands, wearing myself out, but generally having a good time.

When I came home, Goblin had the kitchen torn apart. We got a new counter top delivered at 7:15 this morning. So, he needed to empty the cabinet that it went on to attach it. Basically, the contents of the cabinet had exploded to cover every other surface in the kitchen. Goblin was frustrated with how the task was going, so he was cursing and grumbling. He was about to go out to Loew's to get some more supplies when I suggested that we should go see the new James Bond flick. Grendel liked the idea as well, so off we went.

When we got to the theater, it turned out that "Quantum of Solace" was sold out for the next couple of shows. We were about to buy tickets for a later show when I noticed something on the marquee. Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla had FINALLY come to New Hampshire. This movie has been out for more than a month, but not within a hundred miles of our house. Goblin and I loved Snatch and I am also a huge Gerard Butler fan, so I've been ACHING to see RocknRolla. So, we decided to see that instead ... of course.

While Snatch is still a much better film, I really enjoyed RocknRolla. And, while I love Gerard Butler, Toby Kebbell steals the movie as crack-addict-rocker Johnny Quid. Jeremy Piven has a minor part as one of his music managers as well. Tom Wilkinson does a fine job as Johnny's crime-boss step-father (though he's not as menacing as Snatch's Brick Top). And Thandie Newton is excruciatingly sexy as the disloyal and scheming accountant for a Russian mob boss.

If you like light twisty crime movies, with a touch of irony and humor, you'll like this one. I plan to pick it up on DVD as soon as it's available.

Note: We also saw a VERY intriguing preview for next May's Star Trek prequel movie. Another CAN'T WAIT. Especially since Heroes Sylar is playing a young Spock

Now, I can get back to obsessing about my new Mac.

Disappointing flicks

Other than "The Dark Knight", I think this summer's flicks have been a bust. Last weekend we went to see "Babylon A.D." Nice action. Diverting. Confusing plot and disappointing ending. Friday, we went to see "Bangkok Dangerous". Again, nice action. Reasonable character development for an action flick. Fine flick up until a disappointing ending.

We kind of want to see "Death Race", but expect to be disappointed in that as well. My son, Grendel, wants to go see "Pineapple Express". His parents were not convinced. Who knows though, it could be the winner in the bunch at this point.

Dark Knight ... and previews

What a great effort! Heath Ledger did an awesome job, which makes me even more sad about his death. While I really enjoyed Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker years ago, Ledger was in a league of his own. This is a must see grade "A" flick. (Note: It is a bit long, so be prepared. However, you will be grateful for every moment.)

One of the reasons I was looking forward to seeing The Dark Knight was for the previews of Terminator Salvation. I got goosebumps during the trailer. I'm really bummed that we have to wait until next summer for it. We also saw a preview for The Watchmen. Now, THAT looks fabulous too! Also not out until March 2009.

One thing that we did not see a preview for, but I found out about while poking around on the Internet Movie Database: Rendevous with Rama ... COOL!

Saw a poster for Twilight, based on the book of the same title, which is part of a very popular YA vampire series that I've been thinking of reading. Now, I definitely will have to read it before the movie comes out in the fall.

Still up for the summer: latest X-Files movie, Mummy 3, Death Race, Babylon A.D., and Bangkok Dangerous. I'd also like to see Henry Poole is Here, but since it's slated for limited release, it may not make it to NH. (Oh, and if I'm feeling like killing brain cells: Disaster Movie)

And, while it's way off, here are some fall movies that have my interest piqued: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (stars Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead), RocknRolla (Guy Ritchie flick with Gerard Butler), Quantum of Solace (Bond!), Australia (Hugh Jackman), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Road (great book turned movie with Viggo Mortensen), Transporter 3, Punisher 2, The Day the Earth Stood Still (Keanu Reeves? interesting), Defiance (Daniel Craig in WW2), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Marley and Me (great book).

Two DVD retro themers and a theatrical movie

We watched several movies this week while our son is away. On the DVD front, we rented Far From Heaven and Fido. Both movies have similar surreal 1950s settings.

Far From Heaven is about the seemingly perfect and shallow lives of an American family, where things are not as they seem. The husband, played by Dennis Quaid, is struggling with homosexual feelings while the wife develops a taboo friendship with a black man. In the homophobic 50s, it was still better to be gay than to cross racial lines.

In Fido, an average American family's life is complicated when they try to keep up with the neighbors by getting a domesticated zombie. This is far from your typical zombie movie. It's more like Leave It To Beaver meets Shawn of the Dead. Billy Connolly is fabulous as Fido, the zombie. Carrie-Anne Moss (of The Matrix and Disturbia) is wonderful as the very proper mom. The side characters are great as well, including a neighbor who treats his female zombie as his girlfriend and the little girl neighbor who hates ballet but is an excellent marksman. The later is key when you have zombies outside the town in the 'wild zone' and when anyone who drops dead will turn into one in a flash.

While watching Far From Heaven and Fido as an in-home double feature has its merits, Fido probably would be better paired with Shaun of the Dead.

Speaking of Shawn of the Dead, we ventured out this afternoon to see Penelope, which included a minor appearance by Shaun of the Dead's Nick Frost ('Ed'). We really enjoyed Penelope. A nice and light uplifting flick. Poor Penelope was literally cursed at birth with the ears and snout of a pig. Supposedly, the curse can only be broken when one of her own kind accepts her for who she is. When she reaches adulthood, her parents hire a matchmaker to find her a suitable blue blood mate. Every one of the potentials runs from her on sight. When a reporter hires a down-on-his-luck blue blood to get a picture of the poor girl, the real romance begins. But, all is not as it seems in the relationship or the curse department. The flick has a satisfyingly happy ending.

All three movies are recommended.

Movie review: Charlie Bartlett

Spoiler alert!

Most of us remember high school as that horrible time in our lives when we were unsure of ourselves and our place in the world. We all wanted to be liked by our peers, mostly because we weren't sure if we liked ourselves. Enter Charlie Bartlett. The movie opens with Charlie being expelled from the latest in a string of private schools. Typically, his expulsions have been related to schemes he undertook to increase his popularity. When his mother points out to Charlie that there are more important aspects to high school than being popular, Charlie asks for examples. After a moment's hesitation, she admits that she cannot think of any. Charlie's mother then suggests that he attend the public school.

Charlie is a very bright young man from a wealthy family. His mother is a bit maladjusted herself, and so she keeps a psychiatrist on retainer to minister to her and Charlie's needs. After being beaten up for his preppie ways, Charlie leverages his psychiatric experience into a new scheme. He will offer advice and psychoactive prescription drugs to his fellow students, in partnership with his erstwhile abuser (cum drug dealer). The scheme is hugely successful. Charlie is a very good listener and offers pretty good advice.

After one of his clients tries to kill himself with his 'prescription', Charlie needs to stop dispensing drugs. When he informs the students that he won't be prescribing drugs any more, he says he will still offer free counseling. His business partner is angry with him, and guesses that their run is over. Amazingly, the next day, Charlie has as many clients as he did when he was prescribing and selling drugs.

By the end of the movie, Charlie admits to everyone that he is no more together than they are. However, it does seem that he has a knack for hearing what people are really saying and offering sound advice. He finds that he enjoys the role so well, that he eventually seeks a summer internship at a psychiatric hospital. Though the interviewer wonders about his checkered past, he is willing to interview a very enthusiastic Charlie, but comments that they need to get to it because the interviewer has a tough day ahead. Charlie smiles and asks if he would like to talk about that.

It would have been great if Charlie Bartlett had gone to my high school!