busybusybusybusy

Work is busy and my blogging time is going out the window. I'm sure I'll still find windows of opportunity but I'm finishing old projects and beginning new ones and there is no end in sight. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining one bit! Isn't it great that I love my job?

And just so that I post something relatively worthwhile, here's a list of all the movies that I've seen so far this year. Only one of them was seen at a movie theater...the rest were all dvds from the library. Free library movies, I love you!

Last Days. Better than I expected but generally too random for me to get behind it. I hated the mumbly-ness of the lead actor. He'll be starring as one of the thugs in Michael Haneke's remake of Funny Games. I think I kind of hate Michael Haneke for wanting to remake his own movie for American audiences.

The Asphalt Jungle. A fun noir caper film starring Sterling Hayden. I liked a lot of the characters in this film, especially Hayden's long-suffering gal pal because she was just so damn kooky, like a lovable meth-head. A very young Marilyn Monroe has a bit part that is total sexy. Enjoyable on all fronts.

Christiane F - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo. It's funny because I remember the poster for this movie hanging outside the New Yorker Repertory Cinema in London, Ontario when I was in grade 6. It totally drew me in. Pretty girl, sex, drugs, David Bowie, big city equalled excitement to this small town girl. But because you had to be 14 to see it, I could only wonder what excitement lay beyond the doors. When I noticed that the library got in a copy last month, I put a hold on it. It's a gritty little film about heroin use and the life of teenage junkies. Unfortunately, the dvd doesn't come subtitled, only dubbed into English, which makes the drama slightly cheesy, but I liked the film regardless.

A History of Violence. I really wanted to love this movie. I thought it could be very much like a Haneke-style film and I was quiet disappointed that it wasn't. Good but not great.

The Constant Gardener. Based on a John Le Carre book, I was expecting a good espionage flick, a "taut thriller" (back of the box). In parts it was pretty gripping, but on the whole a let down.

Children of Men. Really intense with some great long takes which really added to the intensity, but the story was kind of weak. But we saw it at the Rio Theater on Broadway near Commercial and I loved it. It's now my 2nd favorite theater next to Tinseltown. Seats were comfy and new, the sound was awesome and it's an old single screen which is nice. So while I can't really say the movie was great, I fully recommend the Rio.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Watched this many, many times before. This time, we watched it with commentary. Enjoyable.

The Clash: Westway to the World. I was pretty excited to see this dvd after seeing the extra dvd footage on the London Calling cd that Cornelius brought back from the library a few weeks ago. This has a lot more footage of the Clash in NYC during the 80's when they were very influenced by the hiphop scene, graffiti culture, and breakdancing. I really like the Clash, what more can I say?

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. This was seriously bad (I know, what was I thinking!). The "hot Greek guy" the Gilmore Girls chick falls for? Dude, he was Russian and wore turtleneck sweaters. The music was horrible and the whole thing fell pretty flat for me. Want a good coming of age movie? 13 Going on 30. Seriously.

All About Eve. It's taken me ages to see this movie. I don't know why I hadn't seen it before now. Bette Davis is awesome, she's got a lot of great lines and it's a pretty good story. Marilyn Monroe has a bit part and what can I say, she's a foxy number and a bit of a pastiche, but throughly enjoyable. Recommended.

Thieves' Highway. Run right to your library or arty video store and get this dvd now. It's filled with working class strife, truck driving, sexy french/italian hookers with a heart of gold and...apples. It's well paced with lots of action and a wonderful setting in post war San Francisco's marketplace. And hey look, the title has the correct punctuation!