Quote of the Day - March 2

Dr. Nuhkbane: There you are, one stitch, all better.
Brad: One stitch?
Dr. Nuhkbane: Oh, yes, one stitch.
Brad: My only shot at ever being in a gang fight and all I get is one stitch? Chris is gonna think I'm a total failure!

- Adventures in Babysitting

Quote of the Day - March 1

"There's nothing more toxic or deadly than a human child. A single touch could kill you. Leave a door open, and one can walk right into this factory; right into the monster world."

- Henry J. Waternoose, Monsters, Inc.

Quote of the Day - February 28

"I don't wanna put any undue pressure on you guys, but Coach Gennero's last words were, win or I'll die."

- Coach Wally Rig, Necessary Roughness

Running Scared - movie review

Every year there is that one movie that is just ridiculously over the top in terms of language and violence. This year, we officially have our second. The first was Eli Roth's Hostel; the second is the new Paul Walker movie Running Scared. Scenes in this movie would make Quentin Tarantino proud (and in fact did as he has said wonderful things about it). There were scenes in this movie that were a little much and probably unnecessary (I don't want to spoil it, plus I really don't want to write about it either as it was quite unsettling). The characters were more like caricatures of every despicable type of human alive. The langauge was quite graphic and the "F" word has lost all meaning because it was said so much. Speaking of the language, it was funny how pretty much every other word out of Paul Walker's mouth began with the letter "F", but his wife was adamant that he not use the word in front of the son. But in the end, it all worked. For two hours, I was engaged and having a blast watching Paul Walker getting into and out of trouble in have one really messed up night. You had gangsters, pimps, dirty cops, explosions, glowing hockey pucks (Note to Fox - this is what the glowing puck should've looked like in your telecasts as opposed to that abomination that you guys attempted to use in those NHL games a few years back), guns, etc. There were a lot of quick cuts, which added to the ambiance of the film and at times, you really felt you were with Walker and the downward spiral he was on during the night.

The movie was a smorgasboard of violence and it was spectacular. If you think directors like Tarantino and Roth are over the top, stay away. But if you love violence and don't mind hearing some foul language every other word, you should check this movie out. Unfortunately, it is playing in a somewhat limited release and the box office receipts were quite low, so you may need to hurry before this movie ends its theatrical run.

4.5 out of 6 beers

Firewall - movie review

Unfortunately, this was a by-the-numbers, run-of-the-mill suspense movie. However, that does not mean it was bad. I actually quite enjoyed myself while I was in the theater. Mostly, it was because of Harrison Ford and Paul Bettany, the good guy and bad guy respectively. The interplay between these two characters was great and Bettany is continuing to impress. The plot was salvageable, but could have been great. The use of computers and technology to pull off a bank robbery was a nice touch, but again, there was just something missing. If you are looking for a fun movie with some twists and turns, then go for it.

3.5 out of 6 beers

The New World - movie review

There is a reason why Terrence Malick only comes out with a movie once every seven years (directed 5 movies since 1969 - last one was The Thin Red Line back in 1998). Every scene in this movie was shot with painstaking care. The scenery was just as much a part of this movie as the characters and the script. Yes, that means the movie was very slow, with slow probably being an understatement. This movie was a retelling of the story of John Smith and Pocahontas, and the clash between the Native Americans and the English settlers in the 17th century. The movie rested squarely on the shoulders of fifteen year old Q'Oriana Kilcher, who did an amazing job as the character we know of as Pocahontas. She held her own in scenes with both Colin Farrell and Christian Bale. My favorite part of the movie was how Malick used the native language, but would only subtitle it occassionally. At times, you really understood the confusion the settlers felt while trying to interact with a new people and a new culture.

As I said earlier, the movie is at times excruciatingly slow, but I can just imagine the storyboarding process Malick, his cinematographer and director of photography went through to put some beautiful and amazing visuals on screen. This movie is definitely not for everybody, but if you have the patience (and about 2 and a half hours) and an interest in the subject matter, you will hopefully not be disappointed. Props to Christopher Plummer, who continually takes on smaller roles in movies and never disappoints.

5 out of 6 beers.

Munich - movie review

Its fun watching the Incredible Hulk and the future James Bond playing Israeli assassins in the wake of the Munich Olympics. Eric Bana and Daniel Craig, as well as the rest of the cast were wonderful in their portrayal of these men who were given the assignment to seek revenge on the planners of the kidnapping/hostage/murder/execution of some Israeli athletes at the Olympics. Steven Spielberg once again proved he is one of the greatest directors ever. This movie was as much a film about revenge as it was a character study of the four men burdened with this assignment. Overall, it was a very emotional movie and did shed some light (although not entirely historically accurate) on the events that transpired post-Olympics.

A fantastic movie and another notch on the Spielberg belt.

5 out of 6 beers. Had I seen this movie in 2005 when it was released, it probably would have landed itself squarely in my top 10 list.