Resident Evil: Gone Baby

After a long day at the office I stopped by Showplace 14 on the home to catch Paul W.S. Anderson's latest in the RE franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010). Sadly this doesn't live up to the fun in the previous 3 films. I think PWSA needs to turn the reigns over to some new blood. Didn't bother with the 3-D version, natch, but Milla Jovovich didn't look all that great as she usually does. This flick only had me wanting to re-watch the other installments. Boo! 5.75/10

Anticipating Ben Affleck's upcoming The Town I wanted to check his Gone Baby Gone (2007). Damn fine film! Sadly the DVD I got from my library was scratched to all hell so I couldn't watch the end. Hafta get it from Netflix. Boo x2! 8/10


Also from my library I picked up Black Angel (1946), a good film noir about a wife trying save her husband in wrongfully accused of murder with the help of the victim's ex-husband. I actually watched this twice but only tallying once, natch. 7/10

• September New: 15
• September Re-watch: 0
• September Total: 15
• 2010 TOTAL: 522
  

Generally Searching for Sleep

After lunch & craft beers at Emmett's Ale House and stop at Half Price Books (more goodies), I returned home to queue up Star Trek III - The Search for Spock (1984), a film I had never seen before (surprisingly!). Was excited to see all the original Star Trek films available on NWI so I've been looking forward to finally viewing these. Despite all that I've heard and read, I found this installment to be rather enjoyable. It's probably nostalgic charm but this flick isn't half bad. But damn are those computer displays severely dated.

Also from NWI another long overdue watch in Buster Keaton's The General (1926). Based during the Civil War, "entertaining" and "fun" are the best words to describe this terrific film.


Off the DVR, courtesy of TCM Underground, one of the worst films made in Zaat (1975). How to explain this one? It's just terrible in mostly a bad way. So bad it's in IMDB's bottom 10 worst films. That's how bad. I don't even feel like writing anymore about it it's that bad. Will say that the blonde beauty, Nancy Lien, is quite fetching in that yellow bikini (most of the women featured are attractive). That's the only compliment I can offer for this shit pile (OK, the poster is cool).

Lastly I finished the Howard Hawks noir The Big Sleep (1946), which I had started days ago. Bogey & Bacall. Period. Fantastic little film and another case where all the women are simply gorgeous. At least there's also a great crime thriller to keep it going.

• May New: 22
• May Re-watch: 4
• May Total: 26
• 2010 TOTAL: 281
  

Two Sides of Insanity

Val Lewton's Bedlam (1946) is the main Lewton horror flick Scorsese borrows from for his Shutter Island. This might be the most speaking I've seen Boris Karloff do in a film and yet he's still quite smarmy. Anna Lee pushes the film along for another strong edition in the catalog.

The animated Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1986) is a strange piece indeed. Clearly made for children yet still possessing the elements that make the Robert Louis Stevenson novel rather haunting. Unfortunately it doesn't succeed in balancing both these aspects.

I could write many words on Dreamworks' latest How to Train Your Dragon (2010) but suffice it to say I've said all I want to say on my twitter and frankly I just don't care anymore. Yes, I like the film. No, it's no where close to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Yes, it has some wonderful flying sequences & touching story. No, it's not the best Dreamworks film to date. The amount of praise I've seen / heard some movie bloggers / podcasters heap on this film is astounding. Seriously. Act 1 is sorely lacking and dull. Act 2 & 3 are sweet yet predictable. Animation is average. Did not see 3-D version but hear it's the best way to view this. Lastly, thought the character models resembled Rankin & Bass designs (which I liked) but the voiceovers were meh. Good one for pet owners. Go see it.

Finally crossed Erin Brockovich (2000) off the blindspot list. Another film I wasn't keen on viewing but captured my attention with excellent acting and good writing. Glad I had lower expectations settling into this otherwise I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. Albert Finney is a treasure.