--{
watch98
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yes
- American History X
- I felt guilty about seeing this because I liked the director,
who has disavowed this movie saying something about how good is the
enemy of best, but oh well. It *was* good. I can see definitely how
it could be better, though, and maybe that's why he wanted to play with
it more. Because I think it's harder to find something with potential
to be Great than to make something better. Once you've got something
with potential, you can't let go. You have to play with it.
- The Sticky Fingers of Time
- I say right below that I don't usually see love stories, but this
one was also a love story, although a bit peripherally. Time travel,
a little bit of adventure, two women with hip horn-rimmed glasses and
nice hair in love, or at least in temporary emotional-lust. Liked it,
but not wow.
- Rush Hour
- A definite example of a friendship-clout movie. Much as I like
Jackie Chan, I probably wouldn't have seen this on my own. I'm just
not as keen on Jackie's American movies, and besides, his handle on
race-relations just isn't that great. I enjoyed this movie, in a
soda-popey kind of way, but yeah, the race-relations humor did make
me a bit squeamish, the way it was done.
- Next Stop Wonderland
- I don't usually see love stories. This one I saw, because it had
the Burren in the trailer, because I used to go to the Burren lots.
This one I saw because Brad Anderson made it, and Fonda was friends
with Brad, because I'd actually met a filmmaker for once. This one
I saw because it didn't seem so sappy sweet it would hurt my teeth.
- It was good. It reminded me of Cambridge, of Somerville, of our era
of hating-to-be-called Generation X friends not quite sure where we're
going but not so aimless that we're laughable. Our very own directed
limbo. Love in that time of pre-crystallization. The characters were
human. I am hanging around too many lawyers these days. I miss
humanity.
- Pi
- Oh, oh oh, oh. I don't know what else to say about the movie.
I can't say it was necessarily deep, or brilliant, or anything because
I can't step out of myself to evaluate it objectively. Minsky once
said he opposed beauty because it stops one's critiquing functions. This
is one of those times. I found the movie absolutely beautiful. It
fit right in the center of a lot of what my personal aesthete is.
Math. Industrial. Mad genius. Religion. Obsessive pattern-hunting.
Black and white artsiness. Paranoia. And, of course, big noses.
- A complete turnabout from last movie with a big-nosed protagonist
that I saw. Max Cohen is the opposite of Git Hynes (see I Went Down),
antisocial, paranoid, hyperactive, and obsessive. But nevertheless
fits into one of the archetypes I completely go for. Even though
Dan says he knew the actor in high school and he was an ass. Ah
well. That hormones thing.
- "Indiana Jones, for intellectuals," say the reviewers. Oh yum yum
yum. God I liked this film. Amy is now annoyed at me for babbling on
about how I liked this film, and Sean Gullette with the big nose. Oh,
what a beautiful big nose, though. Yum. Have I mentioned how much I like
big noses?
- Btw, I've always thought that mathematician/scientist protagonists are
a Good Thing. Even if they're mad. Even if they don't make sense, in
real life. As long as they're somewhat sympathetic. Especially if they
do modelling/prediction/etc. Just 'cause that's my field too. We need to
see more computational (not computers, not "cyber") stuff in the media, or
at least that's my preference.
- Watching the movie, I enjoyed watching the waves of madness, the
loud screamy headaches, the treatment pills, everything wash over him.
The director did an amazing job of taking us into Max's head. I
did, however, while watching it, while enjoying it, realize my personal
escapist tendencies in exulting in these things.
- On a random note, it's sad when one recognizes fonts off a web
page.
- This was the film I'd been waiting for all summer, and it did not
disappoint. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing this again, a rarity for
me, since I don't repeat too often.(*) And I almost *never* see movies
on opening night. God it appealed to my sense of
beauty (one of those horrible "hip and industrial and pseudo-intellectual"
aesthetes), I am too stupified to have my critical organs on.
- Still. $60,000 for a fucking impressive film. You don't know how
much I admire that. Darren Aronofsky, Sean Gullette, call me.
- (*) Oh hey, I did see it again, with Wes and John. Afterwards, we
were all squirmy with enjoyingness.
- Lost Highway
- This made *so* much more sense than Eraserhead. It was enjoyable,
except for Patricia Arquette, whose voice was girly and grating.
Never mind, I didn't like Bill Pullman, either, if only because he
reminds me of Michael Douglas, who annoys the shit out of me. Although
the saxophone stint at the beginning was nice, and it made me wish John
was watching the movie with me so he could appreciate it. I like
dual identity movies in general.
- Eraserhead
- I finally saw it. Sensually, this was a fairly stunning movie.
I heard it took Lynch seven years to make this film. I'm amazed
that the deformed baby was so . . . lifelike in 70's animation. (It
*was* seventies, right?) Anyway, wow, like I said - the sound was
excellent, the visual were excellent, I could watch the lighting for
hours, which I did. But it was more like a portfolio than a film.
As if Lynch was trying to demonstrate - here, this is what I'm capable
of, if you give me a plot. Give me money to make other films.
I guess it worked.
- I Went Down
- This was a *really* fun Irish gangster movie. Happy ending
and everything, comedic elements interspersed. Bizarre statements like
"No goods, no black pudding. I think you know what I mean." It helps
that main character Git Hynes played by Peter McDonald is
cute (the face of Robert Carlyle of Trainspotting and The Full
Monty, and the hair, nose, and eyebrows of a friend who won't
get out of my head), and gives all these "sensitive, concerned" looks.
- Brendan Gleeson was great, too. Physically resembles Chris Farley
with mutton-chops, but he was sharp, very sharp. As a note, though -
the poster is incredibly misleading, with the woman on the front having
almost no role in the movie. And they really didn't need to mention
the "incredibly talkative hostage" either.
- The X-Files Movie
- Yeah yeah yeah, had to watch this movie. Enjoyed it, kept me on
the edge of my seats, all that jazz. Dunno if someone who doesn't
watch the show regularly will like it, but hey. Scully has some
good lines, but Mulder is starting to sound like Chris from Northern
Exposure. Still, not a bad way to spend an evening.
- 1-888-VICIOUS
- I got to meet Hima B. in person! This was her half-screening
of the new documentary/film she's working on. I'd seen "Straight for
the Money", her documentary on lesbian/bisexual sex workers, and thought
it was an awesome, three-dimensional, nonjudgemental portrayal of the
trade. Anyway, this one was a work in progress, all on evil
ex-girlfriends
(or on evil things women had done to ex-girlfriends) and it was great.
She has a total eye for these things. And she's a pretty cool woman,
to boot. Hope the film gets done soon. Oh yes - for the next year,
this is indeed a working number. You can call and leave your
anonymous stories, gals. She's still looking for 'em.
- Heavenly Creatures
- Should've seen this movie awhile ago. My friend Allison and I,
back then in elementary school, had a weird imaginary world like that.
Not sure we would've killed anyone over it, not sure we would've
screamed nearly as much as Pauline and Juliette, but hey, would've been
fun. You know, I think this is actually a movie both Gina and I liked.
Saw this with my current housemate, Adriana, and we both had a blast,
even though Adriana hates seeing movies in the Haight.
- Insect Woman
- Movie by a Korean filmmaker named Kim Ki-Young. With the exception
of the annoying jabbery people behind me, I had a good time watching
the flick. It featured a woman clubbing to death some rats, a baby
in the freezer, and a sex scene on top a glass table with hard candies
to the tune of 70's mood music.
It was very John Waters like, without any bloated transvestites.
The movie might've been just slightly more fun watching it with Dan,
though.
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- Really true to the book, which I read a week before I saw the
movie. Other than that, the movie was amusing, everyone was well-acted,
but the scenes got a little tiresome at times. Maybe because what
keeps the book running was Hunter Thompson's internal dialogue, and
that's easier to read, not hear via Johnny Depp. Still, I enjoyed
it, even though it was the midnight showing and I was running on
four Guinnesses and some bourbon. Maybe that's the way to watch
it. Though the alcohol-movie combination made John fall asleep, at
points.
- The Big Hit
- You know I love cheesy action films, and hey, I liked this one.
Pleasantly surprised, actually. Over the top, but knowingly so.
Went to it in the middle of exams with Ed and Wayne - we tried to
sneak in again to see it for a second time, but the damned movie
people foiled us. Yeah yeah, sticky identity issues have been brought
up by people in re this movie, but oh well. Good love scene with the
chicken, and Wayne drooled at the male locker-room scene. And, of
course, I do adore Benny the Jet's fight training.
- My America, or, Honk if You Love Buddha
- Documentary by the same woman who made "Who Killed Vincent Chin?"
Very good. Filmmaker on a cross country tour through America, capturing
portraits of various Asian Americans along the way. If you're Asian
American, somewhere, somehow in the film there'll be something you
identify with. I saw this with friends from APALSA (oh, and my
ubiquitous friend Wayne), had a great time, stayed through the Q & A
with the filmmaker as well.
- The Big Lebowski
- Really funny, but not a Pulp Fiction level movie. The cowboy
theme was a little over-the-top for me, but that's the Coen Brothers
for ya, I guess. Reminded me more of Hudsucker Proxy than Barton Fink
or Fargo.
- The Wedding Singer
- I usually don't like Adam Sandler, nor romantic comedies, but this
movie was actually kinda sweet and funny (uh, I guess the two qualities
that romantic comedies aim for, hunh?) The references to the 80's were
well done.
- Good Will Hunting
- Not sure what to make of this one. I think I liked it. But I think I
might have enjoyed it more had I not gotten into a fight with John right
before watching it. As it was, we got into a little tiff (well, to be
correct, I kinda got mad at him) because he said something that made it
sound like he still saw me as a 16-year-old (around how old I was when we
first met) and, well, as a 24-year-old (still young, I know) I don't feel
anything like that anymore.
- The movie just made it worse, weirdly enough. Here's another one of
those alienated prodigy/genius stories and for once in my life, I didn't
identify. For once in my life I'm normal, whatever that means. I'm the
same age or older (gasp) than most of the people I'm at school with. And,
well, I don't feel alienated anymore.
- And it was nice not identifying with Will Hunting. With not having
the nerve to feel smarter or above people. With feeling fairly
comfortable though not satisfied with my state in life.
- Anyway, back to the movie. In general, pleasing to watch. Funny,
nostalgic scenes of getting drunk in Cambridge (I remember that well.)
Matt Damon is okay, Ben Affleck is kinda funny. The accents of the other
characters changed disturbingly, though, and Minnie Driver is hugely
annoying. And weepy. Thus, the love section of the story kinda sucked.
Oh well. It was an all right time.
- Hardboiled
- Saw this awhile ago, but just recently saw this again. I still
maintain this is John Woo's best film. From the fade-in-fade-outs of Chow
Yun Fat mixing a drink in the beginning, to the early violent but
beautiful fight scene in the bird-filled dim sum parlor, to the sliding
double-gunned action in the morgue, this movie is it. The
epitomy of John Woo. All of the usual John Woo tricks - catching the bad
guy in the mirror, the tripartite division of good guy/semi-bad guy/really
bad guy, double gunned shootouts, sliding shootouts, all shot beautifully
of course. And, of course, Chow Yun Fat and Leslie Cheung. Old theme of
renegade cop and really-really-undercover cop v. the awful villians. You
can tell the bad guy's really bad because he doesn't mind shooting
patients and he's half-white. You can see Chow Yun Fat's sensitive side
as he plays the clarinet.
- Quiz Show
- Saw part of this again (as I was reading Dance Dance Dance)
while my brother watched it for the first time. They should've used Rob
Morrow for the Schlictmann the lawyer in the movie version of A Civil
Action rather than John Travolta. Rob Morrow fits the bill better, I
think. But I guess then it would've been a repeat of Quiz Show. Anyway,
I liked Quiz Show, probably because I like Rob Morrow a lot, and John
Turturro as well. Though Morrow's accent is indeed annoying, I
heard somewhere that Goodwin really does talk like that.
- Once A Thief
- One of John Woo's lighter movies. (Lighter meaning everyone doesn't
die.) Old theme of three thieves try to do one last heist. Great action
sequences, lotsa cool tricks not based on cool gadgets but on ingenious
methods. Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Cheung, and some actress I don't recognize.
Same evil bad guy as in many of John Woo's movie, same good police guy as
in many of John Woo's movies.
- Tomorrow Never Dies
- Forced to see it because, well, my dad is a James Bond freak. (He
once tried to get 007 as a vanity license plate.) Of course, since I was
raised on a movie diet of James Bond and slasher/action flicks, I enjoyed
it. Michelle Yeoh/Khan (I keep forgetting which is her now-used maiden
name and which was her former married name) kicks ass. Pierce Brosnan is
cute as always. Terry Hatch-watsit was eh, I never was into her. Too
much promotional advertising, ugh ugh.
- Once Upon a Time in China and America
- This is a must see. Another Jet Li flick, of the Once Upon a Time in
China series (surprise surprise.) Fight scenes, brilliantly choreographed
as usual (though Jackie's martial art skills are to be worshipped, Jet Li
does have much more class and style - Jackie's a big goof at heart),
though less uncertainty than usual, one just knows that Wong Fei
Hung's gonna beat the bad guy (not that there's that much uncertainty
usually, this just seemed spectacularly more certain.)
- That's not why it's a must see. It's a must see because it's a Hong
Kong film commenting on the racism against Asians (and Native Americans)
prevalent in the American West. All in comedic Hong Kong action style, of
course, but still. It's a fascinating viewpoint. Wong Fei Hung, his
fiancee, and his servant Seven come over to the US to help with the
establishment of a hospice for Chinese in America. On the way, he rescues
the Token Good White Guy (Wayne, if you read this, looks kinda like you
without the goatee) from dehydration. Wong Fei gets separated from his
friends, gets amnesia, gets adopted by a band of Native Americans who
calls him "Yellow". Seven and Token Good White Guy battle against the
Evil White Men in charge of the frontier town, examples of prejudice
against "Chinamen" abound, and the Evil White Men are shown the awesome
power of Chinese martial arts. Guns are no match for Wong Fei.
Occasionally pissed off at clueless white guys? Watch this to rejuvenate.
Oh yeah, and Wong Fei eventually regains his memory, surprise surprise.
- Scream II
- What can I say? I like horror, and I like self-referential horror.
Tamar said she thought Scream II was worse than Scream, though still
enjoyable; I'd actually disagree. I thought the sequelness of this movie
allowed for a lot more self-referentialness, which wasn't done badly at
all. All in all, a good way to spend a matinee afternoon before taking a
flight home for the holidays.
- Swingers
- Gina, Sean, John B. - I finally saw it! I can't believe I got into an
argument about this movie without having seen it yet, but you all sucked
me in. No, Vince isn't babelicious. Anyway, yeah, it was fun, though I
missed Scream II for this. (Eric, if you ever manage to read this page,
yeah, it was worth it.) Fun movie, the protagonist reminded me of John's
roommate Jason (including the neurotic bits, sorry Jason), and now I
understand some of my friends' references to wolves and the bunnies. Nice
to know that well-made, low budget films still exist. Of genXey films, I
liked this one much much better than Chasing Amy (see archive.)
no
- The Blade
- One of Tsui Hark's suckier movies. My whole family disliked it. My
brother rented it on the recommendation of a friend, Steve Yang. I now
distrust this friend's taste. This movie was incredibly boring and grim,
a story of one man who seeks revenge on an evil tattooed flying guy (not
as silly as the description seems) for the death of his parents. The
blade in question is his father's blade, which was broken by the evil
tattooed flying guy. The story is told from the point of view of some
incredibly annoying girl who is kinda in love with the main character,
kinda not. Apparently, this movie won a lot of awards. I can sorta see
why, the cinematography was quite stunning, (lotsa yellowed smokey scenes
with thumping priest-drums in the background, good shots of burned houses
and ravaged countrysides), but it didn't stop the movie from dragging.