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Posted 3 years, 3 months ago at 00:02. 5 comments
So there’s this new movie, Serenity, coming out on September 30th. Do not let the fact that this movie is based on a defunct TV show prevent you in any way from seeing it! In fact, if there is anyone in my circle of friends who has still somehow managed to not see some or all of Firefly, I implore you to get your lackadaisical ass over to my house to borrow the DVDs.
I’ve already watched the DVDs many times myself, and have been jonesing for a new Firefly fix for a while. Today I stumbled across The Signal, which is a weekly podcast about all things Firefly. For a fan-based effort, the quality is surprisingly good and has steadily improved, although admittedly, there are times when you will cringe. The best example I can give are the episode reviews. There is a submitted episode review in the first podcast that would have made me want to shiv myself in the ear, had it not also been so boring that I fell asleep. In the most recent podcast (#6), the exact same episode is reviewed. The recent review is done very much in the style of Alan Cross’s ongoing history of new music, and it is fantastic. The Signal is gaining in popularity and stature within the Firefly fan community; the past three podcasts have featured interviews with Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, and Ron Glass. I listened to all 6.5 podcasts today, and would heartily recommend The Signal to Firefly fans who are getting excited as the Serenity release date approaches.
I’m doubly excited about the release of Serenity because I have made plans to go see the premiere with Ian in Las Vegas. I haven’t visited Ian since he moved out L.A. a few years ago, and I’ve never been to L.A. or Las Vegas, so my week-long working trip capped with the Firefly movie should be pretty sweet. I can’t wait!
Posted 3 years, 5 months ago at 20:10. 3 comments
Kev and I saw the new Star Wars movie today. The other reviews that you’ve no doubt read by now are pretty much accurate. The acting and dialogue are abyssmal, but the effects are top-notch. One of my biggest complaints about Attack of the Clones was that, despite the heavy reliance on CG effects, much of the action was hard to follow. Yoda was a little green blur with a lightsaber sticking out of it for most of Episode II, but things are much better this time around. The story itself was well-paced up until the very end when Lucas seemed to realize: “OMG, I’ve got to get from >here< to the beginning of Episode IV in just 20 minutes! ”
Overall, I approve. There’s more than enough action to make up for the plot, script, and acting shortfalls. This is a summer movie, after all.
Current Tunes: Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song) | Filed under Movies
Posted 3 years, 6 months ago at 10:02. 0 comments
Lest people think me remiss, the Serenity trailer came out while I was away. Credit where credit is due, I read it here first.
Current Tunes: U2 - Spanish Eyes | Filed under Movies
Posted 3 years, 8 months ago at 11:59. 0 comments
You can safely skip seeing Be Cool in the theatre. Vince Vaughn and The Rock might be worth the price of admission, and Cedric the Entertainer and André 3000 also shine in well-written roles. The headliners don’t fare so well though, with John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and Harvey Keitel turning in wooden, journeyman performances at best.
Overall, a poor follow-up to one of my favorite movies, Get Shorty.
Current Tunes: Skunk Anansie - Charity | Filed under Movies
Posted 3 years, 8 months ago at 10:09. 0 comments
Consider the position filled.
Kev and I went to see Ong-bak tonight, and it didn’t disappoint. Let’s be clear that it will not be winning any Oscars, but the fight choreography was excellent. The director/editors were obviously influenced by Jackie Chan’s oeuvre; when Tony Jaa did cool things (which was frequent), they had no qualms about showing it repeatedly from multiple angles. The tricycle taxi scene was probably not quite as exciting as they were hoping for, but the scene where our hero, Ting, gets chased with a big saw brought back some great childhood memories for me.
If you like martial arts films, you’ll probably like this movie, especially since it features Muay Thai, i.e. something other than kung fu. Recommended.
Current Tunes: Björk - Possibly Maybe | Filed under Movies
Posted 3 years, 9 months ago at 15:56. 1 comment
This may not come as news to most people, but I am officially old.
We hosted our 3rd annual tobogganing party last night. Unlike previous years, I did not bounce back up to the top of the hill between runs, but instead took longer and longer to lick my wounds after each spill, and there were many: both wounds and spills.
Thanks to everyone who came out. Hopefully you’re feeling better today than I am.
…
Kev loaned us Shaun of the Dead. The film was great, causing even Kristina to laugh. Much of the cast is carried over from the excellent UK T.V. series, Spaced, that I happened upon a while ago. Highly recommended.
Current Tunes: Nothing | Filed under Friends, Movies, Ottawa
Posted 3 years, 9 months ago at 23:11. 1 comment
With Axe moving out to Vancouver to pursue full-time disc gol…er, gainful employment, I’m currently accepting applications for a new movie buddy in the Ottawa area. The applicant must possess the following qualities:
- a deep and abiding love of bad movies;
- a fundamental understanding of the differences between a good-bad movie and a bad-bad movie, and a willingness to argue your line of reasoning on the subject;
- the ability to overlook my choice of concession purchases, at least until you know enough to properly make fun;
- …and then some.
Note: applications stencilled in Sharpie on the back of disc golf discs will not be processed.
Current Tunes: Buzzcocks - What Do I Get? | Filed under Movies, Ottawa
Posted 3 years, 10 months ago at 23:23. 1 comment
Movies are all about 2 things: managing expectations and ninjas.
If I go to see what I presume will be be a “bad” movie, and it ends up being surprisingly mediocre, it’s a win for me, the consumer. On the flip side, movies that are hyped to within an inch of their cinematic lives or movies that give away all the best bits in the trailer face an uphill struggle to simply meet those inflated expectations. Indeed, when these movies end up being merely mediocre, it shouldn’t be surprising at all.
The ninjas part should be self-explanatory, really.
Current Tunes: Sir Mix-a-lot & Mudhoney - Freak Momma | Filed under Movies
Posted 3 years, 10 months ago at 12:08. 2 comments
The Life Aquatic is certainly the best film I’ve seen in the past year. It is a great homage to the campy, 1960s nature documentaries that many of us endured while in public school, but it goes beyond that to explore the lives and motivations of the explorers themselves.
I liked it all:
All these people, or at least the half that panned the movie, are idiots in the way that only people who get paid to rate movies for a living can be.
Yes, I grew up watching Cousteau documentaries, and they played no small part in my decision to study marine biology at university, but you don’t need to know anything at all about ocean life to enjoy this film. Highly recommended.
Current Tunes: Above & Beyond - Essential Mix - 2004-06-06 | Filed under Movies
Posted 3 years, 11 months ago at 11:18. 5 comments
When arming and armoring oneself to the teeth to fight vampires professionally, be sure to leave your sexy midriff exposed.
James and I are agreed that Blade: Trinity is the worst movie we have ever seen together, which means there are still worse films out there, but not many.
Current Tunes: Paul Oakenfold - Essential Mix - 2001-10-31 | Filed under Movies
