01.30.10
Posted in Reviews, TV at 9:53 pm by Chick 1
Chick 2 says:
I have been excited about this new Fox TV show because it comes from the producer, Simon West, and star, Mark Valley, of the short lived Keen Eddie. Keen Eddie was brilliant conceptually, but most likely got cancelled after only 13 episodes because its script couldn’t keep up with the high bar set by its production value. Ultimately the great characters and slick flash cuts were not enough to keep it on the air. I had high hopes for Human Target, thinking perhaps Simon West had brought along better writers. Read the rest of this entry »
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01.16.10
Posted in Reviews, The 2010s at 6:00 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
This little British pic has been wandering around Europe and the festival circuit for over a year now. Very glad to see it as award season kicks off.
The Basics: While there are plenty of movies about the later years of Queen Victoria, this one covers - Surprise! - her younger years, especially the first three years of her reign. Read the rest of this entry »
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12.29.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 4:38 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
I have to admit that despite the fact that this was James Cameron’s first feature since the gargantuan Titanic, I really didn’t get what all the fuss was about. But imagine with me, if you will, a world where George Lucas still had all this amazing technology available to him but he hadn’t forgotten how to direct actors or how to tell a decent story.
The Basics: I won’t give more away than what’s in the trailers; a planet called Pandora with a native population, a crippled marine with the chance to live through another body, and some cool new technology (both in the movie & in the making of the movie). Read the rest of this entry »
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12.28.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 5:27 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
Merry Christmas to me! Sherlock Holmes is out & it stars 2 very attractive men. Hee, hee.
The Basics: I’m assuming you know Sherlock from all the books, movies, and slew of cultural references (my favorite being “No s**t, Sherlock.”). Here Guy Ritchie directs the latest update on the Victorian sleuth with Robert Downey Jr in the lead and Jude Law as Watson. Read the rest of this entry »
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11.09.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 10:12 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
Apologies for the long silence. This fall I found myself searching for my first home in order to take advantage of the tax credit. I had no idea how much time that would take. Now we’ll see how much moving both my home & my office during the holidays will take!
Anyway, I have seen a few movies including this documentary on Vogue & its infamous editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Read the rest of this entry »
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08.23.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 7:05 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
I actually came across the book that this movie is based on a couple of months ago in a thrift store. I bought it for $1 and read it pretty quickly. It’s a light, easy read. Was looking forward to this, especially seeing Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Yummo!
The Basics: Downtrodden & drifting Julie decides to write a blog, cooking her way through 524 recipes in Julia Childs’ Mastering the Art of French Cooking. We also see Julia Child’s time in Paris and her own journey from aimless housewife to one of the world’s most influential chefs.
What I Liked: Of course, Meryl Streep is magnificent. Read the rest of this entry »
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08.19.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 10:09 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
One of the smaller films on my I Can’t Wait! list, this Sundance entry took a while to come to a theater nearby. But I finally managed to see it and I was not disappointed.
The Basics: As the opening narration says, this is a story of boy meets girl but it is not a love story.
What I Liked: Pretty much everything. This is a fantastic lovely story, funny and touching. It showcases two of my favorite rising stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (that kid from Third Rock from the Sun) and Zooey Deschanel (the girl from Elf) and they both give wonderful performances. Read the rest of this entry »
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08.09.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 1:04 am by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
First off, apologies for the long silence.
Now on to G.I. Joe, which I can describe in one word, and I truly mean this as a compliment, …craptastic! OK, I totally stole that description of the movie from cinematical.com, but it’s completely accurate.
The Basics: Have no idea how to sum this up. Elite group of soldiers, bad guys, stolen weapons, secret training lairs, blah, blah blah. If you’ve watched the cartoon or read the comics, you know. If you haven’t, you’ll catch on quickly. Read the rest of this entry »
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07.16.09
Posted in Reviews, The 2000s at 11:24 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
Based on the sixth book in the series, Half-Blood Prince is my favorite. We get loads of info on Voldemort thanks to Dumbledore and his cabinet full of memories and Harry finally gets a clue about who his true love is.
The Basics: When Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year, Dumbledore begins to train him in earnest for a final showdown with Voldemort and gives him an important mission concerning the new Potions Master. Conveniently, Harry is acing Potions class with the help of a mysterious but ominous textbook. Read the rest of this entry »
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06.29.09
Posted in Reviews, The 1990s at 10:09 pm by Chick 1
Chick 1 says:
I have loved this movie since it came out. Watched it the other night with friends.
The Basics: Jeff & Jane Blue, played by Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner, are spies who have retired to raise their adorable toddler girl. Naturally, events conspire to pull them back into the undercover world, bringing new meaning to the phrase Baby on Board. Hilarity ensues.
What I Liked: A great deal of the humor in this movie comes from the charm of the players themselves. Dennis Quaid is sooo cute in this & delivers some great lines. He and Kathleen Turner have sparkling chemistry together, not to mention a great 90’s preppy wardrobe. Really, even the smallest roles add to the laughter and create some quite quotable lines. But no one steals the show like Stanley Tucci in a rather un-PC role as a lowlife thug and would-be assasin. “My name….is Muerte!” There are plenty of laughs all around and all the characters are just so much fun to hang out with.
What I Didn’t Like: Very little. The world in which this story takes place is rather innocent but I really like that. This is total popcorn entertainment. I must admit the action is a bit slow and dated at times. One fight where Turner beats up a kidnapper has to be the slowest non-slow-mo fight sequence on film since the 50s. You can almost hear the director say “Action!” at the beginning of each shot.
Bottom Line: Fun, light, clean entertainment with lots of laughs. Worth a rental.
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