November 9, 2008

  • Movies I've seen recently...


    Zack & Miri Make a Porno  (2008)  A-

    It should be no surprise that "Zack & Miri Make a Porno" is geared mostly towards the huge fanbase of writer / director Kevin Smith. The reason I say that is because as with other Kevin Smith movies, the dialog is expectedly filled with tons of vulgarity from sex jokes to potty humor, which may not sit well with some movie goers out there. Considering the title of the movie is pretty straight forward, there are simulated sex and nudity in this, which will undoubtedly turn away some people from the film. If those issues aren't an issue, what you'll find here in this movie is a surprisingly charming, hilarious, and very entertaining story about two best friends who strive hard to make a porn, so that they can pay their rent. The plot may sound unique, but the progression of the story is actually pretty straight forward and more or less predicatable. I also could have done without the slower pacing at the last third of the movie though, which is primarily when the romantic part of the story kicks into gear. Overall though, I greatly enjoyed Zack & Miri, from the discussions about changing popular movie titles into porn titles, to that one very memorable scene towards the end of the movie that will either get you rolling on the floor laughing or get you running out of your seat in disgust.


    Rock n Rolla  (2008)  B

    One thing that director Guy Ritchie is really good at, is make movies about the world of gangsters, and humanize them into people that we ordinary folks can easily relate to. "Rock n Rolla" is another one of those movies, complete with a huge cast of characters, and a pretty dense story that requires you to really pay attention throughout the movie to avoid getting confused on what's going on. One of the strengths of this movie are the dialog and the interactions between the characters, with strong performances by Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, and Toby Kebbell. The comedy and action sequences are also a treat to watch, from a scene about how to properly slap an insubordinate's face, to a robbery that becomes one of the most entertaining chase sequences around. Rock n Rolla is quite the fun movie to watch, with some twists and turns that'll only further keep you glued to the screen.


    Halloween  (2007)  B-

    Remaking John Carpenter's "Halloween," the 1978 horror classic that jump started the teenage slasher films, requires a fresh take and yet still retain a semblance of what already worked. Director Rob Zombie's angle in his re imagined "Halloween" is to give Michael Myers a more in depth background to how he became to be. By giving the killing machine more of a personality and history, Rob Zombie ended up making Michael Myers a little more sympathetic of a character than he probably should be. The movie in turn became less about the scares and the suspense of his lurking around before the kill, and really became more about the drama on what's going to happen to Micheal Myers. This direction definitely will not work for every fan of the horror genre, but I personally appreciated Rob Zombie's attempt to flesh out and ground this iconic character for a new generation.