spinning-jennie: Movies archives

Hidden Binge
I've been reading and watching movies (the latter more than the former) and recording them -- I just never got around to setting the annual lists up on Vox. The links for the 2009 Movie and Book Lists are up for good over on the right, too.

I intend to reach thirty books again this year -- I just need to lay off a bit on the megasized fantasy/scifi (I'm looking at you, Terry Goodkind and Walter Jon Williams).
05/08/09 11:19 AM in Books , Movies  |  Comments


"I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip."
Have you seen The Ack Attack's "Daily Dose of Lost?" Rachel Ack mashes up series of screen caps from Lost episodes very cunningly with bits of dialog from other television shows and films. Always, it's amusing. But sometimes it's inspired!
11/14/08 11:33 PM in Movies , TV  |  Comments


Double Disappointment
I've been blogging over at Vox this morning.
08/16/08 08:01 AM in Movies , TV  |  Comments


SquEEEEEEEEEE!
Joss Whedon. Nathan Fillion. Neil Patrick Harris.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. A three-part musical coming to a computer near you, starting July 15th.

</barely-suppressed giddiness>
07/09/08 10:37 AM in Fun , Link , Movies  |  Comments


Hanging On
There's a small post here.
03/02/08 04:47 PM in Movies  |  Comments


What Can I Say?
There's a lot of superficial stuff going on lately, and it's more interesting than me.
02/26/08 11:51 AM in Movies , TV  |  Comments


Consumption
I've started recording my finished books for 2008 (link permanently on sidebar). This year my "resolution" is to stop using reading as escapism only and start absorbing some toothier stuff again, so the list might actually be shorter than in 2007.

I'm also attempting a movie list, only titles I haven't seen (or not seen in entirety, or not seen Riff'd) before. We'll see how it goes, though; I've tried keeping tally multiple times in the past, unsuccessfully.
01/07/08 07:29 AM in Books , Movies  |  Comments


The Sorcerer's Spoof
Today, two Harry Potter spoofs. Barry Trotter, in print, and the first (hopefully of many) RiffTrax, on film.

The former I had no idea existed, and the latter I'd been long willing into existence (with scores of other fans). Whee!
11/21/07 09:33 PM in Books , Movies  |  Comments


New to Me
I just added The Criterion Contraption to my reading list. He's going to watch every DVD in the Criterion Collection (a long-term goal of mine), and then review. He's been at it since 2004. Awesome.
03/20/07 03:58 PM in Link , Movies  |  Comments


Be My, Be My, Be My, Roger Ebert.
Would y'all do me a favor, and comment about how wonderful and wacky and bright you thought Little Miss Sunshine? That Steve Carell is brilliant, as always? And, oh, that's it's NOT a chick flick? Consider it my holiday gift from you to me. Thanks! I knew I could count on you.
12/30/06 09:35 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Whoa.
We watched RiffTraxed Matrix tonight. Either I'm a) old, or b) more affected by sensory overload during the day than I thought. Because all the weapons noise and crashes really, really got to me, my skin and spine crawling at points.

That said, it's as hilarious as you'd expect. Point Break is going to be a hoot, I can tell.
11/11/06 11:03 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Hey, MSTies
I know you're out there, missing MST3K, perhaps consoling yourselves with the DVDed eps. Behold... RiffTrax! Download Mike Nelson's commentary, sync it up with the DVD, and it's almost like the good old days.

So far I've seen Star Trek V and The Fifth Element, the former being the more side-splittingly hilarious. Cocktail is up next.
09/10/06 01:28 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Except for the Theme Song, That Is.
Do we really need a new one? I think I liked the old one just fine.

At least the digging brought me this new little web addiction: Battleship.
04/18/06 12:41 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Media Madness
I'm trying to catch up on video clips, so the next few entries will probably be movies. Here's the first one...
04/15/06 02:15 PM in Movies  |  Comments


"I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before."
I saw my first movie in-cinema last night since about August. My plan was to see Rent, but it suddenly left our town theater, and I didn't feel like driving twenty miles for it. So, with some resignation, not much in a mooshy-gooshy period piece mood, I decided to see Pride & Prejudice.

And the story was rendered so beautifully that I had a hard time stepping back into reality. It's been a long time since a film made it imperative that I revisit the book that inspired it.

The casting was truly inspired. Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen were yummy (as if I needed two whole new crushes, eep). Dame Judi played a nasty old treat, and I couldn't help but want to smack Jena Malone's Lydia silly. Never much a Donald Sutherland fan, I may now have to reconsider.
12/15/05 08:33 AM in Movies  |  Comments


Back to the Movies
I went to the new cinema last night - what a treat. I'm so glad our arrival here was nearly concurrent with its completion. It's nothing fantastic; just very, very comforting.

One of the true signs of being a grownup may just be seeing a movie alone, and not feeling a shred of weirdness about it. I've finally reached that point. Good thing, as the Boulevard not only features blockbusters, but serves up artsier, meatier fare, too. I saw Crash. Went into it carrying a bit of disgruntlement, as the movie I really wanted to see wasn't playing at any times that worked. And at first the whole plot did seem overwhelmingly... contrived. But I soon got past that, and, judging from the abundant gasps and sniffles, so did the rest of the suprisingly packed little screening room.

Best of all, I can walk back to my car without feeling like a knifer is going to leap out, stab me, and steal my credit card and Timberlands. Yay for small cities!
05/26/05 12:14 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Really Big Shew
Yesterday, even though it was raining, I made a point of spending part of my MNO* downtown, to gawk at the lines for Prequel The Third. And, just as you'd expect, there were costumes. Storm Troopers, mostly. I should've taken pictures, even if they wouldn't have turned out all that well because of the dusk.

That's not the only reason yesterday was a big movie day for Petaluma - it was also opening day for the first real cinema in about four years. When the hoopla dies down, I'll be sure to catch a chick-flick or two there.

*Mom's Night Out. Do it for sanity's sake.
05/19/05 11:01 AM in Movies  |  Comments


Just Checking In
So, suddenly, my PC has decided that it won't accept photos from my phone. And that's no fun for anyone. Friggin' Motorola. Here's a cute little AVI clip to tide you over, though. From last weekend, before the screaming began in earnest. And also, by popular demand, a "before" shot. Blurry, but I think his high-frequency emanations may have damaged the Canon.

Harold and Kumar was funnier than I thought it'd be, and I wasn't drunk. Or stoned. Not even a little bit! You do have to be in a silly mood, though. Today I can't help but wonder if WC appreciates their name being "officially" endorsed as a purveyor of post-high munchies. Maybe it's just a matter of "can't beat 'em, join 'em" at this point.

I can see the second pointy upper cuspid lurking just beneath the surface of Daniel's gum, eruption imminent. If you're keeping track, that'd be tooth number four. Far too early, says me.
03/19/05 09:52 PM in Baby , Movies , Photo  |  Comments


Be Nosy.
Our Netflix queue RSS. Keep in mind that we've pretty much seen everything we really wanted to, and the good stuff hasn't released yet.
01/27/05 07:15 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Of Course, I'll be Waiting a Lot Longer to See Them All
Someone has exactly the same taste in movies as I do. Neato.
12/28/04 10:37 AM in Movies  |  Comments


My Filmlust Will Stop for Nothing
So now Wednesdays are my designated sanity evenings, when I leave the Ds with bottles of pumped milk, and I go on my own merry-tinged-slightly-with-melancholy way. I'll definitely be using some of these to see movies that D. has no interest in. Wednesdays are a good day for this; the theatres seem to be about as quiet as I could hope for.

This decision, mind you, was only after a good bit of courage screwing and self-chastisement. Solo theatergoing isn't something I've really, well, relished. And it's not as if I'm chummy with tons of non-parent people. In the end it was either see movies alone, or give up one of my very favoritest things for the sake of, what exactly? - pride? embarassment? - which would be just plain stupid.

Last night I saw Birth, and since I'm not motivated enough (or wanting to give up that much time), go read Ebert's assessment, with which I am more than willing to quite lazily agree.

Saw a trailer for new silly Wes Anderson out at Christmastime, and what a nice little present. I heart Wes. So does D, so that one'll wait for Netflix.
11/11/04 07:31 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Popcorn and Pacifiers
Tonight we're attempting the drive-in. Not because the movie is one that, you know, we've been dying to see, but because it's tolerable and what's playing early enough. Daniel usually falls asleep at about seven or eight for a good three hours, so I may be able to see the entire movie without interruption!
09/18/04 03:11 PM in Movies  |  Comments


And We Even Get a T-Shirt
As if I didn't already gush over Amazon inappropriately, they've gone and done something useful again - sent me an email re: free promotional screenings of Sundance comedy star Napoleon Dynamite here in Sacramento.
06/24/04 06:47 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Gearing Up for a Few Years of Nothing but Netflix
Watched Girl With a Pearl Earring. Scarlett Johansson was lovely as Griet, and the cinematography was gorgeous - almost tactile - but the film still felt too condensed when compared to Chevalier's novel. Then, most film adaptations do disappoint me, I admit. I'm no real Colin Firth fan, so take it with a grain of salt when I say he was adequate as Vermeer.

I'm fairly frothing to see Azkaban. Maybe it's because I was without internet during opening weekend, but it seems like there hasn't been as much buzz for this installment. I can't wait to see what Cuaron has done with it!
06/10/04 05:17 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Speaking of Nostalgia, eh?
It's finally on Netflix - Escanaba in da Moonlight!

Added clarification: You may have to be from Michigan - and more helpfully a Yooper or possibly a northern Cheesehead - to get many of the jokes. Which is probably why the movie was never distributed outside the Midwest.
05/21/04 10:56 AM in Movies  |  Comments


On Preview
While I was seeing Eternal Sunshine in SF (I like Jim Carrey serious, and David Cross was, as always, a kick, but other than that it was only interesting), I caught a couple new trailers that look good. First and foremost was Garden State, written, directed by, and starring Zach Braff (gush!). Trailer here. And then Saved! (trailer). I will ignore the presence of Culkin for that of Matarazzo.

I'm also finding myself drawn a bit to The Chronicles of Riddick, though I just realized that it's kind of a sequel to Pitch Black, which I didn't particularly enjoy. And also Van Helsing, if only because it's so pretty.

I think I should be able to squeeze most of these in before the sequester begins!
03/31/04 08:29 AM in Movies  |  Comments


Only for Ben and Robert
I guess I'm still looking forward to Meet the Fokkers, regardless...
03/22/04 11:00 AM in Movies  |  Comments


It's Official
Universal has finally made the official announcement that the "Firefly" movie Serenity is in the works. Yeehaw! IMDb says production begins in June. A bit strange, though, that Alan Tudyk (Wash) and Ron Glass (Shepherd Book) aren't on the cast list in either source. Hope it's just a matter of negotiation.

We'd been spacing out the viewing of the DVDs, and just watched the first unaired ep last night. It's difficult to imagine all the work that went into one hour of show, only to have it never seen on the network. Stupid FOX, I say for the hundredth time. Of course they've been making out well on DVD sales; ranking at 65 on Amazon isn't too shabby for a show not thought fit enough to air, no?
03/13/04 09:35 AM in Movies  |  Comments


Better Than S&M?*
Judge. Hertzfeldt. Together on the big screen. Can you dig it? We can!

*Spike & Mike, you perv.
01/16/04 01:54 PM in Movies  |  Comments


Strychnine for Kitty
No more! No more! Please stop, I pray! We've all seen quite enough today.

And what would Mr. Geisel say?

[sob]
11/21/03 12:30 PM in Movies  |  Comments


"I'm sorry you saw that, Fry. I usually try to keep my sadness pent up inside where it can fester quietly as a mental illness."
We watched Donnie Darko yesterday. I was only a borderline Jake Gyllenhaal fan, if even, but that viewing moved him up some serious notches. Check Holmes Osborne as the dad, too. Wonderful.

But if Gary Jules' soundtrack cover of Mad World keeps looping in my head, I'm going to need lithium.

Maybe I can evict it by thinking about my Halloween costume plans. The purple wig is easy. It's the eye and moon boots that are proving a challenge. I wonder if I can find a Nibbler?
09/02/03 09:53 PM in Fun , Movies  |  Comments