The King – 50%

This movie is trying way too hard. I’m listening to the writer and director commentary now, and it’s only making it worse. I’m thinking of changing the score to 30%.

Googling around for other perspectives on the film—maybe it’s great, and I just don’t know it—I came across a review that says everything I want to say, better than I could say it.

If you’re really into film, it’s probably worth watching for a what not to do perspective. If you’re looking for something entertaining, read the review. Best line (from the review):

I really wanted to like William Hurt in this like I did in "The Village" or "A History of Violence," but when his character is little more than an obvious amalgamation of screenwriting contrivances, a familiar face can only go so far. Nice chopstache, though.

Match Point — 88%

Not at all what I expected. Interesting on a number of levels. Of most interest to Mister Ginger, the pride of place given to luck, and the theological and philosophical questions that raises. I’d love to moderate a viewing and discussion on Match Point. Highly recommended.

Benchwarmers — 25%

Mister Ginger's advice: never make the first draft into a movie. If this was not the first draft, then WOW, the first draft must have really sucked.

Even though I’ve rated this movie poorly, it’s probably worth watching to see Reggie Jackson destroy mailboxes. Also, I’ll admit there’s a good-hearted idea in the movie, it’s just buried beneath several layers of suck.

Kind of a Movie Watching Spleen Vent

Josh Levin, Slate.com’s sports nut (associate editor), hates the Garden State, Scrubs, and now Last Kiss guy:

“If Zach Braff is the voice of my generation, can't someone please crush his larynx? . . . Never has the voice of a generation had so little of substance to say.”

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby — 70%

I don’t think it’s quite as good as Anchorman (it has a few more lulls that last a little bit longer), but I do think it’s going to get funnier with repeated viewings. Highly quotable, although not as much as, well, another movie I could name.

Ricky Bobby: I've sent in my application to the Real World. So I'm hoping to hear back from that. I'm putting A LOT of my eggs into that basket, the MTV basket.

Ali — 50%

I really expected to like this movie, but was quite disappointed. It lived up to my expectations regarding stylized shots, and it had a great cast. But the story was told in such a fragmented way that you really had to have a prior grasp of the events in order to make any sense of it. I don’t think I need to be spoon fed, but I need a few more context clues and a tad more continuity.

Syriana — 80%

I heard that this movie was terribly confusing, but I found it quite follow-able. I’m hoping to see it again. A tad nihilistic, though. And worst manicure ever!

A History of Violence — 35%

Watching the extra features it’s clear that we are supposed to think that A History of Violence an important cinematic statement. Unfortunately, watching the movie all I could think was, “this is a total piece of crap.” Judging from metacritic.com, I’m the only one, though. Maybe it needs a second viewing.

The Final Cut — 65%

Interesting concept, but I’m not sure it plays out as well as it could. Perhaps if the writer and director weren’t the same person one of them would have corrected the flaws of the other. Also, it would have helped if they had spent more that $5 on Jim Caviezel’s beard.

What choices have you made based on a strong childhood memory? How do we know things really happened exactly the way we remember them?

The Manchurian Candidate — 50%

Great job by Denzel Washington, but Liev Schreiber and Meryl Streep are way too creepy. I still want to see the original, which I suspect is considerably better (come on, it has Sinatra!).

THX 1138 — 90%

George Lucas’ student film, extended to feature length. Way ahead of its time. You should see it. View the trailer here.

50 First Dates — 83%

Unconditional love isn’t what I expect to find in an Adam Sandler flick. But there’s plenty of what I do expect — Wyclef Jean redoing tunes from the 80s. And pot jokes.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — 95%

A favorite. I watched it three or four times in a week (I moderated a couple of different discussion groups on it), and it’s tight. More enjoyable each time. And it raises important questions of memory and identity -- bonus!

The Corpse Bride — 87%

I don’t usually like movies where there is spontaneous singing and dancing, but somehow it works for me when it’s stop motion. Plus Tim Burton’s aesthetic is pleasingly unique.

A Beautiful Mind — 85%

While I like this movie I do wonder if Crowe’s performance here and in Cinderella Man can simply be interchanged. Maybe they’re just simular. I also wonder how it would have looked with a different director, say Michael Mann. I suppose that's a game that can be played all day, though.

Impostor — 5%

It’s awful. Apparently they originally made a 15 minute short and somehow got funding for another 80 minutes of film, which they managed to use up without adding a single interesting element. If they’d stopped at 15 minutes I could have given it a 25 or 30%.

Cheese Whiz!

I’ve fallen behind again. Here’s another list (and, no, I haven’t forgotten about the last list, I’ll get to it I promise).

The Office (the British version, both series and the Christmas special)
End of the Spear and Beyond the Gates of Splendor
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
The Office (the American version, season 1)
Arrested Development (season 3)
Seinfield (season 4)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
RV
Bridezillas

I currently have, but have not yet watched:
Ali
Born into Brothels
The Chronicles of Narnia

No, Talladega Nights isn’t out on DVD yet. We splurged on a rare trip to the theater.

While I mentioned in my list several TV shows I’ve watched on DVD, I’ve never reviewed TV shows here. What say ye? Does anyone care what Mr. Ginger has to say about TV on DVD?

Thanks for stopping by. More soon. I mean it.

High School Musical — ??%

I’m not exactly in the target demographic for this movie. In fact, I’m so not in the target demographic that I can’t possibly rate it. None of you who know my life-partner lady-friend will be surprised to know that she loves it. And that she loves me for giving her the DVD for her birthday.

I’m Back

Well, sort of. There has been quite a bit of transition at my work and it’s keeping me quite busy. But I hope to manage a little more posting . . .

Where is Mister Ginger?

In his office. He’s preparing for a conference this weekend, and he is completely swamped.

Have no fear though. I’ve been watching lots of movies. (I’m doing a talk on movies at the conference). Just this past weekend I watched:
Impostor
A Beautiful Mind
The Corpse Bride
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
50 First Dates
THX 1138
The Manchurian Candidate
The Final Cut

I had previously seen all of them except Impostor and The Corpse Bride. I’ll do a write-up on each of them sometime. Also, I need to post an entry for A History of Violence, which I watched just before all of the conference craziness began to press in on me, and Syriana, which I watched while out of town.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose — 70%

DVD viewed June 16, 2006. I’m not a big fan of horror movies, in fact, I really don’t like them at all. I had heard, though, that this movie was really a courtroom drama, not a horror film. Well, yeah, it has courtroom drama, but it has a dose of horror too (more than I expected, at least). It doesn’t seem to have been warmly received by “critics,” if you believe Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, but I’d say it’s probably worth seeing, as it raises some interesting points for discussion regarding the nature of faith, belief, and the supernatural.

North Country — 60%

DVD viewed Jun 13, 2006. Difficult to watch in parts, but it’s difficult material. I would have scored it higher but some of the dialogue, particularly in the climactic courtroom scene, just didn’t ring true. (It’s probably due to the compression of actual events.) Also, the wigs were so awful, and—my familiar complaint—the accents were spotty. Mostly this is just nit picking, but I do think the movie would have been better if they’d spent more time on the dialogue. The pro-life messages in the last act were unexpected and interesting. Anyone else like to see a movie that focuses on whatever went on in the lives of Kyle and Glory?

To End All Wars — 85%

DVD viewed June 11, 2006. Powerful. Well made. See it.

This is a movie I’ve heard a lot about, and honestly I can’t believe I’m just now seeing it. I’d like to watch To End All Wars and Saints and Soldiers back-to-back to compare and contrast.

Glory Road — 55%

DVD viewed June 11, 2006. Haven’t I seen this movie before? I know it’s based on a true story, but I kinda wish that someone other than D*sn*y was behind it so that it wasn’t told in such a formulaic way. Particularly with a true story, there’s got to be a fresh angle the filmmakers could take. Anyway, if you do rent it, be sure to watch the extra features, which contain interviews with some of the actual people involved in the real story. (The extra features earned Glory Road an additional 10 points.)

The Big White — 40%

DVD Viewed June 9, 2006. Never heard of it? You’re not alone. IMDB doesn’t have a poster image, Ebert didn’t review it. Black comedy, good cast (Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Blake Nelson) and a few funny setups/scenes/lines. But it’s kind of like they made the movie based on an early draft of the script. Best part of the whole thing is Holly Hunter’s character, who shouts obscenities almost non-stop in an apparent effort to fake Tourette’s.

Two for the Money — 40%

DVD viewed June 3, 2006. First off, I don’t know how this movie got into my renal Q. I assume it was a suggestion based on other movies I’ve rented, and I took the bait. What could I have rented that made those bozos (or that bozo computer) think I’d like this?

Anyway, while the movie is entertaining in parts, overall it’s like watching a series of related but somewhat random scenes. There’s just something missing. I assume the rest of the story is on the cutting room floor. (They had to get it down to 122 minutes somehow, right?) Of course, I’m not a big fan of sports, betting, sports-betting, or seeing McConaughey without a shirt, so I may not be in the target demographic for this one.

Good Night and Good Luck — 80%

DVD viewed June 2, 2006. I liked it. It may have been a little overly political, particularly when the director went of on a bit of a rant at an awards ceremony. At least the movie acknowledges the fact that we are all hypocrites.

I had to take points off for the guy who played McCarthy, though. A completely incompetent actor. Really, an absolute void of ability.

S1M0NE — 60%

DVD viewed May 28, 2006. Interesting, but the satire falls a little too flat for me.

Murderball — 90%

DVD viewed May 27, 2006. One of the most entertaining documentaries I’ve seen. Highly recommended. The extra features are, well, of varying quality.

Derailed — 10%

DVD viewed May 26, 2006. A steaming pile of dung! Completely predictable. I was actually saying the lines before the characters. Hint, it’s a scam; she’s in on it. Oh, woops, spoiler alert. I rated this a 10% because I can imagine that somewhere there are worse movies. I don’t want to see them, though. Now if they wanted MST3K it, you might have something.

Shopgirl — 25%

DVD viewed May 24, 2006. Steve Martin’s fantasy life on screen. Jason Schwartzman’s nuttiness in the first act is the only redeeming quality of this film. Otherwise, really terrible.

Rumor Has It — 50%

DVD viewed May 21, 2006. Entertaining in parts. Not great.

Butterfly Effect — 80%

DVD viewed May 21, 2006. Thought provoking, but a GIANT FREAKING PLOT HOLE. In the end, are we supposed to believe that the world would have been better off if he’d never lived?!? Can’t we accept that our lives impact other lives, and others impact ours? Sometimes the impact is positive, sometimes negative.

Movie Trailer

New — or newly imagined — comedy, 10 Things I Hate About Commandments. View and enjoy the trailer at You Tube.

Warning: Contains F-bomb. You have been warned.

Cold Mountain – 50%

DVD viewed May 13, 2006. For each thing I liked about this movie (scenery, soundtrack, some of the performances), there was something I hated (editing, accents, some of the performances).

Office Space – 99%

DVD viewed May 12, 2006.

Peter Gibbons: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.
Dr. Swanson: What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Dr. Swanson: Wow, that's messed up.

Doesn’t life feel like this sometimes?

I Am Cool

Or at least I could be if I put 22+inch rims on my car and paint it lime green or four shades of pink. So says the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal (subscription required—uncool!).

Some of the hippest wheels for under-30 drivers today are models commonly identified with seniors: Oldsmobiles, Buicks, Chevrolets and Cadillacs from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.

. . .

There's also the cool factor of being so "out" you are "in."

And nobody knows cool like the WSJ, right?

Bookmarks

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine got me reading "The Bleat" by occasionally forwarding around a good quote from it. I don't read it everyday, but I skim it more often than not. Today's entry is an example of why I keep it among my bookmarks.

Layer Cake – 75%

DVD Viewed April 30, 2006. Everybody double-crossing everybody. Very good soundtrack. I love the ending; much better than the alternatives in the special features.

Fun with Dick and Jane – 60%

DVD viewed April 23, 2006. A few good laughs and some good physical comedy. The pacing was a bit slow at times and one of the funniest scenes is in the deleted scenes section of the DVD. For extra laughs, pay close attention to the first minute or so of the end credits.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — 80%

DVD viewed April 22, 2006. I listened to tapes of the original BBC radio broadcast when I was in college (very funny), and the movie stays true enough to the material to be similarly funny. Plus it was interesting to see the characters and some of the technology brought to life. No one who knows me will be surprised to find out that my favorite character is Marvin the Paranoid Android. In fact, if Mister Ginger was an android, he might be Marvin.

The Polar Express – 80%

DVD viewed April 19, 2006. Cute movie. Mister Ginger loves everything about Christmas. It may have gotten more than 80% if Mister Ginger had seen it at Christmas instead of just after Easter. Did I mention that I love everything about Christmas? Mister Ginger also likes Easter, although if he eats chocolate his face breaks out like he's 15 years old all over again.

The Interpreter – 70%

DVD viewed April 17, 2006. Not as bad as I expected, given that Sean Penn has a staring role. He proves, once again, that he is a master thespian. No matter what the part, he can still manage to come across as brooding. Seriously, though, the movie is entertaining and somewhat suspenseful, although a tad long (128 minutes). The DVD bonus features include director Sydney Pollack going off on a rant about pan and scan vs. widescreen, and everybody knows how much Mister Ginger enjoys a good rant. And I do prefer widescreen to pan and scan, just like Mister Pollack.

So, What's the Point?

One might ask, why are you, Mister Ginger, starting a blog? Well, one of the main reasons is that I want to keep a running list of the movies that I watch. I watch quite a few movies, so many, in fact, that I can't remember what I've seen and whether I liked what I've seen. People sometimes ask me about movies so I want to jot down a few notes. I'm sure there are other reasons that aren't coming to mind right now. I have a headache.