Irene Taylor Brodsky's parents were born deaf. They lived full lives, raised three children and, at the age of 65, decided to receive a complex surgical implant, which allows them to experience sound for the first time.
This documentary from HBO is about a great deal more than hearing sounds. It's about communication, and as we learn, hearing and communication are two mutually exclusive abilities.
About four years ago I was thanking Sam Raimi in this space. I had just seen Spider-Man 2, and I liked it even better than Spider-Man, a film I thought was great. Here's what I wrote that day.
It would have been so easy for Sam Raimi and the gang to go through the motions, rely heavily on special effects and print money at the box office. Instead, they crafted a tremendous story with exceptional character development that stays true to the vision.
In Spider-Man 3, they sort of go through the motions, rely heavily on special effects and print money at the box office. It's not terrible, but it's a distant third in the franchise and it seems to collapse under the weight of the many villains. There's this Sandman dude, the new Goblin, Venom and the dark side of Spidey himself. That's four freakin' bad guys, at least two too many.
Still, Meatloaf made a good point. 2 outta 3 ain't bad.
I was worried about this one because Justin Timberlake almost single handedly ruined Black Snake Moan on his own, but he didn't suck quite as bad in Alpha Dog. Alpha Dog reminded me a great deal of Bully, another film I enjoyed. They'd make a great 1-2 punch.
Like Bully, this film is based on a real-life incident. It's all about Jesse James Hollywood who is currently awaiting trial in California. Here's his America's Most Wanted profile.
My favourite part of Reign Over Me is the music. Charlie Fineman escapes into his iPod and many of the tunes he plays are used as background music. Some of the best belong to Bruce Springsteen and The Who.
The Who's "Love, Reign o'er Me" gave this film its name and acts as the climatic yell. The Who's original version plays near the end and Pearl Jam's wicked cover plays at the conclusion. Damn Eddie kills on this tune.
And speaking of musicians, Adam Sandler looks an awful lot like Bob Dylan in this movie. It's freaky.
The movie itself is promise unfulfilled. It's uneven and convenient at times, even though there's a good film buried in there somewhere. I wanted Reign Over Me to be better than it was. I wanted it to be as good as its soundtrack.
I actually watched "Sicko" last June when it appeared on Google Video. I didn't review it then, because I just don't like watching movies on my laptop. I find it impossible not to multi-task and I miss the larger screen and bigger sound. I watched "Sicko" again last night with my wife and it's better than I remembered it.
I understand Michael Moore has his detractors, but he puts together compelling and entertaining docs. I've enjoyed everything he's released, but "Sicko" might be his best work to date. Of course, as a product of socialized medicine, I felt drawn to the content like a moth to a CFL light bulb.
Our system ain't perfect, but when one of us gets sick, it's awfully comforting to know that medical expense stress won't interfere with the healing process.
Right off the bat I want to thank John for sending me this DVD. That's right folks, if you send me stuff, I'll check it out and write about it here. John sent me this flick and "The Game Plan" which I'll watch at some point with the kids.
"Dan in Real Life" came and went in theatres so quickly, you're forgiven if you don't remember it. I didn't know what to expect, but I found it endearing and funny and cute and by the end I was totally digging it.
Steve Carell, who I love in "The Office", plays a character completely different from Michael Scott. There's lots of other recognizable faces in this thing, and it's so damn wholesome, you don't have to wait until the kids are asleep.
I'm a lucky SOB. My kids are developing "normally" and are healthy and happy. Autism, once diagnosed in 1 in 10,000 children and now in 1 in 150 children, seems to be everywhere. My mother works with autistic children, and I've been hearing about this disease for years, but I didn't really understand autism until I watched this HBO documentary.
We learn about five autistic children and their involvement in The Miracle Project, a theatre arts program created by Elaine Hall. All five children are afflicted differently, and we're witness to the strain on families and impact an autistic child has on marriages. It's really a must see for parents.
It only took me three weeks to finish Grindhouse. A bigger fan of Quentin Tarantino than Robert Rodriquez, I opted to watch Death Proof first.
I far preferred Death Proof, which I gave 8 out of 10, but I didn't hate Planet Terror. It was harmless campy fun that reminded me of the days I'd rent Troma films like The Toxic Avenger.
If you only watch one Grindhouse film this year, make it Death Proof, but if you have the time, watching both won't kill ya.
If you haven't seen Enchanted, you probably don't have a daughter between the ages of 2 and 12. Enchanted takes the classic Disney fairytales girls know and love and throws it into modern day New York.
If I put on my 3-year old girl glasses, I get the allure. It even opens as a cartoon before Amy Adams hits New York. It's kinda cute and fun... but when I take off my 3-year old girl glasses, I'm bored and I want to turn it off and watch Scarface or 300.
Toronto's Sarah Polley's directorial debut is a winner. "Away from Her" is a poignant tale about Alzheimer’s disease, and Polley's subtle touch and Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie's amazing performances gives it class.
It's also a movie that isn't ashamed to take place in Ontario. It references Paris, Ontario and Brantford, focuses upon a Maple Leafs playoff game and Brant County. It's a Canadian film that succeeds on a global scale, like "The Sweet Hereafter" and "The Barbarian Invasions".
I had never heard of Fracture but took a chance on it because it starred Anthony Hopkins and cool Canuck Ryan Gosling.
If you're comfortable with plot holes you could drive a Plymouth through, Fracture is actually a lot of fun. It's full of twists and turns, some plausible, some not, but all entertaining.
I had a helluva lot of fun with Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. I started watching Grindhouse, which includes Robert Rodriguez' Planet Terror, but after the fantastic phony coming attraction I realized Rodriguez' movie was first on the bill and I was hankering for some Tarantino. So, I bailed on Grindhouse and shot straight to Death Proof. I'll check out Planet Terror later this week.
Firstly, I loved the fake jump cuts, bad editing and scratchy film effects. The mood was perfect, in fact, until one of the girls checks her cell phone, I thought we were right in the 1970s.
I hear some are knocking this film for having too many allusions to earlier Tarantino movies. Personally, I loved that aspect. Of course, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and the Kill Bill films all rank high on my favourite movie list.
It's a lot of fun. I hope Planet Terror is just as good.
Now that was fun. I finally saw 300 so I can now participate in popular culture exchanges that were fresh 12 months ago.
300 wasn't just a great tale about King Leonidas and a force of 300 men who fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C., it's also a fantastic looking flick. You could mute the volume on this sucker and still enjoy the hell out of it.
King Leonidas has given me a new battle cry to complement my Braveheart arsenal. "My children, gather round! No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight... and die. A new age has begun. An age of freedom, and all will know, that 300 Spartans gave their last breaths to defend it!"
After seeing Juno a couple of weeks ago, I finally finished off my 2007 must-see list with No Country For Old Men, which I caught in theatres this afternoon. "Caught" is the wrong term, as you don't really catch No Country For Old Men. It's as elusive as Anton Chigurh and still, hours later, I find myself wrestling with this exceptional film.
As one who absolutely hates spoilers, I assure you I'm writing this in a fashion that won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. This, in itself, isn't easy, because there are pages and pages I wish to write about the ending alone.
Instead, I'll regurgitate what you already know, if you've read any reviews of this film. The direction by the Coen Brothers is awesome, every actor nails their role and this might just be the best Coen Brothers movie to date, and that says just about everything you need to know.
Have you ever watched a movie and then completely forgot you had ever seen it? Taryn and I watched Sandra Bullock's Premonition either Wednesday or Thursday, and I just now remembered I had even seen it. Yes, it's that memorable.
Premonition isn't very good, either. It tries to get funky with the plot, but it comes across like Memento made by primary school students, except I think I'd care about that movie. In this movie, it's impossible to give a rat's ass. Surprisingly, I'm not recommending this complete waste of 90 minutes.
I was going to give "Vacancy" a 5, but Taryn liked it so much, I've bumped it up a notch.
On the positive side of the ledger, it's only 85 minutes long, although I thought that was still a little lengthy for this film. It's dark and creepy, but I never felt scared I just wanted to feel a little scared.
James and I are having a dude's day. With the girls out of the house, James and I skated for an hour at Rennie Park and then settled in to watch "The Last Mimzy".
Here's some sage advice from a father of two. If you want to watch a film with the kids, or maybe your young nieces or nephews, this is a fantastic choice. You can't live on a diet of Pixar alone. "The Last Mimzy" is a lot of fun and pretty damn cool. We both enjoyed it thoroughly.
As I was watching this little fantasy I started thinking about a movie I absolutely adored as a kid. I would watch "Time Bandits" over and over again. That's a movie I need to revisit with the boy.
I'll admit to having a little difficulty seeing Mariane Pearl on the screen when all I could see was Angelina Jolie. That's not to say Jolie is weak in this, because she's very good, but she's morphed into a characuture that dominates the screen.
It's still worthwhile viewing because even though we know the story and how it ends, it's still a compelling journey.
I should start by telling you I've never seen "Shaun of the Dead", so I had no idea what to expect when I sat down to watch "Hot Fuzz". Not only is "Hot Fuzz" hilariously funny, but it's a pretty sharp crime film as well.
My brain hurts. I watched "The Fountain" last night, and I'm still not sure what the hell happened. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. My brain really is in pain.
I watched "The Fountain" because I saw it was directed by Darren Aronofsky, the man who brought us the most excellent "Requiem for a Dream". It stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz and it's totally bizarre.
I'm a pretty smart cookie and I couldn't tell you what I saw, which is both frustrating and stimulating. It's got me thinking, even if I am in pain.
"Juno" is fantastic. It's funny, charming and sweet and is powered by a great cast. It's a great cast, with personal faves J.K. Simmons, Michael Cera and Jason Bateman complemented nicely by Allison Janney, Olivia Thirlby and Jennifer Garner, but this movie kills because of a stellar performance from young Canadian actress Ellen Page.
If you haven't seen "Juno" yet, Ellen Page will blow you away. She's a breath of fresh air, quirky, funny and smart, and she is the reason this film is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. I'm highly recommending this one.
Later today, when I get a chance, I've going to comment further on both the Canadian aspect of this wonderful little film and the "Arrested Development" tie-in. Stay tuned!
How many movies made for kids feature dogs? There's the "Air Bud" series, "Karate Dog", "Under Dog" and this one, "Chestnut: Hero of Central Park".
As you might have guessed, I watched this with the kids. I know he hasn't discovered this blog yet, and even if he does he'll have trouble with the big words, so let me tell you about the effect this movie had on my six year old. He was balling, sobbing a bucket of tears when Chestnut, the lovable Great Dane, was lost in Central Park. When Chestnut got stabbed trying to be a hero, James lost it. I held his hand and watched him perk up when Chestnut came through.
I don't blame James for crying. I did the same thing after "Titanic", but that's a story for another day.
This one is pretty good. It's the Ed Norton and Naomi Watts show and they carry this sucker. I almost didn't join Taryn for this one because the thought of a love story set in 1925 China spooked me, but I caved because of Norton and I'm glad I did.
I watched a movie called "The Ex" last night, only IMDB doesn't call it "The Ex". They call it "Fast Track". I don't think I've ever experienced the ol' name switch like that before.
Call it what you want, but it stars Zach Braff, Amanda Peet and Jason Bateman and it's awful. It's not funny, it's not fun and it's not at all clever or witty or even entertaining. During this ongoing writer's strike Jason and Justine Bateman made a neat little video I'll throw down at the end of this entry. Jason Bateman, with the brilliant writers who worked on "Arrested Development", produced pure hilarity that entertains me regularly. Jason Bateman, with the writers who worked on "The Ex" or "Fast Track" or whatever this shite is called, made me wince.
First and foremost, all 7000 kids I saw this with loved it. I thought I'd open with the most important detail before reviewing it as a 33 year old adult.
This movie is carried by the complete cuteness of the animated rodents. Those who think Jason Lee sells out with this flick should see "Underdog" and those who think David Cross sold out with this film should read the entry I'm going to write in 25 minutes.
If it hurts to laugh, skip this one. It's almost two hours long and full of hilarious shite.
Like the slightly better "Knocked Up", it's charming, sweet and very funny. Michael Cera plays a character not unlike George Michael if he was 17 and had a friend like Seth. I wonder if I caught of glimpse of James in 11 years. Things could be a great deal worse.
David Fincher directed "Seven" and "Fight Club", so we know he's got the chops. "Zodiac" is a completely different kind of film but equally compelling. I enjoyed it, and I rarely enjoy any film longer than two hours. "Zodiac" is closer to three hours than two.
It's a big cast of actors you already like and the subject matter is intriguing. This is the film I thought Spike Lee's "Son of Sam" was going to be. It's got a wonderful "All the President's Men" feel to it. Fincher should be proud.
Ben Stiller has done some good stuff. There's Something About Mary and The Royal Tenenbaums are two of my favourite comedies of all-time. Night at the Museum, however, is the rarest of comedies. It's a comedy without laughs.
It earned a four because it's not bad for the kids. They get to see a dinosaur skeleton play fetch, which is pretty sweet for a five year old. For the rest of us, it's cruel and unusual punishment.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my first James Bond film. It was my wife's first James Bond film as well, so last night two 30-something year olds sat down for their first taste of 007 action.
It was a little long, but pretty good overall. Daniel Craig played a pretty cool cat and Judi Dench was great as usual. I don't have a frame of reference, but I'd guess this was James Bond at his most sensitive. The dude fell hard.
Will I go back and visit previous instalments of the James Bond franchise? Probably not, but I'm glad I finally popped my 007 cherry.
I would have made a terrible movie reviewer. I watched "Evan Almighty" with the kids and they loved it. The more they loved it, the more I liked it. They transformed a safe and predictable disappointment into a fun 95 minutes.
Evan Baxter is a watered down version of Michael Scott, only he's surrounded by much less interesting characters. Had I watched this alone or in adult company, it's a solid 4.5. Today, however, it's a sweet 6.5.
Where did Christina Ricci go? You see all of her in this film, but there isn't as much of her as there used to be. Where did the rest of her go?
I found this movie surprisingly watchable. It's got a dirty South flavour to it with good bluesy music and just enough charm to carry you 116 minutes. The only scenes that bored me were those with that N*Sync guy. When it's Ricci and bad mofo Sam Jackson on the screen, it's pretty good.
Anthony Minghella took Jude Law from the excellent The Talented Mr. Ripley and Juliette Binoche from the exceptional The English Patient and made this surprisingly fine film. I write "surprisingly" because I had never heard of Breaking and Entering. It somehow flew so far beneath the radar I completely missed it.
It's a sharp looking movie with a cool score and a several pro-Mac statements. There are times when it feels like an ad for Apple. The acting is excellent and Mingella's screenplay is good, although confusing. I'm still not entirely sure where we ended up and what was resolved, but the message is clear. When you score a hot Swede, don't throw her out with the bath water.
I'm on a roll with movies lately. This was another good one with a killer performance by Forest Whitaker. The dude is damn good as Idi Amin. From Charles Jefferson in "Fast Times at Ridgement High" to this in 24 years.... nice.
For those keeping score at home, I've now rated three movies in a row a score of 8 or greater. In fact, four of the past five films I watched got such a score. You can read every review I've thrown on this site at http://www.torontomike.com/reviews/.
I'm catching up on flicks and I've seen a few good ones in a row. Last night I finished "Little Children" which stars Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson. It's very interesting with a super creepy performance by Jackie Earle Haley.
It's simply a well crafted film by Todd Field who also directed the excellent "In The Bedroom". In fact, "Little Children" reminded me of the pacing and writing in "In The Bedroom" and both films left me thinking about it all hours after I watched. That, in a nutshell, is all I hope for in a movie.
"The History Boys" flew under the radar, so it's quite possible you've never heard of this British film about boys trying to get into Oxford and Cambridge. It's my job to tell you it's awesome. It's funny, different, well acted and fulfilling.
Whenever I see Richard Griffiths I think about his role in "Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear". I'm sure he'd cringe if he knew that's the role I remember him in. He's amazing in "The History Boys" as Hector and he gets to deliver most excellent lines of dialogue, like this:
The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.
I really didn't like this Hillary Swank vehicle based on the true story of Wilson High. I didn't like the similar "Dangerous Minds" either, and I think I know why. It's Morgan Freeman's fault.
Morgan Freeman starred in "Lean on Me" back in '89 and all of these movies pale by comparison. Save the time you'd commit to watching "Freedom Writers" and give "Lean on Me" another spin.
This is an HBO documentary about Doris "Granny D" Haddock's run for the US Senate. Granny D joined the race late, had a shoestring budget, faced a popular incumbent and was 94 years old.
It's a charming doc that juxtaposes Granny's sincerity and unpolished finish with the smug and swarmy Judd Gregg. Earlier today I heard Hazel McCallion on the radio going off on Stephen Harper's Conservative Party for their selfish attempt to buy our votes while municipalities go without. Hazel and Granny share the same gumption, the same spirit and the same denture cream.
Pedro Almodovar has a winner here in Volver, and Penelope Cruz is fantastic in the lead. It's easy viewing for two hours even though you have to read the whole thing.
Tonight I was looking for a flick to watch with the kids when I rolled the dice and went with "Everyone's Hero". If you've never heard of it, and I certainly hadn't, it's about a kid who has to get Babe Ruth back his lucky bat so the Yankees can beat the Cubs in the World Series.
Even though it featured Babe Ruth and World Series action, I couldn't get into it. I awarded no sympathy points because Christopher Reeve was directing it when he passed away and Dana Reeve was the executive producer. It wasn't very good and the ending was just silly, although I noticed James loved it. When it was all over, he proudly told me it wasn't the bat that made a hitter great, it was the batter.
I must confess, I'm not a big Will Smith fan. I liked him in Six Degrees of Separation and thought he was pretty good in Ali, but that's about it. In The Pursuit of Happyness, however, he's fantastic.
The entire film is damn good. It's a great story that's well paced, never boring and includes a great Will Smith performance that makes you forget he was ever the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I almost gave this one a nine.
Ok, there are better comedies out there, but I didn't mind "Let's Go To Prison". Maybe it was the fact I liked seeing Will Arnett because he reminded me of Arrested Development, or maybe it's because it was directed by Bob Odenkirk which reminded me of "Mr. Show" or maybe it's because it's only 84 minutes.
This is far from a bomb from writer and director Emilio Estevez, but I found myself playing "name that actor" for most of the film. There are so many known actors and actresses in "Bobby" you can spend a third of the film identifying the famous faces.
I had two issues with "Bobby". First of all, for a movie taking place in 1968 we're hit with a great deal of below average tunage. I may not have been around in 1968, but I'm familiar with the sensational songs that came out that year. The "Bobby" soundtrack should have been stronger. The best track was "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan, which should tell you something. Oh yeah, "The Sound of Silence" was in there, but I stand by my point. They cheaped out on tunes.
My other issue was with the silly subplot in which Ashton Kutcher got a couple of young campaigners high. It was embarrassing. Really, see this film for these ridiculous moments alone and the cringe induction will be well worth it.
I finally saw The Queen. Helen Mirren becomes Queen Elizabeth II, even more than Scott Thompson did, and slam dunked that Oscar. Everyone is good in The Queen, the writing and direction is superb and you're not bored for a second. This is a brilliantly crafted film.
What's particularly extraordinary is that The Queen contains no swears, no nudity, no suggestive sex or violence and is rated G. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a non-cartoon rated G as much.
"For Your Consideration" isn't terrible, it's just disappointing. It's disappointing because the previous three films from this group were so much funnier. Of the four, which I'll rank at the end of this review, it's a distant fourth.
Don't get me wrong, there are a few laughs and plenty of smiles, but these guys are better than that. Catherine O'Hara is fantastic, Fred Willard gets most of the laughs and the "Home for Purim" scenes are pretty funny, but this one misses the mark. Here, in order, are the best in the series, according to Toronto Mike.
The cool kids always wore tee shirts celebrating bands like Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys or D.O.A. It was a scene I completely missed and never totally understood. The songs seemed to be big walls of noise devoid of melody or hook. I just didn't get it.
This documentary on the hardcore punk scene from 1979 through 1985 does a fantastic job of explaining it all and showing the evolution as it spread East. It's loaded with fantastic footage and great insight. I didn't know much about Bad Brains prior to last night, but I liked what I heard and I know I'll be hunting for more about these hardcore pioneers. To these ears, they were the best of the bunch.
I think I get it now. I'm just sorry I was born too late.
The reason I haven't given this film a score is that I fell asleep about half way through it. Before I dozed off I remember thinking it was just like The Royal Tenenbaums without the wit and comedic elements.
When I'm enjoying a film, I never doze off. 'Nuff said.
I hadn't heard much about this documentary about a Seattle high school girls' basketball team, but when it showed up on TMN I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did.
The story unravels in such a way that you'd swear it was fiction, although if it was fiction I'd be complaining about how convenient it all was. It's quite remarkable what happens with the Roosevelt Roughriders. Like the very fine Hoop Dreams, it's a story that deserves to be told. It's pretty damn awesome.
This is the hardest movie review I've ever sat down to write. I just ended a 17 year wait to see a film featuring the Simpsons. Since they announced this project had been green lighted, I went from heavy anticipation through a thick fear it would be mediocre to a recent optimism based on positive reviews. You can follow that roller coaster ride of emotions here, but I've got a review to get to.
I'm torn. On the one hand, it's good, which is good. My biggest fear was that it would stink, and it certainly doesn't stink. In fact, it looks great and feels quite good for 87 minutes. As good as it is, it's not exceptional. In fact, I would never label this film "great". It's good, and that pleases me, but this isn't just any movie. This is The Simpsons Movie.
I'm not necessarily disappointed, I smiled often and laughed quite a bit, but it did tail off in the second half and it didn't ever advance beyond the scope of a pretty good 87 minute episode. I guess I just set the bar too high. I guess I've spent 17 years hoping this movie wouldn't just be good, but would be ex-cel-lent. I remain hopeful that will be truer of the sequel.
When it comes to The Simpsons Movie, good isn't good enough.
This documentary is all about the F-bomb. There is an interesting collection of people speaking up on this controversial word, with Bill Maher, Billy Connolly, Ice-T, Drew Carey, Kevin Smith and others on one end of the spectrum and a bunch of stiffs and Pat Boone on the other. Pat Boone even shared with us the word he uses instead of the F-word when he needs a hard core expletive. The dude says "Boon!".
I find myself fascinated by how offended some people are by certain words. Words are words, and even the bad ones have therapeutic qualities. "Fuck" has a weight to it no other word has and in certain situations you can accept no substitute.
I've been known to swear here and there, and I'm as liberal as they come when it comes to such things, but I still try and catch myself when around the kids. It's not that I think the word will corrupt them or hurt their spiritual growth, it's that they copy everything I say and I worry they'll accidentally say it in inappropriate places.
Maybe I should follow Pat Boone's lead and yell out a "Boon!" when I stub my toe, a Jay hits into a double play or somebody pisses me off. Consider yourselves warned.
For a long time, I didn't like the Dixie Chicks. Actually, I should rephrase that. It's their music I didn't like. Somehow I don't think I was their target audience when they were singing about being ready to run and some bumpkin named Earl.
I first sat up and took notice of this band when the controversy hit. Suddenly, I was interested. Nothing gives a band more integrity in my eyes than an all country music station removing them from their playlist. Especially if they're being removed for uttering an anti-Dubya statement, that's just icing on the cake.
This is a great little doc and I recommend it to all, even those who don't particularly dig the Dixie Chicks format. Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers appears for a bit and there's a scene later in the film when concert sales are tanking except for Toronto which sold out a show quickly and rolled out into a second night right away. I remember hitting the web when those tickets went on sale to buy a pair for my wife and mom, two bona fide fans
The Dixie Chicks now have street cred and it looks awfully good on 'em. Not Ready To Make Nice isn't just a great country song, it's a great song. Period.
I love docs, and this one about the MPAA is quite entertaining. The MPAA oversees a "voluntary" film rating system, but as Kevin Smith points out in the film, it's anything but voluntary if you want to promote your film and maximize revenue. For 35 years they've done their thing with no transparency or public accountability of the process.
In the documentary we actually learn about this film getting an NC-17 rating and losing the appeal by a 10-0 vote. This version, with this additional footage, was never rated, and that's why you can't rent it at Blockbuster.
The other day I wrote about the things we do for love. When I first became a father about 5.5 years ago, I was prepared for many of the sacrifices I'd have to make. I knew I'd have to change diapers and take them to swimming lessons and attend many a freezing Santa Claus parade, but I wasn't ready for the kind of sacrifice I made last night. This, in my humble opinion, is cruel and unusual punishment.
Underdog is bad. It's not quite Karate Dog bad, but it makes The Shaggy Dog feel like Pulp Fiction. If Underdog were a television show, I'd recommend flipping on by. Not even the presence of Puddy and the voice of Banky Edwards can save it. Bow. Wow.
It was also just about the best 80 minutes I've ever enjoyed. James was seated to the right of me and Michelle to the left, and I spent more time watching their reaction to this talking, flying mutt than watching the screen. At 3 and 5 years old, they were the target audience, and this movie nailed the target. There's a scene where Underdog belches loudly in another dogs face and Michelle thought it was the funniest scene ever captured on film. When Underdog was flying into outer space, James was literally at the edge of his seat, mesmerized. The kids absolutely loved Underdog, and that's why I was there. That's what last night was all about.
Unless you're accompanying someone under the age of ten, you have no business wasting a second of your life watching this brutal film. But if you are looking to kill 80 minutes with your four year old, I won't judge. I had a blast.
Is it possible I was in the mood for a relationship movie last night? That's doubtful, but it would explain why I enjoyed "The Last Kiss" so much.
There are a bunch of different couples and they're all trying to figure it all out and you're just sort of peering in and watching how the pieces fall. It's a solid cast and great fuel for deep discussions with your spouse, and Rachel Bilson is awfully cute, so what more are you looking for in a hot summer night flick?
Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti are always good, but who knew Mary Camden could act? Jessica Biel more than holds her own here in an entertaining flick with a funky ending.
This is easily Biel's best work since Ulee's Gold. It's even better than Stealth.
Clerks was one of my favourite films of all time. I loved the dialogue, I loved the raw indie feel and I loved the sentiment. Everything was ultra cool, from the Death Star discussion to the ball hockey game on the roof. Even that Soul Asylum tune kicked ass.
I was worried about watching Clerks II because I love Clerks so much. Thankfully, Clerks II is good. It still has that charm and entertaining dialogue, and even Jay and Silent Bob show some restraint that keeps them funny as opposed to annoying. Clerks II is good, but it suffers from the same faulty premise that plagued the even funnier Knocked Up.
Ugly dudes like Brian O'Halloran who work at a fast food joint don't score total babes like Rosario Dawson. At least, not in the real world. And Seth Rogen, bless his heart, doesn't get my Izzy to fall in love with him. It's fiction.
Once you accept this premise-flawing required leap of faith, Clerks II is a winner.
Bon Cop, Bad Cop was named Best Motion Picture at this years Genie Awards. I had heard many good things about this flick, so I was pretty jazzed when I settled in to watch it this weekend.
Patrick Huard and Colm Feore are very good, and there's lots of funny CanCon revolving around the Ontario - Quebec rivalry. The premise is explained without using actually names and NHL teams. For example, they'll talk about the team from Quebec City that moved to Colorado before becoming champions. Then they'll discuss #88 who refused to play in Quebec City and instead played for Philadelphia. They also refer to The Great One, who was sold to L.A., and Rick Mercer plays a thinly disguised Don Cherry who slags the French and wears rather obnoxious shirts. See how silly it all is?
Even if you get past the cheesy hockey fuelled premise, the movie completely loses you in the final act. The final act and lead up to the climax is just way too long and, quite frankly, boring. The whole charming and fun good cop / bad cop work of the previous 2/3s is pissed away so we can watch a drawn out, cliched cops and robbers chase.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby isn't bad, but it's no Knocked Up, which I saw earlier in the day. It's really saved by Gary Cole who plays Ricky Bobby's father, Reece. The middle scenes with Ricky and his daddy really are funny.
If you're keeping score at home, this one isn't quite as funny as Anchorman, but probably just as funny as Dodgeball. Of course, anyone who would see Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby already has, but just in case...
Charming, sweet and very funny, Knocked Up is fantastic. I found it far funnier than The 40 Year Old Virgin. There was a great deal I could relate to and there were an awful lot of maple leafs to give it some nice CanCon appeal.
And yes, Izzy is great. All of the characters are great. Even the tunes are great. See the damn flick already!
It's only 87 minutes long and time is of the essence. A slick vehicle for the very cool Jason Statham, "Crank" was made for the MTV crowd with frenetic editing and manic pacing.
It's no Pulp Fiction, but it ain't boring. Watch it for Statham and because it'll eat up less than an hour and a half of your precious life.
I hear this was based on some book I've never read. There was a little buzz about it last year.
Before watching this film over the past couple of nights, everything I knew about The Da Vinci code was through osmosis. I may have read something in an article here or caught something on A&E there or overheard people discussing Dan Brown's book and these theories in a crowded room. I knew a little, but I didn't know everything.
Perhaps coming in so cold explains why I liked it. Sure, it was a little long, but overall I found it very interesting. I dug it.
It's quite possible this movie went right over my head. It wouldn't be the first time I didn't get a movie others have raved about. Throughout this film, I kept thinking about the similar but far superior "Adaptation," and wished I was watching that again instead of this.
Dustin Hoffman is pretty good, but everything else just sort of annoyed or frustrated me. Feel free to tell me how off base I am in the comments.
Wow. For 111 minutes you don't feel like you're watching a movie, but a documentary. The acting by unrecognizable actors is so natural you feel you're there on September 11 as United 93 prepares to take off.
Even though we all know how this movie ends, it's so effectively pieced together you can't help but feel the affect of this tragedy we all know too well. Even though I remember that day like it was yesterday, we're all fairly desensitized from seeing that plane crash into the WTC over and over again. "United 93" humanizes the loss without being preachy, overtly patriotic or overly dramatic.
Judi Dench is kinda creepy in this one, but it's an intriguing creep. You see, Cate Blanchett is part of a scandal, and Dench is taking notes. The fact it's 7/10 tells you both Dench and Blanchett are really good and the writing is great.
Dench delivers some good lines, like this one: "People like Sheba think they know what it is to be lonely. But of the drip, drip of the long-haul, no-end-in-sight solitude, they know nothing. What it's like to construct an entire weekend around a visit to the launderette. Or to be so chronically untouched that the accidental brush of a bus conductor's hand sends a jolt of longing straight to your groin. Of this, Sheba and her like have no clue. "
When the best thing about a movie is the soundtrack, you're in trouble. There was some Cars and Kinks, a number of old school guilty pleasures, a Cranberries gem and a fantastic cut from The Strokes. The movie itself was formulaic and boring. You could spot the ending from a mile away and the gigantic leaps of logic you're asked to take are just too extreme.
I remember when Adam Sandler was one funny mofo. Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer were all fun, but now his comedies are anything but funny. I think the guy should give up trying to recapture that genie in a bottle and abandon comedy altogether. He's now a better serious actor, believe it or not.
In sports, you're often asked to take one for the team. Lean in to that inside pitch to get the base, dive in front of that cannonading slap shot from the point, sacrifice yourself for the benefit of the team.
Parenthood isn't much different. Today, I took one for the team. I fulfilled a promise I made to my five year old son and took him to see TMNT.
It was only 87 minutes, which is good, but it still managed to drag in parts and although it looked cool, the funny bits weren't funny enough and the action bits weren't exciting enough. My TMNT was definitely funnier and had better action sequences but I don't want to become one of those "things were better in my day" dads.
If you enjoyed the 1990 movie, I'll save you some coin and spell out the differences.
It's all CGI now
Splinter's accent is different and he looks like the Cheetos dude
April is a totally different character, no longer working as a reporter but looking and acting like Lara Croft
Michaelangelo's been dumbed down, Rafael's been angered up, Donatello is smarter than he was and Leonardo has morphed into the definite leader of the pack
Oh yeah, before I forget, you hear some Billy Talent early on when Michaelangelo performs at a birthday party. James, when you're old enough to read this, you owe your old man... big time.
My Clive Owen movie marathon continued with "Inside Man", a Spike Lee joint that also stars Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe and Torontonian Christopher Plummer.
It's not your typical Spike Lee film, but it's not a bad little heist film. If you ignore the gaping plot holes and convenient revelations and sloppy police work, it's not a bad two hours.
It's 2027 and no child has been born in 18 years. It's a very cool premise, a neat vision of our future and a great looking film.
It started strong but started to lag a little which is why I'm only giving this a 7. Still, Michael Caine and Clive Owen are very strong and it's so compelling because it's so plausible. 2027 is closer than you think.
I'm pretty sure most of you have already seen "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan". Last night, I joined the club.
When you hear a movie is very funny there's always a risk you'll be let down. I'm pleased to report I too found it funny which means there's nothing wrong with me. Well, it means something.
By the way, Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is not only fun to say, it's fun to type, too.
In the battle between "Batman Begins" and "Superman Returns", Batman wins easily. "Superman Returns" is rather disappointing. How do you take a story like that and make it boring? Even Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor is boring.
Although we'll never see it, you just know Tim Burton's "Superman Lives" would have been way better. Heck, Howard Stern's "Fartman" would have been better.
I really liked "Blood Diamond" and I don't really like many films. Leonardo DiCaprio puts on a South African accent and it works. Jennifer Connelly played an American, but I'm sure I heard her slip into a faux British accent a couple of times a'la Madonna, although I forgive her because she's Jennifer Connelly. Djimon Hounsou was also good, but he's always good. In fact, one indication you're watching a decent movie is the presence of Djimon Hounsou.
The story is compelling, although more than a little depressing. The T.I.A. thread leaves little hope for a stable, safe and productive Africa. If everyone watched this movie, I suspect diamond sales would plummet. It is to diamonds what "Super Size Me" was to McDonald's.
Imagine if Billy Bob Thornton's character Willie from Bad Santa cleaned himself up a little and started coaching a little league team. That's Bad News Bears, only not nearly as funny.
It's not as terrible as I expected it to be, but it's not great. Stick with the original.
I gave this movie a bonus half point because James seemed to like it. I'm not surprised James enjoyed himself as this film was clearly targeting the five year old demographic. It was far too dumb for a six year old.
James and I were looking for something to watch when I saw this film starred Pat Morita. I was feeling nostalgic for the late great Mr. Kesuke Miyagi and kids always dig animals who talk, so we settled in for "The Karate Dog". Sadly, Miyagi's character is killed off very early on and we're left with Chevy Chase as the unfunny voice of a dog who, well, knows karate. Even more sadly, this isn't the most pathetic part of the movie.
Oscar winning actor Jon Voight has a big role in this film, and it just makes you cringe. How does one go from "Midnight Cowboy" to "The Karate Dog"?
If you're over the age of five, take a pass. If you're missing "The Karate Kid", check out "Sweep the Leg" instead.
Hmmmm, I'm not sure if I liked this movie or not. It started strong, Robert Downey Jr.'s narration had me laughing, the film noir spoofing seemed sharp and interesting, but then it sort of fizzled.
I stopped caring who murdered who and why, the humour dissipated and was replaced by boring action sequences and I started wondering where I had seen Michelle Monaghan before. She was in The Bourne Supremacy, a movie I caught last week.
For the first time ever, all four of us went to the theatre together to watch a flick. James had already seen Happy Feet with his grandma, but he didn't mind seeing it twice. I just wanted to see the movie that won the Oscar for best animated feature.
Yes, it was better than Cars. Cars was pretty good, but Happy Feet was a little smarter. Good tunes, nice enviro-message and two well behaved kids meant a good time was truly had by all.
It was pretty cheap too. We had a coupon for James from a box of Cheerios and Michelle was free for being < 3. The only negative was having to endure Robin Williams for not one character but two.
That was neat. Alejandro González Iñárritu has created a rather compelling little flick here, letting us into the lives of four families who are all connected in Magnolia / Traffic style. All four stories are interesting with tense pacing and strong writing.
It's all about communication, and how our different languages divide us. Babel refers to the Tower of Babel in Genesis, which was built to reach Heaven. God wasn't a happy camper and blew away the single language everyone shared. If you're looking to blame someone for all this miscommunication due to language barriers, blame the vengeful God who punished those tower builders back in the day.
I still love my story about watching The Bourne Identity. I borrowed the DVD from a friend and watched 90 minutes of it before the DVD conked out. With 30 minutes to go, Taryn shot off to Rogers to rent it. Later that night, guess what movie was playing on City-TV?
I preferred The Bourne Identity to The Bourne Supremacy, but this isn't a bad sequel. It was still entertaining enough to keep me awake on a Saturday night.
Why do I rarely see films this good coming out of English Canada? C.R.A.Z.Y. is fantastic, almost as good as The Barbarian Invasions. No wonder it cleaned up at the Genie Awards.
There is some serious buzz surrounding this film. It's up for four awards at this month's Academy Awards, including best picture and original screenplay, and everyone who sees it likes it and recommends it highly. Throw in the fact it stars some of my favourite actors, like Alan Arkin, Toni Collette and Steve Carell, and the bar is raised quite high.
It's a highly enjoyable movie. You burn through the 101 minutes, the acting is solid and the story bitter sweet. I liked it. I liked it a lot. It's not, however, Oscar-worthy. In fact, I would compare it to another dark comedy that was far superior but tragically overlooked when it came time to announce the best picture nominations. Except The Royal Tenenbaums was a great deal funnier and demanded repeat viewings. I don't need to see Little Miss Sunshine again.
Abigail Breslin is as great as you've heard as the Bee Girl inspired Olive and Alan Arkin is brilliant as Grandpa. This is a nice little film, I just hope it doesn't get crushed by the weight of the surrounding buzz.
Hear and Now: 8 out of 10.
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