| Ragnar's Reviews 2004 |
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Books Lamb; The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
by Christopher Moore. Red Thunder by John Varley 27 October Varley is one of those writers that you have to be careful about buying. Some of his work is as good as it gets; Steel Beach, The Persistance of Vision, or Millenium. Then there's Titian, just to keep you on your toes. I'm still not quite sure what to think of Red Thunder. It's the old science fiction staple, kids help invent a new spaceship propulsion system, they build a spaceship in secret, fly to Mars beating out the non-Americans, rescue someone along the way, and become heros. Ackk. There's bits where the writing is better than you would expect, and places where it's worse. It took an awfully long time to get going by the standards of the genre, yet somehow the characters remained cardboard. Overall, I was a bit disappointed. Ripples of Battle by Victor Davis Hanson 3 October I've always like reading about historical "what-ifs", what historians now call counter-factualism. That isn't the main thrust of the book, but there are some elements of it. The main thrust is to illuminate the hidden fallout from 3 different battles, Okinawa, Shiloh, and Delium. It turns out to be dense reading in places, but interesting, well written, and rewarding. The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake by Samuel Bawlf 26 September As a child I loved to read about the exploits of the European sailors exploring the unknown (to them) seas and coastlines. The books I read focussed on the raiding and plunder he took from the Spanish, who had stolen it over the tortured bodies of South and Central American natives. It was fascinating even then to read about how the maps of the world were slowly constructed. What I hadn't known was that Drake played a largely (and well suppressed) role in understanding the western coastline of North America, and was involved in the hunt for the North West Passage. The geographic discoveries of his voyage were mostly suppressed from the public. Bawlf clearly and readably describes the known voyage, and places it in it's historic context. Then he goes on to examine the evidence for Drake's exploration of what is now the BC and Alaskan coastlines, and finds compelling evidence for Drake being the first European in those seas. Fascinating reading. The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach 20 September A simple message delivered in a simplistic way. Anybody willing to spend about a half hour browsing it in the bookstore can avoid spending the $30 to buy, and still come away with the essential message. Pay yourself first. Have at least 10% of your gross income deducted monthly and put into mutual funds within your RSP. Buy a house and pay it off with bi-weekly payments. Understand that the money going to your daily Starbucks latte habit can be leveraged into $1.6 million. In Praise of Slow by Carl Honoré 19 September We've been to a number of Slow Food Calgary events, and have enjoyed them enormously. Slow talks about applying the same principles to our daily lives. It is not a neo-Luddite approach, but rather an appeal for balance. To keep our humanity, we need to have some time where we can move at our pace. Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson 16 September Diving for treasure is one of the romantic myths of the 20th century. Not all treasure is gold though. This fascinating book shows what goes on behind the scenes of a diving expedition to identify a WW II U-boat that seems to have slipped between the covers of the history books. Kurson follows the story from the discovery, to identification, to meeting the family members of some of the crew. Kurson doesn't just follow the diving, he also follows the research the divers go through. Given the circumstances, the research is almost as interesting as the diving, and the diving adventures are as exciting as any armchair traveler could wish. Even better, he follows the emotional journey that the two divers go through. The distance isn't so far, only 230 feet, less than a football field in length, but it's a different world, one that kills humans who make even the smallest mistake. This was much better than I thought it would be, especially since I borrowed it from the library almost by accident. It's going to join my library soon. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde 15 September This is a bit lighter and fluffier than the first two in the series, but very enjoyable. Fforde has created two sets of enchanting worlds, Thursday Next's world as an analogue of ours, and the literature world. Next can now move form world to world, pretty much at will, under certain circumstances. I've read all these books with a big smile on my face. The fourth book will join my library as soon as I find it, and I'm sure I'll be reading these again. Blade Dancer by S. L. Viehl 14 September Utterly forgettable cliche scifi. Books like this are why I stopped reading much science fiction. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde13 September I'm totally captivated by this series. It exactly suits my sense of humour, knowledge of literature and books, and sense of whimsy. This is perhaps the densest book in the series, as the author has to tell you about the world that he's created. It's very skillfully done, no expository lump anywhere. The other book this series reminds me of is Who's Afraid of Beowulf, by Tim Holt. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde 8 September This is the sequel to The Eyre Affair, which I haven't read yet. My friend Kate turned me on to these, and I'm grateful. You don't need to read them in order, unless knowing something about how the first book turns out ruins it for you. The book is set in a whimsical, fanciful, twisted 1985, where the Crimean War is still going on, where some extinct species have been recreated so one has to worry about having your garden trampled and eaten during a mammoth migration, and where if you do things just right, you can live inside a book. Thoroughly delightful reading. I got Lost out of the library, and promptly went out and bought all three of the books in the series, and am looking for the 4th. If you like Monty Python, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or Lois McMaster Bujold, you'll love Fforde. You'll have to visit the website, which compliments the books wonderfully. Barbecue Secrets by Ron Shewchuk 6 September A few years ago we discovered the Slow Food movement here in Calgary by attending the Feast of Fields. At one of the slow food events we discovered Rockin' Ronnie and the Buttshredders, authentic southern style barbeque, and Amos Garrett playing live music. Wow. Cookbooks as a genre don't do much for me, but I was drooling as I read. I've simply got to try some of these recipes, and will modify some of my own barbeque, or rather, grilling habits. Now I wonder what it takes to get a dinner invitation from the Shewchuks? Snobbery with Violence by Marion Chesney 5 September I'm not sure what to think of this one. It's the only book by this author I've read, and is seems very much like a first novel trying to set up a series. The major problem is that Chesney tells us, doesn't show us. It makes for a crude novel. Yet she's done a ton of other books, and I'm told some of them are much better. Maybe this really is a first novel that got dusted off and resubmitted now that Chesney is known. Emotional Design by Donald Norman 25 August Norman makes some interesting links between memory and objects, and how these objects make us feel. There is some interesting exploration of the emotional aspects of design; how intangibles strongly affect our desire to use or own an particular object. I bought this from the book club for a good price, but haven't decided if I'll keep it. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 21 July An unlikely premise ends up being a charming, funny story. I browsed through it in hardcover, and didn't buy it because I didn't like the part I was reading. Well, after reading it all, that part is a little strange, but the rest more than makes up for it. I particularly liked the descriptions of zoo life, and am somewhat curious just how much research Martel did, and how much of what the story presents as fact, really is. In the event I find myself sharing a lifeboat with a tiger or other predator, the instructions given to gain the upper hand sound as good as any. It will be just my luck that there will be no whistle. Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan 1 July Typical new age bullshit. It is utterly unbelievable that Aborigines would invite an American woman to go walkabout with them for three months, and that they would willingly tell her about their most intimate cultural traditions. What little I know of Aboriginal culture indicates they are very private, and see no point in explaining themselves to white people. She claims to be a messenger from them to the rest of the human race, which is enormously offensive, in that she is distorting whatever messages the Aborigines wish to send. It's a quick, superficial read. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson 27 June I've always had this secret curiosity about Australia; so similar to Canada (big, empty, problems with Native minorities), and yet so different. My first exposure came with a pair of books by John O'Grady called Aussie English, and It's Your Shout, Mate!. I was too young to drink, but was still charmed. Now I've found another book that charmed me just as much as those two. Bryson is often a funny writer, but more importantly, he genuinely likes Australia, and Australians, and it comes across in his book. He tells of several trips to various parts of Australia, dwelling lovingly on all the creatures that can kill you. There is a postscript about the 2000 Olympic Games that tells how people there coped with the rest of the world coming to visit. All it does is make me want to go visit, even more than I did before. I wonder if I can get a 6 month leave of absence from work? I wonder if I would come home again? A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers 20 June Or, as I thought of it while reading, A bellyaching work of mindless indulgence. While going out for breakfast this morning we happened to be listening to CKUA as they played music popular in 1938. Several of the songs featured singers going over the emotional top as they tried so hard to project something that it turned into farce. Little did I know I'd be getting a literary dose of the same thing. Eggers wants us to feel sorry for him because his parents died within a few weeks of one another, think he's cool in a frat boy sort of way because he lives in a mess, admire him for raising his brother, sympathize with him because he has a tough time finding a place to live, praise him because he's such a clever writer with such witty insights to himself and society, and laugh at him. Well, he wasn't any of those things, he was pathetic. So was the book, jumping around to different times and places within the same paragraph. And all the death, what was that about? Is it supposed to be a surprise to us that people die? Every grown-up knows they will eventually have to deal with the deaths of their grandparents and parents. I'm down to one parent and one grandparent, my wife is down to one parent. Not a surprise for people our age. But then he was only in his early twenties; maybe that's the solution, he wasn't a grown up then. It certainly seems to have escaped his attention that some things are expected of a grown-up, such as cleaning up after yourself. Although he never quite makes it clear how wealthy he is, Might got it's startup money from him, in an amount that would nearly pay a years rent, especially if the kid's social assistance pays for half. Yet we are to believe he can't afford to live in a place any nicer than where he ends up? Give me a break. I looked at the book when it first came out, and didn't buy it. Reading the library's copy proves I made the right decision. Down Here by Andrew Vachss 11 June Some of Vachss's novels are very tough reads, brutal even. In some ways they're sort of like a train wreck that you can see coming. You can't look away, even though you're horrified. Vachss writes in a clipped elliptical style that sucks you into a world that most of us will never be part of, and keeps you there. Horrified, repulsed, fascinated, hooked. What he doesn't say is almost as important as what he does say. Down Here isn't quite as graphic as his earlier novels, but it's just as gripping. All along you think it's a whodunit, until the end. Fascinating. Thieves Dozen by Donald Westlake 9 June One of the things I like about Westlake and Dortmunder is all the little situations and conversations that happen along the way. Westlake has an ear for dialogue. For example, listen to the conversations of the regulars in Rollo's bar. We don't know their names, but the same characters and kinds of conversations show up again and again, but it's fresh every time. It adds to the slightly twisted world the Dortmunder lives in. These short stories are built around little scenes that Westlake saw Dortmunder in, but couldn't work into a book. Very well worth buying. The Road to Ruin by Donald Westlake 8 June Westlake is one of my favourite authors, and Dortmunder and his gang are some of my favourite characters. Yet somehow, this novel didn't do it for me. I'm not sure why. I think because Dortmunder isn't struggling with fate, trying to make things come out right, or coping with a disaster. Things go wrong of course, but if this was the first Dortmunder book you had read you'd wonder what all the fuss was about. The older books stand up much better. Buy it in a used books store if you're a Dortmunder fan, because it just might appeal to you. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle 6 June 2004 I got hungry a lot while reading about Provencal food. Then I remembered that the French are the only people in the world that think Jerry Lewis is funny. Then I read about the author's visit to a vineyard, or to a little no-menu cafe where the food is beyond superb, and still wanted to visit. With an appetite. All in all, Provence is a study in wonderful contrasts brought to life by Mayle. I can almost taste the food and wine he describes, and feel for him in his struggles with contractors renovating his house. The Myth of the Good War, America in the Second World War by Jacques R. Pauwels 18 May World War II is rapidly approaching mythic status. For many people it's ancient history now, on a par with 1066, 1759, 1776, and 1914. People now believe that the US went to war to make the world safe for democracy, and crush Fascism. Not so fast. The world is more complex than that. The United States was slow to war, and even so, many prominent people and companies were pro-German, and much money was made from pre-WWII Nazi Germany. The book also talks about how Europe was divided between the Soviets and other allies in the closing days of the war. This is a historian's view of the war, but all in all it's fascinating reading, though some people are going to be unhappy about having their myths stripped away. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole 12 May This was a book club suggestion, and not one I would have picked out. I mostly read it while on vacation, and am hard pressed to review it. The book won the Pulitzer Prize, and is widely praised as brilliant comedy. Sorry, but I didn't get it. Maybe I was in the wrong mood. Fish out of water stories can be funny, but I almost felt sorry for Reilly. He has his particular and peculiar version of reality, and doesn't fit into the world around him. I found his version of reality interesting and more real than the pathetic people around him. Perhaps it was a breath of fresh air when it was first released, (1980) but now it seems contrived. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 14 March I happen to like a good conspiracy theory. I've got crank dot net bookmarked and visit it often. I used to like a good page turning thriller and can still remember reading The Chancellor Manuscript while working in a local convenience store. Marrying the two is a logical and emotional gold mine that has served many authors well. Vince Flynn, of the New York Times, says "You simply cannot put this book down." I could. Repeatedly. And found it more and more difficult to pick up each time. I suppose if you don't know who the Templars are, and haven't read much conspiracy theory, this would be a pretty good read. However, there I go, bringing reality into it again. The book is facile and simplistic, almost a paint by numbers plot, and ends up being terribly monotonous. They get into a jam, and are rescued dues ex machina, again and again. At the end of one chapter they face a puzzle that is supposed to be insoluble, and at the beginning of the next it's solved and they are on their way to the next puzzle. Over and over. All the characters are pure 100% recycled cardboard. I didn't care about any of them. The name-dropping of historical people doesn't help things. I think the worst part about it is that Leonardo da Vinci is easily in the top ten most fascinating people who ever lived list, and a strong contender for number 1. You don't need esoteric mumbo-jumbo to make him interesting or serve as the hook. At the same time as reading this, I'm working my way through Fucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. The two books are nominally about the same thing. By any comparison the Eco book is much more difficult and obscure.To be honest, I'm finding it a tough read. One can't really read it in little chunks, but it's hard to find several hours of undisturbed time to appreciate it and keep track of what's going on. Yet Eco is more rewarding. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman 31 January I was curious to read the book after seeing the DVD last year. Now I know very little more about that world than what the DVD showed me. The book might as well be a screenplay for the movie. I was hoping that the book would give us more information about the motivations of the characters. He has written several other books that I'll be looking for. |
Movies I have a brother in law who just loves this movie, and I'm sorry to disappoint him, but I couldn't watch it. The historical errors are forgivable, given that the movie industry is famous for not getting history right, even if it doesn't hurt the story. But I couldn't forgive the movie for being boring. The fight scenes were marginally acceptable if you only looked at the star and whoever he was dealing with. But once you look at the background, it's easy to tell people are going through the motions. Mists of Avalon 26 December The feminist version of Arthurian fantasy. I haven't read the book; that particular branch of fantasy not being particularly interesting to me. I sat through it, but it was a bit of a struggle at times. Life or Something Like It 26 December Jolie as a blonde didn't quite work for me, and I had some problems with the various plot requirements for a romantic semi-comedy. Only someone who has no idea how television news is put together is going to accept the premis of the movie. Imposter 24 December It turns out we had seen this before, though I had no memory of it when I picked it out. It's a standard SF dystopia, but well enough done that I watched it again without complaint. Bulletproof Monk 24 December Poor fight scenes, stupid plot, and a terrible villan add up to a movie best avoided. It was only when watching the deleted scenes that I realized they had shot a plot variant that was even stupider than the theatrical release. The Singing Detective 24 December It takes a while to figure out what's going on, and it isn't what I expected. That's a plus in my books. I was in a mood for 40's noir, and while this isn't exactly that, there's a good flavour of it. The Bourne Supremacy 19 December A very well done chase movie, but at the end of it I still didn't care any more about the character than I did at the beginning. As always with movies like this, the plot twists and turns, and tries to be clever, but I don't bother trying to keep up anymore. Post Impact 19 December One of the worst movies I've ever seen. Bad acting. Bad dialogue. Bad effects. Bad plot. I was in the mood for some cheerfully bad movie, but this went far overboard. Return of the King (extended DVD) 17 December I loved the books, and loved the movies. Even though they don't follow the books exactly, they do tell an interpretation of the story, and they can't be faulted for how they look. However, during the extended version of this I never forgot I was watching a movie. And believe me, it is extended. There's all sorts of extra time inserted, much of it to portray some aspect of the books. Maybe I watched too much of the behind the scenes clips before getting to this movie, and got too familiar with how they did the effects. I'll still watch the remainder of the commentary, and sooner or later, we'll have to hold a party where we watch all 3 of the films back to back. Coffee and Cigarettes 6 December I wasn't sure what to think when the movie was over. I had expected the vignettes to tie together somehow, and was a bit disappointed they didn't. Some of them are interesting to watch, but I fear that interest is directly related to how much you know about or like the people presented. Kaena: The Prophecy 5 December, Dumb story, verging on incomprehensible at times, though the visuals are worth the price of admission. Around the Wold in 80 Days 5 December The 2004 version. Fun and frothy, but no real substance. Which is too bad, because I remember being entranced by the book as a child. Under the Tuscan Sun 6 November It was nice to look at, but I'm getting tired of the 'take a trip and end up finding yourself' plot. This was entirely too staged for me, though I did want to participate in some of the meals. The Bourne Identity 17 October These movies, when done by Hollywood, are quite predictable, and this was no exception. Still, it was reasonably well done, and there wasn't too much gratuitous gore. The inevitable car chase was nothing special. I grow tired of the movies where both sides appear to be smart enough to predict each others moves, but don't. You'd think Bourne would be smart enough to realize that with the resources of the people that trained him, knowing they know who his companion is, that they would stake out the places she knows about. It was good enough that I'll rent the sequel DVD when it becomes a 7 day rental. Something's gotta Give 15 October There's just something about Jack Nicholson that's fun to watch. Diane Keaton is ok, and Amanda Peet is almost as good as she was in 9 Yards, but Jack steals the show. The plot is predictable, but there are a few twists along the way, and some genuinely funny bits. It plays a little long toward the end, and gets a bit syrupy in places, but overall well worth seeing, especially if you're a fan of Nicholson. The Manchurian Candidate (1962 version, scroll down for 2004 version) 9 October American establishment 60's paranoia in full bloom, in a terrible film. Their idea of brainwashing is even more ridiculous than in the recent version, and that was bad enough. The plot was simplistic and predictable. About the only good part of the film is watching the old stuff; old airplanes, old cars, old buildings, and old attitudes. It seems much more like a film from the 40's than the 60's. Love Actually 8 October This is good enough that we watched it twice over the weekend, once normally, and once with the commentary. I was quite charmed. It's a little sickly sweet in places, many of the characters are a little thin, and Christmas movies usually leave me cold, but somehow, I got hooked. It's much better than I expected given it's the same writer as the dreadful Notting Hill, the barely tolerable Bridget Jones's Diary, and the somewhat charming Four Weddings and a Funeral. I think the character that got me dragged in was the aging, truth-telling rocker, and from there I went with the flow. Well, except for Hugh Grant being British PM, and the chase scene through the airport. The commentary is funny in places, especially when the adults tell the one child actor he shouldn't look at the screen because of what's been shown. You could do much worse than this wonderful good date movie. The Company 8 October I never cease to be amazed at the strength and flexibility of dancers. This behind the scenes look at a dance company isn't for everyone, and it's painful watching in a couple places, but it was well worth watching. There is no plot, but the camera essentially disappears, and all you are doing is watching these people learning new routines, try to have some fun together, and put up with their terrible boss. The Manchurian Candidate (2004 version) 1 October Another remake of an old film. Hollywood seems to be able to produce nothing these days but remakes of old movies, or comic books. I don't mind seeing the same story again, if the new version offers something new. For example, Henry V has been put on screen 7 times, yet Branagh made it fresh and different in 1989. I haven't seen the original of this one, so I can't compare it. We are planning to rent the DVD, however. This version was pretty good, slamming big corporations, and presenting some interesting twists and turns. The whole brainwashing/programming thing is totally unbelievable, but if you grant that to the movie, then I still can't believe they'd use their star candidate for an assassination. Surely they must have other minions they could have used to kill the senator, rather than risking someone seeing their candidate. At least Streep's over the top performance was fun to watch. After watching the1962 version, I now see how much better the 2004 film is, and why they wanted to do a remake. Both the acting and the story is better, though given 40 years, the visible technology may seem as quaint as that of the 62 version seems to us. It isn't a shot by shot duplicate, though the films are similar. I think it's fair to say that it is a different interpretation. Ghosts of the Abyss 19 September The footage of the ship is entrancing. I could have watched it for hours. It just boggles my mind that the stained glass windows could still be intact. The technical support for the project is interesting, as is some of the ship-board life. But all of the scenes with Bill Paxton in them could have been cut to make more time for the ship. A couple of the extra features were good. Timeline 19 September It isn't my fault, I didn't rent it. I couldn't even watch, it was so bad, and left about a third of the way into it. Persuasion 18 September This is the 1971 mini series directed by Howard Baker. I've never read the book or seen any other versions of this, and was quite pleased overall. There's quite the expository lump right at the beginning where you are introduced to the major characters, but once you get them straightened out you're fine. It's much more like a stage play than a film, which gives it a particular flavour. The other thing that's odd is the difference between the indoor and outdoor shots. The indoor are clear and crisp, but the outdoor ones are grainy and look foggy. I've seen the same effect in other BBC productions, so maybe it's something to do with the cameras. Hero (Ying xiong) 16 September The stunning visuals themselves are worth the price of admission, but don't let them distract you from the story. At first you think it's simple, then the layering and revisions start. After a while it's difficult to keep track of exactly what's being done for what reasons. You see different sides to the story that's being told, leading to a fuller understanding of the characters. Office Space 10 September Sort of like a Dilbert cartoon made into a movie. Bowling for Columbine 8 September Are Americans gun nuts, or just nuts? I've always believed that Americans are more than a little strange on this topic, so if you like, you can say that I'm biased when I say that Moore has created an excellent documentary on the gun culture. There are websites that point out he has taken some liberties with the absolute truth, but I don't think that detracts from the overall message. Watching this was the basis for further commentary here. The Philadelphia Story 6 September Somehow, I've never seen this movie before. Not even snippets on late night television. I had to listen to the voices again and again to realize who I was looking at. While Grant's looks and mannerisms are instantly recognizable, Hepburn's hairdo kept reminding me of Lauren Bacall, and I never would have recognized Stewart. They all looked so young, though they were in the prime of their careers. The actors are clearly enjoying themselves. The movie itself is clever and witty, in a way Hollywood movies haven't been for decades. Taking Lives 5 September There isn't much one can do to make the police chase the serial-killer original anymore. Taking Lives fails on that ground, but it's otherwise well done. Jolie is a pleasure to watch, and not just for her figure. She misses a couple clues, but that's mainly for the movie. This is a really good one to rent to watch with friends. You can race to see who recognizes where the various elements come from. Vampire Effect 5 September Oh boy. Take all the worst elements of the vampire movie genre, mix it with the worst elements of the Hong Kong chop-socky movie, add bad acting, poor wire effects, just plain stupidity and you've got Vampire Effect. Don't, just don't. The Final Countdown 5 September I remember seeing this at a science fiction convention in the early 80's. It has the usual difficulties inherent in a time-travel movie, but one can't hold that against it. Any competent commander would have struck at the carriers rather than waiting until the Japanese attacking force is in the air, though really, that's a minor nit. The special effects are pretty cheesy, but then one has to remember it was made in 1980. Though I seem to recall they looked cheesy when I saw it the first time. There's lots of shots of various aircraft landing and taking off the Nimitz, which is fun to watch, in a technical sort of way. When watching it you only begin to get the sense that landing an aircraft on a very small, moving target is difficult. In fact it's so difficult that virtually all the pilots in the world that can do it, are doing it for the US navy. Nobody else does it. Even though I liked watching it, I probably won't buy the DVD. It's a limited interest item. Hidalgo 4 September Viggo has proven he can play the strong silent type. Any extras that I've seen show him to be articulate, thoughtful, witty, and interested in other things besides making movies. I'd like to see him in a role that lets him express some of that personality. Hidalgo isn't that movie. Like many movies it's based on some element of fact (ie, Frank T Hopkins was a real person who won many long distance horse races), but is perverted by Hollywood's requirements for a feel-good ending. Nice photography, nice shots of horses doing all sorts of horsy things, but not much else. Hellboy 4 September Yet another movie based on a comic book. I can't tell if it's the comic book that makes no sense, or the Hollywood adaptation. There is no plot, no story, no resolution, no love interest, no interest in any of the characters, or in the movie-world itself. Nothing worth watching, in fact. I wonder how many days will pass before the only evidence that I had seen it will be this entry? The Hot Rock 28 August Robert Redford as John Dortmunder. Sorry, it just doesn't go. The screen's version of Kelp and Murch don't match my own, but at least they were reasonable. Redford is far too good-looking to play Dortmunder. But the rest of the movie goes quite well indeed. It's a reasonably faithful adaptation of Westlake's The Hot Rock, with William Goldman involved in the screenplay, which is all to the good. I was waiting for the scene where they break one character out of the mental hospital, but it never came. The scene where Kelp attacks Dortmunder with a car without meaning to is there, and it's just as hysterical in the movie as in the book. I still liked the book better, but that's because Westlake is so very good at situations and dialogue. Yellow Submarine 28 August Talk about a blast from the past. I remember seeing this as a high school student and just loving it. It's just as lovable now, all cleaned and gussied up for the digital age. The songs sound great, the visuals are so 60's but still wonderful to look at, and there's an extra 5 minutes that never got shown in North America. What's not to love? I, Robot 31 July I'm probably going to rent this when it comes out on DVD, just to look at the extras that I hope are there. I won't mind looking at the movie again, because it looks stunning. Unfortunately, the plot sucks, so I'll watch it with the sound off. No editor would accept it if it were submitted as a story. Smith normally has some witty remarks during his parts, and that's half-true this time. Nothing holds together in this film. A few minutes clicking on a keyboard tells the characters there is an extra robot in a repair facility. Yet nobody notices the one extra positronic brain that Sonny has buried in his chest. I wonder how that was accounted for? The US Robotics building is supposed to be highly secure, yet Calvin was able to take another person into highly secure areas. I was disappointed by the cop under a shadow, has his badge taken away, yet somehow wins through to show the world he was right after all. It could have been so much better. Fahrenheit 9/11 3 July I'm just glad that I don't live in a country run by George W. Bush. At least one not run directly by him, for the benefit of him and his buddies. Or the "haves" and the "have mores" as Bush himself puts it. I don't follow American news much, so some of the material was new to me, especially the extent of close ties between the Bush and Bin Laden families. Moore has his own way of putting together a documentary. Some people say he has only a distant relationship with the truth, and distorts facts or takes them out of context to make a better story. As may be. This is entertaining and thought provoking; a movie that all voters should see. Some Canadians feel smug because they say it can't happen here. I'm not so sure. Look at the close connections that the Mulroney or Martin families have with big business, and tell me that every single deal could stand up to public scrutiny. Especially when the first estimate of what Canada Steamship Lines says it received from the Canadian Government had three too few zeros in the number. Troy 26 June Parts of The Illiad still come back to me, but not well enough to compare the movie to Homer's immortal story. As entertainment the movie is fine. The basis for the movie is as good as it comes. The CGI work is excellent. For a movie with so many characters, the actors mostly do a fine job of bringing their part to life. The major exception is Pitt's Achilles. He is supposed to be a larger than life hero, yet he behaves more like a spoiled child. Cox's Agamemnon seemed to be channeling O'Toole's King Henry in The Lion in Winter. Bean's Odysseus was well enough done I'd be interested in a sequel detailing his adventures on the way home. I was a bit disappointed, overall. None of the characters seemed to interact with each other, the prelude to the mass fight scenes were boring, and the attempts at showing the politics and back story were laughable. I have The Illiad somewhere in my library; maybe that will be my summer reading project. (2 July update, I've started The Illiad, and in a fit of hubris, will compare the book to the movie. Stay posted.) Chronicles of Riddick 12 June Visually striking, incomprehensible plot, pathetic action sequences. The look of the movie is great. Lots of detail, some beautiful shots, and great model and CGI work, but it isn't quite enough to carry the movie. The plot is nonsense from beginning to end. I saw the previous movie, Pitch Black, and thought it was dreadful. Seeing it won't help you here. There's a ton of back story somewhere, and without it I had no clue why any of the action was happening. And the action was a big disappointment. It's cut into such quick cuts you don't have a clue who is doing what to who. All you see is bodies strewn around afterward. This is a great rental for a nit-picking party. Maybe the DVD has extras that explain things, but I'm not going to rent it. The Day After Tomorrow 29 May Good weather, terrible humans. The science is just as bad as in many other terrible Hollywood movies, but nobody goes to movies for scientific accuracy. They go to be entertained, and the first half of this is very entertaining, in a ham-handed sort of way. The weather effects are stunning, and are well worth the price of admission. Pity the weather doesn't kill everyone in the movie; they deserve it for such terrible acting. Not that they had much to work with, since the plot is one of stupidest to come along in quite some time. I had hoped for much better. Van Helsing 21 May Something was wrong here. It ought to have been a fun, campy visit to a bunch of horror movie cliches. But no, the cast and movie took itself far too seriously. Most of the backdrops looked like cheesy backdrop paintings. One believes, or is meant to believe that a CGI character can be bashed around and take all kinds of abuse, but humans? No. And Beckinsale gets bashed around a lot. There's lots of other problems with this. See it on DVD and save your money. The Man Who Cried 18 April Sally Potter's films have been interesting so far, so I picked this up. It's a WWII period piece, and they can be very good or very bad. This was curiously neutral. The story moves along mechanically, with the watcher meant to believe something will happen between the Depp and Ricci characters. There are interesting bits between the Blanchet and Ricci characters, but it's not enough to redeem the movie. I think one of the reasons I didn't get involved in the film is that the main character, Ricci, barely gets involved with her own life, and doesn't say much. Much of the verbal traffic is Italian opera, which doesn't do a thing for me. Queen of the Damned 18 April We were in the mood for a vampire movie, and this was better than many. Still, not much else besides loud, bad music, neck biting, and posturing. The whole thing is essentially a rock video. Lady Jayne Killer 16 April This was painful to watch. Imagine every movie action chase cliche strung together, combine it with mechanical, wooden acting, totally interchangeable men in that they all looked alike, and bad camera work. Night at the Golden Eagle 11 April Very strange. Somewhat slow, but oddly compelling as a life already in the dumps heads downhill rapidly. The 'making of' feature was detailed and interesting. From Hell 11 April Johnny Depp is wonderful again. Great atmosphere in this competent retelling of the Jack the Ripper story. No real surprises, but you don't expect that. The extras are the real treat, an entire disc full, much of it related to the historical evidence that's been archived. The Last Seduction 10 April It's a shame Linda Fiorentino missed an almost certain Oscar nomination because the distributor screwed up. She plays a totally cold-blooded bitch out for what she wants, and it's a joy to watch. It's not so much the con jobs she pulls, though those are ok, it's the calculated coldness of her going about her business. Normally these kinds of films are about the bad guy getting it in the end, and this one will have you wondering how it's going to come out. This DVD get a second watching, and I'd probably buy it if I see it on sale. Ballykissangel 9 April We rented the first disc, and promptly went out and both all 4 discs making up series one and two. Got a deal on them at A&B Sound, which is always nice. It sort of reminded me of Northern Exposure, though not quite so self-consciously quirky. The characters are all real people, and rub up against one another in interesting ways. Winged Serpent 9 April Schlock. Pure, unadulterated schlock. But it's what we wanted and what we got. Get out that liter bucket of ice cream, or the green-garbage size bag of nachos and indulge yourself. I thought David Carradine had died years ago, so this was a bit of a blast from the past. Lord Peter Whimsey The Nine Tailors 8 April A languid, leisurely look at the aristocracy of the early 1900's. The mystery unfolds over 20 years, and sometimes it seems like that long watching it. We've been corrupted by wham, bam, thank you ma'am Hollywood movies where the hero always knows what's going on, there are no false clues, and everything gets wrapped up in 90 minutes. This won't be to everyone's taste, but it's another "heritage" BBC production that has stunning costume, gorgeous homes,and bucolic backgrounds. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 4 April The Seven Seas apparently includes the South Pacific, since the characters talk often of retiring to Fiji. While Sinbad is fictional, the sailors of his time were well-traveled. However, they didn't know about Fiji. The real tales of Sinbad are filled with enough adventure for 7 movies, but nooooo, Hollywood can't resist meddling. It isn't true to the original stories at all, but it is faithful to itself, as a fun romp, with exquisite animation. Watching the Eris character shape shift is worth the rental cost. Rashomon 3 April We consider reality to be what we see, or remember as seeing. We know now that eyewitnesses can see different events, but Kurosawa knew it 50 years ago. This movie shows the same event from several different points of view, and we see something different, radically different, each time. There is no solution, no "correct" version, no ultimate reality. In this brilliant movie, Kurosawa shows us that we can't always believe our eyes or trust a movie camera. Even in black and white, the movie is a visual treat to watch. It's almost a silent movie, anyway. This is a must see, if you haven't seen it, and I'll be watching it again soon. Talk to Her (Hable con ella) 27 March There are a lot of reasons why this movie probably won't do well at the box office. It's a foreign film with subtitles. What's worse, the subtitles are fairly long, as this is a conversation-driven movie. Some people simply can't move their lips fast enough to keep up. Plus it's about "touchy-feely" emotional issues that are usually relegated to a chick flick, but the two main female stars spend most of the movie quite literally in a coma. On the other hand, this is one of the best movies I've seen recently. Intelligent conversation. Emotional growth. Unusual conflict. A natural ending. We've got it as a 7 day rental, and I'll probably watch it again before we return it. There's a ton of trailers for foreign films on it, some of which we have seen. Cradle 2 Grave 27 March A typical dreadful Hollywood movie. Banal plot. Frantic cutting between scenes. Bad music. Terrible fight choreography. The Good Thief 14 March A caper movie with a few twists. So what else is new? I couldn't get into it, I didn't care about any of the characters, and the whole wheels within wheels was boring. For a while I thought the DVD player wasn't working right because the scene froze every now and then, but I realized that's how the scene changes. Dumb. Inspector Morse 14 March Episode: The Wolvercote Tongue. This is the first Inspector Morse I've seen, and it was ok. I'm not burning to watch another one, but neither would I refuse to rent another. It was very slow, and even at the end I'm not sure they really glued it together. I'm told the books are good, so maybe this is one of those experiences that work better as a book than a movie. Jet Lag 14 March I like watching Jean Reno, and this movie is no exception. The plot is fluff from end to end, yet the two leads somehow make it work. Lots of extras, but you'd better understand French. Dark Passage 13 March On the down side, you've got a weird camera gimmick for the first third of the film, plot holes the size of San Francisco, and background scenery that looks like it was painted, even though it's the real thing. On the other hand, you've got Bogart and Bacall, and even at their weakest they are better than average. Marooned in Iraq 13 March This is the first Kurdish movie I've ever seen. Much of what I hate about Hollywood movies has to do with their slavish devotion to the Hollywood Movie Rules that get them approved by stupid movie executives, but end up producing bad movies. However, I didn't understand some of the premises of this film. Why did the sons give in so easily? Is this because of traditional family values, or is it satire? Just what were they building in the desert, with all those women working away so hard? More social commentary? And all the talk about thieves, is that more social commentary? Why did the movie end the way it did, with the choices of the characters? There is much that remains unanswered, and I don't know if it's the limitations of the film makers, conformation with social or film-making mores that I don't know about, or a sense of humour that I don't share. I spent much of the movie being puzzled, which is much preferable to being bored watching Hollywood. Mambo Italiano 12 March Mild fun, in a stereotypical sort of way. Sort of like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but not as good. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 12 March I had so wanted this to be good. The initial trailers looked good, and Connery can be very good indeed. There's a particular genre of print science fiction that does things like this movie, and some of them are very good. However, League is extraordinarily bad. Even saying it's a different universe doesn't account for the poor plot, the utter lack of characterization, and the terrible effects. I don't care what the rules of your universe are, no submarine built that way is going to go very fast. Secondhand Lions 28 February According to IMDB, Michael Caine has been involved in 112 movies, and Robert Duvall 86. These are guys that know what they are doing on a movie set. There's a chemistry between them that's a joy to watch, and stirring in Haley Joel Osment doesn't ruin things either. Hmmm, I'm surprised to discover he's been in 26 productions, though most are TV, so he's not exactly a beginner either. I wish they had lopped off the ending, and spent more time with the main characters. There are a ton of extras on the DVD. The Core 28 February Let's bring reality into it and get the worst over with right away. Even by Hollywood movie standards, the science is laughably bad. Dreadful. This is a great movie for one of those parties where you point out all the things that are wrong. That said, the movie is a competent thriller that conforms to the expectations of the genre. Zatochi meets Yojimbo 27 February You'll probably wonder what all the fuss is about unless you are a fan of Japanese movies, especially Kurosawa movies. Lots of subtle humour, but it takes a bit of doing to get into the plot and figure out what's going on. Lots of nods to classic Westerns as well. The Sting 25 February Another old friend that I haven't seen in years is finally out on DVD. Con movies are one of my favourite genres, and this is one of the best. It looks and sounds great, even is the music is out of period. Northfork 22 February The Returner 21 February This is a live-action anime piece, and I hate most anime. Still, there were some neat effects, and the time travel was handled no more illogically than in many other movies. The pacing changes annoyed me, in that a character is in a great hurry, but is content hanging around talking to another character. Swimming Pool 21 February The scenery is beautiful, and the cottage in it's setting is pretty nice too. As a mood piece it's great. I spent quite a bit of time during the movie wondering what was real, and what was a visualization of what was being written by the author character. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood 16 February The horror! The horror! Sandra Bullock must have been hard up, or her agent hates her. All the characters are actively unlikable in ways that make you wonder why anyone would want to be around them. Sleepy Hollow 11 January I'm becoming quite the Johnny Depp fan. His performance makes up for an otherwise dreadful movie. Himalaya 5 January Absolutely stunning mountain scenery is a backdrop to a story about the lessons of life. It wraps you up and carries you along, never for a moment untrue to itself. I think using non-actors made it more real. The making of extra was excellent, showing the enormous difficulties they went through to make the film. Amelie (Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le) 3 Jan This movie is supposed to charm you, but it didn't. I found Amelie's hesitant meddling in other lives obnoxious. Grosse Point Blank 25 January Assassin with a heart of gold makes up with the girl he jilted 10 years ago, kills the bad guys, banters with a buddy enemy, and rewards his faithful secretary when he decides to get out of the assassin business. It's much better than it sounds. Vidocq 25 January A very strange French thriller mystery with science fiction elements, though nothing about it hangs together. Depardeau must be getting hard-up to take such roles. Wait a minute. Maybe this is French art. All the extras are in French. Birthday Girl 25 January I couldn't decide what this movie was supposed to be, a comedy, a thriller, a con-man caper, or what. I couldn't suspend my disbelief long enough to enjoy watching it. Hocus Pocus 24 January Another Disney cutesy movie about teens having an adventure. American Beauty 24 January I suppose we'll never know how weird our neighbours are until someone rips the scab off. After all, the comment is always "he was quiet, I never would have expected this." Spacey is a wonderful actor portraying a mid-life crises. I'm having trouble with the idea that a beautiful teenager is going to say much other than "Euw" in those circumstances. Who'd have thought Benning could be so flexible? What I really got a kick out of was watching the similarities to Six Feet Under, Alan Ball's television project. Attila 24 January Historical errors from end to end, but what do you expect from a TV mini-series. Lots of sword waving, inarticulate screams, non-period costumes, and horses. Moderately entertaining, but much too long. Die Another Day 24 January Yet another Bond movie in the endless downhill journey of a once-great series. Pirates of the Caribbean 18 January Horror movies don't do much for me, and the pirate genre has long been bankrupt. I was reluctant to rent it, but turned out to be pleasantly surprised. The sets are great, and Depp is in total control of his role. There's a ton of extras on the second DVD. The Great Gatsby 17 January I remember reading this book in high school, but I don't remember anything about it, so it must not have made much of an impression. Well, neither did the movie. Underworld 9 January All show, no go. Beckinsale and the werewolf costumes look great. The plot is chaotic, the characters mere pasteboard, and what little dialogue exists is repetitive. Morvern Caller 4 January More than just a little strange. I didn't understand anything about this film, including why anyone would make it. The Legend of Suriyothai 3 January It's more of a history lesson, and a primer in internecine politics, than the action movie implied by the teaser. Sumptuous scenery, incredible costumes, and elephants just barely make up for it.
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