Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Movie pourri

You know, it's like a mishmash of some movies I've seen recently but haven't gotten off my ass to fully review:

Rear Window – The Hitchcock classic. I haven’t seen all that many Hitchcock films (bad, bad movie blogger!) but after this one, I’m going to have to. Such an incredible filmmaker with so many things going on in his “exterior” shots, character development for everyone, no loose ends or wasted energy, amazing suspense. Super-fun stuff.

Lady Vengeance– Korean, with English subtitles, directed by Chan Wook Park. This is a thriller about beautiful young Geum-ja, wrongfully jailed for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy, and how she took her vengeance. The story switches between flashbacks to her time in prison and the current timeline. The story is exciting, although perhaps a little overlong; there’s a fair bit of violence. Incredibly every single shot is framed gorgeously – someone should give the cinematographer an award.

American Psycho - I’ve been eager to see this one for a while now and it didn’t let me down: Christian Bale in all his buttoned-up, crazy-eyed, blood-spattered, weapon-wielding, often-naked glory. I laughed, I flinched, I loved the ‘80s soundtrack. Here’s the thing: I thought I had it all figured out. POSSIBLE SPOILER I didn’t even care if he was really a serial killer or if it was all in his mind – either works for me. But why did some people (his assistant, his fiancée, his buddies) think he was Patrick Bateman and some people (his lawyer, most specifically) think he was someone else? Obviously I pretty much missed the whole point of this very entertaining movie, but could someone please help me out here?

Wet Hot American Summer - With a cast like that (Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Ian Michael Black, Bradley Cooper, Molly Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks and Judah Friedlander), I really expected this to knock my socks off with hilarity. It didn't, although it was funny, and also enjoyable to see such an assemblage having a good time poking fun at summer camp movie tropes.

5 comments:

  1. Here's a movie recommendation for you:
    http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/deadsnow/
    Right in line with your love of zombies! ; )

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  2. Ooh - I know! Subtitled Nazi zombies on skis = gotta be awesome!!!

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  3. You should see Hitchcock's The Birds. I just recently saw it, amazing.

    I've been trying to convince my wife to watch American Psycho with me. I've seen it a couple of times way back and loved it, but she never has. I'm not sure if it was real or imagined, either. I think he was pretending to be someone else, but my memory is fuzzy on that. I'll get back to you.

    Lady Vengeance is on my NFQ. Have you seen the other two films in the trilogy?

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  4. I do need to see The Birds. And Vertigo is in my DVR - but I have to wait for Mr. Mouse to watch that one.

    I don't think I even knew LV was in a trilogy! I'm going to have to get on that.

    Yes, please, any light you can shed on WTF was going on in Amer. Psycho would be greatly appreciated. From what I've gleaned on the interwebs, it's a confusing ending for many, but I still haven't found a theory that explains it satisfactorily for me.

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  5. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy are the other two flicks paired w/ LV. I've never seen any of them. I need to get on that.

    Hopefully, I'll find an evening soon when I can pop Am. Psycho in the player. I really want to watch Bale and all his sexcapades and murders.

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