NMF #17: Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening

This isn't a movie per se, but I needed some comedy tonight and we couldn't easily find a comedy I hadn't seen.  So we turned to Netflix and I do like Ansari on Parks and Rec.

Title: Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening

Year Released/Rating: 2010

Starring: Aziz Ansari

Written By: Aziz Ansari

Directed By: Jason Woliner

Genre: Comedy special

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Review: Helped me momentarily forget how crappy I feel today.  Basically he is acting as Tom from Parks and Rec, but that's okay.  He's funny just the way he is.  Plus, the bit about sheet thread count left me breathless.

Best Bits: 

• Aziz Ansari: I like living in L.A. One thing I don't like about living here is driving. I always get bored when I'm driving, and when I get bored, I go on the Internet on my Blackberry. So I'm gonna die! And whenever they go through the wreckage, they'll find my phone and be like, whoa, that's what he looked up right before he died? Gonna be so sad. It'll be like: Comedian Aziz Ansari was killed in a car accident today. He was struck by another vehicle while using IMDb to see if Val Kilmer was, indeed, in the film "Willow." A representative for Mr. Kilmer confirmed he was, indeed, in the film and hopes this will prevent future tragedies of this nature. This is the third "Willow"-related death this year.

NMF #16: Immortals

Title: Immortals

Year Released/Rating: 2011 R

Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans,

Written By: Charley Parlapanides, Vias Parlapanides

Directed By: Tarsem Singh

Genre: Action Fantasy

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

• Director Tarsem Singh described the film as being "done in Renaissance painting style".
• Luke Evans plays Zeus - he appeared a year earlier as Zeus' son Apollo in Clash of the Titans.

Summary: Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

Review: The story and characters aren't anything spectacular, but I must say it is pretty. Singh knows how to make a movie look real and unreal at the same time.  It's just beautiful.  The play of light and shadows set the right tone for the movie.  It was an entertaining two hours spent while job searching.  I guess that's really all I can ask for in a movie: it entertained me.

Best Bits: 

• Zeus: It's not living as such that's important, Theseus. It's living rightly.
• Phaedra: To those whom much is given, much is taken away.

NMF #15: Seven Samurai

Title: Seven Samurai

Year Released/Rating: 1954

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima

Written By: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

Genre: Action, Drama

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• Toho pulled the plug on the project several times when it ran over budget, forcing director Akira Kurosawa to go back and personally argue with the board of directors who were convinced they were making a flop.
• First use of a scene which is now commonplace in cinema: The approaching horde coming into view as they crest a hilltop, specifically when Kikuchiyo sees the mounted bandits approaching.
• Akira Kurosawa did not get along well with actor Yoshio Inaba, (Gorobei), deriding and yelling at him for most of the shoot. Although Inaba worked once more appeared in a minor role in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood, Inaba apparently found the experience of shooting Seven Samurai so stressful that he limited the amount of film work he did after it.
• Akira Kurosawa's ancestors were samurai, roughly up to a hundred years before he made this film.
• Kurosawa designed a registry of all 101 residents of the village, creating a family tree to help his extras build their characters and relationships to each other.

Summary: A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

Review: This movie is shot beautifully.  Every scene is stages exactly with lighting, scenery, and blocking.  Kurosawa even adds the quiet still shots to give us a scope of the film.  Each of the characters has a sense of history and purpose, even the village extras.  This isn't just a story of the seven samurai, but an entire culture.  We see the struggles and triumphs of the people.  I'm glad I finally watched this movie (J's been bugging me for ages).  It is truly a cinematic masterpieces.  Kurosawa was the Orson Welles of his day and place.

Best Bits: 

• Gisaku: Find hungry samurai.
• [on taking Katsushiro as a student] Kambei Shimada: You embarrass me. You're overestimating me. Listen, I'm not a man with any special skill, but I've had plenty of experience in battles; losing battles, all of them. In short, that's all I am. Drop such an idea for your own good.  Katsushiro: No Sir, my decision has been made. I'll follow you sir.  Kambei Shimada: I forbid it. I can't afford to take a kid with me.
• Kikuchiyo: You fool! Damn you! You call yourself a horse! For shame! Hey! Wait! Please! I apologize! Forgive me!
• Gisaku: What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?

NMF #14: The Black Hole

Title: The Black Hole

Year Released/Rating: 1979 PG

Starring: Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster

Written By: Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Barbash, Richard H. Landau, Gerry Day

Directed By: Gary Nelson

Genre: Action Adventure

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• To film the special effects, Disney originally wanted to rent the Dykstraflex camera system that was created for Star Wars (the first computer-controlled camera) from Industrial Light & Magic. However, the price and rental terms were unacceptable so Disney created its own version instead. What resulted was Disney's A.C.E.S. (Automated Camera Effects System), which was radically superior to the Dykstraflex system; the Mattescan system, which enabled the camera to move on a matte painting (that was previously impossible); and a computer-controlled modeling stand.
• Dr. Reinhardt's ship was originally called the Centaurus. It was renamed Cygnus after the constellation where the first known black hole was discovered in 1964.
• At the time of its release, the movie featured the longest computer graphics sequence that had ever appeared in a film: the "green grid" sequence that appears under the opening titles.
• Almost all of the dialog in the film was re-recorded by the cast during post-production looping (ADR) - with the exception of only a couple of lines.
• This was regarded as the last big special effect production to be made under the "old studio system." All of the elaborate special effects were created within the Disney studio and not farmed out to outside special effects companies.

Summary: A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.

Review: This is one of those movies that J was amazed that I haven't seen.  Of course, we had to rectify that tonight.  This is a treasure.  I loved the story, the design, the effects, the actors.  For 1979, this just looks amazing.  Dr. Reinhardt is a mix between a James Bond villain and Captain Nemo.  In fact, the entire Nemo is a lot like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but in space.  The rest of the crew are fun and very logiacl in their behavior.  Plus the dialogue is a lot of fun.  And the sets look great for the year.  There is a great consistency to the universe.  I can't believe I've never seen this.

Best Bits: 

• Dr. Hans Reinhardt: Some cause must have created all this, but what caused that cause?
• Lieutenant Charles Pizer: Vincent, were you programmed to bug me?  V.I.N.CENT: No, sir, to educate you.
• Kate McCrae: If there's any justice at all, the black hole will be your grave!
• [after first seeing the black hole]  Lieutenant Charles Pizer: Every time I see one of those things I expect to spot some guy dressed in red with horns and a pitchfork. Dan Holland: It's a monster, all right. V.I.N.CENT: A rip in the very fabric of space and time.
• Lieutenant Charles Pizer: When I volunteered for this mission, I never thought I'd end up playing straight man to a tin can.
• Dan Holland: It's only dinner.  V.I.N.CENT: Said the spider to the fly.
• V.I.N.CENT: A wolf remains a wolf, even if it has not eaten your sheep.
• Dr. Hans Reinhardt: Maximilian, the time has come to liquidate our guests.

NMF #13: Angel

Title: Angel

Year Released/Rating: 2007

Starring: Romola Garai, Sam Neill, Michael Fassbender, Lucy Russell

Written By: Elizabeth Taylor, Francois Ozon, Martin Crimp

Directed By: Francois Ozon

Genre: Drama, Romance

Star Rating:  3/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

• The outdoor scenes were shot in bitterly cold weather. The camera would freeze after two minutes of shooting, and had to be taken inside and warmed up with hot towels before taken outside again. The actors did not mind this as they too could warm up between takes.
• First English-speaking movie of French director François Ozon.

Summary: The rise and fall of a young eccentric British writer, in the early 20th century.

Review: One of those fairly throw away historical romances.  I am reminded of Danielle Steele's novels.  Angel is thoroughly unlikable.  She's overbearing, egotistical.  I just couldn't like her at all.  At least the side characters are more interesting.  Michael Fassbender's Esme is an interesting rouge.  The world of Angel is almost garish in it's coloring, but for some reason that works for this story.

NMF #12: Life Happens

Title: Life Happens

Year Released/Rating: 2011 R

Starring: Krysten Ritter, Kate Bosworth, Rachel Bilson

Written By: Kat Coiro, Krysten Ritter

Directed By: Kat Coiro

Genre: Comedy

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Summary: A comedy centered on two best friends, Kim and Deena, who fight to maintain normalcy in their lives after Kim gets pregnant and has a baby.

Review: 

Another one of my random Netflix finds.  I love Krysten Ritter in basically anything.  She's just awesome.  And Justin Kirk is just way too awesome.  But I must say that I don't really like Kate Bosworth.  There's just something about her that I just can't like.  The movie is redeemed by a good storyline and fairly likable characters.  I found this movie to be a decent depiction of life and friendship while being a mom.

Best Bits: 

• Kim: I feel like a large chunk of hamburger that's been mooshed into a person.
• Francesca: It makes me crazy now-a-days that people have children when there's so many dogs that are in need of forever homes.
• Henri: Yeah! I can see you. Child on your hip, born to be a mom. Deena: And I see you. Mustache on your face, profiled on To Catch a Predator.

NMF #11: Centurion

Title: Centurion

Year Released/Rating: 2010 R

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko

Written By: Neil Marshall

Directed By: Neil Marshall

Genre: Action, adventure, drama

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

• German archaeologists have found evidence of the 9th Legion on the banks of the Rhine River and carbon-dated them long after these events took place, suggesting that rather than being wiped out, the reason that there is no evidence of the 9th Legion being in Scotland after these battles is that they moved to Germany.
• The Picts in the film are speaking Scots Gaelic. No written record of the Pictish language exists, but historians believe the modern language most similar to theirs is Welsh. However, director Neil Marshall thought viewers would be confused by a tribe in Scotland speaking Welsh.
• Neil Marshall shot the film in such hard conditions that some cast members suffered health problems. As written in the Independent: Noel Clarke recovered from frostbite.JJ Feild quit smoking because of hypothermia. Michael Fassbender survived shirtless sprinting in sub-zero temperatures to become the next Daniel Craig".
• The Picts were generally thought to not have worn any clothes. However, seeing as the film was being shot in the wilds of Scotland in the depths of winter, it was decided that they should wear something.

Summary: A splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack.

Review: 

I'm such a sucker for these pseudo historical movies.  I always like to see how filmmakers portray events in history.  Thankfully for Marshall, there is very little evidence of what happened to the Ninth Legion in Britain.  I enjoyed the movie.  I enjoyed the storyline.  I enjoyed the characters.  Nothing knocked my socks off, but it was a good afternoon's viewing.

Best Bits: 

• [first lines]  Centurion Quintus Dias: [narrating] My name is Quintus Dias. I am a soldier of Rome, and this is neither the beginning nor the end of my story.
• Carlisle Messenger: I have a message for your general. Now, point me in his direction before I have you flogged. General Titus Flavius Virilus: Who are you? Carlisle Messenger: I'm the personal envoy of Governor Agricola. General Titus Flavius Virilus: I suggest you get down off that horse and give me your message before I have you flogged!
• Arianne: [trying to fish downstream of Quintus as he urinates] Is that fer bait? Centurion Quintus Dias: [startled] Where I come from it's considered rude to interrupt a man mid-flow. Arianne: Where I come from it's considered only fair to warn a man when he's pissin' on his breakfast.
• Centurion Quintus Dias: Brick, put the fuckin' knife away.

NMF #10: Urbanized

Title: Urbanized

Year Released/Rating: 2011

Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Summary: A documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.

Review: 

The third of Gary Hustwit's documentaries (Helvetica, Objectified), we really seem to be loving documentaries lately. This one did not disappoint.  I've always found urban planner fascinating.  It's one of my varied interest areas.  I've not studied much, but it has intersected my study of history and sociology.  This documentary focused on cities around the world and the challenges they face.  We see how cities change and grow.  We learn about some of the new movements in urbanization We see some small local projects that are changing cities.  I especially loved the section on Detroit.  Here is an opportunity to radically make over an are of the country focusing on smart urbanization.  I really hope something is down about the city.  The bus system in Bogota is fascinating; an above ground subway.  I love the bicycle culture of Copenhagen.  Overall, I found this a fascinating look at cities.  And full disclosure, I would rather live in the heart of the city than anywhere else.

NMF #9: Moon

Title: Moon

Year Released/Rating: 2009 R

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott

Written By: Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker

Directed By: Duncan Jones

Genre: Drama, Scifi

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Trivia:

• Shot in 33 days for $5 million dollars.
• The name of the Lunar station, and written on one of the mineral tubes that Sam unloads from the mining machine has the word Sarang written in English and Korean. Sarang is Korean for "love". Sarang also means peacock in Sanskrit language, and means nest in the Malay language as well.
• Duncan Jones directorial debut. Before making this film, Duncan Jones was more famous for being the son of David Bowie. Indeed, one of the producers, Trudie Styler is married to another rock singer,Sting.
• Kevin Spacey read the script and agreed to voice Gerty but when the film was finished and only if he liked it. Having loved it, he recorded his lines in half a day.

Summary: Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.

Review: 

One of those movies that's been on my list since it came ut, but we just never got around to watching it.  I'm so glad we did.  This was amazing.  Right from the start, it reminded me of 2001.  It has that same lonely, but sinister, feel to it.  I won't give away the twists and turns, but I must say that they are expertly executed.  The characters are beautifully constructed.  I love Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell.  He played the progression wonderfully.  And then it have Kevin Spacey voice GERTY was genius.  He has that slightly creepy, robotic voice.  I loved it!  This is a definite must see and Duncan Jones is one director to watch.

Best Bits: 

• GERTY: I hope life on Earth is everything you remember it to be.
• Sam Bell: Listen, why don't you relax. Why don't you take a pill, bake a cake, go read the encyclopedia.
• Sam Bell: Gerty, is there someone else in the room?

NMF #8: Helvetica

Title: Helvetica

Year Released/Rating: 2007

Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Summary: A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.

Review: 

J owned this documentary even before we started dating, and I just never watched it until now.  It's something I would like: a specific documentary.  A documentary about something I find interesting.  And now living with J (who's a designer), I find myself discussing design on a regular basis.  I finally got around to watching this one following our earlier viewing of

Objectified

.  This is a very layered documentary.  We see all sides to the issue of the "universal typeface" of Helvetica.  Personally, I really like the typeface, but part of that may be because I had to see Times New Roman throughout all of school and hated it.  Helvetica gave me a new experience, despite seeing it everywhere in public.  Overall, I learned a lot about typeface and design.  And most importantly, I understand J just a little bit more.

Best Bits: 

• Rick Poynor: Type is saying things to us all the time. Typefaces express a mood, an atmosphere. They give words a certain coloring.
• Massimo Vignelli: You can say, "I love you," in Helvetica. And you can say it with Helvetica Extra Light if you want to be really fancy. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work.
• Lars Müller: And I think I'm right calling Helvetica the perfume of the city. It is just something we don't notice usually but we would miss very much if it wouldn't be there.

NMF #7: Pizza My Heart

Title: Pizza My Heart

Year Released/Rating: 2005 TV

Starring: Shiri Appleby, Eyal Podell, Dan Hedaya

Written By: Juliet Giglio, Keith Giglio

Directed By: Andy Wolk

Genre: Romance

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia: The Pizza War scene was filmed in weather of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, although it was supposed to be in the summer; the extras and cast were freezing during the filming.

Summary: Another modern spin-off of Romeo & Juliet, this time about two families who each run rivaling pizza restaurants in New Jersey.

Review: 

Another ABC Family romantic comedy.  I have a thing for these cheesy movies. The Romeo and Juliet play is a bit overdone, but most of the actors make it fun.

Best Bits: 

• Jean Paul Veber: [trying to tell the families that he can only pick one to go into business with] I can only go to bed with one of you.
• Joe Montebello: Ma told me to spice up my life.  Gloria Montebello: Not with arsenic. Joe Montebello: Arsenic is not a spice.

NMF #6: Wizards

Title: Wizards

Year Released/Rating: 1977 PG

Starring: Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, Bob Holt

Written By: Ralph Bakshi

Directed By: Ralph Bakshi

Genre: Animation, Fantasy

Star Rating: 3/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it (it's really J's)

Trivia: 

• No pencil tests were done on the film because of its low budget. The drawings went straight to the final product.
• The "religious" articles in the temple include pinball machines, a Pepsi-Cola sign, a catcher's mitt, an Oscar statuette, a jukebox, and a gold front grill from a Rolls Royce.
• Due to the dark imagery from the shadow-animation, this movie is a favorite for Midnight Movie shows around the world, whose primary market are teenagers.
• Avatar's mount is wearing socks, although he himself remains barefoot throughout the entire movie.

Summary: On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who's using technology in his bid for conquest.

Review: 

This is one of those creepy movies J liked as a child.  He had to introduce me to it tonight.  Wow!  All I can say is wow!  This was just weird.  A pseudo retelling of WWII, I was just stunned throughout the movie.  Overall, I am just so lost with this movie. It's weird.  At times it seems to be anti-religion.  And then we get the Hitler piece.  But then there's a fight between technology and religion.  I feel like I need to take some drugs before watching this movie, and I still don't know if it would make sense.  Definitely a strange pick.

NMF #5: Moonrise Kingdom

Title: Moonrise Kingdom

Year Released/Rating: 2012 PG-13

Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward

Written By: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Directed By: Wes Anderson

Genre: Action, Drama

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Trivia:

• Though it was filmed in part on Prudence Island, Rhode Island, the map of the island of New Penzance is based on Fisher's Island, New York.
• In the film, Laura Bishop shouts at various family members through a bullhorn. The idea came from co-writer Roman Coppola's childhood, as his mother Eleanor Coppola used a bullhorn in a similar fashion.
• During filming, Wes Anderson rented an old mansion in Newport, Rhode Island for himself, editor Andrew Weisblum, and director of cinematography Robert D. Yeoman, in which they had a room set up for editing the film. It had been arranged for the cast to stay in a nearby hotel, but eventually some of the actors also decided to stay at the mansion, including Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Jason Schwartzman. Murray later joked that the theory was to have everyone close by so that they could all work "ungodly art-movie hours."
• Most of Wes Anderson's classmates who were Scouts were in Troop 55.
• This is the first Wes Anderson film without any involvement of Owen Wilson.

Summary: A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

Review: 

I love Wes Anderson movies...  they are just the ticket for a humorous and quirky look at people.  My favorite is The Royal Tenenbaums, but this one was really good.  I loved all the child actors.  They had the right amount of quirk and precociousness.  I wouldn't want to meet them in the woods alone at night, but they are entertaining.  And we get Bill Murray being his usual awesome self.  I especially loved Tilda Swinton's social worker.  She is crazy and prim and by-the-book, so not like the rest of the characters.  And hello Jason Schwartzman!  I love him way too much.  This has definitely moved up in my ranking list of Wes Anderson movies.

Best Bits: 

• Laura Bishop: Walt, where the hell are you? Walt Bishop: Right here. Why are you cursing at me? Laura Bishop: Does it concern you that your daughter's just run away from home? Walt Bishop: That's a loaded question. Laura Bishop: Come down and read this!
• Walt Bishop: Be advised, the two of you will never see each other again. Those were your last words. Do you understand?  Suzy: I'd be careful if I were you. One of these days, somebody's gonna get pushed too far. And who knows what they're capable of?  Walt Bishop: Is that a threat?  Suzy: It's a warning.  Lionel: You're a traitor to our family.  Suzy: Good! I want to be.
• Scout Master Ward: Jiminy cricket, he flew the coop!
• Walt Bishop: Holy Christ, what am I looking at here?  Laura Bishop: He does watercolors. Mostly landscapes but a few nudes.  Walt Bishop: Did she sit for this?
• Walt Bishop: Our daughter's been abducted by one of these beige lunatics!

NMF #4: Objectified

Title: Objectified

Year Released/Rating: 2009

Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Server

Summary: A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

Review: 

This is one of those documentaries that J has insisted we watch.  And I'm glad.  Living with a designer, I have slowly started to see elements of design, especially of the bad variety.  The documentary lays out many philosophies of design and how they impact our daily lives.  Very interesting.  I love the idea that design evokes emotion and becomes a part of your family.  Great way to explain it.

NMF #3: Transformers Dark of the Moon

Title: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Year Released/Rating: 2011 PG-13

Starring: Shia LaBeoug, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel

Directed By: Michael Bay

Written By: Ehren Kruger

Genre: Action, Scifi

Star Rating:  2/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia: 

• Megatron's alternate mode in this film is a Mack Titan tanker truck, his first Earth disguise. This was chosen to put him on parallel with Optimus Prime (the filmmakers described him as "a demented version of Prime"). This mode also pays homage to theTransformers: Robots in Disguise Decepticon Scourge (also known in Japan as "Black Convoy"), who is an evil clone of Optimus Prime.
• Michael Bay described the tone of the film as "a homeland version of Black Hawk Down with giant alien robots." -- Ridiculous!
• When the employee is pushing the buttons on the photocopier that later transforms into Laserbeak, the distinct tones of the copier form the title theme song of The Transformers.
• In 2011, Alan Tudyk told "Empire" magazine that his character from 28 Days (the gay German performance artist, Gerhard) was the same character as the one Tudyk later played in this movie: "I decided that it's the same guy: he had gotten out of rehab, got himself on the right track and then... entered the army, became a specialist, found that he had skills in computers and weapons. Then he got burned out after too much killing and just decided to become a valet to Agent Simmons. There's a moment where he just goes crazy, and I say, 'That's the old me' and that was all based on that bullshit idea that it was the same guy." -- The only interesting bit of the trivia!

Summary: The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

Review: 

This movie sucks...  Can I just end my review there?  No, I must explain a bit more.  The plot is completely convoluted I had no idea what the movie was actually about for the first hour.  Even after that, it had some many logical failings.  I couldn't get over it.  The characters are flat, well, the human characters at least.  Megatron and Optimus Prime are the most realized characters and those are robots.  Plus, I am so disappointed that this many awesome actors are in this movie.  See: John Malkovich, John Turturro, Frances McDormand, Alan Tudyk, and Ken Jeong.  Ugh!  We decided to watch this movie tonight for a comedy.  And it is definitely hilarious, but in all the bad ways.

Best Bits: Notice they are all from awesome side characters...

• Dutch: [after dispatching some Soviets] I'm so sorry. That is the old me.
• Simmons: [Wants to impress the Russians with a Russian phrase] Dutch, give me something tough. Dutch: Eh. [browses dictionary in panic] Dutch: Baryshnikov. Cosmonaut Dimitri: We do speak English. Simmons: Dutch, you suck. Dutch: It's a Cyrillic alphabet. It's like all the buttons you never push on a calculator! I don't suck.
• Bruce Brazos: Come on people! Yes, a workmate died, but looking out the window is not going to bring him back! The man was depressed. You can keep watching him but he's not getting up, you all read Humpty Dumpty.

NMF #2: Ip Man

Title: Ip Man

Year Released/Rating: 2008 R

Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Tam, Siu-Wong Fan

Directed By: Wilson Yip

Written By: Edmond Wong, Chan Tai-Li

Genre: Action, Drama

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia: Although it's the first film centering around Yip Man, the idea of doing a Yip Man biopic have been conceived for as long as 30 years. Donnie Yen was actually slated to play Yip Man in the supposed first biopic that was about to go into production in 1997. The film would've also featured Stephen Chow playing an adult Bruce Lee. However, only one day of shooting took place before the project was canceled.

Summary: A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun.

Review: 

I was in the mood for something actiony...  and J suggested this movie.  He has introduced me to many martial arts movies and I must say that this has been my favorite so far.  I love the storyline.  The history of the story is so poignant.  This isn't a mystical land, but something based on a true story.  But it's the action scenes that make this movie amazing.  I loved seeing all the different styles of fighting.  Now I want to see Ip Man 2.  It looks great.

Best Bits: 

Miura: [after witnessing Ip Man single-handedly defeat ten Japanese fighters at once] What's your name?  Ip Man: I'm just a Chinese man.

New Movie February #1: My Future Boyfriend

Title: My Future Boyfriend

Year Released/Rating: 2011 TV Movie

Starring: Barry Watson, Sara Rue, Fred Willard

Directed By: Michael Lange

Written By: James Orr, Jim Cruickshank

Genre: Comedy, romance, scifi

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia: The character Elizabeth Barrett's name may have been based on the romance poet of the 18th century Elizabeth Barrett Browning. (IMDB)

Summary: An archaeologist (Barry Watson) from 1000 years in the future uncovers a romance novel written in our time. Curious, he journeys back to find out about this thing called "love" from the novel's author (Sara Rue). Set in New Orleans.

Review: As far as TV romance movies go, this was a delight.  Okay the premise is hooky... man from future comes back to learn about love.  But amazingly, it is a cute little fun movie.  I really really liked it.  I think this is due to the actors as opposed to the plot itself.  Somehow Watson and Rue make the characters relatable.  The entire movie is simple, but a nice afternoon's worth of watching.

Best Bits: Elizabeth Barrett: I have no intention of explaining sex to a grown man one more time in my life.

Fantasy and New Movies February

I have two month-long challenges to highlight today.  First up the book related one...

From The Book Cellar:

So I first had this idea last year in the summer, way past the only F month of the year, but it still had been rolling around in my head. And this year I really want to make it happen. So basically picture a month solid of fantasy: author interviews, book reviews, book features, giveaways, and anything else I can think of that is solely fantasy.  Fantasy February here I come :)

SO IT IS HAPPENING. February is going to be all fantasy all the time here on The Book Cellar and I am inviting you to join me!

So if you are a reader, come with your thoughts and what fantasy books you love.

If you are a blogger, post your own reviews and link back up so we can all explore the awesome fantasyness all month long.

Love, love, love this idea!  I am totally on board with this idea.  I have a ton of fantasy books just waiting to be read.  Would you like to join?  Hope on over to The Book Cellar to join in the fun.  Now, excuse me while I go and rearrange my TBR pile...

And now to the movie related one...

Back in September of 2011, I decided to watch one movie for each letter of the alphabet.  It was meant to be a month-long challenge, but it ended up bleeding into October.  This year, I don't want to do an A to Z movie challenge.  I decided to do just a New Movie a Day challenge.  I won't be going to the theater everyday.  We have a library, multiple Redboxes, the server, and Netflix all within reach to use.  I am going to watch a new-to-me movie everyday for the month of February.  Each movie will be highlighted with a short review.  Stay tuned...