The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus!

This movie was EPIC. Dude. Terry Gilliam captured the imagination so ridiculously perfect. The only thing that was even SLIGHTLY wrong with this movie is that the first shot of Heath Ledger was of him hanging (but, I doubt Gilliam knew he would die). Regardless, it's astonishing. The cast is AWESOME; Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Ferrell definitely stepped up to the plate. and I'm pretty sure Lily Cole is the most beautiful girl ever. Period.

A++++

(I apologize my reviews aren't as good as Kody's. But I watch a movie for the movie, not for the technical crap. See it now!)

- Jo.

This week is full of Moons, Lockers that hurt and Dragonballs...

Well it seems I might be getting around to doing this more often. Not much has happened in the last week so I'm heading right into the reviews. I know most of these films were released earlier this year but I just finally saw them.

The Hurt Locker: The movie is about a small group of soldiers in the current Iraq war whose mission is of bomb dismantling. The movie is definitely one of the best of the year. The cast gives great performances and Jeremy Renner is astounding as the thrill seeking Sergent. The movie is excellently directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, Strange Days), who brings a shocking sense of realism to the dust filled landscapes. Usually I'm not all for the documentary feel that a lot of movies these days go for, ala District 9, but this movie really relishes in it. It adds a strong sense of realism that actually had me very uncomfortable but its reality. Bigelow really sweeps you into the tension of each moment, never letting you feel safe. She brings you into the world of the three man Bravo Company as they battle their own devils and understand the risks they take. The is definitely an accomplishment and one of the top films of the year. I'd recommend it to anyone. A+

Moon: Moon is a sci-fi thriller about a man named Sam Bell, played excellently by Sam Rockwell, whose 3 year contract to run a mining station on the moon is about to end. Sam gets in an accident and thus begins the 70s-ish trippiness of Duncan Jones' first movie. I don't want to give away to much of the plot but Sam may not be as lonely as he thinks he is. Rockwell chews up the screen with his commanding performance. Kevin Spacey is the only other star here, as Bell's computer companion, and the two work well off one another. Jones' direction reveals many of its inspirations but he does bring a very solitary feel to the whole thing. My one vice is that I can't say to much about the movie without giving things away. Moon is a great sci-fi in a year filled with them. I recommend this to anyone. A

Dragonball Evolution: Dragonball is the story of a young man named Goku, who is raised by his grandfather in the ways of martial arts. Goku is a free spirit and is out for revenge after his grandfather is killed by the ancient evil known as Piccolo. First off, I am a die-hard Dragonball fan and grew up watching the show. I loved it's over the top fight sequences and lighthearted comedy. I was surprised to see how much of the series was kept in tact for the movie. As a reminder this is based on the first Dragonball show and not the more well known spin-off Dragonball Z, so don't expect any Super Saiyans or Planet destroying. The cast of characters is intact with Goku, Chi Chi, Bulma, Yamcha, and Master Roshi, with the addition of a Female sidekick for Piccolo and the curious exclusion of Krillin. The biggest change is that Goku lacks his tail and attends a futuristic high school. The overall plot has changed from Goku seeking to become a powerful warrior to the typical outcast boy tries to get popular girl along with some planet saving (the quest for the seven dragonballs is also intact here). The acting isn't going to win any awards but most of the cast is like able, especially Chow Yun Fat who hams it up as Master Roshi. The one person that I cannot stand though is Bulma. The actress emotes nothing and acts as though she's been forced to read the lines. Everything else is pretty standard and people who haven't seen the show will probably be put off by the outlandishness of the story. This movie is definitely for the fans. B-

Well that's all for this week. Until next time. -Ko

2010 Let's try this again...

Alright I'm terrible at this. I've made it one of my resolutions to update this more often.

So these past few months a few things have happened:

• Jo and I have celebrated our birthdays.
• Jo has moved back to Reno for the time being.
• I finally got an HD TV.
• I has just about finished a short film, written by my good friend over at Projection Pictures.
• And we have seen plenty of films.

So lets get to the reviews shall we! (I apologize the reviews will be brief but I need to do a quick catch up.)

District 9: A brilliant sci-fi from the great new talent Neil Blomkamp. Sharlto Copley provided a great performance and the movie boasted a very compelling story. It's one of the best sci-fi's in years and makes you actually feel for it's CGI aliens. A

Inglorious Basterds: I will admit after Death Proof I was a little sketchy about how I'd feel about this movie. Once again Quentin Tarantino proved why he is one of the best filmmakers alive. Basterds has the great Tarantino dialogue and characters rounded out by the excellent cast. The standout performance is Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa, one of the best performances of the decade. A+

Where The Wild Things Are: Spike Jones brings his delicate touch to one of the best children books of all time. Although he's only made 3 films so far Jones has set himself up to have one of the best careers in film history. Taking his vision to the world of Max and the Wild Things, Spike made one of the best children films and films period of the year. A

(500) Days of Summer: It is truly amazing that this movie was written by the guys who brought you the Pink Panther 2. 500 Days is set to become one of the best anti-rom-coms right up there with High Fidelity and The Graduate. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt bring heart to the doomed lovers and showcase one of the most realistic romances portrayed on screen. A

A Serious Man: The Coen Brothers are back, but this isn't the Big Lebowski, Hudsucker Proxy Coens. This is the darkly comedic Barton Fink duo. This movie is very deep and very Jewish. It's one of those movies I will definitely be coming back to so I can figure it out. It definitely stands out as a movie that had me deep in thought even months after the credits rolled. A+

Paranormal Activity: I have had the opportunity to see this film again recently and I still find it enjoyable. I will say that it was much scarier in the theatres and the movie seems much shorter than I remember. I do think it is a good movie and I'm glad that it has made some studios step back and think about how much budget factors into the overall movie. I just hope this doesn't mean studios will only pickup low budget hand held films. Overall I'm happy for the people behind paranormal. B+

9: Shane Acker's Doll infested Post-Apocalyptic vision is a good movie but I think I might have come out at the wrong time. This year had great animated movies with Up, Coraline, and 9 as well as ones I need to see like Fantastic Mr. Fox and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I enjoyed 9 but I will say I didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else. Perhaps a second viewing will persuade me. B

Couples Retreat: I almost forgot about this film completely. It was a pretty standard rom com which is sad because I was expecting more from the Swingers duo of Vaughn and Faverau. It was like able but not memorable. C+

The Hangover: Okay this one's cheating but I just barely saw this one. Overall, I thought it was over hyped. I like everyone involved in this film but I didn't find myself laughing all that much. I thought the movie couldn't decide whether to have awkward, slapstick, or shock comedy and the random changes of styles don't help in the end. Like King of the Hill I like the movie but don't laugh out loud. B-

Avatar: There is no doubt James Cameron still has it. This isn't just a movie but an event. This movies visuals will make you re-assess what can be done with movies. I love this movie but I still find myself being iffy about the writing. Go see this movie, and see it in 3-D. You owe it to yourself. I just hope Cameron doesn't take another 14 years to make a movie. A-/B+

Well I think that's about all of them. I can't wait for this year's films and I still have plenty to see from last year. Until next time. -Ko