Sometimes there’s nothing in the current releases that appeals and I end up wandering around elsewhere in the store and renting something because I have some vague recollections that someone said it wasn’t bad, or maybe that the reviews made it sound interesting, or sometimes it’s just the cover art catches my eye. In any case, it’s a pretty damn random choice.
So last night it was Tank Girl (though I recall who recommended it, I don’t recall why). I thought it was a lot of fun – and the bf, who’d had The Week From Hell, laughed and laughed. Good visuals, which I’m a sucker for, and enough of a story to hold the visuals together. I loved the Rippers. I have had a major crush on Malcolm McDowell for 20 years, and he was good. Lori Petti was a bit … well, appropriate to the part, I guess. A little too much of the comic book art in some segments (though I understand why). All in all, it was the right movie for hanging out and eating pistachios and snuggling on the sofa and laughing a lot.
What’s the last pretty damn random rental you had and was it a success?
I almost always hit Submit when I mean to hit Preview (to check on the tags). Continuing–to address the last bit–although I was skeptical, I actually liked Kate and Leopold, and would consider that somewhat random rental a success.
The wife and I caught Far from Heaven last night, which was ok but far from my idea of a must see movie on those rare occasions we get a baby sitter. Then we rented the original animated 101 Dalmatians for the Little Lagomorph. Quite a contrast, let me tell you. I have to say Dalmatians hasn’t aged very well. There is no way Disney could release an animated movie like that theatrically now…too slow, no loud soundtrack, only one goofy villain (Cruella). It would be straight to video.
It’s funny because I rented Tank Girl this past week (to get a Naomi Watts fix) and liked it more than I expected too. I think it helped that it didn’t try to justify how thoroughly bizarre it was but simply revelled in its own absurdity.
I also rented Cover Girl with Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly and was seriously disappointed. Gene only has one good number, the horrible Phil Silvers has way too many scenes, and the movie was really chauvanistic, even for 1944. I also suspect I prefer Rita in B&W movies (though her great legs and shoulders are on good display here).
I borrowed Kiki’s Delivery Service and watched it. My wife and daughter hate anime, though they made an exception for Princess Monomoke, which they loved. Since it was the same director, they gave it a shot, and loved it, too.
Shark Attack 3
Python 2
Rats
Killer Rats All winners at the sundance film festival, let me tell you.
**Shark Attack is good only for the line that one of the characters busts out, a line that I still can’t believe stayed in. The hero turns to the love interest just before the ritual sex and says, in (what he thinks is a )seductive voice Now how about we go back to my place and I eat your pussy?. She smiles like it’s the best line she’s ever heard.
I just put a spoiler so people wouldn’t be offended. I STILL think that line is from a outtake that got put in by mistake somehow.
ABOUT A BOY- faithful to the book until the final third, which is completely different. I’d still give it a major thumbs up.
BULLY- based on the true story of the Broward County Seven. Main appeal is if you wanna see Bijou Phillips, Brad Renfro, Nick Stahl, and Macauley Culkin’s ex-wife all running around butt (and frontally) nekkid. Very violent.
For the snow and bitter cold this week I ran to Blockbuster with everybody else in the world and rented Manhunter, The Maltese Falcon, Taxi Driver, and, um, Blue Crush. I hadn’t seen any of them before. Didn’t get around to watching Taxi Driver.
Surprisingly, Blue Crush wasn’t bad. It was a good little movie stuck in a bad little cliche, but the surfing looked beautiful, lovely backs male and female to look at, great daily life detail and all to produce believable characters… and then “Oh yeah, gotta have the plot”. Oh well.
Found Manhunter very interesting. Very odd to see Brian Cox not as an old washed up alcoholic vaugely menacing relic. He’s such a great character actor that it’s very odd. Plus, I kept expecting him to turn into Anthony Hopkins. I appreciated the psychological work with Graham, but was pissed that the killer was given no background, no motivation, no nothin’. I thought the recent remake skimped on the killer, but this was… hmm. Hilarious to see the 80’s grocery store with 90% of the cereals having “Bran” or “Fiber” in the name. I’d forgotten that.
I rented The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain. Sometimes I just need a little Hugh Grant.
BTW Sampiro, I loved About a Boy as well. Although the movie cut the trip Marcus and Ellie took, I think they ending used in its place worked well.
Quite good, actually. It reminded me of Army of Darkness, very aware that it is a movie. I wish Bruce Campbell had played the lead role instead of David Arquette.
I went to go see it, too. While it did lag a bit in a few scenes between Rockwell and Barrymore, Clooney brought it all back home with that hilarious Elvis montage. The audience was in stitches.
I rented Y tu mama tambien, which was interesting, and Birthday Girl, which I haven’t watched yet. I wanted to get The Bourne Identity, but the video store was out of rental copies, though they had lots for sale. I guess that makes sense to someone.
i went to blockbuster in search of ‘about a boy’ as i’ve heard it was great, but alas–sold out. after some wandering, i settled for another adapted romance, a walk to remember which actually was not that bad. the two leads were good (surprising with mandy moore). it felt very long, though, and the stupid clips of mandy moore singing were annoying. because nobody sings like a pop star in church or the school play. but oh well, all in all it wasn’t half bad!