Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts

4.5-year index

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Image via WikipediaIt looks like I forgot to do a 4-year index back in April, and these indices do make it easier to find things, so let's get back on track.

Books

Food and drink

Delaware

The Dog House

Massachusetts

Boston Beer Works
Cornwall's Restaurant
Finale
Sabur
S oulFire
Sunset Grill and Tap
Tasca

New Jersey

Cheeburger Cheeburger
Whitman Diner

New York

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Blue Point Brewery
Brooklyn Brewery
Burger Heaven
Cafe Buenos Aires
Croxley's
Grand Lux Café
Hanami Japanese Restaurant
John Harvard's Brew House
Max Brenner
Miller's Ale House
Peter Luger Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Tio Pepe
Trattoria Lucia

Ontario

Fressen
Groucho’s Gourmet Market
Kelsey’s
Naz’s Falafel House
R ichtree Market Restaurant
Smokeless Joe’s
Swiss Chalet
Wayne Gretsky’s

Pennsylvania

Allentown Brew Works
Bistro Cassis
California Pizza Kitchen
Crossroads Coffee
Derek's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Flanigan’s Boat House
Irish Pub
Iron Hill Brewery
Kildare's
Macaroni Grill
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant
Melting Pot
Old Eagle Tavern
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery
Roller's at Flying Fish
slainte
Sonic
Stoudt's Brewing Company
Zake’s Café

Recipes

Wasabi Pea Tuna Salad

Movies

2006

Alpha Dog
Cars
Clerks II
Lady in the Water
Man of the Year
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige
Snakes on a Plane
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand

2007

300
Amazing Grace
Ghost Rider
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I am Legend
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
The Simpsons Movie
Spider-Man 3
TMNT
Transformers Wild Hogs

2008

Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Prince Caspian
Wanted

2009

Star Trek
Up
Watchmen

Internet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Video

Cast Away
Clerks.
Driving Miss Daisy
March of the Penguins
Much Ado About Nothing
Shattered Glass
Sideways
To Kill a Mockingbird

Music

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony of 1000

To Do and See

Massachusetts

Sam Adams Brewery Tour

New Jersey

G reen Room Billiards

New York

American Museum of Natural History
Bronx Zoo
Cooper Station Post Office
Rockefeller Center Tour

Ontario

CN Tower
The Guvernment
Steam Whistle Brewing

Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Television

West Wing Series Finale

Posted in Attraction, Book, Fiction, Food, Graphic Novel, Housekeeping, Movie, Music, Nonfiction, Recipe, Restaurant, Television, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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Books

Fiction

Nonfiction

Food

Delaware

The Dog House

Massachusetts

Boston Beer Works
Finale
Sabur
S oulFire
Sunset Grill and Tap
Tasca

New Jersey

Cheeburger Cheeburger
Whitman Diner

New York

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Burger Heaven
Cafe Buenos Aires
Grand Lux Café
Hanami Japanese Restaurant
Max Brenner
Peter Luger Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Tio Pepe
Trattoria Lucia

Ontario

Fressen
Groucho’s Gourmet Market
Kelsey’s
Naz’s Falafel House
R ichtree Market Restaurant
Smokeless Joe’s
Swiss Chalet
Wayne Gretsky’s

Pennsylvania

Bistro Cassis
California Pizza Kitchen
Crossroads Coffee
Derek's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Flanigan’s Boat House
Macaroni Grill
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Roller's at Flying Fish
slainte
Sonic
Zake’s Café

Recipes

Wasabi Pea Tuna Salad

Movies

2006

Alpha Dog
Cars
Clerks II
Lady in the Water
Man of the Year
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige
Snakes on a Plane
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand

2007

2008

Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Prince Caspian
Wanted

2009

Star Trek
Up
Watchmen

Internet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Video

Cast Away
Clerks.
Driving Miss Daisy
March of the Penguins
Much Ado About Nothing
Shattered Glass
Sideways
To Kill a Mockingbird

Music

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony of 1000

To Do and See

New Jersey

G reen Room Billiards

New York

American Museum of Natural History
Bronx Zoo
Cooper Station Post Office
Rockefeller Center Tour

Ontario

CN Tower
The Guvernment

Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Television

West Wing Series Finale

Posted in Attraction, Bar, Book, CD, DVD, Fiction, Food, Graphic Novel, Housekeeping, Movie, Museum, Music, Nonfiction, Recipe, Restaurant, Television, Theater, VHS, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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Other people's reviews: Wedding overload edition

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

I usually don't have a lot of time on weekends, but as of writing this I'm coming off of two wedding showers in a row (three if you count the one at work) and a meet-up and ballgame with Chris, Brian, and Paul, so I'm setting this up in case I need to skip a week.

Dave Loveless at The Prodigal reviewed the Nicholas Cage movie Knowing. When I originally saw the ads, I was not impressed, but Dave's review makes me reconsider: He gives it 3.5 out of 4 stars (assuming you like thrillers). Dave's blog is one of my must-reads, so go ahead and browse around while you're there.

Posted in Brian, Chris, DVD, Movie, other people's reviews, Paul, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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About

Friday, June 12, 2009

You can get reviews of the newest and hottest books, movies, and restaurants anywhere, but where do you go to hear about chain restaurants, library finds, several-year-old DVDs, or even tourist traps? Just because it's old or ever-present doesn't mean it's not new to you -- and you deserve to read the reviews in advance even then. So if it's new to me, I'll tell you what I think.

Who am I? I'm Laura, a married New Yorker and sometime cube monkey. Old posts follow me from being in a long term, often long-distance relationship, and through my engagement. They also follow me from when I lived in Philadelphia (where I grew up), and on several vacations, as my now-husband and I love travel and good food. As for occupation, you can go back to when I was in grad school, and watch me put up with periods of unemployment and cube-monkey-ism.

If you look over to your right, you'll see a Twitter feed. Feel free to follow me -- among other things, I post there when I post, and when I update old blog posts. And if you want to know a bit more about me, personally, check out my other blog at Life is (not) Boring -- or, if you're really patient with sporadic updates, check out my thoughts on writing at Writers Write.

And enjoy browsing! I'd love to know your thoughts on some of the things I've tried and shared -- especially if they've changed since I've been there. Thanks!

Posted in Attraction, Book, CD, DVD, Food, Housekeeping, Movie, Museum, Restaurant, Television, Theater, tour, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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John Adams

Friday, March 13, 2009

Cover of John Adams

John Adams

2008, on DVD

You should know

Call me strange, but John Adams has always been one of my favorite founding fathers (note: the previous link is not safe for work). Also, having grown up in Philadelphia, I have a built-in fascination for the American Revolution. I've already read David McCullough's 1776, as well as the most recent edition of the letters of John and Abigail Adams, which I still need to review.

When I first heard about the HBO miniseries, I was curious. When it got such acclaim, from critics, fans, and awards ceremonies, I was dying to see it. I tried to get my hands on the book (that's how I came across 1776). But it faded back to a vague "ought to see it some day" until this year's inauguration, when a friend of mine commemorated the date by posting a link to the scene where Washington takes the oath of office.

I was sold. And then, a few weeks later, Chris got me a copy of the DVDs for Christmas.

Update 1/13/10: I've now read the book, and it is excellent.

So?

Overall, excellent. A compelling, entertaining miniseries that really made you feel for the hero without making excuses for his mistakes. You can understand everything he does, even when you think -- or know, thanks to history -- that he's wrong.

If you're not familiar with the miniseries, even by reputation, it's the story of the life of John Adams, from the opening shots of the American Revolution (after which he defended the British soldiers in court) to his death on the 50th anniversary of the birth of our nation. In between, he bristles as a statesman, flails as a diplomat, gets in his own way as a father and husband, becomes President, and outlives most of his family. Oh, stop it; it doesn't count as a spoiler if it's part of the historical record.

Paul Giamatti really impressed me; I pretty much forgot it was him soon after the action started; likewise Laura Linney. The two of them really brought forth the dynamic you'd expect to see between John and Abigail Adams. You can really tell that they love each other very much, they frustrate the heck out of each other, and they are intellectuals equals and partners who keep each other going through this amazing, tumultuous, frightening, wonderful age.

The attention to detail was also amazing. Apparently, many if not most of the sets were constructed and filmed on a sound stage, with green screens in the background so that matte paintings could be inserted for cityscapes, palace interiors, and so on. This surprised me; there were scenes where I actually recognized a given block in Philadelphia or Boston.

Some episodes were more compelling than others. Seeing Adams's adventures in France was more interesting than seeing him disown his son for drunkenness. I'm sure some disks will get more play than others when it comes to re-watching. But as a whole, the series is good, quality entertainment.

Rating

See it

Whether you get your hands on the DVD, manage to find it on hulu, or wait and see if HBO reruns it, go see it.

The rest of the Internet

The IMDb and Wikipedia pages.

Jack Rakove at the Washington Post fills in some blanks he found in the minseries.

Robert Bianco at USA Today liked the miniseries, except for Giamatti's Adams.
Barry Garron at Reuters, on the other hand, was quite impressed with Giamatti.

David Ansen at Newsweek remarks on how the costumes and sets impact the plot.
Heather Havrilesky at Salon remarks on the bits that are boring or graphic, but still enjoys it.
Edward Cline at Capitalism Magazine was pleased with the miniseries, but felt it failed to live up to its potential.
Maureen Ryan at the Chicago Tribune was pleased with the miniseries.

Posted in Chris, DVD, Nonfiction, Television, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Cover via Amazon

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2008, online only

You should know

Most of what I heard about this initially was from people raving about it on Twitter the first day it went public. Of course, at first I couldn't get the site to work; opening night, it overloaded. High demand.

I did manage to see the whole thing straight through more than once, and also shared it with my parents, Chris, Brian, and Dan. It somehow didn't occur to me to review it until a few weeks ago, and real life and Iron Man got in the way.

So?

Dr. Horrible is a small-time supervillain about to make his big break. He's working on perfecting his freeze ray, and in between fantasizes about Penny, a regular at his laundromat.

When he finally gets word from Bad Horse, "The Thoroughbred of Sin" and head of the Evil League of Evil, that his application to the League is under serious consideration, Dr. Horrible sets out to steal the Wonderflonium ("Do Not Bounce") he needs to finish his freeze ray. His heist succeeds only because his nemesis, Captain Hammer, "Corporate Tool," gets distracted... by Penny.

The bad Doctor's objectives: perfect the ray, defeat the Captain, impress the Big Bad, and get the girl. Can he do it?

By the way, this is a musical, and if you're prone to catching earworms, beware -- the songs are extremely catchy!

It also may not be appropriate for younger children or more conservative workplaces. There are some mild but blatant sexual references, plus implied and shown violence, including one sympathetic character suggesting another kill a child.

It also has an ending that's pretty controversial, but ultimately unsurprising in context.

I genuinely enjoyed this serial, and pretty much everyone I've shown it to has gotten a kick out of it. If the premise I've outlined sounds interesting, you'll probably enjoy it.

Rating

Check it out
In fact, if you enjoy it, consider watching it more than once. It's extremely heavy on tiny details and blink-and-you'll-miss-it jokes, so the laughs don't fade because you catch something new each time.

The rest of the Internet

Beware of spoilers
Follow Dr. Horrible on Twitter for news and updates, or become a fan on Facebook.
The Wikipedia and IMDb pages.

The official fan site.
Lifehacker interviews Felicia Day, while Wired interviews Joss Whedon.
Entertainment Weekly has scoop from Comic-Con.
The Dr. Horrible/feminist controversy, summed up nicely (read as many of the comments as you can stand).
And now: Buy the DVD!

Posted in 2008, Brian, Chris, Dad, Dan, Mom, Music, Video by Laura | 1 comments

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

To Kill a Mockingbird
1962, on DVD, from the library

You should know
I’m working my way through AFI’s Top 100 movies. This one currently ranks 25 (up from #34 in 1997) – not to mention #2 most inspiring, #17 best score, and #1 hero for Atticus Finch.

Also, this is my 100th post. Whoo-hoo!

So?

Even now, Atticus Finch comes across as a fairly nontraditional parent; I can only imagine how he would have seemed when the move first came out – or, for that matter, when the book was first published. On that note, I really need to read the book, don’t I?

If you’re not familiar with it, the story is about a single father and his family. The kids are intrigued by their secretive neighbor; the father is a lawyer defending an African-American man in rather racist criminal trial. The movie follows the summer and autumn during which these events occur.

I do have a question: Scout is telling the story, right? So when she says that her brother Jem never told anyone about something that happened to him, that she did not witness, how does she know it to tell it in this story?

Other than that nagging issue, the movie was quite enjoyable. Was it deserving of so many accolades? Possibly; it’s hard to tell the impact of a film so many decades later (viewers who see The Matrix for the first time are already growing unimpressed with the special effects, for instance, and it’s only eight years later).

Rating
See it…
…if only so that you can say you did. Personally, I enjoyed the film, but even if it doesn’t sound like your thing, there’s a lot to be said for having a working familiarity with the canon of your culture.

The rest of the Internet
The Wikipedia pages for the novel and film.
Lots of study guides for To Kill a Mockingbird (warning: some of these have pop-up ads).
And those were just for the book. This is for the film.
Flash movie: How to Kill a Mockingbird.
Excellent reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
Paco Malo at Gold Coast Blue Note was inspired by the movie.
ACR at My Take reflects on the camerawork.
MusicAndShowGirl at Blogs and Such compares the film to the book.

Awesome link of the week
Dumb Little Man has a list of ways we can keep the best parts of the holiday season alive all year. More plants? More letters? I'm in! I hope everyone's holidays have been great, and don't forget: technically, Christmas isn't over 'til Epiphany!

Posted in 1960s, DVD, Library, Movie, Video by Laura | 2 comments

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Driving Miss Daisy

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Driving Miss Daisy
1989, on VHS, from the library

You should know
Yeah, that’s right. There’s a whole slew of classic movies – a canon, really – that I have not seen, or had not until recently. I’m trying to correct that.

So?
Some people have problems with this film. Yes, Hoke has an air of “Magical Black Man” about him that can make the viewer a bit uncomfortable if s/he is looking for it. But since the plot of the movie is about race relations and employee-employer friendships, all tied up with an idealistic bow, that really comes as no surprise.

Daisy Werthan is a wealthy Southern Jewish woman with what’s made clear early on is far too much pride for her own good. No longer able to drive, she has no choice but to accept the services of the driver her son, Boolie, hired for her.

Hoke, the driver, is as meek and polite as he’s expected to be given the place and time, but as he gets to know the Werthans better, he rapidly picks up on exactly how much BS he can – and should – put up with. This being the movies, Daisy finds herself respecting and even liking him, in spite of herself.

Their partnership evolves as they age and the times change, and in the end, there is a tenderness between them in their advanced old age. It’s a sweet, if slightly cheesy, film.

Question to those who’ve seen it: do you think, in retrospect, it deserved to beat Born on the Fourth of July, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams, or My Left Foot?

Rating
See it if...
You're like me and are trying to catch up on pop-culture canon... or if you just like a nice, simple story. But avoid it if you have a tendency toward finding things offensive when no offense was meant -- again, the movie is about race relations, so if you're looking to be offended, you will definitely be able to find something offensive here.

The rest of the Internet
The original play.
The IMDb page and wikipedia article.
Decent reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
Roger Ebert weighs in.

Awesome link of the week
The Simple Dollar is a personal finance blog I've come to particularly like. The author, Trent, pulled himself out of financial ruin and takes the time each day to share his experiences, from how to have fun while pinching pennies to what personal finance books he finds most useful. He's an entertaining writer, and is always willing to reference fellow bloggers and take on challengers. I personally have bookmarked posts on Maximizing EBay sales, building a net worth spreadsheet, making homemade laundry detergent, free, fun weekend activities and other frugal weekend projects, ways to make leftovers better, indoor gardening, and writing thank-you notes.

Completely unrelated note
I'm considering changing the template of this blog, but I've been having some trouble uploading any of the ones I've picked out. I'm open to help or suggestions (and I wouldn't turn down a template, either, but don't go to any trouble).

Posted in 1980s, Housekeeping, Library, Movie, VHS, Video by Laura | 1 comments

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March of the Penguins

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

March of the Penguins
2005, on DVD, from the library.

You should know
There are few things on earth, if any, that are cuter than baby penguins. But you already knew that.

So?
Sadly, the baby penguins, while appropriately adorable, were the most memorable part of the film. The story is that of penguin migration, the march of young adults from the feeding waters to the thickest, most solid part of the ice where they live. Here, there is something of a convention of penguins, who meet to mate and raise their young.

And there’s danger from starvation and predators, and eggs fail to hatch and chicks freeze to death. Parents who lose their young mourn, and then leave the breeding ground to return to their childfree lives. The babies that make it through their infancy are then left to make it on their own. They won’t breed for a few more years, and it’s likely their parents won’t survive long enough to see them at the breeding ground. Add in the fact that penguins are monogamous, but only for one season at a time, and that means that each family, as close and caring as it is, only exists for a few months.

Morgan Freeman’s narration – at least in the American version, I can’t comment on the original French – brings the perfect amount of authority to the narrative. Unfortunately, that authority comes with a sense of calm that does not underscore the drama; instead it almost downplays it. As interesting as the visuals and narrative were, the film still failed to hold my attention the way I had expected. If you’re having game night and want a film on for entertaining background noise, this is the way to go. If you want something that will captivate your attention and really engage you for two hours, though, you might want to pass.

Rating
Worth a view
Though it’s not the most engrossing film I’ve ever seen, it entertained and informed. And there’s nothing cuter than a baby penguin.

The rest of the Internet
The IMDb page.
The Wikipedia page.
Great reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
Roger Ebert reflects on penguins.
An interview with the director at National Geographic News.
The Onion has an editorial.
Penguins and Intelligent Design.
An enthusiastic review at Instacritic.
SenseList offers 9 Films Featuring Penguins.

Posted in DVD, Library, Movie, Video by Laura | 1 comments

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Sideways

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Sideways
2004, on DVD, from the library

You should know
I enjoy wine, Paul Giamatti, and Sandra Oh.

So?
I’m glad there’s at least a slight ray of hope in this film. While it was entertaining, it seemed to have the message that life sucks, and we are incapable of doing anything about that. Not the stuff of escapism, certainly.

Jack is getting married, and to celebrate, his college roommate, Miles, is taking him on a weeklong tour of California wine country. Miles is still recovering from a painful divorce and awaiting word on the publication of his novel, so Jack has resolved to get Miles some action on their trip. They meet up with Maya, a graduate student Miles knows from previous wine-and-writing trips, and her friend, Stephanie, who hits it off with Jack. Of course, Jack is getting married. Hijinks ensue, as hijinks tend to do, but with a ton of angst and depression mixed in.

It was an interesting movie. I actually learned a bit about the proper way to taste wine (if it’s actually not the proper way, don’t tell me!), and I laughed out loud at certain points.

Rating
Check it out
It wasn’t the most fun movie I’ve ever seen, and it’s really not one for the kids, but overall there really wasn’t anything wrong with it. It told a story, used characters that you can care about even as you realize you’d never be able to stand them in real life, and it entertains. That’s the most important thing.

The rest of the Internet
Beware of spoilers...
The IMDbpage.
The Wikipedia page.
Great reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
Slate's wine columnist weighs in on the movie and its wines.
The Sideways Wine Club.
A reviewer at Salon disliked the movie, and comes very close to insulting those who like it.
An article on Santa Barbara, where the film is set.
Maurice at Antihelden reflects on Sideways and road trips.

Posted in 2004, DVD, Library, Movie, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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Much Ado About Nothing

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Much Ado About Nothing, 1993
VHS, from the Library

You should know
I was an English major as an undergrad, and Much Ado About Nothing was one of my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays. I read it in class and saw it on stage. I even get the Elizabethan-era dirty joke in the title. So when my mother got the movie out of the library, I was curious to see how this interpretation would work.

So?
Well, first of all, I was very much amused at the concept of Denzel Washington and Keanu Reaves as brothers, though I suppose it’s feasible when you consider that Don Pedro and Don John are half-brothers. That’s not made clear until nearly halfway through, though; my mother didn’t pick it up until I pointed it out about a half hour in.

There was entirely too much time and camerawork spent on completely gratuitous nudity. There’s no bathing scene in the play, so several minutes of bare behinds was not really called for. At the same time, the best way to stay true to the Bard’s vision is to make a lot of money, so no doubt these scenes would have suited him just fine.

Both couples were well matched, so that both Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio looked like sets of siblings. Also, in this show, as in most of Shakespeare’s plays, the good girl (in this case, Hero) is supposed to be fair (blonde), while the bad girl (Beatrice) is supposed to be dark (brunette). It’s the other way around in the movie, which distracted me more than it probably should have. In a similar vein, Beatrice makes a speech about how only little boys do not have beards, while a beardless Claudio lurks nearby. These aren’t crucial plot points, and most people probably wouldn’t notice them, but the English major in me protested.

Rating
Check it out
Sure, it dragged at moments, but overall it was pretty good. I’m never one to recommend watching a movie instead of reading the book, but plays always make more sense if you see them. If you can’t see it performed live, this movie certainly makes for an acceptable substitution. Just be wary – I didn’t compare line-by-line, so I can’t vouch for any kind of precise fidelity to the original. It’s close enough for entertainment purposes, though.

The rest of the internet
The Wikipedia entry.
A flash cartoon of the play.

Posted in 1990s, Library, Movie, VHS, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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Clerks, Clerks II

Monday, July 31, 2006

Image by Roscoe Van Damme via Flickr

Clerks.

1994, VHS

Clerks II

2006, big-screen

You should know

Sorry about the late update. I'm in New York looking at apartments for the upcoming semester, and was on the run all day yesterday.

Last week I mentioned that I hadn’t wanted to see Clerks II until I had seen the first movie. Fortunately, my brother owns a copy and was willing to let me borrow it. Dan came over, and we watched Clerks. with my parents, then headed out to the theater to see Clerks II.

So?

Watching Clerks. with my parents was awkward. My mom really appreciated most of the humor, but I couldn’t tell how my dad was reacting at all. Actually, it was a lot like that episode of That 70s Show where Eric and Kitty see a movie together – the whole time, each is hoping the other doesn’t understand the dirty jokes.

Also, and I know this is blasphemy against pop culture, I think the movie would have been much better had Jay and Silent Bob been cut. Yes, I know Silent Bob is Kevin Smith himself, and I know Jay is played by his friend. Even so, the only thing they really contributed to the plot was a bit of dialogue at the end that anyone could have spoken – and the comic relief wasn’t that funny or that relieving. Flame away, but that’s what I think.

Clerks II was really enjoyable. It was completely different from its predecessor, but still managed to capture the spirit of the first.

The introduction of color reminded me of The Wizard of Oz, and the new characters fit in perfectly. Even Jay and Silent Bob seemed more organic, although I didn’t always welcome them. I could spot several places where the sequel could have made references to the first movie perfectly naturally, but it didn’t suffer for wanting them; if I hadn’t just seen the movie that day, I probably wouldn’t have noticed.

And how can I forget the dance number? It never would have fit into Clerks. However, it was a fun moment in Clerks II. Like the rest of the movie, it was over-the-top in contrast to the lower-key first movie, but that just shows how cinema, Kevin Smith, and Dante and Randal have grown and changed in the last decade.

Rating

See them both.
Back-to-back, if you can. I considered recommending that you fast-forward through Jay and Silent Bob scenes, but you know what? Watch them and make your own call. They’re cultural icons, and me not liking them doesn’t make it not true. Of course, don’t watch it with your kids… and consider not watching it with your parents.

The rest of the Internet

IMDb entries for both movies.
Wikipedia entries for both films.
Rolling Stone reviewed Clerks II.
Movie Mistakes found continuity errors in both films.
Jeff at Minutiae enjoyed Clerks II.
Shameless but topical self-promotion: Attention, Shoppers! gives helpful hints that could keep cashiers from going the way of the Clerks.

Posted in 1990s, 2006, Dad, Mom, Movie, Theater, VHS, Video by Laura | 0 comments

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Cast Away

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Cover of Cast Away (Widescreen Edition)

Cast Away

2000, VHS from the library

You should know

I’ve honestly never seen this movie before, but I am a big fan of Lost. In fact, between Lost and Girl Scouting, I kept yelling at Tom Hanks’s character for his survival tactics. Not that I think I’d do any better.

So?

I’m not sure I bought the romance between Chuck and Kelly, at least in the opening scenes. Tom Hanks had more chemistry with Wilson the Volleyball than with Helen Hunt. Every scene did its job, but the understated scenes were definitely the more powerful, such as when Chuck and Wilson discussed the suicide test run.

The lack of score wasn’t noticeable until it returned, and even though Tom Hanks does all the acting for most of the movie, the portion that takes place on the island speeds by. His return to civilization is jarring and awkward, which is obviously the point, but it’s not the right kind of awkward. It’s more the awkward of leads who don’t click and a supporting actor who seems to be made of cardboard.

Rating

See it once.
I’m glad I saw it. It’s a powerful movie, and well-done. Wilson, at the very least, is a cultural icon, and you’d have a hard time convincing me that Cast Away didn’t, on some level, inspire Lost. Still, I don’t regret missing its theatrical run, nor do I feel the urge to run out and buy the DVD. If you haven’t seen it and are at the rental place or the library, pick up a copy. Otherwise, no rush; it’ll be on TV soon enough.

The rest of the Internet

Decent reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.
Wikipedia talks themes.
Movie Mistakes lists a lot of continuity errors that, I admit, I didn't catch.

Posted in 2006, Library, Movie, VHS, Video by Laura | 3 comments

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Books

Fiction

Nonfiction

Food and drink

Delaware

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Ontario

Pennsylvania

Recipes

Movies

2006

2007

2008

2009

Internet

Video

Music

To Do and See

Massachusetts

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

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2006

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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Wednesday, December 26, 2007

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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

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