damn the muse

It is my duty to report that 300 was pure eye candy. The violence was gratuitous, and methinks a bit too over the top. However, the muscles, goodness, those glorious muscles delivered!

Yup, it was definitely worth it.

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A few months ago I saw this very long trailer that used music by Enya. It was the song, "Book of Days," which was the theme song for the movie,Far and Away. The song and trailer were so, so, companions. Actually, it was rather long, but it got the point across. This was a movie set in the times of Kings, and there was romance. Oh, and Peter O'Toole and James Callis had roles in the movie that just happened to be based on the Book of Esther. Sign me up!

The movie, One Night with the King, is based on a novel adaptation of the Book of Esther, and one of the first things it has going for it is its production values. It doesn't look cheap. Rather, every scene is rich with detail and color and extras, and it really adds to the movie. But who cares about costumes when James Callis as Haron is chewing up lines and spitting them out like nothing. Seriously, BSG is probably more challenging, but his acting really elevated the movie because the actor playing the King needed lessons.

As the story goes, and it was slightly convoluted, the King "loses" his wife, so he searches for a new one. Women are rounded up from around Persia and the surrounding areas. Among them is Esther, a Jew, who hides her identity in order to save her life. She finds favor with the King, and soon becomes the new Queen until her past comes back to haunt her.

The actress who plays Esther is amazing. She brings depth to the character and spunk, both which are necessary when compared to the King who can't decide what he wants to be besides eye candy. Yes, eye candy. Actor Luke Goss spends much of the movie shirtless, and he has the prettiest eyes, but he was the worst King. He acted like a child King! His bare chest was the only redeeming quality, and even then that's only slight.

The movie as a whole was amazing. It didn't preach, and if there is one thing I respect in a film is that it gets its message across in a subtle way. This is no Passion of the Christ, nor is it a Sunday School cartoon. It's a simple story with romance and adversity, and sometimes that's enough.

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The trailers for the upcoming Eragon have not been flattering. Each new one makes the movie seem like a cousin to the much reviled Dungeons and Dragons movie than the Harry Potter series. I haven't read the book. The fact that I'm not really anxious to see this movie now, and now this review might spell doom for the movie. Then again FOX is notorious for messing with their franchises. X-Men 3 anyone.

Via Ain't it Cool.

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The final 300 trailer is out. I think I drooled. And it wasn't because of Gerard Butler.

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I'm not a fan of Will Ferrell movies. I'm actually not a fan of comedies, period. So when I found out that I was going to be dragged to the new Will Ferrell movie, I went with a sad face. At least I had heard it was good. He was after all acting in a more serious role. This wasn't Saturday Night Live. Emma Thompson can save it. Actually, Emma Thompson rocked in the movie.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I love it when comedians can act. Will Ferrell is no exception. As Harold Crick he's so muted and dull, it's perfect. By the end of the movie I was really caring about whether he would make it out alive. He is after all a figment of Emma Thompson's imagination. Or is he?

Thompson is used sparingly, but her scenes are hilarious. In every book her character has ever written she's killed the protagonist. This time she's having trouble coming up with a suitable death scene, so she keeps imagining all these different situations and places herself in them. The outcome is ingenious.

This was a nice movie. A keeper? Don't know yet. I definitely recommend it.

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The teaser trailer is up for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They're growing up. It's kinda cool, but given what happens in the book, it's kinda sad too. I still really want to see this movie.

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He was positively scary on screen. He just had that presence. At the same time it also meant that every role he would ever have guaranteed greatness. Not from the movie itself but from the man. This was after all Jack Palance.

I can't believe I'm saying was. Rest in peace.

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Starting in April people will be able to legitimately download a digital copy from a small library of movies for a fee. Buy the movie, download it, watch it as many times as you want, and your hard copy will come via snail mail shortly. The catch is that it's loaded with digital rights management software preventing the buyer from sharing his/her new purchase with friends and family. After all, everyone is a thief.

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"The Road to Guantanamo" just won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival. The film itself tells the tale of three innocent men who find themselves at G Town and their eventual release. Needless to say, the film probably doesn't say kind things about the good ole US of A. To make things a bit more interesting the actors playing these men were detained at the Luten airport and harassed under the Terrorism Act. All for the sake of international security I think.

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He made people laugh. He made me laugh. I remember seeing him in movies with Gene Wilder. He was even in one with Superman. It's rather sad to be living during a time where we're losing such wonderful people. Que duerme en paz.

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The IFC will screen This Film is Not Yet Rated uncut on its channel and at Sundance. The film is a documentary that focuses on the ratings board for the MPAA. They're anonymous, and they deem sexual content ten times more harmful than gratuitous violence. This is why a movie like Aeon Flux can get away with a PG-13 but had there been a nipple shot it would have jumped up to R.

Interestingly enough the documentary just received an NC-17 for sexual content.

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Listening to: Dispatch

Today is my last morning in El Paso, which has been unseasonably warm for this time of year. I'm not complaining. I prefer cool rather than freezing. Of course when I'm back here in three weeks it will probably snow. Just once, but it's all done to spite me. Anyway...

A friend from St. Mu drove down yesterday from Alburquerque and we hung out. Had Wendy's and caught a movie. J. is a sweetie, but watching movies with him can be an experience.

The Ice Harvest had it all. Dark humor, boobs, blood, and John Cusack. It still falls under the heading of guy movie, but I don't think J. liked it. I can't decide. The humor I liked. I especially love dark humor, and the movie was loaded with it until it turned gory. Then I was just puzzled, which is why I think I need to sit on it some more. Some critics compare it to Bad Santa, and I always flashback to Billy Bob and Lorelai enjoying themselves in a hysterical fashion. Anyone who does not laugh at that scene is insane. In this movie there are just as funny scenes. And Cusack, well think Gross Point.

Yesterday was interesting.

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I will be watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! It will actually be my first midnight movie too. I'm kinda excited, though I'm rather worried. I've been known to fall asleep easily during movies after a certain hour, but never in a theater. Hopfully not here.

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The roomie and I went to see Goodnight, and Good Luck yesterday. What a fantastic movie, and the lead who played Murrows is going to get nominated for an Oscar in the leading actor category.

Goodnight is a quiet film, but almost every minute of it is so tense it's difficult to believe the events portrayed actually ocurred. Then I realize that they did, and it makes me smile because here's a reporter who stood up for what he believed in. Such integrity on television rarely exists anymore. It's controled by sponsors and corporations who decide whether a story is too controversial to air. Newscasts, too one-sided.

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I can't help it. I left the movie theater struck by the parallels between then and now. Murrows and his staff took an enourmous risk when they challenged McCarthy, and even though their reactions were fictionalized, I'm pretty sure their struggles internal and otherwise were profound. They reported on the truth because it was the right thing to do despite the threats. It was an amazing movie.

On that note I honestly believe that the future of journalism lies not in tv anymore, but in the internet. Just look at all the weblogs out there devoted to reporting the real news, uncensored with its supporters willing to pay the bills with a few clicks. These are the new reporters.

Posted by yasmín at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

R.I.P. Anne Bancroft.

I had no idea she was married to Mel Brooks. Now I just feel sad for him. She was a remarkable woman and actress.

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I can dream, can't I? And if he should happen to streak the Oscar crowd as he accepts his golden statute for that brilliant performace in Closer, we won't see it because ABC will be implementing a 7 second delay on the live telecast. Anything the network deems inappropriate will be censored, and yet the host is Chris Rock. Want to bet he takes advantage of this?

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Okay, so maybe it's not a done deal for the Patriots. Hello!!! What the hell are you doing!! Get with the program.

Anyway, there was one commercial that did pass the test. Ok, well two.

War of the Worlds: This speaks to the movie fanatic in me, and it's a Spielberg movie. And it was a new clip. Oh yeah.

The Verizon commercial was funny too, but only because it was amusing to see Cristina being blown away by a hair dryer.

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In interviews Mike Nichols said he needed to use beautiful people for the movie Closer because they aren't nice. No one will want to see a movie with ugly people doing mean things to each other in the name of love, because frankly that's what this movie is about. The reality is Closer is a brutal yet frank portrayal of relationships and infidelities, and the consequences arise from such tresspasses. The movie wouldn't be as successful without the four "beautiful" actors because they were amazing.

Closer isn't a movie for everyone. It's a pessimistic movie fitting for the antiromantic. These people say the most hurtful things to each other. This dialogue is fresh, and demeaning. Every word stings. By the end there is no happily ever after because you really can't feel sorry for these characters. Each and every one of them is in their own way to blame for the end of their relationships. They sought love so desperately, yet in so doing they slapped each other in the face.

As for the acting, well Clive Owen gets my vote for an Oscar nomination, though they all deserve to be nominated. His Larry is so sleazy, and yet he's so emotional. I'm an Owen fan, but I do believe that's the first time I've been blown away by him. Not since the BMW and Croupier films.

What an amazing movie.

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The teaser trailer for Revenge of the Sith has premiered online. Drool my pretties, drool. This is probably as good as it will get.

::shivers as the last notes of the "Death March" play::

Posted by yasmín at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

What an incredible movie. I think I now have a crush on Zach Braff.

It finally opened here in San Antonio today, so we all decided to see it. K. and I have had it on our must see list, and I really want to see it again already. It was funny, sad, somber, and Natalie Portman will be getting an Oscar in the near future. Maybe not for this movie though she was excellent, but for something else, soon.

Go see it!

As for me, I'm alive entertaining family so I have no time but that should end soon. By the way, today was dreadfully hot.

Posted by yasmín at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

These days if a movie has a little nudity it's enough to give it an R rating where as twenty years ago it was an easy PG or maybe PG-13. Now there's this recommendation to give movies an R rating if the actors smoke. The reasoning? To shield children and adolescents from the dangers of smoking. Let's not give them the temptation to light up and poison their lungs.

Note to the group: Limiting the sex to R rated films has not stopped teen pregnancies. STD cases are on the rise, and they don't show signs of stopping.

Second, should we ban violence too. Especially the shoot-em-up flicks, the Vin Diesel's and the Rock fight films. Look at MTV's JackAss. Teenagers did try to mimic some of the stunts on that show.

The fact of the matter is, teenagers are mindless fools who can't think for themselves, but suggesting that censorship or barring certain images won't solve the problem. It hasn't yet.

And please, don't give the MPAA anymore ideas. Their guidelines are screwy as is.

Link via A Small Victory

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Stephen, Mom, and I had a LOTR festival this weekend. We decided to watch both extended editions yesterday on the surround sound system. Let me tell you, now that was a sweet experience. I had another geek moment during Fellowship in the Council at Rivendell scene. Actually it was just prior to it, but there's actually a hint of the Gondor leitmotif there and I turned excitedly to Stephen at that moment and managed to scare the hell out of my mother. The brother was amused.

For the record, I loved the TTT extended edition. I wish I had had a chance to see it before seeing ROTK just for the Faramir scenes, but it was ok. Today we remedied that.

We went to see ROTK again, and I still can't stop crying. What an amazing movie. I think I've seen history, and it will be a long time before anything will ever surpass what Peter Jackson has brought to the masses. For now I think I'll just mourn the fact that I won't get to see Aragorn or Pippin in any more adventures. Though there is of course the extended edition that has yet to come.

Posted by yasmín at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One word: FANTASTIC!

Posted by yasmín at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In 3 and 1/2 hours I will be watching ROTK on the big screen. Yes, my lovelies, I am a happy person. Ah, Viggo. How I love thee. You are so much more manly and yummy than most. I shall cry at the end, and stick up my nose, and roll my eyes at the mad girlie girls who think Orlando is better. They obviously have been kicked out of bed one too many times.

Dear sweet Viggo. I shall see thee tonight.

Posted by yasmín at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

::bounce:: I just bought my tickets to the 7 pm showing of ROTK on the 17th. I have been waiting a whole year for this.

Posted by yasmín at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Confirmed. Brandis apparently committed suicide. Ouch.

Posted by yasmín at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here we go again. R.I.P. the ever so talented Michael Kamen. I will miss his music. He was just too young.

There are also reports on Dark Horizons and the website for the movie, The Year that Trembled that Jonathan Brandis has died. I want them to be wrong, wrong, wrong!! He's only a year older than me. He can't be dead. Oh hell, I grew up watching him on Seaquest DSV and every other movie and tv show he was on. This is just sad.

Posted by yasmín at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

POTENTIAL SPOILER

I went, I saw, I loved Underworld. It's not without its flaws. I'm not too fond of the male protagonist as the new damsel in distress, and the actor who plays Kraven really should have died horribly at the beginning because he was just terrible. They could have picked someone else and the movie would have improved to maybe a three star rating for Mr. Ebert. Also, if Elders are supposed to be so strong then why pray tell was Emile not? If there is a sequel please give Michael Corvin something more to do, and next time, when you have some one explain the twist make sure they do so without an incomprehensible accent.

Other than that I loved the movie!

I liked the action, I liked the tension, I liked that the romance wasn't pushed, and I especially loved that the storyline was drawn out and slightly complicated. I loved everyone else's acting, especially the actors behind Lucien and Viktor. Lucien rocked. I think he managed to steal every scene he was in. The whole tone of the movie was perfect though I think I would have liked to see more of the mythology of both races. Another impressive thing about the movie were the werewolf special effects. Nifty. Scary. You definately do not want to get caught in a subway with one of these things.

It's a must buy.

Posted by yasmín at 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You know it's a bad sign when you find yourself actually wanting a character to die in a movie. For months I've been wanting to see The Other Side of Heaven, and when it arrived in the mail I was pleasantly surprised though peeved because The Pianist was supposedly next in our queue. We watched it tonight and what a disappointment.

I knew it was a Christian movie. I knew it would have one of those messages, but at the same time I had heard good things about the movie, so I really wanted to see it. Besides, I love Christopher Gorham (and I'm irked that I forgot to tape the premiere of Jake 2.0), ever since he was in Popular. So there he was, and the movie started out nice, but it was too nice and everything was resolved too easily.

A kid gets sick. He should die. Pray a little. Praise the Lord he lives!!!!! The gal's got a crush on the missionary but see our guy, bless his virgin soul, has promised his heart and other parts to his lovely non-native gal back home, so he teaches this gal about eternal love after she disrobes in front of him. He leads her to the beach, they chat about his Diviness, abd voila, she's enlightened and no longer wants to man handle his man parts. Problem solved! But not before gal's mother throws a fit, yet after ranting for two minutes and finding out about the white fiancee she forgives our missionary and hugs him, blessing his future children in the process. Everyone is happy.

This is why I wanted to throw something at my tv set halfway through the movie. This is why I desperately wanted, no, needed someone to die violently, horribly. I've lost two hours of my life and I want them back!

Posted by yasmín at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

R.I.P. Gregory Hines

This just has me completely bummed. One of my favorite movies with him was White Nights. Seeing him tap dance was just amazing.

Posted by yasmín at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I want to marry Johnny Depp. Just got back from seeing Pirates of the Carribean and I am in love! Actually I already was since I practically worship the ground the man walks on, but today just cemented it more. I loved this movie. Loved it!

Posted by yasmín at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's breaking news, so there is no link but it seems that another legend has passed. May you rest in peace Katherine Hepburn.

Edited to add:

Here's a link. Can I just say how bummed I am by this.

Posted by yasmín at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am truely intrigued by Mel Gibson's The Passion. Due in part because of all the controversy that is brewing, also because Gibson makes good movies regardless and doesn't listen to the studios. I don't know if I'll see the film since I've never been a fan of seeing any adaptation of the New Testament except maybe Jesus Christ, Superstar, but who knows.

Anyway, here's a review of a rough cut of the movie, link courtesy of aintitcool.

Posted by yasmín at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just got back from seeing The Matrix: Reloaded, and right as we left the theater the migraine hit, but I think I caught it on time for once. I'm just waiting for the nausea to go away, and I should probably lie down.

The movie was amazing. It was like reading a comic book, but instead of turning pages and admiring images, it's all played out on the big screen. The action scenes were incredible. I didn't care much for the battle against all the Agent Smiths, partly because there was too much slow motion, and it looked more like a computer simulation. It's my only gripe about the movie. Everything else was just fantastic. Katie was amused with the Frenchman since she was the only one in the theater who understood what he was saying (all nasty cuss words). I like the fight immediately following it, and the highway chase. It was downright awesome, not to mention I was very much amused with the twins. I really liked that it started out rather slow, and the dance scene intermixed with the love scene was very poignant. Needless to say, I want the soundtrack, and methinks a second viewing is in order.

The movie ends with tons of unanswered questions, and the philosophy underlying the story is amazing. I like movies that make you think, that don't deliver everything at the end on a silver plater. What I was watching on screen was a story being told in a universe completely of its own. Katie likened it to Star Wars and we both understood why many compared it to the Empire Strikes Back. It's very revealing, yet at the same time the new discovery is open-ended. It's all about choice.

One little word of advice. If you haven't seen it yet, I'd suggest you see the Animatrix shorts first, then the movie. The movie contains references and people that are in the shorts, so it might be a tad confusing though not vital to your enjoyment of the movie.

Posted by yasmín at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The new Matrix trailer is ONLINE NOW. It looks so cool! It's just, oh wow, I'm going to see this opening day. I don't care if I have to buy tickets ahead of time. I'm so there.

Posted by yasmín at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Downloading to date: mucho

I admit, I'm a snob when it comes to movies. I like to see the obscure, artsy, independant films, and I always get disappointed, or maybe a little disgusted when I hear people say that the best movie in the world is Armageddon. Well, I did a complete 180 and purposely went to go see Cradle 2 the Grave. What can I say, I'm a sucker for martial art movies. Besides, a girl can enjoy a popcorn movie if she wants, right?

The movie delivered. It had the most outrageous fight scenes, and did I mention Mark Damascos is hot! Well not hot in that, "ohh I must fuck you kind of way." More of a, "ohh I'm such a voyeur and I must admire your muscular body!" There's just something about his fighting style that had me swooning in Brotherhood of the Wolf, and voila, here he is again. And I haven't even gotten to Jet Li!

The movie was directed by the same person behind Romeo Must Die, which I really enjoyed. Jet Li and DMX were also in that movie. I'm not going to mention the acting. There was no acting, just some bloody, ass kicking, and I loved it. The fights were choreographed well, especially the match at the club. And unlike Romeo there was only one internal body scene, which was just fine by me (it was my only gripe from the first movie).

The movie also had some spunky characters. The women were there just to fill the sex appeal quota, including the mandatory cat fight (boring). The little girl was cute and smart! She was actually giving the evil henchman a hard time.

Overall, this is an entertaining action movie based purely on the the martial arts sequences. The story does lack, and it's not the best movie in the world, but if you're looking to spend an afternoon watching something mindless and fun, then this is the movie to watch.

Posted by yasmín at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Watching: The Grammys

I went to see Daredevil today, and it was actually pretty good. Out of all the recent comic book movies, Spiderman still ranks first, but this movie ranks a close second.

The acting was well done. I'm not the biggest Ben Affleck fan, but he was really good in this movie. At times I'd forget it was actually him. Colin Farrell rocked. I loved his interpretation of Bullseye. He had me cracking up through most of the movie, and his last scene was classic. Jen Garner was alright as Elektra. I did like the love story between Matt and Elektra. It was nice and sweet, and the rain scenes did pull at the heart strings.

Overall the movie was smart and entertaining, and I'm just glad it wasn't dumbed down.

Posted by yasmín at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So, it's no surprise that the winner of the worst dressed at the Golden Globes is Lara Flynn Boyle. For a second I thought it was Bjork walking on stage, and I thought, what the hell is she doing??? But it wasn't B, it was L and I think she's been hanging around Jack Nicholson far too long.

It was sad to see Daniel Day Lewis lose to Jacko too. I loved Day's portrayal of Bill the Butcher. Then again I haven't seen About Schmidt so it's very possible Jacko deserved it.

The interesting thing about last night (besides the excruciating headache) was Richard Gere's speech. I was watching him and flipping to Oz (oh my God they killed Sahib!! not cool), and the funny thing was that I kept flipping back and forth between both channels and Gere still hadn't finished with his speech. Sorry I missed it.

I was so sure Eminem was going to win too, but I guess I was wrong. The fact that U2 won is cool though. One thing, why wasn't "Gollum's Song" from TTT nominated? It's a much better song than Madonna's "Die Another Day." I hope it gets nominated for the Oscars.

And that was my Golden Globes commentary. Not a biggie. Now I have to go and read DTPA and Copyright law for tomorrow while I listen to my just-converted-to-mp3 TTT soundtrack. It didn't convert the bonus track, and that bugs me.

Posted by yasmín at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Stephen and I went to go see Gangs of New York today. The movie was amazing, and as much as this shames me for once Leo Dicaprio did not look boyish, and was actually handsome. hehe. By far though, one of the best things about the movie was Daniel Day Lewis. My God, he's such an actor. I told Stephen that he deserves to win the Oscar. He's that good. I'd see the movie again just to see him act. For some reason his movies always have that effect on me.

My only gripe with the film was with the music. Some of it was outstanding, but there were a series of notes that almost had me humming the LOTR theme. That's when I knew Howard Shore was responsible for the score. Why can't conductor's escape this trap they set for themselves? Seriously, many of the notes seemed to come straight from the LOTR score. It's like the James Horner curse. You can tell he's composed a score because there never fails to be a small theme taken straight from Titanic or even Legends of the Fall. It's annoying in the way a John Woo movie can annoy you after he's used the dove trick for the nth time! It looks great in Face/Off but it's downright laughable in Mission Impossible 2.

I guess I'm just peeved that the score didn't end up being as good as it seemed to be.

The rest of the movie was fine, and the ending shots were truely touching. It was about a minute's worth of scenes of New York during each time period up until pre 9/11. I was hoping the Twin Towers would make an appearance and they did. Stephen and I thought the next shot would be present day New York, but the movie ended with the towers and I'm glad.

Posted by yasmín at 10:17 PM | Permalink