Rambling Film

Awakening. Carsten (Allan Hyde) is meeting his girlfriend, Melissa's (Julie Grundtvig-Wester) parents for the first time. They are extremely laid back when it comes to their daughter's first serious relationship and welcome him with open arms. While on a vacation to their family's cabin, Carsten finds himself attracted to Melissa's father. This poses a serious threat to their relationship, and obviously confuses Carsten greatly. I came across this film while looking through Allan Hyde's filmography. What can I say, I loved his turn as Godric in True Blood. That was the best part of season 2. Anyways, I ended up watching it on Youtube before it was taken down for copyright reasons. (damn) The film accomplished a lot in 38 minutes and was very emotionally driven. Obviously a film like this isn't going to have a happy ending, but it still was very enjoyable (and at times, uncomfortable) to watch. This Danish film is not available on Netflix or Hulu. I hope that ...

I got 12/24 with my picks. Split right down the middle, holy crap that is bad. I think this is the worst I've ever done with my Oscar pics. Most of this is Hugo's fault. All and all, the show itself was pretty lackluster, but it did have some great moments. Billy Crystal was a very "meh" host to me, Chris Rock made me laugh harder in his two minutes presenting than Crystal did throughout the entire show. My thoughts as always are printed in green. Best Picture "The Artist" "The Descendants" "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" "Hugo" "Midnight in Paris" "The Help" "Moneyball" "War Horse" "The Tree of Life" Predicted Winner: The Artist Actual Winner: The Artist Part of me really hoped that The Descendants would come out on top, but I knew it wouldn't. Best Actor Demian Bichir, "A Better Life" George Clooney, "The Descendants" Jean...

I'm going to change my regular format up a bit. In stead of doing a "who will win, who should win" after each category, I will only predict the winner. After the Oscars air, I will re post my list to see how I did. Best Picture "The Artist" "The Descendants" "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" "Hugo" "Midnight in Paris" "The Help" "Moneyball" "War Horse" "The Tree of Life" Predicted Winner: The Artist Best Actor Demian Bichir, "A Better Life" George Clooney, "The Descendants" Jean Dujardin, "The Artist" Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Brad Pitt, "Moneyball" Predicted Winner: Jean Dujardin Best Actress Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs" Viola Davis, "The Help" Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady" Michelle Williams, "My ...

That kid's got a future! You've got to hand it to John Cameron Mitchell, director and star of this film. He really knows how to put on a show. In a way, it's amazing to think that the same man that directed this did Rabbit Hole, two films that couldn't be more different. Yet, Hedwig is just as layered as Nicole Kidman's Becca. This is where Mitchell's work shines. Hedwig is a transsexual from East Berlin who fell in love with the United States at a young age. When things don't turn out the way he planned, he's now leading a US tour singing in small restaurants while telling his life story in a series of cartoons and flashbacks. We also learn of an old lover, Tommy (Michael Pitt) who stole all of Hedwig's songs and became a famous rocker. I rented this film because of Michael Pitt, who actually has a pretty small role, but manages to own it as always. Mitchell impressed me the most, Hedwig was tragic, funny, and obnoxious at times, but she remains ...

I got this idea from Blake over at Bitchin Film Reviews Here's a list of the eligible movies for Oscar consideration. How many have you seen? I've seen 63 so far, there's still a few I want to see like We Need To Talk About Kevin, Shame, My Week With Marilyn. There's also a few that I'm embarrassed that I saw..like Mr Popper's Penguins....ugh. ABDUCTION THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN AFRICAN CATS ALBERT NOBBS ALOIS NEBEL ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED AMIGO ANONYMOUS ANOTHER EARTH ANOTHER HAPPY DAY ANSWERS TO NOTHING APOLLO 18 ARRUGAS (WRINKLES) THE ART OF GETTING BY ARTHUR* ARTHUR CHRISTMAS THE ARTIST @URFRENZ ATLAS SHRUGGED PART 1 ATTACK THE BLOCK BACK DOOR CHANNELS: THE PRICE OF PEACE BAD TEACHER* BATTLE: LOS ANGELES BEASTLY BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST BEAUTIFUL BOY* THE BEAVER BEGINNERS* A BETTER LIFE THE BIG BANG BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON THE BIG YEAR BLACKTH...

So that's why this movie sat on the shelf for four years. I don't want to hate on Fireflies in the Garden, because Ryan Reynolds and Willem DaFoe actually turn in some decent performances, but this film is filled with so many plot holes I'm actually wondering if the version I watched was the initial cut of the film. (The American cut of the film is a whopping 20 mins shorter than the one released in Germany, for example) Michael Taylor (Ryan Reynolds) has horrible memories of his abusive father (DaFoe) and his caring mother (Julia Roberts) that always tried to help. Fast forward into the future and his parents get into a car accident leaving Lisa (Roberts) dead. She was supposed to graduate from college on that day, after giving it up to raise her family. Michael's relationship is still strained with his father. He also is having issues with his ex wife (Carrie-Anne Moss) and his aunt Jane. (Emily Watson as an adult, Hayden Panietierre as a teen) Michael is an author...

A storm is coming. Curtis (Michael Shannon) has been having terrifying dreams, he's hallucinating, and has become overly paranoid. With a history of mental illness in his family, Curtis seeks help from professionals behind his wife, Samantha's (Jessica Chastain) back. He decides to fix up an old storm shelter in his backyard, this costly effort is coming at a difficult time as the couple's young daughter is preparing for surgery. It puts strain on his marriage, and his well being in general. Take Shelter gets downright creepy when it needs to be and is intriguing through out. I'm sure everyone is sick of the whole "oh so and so got screwed out of an Oscar nomination" but I'm going to go there again. Michael Shannon deserved more recognition for this fantastic performance he turned in. Shannon's recent work has proved he's a talented actor, but this performance is on a whole other level for him. Jessica Chastain had a fantastic year, and she shoul...

Aww, Cillian Murphy is one of us. By that I mean a total film nut. In this movie he plays Neil, a major movie geek and owner of a run down video store. His boring life consists of watching the movies he sells and never quite doing anything adventurous. That is until Violet, (Lucy Liu) comes into his life and takes him on a wide ride with her misadventures. I thought this movie was really out of the ordinary for Murphy and Liu, and that made me appreciate their range. Murphy is a strong actor and one of my favorites to watch, it was nice to see him in a film like this. Even though parts of it were over the top and ridiculous, it was a fun film for a Sunday afternoon. Recommended: Yes Grade: C+ Memorable Quote: "I like to think that I'm more adventurous since I don't own a TV." - Violet (Lucy Liu)

Hand sanitizer, anyone? Contagion is an ensemble thriller that centers around a mysterious disease that's quickly spreading across the world. The CDC must figure out its orgin, learn how it works, and ultimately figure out how to vaccinate against it. We're shown many different stories of the people effected. From the person who originated the virus, to her family, to members of the CDC stationed all over the world, to the doctor that makes the cure, to the blogger who profits from it all. The cast is full of talented, veteran, Oscar and Emmy winning actors. Director Steven Soderbergh does his best to give each story enough attention, though a few stories, particularly the one involving Marion Cotillard fall a bit short. The only performance I could fault is Jude Law's. Where the hell was his character supposed to be from? His accent was all over the place and incredibly inconsistent. The movie is reminiscent of the Swine Flu outbreak in 2009, but in this case the disease...

The Best Actress race gets a little more interesting leading up to the Oscars. Will it be Meryl Streep or Viola Davis? Best Film The Artist Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Best Actor Jean Dujardin, The Artist Best Actress Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer, Beginners Best Supporting Actress Octavia Spencer, The Help Best Original Screenplay Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Best Adapted Screenplay Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Best British Film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Best Film Not in the English Language The Skin I Live In Best Animated Film Rango Best Documentary Senna Best Editing Senna Best Costume Design The Artist Best Cinematography The Artist Best Original Music The Artist Best Make-Up & Hair The Iron Lady Best Visual Effects Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Best Production Design Hugo Best Sound Hugo Best British Debut Tyrannosaur Ora...

The start of the "askewniverse." Black and white? Check. Hand held camera? Check. Unknown actors? Double check. Director Kevin Smith had to sacrifice a lot to make this film on such a minuscule budget. Then he had to deal with the MPAA slapping the film with an NC17 rating for swearing of all things. (It was later over turned) What he got out of this was a cult classic and the beginning of his popular reoccurring characters in Jay and Silent Bob. Clerks follows Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) as he works at his local convenient store. Dante wasn't supposed to work that day, but he comes in anyways and has to deal with multiple issues that present themselves. Then there's his hanger on best friend Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) who won't stop messing with his stupid customers. Everything in the world seems to be going wrong for Dante. I've always enjoyed Kevin Smith's films.(minus Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back..that was just too much.) Clerks feels so...

There's a lot you can get done in 3 months. Enoch (Henry Hopper) is a lonely boy who crashes funerals in his free time. He frequently talks to a ghost, Hiroshi (Ryo Kase) who was a Japanese Kamikaze pilot who's hobbies now include playing Battle Ship with Enoch and throwing rocks at trains. While at a random funeral Enoch meets Annabel, (Mia Wasikowska) a terminally ill girl who's been given a few months to live. They become friends, and fall in love, and face the matter of death together. I really wanted to like this movie, but when you think of Gus Van Sant's last film, Milk in comparison, this is a let down. Sure it has a nice score, and a few of Van Sant's signature shooting techniques (but no long shot..surprising, apparently he got all his long shots in while filming Paranoid Park) but casting Henry Hopper as the lead was a huge mistake. He's wooden, whiny, and boring. Thankfully Mia was there to save most of the movie, but when you're acting opposit...

This is what love looks like. Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is a graphic artist who has just lost his father. In the years before, his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer) tells him that he has terminal cancer. He also tells him that he's gay. He's been gay his whole life, even when he was married to Oliver's now deceased mother. He changes his lifestyle, starts a relationship with a much younger man, Andy (Goran Visnjc) and really starts to love life. Oliver tries to start a relationship with French actress, Anna (Melanie Laurent) hoping it gives him a new outlook on life. I loved how the movie was shot, it was very arty without being pretentious. Christopher Plummer absolutely deserves all the awards he's been winning lately, he was fantastic in this movie. For a man given his death sentence, you could really feel the love radiating off of him. McGregor and Laurent have wonderful chemistry (as does McGregor with the film's dog), and they carry the movie well. It's cut...

The world woke up to a nightmare. Stakeland puts quite the effort into standing out from other films in it's genre. I felt like it tried to combine everything that is "in" at the moment. The world is not just over run by vampires or zombies, Stakeland makes a vampire/zombie hybrid that's taken over the world. Martin (Connor Paolo) is trying to make his way to Canada, which is allegedly a safe haven. He comes across a man known only as Mister. (Nick Damici) He's a bad ass and zombie/vampire hunter who helps Martin and others (including scream queen Danielle Harris as pregnant Belle) as they try to survive. Stakeland was gory despite the film's small budget. Even though I'm growing tired of the "crazy Christian church" schtick it was an interesting touch to what could've been just a regular zombie movie. Recommended: Yes Grade: B- Memorable Quote: "I've seen things you would never believe.." - Martin (Connor Paolo)

Of the. Of the. Of the. Of the. I've been pretty vocal on how ridiculous I think the title of this movie is. The working title, Rise of the Apes was much better, I don't care if it was tradition to do it otherwise. Any who.. Will (James Franco) is trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's, in doing so he's been testing his cure on apes. It increases their intelligence, but comes with fits of rage. When he takes home a recently orphaned baby ape, Caesar (motion captured by Andy Serkis) Caesar thrives and excels. But after an incident that gets him taken away from Will, he finds himself thrust into the real world of apes in captivity, and he's going to use his brains to start an ape revolution. I thought I'd be annoyed with CGI apes throughout the entire movie, but I surprisingly wasn't. The special effects were great and the Caesar truly steals the show away from the rest of the actors. It was an interesting look at how the apes came into power in the originals...