The Proposition

"'Is that what we are? Misanthropes.'
'Lord no. We're a family.'"

4 Stars

First things first. I was already a player for this movie. Ausi western, okay. But then in the beginning credits I see that the music is by Nick Cave, of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Awesome. Then I see that the screenplay is by Nick as well! Extra awesome!
Who knew?
After watching the behind the scenes feature, turns out the director, John Hillcoat, is a close friend of Nick. After a camping trip in the Australian dessert (I know right?) John knew he had to make a movie, any movie using this beautiful land.
He first asked Cave to score the music, then asked him to write a screenplay. He says he's always loved Cave's storytelling in his music and knew he could do it for film, and wow, he was right.

Set in the late nineteenth century on rural Australian land, two brothers are captured and questioned on the whereabouts of their eldest brother, Arthur Burns. After a brutal attack of the Hopkins farm, and rape of the pregnant Mrs. Hopkins by Arthur and his gang, the town needs justice. If they can't have Arthur they will have his younger brother Mark instead. The proposition being, middle brother Charlie must find his brother Arthur in nine days, or his younger brother will hang in his place.

Throughout the film I just felt Charlies weight of having to choose one brother's life over the other. What a terrible problem to solve. What he did was right, blood or not.

I really liked the pace of this movie. It had a good rhythm like a metronome. Cave said he'd hoped the film "would generate periods of intense violence followed by periods of intense sadness and loneliness." Perfectly put.

Also a great cast. Guy Pearce, Emily Watson, John Hurt who is one of the greatest character actors around. And Danny Houston son of John and half brother to Anjelica.
I've seen him in so many roles and I really like him, he's a great actor.

This movie has gore and grit, and one of my favorite elements to a good period piece,
bad teeth!!
When I'm watching a real gritty movie and I see the actors with these bright flossed and polished teeth, it pulls me right out of the film.
Thanks for the detail.

13 Tzameti

"We don't force anyone into this shit."

5 Stars

I hate this phrase but I'm gonna say it...
a must see movie.
You just have too! I said "Oh my god" out loud so many times while covering my nose and mouth with my hands.
I just rented it on recommendation, and knew nothing about it. Which if you plan on watching it is best. I watched the preview on the disc just to see what's doin', and the preview alone was enough to literally make my skin hot, cause I was so nervous.
SO GOOD.

The beginning is kinda slow, very french cinema. A young guy begins work on the roof of an odd couple's house. He overhears the husband speak of coming into big money by means of doing a "job" for a day. After receiving his "job summons" in the mail he is dead, and the info lands in the hands of the young roofer. There is no indication of what the job is, but with his family in dire need of money, he follows the instructions. Unknowingly he is now a volunteer in the most ruthless underground game, that wagers the highest stakes a man can make.

When this game starts to unfold, I was panicked!! I kept thinking "No way.
They can't be... Oh shit, I think they are." The story telling is great because it really put me in his perspective. I was looking around each room to see where I was, and I was so curious as to who the rest of these men were, and why are they here. And how the hell did I get here?!

Filmming it in black and white was perfectly cold. It took all the warmth out, and made the matter that more bone chilling. I found that the scariest parts were not at the game so much but the quiet times between the games. That's when a man's mind can race, and to see how each one has their own way of coping is so heartbreaking. Simply heartbreaking.

I've always been intrigued by secret societies and the like.
I've always wanted to be a part of one.
I know they're out there. I don't know if they're as drastic as this, but it just fascinates me the question of what makes a person feel like they have to go to these measures?
Is sex not enough, are drugs not enough, is fighting not enough?
After this film I am filled with questions concerning the secret desires of man.
The desires we will never utter, but have all thought.

I wonder...

Lies and Alibis

"The only absolute, air tight alibi...
is death."

4 Stars

Elliot runs a business that covers people while they cheat, by rerouting phone calls, faking meetings and making sure their ignorant spouse never finds out.

Elliot is played by Steve Coogan whom I can never look at the same after knowing he was banging Courtney Love for a long time, and is said to be the one who introduced the recently suicidal Owen Wilson to heroin. But, in all fairness..., he really is charming.

He hires as new gal Lola played by Rabecca Romijn to take on some of his accounts.
Her new hubby Jerry O'Connell is in this too, but no scenes together. Now, being a huge Howard Stern fan, I know that Rabecca is/was a huge friend of the show. She may not be the best actress, but I wish her the best and this role was just right for her. They showed just enough of her, and she didn't have to do any embarrassing drama scenes. Another thing, this girl is huge! She towers over Coogan, and I'm really glad to see the wardrobe department didn't skip on putting her in heels. Paint it red, right?

A new client accidentally kills the chick he's having an affair with, and soon Elliot makes the choice to break his own ethic code and becomes an alibi to a crime.
Meanwhile a group of hit men are out to kill his former boss Jack to the tune of 5 mil (very a la Smokin' Aces, but I loved that movie too). One hit man "The Mormon" wants to use Elliot's alibi skills to help cover his tracks while he hunts Jack down, and the boyfriend of the dead girl wants revenge.
I may sound cheese, and it probably is, but it was fun.

There are a ton of people in this movie too! Selma Blair, James Marsden. James Brolin who plays a rich man who bangs young girls but doesn't divorce his wife cause she's the rich one. How much research do you think went into that role? Henry Rollins, I love seeing him work. Sam Elliot, he can do no wrong in my book, and he worked that hair!
It was also cool to see Debi Mazar play a straight role as a cop. Since she's so unique looking I think casting puts her in more character like roles. And John Leguizamo?!
I really think he's a sucky actor, but thank god the was only in this for a minute.
Anymore than that I think my eyes would be soar from rolling them for an hour and a half.

Also a pawnshop scene!! Though a quick one, it was funny.
"I need a piece."

"A piece of what?"

"A piece! A- A gun!"

"Why didn't you say so? Here you go Snoop Dog."
I'm so glad we don't sell guns anymore.

So the movie builds up to this great climax of everyone looking to Elliot to smooth over their problems.
Solve a murder, find Jack, keep thugs from going to jail, and some how there's a shit load of cash involved.
But I don't care, it was so much fun!
I would totally recommend this movie for just some mindless, witty, good times.

The Darjeeling Limited

"I love how mean you are."

4.5 Stars

I love love Wes Anderson! This is definitely a film I need to see again, and is quickly becoming very special to me. I rarely get to go to the movies with either of my brothers, and I was able to see this one with my eldest. I think the last movie we went to was End of Days! We need to improve that M & G.

Three brothers take what is originally thought to be a "spiritual journey" through India. Set up by Francis (Owen Wilson), brother of Peter (Adrien Brody), and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) in attempt to become brothers again.

The more I think about this film I find different meanings, and am struck with different feelings. The most recent being the observation that this movie deals a great deal about grieving. Not only the poignant funeral scene of a young boy, but the loss of their own father that all of them loved dearly in their own way.
A scene in particular keeps coming to mind, of the brothers on the way to their father's funeral. Peter becomes very persistent that he needs to pick up his father's Porsche from the repair shop right now.
I totally understood the need to hold on to anything that a deceased loved one has left behind. And in a way, by picking up the car so soon, he may feel as if his father is still alive to see it delivered. You act strange, and irrational when grieving.
But the part that really got me... The sons all had to be at the funeral right now. Peter was not going to be swayed that this matter could wait, and with a quick glance to one another, each brother was in agreement and they did it together. Although it became a very comical scene, it was really sad and painful.
Just a great example of the talent Wes Anderson has to articulate the bitter and sweet of life.
I love that scene.

Also, I've noticed that most Wes Anderson movies deal greatly with family estrangement. In this case the brothers with one another, and their mother.
Relationships are complicated. Families are complicated. And some relationships, family or otherwise, just won't change. And that's okay. I respect Wes for showcasing such a scenario.

This movie also comes in two parts. The first is a short film titled Hotel Chevalier which acts as the prologue to the feature. For a couple days after seeing the movie, I could not stop thinking of this 13 minute short.
Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman share some very awkward and strangely intimate time together in a hotel room in Paris. Nothing too exciting or important to report, but there's just something so delicate about the whole thing. Everything placed in that room has such thought and purpose behind it. As does the actions and words of each actor.
I am simply in love with those 13 minutes.

Maybe I should schedule an Indian train ride of my own with my brothers this year.
We're not estranged in the like, but it may bring us to watch some more movies together some how.
Do trains have theater cars?

Ratatouille

"It sounds like 'rat' and 'patootie'.
'Rat-patootie',
which doesn't sound delicious."

4 Stars

A perfect movie for any foodie, or at least anyone in my family.
This picture does a great job of articulating the difficult language of flavor and passion for food. Great food is much more than a simple "Mmmmm" sound.
It affects your whole being.

Remy is a rat who has a keen sense of smell, and an overpowering desire to cook. When he accidentally gets lost from his family, he discovers that he has been living in Paris the whole time, land of some of the best food in the world.
As fate would have it, Remy is unable to leave a helpless kitchen hand, Linguini, and oddly Remy teaches him how to cook. Together they run the most successful restaurant in Paris. When faced with the most important night of their careers, each must prove themselves, and test the boundaries of friendship and family.

This has got to be one of my favorite food films. The other being Big Night.
(Foodies. Watch that movie.)
Now there is one scene in particular that we (family) agree, got us a little misty. It's about 10 seconds long, but it said it all.

(If you care, this is a spoiler, so be warned.)

The feared food critic takes a bite of Remy's peasant dish, Ratatouille.
The moment it touches his lips, he is pulled back in time to childhood, and we see his mom serve him a plate of this simple dish. I've seen it happen.

Having dinner with my mother, we ordered a dessert to share. A simple sundae with extra chocolate sauce on the side. (You can never have enough, right?) As we took our first bites, her eyes widened, and she gasped "This is my mother's hot fudge!". Her eyes may have misted, and it seemed as though she was getting touched, possibly hugged by my late grandmother.
We are all floored how perfectly Ratatouille expressed that.

That is how powerful food can be.

Pumpkinhead : Haiku Movie Review

"I'm gonna send it back to

whatever the HELL it came from!"


2.5 Stars


When it's called upon

The devil's justice will reign

Cheesy, O.G. horror

Thunderheart : Haiku Movie Review

"There's no word in Sioux for 'good bye'".

3.5 Stars


F.B.I. agent

Murder on indian land

In his blood lies truth

Transformers

"Criminals are HOT."

4 Stars

Okay, truth time. I didn't really watch the show.
I would always catch the last 10 minutes or so because Jem was on next. But I did play with the toys though.
It was cool to have my boyfriend next to me to tell me who each guy was, and what the whole war was about.
I like to see boys get all excited about this stuff.

The planet Cybertron's inhabitants engage in a secret war for control of the Earth's natural resources, which they desperately need for fuel. Able to disguise as cars, airplanes, boats, and more the transformers prove a tough enemy.

I was relieved that I missed this movie in IMAX, the graphics were so impressive it would have given me a heat attack to see it so huge. This had to be by far the best CGI that I have seen so far. Director Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor) has a talent for action. Some shots are so calculated, and precise that my mouth was agape, giving way to a handful of "Oh shit" moments.

Shia LaBeouf plays shock so well. I knew when I saw that kid on Even Stevens that
A: he was going to be super cute, and B: he's talented. Then when he won the Emmy in 2003, I was validated.
And where the hell did Megan Fox come from?! Do they really make chick that good looking? John Voight, John Robinson, John Turturro, and my man Bernie Mac all co-star as well and do great jobs.

There were some things that I just had to look passed. Some of the jokes were retarded and easy, but it's a summer movie though, right? When the robots are "hiding" at Sam's house, I just couldn't believe that no one heard these huge machines outside, or the damages they are causing to their home.
But then again, it's a movie about robots from another planet that can talk, fight, and know hip-hop so who cares about technicalities, right?

Beowulf & Grendel

"Luck can be a whore too."

2 Stars

Who knows where I picked this one up. I am weak when there is the possibility of watching a filthy, filthy medieval movie. You know the kind that you have to take a shower afterwards, cause you feel like your covered in muck. BG smelled a bit too fresh though.

Based on the legendary poem of Beowulf, which for some reason everyone else read in school but me. That's the Hayward public school system for ya. Beowulf, played by 300's Gerard Butler, is summoned across the seas (which he swims alone) to conquer the evil troll Grendel.
And ahhh...that's pretty much it.

This was more like a TV movie than a feature. Some scenes end and it's just begging for a Pepsi commercial.

Personally I get really picky about authenticity in period pieces. Some parts of this movie felt really gritty which I loved, then you see a lady who's got perfect make up on, and you start to noticed they all have great teeth. I talk a lot to while watching movies, and just as I did in Gladiator I asked, "Where the hell did they get eyeshadow, and mascara in the middle ages?!" Such a pet peeve of mine.

Throughout the movie there is this "Sea Hag" that shows up faintly in the water. I found this character more interesting than the troll. The movie elaborates a bit more on her later in the film, but having never read the tale, I don't know if she really is of any significance.

This movie did however give me he hankering to see Eric The Viking again.
A least that's one funny on purpose.

Elizabeth : The Golden Age

"I have a hurricane in side me that will strip Spain bare if you dare try me!!"

3 Stars

I really really wanted this to be as great as the first, and it seemed hopeful considering the collaborations were the same. But there was something missing. Since I can't put my finger on it, I personally think there was something, or someone impassioned about the project and that came through. Ya know, bad vibes kinda thing. If there is love in the work, it totally comes through. Not too much love here.

I do on the other hand have nothing but praise for every element of the movie! For me it was so hard to concentrate on the movie because the costumes are breathtaking! Craftsmanship on top of craftsmanship. The details, without even knowing it, felt thoroughly researched. The hair, the jewelry, the corsetry, and the distinction of countries among the men's dress. Awesome.

The acting was great! Though one thing...the guy who plays Don Guerau De Spes (William Houston) has the biggest lips coming out of that beard. He looked like a talking monkey, and that was very distracting considering most his dialogue has some merit to the plot. I was too involved with his lips!
Cate Blanchett is a timeless actor. She brings it to everything she does, and when I see her name I know I'm in good hands.
Clive Owen. Aww hell. (See Children of Men review, and you'll know what I'm talking about.) As pretty as he is, I think he may have been miscast. Kills me to say that.
Samantha Morton appears as Queen Mary Stuart, and I got really excited. Of course she's in this because she's perfect for this role. I've never cared for her role choices too much
(I felt Hattie in Sweet and Low Down was her best), but I feel she's a great talent.
She will get an Oscar some day.

In the first Elizabeth we witness her reluctant, then stoic journey to the thrown of England. Now we get to see her in action as she protects her country from Spain, and their holy war. One question I keep rolling over, is what happened to these epic women? Like Hatshepsut, the great Pharaoh of Egypt? Or Semiramis the Assyrian Queen? What made them (in those ignorant times) gain the respect and power that has always been reserved for the male? They must have been made of pure strength, and energy to carry so much.

On top of all this lies one true, true fact. Elizabeth is a woman. It can't be denied.
For me the movie was about this tender balance of our female nature, and that of extreme power.
In the movie there is this love...thing. I don't want to cheapen it by calling it a triangle, but lets use that for now. She really likes Raleigh, he likes her, her maid likes him they like each other, you get it.
This is how our (women's) minds work. Give us stress, give us a situation, and we will handle it. But, if there is some sort of nagging thing, for example this interest she has for Raleigh, it can be just as consuming as the original situation. So it's double the stress and pressure.
Liz wants to be "The Queen", yet she wants so badly to be a woman. Similar yes, to the first film, but now she certain of where her duty lies, and it hurts. I get it.

After the film a quote from another movie summed up the matter of Liz for me.

"The men who resent my success won't give me the time of day, and the men who respect my success won't give me the time of night."
- Down with Love

The Great Happiness Space

"To girls we are products."

5 Stars

This documentary is like nothing I have ever witnessed. I guarantee no one else has seen this movie and it's contents will make for the best conversation starter.

This compelling film explores the rarely seen world of Japanese host boys, men who are paid to entertain wealthy women in exclusive nightclubs. Almost but not quite gigolos, more akin to male geishas, the host boys of Cafe Rakkyo share their secrets in
Jake Clennell's first documentary.

Purely fascinating. I watched it twice and may have to immerse myself in it one more time.
This boy host thing is a real part of Japanese culture, people just don't talk about it much. Young, well dressed (and tressed) men pick up girls on the streets with lines like "You look like my grade school teacher. You don't understand, I loved my grade school teacher." It looks so strange to see men street hustling for women. Once they lure these girls into the club to have a drink with them, the girl can choose from a photo menu of men as if ordering something from KFC.

And these men aren't cheap. The interviews with some of their female clients reveal that they can have spent $1,000 up to $7,000 in one night! The hosts themselves can make a salary of $10-50,000 a month.
Majority of that money is spent on champagne. These guys (and girls) down the stuff like frat kids!
Issei (above) is heavily profiled in the film and rightly so, he is Osaka's number one host boy. He says about the heavy drinking he does daily while entertaining, "I drink I throw up, I drink I throw up. I think my liver is fucked."

Sex? Yeah, they have it if the girl pays. But that's not their job. As one host put it, "If I have sex with her, at that point there won't be anything else I can give her." They chat, flirt heavily, and are great company for these women. "We try to heal them," they say is their main objective.

Director Jake Clennell does a great job of building this story and the facade of this operation. Showing the realism and guilt that comes along once the glam wears off, and true human emotion is exposed. These hosts are constantly talking about being tired and drained all the time. If you think about how much energy and confusion it takes for one man to chat up a single woman. Imagine if that man had to do that all day long with numerous women and be just as charming as the first time they met. And they are different men to different clients. "I get confused what my real personality is."

I can't stop thinking about these guys. Skinny, pale, and edgy? Where's my checkbook?!
But more than that, the service they provide is much more than some drinks and company for these women. Watch it.


Man, I need to go to Japan.


Plot summary courtesy of Netflix

Puppy

"Don't work yourself up,
no ones dead. You're psycho I'm just fuckin' with you."

3.5 Stars

I don't think I would confidently recommend this to others, but personally I thought it was pretty good.

The beginning goes by so fast as if the director just wanted to get the back story out of the way. But he could have started it where he want to with the lead character Lizzie trying to kill herself, with the ole hose from the tailpipe routine, only to be saved by a nearby tow truck driver Aiden. When she wakes, she's tied to a bed and Aiden that is convinced she is Helen, his absent wife. In a hostage situation much like Misery, Aiden keeps Lizzie confined to the house as she plays the roll of Helen.

I love Lizzie's fast thinking through the whole ordeal. Situations movies like this make me think of my mom's quick thinking in her hold-up years ago. Lizzie's wits save her day to day, as Aiden's schizophrenia worsens. Soon the film takes a turn I may have predicted ...or maybe not. I don't know.

In odd scenes I found myself really laughing! I've read in different places that Puppy is a black comedy, but I didn't feel it was so easy to spot. Hey, all I know is when I see someone get hit in the head by a shovel, I'm laughing.

Superbad

"'How old are you?'
'Old enough.'
'Old enough for what?'
'To party.'"

3.5 Stars

But a really good 3.5 movie! Good enough to watch over and over.

If Seth Rogan can keep turning movies out like this he has the potential to be the John Hughes of this generation.

I was so excited to see the return of the 80's teen movie formula.
Teen nerds wanting to make it with chicks, house parties, the mall, booze, and boobs, and above all witty and simply funny writing! Even Seth's outfit was very Chuck reminiscent.

Writers Seth Rogan, and Evan Goldberg started writing this when they were 13-years-old! They just "wanted to see if they could write a movie". Thus the lead characters Seth, and Evan. Fun fact. I love those.

Now lets talk about Fogell/Mclovin. Among a few of us girls we feel he is so cute.
Now, now.
Although he his the most freakishly nerdy guy of the bunch, he is unforgettable. He could go down in the books with some other memorable characters like Farmer Ted,
Louis Skolnick, and The Donger.
There's is one scene I hope some young guys out there catch. Fogell has been trying to get the attention of Nicola, unsuccessfully. But the moment she takes notice of him, it's because he's gotten a renewed confidence, and any girl will look right passed that pasty skin, and glasses when a guy's got the balls to just talk to us. If you have young boys in your life, please pass that lesson down. It's a fact.

In the end, this movie really reminded me (as if I needed reminding) just how much I love boys. They are just so different than us (girls), and their hangups are just so damn cute.

Long live the nerd hero!!

Te doy mis Ojos / Take My Eyes

"If she doesn't answer her phone,
what do you think that means?"

2.5 Stars

Domestic abuse. Let's talk about it.
This film is pretty cut and dry. Wife leaves abusive husband, saying it's over. Husband says I'll change, she's back, and "it's" back, and then she really leaves him for good, the end.

But this movie did have one element that I haven't seen yet. It spent a lot of time showing the audience the husband's side. He attends a therapy group of abusive husbands to show he's "changed", and the issues that him and the other men express are very touching in an odd way.
It goes beyond "I just wanted my dinner on the table at 6:00 not 6:02."
These men are just consumed by fear. The dialogue within the group sounded as if it had been witnessed first hand by the writer.
In the film the husband keeps a journal of his actions, and responses as an excercise for his group. In it he describes what happens to his body as he starts to enrage, and the thoughts that race through his mind as well. It sounds much like a panic attack.
Numb limbs, along with overwhelming, almost blinding fear.
I really respected that angle.

On the other hand, the rest of the movie was just too predictable. Look, I'm not one who enjoys to see women get beat. Yet, this film didn't portray the pain of his wife to me.
I felt good with her final decision, but not fully relieved as if I had seen enough, and really wanted her out of there.
Does that make any sense?

If anything I hope it made sense to at least one man who may have seen it, and realized that he can help.
I never looked at it that way.

Thin

"I want to be thin.
If it takes dying to get there,
so be it."

4 Stars

A truly heartbreaking documentary that follows the lives of four women at the Renfew Rehab Center for treatment of eating disorders.

As I first got into this film I was looking for the painfully thin, horrific bodies. Ready to gasp and point out their jutting bones, and sunken cheeks. But instead, a scarier realisation of how close to death these women actually are, when they have to have their vital signs checked each morning. One woman has her finger tips squeezed to test her tissue and blood flow, and a pulse is searched out as well. These are the things you do when you're not sure someone's alive.
Surprisingly there weren't very many really, really skinny looking people like the twins they show on Access Hollywood when there are no other gossip stories. But the numbers on the scales were 84-91 pounds for each one.

One side I really didn't care for was the staff! They seemed to condescend to their patients, and at times, to me, seemed very insincere. Which I don't feel was any doing by the editing or director. They are just doing their job. Another patient, another problem, another mass of body to weigh and deal with. My opinion.

When the topic of eating disorders come up, I am instantly intrigued. How do they?
What was that first time like? What makes them keep doing it?
Are there any new tricks I haven't heard of yet?
Hey, I'm just asking.
I'm glad this film didn't deal with all of that. It just told their current story of their recovery as it stood right then. It also showed how living in an environment of women, can be hell. We know we can be mean, but put us in an extreme situation of pain and change, and we can get ugly to each other. I just happens.

A powerful scene in particular for me was that of Brittany and one of her therapists. She was asked to draw a realistic outline of her body. The therapist points out that it sort of looks like a stocky man. She then has Brittany stand in the drawing as she traces her true figure over Brittany's outline. It is far smaller in comparison, and Brittany proceeds to write on this canvas all her "problem" areas. With each label you could see how dire this situation is. For her and many other women, and men, this is a life or death issue. Give me thin, or give me death. It's that black and white for them.

After this I am so happy to be in the healthy grey area.

A Scanner Darkly

"Your life and watching you live it is like a gag-reel of ineffective bodily functions."

2 Stars

I had such a hard time watching/finishing this movie. I started to look at it like a kid whose been told to eat all of their vegetables. "You're not leaving this table until that movie is finished!" Okay, okay!! Gulp.

Only after watching the special features did I understand what the movie was about. This is an adapted screenplay from Philip K. Dick written in 1977 during the paranoia crazed Nixon administration. He felt no one is safe from surveillance and in the future it can only get worse. An undercover cop (Keanu Reeves) becomes involved with a dangerous new drug, and begins to loose his own identity and his mind.
Dick's question was can an undercover cop become so whacked out that he could sting, and bust himself?

I discovered all of this after watching the movie. Too bad. That would have made it more interesting for me watch. But the dialogue was so ssssllllooooow-ah.
So many pauses, and hardly any voice inflections. Mono and dry, not to mention confusing.

No doubt visually it is stunning. But after this and Waking Life (which I didn't get 10 minutes into before turning it off), I am always going to equate this style with the words slow and tedious.

Am I excused?

Blow : Summer Pick

"El... el weed."

4 Stars
Summer movie pick

It's summer time and that means good times. This movie has some of the best 70's and 80's good times montages put on film. And I'm all about the good times montage.
Cocaine, disco, cash, and Cuban music. Yessss.
During this time of year I also breakout the soundtrack and cruse. There are some awesome tracks on it, and you should do yourself a favor and buy it.

Blow is the true story of "Boston George" Jung, played by Johnny Depp. Moving to California from Boston in his late teens he quickly became one of the most success full drug lords of the 70's and 80's.
Yet George's true addiction is the high he gets from being the best at what he does. When he truly feels that he can give it up, it's too late, and looses everything.
Jung is currently in prison and is scheduled for release in 2014.

Penelope Cruz co-stars as his Colombian wife Marta. It was after watching this movie that I really recognized her a talented actress. Since then, I've been slowly working through all of her work.
A true talent.

Also my favorite character is played by Paul Reubens, as gay hair dresser Derick, and George's "business partner" for many years.
He has some great lines, and at the time the film was released it was great to see him really act! He's great.
Love, love, love him. "Barbie!"

The many other names include Ray Liotta, Rachel Griggiths, Franka Potente, and Bobcat Goldthwait.
Directed by Ted Demme who ironically died less than a year after making the movie while playing basketball, and cocaine was found in his system. He was 39 years old.
He was really passionate about this movie, and telling Jung's story. This DVD includes the infinifilm feature that lets you click on an icon during the movie, and watch behind the scenes clips of that particular scene. It even includes interviews of the real George Jung, and his real experience of that scene.

This movie is so cool! When it's super sunny and hot, I put this flick on and watch George prance on the California beached in the 60's, and feel the heat of a big money Colombian wedding in the 70's.

That's hot.

The King

"We're going to hell."

3 Stars

Eh.. I guess I was just expecting more. The previews of this really looked along the lines of Down in the Valley. The difference being that this movie lacked passion, because the story just didn't let you in on it.

After serving time in the Navy, 21 year old Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) decides to look up the father (William Hurt) that abandoned him as a child, only to find him working as a small town pastor with a new wife, and two teenage children. While his father is unwilling to disrupt his life to reconcile with his son, Elvis refuses to be ignored, taking drastic measures to insert himself into the family.

Well that's what the jacket says. I didn't get that too clearly. From the beginning I wasn't really sure of the relationship between Elvis and the pastor, but it seemed like they were father and son. And if so, is he really hooking up with his sister?! Elvis really feels like he has some sort of motive for everything he's doing, but I just wasn't able to see what. I can only assume it was payback.

Bernal is such a great actor. Is it just me or have you noticed that in most films starring Bernal they waste no time getting him in a sex scene. And lots of 'em. What sign is he?
Also in this movie is that silent guy from Little Miss Sunshine. He's a little intense actor too. During the last World Series of Pop Culture I lost a question that had his name in it. So just in case you find yourself in the same situation his name is Paul Dano.
Impress your friends.

Black Snake Moan

"Like Jesus said,
'I'm 'onna suffer you.'"

3.5 Stars

A true, good versus evil story. As much as I loved so many little things in this movie, it wasn't great. Having a hack actor like Justin Timberlake didn't help either. He's a graduate of The Keanu Reeves Acting Academy.

After finding sex-addicted 22-year-old Rae (Christina Ricci) beaten and near death, blues musician Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) acts as a father figure to help redeem her in this Southern-fried drama.

This movie was almost a story of an exorcism with voodoo tendencies. The character Lazarus is true to the parable of Lazarus which teaches the terrible result (hell) of neglecting others in need. I'm shure there are many other biblical reference in this that I just didn't catch.

This was the first movie I was able to watch for a while. I am currently afflicted with hives, and can't really concentrate on much else but my burning skin. I felt much like Ricci as she wiggled around on the couch during on of her spells.

The music was great too! I really love that music of The Black Keys was largely featured in the film. I've seen that band a number of times, and I can watch that guy play guitar all day long. He gets into a trance, and violently thrashes out the best blues riffs. Knowing his performances, it really matched the tone of the movie.

I really expected more from this movie, but in all honesty I can't stop thinking about it.


Plot summary courtesy of Netflix

Transamerica

"'-Beauty is relative.'
-Not my relatives.'"

4 Stars

I didn't want to see this movie for a while. Honestly I was afraid of how the transgendered would be portrayed. I don't feel it's a joke, and when I first saw the previews, it looked like a comedy. After some time, and listening to the great reviews it got from my trusted movie buddies, I said yes.

Transamerica is not only a portrait of a transgendered man but, a great road picture as well.
Bree (Falicity Huffman) is a week away from her final gender reassignment surgery, which for her is the final missing element in her life to make her feel whole. She receives a strange phone call from a Toby, apparently her son, who must be the product of a somewhat clumsy sexual encounter years ago when she was a man. He's in jail in New York, and hoped his father would bail him out. Bree tries her best to sweep the issued under the rug, but her therapist won't sign her surgery approval until she faces her past.
She bails out her son for one dollar, under the guise that she's from the church. Hoping to drop him off where he was raised, they hit the road.

I guess a story like this is predictable enough. They bond, the kid finds out, they have car trouble, tears, rage, laughs, the gamut. Doesn't mean it's not entertaining or moving.
She now has a son, who has no one, and believes his father is a rich playboy in LA.
What a huge change for someone whose never had to care about anyone but themselves. When you have a child, the child comes first, and that lesson was a fast and hard fact for Bree to grasp.

Now there was a little Victor/Victoria thing going on in the movie. Huffman, a genuine woman, plays a man, who is living as a woman. I thought it would be hard to look passed that, but she did such a great job! A very deserved Oscar nomination for her.
The subtleties of Bree's insecurities where great. She is constantly primping, tugging at her top, making sure that she is presentable. Even more, to be acceptable as a woman.
Her voice was great, and so what the greasy make up. It has always fascinated me why men or women who've had plastic surgery have oily, shiny faces!
Get some blot sheets girl!

Transamerica really reminded me of another great road flick, Around the Bend.
Though not the same situation, it did deal with father and son issues. In both films the sons have one idea what their father is, and they don't want to hear different.
From personal experience there is something magical about a road trip, that opens a person up. Maybe we feel this way on the road because it feels like we're never going back.

Children of Men

"Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices."

4 Stars

That quote has left a stain on my memory.
I can't stop thinking about that statement. These sounds that we may find annoying or intrusive are given new meaning after this film.

2027. The human race has been plagued with a mysterious affliction that has caused all women to be infertile.
We are introduced to this new world by the tragic news that the youngest living human has been killed at the age of 18. Making it even more painfully clear that the human race is quickly dying with him.

The ongoing phenomenon has resulted in rioting, terrorism, and protests. The world is so hopeless, the popular pharmaceutical is Quietus. A peaceful at home suicide kit.
There is also a large problem with immigrants in the picture, which I didn't feel was fully explained. But after watching the special features I understand. The special features by the way are real downers. Failing Eco-system, end of the world. Bad times. The short of the problem, people are illegally migrating to better ecological countries. Too many immigrants mean less resources available. So they've got to go.

Our hero, Theo (Clive Owen) was once an activist with his ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore). After the loss of their son he lost all the fight he had. Julian "reconnects" with Theo (We're not talking a chat over coffee.) asking for his help to transport a young immigrant Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) out of the country to The Human Project. Not really knowing why, Theo agrees and is quickly overwhelmed with the consequences.
He soon learns the truth of Kee's significance. She is pregnant.

This movie has had my mind racing. No more children.
I have never wanted to have children. Still don't. But this movie has me asking, if the world depended on it, would I try? I've had 2 dreams so far, that I am trying to get pregnant by strange means and keep failing.

A scene in an abandoned elementary school had me thinking, "I guess so.". No need for them anymore. Along with playgrounds, toys, or pediatricians. Kee is so young she has never seen a pregnant woman before, and has no idea how long she'll be pregnant for. I would think most prenatal care has been forgotten or at the least very hard to find.
Very thought provoking.

I had read a profile of Claire-Hope Ashitey in NYLON a year or two ago. I was so intrigued by the plot of the film she was working on, I wrote it on my movie list. Imagine my surprise during the preview to see Clive Owen starring. I thought I was in, but now I was all in. Hands down one of the best looking men I have ever seen.
And his voice? Like butter.
Michael Caine is fantastic as Theo's elder pot growing hippie friend. I was really close to choosing the quote "Pull my finger. Quick!" for this review.

The special effects are few but quality. The details of the environment put the viewer in the future.
Forget flying cars, I agree the future is going to be all about advertising.
Last about the effects, two words. The Birth.

Not only thought provoking, but exciting! A great action movie as well. My boyfriend pointed out that most action shots were one long take.
Very impressive.

Great movie. The missing star is for the cinematography. I really didn't care for
"the look" of the film.
That's just me.

Whitney was right. The children are our future.

Of Mice and Men

"I'll break that god damned cat's neck!"

4 Stars

What are the odds? I just said in my Places in the Heart review that I wanted to revisit Of Mice and Men, and it was added to my On Demand this weekend! Cool.
I remember seeing this film with my mom in the theater. My mom was a big John Malkovich fan, still is too, and was really excited to see this when it came out.

Most folks know the story but just in case you missed class that day here's quick summary.
The classic John Steinbeck tale of two friends - George (Gary Senise) and Lennie (Malkovich) - who wonder the country during the Depression. Lennie is mentally retarded and doesn't know his own strength causing frequent problems for his companion George.

Gary Senise not only stars but directs. Sherilyn Fenn (who will always be Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks to me) is in this as well. And for the record, she is quite simply one of the most stunning women I have ever seen. Gorgeous! Also Casey Siemaszko stars. He has been in so many movies Biloxi Blues (one of my favorites), Back to the Future, and Stand By Me just to name a few. Not too well known, but he always stands out to me for some reason. Great face on that kid.

Recalling the movie, I was always more sympathetic for Lennie. Killing animals by mistake, and not quite understanding his strength, but the facts of life as well. I'm pretty sure because I was a kid watching or reading the story I was able to identify with a guy who was as mentally developed as I was.
But this time around being a little older, I really felt for George being Lennie's caretaker. Much how I've seen my mom take care of her parents, it can be at times a physical and emotional burden. But as so many people do, they put that aside to care for someone they love.
George was sick of not being able to work on his own, to go out on the town with out making sure Lennie stays out of trouble while he's gone. He has given up a part of himself.

Honestly I had forgotten the ending. My mouth was genuinely agape!
He had to do it.

Here's to tending the rabbits.


Plot summary courtesy of iMDb.com

The Pusher

"......"

1 Star

I didn't even get 10 minutes into this film therefore I have no real quote. I read about this trilogy in NYLON magazine, and it sounded awesome. Now that I think of it, I think they were reviewing the last one which was released 2006 subtitled I'm The Angel of Death. So I decided to start from the beginning. Mistake...
I think.

Danish writer-director Nicolas Winding Refen achieved cult status with his feature film debut, the tale of a small-scale pusher named Frank who blows a big-time heroin deal and gets in trouble with a powerful drug lord. As the week drags on, Frank scrambles to pay back the money he lost, but attempts to raise serious cash take him into dangerous territory.

Drugs, violence, and that cool looking guy with the glass eye from the last 007 film Casino Royale sounds like fun! But I had a hard time. I have since read a couple of independent reviews and most really liked it.
Some were luke warm, but most liked it. I don't know.

If anyone else has seen it, and feel it gets better after the first 10 minutes let me know.
I've already returned it, but I might try it again. The next 2 movies sound great!
I'm not completely sold with my own opinion, so you may see this film re-reviewed.


Plot summary courtesy of Netflix

Reno 911! : Miami

"Sheriff's Department!!"
4 Stars

Anyone who has watched this show has a favorite. Raineesha has always been my girl. The spit curls, the booty, and her trademark "Haa!" just kill me. But whom ever your favorite is you will no doubt get the best of them in Reno 911! Miami and even fall in love with some others too.

Not that this movie needs much of a plot, but they did their best and it's just loose enough to keep it funny.
The Reno Sheriff's Department have been invited to a police convention in Miami.
Due to terrorists poisoning the convention center, all the officers inside are quarantined. A registration snafu prevents the Reno Sheriff's Department from entering the convention center making them the only officers available to patrol all of Miami.
See, just enough plot.

This has got to be one of the best comedic troupes assembled since The Kids in the Hall. Though some of you might remember this cast from the short lived 90s sketch show The State. I've always been so happy to see Thomas Lennon (Dangle) get work in either commercials, or small movies. As well as Kerri Kenney (Weigel) who has had bit parts, and I remember seeing her band Cakelike at the Warfield in the 90s too.
Micheal Ian Black, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Micheal Showalter, and the director of
Reno 911! Miami Ben Garant (Junior) have all come from The State.
Puddin' any one? Awwwww yeeeeaah.

To tell you the truth I'm still not done with the disc. The movie was way too short in my opinion, so I'm going through each and every special feature the disc has to offer. The outtakes and deleted scenes are so funny. I love these guys.
And yes, although Raineesha is my homegirl, I now have a fat crush on Dangle. Awwww yeeeaah.

Shogun Assassin

"Today I will begin walking
the road to hell."

4 Stars

I'm a loyal fan of Quentin Tarantino. I've seen his films many times over with and without commentary. With special features now available on DVDs, I get to know Quentin and his work in depth.
To learn more about his filming style I watch films that are a great influence to him. For example the movie Blowout by Brian De Palma influenced him a great deal making De Palma his favorite director.
Revisit Scarface and you will see what I mean. I hope.

My purpose for watching this film comes from my heavy summer viewings of Kill Bill Vol. II (Vol. I is best at the end of winter.). In it, as The Bride puts her daughter to bed, they cuddle and watch Shogun Assassin. From watching KBII so many times, I had the beginning dialogue of Shogun already memorized!

Going into this one I really didn't think I would last 15 minutes. I'm not a huge Kung-Fu movie fan, and know little about the genera. I tend to get bored with them, but this one was cool! Released in 1980 this movie hold up as an honest classic.

This story is but one of the many Lonewolf and Cub revenge series. A great warrior (Lonewolf) looses his wife by the blades of the Shogun's ninjas. This warrior is the only man the Shogun fears, and will stop at nothing to see him, and his infant son dead.
But you can't stop The Wolf!

The kid is adorable, the music is rad, and the whole film is framed and shot like a comic book! Okay, graphic novel. My favorite shots are of the Shogun. Yellowish nasty hair, against blue blue sky, and lit with what looks like a flood light. Awesome.
The fight scenes aren't elaborate, but again comic book fights aren't either. It's more about the facial anguish, and carnage. Ears, noses, and limbs are lopped off and bright red blood ridiculously sprays out of people, but it works!

When watching these particular chosen movies, I am looking for their impact on Quentin's work. I'm pretty sure he used this film as a template of sorts for Sin City.
Don't get me wrong, I don't love everything Tarantino related. I saw Blowout, and it blew. After seeing this one, I would love to tell QT,
I get it.

Places in the Heart

"I don't care if it kills me,
I don't care if it kills you!
I'm not gonna give up!"

3.5 Stars

I am just on this constant search for depression era movies. I saw a clip of this film on an AFI special. The subject was death in film. A scene of this film was highlighted to show how in the 30's it was common practice for families to prepare the dead on their kitchen tables, and hold funerals in their living rooms. That scene was enough for me to watch it.

Texas, 1935 Mrs. Spalding played by Sally Field has been recently widowed, and after years of homemaking, and raising a family she is now has to learn how to be the sole bread winner. Not knowing the first thing about how to run a home financially (including how to write a check), the bank had to inform her how much money she actually had. And it wasn't enough to keep her home, or her children.

An experienced cotton farmer Mozes played by Danny Glover shows her the potential of her land and that from harvesting cotton she could make a good profit.
The bank also gives her a break in a real small town way. Her banker asks her to take in his blind relative Mr. Brown (John Malkovich) and charge him rent, to get him out of their house. By doing so the bank will give her more time to make some money.

Seeing Malkovich so young was great. I really miss his work. Watching this I want to revisit Of Mice and Men. Is that one a depression era movie too? Malkovich was nominated for an Oscar for this film along with Sally Field. She actually won for this role, which resulted in her famous "You like me" speech.

Ed Harris is also in this film involved in a love triangle side plot. Here's another trivia answer for you.
While filming he met and fell in love with his co-star Amy Madigan (No matter what she does she will always be Chanice Kobolowski. "For the best in tires see Chanice Kobolowski"), and they were married before filming even wrapped. And they've been married ever since.

As the movie went on I got more involved, but for me it just didn't have enough heart. It moved way too fast, and the Ed Harris side plot was really unnecessary. As for the depression era stuff, it wasn't that prominent. But it was set in 1935 so the worst was over, and folks were slowly getting their lives back.

Last thing, the young daughter was named Possum. Oddly enough, the name was adorable.

Nanny McPhee

"I did knock."

3.5 Stars

After the particularly hard day I had, it was great to come home and have a movie like this waiting for me. Bright colors, magic, and fantasy. The movie was 3.5 but the timing was 5.

The film's plot and title are based on the popular Nurse Matilda books by British author Christianna Brand. And you can really tell is an adaptation of some sort, but in a good way! Very fairytale like, loved it.

This is the story of Mr. Brown (Colin Firth) and his seven children who have recently lost their "mum".
I was happy to see the kid from Love Actually was in this too, Thomas Sangster as the eldest child Simon. He looks like a Jack Russel Terrier, I just want to paint his nose black.

Since their mother's passing they have been so rowdy, that Mr. Brown has gone through every nanny in town. Until one evening a horrible looking woman is at the door named Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson), and claims she can help. The quick flashes of her appearance are so funny. Her bulbous nose (cut to) - her uni brow (cut to) - her warts (cut to) - her snaggle tooth! Good for Emma.

Keeping his family financially afloat is his Great Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury). Where under her terms, Mr. Brown must re-marry within a month or he will be cut off. Yikes.
But as it goes, the love he was looking for was right in front of him the whole time. Sigh...
I know it's a bit predictable, but I needed that right then.

Thank you Nanny McPhee, for making us laugh at love. Again. <-- That kills me!! :)

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

"Be white.
Live white.
Like this."

3 Stars

I was recommended this movie by many outlets, seeing how much I enjoyed the now cult classic Oldboy by the same director Chan-wook Park. If you haven't seen that movie do it now, before the US tries to ruin it.
These movies are part of a revenge trilogy by Park. The last being Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, which I have yet to see. Though nothing, I mean absolutely nothing with compare to Oldboy, I was thrilled to know that there were others just as twisted.

After a 13-year imprisonment for the kidnap and murder of a 6 year old boy, beautiful Lee Guem-ja starts seeking revenge on the man that was really responsible for the boy's death. With the help of fellow inmates and reunited with her daughter, she gets closer and closer to her goal. But will her actions lead to the relief she seeks?

This movie was really slow compered to its ending. When I got to the last half of the movie I thought,
"Now this is the movie I was wanting to watch!". Without giving away too much, Lee captures the man responsible for not only the boy's death, but the death of four other children. She then gathers the parents of each child, and asks what she should do with him. That whole scenario was nail biting.

Not enough gore for me. But I do like the sadism throughout though. To tell you the truth after this film I'm not too excited to see Mr. Vengeance. But it's a trilogy so I'll give it a shot. Let's hope for 2 out of 3.

Plot summary courtesy of IMDb.com.

Glory

"If I should fall, remember what you see here."

4 Stars

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? "Didn't she just say in her last review that she doesn't like war movies?" Well I don't...but I liked this one! I am particular when it comes to war movies. Pretty much anything WWI or II to present, I'm out. But from the Civil War back, I'm cool. I really like these period pieces, and that how I choose to see it.

Based on the letters of Colonel Robert G. Shaw (Mathew Broderick). Shaw was an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War who volunteered to lead the first black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers.

Also starring Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman which proved to me without a doubt that these two are classic American icons of acting. Flawless.

When I first sat down to watch it I was worried it wouldn't hold up. I thought that Matthew Broderick looked too young and fresh to be in a Civil War movie. But then I read the prologue and learned that Colonel Shaw was only 23. That helped.
The scene that really got me into it, was the morning after Colonel Shaw informs his troops of their fate if they are caught training as US Army men. He wakes to survey how many men have left to discover not one has left the camp. Chills.

I liked the range of characters as well. The troop wasn't solely former slaves, but men of all kinds. Free, slave, or educated. Thank you. That was very refreshing to see in a Civil War era film.

Glory was filled with touching, and inspiring moments, and yes it really has held up. I was however disappointed in the special features on the DVD though. Win some, loose some. Right, 54?


Plot summary courtesy of IMDb.com.

The Good Shephard

"Tell me you love me."

1 Star

This movie sucked. In my opinion. It wasn't on my list of movies to begin with. I don't care for government or political subjects too much.
For me it was really hard to follow. I can't even give you a good summary of the plot. I just couldn't follow it. I was asking my boyfriend what was going on throughout the film, and even he had to say, "I don't know. Just watch it."

An upstanding, sharp-minded Yale student, Edward Willson (Matt Damon) is recruited to work for the fledgling CIA during World War II. Though loyal to his country, Wilson begins to feel the job eroding his ideals, filling him with distrust and destroying his personal life.

I was pleased to see Bobby D. direct, and he did a good job. Angelina Jolie is in this too with her rat hands. Sorry. And so was John Turturro. He's such a good actor, I don't blame him for doing this film.
He got to work with Bobby D. for cryin' out loud. Yeah.

The DeNiro factor is the only thing that this movie's got. It was utterly forgettable. The only reason I remembered this quote is because it's context was so dumb. My boyfriend and I have been saying it to each other since the watching it, and it makes us laugh every time.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

"I'm not living with you!
We occupy the same cage, that's all."

3 Stars

I didn't plan to watch so many vintage movies this month, my queue just lined up that way. I do however remember putting this one on it.
My boyfriend gave me a great book by Elizabeth Taylor called My Love Affair with Jewelry. Her stories are so detailed, and through the book I really started to like Liz, and I wanted to see more of her movies. This one is supposed to be a classic so here goes.

A southern family celebrates the homecoming of their wealthy father "Big Daddy" (and they say that name constantly!) played by Burl Ives. Everyone is awaiting the news about his health. If Big Daddy croaks, someones gotta get the money. Brick, played by Paul Newman, who is obviously the favorite son has developed a drinking problem and everyone wants to know why. Including his wife Maggie the Cat, infamously played by Elizabeth Taylor. And Big Daddy's daughter has filled the house with her annoying kids that won't sit still, or shut-up!

I've seen her deliver the line "I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof!" a number of times, so I wasn't too impressed. (That's me with the hype again.) As the movie progressed I realized everyone in this movie feels like that. They just want to jump off!
The film has great monologues from everyone in the family letting it all hang out. I was crackin' up when Big Daddy was yelling at his wife. So funny.

The biggest blow out of the film is between Maggie, Brick, and Big Daddy. When it comes out why Brick is an alcoholic, my view of this movie drastically changed.
After a bad accident, Brick had to give up his career as a pro-football player. Sounds reasonable. But then we find out it's not football he's grieving it's his "best friend" Skipper. He goes on about how no one could ever know how much he cared for him.
I then remembered that this is written by Tennessee Williams. Wasn't he gay? Yup.
I started to watch the film now with the impression that Brick is gay. Very well written.

From the beginning the family is on Maggie's case because she's not pregnant yet. Then, he pours his heart out about his love for Skipper. Maggie complains that Skipper was more important to Brick than her.
When asked by Big Daddy why he drinks Brick answers, "I'm ashamed, Big Daddy. That's why I'm a drunk."

OOOoooo, how rrrandy!!

Paper Moon

"Now, eat your Coney Island."

5 Stars

I am really enjoying watching movies that I know absolutely nothing about. When Tatum O'Neil was on Dancing with the Stars last season, E! played her True Hollywood Story, and I got interested. They talked so much about Paper Moon, and how her life changed after the film.
So next day I put it in my Netflix queue, and here it is. No wonder why the country fell in love with this girl. She is so cute, smart, and sneaky, that I had to watch the film twice. I didn't want it to end.

We meet a young girl named Addie (Tatum) whose mother just passed and since she's never known her father the only family she's got left is her aunt who lives in another state. When Moses Pray (Ryan) comes to pay his respects at the funeral he is persuaded to deliver this girl to her aunt. Addie quickly figures out that this man is a con artist, and in her opinion not a very good one. Together they hustle the best of 'em.

There's one scam they pull a couple times, and it took me a some friends of mine a few viewings of it to really see what they were doing. Something like, "Can you change a $5?" turns into, "Look, I've got too many ones, can you just give me a five dollar bill?", turns into "Here, just give me a $10.". In the end, we figured out they make 5 bucks and some change ...I think. But now I'm really watching myself and others when giving out change.

I was also happy to see it was a depression era film. While these two were driving, they passed folks on the side of the road with all of their belongings, or just walking to nowhere with their families. It was like seeing the Joad family from The Grapes of Wrath making a cameo.

This film seemed timeless. It was so well made. I watched all the special features the disc offered. Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, he made good use of long seamless shots. He also made sure that everything in frame was in focus, the heightened depth of field really puts you in the movie.
He had a great antidote about working with Madeline Kahn, who has a role as Trixie Delight.
There is a line where she says, "Why don't you let Miss. Trixie sit up front with her big ole tits?"
Now, according to Bogdanovich during rehearsals she refused to say the word "tits". She just couldn't.
Right before shooting the scene, Bogdanovich whispers to her, "Come on, just say 'tits'.", and she did.
Playing the scene over he said when she chuckles, that's not Trixie that's Madeline. She was genuinely embarrassed that she said it. It's very cute. Funny thing though, later that night I watched History of the World : Part 1, where she deliverers the line, "My tits are falling off!". I guess she got over it.