Random Reviews: The Adventures of Tintin

Many are cynical about motion-capture animation being used to make full-length movies (after that brief "Yellow Submarine" fiasco, many downright dread it), and even more people are cynical about the action-adventure genre. Yet all that cynicism seems to be dead in the wake of "The Adventures of Tintin", the Belgian comic-hero's biggest big-screen adventure ever. Maybe its the names involved that are breaking down any doubts about this movie: Steven Spielberg directing, Peter Jackson producing, and Andy Serkis starring as the drunk captain to end all drunk captains (which is quite an accomplishment when you look at the candidates), Captain Haddock.

The expectations from the international Tintin-fan community are heavy, but Spielberg and Jackson have come packed with ammo. The movie is action-packed, well-written, and well-casted,and it's impossible not to get involved in the adventure, which starts almost immediately after the credits.

This film's plot, first written by "Doctor Who" writer Steven Moffat and finished by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, puts together three of Tintin's best graphic novels: "The Crab with the Golden Claws", "The Secret of the Unicorn", and "Red Rackham's Treasure". When our cowlick-headed hero (played by Jamie Bell) finds a beautiful antique ship, he immediately falls into a dangerous treasure hunt for the pirate booty of a Haddock ancestor, joining up with the last-living Haddock in a race against the evil Sacharine (an unrecognizable performance from Daniel Craig).

The movie has so much going on in every frame, it's impossible to take in all the richly-detailed CGI world in one sitting. The animation is truly realistic, and most importantly, it isn't creepy! We truly become connected with the digital Tintin and Haddock, as well as the very funny Thompson and Thompson, who are compeletely alive and characterized as if they were real. The actors are truly to thank for bringing each character out of the books with their inventiveness and uniqueness intact. In fact, the director is to thank for taking the ENTIRE WORLD out of the books with it's uniqueness intact. The locations are realistic, but the action scenes are amazing and fantastical.

The only problem with the movie is, despite a 107-minute running time, I still felt a little unsatisfied by the end. You might be exhausted by the near two hours of adventure, but I thought that there was still lots of room for more Tintin. Fortunately, the ending is so open with its hopes for a sequel that it's impossible not to miss. And just like a certain fedora-hatted college professor we all still love despite a lackluster fourth installment, this is a hero we're not going to get tired of anytime soon.

Awesome Alert! Epic trailers for Christmas

The hype for next year is massive; we have "The Dark Knight Rises", "The Hobbit Part 1", and the ever-mysterious "Prometheus" all coming out in 2012, making every fanboy hope that those messed-up Mayans were wrong. Thanks to three new trailers, our curiousities have been peaked, and we now hold endless speculation as to what on Earth will these films hold in store:

"The Dark Knight Rises": By now, we all have this one memorized. Alfred is sad, Gordon's gonna get pink-slipped, Anne Hathaway is warning Bruce about "a storm", Bane blows-up a football game, and the guy from "Inception" is DOING SOMETHING. What is easy to tell is that Bane is planning a massive "Occupy Gotham" movement, except more violent and revolution-like. What is not easy to tell is whether or not Selina Kyle is on Batman's side, since she doesn't really warn Bruce so much as reveal to him what 's coming up for all of Gotham. She's probably not evil, but she's definitely involved in the "Occupy Gotham" plan one way or another. That still leaves us with a number of questions: Why exactly is Bane trying to destroy the city? Will Alfred die Rachel Dawes-style? And what is Joseph Gordon-Levitt DOING?

"The Hobbit:An Unexpected Journey": This one is so minimalistic that it makes the "DKR" trailer look like it's giving away every secret it has. While "TH" is supposed to get us excited, it's purpose is more of a introductory one. We meet Young Bilbo, who's life is very comfortable at the moment, just as he is meeting Gandalf the Grey for the first time. We meet every last Dwarf, in quick succession, as well as, surprisingly, the ancient Galadriel, who seems to be much more intimate with Gandalf than she was even with Frodo. The main feel of this trailer, as it should be, is adventure; an adventure which is far more dangerous and significant than ever before.

"Prometheus": Now if you REALLY want to see what "paranoic secrecy" looks like, check out the preview for Ridley Scott's new "Alien"-universe film. We know that we are going to finally learn what the heck those giant Space Jockeys from the original space-chiller were for, but we will also learn that these Jockeys hae something to do with our origins as a species (there is no idea creepier than that). And whatever galaxy-sized secret that is, it's got Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron scared out of their wits. Attention all Ripley-fans, get those animatronic chest-bursters ready.

The Doctor's Dillemma

Before "Battlestar Galactica", before "Star Wars", even before "Star Trek", there was the Doctor. Started on Nov. 23rd, 1963 (17:16:20 to be exact), "Doctor Who" is the most successful and long-lasting science-fiction TV show in history, thanks partly to the Doctor's ability to regenerate, allowing numerous different actors to play him and keep the show going. Speaking of the Doctor, I guess I should introduce him.

The Doctor is a Time Lord, an almost-immortal humanoid alien who is the last of his kind. He travels through all of time and space (and I do mean ALL of time and space, he even went to the end of the universe in the episode "Utopia") in a time machine called the TARDIS (permanently disguised as a 1960's Police-box), combatting evil and saving lives without guns or thank yous. Since he's insanely lonely (having your whole species wiped out will do that to you), he comes to Earth every now and then to pick a brave or open-minded human as his companion to travel in the TARDIS (usually it's a VERY attractive young British woman who can, fortunately, act). The Doctor, in short terms, is an ancient and well-known character that terrifies some entire alien worlds with the mere mention of his name. In long terms, I will quote a little British boy from the episode "The Family of Blood" when he talks about him:

He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe. And...he's wonderful.

And now he's getting a movie.

At least, that's the rumour that has begun circulating in the last litle while. This Whovian storm includes such theories as David Yates (director of my favourite Harry Potter movie, "Deathly Hallows Part 1") helping to bring the Doctor to the screen, and the movie starting from scratch with a new Doctor (not the current TV Doctor). David was actually the one to start this whole thing with some "off-the-cuff" remarks on the Red Carpet. Steven Moffat (the head writer and executive producer of the present show), on the other hand, is putting his foot down and saying NO (See Twitter post above left). Since Steve is closer to the Doctor than Mr. Yates, I'm siding with him. While an accessible (and AMAZING) international film would be good for proppelling the show forward, we don't want to rush into this (remember the first "Twilight"?). If the Doctor were to ever make a new movie, he must have his Brit-ness intact and his weirdness too. Doctor Who should never be dumbed down.

For any people new to the show, or who doubt some obscure(!!!) British kiddie's TV show could make a great movie, I have included my set of favourite, and most cinematic, Doctor episodes to show the kind of awesomeness the Doctor could wreak on the Big Screen (For any Whovians reading, I apologize if I'm one of those newbies who only knows the 10th and 11th Doctors):

"Human Nature/Family of Blood", (May-June 2007)

This brief, but powerful two-parter explores what would happen if the Doctor were to become human, deciding to disguise himself in order to hide from the alien Family of Blood-not because of fear, but out of mercy for the pathetic villains. Doc's brief vision of a wonderful human life, his final epic decision, a genuinely powerful war-veteran moment...it's all too much to leave a dry eye anywhere. Great acting as well.

"Utopia"/"Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Time Lords" (June 2007)

While some fans were dissapointed with the third part, this is now probably one of the best-known of all the story arcs. The Doctor's archenemy, the Master, returns and holds nothing back in his victory over the Doctor and conquering of Earth using victims from the future. One of the defining moments for the Doctor, his companions (especially the lovely Freema Argyeman, who must uphold much of this story), and of course, the delightfully psychotic Master.

"Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" (May 2008)

Possibly my two favourite episodes of the entire series, this brilliant duet concerns the Doctor and his new comp Donna visiting a planet-wide library, which turns out to be deserted save for a small group of archeologists and some very dangerous creatures in the shadows. Highly imaginative, highly intense, highly recommended.

"Turn Left" (June 2008)

Dead Doctor, Dead Martha, Dead Sarah Jane Smith, Dead Britain, Concentration Camps, A Life-Sucking Beetle...one the great "Doctor-lite" episodes, and a highly moving experience.

"The Beast Below" (April 2010)

One of the most imaginative and fairy-tale like episodes, and woefully underrated. The Doctor and the pretty Amy Pond travel to a future Space Station Britain where the current Queen (the amazing Sophie Okenedo) is trying to uncover a creepy conspiracy. Shows what real Sci-fi should be.

"

Random Reviews-The Interrupters

It seemed for a while that the city of Toronto was the deadliest place on Earth, when guns started going off everywhere. Turns out, that was nothing compared to the war zone that was, and still is, Chicago. The situation is so bad, the government is considering sending in the National Guard.

Despite all this, "The Interrupters" is actually pretty peaceful. Instead of the good guys shooting and beating on any gangbangers, they talk to them. Just talk. And that actually makes all the difference.

Director Steve James, the same guy you sports fans remember as the director of "Hoop Dreams", tackles yet another story of inner-city life and hardships. He follows three Interrupters, who work for the organization Ceasefire to prevent conflicts: Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams, and Eddie Bocanegra. All three have tons of street cred and smarts, due to the fact that they all have been former violence causers themselves. Both Ameena and Cobe had influential criminal fathers (Ameena's father, Jeff Fort, was actually one of the most powerful gang leaders of his day), and they followed those dangerous paths in their youth. Also, Eddie is scarred forever by a retaliatory killing he did as a 17-year-old. Now, all three are reformed, and they strive hard to clean their neighborhoods of the disease of violence that has swept the city.

Steve James never shows us much explicit stuff, but he does use the less explicit to it's full potential. We see all these roadside graves, shoddy yet meaningful, covered with the names of those the deceased left behind. We see a funeral for a teenage boy that gets intense, as Ameena takes the oppurtunity to talk with the youth present. The movie doesn't use violence as it's sucker-punch, but it instead hits us with the consequences of this violence. We see people bawling constantly, but we also see the intense emotions of the Interrupters themselves. All three are still finding redemption for themselves, and it's not an easy road. Not for a moment.

The film is very long, but it doesn't feel like it; the pace feels very natural, exactly like real life feels, and the material is involving and provocative enough to carry us well past two hours. We get to see Ameena work a troubled teen through the post-gang stage of her life, Eddie inspire a bunch of elementary-school kids to overcome their surroundings through artwork, and Cobe help out both a regretful teen fresh out of jail as well as a gangster with borderline-schizoprenic emotions called Flamo. There were even more stories just as important as these filmed by James' crew, but they couldn't be included due to time restraints. With so much footage, Steve never runs out of ways to make us seriously think about the violence so close to our homes, in supposedly safe, comfortable North America. As the doctor who began CeaseFire says, violence is no different from every virile disease: those who are hardest hit by the infection must be cured for it to truly be stopped. And if what is shown in the movie continues to happen around America, that hope of a cure might come true.

"The Interrupters" is sad, sometimes strangely funny, down-to-earth, and necessary viewing for everyone who thinks the rash of urban violence cannot be stopped: it can, and, for the sake of the next generation, it must.

As I said, there isn't that much violence in "The Interrupters", but there is plenty of heroism.

Random Reviews: Transformers 3

Rating: 3.5 out of a possible 5

Like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Doctor Who, Transformers is immortal. Since 1984, when the Autobots and Decepticons (formerly the Micromen and Diaclones in Japan) first premiered in North America, the Robots in Disguise have lived on through cartoons, comic books, fanzines, fan-sites, toy lines, toy line relaunches, and basic love for the entire franchise. And now it has truly come to a head with Michael Bay's/Steven Spielberg's "Transformers 3".

I'm not going to blast or mock this film, like so many critics have; I already did that when I saw it. The point is, you cannot judge "Tr3" as a movie. You can only judge it as an incredibly violent, two-and-a-half hour volley of nonsensical carnage, awesome CGI, and giant robots beating the living tar out of each other. That's why I'm saying "Dark of the Moon" is good: it's completely entertaining, and we also get some brand-new scenes of incredible special effects.

As usual, the plot is very complicated, even for someone who is well-versed in Transformers mythology. In this one, we learn that the REAL reason JFK sent three men to the moon in 1969 was to investigate a giant alien spacecraft, the Autobot ship the Ark, before the Russians got to it. Years later, a shunned Sam Witwicky and his super-hot girlfriend Carly get entangled with the Autobots again, this time helping them to keep the parts for a space bridge (a transdimensional portal) out of the Decepticons' slimy hands, as well as deal with a certain very important Autobot, Sentinel Prime, who was on the Ark. All this leads to an HOUR-LONG battle in a Decepticon-ruled Chicago to stop them from bringing Cybertron to Earth. While the Autobot ranks stay pretty much the same, the Decepticons get an awesome new addition: Shockwave, the single baddest Con we have ever seen (the guy's entire right arm is a laser cannon!). What dissapointed me though was that Shock recieves no lines, that and the fact that Patrick Dempsey does NOT die at the hands of a Decep. I was really looking forward to that.

The first Transformers is still the best, but this one stands out amongst the past two in a completely unexpected way: it's dark. Not "Dark Knight" dark, but still gutsy enough to show scenes with people getting blown apart by invading Decepticons. Perhaps Michael Bay did this on his own, but I suspect Steven had a big say. The Chicago scenes of science-fictional genocide, as well as a killing by firing squad for a Jewish-looking Autobot, Wheeljack, bring to mind similar scenes from "Schindler's List". Also, a scene where Sam and Carly hide from a Decepticon is vaguely like "Jurassic Park", mostly the famous scenes with the Velociraptors. Whether Steven took command a little more or not, I have to give due credit to Michael for the action scenes. I have never seen better sequences of robot-on-robot pounding in my entire life, and it brings pure child-like happiness to my heart. Even better, these Transformers are voiced by Nerd Gods. It is strangely funny and awesome to hear Hugo Weaving start fighting Leonard Nimoy.

All in all, Transformers 3 is exactly what it should be: an adrenaline high of senseless violence. That does not make it a lousy film, but rather, it makes it some kind of a masterpiece of unadulterated, unabashed action cinema. It is not without heart though, and that is what makes it superior to "Revenge of the Fallen", and every other average blow-em-up film. Thankfully, we have been given an incredibly satisfying ending to the Transformers live-action films, just as long as you are not picky.

Best Movie Posters EVER

There was a time when movie posters were not an art form in my eyes. That has drastically changed over the past few years though, as I have come to realize how important that one-sheet is, and how artistic it can be. And now, since I'm too exhausted from 2nd term to write something, I have compiled together my complete collection of great movie posters. Enjooooyyy.... (I apologize for the odd spacing between the posters).

Books that should be Movies by now

There are some books that leap off the page so well it already seems like a movie. "Harry Potter", "Lord of the Rings", "Jurassic Park"... these all have had fitting celluloid versions. But there are still some classic books that have yet to see the light of the theatre...which they all deserve.

1.The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm (Nancy Farmer)

This is kind of a unkown classic, undeservedly underrated. A child-abduction thriller set in future Zimbabwe, it might be in a niche market, but at least it's something completely original, and I think African-American sci-fi fans are waiting for their own little cult favourite.

Director: Steven Spielberg

2.Animal Farm (George Orwell)

Yes, I know there have already been two films made for this book, but I want something better. I'm thinking that maybe what "Animal Farm" needs is "Fantastic Mr. Fox"-style hand-done animation and a more Latin-American bend. No, I'm not suggesting that because I have a massive cultural ego. It's because I feel no other continent fits the revolution-gone-bad moral of Orwell's story better than South America. Just by reading up on the multiple civil wars that have filled that continent's history, you can tell it would be the perfect setting for this tale.

Director: Terry George

3.Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)

I have kind of a soft spot for sci-fi, especially if the main character almost has the same name as me (I'm Ander, he's Ender. We could be twins!). EG is a brilliant novel, and is almost perfectly adaptable, although casting Ender would be difficult. This one adaptation is actually in the works, although we haven't heard anything yet.
Director: Ridley Scott

Starring Kodi Smit-Mcphee as Ender (okay, maybe not that difficult. This guy should do well in the role, despite his age.)

4.The Chrysalids (John Wyndham)

Okay, so this one might be a little too weird to adapt. Also, the lack of action and hardcore, deformed mutants might be a serious problem. At least the demand for supernatural teens is up (eg. "Harry P.", "Twilight"), and we also have the special effects to make truly believable and bizarre mutants.

Director: Peter Jackson

5.The Silmarillion (J.R.R Tolkien)

As you will recall, I made a post on whether or not making a "Silmarillion" movie was a good idea. I still think it's a decent idea, despite all the obvious difficulties, and it would be an exciting cinematic experience. The book is probably Tolkien's most impressive and immersive work, and all doubts aside, the series of movies made from this volume would be truly epic.
Director:Peter Jackson/Guillermo Del Toro

Starring Ralph Fiennes as Morgoth

6.The Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series (Chris Heimerdinger)

This is a REALLY good series. I've only read the first one completely, and am almost completed the second one, but the adventures are so cool and funny that they, like 60% of all Tom Clancy novels, positively scream "make me a movie". Only Mormon people will know this series, but enough people are fans of these books that it could do very well in Salt Lake.

Best of the Best: Mormon Movies

Due to my faith, which would be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, me and my family and friends have knowledge of one of the bigger branches of American independent filmmaking: Mollywood. Yes, Mollywood, that small little frontier of film production by the Mormon community. No matter you're opinion, these are not just tolerable but actually great films made by dedicated LDS filmmmakers. And these are the cream of the Utah crop...

The Best Two Years (2003)
I'm putting the best on first, which I know you're supposed to do last but I just want to get it out of the way. This is probably the "Citizen Kane" of Mor-vies. While other films are either all comedy or all drama, this has even doses of both, making for a very satisfying and realistic movie. Filmed on location in the Netherlands, the tale follows two pairs of Mormon missionaries as one of them, Elder Rogers, deals with his lack of faith and a new "greenie" mission-mate Elder Calhoun. Highly recommended, especially if you find missionaries annoying.


Baptists at our Barbecue (2004)
Think "Deliverance", without all the perverted stuff. That's the kind of small town our main character, Clark Bender, finds himself in after getting a transfer in order to escape Provo. It's also where he tries to end a nasty feud between the equally-large Mormon and Baptist communities, all while trying to get close to a beautiful blonde girl named Charity. Has some laugh-out-loud moments, and provides a nice and quirky look at religion that you can't get anywhere else.

The R.M. (2004)
Undoubtedly one of the best Mo-comedies ever, The R.M. has the ability to always be funny, no matter how many times you watch it. Missionary Jared Phelps finds a completely different world from the one he remembers when he returns home from Wyoming. When one thing after the other goes horribly wrong, Jared wonders why serving the Lord for two whole years has gotten him into this mess, and how he will ever get back up. Weird Mormons at their best.

One Good Man (2009)
"Minimalist masterpiece" might sound a bit much, but that's the kind of filmmaking being done here to give a modern-day fable about a LDS dad trying to stay strong during a tough time a good , charming atmosphere. This movie also proves that you don't need to be gross or mean-spirited to make a great family drama (ahem, "American Beauty").

The Singles Ward/The Singles 2nd Ward (2002/2007)
Both these films have a great and funny look at Mormon dating and marriage, but I enjoyed "The 2nd Ward" better. Fluffy, romantic, and not without soul, and if you like those things, this is good stuff.

The Home Teachers (2004)
Despite being a box office and critical bomb, this is still a pretty funny Mormon version of "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", with a good message at the end just like the latter film. Greg Blazer and Nelson Parker are two very different peas in a pod: Greg doesn't take his religion seriously, and Nelson takes it too seriously. Fortunately, the two both learn valuable lessons when they partner up for a disastrous and hilarious afternoon of Home Teaching. Still a good film.

Sons of Provo (2004)
One of the funniest of the funny, this is one comedy every Mormon has to see, and that has enough slapstick and boy-band mockery to appeal somewhat to non-members. A "This Is Spinal Tap"-style mockumentary, the movie follows the gut-busting misadventures of the boy-band Everclean as they try to survive the Utah pop-music scene (or lack thereof). Songs are both funny and unintentionally funky.

Blow off the Bunny: The 2 Best Religious Easter films

This weekend marks both Easter and Passover Seder, and you know what that means: out of the hundreds of people buying chocolate and bunny decorations, there's going to be a small minority of us paying attention to more serious matters. Both Jew and Christian alike will spend the weekend learning about and remembering important moments in religious and worldwide history, and that can mean a chance to see our old Easter favorites. And no, that doesn't mean "The Ten Commandments", which can be substituted for these two awesomer (and in my opinion, more powerful) films:

1. Ben-Hur ( William Wyler, 1959 )

Despite massive sets and a cast of hundreds, Ben-Hur still manages to keep an eye on the human aspect of the story. Ben's fury and violent revenge on his former BFF Messala is a great character flaw, and makes his newfound Christianity at the climax of the film a genuinely redeeming moment. The Crucifixion is presented well, with music and the reactions of others replacing the need for gore and brutality (ex. "The Passion of the Christ"). This movie also boasts the best ( and most dangerous ) chariot race scene, as well as the great decision to never show Christ's face, only his actions. This is an epic tale that never forgets the very personal core: Jesus Christ being the Redeemer of all.

2. The Prince of Egypt ( Brenda Champan+Simon Wells+Steve Hickner, 1998 )

"Prince" is a great movie, a worthy first picture from the Dreamworks team. Not only is it suitably powerful and heartwarming, but it's open enough for every religion to enjoy, rather than just the Hebrew community. That said, this might be better for Passover celebrations than Easter. "Prince of Egypt" is an ideal film to help kids better understand the story of the Exodus that is revered by several major faiths, and is also mature enough for adults to enjoy. While Val Kilmer is an odd choice to voice Moses, it's barely noticeable amid the perfect storytelling and intense soundtrack. So just pop in this gem once you're done lighting the Menorah and reciting the...wait a minute, I think I'm mixing up holidays...

Well, that's my critique of the two movies I feel are the best to show this time of year. Hope you agree, and Happy Easter/Passover!

The Silmarillion Movie: Yes or No?

After "Lord of the Rings", it seemed like anything was filmable. If Peter Jackson was able to bring Tolkien's grand opus to life on the silver screen, why not anything else? One failed "Watchmen" adaptation later, people are starting to think that there are some books that can't be touched. And one of these is "The Silmarillion".

While not nearly as famous as "LOTR", Tolkien's Middle-Earth version of the Bible is a hot topic among die-hard J.R.R fans. Is it truly Tolkien's work, if his son compiled and added parts of it? What is it's intended place in the M-E canon? But if one thing is for sure, it's that many of us Tolkienites would be perfectly cool with an awesome film version of it. But why would or wouldn't it work?

Well, it wouldn't work because, for one thing, it's far too long. You thought the Harry Potter movies were too much, imagine four 0r five 4-hour long films coming out every two years. Yeah, it would be HUGE. Secondly, the public is sadly unaware, and probably uninterested, in this saga, and so probably wouldn't flock to the theatres the same way they did for LOTR. Untop of all this, "The Silm." is NOT NEARLY as light and cheerful as LOTR was at some moments. Compared to the funny and happy moments where Legolas and Gimli traded height jokes, TS is as dark and tragic a collection of stories as you can wish to get. From the Fall of The Children Of Hurin, in which a human named Turin unknowingly marries and impregnates his own sister Neinor, causing both of them to commit suicide, it's clear to see this is not for the average viewer.

Now for my point of view, which states that a "Silmarillion" movie can and should be made. Yes, it would be a MASSIVE (I love capitals) project, and would probably require an international team of directors, scholars, visual artists, actors, and producers the likes of which the worldwide filmaking community has never seen before. Yes we're talking not one, but a series of million-dollar, "Lawrence of Arabia"-style epics with no happy endings, only new beginnings. But special effects and the ability to realize fantasy worlds have become almost limitless, so a TS film would be at least possible to do. People have also shown an appetite for Tolkien, if LOTR's success is anything to go by, so it's not like a film would be a total flop. It may seem like an impossible task, but with the right team and family of hard-working film wizards, anything is manageable.

I guess I can see why Christopher Tolkien is reluctant to allow a "Silmarillion" movie. I mean, this is his father's baby, his life's work, his ninth symphony. This would have to be a MAGNIFICENT series (yes, Capitals!!!) to be able to sit right and please everyone, but it's not like it's impossible. More like miracle-working. This would have to top the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, or we risk disturbing J.R.R's rest. May the Valar be with us.

Movies I want to see before I Die (Part 2)

And now to conclude the list of awesome films to see before I die, exhaustively researched and meticulously presented (Okay, not quite, but I put thought into this). If you have any movies you're dying to see as well, just post them. I can always learn from others...

Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006)
A dark fantasy with creepy yet beautiful visuals, monstrous creatures, and it's in the language of my fathers (Espanol, baby!). Not much left to say.

The Great Dictator, The Gold Rush, and basically any other Chaplin comedy (Charlie Chaplin, early 1900's)
I've seen about a third of The Great Dictator, and it was great enough to make me more interested in seeing the other films the Tramp has to offer.

The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966)
One of THE great war films, this exposing documentary-like dramatization of the Algerian war also boasts one of the greatest movie titles ever.

Duck Soup and any other Marx film (Marx Brothers, early 1900's)
I have NEVER seen the Marx Bros, and I'm curious to see how they measure up to Chaplin and the Stooges.

Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979)
This Soviet sci-fi classic sounds interesting, and, even though I already went and spoiled the entire movie for myself on Wikipedia, hopefully I'll forget what happens by the time I see it.

The Dark Crystal (Jim Henson + Frank Oz, 1982)
All the strange creatures and detail and tiny felt characters of the Muppet Show, but with an epic quest and a struggle between good and evil. Sure sounds weird, but it was ahead of it's time enough to still be groundbreaking. A pyschadelic "Lord of the Rings"-type fantasy with a cast made up entirely of puppets definitely would be interesting to experience.

Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois, 2010)
This came out recently, and has been sweeping up prizes, including the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes. I'm drawn to this movie about Trappist monks struggling during the Algerian Civil War for some odd reason, perhaps because it's such an obscure area that this movie covers, that being religious people surviving in Algeria.

That pretty much sums up my list. I was forced to exclude some movies (Apocalypse Now, Brazil, The Host) due to their R rating (Pan's L. is 14A here in Canada, so it's all good), but other than that I tried to stay as faithful to my tastes as possible. Hope you had your celluloid appetite wheted as much as I did.

Movies I want to see before I Die (Part 1)

We all have movies we are interested in the minute we hear about them. And discovering

new movies to add to our list of favorites is now a part of life for many people, including myself. And judging by the amount of films I am about to list as potential favourites, I have a lot to see, and maybe you can find some films here you would be interested in...

Ran (Akira Kurosawa, 1985)

Other than the fact that it looks stunning, this movie apparently has one of the all-time greatest battle scenes ever, with no sound other than the atmospheric soundtrack. Eerie.

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

It is true, I have not seen one of the best superhero movies ever. I am too young, and it requires an intelligent and mature mind to truly appreciate a realistic thriller like so. And I can go several more years without the Joker plaguieng my nightmares.

Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)

A expressionistic look at the future, "Metropolis" is the ancient classic every film buff wants to see. And it seems that "Metropolis"'s prediction of workers toiling underground for the rich elite living in above-ground utopias isn't too far from the present. Notice how C3-PO is directly inspired by the Doppelganger robot here.

Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa, 1952)

I want to see how much I cry at the end.

The Apu Trilogy (Satyajit Ray, 1955-59)

Considered the golden apple of Indian cinema, this trilogy tells the life of Apu Roy from childhood to single-parenthood in India. While the films may sound boring and uneventful, their said to have a "magic horse of poetry" (whatever the heck that means) that makes the whole thing worthwhile.

THX 1138 (George Lucas, 1971)

It's weird how Lucas can go from expiremental to selling lunchboxes. But that's the odd story of his career, which started with this highly-stylized rendition of the "1984" story. And I would be really interested to see what was in George's mind before blockbuster success forever turned him mainstream. Also, thanks to DVD technology, I can just skip that one nudie scene...

Safety Last! (Fred C. Newmeyer, 1923)

I was first introduced to black and white comedy by the Three Stooges, and my brothers and I have now grown fond of watching some good slapstick with our dad. Now, as I find out more about the good ol' days of comedy, I realize there are many more hilarious and dangerous antics to see.

Well, that should do it for today. But, as they say in Back To The Future Part 2... To Be Concluded!

Random Reviews: Rango

Rating: 4 out of a possible 5

When I first saw the teaser for this bizarre and fun film, I was interested.

The protagonist is a little green lizard in a hawaiian shirt, and he becomes a sherrif in a strange little town called Dirt filled with straange little animals. No other animated film for kids has ever been this detailed, this imaginative, this incredibly grotesque and surreal in a while. Every character is crazy-looking in their own special way: one bird has an arrow going through one eye and out the side of his head.

The reason for this is that this is the first full film to be made by ILM, George Lucas' special effects company that has been giving us CGI delights for decades. And this is quite a premiere for them. The ballad of Rango, as he goes from being a lonely pet lizard to the hero of a frontier town, is both filled with witty and highly-memorable characters and brings us to a strange alien world that is a combo of Pixar, spaghetti westerns, and drug-induced hallucinations.

Rango connects to me because people say the funny lookin' visage of our scaly hero is almost identical to mine. For some reason, I don't think of that as insulting: to be compared to this funny little dude is a compliment. This film is about finding your identity, and a creature as quirky as Rango is as close as some are going to get to understanding me. This is probably the case for lots of other weird little kids who have connected with this good film, and weird little kids in general: as I was sitting in the dark theatre, watching Rango, dressed in poncho and hat, slowly making his way towards the downright-scary Rattlesnake Jack, I realized that this is the way that all those kids felt. All those kids who sat glued to their seats, watching Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name prepare to blast away some more Mexican muchachos. The Western and the Animated film both transcend generations, and Rango has brought that tradition somewhere bold and fasciniting.