Tag: three sentence movies

The sequel to this movie–which I watched first–was full of zany humor, and I assumed this would be the same. However, it was much less zany funny and more desperate funny, which I found enjoyable in a chuckling sort of way.  I haven’t seen Adam Goldberg in years* and spent a lot of time contemplating why, as an actor, he would get all those tattoos.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched:  at home

*I heard he has a new TV show this fall?

I had to wait through the entire summer before time was found for the boyfriend and I to see this movie.  It was worth it, though, because what I saw was the perfect mix of adventure and humor and heartache and best of all:  freedom, which was portrayed in that way that only adolescents can experience freedom.  Several times I looked at Matt and he was slack-jawed with delight, because this is that kind of film.*

Cost:  $3.00
Where watched: at the Laurelhurst with the boyfriend.

*seriously, this was a perfect movie.  You must see it.

Whew!  The second viewing was even more enjoyable because I knew where the story was going and could relax my way through the plot and think about the characters and their interactions.  I love that the director/actors/writers aren’t shy about exposing all the warts of their characters.

Cost:  $3.00
Where watched: Laurelhurst with S. North.

On the one hand, this was a rather boring movie with an annoying main character, and I just didn’t care very much about anything that happened.  On the other hand, it was interesting to see actresses I don’t usually see very much of.  Also, there was a bit of a mystery that was solved at the end in a very satisfying way.

Cost:  free, on loan from co-worker from his library system
Where watched: at home.

I read half the book, became confused and hoped this movie would clear things up.  It did a little, but I found the film just as boring as the book and nearly as confusing.  There are flashback scenes that I only could tell were flashbacks because I’d read the book, so overall, this was a dud.

Cost:  free from library
Where watched:  at home.

Oh Season Four, you did something few television shows do: throw off the majority of your lead characters, tumble the fortunes of the others, while deftly introducing four brand new characters.  And you managed to make me still tune into the fortunes of a small-town football team, even though I’m still so football illiterate I can never read the entire scoreboard before you cut back to the football action.  How do you manage to do this?

Cost:  free from library
Where watched:  at home, with Matt.

What was spectacular about the Spectacular Now was the acting and the actors.  Both sank into their roles in a way that I don’t often see in a movie with teenagers and for that alone this movie is worth seeing.*  I had problems with the ending–it felt revised and tacked on in an unsatisfying way–and I didn’t feel a tremendous depth, a problem I solved by reading the novel, which was quite good.**

Cost:  $7.00
Where watched:  Living Room Theaters with S. North.

*There were a lot of interesting non-standard teen movie things to like about this movie.
**In novel/book comparisons, I observed that it is very difficult to bring to the movie screen a book character like Aimee, the female protagonist/lead.  I think the problem is that everything is shiny in the movies, making it difficult to project the inherent awkwardness/uncool persona that easily comes across on the page. Nerds live in books, easily.  They don’t really exist well on the silver screen.

This was much better than the previous Wolverine movie which shall not be referred to ever again.  As with Iron Man 3, the superheros are more interesting when they can’t be quite so super.  The movie was a bit slow in places and I had time to contemplate the fact that really only Hugh Jackman could pull off some of those lines, but overall, a pretty good way to spend a summer afternoon.

Cost:  $5.00 ($5.00 Tuesday special)
Where watched:  Regal Tigard Cinemas, with mom and Matt

This was a fun, funny, well-acted film that you should see because all the main actors are clearly having so much fun.  But my favorite part was the way the people in the town told the story of poor Bernie and that horrid Marjorie Nugent.  After the movie is done, you can watch the great DVD extras of the locals telling town stories and how Richard Linklater was interested in the story very early on.

Also!  Jack Black in a scene from my very favorite stage musical!