NUTSHELLS

Over the break, I soaked my face in mucho media.
Then I did this.

God Bless America
Eight soliliquies (no, that's too poetic; let's just call a spade a spade and go with "rants") about how shitty pop culture and celebrities and everything else has gotten in this country interspersed with some graphic, gory violence. Bobcat spent a month watching the worst shit on TV and then just made a movie about how obviously bad it all is and then he killed it. Cheap and easy. Of course, we want to kill these people; reality TV stars, inconsiderate neighbors, screaming, idiot protestors, uber-Republican loud mouths, people being assholes at movie theaters...we've all written/acted in/seen this movie every day of our lives.
Anyway, there are some funny moments, but not enough.
Oh, and the moment when after the super-articulate and deep and wise-beyond-her-years teenager has a rant about what "real" and "good" music is and then get mad at the guy for calling her Juno...doesn't mean she isn't talking and acting like Juno, Bobcat.

Barbarella
Okay, you've seen the Flash Gordon movie from 1980? This makes that look like JFK.
I have NEVER had an erection this confused in my LIFE.
I want to track down the source material; the, no doubt, sexy French comic books, and just see what in the sopping wet FUCK is (supposed to be) going on here.
Also, SO MANY THINGS borrowed or just stole from this thing, I'd name a few, but I'm worried that thinking too hard about this will cause me to disintegrate and end up floating in that giant bong.
Jesus what a mindfuck.

Ghostbusters
Perfection, as always.

Halloween 2
I was astonished at how much better than the first film this was...really. There were still a heckuva lot of horror movie tropes, but there was ethos and pathos and other Greek words. Some weirdness as Michael sort of became a mountain man for a while*, but then he started killing again and having weird dreams about his dead mom and things go from there. Great sound design and, at one point, there is a huge backwods Halloween Jamboree (less redneck than I'm making it sound) where these three hot chicks dress up like Magenta, Columbia and Farnk N. Furter, and, guys, the chick dressed as Frank had me all in a tizzy.
I think I'm gay for Tim Curry.
Thanks, Rob.

Men In Black 3
Everyone said this made up for the second movie and it does. Really well done, although I would have liked a bit more time at MIB headquarters, I love the world they've made and I love spending time in it.
And Boris was so ulike himself I was giddy. Solid all the way round.
Although I'd love David Werner coming back as an evil Alpha like on the cartoon.

The Lion King
It was a gift for Christina.
It still works.
I'm 13 again and singing along with every song and bawling about a dead animated lion.

Resident Evil: Retribution
coming soon

Sons of Anarchy (season 5)
How can I watch a whole season (in two days) and STILL feel like NOTHING happened?
I mean, stuff DID happen, several folks died, allegences were shifted and there was some really great character stuff as well, but there is so much threatneing and then backing down (for good reasons or not)! I'd like to see the final season of this show, when Kurt Sutter has noting left to lose...that is when the stakes are going to rise for me.

Dexter (season 7)
Some might say that this show has been entirely pointless up until the last fifteen seconds of season 6. I...kind of agree. The problem with all these shows that are based solely on the kernal of "someone has a secret and no one can ever find out", shows like Weeds, The Riches, Breaking Bad and Big Love, is that they sometimes have a habit of exposing the secret...and then completely eradicating the person or people to whom the secret was exposed, thus making the entire season a sort of "it was alll a dream" thing. Which is sloppy as hell. But, SPOLIERS, when they FINALY expose Dexter's plot-centric secret to a character that CANNOT simply be eradicated...well, things do get kind of interesting. Although, much like SOA, I still feel like nothing has happened. Well, you know what they say, "eighth time's the charm".
Django Unchained
Wowie wow wow. I will watch Christoph Waltz in anything; you just can't tea your eyes away from him! And Jamie Foxx? Man, has he come a long way from In Living Color. While this is yet another revenge flick from Tarentino, I like his revenge flicks and, even though it's not Kill Bill, it was almost up there for me. One of the best performances by Samuel L. Jackson in a Tarentino film since Pulp Fiction.

Inglorious Basterds
After seeing Unchained, I wanted more Waltz.
Didn't love it the first time, didn't love it this time.
QT takes too long to tell a story that's too short. Not enough of the good stuff, too much of the bad stuff.
The jumps see a bit weird as well. We meet the Basterds ancd, next thing we know, they've killed dozens. There's a pervasive feeling that something is missing, and the ending is way too abrupt.
But, again, Waltz and Pitt are pure rocky gold.

Moonrise Kingdom
Oh, Wes Anderson! If there is ever a director and writer as Wes Andersony as you...well, I just don't know.
Troubled children acting like awkward little adults? Check.
Major Hollywood actors being cast against type? Check.
Some crazy cinematography? Check.
Bill Murray? Check.
This has everything a Wes Anderason movie needs and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Honestly, I can't think of anything else to say about it.
Oh, no, wait, I know! The kids he cast give me hope for this generation of child actors.
Other than that...? You keep makin' 'em, Wes, and I'll keep watching 'em.









* For all you wondering what Michael Myers looks like under the mask...he look likes John Balance...at least according to Rob Zombie.