The Half-Blood Prince Takes Over

Once again Harry Potter invades my weeknight and deprives me of sleep so I can be one of the first to see the new movie, and once again I am impressed. There is a lot of story to tell, so the movie is long (I didn't get out of the theater until 3am). It also feels a little rushed in parts - there was no opportunity to flesh out the character of Fenrir, or the relationship between Tonks and Lupin. Entirely too much time is spent on Draco and his agonizing as well as his frequent visits to the mysterious cabinet hidden in the Room of Requirement.

The overall mood of the film is dark and foreboding. There is a slow build-up to the climax, so the sad event is less of a shock (in case you have been under a rock and don't know what is coming) than the death of Sirius in the last film. The crowning achievement of this film will be the acting accomplishments of its cast. Almost everyone delivers a completely solid performance and a few of them just hit it out of the park. The younger cast have come so far since the first movie, and although they are meant to carry the film, the major kudos go to the older cast. The most heartbreaking scene goes to Jim Broadbent, with Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon following close behind. I'll be seeing this one again (and again, and again) for sure.

Now to just comment quickly on the fans. I saw almost no children at the premiere, and it was a little funny to see how many adults were in costume. I suppose now the books have been out long enough there are a lot of kids (who are no longer kids) who have grown up with the series, much like we did with Star Wars. One pet peeve I have about these events are the seat hogs, though. I showed up nearly an hour early, and was still stuck in the breakneck seats due to all the parents holding entire rows of seats for their teenage children and all their friends (who enjoy getting up and down about 20 times before the previews start, stepping on your toes each time). Parents, make your grown child save their own damn seats and save yourself the trouble of looking like an absolute jerk.

Billy Bob Thornton is a Jerk

For someone who has made an enviable career in the movie business to suddenly jump into music and then pretend to have been a musician all along, this guy takes the cake. There is a fantastic tradition of actors (Keanu Reeves, Jenny Lewis, Russell Crowe, Kevin Bacon, Jared Leto... the list goes on and on) who transition into music and vice versa (Willie Nelson, Jessica Simpson, Dwight Yoakum, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick, etc.). Typically the majority of these individuals don't put up a lot of fuss if their "other" profession is named, since it usually attracts more fans to the other genre. Some act odd about it, hence the most recent debacle of Joaquin Phoenix and his "rap" career, but I've never seen anyone treat an interviewer like this guy did. His acting credentials are mentioned ever so briefly, and then all the questions that follow are music-related. Thornton answers none of them. When it finally becomes obvious the reason he is being so difficult is because his acting was mentioned, the VERY patient interviewer asks if he should not have mentioned it at all, to which Thornton rudely replies yes. He then compares himself twice to Tom Petty, who has a LONG career of music (and who, by the way also ventured into acting - but I don't recall Tom Petty ever being upset at being referred to as a musician rather than an actor). He then makes sure to tell the guy he has recorded five albums. I haven't heard of any of them, have you? I'll tell you what I have heard of - Sling Blade, Armageddon, Monster's Ball, Bad Santa, and the host of other films Thornton has been a part of. To pretend as if that is not what he's known for is to basically thumb his nose at all his fans of his previous work. He may not be a well-known musician, but he certainly has the prima donna attitude of a spoiled Hollywood actor. What a prick.

Link to Thornton Interview on CNN.com

UPDATE 4/13/09: Billy Bob cancels tour. Karma much?

Twilight Insanity

I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to vampire stories, so I never jumped right on the bandwagon of the Twilight series, but after seeing some of the preview scenes, I became curious. This past week, I saw the first book on sale and decided to get it to see what all the hype was about. I get it, and I certainly get what all the tween girls are swooning about - Edward is dreamy in a very Jane Austen hero kind of way. I literally couldn't put the book down. Naturally, I went and got the rest of the series and proceeded to devour them in about another day and a half.

So due to my morbid curiousity and because I am a glutton for punishment, I joined the throngs of squealing teen girls at the theaters last night for the midnight showing. It was an experience. First, I just sat there and observed them all in their sweat pants/flip flops ensembles chit-chatting, texting, gossiping... and then I remembered why I never considered myself "one of the girls" at their age. But then the lights dimmed and suddenly they all quit playing catty games with one another and transformed into a seething mass of dreamy hormonal mega-fans. My first moment of hilarity was when the new Harry Potter preview opened to thunderous applause and squeals. The next was when Edward appears on screen for the first time, and the entire room swooned with numerous "OMIGODS", dog-ear-piercing sounds and gutteral moans of teen desire. It will truly be a different experience to watch this movie without the electric atmosphere these girls provide, but I must say it added to the movie for me, just as watching Yoda pull out his lightsaber for the first time in a roomful of Star Wars geeks, or watching Gandalf become the White Wizard while sitting next to the dude who was making his own chain mail IN THE THEATER before the movie started (and flirting with girls for what had to have been the first time in his life).

I've heard this movie likened to the fabulous John Hughes movies of the 80's, and while I wouldn't put it on the same comedic level at all, this movie has more than its fair share of angst, brooding, and longing looks as well as plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It will never appeal to guys the way it does to girls, but it does have just enough action to not be in the same drippy romance department as The Notebook. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable. The writing deviates from the book in several ways, but basically stays true to the plotline. The dialogue has been updated a bit, with references to Google and MySpace, and the scenery is shot very well. This is going to be an instant classic for many who will remember the frenzy as a bonding time with other girls or a first crush. It isn't the best movie (who was expecting it to be?) but I loved it, and I'll see it again. You can't help yourself when surrounded by girly teenage love from all sides. I'm like, SO crushing on you right now, Edward!!

Okay, you have my attention...

I haven't been into Star Trek for years now, but I gotta admit it's looking interesting.

The Fall, Top Chef, and Online Idiots

Just watched a little-known movie recently out on DVD called The Fall. It was done by the same guy (Tarsem Singh) who was responsible for The Cell, and he brought the same gorgeous cinematography to this film. Its a sort of love letter to silent movie stuntmen and legends like Buster Keaton, but it is beautifully told and features a lovely little girl who in my opinion should be on the same level as Shirley Temple. If you get the chance, watch it!

The new season of Top Chef started this week, and I'm not as jazzed about these contestants, but hopefully that will change. The first quickfire was an elimination, and was rather blandly done with apples (Big Apple - New York, I get it. Blah.). The big challenge brought in some familar famous chef judges from seasons past, and had the contestants cooking from several different ethnic communities. It seems that the ones that make it to the end are either very politically correct and amiable, or really egotistical. It looks as if the ego award will probably go to Stefan, and rightfully so since he won both the quickfire and main challenges. Will that secure him a spot in the final? My money is on yes, but whether he will win in the end is, I hope, up for debate. The hottie is most definitely Jeff, and I love quirky Carla. I'd love to see her, Gene, Hosea or Jamie make the final cut. I'm not picking a winner this time since Richard broke my streak last season, but I'll be watching every week!

And finally, in the stupid news category, this report on CNN about a Second Life divorce just really takes the cake for non-newsworthy reporting. I'd like to know what lame-o executive over there has so few real life experiences that a ridiculous break-up of two people who cannot exist out from behind a monitor screen is one of the top national news stories today. Aren't there more important things happening? I don't give a flying fart about two WoW-addicted morons who spend their time trying to make their online personalities work since they can't seem to have one in reality. Don't get me wrong - I have spent a significant amount of time playing games, and I'm a big fan of The Sims, but GET A LIFE ALREADY (NOT a "Second Life")!!!!

Sad News

I was very unhappy to hear of Paul Newman's passing some weeks ago, as I have been a fan of his practically all my life, and admired him greatly not only for his acting ability but his character and selflessness as well. But I was not shocked at that news, since it had been widely reported that he was suffering with cancer.

The news about Michael Crichton's death from cancer today was a big shock, and I'm sad to hear of it. He has been a huge influence not only in the literary world, but television and movies especially. I'm sorry we won't see more amazing things from him.

But just as we're laying to rest the creator of Jurassic Park, we are experimenting dangerously with the very topic he warned us about in his book:

Scientists clone frozen mice - hope to clone extinct species in the future.

Max Payne

I checked out the new Max Payne movie last night. Unfortunately, I have never played the game so I have no frame of reference about it's accuracy, but I was told by someone who has played the game that it is very similar. I was expecting a little more of the fantasy element to be prominent, from what I could gather off the trailers, but it took a more realistic approach and didn't delve into the Valkyrie storyline too deeply. I was expecting more along the lines of Constantine, but it ran more like a cross between an episode of CSI and X-Files. It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't spectacular, either.

Early Movie Buzz

Some of the latest movie buzz that has sent my head reeling with excitement - can't wait to hear more about these:

Characters:
Johnny Depp playing the Riddler in the next Batman Begins movie, and playing the Mad Hatter in Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland.

Robert Downey, Jr. playing Sherlock Holmes, with Jude Law as Watson and Guy Ritchie directing.

Russell Crowe as Robin Hood with Ridley Scott directing "Nottingham"

Jake Gyllenhall in Prince of Persia

Ryan Gosling as the Green Lantern

Movies:
Frank Miller's Sin City parts 2 and 3, the yet-untitled 300 sequel and The Spirit.

Twilight

Baz Luhrmann's Australia

Max Payne

Sequel Week

Earlier this week I finally made it to see the Hellboy II movie, and although it was good, I have to admit I was expecting more after seeing what Del Toro is capable of with Pan's Labyrinth. The cheesy Barry Manilow sing-along felt like filler, as did a few repeat scenes from the first movie. No complaints at all about the imaginative characters, especially the scenes with the Angel of Death and the Elemental. The elf prince was also very good, and I called it in the movie that he reminded me of the villain in the Blade II movie - sure enough, same guy!

Along with pretty much everyone else this weekend, I went to see the new Batman movie. Yes, it was really good - probably better than the first one. I really think the direction they are taking the comic book movies now gives the stories the seriousness they deserve. There is a reason they have a huge fan base that follow these stories for years. It's not just the artwork - the writing is excellent. The stories are involved, and the characters are multi-dimensional. Both Heath Ledger's performance and Aaron Eckhart's after his transformation are chilling. It was a riveting movie, and I was jumping in my seat throughout. My biggest complaint with the writing is that I didn't get enough insight into the Joker's story. It's as if he just popped up out of nowhere, and we never see what made him insane, or the real reason behind the scars.

That said, I also can't understand all the Oscar buzz around Heath's performance. It is not his best work - it's his last work. If we failed to give him accolades when he deserved them, why now? His take on the Joker was very good - the least cartoonish I have ever seen. But maniacal villains have been done better before, and haven't seen this much praise.

Weekend Movies

Just a quick blurb about the movies I caught over the weekend. I'm late in seeing it, but the new Get Smart movie was pretty funny - much better than I thought it would be.

On DVD now is the movie Persepolis. It is the story of an Iranian girl whose childhood is disrupted by the political change in her home country. She is sent to live in Europe, and then returns to Iran again as an adult. The time frame spans the last part of the 70s through the 80s and 90s, and it is incredibly genuine and beautifully told. The animation is done simply in black and white. The story reads like her own diary, and moves you through every emotion from deep sadness to hilarity. The movie is based on the biography of Marjane Satrapi, and is in French (with English subtitles).

The Kite Runner

I didn't see this movie at the theaters, but it is out on DVD now, and if you have the chance to rent it - DO. It is a difficult movie to watch, especially one scene in particular (depicts the rape of a young boy - beware), but the message is of redemption, bravery and true friendship, and it is a portrait of life for Muslims/Middle Easterners that we normally don't get to see.

Big Monster

So we ran out this past weekend to see the Cloverfield movie so no one would spoil it for me. Yes I fell for the hype, but in order to describe the monster you'd have to combine a few species, you still wouldn't get it quite right, and the person you're describing it to would still look pretty confused. Better to just go see it yourself and make your own judgement. It was a decent flick, but nothing to get nuts about - basically another spin off Godzilla if you ask me. I saw The Host not too long ago and actually enjoyed it more, although the CG wasn't quite as big budget as Cloverfield, the story was more interesting, the ending had more of a twist, and the monster was more intriguing even though it wasn't the size of a small building.

Go see Cloverfield if you must, but not because you are worried someone will spoil it for you, and make sure you can handle the constant movement of the camera - it is filmed much like Blair Witch Project, very amateur-style, and the lady next to us had to leave in the middle of the film because she was getting motion sick.

Ringing in the New Year with Sweeney Todd

Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year. I definitely had a great year, and I'll be ringing 2008 in low-key, since that seemed to work for me last year. Looking forward to a brand new year full of happiness and (hopefully) prosperity. Wishing the same for everyone else as well.


Got to catch the newest Johnny Depp/Tim Burton flick this weekend - Sweeney Todd, and it is a gory one! Most of the singing talent was impressive, Depp included. Probably the least experienced was Helena Bonham-Carter, but she pulled off an Eliza Doolittle-like sound that actually worked for her character. Sacha Baron-Cohen made a splashy appearance in an otherwise dreary scenario, and his character also goes out with a bang (or should I say, spray?). Definitely NOT a movie to take the kids to - it is gross, violent, and did I mention gross? Once Todd has his routine down of disposing of his victims, it is stomach-wrenching to watch them hit the floor. The young boy is quite good in his part, and Alan Rickman is great as always. Depp seems a little stiff at times, but his sullen expressions are chilling when he is with his victims, and hilarious during Carter's character's fantasy song. He seems to be using the same accent as his Captain Sparrow character at times, though. All in all, it was a good movie, as long as you have the stomach for it!

Caught a couple of new flicks this weekend. On Friday we took in a fabulous steak dinner at Texas Land & Cattle, and then headed over to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to watch American Gangster with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Although the movie was very good, we made the mistake of going to the late show, and this film is LONG. We were falling asleep by the end of it, and didn't leave the theater until after 1:00 am. It seems they tried to make it a little of everything: cop movie, action movie, drama, love story, etc. It ends up feeling a little like overkill by the end, and you end up just waiting for it to end. It also didn't help that the movie cut off twice and we had to wait for them to turn it back on, but we did get free movie passes out of the situation.

While there, we discovered they were showing a sneak peek of The Golden Compass the following night, so we decided to come back. This time we ate in the movie, and it was yummy. Watching this film reminded me of Stardust, Narnia and Eragon. It seems like they are searching for the next Harry Potter with this new crop of fantasy movies derived from popular children's novels. It also doesn't help that it is being touted as an athiest movie because of the author's beliefs. Children are smarter than we give them credit for, and if you attach your agendas to something to try to make them swallow it, they will resent you for it. That being said, and looking at the movie in a strictly objective way, it fell short for me. The girl was very good in her role, and the scenery was fantastic, but sometimes the CG animals were way too CG, and they could have made the story feel more complete rather than preparing you for the inevitable trilogy that MUST follow any moderately successful movie nowadays. Frankly, it makes me as weary to wait for the next installment as it did to watch the end of Eragon.

Happy Thanksgiving and all that stuff...

Wow, long weekend, lots of stuff happening. Started out with the holiday, of course. Lots and lots of food and hanging out with the family. Probably put on a few pounds, but whatevs. Friday we headed over to the Marq'E to see Beowulf in 3-D, and the early show was sold out, so we killed some time at the Dave & Buster's that used to be Jillian's. The entire shopping center over there looks like a cemetary of shops that once were. It's disappointing that they put so much money into that center, and it seems that nothing can stay open except Cafe Adobe and the Cinema.

Let me start off by talking about the Dave & Buster's. It is not located very far from the other, bigger, and better location on Richmond. You would think they would provide excellent service to ensure they will remain open. However, each employee we came across was rude and indifferent. I'd rather drive to the other location and get a better experience. It is nice that they have lowered the price on the games, and the tickets you win on some of the midway games can be conveniently counted and put on the same card you have for gameplay.

Next we headed to Cafe Adobe, a place that I have had bad experiences at before, but usually at the other Westheimer location. This time was fine, but I can't figure out how they run their service. Our waiter seemed to be overloaded with tables, and he had a team of lesser-experienced people running food out for him. Why not train everyone equally, and have good service for each table without the long wait? We only ordered drinks and an appetizer, and we were there over an hour and a half.

Now for the movie: I was very pleasantly surprised. I was skeptical because previous all-CG movies I have seen have left me wanting, but this one, perhaps partially because it was in 3-D format, worked beautifully. The characters were not as wooden as I expected, and the creatures were extremely intense. The Grendel character was a surprise, and you really feel for him as you do for Gollum in the LOTR movies. If you are debating on seeing this movie, go see it in 3-D before it is gone from the theaters. You won't be disappointed.

On Saturday morning we headed out to the Renaissance Festival once more on the last weekend, but it was very cold, very wet, very muddy, and not very fun. The folks that work there were doing their best to put on a cheerful face for the few that showed up, but it wasn't working to keep the crowd there.

Yesterday evening was full of merrymaking for our friends Betsey and Mandy who were having a dual birthday celebration. We started off the night at Chuy's Tex-Mex restaurant on Westheimer, and it was crowded as usual. The service was good, but the poor girl was so overworked that she kept forgetting drinks and such. It took a very long time to order, but the food came out in a reasonable amount of time, and it was good. They do need more servers for their busy nights, though.

After dinner, it was on to the Mezzanine Lounge, a sports bar that has numerous large flat-panel TVs, and several lounge areas. Our group settled in an upstairs lounge, and we were so very Texan and boisterous that we offended some Kansas fans who were trying to watch a football game in peace and quiet... at a sports bar. Well, I can't say we felt very sorry for them, and they looked a little silly waving their stalks of wheat around anyway. Since our group was large, we were treated to some free drinks, and the birthday girls got some huge fishbowl birthday drinks. I actually got one too because the bartender made an extra, and they handed it to me since my birthday had been fairly recent. We had jello shots and cupcakes courtesy of the birthday girls, and watched Kansas and Missouri battle a close game.

Finally we ended the night at Etro Lounge, a bar just off Montrose that specializes in retro music. The club is decked out very cool, and it isn't too big or too small, and if you like 80's music, the DJ is terrific. We had a great time dancing, drinking and hanging out. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Elizabeth Returns

Forget the movies based on comic book heroes, how about one that actually existed? And a woman, at that! I absolutely loved the first film with Cate Blanchett, and although this one is like it in many ways, there are a few differences as well. It is much more grand, probably because she is now settled into her monarchy, and the opulence that goes along with the title. There are larger than life scenes, like the sea battle and the attempt on her life. Every frame of the film is beautiful, and the story is riveting. It is made all the more so due to the fact that you are constantly telling yourself that it all really happened. I loved the portrayal of the Spanish King Philip - it was just desperate and evil enough with a dash of comical. They don't really go into the particulars of the Spanish Inquisition, only the ominance of it. However, the torture suffered at the hands of Walsingham was bad enough - I would not want to be on his bad side. As always, Cate is wonderful, as is Geoffrey Rush. Clive Owen seems a little stiff in his role as Raleigh, but "sails" through it well enough. Okay, enough cheesy puns for today. Go out and see the movie!

Eastern Promises

Didn't have a very busy weekend considering I'm in the midst of exams, but I was able to catch a flick this weekend. Eastern Promises is the new Viggo Mortensen drama in theaters, but it hasn't been getting much press, probably because of its graphic content. His other movie of similar style, A History of Violence, was treated in the same way by both the theaters and most audiences. However, it won't be too much for anyone who can sit through an episode of The Sopranos. Yes, there is violence. Yes, there are bones breaking. Yes, there are nude/sex scenes. Yes, it is disturbing at times. This is not a pretty film, but it is very good. I listened to several women in the bathroom after the film griping about how graphic it was. However, none of them said it was a bad movie, and none of them complained about seeing Viggo in all his naked glory (its about time we get some gratuitous male nudity after all the unnecessary boob shots in filmdom). People were walking out with a look of shock, but none could say the movie didn't stick with them in more ways than one.

Happy Birthday to Me!

After finally going to see The Bourne Ultimatum this week (pretty good flick, and nice way to round out the trilogy), we ultimately got to the long weekend, on which my birthday sometimes falls, as it did this year. I spent part of it in the great metropolis of Beaumont, and hung with family before going out on the town with some old friends on Saturday night. We started the night at Floyd's, an odd name for a seafood restaurant, but very tasty fare. The restaurant used to be Don's, but has since taken on a new name, a new feel, and better food. Floyd loves to walk around amongst his patrons and speak in his very unique Cajun-slash-street slang. He is quite a character, and the food is fabulous. Had we not stuffed ourselves on my own grandmother's amazing seafood gumbo, we probably would have eaten much more. Afterwards, we headed over to Comedy, Texas and saw three stand-up acts that were all very good. The group was not done yet, though. We headed over to the grand opening of Cadillac Slim's, a new pool hall/bar/club that before the end of the night was looking a lot like Coyote Ugly, complete with girls dancing on the bar. Although we lost some of our group after that, a few of us went over to Pacesetter to finish out the night. Apparently it is the after hours place to go, because it got more crowded after midnight and beyond. It was a late, late night, but a lot of fun. All in all, a good birthday, even if we missed the Goo Goo Dolls/Lifehouse concert because we were still hung over from the night before!

Stardust and Social

Went out on the big town last night and enjoyed the new movie Stardust with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro. It was an okay movie - not on the same level as Pan's Labyrinth or 300, but a decent fantasy flick filmed in some really gorgeous scenic locations. Claire Danes plays a rather bitchy fallen star at first, but she eventually gets a little easier to bear by the end of the movie. Not nearly her best work, though. The newcomer/main character played by Charlie Cox was done well, but the best part goes to DeNiro for his cross-dressing pirate captain.

Later in the evening, we met some friends at The Social, over on Washington between Yale and Heights Blvd. The DJ was good, although he played a lot of retro stuff, and there was new decor. Lots of pretty people packed the joint, and it was very good for people-watching. There is no dance floor any more, but plenty of patio space, two bars, and lots of wait staff. The valet guys were very nice, even though the $10 charge was steep, it pays to not have to park and walk for blocks - also, everyone got to see me get out of my new car!! We also got our picture snapped by some guys from the Houston Press, and here is the link to see it!

Potter Mania 2007, Vol. 1

Yes, I was in the theater at midnight last night with all the other crazies to see the new Harry Potter movie, and yes, my book 7 is pre-ordered. This movie was good, to be sure, but as any fan of the book would be, I was irritated by the changes brought about through the translation onto screen. The Luna Lovegood and Delores Umbridge parts were well-cast, and both actresses did very well. All three of the main characters have come such a long way in their acting, and it shows on screen. Radcliffe most especially is coming into his own and will surely have a strong career after the last two movies are finished. The beginning of the movie worked well for showing his range, as did his struggle at the end (which was not in the book, but seemed to work fairly well for the movie). One annoying aspect for me was that Ron seemed to be mumbling through most of his lines. It may have been the loud theater, but most of what I could hear was quite funny, and I wish it would have been clearer. Oh well, that's why I always buy the movie and watch it at home as loud as I want. Now I get to fight sleep all day at work until I can crash blissfully as soon as I get home today.