I’d like to introduce you all to a new friend of mine.

Her name is Norah and she’s a little over a day old. Her parents are, my long-time friend, Monte, and his wife, Ann. She’s quite a cutie, isn’t she?

Congratulations, Ann and Monte! We look forward to visiting (or being visited) soon.

Is it bad that my shoulder hurts from playing tennis and baseball on the Wii? Apparently I need to start a full stretching and calisthenics routine before I play.

I’ve been writing this movie journal entry forever now. It seems like I’ve been watching quite a bit lately – some even in the theater! – so they just kept piling up on the list. So enjoy the fruits of my ongoing labor…

Children of Men-
Ah, the dystopian future. Few imagine it better than the British (e.g., 1984, Brave New World) and once again they’ve created a perfectly, realistically bleak world for us to see in Children of Men. The world is collapsing into chaos after nearly 20 years without any children being born. People literally see that life is coming to an end, so the world goes to hell in a handbasket. As with many stories of a dystopia, what’s scary is that the future isn’t that much different than the present. And it is this similarity that helps set the all too realistic backdrop for a film that is constantly throwing new “what would I do?” scenarios at you. Would you be one of the many who give up and buy a state-sponsored suicide kit? Would you live in a concrete fortress surrounded by great works of art while the world outside crumbles to bits? Or would you be like our hero Theo who risks life and limb once he has been asked to escort a pregnant woman across the country and into the waiting arms of an underground research organization that may or may not exist? This journey by Theo and Kee is breathtaking. The film never completely lets you relax, barraging you with intense scenes, often playing out in single takes that last upwards of 10 minutes. This technique completely immerses you in the film, giving you a true sense of “you are there” in the midst of the chaos. Worth seeing for the direction and cinematography alone, the film is helped by an engaging story and real, human emotion underneath it all. Definitely one of the best films of the year.
4.5 / 5 bananas

Pan’s Labyrinth-
I’ve been a fan of Guillermo Del Toro’s since seeing “The Devil’s Backbone” at the St. Louis Film Festival about 4 years ago. I’ve been following his mainstream career ever since with films like “Blade 2″ and “Hellboy”, as well as looking into some of his past films, like “Cronos”. When I heard that GDT was coming out with a new movie, one that had been a passion project of his for a while now, it instantly shot to the top of my must-see list. The wait seemed like forever, especially here in a second-tier film market like St. Louis, so it was nice to finally get my chance to see “Pan’s Labyrinth.” The story deals with a young, bookish girl who moves with her pregnant mother to the Spanish countryside, where they are to meet up with her new stepfather, a brutal leader in the army. The stepfather is stationed in the boonies to root out a group of rebels who have been rumored to be hiding in the forested mountains, continuing the resistance of the Spanish Civil War. As a way to escape the scary world of her new life, the girl reads fairy tales. It is when these tales begin to cross over into her reality that life takes an interesting turn. While many might think that a story with such wonderfully inventive creatures and characters would be for kids, they would be sorely mistaken. In the tradition of the Brothers Grimm, Pan’s is a tale of violence, anger, and the darker aspects of mankind. Most of the story takes place outside in the real world and it pulls no punches on displaying the viciousness of war and the horrors we can do to one another. Many of the fairy tale standards are here – magical creatures, quests, mysterious motives, spells, and more. However, I wish the film had concentrated on these aspects a little more. As it is, about 2/3 of the film takes place in the real world, and that hurts our investment in the fairy world. We never really get hooked on the more mystical side of things, simply because we don’t get to see it enough. There are certainly memorable characters and settings, but we are never really thrust into the world. We’re only given hints at what it is and what’s there, leaving us feeling somewhat distant from it and never truly able to grasp why it is so important to our protagonist. Still, it is a very impressive film, filled with great special effects, wonderful character design, and a story that is engaging, if not completely magical. It is definitely worth checking out, but don’t expect a miracle.

3.5 / 5 bananas

Le Cercle Rouge-
I don’t even remember why I decided to add this neat little French Mod caper flick to my Netflix queue, but I’m pretty happy I did. Basically this is a cool little noir flick where coincidence and circumstance bring together a few small-time crooks to pull off a major jewel heist. While the story is interesting, the main thing I liked about this film was the atmosphere. The characters ooze stoic cool, sometimes going entire scenes without saying a word, but looking all mysterious in their ever-present overcoats. Apparently John Woo was inspired by this film and from his earlier Hong Kong works, I can definitely see the influence this film had. If you’re a fan of French cinema, don’t miss this one. And if French films aren’t really your thing, it’s still worth seeing for the ultra cool atmosphere and style.

3 / 5 bananas

Idiocracy-
I remember seeing Office Space at the $1 theater in Champaign with my buddy, Travis, on a Saturday afternoon. Yes, I saw Office Space in the theater, which is virtually unheard of since most people only saw it on video where its genius was fully realized. So I was really looking forward to Mike Judge’s follow-up, Idiocracy, which I’d heard was a scathing commentary on modern society’s penchant for creating a “lowest common denominator” culture. Unfortunately, the studio that allowed him to make the film, didn’t like the product he gave them, so they sloughed it off and it essentially went straight to video. While I’m glad to at least see it, I’m also a bit disappointed in the film, too. The story is, well, silly, but that’s ok. The story is really just a framework for the gags about how idiotic people are in the future thanks to generations of reality TV, advertising, and a general celebration of mediocrity. Even more unfortunately, those jokes get old pretty fast and you’re left just kind of wondering when the whole thing is going to be over. What’s sad is, you can tell this isn’t the finished film. This is a film that has been cut up, trimmed down and gutted to make some studio head happy. There are scenes where dialog was obviously shot and these would have developed things much better had they been allowed to play out, but instead there’s a voice-over telling us what’s happening on the screen. This pretty much ruins the film, leaving in only the “funny” parts. Ironic, isn’t it, that a movie about the dumbing down of society by advertising and political correctness, has its fangs removed by the very people that are bringing about this downward spiral? Ahh, what could have been. Maybe someday Judge will get his hands on the original footage and we’ll get to see his version of the film. I guarantee it’ll be better than this.

2 / 5 bananas

Crank-
I like Jason Statham. I’ve thought he has potential since his breakthrough roles in Guy Ritchie’s British gangster films, “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels” and, especially, “Snatch.” He has this sort of coolness about him that you can’t fake, you just have to exude it. So Statham is taking his genetic cool (band name?) and using it to create himself a little niche market of flashy, dumb Hollywood action films. Thankfully, though, he’s not in too much danger of becoming the Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme of the 00′s, mainly because the films he does don’t take themselves all that seriously. His latest, “Crank”, is no exception, though it is also the most extreme example of the niche he’s working in. The concept of the film is simple (sort of) – Statham’s character has been injected with a special slow-acting Chinese poison that doesn’t kick in as long as he keeps his heart rate accelerated and adrenaline pumping. This gives him the excuse to drive fast, beat up people, drink lots of Red Bull, take handfuls of caffeine pills, and snort nasal spray almost non-stop. It’s essentially “D.O.A.” for the video game generation and the camera work and editing style reflect that as there are constant cuts, flashy camera angles and special effects. The story is threadbare, but, really, it doesn’t matter here as it acts as little more than an excuse for the action scenes. Overall, it’s a forgettable film, but fun nonetheless. Not one I’ll be buying, renting, or bothering to watch again anytime soon, but it was a fun way to kill 90 minutes on a sick day.

2 / 5 bananas

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia –
I have a special place in my heart for the films of Sam Peckinpah. “The Wild Bunch” is in my Top 10, maybe Top 5 films of all-time. I really enjoyed “Cross of Iron”, and “Straw Dogs” is easily one of the most uncomfortable, affecting films you’ll ever see. The man could make a certain type of nihilistic, misogynistic, violent film noir that has never been matched by a director since. While I swear I’d seen “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia”, I wonder now if I was imagining it, because I think I would have remembered this Peckinpah outing. My head is swirling as I try to write about this film. There are so many interesting themes, ideas, character traits, and levels to this film that it’s nearly impossible to write about here in a brief synopsis. The best I can do is say that it is a film about loss – loss of loved ones, loss of innocence, loss of chances in life, loss of hope, and, perhaps least importantly, the loss of one guy’s head. It’s a really amazing film that makes you squirm with discomfort like only a Peckinpah film can. I’m really glad I finally got around to seeing this one.

4 / 5 bananas

The Descent-
A couple of years ago, Andrea and I went caving with our friends, Christy and Travis, down near Cahokia, IL. It was a pretty great experience that we hope to revisit again this summer with them. However, after seeing The Descent, I wonder if that’s really such a good idea. The film tells the story of a group of adventurous women who get together and set out to climb through an as-yet unmapped cave system. Things are going ok for a while, until a cave-in prevents them from returning the way they came and forcing them to find another route out of the hole. While this is challenging enough, there are things in the darkness that would like to make a meal of the women, making it a truly life-threatening adventure. Filmed on very claustrophobic sets, oftentimes in near darkness, The Descent is, much like its inspiration “Alien”, all about atmosphere. While there are some cliches you’ll see coming a mile away, they don’t take away from your enjoyment of the film, simply because you get so sucked into this atmosphere. If you’re looking for a creepy night in, The Descent would be a great addition to your list. Just make sure you watch it in the dark for complete effect.

3.5 / 5 bananas

Running With Scissors-
Andrea read the book this film is based on and really enjoyed it. She actually became a little obsessed with author Augustine Burroughs and wound up reading his entire library, I think. So when the movie version was released on DVD she was obviously intrigued to see how it held up to the book. As someone who had never read the book, but had heard about the story via my wife, I was at the very least intrigued as well. And I have to say, it’s a pretty decent little film. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if the film will ever have mass audience appeal (not that I’m implying it’s creators ever really wanted mass appeal), simply because the film deals with some rather startling emotional moments that will leave many watching confused and alienated. But the story is fascinating nonetheless. It sounds like there have been some cinematic changes, but that’s sort of to be expected in an adaptation. However, as someone who hasn’t read the book, I was still able to appreciate the story as bizarre and quirky as it is. Most importantly, perhaps, it made me want to read the book.

3 / 5 bananas

The Devil Wears Prada-
This is yet another film based on a book that Andrea has read. Are you seeing a pattern here? I really had little interest in the movie other than maybe seeing Meryl Streep’s Oscar-nominated performance, but I’ll watch any movie once, so I sat down with Andrea and gave this one a spin. The best way I can describe this film is to call it “Diet Swimming With Sharks”. The stories are similar in that a new, innocent employee enters into the world of high-stress business with a high-maintenance boss, and, after a period of struggle, eventually figures out what they’re doing on the job. Soon they find that they are being fundamentally changed by the job as their boss takes over their lives. Where the two split is that our young lady working in the fashion industry doesn’t kidnap and torture her boss, but instead learns to see the insecurities and weaknesses of the Queen of Fashion and learns how to love her for who she is. Awwww. The story is heartwarming and, in the end, somewhat pointless as the main character’s story arc seems to almost come full circle. It’s a strange, harmless, and forgettable film with one really good performance worth mentioning. Otherwise, I’d say skip it.

2 / 5 bananas

Ok, it’s been almost a month since I started this entry. I’ve just been saving, writing, saving again, but now it’s finally complete. Talk about exhausting. But the movie journal doesn’t stop there. Next up I have “A Scanner Darkly” and “Hellboy:Sword of Storms”, so be looking for those soon.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Nintendo Wii. I’ve known about it for quite some time thanks to the internet and have been pretty much obsessed with owning one ever since. I was bound and determined to get one upon launch in November, but as the day drew closer, I began to realize that I really didn’t need to get one immediately. I eventually let it go to a mere “one of these days” purchases.

Friday night, Andrea and I went out to run some errands. I actually said before we left, “Ya know, it’s funny, but I’m just not obsessed with the Wii anymore like I used to be. I really think I’ll be fine to just wait for it to become more commonly available. I’ve kind of let it go.” She was surprised to hear that, but I did qualify the previous statement by saying, “Now, don’t get me wrong, if I found one tonight I’d definitely consider buying it.”

It’s like I’m psychic or something sometimes…

We ran some errands and wound up at Wal-Mart to get some spray paint for a project we’re working on. Ever since November, every time we go to Wally World, I check on the Wiis. I said to Andrea, “Well, I might as well go be disappointed.” and headed over the Wii aisle. I immediately suspected something might be amiss when there were 4 teenage kids milling around the Wii storage case. They were all looking around frantically for someone in a blue vest. Why? Because there were 6 Wiis in the case.

And, well…

Never say never, folks.

Long story short, this thing is simply amazing. For $250, this thing is a bargain.

And to make things even better, I wound up taking all those old DVDs to Slackers, our local used CD/DVD/Video games place and traded them in. I got $210 worth of store credit! So we picked up Legend of Zelda (pretty much the main reason I wanted a Wii) and Rayman Raving Rabbids, a game we rented at Blockbuster after buying the Wii and instantly fell in love with. We got both games and I still have $110 in credit left, which we’re going to spend next week when a new game, Wii Play, comes out.

So it’s been quite a fun weekend with our Wii. I cannot wait for my friends to come by and try it out. I guarantee they’re going to love it. I’m also looking forward to taking it home to my parents house for the first time and playing with the family. It should be a blast.