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thewubbelupagus
Reviews
I Sell the Dead (2008)
Atmospheric, Hilarious, Lost it's punch for a time...
I think this was one of the strangest and coolest films I've seen in a while. The scenery is Dickensian and very atmospheric. Gives you a great sense of the dark side of Victorian era England. I didn't really know where it was going to go, so was actually somewhat surprised by it's foray into the supernatural. But this was generally a very enjoyable and humorous movie. I loved the interaction of the two main characters throughout the film, but felt like the plot got somewhat lost and ponderous during the second half.
I thought the character of Murphy was introduced weakly and without the subsequent back-story which I felt would have been far more effective the other way around. The ending left me with a smile on my face though. I'd highly recommend this to people with a dark sense of humor and an open mind. Certain things about it reminded me of Delicatessen...it had that kind of rich atmosphere, morbid humor, and quirky characters and story, but didn't tie together or pace itself as well.
Book of Love (1990)
Genuinely funny coming-of-age movie with a healthy dose of 50's nostalgia
This is a movie I saw for the first time many years ago and have always thought had a unique quality to it. The actors are great, even the kid who plays the younger brother is truly funny. Some of the comedic moments are classic, and the slightly bizarre fantasy elements bring something fresh to an otherwise fairly straightforward story. I hadn't seen it in many years, but just re-watched it and found it every bit as amusing and fun to watch as I did a decade ago. The cars, music, radio broadcasts, fashions, doting mother, and faceless father all evoke a 50's nostalgia on a par with A Christmas Story.
If you want some light entertainment, give this movie a shot. It's got great moments, a cute story, and wonderful atmosphere.
The Vikings (1958)
I've never wanted to be a viking so bad in my life!
So, 48 (almost 9) years later, and having just watched it, this was honestly a fantastic movie. I don't' know how I never heard of it until now! ...and I had no idea it was so old! I thought it was at least ten years down the road from its actual production date.
The few scenes I did find cheesy are few and far between, and the overall product is better than any number of films I've seen in recent years. (and I don't like a lot of old movies.) Douglas and Borgnine are fantastic. They really shine here. I thought both to be unlikely vikings, but they convinced me! (honestly, I've never wanted to be a viking so much in my life.) The chick sucks in 60% of her scenes, a couple of the action scenes were a little silly, (but overall VERY good!) (for 1958? Yeah. And for 2006-soon to be 7!) (It's in color). Also, the bad guy is a little swishy, but seriously, it's a great flick. Entertaining even for the ADD generation(s). Check it out!
Tombstone (1993)
So Quotable...
This movie has so many good lines it's ridiculous. Pretty excellent writing I must say. Most are from Kilmer's Doc Holiday, but Wyatt has some good ones too.
A couple favorites: "You gonna do something, or just stand there and bleed." "I'm your huckleberry." "I got two guns...One for each of ya." "you know, Frederic F$%&ing Chopin." "your hypocrisy knows no bounds." "Already got a guilty conscience, might as well have the money too." "morgan: this book on spiritualism...said a lot of people, when they're dying, they see this light, like in a tunnel. They say it's the light leading you to heaven. Wyatt: Really? What about hell? They got a sign or what?" "Doc: That's what I love about Wyatt. He can talk himself into anything." I could go on and on. I haven't even seen this in a while and all these stick with me. Any other favorites?
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
Fantastique...
I never thought I liked anime until recently. Prior to this, the only titles I had enjoyed were the Animatrix, and Ghost in the Shell. They play a lot of anime shows on cartoon network, and I've tried to get into them, but usually watch a minute or so, find them irritating, and easily turn to something else.
I tuned into a showing of this film however, and was instantly captivated. Its so very unique and wonderful I simply could not turn it off. I couldn't even partake of my usual channel surfing for fear of missing a minute of its goodness when it came back from commercial! Although I think it loses some of its magic when Chihiro/Sen starts to get used to her new surroundings, it stays genuinely entertaining to the end. I would recommend this film to anyone as a good jumping off point for exploring Anime.