London, Scotland, Yemen... Let's fish!

I know it's been a while since I've given a proper review and for that I apologize--however, today I bring you a movie that moved me so much, possibly because of the personal connection to the main character. I bring you my review of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, it has been quite a while since I have seen such a film that would move me to pay total and complete attention to the movie and to move me to tears; not out of sadness but out of joy. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the story of a man who has Asperger's Syndrome--an Autism range disorder characterized by high functioning individuals who tend to be incredibly intelligent especially in one field or subject, who are very loving deep down but may come off as uncaring and cold or distant--the character is a fisherman and a scientist, as Faith is not something you can really teach or that a person with Asperger's can really grasp. A Sheik employs him and an assistant to bring fishing to the Yemen, but really to bring Faith to his people. I don't want to get into more of the synopsis than that, needless to say I was deeply moved by the movie--not just for personal reasons (I have personal experience with Asperger's Syndrome thus why I understand it and enjoy when I see characters in movies THRIVING even when presented with a "disability" or disorder). Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has some pretty witty one liners in it and scenes that had me giggling like a little school girl, grinning like an idiot, and feeling a real connection the characters, especially the Sheik, you can't help but love his character. All in all I'm going to have to say that Salmon Fishing in the Yemen deserves a 9/10! Pick up your copy, Tuesday July 17, 2012. I know I will be picking myself up a nice Blu-ray copy to add to my collection. Till Next Time!

Somewhere in India

Today I ventured yet again into the world of Wes Anderson. The Darjeeling Limited is by far my least favorite movie out of the recent Wes Anderson movies I've watched. While I liked the music of this film I just wasn't really captured by this one as I was with The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Royal Tenenbaums. This movie did have a great cast, as expected of Wes Anderson films. However, the story of three brothers, one whom is pushy and uptight, one who is thinking about leaving his pregnant wife, and one who is afraid of commitment just didn't suit me I suppose. Did love the scenery and the music though! Overall I gave The Darjeeling Limited a 3/10.

And this is what happens when...

Someone very important to me recommended I watch Chronicle, so I picked up a copy from my local Blockbuster and began my adventure back in time. Back... To High School! However, to my knowledge there were no boys with crazy ass telekinesis at my school, just one big ass mother fucker who could pick up anyone and drop them on their head. I digress. I was skeptical about Chronicle because I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to "found footage" films. However, Chronicle delivers.

The movie starts off slow following this one kid who's mother is dying and his mentally abusive father who lost is job and is living off of unemployment terrorizes him whenever he leaves the house. The kid saves up enough dough to buy himself a camera and we start our adventure through the eyes of a kid who gets beat up and picked on constantly. At a party with his cousin shit changes and he and his friend and cousin experience a new found power source that gives them telekinesis.
Unlike the X-men, these boys do not have some great and wise male role model to look to for advise and wisdom, instead--they act like what you would expect teenage boys to act like given super powers. Forcing the wind to lift up skirts, terrorizing kids in a toy shop, etc. etc... However, things start to go bad. While the story starts off slow and sort of tedious to keep up with, except for Steve, Steve was awesome! (As a general rule, in movies, people named Steve generally are pretty awesome)--The movie definitely picks up and makes up for in pace and volume what it lacked in the beginning.
Overall? I gave Chronicle a 7/10, because seriously, who wouldn't want to do the things those kids were doing? I know I would!

I broke up with Sobriety

On a lighter note, I rekindled my relationship with Vodka. So--yeah! Today I will be reviewing a bunch of stuff just very quickly that I've watched and just haven't gotten the opportunity to touch on, hehe get it! Touch. On. Hah! Anyway, dirty--drunken jokes aside; the list will be comprised of Gummo, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Secret World of Arrietty, and Stormhouse (did I do that one already, oh well).

First off: Gummo. Oh Gummo, you lull your victims into this secure place with your themes of innocence and then cut the throats of kittens and beat homosexual rabbits with children who probably aren't even seven years old yet. This movie was amazing--to say the least. Satanic undertones and a rich storyline mixed with real life videos of people the director grew up around make the movie that much more amazing. The cinematography is beautiful, sometimes shaky and sometimes still, focusing in and becoming unfocused depending on the scene. This movie blew my mind--my overall score for Gummo, you ask? 8/10. I would've given it a 10 but I would really like to think those kittens were real. Something tells me they weren't.

Secondly: Wes Anderson brings this beautiful messed up hodgepodge of a family together in this story of lies, money, betrayal, lust, and loss in the Royal Tenenbaums. The story surrounds the Tenenbaums (nah, shit Sherlock!) which consists of Royal, his ex-wife who focuses all her attentions to her children and later in life becomes some kind of anthropologist digging up skeletal remains and delving specifically in human history, their adopted daughter who marries a therapist but is filled with many secrets, and their two sons (one is a famous tennis player and the other is this over achiever who is kind of OCD craziness). I won't give away any more than that because it would ruin the movie, and let's face it, from what I've already said you know you want to go out and get this little gem right now! My score? 9/10.

Thirdly: Oh Studio Ghibli how I adore you! You brought us such amazing masterpieces as Ponyo, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Princess Monoke. Here you are again, leaving my daughter and I slack-jawed in a theater full of aw-inspired children of all ages to witness The Secret World of Arrietty. I must say, I was truly impressed with the quality of the storyline, the voice acting, the artistry, and the score set up for this movie. I would go so far as to say I would even consider paying full price to own this on Blu-ray (Combo pack of course). If anyone hasn't guessed it yet, I gave this movie a 10/10. It takes a lot to impress me, however, it takes a lot more to impress my daughter. If she sits still for longer than an hour, unmoving and completely captivated and spellbound, then yes... That belongs a full-score rating.

Finally: Stormhouse...Stormhouse...Stormhouse... Sorry, I thought if I said it three times it would undo ever having watched this movie. I guess not. The storyline had potential, it could have worked. I think they should have tried to get the actors to act a little less auto-matronic and more psychotic and it could have possibly worked. This piece of trash earned itself a whopping 2/10.


Update: I loved The Secret World of Arrietty I just had to buy it for my daughter for her 5th birthday, Amazon.com--I thank you for your ever low prices!  Target usually runs DVD/Blu-ray combos of this movie for $29.99 yet I found it on Amazon.com for $19.99! Woot!

Welcome to the Future

Finally! I can say that I have seen not just the first Back to the Future but all three. While I absolutely loved the first one, the second and third began to just drag after a while. The movies deal with paradoxes and other various themes. Appropriate for both children and adults I give the first movie a 9/10, the second a 7/10 and the third a 6/10 (for pure awesome use of the name Clint Eastwood.) While I did like how the movies all intertwined, they could've done without using the same gags time after time. It became too predictable. As far as the movies over all go, I wouldn't mind having these in my collection on Blu-ray. And might I just add it's always a pleasure to see the gorgeous Crispin Glover and also to see how great Christopher Lloyd has always been (and probably will always be!)


Also found this link that compares the first and second film opening/closing. Thought it was pretty cool!