Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Movies Seen

For Your Consideration
The same folks that did Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, this movie reached moments of brilliance as it made fun of the Hollywood world.

Orwell Rolls in His Grave
The media doesn't serve the public it supposedly informs, it serves the corporate interests that own it. Media consolidation stifles the voices of democracy. We have the illusion of choice and the illusion of democracy, and this documentary rolls over example after example. Interesting analysis: much like the former Soviet Union where you could criticize individuals in the communist party, but couldn't criticize the party itself, so too you cannot criticize capitalism itself, only a few scapegoats. If one is aware of the underside of the mainstream news, there will be no surprises here, but there are many who need this lesson about the biases of the news.

Hoot
Carl Hiaasen's books are quite popular, but I haven't read any. If one likes Disney movies, this will satisfy, though it isn't produced by Disney. A kid moves to Florida from Montana, and finds himself getting more attention than he wants from bullies and from cops, but he can't help following the mysterious barefoot runner. Jimmy Buffet plays a role. Owls have a starring role, of course.

Friends With Money
I don't know why I watched this vehicle for the Friends actress playing a maid who has rich friends. I think the movie tried to be real, but it was a very narrow slice of 'real'. It was background noise, what can I say.

The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes
The same stop-animation, even some of the same puppets, as Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Rudolph. The tale is changed a bit. The swindler has more noble intents than the traditional story.

Look Both Ways
Australian movie, themes of death. Look both ways...at death, and life. Neat art animation of imagined scenarios in character's head. While she's a painter and her imaginings show up as drawings or paintings, the photographer's thoughts show up as snapshots. I liked this unusual creative effect.

The 40 Year Old Virgin
OK, I finally saw it. I even thought, I might as well get it over with. Heh that's what I thought ummm let me think, those 22 years ago when I shed my virginity. The poor guy is made out to be a perpetual teenager, and all is fixed when he finally gets a girlfriend.

3 comments:

Pen Names: justwhen, rachel said...

Hi Heidi!
I was offline for a while, getting stuff done in real life. Which was good to be doing. :)
But I'm glad to be back to say hello...
And also to say that my heart went out to you last month, as I read about your dad.

About this post: nice to see mention of "Orwell Rolls in His Grave"--I helped show it on my local public access channel a while back.
Also, I recall enjoying the thought that young people would be reading Hoot the book, as it had some delightfully subversive, "question authority, follow your conscience" parts.

Peace, love, unrest--
justwhen

I AM ANOTHER said...

Hi Heidi,

Best of Show and A Mighty Wind are great and a must see. And actually 40 year old virgin was very funny too.

Hi Rachael, glad to see you back around.

I AM ANOTHER said...

Just saw hairspray and it was fabulous. The scene with John Travolta and Christopher Walken doing their number was a gem.