A Few Flicks...

Music at the moment: Lonely No More - Rob Thomas

Admittedly I haven't blogged as much as i usually do. Things have been weird since Charlie's passing and John leaving again. I've found it hard to get back into a swing. No idea why, but that's the way it goes I guess. So...in the interest of kicking myself back into gear I thought I'd blog about some movies viewed recently. Possible spoiler alert. Proceed with caution.

Constantine

Okay, based on the Hellblazer comic that I did enjoy a bit here and there, what i read of it, this movie was set up to disappoint me. Or more pointedly, maybe I was set up for it to disappoint me. Keanu...well, past him being in it what can you expect? "Whoa, Satan. Excellent!"

Surprisingly I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I really like Rachel Weisz. I think I even like to look at her. She's kind of hot. Then there's Tilda Swinton. I was already a huge Swinton fan and then I found out she's playing Gabriel. Fun! She didn't disappoint. I can't wait to see her as the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Anyhow, the film was fun and it kept my attention. Minor editing problems that irrtated me, but nothing to ruin the movie experience.
Scale of 1-10, Phun Phactor: 6

Music at the moment: Hotline - Ciara

The Last Samurai

Hmm. Okay, I didn't turn it off. I still dislike Tom Cruise and his unerring capacity to always play Tom Cruise. I actually did enjoy it, but not to the point that I was moved. The problem with this movie is not the actors or the setting or the dialogue. The problem is I'd already seen this movie before. Change some skin tones, change the backdrop, change the culture, change Tom Cruise to Kevin Costner. Voila, Dances with Chopsticks.
Scale of 1-10, Phun Phactor: 2

Ichi The Killer

Well, believe it or not, I actually did like this movie. I especially like Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano). It has its ups and downs like any other, but for the most part it kept me watching. Number one, you really have to like asian film to get through it. Number two, you can't scream or puke at the sight of a papercut. Number three, you can't be a prude who "can't get past" the sexual content of a movie. It all happens and wrinkling your nose at it doesn't make it go away. There are some parts that totally throw me off and make me go "huuuh?" however. Jijii emerging from his dumpy jumpsuit to reveal this powerhouse of muscle. "huuuuuuh?" Then there's the end. Maybe it was me and the fact that I started watching this late when I was already tired or maybe it was just vague on its imagery, but "huuuuuuuuuuuuh??" And by the end I mean the very last scene with the man hanging in the tree and the young man walking away. I got it up until then. I think maybe there was serious symbolism going on there and my mind was just worn out and half-lidded saying "Check please." If you want a really good Miike film, watch Audition. Mmmmmmmm.
Scale of 1-10, Phun Phactor: 4

Music at the moment: Breathe - Blu Cantrell ft, Sean Paul

Gozu

Okay remember what I said about having to like asian film? That isn't always a saving grace. I wanted a creepy horror flick. I got creepy. Unfortunately it was sucking-thumb-fetal-position creepy like I enjoy. It was more like a creepy/confusion mélange. Sort of "Creeehuuuuuh??" For the most part it just seemed scene after scene of creepy situations of imagery for the sake of creepiness with no reason to it. This threw everything off for me. I like story behind my creepy. Creepiness that mottivates the story because it's supposed to be creepy, you know? This just didn't do it for me:
Cow headed people that have no plot involvement. I mean what exactly does a damn cow head have to do with anything in this film? (Other than the name)
Old woman Inn owners that bottle their own breast milk.
Old woman Inn owners that have flakey mentally unstable brothers.
Disappearing dead bodies that turn up later alive and having switched gender like it's an every day occurrence.
Freaky restaurants with drag queens and disturbed bald men in bras.
The list goes on. I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't. I love you Miike, but this was a no go. Leave the full grown man birth to Xtro.
Scale of 1-10, Phun Phactor: 1 (Minami was cute)

I'm looking forward to getting a copy of Visitor Q to watch. I hope it's as good as I hear. Also anticipating some upcoming films:

H (Jong-hyuk Lee) the driector of Tell Me Something, which I really liked
Acacia (Ki-Hyung Park)
Mirrormask (Neil Gaiman and David McKean)
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (Andrew Adamson)