I Make Things - Movies

Long Wait for Advent Children

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:06:35 -0400

I happened to look at my Amazon.com account to track an order I recently placed. I also checked on one I'd placed months ago.

Hmmm... Well, quite obviously that's an error since FFVII - Advent Children is really due out in March. Still, seeing this certainly mirrored what the waiting has felt like.

The Aristocrats

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 01:19:43 -0400

Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette's comedy documentary "The Aristocrats" has been out on DVD for four days now. Even though, on the surface, it's pretty much all about a very dirty joke told between comedians, it is about much more than that.

Firstly it is about exercising the first amendment. While the language in Aristocrats is worse than a pirate's, it exists and is publicly available because it is protected by the first amendment. I'm sure that in this atmosphere of rampant political correctness, there will be many people that think this movie should not even be available for rental or purchase. Unfortunately, the first amendment allows our freedom of speech and that goes for speech we agree and speech we disagree with.

Secondly, it is about the nature of comedy; why comedy is funny. At it's core, comedy is a reflection of a society's morals and values. Every joke is based in reality and then taken that one step further to to making shocking, ridiculous, unbelievable and funny. The Aristocrats shows, in a behind the scenes manner, how comedians keep their "razor edge of funny" sharp. The Aristocrats joke itself is like a whetstone for a comedian.

Finally, the Aristocrats is about a ridiculous, funny, and downright disgusting, dirty joke. It is a piece of adult humor that has its roots in Vaudeville and carries with it a long history of tradition. It is toilet humor stretched to a feature length and it truly is a funny movie.

If you get a chance to watch the Aristocrats, make sure you do. When you're done watching, check out the Aristocrats Wikipedia page to learn even more about the Aristocrats. Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette have done such an honor to comedy in their homage to the comedian and the dirtiest joke in his (or her) arsenal. We honor them by watching (and enjoying).

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:22:00 -0400

Well, I'm glad to see someone else is taking a shot at putting the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on screen.

The book is great (actually the whole five-plus-one book trilogy is great), and BBC did a fair job making a TV series back in the 80's - even though it's rather dated, it's still fairly fun.

Now, with today's special effects and CG, Hitchhiker's Guide can make a better transition from the mind of Douglas Adams' to the silver screen. I'm sincerely looking forward to this show.

Deadwood

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 20:49:02 -0400

The second season of HBO's "Deadwood" has gotten me riveted just as much as the first. I almost can't stand the wait from Sunday to Sunday to see a new episode.

I bought the first season on DVD and had to re-watch all the episodes twice just to get all of the nuances in the dialog.

If you haven't watched Deadwood yet, you may be put off by the coarse language, but once you get past that, you'll find the characters are really very eloquent in their gritty, old west way.

This series was created by David Milch (NYPD Blue writer) and is set in South Dakota around the late 1800 (after Custer's last stand at the Little Big Horn). Whether or not you are into Western's, this series is super captivating!

Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:49:00 -0400

Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children, the movie that picks up where Final Fantasy VII left off, will be coming to DVD soon! The Japanese release was slated for the end of 2004 which puts the US release sometime in the first quarter of 2005 (which should be soon). The movie takes place two years after Final Fantasy VII, and appears that it will be true to its predecessor.
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Innocence - Ghost in the Shell 2

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 03:09:20 -0400

Innocence, the sequel to Ghost in the Shell, came out on Dec 28th. I finally picked up a copy and watched the movie. It was certainly impressive! The movie is much more accessible than the original but still has those great Oshii elements that make it awesome.
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Texhnolyze - Inhumane & Beautiful

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Thu, 30 Dec 2004 05:14:53 -0400

I just finished watching the first four episodes of Texhnolyze, an anime from the creators and producers that brought us Hellsing, Haibane Renmei. I am pretty impressed with the series so far.

There are 19 episodes in the series which span 5 DVDs. Average length for most anime series these days but this series is thick with story. It may be a bit hard to get into for the uninitiated. The art is absolutely beautiful but the first couple episodes have hardly any dialogue (or monologues for that case).
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Open Water

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 01:56:53 -0400

I had the misfortune of watching Open Water on DVD tonight. I have never been more disappointed with a movie than I was after watching Open Water. >:-o

The premise of the movie (based on a true story) is that a couple goes out on a scuba diving trip. When the operators of the scuba company's boat are getting ready to head back in, they accidentally miscount the passengers and leave the couple in the middle of the ocean. The premise is spooky and sets up a good "desperation" movie.
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Avalon

nospam@example.com (Latcarf) — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 01:42:29 -0400

I just finished watching Avalon. This is a Sci-Fi (my favorites) movie made in Poland and directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell - GitS fame). I found it at Blockbuster of all places and when I saw that it was directed by Mamoru Oshii (see - marketing works), I went ahead and bought it. When I finished watching it, I was very pleasantly surprised.
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