Catching Up, Part 1

Ok, I’m trying this again.

Every now and then I come back and re-read some of my blog posts and although it might sound self-absorbed, I really like what I write. It makes me want to write more. I’m not sure what made me stop for so long (has it really been over 2 years since my last post?!) but I know that I want to start again.

So here we go. Again.

It would be impossible to try and bring you up to speed on all the movies I’ve watched in the last two years. Well, actually, it wouldn’t be impossible. Just time consuming. As most of my close friends know I have a bit of an obsession with keeping track of movies I’ve watched. And movies my friends have watched with me. And where we watched them. Ok, maybe it goes beyond a bit of an obsession. At any rate, I can tell you that I’ve watched almost 600 movies since my last blog post. I don’t recommend doing the math on that.

"Wait...How many movies is that? Fascinating."

Rather than try and re-cap 600 movies I’m just going to pick out a few from the past couple years; some good, some bad, some just memorable for one reason or another. You may have seen or heard of most of these already, but a good movie is worth reading about. Especially if it makes you go back and watch it again. I watch movies all the time and even I’m amazed at how much new stuff I can get out of a second or third (or seventh) viewing.

So it is with great pleasure that I present Part 1 (of 4) of my attempt to breathe new life into this blog. Let’s start catching up…


The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Shauna and I love documentaries. We don’t watch nearly as many as we would like, but The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters was a great find. While the subject matter may not appeal to everyone (grown men spending hours a day trying to get the high-score on an 80’s video game) the documentary itself is fascinating and highly entertaining. At times it’s hard to believe this is non-fiction. Some of the “characters” will make you shake your head in amazement and wonder. Highly recommended!



The World’s Fastest Indian

Another little gem. With Anthony Hopkins at the helm I expected this film to have greater mileage but I’m surprised by the number of people I’ve met who have never even heard of this movie. Produced by a New Zealand film company, The World’s Fastest Indian is the true story of Burt Munro, an aging New Zealander who dreams of racing his re-built, 1920 Indian motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967. It’s a wonderful story that takes Burt around the world and into the lives of some very interesting people. When you finally get to the end of the film and consider that it all really happened, you’ll be amazed and delighted. Not to be missed!


WALL-E

I’m sure everyone is familiar with WALL-E by now. Another Pixar classic about a lonely, but oddly cute robot tasked with cleaning up the mess we all left behind. Both a commentary on society and a heart-warming love story, WALL-E is just another example of the brilliant minds at work behind the doors of Pixar Animation Studios. Have these guys made a bad movie yet? What I love most about WALL-E is that the first half of the film contains almost no dialogue (or humans for that matter) and yet it manages to weave an incredibly engaging and entertaining story. That’s impressive film-making. The music, cinematography, art direction and characters are worth visiting again if you haven’t seen this masterpiece recently.


Star Trek

I’m not a Trekkie, per se, but I am definitely a fan of several of the films (the even-numbered ones, of course) and was an avid watcher of The Next Generation many years ago. When I heard that J.J. Abrahms was going to attempt a re-boot of the original crew I was both sceptical and excited. Abrahms is responsible for ‘Lost’, one of the most addictive and fascinating television shows Shauna and I have ever seen. To think that the mind behind that show was going to take on the Star Trek universe was intriguing, to say the least. Fortunately for me (though not for all Trek fans) I was very impressed. Star Trek is an amazing re-boot and brings with it all that is good about Trek. I could go on and on, but I’ll just leave you with the best compliment I have about the film. Each actor, particularly those portraying Kirk, Spock and Bones (the Trek-Trinity, if you will), manages to remind viewers of the original characters without reminding them of the original actors. That’s saying a lot. Plus, it’s a great space adventure. What more do you want?


Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

If you are not familiar with Joss Whedon, please go watch Firefly and Serenity right now. I’ll wait here…

Done? Pretty impressive, right? Perhaps one of the best television shows ever made? My wife would certainly agree. And she’d be right to do so (she's so cool). Joss Whedon is a genius and after constant struggles with movie studios who value commercial success over artistic value and intelligence, Whedon decided to make a movie (of sorts) without the aid or intervention of any studios. The result is ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’, a short film in three parts that first debuted on the internet. For free. It has since gone on to achieve huge cult success in the geek world and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray for your viewing (and singing) pleasure. Described as a “musical tragicomedy miniseries”, 'Dr. Horrible' tells the tale of a well-meaning super-villain trying to get into the Evil League of Evil and win the heart of girl-next-door, Penny. Give it a chance and you just might be pleasantly surprised. And if you really did just finish watching Firefly and Serenity then you’ll just love the first appearance of Captain Hammer.

"Hang on! There's more to come."

Stay tuned for Part 2! Coming soon, I promise.