Thoughts: Nov. 29, 2010

Goodbye to Cinemark Tinseltown. It is the rare mainstream multiplex that strikes a balance between showing mainstream Hollywood movies and art house/indie/foreign movies while offering discounted matinee prices. You have contributed a lot to my film education. I will miss you.

It has been bought by Cineplex Entertainment. The most corporate – profit driven movie theatre company in Canada. I can only hope that Cineplex will continue the courageous and very diverse movie booking practices of Cinemark Tinseltown. But still I’m realistic to know that it’s a profit based move on Cineplex Entertainment and looking at the company’s history, they are not known for regularly taking a chance on showing small independent movies nor foreign films for that matter.

On the bright side, it is better than having the cinema completely close down.

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Movie Blurb: Nov. 29, 2010

I have seen “127 Hours” and think it’s one of the best films of the year. My God! The directing, writing, acting, cinematography and editing are awesome. Especially the editing where it was able to convey the energy and journey of the character and to transcend what on paper is a survival story and turn it into a young man’s journey towards humility and grace.

This movie could have easily turned into a heavy handed clichéd survival film and be dreadfully boring. But Danny Boyle took the concept of a guy stuck alone for 127 hours and told the story in a way that is entertaining, interesting and even profound.

James Franco‘s tour-de-force performance, Danny Boyle‘s directing, and Boyle and Simon Beaufoy‘s work on the screenplay are among the best things I have seen all year. I guess I appreciate it more since as a writer myself, I know how hard it is to write something interesting and emotionally truthful. What made the film amazing is that they turned the true story of a guy stuck for 127 hours in a canyon all by himself and made it into a visceral gut wrenching experience for the audience about the internal chaos and turmoil someone in that situation would experience. My hat’s off to the filmmakers.

Movie Blurb: Nov. 25, 2010

I liked the movie “Love and Other Drugs“. It’s the rare romantic-comedy movie wherein the main actors have great onscreen chemistry and the writing is very good. Call me a romantic but it’s been a while since I seen a love story where I felt invested in the character’s love between each other. Plus seeing the beautiful body of Anne Hathaway in all it’s naked glory and a few hot looking women made me envious of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Movie Blurb: Oct. 10, 2010

If you ever come across a movie titled “L.A. Zombie“, avoid it at all cost. Unless if you like to watch gay zombie porn with full on zombie giant penis penetration and masturbation. It’s just one of those “What the Fuck” movies that just shows “What the Fuck” moments for the sake of showing them without any reason nor regard to developing the story. First movie of the 2010 Vancouver International Film Festival that I walked out of.

Movie Blurb: Sept. 19, 2010

I find Emma Stone totally adorable on “Easy A” that by the end of the movie I developed a crush on Emma. As for the movie, I loved it. From the supporting actors to the 80’s John Hughes teen movie vibe with Emma Stone holding it all together just like Matthew Broderick on “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off“, it’s the kind of movie I would happily watch multiple times. My only complaint is that if they could have shot the movie on film and not on digital. I think the texture of film would add to the movie.

Thoughts: Sept. 1, 2010

I encountered a Black Bear on the way to set this morning.

5:30 AM, Deep Cove, North Vancouver: as the taxi turned the corner, out comes a Black Bear. The taxi stops, the bear did not notice us and it just nonchalantly crossed the road into the bushes. The sight of a wild animal in the wild is awe inspiring and at the same time scary. It was a very breathtaking experience.

Thoughts: Aug. 29, 2010

I find taking the N19 New West STN bus @ 3 AM on a Saturday morning to be a surreal and strangely entertaining experience. It’s like being in a Terry Gilliam movie. You got noisy drunk Latinos trying to wear each other’s sweaters, gangster Afrikaans hating on noisy Latinos, flirty punks, MILF druggies and in between are either drunk or barely sober passengers.

Thoughts: Mar. 1, 2010

Say it ain’t so, Avril Lavigne and Nickelback at the Winter Olympics’ closing ceremonies. Is this the best musicians that Canada has produced? Oh well, at least they had Neil Young and flying mooses and giant beavers.

I’m with Coco

im-with-conan

I would gladly stand up for Conan. I have always liked Conan. But after watching his last episode on Late Night, Conan has earned my total respect and admiration. It shows to the world that he is a man that has class and dignity. That is how you end your show – in a blaze of rock n’ roll glory!!! You have my support in whatever you do, Conan. Keep rockin’ in the free world Coco!!!

 

“I hate cynicism, It’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien’s final words before leaving The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (Jan. 22, 2010)

Movie Blurb: Dec. 28, 2009

I liked the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in the movie “Sherlock Holmes“. The movie comes off as a Victorian era version of the movie “Lethal Weapon” – which is a good thing. My only gripe about the movie is that the challenges Sherlock Holmes faced comes off as too easy for him. He needs a better adversary. But I guess they are saving that for the sequel.

Movie Blurb: Dec. 15, 2009

I’m surprised to find “A Single Man” to be a very good movie. It is in my opinion one of the best photographed and composed movies that I have seen since Wong Kar Wai‘s “In the Mood for Love“. In fact you could say the movie is a homosexual version of “In the Mood for Love”. Every frame is like a motion picture version of a Vogue photograph. Well the look made sense since Tom Ford who is fashion designer, directed the movie. The movie just oozes with style and mood.

Movie Blurb: Dec. 5, 2009

I loved the chain and sickle action in the movie “Ninja Assassin“. To my knowledge it is the first time ever for that weapon to be showcased in the big screen. And oh man, what a glorious image it was. The only downside to the movie was that the story and writing was pedestrian. I do give credit to James McTeigue for his inventive and creative ideas on portraying ninjas and weapons fighting.

Movie Blurb: Dec. 3, 2009

I warn anyone who is planning to see the movie “The Road” to not be fooled by the trailer. It is not an action movie nor has any similarity to “No Country for Old Men“. The movie is very similar in tone and action to Terrence Malick’s movie “The New World” or a slightly better edited version of Gus Van Sant’s movie “Gerry“.

The movie is very bleak and there is no satisfying conclusion to the story. It felt like the movie ran out of time and that there should be a sequel to address what happens next.

It is the few times in my life where I went into the cinema expecting a movie that was pitched to me by the trailer but the actual movie I saw was totally different from my expectations. Mentally I was taken off-guard that it was hard for me to appreciate the movie.

Maybe someday, I’ll have to re-watch “The Road” to properly evaluate the movie but right now I’m just feel shitty after watching it.

Movie Blurb: Nov. 16, 2009

I hope and pray that the events depicted in the movie “2012” won’t happen in real life. There’s no way I would be able to survive it in my current situation – I’m not rich, I don’t know how to fly an airplane and I don’t have the same skills as McGyver.

If you can get over the cliché characters and some stupid moments, the movie’s depiction of the end of the world and the dread it gives you is worth the ticket price.

Movie Blurb: Oct. 31, 2009

The movie “Paranormal Activity” deserves all the success that it is getting. It is old school horror – slow build up, taking time to set up the situation, making it relate to the audiences fears and at the same time most of the horror slowly creeps up on you. My only gripe is that one character in the movie is so moronic that it makes you want to pull your hair at how daft he is.

Movie Blurb: Oct. 9, 2009

I have seen the new “G.I. Joe” movie and I think that if you are someone who likes watching a movie with good story, acting and character development, this is NOT the movie you should watch. It is two hours of cartoony action, bland dialogue, and bad story telling. By the end of the movie I did not care whether the good guys win or not. If you want a good army movie, go watch “The Hurt Locker“.

Movie Blurb: Oct. 14, 2008

I want to be a RocknRolla (we all like a bit of the good life – some the money, some the drugs, others the sex game, the glamour, or the fame. But a rocknrolla? Oh, he’s different. Why? Because a real rocknrolla wants the fucking lot!). The movie “RocknRolla” is also not that bad though Guy Ritchie is dangerously close to becoming a one note director.

Movie Blurb: Oct. 9, 2008

The movie “REC“, in my opinion is THE BEST ZOMBIE FILM EVER!!! This is the first movie in my adult movie going life to have scared the shit out of me and made me scream with pure terror and left me all shaken up. I highly recommend watching it in a movie theater because it adds a whole new level of scary and impact to the experience. It is one fucking awesome film!!!