Other Recent Movies…

Back… to talk more movies wit choo. For starters here is a quick run down of the movies we have watched so far on our Thursday night endeavors. (At least the ones that I can presently remember...)

3:10 To Yuma (mention)

Perfume: Story Of A Murderer

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (big screen)

Suspect Zero

The Man Who Fell To Earth

Breach

Death Sentence (mention)

Apocalypto

Interstate 60

Romeo Is Bleeding

AVP: Requiem (big screen)

Eraserhead

Tenacious D: Complete Masterworks

Pump Up The Volume

Heathers

Hot Fuzz

Strange Brew

The Jerk

Casino Royale

Midnight Run

Over The Hedge (mention)

Private Eyes (mention)

Special shout out to WORMS: ARMAGEDDON



Kick ass time waster for the PS2... and every other system, but we play on the PS2.

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These are listed almost chronologically... so going back up the list in reverse:

Private Eyes - This is a special mention flick because Alice came over one night and we attempted to watch this favorite childhood movie of mine, starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway as a bumbling crime fighting duo. We got about 25 minutes into it before we realized we were too drunk from all the Gin we drank to pay attention, so I got on the internet and blogged inappropriate material instead. Regardless, you should check this family fun murder mystery movie out.

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Over The Hedge - This is another special mention flick. This was not actually a Thursday night movie, but I liked it soooo much I felt the need to include it here. I was not expecting the bitingly funny humor laden throughout this movie and found it to be a pleasant surprise. I was actually laughing out loud for much of the film, especially the scene where the animals meet the dog in a back yard who only wants to "PLAAAY?!?!?" Good stuff here in this well done computer animation flick for the whole family, or even for that loner with a case of beer and nothing else to do on any given night.

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Midnight Run - Starring Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin... before he got all right wing republican talk show guy. This is some good viewing with plenty of F*Bombs, guns, and gratuitous violence. DeNiro plays the part of a reluctant bounty hunter on one last job to score big bucks and get out of the business. The fugitive he seeks is a white collar criminal played by Grodin, who makes the transport difficult to say the least. Add to the mix numerous mobsters trying to stop the extradition and a rival bounty hunter seeking the prize for himself. I got two words for you: See this movie today.

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Casino Royale - This was the official FIRST Thursday night movie... at least the conceptualization of it, as I was the only one present at the viewing. It took me a while to finally see this 20th installment of the James Bond Franchise. While I enjoyed the realism that sets it apart from its predecessors, I often found myself lost in the story line and attempting to understand the vast plot lines. I don't NOT recommend this fine film, but be prepared to have to watch it multiple times to fully take in the splendor being offered up here. That being said I anticipate the 21st installment of the Bond films, which word has it will pick up right where the last film left off... a first in James Bond chronology.

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Strange Brew - There is some confusion as to whether or not this was a Thursday night movie, but I am certain it was... at the very least I know it was shown in the garage, so I guess by proxy that makes it eligible for this list. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas revive their SCTV roles of Bob and Doug Mackenzie for this cheesy 80's movie. While trying to score a free case of beer, they stumble upon a diabolical plot to take over the world. Again, best viewed with goggles on. And ya gotta love Mel Brooks as the voice of the dad. A "MUST SEE" for the true hockey fan... eh?

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Hot Fuzz - ”From The Makers Of Shaun Of The Dead!” That is how this film was billed, and frankly that is why I got my hands on it. Shaun of the dead was a hugely entertaining movie, and I can say I have enjoyed watching it several times. I expected as much from Hot Fuzz only to be let down. Try as it may, it is just not of the caliber of their previous flick. Whereas with Shaun of the dead you would expect absurdness… it IS a zombie movie, the zany antics in Hot fuzz do not compute. It’s a flashy satire on all the hit cop shows on TV over the past decade, but once that thin layer is stripped away you’ve really got nothing there except the hope that maybe sometime before it’s over zombies will appear and it will all make sense. That never happens… pity.

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Heathers - At first glance one may be convinced this is some stupid chick flick. How wrong they would be! This 1989 black comedy starring Winona Ryder & Christian Slater is a defining moment in the careers of these two Hollywood Celebrities. What starts out as a series of practical jokes turns into murderous mayhem and an explosive ending sure to get you howling. ”I love my dead gay son!” If you get a chance to watch the “Alternate ending”… don’t! It is pure crap! The theatre ending is the better by far. Put this one on your must see list.

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Pump Up The Volume - As a radio guy… I really dig this movie. Makes me wanna talk hard. I remember seeing this way back in early 90’s and thinking… how do I get MY OWN pirate radio station?! In fact, it would not be outside the realm of believability to say this flick is partly WHY I got into radio in the first place. I say check this one out. Once you get past all the teen angst I think you will agree this is a great movie with a killer soundtrack.

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Tenacious D: Complete Masterworks - Ya gotta love the “D”! The Complete Masterworks is a two disc set, the first of which contains all the Tenacious D episodes from HBO. Classic JB & KG action and their escapades on the open mic stage. You may wonder what could possibly top this “D”elicious entertainment… well let me tell you! Disc two! This disc is labeled “Bonus Stuff For Fans” and is chock full of the most hilarious, if not disturbing, strangeness sure to offend just about everyone on some level or another. Fully enjoyable, and suggested for multiple viewings.

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Eraserhead - David Lynch’s first film… 1975. I don’t even know what to say about this movie. I really don’t. This is a movie for masochists. You literally have to force yourself to sit through the flick… but once it’s over you think you may need to watch it again to try to understand it better. You won’t… but you try anyway. In the end you just sit there thinking to yourself out loud “What the F***”?!?! Lynch fans who haven’t seen this one will want to, everyone else may wish to just spare themselves the torture. And in case you were wondering… it’s a calf’s head.

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AVP: Requiem - Stevo and I went to see this one at the theatre the day after it opened. If you’ve seen the first Alien vs. Predator movie then you know how bad it sucked ass. This one picks up where that one leaves off, but there are absolutely no similarities in the story lines… and that is a good thing. The reviews were dismal at best when we went to see this, but I don’t think it was as bad as those reviews made it sound. I liked all the action, gore, and gratuitous violence. The biggest complaint I had, other than the guy who was sitting in front of me releasing toxic fumes every couple of minutes (seriously! It was like Mexican food mixed with rotten eggs and burning plastic… my eyes actually teared up at one point), was that the majority of the movie was just too dark. It was difficult to see exactly what was going on most of the time, and you never got a real GOOD look at the Alien/Predator Hybrid. If you get this one for home, turn the gamma all the way up and enjoy the mayhem! Overall, this is a fun movie that I would recommend to fans of the genre… who likely will see it regardless of my two cents worth.

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Romeo Is Bleeding - One of my favorite movies of all time. Certainly in the top 10. Any fan of film noir should give this movie a shot. I particularly enjoy the intense action scenes and the grab ya by the gonads ending. Gary Oldman delivers another fine performance in the lead role, and adds another layer to the diverse list of characters he has portrayed. (other favorite Oldman roles: Sid Vicious in Sid & Nancy; Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK; Dracula in Bram Stroker’s Dracula; Beethoven in Beethoven… to name a few.)

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Interstate 60 - We got this movie because it features Gary Oldman, and we were on a Gary Oldman kick. There was much talk about how diverse an actor he is and what great roles he has played... we thought we'd give this one a chance... I mean how bad could it be... it's from the guy who did Back To The Future. This movie was sooooo contrived... every plot line was utterly ridiculous. It seems to me that the director had a pile of crap on paper, and a bunch of A list actors who owed him favors... it's the only plausible explanation for this travesty. Perhaps the 10-14 year old crowd would enjoy this rubbish, but everyone else should avoid it like the plague.

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Apocalypto - Say what you may about Mel Gibson... That guy knows how to put together a movie! Apocalypto is a savagely brutal depiction of warring tribes beautifully set in the lush jungles of Central America. With possibly the greatest foot chase scene in the history of film, this flick delivers action, violence, and one man's determination to defy the odds. You will need to read subtitles for this one, but if you are like me, you won't even notice them after the first ten minutes as the pacing keeps you clenching the side of your seat for its entirety. Enjoy this one in all its grandeur on a giant screen TV with surround sound if at all possible.

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Death Sentence - I put this in the special mention category because it was not an official "Movie Night" movie, but it was seen by the majority of the participants of our little group that has always been and always will be. Wrought with tension, this is one of those movies that just can't have a happy ending... but they can't all now can they? Kevin Bacon delivers a very strong performance as a man whose family is taken from him by murderous deviants. There is a great deal of build up centered around Bacon's family and his devotion to them, followed by the downward spiral of a man driven to revenge. NOT for kids, and NOT for the faint of heart. A gritty and intense film that refuses to hold any punches.

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Breach - Okay... We got this one because of Chris Cooper, whom we refer to as "The Bomb Guy", because of his role in "Interstate 60". I know I trashed that movie above, and it did suck ass, but possibly the one redeeming quality of that flick was Chris Cooper, who as a dying cancer patient walked around with a bomb strapped to his body. That aside, it made us want to see him in a movie that DIDN'T suck. Breach delivered. It's not so packed with action as some of our other choices, instead driving up the tension with a meaty plot line ripped from the headlines about the greatest security breach in U.S. History. I can't be certain how true to life the movie stays, but I can tell you that it is a good movie that will leave you with some sense of recent events. If you're looking for a bang-bang shoot 'em up movie... this isn't it.

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The Man Who Fell To Earth - From 1976 starring David Bowie as an alien from a distant dying world, and David Bowie's junk. His planet is in need of life sustaining water, and Bowie's character comes to Earth to procure the liquid. But he eventually finds himself sucked into the maddening world of money, politics, power, booze and drugs... so I guess technically he "falls" twice. I found it to be overly long and tedious in some places, but it does sport a bunch of boobies, and there is undoubtedly the greatest sex scene ever put on film in this movie, involving more of those boobies I was talking about and a great big hand gun! You need to see it to believe it. ALICE thought this movie was wonderful... but he was sold at when David Bowie's junk made an appearance.

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Suspect Zero - I was hoping for a little more from this movie. It's all about serial killers. How could that not be awesome?!?! AND Ben Kingsly in the bad guy role... come on... Gandhi as a bad guy... gotta be awesome right?!?! Nope. The pacing was off, the characters were ridiculous and the plot made no sense. It had its moments, but I wouldn't put it up to the top of my "Must See" list unless there's just nothing else available. Get Death Sentence instead.

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Pee Wee’s Big Adventure - OH MY GOD!! I am a big Pee Wee fan from way back in the day! I own this movie. I have seen this movie more times than I can count. But until recently I had never seen this movie on the big screen. Thanks to the Bear Tooth Theatre Pub I can now say I HAVE seen it on the big screen. The crowd was there to have fun, and it was great to hear people other than myself yelling out lines... "tell me about YOUR big but Simone". Kick ass!!! Plus Stevo and I saw some of them guys from Danny Tanner's Rainbow Militia... They've been off the cake for a couple months now... good job guys! Love this movie!!! I'll watch it a whole bunch more times before I leave this mortal coil. You should too. HA-HA!

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Perfume: Story Of A Murderer - OMF'nG!!! This movie is unlike any movie you have ever seen or will ever see again. It is the story of a man born without a scent who spends his life trying to create the perfect scent to make people love him. Apparently being born without a scent also means you must murder pretty girls. Cool! Released in 2006, and sporting the likes of Dustin Hoffman in a supporting role, this movie slipped under the radar as it was deemed "inappropriate" for American audiences. Therefore it had a very limited release, which is a shame because aside from being aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, the story line is riveting and complex... something lacking from other 2006 flicks that WERE deemed "appropriate" for American audiences such as LARRY THE CABLE GUY, BASIC INSTINCT 2, SANTA CLAUSE 3, SHAGGY DOG and BENCHWARMERS. America... you are not allowed to have deep thoughts... wallow in your ignorance... for ignorance is bliss. 'Nuff said. See this movie!

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3:10 To Yuma - I throw this in as a mention because for a month now we tried to have this as the Thursday night feature to no avail. So we all kind of checked it out on our own over the last week and we think it's pretty good for a western. The butler did it...

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All right!! That should get you caught up on the Thursday night movie night in TiTo's Garage event. Let me know if you have seen any of these and what you thought. And you have any suggestions pass 'em along...