Blu-Ray Pick: Matrix Trilogy

Recently, I found out that the Matrix Trilogy was released on Blu-Ray, in the form of “The Ultimate Matrix Collection”. After Blu-Ray won the format war, I have started becoming more interested in converting to this format. I think once I get some extra cash, I am going to pick it up. I can only imagine how awesome the Matrix is in high definition.

On a side note, it even includes the Animatrix, which I thought was very good. You can pick it up on amazon for $74:99, which is pretty good for all three movies + the Animatrix. If you’re a fan of the series, and own a Blu-Ray player, I recommend buying this.

Film Class: The Conversation

This semester I took a film class, and one of the requirements were to watch a movie each week. Most of the films she assigned us were older movies I hadn’t seen, and while some of them were rather boring, I did really like several of them.

The Conversation was one of them, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. While this film isn’t as old as some of the stuff I had to watch, being released in 1974, it is still much older than most films I have watched. The premise of the film revolved arround wire tapping and surveillance, along with the paranoia associated with it.

The film had some pretty well known actors, including Gene Hackman and Harrison Ford. This film was released a few years before Star Wars, so Harrison Ford was a relatively unknown actor at the time.

I really enjoyed the main character, portrayed by Gene Hackman, who played a paranoid audio surveillance expert. He went to great lengths to avoid being spied on, while at the same time did just that to others. It was an interesting play on morals.

The film also explores the idea of ambiguity, and how a conversation can be interpreted in many different ways. The story centers around one particular conversation between a couple and how the main character interprets it, but before I give too much away, I am going to stop there.

If you’re interested in a good plot, then I recommend watching this. I thought it was going to be slow the first time I watched it, but it was the exact opposite, and kept me at the edge of my seat for the majority of the film.

Movie Recommendation: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

I like Robert Downey Jr. alot, and recently I watched probably my favorite film of his. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a comedic crime film starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan. It had a limited release, but has been highly praised by many critics.

The film has a noir-style that I really enjoy, and the way the plot weaves in and out was very fun. Very few films have shocked me as much as this one, with all the random events that take place and the effects they have on the overall plot. It’s amazing how funny some of the things that happen can be.

I don’t want to spoil much, so I am going to stop here. If you like Robert Downey Jr. and black comedy, you will love this movie. The writing is amazing and the actors equally so.

“Why I Blog” Commentary

Took me awhile to find that article (I had it linked on my laptop, but somehow lost it…), but I finally was able to read it entirely. The article was very interesting, and after reading it, I did some research into the author, Andrew Sullivan. He’s a pretty interesting guy.

I found several interesting points in the article, with his main focus on the personality of blogging being one of them. He talks about how blogging is alot less restricted, and more freeform, then traditional writing. Unlike traditional writing, a blogger forms a relationship with the readers much closer than any other form of writing is capable of. He referred to it as “friendship”, which is hard to believe at first, but makes a whole lot of sense the longer you think about it.

Which brings me to another point he brought up, regarding personality branding. Bloggers are recognized by their name, unlike newspapers, which tend to lack the individual personality that blogs have. It’s easily comparable to singers, actors, and other well known names or faces in the media.

The different style of writing is also something that he talked about in depth. Unlike traditional writing, where you have to fact check, edit, and make several revisions of your writing, blogging gives you much more freedom in these regards. He talks about how blogging is more on the spot, and how you feel at the moment. This creates more of a conversation, than actual writing, like I stated above.

There is alot of good points he made in the article, but I feel I have talked about the most relevant ones. Overall, I found the article to be a fun read, but I did find some of the writing to be a little too wordy. Other than that though, I enjoyed it quite alot.

On the election..

I’m not really into politics that much, so having to post on… Well, let’s just say I don’t have much to say. I have a tendency to side with republican views more so than democratic ones, however; this election I was torn on who to vote on.

Both sides were pretty equally appealing to me, so it was pretty hard to come to a conclusion on who I wanted to vote for. I felt that McCain had a better outlook on economy related issues, while Obama stood for more social issues that I agree upon.

In the end though, I went with who I really thought would be a better president. So I voted for McCain, but as you can see, he lost. It doesn’t really bother me though, as either one of them would have made a good president in my opinion. On a side note, I didn’t care too much for Palin.

Top 10 favorite films. I think…

I’ve always had a hard time choosing my favorites films, mainly due to the broad range of genres they cover. It’s hard to say whether this action film or that horror film is my favorite, because of how different they are to each other. However, top 10 is quite a lot easier to decide on. So without further ado, I present my current top 10 favorite films, in no particular order.

1.  The Matrix: This film is badass. Period. The Matrix truly defined stylistic action, unlike anything had done before. Bullet time was created here, a filming technique that many films have used since the Matrix was originally released. For other films similar to the Matrix, see Equilibrium.
2. Planet Terror: It’s hard to go wrong with zombies, so I included Planet Terror on my list of favorite films. I am a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez, and Planet Terror is one of my favorite films from Rodriquez.
3. Sin City: Ultra-violent, dark, and gritty. Sin City is an amazing example of a graphic novel adapted into a film. Like I stated above, I like Rodriquez alot, as well as Frank Miller who wrote the Sin City graphic novels. I really enjoyed the list of actors in this as well, and hopefully Johnny Depp will be in the next one.
4. In Bruges: I only recently saw this, and as some may remember, it is on my blog already. There isn’t much else I can say about it, other than the fantastic acting and character development seen in this film. That, combined with the fantastical setting of Bruges and the ambiguous form of storytelling, makes for an excellent film.
5. Boondock Saints: If you like vigilante films, you’ll love Boondock Saints. I thought the two brothers did an amazing job as public assassins, but Willem Dafoe’s role as the investigator to their crimes was brilliant.
6. The Prestige: This movie probably has the best storyline I have ever seen in a film. Not to mention, it had an amazing cast, alot of which are in the next movie. What made the story so great was how it was told, displaying the intense rivalry of Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman’s characters in a back and forth fashion. Absolutely amazing.
7. The Dark Knight: This film, like the one above, stars both Christian Bale and Micheal Caine, and is directed by the same person. However, what made the Dark Knight so great was Heath Ledger, as the Joker. He is probably the best villian I have ever seen in a movie, and will probably remain that way for quite some time.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: I typically try to avoid love stories, but this one is well worth it. Part of the reason I enjoyed it is because of the cast. I really like Jim Carrey, and Kate Winslet did an excellent job as his crazy girlfriend. But what really made this movie so great was the plot, which was both crazy and serious at the same time. Better watch it yourself, as I can’t easily describe it.
9. Spirited Away: This is the only animation film on the list, but it is still well worth seeing. I don’t know too much about Miyazaki’s work, but after seeing Spirited Away, it makes me want to see more. The animation is breathtaking and the characters are wonderful, while the story is so strange and fantastical. I highly recommend this film, even if you aren’t into animated films.
10. Secret Window: My only Johnny Depp film on the list, which is odd, considering he is one of my favorite actors. This film was probably my favorite of his, with Sleepy Hollow coming in as a very close second. I really liked the realism that this film held, and overall creepiness that is maintained throughout the film.

Well there you have it, my top 10 movies list. This list changes quite frequently, and there are MANY other films that come in very close to these. I could list them all, but that would take an eternity, and no one wants that, right? Right…?

Top Five Movie Blogs

This is a list of the top 5 movie blogs I visit, in no particular order. I included Apple’s trailer site on this because I use it alot. I also go to imdb frequently, but didn’t put it on the list.

1. The Movie Blog This has alot of coverage on recent and upcoming films, so I read it alot. They focus mainly on well known films, so if you’re looking for a blog covering indie films, this is not the best blog for that. However, they do update often, so there is alot to read here if you’re looking for movie information.
2. The Independent Eye These guys have more of a focus on indie films, and shows that appear on the IFC channel. They do alot of quick reviews on lesser known films, which is nice for finding new films I hadn’t heard about. Also, alot of the stuff they broadcast on their channel can be watched on their site.
3. indieWIRE Another blog that focuses on indie films. They cover more out of country stuff than the IFC does, as well as what is going on at various film festivals. I go here from time to time, but I spend more time over at IFC.
4. UGO Movie Blog This blog covers most mainstream movies, similiar to The Movie Blog. The main thing I really like about this site is how they link a trailer or clip of whatever film they are talking about in most of their posts.
5. Apple Trailers This isn’t actually a blog, but I felt it belonged on this list. I get most ALL of my movie information from the trailers they have here. I like their site mainly because of how easy it is to use and how they have their trailers in HD format.

Trailer Roundup #1

I’ve decided to do something slightly different this week and show three trailers of upcoming movies I am anticipating. Apple’s site is my favorite source for movie trailers, but since I can’t embed the videos, I will use Youtube.

The Spirit:

This is the third trailer for the movie, The Spirit, directed by Frank Miller. There has been alot of controversy around this film, especially among the fanbase of the original comic. Will Eisner wrote the comic, and most of the fans feel that Frank Miller is doing a poor job translating the comic to film. Regardless, I am a fan of Frank Miller’s work, so I think the movie is looking great. Plus, it has Samuel L. Jackson in it.

The Watchmen:

Yet another movie based on a well known comic series. I will be honest, I didn’t know much about the Watchmen comics until after watching this trailer. However, after watching the trailer, I was simply amazed at how awesome it was. From what I have read, this is a pretty faithful adaption of the comic, so hopefully it turns out good.

Rock n Rolla:

This film isn’t based on a comic like the two above, but it breeds a certain style that is just so amazing. The music is what makes the trailer so great, in my opinion. Combine that with Tom Wilkinson, and I think this will end up as a very well done film.

My Social Networks

AIM:

I use AIM more any other network, and have been for the past several years. In fact, I find it hard using something like Twitter, when AIM has worked so well for me. I talk to friends and family everyday using it.

Facebook:

I just recently started using Facebooks, since alot of my friends do, so I don’t have too much experience with it yet.

Gamefaqs:

I get most of my gaming information here, as they link to Gamespot, and have great, active forums for all games.

Pandora:

I haven’t done much with this, but I have experimented with track creation. It’s quite interesting, and I am having alot of fun with it.

CGSociety:

This is a great source for digital art information, and I find myself spending alot of time here. I’ve been going to this site for a few years now.

In Bruges… Where the fuck is Bruges?

The title summarizes the entire plot of In Bruges. OK, maybe not, but it sets up a story that will take you on an adventure through the wonderful city of Bruges, Belgium. In case any of you are wondering, I am talking about a movie here, one that many of you have probably never heard of.

The premise of the film revolves around two hitmen who are sent to hide out in Bruges, immediately following a messy accident involving an assassination. One of the hitmen, Ray (Played by Colin Farrell), finds Bruges to be an incredibly boring place. His partner Ken (Played by Brendan Gleeson) is very fond of Bruges, so as a result, Ray is subjected to sight seeing while they are there.

I can’t go too much further into the plot without spoiling anything, but what I can say is how absolutely wonderful In Bruges is. The movie plays heavily on the fairytale like atmosphere that Bruges breeds, giving a sense that nothing is quite real. At the same time, the plot deals with the gruesome reality of being an assassin.

Character development is where the film really soars, as the performances by both Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were amazing. Ralph Fiennes played the crime boss, Harry Waters. His performance was well done, but due to his character being introduced later into the film, he didn’t have much time to develop it.

Overall, the dark and gritty life of an assassin, combined with the fairytale like setting of Bruges, creates a very unique experience. Even the ending itself is very ambiguous, allowing the viewer to make what they want out of it. I can easily say that this is the one of the best films I have seen this year, right up there with the Dark Knight.