February 25, 2005
Harold and Kumar go to White Castle
This movie is a barrel of laughs. John Cho is great as Harold, and Kal Penn is a hilarious Kumar. It's helpful to be an Asian or Jewish person when watching this movie because this movie is heavy into racial and cultural stereotyping. However, the stereotyping is done in a light-hearted way, and shouldn't offend anyone.
I wonder how much White Castle paid to have this movie be largely about pursuing their delicious burgers? It's been a while since I've eaten White Castle burgers, but this movie actually made me want to go out and eat the burgers. Anyhow, I could really relate to Harold and Kumar because White Castle burgers were my after school snack of choice between sixth grade and tenth grade. My parents bought the burgers in large quantities to store in the freezer, and it was really easy to take out say, three burgers and nuke them for a few minutes. Presto, (almost) instant snack!
There were parts of this movie where I laughed so hard, my sides hurt. I will definitely be buying a copy of this movie for my collection. Now I just have to tell my brother to watch this, since he lives in the Garden State. I also know people from Cherry Hill, who will probably enjoy this movie. Oh yeah, and look for Doogie Howser's cameo appearance.
Posted by Kathy at 11:40 PM | Permalink
February 21, 2005
House of Flying Daggers
I finally went to see this movie. There are two things I'm thinking right now: 1) House of Flying Daggers definitely deserves the Academy Awards nomination for 'Best Cinematography', and 2) why the heck was this movie never released in general theatres?
House of Flying Daggers was really a touchingly beautiful and tragic love story between Mei (Zhang Ziyi) and Wind (Takeshi Kaneshiro). This is not a feel-good, fluffy chick flick love story, though. Instead it is the kind of story that shows exactly the strengths and weakness the characters are shaped by. The story itself is unforgettable, even compared with other epic Chinese legendary stories such as Hero and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. If you like Chinese martial arts movies, you need to see this one, because the fight scenes are first-rate. I also really enjoyed the choreography of the bamboo forest and the echo game scenes. Be prepared for surprises in plot points, as some things in this movie are not what they seem.
It's really too bad that the general public will not see this movie, since it's only showing in select theatres. This is not a movie to be missed, and I will be purchasing the DVD when it comes out.
Posted by Kathy at 08:08 PM | Permalink
February 25, 2004
Whale Rider
I really like this movie. No wait, I *loved* this movie. It's got everything a movie should have - a fresh perspective, engaging characters, a wonderful storyline, a sense of history. I think I've waited a long time to see a movie like this. I believe the last movie I saw with a similar theme was Mulan.
The premise of the story is this: Paikea (Pai) is a Maori girl whose twin brother died at birth, taking their mother along with him. Pai's brother was supposed to have been *the one* to save the Maori people and bring them to a better way of life, according to Pai's grandfather - Pai's father had not been willing to take that role. What we have here is the perfect setting for a girl who has to fight against all odds - which include chauvinistic viewpoints - to prove that she is the rightful leader of the Maori people. Alas, sexism dies very hard, as we saw with the grandfather who refuses to see that what he's been searching for was right under his nose from the start. We also learn the lesson that great and wise leaders are not made, they're born. Pai's noble and indomitable spirit is quite stirring.
If you haven't seen this movie, go out and rent it right now. Better yet, buy a copy. In today's world of countless bad, trashy movies, we should all be buying movies like Whale Rider to show the movie industry that what we want to see is more quality movies that speak to both our hearts and minds.
Posted by Kathy at 11:04 PM | Permalink
February 09, 2004
The Triplets of Belleville
The Triplets of Belleville was quite delightful to watch. The premise of the story is that a young boy who lives with his grandmother wants to be a cyclist and compete in the equivalent of the Tour de France. His spunky grandma helps her grandson make that dream a reality by literally being his drill sargent. The boy has a dog as well. The dog is completely obsessed with trains. The boy grows up to compete in the big cycling competition, and ends up being kidnapped for a sinister French mafia gambling scheme. Needless to say, Grandma comes to the rescue, along with the dog. The namesakes of the movie, The Triplets of Belleville, play a large role in this rescue mission. One of the more interesting features of this film is the way some of the characters are actually animals that kind of look like humans. The story is captivating, and the songs are catchy, so anyone who has the time should definitely check it out.
A special feature that was screened before The Triplets of Belleville was Destino. Destino was a collaborative project between Salvatore Dali and Walt Disney in 1946. In a nutshell, Destino is a love story told in a very surreal environment. I recognized Salvatore Dali's influence right away. This feature is only about ten minutes long, but is was like being in a dream.
Posted by Kathy at 11:06 PM | Permalink
January 26, 2004
Bubba Ho-tep
Todd and I saw Bubba Ho-tep at the Landmark E Steet Theatre on its opening day. For all you Bruce Campbell fans out there, Bruce was in town that day, and came out to answer questions after each evening showing of Bubba Ho-tep that day. Of course, that just gave us extra incentive to go to the showing. There are already a ton of reviews out there for the movie, so I'll do something a bit different.
Here are some interesting (or funny) questions [Q] and Bruce's answers [BC]:
Q: Did you go to Graceland?
BC: Hell, no! I mean, Elvis had a lot of money, but no taste! That's why he and Vegas got along so well.
Q: Your hair color seemed to have changed throughout the movie. Did you have several wigs or is it lighting?
BC: The movie budget was $120K, we only had *one* wig. It's lighting.
Q: Did you get to wear Elvis' costume?
BC: Oh, no. The company that owns Elvis' costumes is also the company that made them. They're very protective of the costumes. One Elvis impersonator actually got to borrow the costume for a performance. Did you know that the costumes are not washable? They cannot be cleaned. And Elvis sweated like a pig. So, he [Elvis] would pour Brut all over himself to mask the smell. All I can say is, I feel sorry for the women Elvis hugged or kissed in the costumes. Oh, and it's interesting how the costumes have evolved through Elvis' career. I knew he had lost it when the cape started coming out [laughs].
Q: When is Evil Dead 4 coming out?
BC: OK, now everyone in the audience hates you for asking that question. Ask Sam Raimi. I mean, Spider Man 2 or Evil Dead 4? He gets 8 million for Spider Man 2, and probably nothing for Evil Dead 4. What would you do? I'm ready to make that movie.
At the beginning of the Q&A session, someone seated in front of me yelled "This is my third time [seeing Bubba Ho-tep]! Bruce replied (pointing at the guy) "There's an ARMY OF DARKNESS in YOUR future".
Supposedly, if you watch the movie until the credits end, there's an indication that a new sequel will be made. I'm not sure which one, because I didn't get to see it. Bruce's security folks ushered him into the theatre right after the credits started. I guess this is so that no audience member will be heading out as he's walking in. Ah, the logistics of escorting celebs.
The movie and meeting Bruce was completely entertaining. I'm going to get the DVD when it comes out. We did buy a Bubba Ho-tep soundtrack CD with Bruce's autograph on it.
Posted by Kathy at 11:11 PM | Permalink