Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
(2010) [Trailer]
Director: Edgar Wright (IMDB)

Synopsis: A bass playing Canadian falls for a girl with a lot of ex boyfriend baggage.

Upon my first viewing of Scott Pilgrim I wasn't really sure what to expect. It somehow slipped under my radar and I literally knew nothing about the film going into it. I ending up loving it and after my second viewing last night the movie just gets better, it's a perfect blend of comedy and action.

One could say SPVTW is nerdy or quirky, I could see that I suppose. It infuses a lot of elements from video games, especially Street Fighter II, which is my favorite game ever. It somewhat panders to the gamer crowd and also strangely enough... Smashing Pumpkins fans (also my favorite band ever.) The editing in this is very interesting, both visually and with sound queues, it really feels like no other film I can think of.

The movie serves up a lot of funny dialog which is mainly delivered successfully by Michael Cera. I know he has a certain schtick that he's known for (awkward teen), but for this role it was perfect. The rest of the cast are pretty hilarious too, highlights would be Macaulay Culkin's brother and Captain America. Last but not least, the fight scenes are well paced and don't overstay their welcome.

This is a winner in my book and I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for a funny action movie.

Dracula

Dracula
(1992) [Trailer]
Director: Francis Ford Coppola (IMDB)

To quote a great author "Vampires are pretty hot right now. You got Twilight and True Blood and let's not forget... Lost Boys: The Tribe." This was one of my favorite vampire flicks in high school, but honestly I had forgotten a lot of it. So I decided to dig into the blu-ray last night and give her another go.

Synopsis: Francis Ford Coppola brings Bram Stoker's classic novel to life and we learn the origins of the most famous vampire ever... Count Chocula, I mean Dracula.

I still really enjoyed this movie and it has a certain timeless feel to me. The visuals are incredible and instead of using computers or elaborate special effects, Coppola hearkens back to older and more traditional effects used in classic cinema. This choice was a fantastic one and gives this film a very cool look.

Gary Oldman is the best in this, seriously, he rules as Dracula and is in close running for best Dracula ever next to Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu or Bela Lugosi in the original. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Winona Ryder were pretty convincing as well. I guess I should talk about the elephant in the room, or elephant in the blog, Keanu Reeves. A lot of people hated him in this and while his accent was shit, he wasn't that awful. I'll deduct a half point for him, the rest is awesome.

Puppetmaster

Puppetmaster
(1989) [Trailer]
Director: David Schmoeller (IMDB)

I recently picked up Puppetmaster on blu-ray from a 7-11 in Virginia... who knew the best convenience store chain in the entire universe also carries blu-rays? I have never seen this film, I just saw the price and picked it up on impulse. I thought, it's from the 80's, it's an interesting looking horror movie, why not? I will now tell you whether my urge was just.

Synopsis: A puppeteer in the 1930's learn how to impart life into inanimate objects and starts to turns his little wooden friends into killing machines.

This movie definitely has the feel of a straight to video movie, then IMDB confirmed that suspicion. The acting is spotty at times and the plot is a bit weak. The movie's main problem is... it's boring. The first 10 minutes are strong, then it's a snooze fest till the last 20 minutes. I did enjoy the last act though, too bad the the rest of this wasn't as entertaining.

Miami Vice

Miami Vice
(2006) [Trailer]
Director: Michael Mann (IMDB)

I've shared my thoughts on remakes on this blog before but for those new to this page, or unwilling to click that link, I used to hate the idea of remakes, I've now changed my tune. Miami Vice is a perfect example of why remakes can be a good idea.

Synopsis: Two Miami cops go deep undercover to break up a South American drug ring.

I enjoyed Miami Vice as a kid and I think Michael Mann did a bang up job recreating the spirit of the TV show (he was the producer of the show) but taking it and doing something different. This is way more realistic and gritty compared to the original series. The use of digital cameras gives a really interesting tone to the whole film, it reminded me of COPS sometimes.

When Colin Farrell first came on screen I thought "does he look like this because he's undercover, or will he keep this appearance the whole time? God, I hope it's the whole time." I was not a disguise, he just looks like a dirt ball, it's great. Jamie Foxx is also a good addition, actually I liked the whole cast mostly. I really enjoyed a lot of the locations they filmed in, Mann did a phenomenal job picking visually stimulating sites. I was not a fan of some of the music choices however, especially the Phil Collins nu-metal cover.

Definitely check this out, I recommend it for fans of action and crime films.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

A.I. Artificial Intelligence
(2001) [Trailer]
Director: Steven Spielberg (IMDB)

Synopsis: In the future a robot boy has dreams of becoming a real boy... it's like Pinocchio, but not.

I'm dropping a little more Steven Spielberg on you this time, but to be fair this is also a little Stanley Kubrick. As many people know, Stanley passed the buck to Spielberg before God so unkindly dragged him from this earth (people needed good movies in heaven obviously.)

A.I. is a solid film, you could call it the Buick LaSabre of Spielberg's filmography... those are solid cars right? It's stylistically pleasing to me and I love the special effects incorporated into the second half especially. Haley Joel Osment was fantastic in the role as David, Jude Law also plays a pretty convincing android.

I felt like there were a few pacing issues, one being towards the end, it seemed to drag a little. Also, I know it's a movie and all, but if they can create these elaborate robots, why can't they reprogram them if and when their owners decide to get rid of them? Why would they have to be destroyed if mommy falls out of love with them? Kids are assholes, the robot makers should have prepared for that scenario. I call bull shit on that.