Now see these (minus one)
Not having cable has it's advantages.
I do miss Bravo and the Food Network as well as "The Daily Show" and "Best Week Ever," but those joyous nuggets are few and far between. The cable industry is an evil unregulated monopoly and since I can't afford it, it makes me feel better to just state that fact to help back myself up.
To ease the pain of the four decent channels I get with the trusy rabbit ears, I have joined Netflix and couldn't be happier with finally catching up with movies I missed, from recent releases to not-so recent releases that have been on my 'to do' for quite a while.
I will rate them best to worst and encourage my reading audience to watch some of these if they haven't already. (WARNING -- potential spoilers throughout!)
1.) The Squid and the Whale (2005) -- This is the best movie I have seen in a year's time, maybe more. It is the autobiographical story of director Noah Baumbach as a child in New York during his parent's divorce. The parents are brilliantly played by Jeff Daniels and Laura
Linney and the younger son is played by Owen Kline, oldest child of Kevin Kline and Phobee Cates. The resemblence to his mother is striking. The movie takes place in 1986 and makes references to the decade without becoming an eighties tribute novelty. There is a subtle reference to "Risky Business" made by Frank, played by Owen Kline. The irony being that his mother was in another of the most famous teen movies of the eighties, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Her co-star was the movie's lead, Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is married to Noah Baumbach. I love a weird circle's of coincidence. This movie tackles the tough subject of divorce without being too heavy or too callous. It's an honest look at how children idolize their parents while simultaneously holding them to impossible standards and how these roles can switch from parent to parent and from child to child. As is this movie could't get any better, Dean Wareham, from Luna, and Britta Phillips perform original music on the soundtrack.
2.) Hustle and Flow (2005) -- Leave it to brilliant writing by Craig Brewer to make DJay the pimp seem like a relatable character and one who you want to rally behind by the time the film is over. The story of many down-and-out dregs in the deep South is painful to watch at times, but also inspiring, even in the middle of harsh and sad realities of life in the margins. With a brilliant
soundtrack, cinematography and incredible acting throughout by Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson and Taryn Manning, this is an excellent story that is anything but another Hollywood thug movie.
On a personal side note: my aunt Joni Wheeler was the set decorator for this movie. She did that Memphis bordello and bar good justice.
3.) American Splendor (2003) -- This movie tells the true story of a true American underdog: Harvey Pekar. Pekar, brilliantly played by Paul Giamatti, is clerk at the VA's office Cleveland. He is a down-on-his-luck guy who sugarcoats nothing of the reality of h
is eccentricities or lonliness and one day meets the comic book artist Robert Crumb. He and Crumb become creative collaborators and when Pekar pitches the idea of creating his own comic book, Crumb takes the bait and the brilliant underground comic book series American Splendor is born. Though the exposure Pekar recieves is limited, he does attract the attention of a comic book clerk in Delaware named Joyce Brabner, excellently played by the amazing Hope Davis. Brabner becomes Pekar's wife and probably the only person on the planet that actually understands his peculiarities and ticks and sticks by him during the fat and lean times. Directed by Shari Springer Berman, the movie is travels back and forth between the past and Pekar and other real-life characters in the present. Best Week Ever's Judah Friedlander plays Pekar's very unusual friend Toby Radloff and has a hilarious montage about "Revenge of the Nerds."
3.) New York Doll (2005) -- I'm a total sucker for a rock documentary a
nd this one is truly unusual and fascinating throughout. The story is about the forefreaks of glam/punk, none other than The New York Dolls. The group's founder and bass player, Arthur "Killer" Kane never saw any fame, unlike lead singer David Johansen and Kane is honest about his lowest low moments where he was facing suicide, drug addiction, alcoholism, divorce and how he was saved by religion to have his ultimate prayer answered: The reunion of the Dolls. With a very dramatic ending this story revealed the dark underbelly of past fame, but how a person's luck can turn around in a very fateful manner.
4.) Broken Flowers (2005) -- Bill Murray still has it. The understated smart ass of movies like "Meatballs" and "Stripes" is alive and well many decades later. Directed by the brilliant Jim Jarmusch, Murray plays man whose made it big in the computer business, enough so to rest on his laurels and engage in a life-long series of dead-end relationships. His seed, sown far a
nd wide, leads him to one day receive anonymous letter from a woman claiming to be his past lover and the mother of his now nineteen-year-old son. Hilarity ensues as his character, Don Johnston, travels around the country visiting his former lovers and trying to figure out if really has a son out there. His best friend Desmond aides Don in his journey and provides a soundtrack for the trip (with excellently chosen music by Mulatu Astatke). The movie does have some painfully slow parts, but Murray's trademark talent for physical acting combined with the excellent soundtrack, help bridge these gaps. Sharon Stone and Frances Conroy add great texture to the plot.
And here's one to skip:
Running with Scissors (2006) -- This movie is an adaption of the incredible book, by the same name, written by Augusten Burroughs. The book tells the stranger-than-fiction story of a boy, Augusten, who goes to live with his mother's shrink after she becomes an emotional prisoner of the so-cal
led doctor while simultaneously derailing mentally. The dysfunction and chaos Burroughs details in the story of his strange adolescent upbringing doesn't translate well on screen and the typically inspiring Annette Benning as Augusten's mother, Dierdre, turns into a cartoon character representation of mental illness.
The lack of creativity of the soundtrack, that sounds like it was taken track-by-track off the seventies songs from"Freedom Rock," makes the story seem silly and completely uninsprired like a an after-school special gone dead wrong. Joseph Cross as Augusten gives a flat performance that represents nothing of the brilliant humorous survivor described in the book. Gwenyth Paltrow delivers another forgettable, robotic performance with Evan Rachel Wood as the only real stand-out as the precocious, wise ass, Natalie Finch. This incredibly bizarre true story had all the potential for a great movie, but fell completely on its face.
I do miss Bravo and the Food Network as well as "The Daily Show" and "Best Week Ever," but those joyous nuggets are few and far between. The cable industry is an evil unregulated monopoly and since I can't afford it, it makes me feel better to just state that fact to help back myself up.
To ease the pain of the four decent channels I get with the trusy rabbit ears, I have joined Netflix and couldn't be happier with finally catching up with movies I missed, from recent releases to not-so recent releases that have been on my 'to do' for quite a while.
I will rate them best to worst and encourage my reading audience to watch some of these if they haven't already. (WARNING -- potential spoilers throughout!)
1.) The Squid and the Whale (2005) -- This is the best movie I have seen in a year's time, maybe more. It is the autobiographical story of director Noah Baumbach as a child in New York during his parent's divorce. The parents are brilliantly played by Jeff Daniels and Laura
Linney and the younger son is played by Owen Kline, oldest child of Kevin Kline and Phobee Cates. The resemblence to his mother is striking. The movie takes place in 1986 and makes references to the decade without becoming an eighties tribute novelty. There is a subtle reference to "Risky Business" made by Frank, played by Owen Kline. The irony being that his mother was in another of the most famous teen movies of the eighties, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Her co-star was the movie's lead, Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is married to Noah Baumbach. I love a weird circle's of coincidence. This movie tackles the tough subject of divorce without being too heavy or too callous. It's an honest look at how children idolize their parents while simultaneously holding them to impossible standards and how these roles can switch from parent to parent and from child to child. As is this movie could't get any better, Dean Wareham, from Luna, and Britta Phillips perform original music on the soundtrack.2.) Hustle and Flow (2005) -- Leave it to brilliant writing by Craig Brewer to make DJay the pimp seem like a relatable character and one who you want to rally behind by the time the film is over. The story of many down-and-out dregs in the deep South is painful to watch at times, but also inspiring, even in the middle of harsh and sad realities of life in the margins. With a brilliant
soundtrack, cinematography and incredible acting throughout by Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson and Taryn Manning, this is an excellent story that is anything but another Hollywood thug movie.On a personal side note: my aunt Joni Wheeler was the set decorator for this movie. She did that Memphis bordello and bar good justice.
3.) American Splendor (2003) -- This movie tells the true story of a true American underdog: Harvey Pekar. Pekar, brilliantly played by Paul Giamatti, is clerk at the VA's office Cleveland. He is a down-on-his-luck guy who sugarcoats nothing of the reality of h
is eccentricities or lonliness and one day meets the comic book artist Robert Crumb. He and Crumb become creative collaborators and when Pekar pitches the idea of creating his own comic book, Crumb takes the bait and the brilliant underground comic book series American Splendor is born. Though the exposure Pekar recieves is limited, he does attract the attention of a comic book clerk in Delaware named Joyce Brabner, excellently played by the amazing Hope Davis. Brabner becomes Pekar's wife and probably the only person on the planet that actually understands his peculiarities and ticks and sticks by him during the fat and lean times. Directed by Shari Springer Berman, the movie is travels back and forth between the past and Pekar and other real-life characters in the present. Best Week Ever's Judah Friedlander plays Pekar's very unusual friend Toby Radloff and has a hilarious montage about "Revenge of the Nerds."3.) New York Doll (2005) -- I'm a total sucker for a rock documentary a
nd this one is truly unusual and fascinating throughout. The story is about the forefreaks of glam/punk, none other than The New York Dolls. The group's founder and bass player, Arthur "Killer" Kane never saw any fame, unlike lead singer David Johansen and Kane is honest about his lowest low moments where he was facing suicide, drug addiction, alcoholism, divorce and how he was saved by religion to have his ultimate prayer answered: The reunion of the Dolls. With a very dramatic ending this story revealed the dark underbelly of past fame, but how a person's luck can turn around in a very fateful manner.4.) Broken Flowers (2005) -- Bill Murray still has it. The understated smart ass of movies like "Meatballs" and "Stripes" is alive and well many decades later. Directed by the brilliant Jim Jarmusch, Murray plays man whose made it big in the computer business, enough so to rest on his laurels and engage in a life-long series of dead-end relationships. His seed, sown far a
nd wide, leads him to one day receive anonymous letter from a woman claiming to be his past lover and the mother of his now nineteen-year-old son. Hilarity ensues as his character, Don Johnston, travels around the country visiting his former lovers and trying to figure out if really has a son out there. His best friend Desmond aides Don in his journey and provides a soundtrack for the trip (with excellently chosen music by Mulatu Astatke). The movie does have some painfully slow parts, but Murray's trademark talent for physical acting combined with the excellent soundtrack, help bridge these gaps. Sharon Stone and Frances Conroy add great texture to the plot.And here's one to skip:
Running with Scissors (2006) -- This movie is an adaption of the incredible book, by the same name, written by Augusten Burroughs. The book tells the stranger-than-fiction story of a boy, Augusten, who goes to live with his mother's shrink after she becomes an emotional prisoner of the so-cal
led doctor while simultaneously derailing mentally. The dysfunction and chaos Burroughs details in the story of his strange adolescent upbringing doesn't translate well on screen and the typically inspiring Annette Benning as Augusten's mother, Dierdre, turns into a cartoon character representation of mental illness.The lack of creativity of the soundtrack, that sounds like it was taken track-by-track off the seventies songs from"Freedom Rock," makes the story seem silly and completely uninsprired like a an after-school special gone dead wrong. Joseph Cross as Augusten gives a flat performance that represents nothing of the brilliant humorous survivor described in the book. Gwenyth Paltrow delivers another forgettable, robotic performance with Evan Rachel Wood as the only real stand-out as the precocious, wise ass, Natalie Finch. This incredibly bizarre true story had all the potential for a great movie, but fell completely on its face.
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