What movies have you seen recently?

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Today I watched Simon Says. This gory horror film stars Crispin Glover as homicidal identical twins Simon and Stanley, who lure tourists into the forest where they live so they can kill them with elaborate booby traps that utilize their weapons of choice - pickaxes.

I was expecting this movie to be absolutely awful, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I wound up enjoying it. The teenagers are all very funny, especially the stoner. I loved the twins and was rooting for them the entire time (even though they are the psychopathic murderers), though to be honest, I thought Glover's acting was too over-the-top to be creepy. Maybe that's why I loved the twins - they didn't scare me very much. The deaths were very messy and bloody, with organs trailing for good measure. The skeletons were obviously fake though.

My biggest complaint about the movie was that it was confusing towards the ending. I have a theory that this is because the low budget wouldn't allow for Crispin to be digitally replicated so that both twins could appear together onscreen at the same time, so you couldn't always tell which one he was playing. Even the Internet seems to disagree about who he really was towards the end. Wikipedia says that Simon killed Stanley and kidnapped the girl, while someone on Youtube said that it was Stanley who killed Simon, assumed his identity and kidnapped the girl. I didn't think either one of them died, because I never saw them get killed onscreen, though there were flashbacks that suggested that one may have killed the other (though this seems unlikely, because in one flashback they are toddlers and in another they are teenagers, suggesting they grew up together).

True horror movie fans might not find this very impressive (judging from reviews on Netflix.com), but I think that fans of Crispin Glover will really get a kick out of this. I know I did!

I ended up seeing Tomorrow When The War Began, and saw Easy A earlier this week.

Tomorrow When The War Began was excellent, one of the best action films I've seen this year. The acting was mostly solid, with a cast of unknowns. The lead actress, Caitlin Stasey is excellent and holds the film high. Some of the dialogue, particularly Lee's was a bit off. However, I like how each of the characters were given more of a character arc compared to the books and how they all participate in the final action sequence. The action is fantastic, and is sure to draw new audiences to the books.

I also enjoyed Easy A, despite some minor flaws. The script and acting were both top notch, with great dialogue, which made the high concept nature of the film believable. The casting was excellent, particularly Emma Stone, who I think we'll be seeing a lot more of in the future. The only minor gripe I have with the film is that some of the decisions made by the main character make her unlikeable. However, the lead actress' charisma does go some way toward negating that issue.

Both are excellent films and definitely worthy of full price admission.

Easy A... to write a movie review for my school's newspaper. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Wilde - It is a biopic about Oscar Wilde starring Stephen Fry, which focuses on the playwright's rocky love affair with Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Jude Law) and his subsequent arrest that came as a direct cause of it. It also shows the affects of the affair on other people who loved Oscar, such as his wife and another young man with whom he'd had a previous relationship.

I felt an almost full range of emotions while watching this film - chiefly happiness, anger and sadness. The film becomes increasingly dramatic as the story unfolds and ends in a bittersweet way.

I recommend this film to people who enjoy biopics and period dramas, as well as fans of Stephen Fry and/or Jude Law. But be warned - it is not a film for those who are squeamish about graphic depictions of homosexuality. But if you are into that sort of thing (as I am), you will find it to be a nice treat on a day when you are in the mood to watch something dramatic.

I saw "Never Let Me Go" on Sunday.

This is a very close adaptation of the book. It is reasonably well made and the performances are good, but I don't know that it adds anything to reading the book. The brief nature of films means that some details had to be cut and I think the film suffers a little from that. I would have liked to see more of the nuances in the relationship between the three friends. Also there is a subtle additional line of narration at the end of the film that I feel mis-states the entire point of the story.

"Never Let Me Go" is basically a story about people whose lives are not their own. (Much the same theme as "The Remains of the Day" also by Kazuo Ishiguro) The ending of the book gives a sense that Cathy, the main character, continues to accept her fate and never fights to live her own life. The ending of the film takes a bit of a left turn to give an un-ambiguous statement at the end. I prefer the ambiguity of the book.

The film is worth seeing if you like stories about the nature of identity and personal freedom. If you liked "The Remains of the Day" you might also like "Never Let Me Go" But I also recommend the book.

Paradise Now
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
Fratricide

Just recently watched Stardust and Coraline. Don't know what to say about Stardust because it's weird and so is Coraline but I liked it.

Kick-Ass - Call it a spoof on the comic-book movie genre, but this was ridiculously entertaining. Nicolas Cage is on fine form as Batman-mock up Big Daddy, while 13 year old Chloe Moretz shines as the tough and no-nonsense Hit Girl. Highly recommended.

The Hangover - One of the most funniest comedies in recent memory. It's reliance on genuine laughs rather than shock value (Yes Bruno, im talking about you) makes it watchable. Zach Galifianakis steals the show as bearded mentalist Alan, and the photos at the end are hilarious.

The Town - Saw it today and it was excellent. Makes a change from the usual cops and robbers movies, and Ben Affleck is back on form after a period of crap movies.

I totally mothereffing love Kick Ass.

Yesterday, I attended an advance screening of It's Kind of a Funny Story.

Loved it!

I just saw "The Social Network."

Amazing in all its aspects.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

I saw the Social Network and thought it was amazing! It was also 100% clear Jesse Eisenberg tried to portray Mark Zuckerberg as an Aspie. Here was a mini review I posted on Facebook

Nosferatu, the original version.

films saw recently:

Metropolis
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
The illusionist (2010)
My son, My son What have ye done

Devil. It was good. Not really scary but it was a good mystery.