Cowboy Bebop

I just watched this again for the first time in years and it still was as good as I remember it. This is one of the shows that actually gives anime credibility as a serious medium to tell a story. The characters are all very well developed and the show has so much style that it can barely contain itself. It has a lot of references to past movies and music while still managing to stay fresh and new, even ten years after its realease. The show can go from touching, to hilarious, to somber in the blink of an eye. However, the changes flow naturally and don’t seem out of place. I would honestly recommend this show to anybody.

 

Humpday [2009]

This “mublecore” film really suprised me. It probably has to do with the fact that this is really my first time hearing the term “mumblecore” and I thought that was absolutely ridiculous. But gladly that stupid term didn’t change the film much. Something in the movie really resonated with me. I had an easy time relating to a lot of the conversations that they had as well as the awkward situations they were placed in. I thought I might have gotten bored with the constant quick dialogue but I found my attention wholly on what was going on the entire time. I know this type of movie would not be for everyone but if you can relate to the things going on like I could then you would probably really enjoy it.

 

Inglourious Basterds [2009]

One thing that pervades all of Tarantino’s work is his obvious love for movies. It is usually most noticeable all of the homages to old movies he has in his films. But in this movie it is brought to the forefront, as he re-writes history and basically makes film the reason Hitler is brought down from power. The movie is noticeably Tarantino, with long scenes and slow conversations that lead up to brutal graphic action. He scenes are all very deliberate with the dialogue carefully planned out. His description of this movie as a spaghetti western set in WWII is spot on. After a somewhat underwhelming Death Proof, this movie once again leaves me looking forward to his next film.

 

The Rum Diary: A Novel by Hunter S. Thompson

This is the first book I read by Hunter S. Thompson, but if they are all this good I can’t wait until I get my hands on another. The story is seemingly simplistic but the characters breathe life into it in a way that I didn’t think possible. It covers topics of poverty, boredom, corruption and a myriad of other things, all with a lot of alcohol poured on top. I look forward to reading more from him.

 

Teeth [2007]

This movie is certainly disturbing to any guy who would watch it. I kind of wish there was a bit more gore actually. The scenes that had it were fun and certainly made you squirm. It is ridiculous that every guy in the movie was some sort of sexual predator but it would have been a pretty boring movie if they hadn’t been. This is certainly one of the better gore comedies I’ve seen in a while and I have to give it credit for that.

 

Dragon Ball Z Movie 13: Wrath of the Dragon [1995]

This is one of the best Dragon Ball Z movies. It had a decent story and some good action. And we can ignore the fact that telling how Trunks got his sword in this time period doesn’t make any sense since none of these movies fit into the show’s continuity. Speaking of Trunks, it was nice to see him act on his own without Goten around. I don’t think this was quite as good as movie 12, but it definitely had a much better story than that one did.

 

36. Napoléon [1927]

I really did give this movie an honest shot but I just couldn’t get all the way through it. I watched about 2 of the 4 hours of the movie and then took a break. But I have not returned to it and don’t think I ever will. I can appreciate the film that is for sure, but practically speaking it is an absolute chore to watch. It was rather hard to follow and the montage techniques used were a little too artsy for me. I guess I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think I’m missing much by not finishing this movie. It would probably proceed along in a similar manner as the first half ultimately leading to me not even really remembering what happened.

 

Coffee and Cigarettes [2003]

This movie had its moments but the unrelated vignettes did get a little tiresome by the end. You could try to search for some larger meaning in the movie but I have a distinct feeling if you find one it will be pretty thin. And if it’s not thin the at least very pretentious. The acting was good though and certain sequences were pretty funny. I wouldn’t really recommend this to anyone though as it doesn’t really have much of a point in my eyes.

 

294. Kiss Me Deadly [1955]

I’m such a sucker for classic film noir and this movie does not disappoint. The story starts off fairly normal enough, but as the plot thickens it becomes a bit stranger. It turns into some strange metaphor for the fear of the atom bomb that was felt at the time. I liked that it had that weird twist. Everything else was great. The mystery kept your interested and the quick lines made you think about every line of dialogue. Obviously if you’re a fan of film noir this is a must see.

 

204. Force of Evil [1948]

All of the technical aspects of this film were great. There were some great shots and very good work with lighting. The actors and the dialogue were also great. But in the end the movie just fell short. I wasn’t very impressed with the rather simple story. I liked a lot of the individual scenes but they just didn’t come together to form a plot that I really cared about. The dialogue was great though and even though it might have been a little over the top it was such good literary work that it can be forgiven.